"Everyone?" That sounded like a lot.
It was a lot. Maybe five times what he had expected. Crowded into the small open space of Burrowsville were hundreds of creatures of every kind. He thought Fidget was inviting only some of her friends.
Near the front were the Dwarves, the full-grown ones about Elliot's own height. They had long, thick beards and strong bodies. Most of them had picks or axes or other mining tools slung across their backs. Behind them stood a herd of half-human, half-horse Centaurs. They were large and muscular with bare chests and hair hanging past their shoulders. Their ears were slightly pointed and high on their head, as if unable to decide whether to be human or horselike, so they settled on something in between. Behind the Centaurs were several Trolls, including one who had half of his fist shoved up his nose in search of something there. Elliot recognized the Fairies up in the air, along with a couple of other flying creatures he didn't know. There were also Elves and a few Yetis, and Satyrs, and even some Mermaids near the banks of the river running through Burrowsville. All waiting for him.
"There are so many," Elliot whispered.
"They came to hear your plan," Fudd replied. "They came to fight Kovol."
The crowd quieted when they saw Elliot. He sat on his toadstool throne and looked them over. These were magical creatures who were smarter than him--and mostly bigger than him.
"Why me?" Elliot asked no one in particular. "I said I would help. But am I supposed to lead this battle?"
"You are our king, and they've chosen you as their leader," Fudd said. "You've defeated the Goblins and gotten past Kovol and his army once before. You're the only one who can help us win this."
Elliot took a deep breath. As he looked around the crowd, he wondered how that could be true. Maybe it wasn't about who was most capable of winning but who was most willing to try. He stood again and shoved his hands into his pockets. He knew that didn't look very kinglike, but he didn't care about looking like a king right then.
"Um, I don't know what to say," Elliot began. "I guess I'm open to any ideas."
A murmur spread through the crowd. Several creatures turned their backs on him, ready to leave.
"Your Highness, they need more than that," Fudd said. "They're here to follow you, but you must show them that you can lead this."
"But I'm not sure that I can lead this," Elliot said. "I'm just a kid."
"I know you can, because you're our king," Fudd said. "It's okay if you don't believe that yet. But make them believe it."
"I'll try." Elliot raised his hands and started over. "A thousand years ago, Kovol was defeated the first time. It was your parents and grandparents and great-grandparents who fought him before, who made the Underworld safe for us. Now it's our turn. We will beat him again, if we are willing to fight him together."
This time the crowd cheered, but Elliot didn't feel much better. That speech had been the easy part. Now he was supposed to tell them how it would happen.
"What are you really good at?" Elliot continued. "Look at your strengths. Figure out how you can use them against Kovol."
"We're good at light," Fidget said, fluttering to the front of the crowd. "But nobody knows where Kovol will go next. We can't build a light dome over the whole Underworld."
A Dwarf stepped forward. "The Shadow Men could grab us before our short arms will ever reach them. But we can build defenses for others to use in their fights."
The Troll with the finger up his nose ambled forward as if he wanted to say something. But then he blinked as if his finger had pushed into his brain, and he stepped back into place.
Don't worry about his brain, Dear Reader. He'll barely notice a difference.
"Anyone else?" Elliot asked.
A large bird that had been in the air landed on the ground, spun around, and turned into a human boy Elliot recognized. This was his friend Harold, a Shapeshifter who had helped save Elliot on the night he woke up Kovol.
"You know my strengths," Harold said. "Just tell me what you want, and I'll do it."
"And me," said a Centaur in the back of the crowd.
"And me," added a Mermaid from the river.
"Okay." Elliot looked around. His mind raced as he looked the crowd over. He started with the Fairies. "We need everyone we can get on our side. Will you gather as many creatures as you can? Tell them we must fight together, or we'll each face the collapse of the Underworld alone."
The Fairies nodded, then vanished. Elliot next turned to Fudd. "You've worked with the Goblins once before. If anyone can convince them to help us, it's you."
"The Goblins only promised not to hurt us," Fudd said. "But they won't help us unless their leader, Grissel, agrees. And he's still in our Brownie prison, having to eat that horrible chocolate cake." He shivered just thinking of it.
"No more chocolate cake," Elliot said. "Bring him the biggest jar of pickles you can find, and tell him I want his help. He still has to promise not to hurt the Brownies, but there's nobody as good at blowing things up as Grissel."