The humans finally arrived at the mine, and almost instantly they noticed something was off. Security had been tightened. Goblins moved in heavier numbers, patrols doubled, and the atmosphere was far more suffocating than before. For creatures who rarely feared anything beyond starvation or oppression, such a display was unusual. There had to be a reason for this sudden shift.
One of the humans slowed, uneasy. He thought he heard voices behind him, faint whispers in a tongue he couldn't understand. His instincts flared, and he spun around, but there was nothing. Nothing except—
A gigantic orc walking toward him.
The human stiffened. "An orc? What's one doing here?" he thought, trying to recall whether he had forgotten some part of the arrangement. Orcs didn't just wander into goblin territory casually. Had the creature brought something back? Was he carrying a message?
