I gave a little nod to Kemek and the others around him and said, “Thank you.”
The goblins stood a little taller and grinned so wide, I saw their rows of pointy teeth.
“I have a favor to ask you, Kemek,” I said. “I need you and your people to escort us to Alexandria. You must make sure there will be no more attacks from the stupid ogres or trolls.”
I stared at him as he scrunched up his face in thought. He wiped blood from his face and licked it. “Hmmm...we go, if that what Great One want. But smelly humans may attack us. We want no more goblins to die. Lost many to get here.”
“They won’t attack you. You have my word.”
Kemek nodded. “Me believe you.” He lowered his voice and said, “Since you know about secret city.”
I went back to the others and told them what had transpired. They agreed on traveling with the goblins back to Alexandria.
----
For the next week, we journeyed with the goblins. We still rotated watch throughout the nights in case the goblins tried something.
As we sat at a campfire one evening, one goblin eyed the elves and asked, “Why you no eat meat? Me not seen you eat meat entire time even when we offer you ogre meat over fire.” The goblin took a bite of leftover raw ogre meat. “You strange.”
“Boghak!” Kemek said.
“It’s all right,” Prastian said, putting a hand up. “Not everything in the land eats as you goblins do.”
“We know,” Boghak said. “Smelly humans and dwarves,” he said, motioning to Jastillian with his head, “like to burn meat before eating. But no eat meat at all? Me no understand that!”
The goblins around the campfire nodded in agreement.
“Hellsfire doesn’t eat meat,” Prastian said.
“But he Great One. He better than us. You elf. You no better than us. Why you not eat meat?”
“It’s just the way the gods created us.”
“Me not trust those that don’t eat meat.” Boghak scowled at the elves.
“Me don’t trust those that don’t cook their meat,” Demay said.
Boghak snarled and so did the other goblins.
“Enough!” I said.
The goblins sat back down and bowed their heads.
“We are how the gods made us,” I said. “We may have our differences, but we have to learn how to live with each other. If we don’t, many will die.”
“The Great One is wise,” Kemek said.
“I wish you’d all stop calling me that. It makes me uncomfortable.” I sighed and rubbed my hands through my dirty hair. “I am just a man, Kemek.”
Kemek shook his head. “No. You more than that. You magic-man!” The goblin looked sad as he said, “First magic-man in long time to be good to goblins.”
“I could still be good to you. We could be good to each other.”
“What you mean?”
I tapped his dented armor. “What if I could get you and your goblins better weapons and armor? Ones that were in better condition and fit?”
“You’d do that?”
I nodded.
Kemek lifted his helm up. It had slipped again. “Me would love to have better sword to cut down ugly ogres and trolls with.” His beady eyes stared intently at me. “What would me have to do?”
“As I said before, I don’t want any creatures to go past the mountains, but I want you to give Alexandria information on what is happening in the Wastelands. Show them safe places to travel, where food and water is, be their guide, things like that. It would be an alliance between our two peoples. We both do things for each other.”
“Me no know about
all-i-ance
. Me hate smelly humans. Me not trust them.” Kemek sucked the marrow off a bone, then his tongue swirled around his mouth. His eyes wandered to the other goblins, examining their weapons and armor. “If you there, me could do what you want.”
I nodded. “All right.”
“Me can’t get all the goblins to agree. Too many tribes. Too many that not as smart as we.” Kemek and the other goblins chuckled.
“I understand.”
Later on that night, before I went to sleep, Prastian came over to me. In a hushed tone he asked, “Are you sure what you did was wise, Hellsfire?”
“What do you mean?”
“You committed resources of a land where you have no say.”
“But now Alexandria won’t have to worry about things as much, at least when it comes to the goblins.”
“But what if the princess and her father object to it? If they would prefer to do what they trained a thousand years for and kill them?”
I opened my mouth, then stopped. Prastian had a point. Both those in Alexandria and the goblins had it ingrained in them to slaughter each other the way they always had. “I thought of an opportunity and seized it,” I said. “I think it would be a waste if they decide not to work with the goblins.”
“I agree,” Prastian said. “The information Kemek and the others can obtain here will be invaluable, but it will be difficult to convince King Furlong. He won’t want to arm potential enemies. I wouldn’t want to either.”
“I can at least try. I believe working together will curb the hostilities more than each staying to their own land.”
“You may be right, Hellsfire. Good night.”
“Good night.”
----
By midday, we heard the noise of thunderous hooves. Prastian and I ran to meet Alexandria’s patrol before they attacked the goblins.
“It’s good to see you both again,” Captain Rebekah said, halting her horse. She and her men eyed the horde behind us, and her hands tightened on her reins. “Sorry to see that the others didn’t make it. Stay back and we’ll fight the creatures.” She turned to two of her men. “You two escort them back to Alexandria.”
“No!” I said. “Leave the goblins alone. They helped us return. All of us. They’re our...allies.”
“How can you ally yourself with the Wasteland creatures?” one woman said.
“You’re no better than Premier,” another rider added.
“Quiet!” Rebekah said. “King Furlong’s not going to like this.
I
don’t like this.”
“Please,” I said. “You must not attack them.”
Rebekah glared at the goblins. She paused, but then eventually nodded. “All right. As long as they stay there.”
“But Captain, that’s a huge force threatening Alexandria. We should send for more reinforcements and crush these creatures.”
“No,” she said. “If what Hellsfire says is true, we’ll let them live for now.”
“But—”
“I said no! You, go back and send word that they’ve returned. Hellsfire, I suggest you hurry and get the others, and tell the creatures not to make any sudden movements and to be gone as soon as possible.”
“I’ll stay here and talk to the good captain,” Prastian said.
I ran back to the others. Now that it was daylight and I was running towards them, I saw what Rebekah’s people saw. A large dark force of armed goblins looked intimidating to a weakened city and smaller force. It could just be the beginning of another attack.
“We’ll go back to the city on our own,” I said to Kemek as soon as I arrived. “Thanks again. Thanks to you all.”
All the goblins bowed to me.
“Give me one of your rocks to your secret city.”
Kemek gasped. “You know about rock too?”
One of the goblins hesitated. She only handed me a rock after looking to Kemek. I closed my hands around it and chanted, imbuing it with power. I cast a one-time notification spell on it. The smudge-colored rock glowed briefly when I handed it back to Kemek.
“Don’t lose this,” I said. “When you come back here, I want you to slam this rock down on the ground. It’ll notify me of your location. Don’t come too close to the city.” I remembered both Prastian’s words and Rebekah’s reactions. “And give it some time before you return.”
“Me will. Bye Great One.” Kemek bowed then barked orders to the goblins.
I waited, watching the goblins jog back into the Wastelands until they disappeared over the horizon.
Jastillian clapped me on the back as we walked back to Rebekah and her men. “That was a fine adventure, lad. I expect many songs to be sung about us. When I get back to Erlam, I’ll have plenty of things to write down. I’ll keep the scribes busy for ages.” His brown eyes shone. “But first there’s Southern Shala!”
I wanted to tell him that we should wait and rest, but he was right. Southern Shala had to be told about Premier, and warned of Renak’s words.
“We have to tend to our wounds,” Demay said, “And we all need baths. We stink.”
We all chuckled at that response, glad to finally be out of the Wastelands.
When we reached the others, we doubled up on horses. I sat behind Rebekah.
“Prastian told me what you did with the goblins,” Rebekah said. “The king’s not going to like it. The princess might not either.”
“Did he also tell you that attacks may lessen because of it?” I asked. “Despite what you may think, the creatures in the Wastelands aren’t just monsters. They have their own culture and rules of society.”
Rebekah snorted.
“And they also have their faults just like any of us. Sure, they’re more savage than most, but Premier was controlling them.”
“So you say,” she said. “But you haven’t seen the things we have. In either case, it’s not me who you’re going to have to convince.” Rebekah spurred her horse into trotting faster.
We arrived back at Alexandria three hours before sundown. Outside of the city gates was Krystal. My heart and face lit up at the sight of her. I knew that what I saw in the nexus wasn’t real, but I still hadn’t been completely sure. Renak’s words about his spell being twisted and to watch Premier mulled over in my mind.
Krystal’s eyes lingered on me for a moment, and she gave me a brief smile. “It’s good to see you again. All of you. Thank the gods you made it. I was worried for your well-being.”
“Your Highness,” I said. “It’s good to see you too.”
“I look forward to hearing what happened, after you get cleaned up.” She did her best to hide it, but her nose scrunched up in a way I found adorable. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
We trotted past her. I couldn’t help but turn around and stare at her. She grinned, and I returned it. My cheeks flushed with heat. I couldn’t wait to be with her and sweep her in my arms again.
----
I took a bath and had my wizard’s robes washed. I scrubbed myself clean from all the grime, dirt, and blood. I worked hard to get rid of that Wastelands smell, the camping with goblins, and the black blood that clung to me from slaughtering ogres. The once clear water blackened until it was like soot. My robes were returned to me, and I shaved. I ran my fingers through my damp hair, then rushed to the small, quiet audience chamber, as there was much to report to the king.
Everyone was already seated around the table. I hovered near the door, watching King Furlong, his daughter, and Prastian engaged in animated conversation. There was plenty of fresh food on the table. It seemed hardly anyone had touched the food, despite how much was piled on everyone’s plates. My eyes lit up at the fresh bread, fruit, and cheese. Even the platters of meat smelled good, but I felt I would barely be able to take more than a few bites. I took a deep breath and strode over to the table.