Chapter 28: Reinforcements

Horses neighed and snorted as morning came to rise, shuffling of troops outside of Ben’s camp woke Ben and his party up from their slumber. Ben walked towards Wilmot’s cot, one of his cheeks were swollen and he was still sleeping soundly. Linzet was sitting next to Wlimot’s cot asleep as her head was slightly nodding downward and up every so often with her arms crossed.

Scarlett: “Wilmot got lucky didn’t he.”

Ben: “Yeah, that mace from the hobgoblin would have been devastating.”

Scarlett looked at Linzet with a somewhat tired gaze. Eventually taking a short glance at Wilmot before looking at Ben in the eye.

Scarlett: “Ever since I’ve been alongside Wilmot and Linzet’s side, this is the first time I’ve ever seen Linzet so worried about Wilmot.

Ben: “Well, considering how we got caught up in a massive event, we were lucky to lose no one in our party.”

Scarlett: “... Well, hopefully the guild can take care of this.”

Ben: “Hopefully? Isn’t the guild supposed to be powerful?”

Scarlett: “The guild operates on adventurers, Ben. There is no obligation for adventurers to take on risky tasks to protect a remote village of some sort. Although the guildmaster has some power, the adventurer’s guild was only built recently. They have just come to power as of now, due to the populace’s support.”

Ben: “Support?”

Scarlett: “The adventurer guild provides much money and labor to the kingdom and it’s people. The ones who do not have the money to survive can work on adventuring and earn some there. Some may even find their fortune. Although, many will die. Those that die, die… simple as that. Once they die there are no more words about them. Whether they be good or evil, rich or poor, death is death. In a way, it's the kingdom’s backdoor to solving the slums, or the low income households.”

(I see… low income populace relies on the adventuring guild, however since the adventuring guild had just come out of nowhere. The kingdom is somewhat forced to accept their existance… however, how does Scarlett know all of these… is this world’s education that good?)

Before Ben could continue this conversation, a yell heard throughout the camp beckoned everyone outside.

“Come on out! Everyone to your positions! This is regarding the Goblin King! Everyone to your positions!”

Ben and Scarlett looked at each other and went out of the tent together, leaving Linzet and Wilmot.

As Ben opened the flaps of the tent, several new faces and horses were in the center. Each of them were wearing plated armor, and had a different aura from the soldiers that were stationed at this camp, yet there was one that stood out particularly with regal noble clothing, on his back was a staff with an exquisite look.

He had a clean shaven face, he smirked everytime he finished talking, his black short hair was gelled back, showing his bright forehead.

“I am Derek Kel, dispatched by the guild to provide aid to the unfortunate! Where is the headmaster, we shall immediately give our assistance!”

Markos came up to Derek Kel and knelt down in front of him.

Markos: “Headmaster Lam is currently resting due to heavy injuries, he had appointed our wizard Regis.”

Derek looked at Markos with disdain as he felt for his nonexistent mustache. Markos’ mustache with a fine handlebar had drawn disdain from the hairless noble.

Derek Kel: “I shall be waiting for the Wizard Regis then.”

Shortly after, Regis appeared from a tent and walked towards Marko’s side. Ben seeing some unfamiliarty, he decided to whisper to Scarlett.

Ben: “Why isn’t Regis kneeling to Derek?”

Scarlett: “Wizards in name have a standing, they do not have to bow to the nobles if they choose to do so, for magic wielders are highly praised. Although, that is the only benefit of a wizard in a social setting.”

Regis: “Greetings, I was attending to Headmaster Lam’s recovery.”

Derek Kel: “The guild has received your plight, where are these goblins that you speak of? Rank B, Solar Hearts at your services.”

(That would mean they are one rank higher than us? I wonder what the differences between rank C and B’s are.)

Regis: “The information that we had sent out, the number of enemies have increased, direwolves are said to have joined the goblins. Evidence shows that there are signs of a goblin king appearing.”

Upon hearing Goblin King, Derek’s face soured

Derek Kel: “Goblin king? A B rank monster with a horde… this would require much more manpower. Where did you learn of this information?”

Regis: “We learned of the direwolves joining forces with the adventurers over there and through our last battle with the goblins. The hobgoblins leading the attack told us of the goblin king’s reign.”

Derek Kel: “... I see”

Derek looked at Ben’s party and looked at them for a moment before returning his gaze at Regis.

Derek Kel: “It’s the guild’s policy to try and restrain any monster movement. Send a couple of your men to remove Headmaster Lam from this area. I will send a messenger out, reporting this newfound information. Karl! Send word to the guild for more reinforcement and report mission difficulty as Rank B: Goblin King, Rank C Hobgoblins, horde type Goblins, Direwolves.”

A man in leather armor appeared from behind Derek.

“Yes Sir!” Another messenger was sent out immediately.

Derek Kel pulled out his staff and started chanting. Ben looked at the staff instinctively. As Ben looked upon the staff’s gem, a green aura leaked out of it. It spread it’s influences towards his eyes and eventually shot out towards the forest.

Derek Kel: “I’m sensing… a large number… their movements are fast. Behind that group is a larger group. This group doesn’t have any direwolves among them…. I believe that this is the main group. We will eventually be facing the scout group. Unfortunately, we will have to hold positions seeing how we have injured people here.”

Derek looked at the remaining troops and adventurers that had fought here. Their numbers together were only 34 strong.

Derek Kel: “First wave will be within the hours from arriving, begin setting defenses, Solar Hearts and reinforcements begin creating traps.

The group that Derek led immediately dispersed after his hands waved out, sending them to do their tasks. Feeling somewhat satisfied, Derek looked at Regis.

Derek Kel: “Since headmaster Lam is out of commission at the moment. I’ll be assuming temporary control of this encampment, as the most experienced leader. Do you have any issues with that Wizard Regis?”

Regis: “Not at all, I will focus on the defenses.”

Derek Kel: “No...there is no need. Save your power for the fight that is to come. We will require your powers.”

Ben looked at Derek talking to Regis with a respect that is different towards the others that he had shown. Taking a chance to whisper to Scarlett.

Ben: “What’s the differences between wizards and Derek? Is he not a wizard as well? He used magic.”

Scarlett: “Derek is the same as us, we are aura users and borrow upon the spirit’s power… while Regis is a full fledge wizard. Wizards are knowledgable in the lost art of magic, specialize in a specific magic to a greater degree then we ever will master. Wizards are also beholders of alchemy towers, they are powerful buildings that house the wizard as well as lend their power to the master of the tower.”

Ben: “House the wizard? Why is he here then?”

Scarlett: “Based on the stories, I’ve heard… the host of the bodies of the wizards stay within the towers while duplicates of themselves appear in front of the public masses.”

Ben: “How many wizards are there?”

Scarlett: “I do not know…those who are wizards will carry upon their clothes a symbol.”

Ben looked at Regis once more, as Scarlett said symbol.

Regis’ back had a symbol of a circle branded seal that surrounds a heart and within the heart is a seed that had sprouted slightly. The color was unassuming, yet it would’ve attracted Ben’s eyes if he were to look upon Regis the first time. Yet, there were no recollections of looking at Regis’ symbol. Ben used his eyes to perceive an aura, there was nothing on Regis.

Finishing their discussion, Derek Kel and Regis went their separate ways. Seeing the leading authorities ignoring Ben and Scarlett. The two looked at each other and headed back to their tent.

Linzet had woken up and had already wiped Wilmot’s face with a warm wet cloth. She noticed Ben and Scarlett and greeted them good morning.

As Linzet stirred some warm oatmeal in a bowl. Ben and Scarlett filled her in from the morning meeting.

Linzet: “... another wave? Then… why are we not leaving?”

Scarlett: “We won’t be able to, the goblins had sent scouts to cut off our route. Due to the numbers of injured we have here. We won’t be able to survive a fight in the forest.”

Linzet: “Then… if they are scouts… does that mean the main group is behind them?”

Scarlett nodded. Linzet’s eyes looked worried, however she grabbed the quiver and bow on the side of the tent. Seeing her actions, Ben and Scarlett waited at the entrance of the tent as Linzet looked at Wilmot one more time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A soldier in leather armor ran forwards towards Derek Kel and kneeled in front of him.

“Sir! 120 scouts strong! 40 of them with direwolves had circled around our encampment!”

Derek Kel: “These damn creatures… they’ve learned to cut off our retreat and they are proudly showing their numbers. Confident in their numbers they may try and present my head to their king. Prepare for frontal assault, assign several scouts to monitor our backs.”

Derek Kel’s cape flourished in the air before he wore it onto his back. He received his staff as he left the entrance of the tent.

Regis simply stood up and his eyes rested on Derek’s back as he left. “The ability to stay concentrated and calm in this overwhelming situation…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Derek Kel: “Put up the spike barricades, set up the shields! Start sticking the long spears into the ground! It’ll deter the direwolves!”

***************************

The camp started to prepare for their last stand. Everyone was sterned faced as they continued to work. Some of the injured who had bandages across their faces or arms continued to grit through their pain as they helped build, knowing that every effort would give some form of chance to live.

“These are just goblins, we will survive to see our families.”

“When are our next reinforcements? Why have we not left?”

“Stay strong, Regis is with us. Trust in him to protect our lives.”

The people in the camp were concerned yet they clung onto hope.

However, when the sounds of several horns rang out, the faces of these people fell. Derek Kel immediately saw the faces of the people around him, his heart flared with anger as he saw these people’s faces.

Derek Kel: “The enemy comes! Arm yourselves! Defend your lives! Protect your friends and comrades!”

Derek immediately conjured a summoning magic with his eyes closed , magical arrays formed above the encampment. The magical arrays continued to stay there as Derek finished his summoning. His eyes opened once more as he gave a quick glance around the camp, eventually his eyes turned green as he focused onto a familiar within the air.

Derek Kel: “...” he said nothing as his eyes turned back to normal. He turned to Regis, giving a short nod.

Regis seeing Derek’s nod, immediately knelt down and placed two hands upon the earth. As Ben watched, brown auras spread around Regis’ hands. Eventually the brown aura shot forward, beyond the gates. Noises of earth shattering could be heard, the forest ahead had fallen, trees and rocks turned over under the earth, sightings of the goblins on the road were covered and torned apart under the land.

Answering to Regis’ attack. Eight goblin mages appeared from the forest and walked onto the mowed down land. As the goblin mages worked their magic. The land returned to a workable road once more within minutes the people from the camp started to talk.

“Scout squad with eight goblin mages?”

“The numbers of the goblin king… the qualities of the troops are too high for a common king.”

Regis seeing the people falter once more, placed another effort. Eight earth skewers immediately stabbed into a goblin mage. As the goblin mages fell, a horde of goblins appeared. Horns continued to blow behind the horde. A black, silver haired hobgoblin riding a rickshaw held the severed head of the hobgoblin that retreated. The two goblins holding onto the rickshaw stopped and let the silver haired hobgoblin down from his rickshaw. The body of the hobgoblin is muscular, to the point that his fingers seemed strong to a normal human, it was unnatural in the eyes of the humans. It’s form and shape were as if it was a powerful demon.

“Unknown silver haired hobgoblin, difficulty ranking estimation Rank B.”

The silver hobgoblin looked from afar with a smile at the camp.

“Humans, how I despise your kind… Goblins attack!” The silver haired hobgoblin pointed at the camp. As the Silver Hobgoblin pointed at the camp, goblins with hatchets and small wooden shields appeared from the horde.

The archers from the camp walls immediately fired at them, several piercing through the feeble improvised wooden shields, while most found it’s target, whether it would be the head, legs or chest. The goblins would either fall silent or groan in pain as the goblins from behind continued to march forward.

Seeing the determination and the sheer willpower of these goblins and their unity. The humans watching this spectacle were forced to review their information of the goblins.

“This is a scouting party? It’s a straight up army of goblins!”

“Shut up and keep firing!”

After the second volley of arrows were sent, the goblins finally found distance to throw their hatchets.

Derek Kel: “Continue to fire! Do not stop!”

Derek’s voice shouted over the people as he flew up onto the walls. His hands glowed green as a green wind wall stopped the hatchets in their tracks. The archers could only continue to fire their arrows at the oncoming troops of goblins.

The arrows seemed to thin the numbers greatly, however several groups of goblins continued to flood towards the encampment. As the number increased, the walls began to see bloodshed as the defenders were brought out into the melee fight.

A human soldier wielding a spear, dexterously swiped and stabbed the goblins with skills. Another point of defense was a man holding his shield with great strength against the five goblins that throw themselves onto him. Ripping the frail bodies of the goblins with his sword, letting the blood and guts spread into the air as he prepares to fight against another small group of goblins that charge fearlessly. The goblins had no fear, a characteristic that was not found in common goblins, who should be cowards, fearful, and deceitful.

With the defender’s teamwork, few injuries occured amongst the humans. However, the goblin corpses continued to pile near the wall front. The blood and guts painted the grass dark red, while the dirt became moist dark red as if it had greeded for the iron blood of the dead.

Ben, Linzlet, and Scarlett fought off against the horde with some other adventurers on their sides. Ben’s eyes glanced at the silver haired hobgoblin. It’s facial expression was emotionless, it’s eyes only stared at the bloodshed. However, as Ben continued to quickly study the hobgoblin’s face, it met Ben’s eyes. The hobgoblin smiled sinisterly as it placed it’s finger on it’s neck and slowly moved it across. Ben could only narrow his eyes and focus on the next goblin.