Ash swept silently along the hallway his smoke cowl continuously sending out streams of vaporous gas, he had considered ending the goblins life but in those last moments it seemed so, human, its one thing to kill these mindless beasts all teeth, appetite and claws but to kill one that mourned seemed somehow, wrong. He had been through the way he knew back to the gruesome kitchen and the cellar beyond but there was no sign of Alastair, one of the men he had left with he had found the torso of and could only hope that he died before reaching that abhorrent room.

  Now he wondered the halls sewing confusion and slaughter in his wake, goblin after goblin fell beneath his sword, he couldn’t believe the difference that just over a week had made.

  ‘Are you having fun in there?’ Nina asked though the TOOL system

  ‘I don’t know if I’d call it fun, but the little beggars aren’t really putting up a fight, some are actually fleeing’ Ash said

  ‘Oh I’m well aware, I’ve torched a number of them that were running out screaming, what are you doing to them’

  ‘Just the usual’ Ash said swiping his sword in an arc severing another goblin from this mortal coil.

  ‘Talking to them?’ She laughed

  ‘Hey I’ll have you know people think I’m delightful company’ Ash said

  ‘Yes, I’m sure they say that, now what’s taking so long?’ She asked

  ‘He’s not where we were last time, I’m branching out but no signs yet’ he said

  ‘Do you need me to come and help?’ she offered

  ‘No I’m doing alright, you just keep mopping up any escaping goblins’

  ‘Well can I suggest you take the next left, you haven’t been there yet and you’ve doubled back on yourself twice already’ she said

  ‘I thought this looked the same, wait how do you know where I should go’ he queried

  ‘I’m bored out here mostly so I’m using your map to track your progress’ she said ‘Aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes of course’ Ash lied ‘I just needed to make sure I wasn’t being followed, goblins are notorious for sneak attacks’

  ‘Notorious, wow you are very knowledgeable for a man who has been in our world the best part of two weeks’ Nina chortled

  ‘I’m very knowledgeable actually’ Ash protested

  He took the next left as instructed and entered a dank hallway, it was eerily quiet and the coppery smell of blood and sulphur was in the air. He made his way down the hall, eyeing up the doors along the way, most left ajar or hanging from rusted hinges.

  He reached the door at the end and could hear voices inside, he pushed the door which surprisingly didn’t squeak at all, through the slit Ash could make out Alastair, chained to a wall, his companion chained to the table and a robed goblin arguing with the companion.

  ‘Nina, I’ve found them’ he whispered.

  ‘Excellent I’m coming in don’t do anything stupid before I get there ‘Nina chided.

  As Ash waited he continued to watch the scene unfold, the goblin draining blood from the man to store in cups, glasses any sort of object that would hold it, even more disgusting was when he would slurp it down and shudder with brimming energy.

  Ash remembering his TOOL system sent a request to Alastair to join his party. The look of shock and amazement on his face was a treat Ash thought to himself.

  A window had appeared hovering in front of him

  TOOL Party System

  Ash Ashburn has requested that you join his party

  Will you join

  Yes/No

  Alastair mentally gave the push for the positive and the next thing he had a voice inside his head that he was both thankful for and irritated by.

  ‘Goblins really aren’t your thing are they mate?’ Ash laughed

  ‘Where are you?’ Alastair whispered

  ‘See the door?’ Ash said

  Alastair looked over to see a hand reach out of the crack in the door, wave and then be retracted.

  ‘What are you doing here you damn fool, you’re going to get yourself killed’ Alastair said

  ‘Says the guy chained up in a torture chamber by goblins for the second time’ Ash laughed

  ‘I wasn’t chained up last time’

  ‘No just dangling from the roof by your feet’ Ash remarked

  ‘Point taken’ he said begrudgingly

  ‘So how do we get you out of here?’ Ash asked

  ‘I thought you might have that covered?’ Alastair sighed

  ‘Nope just kind of making it up as I go along’ Ash smiled

  ‘As much as I enjoy your cavalier attitude to this worlds dangers I really don’t approve of its use whilst my life is on the line’ Alastair said

  ‘Too bad you don’t have a choice’ Ash poked

  The cowled figure moved over to Alastair raising a knife.

  ‘Who are you talking to meat bag?’ Kaidan said

  ‘Me’ said Ash running into the room jumping into the air using his cloak to glide bringing his foot into the goblins torso.

  It would have been a great success had the goblin not turned onyx eyes upon Ash and his kick connected like hitting a brick wall, the goblins claw was wrapped around his ankle and he was flung into the far wall.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  ‘That did not go as planned’ Ash said

  ‘That’s what you get for not having a plan’ Alastair shouted hoarsely

  ‘I have, cough, a plan, its just not going very well so far’ Ash choked out.

  ‘Do you have another plan?’ Alastair asked.

  ‘I don’t need another plan, and if you don’t mind I’m in the middle of a fight’

  As the goblin approached he pushed out smoke like a smoke bomb and twirled behind the goblin bringing the blade across the back of its legs, dodging a retaliatory swipe he wove again bringing his sword against the offending arm. A roar of anger was let out and as Ashes sword made a downward chop it stopped centimetres from the goblins head. The sword looked to be imbedded in the goblins forearm, with the other clawed hand he grabbed the blade lifting it out and licked his wound which visible stitched itself together.

  ‘I might need another plan’ Ash said out loud

  The goblin pulled the sword yanking Ash forward onto a punch to the stomach that didn’t make sense given the size of the goblin. Winded Ash dropped to the floor where he received a kick that sent him spinning through the air, landing the other side of Alastair’s companion. ‘Free me boy’ the old man said ‘I have an idea’.

  Alastair and the goblin looked down in horror as Ash drew a golden dagger from a portal and brought it across one of the leather wrist ties holding down the old man.

  ‘No’ both Alastair and the goblin yelled too late.

  The old man tore off the other cuff and released himself from his bonds, standing there as naked as the day he was born except sporting a rather fetching ruby red jewel imbedded in his forehead.

  ‘Fool’ Screeched Kaidan ‘You’ve killed us all’ He made for the doorway but was intercepted by the pale, frail nude body of an aged human. ‘Now, now, where are your manners’ the man said ‘I believe that it would be rude of you to leave your own party’

  Kaidan shrunk back as the figure raised an arm ‘I believe you have something of mine’

  Blood erupted from the goblins eyes, nose and mouth streaming through the air and into the open palm of the man where it was absorbed his black eyes never leaving the shrinking goblin.

  ‘Now that that is settled I do believe I made some sort of declaration a while back, please Kaidan do remind me’ The old man looked down at the goblin with a browning smile that could only be described as predatory.

  ‘Ah yes, I wanted your head’ the decrepit old man leapt like a beast upon the goblin taking its throat between his teeth and crunching down, tearing chunks of flesh from the diminutive green warlock.

  Meanwhile Ash had regained his senses and began to attempt to untie Alastair, he managed to get one shackle loose when he was grabbed from behind and thrown across the room landing next to the remains of Kaidan, what was left at least, the lower jaw and top part of his torso were torn from the body and Ash was horrified to here a gurgle and a pleading look in the goblins eye.

  Ash lay in shock not really taking anything else in as he watched the final gurgle and the goblins yellow eye roll backwards into its head.

  ‘Robert, are you still in there’ Alastair shouted

  ‘I’m sorry, Roberts not home right now, I can take a message or carve it on your soul and you can join him’ The old man spat grabbing Alastair by the throat.

  A blinding flash erupted from Alastairs arm as a shield made of light manifested forcing the demon back.

  ‘Ash, please tell me you have a plan for getting out of here?’ He shouted.

  ‘Of course I do’ he said standing up.

  ‘What powers do you think will work against me mortal?’ The old man leapt onto all fours on the table, Alastair using this opportunity to undo the remaining restraint and the opportunity not to see his aged friend from this particular, angle.

  ‘Hers’ Ash said

  ‘Immolate’ rang out in the room and the demon burst into flame.

  Alastair looked round to see Nina standing in the hallway arm outstretched towards the old friend.

  ‘You think fire will hurt a demon’ it hissed

  ‘No but a light shield will ring your bell’ said Alastair as he disappeared and reappeared bringing his shield down on the old mans head.

  The thing wearing Robert looked up into the outstretched hand of the elf ‘Immolate’ she announced.

  The flesh was melting, and the blood was bubbling, this vessel would not last another minute. In a blur it leapt passed Nina landing on Ash who tried to scream but no such luck as the demon hand its hand firmly over his mouth.

  He gulped in fear just before Alastair once again brought his shield across the emaciated body which had lost all sturdiness and burst into ash covered pieces.

  Ash looked up at his friend and smiled, ‘Did that look cool?’ Alastair said, ‘Very’ said Ash.

  All of a sudden Ashes back arched his chest up into the air, his eyes rolling over black and a blood red jewel began to protrude through his forehead