A young Owl sits outside under a tree. He remains motionless as he stares up at the sun, a fresh scar apparent over his eyes.

A soft breeze blows through young Owl's hair. He grips his shaking left hand as he lets out a shaky breath.

"Albitti!" A voice calls from the side as footsteps approach.

Owl looks towards the voice. "Yes, mother."

Owl's mother kneels down to him. Her hair is all disheveled, and dark bags under her eyes. Small fresh scars cover her face as tiredness and fear are visible in her yellow bird eyes.

"Please don't go out, without telling me." Owl's mother picks up her son and holds him tight. "You worried me when I could't find you."

Owl buries his face in his mother's shoulder. "...Sorry."

His mother runs his head as she walks towards their house. "It's fine. Just... don't do it again."

"Okay..."

Owl's mother enters their house and walks over to the dinner table. She then sets Owl down in a chair and pats his head.

"I'll finish making dinner, so stay here." His mother says.

Owl remains silent as he nods. His mother lets out a sigh as she walks into the kitchen.

Owl's mother walks over to a cutting board and begins to chop potatoes. 

A goblin laugh echoes and she yelps and drops her knife, her heart beating fast.

"Mom, are you okay?" Owl's voice rings out.

His mother puts a hand on her chest and takes a few deep breaths. "Yes sweaty... I'm fine, just... thought I saw a spider."

She reaches down and picks up the knife, and stares at it. Dark thoughts start to rise up in her mind, but she shakes her head and continues chopping potatoes.  

.

.

Owl slowly puts a spoonful of stew into his mouth. His mother watches him eat with a small smile on her face, her stomach growls.

"Mom, aren't you gonna eat?" Owl asks.

"Yeah, I will, I just wanted to stay in case you needed help." She says with a forced smile.

"...Thank you."

Owl continues to eat as a dull look forms on Owl's mother's face. She puts her face in her hands as she silently shakes. A few tears drop from under her hands.

She then lowers her hands and looks into the kitchen, where the knife is lodge into the cutting board.

.

.

Owl sits up in bed, as his chest heaves up and down. Tears fall from his face as he starts to shake. He brings his knees to his chest and buries his face in them as he cries.

After a few minutes Owl rubs his eyes. He then brings his hands together in prayer. "Supreme Lord... Can you please make the nightmares go away, my dream catcher isn't working. Make the goblins go away... They scare me."

A loud thud echoes in the house and Owl's feather flaps shoot up. He gets out and bed and holds his hands out in front of him as he walks towards his door.

"Mom?" Owl calls out as he exits his room. "Mother?"

Owl hugs the wall as he walks towards the kitchen, where he heard the thud

Owl enters the kitchen slowly. "Mom?"

He gets no response as he walks further into the kitchen, only to set into something wet. Owl lifts up his foot as blood drips off his foot.

"Mom?" Owl turns his head around and continues walk, until his foot his something soft.

Right in front of Owl is his mother, with a large cut along her throat. A bloody knife in one hand and a piece of paper with some writing in the other.

"Mom?" Owl kneels down and puts his hands on his mother. "Mom, are you okay?" He shakes her. "Mom?" He shakes her again and again.

But as Owl keeps getting no response tears start to form in his eyes, until he starts bawling and hugs his dead mother, letting out loud cries.

After a minute the door to the house slams open and Cow Girl's uncle runs in, only to freeze as he sees the scene. He runs over to Owl and hugs the slightly bloody child.

Owl continues to cry in Uncle's chest.

A soft golden light shines down onto Owl.

.

.

.

Sunlight shines onto Owl's sleeping face, he lays in a large bed, in a large room. There are a couple fresh small scars on his chin. There's someone sleeping beside him in the bed. 

Whispers and Prayers and Chants

Owl grunts as he starts to wake up. He slowly sits up with a few grunts. He then sits on the side of the bed as a soft breeze blows through an open window and onto him.

He's wearing nothing but some underwear. You can now see an old large scar on his upper left thigh and another on his lower right leg. He looks towards the open window as he has a calm look on his face.

He reaches up to his face to find that his bandage isn't on. He feels around a nearby table and finds it, then he ties it onto his face. 

On a nearby table is Owl's tattered and torn armor. The wing on leather left arm is gone.

He then grabs his left hand and starts to rub a thumb on the back of it, as he gets lost in thought. 'I nearly died... I... This doesn't feel real. The Lord telling giving me a gift and letting me go back, then coming back to life again a second time.'

Owl sighs. 'Though... that gift... Saint's Reckoning. It was so powerful. I also felt like I could see. Why would he give it to someone like me?'

A moan is heard beside him and the person sleeping next to him sits up. It's the Sword Maiden, her pale blue eyes look at Owl. She's wearing a simple nightgown. "You're awake." She slides over to Owl and sits next to him. "So how was it, sharing a bed with me?"

"...Fine, I guess..." Owl responds, he then puts a hand over his heart. "Miracle of Resurrection... Never though I'd feel it."

"Oh, so you've heard of it?"

Owl nods. "Yeah."

A smile forms on Sword Maiden's face. "Though, sadly, I cannot be considered pure anymore."

Owl turns his head towards her. "Goblins?"

"Yeah. It was about ten years ago. I was captured by goblins, and inside the cave... Would you like to hear what happened?"

"...I already know." A sad frown forms on Owl's face.

The Sword Maiden leans onto Owl and rests her head on his shoulder. "I cried like a child, repeating, 'It hurts... It hurts...'" She rubs her scared arm. "But... I can see... Though it is blurry, I can make out your shape." She puts a hand on Owl's chin and turns his head towards her. "We can find you anywhere, but at the same time, you seem like you may disappear as soon as we turn away. You're like a shadow." 

She then grabs Owl's hand. "People are...  Women are weak creatures." She grips his hand tightly. "I'm worried. I'm scared. Isn't that strange?" She closes her eyes and snuggles into Owl's shoulder. "I, the Sword Maiden, am scared, terrified, night after night... I feel absolutely helpless. This is the world we live in, after all. No matter how many things we have to help us... Though I'm sure others wouldn't understand, right?"

"Huh?"

The Sword Maiden smiles. "'Huh?' he says..." She giggles.

"Is it really that funny?" Owl asks.

The Sword Maiden moves off Owl. "Well, don't you think it's funny? I'm the woman who defeated the Demon Lord. And yet I'm scared of some goblins..." She ties on her ribbon around her eyes. "Please..." Owl turns to her. "Will you help me?"

Owl remains silent for a few moments, and goes to speak, but the Sword Maiden stands up and heads for the door. She exits the room, leaving Owl to himself.

"I'm... I don't like the dark." Owl mutters to the open room.

Owl stands up and rubs a hand over the large scar on his left arm, before sending several pulses out from his body. He then walks over to his equipment and starts putting it on.

After a few minutes Owl holds his left leather arm and rubs his thumb over where the wing used to be. "Sorry Mom." He puts the arm piece on and attaches his sword to his hip.

"This must be it!" Elf's muffled voice is heard through the door, causing Owl's feather flaps to shoot up. The door to his room opens up. "Hey! I heard you were awake!"

In walks Elf, Lizard Priest, Dwarf, Goblin Slayer and Priestess. Priestess is wearing a black dress and stockings.

"Owl!" Priestess runs over and hugs him tightly.

Slayer, his armor a little beat up, walks over and puts a hand on Owl's head. "Glad you're fine."

"You okay?" Elf asks as Owl turns to them. "All better now?"

"Looks like you're all better, Spirit-Walker." Dwarf says.

"Thank goodness the spell was performed in time." Lizard Priest says.

Priestess and Slayer take a few steps back from Owl.

"I feel you're all safe." Owl states.

Elf walks up to Owl. "Are you really one to talk, Vorbatmai?"

"Where's the bird?"

Elf falls onto Owl's bed. "It's fine! Totally fine! Actually, you and Orcblog were in the worst shape of all of us, Vorbatmai. You were in a coma for a day longer then us." Then she motions to Priestess. "As soon as she woke up, she was all, 'Goblin Slayer! Owl!' and started crying. It was a mess."

Priestess pouts and waves her arms up and down. "H-Hey! You promised you wouldn't say--

"They're not going to get it if we don't."

Lizard Priest speaks up. "At any rate, now we should be able to continue our exploration." He then looks over Owl's and Slayer's beat up equipment. "Or perhaps we should tend to our equipment first."

"Come on, Scaly, you fool!" Dwarf calls out. "We need to eat first!"

Owl's stomach loudly growls, and he hugs himself. "Sorry."

Dwarf laughs. "See, even Owl agrees with me!"

Lizard Priest rubs the back of his head. "Ah, how thoughtless of me."

Owl tilts his head in confusion. "None of you haven't eaten today?"

"We were too worried to eat much, the past day." Elf states, and she stands up and grabs Owl's hand. "So come on, let's eat!" She smiles.

A smile forms on Owl's face. "Okay."

.

.

The party sits at a table outside of a cafe. Several plates of food and glasses of drinks are on the table.

"This is delicious!" Dwarf cheers. "My empty stomach can barely handle it!"

"There's nothing like a meal enjoyed together." Lizard Priest states.

Owl silently eats some salmon.

"I, the Sword Maiden, am scared, terrified, night after night... I feel absolutely helpless." The Sword Maiden's voice rings through his head.

Owl swallows a chunk of salmon and hums.

A while later the party finishes eating.

"Alright, you three get some rest." Elf says to Owl, Slayer and Priestess. "We'll go scout the sewers."

"Huh?" Priestess questions. "But..."

Dwarf then speaks. "A warrior with no equipment is too big a risk to take down there."

"Sorry..."

"Thanks." Slayer says and Owl nods with him.

.

.

Goblin Slayer, Owl and Priestess are walking through the streets of Water Town. Priestess is carrying a large package in her arms.

"Do you want me to hold it?" Slayer asks.

"No, I'm fine." Priestess replies. 

"I see."

"They'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah." Owl replies.

"Are both your wounds healed now?" Priestess asks her two friends. 

"Yeah." Slayer replies.

"I believe so." Owl states.

"Make sure you two don't do anything too reckless." Priestess says.

"Okay."

Suddenly Priestess stops, Owl and Slayer take a few steps before noticing. They turn to Priestess. 

"What's wrong?" Owl asks.

"Don't give me that!" Priestess frowns. "All you two keep saying is 'Yeah.' and 'Okay.'"

"Really?" Slayer asks.

"Yes!"

"I see."

"You say 'I see' all the time, too!" Priestess complains.

Slayer and Owl look at each other, before looking back at Priestess.

"We'll try to do something about it." Slayer states.

"Good, you do that!" Priestess replies and she smiles. "So, you two mention that you wanted to go shopping."

Owl nods. "Yeah."

Priestess pouts a little.

Slayer holds up a hand. "We're going to look at the weapons and armor, since ours were damaged." He lowers his hand. "What are you going to do?"

"My chainmail was torn, so I was hoping there was a shop that could fix it." Priestess informs.

"It'd probably be faster to buy a new set." Owl states.

"But I'd rather not."

"Why?"

"Because... this is the first thing you two ever complimented me on." Priestess states.

"...I see..." Owl says. "I guess you're right though."

.

.

The three arrive at a weapons shop and Priestess takes her chainmail to the man behind the counter.

"This has a huge hole in it." The man observes. "You'd probably be better off buying a new one."

"No, I'd really like you to repair it if possible." Priestess says.

"Sure thing. I'll fix 'er right up." The man looks Priestess up and down. "Need a makeover, miss?"

Priestess blushes a little. "N-No, thank you!"

Slayer then sets a large sack on the counter, which has his and Owl's armor in it. Slayer still has his helmet on. Owl's wearing a simple white shirt and brown pants, his sword attached to his left hip.

"I need these repaired." Slayer says.

The man notices Slayer's rank necklace. "A-A silver rank?"

"It's two sets of leather armor and a round shield. I need it done as soon as possible, along with that chainmail."

"Um... if you need them done immediately, the fee will be a bit higher..."

Slayer sets a bag of coins on the counter. "That's fine."

The man gasps. "Thank you kindly, sir!"

Slayer walks off. "I'm going to have a look at your swords." Slayer grabs a short sword and tests it out. "I'll take this. It's a bit long, but I'll shorten it myself. I'll be using your whetstone."

"But sir, a sword like that is really only good for goblins--"

"I'll be using it to kill goblins."

"What?!"

Slayer starts to use the whetstone to sharpen and grind down his new sword.

Owl lets out a yawn as he sends out several pulses and walks over to a set of knives in a case. "I'll take a few of these."

"How will a blind person fight?" The man asks.

.

.

The evening sun shines on a large outdoor market.

A cart owner shakes a bell. "Gather round and have some mouth-watering ice crème!" People start to gather around his cart. "Delicious, delicious ice crème!"

Priestess stands beside Owl and Slayer, with their newly repaired equipment. Several knives attached to Owl's chest and his left wing is still missing.

"Ice crème?" Priestess questions. "I wonder what that is."

"I'm not sure, but seeing how mostly kids are gathering around, it's probably something sweet." Slayer suggests, Priestess glances at Slayer and he looks at her. "Go ahead."

"Okay!" Priestess smiles. "Thank you so much!"

Priestess runs over to the cart and the two slowly make their way over as Priestess gets her treat.

Priestess takes a bite with a wooden stick, and she gasps in delight. "Amazing! It's so cold and sweet!"

"Is it good?" Slayer asks.

Priestess nods. "Yes! Very much so!"

"I see. So it's a frozen dessert." Slayer looks in the cart to see a jug surrounded by ice. "I've seen a spell like this. How is it accomplished?"

"Well." The cart owner starts. "A scientist found out that if you put fire mixture in water, it freezes up real well."

"Oh?" Owl says in a curious tone.

"So I got the idea that freezing up some milk might be delicious."

"I see." Slayer starts. "That was very helpful." He then hands the cart owner a silver coin. "Give me two. Keep the change."

"Huh?!" The owner says in surprise. "Thank you!"

Priestess giggles and Slayer turns to her. "What?"

Priestess smiles. "Nothing. I just figured out why you know so many things."

A little bit later the three are sitting on a bench that overlooks the ocean. Owl silently eats his ice crème.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Priestess asks. "No one here has any idea that goblins are right below them."

"Yeah." Slayer responds.

"Though I'm sure they're scared after what happened to the victims. Anyone would be."

"When I was young..." Slayer starts.

"Huh?"

"I thought if I took a step, the ground would open up beneath me, and I would die."

"Huh?" Priestess questions.

"There was a time when I hesitated to even walk because of that. It's not impossible, but no one worries about that. That was really strange to me. She and my sister laughed at me for it, but it took time for me to realize that I still have to walk, no matter how scared I am."

"Is that how it is?"

"It is."

"Even now, I'm scared to death. I'm thankful that you and Owl are helping me, but neither of you are required to help." Slayer looks at Priestess.

Owl's feather flaps move up. "I help you, because you gave my life meaning again. That I'm not just some blind helpless person stuck on a farm. Now I'm a blind person who hunts down goblins." He smiles.

Priestess takes a cherry off her ice crème and eats it. "I told you I was going to do what I wanted to do."

"Did you?" Slayer asks.

"I did."

Priestess looks at Slayer. "You really are hopeless, you know that?"

"Sorry."

"I don't want to hear that."

"Sorry."

"It's fine, though. I can't help the things I'm scared of--" A bit of her ice crème falls onto her thigh. "That's cold!"

Priestess wipes the ice crème off her thigh and eats the rest of it in one bite. But in doing that, she gets a brain freeze. She then stands up and pats down her skirt. "Well, let's get going Owl, Goblin Sla-"

"There you are, Goblin Slayer!" A voice shouts from the side.

The three look over to see Spearman and his partner Witch approaching.

"You've got some nerve, summoning us with a letter!" Spearman complains. "Don't make me tell Guild Girl on you!"

Owl swiftly eats the rest of his ice crème and stands up.

Slayer stands up. "Tell her what?"

"The fact you're out and about with that girl!" Spearman states.

Slayer, Owl and Priestess head over to Spearman and Witch.

"Stop that... now." Witch orders. "I'm the one who was summoned."

"Oh, um..." Priestess starts.

"You seem... well." Witch looks over Priestess. "Thank... goodness."

"Oh, yes!" Priestess smiles.

"We had some business over here, so I had him come... along." Witch elbows her partner. "Go on."

Spearman grunts and drops a sack he was carrying on the ground. "Here."

"Thanks." Slayer thanks. "This will help a lot."

"I'm not a delivery boy, you know. Don't make me carry stuff like that again."

"But... why do you need this?" Witch asks. "You should be able to buy this... in this town."

"The stuff they have here won't work." Slayer states. "It has to be very fine."

"I see."

"What are you going to use that for?" Spearman asks.

"What else?" Owl starts. "To slay goblins." He says with a smile.

.

.

.

The party travels through the sewers at night time. Slayer is holding a sack over his shoulder. There's also a lamp attached to his hip, instead of him carrying a torch.

"Bread-cutter, Spirit-walker, you're both armed to the teeth." Dwarf observes. 

"You two could try looking a little cooler." Elf states.

"Yeah..." Priestess agrees. "Oh, I know, Goblin Slayer. Why don't you stick some feathers in your helmet? Owl why don't you go a little more with the bird theme?"

"Not interested." Slayer Responds.

"No thank you." Owl responds.

"By the way, Orcblog, you didn't bring a torch today?" Elf asks.

"There's something I want to try." Slayer responds. "Fire would get in the way. So, what's this trouble you mentioned?"

"Right..." Lizard Priest starts and the group gets to an entry way and hides behind it. Then he motions to the singular enemy on the other side. "Behold."

A beholder floats in their path.

"What... is that?" Priestess asks.

"No idea." Elf states. "I mean, it seems to be a giant eyeball, but..."

"As far as I can tell, it is a creature of chaos." Lizard Priest says.

"A creature that must not be named..." Priestess starts. "It's a creature of that nature, right?"

"Who cares what it's called?" Slayer asks. "You can call it Giant Eyeball or whatever you want."

Owl's feather flaps move up and down. "It sounds so weird."

"You never change, do you?" Dwarf asks Slayer.

 "But what's truly dangerous is that eyeball." Lizard Priest starts. 

Lizard Priest tosses a rock into the room and it tumbles along the ground. The beholder notices and casts a beam from its eye, disintegrating the rock and the area around the rock.

"That is an evil eye capable of Disintegrate." Lizard Priest informs. "I would summon a dragontooth warrior, but when that Giant Eye glares at it, it will use Dispel and my spell will be undone."

"Disintegrate and Dispel..." Owl mutters. "That is really troublesome."

"It looks like as long as we don't enter the room, it won't attack." Priestess suggests. "I think as long as the eye doesn't see us, I'll be able to use a miracle."

"But if we get close, it'll see us." Dwarf points out. "We can't use spells, and that thing fires beams. It definitely has the upper hand. We're basically stuck here twiddling our thumbs."

"No." Slayer speaks. "There's something I want to try."

"Just remember, you can't use fire, water, or poison." Elf reminds Slayer.

"That was our promise."

"You do like to make our job harder." Owl speaks up.

Elf pulls on Owl's cheek. "And you like to go on very dangerous missions."

Owl makes hooting sounds as Elf pulls on his cheek.

"Just to make sure, we're outside the town now, right?" Slayer asks.

"We walked quite a ways, so I feel like we're a pretty good distance away." Dwarf states.

"Then this shouldn't be a problem."

A few minutes later the party starts their attack.

Elf, slightly glowing, runs into the room and the Beholder focuses on her. It fires several beams of disintegration from its eye, but Elf outruns them all.

"Here it comes!" Elf shouts and slides out of view from the beholder.

Dwarf, glowing, gets behind the Beholder by using Elf's distraction. He takes a sip from his wine gourd and blows a mist over the Beholder. "Drink and sing, spirits!" The beholder grows sluggish as its eye starts to close. "Sing, dance, and sleep like a log! Show me dreams of fire wine!" Dwarf smiles. "This thing's harmless if it can't glare at us. Good work on that boost, Owl. I feel great!"

Owl, Slayer, Priestess and Lizard Priest watch from the entrance of the room.

"Alright." Slayer walks into the room and opens the bag, a fine dust covers the room.

"Orcblog, what is that?" Elf asks.

"Flour." Slayer informs. "Don't breathe it in."

"My spell's gonna wear off soon!" Dwarf shouts.

Lizard Priest summons a dragontooth warrior and it charges into the room, just as everyone else runs out. The glowing on Elf and Dwarf fades out.

"Shoot an arrow at it." Owl says to the passing Elf. "It just needs to hit it."

Slayer then speaks to Priestess. "Immediately cast Protection on the entrance. This plan relies on you. If you mess up, we die."

Priestess nods. "Got it!" She jingles the rings on her staff and starts to chant. "O merciful Earth Mother, please protect us, the weak, with the powers of the earth." 

Elf fires an arrow into the beholder, and it snaps out of its dreamy state. A barrier forms on the entrance.

"Powder... in an enclosed space... Don't tell me..." Dwarf mutters.

Slayer turns back to the three behind him. "Cover your ears and keep your mouths open!"

Everyone does just that. Inside the room the beholder spots the dragontooth warrior, and fires a beam of disintegration at it. But in doing that, it lights up all the powder in the room, causing a large explosion.

A bright light flashes and everything shakes for several seconds before everything dies down. Once Priestess takes down her barrier everyone moves into the room and watches as the Beholder falls to the ground dead.

"You actually did it." Dwarf mutters.

"Sir Goblin Slayer, Sir Owl, exactly what did you do?" Lizard Priest asks.

Slayer gives an explanation. "When he told me about the canary, the coal miner also told me that when there's a lot of fine powder in the air in an enclosed space, and there's a spark, it'll catch fire and explode. But it's a hassle to prepare." 

Owl pokes the beholder with a piece of loose wood.

Slayer continues. "There's a chance it'll ignite or explode too early. Meaning it'll be useless against goblins."

"Wait, an explosion?!" Elf shouts. 

"I didn't specifically use, fire, water, or poison." 

"That's not the problem here... Oh, forget it."

"Um..." Priestess calls out. "What were you going to do if it didn't explode?"

"We'd shoot an arrow from the hall and run away until it could collect itself." Owl informs. "We'd repeat this cycle until it died. It'd be hard, but it'd work."

Elf puts her hands on her hips. "I'd be the one doing most of the work there, wouldn't I?"

"I guess it would be a life-or-death situation for you." Dwarf states. "With all that exercise, you'd never plump up that anvil body of yours."

"Actually, I'd say you need some more exercise, dwarf."

"You fool! My plumpness is what defines a dwarf!"

Everyone just smiles as Dwarf and Elf continue to banter.

"Really?" Elf questions. "Get any fatter and we'd have to roll you down the hall!"

"Now, then..." Lizard Priest starts. "What's rather curious... is this."

Everyone looks up to what seem to be a large mirror of sorts with stuff attached to it.

The mirror ripples slightly.

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12-03-2023

4292 words