Prince Vadarok was by himself in his chamber, sitting at a desk, carefully watching battle plans. The war wasn’t his idea, it was his destiny. It was the dream of his father and his grandfather who still remembered how mistreated were Goblins in the world of humans. It was the result of years spent underground and his dignity built, each and every day of his childhood, by constant comparisons and conclusions that humans weren’t as great as chronicles portrayed them to be. Vandarok took his grandfather’s and father’s resources to create the most powerful army the world at that time was about to welcome. He created the arms of death for anyone to oppose it.
The day that he chose for the battle was the day of his grandfather’s death. It was the last breath of a ruler who passed on with a sense of being defeated by the sun and earth. In Goblins’ eyes, it was once the death of deprivation and unfulfillment. And now it was about to change.
Vandarok knew that the human citizens of the kingdom were expecting him, forming a front to fight him, but he thought their efforts futile. He was aware that Marva was missing but what his silly sister knew about the seriousness of his affair? His family was built on hatred for the human race and it was the only family he grew up in, the only point of reference he had ever had.
The air stood still. The Prince broke the silence only with a silent bang of a golden coin, struck repeatedly against the table, which with every second brought him closer and closer to his final orders.
Meanwhile, in the castle, there were two couples, who spent their days in a surprisingly similar way but a completely different state of mind. David and Karina were lying on the bed one last time making love, married, devoted to each other, but scared and expecting the worst. They were the ones who visited the Goblin’s city and it seemed that they were the only ones aware of the seriousness of it all. Now the fact that their love was against every rule of the court and the king’s wishes didn’t matter at all. They had each other and this was on the verge of getting lost.
The second couple was living in their own separate world. During the day, they were lovers, physically entangled, and ecstatic about their newly discovered devotion. At night, they were a pair of two Goblins, playful like little children, naughty, and in hiding. They were a pair of royal children from two opposing kingdoms, both unfit for their nation’s values, both with a background of unappreciation. The last thing they thought about was war. It was a destruction of everything they loved and admired. It was a waste. But it didn’t play any role at their time of happiness and they were happy in each other’s arms and company. Gustaw turned into a Goblin and Marva; Gustaw the Prince and Avram, a Goblin turned into a human.
The king was walking from one side of the chamber to another, waiting for help. And he wished for this help to arrive. He counted battles in which he supported his neighbors or sent his troops to those surrounded and in need. The king was anxious, doubted in himself, aware of his decimated forces, and felt alone with the burden of ruling the country. His wife was spending her nights with his tax collector and in times like this, he regretted getting married at all. It was a waste of time to feel betrayed by her but he was disappointed by the lack of support. At that moment, the king realized that all he had in his life was himself, this overwhelming silence and the fear.
Lilet was standing in the middle of the forest, barefoot, in the same white dress given to her by the Golden Duck, with her arms spread, whispering the spells her grandmother taught her all her life. She was calling for old magic, but only this magic was powerful enough to defeat the evil. She summoned the earth, water, air, and fire to be her friends and to fill her with power. She once turned men into animals, she now wanted to turn the forest into her own weapon.
Erwin, the Royal Wizard, was fulfilling Princess Karina’s orders and filling little bottles with cauliflower soup which were given to women slowly crowding the castle’s gates. They came from all over the kingdom, of all ages and statuses, ready to fight and defend their land in their men’s absence. Each of them was given a sword and a bottle of elixir giving them the power of eight men. Each of them was given the power of trust.
At that time, Edwin came back from Shirah’s hut and presented his brother with a stone.
‘If all else fails, I want you to heat it’, he said, breathing deeply from the effort of climbing the stairs ‘Have you looked into the future, brother?’
Edwin looked into his brother’s white eyes. He had to admit that while his own affairs kept him younger for longer, Erwin’s stay at the court was physically exhausting.
‘I have.’
‘And, is there a chance for us in this war?’
Erwin didn’t say a word but was still filling the bottles with the liquid. Edwin knew his brother enough to feel a burden of sadness forming around his head but didn’t dare to ask any more questions.
‘You have been dear to me, brother, I want you to remember it.’ Edwin placed the stone in front of him.
Erwin took the stone and hid it.
‘If all else fails…’ he whispered.
The night was slowly coming to a close.
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