Necessary Villain

3 - First Encounter

It doesn't take long for everyone else to start screaming along with the woman. People run in every direction—some even toward the goblin. I guess some want to be the hero here, but most just want to get away.

The goblin itself is only half the size of an adult and wields a short sword. It has a thin green head with pointy ears and sharp eyes. Its reaction to this situation isn't much different from ours. It looks absolutely terrified. I mean, imagine being on a meager stroll through the forest and then happening upon a gigantic group of abnormal beings double your size who go ape-shit when they spot you.

I watch this all unfold while trying to regain my footing to no avail.

The shaking goblin which, seems like it should be frightened out of its mind and running, charges at me with its sword raised trying to take advantage of my blunder.

"Ergh." Coinciding with a loud grunt I feel someone take hold of the hem of my shirt and yank me back.

While my frame is not overly heavy, it cannot be considered light—standing at 6'4 and over 190 lbs I'm not an easy one to move, especially if the one trying to move me is half a foot shorter than me. Showcasing this, the same man who gave me his jacket earlier and now yanking me to safety begins helplessly tumbling toward the goblin—in an even more perilous situation than I was in.

"Why?!" I scream as he stumbles, throwing his arm into the goblin's path to shield himself. The sword cuts deep, exposing flesh to the bone.

I don't know if it's arrogance or desperation, but instead of kicking the goblin back and retreating, he grabs its arms and twists, forcing it to drop the sword. But the goblin seems...calm? Like it's adjusting to this situation, strategizing.

I hurriedly gather myself and try to close the distance between myself and the two entangled in a tango of death, but it happens in an instant.

"Kreee," the goblin lets out a scream then opens its mouth revealing a shark-like set of teeth that it plunges into the man's arm perfectly overlapping where he'd been struck by the sword. The man screams and loosens his grip on the goblin. In under a second, the goblin retrieves its sword and severs the man's left arm using the weakened area.

I finally reach them, but now I can do nothing but watch as the man who'd lent me his jacket flails around in agony while holding his severed left arm in his right hand. He crumples to the ground while still screaming in agony.

"Ho... I..." I can't even manage a single word.

"Snap out of it!" A tall blond man screams as he charges by me and dropkicks the goblin who unknowingly had been a second from claiming my life. But I couldn't be bothered by that anymore.

I grab onto the injured man and drag him away from the goblin. I don't think he'll die immediately but blood loss will claim his life sooner or later. At this realization I close my eyes in an attempt to hide the tears that begin to well up, even further, hide from reality. This is all my fault after all.

His screams soon subside replaced by the sound of the blond man pulverizing the goblin. I can't stop the tears when I realize he's taken his last breaths and I didn't even get to thank him or apologize. It's my fault he died. If he hadn't tried to save me he would've lived. I might as well have killed him with my own hands.

"Shut your ass up!"

I open my eyes and stare blankly at the source of the noise, tears still falling from my face to the ground. It'd come from the man who I held in my arms whose cries of anguish had now turned into a silent grimace.

"But I..."

"Your thoughts are loud as hell," He pushes me off of him with his remaining arm. I fall back, stunned, unable to even move. "I just tripped while trying to save your sorry ass. While I don't plan on dying, it seems likely, so could you get out of the way and let me see the sky."