Journal of Miyara Kyosuke (6)

    I have reluctantly acknowledged the necessity of learning what names these barbarians call themselves. There are too many of them now to distinguish by features, since they look so similar anyway.
    The White Fairy is called Gorudurumu (I shall refer to him as Goru, not for familiarity but for convenience). The Giant is called Mongo. The Elf is called Stoiko. The Tall Man is called Jeison. The Boy is called Sun.
    The new barbarians are as follows. A tall black woodsman, very like Jeison, is called Ashu. Another elf, this one very short, half the stature of Stoiko, is called Pireseri. There is a blind musician called Shon. There are two women, possibly related; the first of these is called Rawena; the second is a ruler, although one would not know by her bearing that she is the Queen of Yetsin Valley, and she is called Carimera.

    For some reason other than Shishei Godanji's dragon statue, the barbarians insist on entering the goblin complex. I get the impression they want to prove themselves to the Ogres, as the result of some argument they had with them. The way these people feel the constant need to prance about and taunt every semi-intelligent creature is disgusting. I am not sure whether I am more disgusted by their behavior, or by their tendency to associate more than necessary with every barbaric being (even by their standards). With all due respect to the Master Og, I would never wish to learn the language of the Orcs, but it seems that Carimera has done just that. What is next? Would they learn to squawk like chickens so the birds will approve their prowess in combat?
    Regardless of their reasons, we were to descend the stairs into the goblin complex. It was clear why the ogres did not go here -- they would never squeeze themselves through these passages.
    It was not long before the goblins attacked us. I leapt into the midst of the goblins, deflecting the main force while Miyara drew her katana and fought the two I had left for her. I am ashamed to say that I did sustain a slight cut while fighting five opponents, but between us we dispatched a good number of them, and the remainder ran. The barbarians did help a little with the fight. Afterwards Miyara decapitated those injured remaining, so that they could be spared the shame of being tortured and robbed while still alive.
    At the bottom of the stairs was a solid door. I knocked, and told those beyond that we were just here to retrieve something.
    Pireseri peered intently at the door and said something to his fellow barbarians, who suddenly took on an aggressive manner.
    I once again told the goblins beyond that we were here to get something, and that we'd leave afterwards, so they should open the door for us.
    Nevertheless, no venture with these people is complete without an argument. On this occasion, it was Carimera who argued with the goblins -- in orcish, as if they could not understand civilized languages.
    The argument ritual having been satisfied, Goru suddenly pushed forward and broke down the door with his hammer, leaping into the room beyond.
    I had one last chance to end this peacefully. I jumped into the room myself, repeating what I'd said before.
    Carimera again said something in orcish, this time mentioning Master Og. Whatever she said this time incited the goblins to battle.
    Miyara, Goru, Ashu, and myself were faced with nine goblins. Whatever it was Carimera said must have been interesting, for all nine goblins attacked me as one.
    I drew upon my inner strength and used technique: clown fighting. It is very effective, as they cannot contain their laughter even as I strike them so easily.
    As Goru crushes one with his maul, Mongo joins in the fight as well. Carimera continues to shout in orcish while Stoiko covers the back line.
    The barbarians gave good account of themselves as they assisted Miyara and myself. It was not long before all goblins were defeated. I did shamefully make one mistake with my technique and injured myself, but did not break from my art and the goblins just laughed harder. I was also struck once during the battle.
    After the fight Miyara went among the bodies, making sure they were all dead. Queen Carimera followed along with her, looting the bodies. One goblin was not yet dead -- he pleaded to Miyara, who rewarded him by removing his head in one blow. Carimera, who tried to interrupt in orcish, went on to loot the body. She and Goru continued searching for valuables until nauseated by the gore.
    Rawena carefully placed her hands to my head, and after a glance to Miyara I allowed her to do so. She seems to be some sort of magician, as through her efforts she healed me of some of my wounds, although I was still in some pain.
    As if they had not looted enough already, now Pireseri went through the bodies checking for money, which he added to the chest that Goru carries.

    This room was filthy, worse even than the ogre's place above. The only feature of interest to us was that to one end of the room was a broken area, as if part of the room had been dug away and covered with planks on the floor and a wooden gate on the wall. The remainder looks as though it was finished by another race long ago.
    Underneath the planks -- as they open them up -- is a smooth sided hole, as started upstairs. This bodes well for Miyara's quest, as everything upstairs has been searched except behind the portcullis where the ogres cower from us.
    The barbarians talk among themselves for a while in their own language, while Miyara interjects relevant questions. They then, no doubt at her suggestion, lower a lantern into the hole. It descends fifty feet and then goes out, the walls seeming solid all the way. The lantern is wet and muddy when they pull it up, and when Miyara drops something in the hole it plunks rather than splashes. She questions the white fairy about something.
    It is now midday, perhaps a little before. On my advice, for which she thanks me, Miyara sends Pireseri down the hole with a lantern, lowered on a rope. She tells me that Pireseri is clairvoyant, and can can check the walls and the mud.
    About forty feet down, Pireseri enters through the ceiling of a room. It is party finished, but dug out as if from a cave. The floor of this room -- about fifteen feet square -- is covered in deep wet mud, two feet thick. The well decayed bodies of two ogres lie in the mud; for some reason they were apparently unable to use the one exit from the room, probably after falling down here by accident or stupidity.
    All of us could fit down there, but we would have to anchor the rope and hope that no-one came along to cut it. We know the ogres cannot come down into the goblin rooms, but that does not mean that their low cunning is not enough to send some smaller race down after us. A debate ensues, no doubt about to whether to descend into the mud room.