*Susan*

“That… Is a lot of goblins…” I said as I looked out over the gigantic camp. I would call it a city, but the goblins tents and shacks and muddy paths did not really give that impression. It was more like a giant camp, or perhaps a giant dump. Considering it was goblins, perhaps both.

“I have never seen, no-” Hailey shook her head, “I have never even heard of something like this.”

“This is going to take more than a subjugation force,” Susan muttered. “This needs an army, and it is sitting so close to one of the main roads through this area…”

Susan could only imagine how many people had fallen prey to these goblins, but at the same time if many people had gone missing someone would have been sent out to investigate. It was basically impossible that goblins could have gone unnoticed for so long unless they had an incredibly powerful leader or leaders.

Goblins were little more than a nuisance, but that was only alone. All goblinkin breed quickly, and actual goblins breed so quickly that if they stopped killing each other they could rise to numbers that would be an actual threat. And now it appears they have…

“We should head back, we will need to get a message out as soon as possible.”

Hailey and I carefully made our way back the way we had came to sneak up on the camp. Hailey’s skills as a ranger were absolutely necessary for us to make it through the scouts, even though the goblins were not that skilled. They were quite numerous though.

“Something is wrong,” Hailey frowned suddenly. “The scouts are missing…”

From the distance, I hear shouting- human shouting.

“Shit.” I swore, and Hailey and I moved quickly through the forest to the road, where the goblins were chasing a large merchant caravan. A very large merchant caravan, but this was not the place for that question now.

“I have never even seen goblins using steeds before!” I quickly exited the forest and began to sing a fatigue recovery song. The haggard merchants perked up a bit as they heard my song, and next to me Hailey sent arrow after arrow into the goblins behind them.

“Normally only orcs ride orcs,” Hailey hissed, “but goblin riders do exist! Be careful, because they are dual class warriors and mages, they are former tamers!”

As if to drive the point home, one of the riders threw a small fireball at the caravan guards that were desperately trying to hold them off. Another of the guards fell dead, but thankfully, the spirits entered the fray. The goblin riders could use magic, and could hurt the spirits, but the influx of new fighters confused the goblins and they pulled back.

“Thank you so much!” The leader of the merchants greeted and thanked them, but he still had a despairing look on his face. This was only a temporary stay of death, there was no way to make it back to a safe place from here… Unless…

“Quickly,” I gestured. “We have to move, there is a place we can hide in not too far from here!”

“Really? Thank the gods!” The merchant exclaimed, “bless you young lady! Please lead the way!”

Moving by the roads was slower than following Hailey through the wilderness, but that only applied to a small group. As I looked, this group was anything but. There were a couple of merchants and guards, but the rest seemed like common peasants? Why would they be here?

Also… “Hailey, they have already encountered the spirits I left.”

For that matter, one of them had already been defeated. Those goblin riders were definitely stronger monsters than them, and they would not be able to hold them off for long. At the very least, the caravan was able to move much more quickly under the effects of my song- but it would still be close.

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“I hate to question our saviors,” the captain of the guards was speaking to Hailey because it was hard for me to speak and keep up my song at the same time. “But where are we going?”

“You will hardly believe it,” Hailey said grimly as they run. “But a friendly dungeon.”

Friendly might be a bit of a stretch, I am honestly not sure how Core is going to react to this- or where they are all going to stay… But I will talk to him about that when we arrive, undoubtedly he already has some ideas due to the spirits. Honestly, I am also worried about what will happen if the goblins try to push their way in regardless, but I could hardly leave these people to fend for themselves.

“A what?” The guard was surprised, “Well if any other option is death anyways, we might as well take this gamble.”

“Hailey,” I did not speak many words because it was difficult to do mid song. “The spirits fell.”

“Shit.” Hailey cursed, “the entrance is in sight, hurry!”

The only problem with “in sight” is that the entrance to a mountain cave can be visible hours before it is possible to reach it. I estimate that we have about an hour and a half of running, even with my songs- not all of us are going to make it.

A little bit later, “Monsters on the road!” An unpleasent shout came out. If we are caught from the front, no, those are-

“Ignore them,” Hailey shouted. “They are our allies!”

Spectral Warriors stood aside and let the caravan pass, and moved to block the road behind us. The sound of battle rose not far behind us as the vanguard of the goblin riders met our new escort. I could hug Core right now.

I released my song as we reached the entrance and called out, “Core!”

“Susan, what the hell is this!?” Core sounded quite displeased, and I cringed.

“There is a whole army of goblins, I could not just leave them!”

Core sighed, “fine. Fine! But we are having a talk about this Susan. You cannot just make decisions and expect me to accept them without complaint!”

I really do put too much pressure on Core, I will have to see if there is something I can do for him. In the meantime…

“Ok, everybody follow me!” I led the caravan through the labyrinth to the second floor. I really cannot blame them for being terrified, walking past powerful undead like that would have been difficult for me in the past too.

On reaching the second floor, I blinked and laughed. “You have been busy Core!”

“Well, you did slaughter a fair amount of goblins for me.” Core appeared next to me as I said that, “and on that note, keep these people out of the palace- I do not want them near me.”

Well, I can do that much. Having people near his core room is like me allowing someone to hold a knife to my throat.

“For the time being,” I spoke to the crowd. “All of these houses are empty and you can live anywhere besides the palace itself. In the meantime, would you mind having your leaders come and talk to me please?”

The guard captain, the merchant, and one of the peasants came forward and the others milled around, unsure of what to do. I suppose it would be a bit much to expect them to accept it so soon and so easily.

“Well, allow me to introduce myself,” I said. “I am Susan, a Bard and Dungeon Master and this is my friend, Hailey, a Ranger. Hopefully we can get along for as long as we are together.”

“A Dungeon Master!? Impossible!” The guard captain shouted, “that class is basically a myth!”

“Well, he we are.” I said, gesturing to the dungeon. “Unless you have a divination master there is not much I can do to prove it other than the fact you are standing here without being attacked.”

“We do not, I suppose I am being rude to the people who rescued us, so please allow me to apologise. I am Graegus, a Veteran Soldier and the leader of the soldiers hired by Marus here.”

“As he said,” Marus held his hand out for me to shake. “I am Marus, a Merchant and this disaster of a excursion is funded by me, for what that is worth.”

I took and shook his hand, “well I would not be able to say anything about that, but at least you are alive, right?”

“At least I am alive,” Marus agreed with a laugh.

“And I am Heimelson, a Farmer and I suppose a refugee.”

“A refugee?” Hailey said questioningly.

“The civil war gave me little choice.”