The two paused their steps and slowed their breaths. While they were unaware of the enemy's capabilities, they would take as many precautions possible.
Listening to the footsteps, the twins estimated that it was only a pair. They pressed themselves closer to the trees in front of them, trying to see what the goblins looked like.
Thankfully they weren't made to wait long. Up ahead on the path appeared the targets they were waiting for. Two grotesque creatures appeared in the sights of Isla and Sila, testing their ability to accept.
The goblins that were described on paper were bad enough, but seeing them in person, the twins seemed to have an aversion to even looking at them.
The two goblins seemed to be communicating while they were walking. Their serrated teeth a sordid array of brown and yellow. Small rat like eyes and pointed ears, with a long curved nose, it was definitely the ugliest looking creature Isla and Sila had ever seen.
The goblins didn't seem to be very wary, walking along the path without any vigilance. The twins noticed that they only had some loose rags and a rusted dagger on their waist.
Signalling to each other, they pulled out their bows and after they were ready, fired the arrows towards the heads of the goblins. The arrows passed straight through the goblins heads, killing them without a sound. After the two goblins fell to the ground, Isla crept over to where they lay.
Seeing that the goblins were really dead, she raised her hand to Sila who had another arrow ready to shoot. Sila seeing Isla's signal lowered her bow and crept over as well.
They dragged the corpses back to where they had fired from, not forgetting to cover up the blood that spilled from the goblins.
When they put the corpses down, they immediately began to dissect them. The two wanted to know where the vital organs were located in this humanoid creature. If it was similar to humans, then they would have no problem with their method of killing.
After they opened up the two corpses, the twins found the anatomy to be practically the same as a human's, which made them breathe a sigh of relief.
The two planned to proceed further ahead, so they cut off the right ear of the goblins. Although they knew the village probably wouldn't be able to pay the reward, the adventurers guild had an open ended task for killing goblins. If they presented the right ear, they could get a piece of silver which might just make this trip worthwhile for them.
The entrance to the cave was quite conspicuous. Primitive defences had been placed in front of it, which consisted of jagged sticks, and also skulls, that were clearly being used as a deterrent.
No goblins were guarding by the entrance itself, but they felt the presence of a few goblins around it. Looking towards some of the trees, they actually found goblins equipped with bows and arrows. The goblin archers were resting lazily on the branches, unaware of the danger that was approaching.
Isla and Sila once again drew their bows and in quick succession fired towards the goblins laying in the trees. The muffled sounds of piercing flesh did not arouse any suspicion from the caves, which satisfied the twins. They climbed up the trees to retrieve the ears and arrows before focusing on the entrance.
The smell grew much worse the closer they were to the entrance and the darkness inside seemed to be an abyss that wished for them to enter, never to leave it.
Isla and Sila remained silent, they didn't know how good the hearing of goblins was, but they wouldn't allow their safety to be jeopardised before they were certain there was no more threat.
After confirming they hadn't felt the presence of any other life. They crept into the mouth of the cave. A deeper more pervading stench appeared the moment they stepped into the cave. Although it was pitch black inside, from the years of training in the early morning and late night, their perception had reached an inhuman level.
The darkness itself was mostly useless, the twins could see the various tunnels branching off into unknown directions, starting to understand the reason why so many adventurers were folded in these places.
They signalled to each other choosing a path slightly left of the central one. Most other groups that came here probably took the middle path, and the goblins would definitely keep guards there.
The two proceeded down the tunnel, Isla took the lead while Sila protected the rear. They didn't move quickly, checking the walls on either side carefully. Every so often they'd pass a very hidden hole, which must have been one of the strategies the goblins used to blindside the invading groups.
When they felt they had walked for about half an hour, the twins finally heard noise coming from in front of them. It didn't seem like the noise was approaching this way, but like a cacophony echoing down the tunnel they were in.
However after they finally reached the source of the noise they understood. In front of them was a huge open space filled with goblins. From a hasty estimate, there could be hundreds. Around the large space were many more tunnels, leading in every direction. The twins didn't believe this colossal place could be built by the goblins, more like they occupied it and dug the tunnels near the village.
Unfortunately for Isla and Sila this seems to be far more dangerous than they expected. A regular goblin den would usually only have a few dozen goblins, but this one is far larger. Observing the groups below, they saw some goblins that stood out from the rest. Some were bigger than their counterparts, wearing pieces of plate armour, and a few were holding staves.
This discovery made the two feel chills. As a race that is considered intelligent, the goblins obviously had the same evolutions as humans. Both a warrior class and a mage class, and the two of them were unlucky enough to happen upon them.
However when the twins looked into each other's eyes, in that dark and rotten den, with a horde of goblins ahead. They didn't see any fear, only the excitement that came with an extremely dangerous environment. Although vastly outnumbered, Isla and Sila were willing to try. They had an escape route mapped out, so even if they were truly outmatched, the twins were confident they could escape.