William and Aria sprinted frantically, pursued by an unyielding horde of goblins who hurled siege ladders with astonishing accuracy across the turbulent river.
GRAH!
GUGA!
SHAAKKAAA!
The guttural cries of the goblin warband echoed through the night, each growl laced with savage hunger and relentless bloodlust. Their glowing crimson eyes pierced the mist, dozens of them flickering like embers in the darkness as they surged forward with maddening determination.
William's grip on Aria's hand tightened, his strides pounding into the forest floor with sheer desperation as he led her deeper into the dense undergrowth. Branches lashed at their faces, and sharp thorns tore at their legs, but neither dared to falter.
Arrows hissed through the air, slicing past them.
THUNK!
THUNK!
Two arrows embedded themselves in nearby tree trunks, splintering bark into the night. William ducked instinctively as another arrow whizzed just above his ear. The goblins had adapted, now using archers perched precariously on the shoulders of their larger kin, firing with eerie precision from their living platforms of flesh and bone.
"Faster!" William barked, yanking Aria forward as the deadly barrage intensified.
But fate was unrelenting.
SHUNK!
An arrow lodged itself deep into William's side, just beneath his ribs. A surge of white-hot pain tore through him, searing and all-consuming, wrenching a ragged gasp from his lungs. His knees threatened to give way as the arrowhead scraped against his lung, each breath igniting fresh waves of agony.
"AAAGHH!" he bellowed, staggering but refusing to collapse. Blood oozed from his wound, warm and sticky, trailing down his side. With every step, the arrow shaft jolted, threatening to rip him apart from within.
"William!" Aria called out in alarm, her voice tinged with dread as she glanced back.
Gritting his teeth, William's face hardened into a mask of determination. I can't stop. Not now. There's no telling what foul poison or rot this arrow carries. His thoughts steadied, cold and pragmatic despite the relentless pain wracking his body. Forcing his legs into motion, he pushed himself to move faster. The mission took precedence over his suffering.
They darted through the thinning forest, dodging the goblins' relentless volleys. William's vision began to blur, blackness encroaching on the edges of his sight, but he pressed on, his breath shallow and labored.
And then, he saw it.
Aria's hand glowed faintly, golden threads spiraling gracefully around her fingers as they moved forward. She pressed her palm against the bark of a towering oak, her eyes burning with quiet determination. The golden light seeped into the wood, disappearing like water absorbed by parched earth.
William grimaced, his face contorted in pain. What are you doing...? There was no time for an answer. The goblins were closing in, their chieftain's hulking form growing larger and more menacing with each passing second.
And then it happened.
The oak Aria touched erupted in a spectacular burst of radiance. A brilliant light exploded from its bark, unfurling in a wave of molten gold that swept through the forest. The night shattered under the force of the holy fire, illuminating the surroundings as though dawn had broken. Goblins shrieked in agony, their crimson eyes seared by the overwhelming light. Even the massive chieftain recoiled, shielding his face with a clawed hand and roaring in fury as the divine energy burned his flesh.
The air buzzed with raw power, the forest floor glowing under the brilliance. Every leaf seemed alive, shimmering as though ignited by a celestial flame.
After several moments, cracks began to spiderweb across the oak's surface, spreading rapidly. The magic within reached its zenith, causing the tree to explode violently into a shower of wooden splinters, striking down nearby goblins that had ventured too close and leaving others with minor injuries.
"GRAAAAGAAAAAA!" The chieftain's roar brought the furious and disoriented goblins back to focus, and they once again turned their attention to their targets, ignoring their minor wounds.
However, as they scanned the area, their targets had mysteriously disappeared, leaving a bloodthirsty and malevolent tension among the goblins, as though the absence of their quarry had awakened a deep-seated wickedness.
Without warning, they began to feast on their injured companions, resembling frenzied piranhas confined to a tiny pool, each vying desperately for a single drop of blood, transforming the scene into a horrifying display of carnage and savagery.
The remaining goblins had visibly swelled in both size and power, their newfound strength radiating a menacing aura. The chieftain, observing this transformation, broke into a sinister grin, exposing rows of jagged, almost demonic teeth. However, even with their enhanced might, their insatiable bloodlust and hunger demanded that they hunt down the humans once more.
"GRUUU GAGAAAA!" the chieftain bellowed, his guttural roar echoing through the charred forest. In response, the subordinate goblins dispersed in all directions, their movements swift and chaotic. Meanwhile, the chieftain remained in the scorched clearing, gripping his massive, brutal Warhammer, which rested heavily on the ground, forming a deep crater under its immense weight.
Moments before the chieftain unleashed the goblins to hunt for the humans, William stumbled forward through the dense underbrush, each breath rattling painfully, the arrow embedded in his ribs serving as a cruel testament to his frailty. His vision blurred, but Aria's hand remained steadfast in his, guiding him forward with unrelenting determination. The forest around them seemed to twist unnaturally, shadows contorting as the guttural chants of the goblins drew nearer, carried ominously by the wind.
"Keep moving," William rasped, his voice resolute despite the blood staining his lips and the betrayal of his failing body.
Aria's golden aura flickered faintly before she suppressed it, clutching her chest as though fearful of the consequences of summoning too much of her power. "If I burn again… they'll find us instantly," she whispered, her voice tight with restraint and urgency.
Behind them, the forest erupted into chaos. The grotesque sounds of snapping bones and tearing flesh merged with the chieftain's thunderous commands, filling the night with an atmosphere of terror. The cannibal feast was over, and the hunters had risen anew, stronger, swifter, and more ravenous than ever.
A low growl echoed, nearer than before.
William halted abruptly, every fiber of his warrior's being coiled tightly as if ready to strike. The haze of blood loss blurred his vision, but his hearing grew acute, detecting the soft press of paws against earth and the wet hiss of saliva dripping from bared teeth.
They were no longer alone.
From the shadows of the treeline emerged a goblin, not the chieftain they had spied earlier, but something far more menacing than the usual shrieking rabble. It stood taller than any of its kin, though still smaller than the monstrous leader, its body taut with lean, corded muscle. Each movement it made radiated calculated confidence, precise and measured rather than wild.
Clutched in its hands was a double-sided spear of crude yet deadly design. The blackened shaft was reinforced with iron bands, and the jagged blades on either end were crafted not for elegance but for rending flesh. It spun the weapon with unsettling ease, the whistle of the blades slicing through the air like a sinister warning.
Aria's breath caught. "That's no ordinary goblin…"
William's gaze hardened, his grip on his sword tightening. "A champion."
The creature's lips curled into a mocking grin, as if it understood their fear. Then it lunged.
The spear lashed out in a deadly arc, and William barely managed to intercept it with his blade. The clash sent sparks flying, the impact vibrating up his arms. Before he could recover, the other end of the spear swung around with unnerving speed and precision. He twisted away just in time, but not without consequence, the serrated tip grazed his ribs, tearing through cloth and leaving a shallow cut on his flesh.
He grimaced, pain flaring. Too fast…
Aria raised her hands, unleashing golden lances of fire toward the goblin. But the champion spun its spear deftly, deflecting the radiant bolts as if batting away arrows. One searing blast scored its arm, drawing an enraged snarl, yet it pressed forward without pause.
The next strike came low, the spear aiming for William's legs. He leapt over the sweep, landing with a jarring thud, and brought his blade down in a desperate cleaving strike. The goblin shifted fluidly, deflecting with the reinforced haft of its weapon, then pivoted with deadly precision, attempting to drive the opposite blade straight into his chest.
CLANG!
Sparks flew as William barely managed to parry, his arm trembling under the immense strain. The goblin was unrelenting, its attacks far too disciplined for a mere beast, thrust, spin, slash, thrust, each motion seamless, deadly, and precise.
Aria rushed into the battle, darting to William's side. A radiant whip of golden light lashed out from her hand, coiling around the spear's shaft. She pulled with all her might, her teeth clenched in determination.
The goblin bellowed, its raw strength yanking her off her feet. She crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, coughing as the impact knocked the wind from her lungs.
William seized the moment, surging forward and slashing across the goblin's chest. His blade cut shallow, spraying a dark, black-red blood. The goblin snarled viciously, wrenching its spear free and driving the butt of the weapon into William's stomach. The blow sent him staggering backward, gasping for air, his sword nearly slipping from his grip.
We're too slow, William thought bitterly, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. It's stronger, faster... trained.
The goblin moved in once more, its spear spinning with relentless precision. Aria scrambled to her feet, the golden light in her hands flickering weakly.
"William," she panted, desperation in her voice, "we can't—"
"We can," he growled, forcing himself upright. His stance solidified despite the agony racking his body, his eyes blazing with defiant determination. "We have to."
A guttural chuckle escaped the goblin's throat as it lunged again, the whirling spear a storm of death closing in on them.
William lunged forward, deflecting the spinning spear with a fierce determination that sent sparks flying from the clashing metals. Each impact reverberated through his arms, pain radiating from his injured ribs. Blood flowed steadily from the arrow wound, the searing ache intensifying with each heartbeat, yet he refused to waver. Aria matched his resolve, sending waves of golden light that spiraled and coiled around the spear, forcing the goblin to expend more energy countering her relentless attacks.
The champion was relentless. Its movements were fluid and unnatural, as if it had mastered every form of combat known to goblin-kind and beyond. William narrowly ducked beneath a spinning blade, the rush of air grazing his neck like a sharp whisper. Aria threw herself to the side as the spear carved through the air toward her chest, flames licking along its edges but failing to slow its deadly momentum.
The forest quaked under their battle. Branches shattered, leaves cascaded like jagged confetti, and the underbrush was crushed into a chaotic mess. Each footstep, each clash, echoed like thunder through the clearing. Shadows engulfed them, with only the light of Aria's flickering golden aura and the sparks from steel meeting spear piercing the darkness.
William's vision swam, pain rolling over him in sharp waves with every movement. "Aria… hold it together!" he rasped, teeth clenched as he swung his blade in a wide arc. The spear met it with a deafening clang, deflected just enough to avert a fatal blow. The goblin snarled, its jagged teeth bared in a cruel grin, and lunged once more.
Summoning the last of her strength, Aria thrust both hands forward. Golden chains of light erupted, wrapping tightly around the spear in a searing grip. The champion hesitated, momentarily thrown off by her sheer willpower. Seizing the opportunity, William drove his blade forward, slicing deep across the goblin's midsection. A fountain of thick, dark blood burst forth, staining the fores.
The creature recovered instantly, tearing the spear free and delivering a brutal strike to William's stomach, sending him staggering back. Pain erupted through him, stealing his breath and threatening to collapse his legs, but sheer willpower kept him upright.
Aria cried out, summoning a surge of golden energy, but the goblin lunged forward, spinning its double-ended spear with terrifying speed. William barely managed to parry, the force of the blows rattling his shoulders and threatening to disarm him. Each swing and thrust grew faster, an unrelenting storm designed to overpower them.
Together, they moved in a desperate rhythm of survival. William slashed, Aria struck with magic, William dodged, Aria restrained, each maneuver just enough to keep them alive. Sweat and blood mingled on their skin as ragged breaths and racing heartbeats reminded them of their fragility.
With a sudden roar, the goblin vaulted over William with supernatural agility. Aria reacted too late; the spear's blade grazed her side, tearing her clothes and cutting into her flesh. She cried out, stumbling back as the golden light around her flickered weakly.
William's heart surged. "Aria! Hold on!" he shouted, charging forward. Fueled by fury, he found a brief, unnatural burst of speed as their blades and magic converged on the goblin, hammering it from two directions. The champion screamed, a chilling sound that shook the trees, as it staggered under their combined assault.
For a fleeting moment, victory seemed within reach. But the goblin, seasoned and cunning, twisted free of their attack and retaliated with a vicious series of blows, each exploiting their exhaustion. William was slammed into a tree, the splintering bark tearing his shoulder, while Aria fell to the ground, coughing and clutching her burning side.