The goblin leader peered down as its captives, deciding on who to choose next. Brom stared at it with fury in his eyes, wanting to beat it with his hands whilst Kale wanted to survive but couldn't hide the horror on his face and fear at the knowledge of what could happen. Looking further the goblin leader spotted Captain Hyun barely breathing as he lay on his side, with a snort it dismissed him, he would die soon anyway.
With a gesture of its hands, the goblin leader roared as the goblins surged forward again, flashing their red-stained teeth as they grabbed at the survivors. Brom struggled and roared like a caged beast as he jerked and pulled but there was little he could do whilst tied up. Kale had a dilemma of his own as the goblins descended on him and avoided Captain Hyun, a dead body was no offering to a God.
The goblin leader watched with fascination as Kale was dragged across the ground past Captain Hyun. Kale was vainly trying to use his hands and feed to clutch at anything to prevent them from dragging him but they wouldn't stop, the goblin Leader relished in this moment, nothing could spoil its mood as it was serving its God.
"Captain Hyun….Just hold on."
"Let go of me you bastards! I'm a soldier of the Reunited Nations and I'll f*ck you up!"
The sound of spitting went unheard over the happy cries of the goblins and the wails of the survivors but the goblin leader could feel it, a glob of bloody phlegm that had stained its body, landing on the white maggot that had spread from its forehead.
Landing on the child of the God it so loved.
Hearing the wild bellow roaring from their leader's mouth the goblins shrunk and ran away in fear, dropping their offerings as the goblin leader descended on Captain Hyun. Laying on his side and barely drawing breathe Captain Hyun chuckled at the goblin leader, the mocking look in his eye easily passed the language barrier between the two species.
"Eat me and choke… piece of sh*t."
Letting out a low feral growl the goblin leader kicked Kale away with a resounding crack as it pointed at Captain Hyun instead, it wanted to see him suffer. Kale rolled over the ground and stifled his cries as he struggled to breathe, when the goblin leader kicked him it hadn't held back and had broken some of his ribs.
It was monstrously strong.
The goblins resumed their efforts as they dragged the other survivors towards the new poles that had been raised in the meadow, Captain Hyun was personally carried and impaled by the goblin leader himself but not before he spat once again, this time on the goblin leader's eye.
"How's…the taste…heh."
Captain Hyun refused to cry in pain causing the goblin leader to growl in rage. This thing was infuriating him, reaching forward with his brutish hands the goblin leader ground its fingers into the wooden shaft still present in Captain Hyun's shoulder, wanting him to cry out in pain. Captain Hyun sucked in deeply through his nostrils and ignored the pain that was setting his nerves on fire, instead he straightened himself slightly, looking the goblin leader clean in the eye as he began to smile. He did this for his home, for Earth.
He had to ensure that someone made it, to warn them all.
The goblin leader frowned, it wanted to savour this one to suffer, to be lost in the pain, but it refused to scream or cry like the others.
It was stronger.
Growling menacingly the goblin leader pressed harder as it leered in closer to Captain Hyun, listening for the barest of whimpers, but hearing none.
Only Brom remained to be fixed to the poles, looking across he saw Kale on the ground struggling as he wormed his way across the ground trying to flee, the goblins had forgotten him as they watched their leader rage. Captain Hyun was doing this on purpose, he wanted someone to escape this nightmare, to warn Earth.
Gritting his teeth Brom had to admit that the trash had balls, even now he was mocking the goblin leader with his looks and laughing at it despite the pain.
"Argh damn it!"
"You better be listening over there."
Brom shouted with his head titled up high as the goblins began to raise him up, Brom didn't want to give away Kale's efforts by looking at him.
"I'm waging war on these f*ckers and by the time I'm done you best be gone. I'm gonna make them work for this meal, little ingrate bastards."
"If I see you back here before I'm dead then I'm gonna eat you before the maggots do!"
Brom roared to the sky as the goblins undid his ties, already their hands were grasping at him attempting to pull him closer to the pole. Kale rolled with renewed effort as he struggled to get away, the efforts of Brom and Captain Hyun had struck a chord inside of him, despite being from separate parts of the world they had helped each other in the end. Gritting his teeth Kale ignored the pain that assaulted him and hurried as much as possible, he didn't want to waste the time they had given him.
Brom was happy to see that Kale was making good progress, he laughed as he resisted the goblins clutching hands, he wasn't going to roll over and play nice just for them. He was going to have one last fight. He always loved a good bloodbath, he craved it, it was the reason that he had been dishonourably discharged from the army.
But here, in this place, he had found his honour again.
With a roar Brom lurched to the side, offsetting the goblins and making room as he swung his fists, there might be a hundred of the little bastards but he didn't care, he didn't aim to stay alive.
The goblin leader turned to help restrain Brom before stopping as Captain Hyun reached out with his forearm and clenched the goblin leaders arm in his hand, despite the pain of the spears pinning him in place. Turning around the goblin leader saw that same mocking look in Captain Hyun's eyes as he spat one more time, once again it landed on the white maggot extending from its forehead.
The white maggot shrivelled and wriggled part of its body back under the goblin leaders flesh as Captain Hyun's words followed.
"Taste… like... sh*t."
With a mad roar the goblin leader plunged its fingers deep into Captain Hyun's mouth as he grabbed at Hyun's tongue but not before shrieking in pain as Captain Hyun bit down and clenched his teeth, adamant to not let go.
This was to be his last meal, and he was going to enjoy it.
Brom laughed and roared as the goblins attacked him, they swarmed over him like mice as they tried to overpower him, they didn't want to kill their offering with their weapons. Using his hands Brom gouged at their eyes and twisted the short limbs that attempted to grab him, he even used his teeth as he ripped out a goblin's throat, swallowing the remnants for a small bit of energy. Swinging the small body around he used it as a club and beat back the goblins to buy himself some more time.
"Eat me you bastards. When you crap me out I'm gonna climb back up inside and screw all your brains, I'm gonna be the cancer that haunts your offspring for years with constipation and diabetes."
Laughing Brom continued to wage his one man war, this is what he lived for, he wasn't going to die alone. A feral roar stopped Brom's laughter as he was struck from behind sending him rolling across the ground, dizzy from the hit Brom looked up to see a seriously pissed goblin leader missing two fingers on its right hand. In the distance he could see Captain Hyun with his teeth still firmly clenched, his head drooped low as blood fell from his lips. Brom couldn't help but bow his head in acknowledgement of the man's firm will.
Standing tall and wobbling slightly Brom cricked his neck as he raised his fists towards the goblin leader, this was going to hurt.
[Time remaining : 00:07:13]
Kale continued to roll and twist, ignoring the pain that ran up his side as he bumped into the trees, forcing him to travel around as they scraped at his skin. The others were going through much worse than this, just to buy him the chance to survive.
He didn't know why Captain Hyun had offered himself up in his place but he wouldn't waste the chance he was given. Continually wriggling and shuffling Kale continued to move, praying that the timer would soon run out.
The sound of flesh smacking sounded out across the meadow, the goblin leader was frothing and foaming at the mouth as Brom refused to fall. Brom had underestimated how monstrously powerful the goblin leader was, each clashing blow felt as if his bones were breaking and cracking under the pressure. But he still couldn't help but smile, it was that smile that was driving the goblin leader crazy. It was the same smile that Captain Hyun had even as he died with the goblins leaders fingers still firmly clenched in his mouth.
Staggering up once more Brom checked the timer, they didn't have time to offer up another victim, he only hoped that they didn't just kill the young fellow outright.
[Time remaining : 00:04:01]
Dragging his mind back Brom ducked beneath the goblin leaders blow as he jabbed it in the ribs and retreated, once again his blow was useless against the goblin leader, he just didn't have the strength left to hit harder, he was already tired before this last stand.
Clenching his fists for another blow Brom launched himself forwards as the goblin leader punched out, with a devastating crack Brom was sent flying as his wrist broke under the power of the goblins blow, his body could no longer withstand the damage.
Tiny green hands started tugging and pulling at Brom as he struggled to stand up and fight them off, the goblin leader watched on, prepared to step in again, this strange creature had been too tenacious, even daring to trade blows with it.
With a snort it turned around only to stop as it looked amongst the trees, the last offering, the one covered in the most of the Great Ones young was gone. Unbridled fury kindled beneath the goblin leaders eyes as it turned on Brom, that same smile hung across his face even as the goblins stuck him to a pole alongside Captain Hyun.
Looking up Brom smirked, ignoring the spears that had been driven through him even as blood fell from his body.
"Dumbass."
The look of rage and stupidity across the goblins leaders face was worth it for Brom, he was content, even as the blue maggots began to fall.
[Time remaining : 00:01:34]
Kale was still rolling desperately, it was all he could do to struggle and shuffle, he feared to even look at his hands and feet, he had long lost all sensation in them. Tears fell from his face as he saw the sky shake and shiver once again, the blue maggots slowly fell one by one, mimicking the tears that fell from his own eyes. Captain Hyun and the soldier were gone, all to buy him some more time.
He had to survive.
Desperately throwing himself forward Kale swore that if he survived then he would somehow gain the power to come back here and destroy this place, he would reduce it to nothing but dust, a memory in the passing of time.
[Time remaining : 00:00:41]
There were only seconds left but he couldn't stop, he would soon be gone from this horrid place. The whistling of air ruined Kale's thoughts as a spear cut through the air above him and planted itself into a tree, in the distance the goblin leader was panting furiously as it ran towards him. It was truly enraged.
Ignoring the thrown spear Kale kept struggling and bouncing along, buying himself just the tiniest bit of time before the goblin leader caught up.
[Time remaining : 00:00:34]
[Time remaining : 00:00:33]
[Time remaining : 00:00:32]
A grizzled and gnarled hand grabbed Kale's nape from behind, hauling him into the air and turning him around, the goblin leader had caught him.
The goblin leader let out a mighty roar covering Kale in its fetid saliva, it had caught the strange being that had tried to flee, it had to finish the offering but first it would punish it. With a swing of its arm the goblin leader sent Kale flying through the air as he bounced off the ground and crashed into another tree causing him to intake sharply and cry aloud as pain assaulted his already damaged body.
[Time remaining : 00:00:28]
Just a bit longer, Kale hoped that the goblin leader would drag this out for just a bit longer.
[Time remaining : 00:00:27]
[Time remaining : 00:00:26]
With slow savage stomps, the goblin leader walked towards Kale as he lay by the tree that had caught him, with a sinister smile and a grunt it raised its arms upwards once again.
Kale could see it through gaps in the forests canopy, the sky was beginning to shake, the moons were turning as the blue maggots began to congregate above.
Panic driven and shuffling once more Kale saw the irritation flash across the goblin leaders face as he continued to move, it couldn't stop Kale from moving whilst calling down the sky and none of the other goblins could match the speed of their leader.
How it hated this strange fleshy creature.
[Time remaining : 00:00:15]
[Time remaining : 00:00:14]
The goblin leader lowered its arms as the sky stopped its shaking, it couldn't call down the Great one if there was no offering. Stomping its way over to Kale once more the goblin leader struck down savagely with its fists as it pummelled Kale's legs, breaking the bones beneath to stop his movement.
Nearly driven mad by the pain Kale screamed out in utter anguish, this wasn't a pain that could be shrugged off even with nerves of absolute steel, it felt as is his heart was about to burst.
[Time remaining : 00:00:09]
Still reeling in pain Kale watched the sky through bloodshot eyes as it shook once more, the blue maggots were descending, he could only pray at this moment. The blue maggots struck onto the trees, bouncing and falling off onto the ground around him, barely missing him as he saw the rows and rows of razor sharp teeth they sported. Ever so slowly they were boring through the tree to get to him.
[Time remaining : 00:00:04]
Kale couldn't even turn to see if any had landed on him, he was stuck looking up only to watch as the ground rose around him, he was being swallowed. Down he fell, barely conscious through layers and layers of bloated white maggots that sucked but were unable to find any furrows to eat from, the blue maggots had missed, denying them a meal.
[Time remaining : 00:00:02]
Kale's falling stopped as he exited the bloated layers of maggots, his delirious mind barely registered what he was lying before. A giant pulsating ball of flesh lay before Kale, shuddering as exposed veins on its body bulged, feelers were released as they slowly crawled towards Kale likes vines, seeking to absorb him and gain his knowledge. To possess him as a vessel.
[Time remaining : 00:00:01]
Kale's mind was growing dark, he couldn't register anything around himself, he just wanted to go home.
Ever so slowly Kale shut his eyes, the feelers in front of him, about to consume him.
[Time remaining : 00:00:00]
Above ground the goblin leader lashed out in fury, there were no crimson maggots to be eaten, it's prey had escaped. With a mighty roar the double beaked birds flew away as only the remains of humans were left behind on this strange planet.
Kale only saw one message as he awoke.
[You have survived]