The forest was restless. For days, rumors had drifted through the trees—whispers of another goblin band encroaching on the Emerald Shadow's hunting grounds, stealing traps, even attacking lone scouts. The tension in Ren's camp was palpable. The goblins, once content with their newfound discipline and unity, now bristled with anticipation and anger.
Ren called a council beneath the great oak at the center of camp. Grik, the hob-goblin, stood at his right, and the squad leaders formed a half-circle around him. The fire crackled, casting long shadows on their painted faces.
"We cannot let this stand," Ren declared, his voice carrying the weight of command. "We have built something strong, something worth protecting. If we allow these raiders to threaten us, we show weakness. If we act, we show the whole forest what the Order of the Emerald Shadow truly is."
The goblins murmured their assent, eyes shining with pride and a hunger for battle. Grik grinned, his tusks gleaming. "We fight. We win. We take what's ours."
Ren nodded. "We do not fight for bloodlust. We fight for our future. We will not destroy them—we will conquer, and those who yield will have a place in our order. Those who resist… will face our strength."
Preparations began at once. The squads drilled with renewed intensity, practicing maneuvers Ren had drilled into them for weeks. Scouts returned with maps of the rival village—a ramshackle cluster of huts around a muddy clearing, defended by numbers but lacking discipline. Ren's mind raced with plans: a feint at dawn, a flanking maneuver through the marsh, a signal for the main force to strike when the defenders were drawn out.
The night before the attack, Ren walked the camp, offering quiet words to nervous goblins and sharing a moment of camaraderie with Grik and Mirielle. "Tomorrow," he said, "we show them what we have become."
Dawn broke with a chill mist curling through the trees. The Emerald Shadow moved out in silence, each squad a shadow among shadows. Ren led from the front, his form shifting to blend with the undergrowth, his senses stretched for any sign of ambush.
They reached the rival camp just as the first rays of sunlight pierced the fog. The enemy goblins were caught off guard, some still drowsy, others bickering over scraps of food. Ren's vanguard struck first, hurling stones and javelins, driving the defenders into confusion.
The enemy chief—a hulking goblin with a jagged scar—rallied his warriors, but Ren's tactics were already in motion. Grik led a squad around the flank, emerging from the marsh with a roar. The defenders turned to meet this new threat, leaving their rear exposed.
Ren signaled the main force. The Emerald Shadow surged forward in a disciplined line, shields locked, spears bristling. The clash was fierce but brief. Ren's goblins fought as one, covering each other, driving the enemy back step by step. The rival goblins, used to chaos and infighting, broke ranks quickly.
Ren himself entered the fray, his acid touch dissolving crude weapons, his presence rallying his warriors. He avoided unnecessary killing, instead focusing on disabling and disarming. "Yield and join us!" he called in the goblin tongue, his voice echoing with authority.
Some resisted to the end, but many, seeing the discipline and unity of the Emerald Shadow, threw down their arms and knelt. The rival chief tried to rally a last stand but was brought down by Grik in single combat—a swift, brutal duel that ended with the chief's surrender.
The battle was over in less than an hour. The Emerald Shadow stood victorious, their losses minimal, their victory complete. Ren gathered the survivors in the center of the conquered camp.
"You have seen our strength," he declared. "You have seen what unity can accomplish. Join us, and you will share in our victories. Resist, and you will be left behind."
One by one, the rival goblins swore loyalty, bowing their heads. The Emerald Shadow had doubled in size, their territory secure.
As the sun climbed higher, Ren stood atop the chief's hut, surveying his new domain. The goblins cheered, their voices ringing through the forest. For the first time, Ren felt the weight of true command—a leader not just of a tribe, but of an army.
But as the celebration faded and the wounded were tended, Ren's thoughts turned to the future. This victory would not go unnoticed. Other tribes, other monsters, even humans, would hear of the Emerald Shadow's rise.
He looked to the horizon, where smoke from distant fires curled into the sky, and knew that the next challenge was already on its way.