Saturday, April 11, 2015

Saturday Excerpt, "Quest"

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At last, Linvin reached in his quiver and found nothing left to fire.  He surveyed the field and found only two frightened goblins still standing.  They had fallen back to the camp.  The time had come for Linvin to show himself to his enemy and finish the fight.  He threw his bow to the ground and jumped out of the trees.  Fueled by rage, he armed himself with two swords from the dead goblins and advanced on the camp.

The sight angered the goblins. It was inconceivable to them that a lone archer had bested such a force.  They immediately charged at him.  Linvin came to a halt and waited for them with his weapons held high.  One goblin arrived just ahead of the other and jabbed at Linvin with his spear.  Linvin knocked the blow aside easily with one sword and then came around with a swipe from his second that struck his enemy’s neck.  The creature’s head separated from his body.

Linvin quickly turned his attention to the sole remaining goblin.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spear thrust aimed for his head.  Linvin instinctively ducked and rolled toward his opponent.  When the roll was completed, he found himself sitting on his rear with his legs before him at the foot of his foe. 

Recognizing the close quarters, the goblin abandoned his spear and drew his sword.  In Linvin’s haste to dodge the spear, he had lost the grip on both of his blades.  The goblin raised his arm for a killing blow on his earthbound enemy.

Linvin used the moment to make a sweeping kick at the goblin’s knees with his leg.  The desperate blow knocked the goblin on his back and dislodged the sword from his hand.  Linvin reached for the knife in his boot and dove on top of the warrior. With one hand, he tried to restrain the goblin’s arm and with the other, he pushed the blade ever closer to his foe.

The goblin intercepted Linvin’s forearm and held the weapon away.  In a struggle for life, the goblin used his weight to his advantage and rolled Linvin onto the ground with his great belly crushing the half elf.  Linvin gasped for air as the blade began to be forced back toward his body.

Having short arms made it easier for the goblin to maneuver in the close quarters.  Linvin, on the other hand, was at a disadvantage, not being able to fully extend his arm and use its strength.  If Linvin was to prevail, he knew he would need to create separation between them.

With a swift move from his leg, Linvin drove his knee into the groin of his adversary.  With instinctive reaction, the goblin raised his upper body and grimaced in pain.  The move had created the space Linvin required.  He pulled the knife to the side and broke the goblin’s hold of his arm.  Linvin used his full might to drive the sharpened point through one side of his opponent’s neck.  The blade finally stopped when it exited the other side.  Grabbing at its throat, the goblin fell to the ground.  He would not rise again.

Linvin lay on his back, panting for several moments.  He struggled to regain his feet and retrieved his knife.  Linvin stood alone on the battlefield, victorious.  The time had come to learn the price of his victory.

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