Agreed...

​​The Gooblin King Hir’aeth had left his three ‘guests’ in the throne room while he contemplated this surprising offer.

“A Dragon’s favor is nothing to sneeze at,” he kept telling himself, but why would Dree offer such a thing for the trinket in the king’s pocket?  Taking it out and setting it on a table in his room, Hir’aeth opened the wrapping to look at the strange bauble once again.  “I don’t feel any magic in it and it isn’t very pretty,” thought the King as he kept trying to see what the down side of trading it to the Dragon could be…

​Meanwhile, as Dree was waiting for the King’s answer, Drat and Arnie were still looking at him to try and figure out what he was doing.  As soon as the guards looked too bored to care about them, Drat slid up to the Dragon and whispered, “Do you have a plan or are you just winging it?”  Dree smiled as Drat said ‘winging it’ as their friendship was at the point that they could make subtle jokes about each other without the other being offended.  “Don’t get your tail into a trap” he whispered back as he winked at the rat.  

​Watching the two of them and seeing Drat now relaxing a little, Arnie decided that she too would trust Dree with their fate even knowing that the Gooblin King did not suffer ‘guests’ very long.  It was at that moment a door opened and Hir’aeth stepped out followed by a few more armed guards.  The confidence that had a moment before been with Drat and Arnie quickly fled.  “This can’t be good,” thought Drat as he quickly surveyed the room again for any possible escape routes.

​“I have decided,” began the King looking directly at Dree, “but you must tell me how your favor would help me?”  The Dragon did not even blink before responding.  “I will help you obtain your greatest desire.”

​That answer did surprise the King and even his guards were taken aback as they rarely saw their king surprised and now it had been twice in one day!

​“What do you know about my greatest desire young one!  I have never told anyone what I want and now you tell me you will help me get it…  You have gone too far!”  With that statement the guards started to lower their spears and advance toward the three but before they could take more than a step, Dree answered, “Stone.”  Immediately the King signaled the guards to return to their stations.  All of this happened so fast that even though being quick and ready to flee was a specialty of the Troll King’s minion and the Borrower, Arnie was still trying to figure out what was Dree's plan while Drat was still looking for any escape route out of the room.

​“How…” started the Gooblin King as he backed away from the Dragon to lower himself down in his throne.  Looking like all of the air had been knocked out of him, the Gooblin King took a couple of minutes just staring at Dree before he waived all of his personal guards away and told them not to let anyone into the room until he summoned them.  Quickly the only ones left were the King and his three guests.  “Do you all know my secret desire?” he asked them.  Drat and Arnie just looked at Dree to answer.

​“No, your highness.  I have not told them nor anyone else.  It is a secret that currently only the two of us share, but their help will be needed in obtaining it.  They will have to know what it is if you agree to the trade,” replied Dree.  The King was going to trade the Dragon the strange bauble anyway, but now he was not concerned about the consequences of giving it to Dree.  “My greatest desire,” mumbled the King to himself as he tossed the object still wrapped in the rag to the Dragon and asked “I have hoped for so long.  When can we start?”