The Heart of Valor Section 8: A desperate fight The 55th of Spring, 879 As they climbed into the mouth of the cave, Fairka pushed everyone inside and drew out her short sword. Caud hesitantly brought out his own mace, and Pip his borrowed dagger. "Get something", Fairka commanded, "if even the belts of your pants." Doredai searched for a rock, where is one when you need a good one? Bawa just took Fairka's word literally, while Arteen and Aeliar prepared their fists. The goblins chanted. oh tue, spridushmareul, aucultatsi noi! vine cu noi, leu de razboi te kiamamo-noi si danoi slaba in aceasta ziua! oh spridushmareul! oh spridushmareul! oh spridushmareul! suinge noi esht din haidushi fashenoi bucurosi din viatsa noastra singe noi din haidushi oh spridushmareul! oh spridushmareul! oh spridushmareul! "What are they saying?" Asked Caud. "I know some Goblinesk", said Aeliar, meaning the Goblin tongue. "They're saying something about blood." "Hush, everyone, deeper into the cave." "Droom-boom!!" Such was the goblin battle cry. And then the narrow corridors of the cave turned into a maelstrom. Fairka downed a green-eyed goblin. Another one tripped and fell into the sharp rocks below. Arteen got scratched by a flying javelin and fell back, deeper into the cave, followed by Caud, Bawa, Aeliar while Fairka, covered their retreat. Meanwhile, Doredai and Pip had found themselves pushed back into a narrow dwindling corridor and from this into a round chamber leading to twelve dugout passages. What was even harder to believe was that they still could see deep into the caver, for a green light descended from the ceiling. "Phosphorescences. Pip, I know this place! Follow me!" Doredai and her servant kid disappeared into the third corridor, the one marked with the horns of a bull, just before. Running, and leaping and running again, the goblins pressing on to their backs. A javelin dropped by Doredai's side and she took it. The tunnel forked to the left and right, and then up and down, and then into five directions, and then again into four. This place was a maze, but to Pip's surprise Doredai seemed to knew exactly where to go, earning invaluable minutes before the goblins could figure out where they had gone. At the other side of the cave, the battle was turning worse for the goblins, for the rich posh kids also seemed to know exactly where to hide and fought as well as they could, which was good enough only to give Fairka a good chance to finish one goblin after the other. "Pip! Doredai!" Fairka screamed in agony. "Fairka, I know where they are!" That was Aeliar, the only one among the youth who wasn't panting at this point. "Are you sure?" "I'm not, but it's all like in the game. Doredai has gone for the Heart of Valor, and there's another exit to this cave, they'll come out there. It will be much faster than following them. Please, trust me." * * * Everything had gone quiet. Pip couldn't say a thing, for the lack of breath, and Doredai was just too happy to see a culture they'd just found. The figure was much rougher than she had imagined it. It didn't look like a human king, but like some sort of dwarf, and the bronze was all greenish and dusty. Its function remained, for that small king was pointing to the opposing wall, and on it there was a bronze box. Doredai rushed for it, even as the steps of the goblins were heard coming in. Pip hid next to the door, Fairka's dagger in hand. What was the young mistress doing? Had she lost her mind? Doredai took the box and opened it. She smiled, it wasn't made of gold, as they had dreamed, elvish sky-metal, diamond, or even obsidian. It was but wood, very dark and ancient. "Look, Pip, the Heart of Valour!" Nobody could ever be happier. "Good Goddess of Love, I'm Level 2!" Two goblins then rushed in. Pip tried to stab one but failed. Doredai charged in, javelin in her two hands, as if it were a spear, stabbing one in the stomach, making it withdraw. "Pip! After me! I shall protect thee." The goblins threw their last javelins. One hit Doredais in a leg, but she kept on. Undeterred, the goblins took their maces. "Pip, run away, go, quick!" And so began a desperate battle. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Note: If you happen to be from anywhere north of Bulgaria, east of Serbia, west of the Black Sea, and south of either Hungary or Ukraine, smile, I was just in a playfool mood at the time. :)