The wind comes in, blowing in the sweet scent of the sea. The air was humid, but it was a surprisingly cool day for summer.
The day was great save one thing: the goblins. The crazy little things seemed to have gone even more off the wall recently, and Arias has been tracking the few that sneak off as best he could to figure out why.
His blonde hair stuck to his face, blood lightly sprayed upon his legs and boots. The blasted little thing had leapt out from a copse of trees, and Arias had just moments to react. His Elven Curve Blade, Ansravel, practically leapt into his hands, and in one fluid motion the goblin no longer threatened him. Even in death, though, it never lost that sadistic smile.
"Something has them riled up. But what is it?"
He slowly resheathed Ansravel, kneeling to close the goblins eyes.
"Have to find out. If it's something big, the whole region could be in danger." Memories of the goblin attack on Sandpoint just a few years earlier came forth. Those songs, so happy as they slaughtered and set fire to everything.
BOOM.
Arias' eyes shot to the west. A strange multi-hued cloud of smoke slowly began dissapating.
"What the..."
A hissing noise slowly began to fill his ears. What was it? A snake? No, he'd heard this sort of hiss before, but how the goblins had gotten...
He dove to his left as a firework rocket shot past. His eyes followed the smoke trail to find two sneering and laughing goblins, their dogchoppers already being raised.
The elf leapt to his feet just as one of the foul little beast got to him. Nearly falling to his feet once more, he pulled a dagger from his belt to parry the goblins thrust. From the corner of his eyes he saw the second one working it way past him.
'Trying to flank me Have to end this quick.'
The goblin before him swung wildly, his body spinning as the weight of his weapon pulled his body far to it's left. Easily sidestepping the goblins arcing swing, Arias sank his dagger deep into the goblins side. A horrible gurgle mixed with a laugh of disbelief left the wretched thing, as it crumpled to the ground.
"You killed Eartwist! Me kill you, longshanks!" The second goblin leapt forward, anger filling it's eyes. Arias spun, grabbing the still dying goblin by the scruff of the neck and putting him in the way. The second dogslicer bit deep into the green flesh, and the second goblin's eyes filled with confusion as to why his friend had gotten in the way.
Arias left him no time to continue it's contemplation, as he kicked forward, his foot catching the now definitely dead goblin in the back and forcing the other to ground. Using the moment to finally draw his blade, he whispered a quick prayer of thanks to Desna, and let Ansravel's tip sink deep into the chest of the final goblin, a yelp of pain and fear leaving it.
Breathing heavily as the rush of battle began to fade, Arias bends down. The first goblin had something on it's back. And it looked important.
~~~
"Fireworks?" Sheriff Belor looked at the small rocket with near disbelief. "Now where did they get these?"
Arias, still covered in mud, blood and sweat, shook his head.
"I'm afraid, good sheriff, that I don't know. Maybe a caravan from Magnimar they attacked, or maybe some crazy alchemist in or near the swamp was making them. I wouldn't put to much faith in them making them themselves, though they are clever little thing."
"Clever?" Belor looked at the elf with a cocked eyebrow.
"Clever, yes. Intelligent? Not so much. Give them some metal and leather and you're giving them a new weapon. But show them some tubes, string and powder, and they probably will eat the powder, gnaw on the tubes and put the string through a hole in their ear and call it fashion."
Belor let out a deep laugh, but nodded his head.
"If they have fireworks, I agree, they are a lot more dangerous."
"I wouldn't say that, good sheriff." Arias turned towards the door.
"And why not?"
"Because, all it makes them is more reckless. And a reckless one is easily dispatched. Now if you excuse me, I need to find some people..."
