The group ran relatively unimpeded through the Goblin camp, the carnage left by Drake on his way to them scattered along the ruins. Shards of ice, craters of magma and spikes of earth peppered tents and barracks across the span of the run.
Panting, Tom looked around, his eyes turning to the back of the man who held Harley's hand tightly as he continued to run forward scanning the horizon for anything dangerous, "Is anyone else concerned that a level 11 was able to produce this kind of destruction?! And what is he a Mage or a Warrior Class?! No one can produce those types of spells without specializing!"
"You're a right dumb bastard Tom. Just shut it and run will you!" shouted Jacqueline over her shoulder, "What does it matter what he is, we're getting out this shite proper and I sure as hell ain't worrying about jack till I am! So one foot in front of the other and shut your mouth, yeah?"
"No. Tom is right," Chelsea agreed, "We know nothing about the guy, and he's been nothing but a mad man killing anything he sees as an enemy without them even being able to put up a fight. Do you think any one of us could kill a Goblin like that?" Chelsea said, hiking up the man on her back, as she kept pace with the group.
"At 11? I could barely kill those damned Kobolds and that's in a group!" a man from behind them replied, a few others voicing their agreement.
"That's exactly what I'm saying, there's no way he's the level we're seeing with skills, he has to have a skill or item that's fooling our inspection skills," Chelsea looked at Theodore, and Harley, "Even Theodore… I don't believe they could make it with their level."
[Theodore Rotwood Level 12]
[Harley Mongrass Level 14]
Theodore spoke up, with his eyes still scanning the area as they ran, the jingle from the chain in his coat pocket chiming as he took each step, "Tis laughable after everything thyself witnessed that thou still fail to showeth any sort of appreciation for my liege. For if I am to be forthright. This one was concerned with helping a congregation of prisoners when witnessing their mistreatment, but when my eyes felleth on Harley. That horse fled the stable, and the only person that concerned me was her," Theodore glanced back at Harley his hand tightening around hers, "Twas my liege that decided to even attempt to care for thy persons, yet the only one to show an ounce of deserving gratitude seems to be the young miss there. Do you perchance without fail, look a gift horse in the mouth when given?"
"Does this guy have to speak like this all the time?" Jacqueline asked.
Harley turned her head, "Yup! Isn't it great?"
Jacqueline's face turned incredulous as they all continued to sprint.
The group was making good pace through the widening camp, the entrance in the wooden wall coming into view. But not everyone was able to keep up the hectic sprint.
Some of the people began to straggle behind the others, forcing them to slow to compensate.
Looking over his shoulder, Theodore began to worry.
Our scamper for the exit has left some of the captives lacking on the physical front. Should our quarry find us before we can cross the river we shall have no hope of escaping… But we need rest! Do we abandon the stragglers my lord has charged thy with… Theodore thought, his eyebrows furrowing in discontent. Looking over to his wife Harley, his chest tightened.
If we stop, this one would be putting her in mortal danger.. I may have leveled up but the skills this one has obtained still lack lethality..
"Is any of thee a minstrel of the recovering arts!" Theodore shouted.
Jacqueline raised her hand with two others.
"Are any of thy versed in the restoration of one's stamina? We need to keep going… This one is afraid if we do not, the foul beasts will catch us and this shall all be for naught," Theodore spoke in a low voice disgusted with himself.
All three shook their heads, Jacqueline speaking up.
"My healing is specific to recovering one's health. It's powerful as it were, but nothing on stamina gov."
Theodore hesitated for a moment but spoke up as they closed in on the smashed gate, "Then.. we must leave them behind…"
Chelsea came to an abrupt halt, stopping several people behind her.
"I fucking knew it! You're just like him! You both spouted some serious nonsense and showed so much strength I almost had some hope! But you're the same! You're just going to leave us behind when it's convenient to you!" she howled, pointing an accusatory finger at Theodore.
Theodore stopped, but only because Harley had also halted to turn to Chelsea.
Theodore didn't even turn to meet Chelsea's eyes. He knew what he had said was selfish but he couldn't, wouldn't put Harley in danger for the lives of people he did not know. Now that he had found her his only thought was of keeping her safe.
"You may call this one a frightful coward, or be it a self serving faux gentleman. But for I to put my love in the line of fire for strangers is folly of the highest order, and this one will not have it!" Theodore shouted, his face contorting to anger for the first time.
"Save your bullshit for someone who's willing to listen! I should have known better to hope after everything, I'll get back to my group on my own damn two feet! I don't need hypocrites telling me to leave people that they just saved to the dogs!" Chelsea yelled back, her face going crimson in anger.
Harley looked between the two, unable to form words to calm either.
But they had been put into a position now that they had no say.
Their momentary stop had done nothing to allow their pursuers to catch up. For the Goblins had laid in waiting.
A large Goblin walked into the opening of the broken gate, its aura and eyes penetrating as it stared down the group.
"Thine enemies kneweth our strategy to exploit the confusion of their ranks?! But they are mere beasts!" Theodore said shakily in surprise, extending his arms to cover Harley placing himself in front of her.
"W-what is that?!" a woman shouted from the group, pointing at the Goblin.
"They're surrounding us!" another man shouted from behind, an encirclement of monsters quickly forming.
"Fuck! I should have just stayed in the cage!! What are we going to do there's hundreds of them!" someone screamed.
Theodore's mind raced as he sized up the sole Goblin blocking the doorway. Its armor reminded Theodore of a knight, as there were hardly any exposed parts of the monster save its head. It touted a small round shield on one arm, and a short sword in the other. Standing at about the same height as Theodore it would look almost human if not for its extended green ears and extended canines passing its lips.
[Rujik' Fuv Jeric Level 24 [F Rank]
"We have not a choice but to face our aggressor in combat. If any of thy have instruments of war, this one would suggest arming thyselves with haste! This one will support with illusions and status effects," Theodore barked quickly, holding his cane in both hands now.
The group formed a small tight ball back to back looking around nervously, most not having weapons, and those that brought out any could hardly be called weapons.
Theodore looked at the now smiling Goblin, its pearly white teeth jagged and sharp like serrated daggers.
Theodore quickly chanted, his nerves quickly beginning to run up his back in a ice cold shiver but he had Harley to protect, and the thought of letting her down and the image of his liege fighting with such gusto filled his head.
"May the chaos of your mind find no solace! The world shall drown behind the veil of my illusionary performance! Stage Play of Illusion!" Theodore roared, a wave of dark black smoke filling the surrounding, wisping outward from him on the ground passing through the legs of the group, and manifesting into various sizes of inky black smoking figures, slowly solidifying into monsters of all imaginations.
Ogres, Drakes, Dragons, Serpents, and Mammoths formed around the group, each one seeming in physical form rather than illusion.
Theodore followed up with a new spell, "My enemies see not the world through a lens of clarity but as I make it! Breath of Nightmares!" another pulse of dark smoke shot forward at speed to the surrounding monsters, a throng of smoke entering into their mouths and noses, one eventually hitting the Goblin named Rujik'.
The surrounding Goblins began to panic and look pensive around at one another, eventually devolving into a panic as one stuck an ally in fear, then another until the entire mob began to go into a melee with themselves.
The group surrounding Theodore all looked on in amazement as they witnessed the area of effect fear, then gaped once more as the Illusionary monsters around them ran forward to join the fray, stomping forward with real weight and action.
Unfortunately they were only able to do minimal damage, rather than have full physical manifestation of the monsters they pretended to be, they only had a shell that allowed them to move and deal enough to give them physical life.
But that was enough within the already chaotic scuffle of the Goblins, inciting even more confusion amongst them.
At least until a guttural roar sounded from the Goblin in the arch of the Gate.
The roar sounded and intense fear shook Theodore and the group to their cores. And seemed to shake the surrounding Goblins from their frightful stupor as they realized they were fighting each other. They then turned on the illusionary monsters within seconds.
"Impossible! The beast didn't even flincheth at thy spell?! Does the vile worm have resistance to status ailments!?" Theodore grimaced.
Rujik' scoffed as it huffed, black air being expelled from its mouth as if it had just spat out something foul, its smile returning to its sharp and intimidating face.
Yellowed pointed eyes stared back at Theodore, true despair filling Theodores gut.
He tore his eyes from the monster and back to Harley, regret and fear tearing at him from the inside.
"H-h.." Theodore tried to speak, but was unable to say the reality of their situation. His every spell was thwarted by the beast.
Theodore's head hung for a moment looking down at Harley.
[Shot has defeated Goblin Shaman Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
Theodore's eyes widened and a tear pulled at his eyes.
[Shot has defeated Goblin Shaman Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Treasure Hoarder Level 14] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Footman Level 15] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Squad Commander Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Footman Level 19] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Shaman Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Footman Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Footman Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Squad Commander Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Butcher Level 19] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Shaman Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Goblin Rider Level 17] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
[Shot has defeated Irontusk Boar Level 15] [Experience Earned 1,000 TP in compensation as a party member]
...…
The notifications that came streaming in meant that Drake had gotten within the distance needed for their party to share experience. Which meant that.
A scream sounded from behind Theodore, then a loud bang, as he turned, a tuft of dirt surrounding a man in a familiar black and gold trimmed robe -the Goblin named Rujik' nowhere to be found- and when the man turned a frightfully intimidating half red, black and white mask faced Theodore.
But the eyes of the man smiled as they always did, even behind the mask. Theodore imagining the grin his liege was making.
"Hey guys, miss me?"