ã€ŠThe Dark Lands: A Villainess&#x2019;s Guide to Settling into Her New Homeã€‹


 Prologue: A New Land, A New Life

    Two figures sat directly opposite from one another, separated only by a beaten and aged desk. Piles of paper were stacked on top of the desk, most looked to be brand new but there were a few that appeared to have yellowed with time. One of the figures, an older gentleman with slick black hair and a rugged yet tired looking face, ruffled the top right corner with his index finger every now and then as he held the document in his hands. The fluttering of the papers edge made no sound as his finger continued the slow and cautious gesture; it was something that the older gentleman had always done. Most likely it was just a habit that he had picked up over the years. At least, that was what the other figure had always assumed. She had never cared to find out if there was a purpose or story behind it and the gentleman before her never gave any mention or clues as to why he did it.

    The second figure, a young girl with clumsily sheered black hair and a ragged yet plain looking gown, sat in front of the desk. She continued to eye the man¡¯s hands as he played with the paper, unsure if he cared about the fact that they had been like this ever since she had been quietly ushered into the man¡¯s office. Not a word had been spoken between the two as they sat directly opposite of the other, to her it felt like an eternity had passed but for the figure before her it must have felt like just an ordinary day.

    Her dark, emerald green eyes flicked from one side of the room to the other. Her back never breaking its upright posture as she slowly examined every inch of her father¡¯s study.

    The room felt bleak, claustrophobic and even lonely at times as she focused on one area or another. Her eyes were beginning to notice the dark and cramped looking shadows hiding in the corners or beneath the countless drawers and cabinets that lined the walls of the room. What little candlelight there was appeared to be proven useless as their light vanished into nothingness as the tiny flames danced about, their graceful movements of the seemingly insignificant, manmade fire making no difference as their light simply dissipated into the ever hungry void filled shadows.

    ¡®Has it always been this dark?¡¯ She asked herself in the back of her mind as her eyes focused on the half closed curtains that loomed just beyond her father.

    No, she didn¡¯t think so. She assured herself as her eyes moved to the floor where bright rays of light shimmered brilliantly against the dulled wooden surface. It was barely past midday if the beams of light that now pierced the heavy, ornate curtains had anything to say about her worries.

    This was one of the brightest rooms within her family¡¯s manor.

    At least that''s how she always remembered it; the entire back wall that now stared down in front of her was almost entirely made up of either plain or stained glass murals that depicted her family¡¯s history.

    It wasn¡¯t the lack of lighting that made the room appear as dark as it was at the moment; it was the solemn and tense mood between the two individuals that made it seem as such.

    Her eyes moved away from the curtains and eventually settled on a painting that she had no recollection of seeing before. It was an obviously older painting but it had a style that she was very familiar with. In it stood her father with his right hand over her mother¡¯s shoulder as she sat on some sort of chair, next to her were their children. These were some of her older brothers and sisters before she and several more children were born into the family. Her mother smiled happily as she held a baby boy who couldn¡¯t have been older than a year. The other children looked to be well behaved but since she had grown up with them, she knew that they were more than a handful at times. One of her parents must¡¯ve threatened the children to behave as they were prone to do when the family was gathered for similar occasions. She presumed that it was her mother who had made the threats as these types of paintings was something she cherished and instilled as a time honored family tradition that happened every few years, or whenever a new member was brought into this world.

    Meanwhile her father had a very serious look to him as she swore that the eyes moved to gaze upon his daughters figure. The disapproving stare chilled her to the bone as she could feel the resentment oozing out of the paint.

    The painting had stood out to her because it was quite simply, out of date by more than a decade and at least five more children. She remembered doing the latest one because her mother had ¡®unexpectedly¡¯ gotten pregnant nearly two years ago. That woman always liked to hang around her husband with her arms wrapped around his, giggling or whispering about whatever it was that the couple found interesting.

    The old man must¡¯ve taken that painting down and replaced it with one where she wasn¡¯t in it.

    ¡®He must be done with me.¡¯ She thought bitterly as she continued to stare into the painting.

    ¡°Iskra,¡± The gruff toned voice of her father called out.

    She snapped her eyes back at him, staring into his sleep deprived eyes as he moved to place the last of the documents on the top of the desk before continuing.

    ¡°I-¡°He stopped himself from speaking further, his face twisting in thought as he stayed silent. It was as if he was unsure to continue his current train of thinking, a rare sight from the usually stubborn man. Maybe he wanted to be sure that what he was about to say wouldn¡¯t offend his daughter in anyway. At least, that was what the young woman wanted to believe but she felt that such a thing wasn¡¯t in the older man¡¯s mind at the time.

    ¡°I trust¡­¡± He said after a while as he finally continued. ¡°That I don¡¯t need to make you aware of how difficult it was to get you here but the King believes in second chances, especially after hearing my thoughts on a matter that is very concerning for him.¡±

    Iskra stayed quiet as she mulled over her father¡¯s words. She wondered what the man was referring to but for the moment nothing in particular had come to her mind. Not that it really mattered however, he would eventually tell her what it was should the need for her to know become important.

    ¡°That, however,¡± Her father went on, taking her silence as a motion for him to continue. ¡°Will require some sacrifices on your behalf.¡± He had placed a noticeable emphasis on his choice of words this time. It was one of his ways to tell someone to either pay attention or to be prepared for what was to come.

    A sacrifice, was it? What sort of sacrifice would she have to make that didn¡¯t already result in her humiliation and ostracizing from the very noble society that she was born and raised to be a very part of?

    Hadn¡¯t she already suffered enough with the humiliation of having to listen to rumors that the very Crown Prince that she was betrothed to marry the moment she was born had set his eyes set on another girl? A girl that was far below her in rank for that matter.

    What about the rage that overtook her when she found those very inane rumors to be true, weren¡¯t the tears and misery enough of a punishment? She heard the whispers of the servants, the stares of feign sympathy from both friends and family.

    What of the show trial that she was dragged into when she failed to kill the girl? Wasn¡¯t her failure to murder that upstart of a bitch enough? That failure of a Baron¡¯s daughter needed to learn her real place in the world of nobility and she made sure that the blonde whore would be reminded of it for the rest of her life.

    Thinking back to the wound that she had slashed onto that hussy¡¯s face brought a wicked smile to her lips, she was sure that she would always smile over the wound she had caused.

    What of her time in the dungeons of the royal palace? Wasn¡¯t it enough that she had to go through the misery of having her well-groomed and long raven black hair sheared off like some sort of debtor-slave? Or was being forced to wear the rags of the lowliest, dirt eating peasant not good enough for the world? What about being chained to her cells wall? She had to think carefully and figure out a puzzle of sorts for each time she had to reach out for her ¡°meals.¡±

    Thinking back on the past few weeks forced her smile to wipe itself clean off of her face, she didn¡¯t like to be treated as if she was worse than the lowliest of peasants, the dirtiest of animals. She despised it and she would do everything she could imaginable to keep herself away from returning to that fate.

    From now on she would wear only the highest quality of clothing, the shiniest of jewelry, the tastiest; warmest food and she would have her hair grow for however long it willed.

    Not the gruel that she was forced to eat, nor the chewed up and filth-ridden rags that were forced upon her, or the disgust at having to feel the cold wind nipping at the scalp of her head.

    ¡°Now then,¡± His words brought her back to reality as her rage seemingly went unnoticed as the man reached for a large sheet of paper. It was familiar to Iskra as she had seen it more than a handful of times whenever she visited the royal residence before that damned incident had taken place. This particular type of paper was commonly used for royal decrees or announcements. It was rare for it to be used otherwise.

    ¡°By the order of the King,¡± Her father began as he kept his eyes on the document. ¡°For the attempted murder and continual abuse of Lady Kasmira, the guilty by the name of Lady Iskra will be stripped of all titles and inheritances. Furthermore she shall be stripped of her family name and banished from the duchies of Tvosk, Rjog, Trimov, Adya, Orul, Norgosvod, Truvsk,, the punishment for returning to the aforementioned lands shall warrant the arrest of the guilty and will be brought to the nearest royal outpost where she shall be brought to justice.¡°

    He paused as he tilted the top of the paper forward, his eyes looking towards the very daughter whose fate and future as a noble lady was now officially crushed. She was dumbfounded to say the least, let alone on the verge of utter devastation as she fought back tears from streaming down her face like a runaway river. She had of course failed to do so as she felt drip after drip of tears plop onto her hands that gripped the hems of what will be the last of her dresses.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t official just yet.¡± Her father stated as he slowly placed the royal decree atop of his desk. ¡°It will take into effect within two weeks¡¯ time; from there any violations will be handled accordingly.¡±

    His face had a stone cold look to it as he reached for another document. Iskra dared not imagine what else could be done to her. He cleared his throat as he began to read from the next royal document.

    ¡°By royal decree and order of the King, the individual known simply as Iskra shall be banished to the duchy of Voldigrov where she shall be charged to charter a complete and accurate map that will be given to the kingdom upon its completion. To accompany her on this task, she shall be given a retinue of five hundred soldiers from Duke Radoslav and a levy of six thousand men throughout the kingdom. In order to rightfully command this retinue the aforementioned individual shall be given the title of Lady and will be henceforth known as Lady Iskra. May the Gods smile upon our hearths and kingdom.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Iskra was both confused and horrified by what she had just heard. To be banished from the kingdom was one thing but to be banished into the cursed and horrific lands of Voldigrov, known throughout the kingdom as simply the ¡®Dark Lands¡¯, as well as given the lowliest title of the king¡¯s nobles sounded far too outrageous to be real.

    Surely this was a poor tasting jest from her father.

    She brought her head up and opened her mouth to speak. If this was a joke from the very man that sat in front of her then it was only appropriate for her to end it now and have her real fate be read to her.

    ¡°Father, I-¡°

    Her head smacked hard into the carriages wooden frame, the sudden yet sharp twang of pain brought her back to the present day as she clutched at the side of her head followed by a quick and high pitched yelp.

    She didn¡¯t feel any traces of blood oozing from her wound but she could feel a nasty bump, just to be safe however she brought her hand in front of her eyes to confirm that she was in fact not bleeding. Satisfied that all she had to worry about was the lump on the side of her head she snapped her face forwards and stared menacingly towards the drivers¡¯ end of the carriage.

    ¡°Driver!¡± She yelled out, forcing the two other passengers to jump in their seats.

    ¡°Driver, open that window!¡± She demanded from the man but either he couldn¡¯t hear her or he paid her no heed as the viewport to the outside remained closed.

    ¡°L-lady Iskra¡­¡± Came the soft voice of one of the passengers as she brought up her hands and tried to quiet the young woman down.

    ¡°Please calm yourself; the driver is doing the best he can.¡±

    The speaker was an older woman with greying hair that went down just past her shoulders. She had her haired tied up neatly at one point during the start of the journey but the rough roads had all but seen her efforts become fruitless. The woman was somewhere around her forties and had been in her family¡¯s service for quite some time.

    She wasn¡¯t sure how long exactly, but according to that dreadful man that called himself her ¡®father¡¯ she was brought alongside a small retinue of servants from her mother¡¯s household once her parents had married. If she remembered right, her name was Sylvia.

    Prior to this expedition she was sure that the two of them hadn¡¯t met before, or if they had then she was far too young to remember. It wasn¡¯t because she was so uptight that she hadn¡¯t learned the names of her family¡¯s servants. It was because each member of the family had their own set of servants assigned to them. Her mother and ¡®father¡¯ each had their own while her brothers and sisters also had their own set of servants.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if the other duke households had a similar structure, as her friends had always mentioned the fact that her family had far more servants than they did, but she saw it as some sign that her family was far more powerful than most of the other noble houses.

    ¡°The best he can?¡± She snarled out as she kept her hand over the injured side of her head. ¡°The ¡®best¡¯ he¡¯s done is run through every hole in this entire valley!¡±

    The entire convoy had to stop several times within the past two days thanks multiple wagons having their axels and wheels shattered at various points during the journey. Thankfully the carriage that Iskra was in hasn¡¯t suffered the same fate but there were times where she felt the driver was intentionally trying to destroy bits and pieces of the vehicle.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯ve heard what the duke said.¡± The older woman struggled to say as she continued to motion for the young lady to soften her voice. ¡°These passes are nothing more than old brigand routes. There¡¯s no way for proper roads to even exist out here.¡±

    Sylvia looked more ragged than she was at the start of their journey and Iskra had reason to suspect that the older woman wasn¡¯t all too happy to have been selected to accompany her into the kingdoms most dangerous and mysterious duchy.

    ¡®She must think she¡¯s being punished.¡¯ The young girl thought as she moved to continue staring out the window with a disgruntled huff. The two of them had barely known each other for a little over a week and Iskra had already decided that the grey haired woman was far too annoying for her liking.

    Was it the soft and submissive tone in her voice or could it have been the fact that the woman always seemed to look to others for some kind of confirmation to whatever strange thoughts and fantasies she was having in the back of her head.

    Why her? The woman must be wondering Iskra thought to herself as she watched the older servant shift her eyes back and forth between the young maiden and the older, armored soldier who sat opposite of the young lady.

    The gentleman was sitting straight forward, his eyes looking over to Sylvia¡¯s uneasy form as his head rested over his hand. The man was clearly unimpressed with their surroundings and compared to the servant, wasn¡¯t all that concerned about his fate or the journey itself.

    However, he still had a hand over the sword that lay across his lap. His mind was ready for action even if his face didn¡¯t show it.

    A large coat hid a shiny but well-worn set of chainmail beneath its rugged brown leather. She had requested that the man remove his armor, or that filthy coat at the very least, when she notified him that he would be travelling with her but the old soldier had simply nodded his head and simply grunted out a wordless reply.

    It was intended as an inoffensive gesture but she had found herself seething at his blas¨¦ regards for her commands.

    She had been informed that he had been placed in charge of any and all military matters for the expedition and she suspected that any decisions that she wished to implement were to be at the whims and desires of one of her father¡¯s royal soldiers. She suspected that something as a simple suggestion to camp for the night would be denied if the older man deemed it necessary to do so.

    ¡®What was the point of being ¡®placed¡¯ in charge if I¡¯m nothing more than a showpiece?¡¯ She mumbled in the back of her mind. Why not just marry her off to some foreign noble if the kingdom wanted her gone so badly?

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± The man said as he shifted his body. ¡°What little trails there are in this valley can hardly be considered appropriate for the wagons and carriages within this caravan.¡±

    Sylvia perked up as she heard the gentleman speak up.

    ¡°Captain Boris¡­Why was such a trail chosen in the first place? Surely there must have been better ways to get inside of the duchy.¡±

    Captain Boris was, and had been, a common sight among her father¡¯s various retinue of servants and retainers. With her family being a well-known martial household, their soldiers were said to be one of the best in the kingdom and was even stated to rival even the kings own personal guard when it came to both experience and prowess. She wasn¡¯t sure how true that was but she had constantly heard her father bolstering about some campaign in such and such duchy as he went about chasing bandits and runaway prisoners.

    A mere pittance compared to previous military campaigns when the kingdom was still forming and had been at constant war with its now peaceful neighbors.

    She was surprised to see a well-liked individual going along with her but she surmised that it had more to do with keeping an eye on the family¡¯s wayward daughter and less about getting rid of a troublesome commander.

    ¡°There is no other option, if I may be so blunt.¡± The captain answered as he crossed his arms with a sigh. ¡°No other pass exists to the kingdoms knowledge and it has been noted that wagons are capable of making the trip into the Dark Lands.¡±

    ¡°So then¡­Will we be setting up an encampment once we leave the valley?¡±

    The older man shook his head in denial as he motioned towards Iskra.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll be going deeper into the duchy and making camp there.¡±

    Sylvia gasped at his words. It wasn¡¯t too surprising to see that she hadn¡¯t known where they were truly heading towards, considering that those who actually knew where they were to settle down were either in this very carriage or at the front of the caravan leading the way. It was thought that the less people that knew how deep they were to penetrate into the vilified duchy the better. Some of the peasants had already been arrested for trying to flee the levy once they had heard of where the expedition was going.

    ¡°Deeper?¡± The woman nearly screeched as her face began to turn pale at the captains¡¯ words.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that really dangerous? What if-¡°

    Boris cut her off with a long, drawn out sigh before she could continue loudly proclaim her fears to the outside world.

    Whatever it was that he was thinking, Iskra couldn¡¯t have known but she silently thanked him with a nod as the man gestured towards her.

    ¡°It was from the input of the young lady that we place our encampment so deep within the duchy.¡±

    Both adults turned to her, Sylvia had a look of terror plastered over her face while the captain simply gestured for her to say something.

    ¡°Er-uh, yes. The captain is correct.¡± Iskra started to say before placing her hand up to stop the frightened woman from speaking.

    ¡°Thanks to previous expeditions it is believed there exists a mountain chain that can serve as an excellent site for our encampment. We would be protected from multiple angles and the risk of being attacked was considered to be greatly reduced compared to several other sites that were being considered at the time.¡±

    Iskra motioned towards the window with her fingers. She noticed the servant woman to follow her fingers with a jerking motion as she stayed quiet for the moment but the look of anxiety was all too clear on her face.

    ¡°You said something about having our camp be somewhere near the entrance to this valley.¡± The young girl tapped the back of her fingers against the glass as she continued. ¡°It would be a good idea and would allow for future supplies to largely go unheeded against future attacks from whoever happens to live in these lands, but the area around such a camp would be flat and open to multiple avenues of attack. If we were to be besieged than it was thought that we wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for very long and a retreat into the valley was seen as nothing more than a death spiral for any survivors.¡±

    She allowed her words to sink in as her eyes settled onto the captains¡¯ face. He sat there quietly with his arms crossed over his chest as he nodded his head in approval of what the girl was saying.

    Sylvia, meanwhile, had a quiet and subdued look to her as she mulled over her charges words.

    ¡°So¡­¡± She said softly as she tapped a finger against her chin. ¡°We would be safer?¡±

    Both the captain and the young lady nodded their heads.

    ¡°At the cost of having our supplies become more open to attacks.¡± Boris said before Iskra could say anything else.

    The young woman simply rolled her eyes and left the remainder of the explanation to the captain.

    ¡°But those attacks can be mitigated with properly routed patrols and the correct amount of guards from the kingdom. If we play our cards right than it would be a fool¡¯s death for anyone who tries to attack the supply trains.¡±

    The captain went on to further explain some of the benefits of the area surrounding their new home. The discussion revolved around nearby rivers and lakes, a forest, geography as well as the overall distance between one end of the duchy to the other.

    The older woman listened intently as the man went on in detail about the decisions and discussions that had surrounded the mysterious duchy and their expedition into a supposed early grave. Color slowly returned to the woman¡¯s face as the captain further explained the immediate future and why they were doing what they had set out to do. Iskra had quickly tuned out the conversation as she found the information to be old and uninteresting.

    Time flew by as she watched the mountainside pass by the carriage¡¯s window.

    She wasn¡¯t sure when it had happened but Iskra must have fallen asleep at some point as she awoke with a start as Captain Boris lightly nudged her shoulder as he called out her name.

    ¡°No turning back now.¡± He stated as he motioned for her to look outside.

    Turning her head she looked outside to see a vast and mighty formation of rocks looming directly over their heads. The shadow it casted was immense as the early evening sun was blocked and the day seemingly appeared to have turned to night.

    This was the infamous gate into the so called ¡°Dark Lands¡±, the Twin Blades of Clor. Large, basaltic rocks jutted out from opposite ends of the valley to create the shape and appearance of two massive blades bursting from the earth and crossing over one another. Some took it as a sign that nature itself was warning those who would enter of the dangers they would face, while others believed the formation to belong to an ancient race of giants that was once said to have walked the world from before the gods went to create their choice of followers.

    Wind howled and rattled against the carriage, causing it to sway against the forceful act of nature as Iskra heard a groaning sound coming from somewhere in the valley. Many people within the kingdom believed the Twin Blades to house the souls of the dead and the howling wind were their screams of agony and a way for them to warn others to turn back and return to their homes. She had scoffed at such rumors just a few weeks prior but now that she was actually staring down at the wicked formation, she couldn¡¯t blame anyone for believing any of it.

    It was an impressive sight to behold and an even grander welcome from her new home than she could¡¯ve ever imagined.

    ¡®What will happen to me?¡¯ She wondered as she swallowed back her fears.

 Chapter 1: An Average Spring Day

    It was a beautiful and bright spring morning; a gentle breeze caressed the forest as the nearby trees swayed quietly against the wind. Their leaves rustled gently together, giving off a soothing sound as nearby birds chirped from deep within the forest while off in the distant skyline, plumes of volcanic ash rose high above the clouds as the encampment began to liven up after the morning feast was over and done with. The men, assigned to whichever tasks it was that they must do for the day, went about their duties while the few women that had found themselves attached to the expedition did what they could. Some went to the nearby lake to gather water or to wash the clothing while others were led by a few armored soldiers, helping the professional arms men with whatever task they had been assigned.

    Lady Iskra, on the other hand, barged out of her tent with a disgruntled huff of air. Beads of sweat dripped off of her short, cropped raven black hair and down onto her simple and slightly dirtied green linen shirt. The fabric was loose against her growing frame; pools of sweat collected themselves around her neckline and trailed down her already impressive but still growing bosom.

    Sylvia, her much older and meekly willed handmaiden, followed closely behind as she made sure not to have the tent fabric slap loudly against the wooden pole of her madams¡¯ tent. A growing look of concern slowly crept up on her face as she watched the banished girl began to stew in her own misery.

    Following the expedition¡¯s initial penetration into the mysterious duchy of Voldigrov three weeks had since passed once they had settled into their new home. There was no official name for the encampment as of yet, but a popular nickname for the site had been dubbed merely as ¡°Ruined Home.¡± This wasn¡¯t because the expedition had found the remains of an older camp deep within the forest, nor was it the site of an abandoned fortress next to the cascading waterfall that fed the nearby lake with its crystal clear waters.

    It was because upon nearing the site, the awestruck peasantry stood stupefied at the sight of a ruined mountain. One half had looked to have been completely sheared off as if someone had taken an executioners ax and cleaved the terrain in two. While the other side had collapsed and shattered itself giving off the impression that massive towers had once stood upon the mountainside but now had fallen into disrepair and only now stood in defiance to the very land that brought ruin upon their rocky hides. Scouts had been sent out and reported that while a fair portion of the mountain had slid off the remainder had collapsed in on itself, creating a gaping chasm into the blackened abyss.

    There was talk amongst many of the new residents that the howls of hungry demons could be heard coming from the so-called Abysmal Chasm on nights where the wind seemed to be at its strongest.

    This would be all well and good in Iskra¡¯s eyes save for the fact that the area was drenched in a dreadful and exhausting humidity. She wasn¡¯t sure if it had to do with the nearby waterfall that cascaded down the jutted rocks that still stood where the mountain once was or if it was because of the various far off volcanoes that could be seen spewing their black smoke high into the air.

    ¡°Everywhere I go¡­¡± Iskra mumbled to herself as she stepped into a shallow puddle. ¡°It¡¯s either a choking heat where I¡¯m boiled alive or a bug-infested disaster!¡±

    The young girl kicked away the mud that congealed over her oversized boots as she swatted at the countless bugs that hovered around her head. The boots were from Captain Boris, it was one of her many regrets since arriving in the past month as she now wished to have brought her own pair of well-fitted footwear. The fact that she had to ask the expeditions military leader for his spare pair of boots irked Iskra to no end.

    ¡°It¡¯s not all that bad.¡± Her servant said quietly as she sidestepped the mud that plopped off to the side of her feet as her charge continued to kick off the ball of dirt that congealed on her stained boots.

    Sylvia knew that the young girl didn¡¯t mean to fling the balls of mud her way. Yet she never got the impression that the former queen-in-waiting actually cared for the fact if her actions could have hurt her, even if it was a simple but entirely rude gesture whenever the grey-haired woman suggested something or another.

    It was the little things in life that the older woman cared for, but she wondered just how much of that could be said for the young maiden that now unceremoniously stomped her heels into the ground.

    ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± Iskra said with a scowl as she looked back at the grey-haired woman. The sun had barely risen past the horizon, and the young girl already had the look of a raging berserker plastered over her usually striking face. ¡°Your husband is out here clanging away on his anvil, and your children are down south, doing whatever it is they do.¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Sylvia tried to think of something that would get the young lady to at least calm herself, but nothing had come to mind at that exact moment.

    ¡°Shall we set out and inspect the walls?¡± The older woman clapped her hands together after a brief pause where she had been stared down by the sweat-drenched girl. ¡°If I remember correctly, you wanted to walk the perimeter with Captain Boris. How about we see how the men are doing?¡±

    Iskra sighed as she turned and walked away from the nervous woman.

    ¡°Just make sure that you aren¡¯t asking questions. I don¡¯t want to listen to some unwashed peasant rabble on about the secrets of the very dirt he was born from.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Progress is good.¡± Sergeant Velek said in a blunt, matter of fact tone as he tilted his head towards a small group of shirtless men that worked to clear out and expand the portion of the trench system.

    Rocks, branches and other clumps of debris of various sizes were thrown out or carried off and away from the trench as the filth and mud covered squad of men grunted and called out their displeasure of having to work in the rain-soaked earthworks.

    This particular group had just arrived from their morning meal when the two women first came upon them at the encampments¡¯ edge. While Iskra had caught the attention of the sergeant, the peasants had gone straight to work without a single command uttered from the soldier. They had taken off their shirts, rolled up their pant legs and tightened their trousers as they began to dig into the thick mud of the growing trench. Sylvia had blushed and hid her eyes as the men uncovered themselves while the younger girl rolled her eyes at her servants¡¯ reaction.

    What was there to be embarrassed about? Most of the men within the expedition either appeared to be underweight or had seen one too many village festivals. In the past, all she had to do was just walk down a random hallway of her former home to catch a glimpse of more than her fair share of well fed and far more attractive men. Her mother had always gone on about how handsome her sons had grown and would often spend an unhealthy amount of time teasing their future wives about how herculean their newly established husbands were.

    It was in poor taste to even entertain the notion that these malnourished and unkempt lumps of flesh would be considered as the least bit attractive. Heretical even, if one was to have lived their entire lives around both sexes that had a level of beauty that could only be described as godlike.

    In the eyes of Iskra, the peasantry would be described as hideous while the nobility would be hailed as having a divine form of beauty.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    The young girl just shook her head as she pushed the thoughts of her family and friends into the back of her mind while she attempted to pry more words out of the sergeant.

    ¡°Have you had any trouble from these people? Any need for discipline or corporal punishment?¡±

    She mimicked the soldiers¡¯ earlier motion as she gestured towards the group as they toiled beneath the humid weather.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say any of that¡¯s needed.¡±

    The sergeant shook his head as he crossed his arms with a small cough. His reply was short and to the point, much like the captain that led him and much like the Duke that oversaw his training.

    She stuck her hands deep in her leggings pockets as she wondered if all of the soldiers that belonged to House Vesely were similar to Sergeant Velek.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t caught wind of any whispers concerning any curious beasts or nearby locals. Have you seen or heard anything that the camp should be aware of?¡±

    Once again the soldier shook his head as he gestured towards the thick copse of trees that shaded the men under his command.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have. The days tend to go by quickly and without incident and the nights are usually calm. Most of the time you¡¯ll hear nothing but the wind blowing against the leaves, but on occasion, you¡¯ll get to hear a wolfs howl off in the distance.¡±

    She stared at the man with an annoyed look as she listened to another of his brief reply. A strong gust of wind blew through the trees, ruffling the branches and causing several of their leaves to tumble to the ground below.

    ¡°I see then. You¡¯ve been very informative today sergeant.¡± She said with a brief sigh before turning to look at her servant. ¡°If your usual reports are as thrilling as what I¡¯ve just heard then I feel safer in having men like you keeping us all safe.¡±

    She motioned for the older woman to follow her as she stepped aside and walked past the talkative man.

    ¡°Make sure your men are well taken care of. Have a good day.¡±

    The sergeant gave out a reply, but the young girl couldn¡¯t quite hear what was said. Whatever it had been, it had left a sour taste in Iskra¡¯s mouth.

    <hr>

    The rest of their morning was similar enough to what they had previously experienced with the first group. Iskra would ask a few questions, and she would get a brief, sometimes rude, reply.

    Each time that the two women stopped and spoke with the next group on their list, Iskra¡¯s mood worsened. She would have snapped at the man who oversaw their last stop for the morning if it hadn¡¯t been for Sylvia¡¯s timely intervention and dragged the boiling mad girl away.

    ¡°He just wanted to make sure that he kept his eyes on his men. That¡¯s all.¡± The nervous servant said as she tried her best to soften the younger girls worsening mood.

    She had to keep her hand over one of the girl¡¯s shoulders to stop her from kicking at any nearby pedestrians.

    ¡°Ha!¡± She let out in a short retort as she kicked at nothing in particular. ¡°If that was what he was trying to do, then why the fuck did he turn away from me when I stood between him and those people?¡±

    The older woman let out a groan as she tried to think of an answer that would satisfy both of them. Or at the very least, make the slightest amount of sense.

    ¡°Maybe the sun was glaring in his eyes?¡±

    Iskra stopped dead in her tracks and caused the servant to stumble as she bumped into her.

    ¡°Whatever it is that you¡¯re doing,¡± The girl said in a venomous tone as she turned around. ¡°You need to stop before you continue to piss me off.¡±

    Sylvia nodded as she watched her charge continue to walk back to her tent.

    Maybe today just wasn¡¯t the sort of day to try and see the brighter side of things.

    The two of them continued on in silence as they passed by several patrols of soldiers who made an obvious effort to avoid the women, this further exuberated Iskra¡¯s mood as she clenched her fists and kicked at nothing in particular as she mumbled under her breath.

    ¡°¡­Hate¡­¡±

    She could barely hear it, but Sylvia caught pieces of the girls¡¯ words as she continued to mumble quietly to herself.

    ¡°¡­Useless¡­¡±

    The older woman made sure to listen carefully as she tried her best in picking out what was being said. She had at first wondered if the words were meant for anyone in particular, but she soon found herself listening to the musings of a disgruntled little girl who felt trapped and surrounded by people that she felt hated and despised her.

    She had heard the disgruntled whispers of many people over the fact that they believed Lady Iskra to be responsible for their undeclared exile, but she knew better than to believe that was the case.

    It was Captain Boris who had claimed that while it was, in fact, the young lady¡¯s actions that ultimately allowed the decision to be made, it was both the King and their Duke that wished to have the uninhabited duchy be properly explored and mapped without error. This had been a desire of the current King for quite some time, and Duke Radoslav had been planning an expedition very similar to this very one.

    Things had been changed of course, especially with the advent of Lady Iskra being banished and the sequence of events that would have led to his expeditions founding had not gone as he had initially planned. The patriarch of their household had worked in secret with the King to ensure that they succeeded in their tasks, even if it meant that only a small portion of their goals was to be met.

    She had asked the captain about why the Duke and King had talked in secret about the expedition, but all she had received from the veteran soldier was a shrug.

    Sylvia never liked to talk with the military officer about the lands they now occupied, as he always painted a bleak picture over the matter of their fates.

    She shook her head and cleared away the thoughts of violence and death.

    Maybe she should suggest to the young lady that writing a letter to her mother would do wonders in brightening her mood.

    Perhaps it would even help the caretaker with her own set of worries.

    <hr>

    It was shortly after midday when Captain Boris had arrived at Iskra¡¯s personal tent and announced that a group of heavily armored dwarves had arrived and wished to speak with the encampments leader. The young girl had stared at the man with a baffled look as he claimed that their numbers were around ten heavily armored and wielding massive weapons. When she had asked if there was anyone that claimed to be the leader he answered in the affirmative and described a bearded dwarf with expensive looking robes that appeared to belong to a wealthy nobleman or a highly successful merchant.

    What was even more startling to Iskra was that the man claimed the dwarf spoke in an accent that would have placed him as living within the city of Porosk, the capital city of the Kingdom of Ranislava.

    Iskra thought back to all of the prior moments she had visited the capital. While she had gone there plenty of times as both a daughter to the kingdoms third most powerful family as well as the former betrothed to the crown prince, she never had the opportunity to truly go out and see the city itself. Yet with the way that the captain described the dwarf it sounded as if the dwarf would have been very well known throughout the city.

    She would have known if there had been a dwarf or in this case a group of dwarves, living within the capital. She remembered her father excitedly recounting the tale of the time he had met a group of elves when they had visited her former family¡¯s estate. That was nearly two decades ago, and neither the Duchy of Orul nor the kingdom itself had been visited by elves ever since. Save for that moment, she was more than confident that the kingdom hadn¡¯t received a non-human outsider in the past two hundred years.

    If the King and his advisors had been caught unaware of the fact that the dwarves had indeed settled within the duchy of Voldigrov that would be one thing, yet she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that.

    Curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she ordered the man to allow their entry and have the group meet them within the command tent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they want. They won¡¯t speak to anyone else except for the leader.¡± Captain Boris said in a low whisper as he turned his back against the massive expeditionary tent.

    He looked around the area, making sure that the guards he had placed before returning to the young woman¡¯s tent had kept their posts. He nodded to each man as his eyes lingered over their stiff forms.

    ¡°Before you enter¡­¡±

    He paused, unsure of what to say next as he wondered if the dwarves could hear him.

    ¡°They aren¡¯t-¡°

    ¡°Enough, Captain.¡± Iskra interrupted the man as she walked past him.

    She failed to push him aside and instead opted to go around the concerned veteran.

    To the girl, this was beyond ridiculous as she had heard of only good things about the relationships between human and dwarf. With the way that the Captain sounded so uneasy about the situation, it seemed as if he had opposed their entry from the very beginning.

    Whatever it was that gave pause to the usually stubborn man would have to be put on hold.

    These were dwarves after all, what harm could come their way if they were to be courteous towards their guests?

    ¡°You¡­¡± She said as she stopped and turned towards Sylvia. ¡°Stay outside; I¡¯ll call for you if it¡¯s needed.¡±

    The servant bowed her head as Iskra turned and stepped inside.

 Chapter 2: A Classic Alliance (Of Sorts)

    Iskra stopped dead in her tracks as an eerily sensation overwhelmed her senses. She couldn¡¯t quite describe what it was, but it felt as if her body was trying to tell her to run away as quickly as she can. There was also the unmistakable feeling of having her gut punched and her stomach slowly being rolled up along the inside of her body. The young girl blinked rapidly as she tried to shake away the strange feeling.

    The short haired girl wondered if she had been struck by some kind of sickness as her vision became better attuned to the darkness inside of the tent.

    ¡°Are you Lady Iskra?¡± A low, husky voice called out to her. The disembodied voice oozed confidence and complete certainty as it spoke those words.

    The voice had sounded as if it had come from afar as it echoed around the tent. As if the speaker was deep within a mine or inside a very long hallway, yet she knew better as the only plausible explanation was that it came from somewhere close by.

    What¡¯s more, she had found it odd that the usually brightly lit tent was nearly pitch black. The only source of light came from the flickering candles that danced to the whims of imaginary wind. Where once she would have been able to easily see the opposite end, she now struggled to find the closest edge of the table.

    ¡°Yes. Yes, I am.¡± She said as she brought a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat with a cough. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if my delay in answering may have offended you in any manner. It seems that a wave of queasiness overcame my senses just now. Though I would like to apologize in advance, I was never taught the proper etiquette when it comes to the culture of your people.¡±

    She bowed slightly before she made her way towards one of the many nearby chairs and did her best to gracefully sit down.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright. We¡¯re used to¡­most people being uneasy around us.¡± The voice said as laughter followed. This time the echo was multiplied as an untold number of voices chuckled in pleasure at the man¡¯s words, if it was indeed a man that spoke to her.

    She presumed that the laughter had come from several other dwarves, yet she struggled to see anything in the near pitch black darkness.

    ¡°Am I correct in presuming that you are in fact the leader of these humans? That what we¡¯ve been told is the truth and not some vapid joke? ¡± The deep sounding voice asked again as it echoed across the tent once more.

    The voice had sounded unsure of itself. Not at its own words but at the fact that it was addressing the actual leader of the expedition and not some random child that had been brought in from some impoverished countryside village.

    Who, in their right mind, would believe the words of a man that told them that a mere child led a ragtag group of peasants?

    She shuffled her chair closer towards the table as she struggled in vain to get a clear view of the dwarf, of any dwarf for that matter.

    Why was it so dark in here?

    ¡°You are.¡±

    An arm came out of the shadows; the buff and well-toned muscular limb planted itself atop of the table as ink-black smoke snaked off of its surface. Next, a beard with snow-white hair loomed into sight. The long and well-groomed facial hair clanked against the table top as candlelight flickered against the gold and silver encrusted jewelry that was clasped around the numerous braids.

    ¡°Do you really mean that?¡±

    His voice reverberated through her body, sending chills down her spine as the darkness began to lift and slowly revealed the dwarf in his entirety as well as the entourage that followed him into their encampment.

    His heavily armored and extremely large weapon wielding entourage.

    There were a total of six dwarves. No, make that around eight dwarves as another two came out of the strange darkness. Ink black smoke rolled off of their metallic forms as they inched closer towards their side of the table.

    Their impressive looking weapons looked to be just as tall as Iskra as they gleamed in the dancing candlelight. The shimmering edges glistened as if they had been recently polished.

    As her sight returned to a level that she had hoped to be somewhat capable of seeing in this blasted darkness, she quickly made out the number of guards that surrounded the robed dwarf. There was no doubt that they were in fact guards, as they all wore bulky, metallic armor that covered them from head to toe. Not a single scrap of skin, cloth or hair was shown. Each of them looked nearly identical in their red and black colored armor, except for their helmets. Each headpiece looked different from the last.

    One appeared to have holes punched out where the eyes should be, another had half of their helm utterly devoid of features while the other side looked to be crumpled and in a near-ruined state, the figure to its right had a helmet similar to the first but had slits instead of holes and a fourth gave the appearance that something once pierced its metallic hide and punched right through. She hoped that it had been done at the discretion of the helms bearer and not in combat as she dared not imagine what the individual''s face would look like. There were, of course, others, yet they all appeared to be remarkably plain compared to these particular four.

    She wondered if any of them had beards as well, but this wasn¡¯t the time or place to ask questions that could cause offense in some manner.

    Each of the dwarves stared at her, their strange helms followed her curious gaze as she looked upon each of their figures before moving to look at another that miraculously morphed out of the darkness. Their hands, tightly wrapped around the shafts of their weapons, never flinched as they appeared ready for any sign of trouble.

    Giant axes, swords, and halberdiers stood completely still as their wielders stood erect and with purpose. She would have mistaken them for statues if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she could just barely hear the sound of ragged breathing coming from the large group.

    Something shuffled behind her as she heard metal scrape against leather.

    The guards reacted instantaneously as they brought their weapons down, their metallic boots stomping in unison and they moved to rush the tent''s entrance.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for violence. If we wished to cause harm to your people, then it would already be in a ruined husk.¡± Their leader called out in a matter of fact tone as he held out his left arm. The guards stopped immediately and returned to their posts once the newcomer returned their weapon to its sheath.

    She turned to see who had the gall to interrupt the meeting, only to find that it was Captain Boris. He stared at Iskra with a grave look as he moved to take up a position near the entrance, the pommel of his sword poked out of the entrance as the man leaned against one of the tents poles. Maybe he thought he could be clever and use its movement as some sort of signal.

    She would have to speak with the captain about his actions later tonight, but for right now she let the issue slide.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my Captains lack of trust in your intentions.¡± Iskra said as she turned back towards the dwarves, as she made sure to smooth out any wrinkles in her dirtied linen shirt. ¡°Excuse me for sounding so rude, but I don¡¯t believe I was told your name.¡±

    The bearded dwarf planted an open palm over his chest with a loud thump before bowing slightly towards the young girl.

    ¡°My humble apologies young mistress, it is I who should be the one apologizing instead. We are guests in your home after all.¡±

    Iskra nodded at his response as she made a mental note to return his politeness.

    ¡°My name is Zharatan, and I lead an expedition sent to these lands for a purpose most important to our empire.¡±

    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, kind sir.¡± She wasn¡¯t sure if using a title she knew only humans used was appropriate. Her schooling only covered the appropriate honors used within the Ranislava kingdom. She made a mental note to make sure that she learned what to use.

    ¡°¡®Sir¡¯ is a bit much for me my dear.¡± Zharatan said as he held up a finger as if he wanted to put a pause to the girls¡¯ thoughts. ¡°Titles mean nothing to me. So please feel free to call me by my name.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall offer the same privilege to you as well Zharatan. I¡¯m not sure if you have been told of this or not, but I have been stripped of any meaningful title. So feel free to call me by my name instead.¡±

    The man raised an eyebrow at her words as he moved his right hand towards his beard, clasping at the pure white hairs as he started to comb his fingers through the braids.

    ¡°And yet here you are, leading this apparent group of exiles. Tell me, are you some sort of penal colony or is there a greater purpose in your being here?¡±

    ¡°Of sorts. You could call us exiles, but the exact nature of this expedition is a little more complicated than you would expect. Even I am suspicious that there¡¯s more to our purpose than what I¡¯ve already been told.¡± Iskra said with a smile as she turned towards Captain Boris.

    He raised an eyebrow at her choice of words but made no sign that he wished to correct his apparent leader.

    She wouldn¡¯t be surprised to wake up one day and have what little power she now possessed to be suddenly taken from her, and the real punishment for her crimes revealed for all to see.

    A growl came from the dwarf as he mulled over the young girls'' words.

    She hoped that being so upfront with her suspicions didn¡¯t bring pause to the dwarves and their purpose in coming here, but she felt that being so open was in the best interest of everyone.

    ¡°May I ask how it came to pass that you were chosen to come here? If I heard correctly, you are the daughter of a powerful family. Why would anyone with the slightest amount of sanity send their daughter to this land?¡± His eyes gazed upon her as he adjusted his seat.

    Iskra nodded with a faint smile.

    ¡®Who told him that I wonder?¡¯ She thought quietly to herself.

    ¡°You are correct but¡­¡± She struggled to find the right words. ¡°It¡¯s complicated, to say the least.¡±

    Zharatan seemed happy enough with her cryptic answer as he shrugged away any concerns he may have had. If her response had in any way bothered him, then all he would have to do is find some cowardly peasant and force them to spill the pot.

    ¡°Forgive me for saying this, but our kingdom was unaware of any of your people living within these lands. We thought only savages and wild beasts could survive out here.¡±

    The group of dwarves let out a deep chuckle as Iskra sat there with a dumbfounded look on her face. Their laughter reverberated throughout the tent, sending her heart into a frenzy as the sickening feeling inside of her belly returned.

    ¡°So what does that make you?¡±

    The group leader asked, but before she could open her mouth to speak, he extended out his arm. More than likely it had been a rhetorical question.

    ¡°To give you a straight forward answer, we haven¡¯t been here for longer than a decade. In the beginning, it was a handful of us but our numbers quickly grew to a few hundred once we learned the true value that lay beneath the mountains.¡±

    She looked on in confusion as the dwarf stopped combing his beard and leaned over to his left, disappearing beneath the table as something rustled in the background.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t here to just come by and say hello, in case you were wondering.¡± He called out from the table as something clunked heavily against the ground.

    ¡°We¡¯ve actually come to ask for a favor. A very pathetic favor if you don¡¯t mind me being so rude with my words.¡±

    He cleared his throat as he pulled himself back up and straightened out his back, his hands were still hidden beneath the table as he continued to speak.

    "First, I wish to explain why we¡¯ve decided to come to you.¡± He looked at Iskra as if he wanted her permission to continue.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    She didn¡¯t know what to say so she stayed quiet and nodded for him to continue on.

    ¡°For the past two years, we¡¯ve been having issues with the locals. Raids by all sorts of bastards have become routine in our day to day lives. Most likely they¡¯re looking for a good scrap, and we¡¯ve been able to give them a beating once they come knocking at our doors. At first, these raids were small and something we¡¯ve been able to handle fairly easily but they¡¯ve been steadily growing in intensity. We¡¯ve already lost over two dozen of our numbers since the start of this spring and we¡¯re starting to buckle under the weight of these assaults. It¡¯s been decided that if we were to be attacked by a more competent enemy than we won¡¯t survive.¡±

    Iskra had heard that dwarves were a legendary people when it came to warfare and their resilience to last for an untold amount of time during several ancient sieges had even brought their feats to the mouths of the slowest of peasants. She wondered if the tales that had been told to her when she was younger was just that, tales told to unruly children to get them to behave. Or perhaps these dwarves weren¡¯t equipped to face a full-on army, and the guards that now stood in front of her were wielding the best weaponry in their armory.

    It was also possible that the creatures that inhabited this land had a strong martial culture. It would certainly explain the history of repeated failures in the kingdoms attempts to bring civilization into the duchy.

    ¡°Two months ago,¡± He continued on. ¡°Our hold was besieged by a force of around five thousand goblins.¡±

    The dwarf spat at the mention of goblins. He most certainly thought very little of the short-statured race of devilish sneaks.

    Goblins were considered to be some of the foulest and hideous looking creatures that stalked the dark corners of the world. Their tiny forms, ash-colored skin, oversized jaws, and sunken red eyes were the stuff of nightmares that parents told their children.

    She had even heard that it was common for a parent to claim that a goblin had stolen their newborn child, only to return them several nights later. Odd yet frightening things would happen around the village, and it was claimed that the child would have to be killed for the evil spirits to be banished. Needless to say, mayhem and destruction were some of the many things that followed in the strange rumors surrounding the little devils.

    ¡°It had been going on for nearly two months but somehow, in some way, their entire siege fell apart. Chaos and mayhem erupted in their ranks as the entire formation fell apart before our very eyes and before we knew it, we had ridden out and slaughtered any of the surviving stragglers while the smarter ones had scattered themselves in various directions. The next thing we knew, our scouts were reporting an army of humans making their way north towards a location that was three days west of where we were.¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± He said as he planted his fists firmly on the table. His thick, scarred fingers were interlocked together as they obviously hid something behind their flesh. ¡°We don¡¯t particularly care why you or your people are here nor do we see a reason for us to be at each other¡¯s throats. So we decided to strike first and offer a hand of friendship. This is where the favor we wish to ask for will come into question.¡±

    She stared at his hands as he spoke. Whatever it was that hid behind his hands had easily caught Iskra¡¯s interest. Thoughts began to swirl in her mind as she wondered what the mysterious object could be.

    ¡°But first,¡± The dwarf said as he opened his hands and pushed the object towards the young girl. The item clattered and bounced across the table as it made its journey. It nearly rolled off of the edge just before reaching Iskra, but she managed to reach out and grab hold of the item before it could slam into the ground. ¡°Consider this a small gift.¡±

    As she held the item in both hands, she could understand almost immediately that it being described as small was not what she would have picked.

    The item in question was hidden underneath a green silk cloth, interlaced with gold lining as her fingers failed to properly grasp its hefty and almost unwieldy form as they struggled to wrap themselves around the mysterious item.

    Greed overcame the young girl as she carefully placed the object in front of her and slowly peeled away the smooth cloth. She gasped in awe as she saw what lay beneath.

    It was a diamond. A very massive diamond with a deep, blood red hue.

    The world around her went silent as she stared down at the magnificent looking diamond.

    In the past, the raven-haired girl had seen only a handful of similar minerals and those paled in comparison to the one that she now gripped in the palms of her hands.

    She remembered how her mother would always wear her favorite pair of earrings, the ones with a pair of diamonds hanging off the extravagantly crafted gold jewelry. The older woman would often brag to her circle of friends about how her husband must¡¯ve spent a fortune in trying to find the right pair for the love of his life.

    At first, she didn¡¯t want to believe that what she was holding in her hands was an actual diamond. It was far too big and way too heavy to be considered nothing more than a scam. What¡¯s more, she thought that they could only come in that clear, crystalline white color and not this deep and colorful red that managed to drown her vision.

    Her fingers danced around its surface, feeling every single inch that they could. The object was impossibly smooth when she compared it to her limited knowledge. The artisans that worked on this particular piece must¡¯ve taken quite some time in order to get rid of any impurities that it once had. What¡¯s more, the young girl could barely get her fingers to wrap around the entire thing.

    It couldn¡¯t have been smaller than four fists put together. Four meaty fists to be exact.

    The dark mineral gleamed in the candlelight as Iskra¡¯s mind continued to falter while she tried to process what this ¡®gift¡¯ must have meant to the dwarves.

    If what they were saying was true and this was, in fact, a gift to be given to the humans than its finders must have found an entire vein of diamonds that were similar in size. Why else would they give away such a valuable item to complete strangers?

    Thoughts of similar diamonds, both in shape and size, began to swirl in her head. Some were larger than the one she held in her hands, others were smaller, and a few were similar in size. Their colors changed as well. Red was a common color while blue, purple, green and many more flashed before her imaginary hands.

    There were so many questions the short haired girl wished to ask, yet she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to contain herself if the raven-haired girl was given the opportunity to do as she pleased.

    For now, she decided to play it cool.

    ¡°A gift?¡± Her voice cracked as she cleared her throat. ¡°Surely you jest. If this is a gift, then you¡¯re either telling me that you consider us a fool or you think the lure of greed will overwhelm my desires and force me to agree with whatever it is you want. I seriously doubt that you have any more of these things in your possession.¡±

    She tried to hide the heavy mineral from Captain Boris as she saw him lean over to look at what it was his charge held within her hands. She scowled as the man let out an impressed whistle. She decided to hide the diamond on her lap, away from his prying eyes as she eagerly waited for Zharatan to speak.

    The dwarf in question leaned back into his chair as he tugged at his beard while he watched the young girl clinging to his gift.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s say that we are aware of several others of a similar size.¡±

    He let out a soft chuckle as Iskra mouthed a silent reply in shock.

    ¡°Consider the one you hold now as a gesture of good faith. No strings attached if you will. Besides, if we ever wished to have it back, then there¡¯s no real way for your people to stop us.¡±

    The raven-haired girl nodded in silence as her eyes shifted towards Captain Boris, his face appeared deep in thought as he mulled over the dwarfs'' words.

    ¡°And this favor of yours, does it have anything to do with your concerns towards the well-being of your people? It would be hasty of me to walk away from this meeting without hearing out what it is you wish of us.¡±

    The grizzled veteran nodded in approval as his charge began to ask what it was that the dwarves came here for.

    ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡± Zharatan said as he cupped his hands together and placed his arms back on top of the table.

    ¡°We wish to establish an alliance between our two peoples. History has proven that dwarves and men can accomplish untold greatness when they join together. Once that alliance has been made then we were hoping that you would be so kind as to lend us aid. In the form of a sizable garrison to help repel any future attacks on our home. Of course, in exchange for some of your men we would be willing to give you a list of known deposits of various metals and minerals.¡±

    The dwarven leader snapped his fingers and gestured for one of his guards to bring him something.

    One of the guards, the one with the hole punched through his helmet, came up to the robed leader and held out an intricately designed metal tube.

    Zharatan gave the man a mystified look as he gestured towards the two humans. The guard nodded his head and walked towards Iskra, his boots stomped loudly against the soft dirt as he made his way but was stopped by the girls¡¯ guard who made to intercept the heavily armored figure.

    The two men made the exchange in silence and went back to their original posts.

    ¡°You only have to trust me when I say that you won¡¯t be disappointed in what you¡¯ll find on that document.¡±

    Iskra looked back towards the expedition¡¯s military leader as he crossed his arms over his chest with the document kept hidden underneath his arms as he nodded towards the young girl.

    The man seemed satisfied and was most likely ready to end the gathering.

    ¡°As I said before, it would be hasty of me to agree to any of your requests for an alliance or a small detail of our people.¡± Her eyes stared back at the dwarf as he nodded his head. ¡°If you would be so kind as to allow a discussion between my people and I then I¡¯m sure we can all come to some sort of an agreement that would benefit our two peoples. I¡¯m not sure how long it will last but a few days should be enough for someone to come to a convincing argument.¡±

    The dwarf''s face remained relaxed at the mention of some sort of delay in a decision being made. Most likely they had already suspected that something similar would happen when they first made the choice in having this meeting.

    ¡°We would be able to provide you with a few tents, and we would gladly welcome in sharing our meals together with you. Would that be alright for you?¡±

    Iskra held her breath as she waited for a reply.

    The dwarven guards looked to their leader as he continued to stroke the braids of his beard without saying a word for what felt like an eternity. Several of the beards bracelets clinked together as his fingers poked at their elaborate surfaces.

    After what felt like an eternity, the dwarf gave a warm smile and clasped his hands together.

    ¡°Very well, we never really expected you to say yes right away.¡±

    The dwarf pushed himself away from the table, the chair somehow managed to scrape loudly against the soft ground as he made his way towards the girl.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take you up on your hospitality as well.¡± He extended out his hand as Iskra made to meet him in the middle. ¡°A few days rest from the mines would do wonders for these scrap heaps anyhow.¡±

    Zharatan bellowed out a chuckle as he referred to his heavily armored guards.

    Iskra on the other hand, offered a polite smile as the two leaders grasped their counterparts and shook in agreement.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me for asking,¡± Iskra said as her hand was entirely engulfed inside of the dwarfs. ¡°I would love to hear about your people. I¡¯ve never met a dwarf and have only heard vague rumors and tall tales that sounded more like drunken boasts.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always a pleasure of mine to talk about the wondrous glories of our people.¡± Zharatan said with a laugh as he gently patted the young girls¡¯ hand. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking a few questions of my own, I¡¯ve never seen a human woman as tall as you before. How tall are you exactly?¡±

    This time it was Iskra who laughed at the dwarfs'' words as the question over her height finally came up. It was always a solid way for many people to break the ice when at various social gatherings that her family had been invited to. Not only did people wonder about her family¡¯s height but they would also ask something similar regarding her siblings and parents.

    It was common enough question considering how tall she actually was compared to most people, especially since she was born into the family that held the title ¡°The Giants of Ranislava.¡±

    ¡°Six foot two.¡± She answered as the dwarf let out an impressed whistle. ¡°Save for my mother, my family are on average at a height of around six foot five. ¡°

    ¡°And how old are you? I¡¯ve seen my fair share of humans during my travels, but unless they¡¯re wrinkly and grey-haired or just born, I can never guess their age.¡±

    ¡°I turned fourteen several months ago.¡±

    "Well sell my soul and rip my heart out. What has that kingdom of yours been feeding you?¡±

    The two laughed in unison as the meeting came to a close.

    <hr>

    Later that night, after the encampment had its evening meal and most of the inhabitants were soundly asleep. The young woman named Iskra and the man who had introduced himself as Captain Boris argued intensely over the matter concerning the strange group of dwarves.

    It was quite clear to Zharatan that the young girl wanted to take up the offer and provide a set number of men, but the grey-haired veteran argued against it. Whether that was out of distrust towards the dwarves or only because he wished to cause trouble for the young mistress, he couldn¡¯t say as he could only see what his imp familiar was seeing and not much else.

    A drawback to the shared vision spell that his master had taught him all those years ago.

    ¡°You think that tall bitch will take you up?¡± Came the voice of one of his guards as it echoed across the surprisingly large tent that the humans had provided them.

    Zharatan sighed in frustration as the voice drew him away from the two humans, bringing his vision back inside of their temporary quarters.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I placed down silencing incantations I would be suggesting that you quiet yourself before those blasted humans outside of this tent heard your obnoxious voice.¡±

    The dwarven leader growled out as he turned to face Agathor.

    Why was it such a common thing for these walking, talking suits of armor to blare out their words as if they damn well owned the place? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they suffered immense, torturous pain for every waking moment of their lives than the sorcerer would have blasted the fool with demonic fire. Even if it meant that his magic would only just singe whatever remained of his mortal shell beneath the hell-forged armor.

    The guard bowed slightly as he pounded his fist over where his heart should have been. Zharatan wondered if the man still had organs to begin with.

    ¡°As for your question.¡± He said as he recited a short incantation and brought back the familiars vision into his mind, it looked like that nothing had changed between the two figures as they continued their arguments. ¡°If you had paid any sort of attention to that girl then you would have seen the greed in her eyes flare up as she looked at our little ¡®gift.¡¯ In what reality would a woman turn down such a magnificent thing? You¡¯ve all heard the saying, right?¡±

    ¡°Never stick your dick in crazy?¡± Said the voice of another guard, Gar¡¯lok it sounded like.

    The others laughed at his joke, but their leader remained stone-faced as he concentrated on his spell.

    Why couldn¡¯t the Demon Forges have stolen their mouths as well? He thought bitterly as he sighed in frustration.

    ¡°Speaking from experience Gar¡¯lok?¡± He replied, causing the tent to erupt even further in the echoed laughter that was so common among their people.

    Gar¡¯lok said nothing at his masters'' words, memories of his past had always managed to make him stay quiet. It was a common way for the sorcerer to force the blathering idiot to shut up.

    ¡°As I was saying.¡± He continued from before he was interrupted. ¡°A diamond is a girl¡¯s best friend.¡±

    The argument on the other side of the encampment seemed to be drawing to a close as the young girl began to write something down. Captain Boris drew closer and gestured as he looked to be advising his apparent charge on whatever it was that she was putting down.

    ¡®It seems they¡¯ve decided in our favor. Good.¡¯ Zharatan smiled to himself as he disconnected from the imps mind.

    It appeared that his small inkling about that ridiculously tall girl had been proven correct for now, but he would need to find out more if he was to confirm his suspicions.

    ¡°Expect to leave within the next few days. We¡¯ve got what we came for.¡±

    This would be the start of a glorious alliance, he thought to himself as he recalled the ancient tales of his former brethren joining with the humans to do battle against countless foes throughout history.

    While the humans would think of this as a classic alliance between the two races, he would be working in the shadows plotting to squeeze out all that he could before the well had dried up.

    If the girl was to succeed in the goals placed upon her by her kingdom, then fantastic. If not, however?

    He was more than confident that he could find plenty of buyers who would be willing to pay a hefty price.

 Chapter 3: And So It Begins

    Several days had passed since the initial meeting between Zharatan and Iskra.

    Both parties had met once more to iron out any concerns that may have revealed themselves once the humans and dwarves had more time to think on the matter concerning the potential alliance. This primarily involved concerns regarding the needed housing and food for the men and how the dwarves planned to tackle the issue once they had received them. Sufficed to say, the involved parties were amply satisfied with what was to happen.

    Once all was said and done, the men were gathered and the supplies were loaded onto the carts that were to accompany them.

    Iskra had taken the opportunity to volunteer herself to go with the outgoing convoy of men and supplies. She relished the idea of getting out of the stifling and hellish area that the humans now claimed as their home. Sylvia had also been drafted to go along with the young girl as the raven-haired maiden had heavily implied that the older servant was somehow needed on the upcoming journey. Captain Boris had opted to stay behind, however. He was more than happy to stay within the encampment and oversee the continued construction of the growing number of earthworks that were beginning to take shape along the outskirts.

    Once the human leadership had decided on the matter of who was to make the journey and who wasn''t, they had set out towards the dwarven settlement of N¡¯urn Arvul Zhar. If one were to translate it into the human tongue it would be known as the Magnificent Domain of Zharatan.

    Iskra had quietly dubbed it as Zharatan¡¯s Domain.

    In all, some two thousand men were sent to help out the dwarves. These numbers mainly consisted of the levied peasants, but Iskra and her begrudging military leader saw fit to allow one hundred of Duke Radoslavs¡¯ professional soldiers to take the journey and stay alongside the ill-trained force.

    What the dwarves did with these men would be left up to the whims of Zharatan.

    <hr>

    It was as the dwarven leader had said during their initial meeting; the journey had taken roughly three days to reach Zharatan¡¯s Domain. While in route, an offer of hospitality was extended towards Iskra and she gladly accepted. The young girl was more than happy to learn all she could about her new allies.

    They had taken a tour of the mine turned fortress, ate alongside the dwarves as the two peoples shared meals with one another. Iskra had asked questions here and there about various topics while Zharatan did his best to answer as much as he could.

    Eventually, two days had passed. It was time for Iskra and her retinue to return home.

    ¡°Once again, I must thank you for allowing us to borrow your people.¡± Zharatan said as he shook hands with the towering human girl.

    It was a common enough sight for humans to be taller than dwarves but in the case of the banished daughter of Duke Radoslav, it was beyond obvious that she was taller than most, if not all, of the men that had fallen under her command.

    ¡°The pleasure is all mine Zharatan.¡± Iskra said with a smile.  ¡°History has shown that alliances between our two peoples have accomplished a great many things and I¡¯m hoping that we¡¯ll continue to see that time-honored tradition carry on.¡±

    Iskra smiled as the two leaders let one another go. Her free hand clung to a simple pouch around her waist while the other had dropped down to her side.

    Ever since the raven-haired girl had received the apparent gift from the dwarves, she never allowed the item to disappear from her sight.

    She even went so far as to sleep with the valuable item.  Painfully keeping the massive red diamond clutched chest at night as she feared any unruly peasant would try and steal the object away from her. So far, no attempts had been made.

    She suspected that no one beyond Captain Boris and Sylvia was even aware that the young girl had such a priceless item in her possession.

    The dwarven leader smiled as he looked up at the human girl. Whatever it was that caused the dwarven leader to make such a face, she couldn¡¯t say. She had a hard time reading the man.

    Perhaps, he was the usual jolly sort of fellow. Who wouldn''t be after what she had seen in the past few days.

    The mines were quite spacious considering the fact that they were a people who barely came to the girls waist, though with what they had been through these past few years she wasn''t all that surprised. She rarely had to bend over when she and a few others were being shown around. There was also the fact that the mines were apparently rich in ores and the dwarves were ready to ramp up production for various items that they planned to make.

    The place was spacious and rich beyond what anyone could have hoped for.

    Save for the overall creepy and downright terrifying feeling that she had when they had gone deeper within the mine, she wouldn¡¯t have minded the idea of living underneath the earth.

    If she had been born as a dwarf.

    The elegantly dressed dwarf had even gone so far to boast about how their coffers were bursting with silver and iron while he quietly whispered in her ear about a few hidden tunnels where they had several mining carts that were filled with various minerals such as rubies and emeralds.

    When she had asked to see these mystical carts the dwarf had laughed and proclaimed that she would be able to see them some other time.

    All in all, the tour was a successful one, and she felt that the sergeant that had overseen the transfer of men would give a favorable report to his superior upon their return to Ruined Home.

    Iskra was actually glad that the man had found a perfectly good reason not to come along. She wouldn¡¯t have been all that surprised if he somehow managed to turn the entire thing up on its head and ruined a considerably easy deal.

    ¡°Lady Iskra,¡± Sylvia¡¯s voice pulled the young girl away from her thoughts.

    ¡°The sergeant is claiming that the men are ready to go and we can depart whenever you wish.¡±

    The young girl nodded at the servants'' words.

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time for us to leave. It was an honor in taking part in your hospitality as well as the opportunity to explore your peoples home and to see the craftsmanship of the dwarves.¡± She bowed and made to turn but not before Zharatan managed to call out to her.

    ¡°Before you leave, I would like to present you with one more gift. I¡¯ll meet you at your carriage.¡±

    The bearded leader reached into his robe and pulled out a smoking pipe as he waved the human girl away.

    <hr>

    The pair of women weren''t forced to wait very long before Zharatan came into view with a single guard by his side.

    Iskra wasn¡¯t sure if she had seen the guard before as she didn¡¯t recognize the helmet, but it wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising if she did.

    ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± Zharatan called out with a raised arm as he walked up to the two women.

    Sylvia nodded in reply while the younger girl quietly watched as the two dwarves came within an arm¡¯s length.

    ¡°Now then,¡± The dwarven leader said as he brought a hand over the nameless guard''s left shoulder. ¡°This here is Argonok. He¡¯ll be your first ever royal guard and first ever servant willing to die for you.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Zharatan let out a wicked laugh as he patted Iskra¡¯s newfound guard on the shoulder. The man had a strange way of putting things if she was to be honest. However, the short haired girl didn¡¯t actually mind it. Especially at the mention of receiving a royal guard, even if that''s not what the bearded dwarf had actually meant.

    ¡°Er, uh. Yes. Thank you.¡± Was all she could say as her newly established royal guard clomped loudly to her side while the dwarven leader turned and waved goodbye as he walked off in the distance.

    The two of them nodded at one another in silence as they stared at their counterpart.

    To the girl, he looked similar to all the other Fire Guard. An elite group of dwarves who wore the heaviest of armor with the largest of weapons. The only sort of uniqueness to him was the long axe looking weapon that had a strange tube running through its glistening head.

    His helmet was plain with no obvious significant feature as far as she could tell, at least compared to some of the helmets she saw in the past few days. That was one of the very few ways she could tell the elite guard of Zharatan apart from one another. His helmet had been painted in a four squared, multicolored red and blue scheme. She wasn¡¯t sure if the different colors meant anything or if it was a more personal touch done on the guards'' own violation.

    What did he think of her, she wondered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you sir Argonok.¡± Sylvia said as she went to open the door of the carriage.

    ¡°Likewise.¡± The guards'' voice echoed out. It sounded similar enough to his other brethren, the constant echo that she came to associate with the dwarves made it almost impossible to note any of the more minute details of their voices.

    Having said that, his voice had a more metallic ring to it.

    ¡°Would you like to join us inside for the journey?¡± Iskra asked as she gestured for the man to enter.

    ¡°And miss out on all the fun walking for days on end?¡± The man said in a sarcastic tone as he made to step onto the carriages ramp.

    The vehicle creaked in displeasure as the armored clad dwarf stepped upwards and applied his weight.

    Something let out a sharp ear ringing crack as the dwarf plummeted to the ground. His feet were buried halfway into the soft earth as everyone looked on in shock.

    Argonok looked at the ground with a curious hum while the two women stared absently at him.

    ¡°I think¡­¡± He began as he looked up towards his new mistress. ¡°I¡¯ll walk.¡±

    <hr>

    To Iskra, the trip back to Ruined Home had been dull and uneventful. Not much had happened beyond the odd sighting of strange and massive wolf-like creatures that Argonok had named as Wargs.

    When she had asked what made them so different compared to actual wolves, the metal encased guard had stated in a blunt tone ¡°They¡¯re wolves, but meaner and more likely to bite you in half.¡±

    While the trip to Zharatan¡¯s Domain had been successful, she yearned for something more exciting to happen. The talks were done in a fashion that was all well and good, but they had been dreadfully dry. The time that she had argued with Captain Boris had proven itself to be far more frustrating than it should have been.

    She wondered why Duke Radislav had even picked that stubborn, middle-aged fool if all he was going to do was get in the way and ruin the young girls'' plans.

    ¡°Lady Iskra.¡± Sylvia said in a soft-spoken tone that managed to break the young girl out of her thoughts.

    The mild-mannered servant pointed out of the window of the carriage when her raven-haired mistress looked towards the older woman. ¡°We¡¯re at the river. I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t have to head down south like last time.¡±

    Heavy runoff from the nearby mountains had forced their convoy to march south instead of directly east. It had added a full day to their journey when they first set out, but thankfully the water had subsided to a level where they could now traverse to the opposite side without being forced to go further than was necessary.

    All it would take is a few hours of their time, and they would be well on their way back to their new home.

    Iskra let out a deep sigh as adjusted herself in the plush, comfortable seating.

    Her butt ached from having sat down for the entire journey and she wanted to do something other than think about the merits of being bored in an untamed land.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out and watch the men for a while.¡± The girl said as she stretched out her arms. ¡°It''s a far better option than sitting in here and looking at our nails.¡±

    Iskra reached for the portal to the outside and opened it, taking the first step into the brightly lit midafternoon sun.

    <hr>

    A lone figure watched from high up in the mountain that overlooked the humans as they stopped and prepared themselves to cross the nearby river.

    The gnarled and sickly looking figure was short in stature with grey, ash-colored skin. His breathing came in labored gasps as he kneeled in front of a large boulder that blocked the humans from ever being able to see him.

    The goblin, as his hideous looking race was more commonly known as, let out a long and tired sigh as he reached out and grasped at a gold coin.

    He resented that damned thing as he looked down upon its shiny surface. A curse had been placed upon him and his people. Strange incidents and terrible deaths had inflicted his clan ever since he first picked up the wonderfully made item.

    His favorite broodmother had the misfortune of falling to her death deep inside of the clans cavernous home. Not that it changed all that much for him. All he had to do was lay claim to another female that caught his fancy and forced her to join his harem. The replacement just so happened to be the daughter to the unfortunate female who managed to flatten herself on the cavern floor. She was also his daughter as well but that never mattered to a race such as the goblins or their crueler cousins, the orcs.

    Fortunately for him, the gods have provided for him by sending someone who could remove the curse.

    The goblin had been hesitant at first but once he had seen one of the more unlucky members of his clan, even before this cursed curse had befallen his people, avoid outright deadly fates he became convinced.

    All that they needed to do was to strike at the humans below them and bring their saviors what they wished for.

    He scanned his surroundings as he looked for the signs that his people were to give when they were ready to strike.

    Most of the force was already in their pre-designated positions. A few stragglers were having trouble as they traversed the loosely packed mountain trail; he noticed a few of the more distant figures layed still with their backs facing the sky above. A few deaths didn''t matter. He was always happy to replenish their numbers.

    He flashed a murderous grin as he waited for the last group to give the ready signal.

    <hr>

    Argonok watched in boredom as the humans worked to bring their equipment across the river. The water was supposedly at a level where it could be crossed without issues, though he wondered if they had forgotten about the heavily armored dwarf when discussing their plans to cross. No one had even bothered to let him in on their plan to get him across the deep looking water.

    What a bunch of assholes.

    ¡°Were you part of the original group when your people first came to Ruined Home?¡± Came the voice of one of the many humans who were waiting for their turn to cross.

    He didn¡¯t bother to turn to see who had spoken to him as he recognized the voice belonging to one of the more talkative guards. He couldn¡¯t remember the name; however, not because he thought that they all sounded similar to each other but mainly because he didn¡¯t really care to remember who was who.

    Well, there was also the fact that they all had similar sounding names to one another.

    ¡°No.¡± Argonok said abruptly without looking to see who it was. ¡°I was back in N''urn Arvul Zhar when that was going on. Nothing to do except watch the corpses of the dead rot away as they get eaten by stray animals.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± The guard said quietly as he placed his free hand over the back of his neck. ¡°Would you like to know more about our new home? It¡¯s actually quite interesting once you get past your initial fears.¡±

    The long-winded guard didn¡¯t wait for an answer from the dwarf as he went on a long and tiresome tirade about the encampment. The heavily armored dwarf let out a long sigh as he tried in vain to tune out the nonstop explanation of everything the human could think of.

    The boy spoke on a wide variety of topics. There was a long tirade about their first day in the heavily wooded area. Their shock at the discovery of a collapsed mountain which in turn had led to the eventual name for their new home. The fears everyone had over the rumors involving demons being trapped deep within some massive pit.

    On and on he went, as the young guard spoke about one topic and then moved to the next. Time went on as men and carts crossed the river without incident, and the midday sun moved ever forward as it hung sickly over the cloudy sky.

    Eventually, the young boy seemed to be winding down.

    ¡°Having said that however, it reminds me of the time whe-¡°

    The guard went silent, and the armored clad dwarf sighed in relief.

    ¡°Sorcerer cursed your tongue lad?¡± He said half-jokingly and half wishing as he turned to look at the talkative human. Only to find that a crude looking arrow had managed to lodge itself into his throat. Bloodied meat dripped off of its wickedly shaped head as the nameless guard coughed out blood. His eyes slowly went dark as he collapsed onto the ground below.

    Argonok watched the body for a moment before looking to see where the arrow had come from.

    Surprised shouts of warning went out as the men who hadn¡¯t managed to cross the river readied themselves against the unknown enemy.

    The dwarf readied his weapon as he looked about, searching to see who had launched the arrow. A few more men had fallen to the ground; various amounts of arrows had used their bodies as pincushions while pools of blood soaked the nearby earth. Several others limped to and fro as they called out to their friends for help.

    Out in the distance, he saw two figures look around in confusion. Unsure of what was happening as one fastened their armor while their allies called out to them. One of the men rushed towards friendly lines as he nearly tripped over himself while his chest piece hung loosely off of his body.  His nearby compatriot rubbed at his face as he cleared away the sleep from his eyes.

    He never had a chance to do much else as small, childlike creatures swarmed over the sluggish human and dragged him behind the nearby rock cropping.

    Not a sound was uttered from the disappeared guard as more of the creatures erupted from the nearby boulders.

    Someone called for battle lines to be formed but it was already too late.

    The goblins were upon them and would soon break upon their bodies like a wave.

    Argonok looked to see where his newly acquired charge was located in all of this chaos but something slammed into his back while a grey, pustule covered hand blocked the light from his vision.

 Chapter 4: To Brutal Victory and Hard Fought Friends

    Two figures watched from high up on the mountainside as they watched the chaos unfold. They had watched as the goblins expertly made their way down the mountain and swarm the scattered ranks of the unaware humans. There were a few capable holdouts who had managed to form proper defenses, but it was evident that the goblins would win out in the end.

    ¡°Are you sure this will work?¡± One of the figures called out as they watched from behind a nearby boulder. She bore a tired and disbelieving expression on her face as she turned to look at the figure on her right.

    The figure who turned to look at her counterpart was a tall and lithe woman who looked to be middle aged. She had straight, shoulder length black hair and dressed in a way that made her seem more of a beggar rather than someone who had once been so well prepared to traverse around the world for the past several months. Her dirty and mismatched outfit had holes scattered throughout various places and the once well-made articles of clothing were flayed in even more locations.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going all that well for these humans. A third of the ones who haven¡¯t crossed yet are already dead.¡±

    While it was true that many of the defending humans were either dead, dying or struggled to maintain a proper defense against so many of the surrounding goblins, there were a few figures among them who had made quick work of their opponents or were able to rally those around them and form an adequate defense.

    ¡°Nonsense.¡± The second figure said as he nodded towards a few groups of clustered humans.

    The second figure was a younger looking boy who looked to be in the prime years of his life and couldn¡¯t be older than sixteen. While the older woman had the impression of being the type of person who liked to be left alone, the younger boy had the glow and robustness of an individual who sought to go out and explore the world. He was straight-backed, and his muscles were well toned. A testament to his well-bred heritage and the years he had spent under the tutelage of some of his peoples'' most notable instructors.

    ¡°See that group by that one cart?¡± He pointed towards a group of three men with their backs against a cart with a large canvas that hung loosely over its mysterious cargo. However, the prideful sounding boy didn¡¯t have the chance to continue his train of thought as the trio was quickly swarmed from behind and their bodies disappeared from sight under the weight of the grey skinned creatures.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± He said with shock in his voice. ¡°I meant those men over there¡­By that carriage.¡±

    This time he pointed towards the front of the convoy as a group of five men formed a wall in front of the wooden vehicle. Someone within the group gestured towards a few figures who struggled to make it back to the shoreline while simultaneously felling a goblin who had the bright idea of lunging straight at his chest.

    ¡°They know what they¡¯re doing.¡± There was a growing sense of hope in the boys¡¯ voice as he reached for the sword by his hip.

    The woman looked at him with a disgruntled face as she silently rolled her eyes before an annoyed sigh escaped her lips.

    ¡°So¡­¡± She said as she turned to stare back at the unfolding battle. It was obvious that the goblins had the upper hand and they would continue to have it so long as something didn¡¯t change that inevitable fact. ¡°When should we reveal ourselves and lay claim to the spoils of war, oh great and merciful one?¡±

    ¡°Uh, now?¡± He sounded unsure of what to say as he watched another lone figure collapse from the sheer weight of goblins surrounding them.

    He turned to look at the woman with a confused face. Leadership was something he was not used to.

    The lithe woman stared at him in disbelief as she raised an eyebrow at his wavering confidence.

    This boy had once brimmed in confidence as he led their group into the wider world in search of a fantastical tale to tell his family back home.

    ¡°Right.¡± He said as he looked to his sides. One arm was raised high into the air as he signaled for the others to make ready.

    ¡°Now!¡±

    <hr>

    Argonok let out a roar of defiant anger as he swung his bloodied halberdier into the swarm of hideous creatures in front of him. The goblins, for their admittedly brave effort, stood directly in its path as the weapons sharp edges cleaved their bodies cleanly in two.

    Seven more notches were added to his imaginary kill count as the top halves of their bodies flew off into the air while the bottom halves crumpled into the ground. Blood, gore and torn flesh littered the nearby area as he brought his weapon back into a more favorable stance.

    These goblins were a smart bunch as they tried in vain to keep their distance from the ever marching, metallic clad monstrosity as he slowly made his way towards Iskra¡¯s arrow covered carriage.

    He silently praised the hellfires of Tor Nu''uk as none of the goblins appeared to be armed with anything that was capable of piercing his heavy armor. Of course, he had also given praise to the efforts of the group of humans who stood their ground in front of the wooden carriage. For the moment at least.

    Blood-curdling screams came from somewhere behind him as more of the unsavory creatures found the courage to strike at his impenetrable armor.

    They knew that the dwarf was their most dangerous opponent and the quicker that they slaughtered him, the better chances they had of routing the remaining humans. However, this quick decision had led to the ruin of countless other goblins as their ruined corpses littered the battlefield. Since the start of the battle, he had done nothing but leave a bloodied trail of rotting meat. A testament to his destructive capabilities.

    The bloodied dwarf swung his weapon down and cleaved a goblin in two before he slammed the weapons'' pummel behind him. The once cleaned pummel pierced one of the charging creatures but not before several more of its allied had managed slam into his back. The blood smeared suit of armor roared in frustration as he reached back and grabbed ahold of one of the oddly shaped headed freaks. Without blinking an eye, he tossed the goblin by his feet and raised his boot into the air.

    A spurt of blood swiftly followed a satisfying crunch as the monsters head vanished beneath the heel of his now blood drenched boot.

    Meat and sinew clung to his greaves as he stepped forward while he reached for another creature. This time the beasts head popped in the palm of his hand as he brought its struggling form out front, raising its corpse high into the air. Crushed eyes, blood and sinew dripped from his fingers as he casually tossed the ill-fated goblin aside.

    The goblins backed away from their bloodied opponent. A look of terror was a familiar sight among their many faces, but they resisted the urge to turn tail and run.

    For their courage, they were rewarded by Argonoks¡¯ bloodied weapon cutting them in half.

    The Fire Guard let his displeasure be known with a low growl.

    As of that moment, that was the last group of goblins who had been willing to meet him in battle.

    He looked around for any sign of leadership that the goblins may have brought with them.

    It was common enough, from past experiences, for some small clans to have a trusted individual lead their forces in raids such as this and the irritated man used this small pause in battle as a means to find out for sure.

    From his position he saw that all of the humans who had been caught on the outskirts were, for the most part, dead. There were a few brave souls who still struggled in the nearby river, but they were slowly being picked off by several goblin archers who remained a healthy distance away from the chaotic battlefield.

    Those who had already crossed to the other side could do nothing except watch as their friends were slowly being cut down.

    The goblins, on the other hand, were having the greatest time of their miserable lives. Their faces were grinning in vicious glee as they cackled menacingly at their enemies. Their desire to eat the dead and dying were plain for all to see. Several packs of scavengers had already been formed, and the child sized cannibals had already stripped the dead of their valuables and hacked away at human and goblin bodies alike.

    There was no respect for the dead as several of the nearby sunken, and beady eyed monsters chewed on various parts of a goblin corpse. Digging into its rotting meat while they wearily eyed the dwarf as he continued to scan the battlefield.

    They weren¡¯t eager to interrupt their current meals in order to fling themselves onto his weapon, and the slow marching suit of armor had no desire to chase after them. For the time being.

    There were no obvious signs of leadership among their numbers, but that didn¡¯t mean they lacked someone with the capabilities to direct and influence the ongoing chaos. He just needed to pay attention and look elsewhere.

    He turned towards the carriage where his charge had huddled up inside. A few more humans had made their way towards the vehicle and had formed up with the formation already present. A pile of goblin corpses was beginning to form around the guards, but the little devils were starting to learn from their mistakes. There were a few other clusters of guards dotted throughout the wrecked convoy, but the sheer amount of goblins between them and the primary unit of defenders had made the effort to reach them a futile one.

    Argonok was satisfied for the moment as he watched the humans bring down three more of the grotesque monsters. So long as the humans kept their wits about them and watched out for any tricks from their opponents than they should be able to hold them off.

    He just hoped that those men lasted long enough for him to find the goblins¡¯ leader.

    <hr>

    It happened in the blink of an eye.

    Iskra first heard the shouts and cries coming from the nearby men as they watched their friends fall to the ground and lay still. She had stood there, dumbfounded, as she watched more of the men rush towards their friends only to be cut down by unseen archers or had the misfortune of being dragged off into the nearby forest or one of the many large outcrops of boulders. One minute she was outside and the next, she was back inside of the carriage as she listened in barely restrained fear while the sounds of battle raged around her.

    Sylvia had also managed to make it back inside as well, apparently. The nerve wracked girl assumed that it had been the older woman who had managed to drag the two of them back inside the safety of the carriage.

    The grey haired woman was nestled up against her charge, shoulder to shoulder as the older servant quietly prayed to the gods for protection. Her mouth moved at a rapid pace as her eyes remained shut while her hands formed the holy symbols for countless gods. Iskra thought it was a good idea, but she found herself unable to think of anything to pray for. So the young girl stayed quiet. She was satisfied with the thought that her mother¡¯s former handmaiden was praying for the two of them. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The raven-haired girl had once thought to look outside to see how the battle was going. When she made to put her face near the window, an arrow planted itself in the glass. The crude yet effective missile never managed to pierce through, but it did force the girl to scream in terror while the arrowhead buried itself within the viewport.

    She had decided at that very moment that it was better to just wait until someone called out for her to come outside.

    Over time more arrows had made their mark on the carriage. The heavy and loud thuds of the missiles caused the two women to follow the repeated sounds of the bolts as they embedded themselves deep into the planks of wood that kept them safe from harm.

    Sylvia¡¯s prayers were much more noticeable than before.

    In what felt like an eternity, the cries and shouts of the men outside slowly began to fade as the snarls and venomous laughter of the goblins became louder with each passing moment.

    Eventually, everything went silent.

    To Iskra, it was an odd silence. Nothing seemed to make a sound. Not Sylvia who still played to the gods. Not her ragged breathing as she shifted her eyes from one side of the carriage to the other. Nor the carriage itself as it swayed heavily to the side as something repeatedly slammed into the sides of the vehicle.

    She knew that all of these things could make sounds, and most likely had made sounds, but she heard none of it.

    Her eyes focused on the door as something tugged on its handle from the outside.

    The outer edges of her vision slowly faded away as the door crept open. The oddly bright light of the waning afternoon sun shined through the portal to the outer realm as a strange and oddly shaped shadow cast itself inside of the carriage while a bloodied and gore riddled hand gripped the frame of the door.

    Its gangly form moved at a snail¡¯s pace as its long and sickly brown fingernails scraped against the rich interior wood. A clubbed foot took its first step inside as more of the creature''s arm slowly revealed itself. An arrow was sticking out of the muscle of its forearm, its own blood dripped off of the heads tip.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    Whether the arrow had belonged to a friend or foe she couldn¡¯t tell. She didn¡¯t need to know.

    All she knew was that this was the end for her.

    Quietly, she prayed to whichever god had answered her prayers all those months ago and begged for them to hear her final wish.

    Now, however, all that stood before her was the ragged and brutal form of a goblin. In reality, this was her very first time seeing such a creature. More than likely it would also be her last.

    The child sized creature had harsh grey skin. Scars, pustules and other strange conditions marked its body while the crude looking armor it wore had the visible signs of being worn into battle. Fur, leather and bits of metal were strapped in a mismatched fashion in a way that the scared girl couldn¡¯t fathom as to the reason why they had been placed where they had. Maybe it had made sense in some weirdly elaborate way to the sunken eyed creature. Finding the answer wouldn¡¯t come to her as the goblin stared harshly at her with its dark red pupils as it inched closer and closer while its immediate attention was solely placed on the two women as they huddled into the others arms.

    The goblins hand gripped tightly around the hilt of its weapon. The chipped and dulled hunk of metal looked to be near its breaking point, but it had obviously done its job as flesh clung to its surface like a newborn babe would with its mother. Its free hand reached out towards Iskra as the creature slowly raised its sword arm into the air. The bludgeoning weapon was poised to strike as the first of its thin, twig like fingers gripped at the young girls¡¯ shirt.

    Iskra wanted to desperately kick and punch at the sickly creature but found that her body wouldn¡¯t respond to her desires.

    She sat there, her face drained of color while the monster pulled her in close as it readied to strike down the unfortunate girl.

    Time seemed to stand still as her entire life flashed before her eyes. She saw her friends and family, the time she had spent being groomed to become the next queen. All that wasted time. All that wasted effort.

    Death was certain. Death was near.

    Suddenly¡­

    Someone screamed as a blade exploded out of the goblins head. Blood and brain matter erupted out of the wound while the black liquid splattered across the inside. The creatures¡¯ body went limp as its life was extinguished. A gauntleted hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and yanked the creature out of the carriage. A large piece of the girls¡¯ linen shirt was torn off as the dead creature disappeared outside.

    A youthful face popped inside. Short, unkempt blonde hair and long, knife like ears were plainly visible as a look of utter shock cascaded across the individuals¡¯ handsome features. The unnamed head quickly disappeared, and a voice called out in a language she never heard before.

    As far as she knew, the danger had passed.

    <hr>

    While the goblins had been busy looting and eating the dead, the roughly dozen elves had swooped in and swiftly overwhelmed their loosely scattered formation. The goblins were dispatched in such a manner that they had no time to react to this new threat.

    The elves had arrived with not a moment to spare.

    For most of the unfortunate humans who were caught in the ambush, it had been a moment too late. Over three quarters of the men who hadn¡¯t managed to cross the river lay dead or dying. The grievously injured were given their last rites as they were comforted before they succumbed to their wounds.

    There was very little that the humans, or the elves, could have done for them. There was simply not enough medicine to go around, and the journey to Ruined Home was still a day and a half from being finished. It was decided that while the dead were given a cremation, the convoy would pause and allow for the gravely injured to pass on to the afterlife.

    Before the first funeral pyres were lit, Iskra had asked for a moment to speak.

    The young girl was quiet at first as she searched for the words that she wished to say but eventually, she did speak. She had apologized to the men, and woman, around her for having them follow her into this horrid land. She had apologized for having them labor and struggle against the wild as they slowly eked out a new home for everyone. She had apologized for sending them out on this journey. She had apologized for sending the men they were about to burn to their deaths. She had apologized to the recently deceased as they suffered in their final moments. She had apologized to the still living as they were forced to watch their friends die without being able to do a single thing.

    Yet she also cursed at the kingdom that was able to peacefully sleep at night. She had cursed both their king and their duke for having banished the innocent for the actions of a single person. She had railed against the goblins for daring to strike at their numbers. She had praised the dwarves for their hospitality and spoke of a glorious future where the two races enjoyed a strong alliance. She had thanked and relished relief for the elves who had saved who they could. She yelled out to whichever gods that had listened and thanked them for answering their prayers.

    She had said these things and more.

    At the end of her speech, the survivors swarmed the girl as they called out her name. They gave her their courage and their worries. Their strengths and their fears. They had cried out for more. For an opportunity to prove themselves and strike at the very land itself.

    It was all very emotional, or so Argonok thought as he stood and watched the entire scene unfold. His fingers rubbed at the palm of his armored hand while he flicked a coin in the air.

    The smooth surface flickered in the light of the funeral pyre. Its gold and newly minted face clinked pleasantly as the dwarf caught it in the air.

    He flicked the coin once more and allowed it to hang for longer. He watched as it spun up into the air.

    The coin was not perfect however. Scratch marks had marred its surface while dried blood had corrupted the crisp and clean sheen it once had.

    The coin fell and landed in his hand and bounced twice before it slowly clattered to a halt.

    The coin had landed face side up.

    The coin wasn¡¯t his. He had found it next to the corpse of a goblin while he combed the area as he searched for any friendly survivors.

    It wouldn¡¯t have normally caught his interest, as money was something he hadn¡¯t been interested in for a very long time.

    The design of the coin was what caught his attention however.

    Tails side up there was a trio of spires with some writing on the outer edges that he couldn¡¯t read. The other side was far more concerning.

    Face up the coin had a head with sharp, pointed ears that looked vaguely similar to an elf.

    Argonok had an eerily feeling that the elves were somehow involved in the ambush.

    He just needed some time to find out for sure. As well as someone knowledgeable enough who could give him the answers that he sought.

    He could afford to wait for that moment. Time was something he had plenty of after all.

    <hr>

    Once the remaining funeral pyres had burned out, the remnants of the convoy had crossed the river without any further incidents. The convoys leader, a young human girl who had introduced herself as Iskra, had insisted that the elves accompany the humans on their return trip to their supposedly ramshackle encampment that they called home. She had been quite adamant that the elves and humans spend as much time together as possible and even went so far as to provide them a permanent welcome into the camp that they had dubbed Ruined Home.

    The elves didn¡¯t need to be convinced or forced, to take up the generous offer being provided to them. They were already near their breaking point after spending the last few days without a proper meal. Nevertheless, the apparent saviors were the actual ones who needed to be saved.

    It was probably for the best if the humans never found out about that embarrassing little detail.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re used to, but I think you¡¯ll like our encampment.¡± Said Sylvia as she tried to fill in the awkward silence while the carriage rumbled and jolted through the wild and untamed trail.

    Velicion noticed that the middle aged servant had been the most talkative person within the group of four. Beyond the initial greetings, when they first stepped into the carriage, the other three individuals had barely uttered a word. For the elven woman, this was mainly due to the fact that she hadn¡¯t spoken this particular human dialect in many years. So it was bound to happen when she struggled to translate her thoughts into something that made sense.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lake at the foot of the nearby mountains that we use for various things. It isn¡¯t much to look at, but you can actually see all the way to the bottom. Other than that, there are a few scary things nearby as well.¡±

    The older human gave a short, nervous chuckle while the fair skinned and lithe elf gave an odd look at the mention of ¡®scary things.¡¯

    ¡°What do you mean by scary things? Is there a cave of ravenous bears close by or something?¡±

    The female elf asked as she shifted her gaze back towards the human who tried her best to keep the silence from stifling everyone inside the battle scarred carriage.

    ¡°Oh, no. There¡¯s nothing like that. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s this massive hole in the ground that makes a terrifying noise. Lots of people are claiming that there¡¯s a demon trapped down there. Plus, I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s actually seen a bear since we first settled down.¡±

    As ludicrous as that sounded, Velicion wouldn¡¯t actually doubt it if there was a demon or two inside of this mysterious pit that the humans had managed to stumble upon. She¡¯s seen her fair share of demon infested caverns in her one hundred and thirty odd years.

    If asked, she would advise anyone to just vaporize the whole area if they had the means to.

    ¡°I seriously doubt that.¡± The elf started as she gestured with her right hand. ¡°Demons tend to be around areas where there are large reservoirs of magical energies. It¡¯s very rare for the spawns of chaos to just amble about in the wider world without some ill purpose in their twisted minds. It¡¯s even rarer for someone to imprison a demon without telling other capable individuals about said prison."

    ¡°I see.¡± The servants'' voice trailed off in thought as she no doubt imagined all sorts of scenarios involving demons being trapped inside of the dark places of the world.

    The elven woman wondered what the two children had been up to ever since the four of them sat inside of the wooden vehicle.

    Iskra had suggested that the two adults sit opposite of each while she hinted for the boy to sit right next to her. For her efforts, the young girl watched in disappointment as her counterpart decided to sit beside the elven sorceress. Ever since then, the two of them were dead quiet.

    She looked over to Aurelius as he stared absent mindedly towards the younger human. His gaze was angled in such a way that he couldn¡¯t possibly be looking towards the raven-haired girls face.

    Velicion followed the gaze of the young prince and sighed in mild disappointment as she realized where he had been staring at this entire time.

    The boy had his eyes glued right on the girls¡¯ ample bust.

    No, that wasn¡¯t right. The word ¡°ample¡± wasn''t at all an accurate description for the young humans¡¯ bosom. Something along the lines of mountainous would more than likely be adequate.

    The sorceress looked back at the boy with mild disgust as the younger elf followed the movement of the girls¡¯ breasts as they bounced up and down while the carriage drove through a particularly rough patch of ground.

    The elven woman realized that the prince was becoming more like his father with each passing day. She wondered what his mother had to say about that.

    The girl didn¡¯t seem to mind, or notice, that the perverse boy stared so brazenly at her breasts. The tall and curvaceous young girl had a look of amazement and genuine awe plastered over her face as she looked deeply into the boys'' eyes.

    The elven sorceress worried that the raven-haired girl had suspicions towards her rescuers'' true intentions.

    <hr>

    Iskra had no idea where she was. It was pitch black, cold, wet and eerily quiet.

    Of course, the only thing was she knew for sure was the fact that she had been swimming in a strange feeling liquid for what felt like an eternity.

    As she swam in the pitch black darkness, the young girl was amazed at how scary it all was as she struggled to see past her own nose.

    ¡°Hello?¡± The young girl called out for what must have been the hundredth time.

    And for the seemingly hundredth time, there was no answer. Only complete and utter silence.

    She didn¡¯t know what else to do except continue to swim.

    So that¡¯s what she did.

    She swam for as long as she could, never tiring in the physical sense as the odd liquid splashed against her freezing body.

    Eventually, she stopped.

    Her arms had grown heavy at the thought of continuously swimming for an eternity, and it had eventually drained her will to continue forward. The question to her current whereabouts would have to be answered at a later time. Probably.

    She let out a tired sigh as she floated in the water.

    She wondered what she was swimming in and slowly brought a cupped hand to her mouth. She gave it a quick sniff. It didn¡¯t have that familiar smell that the rivers and lakes near her old home had once possessed. Iskra stuck out her tongue and lapped up small droplets of the liquid. It didn¡¯t have that watery taste either. It was bitter and left a foul taste in her mouth.

    What in the world was she swimming in?

    The girl didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on it as she noticed a bright light flash below her.

    She glanced down in nervousness as the mysterious light blinked once more.

    It was only for a quick second, but she noticed something new. She was completely naked.

    Why was she naked?

    She had even more questions now that she noticed the seemingly plainly obvious fact. That would have to wait however as the mysterious light returned. This time it lingered for far longer than the past two times. In fact, it glowed brighter and grew rapidly in size.

    Iskra began to panic; fearful of what might happen to her once the mysterious light came upon her person. She swam this way and that way unsure of where she should go or what she could do.

    Eventually, the light stopped. Its golden radiance blinded the young girl as it sat completely still just below her feet.

    Her heart pounded against her chest as she stared down at the strange disk.

    The light had a strange warmth to it as well as a weirdly calming sensation as the sense of fear slowly faded from her thoughts.

    Her worries eventually evaporated entirely as she managed to look away. It was at that moment that she noticed that the liquid she was swimming in was of a silver color.

    It was just another thing that she added to the ever growing list that she should most likely be worried about.

    Somewhere out in the distance, a noise caught her attention. She couldn¡¯t make out what it was, but she knew for a fact that she did hear something.

    She turned to where she thought it came from and started to swim.

    No matter how far she went, the strange golden light was directly below her. It had either followed her movements, or it was just that big of an object.

    She didn¡¯t have time to dwell on that conundrum as the mysterious orb shrunk in size and darted off into the distance. Far beyond what she could see.

    She was shrouded in complete darkness once again.

    The noise returned, this time it was much closer and far easier to make out.

    The sound of rushing water overwhelmed her sense of hearing as small waves crashed into her while the chaotic noise began to drown her other senses into oblivion.

    The light returned once more as it slowly rose out of the silver ocean, its circular form shattered the storm struck surface while Iskra struggled against the growing onslaught of increasingly sizeable waves.

    Something else broke the surface as the golden light burned brighter. And brighter. And brighter.

    She shielded her eyes from the light as she struggled to make out its massive form. The golden orb slowly began to separate as it split itself into two perfect circles, going off in opposite directions but never straying too far from one another.

    There, out in the distance.

    She could make out a shape that looked like a shoulder. Next, she recognized what appeared to be a hand. The emerging giant looked vaguely human in shape as its naked form continued to rise out of the ocean. Waterfalls of the silver liquid cascaded down its chiseled form.

    Iskra wasn''t certain, but the mysterious being looked a lot like-

    <hr>

    ¡°Lady Iskra?¡± Sylvia¡¯s voice called out as it broke the young girl from her daze while the older woman''s hand slowly brushed over Iskras¡¯ shoulder.

    ¡°What?¡± Iskra said softly as she shook her head, clearing away the strange dreamlike vision she had just experienced. ¡°Sorry. I had my mind elsewhere.¡±

    That was an understatement.

    ¡°Madam Velicion was asking about a few things, and I thought it would be best if you were to give a more thorough response.¡±

    The grey haired servant nodded towards the elven woman as she intended for the young girl to give a reply here and now.

    ¡°Would you be kind enough to repeat your question?¡± The young girl asked as she rubbed her hand over her face.

    ¡°Of course.¡± The soft and silky voiced elf said in response to the confused girl.

    The sorceress went on to ask several questions concerning the location around the humans¡¯ encampment. Iskra did her best to answer the elfs queries to the best of her abilities, but as time went on the young girl found herself drawn back into the eyes of Aurelius.

    The younger elfs almond shaped eyes were strangely alluring. The majority of the boys'' eyes were as black as a starless night sky where the light from the full moon simply vanished into the vast nothingness of the unknown. His pupils were of a striking silver color that shined brightly while the young girl became mesmerized by its beauty. The strangely intoxicating pupil looked as if the silver, deep within its confines, moved in a way that reminded her of the surface of a lake on a windy day. Yet, deep within that veil of silver were small veins of gold that stuck out to her. It only further complimented the young prince¡¯s fey blessed aura as she stared so intently into the abyss that was the window into his soul.

    Over time the world slowly began to disappear once again.

 Chapter 5: A Rising Power

    Light from numerous torches glistened brightly against slick, dew covered cavern walls. Shadows bounded to and fro as a mass of goblins were slowly funneled into a more central location.

    ¡°Move it!¡± A voice bellowed out while the crack of a whip reverberated loudly against the cavern walls. The owner of the voice, an orc with terrible and cruel scars across his face yelled out to the frightened goblins while several of his brethren pushed and stabbed at the small creatures.

    ¡°We ain¡¯t got all day!¡±

    ¡°Keep moving, or I¡¯ll break yer bones!¡±

    A piercing cry rang out from the terrifying scene as a goblin fell to the ground while one arm cradled the other. A bone stuck out of its flesh while the brutalized creature huddled up for protection as his captor moved to assault him.

    ¡°Useless beast.¡± Snarled one of the orcs as he loomed over the injured goblin and kicked the creature in its stomach.

    ¡°There ain¡¯t nuthin¡¯ good about you except for feeding your meat to the Wargs.¡± The orc kicked again as he made sure to burrow his ragged and knife edged boot under the prone goblin as he kicked it towards a nearby cluster of its fellow prisoners.

    This was an all too familiar scene within the realm of Arun¡¯Uk. A chain of volcanic mountains that strung from the northernmost valley of the Dark Lands and all the way to the human kingdom of Ranislava. A small tribe or clan of goblins, trolls or orcs would fight against a superior rival and lose. Only to have their surviving numbers gang pressed into servitude by the victors. While this was an ancient tradition for the roaming, orc led warbands of the south, the north had only recently seen this practice become a reality. This wasn¡¯t because the northern powers saw the advantages that the time honored tradition could bring them, but instead because of a single leader who had so brazenly laid claim over the entirety of the volcanic mountain region.

    Orukk the Blood Drinker had long claimed that he once belonged to a now defunct clan of orcs that had terrorized the various human and dwarven nations to the west of these mountains. He never bothered to explain what had happened to his former people and instead put forth the theory that a brutal killing from a feared ruler worked far better than the soft spoken words of a coward.

    So far his self-proclaimed philosophy of an ever bloody warlord was successful.

    Upon his arrival into the treacherous and unnamed western mountain passes of the Dark Lands, he had found ample opportunity to kill and slaughter those that were weaker than him. He had heard from many of his former brethren that crossing the mountains couldn¡¯t be done. He proved them wrong and in doing so, named the path he had taken as ¡°Orukks Arrival¡± At first he gathered a small band of orcs who saw untold potential in this newly arrived figure and once Orukk had killed their former leader they offered their loyalty.

    Soon this ragtag group of orcs made their way south, where they were beset by many goblin tribes who proved to be hardly worth their time. Their numbers grew with each tribe they had bested. They had scavenged and pillaged their way further south before the roaming clans of warg riders forced them to turn east and march to the north where Orukk was told that countless numbers of goblins resided. As well as a large number of troll dens that dotted the land around them.

    It was here, in the fiery mountains of Arun¡¯Uk that the orcish warlord perfected his style of mountain warfare and swallowed up numerous tribes as his vision of an all powerful kingdom slowly became a reality. Some joined him willingly while most had to be beaten into submission.

    There had been a few mishaps that had almost cost him his dream but all in all, he couldn¡¯t be stopped.

    Not now. Not ever.

    Orukk watched as the mob of goblins was slowly forced into the large cavern where their former chieftain once resided. The deceased chieftains apparent throne had been defiled and smashed into pieces once the orc had claimed victory over the freshly slain corpse. Now there was nothing left of him except for a drying pool of blood, and the unfortunate goblins head that the prideful warlord held up into the air.

    ¡°Your Chieftain is dead!¡± The orc said dramatically as he tossed his bloodied prize into the center of the cavern. The severed head bounced once before it rolled to a stop next to a small pile of corpses. These belonged to the chieftains former concubines and offspring.

    ¡°Is there anyone brave enough to claim leadership over this pathetic tribe?¡± Orukk looked over the cowering mass of goblins as he stepped down and walked towards the pile of rotting corpses.

    He waited patiently as he listened to the cowardly goblins stifle their anguished cries while a few orcs bellowed out menacing laughs.

    When the warlord was satisfied that none present would challenge their new leader, he turned towards his lieutenants ¡°Get them out of here.¡±

    <hr>

    It had taken longer than Orukk would¡¯ve liked, but he and his newly acquired slaves arrived without incident to the temporary camp that had been haphazardly raised. The ramshackle nature of the camp''s design had proven to be both a blessing and a curse when they first arrived to subjugate the various clans that inhabited the local area. Beyond that, he was more than satisfied with how everything had turned out.

    Having more bodies for his army was a good thing to have after all.

    ¡°Warchief.¡± Came the voice of Goronk, one of his more trusted and longer lived lieutenants. This particular orc hadn¡¯t decided to betray his master and claim leadership over the growing clan. At least not yet.

    ¡°What.¡± Orukk growled as he turned to face the veteran orc.

    Goronk stopped an arm¡¯s length away and planted a close fist over his heart. It was a salute that Orukk had taught to all of his fellow orcs as well as a few of the more trustworthy goblins that had been deemed worthy of a small amount of praise.

    ¡°While you were away a group of trolls arrived and sought your counsel.¡±

    While Orukk had seen a fair number of trolls during his time spent out in the west, he had found it strange that there was an unhealthy number of trolls living within the mountains of the Dark Lands. At first he wondered why that was, but realized that answers were something of a luxury within the volcanic region.

    ¡°Where are they now?¡±

    ¡°Near your tent.¡± Goronk stated as he gestured towards the center of the encampment. ¡°We tried to stop them, but they had proven to be too much to handle by ourselves.¡±

    The orc warlord let out a dissatisfied growl as he heard the fool speak. Letting trolls inside of your encampment was something that you didn''t do. The slow thinking creatures had a penchant for chaos at the best of times and could lead to utter devastation if left to their own devices. He expected very little out of the men whom he had placed trust in. Orukk could see now that there needed to be a reckoning once he was finished pulverizing some sense into the idiots with whom he had surrounded himself with.

    ¡°Fine...¡± Orukk allowed his anger to subside for a brief moment before he continued. ¡°Lead me to them.¡±

    <hr>

    It had been close to a full week since Iskra returned from visiting the dwarves, as well as the subsequent battle at the river.

    The attack had been a shock to everyone who had stayed behind in Ruined Home. As well as those who had gone on the journey. The survivors had claimed they were ambushed and were overrun before most knew they were even under attack. This was something that Captain Boris had loathed to hear. The men who were part of the young girls'' guard were well trained and well equipped. They served the banner of Duke Radoslav, one of the country¡¯s elite few nobles who had the capabilities to maintain a professional military. To have the men come close to being wiped out as they had was something that instilled anxiety into the man who had been appointed as the head of both the military aspect of the expedition as well as the ultimate decision maker.

    While it was true that the young Iskra was viewed, and often times claimed, by many as the leader of the expedition, the real power fell onto Boris¡¯ shoulders. Every decision that was made and every plan that was thought up had to be approved by him. Even if the young girl rarely spoke to the middle aged soldier, her actions would ultimately live or die by his whim.

    So far there was no need to reveal this hidden fact. Yet Boris believed he would have to reign in the girl within the coming weeks. Days even, if she continued to act as she was now.

    Her decision to create a pyre for those slain had drawn the ire of a small number of the camp''s inhabitants. While the deaths of the men had been felt throughout the encampment, there were a select few who had been hit the hardest. These were the families of a tiny number of the slain who had found the courage to bring their loved ones along with them. He would have preferred that his soldiers to not have done so, but there was little he could have done to prevent them from coming.

    For those who grieved the loss of their loved ones without a corpse or the ability to spread their ashes the deaths had proven too much, and a select few confronted the sullen military captain. They had demanded that something be done and for him to punish the girl for what he viewed as the right decision. He tried in vain to explain that there was no way for the bodies of the dead to be transported without attracting unwanted attention and that the battered retinue would suffer further losses were they to be attacked by scavengers or other bands of goblins. His words did nothing to soothe their anger, so he did the next best thing.

    A funeral was held for those who had perished. The proper prayers and burial rites had been given and a ceremony to honor the dead was held. It helped some, but for others it did very little. He did his best, but only time would tell what that would truly mean.

    For now, he had other issues on his mind.

    While Iskra¡¯s return had brought both shock and relief, he did not expect the young girl to somehow befriend a small group of elves that had intervened at the most crucial moment. While he was grateful for their timely appearance, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more to the story than was being let on. Elves were an odd race from his understanding, and they had a habit of doing things that no man could truly grasp. One minute they would raid your ports and villages and the next they would offer a hand of friendship, battling beside you as you defended your home and family. For good or ill the elves were a race that many people couldn¡¯t help but be in awe of.

    Then there was the dwarf. Always clad in thick armor, its voice echoed distantly with each word he spoke. His confrontation with the dwarf who had been given to Iskra as a gesture of goodwill was something that could wait. It was the elves that were the most pressing matter.

    For the past week, he watched as the young girl, still reeling from the attack, become overly attached to an elf of a similar age. The boy had been introduced as a young prince from the elves homeland and had been the one to personally save Iskra from a dastardly goblin who held the girl in its grip.

    A heroic and masterful swordsman, Iskra had claimed of the young boy as she boasted of the prince¡¯s actions. It was evident to him that the girl had fallen for her savior, something that he suspected neither the Duke or Duchess of Orul would be all too pleased to hear. He would need to watch the pair as time went on. None too keen on the idea that the elves were using the girls'' trauma to their advantage.

    There was another elf that he had to keep his eye on as well. That would be Velicion, an elven woman who had claimed and subsequently proven, herself as a sorceress.

    It was rare for any sort of magic to be seen within the kingdom of Ranislava. As the country was utterly void of those capable of wielding the mystical arts and those who were capable of doing so rarely visited. It had been decades since he last heard of anyone visiting the kingdom that could cast the simplest of spells.

    Velicion was an oddity. She was often quiet, save for the moments she translated for the prince and would be rarely seen without the raven haired Iskra at her side. Rumors had begun to circulate that the sorceress had spun a spell into the girls'' mind, but there was no real evidence to suggest that was the case. Even though he had no real way of knowing what to even look for when investigating such a rumor.

    The elf would whisper to the young girl on occasion, and the girl would respond in a strangely polite manner. Sometimes she spoke with the dwarf who was always by Iskra¡¯s side, never leaving her alone in even the most private moments.

    What this strange group would discuss he didn¡¯t know. He had done his best to question Sylvia as often as he could in some vain hope of finding something out, but the middle aged servant could only give the most minimal of answers. She claimed that their shared charge would usually ask about the prince and Velicion would provide an answer. The topics that the apparent love struck girl had asked were small and irrelevant. What did the prince like to do? Did he have siblings? What was his favorite food? And so on and so forth.

    To find out how correct or wrong his concerns really were, he needed to go deeper. His concerns were so significant that he had managed to surprise himself by walking right up to the tent that belonged to Velicion.

    He stood outside of the woman¡¯s tent as he wondered how he should let his presence be known.

    ¡°Are you going to stand there all night?¡± The soft spoken voice of Velicion called out to him as he stood dumbfounded by his own actions. ¡°These are your tents, after all.¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡± The man said politely as he entered the tent carefully, warily that the elf was in an embarrassing state of undress or some other vulnerable position.

    He was relieved to find Velicion sitting on the floor of her tent, a small notebook spread across her lap while she was dressed in the same outfit he had recently begun to associate her with.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were still young enough to be so bold, appearing in the middle of the night outside of a woman¡¯s tent.¡± A smile appeared on her face as she teased the man while the elf adjusted her legs.

    ¡°I can assure you that I¡¯m not here for lewd intentions.¡± Boris bowed politely as he gave the honest truth.

    ¡°Such a shame,¡± Velicion let out a playful sigh as she pretended to be upset over his words. ¡°It¡¯s been far too long since the last time a man had found it in him to try his luck with wooing my favor. I¡¯ve actually grown to miss it. Somewhat.¡±

    ¡°Then am I to presume that Madam Velicion is married?¡± The captain asked as he looked around the tent. He wondered to himself if elves even had the same concept of marriage as humans did.

    The tent wasn¡¯t as furnished as he had imagined it would be. Save for a bedroll that looked to be just slightly too small for her and a wooden pole that lay flat across the ground, there wasn¡¯t much inside. The Captain considered the fact that he hadn¡¯t heard of any complaints from the elves that concerned their sleeping arrangements so he shouldn¡¯t be all that worried with what the elves may or may not lack.

    ¡°Not quite.¡± The woman smiled as she gestured for the human to take a seat somewhere within the tent. Captain Boris obliged and sat next to the entrance, unsure if he would need to get out in a hurry. ¡°You could say that I had been swept off of my feet by the prince¡¯s father. One of his many concubines that he¡¯s managed to snag for himself over the years.¡±

    ¡°Then you are-¡°

    ¡°Not the boys¡¯ mother. I can assure you.¡± Velicion managed to cut off the grey haired veteran before he could finish his train of thought. ¡°The Arch Mistress is quite a unique woman. One that somehow managed to convince our great leader of the benefits of tying his hand with hers. Though that never stopped the man from collecting a sizeable harem of women willing to spread themselves at his command. Much to the Arch Mistress¡¯ chagrin, I might add.¡±

    ¡°I..see.¡± Boris didn¡¯t know what he could say or should say as the sorceress laid out the boys¡¯ familial situation. He wondered if this was something that an outsider was supposed to be privy to.

    ¡°Though I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re not here to hear about our young prince¡¯s familial woes, are you not?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    Velicion motioned for the man to speak his mind as she looked down towards the small book that lay on her lap.

    ¡°I¡¯m here because I have doubts about your people¡¯s intentions. As I¡¯ve already said before, your help was greatly appreciated, and you are welcome to stay for as long as you think is necessary.¡± The man didn¡¯t want to come off as too ungrateful, but he needed to speak his mind and lay out what needed to be said. ¡°Iskra¡¯s extension of gratitude and goodwill can only go so far, however. I¡¯m not sure what she has told you and your people, but she does not hold all of the power within the expedition.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that fact captain. Much to my detriment, cloak and dagger politics is something I¡¯ve become all too familiar with throughout my life.¡± Velicion opened the book as she spoke, carefully flipping through its pages as her eyes scanned its contents. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you and your men whisper to one another while you believe the girl to have her back turned. I would even go so far as to think that what little commands Iskra has given, your men have altered in some fashion.¡±

    She turned to face the captain once more as she continued to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you don¡¯t mean any ill will when you do such actions. She¡¯s young and is bound to make mistakes that may prove detrimental to your peoples'' survival.¡± Her fingers tapped at the book''s contents while her voice remained in a quiet tone. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ve been ordered by someone in a greater position to do so. I¡¯ve heard that she is the daughter of a nobleman after all. Even if she has been banished, a parent will do all they can to ensure their child survives and comes out without harm.¡±

    To a certain degree, the woman was right on the money. Boris was curious to know if this was because of her intuition or due to an unseen spell that had been woven.

    ¡°For the most part, you¡¯re correct.¡± He said after a brief silence. ¡°Her father had made it clear that she was to be given a chance to allow her education to flourish. She isn¡¯t to be given any difficult leadership decisions but the small things that would more than likely suit her future once this expedition is finished.¡±

    If the expedition was able to finish what it had started, but the Captain kept quiet about his doubts concerning their immediate future. He didn¡¯t want to show any weakness towards the woman that sat in front of him.

    ¡°What sort of future would await her in that scenario?¡± The elf asked as she flipped to the next page of her notebook.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain,¡± The man said with a quick shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not in a position to be privy to the whims of nobility. Though if I had to guess, I would say that a loyal ally of her family would most likely have a son become wedded with her.¡±

    ¡°The wonders of belonging to a powerful family.¡±

    Boris let out a rough grunt as his reply while he watched the woman flip to another page.

    For what must have felt like an eternity, the two sat in silence. Perfectly contempt to just sit there, not willing to say a word to one another as time passed by. Velicion was enveloped in her book, always keeping her eyes locked onto its pages while the grey haired human watched on in silence.

    ¡°Was that all?¡± The woman said as she looked up towards the Captain while she slowly closed the book.

    ¡°Not quite.¡± The man said after a brief moment, unsure of what he wanted to say next.

    ¡°Then what is it you wish to say? I don¡¯t imagine you as the type of man to just willingly stay up so late to talk to a complete stranger.¡±

    Boris nodded as he began to reply. ¡°Truth be told, I can¡¯t help but wonder if something was done to Iskra.¡± Velicion raised an eyebrow at his words but kept quiet as the man continued to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone attach themselves to anyone so quickly. I know that there are those who find themselves attracted to their apparent saviors, but for Iskra to be as attached to the boy as she appears to be is something I can¡¯t view as being genuine.¡±

    The girl was young and bound to find a level of attraction, appropriate or not, with someone close to her age. Yet, it was as he said. The girl was apparently enthralled by the elven boy and spoke of him as if the two had already married. Sylvia had found it quite adorable that the daughter to the Duchess of Orul had found herself in a fairy tale like situation, but had expressed concern at how quickly her charge was falling for the boy.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Are you suggesting that I¡¯ve placed a spell on our adorable little giant?¡± Whether she referred to Iskra''s height or had some other meaning, Boris couldn''t say.

    ¡°That or the prince was the one to do so.¡±

    Velicion let out a small chuckle as she smiled at the man before her. ¡°Is it that hard to believe that someone so young has a crush on someone else through no fault but her own whims?¡±

    ¡°Not necessary, but my suspicions still stand. Your arrival and subsequent rescue of the girl should be viewed under heavy suspicion, even if no one is willing to admit that. I can¡¯t help but feel how much of a perfect storm your people¡¯s arrival was.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder if you¡¯re a tad bit too paranoid.¡± The elf said as she let out another chuckle, this time she laughed louder than before. It wasn¡¯t the sort of laughter that implied nervousness or anger, just that she found amusement in the man¡¯s words. ¡°Though I have to say that your head is right where it needs to be. Suspicion is healthy after all, but only to a certain extent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not upset at my words then?¡± Boris asked, curious to know what the woman was thinking.

    ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m actually surprised that you seem to be the only one who¡¯s willing to speak up about our arrival. Though having said that, I would be careful when it comes to your suspicions.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± He reached to his sword, wanting to feel the familiarity of his sword but quickly realized that he had come unarmed.

    ¡°Paranoia can do more harm than good, especially in the long run.¡± Velicion placed the book to her side as she stretched out her back. ¡°I can assure you that what Iskra is doing, with regards to Prince Aurelius, is in fact genuine. No spell has been wrought upon her body, nor has she been cornered into subjugating herself to the whims of the prince. I¡¯m not sure what else there is to say about it except to give the girl some time. Perhaps she will come out of it and return to what you usually consider as normal.¡±

    Boris said nothing as the woman got up from the floor and stretched out her arms. She did a few stretches to return the feeling into her limbs before looking down at the man.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to get some sleep now.¡±

    <hr>

    Under the early morning light, the decimating howls of wargs could be heard somewhere in the distance as an out of breath and ragged looking goblin struggled to take the next step in his perilous journey. The distant voices of orcs were heard as they barked orders at their mounts while they encouraged them to catch up to their prey.

    The malnourished and sickly creature looked ready to give up and surrender himself to his would be captors as he wrapped his fingers around a low hanging branch. His breath came in quick, ragged gasps as he looked behind him.

    Dasher feared that this was the end of his admittedly short and pathetic life.

    He knew that he shouldn¡¯t have struck at his clans'' chieftain, but his drunken rage had won out and now he had spent the last four days clinging onto the increasingly distant hope that his former clansmen would give up and return empty handed.

    So far, their fear of being struck down by the potbellied ruler had proven a much stronger motivation then what Dasher had initially thought.

    The goblin was drenched in sweat as he listened to the sounds of his pursuers draw ever closer. His feet moved on their own volition when the fear of being brutally mauled to death had proven a reliable enough motivation.

    He wasn¡¯t sure where he was or how far he had gone. All he knew was that trees were becoming a common sight compared to the flat and grassy plain where his people had lived.

    His dirt covered, and ragged shirt managed to snag itself on a stick. The pointed end scratched at his skin before it tore off what little clothing he had left.

    The sounds of a howl echoed up towards the early morning sun, an indication that the wargs had found the goblins trail and were ready to run him down.

    Dasher shook his head as he wheezed for air. His mind was not where it needed to be as he nearly ran into the trunk of a tree and stumbled over an exposed root.

    He barely registered the fact that the trees were much thicker and closely compacted to each other than before. He had once heard a rumor that a place where trees were so numerous and grouped so closely was called a forest. How odd it was for him to be able to see a forest with his own eyes for the very first time. Too bad that this would also be his last time ever seeing one.

    The fleeing goblin ran into branch after branch as he fumbled his way through the immense thicket. Never too sure where he was going as the howls of the wargs drew closer with every moment that passed. He needed to find relief from his pursuers, but there was no obvious way for that to become a reality.

    He slid to a stop before slowly taking a few steps back. The sound of rushing water was evident as he stared down at the deep and treacherous rapids that blocked his path. He turned to his left and then to his right as he searched for a way around or for a place to hide.

    A voice called out and gave an order. They had found him.

    He could try to swim across, but he didn¡¯t know how and the river looked far too dangerous for him to learn on the spot.

    Something snapped behind him as a warg let out a gruesome snarl.

    ¡°Finally caught up to you.¡± One of his pursuers said with a cruel laugh as he dismounted from the nasty creature. The orc reached for his weapon and drew it, the flat of its blade clicked against a nearby rock as his pursuer spun it in his grip.

    ¡°End of the line, whelp.¡± The other orc said as he leaned forward, patting his mount for a job well done.

    The first orc took a step closer. Instinctively, Dasher took two steps back. He was dangerously close from falling into the river.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± The orc said with a wicked smile on his face as he continued to walk closer, which in turn forced the goblin to take an equal amount of steps backwards. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­Not brave enough after what you did to Thok¡¯rul?¡±

    Dasher looked between the two orcs as he mumbled for a reply but was unable to say anything as his fear forced his mouth to remain shout. The scared goblin teetered over the rivers edge. End of the line.

    The two orcs laughed as they watched the pitiful creature struggle against its fate.

    ¡°Well?¡± The orc who sat atop his mount let out in a drawn out and bored manner. ¡°You gonna throw something at us? Or do you need to get drunk to do that?¡±

    Both orcs laughed once again as they teased their prey over that fateful moment when their chieftain had finally managed to push the cowardly goblin into action.

    The goblin swallowed deeply, unsure of where he should run or if he must accept his death.

    ¡°Come here¡­¡± The orc closest to him reached out as he went to grab his torn shirt.

    Dasher wasn¡¯t sure what had happened but the last thing he remembered was him falling into a body of ice cold water. It was both deafening and blinding as his body was tossed and turned in the chaotic turmoil of the river''s rapids. He didn¡¯t know what to do, so he did what came naturally.

    Struggle in vain as the world around him attempted to drown him in the freezing water.

    <hr>

    ¡°That¡¯ll be all for this morning.¡± Captain Boris said as he concluded the morning meeting. Chairs were pushed back, and the fabric of the tent flapped against the wind while the men talked amongst themselves as they made their way out of the command tent.

    Ever since the young Iskra and her retinue had returned from their journey and told the harrowing tale of the attack, the progress on the camp''s defenses had made considerable progress. The trench had been dug out to what had been specified and the pikes were nearly all in place, they just needed to find a way to flood the camps earthworks. With the nearby lake it shouldn¡¯t be all that challenging, but the grizzled veteran of over thirty years wouldn¡¯t be surprised if something would eventually go wrong. There was always a way for failure to rear its ugly head.

    The wooden palisade was also coming along nicely and was expected to be finished within a timeframe of two weeks. The man was glad that he would eventually be free from the constant and monotonous noise of nearby trees being felled. He swore that he had heard it over thousands of times by now.

    ¡°Iskra,¡± He called out to his young charge as she slowly rose from her chair. The young girl must¡¯ve decided that it was best to wait for most of the crowd to disperse on their own before she thought that she would be able to leave without issue. ¡°I wish to speak with you for a moment.¡±

    The young girl looked over to him with a neutral look as she paused halfway off of her seat. Nothing was said as she quietly looked over to where the elven sorceress stood. Velicion shrugged her shoulders and gestured for the girl to do as she pleased.

    Boris wasn¡¯t sure what he wanted to think about the elven woman, especially after last night. The talk with the sorcerous had not gone the way he wanted, but trying to correct the mistakes he made would have to wait for another day. There was one thing that he needed to address, and that would require the elven woman to vacate the premises.

    ¡°Madam Velicion,¡± Boris said in a polite tone as he turned towards the woman while he gestured towards Iskra. ¡°May I have some privacy with the girl?¡±

    The elf gave a polite smile and made to move outside but not before she leaned over Iskra''s shoulder and whispered into her ear.

    He wondered what the elf had said. This wasn''t the first time he had caught the sorcerous whisper into the young girl''s ear. The elven woman had managed to stick close to the girls'' side as some sort of self appointed advisor. Captain Boris wondered if his charge was slowly being manipulated or the effects of sorcery were slowly being worked into her mind. It was just another suspicion that he had to deal with. There was something odd about these elves, but the grizzled man couldn¡¯t quite put his mind as to what it was. One of the many reasons why he found it so hard to even begin to imagine him being close to their newly acquired allies.

    And then there was the dwarves. He had far more suspicions about them then the elves. Upon their first meeting he had forced himself to stay still, something that his intuition had practically begged with him to do the exact opposite. Then there was the smell. That one dwarf that Iskra had managed to bring back with her had a strange odor that reminded him of a deep burning forge mixed with a sickening smell of sulfur.

    He wished there was someone capable of investigating these people. He needed to write back to the Duke, but the next supply train wouldn¡¯t be here until three months from now.

    ¡°What is it Captain?¡± Iskra¡¯s voice dragged him away from his thoughts as she sat back down into her chair. A look of confusion covered her face as she stared at the absent minded man.

    ¡°Yes. Sorry, I had my mind elsewhere for a moment.¡± He cleared his throat as he looked down and brought his right hand over a rustled stack of loose papers.

    ¡°First¡­¡± Captain Boris stopped messing with the sheets of paper as he moved to sit down. He didn¡¯t think that standing up would feel as sincere as he wanted to make his apology be. ¡°I would like to apologize over what has been said these past few days. You¡¯re young and haven¡¯t had the opportunity to see the world for what it actually is. Being sheltered would do that, but that¡¯s not something to be against. Nor am I trying to force you to feel wrong for having lived in such a manner. I¡¯m not at all surprised that you wished for your saviors to stay for a brief period, and for that, I¡¯m sorry if my words had managed to hurt you in any way.¡±

    The two individuals were quiet for a moment before Iskra let out a regretful sigh as she lowered her head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize Captain. Your concerns were more than appropriate, and my mind was going through a lot at the time.¡±

    Boris nodded his head. He was quite surprised that the usually bullheaded girl had accepted his apology while also taking partial blame as well. Maybe the events at the river had managed to humble her after all.

    ¡°So,¡± Iskra said as she raised her head and straightened her back. ¡°Is that all you wished to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Not quite.¡± Boris stated as he leaned back into his chair. The man was somewhat relieved that the girl took his apology so well. He wondered if their arguments were something that she didn¡¯t find upsetting. If that wasn''t the case, then maybe Iskra was quick to forgive and forget.

    ¡°Then what is it you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about those of whom you¡¯ve managed to surround yourself with. You seem to be far more trusting of complete strangers then I thought was possible. That¡¯s not to say there''s a small chance that these people aren''t good mannered and mean well, but we can''t rule out the possibility that these dwarves and elves you¡¯ve managed to find are actually using you for their own purposes.¡±

    Straight and to the point. That¡¯s what he needed to be right now, and if the girl felt wronged because of his choice in words then that¡¯s a matter he¡¯ll have to navigate as time goes on.

    ¡°Are you-¡± The girl was visibly upset as she swallowed her words. More than likely she wanted to throw insults at the man, but she must have thought better than to do so. Her face was red with anger as she attempted to remain calm. ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m nothing more than a pawn to our new allies?¡±

    Captain Boris watched as the girl brought her hands out from under the table and slowly clenched them into fists. She struggled to fight the urge to slam her enclosed fists down onto the table as she slowly brought them down. She relaxed her hands and stretched out her fingers. Her delicate and slim digits drummed across the wooden table.

    ¡°In a sense, yes. Our allies, as you¡¯re so quick to call them, shouldn¡¯t be so easily trusted and I have a suspicion they plan on using you to further whatever goals they have for this region.¡±

    Iskra lowered her head as she brought her hands over the nape of her neck, effectively hiding her face from his sight as she let out a deep breath. ¡°Need I remind you of the history of Voldigrov? Of the countless men and the untold number of expeditions the kingdom has lost in trying to tame it?¡±

    He shook his head, not needing to be taught about the kingdoms disastrous relations with the very region they now inhabited. Throughout Ranislava¡¯s history, the kingdom had time and time again attempted to bring the volcanic mountains under its heel. At first, the kingdom wanted to bring civilization to the land and wipe out the various goblins, orcs, and trolls that roamed the region but eventually it had been left to its own for generations. The staggering amount of men and treasury that had been lost in trying to claim the land had proven too much. Especially once the country had lost its fourth king on an ill-fated foray into the apparent ¡°Dark Lands.¡±

    The kingdom was more than happy to leave the land alone, satisfied that it served a near impenetrable border for its more northern neighbors. Boris wasn¡¯t sure why but the current king had decided that acquiring a complete map of the mysterious duchy would be a tremendous moment for the royal crown. It was a sentiment that the Duke of Orul shared and one that ultimately led to his daughters¡¯ freedom from her eventual beheading.

    ¡°So then,¡± The girl started to say again as she covered her face in her hands before slowly pushing her head up in a frustrated manner. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with making friends? The dwarves have been nothing more than accommodating, and the elves saved our lives just a week ago. I¡¯m not so sure about you Captain, but I would much prefer to continue on living and if that means I need to make friends with someone the moment I meet them, then I will.¡±

    ¡°And what if these friends of yours are eventually proven to be a threat to us?¡± The man asked hypothetically, curious as to how the girl would respond.

    He got his response in the form of an unconcerned shrug while the girl waved away his scenario without a single care.

    ¡°What does that even mean? Am I alive? Have I been harmed by them? What if I¡¯ve been whisked away to some far off land where I¡¯m treated as a treasure?¡± The girl was furious that her apparent second in command even dared to suggest what he had. ¡°If you were to give me a choice between going into the kings¡¯ dungeon or being handed off to some foreign noble as a concubine in their harem then I would choose the latter.¡±

    ¡°What if that noble had a penchant for violence again the women?¡±

    ¡°It would still be a far better fate than to have to wallow in my own misery in some dark and cramped hole.¡± Iskra slammed her fists hard against the table, her voice cracked as she began to imagine herself being forced back into the run down and miserable pile of stones that had once been her home for several months.

    ¡°Have you ever been down there?¡± The girl asked as she opened up her hands and brushed the surface as she swung her right arm out. ¡°Did you know that there is little to no light down in that miserable place? Barely a candle was lit during the time I had to suffer inside of its cages, while the piercing sounds of the rusting iron scraped and tore away at my hearing. Did you know that the warden likes to keep his prisoners chained up to the walls? Forcing them into strange and warped positions all day and only letting their chains loosened to the point where getting to your meal proved to be a challenge that was more trouble than it was worth. Or how the guards would shout at you and bang on the bars if you tried to even utter a single word beyond a simple ¡°thank you¡± as they threw your food onto the filth covered floor? What about the times that it rained and how it would seep into your cell, drenching you in ice cold water as you struggle to stay warm with a single, ragged cloth that barely covered your body?¡±

    Captain Boris stayed quiet throughout the girls recounting of her time in the kings'' dungeon. This was the first time he had heard anything remotely like this, but he wasn¡¯t all that surprised. She had been sentenced to death, and it wasn¡¯t likely that favors would be pulled to get her out. For all anyone knew, she was dead the moment she had received her sentence.

    ¡°Every night I thank whichever gods had found the mercy to keep me from harm while I was down in that terrible place.¡± Iskra pointed up into the sky before she slammed her fist back down onto the table.

    A guard peeked his head inside, curious as to what had happened but quickly returned to his post when his superior turned the man away with a flick of his head.

    ¡°So¡­Captain,¡± The girl said as she brought her hands up before pushing herself away from the table''s edge. She was clearly finished with him and would listen to no more of what he had to say. ¡°I think I¡¯ve had enough of this suspicious slander against our newfound friends. Velicion has graciously invited me to watch Prince Aurelius¡¯ practice his swordsmanship. If you need me than simply look for a group of elves.¡±

    The chair fell back onto the ground as the young girl got up onto her feet and rushed out of the tent.

    Captain Boris could only stay seated as he watched the tent''s flap furl in the girls'' wake. She was quick to anger, of that he was sure. It would certainly explain why she nearly killed that Kasmira girl.

    The grey haired veteran rubbed his face in frustration as he wondered if this moment would eventually bite him in the ass.

    <hr>

    The usually loud encampment was far more lively than usual today. The ramshackle nature of the camp had proved to be a blessing to the thousands of goblins as well as the handful of orcs and trolls that had made it their home. Willingly or not.

    Orukk had ordered the camp to be taken down and for his followers to ready themselves to depart south. The orc was satisfied with the numbers he had managed to scrounge together and had decided that the more fertile lands to the south would be more ideal for what he had planned. The tales of a bountiful population of game that his people could slaughter and roaming packs of wild wargs to tame for mounts would be a boost to his dreams of retaining control of the volcanic realm.

    Of the nearly three thousand bodies he had pressed into service, almost all of them were goblins save for a handful of orcs and trolls that had pledged their services to his rising empire.

    There had been a few moments over the past year that had led to the self-proclaimed ¡°Lord of the Fire Mountains¡± to nearly fall into ruin, but in the end he had risen above it all and now welcomed any challenge as a testament to his prowess. Orukk the Blood Drinker, as his followers called him, flashed a grin as images of his ultimate victory began to swirl in the back of his imagination. He saw himself standing over the corpses of his enemies as he-

    A loud crash rang out from somewhere close by.

    The wailing and pitiful cries of the injured and dying reached his ears as he moved to investigate.

    Voices called out as someone barked orders as its owner tried and failed to keep order and discipline.

    The warlord understood what had happened the moment he turned the first corner.

    A troll, massive in stature and towering over the camps tallest structure stood over the wreckage of a busted and caved in wooden hut. A rocky and oddly shaped club was gripped in its left hand as it stood dumbfounded over its victim.

    Goblins had gathered together in a gaggle as they raised their voices and struck out their arms while they yelled and berated their torturer for doing what it had done. The troll paid them no mind as it raised its club once again and slammed it into the mess it had created.

    Blood splattered across the ground as wood shattered and splintered in every direction. A few goblins clutched at their wounds while a few brave souls tried to run into the collapsed building. It was a vain attempt at finding any survivors while the troll raised its weapon once more. The troll had a happy and satisfied look on its face. A sign that it enjoyed smashing up the ruined hut.

    Off to the side stood an orc whose name that Orukk couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember. The warlord bellowed out to the nameless orc and hurriedly motioned for him to come near.

    ¡°What does that thing think it¡¯s doing?¡± The warlord asked as the orc rushed toward his leader.

    ¡°He¡¯s clearing out the camp, Chieftain.¡± The orc said as he placed emphasis on what the troll thought ¡®clearing out¡¯ meant.

    ¡°Of course it is.¡± Orukk muttered to himself as he watched the troll smash the building once more while the surrounding goblins wailed and rushed towards the ruined hut.

    Trolls were notorious for their blatant disregard for everything that wasn¡¯t themselves. More often than not they would even place themselves in deadly situations because of how dull their minds were. Orukk had once heard that trolls couldn¡¯t feel pain. Some claimed it was because they were so stupid that pain wasn¡¯t a concept that Trolls could even grasp, while others claimed it was because their hides were so thick that they couldn¡¯t even feel their guts spilling out from their stomachs.

    Whatever the case, Orukk believed it. Especially now that he watched as the troll noticed a large piece of lumber sticking out of its forearm. The beast looked shocked to find the piece of lumber lodged within its body, and the orc looked on in a bored manner while the troll gripped the bloodied piece of wood and yanked it out without a second thought.

    A goblin fell to the ground, its head bouncing off into the distance as the massive splinter was swung about like a plaything. The unlucky creatures¡¯ brethren backed away and made to escape, not wanting to share a similar fate to the beheaded goblin.

    This was why he didn¡¯t want the trolls in his encampment. They were far more trouble than they were worth at the best of times, and at the worst they could bring utter devastation given ample opportunity to cause enough chaos and havoc.

    He needed to make sure that he gave the trolls a place to stay the next time they set up camp. Somewhere that was far enough away from the rest of the encampment.

    ¡°Deal with it.¡± Orukk stated in a brisk tone as he turned away from the ongoing carnage. He didn¡¯t want to be in the trolls reach once it really got going. Once trolls had decided that the chaos they were bringing was fun enough they wouldn''t stop until they grew bored or had died. Usually, it led to their deaths.

    ¡°At once!¡± Bellowed the nameless orc as he saluted his chieftain before he called out to the troll and demanded that it stop at once.

    ¡°Idiots.¡± Came Orukks¡¯ tired retort as he walked away from the unfolding disaster while the familiar sound of bones snapping like twigs reached his ears. The orc ignored the piercing cries of anguish as he turned towards the camps center.

    Looks like he''ll need to find a worthy lieutenant that was worthy of the responsibilities that was placed upon the promotion.

    <hr>

    Dasher coughed as he spat out an immense volume of river water. Snot and saliva covered his face as he gagged and hurled out the tremendous amount of water. He had been coughing the stuff for what felt like an hour.

    His life had taken a strange twist and an even odder turn when he had awakened with a start, his body half covered in sand and soaked to the bone in ice cold water. He was amazed to find himself alive after his tired and worn out body had fallen into the river. The gods that his people worshipped must have a far more cruel and painful death planned for him.

    The weak and mentally drained goblin turned over on his back, an arm lay across his chest as he coughed out more of the river''s water. He hoped that was the last of it.

    He closed his eyes, ready for the pleasant darkness of slumber to take him. If he could just die here, peacefully under the star filled night sky, then he would be happy. It would be a painless and somewhat pleasant death. He was willing to accept that. Fate be damned if he had to suffer in agony if he were to truly die.

    <hr>

    Howls broke the night silence. Dasher¡¯s eyes shot open as his body instinctively readied itself and rose up and off of the rivers sandy embankment.

    The frightened goblin looked up into the sky as the large and ever present blue moon glowed brightly in the pitch black night sky. It was at that moment that the tired and wretched creature realized that the moon had barely moved from where he had last remembered it.

    Barely a sound was made. Somewhere close by, an owl hooted while a Nighthawk let out a victorious cry. The running water of the nearby river was soothing to his ears as it lapped against his bare feet. For a moment he had convinced himself that his mind had played a trick on him and let out a sigh of relief. He rolled back down and laid flat on his back, ready to return to slumber when the howl returned.

    It was still a ways off. Far too distant to be able to judge how close it really was.

    Dasher didn¡¯t want to take any chances in finding out if it was a wild creature that made the noise. Thoughts of a pack of wild wargs tearing into his flesh was too great of a motivator for his liking as he forced himself off of the ground before immediately falling back onto his knees. His body was still weak and needed more time to recover. What little rest he had been given had not been enough. It would never be enough.

    The distant howl returned, followed by a second one. The two were distinct from one another. That much the goblin understood as he listened quietly in a subdued manner. Dasher hoped and pleaded to the night sky as he wondered if the two creatures were in a pack together.

    He received his answer when the howls returned once more, this time in unison as they sounded off. Doing whatever it was that the bodyless sounds attempted to accomplish.

    Finding the strength was difficult, but he managed to bring himself to his feet. His vision blurred as he reached out in front of him as he tried to find something to hold on to. He found nothing but still managed to stop himself from falling over for a second time.

    His courage to take the first step returned as the second howl sounded off. He needed to get as far away from here as quickly as possible.

    Tiredly, he groaned in anguish as he cursed the gods for not taking his life while he had slept.

 Chapter 6: Into the Woods We Go

    The sound of swords clashing together echoed loudly into the late morning sky as two figures backed away from one another.  Two elves, young in age but well disciplined, circled their opposite as the brutal strength of the near midday sun shined down upon their shirtless forms unabated. There was barely a cloud in the deep blue sky as Iskra watched the two teenage duelists mimic and taunt their opponent.

    It was a hot, humid and downright exhausting experience for the young girl to just sit there, watching the spectacle unfold atop of a small hill. Iskra swiped the sweat from her brow as a gentle and refreshing breeze kept the otherwise intolerable weather at a pleasantly warm temperature. The consistent wind was a blessing in her eyes and had prevented the young girl from running off and hiding from the sun. She would have much preferred the two figures, far enough away to be unable to hear them, but close enough for her to make out their forms, to have conducted their training in a location with some source of shade for her to sit under, but she was willing to ignore her complaints for now as she continued to gaze upon Prince Aurelius as the young elven prince twirled his sword with a practiced hand.

    Throughout the entirety of the duel, the golden haired prince had consistently repeated that peculiar motion. As she sipped on a refreshing cup of water, the banished girl wondered if it was a tick the young boy had developed. She had asked Velicion once she had noticed that the prince had kept doing it, but the sorceress had answered her with a shrug. Apparently it was just something that the boy liked doing, and that was perfectly fine with Iskra. As anything that the self-proclaimed hero of the river enjoyed, silently self-proclaimed by Iskra to be exact, she enjoyed as well. Anything.

    Iskra let out a menacing giggle as she watched the fair skinned and well toned prince charge towards his opponent only to pull back at the last second. It was a strange dance that the two elves were playing together. Aurelius would, on occasion, charge in but pull back before his opponent could bring up his dual swords in defense. The second elf, someone who was of the same age and build as the prince, would charge at the prince before he could regain his footing. This particular elf, who by Iskra''s own admission looked very similar to her hero but had a hair similar to that of the human girl in both length and color, would back away from his target just before the prince would bring his own sword into a defensive position.

    It was a strange spectacle for sure, but one that Iskra admired. It wasn''t because she understood the purpose in their methods, as she admitted to her own self that this whole ordeal made no sense, but because it served as a means for her to admire and gaze upon the perfection that was her heroic prince.

    His golden hair gleamed brilliantly in the suns light as his long, well kept hair flowed elegantly just beyond his shoulders. His clean shaven face meshed well with his black and silver eyes as they captivated Iskra''s very soul with every moment that she found her eyes locked with his.  The world around him seemed to be clearer, brighter and crisper wherever the young prince went. The boy was taller than her, his body well built and his skin was unblemished by disease or scars.  To her, he was perfection incarnate and he deserved everything that she could give him.

    She had to claim him as her own. By any means.

    She just needed a plan to accomplish that.

    "Bah," Echoed the voice of Argonok as the heavily armored dwarf grew frustrated by the lack of blood being spilled. "What is this charade? A fancy dance for lovers before they turn to bed one another?"

    "Calm yourself Argonok," Iskra replied as she turned her head to look at her recently appointed guard. A sinister smile crept onto her face while she imagined the aforementioned lovers as herself and the elven prince. "I''m sure that Prince Aurelius knows what he is doing. Perhaps they are training their reactions?"

    She turned to look at Velicion who sat at the girls left side. Curious to find out if she was within an arms throw of being correct.

    The elven sorceress turned to look at the young maiden and, once again, shrugged her shoulders as her answer. "Possibly," Velicion said as she looked back towards her prince. "I was never privy to what sort of education the prince had. I only just recently came to meet him for the first time, outside of official gatherings of course."

    "See?" Iskra turned back to the dwarf as she felt confident in Velicions'' answer while her voice grew poisonous with every word she spoke.  "There''s no reason to attack him for doing what he knows. So perhaps it is best if you stay quiet for now, unless you wish to try your hand in combat with him."

    Everyone who had claimed a spot at the top of the hill turned to look at the raven haired girl.

    Argonok, his face hidden and emotionless behind his armor, peered down at the girl while he gripped at the shaft of his halberdier as it stood erect and unmoving with its pummel implanted deep into the soft earth. Velicion looked at her in disbelief, unsure if she had heard what the girl had just said. Sylvia had a look of concern as she opened and closed her mouth as she sat there quietly, unable to speak up to her charge about her conduct.

    "You''re willing to let that pretty boy of yours come to harm? I won''t hold back you know," The dwarf said as he flicked his head towards the dueling figures. "He might have a few scars on him by the time I''m done with him. A few lost limbs too, if you really want me to test him."

    "There''s no need for such violence," Sipping on the cool cup of water she turned back towards Aurelius and watched as his single sword collided with the black haired elfs twin blades. Such grace, such elegance the elven prince had. "Besides a few scars on him would only make him more attractive, more enticing, and more seductive." She had kept that last part in a whisper that even she had barely heard.

    "What was that last part?" Argonok leaned into the girls face as he wondered if she would truly let him go toe to toe with the prince. "Something about being more se-"

    "Perhaps," Velicion interrupted the dwarf as he was about to hit the bullseye. "A dwarf should stay out of the affairs of an elf. They are, after all, stubborn and repulsive while we elves are well mannered and gifted in beauty."

    Argonok let out a bullish snort as he turned to look at the sorceress. None too happy at being looked down upon. "As if an elf could understand anyone but themselves," The dwarf backed away from Iskra and marched towards his newfound opponent. "Besides, what use is a dance like that in battle? The boy would just end up tripping over himself while he would try to stab at the enemy."

    "The teachings that our most esteemed Arch-Mistress has bestowed upon her children is said to be of the highest quality, if not the best. The royal children of (Dark Elven King title or name) are groomed to be the pinnacle of our people."

    "Arch-Mistress, phah," The dwarf mimicked Velicions words in a sarcastic tone. "Quite the fancy title she''s got¡­For a washed up whore, that is."

    Velicion gasped at his words while Sylvia looked between the two with great concern in her eyes.

    Iskra, for her part, cared little about the argument between the two races and rolled her eyes as she slowly tuned out the words of her companions. She was far more focused on Prince Aurelius to be concerned about some childish insults being thrown around.

    "The Arch-Mistress isn''t some hussy you''d find selling her body," The irritated voice of the sorceress exclaimed as she pushed herself off of the ground to confront the dwarf. "She is considered as the most powerful sorceress our people have seen since the days of-"

    "Oh, blah, blah," Argonok mocked the woman as he made his best mock impression of someone casting a spell. "Who would have thought that brownnosers and suck-ups wanting a piece of that kingly treasury would say such flattering things?"

    "It''s the truth!"

    "And I''m some orcs lover," The dwarf callously waved away Velicions words as he spun around with one leg in the air as if he were a bard. This accomplished nothing except for burrowing his greaves into the dirt. "When was the last time anyone ever spoke ill of her? Hmm?"

    "You," Velicion huffed as she made to topple the armored dwarf, but failed spectacularly to even unbalance the man. "You''re nothing more than an uncultured swine!"

    The two continued to chase and dance around the other. Argonok would say or do something that would cause Velicion to respond in kind, and vice versa.

    On and on it went as Iskra did her best to ignore their obnoxious behavior and tried to keep a clear line of sight of Prince Aurelius. She had to shuffle around on occasion or grin and bear it as one, or the other would casually bump into her without so much as an apology. So long as the prince was doing what he was doing, she was perfectly contempt to allow her companions to act like children.

    Sylvia, her face filled with agonizing concern, would try and butt in on a rare occasion. She eventually stopped when she realized that they wouldn''t listen. Or they just didn''t hear her at all.

    She didn''t know what could have caused it, but eventually, she watched as the black haired elf stopped and motioned towards the unruly onlookers.

    Prince Aurelius, curious as to what his friend was pointing at, turned to look back at the hilltop. The boy cocked his head as he looked on in confusion as he most likely wondered what in the world was going on.

    Iskra would''ve been happy to see that her heroic prince was looking towards her. She would''ve been pleased to revel in the fact that the prince was staring at her body with his sole and undivided attention on her beautiful form, but she knew that this was not the case. The prince stared not at her with a look of love or lust, but instead at the two bumbling buffoons who were ruining her image. An image that she needed the prince to take notice of and fall in love with.

    Her last straw was when Argonok playfully fell to the ground while Velicion stood there stupidly, mimicking a dwarven woman.

    "Enough!" Iskra stood and tossed her cup at the dwarfs head while she began to chastise her two companions. "You two are acting like complete children. Quit embarrassing yourselves before I have you thrown out!"

    Everyone turned to look at the girl as she planted her hands on her hips in a huff. Now it was her turn to be in the spotlight.

    "You," She pointed towards Argonok as he continued to lie on the ground. "Get up and act like the guard you are. I shouldn''t have to tell you how one needs to act while on duty. And you," Iskra turned towards Velicion and stabbed her finger into the air. "Sit down, shut up and look pretty. That''s all I need you to do right now. Is that clear?"

    The two offered their apologies and returned to their previous positions while Iskra crossed her arms over her chest and sat back down next to Sylvia who continued to sit there, unsure of what to say or do.

    "Absolute morons." The girl mumbled under her breath as she returned to watching the prince as he motioned for the black haired elf to continue where they left off.

    Eventually, her sour mood eased and she once again found herself enjoying the graceful movements of her hero. All in all, life was good. Except for the whole banishment ordeal, but that eventually led to the coming together of Iskra and Aurelius. Prince Aurelius was someone whom she saw as her future husband. Not because of the age old fairy tales of damsels and knights in shining armor, but because she knew that destiny itself had weaved the two of them together. It just felt right.

    Of course, those old fairy tales were also something she dreamed of living in when she was younger. That was just an added bonus for her.

    Now all she needed was to find a way to bridge the gap between the two of them. There was Captain Boris who was one of the more obvious obstacles that could nip their relationship before it even began. She would have to deal with him in some manner before she moved to win over the prince for good. For the moment though, the more pressing matter was trying to resolve the unpleasant and often embarrassing issue of not being able to communicate with one another.

    Having to rely on a third party translation was something that had begun to irk Iskra recently. It was frustrating to watch as Velicion translated for both of them, taking more time then she should as she translated. Iskra wondered if the sorceress was twisting her words to poison the princes'' image of her.  The girls'' mood soured as she imagined her knight in shining armor disgusted by her and walking away for good. She needed to know for certain, but the only way to determine if her suspicions were true or not was for someone to learn the other''s language.

    She balked at the idea of Prince Aurelius debasing himself and learning her language. Why would he need to stoop to such embarrassment when he was at the top of his peoples'' society and she at the very bottom? What she needed to do was show him that she was perfectly capable of learning and speaking with the prince on her own accord.

    She would learn the language of the elves in secret, hiding the fact that she understood him until the day came where she would offer everything to him. Of course, she would need to enlist the aid of Velicion as she was unsure if any of the other elves knew a second language. She also needed to make sure that the sorceress was correct in the translation of her words; ruination would come to the elven woman if the girl learned that she had been made a fool of. A smile, full of venom and murderous intent, crept onto her face as she nodded her head.

    Now all she needed to do was find a way to ask for Velicion to teach her.

    <hr>

    "Absolutely not." Captain Boris said flatly as Iskra finished with her explanation about the need for a bridge that connected the humans and dwarves together.

    "Wh- Why not?" Confused and downright shocked that the man sitting before her would deny her plan without even blinking an eye. "It would-"

    "It would indeed be a perfect idea. Yes, I know." The man said as he cut her off before she could explain, once again, why a bridge was needed. "And while I do agree with you that this bridge of yours is needed. I''d like to point out that it''s also not needed at the time. There''s no need for any further carriage trains going to or from the dwarves and scouts could easily send a message to either side without issue and without the need for a bridge."

    There was an infallible logic to what the man said. The expedition had been given plenty of men and horses who were more than capable of forging a river on their own or crossing great distances with ample time to spare, especially if these scouts were prepared and knew the land well enough. A bridge was something that was needed when their people needed to travel in greater numbers. Something like that wouldn''t be necessary for a very long time.

    Still though, she needed to find a way to convince the man that she was right in the idea that the bridge needed to be built now.

    "And another thing," His voice interrupted her thoughts and unraveled what little strategy she had come up with. "Why do you need to go out there to begin with? We have plenty of people who are more than capable of surveying the land for this idea of yours."

    Iskra winced at his latest point.

    Captain Boris was right. In the initial planning stages, the kingdom had given the newly established expedition plenty of learned men who had been taught at the Royal Science Academy as well as her family''s own institution, the Vesely Scientific Institute. There was just no need for a teenage girl to waltz about in the wild while more experienced and capable men were left to rot back at the camp.

    She needed a solution to this new problem, and she needed one now.

    "As you know," She began with a stutter as her mind slowly worked on an answer. "My mother is a brilliant woman." Captain Boris nodded his head at the mention of Duchess Vesely. Often times, the mere mention of the girls'' mother was enough to win any argument. "She has spent years making a name for herself by improving the infrastructure of her husband''s duchy. Often enough, she was doing this well before the Duke had even offered his hand in marriage. You''ve seen all the good that she''s done for your lord''s people. She''s done nothing but bring glory to the Vesely household while simultaneously allowing the Duchy to bolster its coffers and bring in an era of a prospering and booming population."

    With a huff and a smug grin she crossed her arms, knowing that every word she said was true. She didn''t know the full story, but she knew that her mother had spent years traveling across the Duchy of Orul, tearing down old infrastructure and building them anew. On more than one occasion she would move a bridge that had more often than not fallen to disuse and saw very little to no traffic. These relocated bridges were great successes, the newly placed structures seeing all kinds of traffic day in and day out which led to an explosive increase in trade.

    Her mother had a knack for that kind of stuff, and seeing as Iskra had been taught by the brilliant mother there was no way that she would be denied the opportunity to go out and survey for this apparently much needed bridge.

    Step one of her plan was a success.

    "No." The Captain stated as he leaned into the back of his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest.

    Well, alright then. Another way perhaps.

    "Then may-"

    "Maybe not," He confirmed his commitment to his unmovable answer as he interrupted her once again. He wasn''t going to budge, and Iskra was beginning to see that. "As I said before, a bridge isn''t needed for the moment. So why should we risk material and men to build one?"

    For that, she had no answer.

    Seeing that the girl couldn''t come up with a reasonable response the man continued to push on. "I''m sure that once we''re more established and the kingdom finds it necessary to send us that cartographer of theirs, then maybe. But as of right now our time and efforts are better spent here, where we can work on getting things up to a respectable standard before we''re sent more supplies and reinforcements."

    "Very well," Defeated, Iskra let out a sigh and lowered her head. "If you''ll excuse me I will be returning to my tent for the remainder of the day. Feel free to send for me if I''m needed." With that, she turned to leave.

    Captain Boris nodded and called out to the girl to have a pleasant evening as he leaned over to one of his men and inquired about the camp''s walls.

    If the man wouldn''t allow her to go out, then she would simply go around him.

    <hr>

    "Wake up. Velicion," A quiet, gentle voice roused the sorceress from her slumber as her shoulder was being shaken in an abrupt manner. "Velicion, wake up."

    "Not now sweetie," Velicion mumbled in an even quieter voice as she shuffled her body to try and shake the hand off of her slumbering form. "Mommy''s too tired. Curl up with me, and I''ll make breakfast later."

    "No Velicion, it''s me." The voice called out to her, louder this time as the hand took a more violent approach.

    "Go away."

    The sorceress planted her right hand over to what she suspected was the fool''s face. How often did she have to repeat herself before the child obeyed? "Ickna Nuhwa-"She began to cast a spell. Nothing too dangerous, just one that forced its victim to obey her commands temporarily.

    "Seriously, wake up!" The voice called out again as the elven woman was tossed flat onto her stomach.

    Velicion had enough as she found herself wide awake and being irritated at having her incantation interrupted. "Since this couldn''t wait till morning," Without even looking, the sorceress reached out and pushed the person aside. "How about I punch the ever living sh-"

    She stopped instantly the moment she recognized Iskra''s form as the girl looked up at her with an irritated expression.

    "Sorry," The elf said as she extended a hand to help the girl up. "I didn''t think you would be up this late."

    She didn''t know what to say in apology, just that she knew she needed to do so. Iskra was the last person within the camp that she wanted to make angry. Not because the well traveled elf feared the young girl or anything, but because it would only take a single word from her lips to kick out any of the elves.

    The sorceress suspected that Captain Boris was only allowing their presence because of their actions at the river and the girl''s fondness for the prince and his people.

    "It''s¡­fine," Iskra said as she accepted the helping hand while she brushed away at the dirt. "I can live with it."

    Velicion doubted that she was the type of girl to just forgive someone for treating her like a child''s plaything, but the sorceress was perfectly willing to accept that the girl was able to brush the incident aside. Even if it was just for show.

    "Why are you here?" The sorceress asked as she wondered how late it was.

    The girl that stood before her was dressed in her usual attire and looked to be ready for a new day. Iskra wore her usual brown tunic, green linen trousers, and oversized boots. The tunic, stained with dirt and fraying at the edges, hugged tightly around her massive bust. Something that she was assured would continue to grow as time moved ever forward. The girls pants were in a similar state, dirt stains were everywhere while hastily made patches were in various locations as the trousers hugged around her slim waist with a thin, nearly busted piece of rope being the only thing keeping the article of clothing on her body. Her boots were someone else''s, of that she knew for a fact. Captain Boris had loaned them to her before the humans had set out on their little journey and now the girl went around doing her thing in footwear that would surely give her sores if she wasn''t careful.

    Someone really needed to give the girl some new clothes.

    "I need your help."

    That was all Iskra said, no explanation was needed apparently.

    "With?" Velicion let the word linger in the air as she slowly motioned with her hands for the teenager to continue the explanation.

    "I need your help with surveying for a bridge," Iskra shook her head as she realized that the elf couldn''t read her thoughts. "And I want some of your people to help with that."

    "Isn''t this something that the Captain should handle? This seems like it would be more up his alley and not me."

    "I''ve already spoken with him."

    "Great," Velicion sighed in relief as she slowly returned to the confines of her bedroll. It wasn''t a comfortable way to sleep, but it was something that was far better than she was used to in the past few months. "I''ll talk with you in the morning then. Have a good ni-"

    "He said we don''t need one at the moment."

    The sorceress let out a long, exhausted sigh as she stopped and turned towards the girl. Velicion had a feeling that this talk wasn''t going to go away anytime soon.

    "And? What do you expect me to do about that," Velicion asked sarcastically as she rolled on her side and tucked her body into the slightly too small camping equipment. "It''s not like the man would listen to a word I have to say."

    "We''re ignoring the captain for now and doing this ourselves," Iskra waved her hands in front of her as she tried to get the elf to stop inching her body deeper into the bedroll. "I''ve got a plan all worked out."

    Velicion was positive she knew where this was going, but that didn''t mean she wanted to hear it.

    "What''s this plan of yours?"

    "Simple," The girl said with a snap of her fingers as if it would truly be that easy to accomplish. "Think of this as a way to kill two cheating harlots with one arrow. Captain Boris doesn''t really trust you or the dwarves at the moment. So what if we were to head out and find the perfect spot for a bridge that would connect us and the dwarves together? He''ll have no choice but to accept you guys after that." Iskra poked at the side of her temple as if all of what she just said made any sense.

    Besides her strange initial choice of words, Velicion could understand where the girl was going with her train of thought. That didn''t mean she liked it however. She also doubted that the girl was only doing this to just bridge the gap between her people and the dwarves, and not in the literal sense either.

    "So what does this have to do with waking me up at night?" She knew the answer before she even finished what she was saying. She didn''t even know why she asked such a stupid question to begin with.

    They were going to sneak out.

    "We''re going to-"

    "Yes, thank you. I know. I realized that before I even finished." Velicion wanted to get this whole ordeal over with and interrupted the girl before she decided to explain an even weirder way to get out of the camp unseen. "What do you want me to do?"

    Iskra''s face beamed in pride as the sorceress admitted defeat and subjected herself to the girls'' whims.

    "I just need you to gather up a handful of your people. After that, you will meet Argonok and me at his tent. The guards don''t usually hang out around there for some reason."

    Velicion sighed as she began to push herself out of the bedroll while Iskra barged out of her tent without even waiting for the elf to respond. Why was it that she always seemed to be under the employ of overexcited fools?

    <hr>

    "Where are they?" Iskra wondered aloud as she looked up at the pitch black night. Neither the moon nor a single star could be seen in the sky while the young girl clutched at her own body for warmth. For whatever reason, the nights here were frigid while the days were nothing but hot and humid. She cursed at whichever god had decided to create this particular region of the world.

    According to Argonok, the two of them had been waiting for nearly two hours after Iskra had ordered the sorceress to assemble a team together. She wondered if elves were even aware of the concept of time.

    "Sorry it took so long," The familiar voice of Velicion called out as she came into sight with four other elves. "I had trouble in finding who to pick."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    "It''s-"  Her voice was full of anger and resentment as she began to chastise the sorceress but stopped the moment she recognized Prince Aurelius as being part of the group. She would never allow the prince to see her in such an unwomanly state. "It''s fine. Time isn''t an issue I''m concerned with." She gave a pleasant smile to show her appreciation, but her tone was still venomous in nature.

    Argonok mumbled something about her earlier complaints, but the dwarf made sure that most of what he said was unintelligible.

    "So," Velicion clapped her hands together as she looked between Iskra and the dwarf. "With the two of you, we have a total of seven of us going on this little adventure, yes?"

    Iskra nodded her head as she thought that seven was a perfect number to go out on this little expedition she had devised. No more, no less. Any more people and she would have believed that her true purpose wouldn''t be able to be fulfilled.

    One at a time, she looked over the assembled elves. There was, of course, Prince Aurelius and the sorceress Velicion as well as three others. One of them looked familiar, and if she wasn''t mistaken it was the black haired elf that the prince was sparring with earlier in the day. It was far too dark for her to make out many details, but she did notice the twin blades and their familiar pummels. The other two looked to be similar to one another in appearance. They wore matching clothes and carried identical bows and axes of some kind. She couldn''t make out any other detail, as the two of them wore hoods that covered much of their faces. She had a feeling that these two were siblings. Twins, most likely.

    One of the twins turned towards Velicion and spoke to her. What was said Iskra, couldn''t say or even begin to guess. Whatever it was, the sorceress put up her hand and said something in elvish. Her response was short and precise, after that the younger elf stayed quiet as Velicion turned to face Iskra.

    "Shall we get going then? Which wall are we going to scale?"

    What was she going on about? Where did this idea of hers even come from?

    "We''re not scaling any walls Velicion." The human said as she gave the sorceress an odd look.

    "Through the lake then? Seems a little farfetched, but alright."

    She understood now, the sorceress was telling jokes.

    "Don''t be silly Velicion; we aren''t doing anything complicated like that. Besides, it''s way too cold to be swimming right now."

    "So where are we going? In terms of our exit, I mean."

    "Where else," Iskra stated as she turned her right. "We''re going through the front."

    Velicion was stunned momentarily and watched the girl walk off into the distance.

    Argonok moved to keep up with his mistress while the elves were slow in getting started.

    "Didn''t think you''d be the adventurous type." The Fire Guard said as he matched paces with the giant of a girl. His steps were far more noticeable than during the day, mainly because of how quiet the camp was at night compared to the busier daylight hours.

    "I''m not," Iskra replied as she looked down at her bodyguard. "But if I have no choice in a matter and I need to do something then I''ll do it. Even if that means I''ll be complaining the whole way through."

    The pair chuckled as they continued to make their way through the camp. At such a late hour the place was largely deserted and only the distant guards on night watch could be seen. The path they had taken was a relatively straight forward one as it led almost directly to the encampments front gates. On the rare occasion, Iskra took a detour to avoid the occasional patrol that made their rounds in the area. These detours were never a real source of trouble for the band of misfits as they had found themselves standing at the front entrance in quick succession.

    "Halt!" A commanding voice cried out from somewhere within the shadows as two lightly armored figures moved to intercept the group. "State your name and purpose in being here."

    Direct and professional. A few of the many tendencies that were instilled into her former family''s soldiers.

    "It''s me," Irritation oozed from her lips as she was appalled at the prospect of having to introduce herself. There was no way that any of her father''s men were unable to recognize one of the Duke''s children.  "Iskra."

    "Aye, so it is." The bored but cautious voice sounded as if the owner had already recognized her. "What''s your business in being here? Can''t imagine that you''ve decided to go out on a little stroll around the camp at this hour."

    The owner of the voice finally revealed himself. It was a man of average height and build, though Iskra couldn''t really tell as he wore the armor that one would usually see worn by the soldiers in service to the Duchy of Orul and House Vesely. The only way that she would be able to recognize the man was by his voice, but he didn''t sound familiar to her. Most likely the man had been pulled away from a more rural location within her father''s lands.

    "You happen to be correct," Iskra confirmed with the man as he looked over to the two other soldiers who stood with their hands on the shafts of their spears. "We''re heading out for a while, and we need you to open the gate for us."

    The three soldiers looked to one another before another word was spoken.

    "Why would we do that," Their apparent leader said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Under whose orders, and why haven''t I heard anything about this?" The soldier cocked his head as he looked between each member of the strange group. Taking extra care to memorize Argonok and the various elves. "Seems odd that someone would send you out so late to begin with."

    "Yes, uh¡­" Iskra struggled to speak as she tried to invoke the captain and hoped that the soldier would back down and obey. "Captain Boris gave me permission to set out and survey the land for a possible bridge to help connect us with the dwarves. Time is of the essence after all."

    "Makes sense," The man sounded dubious at her explanation. "So why did he decide to send you out? And why so late?"

    Iskra had flashbacks to the moment she failed to convince the captain of her plan. The two men had a strangely similar level of reasoning compared to the other. Apparently, common sense was rampant amongst the Duke of Orul''s men. Fantastic.

    "The Captain believed that going out at such an hour would help reduce the risk of an attack on our group. He doesn''t wish to have a repeat occurrence on a similar level as the river battle." A perfect excuse with a reasonable explanation. "As for why I''m coming along, that would be because of my education as well as the engineering clout of my mother. Who else could decipher the land around us and make a better plan for our infrastructural needs?"

    There was an awkward silence as the lead soldier mulled over her words. The man turned to his left, and then to his right. Each time the soldiers nodded to one another as if they had reached an unspoken agreement.

    Finally, the man spoke. "Right then. Carry on."

    Iskra sighed with relief as she was finally glad that her explanation had actually worked. She wasn''t as strong of an orator when compared to her parents, and most of her siblings, so she was glad that her words were able to convince someone.

    "Thank you," The girl took a step forward. "We''ll be on our way and-"

    "I''m joking."

    "Wha- Huh?" Flabbergasted she stopped dead in her tracks, unable to comprehend what was happening at that moment.

    "You seriously didn''t think I believed you, did you?" The man said with a smug grin on his face as he cocked his head towards one of the other soldiers. "Alexander, wake up Captain Boris and find out what''s going on."

    "Wait! Uh," Iskra began to panic as Alexander took his first step. She tried to think of something that could work, but could only mumble and watch as the assigned soldier dutifully went about his task. "There''s no need to wake the Captain."

    "Of course there is," The lead soldier said as he turned around to make towards his original post. "If what you''re saying is true, then you won''t mind that-"

    "Perhaps I can give you the answer you seek?" Velicion coolly interjected as she reached out and grabbed Alexander by the shoulder, stopping the man from taking any further steps that would lead deeper into the encampment. "I have written orders from the Captain himself-

    "You do?" Asked Iskra and the soldier almost simultaneously.

    Velicion gave the raven haired girl a hard stare, baffled that she blurted out her own confusion without thinking. "As I was saying¡­Explicit, handwritten orders were given to me for safe keeping. If you would be so kind as to lead me towards a decent source of light, then I can help ease your worries."

    Iskra watched, baffled by Velicions words, as the elven sorceress was led towards the gate. Light from a nearby torch flickered weakly as the group of four finally made their way towards their goal. As Iskra began to wonder what the sorceress had in mind her answer came in the form of a bright, white light that flashed in quick succession. It was over and done with before she could even blink.

    She wasn''t sure what had happened exactly, but she was delightfully surprised to watch as the camp''s gate was slowly opened and Velicion could be seen waving towards the group and motioned for them to follow her through the now opened entrance.

    "What did you do?" The young girl eventually asked as she finally caught up to the elf.

    "I''ll tell you later," The lithe elf stated as she motioned for the rest of the group to push on towards the forest. Her hand rested gently on Iskra''s shoulder as they made their way towards the tree line. "Right now we should be getting as far away from here as quickly as possible. We don''t want to be anywhere near close to the camp once the spell wears off."

    <hr>

    A harsh cry erupted from Iskra''s lips as the young girl stumbled and nearly fell over an exposed root. She would have fallen flat on her face if it weren''t for the quick reaction of Prince Aurelius as he reached out and held onto her left arm. It felt as if the young prince nearly tossed her up into the air as he pulled her back onto her feet. He placed a gentle hand over her shoulder to help keep her balance but strangely enough, he looked away from her as she gave the handsome elf a thankful smile. The prince was a little rougher then she would have liked, but that didn''t stop her from being appreciative of his efforts.

    "Th-thanks." The girl stammered out in a subdued voice as she was both embarrassed and confused by what had just occurred. She was embarrassed thanks to the fact that this wasn''t the first time she had tripped and stumbled over something, and it most assuredly wouldn''t be the last. She must look like an idiot to everyone in the group. She was confused because of the prince''s seemingly embarrassed reaction as he pulled her back up on her feet.

    It didn''t dawn on her as to why until much later. Her face grew red hot in embarrassment as she proceeded to stare down at the ground. Hoping that the pitch blackness of the night hid her emotions.

    While he still held onto the clumsy girl, Prince Aurelius called out to Velicion and spoke with her about something.

    The group stopped while the two conversed with one another.

    She was still mindful of the fact that the prince held her in his tight grip. Another source of embarrassment, but one she found comfort in as she pressed her body closely with his.

    The prince stopped midsentence and turned to look at her. The expression that he wore upon his face was unreadable as it was far too dark to even see past her nose. She could only see vague shapes from time to time and wondered if anyone was able to see anything in this darkness.

    She imagined that was the case for the elves at least, as they were the ones leading the charge on this journey of hers. How else would they be able to navigate through the thick forest without waltzing right into a tree or two. Magic?

    Eventually, their conversation continued but swiftly ended when Velicion shook her head and turned towards the human girl.

    "Iskra," The sorceress'' soft voice called out to her. The girl looked in the general direction from where her voice had come from but saw nothing. "With it being so dark out tonight, the prince has offered a guiding hand in making sure you no longer trip over something. Is tha-"

    "Yes, absolutely!" Iskra nearly yelled out as her face became flushed with excitement at the idea of clinging onto Aurelius for both protection and warmth. She squeezed her arms around the prince, making sure that the two wouldn''t be separated by even an inch. "He''s not only handsome but a gentleman as well." She didn''t mean to say that last part out loud, and it showed on her face. Not that anyone could really see her, she hoped.

    Argonok let out a groan of frustration as his gauntlet collided with his helmet. A noisy clunk came from his direction. "It''s going to be a long haul isn''t it?" The dwarf muttered to no one in particular.

    Velicion stifled a chuckle as she moved a hand to cover her mouth.

    "Don''t worry," The sorceress comforted the embarrassed teenager. "I''m the only one who''s able to understand what you''re saying. Everyone that''s here is too long to find the benefits of learning a second language."

    Velicion gave an extravagant gesture as she motioned for everyone to continue moving. "It''s best if we continue on a much rougher path. I doubt that Captain Boris would be thrilled to find out that you''ve disobeyed him once the morning arrives."

    They continued on in silence, while clung to the prince with a deathlike grip. Iskra mimicked every step that the prince took as their bodies stuck to one another like glue. Iskra wasn''t confident enough in her abilities to traverse the dense forest, especially after she continued to stumble into Prince Aurelius on more than one occasion.

    On each occasion, the two would share an awkward stare while Iskra apologized to him.

    She really hated how dark it was.

    "Careful now," Argonok said in a whisper as he slowed his pace to match with the pair. "Or you''ll eventually squeeze the life out of him."

    "N-no I won''t," She snapped back as the dwarf chuckled heartily as he found humor in his own joke. "A little contact has never hurt anyone, right?"

    She looked up at the prince and frowned as she noticed that he was talking to someone else within the group. The prince was apparently used to their closeness by now. She poked at his back to make him look down at her, but eventually gave up when the boy failed to respond to her actions.

    Rejected, she squeezed down on her grip to make sure that he was aware of her presence.

    "Like I said," Argonok said as he stepped onto a fallen tree, the rotting trunk creaking under his weight before an explosive snap erupted from under his feet. "You''ll squeeze the life out of him."

    Iskra winced as the sound pierced her ears. She knew that the dwarf was toying with her, but that didn''t mean she liked the way he went about it.

    Still though, she did her best in ignoring his games and returned on keeping her focus squarely on where her feet should be placed next.

    "Don''t let the stubbornness of a dwarf ever sway you from your path." Iskra jumped at Velicions voice as the lithe elven woman whispered into her ear.

    "Don''t do that," The young girl hissed as she gripped even tighter around the prince. "You''ll end up scaring someone to death."

    She despised being snuck up on and had gotten into countless quarrels with her many siblings when they played pranks on her.

    Velicion chuckled at the girl''s words as she turned her attention towards the boy. "You may think he''s ignoring you, but the prince is doing his best to look as cool as he can. He''s of the sort that stumbles over his own words whenever a pretty girl shows him the slightest amount of affection."

    Iskra, in her own response, failed to utter a single word while the sorceress disappeared into the night. Laughing at the girls'' expense.

    Apparently, the two teenagers were a lot alike.

    <hr>

    The sun had begun to peak over the horizon by the time Velicion had called for the group to stop and rest up. It''s orange and yellow light slowly evaporated the pitch blackness of the night as its rays lit up the early morning sky.

    Iskra sighed in contempt as she looked up from where she sat and dreaded at the idea that another humid day had just begun.

    Regardless of her feelings towards the day''s temperature, the girl was glad that the group had stopped. She was just happy that she could finally rest as her legs and feet throbbed in pain, as they have been doing so for the past few hours. Iskra let out a relieved gasp as she reached down and massaged her sweat drenched feet, her toes were slow to move as she did her best to keep her blood flowing.

    The morning dew seeped into her pants while a gentle morning breeze brushed against her soar body. She was glad that nature itself seemed to be remorseful of her predicament.

    Eventually, she fell flat on her back and stretched out her back against the soft grass. Iskra gave a tired sigh as her eyes slowly drooped to a close. She just wanted to sleep the whole day away and not think of anything else.

    A shadow casted itself over her body as she tried in vain to put herself under a pleasant dream. Wondering who or what it was, she cracked her eyes open and found that Argonok had placed his weapon close by while he stood somewhere close by. She raised her head, curious to know where the dwarf was.

    As she scanned the nearby area, she noticed that the elves were in a similar situation as her. Their footwear was off, and they looked to be quite awake compared to the human. Considering that the elves had traveled a long distance away from their homeland, Iskra wasn''t at all surprised that they had far more stamina than she did.

    The elves conversed amongst themselves as Iskra continued to scan the makeshift camp. The twins were perched up against a nearby tree while the black haired elf worked on building a fire pit. Prince Aurelius and Velicion were speaking with one another on the opposite side of the camp. The sorceress motioned towards the twins before quickly pointing towards the forest. Whatever it was that the two were talking about, it was quite clear that Velicion needed the prince to take care of it.

    Finally, after it felt like it had taken longer than it should have, Iskra found her target. Argonok stood in a fairly obvious spot, directly behind from where the girl was. He looked perfectly contempt where he was as the dwarf stood there like a statue. Iskra wondered if the man was even tired, but realized that he was probably used to long marches.

    She dropped the issue when she heard footsteps approaching.

    "Iskra," Velicion called out as the sorceress made her way closer to the girl. "After talking it over, we decided that the best course of action is to continue south for the time being. This forest is ideal for gaining ground against any potential pursuers."

    Iskra frowned at the sorceress''s words. While it was inevitable that the captain would eventually send men after them, she hadn''t thought of that consequence when she had begun to formulate her plan. Perhaps it was due to a simple oversight on her part, or maybe it was because it was such an obvious response that her mind hadn''t found the need to consider it at all. Either way, it was an eventuality that she would have to deal with in time.

    "That''s fine," She said once her thoughts were in order. "I was hoping we would be able to head directly east and survey the river then, but if we need to, then I don''t mind having to circle back around and doing it at a later time."

    "And you''re fine with us heading south?"

    "Where else would we be able to go? We can''t go back west as that would defeat our whole purpose and there are mountains to the north of us. I''d rather not meet a bunch of goblins again for a good long while."

    "Very well," Velicion said as she backed away from the prone girl. "I''ll confirm with the others that we''re to continue on our current path and head south. Afterwards, we''ll go in any direction that you wish. For now though, just be sure to rest and regain your strength. We''ve got a lot more walking to do before this is all over."

    Iskra waved goodbye to the elf as she watched the woman walk over towards where the twins were located. Prince Aurelius and the black haired elf were nowhere to be seen, most likely they had gone out to do whatever task Velicion had given them.

    A laugh erupted from the three elves as one of the twins slapped the other on his back. She wondered what was so funny as she carefully laid her head back on the ground. Her mind drifted away into nothingness as she fell into a slumber under the morning light.

    <hr>

    Captain Boris took a deep breath as he sat down in his chair for the first time today, it was an unusual occurrence thanks to how his morning had started.

    The first thing that had happened to him was several men bursting into his tent, babbling on about something about magic, elves, and Iskra. They had gone on to explain that late into the night, Lady Iskra had approached the front gate and asked to go out into the forest. The next thing that the men knew was that it was morning and tracks were leading out into the wilderness. Supposedly, the men had been put under the temporary effects of some sort of spell, and when they had come to they realized what had occurred and rushed to inform their superior.

    Since then he had done nothing except approach other posts and confirmed that only a handful of elves had gone with the young girl. The dwarf had gone along as well, but that was something he wasn''t all too surprised about. That walking, talking armored statue had never left the girls side ever since she had returned with him in tow. Suffice to say, the exhausted man was confident that the girl was in good hands and that harm wouldn''t come to her person.

    Now if only he could convince Sylvia, who stood in front of his makeshift desk and on the verge of tears, of the same thing.

    "What do you mean that she''s out there on her own?" Sylvia''s voiced cracked as she leaned into the man, her face wild with emotion as she took offense to the man''s previous statement."

    "I mean what I said Sylvia," In truth, he did to a certain extent. Though he was smart enough to not reveal the fact that Iskra''s little adventure wasn''t actually sanctioned by him, he just needed to calm the woman down. At least for now. "She came to me with an idea of building a bridge and asked that I have some men accompany her. I gave her my express permission to do so and provided the numbers that we believed were needed."

    "But her carriage-"

    "Isn''t with her. Yes, I know." The man interrupted her as he nodded his head while sliding a hand across his desk. "And before you ask as to why," Captain Boris held up a hand to silence the middle aged servant before she could find a retort. "It was one of my requests that she leave it here. The damned thing is an eyesore and easy to spot from a distance. Any would be ambusher would be well aware of her presence the moment that thing crossed the horizon."

    "So¡­" Sylvia let out a sigh as she lowered her head in resignation. "Who''s all with her?"

    "A handful of elves as well as an equal number of my men," The man claimed as he leaned back into his chair. "As well as that elf prince, the sorceress and that dwarf you''re always with. I have serious doubts that such a group would run into trouble and if they did, then it would be dealt with in rapid succession." While most of what he said was true, the portion concerning his men was something of a lie to help ease the woman as well as to help build up what was to come next.

    "Why wasn''t I told about any of this?"

    "I convinced her that there was no need for a servant on this kind of journey. Plus," The man said as he brought his hands behind his head while he continued to build on his lie. "I''m sure that you wouldn''t have been all that pleased to go on another outing so shortly after that ambush."

    Sylvia nodded her head as she backed away from the desk. The experience at the river was one that she didn''t wish to repeat. Violence was something that the woman couldn''t handle, especially since she would turn as white as snow at the mere sight of a small cut.

    "How long will they be gone for? I can''t imagine Lady Iskra to be away from any resemblance of civilization for very long."

    "Two weeks at the most," Boris fired off the words without batting an eye. This would give him plenty of time to figure out a suitable punishment for the girl. If she returned on her own by then, fantastic. If not, then he would send out a small group of men under the guise of a newly established patrol to bring her back. "Though don''t be surprised if she comes back at an earlier or later date. Who knows what they''ll run into."

    Sylvia made to say something else but was quickly cut off before she could get a single word out. "You don''t need to worry about anything else. Just know that the girl is in good hands and will come back safely," He knew that the more they spent dwelling on the matter, the harder it would be for him to maintain a decent enough lie before it became too much for him to carry through. The less that the woman actually knew the better. "Take this time to be with your husband and worry about yourselves. I''m sure that you haven''t had much time to handle your own concerns over these past few weeks."

    The grey haired woman looked as if she wanted to say something else, but stayed quiet as she thought over the man''s words. He hoped that she would take the hint and leave. Eventually, she nodded her head. "Very well. Have a good day Captain."

    Captain Boris grunted out a reply and waved her goodbye. The tent was utterly silent once Sylvia had left.

    "Come now," Sergeant Alexiv said as he leaned over towards his superior. "You''re not seriously going to let that girl stay out for that long, are you?"

    The Captain looked over to his Sergeant. "It''ll give us enough time to work out what to do. Once that''s settled we can begin to go after her."

    The Sergeant nodded at his commander. Satisfied that the man had everything under control.

    The grizzled veteran let out a long, exhausted sigh as he slapped his hands over the table top. With that out of the way, they could get back to their more immediate concerns.

    <hr>

    By the time that their group had reached their second stopping point for the day, the sun had already begun to set. To Iskra, its dulled rays gave an eerily impression of a blood drenched sky.

    A fire blazed into life as sparks flew off and branches popped and cracked under the intense heat. Iskra sat at one end while Velicion and Argonok were on opposite sides of her; the two of them never seemed to leave her side. It was something that she had begun to grow annoyed at as the days continue to go on.

    The rest of the group was left to take care of setting up camp. The black haired elf and one of the twins were tasked with the duty of evening sentry while Prince Aurelius the second twin were tasked with hunting for food and firewood.

    Apparently, there had been plenty of wildlife that was spotted throughout the day and night. Iskra had seen none of it, but she had been assured that the hunters would return with plenty to eat. Whatever was brought back she just hoped that it was tasty to eat.

    Iskra lifted her head and looked around the camp. Its bare bones nature, with only a fire pit to its name, was the only sign of life outside of its inhabitants.

    She wasn''t all too sure, but it looked like Velicion and Argonok were the only ones within hearing distance. Thinking on their pointed and longer ears, the girl wondered just how well the elves were able to hear. She wondered if the elves were able to hear from much greater distances, but thought that was silly as she came to the conclusion that it was only a cosmetic difference in how the elvish race differed from their human counterparts.

    She shrugged away her worries and turned to look towards the dwarf, as he sat with his legs stretched out while his armored head stared deeply into the fire without so much as a single word. "Hey Argonok," The girl began as both of her companions turned to look at her. "Do you mind if Velicion and I have some alone time?"

    The dwarf looked towards his elven counterpart before letting out an annoyed sigh. Whatever it was that his mistress wanted to talk about would be better off not reaching his ears.

    "Very well," He said as he lifted himself off of the ground. "I''ll go look around the edge of the camp. See if those brats are doing their job and not meandering about like lost dogs."

    The two women watched as the armored dwarf stomped his way towards the forest, clumps of loose dirt and grass stuck to his boots with every other monstrous step he took.

    What did you want to talk about?" Velicion asked as she turned to look at the raven haired human, her face full of questions.

    Iskra wasn''t sure what the best way was to approach her query, so she thought that a safer approach was necessary if she wanted to avoid any long term embarrassment.

    "So, uh, are you sure that none of the others can understand what I''m saying?"

    Velicion cocked her head as she looked at the girl in confusion. "Ah, I see what you''re asking." The sorceress confirmed to herself as she began to understand the basic idea of where Iskra was going. "The answer is no. I''m the only one that can understand what you''re saying. Most of the others only know their mother''s tongue, and those that can understand a second language are unable to speak your specific one now."

    "You said you traveled around the local coasts, right?"

    "In a sense, though I only picked up a variation of your dialect due to how often I was placed in keeping the negotiations on track." The sorceress shifted her eyes away from the girl as she tried her best in explaining how she learned without letting too much information spill forth. "It''s one of several that I can speak with a moderate degree of confidence."

    "I see." That was all she said for a long time. The fire had grown larger in strength and the night was rapidly approaching. It wouldn''t be long before the others returned with their bounty. "I''m not sure how to ask this, but could you teach me to speak your language?"

    Iskra grew red hot in embarrassment as she watched a smirk creep onto Velicions face. "What I mean is that it''s kind of hard to communicate with everyone and I''m sure that there are times that you can''t keep up with what I''m saying. So I thought why not try and learn so I know what''s being said, you know?"

    "Very well," The elf said as she shook her head with a chuckle. Iskra wondered if the sorceress could see through her, but she was glad that the older woman wasn''t saying anything if that was the case. If she had said something, then she would be far too embarrassed to continue with the charade. "Once we return I''ll devise up some lessons for you, but don''t expect me to teach you in a manner that you''re used to."

    "Thanks," Was all the girl said as she brought up her legs and buried her face in her knees.

    <hr>

    For those who weren''t on watch, everyone had gathered around the camp''s fire and fallen asleep. Their bodies were close together but never mingled in an intimate manner.

    For most of the night, Iskra had gone in and out of sleep for reasons unknown to her. Sometimes it was because someone stumbled over something or an animal had gotten too close to the camp and had to be chased off. Often times, however, it was because her body had refused to stay asleep and forced her mind to wander aimlessly. This caused her to only catch a few tiny moments of rest while everyone else looked to be deadly silent in their slumber.

    The young girl stared up into the night sky and watched as the dark and heavy clouds lazily rolled across her vision.

    It was a strange experience for Iskra. In one of her many attempts to force her body into slumber, she had begun to think back on the past few months of her life. There were times where she wanted to look back on in a wondrous mood, but she somehow always kept coming back to the more recent events. Sometimes it would be about her parents who she viewed as having abandoned her, other times it was about that playboy crown prince who had apparently grown tired of his betrothal, and on occasion she would find herself in a dizzying fantasy where she had whisked herself away into another kingdom and started a more simpler life there. Though the most common thought she had was her regret in not bringing any gear to help keep the weather away.

    She really wished she had put more thought into this little plan of hers. Now wasn''t the time to punish herself for the mistakes she had made in this little journey of hers. She just wanted to fall asleep before the sun started to rise.

    Iskra let out a sigh as she caught the movement of a gauntleted hand reaching out and breaking a bundle of small branches in its grasp before tossing them into the fire.

    In every moment that she found herself awake, she had seen Argonok stay near the fire as he kept feeding the ever hungry flames.

    She wondered if the man couldn''t sleep either.

    "Can''t sleep?" She asked in a hushed tone as she rolled over and watched the dwarf toss in another handful of sticks. He still wore his armor which she thought was a strange thing to do.

    "Nah," He said as he looked down at the girl. His red and blue checked helmet stared down at her with a dominating pressure. "Sleep is something I don''t have the luxury of."

    "Why''s that?"

    "Pain mostly," The dwarf said as he tapped the side of his helmet. "And this armor too, I guess."

    "If you''re in pain then maybe you should see someone about it? I''m sure a wizard or an ordinary doctor could help you, and if the armor is bothering you then why not take it off? Seems like a simple thing to do."

    The Fire Guard shook his head at Iskra''s words. "Being able to magic away my pain isn''t something that I have the luxury of, and this doctor idea of yours won''t work. Besides," The dwarf turned towards the girl while his red and blue checkered helmet reflected the dancing flames of the camp''s fire. "I can''t take this armor off to begin with."

    Iskra cocked her head in a curious motion as she continued to stare at the dwarf. "Why? Because of some kind of oath or something? I won''t tell anyone if you do, it''s not like any of your people are going to find out."

    Argonok gave a hearty, yet grim chuckle as he answered his young mistress. "It''s more of a curse then it is an oath. Oaths can be broken at any moment, but curses are eternal."

    "A curse? Really?" Her voice came out excitedly as she perked up at the thought of magic. "Did a wizard put a curse on you after killing him? Did you steal something from them?"

    "No," Argonok said flatly as he waved away her questions before she could fire off anymore. "I did it to myself. Technically."

    "What?" She raised an eyebrow, confused at what he meant. "Are you a wizard then? Did you screw up a spell or something?"

    "I''d rather kill myself then use magic. The stuffs poison for your mind." The dwarf shook his head as he vehemently denied the girls accusations. "This curse that I have is for a crime I''ve committed."

    Now Iskra was curious. She wondered what sort of crime one would have to commit for someone to place magical armor onto your person without giving you the privilege of taking it off.

    "What did you do?" She was more excited then she should have been. Curiosity was something that had often led to her finding out things she shouldn''t, but that''s what made it all worthwhile.

    The dwarf shrugged, uncaring at her curious nature.  "Do you really want to know?"

    Iskra nodded her head as excitement gleamed in her eyes.

    "It''s a long story," The dwarf said with a sigh. "So I''ll give you the short version. Don''t want to bore you with the details and whatnot." Argonok looked up into the sky and let out a displeased moan as he wrapped his head around what he needed and didn''t need to say. "The whole thing boils down to me killing my family and a few of my neighbors. Not sure why I did it to be honest, just that I had this sudden urge to kill. Next thing I knew, I was drenched in blood and being held down by the townsfolk while some warlock sentenced me to be tossed into the Eternal Forges. Once that was all said and done with, I woke up with this armor around me. Not a day goes by where I suffer in silent agony. Each action I take causes me pain, and the only real way to be relieved of that is to kill over and over again. "

    "So¡­" Iskra was quiet for a while, unsure of what to say next or if she should say anything at all. Eventually, she did speak. "What happened to your body, do you still have it?"

    "Don''t got one," The dwarf said as he shook his head as he was not at all surprised by her question. Kids were a curious bunch of beasts. "All I have left is this suit of armor with my soul trapped inside of it." To place emphasis on what he meant, the dwarf lightly tapped at his chest piece. A hollow sound echoed from within as the soft thump of metal hitting against metal rang out around the quiet camp.

    "That''s¡­so cool." The girl let out with a yawn as her eyes started to grow heavy in weight. She wanted to pry the dwarf of his secrets, but her vision began to fade and she soon found herself fast asleep. Ready for the next day to come and bring its full glory to bear.

 Chapter 7: Seeing New Places...

    That very next morning the group had found themselves next to a wide river. To those with distracted eyes, its soft flowing water looked to be completely still and the only real way of knowing the truth would be for the individual to stand at the river''s edge and watch as several leaves and branches bundled together as they floated without a care along its surface. The branches were small in size; the biggest of the bunch was no wider than the size of her thumb and couldn''t have been longer than her forearm. The leaves were only slightly larger than the branches they had befriended along their watery journey. A few of the leaves had pools of water within their folds as every so often the green; leafy blades would bob above and below the water''s surface while the branches rocked back and forth as they bumped into their companions. Iskra wondered if it had been the wind that had torn them from their respective trees, or if an animal of some kind had managed to tear them away.

    "I wonder where this leads," Iskra said to no one in particular as she quietly wondered if this was the same river whose shores she had found herself on the receiving end of a goblin ambush. "I can''t imagine it going very far. Especially with the mountain range that separates Voldigrov with the rest of the kingdom."

    "If I had to guess," Echoed the voice of Argonok as the dwarf stepped closer to the water''s edge. The Fire Guard, forever clad in his heavy suit of armor, lifted his weapon and jabbed at the slow moving river. A sickening hiss bubbled up from the surface as a thick black smoke oozed from the once calm surface while the man poked and prodded at a few of the passing branches with the pommel of his halberdier. "This river leads into a forest that''s received quite the nasty reputation, something about a curse and bloodthirsty forest spirits."

    The young girl gagged and coughed at the stomach churning smell. She waved away a cloud of nearby smoke and quickly turned her head to avoid taking in even more of the vile stuff. Iskra wondered what could have caused such a reaction from the water. To her it was obvious that the Fire Guards Halberdier was the cause, but the question as to what the weapon had done to the water was something that she found lingering in the back of her mind.

    "What do you mean by ¡®cursed?'' " Iskra covered her face with her tunic before looking down at the dwarf, curious to find out what he meant by his choice in words.

    For her troubles, Argonok shrugged his shoulders and jabbed at the water once more. For her troubles, the sickening hiss and darkened smoke returned, this time with the wind blowing the thick haze away from the pair. "The forest is alive or something, according to the rumors that is. Zharatan, in his infinite wisdom, was curious to know what could be found within its borders and sent a small group of men to return with something valuable. Only one man returned."

    The dwarf didn''t say anything after that as he continued to poke and prod at the river.

    Curious to find out more about this mystical forest the dwarves had found and frustrated at the aspect of having to endure more of the dwarfs'' newfound habit, she reached out towards Argonok''s halberdier. She just wanted the smell to go away.

    "Careful," His voice sounded angry as he moved to avoid the young girl''s hand. "Only I''m allowed to touch this thing. I think you wouldn''t want your hand to be consumed by the enchantments that were used during its forging."

    Iskra frowned at the faceless dwarf as he backed away from both her and the river. Slowly, she brought back her arm before crossing it over her chest. "Fine, "The girl said as she tilted her head towards the river. "Tell me more about this forest and I won''t touch it."

    Argonok made a noise similar to someone clicking their tongue on the roof of their mouth. Iskra was reminded of last night''s conversation where the dwarf mentioned the fact that he had nobody to speak of. The raven haired girl wondered how the dwarf could make such a sound. Perhaps Velicion could explain it or maybe even the previously mentioned Zharatan. Surely a dwarf would know more about what exactly a Fire Guard was and how they came to be.

    "I don''t know much as I didn''t care to hear about it," The dwarf began as he continued to take a few steps back, unsure if the curious girl would suddenly lunge for his weapon. "But the story is that the forest is home to wild spirits. The sort of spirits that don''t appreciate people coming into their home. At all."

    "And?" Iskra slowly dragged the word from her mouth as she motioned for the dwarf to continue.

    "The group was attacked by a multitude of treekin, weird forest creatures, and corrupted humans. Nasty stuff apparently, a few of the members were torn limb from limb. Not sure how he managed to escape, but he did."

    Iskra cocked her head at the mention of whatever it was that treekin were, she had never heard of such things and then there was this whole thing about corrupted humans. Whatever that meant.

    "What are treekin?" She was far more curious about this strange forest than she probably should have been, but Iskra wanted to know as much as she could.

    "A type of forest spirit that inhabits trees previously blessed by the lands fae overlords." Iskra jumped in shock as Velicions gentle voice came from behind. The girl forgot that the sorceress had been relatively close by. "In laymen''s terms, they take on the appearance of trees but with arms and legs and have a habit of stalking those that dare trespass onto their sacred lands."

    Velicion placed a hand over the girls left shoulder as she leaned into the girl''s ear. "Those that can''t escape are brought deeper into their realm where their bodies and minds are forever altered. Roots, branches, and bark grow from their now twisted forms as they mindlessly wander through the magical woods. Slaves to the whims of the spirits for all eternity." The sorceress let out a menacing chuckle as she patted the young girl''s shoulder while Iskra looked frightfully towards the ground, none too pleased with the tone that the elven woman presented.

    "You guys are just trying to scare me." Was all that the teenager could muster.

    "I''m not," Velicion began as she brought the girl closer to her. "There are plenty of tales where curious elven children wandered into such forests only to be torn apart or turned into monstrous little devils that harassed their home villages." The elf gave a grim smile before quickly planting a long and loving kiss on Iskra''s cheek.

    What a weird thing to do, the girl thought as she rubbed at the affected area while Velicion pulled away.

    "Curious little children should stay in their homes and play with their toys," The elven woman said as she poked the air around Iskra. "That''s the lesson those types of tales are trying to teach you. Though from my experience you little bastards would rather break a bone or two if it meant that you could have the slightest bit of fun."

    Iskra mouthed a wordless reply as she wondered why anyone in their right mind would do that.

    "It''s best if we just avoid the forest altogether," Argonok joined in as he leaned into his weapon. "I''d rather not share my armor with a bunch of magical little sprouts who think they could control me."

    Iskra looked away from the both of them and returned her gaze upon the slow moving river. Perfectly contempt to drop the issue altogether.

    <hr>

    Iskra let out a sigh of relief as she carefully dipped her feet into the cold water, she wiggled her toes beneath the freezing surface to help regain some feeling she had lost ever since the group had left their makeshift camp earlier that morning. She never realized how tiring walking through the wilderness truly was, and to an extent, she was glad that she had been born into a life of luxury. Even if that life was now gone and was no longer relevant to her current situation.

    She was just glad that Velicion had called for a halt the very moment the group had found themselves near a bend in the river. The water was at a level low enough to where one could waltz right up to its waters and take off their boots if they wished to cool off, which was something that the raven haired girl had done almost straight away. With the belief that they were safe from any sort of harm, she had ignored the sorceress''s calls for her to stay close. She would be beyond surprised if the group had somehow found themselves in the midst of an ambush, especially considering how flat and sparse the surrounding terrain was.

    Since they had first stumbled upon the river earlier that morning, the forest had quickly begun to thin out. The once thick copse of massive trees eventually thinned and slowly began to disappear from their view altogether.

    Iskra was glad that they now found themselves in a more pleasant environment. Gone were the moments of her tripping over unseen roots or being smacked by branches that somehow managed to avoid Prince Aurelius and hit her square in the neck and face. Leaving behind red marks and slight scratches as the low hanging branches swatted at her body as if nature itself found it funny.

    Now, however, that was all behind her as all she had to truly worry about was getting enough rest before Velicion called for the group to continue forward with their journey. Iskra raised her arms high into the air as she stretched out her back before quickly plopping herself onto the course dirt that served as the river''s embankment. She let out a long, elated sigh of relief as she looked up at the sunny blue sky above. The clouds lazily rolled along their own journey as the sun shined heavily down onto the girls face.

    She closed her eyes, ready for however long of a nap she would be able to take. Or, she would have if not for the sudden shouts of surprise coming from somewhere behind her.

    Curious as to what would cause such a commotion, she decided to peak her head over the embankment but quickly found that to be a terrible idea as several pair of worn out, but finely made boots rushed over her head before slamming down into the soft, water soaked sand.

    Iskra looked over to where the majority of the guilty party had landed; her face was visibly upset as she was none too pleased that her head had been nearly kicked in by the leather boots that the elves wore upon their persons. Prince Aurelius and the black haired elf were shoulder to shoulder while the twins had already bounded towards the other side, pointing upwards into the air before quickly mimicking the actions of someone firing a bow.

    Excited shouts were abundant among the teenage elves as they gestured wildly towards the distance. Laughter, both sarcastic and genuine, was ever present as various hands slapped the shoulders or backs of the person they were closest to. Everyone, save for Velicion and Argonok, was down in the embankment.

    Iskra didn''t mind that the boys had come rushing down to her spot; she just wished that they hadn''t nearly kicked her head in while doing so. She just wanted to know what all of the commotion was about.

    She was just about to call for Velicions to explain what in the world was happening when she realized that the sorceress''s shadow loomed over her.

    "Close one, wasn''t it?" The lithe woman said as she gestured towards the group of boys with a flick of her chin.

    "What''s going on?" A minuscule amount of anger was present in her voice, but her curiosity had proven to be the stronger emotion out of the two.

    "Lokhan spotted a group of trolls off in the distance. That led to Taloris saying something about killing one of them, and that set off the whole group."

    Iskra said nothing for a moment as she realized that she had just learned two of her companion''s names for the first time. Had it really taken this long for her to do so? She shook her head clear of those thoughts as she realized that learning their names wasn''t the most important matter at hand. She was far more concerned about the trolls and what might happen.

    "Are they coming towards us? Should we leave?" The girl asked with a hint of fear in her voice as her mind began to imagine all sorts of machinations of what the creatures could do to the group. She opened her mouth to ask more on the matter but was quickly cut off by an approaching Argonok; the familiar metallic clunking of metal against metal was an assured sign of his approaching footsteps.

    "I wouldn''t worry about it," The bored sounding dwarf said as he walked over to where Iskra stood before quietly sitting down. "Those trolls aren''t even aware of their surroundings, and they won''t notice us even if we were to bathe ourselves in their favorite sauces and cooked ourselves up for them to eat. Plus they''re heading in the opposite direction, so no need to worry."

    Iskra was relieved to hear what the dwarf had to say, but that still didn''t explain why the others were so excited about an increasingly distant group of trolls.

    "So then, what''s with the-"

    "Excitement?" Velicion interrupted her as she looked back down towards the girl. A smile appeared on her face as she made to mimic her dwarven companion and sat next to the standing human girl.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Iskra nodded in the affirmative as she looked between the two of them.

    "Being as they''re a bunch of kids, I wouldn''t be surprised if this is the first time they''ve ever laid eyes on an actual troll. Living or dead." Argonok, wishing to confirm his suspicions, turned towards the sorceress. "They''re nothing but a bunch of spoiled noble brats aren''t they?"

    Velicion nodded her head in silence. The dwarf was dead on the money.

    "Besides the obvious being Prince Aurelius, the elves that are with you now are nothing more than a bunch of fourth or fifth sons of various nobility. Both large and small in all things upper society," Velicion turned towards Iskra as she continued with her explanation. "For the most part, these kids were sheltered. Well, as sheltered as one could be in Dar''Nari Nobility."

    "So then," Iskra could see where Velicion was going with her explanation and if she understood it right, then she suspected that the boys that were with them today were nothing more than kids who wanted to make a name for themselves. Prince Aurelius included. "What''s with all of this excitement? Did you guys not see a single troll in your previous journeys?"

    "No," The sorceress let out a snort as she shook her head. "Orcs and Goblins? Yes. Humans and Elves? Of course. Things like Trolls and Treekin? Not even from the most alcohol induced rumor had we ever ran into one of those things, and trust me," Velicion held up a hand with a finger pointed towards the sky as she took a deep breath. "You don''t ever want to fight either of those last two. I''ve had to fight both multiple times and on the few occasions I''ve battled with a Forest Spirit army that had all manners of things such as Trolls, Hydras and other nasty creatures. I wouldn''t recommend it."

    "Bah, Trolls are easy pickings once you know where to stab and cut them." Argonok butted into the conversation with one of his fists slamming hard onto the ground. Chunks of loose dirt flew into the river while the dwarf continued his bolstering. "Just launch a few globs of demon fire at them and they''ll light up like any ol'' forest fire."

    "Some Trolls aren''t as flammable as you would think, little dwarf." Velicion said as she leaned over towards Argonok before he could continue spinning a tale or two about slaying the current subject. "I thought just like you, but when I had to-"

    "Didn''t you hear me you deafened elf? I said demon fire! Demon! Fire!" Argonok snapped his gauntleted fingers before quickly mimicking the actions of someone lighting a campfire. "They''ll burn up real quick with the stuff I''ve got."

    Velicion gave an expression that Iskra could only assume to mean that the sorceress wasn''t at all impressed with what the dwarf was throwing her way.

    "That''s cheating, and you know it-"Iskra had enough of their argument and quickly began to tune out the Sorceress and Fire Guard. The two of them quickly going on their way to ramble about how one should approach a troll and what was the best way to deal with one of them.

    The young girl turned towards the excited group of boys as they continued with their own conversation that she had no doubt had to do with their fantasies of taking down the group of trolls, whether that was by themselves or with various members of the elven cadre. If it hadn''t been for the two adults of the group that continued to yell into the young girl''s ears, then she would have felt jealousy for her apparent lack of an equally excited conversation partner.

    Though if she were to be perfectly honest with herself, if she had someone of a similar age to her then their conversations would most likely be about shining jewelry and silky smooth dresses and not boasts of violent victories and fiery mayhem.

    That wasn''t to say that she wasn''t curious about what it would be like to have a few trolls at her beck and call. If what little information about them was the slightest bit true, then Iskra was sure that she could find the perfect job for the apparent nasty creatures to wreck the most devastating carnage.

    <hr>

    After the groups initial excitement with the sighting of the group of Trolls had worn off and the group had recollected their wits. Iskra''s band of misfits had eventually carried on with their journey and spent the next two days quietly following the river. There were a few occasions where they had thought that several flocks of massive birds of prey would swoop in and steal their next meal or two, but the nasty sounding birds had been chased off with several well placed shots from the twins.

    That never stopped them from trying however. Velicion had found it peculiar that there were wild birds smart enough to follow a small group of people as they traveled the wild. The sorceress had questions that led her to stipulate them being tamed beasts, but once the group had found themselves close to Argonoks apparent cursed forest the whole flock had vanished without a trace.

    By the time the group had set up camp for the night, the sun had already begun to set. A dim orange light blanketed the land around them as the drunken haze of the late evening sun glimmered over the distant mountains.

    The camp''s fire cackled in abundance as several members of the group continued to feed the ever hungry flames. Conversations were sparse as the group had found it more worth their time to spend their energy eating the evening meal than to run their mouths on a variety of topics.

    Once again, the group was having venison of some kind. It had been gutted, cleaned and chopped into eatable proportions before being cooked over the open fire. In the end, Iskra had four pieces of meat before finding the strength in her stomach to begin biting down on a fifth and final piece of the wild animal. Iskra was surprised by how hungry she had always found herself by the end of the day. She never realized that walking for such vast distances would end up causing such an appetite in her.

    She just wished that there was some flavor to it; all she could really taste was the smoke and fire from when it was cooked.

    Iskra was sandwiched between Argonok and Velicion while the remainder of the group were on their own, quietly chatting away about various topics that the young girl suspected had more to do with trolls than anything else.

    Argonok, of course, did not eat. He had no need for anything other than the lingering urge to kill that constantly ate away at his mind. Killing things was how he sedated the ever gnawing pains of his newfound source of hunger.

    "That''s really creepy," Iskra had said to him which in turn warranted a laugh from the armored dwarf. "Don''t you ever have anything more positive to say?"

    She had begun to notice that, more often than not, Argonok was the sour sort of fellow who preferred a grimmer atmosphere with every waking hour that the two spent together. She suspected it was largely in part to what the dwarf had previously told her. Of how he murdered his family, friends, and neighbors and had been sentenced to live a hellish life in a cursed suit of armor.

    Thankfully Velicion had a more upbeat personality, but that didn''t stop the young girl from finding the older woman to be an annoyance in her own right.

    Looking between the two she wondered if there was a god, or two, that had decided to judge the girl through a uniquely twisted form of divine punishment. How else would she explain having an elven sorceress and a murderous dwarf constantly glued to her shadow?

    "Can''t help it," The dwarf replied. "I just enjoy seeing people upset over what I say." Argonok let out another laugh as he leaned back, letting his arms plant themselves into the ground to help stabilize his body.

    Velicion clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she rolled her eyes. Unimpressed with what the dwarf had to say. "I think you''re just trying to make yourself look cooler than you actually are."

    "You wish, elf." Argonok turned towards the sorceress as he gave his retort.

    Iskra could see clear as day where this conversation was about to lead and decided it was best if she were to cut it off before it came into fruition. She would like to have a decent night''s sleep without having her eardrums ringing from the constant shouts and wild gestures that Iskra was quickly associating these two with.

    "Maybe," Her hand shot up towards Velicion who looked ready to give her own retort. Thankfully, the sorceress kept quiet as Iskra continued to speak. "Instead of arguing with one another for the umpteenth time over these past few days the two of you can help me decide if we should head towards the west or to the east."

    The three of them remained quiet for a short moment.

    Iskra quietly congratulated herself for a job well done in having stopped another loud and obnoxious argument from occurring.

    "Let''s assume that we need to head north," Argonok began; his voice was much quieter than just a few moments ago. "Then to the east of us would be even more mountains. I''m not entirely sure what we would run into if we were to go in that direction."

    "Do we know what would be to the west?"

    Velicion shook her head, the sorceress had never been this far south and had only recently arrived within the Dark Lands fairly recently. Her knowledge of the local area would be mediocre at best and downright ignorant at worst.

    Argonok, for his efforts, appeared to give the question some thought.

    "Who knows," The dwarf said with a subdued voice as he looked towards the forest. "I haven''t heard much about this area. I''m not even sure that Zharatan has sent a single scout to at least attempt to survey the area beyond where we are right now."

    This time it was Iskra''s turn to give some thought to the dwarfs'' words.

    If what he had said was true, and she had no reason to believe the man would lie to her, then heading out west would be one of the most dangerous portions of their journey. She thought back to when she first met the dwarves. Zharatan had claimed they had spent several years within the area before officially settling down. She was sure that the dwarves had at least mapped out a healthy portion of the region as a whole. If not the whole area, but then they wouldn''t need to. Especially if the dwarven leader was telling the truth in regards to their objective, excavating and mining the various mineral veins that supposedly dot the area around their fortress.

    This led to Iskra thinking back towards her original question. Should they head east towards the mountains, where there will assuredly be goblins waiting to ambush them? Or should they head out west, where the entire land is a big mystery, and the mists of the unknown will slowly recoil before them?

    Between such odd choices, Iskra realized that she only had one real option given to her. The second one was an illusion she had created for reasons unknown to her conscious mind. Maybe that was just how all brains worked, making things far more complicated than they should be in order to force the person to be more critical in their choices.

    In the morning they would head west, into the wild and uncharted land that lay beyond. With it, they will slowly head back north and make their return to Ruined Home.

    <hr>

    The next day came and went without issue as the group pushed westwards. It was a dull journey, one with nothing to see except for the flat plains of the land around them. They had seen no rivers, hills or wild animals for most of their journey. Only a flat plain filled with untamed wild grass that danced freely in the gentle breeze. The air was warm but kind to their bodies as they pushed on until they stopped at midday on the second day.

    During their rest, it had been decided that the group had gone far enough and it was time for them to turn north and return to Ruined Home. It didn''t take long for them to run into trouble.

    A piercing cry shortly followed by a pair of guttural howls reached their ears, forcing the entire group to turn their attention towards the source of the primal sound.

    Velicion snapped her fingers while giving orders to the boys. They quickly, and quietly, obeyed and dashed off to spy on whatever was happening.

    "Let''s go see what the hubbub is all about," Argonok said as he motioned his head in the direction where the elven teenagers had run off to. "Could be something interesting, yeah?"

    Iskra, unsure if this was the right thing to do, nodded her head in silence and quietly trailed behind the Fire Guard. She would be lying if she had said she wasn''t curious, but that didn''t stop her from realizing her nervousness about any potential danger.

    It only took a few moments before the three of them caught up with Prince Aurelius and the others. The four of them were hiding behind a patch of tall stalks, the thick bundle of plant matter rustled in the wind as Taloris waved at them to stay low while he placed a finger over his lips. Ear wrenching voices could be heard close by.

    Iskra winced in pain as the unidentified figures spoke to one another in their alien tongue.

    Velicion leaned over towards one of the twins and spoke a few words, most likely asking about the situation they now faced.

    The twin looked back and said very little before quickly pointing to their left and right.

    The young girl did her best to try and follow along but found the conversation to be too quick to attempt an understanding.

    Velicion nodded once, satisfied with what she had learned, and moved back before slowly leaning into Iskra''s ear. "There are two orcs just beyond these massive weeds. They''re accompanied by two wargs. Going by the type of gear that the animals seem to be carrying, they appear to be mounts for the orcs."

    Unable to see over the shoulders of the elven teenagers, Iskra was forced to take the sorceress at her word. That didn''t stop the young girl from asking a question that popped into her mind. "Why haven''t they noticed us," She said with a dash of nervousness. "Aren''t they just giant wolves?"

    "Not quite," Velicion shook her head as she answered the girl''s query. "Wargs have an extremely dull sense of smell and are poor hunters on their own right. I will never understand why Orcs, or Goblins, continue to use them as hunting animals."

    "Why are they here?"

    "They appear to be arguing over a goblin," The sorceress turned her head to one side as she strained her ears to listen to the orcs conversation. "One wishes to bring him back to their chieftain while the other just wants to kill it. Apparently, the goblin is a fugitive for some reason or another."

    Iskra lowered her head as her mind consumed the information given to her. The orcs and the wargs they had brought with them were a problem, one that could be easily dealt with if the twins were quick enough to dispatch them with their bows. The issue that ate at her mind was what to do with the goblin that was said to be facing a deadly fate.

    If the goblin was allowed to be killed, then the elves would merely have to deal with the pair of orcs and their mounts. A simple enough solution to a problem that appeared to be an open and shut case, but Iskra felt as if she should do something entirely different.

    If the group was to kill orcs and their wargs, then they could attempt to rescue the pitiful creature from its untimely fate. For the moment at least. Iskra wasn''t entirely sold on this plan, but it did intrigue her.

    Goblins, from her experience, were entirely ugly creatures that had no beauty to them and only existed to look as disgusting as possible. They might even be the scraps of flesh thrown together to by the gods when the world was first being created, an afterthought to an afterthought if one had to put words to what Iskra had felt was correct. Their misshapen jaws and sunken, beady red eyes were proof of this belief.

    Though this didn''t mean that they had their own uses. With what little information she had on the race, Iskra wondered if she could use them for her own purposes. If she were to forge an alliance with a tribe or two then that could mean that the Dark Lands were readied to be tamed and civilized. This thought forced a mischievous smile to creep onto her face as her mind continued to work out a complex and weirdly convoluted potential future. A future that saw her in a place of ultimate power.

    If they were to save this single goblin, then that could mean the start to a life of power and luxury. A life that she wanted back.

    "Velicion," A harsh whisper escaped from her lips as she looked back towards the elven sorceress. "Do you think we can save the goblin? Kill the orcs and the wargs before they decide on what to do?"

    Velicion, for her part, gave the girl a strange look. No doubt curious as to what the raven haired girl was planning. "I don''t see why not," Her reply came swiftly as she looked between the elvish twins and the human girl. "Is that what you want to do?"

    Without a word, Iskra nodded her head as she looked straight into the elven woman''s eyes. She was dead serious.

    Velicion muttered in elvish as she turned and crept towards the bow wielding twins. The sorceress reached out and placed a hand on their closest shoulders. The two boys turned to look at her as she gave them an order.

    The brothers looked to each other and quietly nodded as they drew their bows and slowly rose to get a clear shot on their targets.

 Chapter 8: Saving New Friends

    Sheer terror was plastered over the goblins face as Dasher stared blankly towards the two yelling orcs as they continued to stand over his bleeding body. For the last half hour the two orcs had towered over him as they argued over what to do with their captive, their hands and fingers gestured wildly towards one another more and more as the heated discussion started to take a more violent turn.

    Dasher winced and gripped at his bleeding leg as intense pain flared violently through his body, a crude yet effective arrow had pierced his body and pinned him to the ground. The bloodied missile was most likely a lucky shot by one of his pursuers, but that did not negate the fact of his current predicament. With tears flooding his eyes, the goblin held back a cry of pain as he awaited the final decision towards his ultimate fate.

    ¡°Enough talk!¡± One of the orcs said grizzly as his face glowed red in anger as a vein bulged from the creature''s rage. ¡°I say we kill the stupid creature and bring his head to Thok¡¯rul.¡±

    The orc reached for the weapon tied to his waist, a wicked and rusted sword that appeared to be haphazardly made from whatever materials had been scrounged up throughout their tribes¡¯ encampment. The crude weapon looked to be stained with all manner of things as the orc gripped tightly around its hilt.

    ¡°And then Thok¡¯rul would have our heads,¡± The other orc called out to his partner as he pushed the bloodthirsty orc back. ¡°We bring the goblin in and then let the Chieftain decide what to do.¡± The other orc let out a deep and resentful growl as he stared his partner down. The first orc appeared ready to brawl with the second as he returned the stare.

    ¡°Don¡¯t spoil the fun Throk,¡± The first orc said as his hand remained on the hilt of his weapon while his eyes dashed back and forth between their prey and his partner. ¡°We already know what he¡¯s going to do with this¡­thing.¡± The orc let out a snarl as his eyes remained locked towards the orc named Throk.

    ¡°And who was it that saved your hands from being cut off because you wanted to have fun? Who was it, Druk?¡± Throk poked at his chest with a powerful thrust of his fingers as he watched his partner drop his murderous intent as the mysterious event had been recalled into memory.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve gotten away with it if it wasn¡¯t for your fearful meddling!¡± Druk yelled violently as he bared his yellowed and rotting teeth. His knuckles turned white as snow as his mind returned to that rambunctious night filled with heavy drinking and merrily fucking.

    ¡°You¡¯re an idiot Druk! Thok¡¯rul was right in front of you the entire time!¡±

    ¡°Only because you wouldn¡¯t stop laughing!¡± Druk pulled the crude sword from his waist; the flayed rope snapped and plummeted to the ground before quietly landing on the goblins bloodied feet.

    ¡°Druk!¡± Throk returned his partner¡¯s gesture in kind. His own crudely made sword scratched loudly against a scabbard that looked to be in such a poor condition that Dasher wondered why the orc even had it to begin with.

    These two orcs had a sordidly colorful history together it turned out.

    The two of them roared at one another in fierce battle cries. With his free hand, Druk pounded loudly against his chest. Heavy thumps of flesh against flesh echoed tremendously in the once calm and peaceful spring air. Throk matched his newfound opponent''s chest beating while the orc rattled his sword into the air, the hastily crafted weapon looked ready to fall apart at any moment.

    The orcs continued to scream and pound their chests as they circled one another. Their faces filled with fiery rage as they threw insults at one another.

    ¡°Moronic dung eater!¡±

    ¡°Pig fucker!¡±

    ¡°Piss guzzler!¡±

    ¡°Slop spewer!¡±

    On and on it went. Their insults were matched one for one, but the two orcs never appeared ready to make the first move. Dasher was unsure if the two were truly serious about fighting one another, but they were orcs and his racial cousins were well known to brawl at a moment¡¯s notice. Even if such a brawl was uncalled for. Orcs as a whole loved a good fight.

    Dasher lazily shook his head, his vision was beginning to blur as darkness slowly crept in from the edges of his sight. At this very moment, blood loss was the biggest threat to his life. If the orcs continued to ignore him, then their argument would be for not as their decision was decided for them by time itself.

    The two orcs looked ready to do¡­Something. His pursuers had stopped their petty argument and readied their bodies to charge at one another. One of the orcs, Druk most likely, opened his mouth to say one final thing.

    However, he never got his chance as a series of yelps and pain filled howls came from somewhere close by. Something was wrong with the Wargs and for a moment, silence filled the air.

    Dasher tried his best to bring his head to a level where he could get a good view of what was happening but quickly gave up as he found the task to be too much for his weakening body.

    In unison, Thruk and Druk roared with such rage that Dasher was convinced that their throats were going to tear themselves out of their bodies and lead the charge themselves. Whatever it was that had occurred, the orcs weren¡¯t happy about it.

    Throughout all of this noise, Dasher thought he had heard rustling coming from somewhere close by but quickly equated it to his mind playing tricks on his ailing body as he continued to lose blood at an ever increasing rate.

    Bellowing at the top of their lungs, the two orcs roared defiantly at their unseen assailants as rage-filled voices blanketed the once quiet air as they charged out of sight.

    The goblins ears flickered as he recognized the familiar twang of a bow. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he would soon fade into oblivion, Dasher would¡¯ve considered it to have been the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

    Throughout all of the noise of the screaming orcs, an unfamiliar voice called out as the goblin once again heard the sound of a bow being fired.

    Dasher turned his head towards the source but saw nothing as he saw the back of an orc tumbling towards his figure. The goblin let out an exhausted sigh as the light of the sun faded out of his sight as the bloodied corpse of his racial cousin plummeted ever closer.

    With an audible thud his now lifeless pursuers slammed into him, their last moments spent living was that of the pitiful wailing of a confused creature choking on their own blood.

    The goblins vision faded from reality without so much as a cry uttered from his lips.

    <hr>

    Iskra looked down in disgust as she gazed upon the bloodstained and ragged form of the creature known to the world as a goblin. She let out a sound of utter contempt towards the scarred beast as her eyes followed the actions of Velicion while the sorceress examined the unconscious thing. Dark red blood had been smeared along its prone body after the twins had removed the deceased orcs from atop of the goblin; old scars dotted its grey and blotched skin, its oversized jaw complimented the creatures¡¯ flabby and equally ridiculous ears while its sunken eyes remained shut. This was something that the young girl was glad for, as she didn¡¯t think she would be able to stomach the idea of having the creature look at her with its two beady eyes.

    Her eyes roamed towards its leg where an arrow had managed to run itself through the muscle, if one could call the scarce amount of meat that the goblin had on its body as such. The crude arrowhead had bits of meat dangling off of its edges while blood oozed from its wound. Iskra was unsure if the thing would be able to survive for very much longer.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it has long to live,¡± The young girl said to Velicion as the sorceress continued to check over the creatures ailing body. The elven woman was quite thorough in her examinations, something that irritated Iskra to no end. ¡°Are you sure it will survive?¡±

    The sorceress nodded as she turned to look back at her. Velicion didn¡¯t appear to be all that concerned about the goblins health. ¡°The creature is fine. If not treated properly the wound will be fatal, but that won¡¯t be for a few more hours. With the proper care and plenty of rest, your little pet will be as good as new.¡±

    Iskra found the elfs choice of words to be in poor taste. While she would prefer the goblin to live through its injuries, she wouldn¡¯t be all that upset if the creature were to eventually succumb to its wounds. What was most upsetting, however, was the lingering notion that this thing was having been teased as her pet. The girl¡¯s stomach roiled in agonizing disdain towards such an idea.

    If she were to have a being capable of speech as a pet, then she would rather have something far more pleasing to the eye. Not this misshapen creature of the night that she now stood over. If she had a choice, then she would be more than happy to lord over a human or an elf and have them call her mistress. To her, that was what felt right. This goblin was nothing more than an insect that deserved to be crushed, nothing more.

    Iskra watched as the sorceress returned to examining the goblin. The young girl stayed a short distance behind the lithe elfs shoulders while Velicion lifted the creature onto its side, most likely making sure that there were no wounds next to its spine.

    The elven woman let out a satisfied grunt as she carefully placed the goblin onto its back.

    ¡°Besides the arrow,¡± Velicion said as she rose from the ground, loose grains of dirt fell from her legs as the sorceress brushed away at the soft earth that clung to her body. ¡°There doesn¡¯t appear to be any other wounds. Internal injuries are another matter, but there doesn¡¯t appear to be any of the telltale signs.¡±

    ¡°So what happens next?¡±

    ¡°Well thankfully the arrowhead went all the way through, so we don¡¯t have to worry about digging around and pulling it out.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Iskra was sure that she wasn¡¯t going to like what she was about to hear next.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier if I just show you.¡±

    Yup, she really wasn¡¯t going to like where this was going.

    Iskra watched in silence as Velicion turned towards the boys and snapped her fingers as she spoke in elvish. In unison, the boys patted their bodies as if they were looking for something. It took the group a good while, but eventually Taloris managed to pull a dirt stained cloth from somewhere in one of his pants pockets. With a flick of his wrist, the black haired elf tossed the piece of fabric towards the sorceress as she called out towards the young elf. Most likely unsatisfied at what they had to offer.

    The sorceress turned her attention towards the piece of cloth while she lowered her voice and began to chant a series of words that sounded bizarre and alien to the young human.

    Iskra gasped as she watched the elfs hands begin to emit a glimmer of warm light. The words that the woman spoke continued to pour forth from her mouth as the sorceress placed her other hand on top of the cloth. With careful deliberation Velicion rubbed her hands together, using her glowing fingers to comb through the fabric as she turned the item over and over again. Before long, the light began to fade and the sorceress became quiet.

    This was the first time that she had seen such magic. While the spell Velicion had initially casted upon being asked to prove her apparent sorcerous powers was quick and awe inspiring, the spell that the sorceress had just casted was different. This was more slow, deliberate, and pretty to gaze upon. Iskra had also felt somewhat at ease as she watched the woman rub the fabric between her hands. She wondered what the spell was capable of.

    ¡°Wha-¡° The girl could say no more as the sorceress called for one of the teenaged elves. One of the twins bounded towards the head of the prone goblin.

    Iskra was unsure which of the twins they were, as she didn¡¯t even know both of their names, but decided that even if she did she most likely couldn¡¯t tell them apart to begin with. Such was the nature of twins after all.

    The girl watched with bated breath as the elven boy kneeled down and held onto the creature''s shoulders, the young boy looked up towards the sorceress who proceeded to rub the piece of cloth around the shaft of the arrow. Blood and grime were carefully cleared away from the wounded area before Velicion lifted the creature¡¯s leg and repeated the same process near the arrowhead.

    What came next caused the color to fade from the young girls face.

    With horror, Iskra watched as the sorceress broke the fletching off of the arrow''s shaft and quickly tossed it aside. Velicion did the same for the arrows head and wordlessly threw it towards the feet of the second twin. The elven boy dragged the bloodied missile with his foot before kicking it behind him. The young girls¡¯ stomach began to turn as she watched the elven woman lean towards what remained of the arrow and twisted the wooden shaft. Iskra brought a hand to her stomach as her eyes caught a glimpse of blood oozing from the wound.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    The girl turned her head away and stared without remorse at a clean patch of grass as Velicion grabbed hold of the longer portion of the now broken arrow. With a grimace, she closed her eyes and tried her best to ignore the sounds of tearing sinew. A sickening and wet sounding slurp pierced her ears as the sorceress worked to get the arrow out of the wound.

    Velicion said something in elvish before her ears heard the sound of something wet bounce off of the ground.

    Blood wasn¡¯t something that Iskra was good with.

    ¡°Are you done yet?¡± The girl asked in a childlike voice as she continued to stare upon the patch of grass. She was far too scared to look towards the woman that now acted as a field surgeon.

    ¡°Not quite.¡±

    That was all Velicion had said before the sorceress began to chant for a second time. Soothing words of power flowed through the air as the wind started to pick up. The tall field grass swayed gently against the slight breeze as the elven woman continued to cast her spell.

    After some time, everything went quiet.

    ¡°There we go,¡± Came the upbeat and proud voice of the elven woman. ¡°Everything is almost as good as new.¡±

    ¡°Is it done?¡± Iskra was too fearful of what she might see if she were to take her eyes off of the ground.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be squeamish at the sight of such little blood,¡± Argonoks echoing voice pierced the air around them as the dwarf drew closer to the sorceress. ¡°Why this isn¡¯t more than a little droplet.¡±

    Iskra found the courage to see what the Fire Guard was talking about but quickly turned away as she caught sight of a ball of blood drenched dirt stuck between his gauntleted fingers. The dwarf bellowed out a laugh that the girl could only describe as having come from his nonexistent stomach.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease her like that,¡± Chided Velicion as she walked up behind the young girl before placing her hands over the girls'' shoulders. ¡°Not everyone is as vile as a dwarf you know.¡±

    Argonok continued to bellow out his laugh, his dirt and blood drenched fingers danced in the air while the sorceress turned the girl towards the goblin. The older woman was taking extra care to ensure that Iskra didn¡¯t catch the sight of the armored dwarf as he rolled the ball of dirt and blood in his gauntlets.

    ¡°Ignore him,¡± The sorceress said as she led Iskra towards her prize. ¡°Just remember that dwarves are a crude race at the best of times.¡±

    Iskra said nothing as she nodded her head as she kept her eyes locked onto her feet, warily of the sight of more blood.

    ¡°Now then,¡± Velicion said as the two women stopped just in front of the goblin''s body. The creature drew ragged breaths as it slept. To Iskra, it still looked to be on deaths doorstep but the young human placed her faith in what the sorceress had to say. ¡°We¡¯ll need to stay here for a few days to make sure that no infection remains in its wound as well as any fever that may come of this whole ordeal. Once I¡¯m satisfied that the goblin has the strength to continue forward, we¡¯ll be on our way and finish up what we started. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°How long will it take?¡± The girls¡¯ voice was weak as she continued to look at the decrepit creature. Her squeamish nature returning in full force as she caught the tiniest glimmer of blood from beneath its patched up leg.

    ¡°Three or so days at the very least, but we also have to consider the risk of the Captain sending out his men to chase after us if he hasn¡¯t already.¡± Velicion gave the girls shoulders a good squeeze as she leaned into her ear. ¡°After that we can start our little lessons.¡±

    <hr>

    Nearly two full days had passed since Velicion had first applied her magic and healed the ailing goblin. Though much to Iskra¡¯s annoyance, the foul creature had yet to wake up from its injury induced coma.

    The sorceress had also been adamant that the young girl tended to the goblin while it lay unconscious. Iskra had sat next to the goblin for hours on end, the young had been told to watch for a rising fever or if the scarred tissue showed signs of a vicious infection.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what to look for in the case of an infection, and Velicion had done little to soothe the worries of the untrained medical practitioner. The girl had simply been told to look for pustules or a sickening smell coming from the creature¡¯s body.

    So far none of that had occurred.

    ¡°How¡¯s our doctor and patient doing?¡± The sound of Velicions footsteps followed in the wake of sorceress¡¯s voice. Iskra turned to look back at the lithe elf.

    ¡°Bored,¡± The girl said in a monotone voice as she gave the sorceress a dirty look. ¡°How long do I have to keep at it?¡±

    Iskra motioned towards the goblin with an open hand as she turned away from the approaching woman. Not at all happy with the responsibilities that had befallen onto her.

    She had done her best to protest the apparent order from the sorceress, but the elven woman had a knack when it came to swaying others with words. Something that the young girl sorely lacked in her own social repertoire.

    Whereas her older brothers and sisters were soft mannered and silver tongued, Iskra was far more blunt and cruel in her mannerisms.

    This had been a thorn in her mother¡¯s side when it came time to bring the growing girl to social events or introduce her to visiting family members and allies. Her father had been fine with how the girl spoke at first, thinking that she would eventually grow out of it. That all changed when she had caused offense towards the daughter of a well-connected but minor noble during a winter gathering in the kingdoms royal capital. The Duke of Orul had reminded her time and time again of how much trouble he went through in order to repair the damage she had apparently caused.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain. It¡¯s always different for everyone.¡± Velicion knelt down behind the girl and poked the young girls back as she began to chant a series of magic imbued words.

    A shiver ran throughout the entirety of the young girl¡¯s body. The sorceress was beginning to cast a series of spells that would help prevent any disease from spreading to the human. Velicion had made this a habit throughout the past two days, and at first the young girl had found it strange that the elven woman was only casting the spells upon her body and once asked why the sorceress refused to do it for the others.

    The answer she had been given? Argonok was, in essence, a walking statue and elves had such strong constitutions that it was rare for them to get sick.

    ¡°Are you sure that I need these spells?¡± Another shiver wracked her body as she felt the sorceress¡¯s finger form and shape strange symbols upon her back. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look sick.¡±

    It was strange having magic placed upon her person. A feeling that she couldn¡¯t quite describe but at the same moment felt like she could write an entire play about the euphoric nature of it all. There was only one word that came to her mind: Immemorial

    ¡°More than positive,¡± Velicion said as she continued to run her fingers along the girl¡¯s spine. ¡°One can never be too careful after all.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re sure that this¡­thing will be willing to work with us? We don¡¯t have to do any weird things, do we?¡±

    ¡°We do not,¡± The sorceress managed to say between a delightful sounding laugh as she gave the girls shoulder a playful tap. ¡°Goblins are the sort of creatures that respect strength and follow those that are stronger than them. Once it¡¯s made aware of what happened then everything will fall into place.¡±

    ¡°And that requires you to talk with it, right? You¡¯re not going to say anything weird?¡± The girl sounded unsure as she questioned Velicions intentions.

    Foreign languages were something that the sorceress had a knack for picking up, and she could apparently speak the language that goblins and orcs shared between the two cousin races. Iskra had asked her how she was able to learn the language, but the sorceress defaulted to it being simply due to the fact that she had an opportunity to do so and took it.

    ¡°All you need to do is to trust me,¡± The elven woman mimicked a polite curtsey before bowing towards the young girl. ¡°Goblins are perhaps some of the easiest creatures to work with.¡±

    <hr>

    His eyes felt heavy and his mind was clouded, but Dasher slowly realized that reality was rumbling towards him. The goblin let out a dissatisfied gasp as his fingers twitched against the soft patch of grass that he had found himself on top of. Fate was being far crueler to him than he would¡¯ve liked. He would have much preferred to have his death be miserable and embarrassing than to continue living any further.

    His eyes fluttered but failed to remain open as his ears twitched upon the recognition of voices filling the air around him. The words were unfamiliar to him as he recognized that the language they spoke wasn¡¯t the familiar dialect of either High or Low Orcish.

    For the second time, he attempted to open his eyes but they refused to move. A grunt escaped from deep within his gut as the goblin rolled over onto his side. The feeling of supple flesh gently brushed across his cheek as a hand planted itself over his shoulders. The movement was so sudden that it toppled him over, forcing him to fall onto his backside.

    It was thanks to this that Dasher found the energy to open his eyes.

    The goblin blinked rapidly as he stared directly towards a tall, shadowy figure. The mysterious being blocked the sun¡¯s rays from his sight as it slowly rose from its position while it loudly called out in its alien language. More voices filled the air as Dasher coughed and spat out balls of slimy slobber.

    The first thing that came to his mind was how tall the being felt to his addled brain. Who or what could his mysterious benefactor be he wondered as the shadowy figure pointed down at his miserable form.

    ¡°Can ya hear me?¡± Came another voice, this one was much calmer than the one he began to associate with the shadowy figure. ¡°You awake?¡±

    Unsure of what to say or do Dasher nodded his head, dragging his face across the dirt as he uttered a single word. ¡°Yup.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± The voice said as a second figure came into view.

    This time he could see far more clearly than before. His vision had slowly returned to him as his eyes had started to get used to the suns brightly lit rays.

    Within an instant, he recognized the telltale signs of one of his peoples most feared enemies ¡ª the sharply pointed ears of an elf.

    His mind screamed at him to jump up and run away as fast as he could, but his body had other plans. Dasher¡¯s arms refused to move from their position, and his legs could only twitch and kick the air in fright. The goblin let out a remorseful sigh.

    Upon realizing that his body had betrayed him, he resigned himself to die at the hands of an elf. Something that he thought of as impossible just a few days before.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± The elf said as they reached out and carefully pulled the goblin onto his feet. ¡°We ain¡¯t here to kill ya.¡±

    Confused, frightened, and utterly exhausted Dasher could do nothing, save for swaying in the elfs grasp as the goblin shook his head violently in an attempt to clear away the lingering paralysis.

    ¡°Wha-¡° Dasher found the courage to speak as he straightened his head and looked up towards the elf. He was shocked to find himself face to face with that of an elven woman, another thing he thought as being doubly impossible in his lifetime.

    It had been countless generations since his people had last seen the likes of an elf; it did not matter if it was male or female, and they had long been resorted to telling tales of absolute terror about their tall enemies. Of how they would move swiftly through the ranks of orcs, goblins and trolls alike and dance upon their sliced up corpses while singing grandiose songs of every creature they killed.

    He didn¡¯t like the idea of someone singing about his death. It was far too fancy of a way to go about slaughtering one¡¯s enemy and he much preferred it to be a quick and bloody end.

    ¡° ¡®Ave ya come to kill me?¡± The words escaped his lips before his mind knew that he was speaking them.

    For her answer, the female elf let out a sing-song laugh. A smile of utter enjoyment appeared across her lips as she shook her head.

    ¡°We got ya for something bigger than a good brawl.¡± The elf turned to her side and spoke in the strange, alien tongue that he heard upon first waking up.

    The first voice gave a short reply which caused the female elf to smile once again as she nodded her head. It was clear to Dasher that the elf was taking orders from someone. His head became dizzy as he tried to think of what could command a race as scary as the elves.

    ¡°First, let me introduce myself.¡± Came the elfs voice once again as the woman twisted her body to stand behind the goblin, as she did so the woman moved the confused creature to the forefront. In plain sight for everyone to see. ¡°My name is Velicion¡­¡± The elven woman paused as if she were at a loss for words. ¡°Magic Chucka of Tall Lady.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± The goblin''s eyes stared down at his feet, too cowardly to meet the gaze of the magic throwers comrades.

    ¡°Tall Lady, She saw ya in yer time of need.¡± The woman¡¯s hand cupped underneath Dasher''s chin and forced him to look up. His gaze locked onto that of a tall woman that appeared to be earless. She shared the same silhouette of the shadowy being that he first laid eyes upon.

    ¡°Tall Lady saw many potential out of ya,¡± The elf continued to speak as Dasher looked away from the being called ¡®Tall Lady.¡¯ She had a nasty look in her eyes as she stared daggers into his wretched body. ¡°Potential that could be of use to her. And to ya as well.¡±

    There was no way that what the elf was saying was true. He tried to convince himself that it was all utter nonsense. This was all a game that the elf was playing before she slit his throat and tossed his body into the dirt before she danced upon his decaying corpse just like the tales he had been told.

    Tried was the keyword.

    Out on the edges of his sight, he caught a glimpse of leather boots. Boots that were of a make that he saw as rich in design and material. Not a speck of dust appeared on their well-polished forms. A gasp was stuck in his throat as he laid eyes upon even more elves. Their pitch black eyes appeared to see right past his him. As if they were looking at something that couldn¡¯t be seen to the normal goblin eye. He caught the flash of silver in one of them as he turned away, too scared to let their piercing gaze shave away the essence of the pathetic soul he knew he possessed.

    They were far scarier to look at than the one that named herself as Velicion, Magic Chucka of Tall Lady.

    Maybe the woman was telling the truth after all, but the goblin was still unconvinced of her words.

    This was all a game that they were pla-

    His knees buckled in terror as he came face to face with a suit of terrifying armor. Its blue and red checkered helm stared Dasher down as the walking statue moved to the one called Tall Lady. The armor was nearly pitch black, but his eyes caught the glimmer of red as the sunlight reflected off of its shiny surface. To him, it looked far more like blood than some trick created to confuse those that stared upon its form. Shadowy, smoke filled tendrils rose from various portions of the beings metallic hide. Sulfur and molten metal overwhelmed his sense of smell. This metallic being was far scarier than the likes of any elf.

    The Tall Lady knelt down and brought an ear close to the armors featureless helm. She looked away in annoyance as it spoke, clearly unsatisfied at having to hear the guttural tone of its words as its voice echoed from somewhere far away.

    Dasher swore under his breath that he heard the faintest whispering of crackling flames.

    Was it a demon?

    ¡°What kind of potential?¡± Frightened, the goblin looked towards the elven woman as he began to realize the reality of his situation. ¡°Is Tall Lady a big scary fire person?¡±

    Velicion held back a smile as she let out a poisonous laugh. ¡°Nah, Tall Lady is something a little nicer than that.¡± The elf pointed upwards, wanting the goblin to look at the sky.

    To which Dasher obliged and watched as something bright streaked across the sky. He was awestruck at its magnificence. Was that where the Tall Lady came from, he mouthed wordlessly while turning his attention back towards his apparent savior.

    The goblin held up his right hand as he became blinded by a light he never noticed before. Warm, golden rays of sunshine appeared from somewhere behind Tall Lady.

    At last, he understood what the elf had tried to convey.

    No ordinary being could command the presence of a single elf, let alone multiples of them. They had to be an elf themselves or someone who could wield immense and terrifying power. To goblins, elves were scary. Yet the being that now stood before him, this Tall Lady that appeared to glow with the light of the sun, had also commanded the power of a metallic fire demon.

    What else could they be, if not a god in their own right?

    Dasher lost what little strength he had regained.

    The goblin reached out and caught his falling body at just the right moment; his knees clattered together as he fell to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as slime covered mucus hung from his nose as he let out a cry of pure remorse towards his previous life. His emotions got the better of him as he realized that fate had been kinder to him than he initially thought.

    With the Tall Lady¡¯s blessing, he would do what he could and serve the diving being and live his newfound sense of purpose to the fullest.

    <hr>

 Chapter 9: The Return

    The camp¡¯s fire roared into life as Iskra and the rest of the group settled in for the night after a long and dull day near the river where the young girl¡¯s caravan had previously come under attack. For the young girl it was a strange feeling, returning to that fateful scene of bloody carnage. Iskra¡¯s eyes stared deeply into the fire as it danced into life, the orange and yellow flames licked at the freshly picked branches and leaves that served as the blazes food. The wood cracked and snapped under the biting flames while thick, grey smoke rose into the sky above. Iskra looked towards the horizon and watched as the sun slowly dipped below the ever present mountains that continuously bellowed out their own plumes of blackened smoke.

    Iskra counted at least three different pillars of smoke off in the distant horizon, yet she knew that there were countless more plumes of thick smoke somewhere just out of sight. She wondered what it would be like to visit one of those mountains, even if it was only for a brief moment. According to Velicion and Argonok, the smoke spewing mountains were called ¡®Volcanoes¡¯ and the two tried their best to describe what they were. In their own separate ways of course. The sorceress was academic and precise in her explanation while the dwarf had given his lesson in a manner that could only be described as brutish. The young girl had quickly grown bored of their teachings about the world around the various machinations that make it work and brushed them away after she had claimed that she didn¡¯t need such knowledge as the girl felt that it was useless to learn of something that she saw as having no immediate impact in her life. The sorceress had scuffed at the girl¡¯s lack of appetite for learning while the dwarf merely laughed at her words while proclaiming her to be an excellent product of noble society.

    Iskra¡¯s face was visibly irritated by the dwarf''s slander towards upper society, but she stayed quiet as she did her best in brushing off the dwarf¡¯s crude joke. It was evident to Iskra that Argonok wanted some reaction or other out of the young girl, but she hoped to have proved fruitless in that endeavor.

    Iskra thoughts returned to earlier in the day. It was by no fluke or strange coincidence that their little band of misfits had come across the fateful river, but instead a calculated decision by the young girl. During their journey into the wider world of the mysterious duchy of Voldigrov, Iskra had concluded that it was at this spot that the bridge needed to be built.

    It was better safe than sorry to have some evidence that the group had indeed accomplished what it had initially set out to do. Even if the proclamation she had once spouted was in fact false in both reality and intent.

    Their current location was in a prime location, nestled in between the settlements of Ruined Home and Zharatan¡¯s Domain. There also happened to be the added bonus that their current location was on the edge of the forest that hugged tightly against both sides of the river.

    A crew assigned to the task of building the structure would find no issue in getting the needed amount of lumber while also being able to call for help in a timely manner. Though Iskra wondered just how long the untrained peasantry would last against another band of goblins or even orcs. Even the soldiers who swore allegiance to Duke Vesely seemed to fare quite poorly against the goblins as well. A sinister smile crept onto her face as she was quite pleased in the idea that such a fact would cause quite the heartache for the Duke of Orul.

    Iskra wondered just how well the Duke''s army, let alone the combined might of the kingdoms own, would fare against a real threat to the land and not the usual rabblerousing group of bandits.

    Moving away from her thoughts, Iskra looked around the campsite. Curious as to what the others were currently doing while she had stared blankly into the ever hungry flames. The twins and Velicion were sitting fairly close to the fire, not far from where the girl sat. Whereas the goblin was far off in the distance, left to its own whims within the growing darkness. The elven boys were huddled together as they moved their hands and arms in strange gestures that she had never seen before. From the looks of things, the twins appeared to be playing some sort of game that Iskra had no clue as to what it was and how to play it. Velicion, meanwhile, was lying on her side with her back turned towards the fire. Earlier, the sorceress had made mention of looking over her old notes. The young girl had asked what they were for, but the elven woman had told her to not worry about it. As for the goblin, it was far off in the distance. Nowhere near close to the fire, or anyone else for that matter. Thanks to the dimming light, Iskra couldn¡¯t quite make out what sort of face the creature had but she knew that it had stared blankly into the ground. As if it was deep in thought or mesmerized by some unseen force.

    Since having picked up the miserable looking creature, Iskra had grown increasingly wearily of the goblin as time continued to move ever forward. To Velicion, she even went so far as to mention her growing regret towards helping the creature. The sorceress had managed to sedate those thoughts and even went so far as to claim that the creature would become one of her most valuable assets if the young girl were to continue to push forward and see her original plan come to fruition. With reluctance, Iskra decided to push aside her worries about the goblin, but now found herself growing concerned over how Captain Boris might react upon their return, she knew that the man wasn¡¯t all too thrilled about her willingness to accept both the elves and the dwarves. She was absolutely positive Captain Boris was going to do something about the creature, but Iskra couldn¡¯t bring herself to come up with any reliable scenarios. She just hoped that there wouldn¡¯t be any blood involved.

    The short haired girl continued her search around the campsite. Her eyes roamed across the camp''s perimeter as she grew curious about the whereabouts of Prince Aurelius, who was currently on night watch. She had spotted him wandering throughout the camp on earlier occasions, but she had lost sight of him some time ago. It didn¡¯t take long to find Taloris however. The black haired elf was near the river¡¯s edge, carelessly twirling his weapon in the air as he roamed up and down the embankment. The boy had a carefree demeanor and seemed to take everything in stride. Nothing appeared to bother the young elf, and his laid-back attitude had been a frequent target for Velicions continuous chastising of the groups younger members. Iskra had received her fair share of scoldings from the sorceress as well, but that was only because she was apparently far too curious for her own good. The lithe elven woman had violently pulled the young girl''s hands from a pretty looking flower on multiple occasions.

    The flowers in question were of a poisonous nature, and Iskra had been reprimanded for trying to bring harm to her own body.

    On one night she had overheard Velicion confiding in the dwarf that the sorceress felt more like a hawkish parent on a road trip with her children and not a master of the sorcerous arts. Argonok had, as always, laughed at her words while telling her not to worry about the teenagers. ¡°Let them get injured,¡± he had said while patting the blade of his weapon. ¡°That¡¯s the only way for children to learn anything.¡± The sorceress had scuffed at the dwarfs parenting skills and said something that Iskra couldn¡¯t quite make out. The two continued on with their conversation that night, this time arguing to one another about the proper way to raise a child.

    Needless to say, Iskra had avoided speaking to the both of them for quite some time afterwards.

    Eventually, her eyes had managed to find the unmistakable form of Argonok. The dwarf was close to the forest''s edge and stood directly in front of Prince Aurelius. The two figures looked to be locked in conversation with one another as the dwarf made several wild gestures towards the blonde elf while the teenager leaned against a nearby tree. Iskra thought that the whole thing was ridiculous as she was currently unaware that the dwarf was able to converse in the elvish tongue and vice versa. She wondered if they were playing some kind of game, similar to what the twins were currently playing. Though that was unlikely as she heard the unmistakable laughter of the dwarf as his eerily distant voice echoed throughout the area. She couldn¡¯t quite make out what the prince was doing, but the blonde elf appeared to find humor in whatever it was that the dwarf was doing.

    Aside from the goblin, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. The twins were getting to the point in their supposed game that Iskra feared they were getting far too invested in their strange gestures. One of the twins seemed to be sweating profusely as he stared daggers into his brother¡¯s face. The second twin fared no better as his body looked to be tense and ready to throw a few punches towards his opponent. The girl was curious enough to think on the idea of asking Velicion as to what they were doing, but she didn¡¯t wish to learn something if there was even the slimmest chance that she would be punched in the face if the raven haired girl were to play it.

    Whether by chance or because she was able to read the atmosphere, Velicion looked over towards the twins and called out to them. The two boys immediately stopped and looked back at the sorceress as she spoke sharply in their tongue. Iskra looked on as the mood around the teenaged twins grew softer and more docile. Eventually, they gave a short reply and separated. One brother moved over to where the sorceress lay while the other sat on the opposite side. The two of them continued to stare daggers into one another, but the threat of violence was no longer present. Satisfied that the twins had done what they were told, Velicion looked back at her notebook and turned the page.

    It was at that moment that Iskra thought that there might be some truth in what Velicion had said to the dwarf.

    Eventually, the waning day turned into night, and the twins replaced those on watch. Now those that sat around the campfire consisted of Argonok, Prince Aurelius, Velicion, Taloris, herself, and the goblin. The boys were gathered around one another, sitting in a circle as they did whatever it was that boys did while the dwarf tried his best to explain some sort of game that his people played. Despite the lack of understanding between the three, Iskra could tell that they looked to be enjoying themselves and laughed amongst one another when either of the teenagers made mistakes as they continued to play the mysterious game.

    As time went on, Iskra had grown curious as to why the sorceress wasn¡¯t translating for them. She wondered if Velicion had no interest in being their interpreter or if one of the boys had, unbeknownst to her, been able to converse with either herself or the heavily armored dwarf. On instinct Iskra moved towards Velicion, crawling on her hands and knees as she made her way towards the supposedly oblivious sorceress as the elven woman remained motionless on her side while continuing to peer into the mysterious notebook.

    ¡°How¡¯s come you aren¡¯t translating for Argonok?¡± The young girl asked as she peered over Velicions shoulders, looking down at the woman''s handwritten notes.

    The hand sized notebook appeared to filled to the brim with handwritten notes and drawings that the raven haired girl couldn''t even begin to comprehend. It''s contents were strange in origin as the writing appeared to be from not of this world while the drawings were little more than a madman''s insanity induced creations.

    "Because," Velicion said as she waved away her question without even bothering to look up from her little book. ¡°The dwarf is teaching them a crude game that I want no part of and neither should you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± The girl cocked her head as her curiosity grew even larger at what the sorceress had implied.

    ¡°Trust me,¡± Velicion said as she continued to stare at her notes, never bothering to look up at the girl as she flipped to the next page. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know. You¡¯d most likely think it¡¯s downright vulgar and want no part in it.¡±

    The sorceress¡¯s words only served to increase the girls¡¯ curiosity, and she opened her mouth to ask more on the matter but stopped just short of uttering a single word as her attention returned towards the goblin that sat far off in the distance. Its darkened form huddled in the black night as it remained as it always had, alone and seemingly insignificant in both size and mannerisms.

    For the last few hours the creature had refused to move from its spot as it, as always, appeared to be lost in thought. The goblin would only move to accept the food handed to it from an approaching Velicion. Since rescuing the creature from its untimely death, it never once made an effort to join the others in their meal. Iskra thought the goblin was being rude to its savors but deep within the back of her mind she wondered if this was a custom of its people that she was unaware of or it was afraid of fire, not that she particularly cared in all honesty. To her, the hideous monster was being rude to those that saved it and that was all that mattered.

    ¡°Why is that creature always alone?¡± Iskra had heard herself ask as she unwittingly motioned towards the goblin with her head.

    ¡°What? Oh,¡± Velicion lifted her head from the palm of her hand and looked back at where the human had gestured towards. ¡°Goblins tend to fear elves as a whole, and this one appears to continue that legacy. Plus Argonok is like the stuff of nightmares for the thing, so it doesn¡¯t want to get anywhere near where we are.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Iskra looked down at the sorceress; her face full of confusion as she wondered why anyone would fear a race as beautiful as the elves. ¡°Won¡¯t it get cold out there?¡± Asking that question had produced a strange feeling within the girl. It was something that she couldn¡¯t even begin to describe as to how she felt at the moment, but she thought that it needed to be asked regardless of one''s feelings towards the hideous creature.

    Velicion shrugged her shoulders as she looked up into the young girls emerald green eyes, the light of the nearby fire danced brilliantly into the abyssal void of the sorceress¡¯s coal black eyes.

    ¡°Do you want me to make it come over to warm up?¡± The elf asked as she closed her notebook, a finger was pressed between the two pages she had just started to read.

    ¡°Uh,¡± Iskra let out as she drew a blank as to what she should say next. Her eyes darted back and forth between the hideous creature and the gorgeous elf while indecision wracked the young girl¡¯s brain. She didn¡¯t want the goblin to be close enough to the point where it could reach out and touch her, but at the same time she feared that it would freeze to death. It was strange, having such odd conflictions towards the goblin and her feelings towards it, but since she had gone through the effort of saving the creature then it would be disheartening to have it die while it slept out in the cold night. ¡°Promise me that it won¡¯t try to touch me, okay?¡±

    Velicion cracked a smile as she stifled a laugh; the elf had managed to find humor in what the young girl had said. Humor that Iskra was utterly unaware of.

    ¡°Of course,¡± The woman said as she rose from the ground. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it trying to touch you anyway. You are what it fears the most.¡±

    Confusion poured onto Iskra¡¯s face, awestruck at the idea that the sorceress had put forth the apparent reason as to why the goblin refused to sit with them. The girl watched in silence as the sorceress casually walked towards the goblin. Its head rose upwards towards the approaching elf as Velicion raised a hand in greetings. The feeling of dread shook Iskra to her core as she watched in paralyzed silence as the goblin followed the sorceress back towards the campfire.

    In truth, Iskra thought that goblins unnatural ugliness was something that would eventually spread to her if she were to linger in their presence for a lengthy period of time. Fear kept her in check as the two finally made their way back to the fire.

    ¡°Lady Iskra, meet Dasher.¡± Velicion said as she motioned for the goblin to sit close to the fire. Right next to where the young girl now sat.

    Iskra nodded in greetings as she looked worryingly at the goblin. She hoped to all of the gods and goddesses who presided over the domain of their creations physical beauty that the foul beast wouldn¡¯t dare to try and touch her.

    Dasher returned the gesture as the sorceress spoke in the creature¡¯s language. The ugly sounding speech pierced the girl¡¯s ears, Iskra felt that having daggers shoved into her ears was to regarded as being more pleasurable than having to listen to the words that were now spoken between the two. The young girl desperately wanted to cover her ears but feared that Velicion would pull them off, so she gritted her teeth and bore the brunt of the elven woman¡¯s conversation with the creature.

    <hr>

    At first, their return to Ruined Home was met with little fanfare. The guards that stood on duty had, at first, called out the return of Iskra and her group. Their voices were jovial in tone and volume as they called out to the elves and dwarf, making a few jokes here and there that flew over the young girls head. However, the reality of the group¡¯s newest member quickly soured the once friendly atmosphere. The good natured tone of the guards spiraled into discontent and a hideous side that forcibly brought back Iskra to the time she had been dragged through the city of Porosk as she was drug into the dungeons before standing trial. The young girl looked down at the ground, watching in agony as her feet shook in terror as she hesitantly took the next step forward.

    The atmosphere around the group had turned quiet and was slowly becoming overbearing to the point that the young girl felt as if nature itself was ready to wring their necks and squeeze their souls of the very life essence¡¯s that the gods had graced their mortal forms with. As more and more men began to surround Iskra¡¯s group, the raven haired girl could feel her body being treated as no more than an overused pincushion as the men stared daggers into the band of misfits. A chill ran down the frightened girl¡¯s back as the hushed whispers filled the air that surrounded them, creating an unbearable smog of choking silence as Iskra could only bring herself to cling onto the back of Velicions dirtied shirt as she looked about. She failed to meet their eyes as the ever increasing number of men crowded around the group.

    The whispers from the guards were so quiet that Iskra wasn¡¯t even sure that they had begun to converse amongst themselves, but she watched many of their mouths move as their wordless anger flowed in the windless sky. While she couldn¡¯t make out what was being said, she understood exactly what they were thinking.

    ¡°Welcome back, young lady.¡± The voice of Captain Boris called out slowly to Iskra and those around her, his serious voice filled the air. His footsteps were louder than usual, unnaturally so. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back from your ¡®task¡¯ I think it¡¯s time we discuss your findings in the command tent.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    The grizzled man, visibly upset over what the girl had done, turned and took the first step towards the camp''s center. The man didn¡¯t need to say anything as the crowd of humans moved along with him, forcing Iskra and the rest of her merry little band to follow in their wake.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach their destination. The blue and gold banners of House Vesely fluttered delicately in the blowing breeze as the grey haired veteran barged straight inside without so much as a word. Iskra would have followed immediately after him but was stopped when she felt Velicion tug onto her shoulder; the sorceress motioned for the boys to take the goblin and return to their tents.

    Argonok, who was relatively close to both women, stood carelessly as he watched the teenaged elves make their way back towards the tent. For a royal guard, the man seemed to be without worry about the whole ordeal. Iskra wasn¡¯t sure whether that was because of pure confidence or because of the dwarf¡¯s thoughts towards Captain Boris. The dwarf always seemed to present himself in a bored expression whenever there signs of distress.

    With a gentle nudge, the elf pushed Iskra inside.

    <hr>

    ¡°I believe you have a report to make about your endeavors.¡± Captain Boris said in a neutral tone as he made his way towards the crates and barrels that served as his makeshift desk and chair.

    The man stared quietly at the young girl as he made to sit down. His coldhearted eyes said everything about his current mood.

    Not a word was said for a very long time. With each wordless moment, the air grew thicker with frustration as Iskra failed to think of something to say. Finding the right words that would help soothe the aged man¡¯s worsening mood was something that the young girl was incapable of, being under pressure to produce a coherent argument had always been a detriment to Iskra''s character.

    ¡°Well,¡± Captain Boris said after a while as his souring mood was started to affect the girl¡¯s thoughts. In frustration she rustled her short hair, unable to say anything. ¡°Should I tell the men that you made me a liar of the worst kind when I covered for your stupidity? Should I tell them that instead of going out into the wilderness to help connect us with the dwarves you instead conversed with creatures that killed their brothers in arms and brought back an emissary of the worst sort?¡±

    Iskra managed to mumble something under breath, but it was so soft and so quiet that even she found it difficult to understand what she had just said.

    ¡°What?¡± The man said as he leaned forward and cupped his hand over his right ear, bringing it closer to the girl so that he could better understand her mumblings.

    ¡°We did manage to survey for a bridge.¡± It took what little courage she had at the moment to speak those words in a way that the man could hear.

    ¡°And yet, it looks like you somehow managed to come across some goblins.¡± Captain Boris leaned back into his chair as he planted his hands firmly over the hastily put together desk. ¡°I have sincere doubts you went out there for this absurd notion of yours about building a bridge. What was it that you intended to do exactly?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to survey for a bridge to connect us with Zharatan and his dwarves.¡± Iskra¡¯s voice was barely audible as she gave her reply.

    ¡°Speak up!¡± The Captain''s hands slammed hard against the makeshift desk; anger was growing in his voice as various stacks of paper tumbled to the ground while the nearby inkpot spilled over his gauntleted fingers. The grey haired man looked down in contempt at the mess he had created as he scraped away at the still wet ink that covered his hands.

    ¡°I said,¡± Her voice grew irritated as she clenched her fists into tiny balls of flesh as she watched the man begin to clean up the mess. ¡°I wanted to connect us with Zharatan.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true though!¡±

    ¡°Yet here we are,¡± The man said as he returned his gaze towards the girl after becoming satisfied that the mess had been dealt with for the time being. ¡°You do realize that the creature you brought back needs to be removed from this camp don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Why should it? You didn¡¯t say anything about the elves staying at the camp and I was the one that brought them back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because of the debt we owe to them for saving you and the men at the river. Whereas this,¡± Captain Boris gestured with his right hand towards the tent''s entrance. To him, he thought the current situation was something woefully different when compared to the elves, or even the dwarves. ¡°Is a monster that nearly killed you while its brethren slaughtered the men who were assigned to protect you because you wanted to go outside of the camp.¡±

    ¡°But I saved it!¡± Iskra poked at her impressive chest as she yelled out those words.

    ¡°You saved nothing,¡± The man pointed accusingly at the young girl before quickly moving his hand towards Velicion who stood just behind and off to the left side of Iskra. The sorceress had remained quiet throughout this whole ordeal, perfectly contempt to let the two humans argue amongst each other. ¡°I¡¯m sure this idea you¡¯ve ¡®had¡¯ was planted by this puppy dog witch that follows you around everywhere you go.¡±

    ¡°You saved nothing,¡± The man pointed accusingly at the young girl before quickly moving his hand towards Velicion who stood just behind and off to the left side of Iskra. The sorceress had remained quiet throughout this whole ordeal, perfectly contempt to let the two humans argue amongst each other. ¡°I¡¯m sure this idea you¡¯ve ¡®had¡¯ was planted by this puppy dog witch that follows you around everywhere you go.¡±

    ¡°It was my idea!¡± Iskra once again poked at her chest as she tried in vain to convince the man that she spoke the truth.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying, and you know it!¡± Captain Boris kept his accusative gaze upon the elven woman for a split second before turning his attention back towards the former daughter of Duke Vesely.

    ¡°It¡¯s the tru-¡°

    ¡°Enough!¡± The man tossed their current conversation to the side, unsatisfied that it was going nowhere. ¡°You are to remove that thing from this camps perimeter. Willingly.¡±

    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Iskra folded her arms under chest as she spoke in defiance of the man''s orders.

    ¡°Then I have the men kill it and toss its body in the moat outside the walls. I would even go so far as to have you watch the consequences of your actions.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t-¡° The girl grew pale as she listened to what the man had to say. Her already fair skin was turned white as snow as her imagination ran wild with the idea of a bleeding corpse bobbing against the flooded spikes that dotted the trench outside the palisades.

    ¡°I can and I will. I¡¯m growing tired of seeing you grow more defiant with every passing day. I can see now that I should¡¯ve nipped this in the bud when we first came across the dwarves, but that is neither here nor there. You need to learn about the consequences your actions can cause without having your lineage coming in to save you at the last minute.¡±

    Iskra gasped in shock at the man¡¯s words. She wanted to yell at the captain but found her body failing her in the exact moment she so desperately wanted it to work.

    Captain Boris made to away from his desk, satisfied that their conversation was over and done with. He didn¡¯t get very far as the man was stopped when Velicion gently stuck out her hand, gracefully pushing the man to a halt as she looked between the two humans.

    ¡°Perhaps I can settle this matter in a way that would prove satisfactory to both sides?¡± The elf''s voice was not only soft and gentle but calm and collected. The sorceress offered up a soothing smile towards the grizzled veteran as the human stared defiantly into her eyes.

    <hr>

    Captain Boris quietly watched alongside Velicion as Iskra walked out of the tent, disappearing from their shared vision with a stifled huff as the young girl slapped at the tent¡¯s leather flap.

    The two sat in front of each other in complete silence for what felt like an eternity, the only thing that reached their ears were the sounds of the reality of the outside world as life continued to pass by their confined quarters.

    Eventually, it was the sorceress who broke the awkward yet tense atmosphere.

    ¡°She¡¯s quite the spoiled child, isn¡¯t she?¡± It was rhetorical in nature, but Velicion wouldn¡¯t be all that surprised if she were to receive an answer towards.

    ¡°Strangely enough,¡± Captain Boris said as his eyes locked dead center on the elven sorceress¡¯s face. ¡°She seems to be the only child of the Vesely household that has that kind of attitude.¡±

    Velicion hummed in reply as she nodded her head in a sarcastic manner that could only be construed as ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    The two returned to their silence, perfectly contempt with the idea that the conversation would eventually take place when it needed to.

    After what felt like another eternity, it was the captain¡¯s turn to break the silence. His face gave off the impression that the man was calm, but his voice made it clear that frustration was present in his mind. ¡°I¡¯m not planning on changing my mind about that¡­thing that the girl brought back. It must leave this camp one way or another.¡±

    Captain Boris intertwined his fingers and placed them under his chin as he leaned forward, curious as to how the elf would reply.

    ¡°I agree, and I¡¯m not here to change your mind about your line of thinking either.¡± The sorceress moved her legs, her left leg crossing over the right as she shifted herself in the carved out stump that served as a chair. The woman was uncomfortable in the crudely made furniture, but she made due with what had been offered to her.

    The commanding officer shook his head to clear away his confusion as he looked on in shock at the elf¡¯s words. ¡°Then why are we having this conversation?¡±

    It was a question anyone would ask given what the man had just heard. If the woman before him was in the belief that Captain Boris¡¯s decision was the correct one, then what in the known world was she trying to convince him of?

    Captain Boris knew that he would be getting his answer the moment he saw a smile creep onto the sorceress¡¯s face.

    ¡°Because Captain,¡± Velicion said as she gestured towards the front of the tent. The sorceress was clear in the implication that her argument had more to do with the young Iskra than anything else. ¡°I wish for you to change your timetable regarding the matter. Nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± The expedition¡¯s leader shifted in his seat, pushing himself closer towards his desk as he straightened out his back. He was readying himself for an answer that he knew that he wasn¡¯t going to like.

    ¡°Because I can help ensure that our pretty young lady stays within the encampment for the remainder of your little expedition. A young girl who is most likely fuming mad at the moment I reckon.¡±

    ¡°Upon our return to the camp, I happened to notice a certain garish looking carriage was missing from its usual spot. Let¡¯s say I was less than shocked to see a few familiar looking boards stacked haphazardly next to one of the burn pits. Though I¡¯m positive that Iskra hadn¡¯t even noticed that the thing was even missing,¡± Velicion shifted her body again, planting her left leg onto the ground and as she made to move the right leg over its former master. The elf nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders as she relaxed her posture. ¡°Her sights were¡­elsewhere, to say the least.¡±

    Captain Boris let out a neutral grunt as Velicions final comment gave way to the man''s suspicions that the young girl had ulterior motives outside of the ones that she had initially professed to him.

    ¡°Under some spell I¡¯d imagine,¡± It was an absurd notion he realized once the words had left his mouth, but it was something that he had to suggest. If not for himself but for the eventual letter he was to write to the Duke and Duchess of Orul. He wondered what the sorceress would say next as he watched the woman roll her eyes. ¡°That or she¡¯s being strung along by some rich playboy with too much time on his hands.¡±

    Velicion chuckled at the man¡¯s words. The idea that Prince Aurelius was some sort of ladies¡¯ man sounded amusing to her. ¡°You couldn¡¯t be any further from the truth,¡± If she were any other person who cared for what others had said about the prince than she would be offended, but Velicion understood precisely who and what the boy was. ¡°The boy is an idiot who¡¯s been babied by his mother far too much. Considering how his older siblings have turned out, I¡¯m not at all surprised in all honesty but that¡¯s beside the point. The prince takes after his father somewhat, but he¡¯s hardly the sought after stallion who wantonly lays and slays the ladies in the bedroom. Or just about anywhere else you can possibly imagine. He can hardly talk to servant girls near his age without fumbling over his words and going red in the face from embarrassment.¡±

    Captain Boris had to take the woman for her word. The man had zero interaction with the elven prince and his only means of knowing more about the elves as a whole was through Sylvia, and she knew next to nothing about their guests.

    ¡°So then why is the girl so interested in your prince? It can¡¯t just be because she just so happened to be saved by him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the reason Captain,¡± Velicions voice sounded sterner, as if she was an instructor to a noble¡¯s young child. ¡°Have you heard of the ¡®Tower Maiden¡¯ theory?¡±

    The man raised a curious eyebrow at her words. It was something that he had never heard of but he had a feeling that he knew exactly what it was. ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± To him, it wasn¡¯t but now that he had heard the short yet precise explanation of the theory he decided to give the sorceress some credit.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Velicion said bluntly as she breathed out a bored sigh. ¡°When you have daughter after daughter who wants to be that kind of maiden you grow numb to anything having to do with those fairy tales.¡±

    The quiet atmosphere returned once more as the two allowed their current conversation to die. Both of them had realized that they had gotten off topic and wished to put a pin in whatever had caused them to derail from their initial conversation.

    ¡°Going back to the matter at hand,¡± Velicion said after even more time had passed than the previous pause of their conversation. ¡°I can help you in getting Iskra to stay confined within Ruined Home without having her feel constricted.¡±

    ¡°And am I correct in the idea that you plan on using Prince Aurelius as the main reasoning?¡± Captain Boris said as he looked towards the front of the tent, curious if the elven prince was waiting outside.

    The sorceress nodded as she began to explain her plan. ¡°Here¡¯s how I foresee it happening,¡± Velicion shifted in her seat as she put up a single finger. Suggesting that there were multiple points to her little plot. ¡°First, we tell the girl that I suggested you have the carriage destroyed. She probably won¡¯t like it, but I think you would rather have her angry with me instead of you.¡±

    Captain Boris grunted in the affirmative as he listened.

    ¡°Next we tell her that we have reached a compromise and that until more of your people arrive, then she is banned from venturing out into the wilderness. That way we can trick her into believing that there is a time limit to her permanent house arrest. Finally,¡± Velicion clapped her hands together before placing them over the makeshift desk. ¡°You have agreed to give the goblin a stay of execution by three days. After that time is up, it is to be escorted out of the encampment by yours truly where I will see it off and set it about on its way.¡±

    Captain Boris leaned back into his chair as he mulled over the elf''s words. He liked some of what the woman suggested, and the chance to shift the girl¡¯s anger towards the sorceress was something that he would consider as an agreeable turn of events. Who knows, maybe it would even change how the young girl felt about the elves.

    He grunted as he dismissed that idea entirely.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the goblin?¡± The man said, skeptical over the idea that the plan would work out in the end. ¡°What¡¯s it to the girl whether or not that the creature dies, and what do I tell those who reside amongst us if I were to agree to your plan?¡±

    ¡°Consider it as an unwanted stray picked up by a little child,¡± Velicion chuckled at her own words. ¡°You don¡¯t want the nasty thing in your home, but you can¡¯t bring yourself to say no to your child. So what do you do? Wait for a few days and dump it far away from where you live and tell the child that it ran away. As for what you tell your people, I don¡¯t care. That¡¯s your problem, not mine. I plan on keeping the creature in Aurelius¡¯ tent for those three days. Out of sight and out of mind essentially.¡±

    Captain Boris let out a long, drawn out sigh as he eventually gave way to the elf''s idea. If worse comes to worst, then he¡¯ll place the blame on the sorceress and force the elves out of the encampment. Though he understood that there was a number of men under his care who were grateful for what the elves had done and wished for them to remain as long as they liked. Kicking the saviors of his men was going to be an unpopular decision and one that needed reasoning beyond a sliver of doubt that the pale, lithe wanderers were terrifying monsters in their own right.

    ¡°Very well; have it your way.¡± Captain Boris reached for a disorganized stack of papers that miraculously survived the tumble and remained defiantly on top of his desk. He shuffled them into an orderly pile as he looked at his conversational partner. ¡°I do have some lingering doubts about the young prince, however. If you would be so kind as to-¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s getting quite late Captain Boris.¡± Velicion said, cutting off the man as she looked down at the ground. The light of the waning sun that peaked through the sides of the tent was very noticeable compared to what it was before they had started their ¡®negotiations.¡¯ They had been talking for far longer than any of them realized. ¡°We can continue this conversation some other time if you wish. I have my own list of questions that I would like to ask about Iskra if you don¡¯t mind. But as I said,¡± The sorceress rose from the chair, stretching out her arms and legs as she moved to stand behind the wooden furniture. ¡°It¡¯s getting far too late for any of us to linger here any longer. Have a good rest of your evening.¡±

    With that, she turned to leave. Captain Boris watched in silence as the woman disappeared from his sight.

    <hr>

    ¡°Well,¡± Iskra said in a half expectant-half nervous voice as she planted her hands over her hips. ¡°How did it go?¡± The girl¡¯s foot tapped the ground repeatedly in a bored manner as she waited impatiently for Velicions reply.

    ¡®Where was this defiant tone when you needed it?¡¯ The sorceress thought to herself as she looked towards the girl with irritation present on her face. She hadn¡¯t expected the girl to wait outside the tent for all this time, but it quickly dawned on her that the girl had changed out her clothes and looked to be refreshed in a way that only a bath could provide. Velicion noticed that the ever present Argonok was, as always, glued to the girl¡¯s side. The heavily armored dwarf leaned his body against the massive great weapon that had been planted deep within the ground as its shaft bulged outwards, all thanks to the man¡¯s massive weight.

    ¡°The goblin can stay for three days. After that, it has to leave the camp.¡± Velicion took a deep breath, calming herself as she reminded herself that the girl meant no harm in how she spoke.

    ¡°No, not that.¡± Iskra said with frustration in her voice. She had meant something else, obviously. ¡°What did he say about me?¡±

    Velicion let out a deep sigh, a hand coming up to her head and massaged her eyes before it brushed away at the loose strands of hair that covered her face.

    ¡®What a selfish girl.¡¯ The woman thought to herself as she wondered if this was how the young girl usually acted towards someone, such as her mother.

    ¡°Not much I¡¯m afraid,¡± Velicion said as she looked around the immediate area. Curious as to why the older woman named Sylvia wasn¡¯t around. ¡°In order to convince him to allow the goblin to live, I¡¯ve offered your little carriage as a sacrifice. I¡¯ve also put forth the idea that you are to remain in the camp until sometime in the future.¡±

    ¡°What? How am I supposed to get around then?¡± The girl sounded as if her favorite toy had been taken away. She didn¡¯t seem all that phased at the prospect of being stuck within Ruined Home at all, the luxury of having a vehicle to use as transport seemed far more important to her.

    ¡°By horse or using your own two feet if necessary,¡± The sorceress replied. ¡°Though as I have already said. You won¡¯t be needing to do any of that since you¡¯re stuck here for a while.¡±

    ¡°But what about the Duke and Duchess? I don¡¯t think they¡¯d be happy about this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Captain Boris would be able to handle them, especially if he were to reveal the reasons as to why it came to be destroyed.¡± Velicion rolled her eyes at the girl as the topic of her parents had been brought up.

    It would be a different matter if one of them were here as well, but seeing as they weren¡¯t then the sorceress understood that any semblance of anger coming from the girl¡¯s parentage would be moot.

    Iskra frowned at the elf''s answer. It was clear she didn¡¯t like what the sorceress had to say, but the girl understood that there was nothing that she could do. She stared quietly at Velicion as she wondered if there was some way that would change her fate of having to travel around like peasant.

    Her thoughts were interrupted as the elven woman began to move towards the direction of where the elves had placed their tents.

    ¡°As for the goblin,¡± Velicion said as she stretched out her arms, being able to walk out the stiffness in her muscles after such a long period of time felt good to the older woman. ¡°It¡¯ll be living with Prince Aurelius for the time being. It needs to remain out of sight before it is allowed to leave, so having those two room together is probably for the best.¡±

    ¡°Why him?¡± Iskra tilted her head in confusion as she made to follow the sorceress¡¯s footsteps. The girl was curious as to why there wasn¡¯t anyone else who could¡¯ve fulfilled the same task.

    Velicion shrugged her shoulders. She hadn¡¯t considered anyone but the prince to house the creature and she didn¡¯t think that the teenaged boy would care all that much. There was also the fact that Prince Aurelius was the sole reason why she was in this mess to begin with, so the sorceress thought that this would be as fine a punishment as any other.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now,¡± She replied as she looked upwards towards the waning sun. It was getting late, and she hadn¡¯t eaten since before their return. ¡°Meet me at my tent tomorrow, and we can plan out those lessons you so desire.¡±

    The sorceress quickened her pace, leaving the young girl in her wake as she ignored the girl calling out to her.

    Iskra yelled out as she asked for more information from the sorceress who continued to ignore her cries and walked off towards the direction of the mess tent. She hoped in vain that there would be at least one or two things still available to eat.

    <hr>

 Chapter 10: Of False Prophecies and Twisted Words

    "Velicion? Are you in here?" Iskra called out for the sorceress as the young girl plowed into the elven woman''s tent.

    The elven woman stared the young girl with a disgusted look as the sorceress looked up from her current task; she had been given zero time to react to her guest before the human girl had already made it several large steps inside of the elfs tent. Her hands gripped a well-polished dagger; its blade had paused midmotion as the sorceress held the burnt out wooden shaft of a rusted brazier. The weapon had the design that suggested it was for a more torturous and wicked purpose than whatever it was that Velicion was currently doing.

    Ash covered wood carvings littered the floor as chips, scrapes, and slashes were abundant throughout the entirety of the short wooden pole; at first glance it looked as if this wasn''t the first time that the sorceress had decided to take a knife to the rusted braziers stand.

    "Don''t you know it''s rude to enter someone''s room without knocking, or at least announcing yourself beforehand?" Velicion said in a chastising tone while she carefully placed the pole down in front of her knees. The fearsome knife quickly followed suit, its blade being planted deep into the earth.

    "What are you doing?" Iskra cocked her head to the side as she asked the simple question. The young girl completely ignored the sorceress''s words as she stuck out her right index finger and pointed it towards the pair of items.

    To the young girl, her curiosity was far more important than the apparent lesson in etiquette that the elven woman wished to push onto the one time nobility.

    Iskra knew full well of the proper ways to announce one''s presence, but at this place, and at this point in time, she cared little for such things.

    The sorceress let out an anguished sigh as she decided that it was probably for the best to answer the young human without having to worry about correcting the rude girls'' behavior. The lithe elf was in no mood to find out how the banished teenager would take to the idea of being lectured on something she should have already been taught.

    "I''m chiseling away the braziers pole," Velicion said as she gestured towards the items that lay in front of her. She made to say something else, but Iskra cut her off before the elven woman had the chance to speak further on the matter.

    "Obviously," The young girl said as she rolled her eyes and made a face to say that she wasn''t blind to what was in front of her. "I meant, why are you doing it?"

    As she spoke, Iskra moved closer inside of the woman''s tent. Her eyes shifted to and fro as the young girl weaved and bobbed her head, avoiding the oddly placed baubles that hung loosely from the top of the tent. For the most part, it was similar enough to that of Iskra''s tent. Barebones and hastily put together with only a bedroll to keep her company. Except for, of course, the glaringly out of place rug that had been placed near the far end of the tent and the exotic, yet oddly shaped glass baubles that had been hung in various places.

    The young girl moved to sit down atop of the rug, curious as to where her would be teacher had received the item. The rugs make was that of a soft fabric that shimmered brilliantly in the dimmed sunlight that managed to pierce the tent''s heavy leather. It''s red, black, and gold coloration only managed to prove soothing to the young woman''s eyes. The square black blocks, as dark as a starless night sky, absorbed much of the light while the blood red lines shifted her sight towards the glistening gold as the sparkling metal caught her attention.

    Iskra''s emerald green eyes remained on the shimmering piece of art for quite some time as she wiggled her body over the plush fabric. Compared to the hard and rock littered ground that was common throughout the encampment, the rug was a godsend. The young girl wondered to herself if she had been unaware of the true extent of what the expedition had brought along with it, or if the elves happened to have these items in their possession the entire time.

    Eventually, she turned her attention towards Velicion who had a blank expression on her face. The young girl was unsure as to why that was. She thought that perhaps it had more to do with how the human was treating the sorceress''s personal property.

    "Nice rug," Iskra said in a satisfied sigh as she crossed her legs. It was at that moment that the young girl decided that she would come to the elfs tent more often now that she was aware of such luxuries.

    "Thanks," Velicion said with a slight hint of annoyance in her voice as she shook her head in disbelief. "And as to your question¡­"

    The sorceress leaned forward as she picked up the chiseled pole. The rugged shaft looked ready to snap at the slightest breeze, but somehow the thin piece of wood managed to keep itself together.

    "I''m chiseling at the portions that the fire managed to consume," Velicion wiggled the emptied brazier in her hand. The pole bowed and wobbled in an intense manner as Iskra looked on in wonderment at the fact that the shaft refused to break and held itself together. "Don''t want it to snap and catch my tent on fire, now would we?"

    Iskra let out a grunt, somewhat satisfied with the sorceress''s explanation, but that didn''t mean she understood everything that the lithe woman was doing.

    "But why is it so short?" The young girl nudged her head towards the rusted and battered metal that stood at the head of the shortened wooden rod. "There''s no way that you''ve used it to the point where it would be as short as it is now."

    "That''s because I shortened it myself," Velicion replied as she carefully placed the item back onto the ground. "I use it to help keep the bugs out of my tent. Most of them don''t really like smoke you know."

    The sorceress smiled as she watched the young girl mouthed an ''of course,'' satisfied that Iskra was happy with the answer she provided her. For now at least.

    "Do you think you could do the same for me?" Iskra asked as her eyes roamed over the homemade bug repellent. Her dainty fingers skimmed along the full length of her slim arms. She was all too aware of the biting night terrors that plagued her in her sleep.

    Iskra thought that even the slightest help in restoring her chaotic sleeping schedule would do wonders for the young girl''s beauty.

    "I don''t see why not." Velicion said with a hum. She hoped that this new project would keep the girl''s attention from prying further into the origins of her possessions and why the sorceress did the things she did.

    "Great," Iskra leaned forward and grasped at the hilt of the sorceress''s knife. With a huff, she plucked it from its muddy resting place. The pale skinned girl let out an astounded ''ooh'' as the flat of the blade shimmered in the dim sunlight while the carefree girl brought the weapon to bear.

    The deadly blade bounced and wobbled in Iskra''s loose and carefree grip. The wicked weapon looked ready to fly out from the young girl''s hand as she slashed and stabbed at the empty air.

    "You know," The girl started to say as she swung the blade wildly in the air. The sorceress looked uneasily towards the girl, keeping a careful eye on the weapon as she moved a few paces back in a vague hope that she would be safe from any undue harm if the blade were to fly out of the girls grasp. "This is my second time holding a knife. It''s a lot heavier than the one I used back then."

    "It¡­.Shows." That was all Velicion could muster as her eyes darted back and forth, her body was both wearily and ready to spring into action if anything were to happen. "Maybe you should put that down before you hurt yourself."

    "I''m not a child you know," Iskra gave the sorceress a strange look as she proved oblivious to the woman''s concerns. "I''m not going to hurt myself."

    The sorceress opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it as she didn''t want the young girl to be made aware that Velicion was more concerned for her own safety than that of the humans.

    ''Maybe this was how the girl came to be banished to this place,'' Velicion thought to herself as she made ready to prepare a spell that would make the young human more pliable in her demands. ''Two children playing around with something they found and an accident occurred. Only for the onlookers to be caught up in the moment and proclaim the apparent attacker as a murderer.''

    Whether her thoughts were what really came to pass or not didn''t matter at the moment as she was far more concerned with not having something sharp and painful jammed into her flesh.

    Once again, she opened her mouth. She readied herself to speak the arcane words that would allow her to take command of the young girl. It would only be for a short moment, but the sorceress felt that it was a far better outcome than watching blood ooze out of a wound.

    The spell never came to pass as a familiar voice called out the sorceress.

    ¡°Velicion, are you in? I need to speak with you.¡±

    The voice was both lavish and gentle in tone, and the owner''s pronunciation was both warm and slathered in slick honey. The accent suggested that the individual in question had a higher degree of education than most; it was clear that the speaker was from a very influential family.

    The voice still had a ways to go in terms of maturity, however. At times the voice would crack in a higher pitch before quickly moving to a deeper tone. To Velicion, it was plain as day as to who the owner of the voice was and going by the mesmerized expression plastered onto Iskra''s face, so did the young girl.

    "I''m in here," The sorceress said as she looked towards the front of the tent before she shifted her gaze back towards the young girl who struggled with what to do with the knife in her hand. "What do you want?" Velicion rudely said as she rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement while she watched the panicking girl tighten her grip around the hilt of the weapon and plummeted the blade deep within the soft earth that made up the tent''s flooring.

    "You know mother wouldn''t be very appreciative of your tone with me at times," Prince Aurelius stated as he pushed his body inside the tent. The young boy moved gracefully around the few glass baubles that made their home near the tent''s entrance.

    It didn''t take long for the blonde teenager to stop dead in his tracks, his face becoming beet red as he came face to face with the realization that the sorceress already had a guest.

    The boy stood there, bewildered as to what he should do next as his mouth opened and closed in rapid succession. Wordless sounds escaped his lips as his eyes darted between Iskra and Velicion.

    "And she isn''t here, now is she?" The sorceress bluntly stated as she snapped her fingers at the boy and motioned for him to sit down next to her.

    ''For all of the care and planning that went into the boys tutoring,'' Velicion wondered to herself as she watched the boy sit next to her. ''Did the Arch Mistress really not think to expose the prince to women of his own age? Or was the boy just at that awkward stage in his life where his mind stopped working the moment he laid his eyes on someone who looked to be the slightest bit attractive.''

    Whatever the case was, Velicion watched in agony as the two teenagers stared intently at one another.

    Iskra, who seemed to have stopped breathing, looked at the boy as anyone would when it came to finally meeting the object of their admiration. There was also a glimmer of a possessive nature deep within the girl''s eyes, but that was neither the here nor there. Aurelius, on the other hand, appeared to have stopped thinking entirely. His mind most likely lingered on what he should do next as his eyes glued themselves towards the young girl''s massive chest.

    If the two teenagers were going to act like statues in front of one another, then it was Velicions duty to push forward the subject at hand.

    "Aurelius," The sorceress said as she snapped her fingers in front of the boy''s face. "What did you come here for? I have a guest you know."

    Having his focus broken by the sudden gesture, the young prince shook his head and turned towards the elven woman. The sorceress watched tiredly as the young boy''s eyes struggled to maintain their discipline and slowly drifted back towards the human girl.

    "It''s about the goblin we brought back with us," The boy said as his gaze slowly drifted its attention towards Iskra. "Why does it have to be with me?"

    ¡°Because I said it has to,¡± Velicion stated as she snapped her fingers in front of the boy¡¯s face for a second time. If the young prince was going to be as rude as he was now whenever he was near the girl, then the sorceress would be more than happy to return the favor. ¡°And because I don¡¯t trust the humans to leave it alone if it were with anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Yeah but,¡± The boy had an uneasy look on his face as he, once again, returned his gaze towards the elven woman. ¡°It smells like a pile of refuse that¡¯s been left out in the sun.¡±

    ¡°Then take it to the lake and wash the damn thing.¡±

    ¡°What if it tries to attack me?¡± Aurelius asked in a grave tone.

    Velicion couldn''t believe the words that were reaching her ears. For a boy who had brazenly announced his intentions on raising a band and going on an adventure into the wider world, he sure as hell sounded sheepish at this very moment. To have serious doubts about trying to wrangle with an unwashed goblin was something that the sorceress couldn''t even begin to fathom where such cowardice was coming from.

    Perhaps it would be better if the three of them were to see to the creature now instead of waiting and allowing the foolish prince to do something regrettable in the near future.

    "If you''re so worried about what it will do to you, then perhaps¡­" Velicions words trailed off into silence as she let the young boy stew over what she would say next.

    The prince looked at her with a hurriedly curious expression as the sorceress turned her attention to the young girl that had sat patiently next to them as the elves had conversed in their own tongue.

    "Iskra," The sorceress called out to the girl as she switched to the humans'' own tongue. "Would you like to see the goblin?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    It took a while for the young girl to realize that the elven woman had spoken in her language, but that didn''t mean she fully understood why the elf had said what she said.

    "Why would I do that?" The young girl said in an astonished tone as a look of disgust rolled over her face at the mention of the grey skinned monster.

    Velicion let out a tired sigh as a hand planted itself over her face, the two teenagers were an exhausting couple to deal with. Prince Aurelius was calling for the sorceress to explain what was going on and the girl that sat before her refused to do much of anything besides to look pretty.

    Truly the gods had decided to bless her with nothing but playing both a loving mother and overworked advisor to spoiled children.

    ¡°Because,¡± The elven woman said as she shoved a hand towards the prince, making sure that he stayed quiet for the time being. ¡°You went through all that effort to save the goblin, did you not?¡±

    Iskra remained quiet as she nodded her head, curious as to where the sorceress was going with her line of reasoning.

    ¡°And for that, you angered those that have made it their duty to protect you and this camp. Right?¡±

    Again, Iskra remained quiet as she nodded her head in an exaggerated motion. The girls¡¯ eyes roamed the air as she tried her best in thinking where the elf was going with this.

    ¡°So then that means if you wish to see the fruits of your labor pay off, then you need to visit your little toy at least once, right?¡±

    Once more Iskra remained quiet as she nodded her head, the young girl mouthing the word ''toy'' curiously as she wondered why the woman had chosen to say it in that particular tone. A quizzical expression formed on her face as she continued to fail to follow where the elf was going with her reasoning.

    Velicion shook her head in astonishment as she realized that she needed to a little more blunt with what she wanted to say. "Look, if you want to sway the creature in your favor then you need to convince it to follow you and allow it to pledge itself to your commands."

    The sorceress hoped that would do the trick.

    "But didn''t it already do that?"

    A fair question to ask, but only for those that didn¡¯t understand how creatures such as goblins worked.

    "No," Velicion replied. "You''ve only made it look to you as something to fear. In order for it to respect your rule over it, you''ll need to further convince the creature as to why."

    "And I''m assuming you will help with that?" Iskra asked as she wondered what the elf had planned for both herself and the goblin.

    "Of course," The sorceress said as she made to stand. "It''ll be quite an easy task in reality. We just need to give it a little shove in the direction we wish it to fall. Now come on you two, I''ve got a story to spin."

    "Velicion?" Iskra called out to the sorceress as the elven woman disappeared from her sight. The young girl hurriedly made to follow as she continued to call the elfs name.

    Dumbfounded and confused as to why he even came to the sorceress''s tent in the first place. Prince Aurelius looked around the now empty space in utter confusion.

    "What in the world is going on?" The boy muttered to himself as he hastily followed the humans trail, unsure if he was about to get into more of the usual shenanigans he had become so accustomed to these past few months.

    <hr>

    "Velicion, wait up!" Iskra called out to the sorceress as she ran out of the tent, nearly stumbling over her own two feet as she made a sharp turn towards the direction of the elven woman.

    The young girl, not used to running after such a fleet-footed individual, nearly collided with a small number of nearby elves. A few called out to her in their language while others said nothing, confused as to why the human girl was among them in the first place.

    Ever since the elves first arrived at Ruined Home, the two races have found themselves separated in self-styled racial quarters. The humans had kept themselves to their own personal tents while the handful of elves had done the same. The only time that the two races ever mingled with one another was when they sat side by side, eating their meals.

    Velicion was a little different, however. Her tent was slightly further away from most of the elves, but not to the point where the sorceress was closer to the humans than her own kind. The reasoning for this was unknown to the young girl, but she believed the sorceress to be the type of person who liked to be left to their own devices and not to mingle with most people. She could be wrong, however, as Iskra often found the lone elven woman to be among a handful of various individuals at most times.

    Eventually, the girl caught up to the woman. "How can you be so fast?" Iskra said as she took a deep breath.

    "You''re just as tall as me," The sorceress said as she gave the young human a dumbfounded look. "Learn how to use your legs before you crawl."

    "Wha-" The young girl stopped herself from saying much else as she shook her head, bewildered at the elfs words.

    Instead, she turned her head towards her immediate surroundings.

    To her right stood a tent that was similar to most of the tents that had been provided to all members of the expedition. There were no obvious signs of its owner adding any personal touches to the outside, but Iskra assumed that the inside of the tent would be a different matter. To the front and behind her stood even more tents that had been clustered around one another.

    Most likely, the two women had made it to the center of the elven portion of the encampment. A few tents had more personal touches to them, but these were in the form of crude signs made out of scrap wood with strange pictures and words carved into them. A way to distinguish who they belonged to and who can and cannot enter them if the raven haired girl were to guess what the words meant.

    Finally, there was the pit to her left.

    A few elves lazed about throughout the wide yet shallow pit, those who were nearby looked at the pair of women with curiosity as they chatted amongst themselves or played strange games with each other. Most sat upon wooden benches made from carved up logs while a few laid out in the muddy dirt without a care in the world as they looked up into the cloudy sky, perfectly contempt to let the sun''s rays hit their exposed chests.

    At the very bottom of the pit was a pile of rocks crudely placed in a manner that reminded the young girl of a fire pit. The stones were stacked at knees height and looked to be well used as Iskra caught a glimpse of ash and soot covering a number of the rocks.

    A few of the elves called out to the sorceress, and the elven woman gave a quick reply to what they had to say. A few would chuckle, but most gave the lithe elf a strange look at whatever the woman had said.

    The atmosphere changed swiftly as most of the nearby elves called out towards the approaching elven prince. They called out to the young boy with both gestures and obscene banter. Iskra watched on in confusion as Prince Aurelius made a quick detour and pushed towards the pit, greeting the individual elves in turn with strange handshakes and a few rapid pats on the shoulders as they spoke a few words with one another. On occasion, the elves would laugh at whatever had been said, but eventually the prince made his way out of the social arena and approached the two women.

    To Iskra, it was apparent that the young prince was well liked among the group of elves.

    Aurelius spoke to the sorceress, pointing towards the tent that the two women now stood in front of. As she followed along with the boys tone, Iskra assumed that this was the prince''s tent.

    ''Why else,'' She wondered as her eyes flicked back and forth between the pair of elves. ''Would he be so adamant about this particular one?''

    Velicions reply was quick and absolute as the sorceress waved her hand in front of the blonde teenager, forcing him to stay quiet as he gave the elven woman an odd look.

    He was unimpressed with whatever the sorceress had attempted to do.

    As the prince departed the pair of women, one of the nearby elves yelled out a few words and waved towards the prince in a silly gesture which prompted the remainder of the crowd to erupt in laughter. Aurelius appeared to dismiss what had been said with a wave of his hand and a disgruntled sounding remark.

    He disappeared into one of the nearby tents shortly after.

    "Now that that''s all settled," The sorceress began as she clapped her hands together with a smile over her face. "Let''s get started on this goblin matter, shall we?"

    "Right, so do we go in now?" Iskra asked as she turned towards the tent.

    "Not quite," Came Velicions reply as she reached out and grabbed ahold of the young girl''s arm. Her grip was tight, but only to the point where she could control the humans'' movements. "Before we go in, I need to do a few things. Similar to what I did when we first rescued the creature."

    Thinking back to when they had first encountered the injured goblin, Iskra nodded her head in compliance. She didn''t dare to think of what sort of disease she might catch from the unwashed and uncouth creature that she was about to come into close contact with.

    "Perfect," The sorceress said as she forcibly spun the girl around. The elfs slim fingers poked at the girls back as she continued to speak. "As before, you''ll feel a slight tingle with what I''m doing."

    Iskra shivered as the elfs magic coursed through her body, the woman''s fingers began tracing strange shapes and patterns while the nearby group of elves kept their attention squarely on whatever it was that the two women were now doing.

    <hr>

    For some time now, Dasher had been left to his own devices as the goblin waited for the scary golden maned elf to return.

    At first, the goblin had been content to sit in the corner of the tent that he had assigned to himself. He feared that if he had found the courage to move around his confinement before the scary male elf had returned, then he would be cruelly punished. Eventually such thoughts waned, and Dasher had begun to look around the inside of the tent.

    Besides the very fancy looking bedroll, to Dasher at least, that had been casually laid out to the left side of the tent; there wasn''t much to speak of with regards to ownership and who the elven boy was.

    Perhaps there was some strange and obscure way that elves marked their territory. Maybe even something that would drive the goblin mad with insanity if he were to learn such methods. As of right now, however, Dasher had no clue as to who or what the elf was.

    For all that he knew, the blonde haired terrorizer was a nobody. A nobody that he feared to be precise, but still a nobody in all things that mattered. Though he couldn''t shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he had been purposely placed alongside the tall boy.

    He was just about to make his way towards the front of the tent when a sudden commotion rang out from somewhere outside. Curious if it was his apparent jailer, Dasher stayed where he was. The goblin was unwilling to move an inch until he knew for sure if the blonde haired elf had returned.

    After a while, everything went quiet. The silence was so deafening that his oversized and misshapen ears twitched at the sound of footsteps both near and far.

    A familiar voice reached the goblin''s ears as the tents leather flaps flew open. Dasher covered his eyes in an attempt to stop the light from obscuring his vision. As he did so, he recognized the familiar form of Velicion, Magic Chucka of the Tall Lady.

    The goblin was about to greet the magic user but stopped dead in its tracks as he recognized the form of the Tall Lady as she made her way inside. What little light had managed to make its way through the opening of the tent had now found itself to be warped around his savior''s glorious form as a holy aura irradiated itself from every inch of the Tall Lady'' noble person.

    In a near instant motion, the goblin threw himself on the ground and prostrated his pathetic form towards the dark haired woman that had found him worthy of being saved.

    As Dasher babbled incoherently, throwing out a jarring slur of muffled words and sayings towards his savior the two figures that stood over him conversed amongst themselves. They showed little signs of caring over what the goblin had forced himself to do.

    The conversation appeared to have ended as the Tall Lady moved to the far side of the tent, well away from Dasher and the Magic Chucka as the elven woman made to place herself next to the goblin.

    "Yo Dasher," The long haired woman said as the elf placed her hands on top of his shoulders. "Ya can stop all that now."

    The goblin looked up towards the elf. Crumbs of dirt fell from the bridge of his crooked nose as he stared eye to eye at the elven woman. Almost Immediately he looked away for fear of having his soul stolen by the elf.

    "Why has the Tall Lady come here?" Dasher asked with shock in his voice. He didn''t dare to look towards the gracious figure that was his savior, for fear of incurring her wrath.

    At the goblins curiosity, Velicion allowed a mischievous smile to creep onto her face. The sorceress was pleased to hear that the creature had bought into the vague words she had told him only a few days ago.

    "The Tall Lady wishes for ya to prove yer worth, know wot I mean?"

    Dasher shook his head. Never in his life had he ever had to ''prove his worth.'' He couldn''t even begin to fathom what that entailed.

    The smile upon the sorceress'' face grew wider as the goblins confusion became even more apparent. This was precisely what the elven sorceress wanted from the current situation.

    "When the Tall Lady brought you back to the place of the living, your soul pledged an ''Unheard Oath.'' You''ve ever heard of those?"

    Once again, Dasher shook his head in the negative. The elf was starting to speak with more fancy words, and that brought a hint of fear into the goblins face. Especially now that he had just found about his soul signing some sort of oath. Whatever an oath was.

    A deep chuckle escaped from Velicions lips; her eyes looked upon the creature with both pity and poisonous intent as she continued to speak. "It''s a thing that no one wants to have their souls tied to. Your life is now bound to the Tall Lady. If she wishes it, then all she has to do is think of a way for you to die and it will become so."

    A look of panic flashed over Dasher''s face as he stifled a gasp from escaping his throat, his body was tense as he stared hard towards the human woman. Whatever the Tall Lady was, it was something that was far more powerful than he had initially suspected.

    "Who-" He started to say before he was quickly cut off by the elven woman.

    "Who is she?" Velicion said as she finished the goblins thoughts.

    Dasher nodded his head furiously as he remained quiet. The goblin was more than satisfied to let the Magic Chucka tell him what he wanted to know.

    "The Tall Lady is an ageless being born into a fancy family long, long ago. She didn''t know of this at first, but as time went on she watched as her family aged and died," Velicion paused as the goblin let out a gasp. For what little she had spoken the creature was pleasantly enthralled with the tale she was now beginning to spin. She was quite pleased with herself. "Through all that time, she learned that she could divine those capable of serving her greatly within the mortal world. Through their great deeds, those mortals have earned their right to stand at her side in the realm of the gods."

    All was quiet for a moment as Dasher''s mind slowly worked over what he had just heard. To the goblin, it sounded so surreal. As if what was being said to him was nothing more than a fancy tale. That couldn''t be the case however, how else could he explain the light around the Tall Lady and how she was able to save his life?

    ¡°So,¡± The goblin said after thinking over the words presented to him. ¡°The Tall Lady is a goddess?¡±

    Slowly, Velicion nodded her head. A pleased smile moved across her face as the goblin made it clear that he understood what was going on. ¡°To be precise,¡± She said as she attempted to tone down the creatures expectations. ¡°The Tall Lady that you see now is nothing more than an Avatar. Through countless cycles she has lived and died, only to come back with a new form to find more mortal followers to help her on her quest.¡±

    ¡°And¡­¡± Dasher said with barely a whisper as he pointed to himself. ¡°I¡¯m one of those fancy people?¡±

    "Of course, why else do you think she saved you?"

    "But why? Why me and what about that gold haired elf?" Dasher asked without taking a breath. His eyes pleaded with curiosity as they danced between the two female forms that sat within the tent.

    "For the boy, I can only say that he is but another champion like you. The Tall Lady has deemed him to be the ''Hidden Prince of all Elves.'' His deeds are hidden from me, but our shared mistress claims that his destiny lies with a bird of fire."

    Dasher was in awe at what he heard and found himself gasping in amazement. Not just at what he had heard, but also the prospect of a this ''firebird''. It was something that he had never heard of before, and the goblin couldn''t even begin to understand what the elf was talking about. It was fancy, and that was all he knew. As one would expect out of an elf. Plus the fact that the golden haired elf was some sort of hidden prince of the elves sounded scary, another thing that one would expect from such a scary race of people.

    The sorceress couldn''t help but roll her eyes as she watched the reaction pour out of the goblin. These creatures were so easy to fool. Now all that was left for her to do was spin an equally fancy tale for the goblin and call it a day.

    "As for you," Velicion continued as she placed a gentle hand over the goblins right shoulder. His grey skin lost all of its color as his eyes dwelled on her delicate looking hands. Most likely, he was afraid of something she wasn''t going to do. "She has a great task for you."

    The goblin''s eyes slowly lost their interest in the elfs hands as they made their way towards her face. Terror was ever present in his very being as he stared hard at the woman''s void-black eyes.

    "In three days you are to exit this camp and make your way out into the wilderness. Where you will go, the Tall Lady does not say, but you must travel away from here." Velicion paused as she waited for the goblin to signal that he understood what was being told. She continued once the creature had nodded its head. "From there you will save a beast clad in white and shortly after that you will skewer a gluttonous pig. Bring her its head, and you will be rewarded. Once that is finished your next task will be to become the mightiest warlord these lands have ever seen and from that title comes the privilege of being the first to raid the southern human kingdoms."

    Velicions hand left the creature''s shoulder as she finished what she wanted to say. It was all high and mighty, and the sorceress doubted that any of this would even come close to happening, but it was good that her audience was so enthralled by what she was saying.

    "All of that," Dasher said as he pointed to himself. Tears began to swell in his eyes as his voice wavered in disbelief. "I will do?"

    Velicion nodded her head as she rolled her eyes. For the sorceress, this was the first time she had ever seen a goblin cry. It was a ridiculous sight to behold.

    "And more," She said as she made to stand up. Dasher''s head followed her movements as the elven woman gestured for the young girl to take her leave. "But the Tall Lady will not say any further on the matters regarding her mortal champions."

    As silence began to fill the tent, Dasher watched through teary vision as the two woman stepped out of the tent. Their forms disappearing as a bright light blinded the goblin for a brief moment.

    <hr>

 Chapter 11: On Goodbyes and Talks of the Present

    The promised three days came and went quickly, and without issue.

    Velicion had been pleasantly surprised to have woken up on the dawn of the third day without so much of an issue rearing its ugly head around the corner. The elven woman had expected something to happen within the past three days, a trick from the humans perhaps or some sort of shenanigans that involved the raven haired girl that the sorceress had found herself attached to as a quasi-advisor in order to prevent the elves under her care from starving or being waylaid out in the middle of nowhere.

    The quick passing of time was also helped by the fact that Velicion had kept herself busy in the moderate sense of the word. For the past several days, the sorceress had mainly kept to herself as she planned out Iskra''s language lesson, her mind occupied for hours on end as she attempted to create an elaborate lesson plan to teach the young girl. To say that it was tough would be an understatement. The elven woman was ignorant towards the subject matters to which the young human girl was tutored in. The two of them were not only of different races but also of different social backgrounds, which only helped to stew the growing frustration that had swelled in the back of Velicions mind.

    At first, her plans were far more complicated than she had initially intended. She would teach the girl the history of the elven language and of the people who spoke it. Of how various words morphed over time and how the elven runic system grew and shifted as their people became wiser and stronger. In the end, the lesson initially resembled her previous experiences as not only a master guiding their pupil but also of a child going through the years of adolescence to early adulthood.

    It was during the second day of the goblins stay that Velicion had decided to start over from scratch. All thanks to the fact that she had to break up, and forbid in a heavy manner, an amateur brawlers guild that had been started up by the more rambunctious boys. The participants of this newly found guild had gone overboard and injured themselves in various ways and methods. At the end of it all, she had to reset nearly a dozen dislocated joints.

    She never did find out who had been the mastermind of such an event, as they had apparently sworn an oath of silence to keep the ringmaster a silent secret.

    As for their punishment, she had offered up the guilty parties to Captain Boris to do as he saw fit. The teenagers now spent their days walking side by side with the humans as they marched along the palisades or guarded the main gate, of which there was only one. Children of nobility they may be, but it was high time that they had learned that this little adventure of theirs was not the festive outings they had been so familiar with when they were younger children. They were no longer surrounded by the well-trained guards and minders of their families, but of beasts and dastardly races that would gleefully put an end to their lives without so much of a thought.

    Velicion hoped that spending time with their human counterparts would do well to serve as a warning for them.

    After such a crazy event, the sorceress had decided to take a more straightforward approach towards Iskra''s tutorage. It was, more than likely, the more favorable way to go about teaching the young Iskra. Having her memorize the elven alphabet and perfect her pronunciation would have to do for now.

    "We''re here." Captain Boris'' voice called out, which drew the sorceress away from her thoughts of the past few days.

    Velicion stopped dead in her tracks, only a few paces ahead of the grey haired human.

    Dasher, who appeared to be lost in his own thoughts, bumped into the back of the elven woman''s legs. The goblin quickly began to apologize profusely without so much of a second having passed. He repeatedly bowed while babbling on and on about various things to make up for his transgression towards the sorceress.

    Eventually, he paused to take a deep breath, and before he could continue, Velicion struck out her hand and ordered the creature''s silence.

    She wanted this to be over and done within a timely fashion, and the creature wasn''t going to be of any help towards that if he was allowed to continue to prattle on about whatever it was that his people thought about the elves as a whole.

    "Need a hand with that?" Captain Boris asked the sorceress as he nodded towards the clunky satchel that the elven woman had swung over her shoulders shortly before their departure.

    "Thank you, but no." She said as she reached out with her left hand and grabbed hold of the satchel''s single strap. In a swift but delicate motion, the woman carefully placed the container in front of her feet. She looked towards the human with a smile as she next spoke. "It''s lighter than air."

    To demonstrate what she meant, the sorceress grasped the item in question and shook it violently in front of her without so much as an effort on her part. Inside, something metallic clinked and rustled about as the bag swung side to side in exaggerated motions.

    Satisfied with what she had meant, the grizzled veteran let out a grunt as he nodded his head. For Captain Boris, a simple no would have sufficed. He found such tacky actions to be tasteless and without warrant.

    "Right then," The man said as he turned his attention towards the goblin. "Let''s finish our business here and go about the remainder of our day."

    Velicion nodded in agreement as she turned to face the goblin who had kept its gaze towards the deforested area that now lay before them. The humans, in their effort to build up a satisfactory amount of defenses, had felled many of the nearby trees. The humans had only been satisfied once they had finished the last of their swiftly put together defenses and a healthy amount of reserve lumber for various purposes. It was through minor gossip that the sorceress had learned that one such purpose would be for the construction of proper facilities to help the humans in their mission.

    "Dasher," The elven woman started to say as she watched the creature look up into her eyes in sheer terror. The sorceress clucked her tongue as she stared down at the goblin, she had thought that the creature had grown used to being around elves, but she was apparently in the wrong. "It''s time for us to depart."

    The goblin remained quiet as he swallowed back his fears; his beady red eyes stared deeply into the void-black orbs that made up Velicions eyes. Slowly, he nodded at what she had said.

    Over the past few days, the creature had remained in the prince''s tent, confined to the small confines of the young boy''s domain without so much as a peep about its isolation. Much to the surprise of no one, Iskra had refused to meet with the creature after the sorceress had weaved the crazy sounding tale. That was all fine and dandy with Velicion; she was satisfied that the creature had been convinced of the young girls'' apparent status of godhood. The goblin would depart Ruined Home with the idea stuck in its mind that it had been chosen as a mortal champion of some unknown and ageless god that roamed the world, looking for all sorts of worthy mortals to accomplish its mysterious goals.

    Not that any of that mattered in all honesty. The sorceress had serious doubts that the creature would survive long out in the wild.

    "I won''t disappoint." Dasher said as he looked back at the thick copse of trees that stood directly in his path. His body brimmed in confidence as he let out a big breath of air, readying himself for what was to come.

    Velicion nodded her head as she gave the satchel a light kick. The rugged cloth bag rolled onto its side; its hidden contents clanked together as its misshapen form slumped along the ground. "Which is why the Tall Lady chose you and it''s also why she has decided to grace your leaving with a few parting gifts."

    Dasher raised an eyebrow at the elven woman''s words while Captain Boris, oblivious to what was going on, looked on in confused silence. Everything that had been said between the elf and the goblin were for their ears only, which was precisely what the sorceress wanted.

    ¡°Gifts?¡± Dasher asked as he looked on in a curious fashion.

    Quietly, the sorceress nodded as she leaned forward and opened the satchel. In total there were two items within its confines, a crudely made bow with a small quiver filled with arrows as well as a smaller handbag filled with medicinal supplies that one would commonly find amongst the standard issued gear of your average Dark Elven foot soldier.

    The bow was the first to be pulled out. Velicion had forced the twins to work together to create the crude looking weapon, and in haste, they had completed their task for fear of some unspoken punishment similar to those who had taken part in the brawler''s guild. While its design reflected the hast as to which it was created, the sorceress had been assured that it would kill just as well as any other expertly crafted bow one would commonly see throughout their homeland.

    "This..." Dasher said in a hoarse whisper as the elven woman held out the weapon and its ammunition for him to grab hold of. The goblin accepted the offering, taking the quiver first before quickly throwing it across his back as he reached for the crude bow. "Is for me?"

    Velicion nodded her head as she watched the creature''s reaction, rolling her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

    "And this as well," She said as she reached for the medicine bag. It looked similar in appearance to the satchel to which it had been borne from, but was noticeably smaller in size. "The Tall Lady has assured me that this will come in handy very shortly."

    Without saying a word, Dasher took the bag in his hand, his fingers clasped around its leathery strap as he stood dumbfounded at his saviors'' kindness.

    "As for the bow," Velicion asked as she motioned towards the goblins newly acquired weapon. "Do you know to use it?"

    Before he gave his reply, Dasher peered inside the contents of the medicine bag. Bandages, herbs, and other mysterious things were all neatly tucked within. This was far beyond anything that the goblin had ever seen before, to receive such a gift was beyond imaginable for him. It was at this very moment that the creature steeled his thoughts and readied his very soul for what lay before him.

    Finally, he closed the bag and placed it over his shoulder, causing it to sway and bounce against his waist. It was at that moment that Dasher gave his reply in confidence. "I do."

    In truth today was the first time he had ever held a bow, or any weapon for that matter, but being part of a nomadic tribe, he understood the basics of how to wield and fire the weapon. If the elven woman had asked him if he was an expert or a decent shot, then his answer would convey a more negative tone. The goblin was no more than an amateur to most things that involved fighting.

    The task that now stood before him was a momentous one, and it scared him, but he would accomplish what the Tall Lady had set out for him and upon his return, Dasher would hold his head high in triumph.

    ¡°Fantastic,¡± Velicion said as she shifted her gaze towards the forest before slowly looking up at the early morning sun. A hand went up to shield her eyes from its rays; she needed to end this charade now if she were to finish preparing for Iskra¡¯s coming lessons. ¡°It seems that the Tall Lady is calling for me. I must take my leave.¡±

    Dasher stayed quiet as he looked to the ground, thinking of how it was that the Tall Lady had called for her chosen speaker. Eventually, he shifted his gaze towards the sun as he realized that was how the two had communicated. His eyes slowly closed as he breathed in deeply, the goblins face was full of quiet determination as he let go of his breath and let out a large gasp of air.

    The goblin looked towards Captain Boris and nodded at the man before bowing towards Velicion. Confused at the creature''s behavior, the human gave a stuttered nod in reply to the creatures'' actions while the elven woman gave a wave of her hand and watched as Dasher turned towards the forest and took his first step towards his destiny.

    Human and elf stood side by side as they watched the creature slowly make its way across the stump filled wasteland.

    ¡°A strange creature.¡± Captain Boris said as he watched the increasingly distant goblin.

    Velicion grunted in reply as she watched the grey skinned monster stop at the edge of the forest and turn to face them.

    ¡°Magic Chucka!¡± Dasher yelled out. The goblins voice echoed across the way as he continued to speak. ¡°I will bring the Tall Lady the head of the gluttonous pig; tell her to wait for that day!¡±

    The sorceress rolled her eyes as she acknowledged the words of the goblin with a wave of her hand.

    <hr>

    Captain Boris and Velicion watched on in silence as the goblin slowly vanished into the distant tree line, the grey-skinned monster slowly disappeared from their sight as its body melded into the dark shadows of the forest. A gentle yet humid breeze brushed against their faces as the two remained quiet for a moment longer.

    ¡°Well then,¡± Velicion started to say as she let out a big sigh in relief of seeing the creature gone. ¡°It¡¯s gone now.¡±

    ¡°So it is.¡± Captain Boris grunted out as he replied to the woman¡¯s words.

    The two stood there in silence for a little bit longer; neither of them felt the need to take the first step back towards the gate of Ruined Home. While the gate itself wasn''t very far from where they stood, the walk to get back was an annoying one. There were far too many stumps and broken limbs of the fallen trees that served as obstacles to avoid.

    It was Captain Boris that broke the silence as he turned and began to walk towards the main gate. "I don''t think that thing will survive out there for very long."

    His words were cold, but they served a purpose in being said.

    "Truth be told Captain," Velicion said as she turned to follow after the man. "I have my own doubts about the goblins survival."

    "And yet you gave it those items," The man turned to look at the elven woman with a bewildered stare, finding it strange that she would give the items to the creature even though she felt that the beast wouldn''t last long. Why?"

    Velicion hummed to herself as she ran her fingers through her silken black hair. "For appearances mostly."

    Captain Boris raised an eyebrow at the woman''s words but chose to stay quiet on the matter. To him, it was over and done with and there was no need to continue with the subject unless something were to come up. There were far more important tasks at hand.

    As they passed through the gate, Captain Boris nodded in acknowledgment towards the two figures who stood on guard. He noticed that the usual shift was now bolstered by three of Velicions elves. The teenaged elves had a bored aura about their persons while they stood in a relaxed manner, idly chatting amongst each other.

    Velicion spoke sharply in the elven tongue which forced the three elves to perk up and straighten out their backs as they replied in rapid succession. Captain Boris was shocked in a way to see the young elves to act in such a manner around the sorceress; it was apparent to him that the woman commanded great respect amongst them. Or perhaps it was fear that kept them in line most of the time.

    He wasn''t sure what to make of such thoughts.

    "Captain," Velicion spoke up as she looked towards the man. The two of them made their way deeper into the camp as they slowly passed the entrance. "How are the boys doing? Not causing you any unnecessary trouble, I hope?"

    "Can''t say I''ve had any complaints towards their behavior." Captain Boris said as he thought back over the past few days.

    Of what little conversations he had involving the elves and their guard duties, there had been no complaints from his sergeants and corporals who had taken the teenagers into their squads. Despite the obvious hazard of a language barrier, the elven teenagers appeared to be doing well with their human counterparts.

    While he didn''t doubt that the elves only had harsh things to say about their punishment, he was also pleasantly surprised to see that they took their assigned tasks seriously and did them in a professional as well as without complaint. At least, away from any prying ears that could understand them.

    "They seem to be getting along well in their tasks, and the men they''ve been partnered with have only good things to say about them though I wouldn''t put it past them if they were complaining their friends'' ears off when they''re with the others. Of course, not that any of that matters."

    "Oh?" Velicion said, curious as to what the man had meant. "What makes you say that? Are you planning on giving them back to me after such a short amount of time?"

    "Not at this moment, no." The man said as he shook his head in exhaustion. He let out a long and tired sigh as his mind began to turn towards what was required of him to tackle before the days'' end. He would be spending most of it within the camps command tent, crawling through meeting after meeting as he and his lieutenants and sergeants would begin to plan for their expeditions main task at hand. "I have it in me to be done with this little excursion into these lands and move on with our lives. I''m already planning on sending out several patrols to get a head start before the royal cartographer arrives."

    "Any particular reason for this sudden need to start rushing?" Velicion asked as she tapped a finger against the underside of her chin.

    Captain Boris paused as he thought on how to best answer the sorceress''s query.

    There was no real rhyme or reason as to why he felt the need for such a rush in pushing forward the expeditions task. It was just that he had a feeling in the back of his mind that he couldn''t quite grasp at, nor did he know what to make of such thoughts. It was just something that he felt he needed to do if he wished to be more at ease with himself.

    "I''m not sure on how to best go about explaining it," He started to say as he finally managed to put words on his tongue. "It''s just that I have this odd feeling that I can''t quite describe."

    With an open palm, the man slowly swung his hands about to help signify that what he was about to talk about meant more than what the two of them could see in front of them. It didn''t help that there was a growing number of the expeditions members who started to feel the same way about their current home. It was as if an ill omen had burrowed its way into their minds, and none of them could understand how to feel about it.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    It was quiet and remained under the surface of many conversations, but there was a growing sense of unease and trepidation that was slowly begging to spread throughout the camp. The Duchy of Voldigrov was infamous for bringing such emotions to the peoples'' minds.

    "Care to explain what you mean?" Velicion asked as her curiosity began to grow larger, dubious as to what the man would say next. She tried in vain to scan the distant horizon if she could feel the same way as the human.

    The sorceress turned to look back at the man as she failed to summon similar feelings as to what the grey haired human was currently trying to explain.

    "It''s...Complicated," Captain Boris paused as his mind began to wander as to how to effectively explain what he now felt. "It''s just that the strange pit we''ve come to find ourselves living on the edge of is not what it should be. There are random bouts of demonic screaming while the stench of the Under Hells pricks at our noses. What''s worse, one could only hear and smell such things when you stand at its edge. Any further than a few steps, and you wouldn''t be able to hear or smell a thing. Even the walls themselves appear to be invisible to one''s eyes, yet your mind knows that it''s there. It''s as if your eyes can''t comprehend what it is seeing."

    Next, the human pointed towards the sky as he continued to speak his mind. It was clear to both of them that the more the captain spoke; the more it made sense to the man. "The days here are also strange. The days are often humid to the point where you feel as if you''re in a swamp, yet the only source of water is the nearby lake. What''s more, is the fact that the nights here are often cold enough to freeze you to the bone. How can there be such a vast difference in temperatures without some magic placed on this land to explain it as such?"

    Velicion crossed her arms and cupped her chin in the palm of her hands as she thought on the captains'' words. While it was true that the rapid differences in temperates were an oddity, there were plenty of natural reasons to help explain as to why.

    For the intense heat, the matter could be something as simple as the nearby mountains causing a knock off effect. The mountainsides could be acting as some sort of wall for the nearby volcanoes where their heat is being trapped and pushed down into the valley below. The constant plumes of volcanic ash could also be acting as some sort of humidifier; the falling ash could be entrapping what heat they''ve captured and released it into the sky once gravity had taken its toll.

    The nearby lake could be another factor as well, creating a lake effect that caused the air around them to keep its moisture for far longer than what was usual.

    As for the cold, the lake was the most likely answer as to what could cause such bone chilling temperatures. The mountains could also serve as anothe r reason for the night''s extreme cold, keeping the cool air trapped with no means to escape.

    The pit was a different matter altogether. Velicion wished that she could come up with a natural cause to its strange ongoings, but the sorceress continued to draw a blank the more she thought on the matter.

    At the end of it all, she wasn''t an expert in the natural ways of the world so most, if not all, of her theories could be dead wrong.

    For all she knew, the entire region could have been cursed eons ago, and the humans would be none the wiser for it. She understood that the kingdom to the south of these lands were without those with the abilities of the magical arts and that they would be unable to discover any of the curses'' lingering effects. Though she doubted that was the case, she would have known almost immediately if this land bore ill will to those within its cursed grounds.

    Realizing that she had become lost in her own train of thought, Velicion looked up at the man as he continued his paranoid dialogue.

    "And that plume of ash to the north of us," Captain Boris pointed towards a distant yet large cloud of ash that rose lazily into the sky above, flashes of lightning dotted the earth toned haze as the top of the pillar vanished into the calm sea of nearby clouds. "It hasn''t stopped rising ever since we''ve arrived, and I suspect that it''s been like that well before we even arrived."

    Velicion had finally grasped at the most likely cause of the man''s inner turmoil, paranoia. She had seen it before on countless occasions, one of which was during her many years in service as a corsair. She had traveled the worlds many seas, plundering and looting any and everything that they had come across.

    "Captain," The woman said as she gestured towards the man. "Would the words ''Ominous'' or ''Deadly'' be an appropriate feeling as to what you''re trying to describe?"

    The man looked to the ground as his mind lingered on the words provided to him. "I believe so," He said after a short while slowly nodding to himself. "Though in all honesty, they aren''t quite what I would use to describe what I''m feeling."

    "I see," Velicion said with a hum as an innocent smile appeared on her face. "You know...I once knew of someone who was experiencing the same thing that you are right now. We were on a ship, gallanting about the world, and as the journey wore on, he started to grow paranoid with each port call. With each passing day, his paranoia proved to be false, and he returned home without incident."

    The man, wearily in all manner of things, looked relieved to hear what the sorceress had to say as she offered up an expedient summary of her one time friend. ''Perhaps,'' He thought to himself, relieved to hear that his paranoia was just that. ''I am just a tad bit paranoid.''

    "And what happened to him after that," The man asked as he grew curious towards the unnamed elfs fate. "Did he ever return for the next journey?"

    "Well..." The sorceress started to say as she tapped a knowing finger to her lips. "Once he returned home, he ended up being murdered by his brother who took everything the man had. Including his wife." Velicion chuckled to herself as she began to recant the tales true, yet horrifying ending. "However the murderous brother ended up being slain by a third sibling. They were triples to be fair, and they had a strange knack in sharing everything with one another. Turns out that betrayal was one of those things."

    Velicion gave the human a wicked smile as she exposed the stories final tale. "Turns out that the wife had orchestrated the whole ordeal and ended up killing the last of the brothers. She gained quite the fortune once all was said and done."

    The woman shrugged her shoulders once she had finished her tale, as if to say that it was no big deal in the end.

    "I¡­See." Captain Boris said as a look of despair grew over his face.

    "Look," The sorceress said as she laid a gentle hand over the sulking man''s right shoulder. "The lesson here is that you should just trust your instinct and go with what your gut is trying to tell you." Velicion bobbed her head from side to side as she thought of something else to say. "That or don''t get married, but that''s not what you should be taking from all of this. To be honest, a concubine¡¯s life is far more dangerous than being married to some black widow who wishes to inherit your fortune. I''ve seen countless women murder someone without so much as a bash of their eyes because they thought it would raise their status in the harems hierarchy."

    The two remained quiet as Velicions advice began to sink in. A few passersby made curious glances their way as the figures stood motionless next to one another. Eventually, the words lost their hold over Captain Boris and the man recovered by squaring up his shoulders.

    "I seriously doubt that any of my men are plotting my death or anyone else that resides within these walls for that matter." He said as he let out a confident grunt, his posture returned to its usual form as he took a deep breath.

    "Suit yourself." Velicion said as she shrugged at the man''s bravado.

    "There''s another matter that I would like to speak to you with, but I doubt that I have the time to go into much detail."

    "Very well then," The sorceress said as she turned away from her counterpart. "Find me whenever you feel like you have the time to speak your mind."

    The two parted ways after that, each of them taking the first of many steps towards their separate yet similarly exhaustive schedules.

    <hr>

    Ever since the goblin had left the camp, things had slowed to a crawl for Velicion as she continued to prepare for Iskra¡¯s'' language lessons. She had also kept a wary eye out for any more shenanigans from the boys; so far they had been well behaved and avoided committing any misdeeds on the scale as the brawler''s guild. Yet she knew that the moment she relaxed was the moment that the teenaged elves would pull another trick.

    She was grateful for the fact that the teenagers had remained at a tolerable level and disciplined. To the sorceress, it seemed that the punishment of being given guard duty was a powerful deterrent for the young boys, although she had a fear of her own. One that involved many of the young elves under her care to be the sons of important Dar''Nari nobility, sons that wouldn''t even be in the line to inherit anything to be fair but that point was useless to the woman. Their families would still send out assassins to exact their revenge if something were to happen to their children; it was the principle that mattered. A principle that she intended to stay far, far away from.

    Her primary concern was making sure that Prince Aurelius stayed out of harm''s way as much as possible, yet still keeping up the appearance of him being a dashing adventurer of sorts. His status as being a prince of her people weighed heavily on her shoulders, especially once she factored in the matter of the boys'' mother. The Arch Mistress was overly protective of the boy, and she was baffled by the fact that the Dar''Narian Queen had allowed her most treasured son to even step foot out of the kingdom, let alone the boys home city itself.

    If anything were to happen to the child, untold destruction would crash over her once word had reached his mother. This was something that she wished to avoid in its entirety, which was partly why she was so glad that the young human, whose tent she was now in, had taken an instant liking to the princeling.

    With regards to the girls'' lesson, it appeared as if it was going well. Somewhat. The lithe elven woman watched on as the curvaceous teenager scratched at her head as she quietly mouthed her confusion.

    As she held out the small parchment in front of her, the young human made her frustration known before she looked towards her language instructor.

    "I don''t get it," The girl said as she looked back at the material before she turned to face the sorceress for a second time. "These aren''t letters. They''re nothing more than weird shapes and oddly placed lines mashed together. How am I supposed to remember any of this?"

    Iskra flipped the page over so that it faced the elf and pointed towards its contents.

    With her index finger, the human pointed towards a single letter that had a similar shape to that of a dagger''s blade. It had an inverted crescent at near its top right corner along with a fully formed circle floating freely above the curved area. Within the middle of the letter was a series of tiny runes that had similar appearances to several other members of the elven alphabet. All of which were oddly shaped in their own regard.

    The letter to which the girl pointed to was the ''Fwah'' letter.

    "It makes perfect sense," Velicion stated as she nodded towards the letter in question. "The ''Fwah'' is perhaps the most common letter found throughout many words that are spoken in the elvish tongue. It''s also one of the easiest to write."

    Iskra gave the elf a look of disgust as she listened to what her teacher had to say. "No it doesn''t," She said as she pointed towards several other members of the alphabet. "It looks weird, and then you''re telling me that I have to write tiny versions of these ones too?"

    The girl proceeded to point towards three more members of the alphabet that accompanied the dagger shaped letter. First was the ''Dwa''n'' which looked similar to a broken moon with several rings around it. The second was the ''Diurn'' which had several circles, of varying sizes, placed randomly within a small block like shape. Finally, Iskra drew attention to the final letter of the elvish alphabet; the ''Mur'' wa.'' It looked more like a poorly drawn tree, with naked branches and roots that were twisted around each other.

    To say that the elven language was difficult to learn was a blatant understatement.

    ¡°Can you give me the pronunciation of the ones that you¡¯ve pointed to?¡± Velicion asked the girl as she grabbed hold of the paper and flipped it around to face the raven haired human.

    "Uh," Iskra started to say as she concentrated on the chosen letters. "I think so." She didn''t sound very confident in her abilities to pronounce them correctly, especially since it had been less than an hour since their lesson started.

    This was something that the sorceress expected from the young girl; she wasn''t the type of instructor to demand her students be an immediate genius in whatever field of study they were currently engaged in. However, she wanted them to give it their all, even if that meant for their feelings to be hurt in in the process.

    ¡°Then let me hear it.¡± Velicion motioned for the curvaceous teenager to begin.

    ¡°The first one is ¡®Fffwaah¡¯ and the-¡±

    Without warning, Velicion reached out and gave the girl a quick, yet sharp slap on the arm.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± Iskra called out with a yelp as she rubbed at her arm while she quietly sounded out her pain. She was shocked to see that her newfound teacher had decided to hit her for no apparent reason.

    "Your pronunciation is just awful," The elf explained as she pointed aggressively towards the human girl. "''Fwah'' is pronounced in a more sharp and quiet tone. Your speaking in a way that''s too soft and far too drawn out. Now repeat after me. ''F-'' "

    "''Ff-'' "

    Iskra stopped almost instantly and bounced backwards the moment she noticed the sorceress begin to lean forward. There was no way that the girl would allow herself to be slapped for a second time. "Why are you trying to hit me?" The girl asked with anger in her voice.

    "Because your pronunciation is way off and I''m trying to correct it," Velicion said as she wagged a finger at the girl. "I''m not your typical instructor whose happy to just state what you''re doing wrong. It''s better that the student is punished for their academic mistakes while being rewarded for reaching perfection."

    Iskra looked at the elven woman with grave concern as she leaned towards Argonok who stood close at hand. "Who teaches like that?" She asked the dwarf, who merely shrugged his shoulders in his usual manner.

    "A sadist probably." Argonok said in a bored tone as he shook his head.

    "I''ll have you know," Velicion said with a gasp. "That this was how my mother taught me when I was younger, and it was the method that my master used during my days as an apprentice." The sorceress let out a defiant huff of air as she nodded her head. "It''s also how I taught my apprentices when they were learning under me, and it was how I raised my children."

    "See," The dwarf said as he motioned towards the elf with a defiant open palm. "She''s a sadist. I''d watch myself around her if I were you little missy. Can''t be too careful or she might try and cut you up and have her way with your body."

    Shocked at what the dwarf had said, Velicion let out a gasp as she stared down the heavily armored Fireguard. One of these days, the dwarfs'' crudeness would be the death of him.

    "Come on Argonok," Iskra said as she shook her head before turning to face the sorceress. "I''m sure that there are other ways for Velicion to teach me without resorting to physical harm."

    Iskra gave the elven woman a quizzical look as she posed the question.

    The girl gave Velicion a quizzical look as she posed the question, but before the sorceress had the chance to reply, Argonok spoke up with absolute confidence in his echoing voice. "We could get Zharatan to place the same language spell on you as he did with me. Shouldn''t take all that long."

    "Really?" Iskra said happily as she clapped her hands together. "How long will it take? Does it hurt?"

    "Pretty sure there isn''t any," Argonok answered as the question of pain was brought up. "I''m not the type of person to be asking that though, in case you forgot." To emphasize what he meant, the dwarf pummeled a closed fist against his chest. A metallic thump echoed from somewhere within his chest plate as the gauntleted hand continued to pound away at the armor.

    "Hold it right there," Velicion said harshly as she struck out a hand in warning to the dwarf. "What would have been the point of all of this if you just decide to have a spell placed on you? Don''t you want to feel the glowing excitement of having your hard work and dedication pay off in the end?"

    "Why would I want to do that if I can just solve my problem by using magic?" Iskra raised an eyebrow at what the sorceress had said. She found it strange that someone who practiced the mystical art of sorcery would want to go through all of that hard work when casting a simple spell would be the easiest option of the two.

    Argonok, for his part, nodded his head in agreement with the young girl. A smug aura could be felt from where the dwarf stood, his arms crossed over his chest as a proud chuckle escaped from his ethereal throat. He was proud of the fact that he had brought the human over to his side of the argument.

    "Because," The sorceress started to say as she raised an index finger. "That''s the most boring thing you can possibly due when it comes to learning new things, and it sets a terrible precedent for one¡¯s education. Especially for a young girl such as you." Velicion leaned forward and placed her hands over her hips. "I''ll have you know that my most cherished memories were of the times I had spent with a candle on my desk and a book in front of me. My mother would always chastise me and force me to go outside to play with my friends, but I always yearned to be given a new book that allowed me to pour over its contents."

    The sorceress pulled away from Iskra as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You know what the best feeling in the world is?" Velicion asked as she tapped her foot repeatedly. Without waiting for a reply, she answered her own question. "Learning a difficult subject after having to wrack your brain around it after a long time. You should try to experience it at least once before casting away the opportunity for good."

    Velicion sighed as she looked back on those days with fond memories. She wished that she could turn back time and return to those solitary days. Unfortunately, time had decided she had other things to do, and she needed to face the present as it came to her.

    ¡°I seriously doubt you had any friends if any of that was true.¡± Iskra spoke with venom in her words as she looked at the elven woman in a wicked manner.

    Argonok bellowed out in laughter as he leaned his head back, his hands resting over where his stomach would be as he drowned the tent in his distant voice.

    "It''s true, and I did have friends back then. I''ll have you know that I still keep in contact with a few of them." The sorceress replied with a cold tone in her voice as she gave the human a hard stare. She didn''t appreciate what the girl had said, and she needed to put her foot down before it got out of hand. "And watch your tone with me, little lady. I''m not afraid to bend you over and give you a walloping that you won''t forget."

    Iskra chuckled to herself as she ignored the elfs warning. She wasn''t afraid of what the sorceress could do to her. "And how do you do that? Open up their pages and read through them while you talk to yourself?"

    "Maybe she opens up a secret drawer and plays with them as if she''s still a child." Argonok said in between fits of laughter.

    Both the human and dwarf couldn''t help themselves as they continued to list off a whole slew of ways that poked fun at the sorceress''s childhood. Some were mild-mannered and innocent in tone while most had a cruel twist to their words that were meant to cause the elf distress. Through it all, the two figures continued to laugh.

    Velicion rolled her eyes as she waited for the two of them to settle down. She had grown used to these types of insults ever since she had been inducted into the Witch King''s harem. Most of the women there were of the sort who only cared for their social standing and would rarely win their shared lovers'' affection by continuously proving their worth. Prince Aurelius'' father was the type of man who preferred his women to be of the sort who worked hard and accomplished many things. Something that Velicion had proven to him time and time again.

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Velicion dryly said as the laughter finally began to settle down. ¡°You¡¯ve had your fun now. Can we continue the lesson?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just do what Argonok said? Cast a spell and be done with it?¡±

    The sorceress shook her head at the girls¡¯ disgraceful words. She had a ways to go when it came to her attitude towards her education, and the sorceress wondered if the young girl had a similar attitude with her other instructors.

    "And what good would that do for you? Do you think that the prince would be impressed that you''ve had a spell cast over you so that you could communicate with him, or do you think he''d enjoy speaking with you if he knew that you took the time and effort to learn his language?"

    "Honestly?" Iskra said as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don''t think he''d care all that much."

    Velicion sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, then. If you''re not going to take this seriously, then I''m not going to teach you any further." Iskra opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sorceress before she could get a word out. "And I''m not going to cast that disgusting spell on you either."

    Velicion crossed her arms and watched as disbelief and astonishment exploded over Iskra''s face.

    The young girl crossed her arms as she let out an exaggerated huff of air, her heaving breasts bounced as she raised her chin at the sorceress. "Fine then, maybe I''ve lost interest in him anyway. I''m sure that there are plenty of better men out there to win my favor."

    Velicion rolled her eyes at the girls'' bravado; she knew for a fact that the human was still head over heels for the boy. "And I''m sure that Aurelius," The sorceress let a smug smile form over her face as she watched the young girl perk up at the boys'' name. "Will be able to find another girl who is willing to throw themselves at his feet. There are plenty of women out there who are prettier than you anyway."

    Velicion let out an imaginary yell of celebration as she watched the girl gasp and repeatedly poke at her chest before a look of despair poured over her face.

    Iskra''s shoulders hung low in defeat as she spoke to the elf with poison in her voice. "You lie," The girl pointed her finger at the sorceress as she continued to speak. She was none too pleased with what the elven woman had to say. "I''ll have you know that I was said to be the most gorgeous child in all of Ranislava. Even the court bards sung songs about my beauty."

    Velicion allowed an evil grin to spread across her face as she realized that she had hit bullseye. Now was the time to go on the offensive. "Oh? Is that so..." The sorceress paused to allow her words to take effect on the girls'' mind. She wanted to hit her where it hurt. "Then tell me about what happened with that other prince of yours, something about him falling in love with a girl who he saw as more beautiful than you?"

    Dead silence filled the air around them as Velicions words slowly started to sink in. From somewhere outside, birds could be heard chirping pleasantly as the faint voices of the nearby guards drifted into the tent.

    It happened all at once. Argonok let out an impressed whistle as a choked back cry could be heard from Iskra''s trembling lips while she did her best in holding back the tears that now flowed from her emerald green eyes.

    In a victorious stance, Velicion shrugged her shoulders and gave the girl a smug look. ¡°Don¡¯t bother playing with fire if you can¡¯t sta-¡±

    Velicion was cut off as a fist connected with the side of her face. The sorceress quickly held out her arms as she managed to catch herself from falling flat on her face with not a moment to spare. She stared wide eyed at the ground as she blinked repeatedly and shook her head in disbelief at what had just occurred.

    Iskra said nothing as she rushed out of the tent, the sounds of her crying echoed behind her as she disappeared from their view.

    Both Argonok and Velicion remained quiet for a long time, unsure of what to say or do next.

    ¡°Want me to go after her?¡± The dwarf said as he stared down at the sorceress.

    ¡°No,¡± Velicion said as she clasped the bottom of her chin. ¡°Let her cool off for a while. Doing anything at the moment would just make things worse.¡±

    Argonok let out a grunt as he looked towards the tents entrance. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be off then. I wanna see if that prince of yours has gotten any better at Fool¡¯s Pride.¡±

    The sorceress grunted in reply as she corrected her stance, bringing her back upright as she rubbed at her chin.

    ¡®For such a tiny girl,¡¯ Velicion thought to herself as she rolled her head back and forth to get the kinks out of her neck. ¡®She sure does pack a punch.¡¯

    <hr>

 Chapter 12: The Orc and The Emissary

    The mood within Orukk¡¯s tent was tense as the warlord stared vacantly towards the ramshackle door that served as the entrance to his personal domain. Thick clouds of dust hung in the air as the warlord stewed quietly upon his throne with no end in sight to the grievances that now plagued the back of his mind. The orc bared his yellowed and chipped teeth as a low, and guttural growl escaped from his lips.

    Orukk poked and clawed at his teeth with a sharpened fingernail to help dislodge a bit of meat that had gotten stuck between two of his cavity riddled teeth.

    The orc hacked up and spat out a thick and slimy ball of spit as he finally managed to free the chunk of meat from its toothy prison.

    Another growl began to rumble from his throat as he rested his heavily scarred head upon a closed fist as he placed its meaty elbow upon the plank of wood that served as a makeshift armrest. As he shifted his entire body to find a more comfortable position, a thunderous crack rang out from below, and Orukk watched with great displeasure on his face as slivers of splintered wood flew off into one of the many shadowy corners of his temporary abode.

    The orc let out an unsurprised huff of breath as he grew exhausted with the current predicament he had found himself in.

    His large, and still growing, army had come to a standstill at the mouth of the valley that his forces had trudged through and conquered their way throughout these past few months. He had to admit that, begrudgingly, it was partly his fault. While on the other hand, the orcs that served as his lieutenants and the cowardly goblins they commanded had almost no clue as to what they were doing and continued to drag their feet when it came time to execute his orders in a timely manner.

    Orukk let out a disgruntled sigh as he wished that he could believe in the theory that those under his command plotted to undermine his authority and sought his demise, he knew that was not the case. The orcs and goblins that resided in this land were far too simple minded to do much of anything except to breath, eat, and fuck their days away.

    The warlord would rather have a conniving and backstabbing lieutenant who skillfully plotted his demise as his right-hand then the bumbling buffoons that he had the misfortune of surrounding himself with.

    Orukk violently shook his head as he tried to clear away the thoughts that plagued his mind. Instead of dwelling any further on his band of morons, he would much rather think of the next step in his grand scheme of conquering the volcanic realm.

    As of right now, he had identified several flaws within his current goals.

    The first of such flaws was the fact that his army moved at a pace slower than that of a snail, as well as the fact that it had taken them weeks to march south to the mouth of the valley that now loomed behind them. The trolls that had pledged themselves to him would often times wander off into the wilderness and disappear for days on end, only for them to return to the encamped army starved and exhausted. The goblins were useless in their own right. They struggled with the most menial of labor and failed to keep abreast with the already glacial pace of the tribe. As for the orcs under his command; they were nothing more than lazy sacks of meat that refused to help out in any meaningful way. Time and time again, he had watched on as packs of exhausted goblins riled themselves up and fought amongst each other while their racial betters watched on, encouraging the small creatures to bloody themselves for their amusement.

    There was also the fact that it took nearly two full days for a basic camp to either be established or torn apart. Nothing Orukk did seemed to work when it came time to speeding up their progress in creating an encampment. Threats, beatings, forced starvations, nor killings had any effect on those under his rule, and once again the orcs he had entrusted with what little power he was willing to give was of no help at all.

    He felt as if he was slamming his head against the fortifications of a dwarven mountain fortress.

    Discipline was the biggest issue he needed to solve before things got too out of hand. He was all too aware of the countless occasions of where a soon to be victorious orc led army would descend into chaos because of a jealous upstart who foamed at the mouth for his name to be recognized.

    Trolls, legendary for their easy to please minds, would often times smash up and pummel what little infrastructure had been built up only for them to wander off before anyone could stop them. A few of the orcs under his command claimed that the behemoth creatures were merely bored and wished for some form of entertainment, but Orukk was loathed to admit that as the truth.

    The daily brawls caused by the goblins was another problem that grew worse by the day and one that was exasperated by the fact that the orcs who he had tasked with keeping the small creatures in line were of no help at all. More often than not, the orcs would throw themselves in the thick of it and bash as many heads as they could before their warlord came along to break apart their fun.

    The most aggravating issue, however, was the fact that he had no clue as to where to take his army next. Orukk was painfully aware of the fact that he had no clear picture of the lay of the land, which had become apparent only when they had found themselves deep within the valley that now stood at their backs.

    For the past few days, the warlord had locked himself in his hut to draw upon an idea of where to lead his forces next, but only a blank picture would appear in his thoughts. He only knew of two things that he wanted to do at this point in time.

    Find the next worthy tribe and conquer it, and create a permanent settlement so that he can grapple the many issues facing his rule.

    What he needed the most, however, was to send out a party of scouts so that he may know where to march his rowdy clan next.

    His thoughts were interrupted as the distant, yet shaky voice of Krumsh reached his ears.

    Orukk looked up in disgust as the nerve rattled orc plowed into his hut.

    ¡°What do you want Krumsh?¡± The warlord said with an irritated growl booming from deep within his throat as he continued to watch the stumbling buffoon make his way further inside.

    ¡°Chieftain,¡± Krumsh yelled out as he threw planted himself onto the ground. ¡°There¡¯s a troll that wishes to speak with you.¡±

    Orukk let out a sigh at the mention of yet another troll coming to seek out the orc. He had apparently made a name for himself amongst the creatures. Yet there remained the question as to why one of his lieutenants looked so nervous about a single troll.

    A troll was a troll after all, and all one needed to do was to beat it into submission before it pledged its services to the victor. They were a race that valued strength and only strength.

    ¡°And?¡± The warlords¡¯ voice lingered in the air as he waited for the messenger to continue.

    ¡°The-uh,¡± Krumsh coughed as he looked up at his chieftain. Beads of nervous sweat streamed down his face as he struggled with what next to say. ¡°The troll claims to be an emissary for a king that lives up in the mountains.¡±

    ¡®Of course it is,¡¯ Orukk rolled his eyes at the mention of a king. He was unimpressed with the orcs choice in words and the warlord had serious doubts that the troll in question had even uttered the word ¡®King.¡¯

    ¡°What sort of ¡®King¡¯ does this troll speak of,¡± Orukk¡¯s voice boomed as his eyes were drawn to the now opened door of his hut. ¡°What sort of master does it serve?¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Krumsh¡¯s voice cracked as his nerves got the better of him. The orc paused to swallow down his fears, unsure of how to best put forward what needed to be said. ¡°The emissary made sure to impress on us of the fact that it served a king¡­A troll king.¡±

    A burst of deep and rumbling laughter filled the inside Orukks tent as the warlord allowed his usual cold and stone faced persona to break at what had just been said.

    ¡°A troll king is it?¡± Orukk said between fits of laughter as a hand reached forward and slapped against the thrones crudely made armrest. ¡°And what does this king wish of me?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t say,¡± Krumsh said nervously as he bowed his head in apology for his failure to goad more out of the troll. ¡°The emissary only claimed that the words of its master were for your ears only and that he would speak no more on the matter until he had the chance to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± The warlords'' voice rumbled as he pushed himself off of his throne. Wood creaked and cracked as the orc lifted himself upwards and toward over the messenger before him. ¡°Bring me to him.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°You big named orc?¡± The troll emissary called out towards the two approaching orcs as he pointed a stubby finger towards Orukk.

    ¡°I am,¡± The warlord¡¯s rumbled as he nodded his head towards the handful of orcs who had stayed behind to watch over the troll and they returned the gesture in kind before quickly departing from their master¡¯s sight. Orukk would have to speak with Krumsh about the importance of making sure that any future visitors were well aware of who and what he was. ¡°The names Orukk and I rule over this sorry lot, and with whom am I speaking to?¡±

    A low growl escaped from Orukks throat as he stopped several paces away from the troll and gave the apparent emissary a quick glance over. The troll was similar in appearance to most of his kind. Even with a heavy and unhealthy slouch, the creature towered over the warlord and all of the nearby huts by a fair margin. Its arms and legs were long, spindly and covered in rock like deformations. A massive pot belly, marked by a countless number of open sores and rocky pustules, hung over its waist. Its lips were cracked and split in two by several jagged tusks that shot out from its mouth.

    ¡®What a disgusting creature.¡¯ Orukk thought to himself as he grew sicker with each passing moment he continued to stare at the monstrous beast.

    ¡°Ork? Orok? Orc!¡± The, so far, nameless emissary called out as a look of confusion over its face. Orukk wondered if the creature was trying to sound out his name. ¡°Orc is funny name, but me understand. Me not want to forget who my people are either.¡±

    A pain filled gasp of air escaped the troubled orc as the realization of his misfortune was becoming more and more apparent. He wasn¡¯t sure how, but Orukk always forgot about how simple minded and braindead the troll race was.

    For Orukk, the title of ¡°Troll King¡± was a preposterous one. He believed that Krumsh must have misunderstood what the emissary had said, and falsely interpreted it as the truth before bringing word to his master.

    ¡°Of course,¡± The warlord said with barely contained anger rising in his voice. ¡°Again, I must ask with who am I speaking to? What is your name?¡±

    The troll looked stunned at the repeated question concerning its name as if it was painfully obvious as to who it was. ¡°Me Big¡­Thwug.¡± The emissary stated, unsure of himself as he poked the side of his head with a pustule riddled finger.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Orukks distaste for the troll was starting to become more apparent by the moment. Of the individuals who had felt the need to stick around and watch the ongoing disaster, it was evident that the odd back and forth would continue on for some time.

    The warlord crossed his arms over his chest and gave the emissary a defiant and commanding stare. He wanted this conversation to be over and done with before the troll¡¯s stupidity had rubbed off on him.

    ¡°So tell me¡­Thwug,¡± Orukk refused to call the creature by its full name and decided that the second half would do for now. He loathed the idea of him learning the true meaning behind the monstrous beasts full name. ¡°What does this ¡®King¡¯ of yours wish of me and my tribe?¡±

    Thwug¡¯s eyes opened wide as he looked up into the sky and cupped a hand over its chin as if to show the fact that it had forgotten why it had even come into the camp in the first place.

    ¡°Da King?¡± Thwug asked himself inquisitively as he let out a drawn out hum while he tried to think of his purpose in coming. ¡°Da King wants to¡­¡±

    Orukk looked towards Krumsh as they troll stayed quiet; it was becoming obvious to the both of them that the creature had forgotten the reasoning for its journey into the orc encampment. The warlord quietly wished to himself that the troll would somehow forget to breathe as well; otherwise, they were going to be stuck here all day.

    ¡°Da King¡­¡± The trolls face clenched up in frustration as it tried in vain to think of what its master wished for it to do. Greasy sweat slowly dripped down its hideous face as the creature bundled up a fist and quickly smashed it against its teeth. A loud and hollow crack soon followed as the troll continue to bash away at its mouth. ¡°Da King wants to¡­¡±

    Thwug went quiet for a second time as its mind continued to draw a blank while Orukk allowed a tired sigh to escape his lips. This entire conversation was going nowhere.

    ¡°Perhaps he wants to speak with me?¡± Orukk suggested to the troll as he could no longer tolerate in having to watch the troll beat its face into a pulp.

    ¡°King wants to talk?¡± Thwug asked himself as his attention was slowly drawn towards the orc. The troll looked down at the grey skinned warlord while confusion continued to muddle its brain ¡°Talk¡­King¡­Talking.¡± The troll laughed at its own words while it slowly combined the two words into a single existence. ¡°Da King wants to talk.¡±

    The troll nodded its head as it raised an open palm high into the air as it finally realized why it came into the encampment in the first place. ¡°You¡¯se right, da King wants to talk with ya about smarts stuff.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡± Orukk asked as he gestured for the troll to continue.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Da King wants ya to join.¡±

    Thwug remained quiet after that as a proud look formed over its face. To the troll, no more needed to be said about what its master wanted out of the orc.

    ¡°Join what, exactly?¡± Orukk asked the troll as he attempted to pry more information out of the emissary.

    Once again, the troll paused to look up into the cloudless sky as it tried to remember what its king had tasked it to do.

    ¡°Join¡­Join¡­Join¡­¡± Thwug swayed its head from side to side as it quietly hummed the words to itself in a rhythmic fashion. Over and over again it sung the word to itself while occasionally adding in ¡®King¡¯ into its musical number.

    Orukk grunted in frustration as he watched the spectacle unfold before his very eyes. There was a reason why no one ever bothered to negotiate with trolls, and the orc was looking at one such occasion at this very moment.

    ¡°Enough,¡± The warlord bellowed. His voice boomed across their immediate surroundings, forcing those unaware of the unfolding negotiations to look up and wander towards the source of the vicious sound. ¡°You are to either tell me about the purpose in you being here, or I shall be forced to kill you here and now.¡±

    Thwug chuckled at the orcs words as he listened to the warlords¡¯ boastful attitude. The troll gave off the impression that Orukk would never be able to beat him in a fight. ¡°Silly orc,¡± The emissary stated as he slapped a meaty hand over its rotund belly. Spurts of thick puss oozed between its fat fingers as the troll ran its hand along the stomachs girth. ¡°Me am good fighter, but me no need to fight you. Me remember what King wants from you.¡±

    ¡°Spit it out.¡± Orukk said between clenched teeth.

    ¡°Da King wants you to join him. Join and win dis land for him.¡± Thwug smashed his fists together as he spoke those words. ¡°King wants you to s-s-su-¡­Eat to him.¡±

    The emissary nodded his head in triumph as he managed to spit out the most challenging word it knew.

    Krumsh looked to his chieftain with a questioning glance. He was unwilling to believe in the idea that the warlord would find any of this appealing.

    Orukk looked around him, finally noticing the gathering crowd that had managed to make its way towards the fuss.

    It was evident to Orukk that the emissary had misspoken and had meant for the warlord to ''submit'' to its king. Something that the proud and battle scarred orc would never do in his entire life, especially to a troll that had delusions of grandeur.

    Laughter bellowed out from deep within the orc''s stomach as the warlord found the absurdity of the situation to be too much for him to handle.

    "Your so called ''King'' is an idiotic gas blower if he thinks that I would ever submit to anything except for my own goals. Submitting to a ''Troll King,''" Orukk spat at the ground as he brought up the ridiculous title. He raised a fist at the emissary and squeezed down on his hand until his knuckles turned white. "Don''t make me laugh. Orcs are meant to conquer and rule over the other races, not kneel before a lesser race of moronic rock eaters."

    Krumsh, along with a few other nearby orcs, nodded their heads at what their leader had to say. As far as they were concerned, their race had ruled over the chaotic and war ravaged realm for untold generations. While they never truly held the entirety of the region in the palm of their hands, they knew that it was only a matter of time for the holdouts to submit to the superiority of the orcs.

    If Krumsh remembered correctly, he had heard of a similar ruler to that of this ''Troll King'' that the emissary had spoken about. There were rumors about some sort of goblin king who ruled over a vast kingdom within the Fire Mountain of Org'' ush, though he wasn''t sure as to the truth of such a rumor.

    "You no join?" Thwug asked in shock as it looked down at the two orcs. "You no serve Troll King?"

    Orukk stayed quiet as he shook his head and flashed his yellowed teeth at the troll.

    "If you no join, then that means me fail¡­If me fail, then me can''t go home¡­If me can''t go home, then me starve¡­"

    Thwug slowly started to formulate a list of growing consequences to his diplomatic blunder. For a time it continued to blabber on and on about its fate, going so far as to point out that its bones would be used as a tasty meal for any wandering scavengers.

    "If you not join, then me must make new plan." Thwug said after a brief pause. "I kill you and take over tribe here. If I bring back tribe, then King will feed me."

    "What?" The two orcs said in unison as they became stunned at the trolls choice of words.

    Credit where credit was due, the emissary wasn''t as dumb as it looked.

    Within the blink of an eye, Orukk jumped and rolled off to the side, narrowly avoiding the mighty swing of the emissary''s arm.

    The orc looked to his left as he heard the chaotic sound of snapping wood and tumbling infrastructure. Within the shadows of a ruined hut lay a lump of bloodied flesh and broken bones, Krumsh had the misfortune of being too slow to see the troll''s initial attack.

    Orukk grinned in absolute pleasure as he brought a muscled arm to his face and wiped away the streaks of blood of his unfortunate companion. The orc took the momentary pause to scan his immediate surroundings for anything of use.

    The tiny grey heads of nearby goblins popped into his vision every so often while the distinct forms of orcs skulked within the shadows of whatever cover they could find. Their curiosity had grown too powerful for them to ignore, and they watched with bated breath as the impromptu single combat got off to a bloodied start.

    Orukk ignored their eager stares and paranoid whispers as he let out a huff of frustrated air. He had failed to find anything of use, for now at least.

    The warlord jumped to the right, landing on his hands and knees before quickly dashing off to the left in a faint to help avoid any oncoming attacks. He narrowly managed to duck in time and dodged another powerful swing from the trolls arm.

    "Me am new ruler of dis tribe!" Thwug bellowed as he raised an arm and readied his body for another attack.

    "I don''t think so," Orukk said in defiance of his would be assassin as he slid under the trolls wild swing, the orcs face came within inches of being caved in by the emissaries diseased and pustule ridden fist. His nostrils flared as he shook his head in disgust of the putrid odor emanating from his opponent''s body. "I''ll kill you first, and once I''m done skinning your hide and flaying the rotting meat from your bones I''ll come for your pathetic king as well!"

    "You talk too much!" The troll roared as he repeatedly stomped his feet before lunging towards the defiant orc.

    ''You''re one to talk.'' Orukk thought calmly as he leaped into the air and stepped onto the trolls back, using the creatures own body as a platform to help push his body into the air. A few of the pustules popped and splattered under his feet, but he paid it no mind.

    The orc turned and watched the troll smash into a nearby hut. The warlord used this pause in their fight to catch his breath as screams of pain filled terror sang out into the sky above.

    Thwug shook the splintered wood and bloodied dust off of his body as he looked down in confusion at the crushed corpses of the unfortunate goblins that had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    Orukk quietly admitted to himself that, for a troll, the emissary was surprisingly fast.

    That just meant he needed to be faster, however.

    The troll stumbled backwards as it rose from debris littered ground, sickening clumps of flesh hung carelessly from its hands as the emissary turned to face Orukk.

    As the warlord looked around his surroundings for a second time, he hoped in some vain fashion that there would be at least one person who had the foresight to bring a weapon along with them. If not that, then he wished for the opportunity for him to create something of use in this dire time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk as much as I want.¡± Orukk yelled towards the troll as he picked up a nearby stone and threw it towards the creature with all of his might.

    Thwug gave the orc a blank stare as the makeshift missile bounced carelessly off of its head. The rock appeared to have no effect on the warlord¡¯s enemy as the troll casually patted at the spot with a look of confusion.

    ¡®Great,¡¯ Orukk thought is dismay as he rushed towards the open door of a ruined warehouse. ¡®Just great. Fighting a troll with nothing of use in sight.¡¯

    The orc slid to a stop and took a deep breath as he dashed through the door and looked for anything of use. Orukk let out a disgruntled sigh as he watched a cowardly goblin crawl its way through a small hole in the back of the nearly empty building.

    ¡°Me no like people who hide!¡± Thwug announced to the world as his fist came crashing down onto the hole littered ceiling.

    Orukk managed to avoid death within a hairs breath as he dashed after the escaping goblin and brought up his shoulder before exploding out of the back of the crumbling wall.

    The goblin stopped in its tracks and watched with an open mouth as the orc warlord made a run for the nearby crowd of curious onlookers. Unfortunately for him, he had gone unnoticed by the emissary and was crushed to death under the troll¡¯s lumbering foot.

    ¡°You!¡± Orukk yelled violently as he pointed towards a single orc with an ax strapped to its back. ¡°Give me your weapon!¡±

    Without a second thought, Orukk dashed towards the crowd in bounding steps as the troll steadily chased after the warlord.

    Thwug¡¯s lumbering steps boomed across the way as he let out a vicious roar as he watched the orc barrel into the now fleeing crowd.

    Orcs and goblins pushed and shoved each other out of the way as they made a break for it, fearing what would happen to them if they had the misfortune of being caught in the middle of the duel.

    Orukk gave a silent prayer to the gods of bloody war as he watched with glee as the orc he had singled out stood absolutely still with a finger pointing towards his face.

    ¡°Do you see anyone else around you?¡± Orukk chastised the orc as he readied his arm and swung at the orc with all of his might.

    The poor soul never had the chance to reply as the warlord¡¯s fist connected with his jaw, sending the now unconscious orc to the ground.

    Orukk spat at the unconscious orcs face as he pried the crude weapon from its back.

    ¡°Quit running,¡± Thwug yelled to the orc as he tossed various scraps of wood towards the now armed warlord. The broken planks slammed into the ground and shattered upon impact, sending deadly shards of shrapnel in multiple directions but their intended target managed to come out of it mostly unscathed. ¡°You too scared to fight?¡±

    The troll beat a dust covered fist against its bare chest as it stomped its feet in defiance of his opponents seemingly lack of fighting spirit.

    ¡°I never run from a fight.¡± Orukk mimicked the trolls tone and pounded his own fist against his scar covered chest, sweat, and blood stuck to his fingers as he raised the newly acquired weapon into the air.

    Orukk readied his body and placed all of his might into his legs, and with a thunderous roar, the orc charged towards the troll. With each step he took, the warlord drew closer towards the emissary by leaps and bounds. The orc¡¯s thoughts never faltered as he barreled his way towards the stubborn troll at a breakneck speed.

    The two soon collided into one another with an ear piercing slap of flesh against flesh.

    With a dumb look plastered on his face, Thwug leaned forward and let out a gasp of air. Gelatinous slobber flew out from his mouth as he blindly reached towards the orc and missed as his opponent jumped back to avoid the clumsy attack.

    Orukk grunted in pain as he held onto his left arm, now limp and useless thanks to his shoulder being dislocated. The orc grimaced in pain as he held out the injured limb and pulled it forward with all of his might. A loud crack and a stifled cry rang out from the orc managed to pop the arm back into place.

    Orukk shook his head and cleared away the sparks of pain from his vision as he rolled his shoulder, making sure that all was well before readying himself for the next attack to come.

    The two continued their destructive song and dance for quite some time. Thwug would often charge and swing wildly at the orc, but only narrowly miss his opponent and hurl himself into a nearby building or hurl the broken corpse of an unfortunate victim into growing pile of debris and bloodied slops of flesh.

    Orukk would duck and weave his way around the troll¡¯s clumsy attacks, and on most occasions, he would narrowly avoid a disastrous end to his short career as a mighty warlord. He was surprised at how quick the troll had turned out to be, but thankfully he had proven to be even faster as he continued to dodge the emissary¡¯s attacks. Yet he wasn¡¯t quick enough to avoid the deluge of shrapnel that exploded outwards from the troll¡¯s constant charges.

    Blood oozed from his wounds as bits of wood and stone buried themselves into his flesh.

    Orukk found the injuries to a boon to him, however. The pain that they caused him had managed to focus his mind and sharpen his senses as the adrenaline flooded into his head, sending his tired body into overdrive.

    The troll had been unable to escape injury as well, but the wounds that had been inflicted upon its body were far too shallow to affect its fighting prowess and could only be considered glancing blows.

    Orukk watched on in frustration as the latest of such injuries slowly knitted itself closed before his very eyes. The orc flared his nostrils and spat out a slur of incoherent words as he cursed the troll¡¯s legendary healing capabilities.

    It was yet another reason as to why the warlord loathed being around the stubborn creatures.

    The warlord understood that if he wished to finish this fight in his favor than he needed to deal a decisive and final blow. A blow that he hoped would end this fight in a single swing of his axe.

    Thwug brought a hand to his potbelly as laughter bellowed from deep within his throat. ¡°You no look so good,¡± The troll taunted as he swung a broken door into the air before quickly sweeping it across the ground. ¡°Me thinks you¡¯se ready to give up.¡±

    Orukk tightened his grip around his weapon and snarled at the troll¡¯s attitude. One way or another, he was going to kill this troll.

    The warlord let out a low growl as he readied his body for what he hoped to be the final charge of this absurd duel. It had gone on for far too long, and the orc wanted it to end. Now.

    With lightning quick reflexes, Orukk lunged himself towards the troll and brought his left shoulder to bear as he watched his opponent raise its makeshift weapon to block the oncoming orc.

    The wooden shield exploded into splinters and bounced off of the troll''s neck and face as Orukk plowed through its flimsy frame. Within the blink of an eye, the orc brought his weapon as far back as he could manage and bellowed out a terrifying war cry as he swung the axe with all of his might.

    A choking cry and a muffled grunt passed through Thwug''s lips as the two of them collided into one another.

    Blood and flesh flew high into the air as the two bodies collapsed onto the ground as a single entity.

    Before the clouds of dust and dirt could settle onto the ground, Orukk let out one last defiant roar and rose from the bundled mess. The orc raised his axe high into the sky and quickly brought the weapon down onto the troll''s neck.

    Blood, flesh, and fat clung to the bladed weapon as the warlord chopped violently at his opponent''s thick throat. The orc never gave the troll a single ounce of mercy as he continued to hack and saw his way through the thick fat and muscle.

    With a satisfied huff of air, Orukk watched in great pleasure as the emissary''s severed head rolled away into the nearby pool of blood.

    In a single motion, the orc tossed away the weapon and scooped up his bloodied trophy by its neck.

    Orukk turned towards where he last saw the crowd of onlookers and raised his blood drenched arm in victory. "This," He called out to the murmuring crowd as his voice continued to rise to match that of the cheering bystanders. "Is the price of defiance against Orukk the Blooddrinker! Know that those foolish enough to challenge me for the right to rule this land will suffer a similar fate."

    The victorious warlord looked up and opened his mouth as he squeezed down at the bloodied head, catching the strains of blood in his throat before quickly tossing the vile trophy into the crowd.

    A vicious roar erupted from the gathered collection of orcs and goblins as they began to chant and cheer for their one time conqueror.

    <hr>

    Orukk looked to the left and then to the right as he carefully examined the handful of nearby orcs that readied their snarling mounts. During the time it had taken them to march south throughout the desolate valley, his men had managed to secure a handful of wargs that would prove useful to his needs.

    The warlord nodded his head as he listened to the rabid beasts snap their jaws at their orc masters as the grey skinned riders readied the foul animals for the journey to come. A few of the orcs were even brave enough to mimic their mounts hideous noises as they fought for dominance over the powerful monsters. A yelp echoed across the way as one of the riders punched the creature in its jaw, the unfortunate warg shook its head as it finally gave up in attempting to stop its master from climbing onto its back.

    ¡°Do you understand what I¡¯m asking of you?¡± Orukk said calmly as he turned his attention to the leader of the gathered scouts.

    ¡°Of course Chieftain,¡± Grok¡¯Kar said with pride in his voice as he pounded a fist against his bare chest. ¡°We¡¯re to ride out in various directions and upon the agreed time limit report back our findings.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± The warlord nodded his head as he listened to the lead scout repeat his orders. Orukk was glad of the fact that there was at least one capable person in his entire retinue that could listen to his instructions. ¡°Remember that I want you gone for no longer than five days, any longer than that and I will consider you as good as dead.¡±

    Grok¡¯Kar grunted in reply as he steadied himself over the wargs massive back. The orc was nervous about being on the corrupted beasts back, as he had only learned how to ride the animal over the past several days.

    ¡°Be sure to hold on tight,¡± Orukk started to say as he walked towards the creatures¡¯ hindquarters. ¡°Now go!¡±

    With a mighty roar, Orukk slammed an open palm against the beasts¡¯ backside; forcing the creature to let forth a pain filled cry as it lunged forward.

    Grok¡¯Kar jerked back as the beast took off at a pace that the orc wasn¡¯t comfortable with. The lead scout could only cling onto what little fur his mount had to offer as the beast started to shrink in the distant horizon.

    Soon after, the other scouts followed suit. Their spirits were high as they hollered and howled out their glee as they chased after their leader.

    Defiant howls and menacing laughter echoed out into the distance as Orukk watched on in silence.

    Once the scouts had returned from their mission, Orukk hoped to hear of more enemies to conquer and a place for him to permanently settle his growing horde.

    <hr>

 Chapter 13: Days Slowly Going By

    A loud, dry crack broke the uncomfortable silence as Dasher crept unsteadily through the swaying tall grass. The goblin stopped dead in his tracks as he looked down and slowly lifted his right foot, the unkempt boot revealed a mangled twig as bits and pieces of the dry wood clung to his footwear.

    With a nervous glance to make sure that no one had heard his blunder, Dasher carefully placed his foot back onto the ground and continued on his journey. While he was relieved that he had not stepped on anything that would cause undue harm to his body the goblin was unsure as to how he would be able to detect any nearby threats as the wild grass that he now found himself in was at a height well above his own, even if he were to jump with all of his might the goblin would not be able to peak above their soft and bushy stalks.

    Dasher took a deep breath as he thought about the course of events over the past several days since his departure from the human encampment.

    With what little food he had started off with, the goblin had somehow managed to devour it all within the span of two days, or through the cruel gaze of the gods lost what little he had managed to save for a dire situation in a manner that could only be described as ineptitude.

    It has been well over a full day since Dasher had a decently sized meal and his stomach growled as a reminder of that fact. He needed to find a source of food that would help stave off the oncoming hunger, but he had the trouble of being unable to recognize what was, or wasn¡¯t, edible.

    While he knew that his journey would be a challenging one, it had proven to be beyond exhausting to both his body and mind.

    Dasher stopped to think and brought a worried hand to the back of his head, the bristles from the arrows fletching¡¯s scratched at his scarred hands while he scraped his nails against his ruffled and unwashed hair.

    The wind picked up and caused the nearby wild grass to sway freely in its gentle grasp.

    The goblin returned his gaze towards his mud-caked and disheveled boots as he stared mindlessly at the ground as his thoughts began to dawdle on the heavy burden that had been placed upon his shoulders.

    ¡®Am I worthy?¡¯ Dasher asked himself as his fingers tapped at the bow slung across his back. ¡®Did the Tall Lady even mean for me to survive for this long? What if her visions had been meant for someone else and not me, what would happen if I were to end up dead in some carved out hole I made?¡¯

    Dread and self-defeat threatened to spill forth into the back of his mind as Dasher took a wearily step forward. His eyes remained locked to the ground as his boots clamored forward in his directionless journey.

    Worries, thoughts of guilt, and endless doom and gloom coalesced into his mind as he continued to take each and every step.

    How would he even begin to fulfill the prophecy given unto him if he couldn¡¯t even manage to feed himself? What purpose did he have in being here if there was no way for him to understand what he must do?

    ¡®Is this all a lie,¡¯ He wandered as dread began to creep into his mind. ¡®Is this all a dream, made up by my dying mind as my battered body lies in its own filth; waiting for my last breath to give before darkness overtakes me?¡¯

    His newfound fate, of which a living avatar of a divine being had handed down to him, felt too surreal to be true. Why would any of the gods single out a lone goblin to bear forth their holy message, only for that very same chosen creature to live with the doubts and fears of a sniveling coward? What use was he if all he ever did was question the divine will of the gods that reigned over this world?

    One of those beings must have heard the goblins doubts as the evenings dying light suddenly turned into a blinding infernal.

    As Dasher brought a hand forward to cover his eyes, he looked up and stared at the top of a hill. The goblin squinted his eyes and craned his neck upwards as he could barely make out a lone shadow that lay still at the crest of the hill.

    The bright rays made it difficult to make out, but Dasher was all too familiar with the shape that lay before him.

    A massive warg lay unsteadily at the top of the mound and stared wearily at the goblin, and it wasn¡¯t any warg for that matter either, but a warg with fur as white as snow that glistened against the days dying light.

    Dasher widened his eyes in disbelief and tried to blink away at what he thought was a trick being played on his weary mind. He shook his head in pure astonishment as the creature failed to vanish from his sight and with all sense of self-preservation having vacated his mind, Dasher took a step forward into uncertainty.

    His body failed to stop until it had come into close proximity with the creature. The lone warg looked up and stared into the goblin''s eyes as the two of them came face to face with only a single step separating them from one another.

    It was here that Dasher took a deep breath as his thoughts returned to what the elven magic chucka had said to him. If this was the creature the Tall Lady had intended for him to save, then there must be something wrong with it.

    With that in mind, the goblin looked down at the weary creature and scanned its snow-white form in great detail. A trail of blood could be seen oozing from a wound near its hind legs, and a deep gash ran across the length of its back.

    There were no other wounds for as far as Dasher could tell, but that didn''t mean that the creature had any more for him to worry about. He decided that it was for the best if he focused on the wounds that lay before him.

    He ran a finger along the edge of the wound, causing the warg to produce a low growl as it readied itself for any potential harm that came from its newfound visitor.

    "Easy there," Dasher said as calmly as he could while he drew back the curious limb. "I''m not here to hurt ya."

    The warg looked at the goblin with a hard, disbelieving stare as it let out an exhausted huff of air.

    Whether or not it had understood what Dasher had said, the warg lowered its head to the ground and looked away from the prying goblin.

    "Alright," The goblin said with a great sigh of relief as he slung the straps off of his shoulders and gently placed the various items onto the nearby ground. "What do I use?"

    As he peaked inside what he assumed to be the medicinal bag provided to him, Dasher saw several items that could be of possible use.

    The first item or items in this case were several rolls of some sort of powdered cloth, which were soft to his callused hands and very pliable under the movements of his fingers. The second item was a metallic jar with an even smaller lid. Dasher assumed that the strange shapes and symbols scrawled onto its surface was some form of writing and that whatever message they intended to get across was lost on him. He couldn''t even read or write his own language, to say that he could even to attempt to understand the language of the elves would be beyond absurd.

    Besides, he didn''t want to imagine what foul horrors the elves wished to spread through such a mind boggling tongue.

    With another quick glance inside of the bag''s contents, Dasher concluded that the rest of the items were of no use to him at the moment and he decided that it would be best for him to save them for future use.

    For now, he closed the bag and grabbed a single roll of the powdered cloth as well as the strange nightmare inducing jar, and set about doing his best to tend to the creature''s wounds.

    As he placed the jar on the ground, Dasher unfurled the cloth over his hands and carefully inched his way towards the injured creature''s hindquarters. However, he stopped once he realized that he had no clue as to how to apply the item in question.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    He grunted in frustration as he gently placed the powdered cloth over the ''creature''s leg, blood flowed steadily out of its wound as the goblin second-guessed his medical skills. With a shake of his head, the now stained cloth was pulled close to his chest as Dasher wondered as to how to apply the strange item.

    Taking charge for a second time, Dasher returned the bloodied cloth over the creatures wounded leg and slowly wrapped the material around the source of the flowing blood.

    He stopped once he caught sight of the jar in the corner of his eyes.

    The goblin allowed the soft material to hang freely around the wargs leg as he reached towards the container, curious as to what it contained. Without a fuss, the jar opened with a soft pop.

    Peering inside the jar, Dasher saw a smooth yet slimy clay like material that glistened in the waning sun. Curious as to what it was, he brought the jar close to his nose and gave it a quick whiff. After a short time, Dasher realized that he ''couldn''t smell anything and decided that there would be no harm in him placing the stuff over the wounds.

    Whatever the stuff was, it was almost revolting for the goblin to touch. Dasher''s fingers dug into the soft and gooey material without issue, and the goblin carefully applied the sticky substance over the wounded areas.

    Eventually, the goblin became satisfied with his work and tossed the container down the hill and out of his sight. Now all he had to do was finish his work with the wargs leg and set about wrapping the remainder of the powdered cloth around the ''creature''s chest.

    Such a task ''didn''t take him longer than an hour, and the goblin now stood triumphantly over the bandaged warg as he admired his handiwork. There were a few strands of the powdered cloth that hung loosely off of the ''creature''s sides as well as a handful of places where Dasher ''couldn''t quite get it tight enough, but the injured creature looked to be far more at ease than it had previously been.

    With a satisfied nod, Dasher patted himself on the chest as he watched the ''creature''s chest rise and fall while it drifted off into sleep.

    The misplaced jubilation over a job well done was misplaced; however, as his stomach rumbled in hunger. The lack of food and approaching starvation had yet to be addressed, and his body reminded him of this fact.

    With a growing frown and a hastily approaching nightfall, Dasher got down onto his knees and crawled up against the slumbering beast. With a sigh of frustration, he tilted back his head and watched as the stars slowly blinked into existence.

    The issue of filling his stomach would have to wait until morning.

    <hr>

    ¡°-And with the matter of the bridge out of the way, we can conclude this evening¡¯s meeting. You gentlemen may stay or go as you wish.¡±

    Captain Boris moved the stack of papers he was holding towards a makeshift desk as he dismissed his officers for the day. Paperwork wasn¡¯t something he would say he was fond of, but it was something that he had grown accustomed to over the past half year since being tasked with leading the expedition.

    He may not like it, but he understood that there was a time and a place for bookkeeping.

    As he finished putting away the various papers, Captain Boris caught a glimpse of his lieutenants staring at him in utter silence. All of his lieutenants.

    Slowly, he brought his hands to the front of his chest and gently placed them over his makeshift desk. Without saying a word, the grizzled veteran scanned each and every one of the men¡¯s faces. ¡°I assume there¡¯s a reason for the lot of you to still be here.¡± The man said as he continued to bring his gaze over their cold stares.

    A few of the men nodded in silence but most kept to themselves as they waited for someone to speak up for all of them.

    Captain Boris would not be at all surprised if he were to learn that this had been preplanned.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the reports from the gate guards,¡± The rumbling tone of Sergeant Kurinov called out from within the crowd of faces. ¡°There was another sighting before this meeting began. That makes it the third of its kind if just as many days.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Boris said as he tapped a finger over the desk, he had wondered what the men wanted to speak to him about, but he knew that he wouldn¡¯t have to wait long for him to receive the answer he sought. ¡°And I¡¯m assuming that the guards are claiming that it¡¯s the same rider, the one riding a warg with an old scar slashed across its side?¡±

    A few of the men nodded their heads as another voice spoke up. ¡°The men are claiming that it¡¯s in league with the goblin that the young miss had saved.¡± The owner of the voice leaned forward as he spoke. A deep scowl was embedded over Sergeant Dmitry¡¯s face. He was a hard man, with a face that not even a mother could love. ¡°There¡¯s talk that the creature is in league with the orc, and that it was sent from whatever hellspawn the grey-skinned monster comes from.¡±

    With that said, a few agreeing mumblings echoed throughout the tent as more men began to speak up and express their misgivings about letting the goblin leave the encampment alive.

    ¡°The girl was na?ve to let it free.¡±

    ¡°Some of the men are even claiming that the sorceress is the one behind all of this.¡±

    More and more rumors began to fill the air as their voices grew louder and more desperate to vent their frustrations over the entire existence of the expedition into such an obvious death sentence.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before Captain Boris had a riot on his hands.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Bellowed the expedition¡¯s leader as he slammed a fist against the desktop.

    As the men slowly settled down, the grizzled captain silently shook his head and looked at the men for a second time with disappointment in his eyes. He was of the belief that the men under his command were not the sort to give into such baseless rumors and wild accusations, but he could now see that he might have been wrong to think so highly of the officers placed under his care. Captain Boris closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose while the last of the disgruntled soldiers finally quieted themselves.

    ¡°Now then, I understand that these are the sorts of rumors one would hear among the peasantry or common foot soldier of our great kingdom,¡± The captain said in a relaxed tone as he looked at each and every one of his officers. ¡°But I find it hard to believe that the very lifeblood of this kingdoms army would be so careless as to foam at the mouth and repeat such vile filth.¡±

    The men were none too happy to be spoken to in such a manner, but they remained quiet as their commander readied himself to speak more on the matter. Captain Boris understood that if he had any hope of quelling any future unrest over the matter of this mysterious rider, then he needed to do it here and now.

    ¡°As of right now I¡¯m not going to punish the men for spreading these rumors,¡± He said as he rubbed the back of his head in a tired gesture. ¡°But if it continues to get out of hand and there is unrest then I won¡¯t be slow in bringing my judgment down upon the ringleaders who wish to bring harm to our home away from home. Is that understood?¡±

    The men nodded their heads and grumbled out meager responses, but most seemed satisfied with what their commander had said. There were a few who looked to one another, but Captain Boris made a mental note to keep a careful eye on those men.

    He needed loyalty and stability from his soldiers, not treachery and murderous intent.

    ¡°Very good then,¡± The grey-haired soldier said. ¡°Now having said all of that, I believe its best if we increase patrols around the camp and reinforce the number of men we have on each watch. I don¡¯t want to give any credence to the worries of any future attacks, but we must be prepared for such an occasion, especially once the kingdom decides to grace with the presence of the royal cartographer. Are there any final thoughts on the matter?¡±

    Captain Boris was surprised to see that not a single soul dared to speak up and offer their input. There were a few menacing glares offered his way, but the man was satisfied that the matter was over and done with. For now.

    ¡°Very well then,¡± The captain said as he stood and made it clear to those in the command tent that he was finished with them for the night. ¡°Gentlemen, have a good rest of your evening.¡±

    <hr>

    Despite trying his best to keep the rising morning sun from waking him from his sorely needed slumber, Dasher struggled to keep his eyes shut and ever so slowly he opened them to a bright and sunny world that was ready for the groggy goblin.

    The rays of the early morning sun weren''t the only thing to awaken the goblin, however.

    The vicious sounds of gnashing teeth tearing into something slick and tender assaulted Dasher''s ears as the goblin rose from the ground as he scanned the nearby area for the source of the stomach churning sound.

    Dasher could only assume that a nearby predator had snagged itself an early morning meal and was now satiating its hunger.

    As the goblin rose to his feet, he kept a hand over his eyes as he tried in vain to keep the disgustingly bright sun away from his eyes. Dasher grunted in frustration as he failed spectacularly and looked down at the ground as he blinked away the dazzling dots that flooded his vision. As his vision slowly returned, the continuous sounds of the chomping devourer continued to assail his ears.

    With his hand still over his eyes, Dasher looked towards where he believed the sound to be coming from and a wave of relief washed over him as he saw the bandaged back of the white warg.

    The creature was either unconcerned about the goblin or was too focused on its meal as Dasher watched in awe as it devoured the corpse of a half-eaten buck. Its head twisted and pulled at the body of its prey as large, bloody chunks of meat hung from its clenched and bloodied jaws.

    As if by instinct, the bloodied warg turned its head and looked back at the goblin as it continued to tear away at the large mass of fat and meat that barely clung to its teeth. The ravenous creature did nothing save for continuing to eat its meal as the two of them stared at one another.

    A cold breeze swept through the air as Dasher''s stomach growled at the sight of the half-devoured pile of blood and flesh.

    With an uninterested stare, the warg turned away from its savior and growled towards the body of a recently slain doe. Pools of blood flowed from its savaged neck and crushed skull as Dasher looked between the two, unsure if the white warg meant for him to do as he pleased with the corpse.

    As fat and chunks of meat rolled down its bloodied jaw, the warg flared its nostrils and motioned towards the nearly decapitated doe. This was its way of repaying the goblin for what it had done.

    If Dasher had any lingering thoughts of unwillingness to accept the thankful beasts offering, then they had vanished without a trace as his stomach growled for a second time. A hearty meal was right in front of his eyes, and all that he needed to do was prepare it, it was something that he couldn''t dare to pass up.

    With one final glance at the warg, Dasher gave in to his temptations and set about readying breakfast.

    <hr>

 Chapter 14: Eyes on Target

    A displeased rumble came from deep within Orukks throat as he hurriedly tapped a finger over the crude map that had been given to him by Grok''Kar, his lead scout. It had been nearly a full week since he had ordered the scouting part to go forth and report on what they had discovered, and the aspiring warlord was both pleased and displeased with what had been given to him.

    "This forest," Orukk said in a displeased manner as he placed a finger over an empty portion of the map. "Why didn''t you send anyone to check on it? Why is this part of my map blank?"

    Grok''Kar could only look at his master with a nervous glance as he began to mumble out a worried reply. "But I did Warchief, the two that I sent in to explore the forest failed to return, and we saw no signs of them as we waited at our agreed rendezvous point."

    "And you didn''t think you should''ve gone and searched for them?" Orukk yelled as he slammed his fist down on the crudely made table.

    The worried orc looked nervously at his furious master as he thought of what next to say before the angered warlord shoved a dagger into his throat. "There was no need to Warchief," Grok''Kar stopped to swallow back a burst of nervous laughter that threatened to pour out of his mouth. "That forest is said to be cursed. There are legends about the trees coming to life and eating any who dared to walk under their branches. They must''ve been dragged into the forest and slaughtered."

    Orukk couldn''t help himself as laughter bellowed out of his very being. The warlord had heard many things during his tumultuous life, but this had managed to take the cake. "Forest spirits? Trees coming to life?" The orc said in a mocking tone as he slowly regained his senses. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

    Throughout all the years he had lived as a peon amongst many more peons he had heard many things that could only be described as fireside tales or stories to tell the young pups before their first battles. Yet he had never heard of something as silly as what had been told to him in this very moment. Orukk had been in countless forests before, and none of the trees had awakened to pull him deeper into their woods.

    ''Superstitious cowards.'' A light chuckle escaped from Orukks lips as he shook his head with a smile. He had come to understand that those who lived in these mountains were superstitious by nature, but the chuckling warlord could now see how wrong he truly was when it came to understanding the thoughts of those he would soon rule over.

    He would need to change the beliefs of his future subjects if he wished to rule over them and to do that he needed to walk in this supposed cursed forest and show the gullible fools that they shouldn''t believe everything they heard.

    For now, however, there were far more pressing matters to attend to.

    "Forget the forest," Orukk said as his eyes moved north along the map. "Tell me about this ''Fortress'' you found."

    The warlord''s sharp fingernails circled a crudely drawn mountain with a tiny square placed in the middle of it. A single word hung over the apparent fortress, and it read "Dwarves."

    "Not two days from where we stand, there lies a fortress built into the mountainside," Grok''Kar said as he cleared his throat. "We''ve discovered that there''s an alliance of dwarves and humans guarding this fortress, but as for their numbers. We aren''t too sure. After observing the area for some time, we believe that a sizeable force guards the area."

    Orukk allowed displeasure to show on his face at the mention of two of his peoples most hated enemies. Both of these vile races were seen as nothing more than muck riddled swine and the fact that they had a tendency to work together to thwart the schemes of his brethren made the warlord sick to his stomach.

    A similar alliance between humans and dwarves had managed to bog down and slaughter his former master, sending the one-time prideful warband into a full-on route which in turn became a slaughter once a band of elven mercenaries arrived on their heinous mounts.

    ¡°Disgusting animals.¡± Orukk heard himself say as his mind returned to that fateful battle.

    The aspiring warlord had managed to escape that disaster through his own wit and cunning, but that didn''t mean he had been hounded day and night before making his way into the treacherous mountain paths that eventually led him into this volcanic backwater. If he wished to conquer this land as his own, then Orukk would eventually have to deal with this unholy alliance.

    That fated day would have to wait as there was another location that sought his attention.

    Directly west of where the alliance made its own stood another square deep in another forest.

    ''They avoided one forest but went into another one?'' The absurdity of his minions continued to impress. He would eventually need to beat some sense into those who served under him. ''Make up your minds, or do you think me as a fool?''

    "This spot here," Orukk said after he pushed the violent thoughts away and pointed towards the single word that had been squalled above the square. "Do these humans have anything to do with this ''alliance''?"

    "It''s hard to say Warchief," The scout said as shook his head. "We didn''t see anything that connected them to the dwarves, but it''s a possibility. They are humans after all."

    For once, Orukk was in agreement with someone else other than himself. What his lead scout had said was true to a fault, they were humans and humans had a tendency to align themselves with the disgusting creatures known as dwarves.

    ''Krung and Grok must be playing their usual tricks,'' Orukk pitied himself as he referred to two of his people''s gods. Krung and Grok were the twin gods of war, and they were known to play cruel tricks upon the orcs for they found the suffering of their worshippers to be amusing.

    Whatever the case for why or why not the humans were where they were at, Orukk understood that they needed to be dealt with.

    The mountain fortress of the alliance was something that required numbers and equipment that he did not have, but this encampment of humans located in the forest was a different matter.

    "What are their numbers like? Any hardened defenses?" The warlord asked as he looked towards Grok''Kar.

    "They''ve surrounded themselves in wood," The scout began to repeat the knowledge given to him. The orc was slow to speak, but the words he chose were deliberate in their intentions. "They''re fools if they think trees can save them from fire and as for their numbers¡­ It''s hard to say. We only saw a handful of the pink-skinned cowards and not much else."

    Grok''Kar continued to speak more on what they had seen around the human encampment, but Orukk heard none of it. The warlord''s attention was elsewhere as he drew up imaginary battle plans and envisioned a future where he stood over the charred corpses of his fallen enemies.

    If the humans were to link up with those to the east of them, then Orukk doubted that he would be able to wrest control over the land from their bony hides. He needed to strike at his enemies while he had the upper hand. The warlord doubted that the forest-dwelling humans had numbers similar to the rabble he had managed to wrangle together and any walls would be seen as a trivial matter when he allowed the trolls under his command to run wild.

    Fire would also help, but he was hesitant to use it as he understood an uncontrolled blaze would spell disaster to his plans if the orcs and goblins that served under his iron grip feared its flames.

    Orukk nodded his head, pleased with what was transpiring in his head. Everything would go as he planned it because he was Orukk the Blooddrinker, ruler over these mountains.

    <hr>

    Dasher held on for dear life as Gore pushed its freshly healed body to the limit, forcing the goblin to cry out in vain in a poor attempt to force the beast to slow down its breakneck pace. Wargs were known to be quick to recover from all, but the most heinous of wounds and the creature had recovered spectacularly from its injuries over the past several days, and the frightened goblin wondered if his admittedly poor veterinary skills were of any help.

    Since then, the two of them had wandered in various directions until Gore had decided that it had enough and allowed for its savior to climb atop of its back. At first, Dasher had countless issues staying on, but after one too many tumbles it had finally clicked for the goblin, and he now rode the white-haired beast like any everyone else. Albeit with clenched teeth as he gripped clumps of fur between his fingers for fear of any mishaps on his part.

    Cuts, scrapes and other various bruises covered large portions of his body, but they were signs of his determination to learn and not of hard-fought brawls or skin-of-the-teeth victories.

    Dasher''s thoughts grew wild in all sorts of vivid imaginations. Not too long ago, the fearful goblin had managed to run away from his old tribe, only to be chased down and nearly killed by two of his former masters. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he had been saved by what he could only describe as some sort of divine avatar seeking out those who it deemed worthy to serve as its many mortal champions. For whatever strange and mystical purpose, it had chosen him. A lone goblin writhing in his own blood waiting for death to take him.

    He could hardly believe that any of this was real, and Dasher wondered when reality would correct itself and return him to the time to when he was laying on his back, wallowing in his own misery as he bled to death.

    Yet now he rode on the back of Gore, a beast that he had managed to save. Not just any creature for that matter, but a white warg. The very same warg that the elven woman had said he would rescue.

    Dasher shook his head in disbelief at the lunacy of his situation as he stifled back a cry of laughter.

    ''What''s next,'' The goblin wondered as Gore jumped over a small outcropping of exposed rocks. ''Am I to find something that is only whispered about in old stories?''

    Dasher didn''t have to wait long for an answer as Gore came to a sudden and sliding stop.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Shocked at the sudden action, Dasher could only watch in horror as his hands loosened their grip around the still moving beast. He stared stupidly up at the sunny sky as he tumbled and fell onto his back.

    The goblin groaned in pain as he rolled over onto his stomach and carefully pushed himself off of the ground. He rubbed a bruised hand over the back of his neck and moved his joints in various ways to make sure that nothing felt out of place.

    "Gore," Dasher said in a disgruntled tone as he placed a gentle hand over the creatures back. "''What''s all this about."

    The beast paid little attention to him as it stared off into the distance, looking towards whatever had forced it to stop at such a breakneck speed.

    Curious as to what it was, Dasher stepped forward and joined his mount in staring at whatever had caught its attention. What he saw next was something that he was all too familiar with.

    There were around a dozen or so goblins. All huddled together as their cowering forms were beaten and battered into obedience by three scrawny orcs. The small band of marauders barked various orders at the prisoners while a nearby warg tore into the wretched corpses of those who had most likely caught the ire of one of their captors.

    Fortune appeared to be on Dashers side as neither the orcs, the lone warg, nor the goblins themselves seemed to have noticed the lone rider. He winced in pain as one of the orcs moved forward and grabbed one of the prisoners and battered the poor creature into a bloody pulp.

    "Nothing we can do about that," Dasher said to himself as he began to turn away from the brutal scene. "Come on Gore; let''s get out of here before they notice us."

    Dasher had barely managed to take the first step when he heard something clatter to the ground behind him. Confused as to what had made the noise, he turned and saw the elven bow hanging loosely against Gore''s still bandaged side. Next, he noticed that the quiver had somehow tipped over and spilled the arrows given to him by the Tall Lady''s magic chucka.

    The goblin rolled his eyes in frustration as he took a step towards the bundle of elven arrows. Dasher had assured himself that he had secured the items across the wargs back to a degree where he didn''t have to worry about them, but he could now see how wrong he had been.

    Kneeling down, Dasher moved to pick up the missiles one by one. As the bundle of arrows in his hand grew, he stopped to admire one of them. To his untrained eyes, the goblin saw them as ordinary objects, but in the back of his mind he knew that they were special. To him, everything that had been handed to him by that fearful elf was of a mystical quality that he couldn''t even begin to explain. It scared him in a way, as all things elven did.

    He shook his head to clear his thoughts and moved to place the arrows back in their quiver, only to find that the bow had somehow fallen off of Gore. With a frustrated sigh, Dasher placed all but one of the missiles back into their leathery home and knelt to pick up the weapon.

    What happened next surprised him.

    As if by instinct, Dasher stood and knocked the arrow against the bowstring as he made ready to fire. Nervously, he looked on as he let loose. Only to watch it fall flat at his feet.

    Relieved, he made to pick it back up and place it back into the quiver, but he could only chuckle nervously like a maddened fool as he watched his body repeat the process for a second time.

    The arrow went further this time and far off to the left. No one seemed to have noticed what he was doing. Or if they did, then they ''weren''t at all concerned about a lone goblin taking wild potshots at them.

    ''Let''s just leave.'' He tried to tell himself as his body continued to move on its own accord. His fingers picked out another arrow and placed the missile against the bow''s string.

    The second arrow went further than before, but it was still a ways off of its target. The group failed to notice this one as well.

    More arrows were soon fired off; each consecutive shot came closer to hitting their, as of yet, unaware targets.

    That was until the latest shot landed directly next to one of the orc''s feet.

    As the orcs turned to see where the arrow came from, Gore growled and dashed off towards his counterpart. The two beasts snarled and barked at one another as if they were battle-crazed demons.

    One of the orcs motioned for a second one to follow him while the third and final orc was forced to stay behind. Someone had to watch over their prey while they dealt with this upstart.

    Panicking, Dasher narrowed his focus on the two charging orcs and fired off a volley of arrows in rapid succession. Most missed, but a few managed to land a hit on the defiant orcs who continued to barrel their way towards the lone goblin.

    As if on purpose, both orcs gave a gut-wrenching roar at their opponent as they ignored their wounds and took increasingly larger strides. The goblin had only managed to make them angrier, something that Dasher never intended to do.

    Dasher quickly looked back to collect more ammunition but grew disheartened at what he saw. There remained a single, lone arrow. Gathering up all the courage he could muster, Dasher drove away all thoughts of fear and waited for that crucial opportunity to present itself.

    With every blink, the charging orcs drew closer by leaps and bounds. With no weapons on hand, the lead orc pounded his fists against his chest and gave one last defiant roar. The second orc was a different matter altogether as it brandished a crude ax, the bloodthirsty monster let out an ear-piercing cry as he raised the weapon into the sky before pointing it towards Dasher.

    Were he in any other situation, Dasher would have preferred to run away or allow for Gore to take care of the threat that he now faced. He understood that he ''couldn''t run away and that in doing so would open himself up to a gruesome death and as he watched the lead orc leap into the air he raised the bow and fired his last shot.

    Both Dasher and the nameless orc could only watch as the arrow narrowly slipped past the ''orc''s bony fingers and bury itself into the back of the shocked orc''s mouth.

    The two of them slammed into one another and toppled to the ground, just in time for the second orc to bury its ax into the back of its ally, seemingly caring little for the welfare of his now dead friend.

    The orc called out to the goblin as it moved to pull the ax out of its dead friend, but Dasher heard none of it as his attention was focused squarely on Gore as it flew through the air and tackled the now weaponless orc to the ground. Sharp, pain-filled shrieks filled the air as the blood-soaked warg snapped and tore away at the orc''s flesh and bone. Blood soaked the land around them as something snapped.

    The orc let out one final blood-curdling cry as sounds of teeth tearing into flesh flooded Dasher''s ears.

    ¡°Now''s not the time to eat Gore." Dasher said in a ragged breath as he barely managed to push off the dead orc on top of him. ¡°We''ve still got that other one to worry about.¡±

    The goblins companion paid little attention to his words as it continued to tear away at the ravaged orcs corpse.

    Disgruntled at the wargs unwillingness to continue the fight, Dasher rolled the first orc over and tried in vain to pull out the embedded arrow. The missile was lodged in something that wouldn''t let go, a bone most likely, but the goblin needed that single piece of ammunition so he continued to tug and pull.

    "Warmaster!" Cried an unknown voice, forcing Dasher to jump in surprise and whirl towards the source.

    Before him stood several goblins with bloodied faces and battered bodies, Dasher assumed that they were the prisoners who were previously huddled together.

    "Warmaster," Came a different voice as more of the freed prisoners called out to him in a similar manner.

    Dasher mumbled incoherently as he looked around the group. His eyes lingered over their wounds before he finally managed to force out a reply. "What about the other orc?"

    A chorus of words reached his ears as everyone seemed to want to answer at once. None of them looked to wish harm upon their savior, but that didn''t stop Dasher to look towards Gore.

    The white warg appeared uninterested in the current happenings of its master as it continued to stuff its face full of orc flesh. Gore looked towards the goblin and gave an unconcerned huff of air as it cracked open the orcs ribs.

    "One at a time," Dasher said after a short while as he raised his arms in the air to try to discourage a multitude of voices from filling the void. ¡°Where''s that last orc?¡±

    "Back where we were," A raspy voice said after a few pushes from the others around him. The goblin motioned back towards where they had all come from and pointed out a lone orc lying on the ground. "Crushed his neck. So he should be struggling for his last breath here in a little bit."

    "Right." A confused Dasher said as he gave the group another look over.

    An awkward silence filled the air around them as no one seemed to wish to speak first.

    Eventually, it was the raspy-voiced goblin who found the courage to speak up. "Warmaster," He said with grim determination on his face. "Where are we going next?"

    <hr>

    Dmitry leaned his head back against the tree and stared up into the starry night sky as an obnoxious sounding yawn escaped from deep within his body, followed by a sickening snort of his nose before proceeding to wipe whatever snot came out against the sleeve of his tunic. This was the third yawn of the night, and the sleepy young guard suspected that there would be plenty more to come. The tired guard wasn''t used to keeping watch during the late evening hours, and he tried everything that came to mind to help stay awake during the early hours of his watch.

    Being from a hamlet of only thirty-odd people, the young man had found it difficult to adjust to the rigorous demands of a military lifestyle. It wasn''t his fault that he had found himself in this situation he had often grumbled to himself; one day men wearing fancy clothes had waltzed into his home and demanded a number of the hamlet''s abled bodied men. They were being pressed into service, and there was no escaping their fates.

    Since that time, he had learned how to hold a spear, march in formation, and do all manner of things that demanded more and more out of his sun-kissed body. Day and day out he did things that kept him tired and aching in pain, so who could blame him if he found it difficult to stay awake once the sun had started to set and the stars slowly twinkled into existence.

    Which was precisely why the disgruntled man had made it his life''s mission to only do guard duty when the sun was still bright and slowly rising over the horizon. For a good long while, it had worked. Until he had been forced to march out towards the nearby river and watch over a bunch of overly educated men as they argued amongst one another. Nearly coming to blows as they insulted the other over something as stupid as the finer points of building a bridge.

    ''Do this. Do that.'' He snidely mocked them as he mimicked their voices in his head. ''Chop these trees down. Put up those tents. Don''t do this. Put that away.''

    The engineers had worked the group of about fifty men to their limits over the past two days, and all they had to show for it was a scattered mess of tents and a massive pile of uncut lumber. Dmitry found it difficult to understand what the issue was. He had often wondered why they couldn''t just build the bridge now instead of fussing over the matter if their "numbers" were right or not. Whatever that meant.

    He could get over their attitudes towards the rest of the group, the arguments they had with one another as they ate and watched the soldiers chop down trees, and so on but what he couldn''t get over was why they had put him on nights watch.

    Dmitry let out a wordless grumble as he shook his head in frustration. He just wanted to get some sleep, and the man in charge of the watch wasn''t of any help. ''Always running around. Checking up on us to make sure we aren''t falling asleep.'' The tired guard spat at the ground as his attention slowly turned to his partner.

    "Hey Ivan," He called in a raspy voice in a vain hope of catching the attention of his pudgy watch partner. "You done yet?"

    Dmitry strained his ears as he waited for a reply, but grew more frustrated as none came. In a disgruntled huff of air, he shook his head and pushed himself away from the thin tree that had served as his resting spot. "How badly did you need to piss, huh?" He called out again as he stepped forward into the dense tree line.

    "Ivan? Where you at? We don''t got all night, you know."

    There was more silence as the disgruntled man crept deeper into the forest, making sure to scan around him as he looked for the pudgy young boy.

    This wasn''t all like how Ivan usually acted. Usually, the plump younger boy would be talking the ears off of his partner, with every few words being interrupted by a haggard wheeze.

    "You sick or something?" The sleepy-eyed soldier called out.

    A sharp, dry crack caught Dmitry''s and he turned to look at what had made the sound, but something grabbed him from behind and pulled him to the ground. He tried to scream, but a hand gripped his jaw shut so the young soldier could only struggle in muffled gasps as something metallic twinkled above him.

    He kicked into the air and punched at the sky with all of the strength he could muster, but it was all for naught. The gods had lost all interest in his life and were unconcerned with his fate as his muffled cries reached their peak as a dagger was forced deep into his throat. Blood poured freely from the wound as the blade tore open a gaping hole; nearly severing the young man''s head from the rest of his body.

    Dmitry wasn''t the only victim that night; his killers continued to creep through the woods and stalked the remaining guards on nights watch before silently and effectively killing their targets.  When the sign had been given, they stalked into the camp and slaughtered the rest of the men like pigs as they slept comfortably.

 Chapter 15: Sieges and Diplomacy

    Things were starting to finally settle down after an intense shouting session had erupted between the various members of the expedition¡¯s gathered leadership. Words had been said. Insults were thrown about. Arguments had raged over who was to blame, and fists were raised in anger over nearly everything that had happened during the past two days. It had taken all of the cooler heads and some of the more exhausted minds to finally settle everything down. If she had been asked for her opinion regarding the situation, then Velicion would have claimed that ¡°tense¡± would barely begin to scratch the surface as to how it felt inside of the tent.

    All in all, it was one of the calmer war councils she had the misfortune of residing in.

    For now, the elven sorceress sat patiently while she waited for the grey-haired commander of this bizarre expedition to calm the last of the frayed nerves that still lingered in the last of the rabble-rousers.  Her feet danced and swayed in the air as she a gentle hand over her lap while she watched the gauntleted fist of Captain Boris slam repeatedly against the very desk that he was so proud of.

    ¡°Has everyone introduced themselves, or do I need to go around the tent one last time?¡± The man said sarcastically as he looked at the many faces of the men, and woman, who had gathered inside of the jam-packed tent. ¡°Am I going to be interrupted for what feels like the hundredth time in the past ten minutes?¡±

    An awkward silence followed Captain Boris¡¯s words as a few of the men coughed to clear their throats. Wood creaked under pressure as those around the sorceress struggled to maintain a comfortable position in their crudely designed seats.

    ¡°Fantastic.¡± The frustrated commander claimed as he straightened out his back to stand tall over the few individuals who had the misfortune of standing during this heated moment. ¡°I¡¯m going to go over what we know one last time, and I don¡¯t care what anyone has to say or if they wish to interject about what may or may not have been the cause of this. You¡¯ll save everything for when I¡¯m done or if I want to hear what your damn opinions are, is that clear?¡±

    A few of the men nodded their heads while the vast majority chose to do nothing, save for watching their commander begin to explain the timeline of the day¡¯s events.

    ¡°First,¡± Captain Boris said as he walked towards the front of his desk while he pointed a single finger up into the air. ¡°These creatures had been spotted just as the sun began to crest over the horizon. Next, we saw that these things were well organized and had the beginnings of a multitude of camps built within an hour of them surrounding us.¡± The grey-haired commander paused in his explanation as he waited to see if someone dared to cast doubt on the man¡¯s timeline. When no one moved to oppose him, the man continued. ¡°As for the unknowns, we don¡¯t know who their leader is. We don¡¯t know how or why they became aware of our presence and we damn sure don¡¯t know their numbers.¡±

    The captain crossed his arms and leaned back against the desk as his eyes scanned the room around him, wondering for a second time if anyone would dare to speak up. Velicion followed the man¡¯s gaze as she wondered if he had hoped for someone to speak their mind, or to at least make their presence known in some manner or another. When no one made to move against the commander¡¯s words, the grizzled veteran pushed the conversation forward.

    ¡°Vasliv,¡± Captain Boris turned his attention towards a meek and boyish-looking sergeant who appeared surprised at his name being mentioned. ¡°What¡¯s your estimate as to the number that our enemy has brought for us to bear?¡±

    Vasliv stammered out a wordless reply as his eye¡¯s darted in every direction that they could while the boy¡¯s mind slowly caught up to the realization that he had been asked a question. When compared to those around him, the stuttering sergeant was on the younger side in terms of age and Velicion had a sneaking suspicion that the man had difficulty with being put on the spot.

    The sorceress appeared to be spot-on in her assumption as one of the boy¡¯s companions leaned over towards an older gentleman and whispered about the kids'' struggle¡¯s when dealing with those of a higher rank than him. Velicion chuckled quietly to herself as she watched the boy fumble out of his seat to give his answer.

    ¡°C-considering that we¡¯ve extended the encampment¡¯s walls out to an area that would comfortably fit around ten-thousand men,¡± The young man¡¯s brow became flushed with sweat as he struggled to voice the words that his mind wished for him to speak. ¡°Then we must assume that the enemy has an equal number to that or possibly higher.¡±

    No one spoke as the boy continued to blunder out the last of his thoughts. Those within the tent were well aware of the massive threat they now faced. Except for the nearby lake, enemy encampments had been set up all along Ruined Home¡¯s walls and that meant that unless their adversary had stretched themselves thin to cover the entirety of the human¡¯s encampment then the only way for the army that stood outside of their walls at this very moment had to be a sizeable force.

    ¡°Does anyone wish to dispute or add to what Vasliv had to offer?¡± Captain Boris asked of the crowd.

    There were a few whispers that were audible among the stern crowd, and Velicion watched on in silence as a number of men that sat opposite of her rolled their eyes at their commander¡¯s words. They were displeased with whatever game the Captain was playing, but they appeared to have no intent on voicing their opinions.

    ¡°Very well then,¡± Captain Boris said as he pushed away from the desk and moved towards the center of the tent. ¡°Now I know that it¡¯s been a long time since our kingdom has gone to war. For the past several generations we¡¯ve lived in peace with our neighbors and the only source of experience for the vast majority of us are the various packs of bandits who roam the countryside or the multitude of pirates that plague our shores.¡±

    Velicion couldn¡¯t help but cringe at what she heard. If these men were delirious enough to believe that running down a band of starving and ill-equipped peasants was the same as facing off against an enemy of unknown size and capabilities then the sorceress dreaded the idea of seeing the outcome of this siege.

    If the unthinkable were to happen, then she needed to make preparations for a quick and expedient departure in order to ensure the safety of those under her care.

    ¡°Do you have something on your mind, Velicion?¡± Captain Boris¡¯s voice drew the sorceress back to reality and away from the foundations of her budding plan.

    Velicion blinked away the cowardly thoughts and was shocked to see that nearly all eyes were focused on her. The sorceress couldn¡¯t help but give the men a pleasant smile as she spoke. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to impose my thoughts on the matter when it¡¯s obvious that you already have a handle on things.¡±

    ¡°No, please.¡± The man said as he politely gestured for the sorceress to make her thoughts known to those around her. ¡°If you have something that could help us in our time of need, then by all means¡­¡±

    Velicion stared hard at the man as she crossed her arms. The sorceress wasn¡¯t a fan with the way that the man had put her on the spot, and she contemplated on the idea of trying to flip this around on the man himself.

    The sorceress clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she wondered if she should instead speak her mind.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me being blunt, then very well.¡± She had decided that it was for the best to speak the truth and to offer up her limited experiences when it came to matters such as warfare.

    Velicion tapped her fingers against her slender arms as she contemplated what she should say to those gathered around her. The sorceress understood that she needed to be careful with her choice in words; otherwise it would throw fire onto an already volatile situation. She was also mindful of the fact that she needed to be careful when speaking of her experiences, lest she reveal the true nature of her experience in all things warfare.

    The truth of the matter was that she had never received the training, nor had she the desire to learn, of the more dangerous arts one would often associate with magical warfare and her field of expertise reflected that. In fact, the first time that she had ever been in a situation that was even remotely similar to their current situation was all the way back when she had first been chosen to join the Witch King¡¯s harem. The man had dragged her along with him to help quash a demonic incursion in a vital port city that was known to harbor cults of demon worshippers, and she had mainly served as an enchantress to help keep her master¡¯s various enchantments in proper order as well as to help perpetuate the tradition of having the combined elven people¡¯s one true king always surrounded by loyal and doting women. A tradition that had been alive since time immemorial.

    There was also the fact that the man was a sex maniac and he had held nightly, drug-fueled orgies with the other members of his harem that had been brought along as well. She would later have come to the conclusion that sex was the sole reason as to why her master had even brought his harem along with him as the man was more than capable enough to cast spells that required groups of casters all by his lonesome.

    Just thinking back on those days forced a sigh out of the sorceress. She was a lot younger back then and way too eager to drop what she was doing to please her ruler¡¯s wild desires. In a sense, she missed those days, but she was also glad that she now held a more authoritative position in the Witch King¡¯s harem. Velicion was free to do as she pleased on most days, and the sorceress was eager to let the younger girl¡¯s envelope themselves in the drama that was often associated with a harem.

    That wasn¡¯t to say that she never got jealous of them either, but her feelings on the matter wasn¡¯t what mattered at the moment.

    ¡°As far as a siege is concerned,¡± Velicion began after forcing her mind to return to the issue at hand. ¡°Unless the defenders are facing off against a vastly superior force, then numbers aren¡¯t a major factor during most sieges.¡±

    A few of the men nearby nodded their heads at the sorceress¡¯s words but most kept to themselves as they waited for her to continue. ¡°What matters is finding out how the enemy has positioned themselves as well as coming up with a strategy that would allow us to dwindle their numbers to a point where they either give up on the siege in its entirety, or they become desperate enough to launch an assault on our walls.¡±

    ¡°And how do you propose we scout out their lines?¡± Captain Boris asked the elven woman as she allowed a pause in her explanation to linger longer than she had liked. ¡°We can¡¯t send out scouts for fear of them being slaughtered, and we aren¡¯t able to see much of their lines from our walls. Whoever leads this army was smart enough to hide the majority of their forces behind the tree line.¡±

    Velicion playfully wagged a finger at the man as she gave the captain a knowing smile. ¡°Instead of explaining it with fancy words,¡± She said cheerfully as she clapped her hands together. ¡°How about I show you gentlemen instead? All I¡¯ll need is a large enough pool of water.¡±

    <hr>

    Velicion ran her fingers gently over the water¡¯s surface as the crystalline liquid splashed against the rims of the wooden basin. Blurred images and malformed shapes slowly began to form in the once calm surface as the sorceress continued to chant words of mystical power. With each flick of her hand, the images within the water became clearer and those gathered around the sorceress could see a bird¡¯s eye view of the forest outside of Ruined Home.

    For Velicion, this was an everyday experience, but for the soldiers that had gathered around her, it was as if they were children that had gone to a festival for the very first time. Muddled voices began to reach the sorceress¡¯s ears as the elven woman continued to solidify the spell that she had placed upon the water. The men around her were both shocked and amazed by what they saw.

    Multiple camps had been cobbled together by their attackers. Trees had been felled in their dozens while swarms of hideous goblins flowed between the various camps as they worked on an assortment of projects. Each of the clumps of child-sized creatures was accompanied by a handful of orcs as the larger of the two cousin races shouted and pummeled at the sniveling monstrosities. What was even more disturbing for the sorceress was the handful of trolls that moved in and out of the spells vision. These creatures were going to be one of the deadlier obstacles that the expedition would face in their upcoming battles with the besieging army.

    ¡°Busy little devils.¡± A voice to her right had claimed as the sorceress placed her hands over the rims of the basin.

    A chorus of agreements and similar sentiments rang out around Velicion as she looked up towards Captain Boris. The man appeared to be lost in his thoughts while he scratched at his beard. The men around him motioned towards various points of interests that had managed to catch their attention in some manner or another.

    ¡°Something on your mind, Captain?¡± Velicion asked as she swiped a finger across the water¡¯s surface, moving the entire image into an entirely different direction than before.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°These troll¡¯s are something to be concerned about, as are the siege engines that I¡¯m seeing the groundwork for.¡± The man spoke to only himself as his eyes remained focus on the images before him. ¡°The machines are something that we can counter, but the trolls are another matter entirely.¡±

    Captain Boris tapped a finger against the bottom of his chin as he remained quiet. His mind enveloped itself in a deluge of scenarios that forced the man to think deeply on how to counter every one of them. Eventually, the commander turned his attention towards the sorceress. ¡°I understand that this is but one of many spells in your arsenal, but I¡¯m wondering if you know of anything that could help us in our time of need. Are there any spells that are primarily used in sieges?¡±

    ¡°Of course there are,¡± Velicion said assuredly to the audible delight of a few nearby soldiers. ¡°There are plenty of those who have dedicated their entire lives to the arts of magical warfare, but I am not one of those individuals.¡±

    ¡°And may I ask what your specialty is, exactly?¡± Captain Boris said slowly as he looked at the faces of those around him, taking in the various emotions that littered the very men he had been chosen to lead.

    Some had the look of confusion on their faces as they had duped themselves into the mindset that the sorceress was capable of wiping out an entire legion of men. Others were visibly upset by the woman¡¯s words. Most of the men waited to hear what Velicion had to say next, unsure of how they should feel about this strange revelation.

    Velicion understood how these men felt, she had shown off some of the more impressive looking spells in her repertoire and in doing so led them to believe that she was someone that she was not. The reality of the situation made her regret the choices she had made at the time, but she was of the mindset that these men were nothing to her. She couldn¡¯t care less if these men were to live or die, so long as she accomplished in what needed to be done than that was all that mattered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll be able to properly explain it,¡± The sorceress said as she attempted to formulate how to best explain what she did. ¡°But the easiest way to put it is that while I do know of a few spells that could be used in a fight, those are mainly for singling out single targets or used in duels. My true expertise lies in the fact that I handle the theoretical aspects of various magical systems and devices.¡±

    Velicion went on to explain how she designed and developed magical arrays and computational engines that were primarily used in large scale area denial, cleansing of hostile magical effects, surveillance systems, far-sight devices and many more. There were countless times in her explanation where she had to re-explain what had been said, as she had gone far more in-depth than she had initially intended to.

    ¡°I see,¡± A befuddled Captain Boris said after a momentary pause in the sorceress¡¯s explanation. ¡°Thank you for your¡­precise explanation, but perhaps it would be best if we were to continue using what¡¯s currently in front of us. We¡¯ll need to get a complete picture of our enemy if we wish to come up with a plan of action.¡±

    Velicion graciously smiled at the man as she turned her attention back towards the bird¡¯s eye view of the enemy¡¯s encampment. A large swathe of trees had been cleared during the time she had spent explaining her area of expertise and the sorceress knew that it wouldn¡¯t be long before they could expect some form of an assault on their lines.

    <hr>

    The rhythmic sounds of the marching army were strangely alluring for Dasher. The hesitant warlord stared blankly into the distant horizon as his forces continued to march under the banners of the Tall Lady. The flayed orc skin that served as the banner¡¯s flag waved gently against the light breeze as the proud standard-bearers kept their treasures high in the air to show off the army''s heraldry.

    Where once Dasher held sway over a dozen newly freed prisoners, the small band had thrown themselves into a dizzying marathon of feverish glory. Now, thanks to a lack of education, the baffled goblin commanded an army of immeasurable size. This wasn¡¯t because of his lack of trying to get a handle over the ever-increasing size of his forces, but because the highest number that anyone could count to was only fourteen.

    At first, they had organized themselves into units of fourteen, but once they had reached numbers that they struggled to keep up with, then all sense of reasoning ceased, and his lieutenants had formed groups at their leisure.

    Numbers weren¡¯t the only issue that the warlord currently faced. There was a lack of adequate supplies, and many members were currently weaponless. The quality of their gear was also something to be desired, as their equipment looked to be brittle and threatened to break under their own weight. On occasion, the weapons would do just that.

    A large number of those under his command claimed that such moments were when the mysterious Tall Lady had tested their mettle in battle. For those that died, it was said that the divine creature that their warlord spoke so highly of had viewed the deceased as detrimental to their cause. While those that lived would be showered in praise by their compatriots and that they would be showered in glory in the next battle.

    Dasher was unsure of what to think about his army¡¯s growing fanaticism. It had caused many of the more bloodthirsty members to become enraged during battle and slaughter everyone in their path. This had proven to be both a blessing and a curse for the goblin, but one that he was willing to live with. The only real concern that he had currently was keeping the increasingly bizarre mythology that surrounded the army¡¯s patron into a containable one. There had been times where he had heard stories involving the Tall Lady that he had no recollection of telling, and the warlord wondered if the berserkers had spread the tales after they had come out of their battle induced highs.

    ¡°Warmaster,¡± Came the voice of One-Eye, his one-eyed and most trusted follower. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Dasher nodded his head as he grunted out a wordless reply. With a wordless gesture, the warlord raised a single hand and motioned for his army to halt. Without hesitation, voices had been raised and musical notes were trumpeted to signal that the order to stop had been given.

    Within seconds the entire army had ground to a halt as the advance party moved forward to take in the full view of their destination, the camp of a nameless warlord that had claimed an interest in joining Dasher¡¯s growing strength.

    One-Eye, his ever cautious lieutenant, had claimed that it was a trap and that the army of the Tall Lady should do battle with the mysterious warlord as they had done so often over the past week.

    Dasher had other plans, however. He had grown tired of the constant fighting that had plagued the weary warlord ever since he had taken the first step outside of his savior¡¯s home, and he wished to speak to return alongside the messenger and try his best in convincing a potential ally with his words and not at the tip of a weapon.

    The two had argued for hours on end, but eventually, One-Eye had worn down the warlord to the point where Dasher had begrudgingly agreed to allow his army to camp itself close to where the talks were to be located.

    With a heartfelt sigh, Dasher dismounted from the back of Gore and moved to hand over his weapons to his most faithful follower.

    ¡°You sure about this boss?¡± One-Eye asked with concern in his voice as he reached for the offered weapons. ¡°It could be a trap.¡±

    The warlord thought over the one-eyed goblin''s words as Gore came up from behind him and nudged for Dasher to follow the messenger who had already departed. ¡°Yeah,¡± A hurried Dasher said as he turned and faced towards the ramshackle huts of a potential ally. ¡°It¡¯s better to give ourselves a breather every once in a while and if the worse were to happen, then I¡¯ve got Gore with me.¡±

    One-Eye nodded at his master¡¯s words and pounded a closed fist against his chest. ¡°In victory or defeat, you¡¯ll come back alive.¡±

    Dasher nodded his head at another of his lieutenant¡¯s nonsensical sayings. The warlord was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with the goblin¡¯s head. ¡°Right.¡± He said as he took his first step towards the unknown camp.

    One-Eye waved goodbye to the increasingly distant warlord as he thought back to the time when the two of them had argued over the decision about accepting the meeting. To goblins, it was of the belief that diplomacy was something that only tricksters and liars would use as a prelude to a more violent ordeal. The one-eyed goblin couldn¡¯t help but laugh at what his warlord had said when confronted with that saying.

    ¡°If it comes down to it, then I¡¯ll deal with the reality of the situation. For right now, I want to see the truth of their words.¡±

    <hr>

    At first, Dasher had excused the eerie atmosphere of the camp as having been caused by the arrival of his army, but as he was led further into the depths of the strangely barren encampment, the warlord understood that something was wrong. The guards that led him towards a misshapen and hastily built hut were keeping a close watch on the defenseless warlord, and their actions spoke loudly over their distaste towards their tribe¡¯s visitor.

    It was a different matter entirely when it came to Gore that towered over the entire group. In the beginning, they had refused to allow the white warg to enter the camp, but after a heated discussion from the messenger that had brought the warlord to their very front door the guards had no choice but to allow Dasher¡¯s monstrous companion to walk beside its master.

    The path that they had taken to the wooden and stone hut was a short one, but that didn¡¯t stop the feeling that the walk to their destination had taken an eternity. Dasher had felt the piercing gazes of countless eyes as the group walked deeper into the camp and that only served to add credence to his belief that there was something foul was afoot.

    Eventually, they had come to a halt at the rickety entrance to the building that was said to house the tribe¡¯s leadership. ¡°Through here.¡± One of the guards said as he gestured for Dasher to step forward.

    The warlord paid little attention to the disgruntled guard as his eyes roamed over the soot-covered and fire damaged walls. To the left and right of him were the remnants of a pair of doused braziers that Dasher suspected had been fed too much fuel and had recently threatened to turn the entirety of the hut into a blazing inferno.

    There was countless evidence to further convince him of this theory. Ranging from the fire kissed wood to what he suspected were the remains of the door that had served as the timeless guardian for the tribal leader¡¯s home.

    ¡°Go! Go in!¡± The guard yelled out as he poked a finger at the fire gutted doorway. ¡°Hurry it up!¡±

    Dasher waved him off as he stepped forward, keeping his mind clear of any doubts about what was to come.

    The insides of the hut had fared no better to an unsurprised Dasher. Rays of sunlight shined down through countless holes in the roof while piles of ash had been thrown haphazardly around. It was clear to him that whoever had handled the cleanup of the aftermath of the fire had cared little for the buildings powerful resident.

    He wouldn¡¯t be at all surprised to find out that they had been punished for dereliction of their duty.

    ¡°You Dasher?¡± An echoing voice called out from somewhere within the muggy darkness.

    The warlord struggled to locate the source of the voice, but eventually his eyes settled onto the ash-covered remains of what he suspected was once a throne.

    Not far from where the seat of power once stood were two brown haired wargs and three goblins that stood next to one another. Each of the goblins held something in their hands, but Dasher failed to recognize what they were.

    ¡°I am,¡± The warlord said as he stepped closer towards his counterparts. ¡°I take it that one of you is the leader of this tribe?¡±

    The group of goblins laughed at his question as one of them stepped forward and opened his arms wide. ¡°You could say that all of us are the leaders of this tribe.¡± The one that spoke allowed a wicked smile to form over an otherwise sorrow filled face.

    Dasher rolled his eyes at the grinning goblins words as he gestured for Gore to keep a watchful eye on the two brown haired wargs. The creatures had begun to move from their spot and were now beginning to surround the weaponless warlord.

    ¡°I seriously doubt that.¡± He said bluntly while keeping a calming hand over the back of his wargs back. ¡°What is it that you want from me? I¡¯m beginning to doubt that the lot of you ever wanted to talk to me from the very beginning.¡±

    ¡°Rude-rude!¡± Another of the goblins cried out as the third hissed and spat at the ground.

    The apparent leader of the group motioned for the other two to calm themselves as he began to address Dasher¡¯s concerns. ¡°Believe us or not, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The lead goblin said as he took a step towards their worried guest. ¡°We saw many things in the fire. Things that have led us to you. You that would allow us to feed the Hungry Fire.¡±

    Dasher opened and closed his mouth as words failed to materialize out of his mouth. He had wanted to call them crazy, but Gore began to growl in warning at the encroaching wargs.

    ¡°Right,¡± The warlord said as his hand pushed down on his companions back. ¡°Let¡¯s get this started then, yeah?¡±

    Gore howled and snapped his jaws as he charged towards the closer of the two brown haired wargs. The two beasts soon collided into one another and tore into their opposite, teeth and claws rendered flesh as the blood-crazed hounds battled their way around the various hazards that made up the insides of the fire gutted compound.

    The last of the wargs wavered between the idea of attacking a defenseless Dasher or helping its companion, but once it had heard the familiar cry of its brother it had charged off into the darkness.

    The warlord had no time to think of a strategy as the tribe¡¯s crazed leader made a desperate leap towards Dasher. Thankfully the warlord was quick on his feet and threw himself down onto the ground and kicked up at his soaring opponent.

    His feet slammed into the fire obsessed goblin and sent the creature flying into the air, but not before Dasher had the chance to reach out and grab hold of the soot-covered sword that hung limply at the crazed goblins waist.

    ¡°Masher! Slasher!¡± The winded goblin said as he looked between his two dumbfounded allies. ¡°Kill him!¡±

    The two goblins responded to their leader''s command by launching themselves forward and charging straight for the defiant warlord. One of the oncoming goblins held a wooden stick that looked to have dulled itself in the fire while his counterpart held a thick and brittle club.

    Feeling as if he had no other option but to meet his opponents head-on, Dasher lunged himself forward and dropped down onto his knees; sliding towards the two approaching goblins as he kept his stolen sword tilted at an angle that would help him deflect any incoming attacks.

    Slasher, or at least that was who Dasher believed him to be, took the opportunity to jump into the air and slam his spear down towards the still sliding warlord. Dasher was quick to react however as the warlord rolled his entire body away from the oncoming blow and slashed his sword upwards into the air, slashing at his baffled opponent''s stomach while and slicing open a wide and brutal wound in the awestruck goblins belly.

    Slasher yelled at the top of his lungs as he fell to the ground, his hands failing to keep his guts from pouring out of the wound and onto the blood-covered ground below.

    Masher hadn¡¯t been idle throughout the brutal ordeal and moved to intercept his opponent as the warlord came out of his roll.

    Dasher raised his blood-covered arm to block the oncoming attack and took the full force of the blow with a teeth-clenching cry of pain. The warlord jumped back to avoid another swing of the club and kicked at the shins of the cackling goblin.

    The club-wielding goblin yelped and stumbled to the ground, but he was barely able to catch himself before falling face-first into the ash-covered dirt.

    Dasher gave the wounded goblin no chances and stabbed his sword straight down into the neck of the recovering creature.

    Blood oozed down the length of the sword as the warlord planted kicked at the corpse before pulling the bloodied weapon out of his now-dead adversary.

    With a heavy breath, Dasher whirled around to meet with an oncoming enemy that never materialized. The sounds of a still sobbing Slasher filled the room as a victorious Gore howled in defiance at the mangled mass of flesh that littered the floor around him.

    Dasher waited for an attack that would never come, and as Gore turned his attention towards the last of their opponents, the warlord softened his stance and allowed himself a moment of peace. With one final cautious glance, the victorious warlord dropped his weapon and turned his attention to a blood-stained Gore as it tore into the neck of the now-dead Slasher.

    As the two of them began to make their way out of the ruined hut, Dasher wondered if he would ever see the fire obsessed lunatic a second time and if he did what that would entail.

 Chapter 16: Barbarous Nobility

    Shouts of warning swept throughout the encampment as an incoming barrage of horse-sized rocks and fire-drenched stumps arched through the air before slamming harmlessly into one of the recently deserted areas of Ruined Home. Clumps of dirt and deadly shrapnel exploded out of the impact zones, sending those nearby into a panic as they jumped for whatever cover their minds had tricked them into believing was real. For some, this had worked to their benefit, and they had come out unscathed. Yet there were a handful of unfortunate souls who wailed in pain and clutched at their bodies as they writhed on the ground. Hideous wounds had been inflicted upon their persons, and it wouldn''t be long before they succumbed to the cold embrace of death.

    There were a number of brave souls who rushed towards their fallen comrades, hoping to save them in time before their wounds had gotten the better of them. A disgusted Iskra watched the scene unfold before her very eyes from a safe distance. She was far enough away that she was unable to see the more gruesome details, but close enough to understand what was going on. ¡°How unsightly.¡± The young girl said with contempt in her voice as she took a gentle sip of her drink. More shouts reached her ears, and the teenager looked up just in time to watch as another enemy artillery barrage crested over the horizon. ¡°Just because we¡¯re under siege doesn¡¯t mean that the peasants have to run around as if they¡¯re a pack of headless chickens.¡±

    Another wave of impacts rocked the ground beneath her legs as the crop-haired girl shook her head in disgust. ¡®Must the peasantry always act like such hideous pigs?¡¯ The girl thought to herself as she stretched out her long legs, giving them plenty of room to lie in front of her before taking another sip of her drink.

    ¡°Bold words for a little girl who goes pale at the tiniest hint of blood.¡± Came the echoing voice of Argonok, her ever-present bodyguard. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you aren¡¯t wiggling and jiggling beneath your rucksack, hiding from all of this commotion.¡±

    Iskra leered at the chuckling suit of armor as she scuffed at the dwarf¡¯s choice of words. The young girl had found the Fireguard¡¯s choice in words to be distasteful, but she allowed the man to speak his mind. It was rare for her apparent royal guard to tease and mock the girl over her figure, but she had found it prudent to hold her tongue when chastising the ever-faithful bodyguard.

    Even if the dwarf¡¯s loyalty was all thanks to a curse, the idea of having command over a deathly loyal bodyguard hadn¡¯t been lost. The raven-haired teenager chuckled quietly to herself as she brought the cracked wooden cup to her plush lips. Wicked thoughts of revenge swirled in the back of her mind, and the immense possibilities as to what a near-immortal assassin could accomplish amused her greatly on more than multiple occasions.

    Argonok had the potential of becoming the perfect tool in her imaginary arsenal once it came time to enact her revenge upon the very people that had a hand in her banishment. All that needed to be done of her was to survive her current predicament.

    Another round of violent impacts shook the earth, bringing the young girls jubilant mood crashing down into oblivion.

    ¡°Such barbarity,¡± Iskra said mockingly with a click of her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t those beasts know that it¡¯s rude to interrupt a maiden while she¡¯s lost in her thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Well, then it¡¯s a good thing that such a maiden isn¡¯t here.¡± The Fireguard¡¯s voice rumbled as a fit of mocking laughter escaped from underneath his helmet.

    ¡°Rude!¡± The girl hissed at the wise-cracking dwarf before turning away to look at the chaotic scenes unraveling themselves within the besieged encampment.

    Countless men and women could be seen running throughout the camp as they did their best in accomplishing whatever tasks had been given onto them. Ever since the first signs of a prolonged siege, Iskra had felt that the entirety of Ruined Home had collapsed into a disastrous mess of anarchy.

    What little time she had once spent with the rare few individuals she had managed to surround herself with had dried up within an instant and her only companion was the curse-bound dwarf. In a way, Iskra had begun to enjoy the sense of isolation that she had found herself in as it had given her ample time to think, which was something that she had taken full advantage of.

    The young girl had yet to forgive Velicion for the slight made against her, and Iskra had grown irritated that the elven sorceress hadn¡¯t found the willingness to apologize to her. Her refusal to approach the elven woman had meant that their language lessons had been paused, which in turn meant that Iskra¡¯s time to bathe herself in the mesmerizing aura of Prince Aurelius had vanished without a trace. Such a fact was made worse by the knowledge that the young prince had volunteered himself to help guard and protect the encampment from the invaders.

    Iskra¡¯s thoughts on the matter were conflicted, to say the least. In her eyes, it was a travesty for someone of the prince¡¯s status to degrade themselves by working alongside the unkempt peasantry. Yet the love-struck teenager was of the mind that the handsome elf couldn¡¯t help but do what he felt was right.

    To the girl, Prince Aurelius was a legendary knight in shining armor and that meant that her beloved prince was predestined to help those in need. Even if that meant belittling himself to help even the lowliest of individuals.

    If the love of her life wished to save those in peril, then the young girl had no choice but to help those desires by creating situations that would place her handsome hero in the right location at just the right time.

    ¡°You muttering about that pretty boy of yours again?¡± Argonok asked with a harsh yell of his voice.

    Embarrassed by what the dwarf had said, Iskra shushed the armored figure as she glanced around the immediate area. The two of them were far enough away from the rest of the encampment that there were very few individuals within eyesight. Those that had the opportunity to hear the dwarf¡¯s obnoxiously loud voice were minimal at the most, but this didn¡¯t mean that the young girl wished for anyone to hear what the two of them were talking about.

    ¡°Keep it down!¡± Iskra exclaimed in a harsh whisper. ¡°Why are you always so loud, are you trying to embarrass me or something?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± The suit of armor bellowed out in a fit of laughter. ¡°Your reactions are always over the top. They make for a good drinking story on some occasions.¡±

    ¡°Can you even drink?¡± Iskra asked as she attempted to ignore the meaning behind his words.

    ¡°Sure I can.¡± Argonok said as he pretended to bring a mug of alcohol to his helmet before tipping back his head to mimic the motions of someone gulping down their drink. ¡°But it always leaks out through my armor. I always make friends with animals because of it.¡±

    An image flashed through the girl¡¯s mind as she imagined what an ale soaked Argonok would look like. She envisioned a pack of guard dogs standing around and barking at the Fireguard, encouraging the dwarf to drink without a care in the world as their tongues lapped at the leaking dwarf¡¯s armor while he gulped down a massive jug of whatever it was that dwarves usually drank.

    ¡°You¡¯d make for a fantastic fountain I¡¯d imagine.¡± Iskra said with a devious smile.

    ¡°Funnily enough, I¡¯ve seen that happen a few times in my life. Several of my Fireguard brethren have been turned into metallic ornaments by whatever had defeated their war hosts.¡± Argonok shook his head in sorrow as he thought back to those moments. ¡°The world has a cruel sense of humor sometimes.¡±

    I¡¯m sure it does,¡± Iskra said uncaringly as she folded her arms under her ample bust. ¡°But only to those who aren¡¯t predestined for greatness. The world needs to balance itself out so that the peasantry doesn¡¯t get the idea that they¡¯re made to excel in this world.¡±

    ¡°Speaking from experience?¡±

    Iskra gasped at the dwarf¡¯s words but quickly recovered in time to explain her thoughts. ¡°If the gods truly wished to take away my power in this world, they would¡¯ve done so by taking my beauty. A noble¡¯s true power comes from their ability to stay beautiful, and those that don¡¯t understand this are destined to fall into ruination.¡±

    ¡°So, is that why you refused to help that maid of yours?¡± The dwarf asked as he shook his head. Even when he was of flesh and blood, women were an oddity to him. For the longest time, the Fireguard had thought that he no longer needed to try and understand the thoughts behind a woman¡¯s words, but it was clear to him that Iskra was on a whole other level.

    The young girl quietly nodded her head as she thought back to the moment that the dwarf had referred to.

    When Ruined Home had first come under siege there had been quite the ruckus as to what the camp¡¯s inhabitants should do. At first it had hardly affected Iskra, but that had all changed once Sylvia had become inspired by her husband¡¯s work on the encampment¡¯s own siege equipment that was needed to help combat the growing threat of the opposing artillery. Being one of the very few blacksmiths in the expedition had meant that the man had been worked to the bone on many occasions, and Sylvia had been enlightened to help in whatever way she could. This eventually led to the point where the encampments handful of women to expand the mission statement of the camp¡¯s kitchen to help raise morale in their time of need.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    One night, the middle-aged servant had asked Iskra is she would like to help out the other women in their efforts to cook for those working to protect the safety of the camp. To the woman¡¯s dismay, the young girl had turned her down in a huff. Iskra had been appalled by the concept of her working in a kitchen, and the young girl had stated that she wouldn¡¯t do ¡°Peasant¡¯s work.¡±

    By the time that the older woman had exhausted her arguments in trying to have the girl help out, Sylvia had left the young girl¡¯s tent visibly upset and dejected. The two of them hadn¡¯t spoken since then.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she was thinking of.¡± Iskra said to herself as her mind returned to the present. Whether or not the servant woman was upset over what she had, was of no concern to the noble-born teenager.

    In her eyes, menial labor such as cooking was an insult to the very idea of what it meant to be of noble birth, and it was something that was best left to those born into poverty. When she had learned that a few of her friends and social peers had taken on the habit of learning to cook, she had poked fun at them for wishing to learn such lowly work.

    It hadn¡¯t been lost on her that she had managed to lose everything, but in her eye¡¯s that meant very little in the long run. She would rise from these trying times and exact retribution on those who had dared to insult her as an individual as well as her noble blood.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Argonok said sarcastically as he looked towards the grinning teenager. ¡°Girls of your type are the sort who are at their best when all they have to do is look pretty and tell others what it is they want.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Iskra said as the dwarf¡¯s tone went unnoticed. ¡°Look pretty, lead the unkempt and hideous, and proliferate with those of an equal or better social standing. That¡¯s what it means to be a noble of Ranislava, and I intend on keeping my people¡¯s most cherished tradition.¡±

    <hr>

    The bloodied orc had been foolish in his attempts at assaulting the human encampment¡¯s walls. Time and time again, he had charged headlong into the palisades only to be beaten back with extraordinary ease, those that hadn¡¯t been killed by their enemy¡¯s moat were cut down by arrows or spears. At first Orukk had merely been frustrated by the hasty orc, but eventually the death toll had proven to be an immediate issue. In the end, the warlord had battered the orc in his sleep and summoned the rest of his lieutenants for an emergency council.

    Now, the broken creature would finally have some use in Orukk¡¯s army, to serve as a fatal warning for those that failed their leader.

    ¡°Do I make myself clear?¡± Orukk¡¯s grizzled voice lingered in the air as he forced the unfortunate orc higher into the air. He wanted the remainder of his chosen lieutenants to burn the image of their battered comrade into their seed-sized brains. ¡°No more ¡®<em style="white-space: pre-wrap">delusions¡¯ of grandeur. Either you do things my way, or I¡¯ll cleave the head off of your useless corpses and feed it to the wargs.¡±

    The other¡¯s nodded their heads as their warlord tossed the limp body to the side. The fool would soon be killed, but only at a time that was considered appropriate by their leader.

    ¡°Good.¡± Orukk said as he rolled his shoulders. ¡°Now then, I want to hear some good news from you sorry lot. What have you done that hasn¡¯t managed to anger me?¡±

    ¡°Warlord,¡± Came the shrill voice of Durak¡¯kar. The orc had been given the task of keeping order within the ranks as well as making sure that no night assaults were attempted on their lines. The orc had managed to keep his master happy, for now. ¡°Patrols have verified that the humans are foolishly keeping the nearby lake unguarded. Their walls stop only a mere few steps into the water. What¡¯s more, there doesn¡¯t appear to be many of their kind watching the nearby shores.¡±

    Orukk let out a huff of air as he spoke. ¡°Good. We can use their foolishness to our advantage.¡±

    A successful landing would do wonders in destroying the humans trapped within his clutches. Once they had established and secured a beachhead, Orukk would be able to ferry his men behind his enemy¡¯s lines. Of course such a plan wouldn¡¯t be possible without the support of a proper assault on the human¡¯s walls.

    For that to work, the warlord would need a proper strategy and ample time to whip the battle lines into effective fighting order. For now, he would have to rely on the fools before him to fulfill his demands without question, as well as without any selfish desires from their delusions of grandeur.

    ¡°Who here believes themselves ready to step up and stand at my side?¡± Orukk asked of those around him. The warlord looked around the many faces and saw countless expressions that could only be described as ¡®<em style="white-space: pre-wrap">brainless.¡¯ He grunted in disappointment as he realized that he needed to explain the obvious. ¡°I need someone to go to the lake and build up a force capable of assaulting the humans. You¡¯ll need to construct boats for that to succeed, so those with strong minds need to step forward.¡±

    Blank stares and looks of dumbfoundedness were all that the warlord saw. Orukk allowed a displeased rumble to escape from his throat as his lieutenants whispered to one another or scratched at their heads in confusion. When all hope seemed to be lost, a single hand was raised cautiously into the air.

    ¡°Warlord, I¡¯ll be the one.¡± The one who had found the courage to volunteer had a split lip and a misshapen head that spoke wonders about the physical tenacity of the orcish race. It was none other than Thonk.

    <hr>

    Thonk looked towards the distant shoreline with an intense inquisitive stare. As he remained hidden behind the thick copse of trees, the orc could easily tell that the scouts had told the truth in their reports. The humans had left the lake severely unprotected, and the only telltale signs of their presence were that of the ever-present fortifications as well as the occasional foot patrol that never lingered for very long.

    The orc chuckled to himself as the goblin¡¯s that had been assigned under his leadership dropped their equipment and set about making a temporary camp. The little creatures spoke amongst one another, speaking in their corrupted tongue of the orcish language. Thonk was a simpleton and spoke in simple words, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t find the accents of his racial cousins to be hideous in their own right.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± The orc hissed to those around him as he looked around for a goblin that had called itself Thrasher. ¡°Thrasher! Thrasher! Where are you?¡±

    His voice trailed off deeper into woods, echoing against the thick hides of the nearby trees.

    ¡°Here master.¡± Came the bored voice of Thrasher.

    Thonk looked down at his side to find that the goblin had somehow managed to sneak under his gaze and appeared right where he needed him to be. ¡°Where were you when I called you out the first time?¡± The orc snarled as unfounded anger began to rise throughout his body.

    ¡°I was always here, master. You told me never to leave your side, so I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good. You keep doing that.¡± Thonk said with a huff of air.

    The goblin was exhausted, both mentally and physically, from having to deal with the misshapen orc that stood before him, and the creature was of the mindset that he would undoubtedly be left drained by the time everything was said and done. Or dead, but Thrasher was unsure as to which of the two fates he had most preferred.

    Thonk looked around the immediate area in confusion as he suddenly remembered something important. ¡°Thrasher, why are we here?¡±

    Thrasher looked down at the ground and took a deep breath to help calm his tired mind. This had been the seventh time that he had been asked that question, and it would be the seventh time that he would give the same answer. ¡°To build boats and to wait for the warlord¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The orc let out a sickening snort as he gave a curt nod of his head. There was a momentary pause between the two as Thonk remembered the realization of the most pressing matter. ¡°Thrasher,¡± The hideous orc began. ¡°What¡¯s a boat?¡±

    Thrasher let out a quiet sigh as he hung his head low in defeat. ¡°Things that would help us get across the lake¡¯s surface.¡±

    For what must have been the hundredth time today, Thonk let out a satisfied snort as he gave a curt nod of his head. ¡°Right, I was just testing you to make sure you knew.¡±

    ¡°Very good master.¡± The goblin said quietly as he looked around to make sure that the others were making themselves busy. Satisfied that a healthy amount of progress had been made on their new camp, Thrasher turned towards the simpleton that he had the misfortune of being commanded by. ¡°Shall I order the construction of some siege engines before we start to work on the boats?¡±

    Thonk gave no reply to his subordinate¡¯s queries as he threw back his head and began to laugh manically into the air.

    Thrasher let out one last defeated sigh as he turned to those nearby. Their confused looks said everything that he wanted to know and he waved them away in hopes that they would continue in their work. For the miserable goblin, even death would be too good of a reward to be released from his servitude under the delirious orc.

    <hr>

 Chapter 17: Lakes of Goblins

    An arrow whistled passed just above Dasher''s ear as the quick-thinking goblin ducked just in time to narrowly avoid the oncoming missile. Scenes of carnage and overall chaos echoed around the warlord as he rose back up into the air as he continued to face off against his lastest opponent, the loud-mouthed orc leader of a primarily warg riding warband.

    "You can''t dodge them forever, little goblin!" The bone-thin orc yelled out as the sounds of battle rang out between them. The orc warlord snarled his teeth as he watched in frustration as his goblin adversary expertly dodged another of his arrows.

    For Dasher, it was strange to see an orc who was little more than skin and bones. He was so used to the idea of his racial cousins being made from a more brawnier stock than a goblin that he had been astounded at the prospect of facing off against an orc who appeared to be on the verge of starvation.

    With how puny the orc was, Dasher struggled to think of a scenario that would have led him to be in a leadership position that he was now in.

    The goblin stayed silent and notched one of his own arrows and fired it towards the visibly upset orc. Dasher grunted in frustration as he watched the missile veer off harmlessly into the distance, yet still somehow managing to pierce the back of a different fighter''s skull.

    Friend or foe it didn''t matter to him who he had killed. This entire battle had been nothing more than a whirlwind of bloodshed that had left the goblin confused and engorged upon the blood of those he had slain. The longer the day had worn on, the more everything mixed into a blurry mix of confusing flashes of memories.

    In the back of his mind, Dasher knew that his lack of response was starting to affect his counterpart''s actions. The orc was at one point very talkative and would make effortless attempts in trying to force the goblin to befuddle his movements or do what he wished for him to do. Now the orc struggled to load the flimsy bow in his hands and struggled to fumble out incoherent rants that only served to frustrate the orc.

    Dasher wouldn''t be all that surprised if his one-time boisterous rival would give up entirely on trying to rile up the armored goblin.

    More arrow fire continued to be exchanged between the two and once again, the missiles whistled harmlessly into the distance while the two leaders struggled to vie for supremacy over the battlefield. Neither of them were willing to allow the other to gain the upper hand and the two kept a safe distance from one another, lest their vicious mounts tried to pry the riders off of their respective wargs.

    The impromptu duel would have continued as a standstill, as both archers had proven to be terrible shots and neither of them were willing to move closer in an attempt to strike at their opponent. This all changed as Dasher watched his opponent''s black-furred warg jolt up into the air, forcing the orcs next shot to shoot wildly into the clouds above.

    The arrow was to be never seen again.

    Dasher watched as the orc clenched his jaw tight while his adversary''s face grew red hot with rage. With an explosive roar and a sudden, jerking motion; the opposing warlord threw down his bow and turned towards the goblin.

    Gore snarled and showed his fangs as the warg reached out and swiped at the approaching orc. The creature''s sharp claws tore into the other wargs flesh, taking out large chunks of meat as the two beasts snapped at one another.

    Blood poured from the creature''s wounds as its master let out a defiant roar and swung an arm towards Dasher. The goblin ducked low to avoid the oncoming swing, bringing himself low enough to graze the snow-white fur of his mount. Dasher reached for his waistband and pulled out a wicked dagger, the edges of the blade were rusted and dull with age, but the bladed weapon still had its uses as the goblin warlord jolted up and slashed at the orc''s arm. The blade failed to connect as its intended target quickly pulled back his arm and veered away from his newly armed opponent.

    Dasher shook his head in frustration at his opponent''s cowardice and leaned over to his side, signaling to Gore that he wanted to chase after the orc. The warg complied with his master''s wishes, and the two began a long and sordid dance.

    During their long and grueling chase, the pair kept a healthy distance between one another as they weaved in and out of the chaotic battlefield. The two warlords moved at a whirlwind pace as they battled with one another in between countless bouts of dodging a slew of attacks of opportunity from their blood-crazed minions.

    Numerous orcs and goblins were trampled beneath the rampaging warlords as their respective mounts trampled upon friend and foe alike. Bones were broken, and limbs were shattered as the furious creatures carved a swath of destruction for their masters to continue their running duel in relative peace.

    Dasher began to wonder just how long the insanity of their duel would continue as he sliced open the neck of a would-be opportunistic assailant. Screams filled the air behind him as the warlord pushed his faithful companion forward. Gore''s breath came in ragged gasps as the white-furred beast jumped into the air to avoid a string of mangled corpses.

    The blood-soaked warlord wondered how long he could continue to push his best friend and companion before the creature decided enough was enough and threw off his master off of its back.

    Dasher understood that he needed to end the battle before that was to happen and to do that he would need a weapon that would be able to deal a decisive blow against his orc counterpart. It was a tall order, but one that the goblin believed to be doable.

    So long as he was able to find a way in time.

    "Gore!" The goblin called out as he leaned closer towards the wargs ear before patting the nape of the beast''s neck. "Cut to the right and take us deeper inside!"

    Gore let out a huff of air, acknowledging that he had heard his masters command and darted off into the requested direction.

    As his trusted mount led the two of them further into the writhing mass of blood-stained bodies, Dasher kept a watchful eye out for his reclusive enemy. The goblin could only watch on in frustration as the orc warlord continued to expertly weave in and out of his sight while the distance between the two continued to increase at a rapid pace. It wouldn''t be long before the pair had completely lost sight of one another.

    Dasher shook his head as he silently vowed never to let that moment come to pass.

    As the goblin continued to slash at his enemies without a second thought, Dasher struggled to finalize a plan that would end the battle in his favor. The terrified screams of his victims were far too taxing on the warlord''s mind for him to think clearly, and an overly eager desire to kill was slowly beginning to creep in around the boundaries of his mind.

    It didn¡¯t matter what Dasher did to try and thwart the tunnel vision that now threatened to take over his sight. The goblin had only one desire, and that was to engorge on the ever-present bloodlust of the battlefield.

    Yet those dark urges that threatened to hold sway of his desires never came to pass as an object flew into the side of the goblin''s face and bounced off of the side of his head. Blood poured down onto his body below from a large gash on the side of his skull as the mysterious object continued on its path, becoming nothing more than a side piece to the conflict at large.

    A woozy Dasher struggled to maintain his balance and was nearly thrown off of Gore''s back while the goblin spun dizzily in his seat. The warlord violently shook his head as he attempted to clear away the odd shapes and strange balls of light that bounced around in his vision.

    For the most part, it had worked and what little remained soon evaporated out of existence as his vision became sharper over time.

    With his bloodlust seemingly quelled, Dasher set about on finding out how best to kill his orc counterpart before his rival had disappeared for good.

    The goblins quest to find his opponent was an easy one as the orc had managed to fall off of his mount and was now fighting a swarm of goblins on foot.

    The orc warlord was drenched in blood and gore as he split the head of a nearby goblin while he throttled the neck another before quickly slamming the unfortunate creature into the ground. The blood-soaked orc raised a foot into the air and stomped down on the poor goblin''s neck, grinding the heel of his boot into the base of its neck.

    Dasher was thankful for the sacrifices of those that had managed to surround the orc as he looked around the battlefield for a suitable weapon in dealing with his dismounted opponent. He struggled to find anything of use that would be able to render his rival dead before the opposing warlord had managed to get away and the whirlwind of carnage that lay before him was of no help in accomplishing his quest.

    Finally, after what had felt like an eternity in searching. The goblin¡¯s eyes had stumbled upon a lone, bloody spear that jutted out of the corpse of a fallen warg.

    With one last look back at the orc; Dasher was satisfied that the rival warlord wouldn¡¯t be able to move very far without being swarmed by another batch of battle crazed goblins.

    With a jubilant howl and a swift kick to Gore¡¯s sides, the two went off after the chosen weapon.

    <hr>

    Calls to order and for battle lines to be formed echoed throughout the distance as the dueling artillery of the opposing armies clashed with one another. Volleys of arrow fire rained down upon the approaching horde of goblins as the seemingly endless tide of grey-skinned monsters slowly made their way across the bloodied waters of the nearby lake.

    At first, the human''s struggled to think of the clumsily built boats as a threat to their lines, as they appeared to be nothing more than cut timber. That all changed once the sheer weight of numbers became something more than a poorly played out joke, and the archers were now desperately firing off their munitions in an attempt to thin out the encroaching goblin''s before they made it to the shore.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    As the lake''s once pristine and calm water exploded out into the clear blue sky, Velicion could only begin to fathom the lack of thinking it took for someone to come up with the idea of ferrying an entire army across a large body of water with nothing more than simple logs. ''Nasty little devils.'' The elven sorceress thought to herself as she spoke the words of power that launched a massive fireball towards a clustered group of the makeshift naval vessels.

    Tens of goblins were incinerated within an instant as her spell landed directly on top of her intended target.

    "Eighteen kids later and I''ve still got it." A jovial Velicion said to herself as a boastful smile crept onto her face.

    Her celebration was immediately interrupted by the joyful, yet obnoxiously loud, whoops and hollers off to her right. She wasn''t at all surprised to see a group of three teenage elves jumping for joy as they celebrated the results of their latest shot.

    The sorceress looked to see where some of the boys were pointing towards and watched on as the tail end of a ballistae bolt slowly sunk into the lake''s depths. Velicion shook her head in disgust as she returned her gaze towards the boys, only to find them mimicking the last desperate motions of their still-living targets as the goblins struggled to stay above the water''s surface.

    Their abhorrent attitudes towards the horrific scene they had caused were only made worse when she noticed that one of the boys, Than''doran she believed, called out towards another elven crewed ballistae. The teenager held out his hands and signaled to the rival crew that they had just killed seven goblins with a single shot.

    Velicion followed the boys gaze to find out that none other than Prince Aurelius was watching over the rambunctious band of hooligans. The elven woman prayed to the gods above that the son of her people''s ruler would at least have the tact and courtesy to take the battle seriously. Her hopes were crushed as she watched the blonde prince hold up his fingers.

    One-shot had killed a total of fifteen goblins.

    As the nearest crew threw false fits of outrage, the elven sorceress had enough of their flamboyant behavior and twisted her body towards the nearby group. "Boys!" She yelled out as she began to chastise the teenagers for their boisterous behavior. A nearby trebuchet launched its latest payload as she continued to yell at the top of her lungs. "Pay attention and load your next shot!"

    "Oh, come on!" Than''doran yelled out in return as another of his crew lifted the next shot into position and slammed the bolt down hard. The young elf quickly pulled back his arms as he yelped out in shock as the ballistae suddenly let loose, firing the freshly loaded round without the input of its unaware gunner. The remaining crewman laughed at the fortunate elf, but that did little to calm the motherly sorceress''s nerves from being wracked with shock. "Lokhan and Lorhan are jumping around and doing all of these crazy stunts, so why can''t we have some fun?"

    Velicion dragged an open palm over her face at the boy''s words. The teenager remained unaware, or unconcerned, of the blatant near-disaster that happened to his friend, and all he was concerned about was ratting out the twins. "I''ll take care of them once everything is said and done with." The sorceress said as she turned just in time to watch the elven twins jump up into the air and performed skillful feats of acrobatics before firing the next shot from their bows. She shook her head as she watched the twin brothers celebrate their latest kill with a high-five as both of their arrows pierced the skull of a lone goblin.

    Regardless of how she felt about the attitudes of those under her care, the sorceress had to admit that the entire scenario playing before her very eyes was a massacre for the goblins and their masters. Large swaths of the lake''s surface were littered with the corpses of the little creatures. Their floating bodies bobbed heavily against the conflict-induced waves as gore clogged water rained down on the still living goblins.

    For those disorganized rare few that made it ashore, the onslaught of missiles that rained down upon their positions made short work of any attempts at landing. The lack of discipline and near absent organization ensured that the goblins never made it past the first several steps before they were cut down and slaughtered like sacrificial animals.

    Despite the grim scenes before their eyes, the creatures still attempted to cross the lake in droves. Whoever was in charge of this bloodbath had sorely miscalculated the amount of resistance they would have faced.

    Seeing as there was no point in feeling sorrow for the dead, the sorceress shouted out to the heavens and called forth a powerful storm of lightning. Cracks of thunder and bolts of light drowned out any nearby noise as logs caught fire while their riders quickly jumped ship in a vain hope of saving themselves. Only to have the misfortune of being electrocuted as flashes of light struck nearby, sending plumes of smoke up into the sky as their charred remains slowly sunk beneath the icy cold surface.

    As the magical storm decimated a swathe in the enemy''s ranks, a great roar rose out from the human''s ranks. This was the very first time that these young men had ever seen such a destructive spell and Velicion suspected that for many of them, it would be one of their very last.

    This wasn''t because the sorceress had doubts about their ability in defending the beachead. The sheer weight of the dead that now slowly washed ashore had made quick work of any lingering doubts. It was all in part thanks to her limited experiences with siege warfare.

    Once everything was said and over with, both sides would see heavy casualties inflicted upon their lines. The only victors in the brutal climactic battle would be the respective gods of war that each of the races worshipped and the rare individuals who relished in the terrifying, bloody business of war and murder. For everyone else, long sieges meant having to starve or wait for months on end before they could be relieved. The shorter a siege tended to be the more brutal it became once the final assault upon the walls had been given.

    Up until now, Velicion had never been so close to the battlefield and the elven sorceress loathed the idea of having front row seats to the inevitable bloodbath that would spark the explosive ending.

    <hr>

    Day faded into night as the battle had continued to rage on, but eventually, the orc¡¯s artillery slowly went quiet. Whether that was in thanks to the human¡¯s efforts in effectively attacking their determined locations with their own counter artillery, a lack of ammunition on the part of the besieging force, or a deliberate decision by their crew the lithe elven woman couldn¡¯t say. What she did know was that the remnants of the amphibious assault had been completely routed and those who remained were being picked off in a manner that could only be described as methodical. The dead creatures were slowly being piled up into mounds of bloated corpses as young men walked upon the shore and hacked away at the injured while the archers who still had ammunition left aimed carefully at the tired and weary goblins who struggled to reach the safety of the shoreline.

    Once the last of the grey-skinned monsters had been slaughtered like the drowning rats they were seen as; a great cheer rose up into the dim evening sky from the victorious defenders.

    The losses that the band of humans and elves had inflicted upon the goblins were seen, and boasted as such, as terrible. Velicion suspected that the numbers were of no concern to those who led the army outside of Ruined Home, but that had not stopped her in celebrating alongside those who she saw as being no older than her youngest child. Some of them took great pride in the rumored numbers they had killed, and they had even gone so far as to joke about the lake becoming a massive pot of ¡®Goblin Soup.¡¯

    Wanting no part in the gruesome tone that many of the younger elves and humans were now taking part in, Velicion slowly distanced herself from the crowded group and scanned the area for a quiet spot that she could sit down and quietly rearrange her thoughts. Crude and baseless rumors would eventually begin to spread over this victory and the motherly sorceress had always found the prospect of spreading propaganda to be an uncomfortable one.

    She viewed such tasks were best left to the Dwan¡¯ari, a caste of die-hard, low-born elves who traveled across the righteous kingdom of Da¡¯Nari and spoke the ¡®Great Truth¡¯ about their people¡¯s greatness.

    Despite the jubilant atmosphere, victory did not come cleanly to the humans. Nearly a dozen men were killed, and many more had been grievously injured. Some of these wounded men wouldn¡¯t see the next light of day while many more had suffered a loss of one or more limbs.

    Now all that was left for the victors to do was to pick up the pieces, set up a watch and to clear out the dead before their rot seeped into the ground and poisoned the earth.

    <hr>

    "Despite everything turning out fairly well, I can already tell that you have something that you would like to say." Exclaimed the hoarse voice of Captain Boris before the man let out a tired cough.

    The expedition''s leader had been absent during the battle at the lake as he was needed elsewhere. He had found it necessary in the idea of ensuring that the rest of Ruined Home would be able to stand ready for the next assault upon their walls. So it was of no surprise to Velicion that the man looked deader than a reanimated corpse.

    "Ever the insightful one, aren''t you?" The sorceress replied as she leaned back in her chair before crossing her left leg over its opposite. The two of them had remained behind in the encampment''s command tent after everyone else had already left to retire for the night.

    "I try to be, especially now." The man said as he shrugged his shoulders in an exhausted manner. "Let''s hear it then."

    "Without getting into too much detail, I think that your archers were a bit too happy at the prospect of getting something to shoot at."

    "Concerned about our stock of arrows, are you?" Captain Boris said as he straightened out his back and noisily scooted his chair forward. "You don''t have anything to worry about. We still have thousands of arrows left, and the ones we can''t recover once the sun has risen again is of no real concern."

    "Those are some bold words coming from a commander whose men wasted over three-thousand arrows of a finite source." The sorceress said with a playful smile as her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth. "If I might be so rude to ask, how many arrows did your expedition bring along with you?"

    The man looked up at the tent''s ceiling as he thought back to the pages upon pages of numerous manifests that he had become so familiar with before the expedition departed the lands of his lord. Captain Boris struggled to come up with the exact number as there had been multiple occasions where entire pages had been altered, added or removed in their entirety.

    When he couldn''t think of a specific answer to give to the inquisitive elf, the man came up with a more stock answer. "Over ten thousand, I believe. Enough to get us through the next battle."

    "But will it be enough to see us through the siege in its entirety?"

    Captain Boris placed his hands behind his head and let out a tired sigh in frustration at the sorceress''s words. To him, the woman was far more paranoid than she should be, and it was starting to grate the man. Yet he couldn''t find fault with what she had to say.

    Without having to rely on the next supply train from the capital, the men under his command would have to be careful in how they used the weapons and ammunition given to them. The expedition was unable to make their own ammunition, and it was only a matter of time before the archers would completely run dry of their missiles.

    What the elven woman wanted the man to admit was that he needed to reign in his men and ensure that they took extra care in how they handled acquiring their targets.

    "I''ll concede to your point." Captain Boris said begrudgingly. "Even if your attempt at proving it was entirely asinine."

    Velicion nodded her head in thanks at the man''s self-admitted defeat.

    "With that out of the way," The human said as a yawn escaped from his mouth. "Let''s talk about that magic of yours. Despite your earlier claims, it proved to be very resourceful. I hear that you killed dozens of goblins with a single spell on multiple occasions. The morale boost from that alone is enough to give credit to your magical prowess."

    "Oh, please." The woman said with a gentle laugh as an innocent smile appeared on her face. "It''s nothing to write home about. The spells that your men saw today were nothing more than mere child''s play when compared to the horrifying capabilities that my people''s most powerful sorcerers are known for."

    Captain Boris shook his head as he next spoke. "I wouldn''t call being able to summon a storm as ''mere child''s play.'' I''ll wager that if we had more of you at our disposal than this siege would''ve been over and done with well before it even began."

    A curt laugh escaped the elf''s gentle lips as she shook her head at the man. "The spells that I know that are capable of causing harm to someone aren''t best suited for an actual battle. My expertise lies elsewhere, and it would be better for everyone here if I were to provide them a more effective means in fighting back."

    "And what would that be, exactly?" An intrigued Captain Boris asked.

    Velicion gave the man a knowing smile as she began to explain what she had in mind.

    <hr>

 Chapter 18: A Warlord and a Girl

    Thonk

    <hr>

    As rocks fell around her, a frightened Velicion gave the young girl who stood before the sorceress a dubious glare. Rocks scattered across the floor of her unusually cluttered tent as she turned and ran a dirt-stained hand across her face as she took in the idiotic words of the raven-haired teenager.

    The young girl''s face was filled with excitement, and her body exuded a bright aura of unrepentant glee as she bounced into the elven woman''s tent and declared that the young girl was ready for her to apologize in a way that only a child would find acceptable.

    "Do you want to run that by me a second time?" An agitated Velicion said as she brushed her hair behind the nape of her neck.

    Visible confusion wracked the young girls face as she leaned over towards Argonok and brought a hand to cover her lips. "Did she not hear me?" Iskra whispered to the ever-present Fireguard who looked to the girl in a manner that could only be viewed as if he was unsure if he had heard the human correctly.

    Velicion let out a deep sigh as she shook her head in disbelief. ''She''s just as bad as my daughter''s.'' The lithe elf thought to herself as the sorceress recalled the countless times that her children had deliberately ignored their mother and turn to one another to gossip about her.

    Even now, after having grown up and gone off to do their own things, they willfully ignored their mother when she tried in vain to bring them in line.

    "Of course she did, you daft girl!" Argonok''s voice boomed out from deep within the hollow center of his armor. Both of the women recoiled back in pain and covered their ears as the dwarf continued to yell. "You come in her tent, all bouncing about the place and stomp your feet on her floor. All the while you shout out some bizarre statement for the whole world to listen in on!"

    "Why are you always so loud?" Iskra replied in a voice that equaled that of the dwarf''s.

    Argonok let out his usual laugh and moved to goad the girl into an argument that slowly devolved into utter nonsense to the elven sorceress. The dwarf offered up his obnoxiously loud laugh and cruel comeback''s while the young girl shouted at the suit of armor as if she were arguing with a relative.

    Velicion could only continue to cover her ears and wince in pain as the ear-shattering voices obliterated the once peaceful quiet inside of the sorceress''s tent.

    Eventually, she had enough.

    "Quiet!" Exclaimed the elven sorceress as she weaved in a magical enchantment to force her words to become undeniable in their desires.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Iskra flinched as her body worked against the wishes of her mind. The human could only look on in confused amazement as her hands lifted off of the dwarf''s red and blue painted helm and moved down to her sides. Her arms were straight as an arrow as her knees buckled and proceeded to force the teenager to sit down.

    Argonok appeared to be unaffected by the elf''s sorcery, but he remained quiet as the Fireguard looked to the young girl as her hands cupped together and rested themselves upon her lap in a melancholic fashion.

    "Now then young lady," Velicion stated as she planted her hands over her hips. "Would you be so kind as to repeat your last statement?"

    The sorceress''s sing-song words were still rich in magic as they seeped into the vast recesses of the young human''s mind. Iskra could only watch on as her body moved at the command of the elven woman''s magic.

    "It''s like I said before," The girl''s body straightened out its back as words flowed from her mouth. A gentle hand planted itself over her ample bosom as she continued to speak. "I''m willing to let you continue our lessons so long as you apologize for your earlier transgressions towards me."

    Velicion stared at the girl with a surreal look. "You can''t be serious."

    "I am." Iskra said in a manner that only a spoiled child could give. "If you apologize then I''ll allow you the privilege of teaching me your language."

    The sorceress couldn''t help but blurt out a laugh as she released the teenager from her magic. "First of all," Velicion said between bursts of genuine laughter. "You punched me in the face. So I think we''re even with regards as to who should apologize to whom. Secondly," The elven woman stated as she motioned towards the front of her tent as she wanted the human girl to look beyond the inside of her tent. "In case you''ve missed it. We''re under siege. No one has the time to be teaching you anything."

    Velicion snapped her fingers and watched on as the young girl slumped forward before quickly reaching out to stop her body from planting itself into the ground before her.

    Iskra let out a furious breath as she narrowly avoided having her face caked in the soft earth that served as the sorceress''s floor. The teenager could only look towards the elven woman in anger as another puff of air escaped her lips.

    "Don''t act all prideful with me, young lady." Velicion called out to the teenager as she wagged a finger at the girl''s choice in expressions. "You''re lucky those breasts of yours caught your fall."

    Argonok howled with laughter as the young girl gasped in shock and moved to cover her chest with her slim arms. Iskra''s face was red with anger as she pulled away from the ground. "How dare-"

    Velicion thrusted out an arm to interrupt the human as she spoke over the banished teenager''s words. "What''s with this sudden urge for me to teach you again, anyway? Shouldn''t you be helping out around the camp?"

    Iskra looked around in confusion as she stumbled over her thoughts as to what she should say or do. She wished for nothing more than to chastise the sorceress over her insults, but something in the back of her mind stopped her from doing so.

    "That''s simple." Iskra said as she felt a smug grin creep onto her face. The sorceress looked at the girl with a peculiar look as she continued to speak. "It''s because I''m a Lady of Ranislava. We''re of a breed of our own. As such, we don''t do the work of the peasantry. Interestingly enough, there are two versions of the title of ''Lady''"

    Velicion looked at the girl with suspicion as she thought over what the teenager had just said. The sorceress could sense that, even though she had dispelled her compulsion spell from the girl in its entirety, her spell had continued to linger over the human''s mind. ''I''ll need to make sure she''s not highly susceptible to magic.'' She was at a loss as to the fact on how she was going to be able to do that without using the correct methods and tools, but the sorceress knew that she would be able to find a way.

    Beyond a few harmless pranks that she could see herself pulling on the girl, Velicion loathed the idea of seeing the young girl as nothing more than a puppet to a sinister sorcerer. If she needed to, then she would have to take extra precautions with the teenager when dealing with the unknown possibilities of a foreign magic wielder.

    With that all being said, the sorceress was suspicious that Iskra didn''t quite mean for her to declare that there were two versions of the very title she possessed. She had a vague idea of what that meant, but she wanted to goad the young girl into getting herself into trouble.

    This was something that the elven mother was all too familiar with in accomplishing.

    "Wow. Two versions." Velicion placed a hand over the side of her face as she mockingly mimicked the mannerisms of an impressed individual. "That sounds awfully confusing. Would you be a dear and explain the differences between the two? I just hope that someone of your caliber would be able to do so in a manner that''s easily understood by even the slowest of individuals."

    Argonok turned to watch the girl''s reaction as a beaming smile formed over the teenager''s face. The astounded dwarf shook his head as he quietly mumbled to himself over how easy it was for the sorceress to get the human to do as she wanted.

    Iskra appeared to be unaware of how easily she had fallen for the elven woman''s bait. "I''d be glad to!" The girl beamed with pride as she was offered the chance to explain an intricate portion of Ranislava''s high society. Pure, genuine pride was all that she felt as Iskra was finally allowed to show her expertise in all things nobility.

    The young girl had fallen for the sorceress''s bait hook, line, and sinker.

    With a giddy smile, the teenaged human took a surprised Velicion by the hand and forced the two women to sit down face to face.

    Velicion grunted as she sat down on the spine of her notebook, the crinkling pages of her notes was a sound that forced a painful reaction from her.

    "That''s great." The sorceress said as she immediately regretted what she had unleashed out of the girl.

    "So first off," An excited Iskra clapped her hands together as her voice cracked with delight. "Ranislava is a civilized kingdom that proclaims lordship over a multitude of nearby smaller, lesser nations. These nations aren''t subservient to our great motherland in a literal sense, but  it would be wise of their rulers to heed the demands of our King." Iskra pointed a finger up into the air as she continued to speak. "This is because our glorious armies defeated them during the era that we like to call, the ''Long War.'' Which wasn''t a single conflict fought over a long period of time, but multiple wars that were waged during the many years of Ranislava''s founding."

    The history lesson continued for quite some time, as it became evident to the sorceress that the young girl had mesmerized much of her homeland''s history. If not all of it in its entirety.

    Iskra had gone to great lengths to describe the founding of a particular class of people in their society, important marriages that defined portions of their history, skirmishes between rival powers both in and out of the kingdom, the importance of various holiday''s, and so forth.

    While Velicion would''ve been intrigued at the prospect of learning more about the girl''s homeland, she had found herself to be exhausted by the continual onslaught of the nonstop, rapid-fire amount of knowledge that the teenager continued to throw her way.

    The sorceress just wanted the girl to get herself in trouble, not instruct her on the finer points of Ranislavian inter-politics.

    "Iskra, please." Finally, Velicion had enough and held out a hand before letting out an exhausted sigh. "I think I''ve learned all that I can for today. Can we please go back to our original conversation? You know, the one with the differences between the two forms of Lady?"

    Embarrassed by the fact that she had gone overboard with her lesson, Iskra leaned forward as she covered her face with her hands. "I''m sorry," She mumbled between her fingers. "I get excited when I get to tell people all about Ranislava. It had gotten to the point where my brothers and sisters would try and lock me in a room when I was finished with my daily lessons."

    Velicion nodded her head as she consulted the young girl. "That''s alright; I know exactly how you feel." The sorceress was surprised to learn of the human teenager''s seemingly hidden studious nature, as she had taken the girl to be someone more interested in makeup and jewelry ¡ª not books and academics.

    "So then," Velicion motioned for the girl to continue with their original topic.

    "Right, the differences." Iskra said as she nodded her head. "As I said, there are two versions of the title of Lady. One is reserved for the nobility and is used to denote the unmarried daughter of a noble household or a noblewoman who has yet to take over a deceased family member''s land. This woman can either be the widowed spouse of a nobleman who is without a proper heir, or the daughter or sister of someone whose sole heir is the woman in question. Usually, it''s used to denote the daughter of nobility, but there have been occasions where a woman has suddenly found herself as the unexpected heir of someone''s land."

    Velicion folded her arms together as she continued to listen to the girl''s explanation. The sorceress had to admit that she found some of what the girl was saying to be of some interest, but she was unwilling to let the girl go off on another long-winded lesson of her people''s social etiquette.

    For now, she would let the teenager continue to dig her own grave.

    "The second form," Iskra held up two of her fingers to help denote the differences between the two titles. Is that the title of ''Lady'' is used to indicate a woman who has proven her herself to be worthy of the King''s praise. In doing so, she receives an honorary title which holds no real privileges or distinctions between her original social class. In short, if the woman was a peasant and she was to receive the honorary title, then she would still be a peasant.  The only thing she would be able to do is to lord over her neighbors on the fact that she had received the title."

    A sinister smile appeared on Velicion''s face as the reality of the human''s words became clear to her. So if I understand it correctly, you hold the second form of the title?"

    Iskra nodded her head proudly, unaware of where the elven woman was leading her into admitting.

    "And before you received such a title, you were stripped of your noble heritage. Never again to be allowed the powers that came with such privileges."

    "That''s right. I lost everything that was given to me upon my noble birth when I was banished from Ranislava." Iskra placed a hand over her heart as a wave of genuine depression washed over her body. "A tragedy really, but one that has come with its own hidden benefits." The raven-haired teenager''s voice rose in pitch as Iskra''s mind turned towards the unrequited love of her savior, Prince Aurelius.

    "We''ll see about that." Velicion said hesitantly as she held up a hand to stop the young girl from going on another rant. This time focused on her delusions towards the blonde-haired prince. The sorceress pointed a finger at the young girl as she continued. "So because of your banishment, you''re a peasant who holds a title with no real weight behind it."

    "Correct." Iskra said as she nodded her head.

    "And in your eyes, peasants are the lowest of the low. They can eat dirt or die out in the fields for all you care." Velicion said as she continued to force the girl into a corner.

    Once again, the young girl nodded her head as she silently watched Velicion continue with her strange spiel.

    "So by your very own admission," The sorceress held up a single finger as she delivered the fatal blow in her plan. "You''re a peasant who must do whatever it is that her betters wish of her."

    "Uh, Well-" Iskra started to say as she finally realized what the sorceress had planned for her. Unfortunately for the banished teenager, she had no chance to plead her case as the sorceress bolted straight into the air as she continued to speak.

    "Great! So then that means you can do something for me instead of being a lazy kid for once." The sorceress rummaged through the far left corner of her tent as she shifted various items around. Metal objects smashed into one another while empty glass vials clinked against their counterparts before Velicion finally found what she had set out to look for. "Here. Take these and go collect some rocks for me."

    The young girl recoiled back in fright as the sorceress tossed nearly a dozen empty wooden buckets. Most of them landed around her feet, but several of the buckets smashed into her shins, forcing the teenager to wince at the sharp impacts.

    Iskra had no time to recollect her composure before the sorceress moved to shove the buckets into the young girl''s hands.

    "Now go!" An assertive Velicion commanded as she forced the girl to stand up on her own two feet before quickly shoving the teenager out of her tent. "Don''t bother coming back here without all of those buckets being filled either. I want them all to have rocks the size of my fist."

    "Um-What?" A very confused Iskra said as the eerily bright sun blinded her for a brief moment. She turned back to look down at the deep gashes her boots had been forced to create.

    "If you''re a good girl, then I might have something for you to learn." Velicion said as she poked out her head between the flaps of her tents. "But only if I''m happy with the results of your current task, Miss Peasant."

    <hr>

    With her hands drenched in sweat and pure agonizing pain exploding out of the arms, an exhausted Iskra could only watch in despair as she flew into the air and land on her back. Thick sludge of mud splashed all around her as rocks, hidden underneath the sickening slop, scratched at her back. The girl could only curl up and watch on as a silent Argonok stepped forward and lean over the still standing bucket of rocks.

    "With that," The dwarf said as he picked up the wooden pail with casual ease. "Makes it twelve for twelve."

    Iskra frowned at the Fireguards words as she looked on and watched the dwarf play with all twelve of the buckets and the rocks they held within as if they were toys made out of cloth.

    "I made it lighter for you." An out of breath Iskra said. She was none too happy with the idea of being humiliated by her bodyguard in such a frivolous manner.

    The ''little task'' given to her by that accursed sorceress had proven to be far more of a hassle than she had initially thought. The required size of the rocks that the elven woman wished to possess were hard to come by and had proven to be more of a hassle to dig out of the ground than what the teenager had thought possible. What made the matter worse was the fact that she was making a fool out of herself every time she moved to pick up the absurdly heavy buckets.

    The only upside to her ordeal was the fact that the two of them were far enough away from the rest of the camp that Iskra had assured herself that no one would be able to watch as she flew about the place like a headless chicken.

    "That''s what they always say." Argonok said just before something snapped in his hand. One of the buckets swung out from the cluttered mess and plummeted to the ground below, spewing its contents as it did so.

    "And that makes eleven out of twelve." Iskra sneered at the dwarf as she stuck held up her chin at the dwarf''s apparent failure.

    Argonok stared at the broken pail for a good long while before turning his attention back towards the young human. "Looks like you''ll get your chance after all." He then turned and began to walk back towards the sorceress''s tent.

    With a stupefied look, Iskra shook her head and jumped up to chase after the increasingly distant dwarf. She was almost upon the stomping suit of armor when she forced herself to slow down to avoid a sudden and seemingly purposeful splash of bug-infested mud.

    "Must you always do that?" The girl asked of the dwarf as she remained a few paces back.

    Argonok turned his head to look back at the girl and offered her another stomp of his feet. Unfortunately for the playful Fireguard, his boots only managed to dirty themselves as the ground was far drier than where they had been just before.

    Iskra gave her bodyguard an unhelpful smile as she gently covered her lips with the tips of her fingers. "Looks like you''ll be having to drudge out some worms tonight. Unless you''re willing to let maggots settle in for good and make you their new home."

    The armored dwarf noisily shook his head with a sound that mirrored an annoyed breath of air. "They''re welcome to it. Maybe they can hang out with the Forge Demon that''s living in me as well. He''s been wanting me to make him some new friends for a very long time."

    Iskra stopped dead in her tracks at the mention of a demon. A look of trepidation exploded onto her face as her eyes darted left and right. "A what?"

    "Ah-" The Fireguard started to say before quickly staying quiet as he lowered his head in thought. "I don''t think the curse Zharatan gave me can properly translate what I want to say. I imagine that it''s not something that can accurately be described in your language."

    "You said that it was a demon, right?" Iskra asked nervously. She remained quiet until the dwarf finally nodded his head at what the girl had inquired about. "And you specifically said that it was a Forge Demon, right?"

    Argonok bobbed his head left and right as he thought on what he should say. Eventually he began to speak. "Well yeah, but-"

    "So then does that mean it made you? Your armor that is." The girl interrupted the dwarf before he could get any further with his explanation.

    The Fireguard could only offer up a pleasant and resounding laugh as he leaned back and pounded an open palm over his chest plate. "Only a child would ask such a question." Argonok managed to say between fits of laughter.

    "I''m not a child!" The girl protested as she puffed out her cheeks and clenched her fists as she stomped her right foot forward.

    "You may not look it, but you definitely act and think like a child." The dwarf chuckled as he continued to poke fun at the teenagers fit.

    "Well, it doesn''t matter what you think. If I say I''m not a child, then I''m not a child." Iskra said as she continued to protest the dwarf''s words.

    "Sure you are." Argonok stated as he slowly recovered from his laughter. "Otherwise you''d be huddled up in that elf woman''s tent and gossiping about all of the sex you''ve been having."

    "Wha-Uh-Uhm-Huh?" A visibly embarrassed Iskra muttered as her face became beet red. The girl managed to cover her face with her hands just in time before a groan escaped from behind her fingers. "What does that have to do with being an adult?"

    "You know what sex is, right?" Argonok asked the girl as he began to mimic a man putting his hands around a woman''s waist. The young girl could only nod her head as she did her best to ignore the dwarf''s actions. "You know, when a man forces a woman to bend over and take his d-"

    "Stop!" Iskra managed to blurt out before the dwarf could go further in his explanation. "Can we please go back to talking about demons instead?"

    The girl, embarrassed beyond belief, let out a worried groan as she waited for the dwarf to give her an answer. To Iskra, the subject of a bloodied and cruelly tortured corpse was far more preferable of a topic compared to the one they had somehow ended up on. She loathed the idea of allowing the dwarf to continue with his explanation on how a man and woman acted with one another behind closed doors. Especially now that Iskra couldn''t get the image of her naked parents out of her head.

    "What''s it to me?" Argonok finally asked to the great misfortune of the girl. "What makes you think that I shouldn''t just go ahead and teach you about the warlock and the demon?"

    "I don''t know what that means." Iskra mumbled under her breath as her face remained planted behind her hands. Unfortunately for her, the dwarf had been unable to hear what she had said.

    "Huh? Speak up!" Argonok circled his right hand in the air; forcing the buckets he held in his hands to spill the entirety of their contents. Dust and sharp bits of rock flew out in all directions as the playful Fireguard brought an open palm up to his helmet as he pushed for the young human to speak up.

    Just as the dwarf was about to get a reply from the still beet red girl, a sudden and violent shift of the earth forced the two of them to collapse onto their knees. Sounds of alarm echoed from somewhere near the front of Ruined Home as a thunderous explosion continued to rock the earth, sending large amounts of debris high into the air.

    <hr>

 Chapter 19: Goblins Dream of Fresh Meat

    Velicion held back a regretful breath of air as she slowly sunk her hands deeper into the ice-cold waters of the hastily dug scrying pool. As words of sorcerous power began to flow from her lips, hushed whispers began to reach her ears as the men around her spoke amongst one another. Some spoke about the elven woman''s magic while most appeared to be more concerned with the far more pressing matters. Namely, the fact that there were now two gaping holes in the walls of the encampment.

    These gaps could prove fatal if they weren''t dealt with in a quick and effective manner.

    "Looks like I do owe you that beer, Alexei.¡± Came a voice off to her left. ¡°Who knew that these beasts would be so smart and try to outdo us with something like tunnels."

    Velicion couldn''t quite catch what Alexei had said about his compatriots'' apparent loss of a wager as Ruined Home¡¯s true leader called out for silence.

    "Quiet down," Captain Boris''s voice boomed out across the tightly packed confines of the tent as the man raised his hands into the air to help silence the remaining few stragglers who felt they needed to say something to one another. "Gentlemen, we''ve got work to do and it¡¯s best if we get to it right away. Vladok, gather up some men and get them to build a defensive wall of pikes to help the men already there."

    The officer replied with enthusiasm and rushed off to do as ordered, the man''s shouts for men to assemble could be heard over the surprisingly loud chuckles that shortly followed the human lieutenants'' departure. As Velicion moved the spell towards one of the destroyed sections of Ruined Home''s wooden palisades, she silently wondered what the human''s had found so funny, but the sorceress didn''t care enough to find out on her own accord.

    For now, her attention was focused squarely on the men arrayed before one of the two gaps in the encampment''s lightly fortified walls.

    Within the brightly lit, crystal clear waters stood were four rows of spear-wielding men who stood in a half-circle to prevent any of the besieging forces from slipping past their lines. In front of them were large, oblong shields to help with beating back any would-be attackers. Behind the spearmen stood two rows of archers who appeared to be more relaxed than their melee counterparts, but remained alert nonetheless.

    As for any signs of an attempt to assault the freshly opened gaps, there appeared to be none. Velicion zoomed in and out of the spell as she moved back and forth between the two openings as a confused expression grew on her face. No matter how carefully she looked, there were no signs of any attempts to even approach the walls.

    Just as the seemingly bizarre choice of inaction from their enemy peaked at it''s highest point, Captain Boris knelt beside the elven woman and pointed towards a large crater beyond where the moat once was. "Looks like they didn''t know what they were doing." The man said as the tips of his fingers touched the water. The grizzled veteran pulled his hand back, and curiously rubbed his fingers together. He wanted to know what it was like to touch magically altered water and frowned as he learned that it was no different from the very water he drank from every day. "Poor bastards were either drowned, suffocated or were crushed when the tunnel collapsed on their heads."

    Velicion looked towards the human as a gentle smile appeared on her face. "Captain Boris, I didn''t take you as the kind who felt sorrow for the likes of inhuman beasts."

    Captain Boris shook his head as he looked to the elven woman. "Rest assured; I don''t feel the slightest bit of sympathy for those monsters out there. I''m just stating on how they would have died, nothing more to it than that."

    The sorceress grunted in reply to the man''s words as she returned her focus to the images that lay before them. Velicion returned the spell to the first section of wall she had combed through previously and with a lightning-quick flick of her hand forced the images to meld together in an eye-straining blur.

    Colors and shapes mixed into a singular chaotic mess as the spell launched itself forward, never slowing down until the sorceress reached out with her left hand and tightly clenched her fist.

    In an instant, the spell had stopped and slowly refocused itself.

    "Neat trick." Captain Boris said as he stood back up while crossing his arms across his chest.

    "Why, thank you." Velicion said with a smile as her eye''s remained locked on the images in front of her.

    There was nothing all that impressive with what the sorceress saw before her. To Velicion, it seemed like an ordinary orc encampment. A mishmash of poorly constructed buildings had been hastily thrown together while hordes of grey-skinned goblins weaved in and out of the spell''s vision as the hurried busybodies went about their business.

    On occasion, there were a few minor brawls and scraps that broke out over one thing or another, but oftentimes the creatures ignored such events and continued on with their miserable lives. It was only when these fights threatened to explode into something more did an orc or two move in and beat both sides bloody. A few of the goblins were left unconscious and trampled beneath the boots of their brethren as the seemingly uncaring crowd went about their business.

    "Such barbarity." Captain Boris said under his breath as he continued to watch the images before him.

    Velicion nodded her head as she silently agreed with the man''s words. Not because of how the orc''s conducted themselves out in public, as she believed to be the reasoning for the human''s distaste, but the lack of finesse and disorderly conduct in how the creatures solved their issues. When an elf of the great kingdom of Dar''Nari needed to find a solution to a problem, they would turn towards the shadow and resolve the ordeal in a manner that was quiet and away from any prying eye''s.

    To the sorceress, that was how a civilized society dealt with its problems, but the lithe elf understood that not all races saw it as such.

    For a long while, there was a quiet pause between the two individuals. The sorceress would continue to move the spell in one direction or another while the human would stand quietly at her side as his attention remained locked in whatever plan was slowly beginning to formulate in the back of his mind. On the rare occasion, the man would point out some detail or another that the sorceress had overlooked or saw as insignificant, but the two would eventually return to silence as time continued to trudge forward.

    It was only when the sorceress returned to the ruined section of the encampment''s walls did the man speak up.

    "I don''t suppose you would be able to help us in locating any more of these tunnels, would you?" Captain Boris asked as he scratched longingly at the side of his face.

    Velicion looked down and off to the side as she thought of what next to say.

    While she was aware of a few capable individuals who would be able to do as the human had asked, the sorceress was incapable of bringing their knowledge to any use. Velicion knew of a few words of power that would be needed to concoct a spell, but the correct tone of her chants, as well as the precise sorcerous phrases, were out of her reach.

    "While I am aware of a few select spells that could be of some use to us in our time of need." The sorceress chose her words carefully as she was hesitant to admit such a fact. "It would be foolish of me to say that I would know the correct incantations to produce their desired effects. At least without blowing us up in the process, or catching the forest on fire and us along with it."

    Captain Boris let out a wordless grunt as he listened to the woman speak. Throughout most of the sorceress''s explanation, the man had kept a stone-faced expression on his person.

    It was something that the elven woman disliked about the man, not because of the way he acted but because she wasn''t so used in having to deal with someone who remained so expressionlessly serious for most of their time together.

    "But you do have some idea as to what it would take in creating this spell?" Captain Boris asked as he turned to look back at the men around them. The man pointed towards an older gentleman and snapped his fingers before beckoning the officer to come forward.

    The two men whispered with one another as the sorceress spoke next. "An idea, yes, but I must warn you that these sorts of things are not where my expertise lies in. As I''ve said before, I mainly deal with enchantments and magical machinations on a much grander scale than this. While I may be able to come up with something, what I need the most is time."

    "How much time do you think you would need?" The human commander asked of the elven woman as he waved away the officer at his side.

    Velicion shrugged her shoulders as she answered almost immediately. "If I rush it, then it would only be a matter of days. If I do things right, then it could take weeks before I come up with something of use."

    Captain Boris let out another grunt before he continued to speak. "I take it that rushing things won''t get us what we want. If anything at all."

    The sorceress offered up a simple nod of her head as a means of giving the man an answer.

    "Very well," The man said as he turned to face his remaining officers. "Listen up!"

    What little conversation there was between the various men soon quieted down as everyone turned to look at their commanding officer.

    "As of right now," Captain Boris began as he raised his hands into the air. "If you aren''t assigned to any specific tasks than consider yourself as having been volunteered for what I want out of all of you."

    The man went on to explain what it was that he needed his men to do. Working in shifts, groups of workers would set out and begin to clear out the front portion of the encampment. This task would require the assembled workers to remove anything of value that stood at a reasonable distance from the front gate and push everything past the mess tent. Once that was done, then various teams would be created to help move the plan forward. In doing so, the men would begin to dig trenches, pitfalls and other numerous earthworks that would work in tandem with one another to slow down the enemy advance after they had finally breached the walls in earnest.

    The humans, elves, and dwarf would wait behind the safety of their defensive line and deplete the enemy''s forces until it became time to enter the final, brutal melee of the siege.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "That''s quite the extensive defensive live you''ve gone and made for yourself." Velicion clapped her hands once together to offer up her support for the commander''s lofty goal. "But I have to wonder just how far we would be able to get before the inevitable happens. Orcs are everything, but the patient sort. Whoever is in charge of that messy blob of muscle out there will eventually grow tired of waiting after so many setbacks."

    Captain Boris let out a low hum as he took the elven woman''s words in stride. It didn''t take long for the man to cross his arms across his chest and turn to look at the sorceress. "If we gather up every abled body this camp has to offer and work around the clock, then it''s possible we might be able to get everything done with some time to spare."

    Velicion offered the man a knowing smile as she let out a deceitful chuckle. "Every abled body?"

    Captain Boris raised an eyebrow at her words but kept quiet as he nodded his head.

    "Perfect." The woman said as her thoughts turned towards the lazy teenager that was ''Lady'' Iskra.

    <hr>

    The cadenced stomping of boots and clattering of loosely worn gear had proven to be quite the solemn lullaby to Dasher''s weary ears. The exhausted warlords'' head bobbed up and down as the musicians of his ragtag army began to sound off in earnest while the bannermen raised the black and red banners of his forces as high into the air as they could physically lift them. The standards, created out of the flayed skin and bones of their fallen enemies, fluttered happily in the breeze as the giddy forces of the Tall Lady''s Chosen marched in unison.

    Morale was said to be at an astronomical point for the goblins under his command, and an astounded Dasher, the Tall Lady''s Chosen as he was called, could see as to why that would be the case.

    A whirlwind of battles had been fought, and a tide of victory had managed to drown every one of them in the blood of their enemies. With each resounding success, their numbers had grown. The army was now at the point where many had questioned as to how large they were. There was no real way for the goblins of the roaming army to find out their exact headcount, as education was an absolute rarity in the volcanic region.

    Attempts had been made, and their efforts had failed. For now, talk of the finer points of managing an army was best left unsaid and undone. They had battles to wage and blood to spill.

    However, even when the band of former enemies and the freed drudges of their old tribes were at a zenith, that didn''t stop them from talking amongst one another.

    There were talks that the army was lost ¡ª led by the clouded mind of a crazed, delusional goblin who had hit his head one too many times. At first, such things had been left to the shadows of the encamped army. Whispered amongst the guards as they waited for night to turn into day, but when days had gone by, and the army had seen no adversaries for nearly two weeks, it was here that the whispers turned into talks full of resentment.

    There had been rumors that Dasher had grown cowardly during this time. That their estranged savior was leading them on a wild goose chase with no clear goal in mind. At first, One-Eye and the rest of Dasher''s trusted advisors had managed to calm these rumors and put things to rest, but everything came to a grinding halt when his loyal officers had eventually confronted the warlord.

    They had asked about his plans, where they were going, what they were doing, and when they were next going to fight. Dasher had watched as they were left unsatisfied with what he had said next.

    "We''re on a journey," He had claimed, in a vain hope that was enough. "To where and when I can''t say, but give me some more time, and I will happily lead us to our next battle. Our next victory."

    The officers had left displeased with their leader that night and had only spoken to him on the occasions where it was necessary. For the days that followed their seemingly mindless march since then, the army''s leadership had kept to themselves in silence.

    For the countless agonizing nights that followed, Dasher had struggled to find a solution to this newfound error in his leadership. For days on end, he would pace around the encamped army, speaking with those rare few that would let him. They had spoken of their desire to kill, to seek out the rivals of their now-defunct tribes, to slaughter their enemies and let the blood of the fallen drown the world. For each of these conversations, a somber Dasher had thanked them for their time and moved on in search of the next individual who would speak with him.

    The insatiable hunger for blood amongst his brethren wasn''t new to him. Orcs and goblins were two races that had been bred for war by the very gods that had created them. Wars were the only thing the gods of his people cared for, as death and destruction were what made them smile upon the world. Smiles that were said to give birth to untold legions of orcs and goblins that would unleash further bouts of chaos and death amongst the mortal realm.

    Dasher had even felt the insatiable hunger for conflict boil up inside of very being as they went from one battle to the next. His blood-drenched smile was a common sight after each victory.

    Eventually, the need to spill blood had forced his army to find and create an enemy that would give them a proper fight. None other than the very army whose banner they now marched under.

    At first, these fights were small brawls and only occurred at the dead of night. Dasher had chastised his advisors for their lack of discipline and ordered them to quell the unrest growing amongst the ranks. They had obliged him, but the warlord knew that time was something he didn''t have much left of. Even the smallest of rebellions against his rule would spell doom to everything that he had put the effort in creating.

    He needed to find a new enemy. One that would give pause to the rebellious thoughts growing amongst the very people he had saved.

    It was on the morning of the twelfth day on their endless march that an answer had greeted the groggy warlord. Everywhere he looked, he recognized as being close to where he had once lived before being rescued by the Tall Lady and her elven Spell Chucka.

    The distant, snow-peaked mountains loomed in the clouded horizon while the dry and rocky golden plains stretched out into the oblivion. Dasher recognized the area as being the domain of his former people, the Bonechewer tribe. His old home was led by an orc of ill-repute that had long resorted to cannibalism as a means to satiate his ever-growing hunger. Thok''rul the Starving was an orc of ghastly proportions. His flesh shined brightly with the blood and fatty grease of those he had consumed. His pustule and wart covered skin folded over itself many times over, and the rotund warlord struggled to keep himself standing under his immense weight.

    Somehow, the terrifying master of the once cowardly goblin had managed to hold on to his power. His enemies were surprisingly rare, and those he had trusted to keep order amongst his countless sacrificial meals were kept on the brink of starvation. Dasher had always wondered how the orc had done what he had done, but the goblin never bothered to seek out the answers to his questions.

    Only when the time had come time for the goblin to be sacrificed into the communal pot that Dasher had found his courage rising to the top and surprising even the most unemotional of his tribesmen. During that night, the newly risen warlord had made a fool of his former master and escaped into the night. The rest was history.

    Upon realizing as to where they were, Dasher had gathered his advisors and spoke to them in renewed vigor. "The lot of you are right to be angry with me," He began as the excited warlord stumbled over his words. "But the time has come for us to fight a new enemy. An enemy that I''m all too familiar with."

    His advisors looked to one another with looks of disbelief in their eyes as they waited for him to continue in his explanation.

    "This enemy," Dasher continued as he looked between each of his lieutenants. "Is none other than my former clan, the Bonechewer tribe." The warlord paused to see if the name would cause a reaction amongst those around him, but when none came, he continued. "There''s not much to say about them except for the fact that they are led by an orc who goes by the name of Thok''rul the Starving. He is someone who takes great pride in his weight and cannibalistic desires to eat the flesh off of the very bones of his own people. It is him that we are to set out and take the next step in the prophecy given to me by the Tall Lady. She has claimed that in order for me to return to her, I must bring with me the head of a gluttonous pig. At first, I didn''t know what to make of what she had said, and for this entire time that we had spent wandering without purpose, I can only offer up my apologies."

    It was here that One-Eye spoke up. "Warmaster," The one-eyed goblin said as he crossed his heavily scarred arms together. Dasher turned to the trusted advisor and smiled as he watched the man spit at the ground. "Just get on with it. We don''t have all day to sit here and shine the dirt at our feet."

    Laughter filled the air as Dasher obliged his subordinate''s wish and gave them what they wanted to hear. "We''ve got a days march ahead of us if we want to hurry up and give ourselves a proper fight. Get the others in marching order and tell them to steel themselves for what happens next. Thok''rul is not the sort of orc who takes those who ruin his meals lightly. We''ve got a hell of a fight ahead of us."

    Toothy grins flashed before the smiling warlord as each of his revitalized officers slammed a closed fist against their chests.

    <hr>

    "Great One! Great One!" Came the shrill and nerve-wracked voice of Gor''uk, the bone-thin lieutenant of Thok''rul the Starving. The pitiful orc nearly tripped over himself as he burst into his master''s foul-smelling abode and flung himself onto his hands and knees. The sniveling creature looked up at his belching ruler with a look of great remorse as his stomach rumbled in hunger.

    Thok''rul, the rightful master of the Bonechewer tribe, let out a displeased growl as the obese and rotund bellied orc reached out with a disease-riddled hand and plunged it into the boiling water of the nearby rusted black iron pot. Rotten flesh and puss oozing warts sizzled and popped beneath the searing hot water as the tribe''s singular lord continued to stare down at the tongue lapping creature that dared to be born as an orc.

    Thok''rul never flinched as the filth, and grease-covered warlord pulled out a well-cooked goblin leg. The ever ravenous warlord had lost the sensation of pain throughout most of his body many years ago. All thanks to the many layers of fat that now covered his body.

    A low rumble escaped from deep within the rotund orc''s many folds of flesh that made up his bloated stomach as the master of the Bonechewer''s took a deep bite out of the freshly cooked piece of meat. "Spit it out." Thok''rul said with a lustful moan. The cannibalistic warlord chewed slowly, taking extra care to savor every once of well-boiled meat that graced his tongue. The orc smacked his greasy lips together as he glared at his underfed minion as he waited for his response.

    Gor''uk''s stomach rumbled in pain at the sight of his well-fed master happily gorging himself on the remains of one of his many unfortunate tribesmen. The orc let out a wheezing cough to cover the sound of his obvious hunger, a sound that was viewed by his harsh master as a show of great disrespect towards his rule. The unfortunate messenger could only look to the ground in cowardice as he struggled to speak.

    "Gor''uk! Speak your words." The rotund warlord bellowed, annoyed by the fact that he had to repeat his commands for a second time.

    Gor''uk could only shake his to clear away the thoughts of what little scraps of food he would imagine himself eating this night; it had been so long since he last had a decent bite to eat. "The guards are reporting that unknown scouts have been spotted off in the horizon. They claim that they bear a banner that is unique to the many tribes that lay claim to our rightful holy land." Gor''uk paused as his stomach growled for a second time. With very little strength left in him, he could only flinch in terror as his imagination ran wild as to what would happen next.

    The pitiful orc pulled back in fright as something snapped and landed next to his head. "Be gracious that I''m more curious than hungry," His master''s words returned him to reality as Gor''uk opened his eyes to see a string of stubby toes just mere centimeters from his nose. The orc, who was nothing more than skin and bones, happily garbled up his master''s gracious gift: dirt and all. "Now speak up and continue."

    Thok''rul could only snarl as he watched the orc before him grovel his thanks as he noisily chewed on the scant amount of scraps that had been provided to him.

    "The guards claim that this mysterious band have set up camp just over the horizon and are happily eating their fill for the night." Gor''uk finished his tale as tears rolled down the side of his face, happily savoring what might very well be the last meal he could ever have.

    Gor''uk''s imagination ran wild as he waited for his master''s next course of action. The orc was well aware of the cruel fates that awaited those that had the misfortunate audacity to bring the wicked master of the Bonechewer tribe grave news or ill-timed reports. He could only hold back his breath as he next waited on his punishment.

    "Gor''uk," Thok''rul said as a smile crept onto his plump face. Rotten teeth and bits of hastily chewed flesh greeted the underfed fearful minion''s nervous stare. "Go and fetch me Terror. The poor thing must be begging to be let out of his pit."

    A look of horror flashed across Gor''uk''s face at his master''s mention of his trusted mount. Terror, as it had quickly became known as throughout the tribe, was an overfed and terrifying giant hog that had been kept by Thok''rul for many years. The two had been interlinked with one another when the warlord and hog were found together, brutally gorging themselves upon the rotted corpses of the animal''s mother. Ever since then, the pair had terrorized and ransacked the local area until the rotund warlord''s ascension as the rightful master of the Bonechewer tribe.

    Slowly, the boney orc rose to his feet and bowed for as long as he was physically able to. It was only when Thok''rul next spoke did the terrified orc move to do as he was ordered. "Finally," A jovial Thok''rul the Starving said as he watched the pitiful creature depart. "More flesh for me to eat."

    <hr>

 Chapter 20: On the Backs of Wargs

    Horns blared out across the wide-open plains as one after the other, the army''s musicians sounded off to signal for the army to move forward. As the bright, early morning sun slowly rose over the horizon, Dasher looked back at his forces with unadulterated pride. His men were well-disciplined and marched in unison as they assembled into the predetermined formations.

    The warband''s centerline was a ragtag mess of goblins who were armed with an assortment of weapons. Swords, knives, clubs, axes, and everything in between were all that these gang pressed soldiers had when their tribes had been absorbed into Dasher''s superior warband. Those who lacked the discipline and steeled nerves of an unrelenting fighter were gang pressed into the columns of goblins that ached for battle and craved to spill the blood of the enemy that dared to stand in their way. The goblin warlord and his advisors had seen this tactic put to good use on multiple occasions, with the rare deserter being chased down and either killed or captured for future punishment.

    Behind this ragtag group of misfits stood ranks upon ranks of archers and an allotment of reserves. Those who were decent in wielding a bow were put to use in diminishing the ranks of the newly established tribes'' enemies while at a safe distance. To ensure that the archers were secure enough to shoot at the opposing army without worry stood the army''s reserves. These were the goblins that were considered too weak, ill, or otherwise ill-suited for the deadly realities of battle. If they were needed elsewhere, then they would march out in droves to drown the enemy in a mass of flesh and sinew.

    Within the army''s flanks stood the ranks of warriors who were armed with spears. These warriors served as a deterrent for any cavalry charges that dared to rush headlong into any perceived gaps within friendly lines. These warriors were a much-needed necessity for the upcoming battle as Dasher was intimately aware of the Bonechewer tribe''s abundance of battle-ready wargs.

    Whenever the tyrannical Thok''rul desired more sacrifices that his tribe couldn''t afford to give, teams of riders were sent out to hunt down small bands of defenseless travelers, or in the rare occasion to sack the settlements of far weaker tribes, and bring back the unfortunate souls who were unlucky enough to not have died during the attacks. It was rare for the captives to survive and live within the tribe''s ranks as their numbers quickly dwindled into nothing throughout the course of a long and horrific month.

    A cold and deathly chill ran down Dasher''s spine as the goblin thought of his former master''s cannibalistic desires and the cruelty to those with whom he had ill will towards. Though he feared the fate that stood before him should his men fail and break upon his former people''s battle lines, the warlord had serious doubts as to whether or not his old master would even remember as to who he was or what he had done.

    Dasher was unaware as to whether or not the corpulent orc suffered from a lack of memory, as the goblin was but one of many faceless grunts that kept the wheels turning within the dreary day to day lifestyle of the Bonechewer tribe. Throughout his whole life, the goblin had never been privy to the musings of the plump warlord. Dasher''s only form of communication with his former leader was through those rare few individuals who were among the obese monstrosity''s most trusted lieutenants.

    The goblin''s musings about Thok'' rul the Starving were interrupted by a series of quick, musical bleats of a nearby horn. Curious as to what the reasoning was, the warlord turned towards the source of the sound and gazed upon a handful of distant warg mounted riders as they strode towards the marching army.

    Dasher was quick to realize that the approaching figures were not of his own, but those of the cannibalistic tribe.

    "One-Eye!" Dasher yelled out in a harsh voice as he looked back towards his one eyed advisor. The scarred veteran of the tribe''s many battles rode up to his commander upon his brown and black dotted warg. One-Eye offered a quiet salute as he waited patiently for his master to continue. "Have the musicians signal to Gol¡¯ruk that his men are to ride out and intercept the approaching enemy. I don''t doubt that Thok'' rul is close by, watching how we react to this first move of his. So make sure that they keep their guard up for any tricks that might come from his addled brain."

    One-Eye nodded his head and fell back towards the nearby musicians who had marched on in relative silence, blasting out the occasional musical note or two. Within a matter of seconds, a series of bleats rang throughout the army. The message was repeated throughout the army''s ranks until a different call was made to signify that Gol¡¯ruk had heard the order and was on the move.

    As Dasher watched several dozen of his riders move to intercept the approaching enemy, the warlord raised his arm and pumped a closed fist into the air. The tribe''s leader had signaled for a halt, and the musicians obliged their leader''s orders without question. Music filled the air to signal for the marching army to stand where they were.

    "Grosh," Dasher called out as he looked behind his left shoulder to the advisor in question. Grosh, who always remained close at hand, perked up at the mention of his name, and slammed a closed fist against his chest. "Have our forces get into position. If Thok'' rul has his wargs out in force, then that means the rest of his tribe isn''t that far behind."

    "At once, Warlord." Grosh said as he turned his mount and rode off to see to his leader''s command put into action.

    As Grosh''s voice could be heard hollering for the army''s ranks to get into position, Dasher turned to look back at Gol¡¯ruk and the dozens of wargs under the pack leaders'' direct command. The goblin let out a neutral grunt as he watched half a dozen of his own riders swarm around a fallen orc and tear the unfortunate rider into pieces. Elsewhere, the riders and their mounts dodged and weaved out of the violent swings of their adversaries before moving in to attempt a counter strike of their own. Some were successful in killing their opponent while others were less fortunate and pulled away before their enemy could attempt a secondary counter-attack. There were a rare few who weren''t as lucky and managed to be killed, maimed, or brutalized in one manner or another before their mount shared a similar fate.

    Dasher tried to catch a sight of Gol¡¯ruk but found it to be a fruitless endeavor within the distant chaos. The warlord wasn''t too worried about one of his lieutenants being killed in battle, as they tended to survive even the most grievous of injuries.

    An example of such tenacity came in the form of One-Eye, who rode towards the host''s leader in a hurried rush. The heavily scarred officer had remained his most capable lieutenant despite the fact that the wretched goblin had managed to lose one of his eyes along with several of his fingers.

    Dasher wouldn''t be all that surprised if he would one day see the surprisingly cheerful officer with a missing arm or leg after a lengthy battle. One-Eye had always managed to come back from the worst somehow, and for that, the warlord was more than willing to trust his army with the battle-hardened officer.

    "Warlord," One-Eye greeted his master with a hasty salute before continuing to speak. "Our picket riders have returned to report about another wave of enemy wargs heading our way. They claim that the enemy has several dozen riders barreling down upon our left flank."

    Dasher could only let out a tired sigh as he spoke to his trusted officer. "Reinforcements for the battle already at hand?" The warlord asked as he gestured towards the running battle between the countless wargs and their riders.

    As the two of them spoke, Dasher watched as half a dozen goblins and orcs fell off of their mounts and plummeted to their deaths. Throughout the chaotic scene, the goblin managed to spot a few brave souls who had been forced off of their mounts and continued the fight on foot. The warlord had serious doubts as to their survival, but that never stopped him from quietly praising those he had recognized to some degree.

    "No, I''m afraid it''s the opposite, actually." One-Eye spoke up as he shook his head. The one eyed goblin pointed towards a small, nearby mound that remained unoccupied. "The scouts are claiming that the enemy is coming from that hill''s direction and will be upon us in a matter of minutes."

    Dasher wasn''t all too pleased to hear the news of enemy reinforcements, but he understood that it something to be expected so early in the battle. While he was positive that his lines would hold against the onslaught of an enemy cavalry charge, the warlord didn''t wish for his troops to be harried by an uncontested opponent. He needed his men in the best condition they could be before Thok''  rul''s forces met with his own.

    The goblin quietly weighed his options as he brought a hand to his chin. Gol¡¯ruk wasn''t the only packmaster that he could rely on, but he was undoubtedly the most capable of those under his command. There were two others that immediately came to the warlord''s mind. One was Mug, who was a somewhat recent addition to his ranks and had a tendency to rush headlong into battle, but the pack leader was more than capable of holding out against other mounted foes. His leadership was another matter entirely.

    The second packmaster was Krump. This second pack leader was another recent addition to his ranks and was from the rival tribe of his counterpart, but that had never stopped the two from working in unison on the occasions where it was necessary. Krump was the complete opposite of his fellow compatriot and was an excellent leader even in the most chaotic of brawls, but was also a near useless coward when it came to being confronted by a more aggressive adversary.

    Dasher would need one of them to ride out and handle the approaching reinforcement while the other remained behind to protect the army''s flanks from any tricks up the Bonechewer''s sleeve. "One-Eye," The warlord called out to his one eyed lieutenant as his mind continued to wrack itself over who should stay and who should go. "Mug or Krump. Who would you pick?"

    One-Eye advisor crossed his arms as he began to think over the various pros and cons of the named pack leaders. The officer wasn''t one to intermingle with the tribe''s more dedicated warg riders, so it was tough for the one-eyed lieutenant to give a more concrete answer. "Tough to say," The goblin said as he turned to face his master. "It''s probably for the best that you send out someone who''s a little more cautious than Mug, but you also want someone who isn''t too scared to get into the thick of it."

    Dasher grunted at the officer''s musings as the one eyed goblin continued to list off a variety of things that made both of the warlord''s initial choices to be flimsy with regards to their capabilities. "One-Eye," The warlord interrupted his advisor as the one-eyed goblin continued to list a multitude of reasons as to who should and shouldn''t go. Upon hearing his master''s voice for a second time, One-Eye quieted down and allowed his commander to speak uninterrupted. "I''m going on ahead to meet with the enemy, make sure that whoever you pick to follow me is the right choice. Afterward, I want you to take command and move the army forward. I doubt that I''ll be very far behind once the battle begins in earnest."Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Before One-Eye could say another word, the tribe¡¯s strange master kicked at the side of his snow-white mount and clicked his tongue. With a sudden and vicious growl, Gore bounded forward towards the distant enemy.

    One-Eye let out a blood-curdling laugh as he watched his increasingly distant warlord disappear from his hazy vision.

    <hr>

    Gore let out a ferocious howl as the snow-white warg barreled towards the oncoming enemy. The creature''s master, not wanting to be bested by his mounts eagerness to see battle, let loose his own cry as he knocked a crudely made arrow and let loose just as the vicious creature took a great leap forward, launching the both of them into the air.

    Dasher grunted in shock as his companion landed harshly onto the ground, something that the unprepared goblin had yet to brace himself for.

    The warlord shook his head to clear away the bright stars that danced within his vision and caught the sight of his previously launched missile bury itself deep within its intended targets bulging neck. The orc slumped forward and fell to the ground ceremoniously. Its ragged corpse was soon trampled beneath the oncoming riders of the Bonechewer tribe. The unfortunate rider''s companions seemed to be unphased by the first death of their closely-knit pack, though a few rose from their saddles and raised their weapons into the air as they hollered out a wordless cry.

    With no time to spare over who to target next, Dasher quickly fired off a hail of arrows towards the rapidly approaching horde of enemies. One of the missiles found its mark and struck the chest of a goblin with a mangled arm. The miserable creature''s life was quickly extinguished as the unfortunate rider fell back and toppled to the ground in an exaggerated manner. The rest of the warlords hastily fired shots were no good as they bounced off harmlessly of those they struck or missed their targets entirely.

    With only a few feet between the two forces, both sides let loose a harrowing roar and drew their intended weapons for the oncoming onslaught. Dasher ducked beneath the mighty swing of the closest orc and continued to charge deeper into the mass of flesh and fur. With a fierce cry, the warlord swung his sword and sliced open the belly of a bone-thin orc that had been foolish enough to overextend its reach and leave itself open to attack. Blood splattered across the warlord''s arm as the blade cleaved through the goblins victim, and Dasher''s unfortunate victim let loose a shriek of pain. The warlord then turned his faithful mount towards another opponent who jabbed at the goblin with a jagged spear.

    Infuriated at the attempt on his master''s life, Gore snarled at the crudely made weapon and reached out with his long, snow-white neck. With one fell swoop, the massive warg ripped the weapon from its wielders grip and pulled the surprised orc off of its brown-furred mount. A loud crack soon followed as the rider''s neck twisted itself into an unnatural angle. The orc''s corpse crumpled into a mangled ball of flesh and bounced once into the air before being swatted away by the warg of another rider.

    With no intention of being surrounded by the enemy, Dasher tugged at Gore''s neck to draw the creature away from the brawl that would have erupted from the two wargs colliding with one another. Gore, in his bestial rage, was hesitant to obey his master, but with a few more insistent tugs on the creature''s neck, the beast''s excitement gave way to obedience, and the beast soon bounded out of the chaotic melee in giant precise leaps.

    It only took the snow-white beast a handful of precise leaps before the two were completely clear of the tightly packed mass of flesh, and Dasher could only gasp for breath as he looked back at his pursuing enemies as they swung their weapons in the air and shouted towards their cowardly enemy. On instinct, the warlord steeled his mind for what was to come and turned his mount back towards his foes.

    "Warboss!" Shouted the shrill, yet familiar voice of Krump.

    Dasher peeled out of his approach and turned to look back at the surprisingly loud voice of the friendly pack leader. "About time you and your lot showed up," The warlord stated as a handful of allied riders rushed past their supreme leader. "I was beginning to think that I would be having all of the fun today."

    Krump smiled as he drew closer to his battle weary superior. The two clasped hands and patted the other on the back as the pack leader next spoke. "Well, I can''t let you have all of the fun now, can I?" Krump joked as he nodded towards those who had rushed ahead of the two leaders. "One-Eye wants you to know that the battle has begun in full and that the right flank is mopping up the rest of the enemy''s advanced units. Once that''s done he''ll pull our boys back and give them a rest before that old boss of yours decides to send out more of his wargs."

    Curious as to how he could have missed the initial chaos that came in the early moments of a battle, Dasher turned to the distant, hazy horizon and watched as blobs of flesh, bone, and metal clashed together in a violent orgy of death. With it being such an early stage of the conflict, both sides were at a standstill as they flung themselves against the other in hopes that their adversary would be the first to falter.

    "Quite the brawl, ain''t it?" Krump said with a grin before letting out a light, sinister chuckle. "My money''s on ole One-Eye coming back with an even nastier scar, this time around."

    Dasher said nothing at the mention of his most trusted advisor''s strange survival habit, the heavily scarred and battle-hardened goblin was always one of the rare few to live out the day and return with a wound that would have spelled doom to a less hearty individual. The warlord had always wondered how One-Eye managed to come back time and time again, but he had always found the topic to be an inappropriate subject to speak openly about. Not because Dasher thought that it would have been rude to do so, but because the warlord feared that it would have jinxed his battered lieutenant and the next wound would be the one to finish him off.

    "Krump," The warlord turned to the pack leader and nodded towards the running battle between the various wargs and their riders. "Think you can handle it from here?"

    A more serious expression washed over the otherwise playful pack leader as the goblin turned to look back at the hectic battle before them. Krump clicked his tongue as he watched those under his direct command struggle to come out on top. The pack leader hesitated to speak as his right eye twitched violently.

    "Krump," Dasher said with a serious voice as he brought a hand down to the neck of his mount. The warlord patted the creature to calm the beast as a low rumble escaped from the depths of its throat, Gore was ready to get back into the fight, and it wanted to make it''s master aware of its desire to taste blood. "Krump, are you there?"

    "Yeah, I''m here." Krump sighed as he spoke, the words dripped down from his tongue as the hesitant pack leader chose his next words carefully. "And don''t worry about what''s in front of us. It may look bad right now, but I can turn this around."

    Krump turned towards his master and watched as the goblin warlord nodded his head with a serious expression on his face. "That''s good," Dasher began to pull away from the pack leader as he continued to speak. "Once you''re done here, I want you to pull back and regroup. Harass as much of the enemy you can, and be sure to whittle down their numbers before they can reach you. It''s looking like we''re in it for the long haul today."

    The pack leader nodded his head while he drew his weapon, a long spear that had been stitched together from a various amount of similar weapons that had met their untimely fate while in the heat of battle. A fate that many would soon come face to face with before the day was over. "What about you?" Krump asked of his commander while he spun the weapon in the air before planting it deeply into the ground. "Going for the snakes proverbial head again?"

    A plaque riddle grin formed over the warlord''s face as his beady eyes turned their attention to the enemy''s rear lines. Dasher knew that if his army were to gain any momentum before the tide had turned against its favor, then the warlord would need to do something about the archers that were currently raining hell upon his lines.

    "You know how it goes," Dasher said as he turned back to look at the curious pack leader for one last time. "I flail and stumble about the battlefield, making myself look as every bit of the leader everyone says I am, and that eventually leads me to my counterpart."

    Dasher motioned towards the distinct shape of Thok''rul the Starving, the very reason that they had come here in the first place. The aforementioned orc sat proudly upon the mountain-sized hog that served as his steed while the obese, cannibalistic warlord directed the flow of battle with the slow and precise movements of his hands and arms.

    "Best of luck to you then," The pack leader reached for his embedded weapon and gave it a light tug before nodding his head in acknowledgment at his commander''s intended target.

    With that, the two waved each other off and separated to bring in the next stage of the battle.

    <hr>

    As blood splattered across the bridge of Gore''s grime-covered snout, a terrible, pain-filled howl reached out and pierced the sky above as the warg''s unfortunate victim tried in vain to batter at the snow-white beasts lower jaw. The blood-stained beast let out a vicious growl as its front left paw pushed down upon the diminutive goblin''s chest as its terrified victim continued to batter at the warg''s lower jaw with closed fists. Gore ignored the goblin''s weak attempts to free itself from the torturous fate that awaited those who fell on the battlefield and looked deep into the horrified goblin''s eyes as it wrapped its blood slickened teeth around its neck. In one swift motion, the beast twisted its head and snapped the neck of the creature beneath its mighty form.

    Bone and sinew snapped apart as the blood-stained warg ripped the goblin''s head from its shoulders and tossed the decapitated head to the side. As the head bounced away into oblivion, Gore returned its attention towards the brutalized corpse of its latest victim and sunk its jaws deep into the still fresh carcass.

    Dasher clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth as the events unfolded before him. The warlord''s cruel mount had finished off countless others in a similar method ever since the duo had managed to flank Thok''rul''s rear lines. The pair had managed to route one of the handfuls of bow-wielding regiments of the Bonechewer tribe and sent over a dozen of the enemy tribes fighters to their doom. Throughout this ordeal, the two had been unhampered in their attempts to strike at the rotund orc''s army, and it had begun to unnerve the warlord with how easy it had been to scatter the enemy before him.

    Curious as to how this could have happened, Dasher strained his neck to take in the chaos of the battle around him.

    Within the two armies center lines stood a mass of bodies that clashed together in the shower of blood and gore that was often associated with the battlefield. The two sides were deadlocked in a stalemate as their battle crazed forces struck down their adversaries in droves, forcing the corpses of the fallen to be crushed beneath the boots of those they had once fought alongside a moment before.

    The flanks were at a standstill in a similar method to the center lines. Reserves were called up to strengthen areas of the battlefield that the commanders saw as a flaw to their army''s success while also ensuring that they left behind just enough men to strike at any perceived gaps within the opposing lines.

    Dasher allowed a disgruntled groan to escape the depths of his throat as he took in the sights of the battle before him. With neither side having a clear advantage over the other, the two would continue to grind one another down until there was no choice but for one of them to break and flee the field of battle. The victor would only be able to claim victory thanks to the skills of its forces and the sheer weight of bodies it had thrown into the meat grinder. The warlord would not be all that surprised if victory came for the one willing to drown the other in bodies, which was something that the warg mounted goblin wished to avoid at all costs.

    If he wished to accomplish that and win the day with as few casualties as possible, then he needed to find the master of the Bonechewer tribe and defeat the obese orc in combat.

    The issue of searching out the paunchy warlord had quickly come to an end as Dasher had quickly managed to find the corpulent orc sitting upon the oversized hog that served as his mount, far away from the turmoil of the battle. Dasher let out a pleased snort of air as a grin rose over his face; this was the sort of behavior that the goblin had grown accustomed to seeing for his former master.

    What was different, however, were the heavily armed and black iron-clad orcs that towards the warg mounted warlord in practiced unison.

    ''Well now,'' The goblin thought to himself as he caught the attention of Gore, who had continued to tear open the corpse of its latest victim. ''Those are new.''

    <hr>

 Chapter 21: The Starving and the Upstart

    Dasher kept a wide berth from the heavily armored orcs as he narrowly managed to dodge another wave of missile fire from the disciplined ranks of the Bonechewer tribe''s archers. For the warlord, it was apparent that the archers were no marksmen by any sense of the word as the warg-mounted goblin continued to weave his way out of danger with plenty of room to spare. The missiles landed harmlessly all around him as Dashers'' attention remained solely focused upon the unit of iron-clad orcs that poked and prodded at their master''s enemy with their haphazardly designed weapons.

    As Dasher continued to dodge the onslaught from his closest set of adversaries, the warlord let out a surprised grunt as an arrow had finally managed to find its mark and struck at the goblins cobbled together suit of armor. The bolt shattered and sent an explosion of shrapnel in every direction. Dasher leaned back in fright as he attempted to avoid the deadly wave of sharp bits of wood and metal that could spell his doom.

    The goblin let out a sigh of relief as the last deadly shard of wood flew behind his body. The warlord was fortunate enough to receive superficial injuries.

    Dasher''s thoughts began to turn towards bewilderment at the idea of why he had rarely seen any of his kind encase themselves in armor in a similar manner as to himself, but such thoughts were quickly put to an end when a sudden and violent thrust from a nearby spear nearly pierced the side of the goblins face. With a hard yank on his trusted companion''s neck, Dasher urged the snarling creature to distance itself from the long reach of the nearby orc''s weapons.

    "Easy now, Gore," Dasher struggled to calm the enraged warg and continued to tug at the bloodied snow-white fur. "We can''t have you charging into that mess right now unless you plan on getting the both of us killed."

    The goblin continued to struggle with a defiant Gore as the infuriated warg snapped its jaws and swiped its powerful claws at the prodding weapons of their heavily armored foes. Dasher was well aware of what would happen to the both of them were he unable to calm his friend and regain control of the fiery beast''s actions. The warlord was more than hesitant to find himself impaled upon the sharp end of a crudely made spear or halberd.

    Eventually, the warg had regained enough of its senses and retreated to a safe distance away from the black-iron clad warriors and let out an exhausted huff of air as the creature''s eyes remained locked onto the closest orc. Gore''s dirt and blood stained fur slowly rose upwards as the beasts inner instincts quietly urged the warg to disobey its master and challenge the threat head-on.

    As he let out a slow breath of air, Dasher leaned forward and patted the side of his companion''s neck. The goblin kept a watchful eye on the slow pace of the armored orcs as they continued to trudge their way towards the only real threat towards their corpulent master.

    With each step that the orcs took, Dasher forced his battle-eager mount to keep a healthy distance away from their far-reaching weapons.

    As the warg continued to oblige his master''s wishes, an exhausted Dasher scanned his immediate surroundings as he took in the battlefield around him.

    It didn''t take long for the sweat-covered goblin to find his query as the rotund and massive potbelly orc was almost impossible to miss, even in the chaos of a battle. The obese warlord flailed his arms in the air and yelled out an inaudible order towards the heavily armored orcs. This caused Thok''rul''s fattened flesh to swing wildly along with the movements of his treetrunk sized limbs as the cannibalistic master of the Bonechewer tribe attempted to attract the attention of his seemingly elite warriors.

    Curious as to what could have been the cause for his adversaries troubles, Dasher continued to scan the battlefield and noticed a change in the flow of combat.

    Where the was once a deadlocked stalemate within the center lines of the armies, there was now a change of the tides. The goblin''s forces, led by none other than Dasher''s most trusted advisor, One-Eye, were beginning to gain the upper hand and slowly forcing the enemy to retreat and restructure their lines.

    Dasher nodded his head as he finally understood the reason for his former master''s hurried looks of displeasure.

    The group of orcs that were now chasing him were supposed to have made quick work of the defiant goblin and return to the battle at hand. Instead, the slow to move group were unsuccessful in their hunt and remained away from the battlefield long enough for Dasher''s forces to gain the upper hand and slowly shift the battle in their favor.

    Dasher smiled as a plan slowly formed in the back of his mind. If all that he needed to do to help ensure victory was to keep the iron-clad orcs preoccupied and away from the battle at large, then that was exactly what he was going to do. No matter how long it would take.

    "Gore," Dasher patted the sides of the faithful warg''s neck as he prepared himself for what was to come. "Let''s get stuck in it."

    Eager to get back into the fight, an exuberant Gore rushed forward and made steady headway towards the one-time distant armored orcs. The defiant warg let out a vicious growl as it bared its yellowed fangs towards its metal-clad adversaries and took a sudden swipe at one of the more exposed members.

    The attack appeared to have no effect on the chosen target as the duo rushed out of the groups'' reach before any of them could react. For Dasher, this was more than fine for his needs. The goblin understood that so long as he remained clear on his objective, then there was no need for him to try and kill his enemies. All he needed was time, and that was what he was going to get.

    Again and again, Dasher and his trusted mount rushed in and out of their enemy''s reach. Always ensuring that they were out of harms reach before the slow-moving orcs could react.

    In and out they went. At one point, Dasher took the chance to swing his sword against the helmet of one the orc''s, but the goblin''s reward for his bravery was having his sword bounce off of the warrior''s helm, and sending the force of his strike reverberating throughout the length of his arm.

    Dasher went in for a similar strike but pulled away at the last second when the orc''s formed a defensive circle and struck out at the mounted warlord with their weapons. For his efforts, the goblin received a series of gashes and deep cuts while Gore came out of it unscathed.

    Again and again, he went, but the orcs were well protected and more than capable of fending off Dasher''s attacks. For his part, Dasher remained unwilling to brave the many opportunities that his adversaries were giving to him. The warlord was more than capable enough to realize that such chances were part of some ploy to bring him down for good.

    As Dasher circled the gathered orcs for what had felt to him to be the hundredth time, a sudden realization kicked in. There was no longer a need for him to fight these heavily armored orcs that clung to their weapons as they waited for an opportunity that might never come.

    Time was something that he needed to waste, and as Dasher looked around the bloodied field of battle, the goblin saw all that he needed to see for him to make his decision. The Gathered warriors of the Bonechewer tribe were struggling to contain the breaches in their lines, and their numbers were slowly being exhausted to the point where a handful of well-equipped warriors would no longer be the deciding factor in the battles climatic outcome.

    In the back of Dasher''s mind, the battle had already been won, and the goblin was eager to deal the killing blow in striking down the last pillar that held up the strained forces of his former master.

    With an evil grin, Dasher pulled back on his mounts fur and kicked at the beast''s hindquarters. The two turned their backs at the confused band of orcs and ran off towards the last location of where they knew Thok''rul the Starving had been spotted.

    <hr>

    Bones were shattered, and limbs were crushed as friend and foe alike were trampled beneath the earth-shattering steps of the massive hog as it made stomped its way across the battlefield. A vicious howl rang out from the beasts gaping maw as Terror; the giant hog that served as Thok''rul the Starvings faithful mount, barreled its way towards the upstart warlord that dared to question the Bonechewer''s supremacy.

    Dasher turned to look back and watched as the monstrously sized mount gored another of its master''s minions as the beast continued to carve a bloodied path as it attempted to catch up towards the snow-white warg that carried the diminutive goblin upon its back.

    Shock had overridden Dasher''s once calm expression as he watched the blood-stained beast made quick work in catching up to the pair of upstarts. The goblin had never realized how fast the mighty hog truly was until this fateful day.

    "Upstart," Snarled Thok''rul as the rotund orc finally managed to catch up to his prey. "You''ve got a lot of nerve to make me work up this much of an appetite."

    The cannibalistic master of the Bonechewer tribe slammed an open palm against his expansive belly, causing several of the diseased riddled zits to audibly pop and ooze out a sickening puss. Dasher could only hold back a retching gag as he looked down over his shoulder in disgust.

    "What''s the matter, whelp!" The diseased orc smacked his lips together, sending slimy spit into the air. "Can''t stand the sight of someone who''s had more than one meal a day?"

    Thok''rul laughed as he raised his right arm and brought down a jagged cleaver towards the still retching Dasher, but the goblin''s snow-white companion dodged it at the last second.

    Gore went wide as he separated the two dueling warlords from one another. The beast snarled out a vicious growl as he snapped his jaws at the earth-shaking steps of the giant hog as it tried to keep pace with the much quicker pair.

    As Dasher regained his composure, the warlord shook his head and spat out a ball of slimy saliva. The goblin quickly blinked away the last remnants of the foul sensation he had felt upon looking at his former master and shook his head for a final time. The warlord tightened his grip around the hilt of his weapon and urged the faithful warg to charge towards their corpulent adversaries.

    Thok''rul let out a fierce growl as he swung towards the diminutive warlord, but missed as the goblin ducked underneath the powerful swing and struck at the sides of Terror.

    Dasher allowed a wordless curse to escape his lips as he watched the powerful creature ignore the attack and moved to slam into its masters'' enemies. As Dasher urged his companion to slow its pace and avoid the oncoming collision, the goblin clicked his tongue against the back of his teeth as he realized the folly of his attack.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ''I need something else,'' The goblin thought to himself as he hastily scanned his immediate surroundings for a more effective weapon.

    Dasher''s thoughts were interrupted when the goblin ducked just in time to avoid another swing of the obese orcs cleaver. By instinct, Dasher struck out in retaliation and watched with growing despair as his strike appeared to have left the rotund orc unscathed.

    "What''s wrong, little whelp." Thok''rul snorted gleefully as he bared his yellowed and rotted out teeth. A stench of death washed over the smaller goblin as Thok''rul continued to laugh at his counterpart''s misfortune. "Unable to kill me, are you? Such a shame. Perhaps I can give you a few pointers!"

    Sparks flew into the air and metal screeched against metal as the corpulent orc struck down towards Dasher and tore into the goblin''s makeshift suit of armor.

    Dasher held his breath as pain coursed through his entire body. Blood flowed freely out of the opened wound and dyed the goblins suit of armor in a sea of red. The goblin leaned against the side of his uninjured friend, holding an open hand against the wound, and tugged onto the creature''s neck to force the warg away from the far more powerful Thok''rul.

    Gore was eager to obey the commands of its master and kept a healthy distance away from their counterparts as the pair of warlords played a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

    The warg dodged and weaved its way throughout the battlefield, avoiding a deluge opportunistic attempts on their lives. Gore continued forward, never thinking to pause in its effort to shake off their pursuers until the wargs master had demanded it to halt and return to the fray.

    "Gore," Dasher said between gritted teeth as he returned to his usual stance. The goblin looked down at his bloodied hand and let out a sigh of relief. The bleeding appeared to have stopped, and the warlord had a suspicion that the wound was superficial and not a threat to his life. "Find me something to get that bastard."

    The warg obliged the will of its master and turned towards the center lines. With bounding steps, the creature moved at a lightning-quick pace and arrived in a matter of seconds.

    Dasher wiped the sweat off of his brow as a scene of pure carnage greeted the pair''s eyes. Bodies and torn limbs were stacked on top of one another as the two armies continued to direct their dwindling numbers towards their doom.

    Battle lust and a craving for blood had befallen the two armies as friends and allies stabbed and crushed their fallen compatriots as their unlucky victims crawled their way to safety or reached out for help. Weaponless warriors used whatever they could to remain alive as their enemies tore into one another and used the bodies of the deceased to shield themselves from any would-be attackers.

    Through it all stood One-Eye, now missing the entirety of his right arm, who looked up to the sky and let loose a vicious howl as he stood over a pile of the dead.

    ''He''s going to need a new name.'' Dasher allowed a heartless chuckle to escape from his lips as the goblin shook his head at the sight of his blood-drenched advisor.

    The warlord returned his attention to the matter at hand and resumed his search for a weapon that would be enough to defeat the diseased and cannibalistic master of the Bonechewer tribe. It didn''t take long before Dasher found a suitable target.

    Standing tall amongst a ring of skewered bodies and shattered weapons was the group of armored orcs that had given the goblin so much trouble earlier on in his search for Thok''rul the Starving. Before them were an array of weapons that the warlord was eager to retrieve in his purpose of defeating the cruel despot of the Bonechewer tribe.

    Axes, swords, and spears stood high above the cesspit of bodies and churning blood, but only one managed to catch Dasher''s gaze. A simple, yet brutal spear with a metal head that was narrow near the wooden shaft of the weapon but quickly fanned out and ended with a triple-pointed blade.

    Its wielder, one of the armored orc''s, had met an untimely end at the hands of the innumerable wave of eager warriors that continued to batter themselves against the immovable force of iron-clad soldiers.

    With any luck, the warlord would be able to retrieve the weapon without hassle and return to the hunt for his evasive, corpulent query.

    As his eyes remained locked on the acquired target, Dasher leaned forward. The goblin forced his body to go as low as it could go and gripped tightly around the tufts of fur between his fingers. With a kick and a wordless command, the warlord drove his companion forward.

    The once pristine snow-white fur of the now blood-stained warg brushed against the bridge of Dasher''s nose as the beast rushed forwards into the foray. As the snarling beast moved to keep the two at a safe distance from the distracting orcs long reaching weapons, Dasher leaned to the side and held out an open hand.

    As something collided with the palm of his hand, Dasher held back his breath and clenched his fist tightly shut. A sickening rip reached his ears as something tugged onto his body, but the cackling goblin remained ever steady as he looked down at his newly acquired weapon.

    Clumps of blood-stained dirt and ragged pieces of flesh fell off of the triple-pointed blade as Dasher gave one final look at the chaotic scene behind him. Two more of the heavily armored orcs had fallen beneath the unstoppable onslaught before them and remained motionless as a tidal wave of grey-skinned maniacs stabbed and tore into their still-warm bodies.

    The breach that the Bonechewer tribe had so desperately sought to keep closed would become an unstoppable momentum, and once the final nail had been driven into place, the battle would see its inevitable end.

    <hr>

    At last, the battle had reached its zenith as Dasher''s loyal soldiers had finally managed to break through the Bonechewer tribe''s centerline. Lost in their desires to spill the blood of their enemy and to avenge their fallen brethren, the soon-to-be victorious army poured through the ever-widening gaps of their enemy''s formations and drowned the defeated army''s forces in a tidal wave of bloodied bodies and broken weapons.

    Each death caused by the hands of the gleeful victors caused an avalanche of frightened warriors to drop their weapons and flee the battlefield. Such actions only served to strengthen the resolve of the victorious army as they chased after the deserters and brought them down in a whirlwind of swords, spears, and axes.

    Dasher had been forced to halt his search for the surprisingly quick-footed Thok''rul the Starving as a wall of flesh and metal slammed against him and his trusted companion. The warlord struggled to remain upright as the wave of bodies poured past the surrounded duo as arms, hands, legs, and feet struck out at anything close by to avoid being dragged under and trampled.

    Desperate hands reached out to grab hold of the warlords'' legs as they tried to pull the goblin off of his mount in an attempt to pull themselves to safety, but an angered Dasher struck out at those who dared to bring a single ounce of flesh near him.

    Gore let out a fierce growl and swiped down at any who dared to bring themselves close to the beast and its master, forcing the wave of bodies to seek safety elsewhere as a ring of emptiness formed around the bloodied pair.

    With nowhere else for the two of them to go, Dasher stood up onto his companions back and brought a hand over his eyes as he searched for any sign of his cannibalistic counterpart. At first, the goblin caught no sight of the difficult to find orc, but as Dasher forced himself to stand on his tiptoes over the wargs sturdy back, the goblin made out the distinctive shape of the corpulent Thok''rul the Starving.

    The once fearful and powerful orc chieftain was fleeing the battlefield atop of his boulder-sized mount.

    The goblin let out a disgusted snarl of his fleeing adversary as he quickly sat back down and steadied himself over the top of Gore''s back.

    "Gore!" Dasher yelled out as he nudged the creature towards the direction of their long sought after target.

    With no other commands needed, the snow-white warg set out to chase after the obese orc and the mountainous hog that served as his seat of power.

    Like a whirlwind, the two trampled, slashed, and jabbed at the unfortunate masses that found themselves in the direct path of the enraged warg, and its defiant rider as the pair quickly caught up to the rotund orc.

    "Thok''rul!" Dasher''s voice echoed across the distance as he kicked at the hind legs of his mount to help urge the tired yet ever-persistent warg forward. If the warlord were to lose his former master now, then Dasher had doubts as to when he would be able to next meet with the corpulent orc again.

    Thok''rul slowed his bestial mount and turned to look back at the upstart of a goblin that had ruined everything for him. The last of the orc''s remaining up-armored bodyguards succumbed to their wounds and fell to their knees. An audible pop reached Dasher''s ears as his counterparts'' giant hog stepped forward and brought down a gore riddled hoof onto the now dead orcs head.

    "Upstart! Thok''rul snorted as more metallic pops rang out into the cold, spring air. The orcs'' giant of a mount copied it''s master''s gesture as it shook the dust off of its body. The obese orc''s body jiggled in unison with the hog''s movements, causing the warlords'' rotten flesh and pustule bulbs to pop. Ichor oozed down the cannibalistic warlord''s flesh as he raised his arms into the air as a final sign of challenge.

    "You think that you have won, but it is I that will be the true victor in all of this. With you dead and your head boiling in my pot, I will lay claim over your disgraceful army and forge a new tribe into existence."

    With no more words needing to be spoken between the two warlords, Thok''rul the Starving brought his right leg forward and gave the side of the massive hogs equally impressive head a slow but powerful kick.

    An angered Terror rolled its head to the left-handed side as it scrunched up its nose and let out a powerful snort, a hazy cloud of snot and mucus flew from its nostrils as the beast reached out with its right leg and stomped onto the ground. Dirt was violently thrown behind the mighty beast as the mountainous hog lunged forward in a blink of an eye.

    With the corpulent duo coming towards them at a frightening rate, Dasher leaned forward and gave his companion a gentle pat on the neck. "Give me everything you''ve got." The goblin warlord said as he straightened out his back and readied the bloodied spear in his hand.

    Gore licked its snout as it lowered itself and made ready to charge at the oncoming enemy. With a powerful kick of its legs, the snow-white warg lunged towards the pairs fleshy adversaries.

    It would only take but a few blinks for the two warlords to be upon one another and a split second for them to make that last, fateful blow to end the battle for good.

    With the first blink, the orc and the goblin brought their weapons at the ready and aimed at where they believed their opponent would be.

    On the second blink, the two warlords were still a healthy distance away from one another. Dasher lowered his body, keeping his weapon pointed towards the heart of his enemy. Thok''rul swung his sword wildly in the air before lowering it to where the obese warlord believed to be where that cursed white wargs'' head would be.

    It was on the third blink that Dasher acted with complete disregard for his wellbeing.

    In one swift motion, the goblin shot himself up into the air and landed his feet onto the back of his trusted companion. "Gore," Dasher yelled out towards the snow-white beast as he raised his weapon above his head. "Turn and run!"

    With that, Dasher jumped into the air.

    Thok''rul the Starving watched on with a dumb look upon his face as the tip of the accursed goblins spear blocked out the light of the dwindling sun. His mind screamed at him to move his body in reaction towards the threat upon his life, but his meaty arms remained motionless as the metallic weapon plunged into his eye. Blood and fatty puss exploded out of the wound as the rotund orc let out a silent cry of pain.

    Thok''rul''s life was quick to be extinguished as blood and bone shot out of the back of the unfortunate orcs'' head. Hoping that he would be able to dismount the deceased warlord from his mobile throne, Dasher brought his feet out and kicked at the chest of the corpulent orc as the victorious goblin landed hard against the jiggling flesh of the obese orc''s chest. Such an action did little towards what Dasher had initially hoped for, and the two warlords remained still as the still charging Terror continued forward, unconcerned with the fateful end of its longtime master.

    Dasher tugged at the weapon in hopes to free it from its fleshy prison, but the blood coated shaft wouldn''t budge even as the goblin pulled on the weapon with all of his might. Unsure of what else there was for him to do, Dasher looked down towards the hooved feet of the still moving hog and steadied his nerves. The goblin was astonished by how fast such a massive creature could move.

    The goblin took a deep breath and readied himself for what was to come next. With a victorious yell, Dasher jumped off of the wobbling flesh of the now dead orc and braced for impact.

    Something cracked as Dasher rolled onto the ground, and the goblin let out a cry of pain as his body continued to bounce and roll over the hardened ground. It wasn''t until the world before him had stopped spinning did the victorious warlord see what was happening.

    Over his right shoulder, Dasher could see the mountainous beast of a hog slowly vanishing over the horizon. It''s now dead master remained upright upon its back as the towering creature gradually shrunk out of sight.

    To his left were the familiar figures of One-Eye and Gore as they rushed forward to help their fallen leader. One-Eye had begun to yell something towards the still woozy Dasher, but the dazed warlord was perfectly alright with not being able to understand what his trusted advisor was trying to say.

    For now, Dasher was perfectly content to let his body fall backward onto the dry, hard ground and let the pain of his injuries wash over his senses.

    As consciousness slowly faded from his mind, a jubilant Dasher allowed a smile to stretch across his face. The sing-song tune of happy laughter filled the goblin''s ears as darkness overtook his mind.

    <hr>

 Chapter 22: Talks of the Future

    A heavily scratched up and mud drenched Iskra let out an animalistic groan as she plummeted down onto the disheveled bedroll. "Ow," The young girl let out with an exhausted moan as she slowly dragged her limbs along the ground. Iskra struggled to roll over onto her side but eventually gave up once she realized the futility in forcing her tired body to do as what her burned-out mind wanted. "Why does my body hurt so much?" She whined as she slowly turned her head towards an unconcerned Velicion whose sole interest lay with the dusty and misshapen rock that the elven sorceress held within her hand.

    Velicion let out a quizzical hum after she had realized that the human teenager had been staring at her for the last several minutes. "I''m sorry," The sorceress said with a sympathetic tone in her voice as she looked down at the ruined mess of a girl. "Your what hurts?"

    "My body!" To bring emphasis to her point, Iskra made a sincere attempt at forcing her arms to rise into the air. Her slender and mud-covered arms shook violently as her elbows struggled to move an inch above the ground. With a heavy breath, the young girl dropped her arms and looked back towards the elven woman with absolute misery in her eyes.

    "I see. Well," Velicion tapped a finger against the bottom of her chin as she continued to look down at the mess of a girl that had managed to sprawl herself out in an unladylike pose. The current state of the young girl was worlds apart from when the sorceress had first met the raven-haired teenager. "I''ve heard that if you are to push your body past its physical limits, then your muscles will begin to break down. After a while, your body would have rebuilt itself with stronger muscles. The pain you''re feeling now is a sign that your body is on the first step of the long road in getting a stronger and muscular body." To emphasize what she had meant, Velicion flexed out her left arm and slapped an open palm over her nearly nonexistent biceps. The sorceress knew that she wasn''t the perfect example to use in her explanation, but the intent in her message was as clear as day regardless of that fact.

    Disgusted by what the older woman had implied, Iskra scrunched up her face and let out a nauseated grunt. "That''s disgusting, Velicion. I''m not a man."

    The sorceress silently nodded her head as she gave Iskra a false smile, pretending to sympathize with what the raven-haired girl had said. Velicion had found herself to have grown accustomed to the teenaged human''s complaints by now, as the two women were now roommates in the otherwise tightly packed tent.

    It wasn''t by the sorceress''s choice either, but when Iskra had barged into her personal tent and complained to the older woman that the encampments leader had confiscated the young girl''s very own tent in the name of the King. Velicion had little choice but to offer the teenager a place to stay. Especially once Iskra had balked at the sorceress''s suggestion of bunking with one of the handful of female camp followers that had followed the expedition into Voldigrov.

    The argument as to whether or not the young girl should stay with someone of her own race had continued for several more days after that, but it had reached a boiling point once the sorceress had reached her wits-end when Iskra had suggested that she should stay with the blond-haired prince. Alarm bells had rung in the back of the conservative-minded concubines head once Velicion had realized that the young girl was serious, and the sorceress quickly relented and allowed Iskra to stay with her for however long she wished to remain.

    The mere thought of having two young teenagers share a tent with one another in the prime of their lives was enough to throw herself at the girls'' mercy and beg her to stay.

    For Velicion, her fears weren''t directed at any immoral or harmful actions from Prince Aurelius as she knew that the boy was unable to go a single conversation without awkwardly stuttering at even the homeliest of female servants. Instead, her fears were towards the unknowable and potentially dangerous desires of the headstrong teenaged human girl. Velicion was of the mindset that if Iskra were to be along with the poor boy for a lengthy period, then the teenaged girl would be able to strongarm the young prince into situations that would spell disaster for their marriage prospects.

    The last thing that the sorceress needed to worry about was two sexually active teenagers in the middle of a besieged encampment.

    "What''s more," Iskra said as she let out an exhausted, pain-filled groan as she finally managed to push her body onto its side. Flakes of dried mud and rotted twigs plummeted off of her bountiful curves as she ran a tired arm over her face to clear out the beads of sweat that had fallen into her eyes. Her actions appeared to have had the opposite effect of what the young girl wished for as the pitiful looking teenager let out an undignified whine of pain. "I need to clean off this filth."

    Velicion let out a wordless sound of agreement as she returned her attention towards the dusty rock that lay before her coiled up legs. There was much work still left to be done to the fist-sized rock, and the sorceress was dissatisfied with how the magical runes had turned out. If she wished to show off her work to the expedition''s leader and represent her case to the grey-haired human, then Velicion needed to ensure that her work was of the highest quality she could muster. Perfection wasn''t required, but it was still good to be as near perfect as imaginable.

    "Velicion, are you listening?" Iskra scratched at her lower legs as she watched the elven woman continue forward with her work. When the sorceress said nothing and continued to chip away at the dust-covered rock, the short-haired girl began to pout and lazily move her arms around in a vain hope of grabbing the older woman''s attention.

    At first, the sorceress was successful in her attempts to ignore the teenagers'' cries for attention, but as time went on the girl''s voice grew more and more hoarse and the experienced mother''s patience was fractured when the teenager had somehow managed to find the energy to make her way towards the sorceress'' side.

    "By the Gods, Iskra." Velicion sighed as she set down her current project for the second time since the teenager''s return. "Sometimes I wonder about you."

    Iskra said nothing as she looked to the sorceress with a curious gaze, which only forced the elven woman to lower her shoulders in defeat and look to the girl with remorse.

    "Just tell me what you want." The elf said as she rubbed at the sides of her face.

    "Can you conjure up some of that magic water we use?" Iskra begged as she clasped her hands in front of her face. The young girl was eager to cleanse her body of the annoyingly scratchy filth that had managed to cake itself around a large portion of her body.

    Velicion raised an eyebrow at the girl''s request. Ever since the events at the nearby lake, water had become a vital commodity and was under a strict regime of rationing. Throughout her stay within Ruined Home, Iskra had grown accustomed to daily bathes with fresh water that had been fetched from the nearby lake, but ever since that battle''s end, the camp''s inhabitants had grown weary of the water''s purity. Most refused to drink from the once-reliable source of a freshwater, and many even refused to use the water as a way to keep clean. Iskra had been one such individual and refused to even look towards the lake.

    At first, Velicion was content with allowing the girl to go on with her life, even if the teenager was a constant annoyance in her complaints towards her faltering hygiene, but that all came to a crashing end when the buxom human girl had begun to stink up their shared tent.

    Seeing as she had no other option, the sorceress marched towards Prince Aurelius'' tent and forced the young boy to grab two pails of water from the lake. Once the blonde-haired teenager had returned from his assigned task, Velicion returned to Iskra and persuaded the smelly girl that she had conjured up two buckets of magical water that would cure her current predicament.

    Ever since then, the two women had washed one another in their tent without the worry of onlookers or stray missile fire from the enemy''s catapults.

    "I don''t know," Velicion said after her mind returned to the present. "It''s late, and I don''t have the energy to do much of anything at the moment. Plus it''s dark, and I need sunlight to be able to cast the required rituals."

    The sorceress placed her hopes on the idea that Iskra would be willing to forgo just a single night of bathing, something that the teenager had made it her mission to do at least once on a daily basis. The genuine possibility that such an idea wouldn''t come to pass was a heavy presence in the back of Velicion''s mind, however.

    Velicion held her breath as she watched the girl''s emerald green eyes flicker around the tent as the mud-caked teenager wracked her brain with what she should do. Eventually, Iskra pursed her lips before letting out a heavy sigh of defeat.

    "Fine," Both women lowered their shoulders as Iskra gave her answer. Velicion was relieved to hear the young girls'' words, whereas the teenager had resigned herself to a nights slumber drenched in sweat and caked in mud. Something that she believed a woman of her social status must never allow to happen. "But can you at least tell me more about these potions?"

    Iskra turned her head towards an unopened crate that had been marked with the symbol of a horse''s head drinking from a pool of water. The crate in question was something that the young girl was all too familiar with as Iskra had somehow managed to stumble and trip over the wooden container when the raven-haired girl had first barged into the sorceress''s tent upon her heated exchange with the expeditions'' leader.

    The young girl had received a nasty bruise from her fall, and Velicion had felt upset that she was to blame for the girl''s injury. As well as the fact that she hadn''t been wise enough to place the crate in an area of her tent where someone wouldn''t notice it in the first place.

    She had been careless, and for that, the sorceress had no one to blame but herself.

    "You said that you had them delivered, right? How did you do that?" Iskra returned her attention to the elven woman who tried her best to remain calm under the curious gaze of the young girl.

    "Well," Velicion paused as she struggled on how to best explain how she came into possession of the crate. "I asked a friend of mine to send over an assortment of spare potions he had lying around his laboratory. So we conducted a teleportation ritual, and he sent over that crate there."

    "Are they magic potions? How do you make them? What did you have to do to get them here?" The young girl shot out her questions in rapid succession at the mention of magic, something that she had never seen before until her arrival into Voldigrov.

    "Yes, they''re magical potions." Velicion let out a disgruntled sigh as she looked down at her side as the young girl''s eyes lit up with childish delight. The sorceress realized that she should''ve been much more careful in her earlier explanation as she was now doomed to answer questions that even the smallest of children should''ve been well aware of.

    "I''m not exactly sure on the finer points of how they''re made, but you need to have a combination of mundane ingredients mixed in with magical components in order to create a potion." The sorceress went on to explain as she returned her attention towards the dust-covered rock that lay near her folded legs. "Potions aren''t my specialty, and I don''t find the process in which they are created to be very exciting. So I''m not someone who would be able to give you a fair answer. Now, as to the teleportation aspect, that''s something that I can do."

    The sorceress forced herself to pause and look towards Iskra, who stared at the elven woman with someone of pure, child-like glee. The young girl was fascinated by the magic that Velicion wielded, and she was eager to learn more about it. The only issue there was, was the question as to whether or not the teenaged girl would be willing to sit through an entire lecture on the finer points of the countless arcane leylines scattered throughout the world as well as the ancient and mystical language used to wield the sorcerous powers that could be derived from it.

    "Would you even be interested in what I have to say about it?" Velicion asked as she referred back towards the teleportation ritual. "It''s a long and complicated explanation, and I''ve been told that I tend to bore people with the minute details in how things work."

    "Maybe," Iskra said reluctantly as she let out a powerful yawn. "I don''t think I would be able to hear the whole thing."

    Velicion nodded her head as she believed that the girl had a fair point. After a brief moment of quiet, the two women separated themselves from one another.

    Iskra returned to her bedroll and became a victim of her body''s desires as she plummeted to the ground in an unceremonious fashion. It only took the young girl a matter of seconds before she fell into a deep slumber.

    Velicion waited for a few more moments before she returned her undivided attention towards the unfinished work that lay before her.

    <hr>

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    devices. Grenades, as you call them."

    <hr>

    With a heavy breath, Captain Boris placed his hands behind his head. The expeditionary leader leaned back into his chair as he looked down at the sorceress with an uncertain, peculiar gaze.

    For the sorceress, it was obvious that the man was unsure of how she would react to what he was about to say.

    "I''ve seen that face plenty of times before," Velicion spoke up as her impatience towards the man''s unwillingness to speak eventually proved to be too much. "Speak your mind or forever hold your tongue."

    "Very well then," Captain Boris nodded his head as he still showed signs of unease towards the approaching matter. He just hoped that his bluntness towards the issue wouldn''t cause too much trouble for the sorceress. "I want to ask you what you think might happen after this is all over. With the potential of the siege being lifted and the day having been won, I mean."

    With her arms sitting patiently over her lap, Velicion continued to sit in silence as the man continued to speak his mind. The man hadn''t even begun to explain his thoughts in greater detail, but the sorceress was well aware of what the man wanted to ask of her. The only real issue for her would be to find a way to decline his offer in a manner that was polite enough to cause no ill will to one another.

    "I''ll be honest and say that I don''t know the exact situation surrounding you or the group of boys that are currently under your care," Captain Boris did his best in how he wished to explain his thought process, but all he got for it was a polite nod of the woman''s head. "But I wanted to extend a hand of friendship and ask if any of your group would wish to come south and settle in Ranislava. Once all is said and done with."

    "That''s quite the interesting offer you''ve made." Velicion said after a momentary pause, trying her best to sound as polite as possible. Unfortunately for the human, Velicion was more than happy with the life she had at home, and she wasn''t the least bit interested in what the human had to offer. That didn''t mean that she wished to hear more of what the man had to say, however. "Let''s say that I''m interested in hearing more about your offer. What would happen to those who accept it in good faith?"

    Captain Boris placed a hand over his chin as he quickly thought of what next to say. He just hoped that he had the capabilities of crafting his words in a manner that would be able to appeal to the, so far, disinterested elven woman. "It''s tough to say," His words brought a note of displeasure from the sorceress who folded her arms over her slender chest, discontent with the man''s current explanation. "But I would imagine that someone of your caliber would be brought forth to our King and given a title and a plot of land. I wouldn''t be surprised if he wishes for you to pick a select number of noble children and teach them in the ways of your sorcerous powers."

    "So I''m to be a glorified instructor to a questionable number of apprentices? One''s that might not be able to wield the arcane powers of our world?" Velicion raised an eyebrow as she prodded the man to speak further on his visions of the future. "No attempts to seek out a suitor for me, a mysterious woman with mystical powers never seen before in the realm?"

    Captain Boris shifted uncomfortably in his seat before he moved to answer the elf''s concerns. "As I understand it, you''re a married woman. Are you not?" Captain Boris waited in silence for the elven woman to nod her head before continuing with his response. "Our current King is a fair and just one. His family has reigned over the lands with righteous hearts well before the unification of our people, and I can assure you that he would be made well aware of your marriage before anything else was to occur. The various houses are another matter entirely, but they are quick to obey the commands of our King. A few of them might try and push their luck, but I can assure you that their actions would be dealt with in a swift enough manner by the households who the King holds in high regard."

    "I see," Velicion looked down at her fingernails and poked at their ends for a brief moment before finally turning towards the other half of the conversation. The children that she had managed to keep alive and healthy ever since they had first set out. "What about the children? What would be their fates?"

    "That''s tough to say," Captain Boris fell silent as he struggled to come up with a reasonable situation in which the teenaged elves would be treated as anything other than highly sought after marriage tokens. It was his understanding that ever since their arrival to the encampment, the teenaged elves were constantly under the sorceress''s hawk-like gaze. It quickly became apparent that the elven woman had made it her mission to quell any unruliness from the group of boys. Even the abrasive young Iskra had been placed under the sorceress''s watchful eyes. Something that Captain Boris had been somewhat surprised to learn when the elves had first settled into Ruined Home. "Those who would wish to stay will most likely be swamped in requests for marriage. I''ll be honest and say that I don''t really know how old the boys are under your care, but they all appear to be similar in age to Iskra. If any of them are at the age of sixteen years or older, then they''re free to pick and choose a suitable wife. I would even go so far as to say that a few families might be willing to allow them to take on their daughters as lovers, so long as children are produced for the respective families to take in and tutor."

    Disgusted by the prospect of the young men''s futures, Velicion rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. ''Mere breeding stock for foreign nobility.'' The sorceress venomously thought to herself as she crossed her legs over one another. The elven mother balked at the idea of condemning the lives of those placed under her care to be nothing more than cattle for a foreign realms upper society to collect and show off. As if they were but mere trophies to be gathered and placed within a treasure room.

    "I''m sure that a few of the boys would be eager to have such an easy life waiting for them," The sorceress said as she looked towards the expedition''s commander with a hard stare. "But I''m also positive that their families will be more than displeased as to the true nature of their sons'' fates. While a few might be unconcerned with their overall fate at your people''s whims, one would have to wonder just how many would balk at the prospect of one of their own being treated as nothing more than mere cattle."

    "Cattle might be a bit-" The human commander''s words were interrupted by the stern tone of the sorceress who continued to spin her cautionary tale.

    Velicion would be hard-pressed to find herself interrupted by the human''s attempts to quell the sorceress''s harsh words.

    "There''s nothing scarier than facing down against a Dar''Nari warhost that is being led a unified front of our people''s nobility. Especially when such an army is led by the Arch-Mistress of the great and rightful King of the elves." Velicion paused as she allowed the meaning of her words to take effect. Satisfied that she had the undivided attention of the human, the sorceress continued. "I know you mean no ill will towards the children, but allow me to give you a word of advice. Over the years, the Arch-Mistress has had misfortune befall several of her sons, and ever since Prince Aurelius'' birth; she has been very protective of the boy. If word were to reach her that her most cherished child has been reduced to nothing more than mere cattle to the likes of a human kingdom then-"

    "Yes. Thank you, I understand with what you''re trying to say." Captain Boris let out in a sigh as he held out an open hand, forcing the elven woman to pause midsentence as the grizzled human was eventually able to interrupt her dire warning. "I won''t bring up this topic again. To you or anyone else."

    Velicion nodded her head as she let out a grateful sigh, satisfied that the expeditionary leader had been scared off in approaching the subject for a second time.

    An awkward silence soon followed as the two individuals remained seated, unwilling to be the first to be the one to next speak up.

    Eventually, it was Velicion who broke the silence as she leaned forward and planted an elbow over her leg as an open palm cupped itself underneath her chin.

    "What of the girl," The sorceress asked about Iskra as she looked to the man with a quick glance. "The one who probably started this whole ordeal in the first place."

    That''s," Captain Boris shifted uncomfortably in his seat as a grimace appeared over his face. "Another touchy subject. While it''s true that she was an abrasive child, her last stunt within Ranislava has left her with too many enemies to count."

    Velicion let out a disgruntled sigh as her eyes followed the man''s movements. "Something about a murder, correct?"

    "Attempted murder, actually." Captain Boris ran a finger over the right side of his face. "The scar that Iskra left on her victim refuses to heal, and the scarred child has since refused to remove the veil that covers her face ever since. There are rumors that the blade she used was cursed by the gods, but despite such talk, the peasantry has fallen in love with the Crown Prince''s new betrothed."

    Velicion gave the man a curious eye at the mention of a cursed weapon. "I was under the impression that your people have no magicians. If the rumors are true and the weapon is cursed, then where in the world did she get it from?"

    Captain Boris shook his head as he threw up his hands into the air and shrugged his shoulders. "The girl says that she prayed for an answer to her dilemma and that she found it somewhere in her room one morning. The rest is history."

    "So she''s claiming that her attempt at the murder was at the beckoning of some divine entity?"

    "I wouldn''t go that far but," Captain Boris shook his head as he continued to explain the young girl''s situation. "The servants who took care of the girl have backed up her claim and have since confirmed that she was praying for an answer. I don''t know if Duke Vesely has taken it into consideration that he needs to investigate the possibility of one of his family''s servants planting the weapon or not.¡±

    "Interesting." For Velicion, that single statement had been a genuine and heartfelt one. The very idea that a weapon a potentially magical origin had somehow come into the possession of a young girl who lived within a land with no known users of the arcane had peaked a rare inquisitive desire within the back of sorceress''s mind.

    The matter of investigating the plethora of theories that were now forming in the sorceress''s head would have to wait until after the issue of the siege had been dealt with, and everything had returned to a relative state of calm.

    "Her criminal history aside," Velicion was quick to return to the matter at hand. The sorceress was curious to find out what would become of the buxom teenager were she to return south. "What would happen to Iskra if she were to return?"

    "Officially, her conviction would be overturned, but her status would remain as it is now." Captain Boris began to explain as he thought back to the conversations with his liege. "However, I doubt that those upset over her actions would remain silent for long. Especially if it comes to light that the girl has returned to her family without some form of additional punishment."

    "Punishment in the form of bodily harm, I take it?" Velicion suggested as she grew uncomfortable with the potential of an uncertain future for the teenaged human.

    "I don¡¯t doubt that some would make a case for it. Some might even go so far as to pressure the King and demand an execution, lest they plot to kidnap the girl and do it themselves." Captain Boris''s dark words were filled with a grim dissatisfaction towards such a possible future.

    If the lesser nobility were to attempt such a thing, then he had no doubts that Duke Vesely and his allies would begin to arm themselves and tear the kingdom asunder.

    "How common is it for your nobility to attempt something like that?" Velicion asked as she tried in vain to hold back the anger in her voice.

    "Plots against other households of a similarly brutal fashion have been unheard of for a long, long time. That being said, I''m sure that the victim''s family would be desperate to seek out further vengeance against the girl. As for whether or not they''ll go so far and plot to kill a daughter of the kingdom''s third most powerful family that remains to be seen."

    "And of Iskra''s family? What will they do?" Velicion asked as the of the teenager''s family came about. The young girl''s family was a mystery to her, and she wished to know more about them if the sorcerous was to settle on a decision as to what she should do with the raven-haired teenager.

    "Marry her off, most likely." Captain Boris offered a wave of his hand as he gave the best answer he could think of. "It''s more than likely that the girl''s mother would want to keep her safe, so I wouldn''t be surprised if House Vesely would try and cement another alliance with a similarly powerful, but foreign, family with the young girl''s hand in marriage."

    "Typical, I guess." The sorceress said at the mention of her family having the young girl shipped off to a foreign land.

    As a mother, Velicion had grown used to having her children find themselves married to powerful elven households in distant holdings, but that never meant that the sorceress was the sort to like it one bit. She would have preferred that her children remained close at hand so that she didn''t need to travel vast distances just to see her children and grandchildren. While magic made such journey''s a trivial matter, the point of her misgivings was still very much alive and well.

    The lithe sorceress was curious as to what kind of woman the girl''s mother was, and she wondered if there was a possibility for the two of them to meet. At the end of the day, Velicion wanted to slap the human mother''s face as a way to show her displeasure in not properly disciplining the upstart teenaged girl.

    "If worse comes to worst," Velicion began to say as her mind returned to the plethora of fates that awaited the raven-haired girl. "I can take Iskra out of your people''s hands. While I''m sure your King and the girl''s family will be able to manage anything that happens, I''d rather see the girl in an environment that has the potential to be much safer."

    Captain Boris let out a grunt as he crossed his arms. The man was deep in thought over what the sorceress had said, which forced the man to remain quiet as the sorceress gave him an eerily pleasant smile.

    Captain Boris let out a grunt as he crossed his arms. The man was deep in thought over what the sorceress had said, which forced the man to remain quiet as the sorceress gave him an eerily pleasant smile.

    While it was true that Velicion wished for the girl to remain safe and live in an environment that would give her a better future than the one that she currently faced, the sorceress couldn''t deny the fact that she wanted to see what would happen if the curvaceous teenager were to remain at Prince Aurelius'' side. She had serious doubts as to whether or not anything would come out of the girl''s one-sided love for the blonde prince, and she knew that the boy''s mother would be vehemently against the idea of having her most cherished child keep a human as a lover.

    Despite her reserved nature, Velicion loved nothing more than to tease and prod an emotional response out of the Arch-Mistress, the first wife to the Witch King of Dar''Nari and the rightful heir to all of elven kind. The two women were, after all was said and done, rivals in love and positions of power.

    <hr>

 CHapter 23: Fire and Traps

    A displeased rumble escaped from Orukk the Blooddrinkers'' throat as the warlord sat uncomfortably in his rugged wooden throne. The oversized and hastily built throne bowed and shuddered as the scarred orc leaned back onto the furniture''s backboard.

    While Orukk had found the craftmanship of his temporary throne to be of poor quality and always put the violent warlord into a sour mood, today was one of those rare moments where even the shoddy workmanship of his lesser followers to be the least of his worries.

    Orukk closed his eyes and let out an aggravated yet regretful sigh as he began to think back on the siege''s course of events.

    He was pleased with how his army had caught the human''s unaware and forcing the foolish creatures to cower behind their wooden walls, but the warlords initial choice of leadership had left much to be desired. The lieutenants that he had chosen upon arriving in this desolate and volcanic region had done nothing but squandered his future kingdom''s potential into ruin.  The massacre at the nearby lake had all but made up his mind in seeking out a new officer corps that would be worthy to carry out his orders.

    There were the overeager scouting parties that were foolish enough to try and scale the enemy''s walls. Only for them to drown or be impaled by the cleverly hidden spikes that were just below the moats watery surface. He would have killed those in charge of such folly, but unfortunately, the scout masters had died alongside their idiotic minions.

    Orukk coughed up a large glob of spit and noisily spat it at the ground in disgust over the thought of some fool taking charge and going off on his own. What the warlord wanted was a group of followers who obeyed his every whim and enacted his orders to the letter.

    He thought that he had found one such follower in a young and eager orc, but the idiot had managed to get himself killed when the siege tunnels had collapsed and crushed his pathetic corpse.

    Orukk''s let out a fierce growl as his right hand gripped tightly around the throne''s armrest, flakes of wood shavings hung limply from his unkempt fingernails as he continued to scratch at the rugged piece of furniture.

    There were other, less irritating reasons for the warlord to have found various forms of displeasure at those under his harsh command, but Orukk didn''t dare to bring up the tiniest of annoyances. He was in no mood to seek out some poor, unfortunate band of goblins to batter until his fists were covered in their blood.

    Time slowly moved on as the orc''s thoughts began to settle down. A flash of lightning, quickly followed by the crack of thunder, forced the dissatisfied warlord to look towards the source of bright light. As Orukk stared at the jagged hole within his walls, a hole that he had made when he had thrown another one of his failed lieutenants, rain began to pour down from the sky in buckets.

    The orc''s already sour mood worsened as he sat quietly and watched helplessly as pools of rainwater began to accumulate all around his dilapidated home. A violent crack of thunder shook the swaying walls, allowing more cracks to form along the already hole-riddled roof.

    Where once the rain only dripped down at a mild pace, there were now tiny waterfalls pouring down onto the mud-covered floor of his pathetic abode.

    Orukk let out a fierce snarl as he realized that he couldn''t take his eyes off of the leaky roof. If it weren''t for the fact that he had already killed the sorry excuse of an architect that had built this pathetic structure he called his home, then the warlord would have been more than happy to remove himself from this scrapheap and kill the orc in question.

    Orukk let out another deep sigh as he kicked out his feet and buried his head in his left hand. He had finally come to realize the reason as to why his race was so well known for their constant infighting and self-destructive tendencies.

    Orukk remained quiet as he stared down the malformed orcs pathetic form, allowing the musty air to weigh heavily on the malformed orc''s shoulders. The warlord let out a heavy breath of air before finally giving the messenger a response.

    "Anything else?" He asked as he waited for some form of bad news to reach his ears.

    Snarltusk shook his head vigorously as he gave the tribe''s master an answer. "No, Master. Unless your desires have changed since we''ve last spoken, then the artillery crews will begin their bombardment within the next half hour. Once the sky is filled with our fury, then the army will begin its assault on your command."

    The shivering orc slowly looked up into Orukk''s powerful eyes as he recited the message he was to give to his quick-to-anger leader. Snarltusk had made it his life''s mission to remember as much of the message as he could. His very life was at stake were he to fail in doing so.

    Despite how he had lived for most of his life, Snarltusk wanted to live just a little bit longer.

    Orukk gave the hideous orc a toothy smile as he allowed the tiniest amount of joy to part his stern face. "Very well," The orc pushed himself out of his crackling throne and rolled his shoulders as he stood proudly over the sniveling coward. "Proceed as planned and see to it that the artillery crews do their duty in filling the sky with our victorious might."

    <hr>

    Large droplets of rain pelted down onto Argonok''s midnight black suit of armor as the usually emotive Fireguard stood motionless as he watched the dueling artillery barrages vie for supremacy. Fire drenched boulders, some the size of horse-drawn carriages, riddled the sky as the two sides slowly dialed into the others'' artillery positions.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    "I don''t think they killed anyone out there," A stern voice said from somewhere behind Argonok as something massive crashed into the encampments front gates, forcing the massive gates to bulge outwards before snapping back into their original positions.

    Several of the nearby soldiers nodded their heads, and another massive crash rocked the gates. A terrible cracking of wood pierced the ears of those around the unimpressed Fireguard, forcing several of the men to flinch in pain as they covered their ears.

    "I heard some of the older folks talking about the trolls that are out there," A young and incredibly nervous voice said as several heads looked up to watch as another wave of fiery boulders arced through the air before crashing down onto the earth below.

    The familiar voice of Captain Boris rang out through the torrential downpour as the expeditionary leader called for the encampments artillery to return fire once more.

    Argonok remained silent as he watched the human''s missiles vanish over the horizon and crash into the forest that lay just beyond the walls.

    "They say that them beasts can regrow their limbs in the blink of an eye and that they like to grab hold of their prey and eat them even when in battle."

    More of the orc''s flame engulfed artillery barrage came into view as several heads turned to look down at the strangely quiet Fireguard.

    "They''ll do that," Argonok said as he remained focused on the gates in front of them. "But don''t let that scare you into being a frozen ninny. Trolls are just like everyone else. They die when it''s their time, and if you make it a quick job, then they won''t be able to recover even the most hideous of wounds."

    Argonok allowed his words to settle the anxious minds of the young men around him as he jostled the halberd in his metallic hands. To the keenest of ears, one would be able to hear the faintest sound of liquid sloshing around, but the veteran Fireguard was well aware that the storm was able to mask even the most obvious of noises.

    A thunderous explosion erupted from the front gates as man-sized splinters of wood flew out from the encampment''s walls. A great cheer rose from the awaiting grey-skinned horde as a pair of meaty, wart-infested hands gripped the top of the wooden gates and began to pull them apart.

    "How many have you killed?" A young boy to Argonok''s right asked as the human''s eyes remained locked on the scene before him.

    Loud cheers and blood-curdling cries filled the air as most of the Troll''s body was finally revealed to the awaiting human army. The hideous creature let out a celebratory grunt as it kicked at the gate''s bottom half.

    "More than enough," Argonok answered as he watched the trolls clubbed foot smash through the gate with ease.

    Blood poured from various wounds on the sturdy creature''s massive foot and drenched the muddied ground below as the vile beast struggled to dislodge the wounded extremity from its wooden prison. The gate buckled and groaned as the troll punched a fist through the front gate, sending deadly splinters into every direction.

    "They''re easier to kill then you think," Argonok continued. "Just be sure to get in a few good strikes before they do the same to you."

    "Right." The person nodded at the dwarf''s unhelpful piece of advice as the troll finally managed to free itself and stumble out of sight.

    Eager to do battle, the horde of ravenous goblins began to pour through the sundered gates in a mass of grey-skinned flesh. The last remnants of the once formidable gates crumbled into ruin as the maddened army rushed towards the waiting humans.

    As dozens of the creatures rushed past the gates, their bodies disappeared from view as their combined weight activated the closest of the hastily dug pit traps. Soon, more of the unfortunate victim''s fellow brothers-in-arms fell victim to the effects of the deadly trap that awaited to skewer their heinous hides.

    This was but one of many similar traps that awaited the oncoming horde of barbaric monsters.

    "Archers," An unfamiliar voice called out as more of the goblins fell to their deaths. A few of the more acrobatic creatures tried to jump the gap but failed and fell to their deaths as well. "Ready your arrows!"

    Before the trap could fully gorge itself on the bodies of its creator''s enemies, the bloodthirsty beasts had appeared to have enough, and a horn blared out amongst the chittering masses of red-eyed monsters.

    The eyes of those around the silent Fireguard shifted uneasily to their brothers-in-arms as they watched the Goblins stumble over one another as their momentum came to a swift end. A few of the creatures fell into the pit below and met their untimely end as those behind them slammed into their backside in order to prevent the same thing from happening to them.

    Several of the twisted creatures let out a menacing smile as their throats cackled in cruel laughter as they found humor in the cruel fates of those less fortunate than them.

    None of the men around Argonok had found the agonizing end of their hideous enemies to be humorous in the slightest of ways.

    Minutes passed as silence fell over the battlefield, and the only sound of battle came from the dueling orchestra of the rival artillery batteries. In the pause of battle, a voice called out that a fire had broken out within the encampment.

    Whether or not that call had been answered, Argonok couldn''t be certain as not a single voice had been raised to acknowledge the voice''s concern.

    From out of sight, a great and vicious roar erupted as something cracked in the distance. Shortly after, a massive boulder hurtled through the front entrance and crashed into the ever-hungry trap. A soft, bone-shattering crunch could be heard just before a second boulder joined it in their new home.

    "Well," Argonok chuckled as he found humor in what he saw before him. "At least they''re smart about it."

    <hr>

    It didn¡¯t take long for the goblins to return and swarm passed the boulder-filled pit. The grey-skinned beasts cackled menacingly as they climbed over and dropped back down to the rain-drenched ground, mud splashed all around their wicked forms as more and more of the creatures followed suit.

    A brave few of the creatures had dared risk the ire of the humans and allowed themselves to dance gleefully atop of the massive boulders. Their gangly forms bounced to and fro in a spectacular display of lumbering footwork as their fellow brethren broke ranks to allow the dancing band to have their fun at the impending doom of the humans.

    Their celebrations were short-lived, however, as Argonok watched on as the dancing band of goblins was quickly shoved out of the way of their more impatient brethren, and the goblins promptly fell out of sight and disappeared beneath the grey tide of the charging army.

    Uncharacteristic laughter escaped from beneath the Fireguard¡¯s helmet as the cursed dwarf had found the goblin¡¯s fate to be amusing. He had always seen the death of those around him to be a deeply satisfying event, even more so when someone had met an end as humorous as the dancing goblins had.

    ¡°Is now the time to be laughing, dwarf?¡± Someone behind Argonok asked as the horde of hideous beasts continued to charge towards the human¡¯s front line. There was a shout, and a hail of arrows pierced the bodies of a large number of goblins.

    Most of those hit by the human missiles fell to the ground and disappeared beneath the feet of their unconcerned brethren; their deaths meant little to their former tribe¡¯s members. Some of the creatures appeared to have been angered by the cruel fates of those less fortunate than them, and they threw various objects towards the objects of their ire. All of the makeshift missiles failed to get very far and soon landed harmlessly onto the ground.

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be laughing?¡± Argonok said as he continued to stare forward, watching as another, separate, pitfall managed to snare more goblins in its booby-trapped depths. The goblin army continued to charge forward regardless of this new obstacle, and many fell to their deaths while those further back found a new path towards their awaiting enemies. ¡°These beasts are always good for a laugh. No matter how dire of a situation we¡¯re in.¡±

    A few of the nearby men let out their misgivings towards the dwarf¡¯s distasteful words in unintelligible mumblings. Still, they all found it unnecessary to clearly state their true feelings on the matter. They had a battle to fight, and the conscripted soldiers didn¡¯t dare to run afoul of their powerful ally.

    As more of the grey-skinned army began to rush past the destroyed gates and drown the cleared out encampment with their sinewy forms, more of the human¡¯s traps began to take the lives of countless goblins. As more and more bodies of the seemingly unaware creatures fell to their doom, the center and right flanks of the charging horde began to falter in their momentum and slowly came to a crawl.

    With their charge now broken, the hesitant creatures became the prime target of the human archers, and many lives of the cowardly monsters were put to an end for good.

    A great cheer rose up from the rank and file of the human''s army as they watched on with cheerful smiles at the broken charge of their menacing foe.

    The left flank of the army had no such luck as they were soon locked in battle with the grey tide, and the sounds of battle rang out through the blanket of rain.

    "I don''t envy them over there," A younger voice said frightfully as those around Argonok continued to watch the center flank of the goblin army become easy prey for the humans and their archers.

    The Fireguard was quick to pick out several goblins who had found the courage to try and rally their fellow soldiers and continue forward. The more vocal of the creatures were dealt with by their fellow brethren and cut down like pitiful dogs. A few of them had even been pushed into nearby pitfalls.

    As the floundering army continued to flail about uselessly, Argonok began to wonder just how long it would take before the chaotic mass of useless flesh would turn tail and run.

    He didn''t have to wait long for an answer as an ear-piercing roar tore through the sky, turning the heads of many towards the source of the monstrous sound.

    Out of the distant haze came the gangly forms of one of the most feared creatures of the world. Trolls. The long-limbed and fleet-footed beasts waded through the mass of goblins haphazardly, crushing several of the smaller creatures without so much as a care in the world for their wellbeing.

    As the trolls were cleared off the front gates cramped design, the towering monsters swung their weapons in deadly arcs, sending the limp corpses of over a dozen goblins flying into the air with each wild swing. The gruesome causalities that the roaring creatures inflicted upon their allies were of ill concern for the trolls as they continued to make their way towards the human lines.

    Seeing as they had no other option but to push forward, the goblins took note of the presence of their deadly allies and rallied themselves to face off against what was to come. A few of the diminutive creatures raised their weapons into the air and charged towards the closest enemy.

    For some of them, Argonok just so happened to be the closest thing.

    "Now we''re talking," The Fireguard called out as he lowered his weapon, with the men around him quickly following suit and readied their weapons. The hulking suit of armor reached back along the weapon''s shaft and allowed its fingers to dance along the raised surface of a trigger guard. The weapon let out a hungry hiss as vapors of heat began to flicker to life near the halberd''s wicked blades.

    As the goblins drew closer and with the trolls not far behind them, someone called out for the men to steel their nerves and to get in a good first strike.

    Argonok''s fingers continued to dance along the edges of the weapons mysterious trigger; his eyes were locked onto the closest troll. The massive creature had managed to leave its brothers in its wake and was about to overtake even the quickest goblins. The beast hung its jaw open and let loose a terrifying roar as it wildly swung its clubbed weapon in the air. It wanted to be the first of his kind to slake his thirst for human blood and to crunch his teeth against the pitiful army''s bones.

    Argonok chuckled to himself as he quietly realized that he would be smiling at what was to come if he had a mouth to do such an act.

    With a massive step, the troll leapt into the air and collided into the ground in a powerful explosion of mud and rocks. Argonok buried the hilt of his weapon deep into the ground and leveled it against the crazed monsters head as the bloodthirsty beast bent down low and struck out its arms, its meaty fingers digging into the rain-drenched earth as a cavity riddled grin met the countless confused stares of the humans before it. Within a blink of an eye, the creature launched itself forward and raised its weapon into the air, ready to crush its many foes before it in a powerful explosion of blood riddled gore.

    "Are all trolls this stupid?" Argonok asked in a maniacal fit of laughter as he pulled the trigger.

    An explosion rocked the air around him as white-hot flames erupted from the Fireguard''s weapon, covering the entire area in front of the armor bound dwarf in a sea of fire.

    <hr>

 Chapter 24: Dwarvish Metal and Troll Flesh

    The troll didn¡¯t make a sound as the bright blue hellfire engulfed the creature¡¯s massive body. As the rain continued to fall around Argonok, the dense droplets of water evaporated into skin-scorching steam as several of his human comrades backed away from the oncoming fireball.

    The Fireguard braced himself once again as he eagerly awaited the crumbling monsters form to slam into him. His weapon always in the ready position as its master chuckled to himself in a maddened fashion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Argonok bashed a closed gauntlet against his metallic chest as the troll¡¯s blackened and charred body slammed into him, sending a cloud of ash in every direction.

    Those caught within the oppressive black cloud of ash coughed violently as they breathed in the particles came from the one-time powerful monster.

    Within the midst of the impenetrable wall of dust came a similar hiss compared to the first, and another wave of flame erupted from its blackened depths without delay. Shrieks of tortured horror assaulted the ears of the nearby combatants as the overly eager Fireguard took his first step forward on a day that was assuredly to be a long one.

    ¡°Ashun! Ashun! Ashun!,¡± Argonok cried out one of the names of the many demonic masters that lorded over his people as the hypnotic flames of Tor Nu¡¯uk engulfed more of the expedition¡¯s enemies.

    For the goblins with quick enough minds and even faster feet, the black suit of armor was a demon of pure destruction as they rushed to avoid another wave of demon fire. Many of the unfortunate creatures that were either too slow or frozen in fear were engulfed in the deadly blue light as its flames licked at the air, feeding itself on the meaty corpses of the grey-skinned beasts that dared to stand in the way of its powerful wielder.

    The grey-skinned tide of wretched creatures split open, allowing the seemingly unstoppable metallic demon to move without hindrance. To Argonok, who continued to spray the powerful flames as he moved forward, such a cowardly act from the invaders was of no consequence to the Fireguard as he was well aware of the fact that the primitive army held no threat to his safety and wellbeing.

    Eventually, the halberd spat out the last reserves of the demonic fire, and the weapons flames sputtered out in a miserable cough.

    ¡°That¡¯s it then,¡± The Fireguard announced to himself as he took one last step forward before basking in the destruction he had helped to create.

    All around him stood thick black pillars of smoke as fire quickly began to spread throughout the encampment. Argonok took in a deep breath as the potent smell of sulfur, burnt wood as well as the pleasant scent of burnt flesh mixed in the air around him. At least he assumed that was what the battle smelled like as the unstoppable Fireguard had long lost the sense of smell since starting his new life as a demon-forged suit of armor.

    Unaware that the fire-creating dwarf had run out of fuel, Argonok¡¯s enemies continued to give him a wide berth. They didn¡¯t dare to approach such a powerful foe when all that lay before them was certain death.

    ¡°What sort of battle is this,¡± Argonok yelled out to those around him as he slammed the butt of his weapon into the ground. His voice carried in the wind, forcing several of the more curious creatures to turn their heads towards the motionless Fireguard. ¡°I should be swarming in bodies! Where¡¯s your will to fight and die?¡±

    A heavy clang rang out throughout the nearby area as Argonok pounded his fists against his chest.

    Goblins, both on foot and on the back of vicious wargs, kept a wary eye towards the metal dwarf as they continued to swarm around him and rush towards their less deadly adversaries. A brave few might have accepted the Fireguards challenge, but the cowardly nature of their nearby brethren kept those with even the toughest of steeled nerves and dedicated minds from offering up their necks. These brave souls were of the preference for the powerful enemy to tire himself out upon a mountain of corpses and deliver that fateful blow instead of being the first to die in a long line of unremembered names.

    Argonok let out a frustrated growl as it became all but clear that none would offer themselves up to the challenge, yet that frustration was short-lived when a pair of massive and powerfully built trolls stepped into his sight.

    The two creatures towered over the metallic Fireguard as Argonok bounced the halberd in his hands, spinning the weapon in the air with each bounce. ¡°Well,¡± Argonok rolled his shoulders as he moved towards the trolls who remained oblivious to his presence. ¡°It¡¯s a start, but at least it¡¯s a good one.¡±

    One of the trolls, covered in rock embedded scales and infested with oozing warts of green and black puss, eventually noticed the approaching Fireguard and slapped the back of its left hand against the spike laden belly of its companion.

    The other troll looked towards its disgusting compatriot with its massive, singular eye as drool dripped down from its chin and onto the rusted metal pole that served as its weapon. The creatures¡¯ single eye was undoubtedly a result of countless years of inbreeding throughout numerous generations.

    Argonok continued to step towards two creatures as they conversed with one another in their guttural language, mere grunts, and obnoxious hoots were all that the Fireguard heard from the pair as the two seemingly argued with one another. It didn¡¯t take long for the monstrous pair to end their inane ramblings and turn their attention towards the approaching metallic statue.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Argonok, who remained nearly twenty feet away from the trolls, pointed his weapon straight into the air and planted the butt of the shaft deep into the soft earth. ¡°It¡¯ll be too easy if I go and use this on the whole lot of you,¡± The Fireguard proclaimed in a mocking tone as he beckoned for the pair of mutated monsters to come at him. ¡°I¡¯ve been killing goblins for just a little bit longer than I like. So why don¡¯t the two of you come at me and help me change up the type of beasts that I can claim on my long list of victims.¡±

    As Argonok¡¯s voice echoed around them, heinous and vicious laughter echoed out from deep within the belly of his armor. The Fireguard joined in and echoed the jovial mood of the laughter¡¯s owner; the cursed dwarf had grown accustomed to hearing the voice of the demon that had been melded with his soul all those years ago. Yet it was rare for the creature of chaos to find humor in anything.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make it quick now,¡± Argonok¡¯s voice rolled over the demon¡¯s laughter as he balled his fists closed. ¡°I¡¯ve got a little miss to go and find in this mess.¡±

    As one, the two trolls let out a piercing roar and charged towards the glistening suit of armor.

    <hr>

    Densely packed sparks of light flew across the air as the first troll¡¯s heavy weapon shattered itself across Argonoks helm. The troll stumbled to the Fireguard¡¯s right as the momentum from the creatures pulverizing blow continued unabated.

    Unmoved and dent free from the severe blow, Argonok remained quiet as he followed the stumbling movements of his disoriented enemy with a disinterested gaze. The Fireguard let out a bored sigh as he watched the monster trip over itself and fall flat on its face.

    Undaunted by the dwarf¡¯s seemingly lack of reaction from its partners blow, the second troll continued to barrel towards the immovable Fireguard and let out a fierce, bellowing roar as he lunged towards the metallic dwarf.

    Dumbfounded by what had happened next, the troll stared up into the sky with a blank expression on its face as it too had found itself sprawled on its back as a thick slew of mud seeped into its ears. The monster¡¯s jaw remained half-open, allowing the rain to seep into its throat as its brain slowly wracked itself over what had just occurred.

    With a series of quick and expertly guided movements, Argonok had used the trolls'' weight and speed to throw the creature over his shoulder and slam the beast down onto the ground.

    Heavy footsteps came from the Fireguards mud-covered greaves as Argonok took several prideful steps towards his latest victim, and it wasn¡¯t until the sound of bones snapping like twigs and meaty flesh-tearing itself apart did the cursed dwarf stop and turn around to stare back at what had made such ungodly noises.

    The first troll that had stumbled over its own two feet had found the audacity to stand back up and pitifully attempted to help out its monstrous comrade.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Argonok held out an open palm to the still stupefied troll as the rain continued to pour down into its open jaw while its companion let out fierce, pain-filled screeches as the shock of its injuries reached back to its brain.

    The unfortunate troll''s hands had been shattered beyond uselessness, and now the Fireguard had the misfortune of cleaning up the mess that the unsightly pair had created before him.

    ¡°Easy there now,¡± Argonok placed a gentle hand over the creature¡¯s trembling shoulders as the troll continued to tear apart its vocal cords with its pitiful screeching. ¡°Let me help you out with that.¡±

    With his free hand, the Fireguard grabbed ahold of the trolls¡¯ lower jaw and quietly shushed the pitiful creature.

    A sickening sound echoed around the pair as muscle and bone were torn asunder as the cruel minded Fireguard pushed down onto the trolls¡¯ lower jaw and yanked it off of the creatures face in a practiced motion.

    The troll had no time to react as Argonok slammed his bloodied gauntlet into the creature¡¯s face, pulverizing the strong bone and muscle until nothing was left save for a chunky pink and red soup made out of the trolls facial structure.

    ¡°Now then,¡± Argonok left the trolls lower jaw sticking out of the cavernous hole that he had created and turned his attention back towards the second troll just in time for him to watch it stand back up.

    The two combatants roared at one another as they quickly locked hands and began to wrestle the other for supremacy.

    Even though the last remaining troll had put on a valiant effort and a brave face, it was no much for the Fireguards unnatural strength, and a look of shock quickly returned to its face as it watched the tiny metallic dwarf slowly bring it down onto its knees.

    ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± Argonoks voice echoed with sinister laughter as he pulled the troll closer to him while simultaneously letting go of the creature''s hands and wrapped his fingers around the trolls bulbous head.

    With a wordless cry, the troll tried desperately to claw itself free from the dwarf¡¯s sturdy grip, but only managed to render its own fingers into a bloody mess as the Fireguard crushed the troll¡¯s hideous skull within a blink of an eye.

    With a loud pop, the troll¡¯s head exploded in a violent shower of gore.

    ¡°Not much of a challenge, were ya?¡± Argonok asked of the troll in a bored manner as he stopped two paces back from the now defeated monster. The dwarf¡¯s blue and red checkered helmet was an unreadable source of contempt for the deceased creature as blood pooled around its shattered skull. ¡°Then again, you¡¯re nothing more than a pile of slop trapped in some miserable backwater mountains.¡±

    Even though it felt like a short brawl to the armor bound dwarf, a lot had changed during the time he had spent dueling the pair of trolls.

    Blood and rain seeped into the ground as countless bodies littered the battlefield. Broken weapons, shattered shields, and scattered bones rose out of the earth to meet the continuous downpour of rain. Smoke rose high into the sky as fires ran rampant throughout the encampment, even the distant palisades that should have held no interest to either of the parties involved in the siege had found themselves to be engulfed in fire.

    ¡°What a mess,¡± Argonok said to himself as he continued to scan the burning remains of his surroundings. Goblins, orcs, trolls continued to pour into the encampment, but the invaders gave the gore covered Fireguard a wide berth. Word had quickly spread amongst the grey-skinned army about the lone metallic monster that had gone toe to toe with two lumbering trolls without a single weapon at hand; no one in their right mind would dare to stand against the bloodied victor unless they had a death wish to uphold.

    Seeing as he had no choice but to find himself the next source of deadly entertainment, Argonok plucked the halberd from its muddy sheathe and hefted the weapon over his shoulder. The Fireguard did his best at whistling a jolly tune as he strolled towards his next source of deadly entertainment.

    <hr>

 Chapter 25: To Go or To Stay

    Velicion stared down at the various runes and ancient arcane letterings that resulted in a completed teleportation circle as she quietly contemplated the results of her hurried workmanship. Within this hastily prepared circle were reinforced lines that slowly morphed into peculiar shapes that had smaller twins copied into their delicately drawn forms. These shapes were accompanied by the ancient language of magic that all users of magic must learn if they wished to cast even the simplest of spells.

    A hand cupped the bottom of her chin as she eyed the various flaws that were visible to her trained eyes after the initial look over. These flaws were minor in detail and wouldn''t prove themselves as hindrances in what she wished to accomplish in several hours from now, but her pride as a sorceress would take a hit if she were to let them be.

    The fact that she so desperately wanted to return to the metaphorical drawing board and fix up the mistakes that she had made in a rush to save those under her care was neither here nor there. The circle was finished, and her desires to perfect the ritual site had to be abandoned if the sorceress was to accomplish her main task at hand.

    Velicion clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth at the thought of teleporting a large group of people to a faraway land. Her goal wasn''t an impossible task to do. She had read on the subject, written her own theories about it, heard about it being done and had even seen the teleportation being done on a very minute scale.

    The only issue was the fact that there were over a dozen teenagers she needed to teleport at once while she would be left behind. Exhausted, and alone with no backup to support her deathly drained form.

    A nearby explosion rocked the earth around her feet, vaporizing her thoughts into the hazy nether that served as her unconscious mind.

    ''Disgusting chattel,'' The sorceress''s thoughts turned towards the humans who had failed to hold their ground and had been routed within a matter of an hour upon contact with the enemy. She had hoped that her allies would prove themselves the victor at the end of the day, but she had been sorely mistaken to place her trust in an army that was nothing more than a glorified peasant mob. ''The least they could do is to serve as glorified target practice for the goblins and their artillery.''

    Velicion shook her head in disgust over her own thoughts as a lonely sigh escaped from her lips. Her frustrations over the day''s events had gotten the better of her, and she had allowed her anger to transform her usually professional attitude.

    With the exception of the young Iskra, the fates of the humans were of little concern for her. All that she needed to do was to cast a communication spell with someone back at Tor¡¯a¡¯noc, the massive citadel that serves as her family''s seat of power and have them serve as both an anchor point for the ritual and a secondary caster. Two people were required for the spell to work, and she needed someone of a moderate skill level.

    There were several people that she could think of that would be of help to her. One of them was in the far north of the world, traversing the harsh lands of the frozen wastelands that were home to hordes of demons. Another was her husband; the rightful heir to all of elven kind, but the man was an unreliable sex maniac who, depending on his mood, would take far too long to even get to the teleportation room without having his other wives vie for his undivided attention.

    Thankfully the self-proclaimed Witch-King of the Dark Elves had an unhealthy fetish for sorceress women and had over a dozen wives who were all sorceresses of various skill levels. So Velicion had plenty of options to pick from when it came to choosing who she should or shouldn''t choose to help her.

    The only real problem that she had was that those that she wished to help her in her time of need either hated her guts or were woefully unreliable when it came to time management.

    Thankfully she would be able to use Prince Aurelius''s name as a means to lock down those she wished to receive help from. All of the members of the Witch-King''s harem were well aware of their Arch-Mistress''s love for her youngest son, and most feared the wrath of the first picked queen of the elves. So it was only natural for Velicion to use the boy as her trump card.

    Another nearby, but still relatively distant, explosion rocked the earth, yet the sorceress paid little attention to the matter. Velicion had long given up the idea of being concerned for the groups'' safety when it came to the enemy''s bombardment of Ruined Home. At one point, during the initial moments of the siege, the sorceress had blamed poor marksmanship for the enemy''s inability to hit anything of note. Yet, it quickly became apparent to Velicion that the artillery''s crew were more interested in inflicting as much destruction as possible upon the human encampment.

    Goblins and orcs were two races that cared little for the beauty that the more civilized races created throughout the years and loved nothing more than to wreak havoc upon the world around them.

    Velicions blatant disregard for the actions of her enemies came to a slow but methodical stop when she realized that a concerned voice had been calling out to her.

    "-ress Velicion!" Shouted Varrik, a boastful boy that had managed to make friends with the sorceress''s half-son in a relatively quick manner. Something that the motherly concubine was glad for, as the young prince had been without friends for most of his entire life. A consequence of the overly protective actions of the boy''s mother.

    Another explosion erupted from the ground around them, forcing quickly heated chunks of mud to rain down upon their many forms.

    "What do you want us to do?" The young teenager allowed his question to hang in the air, confident that the sorceress was aware of the intent behind him asking for direction.

    The teenager, whose hair was as white as the freshly fallen snow, winced in pain as hot chunks of dried mud smacked into his arm, forcing the boy to quickly scrape off the chunks of super-heated dirt while he waited for a reply

    Velicion looked at the boy with a face that only a mother could make. She had told the group of teenagers to remain close and stick together so often that she had wondered if that was all she knew what to say. She had even gone so far as to force the group to recant her instructions on multiple occasions as they ran around their portion of the encampment as they picked up the last of the youthful elven nobility.

    The sorceress was well aware that no one within the adventuring party was thrilled to be treated like newborn infants, but Velicion didn''t care. She needed to get the large group of teenagers to the back of the encampment and teleport the hastily created elven expedition back to their homeland where they would no longer be in danger.

    "Remain as you are and stick close to me," Velicion said with confidence to the boy who could only look at her with a concerned face. The young boy opened his mouth but quickly closed it as he watched the sorceress incant a spell that bathed her right hand in flames. For the next part of her plan to work, Velicion needed to light a fire and incant a quick spell that would allow her to communicate through the recently lit fire. "I want another headcount. Are we all here and present?"

    "Mistress Velicion," Varrik said with a hurried voice as he turned to look around him, ensuring that he did as he was asked while also trying to grab the attention of the powerful sorceress. "I don''t think that- Wait."

    The boy''s confused voice fell into silence as he scanned his immediate surroundings. There were several pressing matters that he wanted to address with Velicion, but the young noble''s mind had stalled out on him as he tried to think of what he should bring up first.

    Eventually, the etiquette of Dark Elven noble society had won in the end, and the words that next escaped his lips brought a sharp breath from the sorceress. "Where''s Aurelius?"

    Velicion''s eyes went wide as she quickly turned around, nearly jumping into the air to avoid twisting up her feet as she called out for the elven prince at the top of her lungs. "Aurelius!"

    Concerned frustration quickly morphed into anger as her eyes failed to catch sight of the golden-haired prince. The elven woman''s usually calm face burned with a fiery rage that only a mother could produce when upset over the actions of an undisciplined child. "Aurelius! Stand in front of me now!"

    As soon as those words left her mouth, Velicion''s thoughts turned towards the frustratingly absent visage of Iskra''s unmistakable form.

    "Where''s Iskra?" The elven mother turned to look towards Varrik, who could only offer a confused look in response to the woman''s inquiry.

    "Who?" The boy asked as he failed to come up with a face to the name.

    "The girl," The sorceress shouted as she brought out her hands to mimic the human teenager''s impressive bust. "The one with the massive tits!"

    "Oh-Uh-" Varrik covered his ears and recoiled back in fright as the ear-piercing screams of the elven sorceress assaulted his senses. The unbridled rage that came from the sorceress was a new sight to behold for the young elven lord, as it was the first time that he had seen a parent so concerned for a child that wasn¡¯t their own. A factor in part due to the fact that the boy had grown up in an emotionally cold and physically distant noble family that saw little use in showing affection to the children that had the misfortune of being born after their firstborn son and daughter. "Well-"

    "I haven¡¯t seen her since we passed through all of that siege equipment the humans made!" Another voice rang out, bringing attention to the group''s chaotic foray into the encampments artillery batter. Other voices rang out in support of the second voice as several others began to offer their own words in the matter.

    Velicion, red-faced and clenching her shaking fists with near unbridled rage, allowed her frustration to manifest itself in a monstrous and deeply guttural growl as she snapped her neck towards the center of the raging inferno that was once called Ruined Home.

    In doing so, the sorceress had caught sight of an approaching horde of goblins, orcs, wargs, and trolls. The hideous and gangly limbed creatures would be upon them in mere moments.

    "Of all of the-" Velicion screamed as she turned her attention towards the band of misfit elven nobles.

    The emotions that raged upon her face was all that was needed to be said for the teenagers to form a defensive position around the angered sorceress.

    "I tried to tell you about them!" Varrik nervously let out before quickly shrinking beneath the sorceress''s burning gaze.

    No one else dared to say a word as the group continued to close ranks and rallied themselves for a tough fight ahead.

    <hr>

    Blink, had the look of someone that couldn''t believe what had just happened.

    Blink, or otherwise called by the name of Warp, or Jump, it was said that the caster needed to be cautious when breaking out of the realm of reality and into the other-world that lay between the various planes of existence. If you weren''t, then one would find themselves in the exact type of situation that the young elven prince had landed himself in.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    <hr>

    ''Is it actually not dead?''  Aurelius asked himself as he watched a small number of sinewy strands of muscle strain against the dead weight of the miserable creature''s nearly decapitated skull.

    Kron''ha," The boy heard himself sing as his body was quick to react against the newfound threat and shift itself over to reach out and punch the nearest body. As it swung through the air, Aurelius¡¯ fist became engulfed in a bright purple haze before brutally connecting with the face of its intended target, a goblin with a heavily scarred face. The young prince was taken aback as the creature¡¯s head exploded in a gore riddled shower of shattered fragments of its skull and liquefied brain ooze.

    <hr>

 Chapter 26: Together Again at Last

    "Kuran''tor nash ma nor" Prince Aurelius'' lips danced in a well-practiced manner as the mythical language of the world flowed through the air in a brilliant sing-sung tone. The elven teenager, exhausted from hours of combat, extended out his sword in front of him and held the weapon towards the backs of a small pack of goblins. All of which were oblivious as to what was about to occur.

    <hr>

    As the wall of armored bodies closed ranks behind him, Prince Aurelius let out an animalistic grunt and collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud. The immense fatigue and sheer weight of his exhaustion had proven to be too much for the blonde-haired prince to go any further, and he had to be dragged further inside by those unwilling to see the young elven prince trampled to his death.

    Prince Aurelius turned his head to catch the last visages of the human conscript that he had gone back to save during the group¡¯s final charge towards friendly lines. Exhausted beyond belief, the elven teenager could only manage to watch the mud-caked soles of those that had lifted the murmuring human conscript deeper into the encircled position.

    As the pair of boots disappeared from his sight, Prince Aurelius finally realized just how close he had come to being embraced by the cold hands of death. Despite having born witness to many of those that had fallen as they had battled their way through the burning remnants of Ruined Home, the ragged band of rallied survivors had saved all of those that they could. Those that had survived the ordeal now had a better chance of surviving just a little bit longer.

    With mud seeping into his buried ear, the young prince let out a deep sigh as he realized that the feelings that now warmed his heart and filled his mind with an unrepentant sense of glee were something that he wouldn¡¯t have had if he hadn¡¯t done what he did. His lips split apart with a tired smile as he realized that he would have done it all over again if he could.

    As the echoes of war clashed all around his prone body, Prince Aurelius knew that the immense pain that throbbed violently throughout his body would never receive the much needed rest that it so desperately craved.

    ''He didn''t look much older than me,'' Thoughts of the injured conscript came to his mind as Prince Aurelius'' ears flickered at the sound of his own heart pounding against his chest. ''He kept saying something over and over again. It sounded like it might have been a name, but I couldn''t tell. I should''ve asked Velicion to cast a spell on me so that I can understand everyone.''

    Despite his curiosity over what the other boy had been saying, Aurelius was perfectly content to remain face down in the thick slush of upturned mud that had the courtesy of catching his ungallant fall. His black and silver eyes moved to look down at the pebble-sized pool of water that sat just out of the reach of his parched lips. Yet despite the immense thirst that burned in his throat, the blonde-haired elf couldn''t even muster the strength to tilt his face forward and drown his cracked lips in the dirty water that dared to tease his coarse throat.

    It wasn''t long before heavy boots, covered entirely in blood-soaked mud, landed near the elven prince''s head. Just as he had begun to wonder who the pair of boots might have belonged to, Aurelius'' head was lifted into the air with a firm, yet gentle hand.

    Almost instantly his dreary eyes recognized the familiar sight of the wizened face of the Ranislavian expeditions¡¯ leader. Captain Boris.

    Aurelius'' eyes were slow to react as he tried to get a good look at the older human. His mouth opened partway before immediately closing itself as he failed to find the energy to speak. With heavy eyes, Prince Aurelius let out a grateful grunt as he watched the older man slowly move his body into a more comfortable position so that the human could get a better look at any injuries that the young prince might have suffered.

    As he was laid across the flat of his back, the young elven prince was able to see that Captain Boris now sported a bloody bandage over his left shoulder. Aurelius let out a sympathetic grunt as he realized that the older man''s arm had been cleaved off of his shoulder.

    Unaware of the teenager''s ogling, Captain Boris turned his head to speak to someone out of sight from the elven prince''s gaze. The meaning of the older man''s words became apparent to the prince the moment a flask had nearly smashed into the front of the teenagers'' face. The human commander uttered a few more words to the unseen attendant, and the grey-haired officer let go of the elven prince''s jaw as his subordinate placed the flask over the prince''s lips and slowly tilted it so that he may drink its contents.

    A shudder ran through the length of Aurelius'' back as the lukewarm water poured down his throat and splashed into his belly. It wasn''t what the young prince would have liked to have had in this particular moment, but the grit and dirt that now began to cake his teeth was a welcome relief to what he had been experiencing just a scant few seconds prior. Aurelius even realized that he had recovered enough energy in his arms to grasp at the man''s hands and tilt the flask even further, drowning his mouth and throat in the muddied water.

    Tears streamed down the sides of his face as Aurelius began to choke on the thirst-quenching liquid. Yet despite his body telling him to slow down, the young prince continued to drink at a rapid pace.

    It wasn''t until the voice of Captain Boris reached his ears did Aurelius realize that the flask had been pulled from his water-soaked lips.

    The elven teenager turned towards the human with a sorrowful glance as the older man shook his head in a definitive no. Aurelius opened his mouth to speak, but a violent cough interrupted his thoughts before he even had a chance to think of what to say.

    The one-armed man stared down at the elven prince who had reached out with his hands to catch his fall as he spoke the language of his king.

    With a heavy breath, Aurelius lifted his head and stared daggers at the one-armed human as the matted locks of his blonde hair draped over his silver eyes. The young prince wanted to scream at the man and force him to give him more of the water so that he may continue to sate the immense thirst that remained within the walls of his throat. Yet, Aurelius stayed quiet as he watched the expeditionary leader use his body to explain his reasoning as to why he had pulled back the flask of water.

    ''I don''t really get it,'' The young prince continued to stare at the man with hatred in his eyes as he watched the human continue to explain the reasoning for his actions. At first it was hard to make out just what the man was trying to say, but as time wore on Aurelius had begun to grasp the meaning behind the human''s gestures. ''But he''s making it out to seem that I''ll get sick if I drink too much.''

    Aurelius wasn''t sure what to make of the human''s apparent reasoning for his actions, and despite his anger, the young prince was aware of the man''s experience. With a heartfelt sigh, he closed his eyes and nodded to the human that he had understood what had been explained to him. Despite his desires, the young prince was well aware that he had to respect the man''s experience and take him at his unspoken word.

    Such things had been taught to him by his mother, the Arch-Mistress of the Dark Elves. His powerful sorcerous mother had raised him into accepting her words and the teachings that she had passed onto him as an unwritten law that remained ironclad in their separate truths. Most importantly, however, he didn''t want to break her heart had he decided to forego the man''s caution and do as he so desperately pleased.

    An imaginary image of his powerful mother, broken-hearted over his selfish actions towards the older human, tore through the back of his mind, and Aurelius took in a deep breath as her voice called out to him. ''Never break a woman''s heart,'' His mother had always reminded him of this, and seeing her in agony over his selfish desires was always too much to bear for the young prince.

    The sense of irony that he now felt towards what he had done to find himself in his current situation was not lost on Aurelius. Yet feelings of remorse over his unforgivable actions would have to wait for another time as the young prince''s thoughts turned towards his misdeeds.

    So long as he returned in a time that would deceive his mother and allow her to remain unaware of his selfish actions, Prince Aurelius would be able to escape the agony of seeing her in misery. To do that, the young prince would need to survive the siege and return home before his mother had managed to wrap up her expedition in the far reaches of the hellish wastelands of the frozen north.

    ''If she were to return before I''m able to come back,'' The now worried prince thought to himself as strands of nervous sweat began to drip down his face. ''Then I don''t even know what she would do upon my actual return.''

    Before Aurelius was able to imagine the various punishments that his mother would find necessary in disciplining her wayward son, the young prince''s thoughts were once again interrupted by Captain Boris as he called out the elven teenager''s name.

    "Aurelius," The older man said in his thick Ranislavian accent as he continued to speak on a matter that the young prince had no idea as to what the human wanted to say.

    Captain Boris looked towards the elven prince as he finished speaking the last of his words and waited for Aurelius to slowly catch on to what he had wished for him to do.

    A moment of time passed between the two as they continued to stare at one another. The gears within the back of Aurelius'' mind slowly began to turn as the realization as to what the wounded human commander wanted out of him finally revealed itself in its entirety.

    Aurelius swallowed back the words that he desperately wished to say to the older man but knew that there was no point in refusing what was needed to be done. As the man''s words danced in the back of his mind, the elven prince slowly began to chant the orders that he had received.

    ''Recover what energy I can. Get back out there.''If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    <hr>

    Searing hot earth pelted Aurelius'' left side as the elven prince narrowly managed to avoid one of the fiery boulders that the besieging horde of orcs and goblins continued to hurl into the human encampment. Hot shards of solidified mud and sharp bits of rock slammed into the elven teenagers'' chainmail, sending him tumbling to the ground as the piercing bits of shrapnel exploded upon impact with the well-crafted piece of gear.

    With a grimaced face, Aurelius held the hilt of his sword tightly in his hands as he bounced off of the ground before slamming back down to the earth with an audio thud. A terrible ringing deafened his ears as the blonde-haired teenager remained motionless for several minutes as his eyes blinked in rapid succession in an attempt to clear away his blurred vision. The desired effects of his efforts to recuperate remained elusive as the world spun around him, turning his sense of balance into disarray.

    Eventually, the young prince''s hearing returned to him, and his sight cleared up. With a shaky hand over his stomach, Aurelius dragged himself off of the ground and rose to his feet, stumbling backwards by several steps as he attempted to regain his balance.

    Aurelius shook his head as he inspected his body for any injuries that would prove themselves to be a detriment to his cause.

    As he looked down at his sides, the elven prince could easily see that the short-sleeved tunic had been ripped to shreds and was nothing more than a pile of rags that were barely able to hang on to his body. Aurelius wanted to rip off what remained of the fabric but decided against the idea as his fingers inspected the chainmail that he had managed to pilfer from the royal armory in secrecy. For the most part, the enchanted armor had done its job and done it well, but there were a few loops that appeared to have been broken by the sheer weight of impact by what could have only been some impressively large pieces of shrapnel.

    Bits of dirt and rocks were stuck in a various amount of the metallic links, but Aurelius was satisfied with the idea that there was no need for him to remove the armor or attempt to pluck the minuscule pieces of earthly shrapnel. The elven prince winced in pain as his fingers continued to prod around the area where most of the shrapnel had slammed into him, and he quietly wished to himself that the armor had done a better job at minimizing the effects of their impacts.

    The prince''s attention then turned towards his face, and he brought a hand up towards his left cheek. With an open palm, Aurelius rubbed the side of his face with the muddied hand as the teenaged elf inspected himself for any injuries. The young prince could feel a trace amount of blood running along the side of his face, but felt no signs of anything having embedded itself into his skin. Aurelius then brought the hand towards the front of his face and looked down to stare at his own blood.

    Aurelius remained quiet as he wiggled his fingers and watched as the blood coalesced into a small pool before dripping down onto the ground below. Satisfied that he had suffered no permanent injuries that required his immediate attention, the elven prince clenched his fist and took a deep breath as he lifted his head.

    What he saw next gave him quite the shock.

    In front of him was a trail of brutalized, grey-skinned corpses that forced the young prince to crane his neck to see where the road of death would eventually lead him towards. With his curiosity proving the better of him, a cautious Aurelius readied his sword and took the first step alongside the trail of bloodied doom.

    Aurelius didn''t have to walk very far before the trail of corpses had uneventfully led him to a sizable pile of bodies comprised of countless goblins, various orcs, and an assortment of wargs. Much to the young elf''s disappointed delight, which surprised the elven prince quite a bit, as he felt that he was in no shape to fight such a large group on his own.

    ''I probably would have needed several others with me if I were to have faced them when they were last alive.'' Aurelius thought to himself as his eyes began to roam towards the top of the small mound of the dead.

    The elven prince continued to be surprised once his eyes caught sight of a charred and brutalized corpse of a massive troll lying atop of the pile of the dead.

    What was least surprising, however, was that the elven prince instantly recognized the sight of the midnight black armor of Argonok. The heavily armored Fire Guard stood menacingly atop the troll''s smoldering corpse as the red and blue checkered helmet turned towards the elven prince. Without saying a word, the Fire Guard knelt down and grabbed ahold of the dead trolls'' battered skull.

    With a sickening pop, the massive head exploded. Charred bits of flesh and fried brain matter went flying through the air as the dwarf''s metallic fingers oozed with the gooey remnants of the once-mighty troll''s skull. Bits of the creature''s liquidated brain landed upon the young prince''s face, who had managed to close his eyes in time before the fried chunks of the troll splattered across his face.

    Aurelius shivered in terror as the cursed suit of armor let out a booming fit of laughter. The dwarf''s voice echoed in an otherworldly fashion that forced the teenaged elf to take a step back. He had asked Velicion about Argonok, but the sorceress only served to frustrate his innocent inquiry when she had offered up a cryptic response that left him far more curious than he had been before.

    He wished that he could ask the Fire Guard himself, but the elven prince now realized that he no longer yearned to sate his onetime curiosity over what Velicion had called the dwarf''s "rebirth into the world."

    The frightening sound of Argonoks'' distant voice echoed through the elf''s mind, forcing the teenager to return his attention towards the dwarf that stood atop the pile of corpses. The elven prince could only give the blood-soaked Fire Guard a curious glance as he watched the heavy suit of armor stomp its way back down to the ground, forcing Aurelius to cover his ears and wince in pain at the sound of breaking bones and rupturing organs.

    Upon reaching the base of the pile of death, the dwarf spoke out towards the young prince for a second time. The two of them now stood toe to toe with one another, with the blonde-haired elf easily towering over the seemingly nigh-impenetrable suit of armor.

    "Argonok," The elven prince began to say as he looked down at the dwarf with a shake of his head. "You know I can''t understand you."

    The fact that Aurelius was only able to understand the overtly loud dwarf through a series of hand gestures had annoyed the teenaged prince during the time they had spent together outside of Ruined Home''s walls. The dwarf''s strange mix of hand gestures had been a peculiar batch, and those that had no idea of what he was saying could only look at him with bewilderment on their faces.

    Aurelius'' ears twitched in pain as the dwarf snapped his fingers together before proceeding to poke the side of his dual-colored helmet. As if to show the teenaged elf that he had an idea as to how he could vanquish their inability to communicate in an effective manner.

    Following the Fire Guard''s movements, Aurelius turned his gaze towards the northwestern portion of Ruined Home. With his inability to be able to see beyond the burning pillars of smoke that were scattered across the horizon, the elven prince looked towards the dwarf with a confused look upon his face.

    "Um-," Aurelius let out as he raised a hand over his eyes after failing to see what was beyond the dark clouds of smoke. It became clear to both of them that the young prince had no idea what the demon-infused dwarven suit of armor wished for him to accomplish. "What''s over there?"

    Muttering to himself, Argonok slowly shook his head as his frustration over the elven prince''s failings proved to be too much for him.

    Feeling that he needed to be as blunt as he could possibly get with the elven teenager, Argonok did the only thing that he knew would grab the young boy''s attention.

    With both hands, the Fire Guard formed the shape of a curvaceous woman before forcing a hand towards the direction where he had previously pointed.

    "Oh! Uh-Hmm." Aurelius blurted out, embarrassed upon his immediate recognition of the dwarf''s gesturing. "You''re talking about Iskra. You think she''s over there, right?"

    Argonok gave a thumb''s up upon hearing the girl''s name before returning to point towards the previous location.

    "Right." Aurelius nodded his head to confirm that he was beginning to understand what the dwarf wanted out of him. "What about you then?"

    Argonok crossed his arms together in front of him, indicating to the elven prince that the two of them no longer need to speak with each other until a later time.

    "Well. Alright then." Seeing as he had no choice, Aurelius turned to leave his stout companion. "I''ll see you elsewhere then."

    With that, an embarrassed Aurelius began to sing one of the many Songs of Creation. Ancient slithers of arcane energy draped themselves over the young prince''s body as they violently pulled him into the unseen world that lay between the various realities of existence.

    <hr>

    Ever since Iskra had become separated from Velicion, the elven sorceress who at times had acted more like an actual mother and not a stranger with sorcerous powers. She had somehow managed to find herself in the presence of many of the expedition''s camp followers as they forced their way within a large structure that served as the encampment''s storage house for many of its supplies. The frightened group of unwashed peasantry had then barricaded themselves inside of Ruined Home''s largest structure in a strange sense of hope that the monstrous beasts that had easily routed the human''s first lines of battle wouldn''t be able to find them.

    Packing themselves inside of the cramped structure had done the pack of frightened men and women no good, however.

    Iskra wasn''t sure when it had happened, but a thunderous crash had erupted over their heads, and pieces of the wooden structure rained down on their heads, collapsing the entirety of the warehouse along with their crushed bodies.

    Ever since then, Iskra had remained perfectly still, forcing her reddened eyes to remain closed as an endless river of tears stained her ghostly pale cheeks.

    After having gone deathly pale and passing out at the sight of several of those in front of her turn into fleshy paste, Iskra had woken up after a time and discovered that she had been fortunate enough to have been sheltered by a large pile of nearby supplies. The frightened girl had forced a relieved breath of air to escape her lips as she forced her voice to turn hoarse as she praised the countless gods of the world that dealt with all matters of life and death. She only knew of the Ranislavian god of the dead, Razoniya, but Iskra felt that it wouldn''t hurt to thank the other gods as well.

    Eventually, enough time had passed where Iskra had managed to calm herself down, and her fractured mind slowly began to work out how to escape the frightening situation she was now in.

    The first thing that she needed to do was to free herself from the pile of rubble had managed to fail in killing her. The fractured planks of lumber moaned and creaked in displeasure as the sound of something burning reached the young girl''s ears.

    Yet despite knowing that she needed to escape, Iskra had become frozen with fear due to the close proximity of the crushed bodies that had been thrown out in front of her. Realizing that she had no other options until her sanity returned to her, Iskra was forced to come to the realization that she had no other choice except to lay there motionless and remain white as the freshly fallen snow of a cold winter''s night.

    ''Stupid peasants,'' Iskra thought to herself as she attempted to stifle a miserable sounding cry that was accompanied by a croaking hiccup. Filled with countless emotions, the raven-haired teenager had forced her eyes to lock themselves shut in an attempt to block out the sounds of chaos that had begun to envelop the former noble''s daughter. The crackling flames of destruction and the harsh moans of the weakened pillars sang out in unison as the frightened girl continued to remain motionless.

    She didn''t know what to do and that infuriated her.

    ''Stupid, stupid peasants. Couldn''t I have been sent anywhere else but here?'' Out of rage, Iskra opened her eyes but quickly closed them at the sight of the human paste that remained just a hair length away from her nose. The smell of death forced the young girl to gag and cough out a dry heave.

    Iskra continued to curse at the corpses around her as her body continued to rise and fall alongside the heavy breaths of air. The occasional frightened hiccup would interrupt the young girl''s thoughts as her mind slowly turned towards the past.

    ''I bet that spoiled sow conspired alongside the man who had claimed to be my father. The two of them were always against whatever it was that I had taken an interest in!'' The girl''s thoughts turned to her former family as her mind slowly returned to the darkened state it had once morphed into during her stay within the royal family''s crypt-like dungeon. The list of names that she had sworn to somehow take her revenge upon was a long one, but it was something that had always managed to brighten her bleak stay within the icy cold prison.

    Iskra had always known that her former mother had always made her feelings of misgivings towards her daughter''s actions well known to her husband. Her choice in friends, the type of clothing she wore, and the disdain-filled attitude that the raven-haired Iskra had radiated around her immediate surroundings was always a hot topic of discussion for the two of them.

    While the cowardly woman had never dared to bring such feelings to the forefront during the countless days that they had spent together in both public and private settings, Iskra had always managed to learn of her former mother''s ire through the multitude of mentioning''s passed on to her by her many siblings after having learned it through various other methods in their own right.

    ''She had grown heinously fat over the years. Her fashion sense was as dull as a freshly killed ox, and she refused to show off what she had been blessed with. Her circle of friends was trash and only served to show off her ill-made decisions throughout her life.'' An internal list slowly formed in the back of Iskra''s mind as to why her mother had decided to pick one of her younger children as the target of her jealousy. Eventually, the growing list turned into reasons as to why the daughter was superior to her own flesh and blood that had given birth to her.

    ''I had gathered friends who were picked to do one thing and one thing only: To mirror my beauty. I wore clothes that illuminated the world with my beauty, and most importantly I-'' Iskra''s eyes shot open when she heard an alien sound explode in the world beyond her wooden prison. Upon recognizing the sound of footsteps, the young girl shrunk back in fright as she darted her eyes back and forth between the various gaps within the ceiling of her newfound prison turned position of safety.

    At first, she wished to speak out towards the mysterious owner of the footsteps, but the young girl decided against such an action when she heard the sounds of someone, or something, moving the various bits and pieces of lumber around. Iskra instantly recognized that it was as if they were looking for something.

    For all that she knew, it could have been a scavenging party made up of the hideous creatures that had been the cause all of the mayhem that had erupted around her.

    As the sound of the footsteps drew closer towards her, Iskra dragged both of her arms in front of her and quietly wrapped her hands around her mouth. As she did this, chunks of blood-soaked mud had been dumped inside of her mouth and Iskra watched with utter terror as her arms turned ghostly pale while her body reacted in a way that only came naturally to her.

    Feeling the need to vomit, Iskra stared in horror as loud, frog-like coughs broke her silence.

    Iskra let out an agonizingly loud gasp as the footsteps stopped somewhere above her.

    Her ears began to burn red hot as they struggled to hear even the slightest of sounds as the minute passing of time had begun to feel like the drawn-out hours of a miserable day. The only sound that she could hear, or that she was willing to hear for that matter, was the sound of her own heart violently beating against her chest.

    And with how violently it was beating against its boney cage, Iskra very likely thought that it would explode out of her at any moment.

    "Iskra?" Came a ragged, yet strangely familiar voice. Its accent was strange and one that wasn''t accustomed to saying names that belonged to those born in Ranislava. So, for the time being, the girl in question remained quiet as she struggled to think of who it could be.

    The voice called out her name for a second time. Then a third. Eventually, a fifth.

    Each time that the voice called out to her, Iskra remained quiet. She feared that it was a trick employed by the encampment''s enemies to lure her out for reasons unknown to her.

    Yet when the owner of the voice moved a piece of wood that allowed a small ray of light to shine through to where she could see, Iskra saw something that gave her hope.

    Hair.

    Golden blonde hair.

    Iskra took a deep breath as she gathered up what strength she could before calling out the name of her savior.

    <hr>

    With hands locked in unison, the pair of teenagers looked at one another with youthful expressions. Iskra stared deeply into the elven prince''s silver eyes, while Aurelius had found it extremely to turn his head and look away. The young elf''s metallic silver eyes clashed with the human''s emerald green eyes as the two of them were locked away in their own separate worlds.

    For Aurelius, it had proven to be extremely difficult for him to be the first to break from the mesmerizing moment once he had recognized that the clothes that the girl now wore were in a state of disrepair. The elven prince had the pleasure of witnessing an ample amount of the girl''s cleavage as he had helped to pull her from the rubble.

    To him, Iskra appeared to be oblivious of this fact, and the prince''s perverted thoughts were accompanied by a twang of guilt as an imaginary visage of his mother began to scream at him to look away and offer the young girl something to cover herself with.

    The young prince knew that the proper thing for him to do would be to look away and give the ghostly pale girl that stood before him something to cover herself with. Despite him wanting to provide the girl with something to cover herself with, Prince Aurelius couldn''t help but watch in hellish agony as his eyes slowly drag themselves back towards the ample bosom that bounced in the air with each movement that came from the teenaged girl as she struggled to stand on her own two feet.

    If it weren''t for the fact that Aurelius feared the wrath of his sorceress mother over his perverted staring, the young prince would''ve had gladly allowed the girl to continue in her struggle. Aurelius was well aware of the idea that if she were to be made aware of his unbecoming behavior than his mother would have put the fear of the gods into him.

    "Um-" Aurelius stuttered as he continued to watch the human girl fail to lift her knees off of the remains of the ruined structure. The elven teenager, who was at a loss as to what he should do to help, watched as Iskra shakily rose to her feet only to stumble and crash onto the rubble beneath them.

    Iskra, for her part, continued in her attempts to rise to her feet but eventually gave up after having failed for what must have been the dozenth time.

    "Do you want me to help?" The prince asked, well aware of the fact that she wouldn''t have been able to understand him. He just hoped that she was able to recognize the intent behind his speech and take him up on his offer.

    Aurelius watched on in silence as the young girl looked around her immediate surroundings as she silently mouthed a few words to herself.

    To the elven prince, it almost looked like Iskra had been able to understand some of what he had said, but such thoughts were quickly cast aside as he felt that such an idea was a ridiculous one. How would she have been able to learn the Dar''Nari tongue anyway?'' He wondered to himself as the young girl looked into his eyes and nodded her head.

    Letting go of her arms, Aurelius turned around and crouched down. Offering his body as her personal flesh-and-blood carriage.

    The young prince didn''t have much time to think over his actions as the young girl had thrown herself onto his body and wrapped her arms over his shoulders without a second thought.

    ''They''re really, really soft.'' Aurelius referred towards Iskra''s womanly features as her body continued to spread itself across the elven prince''s back.

    Wanting to clear away his thoughts on the matter of Iskra''s ample bosom, the elven prince rose to his feet and reached back with his hands to grip onto her thighs. Only to pause in his actions as he realized that they were just as equally as soft of the pair of breasts that now sandwiched themselves between their two bodies.

    Aurelius looked down at the ground as his cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. While he had grown accustomed to seeing the breasts of his siblings and mothers, the young prince had yet to enjoy the private company of a girl that wasn''t his own flesh and blood.

    His biological mother had gone out of her way to force the servant girls to disperse upon her noticing their presence.

    He realized that it was a nice feeling, the warm sensation of having such bountiful flesh spread itself across his back, and Aurelius wondered just how far he could take things before the girl on his back was able to realize his true intentions.

    "Hang on," Aurelius twisted his neck to face the girl behind him as he steadied himself for what he was about to do. "I need to adjust my grip" His excuse was a poor one, but Aurelius felt as if it made the most sense in their current situation.

    Not ready for what was to come, Iskra let out a startled cry as she was jostled into the air.

    As the young girl''s bountiful bosom dragged itself across the length of the elven prince''s back, Aurelius shifted his body to make the most of their current situation and pressed his back even further against the startled girl''s body.

    Fearing that she would fall to the ground, Iskra reached out to cling onto her perverted savior, unaware of the fact that she was giving the young prince more of what he wanted.

    Any feelings of exhaustion that Aurelius may have once felt were now erased as he jostled the human girl into the air for a second time. Taking his greed into another direction, the elven prince dug his fingers deeply into the flesh of her meaty thighs and flexed his tired hands into the girl''s soft and ample features.

    To Aurelius, Iskra was so light in weight that he felt as if he could repeat the perverted process over and over again without growing tired of the fleshy sensations he now felt.

    ''Mother isn''t here, and there''s no way that she''ll be able to find out. So there''s no reason as to why I shouldn''t be able to break a few of her rules.'' A simple minded Aurelius thought to himself as he paused in his actions to dwell on the subject of his mother.

    The young prince was well aware of the fact that his mother wouldn''t be able to return to their family''s fortress-citadel for a time until after she had accomplished her many goals in the far north, so Aurelius was willing to take the risk in breaking free from her control. Even if it meant that he would feel an immense amount of guilt at a later point in time.

    Thinking that the elven prince had finished with what he wanted to do, Iskra tapped at his shoulders and kicked out her legs in front of them to signal that the two of them should get a move on.

    Iskra grew frustrated with her savior when he failed to take the first step towards safety and slapped an open palm against the flat of his back.

    Having been caught off guard by the girl''s actions, Aurelius jumped in fright and stumbled to the ground, nearly taking the both of them with him. Yet he was able to recover in time and regain enough of his composure to take the first step off of the pile of shattered lumber.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± The young prince coughed out as Iskra tightened her grip around his waist and chest so that she wouldn¡¯t fall to the ground without taking the blonde-haired elf with her. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the fact that the girl was visibly frightened or if she was stronger than she looked, but Aurelius was surprised at just how strong of a grip that the young girl was able to muster.

    In either case, the two of them needed to find somewhere where they would be able to scan their immediate surroundings and find a more secure area to return to. Or, if need be, escape from the chaotic battlefield and find the closest settlement that would be able to offer them some form of relative safety.

    <hr>

 Chapter 27: Atop a Hill a Rival Approaches

    Iskra let out a fierce cry of pain as her body bounced off of the ground twice, flailing her body about the place as she failed to find her balance before falling flat on her back. The young girl rolled around the ground for a while, letting out a harsh groan before finally rolling onto her side with a heavy breath. The world had long started to spin around her ever since the pair of teenagers had first set out to wherever it was that the blonde-haired prince wished for them to go, and the raven-haired teenager had great difficulties in finding where she was within the spinning world around her as she desperately sought to find the young boy that dared to drop her onto the ground in such an uncouth manner.

    The magical spell that the elven prince had used to get the two of them where they now were had done a number on her body, and the human teenager could barely hold in what little contents her stomach was in possession of. As her eyes scanned her immediate surroundings for the long-haired prince, Iskra¡¯s stomach growled as her face turned sickly. Her body was threatening to upchuck what little food she had eaten earlier in the day. It took a lot out of the young girl¡¯s remaining strength just to be able to hold a hand over her mouth as she took several great, big gulps to push back the dastardly threat of vomit that lingered at the bottom of her throat.

    Throughout her body¡¯s chaos, it didn¡¯t take long for Iskra to find the slumped form of her golden-haired savior and she stared intently into the back of Prince Aurelius who was just a few feet away, sitting with his hands behind his back while he sought to crane his neck outwards to catch as much of the cool breeze as he could while it still whipped across his smiling face.

    ¡°You could be a little bit more remorseful about dropping me.¡± Iskra whispered to herself as her eyes closely trailed the path of the rolling beads of sweat that glistened off of his face and arms. With nothing else for her to do, the young girl watched the elven prince regain his composure as several beads of sweat drip down and disappear between his loose-fitted chainmail and the exposed portion of his chest.

    To Iskra, the armor that the young prince now wore appeared to be two sizes too big for his form, but understanding that she knew little about the ways of armor and how to properly wear such things Iskra let the idea disappear from her mind as her attention eventually turned towards their current predicament.

    For whatever reason that he had deemed to be necessary, Prince Aurelius had decided to plant the pair of teenagers atop of a small hill near the sheer cliffs of the immense pit that became synonymous with the shattered mountain that loomed over Ruined Home. The two of them were as far back as they could go within the encampment of Ruined Home, and Iskra began to wonder as to why the exhausted elven teenager had gone as far back as he did.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you can see most of the encampment from here,¡± Once again, Iskra began to speak only to herself as she slowly crawled her way towards the edge of the cliff. ¡°Half of it¡¯s on fire while the other half is covered in smoke.¡±

    Iskra took in a deep breath as she poked her head over the edge of the cliff. Her eyes lingered towards where she knew the bottom of the seemingly endless pit was, but they failed to find even a hint of where such a bottom might be.

    The pit was quiet today as the near-constant screeching of the demonic sounding wind that many had come to associate with the strange pit was dead silent as the sounds of battle finally caught up to the young girl¡¯s ears. The sounds of war would have been deafening to her had it not been for the fact that her emerald green eyes were locked onto the pitch-black shadows of the strangely formed pit, dancing about the place as she desperately sought to find something within the pitch-black darkness.

    She wasn¡¯t sure what she was hoping to find, but her mind yearned for her eyes to look at something.

    ¡°Hello?¡± She whispered into the depths as something glistened in the distance. She wasn¡¯t sure why she called out into the depths, but she felt that it was necessary to do something instead of staring into the depths of the remnants of the broken mountain that loomed over the battlefield as if it were a dead god.

    It would be a while before the glistening returned and only because of a few desperate rays of sunlight that dared to penetrate the black depths of death that lingered beyond the young girls reach as the storm clouds rolled lazily overhead, heavily pregnant with a torrent of rain that would soon drench the land in their misery. This time it was much closer than before, and Iskra brought a hand over her eyes as she attempted to find the source of whatever it was that was causing such a brilliant glow.

    As the glittering light flickered and died before her very eyes, Iskra wasn¡¯t quite sure what could such a mesmerizing show yet she knew that it looked familiar to her. For whatever reason, the dancing stars of light reminded her of her mother. Why it would force her to remember a woman whose existence she wished to erase from her mind entirely she couldn¡¯t say, but she knew that it had something to do with the woman¡¯s countless gifts that had been presented to her by the husband that constantly showered her with gifts.

    ¡°Aurelius,¡± Iskra turned her head as she called out towards the elven prince, she was slow to speak, but her words carried themselves far as she attempted to catch the prince¡¯s attention as she spoke his language. ¡°Come over here and-¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Noticing that the sinister form of a heavily scarred and grey-skinned orc was slowly approaching them, Iskra stopped dead in her tracks and darted her eyes between the two figures that were before her.

    As the heinous creature continued to trek towards the pair of unprepared teenagers, Iskra desperately waited for the elven prince to notice the approaching adversary. When the long-haired prince failed to turn his attention towards the powerful orc, Iskra knelt down and picked up the first thing that she could grab.

    <hr>

    Collapsing onto his hands and knees, Aurelius let out a gasp of ragged breath as sweat poured off of his face, drowning the ground beneath his clutched hands in his own misery. With how exhausted he had become throughout the day''s events, Aurelius had allowed himself to forgo the formalities and allowed his arms to give way, allowing the girl upon his back to drop to the ground as if she were a heavy sack of sharp rocks.

    While stretching his forearms as far out as he could, the young prince fell onto his back and planted his body across the harsh, scratchy ground. It was during this moment that an exhausted Aurelius realized that he couldn¡¯t care less if he had managed to draw the ire of Iskra. He was far too tired to care, and he desperately needed to lie down and catch his breath. So he decided to do just that.

    With a sharp breath, Aurelius flashed a satisfied grin as he felt the cold breeze whipping across his face as he rolled over onto his back and stretched out his limbs for a second time. As his body slithered across the dry, rocky surface, his fingers twitched in pain while the rest of his body had begun to feel as if it had grown numb to its very core, but Aurelius was thankful for what little respite that he was now able to afford for himself.

    Yet the battle that continued to rage beyond their reach had different plans for the young prince, and the sound of a tremendous explosion forced Aurelius to twist his head towards the source of the deafening sound.

    Aurelius quickly grew frustrated by the lack of what he could see as he caught neither sight nor sound of what could have caused the impressive-sounding explosion. His view of the nearby area was obstructed by columns of smoke that the young prince could only describe to himself as a frustratingly massive amount. With his curiosity growing, Aurelius pushed himself up onto his back and twisted his body towards where the sound had originated from, and when that failed him, he then pushed himself further and rose to his feet.

    With his new vantage point, the elven prince was still unable to see much of anything, but that didn¡¯t mean that he had failed in his objective and as he raised an open hand over his eyes the wind started to shift in his favor and force the thick pillars of smoke to clear away long enough for him to receive a glimpse of what had forced him to break away from his much needed rest.

    Out there in the distance, near the shores of the encampments only source of water was a group of elves fighting against a small horde of goblins and trolls. Yet despite Aurelius wishing to keep his eyes on the happenings of his own people, the wind had a mind of its own and shifted the columns of smoke so that they once again obstructed the young prince''s vision of the battle.

    Disgruntled by the thought of being denied what was essentially a front-row seat to a fierce battle, Aurelius clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and dropped his hand from over his eyes.

    From what he was able to see, he knew that there was no need for him to fear for the overall fates of his companions and half-mother.

    As if to confirm that there was no need for the young prince to worry, a crack of lightning erupted from behind the pillars of smoke before being followed by an erupting boom of thunder. The spell was then shortly followed up with something else entirely, but Aurelius wasn¡¯t able to recognize what it might have been.

    The pillars of smoke were far too thick for the elven prince to get much detail of the spells that his half-mother was throwing around, and the only thing that he was able to recognize was the deep red hue that came from the arcane ability.

    ¡®Mother Velicion seems to be doing just fine, I think.¡¯

    Making its way towards the top of the hill was a brutal looking orc. From his vantage point, Aurelius could see heavy scarring across the orc''s powerful chest as its rippling muscles were left exposed to the elements. The creature wore very little in terms of armor, and as the mighty beast pounded the hilt of its weapon against its chest, the elven prince watched as the pulsating veins across its powerful arms bulged with unrestricted strength. The heavily scarred orc, with its exposed chest and rippling arms locked eyes with the young elven prince as the hulking creature cracked its neck and let loose a harrowing growl as the two combatants readied their weapons.

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 Chapter 28: A Duel Starts

    ''Backs against the wall and with nowhere else for us to go, our only option is to push forward.'' Aurelius'' thoughts turned inwards as his mind slowly began to form a plan on how to best defeat his adversary.

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 Chapter 29: And a Duel Ends

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    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡®We aren¡¯t that far from the edge,¡¯ The boy thought to himself as he began to swing his body forward as he attempted to gain as much momentum as he could. ¡®If I could just jump and-¡¯

    ¡®No. No. No. Not like this,¡¯ Aurelius¡¯ desperate mind filled with the many regrets that came with one recognizing that their time had come.

    Aurelius, be a sweet dear and ignore what your mothers are saying. It¡¯s nothing but girl¡¯s talk.¡± When they offered up a servant girl as a reward for his obedience, he would always blush and mumble incoherent excuses as he turned and walked away in embarrassment.

    ¡®Father,¡¯ The teenager¡¯s thoughts turned towards the undisputed patriarch of his family. Whenever the glorious Witch King of the Dark Elven people would recount his many glorious victories throughout the vast and open world, Aurelius could always be found sitting somewhere close by. His father¡¯s tales were a large part in bringing the blonde-haired elven prince to where he was now, desperate to create his own stories so that he could make a name for himself when the time came that he would be forced to find his own way in life.

    ¡®Mom,¡¯ Finally, his mind turned towards his blood mother, the Arch-Mistress to all of the empire of Dar''Nari and the first woman to be married to his father. Within the world of elven sorceress¡¯s, she was without equal and was rightfully feared as someone who was able to incinerate entire cities or turn battlefields into a graveyard of death and rusted metal. It was said that paintings had been created from the chaos she had sown over her enemies. She would always boast to a mesmerized Aurelius that it was because of one such painting that his father had been drawn to her.

    ¡®Aurelius,¡¯ His mother¡¯s voice called out to him from somewhere within the back of his mind, reminding him of the many times that she would force him to accompany her into her private laboratory whenever she was within the family¡¯s massive fortress-home. She would always force the blonde-haired dark elven prince to be at her side at all times, even when the young prince was due to meet with his tutors. ¡®A man of your lineage and upbringing should never be selfish towards a woman.¡¯

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 Chapter 30: A Fateful Moment

¡®fall in love¡¯ with one another, that doesn¡¯t mean that you should jump off of a cliff together.¡±

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    powerful warlord of some barbaric grey-skinned rabble."

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 Epilogue: Secrets to Keep, Tales to Tell

    Having been left to her own devices for the past several hours, Velicion stared quietly into the lonely orange flames of the dwindling campfire as the elven sorceress grew ever more impatient with the grizzled human commander that had dared to be late to the impromptu gathering that was to happen between the two respective leaders.

    During her time in front of the once blistering hot campfire, an incalculable amount of stars had slowly blinked into existence as the elven sorceress found it increasingly difficult to hold back from falling prey to the seductive pleasure of a much needed rest that forced her head to rock back and forth. Her eyes grew increasingly heavy as sleep called out to her with open arms.

    It had been a very long time since she had last stayed up at such a late hour.

    ¡®He did say that he was going to be late, but it¡¯s been nearly three hours!¡¯ Irritated by her counterpart¡¯s complete disregard towards an individual¡¯s patience, Velicion stretched out her arms and legs as she threw back her head and let out a fierce yawn.

    ¡°My apologies for keeping you up at such a late hour.¡± With slumped shoulders and sluggish steps. Captain Boris appeared from the shadows as his harsh, rugged voice echoed across an otherwise quiet night. An exhausted huff of air escaped from his lips as the one-armed man sat at the opposite side of the elven sorceress.

    Velicions¡¯ ears twitched as the human commander muttered to himself at the sound of his knees popping and cracking. The sorceress was glad that she had yet to reach an age where her body would turn frail and fall victim to similar things, and she took a quick mental note to take better care of her body once all of this had been said and done with.

    ¡°It¡¯s been an extremely busy day, Captain. Especially for you.¡± Velicion allowed her words to act as a form of acceptance towards the man¡¯s apology as she continued to wait for the older gentleman to settle in.

    Captain Boris offered the elven woman a deep grunt as he leaned forward and brought his singular remaining hand closer towards the dwindling fire. The man remained quiet as he opened and closed his fingers into a loose fist.

    The two said nothing towards one another for several moments afterwards, keeping their thoughts to themselves as they waited for their counterpart to be the first to speak.

    Eventually it was Captain Boris that broke the cold night¡¯s silence. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what else to say so I¡¯ll keep it short.¡± With sullen eyes, Captain Boris looked towards the Sorceress and stared deeply into her eyes as he waited for her to acknowledge what he had to say.

    Seeing as she had no other choice but to listen to what the veteran officer wished to speak to her about, Velicion nodded her head as she gestured for the man to continue with what he had to say. For the sorceress, she had a strong suspicion as to the meaning behind the current topic at hand.

    "Due to how recent events have transpired for this expedition. It has become necessary for me to ride back south and report to not only Duke Vesely, but also to the King of Ranislava himself." Captain Boris lowered his head as he spoke towards the sorceress with a soft voice. It was a voice that was far more delicate than it previously had been when the two of them had previously spoken to one another in private. "After a brief tour throughout the encampment''s remaining inventory and remaining infrastructure as well as those still able to do their duties, I''ll need to find out what will happen next. As far as I''m concerned, Ruined Home is in a state where it needs to be abandoned, but the expedition''s fate is still a mystery."

    The man looked up and stared deeply into Velicions'' pitch-black eyes. Only the sound of the crackling fire was able to push back the midnight sky''s icy silence and keep it from overwhelming the solemn mood that the two of them shared.

    As a gentle breeze swept through the nearby area, threatening to douse the weak flames and plunge the two into pure darkness, Velicion offered the man a click of her tongue as she knew exactly where the conversation would lead to next.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "And you want me to be in charge of the remnants while you figure out the future of this potentially failed expedition." The sorceress stated as she let out a heavy sigh, none too pleased at the man''s unspoken request.

    Captain Boris said nothing as he nodded his head, waiting for the lithe elven woman to continue with what she had yet to say next.

    "Very well then, I''ll do as you ask." Another sigh escaped from the sorceress'' lips. "Though I must make it clear to you that I''m not at all happy about this, and I ask that you try and do your best in hurrying the process along."

    "May I ask why?" Curious as to why the sorceress was in such a rush for him to come back, Captain Boris pressed for the elven woman to make her thoughts clearer to him. For the career officer, it had never occurred to him that the elven woman had been the sort of individual to despise being in positions of authority. The Ranislavian officer had been more than positive that there were a countless assortment of official duties that the sorceress was responsible for, even if she wasn''t the true wife to a foreign ruler. Though he was well aware that there was the distinct possibility that Velicion loathed the idea of doing things that didn''t pertain to her magical research.

    "To put it simply," Velicion paused in her explanation as she threw back her head and let loose an obnoxious sounding yawn. "Aurelius'' little adventure will draw to a close within the next few months. So I would appreciate it if you were to offer up a real replacement within the coming weeks after your departure. If not, then I would have to abandon the remainder of your men to their own devices."

    "Then I''ll have to do my best in making sure to the individuals within the decision making process are well aware of the time constraints." Captain Boris gave the elven sorceress a harsh stare as he rested his sole remaining hand against his right knee.

    "Though do be mindful that I''ll make sure that your men are in a position to where they''re able to take care of themselves." Velicion offered up her condolences as she attempted to soothe the older human''s ire.

    "Then you plan on somehow grouping up with those dwarves that Iskra has managed to befriend?"

    "If possible. Though I don''t see why they would refuse." The sorceress shrugged her shoulders as she answered the man. "Though that brings me to the next subject that we''ll need to discuss before you leave."

    "Captain Boris, since I''m doing you a favor, I think that it would be appropriate that you do me one as well." Gently placing both of her hands over the top of her right knee; Velicion planted her right leg over the other as she stretched the both of them outwards more closely towards the dwindling fire. She wasted no time in explaining what needed to be said. "For both you and your people, it would be well advised if you were to keep quiet about Prince Aurelius and the rest of us. If word were to get out about the prince, then a whole slew of headaches would arise for your kingdom. Headaches that would bring chaos to your lands."

    The sorceress'' dire words danced through the air as Captain Boris looked to the ground as his thoughts lingered over the warning given to him. The grizzled veteran of countless years of military service remained quiet for some time as he took the elven concubine''s warning to heart.

    "What of the dwarves," His words were slow to come out, but they were spoken in a manner that would suggest to those listening to the conversation that the military commander already knew the answer to his inquiry. "I take it that the same can be said about Zharatan and those under his command?"

    "If this Zharatan is the one that gifted Argonok to the girl, then yes. It would be well advised if you were to keep quiet about those dwarves as well."

    Captain Boris gave a nod of his head to denote that he understood her meaning.

    "Fantastic." With that single word, the pair of expeditionary leaders would end their meeting.

    Time dragged on for the two of them as an aura of awkward silence surrounded the pair of leaders, and it wasn''t until the flames had dwindled into glowing red hot embers did they speak for the last time that night.

    "I''ll be heading south once I''ve become well-rested," Grunted Captain Boris as he slowly pushed himself off his feet. The man felt as if his age was finally beginning to get to him. Something that he loathed to admit.

    The man was beginning to turn his back on the elven sorceress, but the lithe woman''s voice forced him to stop. "Captain Boris,"

    Looking back towards the sorceress, he noticed that the woman held a sealed parchment between her fingers.

    He was curious as to where the sorceress had hidden it during this whole time, but Captain Boris said nothing as he waited for the elven woman to finish speaking.

    "I believe this letter will be sufficient in proving to the Duke''s family about their daughter''s wellbeing."

    Captain Boris opened and closed his mouth as he continued to look down at the letter, speechless at how the lithe woman had managed to get such a bullheaded young girl to even look at a blank parchment.

    With a tired smile and a grateful nod of his head, Captain Boris took the letter in his hand, carefully placing it into one of his many chest pockets.

 Dark Lands: A Look Back (My Thoughts on Writing)

    Initially, back before I even started to put things down on paper, Dark Lands was supposed to be an Isekai, but after realizing that the reincarnation aspect became a nonfactor to the story almost instantly I decided to drop that angle and make it a standard fantasy story instead.

    The Isekai aspects during this time were that Dark Lands would have either been a long running romance novel series or cult classic dating sim game that the story¡¯s protagonist, ¡°Iskra¡±, would have been a fan of. Back in the ¡°old world¡± she would have also been an architectural engineer of some kind before having been reincarnated into the banished Duke¡¯s daughter. This was cut out and it would later come into being that Iskra¡¯s mother would be the architect once I started to flesh out more of the world and the relationships that came with it.

    During this time I was also planning on writing the story in a way that would be more episodic in nature and for each ¡°episode¡± to fit in a wider arc. After writing down the ¡°skeletons¡± for some of these episodes I realized that I didn¡¯t really enjoy how the story was turning out, nor did I think that I would enjoy writing them in general, and so I decided to instead structure the story in a way that you would typically see in your average novel. This only happened once I realized that the story kept jumping around and either made no sense, they rarely felt connected to the other episodes, or that the episodes felt that they were jumping around in terms of how much time did or didn¡¯t pass between them.

    These episodes would have largely focused on Iskra and for her to be put into situations where she would meet certain characters and gain particular items/allies. I kept a good portion of the characters that she would have met into the first Dark Lands book and either decided to drop the others or place them into future stories. As for the other items/allies, they¡¯ll eventually show up in the future as well or not at all. I haven¡¯t really decided on a more concrete answer just yet.

    As for how I wanted to pace the story and Iskra¡¯s quest for revenge, I wanted to write a story that takes place during the ¡°before¡±. This first arc, in an admittedly snail¡¯s pace revenge quest, was meant to introduce a good portion of the cast of characters while still retaining a decent attempt at telling how they all met and their reasoning for being where they are. I do want to say that I understand that the overall pace of the¡± revenge getting¡± feels unreasonably slow and that the whole aspect of Iskra getting revenge appears to be nowhere in sight, but it¡¯ll eventually come around.

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    Then we have the backdrop of Dark Lands itself; the untamed and volcanic region of Voldigrov or otherwise known as ¡°The Dark Lands¡± within the story¡¯s universe. While the wider world of the story¡¯s universe takes after aspects of various fantasy universes (such as Warhammer, Warcraft, LotR, etc.) I had always envisioned Voldigrov to be a copycat of Mordor itself. From the mountain ranges that dominate the landscape, to the numerous amounts of active volcanoes, to the vicious tribes of orcs, goblins and trolls that dot the land within. Everything was always meant to help describe to the reader that only someone with evil in them would be able to come into this land and survive.

    In order to help Iskra along with her admittedly snail pace of a quest for revenge, I wanted Voldigrov to also be rich in minerals and metals and whenever I think of the future of the story, I imagine the land to be a littered with mines that dig up the earth and provide only the ruling class with the land¡¯s riches.

    The plot point of why the Ranislavian expedition went into the supposedly terrifying region has always been that of trying to map out the area. As for the exact reasons as to why, they always fluctuate between ¡°pushing back the mist¡± of an otherwise unknown region to ¡°first step to colonizing¡± and I haven¡¯t really settled down on an exact, concrete reason.

    And I¡¯m not sure why, but whenever I think about what a complete map of Voldigrov would look like I always somehow think of it being a weird fantasy version of Idaho.

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    The characters (for those that hadn¡¯t been cut out entirely at this point) also went through various changes.

    Iskra:

    Iskra came into being because of my preference for female villains to either be the hideous hag archetype (such as swamp dwelling witches in old fairy tales) or a curvaceous bombshell that¡¯s ugly on the inside while retaining their beauty on the out.

    After getting rid of the Isekai aspect, Iskra¡¯s mannerisms were changed to be more closer to that of a teenager around her age while I attempted to still retain the idea that she was being educated as a future queen. (Though I do admit that Dark Lands has yet to properly show that she received such an education.)

    When her parents came into existence I made them into paragons of virtue and despite their best attempts to raise their daughter as being a paragon of good, Iskra became cruel and vindictive towards those beneath her social status. (Though the story hasn¡¯t really done a great job at showcasing this. Which I think is mostly due to my inability to have more of her POVs in the story than anything else.)If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Initially, Iskra wasn¡¯t supposed to be as obsessed with Aurelius as she is now. At first I wanted their relationship to be more casual in tone, but along the way I liked the idea of introducing a phenomenon where a ¡°rescued damsel¡± became infatuated with their savior and for said damsel to have an unhealthy obsession towards their hero.

    As the story started to come to a close, I realized just how weird it was for me to call her the story¡¯s protagonist even though her POV ended up becoming less and less frequent. I think this turned out to be the case because of how heavily the story relied on action to push itself forward. Looking back at everything, it makes sense mostly because of the story¡¯s nature and the Wild West aspect I was attempting to go for.

    As for those who have read my story and thought to themselves ¡°She doesn¡¯t look to be evil¡±, that¡¯s mostly by design and partly due to what¡¯s been cut out to what I felt as trying to make this story work. It¡¯s going to be a slow burn but once the story picks up steam and the pieces are in place, she¡¯ll be acting like a proper ¡°villain¡± in no time.

    Velicion:

    Fun fact: Velicion was only known as ¡°Dark Elven Sorceress¡± in my notes until the time came to write her first appearance in the story and most of my notes still refer to her as such. Frustrated as to what I should name her, I decided to play Total War: Warhammer II and pick out a random name that were generated for the Dark Elven sorceress hero.

    With regards to her personality, Velicion has probably changed the most out of the characters.  At first she was going to be far more vindictive and manipulative and she would have been a huge driving force in getting Iskra to get closer to Aurelius as well as to becoming a far more crueler protagonist, but as I continued to write the story she ended up being a more motherly type of character to both Iskra and Aurelius and her manipulation was instead turned into a rivalry with Aurelius¡¯ actual blood mother.

    In the very early stages of my planning, she was also going to be the type of character that you would see designing various magical tools and other items for Iskra. At one point I was even planning on having her design a device that would allow Iskra to spy on any location within the world so long as they didn¡¯t have an adequate enough defense mechanism. As of right now that¡¯s been put on hold for future stories.

    Aurelius:

    Overall, he was probably the most static character in terms of being the closest to his initial design of being ¡°A Dark Elven prince that acts and looks more like a typical High Elven hero¡±

    To match this, Aurelius¡¯ name was chosen deliberately. To do this I styled the High Elves as taking after the ancient Greeks and looked for names that would match his personality. Upon picking Aurelius as a name (which is translated to something similar to ¡°Golden One¡±) I came up with the in universe reason as being that the name was chosen by his mother because it belonged to the ¡°First Elf¡± and only ¡°God King¡± that the Elves ever had. The fact that he was also blessed by the Fey when his mother was still pregnant with him had also been a large part of it was well as being blessed by the Fey are seen as being a huge deal within the Dark Lands universe. (Being blessed by the Fey changed his hair into the golden blonde color that it is now as well as giving him silver iris¡¯s, which are only seen in pure blooded High Elf nobility.)

    Other than that, he was always going to be a shy teenager who was heavily sheltered by his very controlling mother, but keen on getting out into the wider world and going on adventures.

    Dasher:

    Dasher was the first ¡°evil¡± race character that I had written up to become Iskra¡¯s ally. (With a second one being a singing troll king that will eventually be introduced). Dasher was always going to be a runaway slave that had the fake ¡°prophecy¡± attached to him.

    Partly because of how I originally wanted the goblin characters to speak (that I thankfully dropped in a somewhat quick manner) as well as just my inability to write action scenes, I absolutely hated writing Dasher¡¯s POV and my pace of writing the chapters suffered because of it.

    As of right now, I don¡¯t plan on focusing on his POV in the next story but we¡¯ll eventually return to a point where he¡¯s going to be at war with tribe of goblins that live in an active volcano.

    Orukk:

    The first challenge for Iskra and friends that I wanted to be a ¡°welcoming party¡± for the first story as well as my attempt at trying to convey just how dangerous Voldigrov was. I¡¯m not sure if I succeeded or not in that aspect however.

    As for Orukk himself I wanted him to be that ¡°grand dreams¡± guy that, while having the power to achieve those dreams, has no right to even come close to fulfilling his wildest fantasies. He¡¯s a character that¡¯s full of himself, and he should¡¯ve been viewed by the readers as being unfit to lead a tribe due to his inability to do anything except kill his subordinates, as well being lucky enough that he has the skill to beat most opponents he meets so he was able to gain enough followers to form a tribe of his own.

    Orukk is similar to Aurelius in that he didn¡¯t change much overall. Though I was initially planning on having him be very, very talkative when meeting Iskra and company. That changed along the way as I continued to write out the initial concepts for each chapter.

    Argonok:

    The initial idea for Argonok stems from my love of evil dwarf races and my favorite variants of that are the demon worshipping Chaos Dwarves from Warhammer. As of right now the race itself is very similar to Warhammer¡¯s take on the ¡°evil dwarf¡± idea and while there are a few differences I still call my dwarves ¡°Chaos Dwarves¡±.

    As for Argonok himself, I wanted to have a ¡°Bullshit OP¡± royal guard type of character while trying to retain a reasonable middle ground to try and avoid the ¡°Just send in Argonok¡± scenarios that I¡¯m sure will pop up in the future.

    As I continued to write him in various scenes, Argonok somehow ended up being the loudmouth who laughs at his own joke.

    At one point I wanted to have a flashback where it¡¯s explained in more detail as to how he came to be as a Fire Guard as well as to give some more depth to my take on ¡°Chaos Dwarves¡±. I might decide to do a side story where I do exactly that (and do like the idea of writing it), but as of right now I don¡¯t plan on writing it.

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