Urakle was looking around the jungle but from the ground. He was wearing a sort of goblin loincloth and holding a primitive goblin spear. He felt embarrassed.

Around Urakle there were a few makeshift cages, Griffon along with a few other mercs lay dormant in the cages, waiting and in one of them appeared to be playing a game of cards. In the distance, one of the human members of the cave had been strung up by his feet and was nauseatingly swinging from side to side whilst a goblin occasionally prodded him in the face with a stick.

Urakle hated being outside, but his new powers were apparently better suited to scout out here, where they couldn't see the crusaders in the dense foliage. A third sense entered his psyche as one of his dark shadow clones dissolved, sending back to him the message of 'incoming company'.

A rustling came from out in the jungle, and a soldier appeared through the dense plant life.

"Goblins!" The soldier shouted.

Urakle got ready to run but braced and waited for the arrival of more soldiers.

"You Human, We kill HuMaN!" Urakle said, feeling more embarrassed by the moment.

"Help, They caught us and trapped us in these cages!" Shouted one of the caged soldiers.

"And they keep poking me!" said the man swinging from side to side.

The scout held out what appeared to be a flare but held it back looking around at the goblins. It looked like he didn't want to startle them, likely thinking he could take them on his own before they ran or hurt their captives. Urakle slowly backed off, waving his spear at him.

Another soldier appeared in the foliage.

"These the goblins?"

"Yeah, there are captives in those cages. The sick fucks even had that one hanging by his feet,"

a desperate captive grabbed the bars of his cage.

"Help we've been in here for days!"

The first crusader stepped closer, but the other held him back.

"Wait."

"What? These goblins don't look so big."

"No, you idiot, look at the soldiers."

the soldier was puzzled, the other one just held his sword towards the cages.

"You look pretty fell fed for starved captives," he said.

"And where the fuck did you get tha-"

One of the mercs hiding nearby had cracked him over the side of the head. Before the other one could yell out, he was whacked by a large goblin that somehow appeared to form an ethereal mesh of shadows.

"Well, that worked well," Urakle said.

"You still down for phase two?" A merc said, approaching with the unconscious body of the crusader.

Urakle moved forward and swiped the man's flask, downing a fair amount of the shiny mushroom liquor.

"Just get it over with."

The guards stuck a collar around him and bound both his hands with a rope they could use to lead him along. One of the men then slapped some mud over his face.

"Really?" Urakle asked.

"It adds to the aesthetic."

The guard then reached down and grabbed two crystal flares. Briefly smashing them both together, one began to fizzle. He threw the sparking crystal into the air to see it explode into a red firework, glittering the area with yellowish sparks.

Deeper into the jungle, a soldier ran up to the major with an eye patch.

"Sir, a flare was set off. We found some goblins and took one as a prisoner."

"What in the blazes did they take a prisoner for?" He asked.

"I don't know sir, but I think you should check it out."

A man in ill-fitting scout's armour, appearing to be a size too small was dragging a goblin behind him.

"Report soldier."

"I-I caught this g-goblin in the jungle, and he was spying on us."

"And so why is he alive and not put down like the rest of the vermin."

the soldier shuffled for a moment unsure of how to answer.

"H-he was spying with magic, sir."

"Explain soldier, and you had better not eaten some of the plant life around here."

The soldier seemed to kick the goblin and got an angry look in reply.

"Show him!" The soldier said firmly to the creature.

The goblin grunted, clenching his teeth as a small black shimmer appeared to peel off him, slowly the darkness began to reform into another, smaller goblin. The goblin looked around with a curious expression, inspecting the world around it before hunching low and beginning to wander off. The Major quickly swatted the construct with his sword, rapidly dissolving it into a dissipating black gas.

He held a firm and angry expression towards the goblin, who looked up with a slight smile before the soldier guarding him gave another tug on his rope.

"Show the cardinal," he said abruptly.

The memory of the last cardinal he met flashed through the soldier's mind; they were not the most reasonable to talk to.

"S-sir is there someone other than the cardinal; I wouldn't want to disturb his grace. Maybe you have another high r-ranking person?"

The major appeared to think for a moment, his eyes growing distant; he corrected himself soon after.

"No, I think this is worth his time."

They drew closer to an area where the trees and foliage had been entierly removed. A pathway was being slowly made through the vegetation to allow for a single carriage. The carriage was stopped for them to approach, each man they passed staring curiously and in amazement at the goblin that walked passed them, giving them a sly toothy smile as he passed.

They drew through the curtains of the carriage, and the stark contrast of the outside light with the darkness meant they had to take a second to adjust their eyes.

"Sir, the soldiers have found something unusual."

The goblin scuffled inside, being dragged through the open flaps. The cardinal hidden in the darkness at the back still held his head low, a feeling of animosity resonating off him.

"You dare bring such filth before me."

The soldier to the side of the major said the first words.

"I- I'm sorry sir, b-but this isn't a normal goblin, he has...uh, dark magics."

Urakle could not help but get defensive in the presence of this being; he almost unconsciously started raising shadows around him, a few dark goblins began appearing. Jagged blades where their hands should be. A drifting sand seemed to spread into the air before a glass spear-like shard struck solidly into Urakles head. The spike protruding through to the other side.

"I see," the cardinal said.

The soldier to the side of the major was in shock, his heart racing and sweat falling down the side of his face. Seeing Urakle being taken out so easily made him feel sick. Urakle had his last couple twitches before undoubtedly ending up at respawn.

"Have you planted the first stone," the cardinal asked.

"Yes, Sir. The Itherax will soon activate."The major replied.

"Good, you may leave."

"And Maël, have your soldiers learn the propper respect to stay outside."

The man wearing the misshapen armour of the scout he had looted gave a sheepish smile as with the major he walked outside. He awkwardly left the rope with the damaged goblin, unsure what he should be doing, but just getting an uncertain and angry look from the cardinal as he did.

The soldier whipped the sweat from his face as he walked down with the major. The major spoke to him without turning.

"You would do best to forget what you saw."

"..Why, sir?"

"There is a lot about this excursion that you would do best not to pry into. If you follow accordingly, I will do my best to prevent any ill fate befalling you. What is your name, solider."

before thinking the soldier blurted out. "Steve!"

"Steve, I will do my best to remember that.

Suddenly a flare shot off in the distance and men started running towards them. Steve drew his sword and looked around before the major put a hand on his shoulder.

"This is the first Itherax, boy. You need not prepare your weapon."

Steve withdrew his sword and sheathed it. Soon a massive explosion was heard off in the distance, and rushing flames seemed to raise to the sky. As the final men appeared to have separated that area of the jungle, a cloud of cascading dust coming through the trees, coating all the men as they braced through it. A fire seemed to take hold of the trees as they collapsed into charred into not just charred wood but dust. It was as though the very essence of the jungle had been burnt away.