Hello people and welcome back to Goblin Slayer: The Team Year 2. This is a chapter I've been waiting ages for, so let's hop right to it, shall we?
Review Response: I got your P.M. Engineer, I'll react accordingly...
Like I said: that light-from-the-sky was insanely powerful and...returning the living to health but not the dead to life is a tad illogical, regardless of the lore.
Yeah, the vampire queen was one tough bitch wasn't she? Although, Ranger was still under the Army of One miracle's effects, so...good luck wearing him down too badly. Also...Cherub might be powerful, but he's not omniscient.
Damn straight they were enjoying themselves, and why shouldn't they? As for the High King? Yeah, who better to give a high rank than him? But, should Ranger be made Platinum or just Gold? I think Platinum, since the Army of One thing is only temporary, but on the flip side...just the fact that it's available is noteworthy enough. Kinda sucks that GS isn't much of a party-goer, at least without prodding but...who knows? Maybe Cow Girl would work a miracle of her own? Oh jeez...how many men would drool over her in a dress...? As for Guild Girl? Well...like I said, I'm a GS x CG shipper, but on a serious note, Ranger does have a point. But that kiss on the forehead was utterly personal on his part.
Truth-be-told, I've been completely shrugging off the whole "D&D" thing and just treated this story like a series of mathematical events in the struggle for balance between light, darkness, chaos, and order. Ranger, Priestess, and Abbot having a discussion? Why those three is particular?
As for Elder Revenant himself? Well...we'll see what he does.
FYI, the 1st revenant I had was based on Death from the series Supernatural; this Elder Revenant is based on Death from Darksiders 2. Make of that what you will.
Ranger and Fighter took a portal back to their manor, to see that Songstress and Bard were finishing feeding their baby some pulped fruit, then when they showed up, Fighter waved at Songstress and she gave the baby back to Fighter.
"Your mother and father are back..." Fighter said sweetly as Ranger caressed their daughter's hands with his fingers, and while they greet their daughter, Bard pulled Songstress away and talked to her few about a minute with a lowered voice, then kissed her. Eventually, Bard came back, sat down and watched the parents finish their greeting.
"You're welcome by the way. Yes I know you had to leave to save the country, you couldn't bring your kid and had to leave her here, yadda yadda yadda..." Bard said half-jokingly. "
"Well...there you go. May what you two were discussing?" Ranger asked.
"Oh, just how she used to have a family or two herself about 400 years ago before she met me." Bard said.
"Wait, I thought you said she was 400 years old?" Fighter asked.
"Technically she's 600 years old, but she's has families with two other human men except me, but...they were humans; we have much shorter lifespans than elves. But as the Love Goddess preaches, love, at the end of the day, isn't about sex; it's about love itself, and...I admit it's quite a shame I'm not her first, and probably won't be here last...she's still a woman who deserves my heart" Bard said.
"Spoken like a real poet." Fighter said before motioning to Ranger. "Sound familiar?"
"I'm not going to become a bard, at least not yet. Anyway, I love that we could see our little girl again, but we have to check in with the Sword Maiden." Ranger said.
"Don't be too long please; my Songstress friend likes caring for children, but...she can't replace you two." Bard said.
"Hey, you know as well as I do that we're not away for more than a couple of days at a time, and even then, this is the first time we were both away." Fighter said.
"True..." Bard said.
"Alright then." Fighter said before going upstairs and putting their daughter in her crib, humming to her until she fell asleep then left.
"Welcome back." Sword Maiden said to the pair as they came through a portal.
"It's done. The vampire queen is dead." Ranger said.
"Dead? Heh, I say good riddance, although I wish I had been there to see her get clobbered." Storm Mage said.
"Speaking of which, you never told us how your fight went." Fighter said and Storm Mage answered.
"Well...Her Grace showed me some of your husband's clash with her with the Hero and Sword Saint's backing him up; my clash went about as well." Storm Mage said.
"Even with lightning magic?" Ranger asked.
"Especially with lightning magic." Storm Mage said.
"But...Warrior hit her with the biggest lightning bolt I've ever seen and-" Storm Mage cuts Fighter off.
"And she lived. My case was even more serious; I unleashed a whole storm's worth lightning on her, and that was to help us get away, and...to this day, that's the most embarrassing thing I did with my lightning, minus tazing some of my foes and making them void their guts in the middle of a fight, but that's a different case." He said.
"Overshare." Ranger deadpanned.
"Sorry..." Storm Mage said
"What about your time with the Hero's party itself?" Fighter asked.
"What about us?" Storm Mage asked.
"Well, Sword Saint called you, and I quote, a very sexy, yet greedy-as-hell lightning magic user who sleeps with any girl with a heartbeat." Ranger said and Storm Mage smirks.
"She thinks I'm sexy...?" Storm Mage asked.
"Hey...focus." Ranger said seriously.
"Well...for starters, I'm not proud of it, but her description isn't far off...old habits die hard they say." Storm Mage said crossing his arms.
"Oh?" Fighter said.
"Again, I'm not proud of it, but I wasn't a one-woman man, unlike the good Ranger here, and Sword Saint tore me a pretty big new one over that tendency. But, I'm pretty sure she'll be happy to hear that I've come a long way since then; I'm not going back to what...man, and I frankly use that word lightly, I used to be back in the day." Storm Mage said before turning to Sword Maiden. "Are you feeling any better Your Grace?"
"No...that Restoration miracle took alot out of me. I cannot even sense what happens in the town, let alone on the other side of the country, and it's going to be some time before my powers are restored." She said.
"Well, we're not leaving Water Town until further notice, so if you need anything done, but say so." Ranger said.
"And I will certainly not leave Water Town unless I need to." Storm Mage said.
"Thank you all." Sword Maiden said with a small bow. "You should probably summon the last three guardians of this city."
"I'll try, if I can find them." Ranger said as he looked over his portal gem, as Wizard dubbed it.
"Try Abbot; his tracking powers should be just fine." Storm Mage said.
"Good idea." Ranger said before opening a portal to the monastery and lo and behold, Abbot was there praying at the alter with the brothers doing their daily routines.
"Father?" Fighter said.
"Fighter...Ranger? What can I do for you?" Abbot asked before he stopped praying.
"We need your help finding someone." Ranger said.
"Who?" Abbot asked.
"The three demon hunters who looked after Water Town. The Sword Maiden's powers are crippled, so tracking people is off the table for her..." Fighter said.
"So you came to me? Wise decision..." Abbot said before taking the portal gem, closing his eyes as his staff's head glowed, then he opened a portal and Summoner was looking over some of his stones before he noticed the portal.
"Summoner, we need you and your two friends. Well, actually, Water Town might need you." Ranger said.
"Now? But we have our own problems here." Summoner said seriously.
"Maybe not now, but soon. Just be ready to return to Water Town if you're called please." Ranger said.
"Alright. If things get too heated down them, we'll be on our way-" Summoner said before another hell portal opened behind him and Abbot jumped through with Ranger and Fighter backing him up to face the demonic goblins that came through, and...it was evenly-matched for once. Even Abbot had a hard time with the horde; Ranger and Fighter were both having to hit harder, move faster, and even defend more often than they were used to from multiple directions, and that was saying something. How hard was this was Goblin Slayer?
Summoner made not one, but three stone golems, and one water elementals, drew power from them all, and the four of them got to work crushing the goblins, with the water elemental spewing pressurized water at them, which either launched them away, crushed their bones, or even cut them in half; water under enough pressure can cut through sold steel; flesh was nothing, even if it was corrupted. Abbot eventually got swarmed and stabbed over and over, and his screams got the team's attention. Fighter shredded the goblins with his limb blades...but it was too later. Abbot was bleeding from multiple places, and his breathing was labored.
"Summoner! Help!" Fighter yelled and Summoner had the the water elemental tend to Abbot, and...to Fighter's amazement, the water elemental poured it's essence into the Abbot's wounds and his wounds closed up. "What the...?"
"Water elementals can give their lives for someone else's. Too bad it can only happen once per elemental obviously." Summoner said as a pair of goblins tried jumping on him from behind, then he grabbed both in mid-air, and started choking the life out of them as they use their axes to try and chop off his hands, but all that does is make him mad and bash their heads together, and continue to choke them until their throats were crushed, then he drops them like potato sacks. Ranger then cuts down the last goblin, then uses a Repair spell on Abbot's robe.
"Hey! What's with all the noise-" Assassin said before coming out of a small cave with a blanket wrapped around her torso and looked over the dead goblins.
"Ah, just in time for the party." Werewolf said as he came out, not bothering to cover himself and a few of the others looked away.
"Yeah, just in time to kiss my ass." Summoner said dryly.
"What are you three doing here?" Assassin asked.
"These hell portals are popping up in quite a few places, Water Town might be vulnerable eventually. Her Grace will probably need you again." Abbot said as he kept laying down, before eventually sitting up despite the pain.
"Eh, why not? Let's go back." Werewolf said.
"Alright." Ranger said before taking the portal gem, and opening a portal back to the monastery for Abbot, then one for the Temple of Law, and the three demon hunters went through with Ranger and Fighter.
"Summoner?" Storm Mage asked as Summoner came through.
"Hello again brother." Summoner said before the two hugged.
"Welcome home." Storm Mage said before they pulled back.
"Good to be home." Summoner said before turning to Sword Maiden and bowing. "Where are my manners? Nice to see you again Your Grace."
"You as well Summoner." Sword Maiden said with a bow of her own. "You two as well."
"Oh, these two bloodhounds?" Storm Mage joked.
"Very funny runt. Just point us towards some demons." Werewolf said.
"There aren't any so far, but...this place speaks for itself, and we demon hunters are still on the job." Storm Mage said.
"In that case, where do we start?" Assassin asked.
"Well, my brother clearly has the Temple itself taken care of, that just leaves the town itself." Summoner said.
"Alright, back to the old grindstone, right boss?" Assassin asked.
"Boss?" Storm Mage asked in awe before Summoner showed his Gold Rank tags. "You did not..."
"Yes I did." Summoner said smirking at the look on his brother's face. "I am so going to remember that look." Even Sword Maiden got a giggle out of the brothers' antics and Storm Mage looked at her with some salt in his face.
"Anyway, shall I escort you out?" Storm Mage asked.
"By all means." Ranger said as they left, and when the demon hunters left, Ranger pulled Storm Mage to the side. "There's something you need to know, and I'm not about to say this around the Sword Maiden."
"O...k..." Storm Mage said with intrigue before Ranger looked around to see they were alone.
"These portals, they don't involve demons...they're spitting out goblins." Ranger said and Storm Mage raised an eyebrow. "Goblins imbued with demonic power, somehow."
"That's got to be the weirdest thing I've ever heard." Storm Mage said.
"Storm Mage...it is vital the Sword Maiden does not get word of this." Ranger said.
"She's going to find out sometime." Storm Mage said seriously.
"Maybe, but...if and when she does, she'll probably be beside herself with dread; she needs you now more than ever." Fighter said and Storm Mage sighed in response.
"We all know how you feel about her, and yes, this is a golden opportunity to show off to her, but-" Storm Mage cuts him off.
"Stop right there. I'm a demon hunter, and I promised to Her Grace that I'd vaporize every goblin stupid enough to set foot in this place; she and I know exactly where each other stands. I even talked to her about her...encounter with goblins." Storm Mage said.
"Are you aware they partially blinded her and she wore a black cloth over her eyes at one point?" Fighter asked.
"No...I was not..." Storm Mage said honestly.
"Well she did, and it's thanks to a potion Wizard gave her that she can see fine now. Apparently she even had scars on various parts of her body. I don't know if they're still there, but still." Ranger said.
"I didn't see any scars, and...o.k. I admit I checked out her body, but...who hasn't?" Storm Mage said seriously.
"Nonetheless, demons are one thing, but goblins are another, and as we established, she needs you now more than ever." Ranger said.
"Not a problem. I've handled demons, and I've handled goblins. Both at once is just saved time." Storm Mage said.
"Good man." Fighter said.
"Before we leave, and I cannot believe these words are coming out of my mouth...those priestesses you slept with? How were they?" Ranger asked cautiously.
"Ugh, men..." Fighter said with amusement before leaning against a wall and stifling her chuckles with a facepalm.
"Well, let's just say I can guess what it would be like sleeping with Guild Girl, her Inspector friend, and even that foxy farm girl all at once." Storm Mage boasted.
"They were that good eh?" Ranger asked.
"You do not know the half of it..." Storm Mage said before chuckling then looking away. "Unreal...that memory was treasured for some time, now it feels...cheap."
"Her Grace is an incredible woman. If you do get somewhere with her, you both deserve the best." Ranger said as Fighter watched with amusement, and eventually her amusement turned to softness with that final statement.
When the pair got back home, Fighter and Ranger checked on their baby, who was sound asleep, and both went outside to do some katas together, both of them wearing a thin, cloth dress and robe respectively. It was clouding up overhead, and like Fighter said, she likes the rain for the refreshment. She then got started some some circular motions that displayed both fluidity and intensity, that got progressively more advanced. Ranger even got involved directly in his own way; the two of them mixed elements of each other's styles a long time ago, and it showed. Their movements were either mirrored from each other, or ones that go together like eggs and bacon. Eventually they threw mock strikes at each other, just so they could be parried, but that was part of the act; they each rolled off each other, used other moves, and eventually, slowly embraced before some rain drops fell. She then spent a few minutes discussing the seven chakras with her husband...
"And you were able to tear through who-knows-how-many vampires with this kind of power..." Ranger noted.
"It's not easy, even for me; I got off easy in most of the chakras, except the last one." Fighter said.
"I can see why, but even the War God condones doing what should be done to see the battle won. If I died in battle, and found out that someone gave up, instead of making my loss worth something, I would try to haunt them." Ranger said seriously and Fighter scoffed.
"You probably could." Fighter said before turning serious again. "I am somewhat curious, but also concerned what you could do with this kind of power..."
"I can imagine, that, with Army of One mixed together would be nightmarish for all involved, including myself and my allies." Ranger said.
"It's better to have the option and not need it than the other way around though." Fighter said.
"Can't argue with that. Hey, remember when I said I freed some people from the vampires? Well..I used your skills to do it." Ranger said.
"Well...even when we're apart, we're still together." Fighter said softly before they held hands and focused on the world's energy like she said. After several minutes...they both snapped awake and backed up.
"You felt that too?" Fighter asked and Ranger nodded. "Portal us back to the temple!" Ranger then tried to open a portal but it didn't work.
"Ah fuck! My gem's out of power! Cherub! Uhh...Cherub? Great, he's not coming..." Ranger said urgently.
"Then we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way..." Fighter groaned before they rushed over to the Temple of Law.
"Your Grace!" Ranger bellowed as he and Fighter ran down the hall and got her and Storm Mage's attention. "We have some portals opening under the temple!"
"What? How do you know that?" Sword Maiden asked in alarm.
"Long story, but we have to get help, fast!" Ranger said.
"Get the demon hunters ready, I'll stay watch the temple." Storm Mage said.
"That's not enough; we need Goblin Slayer." Fighter said.
"My portal gem is out of power. Can you charge it?" Ranger asked.
"I'll try, can't promise anything..." Storm Mage said before taking it, giving it one charge after another, with each one being stronger and more concentrated than the last. "Oh come on! How much power does this thing-" The gem started glowing cuts him off. "-need...?"
"Thanks." Ranger said before snatching it from Storm Mage and turning to Fighter. "Where's Goblin Slayer now?"
"Let me check..." Fighter said before giving off some energy pulses, and then took the gem from Ranger and opened a portal, and Goblin Slayer was with his three companions at a cliff overlooking a beach. "Hey! You four."
"What the- What's going on here?" High Elf Archer asked in astonishment.
"There's no time to explain. Just come through the portal!" Fighter called.
"Alright." GS said before getting up and strolling through the portal with the others following. "Goblins?"
"Maybe, maybe not, but we have some portals opening up beneath the temple." Ranger said.
"So, goblins. That's what came through those portals right?" GS asked simply and everyone stared at him.
"Yes, they did before, but this could be that, or something else." Ranger said, and Storm Mage looked at Sword Maiden who looked nervous for obvious reasons.
"Tell me...do these portals spawn goblins?" Sword Maiden asked seriously and Ranger sighed.
"Yes...they did before, but they can be dealt with just like normal goblins can." He said and Sword Maiden's nervousness turned into minor panic. So much for keeping her at ease...
"Do you know where these portals are Lady Fighter?" Lizard Priest asked.
"Yes, but I don't know how to show others where they are, and those sewers are a complete maze; these portals could be anywhere, and we could be attacked from all sides, and explosive attacks are out of the question since we could bring the whole place down." Fighter said.
"Hear that Orcbolg? No explosives this time." H.E. Archer snapped.
"I get it." GS said.
"I will handle the temple, you people head to the guild hall to get my brother and his companions to hold off any goblins that come out of the sewers." Storm Mage said.
"We will take the acolytes' quarters, and have our other teammates help another part of the city." Ranger said.
"Thank you all...this temple being assaulted has been on my mind for some time now, but with all of you here, I know hope is still alive." Sword Maiden said after getting a grip.
"We'll fight these creatures all day if we must Archbishop." H.E. Archer said.
"I'm with Long Ears on this one." Dwarf Shaman said.
"As am I." Lizard Priest said.
"Where are they supposed to come from besides the sewers?" GS asked.
"The sewers are the only place I've sensed any demonic energy." Fighter said.
"Wait, how do you know about where the portals are?" H.E. Archer asked.
"Again: long story." Fighter said.
"Shorten it." H.E. Archer said dryly.
"Fine...I learned how to use the world's power itself to analyze what happens, how, and sometimes why." Fighter said.
"Impressive." Dwarf Shaman said.
"Just like our elven druids." H.E. Archer said.
"Please...save our town, and this temple." Sword Maiden said desperately
"Don't worry Your Grace. I will get our others teammates here as soon as I'm able. Those abominations, are going down." Ranger said firmly before they left.
True to his word, Ranger got Warrior, Wizard, her brother, Rhea Fighter, and Priestess to Water Town with a portal, informed them what was going on, and sent them to the entrance to the sewers not being covered by GS' team, who had Summoner with them to give support should they need it, while Assassin and Werewolf patrolled the town from the rooftops looking for stray demonic forces.
"If these demonic goblins are anything like normal goblins, they should be here by nightfall." Goblin Slayer said as his team camped at the entrance.
"But they're not like normal goblins are they? Sir Ranger said that he and Lady Hero were attacked by them as the break of dawn." Lizard Priest said.
"Great, so not only are these goblins smarter and tougher, but they also don't follow the rules." H.E. Archer said.
"Don't worry Long Ears, we won't let them get close to you."
"Considering they have to get past all that bulk of yours, I can't even understand how they could get close." H.E. Archer said dryly.
"At least the rest of us have the stones to get close in the first place." Dwarf Shaman said.
"Leave it to a dwarf to mention stones..." H.E. Archer said.
"Enough. The goblins will be here before long; we'll need at the strength we can save." GS said and H.E. Archer huffed in response.
About an hour later, the edge of twilight came, and the temple was on complete lockdown. Ranger and Fighter got the acolytes to their rooms and patrolled the halls. Not only were the acolytes not trained for fighting, but most of them were female, which made them a prime target for the goblins. It was in bad taste, but goblins are goblins.
Ranger then took to the rooftops and watched overhead while Fighter took the ground. Eventually, some fist-sized stones flew her way, and she effortlessly dodged each one, caught one, threw it back at the goblin who slung it at her, then Ranger shot a volley of bolts from his now rapid-fire crossbow until the goblins laid dead. Then a swarm of goblins charged at Fighter from all directions, only to be clobbered, shredded, torn asunder, slammed into the ground, or each other, thrown away, jumped over, or even landed on in one case.
She actually grabbed some and bashed the others with their bodies. The fact that the bodies of their brethren were being used as weapons enraged the goblins and they fought more recklessly...which led the one-woman-army they were fighting to make them look even more pathetic; fighting smart was the only edge they had against her. Without it, they were little more than fodder to her. When it wa over, Fighter surveyed the area, and amazingly, she wasn't just as full of energy as ever, but was completely emotionless. Mushin was no joke, especially with her chakras, and the world itself giving her strength.
Ranger meanwhile was shooting at the goblins non-stop, specifically the ones not fighting his wife. Some of them had the oh-so-brilliant idea of climbing up after him, only for him to morph a heated sword, cut their heads open, or off, cleave them in two, crave their guts open, quickly stab them through the heart, or brains, or bash them aside with the flat of his sword and let them fall to their deaths. Then another swarm of goblins appeared and Ranger de-morphed his weapons
"Lord of the Sword. Master of the Mace. Let my foes feel the crushing strength of your grip. Implosion!" Ranger prayed and a pitch-black portal opens overhead and the goblins get pulled into it screaming in fear, and eventually, they were spewed into the ground hard enough to splatter them all over the place, or at least had several bones broken, including their spines.
Storm Mage stayed with Sword Maiden like he promised and flexed his fingers, getting the lightning flowing through his body for the fight at hand. The poor woman behind him sat down with anxiety present on her face; he'll be damned if he'll let those little bastards claim her a second time.
"Do you sense anything Your Grace?" Storm Mage asked but got no answer. "Your Grace?"
"No...but, their presence is quite loud; the ones coming are the same ones that tore into me all those years ago...!" Sword Maiden said with a shaky voice.
"That will not happen again Your Grace, not while I'm in this room." Storm Mage said as he took out his sword whip, and sparked his spare hand. A minute later, goblins showed up, only to receive a healthy dose of lightning from him. Sword Maiden then watched her protector pour his righteous fury into her tormentors as they spasmed and writhed in agony until they died. "So...you're the ones who tore the woman behind me down? Then this will be all the sweeter." He then let out another stream that finished off the survivors, and his hand ran out of power, so he charged up again. "Is that all of them?"
"No...more on their way..." Sword Maiden said with less fear in her voice.
"Let them come, they'll see exactly what I think about what you went through." Storm Mage said before the goblins arrived...and looked over the charred bodies of the last wave of goblins. "If you're smart, you'll turn around and leave...but then again, you little imps never were very smart." The goblins got angry at his taunt, and charged at him, only to be shredded and/or stunned by his electrified sword-whip. He then lashed about with surprising precision; he whipped every goblin one by one, swept around and hit several, and didn't hit the Sword Maiden, even when she didn't duck.
The goblins that wisely kept their distance were shredded when Storm Mage retracted his sword-whip, dashed toward them, and extended his weapon to entwine them, and rip them asunder, and the goblins who weren't hit, charged at him, only to either take an electric punch that sent them flying, or be grabbed in mid-air, shocked, and tossed into another goblin, and he even put his weapon away. He also stopped their hearts or fried their brains with his electrified hand by either poking their chests, grabbing their faces and discharging. Yet another swarm came, and he charged up a ball of lightning, threw it at them, and each goblin hit was vaporized on-contact. He then took a minor breather and turned to Sword Maiden. "Is an empowering miracle available?"
"No...I am still powerless, and it might be a while before I am able to help you, or anyone for that matter." Sword Maiden said.
"Don't worry. I will not leave until their siege is over." Storm Mage said before some minor footsteps were felt, and lo and behold...a goblin champion with armor and a club showed up, with friends.
"It might be over now..." Sword Maiden said with despair and terror in her voice.
Meanwhile, GS and his team were holding off the demonic goblins that poured out of the sewers with GS, Lizard Priest, and and pair of Dragontooth warriors holding the line, and H.E. Archer, Dwarf Shaman and a pair of water elementals shooting the goblins from a ranger, with Summoner sitting back on a stone chair watching the massacre.
"Lazy bastard..." H.E. Archer muttered to herself as she kept shootings goblins. Eventually, a pair of hobs showed up, and GS pulled his shotgun, blew their brains out, and the noise stunned the goblins, which made them even easier to pick off.
Elsewhere still, Warrior and Wizard were holding off the goblins with lightning and fire, if they didn't skewer, bash, or cut down the ones that got to close. Rhea Fighter clobbered the ones who tried to work around them, but one of the goblins tried to pull her into the sewer, only for one of the wolf familiars summoned by Wizard's brother to bite the goblin's arm hard enough to crush it, then pulled the goblin below. Rhea Fighter then retreated and meditated on her chakras and the world's power: it was Mushin time.
"Hear me great Supreme God. Aid us in this, our battle against the wicked, and show them the power of your justice. Holy Smite!" Priestess prayed after pouring holy water on her staff, and a trio of hobs got vaporized by the magic bolt. These goblins had the same weakness to holy arts that demons themselves did. Good to know.
"Your Grace...cover your ears." Storm Mage said seriously and Sword Maiden followed his order as his body gave off a staggering amount of lightning and when the noise was bad enough, the champion charged him and prepared to smash him. "Thunderstrike!" A massive bolt of lightning spews out of Storm Mage's body and vaporized the smaller goblins, knocks the champion back, heavily damaged it's armor, singed it's body, and the noise probably blew out it's eardrums; it's ears were bleeding like crazy. Even the windows themselves were destroyed by the shockwave. "I knew gathering power from that storm was a good idea." His pride was cut short by a growl from the champion. "What? I can't believe it. It's still alive!"
"How? That lightning bolt was enormous!" Sword Maiden said still shaking in fear as the champion struggled to get up. Storm Mage tried to charge up more lightning...but failed. He tried again, still nothing.
"Oh no..." Storm Mage said while trying again. "Not now. Come on, not now!" He tried to spark his armor, still nothing.
"What about your whip?" Sword Maiden asked as the champion fell back down thanks to it's injuries, but was still alive nonetheless.
"It's a glorified chain without my lightning." Storm Mage said as the champion finally got up...and it was pissed. "Gods of fertility, seas, and skies, grant me the power to aid this maiden, and let us rise." Just as he finished praying, he tried to avoid a swing from the champion, but he was too slow and got bashed to the side.
"Storm Mage!" Sword Maiden yelled as she watched her protector slide across the ground, into the wall. Some of the surviving goblins approached her with lust in their faces and laughing with glee as she then lost her balance, fell to the floor, and crawled back while whimpering and sobbing with dread. Then they heard Storm Mage sparking, turned their heads to see him struggling to stand up, then the champion walked over to smash him to a paste.
"Thunderstrike!" Storm Mage yelled and a stream of lightning blows the champion back to where it was then the smaller goblins look at the massive hole in their champion's torso, then Storm Mage gets up halfway, glares at the goblins, and as they run away screaming in fear, Storm Mage powers up again. "Where do you think you're going!" He then unleashed a stream of lightning from both his hands and watched them spasm uncontrollably until they died. He then got up all the way, limped over to Sword Maiden who was still shaking, but was more concerned for him then herself for once.
"Storm Mage...?" She said as she got up and caught him as he fell down, then she sat on her knees there holding him against her collar.
"Is that all...?" He asked.
"Yes. The rest are being cleared by Ranger and Fighter, and the ones in the sewers are being held back by Goblin Slayer and the rest." Sword Maiden said.
"Good." Storm Mage whispered, and Sword Maiden hugged him closer.
"Look at you...you claim to have been tainted by greed, yet you did more for me in one act than everyone else ever has, even though you were beaten...thank you." Sword Maiden said as Storm Mage hugged her back as he felt her muscles tensing, her tears moisten his robe, and heard the softness in her voice.
Another hour later, the other adventurers held off the hundreds upon hundreds of demonic goblins that came their way, and Assassin and Werewolf found no lingering demonic activity in the entire town, Storm Mage's last stand was no small feat either. GS took the liberty of counting the dead, and found no less than 956 goblins on both sides of the sewers, in the courtyard, and the area surrounding the courtyard, with 94 more at Storm Mage's feet, including the champion...and those are just the ones he counted; several goblins were drowned in the sewers, vaporized by Storm Mage's lightning, or incinerated by Ranger's Immolation miracles, or the wizard sibling's flames. Some acolytes got Storm Mage's broken body to a bed so he could be treated, and Priestess used Heal on him to keep him from dying; he collapsed and his heart even stopped beating on the way there, but she stopped him from leaving the world entirely.
When he woke up...he was in an unearthly soft bed, and Summoner was there sitting in a chair next to it...
"Welcome back to the living." Summoner joked.
"The Death God says hi..." Storm Mage shot back.
"I'm sure you gave him the same middle finger you gave those goblins." Summoner said.
"You could've done better." Storm Mage said.
"Maybe, maybe not, but you deserved to be there more." Summoner said.
"I never agreed with you more..." Storm Mage said somberly.
"Hey, that beating you took may have been called for given your past, but you're still here." Summoner said which got Storm Mage's attention. "Look...I don't condone what you've done, and I still don't. Hell, I once considering disowning you, but...whether I like it or not, you are still my brother."
"Do I deserve to be called that?" Storm Mage asked.
"In this place and time? Absolutely." Summoner said firmly and Storm Mage sighed.
"Where's Her Grace?" Storm Mage asked.
"She's still out there; I wanted to talk to you first, and she wanted a minute to get ahold of herself. She said she was nearly ensnared by goblins again, but you saved her." Summoner said.
"Sounds about right." Storm Mage said.
"FYI, Ranger asked her about what happened in that room you fought those goblins in...he didn't say it in front of her, but he noted that she was struggling through every word involving you defending her. She cares about you. I dare say she loves you." Summoner said seriously.
"I...I think I love her too..." Storm Mage said.
"In that case, I'm going to waste no more of your time..." Summoner joked, Storm Mage laughed a bit, and Summoner left the room, and about a minute later...Sword Maiden came in, and she looked like hell.
"Your Grace..." Storm Mage whispered before she approached the bed, and sat down next to him.
"There were...goblins, in this temple. Goblins not only found me...but they found me, in my own home...!" She said while tightening her fists, shaking enough to move the bed, and she kept her head lowered. "If you weren't here...they would've...they would've...!"
"I was there Your Grace. I promised you I'd be there to protect you, and I was. So stop going down that road." Storm Mage said as he took one of her hands after sitting up, scooching closer to her, and brushing her insanely long, wavy hair out of the way so he could see her divine face, which actually had a small smile on it when he finished talking.
"Ranger said the same thing, both now...and when he was in this bed about a year ago." Sword Maiden said softly.
"He was in this bed?" Storm Mage asked.
"Yes, and I will never forget why. He pushed Wizard out of the way of one of her own fire spells, he was hit himself, I used the miracle of Resurrection on him, and he told me about how the goblins will have won if I keep dwelling on what they did to me." Sword Maiden said.
"Your Grace..." Storm Mage whispered.
"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of feeling like a prisoner in my own body. I'm tired of feeling so helpless. I'm tired of being so afraid...!" Sword Maiden said with anger for once.
"You don't have to be anymore. I am with you, I kept my promise, and I will continue to do so, and...I know you used to wear a blindfold and...apparently you used to have scars all over your body, but like I said before...you will not go through that again, not while I'm with you." Storm Mage said firmly.
"I have met few people who could ease my fears. Goblin Slayer, Ranger, his team...and now...you." Sword Maiden said softly before leaning back into him as he hugged her from behind.
"There is no justice in you being trapped in this bubble the goblins put you in, so please...let me remove you from it." Storm Mage said before she looked right at him with a look that had pure love on it.
"You already have..." Sword Maiden whispered before brightly smiling.
"May I kiss you?" Storm Mage asked before Sword Maiden pressed her lips against his as an answer, and he hugged her as close as he could, and she did the same. In that moment, her terror was forgotten slowly but sweetly. All she felt now was the protection of this man, one who fell from grace, one who committed countless crimes, one who sought and in her mind, had found redemption. Even though she knew she was not his first woman...she didn't care; she just hoped to be his final. Their kiss was both too long, and too short; she didn't want to pull away...but had to. "Your Grace?"
"Storm Mage...your redemption is complete. You were once tainted by greed, but like the stain the goblins placed on me...that no longer matters. By the authority invested in me, by the Supreme God above, I pardon, from this day forward, all crimes you were and are still accused of. Do you accept?" Sword Maiden asked.
"I accept, Your Grace." Storm Mage said.
"Very good." Sword Maiden said before hugging him again, and even running her hands along his muscles, as he pressed his hands into her silk dress, feeling her soft flesh through the smooth fabric.
"If I may be so bold Your Grace...you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I have been with countless women, including priestesses of the Love Goddess herself...but none surpass you." Storm Mage said with reverence.
"You honor me greatly." Sword Maiden said softly.
"Even if you weren't however, I am honored to be at your side, and...even if you don't want to now...I would very much like to show you how love is supposed to be made." Storm Mage said and Sword Maiden looked thoughtful for a while. "If you don't want to, I will not force you, afterall...I am not a goblin."
"You are more right than can be measured Storm Mage. As for your...request...well, I'm certain the women you made love to were lucky ones indeed..." Sword Maiden said.
"You could be the luckiest-" Sword Maiden cuts him off.
"But...you are right, I do not want this now, but I look forward to the time I can handle it, and I'm certain I will be the luckiest. Thank you so much for restoring my hopes." Sword Maiden said.
"And thank you for giving me a chance to redeem myself, and even more for showing me my desire for redemption was not in vain." Storm Mage said.
"Kiss me again." Sword Maiden whispered and he pressed his lips against hers with the same tenderness as before before pulling away. "One more time..." He then locked lips with her again. "Again..." She then embraced him fully as they kissed like they would drown otherwise. She then ran her hands along his muscles again, and he caressed her thick legs as she moaned quietly, and when he touched her side, then started kneading one of her massive breasts...she pulled away and gripped his hand. "Wait..."
"Sorry, I...I got carried away.." Storm Mage said with shame.
"No...I do like this but...it's too soon. Far too soon." Sword Maiden said.
"Do you still want me as your protector?" Storm Mage asked.
"I want no one else." Sword Maiden said seriously before looking outside to see the twin moons. "Although...I would like to sleep next to you."
"Of course, and my powers are back to full strength, if any more goblins show up-" Sword Maiden cuts him off.
"You will vaporize them, like you did before. I know...if they don't make it past the others." She said.
"Oh?" Storm Mage said.
"Yes. The portals are still open, but it's only a matter of time before they are closed. While they do that, I would like to remain in your arms." Sword Maiden said.
"Then come into them." Storm Mage said before laying down, opening up for her and kissing her again as she snuggled into him.
Well, there you have it. Sword Maiden's recovery, and Storm Mage's redemption are now complete, and both deserve a happy ending themselves. And before anyone says anything: Storm Mage is an ex-criminal; who the hell wants to be self-inserted into the shoes of an ex-criminal? But on a less cynical note...Danny Barefoot? I'm talking to you right now: You were absolutely right in the first act; rape trauma victims deserve to be recognized, and treated fairly, and...as tasteless as it may be, Sword Maiden is one of the poster girls for rape trauma victims, and having her be the catalyst for Storm Mage being redeemed is one hell of a way for her to make an impact when it comes to her love life...as if she wasn't already a general impact already. Still, I couldn't not give her a happy ending; I did it with Fighter, then Noble Fencer...to a degree, and now I'm doing it with Sword Maiden. The girls saved from the goblins in the 1st act is just overkill now that I think about it, but hey, the more support in that direction the merrier. Anyway, be sure to Rate, Review, and Share, and stay tuned for more goblin bloodshed.