The entrance of an Orc is already foreboding. An evolution above a Goblin champion, the appearance of a single Orc often means a path for a tribe to follow is being paved. If not purged it could end up turning this entire Valley of Hobgoblins into a Valley of Orcs.
And worse still, the Orc's demonstration of the power of that artifact is already a threat warranting immediate action.
As leader of this mission, I'm to adapt to changes for us to either complete our mission or secure an escape route so we all can get away. And an unregistered Orc in possession of the artifact isn't yet cause for retreat. Even if we don't collect them, identifying the orc's artifact will be enough for our future attempt to eliminate it.
From this distance, I can make out a red staff with a red crystalized axe head but I don't recall anything like it.
The only other thing worth noting is the axe head being too long, like an executioner's axe yet the blade being longer. "Emeri and Serci, you take the Goblin Mage. Szilion back them up while I and Lejer face the Orc." With no more words, everyone moved out.
Just as they left, the Orc proceeded to give a battle cry that told the hordes of Hobgoblins hiding in the section of the tree lines not cut to come out after us.
Despite Szilion being ineffective against the High Mage, I sent Szilion with the girls to weaken the horde of minions on their side. His weapon only takes one strike so long as they can't pinpoint his location and the only one that possibly can is the High Mage thanks to that artifact.
The intuition Serci trained all her life and the effort she put into becoming a Keeper allows her to fight multiple opponents while protecting an ally like Emeri, the specialist in ranged combat among all other Keepers.
Emeri is using her arrows to keep enemies from overwhelming Serci without harming Szilion who strikes at any survivors of an explosive arrow from the Enchanting Bow. Every time a spell is cast at them by the High Mage, Serci intercepts as many shots as she can using the shield to keep the ones that would hit from harming her allies.
The three aren't having any problems shortening the distance, as I expected.
And with nothing to worry about on their end, Lejer and I can tear through wolves and Hobgoblins that dared stand between us and the Orc without much difficulty. Lejer's adaptable fighting style is supporting mine by mirroring me in being a heavy fighter.
Every enemy that comes within melee range of Lejer is split into a minimum of two pieces by the blades protruding and retracting from his coat while my specialized fighting style of an offensive shield bashes and slices through these foes, them incapable of slowing down out advance.
As we advance closer and closer to the Orc, two shadows swiftly come at us from the side, one aiming for me and the other at Lejer. I blocked, not getting a hit in on the bigger-than-average wolf. Likely the evolved form, Dire wolf. An advanced form that requires years' worth of life-or-death struggles to remain a pack leader
Yet, it seems these Hobgoblins had trained two into this evolution. This knowledge just further raises the threat these Hobgoblins had grown before we realized.
When their attacks didn't hit, both Dire wolves backed off, though the other one seemed injured due to its failed ambush against Lejer. I can only scoff.
I doubt there are only three weapons hidden under that coat due to the number of edges he has protruded when striking but throughout every inspection, there have only been three. But if I ever catch him slipping, I'm going to do my damnedest to charge him for months' of hiding more weapons than allowed.
The Red Orc glare was deep in contempt at Lejer. Not the first time someone has, not even in the last hour, but I wish we had paid more attention to the crystallized blade we hadn't noticed pulsate.
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"Damn it! Did they take over the entire Valley for this fight?!" complained Emeri.
They've already gone through over 50 wolves and hobgoblins on the way to the High Mage only for Serci's gut feeling to give the worst ache since entering this valley as her eyes shift to the others.
Emeri quickly covered Serci the moment she slowed down. "Something wrong?"
Serci shakes her head, "I don't..." Then came a shout from Lejer as an immense pressure was suddenly felt in their direction.
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As the other two are making attempts to bypass the Dire Wolves, Szilion gets a sneak attack on the wounded dire wolf whose scent was obstructed by its own blood.
He understood his captain's decision to single him out for backing up the girls, giving the meaning to return after judging they could handle the rest. This allows them to get within range of the Red Orc, or more specifically, get Lejer in range to use his other artifact.
Lejer activates the eye glass artifact only to see more of the glitched data he's only ever seen twice since becoming the owner. "Oh great... that obstruction is happening again. This stupid thing must be..."
His irritation with the artifact fizzled away, his face going pale as he reads the description of the Artifact. "We need to retreat now!"
Hektr and Szilion were so surprised that the usually calm, condescending, Keeper of Trade lost his cool only a moment after putting it on. "What is it he's using?"
Swallowing his saliva, The Keeper of Trade screams, "THE Berserker's Staff! The one weapon you don't EVER want to meet on a battlefield that has already begun! It uses the blood of the slain and wounded to strengthen itself, only growing stronger the longer a battle goes on!"
That is when Szilion noticed the blood of the Dire Wolf he slew being drawn uphill, something they all failed to notice due to their rush for the Orc. Then came to mind the number of corpses behind them. The hundreds of bodies with blood that was gutted out of them, plenty to kill those with no divinity.
The Orc raises its weapon, the blood it was storing under its feet all being consumed into the crystallized axe head at once, forcing it to grow triple the size it was before. The humans found out what it was doing, and the Orc chose to stop stalling.
It holds the axe with both hands, reeling back the blade behind itself as the remaining blood gets drawn in. A red light comes from the crystalized blood growing even brighter as the energy within condenses. The Dire wolf charges up hill, behind the Orc that's prepared to strike while Hektr proceeds to bark orders in a move of desperation, the first time he has lost his cool in who knows how long. "Tell them to retreat now!"
The fastest among them knew he was being called on as the Black cloaked Keeper rushes downhill through the clearing of trees that had been made with its weaker 40-60 sacrifices strike.
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Serci looked in the direction of the Red Orc, the feeling of dread running across her face as she felt like fate had passed the point of no return.
The moment they hear Szilion shout the order to retreat, the Goblin Mage fires a lightning spell it kept hidden for this moment. When Serci blocks it with her shield, she screams as the electricity bypassed the metal to sear into her arm. "Serci!"
As Emeri is about to try and help, Serci shouts back. "GO! None of us will survive if it finishes that attack!"
Emeri hesitates, even with the feeling of a growing power blowing the wind as though a hurricane were about to blow into the valley, the look on Serci's face, the resigning smile, was what caused Emeri to turn away.
She couldn't say another word, hating goodbyes the most.
The Red Goblin High Mage laughs as it watches the humans run with their tails between their legs, even leaving behind an injured ally to save their own life.
Serci tries to focus on recovering from the jittering effect of the bolt she blocked. The pain steadily subsides but she's only barely able to move, standing once more.
Her glare at the Red Goblin that has a laughing fit is only met with a grin. He cared not what look a wounded animal gives him.
But once it stifled its laughter, the Red High Mage opened its mouth one last time, a sound that wasn't the usual goblin noise coming out.
"Run..."
Dread filled Serci's face as her body grew cold. A monster spoke a human word and used it in the right context. Never in her life did she hear even rumors of a monster speaking in human tongue, not even in the stories of the gods.
The feeling was only made worse when it started laughing afterwards for this only confirmed it knew the sadistic context it used the word for. But Serci wasn't going to waste this chance.
Even if she's doing as it says, if she can get away, she can live. She backs up slowly to see if it will try to stop her but it half-hazardly holds its staff, a euphoric look on its face as it looks to the forming red light, blocked by the few trees out of the way from that first, weaker, strike.
Serci quickly turns and tries to sprint as best as she can. She knows where her allies would reunite so if she can just keep from falling, she should be able to make it out.
Except, the moment she starts, from the edge of her vision, that bright red light gets brighter before her sight gets overtaken, only hearing the sound of metal heading towards her.