That night, the wind was cooler, and the twin moons shone more brightly than usual, casting an eerie glow over the landscape. The Raptors usually flitted about like fireflies, were unusually absent that night.
It was silent. Too silent. The kind of silence that pressed on your ears and made your skin crawl.
Then, the sound of marching steps broke the stillness, signaling a fast-approaching group. The ground seemed to tremble under the weight of their footsteps, a rhythmic thud-Thud-THUD that grew louder with each passing second.
The air felt charged with tension, and Rain's heart pounded in his chest as he strained to see through the darkness, knowing that whatever was coming, it was coming fast.
Rain released a stream of steady breath and then . . . one, two, three . . . almost thirty Hobgoblins appeared beneath the eerie glow of the twin moons. They were armored and armed to the brim, their weapons glinting menacingly in the moonlight.
"Remember everyone, don't go to them. Let them come to us. No matter what happens, don't break positions."
Everyone chirped loudly in acknowledgment, their voices mingling with the snarls and growls of the fast-approaching Hobgoblins.
Chi leaped onto the shelter's roof, where she had a better vantage point. Rain and Chin positioned themselves at one entrance, while Chill and Chick guarded the other.
They didn't have elaborate plans or powerful magic to contend with the Hobgoblins. What they had was a simple strategy and the determination to hold down the fort no matter what.
As Rain had expected, seeing that there were only a few defenders inside the shelter, the Hobgoblins' confidence soared with their superior numbers. Disregarding caution, they charged blindly ahead.
Avoiding the barricades, they bolted in the direction where Rain and his troops had set the pitfall traps.
The Hobgoblins who fell into these traps met a gruesome end. As they charged forward with reckless abandon, the ground beneath them gave way suddenly. With startled yelps and cries, they plunged into the deep pits camouflaged with branches and leaves.
Inside the pits, sharpened wooden stakes awaited them. The Hobgoblins landed hard, their weight driving the stakes through their armor and into their flesh.
The traps had been meticulously designed to ensure maximum damage, and the Hobgoblins' own momentum worked against them, causing the stakes to impale their legs, torsos, and sometimes even their throats.
Cries of agony filled the air as the trapped Hobgoblins writhed in pain, some attempting to pull themselves off the stakes but only succeeding in causing more injury.
The few that avoided instant death were left immobilized, unable to climb out of the deep pits due to their injuries and the slick, earthen walls.
Above, their comrades could do nothing but listen to the horrifying sounds of their fallen kin. The sight and sounds of their agonized struggles served as a grim reminder to those still standing: the defenders had prepared well, and their traps were deadly. The pits, now filled with the broken bodies of the Hobgoblins, became a stark warning and a temporary deterrent to the oncoming horde.
Those who managed to avoid the pits hopped to the side but were immediately ensnared by hidden loops of rope that tightened around their legs, immobilizing them. Chi's arrows swiftly dispatched them with ease.
The Hobgoblins snarled and paused, sniffing the air, their eyes shifting erratically around the area.
"Traps!"
"Traps!"
The Hobgoblins' voices were a startling mix of gurgles and rasps, barely understandable. They slowed down and scattered, some destroying the barricades and cautiously stepping over the dirt around them. When they felt it was safe, they signaled each other and began to step over the ground where the barricades had been.
"Looks like they figured it out," Rain said, surprisingly calm. It took them long enough.
They had caught at least five Hobgoblins in the pit traps, a good trade before the traps were discovered.
"Chi, you know what to do!" Rain yelled as the Hobgoblins started to advance toward their shelter again.
Chi made a loud screeching sound and rained arrows on the Hobgoblins, forcing them to scatter in all directions to avoid the barrage.
They might be fast and agile, but nothing could have prepared them for the spike traps hidden under the dirt. Howls of pain echoed as the Hobgoblins hopped on their two hairy, bleeding feet.
Chi's arrows finished off another five of them, leaving the Hobgoblins with twenty warriors strong.
"Way to go, Chi! Let's keep this up and continue to reduce their numbers!" Rain shouted.
Another round of snarls erupted as the Hobgoblins parted, giving way to a strange Hobgoblin wearing robes. It had distinctive features, including pointed ears, sharp teeth, and a grotesque impish visage.
Its eyes were like those of a toad, and its mouth was wider than the others, almost reaching its pointed ears.
"Is that . . . ," Rain muttered in disbelief, ". . . a shaman?"
The shaman flexed its rod decorated with bones and began to chant.
~WwhHoOoShH!~
A gust of wind swept the area, uncovering all the traps on the ground, including the pitfall, snare, and spike traps, as well as the net traps.
"N-no way . . ." Rain's face drained of color. He should have known there were magic users among their ranks.
There were still twenty of them, and almost all the traps were now useless.
Rain shook his head, awakened by the battle cry of the Hobgoblins who resumed their charge. They were only a few hundred meters from Rain and the others, and things would turn dire if he didn't change the situation around.
Rain slapped his cheeks and directed everyone to get ready. "We must hold them at the entrance no matter what! Chi, that shaman is a pain in the ass, target it first!"
Chi confirmed with a swift nod. The shaman remained at the back, but it wasn't a problem for her. Her feet clawed onto jagged rocks for anchor as she drew her string into an arc.
The arrow flew with a powerful force upon release, shooting straight at the Shaman's head.
~ClAaNg!~
A loud metallic sound echoed through the air, and the arrow was flung to the ground by a large shield, protecting the Shaman's head.
"What the . . ." Rain couldn't believe his eyes.
Amidst the Hobgoblins' ranks was another strange figure. It was bigger, like a giant, robust, and covered in full metal gear. Rain wasn't even sure if it was a Hobgoblin at all because Hobgoblins, the evolve form of Goblins, were supposed to be human-sized or even smaller.
This one had a giant axe in one hand and a shield in the other. Maybe it was a hybrid or mix-breed.
The earth trembled as it let go of its axe on the ground. It took a few steps away from the Shaman, then began to circle on its feet, gaining momentum before throwing the shield over the shelter.
Rain's mouth opened wide as the shield flew straight in Chi's direction. He felt the impact against the top of their shelter, and some of the rocks fell, causing the whole structure to tremble.
Rain closed his eyes tightly, fearing the rocks would break and fall over them. He only opened his eyes when he felt the earth tremble again as the shield landed on the ground, cracking it.
"Chi!" Rain gasped.