Hiroshi looked at the man on the ground one last time and then turned and pushed forward and the others followed. Grief was for later. Right now later was the only thing that mattered.
The goblins behind them were loud now. Not trying to be quiet anymore. The chattering had turned into something more like a roar. More voices joining from deeper tunnels. Hiroshi didn't look back. Looking back slowed you down.
"How many," the woman guard said.
"Too many," Elias said.
That was answer enough.
They ran.
The tunnel sloped upward which helped their speed but punished their legs. Hiroshi's thighs were burning within the first minute. The woman guard kept pace beside him. Baros was just behind, heavier on his feet but keeping up. Elias moved quietly and fast like he had done this kind of thing before.
The goblin noise behind them grew. It wasn't just sound anymore. Hiroshi could feel it in the stone under his boots. The vibration of many feet moving fast.
