We made light conversation as I followed her back towards the tunnel. I clutched the shadow stone in my hand and focused on the land in front of us, struggling to see in the rapidly fading light. The moment I saw any sign of one of those guards, I would use the stone and disappear.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"Twenty six years," I said. "Although I'm not sure if a year in your world is the same as mine. How about you?"
"Twenty five," she replied. "My mother says I'll die an old maid at this point, but I just ignore her comments. I'm not going to tie myself down to some monster."
I was starting to get the notion that nearly all goblin men were assholes. I said as much, and she just nodded.
"That's basically it," she said, suddenly stopping. She looked around, then lowered her voice. "It's our king, Ralcor. I'm assuming you haven't met him, since you're staying with Silvy. Everyone knows how much he hates her, even though he still uses her for her magic. Anyways, he treats everyone poorly, especially his wives. Other men often copy his behavior." She suddenly gave me an odd look. "Speaking of which, are you her new mate?"
"Silvy?" I asked. "No, she's just helping me out."
Zia gave me a patient look. "So, the witch woman is just helping you out? Nothing in return?"
"She wants me to do some things in return, yes," I said, trying to avoid the topic as much as possible. I mean, I couldn't just tell Zia that I was ultimately planning on killing her king, even though she clearly didn't like the guy.
Zia grunted. "I could only wish you were here to throw Ralcor off a cliff and take his place. We need someone better than him, especially if we want our society to progress. According to my mother and grandmother, nothing good has really happened since he took over, many years ago."
Well, shit.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Zia asked. She placed a hand on her hip and stared at me. Her green eyes caught the fading sunlight and glimmered like gemstones.
"I can't really talk about it," I said, not knowing what else to say.
Zia's eyes widened. "You're here to take over, aren't you?" she asked. "Look, it's no secret that Silvy prays every day for the gods to send someone to kill Ralcor. Everyone knows it, but people just brush it off as crazy talk from an old witch woman. Is it true? Are you him?"
I sighed. There was no way it was safe to talk about this sort of thing, and even her bringing up the topic made me feel like a dozen goblin guards were about to charge out of the tunnel and skewer me.
I spread my hands. "Look, Zia," I began.
"You are!" she exclaimed. She stepped closer to me and took my hands in hers. "Listen, if there is any way I can help you, just speak it. Anything at all."
"Zia, enough," I said, my voice firm. "We're talking about killing your king, here. This will get us both killed, and maybe tortured first!"
She shook her head. "I don't think you understand, Aaron. Everyone hates Ralcor. They speak of it openly in the streets and over dinner. He knows he is hated; the only reason he hasn't done anything about it is because so far it's been nothing more than words. If someone were to try something, he would kill anyone and everyone responsible, and in a way that would turn your hair white."
"All the more reason we shouldn't be talking about this," I hissed. "I feel like I'm admitting to a crime I haven't even committed yet. Zia, I would love a bit of help, but not if it gets me killed."
She clapped her hands and bounced on her toes, causing her large breasts to jiggle. "Oh, I'm so excited! When are you going to start?"
"Never, if you get my ass killed!" I said. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. "Please, Zia. You are very lovely and so far I enjoy being around you, but we simply cannot talk about this. As you said, the only reason Ralcor doesn't lash out is because so far no one does anything other than talk about how much they hate him. If he discovered what I was here to do, that would be the end of me."
She frowned. "I'm sorry, Aaron. It's just really hard not to be excited." Her expression suddenly changed and she leaned forwards, smelling me. "I know that smell. You slept with her, didn't you?"
I groaned. "It was part of a spell she had to cast on me," I began.
"Good for her," Zia said with a nod. "You're handsome and strong, and everyone knows she hasn't touched a man in more than a hundred years. Not after what happened to her."
I blinked. "Uh, okay." This whole conversation was just getting stranger and stranger. "Hey, it's getting dark. Can we go inside now?" Part of me wanted to get away from this gorgeous woman before she got me killed.
"Sure," Zia said, and turned back around.
I followed her and after a moment we came to the entrance of the tunnel. She stopped a few feet outside and turned to look at me.
"How did you get out?" she asked. "The guards would have killed you on the spot."
I held up the shadow stone. "This," I said, and slipped it into my mouth. My body immediately became translucent. There was still enough light in the area to keep me from fading completely.
Zia looked around for me. "Aaron?" She pouted her full lips and I suddenly wondered what they would feel like around the base of my cock.
"I'm right here," I said, reaching out and touching her shoulder. She flinched, her eyes searching for me. "It's okay, it's just magic."
"I wasn't expecting that," she said.
"Just keep walking, and I'll be right behind you," I said.
Zia turned and entered the tunnel with me right behind her. Of course I stared at her butt the entire time. It was hard not to. These goblin women were all so ridiculously voluptuous it barely felt real.
"I want to go with you," Zia said over her shoulder.
"Where?" I asked.
"To Silvy's house," she said. "I want to meet her."
"I don't know if she would like that," I said.
"I'm sure she'll be just fine," Zia said. "I and a friend of mine have dreamed about magic since we were little girls."
I threw up my hands but held my tongue. I could tell that Zia was the type of woman that did what she wanted, no matter what anyone else said.
"At least I'm returning with food," I muttered.
"Shhh," Zia said over her shoulder.
As I was nearly two feet taller than her, I simply looked over her head and saw the guard coming. It was the same man, with the same sour frown on his face, walking down the middle of the tunnel.
"Move over away from the lights," I whispered to her.
Zia nodded and moved to the side of the tunnel away from the glowing orbs. She maintained her pace and walked as if nothing were out of the ordinary as the goblin guard approached. My heart pounded, and I breathed as shallowly as possible as we drew near. The guard glanced at her, but paid her no mind. Relief flooded my veins.
All that relief went down the toilet as the guard suddenly lowered his spear, blocking Zia's path.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked.
"That's what I'm asking you," the guard said in return. "Something was in here earlier. Couldn't see it, but I smelled and heard it. Someone hiding. You see anything?"
Zia placed her hands on her hips. "The only thing I've seen is the vegetables and fruits in this bag. Now if you'll please let me pass, I'd like to get home before they spoil."
The guard looked at her for a moment, his hard eyes making a pass from head to toe, before finally raising his spear.
"Go in peace," he said, making it sound more like an order than a pleasantry. "Let me know if you see anything."
"Thank you, but I'm sure I'll be fine," Zia said.
Once the spear was out of her way, she continued down the hall, walking as if nothing in the world bothered her. I hurried behind her, silently willing her to walk faster. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that damn guard staring at her for a moment before turning back down the tunnel.
I waited until he was completely out of sight before I spoke. "I think we're safe," I whispered.
"Probably not," Zia said in a quiet voice. "I'm assuming you don't know how good goblin hearing is."
I kept my complaints to myself for another fifty feet. By then, the tunnel opened up into the underground city, or as I understood just one of a dozen caves like it. Zia turned and regarded me for a moment.
"Is this the path that leads to Silvy's place?" she asked, pointing at the worn trail on the rock where I had originally come from.
"Yes," I told her. "Follow that for about forty feet and it leads right to her house."
"Let me drop my food off and I'm coming with you," she said.
My eyes widened at that. "I don't know how she feels about visitors."
"Well, she's fine with you, right?" Zia asked. "And you're a visitor."
I frowned. She had a point.
Zia looked down at her canvas sack, then back at me. "Actually, I'm just going to head in there with you now. No telling what you'll tell her about me when I'm not there. Well? Stop staring and lead the way."
I shook my head but hopped on the worn path and began walking towards Silvy's house.
"I'm excited," Zia said from behind me. "Me and my best friend have always wanted to meet her, ever since we were little kids and heard our first stories of her. She has survived so much, and stayed strong. Nothing can break her.."
When we reached the front door to Silvy's cave-house, I knocked three times and waited. Zia gave me a big smile.
"What's the matter, did your hand stop working?" Silvy called out from inside the house.
I looked at Zia. "You have a visitor," I called out.
A moment later, the door flung open and Silvy stood there, dagger in hand, her face in a tight scowl. Her eyes took me in, then went right to Zia.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Silvy said in a tone that brooked no nonsense.
Zia dropped into a curtsy. "Good evening, Silvy. I am Zia, and I wanted to talk with you about magic."