The baniv attack had been a diversion, but the party quickly recovered, moving deeper into the forest as they searched for their goblin targets. Syra was an incredible tracker, and Rayne marveled at how she moved, barely even breaking pace to point out some new track that he would have completely missed.

  Bark scraped off the side of a tree, at approximately goblin shoulder height. A slight groove in the dirt created by a spear dragging against the ground. The corpse of an adult man, killed by a stone spear through the chest…

  Alright, that last one, he would have totally noticed, and Rayne gripped his weapon slightly tighter as they left the corpse behind. Leon had wanted to bury it, but Syra had argued him down, stating that they were too close. Any sound they made here could easily alert the goblins to their presence, and an ambush could easily leave four corpses to decorate the forest floor, rather than just one.

  The knowledge that they were close now caused the tension to skyrocket, and the group moved in complete silence as they sought out their prey.

  The goblins had made their encampment in a cave that acted as the mouth of a tributary river at the base of a large hill. It was neither large nor imposing, but it certainly looked like a mouth, the stalactites resembling teeth as the slow-moving water of the river flowed out beneath them.

  Two goblins stood guard, both bigger than any other Rayne had seen. They carried spears, with patchwork armor covering their chests and upper arms. The legs were bare, covered only by a kilt fashioned from hides, but given the range of a spear, he could not imagine this being too much of an issue for the goblinoids.

  “How many are in there do you reckon?” he asked, looking to Syra who was staring intently at the cave mouth.

  Biting her lip, Syra contemplated the answer. “The commission said between four and six. But based on the number of tracks, and the fact that there are two sentries, I would place their actual numbers at seven or higher. And we know one of them’s a mage. We’ll need to prepare thoroughly if we want any chance at making it out of here unharmed.”

  Rayne nodded, the gears in his brain starting to turn. “So seven at a minimum, and at least one mage. Anything else we should know?”

  “Those two standing guard are close to evolving into hobgoblins,” Leon interjected from the side. “Once a goblin reaches five feet in height, it needs only a little more mana to evolve.”

  “And what does it mean when a goblin evolves?” Rayne asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  Leon looked towards them, his expression inscrutable. “It means they become much more powerful. A hobgoblin is a silver-class monster, low silver perhaps but still more than capable of taking on multiple mid-bronze tier adventurers alone.”

  Rayne swore. This commission just got better and better. For a moment, he considered leaving, and his face must have told the others as much, for Leon stiffened.

  “No matter what, we must dispose of these monsters today. Two near-hobgoblins with the support of a shaman could threaten an entire village if left unchecked. It is our duty to ensure that they do not grow any stronger.”

  “He’s right,” Syra said heavily. “We can’t let hobgoblins roam near the city. They have to be killed here and now.”

  Taking a breath to steady himself, Rayne nodded at his teammates’ expectations. Like it or not, this was what it meant to be an adventurer: to put one’s life on the line in the defense of those less capable, even if the benefits did not align with the risks.

  “Leon,” he said suddenly, “since you’ve studied goblins. What level of magic are their shamans capable of?”

  Leon looked surprised to have been addressed, but he quickly adapted, blinking slowly as he recalled the information. “Goblin shamans use rituals to grant themselves power over the various elements. These rituals carve tattoo-like scars over their bodies, and they use these scars to channel mana. The more numerous the tattoos, the more powerful the shaman. From the battle we came across earlier, I would say this one is no better than a Bronze-tier mage. As for their element—”

  “It’s likely earth,” Rayne said immediately, cutting Leon off before he could explain any further. The boy’s surprising knowledge on goblins was interesting, but they did not need a history. “Given that man’s corpse we saw earlier had a shard of rock embedded in its chest, he was probably killed by the shaman. So assume it can use earth at a minimum, and possibly water or wind in a pinch.”

  Going silent, Rayne examined the cave entrance. The river that flowed through it was not wide, but it did reduce the amount of usable ground from fifteen feet to six, with a mere three feet of space available on either side of the flow. This created a natural chokepoint, which he normally would have suggested using to equalize their disadvantage in numbers; however, the existence of the shaman stopped him.

  Without shields, they would only be sitting ducks waiting by the cave entrance for any goblins to emerge. Though they would have the advantage in melee combat, particularly with Syra and Leon on their side, the shaman could simply sit back and cast spells at them to cover for its underlings as they made their way outside.

  No, Rayne decided. The chokepoint was out of the question, at least until he figured out the capabilities of magical opponents. In the meantime, he would need to come up with a different plan to defeat the shaman.

  Think, Rayne, think.

  The river was not loud, but it bubbled endlessly, distracting his thoughts. Rayne glared at it. If only it didn’t exist, it would be so much easier to think—

  Suddenly, his eyes brightened, and he clapped a fist into his palm. “I’ve got it!” he announced.

  Two pairs of eyes turned to look at him, and he immediately outlined the first step of his plan.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “Is there any way for us to take out those two pseudo-hobgoblins at the front quietly?” Rayne asked.

  Syra and Leon looked at each other.

  “As a noble, I am more suited for an honorable confrontation,” Leon said stiffly. “The armor I wear is tailored not for stealth, but instead for—”

  “So you can’t then. Syra?” Rayne asked, ignoring Leon’s offended look.

  Nibbling on her lip, an act that Rayne was starting to recognize as nervousness from the cool Katiine, Syra nodded. “I can take out one of them. But that’s it. The other will see me before I can get both of them.”

  Fingering his bow, Rayne glanced at the hobgoblins. “If you can take out one, I’ll do my best to get the other. I can’t promise it’ll work, I’m not a good enough shot for that, but I’ll try and take it out in a single shot. Assuming we take out both sentries without the alarm being raised, we’ll execute the next part of the plan from the mouth of the cave.”

  “And if we are seen?” Leon asked.

  “Then we flee if we can, and fight if we can’t,” Rayne responded. “Ideally, we pull this off without issue. But if we’re forced to flee and get separated, then meet back at the city gate. If any of us don’t arrive by five bells, assume the worst and request a rescue mission. The fee can be paid for from that person’s part of the mission profits.”

  Both his companions nodded, and Syra rose slightly.

  “Well,” she began. “No point in waiting around. I’ll give a little wave before I attack. That will be my signal. Once I give it, you shoot, and I’ll kill the other before it can react.”

  “Got it,” Rayne responded. “Good luck.”

  “Shoot true.” With that parting word, Syra disappeared into the undergrowth, the only trace of her passage a slight rustle in the leaves as she left the two of them behind.

  With a look at Leon, Rayne glanced back at the hobgoblin. “The moment you see Syra launch her attack, I’m going to shoot,” he informed him. “As I do, I want you to charge. If my arrow misses, you’ll have a chance to take it out before it can shout for help. Can you do that?”

  Clapping one fist to his chest in a salute, Leon bobbed his chin. “I can. I am unable to guarantee that it will be noiseless, but I am certain I can take it down.”

  “That’s fine. If you could make it noiseless, I’d be treating your attack as plan A,” Rayne informed him, earning himself a slow blink of acknowledgement.

  With the plan as formed as it was going to get, Rayne drew an arrow from his quiver and placed it on the string. Testing it to ensure that everything was in order, he drew the string back, sighting on the leftmost goblin. Only once he was sure of his mark did he relax the string, waiting for the signal from Syra. He did not have long to wait.

  Only six minutes after her departure, Rayne saw a slight glint where the forest met the cave, sunlight reflecting off of something metallic.

  Syra. Pulling back the string on his bow, Rayne felt his fingers brush against his cheek, the arrow filling his vision as he sighted down its shaft towards his unwitting target. Once sure that he had the shot, he allowed the string to relax, waiting for Syra to get into position before drawing anew. At the forest edge, he could see her climbing, moving slowly as she ascended the hillside to get a vantage point above her foe.

  Was she planning to drop down on the goblin from above? It would certainly solve the issue of closing the distance with her target without being noticed, and so Rayne put the matter aside, choosing instead to focus on his own role. The moment Syra made her move, he had to be ready.

  It took Syra nearly three minutes to get into position, clambering stealthily over the hillside until she finally arrived in position over the mouth of the cave. For a moment, she looked his way, giving him what appeared to be a tiny wave. That was the signal, and Rayne was tempted to give her a nod in reply, but he was too focused. Having drawn the arrow back a few seconds ago, the shot was once more lined up, and he dared not disturb it now.

  Waiting one more second to ensure his aim was true, Rayne let his fingers relax, the arrow bursting from the string like a viper as it screamed over the river to its target.

  It was a perfect shot, and the arrow buried itself up to the feathers inside the goblin’s skull. Without a sound, the sentry dropped, causing its companion to look across the river in alarm. Before it could move though, Syra attacked, launching herself from above like a bird of prey as she descended upon the hapless goblin, her twin blades finding homes between its shoulder blades as she drove it into the ground.

  Not convinced that it was dead, Syra plunged her blades into its back in a vicious series of stabs. There was no movement from the cave yet, but it paid to be careful, and now that the trap had been sprung, all three of them acted in earnest.

  Leon was already off, pelting towards the cave entrance in the wake of Rayne’s arrow, and Rayne was hot on his heels, his bow in one hand and sword in another. It took them only a few seconds to cross the fifty or so feet between them and the entrance, and they both skidded to a stop right in front of Syra, who held a finger to her lips to indicate silence. Thankfully, the noise of the river had covered their footsteps, but Rayne crouched down beside her, staying well clear of the cave mouth as he did.

  “Any indication that the ones inside have noticed us?” Rayne whispered.

  Syra shook her head. “Not yet. I can just barely hear them. They seem to be further back into the cave. Maybe a hundred feet? I can’t tell how many there are, but it seems to be about as many as expected.”

  Leon held his sword tightly. “Good. What is the next step of this plan?”

  With a small grin, Rayne pointed to the cave. “Part one is to have you stand there and make a lot of noise. Once all their attention is on you, Syra and I will take out the shaman.”

  Syra blinked. “And how are we supposed to do that?”

  Rather than respond, Rayne pointed to the river.

  Immediately, Syra seemed to understand, for she blanched, and her tail bristled. “Oh no. No way. You are not making me go in that.”

  “It’s either that or we take on eight goblins and a shaman in a head-on fight,” Rayne said patiently. “The river is deep enough for us to swim on the bottom and slip by unnoticed. The moment Leon starts making noise, they should form ranks in front of the shaman. That will be our best chance to take it out. Unless you’re telling me you can’t swim?”

  “I can…” Ears pinned against her skull, Syra looked like she wanted to argue, but Leon stepped in.

  “There is no time to waste. We’ve executed our ambush well. Now we must strike before we are noticed.”

  Reluctantly, Syra nodded. Immediately, Rayne began stripping off pieces of armor, removing anything that would weigh him down. It was risky, but going against a mage of unknown ability was even moreso. If there was one thing he had learned as an adventurer, it was that in order to succeed, risks had to be taken, and this was one such risk. Beside him, Syra did the same, reluctantly removing the heavier pieces of equipment as she prepared to go for a dip in the river.

  The moment they were both ready, Rayne gave Leon a look. “Hey, no pressure, but this plan hinges on you providing a good enough distraction. If you do it too early, you’ll have the entire group on you. Are you confident you can do this?”

  With a nod, Leon clasped a hand to his chest in salute. “A noble’s duty is to lead from the front. If I could not, I would be a failure as both a noble and an adventurer.”

  Rayne’s face twisted slightly, but he returned the nod. “Great. In that case, get ready. One minute from now, raise some mayhem.”

  With that, he turned and slipped into the water, barely leaving a ripple as he dove in. Making a face, Syra followed, and the two descended to the bottom of the river and out of sight.