Bone-numbing chills pulsed from his failing heart. Each step wavering as his sight dimmed. He didn't even know what he was leaning on. The texture prickled against the palm of his hand… it felt like ice, but it was searing.
It was so unbearably cold. He thought when you got cold enough you started to feel warm?
This was a terrible choice. He wanted to crawl back towards the warmth. He shouldn't have tried to leave. He should have stayed where his heart felt warm.
Feeling his failing heart stammer his veins slowly filled with black. His skin slowly rotted as it blackened and pealed as the life was leached from his flesh.
He shouldn't have tried to go against it… His own flesh dying was the last thing he saw before, once more, he was invited into the fog.
It was warm.
Maybe it was because he had been so cold.
Fog almost coiled around him, cautious yet curious. However, it wasn't for long before it recoiled back and he felt it push against his soul.
The final thoughts passed through his mind as death rejected him. 'Will I ever be able to die?'
-- Prove your Sincerity. --
Like ripples on a pond, the words entered his mind like they were his own thoughts. Echoing against the borders of his conscious. His eyes snapped open as the sound of wind dancing through leaves reached his ears.
"What- who?" He stuttered as he struggled to voice the words, coughing as his body strained to speak. He felt it again. That chill grip on his heart causing it to shiver and cower. He had to find that warmth again, he had to do as his heart… as this place demanded.
He felt colder each time he failed. Each time he tried to avoid what his heart told him to do. Each time he went against this place.
Standing up he looked behind him. The way he had run just before, away from the goblins, away from the warmth. That was a lesson he only needed to learn once… he had tried to escape and avoid this enough.
"For fuck sake-" He cursed as he stared west. The way he had gone the first time. Towards the goblins.
---
While he seemed proficient in surviving he clearly wasn't used to fighting. He had to take down 9 Goblins, it was clear they didn't care about themselves either, one had been willing to fall just to bite him.
They are feral… he could use that though.
Making his way towards the goblins he grabbed various bits of foliage as he walked. Sticks, stones, vines or long grass that he could use as lashings.
As the terrain grew more rocky he stopped progressing forward. Climbing one of the tall boulders before examining the area. He couldn't see any signs of the feral monsters, this would do.
Sliding back down the rock he took one of the most flexible branches that was as tall as him. Putting one end between two thin and tall trees that were no more than a foot apart he bound it to them with some vine to hold it in place. Holding the other end he bent it as far back as he could before he felt it start to strain.
Letting the branch go the end of it whistled through the air like a whip. It might not kill, but with how small and frail the goblins were it would at least hurt like hell. Probably even break bones, it would at least push them back and keep them grouped up and shocked.
There were still 9 Goblins though, as good as this seemed, it was only going to really hurt the ones in front. But it was a start. If he failed and had to do everything all over again he didn't want to have to spend hours each time.
He shouldn't overcomplicate things. This would be enough to throw them into disarray and make them fall over one another.
Looking at the tops of the large boulders he was going to get the goblins to follow him through he shook his head. Setting up the last part of this trap would be the hardest... Taking more sticks he kept on jamming them between the trees and then binding them in place. The more the merrier…
---
"Arabe eeb! Guthra gnot- dukth Ragth-" A goblin screeched, its bony wretched hand clasping both ends of a bone it held, pushing its foot into the centre trying to snap it and get to that juicy marrow. Its cries called another into the circle of firelight, who also grabbed the bone. Both of them almost worked together to snap it, settling for hammering it with a rock.
Despite the commotion, the others lay still, filthy animal hides covering their sunken frames as they slept.
The breeze smelt terrible, the rotting corpses scattered half ripped apart around their camp and their blood-soaked bodies. It was foul. At least he was higher than them on a rock so it was slightly more tolerable.
He may not even need the trap... That was wishful thinking. Even if they all were sleeping, as soon as he got too close he was sure that they would smell him. As bad as it was being downwind from them, at least it gave him a chance to surprise them once or twice.
Grabbing one of the sticks he had sharpened on rocks while he had waited for the night to properly settle in. He hefted it in his hand. He couldn't tell which one was the leader unfortunately, they were all buried under their hides.
The bow was nowhere to be seen either.
If it wasn't for their sense of smell he would have tried to sneak in and stab them while they slept or at least steal the bow and run but he was confident that wasn't going to work.
Letting out his breath he threw the wooden javelin. He had practised a few shots and was more than happy with his aim when he had. And it held true, the javelin hurtled through the air down towards the goblins on 'watch' piercing through the hunched back of one as he raised the rock above his head.
Seeing the goblin stumble a bit before it started to topple the other one noticed as soon as the goblin didn't strike the bone. Turning and seeing the wooden spear piercing through its chest. Opening its mouth to screech another javelin came spinning towards it.
Barely missing the goblin as it threw itself to the floor. The piercing ring of its cry echoed throughout the forest. The remaining goblins shot up from their sleep as they looked around, instantly on alert.
There wasn't a hint of grogginess, they already had their weapons in hand as they woke, prey and predator, they were prepared to be attacked.
Pulling his arm back he threw another javelin, aiming at the leader who immediately started to yowl commands.
The javelin flew true, its arc going directly for the centre of the leader's chest but it noticed the movement before it could land. Throwing itself to the side nimbly the javelin pierced the ground. While the others looked at the weapon that was thrown at them the leader's eyes locked onto Him.
Turning he sprinted, his instincts taking hold. If he went for another attack he would be surrounded, he had to move while the boss rallied the others.
He had to make them think he was just running so they would only chase.
Darting around a tree and sliding against a rock he heard them scampering after him. They were nimble, they could see better in the dark and were used to chasing through this terrain.
The only advantage he had was that he could go much faster and jump over things easier, one slip up though, and that was game over.
Hurtling past a tree he recognized his heart skipped a beat, was he going the right way? Had he got lost in the dark, he had done his best to map it out in his mind before he had- there it was.
Dashing towards the two large boulders like he was trying to lose them by getting out of their sight ran between them. The sounds of them following behind him made him let loose a tense breath he had been holding. But it wasn't over yet.
One of them had used the boulders to its advantage. Jumping between them to try and get over him.
Seeing it just over his shoulder as he started to turn he cursed as it impacted his chest. Searing pain tore through his shoulder as the stone dagger ripped his body.
He was falling over, he wasn't going to get pinned just yet though.
Grabbing the vine he had prepared he yanked it as he fell, pulling it with his body weight ripping the stick that was holding the others bent from its position.
And hell broke loose.
Covering his head he felt the impact of a stick along his arms, grazing with enough force the bark ripped his skin. The thrashing impacts of the whips let loose sending deafening cracks through the night air.
Feeling the ground impact his back the breath was forced from his body. Both from relief and strain, falling over had saved him from getting hit by that directly. The goblin on top of him however was not so lucky.
Seeing one of the sticks impact its face, catching in its open maw that had been ready to bite down on him. Its neck snapped back as the impact threw it from on top of him, its knife tearing from his shoulder before it was forced to let it go.
There was no way that goblin lived, its head had been snapped back far too quickly.
He didn't even have time to get his lost breath back into his lungs though. Rolling to the side he dodged a spear that plunged into the dirt next to him.
One of them had gone around, he had barely seen the attack in time.
Pushing himself to his feet as fast as he could he threw himself backwards. His eyes quickly took in what was happening before him.
The goblin pulled its spear from the ground, dirt trailing behind the stone head. The goblins that had been caught by the whipping sticks were thrown to the ground or lying unmoving. The rest that had come in behind had avoided the impact but were caught in the pile of bodies.
Taking a step further back an arrow whistled past his face, from the corner of his eye he caught the leader standing well at the back of the group having never gone between the rocks drawing another arrow, its line of sight being cut however as he stepped back behind the boulder.
Seeing the spear come towards him in a thrust finally he let the attack come close before pushing it to the side with his arm, deflecting it. It seemed so slow.
Everything was happening so fast though.
Kicking out as hard as he could his foot impacted the goblin's chest and the crunch of bones couldn't have been louder. The impact threw the far lighter creature through the air.
Grabbing another vine that was against the rock he yanked on it with all his might.
The goblins that had been caught in the trap, even those that were grievously wounded were already in feral rage trying to claw their way out of the pile and towards him.
The whip sticks doing their best to act as a barrier although it was barely enough to hold them at bay for a moment, but a moment was all that was needed.
Seeing the leader about to release its arrow he couldn't help but smirk as a rock he had managed to haul up onto one of the boulders came tumbling down and onto the pile of goblins.
It wasn't massive but it was large enough.
The loud screeches of the feral monsters were silenced with a sickening crunching sound as flesh and bone warped and split, it was horrific. He couldn't find it in him to feel bad though. They had torn him limb from limb when they caught him.
They were monsters.
Finally feeling he had a moment he grabbed a large staff he had left next to the rock. Getting ready to face the goblins that inevitably would have escaped such as the leader. His heart was blazing, he was almost done!
Backing away from the rocks in case the leader tried to climb up and shoot down at him or catch him unaware he tensed ready to react to whatever would come next.
Nothing came though.
Feeling his heart grow colder he realized something. It was running.
He had scared it… he had killed all the others. Now it was running.
There was no way he would be able to catch it in its home terrain, and one mess up and he would take an arrow to the back. He was just about to succeed though!
The warmth he had gained from his success was slowly being sapped away.
He could feel that hollow chill.
Running around from around the rocks his eyes scoured the floor. It was dark, but he needed to see, he had to. He had to chase. He had to get back that warmth.
Seeing the gouges its rough toenails had dug into the dirt as it fled he started to chase, staff ready. He had dodged an arrow before even if it was a mix of luck. He would have to rely on that again if it attacked.
He would never win if it escaped.
All because of one cowardly bastard!
Darting over rocks and weaving between trees he found himself chasing it deeper and deeper into the forest. The sound of his thumping heart hammering as fast as his feet thumped against the dirt.
He could feel his heart growing warmer. He was gaining.
Faster, he needed to go faster.
He was lathered in sweat, he could feel it soaking his back. His body was at its limit. Foam building at the corners of his mouth.
How long had he been sprinting at full tilt? It didn't matter.
If he stopped and let it catch its breath too it would shoot him with arrows. While it ran like prey attacking would not be on its mind.
He had to chase.
Heaving in breath he kept on going. His heart felt like it would burst. His mind started to grow dim. He was burning up, his body was on fire, the pain in his limbs was searing. But his heart was ablaze.
Only.
one.
more…
...step…
He felt his legs start to collapse… when he was so close? Why?
Seeing the sun burn over the horizon he stumbled forward. The golden fire of the rising sun caught the edge of his fist as he brought it back.
And down into the back of the goblin that had collapsed just ahead of him.
It tried to struggle but it couldn't. It was too exhausted. Grabbing a rock the size of his fist from the ground he let out a scream as he brought it down with his feeble strength again and again.
Each sickening crunch made his heart burn with new strength.
Stumbling back to his feet, bathed in golden sunlight as the bloodied stone fell to the floor he let out a cry.
One of bliss.
His heart was alight.
He had won.
Collapsing onto his back he couldn't help but start to laugh. It was ragged and worn, almost a choking splutter. He didn't know why but it just felt so relieving. He was done, caked in blood and dirt but he was done.
Feeling the world start to spin as the feeling of the dirt he was laying on faded from his back he let the burning pull in his heart take him. Take him home… or maybe to the fog. He didn't care. Anywhere but here.
Then he felt something, and he opened his eyes. Feeling grass on his back his heart sank as fast as it started to feel that chill. That blazing golden burn was gone… back to the cold dim start. He didn't know what to feel. But one thing gave him even a fraction of hope, there were now two suns. There had only been one before.
Feeling his vision start to fade as the exhaustion from the chase and all the emotions caught up with him he heard a deep voice say faintly. "Do you think… wait? He's alive!?" Before sleep dragged him into its clutches.