The Dark Lord and his new demon companion left the dungeon alongside Guglak, ascending the long staircase back into the main castle. Zal’Rodal yelled at the goblins he saw, interrupting their activities and commanding them to follow him. He was planning to follow Guglak’s advice and prepare an ambush for the approaching adventurer’s. Nighttime was approaching and the goblins would be nearly invisible in the dark, this combined with a forest unknown to any living creature for the past decades made it the perfect place for an ambush.
“Come on everyone, we have some adventurers to ambush,” Zal’Rodal yelled as he entered the windswept courtyard of the castle. He did not intend to lose to some random adventurers a second time in less than a week “Yes, bring your bows, and swords,” he replied to some of the goblins' questions, “No, do not bring that giant boulder, what are you even planning to do with that?” he answered to a group of goblins who were trying to drag a boulder along with them twice their own size. He never figured out what they intended to do with that boulder.
Zal’Rodal and fifty of his most self-proclaimed fearsome goblins left the castle and headed into the woods, they followed some of their scouts that had spotted the adventurers. Once they reached a suitable spot, with enough trees and foliage to cover them but still far enough from the castle to not make an attack too expected they waited. The adventurers were sure to come this way, it was impossible to miss the plume of smoke rising from the castle’s many campfires. The goblins spread out to be sure that nobody could pass by them unnoticed. Goblin eyes were particularly well adjusted to the dark, perhaps their one redeeming feature.
They did not have to wait long for the adventurers to arrive at the scene of the impending ambush. They heard them first, trying to whisper quietly amongst themselves. “Are you sure they went this way?” a male voice asked, “it’s getting quite late, maybe we should go back.”
“Don’t be so scared Will, it’s just a couple of goblins. We already took care of most of them around here a couple of days ago, and that wasn’t really a challenge now, was it?” a second voice answered.
“We should get to them soon, I saw them run in the direction of the smoke,” a woman’s voice answered, “be quiet now, maybe I can hear them before we get ambushed.”
“Ambushed?” the second voice laughed, “what are they going to do? Try to throw another giant boulder at us?”
At this point, Zal’Rodal caught sight of the adventuring party, and a smile spread across his face. It was the same four evildoers that had attacked him and incinerated him inside his last hideout. He could see his goblins growing nervous, they were fidgeting with their bowstrings, unaccustomed to the feeling of only attacking when ordered. Zal’Rodal himself felt he should be holding something himself, he forgot to take one of the goblin swords with him, although he supposed he could just rob it of one of his minions. As he thought of a blade he noticed Migaal scurry down his arm and disappear in a small plume of smoke, moments later he held an elegant black blade in his hand, with a set of bead-like eyes staring at him from the pummel, “this should be better than your fists,” the ferret’s voice spoke from within the blade.
It was time for vengeance, he raised his hand so that the goblins could see him and then pointed at the adventurers. A moment later he heard the twanging of bowstrings and the hissing of arrows through the air as they struck the adventurers. The attack was performed masterfully if it wasn’t for the fact that goblins were miserable shots. Most of the arrows had missed their mark entirely, however, both their leader the swordsman and the mage were struck with various projectiles though none lethal. Zal’Rodal was about to order a second volley before realising that most of the goblins had dropped their bows and started rushing towards their foes.
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The first goblins that approached were immediately treated in kind by a returning volley of arrows. Four of the goblins were struck by the goose-feathered shaft before they even reached the adventurers. “I told you all to be quiet!” the archer yelled, “But you never listen! Defend us while Lyra prepares a spell and we can be done with this.” The leader of the adventurers rushed to meet the approaching goblins, his movements were slowed by the arrows sticking out of his legs but he was accustomed to such wounds. The first goblin that faced him was immediately sliced in half as it tried to slash at the adventurer. The swordsman would have persevered if the amount of goblins had been smaller or perhaps if he had stayed close to his group. However, he now found himself surrounded by Zal’Rodal’s minions. The goblin hacked at him from all sides as he tried to defend himself unsuccessfully. Three goblins jumped his legs causing him to collapse onto the earth and be overwhelmed by the green horde.
Zal’Rodal followed the goblins' strategy and charged at the adventurers. An arrow whistled past his head. The archer had enough time for one last shot before she switched to her shortsword to meet the approaching goblins. The spearman and archer crowded around their mage who was still reading an incantation between ragged breaths. The arrow in her side made speaking calmly rather challenging. Zal’Rodal charged at the spearman, he dodged the first thrust and swung his own blade to knock the spear aside. Using the full weight of his body he rammed into the spearman causing him to tumble backwards into the mage. As they both fell to the ground the mage released her spell incinerating a group of goblins where they stood. “Take them prisoner!” Zal’Rodal yelled as more goblins crowded around the adventurers grabbing at them. They yelled for help from their archer who was not able to withstand the goblin horde with just a shortsword.
The mage looked on in horror as one of the goblins grabbed her wand and proceeded to blast himself across the forest with it. The fighting was over as quickly as it had begun. They had taken three of the adventurers prisoner and killed their leader. The only price to pay were goblin lives which were easily replaced by any standard. Still, there were far too many casualties considering the ease of the operation. He needed to find someone to teach the goblins how to use their bows properly if he wanted them to be effective. Perhaps the captured archer would be willing to teach them in exchange for her freedom, or treasure. Everyone knew adventurers were greedy creatures.
The goblins tied up the prisoners with ropes and bound them to large sticks before lifting them up and dragging them off towards the castle. Recruiting the adventurer scum certainly didn’t seem like such a bad idea. It certainly wasn’t unheard of. Adventurers could be split into two categories those who only motivated themselves through fame and glory and the killing of innocent goblins and those who wanted money. Regardless as of this moment, he had no money to pay them and he didn’t want to offer up any more of his goblins to make them feel good about themselves.
First, he would leave the adventurers as prisoners inside the dungeon and put Guglak in charge of overseeing them, he was the most well-adjusted goblin in his retinue after all. Then he would have to find a way to convince the adventurers to join him. As they walked back towards the castle he saw one of his goblins appear out of the woods holding the mage's wand above his head, “I fly, I fly,” it yelled and before it could blast itself across the woods again Zal’Rodal took the wand him. The Dark Lord then kicked the goblin hard enough for it could experience flight again.
