We returned to Gorkaki instead of heading to the Forest of Kasvil. If the Druma hordes resemble those of the Vrared, I believe they won't be the greatest challenge. The greatest threat would likely come from that forest.

Kasvil is known for possessing the main entrances to the trow kingdom of Eskira. And it's filled with war beasts created by the trows to guard these entrances. However, in recent days, we've been informed that these war beasts are leaving the forest towards the Druma Expanse.

It's been nearly a month since our troops arrived in Shaxai. The city was suffering several attacks from Druma invaders, but they stopped in the last few days. Initially, we thought our presence in the city restrained the barbarian assaults. But we soon discovered that the Druma halted their raids because they were being raided. And not by us.

But by Trow Raids.

The lords of Eskira have been watching us this whole time. When I established my control in the Vraded while my troops moved to Shaxai, they had no other choice but to act.

The Underground Trows know that if I conquer the entire continent, I'll be too great a threat to be taken down in the future. So their strategy must be to secure the pieces I have not yet acquired and begin a campaign to push back towards the steppes.

This will probably be the greatest conflict this continent has seen since the elven wars and the fall of the Hobgoblin Empire.

§ § § § § §

We are in one of the castle halls. Two hobgoblin maids await instructions. They wear uniforms characteristic of Koradel. Surely this is the work of Kheldash.

"I don't know if I can do this…" I stare at the egg in front of me. It's twice the size of an ostrich egg and has a white shell. It looks like an enormous chicken egg.

When I returned to the cave where I was born, I saw eggshells in my nest. They were a bluish-gray hue with dark spots. I don't know if my egg had a similar color to a crow's egg or if the shell turned that color after so many years. But despite Korath's egg resembling a chicken egg so much, I don't know if I can eat it.

"Why couldn't you?" Salutar asks. "I can cook it."

"It's not about the taste…"

"Your Majesty, have you ever..." Sarak hesitates to ask.

"Have I ever what?"

"Have you ever… eaten someone?"

My eyes turn to Salutar and the trow turns his face away.

"What do you mean?" I feign ignorance.

"Have you consumed humanoid flesh?"

"Ah… Are you asking how many gobs I've eaten?"

The orc just nods.

"Do you really want to know?"

She nods once more.

"I personally never liked eating your kind. Humanoids hardly have any meat." I say as I examine my elven form's arm. "Almost no meat at all. Just dreams and worries. Mindless beasts taste better."

"Perhaps, Your Majesty, you're repulsed by eating the egg because it's from your own kind." The shamaness suggests.

"I don't think that's the case." I reply with a sigh.

Stolen story; please report.

The problem isn't the egg, but rather the deal made to acquire it.

"But that will have to wait. The Council of Folks summit will begin soon." I say as I signal to one of the hobgoblin maids. "Take this to one of the cold chambers. Lock it away and bring the key to me afterward."

The maid bows in response and carries the urn with the egg to one of the castle's refrigerated rooms built by the gremlins.

We head to the meeting hall.

I take my seat as the other council members take their positions. Salutar remains standing behind me.

Some changes have occurred in the hall since the conquest of Ul-Gak. Instead of three of the seats, there are columns with fixed mirrors. In these mirrors, we can see the silhouettes of Lady Ferin, ruler of the Woods of Ul-Gak, the cougarlin Arana, Lord of Ialdai, and Matriarch Abadral of the Unicorn Herds.

These mirrors are simpler versions of the one used to summon Camilo. Since I decided to unify the councils of Gorkaki, Ialdai, and Ul-Gak into a upper council operating above the regional ones, these mirrors were set up to facilitate communication and avoid unnecessary travel for members responsible for governing distant territories. Eventually, a fourth column will be added for the orc Bakhan, in line with his position in this new Council once he secures the conquest of Vermekh.

Kheldash will also be contacted through one of these magical mirrors as she is in Shaxai. However, unlike the others, no column was built in her place because her absence is an atypical event. Instead of Kheldash's seat, there are two goblin cambions holding her mirror. The green goblin cambion has a single horn while the red one has two smaller horns. The mirror they hold is larger than them, and we can see Kheldash's image forming on its surface.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Greetings, fellow members of the new Council of Folks." The cambion greets us. "I bring concerning news from Shaxai."

"How concerning, Kheldash?" I inquire, even though I already know the answer.

"Trow raids are happening all across the Druma Expanse. The barbarian tribes are swiftly being subdued."

"Trow raids occur sporadically. The Lords of Eskira only surface when their slave stocks run dry." Vadod, the undead, points out. "This is clearly a preparation for war."

"A letter requesting a peace treaty has arrived in recent days. The Trow Lords supposedly want to forge an alliance with us." Kheldash reveals.

"Nonsense! Clearly a ploy to buy time while they prepare to attack us." Lady Ferin argues.

"Perhaps we should accept the peace offer, even if it’s false. It would buy us time to prepare as well." Sarak suggests.

"The more time we give the trows, the more dangerous they become." The troll Dorgun counters with his deep timbre.

"Diluk, what’s your report?" I ask.

"Our workshops have diverted nearly all their production to manufacturing acids and corrosive bombs." The gremlin begins to explain his work plan with his pitch voice. "However, there’s no guarantee the trows won’t devise countermeasures against this strategy. So, we’ve initiated the production of alchemical fire and potions to counter fire resistance."

"The war beasts from Eskira differ from those of Ul-Gak." Lady Ferin remarks.

"Indeed." Kheldash agrees. "Our scouts have already witnessed these beasts taking over some settlements in Druma. Purple worms, man-hunting spiders, hungry myriads. True horrors from the depths."

Wait! Giant bugs? Oh... I hate giant bugs.

"Hmmm... Poisonous critters... We should arrange for the production of antidotes as well." Giluk considers.

"Your Majesty, the Forest of Kasvil isn’t too far from Gorkaki. You should stay in the city. This will inhibit the Lords of Eskira from launching an attack on the capital for the time being." Kheldash proposes grounding me in the capital.

ETad9eD.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/ETad9eD.jpg]

Now that I know the trows have giant bugs as pets, maybe it’s not such a bad idea.

"Perhaps we should contact the hero of the Buyagh." Shamaness Sarak suggests.

"You mean the supposed goblin hero?” Ferin laughs.

"He took part in the defense of the Korath Pass against Druma invasions in recent years. We should summon the tribes from the Northwest and propose an alliance against Eskira." The orc stands by her suggestion.

"This is actually a good strategy." Kheldash agrees. "Once the trows conquer all of Druma Expanse, they’ll turn towards the Korath Pass and Kudrukh, and then they will come for us. If we press them from all directions, the trow raids will be pushed back into the underground."

"But why would the Buyagh goblins and the other tribes from the Northwest join us?" I ask. "As far as they know, we are conquerors just like the Trow Lords of Eskira."

"The trows of Eskira don’t aim to conquer for rulership." Matriarch Abadral projects her magical voice. "They intend to use the tribes of north as cannon fodder against us. And after we’ve been defeated and the entire continent turns into a wasteland, the Trow Lords will take their slaves and return to the underground."

"Better to serve a Dragonlord than the Horrors Below." Undead Vadod speaks while Priest Latharon II nods in agreement.

"This will be one of your greatest challenges, Your Majesty." Kheldash speaks to me. "Go to the Buyagh and convince the Goblin Hero to fight by your side. If you succeed, his tribe and the other tribes from the Northwest will join our empire against the trows."

"Prepare yourself, Dragonlord Akalani. For your quest across these lands is nearing its climax."