The battlefield smelled of sweat, blood, and desperation. The cries of goblins echoed in the dusk-lit clearing, their guttural chants fueling the relentless assault. Selena's breath came in ragged gasps, her dagger slick with green blood. Her arms ached, her clothes were torn, and Lio stood beside her, his oversized gear dented and scorched. His sword was trembling in his grip as much as he was.
Lio: We're not gonna make it…
Lio wheezed, his knees buckling.
Selena, face pale and stained with dirt and blood, growled back through grit teeth,
Selena: Don't say that! We still have Red! He'll....
A goblin shrieked as it lunged at her, jagged blade aimed for her throat.
Thunk!
The goblin collapsed mid-air, a slender, gleaming blue arrow jutting from its eye socket. Then another goblin fell, and another. A rhythm began, whistling through the air, thudding into skulls, dropping goblins with uncanny precision.
Selena and Lio both froze, glancing up toward the treeline.
The goblin horde shrieked in confusion, their numbers rapidly thinning not from the sword or spear, but from the sky.
Red, still dueling two hobgoblins at once with bloodied blades and burning shoulders, paused only a moment, a faint smirk forming on his usually cold lips.
Red: He's here.
He twisted, blocked a cleaver with one blade, and sank the other into the hobgoblin's neck. With newfound drive, he spun, slicing through the second hobgoblin's spine. In a flash, he kicked off a fallen goblin's corpse and launched toward the final Hobgoblin and the Goblin King, an enormous, bloated creature wearing cracked bone armor.
Behind Selena and Lio, the air shimmered and through the drifting ash and moonlight, a figure stepped forward from the forest like a phantom from legend.
He stood tall, a lithe silhouette with windswept blue hair, the gleam of mithril on his back catching the dying light. His eyes, silver-blue like glacial lakes, swept the field with unshakable calm. He notched another arrow, drew his bow in a fluid motion, and loosed it.
It pierced the air and split a fleeing goblin's skull in half.
From beside Selena, Lio gasped. "Who…?"
The figure strode closer, his cloak rustling softly. Behind him emerged three more figures—each elegant, deadly, and radiant in their own way.
Red slammed his sword down, severing the Goblin King's arm in a shower of black ichor, and ducked under a counter swing. His foot slipped on mud and blood, yet just before the Goblin King could bring its club down, a blue arrow slammed into its eye. The beast roared in pain.
Red seized the moment and crossed his blades.
In one smooth, roaring motion, he unleashed a technique rarely seen, his swords spun in opposite arcs, a cross-slash of black steel and crimson trails, beheading the final hobgoblin and cleaving the Goblin King's head clean from its bloated body.
The battlefield fell silent save for the squelch of fallen bodies and the whistle of the wind.
Red wiped his blade on a dead goblin's cloth and turned to the newcomer.
The blue-haired elf stopped just a few paces from the stunned Selena and Lio.
With a crooked grin, he spoke, voice smooth and laced with amusement.
Blue: What's holding you up, Red?
Red sheathed his blades and stepped forward, casual in stride.
Red: What took you so long?
The elf archer shrugged.
Blue: Had to clean up a camp or two. You know how it is.
He turned slightly, and the three female elves approached, each a vision of grace and danger.
The first, Maya, wore a light cloak and had hair the color of autumn leaves braided into a crown around her head. Her jewel-tipped twin daggers glinted as she inspected the corpses with an amused hum.
Maya: Looks like they got into a bit of trouble," she said, her tone teasing.
The second, Miyu, tall and regal, carried a glowing rune-etched longspear with practiced ease. Her pale green braid bounced behind her as she walked.
Miyu: I sensed a buildup of mana. Must've been the Goblin King's domain. You handled it well," she nodded toward Red.
The third, Mayu, was silent as her violet eyes scanned the battlefield. Her sleek armor shimmered faintly, and though no weapon was visible, the magical energy coiling at her fingers betrayed her power.
Selena, heart pounding, stood up shakily.
Selena: W-Who are they…?
Red approached them and finally answered,
Red: Allies.
Blue approached Selena and bowed his head ever so slightly.
Blue: A pleasure to meet the one who fights beside him. You did well."
Selena flushed, unsure how to respond, and glanced away quickly. Lio, meanwhile, was slack-jawed.
Lio: They… They just wiped out the rest in seconds…
Maya: Of course. That's what we're here for.
Red turned to the others. "
Red: Check the bodies. Look for sigils, orders, anything that might trace back to a deeper movement. This was too organized for a random goblin raid.
Blue nodded and gave a quick gesture with two fingers.
Without a word, the three elven women fanned out into the carnage, efficient and silent like shadows.
Selena watched them go, still breathless. She looked at Red.
Selena: You… knew they were coming?
Red: I knew he'd show up when needed.
Selena: And he is?
Red: Someone from a long time ago. Someone I trust.
Lio exhaled heavily.
Lio: I thought we were gonna die…
Selena patted his shoulder, still trembling but smiling.
Selena: You did good. You didn't run.
Red approached them, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.
Red: You both held your ground. That matters.
Blue returned shortly after.
Blue: No scrolls, but there's something odd, some of the goblins bore a crest… One that matches what we saw near the ruined shrine to the north.
Red's eyes narrowed.
Red: So it's spreading.
Selena: Spreading?
Red didn't elaborate. Instead, he gestured to the path.
Red: We'll return to Silverhaven in the morning. For now, rest. I'll take watch.
Blue leaned against a tree, hands resting on his bow, expression unreadable.
Blue: I'll join you.
As Selena and Lio began setting up a small camp, Selena peeked over at Red, now deep in conversation with the mysterious Blue under the stars.
The elf laughed softly, just once.
Selena whispered to Lio,
Selena: Whoever he is… I think we're going to see a lot more of him.
And from the forest edge, a faint wind rustled the leaves...as if something far bigger had just begun to move.