Their ride was quiet, though electrically charged with what was running between them. It took everything AJ had not to force Zee to land them somewhere so he could get what he wanted from Brian. But he figured he could get that when they arrived. There would be time enough to stop off and burn this out of their system. Plus, the area they were travelling to was protected by spells that would help contain their inadvertent magic.
Once they got close, he tried to catch Brian up on goblin customs as much as he could. ‘They’re not like you see in all these weird movies and books and such nowadays. They’re ugly beats to be sure, but they’re your height or shorter, and solid. They remind me of a larger dwarf with green skin. Not like the Krutas, who look freaky. But more like a tall, muscle bound dwarf with a slightly uglier face. Scars are a source of pride and beauty to them, because they mean that the man is tough enough to withstand anything.’
‘Sounds lovely.’ Brian teasingly sent back.
‘Yeah, it’s peachy. My lack of scars made them doubt my strength and such, even knowing that my magic made them disappear. I had to fight and fight hard when I was there last time to be able to prove to them that I was a worthy person in their society. A lot of their ways are very animalistic. Sex is a joyous act, but the women have to be in heat for it to happen. Fighting is their way of showing how strong and tough they are, which means they do it all the fucking time. Most likely I’m going to have to fight at some point while we’re there. I’ll try my damndest to keep them from making you fight. No offense, lover, but you don’t have the skills for hand to hand combat yet.’
‘None taken trust me. So I’m supposed to just stand there while you fight with them, Alex? That’s getting to be an annoying trend you try to implement. I’m not used to being the younger one, the one to be protected. I was so used to being the older one.’
Amusement laced its way through AJ. He didn’t look back at Brian, though. Looking at him would have made all this distraction fail. ‘Hate to break it to you, sugar, but you are the younger, by quite a bit. I’ll admit you’re smarter than me in quite a few ways...’
‘Amazing!’
‘…but when it comes to war, and fighting, magic, and this world, it’s the one area I know what I’m doing. I need you to trust me to do it right, without trying to interfere. Please.’
Brian never got the chance to answer. Suddenly Zee swerved sideways and let out a shrill cry just as arrows filled the air around them. One tore through the side of Brian’s thigh, just a flesh wound, but it stung like shit even as it started to heal. AJ’s mistake was turning at the sound of his lover’s cry. An arrow that otherwise would have missed him embedded firmly in his shoulder.
“God damn those fucking goblins.” He cursed loudly. At the same time he felt Brian send up a wall of air up to shield them while Zee took them safely to the ground. “Stick close to me, Bri. Sorry, but looks like the sex will have to wait.”
“That’s all you ever think about.” Brian teased him in a voice that shook slightly. He was already propping at AJ with magic, testing for the thing they both feared. Testing to see if these arrows were anything like the spear that had hit AJ. They both breathed a sigh of relief when Brian’s probing revealed nothing. It was AJ’s turn to look inside of Brian then, and they sighed again as they found nothing.
The magical inspection took only seconds. Just as they finished, Zee’s feet hit the ground. ‘Hold that shield tight!’ AJ mind sent quickly. ‘Show no weakness in your expression. Be as hard as you can. I take back my other orders earlier. Don’t stay silent. If they challenge you, respond as you know how. Just please, please, do it safely, and do not let them make you fight a magically restricted fight. Magic is your only hope in battle with them.’
He saw Brian nod out of the corner of his eye as they both dismounted. Arrows surrounded them, aimed straight for their heads and hearts. The goblins didn’t bother to hide themselves, but stood at the ready to attack. AJ kept his face as hard as stone when he reached up to grab the arrow in his shoulder. Without a squeak of noise he grabbed it and yanked it out. He didn’t toss it down, but instead held it up with his own flows of air to float in front of him.
“Who dares to shoot me?” He demanded of those gathered. “Who dares to shoot me in the air like a coward? Too scared to face me in honest combat, you have to try to shoot me out of the shy! Coward! Whichever of you did this is a coward!” He let his anger spew forth; let the rage take him. There was plenty of built up rage to draw from.
“You don’t speak to us this way!” one of the goblins called out. He was almost tall for a goblin, and was covered in grisly scars that showed on every inch of available skin. “You come before our champion. You speak with him. He kill you.”
“Such a striking incentive to speak with the goblin in charge, isn’t it?” AJ said sarcastically to Brian. He could feel the scowl on his face grow bigger. “I know where I am. I’m not stupid like you think. Your champion is out here waiting. I know the goblin culture. He doesn’t sit behind like a weak king for others to come to him. He be out here waiting to see how stupid you are.”
Another goblin, bigger than all the rest, stepped out from behind a tree. At his side stood a female goblin, most likely his mate, and as custom dictated for a champion, his personal magician as well. AJ could feel her magic in her. The same he had felt the last time he was there. Bys was pretty strong at her trade, though not as strong as other goblins he’d met. AJ’s eyes moved to the man who had apparently maintained champion status, the ranking of king in their world, for quite a long time. He had been champion the last time that AJ had been there.
“Grhg, what is the meaning of this?” AJ demanded instantly in the language of the goblins. There were no cutting corners with them, not in this kind of situation. If they had arrived under different circumstances, AJ would have been expected to be polite to Grhg. But seeing as they’d arrived under attack, he would be looked on as cowardly if he didn’t respond angrily.
The feel of Brian’s magic caught his attention briefly and he looked quickly over, assessing the situation. Apparently one of the goblins had dropped his bow and tried to step forward with his spiked club from behind AJ, leaving them with Zee between them. Brian had skirted the Pegasus and now stood there, holding a hand up with a ball of fire. “Take another step and I will burn you to a cinder where you stand.” Brian hissed at the goblin who now stood, frozen.
“You not who me want.” The goblin growled in English. “Get back, child, so I defend honor.”
Brian’s flame grew bigger and he raised his hand a little more. “One last time. Step back, or I will make sure there’s nothing left for the others to find of you, you sneaking little coward. There’s no honor in trying to attack from behind.”
Though the smile didn’t touch his lips, AJ couldn’t help thinking ‘Way to go baby. Hell yeah.’
‘Get back to threatening the king.’ Brian teased him.
‘How’d you know I was threatening with him? You don’t speak Goblin.’
‘Don’t ask stupid questions, lover. I know you too well. Now get back to work!’
AJ did as Brian said and put his full attention back to Grhg. “Since when do the goblins attack behind the back of their opponent?”
“It was not me who said.” Grhg spoke up. His voice was deep, and the goblin language was a lot of growls and grumbles to the untrained ear. “You were to be warned, not shot.”
Holding the still floating arrow even higher, AJ gestured to it and the blood that sat on its tip. “I pulled this out of my shoulder. We were flying to come talk to you peacefully and your men shoot us out of the sky! Has goblin culture changed since I was here last? I left here with strength and honor, and I return to get shot by a coward!”
“You call me coward? Rdsa strong warrior!” Spoke the same scarred goblin that had told AJ that the champion would kill him. “You no here to talk. You here to kill! You have no honor. No strength. I shoot you!”
A steady rage settled in AJ, making everything crystal clear. He knew the customs of this race, and he knew what he needed to go. “Alyck calls Rdsa to battle of arms because of cowardice. Because you attacked me from the ground without warning, one who has proven strength to the goblins. Because you stand here and admit to trying to kill me. Mostly, because you’re an annoying gnat. If I lose, you’ll all know it means I am a coward. But if I win, I get my strength back in your eyes, and you all wrong for shooting me. If I win, you listen.”
“Rdsa no accept!” The goblin cried, surprising every goblin present. “You no honor, no strength. I no have to fight you!”
With a low warning grumble, Grhg stepped forward, glaring at Rdsa. “You fight Alyck. If you win, you will be stronger and we’ll know you were right. But if you lose, your body be left as carrion. Your magic told me he be evil. Prove it. If you’re right, you’ll kill him. Now, you fight.”
That was all the ceremony needed. The calling, and naming of the charges. Grhg had issued his order so that Rdsa had no way to back out now. AJ quickly told Brian to drop the shield, that no one would hurt them, but to stick by Zee just in case. He knew that Brian understood what was going on, as he’d been trying to keep up a steady translation for his lover in his mind the whole time.
A space was cleared right there in the clearing. AJ shook his head at the fool. He’d allowed the fight to be called here, in the woods themselves. In an area that was fraught with magic, and a part of earth. Even though it was a battle of arms, which meant that he couldn’t use magic, the earth and the magic in the air would keep his mind clear, allow him to heal faster, and increase his strength. Stupid, stupid idiot.
Rdsa looked livid as he stood in his spot, feet braced to the ground. Good. Anger like that could make a man foolish. Wanting to throw his opponent off, AJ unhooked the strap and baldric from his side and tossed them to Brian. Then he grabbed the arrow out of the air. “I’m going to kill you with the arrow you put in my shoulder, coward.”
With a loud roar of rage, Rdsa shot forward, leaping straight for AJ. The fool. AJ rolled to the side, dodging out of the way effortlessly, smirking now as Rdsa had to regain his feet. He waggled the arrow in a taunting way. Rdsa lunged forward again. AJ didn’t bother to keep up his taunting. It would gain him no respect, nor defend his honor in this. He knew what he had to do here; what was expected of him.
He met Rdsa’s charge and kicked his legs out, knocking him to the ground. He got a good stab to the goblins leg in before he was up and moving again. The rage in Rdsa was growing. He tried to swing his club this time, but AJ ducked and dodged, stabbing the arrow around the goblins guard, getting him here and there with little hits. With each one, the goblins anger grew and grew until it was a palpable thing.
One of AJ’s stabs slid in the meaty part of Rdsa’s side, causing the goblin to bellow. He lunged forward, swinging his club, and this time AJ felt magic pour into him from Rdsa. Air, trying to bind his body into place, to force his movements to be sluggish. AJ let his need rage through him as that magic touched his skin. This wasn’t goblin magic. His mind recognized that. But it wasn’t Roth’s magical assistance either. There was an old feel to it. Age that went beyond centuries, beyond a few millennia.
As the club swung at him and the magic tried to grip tighter, AJ broke through the shield and dodged out of the way. All bets were off when the goblin threw a slice of air thin enough to take off a limb. Just barely AJ managed to deflect it. Something was wrong here. Very, very wrong. Rdsa had control of the shield over them, making sure that no one could come in.
Even as he defended himself, AJ probed at Rdsa to see what he could see. Doing these two at once took all the concentration he could manage. But, it paid off. He found something, and almost instantly recoiled. That moment of reaction caused him to barely deflect the fire so that his calf was slightly burned.
He knew what that magic touch was. This goblin was almost halfway possessed. Not fully, for no spirit can cross the barrier between worlds easily. They needed magical assistance. But if they were a strong enough magician in their life, and had done the blood magic necessary, their magic would follow them over to the world of the dead. With that, a powerful magician could invest a small part of themselves in a willing receptacle. In this case, Rdsa. That required lots of blood magic on the receptacle’s part, to help bring part of a spirit over. It wasn’t a full possession, but most definitely a spirit was using him. Only one name fit the feeling. Only one came to mind.
Twyla.
Son of a fucking bitch. He didn’t know if he was any match for Twyla’s strength. God, he probably wasn’t. He was just managing to magically hold his own against this half possessed goblin who only had some of Twyla’s strength. He needed to distract him. Come on, come on. Think!
“Twyla!” AJ shouted out suddenly while he used water to douse the fire flung at him. “I know it’s you, you naughty little boy. Fancy this, using a goblin? That’s so, beneath you.” AJ spoke in elvish, hoping to catch that part of Twyla that was crossing over here.
Thank the Gods, it worked. The light in Rdsa’s eyes changed, and his smile turned more cunning. “Hello, Alyck.” Though it was still Rdsa’s voice, the words were elvish. “Sorry I have to kill you.”
“Wasting time possessing goblins, Twyla? Funny. Doesn’t really seem your type.” AJ tried to split the earth under Rdsa’s feet, but the goblin leapt nimbly into the air, standing on a platform of air.
“Sometimes using grunts such as this is necessary. You would understand the need of using others, wouldn’t you, Alyck? Such a shame you’re wasted on the side you’re on. Talent such as yours could be quite wonderful, combined with my own. Together we could rule this world, side by side.” Twyla tried to sound persuading, but his words were lost on him.
AJ laughed out loud and flung a wave of fire. “Rule side by side with you? My, do you think I’m stupid, Twyla? You’d never share power with anyone. I’m surprised Roth hasn’t figured that out yet. I mean, that is your plan, right? To take over his body when you get here and his magic and destroy off his spirit?”
“Rothalo is part of the plan. He is a useful servant.”
“I wonder how he’d feel to know you’re here possessing goblins, talking about how expendable he is.”
Without warning, AJ grabbed his most powerful element, earth, and shot it up, taking hold of Rdsa and incasing him in a shell. There was a pulse in the shields, a momentary weakness, and in that moment AJ felt Brian leapt through, finally free to do so. He bounded to AJ’s side and stood there, hands at the ready.
As easy as breathing they opened the bond, not quite linking, the power shared between them. They’d still be able to do their own individual magic, but they could draw on one another now. It was in just enough time for Rdsa to burst from the case of earth.
“You make a foolish mistake, Alyck, to align yourself on this side. Remember, I made the offer once. Do not expect me to make it again. You will be beside me, or you will kneel before me.”
“See, the thing about that, well, I don’t submit very well.” AJ said wryly in English as he wove together a net of earth and water, the elements making a weave that wasn’t recognizable. One part of him kept a wall of air in front of him as he watched Rdsa step to the ground and stand steadily. To his side, AJ could see Brian deftly spinning a net of air and fire. “Ask my partner here, my heart song. I’m not really a submissive type of person, and really, I don’t share well.”
“It’s true. He’s horrible about it.” Brian piped up. There was a calm, steady feeling filling their bond. They understood what they had to do, and they were committed to it. “He’s bad about that stuff.”
“So, since I don’t like your options, Twyla, I’m making my own. We will destroy you. As trulion, I will see it done.”
As he’d hoped, the word trulion threw Twyla/Rdsa off. It was just enough of an opening. Without warning Brian and AJ combined their nets and flung them at the goblin. Before he had time to react, Rdsa was wrapped in the net. There was a brilliant flash of light, blinding everyone around. As it faded ,the shield around them dropped.
AJ opened his eyes, looking to the place where Rdsa had stood. There was now nothing but a charred spot on the ground.
Weakly he sagged against Brian, their hands seeking one another. The first real confrontation against Twyla, and they had won. That was what they focused on. They had won.