Chapter 32. Burn it Down

  Raven kept still, his hands slightly raised in a non-threatening gesture as he studied the woman holding the blade to his throat. She was small, likely of Asian descent, with sharp eyes and a stance that spoke of training. The blade in her hands gleamed in the shadows, its razor edge telling him she knew exactly how to use it.

  “I’m friendly, I promise,” Raven said carefully, keeping his voice calm. “My team and I were scouting when we saw your predicament.”

  The woman didn’t move, her expression unreadable. “Are you with the military or something?” Her voice was quiet, but there was an edge of suspicion to it. “You don’t look like military.”

  “No, not military,” Raven assured her. “I represent a faction that secured the hospital. We’ve got food, shelter, and a way to make more. We’re trying to save as many people as we can.”

  She studied him for a few more seconds before lowering the blade, though she didn’t put it away. “You’ll need to speak to Carlos. He’s in charge.”

  She gestured towards a door at the back of the building, and Raven moved as directed. He noted that she followed close behind, never letting him out of her sight. Paranoid? Maybe. But given what the world was becoming; he couldn’t blame her.

  She led him up a stairwell to the third floor and into a room at the front of the building, overlooking the street below. The air smelled faintly of smoke, and the flickering orange glow from outside cast eerie shadows on the walls. Standing at the window, watching the horde of goblins below with an unsettling level of focus, was the man Raven had seen earlier—the one who had been smiling as the goblins burned.

  “Carlos, got a new arrival. Thought you’d want to see him,” the woman announced.

  Carlos didn’t turn right away, his gaze locked on the goblins swarming outside. “I’m a bit busy, Primrose. Can this wait?”

  “He says he’s from the hospital,” she continued. “And that he has a team nearby.”

  Carlos finally turned to look at them, his expression guarded. He studied Raven for a long moment before turning back to the window. “How big is your team? Can you do anything about this?”

  Raven stepped forward and took a position beside him at the window. The scene below was worse than he had first thought—hundreds of goblins packed together, pressing against the fence line, snarling and snapping at the burning remains of their fallen kin. They weren’t stopping. They were testing the defences, looking for a way in.

  “Not without a plan,” Raven admitted. “How many people are in this building?”

  “Hundreds,” Carlos replied instantly. “The whole place is overflowing.”

  Raven clenched his jaw. That complicated things. He wasn’t even sure the hospital was ready for that many people so soon. But they couldn’t stay here, either. Carlos had been holding them off with fire, but he had to be burning through ether at a ridiculous rate. Eventually, he’d run dry.

  And when that happened, Raven doubted the horde would stay outside.

  Raven’s mind raced as he considered the logistics of getting everyone out of the apartment complex and retreating toward the hospital. The biggest problem was numbers—both the sheer number of people inside and the overwhelming horde outside. He needed a way to get them out safely, preferably without alerting the goblins, particularly the larger ones. If those brutes got involved, things would get ugly fast.

  He turned back to Carlos. “Do the goblins send patrols to the back of the apartments?”

  Carlos didn’t look away from the window. “Only occasionally, but we’ve seen movement on some of the rooftops. We assume they’re scouts, checking on things.”

  Raven nodded. “What about the big bastards? Have they tried getting in yet?”

  “No,” Carlos said, shaking his head. “They haven’t come near the gate since I roasted the first group.”

  That was good news. The brutes weren’t charging blindly at the defences, which meant they weren’t just mindless attackers—they feared whatever Carlos was doing to them. But that brought up another concern.

  “How much ether do you have left?” Raven asked.

  Carlos finally turned his head slightly. “What the fuck is ether?”

  Raven blinked. “You don’t know?”

  Carlos frowned. “Why? Should I?”

  Raven felt a stab of disbelief. “How are you creating the flames?”

  Carlos hesitated, his expression shifting slightly. “Don’t judge me, alright? I’m not crazy, but… I can feel the flames inside me. It’s like they’re just… waiting, and I let them out.”

  That all but confirmed Raven’s suspicion—Carlos had an inherent fire trait and was unknowingly burning ether every time, he used his power. That meant Carlos wasn’t consciously controlling his ether reserves, which could be a problem.

  “Does the fire grow when you kill monsters?” Raven asked.

  Carlos narrowed his eyes. “Yeah. How did you know?”

  Raven smirked slightly. “It’s not an easy explanation, but from the way you’ve been burning goblins down, I can only assume you’ve formed a seed core and are further along than most.”

  Carlos scoffed, but there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “You’re saying there’s more to this than just ‘feeling’ the flames?”

  “A lot more,” Raven confirmed. “And if you’re not careful, you’ll run yourself dry without realizing it.”

  Carlos rubbed his chin, his gaze flicking back to the horde outside. “Alright, so what’s the plan, then?”

  Raven exhaled slowly. “First, we need to get the people out of here. To do that, we need a path one that avoids those scouts and doesn’t alert the goblins. And second, we need to make sure that when we start moving, the big bastards don’t get a chance to react.”

  Carlos nodded. “And I’m guessing that’s where I come in.”

  Raven grinned. “You’re damn right. If we do this right, you’re going to light up the night.”

  Carlos let out a low chuckle. “I like the sound of that.”

  Carlos leaned back against the window frame, rubbing his chin as he listened to Raven's plan. When Raven mentioned needing a way to topple the wall or get over it, Carlos smirked and pointed at Primrose.

  "She can cut her way through, no problem," he said.

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  Raven glanced at her, eyebrows raising slightly. "That so?"

  Primrose shrugged. "I can manage."

  Carlos grinned, "Where I can feel flames, she can feel the wind." It shows when she swings that sword of hers. It’s like the damn air bends around it."

  Raven took another look at Primrose, reassessing her. If she could manipulate wind as Carlos described, then she was far more dangerous than she looked. He was suddenly glad he hadn't fucked with her downstairs. That could have gone badly.

  "Alright, that could work," Raven said. "Here’s the plan. My team and I will take out the scouts first. On our signal, Primrose creates an exit, and we start moving people out quietly. The streets leading here from the hospital are clear, so if we move fast, we can get everyone back safely."

  Carlos nodded along, but he already looked impatient. "And the goblins?"

  Raven smirked. "That’s where you come in. Stop torching the small groups. Let them think you’re out of ether. If they believe you’re drained, they’ll charge in all at once."

  Carlos’ grin stretched wide. "And then?"

  "We burn the place down," Raven said. "You bait them inside, set the place alight, and we bring the whole damn building down on their heads."

  Carlos let out a low whistle. "That’s... beautifully evil."

  Primrose, still reserved, gave a slight nod. "Risky, but doable."

  Carlos turned to look back at the horde below, cracking his knuckles. "Alright then. Let’s burn some goblins."

  Raven smirked. "I’ll be back soon with my team. Be ready."

  And with that, he slipped back into the stairwell, his mind already running through the next steps. This plan was insane—but if it worked, it would be one hell of a win.

  Raven returned to his group and quickly explained the new mission, keeping his voice low. The team listened intently, nodding as he outlined the plan. They moved out, staying close to the shadows of the buildings, careful not to alert the horde gathered at the front of the apartment complex. The sheer number of goblins pressed against the fence line was staggering, but Raven knew they had the element of surprise.

  When they neared the back of the building, he split them into teams and directed them toward the different scouting positions Carlos had pointed out earlier. “There shouldn’t be much resistance,” he whispered. “But if you run into trouble, don’t engage—fall back and wait for backup.”

  The teams split off in groups of three, slipping into their designated buildings one by one. Raven took the last building alone, moving with silent efficiency. He cleared each floor methodically, keeping an eye out for anything that might pose a threat. On the third floor, he found a goblin crouched by a window, a crude sling hanging from its clawed fingers. It had no idea he was there until his knife was already buried in its neck.

  Raven checked the rest of the floor, but it was clear. Satisfied, he moved back outside and waited in the street. One by one, the other teams reemerged, each signalling all clear. So far, everything was going according to plan.

  Raven felt a prickle on the back of his neck as though he was being watched, but he dismissed it. There were always goblins lurking in the dark.

  Taking a deep breath, Raven drew an arrow and fired it at one of the apartment windows. A second later, Carlos appeared, looking out. Raven gave him the all-clear signal, and what happened next took him completely off guard.

  Lines of dust and debris began swirling off the back wall of the apartment complex as if caught in an unseen current. Then, with a deep groan, a massive section of brick cracked and crumbled outward, tumbling to the ground in a cloud of dust. Primrose had done her part.

  Almost immediately, people began slipping through the opening, moving quickly but silently. The evacuation had begun. Raven’s team took position, guiding them toward the cleared route leading back to the hospital. Primrose took the lead, ensuring no one strayed off course.

  A little boy broke away from his mother’s side and ran up to Raven. He looked down shyly, then whispered, “Thank you for saving us,” before darting back to her side.

  Seeing that things were under control; Raven turned and made his way back inside to assist Carlos.

  By the time he reached the room, Carlos was already in position. Raven watched as the man staggered slightly, dropping to one knee as if drained. The goblins at the gate hesitated, confused by the sudden lack of fire raining down on them. Then, with victorious screeches, they surged forward. The brutes overseeing the horde observed for a brief moment before barking out a command, sending the full force of their numbers crashing through the entrance.

  Carlos didn’t wait. He scrambled toward the back exit, yanking a chair from the nearby patio and wedging it under the handle as he slipped outside. Meanwhile, Raven had positioned himself at the front of the building, watching the goblins flood in like a tidal wave.

  Raven took the opportunity to draw them in. As the first goblins entered, he phased through a wall, slashing the throat of one goblin before immediately turning on another, spraying blood across the wall. He phased away, beginning a tactical retreat. The goblins screamed in rage and swarmed toward him. He fell back step by step, leading them deeper into the building, knowing that every second he bought gave Carlos the time he needed.

  By the time he reached the far end of the structure, dozens of goblins had filled the halls, their snarling forms packed so tightly together that they were practically crawling over each other. He could hear the deeper, guttural growls of the brutes somewhere inside.

  It was time.

  Phasing through the back wall, Raven emerged outside just in time to see Carlos unleash hell.

  He raised his hands, and fire erupted, racing across the building in controlled streaks that clung to the walls and doorways. The dry wood and furniture inside caught almost instantly, and within moments, the structure was engulfed in an inferno. The heat was intense, forcing both men to retreat.

  From a nearby rooftop, they watched the blaze consume the building, the screams of burning goblins filling the night air. The brutes inside roared in pain and fury, but there was no escape. The building became a funeral pyre, the flickering flames rising high into the sky.

  Carlos looked exhausted, but he had done the job, his ether reserves seeing it through.

  Minutes passed, and eventually, silence fell over the ruined structure.

  Carlos exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Well… that worked.”

  Raven nodded. “Yeah. Let’s make sure none got out.”

  They waited and watched, but no goblins emerged from the charred wreckage. After a while, a group from Raven’s team returned, reporting that the evacuees were safely on the way to the Sink. One of the officers informed him that half the team had remained behind to guard them, in case of another attack.

  Arlos approached looking sheepish "Hey, do you mind if I come with you? I want to learn more about ether if you’ll teach me?"

  "I'd be glad to have you. You've been a great help already.” Raven looked towards where the evacuees had fled and then back at him “Thank you for saving these people Carlos."

  He turned his gaze back to the still-burning building, The smoke created a pillar into the sky. He hoped it didn't draw the wrong sort of attention.

  Raven stood watching the flames, his shoulders tight with exhaustion. For the first time since the Reckoning, he had saved more people than he had lost.

  They had won this battle.

  But the city was still filled with survivors who needed saving.

  His body ached, fatigue beginning to drag at his limbs. But stopping wasn’t an option. Not yet.

  “We keep moving,” Raven said, his voice steady. “There are more people out there. Let’s go find them.”

  From the shadows of a ruined building, two figures watched the inferno consume the apartment complex. The massive brute, its hulking form barely fitting within the crumbling doorway, stood motionless, yellow eyes reflecting the flickering firelight. Beside it, an old goblin draped in tattered robes leaned on a crooked staff, his weathered face twisted in contemplation.

  The monkeys were clever. Disgusting, but clever. He had lived long enough to know that underestimating them would be a mistake.

  The wise goblin’s lip curled as he observed the human warriors, watching as they moved with precision and coordination. They had no mastery of traits, no ancient bloodlines empowering them, yet they wielded what meagre gifts they had with ruthless efficiency. The destruction they had wrought in mere hours was staggering.

  The goblin’s eyes narrowed as he focused on one in particular—the space mage.

  Fool.

  How could the boy not know? How could he not sense what lay beneath this place?

  The elder goblin’s fingers tightened around his staff as he gazed toward the smouldering ruins of the apartment block.

  He could feel it—the core stirring below, pulsing faintly with the promise of greatness. He would claim it, and from humble beginnings his goblins would grow.

  The humans thought they had won, that their fire had ended this battle. They were wrong. The flames would die, the embers would cool, and when the ashes settled, the goblins would return—stronger, more numerous, more prepared.

  Still, the wise goblin hesitated.

  His children had been slaughtered, torn apart and burned like refuse. Disgust curled in his gut, a deep hatred simmering beneath his calm exterior. But revenge could wait. His path was clear, and patience would serve him better than blind fury.

  The space mage and his warriors would leave soon. Let them go.

  The goblin turned to the brute beside him and, with a sharp gesture, motioned toward the ruins.

  “Gather the others. We wait.”

  The brute grunted, nostrils flaring, but obeyed without question.

  The elder goblin cast one last look at the battlefield before stepping back into the darkness.

  He would not waste warriors on a fool’s revenge. No, he would wait. Wait for the core to be uncovered. And when it did, this city would belong to the goblins.

  As the last embers flickered in the ruined building, Raven led his team back into the city, unaware of the eyes that watched from the shadows