238: Confrontation
Of all the times to run into him… why did it have to be now. We are so close.
Asmodeus: “Vile creature! Your tyranny ends here!”
Knight 3: “Is fine, this is Dwynfel. He’s on our side.”
They started walking towards us with their weapons drawn.
Asmodeus: “We know exactly who he is.”
The hammer guy looked confused. He addressed me in a frustrated tone.
Knight 3: “Friends of yours?”
Dwynfel: “I used to be in a party with the one in the middle.”
Asmodeus raised his sword towards me.
Asmodeus: “So, your plan has come to fruition at last. Well, I am here to put an end to it. You breathe your last upon this day!”
Knight 3: “He does not seem to like you very much.”
Dwynfel: “Believe me, I know.”
I stepped forward and attempted to get Asmodeus to see sense.
Dwynfel: “Asmodeus, please. We don’t have time for this. We just need to get to the north gate and we can end this.”
Asmodeus had halved the distance between us. He was in his full armour with his helmet on, so I couldn’t read his face. But his body language was highly confrontational.
Asmodeus: “End this on behalf of your demon lord, I have no doubt!”
The hammer guy stepped in front of me and raised his hammer. Asmodeus halted his advance, but maintained his battle stance.
Knight 3: “You have advanced far enough, sir. I know not your history with this man. But I have witnessed countless people in this city risk their lives on his behalf. These people trust him. They believe in him. Friends of mine have died for that belief. I have been entrusted with getting him to the north gate and I intend to do so. You may assist us, or you may step aside. We have overcome greater dangers than you on this day. This is not a fight that you wish to start.”
Asmodeus laughed. It was a callous laugh… devoid of humanity.
Asmodeus: “That is no man. It is a disgusting creature from the bowels of hell. I care not for the opinions of those he has manipulated. All of these events are by his design. Of this I have no doubt. It is you sir who must step aside.”
The hammer guy gritted his teeth and gripped his hammer tighter.
Dwynfel: “Asmodeus, please! I’ve known you for eight years. We partied together for over three years. Deep down, you have to know that I am not the monster you claim me to be. For the sake of our friends… for this city… please… you have to let us pass.”
Asmodeus: “You attempt to invoke our past to stay my hand. Well, I shall brook no quarter on this day. Had I exterminated you upon first discovering your identity, then I have no doubt that our fair city would not be so endangered. There is to be no more talk. Your life is forfeit, goblin.”
Asmodeus and the two adventurers resumed their advance. The other two adventurers also had their weapons raised. One had a spear and the other a morning star.
Dwynfel: “This isn’t good. Three on two isn’t exactly great odds.”
Carter: “Three on three you mean.”
I jumped in shock and looked to my right. Carter was stood by my side, axe drawn. My attention had been so consumed by Asmodeus that I hadn’t even noticed him show up.
Dwynfel: “Where the hell did you come from?”
Carter: “From that street over there…”
He gestured to an intersection in the street behind us.
Carter: “You seemed busy talking, didn’t want to interrupt.”
Dwynfel: “Where’s Clive?”
Carter: “On his way. He’s just a bit slow on his feet these days.”
Knight 3: “Another friend of yours?”
Dwynfel: “Kind of… this is Carter. Carter, this is… sorry… I don’t actually know your name.”
Knight 3: “Best not at this point. You’ll only get attached.”
Dwynfel: “What?”
Asmodeus: “The goblin is mine!”
Shit! The spearman lunged forward towards the hammer guy to separate him from me. The one with the morning star advanced on Carter and Asmodeus lunged sword first at me.
I drew my daggers… but shit… I know Asmodeus… there is no way in hell that I can deflect his blows successfully. Even if I managed to do so for one or two hits, it would take too much out of me. I’m already battered from being thrown against that tree. My only option here is to dodge his blows and look for an opening.
But what the hell kind of opening am I going to get? His armour is thick and covers pretty much everywhere. The only real vulnerabilities are his armpits and neck. And I’m too short to get at his neck properly without jumping… and jumping would make me vulnerable. And none of that is even factoring in his shield.
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My only realistic option here is to keep dodging his blows and try to reason with him.
Dwynfel: “Asmodeus… please!”
Asmodeus: “Do not waste your breath, goblin. Fight me!”
Dwynfel: “No!”
He continued swinging his sword at me. He’s quick… but I’m quicker. Even if he doesn’t listen to me. If I can just keep him occupied until one of the others is free to help me then I’ll be fine.
Dwynfel: “We haven’t had a proper conversation in over four years. Just fucking well listen to me for once!”
Asmodeus: “Your vulgarity falls on deaf ears!”
Dwynfel: “Mother of Mercy… you can’t be this angry about the fact that I lied to you. Everybody else got over it. Even I’ve moved past that now. What the hell is your problem with me?”
He stood still for a moment and stood up straight. I kept my eyes on him… unsure of what he was about to do. I wanted to check on how the others were doing. But I couldn’t afford to take my eyes of Asmodeus.
Asmodeus: “Your lie was perfectly in character for a creature such as you. Your kind are nothing but deceitful little harbingers of chaos. My distain for you did not originate from that pathetic lie. My distain is for everything that you are. You cannot change your nature. You will always be an unclean creature that deserves nothing but death. And now that you have brought the apocalypse upon our city, every human soul alive will understand when I cut you down for your crimes!”
Dwynfel: “What fucking crimes? I didn’t cause any of this! But I can finish it! All I need is to…”
Asmodeus: “Enough!”
He threw his shield down to the floor.
Asmodeus: “I need no shield to protect me from the likes of you. I have the gods on my side!”
He resumed his assault and… fuck… I’ve never seen him fight without his shield before. He is so much faster than before. This is a problem. He’s not just attacking with his sword now… he’s throwing punches with his spare hand urgh…
Fuck… he kicked me in the stomach… oh gods… I can hardly breathe… I need to keep moving… if I slow down then I’m dead.
I went to stand back up and AHHH… oh gods… oh gods… my foot… my foot. His sword has gone right through my left foot. It hurts… it hurts so much.
He kicked my daggers away from me before kicking me in the chest so that I was lying flat and placed his foot on my chest.
Asmodeus: “You were only ever any use at range. Your melee skills have always been lacking.”
Dwynfel: “Asmodeus… please…”
Asmodeus: “No more talk, goblin.”
He knelt down and placed both of his hands around my throat. Oh gods… no… I can’t die now… I can’t… I’m so close. He can’t be reasoned with… he’s blinded by hate… I need to kill him. It’s my only option.
I reached up and pulled off his helmet. Fucking hell… his eye… not the one that he lost all those years ago… that one looks all necrotic and disgusting… but his other eye… it is so utterly consumed by rage. I can’t breathe… I’m starting to lose consciousness… I need to think of something… now!
I looked around as best as I could and I saw Clive… he tapped his right ankle three times and… right… of course. I bent my right leg so that I could reach it and I drew my concealed knife from its holster. Without hesitation I stabbed the knife into Asmodeus’ neck. Even with the knife protruding from his neck, he did not stop. It was only when I pulled the knife out that the blood truly started to flow. The knife must have got caught in some bone or something and snapped because not all of the knife emerged from his neck.
Even as the blood vacated his neck, he persisted… desperate to snuff out my life. Everything started to go black when he finally let go and collapsed and fell to my side. I sat up… relieved to be able to breathe again… I then swiftly vomited from all of the blood that had entered my mouth when it had gushed from his throat.
Then I became aware of the pain in my foot once more. Oh gods… I’m pinned to the floor… my foot is fucked…
Clive: “Carter!”
I looked up from my foot to see the guy with the morning star advancing on me. Carter was on the floor behind him, bleeding heavily as Clive attempted to heal him.
The hammer guy had noticed this too. The spearman lunged at him. He dodged to the side, dropped his hammer, and grabbed the spear with both hands. He put all of his strength into throwing the spearman to the ground. His opponent dropped his spear as a result and the hammer guy threw it at the adventurer who was advancing upon me. The spear went through his leg and he screamed in pain.
Knight 3: “Get to the gate, now!”
The spearman had climbed back to his feet and proceeded to tackle the hammer guy to the ground. I couldn’t waste time watching them wrestle. He was right. I needed to get to the gate as quickly as possible.
I took some deep breathes and pulled the sword from my foot. It was bleeding badly… but there was nothing that I could do about that.
I stood myself up with great difficulty and proceeded to use the sword as a walking stick. Every single step was agony. But I eventually made it to the corner of the street. I’m almost there… I’m so close.
I advanced up the street. I can hear the sound of the fighting outside. I can feel the freezing cold air. It gets colder with every step forward that I take. I need to kill Laezel before the entire city ends up frozen.
Adventurer: “Stop right there, goblin!”
I turned to see the morning star wielder. His leg still had the spear sticking through it. He had pursued me as I attempted to run. And he had almost caught up to me. I turned from him and attempted to run as fast as I could… but I could not run… it was not possible… not with my foot so damaged. I fell to the ground and turned to see him almost upon me.
Phoenix: “Lightning bolt.”
A bolt of lightning flew over my head and hit the adventurer square in the chest. He collapsed to the ground almost instantly as sparks flew from his body.
I sat up and turned round to see Phoenix approaching me from the northern gate. I tried to speak, but my throat was too damaged from Asmodeus.
Phoenix: “Paralysis.”