Jeff Inlo - Pure Choice

As Okyiq wailed in absolute anguish, the surrounding goblins stared in disbelief. It appeared as if their leader was being consumed by magical fire, a flame of glory that caused the enormous goblin unimaginable pain. If their formidable leader could suffer in such a manner, they could only envision what they might endure if the blazing blade fell upon their own vulnerable bodies.

Unwilling to face such a fate, every goblin within Burbon raced toward the gate. They rushed forward, dropping their sacks, many even dropping their simple weapons. They wished only for the sanctuary of the forest and to free their ears of the horrible screams of their suddenly abandoned leader.

When the last goblin fled through the gate, Ryson pulled his sword from Okyiq's skin but held the sharpened tip menacingly toward the large goblin's face. The delver had a prisoner, one of great value.

With the raid over, Ryson's curious nature bubbled to life. Questions erupted upon his consciousness. He considered everything he faced on that turbulent evening, and he wanted answers.

"Why did you attack?"

Okyiq looked with grave misgivings at the point of the glowing blade, but he found the inner strength to ignore the question. He turned his stare to the delver and remained in stony silence. He did not wish to face the searing pain of the sword again. He would rather slit his own throat, but he despised the delver and would not submit to the demand.

Ryson ignored the monster's resolve. He realized the first question was too obvious. He saw the sacks, many lying around the large goblin, dropped by nearly a dozen goblins that decided to retreat without their leader. The delver could smell the contents, and so, he knew the creature was there to steal food. With questions still feeding his curiosity, Ryson turned his attention to the rest of the night's commotion.

"Did you send the rogues?" Ryson demanded in a voice just above a whisper, and he watched the monster carefully.

Okyiq had not known about the river rogues, but it did not surprise him. He was well aware that something had invoked the fear of the humans, something pressed them into greater concern. From the delver's question, he finally knew what forced the odd human behavior even before his raid began.

Ryson immediately noticed the goblin's sinister smile, but it only confused him further. It was not surprise or denial he sensed within the expression of the monster, but something more akin to sly satisfaction, as if Ryson had unwillingly revealed a secret. The reaction served to elevate the delver's curiosity.

"What do you know about the rogues?!"

Okyiq said nothing. He held up his chin in pure defiance, stared into the eyes of the delver with pure hatred.

Ryson feigned a light jab, but never touched the goblin with his glowing blade. He made the threat of his sword clear as he stared back with equal determination to learn the truth.

The bulky goblin did not even flinch. Okyiq inflated his chest as he snarled in total defiance. He would not answer.

Frustration exploded in the delver's mind. He knew he couldn't force the goblin to speak, but he wanted answers, needed answers. He decided if he could not compel the monster to respond to threats, perhaps he could persuade it… with the right incentive.

"Answer my questions and I'll release you into the forest," Ryson offered.

At that very moment, Sy appeared as he turned the corner of a nearby street. Despite the rain splattering in his face and the mud slowing his step, he moved with obvious authority to the delver's side.

"You have no right to make that offer!"

The delver did not take his eyes off the monster, but he recognized the voice. His expression revealed surprise at the rebuke. The goblin was his prisoner, and he felt he could do with it as he wished.

Sy did not even wait for Ryson to debate the issue. He made his point clear.

"That's a prisoner of Burbon. What happens to him is not up to you."

Okyiq kept his face turned to Ryson-still daring the quick handed delver to pierce him with the dreaded sword-but he took several quick glances toward the approaching soldier. He didn't care for the tone of the human, disliked the words even more. The delver had offered a chance at freedom, something Okyiq might have accepted, but that offer had been quickly withdrawn. Still, the goblin was smart enough to sense a conflict he could possibly manipulate for his own benefit.

"The offer has been made and I accept!" the hulking goblin declared.

"There is no offer!" Sy growled. He shouted an order up to the nearest tower. "Signal the cavalry at the western gate. Send them out into the hills to disburse those goblin archers. Have them cut off as many of the raiders as they can. I want prisoners."

The signal guard immediately sent the message, but then followed with a report from what he could see on his elevated platform.

"Most of the goblins have already passed through the hills. Only a few of their archers are still firing at the wall. They must think the raid is over."

Sy nodded and turned his attention to the large goblin still facing Ryson's glowing sword.

"They won't all get away. I'll get the information I need from the prisoners I capture. You're staying here."

Realizing that he faced the human with unmistakable authority, Okyiq decided to make one last grasp for freedom.

"You can ask them all you want, human, but they don't know what I know. I lead. They follow."

"Which is exactly why I'm not letting you go. You think I'm going to let you back out there and lead them on another raid? Not going to happen."

And then, Okyiq made a declaration that stunned both Sy and Ryson.

"You don't have to worry about that, human. Not going to lead them again. Going to kill them all, everyone that left me here. They're all dead."

The delver responded first.

"You're not going to kill anyone. You had your chance. You're staying here."

Sy, however, turned a more perceptive eye toward the large goblin.

"You'd kill them all? I don't believe that. You wouldn't have anyone to follow you."

"What good are goblins that follow if they run?" Okyiq grunted. "They didn't listen, didn't follow my orders. They're dead."

"But you wouldn't have to kill all of them. You'd only have to take care of a few to get your point across."

"Wrong, stupid human doesn't understand. They all ran, so they all need to die. You let any live and then they think they can do it again. Do it once… die."

"You're not going to listen to him, are you?" Ryson asked of the captain.

Sy ignored the delver and placed his complete attention on the goblin. He saw an opportunity, one that might give him both the information he desired as well as a chance to put a goblin to work for his own cause.

"You got a name?"

"Okyiq."

"Alright, Okyiq, here's my deal. You answer my questions first-all of them-if I'm satisfied, I'll actually let you go. I want you to go after those goblins. I'm not going to ask for your word, because I know what that's worth. Nothing. But I'm curious about you. You say you're going to kill all the ones you led. How many was that? A hundred? Two hundred? I doubt you can even remember."

"I remember," the goblin growled with growing dislike for the human.

"Really? Even if you do remember them all, you'd have to track them down. I don't think you've got it in you to find each one."

"Don't care what you think."

"It's not what I think that matters. It's what you do. You've just told a human that you're going to kill every goblin that followed you. If you don't, you will have proved you're not the leader you think you are. How do you think that's going to go over in the forest? Think anyone will worry about your threats again if you can't meet a boast you made to a human?"