Disclaimer: I own neither Red Dead Redemption 2 or Goblin Slayer
Chapter 7
Four young women stood in front of an old Elven fortress. Four young adventurers of the steel rank. Not entirely inexperienced, but still growing as a team. And today, they were going to attempt to take a more difficult task than they were used to. Tackling a host of goblins squatting in the abandoned tree fortress, having kidnapped some villagers and doing gods know what to them. The girls were young, but not completely inexperienced. They knew the dangers that lie ahead and what sort of fate they might meet should things go wrong.
"Alright. We'll go in during the day. We'll kill the guards and keep an eye out for traps. We'll rescue the girls they took from the village and get out. Does everyone understand?" Knight, the leader of the young women, spoke. The others nodded in agreement, watching the fortress warily.
"In and out! Shouldn't be a big deal!" Ranger, the youngest and most light hearted of the group agreed. She spare a look back, smiling. "What do you think, Mister Gunslinger?"
The other girls looked back, their temporary party addition standing close by. He leaned against the trunk of a tree, cleaning one of his guns with a rag.
"Not a bad plan. Simple, but works," Arthur said, spitting some flem off to the side. "But a couple things before we head in. How long ago since that girl got nabbed?"
"About three days. Why?" Wizard asked, tilting her head in question.
"Just wanna figure out their chances of her still breathin'," Arthur said, releasing a reluctant sigh as he stashed his revolver away. "Three days ain't promisin'... chances are low she's even alive. If they are, they might be wishin' they weren't."
"What do you suggest then?" Monk asked him, her brow furrowing.
"Honestly, I'd like to just burn this place down with all the goblins in it. But-"
"We can't do that! If there's a chance that girl is alive, then-"
"I know, lil' lady. I know," Arthur raised his hands, trying to keep Knight from losing her cool. "I ain't sayin' we don't try and go in. But in a place this big… it'll be hard to keep from gettin' out in the open. Even if we tread quietly and the goblins are asleep, the smallest thing could set 'em off. And trust me when I say that, in a fortress this big, there's gonna be a whole lot of 'em."
Knight bit her bottom lip, looking to her comrades in question. None of them spoke at first, knowing full well of the experience that Gunslinger had over them. To ignore his words was to waste the reason they asked him to come. Aside from Goblin Slayer himself, he was the most experienced goblin killer around. If anything, they were rather lucky that he happened to be back at the guild before taking the quest.
"Okay… what do you suggest, then?" Knight asked, setting aside her pride.
"Me and Ranger here go and scout the place out." Arthur said, motioning to the lone Rhea of the group. "We can move quicker and quieter on our own. We'll look for the girl and, if we can, get her out. Once we're back, then we'll light this place up."
"Just the two of you? Are you sure?" Monk asked with some nervousness.
"If we set somethin' off, it'll be easier for us to bolt with just us. You three can watch the front exit. That way, if we gotta make a run for it, you can keep us from bein' cut off. I'd rather fight them all up front rather than chance gettin' butchered inside." Arthur suggested before looking at Ranger. "That is, if you're willin' of course."
"I-If you're willing to put trust in me, Mister Gunslinger, I'm up for it!" Ranger nodded eagerly.
"Still, I'm not sure about this… perhaps I could accompany you instead? In such close quarters, my fighting ability might be more suited for the infiltration." Knight proposed. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ranger, but she did fear risking her close friend in such a quest without being by her side.
"Maybe, but Ranger's small and quick. Plus she won't make as much noise movin' around without armor," said Arthur, scratching the hairs on his chin. "We only gotta save one girl. Ain't no reason to risk the whole party just tryin' to find her. You leave it to us, and we all go home, hopefully with our girl."
The group shared a silent look, tempering their emotions and trying to think logically. Arthur was right. Such a large fortress was dangerous to explore without full knowledge. As a group, they yielded higher chances of alarming the goblins even as they slept. And if they were to get caught in a bad spot, their chances of survival would drop dramatically.
"Alright, Gunslinger. I will trust you with the hostage and my comrade's life. Please be careful."
"I'll do my best. Now let's get goin'," Arthur said, tugging on the brim of his hat as he lead the way. The five of them soon arrived at the front entrance, two goblins guarding it. They were quickly dealt with by Ranger and Arthur, arrows piercing their guts within moments.
"Wish us luck," Ranger said, keeping her voice level as she tried to remain confident. She veiled her trepidation well.
"If somethin' goes wrong, try and make some noise. Bring 'em out front so that we got an easier escape. Just remember to keep your eyes up for any tryin' to shoot down on you if you do." Arthur said, his custom hatchet in hand.
"I pray for safety for you both," Monk said, wringing her hands around her staff.
Arthur and Ranger moved quietly through the fortress. Though it wasn't quite what Arthur was used to exploring, he knew exactly what to expect by now. One thing he could appreciate was the amount of light they had, the sun pushing through the branches and brush overhead. Ranger and Arthur took turns scouting out traps set by both goblins and the previous inhabitants. He imagined that it was set up to stop a siege and keep invaders from getting too deep within their home, something that now worked against the two as they went deeper and deeper, slowing their progress.
It also didn't help that Arthur was slitting the throats of any goblins lying around.
"H-Hey! We should keep moving!" Ranger said, her eyes darting around to the still sleeping goblins while Arthur ran the blade of his hatchet across one's throat.
"I'm makin' sure our exit's clear. You do the same," Arthur advised, shooting the Rhea girl a look. Ranger wanted to argue, but knew better than to get snippity or loud, considering their position. So instead, she obeyed, slitting several goblin's throats before they could even let out another snore.
It was gruesome work, but it was safe. And she had no doubt that she would get much worse if the position were reversed. Goblins weren't known for restraint, after all.
Their progress might have slowed, but the two were able to make their way through the entire fortress without a single encounter. A good thing as well, because Arthur doubted that they came even close to killing all the goblins that were occupying the tree fortress. So he when they finally came across a young woman's body, he was relieved. Until the relief was quickly replaced with caution.
"There she is!" Ranger smiled, getting ready to rush forward. She was jerked back suddenly as Arthur grabbed her arm, pulling her close. "H-Hey!"
"Don't be jumpin' too quick to grab her. Look carefully," Arthur whispered, pointing forward with his free hand. Ranger shifted her gaze back, narrowing her eyes at the young woman's body. As she focused harder, her eyes widened, seeing a thin metal cord stretching out from under the woman. "No way…"
"Yeah. That's a pretty favored goblin trap," Arthur explained, stepping closer to the body and sighing. "Shit… she ain't breathin', neither. She's gone."
"No…" Ranger muttered, biting inside her cheek. "We were too late…"
"Don't beat yourself up. I don't think settin' out a few hours earlier woulda saved her. She… She's been gone," Arthur breathed out, standing straight up. "Come on. Let's get outta here."
"Are we… going to leave her?" Ranger asked hesitantly, rubbing her arm as she looked down at the body with remorse.
"Trust me, kid. Her family ain't gonna want to see her body like that," Arthur said, putting a hand on her shoulder in comfort. "No parent would."
Ranger looked up at him with regret, but remained silent as she spared a look down at the girl again. Her hands tightened into fists, frustration building up in her. "Th-These… damn goblins."
"Don't worry, I've got that part covered. Trust me on that," Arthur said, his eyes narrowed. Ranger looked up at him again before silently nodding, the two taking their leave. Now that they were familiar with the path, getting out of the fortress was the easy part, especially with the goblins they passed all slain and staining the ground.
"You're back! Thank goodness," Knight greeted them, the girls rushing up to the two as they exited the fortress. They soon noticed they didn't have their target. "Was she…?"
"It was too late for her," Arthur said, shaking his head. "And bringin' her body… well, it's best to say it wasn't pretty."
"Yes… it wouldn't have brought any solace to the family," Ranger agreed, her gaze cast to the ground.
"Gods…" Monk muttered, looking down in regret.
"Damn… that poor girl…" Knight mumbled, gripping her sword's hilt in frustration.
"Well, if y'all wanna get goin', we can. Couldn't fulfill the quest, after all," Arthur offered, digging through his satchel. "Or… you can stay, and we can kill some goblins. Make sure none of 'em do this to another girl in that village." He pulled out a fire bottle, offering it to Ranger. "What do you girls say?"
Ranger took the bottle, tilting her head in question for a moment. But remembering the girl's tortured body, Ranger gripped it tightly, looking up at Arthur with a burning rage. "I want to kill them."
"As do I. Leaving them here would be condemning more to the same fate, after all," Knight said, drawing her sword.
"I believe we're all of the same mind," Wizard said, with Monk giving a nod in agreement.
"Good to hear. Nice to know I won't be doin' it alone," Arthur chuckled, producing another fire bottle. "Are y'all ready?"
The girls each fell in line, mentally preparing for what came next. Though Ranger looked down at the bottle again inquisitively. "What do I do with this, though?"
"Easy. You chuck it." Arthur soon stressed that point by throwing the fire bottle in his hand, glass and flame spreading across the bark of the wooden fortress. Arthur lit a match, lighting the cloth of Ranger's bottle. "Whenever you're ready."
Ranger looked down at the burning cloth, somewhat amazed by the effectiveness as fire continued to burn across the fortress front. With a resolute nod, Ranger let the bottle fly, adding to the building flames.
"They should know we're here by now. Stay on alert!" Knight said as she drew her sword. "Ranger, watch the tree line. Wizard, help me watch the front gate."
"Right!" The others answered, Ranger drawing an arrow and taking aim. Arthur unslung his Rolling Block rifle from his shoulder, holding it ready for any goblins that might pop out. They heard the rumbling of feet and growls, the goblins finally waking from their sleep. Several goblins rose out from the branches, looking down at the five of them and grumbling incoherent sounds.
"Got one?" Arthur asked.
"Yes." Ranger answered, loosing an arrow. It struck a goblin straight between the eyes.
Arthur followed suit, his sniper rifle booming as it loosed a bullet. The goblin he targeted was soon missing a head, its body flying back. The other goblins cowered, stunned as they looked back at the headless body smack against the wall. Ranger immediately killed another with an arrow to the throat, her aim swift and true. Arthur blasted another, this time its body splitting in half at the stomach.
"Such a powerful weapon… and so fast…" Wizard muttered, watching Arthur reload the gun.
"We have company up front!" Knight announced, taking a battle stance at the front. The smoke was beginning to build up and the fire spreading across the tree. Arthur had no doubt that a great mass of them would soon be coming, either to kill them or to escape the ensuing blaze.
"Keep an eye up top for us," Arthur said, slinging his rifle and pulling out his custom cattleman revolver. An idea suddenly came to him, sparing a look back at Monk. "Hey. Do you got that miracle Protection?"
"Hm? Why-yes, I do. Why?" Monk answered, raising a brow. A sly smirk made its way onto Arthur's face, giving a nod.
"Good. I was just thinkin' about what my partner would do in this situation, and… I think I know," he chuckled, peering into the wooden gate. "When I tell ya, put that miracle up right at the door."
"Okay!" Monk raised her sounding staff, holding it close.
"What are you planning?" Knight asked curiously, sparing him a look over the shoulder.
"You'll see." Arthur kept his gun up, just in case. He saw the figures of multiple goblins approaching through the smoke. "Alright, now!"
Monk began to chant the mantra of her religion, slamming her staff into the ground.
"Protection!"
A wall of light not dissimilar to what Priestess would create was erected in front of the door. Only a few goblins made it outside before the wall stopped the rest short, the monsters stuck within the burning fortress. The ones outside didn't have it any better, though.
"HIYAH!" Knight cried, slashing through the first goblin she could reach. Arthur put a golf ball sized hole in another's head before taking aim to shoot the other, but Wizard soon dispatched of it with a fireball. Arthur spun his gun on his finger before putting it back on his holster.
"Looks like we're clear. Any up top, Ranger?" Arthur asked, sparing a look back at the Rhea.
"No. A few appeared, but I was able to kill them easily." Ranger announced, smiling proudly.
"Good. With that, I'd say we've dealt with the majority of 'em," Arthur said, walking up to Knight. "We should take a last look around though. We know the back was already caved in before we got here, but never know if a few jumped for it or if they dug some holes in the ground."
"Right…" Knight mumbled, her eyes focused on the fortress entrance, Wizard and Monk doing the same. Arthur followed their gaze, seeing the gathering goblins beginning to suffocate on the smoke behind the wall of light. They slowly began to die, sliding to the ground in agony.
"I've… never thought to use a miracle like that…" Monk mumbled, swallowing a lump in her throat.
"You should. Just 'cause you use it for one purpose, don't mean it can't be used for somethin' else," Arthur shrugged, his hands gripping his belt at the front.. "My partner told me somethin' once. 'Imagination is a weapon. Those who don't use it die first.' Can't say I disagree with that."
The girls remained silent, unable to deny his words. After all, the results yielded were real.
Arthur watched the building smoke for a moment longer before drawing his revolver again. "Come on. Let's not give 'em too much chance to run off."
Knight watched the burning tree for a moment long before nodding, turning to the others. "Let's go."
The female party soon followed suit, the five running around and finishing off the few survivors that made it out one way or another. The tree fortress burned long into the day, and it wasn't until Monk communed with the local water spirits that the fire would finally die out.
Been an interesting month since Priestess joined us.
The girl looks so fragile, but she's constantly pushing to join us on goblin quests. I can't help but worry that she's gonna eventually work herself to death. But she wants to keep learning. Stopping her wouldn't do her much good. Still, can't help but worry every time a goblin gets too close. Think I've butchered one too many in front of her pretty brutally.
Not that Goblin Slayer gives that a thought. I guess he shouldn't and neither should I, but I suppose it's just me trying to be a little more considerate of the girl.
That aside, I ended up going on a quest with some all women party. Buncha little ladies looking to tackle some goblins in an old fortress. They all seemed pretty decent, but their leader still had the brains to ask for some help. Goblin Slayer and Priestess left on a mission without me, so it ended up working out.
Who knows what would have happened had I not come. The girls seemed to handle themselves well enough, but… it takes one bad roll of the dice to have things go wrong.
"Thank you, Mister Gunslinger!"
The young female party bowed in appreciation, Knight smiling up at Arthur as she stood straight.
"Ain't no need for that. That's what we get paid for," Arthur chuckled, tugging on the brim of his hat.
"Still, it was really cool to work with an emerald rank! Thanks for taking the time to work with us down here in steel rank!" Ranger giggled, giving him a bright grin and a kind jab in the shoulder.
"We were honored to work with you. It was a shame the way that things turned out for the young lady, but those goblins won't be hurting anyone again," Knight said, resting a hand on her sword.
"We would be welcome to having you join us again, if you wouldn't mind," said Wizard this time.
"Well, if I happen to be in between jobs or not waitin' on my partner, I'd be happy to help. Even if he ain't always willin' to wait," said Arthur.
"And I'll keep your advice in mind, Mister Gunslinger! I'll try to use my miracles in more imaginative ways from now on," Monk said, balling her fists in front of her in determination.
"Good. But that advice extends to all of you. You all got plenty of good heads on your shoulders, just make sure you use 'em," Arthur advised before putting a cigarette in his mouth.
"Yes. We'll do our best to keep getting better," Knight nodded, turning around with her party. "Hope to see you soon!"
"Same to you four. Be safe out there," Arthur said, tipping his hat as he bid the girls farewell. He headed to the bar, tossing a coin on the table for a drink. "Beer, please. A drink sounds good after all that travelin'."
"Well~, if it isn't the ever popular Gunslinger, finally slinking back here," Arthur smirked, looking over his shoulder to see Padfoot Waitress walking up to him. The excitable waitress stuck her hip out as she put a hand on one side, her face scrutinizing him. "Did you have lotsa fun with all those girls?"
"I don't think I quite get what you mean, Padfoot Waitress. I was simply doin' my duty as a fellow adventurer and helpin' in what way I could," Arthur said, his voice hiding none of his humor.
"Sure~, whatever you say. I'm sure all those cute girls didn't make Mister 'Ring Dang Doo' blush a bit, huh?" Padfoot Waitress retorted, her eyes narrowing as Arthur winced.
"You're never gonna let me live that song down, are you?"
"Nope~!" Padfoot Waitress giggled, skipping over to him.
"Of course not… jokes aside, it was a pretty standard mission. Well, far as goblin killin' goes, at least. Those girls are pretty good. They keep workin' hard, they'll get better." Arthur said, turning in his chair to the beer that the bartender placed in front of him.
"I'm sure that's all that was on your mind," Padfoot Waitress huffed, putting more attitude in her tone.
"It honestly was, I swear. Not really into girls that young anyway," Arthur shrugged, leaning forward on the bar as he took a sip from his drink.
"What do you mean? They're all of age." Padfoot Waitress tilted her head in wonder.
Maybe here they are. "Guess I just like girls more… mature, maybe," Arthur shrugged carelessly. "Twenty or so, at least."
The 1800's might have had a technical low age of consent close to 12 years old, but it was a pretty bad stigma if you were the type of person to be with someone that young and being far older than them. Laws for raising the age of consent to 18 had started talks for quite some time, though some states attempted to hold out for 16 instead.
Aside from that though, Arthur still had the soul of a 35 year old man. Older women were just more appealing to him.
Padfoot Waitress blinked at that but gave a broad smile. "Twenty, huh? I see, I see~! Very interesting! And here I thought you might be open to all types!"
"Yeah, well, that's not to say I'm lookin' for somethin' like that. I mean, sure, I like women plenty, but uh… I'm not particularly interested in bein' involved with someone," Arthur explained, causing Padfoot Waitress to stiffen up.
"O-Oh? Why is that?" She asked, doing her best to sound casual.
"That's… a bigger question than you think," Arthur said with a humorless chuckle, eyes focused down on his bottle. "But the long and short of it is that I'd rather not while I'm doin' stuff like adventurin', you know?"
Padfoot Waitress raised a brow, opening her mouth to push further. But she stopped short, trying to consider his position. Despite having known each other for so long, Arthur followed the rule of thumb that most did, and kept his past under lock and key. She easily guessed that it had something to do with that, and knew better than to push the subject.
"I see… W-Well, if you ever change your mind and need advice, let me know! My friends always count on me when it comes to relationship advice!" Padfoot Waitress said, trying to act confident as she put a confident smile on.
"I'll be sure to remember that. Might be good to have a woman's advice when tryin' to deal with one," Arthur chuckled. "And hey. Since I got you, mind makin' me some chicken and potatoes? I could go for some food."
"Oh, right away! Just leave it to me!" Padfoot Waitress grinned ear to ear, always happy to jump on a chance to make a meal for her favorite customer. Arthur watched the waitress skip off, giving a small smile before returning to his drink. Good girl. Reminds me a bit of Mary-Beth. Hope she has better taste in men, though.
"Ah, Mister Gunslinger!" Arthur heard a familiar voice, looking over his shoulder to find Priestess and Goblin Slayer entering the bar area.
"Hey." Goblin Slayer greeted, the two walking over to him.
"Well, if it ain't my partner, casually walkin' in after leavin' without a word," Arthur said with some amusement.
"Hrk," Goblin Slayer grunted, his voice sounding a bit awkward. One of the fun things about teasing him for Arthur was that he sometimes took certain things a bit serious. "... Sorry."
"Ah, I'm just playin'. Ain't like we don't do our own quests from time to time," Arthur chuckled, waving them over to join him. "How was it, then? You take a big one without me?"
"It was a bit more difficult, yes. The reason we left so quickly was because Mister Goblin Slayer said that there were signs that they were planning to attack soon in the quest details." Priestess explained, taking a seat and releasing a tired sigh. She was obviously tired, leaning against the bar for relief.
"They were going to raid a small village. The distance was long, so we needed to leave immediately," Goblin Slayer added, sitting on his opposite side.
"I figured as much. We get a few of those from time to time," Arthur nodded, turning to regard Goblin Slayer. "Plannin' to call it a day, then?"
"Yes. I'll be heading home soon."
"I should return to the monestary as well," Priestess said, her voice hiding little of her exhaustion. She looked like she was about to nod off. "We just… wanted to talk to you first, and see if you wanted to do a job together tomorrow."
"Well, you both know I'm always up for a job. But before that, you both should head home and rest. I'll get the small stuff outta the way and pick a mission for us in the mornin'. Alright?"
"I see. We'll see you then." Goblin Slayer nodded, standing from his seat and turning his helmet to Priestess. "I'll walk you home."
"Okay…" Priestess nodded, giving Arthur a tired smile. "Have a good night, Mister Gunslinger."
"Rest easy, Priestess." Arthur nodded back, watching them leave.
That girl really might work herself to death. But I guess that's part of workin' with us.
"You take really good care of your horse, Mister Gunslinger," Priestess said, smiling as she walked alongside the cowboy. The three set out for another goblin horde quest, walking through a forest bordering their hideout in an old mine. "Most adventurers seem to prefer taking carriages around."
"Yeah, I've noticed. I'm not against it, but I've always preferred a good horse, myself." Arthur shrugged, his hands resting on his belt. "Sure, it's extra work takin' care of one, but… just somethin' about havin' a reliable beast like that around is nice. I think you both should consider gettin' horses of your own."
"Would it help me kill goblins?" was the first thing his partner asked, eliciting a laugh from Arthur.
"Of course that's your first question. But technically, a bit. It's a lot faster to travel by horse than carriage. You'd be able to get around quicker and hit your targets faster." Arthur said, thinking of the practicality.
"I see." Goblin Slayer nodded, sounding somewhat interested. "Perhaps it's not a bad idea."
"I've always wanted to have a horse. Though I've never ridden one by myself," Priestess sighed, looking down in disappointment. "And horses are expensive…"
"Well, tell you what. If you really want somethin' to ride, I don't mind helpin' you get one. I can help you learn how to ride, too," Arthur offered, causing the Priestess to beam at the offer.
"Really?! That would be great! W-Wait, no!" Priestess shook her head and frowned. "I don't want to make you pay for me, Mister Gunslinger. That would be-"
"It's really nothin'. I've got a bit more coins than I need at the moment, what with that whole business venture I got goin' on," Arthur waved her off. "Helpin' you out with that and some lessons ain't even a problem."
"S-Still…"
"Wait." Goblin Slayer's voice brought them to a halt, Priestess and Arthur looking up at the stoic adventurer. "There's smoke."
"What?" They followed his line of sight, looking up to see smoke rising above the treeline.
"That's strange… ain't that close to where the goblins are camped?" Arthur raised a brow, sparing a look at Goblin Slayer.
"It should be if the quest location was right."
"Do you think… the goblins are having a bonfire right now?" Priestess asked hesitantly, unsure of the idea.
"No. They should be asleep right now. Even if they had a fire going, they would hide it in their hole to keep attention away from themselves," Goblin Slayer dismissed, his gaze focusing forward. "Something happened."
"Let's be careful, then. Could be a couple of other adventurers, but who knows," Arthur said, drawing his Schofield revolver and cocking the hammer. "Move quietly, and stay in cover."
"R-Right."
"Yes."
The three proceeded with caution, sticking close to the trees and remaining hidden under the shade of the brush. Just ahead of them, they could see the entrance to the mine, a cow skull signifying the presence of a shaman and its horde sitting outside of it. And just in front of it, Arthur made out the familiar sight of a pile of goblins, their carcasses burning like a bonfire.
"So someone else did kill the goblins already…" Priestess muttered, eyes widening in surprise.
"Well, ain't that peachy. Guess we traveled all this way for nothin'," Arthur sighed, shaking his head.
"Someone's coming out." Goblin Slayer said, causing them both to look up.
"Will you lot hurry up! We've got an order to deliver!" A man walked out of the mine exit, calling back to the inside. He looked like a standard adventurer, wearing plate armor on his chest with a dirty brown cloak draped down his back. He wore woolen pants and ugly leather boots with a fairly standard bastard sword sitting on his hip.
"So he's the-" Priestess started before Arthur cut her off, putting a finger to his lips. Priestess tilted her head in question, wondering why the two were acting so cautious.
"Look…" Goblin Slayer pointed, watching as another few men started to walk out of the cave. Arthur and Priestess widened their eyes, watching as the men had a rope trailing behind them. A rope tied to a number of goblins. Their wrists were tied and they were trudging along reluctantly, but that didn't matter.
What mattered was that they were alive.
Goblin Slayer gripped the hilt of his short sword, Arthur almost swearing he could see the bead of a red glowing eye radiating from his helmet. Priestess inhaled a breath, both scared and confused.
"Wh-What are they doing with the goblins?" Priestess asked quietly.
"It doesn't matter." Goblin Slayer said, beginning to walk out of his cover. "Those goblins are going to die."
"Hey, slow down!" Arthur said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back. "You just gonna ignore this fool and his gang here?"
"Yes. Unless they attack me."
"Well, they obviously will if they're supposed to be takin' the goblins somewhere," Arthur huffed, massaging the hairs on his chin. "Look… they're gonna put 'em in some cages right now," he pointed out, motioning forward so that the two could see what he meant. There was a large cart off to the side with a cage being dragged by a horse, the men beginning to load them into it.
"If you're really gonna go through with this, let me distract 'em at least. If I can't convince 'em otherwise, you go ahead and kill all the goblins. You just gotta be ready for a fight if they take some exception to what we do," said Arthur, causing Goblin Slayer to hesitate.
"A-Are you sure about this? We don't know who they are, and there's five of them…" Priestess said, looking at them both with concern.
"As much as I'd like to let this go, you know he ain't," Arthur said, nodding to Goblin Slayer. The way the man focused forward made it clear that his mind was made up. "But I might be able to keep a fight with 'em from breakin' out. Hopefully."
"O-Okay… what do you want me to do?" Priestess asked, wanting to be helpful.
"Well… Tell you what. Stay hidden for us. If I can't 'convince' them to let the goblins go and they wanna fight so bad, use your miracle to light the place up and we'll hightail it outta here," he suggested. "I'm sure you don't want us to kill them if a fight does break out, so that's our only option."
"I see… alright, I can do that." Priestess nodded, wringing her hands around her sounding staff nervously. Arthur couldn't blame her. Dealing with goblins was one thing, but the possibility of fighting other adventurers was a strange notion.
Here's hopin' it don't come to that.
"Let's go." Arthur said, slowly moving forward. Goblin Slayer broke off from them, crouching low as he hid in the brush. Arthur motioned for Priestess to stay behind a tree closeby, the young blonde nodding before going into hiding. Arthur exhaled a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever may come. "Here goes nothin'..."
"Heh, we sure were lucky this time. We even got the shaman without killing it!" One of the supposed adventurers laughed, loading the last of the goblins into the cage. At the back of the rope line was the shaman, still wearing its headdress and snarling at its captors.
"That went better than expected. Looks like we got a good payday coming, men!" The supposed leader laughed, grinning at the other four men who let out a resounding cheer.
"Excuse me, fellers," Arthur called out, making himself known to the men. Immediately, each one of them went on guard, turning to Arthur in alarm and caution. Their hands seemed to reflexively go to their swords, though they didn't draw them yet.
"What do you want?" The leader said, raising a brow at Arthur.
"Sorry if I surprised you. I'm just a fellow adventurer who happened to be out for this goblin quest. But from the look o' things, you boys already handled it," Arthur said, sparing a look at the burning pile and the caged goblins. All attention was on him, and so Goblin Slayer moved swiftly toward the cages while their backs were turned.
"We're not adventurers, we're mercenaries. We're not the same as you," The leader said, narrowing his eyes. "Sorry, but you'll have a hard time claiming any reward unless you're willing to lie about who did it. Not like we'll stop you. We've got another deal going on."
"I noticed. Ain't never seen anyone try and catch goblins as opposed to just killin' 'em all." Arthur said, being sure not to look at the cage as to keep eyes away from it. "What exactly you plan on doin' with 'em?"
"It's not any of your business what we do with 'em. Just be happy you didn't have to go through the trouble of killing them yourself." The leader said, getting ready to turn around.
"Now, see, I can't do that." Arthur stopped him, resting his hands on his revolvers cautiously. He could tell that these men were less than cordial compared to the men at the guild. And considering that they had the titles of mercenaries, he knew they were likely willing to kill a man in their way if they wanted. "My job was to come and kill the goblins. And while I'm sure you don't got any sorta kind intentions for 'em, I can't say lettin' you take 'em seems like a good idea either."
"Huh?! You got a problem with your head, asshole?!" One of the grunts snarled, taking a step forward. Arthur was getting ready to draw his gun, but the leader held an arm out.
"Calm down, Merc Grunt. We don't want a fight with some adventurer. Don't even know who he is or if he's alone," The leader said, eyes staring back into Arthur's. "They don't usually travel alone. So my guess is that you've got your party hidden somewhere, waiting for us to make a move."
"You know, I had you pegged for the leader. You seem smart enough to understand the situation," Arthur smirked, thankful for the element of surprise.
"Someone has to think for this lot," the mercenary answered, crossing his arms over his breast plate. "I'm Merc Captain."
"Gunslinger. Emerald rank. Though I think I might be ruby soon," Arthur said, though he noticed the other men turn their heads in surprise.
"Wait, that big hunter? Don't you go after big animal game?" One of the mercs said.
"I've heard of you. I've also heard you're close partners with that man Goblin Slayer as well." Merc Captain said, a small smirk spreading on his lips. "He's a pretty famous silver rank. Well, famous for only focusing on goblins. I guess I can see why you aren't particularly ready to let this go."
"Smart man. My partner and I ain't very complicated men. We see goblins, we kill 'em. And right now, you got a cage full of 'em, just waitin' to die." Arthur said, his thumbs tapping on the grips of his guns. "Much as I'd like to let this go and have you fellers be on your merry way, I can't say I'm too thrilled to see you boys cart off so many. And neither is my partner, though I'd argue exponentially so."
Goblin Slayer was hidden well behind the cart, the goblins hollering wildly having noticed him. Of course, the merc standing closest was unaware, only shouting for the goblins to shut up and hitting the cage with his sword. Arthur had to admit, Goblin Slayer was showing some extraordinary resilience in the face of so many goblins. He was half expecting his partner to already kill them by now.
"Sorry, but we've got a job of our own to fulfill. Bringin' this lot back to an alchemist for testing." Merc Captain said, causing Arthur to raise a brow in question. "Apparently, he wants to try and see if he can change a goblin's personality and affinity to tame their species. He's a bit of a loon, but he pays well for us to bring him these little monsters."
"Ten gold coins a goblin! What a deal!" One of the grunts laughed.
"Ten gold coins each? Seems like a bit much for one of those nasty bastards." Arthur said, looking at the cage.
"It's easier to kill a goblin than it is to capture them. They're savage little things and travel in hordes. Even if you kill most of them, the others will just run away and are pretty damn slippery. Might be harder than you think," Merc Captain shrugged, resting his hand on his sword's hilt. "So I'd appreciate it if you didn't waste our efforts. We're taking this lot back to the alchemist. If it makes you feel better, maybe his experiment will work. You might even see some good goblins running around."
"No."
Ah, shit…
Arthur and the Mercenaries pulled their attention to the cage, Goblin Slayer now standing on top of the bars. With a lit fire bottle in his hand.
"They won't be walking around. Because the only good goblin is a dead goblin."
Before the men could say a word, Goblin Slayer chucked the fire bottle between the bars, fire and glass erupting in a brilliant display. The goblins shrieked in pain, the fire spreading across them in an instant.
"You son of a-"
*BOOM*
One of the goblins' heads exploded inside the cage, Arthur having drawn his Schofield and shot it. Of course, that was only to serve as a warning, quickly readjusting his aim to the Merc Captain, his gun to his head. "Don't do it, buddy. Trust me."
The five mercenaries had winced from the sound, each one looking at Arthur in confusion and fear. Merc Captain did well to keep his composure, sweat trailing down his brow.
"You bastards… you just cost us a lot of gold…" he growled, hesitating to go for his sword after what Arthur did.
"Sorry, but my partner ain't much for gray area when it comes to goblins. For good reason," Arthur said, taking several steps back from the mercenaries. Goblin Slayer hopped off the cage, walking up to Arthur with his sword drawn.
"A little better warnin' next time would be nice," Arthur said, sparing a scalding glare at his partner.
"Sorry. It was taking too long." Goblin Slayer said, looking at the mercenaries. "What should we do?"
"You sons of bitches! We'll get you back for this!" A grunt growled, reaching for his sword after so much hesitation. Arthur answered that by putting a hole in his hand just as he touched the hilt. "GAAAGH~!"
"I'm sorry, but was the goblin head explodin' not enough warnin' for ya?!" Arthur snapped, training the gun on the leader. "You better keep your men in line before they get an early grave over a few goblins!"
"Men! Stand down!" Merc Captain ordered, gritting his teeth as he better understood the situation.
"M-My hand, cap-"
"You deserved it! Now stand down!" He silenced him, though the grunt continued to whine in pain as he held his shaking arm.
"Looks like you do all the thinkin' for your men." Arthur said, his eyes scanning across the group for any other aggressive movement. At this point though, none of them even twitched toward their swords. "Now do yourselves a favor and get back on your cart and leave. I'm sure if you detach the cage, you don't gotta worry about it catchin' fire as well."
"You have no idea who you're screwing over. Our entire band will be after you! You think we'll just take this lying down?" Merc Captain snarled, only for Arthur to readjust his aim to the captain.
"I understand your position, but you have to understand mine. I could just kill all five of you and be done with it. Burn your bodies so that nobody even knows what happened to you. But I believe it'd be quite a shame and a lotta work to do all that. Then again, we didn't even get to kill any goblins," Arthur shrugged, happy to see that each of them tensed in terror.
"Gunslinger." Goblin Slayer said, his own voice hesitant. Arthur spared a look at him, understanding what was being conveyed by his stoic partner with just one word.
Arthur was seriously considering the option of killing them, too. Having a mercenary band after them didn't sound like a good idea. Part of him was sure that in the old days, he wouldn't have wasted so many words on these men. He felt that darkness tempt him again, wanting to do the easy thing and leave these men out as bird feed. He had no doubt that they likely deserved whatever they got.
But things were different now. Arthur didn't want to be that man again. He didn't want to set that kind of example for Priestess, either. So, Arthur pushed that darkness away, and decocked the hammer of his gun.
"Yeah, maybe that's a bit much. But I can be reasonable man," Arthur said, keeping up a tough and casual facade before lowering his gun for a moment. "So tell you what. How about we make a deal. I'll let you fellers go, you don't come after us, and we all move on with our lives."
Merc Captain tightened his fist and narrowed his eyes. "Even if I was able to forget this happening, my men won't. We're losing a lot of coin in this, and you shot one of their hands."
"We can pay you the reward for the quest." Goblin Slayer suddenly offered, causing Arthur to raise a brow. "Would that suffice?"
"Please. We were getting ten gold coins for each goblin. I'm sure your quest wasn't even worth a tenth of what we would get." Merc Captain huffed, glaring at Goblin Slayer now.
"You know, for a few guys cornered and so little options, you're being mighty negotiative," Arthur said, cocking the hammer again.
"I'm being honest here. You can either kill us or send us on our way, and we'll come looking for you." Merc Captain declared, sweat trailing down his face. He was nervous, that was obvious, but that made his words even more true. "That's just how our band works."
I should just kill them.
Arthur grit his teeth, pushing the thought away again as he decided to do something he was sure to regret. "You're gonna owe me big time for this," Arthur huffed, sparing a look at Goblin Slayer.
"What?" His partner chirped innocently.
"Look, I can't pay you what you were gonna get for those goblins, but I can make it close." Arthur said, fishing into his satchel and producing a money pouch. "Six big gold coins. And a health potion for your friend's hand. You take that and you leave us alone."
Merc Captain raised a brow, sparing a look at his men. "What, can't take a life? I thought you adventurers had tougher grit than that," he said, for some reason deciding to challenge Arthur's position. Perhaps he was trying to decide whether it was a good idea to chance attacking them. But Arthur wouldn't let that happen.
"Oh, trust me buddy. I've killed far more than you and your entire band probably boasts about killin'. Killin' you all would be the easiest thing I could do right now." Arthur said, his voice becoming grave and threatening. "But I'm offerin' you and your men an out so that you're not added to my long list. Do yourselves a favor, take it, and get lost. Forget you even met us."
Merc Captain seemed to temper any thoughts of retaliation once Arthur was done, a deep frown forming on his lips. He spared one last look at his men again and sighed, nodding in agreement. "Deal. Give us the coin and potion, and we'll be on our way."
Arthur chucked the coin pouch at Merc Captain before pulling out the health potion and tossing it to the hurt merc. "I would say it's a pleasure, but it's hard to say that since this ended up bein' the most expensive goblin hunt I've ever been on. Now get outta my sight." Arthur said, lowering his gun but keeping it in his hand. The mercenaries slowly made their way to their carriage, the leader lagging behind the rest.
"I didn't see it at first, but I can tell now." Merc Captain said, a small smirk on his face. "You are a real killer, huh? I might have chanced it otherwise. If you want to stop wasting time on quests and make real money. You should join our band, the Ash Wolves."
Arthur let out a scoff, shaking his head. "I'll pass. I'll keep killin' monsters as opposed to people, I think."
"If that's what you want." Merc Captain turned around, heading for the carriage.
"Hey." Arthur called out, stopping him. "You better keep your word. 'Cause if I get a single one of your boys come after me, I'll hunt you all down myself and get my money back."
Merc Captain let out a small chuckle. "We won't. I'll kill the man who tries to mess with you if I have to." With that, the mercenaries soon left, Arthur and Goblin Slayer watching them ride off. When they were finally out of sight, Arthur let out a tired sigh and put his gun away, looking at Goblin Slayer.
"Put that gold on your tab for things you owe me." Arthur huffed, leaning a hand on his gun grips.
"Hrk…" Goblin Slayer grunted, his helmet looking down in some shame. "Sorry… I'll pay you back."
"Ah, don't worry. We'll work somethin' out. But prepare for some extra hunts that don't involve goblins in the near future," Arthur chuckled, slapping his shoulder.
"Are both of you okay?" They heard Priestess, the young blonde soon coming out of the treeline and frowning. "That was all very scary. I wasn't sure what would happen."
"Well, things didn't go too bad, I guess. No one but the goblins are dead. The worst thing about it is that I lost some money," Arthur shrugged.
"I am sorry." Goblin Slayer said again. "I will pay you back, somehow."
"Well, don't bother savin' up money. You barely scrape by on goblin quests as it is," Arthur chuckled before looking at Priestess. "Come on, let's get outta here. Had enough of this place already."
The three began to walk through the forest, heading back to where the carriage was waiting for them. Arthur watched Priestess from the side, seeing the confliction in her expression. He began to feel nervous, wondering how much she had heard between him and the mercenary. I said a lot more than I meant to.
"Mister Gunslinger…"
Arthur was drawn out of his thoughts, looking at Priestess. "Yeah?" He veiled his concern, doing his best to remain as casual as possible. But his worries were soon wiped away when the young girl gave him an earnest smile.
"I'm sorry that you lost so much money like that, but… I'm really glad you didn't kill them. They were really threatening, so I was worried, but… you did everything you could to spare their lives. That was very thoughtful of you." She said, her smile filling him with a few unwanted but welcome emotions, causing him to release a heartfelt chuckle.
"Yeah, well… I didn't wanna make a mess is all…"
"No. You're a good man." Arthur's head snapped up to Goblin Slayer, his helmet staring back at him. Arthur stared at him, his jaw falling slightly but unable to find the words.
"He's right. You really are," Priestess nodded fervently, but then turned a puffy cheeked expression to Goblin Slayer. "But seriously, Mister Goblin Slayer! You acted way too recklessly!"
"Sorry…"
Arthur remained silent as he watched Priestess continue to scold his partner, finding a small smile resting on his lips.
Well… I still don't know if I'm a good man. But I can keep tryin' for this group, at least.
To be continued…
Phew, that ended up being longer than I anticipated!
The second half of this chapter was actually a huge toss up on my part. I had some idea for what I wanted, but it made me think that it would just be another repetitive goblin killing mission with some other antics going on. And then I thought 'Well, I also kind of want something of an overarching story eventually.'
And then this came as the result. It ended up being a lot more than I meant to do. But it ended up being a good chance to establish a moment of struggle for Arthur to revert to some of his old ways, as well as establish a group that may become more important later on. We'll see where I go with that in the future.
Don't worry, we're getting to the rest of the party soon enough. Very soon, actually. But for now, I hope this chapter was satisfying on its own. Please feel free to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind. Also, if you can, try and add to the TVTropes page of this story! It could certainly use some more additions to it!
