Chapter 41: A Better Plan

The next few minutes passed in heavy silence. Even the chief had stopped his incessant bellowing and had joined the five warriors in stalking the darkness.

But after the first minute had passed and the goblins had not found me, I knew I was safe, and my own tension faded.

Six hostile entities have failed to detect you! Your sneaking has increased to level 35.

Still, I did not stop moving until I was safely concealed under a table far from their search area. Only then, did I drink a few healing potions.

You have restored 30% of your lost health with a moderate healing potion.

You have restored 10% of your lost health with a minor healing potion.

You have restored 10% of your lost health with a minor healing potion.

Your health is now at 100%.

The relief was instantaneous as bruised skin healed, and broken ribs mended. I smiled in silent gratitude as the pain was washed away. “That’s better,” I murmured.

I rose to a seated position and turned to the almost-forgotten skeletal bat on my shoulder. I was still perturbed by the chieftain’s level, and decided to risk a conversation with the familiar.

“Gnat,” I whispered, “why is that chief so damn high-levelled?”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “He must be a sector boss.”

I eyed the bat skeptically. “But still, rank four? How am I supposed to defeat him alone?”

Gnat chuckled quietly. “You’re not, Michael. Bosses are challenges meant for a full party.”

I frowned. I certainly didn’t have one of those handy. Turning my head, I glanced at the goblin goliath. He was a few dozen yards away and still stomping around the area where I had vanished. Beyond him, the five warriors searched in a more lackluster fashion. It was as if the chief refused to believe that I had recovered from his blow and escaped.

The goblin leader was stubborn and arrogant, and it had made him complacent. My lips turned down. But he is not the only one guilty of complacency.

I had underestimated the chief. Grown used to success, I had not considered the possibility that the goblin leader could see through my stealth. He was slow and overconfident, but not stupid.

The chief is too powerful for me to defeat. In a straight up fight anyway.

But I wasn’t ready to walk away yet. How do I kill him? I wondered. I studied the goliath’s tall figure, looking for weaknesses.

He was dressed from head to foot in spiked hide armor that looked more heavily reinforced than an ordinary warrior’s, and I worried that my lack of Strength would prevent me from penetrating its defensive layers. Even the chief’s head was well-protected, with only his eyes and mouth showing through his helm.

I will have to strike between the joins. I winced, not fancying my chances of doing that in open combat. A glint of metal on the chief’s belt caught my attention and I studied the small clanging shapes.

Now what are those?

My gaze narrowed as I realized what the chief was carrying. I rose to my haunches. I knew what I had to do.

Creeping forward, I slipped through the darkness to do battle with the goliath again.

~~~

On my way to the chief, I paused to fill a discarded breakfast bowl with blood from one of the goblin corpses. It was an unpleasant but necessary task. I needed a distraction.

Reaching the center of the cavern where the chief roamed, I paused to studied the nearby warriors. A dozen yards separated the closest from the chief. Far enough, I thought, to enact my plan.

With bloody bowl in one hand and sword in the other, I snuck closer towards the chief’s broad back. I was tense and alert, and ready for anything.

When I closed to within three feet of my target, the expected happened.

A hostile entity has detected you! You are no longer hidden.

The chief pivoted, greatclub lashing out. This time the goblin’s response did not catch me flatfooted. I ducked under the whistling club, and before my opponent could recover, I flung the bowl’s contents into his face.

You have evaded a goblin goliath’s attack.

Dark, sticky blood splashed onto the goblin’s helm, flooding his eyes and filling his mouth. With a half-choked off cry, the chief staggered back.

You have blinded a goblin goliath for 2 seconds.

Good enough, I thought. I lunged forward as the goblin leader shook his head and blinked his eyes, trying to clear them of the obscuring muck. The sword in my left hand flashed out and cut clean through the chief’s leather belt. At the same time, my right hand darted forward and wrenched free the item that had been dangling upon it.

You have stolen a goblin goliath’s keychain!

Yes!

Belatedly, the chief seemed to realize my intentions. Forgetting his eyes, he struck out blindly with the greatclub. But with my prize clutched in my hands, I was already rolling away.

You have evaded a goblin goliath’s attack.

Not pausing, or bothering to hide, I sprinted towards the stage.

“GET HIM” the chief roared.

The five warriors took off after me immediately. But they had been caught flatfooted by my attack, and I was faster than them. Every second, the lead opened up further, and I reached the stage well in front.

Seeing me hurtling towards them, the two dire wolf adults rose to their feet. Both looked poised, and I fancied I could see eagerness glint in their eyes. Around their feet, the three pups yapped excitedly.

Not bothering to deviate right or left towards the stage’s stairs, I threw myself directly at the elevated dais and scampered quickly up its six-foot-tall sidewall. I dashed towards the throne, then paused.

Now comes the tricky part, I thought, looking down at the keychain in my hand.

There were eight keys on it, two of them shining with a faint blue aura that suggested they were magical in nature. I discarded them from the equation immediately. There didn’t appear to be anything magical about the locks holding the dire wolves collared.

That still left me six keys to try in five locks. Aargh. I glanced downwards. The goblin squad was closing rapidly, but thankfully the chief was still many yards distant.

I had two chances—or at best three—to match a key to a lock. I knelt down beside the dire wolf sire. He was fully recovered from his earlier ordeal. Whatever the green paste was that the goblins had used on the wolf earlier, it appeared to have done the job of healing the beast.

The pups, each no more than ankle high, rushed forward to lick and nip at my heels, but at a growl from their mother, they returned to her side, tails wagging furiously. “Don’t worry,” I murmured to them, “we’re all going to get out of this.”

I picked one of the six keys at random, and seeming to understand my intent, the dire wolf sire sat on his haunches and obligingly stuck out his neck, exposing the lock on his metal collar.

I fit key to lock. It didn’t turn. Urgh.

I tried another. It too failed to work.

I glanced over my shoulder. The goblins were almost at the steps to the dais. I had one more try. If this didn’t work, I would have to take care of the squad before freeing the wolves.

I fitted the next key.

It turned all the way, and the lock sprang open. The sire rose to all fours and shook himself.

“Go!” I ordered. “Hold them at the steps if you can while I free the others.”

The beast didn’t need to be told twice. With an agreeable growl, he bounded forward to engage the goblins.

Returning my attention to the rest of the pack, I picked out another key. The dire wolf mother stepped forward and bared her neck. It took me only two tries to free her. Pausing only to lick my face in thanks, the beast raced away to help her mate.

I studied the melee raging on the dais steps for a second. The dire wolf sire was holding his own. One of the goblin warriors was down already, and on the narrow steps the others could only have a go at him two at a time. The chief was still too far to aid his followers, but that didn’t stop him from shouting out pointless instructions. Things were going to plan so far.

I turned back to the pups. “Right, time to free you three,” I said, and the trio gamboled eagerly forward.