Chapter 10 – It’s My Turn Already?!

The Optio reached into his armor and pulled out a piece of paper. He studied it for a second. “Edmund. Edmund, come down here boy.”

No one responded.

Max looked around, yet nobody stood out.

Arnie elbowed him. He pointed to the other side as he whispered. “Long neck and looks like he is scowling. He was in the same wagon as me until I moved closer to the wagon train leader. He shared bread with me…”

Max frowned and refocused on the Optio.

Ignacious waited impatiently for a few seconds longer.

Even the goblin stopped fighting against the cage bars and seemed to sense what was about to happen next. It retreated a few steps and tilted its head, staring at the blade in front of the cage and just out of reach of its grasp.

“Alright. Grab him. Seventh from the left… Ugly mug with the long neck and hideous face.”

The closest legionary on the battle ground jumped up to the seating station. Grabbed a pale, shaking Edmund and dropped down without saying a single word. The boy didn’t even try to fight back. Which made sense, the legionaries were terrifying with all the scars and injuries, but still serving and moving like they hadn’t been hurt at all.

Max wondered if every single one of them was above level 38 like the lady. If he was being honest, he didn’t quite have a point of reference on the matter. The stories his mother had made him read were more fantastical with level 60s and above. Legends that carved through entire battlefields alone and faced off with the strongest GreenSkinned champions alive.

Edmund was deposited in front of the spilled bag of daggers and knives.

“Grab a blade, boy. Don’t be shy, they won’t eat you,” said Optio Ignacious.

Edmund shook as he grabbed the largest dagger he could find and stood up on shaky legs. His head moved back and forth between the Optio and the goblin. Said goblin had its eyes locked onto the boy with unwavering intensity. It smelled prey and had focused on it solely.

He took a few steps forward and reeled back, covering his nose and gagging.

Does it smell that bad? How do I counter that?

Max got up from his seat and leaned on the edge of the wall to get a better look and take mental notes from start to finish. Arnie followed. He was not about to miss anything at all as he studied what they were being put up against. There was no way the legion would be giving them an impossible task, there had to be a catch and way to win.

He was sure that they couldn’t afford the entire batch of recruits dying over and over again.

Two of the legionaries opened the gate. They got out of the way quickly. The Optio and the rest formed a wide circle to give the goblin and the boy ample room to fight and move.

The GreenSkinned licked its lips and gave him a wide grin full of black rotted teeth.

Edmund took a step back.

It took this as an invitation to step out of the cage carefully. Testing the floor before it fully came out and moved toward the blade on all fours while keeping an eye on the legionaries that surrounded it.

Why isn’t he attacking? What is he doing?

The goblin picked up the blade and let out a wet gurgling sound that Max recognized as a mocking laughter. It circled around Edmund.

The boy roared and charged it.

It lowered its stance and dodged the wild, uncoordinated swing and slammed its blade through his face with enough force to pierce through the other side.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

All of the recruits stared without a single sound between them.

Everything had happened in a split second.

The boy’s body fell backward, eyes still wide and stunned.

The goblin tried to pull the blade out of Edmund’s head, but failed.

Max could see its shoulders sag from the single encounter.

It’s exhausted…? Wait! The Optio said they dehydrated and starved them.. that means they have no energy to last in a fight. I got my plan… I just hope it works out.

The goblin had not stopped trying to pull the blade out of Edmund’s head, shaking and picking his body up. It grew weaker with every attempt, eventually giving up and picking up the dagger on the ground. It looked around, eyes locking onto the Optio and charged him without an ounce of hesitation.

It released a screeching battlecry–

The Optio front kicked its face.

Max was blinded by a flash of light as Ignacious pulled his blade out. He blinked and the light was gone. The Optio stood there as though nothing had happened, blade in sheathe. The goblin, on the other hand, thunked onto the ground split in twain. Both sides fully cauterized from the strike.

How hot is that blade? Is that even possible? Well… he quite literally did it in front of us, of course it’s possible.

Max looked back toward Arnie.

Arnie was shaking like Edmund had. He couldn’t let his new friend die so quickly.

“Listen,” he said. Arnie didn’t respond until Max elbowed him hard in the ribs. “I said listen. The goblins are weak–”

“Weak? That thing killed Edmund with one swing. He gave me bread…”