This group of goblins seemed to be more disciplined than the first. They sent their number more widespread, or there might just have been more of them.
I started out on the line with everyone else and gutted the first goblin that came my way. This time I only had time to finish one with my spear who had been too aggressive with its hatchet, impaling itself and making my life easier.
Almost as soon as the goblins arrived they were finished.
Each of the newcomers to the group handled themselves well. Oliver and Kline had finished three apiece. I suspected they were testing each other’s capabilities.
Victoria’s thrust showed more coordination than mine, even if she did use two hands. She was swift and calm.
Turning a goblin blade with the flat of his sword, Peter gutted one and de-legged another.
Moments later we were formed up and running along the chaotic line of battle.
Oliver was directly in front of me, closest to the line of fighting, taking much of the brunt of the encounters. It didn’t matter. With his huge two-handed club he was literally clearing the way.
Peter was in the middle with his shield and sword, showing he had much more real life experience than I did with a blade. He was calculated and made no extra movements as we rushed forward.
A competition developed between Kline and Oliver. They both possessed insane strength and endurance, finishing goblins with deadly efficiency. Oliver’s position was better, closer to the goblin’s line, so he was scoring the most kills.
I was at the rear closest to the line of goblins, so I got the opportunity to finish off about five or six goblins as we rushed forward. I leveled just as many with my shield, leaving them on the ground so as not to slow our progress.
The pace this time was slower than it was with Kline and me. We were a crawling forest fire among dry chaff. I relaxed and was able to keep up with my breathing.
Victoria had a harder time getting kills. She protected the group on our flank facing the forest where there were currently no goblins. I tried to keep an eye on her, not comfortable having her behind me yet. That isn’t to say that I thought she would literally stab me in the back.
As we reached the middle of the line where the goblins were concentrating their force, Victoria and I finally got to really participate. A group of about fifteen goblins broke off of the main group and quickly tried to swarm us.
Though my strength wasn’t where I wanted it, I was starting to hit my targets with much more precision using my spear.
A pesky goblin with a shield blocked my thrust, almost slicing into my thigh with his short sword. I had been so focused on killing quickly that I had forgotten my shield placement.
I leaned back in time to save myself another injury.
Embarrassed, I refocused. Driving my spear forward, I followed with my shield in quick succession. The volley of blows surprised the goblin. Caught off balance, I slipped my spear under his shield guard. His death was quick.
When the goblins started to dwindle, a loud nasally roar came out of the forest.
Meeting the roar was a chorus of fearful snorts from the remaining sea of goblins.
Bashing one in the face, I turned and saw a huge blue-skinned monster slightly resembling a goblin. He surged from the forest. An uprooted tree was gripped in one hand and a mace in the other. We were the closest to his approach. He came right for us.
Another group rushed in behind and helped relieve us from the goblins we faced.
Victoria screamed, “Incoming!”
There was no time. His stride was too long. He would be on us in seconds. She was about to face the monster alone.
I leveled the same goblin again with my shield. This time I put my entire weight into it. My spear quickly found its chest as it lay on the ground and I turned rapidly not bothering to check if it was dead.
The monster’s name and title appeared above its head.
Hobgoblin Grrach
Captain of Goblin’s Revenge
Boss Monster!
The shirtless boss monster was nearly nine feet of solid muscle, unlike the potbellied goblins. There was glee behind his bloodshot yellow eyes.
All I could do was react. I threw myself, grabbing Victoria. Putting my body between them, I pushed her to safety.
The giant’s shin caught my legs. He charged forward, flipping me up in the air and off to the side.
-6 Damage
I landed in a fog. My eyes drifted, and spine tingled. A skin-crawling cry cleared the fog in an instant. My shield was still in my grasp, sword was sheathed, but my spear was missing from my hand. I had done at least one flip and landed on my rear.
In panic, I turned, finding my group sprawled out on the ground. Everyone seemed to have survived.
With massive force, the hobgoblin swung its club down upon the group of players that had just relieved us. He ignored the safety of the goblins. The tree he used as a club shattered a goblin from behind, driving its body through three separate players. Like bowling pins, they crumbled over to the ground. One player was killed instantly.
Looking back to my group, I saw everyone sprawled, struggling to get their wits about them. Heat rose up in my chest and back. My teeth chattered as my jaw trembled. I wrenched my shield strap and rolled my nails into my palm tight enough to nearly draw blood.
I floated over to my spear, hardly aware I had gotten to my feet. All my years gaming had made returning force for force a habit. After retrieving it, I marched. The forsaken blue hulk was in my sights. You will regret that.
Another swing took out men, women, and goblins alike. The hobgoblin waded through the sea of battle, a leviathan devastating both armies in lustful wrath.
Almost as one, the goblins realized the danger and every last one retreated to the forest, leaving us alone with the boss monster.
I watched as people were pummeled left and right. Some tried to fight back, and a few spears found their mark, but barely fazed the creature.
Peter tried to get everyone together for some kind of assault. I ignored his call.
With a flick of my wrist, I caught my spear in an overhand grip. I tested it for balance. Stalking towards the hobgoblin’s back, my path was clear of players. I stopped momentarily and looked. A man was motionless at my feet. Next to him, a girl rocked on her back while holding her ribs.
Enough.
I exploded forward, launching my spear with all my strength. My coordination limited my ability to make a precision throw. The spear bit deep into its shoulder blade. It remained there.
A thunderous roar replied. I felt my chest vibrate.
Well, that got its attention.
He turned to meet me, a backhanded swing of his tree-club fanned over my head. The iron mace followed.
Bracing, my arm clenched, shoulder high, I caught the hard iron mace with my shield. Any angle I tried to give my shield to deflect the blow was negated by sheer force. It exploded like rotten bark. Numbness bit my arm.
-33 Damage
I was under no illusion that I would be able to defeat the monster, but my years of combat experience from competitive gaming hadn’t been for nothing.
The hobgoblin was wide open.
Arching up, I lunged with all my weight and slashed down. My bronze sword cleaved deep into the hobgoblin’s left thigh right above the knee on the quadriceps tendon. The blade bit to the bone.
Examining the wound, my aim could have been better, but it would be enough. I retreated to the side of the now raging beast.
Tumbling forward, it twisted at the waist and swung the tree-club wildly.
-141 Damage
My spine caught the lumbering blow. The world spun. Skidding across the ground I inhaled grass.