Nephy entered the cave, her talons flexing and relaxing with each step, leaving small grooves scratched into the floor. Alryc drew his blade, picking his way in her wake.

Arland and Nury brought up the rear, blade and claws at the ready.

Nephy clicked her claws, drawing the attention of the other three. She pointed towards a large red stain on the ground.

Nury stepped forward and sniffed, "Goblin. But where's the corpse?"

Arland walked by her towards the front of the group, "Scavvers. Goblins will devour anything, even their own kind. That's part of why they're so fugly. Feasting on your own kind and incest tends to lead to less... attractive specimens."

Nephy furrowed her brow, "I know they're scavengers, but to eat their own kind...? I'm four hundred and I've never heard anything about that..."

"It's a little-known fact. Intelligent beings don't tend to jump to cannibalism. But I've seen it myself," Arland spoke, turning to Nephy. "The difference between scavvers and scavengers? Scavengers only devour creatures not of their race. Scavvers will eat anything."

Nury wore a disgusted look as Alryc walked up, "And you said incest?"

Arland held up his hand. He tapped his sword point to the wall of the cave and closed his eyes. As the sound rang out, he mentally mapped the cavern as far as the sound would show him - the echo and range muddied the image.

"The nearest goblin is a hundred and fifty feet ahead."

Alryc raised his eyebrow, "What, you a bat now?"

"If it's so close, maybe we shouldn't be speaking?"

Arland shook his head, "Echoes lose clarity with each echo. And you'd be surprised to find that caves actually deaden sound. Most of it is reflected back at you, rather than allowed through the cave. That's why it sounds louder to you but quieter to anyone in a different part of the cave."

Nury approached and trailed her hand over his chest, "There's my wonderful man. So intelligent."

"Nah, it's just experience. Leera and I spent a lot of time in caves during my years training with her," Arland replied.

Nephy frowned, "Leera. That's who you were going to Gelala to visit, right?"

"You know her?"

"Kind of. I've heard of her. An elven swordmaster, yes? How has she been? I've been wanting to meet her."

Arland dropped his eyes as Alryc answered for him, "She died. She was killed by these goblins."

Nephy looked between them, "She was legendary. I would ask how, but I suppose it's likely the same reason I'm here to investigate. I've taken an orc tribe underwing. A few of our pups have gone missing in this area."

Arland lifted his gaze, "Then let's kill these fucks."

Nephy put her claw on his arm, "Wait. Don't rush in. It could be Leera's hubris contributed to them besting her. Swordmasters rarely have children, and it's not for a lack of trying. They tend to die before they reproduce. Their pride... They think their skills make them invincible, and it makes them take stupid risks."

Nury planted a kiss on her boyfriend's cheek before she grinned at Nephy, "I'll be his brain if needed. I won't let him die until I've pushed out no less than three of his babies."

Nephy sighed and rolled her eyes, "That's not really something I want to hear my sister say."

Arland smiled and patted Nury's rear, "Alright, well, let's go."

They followed the sound, with Alrand leading the way, tapping his sword any time the ringing died down.

"We need to find a sword more suited to reverberation for you," Nury said.

Arland grinned back at her, his eyes closed as he focused. Suddenly he stopped. He dropped to a sneaking posture and gestured ahead, "Straight ahead the cave bends right. That goblin is still there. He's heard the ringing. He's called three friends."

"One for each of us," Alryc said.

He took a step forward when Nephy grabbed his arm, "Wait, something smells... off."

Arland sniffed the air. His nose couldn't pick up on anything, but trusted her nose. Her relation to Nury begged for more trust than a normal stranger as well. In short, he was keen to consider her concerns.

Alryc grunted, "Who cares? A steel sword will kill a goblin just as surely, regardless of what you smell."

Arland looked to his human companion. Alryc on the other hand was a bandit. He claimed to be reformed and a disgraced guard, but his claims were still in question. Nury vouching for him did lend some credence, but Arland held his doubt about the man's remaining honor.

Arland nodded and turned back towards the cave, "We'll do waves. Alryc, you and I head in. Nury, you and Nephy wait here. If we sound like we're losing, come to rescue us. Be wary of using your fire. It'll burn our air in here, making it hard to breathe."

Nury and Nephy nodded, with the violet dragoness adding, "Be careful, brother. I'll not have our first meeting end in tragedy."

Arland smiled and stepped forward, his sword drawn. Alryc followed closely behind.

They rounded the bend in the cave and came to a halt. Arland tapped his sword and turned, pointing out a pair of goblins who were listening.

Alryc glanced around, "So, how do we kill 'em?"

Arland set his foot and dashed in, "like THIS!" He shouted as his sword bit into the flesh of the first, then slid easily through its spine, sending its head rolling free. The body took a few wobbly steps before it fell and twitched. The second goblin raised a horn to its lips.

A silvery blade point appeared in its ribcage. As it fell, Arland saw Alryc tossing another dagger, "Just in case the first didn't do the job. You said there were four."

Arland drew back his arm and threw his sword, the blade spinning end over end and landing with a sickening thud next to Alryc's waist. He jumped to the side and spun to see a pair of goblins looking in shock at the sudden appearance of the blade, linking them together.

Alryc stepped to the side of the pair as Arland walked up to the other side. Arland gripped his sword and ripped it out, flinging it wide as Alryc slashed through the pair's necks.

As the bodies fell, Arland pulled out a goblin cloth - a rough cloth coated in pure alcohol, used to clean corrosive goblin blood from weapons. Once his blade was clean, he handed it to Alryc to do likewise.

"That's four," Alryc said.

Arland nodded and tapped his sword twice. Nury and Nephy ran up and surveyed their handiwork.

"Go figure the men hoard the kills," Nephy joked.

"Right? We're the dragons. We're supposed to be the hoarders," Nury replied, eyeing Arland who grunted and looked away, "We've got more to go."

Nury walked up and placed her hand on his chest, "Can you see them?"

Arland nodded, "This cave is fairly straight. But I count no less than fifty."

Nury grimaced and Nephy sighed. the violet dragoness spoke first, "Great. I could run and collect my tribe. Launch a full assault on them."

"It wouldn't do any good. These tight passages? We'd be facing them a couple at a time. Having an army at our back would just prevent maneuvering," Alryc replied.

"Then what-" Nury began before Arland cut her off, "Frontal assault. We charge in. I can map it. There are only a handful of passages that have any goblins. The rest are empty."

Nephy twitched her wings as her tail flicked anxiously, "You expect the four of us to take on fifty goblins?"

Arland shrugged, "As Alryc said, we don't have much choice. Our best option is going to be a frontal assault. Alryc and I will take the vanguard. Nury, you and Nephy bring up the rear. Keep us safe. Take out any we don't see."

The dragonesses nodded. "Will do," They said in unison.

Alryc stepped up beside Arland as the girls took their positions behind them. Arland glanced over, "Bandit or guard, my life is in your hands, Alryc."

Alryc met his gaze, "Understood. Let's hope the girls keep us safe."

"You doubting us? Don't make me flame that ass, Alryc, you ass."

The former bandits glanced back and grinned at Nephy, "Babe, we get out of here, you can do whatever you want to my ass."

"Thanks, but I've got an eleven-inch orc cock to return to."

"Guys, focus. Advance," Arland ordered.

He stepped out, Alryc by his side with Nury behind him and Nephy beside her. They rounded a bend and were instantly spotted. Arland tapped his sword to the stone. As the sound rang out, he listened carefully.

"Wait... Oh, shit...!"

The goblins ahead called out and one by one began their advance.

Arland glanced to the side, panic evident on his face, "There's fucking hundreds!"

"GET DOWN!" Nephy called out.

Arland and Alryc hit the ground. The dragonesses inhaled. In unison, they roared, and two nearly solid beams of blazing fire slammed into the charging goblins, melting through flesh and bone. The creatures' shrieks echoed out.

Arland and Alryc glanced back at the pair, as they panted. "Damn!" Alryc beamed.

Arland stood and looked down the tunnel, "Not so fast, Alryc. There's more. the two hit at most thirty. I'd guess at least another couple hundred, easy."

Nury and Nephy shared a look, before the red dragoness spoke, "How the hell are we supposed to kill them all?"

Arland tapped his sword again. He noticed it. Two figures considerably larger than goblins. That's when he realized the key to their plan. "Nephy, how often do goblin nests grow to this size?"

"An infestation only takes hold when it's centered around a larger figure. Most commonly a Hobgoblin, but rarely a Goblina, though this size? Maybe once a millennium. A goblina focused nest, however, can prove beneficial. They're less likely to-"

Arland held up his hand, "There's two larger figures. In the main hall, forward and right. If you two can cover us, Alryc and I should be able to handle whatever they are. Alryc, you up for it?"

The scraggly-looking man sighed and nodded, "A suicide mission to protect the town I used to love? Damn straight I'm down for it."

Arland met his gaze, "If we survive, Alryc, I'll be proud to call you brother."

They locked forearms briefly then turned towards the goblins who had become to slowly make their way down the tunnel, now wary of the flames that had melted their brethren.

Arland and Alryc rushed forward, their swords dancing left and right, slicing through goblins. They pushed the goblins back as Nephy unleashed her second flame, melting goblin flesh and scorching the walls.

Nury aimed and snapped off two quick bursts of fire. Rather than a beam, it came out as a gout of normal flame, igniting multiple goblins.

As her second gout washed over the goblins before Arland, he glanced over, "Oh, fuck me, that's hot!"

She grinned and turned, slashing at one with her claws.

"ENOUGH!!" a voice called out.

Instantly, the goblins all backed off, keeping their eyes on the intruders. Arland and company regrouped by the cave they had entered from.

A large goblin stepped forward, its large belly leading the way as its steps thrummed through the cavern.

Nury whispered, "Good Goddess, that thing's fucking vile..."

Nephy tittered before replying, "Uglier than goblins, and that's saying something..."

Arland hissed back at them, "Enough!"

"What's wrong? That's their boss, ain't it?" Alryc spoke.

"No weaknesses... The neck? Armored. The belly? Thick skin. The skull? Nigh impenetrable. That's a fuckin' hobber."

"Legs?" Nury offered.

"Scented. You want that close to it's dick?"

Even without looking, Arland could tell his words turned the girls green.

The hobgoblin grunted as he looked over the group, "You come here? My house! Kill my kin?!"

Arland glanced around his group, then decided to take the lead. He stood and stepped forward, his sword point lowered, "Your kin've been attacking caravans. Farmers. Innocents."

"Food! We need life!"

Arland nodded, "And we can appreciate that as much as anyone else. But these..." He gestured around, "These goblins... They'll grow, wipe out all the food."

"What makes Hugh-Manns more... Im-PORT-tant?!"

Arland met the hobgoblin's eyes, "We grow our food. We're not more important, but we are less destructive. We shape areas to our needs. You shape your needs to your area, then wipe out the resources you use."

Nephy whispered harshly, "Arland!"

He glanced back. She pointed towards a statue to the side. Arland followed her gaze and immediately figured out what had driven this nest to such heights.

He turned back to the hobgoblin, "You're blessed?"

The hobgoblin's thick lips split into a sick curl, gnarled yellow teeth poking out in all directions, "Yes... Blessed. Lady Drix."

Arland silently repeated the name. It rang with recognition, but where?!

Nury provided the answer, "The dark goddess of destruction."

Arland connected the dots, "Goblins are destructive. Enhance that with the blessing of a dark goddess... I'd guess it increased your intelligence as well."

The hobgoblin smacked his engorged belly, "And more! Gave luck! Goblin tribe strong! Plan. Wait."

Arland quickly ran through his options before finally settling on his course of action. "One-on-one. You versus me. Your goblins and my team won't interfere. Winner take all. What say you?"

The hobgoblin thought it over, "Spare my kin?"

Arland sighed, "Should you win, the rest will be spared, yes. Winner take all. We fight until one of us lies dead. The losers will be done with whatever the winner decides."

The hobgoblin tapped a fat finger to his chin. "We many. You few. Could just attack. Kill. Feast."

Arland snapped his fingers. Nury and Nephy charged up their breath attacks. "You could. But you'd lose a lot in doing so. With my offer, only one of us needs to die."

The hobgoblin grunted as he rubbed his chin.

Alryc took a breath, but Arland held up his hand. Nury and Nephy softly exhaled, releasing their breaths.

After a long moment, The hobgoblin nodded, "Yes. We fight. One ask."

Arland tilted his head, "You've got a request?"

The hobgoblin turned and shouted something in goblinish. The goblins to the side split apart, as a figure draped in a long cloak was ushered forward.