Sneaking into the goblins' cave while they were distracted by the warriors had been no problem, Living for five-hundred years taught you a thing or two, like the fact that goblins really had pitiful senses. With no great sense of smell or eyesight, they had to rely on their hearing in the darkness. My fury rose, and I nearly went on a rampage when I saw what they had done to my people, they had ripped the scales off of the underside of their tails, making it not only difficult to move but agonizingly painful. All thirteen of our missing Naga were there, but they were not restrained in any way, just standing still, staring into the distance.

They were no doubt following some command, no doubt set by the goblins shaman, he was the only one smart enough to think of something this complex. The shaman was nowhere to be found, too bad, I had hoped to run into him here so I could end his life forever. The home cave might spawn another one with his abilities, but it wouldn’t have the current shaman’s experience or knowledge.

I held up my own jagged red crystal and began enacting my plan, I was going to steal the goblins slaves. That was fine, I could free them later, but it meant that no one would be affected and enslaved again once we made our escape. At least if I was strong enough, I had even enslaved myself to the gem to prevent myself from falling under the goblins influence. Slaves couldn’t be enslaved after all, again, if I was strong enough. That was for later though, now I needed to overpower their previous connection while establishing my own, and that would take time. I made contact with my first sister, I could feel her already existing connection resisting me, but with a little concentration and willpower, she was mine. By the time everyone was under my command night had fallen.

“Everyone currently under my power I release you from all previous commands, you are free to act on your own,” I said, and I could feel the command washing over me, doing nothing, but it had a more profound effect on my sisters. A sigh of relief spread through them as their bodies became their own again. They were confused at first, as if coming out of a dream, but I managed to organize them, and we made our way to the cave exit.

We met little resistance, but the goblins we did stumble upon were dealt with quickly, their pitiful excuses for weapons were salvaged, given to those on the outside of the group while those without stayed in the middle. I had expected more goblins to be honest, but I wasn’t complaining. I wonder where they are though, could they have suffered significant losses in the jungle? Maybe they had just neglected to guard their prisoners, goblins were pretty dumb after all.

We made it out to be greeted by a bright moon and a hail of little arrows, their tips met only though scales where they broke or were deflected. There were some among the goblins with red gems that tried to take control of us, but they ran into the wall of my will. They stood there looking confused until we reached them and the archers to squeeze the life out of them. With all the goblins dealt with we started to head back to the home cave when a commotion was heard from the other side of the clearing. We soon found out where all the goblins had gone as their shaman came out of the trees with at least fifty goblins behind him and who knew how many were still hidden among the trees.

“You think I not feel when slaves be stolen, stupid Naga,” he laughed, and the army of goblins behind him shrieked and cackled madly, probably not even understanding what he was saying. “Slaves will be slaves again when you dead,” He stepped forward from out of the crowd, did he plan on dealing with us himself? Pretty stupid, but it would let my sisters get away.

“I’ll stay here and hold him off,” I could almost see the protest rising up in them, but I plowed on. “We will take many of them with us, but eventually they would overwhelm us,” my voice was low, almost a whisper as I continued. “The shaman plans to make a spectacle of us, he will have his show, but not in a different way. Go in the direction of the home cave, you might run into our warriors, what you do then is up to you,” my words were not a command, but they held a finality to them. I saw understanding dawn on their faces, I would probably not survive, they hesitated, but with a stern look from me they made it into the forest and disappeared.

“No matter, they not get far, not with weak underbellies exposed,” the shaman said with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. If he kept making stupid decisions like this, I highly doubted that? All I had to do was keep them here until my sisters could get away or bring reinforcement if he wanted to make it easier for me I could only play along.

“You may have won this time shaman, but without that little stone hanging around your neck all you are is a weak monster fighting in the dirt for scraps,” I said as I gestured at the crystal strung around his neck and held up my own. “My sisters and I will push you back where you belong and keep you there by force until those gems become but legends your grandchildren barely remember as we use them for training our young hopefuls.” He shrieked at me, all his confidence gone given way to fury, as he flung his hands towards me and a bolt of ice formed, crashing into the red energy that sprang up in front of me out of the crystal. “You truly are stupid, you don’t even know how to use these correctly,” his face became an ugly shade of dark brown, he practically shook he was so angry.

“I’ll show you stupid,” the shaman roared and waved his hands furiously through the air. Shards of ice crashed against my defenses like rain, but none of them made it through to me. What did make it through was the cold, it seeped up my limbs, and I shivered by the time the goblins assault stopped. He stood there panting, but when he looked up, he inevitably noticed what state I was in.

“A bit nippy, ey?” The goblin asked, all his confidence and swagger firmly back in place. “Have some more,” he waved his hands through the air again, but this was not the random, desperate movements of before, no, his hands made complicated gestures, and a cloud of swirling snow and mist blew out of them. It grew bigger and bigger until I couldn’t make out a single goblin anymore. It was practically a small blizzard now, and it rolled towards me with inevitable speed. I had to get to the shaman if I wanted to stop his spell, so I hurried down the slope and met the blizzard head-on. It slammed into me, but I pushed forward, hearing the goblins mad laughter despite the wind and heading towards it. The cold seeped into me, and I started shivering violently, I lost my balance and fell, but I managed to catch myself. My hands didn’t feel the ground as I pushed myself back up.

I was tired and losing strength fast, but I exited the cloud on the other side. The shamans laugh cut off as with the last of my strength I ripped his crystal from around his neck and threw it into the forest.

I laid down to rest a bit as the cloud of cold disappeared, I was so tired, but I wouldn’t sleep, I just needed to rest a bit that was all. At least I wasn’t cold anymore, and my shivering had stopped, the sky was so blue, I wonder if it’s the same where Eshanai is? She is such a good child, I miss her, maybe we can go hunting some time when she gets back. That would be nice, those are some strange bird. Almost looks like arrows. I thought as my eyes closed for the last time.

The barrage crashed into the goblin horde with devastating force, practically impaling them against the ground. Lubus flew ahead to their flank to lay down a line of fire so they couldn’t escape, while Rulan sowed chaos amongst them with her plants. Spear wielders, form up on either side of me, we’ll move together in a line, just as we practiced, don’t let anything get past you,” I said as our plan was set into motion. “And archers,” I paused and met Nala’s eyes, “try not to hit us,” she grinned and chuckled before knocking another arrow and letting it fly. I and the spear wielders moved down the hill steadily, there were not many goblins left once they finally noticed us, but as they did, their scrabbling around seized and they came charging toward us, little knives held high to strike. They broke against our shields like waves on a shore as I fell into a rhythm of blocking and stabbing and before I knew it we had won.

It came at a steep price though as I noticed Vista lying motionless by the edge of the clearing. I rushed over to her, abandoning my shield and spear as I shoved away dead goblins to make a space. Her lips were completely blue, almost purple, and her skin was cold to the touch.

Red, I thought to the core.

Yes

Came his reply. Why must he be so bloody difficult? He could read my damned thoughts.

Heal her, as I thought this Lubus Landed and knelt at the other side of the elder, he put his hands on her, a look of concentration coming over his features. My sisters gathered close behind me, some of them gasped, while I heard others were already crying. No, I wouldn’t cry too, we could fix this, my friends could heal her, they’d see, everything would be fine.

Unable to form connection

Subject deceased

As I read those lines Lubus opened his eyes, he looked miserable.

What does that even mean? I asked the gem, but I already knew the answer.

I’m sorry Eshanai, I did everything I could, it was Lubus this time, apologizing. I could feel tears coming, but I held them in.

She is dead

She is dead

Came their simultaneous answers and the dam finally burst as I let myself cry like I never had before. Lubus embraced me, and I let myself be held as I grieved, with my sisters around me, feeling just as much pain as I was.