This day was just something else.
First there was my whole experience with the weird lady Adelaide. Then being chased halfway to insanity by the Ancient Beholder—which, somehow, ended with it becoming a sort of reluctant ally. Smiley and Billabong nearly took my head off, and now… goblins? Goblins. Of course it had to be goblins.
Very. Very. Draining.
Even at night, things refused to stop happening. The moon hung high and indifferent, silver light spilling over rocks and twisted trees like it was watching for entertainment. Meanwhile, I was running on fumes—physically, mentally, spiritually. Why couldn't I just have a breather? Just one. Come on.
My mind and my exhausted body were both throwing a tantrum.
You know the kind—when you think you've hit rock bottom, only for the universe to kick you in the ribs and point at a deeper hole. One of those days. I was absolutely certain of it.
That was when my mind helpfully tagged the incoming threat as teenage ninja goblins. Probably green. Definitely loud. Four of them. The name stuck instantly.
They ran at me with crazed enthusiasm, shrieking and flailing like they'd just discovered sugar and poor life choices. But something was off. They charged furiously with zero coordination, no formation, no plan—and it was dark. Like, really dark. Uncoordinated didn't even begin to cover it.
One of them—the one wearing a knight's helm that was clearly more decorative than practical—plummeted face-first into the ground as it tripped on a rock. A rock it absolutely could not see due to its limited vision and questionable design choices.
Thunk.
A loud, solid sound echoed through the clearing, followed by an equally solid, deeply offended "oof."
The other three goblins sprinted past their fallen comrade, giggling uncontrollably as they charged me.
Fantastic.
"Orders, K?" Kala asked, already hovering beside me, aura humming softly.
"Cover me," I said without a second thought.
I hadn't really had anyone to command before, and now that I did, my brain defaulted straight to muscle memory from every shooting game I'd ever played. Cover me felt right. Safe. Classic.
The goblin holding a thick wooden branch slowed, carefully calculating its movement under the moonlight. My heightened awareness immediately tagged it.
Smash attack.
A red line materialized, stretching straight toward me.
It lunged, dropping its cudgel down toward my face with everything it had.
Tsk. Tsk. Too slow. Too predictable.
Even under the night sky, I sidestepped left, knees bent, letting the weapon slam uselessly into the ground beside me. I gripped my sword with both hands, dragged the blade across its stomach as I dashed forward, and let momentum do the rest.
The goblin spun, pixelated blood spraying upward as it screamed, "Eek!"
"Krrrrrr—" the second goblin hissed.
This one carried a buckler and a short sword. It swung wildly. I saw the red line of its attack and reacted without thinking. My sword came up in a spinning leftward arc. The speed of my movement severed its arm cleanly. I continued the spin and, at the end of it, drove my blade into its back.
"Nope," I said calmly as I pulled my sword free.
"Kraaaa!" the third goblin shouted, pickaxe raised overhead as it leapt toward me from a meter away.
"Heh." I shrugged dismissively, already preparing my next move.
"Ptew!"
A sharp sound cracked through the air behind me, followed by a burst of blinding light.
My awareness flared.
Warning: Laser beam incoming.
A red dot bloomed on the goblin's chest just as the beam struck. The impact detonated its torso into an explosion of pixelated innards that splashed everywhere—on the ground, in the air, and unfortunately, on me.
The pieces dissolved quickly, breaking apart into faint rainbow-colored pixels as they faded.
"Ewww," I said, instinctively swatting at my clothes.
"Ha!" Kala shouted directly into my brain as he hovered proudly at my side. "Got 'em, K!"
"Yep," I replied flatly. "You did. And you peppered it on me too."
"Peppered… what?" Kala asked, genuinely confused.
"Nothing," I sighed.
"Aaaaaak!" squealed the last goblin.
It grabbed the mace it had dropped earlier and bolted, running for dear life while desperately holding the visor of its helm in place.
"Let's go," I said. "We don't want it calling reinforcements."
"On it."
I chased after the fleeing goblin. It was slower than expected—maybe because of its short legs, maybe because of its clumsiness. Probably both.
We cornered it quickly beneath a massive rock. It collapsed against the stone, panting and wheezing, then dropped to its knees to catch its breath.
We slowed, approaching cautiously.
The goblin stood shakily, still panting, and raised its trembling mace.
"Git back!" it shouted, trying—and failing—to sound intimidating.
I actually felt a pang of pity.
But letting it go would mean more of them hunting us down later.
"Uh…" I hesitated. What do you even say in this situation? What do you say to something you're about to kill? The thought unsettled me more than I expected.
"K, heads up," Kala warned, drifting closer. His aura sharpened.
Something moved atop the rock.
Two shapes materialized under the moonlight. Humanoid silhouettes.
My awareness pinged again.
Goblins. At least four. Armed with bows.
More jumped out from behind trees. Others emerged from behind rocks.
"Krrrrr," they hissed, one after another.
Surrounded.
"You, kill, now," the helmed goblin announced, laughing nervously as it scurried away to join their ranks.
My pity evaporated, replaced by something hot and sharp.
"Oh," I said bitterly, "so that's how it is, huh?"
My blade felt light in my hands. My chest pounded as cold sweat dripped from my chin.
A larger goblin stepped forward, long sword resting casually on its shoulder. It walked proudly, confidently.
"We have you. Die, you are now," it said in a low baritone.
I felt warmth building to my left.
Kala's eyes glowed gold.
"Chill, Kala," I said, forcing calm. I didn't want him charging blindly into a storm of arrows.
"Just say the word, K," he replied coldly. "I'll cut them in two."
I scanned our surroundings. Open ground. Unknown numbers. Bad odds.
The big goblin advanced, footsteps thudding.
"You pay," it growled. "What you did."
"Sure," I said, teeth bared. "Come on. Let's dance."
"Grab hold onto me," I thought to Kala.
"Yes, mas—K!" he corrected quickly.
I focused, directing my force dash toward the larger goblin. The shot-caller. Take him down, break their resolve.
"Hah—"
The world blurred.
I launched forward, sword aimed at its neck. Arrows flew—but too late. I was already there.
The goblin swung at my silhouette. Missed.
Sorry, dude, I thought. You're losing that big head tonight.
"Please stooooooop!"
The cry froze me mid-strike.
My sword halted at the goblin's throat. It gulped, eyes wide. Its weapon slipped from its hands and hit the ground with a dull thunk.