The group gathered together. With Krug in the lead they entered the tower.

  Shadow cloaked most of the large, round room. Even with the daylight coming from above it still seemed dark. When the group was in the room they heard a loud yip.

  “Breleken!”

  From the shadows, bright red eyes appeared. There was a clang against Krug’s shield where an arrow hit it.

  “Goblins!” Krug said.

  The group readied their weapons. A chill worked through Cleave as he saw several pairs of eyes coming toward him. He could see very well in the low light, and from the looks of things, they were outnumbered at least four to one.

  “Luminos.” Krug bellowed. A bright white globe of light erupted from his hammer and blinded the goblins near him.

  Cleave didn’t have enough time to be impressed by his friend’s skill as two goblins were already on him. One lunged out with his sword and barely missed his hip. Another stabbed with a spear and missed him by inches.

  The elf swung with his dagger, but was easily parried by the goblins in front of him. The spear wielder pushed forward again and the elf dodged.

  He grabbed the shaft of the spear and pulled it toward him. He raised a foot and kicked the goblin in the face, knocking him down.

  Cleave shifted his weight and was able to dodge another blow from the goblin with a short sword.

  With the first goblin’s spear in hand, the elf thrust it toward the short sword wielder. The goblin knocked the first attack aside, but was not fast enough to stop another.

  The tip of the spear stabbed the goblin. It shrieked and stumbled to the ground. The other goblin he knocked down grabbed his leg. He looked up in time to see two smiling goblins loosing arrows at him. He fell to the floor and the missiles soared over him.

  He kicked free of the goblin and in one motion hopped to his feet. Cleave hurled the spear at one of the bow wielders. It missed, but they were shaken and stopped knocking their arrows. The unarmed goblin rushed the elf and socked him in the stomach.

  The wind was knocked from his chest. This goblin didn’t have much time to savor his victory as cleave drew and jammed his dagger underneath the goblin’s chin. Black blood dripped onto his hand when he pulled the dagger and stabbed the stunned goblin in the heart.

  The bow wielders recovered from their shock and were now ready to fire on Cleave again. Not knowing what else to do, he hefted the now dead body of the goblin nearest him and hurled it with all his strength at the bowmen.

  They stopped in mid shot and moved aside as their dead ally crashed into the wall. The goblins recovered quickly and knocked their arrows to fire again.

  Cleave didn’t have much time to react, he took off his satchel and threw it at one of the goblins. A goblin arrow sank into the satchel and it fell to the ground. The other goblin fired and the elf ducked low. The missile zipped over his head.

  He charged one of the goblins that readied a third arrow. He reached the goblins position in time to thrust his dagger at him. The little green creature danced out of range and drew back his bow. Before he was able to release the string a frying pan flew toward him. He ducked in time and it clanged against the wall.

  Cleave looked over to see his allies making quick work of the goblins. The ones that were surprised by Krug’s light spell lay still on the ground. The others fought desperately to get around the skilled half-giant, while the little kobold darted around her ally’s legs and stabbed any goblins foolish enough to lower their guard.

  Tarka must have thrown her beloved frying pan at the goblins to buy him time and Cleave wasn’t going to let it go to waste. He sprang toward the nearest goblin and grabbed the frying pan from the ground. His shoulder connected against the creature's chest and he tumbled to the ground.

  Cleave threw the frying pan and dagger at the other goblin as it let loose an arrow.

  The goblin’s arrow managed to clip the elf’s side. Cleave grunted. His status screen appeared and a few hit points ticked down. The dagger missed, but the frying pan’s handle smacked the goblin in the face.

  It created enough of a distraction for the elf to run forward, grab the goblin’s arm, and throw him to the ground. The bow he held was tossed to the side. Cleave quickly grabbed the frying pan and smashed the goblin in the face. A trail of black blood flowed down his nose.

  The other goblin had time to crawl over and grab his bow. He looked delighted when he picked it up, but the smile on his face was soon extinguished as Krug’s hammer connected with it. A shower of blood and teeth scattered across the floor as his head was reduced to mush.

  Tarka came over and slit the throat of the goblin Cleave hit with the pan. Krug and Tarka looted the bodies and they disappeared one by one into puffs of smoke.

  The kobold picked up her battered frying pan and sighed. “Even though I got you a nice dagger, you still have to insist on beating up my beautiful pan.”

  “You were the one who threw it,” Cleave said.

  “You were about to get shot. I had no choice.” Tarka huffed.

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, my satchel is ruined.” Cleave said as he pulled the arrow out of the fabric.

  “You should just get some rocks and throw them at the enemy. You’d be more effective in combat.”

  “Sad, but true.”

  Tarka patched up Cleave’s wound while he eyed the goblin weapons. He wanted to use one of their spears, but they were all broken. The other weapons were crude and not very serviceable. While they were busy Krug pointed to a trapdoor in the ground.

  “Hey guys, check this out.”

  He opened the trapdoor and it led to a small staircase underground. Before they had time to examine it, there was the sound of a warhorn outside.

  “Goblins?” Cleave asked.

  “Goblins.” The rest of the party replied.

  Cleave and Tarka rushed into the underground passage. Krug was slow to follow, having to squeeze himself together to fit in the small hole.

  The party ran down the steps two and three at a time. Tarka leapt down multiple steps while her friends took long strides. There was another blast of the warhorn and the sounds of booted feet slammed against the stone steps behind them. When they reached the bottom they came to an entrance of an old stone carved hallway.

  They ran down it and several pathways emerged. Together, they ran twisting around one corner and the other with the goblins close behind. Their breaths became short and stitches formed at their sides. Sweat formed in their eyes.

  Cleave wiped his brow. He wanted to stop, but the sound of the warhorn kept his legs pumping. His feet were not as light here as they were in the woods. The elf felt like he moved slowly, like molasses in winter.

  The party soon found themselves at a dead end. They turned back around and found themselves face to face with five goblins. The party readied their weapons and rushed forward. Krug screamed out a command word and blinded the goblins with a bright flash of light. They were brought down where they stood.

  There was quiet. The party stood in silence with the conjured globe of light floating in front of them. A creature screamed in the Goblin language and more footsteps came in their direction again.

  Another group of goblins rounded the corner and engaged the party. The first few that found them easily fell to Krug’s hammer, but more came. Many goblins rushed into the small corridor and pressed the party back.

  Elf, kobold, and half-giant fought desperately. They swung and stabbed with their weapons, their aching bodies protesting as they moved to the rhythm of the melee. Some of the goblins tried to flank the party, but failed to get around the quick kobold and lithe elf.

  Krug continued to swing his massive hammer. With each arc he managed to clear the area in front of him, usually cracking the skull of a goblin that got in his way. Their enemies took heavy losses, but continued to press. The goblins in the back rank screamed at their counterparts, bringing them into the battle.

  “Gods, we are screwed,” Cleave said.

  The three heroes were pushed back until they were near the back wall. The intensity of their attacks increased, allowing them to cut down more goblins in the process. Bow wielding goblins tried to hit them with their missiles, but in the wild melee, they were ineffective. They only managed to accidentally kill their own comrades or find Krug’s shield.

  There was a shout and some of the goblins in melee backed away. The bow wielders took a stance and knocked arrows.

  “They’re going to shoot us,” Tarka heaved. “We have to charge. Krug, blind them.”

  Krug yelled the command word to his spell. The first ball of light went out and a blinding blast of white light erupted in front of the bow wielding goblins. They brought their arms over their eyes.

  “Charge,” Tarka screamed.

  Krug surged forward, Tarka beside him. The half-giant swung his hammer, felling two goblins in his path. He raised his shield and slammed into a line of goblins, sending them toppling into each other.

  Tarka dashed around the half-giant’s legs, stabbing any of the goblins stunned in the wake of the half-giant’s charge.

  Cleave was about to join them when his back connected with a small switch in the wall. A stone panel slid open beneath his feet and he found himself falling.

  Tarka caught it out of the corner of her eye but continued to fight. She couldn’t afford to lose focus now.

  The goblins saw their comrades quickly fall to the hammer and dagger of the adventurers. They outnumbered their enemy, but the tight confines of the corridor made it difficult for them to use their numbers to their advantage.

  Seeing large numbers of their allies hit the floor brought the fear of the Gods into the goblins.

  “Retreat,” one of the goblins squealed in common.

  The goblins fled. Krug managed to slay a few more of the creatures before they disappeared from sight. When they were gone, the half-giant and kobold collapsed onto the floor and breathed heavily. Black blood soaked into their clothing.

  Krug sat, hair matted against his head, breath coming in short, pained gasps. His eyes darted around the magically lit corridor and he turned to Tarka.

  “Where’s Cleave?” He huffed.

  Tarka pointed toward the wall. “I think he activated a secret door or something.”

  “You think he’s dead?”

  Tarka shrugged. “Once I catch my breath, we’ll find out.

  SIXTEEN

  Cleave screamed as he fell down the dark chute. The little trapdoor above quickly fell away. As he fell he wondered what would happen when he hit the floor. Would it hurt, or would he just instantaneously respawn?

  A light appeared below him and the elf fell through a large square hole. He reappeared in a large domed cavern. He fell at full speed half way, then suddenly slowed. The elf slowly floated downward, as a feather on the breeze.

  The large, dome shaped room was crudely carved. Small sconces on the wall glowed red with the fires that burned in them. In the center of the room were four statues of goblins wielding weapons, facing toward a circle with an upside down star carved into the stone.

  On a dias, sat a small goblin in red robes. He watched Cleave descend until the elf’s feet lightly hit the floor. The goblin hopped off the dais and walked toward him.

  The elf’s attention was momentarily drawn away from the approaching goblin, toward a goblet resting in a small alcove in the wall, a few feet behind the dais. It was golden and encrusted with jewels. It glowed with a soft, white light.

  The little goblin cleared his throat and the elf turned toward him.

  “Ah, it seems my followers have brought me a sacrifice,” the robed goblin said.

  Cleave drew his dagger. “I don’t think so.”

  “That’s a shame,” the goblin said, “because I do.”

  The elf charged forward with his dagger. The goblin waved his hands and uttered a spell.

  Cleave threw his dagger at him, but it missed his target wide.

  The elf felt his muscles stiffen. His legs stopped moving and his arms were frozen in place. The goblin smiled when Cleave’s eyes widened in horror.

  He immediately knew what this was. It was a hold spell, magic that could freeze an enemy where they stood.

  The goblin smiled and turned toward the circle. He held up his small hands.

  “Agamash, come forth,” the goblin said “I have obtained a blood sacrifice for you.”

  The fires in the little sconces erupted. Small rays of flame shot toward the statues and they glowed a dark red. The circle erupted in bloody light and a large, red translucent figure fifteen feet in height, with the head of a goblin, body of a bull and feet of a goat, emerged.

  “Kafagel, why do you summon me?” The being asked in a booming voice.

  The robed goblin bowed low. His head nearly touched the floor. “I have called you forth to bring you a sacrifice.”

  The creature looked at Cleave and smiled. His teeth were as long as daggers. “Good. I grow hungry. Bring this creature to me so I may delight in his flesh.”

  Ice crawled in Cleave’s stomach. The creature pressed his fingers together and claws extended from the tips. A long, forked tongue emerged from its mouth.

  The elf took a step back and drew his arms into himself. Cleave’s eyes lit up and he moved his legs. He could move!

  A look of dismay came on the Goblin’s face. The red creature in the circle growled, “You fool. He is an elf. They are resistant to binding magics. Kill or subdue this offal another way and bring him to me.”

  Cleave took advantage of the goblin’s mishap and dashed forward. The goblin opened his hand and screamed a word in some arcane language.

  A flash of red light erupted in front of Cleave and slammed him in his chest. The darkness took hold on his chest and tore at his skin. He screamed.

  His status screen opened and a third of his hit points drained. He continued rushing toward the goblin and threw out a fist. The goblin brought up his hands and blocked the brunt of the blow.

  The creature reached in his robes and brought out a small black mace. Cleave rushed past the goblin and found his dagger. He picked it up and faced his opponent. The goblin grinned and threw another red bolt at him. This time it attached to his leg and scraped at his skin. Another third of his hit points were gone.

  Cleave staggered and his vision doubled. Blood seeped from his wounds. He hobbled forward with his dagger raised. The goblin opened his hand to cast another spell.

  If the spell went off he would be done for. Cleave hurled the dagger at the goblin.

  This time he had a clearer shot. The dagger hurtled end over end and struck the goblin on the cheek. The creature gripped the wound and howled as black blood spilled onto the goblin’s robes.

  Cleave hobbled forward and grabbed the Kafagel’s weapon arm. The goblin tried to pull away, but the elf’s grip was too strong.

  The elf threw the goblin to the floor and grabbed his imbedded dagger and withdrew it from the goblin’s face. The creature grabbed his arm and they began scuffling on the floor.

  Kafagel and Cleave rolled about on the floor, each trying to bring their weapon up to land a killing blow.

  The demon roared. “Give me flesh. I demand that my hunger be sated.”

  They rolled closer to the circle, each combatant not gaining advantage over the other. Cleave finally found an opportunity and elbowed the goblin in the face. The creature growled and dropped his mace.

  Kafagel grabbed the elf’s tunic and slid out from other him. He leapt from the ground and grabbed the elf’s neck from behind. Air was wrung from Cleave’s neck as the goblin strangled him.

  Cleave rose and struggled, but could not get the goblin off. Its small hands squeezed tighter around his neck.

  The elf’s ears began to ring and his vision grew hazy. He tried to pry the fingers off his neck, but the creature’s grip was strong. He had to get out of this. There had to be a way. His eyes fell on the statues around the circle and he had an idea.

  Cleave grasped the creature’s arms and ran backwards as fast as he could toward the statues. The goblin looked behind him and screeched when he found himself coming toward the stone. He tried to pull away, but the elf held him in place.

  There was a watery crunch as the creature’s head connected against the statue. The goblin fell to the floor.

  “Give me flesh,” the demon screamed.

  “My pleasure,” the elf said and threw the goblin toward the translucent being.

  “Good enough,” the demon said and his form fell upon the goblin.

  There was a scream as the goblin’s body snapped and twisted. Fire erupted from its chest and quickly spread across its body. The statues glowed with red, unholy light as the goblin’s body was consumed.

  In an instant, the glow enveloping the statues flickered out and the demon disappeared. The elf cautiously entered the circle. When nothing happened he hobbled up to where he threw the goblin. Nothing remained, save for a pile of smoldering ash.

  SEVENTEEN

  A light radiated in the corner of the elf’s eye. He turned from the place where the goblin fell and saw the goblet. A shimmering, white pulsating aura had formed around it. The light made the jeweled goblet look even more beautiful. In his mind he could hear the voices of angels singing. It was like this object was calling to him.

  He dragged his half-lifeless body toward it. He imagined how nice the cool metal would feel in his hands. He saw himself stroking the many jewels encrusted around the lip of the goblet.

  “Help!”

  A cry came from a corner of the cavern. Cleave turned toward the scream. It came from a figure chained to the wall. It reached out toward him.

  “Please, I beg of you, save me.”

  When he moved closer he could see the form more clearly. It was a woman. A green tank top covered prolific breasts and black shorts clung tightly to her curvy body. There was black fur on the back of her arms and forelegs. She tugged at her chain.

  “Please. I have been in this dungeon for so long. Take me away from here.”

 

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