Chapter 30: Choices and Chaos
Naswa)
Although I knew where the entrance to the Goblin King lay, I was not prepared for what greeted me. I felt every muscle in me tense as I walked carefully over the splintered remains of the spelled door. The black marble floor seemed to be echoing with the horrors of recent events with strange white ash clotting in certain areas. The faint smell of smoke and ashes clouded the air making it harder to breathe the already thin air.
I knelt down and swept a finger in the ash, wrinkling my nose in disgust. My eyes widened as I realized whatever fire had assaulted the Goblin Kingdom was magical in nature. I glanced around looking for magic sigils or some other evidence that might've pointed to the type of caster but found nothing.
Goblins would not be fighting amongst themselves. Goblins by nature knit together in a powerful need to have unity. A rogue Goblin had not occured in all my knowledge of the events in their kingdom. Then again, I had to confess my ancestors had not paid strict heed to them. I magically cleaned the residue from my finger taking one more glance around before getting to my feet.
I straightened and looked forward past the doors that remained down a long corridor that was bordered with incredible mockeries of nature. Gemstone plants twisted with blossoms that would never hold scents and remained eternal in their form. The stems of the plants were supernaturally smooth not at all bellying the small ridges that normal plants had. The emerald, quartzes, and amethyst all mocked the true beauty of nature with its multiple shades of majesty.
I forced myself forward even as my instincts screamed at me to turn and leave. The ceiling that was cavernous and carved smooth wasn't the sky, I knew it too well and panic momentarily grabbed at me. There were small gems of sorts speckled in the dark stone that gave a pale imitation to the sky. I frowned, giving a frustrated growl. The stars too were being mocked in this underground prison.
Goblins were such monsters. I felt a surge of anger towards the Goblins that had forced elven maidens to dwell down here in the suffocating dark. A wave of determination filled me and I ventured forward finding the corridor to be insufferable in length.
My pace slowed amidst the jeweled menagerie that surrounded me. The gems glowed softly in the dark but they could not mask the dark stone that surrounded me on every side. One of the plants I brushed past held an example of the different budding stages of a flower each one pale and perfect in its rosy hew.
I forced myself to stay still and take several deep breaths focusing on the path ahead and wrenched my curious gaze from the stone plants. The way before me seemed to waver. The walls seemed to want to close in on me. I closed my eyes picturing the open sky with a full moon and took one breath then another. The moon's full face gave me comfort and I felt my magic try to reinforce me, curling around me like a comfortable blanket.
I forced my eyes open and took one step forward as a weight seemed to suddenly snake around my legs. Gritting my teeth I forced myself forward feeling suffocation start to circle me. The cavern walls seemed to sloop closer to me and for a moment I wondered if I had triggered some magical trap. The sword at my side stopped humming as if it too were entertaining this possibility. My feet seemed to stick to the floor, each step came with more difficulty.
I had to keep moving. I had to stop him. I had to. I had to. I lifted one foot then the other. The floor seemed to puddle at my feet, leaving ripples where I stepped. I blinked and the ripples were gone. I tried to refocus. I had to stop this. I had to save her!
The phrases kept pounding in my head even as my magic changed from draping around me to tightening around me as if it too was upset by the underground surroundings. A vague part of me wondered at the lack of guards that were at the entrance I had come in from.
Was this.. Was this all a magical trap? My magic hadn't reacted to the cavern though. I glanced panicked to the gem flowers which all remained perfectly still. These plants weren't part of a spell were they? Meant to placate the captives to the goblin kingdom.
The weight seemed to grow with each step I took and I found myself faltering. My breaths came more shallowly. The ceiling was dropping on me! The ground pulled at my feet. I felt my knees start to buckle.
No. No I couldn't stop. Not here. The gem-encrusted walls twinkled around me and my eyes were much more suited to the dim light in this area but I began seeing spots…
I blinked trying to push away the realization of what was happening. Breathing came harder and I staggered forward a few more steps. No. No. Wait!
The dots in my vision multiplied and I cried out as I fell forward my palms slamming into the black marble as my vision began to be swallowed by darkness I could not see in. I pulled myself forward in a crawl, my arms straining to pull my body. My muscles buckled and my sword at my side scraped the marble floor letting out a horrible screech. I dug my nails into the ground trying to force myself forward even as I could feel the strength draining rapidly from my body.
Air. There was no air!
This… This couldn't be it. I couldn't… I couldn't fail them…
Footsteps met my fading senses and I heard the alarmed gasp of a humanoid. My arm muscles gave out and I collapsed on the floor defeated.
"The Elf King?! Here?"
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Marak)
The situation before me was twisting more and more when I tried to study it. I recoiled in horror from the damage I'd done and looked panicked to my hands. The magical energy that had burst out of me was quick and severe, a currently of lightning itself.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
The male, her cousin (?), put himself between me and the girls. Arisa quickly crossed over to Hannah and spoke quickly to her in a whisper. I couldn't make out the words as the male kept his stance between us one hand raised in a clear sign to halt.
"You have to understand," I said licking my dry lips, anxiety coloring my tone, "I didn't mean to throw her."
The icy blue eyes shades lighter than Hannah's glared to me from the man's face, his jaw tightened at my voice. "I wouldn't talk if I were you. Everything you've done has given me more than enough of an idea of just what type of monster you are."
My eyes darted past him to Arisa and Hannah. Hannah's eyes were a strange wonder, her pupils had become akin to a cat's and her eyes had turned from a more concentrated blue to a violent shade of crimson. Her attention was to Arisa and for a moment I felt a brief panic as I saw her reach out to Arisa her fingers tipped with animal-like claws.
Arisa showed no panic at Hannah's transformation which made me question-
Rex's voice sharp like a whip cracked gaining my attention, "HEY! Don't look at them. Look at me. You are going to stand aside and let us out of this deranged dungeon, got it!"
I shook my head feeling some of my sense return from the strange revelations, "I can't do that…." Not when I was this close.
There was an uncomfortable silence that choked the small room and my other subjects did their best to edge their way to the larger cavern chamber behind me. I could only imagine the gossip that would circle once this endeavor was over.
I took another step forward but my attention was grabbed by a familiar green-skinned subject whose coat-tails were currently flapping at the speed of his path.
"Hey-zel?" I said my voice sharper than I intended.
The gentleman who had become not only my advisor but fast friend took deep gulps of breath, holding up a hand begging for a momentary reprieve.
I could feel the male's eyes on my back as I turned to find out what had my advisor so harried.
He straightened up fussing with his collared shirt for a moment picking at some lint at his button-up vest.
"Sire-" He paused forcing his voice to come down from an anxious squeak to normal volume, "the Elf King is here!"
What?
I stared at Hey-zel wondering if I misheard him and shook my head, "Pardon?"
He gulped forcefully clearing his throat and gave an anxious gesture to behind him, "The Elf King collapsed near the main entrance where the guard door is um… fractured."
My brother king was here? No, surely this was a mistake… As Lord of the elves, he wouldn't be caught dead underground… then again… I felt my gaze drift sideways to the two human girls behind me.
Would the Elf King be able to marry Hannah? There were no records on an elf wedding with strange mixed-blood such as hers. In all my historical knowledge an Elf Bride always had to be human… Was she human enough?
"Sire?" Hey-zel asked, clearing his throat nervously. He pulled out a small silver magic pocket watch and the symbols on it shifted and changed measuring the arcane energy in the area.
Hey-zel must have somehow missed out on the wedding mayhem that was before us for he was now looking to the girls with great interest.
"Show me the Elf King. If he collapsed it might be due to that magic disease or hopefully just claustrophobia."
The human male didn't budge an inch as I turned to leave some instructions to a few goblins that had now gathered anxiously around the door to the cavernous room. I carefully spoke in goblin relaying that we would have to delay the ceremony for now and for the remaining guards in attendance to make sure the human females did not leave.
My language was, of course, rough and guttural compared to the musical tones of an elf and I could see out of the corner of my eye this foreign language was only making Hannah, Arisa, and their companion more on edge.
I couldn't be in two places at once much to my frustration, the Elf King's presence here demanded immediate attention.
My cape pushed behind me. I haphazardly followed Hey-zel as other Goblins had abandoned their seats in the upper wings and had started to crowd near the stage. I ignored the whispers and gesturing and tried to stay positive.
Palace gossip for years was a much better alternative to the end of Palace days.
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Rex) It didn't take a genius to figure out the gist of what the Goblin King had ordered. A barricade of some barrel chested frankenstein stitched like monsters all moved to block our exit. Well, the exit towards the cavernous room at any rate, it seemed for the moment they had either forgotten there was another door that led to this room or hoped we wouldn't go for it.
The nearest guard whose uniform seemed to indicate as the leader eyed me warily his slit-like eyes an unnatural shade of purple. Scales seemed to line the edges of his jaws which added to the strange intimidation factor he had going on.
I carefully back stepped towards the girls, "Okay so what is our exit plan? These freaks seem pretty determined to keep us here."
Hannah gave me a flat look that communicated all the obviousness I had pointed out. Her crimson eyes initially fierce and unholy now only had smoking embers of anger left in them.
"I don't really have a plan," She said her voice exhausted, "...As far as magic goes I'm a bit tapped out."
Arisa shifted her a little in her leaning on her giving her a sympathetic look. She glanced to me hopefully adding pressure on me to come up with a plan.
All in all my girlfriend was staying remarkably calm with all the chaos around and I realized she was probably just pushing back all her panic and hysteria for later. Nothing like the coping mechanism of repressing emotions...
Her golden-brown eyes flickered past me to the intimidating guards and then behind us. She started to inch back towards the door furthest from the guards. I could see her wince making eye contact briefly with the snake-like guardsman.
Arisa licked her dried lips nervously speaking in a low quick tone, "This is the door Marak brought me through before… This must be the way to that long hallway with all the gem plants…"
I winced at that revelation, "Was it.. near a really big talking door?"
She nodded, confirming my fears.
"That's not going to work then… The Goblin King is headed right that way to deal with some Elf King guy…" I pointed out. I glanced around the room looking for some kind of improvised weapon but all this small room had was a small seat area, broken mirror, the vanity with weird powders and oils…
If Hannah had any more fuel in her I wouldn't hesitate to toss some oils on these guards and tell her to light them up but she was burned out, no pun intended.
"Maybe that's exactly what we need," Hannah mused, still leaning on Arisa, "if anything he'll have to choose between dealing with us or that other royal. Not to mention that the royal might be on bad terms with the Goblin King."
"That's a bit of a gamble," I hesitated, "but I don't see a better avenue…"
We pushed towards the backdoor that Arisa mentioned and the guards crept forward with every movement we dared take. The guards seemed to be getting nervous the closer we got to the backdoor. The snake leader barked some type of order to the others and they moved forward quickening their pace. The weapons they had seemed at such odds with the era we were in, primarily spears of some sort and staffs. I realized quite quickly that the staffs might be some type of magical conduit for them and I had no idea what type of magic they had up their sleeves. Goblin magic or whatever these creatures were didn't exactly fall under the type of magic I would've been privy to.
"Okay I probably have just enough magic left in me to do that smokescreen thing.. Or in this case more like a mist or fog…" I said keeping my voice as low as possible.
"Alright.. Then we only have seconds to get that door open and get the hell out of here." Hannah muttered. The guards seemed to realize what we were planning and the snake-man suddenly spoke in English.
"Halt!"
His words seemed to suddenly spur Arisa in her panic. She gave a harsh push against the door. A hollow thunk met her efforts. I poured every last ounce of magical energy I had to splaying my fingers towards the approaching guards. A semi-thick fog materialized between us giving us a momentary cover from the guards. Their shapes morphed in the thick fog giving off ghostly shadows.
Hannah's panicked voice sliced through my focus on the fog, "It's locked!"
Of course it was, the sourness of the thought didn't translate to my face as I forced myself to be calm even as I felt the last bits of magic draining fast out of me. I could see the thick fog coming out of my fingers start to sputter out. I heard confusion amongst the guards' ranks but I could hear Snake man growling out orders in that strange language the King had spoken before.
"Can you pick it?" I asked half out of exasperation and half out of seriousness. I felt my back press against Hannah's as she was trained on the door.
"Ouch!" Hannah barked suddenly, I didn't see the cause of her pain focusing on those grim silhouettes of the guards getting closer. I felt the flinch go through her body.
"Sorry, Hannah," Arisa quipped the sound of a lock being fiddled with coming after a brief pause in her statement, "your hairpins are the only tool that might do - ah! Got it!"
The next thing I felt was a reassuring hand gripping my elbow and pulling me after the girls.
A/N: So I have been returning to this project and finally seem to have a nice thread of plot to follow from my messy notes. I hope everyone is doing their best to stay well!
See you next chapter!