EPISODE 81: MARKED

Vash parried another strike from Bolg, moving off center and trying to stab the goblin with his dagger. Bolg was too quick. The goblin skittered away, twisting so Vash only cut through empty air. Cool, healing pulses radiated from Vash's medallion. He could feel the swelling in his nose going down. The break would need more extensive healing, but at least the pain no longer distracted him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Vash saw the hostages scramble up to the ledge above. Corwin followed them, accompanied by the other human in the group carrying the wounded dwarf.

Good, at least he's getting them out of here. Vash thought.

Leaving you to face the boss goblin alone? Cass interjected. I don't see why you keep rejecting help when it's offered.

Now's not a great time, Cass. Vash thought. Bolg reoriented, charging in with a high overhand strike. Vash whipped his short sword up to deflect, knocking the blade to the side. Continuing with the motion, Vash brought his sword down and across Bolg's stomach while simultaneously lunging to the goblin's right. The blade slashed in a disemboweling arc, but Bolg's leather armor held. Thick leather patches made up a misshapen belt around the goblin's belly. Vash's sword merely left a deep cut in the leather; if it touched the flesh below, it was only a scratch.

Tough little bugger, this one. Cass observed.

Fast and surprisingly well-supplied. Vash responded. He spun away, narrowly escaping a backhand slash from Bolg. Those leathers are Therium treated, I'll bet.

Expensive stuff for a goblin. Cass mused.

We can discuss it when he's dead. Vash thought, his Danger Sense flared just in time for him to sidestep an attack from Bolg. The chopper sent up sparks when it hit the stone where Vash had just stood. Bolg looked tired, sweating, breathing hard, and dragging his chopper back rather than raising it. Vash angled himself, readying a Sneak Attack. Mana pulsed within Bolg, and the goblin suddenly straightened, fatigue vanishing.

He must have deep mana reserves. Vash thought. He had worked hard cultivating a deeper mana pool the last few weeks, even learning new techniques from Galia and Sera about how to tap into ambient mana and local sources to augment his Core, but Bolg was burning mana at a prodigious rate.

Monsters often have large mana Cores, but they're sloppy with usage. Cass said. Using powerful attacks too frequently, overusing maneuvers or obfuscations. Relying too much on their magical abilities and not enough on their own skills.

"Bolg gonna take your ears, elf!" The goblin said in a low, raspy voice. Vash could hear its fatigue beneath the bolstering facade of Talents. He knew that eventually Bolg's mana would give out, and all that exertion would catch up. The question was, could Vash stay ahead of the goblin long enough to take advantage?

Howling in bloodlust, Bolg thrust his chopper forward again, hoping to rake the serrated edge across an unprotected part of Vash's body. Vash pivoted, knocking the chopper to one side, wedging his short sword into one of the blade's teeth and forcing it down and to one side. Then, stepping in and pressing the advantage, Vash slashed down with his dagger at the point where Bolg's thick neck met his shoulder.

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Bolg jerked back, no doubt warned by Danger Sense, but Vash gave him a deep cut on his neck muscle. Blood flowed, and Bolg hissed in pain and frustration. The goblin yanked his chopper back, trying to disarm Vash while freeing his own weapon.

The sudden movement knocked Vash off balance, but he held onto his sword. Bolg swung his chopper in a surprisingly small arc, aiming for Vash's back. Anticipating the counterattack, Vash advanced, moving inside Bolg's reach and smashing his fist into the goblin's face.

Vash shifted his Enhance Ability from Agility to Brawn; the muscles of his back, legs, and arms all thrummed with power. The punch landed with a satisfying crunch on the bridge of Bolg's flat nose. Staggering back, Bolg dropped his chopper and his hands flew to his face.

Hooking a toe beneath the chopper, Vash kicked it into the water where it sank with a loud splash. Vash turned to Bolg, weapons held at the ready. Emerald blood ran down Bolg's face. He gaped at the sight of his chopper disappearing beneath the water's surface.

Vash shifted his feet, sinking his weight into the ah'maru dal stance, one meant for killing blows. "Now, what was that about my ears?"

Bolg scowled. For a moment, Vash thought he was about to charge, even without a weapon. But the goblin instead turned away from Vash. With a burst of mana, he leaped across the water to a ledge on the far side of the cave. Bolg spared Vash one last look of hatred, then fled into a tunnel.

Vash's body sagged in relief. The adrenaline and mana that saturated his body suddenly evaporated, leaving Vash feeling tired and weak. His hand trembled slightly as he sheathed his sword, keeping his dagger at the ready just in case.

A commotion on the ledge above drew Vash's attention. The hostages cowered about twenty feet behind Corwin. The big man waded through a knot of goblins clustered at the entrance of their escape tunnel. Corwin's powerful blows sheared through the brittle iron of goblin weapons, merely slowing down the imposing warrior and not stopping him. A bigger goblin, similar in size to Bolg, charged Corwin. The goblin carried a crude axe and slashed just as Corwin was pulling his sword out of a smaller opponent.

Vash started to shout a warning, but Corwin was faster. Turning his body so the axe glanced off his breastplate, Corwin grabbed the axe handle and pulled the goblin along with it. The sword in Corwin's other hand swept up the goblin's outstretched arms and bit deeply into his neck. Gurgling while choking on his own blood, the goblin dropped his axe and toppled off the ledge. Corwin looked down, spotting Vash alone on the dais.

"Are you done playing around?" Corwin asked, tone only half-serious.

"Next time you can sneak past the guards and sabotage the goblin dam," Vash shot back. "Is the way clear?"

"No clue, but the water is already going down, so I'd say we should chance it." Corwin said.

Corwin was right, Vash noted. The raging water from earlier had slowed to a steady flow, evening out and calming. He could already see goblins gathering on the far side of the cavern, getting ready to either swim or wade across.

"I have to agree." Vash said, climbing up to the ledge while Corwin led the hostages into the escape tunnel. Vash came up behind the middle-aged human carrying the dwarf over his shoulder. He nodded at the man's unconscious burden. "Can you handle that on your own?"

The older man gave Vash a crooked smile. "I'll manage."

"On you go, then." Vash said. "I'll watch our backs."

The group moved as fast as they could into the tunnel. Vash watched behind them. No goblins came boiling out of the other tunnels or raging across the water. Red-tinged eyes reflected the glowmoss light of the cave, though, dozens of pairs all locked on him.

That's creepy. Vash thought.

We're going to want to get the caravan out of this area as soon as possible. Cass said. Goblins take their vengeance seriously, and they'll be more careful next time.

"Great." Vash muttered as the tunnel swallowed him completely. The last thing he saw in that cavern was those glowing, unblinking eyes, watching him. Marking him.

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