The Goblin and the Empire

by JD Cole

  Kelli peered into the stables, but the entire structure was empty save for some chickens pecking at the ground. “I suppose that’s one solution. Honestly, I’m too tired to think about it right now.”

  “Right, sorry. Is your horse the only animal you keep here?”

  “Orion, yes. The hogs and other horses are at the other end of the ranch,” she waved towards some buildings partly hidden behind a grove of palm trees. “We have a few ranch hands that handle most of their care, and we have some sugarcane fields about a mile down the road that they maintain, too.”

  “Wow, I didn’t realize how successful your family was.”

  “Yeah, my great-grandparents set us up pretty good. The family’s been steadily growing the business ever since.”

  Derek looked around approvingly. “So… you guys have a pool?”

  “Yup, if our chaperone doesn’t mind me taking a quick dip to get refreshed before we head back.” She looked up at Petriz.

  “I am only here to keep you safe, Highness.”

  “You’re free to jump in the water with us! Though, I don’t really have any kind of swimsuit that’d fit you.”

  Petriz’ eyes never stopped scanning for dangers. “I respectfully decline. As I said, I am here to watch over you and keep you safe.”

  Kelli looked at Derek. “I don’t think my dad’s surfing trunks would fit you, either.”

  “I’ve already got shorts on,” he replied.

  “Okay, cool!” She led them to the large pool patio behind her house. “Aloha Paniolo!” Kelli called out to her home automation system, “let me listen to dad’s ‘chillax’ playlist.”

  The patio speakers came to life with an old J-Boog song, Brighter Day. “Go ahead and get in,” she told Derek, “I’m gonna go change real quick.” She unlocked the backdoor with the palm and voice scanners next to the door, then looked up again at Petriz. “I’m not sure you’ll fit in my house.”

  “I will manage, Highness,” the sprite looked around in wonder searching for the source of music.

  “Suit yourself,” she shrugged, and went inside with her guard stooping to follow.

  Derek shed his armor and slid into the shallow end of the pool, enjoying the cool water on his skin. He dunked his head under then leaned against the wall with his arms stretched out on the edge, listening to Hawaiian reggae and songbirds in the distance. Several minutes later, Petriz stepped out onto the patio, practically kneeling to get through the doorway before standing at attention next to the door. Kelli came out next, wearing a sporty two-piece diving suit and carrying some towels and canned drinks.

  “Never give up, have a little faith and just wait, it’s gonna be a brighter day,” she sang along with the music.

  Kelli opened a can and handed it to her royal guard. “I bet you’re thirsty, help yourself to more if you want,” she said. Then she grabbed two more cans and jumped feet-first into the deep end, holding the drinks close herself as she swam underwater toward Derek.

  “Oh, that feels so good!” she said as her head popped out of the water. She leaned up against the wall near Derek and handed him a beverage. “I could almost believe my life is still normal right now.”

  Derek examined the can. “Passion guava? That sounds delicious.” He popped it open and took a large gulp. “Oh wow, that’s great!”

  Kelli nodded, taking a gulp of her own. “I know, I’m totally gonna bulk-import this stuff to Windham.” She lifted her can to Petriz. “What do you think?”

  “Most pleasant,” he replied. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He had already placed the empty can on a nearby table and had his hand back on the hilt of the sword at his hip, eyes alert for threats.

  Derek took another gulp. “So, you really think I need to tell my parents everything, huh?”

  “I honestly think its the best way. They deserve to know, don’t you agree?”

  “Kinda. I’m just really scared about what they’ll think, how they’ll react. They’ve made a pretty good life for us, I don’t wanna screw it up, dragging them into my problems.”

  “Am I a problem?” she smiled slyly at him.

  “You know that’s not what I mean. You’re saying I should tell them their son is a wanted criminal.”

  “Their son is a hero.”

  Derek shrugged. The two of them quietly finished their drinks, soaking in the sun and the coolness of the water as Petriz stood guard.

  “What’s this about mosquitoes, now?” he finally asked.

  “Oh. I really messed up, Derek.” She explained how she had lost her temper and misused the Birthright without meaning to.

  “As mistakes go,” Derek said, “it could’ve been a lot worse. Some animals might have to compete a bit harder for food now that the mosquitoes are all gone, but you just wiped out a whole lot of diseases, too. I’d be lying if I said I’m upset by any of this.”

  “Yeah, but even if nobody misses the mosquitoes, that’s not really the point. The sprites didn’t craft the Birthright for it to be used by someone who gets mad at the drop of a hat, and what it boils down to is that I caused an immediate extinction just by getting angry. That’s crazy terrifying! And I can’t hand over this power to somebody else who knows what they’re doing, it’s stuck with me! The only chance I have is to fix my attitude and my emotions.”

  “It seems to me you’ve already worked hard at that. I was ready to cut the Goblin King into tiny pieces for what he did to you and your dad, and you had more of a reason to hate him than I do. But you’re the one who kept yourself in check. You’re the one who demanded mercy for your enemy.”

  “It wasn’t just for his sake. I wanted to save you, too.”

  “Save me?”

  “You’re a good person, Derek. I understand why you do what you do, as a vigilante. And after everything we’ve been through, I’ve also learned that sometimes there isn’t a choice, sometimes it’s really kill or be killed. But I don’t want you becoming someone who’s comfortable with killing and torturing. You’re smart enough to be able to find better ways. You’re smart enough to just be better, period.”

  Derek stared into the pool. “I’m flattered you think that highly of me.” Then he looked up at the sky. “Mae, how are you doing?”

  “Not quite twenty five percent yet, but I am feeling much better. It has been ages since I have enjoyed the majestic oceans of the world.”

  Derek smiled at her use of percentages. He looked at Kelli. “I’m checking in with Undine, I call her Mae.”

  “Your what?”

  “No, M-A-E. I made up the acronym for Magic Assisted Engineering.”

  “You’re such a dork,” she chuckled. “What’s wrong with just Undine?”

  “Didn’t you see her in action at Matari? She’s a superhero now, she needed a superhero name. Lady Mae, expert in hand to hand combat and master of water element.”

  “What’s the scoops with you and her, then? Dufangen explained a little bit of it to me, the elemental basically thinks you’re her property now or something?”

  “No, it’s more like she thinks she’s my property, and it’s been impossible to convince her otherwise. You’ve kinda already met her before, during our Lifishi’un trial.”

  “What?”

  “Remember Excalibur? Uther?”

  “Yeah… Dufangen mentioned it but I hadn’t made the connection before. Okay.”

  “You might be interested to know why the sprites put us in that time period, too.”

  “Oh?”

  “Medhlin. He’s one of your ancestors, apparently the only one before you who could use magic.”

  “Really? Wow, that’s… that’s so cool! I’m related to the legendary Merlin?” She shook her head, grinning. “Man, life has been too wild ever since you and I met on that plane.”

  “Technically we met on Sen’giza.”

  Kelli splashed water into his face. “I’m a queen, don’t correct me.”

  Just then an orange-haired girl rose from the pool in fron
t of them and swam to the edge, lifting herself up to sit with her legs dangling in the water.

  “Whoa!” Kelli shouted, as Petriz drew his sword.

  “It’s okay, guys!” Derek stood. “It’s Undine, it’s okay.”

  Mae smiled, wringing her fiery hair out. She wore a sleek white one-piece swimsuit that went all the way up to a collar at her neck. She bowed her head slightly to the queen. “Hello, Your Majesty, it is an honor to finally meet you. I am Lady Mae, or Mae for short. The Lady, if you prefer.” She smiled radiantly, letting her hair fall across the side of her beautiful chocolate face. Her shining blue eyes were clearly filled with magic.

  “Uh, hello, Mae. I’m pleased to meet you, too.” Kelli looked up at Derek. “Do you make her look like that?”

  “I didn’t make her do anything, she took that form trying to seduce me!”

  “Did she? Seduce you?”

  “No, I saw right through that!”

  “He did,” Mae nodded, smiling. “I threw myself at him several times, but he resisted.”

  “Really?” Kelli hit his thigh with the back of her hand then pointed at Mae. “Dude, she’s like a seventeen on a scale of one to ten and you resisted? I’m legit impressed, Derek. Every other guy I know would’ve been putty in her hands.”

  “That has been my experience with humans as well,” Mae said, looking down at herself. “I should probably take a different form now, there is no need to retain this glamorous appearance-”

  “You don’t need to do that,” Derek objected.

  “So you do enjoy her looking like a hottie,” Kelli accused.

  “Shall I maintain this appearance for you?” Mae asked.

  Derek spread his arms. “I- I’m just used to it, is all! I don’t want to have to get used to something else. That- that’s all it is.”

  “Uh-huh,” Kelli smirked. She took the opportunity to inspect him from where she sat in the water. He was lean and muscular like a decathlete. “Though, for what it’s worth you’re a hottie yourself, Derek. And you’ve got a nice butt.”

  Derek turned to her, confusion on his face.

  “I agree!” Mae exclaimed. “He is a wonderful specimen, isn’t he?”

  Kelli couldn’t contain herself any more and burst into laughter as Derek blushed from head to toe.

  “You guys are the worst,” he said, climbing out of the pool.

  “Oh, come on, we’re just having some fun!” Kelli giggled.

  Mae shook her head, watching Derek walk past her. “No, I meant it!”

  Kelli took one last dip under the surface, then stood and lifted herself from the water using her wings. “But I guess we probably should get going. I feel bad hanging out here relaxing when there’s still a ton left to do at Matari.”

  Derek used the outdoor showerhead to rinse off the chlorine while Kelli went inside to rinse and dress. By the time she came back outside in leggings, sneakers and a light hoodie, he had programmed his uniform into a generic ensemble of t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. “There’s something you should know, I haven’t really figured out how to mention it, so I’ll just say it.”

  “What’s wrong?” Kelli asked.

  “There were eight of us that went into Matari to save your dad. One of us didn’t make it, and I found out afterward he has a family. I assume you’d want to make sure they’re taken care of.”

  “Someone died? Of-of course, I’ll, I mean yeah, I will make sure the family is looked after. Who was it?”

  “He was an elf ranger…” Derek paused, looking away. “Graon.”

  “Oh… no,” Kelli shook her head, closing her eyes. “First they lost Gemlorry, and now…? Graon helped save us from the Chek’than.”

  “I know. Then he helped save your dad from the Goblin King. I’ll let the others give you the details, but… he made all the difference, Kelli. He knew causing a distraction for us was going to kill him, but if he hadn’t, we might never have made it into the castle.”

  Kelli took a deep breath, her body suddenly heavy with fatigue all over again. Fatigue from so much battle, fatigue from so much death. She sniffed and forced it all down. “His family will have everything I can give them, I guarantee it.”

  Derek nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you. Now, if you can manage it, can I ask for you to send me to my workshop? I can stow my armor and then head home from there.”

  “I can do that,” Kelli nodded, stuffing her hands into the pockets at her stomach. “If you want, I’ll also go with you when you talk to your parents.”

  “What? No way!” Derek exclaimed. “It’s gonna be crazy enough without the Sprite Queen and her royal guard sitting in the room with us!”

  “Are you sure? I can offer some pretty convincing proof to them that you’re not making up crazy stories.” She raised her left hand and created a little tornado above her palm.

  “No, I’ll be fine. I have Mae, if it comes to that.” The elemental and Veylsa had disappeared once more, residing in Derek’s spirit.

  “Okay, then,” Kelli agreed. She dismissed the tornado and waved her hand, creating an ethergate into Derek’s junkyard workshop. Then she pulled him into a tight embrace. “Thank you, Derek. Thank you so much for everything.”

  “This isn’t the end, right? You promise me we’ll meet up again soon, not like a month or a year from now, but soon?”

  She nodded. “You heard Dufangen, there’s gonna be consequences for the mosquito thing. I’m gonna be doing everything they tell me to, but one thing that won’t change is that as long as I’m Queen, you’ll always be welcome in the Faery Realm. And remember, I told you I’m gonna need your help, as often as I can get it. And I insist that you be there at my coronation!”

  “Count on it,” he smiled. With that, he turned and pulled his armor with him through the gate, and Kelli closed it behind him.

  She took a deep breath, staring at the now empty space where Derek had been just a moment before. Then she looked up at Petriz. “Okay, I’m gonna go back upstairs and pack some clothes and personal things for me and my parents, then we’ll go home.”

  “As you wish, Majesty,” Petriz bowed.

  “I wouldn’t mind some pointers on how to honor a fallen hero like Graon, if you have any ideas?”

  “His most valuable honors can only come from his fellow rangers,” Petriz replied, “but if you recognized him with a title, it would greatly distinguish his family for all time.”

  “A title, huh? Tell me more.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Craig and Trina Hawkins were understandably thrilled when their son finally came home after vanishing for almost a week. To Derek’s relief, they hadn’t reported him missing or called the police at all. Part of him found that strange, but his mom and dad now sat in the living room, waiting for a big announcement he claimed to have.

  “Okay, guys,” Derek paced back and forth in front of them. “Here it is.” He stopped pacing and looked at them, then resumed pacing. “I have to tell you something very important, so, here it goes.” He took a deep breath and turned to face them once more.

  “I’m the Hood.” He pressed his collar against the interface on the back of his neck, and his clothes transformed into the Hood guise right in front of them.

  Craig tilted his head slightly. “We know.”

  Derek began pacing again. “See, it all started back when- wait, what? You know? What do you mean you know? How can you know?”

  His mother frowned at him. “I have told you for your entire life that nobody else is smarter than you… but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are stupid.”

  “But… how long have you known? How did you find out?”

  “We had our suspicions from the beginning,” his father said. “But when you went nuclear on those punks that videotaped Chelsea’s assault, it was pretty obvious the Hood had a personal connection either to her or her friend. After that, we started keeping track of the news reports on you, and listening to what you had to say at the dinner table about
those and other types of crime in the area. We figured out the Hood’s height and build from watching videos and knew it matched up with your size, accounting for some kind of body armor.”

  “And you think that you’re so clever when you sneak out at night,” Trina added, “but a mother always knows when her child is sneaking in and out of the house. At first I thought maybe you and Laura were finally getting together-”

  Derek scrunched his face. “Me and Laura?”

  “Don’t forget I was a big Batman fan when I was your age,” Craig finished, “I know all about vigilantes fighting crime with hi-tech gadgets like the ones you probably invent at the junkyard,” he gestured at Derek’s disguise.

  The Hood’s uniform reverted to generic street clothes. “Wow. So… so all this time… why didn’t you say something?”

  “We were waiting for you to trust us enough to admit to it,” Trina said.

  “We don’t know everything about what you do or how you do it,” his dad said. “But yes, we’ve known about your alter-ego for some time.”

  “You’re not, like, gonna ground me or anything?”

  “I thought about putting a stop to your crimefighting a few times,” Craig admitted.

  “We both did,” Trina added.

  “But honestly, you haven’t done anything I know of that would make me ashamed if the truth got out. So no, I’m not gonna ride you about it. I’m not going to endorse you being the Hood,” he raised a finger authoritatively, “but you’ve helped a lot of people, son. I hope one day you’ll find a better way, but after what we saw you do in the Battle of Boston…”

  “Our son is a hero,” Trina smiled.

  “Well,” Derek breathed, finding himself speechless for several moments. “Okay, then. That makes this only half as difficult as I was expecting. It’s funny you mention Boston, dad. I have more I need to tell you, things more crazy than me being the Hood. Like, if I’m Batman come to life, then I’ve also met the X-Men, a Terminator, Godzilla, and Gandalf on the Starship Enterprise kinds of crazy.

  “See, there’s this girl named Kelli Ingram…”