Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 017 - Battle in Minoosh part 1

Kaen lay against the roof, waiting to give the signal.

How far are they?

They are outside the town.  They have finished checking the farms because of the noise of the town.  They should be entering the streets soon on those two sides.

Kaen grunted to himself.  This plan that Hess had seemed crazy, but he understood why Hess felt it needed to happen this way.  The orcs and goblins had stopped a few miles from the farmlands and scouted.  Hess said they would wait closer to dark before they attacked.  Even if they did attack early, the town would be ready for it.

He shot a prepared arrow with a shaft covered in red and embedded it in a post near a group of men.  When they saw the color of the arrow, the four of them dashed off to relay the news to the men waiting all over the town.

Music was playing, and the sounds of forced laughter and noise echoed from the center of town.  Lights had been lit while women, children, and a few men were pretending to enjoy themselves.  Hess had made sure that everyone else who would take a role in this ambush on the goblins and orcs was hidden inside the buildings and waiting for the signal to attack.

Glancing up at the sky where the sun was almost down now, Kaen wished they had more torches burning.  If it got much darker, it would be harder to see.

They are slowly coming into the town.  Each orc is taking ten goblins with them.  You are in the middle of two groups.

Kaen watched the sky.  Even with his eyesight, he could not see Pammon.  He knew where he was but was too far to see.  Perhaps if he was fully grown, he could spot him then, but since he was only a youngling, he was just a speck in the sky.

Kaen glanced at the men on other roofs near him.  There were at least five men with bows.  Most of them were decent with them, but none of them could come close to his skill Hess had informed him.  They would protect the women and children from behind while Kaen took out as many as he could.

A dog started barking off to the south, and suddenly a yelp sounded before being cut off.  Anger filled Kaen’s chest as he knew these creatures would do that and worse to any of the people they could get their claws into.  He would not let anyone get hurt if he could help it.

They have left the first row of houses.  Some went in, but the orcs called them out.  It looks like three goblins are moving in to scout and see where all of the townspeople are.  The others are staying behind.  You should see a scout soon on your left and right.

Kaen kept his back against the roof.  He was ahead of all the others by a row of houses.  Underneath him was Patrick and a group of men.  Cale and more men were a few houses to his left.  He knew Hess and a few other groups were spread a few streets past Cale.  The thought of fighting in the city streets and the normal people of town being attacked by a group like this was hard.  Having seen Pammon get hurt made him fearful for the rest of the town.

To your right behind the building across from you.  You should see the scout soon.  He is almost near you.  I cannot see the other one who was near you.  I think he entered a house, or he is under a porch.

Kaen sighed quietly and rose to his knee.  He held the bow ready to draw as he waited to see the goblin that Pammon had warned him about.  Seconds ticked by slowly, and then he saw the goblin peering out around the corner of the house.  It was holding a sword and shield with a bit of armor on its chest.  Kaen knew this meant it was smarter than the other goblins he had faced outside of the cave, it was one to be careful with.

The goblin saw the lights from the few streets ahead and heard the noise of the crowd.  The smell of meat cooking filled the air.  Hess had made sure they cooked a lot of meat to help cover the scent of people hiding and waiting in the houses.  Kaen could see its eyes darting across all the streets before it started to slink towards the next row of houses.

As the goblin moved, Kaen pulled back on the bow and saw the tip line up with where he wanted it to go.  Thirty yards would have seemed difficult with his old bow, but this one easily could hit seventy.  He needed to be precise.

His eyes and his skill took over his hand and his breathing.  He held his breath, and as the goblin slowly moved forward, the tip of the arrow was where it needed to be. He let the string go.

The string made no noise that anyone but he could hear.  The arrow blew through the throat of the goblin, and it crumpled into a heap on the ground between the street.  The arrow buried itself into the ground on the other side of the goblin.

Good shot! On your left, two houses down, it just went under a porch!  It should move again soon, but it is faster than the one you just shot.

Kaen put another arrow on the string and twisted on his foot and knee as he looked to the house Pammon had mentioned.  He could somehow feel where Pammon was focused with his gaze now.  Both of them were hunting the same goblin.

Just as Pammon had said, this goblin suddenly dashed forward toward the next house across the street, running with its shield and sword.

The arrow was off just a hair and struck the shoulder of the goblin and not his chest like Kaen had hoped.  The goblin fell to the ground with a clatter as his sword and shield fell from his hand, and he started to scream.

Wasting no time, Kaen had already pulled another arrow out and let it go, catching the goblin in the head and dropping it while it tried to shout a warning.

Please let the music and laughter have drowned that out, Kaen thought to himself.  He glanced around to see if there was any other movement, but he saw none from either goblin.

Are the other groups moving?

No, but the last scout is on the move still.  It will reach a point where it will soon see the people in the center of town near Hess’s location.

Kaen pounded on the roof with his foot three times, wasting no time.  Patrick came outside, stood on the street, and glanced at Kaen.

“Two goblins are dead, we need to move them now!” Kaen ordered as quietly as he could.  He pointed to the two directions of the scouts he had taken out.

Patrick nodded and went inside, and four men soon ran out in pairs of two, each of them headed to gather the goblin’s corpse.

Loud screaming could be heard from the northern part of town.

The goblin saw someone, it looks like.  They have killed it, but the orc and the goblins on that side are now starting to come into town.  It looks like the other two groups are starting to move as well!  They will be on you all in a minute!

Keep me updated!! You are our strongest weapon telling me where they are at!

Joy and happiness flooded through their link.  Pammon was glad to know Kaen thought so highly of him.

Kaen tapped the roof two times, paused for two seconds, and tapped it two more times.  He gave the signal to the men inside that the goblins and orcs were coming.

Taking a deep breath, Kaen let it out slowly.  Things were going to get ugly in the next minute, and he knew that people would possibly die.  He could almost feel his dad with him at this moment.  Wearing this armor and holding that bow seemed to calm his nerves.

The right side, maybe twenty seconds, is four between the building closest to you.  Three more on the other side of that building.  The orc and the last two are moving slower and have not picked a path yet.

Kaen wished he could tell Patrick and the men inside where the goblins would appear, but he would have to do what he could to help with the horde that was about to crash upon them.

The odds were not good, even with almost fifty men scattered around the town.  Goblins were skilled in fighting, and these men were not.  Kaen remembered the first time he had to fight and how he had frozen.  Freezing here would mean injury or death.

Movement came from the same spot he had shot the first goblin scout.  One of the goblins ran into the street and tugged on the arrow that he had used to kill the first scout.  The men had either missed it or forgotten to pull it!

The goblin called to his two friends, and one of them stepped out to see the arrow.

Kaen knew it was now or never and drew back the bow and let it fly.  He could now see the spot he wanted to hit as if it was ten yards closer.  While not large or wide, their necks felt as if he could somehow reach out and touch them with his hand.

“I’m almost level twenty-three in archery,” Kaen thought as he let the arrow go.  The bow was gifting him with a major bonus to his stats.  Once someone had reached a level of twenty, their skill improved drastically, Hess had told him years ago.  The few who managed to hit thirty or forty were considered gods and could do things many would never imagine were possible.

The second goblin was knocked to his side and fell down as the arrow shredded his spinal cord.  The shot had been off just a hair, but it had actually worked better that way.

Kaen again wasted no time and pulled and let go of a second arrow as the first goblin stood there for a moment, confused at what happened.  His lifestone pulsed, and he felt it somehow take over his next shot.  This time the arrow struck true and ripped through the goblin's leather chest piece and pierced its heart before lodging itself into the ground behind the goblin.  The goblin jumped up just a few inches before falling dead.

A heart shot!

[ Archery Skill Increased ]

Kaen wanted to celebrate but knew he did not have time for it.  The arrow he was drawing now felt smoother and faster.  He knew he had hit twenty naturally, and he could feel the power of the lifestone and his skill, allowing him to see better and farther.  He could feel the wind across his cheek and hair and knew just how much it would impact his next shot.

The third goblin in that group started screaming, and the group that was hidden by the edge of his building made a large shouting noise.

They are coming toward your building!

Kaen popped up and moved quickly to the edge of the building and risked a glance.  He saw a goblin with a bow aimed in his direction and whipped his head back as an arrow flew by, missing him by just a few inches.

“Crap!”

Kaen looked again and saw the goblin reaching for another arrow.

Smiling, Kaen let the arrow he had ready to fly go and watched as it ripped through the goblin's left shoulder, pinning him to the side of the wooden building.

It shrieked and yelled as it found itself stuck to the building and unable to move.

Another arrow found its mark in its chest,  pinning it solidly to the wall and ending its struggles.

Underneath him, he heard screaming and shouting.  The goblins found themselves being attacked by the townspeople who had hidden in the building.  None of them were gifted warriors, but the blacksmith was with them, and he was hefting a huge two-handed hammer.

Kaen was unable to see what was taking place on the porch underneath him.

Your left! Quickly!

Spinning on his feet, Kaen dashed across the roof and saw the pack of nine goblins moving with the orc behind them.  The men had come out earlier than they should have, giving up ground as they were pressed from the front.

On the ground, someone was about to get attacked by two goblins in just a few seconds.

Kaen cried out when he saw it was Cale!