'Not even one guard left to protect its treasure' Damacon grinned the moment it found Shakti's den. Damacon was frustrated the entire trip over, still fuming about how Aurex TIber treated it but seeing the marsh changed its whole mood.
'Shakti you've always struck me as a fool but to be this stupid should be a crime.' Damacon dropped its cloak and grabbed its staff before it hopped off the carriage and into ankle deep water. The marsh only got deeper from here and Damacon didn't want its carriage to be found here when Shakti returned.
'Even I couldn't explain why my cart was here… loaded with its treasure.' The trog trudged through the water towards the back of it's carriage and began whacking the two barrels where the twins rested with its crooked staff
"Wake up you lazy sacks of goblin meat."
Ka' ak was the first one to respond.
It quickly crawled out the barrel top on all fours and climbed down the barrel on all fours. Its lanky arms grabbing hold of the staff and pushing it back towards the trog. His beady eyes focused on Damacon.
"Ka'ak sleeping well. Why sack of trog crap wake me like that!?" Frustration painted all over his face as he yelled.
"How dare you speak to your master with contempt!"Damacon took control of the staff once more and slammed it over the goblins head. The goblin danced in place as he rubbed its head in an attempt to sooth the pain.
"We don't have much time, if we're to collect all of Shakti's treasure…" Damacon paused as he realized that wouldn't be enough to convince the goblin to get moving. "...and it's shi' rak"
The goblin paused mid dance as his ears twitched at the sound of Shi' Rak.
"Shakti's Shi'Rak!" Ka'ak's face split in two as it smiled uncontrollably at the thought. " Master's plan worked?"
"Yes, my plan worked, but we only have tonight so…"
"Stupid plan worked! Stupid plan worked! Stupid plan worked!" The goblin started to chant as it once again took to dancing.
'If I wasn't so pressed for time...' Damacon controlled its frustration as the little goblin mocked it.
"Wake your brother, we don't have much time!"
Ka'ak scurried to his brother's barrel and knocked it over the side of the carriage. The sleeping goblin fell out face first right into the murky water before the barrel toppled over him. The barrel bobbled in place for a moment as the ripples faded into the night sky beneath Damacon. The moonlight reflected silently as it watched the scheming of the trio.
The reeds whispered around them. Bugs clicked like distant clockwork. Even the water felt tense as they waited in the dark.
Bubbles began to appear by the barrel before the water's surface broke from No'ak resurfacing his head slowly, nostril flaring.
"Shi' Rak." Is all the stoic goblin said before trudging through the water towards Shakti's den.
Damacon excitement was tempered by the sluggish advance of the goblin but knew better than to try to rush something that only had one gear.
Ka'ak hopped on Damacon's back in an attempt to not get wet himself but was fought off by Damacon and its staff.
Not the intended use of the staff but Damacon appreciated its versatility in these moments.
Ka'ak cursed and yelled at its master as it trailed behind them but Damacon couldn't hear him
It was too busy imagining piles of relics, golden urns, maybe even a crown or two, tucked away in Shakti's den– completely unaware of what was waiting for them inside.