Alec woke with his side stiff and sore, the dull ache sitting beneath the cloth he had wrapped around the wound. He didn't stay lying down long, pushing himself up against the stone wall for a moment, letting his breathing settle. The cave was peaceful, gentle flowing water from the river in the distance and wind passing over the rock above him.
Alec reached for his sword and stood carefully as he started his sword practice.
The swing pulled slightly at his side, his movements were slower than the day before. His hands didn't slip. The blade didn't wobble. When his arms began to tremble, he stopped.
Alec lowered the sword and looked toward the forest beyond the cave. He would be going back to check the goblin huts and see if anymore goblins had appeared.
The walk felt shorter this time, he moved carefully, watching the ground, remembering to make as little noise as possible.
The clearing came into view. There was no movement or shrieking of goblins. Alec stayed in the brush for a few minutes, watching. Nothing changed and everything stayed still as the wind blew across the tall grass flowing around the huts.
The huts stood as they had before, sagging and uneven. The fire pit was now just ash.
Alec moved slowly between the huts with his sword raised and checked the first one. Inside, it smelled damp and stale. Bits of bone lay scattered along the ground. Torn scraps of cloth. Nothing useful.
He moved to the next hut but it was the same. The third had a collapsed side. He stepped over the broken wall and looked inside. Old bones and dirty rags. Alec sighed as he continued but each hut was the same.
He moved slower with each one, listening, expecting something to move, something to attack him but nothing did. Only the sound of his own breathing and rustling of the tall grass around the huts. The last hut stood near the edge of the clearing. It leaned slightly, one side sinking into the dirt.
Alec approached carefully and crouched low, leaning slightly to look inside. It was too dark to see anything as he stepped closer. Slowly, he reached his left hand forward, pushing aside the hanging scrap that covered the entrance. Something moved quickly inside the hut, pain shot through his hand.
Alec jerked back instinctively, his body moved faster than his thoughts. He thrust the sword forward into the darkness of the hut. The blade sank deep into something soft. A small weak cry before everything went quiet again.
Alec stumbled back, clutching his hand and grinding his teeth. The sound caught in his throat, turning into a strained, broken grunt.
Blood ran down his wrist as he stared at his hand. His pinky finger was gone. The end of his hand was torn open where it had been. Blood spurted out in uneven bursts, dripping down onto the dirt below.
Alec's heartbeat started racing. The pounding in his ears drowned out all other sound. He forced himself to look away from his missing finger. He crouched down next to the hut trying to slow his breathing but the pain in his hand burned up his forearm. Still breathing heavily he turned back to the hut.
Slowly he stepped forward again and pulled the hanging scrap aside with his good hand.
Inside, a small body lay slumped against the dirt.
A goblin, smaller than the others. Its eyes were wide open. Frozen in terror. The sword had gone straight through its chest, pinning it to the ground behind it. It's small hands were still raised slightly, claws curled.
Alec stared at it and for a moment, he didn't move. Something twisted in his chest. The goblin hadn't been holding a weapon. It had been hiding and waiting. It had bitten his finger off in fear.
Alec's gaze drifted back to his hand. The blood still dripping to the ground. His jaw tightened. The feeling in his chest faded. He stepped forward and pulled the sword free, the small body slumped sideways.
Alec backed out of the hut, tearing a strip of cloth from one of the sacks tied to his belt and wrapped it tightly around his hand. The pressure made him wince, but it slowed the bleeding. He tied it as tight as he could. His fingers twitched as he tested his grip.
It hurt but he could still hold the sword and that was enough.
Alec checked the rest of the huts. Only scraps. Bones. Broken pieces of things that had no use to him. He moved to the wooden house at the back. It had partially collapsed, the roof caving in on one side. He climbed over the broken wall and stepped inside.
Dust coated the old wood and rotting boards along what was left of the floor. He searched slowly, pushing debris aside with his foot, careful not to use his injured hand more than necessary.
Nothing useful again. Just a ruined old house. Alec stood still in the center for a moment. Then he turned and stepped back out into the clearing. He stopped near the edge next to the path as he thought about the cave he found before the goblin settlement. He had seen the goblins guarding it. The weathered stone pillars and markings he didn't understand.
Alec adjusted the cloth around his hand.
Tightened his grip on the sword and moved forward.
The cave entrance loomed ahead, carved into the stone, flanked by the worn pillars.
The symbols on them were still faintly visible, though time had nearly erased them. Alec slowed as he approached. He listened carefully but heard no movement.
He stepped closer then stopped. Reaching down and picking up a rock. He held it for a moment, then stepped forward and tossed it into the cave. The sound echoed faintly as it struck the stone floor inside but nothing happened.
Alec waited before he stepped inside. The air was cooler and light from outside barely reached the interior. Alec moved slowly, his eyes adjusting. The cave opened into a larger chamber made of carved stone pillars and floor tiles. The walls were cracked and uneven, pieces of rock scattered across the floor. Broken pillars lay in sections, some still partially standing, others collapsed completely.
In the center of the room was a large stone chair. Carved from the same rock as the floor.
And sitting in it was a large full set of plate armor. It looked very worn. Dust covered its surface, dulling what might have once been a polished shine. Scratches and dents marked the metal. Time had settled into every gap and edge.
The armor sat upright. Both hands rested on the hilt of a massive greatsword planted before it. The blade's tip touched the stone floor. There was no helmet on the armor. Wisps of green flame flickered up from the breastplate.
Alec stopped as his body went still. The sword in his hand lowered slightly without him realizing it. The armor didn't move. It just sat there.
Alec took a step forward. The sound of his foot touching the stone echoed faintly through the chamber. The green flame flickered again.
He took another step closer.
Close enough to see the cracks along the armor. The gaps between the plates.
Close enough to see the green flame shift.
Alec stepped onto the main stone floor tile of the chamber. The moment his foot settled the armor moved. It began to stand.
The sound was unnerving, metal grinding against itself. Sediment crunching between the joints. The greatsword lifted slightly as the figure rose.
Alec's body reacted before his mind did and jumped back off the stone tile back toward the cave entrance. The moment he stepped off the tile, the sound stopped.
Alec froze and looked back.
The armor was sitting again.
Exactly as it had been before.
The sword planted before it.
The green light flickering faintly.
Alec was out of breath as his heart was pounding. He stared at it waiting to see if anything else would happen. He bent down slowly and picked up another rock.
Without taking his eyes off the armor, he tossed it into the chamber. The rock clattered across the stone floor, bouncing once before coming to a stop.
The armor didn't move.
Alec waited until a full minute passed. Still nothing. He stood at the edge of the cave, staring into the chamber. His hand throbbed beneath the cloth. His side still ached from the dagger wound. Alec tightened his grip on the sword, then loosened it. He didn't step inside again.
He turned slowly and stepped back out into the forest light. Stopping just beyond the entrance. The cave remained silent behind him.
The armor stayed in the cave but Alec knew it could move. The thought of that armor moving gave him goosebumps as the hair on his arms stood up. He felt a chill thinking about even trying to fight it.
He adjusted the cloth around his hand once more. The missing finger burned beneath it.
Alec looked down at his grip on the sword.
Then back toward the cave. He stayed there for a long time.
Thinking only about the armor and the moment it stood. What should he do and how could he even defend himself against something like that.