For what felt like the millionth time, Damacon surfaced from the mud, gasping. Ka'ak yawned from the edge, bored out of his mind– insistent that there had to be something under the pools of mud. The mud shimmered under the moonlight that entered from a crag at the top of the cave. It shone down on the sole trog in the center of the mud as its companions watched from the safety of the muds edge.
"This can't be! this can't be!" Damacon repeated to itself as it nervously shifted through Shaktis den convinced it would find more than just corpses and bones.
Ka'ak sat on the edge of the mud with a pile of rocks beside him, watching. He would've thrown another at Damacon as it resurfaced again but found that game to be less entertaining as the night passed by.
"Master, I'm bored! We go now?" A question the goblin already knew the answer to.
"You miserable little imp! You've done nothing since we got here! Find the damn Shi' Rak already! Or better yet Shakti's coin." Damacons irritation inspired neither brother to action.
The goblins had already found the Shi' Rak.
No'ak had been devouring it all night, stuffing handfuls of mud into his mouth with greedy slurps. His skin, once a pasty purple, had started to take on the same dark shimmer as the mud. The idiot didn't realize he was eating magic. Spilling it all over himself as it ate an unhealthy amount even for a goblin.
Yet that was what was emanating magic.
The mud itself.
"Ka'ak told master already," Ka'ak scooped some mud into his hand and grabbed a rock from his pile before crafting a mud ball out of the two. He stood up and took aim. "This is Shi'Rak."
He tossed the mud straight into Damacons face. The force of the rock in the mud was strong enough to knock the trog back a step.
Ka'ak smiled at the fun new game it made up.
The gash on the trogs face was an extra delight to the goblin as it cackled at the pain the trog seemed to be in as it cursed and rubbed its forehead.
"Ka'ak find more Shi' Rak for master?" The goblin cheerfully said as it considered throwing another mudrock at Damacon.
'Shi' Rak was supposed to be rare, priceless—how could it be something as worthless as mud?' Damacon didn't want to believe it but knew it was true.
'Shakti, you really are even more stupid than I gave you credit for.' The trog made its way towards the goblins. Damacon watched as Ka'ak's heat signature rose at seeing it sludge through the mud towards it. The scared goblin ran towards his brother, using his bulky frame as cover for the on-coming punishment.
It pictured golden towers. Hidden chambers. Jewels to run its claws through. All lies. All mud."
'What kind of fool works for free!? What have you been getting from this partnership!' Shakti's unknownable intent only ignited Damacons anger towards the cowering goblin hiding behind his brother.
Damacon slammed its foot into No'ak's chest—expecting to send the glutton flying. Instead, pain shot up its own leg. No'ak didn't flinch. Didn't even seem to notice.He just kept eating.
Damacon's pain echoed through the cave.
Ka'ak was enjoying this new game.