"Just stick with me Grace, I'll keep you safe tonight!"
"What? No silly, focus on the quest!"
"Urk! My heart!"
The usual antics followed by the usual laughing ensued as the Monster Party passed through the arching gate, ready to start their watch for the first night.
"Come on now Garret, focus now, we got a job to do!" Chris says, barely containing his own laughter.
The group walks forward, passing the guards and Adventurers switching out with them for the night. As they do, the judgemental look of one of the Adventurers catches Christopher's eyes.
"I wonder what his problem is?" Chris says just out of earshot, a small smirk on his face.
"I don't know, but he only started after hearing one of the other Adventurers say our party name," Henry says, shrugging with nonchalance.
"Don't worry about him. We have a quest to do."
"Lydia, I know that!"
Chris whines as Lydia starts bossing him despite his position as the leader, and once more the group starts laughing.
"Enough antics! We have work to do," the guards say, breaking up the party's commotion as they get into their positions.
"Exactly. Let's back them up and do our job. Henry, Garret, and I will work with the guard on the far left."
"What? I want to be on Grace's group!"
Grace giggles as she listens to Garrets pleas.
"No. Chris, David and Grace, you three will watch with the guard on the far right. That way, together, we have eyes over the widest area."
Chris nods despite his reluctance.
"Yeah, I guess that could work. It isn't as good as my plan, but I'll let you take the lead on this one," he says, unwilling to admit his plan sucked in comparison to Lydia's.
"Good, let's split then."
"No, I don't want to be separated from Grace! Nooo!!!"
Garret is dragged kicking and screaming by his two companions towards the far left guard while the other three back up the far right one.
There were five lines in total, more than enough to work through the thin group of people attempting to enter the city. The way the dirt path had been stomped on though, and the sheer number of people within the walls showed that earlier in the day, it was much busier than it was now.
The group watched with focus as they stood behind their respective guards, keeping a close eye on all those who approached to be allowed entrance. Being late at night, this was the time when most unsavory individuals were likely to make their move.
"When is something going to happen?" Chris said, kicking stones on the dirt path while only half paying attention to the job at hand.
"Focus now, leader," David said, laughing awkwardly as he and Chris were given a stern look by their guard.
"Pay attention. You're being paid to help watch, not goof off."
"Yes yes, sorry sir," Grace said, apologizing for her dimwitted captain. "Focus before we get kicked out!"
"Ow!"
Grace sternly brought her fist down on Christopher's head, and Chris couldn't help but cry out in pain, rubbing the spot gently.
"Sorry-" he sheepishly started to say, but then he paused.
"What is-" Grace started to say.
"Monsters in the forest, right side!"
All eyes shot to the right as Chris pointed, his sword being drawn from his waist. The guards, the civilians, and the Adventurers, all of them turned to look.
"M-monsters! Run for your lives!"
Immediately, the citizens began panicking, running for the safety of the gate, completely ignoring the process to get on that they had previously been following. They ran past guards and Adventurers alike, bumping and shoving to get past the gate towards safety.
"GET TOWARDS THE WALL! THE GUARDS WILL PROTECT YOU!"
Thinking quickly, one of the guards yelled at the top of his lungs, directing all of the citizens to help them get to safety.
"ADVENTURERS, STAY AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE!"
Immediately, all of the Adventurers drew their weapons, ready for a fight. However, three Adventurers decided not to obey.
"LISTEN TO ME YOU FOOLS!"
But it was too late. Chris, Grace, and David rush forwards into the woods, chasing after the monsters that Chris had spotted.
"It's a group of Goblins! They seem like they were scouting, but I thought they were just reckless! I didn't know they could strategize like that!" Chris shouted as he ran.
"You're sure it was Goblins?" David called out from just behind.
"Positive! I'm casting my flame spells for light!"
Chanting quickly as he ran, in a few short moments, Chris had fire dancing in the palm of his hand.
"Guiding Flame!"
With the flame came light, and with the light came sight.
Scurrying away as fast as they could, a group of Goblins, ten in total, were racing through the woods, darting around trees as fast as their small bodies could go.
"Kill them!"
Another arrow flew past Chris the moment he spoke, landing right in the shoulders of one of the fleeing Goblins. It shrieked in pain as it fell over, tripping on a tree root. Before it has a chance to pick itself up, Chris rushed forward and stabs down through its back with his sword. The Goblin gurgled on its own blood for a brief moment before dying.
"Keep going, get them all!"
David ran past Chris, his own sword tightly held in his hands. Moving quickly, he catches up with another Goblin, slashing at its calf the moment he is within range. Another hideous shriek as the Goblin falls, and David stomps down on its skull, cracking it beneath his foot.
More arrows fly past at the same time, one shooting straight through one of the Goblin's neck. It falls in an instant, choking on its own blood for only a moment. Another arrow lands squarely within another Goblins back, causing another shrill shriek, but this one holds its footing and keeps on running, retreating into the darkness of the surrounding woods.
David picks his foot up, ready to continue the chase.
"Stop!" Chris calls out.
Both David and Grace come to a halt.
"We can't follow them further into the woods. Not only do we risk getting lost, but we also risk running into their main group. We should stop here."
"Okay," Grace says, nodding as she catches her breath.
"You're right captain," David answers, flinging the blood off of his sword in one quick movement.
"Watch my back, I'll grab the ears for proof of kill," Chris commands as he pulls out his dagger.
Both his companions nod in agreement.
Quickly, Chris takes the left ear first off of the Goblin with an arrow through its neck, retrieving the arrow for Grace. Next, with a quick slice, he takes the ear off of the Goblin David had stomped. Finally, the ear off of the Goblin that he and Grace had taken down together. Three Goblins in total, 75 koin.
"Let's go back."
Together, the three of them quickly retrace their steps, returning to the gate and meeting back up with the guards and the Adventurers who were still on high alert.
"Who goes there?" one of the guards call out as they approach.
"Adventurers! We were helping keep watch and chased after the Goblins," Chris answers, dangling the three ears in his hand. "We got a few, but the rest got away!"
"Why did you run off when I directly said to help defend the citizens!? What if there had been more of them, and you three rushed right into the entire group!? Not only would you be dead, but so would many of the citizens and your coworkers!"
"Look, we made a call," Chris said as he approached, anger creeping onto his face. "I saw them, so I chased them!"
"It wasn't your call to make, you fool! You were supposed to listen to us guards!" the guard shouted, his own anger rising.
"Woah now, let's calm down a bit captain," David interjected, placing himself between both Christopher and the guard. "There is no need for this. The guard is right, we were told to do as they say, not as we wanted."
"He's right," Grace quietly agreed. "Let's not lose the quest because we got ahead of ourselves. Let's apologize and move on."
"Huh? But- But he- Ugh, forget it," Chris said, sighing heavily. "You're right, I apologize for my actions."
"Tch, forget it. Get inside, we need to sort through all the people that rushed in after you cried wolf. Come on everyone, inside!"
Much to his annoyance, Chris listened, following as both the guards and the other Adventurers moved back inside. As they arrived, however...
"It's him! The Adventurer that saved our lives!"
Immediately, the crowd of people rushed forward, surrounding Chris and his two companions.
"Oh, thank you for saving our lives!"
"We would have died without you!"
"You are our heroes!"
"Heh, at least some people recognize our worth," Chris smugly whispered to his companions before turning to the crowd. "Please, we were only doing our jobs! Now then, let the guards do their jobs and sort through the rest of you while us Adventurers keep you safe!"
The crowd couldn't help but cheer.