Everyone was armored and ready to storm the Diamond Consortium\u2019s main Headquarters. Arsha cracked her knuckles as Malnar cast a voice amplification spell on herself. \u201cAttention, residents of 2708 Stonetrap Lane!\u201d she announced. \u201cYou have been found out! Your treason against the Under-realm will not go unpunished! You have been charged with infiltration of the Diamond Consortium with intent to enslave the Troll population again! Your genetic manipulation has been discovered! Surrender yourselves to Under-realm law peacefully or we storm the place! You have 10 seconds to\u2026!\u201d She was interrupted by a wand blast from the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will NOT surrender!\u201d replied Mr. Bling\u2019s voice. \u201cThe animals we had will become ours again! Back off or we will level Falgreth!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBig mistake!\u201d snarled Malnar as she cancelled her spell. \u201cSTORM IT!\u201d she ordered the people. Both Arsha and Malnar\u2019s crews came in, wands blazing. The battle was shrouded in a sea of wand bolts and smoke. Arsha, Malnar, Enfanti, and Delga occupied themselves with Mr. Bling. His knife was slashing here and there, scoring a few shots, but not doing anything serious. He then set his wand into the knife and pulled the handle down, making it a blaster, and fired off a few shots to get his attackers to keep their distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s times like this,\u201d panted Enfanti, \u201cthat I wish Mistress and Dorbu were here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArctania would also help in this instance!\u201d remarked Delga. \u201cMy stinger\u2019s not finding a chink in his armor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll make one!\u201d declared Malnar. Her wand started spewing fire, then it concentrated into a tiny point, firing a beam of fire at a spot on Mr. Bling\u2019s shoulder. Mr. Bling cried out in pain as the beam pierced his shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you!\u201d bid Delga. His tail lunged for the spot, but Mr. Bling grabbed it and flung him aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaster!\u201d cried Enfanti. She snarled, then formed an Ice Blade, swinging it down on Mr. Bling\u2019s head. Mr. Bling caught it and slammed his fist into her side, making a rib snap and putting her into a lot of pain. Malnar then helped Enfanti reset her rib before casting a healing spell. \u201cThank you,\u201d she gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis would go a lot easier,\u201d growled Malnar, \u201cif he were a Goblin!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis strength may go down,\u201d observed Arsha, \u201cbut his speed will go way the heck up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Arsha, you just gave me an idea!\u201d cheered Enfanti. \u201cGoblins can\u2019t exactly control their speed on slippery surfaces!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, they can\u2019t,\u201d realized Arsha. \u201cI see what you mean.\u201d She made a quick telepathic call to Malnar and Delga and they got into position for the plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat makes you think you can stop me?\u201d demanded Mr. Bling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA few things, actually,\u201d replied Malnar. She stepped aside to let Enfanti ice the ground. Mr. Bling chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat good will THAT do?\u201d he boomed. \u201cHave you not gotten a good look at me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAllow me to remedy that!\u201d called Arsha\u2019s voice. Two of her tails had teal fireballs at the tips and she clasped her hands, pointing the pointer and middle fingers of both hands into a teal runic circle. She then spread her hands apart to opposite sides of the circle and a blue ball of light appeared in the center. She then held her right hand out in a flicking position. \u201cRashentha!\u201d (Undo) she said as she flicked the blue light towards Mr. Bling. The light entered him and he was covered in a blue aura. As it spread, a pinky came back!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo!\u201d wailed Mr. Bling. \u201cRecua! RECUA!\u201d (Halt). It was no use. His skin went from the usual rocky grey of the Trolls to the sickeningly green of the Goblins, his height went down to a human level, his ears became pointed, his chin was more pronounced, and his nose became potato-like. The aura faded as the real form of Mr. Bling was revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBorome!\u201d yelped Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChancellor Garsheek\u2019s son?!\u201d quizzed Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, wait \u2018til she gets her hands on you!\u201d snarled Enfanti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho do you think funded this venture?!\u201d growled Borome. He charged at Enfanti, but she sidestepped as if she were on cobblestones, not ice. Borome was not so lucky, he skidded when he tried to turn around. When he regained his balance, Delga swung his tail into his enemy and knocked him into a wall, Arsha grabbed him with one of her tails and slammed him to the ground, and Malnar summoned chains clasped to his neck and arms. She then pulled him up to her helmeted face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaddy will be very interested to hear your side,\u201d she hissed. As soon as she said so, heavy footsteps were heard. \u201cHere he is now,\u201d said Malnar as she cancelled her armor. Accompanying King Orbak was a female Goblin, Chancellor Garsheek of the Goblin Imperium. When she saw her son in chains, she gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMY BABY!\u201d she shrieked. \u201cLET HIM GO!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo chance!\u201d declared Malnar. She turned to her father. \u201cFather, it is my belief that this \u2018man\u2019 is trying to enslave the Trolls in Dwelga\u2019s name!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have no proof!\u201d shouted Borome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh, yes I do!\u201d countered Malnar. She then pulled out a device and pressed a button and played back the whole fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNO!\u201d Garsheek wailed when the footage of Borome revealing who funded the whole venture played.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYOU DARE?!\u201d roared Orbak. \u201cGarsheek, this is outrageous! What are you trying to do here?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave her out of this!\u201d protested Borome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou dare give your King orders?!\u201d shouted Orbak. He turned back to Garsheek. \u201cYou never really meant to honor the Trolls\u2019 freedom, did you?! You\u2019re too stuck on the past, wanting to profit from slavery as your ancestors did!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy not tell me more about my big future?!\u201d growled Borome. At that point, Orbak grabbed the chains and lifted him off the ground, right up to his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTraitors like you HAVE no future in any society!\u201d he bellowed. \u201cI\u2019ll see to it that you spend the rest of your natural life rotting in the dungeons of my castle!\u201d He then heard the sound of a wand being primed and turned around to see Garsheek pointing her wand at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019d die before you get within a falm of the Belsnath Citadel walls!\u201d she threatened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGarsheek,\u201d hissed Orbak, \u201clet me remind you that enslavement of any species is a severe violation of Under-realm Law, as is infiltration of an intelligence organization for any political faction\u2019s gains! The maximum penalty is execution! Borome\u2019s lucky to have life imprisonment!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know he had infiltrated the Diamond Consortium to murder Lord and Lady Varsek,\u201d hissed Garsheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not the testimony I\u2019ve heard!\u201d growled Orbak. \u201cOne more word out of you, and you will be sharing this terrorist\u2019s cell!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou better make sure that cell\u2019s big enough for three!\u201d snarled Garsheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou still threaten me?!\u201d boomed Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMalnar,\u201d called Garsheek, \u201cI wonder what your daddy\u2019s associates would say when I tell them he allowed my son to infiltrate the best intelligence network in the Under-realm!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaddy didn\u2019t know the Diamond Consortium was infiltrated!\u201d protested Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not the testimony I\u2019ve heard,\u201d said Garsheek, recalling a conversation she had with Orbak a month ago concerning the Diamond Consortium. Orbak considered his next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaddy, you\u2019re not going to be intimidated by her, are you?!\u201d asked Malnar. Orbak still considered, then dismissed the chains binding Borome. \u201cDADDY!\u201d protested Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty, I speak for everyone here when I protest this!\u201d supplied Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnfanti, is there a spell around this area?\u201d asked Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA standard ward spell, keeping any civilians from getting too close,\u201d replied Enfanti, \u201cand keeping them ignorant of any altercations. But I must protest your decision as well!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m afraid the potential media circus would prove too much for us,\u201d countered Orbak. \u201cIf I may be a little selfish sounding, it could cause my wife and I to abdicate if we march on Dwelga right now.\u201d Malnar scoffed, but no one raised any more objections. \u201cI know you are disappointed,\u201d sighed Orbak, \u201cbut the truth about Garsheek\u2019s involvement must remain our little secret. However, I am NOT letting her get away with this for free.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Chancellorship!\u201d breathed Garsheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn light of your own son betraying the peace both Falgreth and Dwelga enjoy,\u201d continued Orbak, \u201cyou needed to step down as Chancellor in order to seek answers. You knew that the stress you feel would cause you to make poor decisions for the Imperium\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I wish my successor better luck at keeping the peace than I did,\u201d sighed Garsheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always said you were a bright girl,\u201d rumbled Orbak. Malnar\u2019s mood improved so much that she started smiling. Enfanti and Arsha understood the smile. Orbak turned to Borome. \u201cShame on you for causing your mother and the Goblin Imperium so much stress!\u201d he snarled. Borome turned to leave but was stopped by Garsheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI hope you\u2019re satisfied!\u201d she hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026My fellow Goblins, we\u2019ve failed,\u201d called Borome to his fellow conspirators. They undid their genetic alteration with a spell and Garsheek summoned a portal for all Goblins to return home. Once they left, everyone released a breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSuch a waste,\u201d sighed Orbak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty, forgive my ignorance,\u201d interjected Delga, \u201cbut what good will her stepping down do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA lot, in the long run, Master,\u201d answered Enfanti as she and Arsha dismissed their armor. \u201cWhat Orbak did was ensure that the truth of the matter WILL get out amongst the Goblin community. By having her step down, there will be an inquiry, someone will say something that leads to the truth, and the Imperium is restructured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA plan within a plan within a plan leading to a trap,\u201d supplied Malnar, \u201cthat\u2019s how my parents rule the Under-realm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStill,\u201d sighed Orbak, \u201cI trusted her. I-I HELPED her in some of these matters!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaddy, you were the one who told me and my sisters,\u201d assured Malnar, \u201cthat the villains who blow things up to cause fear are easy to spot. Those who shroud themselves in good intentions before blowing things up to cause fear are the hardest to detect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhatever method I used to get you to remind me of my own words must have worked,\u201d chuckled Orbak softly. \u201cSpeaking of my own words, I spoke with Elgrad before I came here. He feels that, after the conclusion of this affair, we give Arsha the Captain\u2019s ceremony she missed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty, I would be honored!\u201d cheered Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSplendid!\u201d replied Orbak. \u201cA Mid-realm Princess celebrating an Under-realm Captain\u2019s ceremony!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a lavish affair,\u201d giggled Malnar. \u201cI\u2019ll see if Pyrina and Ralta can help out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMay I join Pyrina in whatever dance she\u2019ll perform?\u201d Enfanti asked Delga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf that is all right with Her Highness,\u201d replied Delga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe would enjoy that!\u201d cheered Malnar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you!\u201d bid Enfanti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan we go through with the celebration after Lord and Lady Varsek\u2019s funeral?\u201d asked Arsha. \u201cI feel the need to pay my respects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d replied Orbak. \u201cThe funeral is tomorrow. After the Three Days of Respect, we\u2019ll hold the Captain\u2019s ceremony.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d bid Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Troll funerals are as solemn as any other funeral. A priest was watching over the now stony bodies of Lord and Lady Varsek, the former rulers of Falgreth. According to ancient Troll beliefs, the deceased would stand sentinel over the living and serve as a reminder that life in the Three Realms, while long by our standards, is ephemeral and must be cherished. It takes a special, respectful kind of magic to move the body into a statuesque, watchful pose. Lord and Lady Varsek were standing side by side, clasping the other\u2019s hand to represent how they doted on each other and did everything together. They were pointing their clubs to the sky to show the promise of the future. The priest was standing by the pedestal they stood on, watching the people give their respects to Lord and Lady Varsek. It was Arsha\u2019s turn and she was dressed in dark clothing, forgoing the rose hairpin she usually had and replaced her pink ribbon with a black one. \u201cLord and Lady Varsek,\u201d she whispered, \u201cI\u2019m sorry I did not see you in time. There are so many wishes I have to undo all this, but I don\u2019t think I would have learned any of the lessons I did. Still, I wish I learned them while you were still alive. I hope you watch over me and my crew as we continue on our tour of duty. I know the Endeavor<\/em> has a good crew; I just hope I prove to be a good captain. Goodbye, Lord and Lady Varsek.\u201d After everyone said their goodbyes, the statue was transferred over to a carriage and everyone formed a procession behind it. A deep horn sounded and the procession set out for Malak\u2019s home of the Greshkagh Mountains. In the ancient Troll tongue, it means \u201cWatchful\u201d, an appropriate name for a site dedicated to the dead that stood sentinel over all Troll-kind. It took an hour to get to the base of the mountains and another hour to get to the Varseks\u2019 final resting spot. When everyone arrived, the statue was set on the new site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBorn from stone,\u201d read the priest, \u201cand returned to stone. That is the full life of a Troll, no matter the subspecies. Time may erode the stone that Lord and Lady Varsek have returned to, but it cannot erode their eternal spirits. Lord and Lady Varsek, may you watch over us all and guide us in our lives. Farewell, friends.\u201d With that, the main ceremony was over. \u201cThere will now be a three-day observance of the lives of Lord and Lady Varsek. Let their true history be known, good and bad. After which, we will celebrate the life we have with Arsha\u2019s Captain\u2019s ceremony.\u201d Everyone returned to Falgreth to go through with the three-day observance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Everyone was armored and ready to storm the Diamond Consortium\u2019s main Headquarters. Arsha cracked her knuckles as Malnar cast a voice amplification spell on herself. \u201cAttention, residents of 2708 Stonetrap Lane!\u201d she announced. \u201cYou have been found out! Your treason against the Under-realm will not go unpunished! You have been charged with infiltration of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,94],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-1965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-1-her-highness-the-captain","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1965"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1966,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965\/revisions\/1966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}