Chapter 54: The Bearer of the Sacred Stick IV
The gigantic goblin chief roared so loudly that leaves began to fall from the trees.
His enormous club descended with a crash, making the ground tremble.
BOOOOOOM!!
The impact opened a crater where Sir Dogerino had been just an instant before.
But the little shiba was no longer there.
With an elegant leap, he had dodged the attack.
He landed with absolute delicacy.
His small brown cape fluttered in the wind.
He held the simple stick between his teeth as if it were a legendary sword.
Kael’s eyes went wide.
"..."
"Since when can he move like that?"
The Fat King slowly opened one eye from the rock where he was still resting.
He looked at the little dog.
Then turned his gaze to Kael.
He said nothing.
He just kept watching.
As if he were also curious.
Sir Dogerino walked slowly until he stood in front of the enormous goblin chief.
He didn’t look intimidated.
He didn’t even look ready to fight.
Just...
Polite.
He wagged his tail once.
Then carefully placed the stick on the ground.
Took two steps back.
Lowered his head.
And made an elegant bow.
Kael blinked.
"..."
"Did he just challenge him to a duel?"
The goblin chief responded exactly as any goblin would respond.
With another roar.
He raised the enormous club above his head.
And attacked again.
Sir Dogerino simply tilted his body slightly to the side.
The club brushed past his cape.
BOOOOOOM!!
The ground exploded again.
The dog didn’t even lose his balance.
He picked up his small stick again.
Held it with both front paws.
And walked calmly toward the goblin.
Like a knight approaching the center of a fencing arena.
Kael felt something was off.
"..."
"He’s scarier when he acts polite."
The chief roared again.
Sir Dogerino smiled.
Or at least, that’s what it looked like.
He wagged his tail with absolute happiness.
To him...
This was still a game.
He raised the small stick.
And gave a tap.
Tap.
Nothing more.
No explosions.
No lights.
No shockwaves.
Just a small sound of wood.
The goblin chief began to laugh.
The other goblins too.
Kael scratched his head.
"..."
"Was that it?"
Sir Dogerino tilted his head.
He looked confused.
As if he had expected the goblin to respond to the game.
The monster raised his club again.
This time ready to crush him once and for all.
Then...
Very far away...
A strange rumble was heard.
Ruuuuumble...
Everyone instinctively turned.
Kilometers away...
An enormous mountain slowly began to split apart.
The peak slid several meters to the side.
Then...
It ended up collapsing with a deafening crash.
The entire forest stood completely still.
The goblins stopped breathing.
Kael looked at the mountain.
Then at the stick.
Then at the dog.
And again at the mountain.
"..."
"No..."
The goblin chief also understood.
He slowly looked at the small wooden stick.
Then back at the destroyed mountain.
A huge drop of sweat ran down his forehead.
Sir Dogerino raised the stick again.
"Woof?"
It was a short bark.
Friendly.
As if asking if he wanted another round.
The goblin chief stepped back.
One step.
Then another.
And another.
His enormous body began to tremble.
Kael smiled.
"I think...
I think he just lost the desire to play."
Sir Dogerino interpreted that completely differently.
He wagged his tail hard.
His new friend wanted to run!
He shot off after him.
The chief let out a shriek.
And fled at full speed.
He had never run so fast in his entire life.
The other goblins followed him in terror.
Sir Dogerino ran behind all of them.
With completely innocent happiness.
"Woof!"
"Woof!"
Kael ran after them.
"No!
Don’t chase them!
That never ends well!"
As if the universe wanted to prove him right...
The goblin chief tripped over a huge rock.
Fell flat on his face.
Tried desperately to get up.
Sir Dogerino arrived right at that moment.
Wagging his tail.
He took the stick with both paws.
And gave a small tap on the goblin’s head.
Bonk.
Silence.
Kael stopped.
"..."
"Is it over?"
One second passed.
Then two.
Three.
Nothing happened.
Kael let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness..."
Then...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The explosion shook the entire forest.
A gigantic column of earth shot up into the sky.
Nearby trees bent from the shockwave.
Birds flew away in terror.
When the dust began to clear...
The goblin chief was gone.
Not even remains were left.
In the spot where he had received that innocent tap...
A massive crater had appeared.
And from its bottom, crystal-clear water began to spring forth.
Kael stared at the scene, completely motionless.
The water kept rising.
Little by little.
Until it formed a huge lake.
Sir Dogerino looked at the water curiously.
Then at his stick.
Then at Kael.
He wagged his tail, waiting for congratulations.
Kael took a deep breath.
Very deep.
He brought both hands to his face.
And slowly shook his head.
"No..."
He sighed again.
"Not again...
Another damn landscape feature destroyed."
Sir Dogerino tilted his head.
"Woof?"
As if asking what he had done wrong.
Kael pointed at the new lake.
"That!
You did that!"
The dog looked at the lake.
Then back at the stick.
He didn’t seem to understand the connection between the two things.
The Fat King slowly descended from the rock.
He walked until he stood in front of the little shiba.
They looked at each other for several seconds.
Kael held his breath.
It was the first time he had seen them this close after a fight.
The Fat King slowly raised a paw.
Sir Dogerino remained completely still.
With a respectful expression.
The cat gently placed his paw on the dog’s head.
A single touch.
Then he closed his eyes.
And nodded once.
Nothing more.
But for someone like the Fat King...
That was equivalent to a huge acknowledgment.
Sir Dogerino began wagging his tail so hard he almost lost his balance.
He let out a small bark of happiness.
"Woof!"
The Fat King immediately turned his head.
As if he wanted to pretend that hadn’t meant anything.
Then he walked calmly over to Kael.
Jumped.
And settled back on his head.
As if he had never gotten down.
Kael let out a small laugh.
"Was that... a compliment?"
"Meow."
"Yeah, sure.
Act like you don’t know what I’m talking about."
In the distance...
The few surviving goblins ran into the forest, completely terrified.
Among their screams, they repeated the same phrase.
"The Knight of the Stick!"
"The Knight of the Sacred Stick!"
"He destroyed a mountain with a single blow!"
Kael heard those screams.
Then he looked at the immense lake.
Then at the dog.
And finally at the cat lying on his head.
He closed his eyes.
"When I turn in this mission...
No one is going to believe me."
They both looked at him at the same time.
"Meow."
"Woof!"
Kael let out a resigned laugh.
He had the strange feeling that keeping two legendary memes would be much harder...
...than surviving any dungeon.
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