Gil had invited the ogres back to their village, which they happily accepted. As they walked their way back, Gil glanced at the red-haired ogre. "What's your name?"
"Oh. I'm afraid we do not have names. We Ogres do not give names to our kind."
Gil sighed. "I'm going to have a hard time talking to you guys then." Gil heard Maria's voice in his head. "Stop it; you're being rude."
"I am?" Gil apologized to the ogres and continued to talk to Maria. "Hey, I was thinking of throwing them a party. I want to show them that I'm friendly and they can trust me. Think that'll work? The ogres are trying to keep their distance from me."
"Sure, Gil, that could work. I'll tell Hagas to prepare a feast right away."
By the time Gil came back, the village had been partying for some time. Bottles of beer littered across the floor and large crowds were eating and dancing together. Gil turned to the ogres. " I thought we should throw a party for our new friends. Don't like it?" The ogres shook their heads. "We thank you for the generosity. What's that smell?"
"Oh, roasted deers," Maria said. "I told Hagas to make the best food possible. If you don't want it, you could-" The ogres bolted, eager to consume what they considered their favorite type of meat. Gil giggled. "Well, it seems they really want it."
"Yes," Maria agreed. "Gil, do you want to-" Alyyiah ran up to the two of them. "Lord Gil, where did you go? I was looking all over for you!"
"I went to check up on Maria," Gil answered. "Hagas was worried about her."
"Oh, I'm glad you're back. Say, would you like to dance with me? I've had difficulty finding a good partner."
"Hey! I was going to ask Gil to dance with me!" Maria protested. She was not going to let Alyyiah take the initiative and improve her bond with him. "I'm dancing with him!"
Alyyiah stuck out her tongue. "Too bad. You can dance with him later, Maria."
"It's Lady Maria! Show some respect!"
Alyyiah ignored her and took Gil's hand. "Let's go, Lord Gil. You'll have much more fun with me."
"But I don't know how to dance," Gil said. "Maria said she was going to teach me."
"I can teach you, so you won't be needing that vampire."
"Well, ok, if you say so." The two left, leaving Maria gritting her teeth as she thought about all the ways she would get back at Alyyiah. Meanwhile, Klain and his siblings chatted with the red-haired ogre as Gil and Alyyiah danced.
Alyyiah twirled in Gil's arms. She grabbed his hip as they matched their steps to the beat of the rhythm. "Good, Lord Gil. Just a little bit to your left. You're a quick learner. I'm surprised you didn't know these dance moves. Every sentinel teaches them to their children, or so my mother says."
"Yeah, they're pretty popular back in Stella." They were not taught to Gil because his dancing was considered atrocious by both Maria and his mother. "My mother said I was hopeless and stopped teaching me. You're a good dancer and teacher, Alyyiah."
"Thanks, but it's nothing special. It's just a few ways to move your body. Are you having fun?"
"Yeah. At first, I was nervous, but now I'm having a blast because of you. Could we do this a bit more?
Alyyiah's face reddened slightly. "If that's what you wish for, Lord Gil. I'm enjoying this too."
"Oh, and Alyyiah?"
"What is it, Lord Gil?"
"I told you not to call me Lord. You can just call me Gil, the same way I call you Alyyiah. We are good friends, after all."
"Very well, Gil." She wanted to be much more than just a "friend," but it'll have to do for now. It was likely to change as they got closer over time. For the past few days, Alyyiah wanted to be with Gil, but he was always with Maria. He even slept with her. Alyyiah was determined to change that. Spending more time with him and strengthening their bond was one way to take him from Maria and what she opted to do.
Meanwhile, Klain, Hagas, Tiffany, and Conall were conversing with the red-haired ogre. They had gotten along quickly over a plate of meat. Klain coughed. "Say what? Hobgoblins attacked your village? Are you sure you didn't drink too much?"
"I'm not joking," the red-haired ogre grumbled. "Regardless of how hard it might be to believe, my village was unmistakably attacked by goblins. Those disgusting green turds decimated our village during the night. What was shocking was that the goblins wore armor and even had formations."
"I don't get it. Is it really that hard to believe the ogres were wiped out by a large army of hobgoblins?" Tiffany knew that ogres were strong but not invincible. She didn't see why Klain and the others were so skeptical of the story. Something had to have wiped out the ogres.
Klain took a chug of wine. "Well, it's just hard to believe that hobgoblins would actually attack ogres. They're one of the weaker races and not very intelligent at that. What's more, they now have access to metal armor and weapons, and they lack the technology to even make it."
Hagas nodded. "That would likely mean someone is allying with the hobgoblins. Someone gave them the equipment."
"You'd be correct." The red-haired ogre went on to say that during the chaos, he had an unusual encounter. This person was well dressed and wore a mask with the beak of a bird. They were short in stature and had white hair. "I could not ascertain the gender of the person nor their identity, but I could tell from his aura that he was powerful."
"This person you described sounds very much like a jinn." Tiffany had met some before and hoped she would never have to again. "Jinns are the servants of a demon emperor. Considering the timeline, it's likely that this jinn is the one backing the hobgoblins and that he did so on a demon emperor's orders."
"Sure, but why'd they choose to use goblins?" Klain asked. "There are superior races a demon emperor could have used instead."
"Maybe they thought the ogres were expendable and would cost fewer resources?" Gil leaned on a tree. "Getting a superior race to do your bidding would probably be more of a nuisance." The red-haired ogre smiled. "Ah, Lord Gil. You're done dancing, I presume?"
"Yep. I had a fun time. By the way, your sister's pretty amazing."
"How so?" Gil nodded his head towards her. "She hasn't been here for that long, yet she's already a celebrity. The female leprechauns have taken to her, fascinated by her knowledge of weaving and medicinal herbs."
"My sister has lived a sheltered life. I'm sure it makes her happy to be of use to others." Gil smiled. The blue-haired ogre was leading the dance, and everyone was having a good time. They needed to do this more often.
"So, what's your next move?" Gil was worried about the ogres after hearing how the ogres got wiped out. He knew how the ones with him were bent on revenge but doubted they would come back alive. It was unlikely that they could successfully take on the hobgoblin army on their own. "What do you guys plan to do from here?"
The red-haired ogre clenched his fist. "We plan on getting our revenge no matter what. We'll get one back on those damm goblins."
"Do you even know where they are?"
The red-haired ogre slurped his drink and did not answer, leaving Gil to conclude that he had no idea, which only made him worry more. "How about this? Would you guys like to become my subordinates and work under Maria and me?"
"Subordinates? Under what conditions?"
"If you serve me, I promise I'll assist you in getting your revenge. I believe you'll have a challenging time doing it on your own."
"Are you sure? Helping us may get your town involved in our revenge."
"There's another reason I want to help, apart from worrying about you guys. If a demon emperor is behind all this..."
Conall finished the sentence. "It could mean there's some devilish plot to take over Silverlake forest."
"Meaning we're bound to run into the hobgoblin army sometime," Hagas said. "Either we deal with them now, or they'll deal with us."
Gil nodded. "Which is why I proposed the offer. The ogres get food and a roof over their heads while my side gets powerful allies. And if you still have doubts about me or the other sentinels here, I assure you that you have nothing to fear from us. We'd never abandon our friends, especially me."
The red-haired ogre folded his hands. "I do not distrust you, Lord Gil. You have shown you are not an enemy, nor has the other sentinels here. However, there's a lot to consider about your offer. Please give me some time."
"Sure. Take all the time you need." Gil waved goodbye. "On that note, it's time for round two of the all-you-can-eat! I'll see you guys later!"
After the festival, the red-haired ogre stood behind a patch of trees, with the purple-haired ogre next to him. "It's not a bad deal. In fact, we get a lot out of it. But it's still your call. We'll go with what you decide is best." The red-haired ogre nodded. He walked further into the woods, clenching his teeth. He punched a tree, snapping it. "If only I were stronger.."
The next day, the red-haired ogre stood before Maria, who sat on her bed. "Well?" she asked. "Have you come to a decision?"
The red-haired ogre stared her in the eye. "The ogres are a warring race and will become someone's servants if they prove to be stronger than us. I will accept the offer, but we'll only be your underlings until after we defeat the hobgoblins."
Maria nodded. "I understand. I'll set you all free once we've done so." The red-haired ogre knelt on his knees. "Then I swear my loyalty to you, Lady Maria." Maria heard reluctance in his voice. He didn't want to be her servant but still submitted to her because he thought it would be better for his remaining kin. The red-haired ogre had swallowed his pride and accepted his weaknesses, something that was difficult for many to do. Maria reasoned that all she could do was to make sure he wouldn't regret his choice, as she'd feel the same way if their roles were swapped. "Alright, I accept you. For your first order, call all the other ogres, as well as Tiffany, Sarah, and Alyyiah."
When everyone was assembled, Maria stood up. "Alright, listen up. I've decided that I'm going to form bonds with all of you!" Everyone was stunned. "All of us?" The red-haired ogre had asked.
"You might die!" Tiffany and Sarah pointed out.
"We can't have Lord Gil's second-in-command die on us," Alyyiah said. "Of course, I would be more than happy to take on the role if that ever happened."
"More importantly, you could die from quanta loss!" The pink-haired ogre said. "Besides, we're already strong. You can just form bonds with the sentinels here." Maria shook her head. "I'm forming bonds with all of you. If you don't want one, then I won't be giving you one. Any objections?" The old ogre shook his head. "No. We will do as the young master says."
The red-haired ogre nodded. "We will accept the bonds you have offered." Maria jumped off her bed and began giving names to the ogres. "I dub thee..." Maria collapsed as she did when she formed bonds with all the goblins due to quanta loss.
Two days later, Maria began to wake. She heard Gil and Alyyiah, as well as some other voices that seemed familiar. Alyyiah said Gil had spent too much time caring for Maria and asked if he'd be willing to take a break. The familiar voices offered to take care of Maria, but Gil dismissed them, saying he'll be fine. Alyyiah said she worried Gil was pushing himself too hard and said she'll stay to take care of him, but Maria knew that was a pretense. Alyyiah was just trying to take Gil away from her, and the thought irritated Maria. "Get away from him! I'm the only woman he's allowed to spend time with!"
"Welcome back to our world. Again," Gil smiled.
"Thanks for taking care of me, Gil." Maria saw two women and three men bowing to her, and she pointed at them. "Who are they - wait, are you guys the ogres I named?" One of them nodded. He was the red-haired ogre, but his appearance changed so drastically it was hard for Maria to tell. The ogre was now a slim man with tan skin and long red-hair tied in a ponytail. The two black horns on his head had grown. He was a lot smaller, but his aura was menacing. He wore black boots, white trousers, and a brown leather coat. "Yes, Lady Maria, although thanks to you, I have become an Oni, as have the other ogres. You have given me the name of Nova, and I am grateful."
A pink-haired Oni smiled at Maria, who she realized was the pink-haired ogre. She was beautiful before, but now she was adorable. Her pink hair reached her collarbone, and she still wore the same white robes. Like her brother, her horns had grown, becoming much more noticeable. The pink-haired Oni bowed. "I'm glad you've come to, Lady Maria. My name is Andromeda."
A blue-haired woman hugged Maria, who she realized used to be the blue-haired ogre. She wore blue sweats and a blue shirt. The blue tint on her skin had faded, and now it was olive. The black horn on her head was much narrower, and she was more voluptuous now. Her beauty rivaled Andromeda's. "I'm so glad you're awake, Lady Maria! You have given me the name of Holly. I promise to treasure it, my Lord!"
Maria saw a purple-haired Oni observing her. "You are?"
Maria noticed that he was actually a bit shorter than before. His hair swept past his eyes, and Maria could not see his horns. His skin was a light brown, and he wore purple attire along with black boots. Armored gauntlets covered his arms. "You have given me the name of Jaco. I'm grateful, my Lord."
Maria recognized the last Oni in the room. "You're the guy that painfully cut off my arm, right?" Although he was still old, he looked younger. Maria saw that the old Oni was the shortest among the Onis, and his clothing hadn't changed. The Oni laughed. "Is that how you remember me? Well, in case you've forgotten, my name is Atticus."
Maria nodded. "Thanks, everyone. Sorry if I worried you all."
Gil shook his head. "This isn't the first time you've fainted, so we weren't really all that worried." Maria pouted when she saw Alyyiah clinging to Gil. She grabbed his arm and hugged him. "Sorry for making you take care of me again, Gil. This is my apology." Gil hugged her back. "Apology accepted." Alyyiah frowned. "She tugged Gil towards her, which led Maria to tug on Gil harder. "Gil and I have some catching up to do. Why don't you leave, Alyyiah? You're bothering us."
Alyyiah smirked. "I don't think I will, Maria. You need your bed rest. I'll take your place for today."
"My, my. That's quite the tongue for a mere servant." The two began to argue, and Gil got caught in the middle, complaining about how his arms were hurting.
"I do not understand at all, Mother! Why are we, the proud dracaena, seeking help against a bunch of fat, disgusting goblins!" For the past week, Gabe had speedily recruited elves from various villages. At the moment, he had gotten around eight thousand elves on his side. "Once upon a time, Mother used to be such an amazing leader, you know!"
One of Gabe's men came up to him. He wore battle armor and had orange skin. "My Lord, you could always become the leader of the dracaena at any time." Another one of his men nodded, this one having blue skin. "That's true, you know. You'd be a much better leader."
Gabe scoffed at them. "Don't be ridiculous. Mother has done many great things. I still fall short of her and my younger sister."
"That's not true," the orange skinned-dracaena said. "You're just as good, if not greater." The blue-skinned dracaena nodded. "It's true, you know." Gabe considered their words. "What if," he thought, "What if... I'm actually an incredible guy?" He laughed. "I appreciate your faith in me, men. We'll round up all the elves and defeat those hobgoblins!" All of Gabe's soldiers cheered.
"Are there any more elf villages we haven't visited?" The blue-skinned dracaena nodded. "There's one more. But this one seems to be very strange."
"How so?"
"For one, it seems all the residents have evolved into leprechauns. Furthermore, they have managed to tame kitsune."
"What? Is there anything else?"
"Yes. The village is led by a vampire and a sentinel. More specifically, a Count and a Pulsar."
"A sentinel? They live with the enemy?" Gabe laughed. "What a funny tale! Let's go visit this interesting village!" He hopped on his chariot, which was driven by Komodos, lizards the size of fully grown men. "Follow me, men! The great Gabe will vanquish this sentinel who cruelly rules over that village!" His soldiers erupted in cheers. "Woohoo! Sir Gabe!"