Chapter 18 - The Revival

As the goblins surged forward in a snarling wave, Ibbi and Gabriel stepped closer, their backs nearly touching with Leah in between. Ibbi let out a guttural growl and brought her great axe down on the first goblin that reached her, cleaving it in half with a single brutal stroke. She wasted no time, swinging again in a wide, deadly sweep that carved down an entire line of enemies, limbs and weapons scattering.

Gabriel leapt high into the air. One hand stayed braced behind his back, holding Leah in place, while the other helped him balance as he landed on the heads of two goblins. Cries of confusion rang out beneath him as more goblins thrust their blades upward, trying to skewer him. But Gabriel was too fast. He skipped across heads like stepping stones, dancing nimbly above the chaos.

On the ground, Ibbi was being slowly encircled. Goblins clawed at her from every angle, daggers and short blades flashing. But she was a juggernaut of fury. She swung her axe with terrifying force, her strikes ripping through goblins in droves. Some managed to cling to her waist, stabbing into her armour with shrieks. With a snarl, she twisted hard, then began to spin, with her axe extended outwards. She became a whirlwind of death.

Goblins screamed as they were torn apart by her relentless momentum. Blood misted the air as her spinning storm cut a path through the mob. When she slowed, her axe was slick with gore, and her breathing was heavy.

Gabriel landed and found himself in the middle of a cluster of goblins. He struck out with a vicious kick that sent a couple goblins to fly away. He then twirled and weaved past attacks, raking his claws against faces, and tearing out throats. But his grip on Leah was beginning to strain him. Every movement required balance and precision, and It was getting harder.

He dodged another strike, and then leapt up high again. He zoomed across the hordes of goblins and spotted Ibbi in the distance. He jumped towards her, landing on a goblin that was stabbing at her back.

Gabriel crushed the goblin underfoot and clawed apart several others trying to swarm her.

Together, they stood their ground, frantically battling the ever-coming horde. But no matter how many they killed, more kept coming, clambering over the bodies of their fallen comrades, desperate to tear them down.

Gabriel tore out the throats of two goblins when he heard a faint whisper.

He blinked. "Leah?"

Her voice was weak, barely audible beneath the clamor. One of her eyes had fluttered open. "The vials... in my cloak... will heal me…"

Gabriel didn’t hesitate. He held up the corpse of a goblin with his hand to block an incoming goblin, and then reached into Leah’s cloak with his free hand. His fingers closed around a glass vial. He flicked off the top with his thumb and shoved it into her mouth.

Leah gulped the thick liquid. Power surged through her veins. Her eyes snapped open. Vitality returned to her limbs.

She reached forward, past Gabriel’s shoulder, and unleashed tendrils that shot into the oncoming goblins. Their bodies convulsed as their skin shriveled and blood was drained. Leah inhaled sharply, feeding off their blood. Her wings snapped out behind her, and she launched into the air, floating above Ibbi and Gabriel.

Her eyes glowed red with fury. "Damn vermin."

Tendrils shot outwards in a storm, impaling goblins from above. Some tendrils expanded inside their bodies, bursting them apart. Others whipped around, flaying goblins by the dozens. Blood splattered the stone, mixing with the rubble.

The tide turned instantly. Goblins yelled in fear and ran. They scrambled over each other, shoving and clawing their way towards the tunnels in the walls. Leah continued her slaughter until the last of them had vanished into the dark.

Then, with her body regenerating, she descended. Her new feet touched down lightly against the bloodstained floor. She turned her head towards Ibbi and Gabriel as they approached.

She raised a finger towards the wounded Ibbi, and a tendril extended and pierced into her arm. Leah’s blood flowed into Ibbi’s veins, and her wounds began to heal.

When it was done, Leah retracted the tendril and turned her eyes towards the dark tunnels the goblins had fled into.

"They did a number on me," she muttered bitterly. "I didn’t expect to get caught in a trap like that."

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Ibbi stepped forward beside her. "Where did they run off to?"

Leah narrowed her eyes. "Let’s find out."

They walked until they reached the entrance of one of the tunnels and stepped into it, their boots crunching softly on the uneven ground. The air was heavy and damp, and the path twisted downward in winding spirals. Forks branched off the main tunnel every few dozen steps, some narrowing to jagged crevices, others yawning into black unknowns. But the group stuck to the main path, following the sloping descent deeper into the dungeon.

As they walked, Leah’s voice echoed quietly through the tunnel. "I keep thinking about that trap. It wasn’t random. Either it was automatic… or those goblins knew exactly where we were."

Gabriel’s ears twitched. "And when we fell, they were already on us. Like they expected it."

Ibbi gave a quiet grunt and nodded, keeping her axe close as she glanced down the side tunnels warily.

Eventually, the path curved sharply and opened into a larger corridor veering left. As they turned and stepped inside, a pale artificial light spilled faintly from further down the tunnel.

Leah’s expression hardened. "I sense goblins."

She reached for her sword and drew it out. The three of them advanced silently until the tunnel widened into a vast open space. Rows of goblins stood in tight formation, lit from above by massive lightstones embedded in the ceiling. Just behind the goblins, a raised podium loomed, and atop it, a tall, wiry hobgoblin clad in a long black cloak stood silently, holding a pair of short swords that gleamed under the light.

Ibbi’s breath grew heavier, more labored, but Leah’s attention locked onto the hobgoblin as he suddenly leapt from the podium. He landed with ease in front of his goblin troops, and then raised his swords directly at Leah.

She narrowed her eyes and stepped forward, but the hobgoblin blurred. A streak of black moved forward, and steel flashed.

Leah leaned back, narrowly avoiding a slashing strike.

Gabriel lunged forward, swiping at the hobgoblin. His claws sliced the air, but the hobgoblin dodged fluidly, bending his limbs unnaturally as he slipped through Gabriel’s strikes. Then, faster than Gabriel could react, the hobgoblin twisted and slashed across his forehead, leaving a flowing gash. Gabriel stepped back with a hiss.

The hobgoblin leapt back and pointed a sword at them again. The other goblins snarled and charged forward.

Leah and Ibbi sprinted forward as well. Leah launched herself upwards, wings flaring, while thick tendrils unfurled beneath her and tore through the advancing goblins. Ibbi bellowed as she smashed through the ranks, her axe cleaving two at a time. Gabriel ducked and twisted, moving like wind between bodies, cutting deep with clawed hands.

Above them, Leah’s gaze darted around, tracking movement. She spotted him. The hobgoblin had returned to the podium.

Leah beat her wings and darted towards him. She landed hard and immediately swung her sword. The hobgoblin raised both blades to meet hers. Sparks flew.

They traded blows at blinding speed, their swords turning into black and silver blurs. After their exchange, Leah took a step back and shot forward a tendril from her palm, but the hobgoblin stepped aside and lunged at her. She deflected with her blade, then retaliated with a flurry of more tendrils. He backflipped from the podium and dropped down, landing in a crouch before sprinting away to the side.

Leah pursued. Her tendrils lashed out again and again, but the hobgoblin weaved between them. He hit the wall and ran halfway up, then launched himself off it, cracking the stone. His sword glinted as he shot straight towards Leah.

She activated her blood armour just in time. His blade clanged against hardened crimson. As he began to fall, Leah’s tendril shot into his arm.

She started to pump blood into him, but the hobgoblin growled and slashed his own arm off at the elbow. Blood splattered as he dropped, now one-handed, yet still defiant.

He leapt back, panting, and stared up at her. Leah hovered higher, then raised her palm.

Like a gatling gun, blood pellets fired from her hand, chasing the hobgoblin as he dashed and darted through the room. Stone cracked beneath the blasts. Several goblins unlucky enough to be caught in the spray were torn apart.

Leah growled in frustration. She stopped, and moved towards the centre of the room, where she now hovered.

Then her blood armour swelled and began to bulge out. In a blink, it exploded.

Blood rained in hundreds of pellets across the entire chamber. Dust erupted from the impact points. Every remaining goblin fell, shredded and lifeless. Ibbi and Gabriel had protected themselves by lifting goblins to shield themselves.

Leah descended silently. Before her, the hobgoblin knelt. His body was full of holes, and blood poured freely from them. But still he began to stand back up. He clenched his teeth and placed a hand over his heart.

White markings began to glow across his skin, the same markings Leah had seen back in the city. They spread like roots from his feet into the ground, glowing brighter. Leah’s eyes widened.

Her tattoos turned white as she activated blood empowerment, and surged forward. In one fluid, final motion, she swung her sword, and severed the hobgoblin’s head.

The glowing runes vanished instantly. The hobgoblin’s body slumped to the floor.

Leah exhaled, lowered her sword, and turned From the podium, a black chest rose into view.

She flew to the podium, landed, and opened the chest. Inside was a vial, glowing white.

'Ice Elemental Resistance Elixir', the window that popped up read.

She stashed it into her cloak and stood straight as Gabriel and Ibbi approached.

Gabriel pointed behind her. "I think that’s the way forward."

Leah turned to see a massive doorway now open. Beyond it, a corridor stretched into darkness. She fluttered down from the podium and walked towards the doorway.

But just before she crossed it, she stopped. A terrible sensation pressed on her chest, something deep and ominous.

Ibbi came up behind her, but she began to stumble. Her great axe thudded down to catch her. Her breathing became even heavier.

Gabriel stepped beside them and muttered, "Even I can feel this mana…"

Leah said nothing. She tightened her grip on her sword, and stepped forward into the unknown.