I watched, defiant, as the goregek slowly advanced my way, his son's impressively strong grip keeping me from fleeing even if I had wanted to. Lagdon was shaking, but not from fear, rather from the sheer mental effort he was exerting to break free from his father's command. But, as brave and honest as I believed the two princes to be, were, they were still just goblins. And Goregek trumped goblin every time. Stupid Aeros has gone and given the worst possible beat power.

Still, Lagdon was able to exercise some defiance. He had done as his father had asked, I was unable to leave this spot. But he had only taken one of my arms, and I was earger to put the free one to use. Luckily it seemed that the use of fox fire came faster to me that any sort of skill with the bow, and I wasted no time putting it to use.

With a rather exaggerated flick of my free wrist, I unleased the heat that had been building in my palms, instinctively directing the magic to where I needed it. But it was not at the king that I took aim: he was immune to fire after all. No, I slung my flames toward the captured foxes, using the its unique attribute of only burning what I wanted it to, to avoid harming the foxes as well as the goblins that I could now see were mine, the others I burned with out hesitation. I could not afford to have a kind heart right now.

The scream's of ten or so goblins filled the evening air, the absolutely horrid stench tainting the air. I tried to tug away from Lagdon, wishing the pyrotechnics might have broken his concentration, or- even better- his grip. No such luck. But having the ability to move at least a little did save my life as the king had advanced forward when I sent out my flame and I just managed to dodged the blow of a massive club. Where had the fool even hid that thing?

Between the wooden trunks massive sized and the force of the king's swing, the club sunk into the wet soil a good four inches. When the king lifted it again it was covered in mud and turf.

"Hold her better." Snarled the goregek, his voice high pitched and wheezy once again, the club raised high above his head. What the hell happened to the implied torture I was meant to endure?! One hit from that thing and I'd be land god pudding!

I heard Lagdon grunt, and then I was held by both arms, standing in front of the goblin with his nose almost touching the center of my back due to our height difference. I thought I heard the second prince grunt out an apology, but I was a little distracted by the club wielding menace in front of me to worry too much about the goblin at my back.

"It is fitting," Said the king, his breaths coming in pants but his eyes were a light with an insanity that had me very afraid. He raised the cub up high once again, determined to turn me into jelly no doubt. "Fitting that you, the imposter, will die to the true land gods greatest servent, with the very weapon he bestowed me all those years ago. Goodbye, small human." His large mouth split into a large grin.

"Wait!" I shouted, causing the king to hesitate a moment.

"Will you beg me after all?" the goblin king panted, amusement evident in his voice and bearing.

"Hardly!" I snapped, seriously grossed out by this pig. "But are you not forgetting that your son is right behind me? You hit me like that, then you will kill him too." I said through gritted teeth. Was this guy really so slow as to have forgotten that already?

the goregek laughed, arm stretching's back for the final time. "So what. I only need one after all." He said coldly.

As his arm came swinging down I turned as best as i could in the princes grip, instinctively trying to shield the man from the inevitable blow. After all, as a god I had at least a slim chance of surviving this blow. I doubt Lagdon would be as fortunate.

But, just as we were about to die, a dark mass came flying out of the chaos that had been raging around our little altercation. With a snarl, and the baring of fangs and claws, Draxly hurtled his body at the goregek. the black furred fox struck like a wild animal at first, claws raking at the goblin's chest and his muzzle making an overly ambitious attempt at getting around the other man's carotid. The attack was enough to make the king stagger, and loose balance for a second, stumbling away from me and almost tripping over his own club. But the king's skin was too tough for Draxly to do more than leave slight abrasions. But I was sure it was the distraction that the foxie had been aiming for.

Instantly, Lagdon's grip changed and I was being tugged toward where the prisoners had been lined up in front of the broken wall. "Hurry!" coughed the goblin as we jumped over a couple blackened corpses. "Before he tells me to do something else!"

Lagdon dragged me farther away from the fight, but I did not want to leave. i had to help. Draxly was an amazing foxie hunter and fighter, but could he really do much against a goregek?

"Over here!" I focused where the voice sounded and where Lagdon now dragged me, and saw that it was Brax and several other villagers, as well as about a dozen scared and confused looking goblin fighters. they all stood together, partially covered by the platform that was now caved in on itself, wooden splinters sticking up into the air and arrows scattered over the ground.

"Where is my brother?" Gasped Lagdon, tugging me beneath the broken structure, smoke providing as much cover and the destroyed wall.

"He charged ahead with Draxly and two other goblins." Said Brax, a bleeding cut over one eye and a gash on his arm being wrapped in a dirty scrap of cloth by another of the foxmen. Funnily enough, he had his pipe clenched between is pointed teeth. After a second I realized that it was from that very pipe that the smoke was spewing forth. Brax saw my shocked and confused look and offered me a cheeky wink. Apparently the old fox had more tricks up his sleeve than I thought.

"Gillard and Mort went with him sir." A goblin near by hurried to explain. "they plan on killing the king!" He sounded both terrified and hopeful at the very thought of it.

"But they can't defy him..." Said a familiar voice. I looked around and spotted Mink seated on the ground and another familiar shape, laid out with his nobly head in her lap.

"Nord!" I gasped, rushing forward and breaking free of Lagdon's now slackened grip. But the prince didn't let me get far, following the few step forward with a muttered curse.

"He was hit when the platform came down." Explained Mink, stroking his dirty and pale forehead. then she looked up at me, eyes beseeching. "What are we to do?! This place is broken, and none are safe anymore." Great tears streaked down her soot smeared cheeks and she hurried to wipe them away.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Hush girl." Reprimanded Nord, his voice week but still biting. "This is nothing short of a revolution you know. Who said it would be painless."

Mink glared down at the older goblin and he laughed, coughing, but I did not think his injuries were life threatening.

I was about to say something when I heard a voice echo out over the sounds of goblins and foxes in the midst of war. We all looked back toward where the king and Draxly had collided. the smoke shifted and I saw the fox on the ground, partially curled as he tried to stem the bleed from what looked like his leg bone sticking out of his fur. Margund stood before the fox, two other goblin's at his side, and was addressing his enraged father.

"Father! Just listen, for once!" Pleaded the prince, a steel club held in one hand and his eyes locked on his father.

"How dare you defy me boy!" Roared the king, eyes almost popping out of his head in sheer rage, He slashed the air with his club as if it were a sword and the smoke billow around.

"Why must you be so stubborn!" Margund raged back. "Would it really be so horrible for there to be a new land god?"

"Aeros is our god!"

"He is gone father! Even if what you hope is true and he just sleeps, rather than being dead as Enna says... He has abandoned us! When was the last time you even looked at your people?"

Margund was trying his best to reason with his father but I could see that it was a wasted effort. Whether from rage or not, I did not know, But I could see it in the man's eyes that he was about as lost to madness as anything could be. The king opened his mouth, clearly about to issue an order at his son, but Margund was having none of that.

The prince lunged forward and begun his assault. It was not graceful in any way, but he could not allow his father any breathing room: One command from the king and Margund would have no choice but to obey. And the king may have been a fat and smelly beast, but he was not the strongest goblin for nothing. Each of his blows were calculated and precise, almost toppling the prince a number of times. Skill, coupled with the king's near indestructability, might just have the older man winning out over his young son.

"Why aren't the others helping?" I asked, sounding breathy even to my own ears. So entranced by the fight was I that I didn't even notice that I had a hand on Lagdon's shoulder, leaning on the some what shorter man as we watched.

"This is a fight for the crown now, Miss Enna..." Said Lagdon, his eyes locked on his brother, four fingered fists clenched tightly. "Its up to Margund now."

I frowned, not liking this honorable approach one bit. But even I felt that it would be wrong to interfere directly. If Margund was seen defeating his father with the aid of a human it may lower his right to be king in the eyes of some of the goblins. But I was not sure if that fact alone would be enough to keep me from intervening if I saw a good enough opening.

The fight dragged on for minutes. Long enough for the sounds of the others fighting amongst the smoke to stop. Either the others had finished their individual fights, or they all had stopped to watch the father and son death match.

In the eerie silence if found my self praying. To what? I did not know. I mean, who did a god pray to? The true gods that I had herd mentioned a few times, probably. Whatever the case may have been, I prayed.

Slowly, the direction of the fight seemed to shift. I could se that, ever so slightly, Margund was gaining the upper hand. His father no longer had the clear advantage in the battle. It wasn't like anything major had changed... but it was like Margund suddenly had more vigor than he had moments before, and Lady Luck seemed to be on his side. Blows that his father had used to make contact with the prince before were now missing. And Margund's strikes were landing more frequently now.

At one point the king managed to knock Margund's club out of his hands, however, and I feared that that was the end. But the prince managed to dodge his fathers next blow- a favorite of the king's where he raised the club high above his head, and rolled out of the way. It brought him near one of the foxie huts and he came back up with a hatchet in his hands.

The little tool, made for when the foxie had been foxkin, was small but sharp. Many of the foxes had them for splitting fire wood. I had no clue how Margund thought he could beat his father with it, but I supposed it was a hell of a lot better than being empty handed.

Still, even with his improvised weapon, Margund managed to hold his father back. I could see the rage and confusion in the kings face as his son seemed to be besting him. He side swiped the prince with the club, the angle making it hard for Margund to block and so he stumbled back under the weight of it. It was then, as the king panted and wheezed that his eyes landed on me.

I think we both understood the same thing right then. He was loosing because he was relying on a dead god's favor, while Margund had my prayers funneling the power i held inside his way, without even realizing that I had been doing it. The king could not win this fight. Maybe in his prime, when Aeros recognized his cruel potential and blessed him with the power to evolve and rule his people. But not now. Not after two hundred years of being carried around by others, of slacking and not bothering to keep himself sharp and ready for a challenge. After all, how could any of the goblin's ever challenged him when with one command he could have them laying down their very lives?

In a finally, anger fueled attack, the king switched targets and began running straight my way. His speed was greater than I would have expected of the massive man, tired and bruised as he was. I gasped and stumbled back, while, at the same time, Lagdon stepped forward, using his body to shield me just as I had tried to do not so long ago.

The king bellowed and lesser goblins hurried out of his way and he rampaged directly at me, club held up high and feet making tremors shake across the ground beneath my feet. But then, half way to reaching his mark, the goblin king stumbled. He staggered forward the last few steps and his heavy club fell to the earth, almost at Lagdon's feet. The goregek's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward, causing Lagdon to shout before shoving me to safety. We both tumbled to the ground, rolling back next to the assembled goblin's and foxes.

On the ground, I turned. I was half under Lagdon but I could see that the king was laying face down in the dirt, not a muscle twitching, and from the back of his head rose the small hatchet, berried a good five inches into the goblin's skull, blood only leaking slightly despite the devastation that wound must have caused.

Just behind the king stood Margund, arm still out stretched from when he had tossed the hatchet, and chest rising and falling, one arm wrapped around his chest like he was holding his ribs together. Margund stumbled forward. it looked like he was in a great deal of pain, but determined all the same. Everyone watched in silence and those who stood in the princes' path hurried out of his way. When he was about two feet from me he stopped.

He looked an awful mess. A torn lip, half of one long ear missing, a black eyes and then those poor ribs... But despite those injuries, Margund slowly got down to one knee before me and bowed his head, eyes closed and shoulders some what slumped.

Despite the damage to his body and the pain he must have been in, it was in a deep and commanding voice that he spoke with as he said: "Lady Enna, It is to you that the goblin's pledge their loyalty and devotion. May you forever watch over us, and may we always aid you in the protection of these lands."

Lagdon attempted to bow as well, but we were both still pretty jumbled together. But the others were not, I watched, awed and touched, as goblins, foxie, and foxmen alike also got down and bowed to me, pledging themselves to the betterment of this forest. Finally their differences had been put aside and they were able to come together. their mutual enemy was dead.

the king is dead.

Margund slowly got to his feet and surveyed the scene before him and sighed. It was a mess. But at least most every one survived, and for that I was grateful. Margund looked back down at me again and his lips curled into an amused grin.

"You going to stay like that all day Brother?" He asked with a glint in his eye. Lagdon and I were still tangled together and it may have looked amusing to Margund, but suddenly his brother and I were quite embarrassed, and Lagdon set about untangling us with the aid of a laughing Brax.

The king is dead. Long live the king.