The Goblin Hunter Prince(ss) {PREVIEW}

Chapter 3

The echoing drips of water seemed more eerie than before as they splashed to the vile sludge beneath our feet. I had my hand resting carefully on the hilt of my dagger as we stood in the darkness waiting for an indication. I had to hold my breath for as long as I could with my face closer to the substance looming around our feet.

 "I assume Goblins lack the sense of smell." I whispered to myself, not entirely sure where my eyes were looking. "And sight must be hindered, too."

 "Goblins focus solely on light and sound. Taste, smell and sight aren't needed." The mercenary explained to me. "Right now, we're in a dangerous position."

 I began to carefully reach out my left hand for a sign as to where he stood. The fine fabric of his cloak brushed against my fingers and I grabbed it. "How can we possibly have any chance of finding the amulet now?" My voice whimpered.

"Don't worry, we'll find it." The man reassured me. "It should be in the Goblin's Hoard. Once we're there, we can relight the torch."

"But how can you be so sure that it is in the Goblin's Hoard? And where exactly is the Hoard located?"

 Before I could hear any form of reply from the mercenary, another growl echoed through the narrow corridor. I gripped my dagger's hilt and the man's cloak tightly, feeling my body quake.

 "Alright, it's time to move. Let's go!" The man took the initiative and began to move forward, shuffling his feet hastily ahead.

 I had very little choice but to follow his pace; there was no way I was going to let go of his cloak in such darkness, even if that did mean me almost falling face-first in the sludge beneath our feet.

 My eyes struggled to adjust in the dark, but eventually outlines were visible to me. The man in front of me seemed to be darting his head left and right. "Is there something wrong?" I asked, seeing a hint of panic in his actions.

 He turned his head to look at me with serious eyes. "The Goblin's Hoard is usually at the very end of the Cave, but not always. And it is heavily guarded..."

 "You know a lot about Goblins, especially for a measly mercenary, am I not correct?" I interrupt him, feeling some doubt behind his true identity. "And when you first appeared at the Rosegale house, heads turned your way."

 The man chuckled a little. "Well, I guess you could define my profession as more of a 'Goblin Hunter'." He explained to me as we trudged in the murky slime.

 We quickly turned down another corridor, causing my footing to slip and I skidded into the wall with a mighty force. It made me flinch, but I knew I could not allow myself to show any weakness in such a place. "Well you are certainly in your territory here, I cannot deny that much..." I quickly caught up to the mercenary ahead of me and grabbed his cloak once more. "But the title 'Goblin Hunter' has never even been whispered for years. Not after the great Goblin massacre."

 "That's because they were all slaughtered during that year." His blunt words suddenly sent a painful shiver down my spine, weakening my legs.

 "What? But I thought they were victorious!"

 "They were." The man's eyes fixated on mine. "In fact, the few remaining Goblins fled from the villages and towns. But the peace settled for only a few weeks. After a while, some of the Goblin Hunters began to show abnormal behaviour. Becoming nocturnal, hoarding treasure, living in the dark... They were slowly becoming Goblins themselves."

"What? Is that even possible?"

 The mercenary turned to face forward and wiped his forehead with his right hand. "Do you know the origin of Goblins?"

 I shook my head, trying to remember the books I had read on the topic. "No, not really. The information I have come across only speaks of the Goblins of a vile race that feasts on human flesh and collects gold and other valuables."

 Our conversation was interrupted by another growl, this time far louder than before. The mercenary raised his sword close to his chest and stopped in his tracks suddenly, causing me to crash into his back. "Hold up." His voice whispered quietly to me. "Something doesn't feel right."

 His words filled my heart with fear and I struggled to swallow a lump in my throat. "What is it?"

 The man turned his head to face me, but his eyes immediately snapped off mine. "Look out!" He called, quickly grabbing me by the arm and pulled me towards him.

 I turned to look behind me and my eyes widened.

 What was standing there was large and grotesque; skin as rough as leather and the body like a gargoyle, with glowing pearl eyes staring straight at me. The blind eyes seemed fixated on mine and the slack jaw showed rugged teeth of a Demon, salivating a thick form of puss. The creature stood doubled over with long arms trailing in the sludge at our feet.

 "A Goblin?!" My words caused the man to tighten his hold on me and pull me closer to his body. He thrust his sword in front of me, the tip of the blade almost touching the Goblin's stomach.

 "What is two humans doing in ours cave?" The slurred words spat through the Goblin's mouth, as well as some of the salivating puss. "We has not any fresh meats for some times." it added, licking its putrid lips.

 My heart jumped into my throat and I turned to look at the man's determined face. "Mercenary?" I managed to speak in a wavering voice.

 The mercenary took a step back, taking me with him, and created a slight distance between us and the Goblin. "Stay calm," he whispered in my ear, "and when I tell you to, run."

 "What?" I gave him a frightened gaze and grabbed his arm wrapped around me, shaking my head vigorously. "You are not baiting yourself to save me, I refuse to allow it!"

"Listen!" He tightened his arm around my waist, forcing some air to escape my lungs, stopping my inner panic from surfacing. "If you keep going the way we were, you'll end up in the Goblin's Hoard..." The man handed me the torch. "When you get there, light the torch. Once you find the amulet, make a run for the exit."

I took the torch from the mercenary's obviously shaking hand and I looked into his eyes focused on the Goblin in front of us. "But what about you?"

"Move forward and don't look back." He replied hastily. "Once you get out the door, lock it behind you and return the amulet to Holgard." A gentle smile grew on his face and he gazed at me. "I'm counting on you... Princess."