64 Assessing the Situation (1/2)
Rushed footsteps could be heard throughout the walls of the inner palace and it was impossible to escape the worried murmurs of the guards and servants. Eventually, there was a hurried knock on a massive set of wooden doors.
”Enter and explain yourself,” a feminine voice called out from the other side.
Quickly, the doors were pulled open from the inside and a goblin guard in studded leather armor entered the main hall. ”Your highness, problems continue to escalate beyond our control.”
”What do you mean, 'beyond our control?' Just send more troops to face the invaders,” barked the queen.
”Another problem has arisen, my queen,” replied the guard, shrinking back like he was begging for mercy. ”We've found many dead guards within the inner palace.”
”What!?”
”Please, have mercy with this servant and his inability to serve you properly.” The guard dropped to his knees and bowed his head as he pled. ”We are beginning to investigate the dead bodies immediately but we've yet to find who it was that killed them.”
The queen's breathing was growing heavy, whether it was from worry or rage it was unclear. ”Tell me, how did they die?”
Hearing the queen calm down, the guard let out a deep sigh. ”They were all slain by a knife, either a slit across the throat or through the back of the neck.”
”Hmm, it was probably that hunter. I was wondering where the rest had gone,” deduced the queen. ”So that hunter wants to play… It's been a while since I've had a worthy playmate.”
”Please my queen, just remain in here for the remainder of the investigation. We're shorthanded due to the battle with the samurais, but we'll soon scour the palace and find him. That we can guarantee.”
”Oh, you can guarantee?” The queen started to chuckle lightly when she heard the guard's promise. ”If you can guarantee his capture so easily, then why aren't you bringing him to me right now?”
”Your highness, we were so focused on preparing reinforcements against the samurai that we were careless and—”
”You've already promised it, so I expect to see you drag that hunter through these doors within the day. If you can't fulfill your promise, then you'll face the consequences,” said queen, who was devilishly smiling behind the canopy.
”I—”
”Thank you for your bravery; I can't wait to see how that hunter begs for mercy after you drag him to me.”
The guard coughed and swallowed some saliva before he finally muttered, ”Y-yes my queen.” Shaky and nervous, that goblin guard turned and started to exit.
Suddenly, more footsteps were heard from the other side of the large wooden doors. Before the guards by the doors could react, the doors were swung open by what looked to be two goblin captains who immediately spoke up, ”Pardon the intrusion your highness, but this is—”
”Never enter my throne room uninvited!” The lullaby, feminine voice somehow became hoarse and gravelly.
”Please your highness, this matter is very—”
”On your knees!” commanded the queen. ”You are goblin captains but that is worth nothing before me. Rules are rules; on your knees!”
One captain quickly dropped to his knees and bowed his head, fully willing to submit at the drop of a hat. The other captain stepped forward to try and calm the enraged queen, ”Please, we must hurry—”
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”Hmph!” grunted the queen, interrupting the captain. ”I said kneel, you worthless servant! At least one of you has a brain. You, you may speak.” The queen didn't point but everyone understood that she wanted the one standing to shut up and listen to the other obedient captain.
”Yes, your highness,” said the second captain, still keeping his head to the floor in respect for the queen. ”Another problem has presented itself within the city.”
”I already know about the deaths in the outer palace,” said the queen.
”Yes, but there is a third issue that has presented itself, and it's by far the worst of them all,” clarified the captain.
”The worst of them all? How so?” the queen had a trace of unease in her voice.
”A Hell-flame Fox has been spotted within the city.”
That sentence brought a heavy silence to the room. The goblin captain waited a few seconds before he continued, ”Currently, the large firefox is rampaging through the city. We have no way of deciphering its strength or its origin.”
”Just like the legends…” whimpered the guard from before. He was shaken by the sudden entrance of the captains and even more so by the news they carried. ”No one has ever survived hell's flames…”
”My queen, we ask permission to leave the palace and confront this beast,” the first captain spoke up, taking advantage of the silence.
The queen remained silent, pondering the situation heavily. She faced three very serious threats that seemed to escalate every time. Cursing her bad luck, she was reluctant to say anything.
”My queen, may we confront this beast?” repeated the first captain.