EFate: An MMO Story Chapter 111: Owin's Sacrifice

"Go!" Owin cried, rus.h.i.+ng forward to meet Grimarok who'd ignored the plight of his subordinates, instead opting to command his worg to charge towards the militia, followed by several dozen elite goblins.
Coming to their senses, the rest of the militia followed suit, mirroring the goblins' charge as the two sides collided. With a shout, Eric thrust his athame into a goblin's chest, firing the Wind Dart he'd prepared directly into its heart. Not even stopping to watch it fall, Eric had already moved onto the next goblin, blocking a swing meant for Seryllia with his falchion as he kicked the goblin's legs out from beneath it.
Not bothering to thank him, Seryllia buried her axe in the goblin's back, flicking the gore off as she spun and delivered a Power Blow to another goblin. Attempting to bring its sabre up in defense, the goblin's face paled as its guard crumbled, Seryllia's axe cras.h.i.+ng into its skull before the goblin could even come to terms with the enormity of its error.
As Owin and his squad engaged Grimarok, Eric and the rest of the militia did their best to engage the elite goblins. However, there were simply too many of them. The goblins made up for in numbers what they lacked in skill. For every goblin Eric killed, it seemed like two more took its place, as if the goblins were all part of some twisted, monstrous, goblin hydra.
With a mournful cry, Zwei fell, his two handed sword still finding a place in the chest of one last goblin as its companions sabres pierced his abdomen. Letting out a rage-filled yell, Mikasa went to work, her twin blades flas.h.i.+ng as she dealt with Zwei's killers, throwing herself at the goblin forces without regard for her own safety.
"Mikasa! Stop!" Eric yelled, but it was too late.
Even as Eric and Ryan headed to her aid, Mikasa's health was already plummeting, as she made herself the target of numerous goblin sabres. Her two swords spinning, Mikasa took out another pair of goblins before she fell, a regretful look etched upon her young face.
Around them, more and more fighters were falling, succ.u.mbing to the acc.u.mulated wounds as they fought tooth and nail with the relentless horde of goblins in front of them. Using s.h.i.+eld Rush, Turk threw himself bodily in front of Aria, bowling over three goblins who were about to finish off the mage. Before Aria could react, more goblins threw themselves atop of him, their sabres flas.h.i.+ng as Turk disappeared under a ma.s.s of writhing goblin flesh.
With a despairing scream, Aria swung her staff like a golf club, smas.h.i.+ng the end into a goblins skull. Whirling it around, she brought the b.u.t.t of the staff down upon another goblin, before a third rushed forward, its sabre glinting as it stabbed deep into Aria's stomach.
Before the goblin could swing again, Aria was thrown backwards, as Griffin blocked the sabre with his s.h.i.+eld, returning the favour with a Wild Strike.
"We need to retreat! Now!" Kifax shouted, his claws dyed red with goblin blood.
"No! Owin needs to deal with Grimarok! If we retreat, the entire plan falls into jeopardy!" Eric roared back, firing a Wind Dart point blank into a goblin's eyes. As the goblin retreated, its sabre swinging blindly, Eric blocked its attack with his athame, lopping off its head as he kicked another goblin back into its fellows.
Even though Eric had said this, it wasn't as if Owin and his squad were faring well against Grimarok. Wielding his enormous sabre, Grimarok rained blow after blow down upon the five scouts from atop his worg, the ma.s.sive beast snapping at any scout who dared to come close.
As Eric looked over, Grimarok's worg lunged forward, its jaws latching onto the leg of one of Owin's companions. With a scream, the man fell, the worg dragging him backwards and away from the rest of the squad.
Lunging forward, Owin attempted to save the man, but Grimarok's blade descended once more, blocking his path and forcing him to dodge aside. As he watched, the worg used its powerful foreclaws to eviscerate the poor scout, his cries quickly fading as the worg's steakknife-like claws pierced his chest.
With a cry of anguish, Owin rushed forward, somehow dodging underneath Grimarok's strike as he used Das.h.i.+ng Cut to charge the worg. Looking up from its kill, the worg opened its jaws to receive Owin, but Owin was faster. With a stab, he embedded his sword deep within the worg's eye. Letting out an earthshaking howl, the worg thrashed violently, wrenching Owin's sword from his grasp as it let out a devastating howl that caused friend and foe alike to stop fighting, clenching their hands to their ears in pain.
With a contemptuous look upon his face, Grimarok ignored his worg's dying howls, swinging his blade towards the man who'd killed his beloved mount. Gritting his teeth through the pain, Owin attempted to raise his s.h.i.+eld, but the debilitating effect of the worg's howl proved too much for him. Receiving the blow with the lip of his s.h.i.+eld, Owin's s.h.i.+eld bent backwards, as Grimarok's blade slammed into his body. Flying backwards, Owin rolled across the ground, his body going still as his bent s.h.i.+eld landed in the dirt beside him. Glaring angrily at the scout, Grimarok jumped off of his mount. As if that was the signal the worg had been waiting for, the howls finally ceased, as the worg collapsed, dead at last.