Chapter 11: Ella, the Shadow Archer

“Ahem. I must have misheard. I-”

“No, you heard it right. I refuse. What makes you think I will agree to marry you?” Azeth interrupted her and shot back, a bit angry on his side. His days hadn’t become so low that he would spend his life with a monster! Talk about bestiality!

Arnia had no words to say. It was as if her mouth was shut. After having become the Goblins’ shaman, it was the first time she was treated this way. Offensive, of course, but she couldn’t do anything about it. At least, she wanted to keep pushing the proposal, but Azeth had no time for this.

“What are you doing, Dirt? We will be late. Come,” Azeth turned back and, glimpsing at Dirt, said this, ignoring Arnia as he walked right past her. Dirt followed Azeth, standing up instantly and bowing in front of Arnia once before joining Azeth.

Ella asked for forgiveness by bowing once and then continued as her task of guarding Azeth and Dirt took priority over seeking manners with Arnia.

But she was adamant. “How dare he refuse me?” she grit her teeth as she thought this, turning back and looking at Azeth walking away casually. ‘Me, a dragon who has survived the initial killing and has come all this way… I’m pretty sure that there is no better candidate than me to be his bride. Then why isn’t he accepting it?’ Arnia further squinted her eyes as she decided to follow Azeth.

Azeth thought he got away from her and could finally focus, but the instant he let his guard down, he found Arnia standing just a meter away from him.

“You—”

“I already said, I—” Azeth was going to deny again, but Arnia interrupted him this time, preventing him from saying anything stupid or insulting her any further.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m just accompanying you. I want to see how you guys hunt.”

Well, Azeth didn’t exactly rule the forest, nor did he have any influence on her. He couldn’t control her actions. So, he turned straight and continued by just saying, “Suit yourself.”

Dirt led the way, and Azeth was just behind him. Arnia followed Azeth closely and walked right beside him. As for Ella, she was again in the back.

Azeth thought he could just go and hunt normally and would get stronger, but even in his wildest dreams, he wouldn’t have expected a war to unfold right when he had dreamt of leveling up!

It was Ella who stopped first.

“I suggest taking a different route.”

Her voice came like a sudden thunder in the otherwise uncannily silent forest. All three who were in front of her paused in their tracks, turning back instantly only to find a determined pair of eyes and a serious expression sitting on Ella’s face. Her eyebrows almost made contact with her eyes as she continued to stare into the distant bushes.

“What’s wrong, Ella?” Azeth asked, pondering what the issue could be. But by the time he had made the statement, even Arnia and Dirt, after focusing a bit, realized the danger ahead. They could feel a large amount of killing intent, which almost had materialized into blades that could slice their necks!

"Master, I think there are enemies ahead," Dirt commented on the situation, informing Azeth.

"Enemies?" Azeth lowered his gaze, contemplating the situation. 'Could it be another goblin tribe? Or...'

Dirt added, "I was going to take you to the hunting site after crossing the Steel Tribe, but it looks like it's best we take a different route."

"Steel tribe?" Azeth asked, still in the dark.

"A kobold tribe. It is one of the five kobold tribes with which your leader Lake has formed a non-aggression contract. That's why they are allowed to stay so close by. But it's confusing that they are emitting such deadly killing intent. Could something have gone wrong?" Arnia analyzed, adding to the thoughts.

“Yes. I need to report back the situation. As long as you are with the Dragoness, you will be fine, so take a different route. I will join you in less than five minutes.”, saying this, Ella almost instantly vanished from the site, heading straight towards the place where the mishap has taken.

Azeth was curious and so was Dirt.

Looking at Arnia, Azeth added, “Why don’t we also go and check?”

Instantly Arnia shot back, “Erm, that’s not-”

“We have you right? According to Ella, you are quite strong. So you can protect us, right?”, Azeth tried to coax her by praising her so that she would be on cloud nine and then can go easily.

And it did work.

“Hehe, you’re right. As long as I’m there, nothing will happen to you. I am also interested in what’s going on, so let’s-”

Before she could complete her sentence, she found herself all alone. Looking straight ahead, Azeth and Dirt had already begun their sprint.

“…”

“Guys! You dare leave me alone!?”, saying this, she too sprinted and with her agility being high, she instantly caught up.

All three of them were already by the bush from where, they saw the brutal massacre.

There were over a hundred of kobolds, many fighting against each other. Though, the side which had lighter brown fur were completely getting massacred.

The few individuals who accompanied Grimrock, completely crushed two or three kobolds from the Steel Tribe.

A few others tore the limbs apart and threw their enemies to the side while marching ahead. The weapons they held were their advantage.

Azeth couldn’t help but be surprised by this brutality. About tens of kobold warriors remained on the ground, motionless with blood pool forming right under them. Several others, injured and limbless, begged for mercy, only to get killed after having enough fun made.

Both Dirt and Arnia, watching this, gasped. The site was just too brutal.

“Mom, no, save me…”, a female Kobold from the Steel tribe, cornered by three brutes, cried as she grabbed a blade made out of stone.

“Kekeke, it is futile resisting. Slurp! We are going to have a blast today.”, said one of the brutes, walking straight towards the female kobold.

“No…”, she was not even a warrior. Because of the low numbers from the Steel tribe, she too ended up joining the battle. But now, she found herself in a life and death situation.

The sharpened stone was no match for the rusty but refined weapons of the humans that the Kobolds from the Stone tribe possessed.

The female kobold, knowing this fully well, decided to end her life with her own hands.

‘At least, if I die, I won’t suffer…’ Having thought that, she pulled the sharpened stone towards her neck, aiming to slice her throat as she was unaware of the tongue technique.

But it was not set in stone that she would die today.

The stone stopped before piercing her throat, with only a slight wound and only a few drops of blood oozing out.

Confused, as she opened her eyes, she found the dagger-like stone being held by a certain someone.

It was Ella who prevented the young female kobold from killing herself. She pulled the stone blade away and put it on the ground.

“Why!? Why did you stop me? They-”

“They will-” The young kobold had something resembling a panic attack. She said whatever came to her mind, fear engulfing her even more. But Ella, she stood firm. A simple slap to the kobold’s face brought her back to reality, almost as if driving away the fear.

Simultaneously, she noticed the three kobolds who were ready to harass her and kill her were, in turn, killed by Ella. Three arrows that were pitch black but gave off a faint white to purple glow stuck prominently from their bodies.

“Did you feel it? Did you feel the pain?” Ella asked, her eyes filled with sympathy and pity.

The young kobold raised her gaze slowly, meeting Ella’s eyes seconds after which she burst into tears.

“Yes,” she replied as her knees gave in and she succumbed to the ground.

“The pain is the proof that you are alive. You aren’t dead yet, so why fear?” Ella said as she turned towards many other Kobolds. “And now, be the testimony of my attacks…”

‘So that we can benefit later.’

With that, Ella raised her bow and pulled the string. Magically, an arrow appeared on the bow. Seconds later, Ella’s eyes gave off black flames as she said just a few words, “Piercing shot.”

Pew!

.

.

.

BOOM!

“…”

Grimrock remained at the back of his army, enjoying the scene. But little did he know that the shot fired by the one and only ‘Shadow Archer’ would come seeking his life.

The arrow cut through the wind and hit Grimrock right in his chest, causing a miniature explosion.

His guards, so-called generals, and a few other kobolds turned back only to find a crater of ashes.

“Lord!?” they screamed in unison as confusion and fear lingered in their eyes.

And with smirk, Ella said, making her words audible to the kobold behind her, “Now, this is fear.”

“…”