The Past II

Will rushed into the church. The old woman’s vestment was bloodied as she huddled in the corner. Three goblins stood before her, sinister grins on their faces. They had broken into the building from the backdoor, and had half the place apart, probably looking for food.

“Guardsman!” The old woman cried.

Will drew his sword. He never had to use it before, other than on training dummies. A goblin leaped onto a nearby pew, startling him, just as the other two dashed for the shadows.

“Stay back!” Will yelled, swinging his blade wildly. The goblin danced backwards out of the arc of the blade, letting out a mocking laugh.

The creature carried a crude stick serving as a club. It swung at Will, forcing him to back up. The other two goblins were nowhere to be found, but they made noise as they skittered along the edges of darkness.

“Don’t worry!” Will yelled to the Mother. “I’m coming!”

“Will!” Alan rushed forward just in time for a goblin to leap from the shadows.

Alan cursed as the goblin latched on to him, pinning him to the ground and nearly driving a knife through his eye. He blocked, using his wood pipe to catch the knife as it came down just above his face.

“Get off him!” Will cried, kicking the creature into a corner.

Mina was the last to enter. She came prepared, carrying a plowing tool. The third goblin attacked her. She swung wildly, clocking the creature on the side of the head. The plow head caught, ripping out an eye and sticking into the skull of the creature. It howled in pain, pulling the plow from her hands as it flopped onto the floor in a bloodied spasm.

The trio closed in behind Will, who was now the only one with a weapon. The two other goblins retreated to the altar. One of them leapt atop it, gesturing with a cleaver and bellowing a barbaric tongue.

“Why are there monsters here? Especially goblins?” Will questioned.

“I don’t know, but we need to get them out of here,”

“Honored Mother!” Mina yelled, trying to push forward towards the injured old woman.

“Stay back girl!” She directed.

Mina froze in her tracks.

“Focus on them!” She pointed to the goblins.

Will froze in place, sword outstretched.

“Will,” Alan shook his shoulder. “Will!”

The goblins roared as they scampered forward. Alan and Mina scrambled out of the way, diving into the nearby pews as the lead goblin swung its cleaver. Will reacted with a primal yell, exchanging a few blows with it before his sword flew out of his hands. It arched in the air, landing on the foot of the altar and burying itself into the floor wood.

The second goblin crawled across the pews to get to Alan and Mina, swinging its club. The two were quick; the only thing the goblin accomplished was splintering wood.

The dying goblin on the floor seemed to get a second life, rising to its feet, plow in its head, blood spewing out. It let out a guttural groan, which reverberated in the acoustics of the church. It stumbled forward, before falling over dead.

“Shit!” Will panicked, removing the small wooden club he kept on his belt for drunkards.

He barely managed to block as the cleaver swung down, catching into the wood of it and nearly splitting it in half. The goblin laughed.

Mina scrambled under a pew, crawling towards the plow still stuck in the goblins head. Alan, meanwhile, continued to distract the second goblin, drawing it away from the others. Mina reached the plow, and yanked. The limp body of the goblin rose as she pulled. She cursed, placing a foot onto the body, and tried to pry it off. It was stuck.

The club split, forcing Will to abandon it. He kicked wildly, knocking the goblin backwards. The creature quickly recovered, lunging at him again. This time he dodged, diving to the side.

Mina gave up, instead reaching for the dead goblin’s knife. She resolved herself, charging the cleaver goblin from behind and driving the blade into its back. It howled it pain, swinging wildly behind it. Mina shoved herself backwards, but the cleaver found its mark, taking a small chunk out of her side.

“Mina!” Will yelled, tackling the goblin with full force.

Alan crawled quickly, the goblin smashing each pew he passed under. His eyes were set on Will’s sword, radiant under the altar in the early evening moonlight. He managed to reach it, prying it free and reading himself, only for the club goblin to knock it away, the blade skittering across the floor out of sight.

“Dammit,” Alan cursed, backing himself up and over the altar as the goblin slinked closer.

Will, meanwhile, continued to wrestle with the goblin, trying to pry the cleaver from its surprisingly strong grip. Mina moved just out of the goblin’s reach, delivering strategic kicks and stomps.

“By the gods,” the Honored Mother cursed, forcing herself to her feet. “I’m too old for this,” she raised one shriveled hand towards the club goblin harassing Alan.

A small golden circle formed around her outstretched hand as she chanted a silent prayer.

“Holy Barrage!” She cast.

The burning blue light magic cracked through the air as it pelted the club goblin on the head, nearly searing it clean off. The monster collapsed, smoke bellowing from it, the smell of burning flesh permeating the air.

“You’re lucky I hit that young’in,” the old woman gestured to her nearly blind eyes. She collapsed again, gasping for air. “Too old…”

Will struck the goblin in the face. And then again, and then again. He kept hitting it, pounding away at it. Mina was able to wrestle the cleaver out of its hand, and was standing over it, ready to deliver the finishing blow.

“It’s dead Will!” Alan pulled his friend off the corpse.

“Shit,” Will cursed. His knuckles were black with blood.

The creature rattled and gurgled, but did no more.

“Honored Mother!” Mina realized, dropping the cleaver and running towards the old woman.

“I’m all right,” she gasped as Mina offered a shoulder, helping her to her feet. “A little frazzled, but all right. Can’t believe I let mere goblins get me. I really am past it.”

“Will, you all right?” Alan asked.

Will was still kneeling in front of the corpse. The goblin’s face reminded Will of minced meat. 

“You young ones did an okay job,” The Honored Mother praised, Mina helping her walk over to the pair. “Would make a damn fine trio of adventurers.”

“I didn’t really do anything,” Alan noted.

“In another world, maybe,” Will sighed, finally standing up. “Unfortunately, none of has had the skills for it.”

“Bah,” the old woman scoffed. “Ricard didn’t have a skill, and that bastard still made it deep into the dungeon. I still hear his voice sometimes. Idiot.”

“You knew Ricard?” Will’s eyes widened. “He was real?”

“Of course he was real!” The old woman coughed.

“Honored Mother, don’t excite yourself,” Mina directed.

“Well, since you’re all here, help me clean this place up,” The old woman sighed.

The whole church was destroyed. Most of the pews were splinters, there were three corpses strewn about. And the altar had blood and burnt flesh on it.

“I hope the gods are feeling forgiving today,” the old woman shook her head.

Five guardsmen showed up to help patrol the grounds. They searched the woods, looking for any straggler monsters. Meanwhile, several men and women from the village helped to drag the corpses out and clean the holy church. Will, Mina, and Alan sat outside by the lantern light.

“I’ve decided,” Will spoke up. The two looked at him. “I’m going to become an adventurer.”

“This again?” Alan sighed. “Did you see how badly that fight went? If the Honored Mother hadn’t helped I don’t know how that would’ve turned out.”

“I did kill two of them,” Mina noted.

“One, I finished off the last one,” Will corrected. “But that’s not important. I mean it guys. I’d very much like for you guys to join me. We can become rich and famous, just like the old stories.”

“Look,” Alan shook his head. “I’m working on my own dream, you know?”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Mina said. “But the monastery comes first. I’ll join you after I become a full-fledged priestess.”

“All right, fine,” Alan grumbled. “If the bard thing doesn’t work out, i’ll help you out. But only for a bit, and only if we get money.”

Will grinned.

“Oh, Mina,” Will turned to the girl. “How’s the Mother? Has she recovered? I want to ask her about Ricard.”

“She’s already asleep,” Mina said.

“Ah,” Will looked disappointed.

Two more summers past before Will was ready to go. Three months after his eighteenth year, he departed for the city, dragging Mina and Alan in tow, all to fulfill his dream.