Garrett aimed his sword down and landed on top of a goblin, skewering it from its head to its feet. It didn't even have time to scream in pain before it fell over limply. Min-Tul's landing followed shortly after, taking out another two goblins. The goblins stared in stunned silence at the scene that just unfurled before them. The ringing of a rifle shot broke the silence as another goblin corpse fell to the ground. Only now starting to process what was happening, the goblins screeched and pointed toward the attackers.

"Secure the Ogre!" Garrett shouted, rushing towards the captive, slicing any goblins that were in his way. He noticed more of the strange blue orbs falling out of some of the goblins he slew, but it would have to wait.

Min-Tul nodded at the command and began to slaughter the goblins surrounding him, crushing their faces in with his fists. More rapid gunshots rang out and more bodies hit the ground as Cerezie shot the goblins dead with frightening accuracy and efficiency.

The ogre began crying out and tugging at his restraints. Upon getting closer, Garrett noticed that the ogre had also been blindfolded. "Don't worry. We're here to help." Now that he was closer, he could see that the bindings on the ogre were chains rather than leather straps that he presumed they were. He took a step back and lifted his sword in the air. A bullet whizzed by his back, and the sound of another goblin corpse hitting the ground rang out. He turned his head to Cerezie and gave her a knowing glance. She nodded back and continued her ranged assault on the goblin forces.

"Wait, don't!" Min-Tul's eyes widened as he yelled to Garrett once he saw what he was trying to do. However, it was too late.

Garrett swung his sword down and a burst of energy came from the impact. The energy wave blasted through the room, launching Garrett backward into the rocky walls. The blast also sent all the goblins flying against the walls, though Min-Tul and Cerezie seemed to have held their positions well. Using the opportunity, Min-Tul began crushing goblins against the walls.

Slowly getting up, Garrett shook his head to try to clear the daziness. He reached his sword out and stabbed a nearby goblin, causing it to drop another blue orb. "What in the world was that?" Garrett asked in the direction that he was pretty sure Min-Tul was in.

"The chains must be made of Blightsteel," Min-Tul explained through grunts as he killed a few more goblins. "We need something infused with Xir to be able to break it."

"Xir? What's that?" Garrett asked as finished off most of the goblins, panting heavily. He turned towards the exit of the room. "Crap! One's getting away!" A rifle shot rang out as the goblin escapee fell to the ground, its brain splattered across the hallway. Garrett took a sigh of relief and held a thumb up. "Good shot, Cerezie."

"That's all of them, right?" Min-Tul said, covered even more in goblin blood and more tired than before. He found a clear spot and flopped down. "I don't think I could fight anymore."

Cerezie slid down the side of the rock wall and regroup. "All goblins are of taken downwards. Now only ogre be remains."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Why do you need the ogre after all?" Garrett asked, slowly picking up what he presumed was the equipment of the ogre, as well as any of the blue orbs that had dropped.

"Ogre of important to mission," Cerezie said, looking over the chains of the ogre. The ogre whimpered and shook in his chains. "It of knowing where Colonel be finding."

"Colonel?" Garrett asked, having finished surveying the battlefield and now looking at the chains with Cerezie. He took a glance again at Cerezie's outfit. "Why do you need to find the Colonel?" He asked with an unsure tone, as he wasn't quite sure he understood what Cerezie said.

Cerezie paused and, in a more quiet voice, responded, "He know of SilentBark. I need discover SilentBark."

"I'm sorry, but, what is SilentBark?" Garrett asked, a bit conflicted as he felt as though he should comfort her.

She was silent for a while, the only sounds in the room being the whimpering of the ogre and the rattling of the chains. "Important place for elf." While she didn't show it much, Garrett could hear that she was holding back tears. "Is of important that I find."

Garrett smiled at her and nodded. "Alright, well, I'll help you find it."

Cerezie was silent again for a few moments, but then turned to Garrett and smiled. "I thank for you."

"Hey, what about my goal?" Min-Tul said, still sprawled out on the ground. "I thought you were helping me find the treasure of Amer-Turul so I can get my revenge on King Ewing."

Cerezie looked inquisitively at Min-Tul, then back to Garrett. "Goals of mission be alignment." She extended a hand out to Garrett. "Colonel work under King Ewing."

"Well, then I guess our goals all do align then," Garrett said, shaking Cerezie's hand. She smiled at him warmly. The two of them then turned their attention to the ogre captive. "Okay, we need to free him. Min-Tul said something about Xir. Do you know what that is?" Cerezie smiled widely and pulled out her rifle. She gave it a gentle pat. "Your rifle is infused with Xir?"

"Yes, it shot Xir bullets," Cerezie said as she started taking a few steps back from the ogre. "Move self away and out." Garrett nodded and moved out of Cerezie's firing range. She aimed down her scope and pulled the trigger four times. The chains that were holding up the ogre shattered and the ogre fell to the ground with a gentle impact. Garrett didn't notice this before, as he was too busy killing goblins, but Cerezie's rifle didn't appear to take regular ammunition. In fact, as the bullets traveled, Garrett could see that they were covered in green energy.

The two of them ran up to the ogre, with Min-Tul finding the strength to walk over too. Garrett took the blindfold off the ogre, seeing the dazed panic in the ogre's eyes. "Hey, it's alright. We saved you. You're safe." The ogre looked around frantically and spoke in a deep voice in a language that Garrett didn't understanding. "I don't understand what language he's speaking. Do either of you?"

Min-Tul shook his head, but Cerezie nodded. "He is of scared. He is curiosity of equipment." Garrett held up all the items that he took from the goblins. The ogre smiled and continued talking with Cerezie translating. "Gladness that equipment remain safely. Goblins attack him and bring backing to cavern."

"Was there any reason that the goblins attacked him? Or why they didn't kill him?" Min-Tul asked, handing the ogre some Sprig to chew on.

Cerezie translated the question to the ogre, who responded back. "As thinking. Ogre knowing locating of one of King Ewing Chief," Cerezie translated, smiling and helping the ogre up.

"Excellent," Garrett said, looking at the state of everyone and himself. "I'm sure there's still plenty of time to get the treasure of Amer-Turul, Min-Tul, but first, I think we need to leave the Darge and recuperate." Min-Tul looked at everyone and nodded. Cerezie translated Garrett's statement to the ogre and the ogre nodded, then Cerezie nodded. "Great. Oh, Cerezie, so we don't just keep calling him Ogre, ask him what his name is." Cerezie turned to the ogre and translated the question.

The ogre nodded and responded back by himself. "Jerten."