Ziplocke missed Jeze, the Proven and simple organization. The Goblin Lord was slumped over on Modok’s jagged throne. Chaos reigned all around him and the crooked palace as hundreds of Lesser and Regular Goblins rampaged about. They joyfully hopped back and forth through the shimmering portal to the Glass Grove and back. Ziplocke slapped his forehead and rubbed his face. He couldn’t even remember what his uprising plans were! At some point, one of the tiny Goblins had placed Modok’s oversized crown on Ziplocke’s head. It hung loosely by his horns, and the Goblin Lord didn’t even bother to take it off. Leandra entered the chamber and walked to sit beside Ziplocke.

“The Essence is good outside in the valley,” she observed.

Ziplocke shrugged. “Until the Fiends mass an attack and kill us all. Sure, why not? Go ahead and splurge! Our final meals!” He cried in a shrill voice.

Leandra rolled her blue eyes and replied, “So melodramatic!”

Ziplocke had to agree, though. Ever since they defeated the Howlers, Modok’s territory was a significant enhancement for them. The Valley outside the palace was dotted with Essence springs. Many of the Goblins collected the Essence Gems the springs produced, and the throne room was once again filled with the clattering stones. Ziplocke noticed something and sat up to study the pandemonium around him.

“Is it me, or did many of the Goblins get bigger?” He asked.

Leandra grinned as she absorbed an Essence gem. The stone evaporated into silver tendrils of smoke that she inhaled. “Yes, our tribe now has enough resources. Many of the Lesser Goblins have evolved to Goblins.”

“This could work!” Ziplocke dared to hope. He continued, “If we could hold this Valley, we might be able to grow strong enough to attack the others! With the Fiends occupied with the Stronghold, we might stand a chance!”

“Unless they manage to free the Fiendish Lord,” Graul muttered.

The scarred Greater Goblin with one ear entered the chamber. In his thick arms, he held dozens of large Essence gems, each the size of his fist. He was absorbing them as he walked over toward Ziplocke and Leandra. The ground clattered as he unceremoniously dumped them at Ziplocke’s feet.

The Goblin Lord nodded in thanks and picked up a gem to absorb its Essence. They had enough that he was able to recharge his body and the Hold Core. That was good, right? He wondered to himself. But, no matter how positive things looked, he couldn’t help but shake the ever-hanging dread that something bad would happen.

He knew, from his past failures, that what they had now was not enough. There were at least a dozen Greater Fiends, like Modok, with armies and territories. Not to mention two Fiendish Lords. If the third was freed from within the Stronghold, that would reestablish their Triumvirate, and the Greater Goblin rulers would all fall in line. The Fiends would have their grip of power once again over the Abyssal plane. That would spell the end of Goblinkind.

Ziplocke glanced up and saw that his two colleagues were relaxed. Leandra twirled a dagger, and Graul stared silently off into the distance. Occasionally, the stout Greater Goblin would absorb an Essence Gem.

“What do you two suggest we do next?” Ziplocke asked.

The two Greater Goblins shared a look and snickered.

“That was not a question, it was an order!” Ziplocke snapped.

“Ooh, our Lord is acting like a Lord,” Leandra teased.

Graul nodded, snickered, and replied, “The good news for us is that the Greater Fiends are not united. They will most likely fight each other before they try to reclaim Modok’s territory.”

Ziplocke narrowed his eyes and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“The Greater Fiends are all trying to get the upper hand on each other. If one of them were to come and reclaim this area from us Goblins, then they would have an advantage over the others,” Graul explained.

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Ziplocke nodded. That made sense as they would have access to the Essence Springs within the Valley.

“But we would not go without a fight! So they would have a weakened force,” Leandra pointed out.

Graul snickered. “There would be no fight. All the Goblins would flee through the portal.”

Ziplocke’s eyes went wide. “Aww, but they do not know that I am back! That the Goblins have a Goblin Lord! So they have to assume that they will need to retake this Valley with force.”

Leandra crossed her arms. “Which brings us back to my point. They would be weakened after their siege and be vulnerable from an attack from another Greater Fiend.”

Graul snickered and added, “The reason no one has attacked us yet is because they are all waiting to see who goes first.”

The three were interrupted as a horde of Lesser and Regular Goblins swarmed through. The smaller Goblins were playing some sort of team game where they were each trying to control a squishy object with kicking and grabbing.

“Scram!” Graul roared.

The Goblins screeched and took their game to another side of the chamber. Ziplocke sighed. It would only be another matter of moments before whatever game they were playing came back to them.

Leandra tapped her lip and said, “Unless they come to some sort of truce. Then we are screwed!”

“Another failure for Ziplocke!” Graul cried.

“Hey! This would be your failure as well,” Ziplocke growled.

“Yes, but you are our mighty Goblin Lord,” Leandra pointed out and groveled on the floor.

Graul cackled and joined her on the floor waving both arms and bowing while on their knees. A few of the lower-ranked Goblins saw this and joined them. In moments, Ziplocke had several dozen Goblins groveling before him like a twisted ocean of green.

“Okay, that is enough. Scram the lot of you!” Ziplocke cried and kicked a few of the smaller Goblins.

The little Demons giggled and snickered as they scuttled away. Ziplocke turned toward the two Greater Goblins.

“Do we try to claim another territory?” He asked.

Graul shook his head vigorously. “No! Then we would appear as a threat, and the two Fiendish Lords would force the others to unite against us.”

Leandra nodded in agreement. She said, “We have time. Their distrust and greed work in our favor. I wager none of the Greater Fiends brought this news to the Fiendish Lords as they each want to figure out a way to take Modok’s territory for themselves.”

“How long do you suppose it would take for us to get more Greater Goblins?” Ziplocke wondered.

Graul and Leandra shook their heads.

The stocky, one-eared Goblin replied, “We can’t depend upon that. We have enough Essence here and in the Glass Grove to live well and evolve many of the Lesser Goblins to Regular. But, in order for us to get more Greater Goblins, we would need to start a strong training regime. Right now? None of these fools have what it takes to advance.”

Ziplocke agreed and observed, “Well, that’s a shame. If we could get more Greater Goblins, that would give us an edge.”

Leandra snickered. “That was the one advantage us Goblins have over the Fiends. We don’t try to backstab each other.”

The weird game the horde of smaller Goblins were playing turned into an all-out melee as they fought for the squishy object. What was that thing? Ziplocke wondered for a moment before his attention returned to the strategy meeting with the Greater Goblins.

“No, but we lack discipline at the moment,” Graul stated.

“Or a plan!” Ziplocke snapped as he pounded a fist on the throne. “What was our plan again?”

“To evolve one of us into a Goblin Lord,” Leandra said and pointed to herself and Graul.

Graul perked up. “You said we then have a chance to take control of the Stronghold. That will ensure that the Fiendish Lord remains trapped and the Fiends never have a Triumvirate.”

“I have to admit. It’s a brilliant plan,” Leandra said. “With the Stronghold in our position and the Fiends disorganized. We can then reclaim the Abyssal Plane.”

“That’s right! We just need the Gem of Magnificence!” Ziplocke cried.

The three looked at the empty pedestal. The three nodded in understanding as their memories clicked into place. They tracked the Gem to the Wayfare Market and discovered that the humans who stole it did not sell it but kept it for themselves. Why? They never figured out why, but they got a lead on where the Humans were hiding. They just needed to trade something. What was it? Ziplocke wondered to himself as he racked his memory.

“We came back for Modok’s heart!” The Goblin Lord recalled, and he looked around. “Where is the dead Greater Fiend?” He asked.

Graul answered, “I had some of the Goblins cut out his heart for us.”

“When was that?” Leandra asked.

Graul shrugged. As one, the three turned toward the small horde of Goblins and their game. They were kicking a squishy object. The object was Modok’s heart!

“I’ll get it,” Graul muttered and rose to his feet.

Ziplocke slapped his forehead.