He froze when he saw them—goblins, hunched and twisted, covered in grime and blood. They were gathered around the mangled remains of a hellhound, its massive body riddled with wounds. Instinct told him to step back, avoid this confrontation altogether, The hellhound seemed to have killed over twenty goblins, leaving ten missing different body parts and ten seriously injured out of the thirty still alive. Trapped in a cage, a horse-shaped mana beast has a dark fur and body, darker than the night sky. Its golden iris holds a hint of cunning, searching for an escape chance. But his foot caught on a branch.
"creak"
"GOBLINS POV,"
Not far away, the goblin leader licked its cracked lips, eyes gleaming with hunger. The dead hellhound lay before it, a prize won through sheer numbers. Its tribe had suffered heavy losses, but the kill was theirs. The other goblins were feasting on the carcass, gnawing at the roasted flesh, though many were missing limbs or had bleeding wounds from the battle.
As the goblin leader tore off a chunk of meat with its sharp teeth, a sound echoed from the bushes behind it—a faint creak. It froze, hackles raised, and turned toward the noise. A figure emerged from the dense foliage, tall and menacing. It had seen this creature once before—tall, pale, crimson eyes that seemed to glow with unnatural light. The goblin's black eyes widened in terror.
With a shrill screech, the goblin leader raised its spear and pointed toward . "Meat!" it screeched. "Red eyes... tastes sweet!"
The others instantly dropped what they were doing, scrambling to arm themselves with makeshift weapons—clubs, spears, anything to take down the prey that had wandered into their territory.
POV
His heart raged with the heat of battle, but he forced himself to stay calm as he observed the goblin rushing toward him. A goblin, crazed and wild-eyed, lunged forward with a crude spear aimed straight for Azazel's chest. Without thinking, Azazel sidestepped, his body moving on instinct alone, and brought the skeleton's sword down in a wide arc. The goblin's head rolled across the ground before its body slumped in a heap.
*Spurt.*
*Spurt.*
*Spurt.*
The goblin's head fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Before he could even catch his breath, two arrows hissed through the air. One embedded itself deep in his shoulder, sending a wave of agony coursing through his body. The second struck his thigh, buckling his leg and forcing him to the ground.
He growled in pain, gripping the sword so tightly his knuckles turned white. He struggled to rise, planting the sword in the dirt for leverage, but his vision blurred with the sudden onset of dizziness. Blood trickled from his wounds, staining the earth beneath him.
He shifted his hips, gathering enough momentum to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick to the airborne goblin, shattering its collarbone with the force of the blow. As he landed, he tried to perform a sidestep, but the arrow in his thigh made the movement sluggish. But the goblin in front of him was faster than he anticipated, its club slamming into his side, knocking the breath from his lungs.
The goblin's club sent him sprawling, pain lancing through his ribs. He gasped, struggling to focus as his vision swam. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't give up. With a growl, he swung his sword upward, cleaving the goblin's skull in two before it could land a second blow.
Before he could catch his breath, the third goblin slashed across his unprotected back, leaving a deep, terrifying wound. A wave of dizziness threatened to overwhelm him, but he bit down hard on his lip, the pain anchoring his focus. He staggered forward, his legs giving way.
No... not like this... he thought, biting down hard on his lip to keep from passing out. He had no idea who he was, but something told him that he wasn't supposed to die like this—not to goblins, not in this forsaken place.
The goblin sneered, thinking it had the upper hand. But as it lunged for a final strike, he feigned weakness, falling to his knees before driving his sword upward, impaling the creature through the heart.
Panting, he stood, barely able to stay upright. His body was screaming for rest, but there was no time. From the shadows, a low growl echoed—a beastly presence that made the air feel heavy. The goblins froze in terror, and turned to face the source of the sound. The overwhelming presence of a mana beast pressed down on him, crushing his weakened body and forcing him to one knee.
While all the surrounding goblins scattered, leaving only the cage mana beast. Its golden iris stared at his bloody figure and he said,
If you free me out of here, I can bring you out of the forest to where your kind stay before whatever made that noise get here he said in a suiting voice while trying to form a smile .
You can talk. His eyes widen in disbelief and while should I trust not to kill me or run away after I set you free he said as his eyes mirroring his suspicion
Firstly, all pooka keeps their promises for a long time before we break them secondly as the last pooka in these gods forbidden land i want to survive and that means getting out of here and securing a place in the land of your kind while getting stronger without been killed which make you my ticket as your partner and thirdly you don't have any choice right now.
His face shows confusion and then his eyes became determined as he walked towards the cage and realised the pooka whilst asking how will you get me out here.
The pooka eyes show mischievous as his a grin slowly forms on his lips as he said I have wings which he spread out majestically he was grinning manically waiting for a shocked reaction, his eyes show his pride he had for such a majestic wings.
Immediately he climbed his back he finally stopped resisting the drowsiness and closed his eyes. The moment they left a mana beast which radiates majesty looked at the direction they were headed the mana beast a majestic Griffin, a powerful and noble creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of a fierce eagle. The Griffin's feathers are a rich gold and deep brown, shimmering in the sunlight, while its muscular lion body is covered in sleek, tawny fur. Its wings are vast, each feather sharp and well-defined, capable of lifting its massive form effortlessly into the sky.
"So the pooka escapes once again". The next time you come near here will be your last. He said as his eyes showed anger.
POOKA POV
His golden eyes narrowed as they locked onto the Griffin, a fierce determination burning within them. The majestic creature stood as a symbol of power, but he felt no fear—only hunger. As he studied the Griffin, his eyes blazed with a newfound greed.
"I will return," he vowed, his voice laced with an unyielding resolve.