Chapter Nine – Desperate Times, Desperate Measures

There was a meeting held at the bottom of the hill. A huge twisted Goblins who had volunteered to forage for food knelt behind the elders. They all listened to Jerry as he recounted the events of the last couple of days. Alena sat to his left, she seemed stronger today. Jerry had managed to find eggs from a bird nest that morning for her. There was a twist of guilt in his stomach. He was happy that, Alena, his pregnant wife was doing well today, but there were so many who were close to death. Hopefully after today they could turn the tides of fortune.

Sasha the Slime fairy leaned against a tree, she wore a smirk that Jerry found quite distracting. He didn't think she would be much help. But the Elders insisted that her offer was heard.

"What's your deal lady?" Mino the youthful scout crossed his arms.

"I can get you weapons, I can sneak things. I'm good at this." Sasha grinned. "I'm involved in the black-market you see. The income slime provides is close to naught. Make most of my bank from selling banned books, drugs and artillery."

"To the all sides of the civil war in the Goblin Kingdom." An elder added. The surround crowd murmured in disgust. Sasha however was not concerned at all by this reaction.

"Well, a girl gotta to do, what a girl gotta do." She said through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean by a girl gotta do, what a girl gotta do," Alena said. "You could have just moved or changed your occupation to selling real estate."

"Nah I've committed too many squatting offences."

"What type of weapons?" Mino the scout asked. "Are we talking blades or-"

"Out of the question. This deal is off." Jerry almost snapped. "We don't stand a chance even being the aggressive side. We should try stealthily making out way in the woods."

"What? Like sneak in, forage a berry then sneak out?" Sasha snorted. "That would take a week to do."

"If that what it takes to do this without bloodshed." Jerry said.

"I don't know if you forgot Jerry." Ajax chimed in. "But our people are starving."

Jerry exchanged glances with the elders. They shook their heads sadly in agreement with Ajax the fifth. Jerry sighed, they had a point. However, he felt a twist of guilt in his gut. he had travelled all this way to the fairy kingdom to escape the violence and conflict that plagued his country. Now, he was about to instigate what he had fled from.

"If we do this, we will have to silence all the arts and crafts fairies. If word got out Goblins were in the forbidden territory of the crown. There may be a war coming if we aren't smart with this." Jerry said coldly. "We'll first send some more scouts to find out their schedule and then we'll plan our attack. And we'll probably have to take them out separately considering how dangerous they are."

"Ooooh, tactics and planning, how impressive." Sasha the slime princess cooed. "How are you so talented Mr Jerry?"

He saw from the corner of his eye his wife shudder at the sound of Sasha sly 'Mr Jerry'.

"I used to be a general of the resistance back at home." Jerry murmured, he winced as he recalled scenes of death and decay from his experience fighting on the front lines of the civil war. When he left the kingdom of Jack Frost he promised he'd never fire another bullet ever again.

"Sasha can you provide the weapons as soon as tomorrow morning." The elders asked.

"I can get them here by this afternoon." Sasha grinned, she pulled her wand and pointed it at Jerry's feet. In a burst of sparkles materialised a long double barrel gun. Jerry almost jumped at the sight of it, Sasha giggled.

"Follow me everyone who wants a gun!" She yelled to the crowd, she skipped away and the gathering slowly moved away with her.

Jerry stayed where he stood, his gaze transfixed on the jet-black gun. He felt Alena take his hand, her grip was tight.

"I never thought I would pick up a gun again after we left the civil war…" Jerry grimaced.

"This will be the last time this time," she whispered. "It has to be."