Goblin's, Come to Bargain

A/N: I write questions at the bottom of the chapter, bot because I want advice. It's so I can gauge how good my original idea is, and then decide if I want to go through with it.

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Avalon: 1142 AD: 178 years(17)

"~~SPEAK TO ME, SLYTHERIN! GREATEST OF THE HOGWARTS FOUR!~~" I say, in Parseltongue, facing the statue, while Loki and Mother have hidden everyone's scent.

Thor was jumping in his place, as we hear the sound of the Basilisk crawling out pf it's hole. He always did love snakes. I'll have to find some small snake for him to care for, if the Thunderbirds reject him. No idea what animal Loki would like. He's also a snake guy, like Thor, so that's an option.

I had walked a bit farther at that point, and manipulated the light so the Basilisk doesn't see my family. I was safe from it's sight, thanks to the Ritual.

The Basilisk comes out completely, and lands in the small man made lake there. He was about 20 feet long, which was about 50 feet less than the Basilisk from 1983. It was small, and too young for Thor and Loki to fight even if it agrees, which even they realised judging by their sighs of disappointment.

The Basilisk has a look around and flicks it's tongue a few times. It looks at me, and I unflinchingly make I contact, without dying or turning to stone.

~~Who are you? You're not related to my Master, but you survived my sight, and you smell like snakes.~~ The Basilisk says, as soon as it gets a look around.

I nod at it, and say, ~~Unfortunately, your Master, and each and every one of his descendants, are all dead. They died at the hands of the Wizard who had captured this castle.~~

The 20 feet Basilisk looks sad, as it blinks it's eyes at me. I don't think snakes actually blink, as the action feels weird on this particular snake.

~~Are you here to kill me, then?~~ The Basilisk asks.

This time, it's my turn to blink. I did not expect this question. I shake of my disbelief, and say, ~~It depends. Are you going to live peacefully, or will you try and eat the Magical animals that live above ground?~~

The Basilisk, slithers out of the small lake and curls in front of me. It's girth was only about 1.5 feet, at most. Damn, I can't kill this snake. This one's still category: Cute.

It says, ~~Other than food, I won't try and harm anyone above the ground. My Master ordered me not to. What happened to my Master?~~

I sigh, and let down my guard. Instead of talking, I instead use Telepathy, and show it the memories I have of watching the Attack of Ekrizdis on Hogwarts.

It sees how Ekrizdis first broke down the wards using his new found Strength, and even how he used it to punch a centaur a few feet away. It saw how Slytherin engaged Ekrizdis in a single combat, while the others tried to deal with the Dementors, unsuccessfully.

Slytherin, being Ekrizdis's former teacher, had managed to hold his own pretty well, and was about to win, but then suddenly, a Dementor got hold of him, and froze him long enough for Ekrizdis do kill him with a killing curse.

Then, it saw the memories of me talking with the Portraits of the founders, and Helga's spirit, along with me killing it's future counterpart.

It stays silent for a minute after viewing all those memories, and then says, ~~Why did you kill that other Basilisk?~~

I shake my head, and answer mournfully, ~~That snake had gotten out of hand. As there was no food in the castle grounds, it had begun to use the tunnels and eat the humans from a nearby village. It did this for a few times, per century. In total, 832 humans died to the snake, before it decided it was enough, and went to sleep again. I had no choice, as even Mother Magic asked me to kill it.~~

The Basilisk flicks it's tongue out, and says, ~~You're not lying. It is understandable. Master always said, only eat two legged animals if the others are unavailable, and only those without magic.~~

I can believe Salazar said something like that. He was a dick, and Dark, but he was protective of Magicals. While not completely accepting of Muggleborns, he would teach them if they were in Hogwarts like they were his own children.

And his hate towards mundanes was understandable! They hunted wizards and witches, called Mutants Witch-born, which didn't even make sense, and even mundane mutants sometimes thought of Wizards as a threat to their own power.

I shake my head, and say, ~~I had come here in preparation to kill you, but I wanted to talk first.~~

The Basilisk nods, and says, ~~Very well. I accept you as my new Master, as my Master has accepted you as the Lord of the Castle.~~

I nod, and discreetly gesture my brothers to stand down. I say, ~~I won't order you to do anything, but I want to ask what you want to do.~~

~~What.. I.. want?~~ The Basilisk asks, tilting it's head, looking even more cute. It honestly looks so confused right now.

I nod, and say, ~~If you want, you can stay here, sleep in this cave, roam the pipes, anything. You can even move to anywhere you want on this planet, and I can make sure no one disturbs you. Of course, I'll make sure wherever you stay, you have a surplus of animals to hunt for. My only order is to not harm any magical animal on the planet. If you need magical flesh, I will provide dead Magical animals to you. But no hunting Magical Animals.~~

The Basilisk nods, bows low, and says, ~~Very well. I would like to stay here, Would it be alright if I roam the lands?~~

I nod, smiling at it. I say, ~~You can go anywhere you want, except the Goblin lands. They might try to harm you.~~

~~Goblins! Those wretched creatures still survive?!~~ the Basilisk snarls out, throwing spittle at me.

I dodge the spit, and answer, ~~I'm not even going to ask what your problem with Goblins is.~~

~~What problem? They lie, cheat, steal. They even had the nerve to try and take Master's father's locket, because it was made by them! Once bought items, are not to be returned, Master always used to complain about those wretched Goblins.~~

I almost laugh out loud at the tale, but control myself, and reply, ~~You don't have to worry about that. Their numbers are few, and I saved their lives. They won't cheat me.~~

The Basilisk nods, and then asks, ~~What is your name, Master? Your Magic is stronger than my old Master's.~~

Huh. The Basilisk knows about names. Maybe it has a name. I answer, ~~My name is Baldur. And I am something called an Asgardian. Your old Master and his Kin recognize me as a god. What is your name, mighty creature?~~

The Basilisk bows to me, and says, ~~My old Master named me Medusa~~

Ah-hah! So it, sorry, she is a female! I'll have to hatch a male Basilisk to keep her company, and populate. Or a female Basilisk if she's into those things. But how the hell do I do that? Problem for another day.

I nod at her and say, ~~Nice to meet you, Medusa. My family would like to meet you, too. Would that be okay?~~

Medusa nods, and closes her eyes immediately, again hinting that she's not just a snake. I wave at my family, and say, "It's okay, you can look now. Her eyes are closed, and she's not going to harm anyone."

Thor is the first one to come beside me, looking extremely excited, followed by Loki, and then our parents, who move leisurely.

"She's beautiful!" Thor whispers, moving to touch Medusa, but I stop him, and give him a look.

I say, "You have to ask permission first, Thor.~~Medusa, might my brothers touch you? My older brother loves serpents~~"

Medusa nods, and says, ~~They may touch my head, but not my tail.~~

I relay the message, and Thor immediately starts scratching her head, which she loves judging by the ~~Oooh Yes! That's the spot. Your brother is amazing, Master!~~

"I have no idea where you get your luck from." Odin says, watching Thor play with Medusa.

I snort, and say, "Maybe I'm the God of Luck, as well."

"Bad luck, maybe." Odin says, chuckling at Loki, who tried to touch Medusa's tail, and got smacked in the face.

I shake my head, and tell them about Medusa, loud enough for Thor and Loki to hear, "Her name is Medusa. Slytherin had already told her not to harm anyone with magic, so we're safe. I told her Slytherin's death, and she wants to continue living here, except for an occasional stroll around the world. I think she just wants to live in peace."

Odin nods, trusting my decision not to kill her. He would have immediately killed her, or trapped her somewhere if killing was impossible, if she was on Asgard. But, since it's my planet, my rules.

Frigga nods and smiles at Thor and Loki wrestling with Medusa, who was enjoying it a bit. In her words, Loki reminded her of Slytherin.

Mother looks at me and says, "It was a wise decision, choosing to talk with her first. How old is she?"

I calculate in my mind, and answer, "About 300 years. And she'll live for at least another 1000 more. Why, mother?"

Mother frowns, and says, "You better find another of her kind, Baldur. Her existence is long, for a serpent, but it doesn't have to be lonely."

Huh. I was actually thinking on the same thing anyway. Maybe Lady Jord will help with that. I'll have to talk to her later.

I nod, and say, "I was already aware of that. I was going to either breed another of her kind, or find another long living serpent, so she could have someone. Don't worry, Mother. If I fail in both these avenues, I myself will continue to talk to her."

Mother nods, accepting the answer, so I move towards Medusa, who was laid on Thor's legs, as he scratched her... neck. Honestly, I don't even know if what snakes have, can even be called a neck.

I pat her head, and she turns her head towards my direction, eyes still closed. She says, ~~Your brothers are acceptable, Master. The other one, while rude, still feels like my Master.. my old Master.~~

I pat her again, and say, ~~Don't worry, Medusa. The next time they visit, they'll have the knowledge to speak to you, like I do. But for now, we'll have to go above ground. I will return later, okay?~~

Medusa nods, a bit sad, and licks Thor's and mine faces with a flick of her tongue. She says, ~~Very well, Master. I will stay in my nest.~~

~~If you want, you can go out and roam for a while. Like I said, Medusa, I don't mind if you roam outside. Just be careful not to accidentally harm anyone.~~ I say, scratching her head.

She nods and slithers around, turning to go back to Salazar's mouth. I have got to change that set up. But, I'm just glad she's not coming out of his pants. That, would have been both hilarious, and disgusting.

Once she's inside, the door closes on it's own, leaving a silent group of Asgardians, and a sad Thor.

I pat his shoulder, and say, "Don't fret, Brother. The next time you see any snake, you're talking with them, like I just did."

Thor immediately brightens up, so I don't have the heart to tell him of the ingredients used in the Ritual. I'll just have to find a snake now. Joy.

"Shall we go on for that meeting, then?" Loki says, bringing us out of our individual thoughts.

Odin nods first, and says, "Yes. I think we should have this meeting over with."

I sigh, dreading the meeting. While I'm helping them, and their incarceration has made them a bit tame, they are still Goblins. Well, and Dwarves, but they are just following their leads, anyway.

"Fair warning. Goblins will try to cheat us. They are greedy, a lot. But getting angry on them is not viable, as that might make us out to be weaker willed than them." I say, opening up a portal above ground, and way outside the gates if Hogwarts. Where I landed us, was about 15 miles north of Hogwarts.

The Goblins are only a half a mile north of here, which we were walking so as to give them ample time to prepare. I'd already informed them of the upcoming meeting, but better to give a warning.

"So, stay firm, but don't get too aggressive?" Loki asks, in confirmation.

I nod, and then add, "Yes. But don't roll over. They'll think us weak, then too. Huh. They're a lot like us Aesir, only more extreme."

Odin snorts, and says, "We're here to help them, not the other way around. Let them banter all they want."

Thor walks proudly, and nods. He says, "If they make demands higher than they deserve, then I'll smash them with my Mighty Mjolnir!"

I sigh, at both these brutes, and look at Mother in helplessness. Both Mother and Loki were avoiding my eyes though, trying not to laugh.

~~~ 15 minutes later~~~

It took us 15 minutes to reach the gates to the Goblin settlements. It's been 5 years since they were rescued, and they have recovered pretty well. The village was located at the base of a mountain, in a clearing surrounded by a vast forest on one two sides. The Mountain had tunnels, I knew, that led to a mine underground.

There was a fence surrounding the village, enchanted to not let anyone uninvited, inside. Although, I was pretty sure I can force my way through, and so could any one of us.

The houses were made of wood, taken from the forest surrounding the clearing, same for the fence. There was a huge wooden arc, that led into the village, and it was open with 3 people there.

Two of them were Goblins, while one was a dwarf. Although, they have begun to call themselves Goblins too. The word Dwarf was something given by Wizards, do demean them, and it unfortunately stuck.

"Prince Baldur, Prince Loki, and Prince Thor. I, Sharptooth, the Leader of the Goblin Clan welcome you to our Village." The Goblin, I remember meeting a few years back, says, coming forward and bowing to us.

I look at the dwarf, and recognise him as Yakdrus, while the other Goblin was unknown to me.

I nod at each of them, while my brothers do the same, and say, "Greetings, Clan Leader Sharptooth. These are my parents. The King Odin AllFather, and Queen Frigga AllMother of Asgard."

Sharptooth widens his eyes, and bows lower than he did for us. Odin simply nods at them, and lets me do the talking, while Mother smiles at them a smile, that probably reminds them of their own mothers, and Mother Gaia.

"Apologies, My King, My Queen. I did not recognize you." Sharptooth says, making the others bow too.

Mother nods, and says, "It is alright, Sharptooth. It is not your fault, that we were unknown."

Sharptooth nods, and then says, "Please, come in! We have prepared drinks for our meeting, as Prince Baldur has told us you'd come here after having lunch."

We nod and follow him. I ask, "Who else will be present during the meeting Clan Leader Sharptooth?"

Sharptooth motions towards Yakdrus, who was walking to his side, with the other Goblin beside him, and says, "These two, Yakdrus, and his wife, Adrod, along with two elders of our two as of yet separate races, will be present. I hope it won't be a problem, Prince Baldur? Your Majesties?"

I shake my head, and answer for all of us, saying, "It is alright. I simply wished to know."

A minute of walking later, we reach a town hall, in the back of the village. It was placed, so it was at the way back, and hard to reach for any enemies, while simultaneously close to the mines, so they can retreat in case of an attack. I was also pretty sure that if I activated my mage sight, I would see a secret entrance somewhere.

The doors were built pretty high, for Goblins, 7 feet in fact. Father had to bow, just a little to enter, which was not much of an inconvenience, but could be considered insulting if you're too sensitive.

Two old short people were already seated as we entered, and they get up, with difficulty, to bow to us. We sit down, and a Goblin comes in, serving us big wooden cups, filled with their own wine.

"This is strong!" I say, surprised at the strength of the alcohol.

One of the elder smirks, and says, "It should be. Our Ancestors kept it to age for 400 years."

I whistle, while the others drink too. I let father handle the rest of the talking. I was here, simply to make sure no one takes a wrong step. Being the middle man, sort of.

"My son tells me you're miners, and great weapons crafters." Odin begins, once our drinks are finished.

The dwarf elder grumbles, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Your son also reneges on deals."

"ELDER REDGRIP!" Sharptooth snaps at the elder, making him shut up.

I was honestly confused. I ask, "Forgive me. But what deal was he talking about? If it was the one where I ask you to make tools for me, I only didn't hire you for anything yet because I wanted to give your people time to settle down."

Sharptooth glares at Redgrip, while Odin does the same on my side, and says, "I apologize for my Elder's words. While I realize that you being alone, and us being just released, required more time for anyone to need anything, my Elder's are set in their ways."

Odin nods stiffly, still glaring at Redgrip, and says, "Understood. But be careful with your words. My Sons helped you, rescued your people, and gave them land to live on. Don't forget, as their Father and King, I can take the land away."

Sharptooth shakes his head, the others doing the same. Yakdrus speaks up, and says, "I apologize for my father's words, My Lords. I am ready to accept any punishment you deem acceptable on his behalf."

Frigga puts a hand on Odin's hand, and says, "There is no need for any punishments, Yakdrus, as this was a first offense. But be careful of your words in the future. Yes?"

Yakdrus nods, gulping, and lets Sharptooth handle the meeting, the Goblin Elder doing the same, while Redgrip was shaking with fear. It was understandable, Odin's anger was visible on his face, and his threat was not subtle at all.

Sharptooth gulps, and answers the previous question, he says, "Our people have long since spent our lives in the mines. We thrive underground, my King."

Odin stops glaring at Redgrip, and looking at Sharptooth, he says, "I would like to propose an arrangement with your people. Be aware that this is only at my Son's encouragement."

Sharptooth widens his eyes, and nods. He says, "Please, My King, how may the Goblins help you?"

Odin looks them over, and says, "Baldur has told me about his project to try and increase your height, as well as your Strength. Your weapons will only improve then, yes?"

Sharptooth nods, so he continues, "I would like to propose the same deal my Father made with the Dwarves of Nidavellir. Your people make weapons for Asgard, over anyone else, and in return, Asgard protects you as a race. Of course, you will be paid in Asgardian Gold."

"Can we discuss this?" Sharptooth asks, looking at Odin, who nods at them.

Sharptooth immediately presses a knot on the table, activating a silencing barrier, and begins talking with his advisers.

Only a few seconds later, Sharptooth deactivates the silencing ward, and asks, "Will be we allowed to make weapons for anyone else if they manage to find us?"

Odin nods, and answers, "Yes, but your priority should be Asgard. If Asgard's enemies ask for weapons, you will have to reject them, but allies and neutral parties are only 2nd priority to us."

Sharptooth nods, and grins, showing us his teeth. He states, "We want a voice in Asgard's court."

I look at Loki's and Mother's shocked face. Yup, he just said that. Father looks at me, to which I subtly nod, showing that accepting will be alright. They won't dare cheat me, as I did save their lives and gave them a life.

Odin looks at Sharptooth, and says, "You will be made a Noble Lord in my court. Your Race will be known as a Noble House under Asgard, IF you agree to marriages with the Aesir, and to an exchange of knowledge."

Huh. That way Goblins will become part Asgardians, which benefits Asgard, as it brings new magic, new knowledge, and a voice on the King's side.

It also helps Goblins, as they get Asgardian blood in their veins, while also gaining new knowledge. Their only loss? Their monopoly on Goblin's silver has a slight chance of going down, if anyone else manages the steps to enchant silver correctly. Plus, they'll be under Asgard's direct rule, while still staying on this planet.

"Agreed. But, all these deals will go into effect only after Prince Baldur manages to make us bigger, and stronger." Sharptooth says, grinning widely, after only a second of thinking.

Honestly, there was no loss on either side. Sure, we got a new annoying Noble, but those come and go again and again. Maybe the Goblins will adopt Asgardian naming sense. Hopefully.

"Baldur, you have 3 years to finish your project and grant them their wish. In the meanwhile, I would like to commission a weapon, to see what I'm getting out of this deal. Agreed?" Odin states, first looking at me, and then at Sharptooth.

Sharptooth shows his sharp teeth again, and nods, giving his hand to Odin. He says, "Pleasure doing business with you, My King."

Odin grips his forearm, and shakes it once. He smirks, and says, "Pleasure doing business with you, Clan Leader Sharptooth."

Huh. Odin acknowledged Goblins as a Clan. That's a surprise. He rarely calls his own nobles as Lords, and that's only when he's either mocking them, or he respects them.

"That was fun." Loki says, once we're outside the Goblin lands.

I nod, while Thor sulks. He says, "It was so boring. Everyone just talked. At least the wine was amazing. Too bad, I won't be able to taste it soon."

"You mean this wine?" Loki asks, bringing a Wine bottle out of his PD.

I stop in my spot, staring at the smirking Loki, while Father and Mother do the same, almost glaring at him.

"Loki..." I speak first. "Please tell me you didn't steal that bottle."

Loki snorts, making us sigh in relief. He says, "Please. Yakdrus gave it to me, while I was leaving as an apology for his father's words." We all breathe out, and start walking, when he says again, "I think he stole it from his Leader, Sharptooth, though."

A pause.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE LOKI!" I shout chasing after the fleeing Loki.

"LANGUAGE, YOUNG MAN!" Mother says, throwing a conjured pan at my head.

All the while, Thor caresses the Wine bottle adoringly, and whispers, "My precious!" and Odin simply sighs, tired of the crap he's dealing with.

~~~

I really hope I portrayed Goblins correctly. They're greedy, but they recognise the Odinsons as their saviours. Dwarves are adapting to be like the Goblins too.

I'm not going to have MC change their faces though. The Goblins will still look like Goblins, only a bit more human, sort of like Flitwick. And the dwarves already look like short humans. So the additional human looking genes will probably make them look.. there's no nice way to say this, prettier.