Chương 58: - Intruder
The goblins scurried around underfoot, as Cain's eyes passed over the several columns of crumbling stone.
The fort was large, well designed for a siege, yet Cain couldn't help but feel annoyed when looking over the crumbling columns of cut stone.
'Why does it always have to be in ruins? Can't these people find a nice place to whole up in. A place where I don't have to be crushed by a pillar again?'
Getting flashbacks to the time when Alan dropped an entire pillar on his head, made Cain look at the columns in some annoyed anger.
'I swear to the gods if they drop another pillar on my head, there's going to be hell to pay.'
Letting his anger fade from his face, and regaining his former stature, Cain passed his looming gaze over the hundreds of goblins that amassed in a swarm.
A horde.
"What is your question, intruder?"
The goblin King's voice rang out like a drum, scratch and rough, yet it sent the hundreds of goblins in a wild frenzy. Pride seethed from their cries, as they celebrated such a small and little question.
'Goblins.'
Cain shook his head, as he stood up from where he sat, he gestured to the walls, cracked and worn.
"Why here? Obviously you're intelligent, so you can think better than these…lesser intelligent beings."
He gestured to the ring of green goblins that surrounded him, testing and daring each other to step forward as if getting too close would kill them.
"You must know there's a city not too far from here. You'll be hunted, killed, and pose only a danger to yourself by being here. So why do you come here, so close to danger?"
Grunting, the goblin King thought it over for a moment, realizing that Cain had a point, as his own eyes skimmed over his subjects.
The mindless children that, even he had to admit, were not the brightest. In some ways, the goblin King overlooked Cain's insult to his people as words of praise for his ingenuity.
"We have our reasons."
Cain shook his head, bitterly smiling as he looked up at the king before him.
"That didn't really answer my question."
Snorting, the goblin king raised his hand, motioning to the crowd of goblins that surrounded Cain.
-Roar!
A piercing cry from his side, told Cain that one of the titan goblins was rushing forward, preparing to attack him.
But he wasn't worried. He simply sighed in annoyance before raising his left arm, meeting the goblin titan who had thrown himself towards him, his fists above his head ready to smash Cain to mush.
Instead, however, Cain's left arm blurred and flashed, and just as the titan's feet touched the ground, did his head slump over his own chest, his arms falling to his side.
Blood poured in large amounts, drops the size of a head dripping to the ground. The floor soon became covered in the Titan's red blood, as Cain's eyes raised to meet the king's, who was wide in shock.
"Plan that again, and it will be your head that rolls to the ground next."
Cain tore his arm from the titan's chest, as its body fell to the ground with a loud thud, sending the petrified smaller goblins scurrying and running in fear, snapping out of their frozen terror.
In a lightning flash manner, Cain had torn through the flesh of the titan, stabbing his fist through the titans chest, killing it instantly.
Those who watched were filled with shock. The king however, was the first to regain himself as he raised his hand once more, shooting off the goblins at Cain's feet.
"Be gone."
His words rang out like a booming echo, silencing the overlapping vices of the goblins, who cried out in terror at the sight of the titan's murder.
As one, the goblins retreat back behind the pillars, down the tunnels, and no doubt to the caves these creatures saw as home. A place where they were in control within the darkness of the caves and caverns.
Left alone in the chamber room with only the king and his personal warriors - who were by far ten times stronger than a normal titan goblin - Cain spoke openly to the king, questioning his reasoning.
"Why did you come here? A horde this large, with a king to lead them surely wouldn't make themselves as known as you have now."
Grunting, the king held his head up by his fist, his eyes glazing over Cain as he tried to work out the man.
"A creature greater than that of which we could fight."
"A creature?"
Cain was somewhat skeptical as he thought through the possibilities. However, he shook his head when he found that there was no chance a monster could take on a horde of goblins this large.
Even though they were goblins.
"Impossible. A horde this big would pose a threat to any monster. What creature could chase you from the Glades this close to a city?"
The goblin king made no motion to interrupt him, and merely stared at Cain, amusement written all over his face.
"The beast was there to make a nest. I and the other creatures there had little say in the matter, I'm afraid."
"A nest?"
Scratching his chin, Cain thought for a moment, different species running through his head.
"A nest…a nest…nest. nest…Oh."
"You know?"
Cain nodded, his expression solemn and gloomy.
"I know..."
Sitting up, the goblin king slammed his fist into the armrest of his throne.
"Exactly! If you know, then what little choice did we have? This city will be ours, even if we have to tear it apart limb from limb."
"But the outpost is a city between Neverdark and the next major town over. People will be bound to pass by here, and when they discover you're occupying the city, they will come for you."
"Hahahaha!"
The goblin king's laugh roared through the empty chamber, echoing off the stone walls that shook from his voice.
Seeing this, Cain thought to himself, measuring the king's strength.
'He's at least Rank B - maybe A.'
He glanced behind him to the large iron and wooden doors that led to the dense forest outside.
'Lia. I hope Kal delivered the message. The farther you are away from this place the better.'
"What good is it if those lanky humans come to kill us? Soon this place will be teaming with monsters and beasts of every kind! What can they do to stop us! Hahaha!"
Cain picked at his ears, finding the echoing sound of the king's laughter to be more than deafening, as well as annoying.
"So! What do you think human? You plan to go back to your little town, and cry like a screaming child, telling them what we'll do to them? Hahaha!"
The goblin king slammed his fist several times on the arm rest, finding humor in the idea of the humans being prepared for their little war.
Of course, he knew they wouldn't win even if they were prepared.
'He's arrogant.'
Clearing his throat, Cain spoke above the king's laughter, drawing eyes from both the throne and the tunnels.
"I think my headache just turned into a migraine. Do you honestly think you can win?"
The goblin king stopped laughing, catching on that the conversation had gone south, down towards a more serious topic.
"And why wouldn't I? What's there to stop me?"
"Oh, well I can name a few people."
The king scoffed, and gestured to one of his knights, who drew his sword. A long, rusty, yet deadly looking great sword.
Something that you didn't scoff at.
"Do you think your puny race will handle my knights and survive?"
Cain shrugged, finding no reason to answer.
"Depends."
"Oh what?"
The king narrowed his eyes, feeling the laid back attitude Cain was displaying proudly.
He found it somewhat annoying.
"You're arrogant. Meaning you'll believe for the rest of your life that you will win. Of course, when the time comes, and you're dead…well, I suppose we'll see how that plays out now won't we?"
"Human, are you threatening me?"
Cain shrugged again, his mind elsewhere at the moment.
"Don't know. I could be, I could not be. It's not like you goblins aren't smart enough to tell the difference between sarcasm and a threat."
At the sound of this insult, many of the king's knights drew their weapons, giving Cain a fair assumption on their class.
'Warrior, Tank, Spear man, and I'm guessing the warlock in the corner is a magic class obviously.'
Cain glanced over at the small goblin sitting in the corner, still somewhat confused as to why it was just there.
Goblins weren't smart enough to see magic as a tactical advantage, nor how to use it as such. All they saw was a weapon.
And like a weapon - be it swords, knife, shield, or spear - it could kill. That's all that mattered to them, not the active effects this magic could grant them.
The king's voice was littered with anger, but a duller form. As if he saw the human before him unworthy of his anger, so he tried to keep it back, away from taking over him and his emotions.
"Not smart huh? Is that how you see our race?"
"Is that not how you see ours?"
Seeing that the king wouldn't answer him, Cain took a guess on his answer.
"As I said, arrogant. Even if you took the city - even if you got out of this forest, and tried to attack the city, they would stop you. She will stop you."
The king chucked hearing Cain's words.
"She? My, is this female of yours that impressive?"
With some small bits of pride, Cain's back straightened a little more as he spoke proudly.
"She is."
Chuckling even more, the king looked between Cain and the tunnels, his mind on his minions that were waiting and watching in the shadows like hawks.
Leaning forward, his voice seething with hatred, he spoke.
"Then I'll tear her limb from limb and feed her corpse to my subjects. Well, did that sound like a threat, human?!"
Cain shook his head, prompting the king to clench his fist at Cain's laid back attitude.
"Don't know. To be honest, my mind is still aching from all your loud laughing from before. But if you're asking, it sounded like a lie."
"Then allow me to tell you what a real lie sounds like."
"Oh?"
Now Cain was intrigued. Was the goblin finally going to fight him? Was he going to have some fun?
However, his expression soon turned sour as he realized the goblin king was pointing at him, a smile on his face as if he had caught a child with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Me?"
Cain asked, gesturing to his chest, a confused look plastered on his face.
"You. Ever since you walked in here, you've been nothing but lies!"
"Lies? Well, I don't know about that."
Cain feigned ignorance, scratching the back of his head.
"Oh I do. You didn't need me to tell you why we left the Glades - you already knew! You were simply sizing us all up, wondering if you can take us."
Gesturing around him, Cain could see dozens and dozens - no, hundreds of red eyes pierce through the darkness, did he finally realize the goblins had come back out from the tunnel.
Or were they always waiting?
As the sun set, what little light that peered through the broken and shattered windows behind the goblin king, casted shadows across Cain's face.
And as the goblin king leaned in to get a better look at him, he was caught off guard by the change in the man's expression.
A smile, one of excitement and glee had painted its way onto this human face.
"Do I amuse you Human?!"
The goblin king roared, standing up, and drawing his battle ax from his side.
The goblin knights around him mirrored his anger, raising their own weapons, as well as the hundreds of small fry goblins that snarled at Cain, though he made no change in his expression.
"So you are smart then - smarter than I thought. That's fine though…"
Cain's voice rang like a hammer of silence throughout the chamber, silencing all who heard them.
"...more fun for me!"
His eyes glowed and flashed a reddish, crimson hue that bathed the goblins in front of him in a pale red light.
Raising his hand, a small flame flickered in the darkness of the shadows, casted by the setting sun.
The flame was small, but casted a sense of fear amongst the goblins, including the king.
"M-Mage?"
The king was dumbfounded, as his eyes traveled between the goblin to his side - sitting in the corner - and back to Cain.
The warlock also seemed surprised at this sudden change in Cain, as the warlock took several steps back, sensing the power in that one lonely flame.
When the king saw this, he knew it was for a good reason, and all of a sudden, it clicked.
'What human have I met that referred to fellow people as humans? Since when did they call each other humans?'
As he thought this, Cain's voice drew his attention back to him.
His eyes were now a bright crimson color, and the lonely flame had adopted small black flames within its own flames.
His voice was cold, yet excited.
"Who ever said I was human?"
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