Blood Bath

<p>{Natalia's POV}<br/><br/>I duck and weave between the people in the clearing. Thanks to how small I am, no one notices as I eavesdrop on their conversations.<br/>'Maybe I can figure out where I am and how I got here.'<br/>At least, that's my train of thought.<br/>I can't help but feel a sense of urgency. It's been there ever since I woke up in the cave.<br/>Everyone falls silent at the same time.<br/>The once almost calm atmosphere suddenly turned tense again, a hint of nervousness in the air.<br/>'Fuck, I can't see! Why couldn't I have been born taller!' <br/>Fighting my way through the crowd, I'm not even looked at as I make my way to the outside of the semi-circle of people.<br/>Only after climbing onto a large boulder am I able to see what everyone's looking at.<br/>'Who's that in the hood?'<br/>Despite the distance, I can hear every single word the man is saying. It's almost like he's standing right in front of me.<br/>The final cackle he had sends a chill up my spine. Without hesitation, I jump off the rock and sprint into the forest.<br/><br/>{Kairo's POV}<br/><br/>I can hear people muttering<br/>"Where did he come from?"<br/>"What does he mean by 'new group'?"<br/>"He's the only one, so why did he say 'us'?"<br/>I can hear Rat saying something to me, but my entire focus is on the cloaked man. It feels like he's going to say more, and I don't want to miss a single word.<br/>"First off, you guys can call me Draken. I'm an...executioner of sorts, so I guess my name doesn't matter. Hopefully, you guys can entertain me."<br/>'Did he say executioner? And what does he mean by entertain?'<br/>"Think of this as a competition of survival. We're going to let a bunch of goblins have at you. Whoever's left after the sun rises are the winners. You can also try to kill all of them, but good luck with that. Either way, the victors win an excruciating death from me, so don't stress to much! Good luck!"<br/>With a sick laugh he vanishes from sight.<br/>My eyes skim across the crowd, then to the trees.<br/>He's nowhere to be found.<br/>A horn sounds from somewhere in the woods, drawing my gaze and everyone's attention.<br/>As is slowly dies out, a loud CLANG resounds across the clearing.<br/>The shadows of the trees seem to shift with the flickering of the torches. <br/>They start going out, one by one.<br/>Everytime a torch was extinguished, the darkness surrounding the clearing slowly crept in, encompassing them completely as the last torch went out with a *HISS*.<br/>The only thing lighting the clearing now is the carpet of stars stretching across the heavens.<br/>A cloud moved out from in front of the moon, bathing the clearing in a crimson light.<br/>There's a moment of tranquility.<br/>Then I see movement. From behind where Draken had been standing.<br/>No one else is watching the treeline.<br/>Wart covered noses break the curtain of darkness. <br/>Foul looking creatures follow, their green skin stained red by the moonlight.<br/>Ten of them. Chipped swords dangle from their hands, dragging on the ground.<br/>Clouds of steam puff from their mouths as they step further into the clearing. <br/>The one in front smiles and my stomach lurches. It's crooked teeth drip with slobber, which slowly dribbles to the ground.<br/>They stand there, frozen, until someone screams.<br/>The people immediately in front of them are mowed down without mercy. The next row quickly follows<br/>People are pushing, shoving, even attacking each other, anything to get away from the goblins.<br/>I can't help but stare in shock and disbelief until Matthew roughly shakes me.<br/>"We must go! They are nearly here!"<br/>"Uh, yeah. We...we really do. Shit!"<br/>Rat, Matthew, and I turn to run, but a wall of people blocks our way. Hearing an unfamiliar squelching sound, I turn around and my eyes widen in horror.<br/>The guy behind me.<br/>A sword is sticking out of his stomach. <br/>A cackling goblin stands behind him, licking his blood off it's face.<br/>My body goes numb. Every cell within me says run.<br/>Instead I charge the goblin, pushing the guys corpse on top of it before it can pull the sword out of him.<br/>The goblin flounders as it falls to the ground, the weight of a carcass pinning it down.<br/>I start stomping on the goblin's head like a wild beast. One kick, two, then there's a loud CRACK and it stops moving.<br/>Panting for breath, I roll the corpse off of the goblin. I have a moment of hesitation, but eventually grasp the hilt of the sword and plant my foot on his back.<br/>At first, the blade doesn't want to come out. However, after a few more tugs it slides out with a disgusting sucking noise, similar to someone pulling their foot out of mud.<br/>I turn back to Rat and Matt, still unable to catch my breath. They both look like they're going to be sick.<br/>My stomach is rolling, but ignore it as I turn to another goblin slashing someone's throat.<br/>The girl stares wide eyed at the goblin, desperately grasping at her throat, before collapsing.<br/>The goblin glances over to see its dead comrade, then fixes its beady eyes on me.<br/>I charge before it has the chance to attack, the sword raised over my head poised to split its skull open.<br/>As I clumsily bring the blade down, the goblin parries my sword to the side.<br/>My grip on the hilt loosens as it kicks me in the side, sending me crashing to the ground. <br/>I desperately fight to get air into my lungs. My fingers dig into the pine needles as I try to drag myself away from the monster. <br/>It's shadow creeps over me, the silhouette of its sword slowly being raised as it grows closer.</p>