A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

Chapter 73  Blades and Blood - Part 4

"I'm putting some distance between us and them, keep an eye out for me," Beam said curtly, as he thundered through the trees. With her position on his shoulder, looking behind them, Nila served as a perfect second set of eyes.

"Ah! I see them! They're—Wait, they're falling behind?" Nila said in shock, surprised that they were managing to outrun the Goblins, even with Beam carrying her.

"How far? At ten paces, I'm going to put you down and take them out," Beam said, as he jumped to the side to speed past a tree, continuing down a slope.

"WE'RE ALREADY AT TEN PACES!" Nila shouted urgently.

"Good," Beam tossed her from his shoulder and caught her with his arms, setting her down as gently as he could despite the speed that they were at.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, at least to him. They'd just disappeared down a hill, so the Goblin's line of sight on them was broken. They wouldn't be expecting a counterattack.

Sure enough, three angry green creatures flew from the top of the hill, rendering themselves momentarily defenceless.

An arrow whipped through the air, thudding through another one of the creature's eyes as it was unable to defend itself.

Beam didn't have time to spare Nila a glance, but he silently nodded in approval. Both arrows that she'd landed had struck the creatures through the eye – this girl was the real deal.

The other two belonged to him, though. They both grounded themselves, spear in hands, and they sped down the slope, seeking to attack him simultaneously.

They threw their spears together, aiming for Nila instead of him.

Having no time to do anything else, Beam pushed her away from their path and stood in front of her, his knife ready, blocking the follow-up attack.

These two seemed to learn from the deaths of their brethren, and they didn't launch themselves into the air despite their anger. Instead, they zigzagged across each other, sticking to the ground, their speedy legs working quickly.

'They're targeting my legs,' Beam realized as they came in close, both of them lunging for his calves.

Beam mirrored the kick he'd seen his master do the day before. He caught one of the Goblins behind the ear with it and twisted his hips even more to continue to momentum so that it would hit the other.

Both beasts went flying, but Beam didn't stop there. He used the momentum he'd generated from the kick to send himself flying forward, stabbing one Goblin through the back of the neck as it skidded face down on the ground.

Then he stomped onto the face of the next, forcing it back down as it struggled to its feet. A swift stab through the eye finished it.

Then, Beam almost made the mistake of relaxing.

"BEAM!" He heard Nila shout.

But Beam had already sensed it, just barely. He didn't have time to curse himself for not paying more attention – he was just pleased that he hadn't been caught completely off guard again.

From the trees there descended a massive shadow, striking the spot where Beam had been standing just moments before.

Beam dashed away, carrying Nila in his arms this time, as he looked over his shoulder towards the menacing Hobgoblin, as its red eyes dilated with fury and it locked onto them.

The creature's massive leg muscle tensed and then it shot off, sending up a cloud of dirt as it rushed ahead, carrying its giant sword easily with it.

'Our speed's matched!' Beam realized as they settled into the run. But that wouldn't last long either. Even though Nila was light, she was still a weight that weighed heavily on his endurance and as he continued at such a pace, he felt his legs beginning to tire.

"What the hell is that!?" Nila shouted in dismay as she looked over his shoulder. They'd achieved the impossible, in her eyes, by slaughtering so many Goblins just by themselves. And now, as though all the Gods had turned against them, a creature so menacing that it didn't even compare to the last ones had been summoned to punish them.

"HobGoblin," Beam said through gasping breaths. "Can't outrun it. Gonna have to… Set you down. Get far enough away that you can help with your bow… I'll distract it."

Nila wanted to scream at his intention to fight it, stating that it was mad. But she couldn't. She clenched her fist in frustration, tears in her eyes, knowing that it was her that was holding him back. If she wasn't there, then he would have been able to escape unharmed. She nodded instead, and clutched her bow tightly, assuring herself that she'd find a moment to turn the tides in their favour.

Beam skidded to a halt as the muddy embankment gave way to several carelessly strewn boulders. He hoped that they'd at least managed to slow the Hobgoblin down.

He had just enough time to set Nila down and make sure she was running, before the Hobgoblin tore through the trees with a roar, holding its massive sword in one hand, declaring war on every living creature.

"So that's what you look like, you bastard," Beam said, eyeing up the creature as it thundered towards him. It was the first time he'd gotten to see the Hobgoblin in true action – before it had been on him before he even knew it was there.

Seeing it so close, only now could he get a sense for its danger. His whole body coated itself in sweat as he felt the killing intent bearing down upon him.

Master Dominus had said that such a creature was stronger than a corpse soldier. That it was far beyond him as he was at the moment. Seeing it up close, Beam was inclined to believe him. He had no business at all challenging this creature to a fight – especially not when it was armed as well as this one. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om