Day Two of Michael’s Pact with Erebus. Midday.

I didn’t leave the clearing immediately.

I spent a few minutes taking stock of myself and my supplies. My potion belt was half-empty, and I refilled it. I grimaced when I realized I only had eight potions left, just one of which was a full healing potion. Thankfully, Sulan had restored me to full health, so I didn’t need to drink another just yet, but at the rate I was consuming potions, I would quickly run out.

I will need to find another source of healing soon.

Next, I drew spider’s bite from the concealed scabbard across my back and, drawing on my mana, restored the sword’s enchantments. Only then did I glance up at the sky through the trees. It was midday, I judged.

Time enough to travel further today.

I had two possible destinations. East to find the Long Fangs. Or south towards the safe zone. I couldn’t forget my time limit either. An entire day had passed, and it was already the second day of my Pact with Erebus. I needed to finish my business in the valley quickly.

East it is then, I thought and swiveled in that direction.

As I reached the glade’s edge, five shapes emerged from the foliage. My hand dropped to the blade on my hip, but a moment later, I relaxed as I recognized the five.

It was Aira and her family.

The three pups gamboled forward, and I dropped to my knees to greet them. “Hi there, fellas,” I murmured. The pups’ coats shone and their stomachs bulged. They were doing well.

I glanced up as a shadow fell over me.

“Well met, Michael,” Oursk said.

I rose to my feet and inclined my head to the two dire wolf adults. Like the pups, they seemed to have fully recovered from their ordeal in the dungeon. “Oursk, Aira, I can’t begin to thank you for heeding my call. If you hadn’t answered when—”

“Speak nothing more of it,” Aira interrupted. “It was a kindness we were glad to perform.”

“But Duggar—”

“Don’t take the alpha’s words to heart,” Oursk said. “He knows the Law of the Pack as well as any. A brethren’s cry cannot be ignored. Even ignoring what we owe you, the pack was honor-bound to help you. Duggar is angry, but it is less with you and more the straits in which the pack finds itself.”

I nodded, relieved at least that I hadn’t soured my relationship with Aira and Oursk.

“He is still our pack’s leader, though,” Aira added softly, “and we are bound to follow his commands. Duggar has given us permission to bid you farewell, but he has ordered the pack to abstain from further contact until you complete his task. I’m sorry, Michael, but beyond this, we won’t be able to aid you.”

“I understand,” I assured her. They had done enough for me already.

“We came to offer what advice we could,” Oursk said. “Be careful of the Long Fangs. The witch who leads their delegation has mighty magic at his command.

“Delegation?” I asked, wondering at his choice of wording.

“The goblins gathered in the valley are but a small part of their respective tribes,” Aira answered.

I nodded, understanding what she meant, but uncertain about the reason for the delegations’ presence. Still, not having to face off with a full tribe should at least make the task I’d been given easier to complete.

“You will do well to avoid the witch and his apprentices until you are stronger,” Oursk continued.

That, unfortunately, was not a choice I had, given my time limit. But, I nodded agreeably nevertheless. “Thank you, Oursk,” I said. Leaning down, I gently batted away one of the pups trying to climb up my leg. “What about the wyvern mother? Can the pack defeat her?”

“Not without huge losses,” Aira admitted.

My heart sank at the thought.

“Do not fear, Michael,” Oursk assured me. “Duggar is both canny and wise. He has led the pack for years and knows as well as we the consequences of facing the dragonkin in open battle.”

“Oursk is correct,” Aira continued. “I suspect Duggar will take the pack into hiding. We’ve done it before.”

“If you need to find us, search the cave network beneath the eastern valley slopes,” Oursk said. “Its tunnels are too small for the dragonkin. I’m sure the alpha will shelter the pack there.”

I bowed to the pair. “Thank you, Aira, Oursk. I will do that once I’ve dealt the goblins.” I paused. “Speaking of the goblins, why are so many gathered in the valley?”

Oursk snarled in frustrated anger. “The creatures are here at Erebus’ behest.”

My brows furrowed. If that was the case, why weren’t the goblins in the dungeon already?

Noticing my confusion, Aira explained further. “The delegations are here to negotiate terms with the Power before joining his faction. The tribes themselves are vast, and the hordes they command are mighty. They know their own worth too and will not sell their allegiance to the Dark cheaply. Do not expect to overcome their representatives easily.”

“I see,” I said. I kept my face smooth and unruffled, but I felt my concern mounting. From what the wolves had told me so far, I gathered that the goblins I’d been tasked to deal with would be nothing like the Fangtooths I’d faced off in the dungeon.

What have I gotten myself into this time?

~~~

Shortly after that, the wolves and I said our goodbyes.

The pair had given me much to think about, and before leaving the glade, I pondered my next steps. I realized completing Duggar’s task might be trickier than I’d originally assumed.

I don’t know enough yet, I decided. Before I could plan my approach, I needed better information on the goblins’ numbers and levels. Deciding to stick with my original plan, I slipped back into the trees and headed east through the forest.

The hours passed without incident as I traversed the forest through the treetops. From what the wolves had told me, I knew that I’d been in the center of the valley when the wyvern had ambushed me. According to Aira, the area was a regular battleground of the warring goblin delegations and a popular hunting ground for the wyverns.

My journey eastwards took the rest of the day. During that time, I was not attacked, nor did I spot any goblins. Despite this, I stayed alert. As the day progressed, the glimpses I caught of the mountain peaks grew more frequent. Each time, they loomed larger until finally, as twilight fell, the trees failed to conceal the mountains entirely.

Knowing the valley’s eastern rim couldn’t be much farther, I slowed my advance and slipped silently from branch to branch while I kept my senses extended and periodically checked my mindsight for nearby hostiles.

Despite my care, I came up onto the outskirts of the goblin camp with a suddenness that nearly caused me to lose my perch.

Not a hundred yards in front of me, the trees gave way to a boulder-strewn slope before rising steeply to sheer mountain cliffs. Entrenched in the short stretch of barren ground between treeline and cliffs were the Long Fangs.

My gaze flitted over the camp. It had been established inside a natural half-moon formed by the sheer cliff walls. Only one side was not bordered by the looming mountain, and that side was closed off with a deep-looking trench. Sharpened stakes had been planted into the dug-out channel and angled to protrude outwards. Within these defenses, dozens of tents were pitched, which, judging by their size, held about ten goblins each.

Duggar was right, I realized. The Fangtooths I had faced off against in the dungeon were a far cry from the goblins in the camp ahead.

Squads of goblin warriors patrolled the perimeter of the encampment. They were smartly dressed, and their gear shone and looked in good order. Hesitantly, I reached out and analyzed one of the goblins.

The target is a level 38 veteran goblin warrior. Goblin warriors are the mainstay of any goblin fighting force. Strong and agile, they make for both excellent infantry and cavalry soldiers.

Veterans are amongst the rarest of goblin warriors. Survivors of countless skirmishes and battles, they have advanced to heights not achieved by most warriors.

By my count, there were about two hundred goblins in the camp. I rubbed my chin. The Long Fangs were not going to be pushovers. Why does Duggar think I will be able to rid him of this threat? I wondered in disbelief. I couldn’t see how I would go about it myself, but I was not about to give up just yet.

Staying crouched low on my branch, I continued to watch the camp. I was wary of getting too close. As yet, I had seen no sign of the witch the wolves had mentioned, and until I knew how powerful he was, I was not going to risk a closer look.

As dusk turned to night and fires sprang up in the goblin camp, I maintained my silent vigil, analyzing the goblins and counting their numbers. If nothing else, the time would be well spent increasing my insight skill.

The target is a level 39 goblin veteran warrior.

The target is a level 27 goblin guerilla.

The target is …

…

…

Your insight has increased to level 40 and reached rank 4.

After my lengthy observation, the true scale of the task I faced became apparent. It was not just the Long Fangs’ levels I had to worry about, it was their training too. The goblins showed no signs of rowdiness or ill-discipline that the Fangtooths had displayed. The patrols marched mechanically along their routes, neither speaking nor joking with each other. The guards at the camp’s single entrance were alert, too, and scanned the treeline constantly for threats.

A direct assault will not be easy.

With the mountain range itself protecting the camp on three sides, any enemy would have difficulty penetrating the goblins’ defenses. I kept scanning the camp, hoping to spot some weakness to exploit. But as time passed, and I failed to find any, my concern mounted.

About an hour after full dark had fallen, I noticed activity near the gate. A dozen torches were approaching, appearing from one of the large red tents inside the camp. There were three such tents, and I had marked each a potential location for the tribe’s witches. My gaze sharpened as the figures bearing the torches came into focus.

They were not goblins.

Six were human. Three were elves, and the last one was a half-orc. Quickly, I analyzed the figure at the forefront of the group—the leader, by all appearances.

The target is Cecilia, a level 29 elf. This entity is a player and bears a Mark of Lesser Dark.

Players, I mused. Ignoring the incongruity of players in a goblin camp, I ran my gaze over the rest of the party and inspected each in turn. Sure enough, I discovered that all ten were players.

Accompanying the players were two tall, slim goblins. These goblins, unlike the warriors, were dressed in colorful robes and feathered trinkets. Suspecting what they would be, I analyzed them anyway.

The target is Grul, a level 41 goblin apprentice witch doctor.

The target is a Sstak, level 35 goblin apprentice witch doctor.

Witch doctors are tribal leaders amongst goblinkin and are widely feared for the strength of their life magic. Unlike most other life magic wielders, witch doctors use their life spells offensively to harm rather than heal.

I had discovered the goblins’ magic users at last, and if the apprentices were this strong, I could only imagine the witch doctor’s own level.

The strange party stopped at the gates. “You can’t do this,” Cecilia said. “It’s night. Let us stay until morning at least.”

Grul laughed. “Foolish elf. You chose to come here. It is not the Long Fangs’ fault that your proposal was found wanting. We will not shelter you, player scum.”

“Our captain will not be pleased when he hears of this,” Cecilia responded sharply.

Grul snarled derisively. “What care we for your captain?” he asked rhetorically.

“The Howlers won’t take kindly to this rejection either,” the half-orc interjected.

“The Howlers!” The other apprentice, Sstak, scowled. “The Howlers are not the Long Fangs’ masters. If they wish for us to join their war against the Red Rats, they should make their own overtures to our tribe and not send players to do their bidding.”

“But we have a writ of safe passage from Hyek himself,” Cecilia protested. “You must honor it.”

“And we have,” Grul smirked. “You have been treated well in our camp.” He gestured to the dark treeline. “What happens to you out there is none of our concern.”

Cecilia opened her mouth to object again. The half-orc placed a hand on her. “It’s no use. These fools have made up their minds. We should leave while we still have a chance of making it through the night.”

Cecilia glanced from the grinning apprentices to her companions and jerked her head in grim agreement. She waved to the silent players behind her. “Let’s go,” she said, “and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for danger.”

Frightened faces and determined glances were her only answer.

“Open the gates, you filth. We will leave now,” Cecilia said.

The witch doctor apprentice bowed mockingly and waved to the gate guards, who swung open the wooden gate. With Cecilia and the half-orc at their fore, the squad of players jogged out.

I watched the players draw closer to my own position, a thoughtful frown on my face.

I’d not missed how well-spoken the two goblins were. By the manner of their speech, the goblins I’d faced in the dungeon seemed almost barbaric in comparison, which further reinforced the point: the Long Fangs were nothing like the Fangtooths.

Though at this point, the goblins concerned me less than the players did. I still couldn’t figure out what they were about.

Why try to parley with the goblin tribes, and who was this captain they referred to?

Narrowing my eyes, I studied the nearing players. All of them bore a Mark of Lesser or Minor Dark. They’re all Dark players, I thought unhappily. It was likely then that they served Erebus or one of his fellow Powers.

More enemies, I groused.

I held myself tense as the squad passed under the tree sheltering me, but they didn’t seem aware of my presence. My gaze flitted between the disappearing players and the goblins.

Did I stay and continue to watch the camp, or did I trail the players?