Episode Three: Battle Corn and a Clash Between Two Goblins

Warden Ogl was very pleased as he watched what was happening in the forest. A faint smile even appeared on his face. Of course, he understood perfectly well that this was far from over. The Hermits would recover their strength and come at them with even greater fury. They had to prepare for the next clash.
The Warden of the neighboring goblinum was already taking care of that. His help had come at just the right time, because the next trick Mor had suggested would not work until the following day. And they still had to hold out until then.
While the enemy army recovered, dozens of Bignoses carrying pots and baskets filled with corn headed toward the still-burning line of defense. The fire had already weakened considerably, and the Hermits could have crossed it. However, not a single enemy had returned to the meadow yet. That meant the Bignoses had time to prepare properly.
They placed the pots directly in the fire, a short distance apart. There were not enough to cover the entire line of fire, but they managed to block most of it. To do this, they gathered every pot in the goblinum, and the neighbors brought a whole cartload more. They knew better how everything had to be done, so they arranged the pots themselves.
After a while, the line of defense was ready to meet the Hermits again. The goblins only had to wait for their Warden’s next order.
Meanwhile, Warden Appo was shouting himself hoarse after listening to the grim-faced Lukdun, who had come racing back. No one had ever seen him so enraged. It seemed as though all the surrounding trees were trembling from his furious shouting:
“I gave you incredible power that could have easily carried you all the way to the western edge of the forest! And you stopped at the very first obstacle! Where is your army, Lukdun? Even if the Bignoses knew about our attack and had time to prepare, that cannot excuse your disgrace! You will go back there right now and capture the anthills and the goblinum! And I very much hope you do it before your Ant Power runs out!”
Warden Appo pierced Lukdun with a furious glare. Lukdun, who until recently had been considered the most skilled and strongest warrior among his goblins, now looked weak and helpless. He obediently lowered his head and said quietly:
“Yes, Warden.”
He was ashamed. But not before Warden Appo — before himself. The image of a great warrior had been shattered by hay, branches, and bees. Now the respect and fear his warriors had felt for him could turn into resentment, or perhaps even mockery. He could not allow that.
Lukdun rode over to the remnants of his army. There was no time to wait for everyone to gather. So he decided to take all the Hermits sent from the other goblinums. Lukdun had considered them a reserve force and planned to use them as guards after the goblinum was captured. Knowing the Warden’s state of mind, he did not dare ask for Ant Power for all of them. But he was certain that nowhere near all of them would need it to defeat the Bignoses. The cursed barrier had surely burned out by now, which meant the way was open. Though reluctant, Warden Appo still agreed to give Ant Power to several dozen warriors. After that, the new Hermit army once again set out toward the valley.
“Allow me to reassure you, Warden,” the Counselor said quietly. Until then, he had stood like a shadow, afraid of drawing the Warden’s anger upon himself as well.
“Speak,” Appo said sharply.
“You should not worry so much. Yes, we were mistaken when we thought the Bignoses knew nothing. Their three messengers proved surprisingly hard to kill and managed to reach home after all. But that changes nothing. Our victory is inevitable. Even if they have Ant Power, they have very little. A handful of even the strongest goblins could never defeat our army,” the Counselor said without a trace of doubt. “I must admit that the Bignoses have proved not entirely foolish and managed to prepare all kinds of tricks. But sooner or later, those tricks will run out, just like their Ant Power. And then they will be defenseless. So we should simply wait.”
“I hope so,” Warden Appo replied coldly.
Lukdun rode out of the forest and, as expected, saw no wall of fire ahead. In its place now stretched a red-and-gray strip of dying embers, and beyond it stood the Bignoses in a line.
You want to stop us? But goblins aren’t fire, and you won’t stop us. Now you’ll feel the strength of our warriors, Lukdun whispered to himself.
“Forward!” he shouted, raising his sword above his head and pressing his heels into his ram’s sides.
The hooves of dozens of running rams raised a tremendous din. The wild cries of their riders, charging with swords raised, multiplied the noise many times over. It was a truly frightening sight. It seemed that nothing could stop the Hermits rushing forward now and that they would simply sweep away the Bignoses standing before them. Especially when, as he drew closer, Lukdun saw not swords in their hands but baskets. Then he noticed the pots arranged in a line.
What’s this now? he wondered, slowing his ram a little.
Meanwhile, the Bignoses ran up to the pots and poured something into them from their baskets. Something small, but Lukdun could not make out exactly what it was.
Well, they’re definitely not bees, so there’s no danger, he thought.
But the goblins around him were beginning to grow uneasy. They had prepared for a sword fight. Yet ever since morning, things had been happening that they had never expected. And now they grew wary again and remembered the bees. Those small buzzing monsters that had sent the first army fleeing.
As they approached the pots, the Hermits stopped as though an invisible wall had suddenly risen before them. They studied the pots with curiosity and apprehension. The Bignoses with the baskets had long since run away, and the same warriors with Ant Power had moved forward in their place. The others were also preparing to fight if the Hermit army broke through the still-impassable line of defense.
“Don’t stop! You can see they’re just pots!” Lukdun shouted, starting forward.
But then a deafening crackling erupted, and something began flying in all directions from every pot. The Hermits at the front instantly felt hot white pebbles striking their bodies. It was not so much painful as unexpected. The pebbles also struck the rams’ heads. The frightened animals instinctively backed away, pushing into those behind them. A crush began, and suddenly someone shouted:
“They’re white bees!”
One shout was enough. The warriors who had been in the forest and had seen with their own eyes what bees could do did not want to share that fate. And the other Hermits, who had already heard their embellished stories, were even less eager to feel bee stings themselves. So they all fled back into the forest in panic.
And by then it no longer mattered that these were not bees at all. The Hermits could not even imagine that the pebbles were edible. But corn was a great rarity in their lands, and even among the Bignoses, few knew about these unusual kernels. Until that day, they had only been eaten in the neighboring goblinum. Although it was known that if a pot was not covered with a lid, all the kernels, after turning into white pebbles, would simply fly out. No one in the goblinum knew where this unusual corn had come from. But they loved it and therefore shared it with no one. Now, however, it had become a real weapon.
Lukdun stared into the distance, toward those he had come to fight but had not even managed to get close to. The entire meadow around him was strewn with white pebbles. It was clear now that they were not bees. Nothing was flying out of the pots anymore either, and the way was open. But Lukdun had no one left to ride forward with. Not a single warrior remained behind him. They had all fled.
He did not want to return to Warden Appo. Lukdun was not afraid of his anger. But final disgrace was worse than death to him. And even if the Bignoses had no more tricks left, he had still lost. Behind him waited disgrace and contempt. Ahead lay certain death, but at least a death worthy of a warrior. A difficult choice for some, perhaps, but not for Lukdun.
He let his ram go and strode toward the Bignoses.
Warden Ogl was somewhat taken aback when he saw the lone Hermit walking toward them. He was the only one who had not given in to panic and retreated. Instead, he was coming to fight.
Either this goblin is very foolish or far too proud, and so there is no turning back for him, the Warden thought.
Some of the Bignoses were ready to ride out and deal with the strange Hermit, but Warden Ogl stopped them.
“Let him come and tell us what he wants. Perhaps we’ll hear something interesting. But stay alert. He definitely has Ant Power in him right now, which means he’s very dangerous.”
The Bignoses with Ant Power moved closer to Warden Ogl, while the other warriors formed several long rows on either side of them, creating a living semicircle. Lukdun was now walking into it.
“My name is Lukdun, and I challenge the strongest Bignose to fight me!” he shouted, casting furious looks in every direction.
The goblins standing nearby merely watched the defiant Hermit in silence, ready to run him through with their swords at any moment.
Warden Ogl rode forward.
“My name is Ogl. See the goblinum behind me? I am its Warden, and around me are its inhabitants and other goblins of our clan. You are one of those who wanted to seize our home. And after that, you think fighting the strongest among us will give you dignity? You are an unworthy goblin. And that is how you will die. But it is not too late to stop. You have not spilled the blood of a Bignose. So I will allow you to leave our land. And never come back.”
“I’m not here to leave at the command of some Warden. I came to find out whether the Bignoses’ strength truly lies only in tricks, or whether they have real warriors after all. I’ll be honest with you. I have Ant Power in me now, and I challenge one who has it too.”
“Very well. I showed you mercy. But it seems you live only for bloodshed. Today, it will be your blood. I accept your challenge.”
Warden Ogl jumped down from his ram and approached Lukdun.
A moment later, their swords clashed, and the ring of iron rolled across the surrounding meadow. It seemed the blades would shatter under the terrible blows of the two mighty goblins.
Lukdun was a true giant, stirring the air with every swing of his arm. Ant Power had given him such might that his sword now seemed like an enormous tree, ready to crush anyone in its path.
Warden Ogl was a large goblin too, though he was still smaller than Lukdun. Ant Power had turned his huge hands into iron hammers, ready to strike a killing blow when the moment came.
Warden Ogl enjoyed practicing with a sword no less than Lukdun did, and he answered blow for blow. He was also the more agile of the two, while his opponent needed more time to control his mighty body.
Lukdun attacked relentlessly, trying to frighten Warden Ogl with the sheer force of his assault and make him commit a mistake. Then he would drive his blade into the body of the hated Bignose.
But the Warden was not frightened in the least by the Hermit’s furious attacks or menacing appearance. He also began to notice that Lukdun was throwing his whole body into his attacks more and more often, without thinking about defense. Ogl himself, holding his sword in his right hand, tried to keep his right side toward his opponent.
Evening was drawing near, and the two wounded goblins continued their deadly fight.
Lukdun raised his sword over his head once again and stepped forward, trying to reach the Warden’s bleeding left arm. But this time, Warden Ogl did not step back or try to protect his arm with his sword. Instead, he quickly stepped forward, thrust his sword out, and drove it into Lukdun’s exposed chest, piercing the Hermit’s body all the way through.
Lukdun gave a loud, rasping gasp and began to sink to his knees. A moment later, his powerful arm went limp, dropped to his side, and let the sword fall. He began breathing hard and fast, yet still could not get enough air. Blood ran from his nose and mouth. With every breath in, it gurgled in his throat, and with every breath out, it bubbled, spattering more and more of the sword protruding from his chest.
His suffering did not last long. Soon his breathing grew still, and the blood stopped flowing.
“This can’t be… Cursed Bignose…” Lukdun whispered, barely audible, and closed his eyes.
His head slowly sank.
Warden Ogl pulled out his sword and stepped back. The defeated enemy collapsed at his feet.
“He chose his own path. But defeating one enemy means nothing yet. Tomorrow will be a hard day. It will be dark soon. We need to scatter the fish across the meadow while there is still time. So get to work.”
The Bignoses took the baskets and spread out across the meadow, scattering the fish, which by now stank terribly. The strongest smell came from the guts in the slit-open bellies. This was the last trick meant to delay the Hermits.
Warden Ogl desperately hoped it would buy enough time for Mor, Vuk, and Nuk to do what they had set out to do. If they failed, the Bignoses would soon be defenseless.