“Very well…”
“Now I don’t care that you came here with an enticing offer to edge along your request, something to sweeten this ludicrous deal! But I cannot with a right mind believe that the orcs have lost the security of their stronghold by the hands of Dokumbe. I simply refuse!”
Tog raised a finger up. “May I speak now, my lady?”
“You may not!”
“I’ll have not another word from you, Lucyna,” my father scolded me, right in front of the conclave no less.
“But father—”
“You are overstepping your boundaries! I fail to believe you fully grasp the objective in our assignment here, and because of this, you are jeopardizing the potential expansion of the dragon nation.”
My lips stayed shut. I so badly wanted to say that he was thinking with his greed, a greed so strong that it blinded him to what was so obvious to us all.
What was I saying? I was giving the conclave too much credit.
They were slipping their heads into the noose as well, even Saphyra… This charade was working, these dragons so hungry for land that they’d let these goblins play them for idiots.
I’d give it to Tog—he was playing his card well. Using the pride and selfishness of the typical dragon to get what he wanted.
But I didn’t fall for his farce. I loved my country, and I wouldn’t stand and watch my people burn!
“I do not understand, princess, where is all of this doubt and hostility coming from?” Gabot, the Dragon Lord of the North, slurred at me, the drowsy pathetic kingsman barely able to keep his subtle bloodshot eyes open. I could tell that he’d crossed paths with the shroom fields in Dendelville, and he was in no position to make future-dependent decisions for the dragon nation. Same could be said for Hamasson, the Dragon Lord of eastern Dradersi, who was more concerned with stuffing his face with the pastries in the middle of the table.
The leaders of our land were much too lenient with this parley. In a wider lens, the goblins weren’t a threat to Dradersi, but when allied with our enemies, we’d be dead before we could lift a finger.
Gabot reclined in his chair and continued casually, “We have a Red Goblin in our presence, fully prepared to offer us another piece of the dungeon core. He has made it quite clear that he entrusts us with it. Instead of holding onto the crystal, one they have no idea on how to protect, they are offering it to us, and in return, we are exchanging a truce.”
“A smart decision if I do say so myself,” Hamasson said in a wheezy voice, peppered with arrogance and entitlement.
“We will cease fire, and give all of Dokumbe a place in the future. Just as long as they keep to their side of Thalian,” Dovidan said.
“That means no trading resources, no crossing nation lines, no interbreeding—”
“Oh, goodness, no,” Saphyra cringed. “Especially not that!”
“And allowing us access to the mines, where we may come and go as we please!” Hamasson ordered.
“My main concern is pulling our men from Dokumbe, so they may be better utilized in Mavriel,” my father said arrogantly. “With our dragons fighting the fae in high numbers, we may proceed with step three of this war.”
“My liege, as we have discussed, the goblin army will not partake in the war in Mavriel. This decision still stands, correct?” Tog asked, and my father shrugged.
“We do not require your assistance. Quite frankly, having goblins in the front lines would only weaken our stance.”
Hamasson chuckled, his round belly jiggling. “My, could you imagine the rows upon rows of goblin stench our soldiers would have to tolerate? What an ordeal.”
“And a waste of space, honestly,” Saphyra added, and at the corner of my eye, I could see Tog’s face slightly churning with disgust. “Hah, I think the goddess was frolicking in the Dendelville field with you Gabot, when she bore the first slove!”
“Be quiet you,” Gabot chuckled. “I’d reconsider having them in the front lines. Our enemies may mistake them for weeds.”
“Yeah, maybe if we don’t stumble over them, first.” Saphyra taunted our guests, my father not saying a word to her. How bias. While the rest of the conclave chuckled at the goblins’ expense, poking fun at this situation, I was serious about this being a trap.
But soon, it wouldn’t matter. Saphyra and Hamasson continued to mock the goblins without restraint, making even the king crack a smile. All of this bullying didn’t go unanswered for, and before I could leap out of my chair and stop Tog and his vicious smile from opening the hatch, he unleashed a blinding blue light that penetrated the walls of the meeting room.
Suddenly everything around us began to shake. It all happened too fast for me to comprehend, and the last thing I saw before the ceiling began to crumble over our heads was Gerald jumping in to shield Jezz, and Dovidan calling out to me.
“LUCYNA!”
“DIE YOU DEMONIC DRAGONS!” Tog cackled, a blue mysterious light feeding off of him as a beam continued to pulse into his chest. “May this sacrifice solidify the victory of my people! DOKUMBE STAND STRONG! DOKUMBE CONQUERS ALL!”
What was happening?
The room began to spin, Tog’s bogburs rushing toward my father and two of them toward me. They charged in with fury underneath the crumbling ceiling, while I could do nothing but stand there as blood leaked down the corner of my lips. This weapon Tog had was nothing I’d seen before, the blue light continuing to swallow everything in chaos. Dust and debris clouded my vision, until I felt the goblins tackle me, readying their spears and swords over my head.
Dovidan leaped to protect me from the goblins… everything thereafter was a lost memory as I faded into unconsciousness.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Silas
I felt like we were messing around with the coding of a god damn RPG game or something. Tapping into Alzera-Kar’s power to extend spells, manipulating her energy to exact binding mana, using her essence to overthrow the strongest of arcane fae spells—was there anything her crystal shard couldn’t do? Something about Rufian’s plan made me feel extra guilty inside. As if I were betraying the dungeon core’s trust by partying up with a fae I hardly knew. I just wished she could have given me her two cents about this plan before I agreed, but like always, her godly essence lay dormant inside me, forever quiet.
Well, at least she made for an optimal tenant…
We spoke only once, and it was briefly. In the spirit world, I met the goddess, the creator of Thalian. She was nothing like I’d imagined, then again, I hardly had any perception of her. With little judgment it was easy for her to fill in the gaps in my head, my only expectation of her being a woman who loved her creations, so much so that she’d find someone outside of her world to save them.
I silently asked her for a sign, a quest, anything so I could know that I was doing right by her.
