The party stands out in the rain, but with cloaks on this time. They all have their hoods up, except Elf and Slayer. Owl seems a little unhappy at the moment. 

"Do you guys want to head to the baths?" Priestess asks.

"I'll pass." Elf responds. "Baths feel like the spirits of fire, water, and air are all mixed up together. That kind of bugs me."

"We'd much rather have some food and wine." Dwarf announces.

Lizard Priest smiles. "I cannot think of anything better for fatigue than some cheese."

Priestess glances at Slayer and Owl. "What about you two, Goblin Slayer? Owl?"

Slayer turns away. "I'm going to send a letter."

"I don't like baths, too much water." Owl states. "So I'm going with Slayer." Owl huffs as he tries to turn his head. "Darn hood!"

"A letter?" Priestess questions. 

"Yeah." Slayer walks off and Owl follows.

Slayer and Owl remain in silence as they walk down the street, rain pelting them. Owl shakes himself a little, flinging water off himself.

"Would you help me with my wash myself tonight?" Owl asks.

Slayer nods. "Alright."

"Thank you..."

The two keep walking in silence. Yet Owl gets lost in thought.

'That Sword Maiden girl... Her heart rate sped up at nearly every mention of a goblin... She must know what they are truly like. Another victim of there ungodly habits.' Owl looks up to the raining sky, the water hitting him in the face. 'Is this why you gave me your miracles Supreme one? To help your trouble people?'

Owl looks back down as shakes himself again.

.

.

Onward Unto Death

Elf enters Water Town's guild, with none of her gear on her. She heads towards the quest board where Slayer and Owl are waiting.

Though Elf hears a conversation from two nearby adventurers. 

"Hey, look. It's a high elf."

"Seriously? I've never seen one before."

"And she's a looker, too. Nice."

Elf huffs as she keeps her gaze forward. 'Well, that's rather unpleasant.' She finally reaches her two friends.  "Sorry to keep you waiting. So, did you send your letter?"

"Yeah." Slayer keeps his focus on the quest board. "There was an adventurer heading to town, so I formally requested that he take it."

"Come to think of it, I've never written a letter. What do you write in one? Do you just report that you're okay?"

"Well, you're not wrong about reporting." Owl states.

'Which would mean Ocrblog's sending them to the farm girl.' Elf says in thought. "Well, well, you two, looks like you're both capable of caring about others now."

"Something's wrong." Slayer states.

"Wrong?" Elf questions. "What do you mean?"

"Despite how large their sewers are, there isn't a single quest to slay giant rats."

The two adventurers from before listen to the three talk.

"What a hick."

"Why would those things even exist in this town?"

Elf looks up to the quest board. "Now that you mention it, you're right."

Owl hims in thought.

A few minutes later Owl and Slayer leave the guild and Elf follows them. The rain is slowly dying down.

"Where are you two going, Vorbatmai?" Elf asks.

"There's something we need to acquire." Owl informs.

"Ooh, what are you going to buy?" Elf asks.

"Something important."

Elf pouts a little. "You're not going to tell me?"

Owl turns his head towards Elf. "You'll find out in the morning." He spins his head back forward.

Elf sighs. "Well, I'm going to get something to eat with the others, you two have fun."

"Alright."

Elf walks off.

.

.

Slayer sets something covered in a purple cloth on a table inside the Inn room. Owl is at an open window and has a large bowl held out, collecting the rain.

Owl then moves back inside and closes the window. "Is it doing fine?" He kneels on the ground and pulls out a cloth from under his armor.

Slayer lifts up the cloth and inside is a yellow canary. It chirps at Slayer a few times, then he lowers the cloth. "Yeah." 

Owl begins to take off his upper armor as Slayer sits down on his bed. 

Owl takes off his chest piece and sets it to the side. A large and thick scar is visible on his right shoulder and a long one on his left arm that travels up. A few small faded scars line his chest and stomach.

Owl dips the cloth into the water and begins to pat himself down with it.

"I'm worried." Owl states.

"Why?" Slayer asks.

Owl dips the cloth back into the bowl and washes his hair. He dips a hand in water and rubs the two tuff like horns on his head. "While we are slaying goblins here, they could be growing in numbers near home."

"Right... So then we must slay the rest of them tomorrow."

"Yes, we must." Owl unties his white bandage and puts it into the bowl and lets it soak. Letting the thing scar across his eyes open to the world.

Owl then wipes off his face, before turning his head towards Slayer and holds out the cloth. "Would you mind?"

Slayer stands up and walks over to Owl and grabs the cloth. Then Owl turns around revealing his back, where a large burn scar covers his upper back.

Slayer kneels down and begins to pat down Owl's back with the wet cloth. Owl shivers a little and Slayer stops.

"It's just a little cold." Owl states.

Slayer continues patting down Owl's back. The two remain in silence for several minutes before Slayer finishes. 

"Thank you." Owl responds as he takes the wet cloth back from Slayer.

"Right." Slayer walks back over to his bed.

Owl takes his bandage out of the bowl and rings it out, before setting it on a small table. Then he grabs the bowl and stands up, then heads for the window. He opens the window up and dumps the water out of the bowl and closes the window.

"We must rest, for I feel like tomorrow will be a long day." Owl says as he gathers his gear and sets it on a table.

"I agree." Slayer says.

.

.

.

The morning light shines down on the party as they stand outside the entrance to the sewers. Slayer holds up the cage that has the canary in it. The bird sings its song as Elf looks at it.

"What is that?" Elf asks.

"You don't know what a bird is?" Slayer asks.

Elf grows defensive. "Of course I do!"

"Then what bird am I?" Owl asks.

Elf groans in frustration. "You're an owl! Hence your name!"

Owl smiles and nods. "You are very smart."

"Are you being condescending?"

"...Maybe."

Slayer interrupts. "It's a canary."

"I told you, I know what it is!" Elf shouts.

"I see."

The party heads through the entrance to the sewers.

"It's not gonna cause some huge disaster if we touch it, like that scroll, is it?" Elf asks.

"Do you think a canary could kill people?" Owl asks in confusion. 

"O-Owl, that's not what she meant." Priestess states. "She's wondering why you two brought a canary."

"When canaries sense even the slightest hint of poison gas, they panic." 

"Poison gas?"

"Yeah."

Slayer then speaks up. "The goblins in the nest here have been educated. It wouldn't surprise me if they could use the mechanisms in these ruins."

"Sir Goblin Slayer, Sir Owl, where did you two acquire such knowledge?" Lizard Priest asks.

"Miners." Owl informs. "Most people have more knowledge then I and Slayer."

"Bread-cutter, Spirit-walker, where are we headed today?" Dwarf asks.

"We're going upstream." Slayer informs. "Their boat came from upstream."

Dwarf sighs. "I see."

"We'll do everything we can to avoid running into goblins."

"Wow, that's unusual coming from you." Elf remarks. "You're actually letting the goblins go?"

"I'm not letting them go." Slayer says. "I'm going to take down their leader and crush them, then I'll slaughter them all."

"Do you think it could be another shaman, or maybe an ogre?" Priestess asks.

"We don't know." Owl states.

Priestess grows slightly worried as she stares at the two slayers in front of her. Thinking on the words of the Sword Maiden from when they talked last night in the baths.

The party continues on in silence as they head upstream. They then come to a wooden door.

"It appears this is where the map ends." Lizard Priest informs.

The party enters the room and Elf looks around. "Th-This is..." She starts.

Owl's head spins around as he moves his feather flaps, separately, up and down.

Slayer looks up to his left and finds a torch older, with old soot on the wall. "There are traces of soot."

"Does that mean there was a light up there?" Elf asks.

"A very long time ago. Goblins have very good night vision. They don't use lights."

Lizard Priest wipes some dust off a large mural on the wall. "Warriors or guards... No, it would seem they are adventurers."

Dwarf looks at the mural. "I heard there were quite a few battles in this area back then. This painting is probably four or five hundred years ago."

"Oh, could this actually be a grave?" Priestess asks. "For those who fought on the side of order in the Age of the Gods."

Elf looks at the painting in slight sadness. "And now it's just a nest for goblins..." Slayer begins to walk off. "'Even the brave are at least brought low,' huh?"

"That doesn't matter right now." Slayer comments as Owl follows him.

"You're so impatient, Bread-cutter." Dwarf states. "I'm sure the goblins will go running when they see you and Spirit-Walker."

"That would be a problem. It'd be a hassle if they ran away."

The party follows after the two.

"The path is getting more complicated." Elf says as she looks around.

"They must've built it this way so that monsters wandering in would get confused, to keep them from disturbing the dead warriors." Dwarf suggests. "Having to wander around this place as a lost spirit would be a cruel fate."

"It would also remove one from the circle of death and rebirth." Lizard Priest comments. "But this place already belongs to the goblins. The drawing of the map cannot be done half-heartedly. We must all remain vigilant."

They all come to a larger set of doors. Elf checks it for traps.

"So we're going into this room first?" Priestess questions.

"It's not locked, and it doesn't look like there are any traps." Elf informs. "Not on the door, at least. Also, I'm not an expert at this, so don't get mad at me if things go wron-"

Slayer takes his sword out. "Let's go."

Owl steps forward and spin kicks the door open, causing a few cracks to appear in the door as it swings open.

Slayer tosses the torch forward as everyone runs in with weapons at the ready. Yet, all they find is a someone chained up in the center of the room, hair covering their face.

"Look, over there!" Elf shouts.

"How awful!" Priestess comments, she goes to run forward, but Slayer stops her. "Wh-What is it?"

"Look." Slayer nods forward.

The golden hair falls off the figure to reveal a skull, the figure has been dead for a long time.

Priestess gasps in fright.

Suddenly the door creaks behind them and begins to shut. Lizard Priest runs over to stop it, but they shut just as he gets there. 

"This is not good. They've locked us in." Lizard Priest informs.

Owl's feather flaps slowly move down as he tightly grips his sword. "We're in for a bad surprise."

The sounds of many goblins ring out in the dark room and beyond the closed door.

"Goblins!" Elf frowns.

"Looks like they got one over on us." Dwarf states.

"N-No... G-Goblin Slayer, Owl..." Priestess calls out.

"Calm down." Slayer says to Priestess. "We're still alive."

Suddenly the canary starts to rapidly and loudly chirp.

"Poison gas!" Elf shouts.

Gas starts to come out of the walls around them. Everyone forms a circle as they ready their weapons.

"Owl..." Slayer calls out.

"Too many..." Owl mutters as his feather flaps move up and down and several pulses fly out from him.

The party slowly backs up until they're back to back. The canary keeps loudly chirping. Owl lets out a few hoots.

"This is not good." Lizard Priest comments. "We're trapped like rats."

"The poison gas probably wouldn't kill us, but it definitely doesn't make things easier." Dwarf states.

"It's no use. I can't find another exit." Elf informs.

"Wh-What should we do, Goblin Slayer? Owl?" Priestess asks. "I haven't been granted the miracle to remove poison yet..."

Slayer hands Priestess charcoal. "Wrap this in a piece of cloth, and hold it over your nose and mouth.

"Is that... charcoal?" Priestess asks.

"It'll protect you from the poison. If you have any herbs on hand, put those in there, too. Be quick, our you'll die."

Everyone wraps the charcoal in a cloth and puts it around their face, Slayer helps Owl with his.

Slayer then tosses Dwarf a couple bags, which he catches. "Those bags of quicklime and volcanic earth. Mix them up and block the holes."

Dwarf looks at the bags for a few seconds, before realizing what they'll mix into. "Concrete!"

"It won't dry immediately, but..."

"Don't worry. I've got a weathering spell.

Elf grabs the bags from Dwarf's hands. "I'll go around and block all the holes! Dwarf, get going on that spell!"

"Got it!" Dwarf starts to chant. "Tick-tock, tick-tock, spin, spin, O Chronos. Let the pendulum sing and move again. Weathering!" He casts the spell on the concrete mixture and it immediately hardens. 

Dwarf and Elf keep going around and blocking the holes. Owl turns spins his head around, his feather flaps shooting up and down.

"Well, well." Lizard Priest starts. "It appears that Sir Mage has many tricks up his sleeve. So, what are you two planning to do next, Sir owl, Sir Goblin Slayer?"

Slayer sets the canary's cage on the ground. "We'll move one of these stone coffins in front of the door to block it. Once the poison dissipates, they're going to barge in here."

Lizard Priest, Slayer, Owl and Priestess all push a large stone coffin in front of the door.

Priestess huffs in exhaustion and sits against the coffin.

"That should take care of things." Lizard Priest comments.

Elf and Dwarf walk over, their masks removed from their faces. 

"We've finished plugging all the holes, too." Elf informs.

"That being said, I'm out of spells." Dwarf informs.

Owl takes off his mask and lets out a sigh. "Then it's time to take up a weapon." He pulls out his sword.

The door shakes as the sounds of many goblins echo from the other side of it.

Everyone backs away from the door and readies their weapons.

"Shall I summon a dragontooth warrior?" Lizard Priest asks.

"I-I'll cast Protection!" Priestess states.

"Thanks." Slayer responds. "Owl."

Lizard Priest summons a dragontooth warrior. Priestess casts protection and barrier forms in front of the group.

Owl nods. ""O Supreme Lord, give us the strengthen to fight off the evil in this world, with your righteous justice! BOOST!" A bright glow surrounds Slayer and Owl, then Owl holds out his left hand. "O Supreme Lord, let those I feel my enemy, feel my wrath. Spear of Judgement!"

A golden spear forms in front of Owl and he grabs it. 

The goblins keep pushing on the door as their yells echo, then they suddenly grow quiet.

"It's quiet outside now." Elf mutters.

"Since we plugged up the holes, the poison gas will reverse its flow." Owl informs. "I'm pretty sure a few of them died."

The goblins then resume their banging on the door. Along with heavy footsteps. Then the door starts to give way, revealing many upon many goblins behind it.

Elf lets loose an arrow and strikes a goblin in the head. "Footsteps..."

Owl throws his golden spear forward and blows up the heads of several goblins. "There's something big among them, maybe more!"

Dwarf uses a sling to throw a rock forward and kills a goblin. "Here they come!"

Arrows start to pelt the barrier the party stands behind.

"Telekinesis!" Owl throws a hand forward and several arrows stop mid air and glow white. He then swipes his hand as the arrows turn around and embed themselves in a few goblins entering the room.

Until the door is suddenly thrown open and the coffin pushes to the side. Slayer throws his dagger, where it lodges into something massive.

"A hob... No..." Slayer mutters. "A goblin champion."

"This isn't good." Owl mutters and three large hobgoblins walk out beside the Champion. "And now it sounds worse."

"There hobgoblins along side it." Slayer informs and Owl grits his teeth.

The Champion takes the dagger out of his chest and crushes it with two fingers.

Slayer takes his sword out. "We'll cut out way through."

"Indeed." Lizard Priest agrees. "Let my blade assist you."

Many goblins charge past the Champion and the three hobs. They all charge against the barrier, many breaking their noses, and start to bang against it.

Lizard Priest and his dragontooth warrior lean out of the barrier and cut down the goblins. Elf and Dwarf use rang attacks to take down more approaching goblins.

"U-Um..." Priestess starts.

"Let's go!" Owl charges forward as his feather flaps shoot up and pulses fly out from him.

Slayer follows Owl's lead and the two charge out from the barrier and cut down any goblins in their way.

Owl bashes a goblin in the face, then cuts its head in half. He rakes his sharp nails against the neck of goblin, before kicking it away.

Several spears fly towards him and he holds his hand out. "Telekinesis!" The spears glow white and he returns them to the senders.

Lizard Priest joins the two in the slaughter outside the barrier.

"You can go all-out." Slayer announces.

"Understood!" Lizard priest smashes a goblin into the ground.

Owl yells as he jumps forward and lands on a frightened Goblin, and smashes his boot into its face, killing it. He then stabs his sword forward and pierces two goblins through the chest.

Owl's head tilts slightly to the side, and he then jumps to the side. A large club smashes the goblin he was standing on into a fine red mist.

Owl sweats a little as a pulse flies out. The three hobgoblins stand before Owl.

"This will be tricky..." Owl mutters as he back flips away from one of the hobs that brings another club onto him.

Owl then brings up his sword and blocks an attack from a lunging Goblin. He then grabs it by the throat and crushes it. Owl tosses the goblin away before grunting.

"Too many..." Owl mutters. "Can't focus..."

Owl ducks under several arrows, before rolling to the side as a club slams into the ground where he was. He then parries a club and grunts as a crunch his heard from his right arm.

He then stumbles backwards a few steps and clenches his right arm. one of the hobs laugh and charges towards Owl, with its club held high.

Owl screeches and jumps back and lands next to several goblins. Owl quickly notices his error and slices the heads of all the nearby goblins.

A loud bang is heard.

"Goblin Slayer!" Priestess' voice yells out.

Owl loses focus and his head snaps towards where he hears coughing. "Slayer!" 

Yet that moment costs him dearly, a spear flies into the back of Owl and he yells out.

"Damn... it!" Owl grunts in pain as he swings his sword to the side and deflects another spear, and rakes his claws across the chest of a goblin.

An arrow flies into the back of Owl and he nearly falls over.

"Vorbatmai!" Elf shouts in worry, get back here.

Owl takes a few heavy breaths as sweat falls from his brow. He grabs his sword with both hands and brings it up to block two clubs from the hob, the ground beneath him cracks and blood flies out from under his armor as he coughs.

Owl yells in anger as he pushes the two clubs off him and the glow around him shines brighter.

Several more goblins charge at him and he cuts them down with an angry shout. 

"Get away!" Owl throws his dagger into another charging Goblin.

Then he slides back as another club slams down in front of him. He goes to lunge at the hobgoblin in front of him, but another spear flies into his back and he trips forward.

"Huh?" Owl questions, only for a club to slam into the side of him and he flies into a nearby wall. Blood flies out from his mouth as he falls and slams into the ground. His sword falls onto the ground next to him.

"Vorbatmai!" Elf screams.

Owl lays on his stomach as blood shoots out from his mouth. 

"NOOOOOOO!" Priestess screams out and her barrier falls, letting the goblins through.

The party swiftly gets overrun.

Owl grits his teeth as he brings his hand forward and slams it into the ground and drags himself. Blood pools under him, and he hears the screams of Elf.

Owl shakily reaches his hand out towards his party, only for it to fall to the ground and lay limp. He face plants the stone floor below him as blood stains the floor.

.

.

Coldness...    That's all Owl can feel. 

Silence...        That's all Owl can hear.

Darkness...    That's all Owl can see.

Nothing...      That's all Owl can do.

He brings a hand up and touches his face, touching his eyes that he can now see through. The ones he lost so many years ago.

Owl spins his head around trying to understand his situation, but darkness is what surrounds him. Darkness... Cold, quiet darkness...

A personal hell...

Owl falls to his knees as darkness consumes him.

Owl's bright yellow eyes stare ahead of him, trying to see if there was anything, but darkness. 

This was not the familiar darkness he was used to, this place he's in... It's not natural.

...What was he doing before this...? He was, fighting? Why was he fighting again? 

Suddenly a bright white light shines in front of Owl, snapping him out of thought. Owl stares at the light in front of him, it held a comforting presences. 

Owl slowly stands to his feet and begins walking towards the light. It feels as if it's calling to him.

 Owl wants to stop, but the light keeps calling to him.

 But he comes to a stop as the pained screams of Priestess fade in and out behind him.

"...Priestess?" Owl mutters.

"Lₑₜ Gₒ ₒf ₘE!" Elf's voice faded in and out.

"Elf!" 

Owl slowly turns around and sees what looks like to be him. Him laying on his stomach with an out stretched hand on the ground as blood pools under him. A couple spears and arrows lodged into his back.

"They're... in trouble?" Owl questions, then it all comes back to him.

Owl was fighting in the sewers of Water Town. He was fighting an army of goblins that had a Champion and three hobgoblins with it. 

Those.... Goblins...

The laughs of the goblins echo through the darkness.

Owl starts to shake.

Why? ... Why must he continue to suffer? Why must he suffer after all he's been through! Why must those around him suffer! WHY DO THE GOBLINS CAUSE EVERYONE TO SUFFER!

Owl whole body starts to shake as he grits his teeth loudly and starts to huff. 

WHY MUST HE DIE! WHILE EVERYONE ONE OUT THERE SUFFERS!

WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?!

"𝕬𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖏𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝖌𝖔𝖓𝖓𝖆 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒 𝖘𝖚𝖋𝖋𝖊𝖗?" A golden light shines above Owl. 

"Who..." Owl looks up at the golden light shining down on him. "Who are you?"

"𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑 𝖖𝖚𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 𝖎𝖘, 𝖜𝖍𝖞 𝖆𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖑𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖒 𝖘𝖚𝖋𝖋𝖊𝖗?"

"YOU THINK I WANT THEM TO SUFFER!" Owl screams in anger. "I'm here dying a quick death, while they get a slow one... Even if they get death..." 

Owl clenches his hands and his sharp nails dig into them. 

"Why must I suffer... Haven't I already suffered enough, I've nearly lost everything precious to me, and now I'll lose more..." Owl then lets out a loud angry scream. "SO WHY AM I STILL HERE! LET ME PASS ON ALREADY, OR SEND ME THE FUCK BACK!"

The golden light remains silent for a few moments. 

"𝖄𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖌𝖔 𝖇𝖆𝖈𝖐 𝖆𝖓𝖞𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙, 𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖕𝖆𝖘𝖘 𝖔𝖓. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖎𝖈𝖊... 𝖎𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖆𝖐𝖊."

Owl slightly calms down and looks at his body, then to the bright white light. His anger starts to bubble over again as Elf's and Priestess' screams fade in and out of the darkness. Even the yells of Lizard Priest and Dwarf are heard.

"I'm fucking going back, and slaughtering ever... SINGLE! FUCKING! GOBLIN!"

Owl can feel the golden light smile onto him.

"𝕲𝖔𝖔𝖉, 𝖉𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖑𝖊𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖉𝖎𝖈𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖊. 𝕸𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖔𝖜𝖓."

Owl begins stomping towards his body with a furious look. "I refuse to die by some goblins! I refuse to die anytime fucking soon!"

"𝕭𝖚𝖙 𝖇𝖊𝖋𝖔𝖗𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖌𝖔, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖔𝖜𝖑. 𝕴 𝖈𝖆𝖓 𝖌𝖎𝖛𝖊 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖆 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖋𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖆𝖌𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖛𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖇𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖘."

Owl stops and turns his head up at the light. "What do you want? My soul in exchange for it?"

"𝕴 𝖉𝖔𝖓'𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖘𝖔𝖚𝖑."

Owl narrows his eyes at the golden light. "Then what do you want from me?"

"𝕱𝖔𝖗 𝖒𝖞 𝖌𝖎𝖋𝖙, 𝖆𝖑𝖑 𝕴 𝖆𝖘𝖐 𝖎𝖘 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖙𝖔 𝖉𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖞𝖔𝖚'𝖗𝖊 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖆𝖙."

"And what's that?" Owl chest rises up and down as the anger he holds, boils over the pot as the laughs of the goblins echo in the darkness.

The Golden light only responds with one word.

"𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭"

.

.

A goblin watches Owl's party get overrun with a smile on its face. Behind him lies the body of Owl, blood pooling under the still bird

Nearby stands the three hobgoblins, watching the Champion hold Priestess.

Yet what the goblin doesn't notice is a bit of fire light up on the back of Owl. The small light of fire moves around Owl's back before it travels under him, and after a few seconds emerges on the top of his head.

The fire slowly shines bright as it floats up and forms it a burning halo above Owl's head.

Owl's out stretches hand suddenly shakily claws into the ground, leaving deep marks in the stone floor.

The goblin nearby laughs only to hear a grunt behind it. It gives a questioning sound, before turning around. Only for a sharp nailed hand to grab its face as it starts to yell out in pain.

Several nearby goblins and three hobgoblins look over to the screaming goblin, only to see a bunch of blood splatter around.

The goblins body falls to the ground and lands at the a pair of leather boots, blood drips to the floor as a cough is heard.

A few goblins step back in fear as they see a hunched over Owl stand over their comrade. A burning halo shines above the bird's head as he takes heavy breaths, his arms barely moving. Shadows cover his face as his blood covered feather flaps stand up.

Owl then slowly reaches both hands behind him and rips out the two spears in his back. He holds them loosely and takes a couple steps forward.

A hobgoblin grunts at a goblin and said goblin runs towards Owl with its sword held high. As it reaches Owl it gives a battle cry and brings down its sword, only for its head to explode in a red mist as Owl swings on of the spears.

"You..." Owl steps towards the goblins and three hobgoblins. "Think..." The halo starts to burn brighter and hotter. "...You can KILL ME!"

Owl yells as he charges forward, his bandage around his eyes shines golden as he flies through the air.

The nearby goblins run away in fear as Owl nears the closest Hobgoblin. The hobgoblin swings its club at Owl, but he swings his two spears and cuts through the club. Shocking the clubs owner.

Owl yells in anger as he lands on the hobgoblin's face and stabs the two spears into both its eyes. The hobgoblin yells in pain as it tries to blindly smack Owl off its face.

Owl continues to yell as a couple golden spears form in both his hands and he starts to stab the hob in the face over and over, blood splattering onto Owl. 

A second Hobgoblin runs over and reaches towards Owl, only for him to stab on of the spears into the hob he's on and swipe his hand to the side.

Owl's sword, glowing gold, flies toward the back of the hob and right into his head. The hob reaching toward Owl yells in pain as it stumbles forward.

Owl stabs his second golden spear into the first hobgoblin and then brings back a fist bunch the bottom of the golden spear through the head of the hob.

The speared up hob begins to fall to the ground and Owl jumps towards the second hob stumbling around and lands on its face. The hob then smashes his face into a pillar, causing Owl to yelp in pain and spits up more blood, as part of the arrow in his back lodges deep into him and the shaft shattering. 

Owl then yells in anger and brings his hands on the side of the hob's head as his hands glow gold and bright golden flames shoot out from them, burning the hob's face. The hob goblin yells as it beats on Owl as it slowly burns alive.

Owl grits his teeth his anger burns brightly through his halo as he takes the beating from the hob. The hobgoblin slowly stops before gong still as its face is charred completely black.

Owl jumps off the falling hob's body, only to receive a club to the stomach. Owl coughs up blood as he flies into a nearby wall

Owl huffs and breathes in anger as his he pulls himself out of the wall and jumps towards the last Hobgoblin. 

The hob tries to swing its club at Owl again, but Owl yells in anger and kicks it to the ground and lands on the hob's face. 

Owl digs his thumbs into the eyes of the hob and it screams in pain as blood spews from its eyes. It flails around in panic and screams in pain, only for it's head to explode as Owl crushes it.

The hob falls to ground with a loud thud and Owl climbs off its body, blood covering him. 

Slayer finishes dealing with the Goblin Champion behind Owl.

The nearby goblins are frozen in shock, until Owl yells at them.

"Come on!" Owl screams as he vomits a bit of blood. "Come at me you vermin!" Owl rips his sword out of the second dead hobgoblin's head. "I'll take you all on at once, come at me!"

Owl widely swings his sword around as Goblins run away from him. He turns to the side and sees more goblins frozen in fear and he screams at them, casing them to scream and run away.

Owl stumbles around as he turns his head to the side, where Lizard Priest rests Goblin Slayer on the ground next to Priestess.

The halo fizzes out and disappears above Owl, and his bandage stops glowing gold. Owl gags as his legs give out below him and he falls over, but Elf catches him.

Owl drops his sword to the ground as blood drips out from under his armor. His arms hang limply as blood falls from his mouth.

"Vorbatmai." Elf mutters.

"Is... Is everyone alright?" Owl asks. "Are you alright?"

Elf gives a pity smile. "Somewhat. But you're not alright, are you?"

"Yeah... Slayer, Priestess? ... Where are they?"

"This way. Can you walk?" Tears start to form in Elf's eyes.

"I... I think..." Owl roughly breathes out.

Elf starts to cry, but Dwarf lifting up Owl from the other side stops her. "Up you go." He starts. "Come on, get a hold of yourself. We still have to get home."

"Right..." 

Elf lets out a small chuckle followed by Dwarf.

Lizard Priest sits beside a downed Slayer and Priestess. "Bless the stars... Thank goodness we somehow made it."

Dwarf and Elf help Owl kneel down to Slayer and Priestess. Priestess's right arm is wrapped up after the Champion took a large bite out of it.

"How are they?" Owl asks.

"Owl..." Slayer weakly calls out. "You made it."

"Barely..." 

"They will survive." Lizard Priest informs. "Had Priestess wound been any deeper, there would've been nothing I could do."

"Huh..." Owl mutters.

Priestess opens her eyes and notices Owl., tears form in her eyes. "I'm... sorry..." She puts a hand on Slayer's armor while the other reaches out to Owl.

Owl slowly grabs Priestess' hand.

"I'm glad you and Slayer are fine." Owl smiles as blood dribbles down his chin.

"O...wl." Priestess mutters.

"These things happen..." Slayer mutters as he remains still on the ground.

Owl suddenly coughs up a large amount of blood and he falls to the ground with a thud.

Everyone freezes in shock and Priestess's eyes widen in horror. Tears start to fall from Elf's eyes.

"Owl..." Slayer reaches a hand out towards his still friend and grabs his hand.

Slayer holds onto Owl's hand as his friend remains still with blood pooling out Owl's mouth.

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11-30-2023

5407 words