The Goblin at the very front, with a mournful expression, said, "Honorable sir, we're willing to provide tribute, but the amount is too great; we can't produce so much. Look, here it is... all of it is here. If not, you could pick someone from our tribe... to serve the great lord as a servant..."
What the Goblin offered was a crudely-made deerskin pouch that was obviously fashioned from raw deer hide; not only did it have a strong odor, it was also not durable. In no time at all, it would be riddled with holes from various insects.
Inside the pouch, however, was something that brightened Gaven's eyes, the very reason for his journey—the Spirit Crystal Stone.
The trouble was there weren't many, and cobbled together, they were still smaller than a Goblin's fist.
Gaven, his expression unchanged, stroked his chin and said, "Not enough, not nearly enough. This is hardly the tribute of two people, let alone enough to compensate for your betrayal."
