The Blood Bounty is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products

of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or

persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright 2015 by Jason M. Brooks

JMB Entertainment Media

All Rights Reserved

Published in the United States by Jason M. Brooks.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any electronic system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise,

without the written permission from the author. Brief quotations may be used in literary reviews.

All characters and events are the original creation of Jason M. Brooks. Any resemblance to

actual people or existing characters is strictly a coincidence.

Connect with author Jason M. Brooks by visiting his website at:

www.jasonmbrooks.com

Other Books by Jason M. Brooks in this Series:

Twins of the Prophecy (Book 1 in the Thrones and Prophecy Series) www.jasonmbrooks.com/twins-prophecy

The Shadow Mission

www.jasonmbrooks.com/ShadowMission

Rise of the Dragon Prince (Book 2 in the Thrones and Prophecy Series) www.jasonmbrooks.com/DragonPrince

Other Books From Jason M. Brooks

The Lions Den www.jasonmbrooks.com/LionsDen

When I first wrote Twins of the Prophecy, I had a very wide reaching story that explored many of

the characters in the book. As I went through the editing process, I found that two of the characters, while supplying important story elements, were not vital in the overall flow of the book and so much of their content was cut. Mideon the Bounty Hunter was one of those characters.

As I began to write Book 2 in The Thrones and Prophecy Series, I realized that some of what happened to Mideon is actually important to the second book, and so I put together the discarded chapters, added more elements, and polished them up so I could release them as an eShort.

The Blood Bounty follows Mideon as he is sent to help lure the twins of prophecy to Carsonia, then given the task of collecting their blood to help aid in the resurrection of the Dark Master Natas, and finally, his duel with Caleb McGregor. Learn how he survives the battle with Marcause, the Angellian warrior that fears nobody and get a powerful preview of Book 2 in the Thrones and Prophecy Series as witnessed through the eyes of the bounty hunter. This eShort is filled with pieces of vital information that will expand the Carsonian Chronicles and give readers insight into one of my favorite characters.

There are many spoilers in this book that might ruin some of the plot twists in Twins of the Prophecy, so be sure you read it before reading The Blood Bounty. You can purchase a copy of Twins of the Prophecy, here! Granted, you can still read this eShort as is, but it might take some of the punch out of the ending to Twins of the Prophecy. Then again, if you havent read it yet, it might propel you to read it.

Its your choice but choose wisely. I think you are really going to enjoy this novella. For readers out there who are like me and enjoy

knowing the inner workings of why characters do what they do, this story is going to be very satisfying. Believe me, there is so much more to the story than readers really know, and it's all disclosed right here, in The Blood Bounty.

Enjoy! Jason M. Brooks

Chapter 1

On the northern borders of the Kingdom of Stormdale, along the foothills that lead into the

Great Blue Rock Mountains, lies a city of ruin. It was said to be the home of the Dragon Elite,

the riders who tamed dragon's and rode them into the battle a breed of warriors long lost to time. They made their home in the city of Dragon Blood.

The city was given its name because of a river of lava that boiled up from a crevice at the

foot of Dragon's Peek and flowed down through a channel, through the middle of the city, and

emptied into a great chasm in the ground just on the edge of town.

The people who once lived here had found a way to harvest the steam and use it to heat their

homes in the winter, cook food on radiator styled cooktops and in most cases, found an easier

way of life during the harsh winters. Only those who lived outside the city walls needed to

depend on wood for heat. Those that chose to pledge allegiance to the Visgoth of the City, found

that access to the vast steam network could be theirs for the taking. It was a simple way of

keeping the subjects of the Emperor in line.

But the city's day of reckoning was soon to come.

A fallen Being of Light known as Astreal, had secretly established himself in Carsonia in the

guise of a man. He quickly seized power as the Lord of Dragon's Blood. From there he began

building an army that used dark magic powers that could only be channeled by those who agreed to be in direct rebellion of Gaynde. Using their dark magic, they brought forth the first of

many beasts that were given the name of dragon. And in turn, the dragons were given to the

magic users who showed the most promise of training the beasts and riding them. They became

known as the Dragon Elite - Astreal's powerful air force that laid waste to anyone who opposed

him.

Astreal's forces quickly seized the entire kingdom of Stormdale. From there he began

moving east with his eyes set on the First Kingdom of Man, commonly known as Dawns Light.

But the eastern king saw what was coming. Knowing that his forces could not stand alone, he

called for the King of the West to come to his aid. King Arthon gathered a powerful army and

began to march east to aid his fellow man, and on that day, the Battle of the Three Kingdoms

officially began.

The two armies met Astreal's forces. The Dragon Elite proved to be too powerful for just the

normal armies who were armed with swords, spears, bows, catapults and axes. When soldiers

were in the open, the dragon warriors would swoop in and decimate the ground forces. When

they retreated to the cover of the trees, the dragons unleashed the savage fire from their mouths burning the soldiers alive. At one point it seemed as if the battle against Astreal's forces would

be lost. However, King Arthon had set a plan in motion long before his forces had moved east.

He called them the Dragon Slayers an exclusive group of knights that were equipped with a different fighting style. The two kings lured the army of Astreal into the wide open grasslands

and soft rolling hills of Sommersfield. With victory seeming to be assured, the army from

Stormdale marched across the expanse to meet the remaining forces of King Arthon and King

Raymond. As the dragons swooped in to lay down their advance destruction, the Dragon Slayers

revealed themselves. Using launchers, the troops fired massive nets into the air that snagged the

dragons in flight. As they crashed into the earth, the remaining troops massed at the fallen dragon

and its rider and slaughtered them where they lay.

They had numerous other tactics to bring down the dragons as well. Some of the forces used

harpoons and would stick a dragon in its belly or leg and then a group of men would wrestle with

the line and pull the dragon to the ground where its life was ended. Other beasts would fly into

an onslaught of small rocks that would force them to land and allowed the Dragon Slayers

enough time to charge forward, spear it and then chop it down. As the Dragon Elite fell one after

another, Astreal realized that the armies of men were not as weak as he had once thought. And so

he pulled his forces back to Dragon Blood to regroup.

Believing that his subjects in Stormdale would resist the advance of the two armies, Astreal

began preparing for the final strike. But instead, seeing that the hand of Gaynde was on the two

kings, the people of the land surrendered immediately to the advancing armies, and Arthon and

Raymond marched forward with little resistance. The failure of his people enraged Astreal and

he shed his human flesh to reveal the half-dragon half-man figure that was concealed within. He summoned all of his wrath and darkness and charged forward, leading his magic bearers into

battle.

But it was all in vein.

From his throne in the Realm of the Everlasting, Gaynde sent down a legion of his Beings of

Light who bound up Astreal and took him back to the prison from which he escaped. Without his

teachings, the magic bearers were weakened and soon as an act of survival they fled into the mountains and left the city of Dragon Blood to face the wrath of the two kings and their armies.

The armies stormed the city. Those who resided there were taken into captivity or forced to

flee into other parts of the kingdom. The outer wall was destroyed to leave no barrier for

protection and every building was burned or left devastated. When the Battle of the Three

Kingdoms had ended, Dragon's Blood was a complete wasteland.

And so it has remained for thousands of years long before Mideon was created. Yet the stories are well known. Over the years he had passed through the ruins of the city. While most

believed the city to still be uninhabited, Mideon was well aware of the truth. For the past 800

years beneath the rubble of the city massive tunnels and chambers had been built and have served as the home of the Draith, who remain waiting for the full resurrection of their Dark

Master.

Dragon Blood was many miles to the south of where Mideon stood at this moment. He had

gathered a number of his most loyal goblins and was now preparing for the final orders of the

Draith who were in council at the secluded fortress deep beneath the shell of the ruined city.

They were paying him handsomely for his services. While he most often worked as a bounty

hunter, his new mission was taking him into a realm that few non-humans had ever gone. His

beastly appearance would not be welcomed there and he was quite sure the scaly features of his

goblin minions would be hard pressed to be accepted as well.

Mideon stood nearly twelve feet tall. His arms were as round as an average sized human

torso. His chest was broad and built like the front of a truck, massive and strong. His bull like

head with long horns, pierced ears and a few scars from battle, rested upon a thick neck that was

nearly as wide. He was a massive minotaur, created by magic as a war machine for a war from

long ago. Now he served his own purposes. He had no master but the gold that he was paid for

each successful mark that he completed.

This job would make him a kidnapper, something he despised. However, gold was his

controlling mechanism and it had persuaded him to take on the task. To fight off his resentment

towards the undertaking, he found it helpful to look at it from different point of view. He was

returning two runaways to the Kingdom for proper sentencing and most likely, execution. He

could accept this idea because it was more in line with his bounty hunting expertise.

The brotherhood that lived in the city below Dragon Blood had hired him for this newest

job. They asked him to wait patiently in foothills of the northlands until they contacted him for a

final meeting that would give him permission to go forth and complete his task. Not being able to

work in the meantime would have cost him money, so he billed them for the waiting time as

well. This stood to be one of the most lucrative marks he had ever taken.

As the sun fell below the horizon, Mideon used this to tell him that the meeting was about to

begin. From a pouch on his belt he pulled out a small glass vial with a purple liquid that he could

see bubbling inside. He removed the cork and began to pour its contents on the ground in front of

him, creating a large ring in the dirt.

The purple liquid glowed as it soaked into the earth and caused the particles on the ground to

glow as well. From the ring came wafts of smoke that rose up and then seemed to run into some

invisible barrier at eye level. The smoke couldn't reach sideways either as there seemed to be a

wall that was capturing it into one place, almost as if he had placed a large glass tube over the

place. The purple haze built up and when the glow became nearly blinding, Mideon took a step

forward and entered the smoke filled space.

His nostrils immediately took in the smoke, but it didn't cause his lungs to revolt and cough.

Instead he found the smell to be pleasant and sweet the smoke was more like vapor and gentle to his eyes and nose. He stood taller than the capsule of smoke and so he ducked down in order

to make sure his entire body was inside. The smoke seemed to gather in areas around him and

then it all began to take shape until finally he found that he was looking inside the council

chamber of the Dark Order of the Draith in the hidden city under Dragon Blood.

"Welcome Mideon," a cloaked man said from across the room he was now seeing. His voice

was wicked and hiss like as it seemed as if many voices were speaking collectively as one. "As

always, you are very punctual."

Mideon didn't understand the witchcraft that went into this communication system that he

used to speak with the Draith from such a long distance, but he knew that it allowed him to be in

two places at once as long as he didn't step outside of the smoke. He also knew that he could not

enter into the place he was now viewing, but he could interact with them as long as he remained

where he was.

"I have work to do. I would like to begin."

"On this day you will go forth and fulfill your contract. We appreciate your service and your

ability to wait."

"I would remind you that it did not come cheap," said another hissing and vile voice in the

chamber. The owner of the words was cloaked as well, so again Mideon had no way of knowing

the faces of the people he was being employed by. Another thing he despised.

"Will we be joined by the Dark Master?" the second voice asked.

"Yes. He will enter our world shortly. It takes a great deal of concentration to transverse the

expanse he must cross to come into our place. We will be patient." The first voice answered.

Patience.

It was something he lacked unless the price was right and something they processed a great

deal of. Mideon was surprised at how much of it the Draith had. They had been defeated over

800 years ago and had secretly built the number of their Order back up. They were content with

waiting. Such an impressive skill, something that Mideon could have used in the past in order to

complete a mission without creating more work for himself.

A green light appeared in an empty place in the room. Smoke began to billow from the

glowing light and suddenly, as if the room were a gigantic photograph, a tear appeared. It grew

larger and more green light escaped and cast an eerie glow as it mixed with the shadows in the

room. From the light, a dark shadow began to glide forward and soon hovered in the room just

outside of the torn fabric of space.

The Draith in the room fell to their knees. The black shadow motioned for them to rise.

"And where is my apprentice?" the shadow spoke with a raspy and haunting voice.

"He shall join us soon," the first speaker said.

The shadow turned towards Mideon and then spoke, "The bounty hunter I presume?"

Mideon nodded his head.

"Looking at me in this state, you can understand my desire to see your services complete.

Are you informed into what your role in all of this is?"

"I am to seize the woman. What sort of protection will she have? I understand that the

Knights of Liberty protect this realm."

The cloaked man that spoke first to him, stepped forward to answer, "Yes. To what number I

cannot say. But the Knights of Liberty do not suspect your intended target. As long as you bring

us the woman, we believe that they will pose no threat to you."

"I am bringing insurance just in case," Mideon said. The goblins were loyal to him and

would provide a needed distraction in case the Knights of Liberty focused on him. The men of

the north had attempted to destroy the entire goblin race but Mideon offered the rejected race

protection. In return, they offered him services and they had always faithfully done as he

commanded. To do otherwise, meant death. "And where am I to deliver her?"

The cloaked man spoke again, "You will not deliver her to us. She is of no value. Keep her

alive until we have what we want and then you can do with her as you please."

Mideon nodded his head in affirmation.

"Have you secured a gate in which to travel into the other realm?" the hissing voice of the

first Draith asked.

"We seized it this morning. Only two Knights of Liberty protected it and we quickly

overwhelmed them. I lost a few of my warriors in the process but my numbers are still high

enough to complete my mission. I do fear that the gate will be retaken when we are away.

Perhaps you will send some of your Draith to hold the territory I have gained?"

The cloaked figures looked at one another and seemed to debate the request without the use

of any words. From the corner of his eye, Mideon could see that the shadow of the Dark Master

seemed to be fixing his gaze on him. Was he attempting to read his mind? Perhaps trying to

intimidate him? Maybe even sizing up how useful a minotaur could be to his cause?

There was no doubt that a war was soon coming. If the rumors were true and the Twins of

the Prophecy had truly been discovered, it would not be much longer before the Dark Master

would be free from the magic that chained him to the shadow world. He would no doubt need an

army and would have need of such beasts as himself. Mideon wasn't the only war machine that

still walked Carsonia. While he had his own purpose and desires, he was certain that his brothers

would be easily drawn into the conflict for deep inside, all minotaur's craved blood and war. But Mideon's lust for gold overrode those savage desires.

The hissing voice returned and said, "We all agree, we have paid you very well for your

services. You easily took the gate and we are certain that you can retake it if need be. Do you

have any other requests?"

Mideon wasn't surprised by their answer and in truth, he wasn't overly concerned about the

return. While an assurance that no surprises would await him upon his return from the other

realm would have been nice, he would simply have to retake the gate if the need should arise.

For now, it was nothing he had to concern himself with.

"There is nothing else," Mideon said.

The first Draith reached into the arm of his cloak and pulled out a rolled parchment. He

walked towards Mideon and then reached out to him. Before him, the smoke parted and a hand

passed through the barrier holding the roll out to him. Mideon stared at it, trying to tell if the

hand and the paper that mysteriously floated before him was real or not. He reached out and

while not believing that his fingers would touch anything, he was surprised to feel the rough

texture of the paper as he clasped it in his hand.

The hissing voice said to him, "The directions are rough but should help you find your way.

If you should discover any other information that could prove valuable to our cause, we will pay

you handsomely for it."

Mideon didn't feel a reply was necessary and so he simply nodded his head to acknowledge

that he had heard the offer.

"Then the hour has come," the shadow finally spoke. His gaze still appeared to be fixed on

Mideon. "We are allowing you fourteen days to return. In seven days we will commence with

our portion of the attack. Upon your return you will send the woman to the far reaches of the

North and lead those who pursue away from the gate. At that time we will issue you your next

set of instructions but not until that time." "I would prefer to have the entire plan given to me now so I can have every detail worked

out."

"Did one of my Draith lead you to believe that we would give you this information?" The

Dark Master's gaze broke from him and then swept across the room before fixing back on him.

"We did not promise you this in our original offer. Are you unable to complete this mission if we

withhold this information?"

Mideon stared hard at the dark shadow, trying to see if there were cold eyes in which to

return an icy glare. "In my experience, failures come when those who hire me leave out

important details that seemed trivial at the time. I like a full picture so I can anticipate that which

others cannot. However, if you feel I am not in need of such a courtesy, I will take that as a vote

of confidence from you and go about my task with what information I currently have."

The Dark Master seemed to consider this for a moment. "I am surprised at your lack of fear,

Mideon. I admire that. You are perhaps more valuable to me than the others in this room may

know and for that, I shall give you the entire picture.

"Upon your return, send the woman away. You can kill her if you like, but do not leave any

trace of her death that the pursuers can detect. They must be drawn away from the gate so they

cannot escape us again.

Mideon didnt kill women unless it was expressly part of a mark, so he already ruled out going in that direction.

The Dark Master continued, You will then go after the boys who I am sure will return to this realm. I will require the blood of each one, however neither should be killed. The prophecy

requires that both should live until the appointed time. The pursuers who the boys will follow are

expendable. Kill them if you so choose, but do not harm the boys. Is all of this understood?"

"Yes."

"Then our discussion here is done. It is time for the heir to the throne of Carsonia to return.

Bring me their blood and you will be rewarded for years to come."

Mideon took a step back and out of the smoke. The invisible barrier that kept it contained

seemed to disappear and the smoke lifted away into the darkening sky. He could hear the

chattering of his goblin warriors behind him but he was more concerned with the parchment in

his hand.

He unrolled it and read its contents before turning to his savage beasts. "Warriors! The day

is here! Form up on me and prepare to move out!"

In unison the legion let out a roar of approval and Mideon led them forward to fulfill their

part of an ancient prophecy.

Chapter 2

Goblins were not known for their intelligence. However, they could follow the most

complicated of orders without the need of further instruction and they always remained faithful

to those who they were aligned with. They were also good for long distance missions with the

mobility and agility to cross any type of terrain with great speed and still have energy in reserve

to fight an enemy. All of these traits made them valuable in Mideons eyes. He had even grown to enjoy their company over the years.

Sure he still understood that they were expendable and so he didnt have any strong attachments that kept him from using them to achieve his goals but he did actually enjoy being in their presence during long assignments. He got to know them by name. Came to understand

what made them tick. He learned what motivated each individual goblin and what could sink

their moral in a hurry. All of these bits of knowledge helped him use them the most effective

way.

Mideon dispatched a small detail of his goblins to move out ahead of the party to set up

strategic camps for them to use for rest. That group would then break into more groups with

different tasks assigned to each one. One group would locate and put together a secure camp.

The next group would procure food and water. The final group would scout ahead for

information that would help keep them one step ahead of the Knights of Liberty if they should

happen to know that they had come to this world. When Mideon and the remaining force arrived

at the camp, the scout team would break from camp and set out to do it all over again while

Mideons team rested. Mideon entrusted this detail to Grendahl. Grendahl had been working with Mideon for

countless years and had proven to be one of the most valuable goblins he had ever met. There

were times that Mideon suspected that the goblin could read his mind for he often was already

anticipating the needs of his master and had started to put plans into motion. As Mideon handed

the two teleporting explosive devices to Grendahl, he didnt even have to tell his number two what mission he was sending him out on. He already knew.

Mideon turned his attention back to the Draith who had given him the T.E.D.s as Grendahl summoned three goblins to himself and disappeared from the staging area.

You were saying? Mideon made it appear that he wasnt listening to the words of the Draith when in fact he had heard every one of them. But he often found it useful to make

someone repeat their words because often when they did, some tid bit of information that was

left out the first time would be disclosed the second time. It was an effective tool that he used to

uncover secrets that were being kept from him. Even though the Draith were paying him

handsomely for his services on this evening he still kept his eyes open for any sign of betrayal.

We have made our presence known to the McGregors, the many voices of the Draith spoke in unison. They are gathering at their home as we speak. Two Knights of Liberty have joined them as protectors and more are en route. In the next hour we will strike. We will force

them into the woods which should give you the cover you need to capture your target. The empty eyes of the Draith looked over towards Grendahl as he left with his assignment.

He then looked back at Mideon and while his expression remained blank, Mideon could sense

the question.

Yes, he understands how to use the devices. He will set up an exit point for us and we will rendezvous with him there. We will be long gone before the real battle begins.

In reality, it was going to be more of a slaughter than a battle. The Draith would be severely

outnumbered and wouldnt last long against the onslaught of the Knights of Liberty. The gift of T.E.D.s were a welcome addition to this mission. It would guarantee a quick escape. The devices themselves were hard to come by. He almost wished there was some way he could avoid

using them and save them for another time when things became real sticky and he needed an exit

strategy.

The Draith Knight presented a cloth sack to Mideon. His eyes immediately grew big for he

knew what was contained within the cinched fabric. It was why he did the things he did. It was

his chief motivator and true master. He took the bag and felt the weight immediately.

The remaining payment will be delivered to you at your camp when we are assured that you have completed the task.

Mideon pulled apart the string and shook one gold coin out and into his palm. His heart

raced as the metal slapped into flesh like grains of some sort of drug instantly soaked into his bloodstream and powered him up. He loved gold and while he had plenty of it, he always craved

more.

We will be in position as I have promised, Mideon said without taking his eyes of the sparkly object. He shook the bag just to hear the clinking sound as the coins smacked together. I always make my mark.

The Draith knight didnt answer. He silently turned away and disappeared into the woods and left Mideon and his crew to their final preparations.

Goulach! he called out. Goulach! A gangly goblin pattered up to Mideon and looked up into his masters massive face. Yes, Mideon. What is thy bidding? We leave very soon. Gather the goblins and prepare to depart. We must be in position by

the time the sun drops. Yes, Master. I will gather them now. And the goblin shuffled off to round up the troops. By this time Mideon had been able to

break the spell of the gold and put the pouch away in a pocket on his utility belt. He adjusted his

gauntlets on his wrists and made sure his knives were secure, his belt was tightened and his boots

were firmly laced up. He was eager to complete this mission because the Draith paid very well

for his services and he was certain that if he proved his worth on this one, he would get some

more lucrative offers in the near future. And more marks meant more gold and gold always made him happy.

Goulach ran past Mideon and following close behind was the rest of the goblin detachment.

He didnt need any more orders than the simple ones that he had been given just moments ago. He was taking the force to their position to ready for the final leg of the mission. He knew what

his master wanted and so he executed his wishes, he didnt have to waste any time asking follow

up questions. Goulach was proving to be just as valuable as Grendahl. Mideon waited until the

final one passed him and then he followed close behind.

They rushed through an open field and then were concealed in a patch of woods soon after.

As they drew near their intended target, Mideon saw the first ball of fire launch up into the sky

and arch back towards the ground. With a shattering boom, the explosive spell found its mark

and the final assault had begun.

Mideon moved swiftly and used his long strides to get out to the front of his charging goblin

pack. He led them across the road and back into the cover of trees and then came to a stop and

motioned for his minions to follow suit.

We wait here. Goulach, move out ahead and listen for their approach. Come back and get us when you are certain they are drawing near.

Yes, Master. Goulach leapt over a fallen tree and disappeared into the darkening woods. He was light on

his feet and he quietly went about his work while Mideon and the others waited. It wouldnt be long now. By the sounds of the screaming of Draith knights and the thundering explosions, the

battle was quickly swinging in the favor of his employers. If their advance went as planned, the

family should be making their break for the cover of the woods at any moment.

Suddenly the brush before him parted and the goblin face of Goulach reappeared.

They are coming! he cried out. They are coming! Prepare to move, Mideon said in a calm and quiet voice. He then looked into the eyes of

his eager follower and said, Lead them out, Goulach. A smile curled on his green lips and his jagged yellow teeth almost glowed against the

darkness of the woods. He was eager to please his master and Mideon liked to see that on the

young goblin. If ever something should happen to his number 2, he knew he had a replacement

in the making.

The goblin turned back from where he came and then raised a bony hand into the air. With a

sweeping motion, he ordered the pack forward and then he let out a battle cry that sounded more

like an animal screaming as its prey captured it in its talons. The others made the same sound and

the pack broke into a dead run through the woods. As the final one passed him, Mideon followed

behind. He was actually hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the twins.

Legends had spoken so highly of these prophetic beings and he couldnt help but wonder what sort of mighty warrior they could be. To have such a reputation and to exact so much fear

in the hearts of those who sought power and fortune. He couldnt help but expect to see muscular beasts that would make for a great sport in hand to hand combat with the likes of himself.

From ahead he heard the scream of a female. They had surely captured their target. But then

he heard another scream. He hadnt expected that! What had his eager goblins stumbled across? He couldnt worry about that now. He would wait and deal with that when they got back to Carsonia.

He could tell that his goblins had snagged their prey and were continuing through the

woods. They were swift and single minded in their actions so they rarely strayed from their

assigned mission. That was a good thing, but when things got ugly and plans fell apart, it also

meant many would die for no other reason than they were not quick to react or think for

themselves. Luckily this time, everything seemed to be going as planned.

And then he heard it. A voice in the night. Young. Scared. A boy.

"Dad?" Came the unsteady voice in the dense woods.

Mideon drew closer as he peered through the shadows to try and make out the face of the

boy. It had to be one of the twins. Curiosity alone made him move slowly to try and see him

without scaring him away.

"Where's my mom?" the boy called out. He could see him now just able to make out his form in the woods. He was holding a stick.

"Silly boy," Mideon growled. He took some massive steps forward, knowing that he had to

catch up to his goblins or he would be walking to the portal and missing out on the rapid

transportation that the T.E.D.'s afforded. Soon he was face to face, looking down at the scared

little man. Pathetic. And they call this the future of Carsonia?

"What do you plan to use that for?"

"If you don't give them back you're going to find out." The boy shifted his stance as he drew up the stick as if to use it in battle to defeat him. "I

smell your fear, boy. I smell your self-doubt. You are not a warrior but just a little boy."

Mideon took another step forward when suddenly a beam of bright light broke through the

darkness. It slammed into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and then it picked him up and

tossed him into the air. He tumbled uncontrollably and was soon on a trajectory towards the

ground. He slammed into branches that tore at his flesh and sent pain searing through his

muscles and bones. The ground smashed into his back and he was sure something broke as he

violently tumbled along the earth until he came to a rest against a large tree that looked down on

him and seemed to be laughing.

A Light user. They rarely have the guts to face me face to face but they never hesitate to

send out a beam of light to do their dirty work.

He struggled back to his feet anger roiling deep inside. He looked back in the direction that he came from and shouted, "Come get me you feckless wimp! Face me one on one without

the aid of your stinking magic!"

"Master!" Came the voice of Goulach. The goblin had snuck up behind him. "Grendahl was

about to use the devices but I stopped him. I said we must wait just a while longer for you. You

must come. I don't know how much longer he will wait."

Goulach was always the sentimental one. He never wanted to anger Mideon and so he never

argued about commands. He also cared deeply for his Master and never went anywhere without

making sure his needs were taken care of. If Mideon needed a wife, he would have taken one.

While he found that these traits made Goulach appear weak, they were also useful assets at

times. This being one of them because Mideon was aching all over and didn't feel strong enough

to walk all the way back to the portal. That would take him days.

"Very well. Let us be gone from this blasted world."

Mideon limped along as Goulach led the way. He knew he couldn't keep Grendahl waiting

because he followed orders to the letter. The fact that he agreed to wait as Goulach

recommended must have meant that the sissy goblin had a solid argument. Make no doubt,

Grendahl wouldn't wait long.

As they came to the rendezvous point, Grendahl had just tossed the second device and

everyone was moving through the portal. But instead of one woman, they had apparently taken

two.

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