Matthew Nesheim
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Chapter 54: Vevic - Burdens of Leadership
🕑 Added 2023-11-13 18:00:02 +0000 UTCThere was a flash of light, the sound of fire, and a short scream before the charred carcass came tumbling down the steps. Another one, Vevic frowned at the dead goblin as it bounced off the last step and roll to a stop. She turned to the cowering crowd of lackeys behind her. This expedition is becoming expensive.
She was finally taking the time to explore Rumadrane’s catacombs. When she had first taken over this fortress from the lich Ikzurash, she had been too busy organizing her goblins and raiding villages to really put her stamp on the place. Now, however, she had taken command of every goblin tribe in all of Sommerdale (at least those that she knew of) and had capable lieutenants to organize them for her.
She had decided on this on her way back from taking over Aackzor’s tribe. Flying high over the valley while she kept an eye on her growing horde, she had reviewed the check list of things she needed to accomplish in order to keep growing her little kingdom. Rumadrane was growing crowded. She would need to expand soon. Perhaps take over another castle and even a keep or two. She had minions to house and mouths to feed. However, first she had to figure out just what was lurking in the depths below her headquarters.
So here she was, at the head of a small band of mostly expendable goblins with Aackzor acting as her enforcer. It had been mixed results so far. Every room was trapped with something that either sliced, diced, poisoned, burned, or otherwise maimed one of her minions. Which meant that the only thing holding this entire expedition together was the fear that both she and Aackzor instilled in the goblins. They had lost four of the little cretins so far and with two more wounded. Vevic’s patience was wearing thin and she was beginning to wonder if this little project was even worth it.
Never the less, here she was, in her heels and evening gown, standing at the head of a dozen goblins – all scrawny, expendable males – with Aackzor at her side to apply the proper amount of motivation should should anyone balk at her orders.
Vevic frowned at the dead goblin. Whatever had gotten him had melted his skin and burned his eyeballs right out of his skull. At least it was a quick death. It wasn’t that she cared about their suffering, rather, it was simply easier to manage them when the choice was between what might happen in the next room and what Aackzor would do if they didn’t follow orders. So far, the bugbear had proven to be a capable motivator.
She sighed, “Aackzor, send the next one.”
“Alright White Foot,” Aackzor growled. “You’re next and if you don’t hop to it I’m going to skin you alive, pecker first.”
A goblin in a tattered red tunic timidly stepped forward. Stopping briefly to glance down at his dead comrade, the White Foot seemed to steel himself before making his way up the stairs. Vevic watched as the goblin walked into the room and out of her view. A moment later, there was another flash of light and fire and in a blink, White Foot’s carcass was tumbling down the stairs.
As the dead goblin landed next to the first corpse, Vevic turned to Aackzor. “Good grief. What’s going on here? Are they stepping on a button, or something? This can’t be that hard.”
One look at the crowd of cowering goblins told her it was time to investigate for herself. Sometimes a leader had to lead from the front. But only sometimes.
Scaling the steps, she leaned into the doorway to have a good look around. It was a square room with a giant pillar in the middle that was so big it turned the rest of the room into a square hallway. Glancing at the floor, she spotted the trap immediately. A pressure plate. Looking up, she quickly spotted the line of three jets aimed down from the ceiling. Even if she knew how, there was no disarming it. She would have to go around.
The obviousness of the trap annoyed her. Why was she forced to work with such imbeciles? She needed to move up in the world so she could afford better help. Goblins were decent fodder, but that was about it. After rubbing her eyes in frustration, she took a moment to make sure she could stay calm. Yelling isn’t going to help. You’re literally a dragon. Yelling at goblins isn’t going to make them any more brave or intelligent. After another breath, she turned back to face her little band.
“You literally only have to avoid the square little thing on the ground to avoid being burned to death. It’s really not that hard.” In dramatic fashion, she held her arms out for balance as she stepped into the room and around the pressure plate. “All you have to do is step around …”
There was a flash and blast of fire as the three jets ignited in blue flame that engulfed her person and burned away her clothing. Thankfully, her natural draconic resistance to fire prevented the damage. Calm and saying nothing, she stepped off the pressure plate and out of the flame. With a snap of her fingers, she summoned new clothes - a regal, black gown with a gold inlay – and a glass of wine. Taking a moment to have a healthy drink of the wine, she returned to the doorway, only this time she made sure to step on the false pressure plate itself. Sure enough, the flame trap did not trigger.
How clever, she thought. “Alright, I was mistaken. It’s a clever trap. Bring the rest Aackzor. I will show them where to step.”
Through the passageway, they entered a room covered in a carpet of moss and filled with emerald light. Above, Vevic could see a hole in the ceiling where a panel of glass was mounted against the rock. Strange, I don’t remember seeing a hole in the fortress that would lead down here. That, however, was not the strangest thing about the room. No, the strangest thing was the tree. Sitting in the center of the room, a tall oak sat with branches that brushed the ceiling and leaves made of clear glass. Then, to mark the final oddity of the room, a mirror was leaned against the base of the tree.
Behind her, all but Aackzor were cowering in fear, not daring to step foot into the room. Vevic, however, was undeterred. Calmly stepping forward, she walked right up to the looking glass and peered inside of it. At first, the glass simply returned her reflection. However, a moment later, the colors in the glass swirled and changed to show a green field with a burned house. Then it swirled again to show a fortress filled with soldiers and villagers. Swirling again, it showed a river where two mounted knights were riding over a bridge.
She stepped back, rubbed her chin and considered her options. A magic mirror. This can only be useful to me. Turning back to her minions, she said to Aackzor, “Have them take this mirror. We will return to the surface at once.”
