Kagerou's Journal 2

(Welcome back to my blog serial. From now on, there should be a part uploaded every Friday. The key word there is "should". To see what happened before, read part one here.)

Curious, I turned to see what had caused the commotion. I wasn’t close enough to identify the source. However another sound caught my attention. Behind us ranged a series of tables joined together end to end and loaded with food. On top of this sat a small hunched shape. A goblin perched on the table, stuffing its face with food and spilling it everywhere. Screams filled the square as townspeople saw the goblin and began running.

A sound emanated from the direction of the wagon. I looked over in time to see another goblin streak out from under the wagon and attack the Varisian dancer. I started towards her but then I felt my feet kicked out from under me. I fell in a tangle with a third goblin who had snuck up behind and tripped me.

I could see barely anything aside from the scrawny goblin’s arms and body. However, I heard the roar of a bear and saw it rush towards the location of the dancer. There was no sound of paws hitting flesh so I supposed it had missed.

But I had a more pressing problem. I jerked a hand free and tried to punch the goblin in the face but my fist sailed past its ear. It retaliated but I squirmed aside.

I head the bear roar again but in pain. The goblin must have taken a swipe at it with its rough sword. I squirmed around to check on the first goblin and saw that it was still engaged in eating. One less goblin to deal with was a blessing.

The square was clear of almost all the townspeople. It seemed that none of them were fighters capable of assisting. A gray streak resolved into the form of the cat who had caused the commotion earlier. It was coming my way, eyes fixed on the goblin pinning me. The goblin must have realized the cat was coming after it because it released its grip on me and swung its sword at the grey cat who dodged.

A sudden flash of light took us all by surprise. I half rose to see a very dead goblin fall to the ground from the table. The dancer’s hand was still raised and glowed with the after effects of spell casting. Somehow I’d known from the first that she wasn’t a normal scarf dancer.

The goblin on me gurgled, drawing my attention back to it. I watched as a spear tip emerged from its chest. With a shudder it fell dead. A large Shoanti woman clad in a bear skin shoo it off the end of her spear.

She asked if I was uninjured and helped me to my feet. I looked around the square. Two goblins lay dead and a bear was mauling a third. Besides us combatants, the priest was the only person left. He hurried down the steps to greet us.

“Thank you for your assistance with the goblins. I believe I speak for all the townspeople in this matter. I am Father Zantus, the priest of this cathedral. Please allow me to heal your wounds.”

The bear was the only one injured so the priest gestured him to come forward. The Shoanti spear woman looked towards the bear and it shuffled over demurely. They were obviously paired. A druid perhaps? His injuries vanished as soon as Father Zantus finished murmuring the spell.

But our troubles were not at an end. The loud cries of excited goblins echoed from down a side street. Without a word, I, the Shoanti, the bear and the dancer sprinted towards the noise. Behind us, the grey cat also tagged along.