A Grand Finale

In the workshop, nearly the entire cast gathered around the table. Chu stood surrounded in the center, with a large map sprawled out before him. The large sheet composed of numerous parchment paper glued together using a paste of flour and water. His fingers moved around certain locations while speaking.

"The last report came in just this evening. The men guarding the horses in the corral are still lazing around, waiting for their leader. Apparently, those in the city really treat this forest like a joke. Chong's group is helping Dyna in monitoring them. He should be back with a report this evening when they switch with Jill."

His finger slid across to where a cave had been drawn inside the region depicting the forest.

"These days the goblins have remained quiet. At this time, I believe the Leader from the Prickus House will try to secure the cave. With the size of his forces, the goblins in this area will perish, so tomorrow we will only need to seize the chance to rescue Ming when he tries to escape."

This play was nearing its end. In the beginning, Jill helped in prepping Ming as to how the nobles from a city conducted themselves. The nobility all considered themselves far above the rest of the common population. Even a small noble would encourage his servants to treat him akin to the Emperor.

The forging of seals and copying of handwriting had been easy. Chu had acquired what he needed from the recently established contracts. As long as the House of Prickus acted, the deception could proceed. With Ming acting under the umbrella of Clan Wu, nothing would happen to him in the short-term.

He had Sakura copy Young Master Wu's handwriting, complete with a waxed seal duplicating the ring of the Young Master. Chu grieved somewhat when Bon had melted some gold coins to create the token. The forgery replicated those used by the noble's bearing their insignia.

Armed with a letter, containing Young Master Wu's will, that introduced Ming as an important spy, along with the token representing Clan Wu, no one would dare to suspect the teen. His appearance also coincided with the planned strike by House Prickus, further enforcing his position as a spy.

As an added security, he instructed Ming to disclose during that first meeting, about how he sent a letter via the Trading Post. Without knowing the contents, the Patriarch would not attempt to dispose of Ming on the sly. Dyna conducted the monitoring, and currently, Lucy remained in the forest as an observer.

"So far, so good. But if anything goes wrong, don't you think the first to lose a head would be Ming?"

Someone voiced.

"Once they sweep the goblins in our area, then the hard part would begin. As long as Ming finds that opportunity to leave the cave, we must provide him cover to escape. Deep in the forest, we can defeat them."

He answered. Chu had desperately wanted to play the part of the main character so bad. The past years of acting had given him the confidence to succeed, but he ended up facing stiff opposition. He first had an obligation to lead the farm during any attacks. Secondly, everyone vetoed his decision, since his life carried too much weight.

When all this was over he planned on adventuring on the road. Maybe he would follow the road south to the villages down there, so as to broaden his horizons.

"By tonight, we might have a chance to rescue Ming."

The risks of this mission required a life, but the success would take care of two immediate short-term problems.

***

The huge cavern sweltered in red-hot heat, the sounds of striking iron echoing to all corners. Steam fizzed through natural cracks and tunnels, dissipating the created fog. Outside the chill of autumn might nibble before the bite of winter, but in the cave, an artificial warmth kept it at bay.

The scope of the ironworks could be recognized by how the glow encompassed an entire cavern, large and spacious like two football fields on earth. Scores of goblins poured in from various tunnels, entering here to collect their armaments from the sweat-dripping smiths.

A score of quartermasters handed over crude armor made of beast hide, a crude dagger and a preferred weapon of choice; sword, club or bow. Without shame, they dressed there and then, creating a battalion that lost the face of a uniformed army, and looked more like a bunch of hastily gathered ruffians.

Lord Pocong acted as overseer, resting on a small knoll within the high cave, as smaller goblins scurried around dressing him with hard leather armor. The crow had arrived yesterday, with the Shaman's blessing. Tonight, the full moon would turn to the legendary Blood Moon, as the vanguard paved the conquest with human blood.

With evening approaching, the intense chattering and cursing bellied the readiness of the raiders. The entire cave rumbled with anticipation, waiting for his signal to erupt. Currently, the throne room lay empty, as all his leaders bustled about. Per their nature, they exhibited greed in trying to hog the better equipment.

"The entire cave will sweep the farm, then separate and raid. Before dawn, we circle and wipe out village. Scrape all harvest, so as to please the Shaman."

He previously had around ten raiding teams, but due to the recent losses, decided to improvise. The forty raiders in a team, now became twenty as the team numbers increased. Lord Pocong planned to crush all the farms in the vicinity tonight, then overrun the village in the wee hours of the morning.

The Vanguard leader seethed with rage because of this team change. He blamed it all on cowards who scattered at the sound of a yell.

This vanguard certainly had the ability and numbers to overrun at least one village. Lord Pocong prepared himself to issue the best war cry he could muster. He opened his mouth only to be interrupted by a shrill scream echoing around the cave.

"Human attack, human raid... run, ruuuuunnnn!"

The goblin screams filled the entire cave with dread, his wails pausing the pounding hammers in mid-air. The owner of the yells finally appeared out from a tunnel and burst across the entire length of the cave, his wails endless like a siren. Amazingly that sorry thin figure possessed some remarkable lung capacity.

"Human attack, fleeee!"

The figure zoomed passed the open jaw of Lord Pocong and exited through the opposite end of the cave. In the residual silence, only the lingering echoes remained bouncing off the walls.

"Kill!"

Lord Pocong roared, his eyes bloodshot in anger.

Only he alone knew who exactly he wanted to kill.

***

Patriarch Prickus remained within the safety of the new camp. His elite guard, under the command of his top commander, organized the raiding party. A scout sneaked into the clearing, moving swift but silent as he climbed the incline. A sharp scream, shrill and abrupt signaled the attack.

The rest of the men rushed out, some stumbling among the loose scree, in the haste to secure the cave entrance. Patriarch Prickus made himself comfortable on a rock, resting under the bough of a tree. Ten of his strongest and most loyal warriors surrounded him, waiting for the victory shout.

Ming participated in the raid, armed with a borrowed dagger. The Patriarch did not stop him but encouraged him under the guise of earning merits.

"Sakir, hand the boy a dagger, so as to prove himself and earn honor."

"This low one thanks you, my King. With the exception of Master Wu, Your Lordship possesses the bearing of a king."

The boy bowed and chased after the assault party. He failed to notice the raised lip and sneer on Patriarch Prickus, while the cunning man never saw the smirk on Ming's face. He always remembered the value of Mr. Thomas's stories.

Patriarch Prickus thought he dealt with an ignorant slum bum. Ming simply acted the part so as to please him. Wanting to seek out merit like the heroic tales sung by bards in the tavern was only normal for a beggar. The patriarch allowed it since he wanted him dead.

The goblins provided the ideal scapegoat, for when he died. The letter the boy gave him from Young Master Wu testified that Ming worked as a spy, but did not mention the gold mine. Killing the boy, while framing the goblins. If the next communication with the Wu clan never mentioned anything about the mine, then it would be his.

The scouts soon surprised and killed the dozing goblin guards at the cave entrance.

"We killed the sleeping guards, but the two lookouts at the top woke and had the chance to scream. I have never seen an ugly creature like this, are you sure these things are even dangerous?"

A warrior asked, prodding a corpse with his bloodstained sword. The goblin that woke had tried to run into the cave at the first sight of the men. Fighting such creatures would bore them to death.

Clearing the cave of twenty or so cowards before the evening passed would be a breeze.

"Does it matter, we are the elite guards of House Prickus. The best of the best in Limerock City. Storm the cave. With our greater numbers, killing a few goblins before sunset will earn us merits from the Patriarch."

"To victory my brothers!"

The scouts lit some prepared torches, as the rush to earn first blood increased. Ming found himself caught in the large crowd, bobbing along as the men tried to squeeze past the narrow entrance. The attackers soon found themselves standing in a wide open cavern, with narrow passageways acting as the gateway to hell.

A goblin holding a scoop jumped in fright in the far distance and bolted unseen into the cave depths.

The leaders at the front quickly dispatched the few surprised goblins wandering around. The Commander wrinkled his nose in disgust, pausing under the flickering light that failed to disperse the surrounding darkness. The first impression of the home matched its owner. Crude torches hung on the wall, casting an eerie light.

Someone moved towards the walls, only to hear a squelching sound as his feet stepped on a pile of soft matter.

"Filthy."

"Go, my brothers, the Heavens bless us, for wiping this scourge from the lands."

The battle-thirsty men split into smaller groups, chasing merits that lay at the end of those tunnels. Ming joined a group, as they rushed towards the end. In times like these, safety lay in numbers. A wail echoed around the tunnel, followed by a roar.

A faint rumble then sounded. Following the excited party in the last place, Ming halted his steps in the darkness.

"Something is not right..."

He muttered to himself.

Chu mentioned this cave should have only around thirty goblins or so remaining. Did they already wipe out half of the goblins in this cave? The rumbling sound in the bowels did not seem like the move of ten or so goblins. This felt like the earth was going to erupt.

He looked at the light disappearing around the passage, while his foot made that first step backward.

Ming turned and then ran.

He ran away from the retreating torch of the bloodthirsty men, stumbling towards the noisy entrance. Bursting into the large cavern, he skidded to a halt while trying to maintain silence.

Ten or so guards, engaged in a desperate battle, swords clanging against each other, or feeding on flesh. From a blind passageway near the exit, hordes of goblins poured out. Dashing on the ground, crawling on the walls, or gripping on the ceiling, they flowed like a disturbed ants nest.

The invaders' torches lay burning on the ground, extinguished one by one by stomping boots or scampering feet. In the dying light, screaming and shouting from humans and goblins alike echoed out. Numbers battled against skill in the cave that slowly became congested with flowing bodies.

With the exit unreachable, one option remained.

Hide.

Ming pressed against the shadow-filled wall, edging towards a nearby passageway. Sounds of closing screams proved this choice unviable. He inched towards another tunnel, only for a goblin to notice him from within the melee.

The little creature hollered and rushed towards him, intent on killing this weaker looking prey. It launched into the air in a high jump, one hand raised over its shoulder, gripping a crude dagger. Ming waited until the goblin showed its yellow stumpy teeth, before sidestepping and puncturing the chest of the flying creature.

He turned his borrowed dagger churning it against the resisting organs, and then pushed the limp body away. Without waiting to be discovered by others, Ming choosed a tunnel and felt his way inside the passage. The short passageway soon exited into a dead-end cavern.

A dead end.

Unfurnished with the exception of some crude wooden benches, and a large white colored throne on the far end.

The screams and shouts became louder, sounds of iron clanking stronger. Ming rushed under the faint light from a hanging torch on the wall towards the throne.

"Urgghh!"

He nearly vomited from the stench emanating from the side and behind the strange chair. Hearing the sounds of chattering coming closer, he pinched his nose and dove behind the large structure, sliding behind it with help from some sort of foul-smelling grease.

Ming sat leaning his back against the slimy wall, his knees pressed against his chest. He slowed his breathing as footsteps then entered the cavern. A heavy clank rushed towards him, causing his muscles to tense in anticipation. The pace slowed, as the owner dropped onto the groaning throne.

Yells and high-pitched screams echoed in the cave, as if in a heated discussion. Ming fingers loosened around the dagger but then tightened.

The hairs on his neck sprang straight, under the feeling of being watched. He peered into the darkness beside him, eyes searching until finally noticing another companion. Similar to Ming the shadow sat with its feet curled up to its chest.

A pair of large eyes filled with confusion returned the stare.

A meeting between Ming and Pug.