I gave a silent thanks and finished off my second sandwich. I didn’t think I could have taken another footstep uphill.
The rain hadn’t abated as we left our shelter, and if it wasn’t for Fiere’s coat I would have been soaked to the skin.
Ash took my hand and we both walked beside Coal and Spear who had again taken the lead. As I was now at the front of the group rather than the back where I’d been before, I could at least see where I was going. About two hundred meters below us, the terrain changed from the gray stone and shale back to forest. The going was painfully slow as someone slipped every couple of minutes and we had to wait each time for them to pull themselves up. As the trees got nearer, I spotted something just along the tree line. At first, I thought it was another cave, but this time it had a makeshift door attached to it. The wooden door was open.
“What do you make of that?” I pointed it out to Ash.
“That’s one of the entrances to the Goblin City,” explained Coal who’d heard me. “We’ve come too far. We need to walk around it quietly so they don’t hear us.”
“But the door is open. Surely that’s an invitation for anyone to go in?” replied Ash.
“The Goblins don’t offer invitations of any kind!”
Ash ignored him and ran over to the entrance. He peeked in and then, before Coal or anyone else could stop him, disappeared into the dark tunnel.
“Foolish boy!” remarked Coal. “We need to get out of here quickly, come on.” He upped his pace, giving the entrance a wide berth.
“We can’t leave him!” I shouted at the retreating Coal.
“I’m not hanging around here!” was his reply.
I watched helplessly as the others began to take the same path as Coal. Only Spear stayed with me.
“Why is Coal so reluctant to be caught up here? He hasn’t mentioned that the Goblins are dangerous to you, has he?” I asked.
“No, but I agree with him. Ash should have left well enough alone. We brought Coal because he knew the Goblins. Now we have two groups which will not help our cause.”
“There he is!” I pointed with relief as Ash poked his head out of the tunnel entrance.
“It’s empty. There is no one there,” he shouted, causing Coal and the others to stop.
“It can’t be. There are hundreds of them. You must be mistaken.”
“I’m not mistaken. There is a whole city down there. You were right about that, except it is empty. The houses, the shops. There is no one there.”
Coal looked dumbfounded.
“Maybe they have left the Triad Mountains,” I ventured. The thought of walking all this way for nothing made my stomach fall. It was beginning to get even darker which meant evening was closing in. We had been walking for the better part of a day.
“That’s impossible!” argued Coal. “They would never leave these mountains.”
He hiked back to where Ash was standing. The others followed and Spear and I joined them. We all peered into the dark tunnel.
“I don’t like this,” whispered Coal. I had to agree with him. Why would the Goblins leave their own city? Even though nothing had been said about them being a dangerous race, the way Coal spoke about them put me on edge.
I felt nervous following Ash down the dark tunnel, even though I knew everyone else was following.
I had to trust Ash’s dragon eyesight as I couldn’t see a thing.
All of a sudden there was light. It wasn’t bright but it was enough to see the huge cavern that the tunnel opened up into. Holes in the ceiling, protected by glass windows, let in the little light there was outside. To say the cavern was big didn’t do it justice. It was massive, with the uneven roof held up by pillars. Thousands of stalactites hung down and here and there, a stalagmite rose up from the ground to join its partner.
It wasn’t the cavern that was the most impressive, although it did take my breath away. It was the hundreds of little buildings within it. Set on many levels with roads and pathways connecting each building, they’d managed to build a whole village in here. When Coal had mentioned a Goblin village inside the mountain, I’d expected a series of caves. Nowhere in my deepest imagination could I have conjured this up in my mind.
Ash was right, though. The whole place had an eerie silence. Lights lit up the houses but there was no one walking in the underground streets and the few windows I could see into showed empty rooms. It was as if they had all just decided to move out one day, leaving everything as it was and just disappearing.
The thought of it scared me. What could make a whole village of people just vanish?
Just then a bright flash of light filled my eyes momentarily blinding me.
“Who do you think you are?” roared a voice. It looked like there was someone here after all.
Chapter Seven
As my eyesight returned to me I saw a Goblin standing in front of us. Having not seen one before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and his appearance shocked me. He was small and stout with leathery skin and mossy green hair. His hooked nose arched out just above a sneer. I could see why Coal distrusted them.
“We are the dragons from far down the Triad Mountains. We come seeking your help.” Spear pushed through to the front to speak to him.
“It is customary to wait to be invited into one’s home before just barging in,” replied the Goblin.
“Your village is empty,” remarked Ash, but as he said it, it became apparent he was wrong. Behind the Goblin, the empty village we’d just seen was now a hub of activity. The shops were full of Goblins. Small vehicles traveled up and down the roads and the streets bustled with activity. “Where did they all come from?” asked Ash in surprise as he noticed them all for the first time. I guessed they used magic for more than just creating swords!
“They have been here all the time. You are just too stupid to have seen them.”
Ash looked affronted but did not reply.
“You say you are dragons?” asked the Goblin, addressing Spear.
“That’s correct.”
“She isn’t!” the Goblin replied, jabbing me with a stick he was holding. “She’s a Slayer!”
“So, what if she is?” Ash pushed the stick away from me as I rubbed my arm where it had hit.
“Nothing. Just curious, that’s all. It is not often we see your kinds mix. In fact, I cannot remember ever having seen it.”
“That’s why we are here. We need your help with the Slayers.”
“The Goblins do not like to get involved with differences of other kinds.”
“Who said anything about differences?” inquired Spear.
“You want me to tell you about the swords we provide to the Slayers.” It wasn’t a question. He already knew.
“We only want information. We’ve come a very long way. Please.”
“Follow me,” he said with a wave of his hand.
The Goblin meandered down into the main part of town and we all trooped after him like lost children following their teacher. A few of the Goblins looked at us with curiosity, but most were too busy to give us a second glance.
We walked past row after row of odd looking shops and funny houses, all hewn out of the red rock of the cavern. It made it look both quaint and a bit scary at the same time. I tried to take in all the new sights around me and figure out exactly where we were in the maze of tiny houses. Shops rose up, stacked one on top of the other along the nearest wall of the cavern, stone steps enabling people to reach the higher ones. Below us was a whole town with houses and other buildings. There was a giant town square with decorative rocks placed around the edges in place of flowers. There was nothing growing in this place beyond the Goblins themselves. There were no trees or plants.
Tunnels snaked off in all directions, the largest of which at the very far end of the cavern had a huge sign that read MINE.
All too soon, the Goblin stopped at a building right in the center of town. He knocked at the door and waited for a reply before opening it.
&n
bsp; “Krikor,” he said to the occupant. “I’ve brought the intruders. It’s only a group of dragons wanting some information. Nothing to worry about!”
“Thank you, Grunch,” replied the voice from within. “Let them in.”
Grunch held the door open and one by one, we filed in. I was by no means the tallest, but I had to bend almost in half to get through the tiny doorway. We found ourselves in a room that made up for its height by being very large. It looked like a meeting room of some kind with chairs spread out in a circle.
“Please take a seat.” He held his hand out to indicate the chairs. They were much too small for us, almost like children’s chairs, but we all managed to squeeze ourselves into them.
“Welcome to Kanghar,” said the Goblin. “My name is Krikor and I am the king of the Goblins.” He was no less mossy than Grunch had been, but he was much older. He walked with a hunch and his green hair was starting to turn white at the temples.
He took the seat in between Spear and Ash.
“I’m sorry we came uninvited,” said Spear, “but we stumbled on your village accidentally. We were hoping to come by way of your main entrance at the bottom of the mountain.”
Krikor waved his hands, dismissing Spear. “No matter how you got here, we are glad that you have found us. Now, what can we do to assist you?”
“We are having problems with the Slayers,” began Spear. He went on to tell Krikor the whole story. When he came to the bit about me turning up in Frokontas, Krikor raised his eyebrow but he kept silent, letting Spear continue with his story.
“I’m sure that Grunch must have told you that we do not take sides. We are impartial to any war going on that does not include us.”
“But it does include you,” said Ash joining in the conversation. “They are your swords that the Slayers are using.”
“I wonder what she has to say about all this.” He looked directly at me. I felt uncomfortable, as though he was boring right into my mind and already knew what I was about to say.
“My people...some of my people are murderers. It’s been going on too long and it has to stop. Can you help us?”
“I’m afraid not. Once we sell a product, we do not tell another soul of its magic. That is why people trust us. If we break that trust only once, we will be nothing more than liars.”
“And thieves,” hissed Coal under his breath beside me.
“Ah, Coal. I wondered when you would return for your ring. I’ve been keeping it safe for you. The magic you asked will still be strong but you’d be best to take it now. I’ll have someone get it for you.”
I turned and saw the shocked expression on Coal’s face. It made me wonder what kind of magic he’d purchased. Slayers didn’t deal in magic. Most actively talked about it as though it was the devil’s work and yet their hatred of magic never extended to the Goblin made swords. I wondered why that was.
“They hated the dragons more than they hated the magic,” Krikor said, confirming that he could read minds. Ash gave me a funny look and I shrugged my shoulders. “The night is drawing in and you are all wet. I can offer you a bed each to sleep in and a good meal but that is all. I’m afraid your quest for information will not be fulfilled, but I hope you’ll honor us and be our guests for the evening.”
Spear looked to be considering it but it didn’t take a mind reader to know what his decision would be. We were all tired, wet, and hungry. It would be madness to start the trek down the mountain at this late hour.
“Thank you, King Krikor. That is very generous of you.”
Krikor stood and beckoned us to follow him. He took us out of the building and across the Goblin city. The sights and smells were all foreign to me and yet the place was so alive that I couldn’t help but feel excited to be here.
“That is our best restaurant,” pointed out Krikor. I followed his finger to a smart-looking building with a green canopy outside. It had no sign to mark it as a restaurant but the small tables displaying menus meant it didn’t need to. “I will meet you back here at seven o’clock and we shall dine together. In the meantime, you all look like you could do with a shower and a warm place to dry if you don’t mind me being so bold.”
We followed him further into the cavern, past all the shops and houses, and down another tunnel. I would have thought he was taking us back outside if it wasn’t for the heat that emanated from it. A blast of hot air breezed past us, making me wonder if we weren’t the only dragons here after all.
I heard the roar of it before I saw it, but it was no dragon. It was a huge waterfall, spilling out of a cliff face into an underground lake.
“The water will be much warmer than you are used to, but it’s not hot enough to burn. You can bathe here. The little cabin there is full of towels. Take as many as you need. I’ll see you all at seven in the restaurant.” Krikor shuffled off leaving us all standing looking at each other.
One of the dragons ran past me and with a huge leap, jumping off a rock into the water with a splash.
“Come in!” she shouted. “The water is wonderful.”
I still felt cold and damp from the rain and the sight of the huge lake made me want to join her. I stripped down to my underwear and dove into the warm water. Beside me, I felt a splash and then another as the rest of the dragons joined us. Ash was the last to jump in but when he did, he grabbed hold of me, pulling me down under the water’s surface. He kissed me there, out of eyesight and yet within reach of everyone else. When we finally surfaced and sucked in deep breaths, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face.
A pleasant couple of hours was spent splashing around in the water, and the aches and pains of the hike vanished, leaving me wondering if the water had some medicinal properties. When we finally got out and dried ourselves using the towels, I noticed that my skin felt softer too. Apart from my rumbling stomach, brought on, no doubt, by only having eaten a couple of sandwiches all day, I had never felt better. I wondered what Goblin food tasted like?
Later, once we had dried and dressed, we made our way back to the restaurant.
Krikor was already waiting for us, along with some of the other Goblins. We managed to squeeze around a large table while a number of Goblin waiters brought us dish after dish of wonderful food. It was like nothing I’d ever tasted before and neither had the dragons judging by the looks on their faces. The food was spicy and hot and utterly delicious. I gobbled it down hungrily, going from dish to dish, savoring the spices and flavors, each different from the last. Despite Spear’s best efforts to get information about the swords, Krikor and the other Goblins remained tight-lipped. Once he’d given up trying, they joined in the conversation and were more than happy to share small talk with us.
After the spicy food, the waiters brought out a sweet frozen cream dish which went down wonderfully, quelling the fire in my throat. I’d never had a more delicious meal in my life and I made a mental note to ask for some recipes before leaving.
“I hope we have made you feel welcome. I have had someone make up some beds for you in the room above this restaurant. You will need to go outside and find the stone stairs beside the restaurant and climb them until you come to a building. I trust you’ll have a pleasant night.
“I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality, Krikor.” Spear held out his hand and the king shook it heartily.
“Coal, you will find your ring there also. Now if you don’t mind, I’m an old man and I need my rest. Feel free to stay here as long as you want.”
Despite his invitation to stay in the restaurant, we were all tired and so less than half an hour later we wearily trudged up the stairs that had been cut out of stone. The building we came to didn’t have beds exactly, but many mattresses and beanbags had been laid out on the floor for us to sleep on. It looked like we were all going to be sleeping in the same room. Ash took my hand and led me to the mattress in the darkest corner. I flopped down next to him and sighed.
He gathered me up in his arms and I laid my head upon his chest. It had
certainly been an exhausting day. Even as I thought it, I yawned and closed my eyes.
“You okay?” Ash whispered quietly.
“I guess so. I was just hoping that we’d find out more information. I feel like we’ve wasted the whole day.”
“I know what you mean. This has been a wasted journey and we’ve still got to hike all day tomorrow to get back. I’m hoping that the weather will have cleared so we can fly down.”
“We are no closer to ending this ridiculous war. The only end to it I can see is if we destroy the Slayers and that means destroying my family.”
“I won’t let that happen!” He held me tighter making me feel safe.
I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep. The last words I heard before I descended into a blissful oblivion were, “You are my family now.”
Chapter Eight
I woke up wrapped in Ash’s arms. The sounds of the others snoring and shuffling in their sleep told me I was the only one awake. The room was still dark although a sliver of light through one of the windows allowed me to see a little. I felt antsy after yesterday’s wasted trek, as though I should have done more, but what? I couldn’t force the Goblins to tell us anything. I didn’t even want to try to force them. They’d treated us well since we turned up unannounced yesterday.
Thoughts rushed through my head, of Ash and his family, of my own family, and most of all, of the mess we were all in.
I couldn’t get back to sleep so I decided to get up and do something useful. Stepping around all the sleeping bodies, I headed out into the main chamber of the Goblin village. It was lighter out there but not much. It was also quiet. A couple of Goblins walked past me but didn’t speak. Not knowing what to do with myself, I decided to take a walk. I’d not gone far before I had the feeling that the Goblins might think I was snooping or up to no good. In the end, I decided to go back to the tunnel we had first come down and head outside for some fresh air. I saw no more Goblins before I made it outside. It was much lighter outside and colder too. The dawn was just breaking over the horizon, bathing the Triad Mountains in a warm pink glow. I’d not seen it yesterday because of the storm, but now that the clouds had cleared, the view was spectacular. I could see all the way down to the base of the mountains and farther beyond to all the farmers’ fields that lay out in tiny squares full of sheep and cows the size of raisins. To my right was the impressive summit of the largest mountain in the Triad Mountains. It was still a long day’s trek to reach the top and I could see that snow still lingered, left over from the long winter.
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