Thread: Through the Archway (TheDuchess and Josu_T

Leovin sprinted through the trees. The hiss of an arrow followed by the loud thunk as it stuck in the wood to his left caused him to dive to the right. He rolled to his feet and didn't slow for even an instant. He had to keep moving. A glance back told him all he needed to know. The goblins were not giving up. But he should have expected that. There was no way a tribe of goblins would simply let the half-elf that killed their chief in broad daylight. In retrospect that had been a bad choice. But he needed the money from the quest. The guards had started to focus more on the market and that meant stealing food would be a lot tougher. His supply of food would only last a day or two and that was how long it would take to return to the city to collect his money. ------------- He had entered the tavern late at night and found the message left for him. It was clearly time for his stealing in the city to end. He needed to move on to another area. He needed supplies for his journey and he couldn't just take them. He would need to buy them. The note described a quest. It was dangerous, but he knew he could do it. He left the city that night and travelled quickly on foot. For most it would have been a tough journey to do at night, but Leovin felt comfortable in the dark. His stealth and speed were great advantages. He was able to make it to the goblin tribe's camp before dawn. He slept high in a tree for a few hours to get some rest for his task. When he woke he watched the tribe of goblins from the tree. Finally he saw his chance. The chief of the tribe was heading out on a raid. Leo dropped down from his perch and started to follow them. In the middle of the forest the goblins became undisciplined. They started to spread out. The chief was left with few guards nearby. Leovin was able to get past the scouts and in close. When the chief entered a clearing Leo took the opportunity. His hand came up and with a swift movement it came came down again. There was a flash of light and then a soft, dull thud as the knife struck home in the goblin's back. The half-elf was already on the move as the body fell lifeless to the ground. Two more flashes found the two nearest guards in the dirt. Leo picked up his knives as he ran past. He reached the body of the chief and took his knife. Then he grabbed the necklace from his neck and started to run. He had the trophy needed for proof of the deed. ------------- Another arrow flying past his head snapped him out of his thoughts and he added another burst of speed. He twisted and turned through the forest, trying to lose his enemies. When he glanced back again he tripped. His body flung forward, flipping over. He landed hard on his back and groaned. As he got up again the ground he placed his hand against seemed to give way. He stumbled to his feet and started to run again. Every muscle in his 5'10 frame worked hard to propell him onward. Sweat made his tanned skin glisten in the sunlight that made its way through the tree canopy. His golden brown eyes moved constantly, trying to find somewhere to go. After a few more turns he spotted a thick hedge and a stone archway. Through it appeared to be some kind of garden. It looked a lot more peacefull. He just hoped it meant there would be a house or a village nearby where he could hide. He used every last ounce of energy making it through the stone arch as fast as possible. Once he was through he looked around quickly. He couldn't see any buildings right away and he knew he couldn't run any more. The arch would hopefully cause a bottleneck for the goblins, allowing him to kill them easier. He decided it was time to turn and fight. He spun around and was met with surprise. The way back looked different than he remembered. Through the arch he only saw more garden, not a forest. He shook off the confusion and drew his short sword. He got into a fighting position, ready for the goblins. He waited for a minute and none came through. His keen ears couldn't even hear them moving through the forest. Goblins were not known for being stealthy, especially when chasing an enemy. He should have been able to hear them a long way off. He lowered his sword and carefully moved through the archway again. It wasn't the forest. He was somewhere else. Somewhere strange. Something had happened to him and he had no idea what it was. He got very nervous very quickly. Suddenly he heard some movements. Whoever it was, he felt they must have had something to do with what happened to him. They had to be very powerful. He knew he wouldn't be a match for them. He moved quickly to hide behind some bushes. He peeked out carefully, wanting to get a good look at whoever it was, but he made sure he stayed hidden from their view.