To kill a Goblin Herd

[Arvis]

Arvis paced down the streets of Radasanth, with his mount Caillum following him at the side. He could hear his stomach grumble over the loud voices of merchants and noises of chariots. He had not eaten in three days, and it was not for the lack of trying. It has been slim pickings lately in the forest of Concordia when it comes to hunting, causing Arvis to return to the city. He did not mind, he longed for a real meal and a nice soft bed for at least one night. All he was missing, was the gold to pay for it. He approached a small bulletin board outside of the the Silver Pub that had all sorts of flyers attached to it. He saw one that caught his attention with the headline "MERCENARY WANTED! Gold reward for services rendered"

He ripped the flyer off of the board, and read the rest.

"Mercenary wanted for the extermination of a small Goblin force in the woods of Concordia. See Halen at the Silver Pub."

Arvis left Caillum outside the pub, not tying him up as he knew there was no need. His eyes adjusted themselves to the lack of light inside the pub, and he took a look around. Many adventurers around, drinking, socializing. Arvis made his way to the pub, and asked the bartender for Halen while handing him the flyer. The bartender made a pointing gesture to a door at the back of the inn that Arvis could barely see through the crowd of people. He entered the door to find a small office like room with a man named Halen sitting down at a desk.

"I'm hear about the mercenary job" Arvis stated as he pushed his hair behind his ear.

"Ah, good! It's a simple job...find these Goblins, and eliminate them. Their should only be a couple of them, nothing an experience adventurer couldn't handle. Those bastards keep ransacking my supply convoy's, costing me a lot of money." replied Halen.

Arvis chuckled, "That means your willing to pay a lot to fix the problem? How much are we talking?"

"Typical mercenary... that depends on the quality of the job! You will be handsomely rewarded. We will discuss it if- i mean, when you return." stated Halen.

"Very well, but it is already quite late. I request a free meal and a room for tonight."

"You got yourself deal" Halen replied, extending his hand to shake Arvis'.

------------

It was still dark when Arvis awoke the next morning, feeling like he had the best night's sleep he had in ages. He welcomed the soft bed and pillow after sleeping on the ground of the forrest for so many nights. He splashed some water onto his face, and began to prepare himself for this next adventure. He put on his armor, and his belt with his two scimitars at his sides. Arvis bent over and picked up his tomahawk off of the ground, sticking it into his belt behind his back. He threw his cloak on around his neck, grabbing his bow and quiver of arrows on his way out the door. He met up with Caillum outside, and placed his thing blanket on his back, and hopped onto him as the horse grunted and wagged its tail. Arvis whispered a few words into the ear of his companion, and they took off down the road towards the woods of Concordia, both of them barely visible in the dark night with their dark skin.

Once Arvis reached the city limits of Radasanth and breached into the woods of Concordia, he followed the supply road for a while, headding down the route highlited on his map supplied by Halen.

The sun was high in the sky now, but still not very visible through the thick tall trees of the woods, Arvis knew he was getting close. He slowed Caillum down to a slow quiet pace, and they got off the trail and moved about twenty feet into the woods, before taking a path parrallel to the road. A few moments later, Caillum's head twitched upwards as if he had heard something, and Arvis motioned him to stop so he could listen.

In the distance he could hear faint voices, some of them he could tell to be Goblins by their tone and slur's, and another voice to be, something else. Arvis motioned Caillum to sprint in the direction and they took off at a quick speed, occasionally dodging a few trees, causing Arvis to have to cover his face from branches. Arvis came to the top of a small hill, and he dismounted Caillum, to approach with stealth.

[Deadnight Warrior]

The morning greeted Artume with a biting wind. Though he and his trusted Nightmare, Valhalla, made good time as the horse of black flames carried them along the land, the human found himself wishing his cape was long enough to be wrapped about his body.

Black wisps of smoke trailing them, the warrior and his one true companion approached the edge of Concordia forest. Often did Artume Zauvir come to this place to reflect, to think, and to hunt. Today was only slightly different, in that he was avoiding contact with one Paulus Redge, a man Artume had begun some business with. One of them hadn't kept their end of the bargain, so fleeing was the only viable option for the moment.

Valhalla couldn't navigate the trees of the forest, already tired from his time outside of the adamantine figurine which was his home, so Artume dismounted him with the simple shift of a seasoned rider. "Thanks, friend," said the human, and the Nightmare evaporated into grey smoke that flowed gently into the statue.

He stood there for a moment, silently observing the adamantine thing. It was the perfect likeness of his noble companion. A hint of a smile crossed his face, one of few that would come in the day, and he dropped the statue into a secured pouch in his pants.

Concordia was bright with the sun cascading through the leaves, but Artume had no time to reflect on the beauty. He was moving quickly through the forest, pushing branches from his path to step forward, going deeper and deeper into the mystical greenery.

He eventually came to a clearing, a place where the sun shone unhindered through to the soil. The face of a small cliff was to his left, atop which he thought he saw some movement. From the cliff a small waterfall dropped, the beginnings of a small stream running through the center of the clearing. It was delightfully pleasant, but Artume was no fool. That movement above was a telltale goblin scout.

"Come out, goblinkin!" He called. "No use in trying to surprise me now."

Guttural chuckles rang out around him, as goblins appeared from the trees and bushes. They held crude bronze blades and wore no armor, like any typical goblin. Their confidence was obvious, but Artume was not worried.

"Hehehe! Give your gold to Smyvvverblinn now, and you may live!" Called a goblin unlike the others from atop the small cliff. He was orange, not green, and had a gruesome pair of prominent teeth jutting out from his lower jaw.

"Nay, goblin, I won't do that," said Artume in the most impressive goblin tongue he could muster. "But why don't I help you ransack the next caravan that comes through? Surely my services will be worth more than what little gold I carry."

"Gold!" Yelled the goblin, obviously not the representation of patience. Pointing forward with his curved sword, it screamed. "Take gold! Kill human!"

Artume sighed. He was greatly outnumbered, twenty goblins and only one of him, and Valhalla was too tired to be summoned again so soon. He'd either need to fight or run.

[Arvis]

Arvis poked his head through some bushes at the top of the hill he was crawling up, and was now finally in view of what all the commotion was about. He was shocked to see what must of been at least 20 goblins circling a human.

So much for a "few" goblins...

Arvis proceeded to kneel on his right knee, not extremely worried about remaining unseen anymore, the human was doing a good job of keeping their attention. He heard him try and talk his way out of the mess this man got himself in, he certainly seemed to have a witty tongue, but it was of no use. Goblins are only interested in one thing, profit. Unfortunately for them, so was Arvis on this warm afternoon in the woods of Concordia. Arvis quickly began to weigh his options in his head, pondering the best course of action. He could just sit and watch, hoping that the human takes out a least a few of them before his demise, making Arvis' job a little easier. Arvis could also sneak up on them from behind, and take out at least two of them right away before they even noticed his presence, then proceed to help the human. Even with the help of the human, who for all Arvis knew could be some amateur adventurer who could barely handle two goblins at once, it would not be an easy fight against 20 of them.

Arvis made up his mind, and deep down he knew he could not just watch this other adventurer get ripped to shreds and do nothing about it. He quickly dashed a few feet down the embankment, then leaped onto the trunk of one of the medium seized trees, and began to climb it. He reached a large section of branches that extended out towards the group of Goblins, and carefully dashed along it. He was just a few feet away from the southern part of the circle the goblins had formed around the human when he reached the end of the branches. Realizing the goblins were about to pounce, Arvis made his move,leaping off the large branch towards the goblins. In mid air with his forrest green cloak blowing in the wind behind him, Arvis reached to his sides and unsheathed his two scimitars and pointed them downwards on his target. Goblins on the other side of the circle pointed and screemed to warn their comrades but it was too late, as both edges of Arvis' blades pierced through the skulls of two Goblin's, dropping them to the ground immediately, and Arvis crouching from his landing. He looked over at the human, giving him a wink.

"Need a hand?"

[Deadnight Warrior]

"Gold? What good do goblins have for gold?"

Even Artume's continued attempts to sway the goblins did not make a dent in their resolve. They wanted gold, that much was obvious enough, and it seemed as if they would settle for nothing less than everything the human was carrying. He thought briefly to take Valhalla's figurine from his pocket and throw it into the stream, dreading the creature to be captured by some idiot monster. But he didn't... Just in case.

He breathed deep, drawing Ruin and Dispatcher from their scabbards at his belt. Artume did not enjoy battle with goblins, nor any other race, really, and would have preferred to talk his way out of the fight. He needed his gold, however, and couldn't simply hand it over and leave himself poor. The man needed shelter from the night sky, after all, and a night at the Inn was not free.

The combined chuckles of the goblins died suddenly, as screams from Artume's left brought his attention to the monsters in that direction, who were pointing and screeching. The human's deep blue eyes observed as dark warrior came from the very sky, his curved blades cutting through the very bone of the skulls of two goblins.

Artume laughed at his question. "What do you think?" He asked affably, bursting to his right to take on the goblins there, all of which still seemed shocked at the drow's appearance. Artume was, too, of course, but it was either accept the help or not.

His blades worked quickly, Ruin darting forward to pluck the throat from a stout green creature, Dispatcher cutting right, just over the head of another. Artume threw Ruin under his other blade in a deceptive lunge that changed his direction completely, puncturing the chest of the goblin that was fortune enough to avoid Dispatcher.

Four goblins of twenty were down, and Artume could feel his adrenaline pulsing, yet there were many of the creatures left and only two men to fight against them. The human wasn't quite confident in their chances, but knew there was no choice for now but to fight. He hoped the drow was as skilled as his kind was rumored to be.

[Arvis]

Arvis looked at his now comrade in arms for a second, watching him dash to the side, and a small grin of relief came across Arvis' face. It seemed like the human had some sort of skill, but Arvis did not have time to judge as the two goblins leaped towards him, unsheathing their blades with the most furious warcry a goblin could muster.

The Dark Elf quickly jumped up to his feet, withdrawing his scimitars from the skulls of the dead goblins. The first goblin to reach Arvis lunged at him with his blade pointing for Arvis' torso. Arvis used the blade in his right hand which was pointing down towards the ground, made a quick movement to his right knocking the goblin's blade to the side. Arvis used his momentum from the move to put himself into a spin as he saw the second goblin about to reach him, this one with his blade being held higher up. Halfway through Arvis's spin with his cloak following him lagging behind, Arvis ducked down as the goblin attempted a horizontal slash for the dark elf's neck. As Arvis came around in his spin, he pointed his right scimitar upwards, using his momentum to pierce it into the chest of the goblin. Arvis was again now kneeling down, with the wait of the goblin on top of him, but Arvis did not have the time to toss him aside as the goblin he had dodged was leaping towards him with an overhead slash of his sword. Arvis held his left scimitar perpendicular to the oncoming goblin blade, causing the two blades to clash. The dark figure then pushed the weak goblin's blade to his left side. With his now freed scimitar, Arvis maneuvered it upwards diagonally slashing the exposed throat of the goblin. Arvis pushed the goblin that was still impaled on his blade down to the ground, withdrawing it from his corpse, feeling some excitement for the first time in a while. His excitement was short lasted as he stood and turned to see four more goblins sprinting towards him.

What have I gotten myself into...

[Deadnight Warrior]

The advantage of surprise was gone. Artume wished there had been just a moment more of it. Fourteen versus two, now, and it wasn't looking good.

Dispatcher whipped across the air in front of the warrior, fending off the goblin advance for a moment, and then Artume turned toward the treeline and sprinted. Fighting more than one goblin out in the open was suicide, now that the little green monsters were formulating a real attack plan. Half followed, half remained to deal with the drow.

"Hehehe!" Cried the creatures as they took flight after him, though their stubby legs could not match the reach of the human's.

He swung around a tree and then another, purposely putting himself through random movements in an attempt to confuse the horde that followed. But these goblins, though not remarkably smart or swift, followed. They lived in the forest, and wouldn't be detained by such simple attempts to escape.

Artume broke back into the clearing and waited as the goblins came out of the forest after him. They were a little more seperated now, some of the beasts slower than others, and the human used this to his advantage.

He drove forward, sending both Dispatcher and Ruin in a spiral to strike at the first goblin that emerged, taking it in the chest. Artume quickly pulled his weapons back, getting control just in time to parry the strike of a crude bronze sword. He stepped backward to try and back off, but another pair of goblins were upon him, both slashing low. The warrior dipped both blades down to parry, but then a glancing blow caught him in the arm.

"Fuck," he cursed, struggling not to drop Ruin as he dealt with the pain. The goblins pressed, as all of them were now back in the clearing. Artume surprised them by driving forward, pushing through the weak line they'd made and turning to slash at the backs of two. They fell, screaming, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

[Arvis]

Arvis jumped to his feet, trying to think of a way to defend against the four oncoming goblins, when he saw Artume dash into the woods with several goblins following trying to keep up, and thought his partner had the right idea. Arvis turned around and sprinted out of the clearing and into the thick woods in the opposite direction of Artume, with several goblins persuing him. Their stubby legs were no match for the speed of Arvis' agile figure. It could probably be possible for Arvis to just continue running from this fight, but that was not going to get him paid. With more and more distance being put between himself and goblins, Arvis had time to come up with a plan now. He stopped and turned to catch his breath, listening to the sounds of cracking branches and bushes as the goblin's began to catch up. Arvis looked up and saw the large heavy branch extending overhead from a nearby tree, finally coming up with a plan.

Four goblins were now in sight of Arvis, with who knows how many following in the distance. The Dark Elf held out his two scimitars, crossing them in front of his chest. Timing was going to be very crucial for his maneuvre. As the goblins began to prepare to pounce onto Arvis with their dull blades, Arvis raised his arms and his focus to the large branch that was hanging overhead. He had not used this skill for more then starting camp fires or lighting torches in a long time, but he had no choice now as he needed all the help he could get in this fight. The goblins were now just a dozen feet away from Arvis running in a 2 by 2 format, as Arvis' crimson eyes began to light up. A fireball emerged the end of Arvis's hands and blasted forward connecting into the large branch above them. A small explosion erupted on impact, and the branch came crashing down below, crushing the first two goblins into the dirt. The second two goblin's were too far behind to be hit by the branch, but in their haste and in a full sprint, they tripped the branch and their fallen comrades, hurling them over the branch face first into the dirt. Arvis quickly took advantage, leaping forward and driving his blades into the backs of the last two enemies who were laying on their stomachs.

Arvis stood looking to see if any other's had followed him, but all he could see was shrubs and bushes shaking around in the distance. The Dark Elf began to make his way back to the clearing, hoping to see his partner still alive.

[Deadnight Warrior]

"Stops it!!" Came a cry from above, and the goblin attack ceased. Artume, ready to defend, looked up the cliffside to see the goblin leader holding his arms up and with an expression of horror on his face. "Takes your stupid gold then!"

With that, the orange creature turned about and went into the green forest behind him. Artume looked in front of him again to see the rest of the goblins begin to follow their leader, yet they all eyed him as they left. Evidently, the orange one wanted to spare the lives of the rest of his troupe in order for them to continue their thieving ways. Artume didn't mind, as long as he was no longer involved.

He laid a hand on his pouch of gold, feeling it still there, and he was relieved. Without it, he'd be forced to rely on hunting, and Artume was no confident hunter.

Without a word of complaint about his arm wound, which looked pretty bad, the human approached the reappearing Drow after plucking a huge leaf from a nearby tree, using it to clean his swords. "I'd be dead, dark one, without your help," he said. "For that, I thank you. Were I a richer man, your pouch would be filled to the brim with platinum, and your stomach satisfied. Alas, I am not, and you must settle for my simple word of thanks."

With that, the human sat atop a large boulder by the stream running through the clearing, sheathing his swords after a quick inspection. With the goblins gone, hopefully for good, he was content to take his time in moving and tending to his wound. He washed it first, then used a portion of his own sleeve to tie around the cut. It didn't feel very good, but it would have to do until proper treatment was available.

"Are you passing through the forest? If so, we can travel together, in case some other... Troubles arise."

[Arvis]

Arvis made his way back into the clearing just in time to see the backs of goblin's and their leader retreating from the fight. In a way he was releaved, the battle was over, he could rest for a moment, but he knew his task was not over. If he let some of them live, then they would resume their assaults on the cargo convoy's on their way to Radasanth, and he would not get paid, making this whole adventure a waste of time. Arvis' attention was turned to the human who he had fought alongside.

"No need for thanks, I am just glad that you are a skilled swordsman, if not we could both be lying lifeless at the moment."

Arvis followed the human a few steps to the small stream. He laid one of his scimitars on the grass, while dunking the blade of the other into the water, trying to rinse off the blood of his fallen enemies. After most of it was gone, Arvis tore off a large leaf of his own from a nearby bush, drying and whiping down the scimitar, sheating it when done, and repeating for his other weapon. Arvis watched Artume tend to his wound, knowing that they were both lucky that that was the only injury the two had escaped with.

"I am actually not just passing through. I was hired to exterminate the herd of goblin's we just encountered. Of course, when I accepted the mission I was led to believe there was only a few foul creatures..." Arvis said while taking a seat in the grass next to the boulder Artume was occupying.

"Therefor I must pursue them to finish the job, but who knows what other reinforcements they could have. You seem to be quite experienced in the ways of battle, I could use your help. I would split the reward with you, of course. If not, then I suppose we must part ways" With that, Arvis stood to his feet, and held his hand out to the human before he could come up with a response.

"Ah yes, where are my manners?! My name is Arvis Quesnel"

[Deadnight Warrior]

"Arvis," Artume repeated, looking up at the Drow from his seat atop the boulder. He didn't bother to stand as he grabbed the elf's hand and shook it. "Artume Zauvir."

He considered the idea of going along with him, pursing his lips and staring into the stream of water in front of them. He could use the gold, that was for sure, but it was possible that it was a suicide mission Arvis wanted him to come along for. A trio of goblins was one thing, but Artume was certain they would have perished if the goblin leader hadn't decided to cut his losses.

Which was strange in his eyes, suddenly. If he had the chance to win, why did the goblin leader flee? If nothing else, it signified that he didn't have any other goblins under his reign. Killing them couldn't be that difficult, and who knew, maybe Arvis was getting paid a hefty sum. Half of that would certainly be nice.

"Alright, I'll travel alongside you. If nothing else, it'll ease my worries the next time I pass through this forest."

With that, he stood, feeling somewhat relieved. Passing through Concordia alone was never something he was up for. Meeting Arvis was a sheer twist of good luck.

[Arvis]

"Artume...pleasure to meet you." Replied Arvis as the two shook hands. Arvis bent down in front of the stream, scooping water in his hands up to his mouth to drink. He then quickly stood up, realizing that in all the action, he had forgotten about his mount. Arvis looked back towards the hill at one end of the clearing as he raised his hand to his mouth and let out a loud whistle. Caillum, the black stallion then made his way over the hill, his white tail wagging back in forth, hadding to the stream for a drink of his own.

"Artume, meet my companion Caillum, Caillum, this is Artume" Arvis said as Caillum let out a grunt.

The Dark Elf began to walk away from the stream and westward into the woods, gesturing for Artume to follow. The three of them walked at a calm pace under the shade of the large and old trees, with random rays of sunshine piercing through their cover. Arvis began to think of a new plan as he listened to the sound of the leaves blowing and Caillum's heavy breathing. A few minutes later, he began to speak to Artume.

"We can attempt to pursue and catch up to them, but we'd be wasting a lot of our own strength in the process, and we would most likely loose the element of suprise." Arvis spook out loud.

"The next cargo convoy headding to Radasanth is tonight, the goblin's would not pass up the oppurtunity of a defenseless convoy passing through these woods at night. There is a specific part of the road that narrows for a short distance while it passes through a heavy area of the woods, forcing the caravans of the convoy to proceed one after another instead of side by side. This is the point where the goblin's will probably hit the caravan, and I think this is our best chance. They will be distracted with ransacking the cargo, that's when we make our move. What do you think, Artume?" Arvis then turned his head to his new companion, awaiting his reply.

[Deadnight Warrior]

Artume found the perfect spot behind Caillum's ear to scratch. It was Valhalla's most itchy place as well, always setting his tail to swaying. "Delightful beast," he said, a very slight smile on his face.

With that, they began their trek through the forest. It didn't take long for Arvis to suggest a plan of action, and the more he spoke, the more pleased Artume became. It sounded better than anything he could have thought up, under the circumstances, and Arvis conveniently knew a lot about the way the caravans did their business in the night. "Aye, it sounds perfect. Like something out of an adventure tale."

Unfortunately for them, it was still rather early in the morning, pre-noon and still with that unfavorable nip of cold in the mist. That was a lot of time to kill until nightfall. "Do you have any ideas of what we can do until then?" He asked. "I figure that we have hours until the sun descends, and unless we happen upon a Rootwalker, Concordia isn't the most exciting of places."

A biting wind tore through the trees, chilling the human. He brushed off the cold and brought his cape around his arms, trying to warm himself. "Unless, of course, you fancy a game of Stones when we reach our destination," he said with a grin. He was a master of the intricate game.

[Arvis]

"Stones...? You will have to instruct me on how to play." Arvis replied, hoping this game did not involve gold, as he was not much of a gambling man. The two continued on through the woods, with Caillum at the Dark Elf's side. Every now and then Arvis would reach into his back pocket and pull out the map that his employer had supplied him with. He could see Artume peeking at the map with curiousity, causing Arvis to chuckle.

"The person who hired me gave me this map, and all the information on the route of their cargo. Pesky creatures, those goblin's are." Said Arvis while ducking to dodge a branch in their path. He strolled through the trees clutching to his cloak as if it were a blanket, trying to keep warm in this peaceful place. He always enjoyed the woods of Concordia, the air was always fresh, the tree's always colorful. This place also held a special place in his heart since it was the location where Arvis met his only friend, the trustful stallion. The two were very alike in appearance, both with dark skin, and both with white and silver hair.

"So tell me Artume," questioned Arvis, "What is it exactly you were doing out in these woods all alone?"

[Deadnight Warrior]

That wouldn't be a problem, Artume thought, going over the rules of the game in his head. Stones was a simple came that required skill, but it was no board game of tactics. It was pure action, and very simple, yet he enjoyed it immensely.

But now was not the time. If anything, Artume wanted to make it to their destination before they began to waste time. Thankfully, Arvis seemed to feel the same way as he did not press the issue. His boots crushed the fallen branches below, and the man's hand suddenly went to Valhalla's figurine. He missed his horse.

Arvis then posed a question. The Zauvir pondered it for a moment, knowing it was a legitamite question, likely one he would ask himself. "Well," he began, his chest heaving as he took in a cool breath. "Some time ago, I decided Radasanth was a tiresome place to live my life. I've become restless. The town is too peaceful, too bland, and I need some excitement and change. I'd be lying if I said this was not an excellent start to that."

"But still, as we trudge along here, I'm not sure I want to leave. Where would I go, anyway? Raiaera? Alerar? Fallien or Salvar? These places will undoubtedly be uncomfortable or dangerous, and I know that, yet I still want to go. I need to experience new, fantastic things. I need to grow."

With that, he laughed. It was a strange explanation, he supposed, however true it was. Hoping to quickly change the subject, he asked Arvis a quick question. "Why did you leave Alerar?"

[Arvis]

Arvis cringed inside when he heard the question, his heart skipping a beat. Alerar, he repeated to himself inside. It had been many years now from the point of view of a human, but for Arvis, it would never be a forgotten past. Many of his dreams were haunted by the screams of the fallen Elves. How many had been slain thanks to his work? The other question that Arvis continuously ponders is what his father must think...Does he remember his son as a fallen spy and hero among their people, or does he try to forget about his son the deserter?

Arvis' attention was pulled back to the present with Artume clearing his throat, undoubtedly noticing Arvis drift away into thought.

"My appoligies, Artume. I left Alerar long ago..." Arvis stuttered for a second, "For a pilgrimage!" Exclaimed the Dark Elf, speaking the first excuse that came to his mind. He was not going to tell the truth to a stranger, knowing his reaction would not be friendly if Artume was told by some stranger that they had left their home because their actions led to the deaths of many Elves and Dark Elves alike, and he flee'd Alerar in guilt.

"I think we are almost there!" Exclaimed Arvis, attempting to change the topic.

The two adventurers marched through a few thick brushes and were now in sight of the road, it was just as Arvis had pictured it. This section of the road was narrow, and had dense trees and vegitation running along both sides that made for excellent camouflage for the goblin's.

"They will most likely wait until all wagon's are inside this passage. The most logic plan of attack for them would be to either immobilize the first and last wagon's, or block off the entrance and exit, leaving them no where to run" Arvis said while pointing at the entrances to this narrow section.

[Deadnight Warrior]

Artume Zauvir was no fool. Really, he was about as perceptive as a human could get. Arvis' excuse did not fool him, but neither did he desire to press the issue. If the drow wanted to keep his reasons to himself, that was just fine. The conversation would suffer, but it was no issue Artume could not deal with.

Finally, they came to the road in question, where the caravan would pass by later in the night. It was a deep, well-used path of dirt, with thousands upon thousands of wheel grooves buried in the mud, showing Artume just how commonly the road was used. Few branches leaned in from the treeline, since travelers likely snapped them off when they grew too long. It was a great spot for an ambush, though, seeing as the two sides of the road were on a higher elevation that the road itself, and the trees did a good job of hiding them.

"Makes sense," he said in response to Arvis' speculation. "If they're smart, they'll have a condensed force down the middle, as well, to drive wedges through any force the soldiers of the caravan can muster. But they're goblins, so I doubt we need to worry about any advanced tactics."

With that, the human removed his belt and laid it on a nearby boulder, draping his swords there as well. He pulled his pants up just a bit and then sat in the earth, pushing his back against the face of the rock until he felt some measure of comfort. "So now we wait," he stated.

Putting his chin into the palm of his hand, Artume thought for only a moment before speaking up again. "Do you happen to have any food?"

It was midday now, still several hours before dark, and the human had not eaten. He could certainly go on without a meal, but if he was going to fight goblins, being comfortable would certainly help. Some nutrients might help him fight off the pain in his arm, as well.

[Arvis]

As Arvis heard the inquiry from his companion, he realized that he had not eaten since the night before. He was too distracted by the adrenaline of the battle, and the socializing with his fellow adventurer. It had been a while since Arvis had any sort of meaningful conversation with an actual person, let alone an entire days worth.

He walked over to a pouch strapped to Caillum's, reaching inside and fiddling around until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a small loaf of bread that was wrapped in a cloth, unraveling it and holding it out towards Artume.

"This is all I have left, hence the need for this quest. Hunting has been rather slim pickings in these woods lately."

Arvis walked over to a large tree across from the boulder Artume had occupied, kicking away some twigs and branches before reaching behind his back and withdrawing his bow and quiver of arrows, placing it on the ground then taking a seat with his back against the tree, facing Artume. He began to munch on the remaining of the bread that the human had left for him.

When he was finished his finished his meal, Arvis noticed a few pebbles on ground next to him. He picked one up, tossing it in the air a few times before tossing it over to Artume.

"So what is this Stones you were speaking of?"

[Deadnight Warrior]

Artume took the loaf of bread without a word of thanks, cracking it into two large chunks and handing half to the drow as he sat down. The human bit into the hard food, finding it a bit tasteless, but not bothering to complain. It gave him energy, and that's what really mattered.

He let his eyes drift over to his arm, wrapped in a strip of the cloth from his shirt. It was wet and getting limp, this makeshift bandage, and the wound was getting worse. Artume was worried of infection, and heading back into town was still an option...

Arvis interrupted his thoughts as he tossed a stone up and down. The question snapped Artume back into reality, and remembering the game, he chuckled. Scooping up a half-dozen stones from the ground next to him, the human shook his hand to move them around his palm. "Stones, my elven friend," he said slowly, "is a game of my childhood. The simplicity of the game will reflect that, but it's a powerful time waster."

"The rules are very easy. First, you throw a stone at some surface, like this tree in front of us. Then I need to hit the stone before it hits the ground, using my own stone. If I hit, then we switch."

He paused for a moment, laughing at the simplicity of the game. "Of course, when we were children, if you did not hit a stone in five tried, your opponent got to throw the next one at you. In retrospect, it wasn't very swift of us."

The human could not longer stifle his laughter, but held a hand over his mouth as it took him over. It reminded him of his youth, before it had been so ruined.

His laughter stopped as he eyed his blade, named Ruin, as it dangled to his left. The sword signified his dark past.

"So, care to try a game?"

[Arvis]

Arvis raised an eyebrow questioningly towards Artume and his game. He wondered what it was like to have friends and pointless games as a child. While watching Artume burst out into laughter, Arvis realized that everything he had ever done in his life was always so serious and never for enjoyment. He searched his memory and he could once recall ever having any friends or games as a child. From the day he was born, he was raised and trained to be a pawn in the army of his homeland, at the hands of his father's every command.

"Very well then..." Arvis said hesitantly as he reached to his side and picked up a few stones. "You may toss first." said the Dark Elf politely.

Artume then tossed a stone up in the air, Arvis eyeing it closely. Arvis then pitched his stone at the target, but it was a clear miss, causing his human friend to laugh even more. Artume picked up another stone and repeated his toss, but it was of the same end result with Arvis missing and Artume laughing. Dozens of stones later Arvis still had not hit his target, and was beginning to show frustration.

"Let's just switch" he snarked to Artume.

On Arvis' first toss, Artume hit his stone with ease, clearly not helping the Dark Elf's frustration.

The two proceeded to play this simple game for hours, exchaning conversation back and forth between throws while the sun moved overhead and began to set. As darkness began to creep upon them, Arvis stood and began to stretch his arms and legs. He walked over to Caillum who was lying down not too far away, placing the cloth he had taking out with the bread back in the pouch, and his hand came out holding a long rope. He motioned the stallion to stand while petting him a few times.

"Off you go now, you don't want to be around for this" Said Arvis to Caillum, who replied with a groan and then calmly walked away from the road and it's embankment.

Arvis extended his hand towards Artume, helping him up off of his boulder, then walking towards the road to study it some more. Across the road there was a large tree that had many branches extending out overtop of the dusty path.

"We should take cover, who knows what time the goblin's will arrive" stated Arvis as he walked back towards the tree he had been sitting against to pick up his bow and quiver of arrows that were lying on the ground. Arvis proceeded to walk down the small embankment and onto the road, crossing to the other side.

"Tell me Artume, in all your time having fun as a child, did you ever climb trees?" Arvis asked while chuckling a few times as he grabbed hold of the large tree he was eyeing from across the road, and began to climb.

[Deadnight Warrior]

"Can't say that I did, Arvis," replied the human. The long game of Stones had reminded him of some things, his childhood friends and life with his parents. It had also made him just a bit more aware of what they were about to engage in. Goblins were no formidable foes unless they were in great numbers. It was possible that he could die here, and as much as he tried not to think of it, he could not easily put the thoughts out of his mind.

"It looks like you've got the aerial watch covered anyway," he said, putting his hands on his hips and dismissing the idea of climbing. "It looks like all that's left is to wait."

With that, Artume made his way down the side of this side of the treeline. With Arvis in the tree above, it was in their best interest for the human to swing around. When the drow attacked with an arrow, Artume would descend upon the area in the back, cutting off any escape the goblins could look for. Their objective was, after all, to exterminate them. Artume didn't mind.

A few minutes passed, with nothing but the chirping of the birds to occupy him. Eventually though, in the distance, he could hear the approach of wagons. The steady creak of wooden wheels among the forest's typical ambience, it was unmistakable indeed. To his left, a goblin approached the road tentatively. Artume retreated into the brush, but there was no need, as the silly thrall was too focused on the task at hand to notice him.

The caravan passed by below. Three horse-drawn wagons with male drivers, likely with a guard or two each on the insides to go along with the cargo. Artume felt for the horses, which would surely be the first to go in the coming melee, but there was simply nothing he could do.

Quicker than the human would have anticipated, a gurgling flurry of gutteral screams rose up in Concordia, and the road was flooded by the sudden appearance of goblins. Six from one side, six from the other, they did exactly as Artume had predicted, slaying the horses of the first and last carriages first so that escape was impossible. Humans scrambled from the wagons to fight the small green creatures, desperate to defend themselves and one another.

Then, across the way, on the rising treeline, Artume saw the orange leader of the goblins emerge, its eyes locked downward at the chaos.

"Goblinkin and Goblinoid alike have no place in Concordia!" He bellowed, rising from his place of hiding and drawing both blades. Tension rising, Artume leapt onto the downward slope of dirt and rode it downward, his feet gliding against the grassy and mud. He landed before a goblin, and had to quickly parry a high strike and then move past, getting on solid footing.

[Arvis]

Arvis shrugged his shoulders as his partner decided not to join him in the tree, and continued with his climb. He past the first few set up branches and kept climbing until he found a thick one that extended out over the road. He proceeded across the branch one foot in front of the other while grabbing onto pieces of the tree to keep his balance. When he was half way to the end of the branch, he sat down with his legs on each side, taking the rope off of his shoulder. Arvis wrapped the rope around the branch a few times before tying it as tight as he could, then pulling up the remainder of the rope. Arvis lifted himself to his feet again and began to carefully walk back towards the trunk of the tree. Watching his step was becoming more difficult now as the sun was setting and it was getting darker by the minute. Arvis moved lower down the trunk a few more feet until he found a solid branch that had a clear view of the road.

"Perfect", he thought to himself as he prepared himself. He made sure there was no obstruction in his rope, as it was now tied to a branch that was higher then where he was, and several feet further above the road, hooking his end on some branches next to him. The Dark Elf reached behind and pulled his bow off of his back, then grabbing arrow and holding them both in the same hand for now. The only thing to do now was wait.

It was a windy night, the leaves blowing back and forth around Arvis, giving him the chills. With his dark skin and equipment, he was almost invisible in the cover of the tree. Every now and then he would look down the side of the road to peek on Artume, making sure he was as prepared as Arvis was. Moments later he saw Artume's head suddenly twitch and stare down the road, then look back towards Arvis. Seconds later Arvis could hear what startled his companion, the sound of the caravan coming down the road. No more then a moment later, Arvis spotted movement to the left of Artume, with branches and shrubs moving about, then he spotted a goblin. Arvis notched his arrow in his bow, preparing for the battle. He heard the sound breaking twigs on the ground below him, and he could see two goblin's passing by right under his feet. Arvis watched the caravan as the three wagons moved perfectly into the trap, one after another. As soon as the second wagon was now in front of Arvis, the evening sounds of the forrest were subdued by the loud warcry's of the goblin's as they pounced on their target, flanking them with six on each side.

Arvis prepared his bow and was about to fire when he noticed there was one goblin standing next to the tree below him, undoubtedly a guard just in case. The Dark Elf pointed his bow downwards upon the goblin who was almost directly below him, releasing an arrow that pierced straight into the top of the goblin's skull, dropping the creature to the ground in a mere second, making no sound at all. Arvis quickly reached below him pulling out another arrow and preparing to fire again. He could see Artume to the side surfing down the edge of the embankment and diving straight into the swarm of the battle. A goblin appeared behind Artume as he was distracted while exchanging blows with a few other enemies. Arvis quickly shift to his side and fired his at the goblin who was preparing to attack Artume from behind. The arrow soared through the air and into the right thigh of the goblin making it fall to the ground clutching his leg.

It was much to cluttered now for Arvis to get a clear shot on any enemy. Between the guards, merchants and Artume, he could of struck an innocent, so he threw his bow over his back and grabbed the end of the rope that was resting next to him. Arvis wrapped the rope around his left forearm before clutching it tightly in his left palm as he withdrew a scimitar with his right hand. Trying not to hesitate, Arvis leaped off the branch and hurled towards the ground. He swooped down coming just a few feet away from the ground headding right of the second caravan. As he passed over the road, Arvis came ontop of a goblin from behind, slashing him upwards with his scimitar, cutting deep into the goblin's back. Arvis was now approaching the end of his swing as in pulled him upwards in front of the wagon. Arvis was right above the wagon when he let go of the rope and fell a few feet to the roof of the wagon. Unfortunately for Arvis, he did not notice that the roof of this wagon was made of a cloth type material, and he fell right through it and into the wagon. He clutched his back inside the wagon after the hard landing, but shook off the pain as he stood up, withdrawing his weapons preparing to exit the wagon into the havoc outside.

[Deadnight Warrior]

Another parry, and Artume was scrambling to defend himself from a trio of the green fiends. He hadn't thought out his attack well enough, and the result of his carelessness was standing before him, in the shape of some leathery beasts. Something whizzed past him, bringing a screech from behind as the arrow pierced goblin flesh. Without looking back at him, Artume raised Dispatcher in a salute of thanks.

Then the goblins came on, all three at once. Their teamwork was remarkable for such... low-brow creatures, but Artume had the advantage in size and strength, not to mention technique. He parried blades coming from both his left and right, using both Dispatcher and Ruin, and drove his leg forward to catch the middle goblin in the center of his chest, throwing the short monster backward into one of the wagons.

Artume, rather than falling back to deal with the two goblins, drove forward to send Ruin through the throat of the stunned one, pinning it to the wood of the wagon. The human needed to use his foot for leverage to pull the sword back out, but whirled around just in time to slap aside a sloppy strike from one of the goblins.

A guard rushed to his side, pressing one of the goblins until it split from it's companion, leaving Artume to deal with the leftovers. The goblin came forward fearlessly, foolishly, with an overextended lunge. The human didn't bother to deal with the bronze sword, stepping around it and dragging Dispatcher behind him, decapitating the creature before its attack was even finished.

The guard, meanwhile, fell backward as a goblin fell on top of him, ready to drive its sword downward. At that precise moment, another goblin rounded the nearby wagon and came at Artume. Rather than risk his life for the man who had just aided him, the human met the coming goblin head-on, batting its blade back and forth as the creature desperately parried. A sickening scream came from behind him, but Artume was too consumed with what he was doing to care.

A couple of attacks later and the goblin was against the wagon, next to the fallen body of its comrade. Artume pressed his attack as furiously as possible, until his arms were numb, then finally found the opening he needed to drive Dispatcher through and into the goblin, dropping it.

He turned quickly. A goblin with a bloodied blade was approaching wildly, fresh from killing the guard on the ground. In a frenzy, the green monster struck hard, scoring a blow against Artume's side. He fought it off with a growl, coming back with equal feroceity. The goblin backed up as Zauvir pressed, but seemed too hesitant considering its initial attacks.

A moment later, Artume knew why. Behind him, another goblin was approaching to flank him. He adjusted so that he could see them both, and pressed his back against the wagon, feeling the goblin corpses at his feet. He parried desperately, then dove forward into a roll, turning about on his knees to face the two goblins. They came forward, yet again, blades swinging, and Artume noticed something unsettling.

One of them was orange.

((Five of twelve down))

[Arvis]

Two goblin's dashed towards Arvis one after another before he even had time to step off the edge of the wagon. Arvis gripped the hilts of blades tightly waiting for the last second before the first goblin reached him. The fiend lunged his petty excuse of a sword forward towards Arvis aiming upward for the elf's lower stomach. Having quite the significant height advantage now, being a few feet taller then the goblin and standing on top of the wagon, Arvis jumped into the air and over the first goblin, who's own momentum sent him into the wagon head first. The flying Arvis pointed both of his scimitars towards the ground as he was coming down on top of the second goblin who was following his friend towards Arvis. Both of the two scimitars pierced through the goblin's two shoulders, taking him totally by suprise, and taking his life. Arvis withdrew his blood covered blades from the goblin, turning around just in time to block an attack from the first goblin he had leaped over.

As Arvis was blocking the attack from the goblin, a guard from one of the wagon's stepped over and rammed his sword into the ribs of the goblin, causing him to drop his knees in pain, giving Arvis the chance to pierce his right scimitar into the heart of the goblin. Arvis turned his head to the guard who gave him a hand on his left side, but before he could muster a quick "Thank you", he noticed a goblin sneaking up behind the guard, his bronze blade ready to pierce him from behind.

"Duck!" Screamed Arvis, as he took as left scimitar and swung it as fast as he could towards the head neck of the guard. The guard ducked just in time as Arvis' blade skimmed over the top of his head almost cutting off some hairs, connecting with the neck of the goblin, detaching it's head from it's body just in time and saving the guard's life.

The left arm of Arvis was still extended out to his side from decapitating the goblin when Arvis heard the hissing of a charging goblin coming from behind. He turned around to see the enemy swinging it's blade overhead towards Arvis. Arvis attempted to bring his left blade in front of him to block it, but he was too slow, as the blade the side of his arm, causing Arvis to yelp and drop is sword. The goblin quickly tried to take advantage and strike for the kill, slashing upwards towards Arvis' stomach. This time Arvis was quick enough as he hopped to the side, sending the goblin's blade into the side of wagon. Arvis used his right hand, swinging it over his head and down onto the goblin, cutting off the goblin's wrist that was hanging onto the sword that was stuck in the side of the wagon. Arvis then took his blade and swung it upwards, the tip of the scimitar piercing through the bottom of the goblin's chin and almost through the top of it's head. After withdrawing his blade from gushing skull of his attacker, he reached down with his left hand to pick up the weapon he had dropped. His wound on his arm was no mere surface cut, but it was not deep enough to render his arm useless. He looked further down the road passed all the slain bodies of guards merchants and goblin's to see Artume was still standing, and he noticed the orange body and another goblin closing in on his comrade. Arvis began to sprint towards Artume to give him aid, but was cut off by a goblin jumping out in his path, this one holding two short swords and the only one smart enough to not careless lunge towards Arvis immediately.

((Nine of twelve down))

[Deadnight Warrior]

Out of the corner of his eye, Artume witnessed the ending of a battle between a guard and a goblin. The human proved himself worthy, slaying the green bastard and proving himself the only capable guard among the bunch. Only two goblins remained, not including the leader, who was in front of Artume with one of his followes at his side.

"Yous is ruined everything!!" The orange-skinned goblin screeched. "We wass going to steals their gold shinies! Yous stupid human!"

The two creatures came forward then, rather synchronized, forcing Artume to back up to the very edge of the road. Stabbing forward, the leader hoped to take the human in the gut, but the iron blade was parried aside. Amazingly, though, the goblin spun about and brought another strike forward just as his cohort did the same.

Unluckily for the foolish green goblin, though, his leader did not seem to be used to fighting alongside someone. The blade slashed into the goblin's back on its way to Artume, who managed to parry with his off-hand. The goblin fell quickly, screaming and clutching at its back.

The two dueled their way toward the wagons, as Artume turned to make his way back to the road. The goblin was easy to see in the night, due to its brightly colored skin, fortunately, and so defending was not overly hard on Artume's side of things. A swift right attack, the human parried, and sent his other blade forward. The goblin was amazingly fast, considering the lack of skill its allies had displayed, and even with two swords Artume was having difficulty mounting an offense.

The goblin pressed its attack, slashing twice in quick succession. Artume blocked, but had to retreat backward against a wagon. The goblin rushed, stabbing forward. Using the coming sword as a start to his momentum, he blocked and spun, bringing both swords around to slash at the goblin's prone back. Amazingly, impossibly, the creature ducked, and both of Artume's blades were suddenly caught in the wooden structure of the wagon.

Rearing back up, the goblin slashed upward with his sword. Artume had no choice but to leave his blades embedded in the wagon and fall back as the iron weapon flew into the air in front of him.

But he stumbled, foolishly, over the corpse of one of the goblins at the wagon's side. For all his grace and poise, Artume could not stop himself from falling on his behind, completely defenseless. "Arvis!" He bellowed as the goblin approached.

[Arvis]

The sounds of clashing blades filled Arvis' mind as Artume took on the leader and another goblin at the same time. He knew that Artume needed help, but first he had to dispose of this nuissance standing in front of him.

"Yessss yous arent going anywheress!" Hissed the goblin at Arvis. He had no time to waste, so Arvis proceeded to pounce onto the goblin trying to dispose of him with haste. Quesnel swung both blades, his right hand leading the way, and they were met with two parries by the goblin's two swords. The scimitars slid down the blades of the two swords, and Arvis swung them both overhead at the same time, trying to overpower the goblin. The goblin raised his blades to intercept, and Arvis was not able to power through the goblin's defenses, especially with one arm being weakened. The Elf took a few steps back to rethink his approach as the goblin laughed at him.

This one is more skilled then the others, but he is still a retarded goblin...Think Arvis!

The goblin began to become slightly overconfident as he slowly marched towards Arvis, and Arvis decided to use this to his advantage. A look of fear overcame the face of elf as he slowly began to walk backwards away from the goblin, and towards a wagon.

"Whatss wrongs? Are you afraids of the great goblinsin Blamey?" hissed the goblin as he continued to approach Arvis. Out of the corner of his eye, Arvis could see Artume battling. The leader's soldier had fallen to Artume, and it was now one on one, but Arvis knew he could still use a hand. Arvis backed up until his back was against the wagon, in front of the openning. Arvis fell backwards onto his behind inside the wagon, and continued to push himself towards the door on the other side of the goblin until he was at the edge, which is where he stopped. The goblin laughed, and leaped into the wagon his two blades leading the way attempting to finish off Arvis. Arvis quickly rolled backwards out the other side of the wag closing the door. The goblin's two short swords pierced through the door of the wagon and were now stuck. Arvis used the step of the wagon as leverage to jump into the air and bring his two blades down through the material roof of the wagon and into the back of the goblin stuck inside causing him to scream in pain for the last seconds of his life.

As Arvis pulled his two blades back through the roof of the wagon, he hopped down and ran around to the aid of Artume. He turned the corner to see his brother in arms tripping and falling onto the ground, leaving him defenseless against the hideous orange goblin.

"Artume!"

The elf quickly raised his hand and held it out in front of him. A small ball of fire began to form in the palm of his hand, but he did not have the time or energy to waste to make it a significant size. As the leader of the goblin's raised his iron blade over his head and prepared to strike, Arvis threw the ball of fire as quickly as he could. The ball of flames soared through the air hitting the goblin right in the face. The fiend clutched to his head and eyes with both hands, backing up and spinning around in pain. Arvis sprinted over as Artume was getting back up onto his feet, the elf tossed the scimitar in his left hand in the air towards his weaponless partner, freeing his weak and wounded arm, and arming his comrade at the same time. The two were now side by side as the goblin looked over at them with smoke coming off of his face. The ball of fire was not large or powerful enough to do significant damage, but it served it's purpose of saving Artume.

"Yous are going to pays for that!!!" screeched the goblin while huffing and puffing.

[Deadnight Warrior]

The fireball was like a beacon of hope, a small, bright little light in the dark forest that gave Artume a glimmer of hope. The goblin was reeling, stepping about as it tried to cope with the pain. Artume, meanwhile, got up, catching the blade of his ally as it was throw to him. It was heavier than he was used to, but not significantly so, and he couldn't quite complain under the circumstances.

It was the third time the drow had saved him.

The goblin came forward at them, one blade against two, but the orange being seemed focused on Arvis as he approached, slashing twice high. The drow parried with two quick strikes, and Artume stepped in to slash low at the goblin. Jumping back, the creature avoided the blow, and the two allies followed closely.

Low, high, low, low, the swords struck, as the goblin was forced on the defensive. Artume and Arvis worked almost brilliantly together, considering they had only just met a few hours earlier, complimenting each other's attacks with a slash of equal force, always aimed in a place where it was impossible to block both.

And yet, the goblin was just as remarkable, parring one blade and avoiding the other. All the while they moved down the road, as all three of them looked for an opening.

Suddenly, Artume's sword went too wide, and the goblin stepped forward past Arvis' attack to take advantage, pushing the human to the ground once more. This time, however, Arvis was immediately in front of the orange-skinned being to fend it off.

"Damned thing," Artume mumbled as he once again got up to join the drow.

Eventually, there came a point when the goblin made a move, moving wide to the left to swing around Arvis. However, the creature was too slow. Artume caught him on the leg with a slash, then Arvis got him in the side with a stab. At the same precise moment, the two warriors tilted their blades up, and the neck of the goblin leader was skewered by both scimitars.

A moment of relief followed, at least on Artume's end, as the two withdrew their blades and allowed the goblinoid to collapse to the dirt.

"Well," said Artume. "That was... Exciting."

With a grin, he handed the scimitar back. "Let's check those wagons, shall we?"

Back at the row of wagons, a goblin with an arrow in its leg crawled along the ground. Arvis' arrow had pierced it true, but the little thrall knew it was possible for him to get into the forest and treat himself. Slowly, he began to reach the treeline.

Before he could disappear, however, a curved blade cut brutall through its spine and into the ground below, as Artume ended the thing's misery. It was no act of mercy, but merely the end to the life of a stupid creature. "Anything in them? Any guards alive?"

It was almost unnerving, the lack of care Artume possessed as he wiped Ruin and Dispatcher against the dirty cloak of the dead goblin. Then again, it was only a goblin.

[Arvis]

The sounds of battle came to a conclusion with the synchronization of the two comrades destroying the goblin leader, their cold blood drenched blades moving so smoothly into the throat of their enemy. Arvis let out a small chuckle to Artume's comment, nodding his head to agree with the human. Arvis carried both blades again, not wanting to sheath them just yet in their blood covered stage. While walking slowly back to the wagons, Arvis scanned the bodies of the dead on the ground to see if they had any decent weapons, but alas there was nothing worth taking. Arvis watched Artume move towards the crawling goblin, cringing a little as he watched the execution. He did not mind it too much, since he had agreed to kill ALL of the goblins.

Arvis went to the back of the first wagon, opening it to take a look inside.

"This one only has some furniture and junk" said Arvis as he grabbed what looked like a table cloth and began to clean down his scimitars, sheathing them once finished. Arvis proceeded to the second wagon, while passing by it's side door, he reached inside, grabbing the arrogant goblin he had defeated inside the wagon and pulling it out onto the ground. He peeked inside and found a few bottles of wine, along with some dishes and untensils. "Not much in here as well, except a drink for the road!" Arvis said laughing out loud.

The third wagon was filled with more items that were useless to the two adventurers. Things such as art's and decorations most likely for the inn, and more furniture.

"Well, let's hope the reward is far greater then what's in these wagons!" Arvis said while thinking out loud. He raised his right hand to his face, inserting two fingers into his mouth and letting out a loud whistle. Moments later movement could be heard above the embankment in the trees, then Arvis spotted Caillum's tuff of white hair come running down the slope.

"I suppose we can just leave this mess for the next caravan that comes through this path!" exclaimed Arvis as he mounted Caillum. "We should head back to the Silver Pub for our reward. You could fit up here too, friend" Arvis said while extending his hand out to Artume.

[Deadnight Warrior]

Perhaps his ally had been kidding, perhaps not, but Artume did not hesitate in purloining a bottle of fine-looking wine from the stopped carriage. In fact, he opened it right there. If nothing else, it would aid in numbing the pain until they got back to town, where a proper healer could take care of them. He took a deep swallow of the liquid, tasting the sweet, slightly bitter Coronian Wine slip down his throat. It was warm, but good nonetheless.

"Aye," he said exhaustingly, his lips wet from the wine as he pulled the bottle away momentarily. "This reward had better be worth it. We put a day's work into this."

They examined the area, finding little of interest. The horses were already beginning to smell, despite only being dead for a few minutes. It was a sad sight to behold, the bodies laying about the ground, the fallen guards and merchants. So sad, and yet Artume could not feel a great deal of pain about it. He merely cared about his coming payment, and whether or not it would be enough to buy him a string of meals.

Caillum, Arvis' noble steed came at his master's call, and the drow offered the human a ride. Lifting a hand, Artume kindly declined and reached into his shirt. "No need, friend. I've my own ride."

With that, he held forth the adamantine figurine of Valhalla, and called the Nightmare's name. A grey mist came from the statue's eyes, swirling around in the space before them, and when it cleared a great mount stood in that space. Valhalla neighed and reared up, the massive horse of black and grey flames greeting its master.

Arvis looked surprised, and Artume couldn't blame him. "His name is Valhalla," said the human as he mounted the creature, the flames doing no harm to him. "I'd tell you how we met, but... I'm afraid it's a story far too long for the short journey home."

With that, they were off, the two horses matching each other's speed as they sped down the forest road and out of Concordia. Wisps of smoke trailed them the whole way.

((Spoils: Just some gold, please. A decent amount :P))

[Osato]

To Kill a Goblin Herd

~~Introduction~~ 6
Both of you did very well with the introductions, giving a little background. A little more on Arvis’ part would have been good, but it was fine. Deadnight Warrior did very well with his introduction. I liked how the end of one (getting the ‘job’ and getting to the forest) gave way to the next so easily.

~~Setting~~ 5
The setting was given well by both of you. However, the fact that it was set in the rather well-used Concordia meant it was a little hard to set apart. My suggestion would be to carry things through, and to make sure that you remember what you said earlier. In one of the opening posts Deadnight comments about the cold wind, but you see no reference to it later in the thread.

~~Writing Style~~ 6
With only a few errors here and there, mostly little things like misspelled words or overlooked grammar, it was very well done. My only suggestions are: Arvis, try not to make such massive paragraphs. Split them up a bit. Most of yours were well written, but a couple were about half the post, heh. Dreadnight: Try and give a little more depth to your paragraphs, the opposite basically. You have a lot that are only a sentence or two, but could have just a little more maybe.

~~Character~~ 5
I think this was a rather weak area for both of you. Neither of you showed a lot of character through your writings. Character, in my personal opinion, is the easiest of all the aspects of the rubric to shine through with. Your character’s movements, reactions, and even dialogue contribute to it, as long as they go along with the tone and attitude that you set up for them.

I think, due to the general hack-n-slash nature of the thread a lot of the character was somewhat stunted. Though, even in a fight, the thoughts and actions of a person should show through and express a lot of the way they were raised, what they’ve received from however long they have been working (or lack of experience), and how they view the world.

~~Dialogue~~ 6
The dialogue from both of you helped to further your character. It was original, for the most part, and believable. My only suggestion is to give a little body language along with your actual dialogue, which also tends to add a lot to the overall thread.

~~Strategy~~ 5
The attacks were straightforward, and the plan was rather… sudden. I was not expecting either of you to exactly know when the caravans were coming, where exactly the goblins would be, and how they would act. I suppose, though, that the last would be rather obvious.

~~Rising Action~~ 5
It was slow, unfortunately. The action was not very well written. A little emotion, thoughts, and maybe some personal warcry’s (mostly joking) or something would have helped. Instead of the “I see a goblin… it swung a sword… I block and killed it.” However, I was very, VERY pleased to see that you were tracking how many you killed. Most times people will write a thread about 6 people attacking, make enough attacks and counterattacks to kill an army, and then only have 5 bodies and a runaway. Thank you for that much at least.

~~Climax~~ 5
The fight against the orange goblin was interesting, and somewhat quick. I suppose, however, that since it was a goblin against two men who dual wield it was about as exciting as it could get. No worries though, because exciting is not all that a climax should be. It is the turning point in a thread, the very top of the rising action peak.

A good climax should have something profound; the winning of the battle is just the most used example. You could also use an expression of character, through dialogue or simple action, which does not have to deal with fighting directly. It’s tricky, but often the climax to a fight is the best way to have the climax.

I enjoyed, however, how simple it was and how direct it was. The fighting itself only seemed to be a small part of the climax.

~~Conclusion~~ 5
I liked the reality of the expression by Arvis when he saw the death of the final, helpless goblin. I liked how you wrote him justify it, but still show expression and a little more depth of character. Very well done. I also enjoyed your character looking through the random stuff for something more… even though that was not particularly part of the deal. It gave him a little more depth as a mercenary.

I like the character you show at the end too, Darknight. It is interesting and also realistic. Congrats on the well written thread, both of you!

~~Wild Card~~ 6
I loved the little twist you gave a rather bland type thread… it could have easily been turned into a boring hack-n-slash thread. It was a little better than the common thread, but could have used a little more flair. Good job though, both of you. If you have any questions PM me or IM me whenever, and I would love to help either of you further.

SCORE~~ 54
Rewards!
Arvis ~~ 625 exp and 300 gold for half the payment
Deadnight Warrior ~~ 625 exp and 300 gold for the other half of the payment