Two Brothers

by Phoenix Grey

  "Whatever the case, we're three against two, and we have ranged weapons. From what I could see, they do not. We should be fine," Lonnell assured them.

  "I'll go first with my bow since it has the longest range. As they get closer, Uden can attack with his throwing knives. Lonnell, you can jump in when they get within close range. If we haven't killed one by then, they should at least be weakened," Azure suggested.

  "That sounds like a solid plan." Lonnell nodded before glancing over at his brother.

  "You will hear no complaints from me." Uden held up his hands in surrender. It was as if he thought they had expected him to argue. To some degree, Azure had. The half-imp had been full of nothing but stupid decisions and a need to take control these past few weeks. Hopefully, he would stick to the plan this time.

  “Are you guys ready to do this?" Lonnell inhaled a deep breath.

  "I was born ready." Uden spun his throwing knives in his hands, a blood-thirsty grin spreading his lips.

  "You enjoy this way too much." Azure raised an eyebrow at him.

  "Go on. We're waiting on you." Uden gestured impatiently for him to ready his bow.

  "How many yards away are they, would you estimate?" Azure asked as he nocked an arrow.

  "A little over one hundred yards," Lonnell informed him.

  "I'll have to get closer to make any type of impactful blow," he said more to himself than anyone else. That means the goblins would have a chance to come at him, clearing some distance.

  "We've got this, brother." Lonnell clapped him on the shoulder.

  "Stop dawdling. We don't have all day." Uden tapped his foot impatiently.

  Azure cast a disdainful side-eye at the half-imp before heading towards the cave. His steps were hurried with the urgency to get the deed done, but he knew he couldn't let adrenaline rule him. He had to think strategically because he had a finite amount of arrows and didn't know how many levels deep the dungeon went down.

  It was something they had discussed in length during their journey. Lonnell had told him that dungeons could be up to ten levels deep. Strong bosses always had ten levels. Weak bosses could have less, but it also wasn't uncommon for them to have ten as well, just with less powerful monsters along the way. Really, it was a crapshoot. There was no way to tell until you descended.

  Azure had burned through all of the extra bronze arrows that Lonnell had brought with them when he was hunting. Now, only the fifteen Bronze Arrows of Minor Light Magic remained. If he divided them by level, he could afford to use only one or two per level. Inside the cave, close-range would likely be the most effective way to fight. He wanted to save at least five arrows for The Dark One. For this particular task of vanquishing the goblin guards, he needed to use his bow. It pained him to waste the magic arrows on foes that he wouldn't gain a bonus on, but there was no other choice. In hindsight, he probably should have let Uden do some of the hunting instead of being so obsessed with trying to level up. He had felt the anxiety when he started running low on regular arrows. But he also hadn't imagined that there would be goblins waiting outside of the cave entrance for them.

  Azure rounded the bend, quickening his pace as he raised his bow. The goblins spotted him instantly, one drawing a longsword while the other straightened himself and gripped the halberd he had been supporting his weight on.

  Lonnell had been right. The goblins were big. Both Analyzed as yellow―challenging opponents. They readied their weapons, but to Azure's surprise, they didn't leave the mouth of the cave.

  He continued to approach, waiting until he was in range before letting his first arrow sail at the goblin with the longsword. The arrow would have hit its mark in the center of the goblin's chest had he not held his sword in front of him like a makeshift shield and deflected it.

  "Watch out!" Lonnell called to him, but Azure had no idea what he was watching out for until he heard the whoosh of an arrow whizzing by his head and felt the sting of an arrowhead grazing his shoulder.

  A quick upward glance revealed a goblin archer at the top of the cliff.

  Clever goblinses, Azure thought before realizing what a shitty situation he was in. The archer on the cliff had the advantage. He was too high up for Azure to reach with much accuracy. Noticing his distraction, the goblin warriors finally moved forward to attack. Azure thought to draw them further out, but he doubted he could get them to go outside of the archer's range. His mind swam with indecision, wondering what he should do.

  "Cover us!" Uden passed Azure on the right, practically a blur in his peripheral vision.

  Lonnell was right behind him, staff raised.

  Well, there goes Uden acting on his own again. I guess it can't be helped this time, though.

  Azure turned his attention back up to the archer. It loosed another arrow at him that he was easily able to dodge, possibly because it seemed distracted by the new attackers. The next time it nocked, it aimed for Lonnell. Clearly, it no longer saw Azure as a threat.

  While he was unsure of his ability to hit the archer, he nocked an arrow and aimed at it anyway. It had been understood by Uden's words that this was now his job, protecting them from downward fire, which was much easier said than done. There was still that dread from the idea of wasting the magical arrows, but what other choice did he have?

  Aiming the best he could, he loosed an arrow at the archer. It hit the side of the cliff about two feet short of the top and splintered into pieces. The archer merely scowled at him before returning its attention to the foes engaged in close-combat. What was even more infuriating was that the goblin Analyzed as blue, so if they were face-to-face, Azure would definitely win.

  The word coward flashed across his mind, but it was quickly replaced by strategic planning. The Dark One was protecting his dungeon well. The low-level archer was practically untouchable, guarding from above while the warriors took care of any threats that may try to slip past on ground level. If he was being honest, he was more upset that they hadn't come up with the idea to double back, scale up the side of the cliff, and simply snipe both of the goblin guards. Though there was no guarantee that would have worked either. The goblins always could have just retreated into the safety of the cave.

  "Shit," he muttered as he watched the archer nock another arrow and take aim for Uden.

  The two brothers seemed to barely be holding their own. Lonnell was mostly defending against the goblin with the longsword while Uden kept the halberdier distracted and dashed in to take a cheap shot at the swordsman's backside whenever he could. He had positioned himself between the two goblins, which was a dangerous place to be. Thankfully, the one that was busy fighting Lonnell was too stupid to think of the same backhanded tactics that the half-imp was resorting to to try to turn the odds in their favor.

  Still, it wasn't working well enough. And it didn't take long for Azure to realize that the brothers were outmatched. He was only one level below them now, which meant there was a decent chance that the goblins had Analyzed as yellow to them. He needed to think fast, or they were going to lose.

  There was no time to distract the archer. If it weren't for Uden stepping to the side to avoid a blow from the halberd, the arrow would have hit its mark, penetrating the half-imp's head and putting an end to him. He sliced Azure with his gaze, shouting out, “Fuck's sake, man.”

  Giving up on fending off the archer, Azure moved out of its range, backing away towards the river. With his speed, Uden seemed to be doing better against the goblin he was facing, so Azure turned his attention to the swordsman. He nocked an arrow and concentrated his aim. It was a dangerous shot to take. If the goblin moved at just the right moment, there was a fair chance he would hit Lonnell. But Azure felt more confident in his abilities with the bow at a safe distance from the archer than he would with the distraction of the possibility of being sniped down from above.

  He held his breath before letting the arrow sail. By a stroke of luck, it hit the back of the goblin's neck, the arrowhead piercing all the way through to th
e front of its throat. A spray of blood and light gushed forth from the wound, and the swordsman gurgled in shock. The distraction was all that was needed for Lonnell to finish the goblin off with his staff.

  Defeated Level 7 Goblin Warrior. 56XP rewarded.

  With the swordsman out of the way, Lonnell went to help his brother. Azure thought to try shooting the halberdier as well, but with both brothers on it, it was too risky. Instead, he drew his sword and rushed in to join the melee, effectively surrounding the last remaining goblin warrior.

  It glanced up at the archer as if asking for help, then swung its halberd in a wide arch to keep its attackers at bay. Just as the three adventurers were about to set in on the goblin for the kill, a pained cry rose up from the fray.

  Panic took over Uden's expression as he saw the arrow sticking out of Lonnell's back, and sickness roiled in Azure's stomach as he realized he had failed at the only job they had given him. More importantly, his friend had been injured, his health bar cut by a good twenty percent. If the archer had been a higher level, it might have been a kill shot.

  Distracted by Lonnell's injury, Azure barely saw the halberdier plunge his halberd forward. He dodged, but not quick enough to avoid a glancing blow to his side. A hiss of pain escaped his lips as he felt the weapon slice into him, his own health bar falling to about equal what Lonnell had lost. Just as the archer had done less damage from being a lower level even though that normally would have been a critical shot, the warrior did more damage from its glancing blow for being a higher level.

  You are bleeding. You will lose 5 health every second for the next five seconds.

  "Oh shit," Uden cursed, barely avoiding getting shot by another incoming arrow.

  "Fuck!" Azure mirrored his frustration. Never before had he felt like their lives were more in danger.

  The fight at the goblin camp had been different. In the end, Azure had been the only one seriously injured. To see Lonnell wounded and staggering was unsettling. They needed to end this as quickly as possible.

  Azure rushed forward with his sword, but the goblin parried with his halberd before pushing Azure back, nearly knocking him off balance. As his muscles clenched to keep him standing, he felt the wound. There was a cool spot on his armor where blood was leaking through and soaking into the leaves. He was definitely bleeding. It felt as if someone had shoved a spigot into his side and turned it on. Every second made blood pump from the wound, bringing with it a feeling of weakness and disorientation.

  "You've got this," Uden called to him in encouragement.

  Azure could barely see him around the behemoth of a goblin, but the two brothers were now together. Lonnell's arm was around the half-imp's neck. The look that Uden was giving Azure was pointed as if speaking to him silently. It might have made sense if the two of them were actually in sync. But they weren't.

  With the goblin's attention almost wholly focused on Azure, Uden began half-helping, half-dragging his brother to the cave, leaving Azure to handle the foe―one that would most definitely kill him if it managed to land another blow―on his own. For a split second, Azure thought about running for the cave as well, but what would that accomplish? The goblin only had one small visible injury, a slash on its side that Uden had undoubtedly landed at some point. It wasn't critical, and it wasn't slowing the goblin down one bit. If he ran, it would give purchase. Making it to the cave would ensure that the archer no longer had a shot at him, but it would also put Lonnell in danger again. A quick glance at the cave showed Uden examining the wound. Azure wasn't sure if he had been left to die or if there was a bigger plan, but for now, he had to consider himself as on his own.

  He felt like easy prey, favoring his wounded side and using all of his remaining strength to stand and defend with his sword. The only advantage he had was that he was now facing the cliff so he could see whenever the archer was ready to loose an arrow at him. As the halberdier came forward, Azure continued to back up towards the river. He tried to concentrate on finding an opening―one small drop of the goblin's guard that would allow him to dash in and make a critical hit―but the goblin's defense was solid. His halberd had far better reach that Azure's sword, and he knew how to use it well. It would be a battle between speed and strength. Right now, strength was winning, Azure realized as the goblin continued to push him back towards the river.

  A flash of deja vu played through Azure's mind as he quickly glanced over his shoulder at the rushing water, thinking that jumping into it might be the only way to save himself. But that would be cowardly. Briefly, Azure wondered which was worse, being branded a coward or surviving. At least surviving meant a second chance.

  He was only about three yards away from the river now. He dug his heels into the ground, determined to make a stand. If the goblin was able to strike him again and he didn't die from it immediately, he would take his chance with the river. At least he had his arms this time. He might not have to plummet over the waterfall.

  The goblin swung his halberd down. It struck the metal of Azure's sword, the weight behind the blow making Azure's muscles ache from fighting against it. His back foot slipped a little, creating a rut in the dirt behind him. Who knew a goblin could be so strong?

  This is it, Azure thought. I jump into the river and live a coward or I stand my ground and die a hero. There was no way he had enough stamina left to parry another blow. His arms were trembling. It was taking every ounce of adrenaline left in him to keep from buckling, and it was quickly becoming not enough.

  There was a wicked smile across the goblin's face as it continued to press down on the halberd. Azure was crumbling back, the blade inching closer to his head with each passing second. If his muscles atrophied, it would be all over. He had hoped the goblin would let up to swing at him again, allowing him the chance to roll towards the river, but it didn't look like that was going to happen. The warrior was not stupid. He had Azure right where he wanted him. With a dull emptiness, Azure realized there would be no escape. Within a few seconds, what was left of his stamina would be depleted, and he would meet his gruesome demise on this riverbank. Whether he wanted to or not, he was going to die a hero.

  Azure blew out a breath, trying to prepare himself for death. Hopefully, he had at least bought Uden and Lonnell enough time to escape into the depths of the cave. It was strange to think about how he'd gotten caught up in all of this. The curse on Crescent Island wasn't even his problem, and yet he was going to die for it, nonetheless.

  Azure watched in his peripheral vision as the remaining color in his stamina bar drained down to nothing. He wished it was more like seconds on a clock so each one could seem precious. But oddly, nothing seemed remarkable about what was happening.

  The goblin jerked the halberd, and Azure fell back. His arms gave up their defensive hold on the sword, letting it fall to the side. The blade of the halberd crashed down, the top of it hitting Azure's hip, piercing through flesh and bone and causing excruciating pain to course through him and his health bar to drop to just under twenty percent.

  "Die, you son of a bitch!" a familiar voice hissed with unbridled hatred.

  Through a blur of pulsing agony, Azure looked up to see Uden practically riding the goblin. His legs were wrapped around its waist, his arms poised with a dagger in each hand, the blades driven deep into the goblin's neck on either side. Its eyes were wide. It reached back to throw off its attacker, but Uden twisted the blades, causing the creature to scream―a strange high-pitched grunt that made Azure shudder.

  He was too worn out to do anything but watch. The goblin staggered, still trying to reach back and grab at Uden, though his aim seemed to be horribly off.

  Uden was unyielding. “I said fucking die,” he raged as he pulled his daggers out and drove them into the goblin's neck over and over again. Blood sprayed from the wounds, making Azure's side injury look like a mere trickle.

  The goblin cast its gaze up to the Heavens, its mouth agape, its black beady eyes somewhere distant. Then it finally fell, l
anding face down in the dirt a few feet away from Azure. Uden still clung to its back, digging his blades in even deeper as if he feared the goblin might rise again. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, he looked over at Azure. “Are you all right?”

  As it had happened at the goblin camp, Azure found himself deliriously happy just to still be alive. He honestly hadn't thought that Uden would come back for him.

  "I didn't get any points for that kill," he commented, feeling that it was slightly unfair for all of the work that he'd put in. Usually, if he and one of his companions teamed up to kill a monster, he'd earn his share of experience points. That did not seem to be the case this time. But to be fair, he hadn't even been able to land a single blow on the goblin.

  Uden snorted at him. “That's some gratitude.”

  "It took you long enough to get here." Azure looked past him to the goblin archer. He hadn't even realized that he had somehow managed to coax the warrior out of its range. The archer sat on the edge of the cliff, looking unhappy, waiting for them.

  "I had to tend to my brother," Uden replied without remorse. "Plus, I needed to wait for the most opportune time to strike."

  "Like when I was on the verge of death?" Azure said with a scowl.

  "Like when you had the warrior outside of the archer's range." There was no humor in the half-imp's voice. It was strange to see him so serious. As soon as he pulled his blades from the goblin's neck, he turned his gaze to the archer. "We are going to have to make a run for it."

  "Or you could take my bow and try to shoot it," Azure suggested.

  "I am not an archer." Uden cast a side-glance in Azure's direction as if to say he should know that by now. "Besides, the range and angle are bad. That bow is shit. I likely wouldn't get enough power to reach it.

  "Yet you sent me out to do just that." He narrowed his eyes at the half-imp.

  "If any of us would have been able to hit it, it would have been you."