Author's Note
Yeah, I'm really enjoying writing this right now. I'm happy to see everyone else enjoying it too, I hope it continues to live up to expectations. That said, please enjoy this next short chapter.
Uploaded
12/28/2023
LEGEND BELOW
"That's two down..." = Normal speech.
Chapter 4
A Goblin Slayer's past
Rated-M
M rating for mature themes, nudity, romance, violence, blood, adult themes, and of course, violence.
Music of the day
Goblin Slayer - Beating
"Think about how it would feel if your home was suddenly attacked by monsters…" He murmured lowly, watching as the arrow flew, landing right in the eye of an unsuspecting goblin. "Yes, if your home was suddenly attacked by monsters one day."
He recalled those memories, still fresh in his mind, as if it had only happened yesterday. Men being hunted down like cattle, stabbed and brutalized like wolves hunting down an innocent rabbit.
"They act as though they own the place and kill your friends, kill your family, and plunder the rest." He continued, returning his bow to his pouch as he instead drew his sword.
Goblins were panicking, the fire tipped arrow he'd shot having begun to burn their wooden walls outside the front of the ancient Nord ruins. When they took notice of him, they drew their weapons and came rushing for him.
He didn't even blink, raising his arm as he cleaved the little green monster in two, painting the beautiful white snow tipped mountains red with their blood.
"Another example would be if your older sister was attacked, tormented, made a plaything, raped, then killed…" He stabbed his sword through the throat of another goblin, letting it fall to the ground before he planted his armored boot on its neck, crushing its throat. It would suffocate, suffering in its final moments.
He could see it so clearly in his mind, the blood, her screams, the goblins. They tortured her, tore her clothes from her body as they abused her body, laughing as she begged for them to stop. Those memories would never leave him, tormenting his broken, tattered psyche for the rest of his life.
"Let's say that you witnessed all this, from start to finish, in hiding for three days as you held your breath…" He spoke again, cleaving another goblin in two as he approached the door to the tomb. "There's no way you'd forgive them." His worded echoed as he tore the door from its old hinges, sending it flying as he kicked it down.
"You would take up weapons and do whatever you could to get revenge." More goblins came rushing out at the noise, only to be ruthlessly cut down. "You would hunt them all down and attack them. You'd kill-" He cut one's head off. "and kill-" He stabbed one in the stomach, before kicking it into a wall, "and kill even more." Two more fell to his blade, bleeding out as their internal organs fell across the cold moldy stone ground.
"Of course, there will be days where you're successful and days you fail." He murmured, using his left hand to grasp the throat of a goblin that had tried to sneak up on him. He pulled the choking, struggling creature up to his visor, studying it with a blazing red eye. Then he stabbed it with his sword, tossing the corps to the side like it was a paperweight.
"You'll try to figure out the best way to kill them next time. You'll think about this for days and months. You'll test every single idea you come up with." He continued speaking, moving deeper and deeper into the old Nordic tomb.
"As you continue to do that, you start to enjoy it. A kind moron will suggest that you let the children live, with a smug face, not realizing that these things will attack villages, and steal livestock to survive." He moved deeper into the tomb, brushing aside cobwebs as he went. Empty coffins and ancient weapons lined the floors, but he paid them no mind.
"Young aspiring adventurers as well as new adventurers will confidently say, 'I chased away a goblin that came to my village once! They're weak, they're easy to deal with.' That young and brave adventurer has no way to know that the goblin was a straggler, one already chased out of its home." Stepping into an open room, he took notice of the dart trap that was set up to entangle anyone foolish enough to enter it.
Using a rock, he tossed it at the lever in the center of the room. The resulting motion made the locked door on the far side open, while flooding where he would have been with poisoned darts.
Another goblin jumped out from atop the stairs, dropping on him with a dagger. He reached up, grasping the goblin out of the air, blocking his weapon with his shield. The little green monster kicked and screamed as it tried in vain to escape its death.
"That goblin would eventually return to that village with an army, and history would repeat itself with another tragedy, another slaughtered village, more woman taken away from their homes, treated like toys…" He growled, fist clenched so tightly it made the creature's face turn blue.
Serena followed faithfully behind him, remaining silent as he told his story.
She had no way of knowing the history behind her master, no way of knowing just how tragic his youth had been. She couldn't contain her tears at hearing his past, hearing of what had happened to his parents…
And his sister…?
She couldn't have imagined that creatures so small and weak looking could be so dangerous, so disgusting and cruel.
To think…
T-To think that he had watched it all happen, unable to do anything to stop it…
It made her sick…
It…
It made her angry.
And every goblin she witnessed him mercilessly slaughter right before her very eyes, she felt whatever fleeting sensation of mercy she had in her heart for those creatures vanish. Every goblin she looked at stood as a reminder of what they could become if given enough time and leeway.
And it made her want to join him in slaughtering them as well.
When he finally tossed the dead goblin aside, two more came running out at the sounds. Before he could even attempt to attack them, she raised her hands up, a blistering ball of fire appearing in her hands.
She was a vampire, a creature of the night, a being that suffered from exposure to the sun and was weak to fire in any kind. Vampires weren't known for using fire magic, although very capable of it, for the pain it would bring to them upon using it.
And yet, when she looked at the vile little beasts that dared, DARED to approach her MASTER with weapons drawn?!
She wanted them to burn.
Burn them until nothing but their bones remained.
And then she'd burn those bones too.
"Get away from him!" She screamed suddenly, her delicate white fingers actively blistering as she summoned a fireball in her hands. Goblin Slayer turned to glance at her, eyes hidden behind his visor as he watched her toss a fireball at the approaching goblins. They were immediately consumed in fire, falling to the ground where they writhed in agony for a fair few long moments.
Then they died.
She breathed heavily, the defensive emotions that had bubbled up inside of her outweighing the pain in her hands from using that attack. Her breathing had turned ragged, heavy breasts heaving underneath the sudden stress as she tried to calm her murderous anger down.
She looked up, locking eyes with the man that called her wife. He stared intensely at her, a strength in his gaze that made her knees weak, and something beneath her belly flutter in excitement.
He stepped towards her suddenly, raising his free hand as he approached her.
Her eyes widened as he slowly approached, her cheeks flushing the closer he got.
Then, when he finally reached her, standing so close that her breasts were pressed against his armored abs, he placed his hand on her head.
She closed her eyes, not sure what to expect…
But then, he started patting her, gently rubbing the top of her head with his gloved fingers.
Her face flushed something fierce, heart pounding beneath her beasts as he caressed her lightly. Looking upward, she caught a glimpse of his eyes through his steel visor.
The next words he spoke from his mouth sent her to the moon.
"Good job." He muttered lowly, gently rubbing her head in a fond manner.
She bit her lips, quivering underneath his appraising stare.
When he finally removed his hand, her felt herself leaning into his, as if to get more of that attention. He bent down, taking a knee before her as he gently grasped her wrists.
He frowned, although not like she could see it. "Your hands, they are burned." He said, tone sounding…
Upset?
Worried, perhaps?
"I'm a vampire. Vampires are weak to fire, fire magic too. Even our own spells can harm us." She explained quietly, eyes downcast.
She felt bad, making him worry over her. But she couldn't help the feelings she had, wanting to protect him, wanting to murder those creatures that had dared to come at him.
She'd burn her hands over and over again if it meant that she could keep him safe. Although, that said, she did feel a bit silly at the idea of her master needing protection from goblins.
He was Goblin Slayer, he slayed goblin for a living, it was his goal in life.
And yet, he did not chastise her for hurting herself in the name of protecting him, in the name of slaying goblins.
Staring down at her hands, he wondered if there was a way he could heal her wounds. He could give her a potion, for he still had five of them in his pouch…
However, it would be logical to save them for a real dangerous situation. Her wounds were not life threatening, therefore they did not need a potion to fix.
But he did not want to leave her in pain.
She was a woman, a woman that he was now sworn to protect.
He'd become Goblin Slayer both to one day permanently eradicate goblins from all corners of the world, and two, to protect women like the one in his care from any harm, whether that be from a goblin or not.
He couldn't leave her like this.
Then it hit him.
The book he'd been given by the alchemist, he couldn't remember her name…
He had read that book during the trek to Bleak Falls Barrow. He'd memorized the words, the motions he had to do to use the spell contained within. But he hadn't tried it out yet…
Or rather, he hadn't had the need to do so before.
But now?
"Here, hold out your hands." He ordered sternly.
"O-Oh, okay." She muttered softly, holding out her burned blistered hands. He grasped them gently, taking note of her hiss of pain.
He narrowed his eyes, doing just as the book had instructed him to do. He followed the instructions like a rookie spell-caster, doing his best not to mess it up.
He looked deep inside of himself, finding that tiny well of mystical energies.
The book had said that most novice mages would have a small pond of magic to draw from, so he was confused when he couldn't find that pond inside of him…
Instead, he found a great ocean, seemingly extending endlessly in all directions. The ocean reached the horizon, and then continued further.
He frowned.
It must've been a mistake.
He would note it down, make sure to ask a knowledgeable mage when he next spoke to one.
That said, he grabbed onto it with his mind, and chanted the words that were written down, the words that would help rookies channel their energies properly.
"Healing hands." He murmured, gravelly voice echoing out from his helmet.
Serena watched eagerly, waiting to see what would happen.
Nothing seemed to happen for a moment, her hands still stinging in pain…
But then?
A bright golden light suddenly radiated from his hands, enveloping her hands, then her entire body. It was so bright that it was blinding, and she was forced to close her eyes and embrace it.
It lasted for but a few moments, before vanishing entirely.
She blinked, seeing spots in her vision from the light. But when she looked down to her hands…
She…
"T-They're healed…" She breathed, stunned.
She'd seen healing spells before, her mother had been well versed in the skill…
But…
Her hands hadn't been merely healed…
It was as if she'd never even been burned in the first place. It was like time had been reversed on her body in an instant.
"Hmm, looks like it worked. I'll have to thank that alchemist for that book." Goblin Slayer murmured, moving to stand up. "How… are you feeling?" He asked, glancing down at her.
She glanced up at him, eyes wide.
Then a beaming smile split her puffy black lips, the vampire offering her hero a wide genuine grin. "Wonderful, Master." She almost cooed.
He blinked. "Good. Then we will continue." He stated simply, turning to move deeper into the crypt.
"Help! Oh by the gods, someone help me!" When they finally made their way into the deeper depths of the ruins, they could hear a man screaming.
Goblin Slayer flicked his sword, cleaning it of the blood that covered it. His head turned towards the source of the yelling, eyes narrowed.
It wasn't like goblins to leave a survivor, especially a male of any kind.
"Someone needs our help!" Serena exclaimed, running past him, vanishing into the depths of the crypt.
"Serena!" He called out, hoping she'd stop. When she didn't come back, his frown deepened as he moved to run after her.
He knew she could see in the darkness without a torch, but he could not.
Brushing even more webs out of his face, he finally caught up to her only to find?
He slid to a stop right in front of her, throwing his shield up to defend her from a giant spider.
The massive web spitting creature hissed in pain as its head slammed into his metal shield, the weight it carried behind it sending Goblin Slayer sliding back a foot.
"Goblin Slayer!" Serena shouted in worry.
"Get back." He ordered, arm shaking as he held the gargantuan wall crawling monster at bay. He turned a glowing red eye at the beast, right hand thrusting forward to stab it in one of its many eyes with his short sword.
It hissed in pain, stumbling backward rapidly with a speed that surprised him. His sword was still lodged in its head, and he couldn't reclaim it before it backed away.
"Damn it." He cursed under his breath, right hand now weapon-less.
"H-Hey! Help me! I-It's going to eat me!!" The voice from before screamed in terror. "Oh gods, I don't want to die! I-It's going to melt my organs, turn me into one of those shriveled up corpses!!" He wailed.
Goblin Slayer's eyes glanced behind the massive spider, finding a dark skinned elf man trapped completely in a massive wall of webs.
His eyes narrowed.
That explained the lack of goblins this far down into the crypt, a massive spider had made its home down here. And, upon glancing around, he noticed multiple dead half eaten goblin corpses splattered around the web covered room.
It was obvious to him that they had tried to either tame or kill the creature, but had failed miserably, and must have given up.
That just begged the question, however…
How was he going to kill it?
He was going to need to get his sword back before anything else.
The spider hissed in rage, suddenly charging forward to attack him. In that moment he moved, rushing forward as well. As he neared the beast, he bent down low, gathering up some dirt before he tossed it with all his might, sending it right into the beast's seven remaining eyes.
It stumbled backwards, hissing in pain as its likely sensitive eyes were stabbed with sharp filthy dirt and crumpled stone.
Goblin Slayer rushed forward, slamming his shield into the beast's face to stun it as he reached up to grasp the handle of his sword. Then he yanked, ripping it free from the creature.
"Master! Watch out!" Serena shouted. Trusting her instincts, he leapt backwards, sliding to a stop beside her. The moment he was out of reach, the beast chomped where he'd just been, its teeth dripping with poison. "Die!" She shouted, throwing her hands forward as she summoned a freezing spike of ice.
The magic shot forward at blistering speeds, slamming right into the head of the giant spider.
It dropped dead, blood gushing out of the grievous wound.
"Good work." Goblin Slayer said lightly, patting her on the head. "Are your hands hurt?" He asked softly. She shook her head negative, showing her clean and unblemished palms to him. He huffed a pleased little sound, patting her fondly on the head. "Good girl." He muttered, pleased.
She bit her lips, face flushing hot underneath his praise. If he kept it up, she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to contain herself.
She leaned up into his hand, hoping to savor that feeling of his body on hers. She hummed lowly in glee, wishing that the moment could go on forever.
"H-Hey! Is anyone going to cut me down?!" The dark elf shouted.
Chapter
4
End