Two Worlds: Clash of the Guardians (Completed)

XXII - The Desert Goblins - Part I

Elli

October 9, in the year of 8845, Reminis Calendar (RC) 

A cart-stop sat at the border of the desert; the bench was fully occupied. A middle age wizard sitting at the far edge looked like he had lost everything in the casino. A coconut tree jinn had its leaves all burned up. A goblin was biting his dirty fingernails and kept hitting his head on the glass shelter. It looked like the blind witch was the last thing Elli ever wanted to consult.

“Set across the desert was once an empire of Silver-Borns, but ever since the vendetta, the residents had all been murdered by the Vampists. The castle was torched, leaving nothing but a scarred landmark in the desert. The blind witch, taking deep preference of its remote site, set her dwelling here. She named it The Lost City of Cremline,” said Vortex. They scanned through the stretch of desert. The Lost City of Cremline was nowhere to be seen, but they had a bigger problem now. Another pack of monsters had picked up their trail and gathered around them.

A small orange-skinned creature that seemed to be the leader stepped forward. He and his fellow comrades had pointy ears that pulled back their bald heads. They wore tattered vests and pants with lots of holes on it. Their clothes were patched with different ill-matched fabrics, which made them look like poor circus performers. Elli assumed they were classed by skin colour. The rest of the gang had dark earthy skin and one ring pierced at the tip of each ear. The leader had three rings. His brows were as long as his ears. The fellow monsters had brows that were only an inch long.

The leader heaped up his chest, but that only made him three-foot tall. With a sweep of his arm, he bowed and spoke in an acerbic tone, “A very pleasant afternoon we wish you, miladies and sirs. Mi name Dziubiel Orteye, the head of the Grell Goblins at your service. We see you have two patients here. One is the dying Head of Patrol, the other is… uhm, nobody. We see that you've come for the blind witch. Please allow mi comrade to carry your luggage.” 

Without waiting for any replies, his second-man snatched Elli’s backpack. The troop gave her a dirty grin and skipped away, leaving the nonet showering under clouds of red dust. A mile away, they disappeared into a burrow. By the time the group reached the burrow, the entrance had been sealed.

“Filthy thieves, come out, or I'll burn your home sweet home.” Elli stomped her feet.

Marko held out his wand. A smirk split across his face. He would get back to that goblin for calling his friend "nobody". His lips moved, and a jet of fire shot out of his wand. The fire licked the patch in front of them and glazed through the desert. Complaints and curses burst beneath the ground, and the troop reappeared. Their brows on fire; their clothes smoked in various colours.

“Stingy Black-Borns!” Dziubiel’s yellow eyes turned pupil-less. He stared at them and raised his claws. His earrings jingled under the dry wind. Yellow fire ball danced around his index finger.

Roxy cursed at the insult and raised her scythe, but Vortex stopped her.

“Master Dziubiel, the earth goblins are known for their generosity and hospitality. What has happened that turns you and your troop to be in such a vile state? Has any news slipped our ears?”

Instead of answering Vortex, Dziubiel paced in front of the weary travellers, mumbling, “Now they’re pretending to show their concern. We’ve suffered long for our cordiality. It’s time to—”

Before Dziubiel could finish his words, Roxy roared, “You’re wasting our time.” She raised her scythe and shot it at Dziubiel’s chest. The goblin waved his index finger and the lightning was sent to the sky, creating fireworks that looked like war fleet. The images didn’t vanish. They fell down quicker than raindrops and hit Elli right at her chest, sending her flying across the desert, and she knocked into a cacti.

They began to fight.

"Guys, it doesn't have to be like this," Vortex persuaded, while dodging a red fire ball.

The Black-Borns conjured spells that were counter-locked by the goblins. Freda the fox swung her rake and shredded the goblins’ clothes into pieces. Benedict the giant didn't fight along. He hugged his arms together, giggling at the comedic scene, while guarding the patients. They battled for minutes until each and every of them puffed heavily. The goblins were bleeding from heads to toes, but the injuries weren't major. It seemed that each party was careful enough not to hurt one another.

The fire had stopped burning when Elli shouted at Dziubiel, “What's your problem? Why did you steal my backpack? Why can't we settle things peacefully?” Her eyes flicked to Roxy at the same time.

Dziubiel bared his yellow teeth, but his eyes darted nervously to Marko's wand. Exhausted, he knelt on the ground, fingers crossed. “Please, Dziubiel only wants to steal food for his colony. We can eat anything. Tins, apples, clothes… We used to have lots of supplies. But those maggots and varmints from the Goblins' Holes often confiscate our loots. We are hungry.” His ears pulled even further back, plastering his scalp. His eyes enlarged like lemons. The other goblins looked at the nonet with watery eyes. Their lips pouted up in a way seeking for sympathy.

Elli's heart softened. They discussed among themselves, and Benedict agreed to donate some clothes of his deceased son.

Dziubiel’s ears flipped back and forth during their conversation. “Good, good, clothes are healthy. Rich in fibre, ease mi constipation.”

Elli ran her fingers through her hair and said, “Okay, here is the deal. Give back my belongings and give us a safe passage to the Lost City of Cremline. If you don’t play any tricks, I promise you a feast. If else…” She pointed to Marko, who was tapping his wand on his palm.

Dziubiel swallowed his spittle. The message was clear. He snapped his fingers and four rusty roofless carts showed up. The wheels were all crooked and bent in awkward positions.

“The giant can’t travel in this cart. Our magic cart can’t support his weight. But, I’ll have mi comrades to keep him entertained while you seek the blind witch.” Dziubiel snapped his fingers, and the other goblins gathered around Benedict. They bowed and held onto his hand cordially.

Seeing Benedict smiling at his little goons, Dziubiel continued, “All right, please follow Dziubiel the tour leader. Hop on, buckle up.”

They placed Maxim and Rooney with care, before climbing into the carts. Elli's heart raced even before the engines of the carts started to blare. She had just added two phobias to her emotions' dictionary: fear of being thrown from the sky, and fear of coursing through underground tunnel.

Dziubiel's ears flipped back and forth at their unease. He gave them a big half-moon grin before saying, “Don’t be afraid by what you’re going to see. Ready? Go!”

The troop of goblins cheered, as if this was a race, but the carts didn't go forward. Instead, they jolted and sank into the burrow. The group had to bend their heads so low that they almost broke their necks. Tree roots joked with their hair and tickled their skin. They screamed every time the cart swerved around a corner, and Elli almost banged her head on the cavern wall.

Minutes later, they had lost their voices as their throats became dry. They cowered next to one another, listening to the sound of dripping water and the rustling of insects' wings, believing things would turn out fine. The flash light shone on some silvery snake skin and skeletons. Elli was half expecting to see a ghost when the carts popped into the light.

“Welcome to the Lost City of Cremline. May you enjoy your healing, and have a pleasant day.” 

Dziubiel bowed and with a whoosh, he disappeared into the burrow with his carts. The group of eight looked in front of them, and were taken aback at the sight. The entire city had collapsed and most of it had buried into sand. They exchanged worried glances before stepping into the entrance.