1.25 – Elite Foe

Chirurgeon’s Touch I: Wound status effects reduced.

Enduring Heal I: Minor regeneration applied. 6 seconds.

Stun: 1 second.

The soothing warmth of Erik’s Quick Heal washed over her. The Stun ticked down, and Rika returned to her senses just as the greater goblin reached her. It raised its hammer once more, and this time Rika noticed the unnaturally bright glint off the dull iron of the hammer’s face. That had to be the skill she’d blocked earlier. The one that had cracked her arm through her shield.

This time, she relied on her footwork. She’d spent years practicing, and now she had the benefit of her Finesse stat. It should have been enough, but what she hadn’t counted on was the greater goblin’s own Finesse. Or whatever other skills the creature had at its disposal.

The hammer curved in mid-swing, following her as she darted to one side. She barely got her shield up in time. The hammer crashed into her shoulder, sending her stumbling away and thankfully out of the greater goblin’s reach. It looped its hammer around in an easy follow-through, using the weight and momentum of the weapon to bring it back into a ready position.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” the muttered to herself, venting the mounting panic that threatened to overwhelm her into the words and the still air of the cavern. This was not good. It knew how to use that weapon. Marin had shown her how to use maces back at the manor, and she recognized the way the greater goblin swung, using the weight concentrated at the head to its fullest advantage.

Enduring Heal dropped off, the regeneration from Erik’s class feature having run its course. Her arm still hurt from where she’d blocked that last strike, not having fully healed before the ability wore off. She wouldn’t demand that Erik give her another boost. He’d seen the Stun, and responded appropriately. Three seconds was a long time in a fight, and it was probably best he kept one of his two active heals in reserve so he could deal with the Stun when it inevitably came again. Until Erik could spare an active heal for her, she’d just have to be careful with the arm.

The greater goblin advanced again. The torch she’d thrown when thwarting the ambush still sputtered where it had landed. The damp stalactites descending from the ceiling gleamed in the orange glow. At the far end of the cave, a flowstone formation oozed out from the wall. If this were to be her tomb, at least it would be a pretty one. She pushed the grim thought aside as soon as it crossed her mind.

No. This wasn’t the end. Not for her, not for Erik. This was just one more obstacle she needed to step over. The world was hers. Finally, cast out from her home like the unwanted burden she’d always truly been, Maximilian had given her the greatest gift he possibly could have. A life of her own. There wasn’t a single fucking chance she was going to let it end here. Especially at the hands of an overgrown goblin.

The hammer came crashing down. Rika danced back and away, ignoring the thundering of her heart as the breeze brushed her face. It was close, but close didn’t count. For just the briefest moment, the greater goblin was open. Overextended as it lifted its massive hammer from the cracked divot it had just left in the cave floor.

Dark Strike II: 9 seconds.

Tempo I x1: 6 seconds.

Her axe bit into the greater goblin’s shoulder. An eruption of Dark power accompanied a spray of blood as the blade dug into the goblin’s flesh. It roared and lashed out with its shield. The rim caught her on her own shield, sending another spike of pain shooting through her unhealed arm. Tempo vanished from the side of her vision.

She’d landed a solid hit, though. She could do this. The greater goblin had fully recovered by now, but the wound on its shoulder oozed blood. Its face twisted in rage and in pain as it raised its shield and came for her again. At least it had stopped taunting her.

Mend washed over her, and the pain in her arm finally faded to nothing. With the full use of her shield returned, she circled to the goblin’s left, presenting her defensive side, hoping to bait another attack. If there was one thing she had going for her, it was that the goblin liked to give her plenty of warning before it actually struck, winding up like she couldn’t see what it was doing. She didn’t have to wait long before the greater goblin swung at her again. Rika held back until the last possible moment her Finesse would let her before punching out with her shield.

Shield Slam I: 30 seconds.

Tempo I x1: 6 seconds.

The metal rim of her heater shield cracked against the greater goblin’s wrist. The hammer hit the floor with a heavy thunk. Stepping to her left again, Rika kept her shield up to guard against another shield bash from the goblin. In position, she swung her axe, activating Dark Strike.

Darkness and blood sprayed from the wound she opened in the greater goblin’s side, just below the ribs. It howled, shoving at her with its shield. She let it push her back, stepping away and absorbing most of the force with her own heater. The relief she felt when she didn’t lose her two meager stacks of Tempo was immeasurable.

The greater goblin stooped to pick up its fallen hammer. Rika slammed her axe into the same shoulder she’d injured before. It howled as it wrenched away from her, somehow keeping a grip on its weapon. She moved in, looking to deal some damage and add another stack.

A clawed foot lashed out and caught her in the knee. She stumbled and then cursed as she lost her stacks once again. In the moment it took her to recover, something large and heavy slammed into the side of her skull. Pain and blackness exploded in the right side of her head. She stumbled, then hit the ground.

Stun: 3 seconds.

Concussion: Finesse, Magic, and Control scaling reduced.

Dimly she grasped at the fact the Concussion debuff didn’t have a duration. That couldn’t be good. Neither could the fact that the whole right side of her field of view was just sort of gone. She’d lost her axe somewhere. Trying to think, trying to move, both were pointless. She couldn’t even manage to paw at the rough cavern floor with her hand.

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Chirurgeon’s Touch I: Wound status effects reduced.

Enduring Heal I: Minor regeneration applied. 6 seconds.

Stun: 1 second.

Concussion: Finesse, Magic, and Control scaling reduced.

A massive weight fell on her back, between her right shoulder and her spine. Her ribs and shoulder blade cracked under the blow, then immediately started twisting back together. She screamed, a primal sound of equal parts rage and fury. Her hand closed around something smooth, and only now growing familiar. With a heave and another sharp spike of pain from her partially healed shoulder, she lashed out with the axe in a desperate slash. The head bit into the goblin’s leg, just above the ankle. Its leg buckled, and the goblin crashed to the ground next to her. She scrambled to her feet, half stumbling as she did, woozy and disoriented from the Concussion.

As the greater goblin pushed itself back up into a kneeling position, Rika circled around behind it. It tried to turn, to pivot on its one good leg and face her, but it wasn’t quite fast enough. She took aim at the base of its spine.

Dark Strike II: 9 seconds.

Tempo I x2: 6 seconds.

Her skill sent a burst of dark power into the cavern as her axe found its mark. As the greater goblin’s legs, now just a couple of useless lumps, gave out completely, she hooked its shoulder with the bottom of her axe blade, and pulled back. She pressed her arm across its neck and applied as much pressure as her twenty-three Might would let her. Leaning in, she got right up next to its head.

“Guess it looks like you’re the one who’s gonna die here,” she snarled into the goblin’s ear. “The only question is whether you’re going to scream.”

She ignored the goblin’s reaching and scratching as it tried to dislodge her from its back. Most of its attempts just scraped off her plates of her brigandine. It grabbed a handful of her hair at one point, yanking at her ponytail. She threw her shield to the side and levered the dagger she’d grabbed off Kriztan out of its sheath. Then she plunged the blade into the goblin’s side. That got it to let go of her hair.

The dagger slid out, and the goblin gave a weak grunt. She stabbed it again, then kept stabbing it until it went limp in her arms. She let it fall face-down to the cavern floor, then she kicked it in the head. When it still didn’t move, she cut its spine with a Dark Strike, just for good measure.