Realms of Fantasy: Gobliiins [Episode 119413]

“HHHHAAAAAA—”

*Crunch!* *Miom...* *Glorp.* ... *BURP!!!*

“Oh my... Kodachi-chan... couldn’t you ask... him not to do that, please?”

“Why so?  And that would be very impolite.  Midorigame-chan here is providing us a great service; it is only natural that he would get something in exchange.  Not to mention that he is usually so expensive to feed....”

Kasumi cringed as Kodachi’s summoned “bodyguard” killed yet another Goblin, gulping and munching on the critter before it could scream.  The priestess of Lliira understood the conjurer’s reasoning, but still it was gruesome to watch.

“Midorigame”, as his mistress had christened him, was a member of the Gator-Man species.  A hulking, mutated cousin of the common Lizardman, looking for all account like a humanoid alligator.  This individual was even bigger and stronger than other Gator-Men; a champion of his race.

Kodachi had bound him to her service a few years ago, during a very interesting trip to another Crystal Sphere called “Mystara” by its inhabitants.  A quite fascinating place, filled with exotic monsters and a wide variety of dangerous plants.  The botanically-inclined wizardess had brought back many seeds and specimens from this world for study... as well as one very efficient bodyguard.

Until now, the trio had been lucky.  While carefully treading within the mushroom forest, they only had encountered some slaves of the Dark Elves, and no Drow patrols.  Midorigame had easily taken care of the Goblin workers and Hobgoblin guards, cutting them down with his huge axe or “gobbling” them up before any could escape and raise the alarm.

Neither Kodachi nor Kasumi were willing to push their luck by heading toward the most populated area of the Drow dominion, but they had no choice about it.  The few divination spells cast by the priestess pinpointed clearly the rest of their party in that direction.  In all likeness, this meant the adventurers were imprisoned and that it was up to the two women and one reptile to save them.

“I admit your... friend has been useful, Kodachi-chan,” Kasumi hesitantly stated, “but I doubt it would be wise to go on the same way once in the Drow town...”

“Of course not.  Stealth will be the key, then.  I will just secure him back in his bottle.  Mmmh....  We will need some plan for liberating our associates once we’ll have found them.  Too bad we cannot know more precisely their current situation.”

“I’m sorry my augury wasn’t precise enough.  Maybe I should try again?”

“That would be a bad idea; your magic is precious, we have too little for now, no need to waste it, really.  I fear, myself, that I will have to meditate long enough to regain my spells before we attempt anything.”

“But that would take long....  Can we find someplace safe enough for this?  And if we delay too much, the Drow may do... bad things to our companions....”

“I agree, but unfortunately it cannot be helped.  Facing the Dark Elves without some efficient magic at our disposal would be plain suicidal.  I would not have Midorigame-chan doing all the fighting by himself if things come to those extremities.  Too bad our number is so small....”