Goblin Conqueror—Chapter 2

After a round of hugs and kisses, we all left the room. Cirro and Lossia walked arm-in-arm through the temple, and Anna gave Thilli a long, tight hug before they parted.

I was glad to see Anna and Thilli growing so close. While Thilli was one of the few goblin women that wasn’t bisexual, she still loved Anna and they spent a lot of time together. Of course, if Anna had her way they’d be sixty-nining on a daily basis, but sometimes just a bit of love was enough.

I stepped into the sanctuary and my eyes immediately went to the statue of Zozella. A pang of guilt hit me right in the chest as I looked up at the beautiful goblin goddess. I hadn’t spoken with her since arriving back in Gillamoor yesterday, so it was probably time I did that.

There were only a few people seated on the pews in the sanctuary, mostly older goblins praying. I went right to the statue of Zozella and knelt before it, placing my hand on her foot.

“Hey,” I said. “Uh, should I be addressing you a certain way? Like ‘my goddess’ or something? As I’ve said, I’m not very good at this whole praying thing.”

After a brief pause, Zozella looked down at me and smiled. “Hello, Andrew. You may address me however you wish. Your actions are more important to me than your words. Is there something weighing on your mind today?”

“Of course there is,” I began, but she spoke up.

“As I told you before, do not worry yourself over the loss of Ulenor. It was tragic, yes, but his soul was freed and now I have Dulios back. After nearly a century without him, I finally feel complete again.”

“How is he doing?” I asked.

“He is well,” Zozella replied. “After being punished by Selemis, he is cautious about interacting with any mortals, but I can assure you he is glad to be back. And, he is also grateful for all that you’ve done and all that you will do.”

“Can I talk to him?” I asked.

Zozella shook her head. “As I said, he doesn’t feel comfortable interacting with mortals. Remember, he was punished for meddling with their lives too much. But trust me when I say that he is happy.”

“Maybe we can build a statue for him,” I said.

“I’m sure he would appreciate it,” she said. “Maybe you can build it right here, next to mine.”

I made a mental note to do exactly that. It would be good to be able to talk to Ulenor—Dulios—again.

“In two days I’m going to start preparing to fight Vogrim,” I said. “It feels a bit surreal, something like that suddenly right in front of me.”

“Stay strong, and give no thought to quitting,” Zozella said. “I believe in you, Andrew. You have what it takes to be victorious.”

“Thank you,” I said, and stood. “I won’t let you down.”

“I know,” she said, and one of her hands came to rest on top of my head. “You never have.”

Well, at least I had a goddess on my side. That had to count for something, right?

After that, I left the temple. My to-do list was pretty full, so I wanted to get started on things.

I walked down clean streets and smiled at the snow and decorations everywhere. Goblins enjoyed color, and that was on full display as I traversed the city. Red ribbons decorated the front of every house, and hung from the skeletal branches of wintering trees. Many had used magic to keep red flowers alive and blooming this late into the year. Sprigs of evergreen trees had been woven into wreaths that hung on many doors, as well.

I passed by a large park, the one where we traded with the elves, and saw a shallow depression had been dug in the center, far from any trees. Logs were being stacked and arranged there, as if for a massive bonfire. That would happen tomorrow night, Iyva Serin proper, a celebration of the night the goblins fled from their former elven masters. Fitting that the center of the celebration was the same place where elves now came to us for trade.

I thought on that as I passed by the park. While I was north of Holmar retrieving Eldrick’s sword, a band of several thousand elves had attacked Gillamoor, apparently against the wishes of their emperor. Or at least, they had tried to attack. Using the ruby dagger that was a sort of magical battery, Lossia had killed every single one of them. Since that day, there had been no word from the elves. The silence was almost as concerning as a declaration of war would have been. What were they planning? We had to prepare for the worst, although fortunately Lossia had proven we could defend ourselves against a large party of attackers.

After a few minutes, I came to the mayor’s house. I hadn’t seen him since returning to the city, so I figured it was time to catch up. I knocked three times and waited.

“Coming, coming,” his voice called out from behind the thick wooden door. He opened the door and stood there for a moment.

“Andrew,” he said. “It’s good to see you, my boy.” But his voice sounded anything but. “Please, come in.”

He stepped aside and I entered his house. I went straight into the living room and sat down. Without asking, Mayor Beezle brought a bottle of wine and two cups. He poured wine for each of us, then took the seat next to me.

“To Ulenor,” I said, raising my cup.

“To Ulenor,” he intoned, and we both drank.

“It’s hard to believe he’s gone,” the mayor said after a moment. “He’s been here with us since the beginning, helping to guide us. He even helped build the city itself when he was young. The city walls were Ulenor’s idea.”

“He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in our hearts and minds,” I said. “And in school lessons, I suppose. Anna said she will make sure every child learns of Ulenor and all the things he did.”

“How bad was it?” Beezle asked. “Did he suffer much?”

I didn’t want to tell him the truth, but there was no way around it. “Yeah,” I said quietly. “I tried to heal him but he said he was too weak and couldn’t survive it. His health had taken a turn for the worse a few days before we went to fetch the sword.” I sighed. “But, he welcomed death with open arms, and said he was going home to be with Zozella.”

I hadn’t told the mayor about Ulenor’s true identity. After discussing it with Cirro, we decided to keep that secret to ourselves. Better that Ulenor was remembered as a person, a hero, instead of a god being punished.

Mayor Beezle wiped his eyes with a thumb and forefinger. “Let’s focus on happier topics. I heard from King Freg two days ago. After your visit to York several months ago, seventy-two women have been confirmed as pregnant.”

That statement hit me harder than I had expected. My wives, Trina, Prazzi being pregnant filled me with joy. But seventy-two more women? And more directly to the point, seventy-two more children. Assuming a similar success rate with the rest of the women I had been with, that would mean I had around two hundred children on the way, possibly more.

I took a long pull from my wine cup. “That’s a lot of kids,” I said.

Mayor Beezle nodded. “Not an entire generation, but certainly enough to help strengthen us. Although, gods willing, soon Vogrim will be dealt with and things will return to some semblance of normal.”

“So, what will my children be?” I asked. “Once Vogrim is dead and that threat is gone, will my children be viewed as strange half breeds from a time where concern outweighed sense?” That was the last thing I wanted.

“Oh, of course not,” the mayor said, shaking his head. “Your children will forever be a sign of our willingness to do anything to save our people. Your children will be our future. If anyone does decide to attack us, they will face a stronger goblin nation than they imagined.”

“Good,” I said, still feeling slightly in a daze at the notion of having more than two hundred kids on the way.

“Speaking of Vogrim, how goes the preparations?” the mayor asked. “Ulenor did a lot of the work, gathering supplies for your trips. I’ll do my best to help with this one.”

“Fortunately, I should have a new wagon that will help with that,” I said. “Tonight, Thilli and I are going to test out Eldrick’s sword and shield. Once I have a solid grasp on how to use them, we’ll start our trip north.”

“This all happened so fast,” the mayor said, taking a sip of his wine. “I feel like it’s only been a few months since you arrived.”

“It has,” I said with a chuckle. “A lot can happen in a short amount of time if we’re sufficiently motivated.”

Mayor Beezle nodded. “How is the house coming?”

“I’m going to see it right after this,” I said. “From what I understand, it’s mostly done. We could probably go ahead and move in, to be honest. It just needs a bunch of finishing work.”

“Well, you just let me know what you need and I’ll get started on it,” the mayor said, drinking the last of his wine. He stared at his cup for a moment. “Wine for breakfast. Huh.”

“We’re mourning,” I said softly. “It’s okay.” I downed the last of my wine and stood up. “As always, mayor, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll stop by in the next day or two and let you know what we need for the trip to Mount Doom.”

“Thanks for stopping by, Andrew,” he said. “It’s always good to see you.”

“Try to move around some,” I told him. “Don’t let yourself sit around, moping all day. I miss Ulenor as well, but he wouldn’t want you to be miserable.”

Mayor Beezle nodded. “You’re right.”

After that, I left the mayor’s house and walked across town to Temple Gardens, the neighborhood where we were building our house.

Unlike the houses downtown, which were often right next to each other similar to rowhomes, the houses in Temple Gardens were notably larger, with each one having a full yard. I smiled as I walked by one particularly large, three-story house, imagining my kids playing in a front yard like that. Of course, that reminded me that I was going to have more than two hundred kids. I’d need a hell of a backyard for family reunions.

Cirro and Lossia sat beneath a small canopy. A small campfire was next to them, close enough to provide warmth but with enough distance to minimize any risks of igniting the canopy. When I got closer I saw Thorny and Marcus in there as well.

“Hey, guys,” I said with a wave as I approached.

The fire offered a bit of pleasant warmth, and I took a nearby stool and sat down next to Cirro. She immediately reached over and took my hand in hers.

“How are Virgil and Dalt?” I asked.

“They’re pretty much back to normal, now,” Thorny said. Beside him, Marcus grunted. “Just a few minutes of exposure to that rain left them essentially useless for almost a month.”

“Can’t say I blame them for not being here,” I said. “I wouldn’t want to risk it either.”

“They’re making some furniture for you,” Marcus said. “A wedding gift, they said.”

“It’s almost livable,” Cirro said, smiling at me.

I looked over at the house. It was a tall, two-story stone mansion with a sharply peaked roof and a single turret at one corner. Most of the arched windows had glass in them, now. All that was missing from the front view was the door itself.

“Yes, it just needs finishing,” Lossia said. “Much of that, we can do while staying inside. We’re going to try to make a door today, and then…. Well, to be honest, I want to go ahead and move in. I don’t care if the interior is unfinished. I want to live in our house.”

“I totally understand that,” I said, clapping my hands and rubbing them together. “So, let’s get this done, then. Let’s build a door.”

“Come with us, my love,” Lossia said to Cirro.

“I’m barely strong enough to make a difference,” Cirro protested.

“Yes, but working with magic will make you stronger, and you’ll learn more,” Lossia replied.

“We’re going to stay by the fire for another few minutes,” Thorny said with a grin. “Call me crazy, but I like being warm.”

Together, the three of us walked through the thin layer of snow to the side of the house, where lumber had been neatly stacked. Magic had been used to keep the wood dry and free of snow.

I opened myself to my magical well and allowed Lossia to pull through me, and Cirro did the same. I watched as Lossia grabbed a stack of boards, using magic to levitate them across the ground, and walked to the front of the house with us in tow.

Lossia stood there for a moment, frowning at the open doorway. Made from thick stone, it required a wide door with an arched top.

One of the boards, roughly an inch thick, probably ten inches wide, and nearly twenty feet long, separated from the rest. Lossia wove magic into the wood itself, forcing it to change. The board bent right in the middle, forming a curve that matched the arched doorway. She moved the wooden door jamb closer, then used concentrated blasts of air to trim the ends. That done, she set the wood in place.

“Can you use those mallets there to set it in place?” she asked, pointing just inside the doorway.

Cirro and I hurried through the doorway and grabbed the two mallets. Instead of metal or wood, the heads of the hammers were made of leather, rolled up tightly. We used the mallets to beat the wooden jamb into place, squeezing it into the stone doorway.

“Perfect,” Lossia said with a smile.

After that, she grabbed three more boards and raised them into the air. These were much thicker than the one she had used for the jamb, and she set them all side-by-side, then used magic to join them together as if they were a single piece of wood.

“Amazing how quickly you can do that,” Cirro said, her face scrunched as she concentrated on the magic that Lossia worked.

“Anyone can do this with some practice,” Lossia replied.

Using more blasts of air, she trimmed the bottom of the wood even, then chopped off the excess wood at the top and set it aside. Then, she moved the door blank closer to the door jamb and began trimming the top, one piece at a time, until it fit snugly within.

“Just like that,” I said, watching her in amazement. “I think that’s the fastest anyone has ever made a wooden door.”

Lossia blushed. “Thanks. I just want to move in as soon as possible. Although I won’t lie, I’ve grown used to having Prazzi around to take care of everything. Living here on our own will be the first time in my life I’ve been without servants.”

“Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, we might have to hire a servant,” I said. “We’re going to have our hands full, with a million kids running around. So, what’s left?”

“The outside is mostly done,” Lossia said. “It just needs a few things. Most of the work that needs to be finished is on the inside. We need to build some walls, the doors, and of course we need furniture.”

“Can I try making the next door?” Cirro asked. “After watching you, I think I can do it.”

“Of course,” Lossia said with a smile. “Let me use Andrew’s power to move all the wood inside.”

We stepped away from the front door and Lossia used a hefty dose of magic to lift the remaining boards. She brought them into the house, into what I supposed would be a large living room, and stacked them neatly on the floor.

“You have that look on your face,” Lossia said, looking up at me. “You’ve got somewhere else to be, and you can’t wait to leave.”

“Sorry,” I said. “I’m heading to the wainwright after this.”

“Oh, for the new wagon? Go,” she replied. “Go, I know that’s important.”

I pulled both Cirro and Lossia into a tight hug, then kissed both of them. “I love you both so much,” I said.

After that, I hurried down the road to the wainwright’s shop.