Note: Some more liberties are taken here, but not too many. Mainly just to give the inhabitants of the cave a little bit of character.
Hawkeye and Riesz meet up, along with Charlotte and Kevin (more on a personal level), and the former two don't exactly hit it off at first, yet I hope to make it believable, as trust isn't something that someone just gives out willingly after what one like Riesz has been through.
Also, sort of a confession, yet a bit of a rant. Yes, Hawkeye/Riesz will be a thing in this, as well as Duran/Angela (Charlotte and Kevin's relationship is platonic, for even if they're the same age, there's a definite mental difference). Still, I will not demonize anybody just because of the ships. Jessica is one of the factors in this. From what I'm aware, the official game hints at but doesn't officially say that there's anything between her and Hawkeye, and also, while I changed it for this story, if they were, that'd mean there'd be some "family relations," and not in a good way.
I'm not touching that.
But with that said, I'm not going to demonize her. I don't care for her as I feel she's bland, but she's not the scum of the earth because I like one ship. I'm going to expand her and delve more into her mind in this, as I want to give attention and more depth to the side characters we don't get to see much from in the official game. I can't stand when one side is demonized for the sake of a ship or because the writer doesn't like said character. If anything, I feel that it's an opportunity to try and delve into them further, study them, try to understand them, and improve them in your way.
Also, while there is violence in this, I don't want it to be all blood, guts, and whatnot. I'm mainly keeping this PG-13, so there won't be too many gory details. That said, I'm trying to balance it so that when there is blood and death, it's more impactful, as if you show something repeatedly, it loses its impact. Plus, while the characters are indeed fighters, they're not ones that actively go and search for blood. I'm trying to balance when it's more swashbuckling and when it's balls to the wall serious.
Let me know if you see any errors either. Thank you!
BTW...Jojo reference in here. Sorry.
Cascade Cavern
"So...what's your name?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" the winged woman questioned Duran.
"Well, I mean, a name. You have one, right?"
"Oh! A name!" the Faerie proclaimed. "Well...it's kind of a trick question."
"How is having a name a trick question?" Angela chimed in.
"Well, it's kind of like this." The Faerie began. "You call certain plants different things, like flowers, trees, and animals different things, like dogs or cats. But...well, you name dogs and cats, but you don't go naming flowers like 'Annalise' or 'Maya.'"
"No idea what you're getting at," Duran said, clearly confused.
"We don't need such things, beings like me. We all have our own...well, how do I put this...wavelength, if you will. The energies that we identify ourselves with. So, in a way, we have a way to distinguish ourselves, but it's not with a name."
Both Duran and Angela looked at each other. "Well, sorry, but that's not gonna work for us." the young woman said plainly. "So...guess we're just going to have to 'assign' you a name."
"Assign?" the Faerie questioned. "I'm not a pet."
"Well, then you come up with one."
The Faerie pondered this. True, while such things meant little to her, mortal creatures...they lived by such things. "All right. I was thinking maybe…" she rested her finger on her chin. "Ah, I got it. Call me, Faerie."
"Faerie?" Angela questioned. "Isn't that like naming a dog 'Dog'?"
"Well, it's what I am, right?" the winged woman asked. "And it's easy to remember because of that. And besides, you said I was the one that could come up with something."
Angela pondered this, then looked to Duran. "Thoughts?"
"I... don't care," he told both of them. She's already invaded my head; she can probably do whatever she wants.
"No, I can't." the Faerie responded, Duran widening his eyes. She heard that?! "Yes, I did," she confirmed. "But I'll take your indecision as a yes."
"Fine, fine," Angela answered, shrugging. "It's your name."
"Then it's settled." the winged woman straightened out her flower dress. "For now on, I shall be known as 'Faerie,' the... Faerie." huh. Maybe Angela was right about it being a little...redundant. Still, whatever. Right now, such things matter little. What mattered most was getting to Wendel as soon as possible.
The sound of the waterfalls rang in their ears, the raised land above them protecting them from being drenched, though moisture collected, and the small section felt somewhat chilled and misty.
"There." Angela then said, pointing to the opening to a cavern ahead.
"Ok," Duran began, surveying the area. "So, where IS this barrier-" he felt as if he just ran headfirst into a brick wall. A brick wall with a punch, as he was sent a few feet back, landing on his back. "What the?!"
"Hmmm, I see." the recently dubbed 'Faerie' fluttered forward, placing her hand and making contact with a hidden, transparent wall. "Ah, I understand now. Please stand back." Angela and Duran obeyed, Faerie beginning to glow. Yet when the light reached its maximum, it suddenly died down again.
"What's wrong?" Duran asked.
"I...was just thinking." Faerie began. "This barrier...was it just made recently?"
"No idea," Angela answered, Duran, shrugging in response as well. "Why does that matter?"
"I'm just saying," Faerie continued. "Maybe it was put up here for a reason."
"Well, can't you just make another one?" Duran asked. "If you're worried about it, just seal it back up when we get through."
"I don't have that kind of power," Faerie answered, sensing the confusion from her host. "Look...I'll break it, and we'll just make it through here as quick as possible." she looked at the invisible wall before her. This whole thing made her feel uneasy, yet she had come here specifically to go to Wendel, as did these two. And now, one of them was her only lifeline, so she had essentially made the decision already. Focusing, her body was engulfed in light, momentarily blinding the two humans behind her. Placing her hand on the wall, it suddenly became visible before it dissipated from view. "All right. It's down." the winged woman said. She could only hope that this wouldn't lead to something horrible.
Without a word, all three went through the entrance to the cavern, disappearing into the darkness of the small opening on the hill's side.
Her legs burnt, and her cheeks felt hot, yet she couldn't stop. Not for anything, lest those things get her. She ran and ran and ran until she tripped and fell face-first onto the ground. She whimpered as she lifted her head, face covered in the dirt along with the rest of her, but then she saw the cave opening that was shielded from the waterfalls above. Her ticket out of here! But what about the barrier?
Rising, Charlotte tentatively made her way up and scooted slowly towards where she felt the wall send her back. Nothing. Maybe she wasn't close enough? Or perhaps she could break past the barrier? Like when someone broke through a door by running into it really hard? But, it wasn't as if she couldn't do anything that regular-sized people could do too. Stepping back, the blonde readied herself, getting into a charging position. And with one last step back, "YAH!" she dashed forward, ready to feel a force against her, but she was determined to push through to the other side. And indeed, she did "OOF!" in the form of rock that she had run face-first into. "OW! Ow…." she fell over and rolled around in pain, holding her nose. Her eyes began to produce tears, yet it was then realized that not only was she in, but it also seemed that the barrier was gone entirely. What happened?
Charlotte took a moment to look around her. True, she was just at the entrance, yet this place wasn't exactly well lit. Let alone dry, her hand touching a rock slick with wetness. A reasonable degree of moss coated the rock as well; Charlotte felt along the wall to guide herself until her vision adjusted and to make sure she didn't slip, not trusting walking full on just yet. But surely she could make it through here fine. After all, she knew where she was going.
Hopefully.
Outside
The light had long gone, yet from what she could see, there was a cavern nearby. "Go into the Rabite Forest, and forward until you see a bridge. Cross it, then go west. Reach a bend, then go south until you come across some waterfalls. Afterward, go east, and through that cave, there should be the way to Wendel." Riesz did well to remember these directions, the bartender seeing fit to deliver tips to her and the two other young men there. "You can take the left bend, but I heard that way is blocked off. There've been some powerful quakes, so you might have to take the lower passage. Be careful, though; that place is teeming with nasty little critters."
Riesz stood and saw the mouth of the cave but a few yards away, seemingly beckoning for her to enter. She approached, yet then stopped. The hair rose on the back of her neck, and her breathing grew quiet. Then, drawing out her spear, she looked around; she wasn't alone. And yet there was no one around from what she could see.
"Boo."
She whirled around, frightened but more ready to attack than ever, but before she could strike, she had seen what had just spooked her. "You…" she surveyed the violet-haired young man before her. "You're the one from the bar."
"Got me," he said. "Sorry, but tonight's been so dull. I couldn't resist." She, in turn, was silent, continuing to observe him. Just how did he- "Climbed up and swung down. Waterfalls don't touch everywhere, so there is no risk of getting soaked." Still, she said nothing. "No 'hello' or 'hiya' Nothing?"
"...what are you doing here?" Riesz finally said, posture easing up, but the hold on her weapon remained firm.
"Same as you are," he told her. "Going to Wendel. I'd assume you wouldn't be here if you weren't." he then pointed to her weapon. "Also, it turns out that weapons guy WAS hiding your stuff for those furry jerks. Course, a little haggling got those two out of storage."
Her spear seemingly fell from out of nowhere. That was him? "How did you-"
"I saw you on the boat with it," he explained. "I also saw how those guys swiped it from you."
Riesz saw the two daggers he had on his person. "And how'd you get those by security?"
It was then that he gained a rather uncomfortable expression. "That's...kinda private."
'Just as your intentions may be.' the amazon thought. "Who are you?"
"Sort of thought you'd ask that first." the young man chuckled, then held out his hand. "Name's Hawkeye." she didn't take it, her hands occupied with holding her weapon. "Ok...well," he drew his hand back. "Your name?"
"Riesz." the young woman stated. She observed him again, noting his attire. There was something familiar about it, and her knuckles whitened about her spear when she recalled where she'd seen it before. "Your attire…" she narrowed her eyes. "You're from Nevarl, aren't you?" Once she saw him stiffen somewhat, her suspicions were confirmed. Her spear was thrust forward, just mere inches from Hawkeye's throat.
"Whoa, hey! Hey there!" he exclaimed, holding up hands in surrender. "You'll poke someone's eye out with that thing!"
"I'm tempted to poke out yours," Riesz growled. "Have they sent their agents here too?"
"No, no! You've got me all wrong!" the thief told her. "Yes, I'm from Nevarl. But I've got nothing to do with the Thieves Guild or, as it's called now, the Kingdom of Nevarl." the latter part was delivered with a good deal of contempt. "Bah. Some kingdom. The first act they do is go and invade somewhere else."
"Laurant," Riesz said firmly. "The kingdom is called Laurant. My-" she paused, biting her lip. Perhaps it wouldn't be good to reveal who she was. The last thing she wanted was to be held for ransom. Not that there was much more to take, and she'd die before such a thing would happen. "It's my home." she bit her lip. "WAS my home. That was until your lot came along."
Hawkeye's eyes softened. "...I'm sorry. Of course, I am," he assured. "But please understand, we thieves of Nevarl weren't like that. It's our vow never to take a life. The fact that they have…." Riesz observed that, to her curiosity, he appeared to grow angry at that fact. "Damned Isabella. This is her fault. All of it…." Isabella...she hadn't heard that name before, but for some reason, images of that demoness she had seen in the burning throne room came to mind. "You don't have to believe me, but I swear, I'm a guy with honor."
"I don't. Thief and honor do not correlate with each other." Riesz told him.
"Hey, why do I have to lie?" he asked. "If I wanted to, that part about the thief was the first thing I would've lied about." he then pointed to her spear. "And why would I go through the trouble with getting that back for you?" Despite herself, the blonde found herself lowering her weapon. Her eyes didn't leave him, yet she felt conflicted, to her surprise. Why?! He had just admitted to belonging to the enemy faction! So why not challenge him now and be done with it?! It was then that his expression grew serious. "Sorry, I am," he told her. "But I'm not letting anyone stop me. Not now." with that, he dashed into the cave at high speed, leaving a flabbergasted Riesz alone, a million unwanted thoughts swimming in her head.
Cascade Cavern
And the entrance to it looked so small by comparison.
Before, above, and below, all around was a deep, expansive chamber of rock, the remains of an old dirt trail beneath their feet, yet a good portion of that was covered up due to years and years of erosion. Massive stalactites and stalagmites pierced the mist in stone forests; moisture presented above and below, those above providing shelter and a place to rest for the few that could manage to fly up and hang from their structures. Fungus of all kinds made their home here, moss-lined the trails and stones that were composed just this portion of the cave's interior; who knew how much more lay inside? Despite the lack of light, the three found that the cavern wasn't as dark as they initially thought, as iridescent, blue flowers appeared to take root here as well, providing some reprieve from the darkness. The sound of running water echoed throughout the whole space, said water clean and blue. Yet, its beauty was not an invitation to go in, as several dangerously sharp formations lay underneath the surface.
Yet another step to reach Wendel. The only question was, where to take the first step?
"Ok…" Faerie began, looking at Duran and Angela. "Don't suppose you guys got directions for this place?" she paused for a moment, looking at the young soldier. "You didn't...I can tell."
"Hey!" Duran shouted, covering his head. Like it'd do any good. "Well, no. But the bartender said that it's mainly a straightforward pathway." he then knelt, seeing the small bits and pieces of collected bricks put together. "He said that there was an old trail that led the way here."
"Looks like it'd be little use," Angela observed. "You can barely see it."
"Well, it's something, isn't it?" Duran answered. "Besides, it's not like there are many other choices."
"Wait." Faerie suddenly said. "What about the river?" she gestured to the water nearby. "Surely, if it leads to the lake, it must be some form of water source for the city." Hm, both humans thought. Perhaps. And both of them had gotten this far, so there was no going back.
"All right. We'll try that." Duran said, taking the first step, taking the mantle as group leader.
"So," Angela began, getting up beside him, not too keen on being in the back. "Is it true what you say? That you're a soldier?"
"Yep." Duran puffed out his chest and beat it with a single fist. "The youngest in all of Valsena, if you want to know." he was about to say "best," yet held it back. No, he couldn't claim that. Not yet anyway. Soon though.
How much of that was truthful, Angela was skeptical. Nevertheless, he was the one with the weapon. "So, I can just hang back and leave all the fighting to you, right?"
Deeper in the Cavern
The collection of small, humanoid figures huddled together as a waterfall ran in front of them. They were shielded by the cave's ceiling, an open section allowing them to see the ever-pouring water outside the chamber. They mainly were concealed by shadows, yet from the brief bits of light cast by the iridescent flowers that sprouted, one could see, if they should be fortunate (or rather, unfortunate) to come across them, that they weren't human. Finally, one got up on a platform, standing tall above the rest. "All right, guys!" he said, voice gruff and raucous. "This is it! This time, we're taking this cave, and spirits help those dirty Hobgoblins and anyone else who dares get in our way!"
"Yeah!" The crowd cheered, roaring and holding up various weapons, from axes to swords to spears.
On the opposite side of the cave, another set of creatures like them was holding the same sort of gathering in a similarly fashioned chamber. "Onward, troops!" their leader proclaimed, voice far lower and husky. "We shall claim victory this day!" the troops cheered, more than pumped enough to go to war with their opponents.
They were completely unaware that the cavern had a few peculiar new arrivals.
Oooh, where was she going?! Charlotte looked left and right, completely lost. She hadn't even been in here for five...well, she wasn't aware of how long she had been here, but it couldn't have been that long, could it! Either way, cave or not, it couldn't have been THAT hard to get through! It wasn't THAT big! Was it? Still, this whole operation regarding her handling in stopping Heath from leaving to being sent how many miles over with little more than a makeshift parachute that just so happened to work (which served to get her to spend the night in a tree), yet when she found Heath, everything then went even more wrong. Even worse, if she hadn't been there, then maybe, just maybe, that horrible jester wouldn't have had a bargaining chip to use.
Charlotte sat herself down, wiping her eyes at the tears coming down. What was she doing now? Heath was gone, that lovely lady and her son were chased out of town by beastmen, and she was crying as if she had more significant problems? You're such a baby, Charlotte. she thought. Just a stupid baby. She didn't even feel like getting up and continuing her journey. What was the point? Poor Elisa and Ralph. And especially Heath.
Just then, she heard something. Or multiple somethings. Footsteps? Footsteps that were coming closer and closer.
Immediately lifting herself and looking around in panic, Charlotte spotted a group of stalagmites with enough open space to serve as cover; she practically leaped behind them. And just in time, too, as a group of short, humanoid figures passed her by, marching as if they were off to war. Still, the girl found herself not precisely able to entirely take them seriously. Daresay, to her; they looked somewhat silly. Through the weapons they carried? Not.
Despite the uphill sections that mainly composed this place, the trio couldn't deny that this place was sort of peaceful. "So, what's your reason for wanting to go to Wendel?" Duran questioned Angela.
"He wants to be the strongest swordsman in the world," Faerie said aloud, Duran looking at her for speaking what was literally on his mind. Again.
"Oh, um…" the young woman paused. "Well...kinda the same reason you are." she tightened her grip on her wand. "I want to…" she paused again, thinking about how to frame her words precisely. "I want to become a powerful sorceress. Powerful enough to…."
"Enough to?" Duran pressed on.
"Well, just powerful." Angela finished. "And...I guess you could say I want to know how to better harness my skills." she was laying it on thick, but he couldn't know. No one could ever know. She didn't ask that question earlier regarding his sword for nothing. "I mean, I AM the pride of Alrant, after all. So known throughout the WHOLE town!" well, it was more of a village...or hell, even a hamlet, but still.
"Wait." Duran then asked. "You've mentioned this, Alrant, before. So just where exactly IS this place?"
"Um…" Angela shifted her eyes. "It's just a town; why?"
"A town where?"
"It's...it's quite a bit away from here."
"From where?" Duran pressed, noting how she was avoiding answering him. Unfortunately, though, neither of them would have time to speak further, as Faerie noticed something watching them in the distance. Said something lifted an ax and drew back its arm.
"LOOK OUT!"
Duran looked to see the glimmer of the weapon, wasting no time in tackling Angela and sending both of them to the ground, the ax circularly flying over their heads until it landed right in a nearby stalagmite. "The hell?!" Duran cried out, looking up yet not rising.
"Whatcha thinks you're doing?!" a gruff voice shouted, clearly unhappy that the trio was here. Well, duo, as Faerie saw fit to go back into her host.
"What do you think YOU'RE doing?!" Duran shouted back, getting himself and Angela back up. "What are you trying to do?! Take someone's head off?!"
"Yep!" the figure shouted, jumping out from his hiding place. Before the two (three) stood a short, somewhat stout creature with a green breastplate, red pauldrons, a red scarf, puffy violet sleeves and pant legs, a bronze codpiece on its belt, and pointed green shoes. Its face was hidden, concealed by what appeared to be a Rabite hat, though the lower part was present, showing a pair of fangs. "You've got some kind of nerve on OUR turf!"
"Your turf?" Angela huffed, dusting herself off. "I don't see your name on anything here!"
"These are Goblin grounds!" another voice suddenly said, popping up and bearing a similar appearance to the other Goblin, only this one had a yellow scarf. "You're not welcome here!"
"Oh really?" Duran asked.
"Really!" a chorus of voices suddenly said, several heads popping up—goblins with the generally same look but different colored scarves.
Well, so much for that, Duran thought. Then, one amongst the gathering crowd suddenly stepped in front of everyone else, this one a Goblin as well, yet his pauldrons bore spikes on them, and his cap bore jagged stripes.
"What are you doing here?" the Goblin, assumedly the leader of the small troop (small it might've been, it was still huge for just the two (three) of them.), questioned, an ax swung over his shoulder.
Duran was about to open his mouth but never got the chance to. "Please...sir." Faerie emerged. "We're just passing through. We're on our way to Wendel."
The leader scoffed. "Hear that, guys? They're on their way to Wendel!" a chorus of chortles erupted throughout the area. "Like we believe that!" he huffed. "You're allies of those damned Hobgoblins, aren't you?"
"Hobgoblins?" Faerie questioned.
"Hm. They already sound more pleasant than you." Angela remarked, folding her arms.
"Ah-ha! You admit it!" the leader shouted, pointing his ax right at the young woman.
"What?! No, you idiot!" she retorted.
"And even if you're not, you're not with us! So, therefore, you're against us!" He turned to those around him. "Get 'em!"
A flurry of axes and spears were sent their way, Faerie retreating into Duran while the young man and Angela were forced to duck to avoid the incoming barrage. 'Oh sure, hide where it's safe.' he thought.
'Hey, I'm not getting cut in half!' she retorted. 'Speaking of, you better roll out of the way.'
Indeed, another spear was coming their way, Duran and Angela rolling out of the way to avoid the incoming weapon. "All right!" the soldier rose. "That's it!" He drew out his sword and shield. "You want some?! Come and get it!"
The Goblins responded in kind, charging at the young man. Duran waited until one came forward and brought up his shield, using the force of the block that momentarily stunned the Goblin to deliver a swift slice of his sword. The Goblin found the ears of its hat cut clean, another swing of the sword causing it to take off. Two more Goblins threw spears in his direction, Duran, in turn, blocking them and running forward, bashing one with his shield and the other with his sword. Finally, it ducked and tried to tackle him physically, only to find itself pushed back via the protection and tossed into the water, a resounding splash sounding through the cave.
Angela found herself mainly regelated to staying on the ground and trying not to get hit by either Duran or any of the incoming Goblins' weapons. She had stepped on who knew how many times, and frankly, she had gotten sick of it since the first time it happened. Rising, the young woman swung her wand upward, slamming the underside of one Goblin's chin and knocking him back. She then raised her wand and swung downward in an arch, knocking a Goblin back, which he rolled back into another, and another, and another, essentially creating a domino line of each other until there were no more to fall. But her streak wasn't to last, as she felt a punch to the back of her head. She was sent to the ground and had she not grabbed her wand, the spear that her current attacker was holding would've skewered her right then and there.
Duran looked back, contending with the slew of Goblins coming his way. What is she waiting for?! he thought, going back and forth between the incoming barrage of axes and spears. Angela struggled against her attacker, keeping the spear away from her throat, but only by mere inches. She's a magician, isn't she?!
That's what she said. Faerie responded in his head. She gasped when the spear came but an inch closer.
Duran could do nothing, already contending with the Goblins on his side. "I can't just stop what I'm doing here!" he said aloud. "Do something!"
This wasn't good. Any further, and she was a goner! No, not like this! She came all this way; it couldn't end now! Not now! Suddenly, the Goblin stumbled back; Angela saw the winged woman pulling at the creature's scarf, forcibly holding him back until the young woman had enough room to roll out of the way of danger. Getting up, Faerie released her hold; Angela then bashed the Goblin on the head. Finally, the two had to duck under one last ax their way.
"Come on!" Faerie then said. "We can't stay here! These guys are just a distraction!" So she began flying over the scene.
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Angela agreed, running forward and knocking away any Goblin in her way, most of them unarmed due to them throwing their weapons at her.
"Wait, what?!" Duran protested, beating back yet another Goblin. "We're nearly halfway done here!"
"As if!" Angela responded, gesturing to the other Goblins that still had their weapons with them. "I'm not sticking around and getting something chopped off! I came here to see the Priest!"
"So do I!" Faerie answered, going over to seize Duran by the ear, causing the Goblins to pause, surprised by what they saw momentarily. "Now come on! We've got places to be!"
"H-Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Ow! Stop!"
The leader and his troops only looked on at first, yet then, the leader realized what they were doing. "What do you all think you're doing?! Get them!" The Goblins roared together and gathered up what they could, chasing the trio further into the cave; all the while, Faerie kept her grip on her host's ear.
Elsewhere
It looked like he was nowhere to be found. Riesz continued on the path below her, from the bits and pieces she could see. It was silent aside from the echoes of dripping water and the continuous melody of the river that traveled through the cavern. Still, since she entered, the amazon Princess found that she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't alone. True, she wasn't the only inhabitant of this place, having spotted more than a few Batmos and Mushbooms along the trail, but still, she found that she couldn't help but sense that she would need to draw out her spear for something that was coming.
And indeed, she did after her mind conjured such up in a few short moments.
A spear was thrown in her direction; she turned to the side as it rushed forward and stuck itself in the wall. "Halt, intruder!" a voice suddenly said, a short being gesturing to the young woman. "What business do you have here?!"
Riesz looked where the weapon was thrown and saw a stout creature with a pink hat that concealed most of its face, a yellow scarf around its neck, and a steel chassis. If she had witnessed the skirmish with Duran and Angela, she would've noticed the striking resemblance of this creature to those, albeit with differences in attire. "I'm merely passing through." the Princess told him, still somewhat rattled by the deadly weapon thrown at her, yet she still had to maintain some semblance of composure. "I'm wishing to make my way to Wendel."
The creature folded his arms, huffing. "Likely story. And if that's so, we aren't too fond of those who decide to come onto OUR land!"
"Well, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I must be on my way." Then, the young woman suddenly ducked, and a spear was thrown over her head.
"You're not going anywhere!" another one of the creatures called out. "In the name of the Hobgoblins, no one comes onto our land and leaves alive!"
"Besides, you might just go and tell those uncouth Goblins of our whereabouts!" another creature said, bearing spikes on its pauldrons and stripes on its hat. Of course, it was just a hunch, yet the blonde sensed that their vocabulary wasn't anything more than superficial. Daresay, whoever these Goblins were, they all probably shared the same level of intelligence, not to mention temperament.
"I know of no such thing!" Riesz exclaimed. "And I will NOT simply let whatever conflict you have with intruders or these Goblins get in my way!" she drew out her spear as more and more Hobgoblins emerged with weapons of their own.
A group of the creatures rushed her, Riesz blocking an incoming ax with her spear and kicking him back, then using her spear to swipe around circularly low to the ground, taking several Hobgoblins off their feet. A sword sliced down, Riesz leaping back and readying herself. Though when she did so, she realized that she had, quite literally, put herself between a rock and a hard place. Her back was to the wall, and several other Hobgoblins were trapping her. Sure, she could block what they threw at her, yet how long could she keep that up for? The adrenaline pumping through her roared that she could, that her duty to Laurant would surpass all obstacles, yet the portion of her that hadn't lost reason knew well that all these foes couldn't be contended with all at once. She was bound to make an error somewhere. She was alone, no troops with her. Not that she couldn't fight alone, yet she was on the other side of the conflict now: several going against one. What to do?
Wait a moment, what the-
From above, a shadowed figure leaped downward, making contact with the head of a Hobgoblin and using it and several other creatures' heads as stepping stones and made his way beside her; Riesz immediately recognized him. "Y-You?!"
Hawkeye chuckled. "Uh, yeah. Me."
"Who's this fool?!" one of the Hobgoblins asked, rubbing his sore head.
"Who cares?!" the leader with the striped hat proclaimed. "They're both the enemy! Execute them both!"
Riesz looked to the violet-haired thief, perplexed at his sudden appearance, though more concerned with the situation they both now found themselves in. "Well, you picked a fine time to invite yourself to this," she said. Now it was likely that he'd up and got himself killed. "This isn't going favorably for us."
"Don't worry," Hawkeye whispered. "I've got a plan."
Riesz raised her brow. "Do you now?"
"Indeed!" he proclaimed. "It's an ancient, secret technique passed down the generations of the greatest thieves in Nevarl!" he sounded so pumped up as he discussed this. Riesz, despite herself, actually becoming intrigued.
"Which is?"
Suddenly, he took her hand and leaped up, stomping on a Hobgoblin's head, then another. "Run away!"
"Huh?!" Riesz cried out, being forced to use the heads of the monsters as stepping stones as they went on and on until they were on the other side of the crowd. The Hobgoblins were half rubbing their sore heads and half watching in disbelief as to what just happened. The leader himself was standing there, mouth agape. Though he then regained his senses upon seeing the two humans. "Get them!"
Well, despite herself and her still strong opinion of this particular individual and his people as a whole, Riesz found that perhaps following him as he made a beeline forward wasn't a bad idea at all.
"Ow, ow, ow! Let go!" Duran complained, Faerie still pulling on his ear.
"They're still coming!" she shouted. "Faster!" she said, her grip causing the soldier to wince in pain; what a position to find himself in: being pulled and led around by someone who could fit in the palm of his hand! It was utterly humiliating!
"Hey, how much longer until your ears look like mine?" Angela asked, albeit through a series of giggles, finding the sight more than a little hilarious.
"Hey, I'd be more than eager to switch places with you!" Duran winced, yet nonetheless, continued to run.
Looking back, Faerie gave a loud "Yipe!" as she saw the crowd of monsters behind them. "They're getting closer!
"You won' get away so easy!" the Goblins shouted, continuing to hurl weapons in their direction.
"You shall not escape!" wait a minute...who was that?
From behind the wall in the hall that the trio ran, sounds were coming, the wall growing thinner and thinner until they saw two figures running just as fast as they were: a blonde in green armor and a violet-haired youth with lighter clothing, seemingly being chased as they were. Soon enough, what or who they were being chased by came to be seen. A hoard of pink-hatted creatures similar to their yellow-hatted ones, throwing weapons their way in the same manner as their aggressors had been. It was only when they came together in an incoming chamber did everything stop. The Goblins and Hobgoblins stopped pursuing them, becoming aware of the other sub-species.
"You!" the leader of the Goblins roared. "I KNEW you were with them!" He gestured to Duran, Angela, and Faerie. "You led us into this trap!"
"Trap?!" the leader of the Hobgoblins retorted, then pointing to Hawkeye and Riesz. "Who's to say THESE two didn't lead you right to us?!"
"Don't bother denying it now! You're capable of anything!" the Goblin leader shouted.
"Me?! You're worse than the slipperiest of serpents!" the two then began going back and forth with each other, completely ignoring the four humans that were previously on the run from them.
"Uh, don't we get a say in this-" Angela began to ask, only to not get any further than that.
"QUIET!" they both shouted in unison, the Princess huffing in response. The two groups then looked at each other, raising their weapons.
"Whatever the case, this ends here and now!" the Goblin leader growled. "Today, you guys fall to us! After that, the cavern will be ours!"
"That's what you think, primitive, snaggletoothed fools!" the Hobgoblin leader retorted. "It is WE who shall take ownership of this place!"
"Stop using fancy-schmancy words and fight already!"
"I'd be more than happy to oblige!"
With that, the two groups ran into each other, a mass of creatures beating and fighting each other with swords, axes, spears, and literal teeth and nails in front of the four.
"C'mon!" Faerie called out, coming out of Duran. "This is our chance!"
"Whoa!" Hawkeye suddenly yelped. "What the-"
"Explain it later!" Angela answered. "For now, let's amscray!"
"Lead the way!" the thief agreed, Riesz silent throughout the exchange, yet she too had little intention of staying here any longer. So all four of them made their way from the scene, leaving the two groups of monsters to duke it out with each other, completely oblivious of their escape.
Note: Kevin and Charlotte will meet in the next one, and there'll be some interjection between some of the evil forces at work here in the Wendel and Jadd area, as the beastmen are the primary forces in this part at the moment. With that said, thank you all for your continuous input, and I hope to hear from you all in the future too!
