Four days had passed, and as promised, Maria and Gil headed towards Glouvons Clove late at night. They were accompanied by the Onis, Alyyiah, Sarah, and a group of trained leprechauns called the "Elven Riders"(its leaders were Ryan, Isabelle, Travis, Conall, and Clover). All of them rode on kitsune, with Gil and Maria sitting together on top of Volpes.
Jaco went ahead of them to warn Maria and Gil of possible traps. "Lady Maria, a dracaena is fighting with a high-ranking hobgoblin. The dracaena in question is Medusa's daughter, and she's struggling. What shall I do?"
"Help her," Maria said. "It only makes sense to, right? Could you win?"
"Easily."
Gil thought it was unfair that Jaco was both good-looking and confident. He wished he was like that. "Then go help her, Jaco. Keep her safe until we get there."
"As you wish, Lord Gil." Maria turned to everyone behind her. "Jaco has found the enemy. Prepare for battle!" But the group found out there was no need to prepare. Jaco had already killed the hobgoblin.
"Um, Lady Maria, didn't you say there was going to be a battle?" Ryan was confused. All the hobgoblins near him were dead. "It's already been fought." Nova nodded. "There was no fun left for us."
Maria and Gil ran to Jaco, who propped up Medusa's daughter. Blood came out of her mouth, and her ribs were broken. Maria took out a healing potion and fed it to the dracaena, who initially spat it out but began swallowing after Maria told her it would help her. The dracaena coughed. "I - I thought I was going to die! My wounds were fatal, so how did you fix them?"
"Oh, a simple healing potion." Klain had told Maria he made the best healing potions in Dirram, and from what Maria just saw, he wasn't kidding. They were anything but simple. "One of my subjects is amazingly skilled. Anyways, what's your name?"
"Euryale. I serve Medusa, the Queen of the dracaena, and I am her daughter. Who are you guys?"
"I am Maria Asphodel. This one here is my lord, Gil Asphodel." Euryale immediately recognized those names and bowed before them. "Please, you have to help me!"
"What's wrong?" Gil asked. "If this is about the hobgoblin army, we're heading in their direction right now."
"No, it's worse than that. My brother incited a rebellion and imprisoned my mother and me. He also ordered our troops to fight the hobgoblins. When the guards weren't looking, my mother created an opportunity for me to escape, and I wandered the forest in search of you. If we don't do something right now, my kin will be exterminated from the forest." Euryale pressed her head on the ground. "I know this is a selfish request, especially since we forsook our side of the bargain, but please, you're my people's only hope!"
Holly told Euryale to get up. "I'm sure Lord Gil and Lady Maria will most certainly help you. Do not despair."
Euryale sobbed. "Thank you, thank you so much!" A month ago, Holly had declared herself to be Maria's secretary, and she was now playing her role. Maria declined to give her the job. She found Holly to be somewhat coarse but relented when Holly cried for several hours. Maria thought she had misjudged Holly, although it was too soon to say so. "As Holly said, we'll help you deal with the hobgoblins. Would you mind acting as a proxy?" Euryale nodded.
"Then do you object to forming a treaty with us right here and now?" Euryale shook her head. "No! I'll follow all of your commands, as well as Lord Gil's."
"Very well. It would make sense to help you free your mother as well. I'll have Jaco escort you to her prison. Jaco, could you do it?"
"Without a doubt." Maria liked his demeanor, wishing Gil would be more like him. He'd be sexier that way. "Alright. Then I'll leave it up to you." Jaco nodded, taking Euryale's hand and teleporting elsewhere. Maria hopped on Volpes. "Everyone else, continue with the march! Onward!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Gabe laughed. The hobgoblins were so slow in the water and so easy to kill. Their mistake was challenging the dracaena in their territory, which Gabe thought was the winning factor. His troops were making quick work of the goblins, and the elves were a big boost, taking out weakened hobgoblins. At this rate, Gabe thought the hobgoblins would lose a significant amount of troops. Even if he suffered mass casualties, if a single dracaena eliminated a hundred hobgoblins before dying, victory would still be his. His mother was too indecisive, but Gabe would not be like her. He would return home as the victorious King of the dracaena he rightfully was.
However, Medusa's fears were not groundless. She, unlike Gabe, knew of the horrifying power of the ghoul and that he was not to be taken lightly. Gabe's ignorance would cost him severely, as he was soon to find out.
Gabe issued new orders to his troops but paused when he saw a hobgoblin picking up one of his own and eating up. Gabe observed every hobgoblin doing it and was appalled. "The hobgoblins... are eating their own? What are they up to?" Gabe turned around to find that one of his own men had become fodder to the hobgoblins, scaring him even more. The dracaena had pleaded for help, but he was consumed too quickly for Gabe to do anything. Gabe decided to fall back for now, as he didn't want more of his men to become food.
"Men, retreat and regroup! If we fight like this, we'll all be devoured!"
"But we can't," one of his men complained. "The hobgoblins have surrounded us!" The hobgoblin army surrounded the dracaenas on all fronts, leaving little room for escape.
The blue-skinned dracaena jumped behind Gabe. "It's true, and that's when they started moving faster." The last word got Gabe's attention. The goblins up until now were pitifully slow. Was there something they had that Gabe was not aware of? And what of the scenes he just witnessed? Did the goblin's increase in speed had to do with what they just ate?
Gabe's soldiers formed a phalanx, with Gabe at the front, allowing him to observe any changes. He was shocked to see webbed-feet and scales on the goblins and realized that they got them from the dracaena they ate. They were much stronger now, making Gabe conclude that their collective power increased with whatever they filled their bellies with. He could not have any more men die but found that to be impossible given the situation. There was only one thing he could do. "Alright, men, do not let our phalanx break! We'll topple the hobgoblins' formation and let the elves escape. If we must be devoured, we'll do so with honor!" His soldiers roared, unified by the rallying cry.
Deep in the forest, Alnod Marsh and Hope monitored the battle at Glouvons Clove. Alnod Marsh giggled. "Things are progressing smoothly, aren't they, Hope?"
"Yes, Alnod. Gabe is inches away from getting devoured." The two of them laughed until they felt a chill in the air. The wind stopped whistling by, and a bright blue light appeared. Coraline smiled at the jinns. "Pleased to meet you. I am Coraline, a caretaker of the forest, and you are trespassing."
Hope stepped backward. "This puts a wrench in our plans, Alnod. Naiads are the caretakers of the forest and are very formidable."
"Really?" Hope thought dryads took care of forests, and the ones responsible for Silverlake were dead. He had never heard of naiads acting as a substitute and realized things may go south for him. "Hey, wait, can't we talk this out?"
Coraline shook her head. "You will repent for your sins. Now, I summon you, the water spirit, Alpine!" A little fairy dressed in blue clothes appeared above Coraline's head. Water formed from the tips of Coraline's fingers. She shot a volley of high-pressure water at Hope, cutting his arm off.
Alnod Marsh became nervous. "Hope, your arm!" Hope told Alnod Marsh to relax. "Sorry, naiad, but you won't be able to change anything. Everything is going according to our plan, and a new demon lord will be born." Hope maniacally laughed as he threw three purple circles into the ground and disappeared under a cloud of smoke.
Coraline sighed. "They have escaped me. This is not a desirable outcome. I'll leave the rest to you, Gil Asphodel. Defeat the ghoul before it's too late."