(地狱无门)

(地狱无门)

地狱无门 (原文是英文, 是以Ai翻译再修订的(实在负担不起自行翻译的时间), 所以, 那些不喜欢看Ai翻译的网友, 就不要勉强了.
原文已post 在下方.

(地狱无门)

我们在大雨中继续屠杀。
雨不停地下着，打在我们暴露在外的身体上，仿佛是尖锐的针刺。我们所有人都被淋透了：被雨水淋透，被泥水淋透，被鲜血淋透，而且我们知道这不会停止。并不是说有没有尽头，而是根本没有尽头。你战斗并杀戮，直到被击倒，通常会被肢解，如果你运气够差的话，还会被吃掉。与炼狱不同，这里没有出口，也没有机会可以赢得救赎的奖励。
“所有来到这里的人，放弃所有的希望吧！”
那些人一去不复返。 死者还能更彻底地死去吗？ 我们会被抛入更深、更黑暗的地狱吗？ 还是会彻底消失，灵魂消散，所有存在的感觉都熄灭了？ 有时候，这听起来并不比我们所处的困境更糟糕。 但我们不知道，也许永远无法知道。 即使我们的灵魂支离破碎，痛苦和恐怖还会追随我们吗？
这里我们和他们之间没有明确的分界线。 和你并肩作战的伙伴可能会突然把一把刀刺进你的腹部。 他或她可能会然后取出你的心脏，活生生地吃掉，因为人们相信这样做会让你在接着的战斗中拥有更多的力量，哪怕只是再多活一天。 正如“白天”这个词所暗示的那样，这里的白天和黑夜是没有区别的。黑暗总是笼罩在我们头顶，雨水从那里倾泻而下。 除了闪电的雷鸣声，无法熄灭的火坑是我们唯一的光源，它能照亮我们几个世纪。
你没有可以称之为忠实朋友的人，但有些东西你肯定能立刻意识到是致命的威胁：巨大的蛇类、长着九个头且能喷火的龙、几乎无法摧毁的生物、吸血鬼、手持从匕首到战斧等各种武器的哥布尔、吃尸体的奥克、挥舞着巨型棍棒的巨魔，只需一次攻击就能将我们打成肉酱。但我们最担心的是黑暗精灵：致命的弓箭手，几乎从不射偏。有时他们会加入我们对抗不死生物的战斗，然后突然反戈一击，向我们发射致命的利矢。他们为了利益而杀戮：想要我们的武器和盔甲，又或者只是出于一时兴起。
持续不断的战斗声令人恐惧。 但与此相比，短暂的寂静更会侵蚀我们的神经。 这只能意味着附近发生了无法言说的可怕事情：即使是死者也会害怕的事情。 还有那些发出悦耳歌声的妖女，它们呼唤着我们的名字，引诱意志薄弱的人走向死亡，以我们的肉为食。
“卡门西娜，卡门西娜……”我曾经听到过如此甜美的旋律呼唤着我的名字，我只能靠强大的意志力才阻止自己向那些黑暗的小岛走去。另外两人，都是年轻的女性，被这甜美的声音击垮了，在恍惚中摇摇晃晃地穿过黑水。我无法忘记她们消失在灌木丛后面时的尖叫声，也无法忘记女妖进食时令人毛骨悚然的笑声。
虽然不可靠，但我们人类倾向于聚在一起。 我们知道随时都有可能被自己的人背叛，但还是不想独自求生。 孤独的目标是最理想的猎物。 我们必须小心翼翼地行事。 迈出一步错误，我们就可能落入隐藏的陷阱，被突然爆发的磷火吞噬，被从泥中射出的刀刃刺伤，或者更糟的是，离另一个人太近，让他或她方便且有利地刺穿你的内脏。 看到那些不幸的人在泥中挣扎，肠子和心脏被拉出并被吞噬的场景，每次我都想呕吐。 我无意成为这种背叛的受害者，并一直保持警惕。 但这太累人了，身心俱疲。 我知道早晚会发生一些可怕的事，但我不知道它会是什么…
“哥布尔攻击！右方！”
这声呼喊来得正是时候。我们及时转身面对威胁。这是一次大规模的袭击，他们的人数多达数千人！
“组成盾墙！”我大声喊道。
在这段时间里，我们内部发生内讧的风险很小。来自哥布尔的威胁以及被他们彻底击溃的严重后果迫使我们放弃了彼此间的猜疑，转而将武器指向眼前的敌人。
拿着盾牌的人迅速排好队形。我手中没有盾牌，因为我在里面找到的武器是一把砍刀和一把推刀，一把带有H形刀锷的日本刀。我更喜欢一把比砍刀更易于操控的刺剑，因为后者太重且耗费体力，但在这里，选择是一种奢侈，没有人能负担得起。我们用我们能找到的任何武器，直到能找到一个更合适的，不管它是来自死去的敌人还是朋友。
我站在第二排的位置上，看着即将冲向盾墙的哥布尔大军，不得不深呼吸以稳定情绪。
“稳住！”有人向队伍前列的人喊道，以稳定他们的情绪。我认出了那个声音，是阿奈斯！我认识她很多年了，但从未想到她也会来到这里。这怎么可能？她如此光彩照人，天生就是领导者，总是能激励追随她的人。但现在不是让我分心的时候。哥布尔们已经向我们扑来了。
哥布尔身材矮小且智力低下，对我们来说通常不是严重的威胁。但他们人数众多，这是他们的优势。与我们不同的是，他们似乎对死亡和毁容的恐惧免疫。即使失去手臂，他们仍会继续前进。我曾亲眼目睹一个哥布尔在被我用大砍刀把牠的头颅劈成两半后，仍然嚎叫着冲向我，直到我从它的腰间一刀砍下，内脏洒落在我脚下, 这时牠才倒下。这是一只哥布尔，而现在我们面对的是成千上万只。
武器砍在盾牌上的声音震耳欲聋。 我们的盾墙守住了。 拿着长矛的人开始从后面刺杀，我把大砍刀派上了用场。 很快，数百具死矮人的尸体散落在盾墙旁。 我们的损失微乎其微，但我们没有理由为胜利而欢呼雀跃。 矮人的攻击实在是太有自杀倾向了，好像他们不仅不怕死，还想在我们的武器下倒下！
当第二波哥布尔冲向坚固的盾墙时，我们来不及找出原因。再次，数百名哥布尔倒下，踩在了前一波冲锋中死去的同类的腐臭尸体上。
第三波紧随其后。但这一次有所不同。
哥布尔比我们矮得多。面对面作战时，这使他们在劣势，很难突破我们的防御。他们从未打算这样做。第三波的哥布尔用死去同伴的身体作为跳板，直接跳上盾墙并撞向盾墙和其后的士兵。他们被长枪、长矛、战斧和大剑刺穿、砍成碎片。
但是墙破了！
在我们能够进行变阵之前，第四波浪攻击汹涌而来！，其规模是前三波总和的两倍.
人人都只顾自己，包括男人和女人。
我砍倒了三只，用武士刀刺进了一只的眼睛，让它痛苦地尖叫着向后翻滚。 它的同类中的一只，发现自己的去路被挡住了，便轻易地砍断了那把刀。 我没有给它机会用那把血迹斑斑的斧头砍我的皮甲，那件皮甲几乎没完全遮住我的胸部。 我用大砍刀挡住它，把武士刀刺进了它的脖子。 它僵住了，把绿色的眼睛盯着我的脸，尽管伤口像喷泉一样涌出鲜血，它还是举起了斧头。 我及时侧身一闪，才避免被斧头砍掉半边脑袋。
并非所有人都反应迅速。我右边的一位年轻女子在棍棒砸向她的头部时尖叫起来，她的漂亮脸庞被染成了红白相间的颜色。她的身体还没来得及触碰到泥泞的地面，右臂就被砍了下来，一个饥饿的地精立刻捡起它，开始咀嚼起来。我愤怒地挥舞着大砍刀，将那个地精的头颅砍飞，它的牙齿间还残留着撕碎的肉块。那个年轻女子显然已经“死了”。她还算是幸运的。不远处的另一个人，一个甚至更漂亮的年轻女子，可能是十来岁的样子，被沉重的重量和数量压倒了。我看到她的盔甲被剥了下来，像彩带一样。当那些地精用牙齿咬向她那丰满的乳房时，她的眼睛充满了恐惧。她的尖叫声被胜利者的野兽般的嚎叫声淹没了。她已经超出了我的帮助范围，也无法得到仁慈的解脱。我尽力不去看或听。
“后退！” 又是阿奈斯的声音。
这是个明智的决定。我们的处境已经无法维持下去了。我们中有太多人已经倒下了，赤身裸体地躺在地上。如果那些哥布尔赢得了这场战斗，他们肯定会大吃一顿，而这很可能会发生。
我们后退一步，在山丘顶端围成三个圈。 尽管周围一片嘈杂，但我仍能听到自己的心跳声异常剧烈。 再次死去会是什么样子？ 像这样死去又会是什么样子？
哥布尔们不急不躁。他们知道我们已被包围，没有逃生的路。我们的人数或许只有几百，但他们的人数却有数千。他们有的是时间。

我们看着他们从那些未能爬上山丘的人中领取战利品。 我们听到牙齿咬碎骨头的声音，看到那些曾经英俊的男人和曾经美丽的女人的头颅被长矛刺穿，钉到矛尖上。 我们看到一些不幸被活捉的人，被剥光了衣服后被迫下跪。 从哥布尔的队伍中传来一声震耳欲聋的咆哮，一个身高是普通哥布尔两倍的生物迈着沉重的步伐向前走来，脚下的土地都在颤抖。 我们知道那是什么。 巨魔！
巨魔是这里你最不希望遇到的敌人之一。 它的手臂非常强壮，只需轻轻一拽就能把人撕成碎片。 它的身体被坚硬的皮革覆盖，并由鳞甲进一步保护。 即使我们能把刀刃砍到它身上，造成的伤害也非常轻微。 在它用巨大的棍棒反击时，任何盾牌都都毫不起作用。 它只有几个弱点：眼睛和喉咙处的一个小点。 我们有弓箭手，但箭矢射到它身上就像射到树枝上一样被弹开了。
我们惊恐地看着它向我们逼近。 当那只巨魔从我们面前扫过时，它的红光闪闪的眼睛令人不寒而栗。 但它并不着急。 囚犯们会被先带走。 它从一排裸体屈膝的女子旁走过，每迈出一步，就用棍棒敲打她们的后脑勺。 有些人的脖子断了，滚了下去。 有几个人只是炸成了红色的喷泉。
其中一个女子是最漂亮的，她绝望到了极点，当她感觉到巨魔向她靠近时，她可能试图徒劳地抵抗恐惧，于是开始自慰。 巨魔停在她身后，甚至允许她完成了自己的行为。 然后，它弯下腰，用两只爪子抓住她的脖子，猛地一扭，把她的头拧了下来。 它把头向我们这边扔过来，实际上是朝我这边扔过来。 我及时低下头，让它从我身边飞过。 我身后的那个人尖叫起来，因为那颗头砸扁了他的脸！ 无头女孩的身体向前倒去，当几十只尖叫的哥布尔跳到她身上时，她消失在了视野中。 我转过头去，不想看。
巨魔咧嘴一笑，挥动右手臂，哥布尔军队便向前涌去。
我们都知道这是结局。 我们无法再组成盾墙。 即使可以，我们也无法阻挡他们。 我们所能期望的只有奋力一战。 否则，我们无法想象后果会多么可怕。
第一波哥布尔向我们薄弱的防线冲来。 我们将他们杀了个精光。 我亲自砍死了二十多个，我的大砍刀和武士刀上沾满了鲜血和内脏。 不过我也受了伤。 我的左臂上有一道深可见骨的伤口，同一侧的皮甲杯也被撕裂了，以至于我现在赤裸着一只乳房站在那里。 我的乳房很漂亮，我一向为它们感到骄傲。 我也很为自己那一头长长的金发感到骄傲，我把它们编成了一条马尾辫，在身后飘扬，几缕松散的发丝被突然吹来的一阵风卷了起来。 很快，我的乳房就会成为别人的食物，而那一头长长的金发则会成为我高高悬挂头颅的完美装饰。 或者，巨魔可能会觉得把我的头颅抡来抡去很有趣，用爪子抓住我辫子的末端，一边飞奔一边洒下我的鲜血。
在第二波攻击袭来之前，我偷偷看了一眼阿奈斯。 她和以前我暗恋她的时候一样美丽动人。 她穿着一件黑色的胸衣，上面缀着银币，搭配着一条同色的骑马裤，胸部和修长的双腿被衬托得淋漓尽致。 她有一头深黑色的头发，眼睛像两颗闪闪发亮的黑色大理石。 一想到她可能遭遇到我刚刚想到的可怕命运，我不禁打了个寒颤。
如果我离她够近的话，我可能会忍不住用我的武士刀结束她的生命，而不是让她承受那种可怕的命运。
她显然还没有做好放弃和死亡的准备。 她把周围的男人和女人召集起来，试图进行最后的绝望抵抗。
第二波攻击被击退了，但我们遭受了惨重的伤亡。太多人倒下了，还有少数伤者恳求立即处死他们。
然后，我们看到由巨魔带领的第三波潮水涌了上来。
我们根本无法阻止它。
在上一场战斗中，我的砍刀在刺入一只半兽人颅骨时断了，那只半兽人几乎咬到我的脖子。我紧握着武士刀，决心在自己的生命终结之前尽可能多地消灭这些半兽人。
我只是希望巨魔在我这样做之前不会挑中我。
它没有。它甚至没有到达我们这里。
突然间，一阵暴雨倾泻在一群狂吼的哥布尔身上。 银箭如雨般落下。
巨魔停在离我们二十步远的地方，一动不动。然后，它像一座在我们面前高耸的山丘一样倒了下来，发出一声巨响，泥土飞溅到四面八方。它的眼窝里还露出银色的箭头。
一阵号角声过后，出现了一支身穿白色盔甲的军队。 是精灵！
哥布尔们失去了他们的王牌，惊慌失措地试图逃跑。 精灵们没有给他们这样的机会，甚至连一次机会都没有给。
我们保持沉默。我们从不相信精灵。我们知道他们讨厌哥布尔和巨魔，但除了精灵，他们几乎讨厌一切生物。而且，他们不会出于善良来帮助我们。如果他们对屠杀哥布尔感兴趣，他们可以等到我们被消灭殆尽再动手。
一个高大的男精灵走了出来，显然是他们的首领。他先看了看阿奈斯，然后又看了看我。
阿娜伊斯紧紧握住她手中的战斧，这是从一个死去的哥布尔身上捡来的。
“这就是你表达感激之情的方式吗？”精灵首领笑着问道。
“你想要什么？”阿奈斯质问道。
“你们中间最优秀的，也是最英俊的一个。 作为祭品。” 他听起来好像在邀请某人去参加婚礼。
“你是什么意思？”阿奈斯的眼神变得锐利起来。
“我们的鹰之精神的节日即将来临。 我们知道你们人类不配。 但因为我们无法牺牲我们中最优秀的，我们必须从最不令人反感的人中选择。 我们要么带走你们中的一个，要么带走她。 如果你们想通过战斗来决定的话，你们可以决定。 只要你们不能杀死对方，否则祭坛上就不会有祭品。 失败的人将被带走。”
“什么？”我仍然没有完全明白。
但阿奈斯能做到，也确实这么做了。她举起战斧，眼中闪烁着杀意，向我走来。
我简直不敢相信！我深爱着她，并且向她表白过我的爱意，而她却试图攻击我，让我成为祭品！
我的第一反应是与她搏斗并打倒她。 让她成为祭品吧！
然后，她离我还有几步远的时候，我把武士刀扔在了地上。
“没必要打斗。带我走吧。”
她停了下来，嘴唇半张着，好像不敢相信自己听到的话。
“为什么？”

“因为，即便如此，我依然爱你。”
在她来得及回答之前，两个小精灵走上前来，抓住我的手臂，把我带走了。
这趟旅程花了两天时间。我一直在奔跑。精灵们似乎永远不会感到疲倦，只是对我的疲惫嘲笑。当时，我以为自己永远无法到达他们的地方，会累死在路上。地狱里会有人因疲惫而死吗？
我最终没有死。
精灵宫殿高耸的塔楼和陡峭的塔尖令人叹为观止。 甚至还有阳光覆盖着整个地方。 这也是地狱的一部分吗？
我被带去见精灵王。
“你是个勇敢的女孩。你不怕死吗？”
“难道我不是已经死了吗？”
他笑了起来。
“是的。但是可能会有比你所经历的死亡更可怕的死亡。”
“我也这么想。”我回答道。
“可是你却放弃了自己挣扎，没有试图逃脱这种命运。为什么呢？”
我停顿了一下，然后说道：“因为我不想让她死。”
“即使她不在乎你的命运吗？”
“是的。爱一个人并不一定意味着我希望得到对方的回应。”
精灵王点了点头。
“好吧。 有献祭之井。 跳吧！” 他指着大厅中间的一个石洞。
我叹了口气，走到了它的边缘。
“再见，阿内斯。愿你永远平安。”
我跳了下去。
没有火焰烧灼我，也没有龙吞噬我。我只感到自己慢慢消散，然后发现自己漂浮在一个类似管道的物体中，向着未知的目的地前进。我的命运会如何呢？
我很快就知道了答案。
胜利就在眼前！那是一个女人的子宫！
重生！
地狱里没有逃生门，只有通过牺牲和爱才能离开。 不知为何，我开始后悔这样做，而不是给阿娜伊斯这个机会。 但我知道她还不够成熟。 希望有一天她会准备好。
我进入子宫，发现里面已经有了一个身体在等待，那是一个女婴的身体。
我听到一个女人痛苦的尖叫声，那是我妈妈的声音。她即将再次分娩，生下我。
我也做好了准备…
(完)

(Hell)


We continued slaughtering in the downpour.
The rain was incessant, hitting the exposed parts of our bodies as if they were arrows of sharp needles. All of us were thoroughly drenched: drenched in rain, drenched in mud and drenched in blood. And we knew it would never stop.It was not that no end was in sight; there simply was none.You fought and killed until you were struck down, often quartered and if you had enough bad luck, eaten.Unlike purgatory, there was no door of exit, no prize flag to win for salvation.

“All ye who come here, abandon all hopes!”

Those who went down were never seen again.Could the dead become more completely dead? Would we be thrown into a deeper, darker hell, or simply cease to exist; the soul disintegrated, all sense of being extinguished?Sometimes it did not sound like a worse thing than the predicament we found ourselves in.But we did not know, perhaps never to know.Could pain and horror trail us even when our souls were in fragments?

There was no clear dividing line between us and them here.A comrade who had been fighting alongside you might suddenly plunge a blade into your abdomen.He or she might then cut out your heart and eat it alive as it was believed to give you more power to fight on, to survive, if just for one more day.Day, as figurative as the word might imply as there was no division of day and night.It was always darkness above us, where the rain poured down from.Non-extinguishable fire-pits provided the only source of luminance apart from the lightning with claps of thunder that could burn us into eons.

There was no one you would count as steadfast friends, but there were things that you certainly would know instantly to be a dire threat: huge serpents, dragons with nine heads that could breathe fire and near-impossible to destroy, vampires, goblins with all sorts of weapons ranging from daggers to halberds, corpse-eating orcs, trolls wielding huge clubs that could beat us to pulps with just one hit.But the ones that we worried about most were the dark elves: deadly archers who seldom, if ever, missed their marks.Sometimes they would join us in our fight against the undead and then suddenly turned the table around and showered us with lethal missiles.They killed for gains: our weapons and armor, or simply out of whim.

The noises of constant battling were fearsome.But compared to that, short period of quietness would eat into our nerves.It could only mean something unspeakable was in the vicinity: something which even the dead dreaded.And then there were those sirens with their beautiful singing, calling out our names to lure those weak-willed to their demise, dining on our flesh.

“Carmensina, Carmensina…” I once heard such a sweet melody calling out my name and it was only with great willpower that I stopped my feet from moving towards those dark islets.Two others, both young women, crumbled to the sweet voices and staggered across the black water in a trance.I could not forget their shrieks once they disappeared behind the undergrowth, nor the hair-raising laughs as the sirens dined.

Though unreliable, we humans tend to group together.We knew we could be double-crossed by one of our own any time but still it was better trying to survive all by oneself.A lonely target made perfect prey.We had to tread with extreme caution.A wrong step and we might end up in a concealed trap, swallowed by sudden phosphorus-fire, knifed by blades that shot out from the mud or worse, walking too close to another one to make it convenient and profitable to stick his or her weapon into your guts. The scenes of such unfortunate ones wriggling in the mud as their intestines and hearts were pulled out and devoured made me want to throw up every time I failed to push them away.I had no intention of falling victim to such betrayal and had always kept my guard.But this was so tiring, both physical and mental.And I knew sooner or later, something would happen to me, something unspeakable as I knew not its nature…

“Goblin attack! To your right!”

The shout was just in time.We wheeled to face the threat just in time.It was a massive attack, their numbering into the thousands!

“Form shield walls!” I shouted.

During such time, there was little risk of our internal killings.The threat from the goblins and the dire consequence of being swamped by them forced us to drop our doubts against each other and turned our weapons towards the enemies at hand.

Those who carried shields quickly fell into line. I carried no shield as the weapons I chanced to pick up when I found myself in here were a cleaver and a push-dagger, a katana with an H-shape horizontal guard-grip. I would have preferred a more manageable rapier than the cleaver as the latter was so heavy and strength sapping, but choice was a luxury here that nobody could afford.We used what we had, until we could find a more suitable one from a fallen one, friends or foes.

I took up position on the second rank and had to steady my breathing as I watched the waves of goblins about to break against the shield-wall.

“Steady!” Someone shouted to bulwark the hearts of those in the front.I recognized the voice, Anais!I had known her for ages but never realized she was destined to end up here too.How could it be?She was so radiantly beautiful, a born leader who had always been an inspiration to those who followed her.But it was no time for my mind to wander.The goblins were upon us.

Goblins, being short in body and rather stupid, were usually not a severe threat for us.But they had the advantage of number.And unlike us, they seemed immune to the horror of death and disfiguring.They kept on coming even when an arm was lost.I had the experience of one even continuing to rush in howling when I sank my cleaver into its crown and split it into halves and only fell when I cut clean at its waistline, spilling all its guts at my feet.That was one goblin.Now, we were facing thousands.

The clash of weapons on shields was deafening.Our wall held.Those with lances began to stab from behind and I put my cleaver into good use.Soon, there were hundreds of dead goblins littering along the shield line.Our losses were minimal but there was no cause for us to rejoice in our success.The goblin attack was just too suicidal, as if they were not only fearless but had wanted to fall before our weapons!

We had no time to find out why when a second wave of goblins made their dash against the solid wall of shields.Again, hundreds of them fell, plying up on the stinking corpses of their kind that had fallen during the previous charge.

A third wave followed. But this time, it was different.

Goblins were much shorter than us.That put them in a severe disadvantage when fighting face to face and it would be very difficult for them to break our defense.They never intended to.Using the bodies of their dead as springboards, those on the third wave simply jumped and crashed on the shield wall and those behind it.They died, impaled at the tips of lances and spears, hacked into bits by cleavers and war-axes and run through with broad-swords, katanas…

But the wall was broken!

Before we could reform, the fourth wave, twice the number of the first three waves combined, charged!

It was everyone for himself: men and women included.

I cut down three and plunged my katana into an eye that sent the owner wheeling back in pain and shrieking.It was simply cut down by one of its own kind that found its way blocked.I did not give it the chance to use the bloodied axe on my leather armor that hardly had my breasts fully covered.Blocking it with my cleaver, I sank the katana into its neck.It froze, turned its green eyes on my face and brought down the axe despite blood was shooting out like a fountain from the wound.I side-stepped just in time to avoid the edge of the axe taking off half my head.

Not everyone was quick enough.A young woman to my right screamed as a mace dashed out her brain, dying her pretty face red and white.Before her body could touch the muddy ground, her right arm was hacked off and a hungry goblin instantly picked it up and chewed on it.Enraged, I made a horizontal sweep with my cleaver and sent its head flying, with bits of torn flesh still between its teeth. The young woman was certainly “dead”.She was the luckier one.Another not far away, an even prettier female, probably in her late teens, were brought down by sheer weight and number.I saw her armor stripped from her, like ribbons.Her eyes were full of terror as they went for her well-endowed tits, with their teeth. Her screams were drowned by the beastly howling of the victors.She was beyond my reach to help or to be put to a merciful end. I tried my best not to look or listen.

“Fall back!”It was Anais again.

Sound decision.Our position was no longer defensible.Too many of us had fallen too, bodies, stripped naked, lying all over the place.The goblins would have a feast if they carried the day.And it was highly likely.

We fell back and formed three rings around the top of a knoll.Despite the clamor, I could hear the sound of my heart beating like mad.What would it be like to die again?And to die like that?

The goblins took their time.They knew they had us surrounded and there was no escape route.We had perhaps a few hundred while they still had thousands.They could afford to wait.

We watched them claim their prizes among those who did not make it up the knoll.We heard the sound of teeth crunching through bones, saw heads of men once good-looking and of women once stunning, impaled on the tips of spears.We saw a few who had the misfortune to be captured alive and made to kneel after they were stripped stark naked.Deep from the ranks of the goblins came a thunderous roar as a creature twice the height of the average goblins tramped forward, shaking the very ground its feet landed upon.We knew what it was.Troll!

A troll was one of the last kind of foes you would wish to meet here.Its arms were so strong that they could tear a human being into shreds with just one jerk.Its body was covered with hardened hide and further protected by scale armor.Even if we could manage to land our blade there, it would do only very marginal damage.That was before it would hit back with its huge club which no shield could withstand.There were only very few places it was vulnerable: its eyes and a tiny spot at its throat.We had archers but our arrows would bounce off its hide like twigs.

We watched in horror as it approached us.Sweat must be dripping down every spine as the troll swept across our line with its red glowing eyes.But it was in no hurry.The prisoners would be taken out first.It walked past the line of naked kneeling women and with each stride, sent the club at the backs of the heads.Some snapped from the neck and rolled.A few just exploded into fountains of red.
One of the women, the prettiest of them all, was in such despair and she masturbated as she felt the troll approaching her, probably in a vain effort to fight her terror.The troll stopped behind her.It even let the woman finish with what she was doing.Then, it bent down, caught the neck part with both paws and snapped it.He threw the head in our direction, actually in my direction.I ducked just in time to let it fly past me.The man behind me shrieked as the head smashed his face flat!The body of the headless girl toppled forward and disappeared from view when dozens of howling goblins jumped upon it.I turned my head sideway, not to look.

The troll grinned and with a wave of its right arm, the goblin army surged forward.

We all knew this was the end.We no longer could form a shield wall.Even if we could, there was no way we could stop them.The only thing we could hope of was to go down fighting.The alternative was simply too nasty to contemplate.

The first line of goblins dashed upon our thin rings.We had them slaughtered.I personally slew over twenty of them, my cleaver and katana were slimy with blood and guts. I was not unscathed though.There was a deep wound on my left arm and the cup on the same side of my leather armor was ripped from me so that now I stood with one of my breasts exposed.I had good breasts, and I was always proud of them.I was also proud of my long blonde hair which I had woven into a mane behind me with some loosen wisps caught in a sudden gust that rose from nowhere.Soon, my breasts would be food and the long blonde hair perfect for hanging my head high.Or the troll might find it amusing to swing my head round and round, catching the end of my mane with its claw and sprinkling my blood along its path of flight.

Before the second wave of the attack reached us, I stole a glance at Anais.She was as stunning as when I had a crush on her when we were both alive.Wearing a sort of breast-covering black choli with silver coins dangling and a pair of matching riding breeches, her bust and tapered legs were accentuated to the maximum.She had dark hair, and her eyes were like two large shining black marbles.I shuddered at the thought that she might suffer the terrible fate that had just come across my mind.

If I were close enough to her, I might be tempted to end her life with my katana, rather than letting her suffer that terrible fate.

She was obviously not ready to give up and die yet.Rallying the men and women round her, she tried to put up a final and desperate defense.

The second wave was cut down.But we suffered appalling causalities.Too many had fallen, and a few wounded were pleading instant extermination.

Then, we saw the third wave, led by the troll, coming up.

There was no chance we could stop it.

My cleaver had broken during the last fight when I buried it into the skull of a goblin that nearly succeeded in sinking its teeth into my neck.I tightened my grip on my katana, determined to end the lives of as many goblins as I could before my own end.
I just hoped that the troll would not single me out before I could do that.

It did not.It did not even reach us.

A sudden shower came down upon the mass of yelling goblins.A shower of arrows, silver arrows.

The troll stopped twenty paces short of us and froze. Then, it came down like a hill that loomed high before us and crashed with a booming sound, sending mud flying in all directions.There were silver arrows sticking out from the hollows that had been its eye-sockets.

A blast of horns was followed by the appearance of an army in white.Elves!

The goblins, having lost their trump, reeled in panic and tried to flee.The elves did not give them such a chance, not even a single one.

We kept our silence. We never trusted the elves. We knew they hated goblins and trolls, but they hated almost anything not being elves too. And they would not come to our assistance out of kindness.If they were interested in massacring the goblins, they could wait until we were finished off till the last.

A tall male elf, obviously their leader, came forward.He first gazed at Anais and then at me.

Anais tightened her grip on the battle-ax she held, a pick-up from one of the dead goblins.

“Is this the way to show your gratitude?” the elf leader chuckled.

“What do you want?” Anais demanded.

“The best among you, and the most good-looking one.As sacrifice.” He sounded as if he was asking someone to go to a wedding party.

“What do you mean?” Anais’s eyes narrowed.

“It is near the festival of our Eagle spirit.We know you humans are unworthy.But as we cannot sacrifice the best of our own, we have to choose from the least repugnant.We will take either you or her.You decide, by right of battle if you want to as long as you cannot kill the other or their will be no victim for the altar.The one who lose will be taken away.”

“What?” I still could not fully understand.

But Anais could and did.Raising her battle-axe, she approached me with murder in her eyes.

I could not believe it!She, whom I had loved and had confessed my love for her, was trying to beat me and let me be taken as a sacrifice!

My first impulse was to fight and beat her.Let her be the sacrifice!

Then, when she was still some paces away from me, I dropped my katana.

“There is no need to fight.Take me.”

She halted, her lips half opened as if she could not believe what she was hearing.

“Why?”

“Because, despite this, I still love you.”

Before she could reply, two elves came up and took me by my arms and had me led away.

The journey took two days.I was always on the run. The elves were never tired, and they just smiled at my exhaustion.At the time, I thought I could never reach their place and would drop down dead.Could one die of exhaustion in hell?

I did not die eventually.

The palace of the elves was stunning with its tall towers and steep turrets.There was even sunlight blanketing the place.Was this also part of hell?

I was led to see the King of the Elves.

“You are a brave girl.Are you not afraid to die?”

“Ain’t I dead already?”

He chuckled.

“Yes.But there can be deaths more frightening than the death you underwent.”

“I thought so.” I replied.

“And still you gave yourself up, instead of fighting to escape this fate.Why?”

I paused, and then said. “Because I do not want her to die.”

“Even when she did not care for your fate?”

“Yes.Loving a person does not necessary mean I want reciprocating.”

The King of Elf nodded his head.

“Very well.There is the well of sacrifice.Jump!”He pointed to a stone opening in the middle of the hall.

I sighed and walked to its brim.

“Farewell, Anais.May you be kept safe always.”

I jumped.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There was no fire to burn me up, nor dragon to devour me.I simply dissolved and found myself floating up a kind of tube towards an unknown destination.What would become of me?

I soon knew the answer.

The end was in sight.It was a woman’s womb!

Rebirth!

There was no escape door in Hell, except through sacrifice and love. Somehow, I began to regret offering myself for this instead of giving the chance to Anais.But I knew she would not be ready yet.Hopefully, someday she will.

I entered the womb and found a body waiting, a baby girl’s.

I could hear a woman scream of pain, my mother’s.She was ready to give birth to me, again.

I was also ready…

(The End)