Chapter 250 The Battle Begins

Hermit's saviors were almost as badly abused as he was, their bodies bearing the scars of countless beatings and mistreatment. They were malnourished and filthy, their naked bodies caked with filth and their faces gaunt with hunger.

As they worked to free Hermit from his bindings, the goblin slaves exchanged worried glances, their faces etched with lines of pain and suffering. They knew all too well the horrors of life in the breeding farm, and they understood the risks they were taking in helping their fellow slave. With a final tug, the ropes fell away, and Hermit's body slumped to the ground in a heap.

As they worked, Hermit's saviors cast nervous glances over their shoulders, their ears twitching at the slightest sound. They knew that their time was limited and that the evil guards could return at any moment to inflict even more pain and suffering upon them all.

But despite their fears, the goblin slaves helped Hermit. With gentle hands, they lifted him from the ground and carried him away from the scene of his torment, their footsteps echoing softly against the hard-packed ground.

"We got fellow gob! Now run! Run for your lives!"

"Keep moving! Keep moving! Don't look back!"

"Careful, careful! He's hurt bad," one of the goblins whispered, his voice a terrified squeak.

With trembling hands, the goblin slaves carried Hermit into one of their tents, the worn-out fabric barely holding together. They laid him down on the dirt floor. With no medical supplies to speak of, they resorted to their primitive methods of healing.

"Don't worry, gobbie friend, we're here to help," one of the goblins said soothingly, his hands trembling as he gingerly pushed Hermit's dangling eyeball back into place. The grotesque sight made the other goblins shudder, but they pressed on. 

"Easy now, easy," another goblin murmured.

Holding a splinter of wood with a trembling hand and with clumsy fingers, he punctured the swollen lumps around Hermit's other eye, the blood oozing out slowly easing the swelling. 

"This'll ease the pain, gobbie friend. Just hang in there."

Their elongated tongues became makeshift cleaning tools as they licked and lapped at Hermit's wounds, their saliva mixing with the dirt and blood as they worked to cleanse his wounded body. Once they had removed as much filth as they could, they laid Hermit on his belly, covered his shredded back and butt with moist, oversized leaves, and dug some moist dirt onto the leaves, the makeshift bandages offering some semblance of relief.

With gentle yet firm hands, the goblins worked to pop Hermit's dislocated arms back into place, their efforts causing him to wince and moan in pain even in his unconscious state. Despite their lack of expertise and resources, the goblin slaves did their best to care for their fallen comrade, their suffering momentarily forgotten as they tended to Hermit's wounds.

Meanwhile, Suzuka, Max, and Jake moved through the forest into the opening and stepped into the tall grass, their eyes fixed on the ramshackle gates of the breeding farm looming before them in the distance. Despite the danger of their part in Larry's plan, Suzuka's steps were light, her confidence unwavering as she led the charge sticking to his plan.

As they inched closer to the gates, Suzuka glanced back at her companions, "Jake, stay close and follow my lead. Max, stay back and get behind cover, or better yet climb a tree and get a better point of view. Support us with your arrows." she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustling of the grass.

Max and Jake nodded in silent agreement, they trusted Suzuka's leadership because Larry had spoken highly of her.

Meanwhile, Larry and Mia moved stealthily along the camp's perimeter, their movements careful and deliberate as they sought a way to enter undetected. They kept to the shadows, their eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement or danger.

As Suzuka and Jake stealthily made their way closer to the goblin breeding farm, they were suddenly betrayed by a creaking sound that echoed through the air. One of the goblin guards, perched on the shabby walls surrounding the farm, had spotted their movements in the tall grass and began banging on a piece of dry wood with a stick, a primitive goblin alarm, to alert the entire camp.

The once-quiet farm erupted into chaos, the noise akin to a swarm of angry bees. Inside, panic-stricken evil goblins scurried about like frenzied ants, their shouts and cries echoing through the camp. Meanwhile, from the caverns nestled within the cliff, a horde of goblins poured forth, wielding primitive wooden weapons, their eyes ablaze with fear.

In a brutal and callous display, the evil goblins burst into the goblin slave tents, grabbing their unfortunate captives by any means necessary - be it their feet, hands, scalps, or ears. Without a shred of guilt, they dragged the goblin slaves to the walls, where a group of goblin guards pointed and shouted in their guttural goblin language at Suzuka and Jake.

With horrifying brutality, the evil goblins began hurling the goblin slaves over the walls, sending them tumbling into the open space beyond. Like a torrent of misery, the slaves crashed into the tall grass below, their pained screams and cries filling the air. The evil goblins treated them as nothing more than expendable objects, chucking them over the walls like an avalanche of rocks. The pitiful slaves tumbled and fell like discarded rag dolls, their bodies crashing into the tall grass below with sickening thuds and agonizing screams.

But even as they lay in the dirt, thrashed and broken, the goblin slaves rose to their feet, their eyes wide with fear and confusion as they stumbled towards Suzuka and Jake, their cries of anguish filling the field. Trembling with fear and unable to comprehend the horrors unfolding around them, they shouted in their goblin language, a jumble of guttural clicks and chirps, pleading for mercy and salvation from the two intruders. Unfortunately for them, neither Suzuka nor Jake could speak their language. It was a heartbreaking sight, watching these helpless, miserable creatures flee from their oppressors, only to be slaughtered by the adventurers who came to save them.

As the small army of goblin slaves scuttled toward Suzuka and Jake, the goblin archers manned the walls, their poorly made bows creaking under the strain as they released a volley of poorly made arrows at the intruders. Most of the arrows lost velocity mid-flight and landed harmlessly in the dirt. Still, some found their mark, striking the unfortunate goblin slaves with deadly accuracy, piercing their flesh, and sending them writhing in agony on the ground.

The evil goblins manning the walls erupted into hysterical laughter at the sight of their pitiful slaves squirming like worms beneath the rain of arrows, their cruel amusement echoing across the battlefield. But their laughter was short-lived, seizing the opportunity to thin out the enemy forces, Suzuka wasted no time to strike back.

With a snap of her fingers, she unleashed her gravity magic, causing the heads of the evil goblins to implode with sickening squelches, their skulls crushed like overripe fruit, bodies crumpling to the ground in a grotesque heap. The walls erupted into chaos as the remaining goblins scrambled for cover, their once confident demeanor replaced by panic and fear.

 But the battle was far from over as the main gates of the breeding farm burst open, and a horde of goblin warriors armed with crudely made spears poured out, their savage cries reverberating through the air. Evil goblins leaped into the tall grass, their movements stealthy as they sought to ambush Suzuka and Jake with sneak attacks from all sides.

As the horde of goblins descended upon them, Jake's panic escalated, his eyes widening in terror as he realized the enormity of the goblin hoard.

 "Helen," he stammered, his voice trembling, "I-I can't... I can't afford to hold back. There are too many of them. This is madness!"

 He gestured towards the looming horde of goblins, their numbers far exceeding his worst fears. 

"These goblins won't hesitate to kill us if given the chance. We have to do whatever it takes to survive. I have no room to look out for the goblin slaves! I have to fight. I have to fight with everything I've got, or we'll be overwhelmed!"

Suzuka attempted to reason with Jake, her voice filled with urgency and desperation, she pleaded with him to hold back and refrain from lethal force.

 "Jake! Hold on! Don't kill them! Just knock them out if you can! There's no need to..." But before she could finish, her words were cut short by a swarm of goblin slaves bursting forth from the tall grass, their desperate cries filling the air as they leaped and latched onto Jake with a frenzy born of desperation.

The swarm of goblin slaves enveloped Jake, their frail forms clinging to his limbs like twisted vines, rendering him immobile as they wept uncontrollably. Their beaten, filthy, tear-streaked faces bore expressions of anguish and fear, betraying their unwilling participation in the violence forced upon them by their cruel masters.

With a grunt, Jake struggled against the dozen slaves, his muscles straining against the weight of the goblins as they clung to him with savage intensity. Jake found himself overwhelmed as the goblin slaves latched onto him, their small, stinking, emaciated bodies restricting his movements with surprising strength. They clung to him like desperate children, tears streaming down their dirty faces, pleading for mercy.

 "Helen, Max, we've got incoming! Look out!" Jake shouted, his voice tinged with urgency as he fought to keep the goblins at bay.

Suzuka's initial instinct was to rush to Jake's aid, but before she could act, one of the goblin slaves broke away from the group and ran towards her, his desperation visible in every frantic movement. With a heart-wrenching leap, he threw himself at Suzuka's waist, his thin arms wrapping around her in a desperate attempt to hold her in place. His legs dangled limply in the air, his body trembling with fear and exhaustion as he looked up at Suzuka with pleading eyes, begging for salvation from the horrors that surrounded him.

Suzuka's heart sank as she took in the pitiful sight before her. The goblin slave, emaciated and malnourished, bore the scars of years of mistreatment and abuse. His eyes held only despair and resignation. His body, marked with bruises and wounds, bore witness to the cruelty inflicted upon him by his goblin overlords.

With a gentle touch, Suzuka attempted to reassure the trembling creature, her voice laced with compassion as she promised to aid him and his friends.

"We're here to help you, little guy. Don't be afraid, we are friendly. Do you understand me? Help. We are here to help you." She murmured, her voice laced with compassion.

 Unfortunately, only a few goblins of many knew the people's language and this poor slave wasn't the one.