“The earth element has to soak into the packed earth, turning it into a rock as hard as jade, no, harder, unbreakable.” The stra-person in front of the merary said, pointing to the flipchart. “I believe that your crete is hly the same level of strength, more so when strengthened by the additions of steel, but we stronger, faster, better.” He bared his teeth in a smile.

  Damn, this is surreal. Here we are gettiured on how to use magical bloody powers by some talking rat, in strange pany ihe merary, who had prided himself on being one of the first to join the Bck Wolf, ba the early days when it was just Trey, Aliyah and a few others, had never sidered leaving, not even for a minute, despite their ge in fortunes and try of affiliation. Bastards, I won’t five those who ditched us. They missed out though… the money’s good, and the work is… a bit b, but we won’t be building walls and caves forever…

  In addition to a number of his colleagues, there were stranger beings around them. More of the rats, as well as weasels and other animal people, little green men, goblins, if you could believe it, and here and there were dotted some that looked almost entirely human, except for longer ears and inhumay, the men all handsome and lithe, the women geous and with brightly coloured hair. Bloody elves. I suppose the job does have its perks. Though Aliyah has been in a foul mood retly. Not that we haven’t seen that before…

  “Here are the pns oerial. Firstly, for the factory and underground warehouses. Taking advantage of mortal maery, we have begun excavations, but on this scale…” As the lecturing rat tihe merary marvelled at the fact he resenting wearing what looked like a b coat, and that he was using diagrams, graphs and blueprints out of a damn business pitch. When did fantasy get so… so ordinary?

  “Do not fet, that resistao elements aher in the mortal Material world is signifitly stronger, or so I have heard. By the moon, I am so jealous of those who get to walk the mortal world.” The rat went off on a ta, waxing lyrical about all the magical, wonderful things ierial, and the merary looked over at one of his colleagues, who rolled his eyes. I sure wish I lived in such a pce, where even the most muhings like cars and mobile phones are special. He looked around once more, and in the background the t tree, shining with a rainbow of ether, attracted his eyes. Yeah, I guess the grass is always greehis seems plenty magical to me…

  “You ever think we’d end up in an engineering core?” his colleague whispered, and several other of the Bck Wolf ughed. They were usually split into groups, some on bodyguarding duty, others training, and a further group learning practical skills.

  “It’s not all stru teiques, is it? Just like demolitions, this stuff kills in the right hands.” another said, and the merary had to agree.

  “Yeah, we make the ground explode, or fire bullets of sharp stone like a damn anti-tank round. And that’s just us. When you see the real pros in a…” He remembered seeing armour prised entirely of storong enough to stop bullets, aire rains of deadly jagged rock projectiles, more than enough to down most of a squad. “Then there’s the other elements. A fsh of green, and then your head es off, or you get burnt alive, or worse…”

  “Guns are still useful though.” one said, and the merary ughed.

  “Yeah, though not in every situation. Of course, when you add on such power to bullets, sure, there’ll always be a pce for powerful ons. But these powers make us a on.”

  “We always have been.” another snorted, amused. “Especially the bosses. And also Lua. Damn, she’s a fine-looking woman. And so polite. It makes me wonder how she ended up at a PMC.”

  “On the surface man, on the surface!” another shook his head. The group was attrag looks from the strange Fae-folk around them, but fortuheir instructor was too busy expining his project to pay attention. “She’s the sort you think is all polite, but she’s a deft hand with a knife and other forms of close bat, and she’s got a wicked temper when pissed off. You want to have a go at her, be prepared to lose a hand, or at least a finger or two. Especially now. badger general…” The man shook his head, amused at the words ing out of his mouth and how unrealistic they seemed. “…says she’s a natural with wind, and with it her knives cut through body armour easily enough. I’ve seen it.”

  So have I. “Hey, you saw her this m? She’s in a strange mood. And whe back here, she was wearing a new uniform I hadn’t seen before. It was kind of hot though.”

  “Did you ask her about it?” another asked, but before he could ahe ratkin spoke up, g his hands.

  “All right, pay attention. I know I talk too much, but this is important. If the factory suffers setbacks, we are in trouble, to say nothing of the house that the princess and her sort will be living in.”

  “Sorry!” the merary apologised loudly. I’d best pay attention, or Aliyah will take her bad mood out on us. If wets back that we’ve been sg off…

  “All right then. So, we have an expert here to demonstrate. It is a minod of this nd, a kami, so be respectful!”

  As the strange white snake slithered up, wearing a three-er hat and robes, it hissed out a greeting, and was soon demonstrating the best way to push earth element into soil and storansf it, as well as strengthenial. After a brief orientation it was time for the students to try. The merary frow the block of loose earth in front of him, remembering his training. “So, I have to feel the energy here…” he touched his lower body. “…and then draw it out. Damn, this new age shit isn’t easy.”

  The training was hard, but then it must have been harder on those young girls. Looked barely out of pigtails and short skirts. But then Asians do tend to look youo us Westerners. They ’t have been that old though. It’s a heavy burden, being forced to work so young, but then the bosses started in their mid-teens, so they often tell us when drunk. But damn, if young kids master this stuff then there’s no way big, rough men like us ’t…

  “Not too bad. Thisss isss the hardessst part of the tasssk.” The snake hissed as he brought out the glowing red energy. “And asss your proficreasssesss, you will find you do much you could not do before.”

  “Practice makes perfect, huh?” he grunted, pushing the earth element into the loose soil. It soaked in., and with the proper mental image, eventually the dirt and cy ged, solidifying, shimmering like a brownish-red gemstone. Breathing heavily, the man mopped at his brow. Reag out, he rapped one fist against the now solid block, feeling a hard impact. “Damn, I think I did it. But if it’s this hard… how the hell are we going to fortify aire underground cavern?”

  “It isss quite the uaking, I agree.” The snake said sibintly. “But we have achieved much that wasss sssidered impossssssible. Ssstrength of numbersss is a powerful thing. I have ssseen it.”

  “True.” I always like being on the side that outnumbers, not the onumbered, although damn, that almost never happens. Putting that aside, he took a deep breath, trating on the greatly diminished feeling of warmth in his lower body. The root chakra, right? To think suew age shit would be important in my life…

  ********

  “Excuse me, you seem lost.” Aditi turned, clutg her bow to her chest. She was fronted with three very rge men, all six feet tall, one dark-skihe other two white. For a moment, Aditi felt unnerved, before she realised that nothing bad would happen to her here. Oh no, I am afraid my ce has been quite shattered, since… sihe betrayal. The little Indian woman held in a sigh. I have been given a sed ce, to help the Princess. And I still carry the bow…

  She smiled, though it still appeared a little forced. “I am sentlemen, I am merely taking a break. The view from up here is rather marvellous. It rivals the Tower of London, so it does.”

  “English huh?” the lead man said. “It’s good that here there’s a lot of people that speak it, ba Japan most of them speak moon runes.”

  Aditi’s smile became menuine. “I think that is a little rude. Though I do uand English speakers tend to look down on uages.”

  “No, it’s more that we’re too zy to learn. But we have to. Japanese csses are a pain, though ersevering.”

  “Aliyah would beat us up if we don’t.” another of the men ughed. “Aliyah has it easy, she’s good with nguages, Trey, not so much…”

  As the banter tinued, Aditi finally rexed, her smile now menuine. “I see. Yes, as a child I learned a number of nguages, English among them. It be difficult.” She looked out over the Territory, watg the inhabitants below. “I like this pce. It is so bustling, pared to London. Though that is starting to ge…”

  “Yeah, seems like boss is in tight with your Princess, girl.” The man smiled broadly. “I saw the news. Quite a press ference. So, are you like him and her, one of the Chosen, as they call them?”

  Aditi’s smile froze, and she felt sick. On seeing that, the man scratched his cheek, embarrassed. “Did I say the wrong thing?”

  Aditi squeezed shut her eyes, clutg her bow tightly. After a moment she opehem again, looking out over the magnifit view, the strange dark auroras overhead casting long, rippling shadows. “No, you are not at fault, sir.”

  “Sir, she calls you? Damn, that’s one for the history books.” As they ughed, Aditi wondered if they would uand. Mary-Jane did, she knew, but… The Princess and Mr Reckless, they are kind, they sympathise, but they ot know, what it was to have a gift taken away. Even if I never asked for it, it art of me.

  “I… I was. But unfortunately, the power of Arjuna is no longer with me. I should have died.” she fessed. “Those I trusted, they betrayed me, a me for dead. Fortunately, the youleman from Japan, Mr Oshiro, he was able to save us. And… I do not wish for the Prio fight alone, or have to carry the grief of our losses and failures. I would hate that.”

  “Fight alone? I do not think that is el caso.” A woman said, and Aditi turo see a woman asding the stairs onto the wooden terrace that ed the great tree. She was wearing a military-style uniform in bd silver, with a long coat and tight trousers and shirt, adorned with badges in a diamond shape. She was small ae, not much bigger than Aditi herself, with an olive plexion, dark brown eyes and a long brown braid that hung out from her cap down to her bottom.

  “Oh hey Lua. Looking geous as ever.” One of the big men whistled, and she gave him an annoyed look.

  “Of course I do. I am always hermosa, beautiful.” She shrugged, long coat billowing. “But you are wasting my time.” She looked at Aditi again. “A visitor from Ingterra? And a woman too? e, take a seat, have a drink. You will feel much better. It is sabroso, good stuff. And I have these.” She flourished her hand, holding a number of what looked like small s. It drew attention, several of the strange creatures that also were standing or sitting atop the terrace came over, curious. Aditi marvelled at them, with their sometimes cute animal forms, but had no fear of them, due to her experiences with Raidre and his Selkie.

  “Are those… s?” one small green-skinned creature that looked like a child said, and Lua nodded.

  “Ihey are. I was gifted them as part of my reward for joining…” she paused. “Well, there is o versar. I am simply well regarded.” She smiled, waving to a weasel woman dressed in a maid outfit, which reminded Aditi of cssic Victorian wear for servants.

  “So that’s the famous uniform I heard about earlier. It’s very stylish. Do we all get one?” one of the men said, bantering, and Aditi felt a small sting in her chest. That was how we talked, battling in the shadows of London, before…

  “You wish.” Lua snorted. “Only the best, elite. If you see someone wearing this uniform, you had best be careful not to provoke them. Now, these s…” she tossed several to the maid. “I will take the best you have.”

  The maid caught them and smiled. “You are quite-quite lucky. Mistress Asha…” she o a beautiful woman with long reddish-brown hair and pale, faintly green-tinged skin, who was apanied by a woman Aditi reised, as one of the heroes from Japan who had e to save the Princess. Hyath, yes? There was also a cat-like woman with them, with silver fur. “…has just brewed a tremendously good batch of fruit wi is grown-grown with blossom from her own Tree and has a delightful fvour.”

  “Great, I shall take it.” Luia chuckled. “I have enough to share, I am not despiadada, heartless. You too, girl.” She said to Aditi, and she soon found herself sitting at a rge table, along with the woman, the rge men and the child-like goblin. In the tre, a barrel was broached, and fragrant liquid oured into clear gsses. Aditi took it gingerly and s, to be hit with the sweet, honeyed st of sugar, fruit and flowers, clearing her head. How… delightful.

  “Damn, this is good stuff.” One of the men said, swigging it with some relish.

  “Go easy on it.” Lua warned. “If I have to go back asking for more mohen the captains, they will not think too buena of me.”

  “The captains, huh?” one man mused, eyes narrowing. “I’m guessing you don’t mean Trey and Aliyah.”

  “No, not for this.” She shrugged, taking a sip, eyes narrowing in pleasure. “Of course, I am still loyal to the Bck Wolf, but this does not flict.”

  “So how do I go about joining? If you buy stuff this good, I’m all in.” one man said, and Lua shot him a withering gnce.

  “For you, there is no way.” She shook her head. “Give up on that. But if you wish to earn these…” she shook her remaining s. “Siempre, there are ways.”

  “The Ameri dream, huh?” the man said, going for an of the sweet drink, only for Lua to sp his hand aour him a smaller measure. “Work hard, get paid. Spent it on shit we don’t need. Not that such is a bad thing. A man’s got to unwind, and a woman too.”

  “I have a question.” The goblin said, surprising everyone. “More than one, if you do not mind?”

  Fasating. Raidre did not talk a lot, and when he did it was mostly with the Princess, so I am curious… “I have questions as well. But you should speak first, sir.”

  “Sir? Oh, a mortal form of respectful address.” The goblin mused. “I am not used to such. Goblins are looked down on, the few of us that… never mind that. These s, this money. I worry. Does this mean that without s, we ot get what we want?”

  “Isn’t that normal?” one of the men said, surprised. “How else do you buy things?”

  “But then… the poor, the wretched…” the goblin protested. “And I have noticed that things have ged. I fear we are no longer wele. All of the lost who have left the Seelie Court and nds of the Fae for here are being questioned and harassed.”

  “I think yooou misuand.” A voice said, and Aditi looked up to see Hyath, followed by that catgirl, who was looking at the opened barrel, lig her lips.

  “ I have some, nya?” she asked, and Hyath clouted her across the back of the head, making her hiss in annoyance, only to quail as she saw the hard look in the maid’s violet-silver eyes.

  “Nooo, not until you work. The zy dooo not get luxuries.” Hyath intoned. “Now little goblin, yooou are being unfair.”

  “How so? When newers arrive, they are herded off to interrogation.”

  “Questioning. If yooou want to see interrogation, Hyath shooow you. I remember all toooooo well.” She sighed. “Nooo, we are simply ed. All who e with gooooood iions are wele, we will turn none away, nooo matter how lowly or despised, so looong as they mean us no harm. But…” she tinued with barely a pause. “…this Territory should nooot simply allow in anyone uninvited, as has been happening. Nooo, there is a problem, and…. have you nooot ever wondered? How the Wild Hunt e and go as they please? Hyath has po, I have. So we question, we ask. Pooolitely.” She snorted. “No tortures, nooo harsh words. Just asking. But we have learned much, and we believe we uand several ooof the ways the Wild Hunt evade the Fae Stone Wards and mooore. Surely you see that as a gooooood thing?”

  The goblin paused, frowning. “We are too used to prejudid worse. You hardly bme me for worry. Many of us have e here…”

  “And leased to see it. Akiooo too.” Hyath agreed. “And we will take all whooo e and wish to work. And we will give them a good life. But there must be… iive tooo tribute.”

  “Hehe Ameri dream.” The man from before repeated. “Capitalism sure does leave a lot to be desired, but going ie never exactly worked, did it?”

  “Thooose who work be rewarded, and there are many treats that make life mooore fun. Such as this.” She tapped the barrel. “But shelter and succour, a home… those we provide for all under our dominion.”

  “It makes sehose who work, should.” Lua said, and she sat more upright, showing off her uniform, and Aditi smiled, fetting her cares for a while. She seems rather proud of that. Perhaps being ae, as she called it, is a mark of pride for her? I… I should strive for the same. She has no gift from Arjuna, nor the bow I carry, yet she betters herself.

  On seeing the look or resolve in Aditi’s eyes, Lua tilted the broached barrel, refilling her gss. “Drink up, chica. While you live, there is always hope. Hard times e for us all, but how we face them, and who we face them with… it ges everything.”

  Aditi pced the gss to her mouth and took a sip, tasting the sweet, refreshing drink oongue. Yes, hard times. But… we are still alive. The Prioo. London stands. And… we are not standing alone. As here I am… “I think that is a wonderful se, Miss Lua.”

  “Drop the miss, chica, I am not someone so special.” Lua smiled.

  “Sorry, Lua. Your words, they moved me. I have been moping, lost. I am grateful for that, but… no, I o be stronger. I was Chosen, but I am not merely my power.” She looked down, embarrassed. “I see those here, training hard, ordinary people, men, women, girls and boys. Both human and other beings…” she smiled at the goblin, who looked puzzled. “…united in purpose. Growing stronger. I still have advantages, I have knowledge and experience. If they grow strong enough to make a difference, I also.”

  “Well said. Sooomeone…” Hyath grabbed the catgirl by her ear as she reached for the barrel, making her yowl. “… could learn frooom you. A kind world, that is what Akiooo seeks, a world where those within his reach are safe and happy. But such a world…” she looked at the goblin, her gaze cold. “… it doooes not e without struggle. Many would seek to take the joooy from others, Hyath knows. So all who wish for such a world have a duty tooo preserve it. Hence we ask thooose who to tribute. These s are simply a reward fooor doing the right thing. If yooou are weak, we will lift you up, support you, until yooou are strong. But if you are selfish and disloyal, then we dooo not need you, and I shall not be gentle!” she turo the catgirl, shaking her. “That goooes for you too, Ginneka. Akio is grateful that yooou saved mistress Eri, so you have your life, but we dooo not tolerate freeloaders.” Her expression then softened a little. “You have a ce to be important, tooo matter. Work hard ae your past deeds, yooou will be happy.”

  “I know, nya.” She pined, rubbing at her sore ear. “I want that ability, I crave it. I’ll work, I promise. Besides…” she cocked her head, then smiled as Lua handed her a gss of drink. She gulped it down, and even used her too lick the gss, purring happily, before speaking. “He keeps his word, nya. I sense my brain, though he seems a little strange, nya. If only I could have a tumble with Akio, nya…”

  “I think nooot…” Hyath clouted her again, and Aditi ughed at the performance.

  “Mr Goblin, do you not want to build a home for yourself, a better pce? It is what the Princess wants. It is a lofty dream, but one I wao support…”

  “And you still , nooo?” Hyath said, her expression now kind. “Akio will spare no effort aiding you. And strength is nooot measured simply by the favour you possess. Mistress Eri proves that. And…” she looked at Lua, seeing the uniform, her eyes sparkling. “Those who wear the coat of Adamant are nooot weak either.”

  Adamant? Setting that aside, Aditi addressed the goblin again. “If you are ed… maybe you could sit in on one of those border checks? Or am I overstepping my bounds as a guest to suggest such?”

  Hyath shrugged. “It doooes not matter. It is only questions. We do nothing bad ooor cruel. As for your bounds, we listen to all. And Akio would definitely nooot wish to disparage an ally of Princess Eleanor.” She paused, grinning broadly. “Akio does have a way with Princesses. I wonder… when will be the day I call her mistress?”

  As Hyath snickered, going off into her own world, Aditi was quite touched. “We are endlessly grateful, especially Mary-Jane and I. Now, I wish to work hard. Perhaps I too one day could be sidered ae such as you?”

  At that, Lua suddenly looked strained, and Aditi cocked her head, taking another sip of the dwindling wine. Now, to training. I am an archer, though my skills have worsened substantially. So… perhaps wind element? That was reeo me…

  ********

  “If you have anything to ask, you .” The weaselkin said to the goblin, who had taken the advice of the people he had met to sit in on the identity and border check, as they were calling it. “We are-are ied ihod of entry. It would not do to have infiltrators from the Wild Hunt or Unseelie slip in to do mischief, although…” the weaselkin looked unfortable for a moment.

  Although? The goblin was still wary around those Fae races from the seven surviving branches, being as like the giants and the trolls, goblins were seen as traitorous and treacherous, Unseelie sympathisers at best. “Is there a problem?” the goblin asked, curious.

  “Not-ly. It is simply that the princess says that were the intruders actually Unseelie or other foes here not to do harm, but to cim asylum, we would sider them. Many enemies have bee friends. Though such would o wait for further, more exag questioning. The-the suspicious ones are detained, with all-all fort and respect, until the princess or another with the skills to determiruth from falsehoods is free.” The weaselkin looked aggrieved at that. “The princess has many-many demands oime. All should be grateful that she spends her precious efforts on such visitors.” The weaselkin realised he had misspoke and moderated his tohough of course, those who e will no-no malice are weled.”

  I see. Old pt lingers, though I should be grateful they are making an effort, I suppose. Us, the kobolds, other races of ill-repute, their feelings for us will not ge swiftly. Remembering the precious cargo they had secreted in this Territory, in his very home, it did make him feel nervous. This is the final hope of the goblins. We chose this pce as the rumours made it out to be a safe haven, and so far it has been, but the heighteensiarding immigrants, money… it is of some .

  Onside the small building that served as an interrogation chamber, which was not as bleak and bare as the goblin expected, the weaselkin he was with took a seat, pulling a chair for the goblin as well. Once seated, the door opened and several goblins came in, poorly dressed in rags and looking haggard and downtrodden. They looked scared when they saw the weaselkin warrior ell-armed and equipped, before calming dowhey saw the goblin, eyes going wide. Fortuhey kept their mouths shut. Yes, say nothing. I am just an ordinary wanderer, who has ended up here, searg for a pce to belong. Nothing more.

  “You three…” the weaselkin said. “…there is no-no need for . This is merely a routine identity check…” the weaselkin spoke the words as if learned by rote. “If you came here seeking a pce to live, there will be no problems. But your entry was irregur.”

  Of course. There are many of us who smuggle in others. We are long used to doing su the nds of the Seelie. Wait… I see. Since lesser, downtrodden races often mao pass by the security measures of the Court, it made sehey assumed that the Wild Hunt might use simir methods. I ot see how those hate-filled monsters could use the same methods as we do, but…

  “ere scared. Rumour is that all are wele here, and that shelter and plenty is avaible for all.” one gobliured nervously. “But… we are used to persecution and pt. We did not wish to travel to the Spring and e that way, so…”

  “The reasons are not-not so important.” The weaselkin sighed. “What matters is how. The Territory barrier seems rather porous, this bodes ill for security.” His eyes were hard. “Please disclose your methods, for if they are not closed off, if our enemies use them… well, you would not wish for your-your home, families and friends to be caught up iru, like so many lives in the Seelie Court?”

  The goblins looked extremely troubled, gng at the goblin who had e to withe interrogation, their eyes pleading. I see I shall have to interve is a leap of trust, but…hard times e for us all, but who we face them with… the human eaks truly. “I believe there is no need for this. I uand the method.” he said, and the goblins across from him seemed surprised he would speak.

  “Oh, iing. And how…” the weaselkin asked, curious. “… do you know-know that?”

  “I am a goblin.” He said proudly. “Of course I am aware. It is rather simple, and no threat, I assure you. We are simply too small, too insignifit to attraotice, and with the ali our hearts…” As he expihe three goblins cautiously added their own agreement, filling in a feoints, such as that they were automatically weled in any pce that tained Seelie goblins, as all goblins would strive to invite and protect oblins, and sooerrogation was over, the goblins released. Oside, the newers were shocked.

  “To have you e collect us personally…” one said, and another chimed in that he was terrified of the weaselkin. As they walked through the bustling streets of the Territory, they shot wary g the Fae and mortals who were ing and going.

  “I am no one special. I simply provide shelter to those who carried the treasure. By the first goblin, they are arrogant and annoying. At least most of them work now and have escaped the interrogation you endured. But we ot draw too much attention.” They passed a testing site, where numerous ratkin and weaselkin as well as humans and other stranger races were testing some new-fangled devices, the smell of elemental energies heavy in the air, as loud roars sounded, some strange projectiles flying faster than arrows aroying targets. Something about the sight, the sound and the smells made his heart ache, eager. “Do not mind it. Just be gd you are here. Now… you will have to find a role. I will not tolerate any more freeloaders like the chieftain. And whatever your , do not be like him. We are all goblins, even if the lio the first goblin is thin or broken for many. There is enough hatred without us adding to it ourselves.”

  Soon they were at his humble, yet fortable house. It was mercifully emptier. Most of the goblins had found their own homes, and now it was just the chieftain and his sons that remained, b him.

  “I have returned.” The goblin called, and the chieftaied him, eyes narrowed.

  “Newers?” he asked, and the goblin nodded.

  “Yes. Do not cause any trouble. We are all goblins, uhe first goblin.” He said, keeping calm. “It is known.”

  “It is known.” The oblins said piously. Oheured a diffident question. “Is… is it here?”

  The chieftain nodded proudly. “Yes, we have carried the treasure to safety, our truest link to the first goblin, the hope of our revival.”

  “… we see it?” another asked reverently.

  “Whi are you?” the chieftain asked, suspicious, and the goblin whose house it was roared angrily.

  “I told you, cease your foolishness. There are too few of us left, pared to the corrupt and the traitors, those of the Unseelie, Wild Hunt and the ibal tribes of the outer nds. All goblins are one goblin, part of the first goblin. You know that!”

  “It is known.” The goblins echoed, and even the chieftain followed it with a grudging agreement.

  “If the Seelie take it from us… I am just doing my duty, as the st chieftain who carries the blood of the first goblin.” He said, pg. “I… most of my kin have started w, blending in, as you wished. I have given you ample respect!”

  “And I am grateful.” The chieftain is such a pain. But he is right. He is the test to carry the treasure. For that he deserves some respect, if little else. “I share your s, events retly have ged, but… I have asked and iigated, and it does not seem like a return of the old intolerance. I was shown freely what the Fae do here, and why they do it. I ot say I entirely uand, but… I still have hope. We need hope. So give these newers a little.”

  The chieftain grumbled, but finally agreed. Reverently, the hidden cavity the goblins had created in the floor was unsealed, and the treasure within was lifted out carefully, a block of dull crystal ed in a faded, threadbare cloak. Pg it down, the cloak was removed, revealing a shadow within, and everyone bowed their heads, the goblin whose home it was being no exception.

  “Blood of the first.” The chieftain called, as did the oblins, tears in the eyes of the newer. “Blood of the first, st of the first. The first and the st is a cycle. What falls rise again. It is known.”

  “What falls rise again. It is known.” They echoed, and the goblin nodded, looking down at the shadow in the crystal. What falls rise again. The goblins have fallen far. Less than one for every hundred remains alive and uncorrupted. The lineage of the first goblin nearly vanished. Yet… his gaze went back to the window, through which he could see the great Rhyming Tree in the distance, casting radiand verdant energies over the nd. Perhaps in this pce, we take root and prosper, what has fallen rising again. And if it does… then we o break the cycle, for what rises again must not fall, not this time. And for that… Not realising that the shimmer of the crystal was mostly tears in his eyes, the goblin vowed to himself he would never let that happen. We have cowered and hidden too mud for too long. The dangerous maid said it true. All who wish for a world have a duty to preserve that world. So how we do it? His fiwitched, and he remembered the roar of the strange ons, and his heart lifted. This money. If we have that, it shows we have tributed, and will be valued… I believe it is time for me to stop doing odd jobs and manual bour. If I am to ge the lot of our kind, I must be bolder, more… experimental…

  ShipTeaser