I sat on the rail of the platform I had been shooting arrows from just two days ago, staring, unseeing, at the mostly cleared carnage below. Several meters away was an opened backed cart where the foxes had piled the bodies of the goblins, then covered it over with several camping blankets. They would need to be returned home soon before the smell of decomposition attracted predators. And I really doubted that bears were the worst thing that would come looking for an easy snack.

"The last of the villagers have been sent off, Lady Enna." I heard Brax say as the older fox seemed to just appear at my hip. "I would like to say that I wished you had gone with them, but I feel that I would get an earful for suggesting it."

I smiled at the foxie fondly. Even evolved, he was still shorter than me with his bent back, but he still seemed taller than life, even at this most anxious of times. Since I had put my foot down with the goblins, he had been trying not to coddle me as much, and I appreciated it, but I could tell he had wanted me to evacuate with the others.

Just after Margund and his companions were out of sight I had told Brax that he should think about getting the non-combatants out of the village and have a plan set up, just incase the worst was to happen. And lets be honest, the worst was most likely what was going to happen here. If I had it my way, Brax would have left too, but just like he had no right to tell me to leave, I had no right to tell him either.

Brixie and Ozzie had gone in the last group. Brixie had NOT been happy about it, but one look at her son's tired and shattered face convinced her that it was for the best. I had not been the only person who had killed another person for the first time in the previous battle. Oren had gone with them as his injuries, though not life threatening, were bad enough that he would be a hinderance in the coming, anticipated fight.

I may have sent Margund off with pretty words and high hopes for the future, but we all knew that there was no other path here other than one of war. And the odds were not on our side. I had put all my chips on Margund, and I could only hope that I would not loose this bet.

"I fear he will not convince the goblin king. They say he is just this side of madness." Said Brax, he too, staring out into the cleared battle field. "But I think you know that."

"Yes." I said, sadly. "I knew that we were going to be attacked, no matter what. The Goregek has been in power too long, and has gotten too accustom to it. Nothing anyone does or says will convince him to change his ways or step down voluntarily."

"then why? Why make all those demands of Margund? If you knew he would not be able to convince his father." Sighed the older man. "I can not help but think that we would have at least been a little better off had we just killed them. Four less powerful warriors for the goblins to levy against us."

I smiled kindly at Brax, reaching out and patting him on the shoulder. "Your prodigious is blinding you Brax. My negotiations were never meant for the goblin king at all. I was never hoping to convince that fat old slob."

"Margund?" He asked and I saw that he was finally beginning to understand. but the brief flash of hope faded from his fox like eyes. "But I fear it does not change our current issue..."

"You are right. We will fight, no matter the out come."

The truth was that I did not wish to deal with the goblin king, but the crowned prince himself. It was the grey skinned, white haired, goblin prince that I was putting my faith in here. And the young goblin was awere of it too, I could see the understanding in his intense gaze as we spoke. The only way for both of our people's got out of this with hope for the future was if he and I could come to terms- and we needed to get rid of the king.

I wasn't hoping for the old goblin's death, but I also wasn't naïve enough anymore not to assume that that is exactly what would happen. I could only hope that, weather through unimaginable luck on our side, or strength of will on his, would have the king dead and Margund sitting on the throne. Once Margund was in charge, then our two sides could come together and set out a real peace treaty between the foxes and the goblins.

"Brax!" Came a hissed and anxious voice from down below.

Brax and I went over to the edge of the platform and looked down to see Orvil standing next to the quiver racks, face turned up to us, white and red fur stretched over his muzzle, teeth bared. His red hair was in disarray and eyes a little wild. He had been out on the forest line, keeping watch for the coming goblin army.

"Its time." He said, his voice calm despite the glint of battle in his eyes. The foxie's hand clenched tightly around his hunting bow.

Brax and I jumped down off the platform, the older fox proving that, even with a bad back and less years ahead of him than behind, he was still one of the strongest in the village. The tree of us hurried to our positions behind one of the near by huts and crouched low, bows drawn and arrows notched. Two dozen other foxie and foxmen also hid near by , ready to win or die. I really, really hoped we were going to win. I was not ready to die. I just got here! Though I don't remember it, or the days leading up to it, I could only assume that I was brought to this world because my body had finally given in to its fight with my disease and I died. I was not into dying again so soon. Who knows where I would wake up this time.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

It didn't take long for the sounds of the approaching goblins to reach even my human ears. Dozens of leather booted feet tromping through mud and twigs, clearly not caring for stealth what so ever. Pretty soon I could here jeering and cat calls, mixed with unintelligible shouts, all of it geared to psych out the foxes. I had to admit that it may well be working on me. My fingers flexed on my bow and I took a calming breath. I steeled myself to deal death once again.

"Today is your last day, puny foxes!" I heard a raspy yet oddly high pitched voice call over the wall. It wasn't much of a wall anymore, more like a suggestion of one, hence why we had abandoned it for cover instead. "Prepare to die."

At those ominous words the goblins erupted into savage roars and cheers and the wall began to tremble as the green and grey figures began throwing themselves at it.

"Fire!" Shouted Brax near my ear, making me wince. But at his preplanned shout a dozen foxie and foxmen leapt forward and raised their hands, fire erupting from palm and shooting toward the demolished gate and the wall. The dry wood ignited immediately as the foxes concentrated on the flames, directing it to burn not only the wall, but the goblins throwing themselves at it.

I winced again as the jeers turned to screams, the goblins at the front of the army burning in fox fire. Bile rose up but I suppressed the need to vomit. I could break down again once the fight had ended. If i was alive to have a nervous break down that is.

But the flames did not deter the goblins for long, and many fighters jumped through the wall of smoke and fire to land, unmolested, over the smoldering remains of the wall and into the village. I pulled my arm back, taking aim at the nearest green body I saw and waited. Seconds later Brax shouted out the order to let loose our arrows. I did not wait to be sure of my mark before notching another and firing again and a gain. we would have very little time before the goblins regrouped and over powered us.

"Kill them, kill them!" Screeched who I now knew to be the Goblin king. Sure enough, as the flames died down with the retreat of the fire wielders, the bulbus tyrant emerged through the smoke, held up by eight other goblins on his palanquin.

This goblin did not look regal, what so ever. He was a little bigger than the average goblin in height and nearly four times as large around the waist. The majority of his people were boarder line emaciated while their king looked nearly incapable of standing on his own two feet. His skin was a greyish green color and covered in what I thought were pustules. His eyes were saggy and his mouth too large for his face. To be blunt, he was grotesque.

I did not allow myself to hesitate, and immediately aimed for the fat goblin, and fired. I was not the only one to do so either. A small cloud of arrows came raining down on the king, some of his men running for cover. I let myself hope, for a brief second, that we had done it, but then I saw that it had been a fool's dream. While some of the arrows did land true, sticking into the leather like flesh, most seemed to bounce off, like the king was made of stone.

"Fire!" Called Brax, once again. This time setting aside his own bow and getting to his feet, marching forward with most of the foxes as they aimed their fox fire his way.

Again it looked as if we may have prevailed. The men holding up the palanquin either fled screaming at the lick of the flames, died in their apathetic state, or simply got crushed when the king and his seat came crashing down on them. I tried not to be affected by the screams and hurried forward as well. I had no fire to cast, but I was not about to cower in the background while my friends risked their lives.

I stood just behind Brax and Draxly as they both used every ounce of their magical strength to destroy the mad king. But it was no good. I heard a flurry of manic laughter, and the king stepped out of the flames, his wart and overly large mouth stretched into a hideous grin, his foot falls actually sending tremors through the dirt.

The foxes began to back up, but it was too late. While we had been focused on the king, the other goblins had spread out and surrounded us and we were now completely ringed in. But other foxes were spread out amongst the houses and every now and then an arrow would fly in and take down a goblin.

"Lagdon!" Growled the king and I watched as both Lagdon and Margund stepped out from behind the king. The younger prince bowed to his father. Margund shared a very brief glance with me and I felt a slight spark of hope. If he was here then there may still be a chance, even if it was a slim and impossible one. "Take two dozen men and weed out the last of the gnats. I want all of them, now!"

"Yes sir." Intoned the prince with another bow. He straightened out and waved to some of the surrounding goblins, all of them hurrying off into the village to hunt out anyone else.

"You..." The king growled, his screeching voice now a growling timber that was throwing me for a bit of a loop. "You must be the false god." As he advanced, sneer firmly in place, the foxes attempted to surround me, preventing anyone from reaching me with out the threat of being burnt alive.

"Margund, come." I watched as the older prince approached, not looking at me or indicating that we had any sort of connection what so ever. "Well?"

"This is the new land god, father." The surrounding goblins exchanged confused and anxious looks. I realized that the king had not told them about me at all. It probably never even crossed his mind to keep his people informed of anything. But at his son's announcement, the king snarled at him. "Lies! a pretender is what this human is. A human- as a land god to monsters? Ha!"

"I am the land god over these lands." I stated, afraid but bluffing with every fiber of my life. "Monsters being here is inconsequential really. It will be up to me weather or not you, or any other type of being, will continue to be welcome here."

"No one gave you permission to speak, human." Snapped the king as his people began to fidget and whisper. But he continued to be oblivious of this fact.

"I need not permission to speak on my own lands, goregek. Have you not been informed of my terms?"

"We," the king said, spreading his sagging arms and indicating the goblins as a whole. "Are the loyal servants of Aeros, our one and only land god." He lowered his arms and levied a dirty glare my way. "Not some pathetic human female with delusions of grandeur."

Delusions of grandeur? well, that was rich coming from this sick creature before me.

"Take them." Rumbled the king.

In a matter of seconds we were swarmed by goblins, the foxes did not even have chance to use their fire magic or notch an arrow. Before I knew it there were two goblins holding me down in a forced bow. My knees in the dirt and my arms bent painfully be hind my pack. The foxes were dragged off to the sides, each held by two or three goblins, preventing them from doing anything.

"You belong to me now, human."