Goblin Queen Pt. 06 - End

"I have some good news, lads," Macob panted. "That tame minotaur the goblins had? Well, it's breathed its last, we don't have to worry about it any more."

A chorus of tired cheers sounded. Hearing of Tiny's demise Karul felt very much like joining in himself, but continued to play dead.

"And the goblin queen? What about her?"

"She'll be dead too, soon enough," Macob replied. "And here's some more good news, I'm going to be leading you fellows personally, starting now. So form up and start marching. I'm going to have a little talk with your sergeant about the battle plan, we'll follow along shortly and I'll show you where we're heading."

There was the usual quiet grumbling, followed by the sounds of the company moving away. Once they were a good distance off Lumit said, "All right, what's the real story?"

"That fucking minotaur bull really is dead, but he took half the knights with him," Macob growled. "The rest got it in a trap in front of the palace, bastard goblins had some sort of acid they dumped from the ceiling right atop all the armored men in front. Died screaming, every last one."

"What? All the knights are gone?" Lumit said.

"Keep it down, fool, we don't want the grunts to hear," Macob scolded. "Yes, along with the whole main body after that. Once the knights were out of action the goblins surrounded us, there were concealed passages and they came charging out on all sides. I managed to cut my way out of the mess with a few other men, but I doubt anyone else survived the ambush."

"Shit. It's over, then, we have to get out of here," Lumit said.

"Oh, really? You want to tell the Duke that we gave up and ran away from a bunch of goblins?" Macob snarled. "You know what will happen, we'll be declared deserters from the battle and end up decorating trees."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Lumit whined.

"It's not quite as bad as it sounds," Macob said. "I'm sure the main body made a good account of themselves before they fell, after all they were fighting for their lives. There can't be that many goblins left now. I sent the other survivors as couriers to bring in the flank companies, we collect them and make one last push on the palace."

"And what will that give us? I've already lost three-quarters of my company to traps and ambushes," Lumit argued. "It's a lot worse than the first time, the goblins were better prepared. If the other two flank companies are in the same shape as mine we'll have a hundred spears at best, and most of them raw recruits."

"True, but like I said I'm pretty sure there aren't that many goblins left after the big battle," Macob answered. "I admit it's a risk, but leaving these caves without even trying isn't a risk, it's certain death at the end of a noose."

"Gods," Lumit said sourly. "I only wish our fucking Duke was down here with us. Let him lead the charge for a change."

"Yeah, well, welcome to the army," Macob said. "Remember, don't let on to any of this to the men, not until the last minute. We don't want any of them turning around had heading for the exit. They might be able to scamper back to their farms and avoid the Duke's agents, but we'd be marked men."

"The joys of being an officer," Lumit grumbled. "I suppose this isn't going to get any better if we wait, so let's do this."

The sounds of two pairs of feet followed the others. Karul waited until even the echos were gone before crawling to his feet. Taking off his skirt and blouse he used them to scrape as much shit as possible off himself before proceeding naked up the passage the way the soldiers had come.

After much walking Karul finally came to the place he was looking for, where a small side tunnel branched away from the main passage. If he continued on the main way from here he knew he would eventually reach the entrance by which he had first entered the goblin realm years ago. There would be no goblins to stop him, the passage of the human soldiers had ensured that. As for the Duke's men, Karul wouldn't be a deserting soldier, that man had been reported killed in action long ago. He could give another name and be a very lucky slave of the goblins who'd escaped the massacre. Karul would be free to leave. He could go back to his village, inherit his father's house, marry some local girl and have children to support him in old age. He could have back the life he'd lost when the Duke's recruiters first caught him.

Karul did not continue along the main passage but turned into the smaller side tunnel. It headed up as if it lead to an exit, but Karul knew it did not. Instead it wound and twisted, past a concealed pit, until it ended in a small cave full of stone pillars and what looked like pointed stone teeth, a place where a brisk but shallow stream flowed down from a small waterfall at one end. The place where it had all begun for Karul, and now would begin again.

Karul reached the cave and sat down by the stream to wait. One way or another, in a day or two he would see his Queen.

THE END