Page 42 of The Daughter of the Scarred Elf

She could already feel the heat clawing up her neck.

“I’m sure there are people who think you guys are no better than these green-skins,” he said as if reading her initial discomfort. “But they’re either blind or lying to themselves if they think you’reactuallyat the same level.”

It was oddly comforting to know that he didn’t view her as a heartless monster like these goblins. He might’ve been rough around the edges, but at least he wasn’t hunter material.

They continued down the corridor, looking through every dark room they passed. Occasionally, they came across a random goblin or two, but they took care of it with ease. Ivar let her do most of the killing, citing that she needed the experience.

Kolfinna halted in her steps when she heard in the distance the distinct sound of a child sobbing and the screech-like cackling of a magical creature—it sounded similar to when a goblin grunted before it died or before it readied itself to attack. Her blood ran cold.

She didn’t think, she just ran.

Ivar ran behind her, his gaze cutting to the various open doorways they passed. “What’s going?—”

A goblin shot out from one of the rooms and slammed right into Kolfinna. She knocked into the wall. Her temple cracked against one of the rocky protuberances along the wall and her vision danced with shadows. A club struck her shoulder at the same time she hit the floor.

Gritting through the pain, she reached for her mana and touched the rocky wall as the goblin raised its club again. One of the stones burst from the wall and she hit the goblin across the face. It skittered backward and Ivar wrapped a ball of water over its face. The creature clawed at its throat, eyes bulging and mouth flapping open in shock.

“What—” Ivar was saying.

“Go,children.” She blinked past her starry vision and pointed to the end of the hall. “Now.”

Ivar bolted in the direction she had signaled to. Kolfinna rubbed the side of her face and tried to stand, but her vision was still blurred at the edges and darkening like blots of ink. She blinked back and calmed her breathing. Ivar would save thechild. She trusted in his abilities. She just hoped she could right herself in time so she could join him and help.

She pushed herself to her feet. Her vision still danced with blotches of black and she had to hold the wall to keep herself upright. She squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled deeply. She knew it would only take a minute or two from her past experience of healing herself. Then she could spring into action and help.

Across from her, something breathed loudly. Unevenly.

Kolfinna turned her head just as a creature lumbered through the doorway. Unlike the small goblins who had hobbled forward and were only three to four feet tall, this thing was at least seven feet. It had to bend its green-skinned bald head to fit through the doorway. Its belly was distended and round, like it had eaten far too much, and its muscles bulged. Razor-sharp teeth stuck out of its mouth and its beady red eyes found Kolfinna’s instantaneously.

She raised a hand to bring forth her mana, but the creature, despite its size, was faster. It rushed her and Kolfinna tried to shove herself off the wall and away from its attack, but it was too late. Its fist connected with her shoulder and it swatted her away like a fly. She tumbled and rolled across the hallway like a rag doll. Her vision spun, her shoulder and back ached, and she kept rolling until she slammed into a wall.

She raised her wobbly arms. She needed to get up and fight?—

It was on her again. It kicked her side and she flew again, tumbling and cracking her shoulder against the ground. Fierce pain shot through her core. Her wet gasps told her she had at least one broken rib.

Up—

Get up?—

Kolfinna barely pushed herself to her elbows. All she could see was spinning black and blurs of indistinguishable color.

Again, something struck her stomach—a foot, maybe—and she hit the wall. Iron blood filled her mouth. She pressed her palms against the rough structure behind her and caused the stone to wrap in front of her in seconds. Another fist—or foot—slammed into her makeshift armor, but it was enough of a barrier for her to fall into the room behind the wall. She stumbled back, repairing the wall with a hand to make sure the creature stayed in the hall.

It roared and slammed into the stone she had replaced. Pebbles littered the floor and she could feel the sandy debris dusting her face every time the creature punched her new wall. She blinked rapidly, trickles of warm blood slipping past her lips.

That would keep it away for a minute. Enough time for Kolfinna to find her bearings.

A few seconds passed; the creature continued to pound on the wall. Kolfinna’s vision started to return to normal and she could make out the dark room. There was a doorway that seemed to lead to another hallway, but running wasn’t an option. There were humans inside this place and if she let this monster run amuck, she would be putting them in danger.

She needed to kill it—now.

Kolfinna touched her chest tentatively and gasped raggedly. Three broken ribs.

She didn’t know how long it took her body to heal itself, but it wasn’t happening fast enough.

The walls shook and all Kolfinna could do was back away farther into the darkly lit room. Just as she did, the creature barreled through. Stones and bits of rocks flew across the room. Kolfinna aimed a pointed stone spear at the large goblin’s face and shot it forward. The creature ducked in the nick of time and charged like a bull. She dove to the ground, away from its attack.Her chest screamed in agony and she tasted more metallic blood.

The goblin grunted loudly and picked up a piece of the crumbled wall and chucked it at her with all its might. Kolfinna raised her hand and a thin barrier of stone erected itself in seconds in front of her. The stone ground against her barrier and cracks formed all along it like a broken mirror. Kolfinna rolled in time as the creature struck the barrier with its muscular, green-skinned arm.

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