The bushes shook showing signs of life. Out of these bushes came out a goblin holding an old white bone as a cane. This was of course the goblin elder, Prild. Though no longer young, he still liked to lead the goblins wherever it was that they were moving.
Right after Prild came out Guts, this was the goblin that used one of Ed's bones as a weapon.
The bushes continued to shake and more goblins continued to pour out. Each of them holding bones that they found lying about.
While Explorer was busy with Ed, he ended up forgetting some of the bones that spilled out of Ed's bag following the dagger that ruptured it. Some of the other bones, specifically the ones that remained in the bag were however taken by Explorer.
These goblins were not exiting from any random bush. These goblins were exiting from the bushes around a tall settlement wall. This was Sanctuary.
The goblin elder after seeing trouble tried his best to help out the emissary of god but seeing that there was no hope he cut his losses short and took a small detour. This detour was only temporary as they did eventually correct their path and managed to find the settlement.
Now, it was time for Prild to prepare a speech of sorts. He needed to assure his goblin people that there did exist hope in this settlement.
He squeaked with fervor as he told stories of their former glory and shed solemn tears when speaking of the present state. He then spoke of the future glory, he spoke of the one granted to them by god! The prophecy that he foresaw did not come to pass, there was hope!
It wasn't a small hope either, god even sacrificed their own emissary for the sake of their lives! Cry! But cry tears of joy with the knowledge that there exists hope! A strong concluding statement for a goblin.
Prild held his orc bone cane firmly. He tried his best to stand up properly regardless of his age before finally tossing aside his cane. He stood up on his own two legs, he was demonstrating his god-given streng-
Guts ran forward after a breeze blew by and caused the elder goblin to collapse dramatically backward. Guts who was unable to get to the elder in time lamented and cried after seeing him fall unconscious.
He was dead! Definitely dead!
Guts looked away from the body and at the worried goblins. Now he was certain that this too, was God's will! He would have to take charge of the tribe, the elder Prild would have wanted it so too!
Before Guts could announce his new position to the tribe a looming shadow appeared behind him. The goblins froze in terror while Guts who only raised his hand was suddenly frightened by the power he seemed to carry. To think I was so feared! Guts was definitely learning the hardship of a leader.
"These little guys are quite funny" An orc said before smacking Guts right on his head.
The new leader was clearly short-lived as he fell to the ground just like the old elder. Soon more orcs came and rounded up all of the goblins. These goblins were sent off to prison to wait for judgment.
"What do we do with them…?" Dakgu asked blocking his ears tired of the incessant goblins shrieks and squeals.
The Thunder Cry Tribe didn't have any goblins so he wasn't sure what to do with those fellas. This was where Vorgarag's expertise came in handy. He was immediately thought of as the next best right after Ed.
"We can kill them… but if they are willing to fight that'd be better" Vorgarag responded rubbing his stubble, he recently shaved using magic thinking it would give him a younger appearance.
Suddenly, the goblins' noises quietened down, Dakgu, Vorgarag, and Sharog who were discussing things outside paused. The three of them entered and heard a new sound.
The cell's wooden bars were being rattled and hit practically screaming for attention. It wasn't very hard to do so in that still silence.
The prisoner in question was the goblin elder, he was barely holding himself up using the wooden bars.
"What's it doing?" Vorgarag asked with a hint of contempt while examining the goblin. It kept on signing with one hand and moving the dust across the floor as if to map something out.
"Hm? Is it telling us a story?" Sharog asked before drawing one of the hung torches closer to the drawings on the dusty and grimy floor.
The illuminated map had humans drawn on it as well as mighty goblins. It also had a single orc.
"Ummm… it looks like… well, like an orc pointed them here…" Dakgu said after carefully analyzing it. But that wasn't all it indicated.
"They were being chased by humans" Vorgarag said frowning deeply.
"...They will be here soon" He added after a brief pause. Their preparations which had just barely started getting underway were bound to fail if this was true.
"But… Who was the orc that pointed them here?" Sharog asked unsure of who it could be. Aside from Ed, no one was seen exiting the settlement.
"...Then it must be Ed" Sharog muttered answering her own question.
"That explains why he isn't here yet…" Dakgu added thinking that he was taking too long. Vorgarag had instructed him to gather blood yet he took nearly half a day? That wasn't probable.
But on further thought, it was also improbable that Ed would be swift enough to travel from the goblin's position to their own within this span of time.
"That doesn't matter, We need to plan how to survive this" Vorgarag said bringing everyone's thoughts back to reality.
Seeing the orcs discussing in front of him the elder knew he had done his job. Still, it didn't know whether it would be freed and as a blessed of god he couldn't die so simply. The emissary's sacrifice could not be in vain and he knew that any failure would fall on his own incompetence.
Prild made a gesture at the door's lock insinuating that he should be let out. Unfortunately, It was also then that the orcs were starting to make their way out of the prison.
With no option, Prild quickly started banging again and signaling at the bound door. Dakgu who saw this turned around and sent the other two a question with his eyes. Sharog responded by looking at Vorgarag and he in turn shrugged.
"This calls for an emergency meeting, we can discuss the goblins later" Vorgarag said before leaving the goblins in the dark cell. Guts who had just woken up finally stood up while in a pained stupor.
The orc that hit him in the back was actually Dakgu, he didn't really know how to hold back against goblins, he hadn't interacted with them before after all.
Guts then suddenly tripped while heading towards the bar. He squealed and squeaked in protest before standing up and glaring at the object that tripped him. That was also when his breathing lessened and his eyes nearly popped out of his sockets.
It was a corpse! The sickly pale sacred tribe orc was dead right there!
The corpse then suddenly opened its eyes and Guts screamed before kicking and bashing it. The starving orc who had just awoken from their sleep was thus killed by a shrieking goblin.
"Those guys really are quite funny" Dakgu commented as he closed the prison door.
Sometime later all of the orcs, with the exception of Ed, present in the previous meeting were located inside of the smithy.
"We have a couple of hours before getting massacred, any suggestions?" Vorgarag said nonchalantly before laying back and waiting for the others to think of something.
There was just silence, however. A whole minute of it.
"Maybe we should give up and hide…" Sharog said pessimistically. Vorgarag raised an eyebrow at this suggestion.
"That's a great idea!" Bulwud said thinking that he never wanted to fight humans again. He was the type that liked dying in a dramatic battle but there was nothing dramatic about being cannon fodder!
Dakgu didn't say anything but his face suggested he was somewhat unwilling. He was more of the shy type but Durgash's teachings did rub off on him. To sit back and relax was no longer his style.
"Where will we hide?" Vorgarag asked hiding his sneaking suspicion.
"Oh, I know, with the bould-" Sharog didn't get to finish her suggestion before Vorgarag interrupted.
"Absolutely not" He said with a trace of hostility. That was his cave, and the boulder was his duty. That was what Ed had told him and he would stick by it.
"What? Why not!? We can hide all non-combatants in there at least!" Sharog exclaimed surprised by Vorgarag's forceful attitude.
"They are not worthy" Vorgarag said with contempt. He really believed that those non-combatants be they injured or simply too young were not worthy of finding hospice in the hidden cavern.
"Vorgarag, wh- why are you acting like this all of a sudden?!" Sharog yelled angrily.
"Like how?" Vorgarag asked and looked around at the others.
Shel who was in her suit of armor nodded agreeing with Sharog. Dakgu and Bulwud averted Vorgarag's gaze. It held some intimidation but that was indirectly agreeing with Sharog's statement.
"No one is entering that cavern" Vorgarag said threatening the group.. His eyes exuded killing intent and his aged body seemed to have already been reinforced with mana anticipating an altercation.