Lakar had it all: strength, good looks, and influence. His father, the tribe's chief, had entrusted him with the most crucial journey of his life, and he had the privilege of hand-picking his team. He chose three goblins to keep the expedition low-profile and avoid drawing unnecessary attention. His father, being the high level he was, had sensed some sort of power and wanted them to investigate it.
Lakar had carefully chosen his companions for this journey. Among them was Bolka, a highly skilled herbalist from their tribe, Arlek, a warrior who had not only challenged Lakar's father but had also survived, earning the chief's respect. And then there was Touk, the smallest adult goblin Lakar had ever encountered. What made Touk exceptional, however, was his unparalleled intelligence. He often said things about the world that left Lakar bewildered and that made him think.
Lakar understood the significance of intelligence all too well. His father was the most formidable goblin he had ever encountered in terms of physical strength, yet he was also one of the least intelligent. The chief lacked strategic thinking, and their tribe had never won a battle without the chief personally slaying most of their opponents. He would send their fighters charging into archer fire, then berate them for being weak when they inevitably got pelted with arrows. No one dared to question his tactics or suggest that his plans were flawed, so they were forced to accept that battles under his leadership would result in significant casualties.
Lakar held Touk in high regard for good reason. Touk was a natural strategist, and if it weren't for Arlek's presence, Lakar would have frequently sought the small goblin's counsel on a wide range of matters. He began to regret having brought Arlek along. If it were just him, Touk, and Bolka, he could freely seek their guidance without any reservations. Bolka didn't mind that Touk was an outcast and had consistently stood up for him. Lakar had only managed to bring Touk along because he had informed his father and Arlek that Touk was essentially expendable, someone to be left behind if the situation demanded it. In reality, however, Lakar had no qualms about leaving Arlek behind, a truth he concealed carefully.
Lakar's mistreatment of Touk stemmed from his fear of appearing weak, knowing that goblins who held a deep passion for knowledge and books were often treated as outcasts. His brothers had met their demise because of their perceived weakness, and he didn't want to share their fate.
However, Lakar had recently come to a realization: Touk was right. Words held incredible power, a fact made glaringly obvious when a vivid purple circle of spinning words materialized in the air. Lakar found himself stunned, about to inquire if Touk could decipher the mysterious text. But before he could voice his question, the spinning words locked in place and released a blazing ball of fire.
Expecting the fireball to strike him as a projectile, Lakar stood his ground and braced for impact. However, to his horror, he soon realized that it wasn't an ordinary projectile ablaze with flames, but a pure, scorching ball of fire that engulfed him completely, enveloping him in its searing heat.
But none of that mattered now, he was dead.
Lakar found himself shrouded in darkness, overwhelmed by regrets. He wished he hadn't been so cruel to Touk, wished he didn't have to pander to his moronic father, and wished he hadn't brought Touk and Bolka to this forsaken place. His only hope was that they would find a way to turn back, but he had little confidence in that outcome. His father would surely kill them if they went back without him.
A faint purple light was visible in the distance. The light held the promise of power, but Lakar no longer desired power. He had tasted its allure and grown weary of constantly looking over his shoulder, of living a life where he couldn't be himself, of being unable to share his thoughts and fears, and of never making true friends due to the fear that they, or himself, would be perceived as weak and subsequently killed.
Lakar suddenly realized that this power was different from what he already possessed. It was the power his father coveted, the power he had sent their team to retrieve, the power that killed him, it held the same purple glow as the circle.
Was it giving him a second chance?
The power instructed him to wait, and so Lakar patiently abided. As he waited, he couldn't help but wonder what the nature of this power he had received would be. He held onto the hope that it might be similar to the circle that had ended his life, as he yearned to control fire as it had done.
Lakar acknowledged that he wasn't the sharpest goblin, but he reasoned that the power wouldn't merely bestow abilities upon him. After all, he had died first, and logically, he shouldn't have been granted a second chance. He could only assume that Bolka, Touk, and Arlek would also receive an opportunity, assuming they had met the same fate. Lakar knew it was an unusual thought, but he secretly hoped they had died here as well, rather than returning and facing a grim fate at the hands of his father. Well except for Arlek, he didn't care for that suck up.
As Lakar spent time in the darkness, he found himself growing to respect Touk even more. Touk had defied the tribe's norms, risking his life to pursue his interests, and Lakar couldn't help but wonder if he had made a similar choice, he might still be alive. Lakar vowed that in this new life, he would strive to learn as much as he could and make choices that were true to himself, forging the friendships he desired.
The moment had arrived, and the power extended itself toward him once again. Although he hesitated initially, he eventually accepted it, determined to make the most of this second chance, vowing to be a better goblin this time around.
As Lakar's world slowly materialized around him, he found himself surrounded by books on all sides, which made the learning think easier. Upon further examination, he realized that the room was long, with bookshelves lining the walls. Pillars ran down the center of the room, and a purple rug followed the path between the pillars. A bunch of empty chairs and table littered the room at random intervals.
He couldn't help but notice a table to his right that stood out from the others. It was the only table with items on it, including a few books and loose papers, two quills, and an inkwell. What truly caught his attention, however, was the absolutely massive shell resting on the table. It was truly a wonder that the table could support the weight of the shell, which was close to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Resting on the table only made it appear even larger.
As he continued to examine his surroundings, Lakar's gaze settled on a goblin standing next to a purple crystal, she was undoubtedly the most beautiful he had ever seen. She was approximately the same height as the massive shell, adorned in long white robes with a purple stripe running down the front. Her long black hair cascaded gracefully around her, and her striking purple eyes gleamed. Her skin appeared as healthy as that of surface goblins, with a similar green shade.
She smiled uneasily at him, and he couldn't help but feel a similar sense of unease. He was aware that he was a goblin from the caves, but he shouldn't have been too unfamiliar to her.
She seemed both surprised and taken aback by his appearance but tried to be kind and offered a gentle smile. Lakar examined his own body, his skin was smooth like the other goblins, but was adorned with lines and words. He could feel the draft in the room atop his head, signaling the loss of his hair. He had no clothing covering his chest, and his lower half was clad in fur pants. Although he didn't comprehend the meanings of the inscriptions on his body, it was clear that they were attempting to communicate to him, he could feel them trying to tell him something.
The female goblin cleared her throat, regaining his attention, then spoke.
“Lakar, is that you?”
This bewildered him, how did she know his name? Oh, right, it was likely that one of the others had been revived before him. They probably informed her of his identity. He hoped they were nearby so that he could apologize, and maybe take a swing at Arlek.
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"Yes, it's me," he responded, treading cautiously. If this goblin had been the one to bring him back, he wanted to show respect by not bombarding her with questions right off the bat. His past experience with his father taught him that speaking first could lead to consequences.
"Oh, uh, how do you feel?" she replied, her smile fading, voice slightly uncertain, as if unsure of how to continue the conversation after his response.
Lakar began to speak with less formality, deciding he didn't want to be overly subservient in this new life. "I seem to be better now. I was dead, as I assume you already know."
The female goblin drew a deep breath. "Yes, you have ventured into a dungeon and met your end. However, the dungeon has extended to you a second opportunity, and you've accepted it. Your being rewarded with an ability known as magic, each form distinct and you will uncover your own specialization over time. The only condition is your allegiance; you may lead your life as you see fit, as long as you remain within the dungeon's confines and defend it when it's threatened. Decline this offer, and your newfound power will be revoked, returning you to death's embrace once more."
Her attempt at an intimidating speech was marred by persistent stuttering and a tendency to fumble with larger words. It was evident that she had rehearsed her lines only once, as she kept needing to restart phrases.
She let out a sigh, her frustration palpable. “Well, you've got the gist of it. just don't leave the dungeon without permission, and help with its attack, and you'll get to do some interesting stuff. Trust me.”
She approached him and extended her hand for a handshake, her expression turned to one of anger. As he took her hand, she spoke, "It's good to see you again, Lakar. It's me, Bolka. Do you remember me?"
Lakar's eyes widened in shock as Bolka suddenly recoiled and delivered a swift punch to his face. He stumbled backward, only to be yanked back towards her by her strong grip, receiving another blow before she released him. He fell onto the rug, feeling the impact. Though her punches weren't excessively forceful, the suddenness of the attack was still startling. She began to scold him, but her reprimand was abruptly interrupted by a deep and clear voice, even for goblin standards, that filled the room.
“What are you doing, Bolka?”
A large goblin stepped out from behind a nearby pillar, he was tall and lanky but looked strong, he stood at around 5 feet tall. He had long, dark purple hair neatly pushed back behind his pointed ears. His skin matched his hair, and was smooth like Lakars and the female goblin, who was apparently Bolka. Although his eyes were closed, it was clear that he was directing his unwavering attention toward Lakar.
He walked towards them never opening his eyes. Bolka turned to him and started explaining herself.
“He deserves that, he forced us to go with him, to die for his cause. That's the least I can do.” Bolka yelled, staring daggers at Lakar, who still sat on the ground trying to figure out what was happening.
"Bolka, I understand you're angry, but he led us here, and I don't know about you, but this place has helped me become better than ever. If anything, we should be thanking him," the large goblin reasoned, his voice carrying a tone of reason and gratitude.
"That's not the point. If this place couldn't revive us, we'd all be dead, and he would be to blame," Bolka argued, her frustration still evident in her voice.
"But that didn't happen, so let's not fight." The large goblin reasoned.
"Not only that, but he treated you terribly." She retorted.
"That doesn't matter now, we have all changed. And we are all part of this dungeon now, so lets try to get along, ok? Speaking of the dungeon, we are making it worry. I can sense its watching, and it appears to be anxious.” the large goblin suggested, adopting a more passive tone.
Bolka almost immediately calmed down once the dungeon was mentioned, looking over at the crystal and sighing, she nodded.
Lakar's thoughts raced as he pieced together the situation. The female goblin was indeed Bolka, and her argument was valid. This was something he had pondered extensively during his time in the darkness, a matter he deeply regretted. Furthermore, her use of "us" indicated that the tall goblin was either Arlek or Touk. Given Arlek's personality, Lakar suspected that the large goblin had to be Touk, as Arlek would never have attempted to mediate a fight.
If that's true Touk's transformed appearance was quite intimidating, and intriguingly, he hadn't opened his eyes during the entire exchange.
Touk extended a hand to help Lakar up, offering an apology, "Sorry about Bolka. I hope you're okay."
Lakar accepted the hand and pulled himself to his feet, offering a sincere response, "It's okay, I deserved that. I'm sorry to both of you."
Touk appeared taken aback but accepted the apology with a nod of understanding. Bolka, though still visibly upset, acknowledged the apology with a solemn nod as well.
Bolka approached Lakar and performed a mysterious gesture in the air in front of him. In response, his body began to emit a gentle green glow, and his bruised face appeared to heal. Lakar couldn't help but wonder if this was the power granted to Bolka by the dungeon. It left him pondering what abilities he might receive and what abilities Touk possessed, especially considering Touk's unopened eyes. The mysteries of the dungeon and its powers intrigued him.
Over the next hour or so, Bolka and Touk elaborated on the dungeon's purpose, revealing that it required their protection for its crystal and some slumbering human child. The mention of the human child left Lakar thoroughly bewildered, but he decided to go along with it, trusting in the wisdom of his companions.
At some point during their conversation, Bolka suddenly jumped up and exclaimed, "Oh, I forgot, you need to meet the other member of our team!"
Touk let out a sigh, as she ran over to a table where the shell was resting. With surprising ease, she picked up the shell and brought it over to where they were sitting. Placing the shell gently next to the chairs, she spoke to it, "Come on, wake up, please."
Two curious eye stalks emerged from the shell, and they swiveled around before settling on Lakar. The snail appeared to be evaluating him, and after seemingly concluding that Lakar posed no threat, something that did sting Lakars pride a bit, the snail cautiously emerged from its shell.
The snail turned its gaze toward Touk, to which Touk responded anxiously, "No, not right now, buddy. We have a new member." However, the snail continued to fixate on Touk until he relented, "Alright, but we need to make it quick. We'll stop after one hit."
As Touk walked over to the middle of the room, Bolka let out a giggle.
“Whats happening?” Lakar asked.
"They're about to spar. It's one of the only things we can do around here for now, though apparently, the dungeon is working on more rooms," Bolka explained as she positioned the snail in the center of the room.
Lakar couldn't help but wonder about the nature of Touk's power, he said he could sense the dungeon watching earlier. Observing the snail's size and the fact that Bolka had been carrying it everywhere, it was hard to envision how the snail could emerge victorious.
As the fight started, Lakar's initial assessment couldn't have been further from the truth. The seemingly immobile snail possessed an incredible power. It effortlessly summoned the air and condensed it into purple shards, launching them at Touk with impressive speed. Touk, to his credit, displayed exceptional agility as he adeptly dodged the shards. During the skirmish, Touk would occasionally open his eyes, revealing that they moved back and forth at an astonishing speed, faster than Lakar had ever imagined possible, before closing them and dodging an attack. However, the snail's barrage proved too rapid, and a shard finally struck Touk's leg, causing him to stumble and fall. The snail ceased its assault, appearing pleased with the outcome, and began to slowly make its way back towards the crystal.
Bolka's laughter filled the room as she rushed over to tend to Touk's injuries. Lakar couldn't help but ponder the extent of the power the dungeon could bestow upon individuals. He wondered if he might gain a similar ability, and whether his father had ever seriously considered fighting against this power.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Lakar suddenly heard a voice, but it didn't emanate from anyone in the room. Instead, it seemed to resonate through the very air and wind itself. This voice spoke with joy, expressing relief at having someone who it could communicate with once more. It offered to make a pact with Lakar, a pact of protection.
Intrigued and hopeful, Lakar agreed. This was what they had been discussing earlier, and he understood that he would discover his newfound abilities as time passed. It seemed that this was just one of the powers he would have.
As Lakar agreed to the pact, the wind around him began to swirl and whirl, creating a mesmerizing vortex. The others in the room turned their attention to him, their expressions a mix of surprise and happiness, as they recognized that something extraordinary was happening.