Stormgrove Forest, Western Providence. The two hour walk went by in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Talon debated running, Barb looked forward to more fighting, Wilhelm stayed cautious, Stevie worried about what would happen to his family, and Aden plotted on how to kill the Baron.
The bushy treetops covered the shining sun, giving the forest floor a dark ambience.
"Are you guys sure we can't just bounce?" Talon shrugged, stepping on a branch.
Stevie's ears went red, "No! What will happen to my grandpa? Or my brother?"
Aden kept trudging, "The kid's right. We can't just leave that old guy."
"What about the bar?!" Barb exclaimed.
Wilhelm chuckled, "Yeah the b-"
He was interrupted by a loud rustling from the brush. He conjured up a magic missile, Talon pulled down his cloth hat revealing a mask, Barb cracked her knuckles, Aden unsheathed his sword, and Stevie opened up his grandpa's spellbook.
In an instant, three goblins emerged from the brush while four more dropped down from the trees. Barb caught one midair, crushing its skull on a tree. Wilhelm's magic missile pierced through one of the ground troop's chest. Now the party stood at odds against one goblin each.
The lead goblin charged against Aden, their blades clashed but he was no match for the man. Aden sliced through the goblin's dagger and straight through his neck, decapitating the little green man. Talon dove into the brush, snatching one out from the group, and quietly slitting his throat.
"FUCK! GET 'EM BOYS!" The oldest goblin shouted while charging towards Wilhelm, moments before being shredded by another magic missile.
"DAD!" A younger looking goblin shouted, watching in horror as the old goblin was killed. His cries were short lived as Barb crushed him under a log, killing him.
The final goblin began to cry, "You bastads…this was my family." And he charged towards Stevie, dagger in hand.
"Uh, uh." Stevie jumpily flipped through the book, "Fireball!" Nothing happened. The goblin charged closer, about to pierce the boy's heart.
At the last second, Aden punched the goblin down into the earth. He rolled over, one the verge of falling unconscious. Without losing rhythm, he pulled the little green man up by the collar of his tattered shirt.
"Where's Mort?" He gritted, tightening his grip.
"The big boss? I ain't tellin' you nothin'!" He spit in Aden's face.
Aden immediately slammed him into the ground, "Where is he?!" Spitting in between words.
He slammed him again, and again, and again until he replied, "Fine. He's in the hut."
"Take us there." Aden pushed his chest down harder.
"Fine, fine! Please stop!" The goblin cried out in pain.
After a short hike through the forest with the little goblin who revealed his name to be Gecko, brought them to the goblin hut. It was a large, leaf woven structure deep in the Stormgrove Forest.
"Alright, this is it. Can I go now?" Gecko sighed, gesturing towards the hut.
Aden emotionlessly pushed past him towards the hut door. The others followed shortly behind. As Wilhelm reached Gecko, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a gold piece, after handing it to the goblin he whispered an apology and continued on.
Once inside, they were greeted by a dinner party. A long wooden table decorated in all meats from roast pig to beef jerky, sides from whole watermelon to boiled potatoes, and barrels upon barrels of ale. Upon their record-scratch entrance, the four goblin "guests" jerked their heads towards the party.
"Now what's this then?!" The host, a bugbear questioned.
"Are you Mort?" Aden demanded, gripping his sword.
"I am, and what's it to ya'? Mort boasted, trying to reclaim control of the situation.
"You have something we need." Talon interjected.
Wilhelm stepped up, "The Baron wants his treasure back. Please hand it over and nobody has to get hurt."
Barb smiled and cracked her knuckles, secretly hoping for a fight. Stevie stepped back, preparing for the worst.
"Heh. Get 'em boys." Mort snapped his fingers. At the sound the four goblins rushed towards the party.
Wilhelm sighed, wishing the violence could end. Aden immediately slashed through the first one, Barb grabbed two and smashed their heads together, and Talon threw a knife into the final one's neck; killing them faster than the fight began.
"If that's the best my captains could do, they didn't deserve to be captains!" Mort shrieked in disbelief. "Fine then, you'll have to pry this loot from my cold, dead hands!"
He flipped the table, launching food and drinks all over the dirt floor. Mort roared while unsheathing his ridged, rusty blade. His size was even more prominent now that he stood, large enough to have towered over the Baron. Stevie took cover behind a stack of Barrels, crawling on the dirty floor to avoid being seen.
Wilhelm released another magic missile, this time being blocked by Mort's hairy arm. In an instant, Mort threw his blade towards the party. They all barely ducked out of the way, but as they looked up, Mort had reached them. He was fast, faster than any normal goblin. Clawing directly into Barb's chest, immediately taking her down. He then uppercutted Wilhelm, knocking him unconscious. Talon pulled down his mask, trying to find a hiding place, to no success as Mort picked up his blade and slashed into his back, dropping him. Finally, he turned towards Aden who unsheathed his sword.
"Bring it on!" Aden grunted, gripping his blade tighter. Sparks flew as their steel clashed.
While those two dueled, Stevie stumbled upon a cage. It's interior was dark, but he could hear shallow breathing from inside.
"Hello? Is anyone in there?" He whispered.
Two green hands gripped the bars, "Oi kid, let me out and I can help." A hoarse voice came.
Stevie looked back to see Aden get kicked in the chest, knocking him prone. "Fine!" Stevie agreed, busting the lock open with a nearby piece of metal.
Out came a middle-aged goblin, "Oi Thanks! The name's Le'Hennessy, Le'Hennessy Goblin!" He boasted while forcefully shaking Stevie's hand. "Let me repay you boy."
He grabbed a lute from out of his cage, strumming a note with that same movement. At that moment the party seemed revitalized. They rose from their wounds and faced off against Mort one last time. With his focus on how he defeated them, he was completely oblivious to the four way attack coming towards him.
Aden's sword pierced his chest, Barb smashed a chair across his face, Wilhelm sent multiple magic missiles through various points on his body, and Talon slashed his achilles. He was dead in an instant.
They stared at one another, briefly breaking the gaze to peek at the dead leader.
"Well, let's find this treasure then 'eh?" Talon chuckled, rummaging through the piles of goods.
Aden and Wilhelm approached Stevie and the now drinking Le'Hennessy while the other two scavenged.
"Thanks." Aden said, reaching out a hand.
"Oi, no problem friend. The name's Le'Hennessy, Le'Hennessy Goblin." The goblin burped between swigs, meeting his exchange.
After an hour of searching and getting acquainted with their new friend, they found the Baron's treasure. A painting of him and a beautiful brunette woman, who they could only assume to be his wife.
"Wow, that's kinda sad." Talon groaned, "I almost feel bad for the guy."
"Not me!" Barbara laughed, "Where I come from, she isn't half the woman I am!"
Wilhelm's jaw dropped, "Barb…she's dead."
"Oh, still!" Barb boasted.
Le'Hennessy looked shocked, but Stevie motioned that this is normal for her, "You know guys, he was always pretty bad. But she kept him sane, ya know? But after she died in that goblin raid last month, the Baron changed. Almost like all the good in him went away."
Aden and Wilhelm exchanged empathetic looks.
After another two hour walk the group and Le'Hennessy had reached the Baron's manor. It was dusk by now and they were exhausted from a long day. They walked in as Le'Hennessy hid in a sack carried by Barb, cautious to avoid suspicion.
"Here. Are we even now?" Aden asked while handing over the painting.
"Yes. In fact, here's your reward." He replied as ten guards stormed the room, locking the door behind them.
They looked around the stone-walled greatroom, twelve guards now and the Baron. Le'Hennessy jumped out of the bag and they prepared to fight for survival.