FREE USE in a Fantasy World

Groppi had called them ruins, but it was quite clear someone was living there.

The crumbling stone of an ancient fort clung to the cliffs of a jagged rise, the ancient masonry augmented with struts of wood to form crude watchtowers and a palisade around the base of what remained of a courtyard.

That the keep was merely the tip of the construction was plain, for even from a distance it could be seen that the old fort once delved into the cliffs themselves.

And there were goblins.

Dozens of the runty greenskins could be seen along the walls and within the watchtowers.

From the cover of the forest, Maya watched as one by one torches were kindled by guards against the evening gloom. She grunted.

The whole operation showed an organization she’d never seen from goblins. But in the end, goblins were just goblins. Once they’d gotten past the walls, they’d fall, as they always did.

She slunk back without a sound, gliding like a shadow back to where the others waited in the lee of a hill, shielded from view. Dinah and Arman were facing Ava, who was scribbling in her notebook.

"And you’ve been together since the start?" Ava said.

"Yes," Dinah said with that same inscrutable smile. "A priestess alone is very vulnerable. A party must have the minimum of three to function well."

"Then Arman asked you?"

"Oh my yes. He was very upfront about it. I could hardly say no to such a request."

"Ha!" Arman grinned. "Dinah is too modest! Why, it was she that suggested I lead our band. But I could never have gotten to where I am without Dinah at my back, her healing powers propelling us onward!"

"What can I say? The goddess spoke to me, and told me this brave man would be the one to guard me. Oh, Arman, you didn’t mind when I was having some fun with Ava, right?"

Arman cleared his throat, suddenly looking uneasy. "Ah, well, it’s..."

"Because," Dinah cooed, resting her hand on his thigh, smiling up at him, "you know, of course, it was all for the mission, right? I’m sure you didn’t mind."

"O-of course not."

"Right," Maya said, plopping down and cutting off further conversation. "There’s a fair sized tribe in there. Looks like they’re getting ready to move out. So, the plan is-"

"A heroic charge into their midst?" Ava gasped.

"What? Fuck no," Maya scoffed. "We’d get ourselves killed like that!"

Ava blinked in surprise. "You would? But..."

"Listen up. What we’re going to do is sneak in. I saw a piece of the wall fallen in. We move over that and into the tunnels. Then, we find the village girls, grab them, and get out. Once the girls are safe, we create a disturbance inside the keep so the goblins rush in. And once we’ve got them, we cave in the tunnels, locking the goblins inside."

"Cave them in?"

Maya pulled off her pack and opened it up, revealing a dozen dark orbs. "Crackle bombs," she said. "Magic explosives. They use them in the mines around the Cliffs of Karn. Powerful stuff, but should bring down what’s left of that fort."

"But... won’t they just dig themselves out?" Ava said.

"I mean, maybe. But I doubt it."

Ava moved her lips, as if sounding out what she’d just been told. "But... That doesn’t sound very heroic..."

"No, no. It’ll be very heroic and whatever," Maya said. "We’ll save the girls and thwart the goblins! And that is exactly what you’re going to write in that article of yours."

"Oh. Um, okay," Ava said, looking unsure.

The catgirl rolled her eyes. Well, let her be uneasy.

Maya didn’t intend to make a heroic charge into the enemy’s mist. Only dead men and heroes did that, and Maya had no intention of being either.

She closed her bag and swung it back on, rising before them. "Good. Now, let’s go."

Dinah and Arman stood, Ava hastily putting away her notebook as she joined them. With a last glance at the group, Maya slipped into the forest.

She could hear the others behind her, but both Arman and Dinah had been adventurers long enough that they could manage some degree of stealth.

What surprised the catgirl was how silently Ava could move, the elf barely making a whisper as she glided after the others through the leaves and brush.

Soon enough they came to the walls of the old fort, and Maya shook her head at the foolishness of goblins.

The torches they kindled did little more than blind the watchers to the dark, and the forest grew up practically right to the walls, shielding their approach. Goblins. Maya shook her head again.

By the moonlight, the hole in the wall seemed even more obvious, gaping like a jawbone filled with broken teeth.

Nimbly, Maya climbed it, reaching the hole and peeking through.

The courtyard was wide, the doorway into the keep wide open, the doors themselves rotted away decades ago. Crude totems rose here and there, scarecrow figures of painted wood, bone and tattered cloth.

Goblins lay about the grounds in small groups, a number napping, others polishing weapons or cooking things over the fires.

Maya scanned it once more to make sure none were paying attention, then carefully climbed over the edge and slid down the slope of broken stone, landing on the ground and ducking behind it.

She gestured above, and Arman and Dinah followed, Ava the last. The catgirl winced at the rattling of pebbles as the others came down, but there was nothing for it.

Fortunately, the goblins didn’t seem to have noticed. Too secure in their own place. Too content with their holding. Maya scoffed. Fools.

She stepped out from behind the rocks, beckoning the others to follow.

She never saw the tripwire strung about the slope, but she felt her foot hit it.

Clanging bells went off from a nearby watchtower. Like she’d kicked a hive the keep was suddenly a flurry of activity. Goblins screeched and jumped up in surprise. Every head swung towards them.

"Shit!" Maya cursed as an arrow slammed into the wood an inch from her head, vibrating. "It’s a trap!"

"Up the slope!" Dinah shouted, turning back to the wall, but there was no hope there.

Goblins were already racing along the wall, many carrying crude bows and torches, the flames sending shadows dancing as Maya looked about frantically.

"The keep!" Ava cried.

"Fuck!" Maya cursed, turning and rushing towards the open door.

More shouts came as the goblins realized what was happening, a swarm of the little greenskins pursuing. More arrows buzzed around them as the group ran for the doors.

Arman grunted, covering them with his body, the shield on his back vibrating as arrows thudded into it.

A goblin popped his head out of the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes a moment before Maya’s foot met his face, kicking him back inside.

She stepped over the stunned goblin, twisting around the thrusting spear of another, her dagger lashing out, cutting his throat with a flash of steel.

She took in the keep with a glance. A single doorway lay at the end of the ruined hall, piles of junk and fallen stone mounded the ground.

A ruined pedestal sported a broken throne, and everywhere were more goblins.

They sat up from bedrolls or turned from smoky cookfires, their yellow eyes wide in surprise. But it didn’t last, the greenskins jolting up as they grabbed spears and weapons.

"This way!" Maya cried, racing through and towards the distant doorway, throwing the goblins into disarray as she kicked and wheeled about.

More of the horde swarmed into the keep behind them.

Arman swung his sword from its sheathe, cleaving the first two who came for them. "Back!" he shouted, shield up as arrows thudded against it.

Maya was first through the doorway and down the steps, Ava close behind.

Arman grunted, forced back after them, his shield still high as goblin spears drove him back after them, arrows jutting from his armour.

Pitch darkness met them until Dinah said a word, conjuring a globe of light from her staff.

The steps descended into a dungeon, the rusting bars of cells grinning out at them. Behind lay tunnels dug deep into the earth in a maze of passages.

Maya stumbled to a halt, looking about them with shock. She’d never dreamed the goblin tunnels might be so extensive. "Where-" she gasped.

A figure suddenly lurched out of the largest opening.

Maya whirled to it, dagger ready, but her jaw dropped as she saw the beast rise before her, eyes gleaming in the dark. Big as a bull, misshapen muscles bulging up and down its form. Wiry, dark hair covered it and tusks jutted up from its jaw.

"Skrreeeeeooooonk!" the monster roared.

"Oh wow!" Ava said. "That’s a big pig!"

An arrow thrummed past Maya, cracking off the stone near her feet.

Arman retreated as, through sheer numbers, the goblins forced him back, pouring down the steps after them, hooting and screeching.

Maya didn’t have time. She grabbed a flash ball from her belt. "Eyes!" she shouted, closed her own eyes tight, and hurled the ball at her feet.

A blinding flash exploded from the balls, all the brighter for the darkness before. Screams of surprise came from the goblins. A howl from the beast that had come from the tunnel.

"Run!" Maya said.

She sprinted into the nearest opening, ducking past the monster and down into the darkness, her ears flat, tail flicking.

Her heart pounded with adrenaline as she ran blindly, taking twists and turns wherever they came.

When she finally slowed, there was no sound of pursuit.

She staggered a little and looked about herself, a sense of dread settling in her. Darkness surrounded her. The tunnels sprawled off in every direction.

She was lost.

Trapped.

And all alone.

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