They were the last survivors. Meleona, Robert, Calvin, Klaus, Ryker and only a hand full of soldiers had barely escaped the goblin horde with their lives. Meleona had sacrificed her last drop of essence to unleash a blinding flash of light, giving them a chance to flee. They had fought bravely and fiercely, killing countless goblins and undead, but it was not enough. The enemy was too many, too relentless. They had seen their friends and families fall one by one, their blood staining the ground. They were wounded, weary, and broken.
They ran as fast as they could, deeper into the forest. Robert and Calvin led the way, knowing the terrain well. They had grown up here, hunting and playing in these woods, before they joined the army. They hoped to shake off the goblins and reach their home village, where their parents and youngest brother still lived. The village had a garrison, where they could rest and heal, and send word to the northern city for reinforcements.
But they knew it was not over. The goblins would not give up so easily. They would track them down with their wolves, and try to finish them off. They would have to face them again, and again, until only one side remained. Death or victory, there was no other option.
Klaus clenched his teeth, and tightened his grip on his sword. He looked at his brothers and his comrades. He saw determination and courage in their eyes. He felt a surge of hope and resolve. He knew that they would not give up either. He knew that they would fight for their lives and for each other. The goblins had to pay for what they had done to Ryker and the other soldiers. They had to pay with their blood.
He quickly gave his orders to his men, telling them to block the entrance of the mine with whatever they could find, and to get ready for battle. He was planning to use this abandoned mine as a vantage point to prepare for another battle.He glanced at his brothers and Meleona, who were holding their weapons nervously. He told them to stay behind him, and to guard the injured soldiers. He saw the fear and determination in their eyes, and he felt a surge of love and pride for them.
He then turned to Ryker, who was lying on the ground, staring blankly at the sky. He was still under the spell of that giant goblin, who had made him see illusions of his worst nightmares. Klaus knelt beside him, and shook him gently. He begged him to snap out of it, to remember who he was, to fight with him. He hoped that his friend would hear him, and break free from the curse.
He then got up, and took his sword and shield from his back. He had not used his shield since the start of their journey, but now he needed it more than ever. He walked toward the goblin horde, who were approaching fast. He counted more than a hundred of them, all armed and bloodthirsty. He knew the odds were against them, but he refused to give up. He thought of a plan to distract them, and to cast a spell that would blind them with light.
He was about to execute his plan, when he saw him. The goblin chieftain, who was riding a huge wolf. He wore a wolf skull on his head, but it did not conceal the scar that ran across his face. His face was twisted with malice and cruelty, and he grinned wickedly as he saw Klaus. He was the one who had attacked their village, who had killed and captured many of their people, who had cast the spell on Ryker.
Klaus felt a surge of anger and hatred, and he forgot his plan. He decided to focus on the chieftain, and to kill him. He thought that if he could do that, the rest of the goblins would lose their morale, and flee. He charged at him, raising his sword and shield, and shouting a battle cry. He was ready to face him, and to avenge his people.
Klaus stared straight at the chieftain, his eyes burning with defiance and courage. He let out a loud scream, taunting and challenging the goblin leader to face him. The chieftain was taken aback by this bold act and burst into laughter. His laugh sounded more like a bear's roar than a normal hyena-like goblin's cackle. Klaus smiled as he saw the chieftain's reaction. He knew he had hooked him.
The chieftain's laughter soon turned into a wicked and aggressive snarl, as he glared at the mere human who dared to challenge him. He gripped his huge axe in his hand and jumped off his wolf's back. His wolf was twice the size of a normal one, making the others look like puppies in comparison. The chieftain slowly walked towards Klaus, never breaking eye contact. Klaus kept his cool and whispered some magic spells under his breath. He felt his strength and speed increase, and his weapons glow. His sword and shield shone so bright that they blinded anyone who looked at them directly. This was a first-class light magic that Klaus had mastered. The chieftain was not impressed, but he said, "Today, I, Urlgh of the northern goblin tribe, will destroy you." He then cast his own spell, saying, "Ma kanda deh like cayoh, ma heart black leke soire, turn all ma thingdem to strong aparey dem gime ya power, make a finis ma bolo." A dark mist enveloped him and his axe. It then gradually faded away, as if it was absorbed by Urlgh and his axe.
Urlgh whistled and in the blink of an eye, his wolf charged towards Klaus. Klaus did not see when Urlgh mounted the wolf. He only noticed that Urlgh had already swung his axe, aiming for his head. It was an obvious blow and easy to block, but it sent Klaus flying like a mouse slapped by a big cat. The difference in physical strength was clear. Even after enhancement, Klaus was no match for Urlgh.
Klaus got up from the ground, with a mysterious smile on his face and dark red blood dripping from his sword. Urlgh then noticed that his wolf was barely able to support his weight, as it had been stabbed during their charge. Urlgh got off the wolf and with a single swift strike, cut off the wolf's head, saying, "You are as good as a new helmet now. I have no place for the weak in my ranks." Urlgh looked at Klaus with disgust, as the goblins cheered. He dashed at Klaus, but he was a bit slow to sneak attack him. Klaus saw an opening, as Urlgh tried for the second time to cut off his head. He countered by swinging his sword and aimed to cut Urlgh's arm. He felt his blade hit the arm and the resistance that followed. Urlgh had just used stone magic to protect his arm from being cut off. Klaus pushed, but he did not break through.
Urlgh grinned and pushed back with his arm, producing sparks and a cranky sound as it rubbed against the blade. He could not strike Klaus, because the shield was in his way. He decided to break the shield first. He wanted to crush the shield and break Klaus's bones in the process. Sparks flew from the clash of metal and magic. He struck even harder every time, but neither the shield nor the bones broke.
The two warriors were locked in a stalemate, and their magic was draining fast. Light and dark were already a bad match for opponents. They broke apart and circled each other. They exchanged blows and parried each other. They tried using their magic, but it would just cancel out and leave them exhausted. They were evenly matched at this point. Urlgh respected Klaus for his endurance, and so did Klaus.