Lily panted as she swung her wooden sword at a tree, holding the polished handle with both hands as she yelled and swung harder. Bark shattered off of the dead tree from the force of her blow, making her grin. Her muscles felt good, the pleasant burn from working them spread through her body as she took a deep breath and stood up straight. She examined her wooden sword, happy to see that the tough wood wasn't damaged. It took a while to whittle a new one and she didn't have enough money to buy a metal one from the occasional trader that wandered through the village. Foraging for things in the forest to sell wasn't the most lucrative job. Her brow narrowed in determination as she lifted her sword once more, preparing to continue training as she imagined her dream job.
Lily wanted to become an adventurer.
She fantasized about the idea of wielding a rare magical sword and using it to cut dragons and ogres in two. She dreamed about being rich and having enough money to buy whatever she wanted. She grinned, holding her wooden sword with two hands as she swung down with a yell. She was rewarded with another shower of decaying bark as she left a gouge on her practice tree. She frowned at the dent in her wooden sword, but she just ignored the minimal damage. Nothing that some time whittling wouldn't fix. She wiped the sweat from her brow, sliding her sword through a small lope she made in her belt before walking back to her house. The small home sat on the outskirts of her village, a 10 minute walk from the rest of the houses. It belonged to her parents, who died when she was little. She never knew them, as she was too young when the accident occurred. She was raised by the village, and she moved back into the house a few months ago when she turned 18.
She gathered up some of the foraged mushrooms and herbs that she had before leaving her home. The old Burns family was always eager to buy some herbs for tea and the mushrooms were for the town cook. His meals were to die for, and he happily accepted ingredients to enhance his dishes. Lily had a smile on her face as she walked into the town, greeting the people who were like family to her. She made her stops quickly, earning herself a handful of copper coins. She eyed the money with greed, putting it into her purse. She aimed to have enough to buy a spare sword from a trader or passing adventurer when they visited her village. As she began walking through the village back to her home to train more, she overheard a conversation as she walked near the farm.
"Aye, my barn's been broken into as well. Some of the chickens were missing this morning. Also had some jerky disappear on me too."
"I'm tellin' ya, it was a goblin. I saw the little green bugger sneaking off in the night! Hopefully he steps in one of the traps I've set up."
Lily's heart pounded in her chest as she overheard the conversation, a grin forming over her face as she fingered the hilt of her wooden sword. A real monster! Causing trouble in HER village! She snuck around the two farmers, entering the wheat field when no one was looking. She crept closer to the barn, looking around for any clues. Eyeing the mud, her eyes gleamed as she saw small footprints leading away from the barn, into the forest. As she went to sprint into the tree line, she stopped as she held onto her sword.
An adventurer needed a plan. She spoke to passing adventurers whenever she got the opportunity, learning about the trade with wide eyes and an ear to ear smile. She pulled her wooden sword from her belt loop, holding the handmade weapon in her hands. She would use the longer reach of the wooden sword to beat the goblin into submission, then she would use her small dagger to finish him off. She couldn't help the excitement coursing through her veins at the thought of returning to the village as a blooded adventurer! With a fierce grin, she entered the forest with her weapon clutched in her hands.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lily snuck through the tall bushes, trying her best to stay as quiet as possible as she followed the small footprints. The goblin didn't bother trying to hide his tracks at all, what a foolish creature. She has been walking for over an hour now, tracking the goblin with murder on her mind. As she snuck through the forest, her nose picked up the smell of smoke, and of cooking meat. She doubled her efforts at staying stealthy, leaving her head low in the bushes and tall grass as she got closer. Peeking through a bush, she saw a small clearing in the trees, and her eyes widened as she laid her vision upon the small green monster sitting in the middle.
He sat near a ramshackle campfire, growling as he held a cooked chicken in his hands. His teeth tore into the small creature, ripping up chunks of meat as he greedily swallowed. Lily's eyes burned with righteous fury and determination, wanting to rush into the clearing and beat the small monster until she obtained her victory. She did her best to cool her fervor, brushing her cheek length blue hair out of her eyes as she reviewed information in her head. Goblins were known as one of the weakest monsters that adventurers could encounter. They usually roamed in packs of 3 to 5, but this one appeared alone. Despite being the size of a child, they held more strength that their bodies suggested and their cruelty far exceeded their size.
Lily raised her sword up in front of her, sneaking closer as she entered the clearing. While she wanted to fight and beat the goblin in fair combat, other adventurers told her that there was no place for honor when fighting monsters. It was kill or be killed. As she entered the clearing, she jumped and let out a yelp when she heard a sharp crack. She looked down, seeing the branch that she just stepped on. If that sound wasn't loud enough, her startled yelp was more than enough to cause the goblin to turn his head towards her. He stared with wide eyes, gulping down the last bit of chicken in his mouth before grabbing his club. Lily's face scowled as she watched the goblin's face take on a leering expression, looking up and down her body with undisguised lust. Her brow furrowed as she reviewed another bit of information about goblins.
They were a male only race, and they wouldn't hesitate to hold any female they came across down to the ground in order to breed them. Lily shuddered as her body was ogled. Her breasts weren't the most impressive in the village, only perky B cups. Her belly and hips were toned from her exercise, and her thighs were muscled. Her athletic body apparently looked no different from gold to the goblin, and she bit her cheek as she charged forward. No way in hell would she let this goblin look at her that way! Lily let out a yell as she held her sword high in the air, bringing it down with great force just like she practiced. Her eyes widened as the goblin growled, tracking her sword with his eyes as he dodged to the side. Her form was unbalanced as her sword connected with the ground, and she felt panic when she saw the goblin's club swinging towards her.
"AAahhh! Ow! Ow!" She hissed as the club cracked against her left arm, hissing as she stumbled backwards. It hurt so much! At least it didn't feel broken, and she was still able to move it. However, she waved it in the air as she tried to chase the feeling of pain away. She saw saliva drool out of the goblin's mouth, watching as he grabbed his club with both hands and charged forward. She grunted as she tried to parry his club, feeling the force of the blocked blow in her wrist. The goblin recovered quickly, quicker than she expected as he swung again. Lily cried out as he hit her right arm, the pain causing her hand to cramp and drop her sword. She felt her head go blank, realizing that she was now disarmed with an angry, drooling monster looking at her. Her bravery and thoughts of victory left her mind as she watched him pick up her sword. She shook her head, fury filling her soul at the thought of losing her first fight with the weakest monster in the forest.