I awoke to the sound of metal on stone. Muted. Not distant, but muffled as if heard through a thick wall. A rhythmic metallic clang and crunch.

I didn't start awake. Instead simply breathing in deeply and slowly regaining focus. I felt... like I had slept for far, far too long. Weary in a way that was bone deep, but not from lack of slumber. Instead it was a weakness born of immobility. A sense that I hadn't moved for far too long and it had left my body stiff and unwieldy.

I forced myself to shift and instantly knew everything was wrong.

I wasn't in my bed. Stone, no rock was beneath me. Damp and smooth in a way that only natural rock could be.

My body felt... wrong. There was too much of it. I felt... not bloated, but enlarged. There was a sense of weight I had never felt before, but at the same time a feeling of sheer strength that my own body had never felt.

I almost tried to push myself up onto hands and knees when the crunch of stone snapped through the air to my left. Something in me caused me to freeze in place. An ancient instinct that locked me into stillness. To my surprise I wasn't afraid. I should be. I knew I should be. Waking up in a strange place, alone, with someone apparently tunneling through stone nearby? I should be terrified, but I wasn't.

The feeling that froze me in place was predatory. A drive to wait, to see what stumbled into my sight unaware and unguarded.

I had no time to analyze that alien feeling as the wall of rock to my left crumbled under blows from... something. A pickax maybe? I wasn't sure.

My eyes stayed locked on the growing gap and only as dim light poured through the opening did I realize I had been in pitch blackness before, yet I had seen. Somehow I had seen in a room with no light.

Impossible.

The wall slowly was broken down and I pushed myself left. Something guiding me to that decision. The reason came after; whoever was digging into this room would be able to see more to the right judging by how the light was shining through the hole. They'd have to actually enter the room to see me. How I had come to that insight I wasn't sure, but I was confident that judgement was correct. Even if they did enter, they'd have to bring the light with them to see which they might not if they weren't expecting company to be here.

That was of course assuming they too couldn't somehow also see into the darkness like I could.

A few more moments passed as the digger forced open the wall the rest of the way and pushed itself into the entrance it had made. I sucked in a surprised breath from the shock of what I was seeing.

The thing, whatever it was, was small squat and ugly. Green skinned with lanky thin limbs it stood about the height of a large child. It was bald and nearly naked, possessing only a loin cloth and a chunk of scrap metal it had been using as a pickax. The thing was filthy and the short distance between them did nothing to hamper it's stench, a loathsome combination of body odor, rot and grime. The thing grumbled under it's breath as it surveyed the room. Then it's eyes turned towards me and we both froze.

It's eyes were a putrid yellow, like pus, and its irises like those of a goats. A sense of pure revulsion filled me, not just at this things appearance which was repulsive enough. No, this feeling went deeper. Somehow, I knew in my heart this thing was pure evil. There was no speaking to it, no negotiating or reasoning. It would kill me or worse if it could.

The monster, whatever it was, twitched as it realized it was facing a living thing. It's eyes widening in terror as it opened its mouth to scream for help or just shout in surprise.

I didn't let it.

I lunged forward covering the few feet between us on all fours in a pounce that felt far too natural. Something on my back flared out allowing me to almost float over the uneven floor, but I had no time to think on that. My arm shot out as I landed and clamped my hand over the tiny green monsters mouth locking its jaw shut. Claws I hadn't even realized I had bit into the flesh of its head to give me purchase as I yanked it right off its feet towards me.

I felt it react, its own hands with smaller claws then mine came up to scrabble at my arm, a feeling that was blunted by whatever I was wearing as I didn't feel any cuts despite how sharp its claws looked. I spun and slammed the back of its skull into the wall to my left.

The dull crunch and spray of deep red caused the creatures struggles to stutter with a muffled shriek of pain, but it didn't die. So I did it again. This time I felt the back of the thing's head give out completely under the impact and it went limp in my hold.

I dropped the thing as if burned.

All of that had been some ingrained reflex. A predatory assault I hadn't even known I was capable of, but now I had time to realize what I'd just done.

I'd never killed anything in my life, at least not on purpose, and I sucked in a panicked breath of musty air as the reality of what I'd just done on pure impulse hit me like a fist to the gut. I staggered back a few steps and coughed as my gut heaved, but there was nothing for me to expel. Instead I just dry heaved for a moment before tearing my eyes from the corpse.

I took a few minutes to regain focus. I didn't have time for this. Unknown location. Unknown creatures. Someone had... done something to me in my sleep. Moved me. Changed me somehow.

A bolt of horror and panic shot through me, but I took a breath and crushed it. I couldn't panic. I couldn't afford it. All that would do would kill me.

I took another breath and glanced back toward the... thing I killed.

I remembered the feeling it gave me when I saw it. A repulsive miasma of foulness and cruelty. I had no idea what that feeling was. A delusion perhaps? Yet I'd reacted to it instinctively and killed the thing without hesitation.

Somehow, I was certain it wasn't a mistake on my part. The creature, whatever the hell it was, looked horrible. It was ugly, squat, and alien looking in way that made just looking at it fill me with a sense of revulsion. It had also been armed, though it had thankfully dropped the makeshift pick when it saw me.

I glanced down at my hands, my new claws glinted wet with red, and a sigh started coming up my throat as I tried to think what to do.

Only for that air to freeze halfway out of my lungs choking me for a moment. I had claws, I'd noticed that when I grabbed the green thing, but hadn't noticed everything. I had thought I was wearing thick clothing and that was why the creature's own claws hadn't cut me, but I wasn't. A quick inspection showed me I was, in fact naked. It just didn't matter because I was covered in deep blue scales.

I flexed my hands, staring at them in combination of shock and wonder. The claws were one thing, I could imagine someone surgically anchoring something like that to their finger bones. Scales though? Enough to completely cover my body head to toe and feel so natural I hadn't even noticed them? How? It just... it didn't compute.

After a while I again refocused. I could figure what had happened to me out later. I needed to get out of this building or cave or whatever it was. Preferably before more of the green things found me. A quick glance around showed that there was no other way out besides the hole the monster had come from.

I had been sealed inside a stone box by the looks of it. It seemed to be a natural cave from what little I knew of such things, but I was hardly an expert or even an amateur caver.

How had I even-? No, later. I could think about it later.

Exhaling I walked passed the corpse. I spared it another glance before shaking my head and striding by, and paused at the "entrance" the creature had tunneled into the room I was in. It was fucking tiny. The creature had registered as child sized to my mind, but the hole in the wall looked pathetically small. I crouched down to look through it-

-and froze as my eyes met another green thing's curious gaze.

Thankfully, I managed to react first again. My arm shot through the hole and grabbed the creature by the shoulder, dragging it forcefully through the gap. Unfortunately I couldn't silence this one and it gave a startled shriek. More fortunately, the sound was cut off; as I pulled it through the hole I accidentally smashed its head against the rock stunning it for a few precious moments. I threw it bodily into the room where it crashed against the far wall. A feat a strength I certainly couldn't have preformed before I woke up here.

The little monster began to try to stand and I rushed towards it. I knew I couldn't let it get up.

I brought up a foot, also clawed and much more bird like then I was comfortable with I noted, and brought it down in a stomp aimed at the thing's center mass. The feeling of bones shifting beneath my foot was not a pleasant sensation, but the wheezing gurgle the monster let out at least assured me it couldn't call for help. I drew my foot back and watched the green thing twitch a few times before appearing to die. It looked like I'd caved its entire rib cage in with that one stomp.

So... I was definitely stronger then I had been before. Much, much stronger. Not necessarily a bad thing honestly, but I didn't want to even try to think of how someone managed that.

I was also thankful the little monsters weren't too hard to kill, whatever the hell they were. I glanced back toward the hole. It was time to go, I decided. The longer I stayed the more likely more would come and I wouldn't get lucky forever. With a deep breath I forced my way out of the small opening and into a tunnel. A torch was flickering feebly on the nearby wall, stuck in a crack its previous owner had likely jammed it in to keep it off the damp floor.

Thankfully I only had to crouch to move through it. I'd seen enough caving videos to know some people were crazy enough to try and squeeze through openings that they just barely fit through and I didn't think I wanted to attempt anything like that when I wasn't even sure what my body looked like at the moment.

"Well." I muttered to myself not even surprised when my voice came out a baritone rumble that was most certainly not my own. "Might as well get this show on the road."

I looked down the two paths of the tunnel and after a moment shrugged and went right. I paused as I came up to the torch and contemplated taking it with me. Ultimately I decided against it. I could apparently see just fine in the dark and the torch would just illuminate me for anything else to see. Trying to not make too much noise I turned and began making my way down the passage.

Hopefully I'd find either some kind of marker or at least pick up airflow to lead me out without much trouble.

I did not.

I wasn't sure how long I'd been crawling through this cave, but I'd had to about face not long ago. I had come up to a huge chamber full of the damn green things and quickly doubled back. Even then I ended up having to kill two more of them.

Thankfully they seemed pretty damn distracted by something in the direction I was now headed so I hoped they were guards watching for things coming into the cave from the entrance. They obviously weren't expecting something to already be in here with them and I took full advantage of that by sneaking up behind them then simply ripping their throats out with my new claws.

That should have been really disturbing, but for some reason it gave me a thrill of satisfaction instead. Part of it was because every single one of the damn things had that miasma of vicious cruelty around them, but another part of it was almost an instinctive contentment in using my claws on something.

I didn't let myself dwell on it.

I grumbled to myself quietly for a moment as my foot splashed down into what I was really hoping was just water. I was still trying very hard not to think about the fact I could see in the inky blackness, though I had notice color was completely washed out without light. I could see shapes and not much else.

Then I heard something. Yelling? Yes. Yelling, screaming, and the sound of a struggle of some kind.

I slowed, but continued to creep forward cautiously. I still only had one direction I could go unless I wanted to try my luck with that chamber full of little bastards. I'd found side tunnels, but they were all tiny and the few I'd bothered to check came back to the main tunnel eventually anyways so I'd begun ignoring them outside of keeping a eye on them for lurking guards.

Soon I spotted light, the first light I'd seen since I'd woken up. The only one of the creatures that had used any form of torch was the one that had knocked down the wall to my stone prison. Maybe that one had needed the extra detail and color light granted to see whatever it was digging for? I imagine metal ore or gems would be much easier to see by torch light if that was even what it was digging around for.

I came around a bend, tensing as the sounds of what was now obviously a vicious fight was very close. A few more steps put me at another twist in the cave and I leaned close enough to glance around the corner. I froze in surprise.

Humans. Three- no there was a small one in the back, four of them. Young or if they really were humans they looked it to me. Three girls and one boy.

The boy was in plate armor wielding a sword. Cheap plate armor from what I knew of the stuff, it had gaps all over as if he couldn't afford a full set. The kid's sword was also compensating for something and it was biting him in the ass in the caves confines. He couldn't swing it right in here and was having to use it more like a really unwieldy spear. He was managing but not well.

The girl next to him, who looked the oldest of the group, was wearing some fancy, but well used robes. She didn't have a weapon or armor at all from what I could see and was just laying into the monsters with hands and feet. My brain classified her as a monk of some sort instantly on looks alone.

The last two girls were hanging back. Both in robes with staffs. One was all in white, pretty little blond who frankly looked terrified. The other was in more earthy colored brown cloak with a green dress who seemed to be guarding the white robe one.

Frankly none of them besides the boy looked like they were ready for any sort of serious fight and even he looked barely prepared. That three out of four didn't seem to have any armor at all set my teeth on edge. Sure I didn't either, but that's because I woke up naked in cave not out of choice.

They were trying and failing to kill a pack of the green monsters. Well sort of failing. The monk girl was doing fine even though she had no weapons and the boy was managing to occasionally kill one when they got reckless, but the other two were just standing-

"Firebolt!" One of the two girls in back snapped and a blast of actual fucking fire exploded out of her staff and hit one of the nearest creatures to her. The little shit lit up like a match and fell screaming back into the group of its fellows scattering them.

So... I- I uh...

Magic.

Or something that looked like it at least.

OK.

OK, fine.

Sure.

I could... add that to the list of "shit I will deal with later."

It was becoming distressingly long at this point.

I was about to creep back into the shadows, I had no idea who these people were, what they were after, and they seemed to have everything in hand anyways. I could just hide in a crevice and wait for them to pass then sneak out whatever entrance they had come in from since I was pretty sure they must have butchered the little green shits guarding the way out to even be this far into the cave.

It was a good plan.

Sadly, it also lasted barely five seconds.

From a side passage, one of many I'd spotted in my time down here, something loomed out head and shoulders taller then any of the young humans.

It vaguely looked like the other monsters, but it was massive. Bigger than the average adult man by a sizable margin. It wasted no time in smacking the boy away with a wooden club and turned to confront the monk girl who managed to get one good hit in that did seemingly nothing to the massive thing.

The boy rolled to a stop in front of a group of the little shits only a few feet in front of me. The entire swarm moved to surge onto him before he could react and I saw the big one catch the monk girls fist.

Suddenly I had a choice.

I could run.

Or I could help.

It ended up not being one a I thought about long.

I surged out of the shadows of the cave with a battle cry. Or at least I had meant it to be one. Instead what came out of my throat was a primal predatory roar. The monsters turned towards me and I had no more time to think.

I let the instincts that had driven me since I woke up take over.

Priestess was terrified. She had been scared the whole time, but she was trying to be brave. Her new party was seemingly doing well, but everything had very quickly gone wrong. The big monster, an ogre? A big goblin? She didn't know! Had ambushed them and now... now she was sure they were all going to die horribly.

She saw Warrior about to be torn apart by a small group of goblins. Fighter had been caught by the big monster and despite her struggle she didn't seem to be able to break free. As for herself and Wizard? A group of the monsters was pressing in on them from the front. Far too many for Wizard to kill with her limited spells even if they gave her time to chant. Which Priestess knew they wouldn't.

This was it wasn't it? She was going to die here. Or worse. She should have never left the temple. She should have-

Something lunged from deeper in the cave with a bone shaking roar.

The goblins spun about, ignoring everything as a creature emerged from the shadows at the other monster's backs. Her eyes widened in horror as the unmistakable form of a dragon surged from the darkness.

It was small for it's kind, but larger then even the ogre. It's claws flashed in the gloom and ripped through the three of the goblins near Warrior as it rushed past. The small dragon's eyes locked onto the Ogre and it roar again in challenge. The big brute backed away, its face a mask of terror and it threw Fighter at the other monster as if hoping to distract it with offered prey.

To her and she was sure everyone's surprise rather then rip Fighter apart it caught her with open arms and dropped her roughly, but safely, onto the ground before advancing on the large goblin. It lashed out with it's claws, swiping to disembowel the other monster which deflected the strikes with its club.

Taking the distraction for the opportunity it was Warrior lashed out from his prone position on the ground catching the last two goblins near him flatfooted while they stared at the two bigger brawlers in the center of the room. They fell cleaved into halves. Fighter had bounced back to her feet and rushed toward them, her eyes wide and frightened, but still focused on driving the goblins away from the two vulnerable casters.

"Firebolt!" Wizard cried out, having used the time the monster brawl had given her to chant another quick offensive spell which turned two more goblins into walking, screaming pyres.

Fighter slammed into the last few quickly followed by Warrior and together they dispatched the last of the normal Goblins. As the last one toppled to the ground headless thanks to a swing from their leader's sword there was a choked, gurgling scream from the center of the cave.

Priestess turned her attention back toward the two dueling monsters in time to see the small dragon sink its claws into the big goblin's chest. Lightning arced up from the dragon's core, down its arms and into the other monster. The goblin screamed as its body spasmed, its eyes popped as smoke poured from its mouth and the scent of burned flesh filled the cave. Priestess clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from vomiting all down Warrior's back who was standing protectively in front of her.

The dragon tore its claws free in a spray of smoking gore as the smaller monster toppled backward onto the cave floor, then brought both its fists up over its head. Both its clawed hands ignited with brilliant white light and she gasped as she felt the pulse of powerful holy magic coming from the blue scaled creature.

The goblin, still not dead despite all the damage, raised its arms in a desperate attempt to block as the dragon swung both its hands down in a hammer blow. Its shining fists smashed into the big goblin's guard and shattered its limbs, the strike carried through straight onto the monsters head which exploded like a rotten tomato against the stone of the cave floor.

For a few moments there was silence. They all simply stared as the last monster caught its breath in ragged pants.

Then it turned to look at them. Piercing sapphire blue eyes that glowed slightly from within stared at them. In front of her Fighter and Warrior tensed, ready to fight even though they had to know they stood no chance against a dragon, not even one this small. She thought about using her spells to throw a pair of barriers in the monsters path, hopefully that would delay it long enough to let them simply run, but she had her doubts she could get the chant out in time. She had seen how quick the creature had surged from the cave at the goblins.

Just as she was about to start her chant anyways in the vain hope she'd make it in time it did something unexpected.

It spoke.

"Well." It said, it's a voice a baritone rumble. "That could of gone worse."

They stared slack jaw at it for a few moments. Long enough for it to rise up and stand like a humanoid rather then remain on all fours as it should of. It was at this point she realized it wasn't a dragon. Or she was relatively certain it wasn't.

She thought it might be a Lizardman, though she'd never met one herself and she'd heard winged Lizardmen were very, very rare. The problem with that idea was it had scales. Lizardmen didn't, having leathery skin with dermal plates instead.

Whatever it was it could talk and it had saved them. That gave her some hope.

"H-hello?" She whispered out. Her party turned to look at her in surprise and she shrunk in on herself, but the creature just chuckled.

"Greetings." It responded in that smooth baritone.

It's head turned to look over its shoulder, the wings having folded up almost like a cape across its back, and it peered back into the darkness for a moment.

"I do not believe it would be wise to stay here." It- or he she supposed, said as he turned to regard them again. "There are more of the little ones watching us from the tunnel. Scouts I think."

That caused them all to tense and stared at the darkness behind the lizardman with worry, but before they could say anything his head snapped around to stare at the tunnel they had followed to get here. The sound of footsteps drew their attention as they tried to pivot in a way that would let them watch both the tunnel and the creature at once. It turned out to be unnecessary as what entered the chamber was a man.

A warrior of some sort from his appearance. Priestess was just glad this entire ordeal seemed to be mostly over. She collapsed to the ground with a choked sob and only barely heard Wizard kneel next to her asking if she was alright.

So this was both better then I hoped and yet it still wasn't exactly going well. The kids I had saved were scared of me. Not that I blamed them exactly. I appear to be massive. If these kids are teenagers of average human size... I have to be pushing nine feet in height. I was bigger then the damn green thing at any rate. Given that I was covered in scales and had claws combined with my size... well I'd be scared being stuck in a small cave with something like me too.

What the fuck was I at any rate? I assumed some kind of demon at this point. The big green monster had certainly reacted like I was the spawn of some kind of Hell when it spotted me. While I hadn't exactly been afraid of it, which was odd now that I stop to think about it, it sure was a confidence boost to watch it's ugly face go from confused and angry to shocked and horrified as I charged it.

And now I was dealing with yet another person. The guy in armor, real full body armor unlike the boy, paused as he spotted them all and tensed for a moment when he saw the me in particular. The man looked them all over and then spotted the big fucker I had killed.

With magic. I had magic. Electricity and some kind of "fuck you evil thing" light power.

"You killed the Hob?" He asked. His voice was a flat monotone, almost without inflection.

"This thing?" I pointed at it. "Sorry, I have no idea what it is."

As soon as I spoke he relaxed noticeably. I guess the ability to speak wasn't something the monsters generally had. I was just glad we spoke the same language honestly. Lucky break that.

He nodded. "Hobgoblin. They tend to be the guardians of larger goblin nests. Strong. Dangerous."

Goblins. Of course little green monsters are goblins. I would of called this thing an Orc, but hobgoblin. Sure, it fit.

"Figured he was the biggest threat so I went after him first." I said as I looked down at the still smoking corpse.

I was putting the magic on "The List." It was a nice surprise though, much like the super strength. Wish I had more of them like that in the last few hours.

The knight nodded. "It was." He glanced at the kids. "You are the party of Porcelains that took the quest to clear this nest?"

"I-I...uh yeah..." The boy, I guess he was in charge of that group, nodded. "We are. Yeah."

The actual professional fighter nodded. "You should leave. I will finish the nest."

The kids looked at each other uncertainly and seemed to start a quick discussion. While they were doing... whatever it was they were doing I walked over to the fighter as he started picking over bodies.

"There's a big ass room further in. Stumbled across it while I was trying to find my way out of here. Full of the little ones, but I didn't see any like the... 'hob' hanging around." I glanced back into the darkness behind me were I had seen the two scouts sulking about. "I've killed a few of them coming out from deeper in this cave, but two of them were watching this fight and ran for it when the big one went down. I'd guess they went to tell the others their boss is dead."

The warrior paused then nodded. "How many have you killed?"

"Four before I got here. All the little scrawny ones. Gutted three more as I entered the room and then killed the big fucker."

He turned to look at the kids who had paused their whispering to listen to us. The boy shifted under the man's helmeted gaze. "Uhh... not sure. I wasn't exactly keeping track." The boy muttered and rubbed the back of his head.

The older guy just stared for a moment before saying "I see." in a complete monotone. His helmet shifted to sweep his gaze over the cave chamber. "The hob is dead, but this group is too well organized for it to have been the leader. There's a shaman here. I'll deal with it."

I paused as I took that in. "How do you know?"

He turned to look at me and even with the helmet I could feel how blank his gaze was. He also stank. Not body odor thankfully. It was half old decayed blood and half just the general grunginess of his armor which looked filthy. Guy didn't have much emotion, but that was fine, he was professional acting and seemed to know what he was doing which was all I cared about.

"Hobs are strong, but they're stupid and lazy." He pointed at the big boy's corpse. "If he was the leader of this nest their wouldn't have been as many tricks." He pointed at the side tunnel. "It also wouldn't have been waiting in ambush, it would be in the central chamber with the captives."

I opened my mouth to comment on how insightful that was when another part of his words hit me.

"Back up." I held up my clawed hands. "Captives?"

"That is part of the quest's objectives." He paused and looked up at me. "You are not with this party?"

"No." I shook my head. "I woke up in here when one of these little shits broke down a wall to a cave I was apparently sealed in. No idea how I got there. I've been trying to get out since."

The guy pivoted to look at the teenagers, who appeared to be done talking.

The small white robed one nodded. "I-I saw him come from deeper in the cave." She spoke just barely above a whisper, almost shrinking into herself even as she answered. Jeez she was cute. What the heck was she doing here? "He attacked them from behind."

"I see." He nodded and looked back up at me. "This goblin nest has been harassing a nearby village for some time. They've grown bold enough to raid it and took several young women captive a few days ago. The objective of this quest was both extermination of the nest itself and to rescue the captives if possible."

They take prisoners from raids? Why? Slave labor? No he specifically mentioned women. If they wanted laborers they'd of taken men. Why in the world would they take-?

Ice settled in my stomach as the implications set in. Then that ice burnt away in a burning rage that settled over my mind.

The kids tensed, but the warrior only tilted his head as a growl tore its way out of my throat. "So I see." I hissed the words out. "I'm willing to offer my assistance if it would help. I don't want to get in the way, but if I can be of use I'm willing to offer what I can."

He paused as if considering. "What can you do?"

There it was my turn to pause. What could I do? I wasn't entirely sure, but some answers came to me regardless and I simply let them flow.

"I am a trained melee fighter with access to innate electrical and holy magics. I also have some training as a cleric." I listed off completely unsure of how I knew these things though completely confident I was right. "I can cast a several necrotic ranged offensive spells and can augment my melees strikes with holy and electric magic, and my clerical training gives me access to limited healing magic. My species possesses natural armor, claws, enhanced strength, and the ability to see in absolute darkness as well as resistances to poisons and in my subspecies case electricity."

As I finished speaking the kids were looking at me in awe. I suddenly realized that I might be pretty powerful. The warrior just nodded though.

"Your help would be useful." He agreed and that was that I guess.

I chuckled and rolled my shoulders. "You should see the kids off so we can get this done."

He nodded and turned to the teenagers... who instantly declared they wanted to help too.

Fantastic, baby sitting FNGs.

As if I was better prepared. Hah. I snorted at my own self deprecation.

Actually, barring my inclination to be sarcastic more bodies probably improved our chances. Strength in numbers and all that.

After a short discussion including a list of their own abilities, which was frankly not much, we all introduced our selves properly.

"I'm Warrior." The boy said with a grin.

"Wizard." Green dress girl spoke confidently.

"Fighter." Monk girl said with a bow.

"Pr-Priestess." Little white introduced herself also with a bow.

After a short pause the older warrior nodded and said simply "Goblin Slayer."

As soon as the words left his mouth the kids reacted like they'd just been introduced to a king. I guess the guy was famous? They certainly acted like he was. He mostly just shrugged it off from what I could see. Sort of hard to be sure given his full helmet.

After they got over that they all turned to me and... well they were using titles I think? So what..?

The name just came to me.

"Draconian Cleric," I said with a sweeping bow. Somehow I even got my wings, also added to "The List," to smoothly follow the motion adding a grand cape-like flourish to it, "At your service."

Goblin Slayer just nodded. "Lets kill goblins." He said and it was the first time he had spoken that had some emotion to it. Eagerness.

I chuckled again. "Lead on. You are the expert here."

He nodded again and picked up the kids fallen torch, lighting another one before giving it back and leading us deeper into the cave. As I passed by the Hobgoblin's corpse I leaned down to pick up his club. It was awkwardly weighted, just a big hunk of sturdy wood not anything truly designed to be a weapon, still it gave me more reach then my claws. I gave it a few experimental swings as I brought up the rear of the group then nodded. It would do.

A/N

A new story. Sadly not the one some might be hoping for. If anyone is here looking for a continuation of my RWBY story I am sorry to disappoint you, but it will probably never happen. Frankly the show is just... ugh. I've lost any and all interest in RWBY.

But on to happier times! This story. A crossover of DnD (specifically Dragonlance) and Goblin Slayer! Why? Why not!? Honestly they just seem to fit together well enough that I don't really have to mess with things over much.

The Devil You Don't was my crack at making a near omnipotent god-like character interesting. This story is my attempt at the dreaded Self Insert genre. So yes that's me. One of the reasons I chose Goblin Slayer is that it allows me to be me without bothering with my name due to the settings odd naming conventions.

What is he though? Some people familiar with DnD might guess I'm using a Dragonborn character here and they'd be close.

Draconian Cleric is, well a Draconian.

They're the Dragonlance equivalent to mainline Dragonborn, but have some major differences. The biggest one is how their cast or "type" works. For mainline Dragonborn their color only affects their breath attack. In Draconians it affects a lot more. For starters Draconians don't have breath attacks at all instead their "type" give them special abilities. Sivak Draconians can shapeshift into people they kill for example.

Draconians are also separated into a hard good/evil scale that is the exact opposite of dragons: Metallic Draconians are evil and chromatic ones are good though either can also be neutral. They almost all have wings, but most can only glide (two subtypes can actually fly and two don't have wings at all).

You can look up more on them if you want, they're a pretty interesting race with history that involves them being magically created to be super soldier shock troopers. Neat stuff honestly.

The only Draconian we're going to meet in this story is Cleric. He's a Lightning Draconian (Good Blue Draconian) which gives him innate paladin powers (Lay Hands and Smite), the ability to augment his melee attacks with lightning, and makes him freaking huge. He's eight and a half feet tall, over four hundred pounds, has natural armor in the form of deep blue scales, can fly, is capable of healing himself or others, smiting evil beings, or blasting things he touches with electricity. That's just his racial abilities. He's a level two character out the gate (One level Cleric, One Fighter) which is a consequence of Draconians being magically created for war.

So yeah I stacked the deck. Because I hate the fucking goblins. A lot. And I want to kill them. Lots of them. This gives me a character who is both powerful enough and has an inborn drive of "kill evil things." Frankly, I am not expecting Cleric to be like me for long. In a few chapters I doubt I'll recognize him as me. His situation is far too different from mine (you know being a dragonman on a fantasy planet and all) to stay that similar beyond some fundamentals. Instead I'm just using my personality as a launch point and seeing what I end up with.

I do actually have a full character sheet for him. If people want to see it or parts of it I might be willing to type it out some time.

As for the update schedule this time... there isn't one. This is mostly just a thing that popped in my head one day. I'm not going to make any promises about finishing it try to force myself to keep an update schedule. I partly think forcing myself to keep a rigid monthly update plan is part of what killed my interest in the last story. So no, no schedule. It's a combination of "when I actually have time" and "when I feel like it."