13 Goblin Cave
1586 Words
The Chief's name was Kazzuk. He had warpaint on his face, three stripes of red, and a headdress of chicken feathers tied in a ragged knot. It looked ridiculous to Janus. There were a dozen other goblins around him aside from Adduk. They were armed with short spears and clubs and spiked maces and axes. Janus didn't doubt that these could hurt him if he got to the wrong end of it, but they were so tiny that he wanted to have some for himself.
"Here he is my friends, Princey is now in the hole! Our winter is saved! Muzza!"
"Muzza!" cried the others in return.
"It's been a pleasure meeting you Kazzuk." Janus said.
"Why are you smiling princey? Do you not fear us?" one of the bigger goblins said, he had a larger build than the rest. Stocky instead of lanky and had thicker shoulders. His spear was thicker and longer than the others." He attempted to poke Janus but was held back by Kazzuk.
"Stop it Hakkar, we need Princey alive." The goblin chief said.
"We are not here to give any pleasantries to you Princey! We are here for your gold! And your food! That or you will die! Muzza!"
"Muzza!" Cried the others in unison.
"All of your harvest for the winter, and all of your gold in exchange for your life. They will give this yes?" Kazzuk asked.
"I'm not too sure about that." Said Janus.
"Oh oh they will, we will send proof that you are here with us in the flesh. Now, write this letter and we will send it to your big house." Kazzuk handed something to Adduk. It was the storybook of Alfred Thachett. Adduk tore through its pages and handed Janus something that resembled a pen.
Damn it, that book cost 150 CP! And I'm struggling to get some more!
The goblins untied his hands and forced him to write the ransom letter. Kazzuk instructed him what to write, and write he did. But he couldn't help but marvel at the pen that was given to him.
Back in the Manor, the Stewards would write using ink bottles and quills. Janus wasn't very much accustomed to this style and it hurt his hand quite quickly so he left all of the writing to the Stewards and their assistants. But somehow the goblins managed to make a pen that combined both ink and bottle. It was a solid metal tube topped with a heavy cube at the top to house the ink. The ink slowly flowed through the tube and was directed to the tip with a ballpoint. Janus realized that these so-called savage subspecies were capable engineers.
"Hey, princey! Princey write quickly! Dark is coming!" Kazzuk said.
"Oh sorry. I just want to know Kazzuk, where did you get this?"
"Oh that? Adduk's work. It was something Lord Padro-- hey no more questions. Are you done writing as I ask?"
"Ah yes, I have written what you said." He handed over the piece of paper to Kazzuk, torn straight out of the pages of his book. The terms were simple, Janus would be returned to them in exchange for the season's harvest and all of the gold in the Manor. He tried so hard to write along the margins of the page. He was writing at the same pages that detailed the goblin war.
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Although Janus was a little worried at his own fate, he had confidence that Arthan and the guards could handle it without any problem. If anything he was more curious than worried.
Janus was amazed at all the goblin contraptions that were inside the cavern. There was a station to sharpen tools. A round sharpening stone rotated via a pedal at the bottom. There was a station where they could make rope, a rotating crank was used to weave together threads of fiber. Their furnace was controlled by levers and gears.
Their hammocks acted like a ferry's wheel, which would go around to the ceiling via a series of gears and pulleys. Goblins couldn't reach the higher areas, so they would ride on a hammock on the lower floor and Adduk would manually turn the mechanism so that the other goblins could reach their beds. It made for a very comfortable sleeping arrangement for them.
Janus also couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that there was a centralized heating system inside the cave. A small fireplace was installed right at the corner of the cave where wood and hot coals were placed. The heating would reach the edges of the cave via a piping mechanism that would regulate the temperature. These were constructed of carved stone and bits of junk metal.
Suddenly Janus came upon a crazy idea. But first, he needed to know more.
His bed was on the ground floor, as he was too big to fit in the goblin ferry's wheel. Adduk was just a few steps beside him. Janus wasn't tied up at this point, except for a chain around his ankles that was connected to the base of the wall. He approached Adduk, who was still working at his station when all the others were asleep.
Adduk didn't seem like the aggressive type, in fact, Janus could see himself in the little goblin. He preferred working in his little workbench. He was tinkering on some new tools and inventions at his own little corner of the cave. He didn't carry any weapons like the others. Instead, he had a toolbelt of lenses and small hammers and carving knives. He also had a smelting area where he refurbished larger bits of junk metal. Metal that looked like it came from--
"Hey Adduk." Janus asked.
"Yes, princey?" Adduk said, without looking away at his work.
"Where did you get all of this junk metal?"
"Goblins stole it from the farmey."
"From my farm?"
"Yes of course, farmey has many iron goodies." Adduk said, with the same tone as someone saying that there was candy at the candy store.
He had read that goblins were best at prospecting for gold and other minerals. But Thachett's story added a little more detail. Goblins were also inventors. The designs may look crude and sometimes stupid, but they all worked.
Janus was looking at a savant inventor.
"Why are you all here? Aren't goblins supposed to be living away from human civilization or something?"
"Yes Princey, my mother Mizzam used to lived in the mountains and Fjords. Back with the tribes of the Porruk range, but Adduk was born in a manor just like yours. Adduk was a slave serving for Lord Pandor. Chiefy Kazzuk led an escape and here we are hiding in this cave. With the help of your ransom, we can now eat through the winter."
Janus slumped to the rocky floor.
At this point Janus didn't mind that he was being kidnapped, or that the goblins were stealing from his tools and his crops. These creatures were also victims of an unfair system in this land. Janus was determined to find a way out without having anyone get hurt.
Janus pried more information from the goblin. The goblin didn't seem to mind, all Adduk wanted to do was create. He was happy to answer any question that Janus asked him.
The cave was a few feet deep and just two hills away from where Janus had been reading. They had been here for a few months and came out to hunt and to collect materials for their survival. They had been inspecting the property a lot recently. They noticed the upsurge in production of crops, so they kept coming back, stealing whatever they can from tools to smaller livestock. In between these excursions they heard that the prince has in the manor, and the serfs spoke highly of him. Perhaps if they could capture the prince, they could exchange him for a huge ransom.
No wonder the manor had been running out of tools! He had heard of a few reports of goblins stealing food here and there, but nobody would admit to getting their own equipment stolen. They would have been punished by the overseers for being outsmarted by a few lowly creatures.
"Thank you princey for going outside alone." Said Adduk.
"Uhh... you're welcome." Janus said. Adduk was too precious for this world.
Then some crazy idea came to Janus. Perhaps it would just work, if only he still had his club. If only he could pry open the hatch and get out. If only there was someone here who would not mind at all. Perhaps give him what he needed.
"Uhh Adduk, that crowbar. It looks really well made. Can I take a look at it?"
"What is this crow...bar?" Adduk asked. Tilting his head.
"That one." Janus pointed to an iron tool in the back wall.
"Oh this one, yes the pry-heavies Adduk used this to move big rocks. Here, have a look." Adduk handed the it to Janus.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn't straight at all and had imperfections in the metal, but it should be enough to get him out of his chains and possibly open the hatch.
The rest of the goblins were fast asleep, but he knew that Hakkar was on watch outside. He had to be careful.
Janus slowly crept to his corner and used the crowbar to break the link connected to the rock. It gave away after a few tugs.
Now he had to walk towards the hatch, wherever that was.
He slowly crept towards the light. Hoping that none of the goblins would hear. Adduk glanced at him momentarily, and then went back to his work.
Janus slowly crept towards the light and found a set of rope ladders leading to a hatch on the roof.
- Writer
