Kaylin made a small sound. And then, with a chorus of menacing bellows, the goblins charged forward.
6
Charge
Shoving his fear aside, Vexx raised both his hands, frigid mist drifted out of his left hand as fire burst from his right. He fired left and right, bolts of ice and fire crashing into the charging line of goblins, the closest brandishing a spear before it stumbled when Kaylin’s shot buried itself in the goblin’s leg. An axe whirled at Vexx and he took two steps backward, throwing his head back as the axe head swung past. Vexx grasped the haft of the axe and sent a surge of fire magic outward, charring and burning it until the axe head fell to the ground.
The goblin blinked, its eyes boggling in confusion, and Vexx fired flames into it at close range. The goblin squealed as it fell to the ground and Vexx turned, his eyes wild. Most of the goblins were downed, but two others were hemming Kaylin in, the elf desperately parrying a scimitar with her knife. She screamed as another goblin raked her side with its jagged spear.
Vexx surged forward, his exhaustion forgotten, firing firebolt after firebolt into the spear-wielding goblin, who staggered to the side before finally falling. Kaylin slashed the other goblin, and Vexx’s last fireball put an end to the fight.
Kaylin and Vexx stood there for a moment, panting in exhaustion, glancing at each other as they recovered in the eerie silence.
“You alright?”
“I…” Kaylin took an unsteady step forward and collapsed onto the dirt. The elf took labored breaths in and out. “Agh...that last one really got me. Can you take a look?”
Vexx glanced over. A few of the straps were ripped, a reddish line traced her side, and a small trail of blood trickled down from the spear cut. “It’s not that bad. I have a bandage in my pack,” he said, reaching back and rummaging through his satchel.
“You really can’t heal, can you?” she gritted out, teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut.
“No,” Vexx said, tying the bandage tight. “Look, I’ll buy you a healing draught when we get back, alright? Can you walk?”
“May…maybe.”
He shook his head, hefted Kaylin up and held his arm behind her. “With me, let’s go. I know a place where we can stay, it’s not very far away.”
The elf clenched her teeth and threw an arm around Vexx. Together, they began walking away at a slow, steady pace.
“I was clumsy,” she said after a while. “Too clumsy.”
“Hey, we got them in the end,” Vexx replied with a reassuring pat on her shoulder. “You weren’t half bad, you know.”
“Yeah, you too,” Kaylin said, the silence lingering as they made their way down the quiet road. “So, you’re from here?”
“Kind of…I grew up just down the road. It was my parent’s house, but my mom died some time ago. And my dad…well, he died recently. But anyway. We can hole up there tonight, but that’ll be it. No, I think I’ll be hitting the road from here on out.”
“Ah,” Kaylin said. “I did that myself, not too long ago. I thought it would go easier. But…still alive, right? Still alive.”
7
Partners
Morning came, the old house chilly and damp as Vexx came to his feet. He groaned, still feeling the exhaustion of his depleted magical energies. Vexx looked around and couldn’t stop himself from reminiscing about half-remembered routines in his father’s old house. It felt bizarre to be back after all those years. And especially bizarre knowing he was no longer welcome here.
As Vexx readied himself, he periodically glanced outside the windows. There could be guards from town coming, as far as he knew, or perhaps prospective buyers. He’d placed Kaylin in a different bedroom to rest over the night and now hesitated at the door of the guest room.
Finally, he rapped his knuckles against it twice. The door creaked open after a few moments and Kaylin smiled at him. Her leather armor was resting on a chair, her skintight underclothes leaving little to the imagination.
“Good morning, Vexx! How did you sleep?”
“Ah…well,” he said, mustering all the willpower he could to avert his eyes. “And you?”
“Oh, just fine! I’m just cleaning up now,” Kaylin responded, her voice cheery as ever. “These human houses are something else! Nothing like a treehouse.”
Vexx grunted. “Well, we need to leave soon. There’s no coming back here.”
“Don’t worry yourself, Vexxy, I’m just about ready.”
Vexx frowned. Vexxy? Still, at least she seems to be doing fine. The cut didn’t look bad, but sometimes weapons can have poison effects. “How are you feeling?” Vexx asked.
“Much better,” she said with a half-convincing smile. “I’m ready for the next one, partner. Did you turn in the bounty?”
“Partner?” Vexx asked with a sniff. “That’s assuming a lot,” he muttered. Still, it was a good deal better than ‘sidekick,’ and they had fought together well enough. I suppose even Dred Wyrm fights in a party from time to time.
Kaylin shrugged and padded over to the adjoining washroom.
“No, I was waiting for you,” Vexx said, examining a fresh tear in his apprentice robes. If business picks up, I'll have to upgrade my look. “I don’t think he’ll be too pleased about the damage to his barn.”
The splash of a wash basin was his only response. Vexx turned away, walking to the main window and looking out. It was a fine view, the tops of trees visible in the distance, his father’s house secluded some distance away from Cloudbury. I doubt I’ll be returning, though. One way or another, I’ll have to earn room and board.
A hand grasped his arm and he jerked away in shock. “Let’s go!” Kaylin said, tugging him forward before letting go, already pushing the door open. “I want that bounty turned in.”
8
36 Hours
“You know what I saw last night, dungeoneers?” Pollander asked in a profoundly disappointed tone as they approached the counter.
Vexx and Kaylin exchanged glances. This wasn’t going as expected. Vexx cleared his throat.
“The barn was already—”
“Another dead sheep. And, oh yes, I heard Farmer Henderson’s barn burned down over the evening. He was very puzzled to find a band of dead goblins in his fields.” The barkeeper inclined his head. “Was that your doing? You didn’t burn his barn, did you?” he asked with a glare. “You’re no fire magician, right?”
“Me? No,” Vexx said with a laugh. “I’m just a simple healer. That was all the goblins.”
“Ah…so it was you two! What were you doing over there?”
“Got a bit…turned around, is all,” Vexx said with a weak smile.
“Like I said, follow Tower Road past the end of Cloudbury, straight to the farms just below the Lifeless Hills. Then, just to the right on Alabaster Avenue, the location is three houses down.”