The air crashed against my face, bringing with it the repugnant stench of the goblins.
A mixture of rotting flesh, damp earth, and something I preferred not to identify.
The two goblins in front of me exchanged a fleeting glance. The one on the left tightened his club, while the other crouched slightly, bending his legs.
It wasn't an especially sophisticated stance, but they weren't acting like uncontrolled beasts either.
One would attack from the front, the other would seize the opportunity, and the third...
My eyes shifted toward the last goblin.
He remained a few steps behind his companions, watching me with his head slightly tilted.
He didn't have his club raised, nor did he seem ready to fight. He simply watched me.
"How strange."
Before I could analyze it further, the first goblin lunged at me.
His club descended diagonally, aiming for my right shoulder.
I didn't try to block it immediately.
Only when the weapon was about to reach me did I slightly turn my torso and raise my rusted sword.
Clang!
The impact echoed through the clearing.
The blow was much heavier than I expected. The vibration ran through the blade, crossed my hands, and reached my forearms.
I gritted my teeth and resisted the impact, preventing the club from deflecting my sword toward my head.
However, blocking it wasn't my goal.
The goblin had committed all his weight to that blow. His body tilted forward, leaving his side exposed.
It was my opportunity. But before I could take advantage of it, the second goblin jumped from my left flank.
His claws extended toward my neck.
Instead of retreating, I shifted my right foot back and twisted my waist. The claws grazed my clothing, close enough to feel the movement of the air.
At the same time, I released the hilt of my sword with my left hand and caught the goblin's wrist mid jump.
His eyes flew wide open.
"Gah?"
I used his own momentum to pull him forward and twist his arm. His body lost balance and fell sideways onto the ground.
Bam!
The goblin let out a groan of pain.
I didn't give him time to get up.
I planted a knee on his back and kept his arm immobilized against the ground.
The first goblin had already recovered his balance.
He growled and raised his club again.
I couldn't block another blow the same way. So I changed strategy.
I grabbed the downed goblin by the torso and lifted him right in front of me.
The club descended.
CRACK!
The club slammed directly into his companion's skull.
For an instant, the attacker stood motionless, eyes wide and mouth half open. He seemed unable to understand why his blow had hit one of his own.
I didn't waste that opportunity. I pushed his companion's body against him.
Both fell to the ground, tangled in each other's limbs.
"Grah!"
The survivor tried to get up, but I had already managed to recover my sword.
I raised it with both hands and let the blade fall on the two fallen goblins.
The metal pierced their bodies and their movements ceased.
For a few seconds, I remained bent over them, breathing with difficulty.
It hadn't been an easy victory.
"Hah... Hah..."
I caught my breath and wiped the blade against the grass.
Then I raised my head. The third goblin had disappeared...
However, I remembered perfectly where he had been.
I had seen him move away while I fought the other two.
He hadn't fled at the start of the fight. Nor had he taken the opportunity to attack me from behind.
He had simply left when his companions managed to draw my attention.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Goliath."
"Yes, Master?!"
He appeared among the bushes almost immediately. He had remained hidden, just as I had ordered, though his expression seemed worried about what had happened.
"Chase the one who fled and kill him."
Goliath nodded seriously.
"Understood!"
He crouched slightly and, the next instant, jumped.
The ground creaked beneath his feet.
His silhouette disappeared among the treetops and branches with absurd speed.
It was then that the strangeness of the encounter began to become evident.
Two had fought against me, while the third had remained on the sidelines until he had the opportunity to escape.
"Why?"
Goblins weren't exactly known for their military discipline. They were opportunistic, violent creatures of limited intelligence. When they found weak prey, the usual thing was for them to surround it and attack in a group.
If one fell, the others took advantage of the confusion to finish off the victim.
However, those two had attacked in turns.
One forced me to concentrate on defending myself, the other took advantage of the opening, and while both kept my attention occupied, the third left.
The third hadn't tried to help his companions.
He hadn't even shown the slightest hesitation in abandoning them.
"Was he using them as bait?"
It was too soon to draw conclusions.
I needed more information.
"I'm back, Master."
Goliath's voice interrupted my thoughts.
I turned. He had returned with a radiant smile, as if he hadn't just covered a considerable distance in barely a few seconds.
"Good."
We resumed our march.
During the next hour, I kept my eyes open and paid special attention to the surroundings. It didn't take me long to discover another group of goblins.
This time, they were near a small stream. I stopped before they could notice our presence.
Two of them were crouched by the water, while the third watched the forest from a rock.
When we got close enough, the lookout spotted us.
He let out a screech and the other two stood up immediately.
One of them ran toward us, the second followed, and the third fled.
I stood motionless for an instant.
"Again."
The first goblin reached me with his club raised. I dodged him and gave him a kick to the knee, making him fall. The second tried to flank me, but Goliath stepped in and knocked him down with a blow from the pommel of his sword.
The fight ended in a few seconds.
When I looked toward the rock, the third goblin had already disappeared among the trees.
I couldn't help but let my expression darken.
"Goliath, go after him."
"Understood!"
He disappeared again.
I remained by the stream, examining the place where the goblins had been resting.
There were food scraps and marks in the mud that headed north.
Toward the same direction the old man had mentioned.
I crouched and touched one of the footprints. The earth was still damp.
I couldn't determine how many creatures had passed through there, but there were quite a few more than the ones we had just found.
During the following hours, we encountered more groups.
Always three, the same strategy of two of them attacking and the third fleeing.
By the fifth encounter, I no longer had any doubt that this followed a pattern.
I stopped beside a tree and rested a hand on the trunk.
"Ten groups, Thirty goblins."
If that was the usual population of the area, the village had a much more serious problem than I had imagined.
But if all those groups were part of the same structure...
The sun began to descend before we found another group.
I decided that was enough for that day.
We had advanced a lot, but my arms were exhausted and my hands were beginning to fill with blisters. Continuing to fight under those conditions would be a stupid way to end up dead.
We found a small spot surrounded by trees and set up camp.
Goliath lit the fire while I checked the provisions. Afterward, we agreed to take turns keeping watch during the night.
Goblins were nocturnal creatures. Their vision in the dark and their skin, which easily blended with the vegetation, gave them a considerable advantage during the hours when other predators preferred to rest.
If there was a moment for them to try to surprise us, it would be that one.
That's why I stayed alert.
I listened to every creak of the branches. I watched every shadow that moved beyond the fire, and I even got up a couple of times to check that there were no footprints around the camp.
But no goblin appeared.
After encountering so many groups during the day, I expected at least one to try to approach our camp. However, the forest seemed to have emptied completely.
As if all the creatures had received the order not to come out at night.
When dawn finally broke, I sat up and contemplated the trees surrounding us.
The sky was beginning to tint orange, another day had begun. And even so, I didn't feel any calmer than the night before.
Something inside me made me think that tactic felt familiar.