Dominik met with Franderosa, who seemed to notice his arrival from deep within the cave. She smiled warmly and asked, “So did you finish everything? What were you doing?”

  “I was just killing the people who betrayed me. I could destroy the whole kingdom someday, but for now it’s enough. I feel much better.”

  “Yes, it’d be nice not having to worry about my family and the royal court sending assassins after me,” said Fran, “But I’m glad it’s all sorted out for you. My sister being the queen now complicates things. I’d have to go to war with the whole kingdom, even if I killed her it wouldn’t stop, the next queen would just send more people after me.”

  “We could do something about it.” said Dominik.

  “I’m sure you’d be willing to, and I’ve thought about it a lot, but for now we’re so far away, and it’d be such a nightmare, for now I’m fine with disappearing for a few decades, or centuries. I say let them have their traitorous queen, and enjoy a hell of their own making.”

  Dominik had already considered many possibilities as she spoke. “Perhaps we could wage a quiet war in the future, if you’ve thought of something you’d enjoy. I could take any species under contract, and have them disrupt the kingdom.”

  “I’ve never thought of that myself, I mostly thought of using my magic. I’ll keep it in mind. I’ve also thought about earth magic, but even if we managed it, we might end up destroying the whole place. A different approach might be better.” said Fran, still pondering the possibilities.

  “Do you still want to be queen?” asked Dominik, his face unreadable. Even more so than usual.

  “Not really,” Fran responded easily. “I’ve seen what happens to queens in my kingdom. It’s a small minded thing, being in the court. Everyone lies constantly, not even caring if their lies are believable. They simply repeat it over and over again, along with their factions. And they do this in an attempt to get others to believe it. And if they don’t, there’s the threat of force and assassinations.”

  Fran continued. “They’re just shameless liars who never tire of lying and quarrelling over every little thing. For decades, even for centuries. They argue for one policy, then forget they argued for it decades later, and they argue against it. Only small minds could be interested in such things. Or even continue doing it.”

  “I much prefer practicing my magic, reading, and enjoying the simpler things in life. Quiet is preferable to the screeching and lying of the court. Though I wouldn’t mind traveling a bit, I haven’t done much of that.”

  Dominik took in her words. “I agree, though whoever we install in our kingdoms has to be the correct sort of person, there are limits to what you can allow. Ultimately, they can’t really be in charge, just managing the pointless trivialities of the kingdom.”

  “So you’ve thought a lot about this Dominik? I suppose I would prefer the next ruler knows their place, if I should ever get my revenge. But for all I know they’ll all have ended up killing each other before I could do anything myself.”

  “Fran, have you considered changing your kingdom? Maybe freeing the slaves? There’s really no need for such things considering what we can do.”

  Fran smiled again. “You can do whatever you’d like with the kingdom if we could ever take it. I don’t care much about the policies one way or the other, I’d just prefer we don’t destroy the whole kingdom.”

  “I only want to make things better,” said Dominik. “And I’m sure we could. I’d like to wipe out most of the royals and the nobles in my own kingdom, but I have no interest in killing everyone in it.”

  “Well, it will be quite a while until we can do anything in my kingdom Dominik. But for now, how about we get something to eat and you tell me all the details of what you’ve been doing?”

  “That sounds good.” said Dominik, though he of course felt no hunger. “After this, I have one more thing to do. It’s an experiment I’ve been thinking about, ever since I heard about the goblins coming to the area.”

  “Oh, what are you going to do?” asked Fran, as they walked to the dining hall.

  Dominik told her of burning down house Ostragoth, of killing the trainers, and fighting the forces of his kingdom. And then, he told her of his plans for the goblins.

  After Dominik finished talking with Fran and eating a meal, he made his way to the entrance again. He’d left behind his wings and armor, he couldn’t be seen wearing it in the area, not now anyway. He instead took his mask, the mask of the speaker for the dungeon lord. He still wished to act quickly, but he could run to his destination. Thankfully, his rate of acquisition regarding languages seemed to be going more quickly, and he had gained knowledge of the high elven and dark elven invocation languages.

  He had been watching the goblins for days now, or at least keeping track of them. They had migrated to a cave not too far from the mountain, and they hadn’t attacked any towns or villages nearby yet. They seemed injured, clearly they were hiding out in the cave. But there was more movement, there were more scouts and hunters leaving the cave, and going further in their exploration and hunting expeditions. It wouldn’t be long until they discovered the local village, or the town. He had to start moving.

  There were about one hundred and fifty goblins, no young or elderly among them. Dominik ran toward the tribe while wearing his mask. He arrived by nightfall. Goblins being mostly nocturnal creatures, were just beginning to rise.

  Dominik knew enough about goblins, he’d read about them, and his group had wiped out a few tribal groups before. Generally a few goblins would be capable of speaking the main language of whichever land their tribe had settled in. For reconnaissance and for communicating with their captives. With such a small tribe he hoped at least one of the translators had survived whatever fight they had been in.

  Dominik approached the entrance to the cave and closed his eyes. He reached out to the goblins of the cave and spoke to them, finally, one responded. Dominik told the goblin to exit the cave and speak with him, or else he would face the annihilation of his tribe.

  Dominik left and stood in a small clearing not far from the cave, directly in front of it, waiting for the translator. Several goblins came out of the cave, but upon seeing one man, even with the strange appearance, they allowed one among them to go alone, though they kept their spears out in front of them, as if expecting some kind of attack.

  The lone goblin approached him tentatively. The goblin looked up, and the man, along with many crows sitting in the trees, looked down at him. Every instinct the goblin had told him to run, but his duty to his tribe held him steady in the face of this danger. Though he could not bring himself to speak first.

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  “Do you understand my language?” Dominik asked the goblin.

  “Yes.” replied the young man. “I understand you. What is it you want with us, what are you?”

  “I am the dungeon lord of the mountain. And I am the druid of the forest. You have stepped into my territory, and the race of men have called for your execution. But I offer an alternative.”

  The goblin swallowed hard. “How do I know you’re a dungeon lord, and what is the alternative?”

  “I don’t like repeating myself, so I won’t give you the full offer yet. First, I offer you a contract, and the exchange of language. This should also be sufficient proof that I am the dungeon lord.” said Dominik.

  The goblin was shaking, but he stayed himself and responded. “I’ve never heard of this contract, I don’t think I can help you.”

  “All you need to do,” said Dominik. “Is accept my power when I offer it to you. This will form the contract. Then, you must let me learn your language through your mind. If you do this willingly, and through a contract, this will be harmless. Will you accept my offer, or will you doom your people?”

  The goblin looked somewhat panicked, though he had tried not to show it. “It won’t hurt will it?”

  “No.” said Dominik. “After this, I’ll even heal your people, to show you I mean no harm, should you accept to work for me. I’ve seen you come here over the past days, I’ve seen you have many injured among you.”

  The goblin swallowed hard again and spoke after a few moments. “I’ll accept your contract, and I’ll do whatever I can to teach you our language, if you really are a dungeon lord.”

  Dominik didn’t speak, he only offered the contract, and the goblin felt an immense spiritual force pressed against his soul. He let it into him, and allowed the connection to be formed, he accepted this contract the man had offered. And true to his word, it didn’t hurt.

  Dominik finally spoke now that the contract had been formed. “Now, go and tell the others what’s happened, and tell them to bring their injured, then when I’ve healed your tribe, I will learn your language. Then I will make my offer to your tribe.”

  The goblin left and spoke to the guards first, then went into the cave to speak to the others. Soon, other goblins were being brought out, some were badly injured, even missing hands, ears, an eye, or arms. Dominik healed them as others came out. He told the translator to bring everyone, and soon they had all come out, watching him perform his healing magic, watching him heal cuts, and grow back whole limbs. They praised him in their language, though he didn’t understand the meaning yet.

  When he had finished, he spoke to the translator, who had been offering his thanks. “Now, I need you to lie down and allow me to access your knowledge, specifically the knowledge of your language. This will take some time, but it shouldn’t hurt you. But tell your people not to interrupt this ritual I’m about to perform.”

  The goblin conveyed the message, and had the other goblins back up, then laid in the grass waiting for the ritual the man spoke of. Dominik remained standing, but raised a hand over the goblin. He didn’t need to, but he did it to show the other goblins he was performing this sort of ritual he had told them about. Hopefully they wouldn’t interrupt him.

  After some time, Dominik had finished, he would now have mastery over their language, and he gave it a try after telling the goblin he was finished in Gothik. “Can you understand me?” He asked in their language.

  The goblin responded. “Yes, you speak it perfectly. You really can learn a language just from reading our minds. It’s incredible.”

  “Yes, and now I offer all of you an ultimatum.” said Dominik, speaking more loudly. The other goblins gathered around to listen to what he said.

  “There is a writ of execution for your people, and if your people are left alone, you will be executed, if not by me, then by the guild. If you were to flee and continue on as you are however, your people would be wiped out regardless. Are you all aware of what’s become of your race?”

  The goblins looked at one another, and eventually one of them spoke up. “You mean that we weren’t always like this, that we used to have women and children of our own? We have stories of the times before this, dungeon lord.”

  “Yes, and I’ve read much on your people’s history,” said Dominik. “It’s believed there was a time, long ago, that your people had not taken on the traits of other races, that your own race could birth young women, and existed on their own. That you were more advanced than all of this, that you weren’t just raiders attacking other races for your people’s survival.”

  Dominik continued. “You seem to transfer most of your lineage through whichever race you’ve taken, and the birth cycles are unreasonably fast, but a bit of the other races are always passed down, and eventually, there won’t be anything of your people left. You won’t be goblins, merely cursed people forced to attack the other races for your survival. But there will be nothing of you at some point, perhaps in just a few centuries. That’s true for your tribe, and for all other goblins. But I offer you an alternative.”

  The goblin who had spoken over the others spoke yet again over the whispers of the other goblins. “You can restore our people to what we once were? How?”

  “If you all accept my contract, I can alter your bodies physically, even your bloodline. I can remove whatever is causing you to only produce males. Then, I can create grown women, adults made with purely goblin blood, pure from the other races stored within your blood. Though I cannot create a soul for them.”

  “That’s impossible.” said another goblin, who had not yet spoken to Dominik.

  “I’ve done it already. I created this body. I’ve created others. I’ve created artificial souls to perform basic functions, biological functions such as breathing and eating. But I can’t create a real soul. If children are made from you and a biological woman of your race however, perhaps they can be imbued with a soul.”

  “What do you get out of this? Why are you going so far to help our tribe?” asked the first goblin.

  “Well, first, I get residents of my dungeon. But I also get the chance to try saving an entire race that seems to have been doomed by an evil god. To rebuke a deity, even a lesser deity such as the one that did this to your people, and to bring your race back to its former glory, that is a test of my power.”

  “But I won’t offer it for free. First I will build a city for your people in the dungeon. Then I will build you all rooms. If I can change you, and break this alteration on your people, then I will create your wives. And if your children have true souls, then we will have succeeded, and they will be allowed freedom into the rest of the dungeon when they’ve grown up fully.’

  “But you will not be able to leave this city. You will be kept there not just for the safety of the other residents, and the other people outside the dungeon, but as penance. As part of this penance, and for the future of your own people, and your tribe, you will take care of your children and your wives for the rest of your days, all of you.’

  “You all grow much more.. Quickly than other races, but your lives have likely been shortened as a result of this. Your wives may take months to grow your children, and your children may take many years to grow into young adults, as opposed to the few years you’re used to. So by the time your children have grown you will most likely be elderly. But your people will have reclaimed their true forms.”

  “Keep in mind, that even if you were to all try and turn against me now, you would be unlikely to defeat me, even alone as I am. Even if you destroyed the body you see before you, I would create another. If you choose to join my dungeon however, I will use my power to protect your children, no one will ever make it deep enough to kill your offspring. Nor would they, or any of your people be able to destroy the walls I will create around them.”

  Dominik turned and took a few steps from the goblins he was speaking to, then turned and faced them yet again. “Step forward if you wish to join me. If you wish to continue as you have been, then leave.”

  After a few moments the men of their tribe started walking forward. Just a few at first, then eventually all of them had stepped forward. The first goblin spoke again. “To live as we have been is worse than any penance you offer us. None of us will leave, we would do anything for the continuation of our people’s existence. That is the only thing that kept us going forward for all of these generations.”

  “Then I will offer each of you a contract, and when you’ve all accepted, I’ll lead you to the dungeon.”