scent. Once they discover where we are, they will surely return with reinforcements."
"How can you possibly know that there are goblins moving this way?" Brody asked in bewilderment.
"Snowfeather told me." The huge warrior shrugged.
"What are your going to do?" Shirk asked with a frown.
"The only thing I can do." Damion murmured, rising to his feet. "I'm going to kill them before they can report our presence to the rest of their clan."
"You're going to try and take them on by yourself?" Brody asked in disbelief. "Is that really wise? I heard that goblins can be quite formidable to face in battle."
"Don't worry about Damion." Damarius told the elf confidently. "It would take an army of goblins to even have a chance against him in battle, and my gold would still be on Damion to win."
"I will return once I have made sure that the area is clear of danger." The huge warrior assured them as he made his way towards the trade road. "Just make sure to be on your guard until I return." He drew in his magic and slipped into the form of a panther, then disappeared into the darkness on silent paws.
"How did he do that?" Brody demanded in disbelief, staring out at the darkness with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Do what?" Shirk asked, staring at the elf with a puzzled expression.
"One second the Dragon Lord was standing there, and the next second he was gone, and a huge black cat stood in his place!"
"You must be seeing things, my friend." Shirk told him, a playful smile hovering about his mouth. "I think you may need to lie down for a bit until your mind clears."
"Quit messing with Etha Brody." Raven told the bearded bandit reprovingly. She turned to the elf. "Damion is a sorcerer." She reminded him in a matter-of-fact tone. "He can use his magic to shift into other forms. He usually chooses a black panther, although I'm not exactly sure why."
"It allows him to blend into the darkness with little effort." Damarius informed her, shoveling a spoonful of steaming stew into his mouth. "Damion grew up in a secluded valley that left him few options for entertainment, so a great deal of his spare time was spent hunting with Snowfeather. He began to use the form of a panther during these hunts because it allowed him to stalk his prey more efficiently."
"And he plans to use it to stalk the goblins?" Delilah asked in surprise. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Everything is dangerous here in the mountains, but Damion knows what he's doing. This isn't the first time that he has dealt with goblins."
"We should still be on our guard, though." Raven warned them seriously. "Goblins aren't the only creatures in these mountains that can be dangerous." She noticed both elves appeared nervous. "But don't worry. Damion will eliminate these creatures and be back before you know it."
"What if he runs into a problem?" Delilah asked, her expression still worried. "How will we know if he needs help?"
"If Damion runs into a problem, we'll know." Damarius assured her with a knowing smile. "In fact, the entire mountain range will probably know."
**********
Damion hurried through the shadows on silent paws with Snowfeather drifting quietly overhead guiding him towards the place that the huge owl had last saw the goblins. It wasn't long before he heard the creatures slowly making their way through the underbrush near the side of the road.
He froze mid-step as one of the goblins suddenly stepped out onto the road and looked around, then he quickly retreated into the shadows as the second beast appeared, both appearing somewhat agitated.
"Ugly beasts, aren't they?" Damion commented silently to Snowfeather, wrinkling his nose in displeasure as the goblins' odor began to overpower his sensitive nostrils.
The goblins were both short, stocky creatures, standing approximately five feet tall, with grayish green skin, and course shaggy hair that covered their oddly shaped heads and backs. They had pig-like faces with large yellow tusks that
"How can you possibly know that there are goblins moving this way?" Brody asked in bewilderment.
"Snowfeather told me." The huge warrior shrugged.
"What are your going to do?" Shirk asked with a frown.
"The only thing I can do." Damion murmured, rising to his feet. "I'm going to kill them before they can report our presence to the rest of their clan."
"You're going to try and take them on by yourself?" Brody asked in disbelief. "Is that really wise? I heard that goblins can be quite formidable to face in battle."
"Don't worry about Damion." Damarius told the elf confidently. "It would take an army of goblins to even have a chance against him in battle, and my gold would still be on Damion to win."
"I will return once I have made sure that the area is clear of danger." The huge warrior assured them as he made his way towards the trade road. "Just make sure to be on your guard until I return." He drew in his magic and slipped into the form of a panther, then disappeared into the darkness on silent paws.
"How did he do that?" Brody demanded in disbelief, staring out at the darkness with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Do what?" Shirk asked, staring at the elf with a puzzled expression.
"One second the Dragon Lord was standing there, and the next second he was gone, and a huge black cat stood in his place!"
"You must be seeing things, my friend." Shirk told him, a playful smile hovering about his mouth. "I think you may need to lie down for a bit until your mind clears."
"Quit messing with Etha Brody." Raven told the bearded bandit reprovingly. She turned to the elf. "Damion is a sorcerer." She reminded him in a matter-of-fact tone. "He can use his magic to shift into other forms. He usually chooses a black panther, although I'm not exactly sure why."
"It allows him to blend into the darkness with little effort." Damarius informed her, shoveling a spoonful of steaming stew into his mouth. "Damion grew up in a secluded valley that left him few options for entertainment, so a great deal of his spare time was spent hunting with Snowfeather. He began to use the form of a panther during these hunts because it allowed him to stalk his prey more efficiently."
"And he plans to use it to stalk the goblins?" Delilah asked in surprise. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"Everything is dangerous here in the mountains, but Damion knows what he's doing. This isn't the first time that he has dealt with goblins."
"We should still be on our guard, though." Raven warned them seriously. "Goblins aren't the only creatures in these mountains that can be dangerous." She noticed both elves appeared nervous. "But don't worry. Damion will eliminate these creatures and be back before you know it."
"What if he runs into a problem?" Delilah asked, her expression still worried. "How will we know if he needs help?"
"If Damion runs into a problem, we'll know." Damarius assured her with a knowing smile. "In fact, the entire mountain range will probably know."
**********
Damion hurried through the shadows on silent paws with Snowfeather drifting quietly overhead guiding him towards the place that the huge owl had last saw the goblins. It wasn't long before he heard the creatures slowly making their way through the underbrush near the side of the road.
He froze mid-step as one of the goblins suddenly stepped out onto the road and looked around, then he quickly retreated into the shadows as the second beast appeared, both appearing somewhat agitated.
"Ugly beasts, aren't they?" Damion commented silently to Snowfeather, wrinkling his nose in displeasure as the goblins' odor began to overpower his sensitive nostrils.
The goblins were both short, stocky creatures, standing approximately five feet tall, with grayish green skin, and course shaggy hair that covered their oddly shaped heads and backs. They had pig-like faces with large yellow tusks that
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