An imp in armor squinted through his helmet. "Who sent youse?"
"Campo!" Ariel frowned at the head of the Herald. They stood outside the Foundry, their bodies exposed to occasional bursts of steam that flounced in the beat of the ocean. "Y'know... of the Fur-Blooders? They sent us here."
"To do what, as?" Another imp's teeth glimmered in the soot-stained twilight. "Inspect your plot? Buggah off, sheila. We've got busy work to do!"
Logan looked around at the vacant side-alleys flanking the enormous metal-works building. He turned and squinted back at the guards. "Busy doing what? Fighting off Dihmers?"
"They don't exactly seem like the kind of ponies to invade a factory at random," Flynn said. "Especially when you've got this symbiotic relationship going."
"You think us daft, yobbo?" One goblin frowned, clutching his polearm tighter. "They're always change-o's and bats-o's about! One single blink of the eye and we'll be up to our eartips in our own blood, aye?"
"If you ask me, you wouldn't stand a chance," Ariel droned. "You've got nice armor there—but you're not exactly a match for winged raiders."
"Hah!" One goblin pointed with his spear. "Check out the muzzle on thees bird!"
"Hahahah!" The other laughed heartily. "You're a talkative bunch, but thees is goblin territory, love! Reckon we can defend it however we like—"
SCHIIIIING! With one flick of the talon, Wildcard simultaneously disarmed both goblins with a single extension of Bard's bo-staff. Cl-Clankkk!
The goblins gasped and scrambled to pick their weapons back up.
"Oi!"
"Bloody 'ell!"
"Ya try that again ya mangy bo'tle of feathahs!"
SCHIIIIIING! Both sets of weapons fell out of their arms again.
"Augh! Metal Mum's Minceahs!"
"Dip me in bronze! Ya right stoked to start a war, drongo?!"
Wildcard made to swing the staff again—Thap! Rainbow blocked it with her fetlock. Sighing, she smiled tiredly at the group. "Okay... the bit's over. Let us through already."
"Oh, we're way past that, love!" One goblin pointed his polearm.
"Too righ!" The other stepped back with his spear, eyeing the Herald angrily. "Youse blokes can take your fancy colahs and cesspool yawn attitudes and crawl back to wheah ya Mum squirted ya!"
"We just wanna see the Smelt-Blooders," Rainbow insisted. "And then we'll be out of your hair... er..." She glanced down at the two imps. "...ear hairs."
"Pffft! You said the Fur-Bloodahs sent ya, righ?"
"Uh huh..."
"Them yacko's been inchin' to claw their way into the Smelt Brothahs favah for yeahs now! Don't see how a motley crew of ass-backwards freaks is gonna put them ovah!"
"I could care less about that," Rainbow droned.
"Don't ya mean ya 'couldn't care less,' love?"
"... ... ..." Rainbow blinked through bored eyes, her muzzle hanging open. "...excuse me?"
"It's only natural that you would care less, sheila, but I don't think that's the conotation you were lookin' for when you used that abused turn of phrase—"
"Luna on a bike..." Rainbow Dash growled, the hairs on her back rising up. "I am not about to get lectured by a bunch of skin puppets who slur like minotaurs with marbles in their razor-toothed mouths!"
"Rrainbow! Good frriend! Please..." Kepler raised both claws. "This is ourr firrst contact with a sane civlization. The least we can do is act civilized as well!"
"What about the Spindlers?" Ariel suggested.
Flynn leaned into her. "Too icky to be 'sane.'"
"Says you."
"AHEM..." Kepler shuffled blindly towards the sound of the imps' breathing. "Kindly good sirrs... the Dihmerrs—let it be known—arre harrdly an entrreprreneurrial sorrt."
"Hrmmmf! You've got that right, ya winged dingo."
"Verrily..." Kepler gestured, smiling between the two figures. "...would it not be absolutely wasteful to give up an opporrtunity to talk and barrgain with the firrst like-minded crreaturres to happen upon yourr company in an eon?"
One imp squinted. "Just how like-minded are we talkin'?"
"You've got yourself some shinies, cobbah?"
Logan arched an eyebrow. "Shinies?"
"Y'know... strips! Silvah! Metals! The whole works!" One goblin smirked. "Somethin' to make the Metal Mum back in Petra drool!"
"We... errm..." Kepler smiled hopefully. "...have manacrrystals! Salvaged frrom an ancient grroup of most esteemed trravelerrs!"
"The Bloody 'ell are manacrystals?"
"Oh..." Kepler fidgeted. "...now that's distressing."
"Okay..." Rainbow Dash was fishing around in her saddlebag. "...you want something shiny?" She raised the dragonstone up high and pivoted it so that the polished surface glistened from within with fiery light. "Feast your eyes, nincompellets."
Both goblins gasped so hard that they nearly dropped their weapons.
"By Petra's flame...!"
"Starbeams! What on earth is that?" A clawed hand reached out for it—
"Tut tut!" Rainbow shirked away from him with a playful smile. She batted her eyelashes. "That's for the Smelt-Blooder's eyes and ears only! We've got even shinier stuff where that came from. Now... who's gonna explain to your bosses precisely why you turned away a fantastic opportunity at the door?"
Wildcard looked at Rainbow, then at the guards.
The two goblins leaned in to whisper among each other. Their greedy eyes remained locked on the dragon stone.
"Heh..." Ariel leaned in to Flynn. "...she has dealt with imps before."
"Lucky us," Flynn droned.
"Righ..." One goblin slapped the end of his polearm against the floor. Cl-Clank! A massive metal door was opened from the inside of the foundry, exposing an entrance. "You make a good point, love. In ya go..." He motioned with his head, ears curling. "But don't be ass! Make straight for the Smelt-Bloodahs' office! I'd better not be ketchin' you sniffin' any of the strips!"
"Believe me..." Rainbow pocketed Axan's stone away and began trotting forward. "I wouldn't dream of it."
Wildcard flew alongside her, gesturing dramatically.
She reacted with a sharp smirk. "Heck, no! I'm not about to sell our only guide to the shards of Endrax!" She reached out to pat the Desperado's shoulder in mid-trot. "Wow them at the gate... then illuminate them from the inside."
Wildcard stroked his beak. He gestured again.
"I dunno." Rainbow stifled a belch. "Probably came up with that one the last time I used a toilet." Her muzzle scrunched. "When was the last time I used an actual toilet? Val Roa...?" After a brief moment of silence, she rolled her eyes to the side. "Oh hush, Rarity."
As the group marched into the Foundry, Seraphimus came up to join them at the last second.
"Hey, toots." Logan glanced over his shoulder. "Where were you?"
Seraphimus exhaled. "Had some business to take care of."
"No kidding?" Logan smirked, moving along. "I didn't know they shredded newspapers here on the Dark Side."
"I see this group hasn't lost its charm," Seraphimus droned as the doors thundered shut behind them.
Well, they did ask him to try it again That aside I wonder how Rainbow is going to wow the Goblins inside, as this bunch seems to greedy to realize there are more valuable things than objects of any kind out there.
Dreaming.
I nearly lost it when that goblin corrected RD on syntax
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That is, however, an Australian thing to do >_>
I really really hope we get some goblin lore. I’m dying to know how long ago these goblins split off from the group on the Light Side, and how and why. Who is Metal Mum? Why do they deal in a currency with the same name as Val Roa’s, but made of chaos metal? Do they have the same dictatorial power structure? These are important questions!
Ok the goblin correcting Rainbow Dash was great didn't expect that. Using the dragon stone to get in is a great idea I just hope they don't chase after them when they don't get it.
Dangling a shiney on a stick is no way to run an establishment.
Bloody hell, it's like Junk Rat in stereo.
-Through the path long forgotten, into the darkness long begotten. Ofolrodi.
Getting in is the easy part, usually. At this point I'd say one of the only things Dash and the Herald have to trade is knowledge and services. Not sure what angle Sera's playing with Jacko, can't think of a reason to keep that interaction a secret at the moment.
As for the Smooze ocean, so far the only theory I've got is that the Dhimers can cross it because they lack emotions, and hence they don't register on the Smooze's senses. Other than that, I got nothing.
Seraphimus x Logan Ship Confirmation Chapter Counter: 54
8881658 The Metal Mum should definitely be Nightshade who's made her way through the machine world since we last saw her in Odrsjot... or not.
Ahh, goblins: Show them a coin and they'll do just about anything!
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Implying she survived her suicidal plunge into the machine world.
gobs
lol Grammar Goblins.
Honestly, I'd correct her too. I hear that phrase misused way too often.
....Roarke?
I want to believe that misspelling there was intentional. It adds so much to the entire exchange.
Hey, antipodes.
8882191
Wasn't there a rule about not finding a body?
Wildcard stop picking on the kids, they're just playing soldier.
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Theoretically yes. However, this rule is not trustworthy in high fantasy/magic settings, where even dead bodies don't matter. I just consider her as "most likely dead and done for".
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Service Hellivator.
Duh.
These goblins make me so nostalgic.
Yay, finally caught up again on the last 7-or-so chapters.
First off, smooze ocean. That's one hell of a concept, IC. A very nightmarish, sticky concept. Although I am curious. Is the Smooze still growing? Will it, provided it continues to feed, eventually flood the Dark Side? The new Smooze seems to love Shines, so what would happen if we feed it, say, a chaos strip. So many questions
Sera and Rainbow's interaction is one of the best pieces of dialogue. Period. It doesn't just show a begrudging respect. It shows actual... kinship almost. They don't agree ideologically, but both are at the point of respect with the other enough that they don't bicker pointlessly about it. Because of that, I really do believe that Dash will not hold anything against Sera for the secret meeting. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Dash knew about it from Flutters and AJ. She just lets Sera do her own thing because Dash trusts her.
Finally, I'm getting a massive "Harry Potter promises to give the sword of Griffindor back to the goblins" vibe right now. It is not a good vibe.
No comment, which is ironic considering this in itself is a comment.
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At some point I should seriously consider doing another theory now that we know so much more about the neutral factions.
Suddenly notices the paragraph and a half below
I like writing which follows a wheel of progression. When you are doing well bad things will soon happen to you and when you are doing poorly good things will happen to you. Apply this to major characters and the reader never loses interest in the story because it is constantly changing and adding drama to the interactions. For a while we've been having a bit of a dry spell in this area, but soon the cycle shall start anew with the Goblins, that is almost a sure fact. We already see Jacko getting lucky in that his boring wasteland life is about to change into potentially getting sucked into a wacky adventure.
This kind of balance is what keeps a long story like this going. Just look at the most exciting parts and you'll notice the pattern. The ones in power are overthrown and the oppressed rise to the forefront.
The time has come for exhibition! This time in a foundry.
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Much as I wish it is, I hope it's not. That would mean Rainbow went to all that trouble to get there only for Roarke to get there first.
I mean, he's not wrong...
Murderbirb is scheming again...
poor keps lol
Ariel’s getting desperate.
WELL, YOU ASKED.
Applejack was right. Just throw Wildcard at the Midnight Armory and he’ll come back. He’s invincible.
I changed my mind. Goblins are awesome.
Imp Grammar Nazis. Have to admit I enjoyed that.
The gerblins sure are a talkative bunch.
And greedy as fuck.