Rothester

Chapter 20: The Northern Republic

"Right side! Right side!"

"Keep firing!"

Within the dense forest of southern Eshe, a battle is raging. The Delta and PJ operators have been ambushed by a swarm of goblins that roamed the forests. Though they were not caught entirely off guard, it is still a surprise to be ambushed by these small vicious creatures. They seem to lack intelligence and mindlessly charge at the Entesian operators.

A wave of bullets cut down every goblin insight. None is spared, and even the Grand Duke himself is able to contribute to the fight. He produces several magical attacks that wipe out many of the goblins before he succumbs to exhaustion. However, this is plenty enough.

The superior firepower wielded by the group demolishes the goblin horde before any get close enough to injure anyone.

Once the gunshots cease, the forest becomes quiet. Everyone scans their surroundings to make sure no other goblins are hiding anywhere. Fingers on the triggers, they are on edge.

"Area clear!"

"Major Barnett. Once again, your people impress me," Elceran says as he leans on another operator's shoulder from exhaustion.

Every time the operators utilize their weapons, he is always left in awe. He is stunned by how quiet their guns are in comparison to that of the Venesians.

"To destroy such a horde, only elite mages can do this much damage without casualties."

Barnett and Elceran walk near a dead goblin to take a look at the massacred creature. A maimed sack of green, hairless flesh laying in a pool of strange dark green blood.

"Are we going to run into more of these things?"

"No, at least we shouldn't. Goblins aren't seen very often, and large groups such as these are much rarer."

"Why is that?"

"No one is sure. Legends say that many centuries ago, a massive effort took place to exterminate these creatures from existence. Ultimately, they failed as they are still around. Most archives from those times are lost or destroyed for whatever reason, so all we can do is speculate. What about your country? Do you not encounter these creatures as well?"

"No. At least not recently. Our military did something similar a few decades ago. I suppose they were successful because no one has seen any sort of monster anywhere for years. Anyways, that's enough of that. We still have a long way to go to the extraction zone."

Except for the brief excitement of a goblin ambush, the group goes about their travels unhindered the rest of the day. The first day of their trip was difficult enough. Their second day is gruesome but is thankfully near sunset, so everyone will be able to rest. The third day will likely be the most tiresome.

The nearest experience the operators have to this are loaded marches which prepared them for the challenge, but this three-day hike is considerably more difficult. They didn't have to fight battles during a loaded march, nor did they march in this sort of terrain. Some of them are injured, making it more challenging, but they do not doubt that they will prevail. They always do.

Following crude maps, aerial photographs, and a compass, they traverse through a seemingly never-ending forest, only stopping a few times to rest. In addition to fatigue, cold temperatures are a constant obstacle to overcome, but they all push forward.

When the sun sets, they set up camp once more. Another fulfilling meal and a conversation later, everyone goes to bed with their bodies sore.

On the third day, they continue to trek along the remote wilderness. No amount of motivation is enough to lift their spirits at this point as pain runs through their bodies with every step they take. While Elceran is in better shape than when he was in the dungeon, it is still hell. It is as if all the pain and suffering he endured is now concentrated onto his feet to the point that an operator has to help him walk constantly, and breaks are more frequent.