Upon arriving at the goblin settlement late at night, Necky knew disaster was inevitable. They had been singing, marching, and making so much noise that the goblins were probably already preparing a welcome with drums and arrows.
And she was right. As the group ventured into the camp, they were ambushed. Goblins emerged from everywhere, shrieking and launching arrows and stones from the shadows. But what the goblins didn't know was that the adventurers were far above their level.
The combat erupted. A couple of adventurers broke the initial formation, charging directly at the enemies with war cries that echoed throughout the settlement. Arrows and spears crisscrossed the air, but the adventurers proved why even the lowest rank in the guild was enough to face these monsters. Goblins fell like flies.
"This is glorious!" exclaimed Graham, who forced Necky to run to the front of the battlefield. "At last, I can feel the heat of battle, my Lady! CHARGE! CHARGE WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!"
"Charge?!" Necky narrowly dodged an arrow and growled. "Who charges with a sword? I didn't sign up for this!"
Graham, however, was ecstatic. She made Necky brandish her blade against an unsuspecting goblin, cutting it down with a single strike.
"YES! THAT'S HOW IT'S DONE, MY LADY!" Graham shouted, as Necky stumbled backward, more concerned for her life than the victory.
Meanwhile, Galf was in his own personal chaos. He managed to finish off one goblin by throwing a stone at it and then, armed with his new sword, took down another in the frenzy.
"I'm doing it! I'm succeeding!" he yelled, feeling a rare moment of triumph.
However, the goblin leader, Krakk, who held Galf's original sword, watched as his companions were cut down one after another. Growling in frustration, he decided the best strategy was to retreat. He escaped through one of the settlement's underground tunnels, taking the prized sword with him.
When the battle was over, the adventurers celebrated their victory, holding up goblin ears as trophies and distributing the loot. Graham was euphoric, delivering heroic speeches about honor and glory.
But Galf, sitting on a tree stump with his head down, sighed deeply. "I don't get it. I fought, I risked my life... and I still didn't get my sword back."
Necky, covered in dust and goblin blood, collapsed next to him, exhausted. "Welcome to the loser's club, Galf. There's room for two here."
Graham, from her sheath, tried to console him. "DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, NOBLE WARRIOR! THIS IS NOT A DEFEAT, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE CHASING YOUR DESTINY!"
"My destiny costs more than I earn in a year," Galf murmured, sadly.
Revenge on the goblin leader would have to wait, but one thing was for sure: the misadventures of this trio were far from over.