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Zigny watched
the dust settle from the tunnel entrance. He stood at the ready to
assist Reke and his men, but waited to see the enemy before he ordered
his men to attack. The invert took him by surprise, he had thought they
were all destroyed. This could go very badly if the drow still had an
invert or two on their side. The drow handlers didn't surprise him, he
knew they would have to be there or the invert would have happily
stayed in the sealed tunnel until they became hungry.
What followed them out of the tunnel truly was a surprise.
Following the now unarmed invert-handlers was the goblins of the
Doorway, led by Yorbut Gert, the half-goblin. He had not expected them
to survive, nor would he have ever guessed that the goblin leader would
ever fight on the side of the same creatures that had killed his twin
brother.
Zigny was unable to move. He just watched as the goblins
surrounded their prisoners and Yorbut walked calmly over to Reke. The
half-goblin showed no evidence that he had been unresponsive before and
seemed fully aware of who Reke was and what had happened.
Reke was almost as stunned as his Master. He had
personally watched as the nearly comatose twin had been dragged to the
storage chamber and locked inside with his goblins.
"Hello, Lord Reke. We bring gifts," said Yorbut in perfect
deep gnome. Reke was unable to respond, he simply nodded as Yorbut
motioned toward the drow prisoners and the invert.
"Are we
welcome to enter your city?" Yorbut asked. Reke's nodding came to a
stop.
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"Hold your prisoners
there. We will escort them into our
holding facility. You must speak to the Master before we do anything
else," Reke replied. Yorbut turned and gave his goblins the signal to
stay in position, then followed Reke across the Cavern. Zigny gathered
his composure as the two walked toward him. When Yorbut reached him and
threw out an arm to be embraced, Zigny threw out his unthinking.
"Master Zigny, I am pleased to offer you the fealty of the
FurCloz goblins. You have delivered us from Cheif Neem and earned the
trust and admiration of Yshtra. We ask only to serve. Our lives are in
your hands," spoke Yorbut dropping to one knee and bowing his head. He
sat as he had when Zigny had prepared to remove his head. Only Yshtra
had saved him that time, now she was dead. A long pause stretched into
uncomfortable silence, as Yorbut waited for his sentence.
Again, the female hobgoblin came to mind, as did the
surprise attack that had saved him and his men. Zigny's hands came off
his weapons and he tugged the half-goblin's sleeve until he rose.
"Yshtra has saved you twice this day. Once in the Cavern
of Spikes, and once now. You are welcome to bring your captives into
the city and join us in regaining our gates. Thank you for your
assistance and know that I will abide by the promise I made to Yshtra.
You and your kin are our guests and will be treated as such," said
Zigny slowly. He was going to have trouble keeping that promise, but he
would do everything in his power to make it happen.
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