I immediately dodge the hobgoblin's knife jumping backward as it had attempted to plunge it directly into my head with a downward strike. I get a better look at my attacker now and realize something isn't right with the hobgoblin. Its veins bulged and pulsed with a dark green color darker than the hobgoblin itself. That pulsing color grows more vibrant and brighter as the veins lead to its heart. In other words, the thing was goddamn glowing.

I thought about glancing behind me to check for any more of the bastards but that proved to not be an option as the hobgoblin in front of me practically launched the dagger at me as if it was a damn bullet.

The thing hit me right in the side piercing my hide and launching me into the air then proceeded to spin me back to the ground, hard. The hobgoblin followed up and sprinted straight at me. I didn’t have any time to react as it picked me up. What I did see is that there was a circular green crystal embedded into its chest where its heart was. Guess that explains the veins.

I felt my leg run across the crystal as lifted me into the air. Wait..Oh...fuck. The hobgoblin proceeded to toss my body at the ground and I again traveled some distance.

I felt the wind being knocked out of me as I collided with the ground. I turned my head to the side and spit out blood. As I finally managed to open my eyes after the impact I was met with my own pool of coughed-up blood. I almost couldn’t help but stare into the pool of dark red substance in front of me.

’What the fuck’. The reflection I was met with was not my current self but instead someone I recognized immediately. Every feature the exact same as I remember. From the hair to the scar on their nose. A human face stared back at me. My own face. From before all this shit happened. I might have even seen it as a sight for my ever sore eyes if not for one detail that I simply could ignore. Why the hell is he smiling. No not a smile...more like a smirk.

What is with that damned smirk, huh? I could feel its anger bubbling up inside.

Answer me. But my face didn’t change it just continued to smirk, almost with contempt even. What mocking me? My weakness. My inability to do a god damn thing about any of this.

“STOP SMILING AND ANSWER ME YOU FUCKER”, I snarled at my own damn reflection.

However, before I could ever get an answer I was abruptly brought back to reality. A foot, of the hobgoblin kind, smashed into my stomach sending me flying into the air again.

As gravity swiftly forced me back to the dirt I was surprised. Instead of feeling pain which as of late I had become all but accustomed to as of late, a different feeling forced its way into my mind. Anger.

But it is strange this feeling, different from when my instincts take over. Rather this feels alien-like, unnatural like it shouldn’t be there. Not like when instincts seem to take over. Different from the time I got excited by the idea of hunting. Different from when I zoned out while eating that corpse. This didn’t originate from the wolf it was coming from me. My own mind not the instincts. This anger was all me.

Ah...I can’t think. It’s all jumbled and mixed up the only clear thing is rage. All I can focus on is...TEARING THE MOTHER FUCKER WHO KICKED ME INTO BITS AND GODDAMNED LITTLE PIECES.

I dig my claws into the dirt steading myself and shot my head up straight at the stupid fucking goblin.

Oh...the same fucking smirk is planted right on its face. It may not be even remotely human but the way its goddamn mouth rises on a single side, the way its head tilts up but its eyes stare down at me. Like I’m inferior.

To say the concept of running away right now isn’t in my dictionary would be a vast understatement. I don’t have the slightest notion it even exists right now.

All that matters and all I want it to do is rip apart the fucking insect in front of me to pieces. Then eat my fill of its diced-up battered corpse before I piss on whatever was remaining of its dead fucking body. Oh crushing its skull into powder didn’t sound too bad either. And I could never forget to poison the ever-living shit out of the hobgoblin before I kill it. Yeah, immobilize the fucker then poison it while it’s helpless forcing it to be all but too aware that it is going to die while slowly bleeding out. Then I can eat and piss on its corpse. That plan works nicely.

I returned to reality once again as I looked dead on that approaching hobgoblin. It was walking this time though. Guess it wants to enjoy it. Now that I think about it, the thing was toying with me earlier wasn’t it. Doesn’t matter all the more reason to kill it.

“Hey, you stupid goblin!” I yelled out at the thing despite knowing that it probably doesn’t have the vaguest idea of what I was saying. But I don’t really care if it can understand me or not.

“Your gonna regret it, you know,” I yelled out at the hobgoblin again.

“Picking a fight with me, kicking me, stabbing me, throwing me, all that shit you’re going to regret it. Do you know why?” I said calmly to the hobgoblin in front of me as it stopped its advancement.

Who knows maybe it did understand me even a little bit. Or it had just thought I’d gone insane. Maybe I have a little bit.

“Because I’m going to kill you.”