Chapter 38: Finishing the escort mission

The Slime party, in their new armor, waited on their slimes for Arnold to say goodbye to the guards. Arnold had refused to be carried by Karl, and had picked Jar as his mount. Teri was on top of Yar, and looking at Karl with longing in his eyes.

"Is there no possibility that we can get a second Karl?" Teri asked. He wanted to ride a dragon too. Even if this dragon was small. Yar snorted, and rose on his back legs, as if trying to get Teri off his back.

"I am sorry, buddy. You look fearsome and all. It is just that you are no dragon," Teri told his mount, as the crocodile-slime got back on the ground. Yar bubbled something in his strange slime language, and Karl let out a chuckle.

"Yar says: You no formidable either," Karl spoke, his speech better after having spent his time talking to the guards. Who had paid the only talking slime attention out of boredom?

"I will have you know I am a D ranked tank," Teri told his mount.

Yar bubbled in indignation.

"What if I Z rank? I still stronger," Karl translated. Now, Teri was getting peeved.

"Yar, I challenge you to a duel," Teri said, and this time the crocodile did throw him off his back. The tank had just a millisecond to rise his shield, when teeth rammed into it.

"Yar, stop that. Don't mind what Teri is saying. You are better than that," Thomas chastised. "Don't make me get Karl involved."

The crocodile backed off, but still glared at his rider. Teri got off the ground, and stared at his shield, which was dented.

"Oh, now I have to spurge money to fix that," he protested, only for Yar to wiggle his tail at him and to hit him on the nose. "Gloat all you want. You cheated."

Yar bubbled some more. Karl translated.

"You never said start," the dragon said, a smirk on his lips.

"No, I did not. Yar should have waited," Teri agreed.

"But, Yar said go," Karl said, clearly taking the side of his fellow slime.

"Tommy," Teri whined.

"Don't pick fights with the slimes. We are a team. Without them, we are lost," Thomas told him without even a hint of compassion. Teri huffed, and got back on Yar's back. Arnold finally mounted on top of Jar, and they were off. Slower than the first time they had done the trek. With Rina and Teri up front, Karl and Thomas behind them, and finally, Arnold and Jar.

The sounds of the forest soon surrounded them. It was a lovely July day. The sun was peeking through the canopy of the trees and the birds were filling the air with their songs.

The four were as relaxed as can be. On top of the slimes, they knew they could make a run for it, if need be. About halfway down the road, there was a roadblock. Goblins sprang before it, wielding spears.

"Karl," Thomas spoke, and the dragon let lose some smoke from his maul.

That gave the goblins a pause. They had expected a traveler, a single person, to pass by, so they could rob him or her. Not for a party of adventurers atop such peculiar beasts.

"Goblins, get this trash off the trail and get lost, before you lose your lives," Teri said. Now, the one thing goblins hated the most was being underestimated. So, they gripped the spears tighter. One of them blew a crude war horn, and the pitter-patter of small feet was to be heard.

"Teri, why did you have to speak?" Rina whined. Now, they would need to get rid of an entire war band.

Arnold sweated proficiently. He had not expected there to be any fighting on the way back. Just as there had not been on the way to Orestria.

"Goblins, ignore what my friend said," Thomas made Karl step closer. "Just step back. There is still time."

"Goblins are free! Goblins are strong," the one that blew the horn said.

"Arnold, hide," Rina commanded when the goblins came from the direction of the barricade.

The merchant didn't need to be told twice. He urged Jar towards the trees. Now, that the three adventurers could see the goblins more clearly, they saw that there were enough to swarm them.

"Pay the toll," a big goblin spoke, and the adventurers shared a look.

"This forest belongs to the king, not to you," Thomas told them. They shouldn't be levying a toll to begin with. 

"Pay the toll," something told the three that the goblin won't ask a third time. Thomas stared at the mass of goblins. He couldn't just leave them here for the next traveler to stumble on. What if they murdered someone?

He reached out for his harp, and began to play the mournful tune. Rina nocked an arrow in her bow, while Teri got off Yar and advanced towards the goblins.

An hour later, Thomas regretted his decision. There had a big stab wound in Teri's stomach, Rina had a nasty cut over her left eye, and blood poured out of his mouth from where the big goblin had punched him.

The summoner had never experienced such pain, before. Yet, the goblins were much worse off. They were all dead, the miasma having claimed their lives as Rina and Teri had protected Thomas, with Karl being his last line of defense.

"We don't have healing potions," Rina was pressing a cloth on Teri's stomach. "I have no idea if this punctured an organ or no."

"Drumm has healers," Arnold came out of his hiding spot, looking at the carnage in worry. "I will make sure that your friend is treated, but we must make haste."

"Can Karl carry Teri?" Rina asked, Thomas nodded.

"If we tie him to me, there shouldn't be a problem," they heard a chuckle, and they all turned to Teri.

"We showed those goblins not to mess with the Slime party, right?" Then, Teri let out a string of coughs.

"Don't speak. Next time, leave the talking to Tommy or me," Rina gently propped up the tank, and Arnold helped her tie him up to Thomas. Then, they were off. Hoping that the rest of the way to Drumm village would be uneventful.