Whatever had caused the floor to collapse had happened long before. What was left was a hole in the floor that was not immediately apparent – until Thiery walked off into space without looking in time to see the opening.
"Here!" Illa called out, "Thiery's fallen through the floor!" She crept forward and looked down. What she saw in the dimness below caused her to jump into the opening as well. Mother's shadow flitted past overhead as she overtook them, seeking to find the main hall if she could.
Mother needed to know how many queens there might be here. She didn't think there were all that many, given the state of the place. She just needed to know in case she had to step in to help, since the number of queens were a rough guide to the strength and power of the king and his ogres.
She tried to think of a number that might be a problem for Tobias and her daughters if things went badly. If there were more than twelve, she decided, then she'd wade in, as it was Tobias' first real fight. If he won this, he could move up to facing multiple demons alone. Goblins weren't hard to kill, but they moved quickly and very erratically.
That's why they were so good to practice with.
Thiery found himself in a chamber full of very surprised goblins. In fact, he'd landed on the back of one of them and sliding off, he swung his axe at one leg and dodged as the thing fell over. His left hand met his right on the haft of the axe as he reversed the blade around to cleave deeply into the goblin's head with an overhead strike. He was amazed at how deeply the blade of the axe had gone and the effort that it took to free it. The other goblins in the room pulled back in startled shock until they'd gotten a look at the diminutive fighter in their midst.
Thiery wrenched the axe free and turned but by that time, he no longer fought alone. Illa spread her wings and wheeled around, tearing at the eyes and faces of several as she passed shrieking like a banshee.
Thiery had grown some and changed a little in his appearance, but he'd changed more inside himself and had no time at the moment to wonder or think on it. He was just a little taller than most of the smaller goblins now, though he lacked the bulk of any that were larger. He more than made up the difference with adrenaline once he saw Illa there with him. He had a battle axe. By comparison, she had her fingernails. Thiery didn't like it one bit.
He tore into them.
The last semblance of order evaporated as Racephet and Zele landed after Illa's entrance. The demon went in one direction and the hellhound ripped into the panicked goblins jammed into the other entrance, all trying unsuccessfully to get out. Thiery and Illa took the ones still in the room. A minute or so later, the room was silent, but for the heavy breaths of Zele as she came back to them slowly along the pathway.
Illa and Thiery looked around while a dying goblin on the floor twitched weakly as his throat artery sprayed its last few pulses. Illa looked at her wet nails for a moment.
"That was a bit of fancy work," she grinned over at Thiery, "How did ye manage that? " She mimicked the reversal and overhead swing that she'd seen the kobold perform, "I saw ye do that just as I came through."
He shrugged, "I dunno, Illa. I never thought of it, I just did it," he said, picking up a sword and a dagger from the floor. He offered them to Illa.
She slapped her hand over one of his pectoral muscles with a smile, "Never ye mind, Handsome. I'm likin' what I see, so keep doin' it."
She took the dagger and held it in one hand, her thumb over the pommel and the blade along her forearm. She smiled at the kobold, "Yer nae done growin', I think, Theiry, look at yer arms. Either that, or yer lookin' a wee bit bigger te me somehow."
The kobold looked, but he saw no difference. What he saw and felt were his arms still trembling from the adrenaline. He shrugged with a smile.
Racephet returned, "Nothing but collapsed stonework that way."
They looked at Zele, covered in gore as she spat. She looked up, "More this way."
They were just about to file out of the room when three more goblins jumped through the hole from above. Zele took one by the throat and Thiery claimed two more in quick succession. Illa couldn't believe what she'd seen. Thiery had planted his feet and just paused long enough after killing the first with one blow to the neck to wrench out his axe and hook the bottom of the blade into the shoulder of the second to pull him onto the sword in his other hand.
Racephet looked astounded for an instant, but he recovered quickly, "I did not teach you that," he said.
Thiery grinned with a nod, "I think ye meant tae."
Racephet nodded with a smile.
They looked up as Toby called down, "Those were the last up here. What the hell are these things?"
"They're goblins," Illa shrugged as she looked up at him.
"Aye, goblins." Thiery nodded, "Why de ye ask. Laird?"
"I dunno," he said, "They look like orcs to me. I thought goblins were the same thing, but smaller or something."
"Orcs?" Thiery looked confused, "Is that what they call 'em where ye're from?"
"Yeah – I mean no," Toby said, "I've never seen any. I only know what I've read in books and seen in a movie."
Thiery shook his head at Toby, "I've no idea what ye're talkin' about, Laird Tobias. I've seen books before, but what's a movie? And anyway, ye even said they was the same things. How can they be different if they're the same?"
"From what I read," Toby said, "Orcs are the same thing, but a bigger kind of goblin. Stronger, too."
"Well they come in different sizes," Illa said in explanation with her hands on her hips in a no-nonsense way, "They get stronger and meaner the bigger they get. Pick a size that suits ye."
