NOVEL NEXT Conversation
As Lilith approached the village, she started to realize a few problems with her plan.
Most importantly, how she planned to get Gorse into the village. There might be some entrance aside from the main one, but she’d never really taken the time to explore and find out. Luckily, she had an easy way to contact someone who did.
I’m not sure if I’m close enough yet, but I can try.
- - -
Inside the village, Amelia had resumed some embroidery, Amanda having gone to sleep after her food. As she added yet another stitch to a design of the flowers she saw Lilith make earlier, she heard Lilith’s voice in her head, temporarily startling her and making her accidentally prick herself.
You there?
Shit!
Oh, what happened?
Sorry, you just startled me and I pricked myself with a needle.
My bad. Anyway, how’ve you been? What’s the situation back at the village?
Well, my sister’s back, along with Milo and all the other captives. Unfortunately, the knight who returned with them asked me some questions about you and Kass.
Ah. What’d they ask?
About how I knew you, and where your and Kass’s magic came from. I hid the fact that I have magic, and just told them that Kass ‘gained power’ somehow.
Nice quick thinking. Anyway, I’m nearing the village now, and I was wondering if there are any… side entrances?
Why?
Well, a lot of stuff happened during the raid, and, to make a long story short… I’m trying to sneak a goblin into the village to heal them?
Make that short story slightly longer. I’m going to need an explanation if you want my help.
Okay. So, the main thing that happened was the appearance of this giant wyrm. Do you know what those are?
What, like an earthworm? We have earthworms here, you know.
No, like ‘wyrm’ w-y-r-m. It was like a giant snake-thing with super hard scales.
No, I’ve never heard of those before.
Ah. Well, the thing about this wyrm was that it appeared by… more or less draining the blood from all the goblins. Kass managed to take it down, but investigation after the fact revealed that almost every goblin in the camp was dead, and most of them bloodless.
You said ‘almost’ every goblin. I assume that the one you’re trying to sneak in is still alive?
Yeah. She’s lost a lot of blood, but she’s still alive… for now. I used up all my MP healing everyone else, so I was hoping we could either use some of your milk, either for restoring my MP or more direct healing.
She?
Yeah- when I met this goblin, she was the only one who really talked. The others pretty much just screamed, which was especially weird considering they talked last time I was at the camp.
You understand goblin tongue?
It’s a magic thing, but yeah. So, I asked her some questions, and it turned out that we had met previously- I had used my magic on her when I escaped the camp. That ended up meaning she was the only one who wasn’t controlled by this ‘darkness’ she talked about.
What darkness?
According to Gorse- That’s her name, Gorse- a while back, some strange dark energy began controlling the goblins. I think that dark energy was what drove them to attack and kidnap villagers, and it eventually manifested itself as the wyrm. I was hoping I could ask her some more questions, but she’s unconscious right now and if she dies of blood loss then we’ll never get answers.
Ah. Well, there’s a few side entrances, but you’d still have to explain where she came from eventually, and I think that’d be easier if you don’t sneak her inside right now. I think Milo’s near the entrance; if you explain the situation to him, he should help you out.
Yeah, maybe. I’m just worried about any of the other villagers.
They’ve seen you use magic, and you were already planning to explain things to them later. If you can get this goblin inside, I’ll help heal her, and then you can figure out what to say to everyone when they return.
Alright. Thanks for helping me.
No problem.