CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  DARK THOUGHTS IN DARK CAVERNS

  Deep within his dark, dank caverns, King Taudridor absentmindedly tore away the meat from a leg of mutton that he held in his left hand. After hurriedly chewing and swallowing, the goblin grabbed a mug of dirty water with his right hand, that had been sitting next to him on his throne, and sloppily drank it down.

  Their wounds now healed for a while after their failed attack on The Elven Forest, the Goblin King had somewhat settled back into his normal life. Though he was always scheming, whether how to destroy Elf Queen Ilsa Lightshower, or adding gold and weapons to his cavern kingdom, the time on his makeshift throne of rock and wood made him feel important still. The long string of damp cold caves, filled with the stench of dirt and unwashed kin, may not seem glorious to some, but it was still all his. All his to rule.

  Suddenly, a noise of running footsteps far down the caverns could be heard, and were coming his way. King Taudridor stopped eating, sat his mug down and slowly leaned forward on his throne to see who was about to enter his grimy throne room. Within a few seconds, he saw an exhausted goblin stop and bow before him. After the goblin’s panting began to slow, Taudridor sat back.

  “Balanga. Out with it,” commanded King Taudridor. Then he went back to gnawing on the leg of mutton, though his eyes never left the goblin before him.

  As his breathing became normal, Balanga crudely knelt before his king. When he finally looked up, the goblin’s face was fearful again.

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  “Oh, Your Gloriousness! We have returned from our raid on The Living River travelers,” spoke Balanga.

  Now finished with the mutton, King Taudridor flung the bone across the room. After two goblins jumped out of the way, he looked back at Balanga, along with the other goblins in the throne room.

  “And tell me, Balanga. What do I now have?” prodded the Goblin King, becoming angry at having to ask the question.

  “We were able to get swords and knives and a good amount of gold pieces from the traveler’s boats and their camp on the shore...” declared Balanga. “But, Your Graciousness!”

  “Good. Good,” cut in King Taudridor. “You and the others take the swords and knives to Turek in the weapons cave. It will bring my mightiest warrior much comfort and help him in planning our next attack.” Then the goblin king smiled. “And bring the gold to me.” When Balanga did not rise, Taudridor became angry. “What else, Balanga!? Out with it!” A second later his voice was a whisper. “Or I will have Turek deal with you.”

  After standing quickly and shaking his head at the thought of facing the scariest goblin in the cavern kingdom, the raid leader continued. “My king...while we hid in the bushes outside the camp, waiting for the right time to strike, we heard the travelers talking...” Then he was silent.

  “Well? What were they discussing?” asked Taudridor, in annoyance, as Balanga searched for his next words.

  Balanga bit his lip and clenched his hands, knowing what he said next would not be pleasing to his king. The king that rarely tempered his anger. The king that was never above acting out against the messenger.

  Finally, the goblin raid leader blurted out what he knew his king needed to hear. “There has been an invasion from The Barren Wasteland into The Dwarven Mountains! Landon Rosser has returned!”

  Balanga closed his eyes and readied himself for something to be thrown at him. Maybe the mug sitting on the arm of his king’s throne. Perhaps the crude crown that sat upon his head. When he felt nothing hit him, Balanga slowly opened his eyes.

  King Taudridor was seething. His eyes, furious, but he did not make a sound. Then he picked up his mug and, after taking a drink, the goblin king slowly whispered one sentence through his jagged teeth. A simple command.

  “Everyone...out.”