38 Dramatic Introductions (2/2)

The trio of deer consisted of two zombified deer and the single skeletal deer. The skeletal creature was at the front, its intelligence-filled eye sockets watching and waiting for one of the goblins to try and attack either of its allies. It was an unnecessary but appreciated move on the thing's part and I made a mental note to thank it later.

The goblins, seemingly being quite skittish creatures, were paralyzed with indecision and fear. They all silently studied the trio of shambling corpses, and many backed away from where they were standing, but none of them approached the creatures.

I chuckled as I watched this display. I allowed it to occur for a few more seconds, before stepping forward to show myself to the goblins.

I took a few steps and moved close enough to the goblins that the tiny creatures could see me. And that caused them to actually begin to panic.

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The moment I stepped into view, displaying my odd form, the community of pint-sized pipsqueaks visibly reacted to me. Panicked voices filled the air around us and began to shout commands at each other, including ones that contradicted each other. As I watched this an annoyed frown formed on my face.

The panic occurred and even intensified for a few seconds since I was approaching and hadn't been deterred by the frightened reactions my appearance was causing. The intensification of the panic probably had to do with the fact that I wasn't scared to approach the tiny and cowardly creatures.

The encampment was a mess, even before my creatures and I showed up. The place existed, was clearly visible, and had inhabitants, but there was little to no organization of the tents, weapons, waste, and other detritus were strewn carelessly about, and few of the goblins had any sort of preparedness to address my companions and me.

The stags were able to calmly walk into the encampment, aided by my sudden appearance causing any goblins who may have otherwise had time to react to be further frightened and unable to form a coherent strategy that may have repelled us.

I took a few long steps, listening with annoyance as the goblins clashed and were unable to prevent me from entering their encampment. It was clear that they had no meaningful defensive strategy and no tools with which to repel invaders.

That was precisely when the first goblin to exit the chamber, the little goblin named Hagitha, poked her red-skinned head out of the hole. She had a cute face, with large green eyes, a hawkish nose, prominent cheekbones, and shockingly pretty electric yellow hair. She was clinging to the ladder leading out of the hole and hurling herself upwards at a truly shocking speed, which caused her to be too distracted to gain a real awareness of the fearful atmosphere of the encampment.

The encampment was in chaos while Hagitha threw herself upwards so that she may meet the bizarre creature who fed her a magical fruit once. As the woman was clearing the final rungs of the ladder, a pair of goblins actually managed to draw their bows and aim them at me. I could feel a wave of mental hostility coming from my undead servants and worshipers aimed at the goblins bold enough to raise a weapon in my direction.

I chuckled, noting that if nothing else the goblins were capable of mustering up the courage to defend themselves eventually. And then I willed the earth to lash out at the goblins who had taken arms against me by compelling the soil at the feet of the two goblins to soften to the point that the goblins began to sink into it.

The two goblins who were quick enough on their feet to attempt to threaten me were shocked and scared as they felt the grass they were standing on top of sink into the earth underneath them, an instant before their feet sank into the earth that was supposed to be beneath them.

It was enough to knock them off-balance, so when they sank for a single second I willed the earth to resolidify with their feet stuck in it, preventing them from aiming at my followers and me, without actually harming them.

This was when Hagitha successfully finished hurling herself out of the mouth of the hole around which the encampment was situated, and took stock of the situation in front of her. And she summarized the whole situation somewhat eloquently.

A look of bewilderment etched itself onto her face as she uttered a single, expressive word. ”Shit.”