No, instead, I have a counter-offer: pay in blood.

You look over your shoulder at Blackmane as you consider the Beast-kin's words. The female goblin looks back at you, her eyes wide and fearful as she watches you eye her up and down. In her mind, you're already sizing her up to decide whether she was worth keeping or not. From the way she holds herself right now, nearly trembling with fear, it is obvious she thinks herself unlikely to measure up in your eyes.

She's wrong on that count. You had already taken her measure when you'd made her your second on this mission. She had the potential to be somebody great, second only to you among the goblins. This is what you'd decided and, as such, you weren't willing to let her go just as a bartering chip. Nor were you willing to let the Beast-kin have her to breed with at their leisure as any offspring of Blackmane was certain to be a worthy one.

No, you would not give up Blackmane and, as you turned back towards Balthor, you met his gaze and shook your head to show the answer you had come to. "No.", you say shortly and without a bit of give in your voice, making it clear you had made your decision and would not be swayed, "Blackmane not yours. Blackmane is mine. Beast-kin not have her."

Balthor arched a brow at this and then gave you that predatory grin once more, his hand flexing on his spear. "Oh? I was being nice, goblin, by giving you the chance to pass through my forest in exchange for her.", he says and then starts to lift a hand towards his fellow Beast-kin, "If we want her, we will simply take her after we kill the rest of you. If that's the way you want it then..."

"No.", you again state firmly and then you bare your teeth at Balthor and bring your hammer to bear, brandishing it before you with the spiked head of it pointed towards the towering Beast-kin, "Minion have different idea. Minion challenge Balthor. Minion claim right to pass through ****! Minion will pay Beast-kin toll in Beast-kin chieftan's blood!"

You can see Balthor look at you with incredulity, obviously thinking he had no reason to accept a goblin's challenge when his forces so clearly outnumbered your own. He thought you foolish and looked about to say so until you slammed your hammer down on the ground in front of him, hard enough that cracks radiated out from the point of impact. That interrupted any words he could say as you gave him your own smile of predatory challenge, your crimson eyes burning into his own as you utter what you knew would be the final push that was needed to get Balthor to answer the challenge.

"Unless Balthor is frightened of Minion, that is.", you say with just the right amount of smug confidence to set Balthor's eyes ablaze with anger and cause a ripple of growls, hoots and cries to move though the assembled crowd of beast-kin.

Balthor glares down at you, his eyes full of ****, and you know you have him. He will answer your challenge. Whether you can actually win, however, is something else entirely. You know you are strong. There is no doubt of that. But you have still yet to grow into your full power. You are still more potential than anything else while Balthor has had time and experience enough to mature into a powerful **** to be reckoned with. You are strong...but are you strong enough to defeat the monstrous leader of the Beast-kin?

You are about to find out, it seems, as Balthor growls out, "Fine, goblin. I accept your challenge. I will enjoy impaling you on my spear and then impaling your female on my cock afterward."

Within a few moments, everybody in the clearing save for yourself and Balthor have retreated to the edges of the clearing to watch the duel that would be happening. Meanwhile, Balthor and yourself have moved to the center of the clearing. You size up your opponent and he does the same to you. Balthor is tall and broad, it is true, and probably physically stronger than you are. He is, however, under-equipped for battle when compared to you. You are armored and armed with a weapon created by your master's magic while he is wearing nothing but a loincloth and brandishing a spear made of wood. If it came down to gear to decide who won, it would be you, but you know better than to judge only by that. After all, equipment is only as good as the one who wields it.

Balthor finishes sizing you up and the look on his face makes it clear he does not think much of what he has seen. He is a fool then, you decide. It is clear to anybody that you are different from other goblins, if only because of your size, skin color and eye color, but he chooses only to see that you are smaller than him and a goblin. That, perhaps, will be his undoing, if you can take advantage of it. If he underestimates you, after all, you may have a chance to take him down while his guard is loose.

"Ready to die, goblin?", he asks you as he lifts his spear into his hands and grins savagely at you.

"Ask yourself that, Beast-kin.", you say as you again bring your hammer to bear, holding it before you in both hands as you stand and wait for Balthor to make a move.