Part CXV: Escalation

Date: Kapton 21st, 114 A.U.

“Your role is crucial to our survival—do you realize that?” Lord Freglak asked as they quickly walked down the hall.

“Yes, sir—our survival dependent upon my role is, my lord,” Flindle replied.  “The Elder Dragon is our ace in the hole, it is!”

“But it is an untrustworthy ace,” Lord Freglak snapped.  “Listen, Flindle.  The past couple battles you have continued to lose control of the Elder Dragon.  If it continues to break free from your control, we’re finished.”  He turned to stare at Flindle.  “Are you positive that you’ll be able to control it this time?  I don’t know why you were able to control it so well at first and why now you seem unable to control it, but we can only use it if you can assure me that you will be able to keep it under bonds.”

Flindle shuffled his feet.  “Promises, I cannot make sir—the promise I can’t make!” he said mournfully.  “If only I could then I would, but my would does not make the could possible!  I don’t know why he is continually able to escape me!  It’s like some new spirit enters into him and he becomes altogether too violent and devious to thwart my wishes!  I can’t promise anything anymore.”

Lord Freglak sighed as he stopped to lean against a window.  “The whole thing’s crashing in,” he murmured.  “Jaine’s troops are being bested, but he is far too resilient.  He has been preparing for this for longer than I have and has built an excellent defensive structure around and with the Mothertree.  We need more time to be able to crack his defense open—and we don’t have time.  We have virtually no real defenses against the elves—and the elves are seizing upon that opportunity like a dog does with a bone.  We need to crack open Jaine’s position now in order to turn around quickly enough to stop the advance of the elves.  A stalemate with Jaine means checkmate for the elves.”

“What are you saying, sir?”

Freglak sighed again.  “I’m saying…” he pursed his lips.  “We can’t continue with the status quo any longer.  We’re going to have to throw it all in this time.  Our next attack on his defenses is at noon today.  You’re going to lead the troops into battle on the Elder Dragon.  Our scientists have supplied a vial of liquid that will be enough to knock out the Elder Dragon and will give it to you in a needle.  If the Elder Dragon breaks free of your control, use it to knock him out.  We cannot let it turn against our own troops.  Everything is crucial at this point, Flindle.  One little mistake will doom us to the elves, while one breakthrough will decimate Jaine.  Do you understand?”

Flindle shifted his weight uncomfortably, realizing how much weight now rested on his position.  “Yes, sir.”


The Elder Dragon is moving from his cage.  The warriors of Lord Freglak prepare for another assault…

“I will prepare my own defenses,” High-Priest Jaine mumbled as his whispers were snatched away into the darkness.  “Will the Elder Dragon prevail?”

The Elder Dragon will prevail over the ones who now hold it captive.  Today, I will make it clear to the armies of Lord Freglak who truly holds the reins of the Elder Dragon and show them the power that I will unleash upon their forces.  The Elder Dragon will turn against them once and for all this day.  And I will make sure that they are crippled from ever assaulting us likewise again.

 

Flindle came down fast, holding onto the Elder Dragon for dear life as he controlled him, moving to the side to avoid a barrage of bullets before the Elder Dragon spat fire upon the sacred bark of the Mothertree, burning a goblin in the process, before cycling up to come down once more upon the tree, trying to create a large enough diversion to let the troops break in on the eastern side where they now attempted to swing up onto the Mothertree and so establish a foothold.

“Quicker,” Flindle whispered as they came down once more, Flindle ducking as bullets sailed past, loosening his grip on the Elder Dragon’s reins for just one moment.  And in the same moment, the Elder Dragon moved.  Straining past the chains, the Elder Dragon flung itself to the side, rolling, as Flindle looked up just in time to see the brown branch of the tree flying toward him. 

Pain smacked Flindle’s face as the reins were wrenched from his control, his tongue tasting the cool moss, as his body wrapped around the branch before falling, stumbling and rolling, before jumping up as bullets whizzed past him.  The Elder Dragon was loose.  And it had finally broken free.

He had to stop it.

Ducking and moving forward, Flindle unsheathed his corsha blade, using it to help him stop the bullets as he moved closer to the Elder Dragon who was now flying upwards, away from the tangled branches of the Mothertree.  Just a bit closer—if he could just catch up in time to inject the chemicals that he’d been given-

Flindle lurched forward as something grabbed at his foot.  Flindle spun around to see the branch of the Mothertree morphing, smaller branches shooting out of it as it wrapped onto his knees and wrists.  Flindle gave a cry but it was too late as he saw the Elder Dragon cycling down, fire bursting out of its mouth.  And Flindle’s vision was filled with a fiery explosion.



“We’re finished.”  Major Erklen slammed the papers on the table bitterly as he shook its head.  “It’s done.  We’re doomed.”

Freglak slowly closed his eyes.  “I…” he said quietly, and he shook his head, wiping his eyes.  “I had come…  I had come to bond with Flindle…”

“Blast it,” Major Erklen snapped and cursed.  “To be so close…  what happened?”

“I don’t know,” Freglak said quietly.  “But it’s cut off our last reasonable attempt to stop Jaine.”

“Reasonable attempt?” Major Erklen said, looking up.

“We only have one more chance,” Freglak said quietly as his gaze met Erklen’s.  “One last-ditch attempt to smoke Jaine out of his hole before the elves break in.”

“You don’t mean-”

“We have no other choice.  Bring out the bombers.”


The bombs began dropping as the sun set.  Explosions that tore goblins asunder, breaking bones, and scattering dirt.  A turmoil of fire rained down on the Mothertree as the deluge of destruction was dropped upon the Mothertree, completely surprising Jaine’s forces.  For fifteen minutes before Jaine’s forces could bring enough anti-aircraft missiles to the fight, the goblins bombed the Mothertree, covering it in a field of smoke.  Slowly, the smoke began to dissipate as all goblins eyes were turned toward the Mothertree, to see if their hero, their god, had withstood the final solution of their goblin lord.

Slowly, the smoke lifted.  The tree was torn in many places.  The moss was ripped off, and lingering embers still cooled in the Mothertree.  But the Mothertree still stood.  Suspending all belief, the bombs only dealt minor flesh wounds to the tree, failing to break in to the root belief.

And at that moment, fear clenched Lord Freglak’s heart.  And Freglak finally believed in the Mothertree.

Part CXIV: Layers of Deceit

Date: Kapton 18th, 114 A.U.

Ranvier, the ambassador of the auggers, knew that he had failed.  He had started off with such a glorious purpose—such an important mantle to take hold of.  And he had fallen captive to the first enemies that he met.

“I should have been more ready…” he murmured.  But it was all too late now.  They had come unto him twice already looking for info and intel on who and what he was, but he had refused it.  He supposed that it would only be a short time until they began to torture him and he’d have to see how much he could withstand before he caved. 

Ranvier pursed his lips.  It wasn’t supposed to happen this way!  But it had.  And he had failed as an ambassador.

“The augger has been quite stubborn to release his information on what he is and why he is here,” Unyihi Garum said.  “I was planning on torturing him tomorrow in order to gain intel.”

Jaigran narrowed his eyes, thinking.  “He’s our first specimen,” he said.  “You do realize, Unyihi, that this is the first augger we’ve been able to meet?  The only other one that we know of in existence is the one with the Xavier Team.  We can’t be too quick to harm him.”

“Then what do you suggest, zar?”

Jaigran paused, and then a smile flooded across his face.  “A trick,” he finally said.  “A masquerade and a play put in front of him, and with him as an actor.  We will take a group of elves and stage a breakout to free him.  And after he thinks he’s freed, we’ll see what information we can coax out of him then.”



Ranvier nervously looked from side to side as the sleek ship moved quickly through the sky.  Just minutes before he had been whisked away from the giant elven ship which his rescuers had termed ‘the Mothership.’  His rescuers had managed to break into his prison and free him most expediently, quickly killing the guards in their way before rushing him out just as the elves started to wake up to what was going on. 

Ranvier watched as the ship dodged the bullets, but the elven response from the Mothership seemed sub-par to what he would have expected and they kept going as Ranvier gradually relaxed.  Two elves, an orc, and a dwarf manned the ship.

“Wow…” Ranvier said, finally getting a chance to talk.  “I don’t know who you are…  But I owe you a lot.”

“We’re part of the Elven Resistance,” the dwarf said.  “A group of us banding together to resist the Imperial Elves and their plan to dominate Arquenia.  Our spies discovered your presence, and we couldn’t let you be captured by them.  Although, to be honest, I’ve never seen your kind before.”

“My kind…  my kind is isolated from most of the world,” Ranvier said slowly as he exhaled.  “I guess we have a lot to discuss.”



“Greetings,” Jaigran said, shaking Ranvier’s hand even while he sweated.  “I am Nordheim, the leader of our resistance group.”

“Another elf?” Ranvier asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Unfortunately, many of the other races have been driven into hiding due to Emperor Jaigran’s horrific policies,” Jaigran/Nordheim replied as he masked his true emotions.  “There are not many of them to be found.  And so us elves have had to rise up against the murderous intentions of the rest of our kind.”

“Well, that’s understood,” Ranvier said wearily as he sat down.

“Well,” Jaigran/Nordheim said.  “I must confess that although I commissioned the party to rescue you, I don’t know much anything at all about you or your kind.”

“My name…  My name is Ranvier,” Ranvier replied.  “I’m an augger, the seventh race of Arquenia.”

“The seventh race?” Jaigran/Nordheim asked, feigning astonishment.

“We were almost exterminated centuries ago,” Ranvier said.  “Most of us who lived escaped to an island out in the middle of the ocean where the Council of Arquenia used to meet.  We dwell there now.”

“The Council of Arquenia…” Jaigran/Nordheim mused.  “Strange—I’ve never heard of it.”

“Most likely wiped out of the history books like everything else that the Augger-slayers did,” Ranvier said.  “I could go into it more now, but it used to be where representatives of all the races of Arquenia would come to meet and discuss politics and world affairs.”

“I see,” Jaigran/Nordheim said, nodding. “We can delve into that later.  I must confess though, that it’s somewhat hard to adjust to this new sight.  To think that there was a seventh race all this time and that we’ve just been missing it!”

Ranvier nodded solemnly.  “It’s been a tragedy to the augger people to be driven out,” he replied.  “We would have come back…  But before we could, we heard of the elven Upheaval and the tumult that has caused.”

“Yes,” Jaigran/Nordheim replied.  “However, that raises another question…  Why are you back?”

“I have come to seek an answer to the fluctuation of the Noon-Beam,” Ranvier replied.  “Since I see from your face that you’ve never heard of it, let me explain…”



“You catching it?”

“Every word of it,” Unyihi Garum replied as he looked at the stream of video coming in from the secret cameras placed all around the room that Jaigran and Ranvier were in.  “We’ll have everything to decipher.”

“Excellent,” the Watcher replied, nodding.  “The augger has fallen completely into our trap.  We will take all the information that we need from him, and then…  Then—well—we will have plans for our captive augger.”

I apologize for the lack of posting on Saturdays...  I have all these parts waiting to be posted, but I keep forgetting to post them!  =P

Part CXIII: Walking in Circles

Date: Kapton 15th, 114 A.U.

“I am a bit perplexed by your findings,” Iraina said, raising an eyebrow.  “Despite the extreme lack of evidence, you want me to take so bold a step?”

“From the meager evidence we’ve been able to gather, we’re running out of time,” Oldin replied.  “They’re deadlines are coming up and we’re hapless to stop them.  We need to get all of your available men on this now.  In addition to this, I’ve been getting dangerous reports that they have started to make movement out of Araelia toward the outside.  Have you been posting security there?”

“I’ve posted heavy security in the outside tunnels since we last talked and have done checks on all the corridors,” Iraina responded, raising his eyebrow.  “From our end, the tunnels are completely safe.  We have plenty of scanners and high-tech equipment to make sure that there are no trespassers.”

“Either way, we need more men on the field,” Oldin said.  “We don’t have enough manpower to staff this operation.  We’re getting the run-around by the elven terrorist group, and all of our agents that have gotten close enough are dying.”

“I can try to help, but we aren’t exactly high on man-count either,” Iraina said.  “Remember that ex-Governor Astrid is still at large, wherever she is hiding among the dwarven cities.  She’s wracked terrible damage on us from her betrayal.  We haven’t gotten any word from the Xavier Team since, and most of my men are out searching for her.”

“The dwarven government is still trying to find her,” Oldin said.  “From what I’ve heard, they’re narrowing down on her, though.  They should be able to track her down and capture her within the next month.”

“Well, at least we have some good news,” Iraina replied.  “Now have you gotten any more word yet on your investigation involving James McDonnell and his connection to the C-Watches?”

“No,” Oldin said.  “We’ve still been tracking him though, and it’s from our spies on him that we’ve been getting word that he might have found a way to access the outside tunnels.  We haven’t gotten complete confirmation yet, though, although I’m sure that we’ll be getting confirmation soon.  I’ll need some warrants from you, though.  Once we’ve verified that he’s found a way in, I’ll need warrants to allow my men to do a high-level search of those tunnels to figure out what they’re doing.”

Iraina’s eyes flickered and he paused.  “Very well,” he finally said.  “I’ll send that task off to one of my underlings, but I can’t promise how quickly they’ll be able to get it done.  All the paperwork that needs to be done in the bureaucracy and such.”

Oldin cocked his head.  “Bureaucracy was never a problem before,” he said, somewhat astonished.  “This is for an FRI investigation—what do you mean we’re going to have to wait to get warrants?  We need to stop this elven terrorist group before the deadline.”

“Much has changed since before,” Iraina said, pursing his lips as he fidgeted.  “Those warrants were issued during Astrid’s time—were they not?  There’s been an unfortunate buildup of bureaucracy since then, and I haven’t been able to stop that.”

Oldin leaned in.  “What are you talking about?” he asked, very confused.  “There hasn’t been that big of a build-up, has there.”

“Oh, probably not,” Iraina said, standing up and suddenly taking on a different tone of voice.  “I just don’t want you to expect them tomorrow, that is.  It might take a couple of days, alright?”

“Alright…” Oldin said, suddenly mystified by Iraina’s sudden change of tone.  “Just get them to me as soon as possible, alright?”

“It’s already done.”



“I need you to get more men following McDonnell,” Oldin snapped as he re-entered headquarters.  “I’m getting warrants made from the Governor for permission to get into the outside tunnels.  Make sure that he actually has procured access into them, and then send out a full search party into them.  Don’t get my permission first.  We can’t waste time anymore.”

“Yes, sir,” his second in command replied.  “What should they be looking for?”

“Anything and everything,” Oldin replied.  “Iraina says that all his searches have come up empty for anything in the outside tunnels.  The elven terrorists are thwarting him somehow.  And we dearly need to figure out how.”



“The plan has nearly reached its completion,” the messenger said to the man shrouded in darkness.  “All of the equipment has been set up in the tunnels for launch day.  A few final connections need to be made, though, so that they’ll be triggered upon command.  We’ll still need to work on it for another week until its finished.”

“Very good,” the man shrouded in darkness replied.  “I’ll be sure to let the Emperor know about this development.  And what of the C-Watches?  Are they according to plan?”

“They’ve tested a few of them out, nicely handling some of Oldin’s most annoying agents in the process,” the messenger said, grinning.  “They’ll work magnificently on launch date, clearing the way for the awakening of a new era in Arquenia.”

“I’ve been hearing reports that Oldin’s beginning to get suspicious,” the man shrouded in darkness replied.  “He knows too much about McDonnell.  McDonnell has been too sloppy in his work as of late.  Dispose of him silently.”

“Yes, sir.  Any other commands?”

“No.  I’ll alert the Emperor of our findings so that he’ll be ready to accomplish his part on the grand finale of this magnificently executed plan.  The work is nearly finished.”

“Do we have a date yet?”

“For the launch date?  Oh, I think we do,” the man shrouded in darkness said.  “Pass it on to your executives.  I’ve already set everything else in motion.  Kapton 30th will be the Launch Date.  On Kapton 30th, our plan will be brought to fruition.  And Araelia will be ours.”

Part CXII: Shadows of the Past

Date: Kapton 18th, 114 A.U.

Flek stared out the window as the earth rushed by below as they flew over the plains.  After months of traveling, he was finally returning to his homeland and to Lord Freglak.  So much had happened since he’d last smelled the pine scent of the trees and felt their rough bark.  But as much as Flek wanted to see the sights again, a cold pit of dread was forming within him.

So much had happened.  He had gained much.  And he had lost his power.
Flek knew that he couldn’t have his power anymore.  He had been a fool to make the deal with the spirit in the first place, and his deal had nearly destroyed the Xavier Team.  And yet, as he anticipated the re-entrance into the fortress and into the courts of Lord Freglak, it bothered Flek how much of his renown and prestige among them was built on empty vanities and nothing.

Or even how much his own entrance into the Xavier Team—as the Warrior—had been build no such vain promises.  Promises that he only kept by the wretched being that had lived inside of him.  All gone.

He turned at the noise to see Astrid entering the chamber that he was in.  Glancing at her, he turned to look back out the window, watching as the earth rushed by.

  “Hey,” he finally said to Astrid as she walked next to him.

“Hi, Flek,” Astrid said, and paused for a couple minutes as they just watched the earth rushed by outside.  And then she again spoke.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time here, haven’t you?”

Flek shrugged, not exactly paying attention to how much time he’d spent here since they’d left.  “I guess; why?”

“I know how you feel,” Astrid said, sitting down next to him and Flek glanced at her briefly.  What did she mean?

“What do you mean?” Flek asked, giving voice to his question.

“You know how I murdered the man in Araelia,” Astrid said after taking a deep breath. 

“You might have mentioned it before,” Flek said.  “I have a vague recollection, but no real memory of it, though.”

“I became involved with a government espionage program against a group of, well, I don’t know what they were doing—but they were terrorists of some sort,” Astrid replied.  “And I got trapped as a spy for the government whom the terrorists trusted.”  She licked her lips.  “Long story short, I found myself in the position where I either helped them to murder one of my patients at the hospital, or they’d kill me.  And so I chose to murder my patient.”  She bit her lip.  “It’s taken me a long time to get over it, mostly with Monty’s help.  But listen, Flek.  Don’t let your guilt consume you.  It nearly drove me to suicide…  You have—you have to figure out what you want to live for.  And why.”



“So when did you finally decide?” Jroldin asked, still shocked that Number 994 hadn’t originally been on their side at the creation of the Xavier Team.

“I…  I can’t hang my decision on one moment,” Number 994 replied.  He had just been explaining to them the truth about his loyalties.  “Up until the Citadel of Tzel-Maret, I was still looking and waiting for the right opportunity to betray you, but then…”  He paused.  “Things seemed to change after we joined up with Augger and began our long trip back.  We spent a long time together in our slow journeying, and…”  He pursed his lips.  “I broke the rules of the orcs.  And I committed my course.  I was still worried, though…  The prophesy of Xavier worried me that I might end up being the traitor…”

“But thankfully you weren’t, and it all turned out relatively well,” Zarien said, concluding.  “Though I must say that I can’t believe that you still hated my gut all that time and still managed to keep your self-control.”

“Rule Number 52: Never betray your emotions.  Betray your emotions and you betray your whole plan,” Number 994 said, raising an eyebrow.  “I lived by the rules.  I still do in many ways…  It’s hard to break old habits.”

           

“We should be arriving at the goblin city within the next five days,” Reynyagn said, gesturing at the map. 

“Yes; we’ve been making good time so far,” Augger replied.  “What should we be preparing for?”

“Prepare for anything,” Reynyagn said, pursing his lips.  “When I last left, Lord Freglak had been beginning a war with the Emperor.  While I hope that the strength that I saw in the goblins would be enough to keep back their forces, the Emperor is powerful.  The goblin empire may very well be mostly in ruins.  We need to be prepared to fight off the goblins, and, if their empire still exists, to deal with tensions between the goblin priests and Freglak.”

“These priests intrigue me…” Augger said.  “You said they worshipped a tree?”

“An abnormally large tree, but yes,” Reynyagn said.

“Interesting…” Augger said, shutting his eyes.  “I seem…  I feel like I have an inkling in my memories…  Some hidden thought and memory of my ancestors that bears some resemblance to this…  Something that may lend its insight on why the goblins worship the tree…  But I can’t remember it.”

“We still have a lot of time left before us before we arrive,” Reynyagn reminded him.  “We’ll have time.”

“We’ll have time enough,” Augger agreed.  “We only have so much time though before we can push off the final confrontation with the Emperor.  We must move fast.”

Part CXI: The Watcher’s Plan

Date: Kapton 17th, 114 A.U.

“The Xavier Team has two weapons to our three,” the Watcher said as he paced.  “Not only are they gaining stronger in power, but the two weapons are essential to our plan.”

“I’m all ears to your plan,” Emperor Jaigran said as he lounged on his throne.  “Most all of the ships have been outfitted.  They’re ready for takeoff.”

“We need to get their two weapons and claim the other two first,” the Watcher snapped.  “Don’t act like your part is done already!”

“But it is,” Jaigran said, a smirk on his face.  “My job was to oversee our ships being prepared to enter into outer space.  Your job was to find the Seven Golden Corsha Weapons.”

“And I have done it—for the most part, that is,” the Watcher snapped.  “The weapon of the goblins is practically in my hands.  And the one the auggers have likely is in the Council Chamber of Arquenia—which is where we’ll be heading anyways once the other weapons are claimed.”

“So what’s your point?”

“We need bait,” the Watcher hissed.  “If the Xavier Team knew that we needed all seven Golden Corsha Weapons to wrack the final and devastating end of our plan, they would hide themselves and the weapons where it is nigh impossible to find them.  They already are hiding from us.  We need to find some way to draw them out so that we can take their Golden Corsha Weapons if we have any chance of survival.”

“My plan has nearly hit its fruition in the human’s chief city of Araelia,” Jaigran said.  “Within a couple weeks, the city should be ours.  No doubt we can find worthy members there to act as bait.  Ex-Governor Astrid for example?  I much look forward to a chance to meet her again…”

“You can wrack whatever personal revenge you want to on your previous Xavier Team member in due time,” the Watcher snapped.  “For now, we must make sure that all your calculations are correct.  Where is Unyihi Garum?”

“He’s waiting,” Jaigran said, pushing a button to page him.  A couple moments later, Unyihi Garum entered the room.

“I am here, zar,” Unyihi Garum said, bowing respectfully.  “You wish to hear my report?”

“Yes,” the Watcher said.  “What is the progression of the tests?”

“The ships will withstand Outer Space, and we have tested our food production thoroughly to make sure that they will still work in the far reaches of the galaxy, at least until we arrive at the other planet you mentioned,” Unyihi Garum said.  “The Mothership is still being outfitted, but it should be finished in around a week.  All of the major upgrades have been done and what is left is minor, though quite essential, tinkering and work inside the ship.”

“I see,” the Watcher snapped.  “You are quite positive that all of the tests worked.”

“I am staking my own life on it,” Unyihi said.  “We will be secure.”  He paused.  “There is much, though, that you have not yet informed me of.”

“Such as?”

“Why are we so quick to leave Arquenia,” Unyihi rumbled.  “Why are we deserting this planet and moving to a new one instead of impressing our domain over this one.  If your final form is as powerful as you have said, why do we not use it to crush them?  You have promised answers, but always later.”

A cruel smile played across the Watcher’s face.  “I suppose it is due time that you learned the full truth,” he said standing up.  “Believe me, Unyihi.  My final form is enough to devastate the rebels, but we cannot hunt down every one of them.  There will always be those hiding, those whom it is impossible to stamp out by ordinary means.  And so I have gone for the un-ordinary. 

“I am the Watcher.  The one appointed to be the guardian of Arquenia.  I have immense power over Arquenia—far more than anyone else could dream of.  I am the one who keeps the world running.  I keep Arquenia in its constant orbit around the sun.  And without it, I tell you, it will truly fail.

“Have you not noticed the unusual days—the unheard of temperatures and climates?  The world is already beginning to destruct since I have left my chamber.  The planet is falling apart, but I am still holding it together.”

A chill ran down Unyihi Garum’s spine as he suddenly realized what the plan is.  “You-” he began, and then he stopped.  “You mean…”

“Yes,” the Watcher said.  “When we leave, Arquenia will no longer be able to keep moving.  Once we leave, the planet will spin helplessly out of order until it finally is drawn in by the gravity and is set for a collision course with the sun.  We will leave.  And Arquenia will be consumed with flames until the whole world is perished.  And so we will destroy Arquenia.”


“You never told me he was that powerful!” Unyihi Garum hissed, speaking quickly to Jaigran as they walked down the corridor.  “He has the power to destroy the world, has a final form that he claims is utterly devastating and yet—”

“And yet… what, Unyihi?”

“And yet you still trust him!” Unyihi Garum snapped.  “What prevents him from turning on you once you have given him all this power and making himself the leader!”

“The situation is more complicated than you may think,” Jaigran said.  “Believe me, Unyihi, I have considered this.  I would not be surprised if he ends up turning on me.”

“Then why do you still trust him?” Unyihi snapped.  “What will you do to stop him once he has attained such power?”

“The Golden Weapons are powerful—more powerful than even the Watcher seems to realize,” Jaigran replied.  “I have tested their power.  I will indeed unleash him once I have gained all seven of the weapons because of how essential he is to my plan.  But I have also set up a plan to stop him from betraying me.  Believe me, Unyihi.  I have thought of everything.  The rebels will be consumed in flames.  And we will move on to victory.”

Part CX: Civil War

Date: Kapton 15th, 114 A.U.

“Today marks a new day for the race of the goblins!  As the media leaks earlier this morning have revealed, your high priest has refused to listen to common sense and join with me!  Jaine has utterly refused to work together with me and has declared his own war against me to instate himself as head!” Freglak roared.  “And so we must stand together now, my fellow goblins.  It’s us against them!  We who would destroy the elves who have for so long remained a blot upon our fair land are now being attacked by our own priests who refuse to help me against the elves!  If they are not against the elves, then they are indeed for the elves!  Warriors of the goblins, unite!  Too long have we lain under the foot of the merciless High Priest!  Jaine must give up his position to another and they must not be allowed to stop our victory over the elves!”

Kapton 16th, 114 A.U.

 “The Mothertree has spoken,” High Priest Jaine said solemnly.  “The victory that your Lord promises is built on vanities.  Your troops have been defeated again and again because you have forsaken the Old Weapons and your belief in the Mothertree.  You have seen the Mothertree’s power.  You have seen what it can do.  The time has now come for us to slay those heretics who denounce her power and her voice.  I am the Prophet of the Mothertree!  Lord Freglak shall be lord no longer but will be dethroned.  It is time for a true prophet and a true priest to take the kingship of the Great Forest.  The Mothertree will save us from the elves.  But first we must wage war with the heretics.

Kapton 17th, 114 A.U.

The first gun shot of war erupted in the early morning when a group of Lord Freglak’s warriors stormed the headquarters of the Great Forest Network, the 2nd Largest news station among the goblins, and the one that supported High Priest Jaine.  The equipment was destroyed, and the bloody bodies of the most ardent critics of Lord Freglak were discovered.  The attack was passed off as a group of rebels who had nothing to do with Lord Freglak, but within a few hours, the truth was discovered.  The survivors of the news station, taking security with High Priest Jaine, soon got the equipment to broadcast their news from behind the protection of the priests, calling all goblins to arms against Lord Freglak.

War had begun.

Kapton 19th, 114 A.U.

“The priests’ defenses are too strong,” Major Erklen replied.  “Most of our warriors are scared to death of the Mothertree and won’t go anywhere near her.” 

Freglak leaned over the map which detailed the defenses already put up in the city, as the Mothertree and his Capitol had become the two meeting places of the two new factions that were setting themselves up both in this city, and across the rest of the Great Forest.  He had recalled Major Erklen from the line of battle against the elves in order to put down this rebellion.

“Bah.  Blast the Mothertree,” Freglak snarled.  “Just annihilate it and send the troops in.”

“You know we can’t do that,” Erklen reminded Freglak.  “There are too many of our warriors that still believe in the Mothertree but just think that we need a different High Priest than Jaine.  If we destroy the Mothertree, we’ll be facing huge desertions.”

“The Mothertree is their god,” Freglak pointed out.  “Kill their god, and the rest of their religion will collapse.  Once we show that she is not the all-powerful deity they claim she is, the rebellion will end.”

“If we can destroy it.”

“It’s a tree, Erklen!” Freglak snapped.  “How could it escape a mass bombing?”

“Do you want to know the answer to that question, my lord?”



Four hours later, the first real battle of the civil war began in the trees of the city.  Three squadrons of goblins sallied out from the vicinity of the Mothertree under the direction of the priests in order to break the blockade forming around the Mothertree.  The blockade was broken and the defenders wiped out, but few of the attackers survived to tell the tale to the High Priest.  Although they wielded the Old Weapons, the guns and ammunition on Freglak’s side and shot many of them down before they could come close.  And although once they got close enough, Freglak’s troops were utterly decimated, too many had died in the charge to get there.  The casualties had stacked up so great that they could not afford to do so again.



“Freglak thinks that he has bested us,” High Priest Jaine murmured as he stood atop the Mothertree looking at the city around them, smoke rising from the trees where fire was raging, as skirmishes were sparked all around the city between those fighting for Freglak and those fighting for the Mothertree. 

“Our casualties this day have been great,” the priest standing next to him said.  “If we are to attack him again, we must have a better plan.”

“The Mothertree will provide our needs,” Jaine replied smoothly.  “Let Freglak think that he has won the battle this day.  We will merely laugh at him when the tables are turned on the morrow.  I have spoken with the Mothertree today and she has revealed much.  Freglak has already lost another crucial battle to the elves on the warfront today, although Freglak has yet to hear about it.  The Elder Dragon has broken loose once more.  The troops of war are gathering.  And the Elder Dragon will be our key to victory.”