GERVAIS.

Gervais and Joss walked side by side. Gervais had removed his tall pointed hat and stooped as they made their way through the passage. Joss was walking normally, only ducking occasionally as the ceiling rose and fell. They were making their way through a natural cave, a winding secret route that their scouts had assured them would get them to Goblin Town undetected.

Ahead of them their armed force stretched away into the gloom, forty eight rows deep side by side in the narrow passage with four scouts ranging ahead; one hundred soldiers total, once word had got out.

Joss knew each of them in person or by reputation, all good soldiers. All effective melée fighters. All loyal, all greedy. No big mouths.

It had been a relatively uneventful trip so far, but they had taken their time. You never knew in a dungeon. They were coming up on the commerce passage, the widest way into Goblin Town.

The line halted and a message was passed down the column, row to row, quickly, efficiently, accurately.

“There's trouble in Goblin Town” the soldier in front of them reported. “Many fleeing. A rampaging troll. Fire, and infighting. Orders to hold or advance?”

Joss looked annoyed. Gervais looked suspicious. He could sense something. No someone. Interference. Regardless, he put on a confident smile. When you were leading soldiers, confidence was vital. Soldiers respected confidence and respect was supreme.

“Excellent!” he said, “any luck they'll have done half the work for us. Joss, you're in command. I suggest you press the advantage of surprise, and attack them while they're in disarray. But you know what I want. I want that troll.”

Joss nodded and turned to the soldier “Attack. Priority is to take the troll alive. Once that's done, it's cleanse and loot.”

The soldier smiled grimly, turned and relayed the message back up the column.

They advanced.

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GOB.

Gob and the White Orc emerged from the tunnel into the Mages quarter to the smell of smoke and distant shouts of alarm.

“wot dis?” Gob turned and asked the White Orc.

The Orc, his face concealed by the cloak again, his eyes two glowing green spots in darkness cocked his head to one side. He seemed to be listening for something.

"Gob" he asked after a few moments "have you ever seen an Elf before?"

Gob nodded, "we see wun in a caj on da way heer. it mak kylz sad."

"And where did you say she was going today?"

Gob shrugged, "i don no. she woz angree an juz flew away."

"I see." He growled, the two hooded green lights of his eyes narrowing.

"I get the feeling a lot of paths are about to cross, and when they do I expect they'll do it violently. The ground is never stable when the powerful play strategy games with the lives of the powerless. I sense friend and I sense foe, but it isn't clear to me who's who. Follow me.”

The Orc strode off in the direction of the smoky town. They could see the glow of multiple flames through a choking haze. It looked as though a fire was spreading from house to house through the residential quarter. They could hear urgent shouts and yells, but they could also hear something else. A mighty bellow coming from over near the marketplace.

“dat trol roor…” said Gob “ it sownd lik Hik & Baz!”

Then another sound,

Tromp! Tromp! Tromp! Tromp!

Steel clad boots, organised, steady. Intimidatingly sure.

Then another,

Zap! Crackle, crackle!

There were screams, of distress, and surprise, and pain as flashes of blue arcing light strobed through the smoke haze on the other side of the cavern.

“kylz?!” said Gob, springing forward.

“No, Gob! That's not your fairy." growled the Orc putting a restraining hand on Gobs shoulder. Those are powerful casts. I know those casts. That's dungeon Gervais. He's here. And he's well attended by the sound of those armoured boots.”

“wy he burn da town?" asked Gob.

"I don't think he did. Gervais is a straight shooter, he would have just waded in here and get the job done. Strife and confusion is the signature of someone else I think has joined the fray… the elf I told you about, Leőn, though why he would be involved I couldn't even begin to understand. However, if he has caused this it will be as a means to escape the town. We'll keep to the shadows on the edge of the cavern. I've got a feeling Leőn will do the same, and probably your fairy too as long as Gervais doesn't get to her first. That sound you hear is armed human soldiers. I don't know what he knows about you, Gob, but he's come to capture you and he isn't being subtle about it. They'll clear this place out to get him what he wants. We can't win this fight. We need to get out of here."

They skirted the town, keeping to the shadows, watching the goblin folk scrambling to get their things together and escape as word of an attack, and fires, spread from house to house. Before too long Gob caught site of a small green glowing point of light floating through the smoke gaze. It headed directly towards them. The Orc had his runehammer out in a flash and cast his vortexshield stepping protectively in front of Gob.

"MOVE ON FAY!" yelled the Orc at it.

"Gob?" called the green fairy "is that you?"

“Kylz!” Gob exclaimed, running past the White Orc

“Gob!” she exclaimed and zipped in a circle around his head

"wy yoo green—" he started, but suddenly was grabbed from behind by a dark shadow who materialised out of nowhere, blindingly fast, grabbing him in an armlock and pressing a long sinister looking black blade to his throat from behind.

"LEON, NO!" screamed Kylie before a flying hammer smashed into gobs shoulder, with a

CRUNCH!

sending him reeling back. The hammer had missed the Elf as he had immediately slipped back into the shadows.

The shadowy figure of the Elf who had just reappeared not far away, immediately released a black crossbow bolt towards them. The Orc deflected it with a swing of his vortexshield, before he opened his palm in front of him towards the Elf.

"Stop!" cried Kylie desperately.

But an acidic yellowgreen liquid had already exploded into a circular puddle where the Elf had stood, hissing and spitting acrid vapour, creating a putrid smoke haze.

The hammer had returned back the hand of the White Orc, who now leapt forward and now stood over Gob with the vortexshield raised protectively.

The Orcs acidbath had hit nothing though, the Elf had already moved away, faster even than Gob would have thought possible. His blurred shape now sped forward towards Gob and the Orc. He looked less less like a being and more like a shadow or a wisp of smoke as it closed the gap between them.

dat funy thought Gob i can see him dis tim, i coodn see him befor…

Waaaaaaaaaaaaghhhhhhh!

Bellowed the White Orc at the charging Elf, readying his shield… but both seemed as if they were suddenly and abruptly slowed down…

Gob understood then. my tern!

He wondered why his initiative hadn't allowed him to go first... mibby deez guyz iz too powaful? he thought. He decided now wasn't the time for working that out. He'd ask Kylz later.

Gob stood up, winced and gingerly touched his broken shoulder.

"agin?" he said to the Orc.

"HURRY UP!" the Orc growled at him in annoyance, still poised in a defensive position towards Leőns charge.

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"wot?" asked Gob confused.

"IT'S YOUR TURN." he growled.

Gob turned to Kylie who was still holding up her hands in distress.

“i iz sory i swot yo” said Gob. He'd been dwelling on it a lot. Even though the middle of their battle might seem an inappropriate time to bring it up, he felt like it was important to clear the air. Given the fact that her friend had just tried to slit his throat.

“What?!” She said, momentarily confused “oh that? Don't worry about THAT! WORRY ABOUT THAT!" she said pointing urgently at the Orc and the Elf who were engaged, though oddly not currently engaged in combat.

"den wy dat elf won cut my froat?" he asked her, pointing at him. "iz yoo stil angree at me?"

"Ummmmm.... actually I don't know. I mean, NO I'm not still angry with you, you idiot! But I don't know why Leőn attacked you like that!" she answered quickly.

“HOLD FRIEND!” came the voice of Leőn from the shadows, his hands now raised, open palmed towards them. The White Orc, his vortex still spinning and his runehammer readied for a strike called back.

“Are you? A Friend?”

“Come on Old White, you know me…”

“Only too well Elf. Are you friend?” He repeated.

“Well, I went to a hell of a lot of effort and trolled and burned half of Goblin Town to find you!"

"Why did you try to take the trolls head?"

"I was testing you."

"Why?" the Orc pushed.

"There are two sides here. If you had let me kill him, that would have placed you on the opposite one to me."

"Why not just talk about it?"

"Actions speak loudest Orc. Anyway do you ever fully believe anything I tell you?”

The White Orc dropped his guard, bringing his hands down and dispelling his vortex. He pulled back his hood, smiling.

“You? Never for a moment!” The Orc and the Elf stepped close and embraced.

"Ummmm what just happened?" Kylie asked.

"it woz my tern. an dey is frends now" said Gob with satisfaction.

The Orc and the Elf had already stepped away now and were conversing urgently in low tones.

“The White Orc!” Kylie whispered, realising “You found him!”

“wel, he fin me. an he brak yo blue fing.” He tapped his shoulder.

"Yes I felt the shard get destroyed believe me! That's not an easy thing to do." she said, looking around "And I'm pretty sure Gervais noticed too… he's not very happy by the look of things."

"iz dat wy yoo green?" he asked

"No! I'm green because… you know what I'll tell you later…"

As they had been talking, the sounds behind them had been escalating. The smoke getting thicker, the fires larger. The bellowing of the troll had turned from triumphant to angry. The sound of steel on steel, the blue flashes and the screaming of Orcs and Goblins under attack had become more widespread.

The smoke billowed above the town, sometimes obscuring a clear view, but sporadically through the haze they could see across the other side of the Town a battlefront had formed at the base of the wide main ramp that lead into the cavern. The fighting there looked intense and desperate. There was a shining silver line of polished steel clad soldiers pushing down hard into the cavern, against a thick crush of Goblins as well as Orcs, lizards, ratmen and humans. The crush trying to exit the caverns up the ramp weren't all fighters it was clear. While there were a lot of them were armed and fighting the steel clad humans, in some points along the line, most of them were understandably just trying to flee the town, and getting cut down mercilessly as they did. It was attrition.

"What are they doing?" Kylie gasped in earnest disbelief. "How could Gervais..."

Leőn and the White Orc gestured to them.

“We're going to have to leave now Gob, this situation has clearly escalated beyond what any of us can deal with.” said the White Orc. “We obviously can't go out that way" he pointed to the battlefront. "I've got another way out. It's long and deep and dangerous, but if we aren't quick me may miss the chance. We don't know why Gervais wants to find you but if this is what he's prepared to do to get to you, it's unlikely to be good. Until we know more, we can't let you be captured. Come, it's this way!”

OI!

As they turned to go a loud barking shout came from the smoke. They turned to see who it was.

“DER YE AR, FILFY FAYS!” it was Korl, wounded, bloody, angry. And accompanied by three similarly bloodied and angry Orc soldiers.

"Oh!" said Leőn with delight, "It's our friendly stadium guards!"

But another shout, very different, much more concerning came then, from the other direction.

LEŐN! WHITE! HOLD! it was the voice of Gervais Stormbrow. Still out of sight beyond the smoke haze, but unmistakably him. He had left the main battle front to find them.

The White Orcs immediate answer was to throw his Runhammer hard into the smoke, in the same instant as Leőn's crossbow sent a black bolt flying in the direction of the voice. Both were intercepted by an arc of blue lightning, causing them to drop harmlessly to the ground. The Orc yanked his hammer back to him immediately, but Gob couldn't watch any more as Korl was on them.

“YER FILTHY GOBLIN FRENDS KILLED PATE!” he cried maniacally “GET THE SCUMFLY BOYZ!”

With a

WWWWAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!

They charged at Kylie, spears levelled at her. Gob could see Kylie wiggling her fingers. He'd never seen her fight before, but she was just little… littler than him, and there were four large orcs charging towards them. He had to do something. He ignored the throb of his now partially repaired shoulder and pulled out the flask of booze the White Orc had given him. He took a long burning swig and felt the warmth course through him.

"TO KRUNCH!" he yelled

Kylie paused and looked at him strangely, then gasped as

Zzt!

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He drank again.

Zzt!

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“dat betta” he said to Kylie, as he stepped between her and the Orcs.

“Wha—” she was staring at him wide eyed… it turned to a smile of wonder.

"YOU GOT BIG!" she exclaimed.

He was big enough. He'd only taken two swigs this time as he hoped to not pass out the minute the booze wore off. He had swelled to size 6 and the charging Orcs were each between sizes 6 and 9, but the effect of his sudden growth was enough to intimidate them.

GGGGGRRRRROOOOOAAARRRR!!!!

He bellowed at them loudly as he held his elongated pigironclaws up in a fighters stance.

"not another troll!!!!" one of the Orcs squealed, his charge ending in an almost comical about turn as he headed off the way he had come, disappearing back into the smoke. The other Orcs paused and also backed away, more slowly at first, but then following their friend when Gob lunged forwards.

Except Korl. He drew a savage looking blade from a sheath on his hip. He had a score to settle and no amount of troll was going to stop him from hacking the little fairy to shreds who had been the cause of Pate's death.

Gob swung his troll claws at him as he got within range, but with a

CLANG!

Korl expertly parried the claws with his sword. Although Gob was now much bigger, there would be no denying the battle hardened experience of Korl.

Quicker than Gob could react, Korl slashed low catching him across the thigh. The blade would severed a lesser foes limb, but Gobs stonehide was thick, and seemed all the thicker for his additional size. The wound sprayed black troll blood, but ignoring the slash Gob brought his other claw down hard on Korl's helm with a

Stchack!

And a

Sccrrreeeeeeee!

Of claws on steel.

The sheer brute force of the blow should have been enough to knock out an Orc cold, but Korl was tough. And vengeful. Though the blow knocked him down onto his knees, he still brought his sword up, stabbing it into Gob's stomach. His stonehide was tough, but the Orcs thrust was brutishly strong, and the force of the blow so venge-filled that with a sound of grating steel on stone he forced it all the way to the hilt, as he let out a loud and desperate,

Waaaaaaaaggggghhhhhhhh!!

Gob stumbled back in shock. He taken a lot of blows in his time but never a stab. The pain was something else. Korl used the chance to scrabble to his feet, and with a dark and triumphant sneer he threw himself towards Kylie, arms outstretched to grab her.

“You really don't understand fairy's do you” she said to him as he lunged.

A bolt of blue electricity

Zapped!

Out from her tiny little finger and connected with him mid lunge. The effect was like he had run into a solid stone wall. Gob watched in surprise as the big Orc crumpled in a heap and didn't move again

“kylz iz strong!” he said, wincing and pulling the sword out of his own stomach with a

Shhhrrrriiiiiiiik!

and a gout of blood.

“Come on Gob, can you walk?” Kylie asked urgently looking around worriedly. While they had been busy with Korl and the Orcs, a mighty magical battle was being waged behind them.

On one side was the Bright Mage Gervais, fighting a double foe of the White Orc and Leőn. They were all obviously very powerful, and as before Gob had trouble following exactly what was happening as blue lights and flashed, and blurred shapes dodged and weaved.

“I've seen Gervais' skills and spells in action, and some of Leőns… but there's something not quite right here Gob. They aren't really fighting fighting… I don't know for sure, but I think they might be fighting for show… I think they're stalling. I think they're stalling for us to get away!”

As she said it, suddenly Leőn appeared in front of them, only for an instant, a blur.

“GO!” urged the apparition desperately, "ask the scroll to show you." Before disappearing again.

Leőn materialised near Gervais and lunged at him with his dark dagger. He was met with a crackle of energy that he dodged away from before rematerialising in a blur next to them. He pressed a scrap of purple cloth into Gob's hand with a cheeky smile. It was the hem of Gervais' cloak!

“Come on Gob, this may be our only chance to get out of here, can you show me the way out?”

Gob nodded, and he turned and limped away into the smoke, a little green glow by his side.

Zzt!

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