They made camp near the cave before heading in, checking their equipment and making torches to prepare for the fight. There was no point rushing into the unknown. He examined his own weapon, hefting it and getting a feel of its weight.

It was a spear topped with the rabbit’s horn that he had slain. As cute as the rabbit had been, this horn was no laughing matter. It was made of a light yet strong boney material, harder than normal teeth and claws. It also sported a bladed edge which was not long enough to be used as a sword but was perfect as the blade of a spear.

They chatted as they examined their equipment, commenting on their nerves at patrolling the forest. They admitted that it was quite nerve-wracking and they were all on edge.

He had sensed their fear clawing at them while making their way here but was still quite happy with how they had progressed. Before training, they could barely even hold their weapons, let alone venturing this far into the forest they feared so much.

“Remember, the last thing you want to do is freeze up. Remain limber and relaxed, I’ve trained you all well,” he said to them confidently. They seemed cheered but the nervousness remained. He felt their behaviour to be a tad odd. He was venerated as their hero yet they still couldn’t shake their fear in his presence. He could only hope that it would not affect their fighting ability.

“Tell me, why are you guys training so hard?” he asked. These hand-picked few were only this good because they trained so much. He had watched them stay behind to keep training while the others would go away to eat and rest. Their commitment to the training had impressed him. Above all he valued dedication and commitment. However, he was still at a loss as to why they did so. It would have been enough to simply learn the moves to be able to protect themselves from the beasts.

“Well,” one of them piped up, “I like fighting. Make me feel good, swing axe.” He thumped his chest proudly, showing off his broad chest (though as he was a goblin, it was still relatively thin).

“I want explore world,” another goblin chirped in, her eyes glimmering with excitement, “want to leave forest, travel far. Need to get strong, protect self, when I go.”

Brun nodded solemnly. “We always scared to do these things. Now Utho come, show us strength, show us to be brave. Make us mighty. We respect, want to be strong!” he exclaimed. The others nodded their heads. “I want to leave too. But to see a city, biiiig city. Is my dream.” Brun smiled a toothy smile.

Utho couldn’t help but crack a smile too. It was endearing to see these awkward goblins opening up and revealing their desire to become better and live to their ambitions. He was taken aback at how human-like their personalities turned out to be. It was getting harder to see them as monsters that knew only fighting and stealing. Now he could see them as individuals with their own hopes and dreams.

“Yeah! Yeah! Strong! Strong!” screamed the little goblin girl. The two children goblins were no brainers, however, with simply pure endless energy being the source of their strength. That being said, she had also surprised him. He would never have guess that she would be able to concentrate on the drills he had made the group do and to master the moves he taught them.

It was the rare moments like that that showed him she could put her energy into more than just pure chaos and general annoyance.

***

The air in the cave was dank and musty, ripe with the scent of the rabbits they were tracking.

The children had quietened down as they ventured in and for the first time since waking in the village, he saw the little goblin girl become serious in her attitude. The adults also seemed nervous and tense as they were looking around furtively, shadows dancing by their torchlight.

Utho led the way, eyes straining in the darkness. The light from the torch could only reach so far and the tunnel was narrow and winding. I wound down and around, getting narrower and finally widening into the main nest chamber.

They found no rabbits there, but it was clear that this was their home. Small bones were strewn around the chamber and a pile of straw bedding lay directly in the middle.

The party breathed a sigh and relaxed. Brun looked puzzled as he examined the chamber.

“If creature not here, then where is?” he asked Utho, scratching his head. Utho could only guess as to their location. It was entirely possible that they were currently active or perhaps the rabbits simply moved on to a new burrow. Regardless, he had hoped to catch them off guard since he suspected they were nocturnal creatures. But something didn’t feel right, he knew he tracked them into here.

Where could they have gone?

“I wouldn’t know, Brun, but there’s no point hanging around here. Let’s make our way back and see if we can find some clues,” he instructed. They filed out of the cave and spread out, searching for tracks. The children grew restless and decided to patrol around while the adults carefully combed the area.

He feelings of unease grew as time dragged on. There was no further sign of the rabbits. It was like they simply upped and vanished. Something else had to have come, but what?

He had a sudden rush of clarity as he heard a piercing scream from the other side of the bushes. He realised with a cold dread that his understanding came too late. An unknown entity was here, and given the dangers that lurked in this forest, it may very well be outside his power to defeat.

Rushing over, he cursed his carelessness again. How many times did he have to fail before he would learn his lesson? Like a fool, he had rushed into being their hero, without so much even considering the true risk of wandering in the forest.

He was joined by the two children and another adult. That left the two other goblins unaccounted for.

They burst from the bushes and found a bruised and bleeding goblin, crying and clutching at deep wounds in her arm. She did not notice them however, as her tear-streaked gaze was fixated away from them. She was looking over towards a wide group of trees with thick strands of webs strung up between the trunks where a large spider could be seen sitting amongst the webs.

The strands bounced and swayed to the heavy body of a large black spider feasting on the corpse of the last goblin. Its jaws were dripping with poison and mucous, with large fangs that tore at the mangled corpse of their companion. It had a glossy jet black carapace with a huge hairy abdomen with silver streaks which pulsed every time it took a sickeningly wet bite.

The group was shocked into silence, frozen at the sudden loss of their friend and the appearance of such a high-level enemy. The spider finished its meal in two quick snaps of its jaws and spotted them across the clearing. With a screech it unfurled its long spindly legs and leapt down from its web.

Its sharp claws dug deep into the marshy earth and lifted clumps of dirt as it dragged its engorged abdomen to their group, mandibles clacking audibly. The children screamed and ran, weapons flung to the side. The adults stood limply, weapons by their side.

Curses, how did this happen? He despaired. He never imagined such a threat so close to their camp. He thought furiously. Can I protect the goblins here?

The children were gone, but he doubted the rest of the goblins could move. He could see their legs trembling like jelly, fear numbing their minds and dulling their movements. He didn’t expect their fear to be so crippling that they would turn from competent hunters into slack jawed target dummies. Perhaps this was why they had had so much trouble dealing with rabbits, seeing as how their fear was so overwhelming when thrown directly into combat.

The spider was indeed terrifying, a nightmare to a simple goblin. Its eight spindly legs seemed to barely support the monstrosity, standing at twice the height of the goblins. Eight red eyes gleamed menacingly over its clicking jaws, still dark red with goblin blood. Its hairy abdomen was so bulbous and large it could only drag itself across the mossy ground. Utho could hear it hissing as it drew closer.

*Crrtch* *Crrtch* It’s legs stabbed into the soft loam and its body left a trail of gore and viscera.

Fortunately, it moved rather slowly, its own body moving clumsily through the trees. The creature’s most recent meal of an entire goblin did not help its agility either, seeming to almost distend its already bloated belly.

It’s so sluggish, thought Utho, we might have a chance to outrun this thing.

“Everyone, run away!” he cried leaping forward. This allowed him to shield his party and delay the beast while they withdrew. The goblins scrambled to run, tripping over themselves as they ran full tilt away from the spider. He hefted his spear and faced the monster alone, the softly thumping of feet confirming their departure.

“Okay, I suppose facing this thing alone will be too much for me right now,” he muttered and turned around. To his dismay, he saw one of the goblins flailing on the ground. She was caught in vine which was winding tighter and tighter around her. Her panic only grew wilder when she saw a shadow approach her. She started screaming, calling to her group who were by now long gone.

“It’s okay, I’m going to help you,” shouted Utho, waving his spear. He didn’t have long, as slow as the beast was; it was still doggedly chasing them, clearing a path towards them. He tried to cut at the vine which was now constricting her entire body. His spear was awkward to use and her convulsions did not stop. He found himself at risk of cutting her in the process.

*Crrtch* *Crrtch* He could clearly see all the creatures' eight eyes focused on him now, the way a predator looks at its prey right before pouncing.

A sharp pain lanced under his palm where he grasped the vine. He gasped, letting go and looking at his bleeding hand. He could see why she was in pure panic now. What was wrapping her was a vicious ivy - The Devil’s Whip - a plant species with needle thin barbs running all along its length. He could see blood dripping where the ivy wrapped into her, the needles puncturing into her green body.

*Crrtch* *Crrtch* It was almost bearing down upon them, its hissing audible through her screams.

Gritting his teeth, he snatched a length of ivy and sawed it in half. The pain from the needles is temporary, he told himself as sharp pains shot through his hand, death is surely much more permanent…for most.

He ripped the vines off her as she moaned from the pain. Flecks of blood spattered on the dark moss. There was no time to waste.

“Go, run now,” he urged, pulling her to her feet. She struggled to stand on her wobbly feet.

*Crrtch* *Crrtch* *CRRTCH* It was here.

Shit.