Temate Temaku felt like a god in this moment. A god of war. A tide of small green bodies marched beside him, makeshift clubs in hand as they smashed into bone. His [Dominion] extended across them, keeping them coordinated, empowering them at his side.

  His own army. His own tools, but also his people. That he could never forget. A thoughtless request extended through his [Dominion] from a fnk of goblins being pressured too heavily. The back line of slingers was ordered to focus there for a moment.

  Rocks pounded bone into dust and the line was solidified. An order is issued out to Chiel to retrieve Toni, Surrender and Pipuck and get them back here. Confirmation of the first two is sent back. Followed by confirmation of Pipuck's absence as Chiel leapt to the two before shadow covered them.

  Temate focused his [Evil Eye] once more on the Lich. Eyes on me dumb ass. Lose track of everything else. Temate's [Magic Eye] could see it wasn't fully formed. Not nearly as powerful as the form in the rotten Fallow all those weeks ago. It was also still struggling to form.

  Temate issued more silent orders through his [Dominion]. One of the two wolf calots fell in as he stepped out of line. A goblin rushed up with a bundle of spears and a thrower. He hefted one as his [Evil Eye] focused on the Lich.

  "[Vicious Strike]! [Vital Sever]!" He bellowed and hurtled the [Power] charged spear towards the thing in Timbears body.

  It had to be Timbear, no other bear had been that big. That soured Temate a bit, knowing that Timbears death had served as a perfect vessel for this monster. The Lich made no attempt to block the spear as it smmed into the rotten flesh which began to burn.

  Then the Lich reacted, grabbing the spear and tearing it away. The thing hurtled into the pit as smoke from the damaged spot coiled upward. The Lich's ever present smile cracked just a bit.

  "[Bone Scatter]!" It howled back.

  A dozen marchers along the front lines exploded into fragments splintering in every direction. Some goblins died, many more injured, but many blocked with wooden shields or simply evaded the explosion. Where goblins died the calot strode forward.

  A roiling mass of pnt life gathered around each of them as they conjured their own weapons and shields. With a violent surge from a [Dominion] channeled [Attack Order] the calot gave those injured time to swap for fresh goblins. Already their numbers were stretched thin here and Temate could see the truth.

  This was no battle they could win. More marchers joined the fallen from the cavern below. Some of those thought to be destroyed tried to reform behind their lines and attack from there. Their advance halted here as did Temate's sudden feeling of god hood.

  He hurled more spears at the Lich but it batted these out of the air before they could reach it's body. The one that got through was promptly tossed into the pit with it's brother. The roar of ecstatic, battle thirsty goblins filled the air as they thrilled in this strange fight. Their love of battle easily matched Temate's own, and that filled him with such joy he couldn't help but smile himself.

  A quick request went out through [Dominion]. It was a strange [Power], the ability to command and communicate thoughtlessly. It wasn't quite as verbose as speaking and saying 'Hey where are you? You okay?' Which is what Temate wanted to do, and more like shouting 'Hello?' as if you weren't sure someone was there, but they knew you were talking to them.

  "Got em Chief! They say Pipuck is at healing fields. Probably below."

  Chiels new, rumbling, gravelly voice came from beside Temate. He turned to look at the once goblin creature as two pairs of arms wrapped around him. One fuzzy pair using the wrapping to immediately climb his huge frame.

  "Master back! Master bring help!" Ren screeched happily.

  "How did you know we would- I mean where did-" Toni began.

  "Long story, for now I want you to head up and help the rest of the tribe up there. They're trying to colpse a section of cliff face to crush the marchers and give us a moment to bolt." Temate barked the order immediately extending his [Dominion] to the two women. "And I've got a new [Power], accept it I'll expin it ter and remove it if you don't want it then."

  There was no push back from either Ren or Toni, each immediately falling into [Dominion]. The subtle addition of two new minds into the mess of silent shouting was minor for him but he saw the two grimace.

  "Focus on blocking out any voice that's not mine. Toni, head up. Ren I need you to go with Chiel and get Pipuck. Once you've done that send confirmation through [Dominion] and if we have time you'll go to evacuate others." His voice rolled over the rattling sounds of bones on stone and wood.

  Toni began to run immediately, heading further up the slope with a hand on her head as she tried to silence the other voices in her head.

  "W-where Chiel?" Surrender asked prompting Temate to ugh.

  "Sorry I figured he'd have said. Surrender, say hello to Chiel's new evolved state. Chiel, you know Surrender." Temate motioned towards the white armor pted creature before them.

  He understood why Surrender might be confused, mostly because he knew it was hard to think when first entering [Dominion]. So of course she'd forget he was evolving and that the strange new creature in front of them would be him. But also from everything the other goblins had said, none of them had ever seen a goblin become this. But they had a name for it in their head.

  Hanimou.

  What that was they didn't know, but what Temate saw he liked a lot. From a monster design perspective, not a physical attraction perspective. Chiel's body was now a sort of off white, almost grey color. He stood on one leg and held the mycelial shield in his one arm. He had two of each but the other's were currently compressed down into his body, leaving only small creases where they should be.

  Much like his whole body was coiled and compressed down to only about three feet in height. Temate knew that at Chiels full height the two would stand eye to eye. His body kept the nky, goblin like proportions but had shaped into an almost stooped crescent moon shape. His jaw and mouth extended out from his head in something between a raptor's jaw and a birds beak.

  The most notable differences were the thick fur along his exposed body, and the sharp, angur ptes along his back. The ptes were bone and had that yellow-white coloration often found on old bones found in ancient pces. They created a jagged, wave like pattern down the back of every inch of him.

  His arms, his legs, even the back of his head were covered in the bone ptes. From his hands and feet Temate knew Chiel could extend rge, vicious cws that cut better than his own bde did. From his back the short, twitching goblin tail had become a long, whip like collection of boney bdes.

  The 'too long didn't read' Temate could give was that Chiel now seemed to be a mix of a goblin, and a pangolin. With sharper ptes and a long bded tail, and a body that could compress and propel itself in part or in whole. With many other things to learn that even Chiel didn't know at first blush.

  After gathering herself together Surrender seemed almost taken aback by Chiel's new appearance. She examined him, and then looked at Temate.

  "Not good for sneak, even come here we fight marchers. How get through to other side?" Surrender asked.

  "Easy. We jump!" Chiel answered for Temate, gesturing toward the edge of the cliff.

  "Jump?!" Surrender's eyes widened as she shook her head. "No no! We die!"

  "You'll be fine, Chiel can shield you, and I need Chiel with you in case things go wrong on your way there or back. Take his hand and try not to panic okay?" Temate told Surrender.

  Surrender grimaced but did as she was told. Reaching out to take the hand with the shield in it. Chiel grinned and like a bullet his other hand shot out from it's pocket in his chest. He grabbed her and dragged her into his chest in one swift motion.

  Before Surrender's scream of surprise was even really out of her mouth it was cut off. As Chiel's body expanded unching him into the air. He curled into a narrow sphere around Surrender as his ptes extended into something more akin to an armadillo's ptes. The thick pieces tched together and the sphere, with it's package, plunged off the edge.

  Through [Dominion] Temate checked in on them. A moment ter he received two 'safe' returns, one of which he could almost feel the anger through. He chuckled and turned his attention wholly back to the front. For now they held strong, he was just worried about how long they could hold.

  Toni reached the top of Bearbhaile in no time where she spotted another 50 or so goblins and daog at work. One daog, which she recognized as Milis, spotted her and waved her over.

  "Good afternoon mizz Toni. Chief Temate haz told me you would be coming. Would you be capable of providing explozive azziztance?" The daog buzzed to her as Toni approached.

  "Uh, yeah where do you want it." Toni asked as she examined the workings.

  It was an impressive sight, surprisingly well put together. Several piles of timber from fallen tree branches were being used to build rough containers for tons of dirt and rock. Both were being harvested from nearby by the daog, while goblins worked on building and maintaining the structures.

  "I have chozen optimal locationz for the detonationz bazed on the zize of detonation you are capable of providing, we will require three complete colpzez." Milis informed her and then began walking along the edge of the pit.

  She pointed to three specific spots with her thick, beetle cws. Toni examined the spots, weaknesses in the external wall it appeared. Easy enough.

  "Bazed on azzezzment of previouz detonationz I believe theze zpotz zhould do? Do you concur?" Milis turned to face her, a ft bnk expression on the alien carapaced face.

  "Ah, yeah that should be easy enough, and these shoooouldn't-" She looked down below and frowned. "-hit our people right?"

  "Ah, no. I dezignated theze locationz bazed on Chiefz orderz and evaluation of the ongoing conflict. He will hold hiz pozition until we are ready." Milis assured Toni and she nodded.

  "It won't be easy, all my gear is down in the residential area." Toni grimaced as she examined the fighting. "I could just-"

  "Acknowledged. Chief commandz a few of uz to retrieve the goodz. You wait here for detonation orderz." Milis told her.

  Not that she needed to, almost immediately after she had started speaking she felt thoughts fill her head. Not her own, but in her own voice.

  'Wait. Command. Detonate.' Not quite a perfect recreation, but she was certain what they meant.

  "So Temate has telepathy of a kind now. Though why's it all broken and we just interpret it accurately? Do we interpret it accurately?" She asked but received no response.

  When she turned to look around she saw no Milis, only a small goblin woman she didn't recognize. The goblin looked at her, looked over her own shoulder, then turned back and shrugged. Toni chuckled and sat on the edge of the cliff.

  She watched the fighting below as she tried to calcute how much force one of her simple empty shell bombs would need to colpse Milis' chosen spots. Those bombs were more for shrapnel and fme then impact. It's why she'd put so much into the one she'd thrown after the retreating darklings.

  She figured she could do it easily, especially with... Was it Beo? Boey? The old bears refresher. She didn't feel full in the least, but she felt fuller. Like having a heavy snack, not enough to fill you up but enough you're not hungry.

  It was strange to watch the fighting from here, it wasn't all that far away, maybe some 100 feet down. Yet it felt so distant, like another world. The shouting and cshing echoed up from below like from a tv or computer. Like it wasn't real.

  Toni really wished it wasn't real. So many dead. Craobh, who she'd really grown to like. Nasai who was an ass but still. Malkus, his goblins. All those other innocent bears. How many more would die next? They couldn't stop this, it was a tide of death and bone that never ended.

  And it was her fault.

  She wrapped her arms around her legs as she drew them into her chest. She didn't try to fight the tears that fell from her face then.

  Surrender stalked forward, still deciding whether or not to kill Chiel, or kill Master. Maybe both. No warning and she just fell off a cliff like that! Sure it had been safe, comfortable even, but she'd felt her gut wrench in her stomach.

  "I really sorry big Surrender. Chief orders, and not have time to expin." Chiel apologized for the third time as he hopped along beside her.

  That's right, he hopped. Like a weird rabbit or frog or something. One leg compressed into his body would shoot out and push him forward while the other compressed. It was really weird, but he moved both surprisingly quickly and quietly. Not that it was needed here, all the fighting was elsewhere.

  Which was the reason they had no time. Which she understood but she was still allowed to be mad! She communicated that with a quick gre to Chiel who squeezed himself down even further. His smile wasn't wholly apologetic though, she could see that little smirk of amusement.

  "This way." She hissed and prowled forward.

  In less then three hundred feet they were there, entering the wide chamber which replicated the outdoors. The sun here was somehow warmer then the one they'd left, and Surrender felt her body rex and recover.

  "Mmmmm, feel good." Chiel sighed happily behind her.

  "Yes, very good. Now where-" Ah! Immediately Surrender spotted the old bear sitting down on a far edge of the room.

  On a green, mossy plinth in front of him was Pipuck, sitting up with a hand on their head. Surrender ran over quickly toward the Spiras.

  "Big Pipuck!" Chiel shouted their arrival. "It me, Chiel!"

  Pip and Beo both turned to face the duo as they approached. Beo's smile widened and he nodded an acknowledgement to them. Then he turned back to Pip.

  "Please, remember that for me Spiras Pipuck. I do not believe I will make it out of her to pass on that message." Beo said.

  "I will Beo an'..." Pipuck shook their head as they collected their thoughts. "...I'm sorry, I wish I coul' do more."

  "No you don't, I am a bear, I know how your kind feel about ours." Beo's smile did not lessen as he said that. "Take good care of each other. I wish to go down remembering my youth." Beo hefted themselves onto their three legs and began to meander out of the chamber.

  "If want, get others to leave." Surrender called to him.

  "Hmm?" The bear turned back around quizzically.

  "Master Mate has brought us help. He will hold them off for as long as he can, any who can go should do so." Surrender spoke in a rare fully realized sentence. A way of speaking she reserved for the utmost important moments.

  Beo's eyes widened and he bowed to her. Then he turned and dashed out of the chamber in a speed that should not have been possible for one of his age. Surrender's eyes narrowed at the backside of the running bear, then she turned to Pipuck.

  "Big boss man is 'ere eh?" Pipuck smiled at her. "Guess it's time to go then?"

  Surrender nodded in response then sent a quick confirmation through to Temate on his new [Power]. It felt nice to have that connection, like a permanent reminder he was there with her.

  "Yes, he say get Pipuck, get out. Maybe evacuate if time." Chiel answered.

  'Retreat.' Came the order and Surrender knew they wouldn't have time to evacuate the others.

  "Beo handle evacuation. We go quick. We use other side and my [Power]-" Surrender began.

  "I take, I hold both, go much quicker. No need sneak." Chiel cut her off. "No time for quick sneak." He said as she gred at him.

  She didn't like that idea, sneaking was safer, they could still go quick.

  "I agree with Chiel, Surrender that Lich is gettin' stronger every secon', if we go slow there's a goo' chance 'e will star' seein' through your [Power] then we're in big trouble righ'?" Pipuck added.

  "Fine. Just... no surprise this time!" Surrender gred at Chiel who grinned back.

  "You know what expect, not surprise!"

  With a grumble Surrender moved in close to Chiel and then motioned toward Pipuck to join them. As they gathered before him Chiel's hand shed out to wrap around Pipucks causing him to shout. At the same time Chiel's spare foot grabbed Surrender, much to her annoyed surprise!

  The two were pressed close together as Chiel once more wrapped around their bodies and held them tight and cozy. Surrender could feel the world flowing by through her tail as they began to roll up and out of Bearbhaile.

  She really really did not like this new Chiel.

  "A little warnin' nex' time goblin! Lights, bu' this is surprisingly comfy." Pipuck remarked.

  As they rolled upward out of Bearbhaile, Surrender began to feel others around them.

  Bears.

  Goblins.

  Daog.

  Beo had apparently gotten word out and quick because a huge number of people were doing the same thing as them. Fleeing.

  She just hoped that Master was alright.