“The fuck I look like, sending her in first? I’ll go first,” War replied.
“Pussy-whipped, evil-ass nigga,” Grim mumbled.
“Aight, I got something for you later on,” War threatened.
I clung to his neck as he jumped through the portal, plunging us into a world of darkness.
The portal spat us out into a dark tunnel beneath the city. The distant roar of traffic echoed off the damp walls, punctuated by the blaring of horns, while the acrid scent of exhaust fumes seeped into the air. Monstrous mushrooms with snapping teeth clung to the walls—a telltale sign that Hoax was near.
“I think we’re underneath Baltimore City,” Grim said from behind us.
“We are,” War confirmed, scanning the shadows.
“Didn’t think the ugly punk would be coming to the human world since he was so against it,” I whispered, glancing around.
“Nobody would suspect him being here,” War replied.
As we pressed deeper into the tunnel, we came across a trickle of water flowing downwards. War followed the stream, and suddenly halted, his eyes fixed on something in the darkness. In the center of the tunnel, a greenish-gray creature knelt in the corner, gnawing on a rat. Its ears were pointed, its head bald, adorned with glowing symbols that pulsed eerily—symbols I recognized from Hoax. Its nails resembled talons, and judging by its shapely naked body, it was unmistakably female.
Grim acted quickly, darting across the wall like a flash of lightning, with a machete in its hand. Before the creature even registered his presence, he sliced its head clean off. The mouth continued to chew mindlessly on the rat meat, a disgusting sight.
“War, what is that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“A goblin. It’s never a good sign when a goblin is in the city. They adapt easily and can disguise themselves as regular humans. I haven’t seen one since I killed their realm,” he said, his expression darkening.
Grim picked up the goblin’s head by its ear, finally stilling its twitching. “The hell is this? A gremlin?” he asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“A goblin. We need to find their nest,” War said.
“A nest?” Grim repeated, confusion etched on his face.
“Yeah, their mating nest. If they ain’t out killing and eating flesh, they’re fucking in orgies and reproducing in their nest,” War answered.
“Everybody getting coochie but me,” Grim grumbled, dropping the head to the ground with a thud.
We continued through the tunnel until we emerged into a vast indoor garden. The air was filled with an heavy scent of decaying flowers, mingling with the metallic tang of blood. Strange, monstrous plants twisted around rusted metal supports, while oversized flowers with jagged edges loomed ominously overhead.
In the center of the garden stood Hoax, with his dragon staff raised high. He was surrounded by a throng of goblins, all attentively listening to him.
“Listen closely!” Hoax’s voice boomed, dripping with malice. “I am your master, the one who resurrected you from the depths of hell! We will conquer this city, and turn it into our very own forest! We’ll trick the humans with promises of wealth, knowing their greed will blind them. They will become our new army—goblins, just like you!”
He leaned closer, his expression darkening, looking like the rotten monster he was. “But heed my warning: if you fail me, I will send you back to a world of darkness and non-existence!” Hoax shouted. The goblins laughed; some even drooled, hungry for the chance to infest the city with their filthy souls.
War and Grim were crouched in the shadows. My heart was racing as I listened; I couldn’t wait to see Hoax’s blood drip from my sword.
Hoax continued, his wicked grin spreading wider. “My warriors from Charmden are weak; we need fresh strength to defeat Hex13 and to get rid of that demon Azarion once and for all. With your help, we will rise!”
“Grim, go block the entrances so the goblins can’t leave, then send a signal to our realm,” War ordered, his voice low and cold.
“I’m not leaving you. There’s about fifty of those ugly muthafuckas,” Grim whispered.
“Eboenia isn’t a weakling—she can hold it down. She doesn’t have a choice but to,” War snapped. If I failed him, he’d punish me in a way I sure as hell wouldn’t enjoy.
“You’re putting too much faith in her, bro. She’s got skills, but I don’t know how these things fight. They might be too strong for her,” Grim argued.
“Don’t underestimate the magic in her wand. I know firsthand what it can do—it’s almost as powerful as my staff,” War replied.
Without another word, Grim melted into the darkness of the tunnel, gone in a blink. I felt War’s body shifting beside me—muscles swelling, his frame stretching taller. The Hex13 medallion materialized around his neck, his brown cloak dissolving into nothing, replaced by a black, open cape and a wizard’s horned hat that screamed power.
