"[Goblin] Now then…" With the kind, friendly smile vanishing from his face, only to be replaced by a somber, solemn look, Aiden asked the sobbing, emotional goblin leader "Tell me, what has happened to you guys, after I left. How did you all end up here as… prisoners, I presume?"

Hearing the question, the goblin leader and shaman raised his head, looking at the young master in front of him. His single question and the serious look on his face were like a spell, it unshackled the restricting mental chains from his heart. Taking a few breaths to recollect his lost composure, he spoke with a shaky voice after a long sigh.

"[Goblin] Young master! It was terrible! Everything was fine at first, I followed your orders and took in Gob and Galina as my disciples… "as he spoke he glanced at the two younglings. A glint of pride flashed through his troubled face for a moment, gone as quickly as it came as he shifted his gaze back to the young master.

Giving a momentary pause, he continued. As he continued recounting the tale, his expression gradually worsened, turning worse by the second.

"[Goblin] ...After a while, we were suddenly visited by a group of these orcs. Tall, savage warriors with large weapons, came and destroyed several homes, tortured and slaughtered dozens of our kin! We tried to resist at first, but we were powerless…" His eyes turned blurry once again, as he was forced to remember the deaths of his people.

To his surprise, it wasn't just him and his disciples who looked worse hearing the events of that day. Even the young master, who was calm so far, seemed to change. His face contorted into a complex, difficult-to-read expression as his own anger rose rapidly. His hands were balled into fists as he did his best to cool himself, and not let his rage consume his sanity.

The source of anger and rage puzzled Aiden a great deal. When the goblin leader mentioned the cruel way these 'great' leaders welcomed his people, he almost couldn't control himself. He felt as if they were trampling on his own pride, his own dignity. This was HIS people, by not showing the proper respect to them, he felt they were offending him.

Seeing the state of the young master, the shamanistic leader patiently waited for him to calm down and speak up.

After a short while, Aiden managed to compose himself. He nodded at the shaman, motioning for him to continue his story, whom which did so immediately.

"[Goblin] After having their fun, they finally revealed the reason for their presence: They came to 'invite' us to discuss the details and the launch of the second phase of the big 'plan'... whatever that is."

His words surprised Aiden a great deal. Raising his eyebrows, he asked with a flabbergasted look on his face.

"[Goblin] What do you mean? Do you still have no knowledge about the horde's plans? Didn't they inform you about anything? Why were you relocated to this forest, so close to a human city at all?"

To answer, the goblin leader shook his head with a dejected expression.

"[Goblin] I apologize, young master, I do not know their intentions. In fact, after escorting us we were separated. Only me and my disciples were allowed to enter this 'Sanctuary' as they called it, and my guards were taken to a different place."

"[Goblin] I see… Give me a moment." He raised his hand to silence the goblin, who simply nodded, waiting in silence for the young master to do whatever he wanted.

Focusing on the connection he shared with Roas, he tried to send him a question mentally. Thankfully after testing its nature a bit earlier, he managed to do so without much effort.

"Roas, do you know if there are any goblin prisoners somewhere in the camp?"

Outside the hall, guarding the unconscious silver-haired prince, Roas was waiting patiently for his master to return. When he suddenly felt his presence inside his mind, he almost jumped in surprise, swaying his head from left to right, searching for him.

However, when he heard the question in his mind, he realized that the young master reached out to him using the mystical connection he too felt they shared. Not sure how to respond, however, he was looking in the direction of the room he was staying, unsure what to do. He was told to guard the human and to not leave him, but then how should he answer the question.

Thinking more about it, he decided to try using the connection, the mystical link between them, and try to convey his own thought on the matter, hoping that it would reach the young master.

To his surprise, as he felt that the connection was currently active, he could transfer his thoughts with relative ease.

"[Orc] I only heard from some of the patrolling warriors that they received a group of goblins as offerings and that they have already eaten them. Were they, young master's friends?" From the young master's tone, Roas realized halfway through his response, that the group of goblins may have been important to him. As he was asked about their fate, he couldn't simply lie, and told what he knew, but at the very least, he knew he should offer his support in case the master would want to seek revenge. "...The ones who ordered this are the leaders that should still be residing at the top floor. I swear I will make them pay for this, young master!"

"Thanks, Roas. I will call for you when I am done here." Aiden responded, closing off the connection and opening his eyes.

Whilst it may have looked like a long time, in reality, their small exchange barely took a few seconds.

He looked at the goblin leader with a heavy, solemn expression and spoke the words that the goblin already expected but did not want to hear.

"[Goblin] I'm sorry. They are already dead."

Aiden did not want to reveal their true fate, knowing that all the men and brethren they have arrived with are all gone was enough. There was no reason to tell them that horrible fate that had befallen them.

"[Goblin] I see…" The goblin lowered his head as he listened to Aiden. He closed his eyes, trying to recount all their faces in his mind one last time. "...I…" Thinking back to them, and to their unjust deaths, he clenched his fists with indignation. "...It's not that I did not expect it, but still… it's not fair…"

Seeing their teacher in such a state, the two youths walked to him, joining in his mourning. They too felt that all that was happening to them were not fair. Still, instead of feeling loss, they leaned closer to the goblin leader and with a gentle smile on their faces, whispered to him.

"[Goblin] Don't worry teacher, the young master has finally come to save us. Look at him, he even got stronger! He is tall and powerful now!" Their words were honest, it came from the depths of their hearts. As they spoke, the female, called Galina turned to look at the powerful young master just in front of them. Just his mere presence was enough to scare away all the troubling thoughts that troubled her before. His mere presence was enough to give hope in the despair they all were slowly drowning in.

True to their words, Aiden nodded with determination shining in his golden eyes. He stood up, kneeling in front of the trio to their great shock.

Before any of them could say a word, Aiden spoke with a warm, reassuring tone.

"[Goblin] Just as these two said. Don't worry, their deaths will not be in vain. We will serve them justice, those arrogant… so-called leaders will have to answer for the crimes against our people. You have my word."

The young master's words caused a welcoming warmth to spread throughout the goblin leader's body. The promise he had just made, was the first ray of hope that finally managed to pierce through to thick cloud of despair and sorrow that tormented him ever since these monsters came to their village.

He looked up with his blurry, watered eyes, and smiled at the young master in front of him. The smile was honest, it was his only way to show gratitude.

Aiden gave a reassuring nod to the shaman and reached out with his right hand. With the same, usually kind and friendly smile, he looked at the goblin in front of him and spoke the words that felt increasingly natural to him since he got this new form.

"[Goblin] Tell me, my little goblin friends." His tone turned lower as he spoke, activating his [Draconic Heritage] subconsciously. "Do you wish for the power to take revenge yourself?"

His words shocked not just the goblin leader but the two youngsters as well. There was a mysterious power, an unknown strength that came from the depths of the young master's voice that astonished them, causing them to forgo any doubt they may have had.

They all looked at the young master in front of them, with the same, clear, determination in their eyes.

It wasn't a question they had to debate or waste any time thinking over.

***

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