"Khekeh!"
"Kiieegh!"
"Ghegki!
"Do you still think this is a minor irregularity?" Lilith scoffed at Price, her tone laced with defiance.
The green, potbellied monsters didn't give the warrior an opportunity to silence the outspoken mage. Without fear or hesitation, they advanced, their faces contorted in nasty sneers. Knives, cleavers, axes, clubs—each goblin wielded a menacing array of weapons.
Price broke into a cold sweat as he stared at the weapons, each one stained with the telltale signs of blood. As he imagined his own blood giving the weapons a fresh paint, he let out a cowardly battle cry, his eyes wide with fear.
Instead of meeting the advancing beasts with his sword like a proper warrior, Price frantically reached for the vials of liquid secured to his hips. In a desperate bid for survival, he hurled the expensive investments at the incoming horde.
The glass bottles exploded on impact, unleashing a cacophony of elemental chaos upon the goblin assailants. Fire roared, ice crackled, acid sizzled, and poison spread, engulfing the creatures in a maelstrom of destruction.
Kiiiieeehhhk!!
As the goblins flailed and screeched in agony, Price clumsily charged into the fray with his sword, hacking and cleaving through their ranks in a frenzy. With each swing of his blade, he rent flesh and bone, sending blood and gore spraying in all directions.
WHOOOSHH!
Following a swift incantation, a wheel of fire materialized and shot forth from the tip of Lilith's wand, engulfing a group of unsuspecting goblins in a searing inferno. They screamed and flailed fruitlessly as the putrid stench of burning hair and flesh permeated the air.
However, instead of succumbing to fear, the goblins' rage only intensified. With a collective roar of fury, they turned their attention to the mage who was already weaving the words for another deadly spell.
THWACK!
An arrow from a goblin archer found its mark in Lilith's shoulder with a sickening thud. A sharp cry of agony escaped her lips as searing pain lanced through her body, causing her to crumple to the ground in torment. Her wand slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground beside her.
"Wh-what're you doing?!" she yelled at Amara in both alarm and disdain, her eyes wide with panic. "Hurry up and cast a healing spell!"
Amara staggered back, tears brimming in her eyes as she watched the chaos unfold before her. She was utterly petrified by the violence and death that was more overwhelming than what she read in the textbooks.
"You stupid bitch!" Lilith cursed through gritted teeth, her other hand reaching out for her wand with desperation. But before she could grasp the weapon, a thrown dagger found its mark in that shoulder with another sickening thud.
She couldn't even react to the burning pain before the savage beasts fell upon her like a pack of wild dogs. But instead of satisfying their appetites for food or revenge, the goblins had another desire that was inspired by their leader.
Lilith cried out in terror as her clothes were violently torn from her body, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. The once battle-hardened expressions of the goblins transformed into lecherous grins and sinister snickers as they beheld her flushed and silky skin.
Instinctively, Lilith attempted to curl into a protective ball, but the green devils pinned her hands and feet, rendering her helpless. A pair of goblins seized her breasts, their razor-sharp teeth menacingly close as their tongues curled around her vulnerable nipples, wringing a shudder of revulsion and dread from her.
Amara stumbled backward in horror and disbelief, her heart pounding in her chest as she fell to the ground. She could only watch in abject shock as every orifice of the girl was used and abused—violated by the hordes of goblins that swarmed around her like a violent wave.
"B-Blergh!"
Price tore his gaze away from the ghastly scene unfolding before him, his stomach churning at the sight of the vomiting healer. He didn't have any time to be concerned with others, not when his supply of debuff and attack potions were dangerously low and the ranks of the goblins were swelling well beyond his control.
"Morgana, what're you doing?!" he yelled angrily, his eyes wild with urgency. "Hurry up and cover me!"
The archer downed a pair of goblins that narrowly missed restraining her before she turned to the warrior with a puzzled gaze. Ignoring her own dilemma, she addressed the one that was the most pressing.
"What about Lilith?!" she demanded worrisomely.
"That's why I need you to cover me!" Price bellowed back.
Morgana did as instructed, a deluge of arrows raining down upon the goblins up front that was about to mount an overwhelming assault.
Price didn't squander the opportunity. He turned and began sprinting at full speed, his heart pounding in his chest. But another wave was already hot on his heels, their claws outstretched as they closed in on him with terrifying speed.
"Kyaaaaak!"
Without an ounce of regret, the desperate warrior shoved the helpless healer into the encroaching horde. Then he raced by Lilith and Morgana without so much as a glance, his focus fixated on the open gates a mere stone throw away.
Suddenly, a group of roughed and menacing figures rounded a corner, brandishing impressive weapons and clad in leather and armored gear. For a fleeting moment, Price mistook them for fellow adventurers. However, the sinister gleam in their eyes and the predatory grins etched on their faces shattered that illusion in an instant. They were bandits, and they were somehow in league with the goblins.
Price's hand trembled as it hovered above his hip, but instead of reaching for his sword, he hurled a vial containing a peppery vapor at the bandits in a desperate attempt to keep them at bay. Yet, before he could slip through the gates and escape, he was ensnared by an Orc that was entering the village.
Amidst the chaos of betrayal and relentless attacks, Morgana continued to find deadly marks for her arrows while ensuring Amara's safety. But it wasn't long before her quiver ran dry, leaving her defenseless against the encroaching horde of goblins.
"HALT!!"
For better or for worse, a booming voice shattered the spell of madness, commanding attention and bringing a sudden stillness to the chaotic scene. The threatening claws of the goblins paused in their advance as all eyes turned towards the source of the authoritative voice.
In that moment of respite, the tip of a cutlass hovered mere inches from Morgana's eyeball, frozen in mid-air. The Orc's thick fingers loosened their grip around Price's neck, and the rolling waves that did the unspeakable to Lilith ceased.
I-Is that a Hobgoblin? Price thought hesitantly, his gaze fixed on the creature that clutched a peculiar staff.
Morgana's expression turned pale. Did… that goblin just speak?
The goblin in question stood several inches taller than its kin, its daunting figure devoid of the typical potbelly and instead boasting a hardened stomach. It was draped in a ragged cloak and a loincloth adorned with a large skull at the front.
As it slowly approached, Amara studied its grayed beard and wizened countenance, noting a sense of refinement that set it apart from the wild and uncivilized demeanor of the other goblins. Yet, despite its composed appearance, a simmering anger radiated from its gaze as it surveyed the scene, its fury palpable at the sight of Lilith's motionless body beneath a horde of his lustful counterparts.
In a bizarre display of subservience, the imposing Orc silently knelt before the goblin, presenting his trophy with a reverent gesture. Price desperately writhed and squirmed, but he couldn't free himself from the vice-like grip of the monstrous fiend.
In the same beat, the leader of the bandits approached like a sewer rat attempting to scavenge a risky meal. "Hey, Boss," he called with a nervous grin, eagerly rubbing his hands together like a greedy merchant. "…won't you consider handing over one of these girls this time? The boys and I would be eternally grateful. What'dya say?"
The bandits eyed the archer and healer with salacious hunger, their lecherous gazes treating them like mere slabs of meat on a platter. Their tongues wagged in anticipation as they pantomimed inappropriate gestures, their depravity on full display.
Without uttering a single word, the elder goblin signaled to the Orc. In a swift motion, the beast's meaty arm lashed out like a thick club, delivering a punishing blow to the bastard's face. The impact sent him hurtling through the air and crashing into the ranks of his men.
The elder regarded the bandits with disdain, his grip tightening around his staff. "Wasn't the arrangement for you lot to take all the weapons and other valuables while we claimed the humans for ourselves?" he questioned, his voice dripping with contempt.
The man clutched his bloody nose, his lackeys assisting him to sit upright while they growled and sneered in his defense. But he calmly kept them in line.
Ignoring them, the elder angrily turned his attention to the unresponsive female beneath the weight of his kin. He was grateful for the loyalty and hard work of his underlings, but their primitive behavior and lack of self-control often proved burdensome. Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't change the course of events; the damage had already been done.
With a simple wave of his hand, the goblins, devoid of any semblance of remorse, continued to indulge in their savage acts without restraint.
In that moment, any misconception that Amara and Morgana held about the elder goblin was shattered. This monster was not merely a mindless brute like the other goblins; he possessed intelligence, making him infinitely more dangerous.
Price paled as the elder goblin gestured toward him next, his heart sinking as he observed the Orc drooling profusely. He was certain he was about to be devoured then and there, but as his armor, weapon, and even his underwear were confiscated, he realized his fate was far more sinister.
With frantic desperation, he clawed and flailed as he was hoisted over the shoulder of the massive beast and swiftly carried away.