A triplet of arrows thudded against Andrew's shield as he charged into the bushes towards the goblin archers. Their silhouettes were hazy shadows in the night but their arrows were very real and easily lethal to the unsuspecting survivors. He could hear Kalan shouting as he did the same on the opposite side of the wagon line. The dense underbrush slowed him down as he forded his way through, shield raised high. An arrow grazed his side, tearing a line of burning fire across his skin. A goblin jabbed out at him from behind with a short stone-tipped spear as soon as he passed the first tree. He had removed the metal plates from his armor two days earlier to make travel easier and now regretted it as the speartip jabbed into the small of his back. There was suprisingly little strength behind it, and the wound felt shallow. He twisted around and decapitated the goblin with a single backhanded cleave. The squarish hobgoblin blade he was using as a temporary spear replacement was lighter and longer than his hammer, and he appreciated the speed as he brought his shield back up and caught two arrows aimed at his exposed left side.

He continued forward the stab wound a distant ache in his back as he barreled his way into the darkness. His head snapped to the left to check the next tree as he passed and a goblin jumped out of the bushes on his front right and stabbed up under his shield at his stomach. The stone speartip was caught on the leather of his armor this time. It pierced through, but barely broke the skin underneath. Weak. Andrew slammed the edge of his shield down on the head of the goblin with a sickening crunch and continued forward, running to keep pace with the backtracking goblin archers. He just charged right past the next two trees, ignoring the impotent jabs of the last hidden goblin as he closed the distance with what looked like four goblin archers. It was too dark to keep track easily. The first two dropped their bows, one pulling a club, the other a stone knife. He slammed his shield into the chest of the knife wielding goblin on the right, knocking it to the ground even as the knife drew a shallow line across his exposed forearm. The other goblin's club swung around into the side of his knee as his sword cleaved down into the top of it's skull, through it's upraised arm. The knee dropped out from under him just as an arrow skimmed across the top of his head. The other arrow struck the left side of his chest, barely piercing the leather and his skin before falling out.

Fuck, how long has it been since I've fought goblins like this? It's almost too easy.

He was on the next pair of archers in a moment, his knee ached a bit, but was perfectly functional. The first didn't have time to drop his bow and Andrew hacked it down with a single swing as the other pulled a stone knife and screamed something unrecognizable. Four goblins jumped on him from behind. One for each leg, one on his wound up sword arm, one grabbing a hold of his shield. He stumbled but maintained his footing as he dropped the shield and attached goblin, dragging his hammer from his belt with his freed right hand. The goblins on his legs started jabbing at his thighs with stone daggers, the shockingly weak blows had trouble piercing his skin through the armor despite their enthusiasm. He brought his hammer sweeping down along his right side, picking up speed as it caved in the right-leg goblin's chest and sent it thumping into the brush behind. An arrow stuck into his chest just below the right collarbone. It stuck this time, maybe an inch deep. The goblin on his sword arm climbed up and wrapped It's legs around Andrew's arm, releasing one hand to saw at his wrist with it's own stone knife. Andrew dropped his hammer and grabbed ahold of the back of the goblin's neck, squeezing and ripping the goblin off him. A small stream of blood poured from his wrist, as he tossed the corpse to his right. It struck the rising shield goblin, knocking it back into the dense brush. He slammed the square pommel of the hobgoblin blade down into the skull of the goblin on his left leg, once, twice, three times before it went limp. He fought to maintain his increasingly weakening grip on the blade as he did so, the numerous tiny wounds on the sides of his thighs coalescing into one big distracting burn. Another arrow struck him in the right shoulder and he let out an involuntary groan as the goblin to his right leaped onto his shoulder and tried to use it as a handhold to climb to his neck, ripping it out in the process. The goblin clung to his clothes and climbed around to his back as he charged the last archer and slugged it directly in the face, mid draw with his right hand.

His swing was hampered by the shoulder wound, but the goblin was knocked to the ground all the same. The goblin on his back brought its arms up around Andrew's neck as it tried to choke him with mild success. He could barely hold onto the hobgoblin blade now, so he dropped it and grabbed his chisel out from his belt in a reverse-grip, pulsing mana into it as he leaned forward and swung it back into the chest of the goblin on his back. The corpse slid off as he straightened and brought his boot down through the throat of the final fallen archer.

Holy shit that was a bad idea.

Andrew scanned the forest around him and saw no shadows. He paused a moment, trying to listen for shifting brush over the yells of the survivors behind him. Nothing. He recovered his hammer and battered shield, trying to ignore the steady burn on his thighs as he returned to the shell-shocked caravan. Tyler had a bandage of pink kalam husks pressed against Leah's wound, and she was conscious and smiling, though tears streamed down her face. He saw a lot of cuts and bruises, but no corpses. He stumbled to a wagon and collapsed with his back against one wheel, feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

HP: 412/1,200

SP: 284/1,200

We got way too comfortable out here. All these levels and skills are going to our head. If those were hobgoblins we would be dead ten times over. Fuck. I need to make sure we still have enough people on watch tonight, I just need to rest my eyes for a moment.