Chapter 5 Chapter Four Difficult to Decide

Felkin looked at the eight companions around him.Even with their company, he felt extremely insecure.They went deep into Simista at the behest of Ragnor, the brutish and cruel half-ogre.Filkin did not question these orders at all, and said nothing even to his fellow goblins, for whatever dangers awaited them in the Elven Forest, he felt, could be less dreadful than provoking Ragnor's wrath. as a result of! Filkin was not so sure now.They saw nothing and heard nothing, but the nine goblins of the scouting unit all felt that something was near them.They crossed a ridge of sandy ground and came to a place of tall ferns, surrounded by elms, in the shadow of the land.

"What's that?" a goblin said hoarsely.It bent its body into a defensive posture, trying to see clearly with its eyes an erratic, fast-moving shadow in the gradually deepening shadow.All the members jump around nervously, feeling very vulnerable. "Quiet!" Felkin shouted, fearing that the noise they made would put them in more danger than any ambush. "That's—?" The goblin wanted to ask again, but his words were cut off by an arrow piercing his throat. The remaining eight goblins scrambled for cover, ducked under tall ferns, and climbed toward the elms.Felkin heard a sound like a stick breaking, and then the nearest goblin suddenly rose into the air, kicking and struggling for breath, a vine was tightening its neck.

The sight terrified the other two goblins, who jumped to their feet and rushed towards the tree.But they were knocked down by the arrows that were shot within two steps. "Where are they?" Felkin called to his companion. "Left!" called a goblin. "Right!" screamed another. There was a burst of bow-shot, and the arrow went through the fern and into the trunk, and then all was still.The goblin who was flying in the air just now stopped struggling and began to sway slowly with the wind. Filkin climbed up next to a companion lying motionless among the ferns. "We've got five more," Filkin said.When the companion didn't answer, Felkin turned it over roughly.A piece of green arrow body had pierced through one eye of the goblin, and its other eye was staring blankly ahead.

Felkin dropped the corpse, crawled away frantically, and attracted several arrows because of the noise he made.To one side, another goblin tried to escape, but was killed by arrows with merciless precision. "There are less than four of you left," said a musical voice in Goblin that sounded unmistakably that of a female elf. "Maybe there are only three. Are you going to come out and fight me fairly?" "Me?" Filkin whispered in bewilderment. "Only one elf?" Was his entire army slaughtered by one elf?The goblin poked his head boldly through the ferns and saw the elf warrior.Sword in hand, she stands beside an elm tree, her bow resting on the tree, within arm's reach.Felkin looked at the crude spear in his hand, wondering if he could hit her.And one of its companions apparently thought so too, for the goblin jumped up from the fern and hurled its spear.The elf didn't seem surprised, she crouched down, and the spear flew high and had no effect.She picked up the bow with a motion too fast for Filkin to see, and shot two arrows into the air.The stupid goblin didn't even have time to hide behind the cover of plants, the first arrow hit it in the chest, then the second in the throat.Felkin looked at its spear again, thankful that the other members had shown it how foolish that thought was.Now it calculates that only it and the other goblin are still alive - if they can get close to the elf warrior, they still have a two to one advantage.

"Filkin!" it heard the shout, and recognized it as the voice of Larch, a good fighter. "How many more do we have?" "Two!" it answered, and then called to the elf, "we have two more, elf. Will you put down that dirty bow and fight fair?" The elf placed his bow against the tree and took up his sword, "Come, it is getting late, and my supper is still waiting for me!" "Ready, Larch?" Felkin called. "Okay!" another goblin responded eagerly. Filkin licked its parted lip, its slack legs in the starting position.It had sent Larch to deal with the elves, and he would use the distraction of the elves to run into the forest.

"Ready?" he called again. "Okay!" Larch assured it. "Come on!" Filkin called, and he heard Lucky spring from the ferns far to the right.Filkin jumped up himself, but to the left, away from the elf.It looked back once, thinking it was smart, but saw Larch running back to the right as well.Now, with an amused look on her face, the elf took her bow. Filkin lowered his head and rushed into the shadows as fast as those thin goblin legs could go.There was the sound of drawing a bow from a distance, and there were bursts of curses from Larch.Felkin felt a glimmer of hope return to him knowing that the elf went after its companion first.There was a scream of agony, and Filkin knew it was alone.It continued to run, not daring to slow down at all.After a few minutes, Felkin felt a voice behind him.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" Filkin cried pitifully over and over again, panting.Nervous as hell, it looked back again - and only had time to look back to see itself heading straight for an oak tree. Filkin fell in a heap, right into a leaf-filled hollow between the roots of a huge tree.It didn't hear the footsteps that passed it just a few steps away.heard nothing. ※※※ "Are you in touch with Aballister?" Dorigen asked Druzil, who looked at the imp in a contemplative manner. Druzil smiled at her. "Why bother?" it asked innocently. "I have nothing to tell him."

Dorigen closed her eyes and uttered a short incantation, casting a simple spell that would allow her to confirm that Druzil's words were true.When she looked at the little devil again, she seemed quite satisfied. "Very well," she said, "you're not like your usual familiar, are you, Druzil dear?" The imp laughed again in his hoarse, breathless voice. "You don't seem to have a close relationship with Aballister," Dorigen said. "You don't treat him like a master." "I mean, you... um, Mistress of Magic," Druzil replied, wondering if Aballister set up this little loyalty test, "I'm very loyal to my master, who called me Freed from the torment of the abyss demon realm."

Dorigen was unmoved, and Druzil said no more.There were rumors that it had helped kill Barjin, but in fact, the little devil had considered joining the priesthood and throwing Aballister completely aside, but Barjin's grand scheme fell apart.However, this kind of rumor is beneficial to Druzil, because it makes some people who rise quickly like Dorigen feel a little awed by it, and it also makes Aballister confused. What happened in the catacombs of the Wisdom Library. "We are acting with one goal," Dorigen said, "the goal Talona gave us. This whole area will come under the rule of the Trinity Wall, don't doubt it. Those who stand with us Men will be rewarded immensely - but those who are hostile will suffer endlessly!"

"Are you threatening me?" Dorigen was caught off guard by the imp's simple question. Dorigen took a moment to gather her thoughts before replying, "If that's what you think, is it?" Druzil had never seen her so uncertain about herself. "I am loyal to my master," Druzil said again, firmly, "and now to you, because my master has ordered me to travel with you." Dorigen relaxed a little. "Then let's start the journey," she said. "The sun is rising and we're days away from Simista. Do whatever you want with control." She called Tenek, who was fetching water from a nearby creek, to come back, and picked up her cane.

Druzil wholeheartedly agreed.It lazily flapped its wings, landed on Dorigen's shoulder, and then wrapped itself with leather wings to block the sun.It likes where it is.Traveling with the mistress of magic allows it to see the progress of the Trinity Walled City's conquest, and more importantly, in Simista, it can stay away from Aballister's control. Druzil knew that Cadderly, the young priest who had defeated Barjin, was Aballister's abandoned son, and Aballister knew it knew.The web of conspiracy seemed to be tightening around Aballister, and the imp didn't want to be strangled by its web cables. ※※※ "One escaped," Xuelin reported to Tintage when she returned to the elves' new camp, "but the other eight died." The elven magician nodded, having heard similar reports all day.After the Battle of Dals, the enemy retreated and began sending small guerrilla forces—mostly goblins—into Simista. "Perhaps it's a good thing that one escapes," said the elven magician, the corners of his blue eyes lifted in a smile, "and let it return to its filthy companions, and tell them that the great tree of Simista The only thing waiting for them is death!" Xuelin also tried to smile, but there was a look of worry in the violet eyes of the young female elf.The enemy's exploration force had been eliminated, but their leaders apparently didn't care much about the losses, which only convinced Xuelin that a huge force had found its way and was invading the northern regions of Simista. "Come on," said Tintag, "let us go to the king and see what he has planned." They found Galandale nervously pacing alone in a clearing behind a wall of pine trees.The elven king motioned for them to join him, then raised a bony hand to run through his jet-black hair.Although Galandale has lived for centuries, her hair is still rich and colorful.When he saw that his hands were shaking, he stopped and let them fall back to his side.He glanced at Xuelin and Tintage to make sure they didn't see any of this. "We're continuing to take out the enemy," Tinteg said, trying to calm the nervous king. "How long?" retorted Galandale. "These reports find so many filthy monsters in our beautiful forest! And it keeps growing." "We'll fight them off," Xuelin said loudly. Galandale admired the self-confidence of his young commander, but it paled in comparison to the power before him. "How long will it last?" he asked again, this time less sharply. "This dark force has swept through the northern regions, and the enemy is very cunning." "It sent troops to die," Tintag argued. "It's biding its time," retorted the Elven King, "to keep us busy by throwing his weakest fodder. It's a bloody waiting game." "It won't be long before something happens," Xuelin said. "I can feel the tension. The enemy will show their true colors." Galandale watched her curiously, but he knew it would be foolish to ignore the young elf's instincts.It was Xuelin who proposed and organized the surprise attack on Dels, and she accurately interpreted the enemy's initial aggression.The king was of course very happy to have her by his side, especially at this moment when his son - and his closest aide - was in the library of Moezhi in the east, trying to gain some insight into the situation from the priest.Galandale had ordered Albereth not to go, but his order didn't do much for his stubborn son. "It won't be long," Xuelin said again, and she found that the pressure was almost breaking Galandelle. "They're marching now." A thin voice came from nearby.Galandale and Xuelin both turned and looked curiously at a huge oak tree.They heard a giggle.Xuelin drew her slender sword and took a bold step forward, trying to protect her king.Tintage stood beside them, took out a spell-casting object from his pocket, and was ready to attack at any time. "Oh, don't tell me you didn't hear the tree's warning!" came a voice, and then there was movement behind the tree.A pixie-like woman peers out from behind a thick tree trunk.Her skin was tan like oak bark, and her hair was as green as the dark leaves of the great tree. Xuelin's sword was back in its sheath. "We heard nothing but the invaders' dying gasps," the young elf said coldly. "Who are you?" Galandale demanded. "Sapling." "Oh, you remember me!" said Hamadin in a thin voice, clapping his little hands, "but you said you could feel it!" The dryad's abrupt change of subject confused the young elf, "What am I feeling?" "Excitement in the air!" Hamadin cried. "You're hearing the conversation of the trees. They're scared, and they should be." "What kind of nonsense is this?" Galandale snapped, walking over to Xuelin. "Oh no, that's not nonsense!" Hamaddin replied, sounding suddenly sad. "They're marching on, in numbers the trees can't stand against. And they're carrying fire and axes! Oh, the elves must stop them—you must stop them." Xuelin and Galandale exchanged puzzled glances. "Listen!" cried the dryad. "You must listen." "We're listening!" Galandale growled in frustration. "Listen to the tree," Hamadin explained.Her voice faded away—and so did her body, it seemed—and just dissolved into the oak.Shaylin rushed forward, trying to catch or follow the dryad, but the young elf's hands could only find the rough bark of the great oak tree. "Tryant," Xuelin commented, not much admiration in her tone. "Listen to the trees," said Galandale contemptuously.He kicked the dirt near the roots of the tree, then turned away. Xuelin was surprised by the strong contempt shown by the king.Legend has it that the trees of Simista used to speak to the spirits of the forest, and once even stepped out of the earth to fight alongside an ancient Elven hero and king named Delaniel Quelquin, and to young Shaylin To me, these are just legends.But for the old King Galendile, who is a direct descendant of Quelquin, he should have lived that time himself. "We now know that the enemy has moved again," Xuelin said, "and in large numbers. We also know where they will come from. I will organize another raid—" "We've only heard one dryad!" cried Galendile. "You're betting our entire defenses on a sentence that slipped out of the dryad's mouth? Dryads tell only half the truth. The other half are creatures of the cunning spell!" The young elf was shocked again by Galendile's baseless anger.Dryads could not be enemies of the Elven King, and could be valuable allies. Galandale took a deep breath and seemed to be calming himself, as if he, too, was aware of his inappropriate anger. "We only have what Hamadin said," Xuelin said tentatively, "but I don't doubt that the enemy is advancing. Between here and the northern area, there are many ridges that can be defended. Even if there is no Dryad to say If so, it would be wise for us to start making some preparations." "No," said Galandale firmly, "we're not going out to face the enemy again. We can't catch him off guard this time, and the consequences could be far worse." "Near the center of the forest, we are stronger," continued Galandell, "and there we can more easily avoid this great invading force, if that force ever comes." Xuelin was very angry and determined. "If we escape, we will leave them to destroy miles and miles of forest," she growled. Inside!" "The summit of Dionysia is not far from here," Tinteg proposed as a compromise site, "the caves there can provide us with shelter, and the hills there are of course a prominent symbol of our power." Xuelin considered the proposal for a moment.She would be more tempted to attack again, but she also knew that Galandelle would not back down from her arguments.Dionysus, the Hill of Stars, seemed like a reasonable compromise.She nodded to Galandale. The elf king didn't seem convinced, "There should be a better location further south." Xuelin and Ding Taike exchanged a scared look.Both of them hope that Aberes has not left, because the elf prince is closer to their thinking, and will be more determined to protect the remaining glory of Simista.Perhaps Galandale lived too long, and the burden of being a leader over the centuries cannot be underestimated. "Every report says we have thousands of enemies," Galendelle snapped at them, clearly sensing their disapproval—his decision and his own. "We number hardly a hundred and forty, and we can only hope that our courage will turn that dark force. Don't confuse courage with stupidity, I think, and I'm still your king!" The two young elves should have lost the argument, but at this moment, there was an exclamation from the camp of elves behind the pine bushes. "There is fire!" shouted an elf. An elf rushed through the trees to report to the king, "Fire!" he cried, "the enemy is burning the forest. Northern forests! In the north!" The elf turned and walked quickly, through the natural barrier go back. Galandale turned his back to Xuelin and Ding Taige, brushed his black hair nervously with his hands, and silently uttered a few words to blame Abeles for not being there at the moment. "Dionysus?" Tintage asked tentatively and hopefully. Galandale gave the magician a resigned wave. "As you wish." He said listlessly, "as you wish." ※※※ When Felkin opened his eyes again, the morning sun forced him to squint, and the surrounding forest was dead silent.It took a long time before it thought of climbing out of the leaf pit.It pondered for a while whether to go back to check on its companions, then put aside the thought with a snort, and ran at full speed to Ragnor's camp on the northern edge of the forest. After a while Filkin felt a little relieved, for he heard the sound of the axe.The sky was brighter before its eyes, the thick cover thinned, and then suddenly it was outside the forest and found itself immediately surrounded by Ragnor's high-ranking guard.They are squads of eight giant, hairy bear goblins. "Who are you?" one of them demanded, holding a trident to the goblin's shoulder. Felkin winced with pain and fear, almost as much of the bear-goblins as he was of the elf it left behind. "Felkin," he said shortly, bowing his head in submission, "Scout troops." The bear goblins grunted a few words with their own throaty grunts, and then one of them poked Felkin harder, "Where are the other team members?" Filkin bit his lip to keep from screaming in pain. He knew that if he showed his weak side, it would only make those brutal monsters worse. "In the forest," he whispered. "died?" Filkin nodded meekly, and then he felt as if he was flying into the air as a bear-goblin grabbed its straggly hair and lifted it high off the ground.Felkin waved his thin arms, trying to grab the bear goblin's strong arms for support.But the ruthless monster walked across the vast encampment clutching only its hair.Filkin kept biting his lip, trying to force back the tears with all his strength. It understood that their destination was a huge tent covered with animal skins.Ragno!The whole world seemed to be spinning for the shuddering goblin, who knew he was going to pass out and hoped he would never wake up. It still woke up, and then wished that he was staying in the forest and playing luck with the elves.Raguenor didn't seem all that oppressive at first, just sitting behind a huge oak table on the other side of the tent.Then the half-ogre stood up, and Filkin began to groan and crawl back on the ground.A trident poked at it and forced it back into place. Not only was Ragnor as tall as those bear goblins, but he was also twice as strong as them.Its features were mostly orcish, with a pig-shaped nose and a tusk protruding from its lower jaw through its upper lip.Its eyes are large and bloodshot, with bushy eyebrows that are often furrowed with a vicious glare.Although its facial features resembled that of an orc, its body was more like the ogre's ancestors, with thick and powerful limbs, and a body like a large wooden barrel, which could firmly block a galloping racehorse at full speed.The half-beast ogre came to Felkin with three heavy steps.It stretched its hand down, and easily—really too easily—raised the goblin. "The rest of the team is dead?" Ragnor ordered with his throaty rumble. "It's the elves!" cried Felkin. "The elves killed them!" "How many elves?" "A lot!" Felkin replied, but the half-ogre was unimpressed.Ragnor only put a huge finger under Filkin's cheek and raised it so that the goblin had to tiptoe.Its hideous orc face snorting evilly, approached the goblin so close that Filkin felt like he was about to pass out again—but he knew that if he did pass out, Ragnor He had to be skinned. "How many elves?" Ragnor asked again, slowly and deliberately. "One." Filkin managed to squeeze the words out, deciding not to mention that the elf was even a woman.Ragno let go of his fingers and let it fall to the ground. "One elf wiped out an entire squad of scouts!" the half-ogre yelled at the bear goblins.The hairy monsters looked at each other, but seemed to think it was no big deal. "You're sending goblins and ogres," said one of them. "I'll send bear goblins first!" Ragnol reminded them, "How many of your kind have come back?" The baffled bear-goblins murmured in their own words, "Send more expeditions?" The bear-goblin's representative made the suggestion a moment later. Ragnol considered for a moment, then shook its huge head, "There is no way to defeat the elves with this strategy in the forest. We are superior in numbers and strength, but the battlefield is in this damn forest." "They know the terrain here," agreed the bear goblin. "And they must have spies everywhere," Ragnol added, "I don't even trust those trees!" "Then what should we do?" "March on!" growled the frustrated half-ogre.It grabbed Filkin by the throat, lifted him off the ground, and approached his ugly face again. "These elves know the forest, so we'll destroy it!" growled the half-ogre. "We'll drive them into the open and smash them!" Ragnor said so excitedly that his hand snapped. tight.There was a loud cracking sound, Felkin twisted violently, and then stopped moving. The bear goblins watched all this with interest.One of them burst out laughing, but quickly swallowed it back.It was too late, though, and the other bear goblins burst into laughter, but they were even happier because Ragnor joined them and shook the goblin to make sure it was dead.