Key To A Goblin's Heart

Jake's POV

My head hurt, my shoulder was almost frozen and even as I tried to stand up, every inch of my body groaned in pain. I have never been the weak type, athletics always came naturally to me and I had always participated in numerous sports activities in my life. I was no stranger to pain, but the way I felt now would be no comparison to any sort of pain I had felt earlier.

I tried to look around, taking in the surroundings. My vision was still blurred, and I felt very dizzy. All I wanted to do was to lie down for a little while longer and relax. But, no! I have to get up, I have to fight those Hobgoblins and help Maland. How long was I out? Oh God, Where was Maland?

I stood up hurriedly but immediately fell down. My head felt as heavy as a stone, and my body wasn't strong enough to listen to my commands. I felt feverish, and an irresistible urge to vomit overtook me. Reflexly, I touched my forehead, and as I had expected, I was burning with fever.

"Hey, hey! Take it easy." The familiar voice of Mike sounded, as he leaned close to me and checked my temperature, "God! You are burning! Sit down, let us find you something to drink, then we have to go and find the antidote to your poison."

I couldn't make out what Mike was saying, but the word poison caught my attention.

"Where is Maland?" I muttered incoherently, "Did something happen to him? The Hobgoblins….Where are we? They were attacking me and I fainted….or someone like that, I can't quite remember. What happened Mike?"

A firm hand rested on my shoulders, propping me back to sitting position because I had tried to get up again.

It was Maland, looking at me sternly and I felt an immense tide of relief surging through me at the sight of him.

"He has a fever." Mike said worriedly, "I think it's the infection spreading through his body. Whatever you did to him, clearly didn't work!"

What do they mean? I stared at Maland blankly, looking for some clue in his expression less eyes. My whole body shivered, and suddenly I started feeling cold. My head still hurt like hell, as if someone was pounding a hammer from within and I did everything in my power not to throw up.

"It's not infection. It's the poison." Maland said, "I have stalled it's effect for a while, long enough to get us to Mafhaelore and find the antidote. Till then, he'll be quite weak and feverish, but he won't die. We have to be quick though, the effects of my charm won't last very long."

Even as Maland spoke those words, he looked really tired and he struggled to pronounce each syllable. The bags under his eyes were more prominent and more than once, he stopped in his speech to gather his breath. I have never seen him in such a state, even after our most grueling practices. Did the fight with the Hobgoblins take such a toll on him?

"What happened?" I whispered, catching my breath, "How...how did we escape?"

"It was Michael." Maland frowned, "He summoned fire and burned the Hobgoblins to ashes. I have never seen something quite as spectacular as that! He was….it seemed as if he were on fire himself, his whole body was radiating this glow and his hands threw fire balls as effectively as if throwing any mundane object."

Mike looked reluctant to admit his bravado, but he nodded.

"It was different this time." He said, "I had not done this before. Somehow, it all came naturally to me….half the time I wasn't even aware of what I was doing. The fire seemed to burn within me, my arms were producing flames and I swear I had no idea how." He looked quite bewildered and impressed at the same time.

Maland looked worried though.

"That means you were right." He said, "No fairy can produce fire spontaneously, and fairy magic can never be as powerful as this. You were a natural, as if the power was a part of your existence. You must be a Goblin, there's no other explanations for it. But, that raises more questions than it answers…"

"What do you mean?" Mike said quickly.

"That means…" Maland sighed, "Someone from the Goblin lands is your father, and he had kept this secret very well indeed. Also, the strength of your magic suggests that your Father was a prolific magician himself, and that is even more unsettling. The Queen keeps a good account of all her prolific magicians, and he has managed to escape her scrutiny somehow."

Mike didn't seem too pleased with the explanation but he didn't argue furthur.

Instead, he turned towards me and explained how the Hobgoblins had thrown a poisoned spear at me, how my life now hung at balance, and how Maland had managed to resuscitate me.

"But, how did you do that?" I wondered.

"Enough with your questions." Maland said, turning away from me, "Let's get going now, if we wish to reach Mafhaelore on time. It'll take atleast a day and we need to travel through a perilous road. So, be on your watch."

I didn't dare ask more questions, and anyway I felt too tired to poke him. We started travelling, keeping to the dark alleys and hidden crooks as far as possible and we steadily avoided the jungles.

Michael and Maland took turns to help me walk, I propped on their arms and made my way through the roads quite smoothly. It was tiring, but after the ordeal we had faced in the hands of the Hobgoblins, this was a bliss.

I had also found something very strange. Maland always kept close to me, no matter what. Whenever it was Mike's turn to help me walk, Maland made sure that he was always in the vicinity and he never went too far.

We had enough food with us to last a day, thanks to Sofosys' magical bag in which I had stored many cans of food. Water was the main problem here, and Maland often had to stall our march, so that he could collect water from the nearest stream.

All the rivers and streams didn't have purified water, and according to Maland a great number of them were poisoned. He, however, knew exactly which ones had potable water and when we came across one such stream, he made sure to refill our stock. During all those visits to the streams, he insisted on bringing me and I was not sure why.

So, I asked him that evening.

"Why are you always staying so close to me, huh?" I asked playfully, "Is it my natural charms that you are finding so difficult to resist? Or, is it the fact that I am wounded, which has suddenly made me a hero in your eyes?"

"You are no hero." Maland said stiffening, "You are nothing but an incredibly stupid guy."

"Say what?"

"Yes, you are a fool!" Maland roared, "When I told you to leave, you should have listened to me. You shouldn't have resisted my orders, then you wouldn't have been in this state! Do you have any

idea how much it worried me? You could have died, all for your stupid stubbornness and vanity."

"Would you really have cared if I had died?" I whispered.

"Of course I would have cared!" He stormed, "Why the hell won't I?"

I smiled sheepishly, somehow this piece of information did a lot to elevate my mood.

"But good thing is, I didn't. So don't worry and stop lecturing me!" I smirked.

Someone coughed a little, and I turned to find Mike staring at us disapprovingly.

"What is it?" Maland said, noticing him.

"I just found someone walking by, and turns out he's from Mafhaelore. I told him about Cassie but he doesn't believe that I know the Princess. We might need your help, Maland." He said.

Maland immediately went to talk to that man. I stayed behind, and found Mike still staring at me with disapproval.

"What?" I said casually.

"I should ask you the same thing." Mike frowned, "Were you really flirting with Maland? Like, seriously dude? What is happening here?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." I said, trying to ignore Mike's comment, "We were just having a normal conversation. There's no need to make a fuss about that."

I turned and before Mike could come up with something else, I walked away.

On the other side of the road, Maland was talking to the Goblin, who looked like a respectable man wearing a ridiculous robe that was way too big for him. I moved among the shrubs, and was close enough to hear them but they didn't seem to take notice of me.

"A human and a Half-Goblin, you say!" The man was saying, "That too injured by a Hobgoblin spear! I don't believe this ridiculous story. Why would the Princess associate with the likes of you?"

"I told you, the Princess was exiled to Human World and this Half-Goblin is her key. With his help, she could regain her powers and come back to Mafhaelore. But now, we need your help, because if we don't gather the antidote to the poison fast, our friend will die. And trust me, the Princess would not be pleased at all!" Maland said impatiently.

"But, why should I believe you?" The man said.

Maland sighed, and then procured a paper from the depths of his pockets.

"See... this is the Royal seal, signifying my association with them. Now, this should be proof enough that I am not a trespasser. Please, let me get to that antidote." Maland pleaded.

The man seemed to consider the paper, and then he frowned.

"The antidote is easily available, you don't even have to enter the country for that. I have some here with me right now. I am a traveller you see, so it's always prudent to carry such stuff along. But, you say that your friend was attacked yesterday. There's no way that he is still alive without an antidote."

Maland took a deep breath, as if bracing himself for an answer that he dreaded to provide.

"I have done the binding magic on him." He said, "The one that binds his existence to mine, and enables me to act as a life force for him as long as the antidote is found. In this way, he won't die because my body will keep him breathing."

"Good lord!" exclaimed the man, "so much so for a mere human! He must be a dear friend to you then. So, where is he?"

"He is just on the other side of the road, by the brook. I can't let him stay away from me, because the magic requires the benefactor and the provider to always remain in close proximity. Come, I will take you to him." Maland answered.