"I doubt they left." Teruko is thankful that the rain is reducing the stink of the marsh, but her nose still wrinkles as she looks at the corpses. "They were attacked by something before we got here. Perhaps they're hiding from whatever it was?"
She's pleasantly surprised when Yuto starts making tactical suggestions. It makes her feel much better about this second assault to think that maybe at least one of them knows what they're doing. "So Cyrus, Arika, Torra, and Seishin to one ladder, with Yuto, Hana, and myself going to the other?" She considers for a second. "Maybe our group should take the ladder on the right. We might need the light to get through the mess left by the ceiling collapsing, and I can only have one of those spells going at a time."
Torra thinks back to the tracks that Seishin had found, which meant that whatever had attacked the goblins had presumably already left. What could it have been, to frighten them so? She looks around for fresh tracks, certain that the old ones have been wiped by the rain.
Cyrus frowns. "I think Arika should go back to the building we were hiding in and stay there." He gestures at the nearest ladder.
"What, again?" Arika objects. He looks steadily at her through the rain. "Oh, fine. But I'm not going to be pleased if you all get killed."
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Feeling refreshed, even with the storm pelting down rain on the party, Seishin shares a couple of moonlit blessings with the assembled group.
When Yuto asks about her dream, Hana is quick to leap on the explanation that he inadvertently offers her. "Yeah, seeing that thing again didn't make sleeping here any easier," she lies half-heartedly. "Here's to hoping that it didn't survive those injuries we gave it." A part of her felt bad for the deception, but she tells herself that its necessary all the same. No one can know what and who she truly is.
"Oh we'll definitely be trying to avoid that, Arika," she quips with a smile, trying her best her to relieve the mounting tension and maybe get Akira to more readily accept staying out of whatever bloodletting they were likely to face within the village.
She promptly turns to Yuto and confers with his plan. "Dividing the group often doesn't end well, but so as long as we can still hear and see each other as we make our way to the main building I think we'll be alright. Even if the goblins try to ambush us we shouldn't be that far apart that we won't be able to come to each other's aid."
"Yes. The idea is to gather together quick. Is only a maneuver to go up faster" and looking up to the sky Yuto tries to address Teruko's concerns "The day is grey, but I think there is still enough light. Let's hurry up and profit the daylight"
The Tian nods as a thank to the Samsaran when more of his wounds close and disappear.
Sensing the group is ok with the plan, Yuto heads to the right tower while the other group goes to the eastern one.
If the group finds no resistance, then, they go on and gather at the central room.
As the group moves into the watchtowers (or over the ruins of the roof, in the Minkaians' case), the village is silent save for the pouring rain and the howling of the winds. Except for the ruined corpses that are in the towers and the walkway, there are no signs of goblinoid presence.
When the group gathers at the central residence, Cyrus frowns, looking around. "It seems like the goblins haven't fortified since your last attack. Either they're waiting to spring an ambush on us where you haven't seen them before, or they've retreated to hole up someplace else." He runs his thumb over the hilt of his sword, before grinning somewhat tiredly. "But I'm just glad to have a..." he looks up at the leaking roof, "well, mostly solid roof over my head at the moment. At a certain point, you just can't get any wetter, and I'm pretty sure I crossed that point about half an hour and four near falls in the muddy puddles ago."
"I don't think goblins are fans of being caught in the rain anymore than we are,"[b] Hana muses to Cyrus as she rubs away a few errant raindrops from her cheek. [b]"My bet is that they moved to a part of the village that isn't ruined... if there even is one."
Taking a few seconds to look around the main building, the kitsune tries to spot anything of significance that could offer the party some clues as to where the goblins could have flocked to.
Regardless of whether she actually manages to spot anything of note, the kunoichi offers to scout ahead to the next building. Already entering a crouch and moving to a door that leads to another walkway she says, "I know I just said that we shouldn't split the party, I'm a big hypocrite or know, but I think it would be best if I went ahead a little to see if we do have any company up ahead."
Clambering over the fallen roof was all well and good for those with longer legs, but it takes Torra a while, and she's pretty annoyed by the time they reconvene in the larger... room? dwelling? Being crowded in with so many people only increases her irritation, so when Hana goes to scout ahead she jumps at the chance to get some space.
"I'll come too, I know how to scout."
A cursory glance over the room tells Hana that there's nothing of note inside. Once she moves forwards, however, she manages to do so silently and stealthily, across the walkway into what looks like another residence, with half-a-dozen "nests" inside.
Torra, meanwhile, almost slips on her way across the bridge, and the walkway creaks loudly - probably not loudly enough to be heard over the rains and winds, but still, an embarrassing little trip.
Neither woman sees nor hears anything of note inside the newly opened residence. Where have they gone?
Seeing nothing particularly interesting in the room beyond some hovels, Hana signals the others that the room is clear before she quietly moves on ahead to the next building to the east.
Cyrus looks at the others as they enter the second residence. "This is..." His voice trails off, but he is clearly disturbed and on-edge.
Yuto looks concerned at the adventurer "Wh-what is Cyrus?"
The young man gets out into the rain, hoping it will cover the clinging of her armor plates. There he makes sure Hana is ok, then looks over the collapsed area at the north, then the area to the south.
"I-it's ok Hana? I think we should search these southeastern rooms before heading back. Do you think the goblins are maybe not here anymore?" the Tian eyes open wide in hope.
Cyrus frowns. "It's odd. Where are the goblins? I know I said that you broke them, but I thought they'd have come back by now." He scratches his bearded chin, drumming the other hand's fingers on the hilt of his falcata. "But no, they seem to have left..."
"This... this pla-place is effectively out of goblins. Li-like Cyrus San says" then moves up to support Hana on opening the door "We just need to make sure there is no one in these buildings and we can leave"
Hana is forced to shake her head at the samurai's question. "Not sure, Yuto. The double doors here seemed barred or maybe even locked from the inside. Can't tell what's the other side of it, but maybe there's a hidden... oh..." She spots the small crack in the doors and crouches down to get a good look at it. "I found something."
After taking a few seconds to make sure she won't likely get an poisoned needle to the eye for her gawking, the young kitsune backs away and retrievals something from her back.
"Crack's way to small and awkward to really see through it with the naked eye, buuuuuuut..." she finally finds the object she's looking for and pulls out a well-polished miniature mirror from her pack. " Crack looks big enough that I should be able to fit it in there and maybe catch a reflection of something on the other side. Worth a try at least."
Hana promptly tries to put her scheme and in action, sliding the mirror through the crack and hoping that it works or at the very least doesn't break her mirror.
Seishin looks around.
"If the door is barred from the inside maybe you can squeeze your hand through the hole and remove the bar?" suggest Yuto "Ju-just make sure they don't see you do it... I want to keep listening your performances once we are back", the large man attempts a small smile, that turns into a grimace due to the rain sliding down his face.
Hana easily lifts the bar from the doors, shoving them open... only to find a goblin right next to her, ready to lash out at her. Another goblin lurks in the eastern doorway, her hands wrapped around a familiar firework. Deeper inside a fat goblin man wearing a headdress sits on an unstable-looking throne - this must be Rendwattle Gutwad, chief of the Licktoads. Most notable, however, is the tremendous goblin at the side of the "throne," a woman nearly as tall as Hana herself. In her hand she holds a burning torch, and her lips curl in a maniacal grin.
The room itself is rather large, but she has little time to notice that - the threat is too immediate.
The largest goblin bangs her torch on her wooden shield to taunt the kunoichi into the room.
Right next to Hana, the goblin woman slices at her with the dogslicer. Taken on the back foot, Hana cannot prevent the rusty piece of sharp metal from cutting into her flank.
From the doorway, the goblin aims her firework at Hana, unleashing a burst of sparks. Unsurprisingly, the shot sizzles past her head and into the storm, where it swiftly burns out - but the crack of the fireworks is loud enough to alert the others that something is amiss.
Gutwad himself holds a much longer firework, which he promptly lights, aiming at the ninja. Fire from the rocket illuminates the room brightly, as it sprays sparks every-which-way.
The ninja counterattacks, striking back at her attacker with as much accuracy and force as she can muster, but the goblin woman ducks under her blow with ease, giggling at her efforts.
Cyrus pauses at the crack of the fireworks. "Goblins!" He shouts, drawing his blade as he rushes past the party, across the walkway, and sidles around Hana to the other door. Unfortunately, his path leaves him open to the goblin's attack, but he deflects it with his falcata with ease. Settling into a combative stance, he lashes out at the goblin who attacked him. The blade feints high before darting low, past the woman's guard and cutting open her stomach. She wails, staggering back. "For the Shield!" He cries.
"Hana!" Yuto bites his tongue as the his friend is cut.
When Cyrus moves forward and takes the attack of the goblin, Yuto resolves there would be no better moment to go in and try to fight. Holding up his shield, he moves around the door and attacks the goblin there.
Yuto rushes into the room, out of the rain and wind, slashing at the goblin who hurt Hana. She deflects his sword with her own, bouncing just out of his reach and giggling maniacally.
However, even as he does so, he notices there is a fifth goblin hiding around the corner from the doors , who uses her dogslicer to attack him as soon as he arrives. The young samurai deflects the blow with his shield, and he hears a snap as the blade hits his shield - the pointy end of the weapon has broken and clattered to the floor. She screams her frustration, brandishing her now-broken sword uselessly.
The overlarge goblin roars something to the other goblins, before brandishing her torch menacingly at Yuto - or at least, attempting to do so. Though it startles him, her gestures look more comical than threatening.
Teruko focuses, energy flowing from her in a wave. "This should help!" She can't see what's going on in the room, but from the sounds there are a lot of goblins.
As the energy leaves her, she focuses on making sure her crossbow is loaded. If any goblins leave the room, she needs to be able to fight them.
Teruko unleashes her spell, and a warm sense of security embraces the whole of the party. "Thanks!" Cyrus shouts over the wind and the pounding rain.
The goblins move swiftly, as the one in the corner attacks Yuto with her broken dogslicer, apparently unwilling to give up. Her blade whizzes by his neck - if it hadn't broken, she might well have badly wounded him. Screeching in frustration, she steps back, away from the samurai.
The surrounded goblin woman fights heedlessly onwards, attacking Cyrus with a vicious series of cuts. Cyrus moves desperately in an attempt to deflect the blow with his falcata. Unfortunately, he cannot get the sword into place before he is struck several times by her dogslicer, leaving him bleeding from his chest, his right arm, and his left leg. He staggers, very nearly falling off of the edge of the walkway, but he keeps his balance.
The fireworks-wielding goblin woman blasts at Yuto. Somehow, despite the chaos of combat, the flaming projectile smacks him square in the face, burning his cheek and leaving him momentarily off-balance.
Finally, Gutwad lets go of his firework, which shoots out of his grip and towards the party. Due to Yuto's slight stagger, it whooshes past him, striking Hana and...
Hana, Cyrus, and the goblin nearest to them realize what is about to happen a split second before it does, and manage to throw themselves just barely out of the way of the explosive's flame. Yuto and the other goblin are not so lucky, as they take the full brunt of the blast. As the flash of light fades, Yuto and Hana find that their eyes are full of dark spots, and they cannot see what is happening at all.
To those outside the building, it seems for a moment as though lightning has struck the far end of the walkway. Then they realize that the explosion is probably the work of a firework, burning and loud - to the point that Torra flinches back from the heat and light, barely managing to keep out of its range.
The two goblins caught in the blast lie singed and burnt on the floor, while the other three laugh uproariously at their fate.
Torra rushes forward at the sounds of battle, narrowly avoiding getting caught in the tremendous blast of the firework that leaves several of the others hurt and reeling. Poor Cyrus was getting hacked to bits again, and as she reaches the doorway she finds Yuto in no better shape. There, that one in the corner must be the chief! Perhaps taking him out will make the others surrender.
Everything seems to move to fast and then horrendous slow as the goblins make their onslaught. Hana has her blade primed and ready to slice at the goblin that managed to cut her only the for whole world to become suddenly consumed by a flash of light that leaves her drowned in darkness. If not for an almost instinctual dodge at the last second chances she would have taken the full blast.
"Yuto! Cyrus! Where are you? I can't-" the ninja stops her self mid-sentence as she starts to process what just happened. They must have been attacked by a firework of some kind. It's the only thing makes since unless the goblins had some kind of magic.
Not knowing whether they have another firework of that yield at their disposal, Hana tries to slowly traces her steps back from the room and takes up a defensive stance as she does so. Even as she does, she still tries to warn the two warriors. "We need to back up. If we get caught in another blast like that we're finished!"
Seishin grimaces when the battle starts going poorly.
"May the Half Moon grant us strength!" He prays, letting more healing moonlight flood the battlefield.
Torra unleashes a blast of earth from around the corner of the door, but together with the wind and the rain, the doorway disrupts her aim enough that the goblin chieftain easily evades the clod of rock and mud.
Hana backs away from her position in front of the doors, her blade lifted and her ears desperately searching for any sign of a threat. Torra hastily makes way for her, allowing her to pass by.
Seishin moves slightly before unleashing the silver light of his god upon the group, sealing their wounds and uplifting them from their wounded states.
Cyrus lets out a terrible, wordless battle-cry, and rushes at Gutwad, his blade flashing in the light of the torch and Yuto’s sword as he slashes viciously at the goblin chief. Unfortunately, Gutwad contemptuously evades the blade, his eyes narrowing furiously.
Yuto dodges the first smallest firework, then raises his shield to protect himself from the bomb, but his efforts are hopeless for it passes below and explodes on Hana, at his back.
Blinded by a spark that goes into his eyes as it passes through, and almost to the point of fainting, the young man trembles "Yes, let's run!"
But then he feels Tsukiyo's healing and hears Cyrus shouting a battle-cry and notices him charging pass him, by his side. Inspired, Yuto breaths deep "Run, safe yourselves! We will hold them as long as we can!" he carefully moves forward, swinging blindly the katana at the enemy in front, or at least where he saw he was before the blinding burst.
Despite his blindness, Yuto moves forwards and strikes the overlarge goblin woman, cutting a deep wound from shoulder to hip. She lets loose a terrible wail, staggering away from the young warrior. Nevertheless, she isn't able to pass through the two men who are engaging the goblins in melee combat.
With that, she lashes out with her torch, catching Yuto off-guard and striking him across the face with the flaming brand. The flames sear his skin and he tastes blood as the impact knocks a tooth loose. However, the goblin woman collapses to the ground with a dramatic thump.
"What-" Teruko starts to ask before cutting herself off. What happened doesn't matter. What matters is keeping everyone safe. She takes a step forward and lays a hand on Hana's shoulder, hoping to imbue her with just a little more luck. "It's okay, we're all going to be okay." It's clear she's trying to reassure herself more than the other woman.
The sole active goblin woman remaining attacks Yuto with her broken dogslicer, taking advantage of his blindness. This time, she manages to strike home, cutting deep into his upper chest and staggering him back for a moment.
With that, she throws herself between Yuto's legs in an attempt to slip past him. Despite her best efforts, she tumbles onto her face, exposing her back to the samurai in the process.
The spots gradually clear from Hana and Yuto's eyes as Gutwad makes his move, dodging past Cyrus without giving him a chance to attack. With that, the chief draws his bow and shoots an arrow at the Taldan man. Unable to block the arrow with his buckler, Cyrus finds it blossoming from his throat as he staggers back with a gurgle. Though he is not yet dead, he certainly isn't far off, barely keeping himself on his feet.
"Cyto!" In the blink of an eye, both Yuto and Cyrus are mortally wounded in front of her eyes, and Torra's panicking brain mashes their names together. Pushing past Seishin to get out of the rain that keeps messing up her aim, she slides inside just as she prepares to fling another projectile at the chief. "Seishin! Heal them!'
Seishin channels again, invoking the Crescent Moon and keeping the goblins from feeling its healing caress.
As Teruko's spell does its work, Hana gives the other Minkaian her thanks. "You're right," she says with way more confidence than a woman with still burning eyes probably should. "But thanks for the energy boost anyway."
When her eyes finally recover from the shock of the firework blast, Hana leaps back into the action with a series of deft acrobatic steps that allow her to maneuver around Seishin, Torra and an ailing Yuto as she gets back into the room.
Seeing that Yuto's back is exposed to one of the remaining goblin's blades, the kunoichi swings her wakizashi and tries to take the Licktoad down.
Torra steps out of the rain, firing her blast at Gutwad once again. However, it cracks the upper doorframe (knocking down a slowly rotting horse head hanging there as it does) because she tries to avoid hitting Cyrus with it. The chieftain barely seems to care about it, for that matter.
Hana expertly flips and dodges through the crowd and into range of the goblin, and she slashes at her foe with expert precision, managing to maneuver her blade through the goblin’s defenses to slash her across her face. She shrieks furiously, before glaring up at the kunoichi with bright red eyes.
Seishin calls upon Tsukiyo once more, letting healing light wash over his companions again. Yuto and Cyrus manage to return to some semblance of health. The arrow clatters onto the floor from Cyrus’ neck as the healing magic swells through him. He grunts his thanks to the samsaran, before turning his eyes towards Gutwad.
Cyrus rights himself with some effort before moving to confront the goblin chieftain once more, this time much more cautiously. He holds his sword up defensively, keeping himself from rushing in as he did moments before.
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Yuto blinks again and the sight comes back, if dazzled, to his eyes. The young man freezes as he sees the katana covered in blood and one goblin in the ground.
Feeling another pulse of Tsukiyo's energies backing him up, he turns to face the one goblin by him just when Hana passes around striking it.
Emboldened by his friend courage, Yuto swings too at the same goblin, his attack, if not with the precision and training of Hana, backed up with the strength he has built up in the years of work at the Glassworks "Ha!"
Regardless of if he finishes the goblin or not, he steps back next to Cyrus "I cannot let you face death alone" pointing with his katana at chief Gutwad in the way he has imagined samurais do after the reading of his books, Yuto issues a challenge "There will be no more Licktoad attacks at peaceful travelers. Your rule of terror over the Marsh finishes here with your death Gutwad!"
Yuto resolves to slay the goblin chief and do his best for Cyrus to survive the battle.
Yuto’s katana swings swiftly and bisects the goblin woman, catching both Hana and himself in the arterial spray. For her part, the goblin woman collapses onto the floor, bleeding out.
As everyone else runs into the room, so does Teruko. I promised I swore I promised...
"I've got you! I've got you, it's okay!" Her hand reaches for Cyrus, and a dim glow passes from her to him. Not much of one, but enough to hopefully keep him upright for now.
"Thank you." Cyrus says briefly to Teruko, but that momentary distraction allows Gutwad to step away from him with ease, pressing up against the door. With that, he takes another careful shot at the swashbuckling Taldan which slams into his jugular, knocking him off his feet with a spurt of crimson blood. Gutwad's laughter echoes in the chamber as he pushes open the innermost door.
With a wordless cry, Torra rushes forward to the fallen Cyrus, pressing her hands on his wound. "nononononono"
Blood flows between her fingers, dripping on the floor.
"HELP!"
As Yuto made Cyrus the object of his resolute defense, he transfers his unstoppable resolve for Cyrus to remain on feet.
"No Cyrus! You promised to revenge! Keep your word!" alarmed, Yuto remembers the man's promise, trying to infuse some resolve on him.
As Hana sees the female goblin go down to Yuto's blade her eyes turn towards the sole remaining Licktoad: Chief Gutwad himself. Several things happen seemingly all at once then. Gutwad backing up to pull his bow, Cyrus taking a terrible wound, and Torra standing over the felled Taldan and crying out for help.
A part of her wants to immediately stand right beside the dwarf and join her in stemming the blood flowing from Cyrus's wound... But she doesn't. Old bloody lessons from her past sharply reminded her to press on with the attack and ensure that their target is slain. For a moment those competing thoughts are in contention until one finally triumphs over the other.
The former assassin darts out from her position with her blade still wet with goblin blood. As Hana does she can't help but spot a puddle of Cyrus's blood as she moves. Regardless, she continues on with several justifications coming to mind to soothe her conscious as she does.
Pushing forward into another room, she corners the seemingly fleeing goblin chief and lashes out coldly with her weapon.
Seishin growls and steps forward, this time invoking a different kind of prayer. He reaches out and grabs Cyrus by the shoulder, channeling jade healing power directly into the man.
The walls creak with the ferocity of the wind as Torra rushes to Cyrus’ side, but she finds that Yuto has kept their companion standing, despite the arrow in his throat. With that in mind, she launches a blast of earth at Gutwad, determined to take the goblin chieftain down once and for all. Unfortunately, she only manages to send the earthen projectile soaring over his head to crash into a distant wall.
Hana rushes past the group, throwing herself at the goblin chieftain, who evades her blow contemptuously, spitting on her even as he dodges her razor-edged blade. A blast of thunder erupts overhead, and Hana notices that there is something deeper inside the building - a human skeleton wearing the remnants of rusted chain, its black pits staring at her through the doorway. Or maybe at Gutwad. It’s impossible to tell.
Seishin moves forwards, feeling Tsukiyo’s favor flaring within him, and presses his hand on the man’s neck, sealing it with divine magic… at least, partly. Though he’s far from healthy, Cyrus is at least no longer in danger of bleeding out. Another arrow clatters to the floor.
Cyrus grins tiredly at Seishin before launching himself forwards to join Hana in melee with the goblin. ”What the- there’s an undead back there!” He calls, his eyes widening even as he launches a series of slashes at Gutwad again. Of course, despite his best efforts, the goblin chief daringly deflects the blows with his longbow, dodging them entirely.
Not really processing about the undead call, Yuto focuses in holding his challenge going inside the room to face the fierce goblin chief "Gutwad, this is the end" the young man swings the katana with all his strength.
Yuto dodges around his fellow heroes before launching a series of strikes at Gutwad - upon whom he manages to land several deep blows. The goblin chief shrieks in pain, red eyes narrowing in fury, but barely staggers from the force of the blow - his armor appears to have taken much of the impact.
Teruko fires her crossbow at Gutwad, but the bolt thuds harmlessly into the wall nearby. He shrieks again, infuriated.
Using the momentum that Yuto’s katana imparted upon him, Gutwad backs off, withdrawing from the combat carefully, before the skeleton slashes at him with a blade - a rusty wakizashi - as he passes it by. He easily dodges out of the way of the clumsy lunge. With a swift twist of a rotten horse-hoof that hangs on the back wall, the goblin chief steps into a secret room, readying himself for combat once more.
The skeleton turns to the heroes before lurching towards them with the sound of clattering bones. It goes all out on the offensive, slashing at Cyrus with its pitted blade. He manages to deflect the first few blows, but one catches him in the collarbone, deep into his shoulder and chest. This time, not even Yuto’s encouragement can keep him up, and he topples to the ground, bleeding. The skeleton, not satisfied with this, lashes down with its claw, tearing his throat. The man gurgles, on the ground and bleeding out onto the wooden floor.
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Seishin groans in disappointment as Cyrus goes down again. "I just HEALED that..."
He grumbles and converts another spell to save Cyrus.
This time, it appears that Tsukiyo is just as frustrated as his priest is. Cyrus isn't dead, but he's certainly not getting up for now.
"It's just a skeleton. Knock it apart with something blunt and move on." Seishin sighs.
Somewhat relieved that Cyrus would not die in the very immediate future, Torra does as told and throws a clump of hard earth at the skeleton.