The goblins appeared in a line. Harm immediately recognised Rebo, grinning evilly. Next to him was a goblin of similar stature to Rebo, taller than most and broader. It had to be Murgo. He wore armour, a ringmail shirt, and a shield, with a Warhammer in his free hand. The group paused as they broke from the trees, seeing Harm and his five companions standing on the path to the north of the hamlet.

There was about 300 feet between the two groups, and Murgo's group moved forward. Murgo stepped freely, his group whooping and calling as they approached. As they neared, Harm could see Rebo talking to Murgo. Murgo didn't reply, ignoring him and not taking his eyes off Harm.

Fifty feet separated them, the goblins with Murgo having to move together to allow them to fit between the hut and the field, its crude wooden fence carolling them. Murgo stopped raising his arm.

Murgo spoke loudly. "I'm told you speak Goblin tongue?" he called.

"I do," Harm replied. He hadn't equipped his gear and stood only wearing his leather jacket and clothes.

That made Murgo raise his eyebrow in response. Obviously, he had not believed what Rebo must have told him. As Harm glanced around the group with Murgo, he thought at least three of them must have also been from the clan initially.

Say I do! The demon called.

Harm ignored the voice. 

"What do you want?" Harm called, his voice commanding and strong. He had never been one to back down from a fight, and even though outnumbered and his clan were probably outskilled by many of the goblins with Murgo, he knew that he could take several alone.

"I came to see if it was true," Murgo called back.

"If what's true?" 

"That a stinking human forced Rebo from the clan."

Harm laughed. "Forced Rebo? Is that what the snivelling wretch told you?"

Rebo snarled, showing his teeth.

"I didn't force him out. He chose to leave, along with the others who have returned with you today." Harm noticed a couple of the group shift nervously.

"You killed the chief. Did you?" Murgo asked.

"I did," Harm nodded.

"And yet, you have never come and shown your allegiance to the valley chiefs."

"Allegiance?" Harm frowned. "What allegiance are you seeking?"

"New chiefs are to introduce themselves. It is the way of the clans, and you have not done so."

"Introduce myself to you for what reason?"

"To pay your fees, of course."

"Fee's? What fees are you talking about?"

"How do you think this clan survived for so long?" Murgo scoffed. "They paid for their right to stay on our land."

"Your land? Do you have a deed?"

Murgo frowned. It was evident he had no idea what a deed was. Harm laughed at the look on the goblin's face. 

Say I do! The voice sang in his mind.

"You have no deed to this land. Therefore, anyone can live here. It falls outside of any town boundaries and is wilderness. Whoever lives here may do so of their own free will."

"This is my land," Murgo replied. "The west of the valley is mine and my clan's."

"Really? And what gives you the right to claim the valley? The valley is Sallew and Hillnot's; it is not your land."

"The valley is mine," Murgo spat back angrily.

Harm laughed. "I think that both towns may argue with you there. If the valley is yours, do they pay you also?"

Murgo growled. "You have a choice today. You pay what is owed, or you die; it is simple."

"And what is owed?"

Rebo spoke to Murgo, Murgo glancing at him before replying to Harm. "The usual is due. Thirty gemstones."

Harm frowned. What gemstones? He thought.

Harm looked at Dafu. "What gems is he talking about?"

Dafu looked at Harm before replying. "He may mean the ones from the stream."

"What gems come from the stream?"

Dafo called a small stone into the palm of his hand. "They look like this. They get washed from higher in the hills, where we can't get too, because the climb is too steep."

Harm's eyes opened in alarm. Sitting in Dafu's palm was a small but uncut emerald, its dull, bluish-green colour rough and unpolished.

"Do you get emeralds from the stream?" Harm said with both surprise and shock.

"I don't know what they are. The chief used to get them collected," Dafu shrugged.

"Fucking hell. There are emeralds washed down from the hills. If anyone in the townships knew, especially the dwarves of Hillnot. Damn," Harm said. "How many do you have?" 

"Only this one," Dafu said.

Harm would have to get the goblins collecting the emeralds now that he knew about them. The amount of coin they would be worth to a jeweller was invaluable.

"So, the old chief was paying Murgo to be left alone," Harm said. He supposed it made sense, considering that the clan was in no state to really defend itself.

"How many does Murgo have in his clan?" Harm asked.

"This is only a few. I think there are about eighty." Dafu replied.

That sent a chill down Harm's spine. If Murgo had eighty members in his clan, why would he only bring twenty with him, or had he brought more?

"Shit," Harm swore as he looked around quickly. If there were more that the scouts haven't seen, then that could be a serious problem. He had been sizing up the group in front of him, and none appeared to be a threat to him. Their numbers would be a problem without the help of the others, but if more were nearby and unseen. "Dafu. Go to Nathic and the group, tell them there may be another group we haven't seen yet," he hissed with urgency.

Dafu looked at Harm, confused, and then, as though a light had come on, his eyes went wide, realising what Harm meant. "Fuck," he replied as he ran down the side of the hut, out of sight from Murgo and his group.

Say I do! The voice again sang.

Fuck off. Harm thought.

The voice laughed, giggling like a child.

So rude! So rude! Say I do, and it will be done! The voice replied.

What will be done? Harm thought.

You will see! You will see! It will be fun! The voice sang.

Harm's confidence, seeing the state of the initial group of goblins with only Margu being armoured, was shrinking now with the thought of more being hidden. The twenty in front of him was one thing; if there were potentially another sixty, then there was no way that he could take that number on.

Say I do! Boons there will be! Not for free! But there will be! The voice sang again.

Harm's mind was churning as he contemplated what he should do. He heard a shriek from where Nathic had taken the others. 

Shit! He thought as he heard the commotion from the thicket. There had obviously been more that hadn't been spotted.

What can I do? He thought

The answer is simple: just say I do! The demonic voice replied.

"Luubu. Can I challenge another chief?" Harm asked, looking at her. She was standing, staring at Murgo and the others, her sword in her hand, teeth bared. She glanced at Harm.

"Yes," Luubu said, turning back.

Harm looked over at the commotion from the thicket and watched as Dafu backed out of there before Nathic and the others also appeared. They held their hands in the air, being forced forward by the group that had surrounded them.

"Margu," Harm called.

Margu had turned to watch them coming from the thicket and was smiling. He turned to look at Harm. "What? Have I foiled your plan?" He laughed, his laugh high-pitched and grating.

"No. Not at all. I was hoping the rest of your clan would be here," Harm replied, smiling.

Margu's laugh faltered as he looked at Harm and frowned.

"Why would you hope for my clan to be here?"

Harm watched as at least another forty goblins moved from the treeline and thicket, short swords and spears pointed towards his members.

"So, they may see you die," Harm replied.

Margu laughed again. "I think you are a foolish human. You may take a few of us, but you don't have the numbers."

"That is true," Halm agreed, nodding his head. "But I don't need to kill any goblins apart from you. Margu, I hereby challenge you for the position of chief of your clan."

Margu's face was a picture, as it went from laughing to uncertainty and confusion.

The approaching goblins all stopped on hearing his words.

"You can't challenge me. I am the chief of my clan."

"Are they not the clan laws? Can another not challenge you to become the chief?"

Goblins on both sides started chattering at the unforeseen outcome.

"If you had just sent your clan without you, then your plan may have worked. But, it appears you wanted to be the centre of attention and claim this as a victory today." Harm said.

Margu glanced nervously at Rebo and then turned to one of his members. 

"If you had stayed away. Your clan's numbers could have overrun us easily, but since you came today. Then let us see who the chief of chiefs should be."

"Fuck you, human," Margu cursed.

Luubu stepped forward in front of Harm, snarling at Margu. "Are you so much of a coward that you won't face a challenge?" She spat at Margu.

Margu snarled back, baring his teeth. Harm wondered why Luubu had never challenged the previous chief. Harm thought that out of all the goblins in the clan, she probably would have been able to with relative ease.

Aww! Let us fight! Let us kill! The voice said sulkily.

We may still need to. Harm thought. The goblins with Margu didn't look pleased with Harm's challenge, yet none had spoken out.

"So, Margu. What is your answer? Do you accept my challenge? Or are you too much of a coward, hiding behind your clan's numbers?"

Margu was talking to Rebo and another goblin before he turned and looked back at Harm. He smiled a wicked smile.

"I accept," he said.

Harm didn't trust that the goblin had just accepted so readily and knew that something would happen.

Be ready. He thought as he stepped forward. The goblins started to whoop and holler as Margu stepped forward from his group.

Harm walked twenty feet and came to a stop, just short of halfway between their parties. Margu walked forward slowly, his shield on his arm and warhammer raised. Watching his movements, Harm knew that he was at least semi-skilled with his shield, and Margu held it in front of him as he moved.

Margu got within fifteen feet and stopped, snarling at Harm. Harm still hadn't equipped his armour or weapon yet and stood looking at Margu. His pulse raced, and a voice sang in his mind.

Kill your enemy! Bathe in his blood! The voice said excitedly.

Harm used Equip, his armour appearing instantly, and Florence appeared in his hand. Margu's eyes opened a little in shock, seeing him now, armed and ready for his attack.

The surrounding goblins were getting louder as they shouted support or jeered. 

"Kill him." Harm heard Luubu say from behind him. He didn't look back, not taking his eyes off Margu, who stood, saliva dripping from his open maw as he growled almost bestially. And then it started. Margu ran at Harm, and as he did, Harm saw the movement from his group behind him. The arrows came flying towards Harm as he braced, ready to meet Margu's charge. Harm wasn't sure how many had been fired, but two of the arrows struck as his sword met with Margu's shield, almost knocking the goblin sideways from the power in his swing. One of the arrows bounced harmlessly off his pauldron; the other struck his upper arm, just above his vambrace. He cursed from the impact, the arrow burying deep into his skin. As Harm moved, he grimaced. But it didn't appear to have hit muscle. He grabbed its shaft and yanked it free. 

Margu regained his balance and swung his warhammer at Harm. Harm swept Florence down and met his blow, parrying it easily. The following few movements were straightforward, effective, and deadly. Harm thrust his blade in a counterattack. He didn't go for a hit but deliberately wished to get Margu to defend with his shield. As Margu moved his shield to block the strike, Harm really struck where he had intended. He pivoted, twisting his body and drawing his blade across and down. The feint of his thrust had made Margu open up his body. Harm drew Florence down and across the goblin's thighs. She sang as she cleaved through his leather bottoms. Ring mail could be harder than chain mail at times to penetrate with a sword, so he had deliberately gone for the weakest point.

Margu screamed in pain as his thighs were split. He staggered, his shield dropping low, and his warhammer as he tried to maintain his balance. As he did Harm, he spun and triggered his Whirling Blade skill. He didn't need to use it; it was a skill that normally would be used in a tight group to do maximum damage to surrounding enemies, but the immediate pirouette he performed in an instant, his blade held at the height of Margu's head, had the desired effect. The chief's head came clean off his shoulders. His look of shock was frozen on his face forever as his body collapsed to the floor. 

"I do believe you made a mistake today," Harm said as he watched it come to rest several feet away.

The goblins screamed in anger, uproar and absolute confusion as the voice sang merrily in Harm's head.

You said I do! That's number two! It merrily chirped.

Harm looked confused as he saw what was happening. His clan was going berserk. In the instant that he had downed Margu and said the fateful two words, something had triggered, and every single one of his clan had sprung and attacked Margu's clan. Luubu raced past Harm, charging for Rebo. The looks of shock turned to those of surprise. Dafu, Nathic, and his group immediately turned and attacked the group that had forced them from the trees. There were only a few, and Margu's group outnumbered them easily, but Harm watched in amazement as they pounced and tore at them. They had been disarmed before they walked from the thicket, but that didn't stop them. Claws and teeth, biting and scratching their enemies, tearing into them and taking many of them by surprise. 

Luubu reached Rebo, the others that had been with her following, as she crashed into them, her blade whirling with venom and accuracy. Harm watched in shock and awe as his clan routed them. Some of Margu's clan turned and fled, seeing the absolute ferocity of the attacks by his clan. Others dropped their weapons and backed off. Only a few tried to fight back.

Harm watched as Luubu carved her short sword across Rebo's chest, a large vent appearing in his top and brilliant red blood covering her. He fell backwards from her attack, and she punched him, driving her sword through his chest, screaming like a feral beast. She pulled it free and plunged it down again and again. Rebo was dead, but she didn't stop. 

Harm froze momentarily before he bellowed. "STOP."

Luubu's sword was again in the air, and she froze. The other goblins that were skirmishing also froze. Their faces turned to look at Harm.

"I killed your chief; your clan is now mine," he shouted as looks of despair, fear, and confusion filled the faces of many. He noticed some of his clan shaking their heads, as though clearing them.

The demon cackled in his mind.