Codename: Freedom: Survive Week One Page 8

(Selecting this allows for your words to travel over long distances to those in your group. Anyone that is in close proximity can overhear the person sending the message. Only verbal messages can be sent currently.)

  Quickly I checked to see how many people were viewing us live. I was left dumbfounded. Over twelve million people were joint-watching the battle right now in the middle of the night.

  The best part was that my personal followers had shot up to over 500k.

  I was breathing heavily, unable to remove my eyes from the indicator. My body swelled as the adrenaline still flowed through my veins. My soreness was gone temporarily, but just sitting down for a few minutes would remind my muscles how overworked they were. No amount of pain or soreness could dampen my mood. I was almost there.

  I inventoried my shield and sheathed my sword.

  Heading back to our place in line, I retrieved my spear and we looted the goblins we knew were our kills. My inventory was close to three-quarters full. These goblins were dropping better loot and higher end equipment if you consider low quality better than junk.

  The sum of my take in equipment was: 6 knives, bronze and iron of different qualities; 2 hatchets, both bronze; 2 short swords, one bronze and one iron of low quality; and an iron spiked club. I had gathered about 75 copper and a number of armor pieces that needed looking through.

  Scanning through my new items quickly, I immediately put on a fairly new looking leather vest, with metal studs upping its defense. There were a few odd armor pieces that I left since they were garbage and got rid of the goblin loin cloths.

  “I’m going to miss these pajamas,” Kline said.

  A smooth leather vest with rounded shoulder pads slipped over his head and cotton shirt. He was also lucky enough to find some leather shin guards.

  Testing the group chat, after I turned it on through the User Interface, it was a matter of talking and wanting what you said to be broadcast via group chat. I didn’t know if it was the game or a personal AI that was observing our mind patterns to determine what we desired. It was really just a voice channel that was absolutely worthless this close to each other. I showed Kline anyways. Those close to us would hear us whether we used group chat or not.

  “What kind of a face does a mixed martial artist make when dressed in leather armor?” I asked.

  He positioned his camera, remembering to take a picture for his fans. Turning to me before posing, he pursed his lips and sharpened his eyes in a squint.

  “Are you constipated?”

  With a jerk to the camera, he pulled his thumbs to his shoulders and flexed, with nostrils flaring and blood vessels on both his temples bulging.

  His biceps were massive and his forearms were as big as my calves.

  “I’m glad you’re on my side,” I said.

  Turning away from me, he replied under his breath, “For now.”

  It suddenly felt like he had thrown me under a stampeding mob of goblins. Had I said something?

  Looking back at me, all emotion had fled from his face. When his eyes met mine, his mouth flew open into a deep full-bodied snicker.

  “As long as you don’t steal my food we’ll be good.”

  Relieved, I replied, “How can I not steal your food after a comment like that?”

  “Oh, okay. I’m actually good at sharing. So how does a gamer pose with leather armor?”

  Returning his wink from before, I positioned my own camera around my waist looking up at me.

  Standing back for a mid-shot, I kept my chin up but looked down and off into the distance.

  “By using the right angles.”

  Showing him the picture, he nodded his head while examining it. “Angles, huh?”

  A familiar female interrupted. “Hello.”

  We both turned. The girl that had spoken up before the goblins first attacked was watching us with a raised brow.

  ***

  The young woman was nearly as tall as Kline. Her weapon was a leaf-tipped iron spear. For armor, she wore a soft leather shirt, with a tie up front, and a thick leather skirt.

  “Would you like to join us?” she said. Sweat dampened, obsidian strands were finger-swept across her forehead. Her green eyes met mine. There were silver streaks around her pupils.

  Not another gamer chick. Why do they always have to be so… attractive? Don’t even consider it, Lucius. She’ll flirt with you, fry you, then eat you alive while stealing your followers.

  Behind her was the man that had suggested to the crowd to stick to groups. Another guy, with dark caramel skin, followed behind, towering over them. He had six inches on me and the muscle definition of a body builder. Kline only competed with him in thickness.

  “Gentlemen,” the shorter man said. He had short, combed back brown hair, and tight, focused eyes. I guessed he was their leader. His weapon was an iron longsword, the first longsword I had seen and a wooden shield. “We want to propose a strategy similar to the one you just executed. To join up as Victoria said.”

  The big guy who wielded a giant club pointed toward the woods.

  Kline and I looked to see that there were just as many torches now as there had been before the first goblin wave.

  “What’s the plan?” Kline asked.

  I studied Victoria as she watched the conversation. She stood straight, one hand on her spear, which rested on the ground. I tried to get a feel for her motives, but my attention kept reverting to how feminine she looked despite her armor. She was tall and even elegant but didn’t lack curves. I dare say it was impossible to find fault with the way she looked. Drool was used wash water in comparison.

  Clenching my jaw, I rebuked myself for letting my mind wander. Destiny would have given me a quick verbal smack over the head. I’d hear it from her a year from now when I left Freedom.

  Victoria’s head nodded at the words of her friend. She doesn’t give me the bad feeling most gamer girls do. She… lacks an aggressive edge.

  “We want to position ourselves at one of the flanks,” their leader responded, pointing to the last group in the defensive line. “We will finish whatever enemies come at us as quickly as possible, then collapse on the remaining goblins, taking out enemies around the perimeter.”

  It was the same plan we had just used.

  As if hearing my unspoken critique, he added, “Oliver, myself and…”

  Kline gave his name in response.

  “Pleasure, Kline. I’m Peter,” he said, offering his hand.

  After they shook he turned to me.

  I took his hand. “Lucius.”

  “Alright. Oliver,” said the big guy. “Kline and I will be the front line. Shoulder to shoulder we will rush forward and kill anything that gets in the way. Lucius and Victoria, you take our flank. Since you are using spears, stay to either side on our heels and take out anything that might try to flank us.”

  Looking at Victoria, she seemed calm, nodding when she saw I was looking. Aggressive or not she had an air of severity to her.

  Returning her nod, I turned away. Had I misjudged that she was a gamer?

  Without even looking I was assaulted with the image of her. My palms became balmy and I felt a tingling sensation over my chest, back and arms. Raging hormones. Look, body, we finished with that puberty thing years ago. Mind your manners or I’ll find some icy water to throw you into?

  Remembering the pain from my calf earlier in the day, a chill went up my spine pushing back the urge. My mind needed to be elsewhere. What’s wrong with me?

  We agreed to join them and received group requests that dissolved our old group.

  The next wave of goblins came soon after. We had settled into our place in line and were on the far right flank where Kline and I had begun before.

  There was no real indicator when the attack began, except for the sudden stomping of hundreds of feet. The goblins didn’t even have a battle cry to speak of. The noises they made were nothing more than snorts.

  This group of goblins seemed to be more disciplined than
the first. They sent their number more widespread, or there might just have been more of them.

  I started out on the line with everyone else and gutted the first goblin that came my way. This time I only had time to finish one with my spear who had been too aggressive with its hatchet, impaling itself and making my life easier.

  Almost as soon as the goblins arrived they were finished.

  Each of the newcomers to the group handled themselves well. Oliver and Kline had finished three apiece. I suspected they were testing each other’s capabilities.

  Victoria’s thrust showed more coordination than mine, even if she did use two hands. She was swift and calm.

  Turning a goblin blade with the flat of his sword, Peter gutted one and de-legged another.

  Moments later we were formed up and running along the chaotic line of battle.

  Oliver was directly in front of me, closest to the line of fighting, taking much of the brunt of the encounters. It didn’t matter. With his huge two-handed club he was literally clearing the way.

  Peter was in the middle with his shield and sword, showing he had much more real life experience than I did with a blade. He was calculated and made no extra movements as we rushed forward.

  A competition developed between Kline and Oliver. They both possessed insane strength and endurance, finishing goblins with deadly efficiency. Oliver’s position was better, closer to the goblin’s line, so he was scoring the most kills.

  I was at the rear closest to the line of goblins, so I got the opportunity to finish off about five or six goblins as we rushed forward. I leveled just as many with my shield, leaving them on the ground so as not to slow our progress.

  The pace this time was slower than it was with Kline and me. We were a crawling forest fire among dry chaff. I relaxed and was able to keep up with my breathing.

  Victoria had a harder time getting kills. She protected the group on our flank facing the forest where there were currently no goblins. I tried to keep an eye on her, not comfortable having her behind me yet. That isn’t to say that I thought she would literally stab me in the back.

  As we reached the middle of the line where the goblins were concentrating their force, Victoria and I finally got to really participate. A group of about fifteen goblins broke off of the main group and quickly tried to swarm us.

  Though my strength wasn’t where I wanted it, I was starting to hit my targets with much more precision using my spear.

  A pesky goblin with a shield blocked my thrust, almost slicing into my thigh with his short sword. I had been so focused on killing quickly that I had forgotten my shield placement.

  I leaned back in time to save myself another injury.

  Embarrassed, I refocused. Driving my spear forward, I followed with my shield in quick succession. The volley of blows surprised the goblin. Caught off balance, I slipped my spear under his shield guard. His death was quick.

  When the goblins started to dwindle, a loud nasally roar came out of the forest.

  Meeting the roar was a chorus of fearful snorts from the remaining sea of goblins.

  Bashing one in the face, I turned and saw a huge blue-skinned monster slightly resembling a goblin. He surged from the forest. An uprooted tree was gripped in one hand and a mace in the other. We were the closest to his approach. He came right for us.

  Another group rushed in behind and helped relieve us from the goblins we faced.

  Victoria screamed, “Incoming!”

  There was no time. His stride was too long. He would be on us in seconds. She was about to face the monster alone.

  I leveled the same goblin again with my shield. This time I put my entire weight into it. My spear quickly found its chest as it lay on the ground and I turned rapidly not bothering to check if it was dead.

  The monster’s name and title appeared above its head.

  Hobgoblin Grrach

  Captain of Goblin’s Revenge

  Boss Monster!

  The shirtless boss monster was nearly nine feet of solid muscle, unlike the potbellied goblins. There was glee behind his bloodshot yellow eyes.

  All I could do was react. I threw myself, grabbing Victoria. Putting my body between them, I pushed her to safety.

  The giant’s shin caught my legs. He charged forward, flipping me up in the air and off to the side.

  -6 Damage

  I landed in a fog. My eyes drifted, and spine tingled. A skin-crawling cry cleared the fog in an instant. My shield was still in my grasp, sword was sheathed, but my spear was missing from my hand. I had done at least one flip and landed on my rear.

  In panic, I turned, finding my group sprawled out on the ground. Everyone seemed to have survived.

  With massive force, the hobgoblin swung its club down upon the group of players that had just relieved us. He ignored the safety of the goblins. The tree he used as a club shattered a goblin from behind, driving its body through three separate players. Like bowling pins, they crumbled over to the ground. One player was killed instantly.

  Looking back to my group, I saw everyone sprawled, struggling to get their wits about them. Heat rose up in my chest and back. My teeth chattered as my jaw trembled. I wrenched my shield strap and rolled my nails into my palm tight enough to nearly draw blood.

  I floated over to my spear, hardly aware I had gotten to my feet. All my years gaming had made returning force for force a habit. After retrieving it, I marched. The forsaken blue hulk was in my sights. You will regret that.

  Another swing took out men, women, and goblins alike. The hobgoblin waded through the sea of battle, a leviathan devastating both armies in lustful wrath.

  Almost as one, the goblins realized the danger and every last one retreated to the forest, leaving us alone with the boss monster.

  I watched as people were pummeled left and right. Some tried to fight back, and a few spears found their mark, but barely fazed the creature.

  Peter tried to get everyone together for some kind of assault. I ignored his call.

  With a flick of my wrist, I caught my spear in an overhand grip. I tested it for balance. Stalking towards the hobgoblin’s back, my path was clear of players. I stopped momentarily and looked. A man was motionless at my feet. Next to him, a girl rocked on her back while holding her ribs.

  Enough.

  I exploded forward, launching my spear with all my strength. My coordination limited my ability to make a precision throw. The spear bit deep into its shoulder blade. It remained there.

  A thunderous roar replied. I felt my chest vibrate.

  Well, that got its attention.

  He turned to meet me, a backhanded swing of his tree-club fanned over my head. The iron mace followed.

  Bracing, my arm clenched, shoulder high, I caught the hard iron mace with my shield. Any angle I tried to give my shield to deflect the blow was negated by sheer force. It exploded like rotten bark. Numbness bit my arm.

  -33 Damage

  I was under no illusion that I would be able to defeat the monster, but my years of combat experience from competitive gaming hadn’t been for nothing.

  The hobgoblin was wide open.

  Arching up, I lunged with all my weight and slashed down. My bronze sword cleaved deep into the hobgoblin’s left thigh right above the knee on the quadriceps tendon. The blade bit to the bone.

  Examining the wound, my aim could have been better, but it would be enough. I retreated to the side of the now raging beast.

  Tumbling forward, it twisted at the waist and swung the tree-club wildly.

  -141 Damage

  My spine caught the lumbering blow. The world spun. Skidding across the ground I inhaled grass.

  I had landed in time to see the brute trying to catch its balance, but its leg didn’t respond. A ripple rocked through the ground. The boss was down.

  Immediately I saw the rest of my group attack as one.

  Oliver didn’t hesitate, jumping on the creature’s back. Grabbing its wrist, he pulled its loose hand to his
chest while he spun. The arm was twisted around to its back. Oliver’s legs locked its arm in place at the elbow.

  Ramming his sword into the armpit of the opposite arm, Peter worked his longsword with two hands.

  Victoria slid her spear into its ribs on the same side.

  Strolling up, Kline stopped at its head and begun chopping at the hobgoblin’s throat.

  When my cheeks pulled back to grin, a pop sounded in my neck. A legion of needles clawed their way down my spine, spewing liquid fire into my arms and legs. My back arched on its own. My jaw clenched. I tasted blood, but through the pain, I didn’t know if I had bit my cheek or tongue.

  The torrent that had internally inflamed me from head to toe simmered down to a hounding echo. My heart thumped jolts of pain at a steady rhythm.

  Like a starving predator that stalked its prey in the dark of night, I tried to stay as still as possible. It wasn’t hunger that drove me but knowing the moment I moved I would be in agony.

  My eyes pursued anyone or anything that could help. The cadence of fire escalated when I realized I was holding my breath as my heartbeat sped.

  Everyone was looking away, focused on something else. No help came. No hope remained.

  Gasping, the muscles of my chest and back jerked against one another. I wailed for mercy, my air spent, gasping again. I bucked like a fish out of water undergoing shock therapy again and again.

  A skirted knee, with rivets of bronze securing sheets of leather, knelt over me. The smell of sweetness joined with grass, reminding me of perfectly ripe fruit.

  Waterlogged eyes frantically scrutinized me. Victoria was there, leaning over to see my back. Her lip trembled.

  There was no way to tell how long it took, but I was able to find a way to breathe without going into a fit of spasms. For a few moments, the pain calmed. I was now lying on my back, with Victoria at my side, and Kline, arms crossed, standing over me.

  Tears flooded her cheeks, streams reaching her chin and even the tip of her nose. Her hands rested in her lap, head cocked to the side as she stared through me, emotionally spent. The quiet stillness told me one thing; she knew that I was broken.