EFate: An MMO Story Chapter 34: Battle Of Stony Hill

Seeing the group ready for battle the goblin raised its chipped saber high, "Chiit chiit chee!" it chittered, the cry echoing through the forest as six more riders emerged from the trees. Approaching fast, the goblins began to come into view, allowing Eric to make out more of the goblins' features. They certainly were ugly little brutes he thought in disgust. From what he could see they appeared to be between three and four feet tall, with oversized ears, bulbous noses, and spindly arms. Their long fingers were topped with sharp claws which wrapped around their sabers, oversized for their frames at roughly two feet long.

Their armour - if you could call it that - was comprised of patchy leather covering a wool s.h.i.+rt, similar to Eric's own. With nothing covering their s.h.i.+ns. In their other hand, each goblin held a whip which they used to encourage their wolf mounts to go faster, the wolves tearing up the ground as they pelted ahead at full speed towards the rocky hill.

"Steady," Owin warned them, readying his sword as the first worg rider approached. Nocking his penultimate arrow, Eric took aim and fired at the largest goblin, hitting him in the chest and knocking him from his mount. Unfortunately, the goblin got back to his feet and resumed its charge on foot, whipping the wolf as it turned to nip at its rider. The goblin's healthbar had been diminished by a large amount, but it was still alive. "d.a.m.n video game balancing," Eric muttered as he nocked his last arrow. Beside him, Katzy fired a Wind Strike towards another goblin, striking its mount instead which rewarded her with a loud yelp.

Uttering fearsome warcries, the remaining goblins reached the hill, their worg mounts scrabbling for purchase on the rough rocks. Aiming at the lead wolf, Eric activated Charged Shot, his final arrow piercing through the air and embedding itself in the wolf's eye. Collapsing, the wolf skidded across the rocks dead. It's rider attempted to hang on but was thrown off, landing at the feet of Tamira who stabbed her spear into its throat. Gurgling, the goblin attempted to hack at her s.h.i.+ns, but Alexnir slammed his sword into it's chest, putting an end to its death throes.

As the two party members finished off the lead goblin, the remaining five mounted goblins reached the fighters, the unmounted goblin trailing along behind. One peeled off the group, heading towards Eric and Katzy's position while the other four a.s.saulted Owin, Tamira, and Alexnir's position, forcing them to rely on the terrain to survive.

"Aim for the goblins attacking your friends, I'll deal with this one," Eric instructed Katzy who nodded in response. Trusting her to provide support for the fighters Eric put his bow down and unsheathed his sword, staring at the worg rider making its way up the hill. Fortunately the rocky terrain hindered the wolf, it's claws skittering off the smooth rocks and sharp ridges cutting at it's paws.

Holding his sword in his left hand, Eric carefully constructed the runes for Wind Blade, preparing to fire the spell for the first time. Feeling the mana coalesce into the form of the spell, he grinned, launching it at the oncoming Goblin's mount as it reached the four meter mark from his position.

With the howl of wind a two-foot long scar of wind appeared in the air, screaming towards the goblin's worg mount. The blood draining from it's face, the goblin attempted to force it's mount to dodge, but the distance and the treacherous terrain prevented the wolf from leaping aside, forcing it to take the spell head on.

With a small sonicboom the blade of wind slammed into the wolf, causing blood to spurt out in a huge arc as the wolf let out a pained howl. As it's mount collapsed, the goblin jumped off the wolf, using his mounts momentum to launch himself towards Eric, saber raised high to slash him from head to toe.

Transferring his sword back to his right hand, Eric met the goblin with a kick, sending it flying backwards. As it climbed to its feet a bolt of arcane energy filled it's vision, Eric's arcane strike slamming into the goblin's face. Clutching its eyes for a moment, the goblin's blade lowered, allowing Eric to leap forward, his blade slas.h.i.+ng across its neck. With a small gurgling sound, the goblin's healthbar emptied, its saber clattering to the ground as it died.

Burying his blade into the slowly stirring wolf, Eric returned to the top of the hill to survey the situation from above. Owin had forced the unmounted goblin to temporarily retreat but was now fighting against two goblin riders on his own while Tamira and Alexnir fought one each. The wolf that had originally been the injured goblin's mount lay dead at Owin's feet.

Unlike Eric who'd been free to pursue the opening he'd created and finish off his opponent, the goblins below worked together. Attacking as a group and covering each other's flanks. This prevented the group from finis.h.i.+ng off any goblins they wounded.

Even worse, the wolf mounts were making life difficult for the group, nipping at limbs and using their claws to attack while their riders distracted their human opponents. Katzy had a spell prepared but was hesitating.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot at the goblins!" Eric shouted at her, preparing his own spell.

"But what if I hit them instead of the monsters?"

"Wait for them to repel a monster, then fire. Like this," Eric demonstrated, firing a Wind Strike at the mounted goblin that Owin had just injured with a light slash to the leg. As it's wolf pranced backwards the wind blade slammed into the goblin, toppling it from the wolf which howled and leapt at Owin. Alone, the wolf couldn't stand up to the experienced scout who merely stepped aside and brought his blade down upon the luckless animal. With a yelp the wolf stumbled backwards, an enormous wound now visible on it's back. Before the wolf could run away, it's rider directed his whip at it, the whip cracking inches above the wounded monster's head. Cowed into submission, the goblin mounted his injured mount, ignoring the yelps of pain as his body applied pressure to the wolf's wound.

Raising her hands Katzy fired a Wind Strike, aiming for the goblin fighting with Tamira. Seeing the wind strike coming, the goblin commanded its wolf to attack, intercepting the spell with his saber. Taking advantage of the distracted worg rider, Tamira stabbed her spear at the wolf, inflicting a heavy wound on the animal. With a yelp the wolf reared, forcing it's rider to hang on for dear life as the wolf attempted to claw at Tamira.

Bas.h.i.+ng his opponent with his s.h.i.+eld, Alexnir lent her a hand, slas.h.i.+ng the wolf with his sword and forcing it to retreat. As it did so, Alexnir's oponent lunged forward, slas.h.i.+ng him across the back with it's saber. Stumbling forward, Alexnir tripped on the rough rocks, falling to one knee. Tamira attempted to cover for her comrade but was forced to turn back to deal with her own opponent, as the goblin spurred his injured mount forward, forcing it to ignore it's wounds and press the attack, joined by the unmounted goblin that Owin had repelled earlier.

As Katzy watched on with a horrified expression, the wolf and rider leapt at Alexnir, just beginning to rise. Latching on to his back with it's claws, the wolf began to tear and bite at the fighter's unprotected back while the goblin used it's saber to attack his head and shoulders. Alexnir did his best to use his s.h.i.+eld to protect his head, but the wolf's fangs and claws were taking its toll, his healthbar dropping rapidly.

Closing her eyes, Katzy was about to turn away when she heard the sound of wind howling next to her. Opening her eyes again, she watched as an enormous Wind Blade nearly a meter long coalesced in front of Eric who pointed his arm towards Alexnir's a.s.sailant.

"Get f*cked," he whispered, firing the spell at the unsuspecting goblin.

With a loud howl, the wind blade slashed through the air towards the worg rider, still intent on finis.h.i.+ng off its downed opponent. With a slicing sound the wind blade slashed into both mount and rider, killing the wolf and throwing the goblin several feet to the side.

The momentary reprieve was just what Alexnir needed, allowing him to get back to his feet and charge the downed goblin, thrusting his sword into it's stunned body. Over and over again the sword descended upon the helpless goblin's form, as Alexnir vented his frustrations upon the hapless monster.

Turning away from the vengeful warrior, Eric looked back towards the larger battle. The fight continued to rage on, with both Tamira and Owin engaging two opponents each. Tamira had it easier as her opponents were the unmounted goblin that still had the remnants of Eric's initial arrow jutting from his chest, and a goblin whose mount was on the verge of collapse. As Eric watched Tamira finished off her opponent's mount, forcing the goblins to engage her on foot.

Judging that Katzy should be safe without his a.s.sistance Eric switched his sword back to his right hand.

"You help Red over there," he directed Katzy who nodded, preparing a spell with her wand.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to help my friend," he explained, das.h.i.+ng down the hill towards Owin's position. Preparing a quick arcane strike as he ran towards the melee.

Owin was still fighting against two mounted goblins on his own, relying on the terrain and his superior sword skills to prevent the goblins from overwhelming him with their number advantage. Over and over the two forced their mounts to charge in, a storm of fangs, claws, and sabers descending towards the scout. With deft footwork Owin avoided the attacks of one goblin, blocking the other and responding with well aimed strikes of his own to break his opponents offense, forcing it to use its saber to defend itself. Jumping back, Owin suddenly turned and darted up a small ridge on the hill, forcing the goblins to stop their pincer attack. Undeterred at having lost their number advantage, one goblin pressed the attack while the other had his mount flank around the hill, attempting to approach Owin from above.

As Eric approached he launched the arcane strike towards the face of the goblin attacking Owin. Caught unawares, the goblin flinched, its saber pausing for a beat as it reacted and dodged the spell. Looking at Eric, the goblin laughed as Eric's spell flew by its head. Unfortunately, the arcane strike was just a distraction, one that Owin seized upon, his sword descending like a meteor and slas.h.i.+ng directly through the goblin's shoulder, his blade only halting halfway through the goblin's body.

Noiselessly, the goblin slumped to the ground, its healthbar draining to zero as Owin retracted his sword and kicked the leaping wolf mount away. Owin's hasty kick to prevent the wolf's leap cost him however, losing the chance to move as the second goblin's wolf came leaping towards him from behind the ridge, having scaled the hill behind him. Turning, Owin managed to bring his blade up in time to block the saber hurtling towards his head, but was unable to avoid the wolf whose jaws clamped around his leg, dragging him backwards.

With a yell, Owin fell, his body being dragged backwards off the ridge by the wolf. With a cackling laugh the goblin rained attacks down on the scout who could only rely on his blade to defend, kicking at the wolf with his free leg.

Leaping into the fray, Eric brought his sword down upon the wolf's side with a shout, eliciting a yelp of pain from the animal as it released Owin's leg. The goblin aimed a quick slash at Eric who brought his sword up to defend, only to receive the goblin's clawed foot in the midsection for his troubles. That's my move! Eric thought indignantly as he was sent stumbling backwards, fresh blood spilling from the hole in his s.h.i.+rt as his healthbar decreased by nearly twenty percent.

Ignoring the fallen scout, the goblin spurred it's mount towards the recovering Eric, its saber showering blows upon him as he tried to avoid the wolf's attacks. Twisting to one side, Eric ducked underneath the goblin's saber as it performed a horizontal slash, simultaneously avoiding the mount's swipe, he kicked out his leg and swept the wolf's supporting paw, causing it to crash snoutfirst to the ground.

As the goblin rider attempted to regain its balance after having its mount kicked out from under it, Eric's fist slammed into its chin, lifting the diminutive creature off of its mount entirely. Clambering back to its feet, the wolf attempted to bite at Eric who simply backstepped and slashed at it, his sword shaving off the animal's last few hitpoints. The long fight with Owin must have caused the damage to acc.u.mulate he realized as he moved towards the dazed goblin who was just now climbing back to its feet.

Remembering Owin's lessons, Eric dashed in, his feet blurring as he brought the sword in close to his body. Approaching the goblin which had raised its saber high in preparation to receive his attack, Eric's sword suddenly sliced through the empty s.p.a.ce, a thin red line appearing on the goblin's neck as it slowly separated from the rest of its body.

Panting heavily, Eric looked up to see how the fight was progressing. Owin had managed to dispatch the wolf mount of the goblin he and Eric had combined to take down earlier. While Alexnir had abandoned his quest to turn the goblin he'd killed into finely grated meat, returning to help Tamira engage her two opponents. He and Katzy had taken one while Tamira had taken the other.

Katzy and Alexnir had it easy, with Katzy throwing spells at the goblin whenever it separated from Alexnir, while for his part Alexnir used his s.h.i.+eld to send the goblin stumbling backwards into the range of Katzy's spells. Under this two-p.r.o.nged attack of might and magic the goblin fell, the indignity it felt for dying to this method written on its unwilling face.

Tamira had engaged her opponent once more in a 1v1. Unfortunately for the goblin, without its mount, the ma.s.sive reach advantage afforded by the feisty redhead's height and spear were too much to bear and it quickly found itself with some new holes in it's shabby armour. With one last defiant warcry the goblin fell, quiet returning once more to the stony hill.