The morning air was crisp, scented faintly with dew and pine, as Yoshiya and Omina left Reflynne. Their boots crunched over the gravel roads, the weight of the "Goblin's Lair" quest heavy in their minds. Omina clutched the Two Swords Style manual to her chest, flipping through its pages whenever they paused, her eyes scanning stances she had memorized the night before. Each step forward felt like a prelude to the battle she'd been training for.
Yoshiya moved steadily beside her, notebook in hand, sketching the forest trail and noting every fork, every broken branch. "We'll need every clue about this place," he murmured. Omina nodded, excitement and tension gleaming in her eyes.
The Darkforest loomed ahead, its ancient trees twisted like gnarled hands against the pale morning light. Mist pooled along the ground, and the occasional snap of a twig set their nerves taut.
As they advanced down a mossy trail, a rustle in the underbrush drew their attention. Three goblins, small but wiry, emerged, each clutching a crude spear. They had not noticed the humans yet.
Omina's eyes gleamed. "Let me handle this one."
As the first goblin lunged, she deflected its spear with her left blade—Counter Parry—and immediately drove her right sword into its chest. The second tried to flank her, but Yoshiya whispered Blessings, a faint shimmer surrounding her. She spun into Dual Strike, both blades slicing in a coordinated arc, felling the goblin instantly. The third tried to retreat, only to meet Yoshiya's Protect shield, sending it sprawling to the ground, where Omina ended it cleanly.
"Good," Yoshiya said quietly, helping her brush leaves from her shoulders. "Keep your energy for the fortress."
Hours later, the trees thinned to reveal a ridge. Crouching behind a fallen log, they saw it: a sprawling goblin fortress. Palisades of sharpened logs surrounded tents and watchtowers. Smoke curled from cookfires, and patrols moved in constant motion. Yoshiya estimated over a hundred goblins patrolling the area.
"There's no way a frontal assault would work," Omina whispered.
"Exactly," Yoshiya said. "We watch, we learn, and we move quietly."
Omina slipped along the edge of the ridge, crouching as she pretended to collect herbs. Beneath a patch of brush, her foot sank into rotted wood. Curious, she pried it aside, revealing a stone stairwell descending into darkness.
"Yoshiya," she called softly. "Over here."
He peered down into the shadows. "Looks safe. Let's move."
Lanterns lit, they descended into the musty, damp tunnel. The smell of earth and mold was thick, and faint fungi glimmered on the walls. Every step echoed softly in the confined space.
A small patrol of four goblins appeared ahead. Omina stepped forward confidently.
She used Dual Strike, a sweeping double-bladed attack that felled the first goblin instantly. Another lunged; she deflected its spear with her left blade and stabbed with her right—Counter Parry. Yoshiya murmured Protect, a soft shimmer wrapping around Omina, and Blessings, enhancing her strikes. Within moments, the patrol lay still.
"Dual Strike is working," Omina whispered, flexing her hands.
"Good," Yoshiya replied. "Save your energy. More lies ahead."
Deeper into the tunnels, a low archway opened into a storeroom filled with crates and stolen goods. A goblin lieutenant stood in the center, barking orders to a handful of warriors. His armor was thicker and polished with crude oil, and he wielded a jagged longsword, his movements precise and aggressive.
"Yoshiya," Omina whispered, "I'll grab the map and silver. Keep them off me."
Yoshiya nodded, raising his shield. He stepped forward, chanting Protect over himself and Omina, and positioned himself as a wall. The lieutenant snarled and charged, swinging with strength and skill beyond a typical goblin. Yoshiya sidestepped, using Shield to absorb the brunt of each strike. Arrows and daggers rained from the lieutenant's subordinates, and Yoshiya blocked them all, trading blows with enough force to keep the goblins focused on him.
Meanwhile, Omina darted past, her dual swords a blur. She reached the crates and began rifling through them, locating a small pouch of silver and a map fragment marked with patrols, cages, and key rooms of the fortress.
The lieutenant's attacks grew more desperate. Yoshiya dodged a heavy swing, bracing himself, deflecting each strike to stall the goblin while Omina finished collecting the treasure. Sparks flew as his sword met Yoshiya's shield repeatedly, each impact shaking the stone floor. Yoshiya's arms ached, but he held firm, determined to give Omina every second she needed.
Finally, Omina stepped forward again, Guard Break smashing the lieutenant's defense, immediately followed by Dual Strike. The lieutenant staggered, dropping his sword with a metallic clang, and crumpled to the floor.
"Got it," Omina whispered, tucking the map fragment securely.
Suddenly, a guttural chant echoed from deeper tunnels. Drums and torches flared—the goblin shaman had sensed intruders. Reinforcements poured into the chamber, shouting in alarm.
"We have to move!" Yoshiya hissed.
They sprinted for the stairwell. Omina cut down a goblin trying to block the exit while Yoshiya maintained Protect, deflecting arrows and thrown weapons. They dashed up the stone steps, slamming the rotted boards closed behind them.
Outside, the forest swallowed their panting breaths. Below, the fortress swirled with chaos, torches flickering as goblins searched the tunnels.
Yoshiya clutched the map fragment, heart still racing. Omina flexed her wrists, dual swords humming faintly with adrenaline.
"We made it," she said, her voice tight.
"For now," Yoshiya replied. "We need a plan before we go back in."
They melted into the shadows, their minds already turning over strategies, contingencies, and the next move against the goblin threat.