Tales of Vyscher Book 2

Chapter 19

The goblin escorted Fehrys away from the hill, and towards the center of the ruins. Even in pieces, and after thousands of years of neglect, the architecture was stunning. Delicate arches, statues and columns, the city as a whole must have been magnificent. To Fehrys, it was another reminder of why Vyscher should never fall. It was carrying on an important role in the world, and he wanted to keep it that way.

At least, they reached a place where the shadows grew deeper, as vines had overgrown a structure. He couldn't tell what it was, but a circular stone staircase led downwards into the depths from it. The air was instantly cooler as they got underground, and Fehrys conjured a small ball of light to show him the way, much to the annoyance of the goblins. The guide didn't mind as much, as he was ahead of him and not staring into the light, but those behind him hissed in pain as the light bothered their eyes. Judging by the noise, there were a lot of them!

The stairs dropped about 20 feet into the earth, depositing them into a nicely hewn corridor. There were passages in four directions, but the goblin never hesitated in going straight. The corridors weren't even. They started out smooth and steady, and then would change to be roughly dug out by claws, and then back to smooth. Fehrys had a feeling that the elves had underground storage, and that the goblins had connected them with tunnels that they had dug themselves. The rough ones were of varying height, and many times he had to stoop to get through them. Every once in a while, they would pass common rooms, where goblin children could be seen hiding behind their parents, and he wished he could put them more at ease in regard to his presence.

There were too many turns, and after a while, Fehrys knew he was lost. Yes, he could probably find his way back with time, but if he was in a hurry, then it might be a while. Of course, he could always use his magic to just go through the ceiling, he realized, and that thought put him a little more at ease. He didn't want to be running in circles underground!

The guide finally brought him to a crude throne room, where an imposing goblin sat on a makeshift throne. He was imposing in that he was more muscular than the other goblins, though no taller. The throne seemed to be an old wooden dining chair with a tattered cushion on it, but was no doubt still more comfortable than whatever the other goblins could sit upon. The goblin didn't look surprised to see him, no doubt a message had been sent ahead, and there was a contingent of what Fehrys assumed to be royal guards stationed behind him.

The goblin language wasn't pleasant, and hearing it grated on his ears. The king let out a long string of words, and the guide bowed before turning to Fehrys. "King Vrialb. He asked, what do you want?"

Fehrys bowed to the king, trying to be as polite as he could. "I am Prince Fehrys of Vyscher. I come in peace, hoping to trade for a favor."

The goblin king's eyes widened. He may not have understood all the words, but he knew what the name and nation meant. When the guide translated for him, the king eyed Fehrys carefully. "What you want from King Vrialb?"

"I merely want a guide and safe passage to the tomb of the last elven king and queen. I need items from it and I can give you rare treasure in return," Fehrys stated, hoping that the offer of treasure would help move things along.

There was a brief conversation among the king and guide, as well as a pair of older goblins that must have been some kind of advisors. Finally, they all agreed on what should be said. It was eloquent, and straight to the point. "Show treasure!"

Fehrys grinned at the king, then bowed again. As always, Alia had saved the day, though perhaps not in the way she intended. He had several magical bags filled with treasure from Kraulth's lair, and he dug through them now to find items suitable for a goblin king. He didn't choose any of the colored gems, but did take out two black onyxes, a handful of gold, and then two of the smaller teeth that he's pried from Kraulth's lower jaw. Small though they were compared to the other teeth he had, they would make wicked weapons for a goblin if they were fitted with a hilt.