“Slow down,” a young female voice cried. “My leg is still bleeding.”
“It’s just a fucking scratch, stop being a baby,” replied the deep voice. “It’s going to escape if we don’t hurry.”
Hmm… It’s someone else. Jack didn’t recognise the two voices. It wasn’t the young adventurers. He stored the goblin’s ear in his pack, leaving his pack on the ground by his side. Next, he retrieved the rusty shortsword the goblin had used. Even though it was rusty and dull from a lack of care, it was still a weapon that could kill. He might even be able to sell it for a few silvers, maybe more after he sharpened it.
Looking at the poor state of the blade, he thought of Ben, the young swordsman who considered it beneath him to sharpen his own blade. Maybe Ben is a lazy goblin in disguise, he mused as he waited to see who would emerge from the forest.
Soon, a thin, young man with ratty features stepped out from the forest. He wore brown leather armour, a dark cloak, and carried a shortsword, a dagger, and a bow slung over his shoulder.
Probably a rogue, archer, or maybe a thief, Jack guessed as he noted the weapons the thin man carried.
Not far behind, a large man of similar age appeared. He was wearing dark leather armour with metal plates and carried a huge greatsword.
Jack gulped when he saw the size of the sword; it was almost seven feet long. He’s presumably still a Novice Warrior, though, he reassured himself as he guessed the man’s age to be under twenty.
Being young, the swordsman was unlikely to have reached level 25. Like the archer class, the warrior class was one of the easiest to level, so there was a small possibility he was an Apprentice Warrior.
The large swordsman paused when he saw Jack, but after scanning the empty clearing, he walked towards him and the dead goblin with confidence. As he came closer with an assured smile, four more young adventurers entered the clearing, each pausing to assess the situation before following the large man who was approaching Jack.
Jack stood still, waiting to see what they’d do. He’d heard of rogue groups killing lone adventurers, so he had no doubt his life was in danger. The laws of the city of Lundun didn’t hold much sway when there were no witnesses.
When the large man stopped about ten feet from Jack, Jack could hear the others talking in hushed voices. He watched them prepare for a battle as the softer classes—mages, healers, ranged specialists—drifted to the rear and the other melee fighter, who carried a sword and shield, moved to the front.
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With his greatsword, the large man pointed at the dead goblin at Jack’s feet and in a deep voice said, “Did you kill our prey, young man?”
Jack nodded once. Shit, shit, shit… they look ready to kill me! Although panic rose inside, he tried hard not to show it. I should’ve run. He’d had just enough time to fade back into the forest before the party of adventurers entered the clearing.
The large swordsman noticed the missing ear of the goblin and frowned. “You stole our kill, boy. We attacked and injured it first. You know the rules.” He offered a confident smile. “Hand over the ear… and the blade, and be on your way in peace.”
There was a general rule among adventurers: whichever party engaged and injured a foe first claimed ownership of the spoils. This rule was established to prevent disputes when multiple groups attacked the same monster. The large swordsman was stretching this rule, as it had been over fifteen minutes since they’d caused a minor scratch on the goblin’s cheek.
Jack felt anger rise as he gripped the rusty, blood-soaked shortsword. They were willing to fight over a kill worth well under 10 silvers. He’d fought hard to kill the goblin; it was his kill, it was his loot. “And what if I don’t?” Jack replied.
The large swordsman grinned as an arrow landed a few inches from Jack’s right foot. “Take a guess, boy.”
Jack staggered backwards, eyes fixed on the thin, ratty-faced man.
The archer’s self-satisfied grin revealed the gap where his front teeth should’ve been. The toothless rat was already nocking another arrow with practised ease.
Damn it! I can’t win here. Jack scanned the faces of the six adventurers, a silent vow forming in his mind to steer clear of these dangerous adventurers in the future. A lone archer with little experience had no chance of winning a fight against a party of experienced adventurers.
In resignation, he threw the rusty shortsword onto the goblin’s corpse and crouched to retrieve the goblin’s ear from his pack. While he rifled through his pack, he noticed the large man tightening his grip on his greatsword, ready to attack, while the thin man aimed his drawn bow at Jack’s chest.
I think he’s a rogue, Jack thought, as he removed the blood-soaked rag and tossed it onto the goblin’s body. The goblin’s bloody right ear tumbled to the forest floor.
The large swordsman relaxed his grip on his weapon and chuckled. “That’s a good boy. Now fuck off!”
Jack’s eyes narrowed in anger. He longed to draw his dagger and drive it deep into the large man’s filthy, thieving heart. Instead, he forced himself to calm his rage, stepped back, and kept his eyes fixed on the thin man, the rogue, who still had his bow drawn and aimed at his chest.
I’ll remember this, Jack vowed, burning the image of their faces into his mind.
The large swordsman laughed as Jack backed away. “Smart kid.” He turned to the other adventurers in his party, no longer treating Jack as a threat. “See, not everyone we meet is too stupid to take a hint.” His laughter grew louder.
As Jack left the clearing with rage filling his veins, he heard the adventurers laughing at his expense.
The thin rogue spoke with a lisp. “I like hith white bow. We should’th taken it…” The toothless rat chuckled. “As payment.”
The large swordsman sighed, “Why didn’t you say so before…”
Superhero ? Action ? Drama
ARK — Volume 1
Who does an old soldier follow when he's left without direction?
What does the world's first superhero do when his biggest obstacle is his own family?
Where can a boy be safe when there's nowhere left to hide?
Earth has always been a nexus of incredible power—dormant too long. Devils, aliens, superpowers, and energies beyond comprehension: the world is overdue, and it's about to become everyone's problem.
Series focus
ARK Volume 1 follows the origins of a diverse cast fighting to grow, learn, and survive as an expansive superhero universe erupts around—and because of—them.
Readers can expect
- Multiple POVs destined to collide
- Drama, tragedy, action, comedy, and slice-of-life
- A steady burn of ever-escalating conflict as the mundane becomes extraordinary