King of the Goblins—Chapter 27

The three women looked up as the door opened. I spat the shadow stone into my hand and slipped it in my pocket, then stood there and faced them.

“Well?” Silvy asked, her voice heated. “What did you go and fuck up now? How long until a dozen of those assholes are at my front door, wanting to slap some answers out of me?”

I held up both hands to try to calm her a bit. “That won’t happen,” I said. “Those three soldiers just beat each other to death in the shadows of the next cave.”

“What?” Silvy asked, her voice flat. Both Zia and Tressi gasped.

I shrugged. “Everyone knows how violent those guys are, right? I don’t think it seems too far out of the realm of possibilities that a disagreement could lead to blows.”

Silvy rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. “Yes they are assholes, but discipline is tight among them,” she explained. “Oh, damn it, Aaron. Everything is going to fall apart because you can’t control yourself.”

For whatever reason, that comment really bothered me. “No,” I said. “I will not stand by and do nothing when someone hurts you, Silvy. Or any of you. Anyone that lays a finger on any of you is going to die, plain and simple. And I will not apologize for that. If I have to kill their entire army, then I will.”

Silvy slowly walked around the table to stand in front of me. She looked up at me for a moment, looking quite displeased, but slowly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my waist. I held her tightly to me. 

“Thank you,” Zia said softly. Both her and Tressi walked over and hugged me, along with Silvy. 

“I suppose I should thank you as well,” Silvy said, sounding only slightly grumpy. “I just don’t want this to all come down on our heads. I’ve prayed for this—for you—for so long. I don’t want this to end because of a stupid mistake.”

“I made it look like they killed each other,” I said.

Silvy pulled away from me, breaking our group hug. “Well, at least you’re getting practice with blood magic. I suppose you can heal my face to get practice doing that.”

Her green skin didn’t show bruising very well, but the swelling on her left cheek was clear. I took her face in my hands and used blood magic to connect with it. 

With magic flowing through me, I felt at one with her face. I could feel the blood flowing through her body, even the broken capillaries on her cheek. I forced those to knit and heal and watched as the swelling went down right before my eyes. After that, her face still in my hands, I bent down and kissed her softly on the lips.

“Um, can you heal me as well?” Tressi asked.

I turned to look at her and she grinned.

“If healing comes with kisses,” Zia began. She reached around and pinched herself on her bottom. “Pretty sure I need some healing there.”

Tressi took hold of one of her large breasts with one hand and slapped it with the other. “Ow. Can I get some of those healing kisses?”

We all laughed.

“Well, I suppose we should get to planning, then,” Silvy said, walking back around the table. She grabbed a chair and pulled it back, then sat down. “I have a feeling this will come sooner rather than later.”

She was right. I took the chair across from her, and Zia and Tressi sat down next to her. The mood in the room went from light-hearted to serious very quickly.

“How long until you think you can face a soldier in a fight and win?” Silvy asked. “Is that even something I should be asking?”

“I’ve only been studying the spear for two days,” I said. “I’m learning it very quickly though, and most of the goblin soldiers use clubs, which gives me a huge advantage. If I have to face a group, they’ll rip me to shreds. However, considering the reach advantage a long spear gives me, I think in a week or so I could maybe give one of the guards a run for his money.” At least, I hoped so. One wrong move and I’d be dead, my brains on the floor.

“I wish there were a safer way for you to practice blood magic,” Silvy said, frowning at the table. “That’s how you’re going to have to do it, you know. There is no way you’ll be able to face down so many men with a spear.” She scoffed, as if the very notion were ridiculous. Well, it was.

“I know,” I said. “I came to that same conclusion recently. I’ll have to use the spear some—I simply won’t be able to kill that many with blood magic, I’ll be exhausted after the fifth time. Of course, I’l have you three helping me.”

“True,” Silvy said, looking over at the other two women. They had a bit of a deer in headlights look about them, as if finally understanding just how serious the situation was. “Fortunately, they’re fast learners, just like you. In a week they’ll be able to do some damage.”

“Are we going to try this in a week?” I asked. “I feel like this is something that will need months of preparation.”

“And your feeling is correct,” Silvy said. “We’ll do it when we have no other choice. But I want to be prepared as quickly as possible.”

“Do you have any more of those shadow stones?” Zia asked.

Silvy frowned for a moment. “No, I don’t. But I think I can make some if I have the right things. I might send you down to get them.”

Down. I didn’t like that word, considering we were already beneath the surface.

“Being invisible would give us a huge advantage,” Tressi added. “We might even be able to just sneak in there and take care of Ralcor before anyone realizes it.”

“If only that were the case,” Silvy said, her voice soured. “There are multiple guarded doors we have to pass through. There is no way around it; Aaron is going to have to kill some people just to get close to Ralcor. We all will.” She looked over at the other two women.

Zia had a look of forced confidence on her face. Tressi looked slightly ill, but like she was accepting what must be done.

“What about Ralcor?” I asked. “Once I get there I’ll be able to kill him pretty easily, right?”

Silvy leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She suddenly sounded exhausted. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. We’ll all be there to help how we can, but he’s going to be a problem.”

“I feel like you’re about to give me some bad news,” I said.

“That’s because I am,” Silvy said, opening her eyes and facing me again. “Ralcor has a necklace. A pendant.” She took a deep breath. “Your blood magic can’t touch him, at least not directly.”

“Well, shit,” I said. “Are you saying I’ll have to fight this guy with a spear? That sounds like a recipe for disaster!”

“I know, I know,” she said. “We’ll be there to help you, but yes, you’ll have to fight him directly. I don’t think there’s any way around that.”

“I guess I should take my lessons seriously, then,” I said. “You’ll have to use your magic tonight so I can spar with Greg. Maybe pray for a miracle while you’re at it.”

“I did,” Silvy said, smiling faintly. “And the gods brought me you.” She looked at the other two women. “All of you.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to say the gods brought him to all of us?” Tressi asked.

Silvy chuckled. “Yes, I suppose you’re right on that.”

“Well, let’s get to it,” I said, pushing my chair back and standing up. “I need to learn how to fight in record time.”

Silvy followed me into the bedroom, where she used magic to summon Greg, my semi-translucent sparring partner.

“How are you doing, Greg?” I asked. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How’s your wife and my kids?”

Greg just stared at me, his eyes empty of all emotion, and raised his fists.

“Ah, Greg,” I said with a chuckle. “How I’ve missed that charm of yours.”