11. The Deceitful Goblin
The fairy named Jargas, once lived as did others of his kind in the beautiful realm of Fairyland. However, pride led to discontentment and to his ultimate downfall. He challenged the King of fairies for the right to rule and failed and received exile forever from his homeland as his reward.
Forbidden to return to Fairyland, the fallen fairy travelled throughout the world of men stirring up strife. In his twisted mind he surmised, If I can’t rule Fairyland, I can at least reign in the world of men, and perhaps gain power to challenge the very foundation of that fair country.
During his exile Jargas’s hatred grew for the king of fairies. In fact, his loathing mushroomed to the degree that the former resident of Fairyland became disfigured. Had you seen him you would not have thought him a fairy but a goblin for a goblin he had become. He visited the courts of kings of men sowing discord. With ability to become visible as the fairy he once had been, he whispered words of discontent in the ears of kings. “Your neighbors are encroaching on your borders,” he told one. “You need to take whatever territory you can,” he told another. “You best arm yourself,” he told a third, “armed forces are preparing to take your land.”
Jargas became quite successful in his quest to turn one kingdom against another and thereby created a perpetual state of war. He desired that all kingdoms be engaged in conflict at the same time, for that would prove his point he made in the court of Fairyland that all men have false motives in their hearts and deserved just recompence.
This had been his challenge to the King of fairies who held that among men there could be found men of noble hearts. Jarvis had proposed a test. Let the King find a man of noble heart and he, Jarvis, would show the evil that lurked within and thus show himself a better judge of character and better suited to rule that his highness the king of fairies.
A young man was found that despite all attempts by Jargas to turn away from doing good showed himself to be noble. Thus, Jargas lost his challenge and went into exile.
At present, the former fairy made use of fear, falsehood, and greed to accomplish his purposes. He was quite successful until the states of Trivinia, Stoutvana, and Tracia, sought peace instead of war. This turn of events forced Jargas to devise a new plan of action.
The fairy turned goblin visited King Metrophis of Hardania the largest of the remaining kingdoms that maintained their warlike posture.. Standing before the king in his most fairy like fashion he smiled. “Oh, King Metrophis, you who have been invincible in battle, the time has come to prove to all those in this world your might.”
Metrophis leaned forward on his throne. “Oh, beautiful fairy, thrice you have appeared before me and thrice you have convinced me to go into battle against my neighbors. We fought hard and had but little gain with much cost. Why should I listen to you now?”
Jargas smiled deceptively, “But king, you cannot deny you did win those wars and came out with your kingdom intact. Now I propose to you a masterplan that will exalt you to your rightful position among all other kings on earth.”
Metrophis sat back. “Say on.” He thought no one more worthy than himself to be above all other kings.
Jargas continued, “I’ll go before you and convince your neighboring countries of Moridas, Conflecta and Suquencia to join with you. As one great force you will have the power to overcome all other kingdoms.”
The king of Hardania frowned. “But why would their kings agree to join with me?”
“Why not?” Jargas held out his arms. “You have already shown your might in battle against them, and besides who else but you could lead to such overwhelming and glorious victory? Surely they will want to share in the spoils of war.”
Metrophis answered, “If you get those three countries to unite with mine, I will agree to go into battle, but with whom?”
Jargas answered without blinking. “Trivinia, Stoutvana, and Tracia–all nations of sheep and ripe for the conquering.”
Metrophis having been properly flattered, agreed to this, dreaming of how it would be to become the most powerful man in the world. In the meantime Jargas left to convince the kings of the other three countries, flattering them as he did the king of Hardania. He left each with the impression that once the coming war had ceased and the sheep kingdoms were conquered that he’d be able to rise up and usurp power from all the others and reign as supreme potentate.
And so, a massive army of four nations formed on the back of lies and deceit. They marched on Tracia, the kingdom closest to Hardania. The people of Tracia, so outnumbered as they were and unprepared for battle, surrendered without a fight. Their king, Arvesta, became reduced to serving in Metrophis’s court as a chamberlain.
The army pressed on with Stoutvana next in its site. Its king, Janson, vowed to put up a fight, but his army was no more able to fend off the joined armies than was that of Tracia. They fought bravely but went down in terrible defeat. Janson was reduced to slavery.
Jargas beamed as he entered the tent of Metrophis on the eve of the battle against the smallest kingdom on the agenda. “You have done well, king. Next is Trivinia. They have nothing that can stand up to your might.”
Metrophis had begun to tire of all this. “But then what? Why not leave Trivinia be? They can do us no harm. We can exact tribute through trade. Mine will still be the greatest kingdom of all.”
Jargas winked. “True. But understand, oh, king, I’ve been keeping the real objective from you until you were ready to hear it.”
The King of Hardania raised his eyebrows. “How so? Out with it. What is this objective so important you kept it from me?”
“Fairyland itself.” Jargas paused to let this sink in. “When you conquer Trivinia you will have all the known world under your domain. With such a force you then could command, even the King of the fairies could not resist you.”
Metrophis sat back in his seat. He shook his head. “But even so, how do we get to that King’s realm? No man knows the way.”
Jargas waved his hand dismissively. “No man, yes. But I know the way and will lead you.” And so, the goblin’s plan became set. He would let Metrophis lead his massive army. He’d have his revenge on the King of fairies and claim his right to rule all the earth.
King Flexin, the king of Trivinia gathered his wisest men for counsel in face of imminent attack. Mirdant, his First Counsel, dressed in attire worthy of his station, suggested surrender. “Other kingdoms larger than ours have already been overwhelmed. How can we, with so small an army, expect to prevail?”
Virdant, Second Counsel, stepped forward, the frilled collar around his neck fluttered as he moved. “It’s better to have fought valiantly than to have never fought at all.”
“But, what good is it to fight when there is no hope?” said Tercia, Third Counsel whose attire rivaled that of his counterparts. “Metrophis has become so powerful no one can defeat him.”
The discussion continued as each participant offered his opinion. It drew on for hours with no solution or end in sight. With the various counselors all attempting to speak over their counterparts, an old man rose from the back of the chamber. “Hear me, learned counselors of Trivinia.”
Everyone recognized Larnid the last remaining confidant of old King Truheart. When the present king, Flexin, began his reign he dismissed all of his father’s counselors save this one. Larnid now strode to the front of the counsel chamber and faced his king. “Your majesty,” he said. “My astute colleagues are correct. There is no honor in giving up without a fight. However, resisting such an overwhelming army is futile and can only result in disaster unless we have help.”
Mirdant broke in, his perfect teeth flashed as he spoke. “Old man we’ve been through all that. There is no help to be had unless you believe in the King of fairies. He alone (if you believe the old tales) has the power to defeat such a force that has come up against us. But even if the stories are true he seldom interferes in the affairs of men. Besides, there is no one alive that has ever seen him nor spoken to him.”
Larnid raised his hand in Mirdant’s direction before continuing his address to the king. “Ah, but your majesty. I know a young man who has the favor of all those that know him. This young man possesses a valiant heart and while he does not speak widely about it has been to Fairyland and has the ear of its king. In such a lad as this there is hope.”
“He says he’s been to Fairyland and seen its king?” Mirdant scoffed. “How can we believe his word?”
Larnid ignored the First Counsel’s interruption and kept his focus on King Flexin. “Your majesty, to meet this young man is to know his word is true. He has an air about him that can only come from the fair country.”
In the end, King Flexin resolved to go in the way of hope. None was given by any of his counselors save Larnid. He sent an envoy to escort the young man, Jon, to the palace. This was, in fact, the same young man over which the challenge to the King of Fairyland by Jargas had revolved.
The noble young man entered King Flexin’s court and bowed before him. “Your majesty, I am your humble servant to do with as you please.”
The king studied Jon closely. “Well said, young man. My counselors have put before you our kingdom’s predicament. What do you have to say about it?”
Jon stood tall. “All is not without hope.”
“And from where do you get this hope? It is said you talk to fairies, Is this true?” the king asked.
“I do, your majesty, although I do not often speak openly about it,” answered the young man. “I have been to Fairyland and have spoken to its King. He knows of your plight and says it is not Metrophis and his army you need to fear but the instigator behind them.”
“How so?” asked the king.
“He says that Jargas, the goblin, is behind this threat.” Jon continued. “If you will but listen to my words, the King of the fairies will deliver you.”
“And what would he have us do?” Flexin asked.
“Pick out three hundred stouthearted men and set them in array before the oncoming army.”
The king shook his head. “But what can so few do against so large a force?”
“Nothing without the fairy king’s support. But unless you follow his word you will not have it.”
King Flexin reflected on the proposition. He decided to go for it because all he had to lose was three hundred men. “But who is to command the three hundred?” he asked the young man.
“You choose.”
“Then, I choose you.”
And so, it came to be that the three hundred valiant men stood before Metrophis’s advancing army. His captains could not believe such a small force that they called their king to the front.
Metrophis, with Jargas as his side, called out to the captain of the defenders. “How dare you face us with so few? Do you think we will be turned away? Surrender now and spare yourselves.”
Jon stepped forward. “It’s not just us you are fighting. The King of fairies is behind us. It is you who needs to surrender to avoid humiliation.”
Jargas whispered in Metrophis’s ear, “I’ve seen this lad before. This is just a trick. Don’t believe a word the lad says.”
Metrophis raised his hand in preparation to order his troops to battle.
Jon raised his hand, as well, but in it he held a colorless jewel that gathered and reflected light. The jewel blazed in the stalwart lad’s hand. The army of the four kingdoms fell to its knees.
In the light from the stone in Jon’s hand the former fairy became exposed in all his ugliness.
As the lad stood watching, an army of goblins rose from around the fallen soldiers. Jargas stood at their head facing the young man with a noble heart. “Stand aside,” he croaked. “You cannot withstand me. While I gathered the discontented hearts of men, I gathered all those that once called fairyland their home. The might of men may have failed us, yet, we will prevail. Even the King of fairies has nothing to match our power.”
Jon wavered but for a moment. His hand lowered a little, but he and the three hundred men with him stood their ground. The light from the stone shined yet brighter. The goblin took a step backward. His cohorts remained at bay.
And so began a stalemate. Each side remained in place and would have continued to do so when a beam of light emerged from the stone in Jon’s hand. The light formed a ball and within it the person of the King of fairies showed himself. The light ceased, but all focus centered on the monarch of Fairyland.
“Jargas, you once again challenge me,” said his Highness. “And once again your challenge has failed. You will trouble the earth no more.”
Jargas rose in defiance. He opened his grotesquely twisted mouth, but nothing came out. He froze, becoming a stone statue which vibrated violently until it burst into dust which disappeared in a slight breeze..
Jargas’s goblin cohorts, seeing the fate of their leader, fled. The army of men recovered from their swoon. None of them could remember why they had gathered in this place. To a man, they meandered back to their own kingdoms. Metrophis never regained the prominence he once held. While the whisper of goblin lies continued to ring in men’s ears, never again was there a revolt such as this.
Trivinia became well respected among the kingdoms of that time. Jon refused to accept reward for his deeds shunning all accolades to return to live a quiet life. One day, say the people of those parts, he left his home and went to Fairyland where by all accounts he dwells still.