With Belamus gone, Beresdral wasn’t being run by just a single ruler. Instead, the leaders of each race had chosen to govern through collaboration. There was no supreme authority, just a delicate balance of voices and perspectives. Ugo spoke for the goblins, Balbora for the orcs, Ellency for the Alraune, Lilli for the Imps, and Medina for the legion ants. These five formed the heart of the council, making decisions through constant negotiation and debate.
Today was no different. The council sat in their usual circle, mid-discussion about the town’s expansion. Ugo, ever brash and eager to take initiative, leaned forward with his arms crossed, voicing his frustration in Goblin, the lingua franca of their group. “Look, I’m just sayin’. We should start clearing out some of the forest. Expand the town a little. If Belamus comes back and we’ve done jack-all, we’ll look like a bunch of lazy slugs.”
Ellency, calm and measured as always, wasn’t convinced. Her vine-like hair shimmered faintly in the dappled light as she replied, “And if we act without proper planning, we risk triggering something far worse. Unintended consequences.”
Ugo waved off the concern with a grunt. “What consequences? It’s just logging. We’re not summoning demons or diggin’ up ancient ruins here. A few trees won’t bite back.”
Lilli giggled under her breath, but Medina said nothing, only clicking her mandibles thoughtfully. Even Balbora, gruff and usually reluctant to get involved in anything that smelled like politics, was beginning to nod along. It seemed the council was on the verge of approving Ugo’s proposal when a panicked cry tore through the chamber.
“Emergency! The dwarves are back!”
A goblin scout burst in, panting and wide-eyed. Everyone froze.
“Dwarves?” Balbora rumbled, already pushing to his feet.
“You mean the same race as Mimi?” Ellency asked, brow furrowed. “Didn’t she say she was fleeing from them?”
“Exactly,” Lilli said sharply. “So why would more show up now? That doesn’t add up.”
The scout nodded quickly, struggling to get the words out. “Five of them, men. All dressed in black. One looked injured, said they were in trouble and needed shelter.”
“Wait. Said?” Balbora narrowed his eyes. “How the hell did you understand them? Aren’t they dwarves?”
“Huh? Now that you mention it, they were speaking Goblin, weren’t they?” the scout said, his brow furrowing as the memory came back to him. “That’s weird… I guess they use Goblin in the dwarf kingdom, too?”
The others exchanged glances. It wasn’t unheard of—Goblin had become something of a common language around these parts—but it was still unexpected coming from dwarves.
“Well, what do we do?” Lilli asked, her voice quieter now, tinged with uncertainty. “I mean, if one of them’s injured… would it really be right to just turn them away? Feels kinda heartless, don’t you think?”
Balbora grunted in reluctant agreement. “Even if they were the ones chasing after Mimi, she’s not here anymore. If that was their goal, they’ve already lost their reason for coming. There’s no threat.”
Ellency nodded, her expression softening. “Then we have no reason to refuse them. Not unless they start something.”
The decision came quickly after that. With no one raising further objections, the council agreed to open the gates. Whatever motives the dwarves might have, turning away injured travelers, especially when no immediate danger was clear, felt wrong. And so, with wary eyes but open minds, they welcomed the strangers into Beresdral.