“Ahh…!” the goblin let out in a pleasing manner. “It is with great pleasure, joy, and celebration that this one, in his most distinguished shape, hath spoken thusly to you, who listens to his alluring words, for what we bring, with extensive words, a hand of aid in these most troubling times. Quite, yes, indeed! We are here on behalf of the exalted ones to search for, and extend our amazing and incredible—”
As the goblin continued talking, I glanced at both Dom and Eleanor. At first, they appeared afraid of what the demons might do, but now, after hearing the goblin speak, it seemed like they were confused and unsure of how to go about it.
“Jul,” the ogre finally spoke, taking a couple of steps inside the basement. “They no understand.”
“Huh?!” exclaimed the goblin, turning surprised to look at the ogre. “But how could they not? This one has been using as many words, and as many ways to get the greater message of our coming to be understood as easily as possible. It is within the will of those who raise the greater ones that one shall, therefore, speak with as many intellectual wordings as there could be, in such a way that those who listen are able to know with direct understanding what we, in our higher realm of majestic knowledge wish to—”
“U-um!” Eleanor called out, interrupting the goblin and shily raising her hand like a child in a school wanting to ask a question. “Are you—are you here to help?”
“Ahhh! But how wonderful it is to have such a bright marigold understand the words that this one hath been trying to impart on those who are willing to—”
“Yes,” the ogre interrupted once more with a nod. “We help. You join. We leave.”
“Grool!” shouted the goblin, placing his hands on his hips and glaring up at the ogre. “How could they possibly understand our supreme endeavors if your wonderous form refuses to say all the vicissitudes that hath brought us all here together, to listen to this one's—”
“Now hold on a second!” Dom loudly interrupted, causing the goblin to fall silent as it turned to look with one eyebrow raised. “Why would we join you? I’ve been living in this place for a while now, and we’ve had nothing but problems with you!”
“We no problem,” the ogre answered as the goblin was taking a mouthful of air. “We try help. You attack. We fight back. We try help again.”
“So, you’re not… our enemies…?” Eleanor asked, lowering her defenses slightly. “But I’ve only heard how demons are dangerous, and how they just want to kill us all.”
“What?!” the goblin exclaimed, astonished at Eleanor’s statement. “How could this be?! We, in our grace, and grand existence, have done everything within our bosom to ensure all life in creation is protected and sent out to the new heights, where all shall enjoy of a peaceful life, and where the peoples of all places might share with each other the never-ending anodyne that is to speak!”
“What?” Dom replied, one eye narrowed and looking with confusion at the goblin. “Is this some form of curse? What in the hell is that thing saying?”
The goblin looked with pity at Dom. “Such a tragedy that the rest of the beings created by our world’s will do not have the skills to understand one’s magnificent, and wordful play of speaking arts.” He shook his head, then spread his arms and widely smiled. “But alas! We are more than willing to partake in the exchange of words, skills, and grandiose celebration of mouthing teachings, as per se the request of those above us to extend the naily hand of friendships and comradery!”
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Dom grumbled and looked with narrowed, suspicious eyes at the happy goblin. “I feel like I shouldn’t...” then turned to look at Eleanor. “What say you, girl? Do you understand what they’re saying? Should we fight? They don’t seem like they want to fight us, and I’d rather not.”
Eleanor looked at both the goblin and the ogre, who in turn were looking back at her. One of them stood just looking this way, while the other was widely smiling, his mouth still moving as if he still had things to say.
After considering them slightly, Eleanor lowered her guard even more, put aside the sword, and let the black hand disappear back into the left arm. She looked down, and softly closed her eyes with a thoughtful expression. It only lasted for a few seconds, before opening her eyes once more to look at the people looking at her and then at the women strapped to the walls.
“I think,” she said with a low tone, before looking with determination at the goblin. “I think you want to help us.”
“Oooohhh! The flower understands our amazing and wonderful way of sharing the world with our—”
“S-sorry to interrupt!” she exclaimed and pointed a finger at the many women strapped to the walls. “But, can you also help them?”
The goblin looked at the women with a serious expression while he swept his gaze across them. The goblin remained quiet for a while, but just turned to look at the ogre, who after seemingly looking at every woman, finally turned to look at Eleanor with a shake of his head.
“We not help,” he said in his simple way.
“W-why not?” Eleanor asked, taken aback by his answer.
“They dead.”
“Eh?” Eleanor exclaimed, after which she rushed over to the woman closer to her.
The woman, one with a pair of hairy cat ears on top of her head, dark brown hair, and bronzed skin, remained unmoving and unresponsive. Eleanor crouched, swiped her hair to one side, and then gasped. The woman had no face. It had been melted; burned away from the fires that the boss had launched as he tried to kill Eleanor.
Not wanting to give up on any of them, Eleanor moved on to the next one. “Hey!” she shouted as she tried to save her, but just like the last one, this one had suffered a fatal wound, one from an icicle that pierced her chest.
She moved on to the next one, and the next one, where the same thing repeated. Some of them died while people were fighting down there, but most of them were dead from either abuse, torture, or starvation.
None of them survived.
Once she inspected the last one, Eleanor stood up with her back facing us. Despite trying to hide it, my sight still allowed me to clearly see the pained expression on her face as she bit her lower lip in frustration while trying to hold back the shock of seeing so many women like her suffer such a terrible fate.
“I’m sorry, girl…” Dom said with a regretful expression on his face. “I would want to say that I tried to stop this, but I didn’t. All I did was drown myself in booze while trying not to think about it in this damned place. I never knew things were like this ‘cus I was never interested in seeing what they were up to—but if I had tried before I…”
“You dead if you did, anyway,” the ogre said with a soft, expressionless tone of voice. “And they dead too.”
“Argh!” Dom exclaimed with frustration, scratching his head with both hands. “You’re probably right—if I understood what you said—But I feel like I could’ve done something before! In fact,” —he turned a determined look at the ogre— “If you want to blow my head off too, I think it would be for the best.”
There was a moment of silence, where even the goblin remained quiet with a serious expression as he looked at the determined Dom. The ogre eventually reached for the tool strapped on his side, but while he was readying himself to point it at Dom, Eleanor stretched her hand in a stopping gesture.
“No, don’t do that,” she said, before turning to look at Dom. “I know that… It’s hard for me to forgive what happened here, but at least you tried to save me, and as long as at one time you tried to warn the others or do something about it, then I think I can forgive you but…” she looked at the women in this place, and then at both the goblin and ogre. “I feel like we can’t leave them here. Please, at least help me take them out of here.”
They looked at Eleanor for a moment, but soon after, the ogre nodded, and Eleanor turned to the woman closest to her and released her, before moving to the others.