The Summer I Met The Goblin King (ONC 2023)

Chapter Ten: Are We There Yet?

"Are we there yet?" Both Barrett and Gigi asked in unison as they stood on the edge of yet another forest path.

Sir Godly's back went rigid. "That is the twelfth time you've asked that question. We are paying you to be here. It shouldn't matter how far we venture so long as you are paid for your time."

"But I'm tired," Barrett whined. "We've been walking for ages."

Handing the map to Idola, Sir Godly stormed over to Barrett and put his hands on his shoulders. "You are soon to become a man, Barrett. It is not manly to whine about being tired or continually irritate every adult around you with your annoying questions!" He punched Barrett in the chest. "Man up or you'll grow up to be like Jake over there with flimsy arms."

"It's Jack—"

"Does it matter when you've done nothing worthy of being remembered?"

Jack growled and punched Sir Godly in the face.

Casey took a step back, she wanted no part in this.

"I would say you hit like a girl, but that would be an insult to women everywhere," Sir Godly stated as he tripped Jack and walked away. "Anyone else want to take a swing to prove their weakness?"

"I challenge you to a duel," Gigi said, pointing her large sword up at Sir Godly with an awe inspiring intensity. The girl's dark hair flowed to the side like a freakin Disney princess.

A chuckle left Sir Godly's lips as he took out his newly purchased sword. "Oh no a challenge from a hero, I'm terrified."

Gigi leapt into the air and swung her sword.

Sir Godly blocked it and was thrown across the forest rolling feet over head backwards more than five feet before he landed upside down against a tree trunk.

"Way to go Gigi!" Hella cheered. "Knocked him right out."

Staggering to his feet, Sir Godly lifted his sword up, despite the zig zags he was walking in. "This fight isn't over till I quit and I never—"

Gigi took another swing at him that connected with his sword and threw him into the air. Sir Godly sailed straight into a pile of thorn bushes.

"I quit!" Sir Godly cried, flailing his arms. "Idola! Help me get out of here!"

"I'm sorry, I cut back to half my force because I didn't want to hurt you," Gigi said, hanging her head. "But it seems I still did."

The look in Sir Godly's face as he turned bright red from embarrassment was nothing short of shock, as if the world had just crumbled around him. "Half?" He squeaked. "That was half?"

Nodding, Gigi put her sword into her sheath on her back. "I never use my full force unless I feel I'm in danger and sometimes it uh—" she kicked the dirt beside her, pushing it around enough to make a dust cloud. "Sometimes it makes craters."

Casey stared wide eyed at the little girl that she had thought was less than capable based off of her begging to be on a mission. "Craters! Then why haven't you had any good quests to prove to your mentor you're worth something?"

Everyone's heads turned to Casey.

Now she'd done it.

Gigi smiled awkwardly. "Why would you assume such a thing Casey?"

"Casey. . ." Idola looked between Gigi and her as she pulled the thorns out of Sir Godly's body. "Did you grab us a failed hero out of pity?"

"I'm not a failed hero!" Gigi protested. "I just make big messes sometimes because I have too much power." She looked down at her hands. "I don't always know how to control it, but that doesn't make me useless, just dangerous."