Chapter 26: Oath
Every placement was deliberate. He timed everything—how fast the flames would spread, how the wind would push them, how long it would take before the fire reached the cave. Most importantly, he calculated how fast his horse could outrun the blaze. There was no room for error.
Meanwhile, Clara was holding the front line, facing the stronger goblins head-on. Her sword sang through the night, keeping the enemy distracted, keeping them away from the cave.
Gabby urged his horse into a full gallop. He leaned low, calculating the wind’s direction and speed. The fire would spread fast—faster than most would expect. But he had planned for this. Every gust, every slope, every dry patch of grass had been calculated.
The strong goblins—those capable of real combat—were all at the Dry Creek Bed, locked in brutal battle with Clara. She held the line with steel and fury, drawing their attention, their strength, their numbers.
That left the cave unguarded.
Gabby dismounted near the entrance, slipping into the shadows like smoke. The air inside was thick with the stench of sulfur and damp stone. As he moved deeper, the heat from the wildfire followed him, licking at the cave’s mouth like a hungry beast.
Then he saw them.
The pregnant goblins lay in clusters, their swollen bellies rising and falling with slow, labored breaths. Around them, the young—more than infants, but still small—watched him with wide, glassy eyes. Their faces were soft. Innocent.
One reached out with a trembling hand—not in defense, but in confusion. Another whimpered, eyes pleading, as if asking for forgiveness they didn’t understand.
Gabby smirked, "Acting all innocent? "But I know what you become once you grow up."
He torched the cave.