Once, Berig might have disagreed with her, but she was right. He'd changed. He was no longer the cowardly thief, the irresponsible drifter. All that had changed the day Crayden burned. Since then, he'd made friends, and they'd helped him when they could have abandoned him.
Now they needed him. He couldn't leave them to die. "You're right. Let's find those goblins."
They continued along the edge of the cliff, growing more anxious with every step. Occasionally, Berig thought he saw movement, but when he focused his gaze on it, nothing was there. Were his eyes deceiving him?
There were no wards around here. Even if the goblins weren't watching, a monster might be. Berig wanted to turn and run. He swiveled his gaze from side to side. The shadows danced like never before. The sticky air felt heavy, like it was preparing to suffocate him.
Berig's knees gave way, and the world spun around him, making him feel sick. He closed his eyes, pretending the world didn't exist as he curled into a ball with his hands over his head.
"Berig!" Lara's hands shook him. "You need to stop panicking!"
But Berig didn't care. His chest hurt, and the pain became so much he thought he was having a heart attack. Cold sweat drenched him, and he trembled fiercely.
Lara wrapped her arms around him, bringing him close in a hug. For a long time, she lay there with her arms embracing him, calming him as tears streamed down his face.
Gradually, his senses returned, and with them came overpowering shame. How could he ever hope to be a hero? Heroes didn't freeze like this. Heroes didn't fall prey to panic. He was useless, just like he'd been during his thieving days.
Lara kept an arm wrapped around Berig's shoulder as they lay together on the ground. Her touch felt comforting enough that his breathing returned to normal.
"I'm sorry," he said, struggling against tears, hating himself for his failures.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. This is a terrifying thing we're doing. I might look calm to you, but I feel like my insides are twisted into knots. You're not alone, Berig. Everyone feels fear, even heroes with great destinies."
"But how can I learn to fight it?" Berig asked. He didn't understand why it had resurfaced so suddenly. He'd faced so many dangerous situations recently. Of course, in most of those situations, there hadn't been time to think. He'd simply reacted.
Now he could only dread what was coming, and then there was the fear that his friends were already dead. He couldn't let that fear take over. He had to be strong.
For Klint. For Aric. For Danica.
He got to his feet, using the nearby cliff for support, and Lara helped him keep his balance. After a few moments, they continued their search like nothing had happened. Berig didn't know if his panic would return, but he couldn't let it happen.
Maybe Lara was right. Even heroes felt fear. They simply mastered it.
There was a faint snap in the distance. Berig tensed, peering into the darkness. "You hear that?"
Lara shook her head.
A low rustle sounded. The night was windless, so it had to be something out there. A goblin? Some other kind of monster? Berig strained his ears as the rustling grew closer.
They stood at the edge of a large clearing. A shadowy creature prowled at the clearing's other side. It had a human-like shape, but it walked with jerky movements. Another creature appeared next to it, speaking in that guttural goblin language. Again, whatever magic Berig possessed made him understand their words.
"I can smell humans out here."
"Maybe they've come to find the humans we captured."
"It doesn't matter why they've come. They're trespassing in our territory."
Berig gripped Lara's arm as they stood silently. Berig hoped she'd have a plan, but she shook her head. The goblins stepped closer, wielding large axes. These goblins were about the same size as humans and wore plain brown clothing, but their bodies were much more heavily muscled.
Berig froze, trembling in the darkness. If the goblins could smell them, what chance did they stand? He thought of running. But, no, he had to face this threat, had to save his friends.
The goblins marched across the clearing, directly toward Berig and Lara. Soon the goblins stood close enough to see them. Raising their axes, the goblins fixed their gazes on Berig and Lara. Berig could see the hate and murder in their narrow eyes.
"Kill them," said the goblin on the left.
Chapter 32: The Goblin Lair
"Wait!" Berig shouted. "You don't have to kill us."
The goblins looked at each other, their eyes widening in a very human expression of surprise. "He communicates in our language," said the goblin on the right.
Berig glanced at Lara. "Did I just speak goblin?"
She nodded. "All I heard was grunting."
"I don't care what language he uses," said the goblin on the left. "They're trespassing in our territory, and they deserve to die. Humans know the penalty."
"But we've never encountered one who can speak our language. We should take him back to our chief and let him decide what we should do with them."
"You might be right," said the goblin on the left. He snarled at Berig and Lara, and they both recoiled. The goblins' rank stench filled the air.
The goblin on the right stepped forward, holding his axe ready. He touched the blade of the axe to Berig's head, and Berig trembled. The goblin examined Berig's face like there was something interesting there. Through it all, Berig was afraid he'd wet his pants.
"Come with us," said the goblin, prodding them forward.
Berig and Lara marched in front of the goblins, who led them forward with axes to their backs. The goblins hadn't taken their weapons, but there was no doubt a confrontation wouldn't end well. They walked for maybe twenty minutes, eventually reaching a cave. The goblins directed them into this cave, where the first passage they entered was lit by torches along the walls. Meat was cooking in the distance, giving off a delicious aroma, and Berig prayed that wasn't the smell of his friends.
The goblins shoved them forward until they reached an open chamber where dozens of goblins milled about. In the center of the chamber, a bunch of deer were cooking over open fires. Berig exhaled with relief. Maybe his friends were still alive.
A goblin guard stood at the entrance. "More prisoners?"
"We need to see the chief," said one of the goblins. He gestured toward Berig. "This one can speak our language. The chief will be interested in him."
The guard pointed his axe toward a passage off to the left. "You can find the chief there, in his bedchamber."
Berig's stomach churned as the goblins led them into this passage, which opened into a small chamber containing wooden furniture, including a bed with a straw mattress. In all, this looked more civilized than Berig had expected.
The chief sat at a table, tearing into meat with his teeth. Again, Berig hoped it wasn't one of his friends. Where were they? Were they alive?
The chief narrowed his eyes. "Why have you taken humans into my chamber?"
"We found them in the forest. This one can speak our language."
The chief gazed at Berig. "Can you? What is your name, human?"
"My name's Berig."
The chief's eyes widened, and he nearly toppled backward in his chair. "I can't believe it! Finally, I can understand a human again. Has our curse finally been lifted?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Berig said. To his right, Lara looked as if she wished she could fade into the wall. The goblins kept a firm grip on her, though they didn't appear to have harmed her.
The chief frowned. "You don't know of our curse?"
Berig glanced at Lara. "He's talking about some kinda curse. What does he mean?"
She shook her head, looking as if she might be sick.
"Speak to me," the chief said, and Berig turned back to him. With Berig's attention on him, the chief continued. "Long ago, before the Great War, there were no goblins. We were humans. Humans who took the wrong side in that war.
When the forces of Lionar won that war, he exiled us to the Shadowed Land, and after that exile, we turned into what we are now. We can't speak to humans. We can't understand them. For hundreds of years, we've lived separate from you." Tears glistened in his eyes. "Don't you understand what this might mean for us?"
"I'm not really sure," Berig said. "How'd this happen to you? How'd you get back here? I thought no one could escape the Shadowed Land."
The chief's expression tightened with impatience, but after a breath, he relaxed. "We were sorcerers during the Great War. We were closer to Krinir than just about anyone else. He found a way to send us back, but crossing back to this world isn't as easy as entering the Shadowed Land. When you return, it comes with a price. We are now goblins. We don't possess our old magic. That's the price we paid."
Berig looked more closely at the goblins' features. Their skin was grayish, their hair a startling white, but beneath that, Berig could see the humanity lingering within them. He was amazed he hadn't seen it before, but then he reminded himself that he'd only seen the goblins in the dark. But were they really goblins at all?
"I'm sorry this happened to you," Berig said. He wasn't sure what else he could tell the man.
"It's not your fault," said the chief. "And you may just be our salvation."
No. Berig didn't want to think about that. He'd already heard about his heroic future from Tyrell. He didn't need anyone else expecting him to be a hero. All he wanted to do was save his friends and get out of here so they could cure Aric.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to save you," Berig said. "I can speak your language, but what does that really mean? Maybe it's just some kinda magic I have."
"I don't think so," said the chief. "I've never heard of that type of magic before. We've encountered many sorcerers, and none of them have ever spoken our language." He stroked his chin. "No, there's something special about you."
Berig shook his head, fighting back frustration. "Everyone keeps saying that, but I'm having trouble believing it. What does everyone see in me that I don't?"
"I can't answer that," said the chief, "but I do think you're here for a reason."
"But why should I save you?" Berig asked. It was a dangerous question, but he didn't sense any threat from the goblins at the moment.
The chief sighed. "I know. From your perspective, we must look terrible. We kill humans who come into our territory. We supported Krinir in the Great War." He massaged his temples. "But we've learned from the mistakes of our past. We've had hundreds of years to learn."
"Look," Berig said. "I don't know too much about this Krinir or the Great War or anything. I just want you to release my friends so we can go on our way."
"Were those your friends we captured the other day?" asked the chief.
"Yes. And if you've harmed them in any way, I will never help you."
The chief held up a hand in a calming gesture. "Relax. They haven't been harmed."
"But I thought you always killed humans who enter your territory." Berig glanced at the pair of goblins who'd led them here. "One of them wanted to kill us."
The chief ran a hand through his white hair. "Let's just say that some of us don't hold the most charitable views toward humans. You need to see this from our perspective. Ever since we returned to this world, we've been hunted down as monsters like any others. It doesn't matter that we're intelligent, or that we were once human. When people look at us, they see monsters, and monsters have to die."
"So you don't eat humans?" Berig asked.
"No, that's a rumor humans have started to make us look like monsters."
"But one of these goblins still wanted to kill us," Berig said. "I don't care if other humans have hunted you. I've never done anything to you."
The chief looked at the other two goblins. "Which of you wanted to kill them?"
The goblin on Berig's left retreated a step, as if he could hide somewhere in the open chamber. "I'm sorry, chief. I shouldn't have taken such an aggressive stance."
"You will be punished. You know the rules. We don't kill humans unless they attack us first. Unfortunately, that is the case far too often."
"What about the search party?" Berig asked, suddenly remembering the first group of people who'd gone in search of his friends. "They still alive?"
"They're with your friends," said the chief.
Berig felt like a weight had left his chest. Maybe this wouldn't turn out so badly. He still didn't like the thought that the goblins expected him to save them in some way, but he'd worry about that later—or try not to worry about it at all. Yeah, that seemed like a better idea.
"Can you take us to 'em?" he asked.
The chief rose. "Follow me."
They left the chief's chamber, passed through the tunnel, and reemerged in the cavernous main chamber. The chief led them to the far end of the chamber. A few goblins cast curious glances in their direction, but no one approached. Looking at the goblins' behavior, Berig wondered how anyone could mistake them for monsters. Everything they did looked human.
Soon the party reached a smaller passage at the end of the chamber. They followed this passage, emerging maybe a minute later in a chamber containing large, barred cells. Berig's party was in one cell, while the search party from Clan Forest Snake filled the other.
Danica rushed to the bars. "Berig! I was sure you were dead."
Berig strode to the bars and clasped her hands in his. It was the first time they'd touched in a long time, but it was only a gesture of friendship. She'd given her heart to Aric, and that was all right. It was enough that she was alive.
"Have they taken you prisoner, too?" Aric asked. He looked unsteady on his feet as he stepped to the bars. How much longer did he have?
"No, I ain't a prisoner," Berig said. "I'm here to get you out. I can talk with 'em." Before they could say anything, he continued. "I don't know how it works. Must be some kinda magic. But they've told me a lot about what they really are."
Berig went on to repeat what the chief had told him.
"You know, I thought they looked a lot like people," Klint said.
Berig turned to the chief. "What were you gonna do with 'em before we showed up?"
"We were going to hold them until we were sure they weren't a threat, and then we would have let them go. Clan Forest Snake has our respect. They treat us better than most. That is not to say we don't have our disagreements, but we generally avoid bloodshed."
"I don't understand," Berig said. "I think you're leaving something out. I talked to High Priest Tyrell, and he said my friends would most likely die if I didn't come here. But if you were going to let them go, how would they have died?"
The clan chief looked genuinely surprised at this news. "I have no idea."
Berig wished he could bring himself to trust these goblins, but he still felt something was missing. However, as long as the chief let Berig's friends go, Berig could leave the goblins behind and never worry about them again. Or at least he hoped he could.
After a long silence, the chief turned to a goblin guard. "Unlock the cells."
The guard obeyed, first unlocking the cell containing Berig's friends and then unlocking the other cell. Lara embraced a few members of the search party, while Berig made his way toward Aric, Klint, and Danica.
Danica and Aric wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Klint stood back a little, giving Berig a smile but nothing more.
"We should get going," Klint said.
They all started back toward the entrance to the chamber, but they were stopped by the sudden arrival of a lone goblin guard. Sweat had drenched the guard, and something had opened a deep gash in his arm. He swayed on his feet, and blood coated his leg.
"Monsters!" he said, panting heavily. "More than I've ever seen."
And then he collapsed.
Chapter 33: Flight from Danger
Berig's heart pounded. "What should we do?"
"Run," said the goblin chief. "There's a back entrance to our cav
es. You can get out that way." He met Berig's gaze. "I don't know what exactly you're destined to do, but I think you'll be very important. Protect yourself. Don't worry about us."
Berig repeated the message.
"Can't argue with that," Klint said.
One of the goblins handed them all the weapons that had been taken from them. The rest of the goblins moved toward the entrance to their cave. Berig and the others followed them out of the passage, and when they entered the main chamber, Berig saw monsters everywhere.
The monsters were about the size of a human, with long, narrow mouths full of sharp teeth and two pairs of wings. They made horrible shrieking sounds. There had to be hundreds of them filling the cave, darting after the goblins, who fought back with everything they had.
Screams filled the chamber. Goblins were running every which way. Mothers tried to direct their children to other places, though Berig doubted anywhere was safe right now.
"Shouldn't we try to help them?" Danica asked.
"No, we should worry about ourselves," Klint said as they sprinted across the chamber. The chief pointed out the direction they had to go. They started in that direction, but then five of the monsters blocked their path. Aric slashed at one of them with his sword, but a quick swipe of the beast's claw sent the sword flying.
While Aric scrambled for his sword, the rest of the monsters closed in on them. One of them leapt atop Berig, and he grunted as its weight struck him. Heart racing, he went for his dagger. He tried to slash at the monster, but all he could do was create a thin depression in its tough skin. He pressed harder, but it didn't work. It took all his strength to hold the monster away. Was this how he'd die?
The monster shrieked. Berig kicked at its scaled chest. It recoiled for a moment, but then it attacked Berig with new rage, slashing its claws at him. Hot pain lanced across Berig's chest as the claws tore into him. He ignored it, though, and launched all his weight at the monster.
World in Chains- The Complete Series Page 76
