Author's Note

This chapter was originally going to be just Goblin Slayer doing Goblin Slayer things, but I changed it last second. Happy to keep writing this and I can't believe it's over 110 followers already! Seriously, I really appreciate it.

Uploaded

01/14/2024

LEGEND BELOW

"I smell goblins..." = Normal speech.

Chapter 14

A Goblin Slayer's job is never finished.

Rated-M

M rating for mature themes, nudity, romance, violence, blood, adult themes, and of course, sex.

Music of the day

Skyrim - Far Horizons

The doors to Dragon's Reach creaked open, in walking the golden forged Goblin Slayer. Yet he was strangely alone today, his wives seemingly absent from his side.

Balgruuf stared curiously at the man as he approached his throne, wondering where in the world the other two had disappeared off to.

"Oh, greetings again Goblin Slayer. What brings you to Dragon's Reach this morning?" Balgruuf asked, lips quirked up in a smirk.

Did he really have to ask at this point.

"Goblins?" Goblin Slayer offered helpfully, a mix of both a question and an answer.

"Of course." The Jarl muttered knowingly. He reached up, stroking his beard. "I see you are alone today. Prey tell, where are your companions?" He couldn't help but ask.

"My wives? They aren't well. Too much drink." He answered simply, missing the way the Nordic man's eyes widened at how he referred to them.

Had he entirely missed that little fact previously?

Nevertheless.

"I see. Well then, on to the matter of business. I assume you are here to inquire about quests?" Balgruuf asked.

"Yeah." The golden armored man muttered simply.

"Well, I have received word that traveling merchants and travelers alike have been repeatedly attacked on the roads between Whiterun and Markarth. The attacks happen around a cave system they call Brittleshin pass." The man explained, snapping his fingers.

Proventus rushed out, in his hands a map of the location where the attacks had been taking place. He offered it to Goblin Slayer, the man inspecting it curiously. "Is it goblins?" He asked, not too interested if it wasn't.

"Although we suspect something more dangerous taking place there, goblins have been sighted as attackers near the pass." Balgruuf stated. "I recommend you heed caution, Dragonborn. Something about this is unusual, even my court wizard is growing concerned over this matter." He warned seriously.

"Indeed! I fear that there may be Daedra involved with this case. Nevertheless, we have multiple women that were reported missing when passing that cave system. Please look for them if you are given the chance." Farengar chose that moment to step into the conversation.

"How long ago did they go missing?" Goblin Slayer asked lowly, tone grave.

"Err… By the time we received news of it, a week has passed." The wizard muttered.

"Then they are already dead." He muttered lowly. "Goblins don't feed their captives. If it's been more then a week, they've either died to their wounds, or starved to death. Or they were killed when the goblins grew bored with their toys." He listened off darkly.

"Make sure you are prepared for anything." Balgruuf warned seriously.

"Imagination is a powerful weapon. Those who lack it are the first to die." Goblin Slayer muttered. His words seemed to strike a chord with the Jarl, his respect for the reserved man having grown.

Without another word, Goblin Slayer turned and left.

The doors to Dragon's Reach shut behind him, his gaze set on the horizon before him. He was going alone today, something he was fine with.

Or, at least that had been his intention, but upon passing by the city center, the temple on his right, he found a familiar face standing before his path, in her hands a golden healing staff.

He stopped before her, gazing down at the girl curiously. "Oh? I see you are on your feet again." He muttered, glad to see Priestess back to good physical health after her unfortunate experience in the catacombs the other day.

The short young blonde seemed to shrink underneath his imposing presence, yet she didn't shy away. "G-Good morning, Goblin Slayer sir. I-I'm glad I was able to catch you before you left." She greeted, offering a respectful bow.

"I'm going to slay goblins." The man stated simply.

"Oh! A-Are you going alone today? I don't see the ladies you were with the other day…" She questioned quietly, noticing the fact that he was alone.

"Yeah." He said.

"Why? Are the others not well?" She asked softly, hands gripping her staff just a tad tighter.

"Yeah." He said.

She blinked, put off by his simplistic responses to her questions. Swallowing her nerves, she decided to ask the question she had tracked him down with the intentions too. "W-Well, if you are setting out on another quest, I don't think it is a good idea to venture alone. S-So if you don't mind, I-I would like to join you today…" She trailed off, voice slipping into a whisper.

Although she couldn't see it, Goblin Slayer's eyebrow rose behind his visor. "Why?"

She flushed, looking away. "W-Well! Y-You saved me from the g-goblins in those catacombs. I-I owe my life to you. I just want to be helpful, and the head priestess recommended me to offer my services t-to you as thanks…" She muttered, somehow finding the courage to look him in the eyes again.

"Your services?" He intoned curiously.

"Yes!" She exclaimed suddenly, before flushing in embarrassment at her outburst. "I-I'm a healer. I could help you if you get into trouble…" She explained softly.

He pondered her offer for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of allowing her to come along. It would mean he had another person to look after while on a quest, and an inexperienced one as well.

Yet, he was also aware that both Serena and Alea would become upset with him when they learn that he had ventured out alone, so bringing Priestess along would perhaps sooth their anger.

He placed his hand to his chin, head tilted down slightly in thought. "Hmmmm…" He hummed, eyes narrowed.

Priestess swallowed nervously, afraid he was going to not allow her to come along…

But…

"Okay. I have decided." He intoned, hands falling to his side casually. "You can do whatever you want." He said, turning to walk away.

The blonde blinked as he walked past her, his steps slow and methodical as he made his way out of the city.

She could do whatever she wanted?

That's what he said, right?

So…?

So that must have meant that she could come along if she wanted to…

Which she did!

So…

"G-Goblin Slayer! Wait for me!" She cried out, rushing to catch up with him. "You said I can do whatever I want! D-Does that mean I can come with you?!" She called out as she ran.

"What do you think?" He responded simply.

The sun hung low in the skies of Skyrim, the day still early. Whiterun was slowly becoming a distant image behind him as he made his way across the land, golden armored boots treading the well traveled roads.

This would be his first quest entirely alone since he had rescued Serena from her eternal prison, the two women left suffering from a terrible stomachache from their over drinking the night prior.

Apparently Aela had a little too much and could not handle it well, and Serena had somehow managed to become extremely intoxicated after drinking his blood. When he awoke that morning, both of them were incapacitated. So, he decided it better to complete his quest alone today, instead asking one of the companions to look over them while they slept off their sickness.

He was pretty sure the man's name was Farkas, but he didn't pay too much attention.

With them out of commission for the day, it was up to him to get to work. He never had a problem working alone before, and he didn't have a problem with it now. Rather he preferred working alone since he did not have to worry about looking after them in the heat of battle or in the depths of a cave.

It did leave him to do everything on his own, but he preferred it that way.

The only difference this time was the fact that he couldn't mess up, seeing as there would not be anyone there to help him if he fell.

Of course, that had been his line of thinking until he had encountered Priestess in the city center. He told her to do whatever she wanted to, and that apparently meant to stick by his side, because he hadn't even made it out of the city gates before she glued herself to his side.

Whiterun was out of his sight now, the city vanishing in the distance as a thick fog settled in across the land. He'd passed by the western watchtower a short while ago, the guards fast at work restoring it after it had collapsed from the dragon's attack. They had greeted him upon his passing, recognizing him for his efforts against said dragon.

He had planned on his walk being quiet and calm, enjoying his time alone before his quest could truly begin. Of course, with an overly curious little blonde stuck to his side, silence was not something he was blessed with…

"So why is your name Goblin Slayer?" Priestess asked curiously, glancing up at the strong golden armored man.

"Because I slay goblins." He answered simply.

"Just goblins?" She asked.

"Yes." He answered.

"But did you not kill those giants a few days ago? And then that big dragon too!" Priestess pointed out excitedly.

"Hmmm... Yes. They were in the way." He muttered thoughtfully.

"So do you hate dragons and giants too?" She chirped.

"No." He muttered lowly, voice dipping into something different when on the topic of hatred. "I hate goblins. I'll kill goblins, kill them until there are no more left. That's my goal."

She blinked, feeling as if she'd struck a nerve. "A-All goblins? But what if there are good goblins? W-Will you kill them too?" She asked quietly.

"The only good goblins are dead goblins." He stated without missing a beat.

Her eyes widened, gripping her staff nervously. "But… But what if there really was a good goblin? A really really really good goblin? A goblin that didn't hurt people, didn't kill or anything evil. W-Would you kill it too?" She couldn't stop herself before the question escaped her lips.

He stopped in his tracks, eyes staring firmly ahead of him. "...If there is a goblin like that, then I've never seen it." He muttered lowly.

"But if there was…?" She asked hopefully, eyes widening.

He didn't respond for a long moment, gaze turning towards the skies above.

A good goblin, one that didn't hunt or kill people.

A goblin that didn't steal women to rape them and kill them.

A goblin that didn't participate in necromancy and murder.

A goblin that didn't raid lesser villages and steal livestock.

A good goblin.

He almost laughed at the thought.

Almost…

"If I ever find a goblin exactly as you describe…" He muttered, trailing off as he found the remains of the traveling caravan. "I'll… think about it…" He muttered dismissively, not willing to give it any more thought for the day. After all, if he found a goblin that was just as she said, it wouldn't really be a goblin.

Not in his eyes...

Priestess took the minor victory as it was, instead focusing on the quest at hand.

Just off the main road was a wooden wagon, completely upturned with its wheels burned to ash. A dead horse lay at the front, yet there were no bodies to be seen.

Yet there was blood, a lot of blood.

He glanced around, making sure the area was secure before he neared the wagon for inspection. Taking a knee beside it, he took note of the small footprints that littered the area.

His eyes narrowed thinly. "Goblins…" He muttered lowly, drawing his special sword given to him by the Jarl. Upon drawing the blade it seemed to glow a low orange, as if it were on fire. To him, it was a beautiful weapon.

He glanced at his newly reforged shield he'd picked up from the blacksmith earlier that morning. Once again it seemed as if creative liberties had been taken with his equipment, as in addition to it being reforged with Dwarven metal, in the center of the shield was a large spike. He had not asked for such an addition, and yet, he was pleased with the change.

It would make slaying goblins much easier.

And it wasn't too much extra weight compared to how it used to be, but in addition to his newly reforged armor, it did begin to add up.

Ready to begin his quest in earnest, he made his way off from the road and into the forest that supposedly hid the cave he was looking for, all the while keeping his senses alert for goblins or traps of any kind.

Priestess followed quickly after him, ready to help him however she could.

He followed the footsteps up through the shrubs, the sunlight becoming blotted out as the trees became thick overhead.

That's when he found the cave entrance, hidden at the base of a mountain. It was covered with recently cut tree limbs to make it appear less obvious, but to him it might as well have been child's play.

Time for a teaching session.

"Goblins like to hide in caves akin to the ones underneath Whiterun. They try to blend the entrances in with its surroundings, like we see here. Sometimes it's enough to fool lesser adventurers, and animals." He explained, reaching back to charge up a swing. "To me, it couldn't be more obvious." He swung, his enchanted blade cutting through the shrubs and setting them ablaze.

The branches went up in fire, and the entrance was exposed.

"There's going to b-be goblins in here…?" Priestess asked nervously, shaking.

"Yeah." Goblin Slayer grunted. "Are you ready?" He muttered, glancing at her.

She swallowed her nerves, steeling her gaze. "Yes!" She exclaimed.

"What spells do you know?" He asked, thinking it imperative he is made aware before they delve in.

"U-Um, I know Healing, Healing Hands, and Lesser Ward." She was quick to offer, listing out her abilities.

"Any offensive magic spells?" He asked. "Fireball? Lightning? Lifesteal?"

"U-Um… No. I'm a healer, t-they don't teach Destruction Magic at the temple." She muttered nervously. "O-Or Conjuration..."

"I see." He almost sighed.

Almost.

He wasn't worried.

He was Goblin Slayer. Goblin Slayer didn't worry, not about those things.

"Stick behind me." He ordered, turning his attention onto the cave system before him. "We're going goblin hunting."

"Y-Yes sir!" Priestess exclaimed, sticking close to his side as he delved into the depths of Brittleshin Pass…

Chapter

14

Complete