《The Iron Teeth:  A Goblin's Tale》


 Prologue: The Shattering of Ways

    Blood poured from the man¡¯s wounds onto the cold ground beneath him. He knew he was dying and beyond help now. He choked and gasped as bitter blood clogged his throat but he fought to hold still and at least die with dignity. In his last moments, and in front of all these witnesses, he wasn¡¯t going to go out thrashing around like a fish out water. Burn that!


    He refused to have regrets, even though he had never gotten what he¡¯d wanted out of life. He had done the best he could and died for what he¡¯d believed in! His would be the last laugh anyway.


    He could still feel the inhuman eyes that watched and blazed with hate. The dying man tried to chuckle but all that came out was a weak gurgling cough. The fools had no idea what they¡¯d unleashed! They couldn¡¯t see how the world had changed and turned against them.


    As the man¡¯s vision grew dark, scenes from his past began to play out before him. His last breath rattled through his teeth and he couldn¡¯t help but think back to how it had all began¡­


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    He remembered a great grey drake looming over the rubble of doomed Coroulis amidst the falling snow. The terrible monster flicked its tail out and smashed an attacking guard. Frozen chunks of meat were thrown into the air as the man shattered. The crimson broken pieces fell to the ground and rolled through the snow. The roar of the beast echoed through the city and his home was forever lost...


    He remembered choosing to live his life out in the Deep Green. The forests of the North contained seemingly endless terrors and monsters but also humbling beauty. There, he¡¯d taken up arms for pride and empty vengeance but then continued fighting just because it was all he¡¯d known. His friends had fallen one by one until he was all alone, and then he had even lost her...


    He remembered a nervous green face looking up at him. It was dirty and ugly but for some reason it mattered to him. Instinctively, he clung to the memory for a stubborn second but then it slipped away with the rest and there was only darkness...

 The Road North 1

    The small captive awoke to the rattling of his cage. The sudden noise banished all memory of any dreams he may have been having. Sometime during his sleep, the ropes tying down his cage had become loose and the cage had started bouncing around in the wagon.


    The noise hurt his ears. They twitched as he brought up his fingers to try and plug them. It didn''t help much. He wasn''t used to such sounds, especially constantly for days.


    He really wished he had never awoken. He wouldn''t be able to get back to sleep now.


    A hiss of annoyance slipped past his lips as he peered out from under the ragged tarp that failed to properly cover his wooden cage. The tarp was brown and worm-eaten so it didn''t shield him from the harsh light outside. It also smelled terrible, but he was used to worse.


    He blinked to try and see past the bright light that blinded him and get a look at the scenery. There were lots of trees.


    More trees than he had thought could possibly exist in all the world. He hadn''t seen a lot of trees when he had lived in the city, only a few when he had left the shelter of the tunnels and headed out under the night sky.


    His earliest memories were of being taught obedience by his masters and of them sending him down into the dark below places. There, he and his tribe had hunted the depths for rats and been sent to unclog tunnels and pipes. He had gone into tight places too small for men and then come back out for the promise of tasty rewards. Rat meat got old after a while.


    Under the cover of darkness, while the masters slept, his tribe had squeezed through old broken bricks and rusted grates to creep around the city. There they had scrounged for food among the refuse, only to slink back as dawn turned night to day.


    Excitement came from fighting with his tribesman, dogs, or the occasional unusually large rat. The bigger the rat the better it tasted, but the largest ones were mean fighters with nasty teeth.


    Sometimes, they even formed packs so his tribe would have to form a war party! He still remembered the Great War of the One Eyed Rat and the feast that had followed is tribe¡¯s victory! He¡¯d been young then but had played a crucial part; he¡¯d distracted several particularly dangerous rats by running away.


    However, one day everything had changed. The masters had summoned his tribe and once he¡¯d arrived they had singled him out. Then, he had been placed into a cage and given water that made him feel drowsy. A second later, he¡¯d fallen on his face and everything had gone black.


    A great fiery hand had pulled him from darkness. Shadows had danced around him as he burned and promised him new treats and pleasures beyond anything he had ever known. He hadn''t had a dream like that since he¡¯d eaten that one purple mushroom.


    As he slept he had been hauled out into the daylight and placed in a cage on a wagon. Much to his dismay he had groggily woken upjust as the cart had rolled through the streets and out the city gates.


    Still drowsy from his dream, he had whimpered in fright. He had blinked and tried to shield his stinging eyes from the light as he had cowered in the corner of his cage.


    He had remained quiet and obedient though. He knew better than to complain or draw attention to himself, for the masters would silence him swiftly.


    Soon, his wagon had joined many others and a horde of men. Together, they had set out from the city and into the never ending green sea of trees.


    Were the men moving to a different city, or perhaps they were starting a new one? Would they need him to hunt and clean the dark places below? He didn''t know; he could only sit in his cage and wait.


    He¡¯d ended up waiting a really long time! The wagons had rolled over the dirt road sending dusty clouds into the air for what seemed like days beyond count.


    Not that he could count very high, of course. Still, it was more days than he had fingers and toes. He supposed he could have simply started the count over again but he had forgotten the number anyway. The point was that he was very bored.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad but the wagons were pulled by horses. Their smell and the smell of their shit, which they simply dropped on the road as they walked, was foul and annoying. His shit smelled much better.


    Anyway, he hated horses and from his brief experience with them he was pretty sure they hated him right back. They probably tasted horrible as well, so what good were they? He cursed them under his breath when he grew particularly bored, which was practically all the time.


    ¡°Ugly horses. Stupid horses. Smelly horses,¡± he muttered.


    For so many days he had simply sat in his cage, slept, and gazed out at the never ending stands of green trees. For awhile he pretended the tarp was a solid stone roof that protected him from the bright emptiness above.


    Thisretreat into denial was only broken when he was fed, or when he excreted over the side of the wagon and he was forced to take in the blinding light of the sun. Well, sometimes he excreted with his eyes closed but most the time he was blinded by the sun.


    He wanted to go home; he yearned for the freedom of the dark sewers and tunnels! His sore body needed to move and stretch more than his small cage allowed. He itched from inactivity. Well, he itched pretty much constantly but he was pretty sure it was worse now. He blamed the horses.


    ¡°Ugly horses. Stupid horses. Smelly horses,¡± he muttered.


    The sound of footsteps approaching reached his ear and he instinctively withdrew into what little shadows his wooden cage contained. However, much to his relief the man walked by without stopping. Still huddled in his corner, he tried once again to get back to sleep.


    Occasionally, he heard the low deep voices of the men as they spoke in their language but try as he might he couldn''t really understand them. He knew more than a few of their words because the trainers had taught him them but the men here spoke very quickly and used many words he didn''t know.


    His people''s own language seemed much simpler. The tongue of these men seemed to contain endless sounds. It seemed pointlessly complex to him. The men must spend much of their lives naming things and that seemed like a weird way to spend time.


    They would be much happier if they spent more of their time hunting for tasty things instead, and happier men would probably hit him less. That would be better for everyone, so it was too bad they were too stupid to think of it. Not everyone could be as smart as him.


    As he tried to relax and ignore the cage¡¯s irritating moving and creaking, he heard the sound of two men talking. Their tone of voice piqued his interest so he peered out and tried to spot them.


    One of the men was tall and thin while the other was fat. As they argued they grew louder and the agitation in their voices that had snagged his attention grew more pronounced. They seemed very worried to him.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Their voices were unnecessarily loud for two people so close together and they held themselves very stiffly, like prey ready to flee at any moment. Also, they kept looking over their shoulders off into the distance like they expected something to appear. It was very prey-like indeed.


    He wondered what they were so worried about. Not that it really mattered to him; he was stuck in this cage until they let him out. Like everything else in the wagons, they were taking him somewhere and he was unlikely to get out until they got there.


    He had no idea where they were going but it would undoubtedly have less trees, or so he hoped anyway. It would also hopefully have less horses, as in none what so ever.


    ¡°Ugly horses. Stupid horses. Smelly horses,¡± he muttered to himself.


    Maybe the thing the men were so worried about would be exciting! Anything would be better than endless days of sitting in this cage, except beatings, or no tasty things, or being bitten by dogs, being bitten by horses, or... lots of stuff. Still the cage was very very bad.


    Suddenly the wagon jolted to a stop. At first he thought nothing of it; the wagons stopped every night and several other times as well. However, now he heard many more agitated human voices and the sound of people rushing around. That wasn¡¯t normal.


    A large man in bulky shiny clothing that marked him as a warrior ran by while frantically pulling his helmet on. Oh, the warriors among the men were getting ready for a fight! He wished he had a metal hat like that. It was so shiny!


    He wondered what the men were going to fight. What sort of beasts preyed on humans out here among the endless trees and dusty roads? He hoped whatever it was would be too busy chasing down all the men running around to get to him. Maybe it would even eat the horses!


    Suddenly, his train of thought was broken by a loud buzzing. It was swiftly followed by a chorus of human screams and war cries, and then loud thumping noises exploded all around him.


    Startled, he jumped into the air and promptly smashed his head against the top of the cage. He yelped in pain, fell over, and curled up into a defensive ball.


    Another wave of sound washed over him and he tensed in surprise. He got up and strained to see what was going on but he couldn''t get a good view. He shook and rocked the cage but he couldn''t get the right angle. Either the other cargo in the wagon or the horse pulling it always blocked his view. Stupid horse, it was probably doing it on purpose.


    Several minutes went by as he listened to the crash of struggling and the roar of human screaming. Metal met metal and metal met flesh.


    Soon, he realized that some of the noises were cries of triumph and others were cries of pain and despair. This confused him for a moment before he realized the obvious conclusion. The men were fighting other men.


    He was more than a little disappointed he wouldn''t get to see a giant man-eating green cat or something. The animals of the forest were all green right? Anyway, it would have been very exciting to see it chase all the men around like mice.


    An explosion ripped through the besieged caravan, quickly followed by a gust of hot wind. The wagon shuddered and the tarp on his cage above him whipped around wildly. He flinched in shock. He had no idea what had just happened, but whatever it was had seemed super important and exciting. He smiled happily to himself; maybe it would happen again!


    That was when he noticed he could now see what was happening. The shaking of the cart had cleared his field of view.


    Just as he had guessed, men were fighting each other up ahead. Small groups of warriors from the caravan in their shiny mail were fighting men in mismatched rough looking clothes. The guards fought back to back as they tried to protect themselves from the swarms of men attacking them.


    In the middle of the fighting the burning bodies of several of the attackers were littered around a crater. In front of the crater stood a tall man in purple robes who held a long staff in his hands. As the captive watched, a flight of arrows shot towards the purple man from across the battlefield.


    Calmly, the man raised a jeweled amulet and a wave of rippling air sprung into existence. The invisible force knocked the arrows harmlessly aside. The unharmed man then let the amulet fall back against his chest and aimed the end of his staff towards the nearest clump of attackers.


    ¡°Somebody kill that mage now!¡± a furious voice yelled as several men tried to rush him.


    Just as several of the men closed on him, the mage raised another amulet. This time there was no flashy display. All the men around the mage simply collapsed and lay unmoving on the ground. Then, the mage aimed his staff again, and an arrow took him in the back.


    Now it was the mage¡¯s turn to stagger and fall. As he struggled to pull himself back to his feet one of the attackers ran up and bashed him in the back of the head with a heavy club.


    Another cheer broke out across the battlefield, but this time it was the attackers who were rejoicing. The clumps of caravan guards began to be overwhelmed by their more numerous opponents.


    Then, with the sound of pounding hooves on hard packed dirt the fat man from earlier rode by the captive''s cage. The watcher only gotabrief look at him, but the man was trembling and red faced as he yelled and kicked his horse in order to urge it to ever faster speeds.


    The watcher greatly approved of kicking horses. His estimate of the fat man''s intelligence went up slightly.


    The horse carried its rider down the road at a mad speed, kicking up a dust cloud as it went. Soon, they disappeared from sight.


    Briefly, the observer wondered if the man would get away. However, it seemed somehow wrong to him that the only one to escape would be fat. Shouldn''t he be the slowest?


    Well, maybe the horse would get tired of the man''s fat ass and throw him to his death. You couldn''t trust horses after all. Yes, that was what would probably happen.


    There was the sound heavy footsteps and then two more humans from the wagons ran by. There was a tall one and a shorter one with long hair. He thought the shorter onewas a woman.


    As he watched, several lightning fast objects buzzed by and slammed into them. They collapsed and cried out in pain as a dirty looking human in rough clothes he hadn''t seen before ran over to them.


    ¡°Mercy please, I beg you,¡± the taller one implored the new arrival.


    The shorter human just cried and cradled her shoulder where she had been shot with an arrow. The dirty man just laughed as he stabbed the tall one in the back with his sword. The swordsman twisted the blade and his victim gasped before going limp. A pool of blood began expanding around the downed man.


    The watcher sniffed and smelled the fear and blood in the air. It was such delicious blood and delightful fear. It was so weird that it came from men who had been his masters. In the back of his mind he had considered them invincible.


    Without warning thehorses whinnied in fright and shook the wagon, sending him bowling over into the side of the cage where he smacked his nose against the bars. He hissed in pain and his eyes started to water.


    From where he had been thrown, he saw the dirty man quickly begin going through his victim''s'' clothing. He seemed to be looking for things to take as trophies.


    The caged watcher wished he could do the same. He would never harm a master, that was unthinkable, but now that they were dead they wouldn¡¯t be needing their stuff! They probably had many shiny and tasty things on them. Maybe he could get a shiny hat. That would make this the best day ever!


    The short woman gave a cry of despair and sobbed. The swordsman then turned to her. He grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet. She screamed in pain but managed to stand. Blood from her wound dripped down her long plain dress.


    ¡°Stop your moaning woman. A little wound like that won''t kill you any time soon. Now come with me. The boss may want all the women and children rounded up, but it''s up to me what happens to you in the meantime,¡± he told her as he dragged her back the way he had come.


    The woman sobbed in pain but stopped when the dirty man slapped her across the face. The woman then cringed and trembled but stopped screaming. Soon, the swordsman had marched her out of sight.


    The watcher had never seen men act so much like his people. It surprised him a little. They usuallybehaved so differently from his tribe. They were much more cooperative and controlled, with far less random outbreaks of violence. Also, they had a lot more clothes.


    Maybe they weren''t so different after all, though. The thought intrigued the watcher.


    By this time the screams and sounds of battle had mostly ended. He had grown bored again but he couldn''t help but be worried about what was going to happen to him now. The combination of boredom and anxiety was uncomfortable, and the smell of blood didn''t help.


    He began to sweat and itch so he started to scratch himself. After a few moments of pointless self-harm he stopped as he heard more footsteps and voices.


    He peeked out but they were approaching from a blind angle he couldn''t see again. Stupid horse, why couldn''t the dirty man have killed the horse? The world was greatly improved by every dead horse.


    Suddenly, the tarp was ripped off his cage. The wide eyed watcher lookedup to seetwo rough looking men staring down at him in surprise.


    One was tall and older looking with grey hair and a long green cloak. His brown eyes had more than a few lines under them. The second man was shorter, had no hair on his head, and wore a dirty brown shirt.


    ¡°Shit, it''s a goblin,¡± the bald man said as his pale human face scrunched up into a look of disbelief. ¡°Why the fuck did they have a goblin?¡±

 The Road North 2

    ¡°That''s a good question,¡± the older one replied.


    ¡°Ah, who cares let''s just kill it,¡± the shorter one said as he drew his dagger.


    The goblin felt a flash of panic, and his small eyes went wide in fear. Immediately he whimpered and started to grovel to show his submission to the giants before him. This always worked on humans, well almost always...


    ¡°Wait a second. This is interesting,¡± the other said with a raised hand.


    He peered into the cage and looked the goblin over. ¡°I wonder...¡± he mused to himself before looking it directly in the eyes.


    ¡°Sit,¡± he commanded.


    The goblin sat down instantly then smiled up at the men hopefully. Orders were good; they meant the men might consider sparing him.


    He really didn''t want to be stabbed by the ugly one. The taller man looked friendlier but the hairless one was still giving him an evil look. Clearly, he had to put more effort into his groveling.


    ¡°Yes master, I obey,¡± he exclaimed in his best weak and harmless voice. From experience he knew it was impossible to suck up to his masters too much.


    ¡°What the hells, it talks?¡± the bald man responded.


    The taller grey haired one shook his head. It was obvious he wasn''t impressed by the other man''s intelligence.


    ¡°It''s not wild, Buck. It''s trained, like a dog. They use them in some places to do dirty work in mines and workshops,¡± the older man explained condescendingly.


    ¡°Well, we don''t have any use for it and there are more than enough goblins around here. We don''t need freakish talking ones too. So, let''s just kill it already, Saeter,¡± the shorter one suggested.


    The goblin felt a stab of fear as the bald man Buck once again voiced his intention to kill him. He didn''t want to die! There were so many tasty things he hadn''t had a chance to try yet.


    Luckily, the taller man named Saeter frowned at Buck in disagreement after he spoke.


    ¡°No, I might have a use for it. These things are supposed to have a good sense of smell and good dogs are hard to keep out here. They get eaten,¡± Saeter told the other man.


    ¡°Me good smeller! Me no be eaten!¡± the goblin interjected helpfully.


    He could do anything better than a stupid dog, and he had a lifetime full of experience in not being eaten. He had gotten pretty good at it.


    Buck gave the goblin a doubtful look but the goblin thought he saw Saeter smile slightly. The older man was obviously the one he needed to suck up to.


    ¡°What if the little freak runs off?¡± Buck asked skeptically.


    ¡°Then like you just said this area has more than enough goblins already. One more won''t make any difference. Unless you think it''s going to talk us to death,¡± Saeter answered with a hint of authority in his voice and body language.


    Buck frowned a bit in response, but much to the goblin''s relief he was clearly backing down. Obviously, Saeter was the more dominant male, and much smarter as well since he saw the goblin''s worth.


    ¡°Whatever, if you want the bloody little thing I doubt anyone will care. Just keep it out of my way. I''ll fill the boss in on the actual useful stuff we found,¡± Buck huffed before walking away.


    When he was gone Saeter turned to the goblin and got a large toothy smile of gratitude from the green midget in return.


    ¡°So do you have a name then, goblin?¡± Saeter asked.


    It took the creature a few seconds to figure out what the man''s words meant, and then the question itself surprised him. Among the sewer goblins he was addressed by his position in the pack and the humans hadn''t ever felt the need to name their slaves.


    ¡°No, master,¡± he answered after a second of hesitation.


    He didn''t know where this was going. Saeter looked thoughtful for a second.


    ¡°Alright, from now on your name is... Blacknail, because your one toenail is darker than the rest. Do you understand?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Me Blacknail,¡± the goblin replied excitedly.


    It felt weird to have a name; something to call himself that was his own. He liked the feeling, though. He also liked that his new name described something that set him apart from other goblins, his dark nail. Not just any goblin could have his name. They couldn''t even beat him up and steal it!


    ¡°Now, if I let you out are you going to stay close to me and do as I say?¡± Saeter asked the goblin sternly.


    Blacknail once again detected a hint of threat in his voice. Well that was normal in the masters. They were always angry at goblins for something. They should really stop leaving all their shiny and tasty things lying around if they didn''t want goblins to rescue them.


    ¡°You master,¡± Blacknail gravelly replied to Saeter.


    He didn''t understand everything Saeter had just said but he understood enough. Besides calling humans master was always the right answer. Saeter grinned gruffly in response.


    ¡°You certainly get right to the point. Alright then,¡± he said with a bit of humour as he moved over and begun to unlatch the cage.


    When it was open Blacknail took a few careful steps out before slowly stretching and then turning back to face his new master expectantly. It felt so good to get out of the cage. He just wished he was home and not in this strange place.


    His first instinct was to make a run for it as soon as the man¡¯s back was turned. However, now Blacknail was stuck out here among all the unsettling trees and nasty looking men. Home was very far away and the goblin had no idea what sort of dangers lay in wait for him among the trees, but he was sure there were lots!


    Thus, he planned on staying very close to this new non-hostile human named Saeter. He was big even for a human so it should be fairly safe close to him, and that was worth a few beatings.


    The top of the goblin''s head only reached slightly more than halfway up Saeter''s body. His green skinned body was shaped like that of a small stumpy person.


    He also had a bald head, two long pointy ears, and sharp nails on his hands and feet. His nose was large, long, and beak like. His eyes were small and squinty while his teeth were sharp and needle like.


    Blacknail thought of himself as quite the handsome creature but was pretty sure his masters thought otherwise. Saeter however did not seem surprised or repulsed by his appearance.


    ¡°Alright, let''s see how well trained you are. Go, Blacknail,¡± Sater said forcefully while pointing to a spot on the ground a dozen feet from him.


    The goblin quickly rushed over to stand on that spot and then turned to smile proudly at his master. Too easy, this was a command he had mastered long ago!


    ¡°Stay,¡± Saeter commanded next as he placed a piece of dried meat on the ground in front of himself.


    The scent of the meat reminded Blacknail that he hadn''t eaten since that morning and that the men of the wagons hadn''t been feeding him all that much anyway. He liked gruel as much as the next goblin but it got old after the first few weeks. Now he wanted something different.


    However, he ignored the rumble in his tummy and didn''t move. He was far too clever for that. He knew this was a trick. He had figured it out in the city after only five beatings! Truly, he was a genius among goblins.


    ¡°Good goblin, now come,¡± Saeter told him next.


    Blacknail moved to stand in front of Saeter. He had been called a good goblin! His old masters had never done that.


    Saeter then reached down to pick up the meat and to Blacknail''s surprise handed it to him. The goblin shoved the delicious smelling meat into his mouth before his master could change his mind. He managed to get it down with only a tiny bit of choking and gagging. The men of the city had never given him anything so tasty.


    ¡°Hungry were you?¡± Saeter asked while giving Blacknail an odd look. ¡°Well, good. You''ve got discipline, I can work with that,¡± Saeter said with just a bit of satisfaction in his otherwise rough voice.


    Blacknail suddenly belched loudly as the food he had eaten too quickly tried to come up again. His new master''s smile faded a little and he hesitated for a second before pressing on.


    ¡°Anyway, follow me. Back at camp we''ll see what you can really do,¡± Saeter told the goblin before beginning to walk off.


    The goblin knew the follow command, but he mostly knew he didn''t want to be left alone there without his nice new safe master. He was unused to being above ground in the day and the bright blinding sunlight and strange fresh air unnerved him. Bleh, he dearly wished for the safe darkness and comforting smell of the sewers.


    Blacknail followed Saeter through the remains of the caravan. It was much more interesting looking, and smelling, now with all the bandits scattered around looting corpses and wagons.


    Blacknail stuck close to his new master for safety as the men around them looked huge and dangerous. They were all obviously armed with various weapons, some of them still slick with red human blood.


    A few of the attackers stared at Blacknail as he passed and called out to Saeter. Blacknail was relieved that after a brief response from Saeter all of the men quickly lost interest in him and went back to looting and carrying stuff.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    After walking down the road a bit Saeter led the goblin over to the woods. After so many days of seeing the trees from a distance Blacknail was surprised at how intimidating they looked close up.


    In front of him a wall of greenery stretched. Trees many times his own height with light bark towered overhead and their long branches stretched out in every direction. Thick bushes sat underneath them and blocked most the ways forward. Only a few areas were thin enough for people to pass through.


    Blacknail gulped nervously as he approached the twisted mass of twigs and leaves before him. He much preferred trees when they weren''t all so close together and hard to see through.


    However, the goblin¡¯s new master calmly strode through a gap in the bushes and into the strange overgrown domain beyond. Blacknail hesitated a second before following. Briefly, he considered trying to find another master who was still out on the road, but then he gathered up his courage and stepped into the woods.


    Branches towered above him cloaked in greenery as he passed through the threshold. The canopy wasn¡¯t thick enough to block most of the sunlight but it still concealed way too much from the goblin''s sight for him to be comfortable.


    His earlier thoughts of human eating forest monsters didn''t seem so exciting now. They were actually quite terrifying. As he nervously followed the man named Saeter under the tree branches, Blacknail couldn''t help but imagine legions of fearful beasts with bad intentions laying in wait above him.


    With a start, Blackanil realized his new master was beginning to pull ahead. That would be bad! He really didn''t want to be left alone where there was no huge tough human to scare everything hungry for goblin away.


    All the trees and bushes looked exactly the same to Blacknail. If he lost sight of his master he would quickly become hopelessly lost.


    The goblin quickly plunged through the bushes in front of him in pursuit of his new master. He immediately regretted his actions, though. The branches poked and scratched him painfully so he had to slow down.


    Ack, why were the bushes so pointy? He hissed in frustration and annoyance. Moving slower he carefully sulked after Saeter, while trying to make as little noise as possible and keep an eye on everything around him.


    A few minutes later heard what he thought was his master''s voice but couldn''t see him or make out his words. The concerned goblin quickly pushed through the bushes again, and after a brief prickly resistance he found himself stepping through the last barrier at the edge of the woods and into a small clearing.


    Blacknail shuddered. The scrub had been filled with bushes that poked and scratched him. There were also so many new confusing smells and he itched terribly now. As he scratched himself vigorously he heard a sound off to his side.


    He turned to look and jumped in alarm at what he saw there. Only a few feet away a strange tall human with a drawn sword was scowling at him.


    ¡°Now what do we have here? Looks like a scrawny little goblin,¡± the big ugly pink human drawled as Blacknail took a frightened step back from him.


    ¡°Maybe I should save us all some trouble and kill you. I doubt Saeter would really care too much,¡± the dirty rough shaven man said with a sneer as he towered over the goblin.


    The human''s foul breath washed over the goblin as he talked. Blacknail froze in terror. The huge human man was so close!


    ¡°Enough, Ferret. Stop scaring my goblin,¡± Saeter shouted irritably at the other man.


    Blacknail¡¯s new master had stopped walking away and turned back towards them. There was a dangerous look in his eye as he stared towards the other man.


    ¡°I¡¯m just having a little fun, Saeter. Don''t you worry,¡± the foul smelling man said with a laugh. His eyes however were still hostile when he turned away from the goblin.


    Sighing in relief, the goblin scurried after his master. Blacknail was pretty sure Saeter didn''t want to kill him but he wasn''t so sure about this new human.Obviously, he feared challenging Blacknail and his new master though, because he didn¡¯t pursue them.


    The meadow the goblin found himself hastily scrambling through seemed to have been filled with long grass in the recent past but most the plants had been trampled down. Only a few patches of standing plants remained.


    Several crude tents of various sizes were scattered around along with the remains of a fair number of burnt out fire pits. Heaps of various types of equipment were piled around in seemingly random places making the camp seem haphazard.


    Saeter was headed towards one of the fire pits that was off to the side of the clearing. Blacknail trailed him. His master reached the camp site and began to rummage through a bag. After taking out a few items Saeter straightened up and turned to the goblin.


    ¡°All right, time for some real tests,¡± he told Blacknail sternly.


    The goblin felt a hint of alarm, but only a hint. Surely, he was a clever goblin that wouldn''t fail any tests. He grinned eagerly at the thought of showing off his intelligence.


    The more his new master trusted him the safer he would be. It would also make it easier for him to eventually escape back to his old home.


    Saeter began to drill Blacknail through various commands. They worked through some very simple ones to some more complex ones. If Blacknail didn''t know a command then Saeter showed him, which was a system the goblin liked much more than being smacked with stick every time he did something wrong. That was what his old masters had done.


    Blacknail learned every new command after seeing it once, and in the process learned quite a few new human words as well. Saeter was pleased at his quick progress and showed it with comments such as ¡°Good,¡± and ¡°Well done¡±.


    Saeter was constantly giving him new things to do. Blacknail was careful to try and remember all the new commands so that he would not be punished when his master demanded he perform them. He was really not sure why Saeter had taught him to shake his hand or play dead though. Maybe it was to lure prey closer? He hoped he wouldn''t be used as bait...


    ¡°Hmm, that will do. You learn quickly enough. Now for a real test. You can''t run around bare ass every day so let''s see if you can make your own clothes,¡± Saeter announced.


    The grey haired man then headed over to the side of the clearing that the bandits hadn''t trampled where some tall plants were still growing. After a quick inspection he chose one and pulled it out of the ground.


    ¡°Here, see this is Wolf Mane. This is Wolf''s mane,¡± he told Blacknail slowly and clearly as he held the dead plant up for him to see. ¡°I want you to pull these plants up like I just did. Get to it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Blacknail said and nodded vigorously in confirmation. He scanned the vegetation in front of him until he found a dead plant like the one his master had pulled out then moved to stand beside it. He grabbed it low close to the ground and pulled. It didn''t budge.


    Afraid of taking too long and incurring a punishment he tried again and this time put all his strength into it. The plant came loose with sudden jerk and Blacknail was sent spiralling over backward. His momentum carried him until a rough impact with Saeter''s boots stopped his roll.


    Blacknail cringed in horror. He hadn''t meant to touch his master and incur his terrible wrath. He shielded his face with his hands and peeked up. Much to the goblin''s confusion though Saeter was just scowling down at him, and made no move to hit him. The edges of his mouth were twitching upwards for some reason though.


    ¡°Try again,¡± Saeter said as he suppressed a smile.


    Blacknail rushed to his feet and found another stalk. This time he pulled it out correctly. After a few minutes he pulled several more out with no further problems.


    ¡°That should be enough. Follow me,¡± Saeter said as he gathered all the plants and carried them back to his camp. Once there he sat down and begun to pull the plants apart.


    ¡°Watch and do this. You need the fibres, the stringy bits,¡± he said as he held them up for Blacknail to look at.


    Saeter pulled the stalk apart and extracted the long stringy fibres. Then he rubbed them gently between his fingers till they came loose. When he was done he handed Blacknail a plant.


    The goblin took it and gave it a doubtful look. This was nothing like anything his old masters had made him do. With a shrug the goblin copied the actions of Saeter and stripped out the fibres and cleaned them by rubbing them.


    ¡°Good, now the hard part,¡± Saeter continued.


    He then straightened the fibres out and begun to weave them together carefully with his fingers. ¡°Watch carefully,¡± he told Blacknail.


    The goblin peered at the cord forming in Saeter''s hand as he twisted the fibres together. It seemed sort of complicated but how hard could twisting pieces of plant be for a genius goblin like him? He eagerly went to work.

 The Road North 3

    Blacknail spent almost the next hour working on twisting plant fibres into rope, and rapidly came to the conclusion that it was hopeless and he was a stupid stupid goblin. Much to his despair, no matter how hard he tried he couldn''t make a single piece of cord.


    Saeter had made it look so easy, but every time he tried he ruined the fibres or tied them into a useless knot. One time he had even somehow managed to get his hand entangled in the fibres and he had been forced to chew it free. Everything he touched was destroyed! He whimpered in self-pity and fear of punishment.


    After instructing him his master had moved over to the other side of his camp and for some reason was repeatedly stabbing and slicing a small block of wood with a knife. Clearly he was very mad. Saeter would look up every once and awhile to check on the goblin, and every time he did Blacknail cringed in shame.


    He had been doing so well earlier! He had completed every task his new master had given him, but now all that was ruined because he couldn''t twist a bunch of plants together. His new master would surely throw him out into the forest now or kill him himself!


    ¡°That''s enough,¡± Saeter said suddenly as he put down the piece of wood and walked over to the goblin with an exasperated look on his face.


    Blacknail looked up from the rope he was desperately trying to weave and cringed at his master''s approach.


    ¡°You''ll have plenty of time to practice later. Eventually you''ll get it. Right now you''re trying too hard,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    The goblin was overcome by surprise and relief. He wasn''t going to be punished? But he had failed his master...


    Saeter strode over to his campsite and rummaged through a bag. This left Blacknail confused as to what was going on. After a few seconds Saeter pulled out some cord and leather.


    He then took out a needle and pulled the cord through the two leather pieces several times to create a crude loincloth, which he tied around Blacknail''s waist. Blacknail was now very confused and gave his master an uncomprehending look. What was going on? Saeter was a very strange master.


    ¡°You''ll wear this at all times or you¡¯¡¯ll be punished. You''d better learn to make these yourself or you''ll be punished. If you want warmer or better clothes then you will have to make them yourself,¡± Saeter told Blacknail sternly as the confused goblin adjusted the loincloth around his waist.


    ¡°Yes Master. I wear this always. I learn to work so I not be punished,¡± he replied submissively.


    For good effect he also fell to his knees and groveled on the ground a bit. Well, a lot more than a bit actually. Grovelling was his go to response in almost every situation. That and running away as fast as his little legs would carry him.


    The loincloth was useless and annoying to wear but it was obviously a sign of his master''s ownership and protection. Hopefully once the other humans saw he belonged to Saeter it would prevent them from hitting or killing him.


    The tall human frowned in irritation at the goblin''s groveling but nodded in satisfaction at Blacknail''s verbal response. The goblin took this as a sign to climb back to his feet. Just then another voice rang out through the clearing.


    ¡°Saeter, you old recluse, I can''t imagine what''s going through your head. To just skip out on helping load up all the loot, without so much as a word, and to do what? Muck around with a bloody goblin!¡± a deep female voice yelled.


    Blacknail looked over to see a tall muscular woman with short brown hair approaching. She was taller than most the men in the camp except for Saeter, but she looked stronger than him. However, her body was obviously that of a female and she still had a feminine figure, just a large one.


    The woman wore a heavy cloth shirt that was partly unlaced at the top to reveal her ample cleavage. She wore long practical leather pants and carried a rather large sword at her hip.


    Most importantly, she didn¡¯t look like a threat. The big grin on her face, her cheerful green eyes, and the relaxed way she held herself made Blacknail think she wasn''t dangerous to him.


    ¡°Hello, Vorscha. I''m busy,¡± Saeter responded with barely a glance her way.


    Following Vorscha was another male bandit. He was shorter and thinner than the woman and his long brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.


    Saeter was a somewhat skinny man but he made up for it by being tall. This man however was just of average height. His clothing looked to be of good quality but it had plainly seen better days and was now somewhat worn. His eyes however were intelligent and energetic.


    The woman beside him who had yelled earlier ignored Saeter''s rude reply to her and continued speaking as if he hadn''t said anything.


    ¡°If I was gonna take something from the wagons and run off with it I wouldn''t pick a frigging goblin, that''s for sure. Only you could ever be that weird. In this entire pack of violent outcasts you are the weirdest by far Saeter, and Aerac makes little dolls out of radishes. That''s the kind of people you''re competing against,¡± she continued without pause as she approached.


    ¡°I''m the band''s best tracker and hunter. I''m busy here doing my job and it''s not to load wagons,¡± he replied calmly.


    Vorscha snorted in response but her eyes were shinning. She didn¡¯t seem to be angry.


    ¡°Arrogant prick aren''t you. We''ll you''re by far the most experienced tracker around anyway. How is playing around with a bloody goblin have anything to do with anything though? You should just get rid of it. We have enough problems with goblins stealing stuff without actually inviting them into camp,¡± she told Saeter.


    Blacknail''s opinion of the woman dropped as she spoke. He never stole anything from anybody! People just left stuff lying around everywhere for some reason. How was he supposed to know it was theirs?


    ¡°In about an hour I''ve got this little fellow to do more work and show more smarts than most the people around here. Once I get him properly trained up he''s going to be a valuable tool. Unlike that skinny boy toy you''ve got following you around,¡± Saeter replied as he threw a disdainful look at Vorscha and the man behind her.


    Vorscha just laughed in response but the man behind her scowled at Saeter. Blacknail smiled in pride at his master''s compliment. He was useful!


    ¡°Oh, Geralhd isn''t so bad Saeter. He''s just a helpless city boy and new to the glamorous outlaw lifestyle. We were all stupid little shits once. I''ll have him broken in soon enough,¡± she said with a laugh.


    Geralhd winced. He was clearly embarrassed but he decided to speak up anyway.


    ¡°Thank you Vorscha, but I am more than capable of speaking for myself. I may not have been born out in the woods with a sword in my hand, Saeter, but I plan on surviving so I''m learning to do what I must,¡± Geralhd interjected earnestly as Saeter eyed him and grunted doubtfully in response.


    ¡°Why do you keep taking fools like this under your wing, Vorscha? He''s gonna get himself killed one way or another, just like the last one,¡± Saeter asked her gravely.


    Geralhd looked startled for a second before giving Saeter a dark glare. Vorscha however just shrugged her muscular shoulders before replying.


    ¡°Why are you still out here, Saeter? You''ve been roaming the North longer than most the men here have been alive. Anyone else would have retired long ago. This isn''t a place or a profession for men who have seen as many winters as you have. You know better than anyone that sooner or later something is going to kill you out here. Hells, even the bounty on your head expired years ago,¡± Vorscha asked him in return.


    Saeter didn''t answer right away. Instead he sighed and turned away from them and looked out into the green expanse of forest off to his side for a second. Then his gaze swept back over the camp behind himself. Blacknail didn''t know exactly what he was looking at but he seemed to be deep in thought.


    ¡°There ain''t no fool like an old fool,¡± Saeter finally responded with a tired sigh. Vorscha nodded and sighed as well.


    ¡°It''s just who we are,¡± she commented solemnly. Geralhd looked a little taken aback by the unexpected serious turn in the conversation.


    Blacknail was having a lot of problems trying to understand what the humans were saying. They were using a lot of words and concepts he didn''t know. They suddenly seemed kind of sad though. It made him uncomfortable for some reason.


    ¡°Well, let''s see this goblin of yours, then,¡± Vorscha said with sudden cheer in an obvious attempt to lighten the conversation.


    She moved to stand over Blacknail. The goblin smiled up at her. He tried to look harmless and to absolutely not think about picking things up that didn''t belong to him. Geralhd moved up beside her hesitantly to look over the goblin as well.


    ¡°Doesn''t seem like much to me. Looks pretty much the same as every other goblin around these parts,¡± Vorscha commented casually.


    Blacknail felt deeply insulted, which was weird because he had no idea what goblins around here were like at all. They could be purple and twice the size of humans for all he knew, but if they went around stealing things they were nothing like him.


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    ¡°It''s a little bigger and darker in colour, though; murkier. A lot of goblins here have some hair on their heads and this one doesn''t. Huh, I''ve never been this close to live goblin before,¡± Geralhd observed with interest.


    Blacknail found the man''s intense scrutiny uncomfortable. He also thought he sensed fear from the thin man. That made no sense to the goblin. He was the one at the mercy of a group of gigantic killers! Humans were weird.


    ¡°You can move closer. He''s not gonna bite you Geralhd. Are you Blacknail?¡± Saeter asked Blacknail snidely.


    ¡°No, master; I never bite humans, never,¡± Blacknail replied vigorously with a look of affronted horror on his face. Goblins who bit or hit humans didn''t last very long in the sewers.


    ¡°By the gods, it talks. That''s unnatural,¡± Vorscha exclaimed and took a surprised step back. This time it was Geralhd that chuckled.


    ¡°All goblins can talk. Most just don''t speak Elorian. They have their own primitive languages. Goblins can develop fairly sophisticated societies after all. Or at least they did before the ancient Goblin Wars. I''ve never heard of a goblin that could speak Elorian this well though. How interesting,¡± Geralhd mused aloud.


    Saeter rolled his eyes in annoyance at the other man''s tone.


    ¡°Hey pretty boy. Don''t you know you''re always supposed to agree with me. You''re just lucky you''re cute or you never would have lasted this long out here,¡± Vorscha said with fake outrage as she punched Geralhd lightly in the arm.


    The smaller man blushed a little and turned away with a cough to hide it, which only made Vorscha laugh.


    ¡°If you two are done inspecting my goblin, why don''t you get back to work. I''m sure you have very important things to do, I know I do,¡± Saeter told them dismissively.


    Vorscha met his rudeness with a smile, though. She seemed to be immune to Saeter''s grumpiness.


    ¡°I''m one of the band''s best fighters and thieves. I''m busy here doing my job and it''s not to load wagons,¡± she replied snidely with laughing eyes.


    Geralhd chuckled and Saeter gave them both an annoyed frown. The goblin had to stifle a smile of his own. The woman¡¯s grin and mood were infectious.


    ¡°Very funny, but I''m actually training Blacknail here to help me hunt. You''re just standing around being as useful as tits on a boar,¡± Saeter countered.


    ¡°Master is yes,¡± Blacknail added with a serious nod in order to back up Saeter.


    Geralhd and Vorscha threw him amused looks.


    ¡°Well, if the young goblin here says it¡¯s so then it must be true,¡± Geralhd commented sarcastically.


    Blacknail didn''t like his tone of voice. He suspected he was being made fun of.


    ¡°Anyway, sorry to disappoint you Saeter but Geralhd and I finished our jobs a while ago so relaxing here in camp is where we''re supposed to be,¡± Vorscha explained.


    ¡°Then why don''t you go tell Herad that I''ll be out hunting for a bit. Tell her I''ll bring back something for the victory celebration tonight,¡± Saeter told them sternly.


    He clearly wasn''t looking for any more conversation, which was fine with Blacknail. He didn''t want to be around the offensive lady named Vorscha either. He was so not a thief.


    ¡°Ah, avoiding Herad are you? Good idea, she''s still fuming. This was supposed to be an easy bloodless job but that thrice damned mage killed several of our guys before a lucky arrow took him out. Who knows what the hells he was even doing out here. Mages with the crystals like he had have better things to do than guard little caravans out to the frontier,¡± Vorscha wondered aloud.


    ¡°Who knows why mages do bloody anything? The guilds seem to spend more time being mysterious than they do doing anything useful,¡± Saeter replied with a disdainful sneer.


    ¡°You''re wrong about that, Saeter. The illustrious mage guilds spend most their valuable time fighting and killing each other over secrets and politics. Every once and a while they also manage to actually get some research on magic crystals or elixirs done,¡± Geralhd jokingly added.


    ¡°Well, whatever he was doing here it certainly cost us some comrades,¡± Vorscha added soberly.


    Blacknail begun to grow tired of standing around listening to the humans talk about things he didn''t understand. He sat back down and absently scratched an itch on his neck.


    ¡°Just means more loot for us,¡± Saeter commented with ill-humour.


    ¡°Ha, you mean more loot for our fearsome leader Herad. I doubt any of us will see much in the way of extra coin,¡± Geralhd replied.


    ¡°Both of you should be more respectful to the fallen. Next time it could be one of us who dies with some caravan guard''s blade through our guts,¡± Vorscha told them.


    ¡°Or be set aflame and burned alive by a combat mage like poor Guts. I can still smell bacon,¡± Geralhd said with a shudder.


    ¡°Poor Guts? The man was a wanted murderer, deserter, and a rapist,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°Aren''t we all? I assume that''s why we''re all out here in the freezing north, hiding in these accursed woods, and robbing passing travelers,¡± Geralhd countered.


    ¡°Some crimes are worse than others and your reasons for doing them matter. Even Herad had the women and children from the caravan released with a horse and wagon,¡± Saeter muttered darkly.


    ¡°Well, I don''t know about you two but I''m not a rapist. Although I do have the occasional dark fantasy,¡± Vorscha joked cheerfully as she threw Geralhd a meaningful glance.


    The thin man looked uncomfortable and had to turn away. He coughed lightly to cover himself and then tried to divert the conversation.


    ¡°Speaking of Herad, did you see her fight that elixir user? He came out of nowhere and almost pushed us back on the left flank. Herad had to go out and fight him herself. That was quite the show. I''ve seen Vessels duel before but this was quite different. It was brutal, bloody, and lightning fast. Almost makes me want to try and get my hands on some elixir,¡± he told them.


    ¡°Not me. I''ve seen what elixir does to people who take it and aren''t lucky enough to become vessels. Also sometimes even proper vessels get addicted to the stuff. Neither of those is an easy way to die. Herad''s welcome to it but I''m sticking to good old fashioned muscle power,¡± Vorscha told him as she flexed her arms.


    ¡°Also it''s a little expensive and hard to get if you''re an outlaw out on the frontier. The lords tend to discourage the guilds from selling to the likes of us,¡± Sater added sarcastically.


    By this point Blacknail had completely lost interest in the conversation and was barely paying attention. He gave a quiet yawn and rested his head on his knees.


    ¡°Herad must have used up a fair bit of her elixir in that fight then,¡± Geralhd mused aloud. Saeter gave him a disproving look.


    ¡°Word of warning, boy. It''s not a good idea to go around talking about how much elixir Herad has left. She might believe you''re thinking of challenging her and she can be touchy about that,¡± Saeter warned him quietly.


    Vorscha nodded to show her agreement and Geralhd looked chastened.


    ¡°Anyway, I need to be on my way. I can''t waste all morning talking to you two,¡± Saeter abruptly announced.


    He then turned away from them without saying another word and grabbed a bag from his camp before walking off towards the woods.


    ¡°Come on, Blacknail,¡± he called without turning around or even slowing.


    Instantly the goblin got up from where he had been slowly drifting off to sleep in the grass and sauntered after his master, leaving the other two bandits standing alone by themselves.


    Finally something to do other than sit around and listen to humans blab on and on about stupid things, Blacknail thought to himself as he walked.


    ¡°He''s a miserable old bastard isn¡¯t he,¡± Geralhd commented to Vorscha.


    ¡°You should see him around people he actually doesn''t like. I''m practically his best friend around here,¡± Blacknail heard Vorscha respond cheerfully.


    As Blacknail approached the woods he began to regret his earlier enthusiasm for doing something more exciting. The trees loomed before him as Saeter waited for him at their edge. He had really been hoping that now that he had reached the camp his master wouldn¡¯t make him go out into the forest anymore.


    Saeter gave the goblin an impatient look and took an angry step towards him. Blacknail swallowed nervously but scurried into the shadows of the trees. He didn¡¯t want to make his master angry and get a beating.


    As he moved through the bushes at the edge of the clearing, the goblin¡¯s heart started pounding and he went slightly pale. Blacknail didn¡¯t know what was out there waiting for him in the forest but every instinct he had was screaming that he was about to enter somewhere very dangerous.

 The Road North 4

    After a few minutes of walking through the woods Saeter turned to Blacknail and gave him an appraising look. The goblin was nervously scanning the woods around him for threats. He couldn¡¯t see any, but that didn''t mean they weren''t there...


    ¡°Well it''s obvious you''re no forest creature; you''re shaking like a leaf. I¡¯ll have to start your training out slow then. Just follow me and be quiet unless you want a smack. You''ll get used to being out in the deep green, you''re a goblin after all,¡± Saeter explained to Blacknail.


    ¡°I follow master quiet like,¡± whispered the goblin in response. He could do that; he snuck around places all the time. Saeter grunted in affirmation before moving out. His long strides carried him quickly over the ground as he headed deeper into the emerald forest.


    Blacknail hurried after him. He made his best effort to keep up and make as little noise as possible. He stepped gently, avoided twigs and leaves, crept over logs, and kept low to the ground. Just as he was about to congratulate himself on being so quiet he realized he had a problem.


    His legs were too small and short! His master with his long strides was quickly leaving him behind. While Saeter could walk casually Blacknail had to jog. Where Saeter stepped over logs and mud he had to jump. He couldn''t do that and be sneaky at the same time! There was no way he was going to be left behind though so he pushed his pace.


    Blacknail managed to keep up, but as they moved deeper into the woods a cloud of insects begun to gather. Soon a black buzzing swarm had formed around them. Well mostly around Blacknail. His master was protected by his thick long clothes. Meanwhile Blacknail''s loincloth did pretty much nothing. The flies and mosquitoes seemed to prefer the goblin for some reason as well. Probably because Saeter was kind of old and skinny so he probably didn''t taste very good.


    Blacknail tried to swat the flying pests but there were far too many of them. As a goblin he had thick skin but the bites were still painful and annoying. His frantic motions failed to deter the swarm but they slowed him down and caused him to start to fall behind again. He had never seen, or felt, so many mosquitoes. He hissed angrily at the swarm but it apparently wasn''t very impressed because it just continued biting him.


    ¡°My blood, go away!¡± Blacknail barked angrily at them. Luckily he knew a way to protect himself. Looking around he spotted a muddy puddle.


    The goblin then gleefully jumped in and started to roll around. The wet sludge was so cool and soothing as it enveloped his skin that he squealed in happiness. The stupid bugs wouldn''t be able to bite him through all the mud! After coating himself fully he got to his feet... and found his master staring down at him.


    ¡°By all the hells, what are you doing?¡± Saeter asked him sounding dumbfounded. A look of surprise and disgust was plastered on his face. Blacknail was pretty sure he was in trouble. He gave his master a begging look and his best puppy eyes.


    ¡°There were biting bugs...¡± he told his master in his most pitiful sounding voice. Saeter gave him a light smack on his head and pulled him out of the mud by his ear.


    Blacknail had to lean into his master and hop rapidly to lessen the pain in his ear as Saeter pulled him. When he had been dragged well out of the mud Saeter looked him over angrily, but then sighed in resignation and let him go a second later.


    The goblin winced at the pain in his ear and began to rub it carefully. It hadn''t really hurt him that much though and he expected further punishment. However his master didn''t seem that angry with him anymore. Instead of hitting him again Saeter reached into a pouch at his side and withdrew some plant leaves.


    ¡°This is Flybane,¡± he told Blacknail as he handed several leaves to the goblin. Blacknail sniffed them and sneezed as their strong bitter smell invaded his nostrils.


    Luckily he managed to turn away before he had covered his master in green goblin snot, and it shot out onto the ground instead. He had once seen a goblin be beaten to death for doing that to a master. He wasn''t going to make that mistake!


    ¡°The smell chases bugs away. Get some of that mud off and then rub this on yourself instead.¡± Seter continued to explain.


    Immediately Blacknail dropped to the ground and begun rolling on a patch of grass to remove the mud. As Saeter watched him the edges of his mouth twitched again. Why did his new master keep doing that?


    When the goblin had removed most of the mud he sat up and begun to wipe the leaves against his skin. Soon he begun to smell like the plant and the swarm of bugs around him thinned out. The scent almost made him sneeze again but he stifled it and gave Saeter a big toothy smile.


    ¡°Thank you master,¡± he said gratefully in his high voice. Saeter shook his head in vexation as he regarded the grinning but still very dirty goblin.


    ¡°I''d throw you in a bath but I expect you''d just get dirty again right after,¡± he told the goblin as he started to walk away. Blacknail didn''t know what a bath was but he hoped it was a treat for being so smart. Maybe he could earn one later.


    As they trudged on the unfamiliar environment continued to make Blacknail anxious that something would sneak up or drop down on him from an overhead branch. He could just picture some monstrosity like a giant cat sitting up there hidden among the leaves ready to pounce. He didn''t think such a thing would be repelled by Flybane no matter how bad he smelled.


    Peering up above he almost ran into Saeter before he realized his master had stopped moving. Saeter had crouched low to the ground and was examining something.


    ¡°Come here Blacknail and look,¡± Saeter called quietly. The goblin scampered over a fallen log and moved up beside his master to see what he was looking at. Several animal tracks decorated the patch of bare ground in front of them. They looked somewhat familiar to Blacknail, and smelled familiar as well.


    ¡°Wolves, avoid them they''re dangerous. These tracks are old though,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    ¡°Smells like doggies, master,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Yes, good goblin. Almost the same. Good nose,¡± Saeter told him with a pleased tone. He smiled at Blacknail before getting back up and continuing on. Blacknail felt a flash happiness at the praise. He had been called good again! He followed Saeter and felt a little less afraid of the forest.


    If dog like things lived here than it couldn''t be so different from the sewers and alleys. Blacknail could deal with doggies. They couldn''t climb or squeeze into tight places like goblins could. His tribe had many good times luring doggies next to high places and then throwing stuff at them. Vicious biting doggies didn''t like bricks to their faces much.


    They walked on for awhile when suddenly a whiff of scent drew Blacknail''s attention. It was a very familiar smell, the scent of a goblin. He took a deeper breath and realized it was a young male, a strange young male.


    Blacknail felt the urge to track it down and show it who was dominant. This was his territory now! Then just like that the scent vanished. Saeter must have noticed something because he turned and regarded the goblin.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Smell goblin. Young,¡± Blacknail responded with a growl.


    ¡°Just one youngling? Then it''s nothing to worry about. Come on,¡± Saeter said as he started walking again. Blacknail waited a second and took another deep breath but he could smell only leaves, dirt, and his master. With a touch of regret he took off after Seater.


    After awhile Saetar stopped moving and moved over into the bushes. There he reached over and pulled a dead rabbit from where it was hanging from a sapling by something wrapped around its neck.


    Blacknail eyed the small tree suspiciously. He didn''t know the forest very well but he was pretty sure rabbits didn''t grow on trees.


    ¡°After you learn rope making I will teach you how to set and check these snares. It''s a lot easier to catch rabbits this way than by hand like feral goblins do,¡± Saeter explained as he hung the rabbit over his shoulder. Oh, it was a trap set by Saeter. He felt a little dumb.


    Saeter then disassembled the trap and packed it into his bag. After he finished he turned and headed off in a new direction. After a brief walk he stopped to check another trap, but it was empty. He dissembled it as well before moving on to the next. This one did have a rabbit caught in it. Saeter handed it to Blacknail to carry.


    ¡°No eating,¡± he warned the goblin. Blacknail felt disappointment. For a second he had thought his master was giving him a treat. Maybe if he was very good he could taste the rabbit later, or maybe he could take some when Saeter was done with it.


    All in all they checked over a dozen traps, and got seven rabbits, before heading back to camp. Blacknail ended up carrying four. Being given so many meant that his master thought he was strong! He hoped he could earn a treat this way, he was getting kind of hungry.


    As they were on their way Saeter suddenly froze and drew his bow. Blacknail froze as well and scanned the woods for what his master had sensed. He had a sinking feeling that it would be dangerous. Pretty much everything was to a goblin.


    The trees around them were a little thicker and let less light through than in the area they had just left. There were also fewer bushes and instead of grass short leafy plants grew.


    Blacknail nervously looked up into the dense overhead tree branches, since there was little cover on the ground to hide anything approaching. Suddenly a flash of movement drew his attention up to a spot in the canopy.


    His eyes widened in fright as he saw the creature. Perched on a branch up ahead of them was a¡­ something. Blacknail had never seen anything like it.


    It was hard to tell at this distance but it seemed to be slightly larger than a goblin but smaller than a human. It was however more than big enough to be dangerous to both goblins and humans though as it had knife sized talons jutting from the ends of its feet.


    Large brown and tan feathers covered its body and the long wings that jutted from its shoulders. Unlike a bird though another set of dangerous looking claws grew from the tips of its wings. Its head was crowned by a black feathery crest that stretched down its back and almost looked like a woman''s long hair.


    The creatures chilling visage was completed by intense intelligent eyes that stared down at them from a disturbingly human-like face instead of a bird-like beak. It noticed Blacknail''s attention and smiled down at him to reveal a mouth stuffed full of long sharp teeth obviously designed for tearing through flesh.


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    Blacknail shivered violently as fear momentarily overcame him. Startled he instinctively looked around for a nice big bush or deep hole to hide in nearby. Much to his dismay the area around him was mostly full of tree trunks, roots, and tiny plants that only came up to his knees. There was no nearby shelter, so the goblin glanced back at the grinning creature.


    The thing had obviously seen them and knew that they could see it. That was way more intelligence than the goblin was comfortable seeing in something that clearly wanted to eat him.


    Their eyes met and the creature locked gazes with him. It tilted its head to the side with an almost delicate motion and begun to make soft cooing noises, as if it was inviting him closer. Blacknail felt a horrible urge to run screaming, whether he wanted to run towards or away from the thing he didn''t know. Before his fear overwhelmed him completely though Saeter interrupted and drew his attention.


    ¡°Come Blacknail. Come close to me,¡± Saeter commanded steadily and calmly as he took a step forward and interposed himself between the goblin and the creature.


    Blacknail thought that was a great idea! With a flash of panic the goblin ducked down and scrambled up to his master''s feet, barely remembering to pull the rabbits he had been carrying behind him. They were dragged through the leaf litter as he moved.


    Once he reached safety behind his master the goblin''s heartbeat begun to settle down a bit. True the terrible winged creature was terrifying but his master''s calm voice reassured him somewhat. After all Saeter was a giant and mighty warrior even among humans!


    Blacknail peeked out from behind his master''s rough dark brown cloak. The winged thing''s eyes narrowed in annoyance as it regarded the now sheltered goblin. Blacknail stuck his tongue out at it and made a face. Ha, it was obviously too weak and afraid to come anywhere near Saeter!


    Suddenly the thing tilted its head up and whistled sharply. The sound echoed around them as it bounced through the forest. Saeter went still.


    ¡°Look around Blacknail. Do you see any more?¡± Saeter suddenly asked.


    The goblin''s heart beat sped up again. There was more than one of these freaks? He turned and furtively scanned the branches behind them for signs of another beast. He couldn''t see any more of the creatures anywhere though.


    ¡°You see any more? See any more?¡± cried the creature in shrill mocking version of Saeter''s voice. Blacknail shuddered again at the creepy mimicry. Could the thing actually talk?


    ¡°Nothing master,¡± he whispered to Saeter. Fear made his voice unsteady. Saeter nodded calmly in response.


    ¡°Off you go harpy. You''ll get no meat here, only arrows,¡± Saeter yelled in a roar like tone that echoed through the forest.


    The creature tilted his head to the side as if in contemplation and regarded him for a few moments. Then it hissed angrily as it puffed itself up by fluffing its feathers and spreading its wings wide. It looked much bigger than a goblin now.


    Saeter responded to the challenge quickly. He drew his bow back and let loose an arrow. The creature however was ready for it and hopped sideways along the branch to dodge the arrow and landed on all four limbs. The harpy was too far away for a good shot. The arrow flew off into the woods after it missed its target.


    Suddenly a fluttering noise and the cracking of twigs was heard behind them and Blacknail twisted around just in time to see another harpy land on a branch on the opposite side of them. Saeter swore colourfully. The goblin gulped in fear and his stomach twisted. He definitely wasn''t feeling safe now.


    ¡°Only Arrows. Only Arrows,¡± the first harpy laughed in apparent amusement as it watched them with new anger in its eyes. It seemed quite happy to have reinforcements.


    ¡°Another harpy,¡± Blacknail whispered to his master. Saeter just grunted in response. He had already cast a quick glance over his shoulder and seen it.


    The second harpy''s long claws dug into the branch it had landed on and shredded the bark. It eyed them then hissed hatefully at them as its feathers puffed up.


    Both harpies begun to move with coordinated predatory grace. The first hopped along its branch then with a quick flap of its wings it flew to another tree.


    The second dove down to a lower branch on a tree in the opposite direction. Its flight brought it slightly closer to Saeter and Blacknail. Like this they begun to circle the goblin and his master by hopping and gliding from branch to branch. Both of the harpies'' eyes never left Saeter''s bow.


    Blacknail knew what they were doing and he really didn¡¯t like it. No matter how he turned his head or shifted his body he couldn¡¯t keep an eye on both harpies at the same time. One of them was always lurking out of sight behind him. He shook uncontrollably; not knowing what the beast behind him was doing caused him to fill with a suffocating cold dread. The harpies slowly circled closer.


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± Saeter suddenly exclaimed loudly in anger. He spun around and shot an arrow towards the harpy behind him just as it rose into the air to move again.


    The harpy twisted in the air but shrieked in pain as the arrow grazed it anyway. Wounded it careened off into the woods.


    The first harpy instantly took flight and dove down at Blacknail, who was now cowering at his master''s feet. Saeter however was ready for it and spun around again even as he drew another arrow.


    Seeing this the harpy quickly aborted its attack, shifted its flight, and swiftly glided down behind a tree out of sight


    From its cover behind the tree the harpy let loose another shrill bird like cry that echoed through the woods. The wounded harpy quickly joined in from wherever it was hiding off in the bush.


    Both Blacknail and his master winced at the loud grating sound. The goblin''s large ears began to twitch as the sound wore on them.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Saeter swore as he nocked another arrow and got ready to shoot again.


    Suddenly an answering harpy call echoed from off to the side. It sounded fairly far away but it was hard to tell through the thick bush.


    Upon hearing the reply the first harpy peeked out from behind the tree and gave them a hateful look. It looked like it was preparing to attack them again. Saeter grimaced and began to line up another shot with his bow.


    With an angry sounding cry the winged beast suddenly hopped onto the tree trunk, using both sets of claws to climb, and scrambled up the tree and out of sight.


    Blacknail gazed up into the dark green foliage above them but couldn''t see anything. Saeter sighed in frustrated relief and let his bow go loose.


    ¡°If it was going to attack again it would have called more of its ilk. It was just looking to snatch a rabbit or two from us when its friend showed up and they decided to mess with our heads. Bloody harpies,¡± Saeter explained half to himself and half to Blacknail.


    Blacknail just stared at his master. He was still more than a little stunned but he was glad his master had prevented the harpies from ''messing with his head''. That sounded bad. He needed his head. Saeter met Blacknail''s trembling gaze.


    ¡°Harpies rarely attack men or even goblins but sometimes they will if a flock gets hungry enough. They can be dangerous though. The clever ones use their voices to lure prey into traps or falls. Don''t believe everything you hear out in the forest¡± Saeter explained to a still shaking Blacknail. He then gave the goblin an appraising look.


    ¡°Calm down Blacknail. Fear will only get you killed out here,¡± Saeter told the goblin. Blacknail blinked in confusion and concern. His master obviously wasn''t very good at calming people down.


    Saeter then shrugged and resumed walking while keeping an eye on the trees above them. Blacknail shadowed him very closely.


    The green maze of the forest around him suddenly seemed far more sinister after their encounter with the harpies. Even the joyful birdsong sounded hollow and sinister to the goblin. Maybe what he thought was birdsong was actually harpies calling to each other as they gathered. Blacknail could imagine their vicious toothy smiles as they took dark joy in fooling his master and him with such a simple trick.


    ¡°We need to get going before something actually dangerous decides to investigate all the noise,¡± Saeter remarked casually to Blacknail as they moved.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes widened in alarm at his master''s comment; there were things more dangerous than harpies and wolf dogs? Blacknail didn''t even want to think about it. Why did the humans live out here if the forest was stuffed full of murder beasts? More importantly why did he have to serve humans who lived in a forest stuffed full of murder beasts? Blacknail really wanted to go home.


    As they made the journey back to camp through the forest Blacknail''s imagination begun to run wild and fill his head with an endless stream of images of menacing creatures. Every shadow cast by a bush or tree they passed contained a worse monster than the last.


    What was worse than giant clawed birds and dogs? Was he right about the giant tree cats? No that was stupid; cats wouldn''t be more dangerous than dogs.


    ¡°Doggies chase cats who eat birdies,¡± mumbled Blacknail as he gave a nervous giggle.


    Saeter turned around for a second and gave him an odd look before raising his finger to his mouth and hushing him. Blacknail shut up. He wasn''t sure what the finger gesture meant but it seemed like a painful threat.


    They soon arrived in an area that Blacknail remembered passing through before on their way out. That meant they were close to the camp, and Blacknail had come to the conclusion that he was far less likely to die in the camp than in the forest.


    A few minute later Blacknail followed Saeter as they passed through the bushes at the forest''s edge and stepped out into the clearing which they had started from.


    With a squeal of joy Blacknail dashed out into the camp and ecstatically ran a few circles around an amused looking Saeter before collapsing happily onto the grass.


    Safety at last! He had never been so happy to see so many hostile looking heavily armed human giants! He almost felt like hugging some of them but he was sure they wouldn''t like it, and might even kill him for it.


    With a content sigh the goblin relaxed among the tall trampled grass and let the warm sun shine down on him. He was happy to be back.

 The Road North 5

    ¡°Up Blacknail, come on,¡± Saeter called to the goblin as he made his way back to his tent.


    Blacknail climbed to his feet with a sigh and followed his master. He had wanted to enjoy lying on the soft grass under the sun some more.


    As they crossed the bandit camp Blacknail felt his earlier fear and joy start to fade as he calmed down. The sky above was clear and blue so there was no place for those dreadful harpies or the worse things that filled his imagination to perch.


    However, he soon noticed that the camp had changed since he left. While the camp had been almost empty when he had left earlier it now contained over two dozen loitering bandits.


    Several of them looked over as Saeter and Blacknail approached. Some of them immediately lost interest and looked away but others threw Blacknail disbelieving or even out right hostile looks.


    This made Blacknail feel uncomfortable. He remembered the things some of the meaner men had said about how they had wanted to kill him. Did a lot of these humans feel the same way?


    He was almost sure that his master would protect him until he figured out how to get home, but just to be sure he would have to try extra hard to be a good helper. He just hoped he could work in the camp instead of out in the woods. He would rather deal with the glares and rope weaving than the ravening beasts.


    ¡°Is that a goblin?¡± Blacknail heard one disbelieving voice say.


    ¡°I think it is. Look at it. It must be some sort of pet,¡± another human replied.


    Other voices murmured and debated amongst themselves, but Saeter completely ignored the voices and walked over to his tent.


    Off to the side of his fire pit there was a simple three or four foot high rack made of sticks that was tied together with twine. After Saeter had put down his bag he pulled out a knife and slit the rabbits'' throats. He then looped a piece of cord around their feet so he could hang them up on the rack.


    Blood dripped from the rabbits'' open wounds onto the trampled grass below. It smelled so delicious to Blacknail that he licked his lips. However, he knew better than to eat something without his master''s permission, especially while he was still looking.


    He couldn''t prevent his stomach from growling though. It had been awhile since he had last been fed. His last full meal had been early that morning when he had still been caged on the wagon. That seemed like so long ago to Blacknail, much longer than a day. Saeter noticed the rumbling sounds and turned to the goblin.


    ¡°I suppose you''ve earned a bite to eat,¡± he said as he rummaged through his bag.


    He pulled out a small piece of dried meat and tossed it to Blacknail. He also fetched a small wooden bowl and filled it with water from his water pouch.


    The goblin hurriedly ate the meat. It tasted salty but very good, much better than what he had been fed on the wagon, but not as nice as a freshly caught rat. He washed it down with water from the bowl.


    After he had finished eating Blacknail turned to his master and assumed a sad begging expression. He wanted more food, like one of the juicy rabbits. Surely, his master didn''t need all of them!


    ¡°No begging. If you''re still hungry you''re gonna need to find your own food. There''s plenty of wild carrot and other stuff around,¡± Saeter told him with a scowl.


    Saeter then looked around and pointed out a tall white flower. Blacknail sighed and reluctantly trudged over to the plants. He sniffed them carefully and looked them over. How was he supposed to eat these?


    Before he could figure out what to do he was interrupted by unexpected voices. The goblin looked up to see a human female with short black hair approach his master.


    ¡°Saeter, what in all the hells are you up to now?¡± someone said with a feminine but hard commanding voice.


    This new woman was athletic looking without being muscled like a man or Vorscha. Various dangerous looking blades were strapped to her dark leather armor. The armor itself seemed to be more complete and better maintained than that of most the other humans around.


    Yet, it was her glacial blue eyes that stood out the most. They were as hard and cold as ice and seemed to pierce through whoever she was looking at.


    Blacknail involuntarily ducked into the grass as her eyes passed him over but Seater just casually looked up from what he was doing and met her stare.


    ¡°Ah, what can I do for you, Herad?¡± the old scout replied nonchalantly as the woman narrowed her eyes slightly in annoyance at his response.


    ¡°Vorscha told me you had found yourself a goblin pet. I don¡¯t want vermin like that wandering the camp,¡± she told him as she threw Blacknail a hostile look.


    ¡°Really? I think he¡¯ll be very useful,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. Get rid of it or I will,¡± Herad told him coldly.


    Blacknail froze and felt goose bumps rise on his skin. The woman seemed to be the chief of this tribe and she didn¡¯t appear to like him much! He didn¡¯t think any simple tricks would win her over either.


    However, Seater seemed to be calmly thinking something over.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do, but I was just thinking about how useful he would be in helping me hunt. Not to mention if we have a tame goblin around it will drive the wild ones away; they¡¯re quite territorial,¡± Saeter told her.


    It was subtle but Blacknail thought he saw Herad''s eyes narrow. She scowled and glanced at Saeter suspiciously.


    ¡°How exactly will that thing be of any use?¡± she asked him.


    Blacknail could see that she had begun to think things over though. He felt a speck of hope that he would survive this.


    ¡°Many ways, it can track like a hound but it¡¯s stealthier and smarter. With him I¡¯ll be able sniff out the trails of both animals and men. Also, like I said before his scent will scare away all the wild goblins and end our theft problems,¡± Saeter explained.


    Herad thought about it for a few seconds before answering.


    ¡°Fine, since you seem to believe it will be useful you can keep it, but it had better not cause any trouble or inconvenience me,¡± Herad told him.


    ¡°Don''t worry, he''s well trained and I''m planning on keeping him too busy to get into any trouble,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°See that you do, old man,¡± she responded as she threw another look towards Blacknail.


    The goblin instantly crouched down again and tried to disappear into the grass as she looked his way. He knew she could still see him and that all he was doing was making himself look silly, but he couldn''t help himself. That woman''s eyes were really scary. She looked like she would kill him as soon as look at him.


    Blacknail was very glad that the chieftain Herad had decided not to kill him and allowed him to join her tribe. He just really wished he hadn¡¯t been volunteered into hunting in the forest. That sounded dangerous!


    When he had lived in the sewer he had never had to deal with things like this. He needed to find a way back there soon.


    Much to the goblin''s relief Herad soon turned back to Saeter. She scowled at the rabbits hanging on the rack beside him in disapproval. This upset Backnail. He had almost died getting those rabbits!


    ¡°I do hope you''re planning on bringing more than a few scrawny rabbits to tonight''s celebration, Saeter. We need to celebrate today''s victory. It''s not every day that a fat caravan of goods falls into our laps. Those pathetic excuses for rabbits in front of you will hardly make up for skipping out on helping reload the wagons,¡± Herad told him coldly.


    ¡°I plan on going back out in a minute,¡± Saeter replied simply without any apparent concern.


    ¡°Good, but don''t stay out too late. The band will be heading out early tomorrow morning after the men have had a chance to rest and patch their wounds. I want you out scouting a path first thing tomorrow. We will be heading north to escape any unwanted attention we have brought down on ourselves, just in case one of what passes for the local lords around here decides to actually care.... for once. We''ll use the roads for the first few days but head off track when it turns eastward. I don''t want to run into any surprises,¡± Herad explained.


    ¡°A good plan,¡± Saeter replied with a nod. For some reason his response annoyed Herad.


    ¡°I wasn''t asking your opinion Saeter. Just do your job with your usual competence and we won''t have a problem,¡± she reprimanded him.


    She then threw Blacknail a disgusted look before turning around and walking off. Saeter turned to the cowering goblin when she was gone.


    ¡°She has that effect on a lot of people,¡± he remarked.


    Sighing, he got up and stretched out before picking up his pack and bow again. Then he turned back to Blacknail.


    ¡°Well, it seems like I¡¯m going to have to get you trained quickly now,¡± Saeter told him. ¡°So, there''s no point in waiting around. Come here.¡±


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    Blacknail shoved a still dirty wild carrot he had managed to dig up into his mouth and headed back over to his master. He was glad the scary lady had left.


    Saeter got up and started walking across the camp towards to another group of bandits, and Blacknail followed him. As the goblin moved he glanced past his master at the humans they were heading towards.


    They were a group of five who were talking and sitting in the shade cast by a tall pile of crates. Blacknail recognized two of them, the muscular woman Vorscha and the thin weak looking man named Geralhd.


    ¡°Geralhd, I have a job for you!¡± Saeter yelled out as he approached. With an annoyed grimace Geralhd turned to look at Saeter.


    ¡°Since I don''t actually work for you Saeter, I think I will have to pass on whatever it is you''re talking about,¡± the thin man replied.


    Saeter ignored his response and kept talking.


    ¡°I got some rabbits I don''t have time to skin and cut up since Herad wants me out hunting. Seems like a job for you, unless you don''t know how?¡± Saeter explained with a hint of taunting in his voice as he spoke the last part.


    ¡°I know how to skin a rabbit Saeter, and no I''m not going to try and prove it to you. It''s going to take quite a bit more than a simple taunt from you to get me to do your work for you,¡± Geralhd replied with an annoyed tone.


    The other three bandits that were sitting in the shade shuffled away and began to talk amongst themselves.


    ¡°I''m thinking my idea of skinning a rabbit right is different than yours. Besides didn''t you say you wanted to learn how to survive out here? Well here''s an opportunity to learn, boy. I''m sure Vorscha can help you figure out the hard parts,¡± Saeter told him.


    As he talked Geralhd seemed to grow angrier, until it looked like he was either going to start yelling at the other man or punch him. However, before he could do anything Vorscha extended a hand and cut him off. She gave both the men disapproving looks and shook her head.


    ¡°Calm down both of you. That''s no way to ask a favour Saeter, and you know it. We''ll help you out old man but only if you ask nicely,¡± Vorscha interjected as Saeter gave her an annoyed glare and Garalhd to smiled in triumph.


    ¡°Fine, please help with the work...¡± Saeter asked grumpily. ¡°...for once.¡±


    Geralhd gave Saeter a smug smile. Blacknail was sure Geralhd hadn''t heard his master grumble the last part, which didn''t surprise the goblin since the man had tiny pink human ears.


    ¡°I graciously accept your request for help, Saeter. Think nothing of it,¡± Geralhd replied smugly.


    ¡°Oh, I do. Don''t worry,¡± Saeter grumbled in reply.


    There was no way the other man hadn''t heard that; however, he apparently chose to ignore it since his only reaction was to keep smiling smugly at Saeter.


    ¡°Good, then that''s settled. Honestly, I don''t know how two men can act so childish sometimes. To think you''re both supposed to be bloodthirsty northern bandits,¡± Vorscha said with a chuckle.


    Blacknail also found himself smiling at the funny faces both men were making.


    Geralhd noticed Blacknail smiling at him and turned towards the goblin. He returned the goblin''s grin and gave a friendly wave. Blacknail thought he was an idiot and planned on avoiding him as much as possible in the future.


    ¡°Hey there Blacknail, it''s nice to see you again little fellow. I hope Saeter''s not treating you too badly,¡± he cheerfully told the goblin.


    The goblin gave Geralhd a suspicious glance. No one had ever talked to Blacknail like that before, ever. What was with the super friendly voice? It was weird and unnerving.


    ¡°Master good. He feed me and he scare bad harpies away,¡± Blacknail replied. He knew which human he needed to stay on the good side of and it wasn''t the skinny weak one. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw Saeter smile approvingly at him.


    ¡°Harpies eh? That sounds like a tale,¡± Vorscha commented after the goblin finished speaking. Saeter turned to her.


    ¡°We ran into two of them on our way back from the snares. They thought they could steal some of our rabbits. One of them dove at Blacknail but I scared them off,¡± Saeter replied with a shrug.


    Blacknail remembered it slightly different than that. There were a lot more screams, cowering, and near death experiences in his version. Surprisingly, Gerald''s eyes widened in excitement as Saeter spoke.


    ¡°Oh harpies! I''ve always wanted to see a harpy. I''ve heard they''re quite exotic and beautiful creatures. I wish I could have been there,¡± Geralhd said with a regretful sigh.


    Saeter looked at Geralhd like he was an idiot. Well, more of an idiot than usual any way. Blacknail agreed wholeheartedly. He copied his master''s facial expression exactly.


    Anyone who wanted to run into harpies deserved their fate. He still remembered their terrible claws and horrible voices. Vorscha saw him mimic his master and chuckled at them.


    ¡°Next time I think I''m going to run into harpies I''ll be sure to bring you,¡± Saeter told Geralhd sarcastically.


    Blacknail thought that was a great idea. The fool would make a great human shield, the goblin thought with a smile.


    ¡°Harpies are dangerous, Geralhd. They''re likely to attack you if they think they can get away with it. You don''t want to run into them without someone at your back. I''m surprised Saeter and his goblin got away as easily as they did,¡± Vorscha explained.


    ¡°I know what I''m doing,¡± Saeter said with a shrug. Vorscha gave him a sceptical look.


    ¡°I don''t doubt you know the forest better than anyone but there''s a good reason most scouts travel in pairs and not alone, Saeter. It''s important to have someone at your back, and before you say anything that goblin of yours doesn¡¯t count,¡± the tall woman told him with a hint of concern.


    ¡°I don''t have time to retrain one of the other scouts to get rid of their bad habits, and if I don''t they''re more likely to draw a Drake down on me than be any real help,¡± Saeter huffed as Vorscha eyed him critically.


    ¡°You could always take Geralhd with you,¡± Vorscha joked.


    Both Saeter and Geralhd blanched at that idea.


    ¡°I''ll have to humbly decline that suggestion,¡± Geralhd interjected hurriedly. ¡°When I said I wanted to learn to survive I didn''t mean to suggest I wanted to become a scout and go out into the forest. I like it fine here in camp, thank you.¡±


    Blacknail thought that was the first smart thing Geralhd had ever said. Blacknail frowned and wished he had that option. Geralhd saw the goblin''s frown and misinterpreted it.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good goblin sitting there so patiently. You must be getting bored. I think you deserve a treat for putting up with your master,¡± Geralhd said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bit of dried meat and threw it to Blacknail.


    The goblin quickly snatched it from the air and scoffed it down. His opinion of Geralhd changed completely. He was no longer just an idiot. He was an idiotic food source.


    ¡°Blacknail thanks Geralhd,¡± Blacknail said as he chewed and smacked. Vorscha gave him a disgusted look, but Blacknail ignored her as he was deep in thought. Geralhd seemed pleased at the goblin''s response.


    The man Geralhd had revealed himself to not only have tasty treats but also to be willing to give them to Blacknail. If he sucked up to Geralhd he should be able to get even more treats, and the weak man seemed to be the type of human that could be easily impressed. The trick would be not angering Saeter while doing it.


    ¡°Don''t spoil him, Geralhd. He needs to learn to fend for himself,¡± Saeter told the other man with a scowl.


    Geralhd just rolled his eyes.


    ¡°How about you train him not to eat and speak at the same time, or at least chew quieter?¡± Vorscha interjected dryly.


    ¡°Maybe when I have time,¡± Saeter replied in the same dry tone.


    ¡°Speaking of time, don''t let us keep you from your hunting, Saeter. Since you¡¯re so busy and all,¡± Geralhd said with a wave of his hands in the direction of the forest.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Saeter replied with a farewell nod to Vorscha.


    He then abruptly started walking off with Blacknail in tow. Geralhd gave Blacknail a wave goodbye and the goblin happily waved back. He was already planning how to get another treat out of the thin man.


    Without stopping Saeter headed straight out into the forest again. Blacknail followed him reluctantly. They left the rest of the bandit camp behind them as they exited the sunny clearing and stepped out under the shadowy forest canopy again.


    Blacknail sighed in resignation. He really didn''t want to go back out there, he wanted to go home! He hoped they didn''t see any more harpies...

 The Road North 6

    Soon, they were walking through the trees again. It wasn¡¯t Blacknail''s favorite place to be. It also quickly became obvious to him that Saeter had headed in a different direction than they had gone during their last trip. The type of trees and bushes were the same but none of them looked or smelled familiar.


    This probably meant less chance of running into harpies, but on the other hand probably increased their chances of running into something worse.


    Saeter trampled a path through the tall plants that grew under the trees and Blacknail followed in his wake. The sun shone practically all around them through the sparse canopy.


    After a few minutes, Saeter found an animal trail where the dirt and plants had been beaten down and began to follow it.


    Every once in a while Blacknail would hear rustling noises off in the bush. Most of the time he saw nothing but sometimes it would turn out to be birds taking flight or a small furry tailed rat like animal that would scurry up a tree.


    As they progressed through the woods the brown and grey trunks of the trees grew closer together and the overhead canopy grew thicker. The grass and tall plants gave way to shorter broad leaved plants and more bare ground became visible.


    Every once and awhile Saeter would stop and examine tracks or droppings on the ground. Sometimes he would have Blacknail examine them as he explained what they were. At one such time he called Blacknail over.


    Blacknail, these are bear tracks. They¡¯re large and dangerous but not usually aggressive unless they smell a free meal or are surprised. Avoid them,¡± he explained to the goblin as he pointed to the animal signs.


    Blacknail''s eyes widened in surprise as he examined the tracks, they were huge! Absently Blacknail wondered what his master thought was truly dangerous if these bear creatures were still considered only a minor threat.


    They began to head deeper into the woods then they had before. The atmosphere slowly changed becoming darker and the air became moister. The scent of earth that had filled the forest gained an undertone of rot.


    Blacknail noticed that the trees that grew here were different from the ones he had seen earlier. Most of them had smooth bark that was pale grey and sickly looking. They also had wider leaves that blocked out more of the sun and cast the forest into deep shadow. The trees here had no lower branches and the ones that did were dead and leafless. It gave everything a dark stagnant feeling.


    Even the broad leaved plants started to grow sparse and disappear until most of the ground became dark naked soil with a scattering of old decayed leaves and the occasional fern. The lack of obstacles meant Blacknail could see rows and rows of tall leafless trunks stretch out before him.


    As they moved forward Saeter took a second to pull his hood up. He then pulled a torch from his backpack and lit it with some flint and steel.


    The flame lit the dark woods and scattered tall shifting shadows all around them as Saeter lifted the torch high. It also momentarily hurt Blacknail''s eyes, and he covered them with his hands as they adjusted.


    He didn''t know why his master needed the torch. True, it was dark here but he had seen humans walk through darker places without light.


    ¡°Come take the torch, Blacknail,¡± Saeter commanded.


    Obediently, the goblin moved over and took the torch from his master. With his hands now free Saeter pulled out his bow and nocked an arrow.


    ¡°Now walk ahead of me,¡± he told Blacknail.


    The goblin gave his master a wary look but tentatively started walking forward as he had been commanded. Saeter trailed him from a dozen feet back. Why did Saeter need his bow? Blacknail didn''t like where this was going.


    Blacknail shuddered and brushed his face as he walked through a spider web. He spat in disgust. He hadn''t seen the web because of the darkness.


    Looking around he noticed that there were quite a few webs around, even high up in the trees. In fact, some of the threads were weirdly thick and stretched from tree to tree. As they walked the webs became thicker and thicker.


    Blacknail glanced backwards towards his master and saw Saeter scanning the branches above them as he moved carefully forward. He seemed to Blacknail to be moving cautiously and looking for something, or looking out for something.


    In this part of the woods there were no bushes or leaves near the ground to hide behind though, so surely nothing here could be large enough to challenge his mighty master. He was a stupid goblin for being so afraid.


    Blacknail noticed a large lump a ways off to his right. He eyed it suspiciously but it seemed to be nothing more than a pile of pale bones, dirty webs, and brown dried up leaves.


    ¡°There,¡± Saeter suddenly mumbled to himself.


    The old scout then drew his bow and nocked an arrow. He swiftly loosed the arrow up at the trunk of a tree ahead of them. However, instead of embedding itself into the trunk there was a shrill hiss as the arrow fell back to the ground with something stuck to the end of it.


    To Blacknail''s surprise whatever the arrow had hit squirmed and hissed as it lay on the ground. To his horror he realized that it was a spider, a huge brown spider with a body larger than a rat''s. It was cat sized almost, and had long legs that thrashed and clawed the air as it died. Its eight bright red eyes seemed to stare at Blacknail hungrily even as it stiffened in death.


    Saeter turned and gave Blacknail a serious look.


    ¡°We''re lucky I saw the light in the timber spider''s eyes before it jumped. Otherwise, I would have had to shoot it out of the air,¡± he told the stunned goblin.


    ¡°Or shot it off of you once it had bitten you,¡± Saeter added as an afterthought.


    Blacknail''s eyes widened as he realized that he had been bait for the spider. Saeter saw the goblin''s look and chuckled grimly.


    ¡°You would have been fine. Their venom just paralyses. Then they wrap you up for later. I would have killed it before anything lasting happened,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Thank you master for saving me,¡± Blacknail whimpered. Saeter looked off into the distance before replying.


    ¡°Don''t thank me yet goblin. This is the wild North; no one here is safe, not you and certainly not me,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Let''s leave this dark place master. Blacknail no want to die!¡± the goblin whined to his master.


    Surely, his master could see that it was too dangerous to stay here. He would rather be chased by a whole pack of hungry dogs than go near a spider like that. Blacknail was never entering these dark woods ever again! No giant spider thing was going to bite him.


    Master had a thick hooded cloak to protect him but what did Blacknail have? Nothing! The goblin realized that the pile of bones he had seen were the remains of some large animal that had been paralysed and wrapped up by a spider. He shuddered again and squeaked in alarm.


    He could almost feel the touch of spider legs against his back and the ghost of its fangs against his neck. One bite and then he would be wrapped up in silk to join the bones here forever.


    ¡°Only fools are done in by timber spiders. There are much more dangerous places to be but we¡¯ll be gone soon, so no worries,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    Saeter retrieved his arrow and cleaned it, first with dirt and then a rag. Then he took out a knife and cut the spider open. He reached in and carefully removed a small sac from the incision. He then placed the sac on the ground and pierced it with three of his arrows. Blacknail saw something stain the arrows as Saeter removed them from the gland. That done Saeter wrapped the arrows in the rag and tucked them away


    ¡°We''re done here. Let''s get out of here,¡± Saeter grunted as he stood up.


    Blacknail thought that was a great idea.


    ¡°Okay we go,¡± Blacknail agreed as he nodded enthusiastically.


    This caused the torch he was still carrying to bob about and cast a swarm of shadows around them. He stood there and waited for his master to start moving. Saeter just gave him an annoyed look.


    ¡°You''re still going first. Head back the way we came. It should be safe,¡± Saeter told him as he nocked another arrow.


    Blacknail gave his master a pitiful look but Saeter ignored it and pointed out the way with an outstretched hand.


    With a bitter sigh Blacknail started nervously walking back the way they had come. He hugged the torch tight as he scanned the dark torch lit trees around him for glimpses of long legs or red eyes. He saw nothing though. Giant spiders were now Blacknail''s least favourite animal, even worse than horses, or harpies.


    Blacknail trudged on through the dark woods. Several times he circled around areas with lots of cobwebs or where he thought he saw something above. He really didn''t want to be bitten by a spider, fatal or not.


    At one point Blacknail saw what he was fairly sure was a goblin skull resting against a tree. Its empty eye sockets stared out at him. Now he knew where goblins sat in the local food chain. He could hear Saeter''s footsteps behind him but he glanced backwards to make sure he was there anyway. Surely he was safe so close to his master.


    While it was true Saeter was much nicer and beat him much less than his old masters Blacknail was very disturbed at the seemingly endless amount of things that ate goblins in the forest. It wasn¡¯t like goblins had never been killed in sewers but there at least he knew the dangers. In the forest he had no idea what would come after him next. Anything could happen and that terrified him.


    Much to Blacknail''s relief the spider webs soon grew thinner and disappeared. The woods began to grow brighter and the underbrush thicker as well. Blacknail felt relief wash over him when they were obviously out of spider territory. He hoped his master would never make him go back to that dark terrible place ever again.


    ¡°Stop, Blacknail,¡± Saeter called out as soon as they were completely out of the darkest part of the woods. Blacknail stopped walking and turned back to his master. Saeter walked up and took the torch from the goblin and then snuffed it out. After letting it cool for awhile he placed it back in his sack.


    ¡°Follow,¡± he commanded as he once again took the lead. Blacknail thought they might be headed back to camp but Saeter then veered off in a new direction.


    Soon their way was blocked by a wide creek that meandered through the woods. Tall reeds and other aquatic plants grew alongside it. Birds called out to each other joyfully from the nearby tree tops. Blacknail had never seen or smelled such clean water. He wanted to run over and get himself a drink.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    He approached the creek to get a better look but was stopped by a sudden painful tug on one of his ears. The goblin jumped back and yelped in surprise. Saeter had grabbed the point of his ear and was scowling down at him.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Saeter commanded quietly but sternly. Blacknail instantly froze. ¡°Bad Goblin. I told you to follow, not lead. Don''t wander off and get yourself killed,¡± Saeter hissed.


    He turned away from the goblin and eyed the creek suspiciously. He then picked a stone off the ground and threw it at the water. It bounced off of a rock larger than Blacknail in the water near the bank. Much to Blacknail''s surprise the rock then sunk below the water with a splash and disappeared.


    ¡°Tyrant snapping turtle,¡± Saeter whispered menacingly into his ear. ¡°Go near that thing little goblin and it will drag you under water and chew you up¡±.


    The goblin''s eyes widened in horror. He hated deep water and he definitely hated being chewed on.


    ¡°Blacknail is sorry master. He stupid goblin but he thanks you for saving him,¡± Blacknail moaned.


    Saeter gave him an irritated look and pulled the goblin by the ear again. Blacknail stumbled and stifled another yelp as he was pulled behind Saeter. His poor ear hurt so much! Why did his master keep pulling on it?


    ¡°Follow,¡± Saeter commanded sternly before heading downstream. He stayed a fair distance from the water. Blacknail followed him while rubbing his sore ear.


    Soon they came across a part of the creek where the water became very shallow and bubbled over a rocky bed. Saeter jumped down to the water and crossed the creek without a problem. The water barely submerged the toe of his boots.


    Blacknail also jumped down to the water, and grabbed a quick drink as well. He cupped the water in his hands and brought it to his mouth. The water was cool and tasted refreshing. It also felt nice and relaxing as it flowed between his bare toes.


    After crossing the stream and moving through the brush for a while Saeter stopped and examined the ground. Blacknail smelled some type of scat. He didn''t know the animal but it seemed fresh. Saeter got up and inspected some small branches on a bush. He then began to move forward slower and more cautiously.


    As soon as they moved through the brush a green wall of branches and bushes rose up in front of them. They approached the bushes and then broke through them into the edge of the clearing.


    Short grass and sun loving flowers filled the meadow. The occasional small tree or bush grew up from the ground creating small blind spots. Most of the area was open grass and plainly visible though.


    A large pond also sat in the middle of it. Reeds and lily pads grew around the pond. The sound of frogs croaking could be heard. Blacknail licked his lips. Frogs were a tasty treat. He had caught a few back in his old home. You simply had to sit next to the water and wait long enough for one to come close enough to grab. They were slimy, soft, and sweet. The best part was the legs, he loved to chew them.


    Without a word Saeter scanned the clearing and then cautiously moved over to a cluster of green bushes surrounding a large stone on a hill at the edge of the woods.


    Once there Saeter set his bag down and began to prepare. He crouched down and unwrapped the arrows he had covered in the rag and placed them on ground. Then, he sat down and made himself comfortable with his bow in his lap. Blacknail sat down beside him.


    Saeter didn¡¯t move for several minutes and nothing happened. The frogs continued to croak unmolested and the occasional bird swooped down to grab an insect.


    They waited for several more minutes. Saeter barely moved beyond the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed. He silently watched the clearing from his concealed spot. The wind blew through the long grass causing it to wave and rustle.


    Then they waited for what seemed like an hour. Blacknail began to lose patience. His instincts wanted to find a scent trail and follow it back to a burrow. He didn''t want to sit around all day and wait for nothing to happen! What kind of hunting was this?


    Then he saw movement in the grass. After a moment the brown head of a rabbit peaked through the grass as it stood up on its hind legs. Surely they hadn''t come here for a rabbit, had they?


    Blacknail threw a look Saeter''s way but his master hadn''t reacted. The rabbit soon disappeared back into the grass. Blacknail sighed with disappointment and shifted into a more comfortable position. He then grew dozy as the afternoon sun warmed his skin.


    After several more minutes of staring at the grass sway in the wind Blacknail soon wondered if there was a way to get back asleep without his master catching on. He wasn''t doing anything but sitting there anyway, and it was very boring.


    Then the bushes across the clearing shook. Instantly, they became the focus of Blacknail''s undivided attention. Was it just the wind? The bushes moved again and a tall animal moved out slowly into the clearing.


    It was shaped like a horse but smaller and much thinner with white spots on its brown fur. It trotted over to the pond and after a brief look around it began to drink. Blacknail half expected one of the massive turtles he had seen earlier to burst from the water and drag the beast under, but that didn''t happen.


    Suddenly in one fluid motion Saeter rose to his feet, nocked an arrow to his bow, pulled the bow back, and let the arrow loose. It flashed towards the animal and struck it in the side of its chest under its neck.


    The beast cried out in surprise and pain and turned to flee, but it lost its footing in the wet mud around the pond and stumbled. Blood dribbled from its wound as it staggered away. It only managed to go several dozen feet before it collapsed limply onto the grass. It twitched feebly a few times and lay still.


    After another quick look around the clearing Saeter ran over to the deer and pulled out a knife, which he used to slash the deer''s throat. Dark red blood pooled onto the ground beneath the deer and the light faded from its frightened eyes, leaving only emptiness.


    The blood smelled delicious to Blacknail. The goblin licked his lips as he looked down at the beast.


    Saeter got up and walked to the edge of the forest. Once there he selected four long sturdy sticks and tied them together with rope to create a crude sled. He lifted the deer up and tied it to the sled.


    Next he took out his long knife and cut a hole through the deer''s muzzle right behind the nose. He then took one of the short sticks he had collected, shoved it through the hole and tied the rope to it.


    ¡°Time to head back,¡± he told Blacknail as he loaded the rope over his shoulder and began to drag the sled and deer back towards the camp.


    Around halfway back they heard a rustling in some bushes a few dozen feet from them. Saeter dropped his bow and readied an arrow. With his eyes locked on the source of the sound he handed the sled''s rope to Blacknail.


    ¡°Pull it, go,¡± he commanded the goblin.


    Blacknail eyed the sled doubtfully. His master did realize how large the beast was right? Blacknail was only a normal sized goblin, not a giant human. Saeter threw Blacknail an impatient look and the goblin hurriedly began to pull.


    With a grunt of effort Blacknail copied his master and tugged the rope. At first he couldn''t manage it and the sled refused to move, then he felt something give way in his chest. A cool energy rushed through his body and the sled started to slide forward.


    It was tiring but he managed to drag the sled. Luckily for him goblins were stronger than their small size made them appear. Every time he thought he had reached his limit he felt another rush and managed to keep going.


    After awhile when he didn''t hear any more noises Saeter relaxed. Much to Blacknail''s disappointment Saeter didn''t ask for the sled''s rope back. His master seemed content to let the goblin continue to drag the sled. Blacknail wanted to ask Saeter to take the rope back but didn''t dare.


    So instead he threw his master a pitiful begging expression. Saeter ignored him and Blacknail had to keep pulling. Alright then how about this? Blacknail began to shake and slow down as he pretended to be more tired than he was


    Something hard impacted his behind and Blacknail surged forward again with a small yelp. Saeter had kicked him in the butt! Ow, that had hurt.


    Blacknail reluctantly kept pulling but now he was annoyed. It was unfair of the large human to make him do all the work, not to mention he had been used as spider bait earlier!


    ¡°Ugly Saeter. Stupid Saeter. Smelly Saeter,¡± Blacknail muttered under his breath quietly enough that he knew his master couldn¡¯t possibly hear it.


    ¡°You''re kind of strong for something your size,¡± Saeter remarked a few minutes later later.


    The unexpected compliment caught the goblin off guard and he felt a flush of pride at his master''s words. This newfound pride warred with the annoyance within him and won.


    He had started to slow again but with a surge of energy he put a little more effort into pulling and sped back up. He would show his master how strong a goblin he really was!


    As they walked through the forest it grew darker as the sun began to set. Blacknail had grown very tired and his legs burned painfully. He huffed and puffed as he strained to drag the sled. His face started to turn purple from the effort. He really hoped master would give him a treat for this.


    Thankfully, they saw no spiders or other creatures, except a startled rabbit and the occasional bird, before they arrived back at the camp.


    As they got close to base Saeter finally stopped and took the sled back. Blacknail suspected he was trying to hog all the credit for the work. That seemed unfair but the goblin didn¡¯t really care; he was just excited to be so close to safety.


    In his eagerness, Blacknail ran up ahead of his master. A big grin was plastered across his face as the camp came into sight beyond the last stretch of trees.


    The joy was lost however when something hard and heavy smashed into his skull and sent him sprawling limply across the ground and into the dirt. As he blinked in hazy confusion and lay on the ground with a painful headache a large shadow fell over him.

 The Road North 7

    What had just happened? Had he been attacked by something? Ow, it hurt to think.


    Instinctively, Blacknail tried to get to his feet but he was far too unsteady and quickly fell over again. That¡¯s when he heard the laughter.


    ¡°Ha, that¡¯s what green shits like you get! That¡¯ll teach you to walk around like a man,¡± he heard a deep male voice say.


    Blacknail had been attacked by a human. Apparently, the camp wasn¡¯t so safe after all.


    Blacknail felt his insides twist with regret but he didn¡¯t quite know why. Things like this hadn¡¯t been uncommon in the sewers; Blacknail just hadn¡¯t thought it would happen here for some reason. How stupid of him.


    Blacknail painfully turned his head to get a look at his assailant. It was an average sized man with brown hair and ugly red spots all over his face where they weren¡¯t hidden by a ratty beard.


    His clothes were even dirtier and rougher looking than most of the other bandits, and that was saying something. Blacknail could practically smell rotten food and vomit from where he lay.


    With a vicious smile on his face the man walked over towards the goblin and raised a foot as if to stomp on him. Blacknail feebly curled up in an attempt to shield himself as the man leered down on him. This was going to hurt.


    The man stopped suddenly as someone spoke up. The voice¡¯s freezing cold tone seethed with anger and startled Blacknail¡¯s assailant.


    ¡°You, what do you think you¡¯re doing? No matter how fucking stupid you are you must know who that goblin belongs to,¡± Saeter said as he stepped out of the bushes and dropped the sled¡¯s rope.


    His eyes were narrowed with barely contained rage. The other man backed away a bit and paled.


    ¡°I ah¡­ was just foolin round. No harm done now,¡± the man stuttered fearfully.


    ¡°You must know what happens to people who touch what¡¯s mine,¡±  the old scout growled angrily.


    ¡°Er no, I¡¯m a new man. I just joined up, see?¡± the other man explained fearfully as he continued to back away.


    ¡°Then let me tell you. They go out into the forest and never come out. The deep green is always looking to claim a few more souls. No one questions it and no one cares about human refuse like you. Look around, where are you right now?¡± Saeter explained coldly as he stared the other man down.


    Blacknail¡¯s attacker paled even more until he was ghost white. He seemed to try and speak but he choked and the words wouldn¡¯t come out. Then with a whimper he turned and fled towards the camp.


    He didn¡¯t make it. With a practiced motion Saeter drew his bow and shot the other man in the back. With nothing but a gurgle and a few quick twitches the man collapsed onto the exposed roots of a tree and lay still.


    Blacknail found the strength to slowly get to his feet. He pushed himself up and hesitantly felt his head. His propping fingers found a small bleeding gash but he seemed otherwise fine. Goblins had very thick skulls. They got hit in the head all the time.


    ¡°Good, you seem all right. Take a seat while I dispose of this trash,¡± Saeter told him with a motion towards the corpse of the man he had just killed.


    Blacknail stared at Saeter uncomprehendingly for a second before collapsing into a sitting position. As the goblin watched, Saeter dragged the corpse off into the trees.


    By the time his master got back Blacknail had began to feel better. His headache had faded and the bleeding had stopped. As they broke out of the borders of the forest and into the sun they were met by a multitude of stares.


    This was, of course, because Blacknail was dragging a sled with a deer larger than himself on it. When they had reached the very edge of the forest Saeter had given him the sled back for some reason.


    Some of the people looking seemed impressed at the goblin¡¯s strength. Most of them just looked hungry. They looked at the deer carcass with obvious anticipation and barely noticed the goblin pulling it. Only a very few gave him hostile looks.


    Blacknail was in no mood for cowering; it hadn¡¯t done him any good earlier. He returned the dirty looks he got. He stuck out his tongue or gave them the evil eye. Stupid humans, what did they have against him? He was a strong and cunning goblin!


    He hated the fact that they would probably get to eat the deer he¡¯d helped catch. He wasn''t even sure if he would be getting any, even after he had dragged it through the dangerous woods and was almost eaten by spiders. Scary dreadful spiders with long poisonous fangs that dropped down on you from places you couldn''t see!


    Blacknail shivered at the memory then sighed. He knew he had the lowest position in the entire tribe. As the newcomer it was only natural he got the least and worst food. That was just the way tribes worked.


    How though was he supposed to work his way up to a higher position when everyone else was human, and thus huge? He didn¡¯t want to be the weakest in the tribe and be picked on anymore.


    He knew hurting humans was a very bad idea but fights were how goblins usually rose in rank. Maybe he could use some sort of large snare tied to an even larger tree, or maybe he could dig a big hole and...


    Wait, if no one knew he was the one who made the trap then he wouldn''t get in trouble but he wouldn''t rise higher in the tribe either. Blacknail sighed and kept walking. He wished he was back home in the sewers. Things were so much simpler there.


    By the time they returned to camp the sun had started to set behind the trees. Its red light shone out from gaps in the foliage and dyed the clouds above crimson. The camp was now full of dozens of bandits. They lounged about in various sized groups and around newly lit campfires.


    At the edge of the clearing all the horses from the caravan had been brought over and tied up. Blacknail gave them a dirty look when he saw them. The smelly things should have just been killed.


    ¡°Stupid horses,¡± he muttered.


    One of the horses returned his gaze and gave an aggressive snort. Blacknail stuck his tongue out at it. The stupid thing was tied up and couldn''t do anything to him. At least his position in this tribe was higher than that of the horses. It hadn''t been in the caravan.


    After they had walked away from the edge of the clearing Saeter turned to Blacknail.


    ¡°Leave the deer carcass here,¡± he told the goblin as he sighed in fatigue and stretched.


    Blacknail had dropped the sled almost before his master had finished speaking. He then immediately plopped down onto the ground and begun to massage his aching feet. Ouch they hurt. He had surprised even himself by dragging that deer.


    Back in his old life he had never had many chances to test out his strength but obviously he was an even stronger and smarter goblin than he had thought! Truly, his master was lucky to have him as a servant.


    ¡°Must really be getting old, I never used to get this tired after just being out in the bush for a few hours,¡± Saeter mused to himself as he sighed and did a few more stretches.


    Blacknail gave him an unamused look out of the corner of his eye. He was the one who had been doing the hard work! He couldn¡¯t complain though as Saeter had saved his life several times today. Of course, he was also the person who had put him into danger in the first place.


    ¡°You''re finally back, Saeter; about time,¡± Blacknail heard a familiar harsh voice say.


    It was the dangerous looking chieftain named Herad. She detached herself from a group of her rough looking minions and leisurely strolled over to them. She gave their catch an appraising glace but didn''t seem impressed with it at all.


    ¡°A deer, eh? It looks a bit skinny but I suppose it will have to do. I''ll have some the lazy bastards behind me skin it up since you went and fetched it for me. You and your pet there seem a little roughed up. I wouldn¡¯t want to overwork an old man,¡± she remarked with her usual crooked smile.


    ¡°Then I am no longer needed here,¡± Saeter replied with a nod.


    ¡°I guess not,¡± she agreed before calling several other bandits over to take the deer.


    Saeter began to walk away over to his camp, and after a quick nervous glance back at Herad the goblin followed him.


    ¡°Oh and Saeter, I''m glad you''re getting some use out of that goblin. You know the rules. Everyone pulls their own weight or they¡¯re gone,¡± Herad said coldly to their backs as they walked away.


    Blacknail shivered from a chill that hadn''t been caused by the cooling afternoon air. He was fairly certain he knew what gone meant, and it wasn''t to be let loose in the forest. Praise his master for giving him so much hard work, and making him useful. To think that he had thought his master was mean and unfair because he was working him too hard!


    Once they reached Saeter''s campsite his master took a few minutes to unpack and put his stuff away. Blacknail watched him for awhile but then curled up and lay down to rest.


    After only a few minutes though he was nudged awake by a familiar light kick and he opened his eyes to see his master standing over him. Maybe his master would give him some food now, he thought as he yawned.


    Instead, Saeter had a cup of hot water and a rag in his hand. He motioned for Blacknail to stand and then cleaned the goblin¡¯s head wound. He finished up by tying the long rag around Blacknail¡¯s forehead and telling him to leave it there.


    ¡°Stay here and practice,¡± Saeter told him and dropped the cord he had been making earlier at his feet. Blacknail eyed it wearily but got up.


    ¡°Food time?¡± Blacknail asked his master hopefully.


    ¡°Not yet. Time to practice,¡± Saeter responded. Blacknail sighed in irritation.


    He really didn''t want to try making rope again. It was hard and tricky and he just couldn''t get it right. He frowned in displeasure. He remembered Herad''s threat though and sighed.


    He picked up the cord and walked over to a large rock and sat down. He then got back to work. Seater gave him an approving look and then turned and walked off. Blacknail was thus left all alone to work. Well alone, if you didn''t count all the other humans wandering around.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Blacknail waited there and worked for awhile but his heart wasn''t in it. Wrapping and twisting the plant fibres soon grew unbearably dull. As he worked it began to get dark and the goblin nodded off.


    The sound of a large group of humans yelling in unison roared through the clearing and echoed off the surrounding trees. It was followed by the sound of birds taking flight and horses'' startled whinnying.


    Blacknail shot to his feet and was instantly awake. Was the tribe under attack?


    The goblin quickly scanned his surroundings. In the center of the clearing a giant pile of wood burned. Waves of red flame rose up from it and crackled as they leapt high into the cloudy evening sky. Dozens of human figures cast a multitude of long shifting shadows over the grass and onto the trees as they moved around the fire.


    The sound voices was now very loud. They laughed, yelled, and hooted as they celebrated. It was very goblin like. Blacknail almost felt like joining in, but suspected he wouldn''t be completely welcome.


    The smell of roast deer blanketed the clearing. There was next to no wind to clear the air so the smell simply built up and filled the area. The meat''s delicious and smoky smell caused Blacknail to begun to drool. He licked his lips clean.


    ¡°To victory and plunder. Are we not the greatest thieves and cutthroats in all the world? Drink to that,¡± Herad yelled in a voice that was unusually cheerful for her, and which sounded a little forced to the goblin.


    Her speech easily drowned out all the other voices and a ragged cheer followed her words as most of the bandits raised their cups high into the air. Blacknail thought he saw the chieftain¡¯s figure posing right beside the fire where the gathered bandits were thickest.


    The goblin looked away from the spectacle and saw that he was alone. Not even Saeter was around. He knew that there was some food tucked away in his master''s bags. For a second he was tempted but he knew it would be a bad idea. Saeter would know if something went missing and he didn''t want to steal from his master anyway.


    There were other options though, options that were more suited to a goblin as cunning as Blacknail. Saeter had shown him how to find various edible plants such as wild carrot but what he really wanted was meat. He deserved delicious deer meat.


    The goblin smirked gleefully as he watched the bandits and their actions. A plan soon formed in his head. He turned and closed his eyes, letting his night vision come back.


    With that done he examined the edges of the clearing. He quickly spotted the locations of the guards that were posted for the celebration. He smiled and giggled to himself. It was time for him to be a sneaky cunning goblin.


    Blacknail moved away from his campfire and slipped into the shadows. He crouched down and began prowling about on his hands and feet. As a goblin, this type of movement was natural to him.


    Low to the ground, he moved slowly over and around the trampled grass towards the bonfire. On the way he crawled over to a pile of wooden crates and disappeared out of sight behind them.


    After a few seconds he peeked around the crates and glanced at his target. None of the bandits were looking his way. He quickly broke from his cover and scurried forward until he stopped behind a patch of grass and weeds that was still standing tall.


    He was close enough now that the shadows the bandits cast shifted around him.


    After another hurried look to make sure no one could see him lurking in the dark, he crept slowly over to a tent and hid behind it. A quick sniff and a rummage through an open sack revealed a small bit of cheese. He took a second to scoff it down before continuing on. He wanted more than a bit of cheese.


    Most of the humans were milling about as they talked to each other, ate, and did some weird ritual that involved hitting their cups together. Blacknail didn''t see his master Saeter anywhere but he saw Vorscha and Herad. They were standing next to the fire and talking to each other.


    Then an opportunity presented itself; a nearby man at the edge of the group placed his plate of food and cup on a crate and then walked off into the dark. He was probably going to mark his territory.


    Blacknail waited patiently until no one was looking in that direction and then dashed forward. By exploiting the nearby humans'' blind spots he reached the target unseen.


    He quickly grabbed the meat on the plate and the cup beside it. Then as fast as his little legs would take him he dashed away from the fire and back into the safety of the concealing darkness.


    Blacknail hurried back to the pile of crates he had passed earlier, and glanced back to make sure no one had noticed him. To his relief no one had. He was such a sneaky cunning goblin, so much more cunning than all the ugly giant humans!


    The goblin giggled in delight. He was breathing heavy and nervous but also feeling exhilarated.


    Safely hidden among the crates, Blacknail licked his prize meat. It was so good and tasty! He begun to chew and gnaw it as the delicious fat melted in his mouth. However, much to his disappointment he was soon finished.


    Thus, he turned and examined the cup of liquid he had stolen. He had assumed it would be water but it wasn''t. He didn''t know what it was.


    He hadn''t had time to smell it before he grabbed it and Blacknail had never really had anything but water to drink. He wondered what this would taste like. Well it wasn''t urine. He knew what that smelled like.


    He took a sip and then stifled a choking gasp. Ugh, it burned all the way down! Why did humans drink this? He was about to throw it away when a nice complex aftertaste developed.


    He took another sip and then another. He smiled to himself happily. It wasn''t so bad once you got used to it. Nice really, he felt nice. He felt really nice. He drank the rest of the liquid down. Actually, this stuff was amazing. He wanted some more.


    He was such an amazing goblin, and he had such a great master. ¡°Hiccup¡±. Why even Herad wasn¡¯t that bad. She was just very fond of knives and dressed all dark and stared at you like she wanted to kill you and all your littermates... ok, Herad was pretty bad.


    ¡°Hiccup¡±. Everyone else was great though... except everyone who wasn''t! Also, this drink was great. What was it? He tried to get to his feet to find someone to ask but stumbled and couldn''t quite get up for some reason.


    Never mind then, he would just stay here for now. ¡°Hiccup¡±.


    He licked his fingers to get another taste of deer meat. Then he started giggling uncontrollably. All those stupid humans prancing around that fire hadn''t seen him steal their meat and drink.


    They were so blind and stupid. It was funny. It was hilarious. He was the sneakiest goblin ever!


    His laughter apparently attracted someone''s attention because through a break in his sniggering he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Uh oh! He tried to stop giggling but he found his situation too hilarious.


    ¡°Blacknail?¡± a deep voice asked.


    The crate he was behind was suddenly moved, revealing a concerned Saeter looking down at him. Blacknail smiled up at his great master.


    ¡°Master, hello,¡± he giggled.


    Saeter examined him for a second before taking in the empty cup in his hand. He sniffed the air.


    Saeter sighed and roughly messaged his temples with his fingers. Intense exasperation was plainly written in his body language. Blacknail thought it was hilarious.


    ¡°This is just what I need, a drunk goblin. I didn''t even know goblins could get drunk,¡± Saeter remarked with another sigh.


    ¡°Me drink stuff every day,¡± Blacknail responded groggily as he raised his cup unsteadily into the air.


    Why was he doing that? Things were getting kind of blurry.


    ¡°How in all the hells did you even get that?¡± Saeter remarked with disbelief.


    ¡°You great!¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully.


    ¡°Well, at least you''re a happy drunk,¡± Saeter sighed.


    He then grabbed the goblin by the scruff of his neck and dragged him over to his campsite, which didn¡¯t hurt much for some reason.


    Once they reached Saeter''s fire the man sat Blacknail down. He then pulled out a flask of water and refilled the cup Blacknail was still holding.


    ¡°Drink,¡± he commanded.


    Blacknail did, and managed to only spill a little over himself. He was disappointed it was just water but he was still thirsty so it was fine. Saeter gave Blacknail a troubled expression.


    ¡°I was going feed you but you were gone. I was afraid you had run off, but I see you decided to get your own supper somehow,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°I hungry. So I sneak, no one see,¡± Blacknail whispered confidentially to Saeter as he wiggled his fingers in front of his face. Saeter gave him an amused look.


    ¡°I guess that''s a type of foraging and I did tell you to find your own food. Maybe I should watch my tongue.¡± Saeter said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Blacknail responded enthusiastically and totally without any sort of understanding. He tried to raise his hands above his head but he wobbled and had to stop.


    ¡°I should knock some sense into that skull of yours but you¡¯re drunk and already have a head wound,¡± Saeter told the goblin.


    ¡°Come morning though, you''ll have a serious hangover coming down on you, goblin. That ought to be punishment enough,¡± Saeter remarked as he gave Blacknail a deeper less sympathetic smile.


    ¡°Nap time,¡± mumbled a suddenly tired goblin as he let out a deep yawn.


    Saeter threw a ragged piece of cloth over the drowsy goblin and entered his tent for the night. The goblin curled up around his makeshift blanket and fell asleep under the open sky, while feeling the most comfortable he had ever been. Maybe, it wasn¡¯t so bad here after all¡­

 Interlude: Coins and Whispers

    Zeckus Hurale was working late. He was at the small office off the side of his warehouse in Anstabul. It had gotten dark outside but he continued to work by the light of a steady oil lamp on his desk. The merchant was a pudgy blonde man. He was dressed in high quality clothes that he knew were quite out of fashion. He had much more important things to worry about.


    One of his ships had just come into port with a cargo of fine wine from the Homelands. That was normally a lucrative trade but this time his agents had not been able to acquire nearly as much as usual, and what they had gotten had been far too expensive. Apparently, some sort of pest from the eastern continent had made it across the ocean to the Homelands, and was ravaging the grape fields there.


    Zeckus sighed in exasperation. It was a small thing really, but lately there had been a lot of small things.


    Everyone knew the best wine came from the Homelands. Human civilization had developed there for over two thousand years before they had expanded across the ocean in Imperial times after all. The wildlife here outside the Homelands was almost as hostile to grapes as it was to humans, and now some of it had invaded humanity¡¯s ancestral home.


    There was nothing he could do about that, but perhaps he could turn this setback into an opportunity. With advanced warning of the wine shortage he might be able to buy up some of the local vineyards while they were still cheap.


    They might be of poor quality but the shortage would still drive their prices up. He might even be able to figure out a way to improve the quality of the local wine! That would earn him a pleasant profit indeed.


    With a smile, he went to work writing up a series of new orders for his agents. He had almost finished when he was interrupted.


    ¡°Your sister Kleia is here to see you, sir,¡± his secretary announced from the doorway.


    Zeckus frowned. He hadn¡¯t heard the door open. What was his sister doing here so late? It must be important, and that meant bad news.


    ¡°Thank you Gregory. See her in please,¡± Zeckus told his clerk as he finished writing a line on the parchment in front of him.


    He then put his quill down neatly next to his ink pot and looked up just in time to see his sister enter.


    Kleia was a short woman who, like Zeckus, had their family¡¯s blonde hair . However, she wore it long all the way down to her back. Her somewhat pudgy figure and plain face gave her a matronly quality, but that had not always been the case. When she had been younger she had been considered quite pretty, but ever since her husband¡¯s death she had started to put on a little weight and had changed the way she dressed.


    Zeckus supposed that with two kids and her husband¡¯s businesses to run she simply didn¡¯t have the time, or need, to care about her appearance.


    He hadn¡¯t ever bothered with such things, which is why he was more than a little overweight himself. If either of them wanted the intimate sort of company then he knew they could both afford to just pay for it.


    ¡°Greetings Zeck, how is my little brother?¡± Kleia asked with a smile as she entered the room.


    Zeckus gave her a polite smile back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you for asking, sister. What brings you to my office at this time of night?¡± he asked her back.


    ¡°Oh Zeck, must you always be so to the point. It is a rather unattractive quality in a man you know. No wonder you haven¡¯t been able to find yourself a good wife,¡± she replied as she sat down across the desk from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty, why don¡¯t you have your man there bring me a cup of tea,¡± she added after she had made herself comfortable.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Zeckus answered.


    He picked up and rang a small bell with a wooden handle that had been sitting on the corner of his desk next to a stack of papers. His secretary immediately stepped into the room in answer to his summons.


    ¡°My sister would like a cup of tea, Gregory. Why don¡¯t you bring both of us one,¡± Zeckus told the man.


    Gregory nodded in acknowledgement and left to fulfill his master¡¯s command.


    ¡°Now what is this about dear Kleia,¡± he asked his sister again.


    She pouted at being rushed but answered all the same.


    ¡°I have just received reliable word that Alfesso and almost his entire caravan were robbed and put to the sword on the road from Eastpoint last week,¡± she told him.


    Zeckus blinked in surprise. That was not what he had been expecting to hear.


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible news. I will have to remember to get Gregory to send his poor widow some flowers,¡± Zeckus remarked.


    Kleia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Of course brother, but I¡¯m not here to talk to you about such trivialities. This tragedy will have a huge impact on our businesses. I thought you deserved a heads up. It¡¯s not as if we both didn¡¯t have enough problems already. What are we paying such high taxes for if bandits are being allowed to roam the countryside and slaughter honest merchants freely,¡± she said with indignation.


    Zeckus snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the wars, sister. That¡¯s where all the coin is going. The wars are a bottomless money pit, and they¡¯re slowly strangling this country to death. You¡¯re right about the effect of this on our businesses though,¡± he said with a sigh.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m right. I have more experience in these matters than you. You learned book keeping from me after all. Father was always terrible at that sort of thing, even though he was a great negotiator,¡± she reminded him.


    Zeckus didn¡¯t need the reminder. He knew the cheery and somewhat empty headed act his sister put on was just that, an act. Having people underestimate her had served her well over the years.


    He decided to ignore her attempt to sidetrack the conversation. He didn¡¯t want to get drawn into another conversation about their deceased father. It was too late in the evening for that.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have thought that bandits would strike so far south. To overcome Alfesso¡¯s guards it must have been one of the larger northern bands down from the Iron Teeth. They¡¯ve been a problem since the fall of Coroulis, and the accursed conscription just keeps making it worse. After over a decade with next to no troops returning home even the most backwards peasants will realize something is up,¡± he complained.


    ¡°King Namirius can¡¯t afford to let any veterans go home. He needs every soldier he can get to keep the borders secure,¡± Kleia remarked. ¡°His father may have won the war against Deveshur but that whole country has descended into bloody chaos. Every month it seems a new noble joins the fight to claim the throne and take back the land we annexed from them. Not to mention we still have to worry about Hulgaron to the south.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that means he just keeps throwing men into battle after battle until they¡¯re all dead. No wonder there are so many deserters heading north to join these bands. They know if they stay in the army it¡¯s practically a death sentence. As a policy that one leaves something to be desired, especially since we¡¯re the ones being raided,¡± Zeckus replied sarcastically.


    ¡°So what are we going to do about it? I think influencing military policy is a little beyond us,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°If they¡¯ve set up in the area we may have to completely stop sending goods north. With the high taxes the king demands and what it would cost to pay for the amount of guards needed to protect a caravan I don¡¯t think we could squeeze out a profit,¡± he reluctantly explained.


    ¡°There must be something we can do? Maybe we could pay the bandits off. If they simply rob every caravan that crosses their path they will soon run out of targets. Merchants will just start avoiding the entire area and that won¡¯t profit them. ¡± she mused aloud.


    ¡°Do you know whose band it was? You mentioned that almost everyone had been killed. That means there were at least some survivors,¡± he asked with interest.


    ¡°No sorry, all I have are statements from the survivors. They were woman and children the bandits released. The bandits didn¡¯t apparently announce who they were and the survivors don¡¯t remember anything I could use to identify them beyond how large the band was,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Werick the Wolf supposedly has the largest band, but he usually operates in northeast Deveshur. From the rumors I hear he¡¯s busy setting himself up as some sort of warlord there. He¡¯s also supposed to have the morals of a hobgoblin, so I doubt he would let any prisoners go. They¡¯re worth more than a few coins to the right, or wrong, sort of people,¡± he guessed.


    ¡°True, outlaws with any sense of morality are in short supply these days. None of them are anything at all like the White Raven. Now there was a dashing outlaw. They still tell stories about him you know. They¡¯re especially popular with the young ladies,¡± Kleia reminisced wistfully.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Zeckus smiled at his sister¡¯s tone. He remembered hearing more than a few tales about the White Raven himself when he had been younger.


    He imagined the stories the young men had recounted were quite different from those that had been shared amongst the women. Both were undoubtedly equally fictional though. Zeckus forced himself back to the matter at hand.


    ¡°There are a few bands that might let non-combatants go though. The question is how many of these are large enough and could be that far down below Riverbend. My guess would be the Black Snake. She¡¯s always been a hard one to figure out. Something unpredictable and daring like this suits her, and she has a fairly large band,¡± Zeckus speculated.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. From what I know of her she is the type that would keep to her end of a bargain if we fill her pockets with enough gold,¡± his sister replied.


    ¡°Maybe, but in order to strike a deal with her we would probably have to work through the Broken Wheel Company. Those scum are basically nothing but bandits themselves and would charge us a painful fee just to connect us with her, if they would help us at all,¡± he told her.


    Kleia tilted her head to the side and she appeared to fall deep into thought. However, Zeckus only had to wait a few seconds before she smiled and turned back to him.


    ¡°Leave that to me. I might have some contacts there I could use. It¡¯s not a sure thing but some people owe me a few favors,¡± she replied.


    Zeckus frowned at his sister¡¯s response. He didn¡¯t like the idea of her having anything at all to do with the Broken Wheel Company. They pretended to be just another merchant consortium but they were rumored to be involved in every sort of unsavory practice. Everything from forced prostitution to the buying of stolen goods and assassination was attributed to them.


    Zeckus had a lifetime of experience as a successful merchant to draw on, and he had good reasons to believe that most of those rumors were true. No one knew who ran the company, but the most credible rumor Zeckus had heard was that it was secretly owned by a conglomerate of the oldest merchant families on the continent. Whoever they were, they had connections, resources, and ruthlessness that put his to shame.


    ¡°What are you thinking about little brother? You¡¯ve gone silent on me. It¡¯s rather rude you know,¡± Kleia asked him with a chuckle. Her question interrupted his thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking I would rather not deal with the Broken Wheel. I want no part of the things they do. They¡¯re killers and much worse,¡± he replied gravely.


    ¡°So you¡¯re fine with dealing with the Black Snake but not the Broken Wheel?¡± she asked him with amusement plain in her voice.


    The question surprised Zeckus. He thought it over for a second or two and realized it was true, but before he could answer her there was a polite knock on his door.


    ¡°Come in Gregory,¡± Zeckus yelled in the direction of the doorway.


    His secretary then stepped into the room with two large steaming cups of tea in his hands. He swiftly walked over and placed them before Zeckus and his sister.


    Kleia gave the man a smile and thanked him while Zeckus simply gave him a nod of approval. His job done the man left the room and closed the door quietly behind him.


    ¡°Now where were we?¡± his sister asked before she took a sip of tea.


    ¡°I was just about to tell you that yes I do find the Broken Wheel more repugnant than run of the mill bandits. I understand outlaws such as those that serve the Black Snake and the Wolf. I wish the army would go in and hang the lot of them, but I must admit that to some degree life has forced them down their path. Not so the Broken Wheel. The bandits that plague our roads are a symptom of the times. I suspect the Broken Wheel is part of the disease,¡± Zeckus told his sister seriously.


    ¡°Little brother, have you been reading those dreadful pre-Imperial philosophers again. That was unusually deep for you,¡± his sister joked.


    ¡°As a wise man said so many years ago, ¡®Only when a man has turned his gaze inwards can he truly begin to see the world¡¯. However, I don¡¯t need the wisdom of ancient philosophers to know that I want nothing to do with the Broken Wheel Company,¡± he told her.


    ¡°You make it sound like I was talking about buying into it, or forming a partnership with them. I was just suggesting I might know someone who could broker a deal between us and Herad the Black Snake. It would simply be a favor paid for a favor owed,¡± she replied with a roll of her eyes.


    Zeckus scowled and drank a few more sips of tea while he thought it through. He couldn¡¯t stop his sister from doing whatever she wanted. After her husband¡¯s death she had acquired control of his family¡¯s rather extensive business holdings. If he was being honest with himself those holdings were probably larger than the one¡¯s he had inherited from their father.


    If they did manage to strike a deal with Herad that allowed them safe passage then that would give them a near monopoly on the trade from Anstabul all the way north to Riverbend. That was not an inconsiderable market. Riverbend may not be what it once was but it was still a medium sized city that supplied the south of Eloria with a fair amount of timber, fur, and ore.


    Zeckus mumbled quietly as he quickly ran some rough numbers through his head. Even after having to pay the king¡¯s taxes and Herad¡¯s bribe he should still be able to earn a profit. Riverbend and the smaller cities and towns on the way there would badly need the supplies they shipped as well.


    ¡°Fine Kleia, I can¡¯t stop you so I might as well join you and keep an eye out. Let¡¯s see if you can get in contact with our new local bandit captain, if indeed it is the Black Snake,¡± he told her with a sigh of displeasure.


    Zeckus and his sister spoke for a few more minutes as they finished their tea. Soon though, Kleia excused herself and returned home, leaving Zeckus alone in his office.


    The merchant got up from his desk and walked over to his window. He felt a feeling of weariness come over him as he gazed outside.


    Outside the darkness of night had settled over the city. A few lights shone out from homes across the city but Zeckus remembered a time when the lights had been far more numerous. Every year it seemed like the city grew darker.


    His sister¡¯s visit had distracted him from his business but he still had things to finish tonight. He had many responsibilities and it was getting harder and harder to fulfill them.


    Zeckus was a good merchant. He knew this to be true. He was able to make deals and put ventures together that earned him substantial profits, or they would have if the times had been different. He didn¡¯t know how much his sister knew but the truth was that Zeckus had to fight hard to keep his company afloat. He managed to stay out of debt only by selling assets.


    At the current rate it would take many years for his business to go under but inevitably it would. Taxes were just too high and the war was causing all non-essential markets to shrink. People just weren¡¯t buying, and he didn¡¯t blame them.


    Farms everywhere were being abandoned and the desperate were turning to banditry, which just made everything worse. Several of his less canny peers had already gone bankrupt. He suspected poor Alfesso¡¯s lost caravan had been a dangerous gambit meant to keep his business financially afloat. That gamble had obviously failed and cost the merchant more than simple gold.


    The truth was Zeckus badly needed something like the deal his sister had just proposed. He had interest payments on debts that needed to be paid soon and he didn¡¯t have the gold on hand to pay them.


    The real question though was whether his sister had known all this, and whether her visit had been a carefully staged act, whose sole purpose was to manipulate him into accepting her offer. He wouldn¡¯t put past her. She was both remarkably loyal and upsettingly ruthless.


    After one last long look out into the night Zeckus turned away from the window and his idle thoughts. He sat back down at his desk and picked up his quill.


    After dipping the tip into the inkwell he went back to writing out his agent¡¯s new orders. It wasn¡¯t like he had any real choice but to accept his sister¡¯s deal anyway. He could only hope that somewhere out there something was happening that would halt the world¡¯s slow slide into ruin.

 Honor Among Thieves 1

    Blacknail woke up the next morning to the feeling of someone beating him savagely. He twitched and gasped as waves of pain exploded through his head and stomach.


    The stabbing agony in his skull hurt so much he could barely think and his stomach felt like it was trying to explode messily out of both ends of his body at the same time. He had no idea what he¡¯d done to deserve this torture.


    The goblin tried to remember if he had done anything wrong, but he couldn''t recall anything bad. In fact, he couldn''t remember much of anything. He fought through the pain and slowly opened his eyes.


    At first the light blinded his eyes and it took awhile for them to adjust. Why was it so bright out? Was he outside the sewer? He never left the sewer during the day!


    He hoped he hadn¡¯t been attacked by a goblin, or group of goblins, looking to take his position in the tribe again. He was one of the older goblins and had managed to fight his way up to a fairly high rank, although he had been too lazy to go all the way to the top and become the tribe chief.


    Blacknail knew he was much tougher than the big nasty goblin that was the current chieftain. He just didn¡¯t want to fight him¡­


    Some of the younger goblins had been getting uppity lately though, and food had been running a bit low. The sewer could only support so many goblins. Through the fingers shielding his face Blacknail took a quick look around for his assailants.


    He was outside and there was nobody around! Had his attackers left? Just then he had to double over and gag as his guts writhed like they were full of snakes.


    Oh, there they were! His assailants were apparently inside of him and beating him from the inside out.  The goblin groaned and tried desperately to fade back into unconsciousness, where the pain couldn''t follow.


    His futile attempt at slumber was interrupted as he felt a hand grab his neck and pull him into the air. He was too weak to try and fight it. All he could do was moan and flail weakly before giving up and going limp. What the heck was going on? He couldn''t remember where he was. He hoped his death would at least be quick.


    The hand suddenly let go of him and Blacknail landed painfully on something flat and solid made of rough wood. The impact shook him and cleared his head for a second. His name was Blacknail; he had a name. He remembered where he was.


    Surely, the forest had to have been a bad dream. The part with the spiders was just too horrible to have been real!


    Blacknail sat up unsteadily and looked around. He was sitting on the edge of one of the wagons the bandits had taken from the caravan. His master Saeter towered over him, casting his shadow over the goblin.


    ¡°Good morning Blacknail!¡± Saeter smugly greeted him as the goblin looked up.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Blacknail then moaned as he tried to curl up into a ball again.


    Saeter chuckled and pulled him back into a sitting position. Once he knew he had the goblin''s attention he started talking.


    ¡°That should teach you that alcohol isn''t for goblins,¡± Saeter told the goblin.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Blacknail grunted.


    ¡°Stay here in the wagon, Blacknail. I left some food and water out for you. I''ll be back in a while to see if you''re feeling better,¡± Saeter told the disoriented goblin.


    His master then went through his bags before leaving the goblin and walking away.


    With a groan Blacknail collapsed back onto the wagon''s deck. After a few minutes of suffering he heard the whinny of horses and the cart shook and started moving. So, Blacknail once again found himself riding on a bumpy wagon along the forest road. At least this time he wasn''t stuck in a cage.


    It was still the worst day in his entire life, though. He felt sicker and more uncomfortable than he had ever been before, which was saying something considering he used to live in a sewer and eat garbage.


    He lay beside Saeter''s possessions feeling like his stomach was full of live rats and someone was pounding on his head with a club. The wagon creaked and bumped beneath him and every once and awhile he would groan in pain. Actually, he had much preferred it when he¡¯d been in the cage.


    Why did humans drink something that was so obviously poisonous? He had eaten rotten fish heads that agreed with him more, and they had tasted better as well! Maybe it was some sort of weird human test of toughness? He guessed that meant he would have passed? Well if it was a test of intelligence he¡¯d definitely failed.


    At least his master had left him plenty of water and food. Not that he felt like eating. All he could do was lay there moaning and hoping he would recover before he died, or before death started to look good compared to this endless suffering.


    The humans had taken most the boxes and goods they had stolen from the caravan and put them back on the wagons. The outlaws had then broken camp and packed up their own stuff. Before the sun had truly risen into the sky they were on their way, headed down the road the way the caravan had been going.


    Most of the humans walked beside the wagons piled high with boxes. All the wagons had drivers and several humans rode in the back like Blacknail.


    Most of the passengers seemed to have been wounded because they wore bandages or were missing some of their less important human bits. Humans probably didn¡¯t need all their fingers and it wasn¡¯t like their tiny ears did much anyway.


    It took several hours of rough traveling for Blacknail to finally start feeling better. He managed to sit up and eat some of the gruel his master had left him. It felt good to put something in his stomach and he soon regained some energy.


    The goblin actually started to enjoy sitting on the back of the wagon with his feet dangling off the edge as he watched all the trees go by.


    Being on the road was certainly a lot better than being in the forest. Now that his head was clear he definitely remembered that the harpies and timber spiders were very real. He hoped he was leaving them behind forever but he kind of doubted it. Life didn¡¯t work that way in his experience.


    Blacknail managed to find another way to spend his time. He enjoyed standing at the side of the wagon and looking down, barely, on all the foolish humans who were walking behind the wagons. He bet they all wished they could ride the wagon like him!


    He giggled to himself in amusement. Look there was Geralhd! He already looked exhausted, sweaty, and miserable. He waved to the man cheerfully but Geralhd didn''t see him.


    Blacknail''s fun was interrupted when Saeter returned. The goblin didn''t hear his master approach. He was too preoccupied hanging off the side of the wagon and snickering at people when he heard a loud cough behind him.


    The goblin turned around to see an amused Saeter looking back. Blacknail froze in surprise. He tried to remember if he had done anything wrong lately. Nope, he was pretty sure he had always done exactly as his master commanded. He was a good goblin after all.


    ¡°Well, you''re looking much better, right full of energy too. That''s good, you''re gonna need it,¡± Saeter told the goblin.


    Uh oh, Blacknail didn''t like the sound of that.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re feeling better now you can continue practicing your rope making. You''ll find the stuff in that bag there,¡± Saeter explained as he pointed out a canvas bag.


    Blacknail gave the bag a wary look. That sounded very boring but at least he didn¡¯t have to go out into the forest.


    ¡°I expect to see some results when I get back,¡± Saeter told him.


    He then jumped onto the wagon beside the goblin and rummaged through the bags for some things before jumping down and wandering off again.


    Blacknail watched him go with a sigh of resignation. Ughhh, rope making! He didn¡¯t even want to hear about something so boring, let alone actually do it. After pulling the necessary materials from the bag his master had pointed out the goblin got to work.


    Blacknail cast a gloomy gaze over to the humans walking behind the wagon. He wished he was free to just walk around like them and not have to work!


    The goblin started at it but after an hour or so he started to grow weary of the incredibly repetitive task. With a snort of disgust Blacknail dropped the cord he was working on onto the deck of the wagon.


    He was so bored! It was time to take a break. There had to be something around that would amuse him, at least for a little bit.


    He got to his feet and looked around, while being careful that the shaking of the wagon under him didn''t trip him up. Blacknail was surrounded by bags and crates.


    With a quick glance to make sure no one was looking the goblin scooted over and began to examine them. He opened one canvas bag and riffled through it but found nothing but human sized clothes inside. Why did humans need so many clothes? What possible use could they have for more than one or two sets each?


    He closed that bag and hurriedly moved on to the next. He found nothing but some sweet smelling ground up plant leaves in it. Blacknail was beginning to think that the bandits had to be a little off in the head to have attacked a caravan for this crap. None of it was even shiny!


    With a sigh, Blacknail got back to work on making cord until the wagons stopped and the bandits made camp for the night.


    It was then that he finally managed to weave a thin cord together! The goblin then amused himself by tying it to various things and pulling on it. It didn''t even break! He felt so proud to have made it.


    Saeter then reappeared and Blacknail excitedly helped him set up his tent. The goblin just had to untangle himself from all the rope he¡¯d tied to the wagon first. Not his best idea... but at least the cord worked!


    After they had a fire going and supper was cooking Saeter presented Blacknail with several rabbits he had caught earlier. Disappointingly, Blacknail didn''t get to eat them.


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    His master had him learn to skin and prepare them. He was taught how to drain the blood by cutting their throats, peel the skin off, cut out the groin area, and slice open the bellies of rabbits to remove the organs.


    The cheerful goblin picked up this skill quickly and he soon ran out of carcasses to work on. He enjoyed the work but it seemed like a lot of effort when you could just eat the rabbit raw.


    As the evening gave way to night he slept beside his master¡¯s tent again with his dirty blanket wrapped around himself and the stars shining in the dark sky overhead. Owls and other creatures he couldn''t identify called throughout the night but eventually Blacknail managed to slip asleep despite his nervousness.


    The next morning Saeter took Blacknail with him when he was sent out to prepare a forward base well ahead of the main group. Saeter, Blacknail, and several other bandits who were familiar with the forest spent numerous days quickly getting ahead of the rest of the band.


    They walked almost constantly during the day with only a few stops to collect water or eat. They didn''t have time to hunt so they had to make do with the rations they carried.


    At night they set up camp in the middle of the road and took turns keeping watch. Blacknail was not given a shift.


    The sound of howling woke Blacknail on the second day. It echoed loudly through the trees around him and down the road.


    The eerie howling reverberated through the forest. It would suddenly come from one direction only for the noise to die down and then pick up from another direction. Blacknail was just glad that the howlers sounded too far away to be a real threat.


    Soon the noise drew Saeter out from his tent. After a second of listening the old scout turned to the goblin.


    ¡°Wolves, I showed you their tracks earlier. Don''t worry they''re just gossiping,¡± Saeter told Blacknail with an uncharacteristic peaceful smile.


    He then stretched, closed his eyes, and took a few more seconds to listen.


    ¡°Beautiful, the sound of the North,¡± he whispered to himself.


    The goblin didn''t understand. Wolves were the dog things right? He closed his eyes and listened as well, focusing on the sound of wolves over the forest.


    All the noise did however was fill him with wariness. Soon the noise begun to fade away, and Blacknail felt an unexpected twinge of regret. For a quick second the howling had seemed oddly familiar. It made no sense but for some reason it had reminded him of home¡­


    After a quick tasty breakfast the bandits hit the road again. They turned off the main road and moved on to what could charitably be called a forest route.


    It was really a dirt path barely wide enough for a single wagon and it was very bumpy. Blacknail didn''t like this new path much; the trees loomed much closer along its narrower confines.


    As usual, that night they set up camp and posted a watch. Feeling somewhat excluded since he wasn''t given a turn Blacknail decided to stay up and help his master during his turn.


    After a brief supper and conversation around the fire everyone turned in for bed. This time however Blacknail forced himself to stay awake and wait.


    It was a dark moonless night. Clouds covered most of the sky. Outside the light of the fire everything was pitch black. Only the dark outlines of trees could be seen shifting at the furthest reaches of the firelight.


    By the time it was Saeter''s watch the fire was dying down and Blacknail amused himself for a few minutes by throwing some more wood on it and watching the sparks fly up into the dark sky.


    The heat from the fire soon made him drowsy though, so he curled up beside it. The last thing he saw before nodding off was Saeter''s back as his master stood at the edge of the light and gazed calmly out into the darkness.


    He tried again each night but Blacknail never managed to stay awake for any of Saeter''s watches. The closest the goblin ever came was when he awoke suddenly one night several days later with an uneasy feeling eating at his guts.


    One second he was asleep and the next he was awake and on guard. He didn''t know why but he knew something had disturbed him, something dangerous.


    The goblin¡¯s ears twitched as he listened and he automatically sniffed the air quietly. He sensed nothing. Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked around. Somehow he knew something was there even if he couldn''t see or smell it.


    The fire was very low, only a few slow burning coals were left smoldering. Most the humans were asleep around it with their bags and equipment beside them.


    Only one of the bandits was on watch and he was seated on a rock beside the fire drinking a cup of tea. He was obviously only barely paying attention to the area around himself.


    There was only a small sliver of moon in the sky but no clouds concealed it. Thus, there was enough light for Blacknail to see his surroundings fairly well. His amazing goblin night vision was much better than that of a mere human.


    The pale moonlit road stretched off into the shadowy trees to one side of him. Their group was camped on a hill beside it where the wind helped keep the mosquitoes away.


    To Blacknail''s eyes, the hill floated like an island atop a dark pool of trees that shook and creaked in the wind like waves on black water. He knew something lurked down there in the depths of the forest, watching him.


    Other than the wind and the rustling of leaves it was a quiet night though, too quiet. Alarmed, Blacknail realized he didn''t hear the usual sounds of night birds and prowling animals.


    That was a bad sign, very bad. The goblin peered out into the darkness drenched forest for the danger he could somehow sense but not identify.


    He heard leaves crunch off to one side and he quickly whirled around. However, the noise stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Blacknail froze and eyed the trees and bushes in that direction carefully but the forest concealed what lay within it too well for him to see anything.


    The sound of the goblin''s heartbeat grew louder in his ears. He knew something terrible was about to happen, but all he could do was stare into the impenetrable shadows before him. His anxiety began to wear him down as he grew twitchier and he started to get a pounding headache.


    The nearby leaves shook as something large moved within them. The shadows convulsed around it and Blacknail hissed loudly in alarm.


    Out from the darkness an answering low predatory growl erupted. Its force sent leaves and other debris fluttering forth into the camp from the forest.


    Blacknail''s hackles rose and his body tensed as the smell of the creature''s breath washed over him. He had never smelled anything like it.


    With an alarmed look, the man by the fire shot to his feet and drew his sword. He hurried over to Blacknail''s side.


    ¡°Do you see anything, goblin?¡± the swordsman asked Blacknail as he scanned the edge of the firelight.


    The man''s voice quivered with unease and his face looked white in moonlight.


    Clearly, he had been spooked by the noise, and Blacknail didn''t blame him. The goblin shook his head in answer to the man''s question.


    The commotion woke some of the other men including Saeter who sat up and automatically reached for his bow and quiver. Slowly, Blacknail''s master got to his feet and drew his bow.


    Nothing happened for a few stagnant seconds. Blacknail heard more of the men get to their feet and arm themselves. He really wished they would hurry up.


    Blacknail twitched again as the sound of leaves and twigs being crunched by something heavy out in the darkness reached his ears. Whatever the thing in the woods was it had started moving again.


    Blacknail''s skin crawled and he felt a spike of terror tear through his heart. He heard the sounds of blades being drawn and deep steady breaths as the men behind him readied themselves for combat with whatever horror was about to burst from the darkness upon them. The goblin got ready to run and hide behind them.


    Then, he realized the sound wasn''t moving closer. It was moving further away. Slowly, the rhythmic noise got quieter until it was completely muffled by the forest. Only then did Blacknail relax and let out a deep breath.


    No one spoke for a few seconds. Most of the bandits had been awakened by the commotion. They threw each other nervous looks and held their weapons close. Then, Saeter broke the silence as he relaxed his bow.


    ¡°It''s gone. Make sure the man on watch stays alert and keeps the fire high. Scream loudly if something attacks you,¡± Saeter said with a yawn as he settled back down to sleep.


    The man on watch gave Saeter an annoyed look and Blacknail gave his master a disbelieving one. How could he just go back to sleep?


    ¡°What was it?¡± one of the bandits asked Saeter.


    Blacknail''s master turned to them from where he lay on his blanket.


    ¡°Dunno. Could have been an ogre taking a night stroll or a hungry drake that decided we weren''t worth the trouble. Let''s hope we never find out,¡± Saeter replied crankily before then turning away and going back to sleep.


    Several of the other bandits whispered fearfully to each other for a few minutes before settling back down themselves. Blacknail lay back down by the remains of the fire but was too nervous to sleep.


    He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the creature was still out there and just waiting for them all to relax their guard. If it attacked them while they were asleep they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. The terrible hungry beast would rip them apart and chew on their bones¡­

 Honor Among Thieves 2

    Blacknail didn¡¯t get a lot of sleep that night. Instead, he anxiously gazed out into the woods for any sign of the creature¡¯s return. Eventually though, exhaustion overcame his fear and he lost his hold on consciousness.


    He dreamed of dark waters and pale worms with toothy maws swimming beneath him in strange patterns. It was far from the best dream he¡¯d ever had.


    The following morning he woke with a start but had only the faintest recollection of the visions that had disturbed his sleep. Blacknail was more than happy to let the memories slip from his mind as they once again got up and began walking.


    The group of bandits reached their destination around noon that day. The goblin was more than a little disappointed when he saw it. It was just a clearing along the abandoned road they¡¯d been traveling on. Why had they walked so far just to move from one empty spot to another? Humans were stupid!


    The meadow was much larger than the one they had been camped in before and it contained a small derelict building. Those were the only real differences Blacknail could see.


    It was a solid looking wooden building but it had clearly degraded over the years since it had been abandoned. The wooden door had fallen off and the thatch roof had long since rotted away. Blacknail stood off to the side of Saeter and listened in as he started talking to the other bandits.


    ¡°This used to be a farmhouse, and this overgrown meadow used to be farmland. When I was young homesteads like this dotted these lands. Now look at it,¡± Saeter mused sorrowfully.


    ¡°Times are tough everywhere, Saeter. All the bloody kings and nobles have been at their damned pointless wars for decades now. At least up here in the North there are no press gangs and taxmen,¡± one of the other scouts replied before spitting onto the ground.


    Saeter snorted disdainfully in response.


    ¡°No, there are only monsters, mutants, the City Killer, and a thousand other ways to die out here. Let''s also not forget about all the merciless bandits and deprived outlaws,¡± he countered with dark humor.


    ¡°Like I said, times are tough everywhere,¡± the other replied simply with a shrug. ¡°Years of war will do that.¡±


    ¡°The North would have toughed it out if not for the thrice damned City Killer,¡± Saeter said with sudden heat that caused his face to flush with barely contained hatred.


    Blacknail almost took a step back from him in alarm. His master never showed his anger like that! He was usually so in control. It scared the goblin more than a little. He could too easily imagine that wild rage being turned against him.


    ¡°Well, I wasn''t there so I wouldn''t know but I suspect you''re wrong about that. Things would have been better here were Coroulis still standing but the rest of the world would have still dragged the North down with it,¡± the other bandit replied carefully as he watched Saeter out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°We would have had a chance, though,¡± Saeter said as his anger gave way to resignation. ¡°Ha, I really must be becoming an old man because I''m starting to rant and grumble just like one.¡±


    The other man just grunted in response and they both stared at the ruins in front of them for a while. Blacknail joined them but he didn¡¯t see anything interesting. Were they looking for something?


    After a few minutes they had to stop and help the other scouts work. Their group had a lot of work to do to get the new camp site ready for everyone else¡¯s arrival.


    First, they had to fix up the building up and clear the land. The tall grass and plants that grew in the clearing had to be cut and set out to dry in order to make thatch for the building''s roof and to clear an area for camping. They also went to work cutting down some of the nearby trees and stockpiling the wood and branches for both fuel and construction materials.


    As they worked one of the scouts stumbled upon an old well by the house. So they added repairing that to the list of things they needed to do. Luckily, they had over a dozen good workers and one over enthusiastic goblin.


    As they worked and waited for Herad and the wagons, Saeter sent scouts out to watch the road. He wanted to keep in contact with Herad and make sure no one could sneak up on them unaware.


    Even once they had finished most of the original jobs Blacknail was still kept busy helping his master with his usual duties once again. He ran about helping with hunting in the morning and chores in the afternoon.


    After several days of exploring the woods with Saeter the goblin began to feel more comfortable out there. Being under the forest canopy wasn¡¯t so bad, as long as he stayed within three feet of his master at all times and didn¡¯t go anywhere too dark. The spiders lived in the gloom.


    He quickly picked up a lot of useful skills from doing so many chores every day. He was even rewarded with a small knife of his own. That was great because it showed that his master trusted him to be loyal, useful, and not to stab people.


    The first thing the goblin learned was how to set fires. Saeter showed him how to arrange the wood and tinder and set it alight with steel and flint, or by rubbing two pieces of wood together.


    A few impromptu fire starting practice sessions later Saeter snatched the flint and steel back. He then ordered the disappointed goblin not to practice anymore without permission. Blacknail didn¡¯t know what the big deal was. It had only been a small section of grass that had caught fire and together all the scouts had managed to stamp it out easily enough.


    Next he was put to work skinning rabbits again. When he ran out of carcasses to practice on Saeter took him out into the woods and showed him how to set the snares himself.


    He did this by bending a sapling down and tying it to a piece of cord with a noose on the end. A twig was tied to the cord right before the noose, and was held on the ground by a stake or another sapling. When the rabbit hit the noose it tightened and the movement caused the twig to come loose and the sapling to snap up. The rabbit was then pulled into the air and ended up hanging from the sapling.


    Blacknail learned exactly how the trap worked when he stepped on it and the noose snagged his foot. He was almost instantly sent sprawling as the trap yanked his feet out from under him. Luckily, he was too heavy to be pulled into the air so he just ended up falling on his ass. At least now he knew it worked.


    The hardest part of snaring rabbits was finding a rabbit trail or hole to place the snare on. Saeter had to look for signs such as droppings, but Blacknail could simply smell rabbit trails and follow them.


    ¡°Rabbits can¡¯t hide from me. Me too great!¡± Blacknail bragged smugly as he set up a trap.


    ¡°Good job, you¡¯ve got the hang of this. Now you can empty and set the traps yourself each morning,¡± Saeter replied as he watched the goblin work.


    Wow, he¡¯d just been given a job all of his own! The goblin couldn¡¯t believe his master trusted him to go out into the forest alone¡­


    ¡°It danger. Me die,¡± Blacknail replied in wide eyed shock.


    There was no way he could go out into the forest by himself! He was just a tiny little goblin. There were harpies, wolves, spiders, and other more dangerous things out there. Blacknail was fairly sure the forest existed solely to give all the things that ate goblins a place to live.


    ¡°You know enough to keep yourself out of trouble, goblin,¡± Saeter replied sternly with a hardened look in his eyes that showed he wasn''t asking, he was commanding.


    Seeing that look Blacknail cringed, but he didn¡¯t move from where he was standing. Saeter took a step towards the goblin and raised a hand as if to strike him. Blacknail eyes went wide in alarm. Yet after only a few steps Saeter stopped and scowled at the goblin.


    ¡°Herad isn¡¯t going to believe you¡¯re useful enough to keep around if you can¡¯t even walk into the woods by yourself,¡± Saeter grimly explained to Blacknail.


    The goblin groaned. Ugh, he had been trying to forget about the dark eyed glowering chieftain. He didn¡¯t really have a choice so he gave his master a reluctant nod of acceptance. This appeased Saeter somewhat, and he began preparing Blacknail for his first solo excursion.


    First, Saeter taught Blacknail how to use his knife against various other animals. The goblin was told to stab them in the eye or under their ribs into their heart or lungs. He was also told to watch out for teeth and claws. Blacknail didn''t really need to be told that last part; he had already figured that out.


    Saeter then taught him how to throw a rock faster and more accurately using a strip of cloth called a sling. This amazing invention deeply impressed the goblin.  He¡¯d always wanted to be able to throw rocks harder; it was the answer to almost every problem he¡¯d ever faced!


    Blacknail was also given a belt and some leather pouches to put things like ammo or food in. Thus armed and equipped Blacknail was ready to start making trips out into the woods alone. He was very proud of himself. Proud but overcome by terrified panic.


    Under his master''s watchful eye the goblin walked over to the edge of the woods and hesitantly took the first step through the bushes and into the forest.


    He then cast a look back over his shoulder to see Saeter walking back to camp. Blacknail gulped and his eyes widened in fear. He was all alone! Any second now a hideous monster was going to show up and eat him.


    For weeks he had either been right beside his master or surrounded by at least a dozen somewhat friendly humans. Now he was all alone out in the woods, or a few feet from the edge of it anyway.


    The snap of a twig somewhere off in the distance broke his concentration and caused him to twitch in fear. Something was coming! He yelped and scrambled over to the large exposed roots of a nearby tree.


    Quickly digging, the goblin widened the gap beneath some of the roots and dove down there to hide. From his vantage point at the entrance of his impromptu burrow the goblin warily eyed the green foliage and tree trunks around him.


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    Nothing moved or made any more noise. Blacknail waited there in his hiding spot for several minutes overcome by terror.


    He wanted to dash back to the safety of the camp. The only thing stopping him was fear of what his master would do if he returned without the rabbits from the snares.


    Several more minutes passed as the goblin tried to think of some way to escape from his current predicament. If he tried to get the rabbits he would most likely be torn apart and eaten, if he stayed here under the roots he would slowly starve to death, and if he returned to camp his master would punish him. He didn¡¯t like any of those options.


    Blacknail had never directly disobeyed his master and didn''t know what Saeter would do if he did. It would probably be very bad but would it be worse than being eaten by harpies? He could always say the snares had been empty, Saeter might even believe it.


    Having made up his mind and decided that cowardice and begging for mercy were his best options the goblin slowly rose out from under the roots. He scanned his surroundings for any threats but the bushes around him and the branches overhead seemed empty.


    The clearing was also only a little more than a dozen feet away. Then he heard another crackling sound from somewhere behind him. Blacknail dashed frantically towards the clearing and safety. He didn''t want to be eaten!


    With an imaginary host of monsters chasing him the goblin burst from the shrubs into the clearing as fast as his little legs would carry him, and almost ran right into Saeter.


    Much to Blacknail''s surprise his master stood only a few feet away and was calmly watching the goblin. Blacknail froze, or at least he tried.


    He was moving so fast that he tripped over his own feet and was sent cart-wheeling painfully across the ground. His head bounced painfully off a rock but luckily he didn¡¯t get hurt anywhere important.


    Saeter was still standing there silently as Blacknail tentatively got to his feet. The goblin brushed himself off and threw his master a nervous glance.


    All thoughts of lying to his master were banished by a wave of shame and fear, plus Saeter had probably been standing there the entire time watching.


    ¡°There was noise!¡± Blacknail whined piteously as he gave his master a pleading look.


    Saeter frowned at him and shook his head disdainfully. Blacknail cringed again. Why had he used such a stupid excuse, he could have come up with a much better one.


    ¡°Take all the time you want Blacknail but you won''t be getting any food until you bring back the rabbits, and I wouldn''t be going out there after dark if I were you,¡± Saeter told Blacknail calmly but harshly.


    The goblin shivered at the very thought of being out in the forest at night. Everything was worse at night! Blacknail stood there for a few seconds and gathered his thoughts. Saeter just stood there and observed the goblin.


    With a sigh of resignation Blacknail realized he had no choice but to go out and empty the snares, unless several rabbits suddenly decided to run up and let him choke them to death one at a time. That seemed unlikely though.


    Trying to banish his fear Blacknail stood tall, turned around, and walked back over to the edge of the trees and out into the forest again.


    This time he forced himself forward more successfully. When he next heard a noise he merely threw himself violently to the ground and froze there for a few frantic heart beats instead of running back. He was making progress!


    When nothing happened he rose to his feet and continued on. Every time he heard a noise he twitched in panic but didn¡¯t run.


    Blacknail crept slowly forward towards the snares by moving slowly from hiding spot to hiding spot. He concealed himself up against tree trunks, under fallen logs, in thick bushes, and behind tall grass.


    Eventually, he made his way to the snares and got the rabbits. Then after looking around to make sure nothing dangerous was about to eat him he threw caution to the wind and dashed back to Saeter as fast as he could.


    When he returned the sun had moved a fair distance in the sky, but Saeter made no comment. He simply took the rabbits from the goblin and set him to work on another chore. However, much to Blacknail''s surprise he was fed an extra large meal that night.


    He was also forced out into the bush the next morning, and every day after that as well. Obviously, Blacknail¡¯s master didn¡¯t really understand how rewards were supposed to work.


    Soon, the goblin got used to being out in the forest alone, even if he really didn''t like it.


    Then one day it occurred to Blacknail only he knew how many rabbits he actually caught every day. The goblin tried to fight the temptation, briefly, but he secretly began to eat the occasional rabbit himself out in the bush. He just couldn''t help himself!


    Saeter never let him eat the rabbits raw, and Blacknail loved them that way. They were so juicy and warm, even if the fur was icky and sometimes got caught in his throat.


    Why did humans feel the need to burn everything? Anyway, it''s not like he was doing anyone any harm, he caught so many rabbits that Saeter was giving them away!


    Of course, he wasn''t always doing chores. Every night Saeter would throw some of the rabbits into a pot of boiling water. Then he added a bunch of plants to create something called stew.


    The other bandits who were out scouting or doing other work during the day would then come over and they would all feast. The stew was an all right mix of tastes but Blacknail loved it because it was the only meal he was allowed to eat as much as he wanted.


    His master usually only gave him small meals so he was almost always hungry. He had to forage for the rest when he had time, and Saeter kept him constantly busy.


    The other humans that joined them for supper tended to be the quiet sort, like Blacknail''s master. That was probably they were all men who spent a lot of time in the forest where making too much noise was dangerous.


    None of them talked to him nearly as much as Vorscha or Geralhd but they weren¡¯t hostile either. They mostly ignored him although one or two would throw him scraps when Saeter wasn''t looking, mostly to annoy his master.


    None the less, it was the first time Blacknail felt he really belonged with a group of humans and not just his master Saeter.


    After he begun bringing back more rabbits then they could reasonably use Saeter had him start digging smoking pits. First he dug a hole up to his waist, a little bit more than 2 feet deep. Saeter had wanted him to use a shovel but he found it faster to just use his hands. He was a great digger!


    A fire was then lit at the bottom of the pit and allowed to burn down to coals, than it was fed green hardwood to produce smoke. A grill of small crisscrossing branches was placed three fourths of the way up. Meat was then cut into small thin strips and placed on the grill. Finally, the pit was covered with branches and leaves to keep the smoke in. When the meat became brittle and dry it was done.


    Apparently, this made the meat last longer and easier to carry around with you, but Blacknail mostly just liked the meat¡¯s smoky taste. It also gave him a chance to set fires; he liked fire.


    Of course, all these activities required constant use of his knife so Saeter had to show him how to sharpen it using a whetstone and care for it using oil. It also resulted in a lot of bloody rabbit pelts lying around everywhere so next Saeter showed him how to tan them.


    To tan an animal skin it was scraped to remove the flesh, washed thoroughly in water, and then stretched out to dry for several days. To Blacknail''s delight next he was told to break open the rabbit''s skull, boil the brains in a bucket of water, and then smear the resulting gunk onto the hide by hand. It was so much fun! Saeter had to smack him several times to stop him from licking his fingers while he worked but he still enjoyed himself.


    The hide was then left overnight where it wouldn''t dry out. Next, the pelt was repetitively stretched and softened until dry, which was fun for the first while anyway but got old fast. Finally, it was placed over a smoky fire for several hours to dry.


    Saeter gave several of the finished pelts to Blacknail, since he had no real use for them. The goblin had used them to make pants! Pants were apparently very important, and they certainly made sitting down more comfortable. No more accidently sitting on pine cones for him!


    He¡¯d also managed to stitch together a mismatched rabbit skin cape. Saeter had been the one to teach him how.


    Saeter wasn¡¯t happy with Blacknail having only one pair of shorts; he made the goblin make a second one. The goblin was supposed to wear one and wash the other. How stupid was that?


    Stinky clothes just made it harder for animals to smell you! Saeter of course disagreed and made him change into clean, or at least sort of cleanish clothes every few days.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve certainly turned you into a productive little helper,¡± Saeter told Blacknail proudly one afternoon after the goblin had finished his chores.


    Blacknail smiled and nodded cheerfully in response to the praise. He was happy to be useful but he thought maybe he deserved more of the credit for his own work.


    ¡°You¡¯ll sure startle everyone,¡± Saeter mused as he smiled wickedly in anticipation.


    As they waited for the wagons to catch up Blacknail was kept very busy. He was perhaps a little too useful for his own good. It got to the point where every time Blacknail saw a rabbit in a snare the first thing that came to mind was how much work preparing it was going to be.


    So of course, he started eating more of them raw and throwing away the remains. He thought it was the perfect plan, but Saeter wasn¡¯t fooled. After a painful whack on his behind the goblin¡¯s meals were reduced for a few days as punishment. In hindsight, he really should have spent a little more time wiping all the blood from his mouth before making his way back to camp.

 Honor Among Thieves 3

    The next two weeks went by in a blur of chores but ended in a bang when the wagons and Herad finally arrived.


    It was a cool overcast day and it had rained lightly on and off that morning. Blacknail was glad he had his cape. He didn''t mind being cold or wet, but he hated being cold and wet at the same time. He shivered and snuggled into the thick fur on the inside of his clothes for warmth.


    ¡°Finally! They sure are late,¡± one of the men who had stayed at the camp with Saeter and Blacknail said.


    Several of the camp''s occupants had come out to see the wagons arrive, including Saeter.


    ¡°I''m not surprised they¡¯re behind schedule. It''s still too early in the year for the road to be completely dry. Getting those wagons along must have been tough. We''re lucky it just started raining this morning,¡± another replied.


    ¡°Maybe we will get paid before winter now,¡± the first one joked, which caused a few of the other men to chuckle humorously.


    After a few minutes, when nothing more exciting than a bunch of wet and dirty men trudging across a muddy road with some rickety wagons appeared the watchers started wandering off.


    Saeter however headed over to the wagons and as usual Blacknail followed him.


    They passed dozens of miserable looking outlaws in soaked leather and furs as they trudged down the muddy road. A few of them gave Saeter and his goblin hostile or curious glances but most of them seemed far too tired to care about what was going on around them.


    Saeter headed for the back of the train of wagons. There, Herad was supervising the removal of goods from a broken wagon.


    The wooden wagon lay on an angle at the side of the road. One of the front wheels had popped completely off leaving a broken wooden axle exposed.


    Under their leader¡¯s watchful eyes several men were removing goods from the damaged wagon and either tying them to the horse that had been untied from the wagon or carrying them down the road by hand.


    Herad looked furious and only a few moments away from violence, but then again she almost always did. Saeter stopped several feet from Herad but within her sight and waited patiently. Blacknail hid behind him, trying not to attract Herad''s attention.


    After a few moments Herad turned her scowl their way. She was dressed in her usual dark leather armor which was decorated with an assortment of blades. Her cloak''s hood was pulled up to protect her from the rain and water dripped down it.


    ¡°You¡¯d better have a nice bonfire going and my shelter ready when I get to camp. I didn''t send you ahead so you could slack off,¡± she told Saeter as she turned to face him.


    ¡°I do, as well as some hot deer stew,¡± Saeter replied seemingly unconcerned.


    ¡°You''ll make someone a wonderful wife someday,¡± Herad remarked bitingly.


    ¡°I fear I''m well past the marriageable age,¡± he answered deadpan.


    Herad smiled darkly at him in response. She was clearly amused.


    ¡°That''s what I like about you Saeter. You walk the fine line between never arguing with me and not always agreeing with me either,¡± she told him.


    ¡°How''s our status?¡± she continued seriously after a brief pause.


    ¡°Camp is set up. We have food, fire, and some lean-to set up for the men. The old farmhouse has been patched up for you,¡± Saeter reported.


    ¡°The roads?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Scouts haven''t seen anything on the road ahead. I''ve had riders down onto the main road to Riverdown and they haven''t seen anything unusual either. No sign of any patrols or traps. Not that the patrols ever leave the main roads anyway. I''m more worried about some other band of brigands getting wind of our haul. I haven''t seen any sign of that though. The messengers you sent to the city to meet your contacts are away and have probably gotten there by now,¡± he reported.


    ¡°Good,¡± Herad grunted simply in response.


    ¡°We haven''t even lost anyone in the forest yet. Bad luck that,¡± Saeter added after a second of thought. Herad gave him a skeptical look.


    ¡°It¡¯s bad luck that we haven''t lost anyone to the woods?¡± she asked him dryly.


    ¡°The forest always gets someone eventually. That it hasn''t yet only means it could still be me this time,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Bushman superstition,¡± she huffed in annoyance. ¡°If you''re that worried about it then you could always throw your little pet goblin there to the wolves.¡±


    The goblin shied away from her. He wasn''t sure how serious to take any of her comments. She didn¡¯t seem to like him much.


    ¡°He''s still pretty scrawny. They''d probably just come back for seconds,¡± Saeter told her with a brief glance at the goblin and the barest hint of humor in his voice.


    ¡°Well, since you''ve lasted this long without being eaten by something I think you''ll be fine for a while yet Saeter. That said, I want you and the other scouts out there making sure nothing dangerous from the deep woods surprises us. If you see signs of something, I want to know right away. Also, the more food you can scrounge up the less we have to buy,¡± she told him before pausing for a second to think.


    ¡°We''re going to be here a while as we wait for the buyers from Riverdown to get here, and take this stuff off our hands. I don''t want any nasty surprises while we wait,¡± she finished.


    ¡°You know that neither I nor anyone else can make any promises when it comes to the forest Herad, but I will do my job,¡± he told her gravely.


    ¡°How professional, your best had just better be good enough. I''ll talk with you later when I get things in order here. Find something useful to do with yourself in the mean time,¡± she replied dismissively.


    Saeter nodded and she turned away. Then Blacknail and his master headed back down the road to camp. The goblin threw one last nervous look backwards at Herad. Saeter noticed his nervous demeanor.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so scared of her, Blacknail,¡± he told the goblin.


    ¡°She''s mean and scary, master,¡± he whimpered in response.


    ¡°Dangerous too, or she wouldn''t still be the boss. There isn''t any such thing as a nice bandit but Herad has her own twisted sense of fairness and she sticks to it. Which is more than most the scum out here have,¡± Saeter explained as they walked down the muddy forest road.


    Blacknail nodded when his master stopped talking. Not in agreement though, but because he should always be seen to agree with his master. He was still going to avoid Herad as much as possible. She looked at him like he was a bug and she was still deciding whether or not to squish him.


    As they approached the encampment someone called out to them.


    ¡°Well if it isn''t old man Saeter and his ever faithful companion, Blacknail the goblin. I haven''t had the pleasure of your company in awhile. I guess it''s because you''ve been here living it up, sleeping in one place, resting all day, and eating all the good food while I''ve been out on the road walking endlessly and staring at the back of a bloody wagon,¡± Geralhd yelled with decidedly fake cheer.


    The skinny man was seated on the ground underneath a canvas that had been set up to block the rain and was massaging one of his feet with both hands. He had unstrapped and taken off his socks and boots and they were sitting on the ground beside him.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly how we spent our time,¡± Saeter responded sarcastically.


    ¡°Ah Saeter, never lose that sunny disposition and glib tongue of yours. The world would be a darker place without it, and then I would have no one to engage in philosophical discourse with.¡± Garalhd responded back with his own sarcasm.


    A second later he winced as he touched a sore spot on his foot.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Saeter asked him pointedly.


    ¡°Well, if you mean why am I here on this lovely earth and for what purpose do I exist then I guess we will be having that philosophical debate after all,¡± Geralhd responded as he smiled. ¡°However, if you are asking how it is I found myself wanted by the crown and squatting in a mud pit among such illustrious company then I shall have to respond that it is because I killed the right person.¡±


    ¡°Why are you bothering me?¡± Saeter clarified as Geralhd shrugged.


    ¡°A man must amuse himself somehow if he is to stay sane and, just between us, I have to admit that somehow against all odds you''re actually one of the more pleasant people to be around in our little pack of villains,¡± he answered with a theatrical sigh.


    ¡°Go bug Vorscha,¡± Saeter suggested.


    ¡°Alas, the lady is busy with a task from our inexorable commander...¡± Geralhd began but Saeter cut him off with a loud snort.


    ¡°Ah, yes well since we''re being so discerning here I must admit that while she is a wonderful woman, Vorscha is alas not very ladylike. I have certainly never seen a lady eat a meat pie quite like Vorscha does,¡± Geralhd admitted with wide eyes and a fake shudder.


    Blacknail thought he saw the faint traces of a smile appear on Saeter''s lips as Geralhd spoke.  The younger man then turned to the goblin and gave him an appraising look.


    ¡°Hello, Blacknail. I must apologize for ignoring you while Saeter and I engaged in our usual longwinded banter. You seem taller. Oh, and I must compliment you on your new clothes! Your own work I presume?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°Yes, I made,¡± Blacknail answered proudly as he looked down at his rabbit skin pants and cape. Their ragged patchwork surfaces were soaked by the rain.


    ¡°So I had guessed. They are certainly... unique looking,¡± Geralhd remarked. Before he could say any more Saeter cut him off again.


    ¡°If you''re done insulting Blacknail''s clothes I''ll be leaving. Also, I notice you''re not wearing those fancy clothes you first showed up in. Perhaps, unlike the goblin you''re incapable of making or even repairing your own clothes,¡± he huffed.


    Geralhd had been insulting his clothes? Blacknail felt his pride wilt. He thought his cape was nice and cozy. Geralhd saw the goblin''s face fall.


    ¡°Tsk, your master is being dramatic Blacknail. I was just having fun; I like your clothes. They''re very¡­ practical,¡± he added.


    Geralhd then got up and patted Blacknail on the head. Saeter scowled at them and rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Come on Blacknail. We have work to do,¡± Saeter commanded. He then stomped off to his campsite. Blacknail turned to follow but Geralhd called out to him.


    ¡°Come see me at supper time tonight Blacknail and I''ll have a treat for you,¡± Geralhd told him with a friendly goodbye wave.


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    The man then sat back down and started massaging his now dirty feet again.


    After Blacknail caught up to his master they grabbed their gear and headed out into the woods. The result was a rather unproductive slog through the rain drenched forest. The only animals they ran into were spine toads, and you couldn¡¯t eat those.


    The large green frogs came out in the rain and camouflaged in with the grass and leafy plants that littered the ground. Their backs were covered in poisonous spines so the goblin and his master had to watch where they stepped.


    Eventually, Saeter was forced to admit defeat and return to the encampment empty handed and very wet. It had stopped raining but everything was still covered in water and muddy.


    If he had been miserable before, then Saeter was truly and deeply unhappy now. Blacknail heard him muttering to himself as they headed over to their campfire to dry.


    After a few minutes of work they got the campfire going and its crackling flames started to warm them up. Saeter hung his clothes up to dry and Blacknail cheerfully added his cape to the drying rack as well. The old scout then turned to the goblin.


    ¡°I''m going to take a break. You can practice something or other,¡± he muttered to Blacknail irritably.


    The old scout then ducked into his tent and closed the flap. Blacknail heard him lay down and his breathing deepen as he fell asleep.


    As his master had instructed, Blacknail started practicing. The first thing he practiced was how to curl up next to the fire and take a nap. You could never be good enough at that.


    Blacknail awoke with a tired yawn. As he sleepily opened his eye he noticed it was quite a bit darker out. The sun had begun to set and the shadows had lengthened. Most the campfires around him had been lit and they had people sitting around them.


    Saeters''s fire was running low so the goblin threw some more wood on it. He liked watching things burn; it was pretty. As he was working a cool breeze blew through the trees and into the camp. The hungry flames flared up and Blacknail jumped nervously backwards for a moment.


    The scent of various cooking foods also reached Blacknail¡¯s nose. Most the bandits seemed to be settling down to eat.


    Blacknail¡¯s own stomach grumbled. He hadn''t eaten supper yet. He threw a glance at Saeter''s tent and listened. He heard the deep breathing of sleep from within the tent and sighed. He wouldn¡¯t be getting any food from there.


    Then with a flash of excitement the goblin remembered Geralhd''s promise. It was supper time! If he found Geralhd then the man would have a treat for him. Where was he, though?


    Blacknail wandered around until he found himself at the southern edge of the camp. Several men were seated at a campfire off to his right, one of whom was glaring at him angrily.


    Blacknail ignored him and looked around for Geralhd or Vorscha. They would probably be together. The skinny man was obviously the woman¡¯s subordinate.


    After a quick scan, he saw Geralhd up ahead at another camp fire. Blacknail smiled in glee and sprang excitedly towards him. It was time for a snack! He hoped it would be a tasty one.


    Suddenly, he heard a loud twang followed by the sound of something impacting the ground behind him hard. The startled goblin yelped in surprise and jumped off to the side, landing on all fours. His heart was beating loudly in his chest and there was an arrow quivering in the ground right beside where he had just been standing.


    What was this? Blacknail nervously looked up to see that the glaring man was now standing up and had an empty bow in his hands. The man''s thick face was contorted by an expression of anger and sadistic glee.


    He was a large human with broad shoulder, short greasy black hair, and a grin that revealed a few missing teeth. His chin was covered in dark stubble and as he looked at the goblin he burst out laughing.


    ¡°Look at that ugly critter jump! You go back to your senile keeper now and don''t wander around stinking up the place, or next time I''m gonna put an arrow through your eye,¡± the man viciously told the goblin.


    The other two men at the campfire grinned and started laughing as well. Blacknail felt a wave of panic and got ready to flee at the first opportunity.


    He hissed in alarm and started to back away. Apparently, this offended the big man because he scowled and took a step towards the goblin. As he moved he drew a large knife and an angry grimace appeared on his face.


    ¡°I''m gonna cut your little green ears off and make myself a necklace,¡± the man said with eyes narrowed in anger as he advanced upon the small figure of the goblin.


    There was no way Blacknail could fight such a huge human so he was going to have to run away. The trick would be to make it back to Saeter¡¯s camp alive¡­


    ¡°What in all the hells are you doing?¡± an angry voice interjected all of a sudden.


    Everyone glanced over towards the voice and saw Geralhd approaching with a furious looking scowl on his face. Seeing him approach the other two men got up and stood behind their big friend. Clearly, they were his lackeys.


    ¡°None of your damn business, pansy,¡± the big man growled back at Geralhd.


    ¡°I think it is, Dafur,¡± Geralhd responded. ¡°See, I was the one that invited that goblin over and here you are getting in his way. I have a problem with that. Not to mention Saeter is going to be furious when he hears about your latest bit of stupidity here.¡±


    The big man named Dafur narrowed his eyes. He looked to be almost twice Geralhd''s size.


    ¡°I ain''t afraid of that old fool Saeter and I ain''t afraid of your bitch Vorscha. She''s not here to protect you anyways, pansy. So you scuttle along because for damn sure I ain''t afraid of a skinny wimp like you,¡± Dafur bragged.


    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± Geralhd responded heatedly as his hand moved to the dagger at his hip.


    Dafur must have sensed fear though, because he smiled down at the smaller man and stalked towards him. However, Geralhd held his ground and drew his dagger.


    Dafur suddenly lunged, moving faster than his large size suggested. His dagger arced around and slashed at Geralhd''s face. The smaller man''s eyes widened in surprise but he managed to tuck his chin in and dodge below the attack. However, the dagger grazed his shoulder and bit deep enough to draw blood.


    Instead of retreating though, Geralhd leaned under Dafur''s extended arm and stabbed towards his chest. Dafur twisted out of the way but received a shallow cut of his own.


    However, Geralhd attack left him overextended. He stumbled and Dafur''s big meaty fist swung around and impacted his face.


    With a loud smacking sound Geralhd was sent spinning onto the ground. He quickly tried to stand up but couldn¡¯t quite manage it. The blow had left him stunned.


    All he could do was hold his nose as blood leaked from it and groan as Dafur moved closer. The larger man towered over him with a cruel smile on his lips. He held the cut on his chest with one hand and his dagger in the other.


    ¡°I''m going to kill you now, you damned pansy,¡± Dafur growled.


    Blacknail froze in panic. His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to save Gerahld but he couldn¡¯t think of anything. Fighting wouldn¡¯t work. A goblin would be killed if he hurt a human, and death was even worse than losing a good source of treats. Besides, how could a little goblin like him fight such a giant man?


    Suddenly, a new voice spoke up.


    ¡°How about me Dafur, are you afraid of me?¡± Herad asked as she detached herself from the shadows and strode over.


    Dafur''s lackeys jumped in surprise but the man himself just scowled. He threw Geralhd an angry look and fingered the knife in his hand before turning back to Herad.


    ¡°This goblin attacked me, and when I tried to catch it Geralhd here tried to stab me while I was distracted. I was just defending myself. These two saw it,¡± he told her as he indicated his lackeys.


    Herad simply tilted her head slightly to show her skepticism. Her eyes grew colder and her smile tighter as she looked the big man over.


    ¡°I have only a few simple rules, as you should all know well. First, you do as I say. Second, you don''t lie to me. The third and last is you don''t fight or run without permission. You have now broken two of those rules,¡± she explained.


    Dafur hesitated again but then a defiant look appeared on his face. He gazed down at Herad as if comparing their sizes. The large man was many times Herad''s weight. He raised his knife.


    ¡°Now look here b...¡± he started to say.


    However, his speech stopped as Herad pushed the tip of one of her daggers up through the bottom of his jaw and into his brain.


    He hadn''t even seen the blade coming. He just blinked in pained confusion as she pulled it back out of his skull.


    Herad had moved almost too quickly for Blacknail to see. Her hand and the dagger seemed to just instantly move from one point to another without going through the space between.


    Dafur''s eyes rolled up into his head and he made several brief choking noises as he collapsed into a pile of rapidly spreading blood on the ground. Herad  calmly wiped her blade clean with a rag and re-sheathed it.


    ¡°So very stupid,¡± she said to no one in particular as she turned to the lackeys.


    ¡°Dispose of the body, now,¡± she told them.


    With terrified expressions they nodded and jumped to obey.


    After throwing Dafur''s corpse one last disgusted look, Herad started walking alone towards the center of the camp. The dark aura she exuded discouraged anyone from following her, not that anyone wanted to.


    Geralhd got unsteadily to his feet while still holding his bloody noise. He looked worse for wear. His clothes were dirty and ruffled.


    ¡°I think I could have won that fight myself but a gentleman never turns down timely aid,¡± he asserted proudly while staring off into the direction Herad had gone.


    Blacknail gave him a dubious look. He had a very different opinion on the man¡¯s chances of victory. The small man had been seconds away from death.


    ¡°I really need another drink. You still want that treat?¡± Geralhd asked the goblin as he wiped some of the blood from his face.

 Honor Among Thieves 4

    After an uneventful night, Blacknail was woken up early the next morning and sent out to check the rabbit snares. He had done it plenty of times now and was no longer afraid of going out into the woods alone. His fear and been replaced by familiarity, at least as long as he was only making the short trip to the snares and back.


    Blacknail yawned as he wandered through the bushes at the edge of the forest. His memories of his old life in the sewers had begun to fade. As dangerous as it was here, the camp had become his new home.


    It wasn¡¯t like there was any possible way to get back there anyway. The sewers were many days away through the forest, and that wasn¡¯t a journey he ever planned on making.


    His new life did have perks. For one thing, the forest smelled much better than the sewers.


    He missed being around other goblins sometimes, especially the females, but in the sewers he¡¯d mostly just fought the other goblins anyway. They¡¯d fought over hierarchy, food, shiny things, mates, and of course just because they¡¯d been bored.


    Besides, even though humans were so big and scary they sometimes gave him treats and praised him. No goblin had ever given Blacknail tasty things, unless he¡¯d beaten them up first.


    The morning sun was shining sedately through the loose roof of leaves above him. It was a warm clear day without a single cloud visible in the sky. The morning birds sang joyfully in the trees either ignoring or ignorant of the goblin strolling along beneath them.


    Blacknail stopped for a second to listen to the bird song and scan the grass and tall plants around him. As he stood motionless his green skin and hide clothes blended into the surrounding, camouflaging him.


    After listening attentively for a while, Blacknail heard and saw nothing unusual so he continued his stroll. There didn¡¯t seem to be anything dangerous around.


    He moved casually but kept an eye and ear open for anything out of place. If there was one lesson Saeter made sure he never forgot it was that no one was ever truly safe out in the forest. He would hate to let his master down by dying some horrific death.


    The wary little goblin soon reached the snares, but just as he was about to get to work he heard an unexpected noise. What was that? Blacknail twitched in surprise and spun around. Was it a terrible monster about to leap out and eat him?


    It probably wasn¡¯t; the grass under one of the triggered snares was just rustling. The goblin didn¡¯t think anything really dangerous could hide in so small a patch of grass. It was probably a bird or something.


    Blacknail narrowed his eyes and quietly drew his sling anyway. Something might be trying to steal his rabbit! He couldn''t see what was making the noise from his position so he circled around a tree to get a better angle.


    As Blacknail watched, something started to try and climb the sapling a rabbit hung from. The goblin¡¯s eyes widened as he looked on in surprise. He had no idea what the freakish thing was.


    How could it even move? It was just a blob of liquidy stuff! It was like a see though pile of snot with a bunch of weird shapes floating in it. Yet, it was moving and actually managing to slowly work its way up the sapling. It looked really wrong, like water flowing uphill but uglier.


    Blacknail hit it with a stone from his sling just on general principles. The blob of slime quivered and froze for a second before falling to the ground with a weird muted splashing noise.


    Had he killed it? He hoped so. Well, apparently he hadn¡¯t because as the goblin watched it reformed itself into a round blob and started oozing towards him with surprising speed.


    Uh oh, it was headed his way! How could such a weird thing move? He hit it with another stone in the hopes that would stop it.


    The slime quivered on impact and the stone sank into the blob but a second later it popped out again with wet slurping noise and fell to the ground. It also kept closing the distance between them so Blacknail swiftly took a nervous step back.


    He didn''t know how dangerous the freaky booger ball was. He was pretty sure Saeter had never mentioned anything like it to him, or at least not when he¡¯d been paying attention.


    Blacknail circled around his mysterious opponent warily. Every once and a while it would put on a burst of speed and ooze towards him over the forest floor but the goblin deftly dodged it every time.


    Ha, he was faster than the stupid thing! Now, he just had to find a way to hurt it before it found a way to hurt him.


    Suddenly, the blob burst towards him again and he moved to dodge. Or at least he tried.


    As he went to jump away something tugged on his neck sharply and choked him. His inconvenient momentum caused his feet to fly out from under him and he landed hard on his tailbone. Ow, his poor ass!


    He then watched in wide eyed horror as the large blob of slime descended on him. With a wet smack it crossed the ground and enveloped his arm.


    ¡°Eeek, off off,¡± Blacknail yelled as he flailed and tried to get free but the transparent blob was stuck fast.


    The terrified goblin tried to climb to his feet but the slime had a grip on his arm and wouldn''t let go, no matter how hard he pulled. He yelped in fear as the thing began to climb up his arm towards his head.


    This was not good! Desperately, Blacknail tried to claw at it with his free hand but it just reformed around the cuts. No, that wasn''t fair! He began kicking at it with his feet but stopped when one foot sunk into the thing and became stuck as well.


    Not his best plan ever... At least it seemed to confuse the thing because it stopped climbing his arm, for the moment anyway.


    Blacknail whimpered and frantically tried to think. He wasn''t just any stupid goblin. He was Blacknail! What would Saeter or another human do? Come on think! A human would... use a tool. Blacknail felt a flash of hope. That''s right, he had a tool.


    The goblin reached with his free hand and drew the knife Saeter had given him. Desperately, he stabbed the slime several time but it still didn''t do any permanent damage. The ooze just flowed back after he cut it.


    What next? He looked his opponent over as the slime begun sucking him in again, this time by both his caught limbs. With a chill, Blacknail realized he was going to die unless he thought of something.


    Think! Maybe he should attack the weird things floating in the slime. Frantically, he tried to stab the ones closest to him but they were too deep and the knife couldn''t reach them.


    To his horror he felt the wet edge of the slime begun to climb his neck. He shivered with dread as he squirmed trapped upon the ground by the slime''s weight and sticky hold.


    He had a sudden idea, but it was desperate and stupid. He didn''t want to do it but he was running out of time. He was pretty sure he wouldn''t be able to breathe whatever this thing was made of. The very thought of the slime encasing his head and flowing down his nose and mouth was horrible.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Taking a deep breath Blacknail steeled his resolve and pulled back his arm back. He then stabbed the thing as hard as he could. His arm sank deep into the slime and was caught. He wouldn''t be able to get it out or attack the slime again and now he only had a single foot left, which didn''t do him a lot of good.


    However, much to his relief he saw that the blade of the knife in his hand had managed to reach its target. The blackish sac like thing floating in the slime was impaled on the knife and dark fluid begun to spill out and mix with the transparent slime. Blacknail watched wide eyed and desperately hoped that he had actually done something and that he wouldn''t soon be eaten alive.


    The blob rippled with small waves then convulsed crazily. To his horror Blacknail was sucked further in and his face was enveloped. Then just as suddenly the goblin was spat out in a splash of slime. He gasped for breath and sucked down air joyously. He was free, and not dead!


    As the black liquid spread throughout the rest of the blob it started to dissolve. Blacknail lay on the ground covered in icky weird smelling ooze and watched as the creature expired with a loud gurgling noise. Eventually, only a smelly stain and several weird twisted organs remained.


    Blacknail picked himself off the ground and tried to wipe the slime off his skin and clothes. He grinned in excitement. Wow, was he ever glad to be alive. That had been extremely close!


    After the goblin gave up cleaning himself off, he turned to look at the remains of the creature. It was mostly just smelly gunk, which he had more than enough of, but he spotted something shiny in among the remains. It was a small crystal!


    Blacknail stashed the crystal in one of his pouches and headed back to camp. A few minutes later he remembered he was supposed to be checking the snares and swiftly turned around again.


    He collected the rabbit carcasses and hurried back to Saeter. He was already very late. His master would be wondering where he¡¯d gone. He scurried down the path as fast as he could and still maintain a bit of stealth and awareness.


    He made it close to the camp without any more trouble. Although he startled one of the bandit scouts as he ran past him on the trail. The man gave him a very surprised look as he passed. Blacknail ignored him and hurried home.


    He exited the forest and immediately headed through the camp towards Saeter''s tent. He really wanted to brag about his victory!


    Several people gave him odd glances as he passed because he was still covered in quite a bit of slime. It dribbled down his as he ran. They didn¡¯t stop him however and he soon arrived at the tent.


    Luckily for him, Saeter was seated out front on a stump oiling some of his tools. As Blacknail ran over and threw the rabbit carcasses unceremoniously on the ground Saeter looked up. He examined the goblin with an exasperated expression.


    ¡°In the name of all that is holy what have you been up to now?¡± he asked with troubled tone.


    Blacknail was excited to show off so he reached down and pulled the orb from the pouch at his belt and shoved it into Saeter''s face.


    ¡°I take from bad puddle,¡± he exclaimed with pride.


    Saeter leaned back away from the orb that had been shoved in his face and eyed it carefully. A very confused look came over his features.


    ¡°A bad puddle?¡± he repeated without understanding.


    The old scout gave Blacknail a questioning look and took the crystal from him. He rotated in his hands as he examined it.


    ¡°Slimy smelly thing,¡± Blacknail explained excitedly.


    He wanted his master to realize how great a hunter and fighter he was.


    ¡°Slimy... a slime? You fought a slime, and this is its crystal,¡± Saeter said with surprise as his brow tightened with concern.


    ¡°Where exactly did you fight the slime,¡± he asked in a serious tone.


    Blacknail was more than happy to answer.


    ¡°At rabbit traps. Tried to steal but I stop. It grab but I stab good,¡± Blacknail answered as his backs straightened with pride.


    While the goblin talked his master started to look vaguely impressed, this caused Blacknail to grow even happier with himself. Truly, he was great and mighty goblin.


    ¡°You beat a slime yourself eh? Must have been a small dud, but good work,¡± Saeter replied as he stood up.


    ¡°Not small, huge. Bigger than me,¡± Blacknail exaggerated as he extended his arms to show how big it had been.


    He still wanted more praise but Saeter just gave him an amused but doubtful look before examining the crystal again.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± Blacknail asked his master.


    ¡°It''s the slime''s crystal. They all have one. Slimes only grow in crystal caves. Let''s hope there isn''t one nearby. They''re very dangerous, the only place more dangerous than the forest in the Iron Teeth,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Badder than spiders?¡± Blacknail asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Seater replied with a grumble of irritation. ¡°I''m going to have to inform Herad.¡±


    With a command to Blacknail to follow, Saeter marched off towards the old farmhouse that Herad had taken over as her command post. Blacknail usually avoided it because Herad was a scary lady.


    The thatch on the roof had been replaced and the door had been reattached. The repairs were crude looking but serviceable. Of course the crudest thing about it was the pair of thugs standing guard out front.


    They were two big ugly human brutes who really seemed to be not so much standing guard as hanging out there with bored expressions on their face because they had nowhere better to be. As Saeter approached he addressed one of them.


    ¡°Is Herad in?¡± he asked gruffly.


    ¡°Ya, she''s in there,¡± the guard answered him casually.


    Neither guard bothered to block them as they approached.


    ¡°I''d like to talk to her,¡± Saeter told them.


    The two guards looked at each other and with a sigh the further one turned to the door of the house and knocked.


    ¡°Boss, Saeter''s here to see you,¡± he announced to the closed door.


    After a minute he stepped out of the way and the door opened to reveal Herad glaring down at them.


    She wore her usual leather but her cloak and most her knives were missing. Candlelight flickered behind her illuminating the interior of the dark house. At his master''s side Blacknail instinctively slouched down to make himself less noticeable.


    ¡°Normally I''d ask if this was important but since it''s you Saeter I know you wouldn''t show your face without a good reason,¡± she commented irritably as she stepped out to talk with him.


    Saeter watched her as she descended the short steps in front of the door. She met his eyes and gave him an amused smile.


    ¡°My goblin Blacknail was out checking the snares this morning,¡± he told her with a gesture in the goblin¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Fascinating, but as much as I love hearing a man brag about his pet please get to the point,¡± she replied with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°When he came back he was covered in slime and had a crystal core. He told me he fought a small slime that was trying to get at the snares. I thought you would want to know,¡± Saeter told her. Blacknail huffed in displeasure. It had been a giant monster slime, not a small one! Saeter hadn''t even seen it.


    Herad frowned and scowled in annoyance when Saeter had finished speaking. However Saeter was clearly not the target of her displeasure.


    ¡°You think it''s a sign there might be a crystal cave around?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Yes, there has to be one around somewhere. The question is how close. The slime could have wandered a fair distance. It probably did since we haven''t already seen more crystal beasts or mutants,¡± Saeter told her.


    ¡°So then you don''t think we have a problem?¡± she enquired. Saeter shook his head in response and brandished the crystal core he had gotten from Blacknail.


    ¡°We could just have gotten lucky. The cave could also be mostly sealed so only things like slimes can slip through. Larger slimes can be very dangerous though. Some even have active cores and magical abilities like mutants. Those can rival Drakes in strength,¡± he explained as Herad gave him a frustrated look.


    ¡°This is obviously your area of expertise, Saeter. Why don''t you just explain what you want done so I can approve it?¡± she asked him with an annoyed tone.


    ¡°It''s too dangerous to ignore. Tomorrow I''d like to send all the scouts to search the perimeter. Then I''d like for as many men as possible to go after them once it''s safer and do a more thorough search. A small crevice will be hard to find but easy enough to seal,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Well, at least you don''t want to abandon the camp,¡± Herad mused aloud as she took a second to think his request over.


    ¡°Very well it''s not like most the men are doing anything more than lazing around. This will just help keep them out of trouble. I''ll inform them tonight,¡± she added and Saeter nodded in acceptance.


    ¡°Then I''ll take my leave,¡± the old scout told her.


    Herad just eyed him as she leisurely drew a dagger and lightly pressed her finger against the tip as if testing the sharpness. She continued stroking it for a few seconds before replying.


    ¡°What if it''s more than a crevice? New types of mana crystals are worth a fortune to the mage guilds, enough to set someone up for life,¡± she commented dryly.


    ¡°Dangerous, you could stir up a monster capable of killing half the band. Maybe even something on the level of the City Killer and then Riverdown would join Coroulis in ruin,¡± he answered with concern.


    Herad gave him a doubtful look.


    ¡°To the first I can always get more men, and as for the second it''s not only horribly unlikely but also simply not my problem,¡± she answered him.


    ¡°It is if the beast kills us all first, which is pretty damn likely. You also need somewhere to trade your stolen goods,¡± he replied.


    ¡°We can move,¡± Herad said as she shrugged in response. ¡°Besides, you''re the one who is constantly reminding everyone that no one is ever safe out here. A mutant could attack us at any time and it wouldn''t be a surprise to either of us. This is the Iron Teeth and we''re bloody bandits. Every day we survive is a lucky one. A large payoff is worth a large risk.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Saeter replied with a sigh. ¡°I guess we''ll see what we find tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Indeed we will, and if we find the cave I will be one making the call. You can go now,¡± she told him dismissively in a cold commanding tone.


    Saeter simply nodded and quickly withdrew. Blacknail followed his master and thought over what he had just heard. It sounded like tomorrow would be exciting.

 Honor Among Thieves 5

    Herad had done as she said and organized the search that evening. By early the next morning practically everyone in the band was up and about looking for the cave where the slime had come from. Only a few of the bandits were left to guard the camp and watch the roads.


    The entire operation was well planned and organized by both Saeter and Herad. The scouts went out first to make sure the area was safe. They knew the forest and its many dangers so they could locate them before the less skilled bandits stumbled into them unaware. They were also much less likely to get lost among the green maze of trees.


    The rest of the men then followed behind the scouts and made up for their lack of skill with numbers. They worked together to thoroughly search the bush for caves. They had been carefully instructed to move in small groups and not wander around alone.


    They had also been warned to look out for danger signs because it was more than likely that the scouts would miss something. It was a deep forest, and Herad¡¯s rangers were skilled but still far from perfect.


    After a few hours of searching the scouts were ordered to start doubling back to make sure the less skilled woodsmen hadn''t got themselves stuck in mud or fallen down a hole.


    Saeter still thought there would be a few casualties. It was just to be expected with so many untrained men blindly wandering the woods. Thus, it would also be the scouts'' job to collect the lost and the bodies.


    Saeter himself served as a scout and Blacknail went with his master. This was no trip to empty the snares; they would be ranging far outside the somewhat safe areas they normally frequented.


    The old ranger had been assigned the area North of where Blacknail had fought the slime. It was not a direction Blacknail, or many other people, had travelled. As they walked North the terrain became rough. Hills and ravines sprung up out of nowhere to block their view.


    Blacknail found the constant changes in elevation exhausting. Now he knew why humans stuck so close to their roads all the time. Having to scramble up muddy hills and rocky inclines was a lot of work for a goblin with stubby little legs!


    ¡°Don''t worry about being too quiet,¡± Saeter told Blacknail as they started their search. ¡°Since we''re not hunting game today I''m more worried about running into a bear or something than attracting predators.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± the goblin replied automatically.


    He knew what his master meant. Certain dangerous animals were likely to attack you if you surprised them but would normally avoid people if they heard them coming. Thus, moving stealthy wasn''t always the best idea.


    The forest canopy that Blacknail was walking below blocked out most of the sun, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as dark here as in the spider infested woods. Blacknail was very glad that they weren''t headed in that direction. He shuddered at just the memory of the creepy webs that blanketed those shadowy woods and their nasty residents.


    The trees here were tall and thick. The ground was covered by short leafy plants where it wasn''t blanketed in dead leaves. Here and there, small white and blue flowers peeked out from behind other plants. Blacknail actually found it all very calm and nice looking.


    The goblin had tried to eat a few of the flowers earlier but Saeter had pulled them out of his hand before he could taste them. Apparently, they were poisonous. Oh well, they had smelled a little off anyway.


    As Blacknail followed his master he sniffed and examined the ground for signs of the slime''s trail. He hadn¡¯t found anything yet though.


    He darted around to check under bushes and around rocks for crevices or hollows. He wanted to be the one to find the cave and its treasures! He was sure that would earn him a reward.


    Plus, he wanted to see the cave slimes came from. It sounded very interesting. He was a very brave and loyal goblin when Saeter was standing right behind him.


    As they followed the ravine, a low area appeared in front of them and they  walked cautiously down into it. Soon, the ground begun to get muddy and they had to watch where they stepped.


    Blacknail''s short legs meant he had to hop from dry spot to dry spot to keep up with Saeter, who could simply step over the wet muddy areas. The goblin almost fell into the mud several times but managed to catch himself after some skillful wild flailing.


    After a bit more walking, the pair stepped through a gap in the foliage and into a wide open area. There was a large break in the canopy above that let in light.


    The leafy shrubs on the ground grew thick under the open sky. The few trees Blacknail saw were thin and seemed quite young. The drone of insects and cries of birds were louder here as well.


    Seater stepped forward into the sun, but stopped to survey the clearing before going any further in. Blacknail stepped up behind his master and looked around as well.


    The goblin couldn''t see much, though. He was too short to see over a lot of the plants and bushes. He tried hopping as high as he could but that didn''t really help. He did however manage to spot several patches of tasty dew berries.


    Blacknail licked his lips. Dew berries were so tasty! He was very tempted to go grab some but he knew his master would smack him if he ran ahead like that, also something might kill him.


    ¡°Hmm, something feels off¡±, the old grey haired scout muttered to himself as he looked around.


    He apparently didn''t see anything though, because he tentatively started walking forward again into the clearing. Saeter trampled the long grass and shoved bushes aside as he moved inwards.


    Saeter¡¯s careful stride carried him towards a group of small trees that were surrounded by a large berry patch. He stared at it for a few seconds before turning and glowering at the rest of the clearing suspiciously.


    The scout took another step forward. Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound assaulted Blacknail¡¯s ears. The goblin whipped around in time to see a large branch break loose from a tree and slam into Saeter.


    Saeter raised his arms in an attempt to shield himself. The branch knocked them aside as it smacked into him with a loud thud. Blood spattered across the ground as Saeter was battered.


    Blacknail gasped in shock, but was relieved to see that his master had managed to stay on his feet. He was just tangled up in the fallen tree limb.


    The goblin rushed forward to help his master disentangle himself. He really hoped his wonderful master wasn¡¯t injured. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get back to camp without him!


    As he ran, Blacknail was abruptly struck by a strong sense of wrongness. Something wasn''t right here; something was bad. The goblin scrutinized the scene in front of himself carefully.


    The branch was wrong he realized. It hadn''t come loose from the tree at all, it was still attached to it. In fact, it had stopped falling and had even risen a bit as Saeter began to struggle to free himself from its clutches.


    Much to the goblins confusion Seater seemed to be having a lot of trouble untangling himself. His eyes were also wide and showed a hint of fear. That was wrong, his master shouldn''t be afraid of a tree branch.


    Blacknail had a sudden unwelcome thought. Was this a trap? Had someone or something made the branch break on purpose?


    Blacknail had no clue what was going on but he knew what he was going to do. He drew his knife. It was time to find something to stab, until it was time to start running away.


    Saeter began flailing and yelling in earnest as he tried to pull himself free from the tree branch. The old scout also pulled out his own knife and stabbed at the branch with his free hand.


    Then, the entire tree quivered as Saeter was abruptly yanked towards it by something unseen. Blacknail had used this time to reach his master. Sprinting, he scurried around to get at the branch and then sprang atop it with a quick leap.


    The goblin had thought he would find some rope or something to cut but he didn''t see anything like that. So, as soon as he landed, he stabbed the branch wildly with his knife. The blade hit the bark and skidded across it without penetrating. What, that wasn¡¯t right! This was very weird wood...


    Saeter was also hacking at the branch with his knife. However, his longer blade didn''t seem to penetrate the wood any better than Blacknail¡¯s did.


    In fact, the wood seemed very strange in general to Blacknail. It was warm and weirdly segmented.


    Looking at where his master was stuck to the branch, it almost seemed like it had grabbed him, as if it had claws. Trees didn''t have claws. Blacknail was pretty sure Saeter would have mentioned it if they did.


    ¡°Behind you, Blacknail. Down!¡± Seater yelled at the goblin suddenly.


    Instantly, Blacknail obeyed and rolled off the branch. He was just in time. With a loud whooshing sound like leaves in the wind another branch swept through the space he had been occupying a moment ago.


    The tree quivered again and then tilted wildly towards them, knocking leaves free and sending them spiraling down to earth in a green storm.


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    Blacknail yelped in surprise as the tree-like creature rose up and twisted around to rearrange itself into a horrible new shape. Uh oh, it was time to run!


    As the alarmed goblin watched, the tough looking tree trunk cracked and split to become two long segmented legs. Branches then shifted to become a pair of armored arms. The top of the tree also divided itself to reveal two more long twisted arms and a monstrous insect like head that was crowned by two short stalks that ended in small black eyes.


    The twisted thing''s vicious mandible adorned maw opened as it screeched hungrily down at them. Blacknail winced as the disturbingly high sound drilled painfully into his ears.


    As the terrible armored monstrosity rose, it pulled the struggling Saeter under itself and pinned him there against the ground with one long arm.


    The strange creature was taller than a man even though it was hunched over and balancing on four long legs. One free claw had Saeter firmly in its grasp and the other was swinging around again to grab at Blacknail. It most resembled a giant predatory stick insect or some sort of horribly stretched out leafy crab.


    What the goblin had taken to be bark was actually camouflaged carapace with lichen and moss growing on it. The weirdest part however was the smaller branches and leaves. They poked out randomly up from its back and limbs, and as far as Blacknail could tell they seemed to be real plants that had sprouted from the creature''s carapace.


    The terrified goblin rolled out of the way again as one of the creature¡¯s limbs descended down at him. The claw missed him, hitting the ground instead and scarring the forest floor.


    ¡°Eep, run away! We¡¯ve angered the trees!¡± Blacknail shrieked as sprang back to his feet and started running around in little circles through the grass.


    The goblin didn¡¯t know where to go and wailed fearfully. There were trees in every direction. He was doomed!


    Just then Saeter stabbed the arm holding him again. This time he seemed to have found a weak spot because the creature hissed and shook in pain. The leafy claw that had been going after Blacknail pinned Seater''s other arm instead.


    ¡°Damnation and misery, that wasn¡¯t the plan,¡± Saeter screamed in anger and pain as he struggled to escape from beneath the claws that held him firm against the ground.


    Blacknail knew he needed to come up with a plan of his own very quickly or his master was going to die, leaving him all alone and very far from the camp. There was no way he was heading back by himself now that he knew the trees would try to eat him! He wouldn¡¯t last a second.


    He had to think! He had somehow beaten the slime. With the right plan he could beat this thing to. So again, what tools did he have? Right!


    Blacknail drew his sling and slipped a stone into it. He twirled it to build momentum and sighted on the target his master had told him to aim for first, the eyes.


    He flung the stone towards one of the small black targets but the projectile missed and whooshed past the creature. The creature flinched away and hissed in alarm, though. It apparently didn''t like having rocks thrown at it, which meant Blacknail should do it again.


    Blacknail launched another stone, this time it hit the creature on the head just under the a eye stalk. The tree thing didn''t seem hurt but it flinched again and brought an arm up to protect its fragile looking eye stalks. However, in order to do that it had to let go of Seater with one hand.


    ¡°Let go, you bloody overgrown bush bug!¡± Saeter shouted as he wasted no time and immediately started stabbing again with his newly freed hand.


    Blacknail continued to throw stones at the twisted creature until it turned away from him in an attempt to shield its head from the small projectiles. Ha, his plan was working! He was a genius.


    Then, with a cry of victory Saeter rolled free from under his captor. He had managed to stab the knife almost all the way into the limb holding him by aiming for a joint.


    The pain had caused the creature to hiss and let go of its prey for a second. However, it quickly recovered and immediately tried to grab Saeter again.


    Saeter obviously had other ideas. He sprung up onto his feet with a grunt of pain and dashed towards the goblin as Blacknail covered him by slinging more stones at the now advancing monstrosity.


    The thing skittered towards its escaping prey on all six of its legs now. Its body and leaves shaking as it gave chase through the long grass of the clearing.


    ¡°Run,¡± yelled Saeter as he grimaced painfully and dashed past the goblin.


    Blacknail did. As fast as he could he spun around and scrambled away from the thing trying to eat him. His master sure liked stating the obvious sometimes.


    They both ran through the woods at full sprint, with fear and pure survival instinct driving them forward. Blacknail had no illusions about what would happen if the creature managed to get a hold of him with its long branch like claws.


    Soon, the sound of pursuit and shaking leaves stopped. Blacknail risked a glance backwards and saw the creature turn and begin to wander away back to the clearing it had come from. Thankfully, it hadn¡¯t been a very fast runner.


    Ahead of him, Saeter came to a stop and leaned against a tree. He was clearly in pain and exhausted. Blood leaked through gashes on both his arms where the creature had grabbed him.


    In their haste to escape the man and the goblin had run into the deeper part of the bush away from the sunlight.


    ¡°Unbegotten mimics,¡± Saeter growled between two heavy breaths as he rested.


    Blacknail remembered his master mentioning forest mimics once. He had told the goblin that they hid among trees and grabbed prey that wandered too close. He had also said to run from them if he saw one because they were slow.


    Blacknail was pretty sure his master had missed some important information in there somewhere. He had certainly not been expecting something like the thing that had attacked them!


    ¡°Are we safe now? There are trees everywhere!¡± the goblin sobbed in terror as he spun around in circles.  No matter how fast he turned he couldn¡¯t look in every direction at once.


    ¡°We¡¯re good. I should have seen it. I knew something was off. That was a perfect mimic hunting ground. They can only mimic smaller trees and they like lots of sun,¡± Saeter groaned regretfully.


    He then turned to the goblin beside him who was swaying unsteadily on his feet from too much spinning.


    ¡°I''m getting you a bigger and sharper knife,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Blacknail replied with an exuberant nod of agreement.


    He liked that idea. This was the second time his knife had failed him. Just think of all the things he could stab with a bigger knife!


    After taking a few minutes to suck down air and recover as much as possible, Saeter pushed himself up off the tree with a wince and turned to the goblin.


    ¡°We need to head back. I''m wounded and the blood will attract predators,¡± he explained.


    The old scout then hesitated for a second before grumbling and adding, ¡°Thanks Blacknail. You¡¯re a good goblin.¡±


    Caught by surprise, Blacknail broke out into a huge smile. His master had never complimented him other then the occasional ''good job'' before. He felt fierce pride rise in his chest. He had been very brave!


    ¡°Thank you, master. I so happy you no dead,¡± he gushed as he strode forward and hugged his master around the waist.


    This caused Saeter to blanch, look uncomfortable, and then try to squirm away.


    ¡°We need to head back. Let go and help me with my arms, Blacknail,¡± he told the goblin awkwardly.


    He clearly wanted to push the goblin away but couldn''t manage it with his wounds. Blacknail waited a few second before letting go. He enjoyed the hug and had to put back the pouch his naughty fingers had instinctively borrowed by mistake when they had first hugged.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he acknowledged when he was done and had let go.


    Saeter crouched down and had Blacknail go through his pouches until he found one that contained some strong herbal smelling paste and another that contained some clean rags.


    Saeter then had him take out a rag and apply the paste to his wounds using the cloth. Finally he had the goblin tie one rag tightly around the largest cut to stop the bleeding, and then use another one to tie his arm up to his chest to support it and prevent it from moving.


    ¡°That will do. Let''s go,¡± Saeter grunted as Blacknail finished.


    The goblin stepped away and Saeter rose to his feet. The two of them then began the long walk back to the camp. Saeter was wounded but could still walk without too much difficulty. Much to Blacknail''s surprise, Saeter signaled that he should take the lead.


    Excitedly, the goblin took point and began to lead his master home. If they both survived he was sure to have earned a huge treat! Hopefully, it would be better than the berries the stupid mimic had chased them away from.

 Honor Among Thieves 6

    Blacknail traced their path back to the bandit camp by following their old scent trail. It was easy because he had an amazing nose and was the greatest goblin tracker ever!


    The goblin kept a sharp look out for signs of danger and unknown smells as he trudged along through the forest. His master was depending on him to get them home safely.


    A sudden breeze blew through the trees causing some of them to sway and creak ominously. Blacknail froze in alarm. He stopped and stared at a tree up ahead of him. Had its movement just been the wind or had it been something more sinister?


    The tree definitely didn''t seem to look right to Blacknail, not nearly tree-like enough. Was it another mimic? He got out his sling and started to spin it.


    He unleashed the stone and it whistled through the air and bounced off the tree with a dull thud, before falling down onto the dirt. Blacknail held his breath.


    Nothing else happened. The tree didn''t split open, move around, try to eat him, or anything else threatening. He was still suspicious.


    ¡°It''s not a mimic, Blacknail,¡± Saeter remarked dryly from behind him. ¡°Just like the last three trees you checked.¡±


    Blacknail sighed and walked under the tree. It didn''t move or transform into a horrible abomination. Sometimes his master was just no fun. They continued on.


    The sunlight moved westward through the branches overhead as they reached the halfway point back. Blacknail was climbing over a large fallen tree trunk that was starting to rot into mulch when the barest traces of a scent suddenly caught his attention. He titled his head back and sniffed the air.


    At first he smelled nothing out of the ordinary, but after a moment a scent he knew well filled his nose. Excitedly, he stopped atop the log and stood up to get a good view of the woods.


    He scanned the ground and brush around him for the source of the smell. His heart started pounding as he searched. He saw a lot of roots, fallen logs, and small bushes, but no obvious threats.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Saeter asked with alarm.


    He was in no shape for another fight and he knew it. Both his arms were heavily bandaged and he was walking with a limp.


    ¡°Goblins, many,¡± Blacknail answered quietly.


    Several different complex emotions rose within him and mixed together chaotically. Part of him suddenly wanted to challenge the goblins for the territory. Another part of him knew that was dumb. He was outnumbered with only a wounded Saeter for backup and that they needed to get to camp. He hesitated.


    ¡°Do you smell a hobgoblin, Blacknail?¡± Saeter asked him nervously.


    What? Blacknail turned to his master and gave him a questioning look.


    ¡°Dunno?¡± he answered doubtfully. ¡°What¡¯s a hobgoblin?¡±


    The old grey haired scout gave him a surprised look back.


    ¡°You don''t know what a hobgoblin is?¡± he asked the goblin.


    Blacknail nodded in confirmation. He did not know this thing.


    ¡°Huh, do you smell a large strange goblin?¡± Saeter asked carefully after a second of thought.


    Blacknail frowned. How was he supposed smell how large a goblin was? Sometimes his master said some stupid things.


    ¡°No, master. None like that,¡± Blacknail replied after taking another sniff. All the goblins he could smell seemed normal enough.


    His master looked relieved at the goblin¡¯s answer. Now, Blacknail really wanted to know what a hobgoblin was. It sounded interesting.


    ¡°Keep moving but be ready for a fight. We should be able to scare them away though, they''re just... um goblins,¡± Saeter said with an awkward finish.


    Blacknail ignored the unplanned insult. He nodded to his master and jumped down from the log as he forged ahead through the woods.


    With an expectant smile, he drew his knife and held it ready in front of himself. Back in the humid darkness of the sewers when he had fought other goblins he had never had a weapon like this. It was so sharp, shiny, and dangerous! Saeter had drawn his own knife with his unbound arm as well.


    Blacknail could smell the goblins better now. There seemed to be at least four of them and they were definitely moving closer. They were probably investigating his scent and looking to kill the strange trespasser. The smell of his master''s blood could had also have convinced them an easy meal was nearby.


    They would get no easy meal from him. Blacknail closed his eyes and concentrated on his hearing. From within the darkness behind his own eyelids, he heard the scrunch of dead leaves being crushed and the sound of soft footsteps on dry dirt. He spun around and opened his eyes but didn¡¯t see anything.


    Blacknail narrowed his eyes warily as he scanned the surrounding bushes and trees for any signs of the goblins stalking them. He could feel them watching him. Every instinct he had was telling him there were hostile goblins around.


    Out the corner of his eye, a green blur suddenly shot out from below some tangled roots and raced towards him. Blacknail reacted quickly and jumped away, just as the attacking goblin smashed its large wooden club down onto the ground by his feet. The club was made from a large twisted branch and looked like it would have really hurt had it hit.


    The feral goblin¡¯s long green ears went flat and it snarled viciously at Blacknail. He was unfazed though, and hissed a challenge right back. It was time to show this ugly wimp who was the toughest goblin around.


    Blacknail wasted no time and eagerly launched himself at his opponent. He intended to counterattack before the other goblin could recover from missing with his club.


    As he charged, Blacknail got a good look at his first forest goblin. The goblin was a slightly greener shade than him, completely naked, and ugly as mashed worms. Blacknail¡¯s face had the same long nose, thick brow, and squinty eyes but they looked much better on him.


    Blacknail¡¯s smile grew wider and he bared his teeth as he took in his opponent. He was bigger than this naked little runt. It should be an easy fight, and that was his favourite kind.


    As Blacknail moved to complete his counterattack and stab his attacker, something hit him from behind. He snarled and turned to see that another goblin had tackled him from behind. Hey, that was cheating!


    ¡°Cowards!¡± Blacknail hissed as this new goblin and he got tangled together and went flying off to the side.


    They rolled across the ground. His new opponent tried to smash his head in with a sharp pointy rock, but Blacknail grabbed his arm and stopped the blow. This fight was his!


    He and his opponent then fought and clawed at each other as their momentum carried them through a prickly bush. The feral was too wary of Blacknail¡¯s blade to let himself get stabbed. Together, they then tumbled and smashed into the bottom of a thick standing tree.


    Blacknail was stunned and lost his grip on the other goblin for a second. Luckily, his opponent wasn¡¯t any better off. The two goblins fell apart, took a few seconds to recover, and got to their feet again. The feral goblin still had his pointy rock clenched tightly in one of his fists and Blacknail had his knife.


    ¡°Raargh!¡± the naked green pipsqueak yelled as he raised it above his head and charged.


    ¡°No quarter!¡± Blacknail shouted back as he ducked under the rock. It was something he had heard the bandits yell during fights.


    He then tackled his opponent to the ground and bit him. His teeth sank into the flesh under the other goblin¡¯s arm, where he couldn''t be hit by his opponent¡¯s rock. The taste of iron filled Blacknail''s mouth as he drew blood. It excited him. He was winning!


    The other goblin yelped loudly in pain and tried to pull away. Without mercy, Blacknail withdrew his teeth and stabbed his opponent in the shoulder with his blade. He had been aiming for the other goblin¡¯s neck.


    Regardless, the rock wielding goblin fell wailing to the ground. Blood dribbled from his side where he¡¯d been bitten and the shoulder where he¡¯d been stabbed. Blacknail spat blood onto the ground and wiped his mouth clean as he looked triumphantly down on his defeated opponent. Victory was his!


    Blacknail was now breathing hard and had several new scratches that burned painfully. The other goblin''s nails had been very sharp. As he sucked down air he was alarmed to hear the crackle of leaves behind him.


    He spun around just in time to duck out of the way of a surprise attack. The branch wielding goblin had rejoined the fight. Blacknail felt the club whoosh by his head as he ducked under it. Right, he had almost forgotten about that guy. How silly of him.


    As he scrambled away from the club, he saw his master Saeter attempting to fight three other goblins. They circled around the man wielding long wooden spears.


    ¡°Damnation, you bloody little bastards,¡± Saeter swore in frustration.


    He was obviously having trouble defending himself from all three of them. The old scout only had one useable arm which held a long dagger. He looked exhausted as he hopped around avoiding the goblins¡¯ clumsy spear thrusts.


    Blacknail had to focus on his own fight, though. The club wielder rushed him again. Instead of dodging again, Blacknail leaped forward before the other goblin was ready and tackled him.


    They both fell over but Blacknail landed on top. He then easily managed to block the other goblin¡¯s clumsy swings, as they were too close together for the club to be swung properly.


    Blacknail put all his weight on the other goblin''s chest. Spittle flew from the feral¡¯s mouth as he screeched and tried to bite Blacknail with his broken yellow teeth but Blacknail held him down. He had a strong one handed grip around the feral goblin¡¯s throat.


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    The fight ended as Blacknail brought up his free hand and stabbed his opponent savagely up and under the ribs as Saeter had taught him. Then he did it again several times just to be sure.


    Blood poured out of the wound onto the ground. The club wielder twitched and choked before going still and limp. Blacknail chuckled happily. Truly, he was a strong goblin. He¡¯d defeated two other goblins by himself!


    As Blacknail rose to his feet he turned to face the three goblins attacking his master. However, they took one look at him standing over their two defeated pack mates and fled. They scampered off into the woods with a quick series of fearful yelps.


    The wounded goblin also managed to get to his feet and dive back under the roots the first goblin had hidden in. Blacknail watched him go and saw that there was a burrow under there. He felt no desire what so ever to try and chase the wounded goblin underground. That would be too much work.


    ¡°Well, this hasn''t been a good day for me,¡± Saeter remarked tiredly.


    The old scout was swaying unsteadily but he was still standing. The goblins'' crude spears hadn''t pierced his leather armor but they¡¯d still hurt when they had jabbed him, and they had jabbed him a lot.


    Blacknail smiled up at his master as excitement overcame him.


    ¡°We win. I win! I stab, bite, and stab, and win.¡± Blacknail exclaimed joyfully with a little hop. He had shown those other goblins who owned this territory. Him, he did!


    Saeter just gave Blacknail a tired look.


    ¡°Well, we''re still alive anyway. Let''s hurry back. I need a drink... and medical attention,¡± Saeter grunted.


    With a shrug, Blacknail did as he was told and headed towards the camp. He had his own cuts and scrapes but none of them were too serious. They were just proof of his strength and toughness!


    Saeter moved even slower now as he hobbled after Blacknail. Both exhaustion and pain from his new wounds slowed him, minor though they seemed. The old scout muttered and grumbled as he walked.


    Blacknail thought his master should be happier that they had won, but he had come to realize his master was kind of grumpy for a human.


    Blacknail strutted confidently through the woods now. His earlier victory had intoxicated him. He was the strongest goblin around! The toughest in the entire forest! He still kept his eyes open but his usual fear of the forest had subsided for now.


    An unexpected glimmer of color among the green to his left caught his eye. Shiny! He wandered over to get a better look. The thing was small, about the size of his fist, and many different sparkling colors. It seemed to reflect the light in a rainbow hue. As he moved Blacknail heard a grunt behind him.


    ¡°Bad, Blacknail. Come back. Stay on the trail,¡± Saeter shouted before a fit of coughing overtook him.


    Blacknail looked back with concern. He really should turn around. With regret he turned back away from the shiny thing. Knowing this forest, it was probably some sort of horrific murder trap anyway.


    As he walked back to Saeter, he heard a whirring sound from behind him. With a panicked twitch Blacknail threw himself off to the side. He rolled and scrambled through the dirt before getting to his feet and turning to see what was attacking him.


    The shiny object he had seen flew past him. As he watched the small colorful thing buzzed over to a tree and landed on it. It was a bug. Oh, he recognized it now. Blacknail felt really embarrassed. He threw a quick glance back towards his master. Saeter was glowering impatiently at him.


    The bug on the tree was large and its wings shone with different colors as the light hit it. It looked like a cross between a beetle and an ant, and it had huge sharp looking mandibles.


    Blacknail had seen plenty of them underground in the sewers. One of his main jobs had been to exterminate them. They tended to build large nests that blocked pipes, and drill holes through other pipes. His old masters hadn''t liked them much. They were also poisonous so you couldn''t even eat them. Out of habit the goblin drew his sling to kill it.


    ¡°Stop, Blacknail!¡± Saeter shouted suddenly as Blacknail was in mid swing. The goblin stopped and looked over to his master with a confused expression on his face.


    ¡°It''s bad luck to kill a harvester. They''re sacred to the gods,¡± Saeter explained to the befuddled goblin.


    Blacknail considered that. If killing bugs made spirits angry it would explain all his bad luck, and how he had ended up in the forest. That made sense, no more shiny bug smashing for him. He lowered his sling.


    Meanwhile, the harvester crawled up the tree bark until it reached a small green shoot. Using its pincers it snipped off the shoot and then took flight. Blacknail watched it zoom away off into the bushes with the bit of plant in its mouth.


    ¡°It will be taking that to its underground hive where it will rot and be used to grow mushrooms. That''s why it¡¯s sacred to both Tera-Nan of growing things, and Cor-Dius of darkness,¡± Saeter explained reverently.


    Blacknail gave Saeter a confused look. So this Tera-Nan and Cor-Dius were spirits? It figured that humans named spirits, they certainly named everything else. Saeter met his gaze and gave a pained chuckle.


    ¡°I''m not going to try and explain the gods to a goblin. No offence Blacknail. Now let''s get going,¡± Saeter told him sternly.


    With a shrug, Blacknail moved back onto the path and began to guide Saeter back to camp again. He didn''t really feel the need to learn the names of spirits anyway. It seemed kind of pointless to him. Spirits watched you and did what they wanted whether you knew their names or not.


    As they moved Saeter began to limp more and more. He was also noticeably slowing down. Blacknail began to grow concerned that his master wouldn¡¯t make it back to camp. Dragging him would be a lot of work.


    Luckily, Blacknail soon heard the sound of human voices through the underbrush. His long pointy ears detected the noise before Saeter did. He scampered off into the bushes to check it out.


    ¡°Hey, where are going? Come back Blacknail.¡± Saeter shouted after him.


    ¡°Hear voices. Be right back,¡± Blacknail responded.


    He peered out from behind a tree and saw a group of rough looking humans moving around the forest. It took him a second but he recognized several of them, mostly by their strong smell. Smiling in relief, Blacknail turned and ran back to his master.


    ¡°This way! Band this way,¡± Blacknail told Saeter happily as he ran up to him.


    Saeter gave him an annoyed look but began to walk in the direction Blacknail indicated. They soon ran into the other bandits, who were obviously searchers out looking for the cave.


    There were a dozen of them spread over a small area checking under bushes and behind rocks for crevices or caves. As Saeter and Blacknail approached, one of them looked up and gave them an amused look.


    ¡°What in all creation happened to you, and should I be worried? There isn''t a pissed off drake chasing you I hope?¡± the man asked Saeter as he took in their exhausted and ragged state.


    Saeter''s clothes were cut and covered in blood. His one arm was also in a sling. Blacknail had his own share of bloodstains and scratches as well. Saeter scowled back at the man.


    ¡°We''ll be fine, thanks for asking; and there is no drake. We just walked into a mimic and then a bunch of feral goblins decided we looked like a free meal,¡± Saeter replied dryly.


    Blacknail nodded in agreement as his master spoke. He would have noticed a drake. He had heard they were pretty big.


    ¡°Well, I hope that mimic isn''t around here. Also, don''t look now but I think one of those goblins is still following you,¡± the man told Saeter with a smile as he pointed to Blacknail.


    Saeter gave the man an entirely unamused look back.


    ¡°I''m not in the mood for jokes,¡± the old scout replied. ¡°The mimic is two hours walk away, so don¡¯t worry. This area should be fairly clear for several miles, but I''m heading back to camp to get myself fixed up so you''re on your own out here. I would appreciate you sending someone back with us just in case, though.¡±


    The other man shrugged and agreed to send someone back with them. He called a lanky bandit over and the three of them then headed back to camp together.


    ¡°Try not to trip into anymore monsters, Saeter,¡± the bandit joked as they walked away.


    Saeter turned and scowled at the man.


    ¡°Good luck out here without a guide. I have some advice for you. When you inevitably find a troll in the next bush you search you should scream really loudly. Then everyone will know what direction to run away from,¡± Saeter shot back before stomping off.


    They soon made it back to camp without any more surprises or encounters. Once there Saeter had his wounds cleaned and stitched up.  After that they both had diner and took the rest of the day off.


    It eventually grew dark and Saeter fell asleep beside the remains of their fire. He had been too tired to even make it into his tent. Blacknail grinned happily as he curled up beside his master. This had been one of his favorite days ever. He was Blacknail, the strongest goblin of them all!

 Honor Among Thieves 7

    Over the next few days Herad was in an even worse mood than usual, which was truly frightening. Bandits who hadn¡¯t left the camp for weeks began volunteering for watch or scouting duty. The base became noticeably emptier.


    The bandit chieftain had really wanted to raid the crystal cave for treasures to sell. No one had managed to find it, though.


    She had glared at Saeter when the last group of searchers had reported back. She was either furious at him for wasting her time or suspected that he¡¯d somehow concealed the cave.


    It didn''t help that the old scout had made plain his relief that no one had found the cave. Blacknail spent a great deal of time checking the snares out in the woods during this time. Sometimes Saeter joined him.


    Her bad mood continued for days until the merchants from Riverdown finally arrived. Scouts that were posted to the road sent word of their approach. Herad immediately had the camp upended and reorganized for their arrival. She wanted to impress her guests.


    Extra guards were stationed at the road barricades that had been built earlier. The camp and even the bandits themselves were cleaned up as much as possible. Not that the bandits cleaned up particularly well; but at least most of the smell of piss and vomit was removed.


    During the time the bandits had occupied their current camp they hadn¡¯t been totally unproductive. Herad¡¯s base had been improved and built up a fair bit. It wasn¡¯t like they had much else to do with their time, so they¡¯d managed to put some effort into making themselves more comfortable.


    The primitive lean-tos the forward party had constructed had been patched up and improved. Many had been divided into personal rooms with hanging hide or canvass doors. More of them had been built as well, so that every bandit had somewhere sheltered to sleep out of the wind and rain.


    Trees had been cleared for timber and piled up for firewood as well. Several crude pavilions made from wagon tarps and long posts had been put up for storage or gatherings. All and all the camp looked much more permanent, and less like an overnight campsite.


    Blacknail was there when the merchants arrived. He was doing one of the many chores Saeter had him constantly performing. Behind him, Saeter was sitting in front of his tent and idly whittling away at a piece of wood. Most of outlaws in the band were around except for those on watch. Herad wanted a show of force, so every bandit not on watch or scouting was in camp.


    The convoy arrived around midday when the sun was almost straight up in the sky. Half a dozen wagons rolled down the dusty road and stopped out in front of the old farmhouse. Most the wagons were only lightly loaded, the merchants were here to buy not sell. What they lacked in goods though they made up for in bodies.


    Dozens of people accompanied the wagons, and a lot of them were very shiny. Sunlight flashed off their armor as they moved. After a closer look, Blacknail realized that almost every human in the merchant''s caravan was heavily armed.


    All and all, the bandits outnumbered the black market traders more than two to one but the guards had far better equipment, including chain mail and steel breastplates. They also looked more professional and disciplined. The guards stood tall and regarded the brigands before them expressionlessly, without showing a hint of concern at being so outnumbered.


    A small skinny man with a goatee stepped down from the lead cart. With a gesture he summoned a dozen guards to him and made his way forward. Herad frowned when she saw him, but stepped forward to meet him. A dozen of her larger and better armed thugs followed her.


    When the merchant and Herad met they exchanged a polite handshake. The guards and bandits glared at each other from behind their masters¡¯ backs, but both Herad and the small man ignored them completely.


    Blacknail had a sudden urge to run up and join the thugs in giving the guards evil looks. Maybe he could climb up onto one of the bandit¡¯s shoulders for a better view while he was at it. It seemed like a fun idea, but he resisted the urge.


    ¡°Persus, I''m glad to see you,¡± Herad told the man whose hand she was shaking.


    ¡°I always enjoy laying eyes on you as well, Herad,¡± the man replied with a slight leer.


    Herad smiled back at him but her one hand moved subtly closer to her knives.


    ¡°It''s good of you to come all this way. You won''t be disappointed with what we have for you,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Ah well, I''m afraid I''m usually disappointed when it comes to that. I always want more than others are willing to let me have,¡± he said with a theatrical sigh.


    ¡°That may be why I find myself dealing in black market goods,¡± he then added with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well, be that as it may, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what we have for you here. You should be able to sell it for quite the profit,¡± Herad told him.


    ¡°Ah, that''s wonderful to hear but you know sometimes life is about more than just profit. Don''t you think?¡± he responded with another smirk. Herad''s smile froze.


    ¡°An odd thing for a merchant to say. I''m not sure your company would approve,¡± Herad replied. She couldn''t quite keep the hostility out of her voice.


    ¡°Tsk. Well, they''re not here are they? Anyway they don''t need to worry, since I always earn them a tidy sum,¡± Persus responded.


    ¡°I''m sure that''s true. Let''s get out of the sun shall we? I have a list of goods inside. We can go over it and then inspect the physical items after,¡± Herad suggested.


    She clearly wanted to get down to business but Persus didn''t seem to be in a hurry. The usually in control and violent Herad seemed be acting very cautiously around this small man.


    Blacknail couldn''t really understand why. As far as he could figure it the merchant was only the leader of a tribe they were trading with. He also seemed to have less men than Herad, even if they were much shinier. So, why was Herad acting so... un-Herad-like?


    Blacknail heard Saeter mutter something and turned to see his master glowering at the small merchant. Was Persus his master''s enemy? Blacknail turned back to Persus when the man started talking again.


    ¡°I hope you have some refreshments. It''s been a terribly long and odious ride here. I would greatly enjoy a drink and some company before getting down to business,¡± Persus replied while feigning a haggard tone.


    ¡°Of course. We liberated a few good bottles on our last expedition. Just this way, Persus,¡± Herad answered with a wave in the direction of the farmhouse.


    The merchant sniffed disdainfully when he saw it.


    ¡°A barbaric piece of shelter if I ever saw one but I suppose it will have to do. Some allowances must be made since we are so far from real civilization out here, after all,¡± he said with a sigh.


    Herad led him to the door and they entered together. The thugs took up position outside. The guards however attempted to enter after their master, but Persus waved them off.


    ¡°I''ll be fine. Stay out here and wait for me,¡± he commanded with a snap of his fingers before disappearing inside.


    Herad had commanded that all the bandits should watch the merchant''s guards while looking busy and professional. Thus, more bandits were on watch than usual. Many of them were standing or sitting around the camp in small, but not so casual groups, that just so happened to be facing the caravan most of the time.


    The guards themselves seemed to sense the hostility because they didn''t even bother to pretend to relax. They all stood strategically around the caravan at attention with hands on weapons. They were ready for any trouble, and the bandits looked like they wanted to cause it.


    Since everyone else seemed to be just hanging around, Blacknail took this time to relax as well. He yawned and walked over to a pile of firewood. There between the logs he cleared a patch of earth and gathered dry grass for a bed. Then he curled up and swiftly fell asleep with the pleasant earthy smell of drying wood filling his nostrils.


    He was awoken from his pleasant dreams by the noise of the wagons being loaded. Looking up, Blacknail noticed that the sun had moved through the clear blue sky a fair bit, meaning two or three hours had passed. He got up, stretched, and looked around.


    Hopefully, he hadn''t missed anything exciting while he napped. Blacknail saw that Herad and Persus were out inspecting the goods. They also seemed to be arguing back and forth about prices. Ugh, boring.


    By this point Heard looked very tired of dealing with Persus. She was openly glaring at him as they argued and her voice seemed strained.


    Blacknail was honestly surprised she hadn''t stabbed the small man. Blacknail knew that was how she usually dealt with people who annoyed her. She was very efficient for a human.


    Members of Herad''s bandit troupe were loading the stolen goods onto Persus'' wagon, while his guards looked on. The bandits didn''t seem happy about doing the work alone.


    This went on for awhile as Persus''s wagons got piled high with more and more cargo. Eventually, the last piece of stolen goods he wanted to purchase was loaded up and secured. Several crates and items he didn''t want, or didn''t want to pay enough for, were left lying around.


    ¡°It was a pleasure doing business with you, mistress Herad,¡± Persus told her as they were finishing up.


    ¡°You can be a vexing bargainer, but I look forward to dealing with you again,¡± Herad replied politely. Her voice contained a hint of hostility, though.


    Persus extended a hand and they shook again. As Herad tried to withdraw her arm, the merchant pulled it up and kissed the back of her hand. She gave him a cold look, but he simply smirked back at her before letting go.


    ¡°Then as we agreed, 167 Gold Elorians, of which half are payable now and half will be deposited at the Riverdown bank for you upon my safe arrival,¡± he told her.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Persus then signaled to a pair of guards and they brought forth a large chest. He pulled a large key from a cord around his neck and unlocked it.


    From inside, he took out several bags and counted out a few coins. He handed the coins to Herad and left the heavier bags there on the ground before locking the chest up again and slipping the key into his pocket. The chest was largely empty when he closed it.


    Herad went through the bags and gave them a brief inspection. She appeared satisfied with the results.


    ¡°I wish you a safe journey home then, Persus,¡± Herad told the merchant as she finished.


    Persus rolled his eyes in response.


    ¡°Of course you do, Herad. That''s the entire point,¡± the small neatly dressed man commented dryly before walking back to his wagon.


    On his way he strode past Blacknail''s hiding spot in the wood pile.


    The goblin hid himself as the man approached. He was pretty sure that his master and everyone else didn''t like the tiny outsider. In Blacknail''s mind that made him practically an enemy, and thus fair game.


    As Persus passed by his hiding spot, Blacknail darted out and his hand reached out to swiftly liberate the contents of the merchant''s pockets. The man didn''t notice and continued walking on, unaware that he was suddenly ever so slightly lighter. The goblin sniggered as he retreated with his prizes.


    After Persus had spent a few minutes yelling orders at his underlings, his caravan got itself organized and started back down the road they had come from. Blacknail watched the merchant carefully until they were gone, but the stupid man never checked his pockets.


    The goblin then broke out into a grin. The prizes were all his! Excitedly, Blacknail opened his hand and examined his new property.


    He¡¯d gotten the shiny yellow key! He also had a bunch of mixed coins of various sizes and colors. That was a lot of shinnies! Grinning in joy, the goblin stuffed his new possessions into one of his pouches for safekeeping.


    Now that the merchant was gone, Saeter walked over to Herad. She gave him an irritated look as he approached but her earlier bad mood seemed somewhat mollified by the large pile of gold in front of her. Apparently, she liked shinnies as well.


    ¡°I hate that money grabbing little rat. Why couldn''t the company have sent someone else?¡± Saeter remarked coldly.


    ¡°He''s a pig, but played right he pays more than some of their other representatives, and that''s what matters¡± Herad replied scornfully.


    ¡°Well, one day I hope to meet him out in the woods where there are no witnesses or guards. So I can shoot him,¡± he told her.


    Herad turned away from him and began giving orders, but Blacknail could see she was smiling slightly. Or at least he thought it was a smile, he couldn''t be sure since it was the first time he had seen anything like it on her face.


    Under Herad''s directions, the gold was soon packed away and the camp reorganized. Most of the men looked excited and expectant.


    Saeter and Herad were then joined by another outlaw who Blacknail knew had somehow earned the name Red Dog. Of course Red Dog wasn''t red and didn''t have a dog. Humans were weird.


    Red Dog was a tall man, but shorter than Saeter, with unruly brown hair. He also somehow managed to be one of the few bandits in camp that had pudgy cheeks. Living in the wild tended to strip the fat from most men, but apparently not from him.


    ¡°What''s the plan now, boss? The men are going to want their share of the gold and a chance to spend it,¡± Red Dog asked her cheerfully.


    ¡°And they''ll get it. When I say they can,¡± Herad told him sternly.


    Red Dog fidgeted uncomfortably.


    ¡°What''s the problem? We''re only a day way from Riverdown, and they''re a typical frontier city. If we keep our heads low then we shouldn''t have problems with the law. We''ve been there before,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°We can''t all go at once. We''ll be staying out here until winter starts to set in, then we''ll head north to Daggerpoint. Until then I''ll pay and detach a few men at a time to the city for leave. If I pay them all now they''ll just start fighting over it,¡± she told him after a moment of reflection.


    Red Dog nodded in acceptance. He clearly had been expecting something like that. Saeter however had a question or two.


    ¡°We''re staying here? That seems a bit risky. What about our next score?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I had a talk with Persus while I was entertaining him,¡± Herad explained. ¡°On top of getting an interesting letter from him, I also managed to get quite a bit of useful info out of the worm... like the routes and times for several caravans over the next month.¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± Red Dog remarked.


    ¡°Yes, it seems the Palinthiens are pressing the Elorians hard right now,¡± the bandit chieftain remarked with a fierce smile. ¡°Most of their troops have been pulled out of the north to reinforce the border, and they already barely have enough for patrols. The local lords, such that they are, have enough problems of their own as well.¡±


    ¡°Leaving us free to run wild,¡± Red Dog added with a predatory smile of his own.


    ¡°Trade will probably dry up once the merchants realize how unsafe it is,¡± Saeter observed coolly.


    ¡°We¡¯ll split the band and send out some smaller groups to hit smaller targets if it comes to that,¡± Herad answered with a shrug.


    Saeter frowned but nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to be worry about that. Merchants are all a bunch of greedy bastards who aren''t nearly as smart as they like to think they are,¡± Red Dog interjected cheerfully.


    Blacknail got bored and wandered off after that. Several days passed with nothing exciting happening, just a lot of chores. Saeter kept the goblin busy and didn¡¯t seem interested in going into town.


    Things finally picked up when a group of scouts rode into camp with word of a potential target. Herad quickly summoned several of her lieutenants to a meeting. Saeter was among them and as usual Blacknail was his shadow. Also, Red Dog and Vorscha attended.


    ¡°Clevan''s group was set to watch the road south from Brackenmount,¡± Herad told everyone. ¡°Persus said that they would soon be sending a big shipment of weapons south. Now, Brackenmount doesn''t produce nearly as many weapons as it did before Coroulis was destroyed but the haul should still be considerable.¡±


    ¡°We could always use more weapons. Tools of our trade they are,¡± Red Dog commented.


    ¡°We would be better served by blankets and boots,¡± Saeter pointed out dryly.


    ¡°True enough, but robbing a blanket caravan wouldn''t be nearly as profitable,¡± Red Dog replied with a chuckle.


    Vorscha laughed with him, until Herad gave them both a dark look and they quickly quieted down.


    ¡°A shipment like this will be meant for the front line, and that means it will be heavily guarded. Maybe even an army escort, including combat mages and Sloshers,¡± Saeter warned the others.


    Red Dog frowned in concern but Herad just nodded.


    ¡°Possibly, there are troops in town but no one seems to know how many will go with the caravan, if any.¡± she told them, apparently unconcerned.


    ¡°What''s the most the army boys could bring to the table,¡± Vorscha asked her boss thoughtfully.


    ¡°At most they could spare a full platoon, so less than 50 men. As for mages and vessels, who knows?¡± Herad answered with emphasis on the proper name of elixir users.


    She didn''t seem to approve of the slang word for them, most likely because she thought it disrespectful to herself because she was one.


    ¡°Probably not many,¡± Red Dog commented.


    ¡°We could take a platoon but it would bleed us, and I''m not sure about any mages. Those guys can do a lot of bloody damage and it would already be a close thing,¡± Vorscha mused aloud.


    ¡°So we don''t attack if they''re too strong. We can always check them out and retreat if they''re too much trouble, or attack from ambush,¡± Red Dog suggested.


    ¡°I was already talking about an ambush,¡± Vorscha replied with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°We could put men in a town on the way and get them to ply the guards with drink when they stop for the night,¡± Saeter suggested. ¡°We then mark the mages and Slosh... Vessels and take them out first when the fight starts or before it.¡±


    Herad scowled as the old scout talked but apparently didn¡¯t find any fault with what he said.


    ¡°Yes, cunning and ruthless is the way to do it,¡± she reluctantly agreed. ¡°Fair fights are for knights and nobles in stories. We could also use poison and if the town they stop at is small enough we could pillage it as a bonus.¡±


    ¡°That could get messy,¡± Saeter commented critically as he frowned.


    ¡°As long as we get the shipment I couldn''t care less. If you don''t have the stomach for it then you can stay here,¡± Herad told him with a cold unemotional look.


    The others looked away from Saeter and stayed silent. No one backed him up against their boss.


    ¡°We''ll get ready to head out immediately,¡± Herad ordered everyone. ¡°We need to be well ahead of them for this to work out correctly. Saeter you''ll take charge of the camp when I''m gone. Vorscha and Red you''re both with me.¡±


    Saeter looked dissatisfied but could do nothing but agree. Behind him, Blacknail tried to keep out of Herad¡¯s sight. She looked even meaner than usual.


    At daybreak the next day, most the bandits marched out of camp. It was an overcast morning and the birds were singing loudly in the trees.


    The bandit base felt empty to Blacknail. Very few people were left in the camp with Saeter and him. Hopefully, nothing would go wrong while most the tribe were away.

 Honor Among Thieves 8

    The next few days were very boring. Herad was gone and she had taken most the other bandits with her. Blacknail spent his time doing chores and, when boredom caused his curiosity to overcome his self preservation, a little exploring.


    One afternoon, as Blacknail was walking over to his master¡¯s tent. He had been out in the forest gathering some plants for Saeter. He didn¡¯t know why his master wanted them, they certainly didn¡¯t taste very good, he had checked.


    Suddenly, the loud crack of wood splintering startled the goblin and caused him to flinch. The first noise was soon followed by the sound of panicked human yelling. That was almost never good.


    Blacknail grew concerned. Then he realized the noise was coming from the nearby forest, and it was getting closer. He immediately started to run away. Just to be safe.


    He made straight for his master but the noise steadily grew closer. The nervous goblin risked a glance backwards and saw a scout burst from the edge of the forest and run frantically into the clearing. The man''s face was pale with terror and he was gasping for breath.


    Not good, something bad was about to happen and he wanted as far away from it as possible. Blacknail tried to run faster. His little legs pumped frantically.


    ¡°Help,¡± the scout yelled desperately between gasping breaths.


    The goblin was pretty sure the man wasn''t talking to him, so he just kept running away.


    The camp came alive with movement and shouting as others noticed the commotion. Suddenly, Blacknail heard several bandits swear or shout in surprise. He couldn''t help but shoot another panicked look over his shoulder to find out what the men had seen. He had a feeling he wasn''t going to like it.


    He was not disappointed. The forest exploded and massive creature barreled out of the bushes. It was headed straight for the running scout.


    The beast snorted and squealed in rage as it tried to run the fleeing man down. The scout was, of course, leading it straight towards Blacknail.


    The creature was as tall as a man and heavy with both muscle and fat. It easily weighed more than a horse. Its body was covered in dark brown spiky hair that was especially long and bristly on its back. It also had a flat snout protruding from its face, because it was a giant pig.


    Even with its unbelievable mass the boar moved frighteningly quickly. Blacknail had no doubt that anyone hit by it would be smashed into paste, and then crushed under its hooves. That was, of course, if they weren''t first impaled on the long yellow tusks that jutted forward out of its mouth.


    Blacknail was running on all fours now as both panic and adrenaline set in. Both the scout and the huge pig were gaining on him. Saeter had risen to his feet and was now quickly going through his things.


    Blacknail raced past an empty tent. He really hoped his master would do something soon¡­ as in really soon! He didn¡¯t want to be trampled to death by a giant pig!


    From just behind him the running goblin heard a horrible scream of pain, which was quickly followed by a wet crunching sound and then a triumphant squeal. Ouch! Hopefully the beast would leave now that it had caught its target.


    Nope, the sound of heavy hooves pounding the earth continued towards Blacknail. Why did these things always happen to him!


    ¡°Bad piggy, don¡¯t chase me,¡± the terrified little goblin wailed as he ran.


    Suddenly, there was the crack of a sling and a surprised squeal from the boar. One of the nearby bandits had hit the pig with a rock. With a furious grunt the boar shifted its beady eyed gaze to the woman who had hit him.


    The woman''s eyes widened as they met the small black eyes of the boar. You could practically see anger and hatred rise like steam from off the boar¡¯s back. It looked pissed.


    With a dreadful squeal that tore through the air, the beast switched targets and made for his assailant.


    After a brief second of looking very regretful of her recent life choices, the woman turned and fled. Her sudden departure surprised several bandits who had been standing right next to her.


    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± one of them squeaked.


    Then the entire group of bandits turned and dashed away in every direction like a swarm of insects someone had just waved their hand through. None of them tried to stand their ground.


    Blacknail slowed to a jog. Whew, he needed catch his breath. The boar was no longer chasing him, thank the spirits. He should be safe for now.


    As the boar closed in on her, the woman dove behind a stack of solid wooden crates. This did not stop the boar. It hit the boxes at full speed with a thunderous cracking noise.


    The beast¡¯s long tusks scooped under the crates, and a jerk of its wide head launched them into the air. Its bulky body smashed right through the remaining boxes and crushed them under its hooves. An explosion of splinters was soon all that was left of them.


    The noise was deafening. Even from far away, Blacknail winced in pain as the sound assaulted his ears.


    The goblin couldn''t see where the woman had ended up among all the debris. He didn''t even know if she was still alive or not. If she was dead he would remember her fondly. She had probably saved his life after all.


    The boar apparently couldn''t find her either. It snorted and stomped around the ruins of the crates for a few seconds before focusing his attention on the nearest visible bandit. A startlingly angry squeal escaped the beast¡¯s lips and then it charged after him.


    ¡°Oh hells¡± the man yelled as he desperately looked around for somewhere to hide.


    Much to Blacknail''s alarm, the man started running in his direction.


    ¡°Eek, not again!¡± the goblin cursed as he picked up speed.


    All the nearby bandits were either running away or hiding behind tents and equipment. Several had made for the old farm house and one was climbing a tree. It wasn¡¯t even a very large tree.


    After seeing the boar go through the pile of crates Blacknail was pretty sure those were all terrible ideas. He just wished he had a better one.


    The man and the beast were quickly closing in on the small goblin, so Blacknail took off towards Saeter. Bad things from the forest were kind of his thing.


    The heavy beat of hooves closed in on Blacknail from behind. He wasn¡¯t going to make it to safety!


    ¡°No no, what to do?¡± the goblin squeaked as he started panicking.


    Blacknail then turned and dashed towards a nearby line of wooden lean-tos. They wouldn''t stop the charging boar behind him, but maybe he could hide there.


    As the goblin dove into the nearest lean-to, the man running behind him leapt to the side. The bandit barely managed to avoid being impaled on the beast¡¯s tusks but he landed safely.


    The boar didn''t try and chase him. Instead, it hit the lean-tos full force. The crude wooden structures exploded as the beast smashed through them.


    From inside, Blacknail watched the small building come apart around him. Splinters and broken pieces of wood flew everywhere as the boar narrowly missed the goblin. Blacknail''s eyes widened and he turned pale as a descending hoof narrowly missed his head.


    He stiffened in terror as the powerful musky smell of the boar and a deafening chorus of squeals washed over him. The terrified goblin shut his eyes and curled up into a ball, while wishing he was somewhere safe. There were no boars in his old lovely sewer home.


    Then the noise stopped and the beast was gone. It had passed through the shattered lean-tos and continued on. Blacknail''s heart beat was out of control and he started twitching uncontrollably.


    Was he still alive? He couldn''t believe it. The goblin patted himself down, and was surprised to find his body still intact. Still somewhat stunned, he sat up and looked out from the ruins of the lean-to.


    The wide-eyed goblin watched as the beast continued to rampage through the bandits¡¯ camp. Blacknail noticed several arrows sticking out from the creatures hide. Those were new.


    Apparently, some of the humans were actually doing something other than running away in terror now, what idiots. The goblin was going to run the second the beast turned back in his direction.


    As he watched, several more arrows hit the boar. It grunted in pain and squealed angrily. The arrows were coming from almost every direction now as the bandits finally got organized.


    The constant painful pricks were confusing the beast; it couldn¡¯t focus on a single target. The squealing giant stomped and spun around in circles, as more and more arrows descended upon it.


    Before long, it began to slow and stumble as it bled out from an ever increasing number of wounds. Then an arrow took it in the throat, and the boar collapsed. It gave one last gasping wheeze before shuddering and going still. Its gigantic fallen body was pierced by too many arrows to count.


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    Saeter approached the fallen giant with sword in hand. He quickly stepped in and stabbed it under the ribs. The sword sank over halfway into the beast¡¯s side, but it didn''t so much as twitch.


    ¡°Well, it''s dead now,¡± Saeter announced as he withdrew the blade. He then scowled sourly as looked around the now ravaged camp.


    Other outlaws cautiously began to approach the beast. Some of them had bows but others had just popped out of hiding and were unarmed.


    ¡°At least we''ll eat well tonight,¡± One of the bandits remarked, which earned him a few chuckles.


    ¡°True, but we''re going to have a lot of cleaning up to do to¡± Saeter replied.


    Blacknail shakily got up and wandered over as well. The goblin plopped down at his master¡¯s feet and leaned his head against Saeter¡¯s leg for support.  He just felt like sitting there for awhile, it felt nice and safe.


    ¡°We have at least one grave to dig,¡± another bandit added with a look towards the remains of the boar''s first victim.


    Blacknail looked over as well. He had realized a very important truth today, never hit a boar with a sling.


    With one of his usual annoyed grunts, Saeter took charge and got everyone started on cleaning up. There was a lot to do. The titanic boar had done a huge amount of damage, and it soon grew dark.


    Saeter had put himself in charge of cooking the boar. He had a giant spit roast made and the boar was cut up and put on it. When it was done he allowed everyone to stop for supper.


    Blacknail joined his master at their camp fire. The smell of roasting meat was making the goblin drool all over himself. It smelled so nice! He wanted to bite into it so badly.


    Saeter saw the goblin and threw him a small piece of greasy meat. Blacknail caught it right out of the air with his mouth and instantly started chewing. The goblin shivered happily as smacked loudly. His mouth tingled with glorious deliciousness.


    Unfortunately, he soon swallowed the last bit of meat and his stomach wasn¡¯t full.  The goblin opened his eyes wide and gave his master a pleading expression but the man ignored him. Blacknail cried a little as he sat next to the fire.


    Why did his master never give him enough food? It wasn¡¯t like Saeter was a cruel master, far from it.


    Oh well, it was fine. Blacknail had a cunning plot in place to secure more food. He was going to go and beg from Geralhd. It worked every time.


    After a brief walk around the now dark and campfire lit camp Blacknail found the man at his usual eating place. He was seated around a fire with several other men. The flickering flame illuminated their faces as they talked.


    Blacknail wandered over to Geralhd. Normally he would be wary of approaching most the bandits but the ones who had stayed behind with Saeter left him alone. Geralhd was also easy to get food out of, and not very threatening.


    Geralhd noticed the goblin approach and smiled at him. He reached over and picked up a piece of meat that had been set aside.


    ¡°Sit, Blacknail. Who is a good boy?¡± Geralhd asked sweetly. One of the other men groaned and another chuckled as Geralhd spoke.


    ¡°Me, I''m a good boy,¡± Blacknail answered happily as he took a seat at Geralhd''s feet.


    Geralhd smiled again and tossed him the treat. As he chewed and slurped down the meat Blacknail smirked. He clearly had Geralhd well trained.


    ¡°It''s not a bloody dog, Geralhd. It''s a goblin. They''re very different,¡± one of the bandits remarked in an irritated voice.


    ¡°He''s a good little boy none the less,¡± Geralhd answered as he shrugged and petted Blacknail''s head. It actually felt pretty good.


    Blacknail smiled toothily at the other man, which caused him to look exasperated and sigh loudly.


    ¡°I still don''t understand why Saeter decided to get a goblin, or why Herad let him. It¡¯s not like every scout in the band wouldn''t give their last prayer to be his partner; and I would have thought the boss would have said no, just to spite him,¡± one man told the others as Geralhd gave him a confused look.


    ¡°Why do Saeter and Herad have such a problem with each other''s company anyway? Also, why in all the gods¡¯ names would every scout want to partner with a grumpy old man like Saeter? I mean sure he''s the most experienced of our ever so hard working scouts, but he''s also more than a bit of an ass as well,¡± Geralhd asked.


    Most the men chuckled but one gave a nervous glance at the darkness over his shoulder before replying. It was almost like he wanted to be very sure no one unexpected was listening.


    ¡°Well, you see the answer to both those questions is sort of the same. You obviously don''t know who Saeter is, or at least who he used to be,¡± the man said quietly.


    Blacknail''s ears twitched as he suddenly grew interested and started paying attention. He was almost done eating anyway. Geralhd leaned in closer and he raised an eyebrow inquisitively, in an invitation for the man to keep speaking.


    ¡°Oh, who did our resident old timer used to be then?¡± Geralhd asked with interest.


    ¡°Saeter used to run his own gang of thieves, years ago. They were one of the first successful bands, and they built a name quite a name up for themselves. That was way back of course, when things were very different. Eventually, they all retired or died until only Saeter was left,¡± was the other man¡¯s reply.


    ¡°You must be joking. Who would follow Saeter, and why would Herad have a problem with that?¡± Geralhd asked with disbelief.


    ¡°Think about it for a second. Every bandit chief¡¯s worst fear is being killed and replaced by one of their subordinates. Who could possibly feel secure knowing someone in their band used to be a successful leader?¡± the other bandit pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point. Herad has always struck me as more than a little paranoid. However, if Saeter used to be so famous why is he serving under Herad, instead of leading his own band? Geralhd asked.


    It was different man that answered this time. He had remained quiet until now but Blacknail recognized him as one of the older scouts.


    ¡°Saeter is an odd sort bandit,¡± the scout explained. ¡°He didn''t become an outlaw because he was wanted or for the money, although he certainly got both. No, he chose to become an outlaw because he was a northern patriot. He was fighting the control of the North by Eloria and Deveshur. I''d guess he''s serving under Herad because he has nowhere else to go. He¡¯s more at home out here in the wilds than in any city, and he won''t surrender and live under the southern boot.¡±


    He stopped and took a quick drink from the cup in his hand before continuing. Everyone waited expectantly for him to finish.


    ¡°As for why he''s not the band''s leader, well that''s simple, it''s because the age of rebellion and causes is pretty much dead. We''re fighting for money and power, and no one is more dedicated to that than Herad. Of course, that means that under her we do a lot of things Saeter doesn''t approve of,¡± the scout told them.


    Gerahd leaned back again with a contemplative look on his face. Everyone around the fire was silent. Only the crackle of the fire and the chirp of insects could be heard.


    ¡°That''s quite the story indeed. It really can¡¯t picture Saeter as any type of leader, but I don''t think you''re all lying to me. It would certainly explain a lot as well,¡± Gerald responded after a minute or so of thought.


    ¡°Well, whether you believe it or not it''s all true. Just don''t go mentioning any of this where Saeter or Herad could hear you. If you enjoy living that is,¡± the first speaker replied with shrug.


    ¡°I''m not a complete and utter moron,¡± Geralhd said with a roll of his eyes.


    Blacknail was curled up close to the fire and deep in thought about what he had just heard. So his master had been a chieftain, until he had lost some sort of fight and ended up alone. Herad had let him in her tribe, but she didn¡¯t completely trust him not to challenge her. That made sense to Blacknail, it was sort of goblin-like.


    ¡°Fine, if you can keep it to yourself then I will tell you the best part,¡± one of the men told an intrigued looking Geralhd. ¡°You see Saeter¡¯s band wasn¡¯t just a¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a cloaked figure swept out from the shadows. Everyone around the fire jerked in surprise, or sprung to their feet with looks of alarm on their faces. Saeter glared at them as he stopped and surveyed the group. Most the bandits wilted guiltily under his gaze. Geralhd gave him a weak smile.


    ¡°Oh hey, Saeter. We were just, ah, talking about some things that had noth...¡± he began to explain but Saeter cut him off.


    ¡°I don''t care,¡± he said as he glowered at them. His brows were scrunched together angrily but his voice seemed to contain a hint of worry. ¡°Two of the men are missing. They were seen after the attack and weren''t together. Something entered the camp and dragged them away.¡±

 Honor Among Thieves 9

    No one got a lot of sleep that night, and not just because the watch was doubled. Everyone was too on edge to relax.


    The only exception to this was Blacknail. He was reasonably certain that with all the big pink humans running around nothing would bother going after a skinny little goblin. Also, if anything really dangerous attacked the camp then all the human screams would wake him up.


    When dawn finally brightened the camp, Saeter led a search party out to look for traces of the missing men. After an extensive search they found nothing, not even the smallest signs of a struggle.


    "I really don''t like this," one of the scouts told Saeter.


    As was usual when Saeter was talking to people, Blacknail followed his master quietly and listened in. Everyone ignored him unless he spoke up.


    "Who would?" Saeter replied with a grunt.


    "True, but what I meant is that it''s one thing for something to kill two men, but it¡¯s another thing entirely for something to do it while leaving absolutely no tracks! Your goblin couldn¡¯t even smell anything, Saeter!" the scout continued excitedly.


    ¡°Maybe they walked off together. Could¡¯ve been bedmates or something,¡± someone else guessed.


    ¡°That¡¯s bloody disgusting. Jon was my friend and he was no bugger. He also sure as all hells wouldn¡¯t have gone walking out into the forest in the middle of the night without telling anyone!¡± another bandit answered angrily.


    ¡°There ain¡¯t anything wrong with two men sharing a bed out here. The god Slyph-Usra himself smiles upon it. It¡¯s just like sailors when they¡¯re out at sea¡­,¡± the first man began arguing defensively.


    ¡°You¡¯re like the only follower of that god in the entire camp,¡± the other bandit countered angrily. ¡°Most of us are soldiers. We follow the Azur-Waj, the war god, and he doesn¡¯t look so kindly upon such things. It¡¯s undisciplined and plain unhealthy.¡±


    ¡°Ha, we¡¯re thieves now, even if we used to be soldiers. Most the band worships Cor-Dius, and he doesn¡¯t care what people do in darkness,¡± a third bandit added dismissively.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t relevant,¡± Saeter remarked sternly as he cut off any further argument.


    A few hostile looks were exchanged but all the other bandits stopped arguing. Saeter was in charge and they had a job to do.


    ¡°I hate to be the one to say it, but this is looking more and more like the work of someone in the band,¡± a mustached man remarked, which caused several others to give him annoyed looks.


    ¡°So, someone just decided to murder two men who barely knew each other and were on opposite ends of the camp?¡± a short bandit countered.


    ¡°It does seem unlikely, but they must have been in on something together. Murder would explain the lack of anything but human tracks, and nothing else will,¡± the mustached bandit responded with a suspicious glance at the man arguing with him.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Saeter mused aloud.


    Everyone else grew quiet. Most of the bandits looked confused, but a few of the more experienced scouts looked grim or upset instead.


    ¡°Well, feel free to enlighten us Saeter,¡± someone eventually said to break the silence.


    ¡°I can think of a few things it could have been. Firstly, it could¡¯ve been some sort of crystal host with a weird power,¡± Saeter explained.


    The outlaws threw each other questioning looks and spoke among themselves for a few seconds. They didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°That¡¯s only one thing. What are the others?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come upon it,¡± Saeter replied grimly.


    ¡°A crystal mutant can¡¯t be our best option,¡± someone muttered skeptically.


    ¡°Leave it alone, you don¡¯t want to know,¡± an older voice responded.


    Just then the sound of hooves echoed down the road to the camp. Everyone looked up in time to see a horsewoman ride into the clearing. Several of the outlaws reached for weapons but they relaxed a bit when they recognized her as one of the women who had gone with Herad.


    After spotting Saeter and the group around him, the rider headed their way. She smiled at Saeter as she approached. Blacknail scowled at the horse. He didn¡¯t want the stinky thing to come any closer.


    ¡°Saeter, Herad sent me ahead. She¡¯s on her way back with the goods. The raid was a success,¡± the rider told them.


    ¡°How long?¡± Saeter asked her.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be a few hours if they keep up the pace they were holding when I left,¡± the woman replied.


    Saeter didn¡¯t look any happier to know the rest of the band would be back soon. He scowled as he looked down the empty road.


    ¡°We should get ready for them then,¡± Saeter told the other bandits.


    He waved them off after reminding them to never go anywhere alone and to always have a weapon on hand. Saeter then headed back to his campsite, and sent Blacknail out to check some meat he was smoking.


    The goblin headed over to where a thick pillar of grey smoke was rising from a small heap of evergreen branches. Excitedly, he pushed the branches away to reveal the pit and flame beneath them, but the meat hanging inside didn¡¯t look quite done. It also didn¡¯t taste fully cooked. With a disappointed grunt, the goblin returned the now nibbled meat and headed back to his master.


    He made it back to Saeter¡¯s campsite right before the return of the raid party. The first of the victorious bandits came down the road and immediately began finding places to collapse and rest. Most of them looked exhausted, and were dripping with sweat. Many of them also had some sort of injury bandaged up.


    The smell of sweat, blood, and pus was everywhere and filled the goblin¡¯s nose. He hadn¡¯t though the humans could smell any worse. Blacknail pinched his long green nose shut. Eew, had he ever been wrong.


    Saeter scowled as he took the scene in. He seemed to disapprove of the ragged state of the men and women. The last few bandits came down the road with a pair of wagons covered in tarps.


    ¡°Quite a few of them are missing,¡± the old scout muttered with a hint of concern.


    Herad was at the very back of the returning bandits. The first thing the black haired woman did when she came into sight was head Saeter¡¯s way. Vorscha and Red Dog followed closely behind her.


    Blacknail was shocked by Herad¡¯s bloodthirsty grin. For a second, he was afraid she was going to take a bite out of his master¡¯s face, but then he realized she was just in a good mood. He had never seen her smile before, and he didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°The raid was a success, Saeter! The weapons are all mine,¡± she gloated triumphantly as she marched towards the old scout and Blacknail.


    ¡°Good, we need them. I see you lost more than a few men,¡± Saeter observed noncommittally.


    Herad just shrugged as she uncharacteristically ignored any criticism that could have been implied by the words.


    ¡°With two recent and profitable raids under our belts recruiting to fill the holes in our ranks won¡¯t be a problem. It¡¯s not like there is a shortage of scum and thugs around here,¡± she replied with a hint of condescension.


    Saeter frowned and Blacknail noticed Vorscha react with a scowl as well. Red Dog seemed to agree with Herad, though.


    ¡°All we need to do is recruit some more in Riverdown and the surrounding countryside. It¡¯s one of the main reasons we built this camp in the first place, so that we would have a place to lay low close to a city,¡± he told the rest of them.


    ¡°True, but it¡¯s always better to keep the men we¡¯ve got than to have to replace them with unknown¡­,¡± Vorscha started to add before Herad cut her off.


    ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t question my decisions. I promised every man and woman who joined my band a chance at plunder. The gods know I sure didn¡¯t offer them safety,¡± Herad interjected, as she gave everyone a cold stare.


    The other men and woman around her lowered their eyes in submission, and even Saeter nodded his grudging acceptance.


    ¡°So, what now then?¡± Saeter asked her.


    Herad smiled fiercely again in response. Behind her, Red Dog and Vorscha gave each other uneasy glances. It was clear they were both apprehensive about something.


    ¡°Like Red Dog said, now we will start recruiting heavily. I want to do more than just replace our losses. It¡¯s time to build the band up into a real force to be reckoned with,¡± she explained eagerly.


    Red Dog lips twisted into a concerned frown as he listened to Herad. He seemed hesitant to speak up but his concern overcame his reluctance to question Herad.


    ¡°Begging your pardon boss¡­ but that doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s going to put more silver in our pockets. Having more men isn''t really going to help us pull off more raids, but it will mean less loot for the rest of us,¡± Red Dog commented carefully.


    ¡°The times are changing, and so it''s time to change with them,¡± Herad replied cryptically.


    ¡°Werick,¡± Saeter guessed grimly as his eyes narrowed with hostility.


    Herad nodded in confirmation at of his response.


    ¡°Yes, Werick. The man may be an idiot but he¡¯s right about at least one thing. More and more deserters and criminals are headed north, but there¡¯s not enough room for them. All the bands are beginning to turn on each other as they fight for plunder. Even worse, all the good targets are disappearing. It¡¯s like what Saeter keeps bitching about, too much bloody banditry will just cause everyone to stop trading and leave. It¡¯s already happening, that¡¯s why we had to come so far south,¡± she explained.


    ¡°So you want to buildup our ranks so you can strike even further south?¡± Saeter asked uncertainly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s no longer about raiding caravans and quick gold, it¡¯s about territory. Out East Werick is setting himself up like some sort of lord. Either we do the same or someone else will, and then we¡¯ll end up working for them or more likely dead,¡± she explained.


    ¡°So what does that mean exactly? If we¡¯re not going to keep raiding caravans and villages then what are we supposed to do?¡± Red Dog asked as Herad gave him a patronizing look.


    ¡°Like I said, we hold territory and we make people pay for safe passage through it. That way we make a profit without driving all the merchants away. We¡¯ll make less from each caravan but there will be more of them. I¡¯ve already got a message from one merchant asking to pay protection fees,¡± she told him.


    Vorscha looked skeptical. Saeter had gone totally quiet. Blacknail gave him a closer look and was surprised to see that the old scout seemed shocked about something. His weathered face had gone pale and slack.


    ¡°If we¡¯re promising safe passage then we will have to enforce it. That means recruiting, driving away, or killing every other bandit group for leagues,¡± Vorscha mused aloud.


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    ¡°So, that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯ll do. We recruit more men and kill everyone who challenges us,¡± Herad replied matter of factly.


    ¡°Well, the weapons we just stole and the gold we will get for selling them will sure come in handy now. You do realize this will eventually bring us into conflict with every other band of outlaws trying to the same thing, including Werick, until there is only one bandit left on top,¡± Vorscha said with an amused snort.


    ¡°Oh I know that, Vorscha. If someone is going to be bandit lord of the North then it¡¯s going to be me,¡± Herad purred wickedly. She practically oozed bloodlust as she smiled.


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss. I¡¯ll follow where you lead,¡± Red Dog told Herad quickly and nervously.


    Herad turned to look at Saeter. He was still deep in thought, and was looking down at the ground with one hand on his forehead. She frowned at him.


    ¡°You usually have something to say Saeter, so say it,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail¡¯s master looked up.


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss¡­,¡± he told her with a distracted manner.


    He seemed troubled by something and his eyes looked unfocused. Herad was a little taken aback by his response, and gave him an odd look.


    ¡°You finally going senile, Saeter?¡± she asked him.


    His only reply was a grunt as he kept staring at the ground. An irritated look appeared on Herad¡¯s face, and a concerned one appeared on Vorcha¡¯s.


    ¡°Go take a nap, Saeter, if you¡¯re so tired. Would you mind updating me on how things went while I was gone, first though,¡± she asked him impatiently.


    Saeter finally looked up and seemed to think her words over for second.


    ¡°It was pretty quiet. Not much important happened. Last night though, two men went missing. I had a look around with some of the other scouts, but we couldn¡¯t find any traces of whatever grabbed them. It¡¯s probably still out there,¡± he told her.


    ¡°That seems bloody important to me,¡± Red Dog exclaimed anxiously.


    He then cast a look around the clearing as if he was expecting something to attack them then and there. Vorscha also looked taken aback and she frowned in concern. Herad cast any annoyed look at both Red Dog and Saeter. She drew one of her knives and casually flipped it through the air a few times.


    ¡°What do you think it is?¡± she asked the old scout calmly. Blacknail thought he detected more than a little repressed hostility in her stance and voice. Saeter hesitated before answering.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to guess, but since you¡¯re the one asking I don¡¯t have much choice,¡± he replied with a grimace. ¡°It¡¯s bloody unlikely but it could be a mutant of some sort. It could also be one of the Flore Kurava, although again it¡¯s unlikely¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you serious?¡± a startled Vorscha exclaimed.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Florakevera?¡± asked Red Dog in confusion as his tongue tripped over the word.


    ¡°One of the forest people,¡± Herad answered for Saeter. She had started to look thoughtful.


    ¡°Those are real?¡± Red Dog asked in surprise.


    ¡°Real as diamonds and death, just because people don¡¯t see them doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t out there. One of them could have walked into camp and killed those men without leaving a trace,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t think one did, do you?¡± Herad asked Saeter suspiciously.


    The old scout shook his head.


    ¡°No, they haven¡¯t come this far south in over a century, and it doesn¡¯t seem like something they would do. It¡¯s too petty. They would have killed more people and wouldn¡¯t have taken the bodies away. Unfortunately, the most likely option by far is that it¡¯s¡­¡± Saeter reluctantly told them before he was cut off.


    ¡°¡­Ghouls,¡± Herad hissed angrily.


    Red Dog went pale and took a step back. Vorscha started swearing and cursing nonstop, but Saeter just nodded grimly. The humans¡¯ reactions intrigued Blacknail. What were ghouls? Maybe something exciting was about to happen!


    ¡°I take it you didn¡¯t share these concerns with anyone,¡± Herad asked him sharply as Saeter shook his head in answer.


    ¡°Well, at least you did that right. How sure are you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°If it¡¯s ghouls then they¡¯ll strike again tonight,¡± he replied emotionlessly.


    Herad nodded thoughtfully. Her short black hair fell in front of her eyes and she brushed it aside.


    ¡°Then we have a lot to do before nightfall,¡± the bandit chieftain told her lieutenants.


    Herad took charge and began to lay out a plan. Before she let them go, Herad swore them all to secrecy.


    She forgot about Blacknail, but he had no idea what they had been talking about so it didn¡¯t matter. Also, he wasn¡¯t going to talk about something that would make Herad mad anyway. He liked living too much.


    The goblin followed Saeter back to their campsite. His master didn¡¯t go back to their normal routine of chores, though. He didn¡¯t even start doing something exciting for Herad. He just collapsed down onto one of the cut up logs beside the fire pit they used as chairs, with his head in his hands again. That was no fun.


    Blacknail just stood there for a few minutes as he waited for his master to do something, but Saeter didn¡¯t move. The goblin didn¡¯t know what was going on. He tilted his head to the side as he examined his master and tried to figure it out.


    Maybe his master was afraid of the ghouls? Blacknail gave his master a closer look. No, that didn¡¯t seem right. Saeter looked almost sad...


    Had someone stolen his food? That was what made Blacknail sad, but that didn¡¯t seem right either. Saeter had plenty of food stored away.


    Well, Blacknail had no intention of just standing around forever. The goblin walked over and sat beside his master. Blacknail leaned against his master¡¯s leg as he relaxed and got comfortable.


    Several seconds later, the goblin felt a hand lightly pat him on the head. It felt nice. He glanced up to see master looking down at him with a resigned expression.


    Blacknail¡¯s master had never patted him on the head before. That was more Geralhd¡¯s thing. Blacknail really wished he knew what was going on. He was starting to grow concerned.


    ¡°She might just do it,¡± Saeter remarked unhappily as he stared off into space.


    Blacknail gave him a blank look. He wasn¡¯t sure who they were even talking about. Was Saeter talking to him? He was definitely looking right at him, and there was no one else here¡­


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a great joke,¡± his master added bitterly. ¡°After all I¡¯ve been through and everything that¡¯s been lost, Herad might just succeed where I¡¯ve failed.¡±


    Blacknail thought Herad was probably better than Saeter at a lot of things. His master was obviously better at stuff like hunting though, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. Why was his master so upset?


    Saeter sighed deeply as he petted Blacknail again.


    ¡°You have no idea what I¡¯m talking about do you, goblin?¡± Saeter asked him.


    ¡°No ideas,¡± Blacknail replied as he shook his head with a confused expression on his face.


    Saeter smiled sadly down at the goblin. There seemed to be more wrinkles around his eyes than normal.


    ¡°My entire life I had one dream. It was the thing I really wanted in life. It¡¯s why I became a rebel and an outlaw. Everything I did was to unite the north and free it from the stranglehold of the south. Now here I am an old washed up failure, and Herad tells us that she plans to set herself up as bandit queen of what¡¯s left of the North! After all these years and so many lives lost its Herad that might do it. Herad the Black Snake, a murderous bitch with no allegiance to anyone but herself,¡± Saeter explained as he began to laugh wildly.


    Blacknail grew alarmed and his eyes widened as he heard Saeter¡¯s uncontrolled laughter. His master was acting very weird!


    The goblin looked around for someone or something that would calm Saeter down, but he didn¡¯t see anything. Desperately, the goblin started to think.


    His master was upset because he had failed to get something, and Herad might get it instead. It was a dream, but not like what you saw when you slept. Saeter had said it was something he¡¯d really wanted to do his entire life, and failed. Blacknail didn¡¯t have a dream like that. The closest he had to a dream was the stuff in his¡­


    The goblin got up and searched through his pouches. He found the one where he stored the things other people had forgotten about, or left lying around for other people who wanted them more. He reached into it and pulled out the shiniest bits.


    Blacknail then extended his hands and offered them to Saeter. His master stopped laughing and looked down at him. The old scout  slowly reached down and picked the items up to examine them.


    ¡°Some coins, glass beads, paper, and a golden key. Are you trying to cheer me up Blacknail?¡± he asked the goblin with a surprised tone.


    Blacknail nodded. Saeter smiled down at him.


    ¡°Where did you get the key from, though? I hope you didn¡¯t take it from Herad,¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, master¡¯s enemy with the vwagons,¡± Blacknail answered with a sly smile.


    Saeter looked confused for a minute as he tried to figure out what Blacknail meant, but then he smiled broadly.


    ¡°You mean Persus don¡¯t you. You actually stole Persus¡¯ chest key. Good boy, serves that bastard right,¡± Saeter cheerfully laughed as he patted the goblin on the head again.


    ¡°Thank you, Blacknail. I¡¯ll take the key but you can keep the rest. Now that I¡¯m done feeling sorry for myself we¡¯d better deal with this ghoul problem,¡± Saeter told him.


    Blacknail smiled back at his master. He had no idea what his master was trying to say but he was happy Saeter was no longer upset.


    Saeter then got to his feet and began to get ready. Blacknail saw him go into his tent and come out carrying a sheathed sword he had never seen before. His master usually used a bow or long knife, not a sword.


    Saeter drew the sword and held it before himself. Sunlight glinted off the blade as Saeter looked at it with a peaceful but resolved expression on his face.


    ¡°Come, Blacknail. Herad might not be anyone¡¯s choice for queen of the North, but that¡¯s fine, because I doubt she cares. So, let¡¯s deal with this ghoul infestation and then everyone else who gets in our way,¡± he announced with determination.


    The old scout sheathed the blade at his waist and walked forward. His steps were heavy with newfound purpose as he once again went forth to fight for his dream. Blacknail sauntered after him; he hoped there would be treats.

 Honor Among Thieves 10

    Darkness descended upon the Herad¡¯s base, and it began to reek of fear, as long as you were a goblin and could actually smell fear anyway.


    Even the most oblivious humans eventually started to notice the dark atmosphere that was building up. Everyone began to look nervous, and they instinctively joined together into small familiar groups for protection.


    Herad didn¡¯t like it. She wasn¡¯t sure if the situation had somehow leaked or if everyone just sensed something was wrong. Whatever the reason though, everyone was clearly not acting normally. Her mood got fouler and she scowled at everyone as she waited for nightfall.


    She had ordered the watch tripled and had her most trusted men making other preparations as well. These included another huge bonfire in the middle of the camp and a large pit she had some of the bandits digging. The fire was supposedly for a celebration and the pit was officially for storage, but even Blacknail could tell that most the bandits sensed something was off about that explanation.


    Blacknail also noticed that an unusually high amount of bandits were armed with new looking spears, and the men that had them were always standing around together. That was more than a little suspicious.


    The weapons must have come from the hoard that Herad had stolen. Spears were not a popular weapon with the outlaws normally. They were awkward to carry around.


    Blacknail observed all this with interest from where he was helping dig the pit. He liked digging, but this hole was getting sort of large. It was already deeper than he was tall. As he dug into the earth with his claws and dodged wayward shovel blades, he wondered what they were going to bury in it.


    Every once in a while the goblin would climb up and peek out of the pit to make sure he wasn¡¯t missing anything exciting. Nothing had happened yet, but everyone seemed to be holding their breath nervously and jumping at shadows.


    Soon, it grew dark enough that it was hard to see, so fires were lit to brighten the clearing. Not only the big bonfire was set aflame, several smaller fires around the clearing were lit as well.


    Finally, the pit was finished. It had been dug as deep as a man was tall, and was wide enough for a dozen men to squeeze into. After they were done, Saeter and Blacknail wandered over to Herad.


    The bandit cheiftain was standing at one corner of the camp and gazing out into the woods. Around her the sick and wounded were gathered beside a small fire. There were always a few of them around. Some of them recovered, and others didn¡¯t. Blacknail could smell the stench of rotting flesh under the sharp tangy smell of various herbs as they approached.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Herad asked Saeter.


    She didn¡¯t turn to look at them, instead she kept scrutinizing the woods at the edge of the clearing. The light from the fires pushed the shadows back all the way to the trees but didn¡¯t penetrate them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a half decent plan, as long as you don¡¯t mind risking yourself and the wounded,¡± he replied doubtfully.


    ¡°Ah well, I have less to worry about from ghouls than most. The magic that runs through my veins will make sure of that,¡± she answered him as she turned and grinned arrogantly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be overconfident. Even Vessels can fall prey to a ghoul¡¯s more mundane weapons,¡± he told her. Blacknail thought he sensed a tremor of concern in his voice.


    ¡°Just take your position and wait, old man. If you¡¯re worried about me then just make sure you don¡¯t shoot me in the back,¡± she replied scornfully as she turned back towards the woods.


    Saeter then did something unexpected. Instead of his usual farewell grunt he very quickly gave Herad a slight bow, and a humorous grin flashed across his face.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± he told her before spinning around and walking off.


    Confusion was plain on Herad¡¯s face as she gazed after Saeter inquisitively. When her eyes fell across the sword at his hip they widened in surprise, if only for a brief second before she recovered.


    Blacknail and his master left her there as they headed over to a pile of nearby crates that had been placed under a tarp strung up between several poles.


    Once there, Saeter took a seat in a shadowed corner, where he could see most the camp but was hidden from sight. He placed his bow in his lap and went still.


    Blacknail groaned. He had a pretty good idea where this was going, nowhere. Saeter was obviously laying in wait for something, and it sometimes took hours for his prey to show up.


    With a sigh, Blacknail sat down next to his master. His mind wandered. They were hunting something, probably those ghoul things. Did that mean the ghouls would be coming right into camp? That seemed very stupid unless ghouls were ridiculously tough, and if that were the case then what good would a bow do?


    The camp slowly ground to a halt around them. As nervous and afraid as most of the bandits were, the majority of them still weren¡¯t going to stay up the entire night. Eventually, the ground was littered with sleeping bodies. Most of them were huddled around brightly lit fires.


    Herad¡¯s extra guards patrolled the border of the camp in large groups. As he sat there, bored out of his mind, Blacknail noticed that they seemed to be avoiding the part of the camp where Herad and the wounded where. Herad herself seemed to be just sitting by the fire and resting.


    His master had mentioned something about bait. Blacknail sniggered quietly. Were they using Herad as part of the bait? That was ridiculous. No beast could possibly be stupid enough to go after Herad. That would just be suicide, but if they did try it then it would certainly be amusing!


    Blacknail yawned and thought about trying to sleep, but he quickly decided against it. He wanted to stay up and see these ghoul things, and Saeter would probably just wake him up anyway. That¡¯s what he usually did when they went hunting.


    As the campfires began to die down, Blacknail watched a group of bandits emerge from the dark woods and stroll over to the wounded area without much interest. He was beginning to think nothing exciting would ever happen, until the sound of cloth shifting from behind startled him.


    Saeter had leaned forward and was watching the new group of bandits very carefully. He slowly prepped his bow. Blacknail¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise, and he threw another look at the group of approaching men.


    They seemed normal, and were probably just coming back from relieving themselves in the forest or something. At least that¡¯s what he thought at first, but as they moved closer to the dimming light of the fires Blacknail began to notice several oddities.


    Their clothes were very similar to the rough and dirty outfits most the bandits wore but they were in even worse shape. It was hard to notice in the darkness but these men were wrapped in little more than rags.


    Maybe these bandits had been attacked, and that was why they were headed to the wounded area. That might explain Saeter¡¯s interest in them.


    The next odd thing the goblin noticed was how the men were weirdly in synch. It was subtle, they moved like they were aware of each other at all times, like a pack of predators, or even one single being. Humans didn¡¯t move like that, Blacknail realized with a shock.


    The things that looked like men were almost upon the wounded now. A small gust of wind blew past Blacknail, and brought a new scent with it. It smelled human but also of sickness.


    Blacknail realized that the scent had been around for a while, but he hadn¡¯t recognized it before now. It had been too slight.


    ¡°Not men!¡± Blacknail whispered nervously to Saeter.


    His master apparently believed him because he nodded and strung an arrow to his bow. Then, he rose to his feet and sighted on one of the things.


    The call of a night bird issued from Saeter¡¯s lips mere moments before an arrow flew from his bow. The arrow hissed through the air and impaled itself into the chest of one of the man things, knocking it down to the ground with a hollow slapping sound.


    Soon, another dozen arrows leapt out of the darkness towards their targets. Saeter¡¯s bird call had been the signal to attack.


    The sudden shower of arrows fell upon the things Blacknail assumed to be ghouls. Arrows slammed into the ghouls¡¯ bodies and heads. Most of them fell to the ground and twitched.


    Blacknail was actually sort of disappointed. He had been expecting something much more exciting to happen. This was too easy.


    Then, the ghouls began to pull themselves back up onto their feet. The arrows sticking out from their bodies didn¡¯t stop them, or even slow them down. One after another, the thin ragged figures rose.


    A cacophony of inhuman hisses filled the air, as the now obviously inhuman creatures burst forward towards their targets with unnatural speed. The nearby bandits and the wounded shouted fearfully in alarm.


    Herad rose to meet them from where she had been hidden among the injured. Her sword leapt into her right hand as a long dagger appeared in the other. Her black cloak flapped behind her and her blades flashed through the air as she lunged forward to intercept the ghouls.


    Beside Blacknail, Saeter cursed and leapt to his feet, as he drew his own blade. The goblin heard other outlaws react behind him.


    ¡°There are more of the bloody damned things than we thought,¡± Saeter spat angrily as he rushed towards the ghouls.


    Blacknail tentatively followed his master from a few paces back. It wasn¡¯t that he was scared; obviously, he just didn¡¯t want to get in the way.


    Ahead of them, Herad had engaged the ghouls in a lightning fast melee. She danced around them and their wild attacks. Her blades sliced into them and sent spurts of unsettling black blood into the air,  but she didn¡¯t seem to be doing any real damage to the creatures. They just kept coming.


    There were seven ghouls and only four of them were armed with any sort of weapon. Two had swords, one wielded a long dagger, and one clumsily swung a lumber axe around. The unarmed ones seemed perfectly happy to attack with their bare hands, and they made up for their lack of skill with pure speed and inhuman ferocity.


    As Blacknail followed Saeter closer he got a better look at Herad¡¯s assailants. Every one of them was skinny and their exposed skin was a pale wormy white that reminded him of maggot flesh.


    The hoods and scarves that had been covering their faces had fallen from several of them as they fought, to reveal hairless heads and horribly gaunt faces with black eyes empty of everything but mad hunger.


    The ghouls kept throwing themselves forward in a ravenous berserk rage, while ignoring any damage they took in the progress. Herad ducked under a wild axe¡¯s swing to counter with a knife stab to her opponent¡¯s chest. She had to quickly withdraw though, as another ghoul came up from her other side and slashed at her with its rusty dagger.


    She threw herself back to avoid the blow but ended up off balance and too close to another ghoul. Its jaws stretched wide as it screamed ravenously and swung a clawed hand at her face. The blow connected and sent her spiraling across the earth.


    While the creatures appeared to be unthinking berserkers, they fought so well together they almost seemed to be in formation. The pack of ghouls split in two as three of them circled Herad and the other four broke off and made a dash for the injured and sick.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Those of the wounded who could move were now running, but not all of them were so lucky. Screams of terror and pain filled the night as the ghouls tore through the wounded bandits.


    Herad pulled herself to her feet as she eyed the ghouls circling her. She raised her dagger hand to wipe her face, and scowled as it came away covered in blood. She had a bloody gash down the side of her face.  The bandit chieftain spat towards the closest ghoul, raised her weapons, and then threw herself back into the fight.


    By this time Saeter had reached the ghouls who were feasting upon the still twitching corpses of the injured. They were between him and Herad. He rushed over and launched a series of slashes at a ghoul that was bent over and stuffing its mouth full of bloody human flesh.


    His attack only gave the pale monstrosity a few superficial cuts and forced it to take a step back. Then all at once, the nearby ghouls hissed, and rose from where they had been frantically eating their grisly meals to face him.


    Luckily for him, the closest patrol and Vorscha were right behind him. The spearmen drove the ghouls back as the creatures all tried to rush teh old scout. The bandits thrust their spears forward all together. A wall of iron blade tips pushed the outnumbered creatures back.


    Half the ghouls almost immediately ended up impaled on several long spears that held them in place. The other two made it through.


    The first ghoul knocked a spear aside and leaped over the rest in a frightening lunge attack, but Vorscha was ready and her spear punched right through its chest before it could land. She then swung the stunned airborne ghoul around and slammed her spear¡¯s tip into a nearby barrel. The ghoul flailed and spat, but was stuck and couldn¡¯t move.


    As the second ghoul attacked, a bandit shoved his spear tip through its guts. It kept coming; the creature started pulling itself up the now black and bloody spear shaft to get at the weapon¡¯s wielder.


    The seemingly unstoppable ghoul was finished off when Saeter brought his blade down in a two handed swing that cleaved into its neck. The creature shuddered violently and vomited up black blood that smelled like putrid meat. Then, it went limp.


    Meanwhile, Herad was desperately trying to keep the other three ghouls at bay. She had broken out of their encirclement but had to constantly keep moving and attacking to prevent them from regaining it.


    The bandit chieftain had also managed to disable the arm of one ghoul with a heavy strike, and it now hung uselessly at the ghoul¡¯s side. Another limped as it chased after her and black blood oozed from a deep cut on its thigh. However, it was clear that she was getting slower while the ghouls appeared incapable of pain or exhaustion. They just kept coming and would eventually drag her down.


    Saeter looked up from where he was fighting and saw that Herad was in trouble. He stepped back from the spearmen and moved over to get a clearer view. He then sheathed his sword and took up the bow he had across his back. Carefully he set up a shot.


    As the uninjured ghoul fighting Herad stopped to screech, Saeter¡¯s arrow took it through the side of the head. It fell over and begun to flop around on the ground like a huge desiccated maggot. That left Herad fighting only the two injured ghouls.


    She whirled in to attack the ghoul with only one working arm from its vulnerable side, before the limping ghoul could catch up. Her sword bit into its undefended neck, and black blood sprayed out as it collapsed. The limping ghoul then lunged at her in an attempt to catch her off balance.


    Herad saw it coming and whipped her dagger through the air and into the ghoul¡¯s eye socket. It screamed and shuddered for a few seconds before stepping forward to resume its attack.


    That was all the time Herad needed. She turned, drew another dagger, and then unleashed a whirlwind of slashes at the last ghoul. It tried to ignore them and charge her but Herad slid easily out of its way.


    The mass of little cuts all over its body and the knife embedded in its eye began to wear the ghoul down. It faltered and Herad¡¯s sword tore its throat out.


    The pale creature started twitching but remained upright as it gazed malevolently at Herad. Blood gushed from its torn throat as it launched itself at Herad yet again. She dodged to the side, as the ghoul collapsed mid-leap. Now, none of the creatures were left standing.


    Herad slowed and stopped moving. She was breathing heavily and the gash down her cheek was bleeding steadily.


    She stared at the three disabled ghouls on the ground in front of her for a few seconds to make sure they weren¡¯t going to get back up. She then groaned and dropped her weapons.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the easy part out of the way,¡± she told Saeter, as he ran up and tossed her a bag of medical supplies.


    The scout grunted in reply and she began wiping herself off and applying a salve to her face.


    Once she was done Herad ordered the spearmen to keep everyone away from what was left of the ghouls. Blacknail tried to get a closer look at the remains but the spearmen shooed him away. The goblin wasn¡¯t too upset, the creatures¡¯ mangled bodies smelled really bad anyway.


    Herad then had some of her men use their spears to push the ghouls onto a tarp, and had the tarp dumped into the pit Blacknail had helped dig. Everything touched by the ghouls or their blood was thrown in the pit.


    This included clothes, even Herad¡¯s. She stripped off her leathers and threw them in as well. Blacknail got a brief glimpse of a thin, muscular, and scarred body for a second before Vorscha draped a clean cloak over her boss¡¯ shoulders and handed her some new clothes.


    ¡°Damned ghouls! I liked that armor. At least we shouldn¡¯t have to worry about further infection now,¡± Herad cursed.


    ¡°True, but we still have to worry about those already infected. Those ghouls probably already infiltrated the camp several times before they got hungry enough to start abducting people,¡± Saeter responded.


    He then cast a disturbed look towards the remains of the wounded who had been used to lure the ghouls out. He clearly didn¡¯t like that they had been used as bait.


    ¡°What about you? How do I know you¡¯re not infected?¡± Herad asked him with an upraised eyebrow.


    ¡°I always carry a flask of powdered silver and garlic extract on me just for occasions like this,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Expensive and paranoid, I approve. If I wasn¡¯t already immune I would have to steal it from you,¡± Herad said as she flashed him a quick grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only reason I told you. Just don¡¯t ask me to share. I barely have enough for myself,¡± he said.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Here I was hoping to skip this next part,¡± she responded as she began walking towards the center of the camp.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Saeter told her. ¡°We¡¯re still going to have to lock the camp down and isolate everyone as much as possible. You won¡¯t know who is infected until the disease progresses enough that silver and garlic start burning them, and even then you have worry about the turned breaking out and spreading the disease further.¡±


    ¡°How many ghoul attacks have you seen Saeter?¡± Herad asked him with sudden curiosity.


    ¡°Three now, and that¡¯s far too many,¡± he answered with a scowl.


    Blacknail was trailing his master. They walked by a group of shocked looking bandits who were seated around a fire. The goblin was glad to be away from the creepy ghoul things. They didn¡¯t act like animals at all.


    Blacknail took a deep breath of clean air to calm himself, but sneezed violently when a unwelcome scent tickled his nose. Instinctively, he turned to look at one of the nearby bandits and began sniffing. Curious now, he moved closer to get a better scent.


    Saeter stopped and gave the goblin an inquiring look.


    ¡°What are you doing, Blacknail?¡± he asked the goblin.


    ¡°Smell ghouls,¡± Blacknail replied as he gazed intently at one man who was sitting nearby.


    The bandit was now staring back at Blacknail with a very concerned look on his face. Before the man could say anything though, Herad walked over and gave him a look. The man wilted under her attention. It was impressive how without even speaking she could give orders, like shut up or I¡¯ll stab you.


    ¡°You can smell infection?¡± she asked the goblin.


    It was the first time she had ever addressed Blacknail directly. The goblin froze as he suddenly became the center of everyone¡¯s undivided attention. The bandit chieftain¡¯s dark stare was making him very uncomfortable and upsetting his stomach.


    ¡°He smell little like ghoul,¡± the startled goblin replied, and Herad smiled viciously at his response.


    ¡°Well now, I guess you¡¯ve finally made yourself useful,¡± she told him.


    A pleased Herad quickly had Blacknail tour the camp and sniff everyone. If someone smelled wrong, or if Blacknail just didn¡¯t like them, several of Herad¡¯s goons dragged them away.


    The infected were isolated until they could be tested. Archers were put into position around the infected zone to kill them from a distance if they tried anything. None of them did. Herad made it plain what would happen to people who tried to run, and no one wanted to test her.


    Eventually, the disease progressed enough that the bandits could be tested. Blacknail watched with interest as a small silver knife was applied to their skin. The flesh of the infected burned and rose into red welts at its touch.


    Then came the killing, the burned couldn¡¯t be saved. Herad either decapitated them or they were brought down by archers as they tried to flee.


    Their corpses were then thrown into the pit along with stacks of firewood. As everyone watched in silence, a stone faced Herad dropped a torch in the hole. Roaring flames burst out and consumed all trace of the dead.


    The camp was quiet and morose for several days after that. Between the raid on the weapon caravan and the ghoul attack the population of the camp had been drastically reduced. Many of the bandits had lost friends or comrades, some of them had even taken a hand in their friends¡¯ deaths.


    There were exceptions to this, though. As usual, Herad revealed no attachment to anyone but herself, and Saeter thought most of the bandits were scum anyway.


    Oddly enough, these events caused Blacknail to make some new friends. A few of the sick had been identified early enough that they were able to cure themselves with powdered silver and garlic. Without the goblin¡¯s warning they would have never known they were infected.


    Blacknail thus became popular with several bandits. They even began sneaking him treats, and he started putting on weight. Not only was he getting yummy food, but he also started to feel like a real member of the tribe! Herad herself had told him he was useful. She never told anyone that!


    Then one night, Blacknail the goblin curled up and went to sleep next to his master¡¯s tent for the last time.

 Interlude: Ember in Ashes

    Saeter woke from sleep feeling tired and sore, which he supposed just meant he hadn¡¯t grown any younger overnight. The ground was hard beneath him even with a blanket between him and it, but he had become used to the feeling over the years. He had spent so many nights sleeping on the earth that softness now seemed alien and uncomfortable to him.


    He opened his eyes to see the morning light slipping through the cloth walls of his small cozy tent. With a grunt and a not inconsiderable act of will he tossed his blankets off and quickly got dressed. That done he took a small sip of water from the canteen beside his bed; his mouth was always dry in the morning.


    His morning ritual complete, Saeter flipped open the flap of his tent and stepped outside into the crisp morning air. As was usual lately, the sight of the outlaw camp greeted him as he looked around.


    Once he was sure no one was close he let out a small sigh of fatigue before forcing himself to get his gear together for this morning¡¯s hunt. He just didn¡¯t have the energy he used to have. A lot of people called Saeter an old man, but he knew he wasn¡¯t one, even if he was just barely the oldest person around.


    It was simply that his lifestyle had aged him, and kept demanding more from him when he had little left to give. He had seen somewhere around 40 winters, but had forgotten the exact amount. In his youth he had known many men and women over that age and well beyond it, but they were rare out in the wilds.


    He refused to let himself give in to misery though. Out here in the green was exactly where he wanted to be. In his youth he had loved the forest and that feeling had never left him. He could not think of a better place to live and die than the wilds of the North.


    Saeter¡¯s heart fluttered slightly and his soul stirred as he remembered recent events. The dream he had thought long dead had shown the tiniest bit of life again after all these years. Hope it seemed, could do what all else couldn¡¯t, make him feel young again.


    As Saeter looked around he spotted Blacknail sleeping in his usual spot, and a small smile crept onto his face. The goblin had dug himself a shallow dirt bed and was hidden under his blanket.


    Blacknail had sure been a great find. When he had first seen the little beast he had just thought he might be useful for carrying things and such.


    Saeter was past the point where he wanted to be dragging carcasses through the woods for half a day. He wasn¡¯t about to ask one of the other scouts for aid though, he could still keep up just fine by himself. He didn¡¯t need other people¡¯s help just because he was getting older.


    After Saeter had taken him in Blacknail had quickly proven to be so much more than just a porter. First, he had impressed Saeter with his intelligence and how swiftly he had learned. He had shown he could do almost any simple task that Saeter took the time to teach him.


    Then the goblin had shown far more loyalty and discipline than Saeter had thought goblins were capable of. Saeter had thought the goblin would try to run before a few days were up, and with as much of his stuff as the goblin could carry. That hadn¡¯t happened; instead the goblin had clearly become attached to him.


    Sure Blacknail might be kind of ugly and cowardly, but he had also shown his loyalty beyond a doubt. Saeter didn¡¯t know what he would do if the little guy wasn¡¯t around anymore.


    The old man walked over and gave Blacknail a kick to wake him up. Blacknail however didn¡¯t stir. Saeter frowned. This was unusual, the goblin always at least turned to look at Saeter when his master woke him each morning. Saeter gave him a harder kick. Blacknail still didn¡¯t move.


    With newfound concern Saeter reached down and pulled the blanket free from the goblin¡¯s form. It snagged on something and wouldn¡¯t come free though. Saeter gave it a little twist and it came off. The blanket had gotten stuck on Blacknail¡¯s little horns, that was all. It was nothing to worry about. His horns¡­


    ¡°Misery and bloody damnation. Corodus drown you in vile darkness you miserable bastards!¡± Saeter swore vehemently as he punched the air and shook with rage.


    Swearing was hardly unusual in the bandit camp but Saeter¡¯s tirade drew the attention of everyone within earshot. He got quite a few concerned looks and several laughs.


    Saeter didn¡¯t give damn what the people around him thought but he forced himself to calm down, and chided himself for using a god¡¯s name in a curse. That was terribly bad luck, and would only make things worse.


    Suppressing his rage and his unacknowledged fear Saeter threw the blanket back down over the goblin and stomped off to find Herad. He really didn¡¯t want to speak to Herad though, she had always¡­ no this wasn¡¯t the time for that. Saeter focused and pressed onwards.


    He made his way to Herad¡¯s commandeered farmhouse and marched up to the door. The usual two guards were there in front of it. Saeter didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with them.


    ¡°Move or I¡¯ll shoot you,¡± he growled as he stomped towards them.


    The two men¡¯s eyes went wide in surprise and they hurriedly stepped out of his way. Saeter wondered why Herad even bothered with them. They were obviously useless as guards. Knowing Herad she probably just wanted to keep them away from anything important. One of them spoke out as he moved out of the way.


    ¡°She¡¯s not actually in there, Saeter. She went to find Red Dog,¡± the startled man told him.


    Saeter glowered at him from where he was standing in front of the door with one hand ready to knock. He huffed and then turned back the way he had come. The stupid ruffians should have mentioned that Herad was out right away, instead of wasting his time.


    Saeter turned around and started walking again. He thought Red Dog¡¯s lean-to was over by the south end of the camp, so he headed that way.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even have a bow,¡± one of the bandits remarked as Saeter stomped off.


    Saeter realized they were right, he could have sworn he had strapped it to his back earlier. Well, it wasn¡¯t like he needed a bow to show those brutes who was boss anyway. Right now he had much more important things to do.


    He passed several groups of early risers cooking or just sitting around their campfires as he headed across the camp. When he got close to Red Dog¡¯s site he looked ahead and saw Herad talking to Red Dog and Vorscha.


    Geralhd was standing in the background being a useless lump and following Vorscha around as usual. That stupid young man didn¡¯t realize what it took to survive out in the North.


    Red Dog saw him coming and said something to Herad. She turned to look at Saeter as he approached. She mustn¡¯t have liked the look on his face because she grimaced at him. Vorchsa also gave Saeter a confused look. Bah, what did he care what they thought!


    Saeter walked over to them without saying anything. Now that he was here he was a little lost for words. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what would be the best way to say what he wanted. As he thought it over Herad gave him an exasperated look.


    ¡°What¡¯s got up your backend, Saeter,¡± she asked him rudely. Saeter glowered at her. He was having trouble controlling his emotions.


    ¡°It¡¯s about Blacknail,¡± he hesitantly answered. Herad waved him off.


    ¡°Yes yes, he¡¯s made himself quite useful. You can keep the goblin. I¡¯ll even lay off about that stupid promise of yours about Werick,¡± she replied dismissively. Saeter froze in surprise.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was saying. I can¡¯t keep the goblin because¡­¡± he started to say but Herad interrupted him with an annoyed look.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be telling me that now you want to get rid of him?¡± she asked in disbelief. Everyone around them also looked confused or surprised.


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t keep the goblin because I no longer have one,¡± Saeter explained. This just earned him more confused looks.


    ¡°He ran off?¡± Vorscha asked at the same time Gerlahd yelled, ¡°You killed him?¡±


    Saeter scowled at them. These people were idiots.


    ¡°Listen Saeter, just come out and say it. Oh, and if you¡¯re playing some sort stupid game here where you¡¯re trying to make me ask you to keep the goblin then I will stab you. Are we clear?¡± Herad told him with an annoyed tone.


    Saeter took a second to gather his thoughts before responding. He decided to be thorough in his answer so there would be no more stupid questions, or stabbings. He knew he was too useful for Herad to kill but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t hurt him. She would undoubtedly enjoy it.


    ¡°Blacknail wouldn¡¯t wake up this morning, plus he¡¯s growing horns. That means he¡¯s gone into a sort of hibernation that goblins go into when they¡¯re transforming into hobgoblins,¡± he explained carefully.


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    Everyone¡¯s reaction to this news was different. Herad¡¯s face instantly went blank so Saeter had no idea what she was thinking. Vorscha looked confused, while Geralhd looked excited, and Red Dog had a horrified expression on his face. Saeter scowled and waited for them to start asking him dumb questions.


    ¡°I thought goblins and hobgoblins were two different things,¡± Vorscha said first. It was Geralhd that answered her.


    ¡°No, hobgoblins are a rare and usually latent adult form of goblins. No one is quite sure what causes the transformation to occur when it¡¯s obviously not needed for breeding, but it¡¯s a fascinating question. Some salamanders do something similar,¡± he explained enthusiastically as Vorscha threw him an amused look.


    ¡°He¡¯s transforming because you kept sneaking him treats! I had him on a diet for this very reason, you idiot,¡± Saeter told the now guiltily flushing young man.


    Saeter knew he was partly to blame because he had stopped enforcing that rule lately, but he would never admit it. He had even noticed Blacknail was putting on weight and hadn¡¯t done anything about it because he had gotten too attached to the goblin. That was stupid.


    ¡°Huh, I guess that means little Blacknail is growing up,¡± Vorscha commented.


    ¡°What it means is that we need to kill him,¡± Red Dog told them angrily.


    Geralhd looked shocked at his words but Saeter had known this was coming. If Red Dog didn¡¯t say it than over half the camp was still sure to. Hobgoblins were very far from popular.


    ¡°I need? Watch your language,¡± Herad told Red Dog with a raised eyebrow. He paused and then hastily rephrased himself.


    ¡°We should kill him. Hobgoblins are bloody dangerous. They¡¯re killers that would rather slit a man¡¯s throat than look at them. There¡¯s a reason most countries have a bounty on their ugly green heads. Evil and ruin follow them. Taking one for a pet would be like taking a sea serpent for a mount. It can only end one way,¡± he exclaimed angrily.


    Herad¡¯s face was still blank and unrevealing. She seemed content to let the others speak, and Saeter wanted to wait and see what the others thought before saying anything himself. Geralhd huffed condescendingly at Red Dog.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing but myth and superstition. It¡¯s left over nonsense from the Goblin Wars, which weren¡¯t even real wars. They just involved the early colonists killing a whole lot of goblin tribes as they cleared the land. As for the bounty, well there¡¯s a bigger bounty on your head Red Dog. Also, you kill people all the time and you don¡¯t see me being all terrified of you,¡± Geralhd argued.


    ¡°I can take a hobgoblin easy,¡± Vorscha added as she stood tall and crossed her arms in front of her. Red Dog ignored her and turned to Geralhd.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that scholar crap, city boy. I¡¯ve actually fought a hobgoblin before and it killed a good friend of mine. If you had actually ever been anywhere near one before then you would be dead! No one here should even be considering letting one into camp. They¡¯re accursed savage fiends. That¡¯s even what hob means, it means demon!¡± Red Dog replied as his face grew red with anger.


    ¡°That shows the worth of your so called knowledge, Red Dog. Hob comes from an old Imperial word for home. The original settlers called them hobgoblins because they were more tribal than normal goblins, and would occasionally build their own shelter. It was only after the Goblin Wars that ignorant people, like you, begun to associate them with demons,¡± Gerlahd explained to Red Dog, as the man grew angrier.


    Red Dog looked like he was about to explode and take Geralhd out with him, but Herad intervened.


    ¡°What do you want to do, Saeter?¡± she asked him plainly.


    Saeter wished he had some idea of what she was thinking, but she had always been a mystery to him in every situation that didn¡¯t immediately lead to violence.


    He sighed. The easiest thing would be to get rid of Blacknail, maybe they could leave him out in the woods somewhere instead of killing him. There were a bunch of problems with that though, like what would stop him from just coming right back. Saeter knew he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill Blacknail either.


    ¡°I can control him. It won¡¯t be a problem,¡± he heard himself say, much to his own surprise.


    Red Dog scowled at him but Saeter just scowled back, and he had far more experience at it.


    ¡°This is a terrible idea. They eat people!¡± Red Dog yelled.


    ¡°It¡¯s just one hobgoblin, Red. Do you really think something even smaller than you is so scary,¡± Vorscha asked him teasingly.


    ¡°¡­and as if Blacknail would hurt us!¡± Gerlahd added.


    Saeter tried not to wince at the young man¡¯s naivety. Hobgoblins were dangerous, but then again everyone in this camp was. When Geralhd finally got himself killed it was much more likely to be another bandit that did it rather than anything else.


    ¡°Why is he even involved in this conversation? He¡¯s a rookie, and a stupid one,¡± Red Dog asked as he pointed to Geralhd.


    Saeter thought he actually had a good point there but kept his mouth shut. Geralhd was being a useful idiot this time around.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ve decided,¡± Herad announced before anyone else could say something.


    ¡°Saeter can keep Blacknail, as long as he manages to keep him under control. That nose of his is useful enough to be worth a little risk, but one incident and he¡¯s gone.¡±


    Saeter felt a wave of relief wash over him, and let out a deep relaxed breath. He had been unsure of what Herad would decide; she had never been predictable. When he had seen Blacknail¡¯s horns that morning he had known right away that he had a very good chance of losing his pet.


    With the discussion over Red Dog and Geralhd started arguing, as Herad stepped away and spoke with Vorscha. Having accomplished his goal Saeter headed back to his campsite to check on Blacknail. He really didn¡¯t feel like more conversation and he had lots to do, especially now that Blacknail wouldn¡¯t be around to help out for awhile.


    Of course now that he had gotten Herad¡¯s permission to keep Blacknail he had to actually come up with some way to do what no one had ever accomplished before, tame a hobgoblin.


    Saeter sighed. He had a feeling it was going to be a long and dangerous job. No matter what Geralhd naively believed hobgoblins had a bad reputation for good reasons. They were cunning and they were blood thirsty, and that combination of traits had been the end of many men.


    A hobgoblin might not be quite as strong as a man and far weaker than a troll or ogre but neither of those would track a man unseen through the woods for miles and cut his throat when his guard was down. They also wouldn¡¯t lure someone into a well prepared ambush by a pack of goblins. Cunning could be far more dangerous than brute strength sometimes.


    Taming one would not be easy, even if it was Blacknail. When he woke up the former goblin would have a lot of new instincts clamoring around in his head that would make him hard to keep under control. Hobgoblins were aggressive and territorial, so getting one to obey orders would be tricky.


    It would definitely be a challenge, but Saeter intended to meet it. The price of failure wasn¡¯t acceptable, and besides he had never accomplished anything like it before. No one had, and that was what made it interesting.


    Saeter reached his campsite and looked down at Blacknail. The little green goblin was still lying there without moving, but his chest was definitely rising and falling as he breathed. The wind had blown his blanket off so Saeter got a good look at him.


    As he had noticed before two tiny horns were starting to grow from Blacknail¡¯s skull, and the recent weight he had put on was disappearing as the goblin consumed it to feed his growth. He already seemed noticeably taller to Saeter¡¯s eyes, and Saeter knew he would be growing quite a bit more over the next few days.


    Saeter sighed in exasperation. Blacknail was certainly causing him a lot of trouble. Having a hobgoblin around was going to piss quite a few people off. The goblin was supposed to make his life easier, not harder. He was definitely going to have to work Blacknail even harder than normal, once he woke up, to make up for it.


    ¡°Alright then, Blacknail you stupid little beast, if you¡¯re going to be of any use to me at all later I can¡¯t just leave you here outside in the weather,¡± Saeter mumbled as he reached down and gently picked the goblin up.


    He then carried him into his tent where it would be warmer and Blacknail could sleep undisturbed until Saeter could arrange some better shelter of his own.

 Written in Blood 1

    Blacknail was just hanging around. Also, since he had nothing better to do he was reexamining some of the choices he had made recently.


    He wasn¡¯t quite sure why things had gone the way they had, but it didn¡¯t help that he was very new at all this. He was new at reexamining things that is. Although, this was also the first time he had been hung from a tree by his ankle.


    The hobgoblin jerked around again as he tried to pull himself up and reach the rope noose around his ankle so he could cut it with his claws. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t muster the strength and all his efforts did was send him swaying back and forth through the air. He also started to get more than a little nauseous.


    With a hiss of frustration Blacknail gave up and decided to wait for Saeter to come back out of his tent. The upside down forest spun and swayed around him as he waited. He should have known better than to try and go against his master.


    Blacknail had thought for sure that he had come up with a good way to show Saeter that he couldn¡¯t just boss him around. Apparently, he had been wrong.


    It had all started several days ago. Blacknail had awoken to find himself in a strange lean-to out in the middle of the woods. This had confused him because he was fairly sure he had gone to sleep in a completely different place. Where were all the human bandits?


    Still sleepy but somewhat alarmed he had gotten up and looked around. To his relief he had spotted the familiar outline of Saeter¡¯s tent off to one side, and another tent alongside it.


    Blacknail had quickly come to the conclusion that the fact that his master¡¯s tent was nearby meant that he hadn¡¯t been abandoned. It must have been Saeter that had brought him here while he slept.


    Curious as to why he had been moved he decided to find his master and ask. So he had tried walking over to the tents, only to immediately trip over his own feet, and find out what the nearby dirt tasted like. Bleh!


    It was then he had looked down and discovered that his body had changed.


    At first he had thought that he had simply lost a lot of weight and gotten skinnier, but he soon realized that all his limbs were actually longer. That had confused him quite a bit.


    Then he had heard a snigger of laughter and looked over to see one of the scouts from the camp grinning at him from a few feet away. He had growled at the man in annoyance. Who was he to laugh at Blacknail?


    ¡°Hey Saeter, your hobgoblin¡¯s finally awake and he¡¯s grumpy as a hungry bear,¡± the man named Varhs had yelled as he had measured Blacknail with his gaze. He hadn¡¯t seemed impressed.


    His master had then arrived and immediately ordered Blacknail to do all his usual chores. For some reason this had made Blacknail angry and resentful, but he had stifled his emotions and done as he was told.


    He was rewarded with a large slab of meat that he had hungrily scoffed down before getting back to work. Saeter should have given him more though.


    ¡°Why I bigger?¡± he had asked Saeter as he gutted and skinned a rabbit. His new longer and more dexterous fingers had made the work easier and faster.


    ¡°You¡¯ve turned into a hobgoblin. It happens to some goblins. They get taller and meaner,¡± his master had explained in his usual gruff voice.


    Blacknail had remembered his master mentioning hobgoblins before in the past, so he had grudgingly accepted that explanation. He still suspected Saeter was withholding information from him though.


    His head had felt weirdly light, and part of it had been whispering that he couldn¡¯t trust his master. Blacknail¡¯s thoughts had strayed while he worked. Why should everyone keep telling him what to do? He had gotten smarter and larger so why shouldn¡¯t he be in charge?


    Saeter had then reached over to hand the hobgoblin a rabbit hide, but Blacknail had felt a stab of unease at the man¡¯s closeness and pulled away.


    Saeter had frowned at the hobgoblin¡¯s reaction and scrutinized him for a second before tossing him the pelt and turning away. Blacknail had taken this as more evidence that his master was lying to him or tricking him somehow.


    Saeter had kept Blacknail busy all that day doing chores, but he had quickly figured out that they were mostly make-work. This really annoyed the hobgoblin. Why was his master doing this to him? Didn¡¯t he deserve better? Why should Saeter boss him around anyway?


    He had started to let a bit of hostility slip into his gaze as his eyes followed Saeter around. Saeter had noticed and met the gaze but hadn¡¯t said anything, instead he had simply beaten Blacknail repetitively with a stick.


    Of course, Saeter had claimed it was some sort of training but Blacknail hadn¡¯t really believed him. After the chores were done to Saeter¡¯s satisfaction he had thrown Blacknail a wooden sword, and begun to teach him swordsmanship.


    ¡°This is how every hot blooded youngster learns respect and discipline. It worked on me so it should work on you. Now I know you don¡¯t like hitting people but from now on you¡¯re going to have to,¡± he had told Blacknail.


    He had then shown the hobgoblin how to hold the mock weapon, while the other man Varhs had silently watched them. Blacknail had noticed that Varhs had a real sword at his side, not a mock blade. It had struck him as very suspicious, but he was soon distracted from his musings.


    The next part of sword training had involved Saeter yelling at Blacknail about how he was doing everything wrong, and the hobgoblin being smacked with the wooden blade over and over again.


    This had infuriated Blacknail, and really hurt. Uncontrollable rage had poured out from some new depth within him, and Blacknail had hissed and snarled as he tried to block the blows. His mouth had watered at the thought of biting into Saeter¡¯s flesh, but even with a sword of his own he couldn¡¯t defend himself against Saeter¡¯s skillful attacks and longer reach.


    At first he had simply tried to defend, but Saeter had yelled and hit him over and over again until Blacknail had grown so angry he had lost all control. He had forgotten his usual rule against harming humans and swung out at Saeter¡¯s head. Saeter had given him permission anyway.


    When Saeter had easily dodged that blow Blacknail had launched himself at Saeter, dropped his wooden practice sword, and reached out to tear the man apart with his bare claws. That had been a very bad idea.


    As Blacknail sprung towards him Saeter had slipped to the side, and brought his blunt blade down in a two handed swing against Blacknail¡¯s head. The resulting blow had hurt a lot, stunned the hobgoblin, and given him his second taste of dirt that day. It hadn¡¯t tasted very good.


    Then Saeter had yelled at Blacknail until he got to his feet and continued. He hadn¡¯t even been angry about being attacked, but he was angry about how bad the attack had been.


    Eventually a very tired and sore Blacknail had simply collapsed from exhaustion, after what seemed like hours of futile attack attempts. Only then had Saeter called it a day.


    Saeter had thrown the prone hobgoblin his dinner and instructed him to go to bed, and Blacknail had. He had been too tired to even think of arguing.


    The next few days had been more of the same, chores in the morning and beatings at night. Blacknail had begun to grow frustrated and a hatred of Saeter had developed deep within him. His head had felt so strange and weird. Strange new thoughts kept popping up. He had been sure everything would feel better when he was in charge though.


    As soon as they started sparring again Blacknail had tried to hit his master, but could never quite manage it. So he had grown even more spiteful and hostile. He¡¯d begun to growl and hiss every time he saw Saeter, or the other man Varhs.


    They were both obviously out to get him, and prevent him from taking his rightful place as the alpha. They weren¡¯t even hobgoblins!


    Then that morning he had awoken early, and in fit of anger he had snuck up on the tent where his master was sleeping. He hadn¡¯t known what he was going to do when he got there, only that it would involve sweet revenge. Maybe he would have stolen some things, or broken Saeter¡¯s stuff. He never had a chance to find out.


    It had been a trap.


    As he had crept silently along the path to Saeter¡¯s tent from his sleeping place something had snagged the hobgoblin¡¯s foot and violently flung him into the air.


    After a surprised shriek, he had quickly realized that he had stepped in something like a giant rabbit trap that had been hidden under some leaves. He had flushed in embarrassment at the thought of being as stupid as a rabbit.


    The noise caused by a startled hobgoblin being pulled into the air by a small unfurling tree had caused Saeter to come out to investigate. He had walked out of his tent, seen Blacknail, grunted, and then gone back inside to sleep. Blacknail had been too ashamed to say anything, so he had just hung there quietly for a few hours.


    At least it had given him a lot of time to think. His anger had long since faded away. Maybe it was just because hanging upside down made his head feel weird in a completely different way, but looking back he really didn¡¯t understand what he had been thinking.


    Over the past few days he had not been acting like himself at all.


    Even now some part of Blacknail wanted to wrap his hands around Saeter¡¯s neck and choke him for tricking him like this. He would never have thought of doing that before. Was he so angry all the time because he was a hobgoblin now? Could he somehow go back to how he had been before?


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    Wait a second¡­ why was he asking himself all these weird questions? He had never done that before. In fact he was still doing it; he was thinking about everything, even other things he was thinking about. What if he couldn¡¯t stop! That would be horrible. All right, stop thinking right now!


    ¡­was it working?


    Luckily for Blacknail his train of thought was interrupted as Saeter emerged from his tent again. He then looked up at the hobgoblin expectantly.


    ¡°Um, sorry master,¡± Blacknail said as he grinned nervously.


    He thought his master looked skeptical of his apology.


    ¡°For what?¡± Saeter asked. Blacknail thought about it for a minute as he hung there.


    ¡°Being angry, trying to hit master, and being sneaky. I been very bad,¡± Blacknail answered with regret.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to hit me during sword practice, but only during sword practice. As for being angry, can you tell me why you were acting like that?¡± Saeter asked him.


    ¡°I angry because I grow? You say so earlier,¡± he replied uncertainly.


    ¡°And how do I know you will stop?¡± Saeter asked.


    Blacknail took another few minutes to consider the question. It was kind of a tricky question, but at least all the thinking his mind kept doing lately was proving useful.


    ¡°¡­because you teach me how?¡± Blacknail replied tentatively. His response caused a big grin to spread across Saeter¡¯s face.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. So let¡¯s get back to sword practice. There is nothing like it for teaching the undisciplined control,¡± Saeter explained as he moved over to cut the hobgoblin down.


    Blacknail groaned. Hanging upside down from a tree hadn¡¯t been all that bad, maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.


    Now that he was thinking somewhat straight, the first thing the new hobgoblin did when he got down was to look himself over in a nearby bucket of water. Two short black horns rose from his bald head. His previous short and somewhat pudgy body had been stretched out until he was almost as tall as a human.


    He was skinnier than any human though but his wiry green body was still muscled. The features of his face that used to be round, like his nose and chin, had become sharper. He looked sleeker, more like a predator.


    He smiled and larger teeth were revealed in the watery reflection before him. His thin tongue was also noticeably longer, and could be extended quite far out from his mouth.


    The routine they had established earlier with chores in the morning and sword practice in the evening continued, only this time Blacknail was aware of his new anger and tried to suppress it. He had very limited success.


    ¡°No, control your rage. Don¡¯t overextend. It leaves you open,¡± Saeter yelled sternly as his wooden blade slid by Blacknail¡¯s own and impacted painfully against the hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder.


    Blacknail hissed angrily but tried to do as his master commanded. Control was the key, he thought to himself. I shouldn¡¯t do what the anger tells me. He barely managed to block one of Seater¡¯s blows as he fought to remember to keep his stance solid and light.


    ¡°Good, now attack,¡± Seater yelled. At his command Blacknail¡¯s blade swung out at Saeter but the human easily parried it.


    Blacknail had to fight his instinct to never attack humans, and his new hostile instincts that wanted him to leap forward and claw out Saeter¡¯s eyes. This mental clash made his attacks slow.


    ¡°No, too much hesitation. Keep attacking,¡± Saeter told him. Blacknail obeyed and launched a rapid series of attacks, none of which hit. Saeter countered and his wooden blade smacked Blacknail across the head.


    The hobgoblin felt himself grimace as rage built up inside of him. He wanted to leap at Saeter, to strike out at him, to feel his claws rend Saeter¡¯s pinky flesh. He didn¡¯t do it though.


    He had lost control and given into rage a few times, and Saeter had simply smacked Blacknail down when his wild attack inevitably left him open.


    No, the only way for him to strike Saeter was to control his rage and learn to use the sword. Wait, so the only way to hit his master was to not want to hit him? Ugh, now he had a headache.


    ¡°Relax, keep loose and flow through the forms while keeping proper technique,¡± Saeter explained to Blacknail for about the hundredth time over the past few days. Blacknail hissed angrily again but tried to as he was told. He desperately wanted to give in and go wild with rage.


    Days passed this way. Varhs began to take over the sword lessons when Saeter grew too tired. Slowly Blacknail progressed and began to learn. Then one morning Blacknail woke up to find Saeter dissembling his tent.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to head back. You¡¯re still a crappy swordsman, but I can¡¯t stay out here and train you forever. You¡¯ve managed to learn some discipline though and hopefully that will be enough to keep you out of trouble. Just remember what happens if you screw up,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    ¡°I get hung from tree?¡± Blacknail guessed.


    ¡°No, Herad will kill you,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡®Oh...¡± Blacknail exclaimed.


    He had almost forgotten about her. Briefly he mentally compared her fight against the ghouls with his own sessions with Saeter.


    The anger that taken root deep within Blacknail as his new hobgoblin instincts pushed him to fight and dominate everyone around him suddenly shriveled up and died. He was not going to try and fight Herad. Nope, that was never going to happen.


    Control was his new best friend. Once again Blacknail felt gratitude towards his wise master for working him so hard. Without his lessons he could easily imagine himself losing control, only to be mercilessly killed by Herad seconds later.


    ¡°Come here Blacknail, I have a sort of graduation gift for you,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°What¡¯s a graduation?¡± he asked his master. He liked the gift part though.


    ¡°It¡¯s what happens when you learn something or pass a test. This one is for learning basic swordsmanship and control. Every time you feel angry remember this training. Rage will only lead to self-destruction,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Blacknail replied gratefully.


    Saeter then handed Blacknail a backpack. Compelled by curiosity the hobgoblin opened the pack and pulled the contents out. It was several sets of clothes and a long hooded cloak.


    ¡°Luckily, when we were leaving camp there were a whole bunch of clothes laying around that no one needed anymore. I picked some of the smaller ones out for you. There¡¯s also some other stuff like a flint and steel in there to,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Thank you master,¡± Blacknail told him with real gratitude. For some reason being given human clothes made him happy.


    ¡°Put some on, we can¡¯t have you returning to camp dressed like a savage,¡± Saeter replied.


    Blacknail immediately chose a rough pair of black pants and a brown shirt and pulled them on, after taking off his own self made shorts. They had been getting kind of tight recently anyway.


    ¡°Much better, you don¡¯t look like a feral hobgoblin that just crawled out of the woods anymore,¡± Blacknail¡¯s master said with a self satisfied smile.


    ¡°Ya, I don¡¯t know what he looks like now,¡± Varhs added. Blacknail resisted the urge to claw the man¡¯s eyes out.


    ¡°¡­and here¡¯s the real prize. Just remember your training, or I¡¯ll kill you myself,¡± Saeter told Blacknail as he pulled out a simple sheathed short sword and presented it hilt first to Blacknail.


    ¡°Oddly enough, that¡¯s almost exactly what my drill instructor told me the day I graduated from basic,¡± Varhs mused quietly to himself off to the side.


    Blacknail took the blade and purred in pleasure. Now he had a sword all of his own. His master Saeter trusted him with one, and had even shown him how to use it.


    Blacknail unsheathed the blade and smiled at its shiny and ever so sharp edges. He ran his finger along the blade so he could feel it cut into his skin. As a tiny drop of blood formed on his finger and Blacknail chuckled gleefully.


    Varhs was suddenly looking like he doubted this was a good idea. His eyes were slightly wide with concern, as if he expected Blacknail to go on a killing spree any second now. The hobgoblin decided to disappoint him.


    He felt humbled by his master¡¯s loyalty and promised himself he would return it. He would practice every day so that he would never give into his anger and disappoint his master.


    ¡°Thank you, master. Blacknail your loyal servant,¡± he said as he knelt and lowered his eyes submissively.


    ¡°Get up Blacknail, you earned that blade. Now let¡¯s get back to camp. It¡¯s been over a week, and everyone probably thinks we¡¯re dead,¡± Saeter told him.


    With a nod of acceptance Blacknail attached his new sword and sheathe to his waist. That done he put on the dark grey cloak, and looked back to admire himself in it.


    It reminded him of Saeter and Herad¡¯s cloaks, and made him feel important. He liked it. He flipped the hood up and over his face.


    ¡°Ugh, you can hardly tell he¡¯s a hobgoblin. That¡¯s more than a little scary,¡± Varhs commented uneasily.


    From within the depths of his cloak Blacknail smiled gleefully, and his long naked tongue flicked out to taste the cool air. A whole new world lay on the path before him, if he simply had the will and discipline to walk it.


    <hr />


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 Written in Blood 2

    It only took them a few hours to get back to camp. There had been no real reason for Saeter to travel further than that. He had simply wanted some space and isolation while he trained Blacknail, so that no one got accidently murdered.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad this little adventure is over with,¡± Varhs told Saeter as they approached the camp.


    ¡°Consider your debt paid,¡± Saeter replied as he walked.


    ¡°Oh, I do. I¡¯m just glad this crazy hobgoblin idea of yours hasn¡¯t gotten us killed, yet,¡± Varhs said.


    ¡°You volunteered,¡± Saeter reminded the other man.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let you wander off into the deep green alone for days on end, with no company but a hobgoblin. Besides, I was curious to see if you could pull it off,¡± Varhs told him.


    ¡°I did,¡± Saeter answered gruffly.


    ¡°¡­probably,¡± Varhs added with a backward glance at Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin was walking along behind them with his hood still up. He liked how the hood concealed him, even if it was a little hot. The way it hid his form was an advantage he could use. He had been thinking a lot about how to act and what to do when he got back to the rest of the tribe.


    Blacknail had been following the conversation between Saeter and Varhs with great interest. Over the past few days he had noticed that it was much easier for him to follow the human language. He had learned quite a bit simply from listening to Varhs and Saeter speak, but he wanted to learn even more. He looked up and returned Varhs¡¯ gaze.


    ¡°I thank-ss you for the training. I owe you-ss a debt,¡± Blacknail told him in his hiss like voice.


    ¡°Um sure, no problem,¡± Varhs replied as he blinked in surprise.


    Blacknail smiled at Varh¡¯s response. He planned on trying to fit in, so he could eventually take on a higher position within the tribe. Blacknail had absolutely no intention of staying at the bottom of the hierarchy anymore.


    Just because he couldn¡¯t climb it by challenging the other members of the tribe didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t do it at all. First, he would try making alliances, and if that didn¡¯t work he would find another way. Obstacles could be removed.


    As they walked they came across a sentry, who looked up but made no comment as they passed. He apparently saw nothing odd about the two scouts returning to camp with another cloaked person in tow.


    Varhs looked like he really wanted to say something to the man, but stopped himself. Blacknail just smirked to himself in amusement. He could have walked right up to that sentry and bitten him before the man even realized anything was odd.


    As they entered the camp proper Varhs said a brief goodbye, and they split up to go to their respective camp sites. The camp itself had changed a fair bit since Blacknail had seen it last. The timbers that had been lying around before had now been put to use. Lean-tos were steadily being replaced by crude log buildings.


    Saeter and Blacknail passed quite a few people on their way through the camp. Few of camp¡¯s residents gave the pair a second glance. In fact, a lot of them were unfamiliar to Blacknail.


    ¡°Herad must have really been pushing the recruitment while we we¡¯re away,¡± Saeter commented as he observed the people around them.


    ¡°Yes, I see and smell-ss many strangers,¡± Blacknail said in response. He had decided to work on his human by talking as much as possible.


    ¡°What in all the hells? Someone is camping in our spot!¡± Saeter suddenly exclaimed angrily.


    Blacknail looked up to see that his master was right. Where Saeter¡¯s tent used to stand, and some of their gear still did, another group of humans had set up their own stuff. Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed as he eyed the humans that had entered his territory. That was a challenge.


    There were three of them, one woman and two men. They were lounging around and seemed to be relaxing. Blacknail thought they looked rather young for humans. They didn¡¯t have a tent but they had some sleeping rolls set up under a crude shelter made of branches and a tarp. Saeter stomped over to them, and Blacknail followed.


    ¡°This is my spot, and that¡¯s my stuff,¡± he barked at them.


    The two men got up and turned towards Saeter as he spoke, but the woman remained where she was lying against some bags. She just looked up and frowned at Saeter and Blacknail before apparently disregarding them and turning away.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for days,¡± one of the men told Saeter dismissively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been away on a mission for Herad, boy,¡± Saeter replied with hostility plain in his voice and manner. Blacknail felt his own anger rise and his heartbeat pick up in response to his master¡¯s tone of voice.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say nothing when we set up here¡± the young man replied with a shrug.


    Saeter frowned and his hand moved closer to his dagger. The one young man noticed and his expression became more belligerent. The other man smelled nervous to Blacknail though, like stale sweat.


    ¡°Come on Danivh, we just got here. We don¡¯t need to turn this into a fight. Remember Herad¡¯s rules!¡± he whispered to his companion.


    Blacknail¡¯s large ears heard him though, and he remembered Herad¡¯s rules. One of them was not fighting without her permission. That would make this tricky.


    ¡°It¡¯s not our problem if he starts something. Besides we need to show everyone here that they can¡¯t boss us around just because we¡¯re new. Especially, when it¡¯s just an old man and some cloaked pipsqueak,¡± the first man replied without taking his eyes from Saeter.


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to nap here boys, can¡¯t you just get these guys to leave?¡± the girl asked as she sat up.


    ¡°Just a second,¡± Danivh replied as he tried to stare down Saeter. His gaze shifted to Blacknail as the hobgoblin moved forward and out from behind Saeter. Their eyes met for a single moment, and something stirred in Blacknail. He wanted to put this man in his place.


    Without warning Blacknail growled, and pounced forward as instinct took over. His target froze in shock at what he saw under the hobgoblin¡¯s hood, and before he could recover Blacknail had closed the distance between them. The hobgoblin reached out and grabbed his opponent¡¯s knife hand, with enough force that his claws pierced the man¡¯s skin and drew blood.


    A quick kick to the back of his leg sent the man to his knees, and before he could regain his balance Blacknail was behind him with a firm grasp on his neck.


    As the man struggled, Blacknail leaned down and smiled at him. Then he opened his mouth wide and growled menacingly. Everyone froze.


    Danivh was white as snow and his eyes were wide with terror as the hobgoblin¡¯s toothy maw opened mere inches from his face. Blacknail smelled the scent of human urine fill the air.


    ¡°Our spot, leave,¡± he growled slowly as he pushed Danivh away. His rage burned like fire within him, but Blacknail held it in check.


    ¡°What the fuck!?¡± the woman screeched as Blacknail¡¯s inhuman visage was revealed.


    As the man called Danivh scrambled across the ground away from him Blacknail turned towards her and leered.


    With a scream of terror the woman fled, and Danivh was right behind her. The third member of their group was long gone by this point. He had run and abandoned his friends the second Blacknail had attacked.


    Blacknail chuckled to himself as he watched the humans flee. Their cowardice reminded him of goblins. His smile grew even wider as the humans reached the edge of the clearing, and kept going into the forest. That was really funny. They had to be very stupid to think they were safer out in woods.


    Surprise really was a powerful weapon. It hadn¡¯t even been a fight really; he had barely touched even one of them. No one had gotten hurt, much, so no one could complain to Herad.


    The dozens of bandits and ruffians who were nearby had all stopped, and were staring at either the fleeing humans or Blacknail. Most of them were too far away to get a good look at Blacknail, and simply looked confused by what had happened.


    Even Saeter was looking at Blacknail with a startled expression, but he quickly recovered.


    ¡°Uh, good job Blacknail,¡± he told the hobgoblin hesitantly. ¡°Just remember to keep yourself under control, and don¡¯t eat anyone,¡±


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± the hobgoblin replied happily.


    Saeter then noticed all the people staring at them, dismissed them, and walked over to where his stuff was stored. Once there he began to grumble and go through it to make sure everything was still there.


    Blacknail could hear everyone around him muttering, but when all he did was stand there and wait for his master most the people went back to their own business. As he was waiting his ears twitched as he picked up the sound of someone approaching.


    ¡°Ah Saeter , I knew you must have come back. The screams and people madly dashing about everywhere where rather conclusive signs,¡± announced a voice Blacknail recognized as Geralhd¡¯s.


    ¡°I saw those fresh faced recruits fleeing into the woods and I thought to myself, what could be so horrible that someone would run towards the forest? And that¡¯s when it hit me, Saeter must be back!¡± Geralhd explained as he approached.


    Saeter looked up and scowled at him. Blacknail watched Geralhd approach from where he was standing of to the side.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Saeter asked the other man. Geralhd smiled before replying.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I come over and make sure one of my closest friends in the entire band made it back all right after such a long absence. So, where is Blacknail anyway?¡± Gerlahd asked as he looked around.


    Saeter rolled his eyes disdainfully and pointed towards the hobgoblin before turning back to sorting out all his stuff. Blacknail flipped his hood down to reveal his thin green face and the two small horns that rose from his skull.


    ¡°Yes-ss I¡¯m here. Hello, Geralhd,¡± Blacknail told a now thoroughly shocked looking Geralhd. The man¡¯s smile was crooked as he stared dumbly at Blacknail.


    ¡°About time something shut that boy up,¡± Saeter mumbled from where he was working.


    ¡°By the gods it is you!¡± Geralhd blurted out.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Blacknail,¡± Blacknail told him again. Geralhd had never been the smartest human around, but Blacknail doubted even he could mistake the hobgoblin for anyone else in camp.


    ¡°You¡¯re um, so much taller!¡± Geralhd remarked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail replied dryly. How long was Geralhd going to keep stating the obvious? He was beginning to question the man¡¯s value as a possible ally.


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    ¡°It¡¯s just amazing how much you¡¯ve changed in such a short time,¡± Geralhd exclaimed as he approached the hobgoblin curiously.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t know how to respond to that, so he just shrugged casually. Looking back it was obvious the man was right. Blacknail felt like an entirely different person than he had been mere weeks ago. It was very strange, and somewhat uncomfortable to think about. So he didn¡¯t.


    Geralhd walked up and began peering closely at the hobgoblin. Blacknail had to resist the urge to growl and push him away. The human was uncomfortably close. Only Blacknail¡¯s familiarity with the thin man prevented him from at least backing away. Was there something he should say now?


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯ll have to start bringing you bigger treats. I hope you still like jerky,¡± Gerlahd told the hobgoblin as he handed him a piece of meat. There was a somewhat embarrassed look on his face.


    This time Blacknail¡¯s answering smile wasn¡¯t forced.


    ¡°Yes, I-ss do,¡± he answered before taking the meat and stuffing it in his mouth. His almost inexhaustible hunger was one of the few things that hadn¡¯t changed since his metamorphosis. He had been eating quite a bit since he¡¯d awoken as a hobgoblin, but he still was never quite satisfied.


    ¡°Thank you my friend Geralhd,¡± he told the man after he¡¯d chewed the morsel down to nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re still mostly the same on the inside. Your impressive new grasp of Elorian excluded of course. I knew Red Dog was being an idiot when he told everyone you would turn into some sort of ravenous beast when you changed. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, my not so little friend,¡± Geralhd remarked happily.


    Blacknail heard a groan full of disbelief and annoyance from where Saeter was working as Geralhd finished speaking. The hobgoblin pretended he hadn¡¯t heard anything though and nodded happily at Geralhd. That¡¯s when he noticed the sword at Gerahld¡¯s hip.


    He had seen the sword there before, of course, but never really noticed it before now. An idea then popped into the hobgoblin¡¯s head. He raised a green clawed hand and pointed to the blade.


    ¡°Want to practice?¡± he asked the man.


    At first Geralhd seemed confused by what Blacknail had said but then he followed Blacknail¡¯s gaze and then noticed the sword at the hobgoblin¡¯s own hip.


    ¡°Saeter¡¯s been teaching you swordsmanship?¡± he asked in surprise.


    Blacknail was fairly sure that Geralhd had meant it as a statement, and not a question. Sometimes he had trouble figuring that out.


    ¡°Yes, for discipline,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯d like to but¡­¡± Geralhd hesitantly answered.


    ¡°Let me stop you there,¡± Saeter interjected, as he got up and walked over. ¡°We should go report to Herad, but don¡¯t worry Blacknail. I¡¯ll get Vorscha to practice with you later. She loves that kind of thing.¡±


    Blacknail felt his heart sink as Saeter spoke. He had come to like practicing with swords, and he suspected sparring with Geralhd wouldn¡¯t be as one sided as he was used to. Geralhd however threw Saeter a grateful smile. He apparently hadn¡¯t been looking forward to sparring with a hobgoblin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you two around,¡± he told them before he walked off.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Saeter said when Geralhd was gone.


    He immediately started walking over to the farmhouse where Herad had set up camp. Blacknail pulled his hood back up and followed him, but he had to drag himself as reluctance made his feet feel heavy. Sparring with Geralhd, or even Vorscha, sounded like a lot more fun than going to see Herad.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t looking forward to seeing Herad again at all. He half believed she would kill him on the spot, for being a threat to her. Given a choice he would have avoided the bloodthirsty chieftain for as long as possible.


    Before they reached the old home Saeter unexpectedly veered off track. Blacknail looked over towards where his master was heading and saw Herad taking a walk through the camp. He froze in fright for a second, but then forced himself to head her way.


    At first it didn¡¯t seem like Herad saw them, but then she turned their way. Blacknail felt himself grow a little sweatier under his cloak. He wanted to pull the hood down even more but didn¡¯t want to draw attention to himself that way either.


    As they got closer Blacknail was struck by how much shorter Herad seemed now that he was a hobgoblin. In fact she wasn¡¯t really larger than him. That seemed very weird to him, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that made her weak though. He¡¯d seen one very large human make that mistake.


    ¡°Ah Saeter, I had heard you were b¡­¡± Herad started to say before stopping, and staring at the cloaked Blacknail. At first she looked suspicious, but then she began to snarl in anger.


    ¡°Please tell me a hobgoblin, in a hood, didn¡¯t walk right by my sentries. Heads are going to roll if it¡¯s been strolling freely through my camp for the last few hours, in a hood, and no one thought to inform me or even knew,¡± she hissed at them.


    Both Saeter and Blacknail went completely still. Very slowly and carefully Blacknail slouched to make himself a smaller target and less threatening. Maybe if he was lucky enough to survive her first blow he could play dead and then find a hole to hide in.


    ¡°I¡¯m informing you right now,¡± Saeter responded quickly but calmly. ¡°We briefly stopped to unpack and then went straight to look for you,¡±


    Blacknail could smell his nervousness though. He was simply very good at hiding it.


    Herad eyed them both hostilely but seemed to calm down a little, but only a little. She raised a finger on her gloved hand at Blacknail, and he had to fight the urge to join the bandits he had chased off earlier and make a break for the woods.


    ¡°Lose the hood,¡± she told him, with an edge to her voice sharp enough to draw blood.


    The hobgoblin pulled his hood down as quickly as he could. He lowered his eyes submissively and stared at her boots. Herad simply observed him silently for a few seconds.


    ¡°Are you a hobgoblin or an oversized lizard? Look at me,¡± she ordered him.


    Reluctantly Blacknail raised his head and met her eyes. They were dark and hostile. Did she want to fight him? Hopefully she just wanted to make him submit. Submitting would be fine with him. In fact, he would do it right now.


    ¡°Your servant Blacknail greets you, chieftain,¡± he told her. He then gave her his best impression of a friendly human smile. It wasn¡¯t a very good impression, but it did give her a nice view of his teeth.


    Herad looked at him blankly for a second, and then chuckled. Both Seater and Blacknail were taken aback.


    ¡°This is what Red Dog was so afraid of? It¡¯s just a slightly bigger goblin, still small and cowardly,¡± she laughed coldly.


    Saeter turned and frowned at Blacknail, and then looked back at Herad. Blacknail¡¯s pride was somewhat hurt by Herad¡¯s remark.


    ¡°He¡¯s only been a hob for a few days. He¡¯ll grow some more, and he¡¯s not cowardly. He¡¯s just perceptive, and has a beast¡¯s instincts. Hobgoblins are clever and Blacknail knows an opponent he can¡¯t beat when he sees one, so he¡¯s acting accordingly,¡± Saeter explained defensively.


    Herad threw him a doubtful look. Blacknail usually liked being complimented, but now he really wished Saeter would stop talking.


    ¡°Just ask around if you don¡¯t believe me. He took down one of your new recruits before the fool and his two friends even knew what was happening. They were so scared they hightailed it off into the woods, screaming all the way. You¡¯re going to have to send scouts out to find them if you want them back,¡± he added.


    ¡°So that was your pet was it? I was just about to investigate that disturbance,¡± she mused.


    ¡°He seems weak to you because that¡¯s what he wants you to think. He¡¯s being submissive towards a strong pack leader. Don¡¯t underestimate hobgoblins. Hood or no hood, a few sentries wouldn¡¯t stop Blacknail from slipping into camp and slitting some throats come nightfall,¡± Saeter continued to explain.


    ¡°But I¡¯m-ss your servant and friend and won¡¯t ever cut-ss your band,¡± Blacknail interjected nervously as he gave Herad another smile. What was his master trying to do?


    ¡°If it¡¯s so clever why are you so sure you have it under control?¡± Herad asked Saeter, while ignoring Blacknail.


    ¡°He¡¯s too smart to pick fights he can¡¯t win. I just had to train him to control himself and make sure he knew who the boss was,¡± Saeter replied with a shrug.


    ¡°That would be me, but now I¡¯m curious. How exactly did the great ranger Saeter manage to be the first to train a hobgoblin?¡± she asked him with a smirk.


    ¡°Sword drills and sparring are the best thing for teaching discipline,¡± Saeter replied deadpan.


    Herad gave Saeter a look. It clearly indicated he was either an idiot or insane, possibly both. Then she burst out laughing. Blacknail actually flinched away from her at the unexpected outburst but Saeter took it in stride.


    ¡°By the gods, you amuse me sometimes Saeter! No wonder no one has done it before. Who would be stupid or mad enough to teach a hobgoblin how to use a sword? It¡¯s brilliant in its pure bloody insanity!¡± she cackled.


    Her laughter faded after awhile, and she actually wiped a tear from her eye.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see the look on Red Dog¡¯s face when he learns about this. You just keep teaching your hobgoblin how to kill people, Saeter. I think I¡¯m going to enjoy having him around. Oh, and when he¡¯s gotten proficient enough I want you to send him my way for a few rounds. That ought to be interesting,¡± Herad told Saeter, as amusement oozed from her voice.


    Without waiting for an answer the bandit leader started walking away from them, still chuckling to herself. Her black cloak trailed behind her as she went.


    When she was gone Blacknail turned to his master, and couldn¡¯t help but give him a dirty look. Why had he told Herad all that? Blackanil could think of nothing he would like to do less than fight Herad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look you jumped up goblin,¡± Saeter told him. ¡°Bah, you were acting all pathetic back there. It was shameful. You should be thanking me; now she likes you!¡±


    That didn¡¯t make Blacknail feel any better. He had much preferred his own plan. Blacknail felt it would have involved a much smaller chance of dying. He had a feeling that when he fought Herad that they wouldn¡¯t be using wooden blades.

 Written in Blood 3

    The man known as Ferret strolled off into the woods towards the camp latrines. The large rough shaven bandit had been lounging around the bandit camp for awhile, but now nature¡¯s call had lured him out into the forest.


    From where he was sitting and watching from another corner of the camp Blacknail smiled. It was not a friendly smile, but one meant to display both teeth and menace. After a quick look around to make sure no one was paying attention, he slowly got up and slipped off into the trees.


    Most of the bandits in the camp simply avoided the hobgoblin, several were more hostile though. Among the most vocal about their distrust of Blacknail was Ferret.


    Ferret had made his hatred for Blacknail plain at every opportunity. He spent a great deal of time trying to turn the other humans against the hobgoblin, and had even threatened to kill the hobgoblin. Worse, he had threatened Saeter. That would have to stop. Besides, Blacknail owed the man one for when he had threatened him the first day his master had freed him.


    Blacknail stalked through the woods silently. He had removed the boots Saeter had given him. He found it easier to move undetected without them. He had also removed his cloak; his green skin was actually harder to see in the forest, and the cloak tended to get caught on things.


    Nearly invisible the hobgoblin circled the camp towards the latrines and his prey. He slipped noiselessly between the trees and bushes. Anticipation for the hunt gleamed in his eyes.


    Soon the cracking of breaking twigs and the whooshing sound of human breath reached his ears. With his prey located he stopped to observe and plan for a moment from behind a nearby tree.


    Ferret¡¯s back was to the goblin and his pants were down around his ankles. He was busy emptying his bladder. Blacknail took advantage of his distraction and stalked forward towards him. The sound of bird calls and Ferret¡¯s own noise masked Blacknail¡¯s quiet approach.


    Ferret continued to urinate unaware as Blacknail closed the distance between them. When he stood directly behind his target Blacknail drew his dagger, but then the hobgoblin hesitated.


    He had never actually assaulted a human before without his rage driving him. Part of him doubted he could pull it off. Ferret was not a small man. However, another part of Blacknail urged him forward. He had seen humans fight and die many times now. A good blade could end them easily enough, and Ferret was a threat to him and his master. The hobgoblin made up his mind.


    Blacknail kicked the man¡¯s feet out from under him. With a startled oomph Ferret fell forward over the latrine pit. He flailed as he tipped forward and desperately tried to find some way to steady himself, but before he could fall into the latrine Blacknail reached out and wrenched him backwards. The hobgoblin¡¯s long thin fingers entwined themselves through the man¡¯s hair as he pulled the man up.


    Before the man could yell and draw attention Blacknail reached around and rested his blade against Ferret¡¯s throat.


    The rough bandit stiffened and froze in alarm as he hung unsteadily over the pit. From this close Blacknail could hear his heart pounding. The edge of his knife put pressure on the man¡¯s skin but didn¡¯t draw blood, yet.


    ¡°Hello-ss, Ferret,¡± Blacknail whispered as he leaned in and licked the side of the man¡¯s face. The bandit¡¯s skin was salty with sweat. Ferret shuddered in horror.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the bandit stuttered fearfully.


    ¡°Silence, yours. I have heard you try and turn the band against me. You challenge me,¡± Blacknail answered.


    ¡°You¡¯re not part of the band. You¡¯re a stupid beast. Kill me if you want but then everyone will know you for the vicious animal you are, and then they will hunt you down,¡± Ferret replied angrily.


    Blacknail let his dagger drop, and then stabbed Ferret in the leg.


    The bandit hissed in pain and flinched but Blacknail held him tightly. A few seconds later the large man went limp and loose in the hobgoblin¡¯s grip. Blacknail sheathed his poisoned dagger, and drew a rock from one of his pouches.


    ¡°I thank you for permission to end your life,¡± Blacknail told the man he had paralyzed with spider poison taken from Saeter¡¯s bags.


    Emotionlessly he then smashed the man in the head with the rock, creating a small gash that bled freely, and let the body and the rock fall into the latrine together.


    The bandit landed head first, with a loud wet splat. Much to Blacknail¡¯s satisfaction his face was submerged in the collected human excrement, where the paralyzed and most likely unconscious bandit would drown.


    His chore complete Blacknail got up from where he was crouched beside the latrine pit, and headed back to the camp. He circled the camp instead of heading straight back to the clearing, as not to draw suspicion down on himself. Hopefully, he would be back to where he had been sitting before anyone even noticed he had left.


    He hadn¡¯t actually followed Ferret planning to kill him. He had been planning to simply scare him into submission. However, the unthinking hatred he had seen in the man¡¯s eyes had convinced him that wouldn¡¯t work. Ferret had been a danger and would have never accepted Blacknail into the band.


    Everything had worked out though. Anyone that found the body would probably think Ferret had fallen in and hit his head, and then drowned in the latrine. With all the footprints from the heavy traffic to and from the latrine no one would notice his own prints. Blacknail smiled at his own cleverness. Seater would probably even approve, not that Blacknail was ever going to tell him.


    He emerged from the bushes at the border of the clearing and casually strolled into the bandits¡¯ camp. No one even looked his way. Once he reached the pile of firewood he had been sitting on earlier he picked up his discarded cloak, and put it back on.


    That done the hobgoblin decided to head back to Saeter¡¯s campsite. His master probably had tasks for him to complete. As he moved through the camp most of the human moved out of his way and threw him wary glances.


    Word had spread about who and what was under his cloak. Blacknail found it amusing. He didn¡¯t wear the cloak to make people less uneasy around him; he wore it because it made them more afraid. Not really knowing what he looked like was what upset them the most.


    He suspected the larger and heavier humans would grow accustomed to his presence quickly if he took off his cloak and simply spent time around them. For now though he wanted to make sure they didn¡¯t disregard him. Fear would help make him equal in their eyes and secure him a higher position within the band; without the need for violence, or at least less of it.


    Blacknail arrived at the camp he shared with Saeter. Beside Saeter¡¯s tent the hobgoblin had dug a shallow hole and built a small lean-to over it from twine, branches, and grass. It was little more than a dry place to sleep and store a few things, but that was all he needed.


    Saeter wasn¡¯t around so Blacknail strolled off to find him. Eventually he found his master by the road. He was watching a group of people approach the camp. Blacknail walked over to join him. He was curious what was going on. He hadn¡¯t heard about anything important happening today.


    ¡°There you are Blacknail. Decided to stop lazing about, did ya?¡± Saeter remarked


    ¡°Yes, Master. What is this?¡± Blacknail asked. His master seemed to be looking at the approaching people with disapproval.


    ¡°The last of Herad¡¯s recruits. She must have hired every petty thief and thug in Riverbend to get as many as she has. Most of them won¡¯t last long. She¡¯s probably planning on simply letting most of them die and keeping the survivors,¡± he explained disapprovingly.


    Blacknail studied the group coming down the road. He recognized Red Dog leading them. Behind him were around two dozen men and women. Only three or four seemed familiar to Blacknail.


    When they arrived Red Dog recognized the hobgoblin and gave him a nasty look. Blacknail simply smiled back at him, and made sure to flash as many teeth as possible. He knew the man wasn¡¯t a real threat to him. He would never dare go against Herad¡¯s wishes.


    Red Dog chose to ignore Blacknail, and turned to Saeter instead.


    ¡°I see your pet hasn¡¯t managed to kill you yet, Saeter,¡± the bandit remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one that needs to be afraid,¡± Saeter responded cryptically.


    ¡°Did I miss anything important while I was gone?¡± Red Dog asked the other man, as he frowned at Saeter¡¯s response.


    ¡°Yes, they passed out the good manners. Too bad you weren¡¯t here,¡± Saeter replied with an amused tone.


    ¡°Very funny, old man. Why don¡¯t you use some of that matchless experience of yours and show some of these baby faced recruits around while I go talk to Herad,¡± Red Dog told him with a roll of his eyes.


    Before Saeter could answer back though someone Blacknail had never seen before walked up behind Red Dog and spoke.


    ¡°Who is this old man, Dog?¡± a young human female asked as she leaned out from behind him. The bandit lieutenant cringed slightly as she spoke.


    The girl had short cut red hair, and was about average size for a human female. She smiled excitedly as she looked Saeter over.


    ¡°You¡¯re recruiting children now?¡± Saeter asked Red Dog disdainfully.


    ¡°I¡¯m over seventeen winters,¡± the girl interjected. She seemed very annoyed at being called a child. Red Dog shrugged.


    ¡°I told her to screw off the first time she showed up, but then several of the other people I tried to recruit dropped out with mysterious knife wounds. Seemed like a good idea to just let her come at that point,¡± he explained.


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    The redhead smiled again as Red Dog spoke and she winked at Saeter conspiratorially. Saeter looked the girl over carefully.


    ¡°Who are you running from, girl?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Khita, and I dunno what you¡¯re talking about. Maybe, I just wanted to serve under a famous swordswoman like Herad,¡± she replied.


    Saeter grunted and gave her a skeptical look.


    ¡°Those are gang colors you¡¯re wearing. The gangs look down on bandits, and they don¡¯t take kindly to their members quitting either. That tells me you were looking for a quick exit from Riverbend when you joined up with us. So tell me, who are you running from?¡± he responded dryly.


    Khita narrowed her eyes and gave him Saeter a hostile stare, but then relented under the pressure of his steady gaze.


    ¡°Ugh fine, maybe I kinda stabbed someone I shouldn¡¯t have,¡± she explained.


    ¡°Who and why?¡± an unsurprised Saeter asked her. Her mouth twisted into a frown as she considered whether to answer him.


    ¡°My boss¡¯ girl. Bitch thought she could take my stuff just because she was shacking up with Klavik, our leader,¡± she explained reluctantly.


    Saeter turned to Red Dog.


    ¡°This is wonderful new recruit you¡¯ve gotten for us,¡± Saeter told him sarcastically. Red Dog shrugged again.


    ¡°She¡¯s here now, so she¡¯s not my problem anymore. Thank the gods,¡± he told Saeter with an amused grin. He then turned and walked back towards the other people he had recruited, leaving Khita with Blacknail and Saeter.


    As Red Dog left Khita seemed to notice Blacknail for the first time. She looked over the cloaked figure suspiciously.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the cloaked freak, she just gonna stand there all day,¡± she asked.


    Blacknail twitched as she mentioned him. She had confused his gender? Oh right, human females were smaller than males so she thought he was one of them. It was still kind of insulting for some reason. He decided he didn¡¯t like her.


    Blacknail took a long step towards the girl that removed most the distance between them, and straightened up to look her directly in the eye. Then he swept his cloak back behind him and flipped his hood down dramatically to fully reveal his inhuman visage.


    The girl¡¯s eyes went wide and she took a step¡­ forward? Blacknail froze in confusion and the grin slipped from his face as he took in Khita¡¯s delighted smile.


    ¡°A hobgoblin! I can¡¯t believe this gang has a hobgoblin in it. That¡¯s the sharpest thing I¡¯ve ever heard¡± she squealed in delight.


    Blacknail took a step back away from her nervously. Her unusual lack of fear unnerved him. Saeter looked more than a little taken aback as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name? How many people have you killed? Do you know any secret hobgoblin stuff?¡± she asked Blacknail excitedly as she took another step towards him.


    Blacknail growled menacingly, but that failed to deter her approach. He threw Saeter a panicked look. He didn¡¯t know how to get the female away from him without drawing a blade, and he had a feeling that would be frowned upon.


    Saeter rolled his eyes but stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Stop harassing my hobgoblin,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Who were you again?¡± Khita asked him as she turned and pushed his hand off her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m Saeter, a scout. Now come with me,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Why should I go anywhere with you, creep?¡± she asked him hostilely. Seater scowled down at her.


    ¡°Because the hobgoblin goes where I go,¡± he answered her dryly.


    ¡°Come on Blacknail, let¡¯s go see Vorscha,¡± he then ordered Blacknail. The hobgoblin was more than eager to obey, and put some distance between him and the human female.


    Saeter walked off towards the camp, and Blacknail shadowed him closely. Just in case Saeter needed to put himself between him and the girl again. The girl watched them walk off for a few seconds before sighing and running after them.


    ¡°Fine, where are we going? If you¡¯re trying to get into my pants I¡¯ll bite your bits off.¡± She told Saeter.


    Blacknail¡¯s master grimaced in distaste and gave her an insulted look, as he continued walking. People gave them odd glances as they made their way through the bandit camp.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking you to Vorscha,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Why?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°Because, she loves dealing with hopeless cases like you,¡± Saeter told her gruffly.


    Khita gave him a mean look, but continued following them.


    ¡°Does the hobgoblin talk?¡± she suddenly asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Saeter replied without looking back at her. He looked very annoyed to Blacknail.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it talking now?¡± she then asked.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him,¡± Saeter answered in annoyance. Then he turned to the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Answer her questions, Blacknail,¡± he commanded the goblin, before muttering ¡°So she¡¯ll leave me alone.¡±


    Blacknail grimaced. He didn¡¯t want to have to deal with this clearly insane youngling, but he had to do as his master ordered.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± he responded, but frustration was clear in his voice.


    ¡°He does talk! Why are you wearing that cloak, is it magic?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°No, I like it,¡± Blacknail answered her. Clearly she was both stupid and insane. Blacknail didn¡¯t know a lot about magic, but even he knew it was rare and had absolutely nothing to do with goblins.


    Blacknail sighed in relief as he spotted Vorscha and Geralhd up ahead at their campsite. They were seated right outside the large tent Vorscha shared with Geralhd.


    ¡°Vorscha,¡± Saeter yelled. ¡°I got something here for you,¡±


    The muscular woman stood up and looked their way. Blacknail thought giving the girl to Vorscha was a great idea. Blacknail wasn¡¯t quite sure what the warrior would do with her, but he didn¡¯t really care as long as she was kept far away from him.


    ¡°Why do you have a little girl, Saeter? She¡¯s not yours, I hope,¡± Vorscha asked with amused concern.


    Saeter shuddered in revulsion at the very idea of Khita being his daughter.


    ¡°No, or at least I pray to the gods she isn¡¯t. Red Dog recruited her, apparently she insisted. I thought I should introduce you two, since I know how you like to pick up strays,¡± Saeter replied.


    Vorscha looked Khita over and frowned.


    ¡°I might have to have a talk with Red Dog about this,¡± she remarked with more than a hint of threat in her voice.


    ¡°You do that,¡± Saeter responded indifferently.


    As the two bandits had been talking Khita had been staring at Vorscha with an impressed expression on her face.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re big,¡± she suddenly blurted out.


    ¡°And you¡¯re tiny,¡± Vorscha responded with an amused smile.


    Blacknail knew Vorscha was very hard to insult. Maybe that was why Saeter wanted her to teach him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tiny. I¡¯m over seventeen winters old. You¡¯re just huge,¡± the affronted Khita replied.


    Vorscha looked Saeter¡¯s way.


    ¡°Well, thanks I guess Saeter. I wasn¡¯t looking for a new project right now, but I¡¯m sure as death not going to let her wander around by herself either,¡± she told him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any help. I can take care of myself!¡± Khita said as if she had been insulted.


    ¡°That might have been true in the city, but out here things are a bit different,¡± Vorscha told her.


    The large woman looked the girl over carefully.


    ¡°Have you ever used a sword?¡± Vorscha then asked her.


    ¡°How could I? They¡¯re kinda hard to hide, and the city guards don¡¯t like people other than blue bloods having them. Besides, knives work just fine,¡± Khita explained in a tone that suggested only idiots wouldn¡¯t already know all this already.


    Blacknail smirked at the girl. He knew how to use a sword¡­ sort of.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any guards out here, so everyone has swords or worse. If you¡¯re going to survive a week out here you¡¯re going to need to learn to use one too,¡± Vorscha explained.


    ¡°That reminds me, I wanted to pass off some of Blacknail¡¯s sword training to you as well,¡± Saeter interjected.


    Khita¡¯s eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement.


    ¡°If the hobgoblin¡¯s going to be there then I¡¯m in!¡± she exclaimed.


    Vorscha threw the girl a confused look, and Blacknail felt a sudden spike of concern at the unexpected direction the conversation had abruptly taken.


    ¡°You want to practice sword fighting with a hobgoblin?¡± Vorscha asked Khita in disbelief.


    ¡°Ya, he¡¯s so sharp and scary looking,¡± she answered enthusiastically.


    ¡°And this makes you want to train with him?¡± Vorscha asked again.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Khita said.


    Vorscha sighed.


    ¡°Well, whatever works I guess. What do you think, Saeter?¡± Vorscha asked him.


    ¡°Blacknail should be fine. It might even help with his control. It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll be sparring against each other right off the bat anyway,¡± Saeter answered her.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll be training these two together then,¡± she remarked as she eyed Blacknail and the grinning Khita. ¡°This is certainly not how I expected to be spending the next little while.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± the hobgoblin muttered as he looked over at the young woman grinning at him. His life had just gotten a little more complicated, and a lot more annoying.

 Written in Blood 4

    Training with Vorscha was much more enjoyable than with Saeter. It was actually kind of fun. For one thing, she tended to hit Blacknail a lot less. For another, he learned quite a bit faster from her. This was most likely because he took fewer blows to the head.


    ¡°Good, keep your weight mostly on your back foot,¡± Vorscha told him as he blocked one of her thrusts. The tall chesty brunette was obviously not putting all of her considerable strength behind the blow.


    ¡°Now attack,¡± she told him.


    The hobgoblin eagerly did as she asked. He stepped forwards and launched a horizontal slash, which Vorscha easily blocked. Not that he had been expecting to land the blow.


    ¡°No, that was all wrong. You were off balance. Stop,¡± Vorscha said with a frown.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Blacknail replied submissively as he lowered his blade.


    The large woman was not only clearly a much more skilled fighter than him, but as they trained her impressive muscles were very obvious as well. Blacknail mentally added her to the list of people he didn¡¯t want to challenge to a real fight.


    ¡°See, do it like this,¡± Vorscha explained.


    The large brunette¡¯s blade sliced through the air as she demonstrated the proper technique. Blacknail watched her carefully. She was startlingly graceful looking when she had a sword in hand. As she flowed between different stances and attacks her brown curls barely moved.


    Blacknail tried to copy her movements but his weren¡¯t nearly as smooth. He certainly had a long way to go in order to become any good at swordsmanship. He would just have to cheat in the meantime.


    ¡°Good, now practice that by yourself for awhile, while I go check on Khita,¡± Vorscha told him as she watched him practice.


    Blacknail continued repeatedly slicing the air as he practiced the move over and over again. Vorscha gave an approving nod and then headed over to Khita.


    She then walked over to where the young woman was practicing, or where she was supposed to be practicing anyway. Khita had stopped practicing quite a while ago, and was now just standing around.


    The young woman was red faced with exhaustion, and the sword she was supposed to be swinging hung loosely from her hand with its tip resting on the ground. She scowled at Vorscha as the older woman approached.


    ¡°Why have you stopped?¡± Vorscha asked her in disapproval.


    ¡°Ugh, I can barely move my arms anymore. Can¡¯t I take a break,¡± Khita whined in response.


    ¡°Ha, and you thought you didn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s help. It hasn¡¯t even been half an hour yet. Real fighting takes a little more muscle than that back alley scuffling you¡¯re used to, doesn¡¯t it now?¡± Vorscha asked her.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Khita muttered resentfully back.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll have you in fighting form before too long. It will just take a few hours of practice every day,¡± she explained with a gleeful smile.


    Khita winced as is if someone had just slapped her across the face. She didn¡¯t seem to like Vorscha¡¯s plan very much.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I have a choice?¡± she asked the other woman.


    ¡°Nope, I already got permission from Herad to make you my subordinate. You have to do what I say, or its back to the city with you,¡± Vorscha replied with a smile. Khita groaned.


    While they were talking Blacknail had grown bored of repeating the same technique so he started throwing in a few other ones. He was so engrossed in the feel and sound of the blade as it sliced through the air that he didn¡¯t notice Saeter and Red Dog arrive until one of them actually spoke.


    ¡°Blacknail come here,¡± Saeter called out to him.


    The hobgoblin flinched in surprise at the unexpected voice. He recovered quickly though, and then walked over to his master. He dropped his blunt practice blade on the way over.


    ¡°Hello-ss, master and Red Dog,¡± Blacknail said as walked over to them.


    Red Dog¡¯s expression was unusually neutral. He didn¡¯t scowl at the hobgoblin. Instead he just regarded him without judgment.


    ¡°We have a job for you, hobgoblin,¡± Red Dog told him.


    ¡°Oh, what-ss is it?¡± Blacknail asked with obvious interest. Red Dog wouldn¡¯t be here talking to him unless it was something out of the ordinary.


    ¡°There¡¯s a small group of army deserters who have set up camp to the south.


    They¡¯re robbing, and usually killing, travelers. Herad wants them dealt with and made an example of,¡± Red Dog explained.


    ¡°Men hunt in our territory, so we-ss kill them,¡± Blacknail summarized.


    ¡°Basically, yes. Herad does want some of them alive though, they¡¯ll make better recruits than most the riffraff we¡¯ve been getting from Riverbend,¡± the bandit replied as he threw a disdainful look at Khita.


    Blacknail agreed with Red Dog about the uselessness of the one named Khita, but had to suppress the urge to remind Red Dog that he was the idiot who had recruited her.


    ¡°They¡¯re hiding in the forest somewhere so you¡¯ll be helping me track them down,¡± Saeter added.


    ¡°I understand, master,¡± Blacknail replied as he nodded.


    ¡°How many men are you taking?¡± Vorscha asked. She had dismissed Khita and joined them as well.


    ¡°Only a little more than a dozen, and I see you¡¯ve joined Saeter in this insanity,¡± Red Dog replied with a nod in Blacknail¡¯s direction. ¡°I mean fine, so he¡¯s useful to have around. That doesn¡¯t mean you should be training the hobgoblin to kill people better. Can no one else seriously see why that¡¯s obviously such a bad idea?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s actually a very well behaved student, and learns fairly quickly,¡± Vorscha replied with a shrug.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really make me feel any better,¡± Red Dog told her dryly.


    ¡°You can whine all you want on the way there. Let¡¯s get going,¡± Saeter interjected impatiently.


    Red Dog¡¯s lips curled up in displeasure as he responded.


    ¡®Fine, whatever. We¡¯ve got the goblin, so let¡¯s head out,¡± Red Dog replied in exasperation. He also seemed eager to get the job over with.


    After a brief stop to grab some stuff from his shelter Blacknail and the bandits were on their way down the road. Just like Red Dog had told Vorscha earlier their group was comprised of about two dozen people, with an about even mix of new and experienced bandits.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we have used some of the horses?¡± one of the recruits complained as she walked beside Red Dog.


    They had been walking down the old dirt road that cut through the forest for several hours now.


    ¡°There are too many of us for that. Besides, we aren¡¯t going all that far, and we¡¯ll be moving through a lot of bush. You¡¯ll just have to get used to walking distances further than down the street,¡± Red Dog told her disdainfully.


    ¡°¡­and riding can be even more painful and exhausting than walking if you¡¯re not used to it,¡± Saeter added.


    Suddenly Blacknail heard something from up ahead. He froze, pulled his hood down, and listened. Everyone else noticed his actions and stopped as well. Most of them had curious looks on their faces. A few had apparently managed to somehow forget he was a hobgoblin, and looked shocked at his appearance.


    ¡°Horses, many of them. From ahead.¡± Blacknail announced as he stared of into the trees that concealed the twist in the road ahead.


    ¡°Shit, could be a patrol or something. Everyone off the road and out of sight, now,¡± Red Dog commanded as he moved towards the forest that ran along the road.


    The rest of the bandits rushed after him, and they were soon all concealed along the tree line.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything. How do we know the hobgoblin isn¡¯t making this up?¡± someone asked from where he was crouched behind a bush.


    To Blacknail¡¯s surprise it was Red Dog who answered.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m smarter than you. Now shut up,¡± Red Dog hissed at the first speaker.


    Almost immediately after that, the sound of hooves reached the humans¡¯ ears. The bandits were all crouched in bushes or leaning against trees, but as soon as they heard the noise they all turned to look out at the road.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait long for the horsemen themselves to appear. They rode into view at a quick canter. There were slightly fewer of them than there were bandits, but every one of them was mounted and armored.


    The soldiers, and that¡¯s what they had to be, were even more heavily armed and shinier than Persus¡¯ guards had been. On top of their padded clothing they wore long chain-mail shirts. Their legs were protected by steel greaves, and their lower arms by banded bracers. Their heads were protected by steel helmets that hid everything but their eyes and mouths, which could be seen though a large y-shaped hole in the front of the helmets.


    Blacknail was glad he was no longer out on the road. He could imagine the horsemen simply riding right over him and the other bandits. Most of them would have been trampled to death without much of a fight. It was just another reason why Blacknail really hated horses.


    Most of the riders not only had swords at their waists but held long spears as well. One of the riders out front had a large blue piece of cloth tied to the end of his spear. It waved and snapped loudly in the wind behind him as he rode, showing flashes of a golden stag¡¯s head insignia.


    As Blacknail watched the soldiers pass he had to admit that they looked dangerous. The humans in his tribe never looked quite so impressive. When the riders were out of sight down the road Red Dog spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s Lord Strachan¡¯s banner. What are that many of his armsmen doing out here? His land is further south, and he can¡¯t have a lot of men to throw around these days¡± he mused aloud.


    ¡°Could be anything. I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯ve been out of touch with noble politics lately,¡± Saeter answered.


    Red Dog grunted in agreement, before ordering everyone back onto the road. Then they were on their way again.


    As the hours went by many of the bandits began to tire out, including Blacknail. The hobgoblin had never walked so far before. His feet really ached, and his boots were rubbing his skin raw. He had tried removing the boots but Saeter had stopped him, and told him that it would only make things worse. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if he believed his master, but did as he was told.


    Eventually, Red Dog stopped the party with an upraised hand. Blacknail looked around and listened carefully, but he didn¡¯t detect anything out of the ordinary. It just seemed like any other spot on the forest enclosed road to him.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for the night, and start tracking our targets in the morning. We¡¯re too close to them to be using the road anymore. If they have the sense the gods gave goblins than they¡¯ll have someone watching the road,¡± Red Dog explained.


    Blacknail gave Red Dog an annoyed glare at the obviously intentional insult, but most the other members of the group just seemed glad to be able to finally stop walking. Blacknail empathized with them, he couldn¡¯t wait to get off his feet either.


    The bandits split up for a few minutes to find a good place to set up for the night. Soon a spot was chosen. It was a small cluster of gray boulders large enough to shield them from sight and to be somewhat defensible.


    There were nine stones and each of them was taller than a human. Together they were arranged in a loose circle. No trees grew within a few dozen feet of the stones, and the ground around them was hard with only a sparse covering of plants. Blacknail thought it was beautiful.


    The hobgoblin walked up and ran his hand along the surface of the closest stone. It was smooth to the touch and warmer than he thought it would be. The sun must have heated it.


    From this close Blacknail could almost make out faded patterns on the rocks, like someone had carved pictures into them once upon a time. However, if the stones had once born images or words of some sort the wind and rain had long since worn them away.


    Saeter noticed Blacknail examining the stones, and walked up behind him.


    ¡°These stone were put here. They¡¯re too old for men, and they¡¯re not the Flore Kurava¡¯s style. They don¡¯t work stone. That means this circle was put here by goblins. Maybe, even ancestors of yours,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail removed his hand from the stone. The idea that this¡­ special place had been made by goblins felt right. The stones, and the way they were arranged, spoke to him. It had meaning, even if Blacknail couldn''t tell what the meaning was supposed to be.


    He looked up into the clear blue sky above him. The thought that goblins had created something that had lasted so very long resonated with the hobgoblin. The idea of making things such as this had never even occurred to him before now. He turned to his master.


    ¡°Thank you, master,¡± he told him. Saeter eyed him curiously and a corner of his mouth rose to form a smirk.


    ¡°For what?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Everything,¡± Blacknail replied. He turned back to the stone and touched it again.


    Red Dog stomped over and interrupted them. He looked annoyed and was scowling.


    ¡°Great, so not only do we have to sleep beside a bloody hobgoblin; but were also setting up camp in some sort of creepy goblin shrine thing,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss. We could try to find a different spot if you want, but this one seems better than most. That is of course unless on top of your fear of hobgoblins you¡¯re also afraid of ghosts?¡± Saeter joked.


    ¡°It sure doesn¡¯t sound like I¡¯m the boss,¡± Red Dog grumbled as he walked past them and began helping set up.


    It didn¡¯t take them a lot of time to set up for the night. They had been traveling light. Beyond the basic gear and weapons, all they had brought was blankets and a large tarp in case it rained.


    Red Dog didn¡¯t allow anyone to light a fire until it got dark. He wanted there to be no chance of them being detected, and a fire during the day would be too much of a risk. The smoke would be visible for miles.


    As night began to fall Blacknail could smell some of the new recruits grow nervous. For many of them it was their first time out in the woods at night in such a small group. The fact that they didn¡¯t have a fire, but did have bad human night vision, probably didn¡¯t help either.


    When the night sky had blackened enough to completely mask any smoke Red Dog finally lit a fire in the center of the boulders. He kept it small enough that it was unlikely anyone would see it through the trees.


    The fire helped a little but a lot of the men still seemed nervous. Blacknail didn¡¯t blame them. He didn¡¯t like camping out in the forest much either. The shadowy forest and reaching tree branches could have been concealing any number of threats, and unlike most of the men here he knew exactly what to be afraid of.


    As a hobgoblin he might be larger than before, but most of the hungry beasts that lived in the woods would barely notice the difference. He would simply be a slightly more filling snack.


    Between the aura of fear and the heavy watch Red Dog insisted on very few people got a good sleep that night. Many of the bandits slept fretfully and were awake much of the night. Blacknail himself slept more than he had planned to. He found the presence of the ancient stones that encircled their camp soothing for some reason, and so he slept peacefully.


    Eventually the long night ended and dusk broke. The few people who were sleeping were awakened, and the group packed up and headed out to complete their mission.


    They followed the road, but stuck to the edges of the bush so that anyone watching would have a hard time seeing them. The party was split in two, with one group on each side of the road, so they wouldn¡¯t miss anything. Saeter led one group, and Red Dog the other.


    Moving through the thick underbrush of the forest slowed them down quite a bit, but they had much less distance to travel today. At first nothing stood out as they made their way along the road.


    ¡°What¡¯s that,¡± one of the new recruits asked, as he pointed to a spot beside the road. Everyone immediately looked in the direction he indicated, including Blacknail.


    ¡°Looks like a trashed wagon. Let¡¯s check it out,¡± another bandit replied after a second.


    ¡°Wait a second. First we¡¯ll search the area to see if anyone is watching,¡± Saeter told them.


    At Saeter¡¯s command they continued on past the wagon through the woods. When they didn¡¯t find anyone or anything Saeter stepped out onto the road and looked around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any good vantage points nearby, so we should be unobserved,¡± he told them.


    He ordered several men to cross the road and fetch Red Dog while he and the others headed back to check out the wagon. They walked down the road until they got to the wooden wreck. It was concealed from the road by a small overgrown hill, which they had to go around.


    When they got to the wagon Blacknail immediately smelled blood, human blood. The wagon itself was badly damaged, and nothing but a pile of broken wood that had been stripped of everything useful.


    Red Dog and his group arrived and joined them around the wreck.


    ¡°Well, this was sure a waste of time,¡± one of the bandits commented.


    ¡°No it wasn¡¯t. I¡¯m willing to bet this is the work of our highwaymen. This looks like a farmer or small merchant¡¯s wagon. That would be an inviting target for them.¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°How does that help us?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°We know they were here not too long ago, so now we just need to track them back to their lair,¡± Saeter explained as he examined the wagon and the ground around it. After a minute he straightened up and turned to Blacknail.


    ¡°Do you have a scent?¡± he asked the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Yes, one of them bleeds,¡± Blacknail replied. He smiled eagerly as the scent of blood and his master¡¯s attention excited him.


    ¡°That makes this almost too easy,¡± Saeter said as he smiled back.


    ¡°Bloody creepy is what it is,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°Just be glad he¡¯s on our side,¡± someone else whispered softly, but not so softly that Blacknail couldn¡¯t hear them.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s smile widened in response. That was what he wanted the humans to think, that they were better off with him on their side.


    ¡°So you can track them?¡± Red Dog asked. Saeter huffed indignantly before responding.


    ¡°I can track practically anyone or anything. They left plenty of signs and with Blacknail¡¯s nose this will be as easy as falling off a log,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Good, then you and your pet can lead the way,¡± Red Dog told him.


    Blacknail hissed softly in anger at the disrespect he heard in the man¡¯s voice, but he suppressed the sudden flare of rage and didn¡¯t act on it further. This didn¡¯t stop the two men closest to him from backing away a few steps though.


    Red Dog though was apparently unconcerned and ignored the hobgoblin, but Saeter gave Blacknail a disapproving look.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± Red Dog told everyone.


    Saeter led them across the road and into the forest once again. The rest of the bandits followed him and Blacknail. As they moved Saeter pointed out signs to the hobgoblin, like broken twigs and a partial boot prints.


    Blacknail found it interesting but almost unnecessary since he could simply follow their prey¡¯s scent. Saeter had to stop and look around for tracks every once and a while but Blacknail never lost the trail. His master seemed to want to track the highwaymen himself, because he only asked for Blacknail¡¯s help once.


    The iron like scent of blood began to grow stronger as they walked deeper into the woods, until Blacknail started to become concerned.


    ¡°More blood,¡± he whispered to Saeter. His master frowned in concern as well, but they continued moving forward.


    They soon found the source of the smell. Up ahead laying on the forest floor was a human corpse, and it had been shredded. It took a few seconds to identify it as the remains of a man. It was little more than a pile of bloody flesh and broken bones.


    ¡°Shit. This wasn¡¯t done by no man,¡± One of the bandits said as he went white and began to panic.


    Behind Blacknail Red Dog calmly drew his sword, and leveled it at the panicked speaker¡¯s throat.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t keep your shit together then just shut up and stay fucking still, or you¡¯ll regret it¡± he told the startled man. Then he turned to Saeter who had crouched down to examine the body.


    ¡°What are we dealing with?¡± he asked grimly.


    ¡°Hopefully nothing, because it filled its stomach and left. This mess is definitely the work of a troll though,¡± Saeter answered.


    ¡°Damnation,¡± Red Dog swore. ¡°I fucking hate trolls. Every time I run into one someone dies,¡±

 Written in Blood 5

    ¡°Could be worse, it could have been a drake,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°Trolls are smaller and will rarely attack a group of armed men this big, especially if they¡¯ve just eaten. As long as we don¡¯t trip over the damned thing we should be fine. This one must have followed the same blood trail as Blacknail and picked the bleeder off.¡±


    Several of the bandits looked more than a little afraid. Several of them were throwing nervous glances at the woods around them.


    ¡°What¡¯s a troll? I mean I¡¯ve heard of them but I never actually expected to see one, or have one see me,¡± one of the new recruits asked.


    Saeter gave the man a disdainful look, but answered him.


    ¡°Trolls have twin fangs the size of long knives and thick skin that doesn¡¯t bleed unless you pretty much decapitate them. Except for that, they¡¯re basically what you would get if you took a goblin and made it twice the size of a man and a hundred times as angry,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Bloody lovely¡­¡± one of the other bandits muttered sarcastically.


    Saeter then got up and examined the ground all around the corpse. He called Blacknail over and showed the hobgoblin various signs within the disturbed area. The hobgoblin found this much more interesting than his earlier tracking lessons. His sense of smell didn¡¯t help him nearly as much.


    ¡°It looks like there were three men here. The troll came down on them fast. It killed the wounded one and his friends made a run for it. It doesn¡¯t look like the troll followed them, instead it ate its fill and then headed off back into the woods,¡± Saeter told Red Dog.


    The man looked thoughtful as he considered their options.


    ¡°We should be good to just follow them back to their camp then. Will they still be on alert?¡± Red Dog asked Saeter.


    ¡°Hard to say. I¡¯m guessing the troll attack happened last night, which is enough time that I would feel safe. I doubt these guys are used to the forest though, so I¡¯d bet they didn¡¯t get much sleep last night,¡± Saeter answered.


    ¡°And we did?¡± Blacknail heard someone mutter behind him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go carefully then, and when we find the camp we¡¯ll circle around. They¡¯ll undoubtedly be watching the direct way, for trolls if nothing else,¡± Red Dog told them.


    Saeter nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Blacknail and scout the path ahead then. We¡¯ll take out or mark any sentries so then you and the others can approach unseen,¡± Saeter suggested.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Red Dog replied.


    ¡°Come Blacknail. It¡¯s time for me to teach you the more violent parts of the ranger¡¯s trade. I have a feeling you¡¯ll pick it up quick,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin, as he shrugged off his backpack and handed it to another bandit.


    Blacknail chuckled and licked his lips. This sounded like it would be so much fun. He could think of nothing he would rather do than stalk unsuspecting prey through the woods with the scent of blood in the air. His heart pounded in excitement just thinking about it.


    ¡°Thank you-ss so much, master,¡± he replied excitedly as a wicked grin stretched across his face.


    Saeter slipped through the trees so quietly that even Blacknail had difficulty hearing him. He followed in his master¡¯s wake and tried to be just as silent. To his own ears he wasn¡¯t quite successful, but with his boots removed he moved quietly enough that Saeter didn¡¯t complain.


    The hobgoblin instinctively knew how to balance himself, and where to place his bare feet to avoid breaking twigs and other obstacles. After so long walking in boots the cool earth and wet grass felt soothing beneath his feet as he walked. The thrill of the hunt he was feeling was more than worth the long walk it had taken to get here.


    The canopy overhead was thin enough that lots of light got through. The abundance of sunshine meant the forest around him was thick with green leaved bushes. This gave them plenty of cover and helped them conceal themselves.


    The area was also rockier than where Herad had made her camp. Every once and awhile they would stumble upon a large exposed boulder that rose from the earth, like the ones they had sheltered among last night.


    Ahead of him Saeter moved out from behind a tree to peer at a trampled plant. Having confirmed that he was still on the right track, the scout got up and started moving again. He stalked through the bush while moving from cover to cover and checking for signs of their targets.


    Blacknail observed and tried to copy his master¡¯s movements. He was very impressed by how quietly Saeter could move and how he could track without using his nose.


    The hobgoblin watched his master examine the surrounding forest while crouched behind a bush. After a minute Saeter raised a hand and signaled Blacknail.


    Before they had headed out to track down the deserters Saeter had made him memorize several different hand signals. Blacknail had instantly realized how useful they would be for communicating without making any noise. His master was a genius for coming up with such a great idea. Blacknail was sure nothing like it would ever have occurred to him.


    The signal his master was currently sending meant that he should get to cover because someone might be around. Blacknail felt a flash of excitement at the thought of finally cornering their quarry. He felt his mouth moisten with saliva in anticipation, but he obeyed his master and remained where he was. Slowly and carefully as not to attract attention the hobgoblin bent down and took cover at the base of the tree beside him.


    However, he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to peek out and look for whatever Saeter had seen. Blacknail eagerly scanned the forest for signs, but was disappointed when he didn¡¯t see anything or anyone among the leafy branches or rough barked tree trunks around him.


    He wanted to hunt! His teeth ached, and his tongue flicked out and over his teeth to clean them in preparation. He shivered as he felt a seductive feeling similar to rage start to burn within him. It filled him with a hunger for action and blood.


    Blacknail had to close his eyes and focus on mentally picturing sword exercises to suppress the urges. He knew discipline would make him stronger than rage or hunger ever could.


    A few seconds later after Blacknail had managed to get his urges under control he opened his eyes to see Saeter flashing more signals his way. The first signal told Blacknail to look over to his left, and the next meant he wanted Blacknail to wait and watch. With a regretful sigh the hobgoblin resigned himself to spending the next little while waiting, and not hunting.


    As Saeter stealthy got up and began moving Blacknail looked over in the direction his master had indicated. He still didn¡¯t see anything. Saeter stopped beside a large smooth tree trunk and signaled Blacknail again. He wanted the hobgoblin to carefully circle the target from the opposite direction.


    Blacknail smiled as he got up and obeyed. Finally, a chance to act! Excitedly he crept forward while looking for his prey. Then as he was moving over to a large jagged rock he saw movement out of the corner of his eye up on a nearby hill.


    Instantly the cloaked hobgoblin went totally still, and his eyes focused on that spot.


    As he watched Blacknail noticed something brown and human sized move ever so slightly. It was mostly hidden behind a tree, so he couldn¡¯t get a good look at it. He slipped around the boulder to get a better view.


    It was a man! He was scanning the forest from his high viewpoint while leaning against a tree. He had a large brown cloak on but under that was wearing a bright blue shirt and black pants.


    The clothes confused Blacknail. He couldn¡¯t think of a good reason for wearing the blue shirt that would be anything but a stupid idea. Did the man want to be seen? Was it some sort of trap?


    Blacknail threw a look back at his master. Saeter noticed the glance and quickly raised two fingers in another sign. Two fingers meant¡­ that there was another man nearby. Blacknail hastily flashed the ¡®where?¡¯ sign back.


    His master pointed up to another spot on the hill, and then gestured to himself to show ownership. He then pointed to the man Blacknail could see and then back to the hobgoblin. Blacknail grinned happily and licked his lips. His master was going to take one of the men, and he wanted Blacknail to take the other. What a wonderful present his master had just given him.


    The hobgoblin watched the sentry on the hill until the man looked away. Then unseen, Blacknail slipped out from behind the rock, and crept forward along a path up the hill that was mostly concealed from the man¡¯s view. He was practically purring with joy.


    Soon the hobgoblin got close enough that he could smell the human, and he shivered in anticipation. He circled around the hill and began to climb it from the side. This was going to be so much fun!


    As he climbed Blacknail¡¯s ears detected sounds that were out of place in the forest. He paused in his advance to listen. It sounded like several humans talking and moving, which meant the human camp wasn¡¯t too far away.


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    He examined the forest in that direction but didn¡¯t see anything that would mean anyone in the camp was close enough to see him. Reassured, the hobgoblin began to creep across the final stretch of bush between him and the human scout.


    His target was an average sized man with black hair. He was still leaning against the tree while lazily scanning the forest below him for threats. However, Blacknail had already snuck right under the man nose and was now safely behind him out of sight. The sentry would never see the hobgoblin coming, which was just how Blacknail liked it.


    ¡°See anything yet, Kratz,¡± the man suddenly yelled. Blacknail dropped to the ground in alarm.


    ¡°Ha, I would have said something if I did,¡± come an answering shout from out of sight.


    ¡°Ya, but the boss wanted us to check in with each other every once and awhile. I guess you¡¯re still alive since you¡¯re still talking and all,¡± the first man replied in jest.


    The only answer the other man gave was a brief chuckle. Blacknail rose a bit and tried to find the second speaker, but much to his frustration couldn¡¯t see him.


    Then there was the sound of a scuffle and a brief gasp. Blacknail¡¯s target looked over and frowned with concern.


    ¡°You okay, Kratz? I thought I heard something,¡± the man shouted.


    The only sound from where the other man had been was a distinct cheery birdcall. The sentry¡¯s frown deepened as his concern turned to suspicion. He took a step towards the camp and opened his mouth as if to shout.


    Blacknail had already launched himself forward at the man. The birdcall had been a signal. Blacknail was sure it meant Saeter had just taken out the second sentry, and that meant Blacknail needed to act.


    The hobgoblin covered the ground lightning fast. His long muscular body carried his light frame forward with startling speed. The wind whipped his cloak behind him as he shot forward from the bushes. Before the man could even turn or start yelling, Blacknail was upon him.


    The hobgoblin hit the unprepared man with a flying tackle that ended with his arms wrapped around his opponent¡¯s waist. Surprise and momentum allowed the lighter hobgoblin to knock the man off balance. It also knocked the air from his opponent¡¯s lung, and prevented him from yelling out a warning.


    They careened off to the side together. As they fell the sentry flailed uselessly. Meanwhile, Blacknail used his hold on the man¡¯s waist to pull himself up, and then twist one of his legs so he could hook it under the man¡¯s knee. Using the leverage this gave him Blacknail flipped himself around so that he was now clinging to the man¡¯s back.


    They hit the ground with a loud thud. The man landed face first with the weight of the hobgoblin on his back. The breath was knocked out of the sentry for a second time by the impact, and all he could do was wheeze in pain.


    The prone sentry tried to draw in a breath to yell, or maybe to scream, but Blacknail grabbed his hair and yanked the man¡¯s head up. This caused the man to croak in pain, and allowed Blacknail to wrap his other claw around the man¡¯s neck.


    The sentry went very still as he felt the hobgoblin¡¯s sharp nails dig into the flesh around his throat. He whimpered in fright, and Blacknail smiled in satisfaction. He then adjusted his weight so he could lean forward into the man¡¯s line of sight.


    The man must have suspected something was strange about his assailant, but when he got a close look at Blacknail¡¯s face his eyes widened and he went white as snow.


    ¡°Be very quiet,¡± Blacknail half whispered and half growled to him.


    The man¡¯s head bobbed up and down. At first Blacknail thought the sentry was trying to nod, but then his eyes rolled up into his head until only the whites were visible and he went as limp as a dead fish.


    Blacknail released his grip on the man¡¯s throat and slapped him across the face. The blow made a loud smacking noise and left a red handprint on the man¡¯s face, but otherwise the sentry didn¡¯t react.


    Blacknail hissed in disappointment. He had wanted to have more fun. He got to his feet and stared with dissatisfaction down at the unconscious sentry.


    Blacknail heard someone approach and turned to see Saeter push his way out from the bushes. Saeter frowned as he saw the corpse white and unmoving man at Blacknail¡¯s feet.


    ¡°I thought I told you to try and capture them alive,¡± Saeter told him with obvious disappointment.


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, just stupid. Stupid-ss man went to sleep, so he¡¯s no fun,¡± Blacknail hissed in annoyance.


    ¡°I see,¡± Saeter replied in a confused tone that meant he didn¡¯t really understand at all. He walked over to the unconscious man and kicked him a few times, but seemed satisfied when the man flinched and moaned ever so slightly.


    ¡°Prey¡¯s camp is that way,¡± Blacknail impatiently told his master as he raised a finger to point towards the source of the noise he had heard earlier.


    The hobgoblin wanted to continue the hunt. There were still more humans to catch, and he had never had so much fun before. He was lightheaded with giddiness and anticipation; even if he was also a little disappointed he couldn¡¯t eat any of the prey he caught.


    After throwing a look in the direction Blacknail had indicated Saeter addressed the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Good to know, but that¡¯s not our job right now. Grab that fellow and hide him in the bushes along with the one I knocked out. Then sit on them until I get back with Red Dog¡­ er you don¡¯t actually have to sit on them, just guard them,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Blacknail acknowledged with a disappointed sigh. Why couldn¡¯t his master just ever let him have fun? The humans were so close. He wanted to at least stalk them a little. No one would ever even know.


    Saeter turned away, and walked back through the trees towards where Red Dog was waiting for them. When he was gone the hobgoblin grabbed the man at his feet and started dragging him into the bushes. He easily found the man Saeter had knocked out by smell, and dumped the other sentry on top of him.


    He was almost disappointed that Saeter didn¡¯t actually want him to sit on them. Piled up as they were the unconscious men actually looked sort of comfy, and Blacknail liked the idea of resting atop the bodies of his defeated prey.


    Blacknail¡¯s mind began to wander as he waited for Saeter to return. He was getting kind of hungry. He wasn¡¯t allowed to eat the humans but maybe he could lick them. Or maybe he could maim a few and eat the bits that came loose. They would survive that¡­ probably.


    After thinking it over for awhile Blacknail decided to simply take some jerky out of his pouch and eat that instead. He was in the middle of chewing it when he heard someone yell in his direction.


    ¡°Kratz! Teriol! I¡¯ve got your supper,¡± the voice shouted in Blacknail¡¯s direction.


    Blacknail calmly swallowed the last of the jerky and tried to come up with a plan. Obviously this human was calling for the other two who had been knocked out. If he didn¡¯t get an answer then he would probably raise the alarm, which would be bad.


    Should he try and mimic a human and reply himself? No, that wouldn¡¯t work. He didn¡¯t have a very human sounding voice. Human voices were all deep and dumb sounding.


    Blacknail started licking his fingers clean. Should he wake a human up and force them to answer? No, not enough time.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes swept over the unconscious men he was supposed to be guarding, and lingered on the smaller man¡¯s cloak and gloves. He grinned gleefully as an idea occurred to him.


    ¡°Guys, you there?¡± the voice called again.


    The speaker sounded a little nervous now. He stopped walking and glanced warily at the bush in front of him for signs of his friends. He was balancing two plates of steaming hot food in his hands.


    The human¡¯s nervousness disappeared however when a small man he recognized stepped out from behind a tree. His hood was up for some reason but the man recognized the sentry¡¯s cloak.


    He smiled as he realized his friend was in the middle of a fit of coughing, which was probably why he hadn¡¯t answered him earlier. The sentry did however wave cheerfully as he strode forward, before then extending a gloved hand to take a plate of food.


    ¡°Behind you,¡± the sentry said between coughs, as he raised his other hand to point behind the man. His voice was unusually raspy, probably from the coughing.


    ¡°What is it?¡± the deserter asked as he turned to look.


    That was when Blacknail, who was dressed in the sentry¡¯s clothes, jumped up and smashed him in the back of the head with the wooden plate.


    ¡°Wha¡± the man groaned as he staggered.


    Blacknail hit him again, and kept hitting him until he went down. Then the hobgoblin flipped his hood back to reveal his green grinning face, and began to drag the third man into the bushes to join the others. This was just too much fun!

 Written in Blood 6

    Blacknail was quite happy with himself. Not only had he tricked the stupid human, but he had managed to get some free food out of it as well. After hiding the body Blacknail walked back and picked up all the food that had been dropped onto the ground in the earlier scuffle.


    The hobgoblin spent the next few minutes watching the forest below from the top of the hill, and eating the red meat and hard bread that he had picked up earlier. From his vantage point at the sentry¡¯s post he saw Saeter and the other bandits arrive and begin to climb the hill below him.


    ¡°Er, you changed your clothes?¡± Saeter asked Blacknail curiously when he reached the top and saw him. The other bandits were right behind the scout. One of them gave Blacknail a horrified glance.


    ¡°Forget about that. What in all the hells is he eating?¡± the other bandit asked in alarm when he saw Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin sniggered at the man¡¯s concern. He was sitting on the piled bodies of the unconscious men, while casually chewing a piece of meat. He¡¯d tried finding something else, like a log, to sit on but hadn¡¯t ended up finding anything. Besides, this was actually very comfy.


    ¡°It smells, and looks, like boiled beef,¡± someone else answered condescendingly to the other man. The first speaker flushed slightly.


    Blacknail ignored the other bandits and focused on Saeter. As amusing as they were, only his master was important.


    ¡°I had to be sneaky,¡± Blacknail explained to Saeter, as he pointed to the third unconscious man.


    ¡°Huh, well I guess it worked,¡± Saeter replied. He looked like he wanted to ask some more questions, but instead he turned to Red Dog.


    ¡°We should get going. They¡¯ll soon notice these men are missing,¡± Saeter told him.


    Red Dog nodded, then turned to Blacknail and gave him a disapproving look.


    ¡°Are those men still alive?¡± he asked the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Blacknail replied as he shrugged.


    Red Dog appeared unsatisfied by Blacknail¡¯s answer, but he scowled and turned back to Saeter.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go. The hobgoblin stays here and guards these men, though,¡± he said.


    ¡°I have no problem with that,¡± Saeter replied without concern.


    Red Dog began giving orders to the other bandits. He got them organized and told them the plan of attack. Blacknail listened and was sort of disappointed that he wouldn¡¯t be joining in the rest of the fun.


    Red Dog¡¯s plan did seem like it might involve a lot of face to face fighting though, and Blacknail was fine with missing out on that. He much preferred attacking people from behind. It was safer.


    Besides, Blacknail knew he wasn¡¯t a very good swordsman yet. He much preferred the sneaky type of fighting. So, he had no problem with staying there while continuing to eat his food and sit on his trophies. Maybe one of them would even wake up, and then Blacknail could have some more fun.


    The Bandits finished their planning and drew their weapons. Most of them had swords, but others had bows or more exotic things like hand axes. Red Dog led the way and the group headed towards the deserters¡¯ camp.


    With their dirty unshaven faces and their worn down and mismatched leather armor the bandits looked savage and dangerous. They didn¡¯t however display the discipline and competence of the horsemen from earlier or even Persus¡¯ guards.


    Blacknail watched them go, and decided he wasn¡¯t going to listen to Red Dog after all. When the other bandits were out of sight the hobgoblin got up and followed them. He wanted to see what happened next.


    Saeter led Red Dog and the rest of their group of outlaws through the woods towards their target. They moved slowly in order to sneak up on the group of deserters who had set up camp ahead. The thick trees and hilly terrain concealed their approach.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Saeter¡¯s group to get within sight of the deserters¡¯ camp. The old scout stopped at the edge of the forest where it ended in a cliff. He crouched low to the ground to help conceal himself and looked down. Below them and down a rocky incline lay a small recessed valley.


    The sound of rushing water could be heard from a small waterfall that rushed down the steep rocky cliff that lay across the valley. The creek it fed then wandered along one side of the valley and marked its boundary. The thick forest and sharp hills continued on the other side of the stream.


    A bunch of uniform blue tents had been set up within the gorge. Under an overhang on one section of the cliff the deserters had also constructed a large crude wooden structure. Seater and Red Dog could see a number of men moving about or lounging around the area. In the center of the tents someone was cooking on a large fire.


    ¡°Well, those are definitely standard Elorian infantry tents. That means these are our deserters,¡± Red Dog whispered.


    ¡°It could be an entirely different group of deserters who just happen to be highwaymen as well,¡± one of the new recruits whispered back.


    Red Dog was not amused by the comment, and it showed on his face. One of the other bandits took this as permission to cuff the speaker. The man took the blow and shut up.


    ¡°Look at the tents and that shelter over there. There are more of them than we thought,¡± Saeter told Red Dog.


    ¡°How many do you think there are, exactly?¡± Red Dog asked him.


    ¡°At least as many as us, even without counting the scouts we took out on the way in,¡± Seater answered.


    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll just have to go back, and ask Herad for some reinforcements,¡± Red Dog muttered sarcastically, as he scowled down at the camp below them. No one laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re in charge,¡± Saeter remarked indifferently. Red Dog gave him a dirty look. The bandit lieutenant clearly didn¡¯t like any of the options available to him.


    ¡°We have the advantage of surprise,¡± he mused.


    ¡°Until we lose it,¡± Saeter added.


    ¡°If you have nothing constructive to add, then shut up.¡± Red Dog hissed back.


    Saeter didn¡¯t bother to respond, or even turn around. He kept looking over the cliff and at the deserters¡¯ camp.


    ¡°Fine, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. We¡¯ll go down the hill that way, and then sneak around to those tents over there. They¡¯re close to the edge of the woods, and there are quite a few men lounging about around them. We¡¯ll rush out and capture them before they know what is happening. That¡¯ll give us the advantage in numbers, and some prisoners to bargain with,¡± Red Dog told them as gestured to various spots below them.


    ¡°With odds this close I¡¯ve always preferred less direct attacks. We could scout around a bit more,¡± Saeter recommended.


    ¡°That could take hours. They could stumble onto our trail, or notice their missing sentries at any time. No, we have to go in now,¡± Red Dog replied.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll stay here as a lookout. That way I can guard the rear, and cover you with my bow,¡± Saeter suggested.


    Red Dog appeared to think it over for a few seconds.


    ¡°No, you can cover us better from further down the hill and closer to the action. Besides, you just unpacked that sword of yours, so let¡¯s give you an opportunity to use it,¡± Red Dog told him with a smirk.


    Saeter didn¡¯t look happy with the other bandit¡¯s decision, but when Red Dog led the rest of the outlaws down the slope he followed them.


    Red Dog slowly and carefully led his group of twenty-four bandits down the slope and through the woods around the camp. The slope was rocky and cover was limited to the occasional large rock or bush so they had to move carefully, but they made it safely to the bottom and back into the forest without being seen.


    As they moved through the trees there were several times when a new recruit messed up or slipped and accidently made a loud noise. When that happened everyone froze and listened nervously for any reaction from the men ahead of them. When no one noticed them they continued on.


    Once they were only a few dozen feet from the tents, and the deserters around them, they stopped to observe their targets for a minute. There were eight enemies seated or standing around their target. Only a few of them had any weapons on them, and none of them were in their hands. An about equal number of other men were visible in more distant areas of the camp.


    Silently, Red Dog signaled his men forward. Ever so slowly they crawled through the last stretch of thick brush and towards the back of the tents that sat at edge of the woods. Saeter was with them, but was lagging behind and holding up the rear. When Red Dog reached the edge of the forest he burst out, and into a run.


    The large man raced around the tents and announced himself by punching out the closest deserter. There was a loud crack as his fist impacted the other man¡¯s chin. As the now unconscious deserter fell to the ground, his startled companions sprung to their feet.


    The rest of Red Dog¡¯s rugged outlaws were right behind him. They crashed into the unsuspecting opponents ahead of them with. Saeter remained at the edge of the woods and drew his bow.


    In front of the tents a melee had started, even if it was a very one sided one. Red Dog¡¯s men not only outnumbered their opponents, but the enemy was also mostly unarmed. Red Dog himself managed to lay another deserter low with a second solid punch before even having to draw his blade.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the rest of the deserters to realize something was happening. Their camp came alive like an anthill that had just been kicked. Shouts of panic and alarm filled the air as they tried to figure out what was going on.


    The closest group of deserters began falling one after another. Some of the bandits used clubs, or were just strong enough, to disable their opponents with painful blunt strikes. Others simply surrendered when swords and daggers were shoved in their faces, and they were then forced to the ground.


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    Those that tried to run or draw their own blades were put down hard, usually in a bloody and fatal manner. As they were cut down brief screams of pain joined the panicked yelling that filled the camp. Only one man managed to flee across the camp to regroup with his fellows.


    By this time, the deserters in the rest of the camp were beginning to get organized. One man emerged from a tent across the camp with a bow, and promptly shot an arrow at Red Dog.


    The bandit lieutenant didn¡¯t see it coming; he was busy watching over his men. Fortunately for him the shot missed and ripped through the tent behind him.


    The noise alerted Red Dog to the threat and he spun to find the shooter. Before the archer could try for another shot one of Saeter¡¯s arrows took him in the chest. Red Dog gave Seater a brief nod of thanks.


    An organized group of defenders began to appear, across the camp. A large group of deserters had banded together and armed themselves, but were holding back for now.


    Saeter sent a few arrows their way to distract them. The deserters scattered and took cover among the nearby tents, rocks, and equipment. Shouting could be heard as someone attempted to get the former soldiers organized and come up with a plan.


    Their plan became obvious when reinforcements arrived carrying round wooden shields, and the rest of the deserters formed up behind them. Saeter took a few more shots at the men behind the shields, but they intercepted every one. With an annoyed grunt Saeter stopped shooting to preserve arrows, and the fighting ground to a halt.


    On one side of the camp were Red Dog and the rough looking bandits. They numbered two dozen, but were busy regrouping and securing their captives. Almost a dozen men lay on the ground at their feet.


    On the other side a dozen armed and organized deserters were glaring at their attackers, but weren¡¯t moving to engage them. Most of them still wore their blue military uniforms. Every once and awhile they would be reinforced by a straggler or two.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s inconvenient. Who would have thought they would have carried those heavy things all the way here. No one in the band bothers with shields,¡± Red Dog remarked as he examined their next group of opponents.


    ¡°Bah, who cares? A few shields isn¡¯t going to help them,¡± one of the bandits said.


    ¡°True, we have them outnumbered now. So, let¡¯s see if they want to negotiate,¡± Red Dog announced. However, before he could do anything though the situation changed.


    ¡°What the fuck is all this now?¡± a deep booming voice suddenly yelled.


    The group of deserters grew agitated and then split apart, to let a large man walk to the front of them. He towered over the nearby men, and was heavily muscled. Even from a distance it was obvious he was bigger and more muscled than even Vorscha.


    He had a huge two handed sword over his shoulder, and wore a chainmail shirt on his chest. As the bandits watched he pulled a metal helmet over his head. A few more deserters arrived alongside him, which meant the bandits only had a slight advantage in numbers now.


    ¡°Well, balls,¡± Red Dog swore as he eyed this new opponent. He didn¡¯t seem happy.


    ¡°Our superior numbers won¡¯t mean much if we have to worry about prisoners,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could just shoot him?¡± Red Dog asked. They both knew who he meant.


    ¡°With that armor and those nearby shields it¡¯s not bloody likely,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Damn, that would have made this a lot easier,¡± Red Dog muttered half heartedly.


    Their discussion was interrupted by a loud yell from the deserter leader. Instantly both sides went still. The air was thick with tension.


    ¡°Who in all the hells are you lot?¡± he roared. Saeter gave Red Dog a look that clearly indicated that it was up to him to answer, and that he had better make it good.


    ¡°We¡¯re bandits in service to Herad the Black Snake. You¡¯ve been poaching in her territory so she sent us to put a stop to it,¡± Red Dog yelled back.


    ¡°What, she was too afraid to come herself?¡± the giant asked arrogantly.


    ¡°More like you aren¡¯t worth her time. Why would she bother herself with a few deserters? She runs this entire territory, and has hundreds of men under her command,¡± Red Dog replied.


    Saeter gave a quiet snort of amusement at the exaggeration. Red Dog ignored him.


    ¡°So then why did she send so few of her men to kill us?¡± was the unconvinced reply.


    ¡°We¡¯re not here just to kill you. We¡¯re also here to offer you a chance to join us. You¡¯d be stupid not to take it,¡± Red Dog told them.


    ¡°Why in all the hells would we want to join up with a bitch like the Black Snake?¡± the man laughed.


    ¡°So, that you don¡¯t all die. You may think you¡¯re tough ex-army shit, but so are half the outlaws in the North. We saw what was left of one of your men when that troll got through with him. You¡¯ve no idea how to survive in the North. Even if we don¡¯t kill you, something else will soon enough,¡± Red Dog argued.


    ¡°Ha, if that troll comes back I¡¯ll kill it myself. We don¡¯t need you, or your bitch. I¡¯ll kill her soon enough anyway, and then this territory will be mine. I¡¯ll give you one chance to save yourselves. Join me,¡± the man bragged as he pulled a vial from a pouch and held it up for them to see.


    ¡°Fuck me, he¡¯s a Slosher,¡± Red Dog moaned.


    As a ripple of fear spread through Herad¡¯s minions another man stepped forward from among the deserters. He was a plain looking man whose chin was covered in stubble and whose brown hair was un-kept. The only reason he stood out was that he was holding a long staff that ended in a clawed orb.


    ¡°A combat mage too. They have a thrice damned combat mage! I strongly suggest we run now,¡± Saeter told Red Dog.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know what crystals he has, and what magic he can do.¡± Red Dog replied.


    ¡°Does it matter? I doubt he would be lugging that staff around if all it could do was light his way to the privy,¡± Saeter responded harshly.


    ¡°If we run that Slosher will chase us down quickly enough,¡± Red Dog reasoned.


    ¡°If he hasn¡¯t taken any Elixir yet, then he won¡¯t unless he has to. He must know how hard that stuff is to get out here,¡± Saeter guessed.


    ¡°I suppose you can¡¯t just shoot the mage either?¡± Red Dog asked darkly.


    ¡°Even if I could, who¡¯s going to fight that huge armored Slosher, you?¡± was Saeter¡¯s sarcastic reply.


    Red Dog sighed. He seemed to deflate as he slouched in despair.


    ¡°You know what really bothers me about all this? That the bloody goblin of yours is the only one who¡¯s going to survive this,¡± he muttered darkly.


    ¡°Give me your answer, or I¡¯ll cut you to pieces,¡± the giant roared impatiently before Saeter could reply.


    ¡°We¡¯re discussing your offer. Give us a second,¡± Red Dog yelled back with an annoyed tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t piss him off!¡± Saeter hissed.


    ¡°Or what, he¡¯ll kill us?¡± Red Dog hissed back.


    Blacknail watched Saeter and Red Dog continue to argue from atop the hill that looked down on the camp. It definitely seemed like his master was in a trouble.


    Things had been going well until that big male human had arrived. For some reason everyone was afraid of him. Well, he did have a very impressive sword and a shiny hat.


    The men behind Red Dog seemed on the edge of panic. Even his master looked out of sorts. Blacknail blamed the fat faced man, Red Dog. His plan had obviously been stupid and had put Blacknail¡¯s master in danger.


    The hobgoblin really didn¡¯t want his master to get hurt or die, and it was looking increasingly likely that he would. He owed the man too much to let that happen.


    He also really didn¡¯t want to have to walk back to camp alone, and then try and explain everything that had happened to Herad. He doubted she would be very understanding, or that he would survive.


    What could he do though? The problem was the big man. So Blacknail had to do something about him, but what? He was definitely very big, and Blacknail was rather small. It would however be very satisfying to defeat such a man¡­ to kill him.


    Blacknail shivered as the cruel hunger from before surged through him again. Feeling giddy and lightheaded, the hobgoblin smiled viciously in anticipation as he quickly considered various schemes. Yes, he would show these enemy humans why they should have never entered his territory!


    Having made up his mind Blacknail launched himself down the hill, and scrambled through the woods. On all four limbs he navigated through the tangle of bushes and avoided the rocks at high speed. His light agile body allowed the hobgoblin to move in ways humans couldn¡¯t.


    Once he reached the edge of the woods that lay below the hill the hobgoblin forced himself to a stop. That done he quickly brushed himself off, and threw his hood up. Then with false calm he strolled out of the woods and into the deserters¡¯ camp.


    Immediately several of the deserters looked his way. Blacknail felt their gazes on him as he approached, and nervously noted that they were all armed and rather angry looking. He doubted he could fight a single one of the large humans off, let alone the whole group.


    Blacknail really hoped his plan was going to work. He probably should have spent a little more time thinking it through. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time though, when he had been far away and safe. If this plan failed not only was he going to die painfully, but most likely so would his master.


    Up ahead the large human leader raised his huge sword into the air and roared.


    ¡°You cowardly dogs have had all the time I¡¯m willing to give you! No more stalling. It¡¯s time to fight. When I cut you fuckers down I¡¯m going to make sure your deaths are slow and bloody, as a warning to others,¡± he yelled with a voice full of rage and bloodlust.

 Written in Blood 7

    None of the deserters did more than glance briefly Blacknail¡¯s way as he walked up behind them. They were preoccupied by the bandits in front of them, and the hobgoblin was still wearing the cloak he had won from the sentry. Winning something from a fight was very different from stealing it.


    No one found anything odd about another straggler joining the group now and that¡¯s exactly what Blacknail looked like. Most the deserters wore the same cloak as him, and he wasn¡¯t even the only one in the group with his hood up.


    The hobgoblin stretched himself as tall as possible and walked on his toes as he entered the crowd of deserters. He hoped his somewhat awkward gait wouldn¡¯t attract attention but he was short for a human so he had to do something. He avoided directly looking at anyone and tilted his head down so that his green skin was hidden within the shadows of his cloak.


    Blacknail saw his target; he was rather hard to miss actually. The man loomed over the other deserters like a solitary mountain over the forest.


    Quickly, but without seeming hurried the hobgoblin walked up behind the large man. Luckily for him, the rest of the men had had taken a few steps back from their leader and given him space.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had all the time you need. If you don¡¯t surrender right this second I¡¯m going to kill every last one of you!¡± the enemy leader yelled.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Blacknail muttered thoughtfully to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what his next move was going to be. Things seemed more complicated now that he was actually in the middle of the enemy tribe. His target was definitely very big!


    Even from the back he towered over the hobgoblin. Blacknail would have trouble just reaching his throat and that the shiny shirt protected his chest. The hobgoblin needed to adjust his plan, and quickly, or it wouldn¡¯t work.


    A tall man with a sword in his hand turned towards Blacknail and looked him over. He was standing only a few feet away.


    ¡°Ha, I¡¯ll bet you two silver that those spineless dogs are going to surrender any second now. No one sane would pick a fight with Basghus,¡± the swordsman told Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin gave a vague grunt of acknowledgement and ignored the man. He still needed to come up with a better plan.


    The disguised hobgoblin perked up as an idea suddenly occurred to him. He sure hoped he could pull it off. Stupid Red Dog, his insane plan had put Blacknail¡¯s master in danger. Blacknail idly wondered how the man had survived so long without someone around to clean up his messes.


    The hobgoblin drew his dagger as he stood in the very middle of his tribe¡¯s enemies. He sighed in relief when his action failed to raise anyone¡¯s suspicion. Everyone around him was still focused on Red Dog¡¯s group.


    Then, with a vicious snarl, Blacknail pounced onto the back of the enemy tribe¡¯s leader. As everyone around him reacted in shock, Blacknail got a firm grip on the neck of big man¡¯s chain shirt and pulled himself up higher.


    ¡°What the holy fucks!?¡± the giant yelled as he jumped in surprise.


    He dropped his sword and the vial he was holding, spun around, and reached back to try and grab the freaky thing that was climbing his back.


    Blacknail wasted no time. As the man flinched and tried to grab him, the hobgoblin reached around and cut the man¡¯s exposed throat. The dagger dug deep as Blacknail put as much force as possible into it. He wouldn¡¯t get a second chance at this. He felt warm blood wash over his hand, and the scent of wet iron filled the air.


    As the man choked and began to topple forward like a felled tree, Blacknail flipped himself over the man¡¯s shoulders. He landed on the ground, and rolled straight towards the bandits and safety. His hood slipped off as he moved.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t even notice; he was completely focused on sprinting like mad towards his master. He had a feeling there was about to be a whole bunch of very angry humans behind him.


    He cut through the wind and tore the dirt up behind him as he ran. He pushed himself faster and faster, and he didn¡¯t even think of stopping until he had hurtled past the bandits. He was going so fast he had to drop and roll wildly across the ground to reduce his momentum so he could stop. Once safe behind Red Dog and the others, he climbed back to his feet.


    As Blacknail brushed some of the dirt from the roll off of himself, he noticed that everyone was staring at him. The bandits had all turned away from their opponents and were looking at him. Their mouths were open and eyes were wide with shock.


    ¡°What?¡± Blacknail asked.


    Then he threw a nervous glance behind himself, just in case. There was nothing there, but you could never be sure in this accursed forest.


    ¡°Messa-Mien¡¯s mercy! Where did you come from?¡± Red Dog exclaimed.


    Blacknail considered the question for a second.


    ¡°From the sewers?¡± he replied uncertainly.


    Saeter broke out laughing so loudly and joyfully that it echoed through the camp.


    ¡°So much for the Slosher,¡± he cackled.


    ¡°We still have to worry about that combat mage,¡± Red Dog reminded him, but a big half crazy smile was plastered across his face as he said it.


    Saeter gave the other man an even bigger grin, which almost didn¡¯t seem possible. His normally lined face looked practically cragged as he smiled uncharacteristically. Then Blacknail¡¯s master turned and faced the deserters.


    They were still recovering from the shock of seeing the hobgoblin murder their supposedly invincible leader right in front of them. Not a single one of them had even started after Blacknail. They were still staring wide eyed at each other and the corpse on the ground in front of them.


    ¡°Surrender now, or we¡¯ll send more hobgoblins after you!¡± Saeter yelled.


    No one answered for a few seconds.


    ¡°We surrender, as long as your offer to join Herad is still good¡± someone eventually called out.


    It was the staff carrying mage that answered. He was still staring in shock at the corpse of the vessel. No one among the deserters challenged his decision.


    ¡°It is,¡± Red Dog yelled back.


    ¡°I guess we won then,¡± Saeter announced with satisfaction.


    Red Dog just blinked blankly at him.


    ¡°Good, Blacknail. I¡¯m feeding you as much as you can eat when we get back.¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°And I¡¯m buying you a beer,¡± another bandit added. He had a faraway look in his eyes.


    A chorus of agreements and offers of treats flowed from the rest of the bandits. Blacknail smiled at them. Even Red Dog gave him an approving nod.


    ¡°I protect my band-ss. It¡¯s what warriors do,¡± the hobgoblin lied through his sharp pointy teeth.


    He had only really cared about saving Saeter, but he was more than happy to take the opportunity to suck up and make some new allies.


    It took a few seconds for everyone to remember that they were still in hostile territory and sober up. When they did, Red Dog straightened up and walked a few steps towards the defeated deserters. They were just standing there looking unsure of what to do, or even of what had just happened.


    ¡°Hey! You guys drop your weapons, and that goes double for the mage. You¡¯re now our captives until you officially join up with the Black Snake,¡± he yelled at them.


    Blacknail walked up beside the bandit lieutenant, and gave him another toothy smile.


    ¡°I get the big one¡¯s shiny hat,¡± he told Red Dog.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Red Dog let him take the helmet.


    As Saeter and other bandits organized the aftermath of the fight, Blacknail wandered around the camp and explored. Since everyone else in his band was busy rounding up the deserters he had the camp almost to himself.


    The clearing the deserters had made their home in was filled with the army equipment they had taken with them and the goods they had stolen. A very crude wooden shelter had been set up under the ledge of an overhanging cliff, and over a dozen similar small blue tents were scattered around. The far end of the camp was marked by a small muddy stream.


    As Blacknail wandered about he tried on his new helmet. It didn¡¯t fit. It was far too large and it rattled as he walked. His large green nose also poked out and the helmet pinched it painfully. With a sad sigh, Blacknail packed it away for later and then continued riffling through the nearby tents and supplies.


    Everything he found that peaked his interest, like random pieces of clothes and shiny things, ended up shoved into his pouches or pack. Everything that smelled tasty ended up shoved into his mouth.


    As Blacknail was chewing a piece of cheese, which he had recently acquired a taste for, he heard an unexpected rustling from a nearby tent. Curious but wary, he crept over to check it out.


    Something was definitely moving within the blue tent ahead! The sounds were quiet, as if someone or something was trying to make as little noise as possible. The idea of something hiding from Blacknail triggered his predator instincts. Surely, it wouldn¡¯t be hiding if it didn¡¯t have something to hide? Something Blacknail wanted¡­


    Silently, the hobgoblin approached the entrance to the tent. He carefully grabbed the entrance flap, and then he ripped it open so he could peer inside.


    He had a brief glimpse of a naked woman huddled among a pile of blankets and holding one to her chest, before the tin plate she had thrown smashed into his face. Blacknail hissed in pain and staggered back from the tent.


    The woman began to scream fearfully. Outside the tent, Blacknail hopped around in pain. Blacknail¡¯s nose had taken the brunt of the hit, and had started to throb painfully. It hurt a lot. He rubbed his nose, and then pinched the end. Neither of which really helped at all. The woman continued screaming shrilly, which on top of everything else hurt his ears.


    The commotion attracted Saeter and several other bandits. His master calmly took in the sight of the obviously pained hobgoblin and the screams from the tent.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°Sounds like a woman to me,¡± one of the other bandits replied eagerly.


    ¡°She hit me!¡± Blacknail whined pitifully to his master.


    ¡°Some man slaying monster you are. I¡¯m glad none of our prisoners are here to see this. They¡¯re terrified of our killer hobgoblin,¡± Saeter remarked as he smirked.


    A few of the other bandits chuckled as well. Blacknail gave them a hostile glare, but that only made them chuckle more. Saeter turned to the tent and addressed the occupant.


    ¡°Come out now and you won¡¯t be harmed. Stay in there and you won¡¯t like what happens next,¡± Saeter commanded.


    Nothing happened for a few seconds. Then there was a brief ruffling noise, and the woman who had assaulted Blacknail stepped out of the tent.


    Her hair was long and blonde, and her eyes were light blue. Her thin but mature figure and large breasts were covered only by blanket she had wrapped around herself. One of the bandits whistled appreciatively.


    Blacknail rubbed his sore nose, and glared at her. He thought she was ugly, smelly and, stupid.


    The woman was pale and shivering ever so slightly with fear. Her eyes were wet and glossy as she met the stares of the bandits, but she did meet them. She only flinched when she noticed Blacknail glaring at her hatefully. She seemed determined not to let her fear show.


    ¡°And who might you be?¡± Saeter asked her politely. There was a silly smile on his face that Blacknail didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°My name is Erissa, sir. I was travelling to Riverdown with some merchants, when they were killed by Basghus. He took me prisoner and used me to warm his bed,¡± she answered with a slight tremor in her voice. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡±


    She appeared afraid, and smelled of fear as well, but Blacknail noticed her give every bandit a brief appraising look. This woman wasn¡¯t helpless.


    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re bandits as well, but of a less crude sort. Who¡¯s this Basghus you speak of?¡± Saeter replied carefully.


    The blonde looked weary but replied quickly.


    ¡°He¡¯s the big leader of the bandits here,¡± she stuttered with evident confusion.


    She seemed to have disregarded the other bandits and was now focusing on Saeter. She stepped towards him until she was within an easy arm¡¯s reach. Then, she looked up and met his gaze.


    ¡°Ah, him. He¡¯s dead, so you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Saeter told her as he fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.


    ¡°Wha¡­ what are you going to do to me?¡± Erissa asked.


    ¡°Nothing you haven¡¯t been through before I¡¯m sure,¡± one bandit joked.


    Saeter tore his gaze away from Erissa and gave him a brief disapproving look.


    ¡°You¡¯re our prisoner for now, but behave yourself and we¡¯ll drop you off at Riverdown,¡± he told her.


    Erissa looked somewhat, but far from completely, relieved at the older man¡¯s words.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she simpered gratefully as she held the blanket to her chest and Saeter smiled at her.


    ¡°Wait a second, I just realized something,¡± A shorter bandit suddenly blurted out.


    ¡°What?¡± Saeter asked impatiently.


    ¡°According to Herad¡¯s rules she goes to whoever found her, but that wasn¡¯t you. Blacknail was the one that found her¡­¡± he explained.


    Everyone, including the woman, turned to look at the hobgoblin. Startled at all the unexpected attention Blacknail gave them a flat uncomprehending look back.


    ¡°Then she¡¯s mine until we find somewhere to get rid of her,¡± Saeter told everyone.


    ¡°Um, how do you know Blacknail doesn¡¯t want her? I mean, there are stories about hobgoblins and women who get lost in the woods,¡± another bandit asked.


    Erissa suddenly looked terrified. She took another step towards Saeter until she was practically pressed against him. Blacknail¡¯s master reached over and smacked the bandit that has just spoken across the side of the head.


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely not a farm boy, or you¡¯d know why those are tall tales. I¡¯m not going to explain the birds and the bees to you, but you should know it doesn¡¯t work that way. If it did we would be up to our eyeballs in forest nymphs and frog knights,¡± Saeter answered him scathingly.


    ¡°I was just saying,¡± the red faced bandit muttered as he massaged the side of his head.


    Several of his fellows were smiling or chuckling at his expense. Erissa just looked really relieved, and Blacknail didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on. Did they expect him to eat her?


    ¡°She smells bad,¡± Blacknail said.


    Several bandits broke out into laughter. Even Saeter looked amused. The blonde woman¡¯s one eye twitched and she scowled at Blacknail. The hobgoblin was now even more confused. Did the stupid woman want to be eaten? He scowled back at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Blacknail muttered as he began to walk away.


    There were still places in the camp he hadn¡¯t explored yet, and his master was acting all weird. Being alone right now sounded like a great idea.


    Eventually, after the hobgoblin had claimed a few more trophies for himself, the deserters were released. After all their weapons where collected they were allowed to start packing up. Red Dog planned to sleep over at the camp and then head back with the new recruits in the morning.


    They set up all their own gear in one corner of the camp and put several men on watch. Both Red Dog and Saeter thought the deserters were sincere in their surrender and desire to join Herad, but neither of them was willing to put themselves at risk to test it either.


    As night fell, everyone began to lie up for the night. Several of Red Dog¡¯s men were seated around a fire in the center of their encampment. A pale waxing moon had risen in the sky. Every once and a while a pale cloud would float past and hide it from view.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had army rations,¡± one of the men around the fire told his companions.


    ¡°Me too. I didn¡¯t miss them,¡± another replied with a scowl of distaste.


    Blacknail was sitting in the shadows, and observing them. He could have joined them but didn¡¯t feel like it. He was in a foul mood. His master had retired to his tent along with the stupid blond woman.


    At first they had talked for awhile and Saeter had acted all weird. Now, Blacknail could hear them mating and it was disgusting. Mating among goblins was simple. A female went into heat and then the last male standing got to claim her. All the weird talking they were doing was disturbing.


    ¡°Forget about the food. What I want is chance with that bountiful blonde we picked up today!¡± a taller black haired bandit interjected.


    ¡°Ha, good luck with that. By Herad¡¯s rules she belongs to Saeter. He was the second to find her, even if you don¡¯t count Blacknail as the first. No way is he going to give her up now. She¡¯s got her hooks into him good,¡± the sole female bandit in the group responded.


    ¡°Grr, why him? He¡¯s an old crusty bastard,¡± the taller bandit asked.


    ¡°Ha, he may not normally seem like it these days, but Saeter used to be a famous lady killer. He was a regular master of seduction,¡± a shorter bandit told him.


    ¡°Besides, he was clearly in charge and Blondie could see it. She¡¯s not stupid and obviously knows what¡¯s what,¡± the outlaw woman added.


    ¡°Ya, I have a hard time seeing Saeter as a lady killer,¡± someone else replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, if he were a dozen years younger, and didn¡¯t scowl so much, I think he would be fairly handsome. He¡¯s certainly got the tall, dark, and handsome thing down,¡± the woman mused.


    ¡°Well, damn that bastard anyway, and his stupid pet too. We¡¯re supposed to be bandits, not gentleman bloody thieves. He could at least share!¡± the taller bandit exclaimed.


    He stopped ranting suddenly when he noticed everyone else at the fire was staring slightly behind him. He froze then grimaced regretfully.


    ¡°Saeter¡¯s behind me isn¡¯t he,¡± the man groaned.


    ¡°It¡¯s worse than that,¡± the man to his left told him.


    As if on cue, Blacknail leaned down over the short man¡¯s shoulder and glared at him. The bandit froze. Their eyes remained locked for a few seconds, as Blacknail reached down and took the man¡¯s plate of food from his hand.


    He stared hard into the other man eyes as if challenging him to say something about it. The man didn¡¯t so much as breathe. Smugly, the hobgoblin then walked back over to the shadows and started eating. A chorus of quiet chuckles broke out behind him. Blacknail felt a little better now.


    As he was eating he saw Red Dog emerge from his tent. He walked over to the fire and started talking quietly to one of the men beside the fire. The man responded and then got up and walked away from the fire and out into the darkness. He was headed across the camp to where the deserters were.


    Blacknail watched with interest. What was Red Dog doing? The bandit lieutenant was now just standing beside the fire and waiting. The hobgoblin stared out into the darkness that encircled them for any sign of activity. A few minutes later, a sudden clanging noise off in the night drew his attention.


    Then, without warning, Blacknail was blinded by a searing white light. It flashed into existence across the camp and illuminated the entire area. Its radiance poured over Blacknail, and he hissed in distress as he tried to shield his eyes from the light that burned them.


    What was this unnatural light? It was unlike anything he had ever seen! Sounds of surprise and confusion rung out from the bandit camp. Alarmed, the hobgoblin rolled behind the crate he was sitting on and sheltered in the shadows behind it.


    From his hiding spot he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Still somewhat blinded by the white afterimages that filled his eye sight, a nervous Blacknail drew his dagger. Just what was going on?

 Written in Blood 8

    Only the fact that no one was yelling or screaming stopped Blacknail from panicking. As his eyes adjusted to the light he peeked curiously out from his hiding spot, so that only his eyes and long green nose were visible.


    Within the light he saw two men walking towards Red Dog. One was the man Red Dog had sent out a few minutes ago, and the other was the plain looking deserter with the staff. The bright white light that was stinging Blacknail''s eyes poured forth from the end of the man¡¯s weapon.


    The staff didn''t look like a torch to Blacknail. The light it cast was a very different color from torchlight and much stronger. Blacknail had also never seen a staff like that before either. Dimly, he remembered some fragments of conversation he had overheard.


    The light must be magic, which made the man a mage. The idea of real magic intrigued Blacknail. From what he had heard it was very dangerous and exciting stuff.


    When the two men arrived the mage¡¯s staff slowly dimmed until it went completely dark, and only the light from the campfire was left. There was a ruffling noise from Saeter¡¯s tent as the older man stepped out of his tent and walked over to the mage and Red Dog. The light must have grabbed his attention, it had certainly grabbed everyone else¡¯s.


    Blacknail climbed out of hiding and back onto the crate. There didn¡¯t seem to be any immediate danger and Saeter didn¡¯t seem alarmed. From his perch the hobgoblin stared intently at the staff wielder. He wanted to see some more magic. He didn¡¯t know much about it but he was pretty sure it could make things explode and catch fire, which he really wanted to see.


    Meanwhile, Red Dog was giving the mage an indifferent look.


    ¡°If you were trying to impress me with that light show then you¡¯ve failed. Even I know light crystals are the one type every single guild has. They¡¯re the magical equivalent of dirt. It also seems like a bloody pointless waste of a crystal you¡¯ll probably never be able to replace,¡± Red Dog said as Saeter walked up beside him. The older man grunted in agreement.


    The mage was an average sized man with short brown hair, and brown eyes. Like all the other deserters he was unshaven and dressed in worn out Elorian military garb. As he listened to Red Dog an amused smile appeared on his face.


    ¡°Greetings, now that things have¡­ settled down for a little bit let me formally introduce myself. My name is Mahedium, former combat mage for the Royal Elorian 2nd Infantry Brigade. I¡¯m glad you called for me. As you can probably imagine I¡¯ve some questions I wouldn¡¯t mind asking you,¡± he said.


    ¡°We have some questions of our own for you first,¡± Red Dog replied sternly.


    ¡°Ask away then,¡± Mahedium said, as he turned his palms up in a gesture of openness.


    ¡°How and why exactly did a vessel and a mage end up deserting together? Life in the Elorian infantry isn¡¯t fun for anyone these days, but mages and vessels are the elite. They¡¯re treated much better than most. Few of them ever end up deserting,¡± Red Dog asked.


    ¡°Ah, that is a perceptive question. Basghus, our former leader, was a very arrogant man. He may have been a vessel but he was still common born. He felt he deserved promotion, but with no noble blood it was unlikely to ever happen. That didn¡¯t stop him from trying though, and his persistence earned him many enemies. Eventually, he decided he would be better off striking out on his own,¡± the mage answered.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°My story is somewhat similar actually. I made some enemies among my¡­ superiors. So, when I learned of Basghus¡¯ plans I offered him my services,¡± Mahedium replied.


    Saeter eyed the man, and scowled. He seemed skeptical.


    ¡°Your guild suspected you were doing experiments on your own. They were right too, so you ran,¡± he guessed.


    Surprise flashed across the mage¡¯s face for a second, and he twitched slightly. He quickly forced a smile though.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I have to say you two are unexpectedly insightful for um¡­ outlaws. May I ask how you figured it out?¡± he said.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard. Combat mages aren¡¯t taught how to actually make crystals. They¡¯re only taught how to use them in combat. Yet, you were willing to burn a crystal to produce that light earlier. That¡¯s something a mage with limited magic wouldn¡¯t do, unless they were an idiot,¡± Saeter explained casually as he shrugged.


    ¡°Surely, there must be more to it than that?¡± Mahedium asked.


    ¡°You also mentioned having problems with your superiors. Asking the wrong type of question were you? I¡¯ve known a few combat mages, and none of them liked being dependent on the guilds for their magic. Plus, you just seem like the sort who would try to pry into the secrets of the guilds even if it meant putting your own life at risk,¡± Saeter added.


    Mahedium gave a self-depreciating chuckle.


    ¡°I see. You¡¯re completely right. I used to be an apothecary, until I was drafted. During training I was tested for the mage gift and accepted into the Fiery Eye guild. Then they shipped me off to the front, and I realized I was nothing but a disposable tool to them. Without connections or money I would never be taught the real secrets of magic, and my ignorance would make me dependent on them for my power,¡± the mage replied bitterly.


    ¡°So you asked questions and experimented,¡± Red Dog remarked.


    ¡°Yes, and I got results! The formulas and processes involved in the creation of mana crystals are complex and tightly held secrets. Every guild has different ones it knows how to make. But, you were right when you said that the light crystal was the exception! The Fiery Eye was not too concerned about information on light crystals leaking. So with luck and a little experimentation I was able to learn to create them!¡± Mahedium declared victoriously.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re on the run, but at least you can make magical torches,¡± Seater replied sarcastically.


    ¡°That¡¯s true for now... but not forever. With my knowledge of how to create light crystals I can experiment and discover other formula.¡± Mahedium declared excitedly.


    ¡°And blow yourself up,¡± Red Dog said with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m aware of the dangers involved, but I have some clues and ideas that should reduce the risk,¡± he replied defensively.


    ¡°Sure, as long as you do it well away from me,¡± Red Dog told him dismissively.


    ¡°Hmm, I hope I¡¯ve answered all your questions. Now if you don¡¯t mind I have some of my own?¡± the mage asked.


    ¡°Knock yourself out¡± Red Dog told him.


    Mahedium threw an inquisitive glance Blacknail¡¯s way. The hobgoblin met his gaze, even though it made him nervous. He was fairly sure the mage couldn¡¯t set him on fire with his mind, or at least wouldn¡¯t. Saeter wouldn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°I must admit that I am extremely interested in your hobgoblin. As unusual as it is for mages and vessels to desert I have never even heard of a trained hobgoblin before. He was rather¡­ effective earlier,¡± he remarked.


    Saeter smirked with obvious pride. Red Dog rolled his eyes at the other man¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Not much to say. I found a goblin then trained it. I just had to beat some sense into it when it became a hob¡± Saeter replied


    ¡°If only,¡± Red Dog muttered. The mage gave them both uncomprehending looks.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asked Saeter.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Seater answered.


    Blacknail scowled at his master¡¯s words. He remembered things quite differently than that. For one thing he thought he deserved at least some of the credit.


    ¡°I see. Well, now that we have gotten to know each other I would like to ask for our weapons to be returned to us,¡± Mahedium told them.


    ¡°And why should we do that?¡± Red dog asked with a skeptical frown.


    ¡°It was only Basghus who didn¡¯t want to join up with Herad. He just dragged the rest of us along with him. We have no reason to turn on you. Just like you said earlier the wilds are a dangerous place and¡­¡± Mahedium started to explain.


    Blacknail yawned. He had grown bored with all the talk, and didn¡¯t think the mage was going to be doing any more magic. He stood up and decided to get some sleep. He wanted to use the tent he had taken as a trophy as well. It would probably be much nicer than sleeping on the ground.


    As the night progressed everyone eventually drifted off to sleep. When dawn came the deserters¡¯ camp was busy with activity. Everything that could possibly be moved was being packed away, so it could be transported to Herad¡¯s base.


    Soon Red Dog, Saeter, and the rest of the bandits were on their way back. With almost double the amount of men they had started off with.


    ¡°Herad should be happy when we get back! Or at least as close as she gets,¡± Red Dog proudly told the others. He was standing tall with his chest puffed out. Blacknail thought it made him look fat.


    They were making their way through the woods and back to the road. The tall shady trees around them were alive with morning bird song. Every member of their group had a backpack stuffed full of supplies and loot, even Blacknail.


    When Blacknail stopped for a second to look over a small patch of red mushrooms that had caught his eye a group of deserters passed him by. Most of them ignored him, or shied away from him and tried not to catch his eye. One bandit that was wearing a brown feathered cap gave him a disdainful look.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s got a sword. Ha, I¡¯ll eat my hat if the critter can actually use it,¡± he muttered to the man beside him.


    The other man¡¯s eyebrows rose and he gave the speaker a disbelieving look.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tempt fate, fool,¡± he replied before stepping away.


    Blacknail ignored them. He was more interested in whether the mushrooms he was looking at were edible. The red color probably meant they were poisonous, but it also made them look very tasty. With a sigh, he decided against eating them. He picked one to show Saeter so he would know for later though.


    The wind shifted and a breeze blew through the trees. Leaves rustled and the smell of healthy growing things surrounded the hobgoblin. However, under the more powerful scents something else lurked, and drew Blacknail''s attention.


    Instinct took over. He froze and his heart sped up. The sound of its pounding filled his ears. He twitched as he fought a sudden urge to run. Instead he took a quick look around and forced himself to relax.


    He saw nothing lurking nearby among the trees. With no signs of immediate danger evident he started walking up the line and passed the other men to find Saeter.


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    Saeter was up ahead talking to Red Dog at the front of the group. Mahedium and some of Red Dog''s men were walking right behind them.


    After another quick nervous look around just to be sure, Blacknail moved up beside Saeter. He was trying to act calm but his movements were jerky and stiff. He didn''t want to alert anything that was watching that he had detected them.


    Saeter broke off his conversation with Red Dog as the hobgoblin approached. He looked over and gave Blacknail a puzzled glance. Blacknail was fidgeting and clearly nervous about something.


    ¡°I smell the troll. It''s down wind, being sneaky,¡± Blacknail whispered to his master.


    Almost immediately he felt kind of stupid. He was fairly sure trolls couldn''t understand human speech so there had been no real reason to whisper.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Saeter swore. He grimaced and closed his eyes for a second as he began to think things through.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Red Dog asked.


    ¡°That troll''s back, and it''s stalking us,¡± Saeter replied darkly.


    Red Dog added a long string of his own curses to Saeter''s. Blacknail didn''t understand most of them.


    ¡°We''ll need to prepare and make sure everyone''s ready,¡± Red Dog said when he had finally stopped swearing.


    ¡°If we can make ourselves look like more trouble than we''re worth it might back off without a fight. The trick will be getting ready without tipping it off,¡± Saeter added.


    Red Dog nodded in agreement. He then turned around and called to the group behind him.


    ¡°Mahedium come up here for a second,¡± he said.


    The mage gave them a curious look as he picked up his pace and walked over to them.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That troll friend of yours is back. I want to know if you''ve got any tricks that might be useful, and don''t think of holding anything back just because you can''t replace it,¡± Red Dog told him.


    The mage flinched fearfully before responding.


    ¡°For use against a troll? I have no idea what would work. They¡¯re hardly my area of expertise. I mean I have um¡­ a few heat crystals, and obviously I have light crystals I can use to blind it. I also have a force crystal I''ve been saving, but that''s it,¡± he replied nervously.


    ¡°That''s all you got? You¡¯re of the Fiery Eye, and they¡¯re one of the most hardcore combat guilds around,¡± Red Dog remarked with an eyebrow raised doubtfully.


    ¡°I wasn''t actually at the front when I took my leave of the army. The Guilds only give combat mages the crystals they think we need, so most of what I have is support spells,¡± Mahedium explained.


    ¡°Fine, go for the heat then. Just be damn sure you have a clear shot before you fire. I''ve seen what those things can do to a man, and I don''t want to see it again,¡± Red Dog told him.


    ¡°Probably your best bet,¡± Saeter added in agreement.


    Red Dog began carefully giving out orders. As the line of bandits hiked through the woods he called several to him one at a time. When the men returned to their place in the line they whispered to their nearby companions.


    While this was happening Mahedium went to work as well. The mage quickly began dissembling his staff in a practiced manner. He replaced the white crystal within the staff''s mechanism with a red one, and then made some adjustments that narrowed the staff''s metal head.


    Slowly, the bandit group began to split until it had divided itself into small units. The transformation was gradual but soon every unit had someone watching each direction, and every bandit had a hand ready to draw their weapon.


    Just as the group furthest from the front was forming up there came a scream. Blacknail whipped around in time to see something explode from the bushes. At first it was nothing but a green blur, but then it smashed through a group of men in the middle of the line and slowed almost to a stop. Men screamed in pain and surprise as the green behemoth roared and sent clumps of earth, broken branches, and bloodied men flying.


    Even while stooped over the troll towered one or two feet over the few men still standing around it. It had bizarrely elongated arms that reached all the way down from its broad hunched shoulders to the ground. Heavy muscles rippled under its greenish grey skin as it spun furiously and whipped its heavy clawed fists around to batter and break anyone unlucky enough to get too close to it.


    The troll¡¯s head was similar to a hobgoblin''s but with a thick extended lizard like snout. A dirty mane of brown hair grew from the top of its head and down its back. As it attacked it opened its mouth to let out a savage roar, which revealed countless jagged yellow teeth and two massive blade like fangs that descended down past its jaw.


    It wasn¡¯t the troll¡¯s strength or size that alarmed Blacknail though. No, what truly frightened him was the beast¡¯s speed. It seemed to jerk and twist as it moved, but it did it so quickly it was almost impossible to keep track of. Instinctively, Blacknail knew that any attempt to run from the predator would be doomed.


    In a violent frenzy of motion the troll ripped into the men that surrounded it. Its fists smashed them aside like paper dolls and sent them flying. They barely had any time to react or even draw their weapons.


    Then the beast screamed in elated rage as it snatched up a shocked bandit in its claws. It brought the shrieking man up to its mouth, and bit down on him. Its huge fangs sunk into its prey with a wet cracking noise. The man''s chest seemed to just collapse in on itself into a bloody ruin.


    With a mocking satisfied hiss and a powerful lunge the troll broke through the scattered and bloodied men around it and charged off into the woods. It used it long arms and knuckles like a second pair of legs as it ripped through the underbrush.


    Suddenly just as the troll was about to disappear there was a hissing noise off to one side of Blacknail and the air rippled. A wave of heat washed over him and the hobgoblin cringed away. Then there was a sharp crack and the base of a tree near where the troll had been seconds ago exploded into flames.


    Startled, Blacknail looked over his shoulder to see Mahedium standing frozen in place. Heat radiated from the metal head of his staff.


    The mage wore a shocked expression and his knuckles were pale and white from gripping his staff so tightly, but he was pointing his weapon in the general direction that troll had gone. Apparently magic could do much more than create light after all, but you still had to aim it properly.


    All in all, the savage onslaught had lasted but seconds. All the dozens of bandits could do was gape in stunned horror and take in the destruction the troll had wrought around them.


    For a moment the forest was quiet except for the moans of the wounded. Then as the shock dissipated shrill screams of pain and panicked cursing filled the air.


    Half a dozen men the troll has passed by lay strewn across the ground or had been dashed against trees. The air was thick with the mingled scent of blood and the putrid stench of the troll.


    ¡°Fire and damnation! Fucking trolls. Drakes are worse my ass!¡± Red Dog swore as he stomped off and began shouting orders. He had to yell at the top of his lungs to be heard over everyone else.


    Nervously, Blacknail stood up from where he had instinctively crouched behind Saeter. His master gave him a hard unamused stare, and the hobgoblin gave him an apologetic smile back.


    Erissa had fallen backwards in shock and landed butt first on the ground where she was shivering in terror. Seater crouched down beside her and began to whisper reassuringly in her ear.


    Red Dog was still shouting, and he had even drawn his sword and started waving it around to get attention. Slowly he managed to get things calmed down and somewhat organized.


    Saeter got up from where he was tending to Erissa and made his way over to Red Dog. The other man was yelling at a small group of bandits. He pointed off in one direction and they jogged over to help the wounded. That left Red Dog standing there by himself and glowering darkly at nothing.


    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Saeter told Red Dog.


    Very slowly the bandit lieutenant looked over. Red Dog¡¯s face twitched as a mix of emotions warred within him. Finally he settled on an incredibly dark and hostile glare which he aimed directly at Saeter.


    ¡°I know we have a fucking problem! We have more problems than there are hells right now!¡± Red Dog hissed.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know the real problem,¡± Saeter replied calmly.


    ¡°Oh, and what might that be?¡± Red Dog asked with a snarl.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t normal troll behavior, not even close. That thing was an experienced man eater, with a taste for human flesh. It will be back, repeatedly. Even if we head home it will just follow us,¡± the gray haired older man explained.


    ¡°Of course it fucking is! Go slay the deserters, she says. It will be easy, she says. She just forgot to mention the bloody huge Slosher, the combat mage, and the man eating troll! I''ve had enough of this. We''re making a break for the base. Then the troll will be Herad''s problem,¡± Red Dog swore.


    Blacknail liked that plan. He was sure he could outrun most the humans without a problem, and it was a man eating troll anyway. Not a goblin eating troll. Yep, his survival was practically guaranteed.


    ¡°If we do that we''ll lose a lot of men. The troll might even get you or me, since we can''t predict where it will strike,¡± Seater told him.


    Blacknail frowned. He didn''t like where this was going.


    ¡°You have a better idea, old man?¡± Red Dog asked.


    ¡°Yes, I''ll take a seven or eight of our more experienced men and trail the troll back to its lair. We''ll corner it there and finish it off. That will give you and the wounded time to get going,¡± Saeter suggested.


    ¡°Dangerous. You would be putting experienced men at risk to save the wounded and rookies. Do you really think you can do it?¡± Red Dog replied skeptically.


    ¡°This is what I do,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°Very well. Good luck then, and may all the gods bless your path, old man,¡± Red Dog replied.


    Saeter nodded and then turned to Blacknail.


    ¡°Come on we have a lot of hard dangerous work ahead of us,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail sighed. Of course his master didn''t like Red Dog¡¯s plan, and of course his idea put him right in the most dangerous place possible. The hobgoblin was beginning to wonder if his master was trying to get himself killed, and take Blacknail with him.

 Written in Blood 9

    It only took Saeter a few minutes to round up his pick of the men. None of them looked thrilled at being selected, although one or two agreed that it was necessary.


    All the men Saeter picked were among the most experienced of the bandits and were familiar with the forest, except for Mahedium. The mage made his objections to joining the hunt clear, but in the end he had no choice. Mage or not he was still not even a proper member.


    Before Red Dogs''s group had gotten moving again Saeter led his party after the troll. It was not difficult to spot the beginning of its trail. The troll had simply torn through the forest at full speed while carrying a human body. Branches had been snapped, the earth was torn up, and blood littered the ground.


    Saeter led the way. He didn''t even have to stop and look for signs. He just had to follow the trail of destruction the troll had blazed. It was obvious to everyone which way to go.


    Blacknail followed his master and scanned the surroundings for danger. Saeter seemed sure that the troll was long gone, but that didn¡¯t mean the forest was safe.


    Blacknail thought chasing a troll through the woods was an incredibly stupid idea, even without considering what would happen when you actually caught it.


    The easy to follow path soon ended when the party came across a wide creek that meandered through the woods. Cold water raced and bubbled over a stone filled streambed that was wider than a man was tall.


    Its banks were rocky and mostly clear of plants, except for the occasional scraggly sapling or patch of grass. The beast''s trail stopped abruptly at the water''s edge.


    Blacknail walked across the creek and sniffed the ground. He felt a nervous shiver work its way up his spine when he failed to pick up the troll''s trail again on the other side. The idea that the troll was both smart enough to lose him and could be anywhere now made him nervous. He looked up and scanned the forest for any signs of it.


    The trees here were mostly tall evergreens with long needles instead of leaves. Close to the ground their straight smooth white trunks were mostly bereft of anything but the remains of broken dead branches. Higher up the tops of the trees were green and healthy looking though.


    The ground was rocky enough that in some areas the trees were forced to grow fairly far apart. These spaces were filled by sparse stretches of grass, and the earth was littered with fallen brown pine needles. There was no sign of the troll, and not a lot of places for something so big to hide.


    Saeter''s boots got wet as he splashed across the creek after Blacknail. He examined the forest for a few seconds before saying anything.


    ¡°Let me guess, you''ve lost the trail?¡± he asked Blacknail.


    ¡°Yes-ss, it''s gone,¡± Blacknail answered with a frown. Saeter didn''t seem surprised.


    ¡°It used the water to hide its scent, and it will be moving more carefully now. It''s probably more worried about another predator stealing its meal than us catching up with it, but the result''s the same,¡± the old scout explained.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Blacknail asked his master. He hoped this meant they would turn around and go home now, but deep down he knew better.


    ¡°We split into two groups. One goes upstream and the other down. It can''t have gone too far. A whistle should do as signal,¡± Saeter replied.


    He then turned and cast a skeptical gaze over the other bandits who were loitering at the stream¡¯s far bank.


    ¡°I''ll take upstream. Georgius, you will lead the group that goes downstream and you''ll take Blacknail with you,¡± Saeter told everyone after a brief pause to think.


    Georgius gave Saeter a mildly annoyed look. He was an average sized bandit with short blonde hair, and a jagged scar that stretched back from one corner of his mouth. It looked as if someone had shoved a knife in his mouth and tried to slice his cheek in half. The long scar made it seem like one side of his face was always frowning.


    ¡°Alright, whatever Saeter,¡± he replied. It was clear he was insulted by Saeter''s obvious lack of faith in his tracking ability.


    Saeter split the group, and Blacknail followed Georgius as they headed downstream in the opposite direction as Saeter. Mahedium stuck with Saeter. The mage was clearly nervous to be out in the forest, and kept throwing nervous glances at the forest around him.


    Most the bandits walked on one side of the creek or the other. However, Blacknail had taken off his boots and kept walking through the water barefoot so that he could sniff both sides.


    The cool water felt refreshing on the hobgoblin''s feet as it flowed over his skin. The stones and pebbles at the bottom of the creek were smooth enough that they didn¡¯t poke his soles when he stepped on them.


    Even though the water was very shallow except for the occasional eddy dug pool, Blacknail kept an eye out for snapping turtles. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that lesson.


    As long as he kept an eye out for the snappers Blacknail thought the creek was probably a safer place to be than walking along the bank. If someone was going to stumble into a mimic or spider it wasn''t going to be him.


    Of course it was always possible that Saeter had simply forgotten to tell him about some sort of terrifying beast that lived in streams. That would be just like him.


    Georgius seemed to be doing a good job searching for signs of the troll to Blacknail. He didn''t know why Saeter had doubted the man''s ability to track. Then again, Blacknail knew he was far from an expert on tracking by sight.


    The hobgoblin himself hadn''t caught the scent of the troll or human blood yet. He had however come across quite a few other interesting scents. He had smelled deer, rabbits, harpies, and some other things he couldn''t identify. They must have all come to the creek to get a drink.


    Blacknail was just about to cross the stream again when he heard a whistle. He looked up but none of the humans seemed to have heard anything. They continued to follow the creek downstream while checking the bush for signs of the troll.


    ¡°Georgius, I heard-ss the whistle,¡± Blacknail yelled to the man, who was on the other side of the creek.


    Georgius turned to look at Blacknail and then back up the stream. He frowned and seemed to think things over for a second.


    ¡°Right, you have those long pointy goblin ears. Let''s get back then. It seems like we''ve gone the wrong way,¡± he replied.


    He then called the other men over and they headed back. After a brief trek upstream they found Saeter standing in the forest a few feet from the water. The rest of the bandits were resting around him.


    ¡°Took you long enough. While you were off taking a stroll I found the troll''s trail,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°I figured that,¡± Georgius replied dryly.


    ¡°Come on let''s get going. I don''t want to be hunting this thing in the dark,¡± Saeter told them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hunt-ss it at all,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself.


    He then walked up to where his master was standing and sniffed the ground. Sure enough he could smell the troll. This was definitely where it had left the water. The hobgoblin didn''t see a single visual sign though. He had no idea how Saeter had found it, and before he could ask the gray haired man was forging ahead.


    The troll had headed through the trees and uphill. Pines and a scattering of other scraggly trees grew from a rocky upward slope. Large stones jutted out from the sides of the nearby hills, like cold grey bones from torn flesh.


    The way was steep and difficult because the rocky ground made for treacherous footing. It came loose and crumbled out from under the bandits¡¯ feet as they tried to make their way up.


    Soon the climb began to take a toll on everyone and they started to grow tired. Blacknail was the best off. His light lanky build made the journey easier for him. Saeter called for a stop when everyone started to show signs of exhaustion. As they had made their way up the hills the trees had grown thinner and thinner, until mostly only bushes remained.


    From where he had stopped to rest and sit on a rock Blacknail suddenly heard movement from up above. He hissed in alarm and leaped to his feet. A frightening image of the troll jumping down on them from above and massacring them flashed through his mind.


    A small shower of rocks rained down on him from the ledge above as he moved. They banged loudly against each other and threw up dust as they fell. As Blacknail jumped aside to avoid them he got a better look at the ledge they had fallen from.


    He felt a stab of fear in his chest when he noticed a creature staring down at him from there. Two large dangerous looking curled horns rose from its head and curled back behind its ears. Its body was covered in gray hair and it gazed at the bandits below with narrowed malevolent eyes. It even had a beardlike tuft of hair growing from its chin.


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    ¡°Baaaah,¡± it growled angrily at the hobgoblin as it reared up onto its back legs in challenge. Clearly it was hungry for human, and goblin flesh.


    It had four hooves like a horse but didn¡¯t look quite as stupid, evil, and twisted as one. Blacknail slowly reached for his blade and began to slide it free from its sheath. He intended to strike first and kill it before it could attack them, but Saeter walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°It''s a wild goat, Blacknail. Relax, if you leave it alone it will leave you alone,¡± Saeter said with a hint of amusement in his voice.


    Blacknail let his sword slide back into his sheath, but kept his eyes on the beast. It stared back and their eyes met. Blacknail hissed and the goat let out another growl of its own.


    Then, with what Blacknail would swear was a condescending look the goat turned and bounded higher up the hill. Its hooves kicked up more rocks and sent them raining down over the bandits as it jumped. Two smaller goats then burst from the bushes nearby and joined the larger one, before they all disappeared up the hill together.


    ¡°That''s good luck,¡± one of the bandits commented. ¡°Rock goats and trolls are supposed to be enemies. Seeing them on a troll hunt is a sign of a god''s blessing."


    There were nods of agreement from most the other men. Personally, Blacknail doubted any god or spirit would bless someone by sending them an angry goat.


    ¡°Alright, enough lazing about. Time to get back to it,¡± Saeter called out a few minutes later.


    There were quite a few grunts and sighs as the bandits got back to their feet and continued on up the hill.


    The ground began to level out, and a few more ever green trees appeared. Saeter held up a hand to signal a stop. Up ahead past a grove of trees a large pile of boulders and rocks rose from the ground. Blacknail noticed a large dark crevice on one side of it. Behind the rocks the forest continued.


    ¡°I''m willing to bet good gold that''s where our troll''s lair is. The question is whether it¡¯s in there right now,¡± Saeter whispered.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one real way to find out, but before we go in there I¡¯d like to at least have a plan with a half decent chance of working,¡± Georgius remarked.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Saeter answered.


    He put his knapsack down on a log and removed several long lengths of cord from it. Then he reached back into the bag and pulled out a bunch of wicked looking barbed steel arrows.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go in all together. Mage boy here will be in the back. He¡¯ll be lighting our way and when we see the troll he¡¯ll turn the light up as high as possible and blind it. With our backs to him and with our eyes more used to the light we should be able to see fine. While the beast¡¯s blinded our best archers will shoot it with these arrows,¡± Saeter told them.


    Georgius have him a skeptical look.


    ¡°Trolls have hides tougher than good leather and their wounds don¡¯t bleed properly, so they¡¯re hard to put down. Arrows, even barbed ones, won¡¯t do much,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°True, but they don¡¯t have to. The arrows will be tied by long ropes to climbing hooks. While the troll¡¯s still distracted another few men will find places in the cave to attach them. That¡¯ll lock it down and prevent it from attacking us. Then when it¡¯s all tied up we¡¯ll go in for the kill,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°That sounds complicated and dangerous to me. What if the troll doesn¡¯t do what you think it will?¡± someone replied uncertainly.


    ¡°Do you have a better plan?¡± Saeter asked harshly. ¡°No? Then let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Saeter handed out the equipment and once they had it all prepared they headed over to the cave.


    ¡°Remind me to train you with a bow sometime,¡± Saeter told Blacknail as they moved.


    All the bandits, except for Saeter, looked nervous. Their skin had gone pale and Blacknail could tell they had started to sweat more by their scent. Every one of them had drawn their weapons.


    As they approached the dark mouth of the cave Blacknail¡¯s sense of smell was overwhelmed by the foul stench of rotten meat and troll body odor. It seeped from the cave so thickly Blacknail almost thought he could taste it with his skin.


    He gagged, and was quickly joined by several humans. One of them even vomited as he approached the cave mouth, and that did nothing to improve the smell.


    Suddenly the area grew brighter and the first few steps of the cave were stripped of shadows. Mahedium had activated his staff and it blazed with pure white light.


    No one entered the cave. Blacknail threw a questioning look at the man next to him.


    ¡°You first,¡± the man whispered.


    ¡°No, you,¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    One of his companions pushed the man forward. He took a stumbling step but then turned and glared at the other man without going further. Georgius sighed and stepped forward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going,¡± he told the reluctant man in front as he poked him with his blade.


    Together the two of them took the first few steps into the cave mouth. A few seconds later, when neither of them was ripped apart, the other bandits and Blacknail followed them in.


    A long rough gray rock corridor extended before them and curved out of sight a few dozen feet away. Rows of short stalagmites hung from the ceiling. The dirt floor was littered with bones and jagged rocks, but none of the rocks were nearly big enough for a troll to hide behind. It wasn¡¯t there. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.


    ¡°It must be deeper in. Let¡¯s go,¡± Saeter whispered.


    The bandits began to slowly and reluctantly move forward. Maybe it was just the heat and vile stench but the cave felt humid and wet to Blacknail. He began to grow itchy, but he didn¡¯t dare scratch himself. That would require use of one of his hands, and for him to lower his guard.


    As they moved deeper underground the air grew warmer and the troll¡¯s kills fresher. Blood and gobs of flesh started to appear on the remains scattered all over the floor. Blacknail and the others had to go out of their way not to step on them. It was an unpleasant distraction from the hobgoblin¡¯s focus on not getting killed and eaten.


    Up ahead on a small ledge against one wall a large mound of dark wet earth was piled. A small forest of mushrooms grew atop of it. Crawling between the stems and colorful mushroom cups were the shiny forms of harvesters. They were apparently more common out here in the wild than in the sewers, where men trained goblins to remove them.


    The mage¡¯s radiant staff almost caused them to glow as their carapaces split the light and reflected it back in a rainbow of colors. The mouse sized bugs were busy carrying dirt and other less pleasant things around. Every once awhile one would appear from, or disappear into, small holes in the wall.


    As they advanced through the twisted rock tunnel the hobgoblin saw several other harvester farms where the bugs were growing their mushrooms. They seemed to be thriving in the troll¡¯s lair where there was abundant food, and the beast scared other animals away.


    Blacknail¡¯s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a loud sinister growl that echoed through the cave. The walls of the cavern almost seemed to vibrate as the sound washed over them. The man beside Blacknail stiffened in fear. The hobgoblin himself jumped as he felt a hand against his back.


    He risked a quick look back to see that it was Saeter¡¯s. His master was giving him a disapproving look, and Blacknail realized he had been unconsciously backing up. The hobgoblin gave his master a nervous smile then sighed and took a few, very small, steps forward.


    The previous growl from deeper in the cave was joined by a deep thundering roar. It was loud enough that it stung Blacknail¡¯s ears. Then an explosion of footsteps was heard from around the corner as the troll charged into view, and right at the bandits.


    The charging massive beast¡¯s eyes blazed with hate and mindless hunger, as it regarded the small weak creatures that had dared intrude upon its home. It opened its mouth to reveal jagged yellow teeth and the full length of its humongous fangs. Its dripping jaws seemed to grow ever larger and fill Blacknail¡¯s vision as the green juggernaut descended upon them.

 Written in Blood 10

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± someone mumbled in horror.


    Before anyone could react the troll had already closed over half the distance between it and the bandits. Any second now it would tear through them like a sharp knife through cloth, but with a lot more blood flying everywhere.


    Then Mahedium unleashed his magic, and the cavern was drowned in light. It was so bright the edges of Blacknail¡¯s vision whitened until they seemed foggy.


    The effect on the troll was impressive. It screamed horribly, as it brought its claws up to shield its face. It tried to continue its charge, but tripped over a large rock and then smashed into one of the cavern walls. Rocks were sent flying through the air and the entire cave seemed to shudder from the impact.


    Most of the bandits were still too terrified or stunned to move, but not Saeter.


    ¡°Attack now, and stick to the plan!¡± he yelled as he shot an arrow into one of the troll¡¯s legs.


    At his master¡¯s command Blacknail burst into a sprint and ran past the fallen troll and deeper into the cave. The arrow Saeter had shot was tied to a climbing hook in his hand. By this point it was clear to the hobgoblin that his survival depended on the plan working.


    The troll didn¡¯t stay down long. Hissing and growling, it pulled itself to its feet. The green hairy behemoth seemed to fill the cave and tower over the humans as it rose.


    Off to one side Blacknail spotted a solid looking rock that protruded from the floor. He grabbed it and slid to a stop. Working quickly he pulled the rope tight, wrapped it around the rock a few times, and then attached the hook.


    By this time Saeter¡¯s men had sprung into action. The other archers had started to lose their arrows, and Saeter was lining up his second shot. Other bandits were busy finding places to hook lines. Several ropes already led from the troll to the floor or walls.


    To keep the beast distracted three bandits moved in with swords and threatened it, but they kept well out of reach of the troll¡¯s deadly claws. The blinded and enraged troll swiped at them as it stumbled forward, but they managed to avoid its distracted strikes.


    As new arrows hit their marks the troll slowed and began to thrash and pull on the lines that entrapped it. More arrows sunk into its hide every second, but it would take far more than a few hooks and ropes to hold its massive bulk.


    Blacknail was the only individual who had managed to make it past the troll. The other bandits who were supposed to have joined him had all frozen in fear until it was too late. This meant most the lines only stopped the troll from moving backwards towards the hobgoblin. Blacknail was glad to see that this didn¡¯t seem to be a priority for the troll; it seemed determined to reach the humans in front of it.


    To prevent that from happening several of the bandits began tossing lines past the troll and over to the hobgoblin. Blacknail rushed around to find solid places to attach them.


    Saeter and the others had to retreat several times in order to keep the troll from reaching them. Several lines broke or were ripped free by the beast as it pressed its furious assault forward.


    Eventually though, the troll ground to a halt as the lines Blacknail was securing started to arrest its movement. Blinded and confused, it roared in pained frustration. The archers weren¡¯t taking any chances though, and they didn¡¯t let up their barrage until they has used up every arrow.


    ¡°I wish we had some proper spears. Swords are really not the tool for this,¡± Saeter swore as he discarded his bow and drew his blade.


    The other bandits did the same and began to encircle the troll. Blacknail unsheathed his own sword but decided to stay back and out of the way, lest he get in the way.


    The beast itself growled and stared menacingly at its assailants, but it didn¡¯t make any large movements. Every time it did more than sway slightly several lines would go tight and pull painfully on the steel arrows embedded in its flesh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and get too close. Start on its arms and work your way in,¡± Saeter warned everyone.


    With that said the men slipped around the ropes that crisscrossed the cave and descended on the entrapped troll from every side. The beast screamed and shuddered as they began to hack at it from every direction at once. It couldn¡¯t even move enough to avoid most the attacks they rained down on it.


    Blacknail was surprised at how little blood was visible, even as the troll was cut again and again. Its wounds seemed to fill with some sort of thick yellowish green fluid as soon as they were made.


    The bandits continued their attack relentlessly. First the screaming beast¡¯s arms went limp and useless, and then it sagged and dropped to its knees.


    Georgius moved in to deliver a powerful two handed swing to the troll¡¯s exposed neck. The troll saw him coming and hissed defiantly.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t like the look of the raw hatred he saw in its eyes; it reminded him of the depths of his own berserk rage. Before he could yell a warning, the crippled troll lurched and then launched itself forward.


    Arrows were ripped out of the green giant¡¯s hide and lines snapped as the troll¡¯s head shot forward and smashed into the unprepared Georgius. The impact of the headbutt sent him flying across the cave until he crashed into the wall. There was a loud smacking sound and then Georgius fell limply to the ground, revealing a bloody stain on the cavern wall behind him. He didn¡¯t get back up.


    With one last half hearted growl the troll then staggered and collapsed onto the ground. Its fall caused a loud thud and sent a wave of dust and grime through the cave. This forced Blacknail and several other bandits to shield their eyes for a second until the dust had blown past.


    ¡°It¡¯s dead. Someone check on Georgius,¡± Saeter said after examining the troll for a few moments.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s faking it?¡± someone asked nervously.


    ¡°Trolls don¡¯t play dead,¡± Saeter replied with a condescending sneer.


    With that said there was a collective sigh of relief, and the cave darkened as Mahedium dimmed the light of his staff.


    Blacknail cautiously walked up to the dead troll. He poked one of its big green feet a few times, and then relaxed when nothing happened. Moving closer, he examined the beast. It really was somewhat similar to a hobgoblin, but bigger and much uglier. It obviously had none of the charm and intelligence he had.


    With a smug smirk Blacknail scrambled up onto the huge corpse, and managed to stand tall on top of it. He wondered how many hobgoblins had ever slain trolls, probably none. That would make him the first ever!


    ¡°The greatest hobgoblin-ss ever!¡± he bragged to himself triumphantly from his perch.


    The hobgoblin heard a quiet chuckle and turned around to see Saeter smiling at him. His sudden movement caused the corpse to shift under him, and Blacknail was sent sprawling to the ground.


    The cave was now filled with chuckles as some of the other bandits couldn¡¯t help but laugh. The thrill of victory had made Blacknail too giddy and light headed to be insulted. He just smiled back, and took note of who was chuckling the hardest for later.


    Things quickly sobered up though. The bandit that checked on Georgius pronounced him dead. His skull had been cracked open and his back was broken. They built the fallen outlaw a rock cairn outside using loose rocks from the cave. Then after a quick moment of silence they left him there and moved on. Theirs was a profession where death was commonplace.


    A quick exploration of the cave had revealed nothing but some trinkets and a few coins found on some of the troll¡¯s victims. Blacknail claimed these; no one else wanted to dig through the grisly remains to get them.


    The cave went deeper than anyone was willing to explore. The troll¡¯s lair ended but there was a small lightless side passage. The passage started with a steep drop so deep even Mahedium¡¯s staff couldn¡¯t pierce the darkness of its depths. All his white light revealed was the sharp rocks that made up the sides of the shaft itself. When a cautious Blacknail started sniffing around it Saeter stopped him.


    ¡°Careful, Blacknail don¡¯t get too close,¡± Saeter warned him while he warily observed the opening. ¡°Unless I¡¯m very mistaken that leads down into the dark roads, and you really don¡¯t want to go down there. It¡¯s a strange place full of stranger beasts, and it¡¯s very easy to get trapped down there,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a doorway to the endless hells,¡± Blacknail heard one bandit mutter.


    Carefully, the hobgoblin backed away from passage¡¯s mouth. Saeter¡¯s words had struck a chord with him. He still hadn¡¯t gotten used to being trapped in the forest with all the terrible things that lived there, and these dark roads didn¡¯t sound any better.


    Saeter then had everyone pull out of the cavern. They were all exhausted, but no one wanted to spend another night out in the forest. So, after a brief discussion they decided to try and meet up with Red Dog. Since they had no wounded Saeter thought they would be able to catch up.


    Between the fast pace they set and the fact that it was faster moving downhill, they managed to rejoin the rest of the bandits halfway down the road back to Herad¡¯s base.


    Red Dog was glad to see them return, and to hear news of the troll¡¯s death. If Saeter had failed not only would he have an angry troll to deal with but an angry Herad as well. Also in the North more numbers were always welcome; the roads were far from safe. It was entirely possible another troll could show up, or something worse.


    All together the old hands, new recruits, and former deserters arrived back at the camp before dusk. Nothing of note happened and no one else got killed. Some of the deserters seemed unsure of the reception they would receive, but everyone was still glad to have reached safety.


    Saeter looked a little hesitant to enter the camp though. He kept throwing looks back at Erissa, who had been staying close to him.


    When everyone else began entering the camp Saeter held himself back; and stayed on the road. He was scanning the entrance to the camp as if looking for something.


    ¡°What are you doing, Saeter?¡± Red Dog yelled back at him.


    ¡°Nothing, be there in a second,¡± Saeter replied.


    He then whispered something to Erissa, and began pulling her over to a group of bandits who were loitering down the road.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.¡°Efra, you owe me a favor,¡± he called out to one of them.


    A bald woman with squinty eyes looked up as he spoke. She frowned at Saeter as he walked over.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Saeter? You may have pulled me out of the way of that mimic, but that don¡¯t mean you own me,¡± she replied suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re heading to town right?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Yep, in a bit anyway. Why?¡± she replied.


    ¡°I want you to take this woman with you. She¡¯s my spoils, and I want to make sure she gets to Riverdown unmolested,¡± her told her.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you take her?¡± Efra asked uncertainly.


    ¡°I just got back, and I have to report to Herad,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Wait a second, Saeter. I¡¯ve been walking all day. Why can¡¯t I rest here overnight, and then you can take me back yourself?¡± Erissa asked the old scout as she moved closer and hugged his arm to her chest.


    Saeter threw Erissa a distracted look, before turning back to the other woman. Efra looked confused. She obviously didn¡¯t understand what he was thinking, and Blacknail didn¡¯t either.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then I guess I owe you that much,¡± Efra told him.


    ¡°It is, just make sure she gets there safely,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°She¡¯ll get there if I do. I can¡¯t do more than that,¡± Efra said with shrug.


    ¡°Saeter, why are you trying to get rid of me so suddenly?¡± Erissa asked with a bewildered expression.


    ¡°Now Erissa, this is for your own good. Do you really want to stay out here when you could be getting back to safety?¡± he asked her


    ¡°Well no¡­¡± she started to say, but Blacknail¡¯s master cut her off.


    ¡°Good, stay here and stick close to Efra. She¡¯ll get you there in one piece. I have to go report in now, but it was a pleasure,¡± Saeter told her before spinning around and walking swiftly away.


    The attractive woman could only gape in astonishment as her lover left her behind so suddenly. Blacknail didn¡¯t know what was going on, and he didn¡¯t really care. He just followed Saeter like always.


    When they caught up to Red Dog and the rest of the party they were standing before Herad. She must have had word of their coming, and wanted to show off, because the bandit chieftain was at her most intimidating. Saeter and Blacknail quietly stepped up beside Red Dog.


    Herad¡¯s cold dark eyes gazed malevolently out from under her short dark hair as they swept over the deserters. They cringed under her attention, except for Mahedium who seemed relaxed and unworried. Herad¡¯s eyes lingered on the mage and his staff for a few seconds before she moved on. She looked like she was trying to choose which one of them to make an example of, or someone to make a meal of.


    She was dressed in her usual dark leathers, and a black cloak was draped over her shoulders. Even more knives than usual were holstered about her person, and her long sword was sheathed at her hip. She sneered as she addressed them.


    ¡°These are the fools that thought they could set themselves up in my territory?¡± she asked Red Dog.


    ¡°Yes boss, this is them. There used to be a few more of them though,¡± he answered.


    ¡°If they were anything like these scum they weren¡¯t much of a loss anyway,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Well, their boss was a Vessel, but also an arrogant prick. With you around he would have just been a waste of elixir anyway,¡± Red Dog replied.


    ¡°I see,¡± Herad said as she turned away from the deserters and gave Red Dog a curious look, before facing the deserters again.


    ¡°It seems you scum are in luck. We¡¯re currently in need of some new grunts; otherwise I would normally just have useless shits like you killed. Instead, you¡¯re now the lowest of my lackeys. Now swear obedience to me and then we¡¯ll see if you survive the month,¡± she told her new recruits.


    Herad then had each of them take a simple oath of obedience. When that was done she had one of her men take the recruits away for inspection and billeting. Her eyes flickered over Mahedium again as she watched them leave.


    When they were out of sight she turned back to Red Dog and Saeter.


    ¡°Report, now. How did you two manage to run into both a Vessel and a combat mage¡± she ordered them accusingly.


    Saeter scowled at her tone of voice, and Red Dog winced.


    ¡°They were both just part of the deserters you sent us after,¡± Red Dog explained.


    ¡°How exactly did you manage to deal with the Vessel,¡± she asked.


    That was when Blacknail saw his chance. He stood up tall and pointed to himself. He was so excited he was almost bouncing. Now it was finally his chance to impress Herad.


    ¡°I did it! I killed the big leader man. I scared the other men so badly they gave up! Was all me,¡± Blacknail bragged loudly to the chieftain.


    ¡°Helped kill the troll too, by doing what master told me,¡± the hobgoblin added as an afterthought.


    Herad frowned at him, then turned to Saeter and gave him a questioning look. She clearly didn¡¯t believe the hobgoblin. It was Red Dog who answered though.


    ¡°It¡¯s sorta true boss,¡± he told her reluctantly.


    Red Dog then began to give a detailed report of their mission. Despite herself when he had finished Herad looked somewhat impressed.


    ¡°Well you two certainly earned your pay this time. Especially that hobgoblin of yours Saeter,¡± she remarked.


    The hobgoblin was confused by her choice of words and frowned. Pay was those shiny things a lot of the tribe had right?


    ¡°I don¡¯t get paid,¡± Blacknail muttered.


    His reaction caused Herad to laugh at him.


    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t, but that¡¯s fixed easily enough. From now on you¡¯ll get paid a grunts share of the profits. Oh and Blacknail, since you call Saeter master you can call me mistress,¡± she told him with an arrogant smile.


    ¡°Yes, mistress,¡± Blacknail replied as he lowered his eyes and assumed a submissive posture.


    Saeter looked surprised. It was unlike Herad to voluntarily part with money. Red Dog sighed, but it was a resigned sound instead of an argumentative one.


    Blacknail was happy at the praise but still more than a little confused. He liked coins but wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to do with more of them. He already had burrowed or picked up quite a few of them, and squirreled them away in various hiding spots with the rest of his shiny things.


    Herad then dismissed them and they headed off to their respective campsites. Saeter had a thoughtful look on his face.


    ¡°I suppose if you¡¯re drawing pay now then you¡¯re a full member of the band, and not my servant anymore Blacknail,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°He is at that,¡± Red Dog muttered.


    Blacknail felt a mix of emotions suddenly rise up into his chest. It felt a bit like gas.


    He had done it! Herad had accepted him as a member of her tribe. Apparently that was what getting paid meant.


    Coins were obviously some sort of measure of status among humans. Blacknail was going to have to make sure he hid his away carefully, somewhere no one would ever find them.


    On the other hand his recent rise in the tribe seemed like it was going to change his relationship with his master. The thought made him uncomfortable. The nervous hobgoblin turned to his master.


    ¡°I am always-ss your servant,¡± Blacknail told Saeter.


    ¡°Not anymore. Now you¡¯re my subordinate. Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s much the same, just more work,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    Blacknail blinked. He wasn¡¯t sure if his master was being serious. Before he could ask his master anything though Red Dog suddenly spoke up and interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you two around. No offense Blacknail but I¡¯ve had enough of trolls, hobgoblins, and whatever for quite a while. Yep, I¡¯m looking forward to some uneventful rest away from every sort of forest critter imaginable,¡± he said as he started to walk away from them and towards his tent.


    Before he got more than a few feet away there was a rustling sound from a nearby tent. As everyone looked over at it a goblin burst out with dagger in his hand. It ran out in front of them, stopping only for a second when it saw Blacknail. Its eyes went wide and it dropped the dagger. It then scampered off behind another tent and out of sight.


    No one said anything. Seconds later, a worried looking Varhs ran up to them. The young  scout, who had helped Saeter with Blacknail''s training, was about to say something when he saw the dagger on the ground. After picking it up he turned to them.


    ¡°Did you see which way my goblin Scamp went?¡± he asked them.


    Red Dog was twitching. He stared at Varhs with narrowed eyes and pursed lips. His face was growing redder by the second.


    Before Red Dog could say anything Saeter turned stiffly around and immediately began walking away. He clearly had decided he had somewhere else to be. After a few seconds Blacknail followed him.


    There was a goblin running around his camp! This was his territory. Varhs should have asked him before bringing in a goblin. He would have to show both the goblin and Varhs who was in charge later. Right now though, sleeping sounded like a good plan. He had been walking a lot lately.


    The tired Saeter and Blacknail immediately headed back to their campsite. Blacknail was already scheming about how to capture the other goblin and make sure it knew whose territory this was. When they got to their campsite they were surprised to see a second tent set up beside Saeter¡¯s. Blacknail had yet to unpack the one he had won from the deserters.


    ¡°Oh hey, you¡¯re back,¡± a cheerful voice called out to them. They looked over to see Khita approaching them.


    ¡°Whose tent is that?¡¯ Saeter asked her suspiciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine. Vorscha said she wanted some privacy with Geralhd, so she got me a tent of my own and told me to set it up here,¡± Khita replied happily.


    Saeter groaned, and Blacknail hissed. Yes, when he woke tomorrow up he would definitely have to do something about all the annoying little things running around the camp.


    <hr />


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    <hr />

 Interlude: The Doom of Couroulis

    The young man shivered as an arctic gust blew in over the city walls and slammed into him. He pulled his heavy coat tighter in an attempt to keep the cold at bay, as snow swirled through the air around him.


    As the wind died down around him the city beyond was revealed. Stone and wooden buildings lined the snow filled street that he was trudging down. Warm light leaked out from cracks in the doors and shutters of the nearby homes illuminating the surroundings as the sun set in the cloudy sky overhead.


    Most of the inhabitants of the city had long ago taken shelter inside from the cold night. They were now undoubtedly huddled close to the tame flames of their household fireplaces. The man grumbled as he pictured it. He hoped he would soon be sitting down beside a cozy fire as well.


    After shuffling through the snow and wind for several minutes the relieved young man found himself standing outside his destination, a tall well maintained two story home. It was located in the merchant''s quarter, and while it wasn''t quite a mansion the owner was obviously well to do.


    Wasting no time, he walked off the street and over to the doorway to announce himself. He meant to knock politely, but instead his fist pounded against the door loudly. He really wanted out of the miserable cold; his fingers had started to burn at the tips.


    Nothing happened for a few seconds. The man shivered and rubbed his hands together for warmth. Then the door opened and bathed the man and the path behind him in bright light. The visitor peered though the blinding glow to see that a tall well dressed man had opened the door for him.


    ¡°Jerack, by the gods man! Come on in and out of the weather. You must be absolutely freezing,¡± the master of the house exclaimed.


    After quickly knocking some of the snow off of his cloak Jerack stepped eagerly inside. The reception room of the house was lit by a steady oil lamp on a small table and decorated by various portraits and paintings. After a quick glance at his guest and after taking in Jerack''s sorry state, the wealthy man frowned and turned to look down the hallway.


    ¡°Aness, please get one of the servants to put some hot tea on for Jerack. The young fool walked here and is half frozen to death,¡± he yelled before turning back to his guest.


    ¡°Thank you, uncle Reighur. It''s brutal out there. I almost thought I wasn''t going to make it,¡± the young man replied gratefully.


    His uncle gave him a questioning look and shook his head in exasperation.


    ¡°I honestly thought you''d be staying home tonight. I didn''t expect you to have to brave the elements when I invited you over. We could have always done this another time,¡± Reighur told his nephew.


    Jerack looked a little embarrassed as he hung his coat and cloak on the stand by the door.


    ¡°Oh well, it wasn''t that bad out. Every real Coroulian can take a little ice and snow. Otherwise they would have moved south or back across the ocean to the Homelands,¡± Jerack joked.


    ¡°Be that as it may, it was still a somewhat foolish thing to do,¡± his uncle replied. ¡°Well, you''re here now so let''s get you somewhere warmer while we talk. The library fireplace is lit. Follow me.¡±


    As Reighur led his guest down the hallway towards the library. Jerack started feeling warmer. They arrived in the library and Reighur pointed him towards a large cushioned chair. Jerack sat down and his uncle took the seat opposite of him.


    There was a small ornate table between them, and the fire place blazed cheerfully to his left. The wood within crackled as the flames consumed it, and a faint smell of smoke filled the air.


    As Jerack was making himself comfortable and enjoying the heat, a young maid walked into the room with a porcelain teapot and two cups on a silver tray. She smoothly placed the tray on the table and poured him and his uncle a cup of tea, before curtsying and walking away.


    Both Reighur and Jerack took a sip. Jerack shivered one last time as the heat from the warm liquid and the fire drove the last of the chill from his bones.


    ¡°So, your father tells me you want to join the guard. Why the sudden decision?¡± Reighur asked his nephew politely.


    Jerack frowned in response. He didn''t think it was a sudden decision at all.


    ¡°Well, you know what''s going on in the world right now better than I do, uncle,¡± Jerack stated as his uncle nodded. ¡°Teshura and Hulgaron have been at war for a while now, and while they are pretty far to the south it seems more than likely that Eloria and Deveshur will start fighting soon as well. If that happens we won¡¯t be able to stay out of the fighting. It seems like we''re going to need soldiers very soon.¡±


    His uncle raised an eyebrow and displayed a questioning expression.


    ¡°So you want to join the Elorian army?¡± Reighur asked tentatively, but Jerack shook his head vehemently in response.


    ¡°No, uncle; I¡¯m not a fool. I''ve heard you, father, and others talking. The king of Eloria may think he owns Coroulis but no one here wants to die for him. Half the city is from Deveshur,¡± Jerack explained.


    His uncle sighed before responding. He seemed reluctant to speak but he spoke up anyway.


    ¡°I see you''ve put quite a bit of thought into this. So what do you think is going to happen then?¡± the older man asked.


    ¡°Coroulis is the greatest city of the North. It''s barely garrisoned, pays pretty much no taxes, and is run by the city council. I know you and father think that the city will break away before getting caught up in a southern war, and I think you''re right. If it does separate then it will pull the rest of the North with it into a new country. I think that country will need an army and someone in the Coroulian guard would be well placed to rise when that army is formed,¡± Jerack continued passionately.


    His uncle looked thoughtful as he considered his nephews words.


    ¡°You''re not completely wrong,¡± his uncle replied after several drawn out seconds. "Very well, I will help you get into the guard. I think that yours is not a bad plan.¡±


    Jerack eyes opened in surprise. He had not expected his uncle to support him. His father had been set against it.


    ¡°Thank you, uncle. By the gods I swear I will return the favor someday!¡± Jerack exclaimed excitedly as his uncle chuckled.


    ¡°No need to be so melodramatic, Jerack. I know your father disapproves of how much time you spend outside, instead of working with him. The gods know it''s dangerous outside the walls, but you should do what you want with your life. That''s how I became a merchant after all,¡± Reighur told Jerack.


    After that both of them made small talk and discussed the latest events. Soon however the tea had grown cold, the fire had burned down, and they both grew tired. Jerack yawned as fatigue caught up with him.


    ¡°Well, I really should be getting back. Thank you for having me over, and again thank you so much for your support,¡± Jerack said.


    His uncle looked surprised at the younger man''s words. His tea cup clanked lightly against his plate as he set it down.


    ¡°Nonsense, nephew; I won''t have you going back out in such terrible weather at this time of night. You will stay over tonight and head back tomorrow morning. I will have the servants prepare a room for you,¡± Reighur insisted.


    Jerack thought about it. He didn''t want his father to worry about him, but at this time of night he was undoubtedly already in bed. As long as headed home at dawn before his father awoke it shouldn''t be a problem.


    ¡°Very well. Thank you again, uncle,¡± Jerack answered.


    Both the men then got up and shook hands as they said goodnight. Reighur called for a servant to take Jerack to his chamber and the young man went to bed. His earlier walk must have tired him out more than he knew because he was asleep almost before he hit the sheets.


    Jerack was awoken by the clanging of bells early the next morning. That wasn''t right. What time was it? Groggily he got to his feet and opened the window''s shutters.


    Outside, the dawn sun was still rising over the snow covered city and had yet to banish the last of the night''s darkness. Why were the city bells ringing so early? It made no sense. With a yawn, Jerack quickly got dressed and walked out into the halls.


    He didn''t see anyone around so he marched to the kitchen. There several servants were chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Most looked either very tired or very worried.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± he asked loudly and authoritatively as he entered the room.


    He hoped someone here could explain things. A sense of unease had been slowly building within him ever since he had woken up and he didn''t know why.


    All the servants turned to him as he spoke. They cast each other nervous glances before one answered.


    ¡°We don''t know, sir. All we know is the city bells are ringing and Marial says it''s the call to arms. Although, the rest of us aren''t so sure,¡± one older woman answered hesitantly. Jerack thought she was his uncle''s cook.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Was it an attack? That made no sense. Who would or even could attack them in the dead of winter? Even traders stopped arriving for the most part when the roads filled with snow.. .


    ¡°Are my uncle and aunt awake?¡± Jerack asked as he frowned.


    ¡°We were just deciding whether to wake them, sir,¡± the woman answered nervously.


    ¡°Do so, and tell them I''m heading out to find out what''s going on and should be back soon with some answers,¡± Jerack commanded them.


    The young man then turned around and swiftly made for the entrance. His hurried footsteps caused the wooden floor to creak beneath him.


    Wrapping his coat tightly around himself, he stepped out the front door and back into the frigid white city streets. With a sigh he then started stomping through the snow drifts towards the road.


    His breath was white and visible in the cold air, but at least the morning sun warmed him a little and the wind had died down.


    The streets were mostly deserted, as was normal for this early in the morning. However, a small group of people were huddled together in a nearby sheltered doorway. They looked apprehensive and uneasy to Jerack.


    He was just about to head over to them, when he heard the clutter of horseshoes on stone. Looking over he saw riders wearing guard uniforms coming down the street. The guardsmen didn''t seem to be slowing as they approached, so Jerack called out to them.


    ¡°Why are the bells ringing? What''s going on?¡± he yelled as loudly as he could.


    The riders blew past him as they raced toward their destination, but one turned towards Jerack and quickly replied.


    ¡°There''s a drake lose in the city. It was last seen around Lowpoint. Please return to your homes citizens,¡± the guardsman yelled back before he and his fellow riders disappeared down the road. They left nothing but a long cloud of swirling snow behind them.


    A drake! That made no sense; everyone knew they went underground into the Deeps for the winter. Wait, had the guard said Lowpoint? That was where his father''s house was! The bells probably wouldn''t have woken him; he had always been a sound sleeper.


    Jerack took off down the street towards his home. As he ran the snow crunched under his feet, and the quality of the buildings around him dropped. They became smaller and less ornate, with more wood and less stone or brick, as he approached workman''s area of the city where his father lived.


    He passed several small groups of talking people as he ran. One group even called out to him, but he ignored them as he hurried home. He had no time for them; he had to make sure his father was safe!


    As he turned the corner towards Lowpoint, a sudden terrible roar blasted through the city and overwhelmed him. He stumbled in surprise and fright as the deep scream cascaded over him. Even his bones seemed to shake for a second.


    Jerack had heard the howl of a drake before and seen their tracks out in the forest but he had never seen one face to face. Few people had and lived.


    With a shiver of dread he realized that this drake sounded very close and very large. He paused in his run. Did he really want to head towards the beast? He had no choice though; he had get his father to safety.


    He was startled by a unexpected bang. The sound of buildings being torn apart and collapsing rubble exploded over him. Screams of horror and pain quickly followed.


    With a start Jerack realized people were dying. The very idea shocked him; he had never been around much violence. Then an unexpected splash of color up against a nearby wall caught his eye.


    It was a shredded corpse. Its blue guardsman uniform and the crimson blood dripping from its ripped open stomach were the source of the vivid colors that had attracted his attention.


    Jerack froze and gagged. Desperately he tried not to vomit. Looking about he spotted another discarded human body and then another. His eyes went wide with fear and he choked painfully as he spewed vomit onto the snow at his feet uncontrollably.


    What was going on here? The terrible scene before him made no sense. He felt sick. Even a large drake shouldn''t be this big of a problem for the guards, and it certainly shouldn''t be crushing buildings! Jerack began to twitch and go pale as he panicked. He shouldn''t be here!


    Suddenly, he heard more screams from alarmingly close by. His head jerked to the right to see a small group of people run past him. They were a man and a woman clutching a small child to her breast; a family.


    The terror on their faces was plain and struck Jerack hard, drawing out his own fear. They weren''t even dressed for the weather. Something dreadful must have driven them from their home without giving them any time to plan whatsoever. He couldn''t even imagine...


    Jerack was terrified now. He wanted to continue on, but he couldn''t take another step forward no matter how hard he tried. He was frozen in fear, and it shamed him deeply.


    A sudden gust whipped past and blew snow into the air all around him. He felt goose bumps rise on his skin as the temperature plummeted.


    From somewhere out in the white haze that had risen around him a explosive cracking sound erupted. Blindly, Jerack blindly spun around in fright as his heart tried to leap out of his chest. Horror awaited him as the wind died down.


    For a second he didn''t believe his eyes. Crouched on the still crumbling remains of a casually demolished house sat the drake. The size of its grey scaled bulk defied belief. Surely it couldn''t be real. It had to be a dream... a nightmare.


    The beast dwarfed some of the homes around it. It balanced upon the rubble with four stocky legs that ended in curled claws meant for catching and ripping open prey.


    Its long thin tail swished behind it, throwing thick white clouds of snow up into the air. Its head sat upon a thick neck and bore a blue feathered crest. A line of blue feathers also ran down its back and stuck out from the back of its knees and the end of its tail.


    However it was the dreadful beast''s lizard like head that Jerack couldn''t tear his gaze away from. The humongous drake calmly surveyed its surroundings with intelligent hungry yellow eyes. It seemed totally unconcerned that it was currently right in the middle of a human city.


    Long sharp teeth flashed and blood dripped from its maw as it chewed its latest meal, the family that had just run past. It must have burst through the building and snatched them up in one lightning quick snap of its jaws. They hadn''t had a chance.


    Blood was splattered across the once pure snow where they had been just seconds ago, and stained bits of cloth fluttered away in the wind. If there had been anything left in Jerack''s stomach he would have thrown up again. As it was he could only stand there and shudder uncontrollably with his eyes wide in horror.


    One yellow eye of the beast flickered and Jerack thought it focused on him for a second. The beast continued leisurely chewing but Jerack had no doubt whatsoever that it was aware of him. It simply wasn''t in a hurry, or maybe he didn''t look that appetizing.


    Time seemed to have gone still for Jerack, or maybe it was stuck in an endless twisted loop. There was only the fluttering snow and the gnashing of the drake''s teeth, over and over again; every bite and chomping sound brought Jerack one step closer to losing his mind. It wore on him, like a countdown to his own demise spoken in a language he didn''t understand. He was going to die.


    Then the beast swallowed the last of its grizzly meal and to Jerack''s surprise looked away down another street. Was it playing with him? Surely it wouldn''t just leave him there. A buzzing sound built up in his ears. He didn''t register it at first but as soon as he realized it was there a hail of arrows tore down from the sky upon the drake.


    The beast hunched its shoulders and turned its face from the unexpected barrage. The projectiles bounced and shattered on its grey scaly head. It was uninjured but as it raised its head Jerack thought it looked infuriated. The beast roared again and the sound of its displeasure tore through the city blasting away all other lesser sounds.


    ¡°Run you blasted idiot!¡± Jerack heard someone yell from behind him.


    It took a second for him to recognize the sound as language, and another to move his stiff body and look for the source. He turned to see a squad of guardsmen. The sergeant in front was mounted on a horse and bore a long hunting spear. He was motioning for Jerack to run.


    Jerack cast a terrified look back at the beast; he was too afraid to move while it was still there. The beast however seemed to be descending from its perch among the rubble, and was moving away from him towards the source of the arrows.


    Jerack bolted. He didn''t even think about it, he just did it. His feet carried him. Without looking back he rushed towards the soldiers. Please don''t let it be following me! Please gods I beg you!


    As he reached the soldiers in their blue uniforms the sergeant spoke again.


    ¡°Keep running, lad! Head for the fort,¡± he told Jerack before motioning to his men and leading them after the beast.


    Doing as he was told, Jerack ran past them. He scampered desperately through the snow towards the end of the street.


    Surely he was safe now? The guards were here and they had mounts and spears for hunting drakes. The beasts were far from invincible, even unusually large ones.


    Jerack ran over to a barrel someone had placed up against a house and threw himself behind it. There he began to suck down air as he tried to catch his breath. When his lungs no longer felt like they were burning and the dark terror that had clouded his mind begun to die down he risked a look out from his hiding spot.


    Dozens of guardsmen had the drake surrounded. Several groups with swords and spears circled it, working in unison to keep it at bay. Every time it tried to go after one group then archers hidden among the buildings would distract it with a rain of arrows.


    The drake was hissing and growling as it twisted and turned madly in an attempt to catch its tormentors, but they hadn''t hurt it yet. Its hide remained unbreached.


    Suddenly one man got too close and the drake lashed out viciously. Its teeth closed down on the unlucky man and with a jerk of its neck it sent his corpse sailing through the air and over a building in a rain of blood.


    The sergeant didn''t waste the opportunity his man''s death had created. He lowered his spear and spurred his horse into a charge at the beast''s unprotected flank.


    Jerack felt his heart soar. He was seeing something out of a story! He wanted to join the guard more than ever now. He wanted to be like the sergeant, fearless and skilled.


    The mounted officer''s horse launched itself forward and the clatter of horse hooves echoed through the streets. As he approached the drake it turned towards him. Jerack knew that was alright; its head was even more of target than its flank. A good strike there would bring it down instantly!


    Jerack watched with anticipation as the two combatants closed. Surely the guardsman would be victorious.


    Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye Jerack noticed something strange. An odd breeze had begun to blow around the drake. It circled it like a slow whirlwind. The guardsmen closest to the beast begun to falter and retreat; some pulled back while others simply collapsed onto the ground and curled up in the snow.


    With what seemed like a vicious smile, the great grey drake then opened its mouth and roared towards the charging guardsman.


    Its breath picked up the snow and blew it forward. What was it doing? Opening its mouth just made it an even better target. What was going on? Jerack felt his earlier dread creep back up his spine. Something was very wrong.


    As the wave of blown snow reached the mounted officer he seemed to stiffen and his horse slowed. Jerack almost thought he saw white frost build up on them. Then they both stopped moving completely, right before impacting the drake. Jerack gasped in uncomprehending horror as the brave soldier and his mount toppled over stiffly to lay unmoving at the beast¡¯s feet.


    With a hissing noise that sounded almost like a snicker the terrible monster flicked its tail out and smashed the guardsman. Frozen chunks of meat were thrown into the air as he shattered. The crimson broken pieces of the man then fell to the ground and rolled through the snow.


    The drake turned towards the other guardsmen and blew another blast of freezing breath towards them. They struggled futilely and fell as Jerack looked on trembling in numb despair. This couldn''t be happening!


    No wonder the beast was so large and active during the winter. It was a mutant. That wasn''t fair. What were the chances of such a huge beast surviving being twisted by such powerful magic! How could the gods allow such a cruel joke?


    As Jerack watched the mutant drake scatter the remains of the guardsman he had a dreadful premonition. The entire city would be brought to its knees by this unholy beast. It would feed freely on men, women, and children. The guardsmen, nobles, and probably even the mages would be helpless before it and its killing magical cold.


    Some of his neighbors would die as they cowered in their homes until they starved, froze, or were eaten. Others would try and evacuate only to collapse along the road one by one as they struggled futilely to make the dangerous journey through the snow filled roads to safety.


    Coroulis was doomed. Soon it would be a place of bloody terror, and soon after that it would be a frozen graveyard. Jerack began to weep in despair as he stumbled blindly away through the snow.

 Journal Entry: Goblins & Hobgoblins

    The lands across the ocean are full of countless flora and fauna, many of which have probably never been seen by man. It is obvious to any student of geography that the Homelands are but a very small corner of a much wider world.


    While the Far Lands are comprised of many separate continents with radically different environments, there is however one species that can be found practically everywhere. This rugged survivalist is known as the goblin.


    Most goblins are usually green skinned and less than four feet tall, but they can display an incredible amount of physiological variation. Even within the same tribe or pack there can be startling differences between members. Some examples of this include: skin color, hair or lack thereof, eye color, size, and build. One goblin will be bald and lanky, and another will be pudgy with a mane of hair that runs down its back. One can only surmise that this remarkable variation helps them survive and adapt to so many different habitats.


    Goblins are quite intelligent for animals. They possess the ability to create and use crude tools. Many can be found using sharp sticks or wearing primitive clothes such as a fur loincloth. Sharpened stone tools have also been observed. Packs of goblins usually nest in old burrows they have taken from other animals and expanded, or within natural forming caves and crevices. Competition for such caves can be fierce though, and goblins are often evicted by larger beasts.


    The most incredible feature of the goblin however is their display of adaptive neoteny and paedogenesis. Such a trait is unheard of in such a complex organism. For while goblins are functionally adult and can breed, under some circumstances a goblin will enter a torpid state and emerge as a hobgoblin.


    The triggers and reasons for this transformation are poorly understood. One common theory is that at some point in the distant past their ancestors came under intense pressure, and the ability to mature and breed quickly became necessary for their survival. Thus the later stages of their adult growth were sacrificed and rendered inert.


    Yet, obviously it did survive in some form. When the conditions are right these dormant vestigial traits are activated and a goblin will transform into a hobgoblin.


    Hobgoblins are much taller than goblins and can even reach heights equal to that of average sized men, although they are more frequently shorter than this. They tend towards the thin and lanky builds found in many wild animals. Their features are also much sharper and menacing than that of normal goblins, but the most obvious difference is their horns. Hobgoblins began growing horns immediately after they transform. Again however, there can be quite of large amount of variation here. The protrusions can be curled, straight, or even branched like small antlers. Even the number can range anywhere from one to three.


    Hobgoblins are much more aggressive and less fearful than goblins. They also display many signs of being incredibly territorial, and thus have difficulty being around other hobgoblins. Usually this results in an alpha hobgoblin driving out weaker and younger rivals, but this is not always the case. Several instances of hobgoblins working together have been recorded.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    It should be noted that hobgoblins generally  occur where goblins are thriving and healthy, and that their appearance usually results in a increase in goblin numbers and organization. This can allow goblins packs to expand and occupy new ranges, usually when a hobgoblin alpha drives out a rival and his followers. Thus, one can see the obvious survival advantages to goblin neoteny.


    Packs of goblins rarely have more than dozen members, unless it includes a hobgoblin. Much larger groups of goblins can rally around a strong hobgoblin, and thrive under its control. This can lead to a situation where more hobgoblins start to emerge. If the new hobgoblins aren''t driven out than a large tribe can form.


    Historical records indicate that when Mankind first arrived on the Western continent several large communities of goblins existed. Such settlements were generally comprised of up to two thousand goblins and perhaps a few hundred hobgoblins. Most commonly the occupants built long wooden buildings from felled trees and branches, and used complex stone tools. Samples still survive of such instruments, and of crude goblin pottery as well. Warfare among tribes was quite common and helped keep their rapidly expanding populations in control.


    The existence of these goblin tribes severely limited the early colonies'' ability to expand, and thus the Goblin Wars began. Eventually through far superior technology and organization humanity managed to destroy all known examples of goblin super tribes. Yet, it is a testament to goblin adaptability that large numbers of them continue to live in human controlled lands, even if they have descended into a feral state.


    It is unknown how these large super tribes originally developed, or how so many goblins managed to cooperate. No records of such things survive, and there have been no recent reports of similar events happening.


    It is also worth noting that the origins of the name hobgoblin do not in fact derive from the word for demon, or any similar word. The brave and stalwart first explorers named them so due to the fact that they were considered a more civilized form of goblin. The term hob actually is based on an old Imperial word for home, and was given to them because hobgoblins sometimes constructed primitive shelters for themselves. It was only later colonists who began attributing them demonic aspects, most likely due to clashes caused by competition over land.


    Truly goblins are fascinating creatures, even if they are frequently overlooked because they are so common outside the Homelands. Their relative abundance however is undoubtedly due to the fact that they are such versatile and amazing survivors.


    -Farstidiuous Der Lanmount, Royal Gervaien Surveyor.


    <hr />


    So, I thought I''d release this and maybe answer some questions people may have. If you have any questions that aren''t answered by this feel free to ask and I will update it. Also, if you want another entry on another creature feel free to ask here in the comments.

 Playing With Fire 1

    Blacknail was walking through the woods at the edge of Herad¡¯s camp. He had gone out to empty the rabbit snares and reset them, as he did almost every day. Today though, he felt a cold shiver run up his spine a few minutes after entering the forest.


    The days had grown shorter and colder recently, but that wasn¡¯t what had caused him to shiver. Blacknail had felt eyes on his back. Something was stalking him. His ears twitched ever so slightly as they detected the faintest hint of noise in the trees behind him. Make that at least two things that were stalking him.


    He was careful to act normal, and not to reveal his awareness of the watchers, as he continued on his way to the traps. As he walked, Blacknail subtly scanned the forest around him.


    The plants had grown throughout the year and reached their full height now, and most the flowers had disappeared as well. Here, in the sunnier part of the woods, the taller plants reached up to his chest. Their once colorful summer blooms had withered and been replaced by hard black seeds, or white fluff that took flight when the wind blew through the trees. Autumn had crept up and stealthily disposed of summer when no one was looking.


    Of course not all the changes were bad. The trees had begun to bear fruit and nuts. These new treasures were hidden among the green branches of the forest canopy.


    The hobgoblin had been completely unaware that food even grew on trees. The very idea sounded silly to him. Wasn¡¯t food supposed to be harder to get? Now all he had to so was climb a tree, which was something he had recently gotten very good at.


    When Saeter took Blacknail out to hunt or track he would show him which fruits and nuts were edible and how to harvest them. Being a hobgoblin, there were many things that Saeter wouldn¡¯t touch that smelled delicious to Blacknail. Unfortunately, just because something smelled delicious didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t poisonous. Blacknail learned that the hard way, after a night of fever and vomiting.


    Blacknail approached the snares carefully. He was listening for any hint of movement behind him that would reveal the position of his stalkers. He frowned in concern when he didn¡¯t hear anything. He knew they were there¡­ somewhere.


    Quickly, Blacknail gathered up the carcasses and started heading back. Around halfway there, he entered an area of the forest where the canopy was especially thin and the forest floor was bathed in sunlight.


    The animal trail Blacknail was following wound its way through a small field of tall weeds. As soon as he entered it, the hobgoblin purposely slowed his pace. When he was sure he was out of sight of any watchers he ducked into a small depression where the weeds concealed him. It was time to turn the tables on his pursuers.


    A few minutes passed as he waited. The only noise was that of morning birds singing, and then the shrubs rustled ever so slightly in the direction Blacknail had just come from. He tensed as he heard the sound of footsteps. His stalker was approaching!


    Eager energy burned through him but he patiently waited until the source of the noise had moved past him. Then, he burst out of concealment and sprung towards his pursuer¡¯s exposed back. As he leapt, his jagged claws closed around the back of Khita¡¯s shirt collar, and she let a high pitched screech of shock as she jumped into the air.


    She squirmed and struggled to escape his grip for a few seconds. Blacknail had to brace himself to keep his hold. He was stronger than her, but their weight was almost the same. She calmed down after a moment when she threw a look over her shoulder and realized it was him.


    The young redhead flushed in embarrassment as she turned around and gave Blacknail a nervous look. The hobgoblin was frowning in disapproval as her held her.


    ¡°Master Saeter told-ss you not to go into the forest alone,¡± he hissed at her.


    Most people found his hissing scary, but this insufferable female just found it ¡®sharp¡¯. She gave him a guilty smile, and shrugged her shoulders in a way that suggested she was trying to act composed.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone. I was with you¡­ sorta,¡± she replied dismissively. ¡°Besides, I was bored and thought a walk sounded like fun.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re stupid. You know the forest is dangerous, master Saeter has shown you. Still-ss you try to sneak around by yourself. You are not very good at it, and will die,¡± he replied accusingly as he continued to listen carefully to his surroundings.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to danger, and I¡¯ve got my sword here anyway,¡± she told him as she pointed to the blade at her waist.


    Blacknail released her collar and continued to frown at her. Stealthily, he drew a stone from one of his pouches.


    ¡°A sword won¡¯t keep you safe here,¡± he told her as he withdrew his sling and placed the stone in it.


    Blacknail then took the rabbits he had tied together and thrown over his shoulder and dropped them on the ground at the edge of weeds. Khita frowned as she finally noticed his odd actions and distracted manner. Before she could say anything though, Blacknail spun around and whirled the sling in his hand. A whistling sound filled the air as he sent a stone flying off into the leaves of a nearby tree.


    Twigs splintered and cracked as the projectile tore through the branches, and a high pitched squawk quickly followed. As both Blacknail and Khita watched, a small cloud of feathers and leaves fluttered down from the tree, and a large harpy took flight from where it had been hiding.


    The grey feathered creature was almost the size of Blacknail or Khita and had a truly impressive wingspan. It screeched and gazed at them with its black hate filled eyes. The flapping sound of its wings filled the air as it fought to gain height. A surprised Khita took a step backwards and then another one behind Blacknail.


    As the harpy screeched again, it¡¯s eerily human like mouth opened to reveal its long needle like teeth and the black feather crest on its head straightened to its full dramatic height. The enraged raptor hovered in the air. It seemed to be preparing itself to dive bomb them.


    Blacknail let out a deep menacing growl in response and stretched himself to his full height. He opened his mouth and flashed his own impressive teeth back at the harpy. The stupid ugly bird thing didn¡¯t scare him. He was no longer a small weaponless goblin.


    The harpy eyed him carefully for a second, and then apparently decided this was a fight it didn¡¯t want to pursue. With one last squawk, it took off and vanished into the forest canopy.


    Khita let out a relieved sigh. When he was sure the harpy had disappeared, Blacknail turned towards her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a sneaky human. Ugly harpy followed you and wanted to eat-ss you. It knew you were a stupid brat and was waiting for you-ss to make a mistake,¡± he explained disdainfully.


    Khita grimaced and as she looked down at the ground. She avoided his eyes out of embarrassment.


    ¡°Creepy bloody things with their damned human faces. I could have taken it though,¡± She muttered nervously, as she looked up and scanned the canopy overhead.


    ¡°You see those claws? They¡¯re like-ss knives and very sharp, no?¡± Blacknail asked her condescendingly.


    The hobgoblin then drew another stone. This time he whipped it by hand into the bushes beside where he had dropped the rabbits.


    There was a yelp of pain, and Blacknail pounced towards its source. Khita flinched and gasped at the unexpected quick movement. She was still high strung from the last surprise.


    Landing in the tall weeds, Blacknail felt his claws grasp something soft and pudgy. Immediately, he yanked his prey from its hiding spot and up into the air.


    Scamp hung limply in his hand. The goblin¡¯s large eyes were wide and he had a nervous smirk on his lips. It reminded Blacknail of Khita¡¯s expression when he had caught her.


    ¡°Ello boss. I gonna carry rabbits for ya,¡± Scamp told Blacknail hopefully.


    The hobgoblin glowered at the little liar. He wanted to tell the goblin that Varhs was his master not him, but he couldn¡¯t. Varhs was a terrible master. Blacknail was pretty sure he never beat Scamp at all! How was that supposed to work?


    Blacknail shuddered to think about what would happen if he wasn¡¯t around to keep Scamp under control. Why couldn¡¯t Scamp be as well behaved as he had been as a goblin?


    Unlike Khita, the goblin hadn¡¯t actually been forbidden to enter the woods. He was just annoying and Blacknail didn¡¯t want him around.


    The stupid little runt had no fear of the forest since he had been born there. He was also borderline suicidal, especially since he kept trying to steal Blacknail¡¯s rabbits. No matter how many times Blacknail caught and punished him he didn¡¯t stop.


    Unfortunately, the young goblin was also very sneaky and thus unlikely to actually get himself killed. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Khita. Blacknail had to watch her like a hawk.


    Awhile back, Khita had gotten bored and decided she wanted to be a scout. So she had bugged Saeter until he had reluctantly let her join them on a few trips out into forest. Blacknail had been secretly hoping that she had finally annoyed Saeter enough that they were taking her out into the woods to be disposed of.Stolen novel; please report.


    He hadn¡¯t been so lucky. Now Khita considered herself an expert at navigating the forest, which she wasn¡¯t. To make matters even worse Vorscha had showed up and made it plain to Blacknail that she would be holding him responsible for Khita¡¯s safety. How was that fair?


    ¡°You gonna drop me, boss?¡± Scamp asked as the hobgoblin held him up.


    Blacknail¡¯s arm was getting tired so he gave the goblin a quick growl and dropped him onto the ground. Then he gave him a hard kick. Scamp grunted as he was sent sprawling over to rest at Khita¡¯s feet, but he quickly pulled himself back up. Goblins were hard to hurt.


    ¡°Stay with her,¡± he ordered Scamp as he began stomping back to camp.


    ¡°Okay, boss,¡± the goblin replied cheerfully.


    ¡°Hey, why did you do that?¡± Khita asked in disapproval.


    Blacknail ignored her; he didn¡¯t care at all about what she thought. She was stupid.


    After he didn¡¯t respond, Khita and the goblin immediately started following him. It wasn¡¯t like they had anywhere else to go.


    It took more than a few minutes to hike through the woods and get back to the camp. Khita was huffing in exhaustion when they arrived because Blacknail had set a quick pace. After a brief nod to the sentry on duty, who was no one important, they stepped out of the forest and Herad¡¯s base came into sight.


    The seasons weren¡¯t the only things that had been changing. Herad had her ambitions, and she was working hard towards achieving them.


    The camp was slowly but surely transforming. The small log buildings that the bandits had originally built had been expanded and several more of them had been constructed. Almost all the lean-tos had been torn down and replaced. Even the forest had been pushed back, both for lumber and safety.


    Wooden watchtowers had been set up along the road at the edge of the woods, where they could be concealed by the trees. A small haphazard wall of wooden stakes was slowly being constructed along one side of the perimeter as well. All in all, the base was beginning to look more like a small woodland village than a bandit camp.


    After a quick look back to make sure Scamp and Khita were still following him, Blacknail headed for his campsite. He had to start preparing the rabbits right away or they would go bad. Actually, he would probably make Khita do it. He would have made Scamp help, but the goblin would just eat half of them.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have time to waste preparing rabbits. The larger base also contained more outlaws, and all those outlaws needed to be fed. Thus, Herad kept her scouts very busy hunting for food. Buying supplies from town was expensive and cut into her profits after all.


    The bandit chieftain had continued to send out parties to recruit or wipe out anyone who dared operate in the territory she had claimed as her own. Since her territory was a rather large and poorly defined area she never ran out of targets. The base contained over two hundred bandits now, or it would have if men weren¡¯t constantly being sent out and coming back.


    As she had planned, Herad had stopped raiding caravans and was instead charging tolls now. Bandits were still sent out to intercept travelers on the road, but now they were under strict orders not to kill anyone who didn¡¯t resist. They also weren¡¯t allowed to rob anyone who paid Herad¡¯s fee. Word of these changes and what was happening was spreading rapidly through the region.


    However, collecting tolls wasn¡¯t a job that Herad sent Saeter and Blacknail out to do. For some reason she thought they wouldn¡¯t be very good at it. Blacknail was pretty sure it was because Saeter was so grumpy. They had more important things to do anyway.


    On top of being her best pair of hunters Herad also used them for less dangerous jobs, like tracking down other bandits that encroached on her territory. Compared to some of the things that lurked out in the deep green killing a few humans and scaring the rest into submission was no big deal.


    His first trip out to fight men who had tried to encroach on their territory had been by far the most eventful. Blacknail was just very glad they hadn¡¯t run into any more trolls.


    They reached the camp Saeter, Khita, and Blacknail shared. The hobgoblin turned and addressed the young woman behind him.


    ¡°Prepare the rabbits¡± Blacknail told Khita as he held them out to her.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± she asked him defiantly.


    ¡°So I don¡¯t kill you and hide-ss your corpse in the mud-ss,¡± he replied with an annoyed hiss.


    Khita just laughed, and gave him a cheerful smile.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do that. You¡¯re all nasty on the outside but inside you¡¯re soft as cloth,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail snarled at her. He would totally do that! Well, he would if he thought he could get away with it. Unfortunately, if Khita went missing he would be among the first suspects. Then he would have to flee into the woods before Vorscha could smash him flat.


    Sometimes he almost still considered doing it, though. At least it would be quiet out in the Deep Green.


    ¡°Do it, or I¡¯ll tell-ss Vorscha you haven¡¯t been practicing,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°Hey, I have too been practicing everything she told me to,¡± she replied excitedly as she glared at him.


    ¡°I will lie-ss. She will believe me,¡± the hobgoblin told her as he gave Khita a smug smile.


    ¡°I take it back. You are nasty and evil on the inside,¡± Khita told him angrily.


    Blacknail just shrugged and held out the rabbits again. Khita threw him a mad glare, but she grabbed them from him.


    ¡°Fine, come on Scamp let¡¯s¡­¡± she started to say; only to stop when she looked down and noticed the goblin was gone. He had been there a second ago.


    Khita gave a defeated sigh, and walked over near the fire pit between their tents and started to get to work. Blacknail could hear her muttering angrily to herself and saying rude things about goblins as she worked.


    He ignored her and set off to find Scamp. He had a feeling the goblin was going to get into trouble unless he stopped him. Mostly because that was all the little pest ever did. For what was far from the first time, Blacknail cursed Varhs for picking the goblin up. Why couldn¡¯t he have found a smarter goblin at least, or an attractive female?


    Apparently, the scout had been out hunting when he had stumbled upon the young injured goblin and decided to tame it. Blacknail found this story very suspicious. He suspected Varhs had been out looking for a goblin to tame.


    It would have been fine if Varhs had properly trained Scamp, but he hadn¡¯t. The man was far too lax and undisciplined. That meant that if Blacknail didn¡¯t want people getting a bad impression of goblins he had to discipline Scamp himself.


    Blacknail scowled as he looked around and sniffed the air. Scamp¡¯s trail wasn¡¯t easy to follow. The odor of many strong scents such as blood and garbage lay thickly upon the camp, and it was sometimes hard to distinguish the goblin¡¯s latest trail from his older ones. Luckily, the goblin had picked up some fairly pungent plant smells while he had been out in the woods.


    After several false leads and dead ends, the hobgoblin found himself standing outside Mahedium¡¯s cabin. This made him more than a little nervous. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly what the mage did in there, but he was sure it was a bad place for a goblin to be running loose. Things might explode, more than they normally did.


    ¡°Hells-ss,¡± Blacknail cursed. He had been working on learning and using swear words lately.


    After he had sworn to obey Herad and officially joined the band, Mahedium had quickly commandeered one of the cabins for himself. The former occupants had complained but the mage had managed to convince Herad he needed it for a lab.


    The mage had rarely left the building except for one trip he had made to Riverdown for supplies. Apparently, he was scared to go into cities because he had very powerful enemies. Blacknail had heard him argue with Herad over the cost of the equipment he needed, and arguing meant Mahedium had begged and pleaded until he had gotten what he wanted.


    Blacknail stepped up to the door of the building and opened it enough for him to slip inside. The interior was dark but there was enough light to see, even for a human. The cabin was a fairly large building because it had been originally designed to bunk a dozen men. The inside was only split into two rooms. There was a smaller front room and a larger one.


    The floor of first room was packed dirt with a thin straw covering, and there were two small windows on each side of the room that let light in. A small bed was tucked up against one wall and there was a wooden table and chair against another. A few items and books were scattered around, but there was no one in sight.


    Idly, Blacknail examined some of the things. He was surprised to find the weird rectangular things were full of word covered paper. What could humans possibly write about that would require so many words? He certainly couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    With a sigh, Blacknail put the book down and fought the urge to pocket some of the things lying around. Mahedium seemed like the type of person that would notice if things went missing and Blacknail wasn¡¯t a thief anyway.


    Since it was clear no one else was there, Blacknail moved over to the door on the far wall that led to the next room. Carefully, he opened it and went through.


    The room on the other side was very different than the one he just left. A large table dominated the center of the room. The floor around it was straw free but looked like it had been mixed with clay or something before it had been flattened. It was much cleaner but also colder than the other room. A few smaller tables, a small desk, and some mostly empty bookshelves lined the walls.


    The windows here were all shuttered up, and the only light came from a pair of obviously magical lamps that flooded the room with a pure white glow. They looked like simple metal oil lamps except the wicks and oil had been replaced by brightly glowing crystals. One of them hung from the ceiling while the other had been placed on the desk.


    Seated in front of the desk was Mahedium. He hadn¡¯t looked up when Blacknail had entered. In fact, he seemed completely ignorant that anyone else was in the room with him. Blacknail cast a look around the room for signs of Scamp, but didn¡¯t see any.


    Scattered across the tables and shelves were many glass beakers and cups of different sizes. Various fluids filled the containers, most of which were clear or muddy brown. Blacknail saw a few crystals, that he was pretty sure were magical, laying around as well.


    The hobgoblin walked up behind Mahedium and coughed to get his attention. The mage quickly sat up and spun around towards the unexpected noise. When he saw Blacknail he gasped and flinched, which caused his chair to rock and then tip over. The surprised mage flailed and tried to catch his balance, but failed, and hit the ground with a heavy thud.


    Blacknail frowned down the man. He hadn¡¯t meant for that to happen.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he told Mahedium, as the mage picked himself off the ground.


    Mahedium scowled at him as he brushed the dirt from his clothes. Blacknail didn¡¯t notice a difference; the man¡¯s clothes were pretty dirty to begin with.


    ¡°Ah, Blacknail. You shouldn¡¯t surprise people like that. Now what do you want? Normally I wouldn¡¯t mind talking with you, you¡¯re a rather fascinating creature, but I¡¯m very busy right now,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail decided to take that as a compliment.


    ¡°I followed Scamp here, and this is a bad-ss place for him,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Mahedium blinked in confusion.


    ¡°The little goblin? Well, he can¡¯t be in here. I would have noticed,¡± Mahedium told him.


    Blacknail gave him a dubious look. He hadn¡¯t noticed a hobgoblin walk right up behind him, so he stood no chance of whatsoever of noticing Scamp.


    Before he could say anything though there was a flash of light and both Blacknail and Mahedium looked over to see Scamp reaching up onto a table to grab some crystals. One of the crystals in his hand had flared to life and was the source of the bright glow. The goblin gave them both a startled look as he unexpectedly found himself the center of attention. Blacknail growled menacingly.


    ¡°Bye bye,¡± Scamp blurted out, as he dashed for the door Blacknail had left open.


    Before anyone else could react he had disappeared through it. Mahedium¡¯s eyes had gone wide with disbelief, and he looked stunned.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be able to do that. It¡¯s impossible,¡± the mage exclaimed in shock.


    Then he froze and clenched his jaw tight.


    ¡°Oh oh, if we don¡¯t get those crystals back right now this could be very bad,¡± he told Blacknail.


    "How bad?" The hobgoblin asked suspiciously. He was beginning to suspect magic was more trouble than it was worth.


    "They might explode and take out half the base... or worse," Mahedium replied.


    Blacknail eyed the mage warily. Of course they would. As if explosions weren''t bad enough.


    The hobgoblin clenched his teeth and let out a low angry growl. When he caught Scamp the little goblin was going to get such a kicking.

 Playing With Fire 2

    With an impatient growl, Blacknail took off after Scamp. He ran through Mahedium¡¯s lab and then out through his living chamber. The hobgoblin then burst outside and landed on the ground in a crouch, as he quickly looked around for the goblin.


    There was no sign of him, so Blacknail hurriedly sniffed the ground for his scent. Mahedium stepped out behind him. He looked flustered and annoyed, but there was also a gleam of excitement in his eyes.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡± the nervous mage asked.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t bother to respond. He just took off after Scamp as soon as he caught his scent. He moved at a brisk walk as he tracked his quarry. Mahedium followed him.


    Why was Scamp allowed to run around like this? It was stupid. When Saeter had taken him in Blacknail hadn¡¯t been allowed to leave his master¡¯s side without permission.


    Scamp''s trail led to a group of empty tents that encircled a fire pit off to one corner of the camp. The four tents were made from animal hides stretched over wooden poles. A large pot of something was hanging over the unlit campfire. Blacknail scanned the area quickly, but didn¡¯t see any obvious signs of Scamp.


    Then, he heard a faint sound from one of the tents. As silently as possible, the hobgoblin crept over to it and gently slid the entrance flap open so he could look inside. Blacknail didn¡¯t see the goblin, but there was a man sleeping under some blankets in the tent. Blacknail frowned; he had been sure Scamp would be in there.


    The unconscious bandit who lay within the tent stirred as cool air blew in through the open flap. Then he blinked and opened his eyes, to find Blacknail¡¯s green face staring down at him.


    ¡°What in all the hells?!¡± he yelled out as he jerked away from the hobgoblin.


    As he moved away from Blacknail, he pulled his coverings with him, and the hide blankets slid away to reveal a green lump. Tentatively, a small hand rose from the green mass and patted the area around itself as if searching for something. After it apparently failed to find what it was looking for, Scamp¡¯s head rose up and looked around. The goblin cringed and grimaced when he saw the hobgoblin staring down at him.


    Blacknail growled triumphantly. He¡¯d found his prey. Mahedium stepped up beside the hobgoblin and stuck his head in the tent as well.


    ¡°Ah ha!¡± the mage declared as he noticed the goblin.


    ¡°Wha? What the fuck are all you bastards doing in my tent?¡± the man inside the tent yelled as his fear and surprise turned to anger.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s important,¡± Blacknail replied politely. At least the man hadn¡¯t thrown anything at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let that goblin get away, it¡¯s stolen some dangerous magical items!¡± Mahedium said at almost the same time.


    The tent¡¯s owner stared at Mahedium for a second, then what the mage had said sunk in and an alarmed expression appeared on his face. He quickly responded by diving as far away from the goblin as he could get while Blacknail was blocking the tent¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Return my mana crystals!¡± Mahedium commanded as he scowled disdainfully at the bandit.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t bother with words; he just leapt at Scamp. The useless little thief was really getting on his nerves.


    ¡°No, my bright pretties!¡± the goblin troublemaker yelled as he rolled under one of the tent walls to the outside.


    Blacknail hissed angrily as he landed on empty ground. Infuriated, he spun around and pushed past Mahedium as he exited the tent and continued the chase. Once outside, he whirled around until he saw Scamp¡¯s fleeing form.


    The little goblin was making for a group of bandits who were standing around and talking to each other beside a pile of crates. Blacknail sprinted after him at full speed. When he got his hands on Scamp the little idiot would never dare cross him ever again!


    Blacknail¡¯s target ran through the legs of the humans in his path as he frantically tried to keep his lead on the angry hobgoblin chasing him. Several of the bandits swore and flinched as he hit their legs on his way past.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t slow down as he approached the group of men. He was going to catch that stupid runt no matter what! How dare the little goblin challenge him. This was Blacknail¡¯s camp and as a goblin Scamp should do what he told him to, or else!


    ¡°Oh shit. Move!¡± one of the men ahead of Blacknail yelled as he saw the hobgoblin speeding towards them.


    Several of the bandits turned and then tried to move out of the way when they saw Blacknail speeding towards them. Most of them were too slow. Blacknail pushed and twisted his way through them. The men swore angrily as he shoved them aside or knocked them over.


    Scamp was now running towards three men seated around a camp fire. The bandits appeared to be eating stew from a pot. Blacknail continued chasing the goblin, and with his longer legs he was steadily closing the distance between them.


    Once again, Scamp manoeuvred through the clump of men. Blacknail was only a few feet away though, and pounced at the goblin. Unfortunately for Blacknail, he missed as Scamp threw himself to the side and out of the way. The hobgoblin landed on all fours in the middle of the men and startled them. There were surprised shouts as they all shot to their feet.


    As Blacknail scrambled to get back to his feet and continue the chase, something landed on his back and then he felt warm liquid splash all over him. One of the bandits had accidentally knocked over the stew pot, and it had spilled onto Blacknail.


    Instinctively, the hobgoblin tried to shake himself dry, which sent droplets of wasted stew flying everywhere. Most of the goop was too sticky to be so easily removed, but the bandits around him gave several more alarmed shouts and tried to back away as the slimy droplets flew everywhere.


    Blacknail gave an enraged scream and bounded after Scamp again. Forget teaching him a lesson, he was going to rip the goblin apart with his bare hands, and enjoy every last hour of it! How dare the useless goblin not obey him!


    At the sound of Blacknail¡¯s scream, the fleeing goblin cast a nervous glance back. When he saw Blacknail chasing him, he yelped in fear and turned to race towards a nearby pile of firewood. The hobgoblin was hissing with rage and practically frothing at the mouth, as he bore down on the smaller goblin.


    Scamp dove into the wood pile and disappeared within. Blacknail was right behind him. He jumped onto the top of the wood pile and began tearing it apart. Pieces of firewood were sent flying in every direction as the enraged hobgoblin started madly digging his way down into the center of the wood stack.


    Soon, a small crowd had gathered to see what was going on. Mahedium had followed Blacknail and was now standing to one side of the commotion. As he looked on, the mage was biting his thumb and clearly very nervous.


    ¡°What in all the bloody hells is going on here?¡± Red Dog exclaimed as he walked over.


    ¡°Ah¡­ the other goblin Scamp, I believe his name is, stole some of my mana stones. The hobgoblin, Blacknail, chased him down to get them back. Now though, I fear circumstances have caused him to become more than a little enraged. He¡¯s trying to dig Scamp out,¡± Mahedium explained fretfully, after he had taken his thumb out of his mouth.


    ¡°He¡¯s making a damned mess is what he¡¯s doing. Where in all the hells are Saeter and Varhs? This is their responsibility,¡± a scowling Red Dog asked.


    ¡°Well¡­ there¡¯s another problem,¡± Mahedium told him.


    ¡°Story of my life it seems. Go on tell me,¡± Red Dog told him with a sigh.


    ¡°The goblin may somehow have the ability to trigger the flawed mana stones in its possession,¡± Mahedium explained reluctantly.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    One eyebrow rose on Red Dog¡¯s thick face as he gave the mage a look full of disbelief.


    ¡°And what exactly does that mean?¡± he responded.


    ¡°Well, since the crystals are flawed the effect of the goblin activating them is unpredictable,¡± Mahedium replied.


    ¡°Guess,¡± Red Dog replied dryly.


    Mahedium hesitated. He clearly didn¡¯t want to answer this question.


    ¡°Most likely they will explode, but really anything could happen. They might do nothing, emit harmless light, disintegrate the user, or produce a sound that kills everyone who hears it¡­ but he probably won¡¯t actually trigger crystal. He would need a good reason to do that,¡± Mahedium told the other man hopefully.


    ¡°Like say fear for instance?¡± Red Dog asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Um, yes¡­¡± Mahedium responded.


    Red Dog turned back to the wood pile that Blacknail was ripping apart. He stared at the hissing and enraged hobgoblin for a few seconds before turning back to Mahedium.


    ¡°I would be very afraid if I was him,¡± Red Dog told the mage.


    Mahedium just stood there and looked worried for a few seconds before saying anything.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± he asked the other bandit.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m going to back the fuck up til I¡¯m outside the range of an explosion, and then I¡¯m going to plug my ears,¡± Red Dog replied.


    Mahedium didn¡¯t seem reassured by Red Dog¡¯s words. He turned back towards Blacknail and started biting his thumb again.


    Several minutes passed as Blacknail dug. He was trying to budge a particularly large and stuck piece of lumber when he heard something that broke through his rage.


    ¡°Blacknail you filthy beast, stop that now!¡± an angry sounding voice yelled.


    The hobgoblin instantly stopped. By this time he had cut his way fairly deep into the timber pile, so he had to straighten up and turn to glimpse the source of the voice. The other option was to dive deeper and join Scamp in hiding.


    Herad was standing a few feet from the edge of the wood heap, and she was glaring angrily at him. The rage that had built up inside Blacknail quickly withered, as it was smothered by cold fear.


    Frantically, Blacknail thought back to the last few minutes, and tried to remember if he had done anything to piss her off. He winced slightly as he remembered running through the one group of bandits. That wasn¡¯t so bad, though. Blacknail was almost certain Herad wouldn¡¯t feel the need to kill him over it, but then again with Herad you never knew.


    ¡°Come down here,¡± Herad commanded.


    Blacknail warily did as he was told and hopped down off the stacks of wood. As he moved, he noticed that Herad wasn¡¯t alone for the first time. A very worried looking Varhs was standing beside her.


    The younger scout was rough looking as usual, all the bandits were, but he looked slightly pale underneath the dirt and fuzz on his face. As the cowering hobgoblin approached Herad turned to Varhs.


    ¡°Varhs, I¡¯m told your pet goblin started this mess. When you asked to keep the goblin you were warned what would happen if you didn¡¯t keep it out of trouble. I don¡¯t like wasting my time on crap like this, so what do you have to say for yourself?¡± Herad asked Varhs.


    She sounded more disappointed than angry, but her voice was still cold and unyielding. Varhs gulped before answering her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry boss. Scamp¡¯s a good boy; I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into him all of a sudden. I¡¯m sure that if everyone were to just calm down I would be able to call him out and get the stuff back. Everyone¡¯s just making mountains out of molehills here,¡± he replied with an accusatory glance at Blacknail.


    This infuriated the hobgoblin. He wasn¡¯t to blame at all! All he had done was try to catch the little thief. It was too much for Blacknail, he spoke up.


    ¡°Scamp¡¯s mess is all your fault. You don¡¯t train him-ss right. No beatings or orders, just treats! You¡¯re a terrible master. He is still wild and needs hard-ss training¡± Blacknail furiously countered.


    Both Varhs and Blacknail stared at each other angrily for a few seconds before Herad bothered to respond.


    ¡°What do you think Saeter? You usually have an opinion on everything¡± Herad asked snidely.


    Blacknail blinked in confusion for a few seconds then followed her gaze to his left, where his master now stood. The hobgoblin hadn¡¯t noticed his approach.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my business, but Blacknail¡¯s right. Varhs¡¯ goblin isn¡¯t trained properly,¡± Saeter responded calmly.


    ¡°Hmmm, we agree for once. The goblin goes and Varhs pays the price then,¡± Herad mused aloud.


    Varhs looked like someone had just kicked him in the balls. His faced was twisted up with pain and regret.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry boss. It¡¯s only been one time though. Give me another chance. I¡¯ll make sure Scamp behaves. I beg you!¡± he pleaded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t give second chances, and I hate begging. You¡¯ve wasted my time enough, and it won¡¯t happen again,¡± she replied with a cold judging tone. Her eyes were dark and contained not even the slimmest glimmer of mercy.


    Varhs¡¯ cringed and a desperate look appeared on his face as he turned to Saeter and Blacknail.


    ¡°Come on Blacknail, I know you¡¯re mad but Scamp¡¯s a goblin like you! You can¡¯t want to see him disposed of. I¡¯ll take the punishment, but please why don¡¯t you take Scamp,¡± Varhs begged them.


    Blacknail gave Varhs a befuddled look. Scamp was nothing like him, and why should he care about other goblins? He would be happy to see the wretched thief gone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a badly trained goblin,¡± Saeter simply said.


    ¡°Fine Blacknail, I¡¯ll give you treats if you train Scamp. You¡¯ve been criticizing me and how I do it. Let¡¯s see you do better!¡± Varhs offered.


    ¡°What kind-ss of treats? I have all the meat-ss I need,¡± Blacknail asked curiously.


    ¡°Stuff from town; types of meat and tasty human food you¡¯ve never had before,¡± Varhs told him.


    Blacknail considered it. He would get to try new delicious foods and beat sense into Scamp as much as he wanted. He threw a questioning glance at Herad. The chief had to give her permission.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it. Blacknail knows how to train a goblin, and he¡¯s ruthless enough to correct any problems that crop up,¡± Herad told them as she stood there with her arms crossed in front of her.


    ¡°Fine-ss, but I train him how I want,¡± Blacknail answered.


    Varhs looked relieved and seemed like he was going to thank Blacknail, but Herad cut him off.


    ¡°This debate has already taken up too much of my time. If you know what¡¯s good for you then you¡¯ll call your goblin out right now, and pray he listens,¡± Herad told the scout menacingly.


    Varhs jumped to obey. He swiftly run up to the wood pile and began calling for Scamp and reassuring the goblin that he would be safe.


    A few minutes later, a very scared goblin emerged from the wood pile. He was shivering and his eyes were huge. The crystals were still in his hands, and he flinched as he noticed Blacknail staring at him. The hobgoblin was actually smiling but for some reason Scamp didn¡¯t find that comforting.


    Varhs reached down and held out his hand, and Scamp placed the crystals in them. Even after all the trouble they had caused him, the goblin seemed hesitant to give them up. Once he had the mana stones Varhs returned them to Mahedium, who looked very relieved to have them back.


    Much to everyone¡¯s surprise the mage then handed one of the stones back to the goblin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you keep it if you can make it glow again,¡± he told the whimpering goblin.


    Scamp gave the mage a bewildered look, but then he stared at the stone in his hands. When nothing happened be began to grip it tighter until he almost seemed to be trying to crush it.


    ¡°Nothing is happening. You must have imagined it. There¡¯s no way goblins can do magic,¡± Red Dog remarked with a snort of disbelief.


    Mahedium threw him an annoyed glance. By this time most the camp seemed to have gathered to see what had been going on. Even Vorscha and Geralhd had wandered over.


    ¡°It takes training to burn a crystal, on purpose anyway. I don¡¯t tell you how to stick a sword in someone''s face and make off with their coin pouch, so don¡¯t attempt to lecture me about the nature of magic and mages,¡± the Mahedium replied condescendingly.


    Before Red Dog could reply, there was a flash of light as Scamp¡¯s crystal came to life in his hands. White light blazed from between his fingers. It was bright enough to reveal the shadows of his bones, but after a few seconds it winked out.


    ¡°Ha, as a first major discovery this is undoubtedly an odd one, but it is one none the less. The guilds believe that humans are the only species able to burn and utilize mana stones, but obviously I have just proved them wrong! Clearly those inbred thugs aren¡¯t as good at magic as they believe,¡± Mahedium bragged loudly.


    The mage had a smug smile on his face as he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out another light stone. He tossed it to an off guard Blacknail, who fumbled it and almost dropped it.


    ¡°Try and light it up,¡± Mahedium told him.


    With an indifferent shrug, Blacknail looked down at the crystal in his hands. He stared down at it and concentrated. What had Scamp done to make his light up?


    The hobgoblin began to squeeze the stone as hard as he could. Several minutes went by, but nothing happened. Feeling frustrated and annoyed, Blacknail tossed the useless rock back to Mahedium.


    ¡°Hmm, it does seem like goblins are similar to humans in that only part of the population is mage born. I would need much more comprehensive testing to be sure, though,¡± Mahedium mused aloud.


    Red Dog rolled his eyes and snorted in annoyance. He was glaring at the mage angrily.


    ¡°This just means you¡¯re going to have to lock your crystals up. Other than that it¡¯s a pretty bloody useless discovery,¡± Red Dog told him.


    ¡°I can think of several uses for this. For instance, I could use the goblin¡¯s blood instead of my own as a catalyst to start crystal formation, and it would be interesting to test if the ability is exactly the same in both species,¡± Mahedium responded dismissively.


    ¡°Vorscha come here, and you two be quiet. Everyone else get your useless asses out of here,¡± Herad suddenly announced as she walked over to Red Dog and Mahedium.


    She threw an angry glare at the nearby crowds, and they quickly started to disperse. Soon, only Red Dog, Saeter, Geralhd, Vorscha, Mahedium, Varhs, and Blacknail were left. They all stood in a loose half circle facing Herad.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re all here and I¡¯ve already wasted too much of my time, I¡¯m going to go over our future plans right now,¡± Herad told them. ¡°I told you earlier this year that I would probably be heading north to Daggerpoint before winter set in, and that¡¯s still the plan.¡±


    ¡°Why? I thought we were claiming this territory as our own.¡± Vorscha asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing...¡± Herad started to answer but Blacknail was distracted by a grumble from his stomach.


    As the humans started discussing the nitty-gritty details of something he didn¡¯t really care about, the hobgoblin began to think about food. He had a bunch of dried meat in one of his pouches but he sort of felt like something sweet instead.


    Oh, there was that clump of berry bushes out in the woods. Hmmm berries, that would really hit the spot.


    The hobgoblin glanced around. It didn¡¯t look like anyone here would miss him, or had even noticed him, so he was just going to go step out and grab a snack. He would probably get back before the humans got to anything important anyway. They really did love to hear themselves talk.

 Playing With Fire 3

    While Herad and Saeter were exchanging particularly deep scowls and arguing about something unimportant, Blacknail tiptoed silently away. There was a nearby berry bush he wanted to pluck clean and all the pointless talking the humans were doing was annoying.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to slip away to the edge of the forest. Everyone in camp had grown used to him by now, and he had quickly learned how to move without drawing attention anyway. As a rule, humans weren¡¯t very observant unless you gave them a good reason to get excited.


    Once there, the hobgoblin began trekking through the woods towards his destination. Blacknail hopped excitedly over a fallen tree as the green canopy grew thicker overhead.


    He was really going to enjoy munching down on those berries. Just thinking about their sweet tangy taste was causing his mouth to water. He had to lick his lips clean to prevent drool from getting all over his shirt.


    Soon, Blacknail reached a spot in the woods where the trees grew thinner and eventually gave way to a small clearing. There, where the sunlight mixed with the shade cast at the edge of the trees was where the juiciest of berries grew.


    Happily, the hobgoblin bounced over and carefully reached into the thorny plants there to pluck his favorite fruits. As the succulent flavour hit his tongue, he groaned blissfully and then started to pick the berries as fast as he could and shove them into his mouth. They were so good!


    Eventually, when he¡¯d filled himself up and his lips had turned purple, Blacknail belched and began swaggering back to camp. He figured the humans were done with all the useless talking by now and if not they were easier to ignore on a full stomach.


    As he swaggered on back to the camp, a whiff of something unexpected filled his nostrils. He stiffened and quickly cast a nervous glance at his surroundings, but all he saw was the normal mix of trees and bushes.


    The scent was strange and he couldn¡¯t quite identify it, although it did smell somewhat familiar. Maybe, it smelled sort of like that huge monstrous slime he¡¯d defeated? It was more like an animal though, and to be giving off so much scent it had to be a large one.


    Curiously but with a fair bit of caution, this was the forest after all, Blacknail sniffed around to find the source of the smell. It didn¡¯t take him long to discover a trail that something had torn through the underbrush. He bent over to examine it as he reached down and ran his fingernails through the dirt.


    This was interesting. Whatever had made the scent had come this way and then retreated back in the same direction. Judging by the lack of footprints and the drag marks on the ground it was probably another slime.


    Now that Blacknail was a hobgoblin he wasn¡¯t afraid of running into a slime. He had defeated a huge one even when he¡¯d been a mere little goblin. Now no slime could possibly be a match for his deadly warrior skills!


    His memory of things so long ago was kind of fuzzy but he was pretty sure Herad had really wanted to find out where the slime had come from. If Blacknail traced the thing back to its lair then his chieftain was sure to reward him!


    The forest might be a dangerous place to explore but the thing that had made this trail had sort of a pleasant floral scent to it, so how dangerous could it be?


    The hobgoblin gave one last look around at the trees and bushes before heading deeper into the forest in pursuit of his reward. He was headed in a direction that the bandits in Herad¡¯s band usually avoided. The ground here was muddy and practically swamp-like.


    As he walked, a fair number of the nearby trees were replaced by bleached white husks that were leaning at odd angles. The constant floods here brought on by the rain had obviously killed a lot of trees. The healthier ones here were thick and lush looking though, if kind of short.


    As he scampered across a tree trunk that had fallen over a small stream, something caught Blacknail¡¯s eye. There was a dried up pond over to his left with only a bit of water left in the very center of it. The wet season was over now and there had been very little rain lately.


    Along the muddy banks of the pool there was a large rocky crevice, and the trail Blacknail was following led right to it. The hobgoblin cautiously made his way closer and examined the entrance to the cave.


    The water that was left in the pond lapped up against the bottom of the crevice, and it looked like the entire thing would most likely be underwater during the wet season. That would definitely explain why no one had found it before. Most of his tribe bathed only slightly more than he did, which was almost never.


    The cave was easily large enough for the hobgoblin to enter but it looked muddy and very dark inside. He leaned into it but he couldn¡¯t really get a good glimpse of what lay within. Well, the trail of the creature led directly here so this was probably the place Herad was looking for.


    Blacknail decided that entering the cave to check it out would be icky and too much work so he decided to head back. After making sure he remembered how to come back here, the hobgoblin hopped up, re-crossed the stream, and started back towards camp.


    As he walked something started to bother him. What was it?


    The answer came to him as he ducked under a low tree branch. It was too quiet. The birds were still singing up in the top of the trees but the forest seemed muted and on edge. It was probably nothing, though.


    Once or twice, he also thought he heard a subtle rustling noise from behind him. When that happened he quickly turned his head to look back but he never saw anything. He was probably imagining the noise, but just in case he started walking a bit faster. Better safe than lunch.


    Soon, he was out of the swampy area and back into the forest proper where the trees grew tall and straight. Not long after that, he made it back to camp.


    The hobgoblin easily slipped past the sentries set to watch the forest border and strolled leisurely into the bandits¡¯ base. It wasn¡¯t like the guards would have stopped him or anything, but there was no point in letting them see him. They probably had better things to do than watch him.


    Unsurprisingly, Herad and the others were still talking when he got back. Blacknail sighed and crept back up behind Saeter to listen in. He was already kind of hungry again. All that walking had been hard work.


    ¡°...to enforce my claim I have to get the other bands to accept it,¡± Herad was explaining. ¡°To offer safe passage I have to make sure no one else dares poach my targets. The only way to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen is to make sure the other bands know exactly how bad of an idea it would be to mess around here...¡±


    Boring! This was the same stuff they had been talking about when he left. He really wanted to tell Herad about how amazing of a tracker he was and about how he¡¯d found the cave she¡¯d been looking for. That would be a much more interesting conversation and he would probably even get a treat out of it.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    He didn¡¯t want to interrupt her, though. She wouldn¡¯t like that and when she didn¡¯t like things people tended to get stabbed.


    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s a bunch of riders approaching!¡± a familiar sounding bandit suddenly yelled urgently. ¡°They¡¯re coming down the road fast, and they look like knights.¡±


    The conversation instantly stopped as everyone present whirled around to look towards the speaker. Blacknail perked up and glanced that way as well. This sounded much more interesting!


    ¡°Shit,¡± Red Dog swore as he flinched in surprise.


    Herad didn¡¯t waste any time; within seconds she had spun around and dashed towards both the shouter and the road that bordered the camp. Everyone else, including Blacknail, hurriedly followed her. The hobgoblin wanted to see what all the excitement was about.


    The chieftain had reached the bandit who had yelled and was now jogging alongside her. As they moved the camp was quickly coming alive around them. The bandits weren¡¯t always the most motivated people but a possible enemy attack got their attention.


    Blacknail scampered up behind Herad. The dark eyed bandit chieftain was now standing along the road and staring down it. The hobgoblin quickly spotted what she was looking at. There was a large group of mounted human warriors headed their way.


    He counted around three dozen of the knights, and they looked familiar. It took the hobgoblin a few seconds of head scratching before he remembered where he¡¯d seen them before. They were the riders he¡¯d seen out on the road when he and Saeter had been sent out to find the deserters. Red Dog had been there too.


    The knights weren¡¯t flying a flag this time but they were still armed and armored better than any humans Blacknail had ever seen before. They held long spears, had swords at their waists, and wore a mix of chainmail and steel plate. If it came to a fight Blacknail planned on staying as far away from them as possible and attacking from a distance.


    As the bandits watched, the riders trotted warily up the road and approached the camp. Under the vigilant eyes of the lead knight, the quickest of the bandits had already formed a loose line and were getting ready to meet them.


    There was a crude wooden tower set up beside the road and the men inside it already had their bows drawn and ready. A simple barricade of sharpened stakes tied also blocked the road. That was good because Blacknail was pretty sure that without it the bandits on the ground would last just long enough to be trampled to death if the knights charged.


    That would be amusing to see but probably wouldn¡¯t be in Blacknail¡¯s best interest. The horses the knights were riding looked like vicious bastards. He didn¡¯t really want to see them from closer up.


    ¡°Those are definitely Lord Strachan¡¯s men,¡± Red Dog observed in a hostile tone.


    ¡°The question is what in all the hells they¡¯re doing out here,¡± Vorscha replied. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the old lord keeps mostly to himself these days since his son died and his lands are South of here. I doubt he has the manpower to throw knights around.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever his reasons they¡¯re here now and I would bet against them being friendly to a group of bandits like us. I¡¯m fairly sure knights are supposed to stomp out bands like ours with extreme prejudice by royal decree,¡± Saeter grunted.


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Red Dog swore in agreement.


    Herad¡¯s bodyguards were never too far away, and with all the sudden commotion it didn¡¯t take long for several of them to appear and make their way to her side. The large menacing looking thugs gathered up behind their mistress and glared at the approaching riders.


    ¡°We outnumber them almost ten to one,¡± Vorscha observed.


    ¡°That will hardly matter if they simply hit us like the Hammer of Azur-Wa. You know better than most what happens when heavy cavalry hits irregulars like us. I left the army to avoid ending up like that,¡± Red Dog countered.


    ¡°They don¡¯t seem properly equipped to function as heavy stompers,¡± Vorscha replied. ¡°They look more like they¡¯ve been doing a lot of riding lately and just stumbled upon us, and they definitely don¡¯t look eager to charge.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Saeter grunted as he made his way up to Herad.


    As the riders got closer their horses slowed down to a steady trot. Dozens of armed bandits watched nervously as two of them broke away from the rest and approached the barricade.


    ¡°Hail the camp!¡± the first rider yelled as he came to stop several dozen feet from the entrance to the base.


    ¡°Identify yourselves!¡± Herad shouted back in a commanding tone.


    There was what looked to be a brief argument between the two riders before they responded. After a few moments the same man as before answered.


    ¡°I am sir Masnin, a paladin in service to the Order of Helio-Lustria. The man behind me is sir Devus, the leader of a detachment of knights Lord Strachan sent to aid me in my quest,¡± the rider explained politely but with a steely edge to his voice.


    Herad wasn¡¯t impressed. Her scowl only deepened as she regarded the holy knight.


    ¡°A paladin, eh? What brings such illustrious company such as yourself to my edge of my woods, pray tell?¡± she asked condescendingly.


    As Blacknail listened, he tilted his head to the side. What was a paladin? It sounded sort of like a type of dessert, but not a particularly tasty one. Maybe like one of those really fancy looking ones that you got all excited about having but then ended up tasting worse than the cheap stuff.


    ¡°I¡¯m here fulfilling the holy work of my order; I¡¯m tracking an infection,¡± Sir Masnin told the bandit chieftain. ¡°There was an outbreak of the dark plague in a village to the South a while back. The plague was stopped and burnt out before it could spread but several infected escaped out into the woods. I¡¯ve tracked them North to here, and by now they are without doubt fully fledged ghouls.¡±


    ¡°We encountered those ghouls of yours and dealt with them ourselves. They were purged with holy silver and cleansing fire, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry yourself about them any longer,¡± Herad replied as she stared the mounted paladin down.


    ¡°Then you have done the Sun God¡¯s will and I thank you. I will of course need to enter your camp, question your men, and see that all is right for myself,¡± sir Masnin explained in a polite tone.


    Herad eyed the paladin and the knights behind him doubtfully before bursting out into dark laughter. Most the riders flinched and reached for their weapons but sir Masnin remained calm and his gaze never wavered from Herad¡¯s.


    "You¡¯re going to have to take my word for it because that¡¯s not going to happen, pretty boy. Why don¡¯t you ride off before you get yourself hurt?¡± she told him.


    The paladin opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted when the rider next to him spoke up.


    ¡°We can¡¯t trust these villains, sir Masnin; they¡¯re fucking bandits and honorless deserters! If we go in there they¡¯ll fall on us from every side while we¡¯re distracted. There¡¯s no reason to talk to the likes of them. Let¡¯s just charge in there and put these mad dogs down, or turn around and come back with reinforcements. We¡¯ll be doing the country a great boon by eliminating these scum,¡± sir Devus told the paladin.


    ¡°As long as you are seconded to my service I expect you to follow my lead,¡± Sir Masnin replied coolly before turning back to Herad.


    The knight captain looked insulted but didn¡¯t speak back up. Instead, he just glowered unhappily at the bandit chieftain.


    ¡°If you do not let me in then I promise you will have far more to worry about than a few dozen knights and a provincial noble,¡± the paladin told Herad in a steely tone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard much better threats than that,¡± she replied dismissively.


    Neither she nor the paladin looked away. Instead, they just stared at each other severely for what seemed like hours to Blacknail, but was probably more like a minute. Eventually, it was Sir Masnin that broke the silence.


    ¡°Worldly affairs are not my concern. I am concerned only with the struggle of light against darkness and civilization versus ruination," he explained respectfully.


    ¡°Those men behind you seem to think otherwise,¡± Herad pointed out.


    ¡°They have their responsibilities and I have mine. Though we all struggle to perform our duties they do not always lead us in the same direction. I beg permission to enter your camp alone as an honored guest,¡± the paladin responded.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious!¡± sir Davus hissed in alarm but everyone ignored him.


    Herad laughed again and smiled with obvious amusement.


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve never had an honored guest before,¡± she answered with a chuckle.


    She then waved to the archers up in the tower and they lowered their weapons. Sir Masnin took the opportunity to dismount and pass his reins to his companion.


    A few seconds later, he was walking past the barricade and the bandits behind it without apparent fear. He might as well have been taking a stroll through a garden for all the concern that showed on his face. Blacknail kind of wanted to poke him and see what happened.


    As the paladin approached Herad, he drew his blade. Her bodyguards tensed, but then sir Masnin flipped it around and carefully presented the hilt to her.


    ¡°Keep it,¡± Herad told him as she motioned him forward into the camp and smiled viciously. ¡°Everyone else here is armed to the teeth, anyway.¡±

 Playing With Fire 4

    The paladin, Sir Masnin, cautiously followed Herad as she led him deeper into her camp. He got a few hostile glares but most of the bandits seemed more concerned about the squad of angry looking riders parked in front of the entrance to their base than the single man following their leader on foot.


    Few, if any, of them thought of him as a threat to their chief. She had a certain reputation after all.


    Like most the other bandits, Red Dog and the other lieutenants seemed focused on watching the knights at their gate. They were arguing about how best to fight the riders but Blacknail didn¡¯t care about that.


    The knights were just sitting there on their horses and glowering at everything and everyone nearby. That was really boring to watch and Blacknail didn¡¯t want to look at their ugly and smelly horses anyway.


    Somehow, these horses looked even more arrogant and mean than most. The hobgoblin had to resist the urge to throw a rock at the one in the lead to show it who was boss. He held back though, because that would probably lead to a misunderstanding and get him in trouble.


    No, it was the paladin that interested Blacknail. The riders were just standing still but he was moving around and stuff. He was sure Herad and her guest would soon do something exciting and he planned to be there when it happened.


    Blacknail could hear snippets of their conversations as he stalked them through the camp. The hobgoblin kept his distance; he wanted to keep out of sight. If Herad noticed him then she might send him away, and that would be no fun.


    The paladin threw a quick look over his shoulder, and Blacknail ducked out of sight behind a tent. After a few seconds of looking around, sir Masnin apparently didn¡¯t see anything suspicious because he just frowned in confusion and then turned back to Herad.


    The bandit chieftain led the paladin around the camp for a few more minutes. The only place Herad didn¡¯t take him was inside Mahedium¡¯s workshop. After the tour was complete, she showed him the scarred circle of earth where the burnt remains of the ghouls and everything they had touched were buried.


    Just as Blacknail had predicted, they didn¡¯t find anything of interest. If any ghoul bits or infection was still around the hobgoblin would have smelled it long ago. He was the best, and only, ghoul sniffer around.


    Blacknail slipped up beside a small group of nearby bandits where he wouldn¡¯t stand out. From there he could get a good view of what was going on.


    Masnin was standing on the filled in pit. The dirt below his feet was dry and grey and nothing had started to grow there yet.


    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m quite surprised your... group handled this as well as you did,¡± the paladin mused as examined the large circle of broken earth. ¡°You don¡¯t seem very well equipped to deal with an outbreak like this. Much smaller packs of the accursed things have been the bane of cities.¡±


    ¡°Those cities didn¡¯t have my leadership. I kept order here and we have a few old hands around who have dealt with the dark plague before. They knew a few useful tricks,¡± Herad explained as she drew a dagger and started nimbly twirling it through her fingers.


    Hey, what was this now? Blacknail scowled at his chieftain¡¯s words. Why hadn¡¯t she mentioned him? He had done more than anyone else to get rid of all the ghoul gunk and find the stupid humans who had gotten it all over themselves!


    ¡°Still, it is very impressive,¡± sir Masnin replied as he looked up and glanced around the camp.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re easily impressed, because this is nothing compared to what I¡¯m really capable of,¡± Herad remarked smugly.


    ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you, Herad the Black Snake. Unfortunately, most of it was far from complimentary,¡± the paladin said as he frowned in disapproval.


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s perfect, and you know how inaccurate the rumor mill gets,¡± Herad replied with an amused smile.


    ¡°Perhaps. Anyway, it certainly seems like everyone here is healthy. I¡¯m a little concerned about that man over there, though. He has had his hood up and a scarf across face the entire time I¡¯ve been here,¡± sir Masnin told her as he pointed Blacknail''s way.


    The hobgoblin went stiff as a board as the paladin singled him out. How had the man seen him? He¡¯d been at his sneakiest! Maybe he needed to dirty up his clothes some more so they didn¡¯t stand out. Most of the nearby humans¡¯ clothes were grimier than his.


    Herad didn¡¯t bother to turn and look over towards who the paladin was pointing towards; she knew who it was.


    ¡°Oh him, he¡¯s just butt ugly,¡± she replied nonchalantly. ¡°He hates showing people his face and trust me you don¡¯t want to see it, anyway. You don¡¯t have to worry about him being sick.¡±


    Blacknail scowled at her words. That was totally not the reason he wore his hood up most the time! There was nothing wrong with his handsome green face. Surely, she could have come up with a better excuse...


    ¡°I see. I guess I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± the man remarked doubtfully.


    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re going to have to,¡± Herad warned him. There was a cold edge to her voice underlying her pleasant tone as she spoke this time.


    Judging by the doubtful look on his face, sir Masnin was clearly unconvinced by her explanation and still more than a little suspicious of the cloaked figure. He didn¡¯t appear ready to press the issue, though. Either Herad¡¯s behaviour or the fact that he was completely surrounded by violent armed bandits had him worried.


    ¡°Everything appears to be in order, then. Thank you for permitting me entry and destroying the ghouls I was tracking. Your efforts have helped spread the light of Helio-Lustria.¡± Sir Masnin told Herad as he gave her a slight polite bow.


    This caused the bandit chieftain to smile in amusement.


    ¡°That¡¯s me, I¡¯m a bloody saint,¡± she replied sarcastically as she brushed a few strands of dark hair out from in front of her eyes.


    ¡°One does not need to be perfect to walk in the god of light¡¯s illumination, and it¡¯s never too late to devote your life to him,¡± sir Masnin explained reverently.


    ¡°Trying to tempt me away from a life of crime, eh? I think I¡¯d rather just stay here and rob people for a living. It pays better and it seems like a lot more fun,¡± Herad countered.


    ¡°As you wish. I have seen everything I need to see and with your permission I shall take my leave,¡± the paladin told her.


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want you to leave. I think I like having a handsome young knight such as you in my power. What do you think about that?¡± Herad asked sir Masnin as she leaned in closer to him and smiled.


    ¡°Um...¡± the red faced paladin stuttered as her words threw him off balance.


    ¡°I could definitely find a use for you and that sword of yours. Perhaps you¡¯d like to stay a little longer,¡± Herad continued as she licked her lips.


    The paladin¡¯s eyes widened. Blacknail could hear the rapid pounding of the man¡¯s heartbeat from several paces away.


    ¡°Pardon me, but I should really go. I have to report back to my order¡± sir Masnin answered after a brief pause and with obvious reluctance.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°That will be difficult since your escort just rode off without you,¡± Red Dog interjected as he walked over to his boss.


    Saeter was right beside the other man and both them looked annoyed. Vorscha appeared to have stayed behind, though. Herad instantly turned to look at her lieutenant. The paladin remained perfectly still except for his brow, which tightened in concern.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Herad commanded Red Dog.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s escort started arguing amongst themselves a few minutes back. It got kind of heated and then they just turned around and rode off down the road and out of sight. From the looks they were giving the men I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t plan on coming back any time soon unless it¡¯s to attack us,¡± her lieutenant replied.


    One of Herad¡¯s eyebrows rose as she turned and gave the paladin a suspicious stare.


    ¡°Can you explain this?¡± she asked him.


    The holy warrior sighed deeply before replying.


    ¡°This was due to no action on my part. Sir Devus must have decided that I wasn¡¯t coming back and decided to leave. He must have thought you¡¯d acted against me and that he would be next. I obviously underestimated that man¡¯s paranoia and impatience,¡± he explained to Herad.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose they left me my horse?¡± Sir Masnin then asked Red Dog hopefully.


    ¡®No,¡± Red Dog replied simply which caused the paladin to sigh again.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ll be staying here a little longer after all, while we figure out what to do with you. I¡¯m going to have to ask for that weapon of yours now, though.¡± Herad told the paladin.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± the troubled looking paladin said as he drew his sword and handed it over.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m going to have to put you somewhere now,¡± Herad mused playfully, like a cat with a mouse. ¡°My house would be the most secure place. Of course, since it¡¯s full of my valuables I¡¯d have to watch over you if I put you there. It¡¯s out of sun though, and nice and private.¡±


    ¡°Alas, I¡¯d hate to intrude upon you. Anywhere out here is fine,¡± sir Masnin replied quickly.


    Blacknail scratched his head as he listened. Why would anyone take up Herad¡¯s offer? Sure, her house was nice and cool but if Herad was there no one would be able to relax. Humans were weird.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I do like to please my guests,¡± Herad told the now nervous looking paladin with a smirk.


    ¡°Red Dog, make our guest here comfortable and assign him a pair of guards,¡± Herad told him. ¡°I need to go check on our defenses in case those knights show up again. I have a feeling they will.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± the bandit replied as his chieftain turned and began walking away.


    Blacknail¡¯s master stepped forward as Herad left and glared suspiciously at the paladin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± Saeter then remarked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like anyone,¡± Red Dog replied dryly.


    ¡°I like plenty of people,¡± the old scout countered in an offended tone.


    ¡°Such as?¡± the other man asked doubtfully.


    Now that Herad was gone, Blacknail also decided to stop sulking around. He began walking over to Saeter and the others and his master noticed the hobgoblin¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Blacknail, for one,¡± Saeter answered triumphantly.


    ¡°Right, is there anyone human on that no doubt gigantic list?¡± Red Dog asked derisively.


    Saeter froze for a second and a look of concentration came over his face.


    ¡°Bah, I don¡¯t have to answer your stupid questions,¡± he muttered a second later before stomping off.


    ¡°I rest my case,¡± the other bandit snorted dismissively.


    As Blackanil watched, Red Dog then led the frustrated looking paladin over to an empty tent. Well, if his master didn¡¯t like the man then Blacknail decided he was going to keep an eye on him. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t know why Herad hadn¡¯t just had the man killed but he was clearly suspicious. Who knew what he could be up to?


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have any black tea?¡± the holy warrior asked as he sat down out in front of the tent and pulled his helmet off.


    ¡°Nothing you want to drink,¡± Red Dog replied.


    The bandit then looked around and called two nearby men over and told them to keep an eye on sir Masnin.


    ¡°Stay here and keep out of trouble. You¡¯re lucky the boss likes you and that most the men have nothing against the holy orders or you¡¯d already be dead,¡± Red Dog grunted at the paladin before leaving.


    The other man didn¡¯t bother to reply. Instead, he knelt down in front of the tent, closed his eyes, and started praying. The two men Red Dog had selected took up position on either side of sir Masnin. Neither of them seemed too worried about the enemy in their midst. In fact, they looked more bored than anything.


    Really, they were so bad at being guards that they should never have been chosen in the first place. Blacknail was going to do everyone involved a favor and take their place. Even the guards probably had better places to be.


    A few minutes later sir, Masnin got up and crawled into the tent. One of the guards stepped around the tent to make sure nothing suspicious was going on behind it, and Blacknail made his move.


    The hobgoblin calmly and silently walked up behind the man, while he was out of sight of his partner, and smacked him across the back of his head with a small club. There was a muffled grunt of pain as the man collapsed but Blacknail caught him before he hit the ground.


    With that done, Blacknail slipped around the tent and into the other guard¡¯s blindspot. The man was still staring off in the same direction with a slack look on his stupid face, so Blacknail knocked him unconscious with smack form his club as well.


    Wow, these two bandits had been really bad at their jobs. What had they even been on guard against, working too hard?


    Blacknail sighed exasperation as he dragged the unconscious idiots out of sight behind a pile of wood, where it was nice and shady. He was considerate like that.


    Then, he riffled through the men¡¯s pockets for anything interesting. He wasn¡¯t planning on keeping the stuff he found, though. If he left them there a thief might come along and take their stuff while they were sleeping. As their loyal tribesmate Blacknail wasn¡¯t about to let that happen. He would hold on to their stuff for them until later...


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± a youthful and curious voice asked from behind the hobgoblin as he was looking through a small coin purse.


    As Blacknail turned towards the source of the voice, a shiver of frustration and annoyance worked its way up his spine and caused him to twitch. Shit, there was only one person in camp who sounded like that.


    Behind him stood Khita, and she was giving him a curious yet smug look. Blacknail looked down at the knocked out men strewn at his feet and grimaced.


    ¡°Umm, they-ss looked like they could use a nap-ss, so I helped them. I¡¯m going-ss to take their-ss place and guard the prisoner,¡± he hesitantly told the grinning girl.


    ¡°Sharp, let me join you,¡± Khita told him.


    Desperately, Blacknail tried to think up a reason for her to leave. He didn¡¯t want the annoying girl around but if he told her to leave now it might bring him unwanted attention. Oh well, if something went wrong he could always blame it on Khita.


    ¡°Fine-ss, let¡¯s go,¡± Blacknail grunted quietly as he turned to walk back towards the entrance to the tent sir Masnin was using.


    ¡°Just a second,¡± Khita replied as she pulled her own hood up.


    Together, the pair took up position in front of the paladin¡¯s tent. A few seconds later there was a rustling from within and sir Masnin re-emerged.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the cleanest tent I¡¯ve ever had but I¡¯ve seen worse. Hopefully I won¡¯t be here all that long anyway,¡± the paladin said as he exited the tent.


    He then froze and blinked a few times after looking up and seeing Blacknail and Khita standing there.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the same guards from before,¡± sir Masnin remarked in confusion.


    ¡°Maybe we are...¡± Khita replied vaguely in as deep as a voice as she could.


    ¡°They-ss fell,¡± Blacknail explained truthfully at the same time.


    ¡°Right...¡± the befuddled paladin replied as he stared at his new guards.


    Blacknail stared intently right back. His loose fitting clothes, scarf, and cloak concealed his inhuman form. Now that he was on guard there was no way this man was going to get away with anything bad.


    Sir Masnin kept glancing back between his two new guards, as if he couldn¡¯t decide which one was weirder. Both Blacknail and Khita were noticeably shorter than the men they¡¯d replaced, and Khita had a clearly feminine voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re the... man from earlier, and I¡¯m fairly sure you¡¯re not a man at all,¡± the paladin remarked hesitantly as he looked at Khita.


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Khita replied angrily while Blacknail remained silent.


    ¡°Nothing, I just meant it¡¯s unusual to see someone your age in such a place,¡± he explained politely.


    ¡°I¡¯m unusually dangerous,¡± the young woman huffed angrily as she pulled off her hood and stared at the paladin.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± the confused paladin muttered as he sat down and shook his head.


    Sir Masnin then closed his eyes and started to pray again. It only took a few minutes for Khita to grow bored and wander off but Blacknail kept up his watch. He was sure the paladin was up to something and just waiting for him to lose focus.


    After a few more minutes of intense staring, Blacknail decided that the man wasn¡¯t going to do anything as long as it looked like he was paying attention. Thus, the hobgoblin turned around and pretended to sit back against a log and relax.


    Almost immediately, the hobgoblin saw sir Masnin open his eyes and turn to look his way. He clearly found Blacknail both unsettling and interesting. The man studied the hobgoblin for several minutes but appeared to simply grow more confused as time went on.


    "I have to admit I haven''t visited many bandit camps but this one seems very odd to me," sir Masnin commented. "You''re all very different from what I expected and I have absolutely no idea what to make of you, personally. I don''t suppose you want to tell me who you are?"


    "I''m watching-ss you," a slightly insulted Blacknail hissed as he sat back up and glared at the paladin.


    He was going to say more but stopped when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. A few seconds later his master appeared and gave the hobgoblin a surprised look. He clearly didn¡¯t expect to see him there guarding the prisoner, but it was the paladin he turned towards.


    ¡°Your friends are back and they¡¯ve brought reinforcements. It¡¯s looking like there is going to be a fight, so we have to decide what to do with you,¡± the old scout explained coldly.


    Sir Masnin rose from where he was sitting and stared back at Saeter. As they glared at each other the paladin¡¯s left hand inched towards his empty scabbard but then stopped and disappeared into a pocket at his waist.

 Playing With Fire 5

    Blacknail reacted quickly to the fight brewing between the two men in front of him. He growled menacingly as he pulled himself to his feet and reached for the pommel of his blade. The hobgoblin¡¯s cloaked body was tense and hunched over as he readied himself to spring forward.


    Sir Masnin threw a startled look the hobgoblin¡¯s way at the unexpected noise, and he hesitated. His eyes tore themselves away from Saeter and tried to peer past Blacknail¡¯s heavy clothes without success. Unnerved, the paladin hesitated and then turned back to the old scout.


    ¡°Sir Devos is a young fool¡± the paladin muttered as he reluctantly let his hands drop to his sides. ¡°If he is truly attacking you and your compatriots then it¡¯s his own folly, although I fear I have been caught up in it.¡±


    Blacknail smiled proudly to himself. Obviously, he¡¯d terrified the man into submission without even needing to fight. He sure was a scary warrior!


    ¡°He¡¯s got us all involved in this mess,¡± Saeter huffed back. ¡°Now, come with me. Herad wants to see you.¡±


    As Blacknail watched, the paladin nodded in agreement and then began to follow the older man. The hostility from moments before had yet to completely fade, though. Saeter kept one wary eye on the paladin while Blacknail glared suspiciously at the man¡¯s back as he followed.


    Saeter led sir Masnin back through the camp and towards the entrance. There, Herad and her lieutenants were yelling orders at dozens of bandits that were running around. One of the outlaws near the chieftain had a trumpet and was signaling the call to arms. The annoyingly loud tones of the instrument filled the clearing and echoed off into the trees.


    Almost everyone seemed focused on the eastern entrance to the camp, so Blacknail peered in that direction as well. However, the long dusty road that ran through the forest looked empty.


    The hobgoblin grunted in annoyance. Hopefully this wasn¡¯t another stupid human waste of time. The trumpet was starting to give him a headache.


    ¡°How do you know Lord Strachan¡¯s men are on their way back? I don¡¯t see them,¡± sir Masnin asked.


    Saeter grunted in annoyance before answering.


    ¡°Herad had mounted scouts sent out to trail your friends the second they left. Apparently, they didn¡¯t go all that far. They picked up a few more men from the first village they crossed and then headed straight back here. Now, they¡¯re sitting up on the hill that lies down that road. It¡¯s just out of sight from here,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°You must mean Datshire. It¡¯s the village we stopped at yesterday. We left our supplies and some of our retainers there,¡± the paladin commented.


    ¡°I know it was Datshire. There aren¡¯t many villages left hereabouts and I¡¯ve been to them all,¡± Saeter replied scornfully.


    Before sir Masnin could reply, Herad shouted in their direction.


    ¡°Come here, paladin,¡± the bandit chieftain yelled as she motioned him closer.


    ¡°Mistress Herad, if my companions are really returning I need to talk to them. There is no reason for this to devolve into a fight,¡± the paladin told her as he approached.


    ¡°That would be nice,¡± Herad replied sarcastically. ¡°I didn¡¯t call you over to play peacemaker, though. If these damned idiots plan on charging to their doom I want you within arm¡¯s reach where I can keep an eye on you.¡±


    ¡°I know you outnumber sir Devos¡¯ force but they are trained and mounted knights,¡± the paladin explained. ¡°Your victory is far from a sure thing and would undoubtedly cost you in blood and souls. It would be better for everyone involved if it didn¡¯t come to violence.¡±


    ¡°You underestimate the options at my disposal,¡± the bandit chieftain replied. ¡°I was quite happy letting you fancy high bloods leave unmolested but your friends had other plans. This my territory and you¡¯re intruding, so whether you like it or not there¡¯s going to be a fight, one I intend to win.¡±


    ¡°If you let me talk to them I¡¯m sure I can prevent any bloodshed. If they see I¡¯m free to leave then they will turn around. This expedition¡¯s goal was to root out ghouls, the enemy of all mankind, not skirmish with bandits,¡± sir Masnin begged.


    ¡°Or, then I¡¯d have one more enemy to worry about and unless I miss my guess you¡¯d be more dangerous than any of the others,¡± Herad countered angrily. ¡°The order of Helio-Lustria rarely accepts anyone but the best and then they make sure their warriors are equipped with everything they might need to fulfill their duties, like Elixir.¡±


    ¡°I give you my oath that I wouldn¡¯t betray your hospitality,¡± the paladin told her.


    ¡°Even when your compatriots are dying right in front of you? You¡¯d do nothing? That¡¯s not a risk I intend to take,¡± Herad replied with a scowl. ¡°Besides, even if sir Devos leaves now he¡¯ll probably just be back later with more men and time to prepare. We¡¯ve insulted him by existing, and he sees our deaths as a chance to build up his name.¡±


    Sir Masnin sighed and looked frustrated but he didn¡¯t seem to have anything else to say. His shoulders hung loosely under the weight of both her words and his chainmail shirt.


    A sudden burst of activity got everyone¡¯s attention. The noise and movement around Herad had grown quieter while she had been talking to sir Masnin but now it redoubled. The cause was obvious.


    ¡°It seems like they got their shit together,¡± Herad growled as she stared down the road.


    A large formation of soldiers had appeared around the bend in the road and marched into sight. Blacknail had to squint to see that far but there was no mistaking who it was; the knights were back.


    In the front rode a large formation of mounted men. They were even more heavily armoured than the last time Blacknail had seen them. Almost all of them had steel plate armor and helmets with visors that concealed their faces. Above them the flag of Lord Strachan waved and snapped in the wind.


    Behind the riders came a smaller formation of foot soldiers. Their armor was much lighter but they were still heavily armed. Some of them held spears while others had swords and round shields.


    There were definitely fewer of them than there were knights. Blacknail wasn¡¯t that good at counting so he wasn¡¯t sure of the exact number. After staring at his hands and wiggling his toes, he swiftly concluded that there were a lot more than twenty, though.


    As bandits all around Blacknail rushed to prepare for battle, the horsemen suddenly charged forward and clouds of dust rose up behind them. Their horses¡¯ hooves pounded against the earth and roared like thunder as they closed in on the camp¡¯s entrance and the men guarding it.


    ¡°Everyone get to your positions, now!¡± Herad suddenly roared as she waved her sword above her head.


    A good dozen bandits with spears had taken up position behind the wooden barrier that partially blocked the way into the camp. Alongside it, men were climbing up into the watch towers and stringing bows.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes went wide and his ears went flat against the back of his head as he watched the charging enemy. He was fairly far from the front line, but not nearly far enough.


    The knights were closing in quickly and they certainly didn¡¯t look like they expected the spearmen to stop them. Blacknail was rather sure he agreed with them. The speeding wall of steel, horse flesh, and drawn blades terrified him. Something seemed to be squeezing his heart and stifling his breath.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The hobgoblin quickly looked around. While he had been focused on the enemy almost all his tribesmen had wandered off. Only a terrified looking Khita was left , and she wasn''t good for anything!


    Saeter had somehow ended up off to one side with a squad of archers. Herad, Red Dog, and the paladin were now surrounded by the chief¡¯s bodyguards and headed towards the center of the camp. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure where he was supposed to go...


    Suddenly, there was heavy crashing sound which was swiftly followed by screams as the knights slammed into the barricade and then blew right through it. Uh oh, that wasn¡¯t good.


    The riders were now barreling straight toward Blacknail so the hobgoblin decided to retreat in an orderly fashion.


    ¡°Eeeekk,¡± he squeaked in unrestrained terror as he fled as quickly as he could.


    There was no way he was going to stay back there! That furious stampede of horses would crush him into paste! Their riders also looked sort of dangerous.


    The hobgoblin hesitated only for the split second it took to push Khita and get her moving as well before dashing off the road. The stupid woman had been in his way.


    As they broke into the clearing, the charging rides were greeted by a hail of arrows from bandits positioned at the edge of the woods. Almost instantly, the knights¡¯ formation split into two and accelerated out of the way.


    The knights avoided most the arrows and the rest failed to penetrate their armor. However, their sudden course change meant they were no longer directly headed towards Blacknail and Khita. The pair kept running, though. At least one of them wasn''t stupid.


    Behind them, the enemy footmen charged into the remaining bandits at the broken barricade. A melee broke out as the two sides began fighting for control of the entrance to the camp.


    The bandits there were outnumbered and were steadily giving ground until a large group of reinforcements detached themselves from the woods and rushed over. The new group of outlaws smashed into the side of the soldiers and the fighting intensified.


    The two formations of horsemen were rampaging through the camp now. They had split up and headed in different directions but they were now circling around to meet back up.


    The speed and weight of their mounts made them seemingly unstoppable. They rode through the camp unopposed, trampling tents and cutting down stragglers as they moved.


    Herad and Red Dog had reached the center of the camp and had joined up with more of her men. Her house and several sturdy timber buildings guarded their flanks. So far, the knights were sticking to the outside of the camp where the buildings were thinner and their path was clear.


    A minute later, a gasping hobgoblin made his way over there as well with a still shocked Khita right behind him.


    As Blacknail leaned against a building for support, he spotted several of the band¡¯s horses off to one side. They were tied up and didn¡¯t seem like a threat but he kept an eye on them anyway, in case they decided to join their fellows in trying to kill him. You couldn¡¯t trust horses.


    ¡°We can¡¯t form up and launch a counter attack with them charging around like that; we need to slow them down,¡± Red Dog cursed.


    Herad frowned and turned to her left where Mahedium was standing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve gotten something impressive hidden up your sleeves?¡± Herad asked the mage.


    Mahedium took a moment to study the nearest group of riders that were tearing their way through the camp.


    ¡°It depends... I could try and hit them with some force bolts but unless they¡¯re headed straight for me then I¡¯m unlikely to be very accurate. I would end up wasting a lot of valuable crystals for little gain. As for fire... It¡¯s a bad idea if you don¡¯t want me to burn the camp down,¡± Mahedium replied reluctantly.


    ¡°What about slowing them down? Can you create some mud or freeze the ground?¡± Red Dog asked the mage. ¡°I¡¯ve seen that kind of thing work before.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the correct tools or components to use such a strategy,¡± Mahedium admitted.


    ¡°How useful,¡± Herad shot back sarcastically. ¡°Just keep your head down and wait for a clear shot then, mage.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll have to confront us eventually,¡± Red Dog pointed out.


    ¡°Not soon enough. I¡¯m going to go out and meet them. Be ready to attack when I¡¯ve stopped them,¡± Herad told him.


    Her lieutenant frowned in disapproval but knew better than trying to argue directly with her.


    ¡°The paladin may not be their only Vessel. These are knights, one of them may come from a family line of Vessels in service to Lord Strachan. Mounted combat is also kind of their thing,¡± Red Dog warned her.


    ¡°Do you have a better idea?¡± the chieftain asked him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re dealing before we commit,¡± Red Dog suggested. ¡°If we send some men over to that pile of timber by that hill it¡¯ll draw their attention. When the knights charge the men can cut the timber loose. That¡¯ll slow the riders down so that most the men will survive long enough for you to hit the enemy from behind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Herad mused as she looked over all the suddenly nervous bandits around her. ¡°Who should we send?¡±


    Blacknail grinned to himself from where he was standing out of sight behind a cluster of bandits. Red Dog¡¯s plan sounded like it would be amusing to watch. He approved of any plan that involved hitting a bunch of unsuspecting horses with logs.


    ¡°I suggest sending the hobgoblin there,¡± Red Dog said as he pointed Blacknail¡¯s way. ¡°He¡¯s fast and horses act skittish around him,¡±


    Blacknail stood up straight in alarm. Wait... what was this now? This plan was terrible; he wanted no part of it!


    ¡°Fine, you over there will join him,¡± Herad told several bandits as she followed Red Dog¡¯s advice.


    There was nervous muttering from everyone who had been selected, except Blacknail. The hobgoblin was slowly and silently backing away. Herad hadn¡¯t technically given him an order yet. So, if she didn¡¯t look his way in the next few seconds he would be able to disappear around the corner of the building behind him...


    Everyone suddenly grew silent as the sound of Herad drawing her blade filled the air. A second later the bandit chieftain leveled it at the nearest group of subordinates she¡¯d chosen to use as bait.


    ¡°Get moving, now,¡± she commanded as she glared coldly at everyone she¡¯d selected.


    She gave Blacknail a particularly unamused look and all he could do was smile nervously back.


    ¡°Yep-ss, sure thing mistress,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he pretended he hadn¡¯t been about to run away.


    Herad motioned with her blade and the reluctant men and women stepped out from between the buildings with Blacknail in their midst. Seconds later, they broke out into a run towards the wood pile. The sooner they got this over with the better.


    It didn¡¯t take very long for them to draw the attention of one of the groups of knights. Sure enough, the riders shifted their direction towards the now exposed bandits.


    Blacknail picked up speed and pulled ahead of everyone else. He had been planning to stay sheltered in the very middle of the group but on second thought he realized that was dumb. He doubted the humans around him would even slow the charging warhorses if they got trampled, no matter how fat they were.


    The hobgoblin sprinted towards the lumber pile as quickly as he could. His feet pounded against the ground as he ran but his footsteps were drowned out by the sound of the charging cavalry descending towards him.


    He snuck a quick glance over his shoulder to see a wall of heavily armoured knights bearing down on him. He didn¡¯t like this one bit! He was so going to get back at Red Dog for this!


    With speed brought on by desperation, Blacknail leaped forward and drew his sword. He landed on the lumber pile. His blade sliced through the air and then the nearest clump of rope. The hobgoblin quickly moved on to the next knot and severed that as well.


    The first of the bandits reached the timber stack. They quickly began to hack away at its restraints as well. Sensing something amiss, the knights slowed their charge.


    There was a loud crack as the last of the ropes came loose and Blacknail kicked the top log off the pile. The timber rolled free and towards the knights with surprising speed. It was swiftly followed by others as the bandits got to work.


    The first swiftly rolling timber barrelled towards the riders. Startled knights pulled on their reins as they urgently guided their mounts out of the way.


    Most had no trouble evading it, or managed to jump it, but not all of them were so lucky. One rider in the middle of the formation was too crowded in and had nowhere to go. The log clipped his horse and took out its legs. There was shriek of pain from the horse as it tumbled over sideways and crushed its rider.


    A ragged cheer went up from the bandits as more timbers spilled down towards the knights and they were forced to turn away from their targets. However, none of the other riders went down and they swiftly reorganized.


    The bandits started pushing more logs down to keep them away, but the knights split up and encircled their targets. Infuriated by the loss of their comrade, they drove their mounts forward towards the sides of the timber pile that remained clear of falling timber.


    Desperate bandits tried to back up towards the top of the pile but the knights cut the closest ones down. The scent of blood oozed out as the sounds of fighting rang forth.


    Herad¡¯s men frantically tried to slow the advance of the armored riders. With their shinning, if now bloodstained armor, and warhorses the knights seemed unstoppable. Bandits fell one after another as the knights advanced atop their corpses.


    Atop the pile, Blacknail loosed another timber and sent it sprawling down. When that failed to do anything, he drew his sling and started flinging stones.


    He got a satisfying whinny of pain from one of the horses when he struck its flank but the stones he sent towards the riders bounced uselessly off their armor. Whelp, that was bad. He was completely out of ranged weapons and he really didn¡¯t want to get in a sword fight with these enemies...


    To Blacknail¡¯s left, a bandit screamed as a knight¡¯s blade sunk into his shoulder. The man was then silenced by another blow to the side of his neck that almost decapitated him and sent a spray of blood towards Blacknail.


    There was no one between the hobgoblin and danger now. Warily, Blacknail drew his sword and turned to face his heavily armed attacker.


    The knight''s mount snorted as it stepped forward and it gazed evilly at the hobgoblin with its huge insane looking eyes. Its visible breath steamed out from its ugly flaring nostrils and rose up into the air.


    Blacknail really hated horses.

 Playing With Fire 6

    Blacknail jumped backwards as the mounted knight¡¯s blade sliced towards him. It cut through the edge of his hood but didn¡¯t draw blood. A second later, he landed lightly on another timber atop the now depleted pile.


    His landing wasn¡¯t perfect, though. The hobgoblin let out a surprised grunt as his back hit that of another bandit. The man shrieked in alarm as he was sent sprawling down to the ground. The unlucky bandit was then promptly trampled to death by the attacking knights'' horses.


    Blacknail winced at the sight. Oops, it was getting kind of crowded up here...


    More and more of Herad¡¯s men were retreating up what was left of the stack of logs. They were being pushed ever closer together by the circling ring of riders, and there wasn¡¯t room for all of them.


    As Blacknail watched, the bandits around the edges of the pile were cut down one by one. Meanwhile, the knights worked their way inwards. Their bloody blades flashed in the sun.


    The hobgoblin struggled to keep his balance and his guard up, but someone knocked into him from the side. He hissed in frustration as he barely managed to duck under another swing of a knight¡¯s sword.


    The man behind him wasn¡¯t fast enough. The blade tore into his chest and he toppled from the lumber pile.


    Beneath his feet, Blacknail spotted a gap between a pair of logs. He let the people around him worry about the knights for a second as he kept his head down and examined it.


    It was too small for most humans, but they were all fat anyway. Blacknail on the other hand was healthy and thin. If he squeezed through there it looked like he could work his way deeper into the pile and hide.


    Blood splattered down on the hobgoblin so he glanced up. A knight had eviscerated the man standing to his left.


    ¡°Time-ss to hide!¡± Blacknail exclaimed as he turned back to the gap.


    Yep, going down there seemed like the best idea. It would even free up some room at the top of the pile for his tribemates, so it would be doing them a favor. For his fellow bandits, the hobgoblin dropped down and hurriedly started squeezing into the gap below him.


    Halfway down, the sound of familiar mad laughter caused him to hesitate. Through the press of bodies around him, Blacknail looked up to see Herad leap off a charging horse and land behind a startled knight.


    As the knight¡¯s horse bucked and the man flailed in surprise, the grinning chieftain grabbed him around the waist with one hand and stabbed a long knife into his neck with the other. The blade slipped through a gap in his armor and sunk deep into his flesh.


    Still laughing, Herad tossed the rider¡¯s corpse aside and seized the horse¡¯s reins. As she steadied herself, her mounted bodyguards slammed into the knights¡¯ rear. Behind them came the rest of the forces Herad had been keeping in reserve.


    ¡°Charge the bastards and pin them down, follow me!¡± Herad roared as she led the counter attack.


    The knights were now badly outnumbered. Several of them fell or were pulled from their horses by the attacking throng. They quickly rallied though, and began to cut their way free from the bandits. They had been caught off guard but they were still masters of the battlefield.


    The hobgoblin found himself with his hip awkwardly jammed in between two logs as the bandits around him surged downwards to rejoin the fight. Several of them almost kicked him in the head.


    One of the bandits was a tall woman. She noticed the hobgoblin and gave him an irritated look.


    ¡°What-ss? I slipped,¡± Blacknail told her defensively as he pulled himself free.


    ¡°Bloody hobgoblins,¡± the obviously unconvinced woman muttered as shook her head and jumped down the pile.


    Bah, who cared what she thought anyway! Once free, Blacknail looked around for something to do. For some reason he felt the need to prove himself now. Besides, he kind of wanted to kill a knight. Herad had made it look so fun.


    The enemy were no longer scattered around the wood pile. They had quickly formed up into a wedge and were managing to keep most of Herad¡¯s men away.


    There were a lot of bandits and pointy weapons between the hobgoblin and the knights now, too many. It would take too much time to push his way through and it would also be stupidly dangerous.


    What were his other options, though? Ah, he could copy Herad! Blacknail leaped off the timber pile and into the crowd below him.


    He landed on a startled man¡¯s back. Before the bandit could even react the hobgoblin jumped again. This time he reached out and grabbed the back of a nearby knight¡¯s saddle.


    His claws sunk into the leather and Blacknail pulled himself up and onto the horse. The hobgoblin¡¯s light body and long strong arms allowed him to move nimbly through the air. The stupid beast bucked and neighed in alarm, which threw its rider off balance.


    ¡°What the hells?¡± the surprised knight exclaimed fearfully as Blacknail took a seat behind him.


    Just like Herad, the hobgoblin grabbed the man around the waist and then stabbed him in the neck. He then pushed the human¡¯s heavy but limp body off the mount.


    With that done the smiling hobgoblin reached for the reins of the horse. When he got the stinking beast safely away from the fight he was going to slit its throat as well. The knights¡¯ horses counted as enemy combatants as far as he was concerned. He¡¯d seen the evil look in their eyes.


    Before he could grab the reins though, the mount beneath the hobgoblin neighed in terror and began to buck madly. Blacknail tried to keep his seat but this was his first time ever riding a horse.


    The humans had made it look so easy! Blacknail struggled but was swiftly knocked loose and catapulted off the beast¡¯s back. Damn all horses!


    For what seemed like several seconds, the air rushed past the free flying hobgoblin. Then he hit the ground. His back slammed into the earth and the breath was knocked painfully from his lungs.


    ¡°Ughh, what?¡± Blacknail groaned as he sat up.


    A wheezing gasp escaped his lungs and tiny bright stars whirled around his vision. Ow, that had really hurt. He should never have trusted a horse, even for a second. They were vicious treacherous beasts. Undoubtedly, they would soon turn on their human masters...


    A scream woke Blacknail from his head trauma induced thoughts. Right, he was still in the middle of battle. That was important. The fighting had moved away from him but that didn¡¯t mean he was safe.


    The hobgoblin cast a nervous look around as he picked himself off the ground. His clothes had gotten very dusty when he¡¯d fallen so he brushed himself off. Oh well, there would be time after the battle to pick out some new clothes.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    What was he supposed to do now? He didn¡¯t really feel like charging back into the fight. He¡¯d already shown all his tribesmen how awesome he was by taking down that knight! He really hoped Herad had been watching, except for during that last bit. He wished no one had seen that part.


    Movement flashed in the corner of the hobgoblin¡¯s eye. He quickly looked over to see what it was. He stared at the scene before him for several long confused seconds. Hmmm...


    Then he stared for several more. Well, this wasn¡¯t good. A squad of bandits ran in front of him and blocked his view for a second. They didn¡¯t slow or seem to notice anything odd.


    Blacknail shook his head to clear it. The vision in front of him didn¡¯t change. He looked around. No one else was paying any attention to what he saw. That was weird and more than little worrying...


    Maybe it was a stupid human thing? Perhaps this happened all the time to humans and they didn¡¯t find it weird. No, that was stupid. This thing was far too dangerous to ignore.


    Carefully, Blacknail backed up and went to find someone to ask. He heard Red Dog¡¯s voice screaming orders over the other noises of the battlefield, so he headed that way. He found the man at the back of a mob of outlaws that were regrouping.


    The hobgoblin walked up behind him and politely tapped him on the shoulder. Red Dog flinched and jumped at the unexpected contact before whirling around.


    ¡°Ah, what the bloody hells do you want? Shouldn¡¯t you be busy stabbing people in the back and then eating them or something?¡± the man asked with obvious aggravation.


    ¡°I¡¯m not-ss hungry, and I saw something weird-ss. It could-ss be important,¡± the hobgoblin explained.


    ¡°This is a bloody battlefield! I¡¯m damned busy right now so you¡¯d better not be wasting my time,¡± Red Dog replied angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s right over-ss there,¡± Blacknail told him as he pointed towards the oddity.


    ¡°Where? I don¡¯t see anything,¡± Red Dog replied with obvious frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s right-ss there; the giant snake eating that-ss guy!¡± Blacknail hissed back. Now he was annoyed too. Had Red Dog gone blind?


    ¡°What?¡± Red Dog exclaimed in surprise as he stared in the direction Blacknail had pointed. ¡°There¡¯s no damned giant snake there!¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is! Are you blind?¡± Blacknail spat back as he waved his hands towards the monster.


    The commotion drew the attention of the green scaled creature. It had been leisurely lying next to an empty wagon while it swallowed the remains of a slain bandit whole. Its forked tongue flickered in and out of its mouth as it drew itself up and turned to gaze towards Blacknail and Red Dog. It had noticed them looking in its direction.


    Red Dog froze and stared back at it with a confused expression on his face. His mouth kept opening and closing and he was blinking rapidly.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m getting a headache.¡±


    So was Blacknail. He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Even Red Dog didn¡¯t usually act quite this stupid. Also, no one else nearby had noticed the snake either. This called for desperate measures. Something was obviously very wrong here.


    The hobgoblin stepped over to the right where it would be easier for him to take cover behind a group of nearby bandits. He then drew his sling and did that which came naturally to him: violence.


    He snapped the sling around and sent a stone whirring towards snake¡¯s head.


    The projectile slammed into the beast¡¯s forehead with a muted thud and then dropped to the ground. The snake turned towards Blacknail. The scales where it had been hit were undamaged. It narrowed its red slit eyes as it regarded the tiny hobgoblin that had dared to throw a rock at it.


    ¡°Ssissiruss¡± the gigantic snake hissed loudly as it drew itself up until it towered over a dozen feet off the ground. It looked mad.


    Blacknail moved to place some meat shields between himself and the monster, but all of a sudden there was a change. He winced as his head began to throb painfully. Ow, it felt like his brain was slowly trying to vibrate out of his ears. Had the snake done something?


    He wasn¡¯t the only one affected either. All around the battlefield, the sounds of combat slowed as the wave of mental pressure washed over everyone.


    The knights quickly pulled their mounts away from combat and disengaged as they tottered in their saddles. Herad¡¯s men didn¡¯t give chase. They could only grit their teeth and fight to keep standing.


    ¡°Well, fuck me. There¡¯s a giant snake right there,¡± Red Dog groaned as he held his head and stared.


    People had begun looking around for the cause of the mental shriek that had come out of nowhere and they quickly found it. The massive emerald serpent looming over the battlefield wasn¡¯t subtle.


    ¡°Ssissiruss¡± the beast hissed again. The sound of its voice was clearly audible to everyone in the now almost silent camp.


    One of bandits closest to the beast panicked. He turned to try and run. He didn¡¯t get far.


    Like emerald lightning the snake lunged and its maw seized the man. A second later, it tossed him into the air. The man screamed as he tumbled almost straight upwards, but only for a brief moment. The beast twisted around, caught the bandit in its mouth, and then swallowed him whole in one gulp.


    The other nearby humans didn¡¯t learn from his mistake. They panicked and began to run as well. As they fled, the monster in their midst began to flail and lash out. Its tail smashed into one particular loud group and scattered them like broken twigs. Its fanged jaws closed on another bandit and then tossed his mutilated body aside.


    Blacknail kept absolutely still. He turned to Red Dog and gave him a level gaze.


    ¡°Can you see the snake now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I can see it, you green ass,¡± the man groaned as he messaged his furrowed brow.


    ¡°Then do something,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°What, why me? You bloody do something!¡± Red Dog growled back.


    All through the camp, Herad¡¯s minions and the attacking knights had ceased fighting. Everyone was either fleeing from the creature or regrouping. Both sides occasionally threw each other hateful glances but they made no move to resume combat.


    ¡°I did-ss do something, I¡¯m helpful like that,¡± Blacknail told Red Dog matter of factly. ¡°I hit-ss it with a rock and now you can see it. You can thank-ss me later. Now it¡¯s your turn to do something.¡±


    ¡°Ugh damnation, my head feels like a smith¡¯s anvil,¡± Red Dog complained. ¡°Helpful my ass, this is probably all somehow your fault. You bring this company nothing but trouble!¡±


    Blacknail watched the beast crush a pair of men under its bulk. He thought back to the creepy feeling that had bugged him as he¡¯d walked back from finding the cave. Oh, the cave...


    ¡°This isn¡¯t-ss my fault. It¡¯s probably yours,¡± the hobgoblin replied defensively.


    Both he and Red Dog kept a watchful eye on the rampaging monster. For now it seemed to be heading away from them.


    ¡°Why would it by my fault?¡± Red Dog remarked as his face grew flush with anger.


    ¡°Because you-ss smell funny all the time, that¡¯s why,¡± Blacknail accused him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t smell funny!¡± the bandit exclaimed furiously.


    ¡°How would you even know? You have a useless human nose!¡± the hobgoblin countered.


    Before either of them could say anything else they were startled by shouting from off to one side. Blacknail looked over to see that most of the knights had regrouped into one large formation well away from any of the bandits.


    ¡°Now you face your doom, you base born scum,¡± sir Devos yelled from the front of the group of knights. ¡°You have abandoned your loyalty to your good lords and turned against your fellow men. The gods have seen your evil ways and sent this terror to aid us in our quest to wipe you from the face of the earth. Once it is done feasting on your corpses we will ride the last of you down like dogs.¡±


    ¡°What an asshole, I hope someone guts him like a fish¡± Red Dog remarked as he studied the knight.


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. That sounded like fun.


    Suddenly, another voice rose to challenge the young knight commander¡¯s. It was sir Masnin. His steel war helm once again concealed his face and he had somehow reacquired his sword. It hung from the scabbard at his side.


    ¡°Cease this foolishness, sir Devos,¡± the paladin roared. ¡°This battle is nothing but an extension of your arrogance and all the lives lost here shall weigh down your soul. Now you even speak of turning the rampage of a foul mutant to your own advantage! Where is your honor?¡±


    ¡°You are the fool here, sir Masnin,¡± the other knight replied ¡°Why do you turn your blade from these criminals? They are honourless thieves and killers who prey upon the weak. The lands of men will be a better place once I have killed them all. Certainly, there will be fewer widows weeping for honest men.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, it is not my duty to slay men and women. I am charged by holy writ to pursue the forces of darkness wherever they may be found and to take no side in the struggles of men while I work. You were seconded to me and that means you swore to do the same while at my side¡± the paladin countered.


    ¡°This is not politics and these are not some foreigners with which we are in dispute. They are nothing but rabble to be crushed!¡± sir Devos exclaimed angrily.


    "That is not your decision to make, it is mine. Now my duty is clear. Darkness has once again risen before me and I must test my blade against its serpent. You should remember your oaths and aid me,¡± the paladin announced as he let his gaze slide over the knights.


    His stare was harsh enough that several of the riders flinched but none broke rank and came to his side. With a regretful sigh the paladin turned from his former companions and faced the rampaging serpent.


    That was when Mahedium and Herad stepped out from a nearby crowd. The mage aimed his staff, and before any of the knights could react a furious explosion tore through their formation.


    It incinerated sir Devos first, he died instantly, and then its flames reached out and tore into the men around him. A dozen knights staggered and fell as their mounts screamed inhumanly high. Blacknail smiled as the scent of roasted horse flesh reached his nostrils.


    ¡°It was nice of him to line them all up like that,¡± Herad remarked as she walked forward with a small group of spearmen at her side.

 Playing With Fire 7

    Sir Masnin drew his sword and spun towards Herad¡¯s voice. Behind him, the remaining knights reeled in shock from the fiery explosion that had torn through their ranks. They had to fight to keep their terrified mounts under control.


    The knights were now leaderless and it showed. Several of them looked like they wanted to try and charge Herad¡¯s mage before he could strike again, while others were pulling back towards their militia at the entrance to the camp.


    ¡°That was not necessary,¡± sir Masnin growled at the bandit chieftain.


    The paladin had one hand firmly planted on his sword hilt and looked ready to draw it at any second. His usually calm face betrayed barely contained rage.


    ¡°Of course it was; the leader of those men just publicly announced his intent to attack me from behind when I tried to deal with the beast in our midst,¡± Herad replied scornfully. ¡°There¡¯s no reasoning with a man like that and I don¡¯t have the time to try.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not without mercy though, so I¡¯ll let the others live if they¡¯re out of my camp within the next minute,¡± the bandit chieftain added a second later in a louder voice that was clearly meant for more than just sir Masnin¡¯s ears.


    The knights were certainly close enough to hear her. They had managed to form back up but had yet to attack or retreat. Herad¡¯s words washed over them and were apparently enough to make up their mind; they broke and retreated. Leaving their dead behind, they swiftly rode towards the road and the men they had left there.


    ¡°Now, shall we deal with the latest horror the Deep Green has spat up? I believe it¡¯s your holy duty,¡± Herad told the paladin smugly.


    ¡°You expect me to fight by your side?¡± he remarked with indignant surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you, but I¡¯m sure that if this serpent escapes from here it¡¯s going to kill a lot of innocent peasants and such, not to mention any wounded knights left behind,¡± the bandit chief pointed out.


    ¡°Very well, as long as you allow all Lord Strachen¡¯s men to retreat unharmed,¡± the paladin replied as he ground his teeth in frustration.


    Herad nodded and then yelled, ¡°Mage, the beast now. This headache is getting very annoying.¡±


    Immediately, Mahedium turned and unleashed another shimmering blast. This time it was aimed at the serpent. It was snapping at a squad of sluggish looking spearmen when the magic slammed into its side.


    Flame washed over the monster¡¯s emerald scales and all around it. The serpent¡¯s head twisted around under the impact, but a second later it righted itself and turned towards the mage. Curls of flame still hung in the air, but the monster lunged through them with lightning speed.


    ¡°Sissiruss,¡± the massive serpent screeched as it blasted through the few spearmen between itself and the mage.


    Mahedium face went white with terror but he dropped to one knee and tried to line up another shot. The monster was speeding towards him far too fast for him to be able to run.


    Another gout of flame burst from his staff just as the creature was about to hit him. The serpent saw it coming and tried to dodge aside. The blast glanced off the side of its head.


    Again, the beast was knocked backwards and this time its momentum was lost. It was now only two dozen feet from the terrified mage though, and it recovered almost instantly.


    That was all the time Herad needed. At full sprint, she leaped under the beast and stabbed upwards towards its exposed throat with a spear. The tip of the weapon sank several inches into flesh and then she rolled away without it.


    Behind her, a squad of bandit spearmen moved up to help. Their movements still looked slow but they rushed into the gap between the serpent and the kneeling mage. The serpent hissed again and Herad had to dodge a lash of its tail.


    The monster slithered backwards slightly and tried to focus on Herad, but then sir Masnin attacked. He stepped forward and slashed at the side of the gigantic snake¡¯s neck.


    True to his word, the paladin had joined the fight. The armored warrior¡¯s blade parted the scales on the beast¡¯s neck and drew blood, but only barely.


    Surrounded by enemies and with its target out of reach, the serpent began to flail about madly. One unlucky bandit was sent flying by a wild lash of its tail. The others quickly fell back.


    Meanwhile beside Blacknail, Red Dog decided on a course of action and started running towards Mahedium. The hobgoblin followed him. It seemed like a good way to look busy without putting himself in danger.


    Together, the hobgoblin and the man helped the mage to his feet. His face was still pale but he seemed steadier than most of the other bandits. The mutant¡¯s magic was still squeezing everyone¡¯s brains.


    ¡°Can you finish the thing off? The boss is cutting it up but it doesn¡¯t seem to be bleeding much,¡± Red Dog asked Mahedium.


    The mage shook his head and gripped his staff tightly.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have enough crystals to do much more. That thing¡¯s scales are too tough for any of the spells I have,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Hells, I don¡¯t like our odds then. If the boss doesn¡¯t get in a lucky blow then we might have to abandon the base,¡± Red Dog cursed.


    ¡°...including my lab,¡± Mahedium muttered darkly.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have anything in reserve?¡± the bandit lieutenant asked.


    The mage frowned and his brow creased as he fell deep into thought.


    ¡°Nothing that would work from the outside,¡± Mahedium mused aloud. ¡°But if we targeted a weak spot... maybe poison? No wait, the flawed gems. If they detonated inside its mouth that would definitely kill it. The timing would be unpredictable, though. A mage would have to get very close...¡±


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re going to walk right up in front of it and throw the stones in its mouth?¡± Red Dog asked the mage with obvious sarcasm.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be doing that. It probably wouldn¡¯t work anyway,¡± Mahedium responded carefully.


    ¡°Then we need something else,¡± Red Dog pointed out.


    Blacknail had an idea. He scratched his nose and tilted his head to the side as he thought it through. Yep, it would probably work and it would remove a thorn in his side as a bonus.


    ¡°Use Scamp,¡± Blacknail interjected.


    Both the men turned towards him with questioning looks. The hobgoblin sighed and then clarified his response for the two slow humans.


    ¡°Give-ss Scamp the crystals and throw him-ss at the snake. When he gets-ss swallowed by the thing he¡¯ll get scared and then boom!¡± Blacknail explained with all the appropriate sound effects and hand gestures.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°That might just work... I¡¯ll lose a valuable sample though, and Varhs might get upset,¡± Mahedium said thoughtfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy him a dog. Just do it,¡± Red Dog countered.


    The mage nodded in agreement and then turned to the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Blacknail, you¡¯re the fastest runner. Get Scamp and bring him here. I already have several flawed stones on me so he¡¯s all we need for this to work,¡± Mahedium explained.


    ¡°Go now,¡± Red Dog commanded him.


    The hobgoblin gave the man a messy salute, turned around, rolled his eyes, and then ran off to find himself a goblin. He had a good idea where Scamp could be found. After Mahedium¡¯s demonstration the goblin had been led away by Varhs to be tied up.


    Blacknail raced through the camp. He passed scores of trampled tents, corpses, and moaning bandits. Some were injured from fighting but most seemed to just have terrible headaches. The serpent¡¯s hostile magic was still slowly crushing everyone nearby.


    When he got to Varhs¡¯ tent, it only took the hobgoblin a few seconds to find Scamp. All the unexpected noises from the battle had frightened the goblin, but not enough to make him bite through his leash. Instead, he had just been hiding under a nearby scrap of cloth.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± the terrified goblin blathered as Blacknail pulled him out from his hiding spot and cut the rope that was tying him down.


    The hobgoblin ignored the question, picked Scamp up, and started running back to Mahedium. The surprised goblin was momentarily limp in his arms.


    Up ahead, Herad and the others were still struggling to keep the serpent at bay. It twisted and writhed across the ground as it struck out at any nearby humans. It hadn¡¯t managed to hit Herad nor sir Masnin yet but the bodies of several other bandits littered the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got him!¡± Blacknail announced as he reached the mage and brandished the goblin up above his head for everyone to see.


    ¡°Let me down!¡± Scamp wailed as the hobgoblin held him tight.


    ¡°Here, Scamp. Take these, they¡¯ll um... protect you. You just need to make them glow,¡± Mahedium told the goblin as he pressed several large crystals into his hands.


    Scamp gave the two men and the hobgoblin an uncomprehending look as he stared in surprise at the crystals in his hands. His eyes were wide with confusion and he looked overwhelmed.


    ¡°What now?¡± Blacknail asked.


    The mage gave the goblin a wary look and then leaned close to Blacknail so he could whisper into his ear.


    ¡°Throw him at the snake¡¯s head and then run for it,¡± Mahedium told him quietly as Scamp¡¯s long ears twitched.


    ¡°Ah, I heard that! Stop!¡± the goblin wailed, but Blacknail was already running.


    He dashed towards where his chieftain was fighting the serpent with a struggling goblin held above his head. As he whipped past sir Masnin, the man froze and did a quick double take.


    Herad twisted through the air as she dodged a snap of the mutant¡¯s jaws. The snake pulled back and coiled itself up in preparation to strike again. Herad brought her blade up into a guard as she readied herself for another strike. Her spearmen leapt forward to help.


    The serpent ignored the Vessels for a second and turned towards the bandits supporting them. Its eyes drifted across the spearmen, and those unwise enough to meet its searing gaze fell screaming.


    One man curled up on the ground and started weeping while cradling his head. A wailing woman began to gouge her own eyes out with her fingers, until a pale faced man beside her knocked her out with a blow to the back of the head. Even the bandits that were still standing flinched and their charge was broken.


    ¡°Sissiruss,¡± the serpentine monster growled smugly as it turned back to face Herad again.


    That was when Blacknail got close enough to throw Scamp. He held the goblin by one leg and gave him a good twirl. Then he let go and Scamp sailed through air, smacked into the serpent¡¯s snout, and fell to the ground with a muted grunt of pain.


    The mutant snake reared backwards in surprise and eyed the goblin on the ground in front of it suspiciously. There was a second of silence as it titled its head to the side and tried to figure out what had just happened.


    ¡°Sissiruss?¡± the beast hissed in apparent confusion.


    ¡°Did he just throw a goblin?¡± sir Masnin asked in startled disbelief.


    Scamp quickly rolled to his feet and looked around. His gaze met that of the curious serpent and he seemed to notice it for the first time. He froze and as they stared at each other the goblin¡¯s eyes slowly grew so wide they seemed to fill his face.


    ¡°Ahhh! monster! run!¡± Scamp suddenly shrieked in terror as he turned tail and tried to flee.


    Blacknail was already turning to run back to Mahedium, but out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw the crystals in Scamp¡¯s hands flicker.


    ¡°Run and take cover; he¡¯s going to detonate!¡± Mahedium yelled.


    Instinctively, the serpent targeted the fleeing prey. Any traces of confusion disappeared as it lunged towards the little goblin with jaws open wide enough to swallow him in one bite.


    Scamp wasn¡¯t completely stupid, though. He had survived in the woods for years before being taken in by Varhs. He knew better than to run in a straight line and luck favored him. The goblin happened to change direction just at the right moment.


    The beast¡¯s attack missed and caught empty air. Its scaled bulk whipped past Scamp without harming him. The serpent hit the ground, turned one yellow eye towards the goblin, glared at it in annoyance, and then shifted its weight to strike again.


    Scamp turned to see what had happened. He met the serpent¡¯s gaze, shrieked again, panicked, and then threw the contents of both his hands at its closest eye before turning to run again.


    One of the flickering crystals caught the serpent¡¯s eye. Its long forked tongue flicked out and grabbed it. A second later, the mana stone disappeared into its mouth.


    Blacknail kept running. Behind him, all the slow humans were starting to do the same.


    Several long seconds went by as everyone fled from the serpent. The beast had pulled itself up to its maximum height and was hissing in triumph. No one was fighting it anymore.


    Mahedium and Red Dog were already sheltering behind a small pile of crates. The mage was peering out around the side to see what was happening. A few more seconds went by. The hobgoblin raced past them without slowing down.


    Mahedium began to look confused when nothing happened.


    ¡°Huh, I thought that would work,¡± the mage commented with obvious disappointment.


    ¡°The goblin must have fucked things up, he didn¡¯t even get eaten right,¡± Red Dog muttered darkly beside him.


    Blacknail tentatively slowed down. He was probably safe from any blast at this distance, if there was even going to be one. Blacknail suspected Mahedium wasn¡¯t very good at magic. He was always whining about not hav...


    Crack! The air ruptured. Mahedium was thrown against the ground as the world was consumed by violence. Dust and debris rushed forward in an unstoppable wave that issued forth from the blast zone.


    ¡°Aaaahhh,¡± Blacknail yelled as the wind caught his cloak and threw him up into the air.


    A shocked flailing Scamp flew past him, and was swiftly followed by a rain of bloody snake parts.


    Several seconds later, the fun abruptly ended and the hobgoblin hit the ground with a heavy thud. Blacknail tucked his head in and rolled to protect himself. He bounced across the ground until he was lucky enough to hit a tent. Unfortunately, it felt like the tent had been full of frying pans.


    The hobgoblin groaned as he slowly disentangled himself from the canvas and rope. His head was ringing like a bell and his ears had popped, but Blacknail got unsteadily to his feet and looked around.


    No one else nearby was still standing. An eerie silence filled the camp, or the blast had deafened the hobgoblin, he wasn¡¯t sure which.


    A crater now dominated the space the mutant serpent had filled. A scattering of scaly meat bits littered the ground around it, several of the pieces were on fire. The last dozen feet of the snake¡¯s tail lay to one side of the crater. It was a burnt and blasted wreck.


    ¡°Did we kill it?¡± Red Dog asked from behind the barrel, or at least that¡¯s what Blacknail read from his lips.


    ¡°I think-ss it¡¯s dead,¡± the hobgoblin yelled in reply as he surveyed the blast zone.


    Bandits lay strewn across the ground. Most of them seemed alive though, judging by all the feeble movements they were making. The blast had simply knocked them off their feet.


    Red Dog peeked out from his hiding spot. A second later he got to his feet and brushed himself off. Mahedium copied him a few moments later.


    ¡°The damned headache is gone, that¡¯s for sure. Where¡¯s Herad?¡± Red Dog asked cautiously.


    ¡°Right here!¡± the bandit chieftain growled as she stalked over to him.


    She looked mad enough to chew nails, and a little worse for wear. Her armor was scratched and covered in dust and grime. Red Dog cringed away from the furious expression on her face.


    Behind her, Blacknail noticed Scamp¡¯s small form pick itself off the ground and dash madly away deeper into camp. Huh, the little thief was tougher than he looked.


    ¡°What in the name of all the gods was that?¡± the bandit chieftain growled.


    ¡°Mahedium came up with a way to kill the beast, and it worked,¡± her lieutenant quickly answered as the mage gave him an annoyed look.


    ¡°The hells, regardless of whether or not it worked, I dislike it when people start throwing around magical explosives. Especially when all the warning I get is a last second heads up,¡± she responded with a snarl.


    ¡°We were planning to tell you, boss," Red Dog explained hurriedly. ¡°The hobgoblin just sort of ran ahead without asking.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I-ss just did was I was told. They made-ss me do it!¡± Blacknail quickly told Herad as he pointed towards Red Dog and Mahedium.


    The hobgoblin and Red Dog locked hateful stares, while the mage tried to distance himself from the other two. The chieftain scowled at all three of them and gritted her teeth.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t like where this was going. How dare Mahedium come up with such a terrible plan, and how dare Red Dog order him to do it! Now they had made Herad angry and they were trying to pin it on him!

 Playing With Fire 8

    Herad scowled at the three minions in front of her. Red Dog and Blacknail were alternating between staring hatefully at each other and looking nervously towards her. Mahedium was trying to stand back and pretend he hadn¡¯t been responsible for the fiery explosion at all.


    ¡°Sorry, boss. It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Red Dog apologized fervently.


    ¡°I believe we were all under the serpent¡¯s influence and its mental attack was impairing our judgement,¡± Mahedium added respectfully but with a poorly concealed hint of worry.


    ¡°It was messing with everyone¡¯s heads, yet they didn¡¯t all go around throwing exploding goblins in my direction,¡± Herad replied coldly.


    The mage¡¯s face was carefully blank and his posture stiff, but the rapid movement of his eyes betrayed his worry. He was obviously trying not to let his fear show. Blacknail could respect that but he had a different plan.


    ¡°Oh-ss merciful chief, spare me please!¡± Blacknail groveled as he dropped to his knees and pressed his forehead against the ground. ¡°I will-ss kill a hundred of your enemies in thanks and lay their corpses at your feet,¡±


    Herad blinked in surprise. The three humans looked down at the hobgoblin for several silent seconds. No one seemed to know how to respond.


    Blacknail kept groveling. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d said too much. The hobgoblin was pretty much planning to do all that stuff anyway. It was what he did for fun.


    ¡°...also, it was all Red Dog¡¯s fault, not mine,¡± he added.


    ¡°Hey, you little green liar!¡± exclaimed the bandit lieutenant in question.


    The corner of Herad¡¯s scowl twitched. A second later, an actual smile broke across her face and she let out a snort like chuckle. Red Dog shut up. Blacknail peeked up at her. He was fairly sure that meant she wasn¡¯t going to kill him.


    ¡°You¡¯re amazingly lucky your stupid plan worked so well, and that I can¡¯t afford to be rid all three of you,¡± Herad announced. ¡°I¡¯ve killed people I liked much more than you for far less.¡±


    ¡®Thank you, boss, I¡¯ll make it up to you,¡± Red Dog interjected quickly before anyone else could say anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re right about that,¡± Herad replied. ¡°You owe me one for this, so how are you going to pay me back?¡±


    ¡°Um, whatever you want...¡± he replied uncertainly until Herad laughed in his face.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re not going to promise the same as Blacknail?¡± she asked with a vicious grin.


    Red Dog tried to stutter out an answer but Herad cut him off again. Mahedium was still standing off to one side and looked satisfied with his decision not to speak up.


    ¡°How about you and Mahedium just get this mess cleaned up. I need to deal with more pressing matters,¡± she told them.


    Blacknail took advantage of the momentary shift in her attention to scuttle backwards out of sight. He then got up and slowly backed away. When the boss was mad begging and sucking up worked but it was even better if they simply forgot you existed.


    Behind the hobgoblin, Red Dog started yelling out orders and trying to get everything organized. The camp was in shambles. Flattened tents and wounded bandits littered the ground. Blacknail¡¯s hearing had fully recovered now so he could hear them moaning and groaning, but that wasn¡¯t all he heard.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s ears twitched as he recognized sir Masnin¡¯s voice. Huh, he hadn¡¯t been sure the man had survived the explosion. Oh, maybe he was wounded and bleeding out somewhere!


    The hobgoblin quickly crept over to the remains of the once tall lumber pile. He crouched behind it and peeked carefully over the top.


    Sir Masnin was over on the other side. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to be dying or anything, which was a shame. The man had a lot of very shiny equipment Blacknail would have loved to rescue from neglect.


    The paladin was in fact kneeling over the burnt and horribly mangled remains of the knights Mahedium had killed with his magical fire. The corpses smelled a lot like barbeque pork and that made Blacknail kind of hungry.


    ¡°In life we all make mistakes, for the gods made us flawed,¡± sir Masnin whispered solemnly. ¡°They will forgive you your pride and wrath, young warrior. When I was young I threw myself foolishly into danger as well. The only difference between us is I didn¡¯t drag others in my wake. May you find solace and belonging in the gods¡¯ embrace, sir Devos.¡±


    With his prayers complete the kneeling paladin gave a grunt of effort and stood up. As he moved, his chainmail shirt shifted over his dirty torn leathers and he snatched up his helmet from the ground at his side. The still young but weathered looking man then threw a piercing glance towards Blacknail¡¯s hiding spot.


    ¡°I see you there, creature. You can come out of hiding; I won¡¯t attack you. Your mistress wouldn¡¯t like it. Besides, my vows don¡¯t mention hobgoblins, anymore than they mention rats. They¡¯re more of a job for exterminators than paladins,¡± sir Masnin suddenly announced.


    Blacknail glowered at the paladin from behind the log. Their gazes met and the hobgoblin felt anger tighten his muscles. The man¡¯s gaze and words were clearly a challenge, one Blacknail intended to meet.


    The hobgoblin got up and started walking over to the paladin. This was his territory and he hadn¡¯t just defended it from a whole bunch of shiny people, horses, and a giant snake to back down now.


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of the man just because he was a Vessel with a sword sharp enough to cut through flesh like mud... because the paladin was right, Herad wouldn¡¯t like it if the man hurt him. Besides, Blacknail was confident in his ability to run away and yell for help, he was tricky like that.


    ¡°I knew there was something wrong about you when I saw you earlier. Did Herad send you to keep a watch on me again?¡± sir Masin asked warily as he studied the creature in front of him.


    ¡°No, I was just checking to see if-ss you were dying,¡± Blacknail replied as he came to stop in front of the paladin.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s green face, long nose, and pointy ears were plainly visible. His hood had come off earlier and he hadn¡¯t bothered to put it back up.


    ¡°So that you could offer your aid?¡± sir Masnin asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Maybe¡± the hobgoblin replied as he gave the man a blank look.


    The paladin stared cautiously at the hobgoblin for a few seconds. He seemed at a loss for words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually talked to a hobgoblin before, or even seen one. You¡¯re not much of a conversationalist, although I suppose that¡¯s to be expected¡± sir Masnin remarked.


    ¡°I talk to human idiots all the time, so I don¡¯t-ss have much to say to you,¡± Blacknail shot back.


    ¡°I take it back; you¡¯re a mouthy creature after all,¡± the paladin replied. ¡°I¡¯m curious why you hang around with these men and women. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing before; your kind is supposed to be violently solitary.¡±


    ¡°The food is good,¡± Blacknail replied with a shrug.


    He wasn¡¯t lying. The grub in Herad¡¯s camp was much better than what he¡¯d eaten in the sewer, and he had to fight less for it. The goblins in the sewer had been mean little scrappers and the rats had been huge.


    The paladin grinned at the hobgoblin¡¯s words and chuckled quietly.


    ¡°You seem like an interesting... fellow so I¡¯ll give you a warning,¡± sir Masnin explained as he stared coldly into Blacknail¡¯s eyes with sudden intensity. ¡°If you start killing people then I will hunt you down.¡±


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t blink as he stared back. The man¡¯s stare was now definitely a challenge. A savage grin broke out across Blacknail¡¯s face that revealed the full length of his sharp jagged teeth. He enjoyed a good game of threats.


    ¡°You hunt me? How silly. I¡¯ll be right here-ss waiting for you with my tribe at my back. Attacking-ss them didn¡¯t work so well for you today, so save your little threats. I am not-ss afraid. I will kill as I wish and as I am told. Why shouldn¡¯t I slay men when everyone else here-ss does the same, including you? You have to kill to live, it is the only way here,¡± Blacknail explained with a gleeful chuckle.


    ¡°You¡¯re smarter than you look, but while Herad and these thieves might seem strong to you in the grand scheme of things they are nothing. Their time on this earth is limited and they can¡¯t protect you. Soon enough, someone will bring them down,¡± sir Masnin countered coldly.


    Blacknail¡¯s hackles rose at the other man¡¯s harsh tone but he didn¡¯t back down. The man¡¯s threats against his tribe angered him.


    ¡°If-ss you come back here and try to slay my tribe again I will hunt you and yours through-ss the Green and your dirty cities. For every death-ss or injury you deal I shall kill three people close to you hang their corpses for all to see,¡± Blacknail growled at the man.


    ¡°That is a threat you have no chance of ever fulfilling. You are nothing but a weak little green runt,¡± the paladin replied with his eyes narrowed angrily.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Blacknail¡¯s smile widened. Oh good, now he¡¯d gotten the man really angry.


    ¡°Do you ever-ss grow tired and sleep, human? I have seen that all men do. I would follow your putrid human stench to your home. Your pathetic human eyes would-ss never see me as I watched and waited,¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    The paladin and the hobgoblin stared at each other for several moments, with neither of them yielding. Blacknail was uncomfortably aware of the warrior¡¯s greater strength and skill, but he was also confident the man wouldn¡¯t start a fight here where he was so outnumbered.


    ¡°Hmm, I can see you¡¯re not going to back down. Just try not to stick out too much or you¡¯ll be hammered down,¡± the paladin warned the hobgoblin as he turned and started walking away.


    The hobgoblin grinned to himself as the man left. He had totally won the game of threats. The man hadn¡¯t been terrible at it either, so it had been a lot of fun.


    When the paladin was out of sight the hobgoblin went back to his original activity, trying to find stuff to loot. Blacknail wandered around the camp searching bodies and rubble for anything that caught his interest. He didn¡¯t manage to find much though, because he was soon rudely interrupted.


    The sound of familiar voices approaching reached his ears and he looked up to see Vorscha and Geralhd walking his way. Both of them seemed more than a little roughed up, especially Vorscha. They were both covered in dirt and sweat but her left arm was completely bandaged up and pinned to her chest.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be moving around so much,¡± Geralhd pointed out as he leaned in close to examine her bandages. ¡°Your arm is broken and needs to be kept still. You¡¯re lucky you were only hit by the edge of a shield.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you had my back anyway. Now, I have stuff to do now. Officers have responsibilities so I can¡¯t afford to slack off right now,¡± Vorscha replied as she kept walking.


    The pair stopped behind the hobgoblin as he was rummaging through a sac that had been dropped on the ground. Vorscha coughed to get Blacknail¡¯s attention, so with a heavy sigh the hobgoblin turned and met her gaze.


    ¡°I need you to find Khita. No one has seen her since the fight ended and I¡¯m worried she got injured,¡± the woman told him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna; I¡¯m busy,¡± Blacknail replied surlily.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can track her through this mess. Now go find her scent or I¡¯ll beat you black and blue... er green during your next sword lesson,¡± she countered.


    ¡°Ugh, fine but you owe-ss me,¡± Blacknail grunted in reply as he reluctantly rose to his feet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll double the treats I normally give you,¡± Geralhd offered.


    Blacknail grudgingly nodded his head in acceptance.


    ¡°I need to get back to Herad, by the front entrance. When you find Khita meet me over there,¡± Vorscha added.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he sniffed the air for signs of his new quarry.


    It was best to just get this over with as quickly as possible. He would find Khita and then get back to the important things he had been doing before he was interrupted.


    Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take him long to track her down. The young woman was seated on a crate in the shadowy space between two buildings. It was an out of the way corner of the base, but she wasn¡¯t all that hard to find since she was making so much noise. The sound of her sniffling was easy to track down.


    With extreme reluctance, Blacknail made his way over to the sobbing girl¡¯s side. He stared down at her for several long seconds before speaking up.


    ¡°Vorscha wants-ss you. You¡¯re not dying or anything are you?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to check.¡±


    ¡°I almost wish I was dying!¡± Khita wailed without looking up.


    Blacknail eyed the young redhead. That seemed like a stupid thing to wish for.


    ¡°So you¡¯re perfectly fine-ss and I can leave?¡± he asked her hopefully.


    ¡°I froze, twice,¡± Khita cried. ¡°When the knights charged I just stood there, and I almost let that bloody beast eat me! I¡¯m useless.¡±


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to argue that; she was totally useless. However, her crying was disturbing him and making it impossible to get the answers he needed out of her.


    ¡°There, there,¡± the hobgoblin told her as he awkwardly patted her shoulder.


    That was what humans did, right? He¡¯s seen at least one of them do it before...


    ¡°This isn¡¯t even the first time. I got my brother killed. I just stood there as he died!¡± Khita sobbed.


    The hobgoblin winced in irritation. This sounded like it was going to be a long and complicated story. Judging by the tears forming in her eyes it might also get wet.


    ¡°Back in Riverbend my big brother was the one who looked after me,¡± she told the frustrated hobgoblin. ¡°He was the one that brought me into the gang. He taught me how to steal, fight, and look after myself. I was afraid of nothing when he was around. He just had this strong reassuring presence that attracted people.¡±


    Blacknail looked around for someone who would care, but they were alone. Maybe he could just pick her up and carry her to Vorscha? The big woman seemed to be the one that took care of this sort of thing. Beside him, Khita resumed talking.


    ¡°One day I messed up a job... I froze and he was cut down by some fat stupid guardsman while covering me,¡± she explained. ¡°The worst thing about it was how all his supposed friends laughed about it. That was the real reason I left. I couldn¡¯t stand to be in that city with those people anymore, so I joined up with Herad when Red Dog came around recruiting. I thought that maybe with a fresh start I could put it all behind me, but I¡¯m just a coward. I froze again.¡±


    The young redhead was hunched over now with her head down towards the ground. The hobgoblin grimaced in frustration. There was no one around but him. What was he supposed to do? Slowly creeping away sounded like a good idea, but Vorscha had given him a job...


    Wait, she was just being weird and human-like. He could probably just explain to her why she was being stupid and then she would shut up, right? The hobgoblin coughed to get Khita¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Freezing doesn¡¯t make you a coward. Sitting here whining makes you-ss stupid, though,¡± he told her.


    The hobgoblin placed his hand on her shoulder and forced himself to smile reassuringly. Khita looked up at him and frowned in confusion. Her eyes were red and wet with tears. Blacknail put a little more pressure on her shoulder so she couldn¡¯t get up and hug him or something.


    ¡°I freeze all-ss the time, and then run away. What matters is that you¡¯re still alive so you sneak back later and stab-ss them when they¡¯re not paying attention,¡± Blacknail explained. ¡°They can¡¯t laugh at you or gang up on you later if you hunt them down and kill them in their sleep. When all your enemies are dead-ss you win!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that would really help me at all,¡± Khita replied sulkily.


    ¡°Sure it will; you¡¯ll feel better and then you can take all-ss their stuff,¡± he countered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could kill them all myself, anyway,¡± the young woman replied but she was now smiling slightly.


    Blacknail sighed. Of course Khita couldn¡¯t, she was useless.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it then,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Really, you¡¯d do that for me?¡± she asked in surprise.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail replied as he shrugged.


    If it shut her up then he had no problem killing some people. Hmm, would Khita¡¯s enemies count as Herad¡¯s? He owed the chief a hundred corpses after all. Oh well, he was sure he could slip them in without anyone noticing anything.


    Suddenly, the young woman hopped up and reached over to hug Blacknail. The hobgoblin tried to push her away but somehow she slipped past his guard. How did she keep doing that?


    ¡°Thanks Blacknail, but I think I need to solve my own problems. You¡¯re right; I shouldn¡¯t waste the life my brother gave me. After a few more lessons from Vorscha and the others I¡¯ll be able to stand on my own. I¡¯m a ruthless bandit now after all!¡± Khita explained gratefully as Blacknail slipped away from her.


    The hobgoblin grimaced and eyed Khita skeptically. That didn¡¯t really sound like what he¡¯d just said, but whatever. As long as she stopped being annoying it was fine. It also certainly looked like Khita wasn¡¯t wounded, and that meant he could leave, finally.


    ¡°You do-ss that. I think I hear someone calling me, so bye,¡± Blacknail said as he stepped backwards and made his escape.


    Blacknail quickly reported back to Vorscha. The woman was right where she said she would be, by the entrance to the camp the knight¡¯s had attacked. The hobgoblin sauntered over and informed her that Khita was perfectly fine, if still annoying and useless.


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s hard to keep track of people during a battle and that one was fairly chaotic. I couldn¡¯t afford to worry about her then,¡± the ex-mercenary explained.


    Vorscha was leaning against a post and watching a group of bandits work to repair the barricade the knights had crushed.


    ¡°You owe-ss me. Now, all the good stuff is taken,¡± Blacknail grunted in reply as he watched a bandit with a dented but new steel breastplate walk by.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Geralhd will give you something nice,¡± Vorscha replied distractedly.


    By now all the enemies had disappeared, except for one. The knights had ridden out of camp like a horde of monsters had been on their tails and their footmen had followed swiftly behind them, which left only sir Masnin behind. The paladin had retrieved his mount and was saddling it up in preparation to leave.


    Just as he finished, Herad detached herself from her bodyguards and walked over to him. Somehow, she¡¯d found the time to switch into cleaner armor and her short dark hair had been combed.


    ¡°Headed away so soon, are you?¡± she asked the paladin. ¡°Now that things have calmed down a little around here, are you sure you don¡¯t want to stick around for a little bit and rest? There¡¯s no point in rushing away.¡±


    Sir Masnin eyed the bandit chieftain warily. Complex emotions stormed behind his eyes.


    ¡°Earlier, I may have underestimated how dangerous you were and the exact nature of that threat. You caught me off guard. I won¡¯t be making that mistake again. I intend to make for my order¡¯s closest chapter house and submit a full report. After that I will go where they will me,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Flattery will get you everywhere. Just make sure you tell your superiors who controls this territory. It¡¯s not the merchants, the nobles, or even the king, it¡¯s me.¡± Herad replied with a predatory smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re aware of your strength,¡± the paladin remarked as he surveyed the surrounding bandits and his eyes stopped on Blacknail. ¡°Goodbye, Herad. I can¡¯t say it has been a pleasure but it has certainly been interesting, anyway,¡±


    The hobgoblin noticed the attention and gave the man a friendly wave.


    ¡°Maybe you can stop by again,¡± Herad replied. ¡°Just come alone next time so there are fewer distractions.¡±


    With only a vague nod for a reply the paladin jumped up into his saddle and started riding away. When he was gone Herad turned toward Vorscha.


    ¡°You stay here. I¡¯m calling a meeting,¡± she told the other woman.


    The bandit chieftain sent one of her bodyguards to round up her lieutenants. Saeter was the first to arrive. The old scout simply strolled up behind Blacknail without making a noise, much to the hobgoblin¡¯s surprise.


    Red Dog was the last to show up.


    ¡°It was blasted unlucky of us to get attacked by those knights and that mutant at the same time. The camp¡¯s a bloody damned mess. I imagine that this is going to slow down your plan¡± he grumbled as he walked over.


    ¡°Ha, unlucky? Things couldn¡¯t have worked out better! We just smashed the only mobile force the nobles in this area could send against us with minimal losses! Nothing short of a royal expedition will be able to force us away now!¡± Herad announced.


    ¡°We lost more than a few good men and a lot of bad ones. I wouldn¡¯t call that a minimal loss,¡± Vorscha countered.


    ¡°So what? We we¡¯re in the middle of a recruiting drive anyway. All that means is that it will last a little longer and we will have one more victory to brag about,¡± the bandit chieftain pointed out.


    ¡°So, you won¡¯t be delaying your trip to Daggerpoint this winter?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°No, in fact I¡¯ll be speeding my plans up. It¡¯s time to go for our enemies¡¯ throats,¡± Herad answered confidently. ¡°Now that this base is secured it¡¯s even more important that I announce my claim to the other large outlaw bands. They need to know that if they move into my territory it will mean war.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just send a messenger?¡± Red Dog asked.


    ¡°No, some of those bastards would challenge me right away. I can¡¯t give them time to plan and work to undermine me. I need to be in Daggerpoint where I can confront the other bandit captains directly and put them in their place,¡± Herad replied.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to bring too many men with you if you want to hold this base. What happens if one of the other large bands takes up your challenge?¡± Red Dog asked in concern.


    The bandit chieftain almost seemed to shiver in excitement. Her dark eyes suddenly gleamed madly, and her smile widened to show teeth as she regarded her underlings.


    ¡°In Daggerpoint I¡¯ll be able to recruit real hardened bandits. Then, if anyone tries to stand in my way I¡¯ll paint the streets with their blood, and take their skulls as trophies,¡± Herad replied gleefully.


    Blacknail smiled along with her. Herad was such a great chief! Defending the camp was important but it was always better to be the attacker. There were more things to take and it was easier to catch the enemy by surprise. He couldn¡¯t wait to feel the blood of his tribe¡¯s enemies run through his hands. Glorious days were coming and he was going to have such fun.

 Interlude: Study and Reflection

    Cervassa Mas Dhallia hurried down the busy stone halls of the Heavenly Spire. Classes had just been let out so the halls were full of students in their plain grey robes, and the occasional teacher in their blue ones. Their excited voices and joyful cheers rang out all around her.


    It was still the morning, barely, so sunlight poured in through the large windows that lined the outwards wall and illuminated everything. This meant none of the mage lights that lit the hallways of the guild during the night were lit.


    Cervessa rudely brushed past anyone who got in her way, and ignored any complaints or calls for her to slow down. Normally she would consider such rash behavior to be far too undignified for her, but not right now. She was late, and Archmagus Rastilio Fer Grehmar the Supreme Master of the Endless Heavens Guild was waiting for her.


    She was one step away from panic, and only a finely ingrained sense of decorum kept her from breaking into a sprint and racing to his office. It wouldn¡¯t do at all for a mere junior researcher like her to keep such a man waiting. As she was a mage and disciple of the Endless Heavens Guild the Archmagus had almost complete control over her life, and more importantly her research funding.


    She clutched her notebook to her chest as she reached the doorway to the staircase that led to the top of the spire, and the Archmagus¡¯ office. She had to lift her blue robes up so that they didn¡¯t trip her as she bounded up the stairs, and there were a lot of stairs. The spire towered over the surroundings and was one of the tallest buildings in Hulgaron city, which made it among the tallest in the entire country of Hulgaron.


    The Archmagus had his own way up that didn¡¯t involve climbing a seemingly endless amount of spiraling steps. It was some sort of mechanical lift powered by an ingenious mix of crystal mechanisms, but that wasn¡¯t Cervassa¡¯s department so she knew next to nothing about it. However, one thing she did know was that she really wished she could use it right now, and not have to climb all these stairs.


    She was panting and out of breath when she finally reached the top. Still on the edge of panic she only gave herself a brief second to recover and fix herself up, before pushing open the door and stepping into the reception room on the other side.


    The Archmagus¡¯ middle aged secretary looked up from her desk and frowned in disapproval as she entered. Cervessa flushed in embarrassment as she gave the secretary a polite nod in greeting. The room around her was small but comfortable looking with plush furniture for visitors to sit in.


    A window to one side had a magnificent view of Hugaron city, but Cervessa had seen it many times before. She just stood there by the door uncertain about what to do with herself for a minute before the secretary spoke.


    ¡°Go right in. He¡¯s been expecting you,¡± she said with an amazing amount of scorn packed into those few words.


    ¡°Right, thank you,¡± Cervessa replied before nervously walking across the room.


    The door to the Archmagus¡¯ office was on the wall beside the secretary¡¯s desk. Feeling a surge of dread that made her heart skip a beat she pushed it open and prepared herself to meet the master of her guild, and one of the most powerful people in the country.


    Archmagus Rastilio Fer Grehmar turned and gave her a welcoming smile as she entered the room. Cervessa felt herself relax as she took in his calm cheerful eyes and friendly demeanor. She was extremely relieved that he didn¡¯t seem angry. Maybe she would get out of this with some research funding after all.


    The Archmagus had been standing by his window and taking in the view, which was much larger and fancier than the one in the waiting room. He was an older man of average height with a clean shaven face.


    His white robes of office didn¡¯t quite conceal the fact that he was a bit on the pudgy side, and he was clearly in the advanced stages of going bald. Most men of his rank would have tried to hide their baldness or at least covered it up, but he did no such thing. She wondered why.


    His gold ceremonial chain and amulet hung around his neck, and his incredibly ornate staff was leaning up against one wall. The amulet was studded with several crystals of different colors and sizes. Cervessa had never seen some of them anywhere else, and had no idea what they did. She had heard several wild rumors though, each more impressive and unlikely than the last.


    ¡°Ah, Cervassa Mas Dhallia how good it is to see you again. I believe it¡¯s been quite a while since our last encounter. Which is a shame, you¡¯re one of our youngest researchers and I do believe your father is the head of house Dhallia,¡± he said with smile.


    ¡°Yes master, that¡¯s correct. My father is indeed the house head, although that has nothing to do with why I¡¯m here,¡± she replied uncertainly.


    ¡°No, of course not. You¡¯re here to ask permission to begin work on your thesis, and by tradition you must get my approval. I must say I¡¯m looking forward to hearing what you¡¯ve chosen. Why don¡¯t you take a seat,¡± he told her as he moved to sit behind his desk.


    Feeling very relieved that he wasn¡¯t mad about being kept waiting a few minutes Cervessa returned the Archmagus¡¯ smile, and took the seat across from him.


    ¡°Before we get down to business, why don¡¯t you tell me how you¡¯ve been finding the accommodations here since you were promoted to junior researcher?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Oh they¡¯ve been wonderful, everything I could ask for. Alchemy is such a delicate and expensive science but the equipment here is perfect for my needs,¡± she exclaimed enthusiastically.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. I must admit to being a little out of touch with the junior ranks of our guild. There are just so many other demands on the Archmagus¡¯ time that I can¡¯t keep up with everything I would like,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure someone as important as you has better things to do anyway,¡± she replied politely.


    She imagined the Archmagus must spend a lot of time dealing with politics and administrative duties. The guild had to constantly deal with the King, his court, merchants, and the other mage guilds. Idly, she wondered if he ever really had any time for research of his own, or if these interviews were as close as he got anymore.


    ¡°Speaking of which, let¡¯s get down to the science shall we? Why don¡¯t you tell me what your thesis is on?¡± he asked with a glimmer of enthusiasm in his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, Archmagus, gladly. My chosen topic is entitled: A study of chromatic variations in natural forming hydrophilic vital crystals, and how they relate to the mineral composition of their host ore deposits,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Oh, interesting. Chromatic variations are of course a highly studied area of research, as mages are always looking for new types of vital crystals. If we understand how the minerals a crystal absorbs as it grows affect its coloring then we can better reverse engineer the process to clone existing samples,¡± he mused aloud.


    ¡°Yes, and it might even help us understand how to use those vital crystals, or even how to tweak them to produce slightly different controlled effects,¡± she added passionately.


    ¡°Hmm, but why hydrophilic crystals? They are already a type of crystal our guild understands quite well. Why I just received a report from the King about how useful our combat mages on the Teshuran front are for drying things out. I understand it can get quite wet there. In a pinch the spell can even apparently be used as a rather messy close quarter weapon,¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Um, I wouldn¡¯t know anything about that. I¡¯m the furthest thing from a combat mage imaginable, but I chose hydrophilic crystals because I had a recent breakthrough in that area,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything about this. What do you mean a breakthrough?¡± he asked her excitedly from across the desk as his eyes narrowed with interest.


    ¡°Well, I was making some minute changes to the chemical composition of the nutrient solution for thermal crystals in my lab. Purely as a side project out of curiosity you understand. I had just filled the glass incubation beaker up and introduced heat from the burner to speed the growth, when a thought occurred to me,¡± she told him.


    ¡°I get the occasional thought myself,¡± the Archmagus interjected jokingly.


    After a quick second of nervous thought Cervessa decided she was better off ignoring his remark, so she kept on speaking. As she explained her research she grew more excited with every word she until she was practically shaking.


    ¡°My thought was that there were many examples of opposite effects existing in mana crystals, and a statistically significant amount of the time one of the pair will be significantly darker than the other. Like heat absorbing and heat radiating crystals for example. What if there was an exploitable pattern in this?¡± she continued.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Oh, very interesting,¡± her audience of one mused.


    ¡°So, I went to the archive and begun to study the chemical differences between such pairs. Unfortunately I didn¡¯t find anything concrete enough to serve as a general rule, but I did do some experimenting. A common difference between opposite effect pairs was the presence of higher concentrations of sulfur and lower amounts of nitrogen. After a series of rather exhaustive trials on several different mana stone types my idea bore fruit. I managed to reverse the effect of hydrophilic crystals and grow hydrophobic crystals instead,¡± she exclaimed proudly.


    The Archmagus was silent for a few seconds and stared at Cervessa with an unreadable expression. The junior academic began to grow nervous as she waited for him to say something. Had she said something stupid?


    ¡°That is some very impressive alchemy, young lady. It is very rare for me to be at a loss for words, but you managed it just now. You are a credit to our order,¡± the white robed man told her as he beamed proudly at her.


    ¡°Thank you Guild Master, I¡¯m honored by your high praise,¡± she replied happily, and with more than a little relief.


    ¡°To think you have not only discovered a new sub category of crystal, but perhaps stumbled upon a new underlying principle as well. It is truly astounding. Although I must admit I¡¯m currently at a loss for any practical purpose a hydrophobic crystal may serve,¡± he said.


    Cervessa¡¯s smile dimmed slightly, and she cringed in an embarrassed fashion.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure someone will think of something. I mean just off the top of my head they could be used as rain shields or to keep things dry instead of just drying them out,¡± she told him hesitantly.


    A chuckle escaped from between the Archmagus¡¯ lips, and his happy smile turned into an amused grin.


    ¡°You want to create a thaumaturgical umbrella?¡± he asked her with unconcealed amusement.


    ¡°Yes. Um, I mean no,¡± she replied as her face turned beat red in embarrassment. The Archmagus¡¯ was laughing at her. She wanted to crawl under her chair and hide. If only invisibility stones were a thing!


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry my dear, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you. You¡¯re truly a genius alchemist. It¡¯s just that I find the idea so very funny,¡± he told her,


    ¡°Yes, Archmagus,¡± The mortified woman said.


    ¡°Your work has the potential to be of great use to us. Some of the other mage guilds don¡¯t think very highly of us because we specialize in support magic, but magic isn¡¯t just about flashy nonsense or blowing things up. With young mages such as you in our ranks it is our Endless Heavens Guild that shall have the last laugh,¡± he told her proudly.


    ¡°Yes, Archmagus,¡± the young researcher replied again.


    His high praise was making her blush in embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t take such high praise from such a great man. The Archmagus appeared to recognize her difficulty because he gave her understanding look.


    ¡°Now then, why don¡¯t you tell me some of the specifics? What were the exact changes you made to the nutrient solutions,¡± he asked her.


    Immediately Cervessa felt more comfortable and straightened up in her seat. She found herself eager to discuss the technical details of her work.


    The two of the discussed her discovery for a few more minutes before the Guild Master had to dismiss her so he could meet with someone else. Much to her relief she was easily able to not only keep her research funding but actually secure more!


    Cervessa was practically hopping with excitement as she passed the receptionist and descended the spire stairs. She had actually been praised by the Archmagus!


    She exited the stair well, and made her way back out into the second floor hall.


    Most the students from earlier had either gone home or were now busy in another class, so the hallway before her was almost empty and she could stride unimpeded down its length. Only the occasional strolling lecturer or staff was in sight¡­ well them and the Mage Guard.


    Usually she just ignored the Mage Guard. As usual two of them were guarding the main entrance to the hall. Both were tall men and dressed in the white and blue hood and surcoats of their order. Swords hung from their waist, but their real weapons were the long mage staffs they held in their hands and the magical amulets on their chest.


    As a researcher Cervessa recognized the stones imbedded within those items, and knew the forces they could call forth. They had the power to both protect the user and to lay waste to their enemies. The men themselves were nothing special though.


    They might be the elite among the combat mages but they were still just muscle, and thus little better than the foot soldiers the guild trained for the king. They sprung from common stock, although she supposed they must have had at least a few connections to end up in the Mage Guard, instead of in the military. They were undoubtedly necessary, but they weren¡¯t real mages.


    Even if they had the mage gift and could burn mage stones to cast spells they had no real understanding of what they did. They would be utterly useless without the real mages like her.


    She walked through the doorway between them without giving them a second glance. The guards didn¡¯t react to her presence at all, they remained unmoving and at attention. At least they were professional.


    She exited the building and entered the Heavenly Spires¡¯ main courtyard. She smiled as she took a deep breath of refreshing air and gazed at the lovely scenery around her. It never failed to cheer her up.


    Before her were dozens of ornamental gardens, which were full of countless colorful flowers that thrived in the warm weather of the capital. Exquisite marble statues rose from the center of the gardens, many of which were of various famous mages


    Grey brick paths wound all throughout the area, and lovingly pruned trees provided shade for the people loitering on the lawn beneath them. In the center of the courtyard a large marble fountain was positioned. Pure water streamed forth from the center and up into the air, before coming down again in a graceful half sphere. All and all the courtyard was larger than many villages.


    Encircling the courtyard were several elegant multi-story stone buildings. Behind them small stretches were visible of the high wall and parapets that enclosed the campus and kept it isolated from the outside.


    The Heavenly Spire was almost a city within a city. Someone could live there and never have to leave, and Cervessa knew many people did just that. Most of them had little choice in the matter.


    Cervessa sighed as she walked over to the nearest bed of flowers. She didn¡¯t regret becoming a mage or a researcher. She loved her life, but it was not without its drawbacks. The Mage Guard she saw scattered around the courtyard did have one great advantage over her. They were allowed to leave the Heavenly Spire.


    Once someone was educated by the Endless Heavens Guild and entrusted with their secrets they were never allowed to leave the Guild Keep without permission and an escort of Mage Guards. The secrets they possessed were simply too valuable.


    There were no shortage of factions and groups that would resort to kidnapping, torture, and even murder to get their hands on her or any other research mage. In all likelihood she would never again leave the Heavenly Spire, except for a few heavily escorted trips out into the safer areas of the capital.


    Cervessa had never really had any desire to wander the world or travel much, but the loss of her freedom still sometimes made her feel depressed. She understood why it was necessary and even logically agreed with it, but her heart didn¡¯t always listen to reason.


    She took a seat on the edge of the flower garden. A smiling statue of a pretty young female mage loomed over her. Cervessa smiled up at the unpractical and revealing clothes the statue wore. She had never seen any of the other woman in the guild wear anything like that.


    The sounds of laughter and good cheer filled the courtyard around her as she leaned down to smell the scent of the flowers beside her. Their sweet and honey like fragrance filled her nostrils as she took a deep breath. It reminded her of home and of youthful days spent in her mother¡¯s reading room. She would undoubtedly never see it again.


    With a sigh Cervessa stood back up and started making her way to her office. She had a lot of work to do, and didn¡¯t have time to waste feeling melancholic. Her breakthrough was just that, an opportunity to dig deeper and work harder.


    As she came up to the faculty building she threw one last look at the gardens and happy people behind her. At least the cage she had chosen for her life was very beautiful.

 Journal Entry: Harpies

    A traveler to the shores of Vesteria, the continent West of the Homelands, would come across many strange and beautiful creatures. Even among this bizarre menagerie of beasts the harpy stands out due to its startling and disturbing appearance.


    At first glance the harpy appears to be a large bird of prey. They are forest creatures but are most commonly seen soaring through the air off in the distance with their lengthy feathered wings extended. Since harpies rarely allow humans to get closer than this, unless they are hunting them, this confusion is understandable.


    Like a bird they also have a sleek grey and white feathered body, and two rear legs that end in curved talons. Adults range in size anywhere from four to four and a half feet in height, but they can appear larger when their wings are extended.


    Closer inspection however will quickly reveal features that exclude the beasts from the bird family. Most obviously the harpy has no beak, but possesses a toothy maw instead. It also has two large fore claws that extend forth from its wings. These claws are used for both climbing, and defending itself.


    Together along with the hair like black crest on their heads these traits give the harpy an unsettlingly humanlike appearance.  The bodies of harpies have a graceful feminine shape, and when calm their faces are intelligent and even beautiful. However, when they grow excited or angry they open their mouths and their visages grow vicious and wrinkled. The transformation can be startling.


    These features place the winged raptors firmly among the ancient family of saurians. As the reader is undoubtedly aware the other notable member of this family that survives in Vesteria is the great drake. The resemblance may not be immediately apparent but like harpies drakes possess feathers, scaly skin, two sets of claws, and a mouth full of teeth.


    Harpies are social creatures capable of a wide range of vocal communication. They are even able to mimic other animals or human voices, an ability they use to taunt prey and lure it closer. Mainly however they communicate amongst themselves using shrill bird like cries.


    Flocks of harpies gather together and create large communal nests on cliffs or above the forest canopy in particularly tall trees.  These structures are constructed using mud, dried plants, and branches. Usually, these communal nests are a collection of muddy domed spheres. This provides the flock with warm shelter and protects their young from predators, other harpies, and the harsh winters of northern Vesteria.


    Most of a flock¡¯s nourishment comes from small animals such as rabbits and earth dogs, but they will also hunt larger prey. Frequently, these winged beasts hunt in loose flights of three to six members. They will split up and fly through the canopy looking for suitable targets. When one of the flight finds something it will signal its partners using innocent sounding noises that won¡¯t alert its prey.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    They will then silently converge on the target and use their cries and mimicry to lure their prey into a disadvantaged position or to isolate it from the rest of its herd. Once they are reasonably sure of success the winged beasts will descend on their prey and tear it apart. Harpies will then carry chunks of their meal up to high branches where they are safe from other predators.  This often results in grisly scenes where blood is splattered across and below the nearby trees.


    The ability of harpies to mimic human speech, their social nature, and their somewhat humanlike appearance has caused some to speculate that they are intelligent creatures on the same level as man. This is not true in the least. Captured specimens portray no more intelligence than a dog, and are also completely untamable. They will play along for awhile but always flee from their human trainers at the first chance they get.


    Peasants and rural nobility have been known to shoot the creatures on sight. This is due to the fact they have been known to attack children or livestock that wander too close to the woods. Being cunning creatures harpies now rarely let men or women get within bowshot if they see the person is armed.


    Folklore is filled of tales of harpies luring men to their death through beautiful singing. These tales are unlikely to be true though as such complex and detailed mimicry has never been observed. At most harpies have been noted to repeat a single short sentence. Still, it is a fanciful notion with a disquieting kernel of truth at its core.


    Another common myth is that all harpies are female, and reproduce with human men. This is obviously false. Male harpies are simply very feminine looking and hard to distinguish from the females.


    Truly, the harpy is a creature of unsettling contradictions. It seemingly blends the features of men and bird together but is actually neither. It is intelligent and beautiful, yet also violent, savage, and forever untamable.


    -Farstidiuous Der Lanmount, Royal Gervaien Surveyor.


    <hr />


    Here''s another journal entry to help with the wait until Sunday''s chapter. If you want more info or feel something is missing  just ask below. You can also make suggestions for the next journal entry.

 Along Twisted Paths 1

    ¡°Arrrgh. Die!¡± the hobgoblin snarled in rage as he stared at his target with beady hate filled eyes.


    With vicious intent he swung the axe in his hands down with all his might. The muscles in his back burned as he guided the sharp edge towards his defenceless target. The blade bit into the soft flesh of the log and cleaved right through it. Two equal sized pieces of wood flopped down onto the ground with hollow thud, leaving the axe head imbedded in the stump beneath it.


    ¡°Meh, that time wasn¡¯t too bad. You''re still putting too much effort into your swings, though. Just let the axe fall and you don¡¯t need to yell everytime,¡± the old human ranger named Saeter remarked casually from where he was seated several feet away.


    Blacknail gave him an annoyed look as he tugged on the axe handle to free it.


    ¡°Screaming makes the axe hit-ss harder and faster¡± he pointed out.


    ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re scaring the neighbours,¡± the old scout replied.


    Blacknail looked around. Their neighbours were all hardened outlaws and members of Herad the Black Snake¡¯s bandit company. Most of them were used to the hobgoblin in their midst by now; a little yelling wasn¡¯t going to alarm them much. It wasn¡¯t like he was burning down the camp again.


    ¡°Why am I even doing this? It¡¯s boring and making me hungry,¡± Blacknail whined.


    The hobgoblin had to suppress the urge to snarl and spit as a sudden wave of anger rose within him. The rush of energy made his teeth ache. Living among humans required that he constantly fight his violent urges.


    Yelling while chopping helped him suppress his rage, and it was one of the few ways to do it that wouldn¡¯t annoy his chieftain nor require him to dig any graves. Digging was hard work and he preferred to avoid it.


    ¡°Chopping wood is great for your back and will help your swordcraft. Plus, it¡¯s getting damned cold out at night so we need the wood,¡± Saeter remarked.


    Blacknail felt like asking his master why he wasn¡¯t chopping wood then, but he suspected he already knew the answer. Besides, his master was right; it was getting bloody cold out.


    Over a week had passed since the attack on Herad¡¯s camp by the knights that had come looking for the ghouls Herad had wiped out. The days had been steadily getting shorter as Autumn grew older. The smothering white of winter would soon descend upon the North.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t really used to staying above ground when darkness descended so the cold bothered him. He used to live in the sewer under a city to the South, before he¡¯d been imprisoned and placed in a merchant caravan. Saeter had been the one who had freed him when Herad¡¯s band had attacked the merchants.


    There hadn¡¯t been a lot of perks involved in living in a mucky cramped sewer but it had stayed warm in the winter. Of course, he¡¯d only been a little goblin back then and not a magnificent hobgoblin.


    Blacknail set a new piece of wood on top of the log and raised the axe above his head. With a grunt of effort he brought it down again and continued his work.


    Chopping firewood was annoying but it did supply his with a steady stream of stuff to burn. Blacknail loved feeding fire until it grew huge and roared wildly.


    The dancing red and orange flames were so pretty. They made him feel like laughing and clapping his hands together.


    ¡°Do we have enough twine?¡± Saeter asked the hobgoblin as he idly whittled away at a wooden figurine.


    ¡°We have-ss enough for all the snares and to tie up the wood-ss,¡± Blacknail replied dryly.


    His master was clearly just looking for something to make him do. They always needed more rope and twine but creating it was a chore. It had to be carefully twisted from specially prepared plant fibres. Ugh, it was annoying even to think about!


    ¡°Then I guess you can take a break now and grab something to eat,¡± the old scout told Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin smiled and set the axe down. Alright, he was super hungry! What did he want to eat?


    There was plenty of dried meat and leftovers around but he felt like gorging himself on something fresher. Blacknail stared past the nearby tents and log buildings towards the forest beyond them. Yes, he was definitely going to go out and get his own food. It was time to go hunting.


    As Saeter kept whittling away beside his tent, Blacknail stalked off towards the woods. He pulled up his hood and slipped through the bandit camp. No one gave him a second glance as he made his way to the edge of the trees.


    Unseen, Blacknail stepped through the thick bushes at the edge of the clearing and disappeared into the shadowy forest beyond. The sun was high in the sky but its light was blocked by a smothering maze of branches and leaves.


    The hobgoblin took a second to look around. Even this close to the human camp there could be dangerous creatures lurking around. Nothing moved in the green canopy overhead or on the forest floor. The only sounds were of birds singing and the faint rustling of leaves by the wind.


    Satisfied that he was alone, Blacknail sniffed the air and began to circle carefully around the camp. He crept slowly through the underbrush and tried to camaflouge in with his surroundings.


    The prey he was looking for kept to a certain schedule that made them predictable. He knew almost exactly where to find his midday meal.


    Sure enough, after a few minutes of sneaking through the bushes he detected the telltale shuffling sounds of movement ahead. The cloaked hobgoblin dashed over to a thick brown tree trunk and pressed himself up against the bark. He then peeked out around it.


    His prey was in plain sight a few dozen feet away, and Blacknail had arrived at exactly the right time. The hobgoblin smiled wickedly to himself and licked his lips hungrily.


    The forest was incredibly dangerous and full of hungry beasts that would like nothing better than to devour humans and hobgoblins alike. Blacknail had run into more than a few of these while out with Saeter. There was also the possibility of another tribe of humans attacking the camp and sneaking through the woods. Thus, Herad had sentries posted around the perimeter of her base.


    That was what lay before Blacknail, a human sentry, and he was eating his lunch. The delicious smell of roasted meat and gravy rose from the plate in front of the man. A torn of chunk of bread lay next to it. Blacknail sniffed the air again and the delectable aroma caused his stomach to gurgle in anticipation. Soon it would be his.


    The sentry was leaning against a tree trunk while he took a bite out of the bread. He held the plate in front of him as he lazily surveyed the forest out of the corner of his eye. The man was obviously more concerned with eating than watching, and thus deserved what was coming to him.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Mmm, I love bread with herbs in it. I need to get some more of this,¡± the sentry mused to himself as he chewed.


    From behind the tree, the hobgoblin withdrew a good sized stone from one of his pouches. He squinted as he took in the surroundings and roughly measured the distance between the sentry and himself. Then, Blacknail whipped the rock off into a nearby clump of tall thickets.


    There was loud rustling sound as it tore through the branches and a muted thud as the rock hit the ground and rolled. The sentry twitched and spun around towards the unexpected noise. His eyes were wide as he scanned the bushes for any signs of a threat.


    He was also looking in the exact opposite direction of Blacknail. This was a fact the hobgoblin took full advantage of as he closed in.


    The sentry was frowning in concern as he warily watched the bushes. Without looking down, the man carefully placed his plate of food on a nearby log. He then took several wary steps over toward the bushes. His hand was resting on the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°If there¡¯s someone there come on out!¡± the sentry called.


    Behind him, Blacknail silently prowled closer. The hungry hobgoblin put on a sudden burst of speed, hopped over a rotting log that was covered in moss, and then grabbed the plate. It was his!


    ¡°Huh, weird,¡± the sentry remarked to himself as he studied the bushes.


    With his prize in hand, the hobgoblin turned and hurriedly scuttled behind a nearby tree and away. He clutched the meat covered plate to his chest as he ran. There was no stopping him now!


    The sentry relaxed when nothing emerged from the bushes and attacked him. With a happy little sigh the man turned and started walking back to where he¡¯d been eating. Suddenly, he let out a frustrated yell.


    ¡°No, what the hells! Where did my bloody food go? This is the second time! What keeps taking my damn lunch? Ack, I¡¯m bloody hungry!¡± the shocked scout swore in disbelief.


    Blacknail giggled to himself as he cheerfully hopped back through the forest and towards camp. He was the sneakiest and cleverest member of Herad¡¯s band for sure!


    Taking food from sentries was the perfect crime! No matter what happened they were supposed to stay on guard so they couldn¡¯t give chase. They also couldn¡¯t complain about losing their food to anyone, doing so would be admitting that they hadn¡¯t been paying attention on watch.


    It wasn¡¯t an actual crime though, and nothing like thievery. Blacknail wasn¡¯t a thief. He and the sentry been engaged in a contest of skill, with the food being a prize for the winner. That was nothing like stealing. Blacknail would have given the man something if he had been spotted, but he hadn¡¯t been.


    The hobgoblin took a seat atop a large stone on the edge of the woods. From there he could see into the camp but he was still mostly out of sight. The brown of his cloak and the green of his skin made him blend in with the forest. Swiftly, he began slurping down his meal.


    When the last bit of food had vanished into his stomach he belched and started to plan his next move. He wasn¡¯t quite full yet so he needed to get more grub. Luckily, he knew where to get some.


    Blacknail got up and headed over to meet with Varhs. The man owed him a huge favor and had promised him tasty treats.


    The young, at least next to Saeter, bandit scout had taken a goblin as a pet. The wretched little thing was named Scamp, and he was a stupid greedy little thief.


    After a few minutes, Blacknail arrived in front of Varhs¡¯ tent. The young scout was sitting in front of a firepit and frying up some eggs. They crackled and cooked on top of the pan he was holding above the flames.


    Scamp was tied up beside him and curled up close to the fire. There was a content look on the goblin¡¯s dreaming face. Blackanil didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Ah, I thought you might stop by,¡± Varhs remarked as he looked up and saw the hobgoblin.


    A while ago, the goblin had stolen some magic crystals and raised a huge ruckus. Blacknail had heroically tried to catch him but the little bastard had still managed to annoy Herad. As a result she had wanted to get rid Scamp.


    Out of the goodness of his heart, and for the promise of a lot of treats from Varhs, Blacknail had agreed to become responsible for training the ugly runt of a goblin.


    ¡°I see Scamp still-ss hasn¡¯t run away,¡± the hobgoblin observed.


    The goblin in question woke up and yawned. He noticed the hobgoblin and a sulky expression appeared on his face. Blacknail didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°My little buddy wouldn¡¯t do that. He¡¯s a loyal companion and a great sniffer. He just needs some discipline,¡± Varhs remarked as he petted Scamp affectionately.


    Saeter had almost never petted him when he had been a goblin! Blacknail would have to remember to give Scamp a good kicking later when Varhs wasn¡¯t around. He was obviously spoiled rotten, and it would be for his own good.


    ¡°About-ss that training...¡± Blacknail slowly drawled.


    ¡°Yes, you can have some food. I have a spare egg here and some honeyed fruit tucked away,¡± Varhs told the hobgoblin with an obvious hint of amusement.


    Blacknail frowned at the man¡¯s words. Apparently, he had gotten predictable. That wasn¡¯t good. Well, whatever. It couldn¡¯t be helped if it was about tasty treats.


    Several minutes later, the hobgoblin was once again walking through the camp with food in hand. He licked his lips as sucked on the last bit of sugary fruit in his mouth. It was delicious!


    He was still kind of hungry, though. Should he go find Geralhd? That man was almost always easy to get food out of and he tended to have good stuff.


    Blacknail decided against it. Saeter would be looking for him; they had practice soon. His master was teaching the hobgoblin how to shoot a bow, and it hadn¡¯t been going all too well.


    ¡°There you are. What took you so long? Don¡¯t make me wait for you,¡± Saeter huffed as Blacknail arrived back at the spot where their tents were set up next to each other.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he grabbed one of the bows that were laid out next to Saeter¡¯s tent.


    Now that lunch was over the camp was becoming busier. Herad¡¯s minions were getting back to work. The sounds of wood being sawed and hammered filled the forest clearing.


    It hadn¡¯t been that long since the bandits had set up here on top the old abandoned farmhouse but a lot of work had been done. Most he bandits had moved out of their tents or lean-to and moved into log cabins.


    Several more building were still being constructed in the clearing. Winter was coming and this was the North. Tents were fine for the other seasons but the snow and cold would be deadly in the winter.


    If Herad wanted most of her minions alive come spring she had to make sure they were prepared. Food, firewood, and clothing all had to be stockpiled.


    Log cabins and barracks weren¡¯t the only thing being built either. Defenses also had to be constructed. Wooden watchtowers had been thrown up by the road near the entrance to the camp. Barricades were being built to stop not only attacking monsters from the forest but also people approaching from the road. Herad had plenty of human enemies.


    Off to one side of the clearing there was an area that was still mostly empty. That was where Blacknail and his master headed. They had set up a series of targets there yesterday.


    ¡°Just take your time and stay focused,¡± Sater reminded Blacknail.


    ¡°No problem-ss, this is easy,¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully.


    The hobgoblin was good at everything, so he obviously couldn¡¯t be bad at archery. All those misses and injuries from last time were nothing but flukes.


    ¡°Just remember that you have to retrieve any arrows that go astray, so no more shooting at birds,¡± Saeter reminded him with a glare.


    ¡°They looked tasty...¡± Blacknail muttered to himself in frustration.


    ¡°You get more than enough to eat! I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re not completely round by now. Focus on learning to shoot, you big green idiot,¡± Saeter harshly replied with scowl.


    With a sigh, the hobgoblin strung his bow and nocked an arrow to it. His master didn¡¯t need to call him names, that was mean. Besides, he was still much thinner and prettier than a big fat pink human and that was unlikely to ever change.


    The steel point in front of Blacknail¡¯s eye pointed right towards the red circle that had been painted on the piece of board he was aiming at. With a confident smile, the hobgoblin let the arrow loose.


    There was a muted thrum as the bowstring vibrated and the projectile whizzed through the air. The arrow raced towards the target, and then flew right past it without coming within five feet of it.


    ¡°I could hit-ss it easily with a rock from a sling...¡± Blacknail muttered in disappointment.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t feel the need to stay here and watch this travesty. Just keep shooting until you get a feel for it, if you ever do,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    The old human scout then shook his head and wandered off.


    Blacknail took his time lining up his next shot. There was no point in rushing now that Saeter was gone. He would just tire himself out and it was still early in the day; he had other jobs to do later, like sword training with Vorscha. Life with Saeter was basically a never ending series of chores so you needed to know how to pace yourself.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s next arrow also flew off into the grass without going near the target. Blacknail eyed the bow in his hand skeptically. There had to be a trick to this. Maybe if he screamed threats really loudly while shooting or if he pretended the target was Scamp...

 Along Twisted Paths 2

    ¡°Alright that¡¯s enough, fall in you two,¡± Vorscha shouted to Blacknail and Khita.


    The two of them were going through a simple two person sword form. When they heard Vorscha ¡®s command they immediately stopped, sheathed their practice blades, and started walking towards her. Both of them were sweating and panting after almost an hour of hard practice under the large woman¡¯s supervision.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for something a little different. If you two keep repeating the same stuff you¡¯ll both develop bad habits,¡± Vorscha explained.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯m ready for the real stuff. No more babying around,¡± Khita exclaimed excitedly.


    Vorscha threw her a quick skeptical glance before continuing.


    ¡°Alright Geralhd, get up here,¡± Vorscha called.


    The smaller man was sitting off to the side of the patch of trampled grass that Vorscha had claimed as a training arena. At the sound of his lover¡¯s voice he looked up from the book he was reading with a startled expression.


    ¡°Who me?¡± he asked in surprise.


    ¡°Ya you, loverboy. Come over here,¡± Vorscha told him with a bemused roll of her eyes.


    Geralhd got up, and put his book down on the crate he had been using as a seat. Then he reluctantly dragged himself over to join Vorscha and her students. Vorscha gave him quick smile of greeting, and then looked over both Blacknail and Khita with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°Right so Blacknail, you¡¯ll be sparring with Geralhd. Don¡¯t let him fool you, he¡¯s not as useless as he looks,¡± she told the hobgoblin as she held out her practice blade for Geralhd to take.


    ¡°I will watch him carefully, and he will not fool me,¡± Blacknail replied as he smiled in anticipation.


    He had wanted to spar with Geralhd ever since he had first challenged the man months ago. His opponent though looked more than a little unsure. Geralhd stared at the sword blankly for a few seconds before he reached out and took it.


    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea? It might be too much of a challenge for beginners like the pair of them,¡± he asked Vorscha confidently.


    ¡°Go easy on him then,¡± she replied as she smirked in amusement


    ¡°Hey, what about me?¡± Khita interjected irately.


    The young redhead had an annoyed look on her face, and her arms were crossed in front of her. She was clearly annoyed at being ignored.


    ¡°You can go sit over there, and wait your turn,¡± Vorsha replied dismissively.


    She then gave the much smaller woman a shove in the direction of the crate Gerahld had been sitting on. Khita scowled but did as she was told. She grumbled to herself the entire way over though.


    ¡°Now the rules will the same as when you spar with Khita. I¡¯ll give points for knocking the opponent off balance, or touches. I expect Geralhd will be more of a challenge for you though, Blacknail. He has a somewhat different style,¡± Vorscha explained.


    ¡°Hey now, not everyone is a former mercenary. I learned swordplay from a proper dueling master, even if I wasn¡¯t a very good student,¡± Geralhd remarked, as he swished his sword playfully through the air with one hand.


    ¡°I understand, mistress Vorscha,¡± Blacknail replied as he observed his opponent.


    With a quick smile Geralhd took a few steps back, and brought his blade up to assume a stance. Blacknail took a stance as well, but there was a frown on his face. He didn¡¯t recognize the stance Geralhd was using. It was very different from any he had seen before. He wasn¡¯t even holding onto his sword with both hands.


    ¡°Are you ready, Blacknail?¡± Geralhd asked the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Yes-ss, I¡¯m ready,¡± Blacknail answered lazily.


    Then without warning the hobgoblin attacked. Blacknail lunged forward in an attack designed to take full advantage of his hobgoblin speed, but Geralhd was already slipping to the side. The hobgoblin¡¯s attack passed him harmlessly by, and Geralhd¡¯s own blade sliced into Blacknail¡¯s way.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and had to immediately duck under the unexpected counterattack in order to avoid walking right into it. The startled hobgoblin then quickly took a step back, so that he would have time to figure out what had just happened. He had never seen a move like that before.


    ¡°Hmmm, you¡¯re very fast,¡± Geralhd remarked thoughtfully.


    ¡°You¡¯re sneakier than you look,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Umm, thanks?¡± his amused opponent replied, as he carefully circled around the hobgoblin.


    When Khita fought she was energetic and daring, and when Vorscha fought she was graceful yet unstoppable. Geralhd was like neither of them. He was constantly moving but always watching as well.


    Blacknail took a small step forward, and his opponent stepped to the side and slightly adjusted his stance. The hobgoblin took a step back, and Geralhd moved again as well.


    Blacknail frowned as he realized his opponent was preparing to counter his moves before he even made them. He didn¡¯t know what to do about that, so he decided to just rush in.


    Blacknail started another lightning fast attack, but this time when Gelalhd moved to deflect his blow he was ready and shifted. His first attack had been a feint to set up his second.


    Gelalhd grimaced but managed to block the second blow. Blacknail launched a series of rapid fire slashes, in an attempt to knock his opponent off balance. However, a frantic looking Gerhald managed to avoid or deflect all his blows.


    Growing impatient Blacknail felt a spike of anger and stepped in to try another attack, only to have Geralhd meet him half way and bat his blade down. The man then delivered a solid, but controlled, blow to Blacknail¡¯s shoulder while he was off balance.


    ¡°Point for Geralhd,¡± Vorscha announced.


    ¡°Damnations-ss!¡± the hobgoblin hissed, as he let his blade drop.


    As he hissed his anger subsided slightly, and he began to focus on his breathing. He found that swearing like his master and the other bandits helped him quench his anger, and right now it needed quenching.


    He had allowed his rage to take control and paid the price. Just thinking about it almost made him angry again.


    It had been awhile since he had made that mistake. What really annoyed him though was that unlike when he was fighting Saeter or Vorscha the fight with Geralhd had actually been a close fight. If he hadn¡¯t lost control he might have actually won.


    ¡°That¡¯s one point for me and zero for you,¡± Geralhd bragged as he smirked at the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Enough talking, start round two,¡± Vorscha interjected loudly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get-ss you back, little man,¡± Blacknail told Geralhd as he raised his blade again and took a stance.


    The unconventional bandit and the hobgoblin fought a several more rounds. Blacknail lost the first few, but then he managed to adjust to Gelalhd¡¯s style and win two bouts. He simply overwhelmed Geralhd¡¯s ability to predict him by constantly changing the direction of his attacks.


    Eventually after both combatants grew exhausted and sweaty Vorscha called a halt to the sparring. Seeing that the other two were done Khita got up and walked over.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Huh, I thought you¡¯d be even worse than that,¡± she told Geralhd.


    Geralhd however wasn¡¯t insulted. He just gave her a smug smirk.


    ¡°If I was actually a terrible duelist I wouldn¡¯t be here, or a wanted man. I would be dead at that bastard Byron¡¯s hands. Instead, I did the world a great service and put that thrice damned son of a whore in an early grave,¡± Geralhd replied cheerfully.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t brag about not being terrible at something, aim for excellence instead. You need to practice as much as Blacknail, and I don¡¯t know how can you think your petty vengeance was worth exile.¡± Vorscha told him.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t petty. Byron hurt my family, and ruined my sister¡¯s reputation. Beating him in a fair duel, and running my blade through his heart as I looked him in eye, was the best moment of my life,¡± he replied.


    ¡°And having a murderer for a son didn¡¯t hurt your family?¡± Vorscha replied dryly.


    ¡°Dueling may be illegal in Eloria, but it¡¯s still considered an honorable way to end a dispute. So I might be a criminal, but I¡¯m not a common criminal. Besides, if I hadn¡¯t done it I never would have met you,¡± he replied with a suggestive grin.


    ¡°Oh, I make it all worth it do I? Stop trying to deflect you silver tongued demon. Sometimes I swear you¡¯re pig headed enough to be a noble, instead of just a merchant¡¯s son,¡± Vorscha remarked with a smile.


    ¡°Ha, I bet your bounty is really tiny though. Only the real dangerous criminals get good bounties,¡± Khita told Geralhd in a condescending tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s three silver, but don¡¯t worry I have a plan to increase it. I¡¯m going to murder a whole bunch of innocent villagers and dump their bodies in front of the nearest bounty office,¡± Geralhd remarked sarcastically as he glared at Khita.


    ¡°Huh, I was right that¡¯s almost nothing,¡± the young woman bragged.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough to get me hanged by total strangers if I don¡¯t watch my back. It¡¯s also more than you have, since you¡¯re the only one here completely without one,¡± Geralhd replied.


    Khita looked around for a second and frowned, but she smiled when she saw Blacknail.


    ¡°Blacknail doesn¡¯t have one either,¡± she countered.


    ¡°You are once again ignorant. He has one; all hobgoblins have a bounty of five silvers on their heads. For some reason people dislike having them as neighbors. Their bounty can even get higher if the local peasants find something to blame them for. I figure that if he keeps hanging around with us his bounty will rise quite a bit. He might even become famous, or infamous anyway,¡± Geralhd explained.


    ¡°A high bounty isn¡¯t a good thing,¡± Vorscha added with a frown.


    ¡°Oh what¡¯s yours then?¡± Khita asked with obvious interest.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Vorscha replied stiffly.


    ¡°I can answer this question. She got a price on her head when the count that was employing her refused to pay her mercenary company its due. Instead, he decided it would be cheaper to just trump up some charges and put a bounty on her head. A quite spectacular five gold bounty at that,¡± Geralhd explained with an amused glance towards Vorscha.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a tenth of what he actually owed me,¡± Vorscha replied in disgust.


    ¡°I could buy a mansion for that much!¡± Khita exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°Well a half decent house anyway, as long as it was fairly small,¡± Geralhd corrected her.


    ¡°One day I¡¯m going to get an even bigger bounty than that. Everyone will be terrified of me,¡± Khita announced proudly.


    Geralhd gave her a doubtful look and Vorscha frowned in concern.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough talking, Khita. It¡¯s your turn to spar with me,¡± she told the younger woman.


    Vorscha and Khita then started sparring, and the larger woman dominated the other inexperienced fighter. After they had finished training Blacknail went to rest at his tent for a few minutes. Now that he was done being trained, it was time for him to do some training.


    The hobgoblin walked over to an area beside his tent where Scamp was sulking. He knew the goblin would be there because that was where Blacknail had tied him up. He had slapped a leather collar on him and attached a rope to it. Then he had looped the rope around a nail on a post that was too high for Scamp to reach.


    Of course the goblin could have gotten loose by chewing through the rope, or several other ways, but Blacknail had made it very clear he would rip the little fellow¡¯s eyes out and eat them if he did any such thing. The rope simply reminded the forgetful goblin that he wasn¡¯t supposed to move.


    Scamp whined pitifully as Blacknail approached, but the hobgoblin didn¡¯t care. He ignored the goblin and instead focused on the rabbit pelts. Today he had given Scamp the job of scrapping them clean, and getting them ready for drying.


    Blacknail hissed angrily as he noted the goblin¡¯s poor progress, and Scamp flinched at his reaction. The hobgoblin knew the lazy little runt was just trying to get out of work by acting pathetic though. Varhs may have let him get away with that but there was no way Blacknail would.


    ¡°No food-ss for you until you¡¯re done!¡± he reminded the goblin before turning and walking away.


    Days passed without anything exciting happening. However, Blacknail wasable to get Scamp to act at least sort of disciplined. He even began letting Varhs take him for walks, as long as the scout promised to be stern with the goblin. The man was probably lying but Blacknail didn''t care that much.


    Eventually, it was almost time for Herad and her chosen escorts¡¯ departure. She called a meeting in the farmhouse she used as a headquarters to go over the final preparations. Her usual lieutenants were there including: Saeter, Red Dog, Vorscha, and a few others.


    Blacknail hadn¡¯t technically been invited, but no one had said he wasn¡¯t either. Thus he had followed his master most the way over, and then took up position outside one of the windows. From there his sensitive ears could hear everything being said inside perfectly, although a human would have had problems.


    ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll be leaving with several dozen men. As I told you before Red Dog will be staying here to command in my stead while I¡¯m gone, and Vorscha will serve as his second,¡± Herad told her minions.


    She was seated in a simple wooden chair and a matching table had been placed in front of her. Everyone else was standing in a loose group before her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I like the idea of you leaving with so few men. We have powerful enemies in Daggerpoint,¡± Red Dog replied with a concerned frown.


    ¡°I agree. Werick has sworn to kill you, and his men will easily outnumber yours if he¡¯s in town,¡± Vorscha added with a nod.


    ¡°So what? That¡¯s always been the case. Four dozen is about what I¡¯ve taken every time before this. It¡¯s only recently I¡¯ve even had more, and when we arrive the first thing I¡¯ll be doing is recruiting. I know somewhere I can get some trustworthy men,¡± Herad replied.


    ¡°The rookies will need supervision to make it through the winter, and won¡¯t be up to the march north either,¡± Saeter remarked to Red Dog.


    ¡°True, I guess that does limit how many men you can take,¡± Red Dog admitted with a frown.


    ¡°Everything in life is a gamble of one sort or another, but enough of this. I didn¡¯t call you here to question my decisions,¡± Herad told them coldly, as she stared up at them from her seat.


    ¡°Yes, mistress,¡± Red Dog immediately replied as he snapped to attention.


    ¡°On top of my personal guard I¡¯ll be taking you and Mahedium with me,¡± Herad told Saeter.


    ¡°Why me and the mage? He¡¯s gonna be slow, and I¡¯m not much use in a place like Daggerpoint,¡± the old scout replied with a frown.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re wrong as usual old man. I¡¯ll have a use for you there. Your name still carries weight in certain circles, if only the gods know why, and that will help me drum up some muscle,¡± she replied smugly. ¡°As for the mage, he asked to come and promised it would be worth my trouble. He wants to try digging up some fellow black spell-slingers to trade notes with.¡±


    ¡°Well, Daggerpoint is probably his best bet for that. There¡¯s usually one or two mages around, but anyone he finds in that pit is likely to be just smart enough to know which end of a staff to point at the enemy. You don¡¯t need too much in the way of brains to be a combat mage,¡± Vorscha commented.


    ¡°He thinks it will be worth his while, and who knows maybe he¡¯s right.¡± Herad said with a dismissive shrug.


    There was then a squealing sound as she pushed her chair back and got to her feet. After a brief look at her lieutenants she walked over to the nearby window. The hobgoblin hiding outside heard her coming. He quickly scampered over to a bush off to one side, and then went very still.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave early tomorrow morning with the dawn, so make sure you¡¯re all ready. When I return no one will be able to challenge my claim on this territory, and that¡¯s just the beginning!¡± Herad announced to the air outside the window.


    She then turned back around and looked at Red Dog.


    ¡°When I get back I expect this place to be fit for a queen, so no slacking off,¡± she told him as she smiled wickedly. ¡°Now off with you lot. I have stuff to do, and I¡¯m sure you have your own concerns.¡±


    After her dismissal everyone quickly left, lest they annoy their boss. Red Dog threw Herad an uncertain look before walking out through the door. He was unsure how serious her command about fixing the place up had been, but if she noticed his concern she didn¡¯t bother to enlighten him.


    Blacknail continued to sit in the bush outside the window for a few seconds until everyone was out of sight. Just as he was about to get up he heard something from inside the house.


    ¡°Soon, it will all be mine!¡± Herad whispered lovingly to herself, before chuckling hungrily in anticipation.


    Soon the chuckle died down, and there was only the sound of breathing from inside. Very carefully Blacknail got up and crept away.


    He was reassured that Herad was confident in her plan, despite the other¡¯s doubts. The more powerful the tribe got the higher his own position could grow, so Blacknail approved of her ambition.


    She was obviously looking forward to victory a lot too. Blacknail got like that sometimes, standing over the corpses of your enemies just felt so great. It felt like someone was tickling your brain, and you just wanted to keep on smiling¡­


    The hobgoblin got up and sped around the building. He had to get back to the campsite before Saeter started to question what he had been up to. As he moved he watched the camp for people who looked to be paying him too much attention, and he thought about what he had just heard.


    Mistress Herad had mentioned that Saeter would be going with her, but no one had mentioned him. Blacknail found himself wishing he could go with Saeter to this human place called Daggerpoint.


    Things had begun to grow boring around the camp, and he kind of wanted to see a human city again. He had lived in one for years as a goblin and roamed the streets at night after all.


    With the clothes Saeter had given him Blacknail didn¡¯t think he would have too much trouble doing similar things again. Only now he could think of much more exciting things to do after dark, and he knew he could find tastier things to eat than garbage.


    The city would also be full of targets that weren¡¯t part of his tribe, and thus he would have no reason to hold himself back. It would be nice to finally let loose. Discipline was important, but that didn¡¯t mean he could never have fun.


    Blacknail shivered in eagerness as he pictured it. He could almost already taste the blood.

 Along Twisted Paths 3

    No one had said it directly, but from listening to people talking Blacknail swiftly came to the conclusion he wasn¡¯t invited to join Herad¡¯s expedition. That wasn¡¯t going to stop him though. He was looking forward to visiting a human city again too much to let a simple lack of permission get in his way.


    So as night fell and everyone went to sleep he started scheming, and he quickly came up with a fool proof plan. The best way to make sure he was included in the party sent to Daggerpoint was simple; he wasn¡¯t going to ask. If no one knew he was there they couldn¡¯t tell him to go back.


    The next morning when Saeter was getting up to get ready to go Blacknail was nowhere to be found. The hobgoblin had woken up even earlier than usual, and had quickly made his way out into the woods as if he was checking the snares or hunting.


    However, he had no intention of doing his usual routine. As soon as he was out of sight and safely hidden in the forest he stopped to make sure no one else was around. Blacknail then stealthily crept through the bushes around the edge of the camp.


    When he got to the road he selected a nearby tall tree that overlooked the area, and then he scrambled up it. The bark of the tree was grey and rough, but once he got up into the branches it was easy climbing. Climbing trees took a lot less effort since he had become a hobgoblin because his limbs were so much longer.


    Once he was a couple dozen feet up he stopped and hid on a particular leafy branch that gave him a good view of the surroundings. Then the hobgoblin simply waited for the expedition to leave.


    It only took a few minutes for something to happen. Unseen, up in the tree Blacknail watched Herad, Saeter, and the rest of their group pour out of the camp and head down the road.


    As he watched he caught a brief glance of red hair. Wait, was that Khita? They were taking that useless human whelp and not him! Why? The hobgoblin glowered down at them from his leafy perch.


    When they were out of sight Blacknail smiled gleefully again though. He¡¯d show them how sneaky he could be. It was time for him to put his plan in action. He hastily climbed down to the ground, and then hurried back through the woods to the far end of the camp.


    Once back in the clearing he calmly walked over to his campsite and packed up some of his things. If he had done it before hand it would have alerted Saeter. There was no way his master would have missed something so obvious.


    That done he picked up his pack and once again strolled over to the back of the camp. He got a few odd looks but no one said anything. Not that a lot of people usually struck up casual conversations with him anyway.


    Once back in the woods he once again circled through the forest towards the road. He stayed hidden and out of sight among the trees for a few minutes as he moved parallel to the road. He didn¡¯t want anyone in the camp to see him leave, but moving through the brush was slow so he soon had to move onto the road.


    By this time Herad¡¯s group had quite a lead on him, but the hobgoblin could keep track of them by their scent. Even if they left the road he wouldn¡¯t have any trouble finding them.


    As Blacknail jogged down the road in pursuit the scent grew stronger until he knew he was almost upon them. The hobgoblin then slowed his pace and grew careful. It would be very bad for him if he was spotted now.


    When he finally caught up he risked only a quick glance at the humans, before falling back out of sight and continuing to track them by scent. Herad was leading the way and dressed in her usual attire. Saeter was walking directly behind her, and the rest of the bandits followed him. They all had long hooded traveler¡¯s cloaks meant for keeping people warm and dry.


    Only when they slowed or stopped did Blacknail slip into the woods and observe the humans while concealed among the trees. He kept careful watch on Saeter in particular. If anyone was going to spot him it would be his master.


    As they walked Blacknail had a lot of fun trailing Herad¡¯s group. Some part of him just loved the act of stalking. It filled him with eager energy and just felt right, like he was doing what he was meant to. He didn¡¯t mean his tribe any harm, but it was still exciting to fool them.


    After a few hours though the humans stopped walking and came to a stop. The reason for this was both very obvious, and very alarming. The forest was full of the sound of cracking tree branches and the thud of heavy footsteps. The source of the noise was easy to spot. Several massive brown creatures were moving through the edge of the forest along the path ahead of them.


    They were easily the largest creatures Blacknail had ever seen, much bigger than even the troll had been. Like trolls they had two thick legs and two long arms, but that¡¯s where the resemblance ended. They were easily three times as tall as any man, many more times as heavy, and covered in thick brown hair.


    Most of them moved ponderously on all four limbs, but every once and awhile one would rear up onto its back legs and walk around that way for short distances. It would then reach up into nearby trees and rip branches down. The end of their arms ended in truly impressive claws that shredded the wood effortlessly. There were five claws on each hand, and they were as long as swords.


    Blacknail was too far away to get a good look at their blunt faces, but two large curled horns rose from their heads. The beasts brought the leafy branches they tore down from the trees to their mouths and chewed them. That meant they were either eating some very slow and stupid tree rats, or they were plant eaters. The hobgoblin vaguely remembered his master mentioning something like them, but he had forgotten their name.


    Feeling extremely curious, Blacknail used the distraction the creatures were creating in order to move closer to Herad and the others. He wanted to hear what they were saying. Carefully, Blacknail slipped into the bushes at the edge of the road. He then stealthily made his way right up behind the position the bandits had taken.


    They had stopped on the road a fair distance from the giants, and were talking amongst themselves as they watched the beasts. Blacknail managed to get within two dozen feet of the humans. That was more than close enough for him to hear everything they said, even with all the noise the beasts were making.


    ¡°¡­ogres will move on in a bit. We just have to be patient. There¡¯s no reason to leave the safety of the road. Right now they¡¯re watching us. If we all stumble into the forest we might spook them, and that could end badly,¡± Saeter was telling Herad.


    The bandit chieftain was looking impatient, and not completely convinced by Blacknail¡¯s master¡¯s words. She was scowling at the ogres, and her hands were on her hips. She looked like she wanted to single handily kill the beasts that had dared slow her down, but then she sighed.


    ¡°Fine, tell the men we¡¯ll be resting for a bit. We¡¯ll be doubling the pace when the way is clear though, to make up for lost time,¡± she said.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Saeter nodded and then moved to fulfill her orders. He moved slower than usual and didn¡¯t make any loud noises, probably as not to spook the ogres.


    As Blacknail¡¯s master had suggested the bandits simply held their position and waited for the ogres to move away from the road. As the minutes passed the giants continued to move ponderously from tree to tree so they could eat the leaves and fruit.


    Every once and a while an ogre would turn towards the bandits and give them a curious or wary look, but they didn¡¯t seem too concerned by the presence of humans. That was definitely a good thing because Blacknail didn¡¯t think even Herad could take on several of the gigantic beasts. It would be like a goblin trying to wrestle a large man; the goblin would without a doubt end up stomped flat.


    Just as Blacknail was beginning to relax, a deep roar suddenly pierced through the ogre¡¯s racket. Instantly, the giants all stood up on their hind legs and looked alarmed. They scanned the forest, as it grew eerily quiet in every direction. Even the birds went silent, and deep sense of unease started to grow in Blacknail¡¯s gut.


    ¡°Hells, a drake,¡± whispered Saeter, as all the bandits around him grew stiff with fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s not close, right?¡± one of the other bandits asked him fearfully.


    ¡°Shh, shut your trap,¡± Saeter hissed back at him in reply.


    Another louder roar filled the air. The sound seemed to ricochet through the trees, and caused Blacknail a shiver to crawl up his back. His instincts were suddenly screaming at him to find a nearby hole and disappear down into it. If he hadn¡¯t been worried about losing sight of his master he might have listened.


    Saeter seemed to be listening intently. When the drake had roared a second time his head had whipped around, and he was now staring at the forest behind the ogres.


    ¡°Shit, we need to move. Now!¡± Saeter warned Herad urgently.


    Before he could get a response the sound of splintering wood and the unmistakable boom of a falling tree echoed through the forest. Several of the ogres flinched, and Saeter immediately started running back down the road the way they had come.


    ¡°Fall in and follow or you¡¯re dead meat!¡± Herad commanded everyone before taking off after the scout.


    With a scared snort one of the ogres dropped down on all fours and started to flee. After a second of hesitation another ogre quickly joined it. Then with a chorus of alarmed huffs and snorts all the giants took off in pursuit of the first two, and almost directly towards where the bandits were standing.


    Several of the bandits froze for a second as the ogres barreled towards them. Most of them though immediately joined Herad in retreating out of the stampeding beasts¡¯ path, and the rest were quick to follow.


    Several of them looked like they were screaming and shouting in fear but Blacknail couldn¡¯t hear them over the thunderous noise of the running giants. The ground was shaking beneath him and he could see the leaves of nearby trees shaking.


    The vibrations made running more difficult than usual, which was bad because the ogres were headed in Blacknail¡¯s direction. The hobgoblin had wasted no time; he had started running as soon Herad had.


    On all fours he scrambled through the trees at the side of the road after his master. He whipped through bushes and tore up dirt and leaves as he ran. He could hear the ogres growing closer, and didn¡¯t want to find out what they thought of hobgoblins.


    A bright red fox red suddenly burst out of a nearby thicket and began racing alongside the hobgoblin. They both gave each other surprised looks, but neither stopped running or even changed directions.


    Blacknail heard the sound of splintering wood behind him, and redoubled his pace. His heart was beating frantically in his chest. Being near the stampeding ogres reminded him too much of when he had been a little goblin, and beneath the notice of larger creatures.


    Then the thud of heavy footsteps started to die down. Blacknail gave a relieved sigh and let himself slow down. The fox that had been running beside him sped off into the trees. Now the noise of the stampeding ogres had almost completely faded, and the forest no longer seemed to be shaking.


    Blacknail leaned against a nearby tree trunk and sucked down a quick breath. Gradually his heartbeat returned to normal. He was tired after such a hard sprint, but glad to still be alive.


    Once he had recovered he went to check out the road for signs of his tribe. He glanced around a tree at the forest¡¯s edge and saw that Herad and her minions seemed fine. They were just recovering from their own mad sprint.


    Saeter was motioning everyone off the road and into the ditch beside it. Blacknail smiled after he saw that everyone was alright. He would have hated it if they had decided to turn back around and go back to camp.


    Just then there was another loud boom. Blacknail whipped around to look a fair distance up the road towards its source. He was just in time to see a massive shape bound out of the trees and across the road, before disappearing into the forest on the other side. It hadn¡¯t been an ogre; it had been much larger and faster.


    Blacknail gulped as his stomach twisted in fear again. The hobgoblin had only got a quick look at the creature, but unlike an ogre it had obviously had a long neck and tail. It could only have been a drake; one of the rulers of the forest that Saeter was always telling him about. The most dangerous creatures you could run into, and likely the last.


    Both Herad¡¯s group and Blacknail stayed still and hidden for the next while. Only after several long minutes had passed did the bandit¡¯s get up and resume their trek to Daggerpoint. Blacknail followed them as closely as he could without being seen. He really didn¡¯t want to be left behind right now.


    Much to everyone¡¯s relief no more drake screams were heard, and the rest of the day was fairly uneventful. It began to get dark, but Herad kept pushing them to keep going. Blacknail was starting to wonder if they were even going to stop for the night when they came upon an abandoned stone building at the side of the road.


    Even in the dark it was easy to see it was in poor repair. It bore signs of once being an impressive building, but there was an obvious hole in the roof and one of the walls had collapsed. It would still be a much safer and dryer place to sleep than outside though, so the bandits all headed inside.


    As Blacknail moved to follow them he noticed signs of other long decayed wooden buildings among the grass and bushes. A sizable human settlement must have once stood there, but now only the one large building remained to remind travelers that a flourishing village had once stood there.


    The hobgoblin could see and hear much better than the humans in the darkness, so he had no problem creeping up to the building in the dark. The bandits were just setting up camp and building a fire for the night. The light from the flames served only to hinder the humans¡¯ night vision and make his approach easier.


    The hobgoblin slipped up beside one of the outside walls. He watched and listened for awhile through small hole that gave him a clear view of the inside. It was pretty boring stuff though. The only thing even remotely of interest that he learned was that the building was called a temple, and supposed to be good luck or something. Soon the bandits started going to sleep, and that was really tedious to watch so Blacknail moved away.


    He had to figure out where he was going to rest for the night as well. He hadn¡¯t brought his tent, but he had brought a pair of blankets. Carefully, Blacknail explored the area around the temple.


    Crumbled stone bricks and thick bushes surrounded the old building. A few dozen feet away through the darkness the thick growth of the forest loomed.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t want to move too close to the dark woods. He had no idea what might be lurking out there. He could hear crickets chirping and leaves rustling, but it was what he couldn¡¯t hear that worried him. He had been reminded earlier that no matter how experienced you became the forest always contained new unseen dangers.


    He felt much safer closer to Saeter and the bandits than out there. He couldn¡¯t get too close to them though, or he would be seen.


    After a few frustrating minute spent circling the temple Blacknail noticed fire light flickering through a window near the roof of the building. With a surge of excitement the hobgoblin began to climb his way up to it. The old weathered stone walls were easy to grip; he just had to watch out for loose bricks.


    Once up there he found a shadowy ledge that was concealed from both below and outside. It was the perfect place to sleep, so Blacknail laid out his blankets.


    He then briefly glanced down at the bandits and Saeter. They were gathered around their fire and most of them were asleep. Saeter appeared to be on watch though because he was one of the few still up and about.


    Blacknail¡¯s master was drinking something from a cup while seated on a piece of rubble. He was looking outside into the darkness through one of the doors, but then he leisurely turned and looked up towards the hobgoblin¡¯s hiding spot.


    Blacknail leaned into the shadows and held his breath, but Saeter soon turned back to the door. He didn¡¯t appear to have seen anything because the old scout was still relaxed and casually took another sip from his drink.


    Blacknail turned away and lay down on his spread out blankets. As the light of the flames below flickered over the roof above him the hobgoblin gave a silent yawn, and closed his eyes. It didn¡¯t take long for sleep to overcome him.

 Along Twisted Paths 4

    Herad¡¯s group was out and moving early the next morning. They continued their march North, but nothing more interesting than the occasional passing traveler happened. Herad mostly ignored them, she had places to be and better things to do than rob peddlers and peasants. No one who had anything worth stealing traveled alone in the North.


    When night came Blacknail usually slept up in a tree just out of reach of the light of the humans¡¯ fire. The next day they passed a few more abandoned villages, but no occupied ones. This confused the hobgoblin. Who had created all these villages and why had they been destroyed? Had some monster from the forest leveled them?


    They did pass the occasional large walled human settlement, but Herad avoided them. Blacknail considered scaling one of the walls in the night but thought better of it. He would have plenty of time for that when they got to Daggerpoint.


    The scenery began to change as they continued their journey. The grey and white mountains that rose on the horizon started to grow ever larger. The terrain also became much rougher, and the road began winding up hills and along tall rocky cliffs. The steeper terrain was harder to traverse, so the bandits grew tired and their progress slowed.


    At one point they had to cross a rickety wooden bridge over a river. The river was extremely wide, and its frothy white waters roared as they swept down from the distant mountains. There was no way anyone could possibly swim across the raging river.


    After everyone else had carefully crossed the bridge, Blacknail eyed it suspiciously. It was quite possible that Saeter would have left a lookout on the bridge, just in case someone was following them. The hobgoblin was so paranoid about it that he waited a quarter of the day before crossing. Luckily he had a large advantage over humans in that he could follow their scent. There was little chance of him losing them.


    He did however have to run quite a bit that day to catch up. When he finally found them again it had grown dark, and his human tribesman were setting up for the night. Idly Blacknail wondered how long it would take to actually reach Daggerpoint. He probably should have figured that out before he followed Herad North, but there was no going back now. He hoped it wasn¡¯t too much longer, his feet were getting more than a little sore.


    Blacknail lazily circled the humans¡¯ camp as he once again searched for somewhere safe to sleep for the night. As he was creeping through the woods he heard a noise out on the road. At first he thought one of the bandits had slipped past him, but then he dismissed that as unlikely.


    Cautiously, he slipped through the dark woods to check it out. He was fairly sure it wasn¡¯t anything too dangerous, but you could never be too sure out in the wilderness.


    What he saw surprised him. There were two humans walking along the road, and headed for the light of the bandit¡¯s campfire. Feeling curious, and rather bored after several days by himself, the hobgoblin decided to investigate.


    The two humans didn¡¯t appear to have any obvious weapons so Blacknail flipped his hood up and walked out of the bushes. He heard a gasp of shock and saw the two darkened forms flinch as he emerged onto the road. He didn¡¯t want to scare them right away so he raised his hand in a human gesture of greeting.


    ¡°Hello, I won¡¯t harm you,¡± he announced in his best imitation of a human voice.


    ¡°Who are you? Are you from the fire?¡± the larger one, who smelled male, asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m a friend. No, I¡¯m not from the fire. They¡¯re bandits, and bad. They¡¯ll take your stuff and kill you,¡± Blacknail replied.


    The two humans glanced at each other. They seemed very unsure, and suspicious of Blacknail. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t know why, he thought he was doing a very good impression of a human.


    ¡°How do we know you¡¯re not the bandit and trying to lure us away from safety,¡± the man replied.


    Blacknail hesitated and scowled. The stupid humans didn¡¯t even know when someone was trying to help them. How could they not trust him? He was very honest.


    ¡°I could take you to get a look at them?¡± he offered.


    If these humans were going to be so annoying than Blacknail was just going to leave them, or kill and rob them himself. Maybe they had interesting shiny things he could take?


    The pair leaned close and whispered to each other for a few seconds. Then, the shorter one who smelled female spoke up.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. We hoped to find safety at the fire, but deep down we knew finding refuge there would be too convenient. It was unlikely at best that anyone friendly would be out here. Thank you for the warning,¡± she told him with a heavy sigh.


    The woman, and that¡¯s definitely what she sounded like, looked tired and miserable. The man reached around her shoulders and pulled her closer into a reassuring hug.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t complain since we¡¯re lucky you were here to warn us. I don¡¯t suppose you have somewhere safe to rest for the night?¡± he asked.


    Blacknail thought it over. He had been scouting the forest for awhile looking for somewhere to rest. In that time he had discovered a small cave. He had initially disregarded it because it was too big and open for one person, but with three people they could set a guard.


    ¡°I found a cave earlier. You could rest there,¡± he offered.


    ¡°That sounds better than staying out here in the dark. If you don¡¯t mind me asking what are you doing out here, and what¡¯s your name?¡± the man asked him.


    Blacknail hesitated as he tried to figure out what the right answer was. He knew his name was odd for a human so he said the first name that popped into his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Saeter, the man. I was out hunting when I saw the fire, so I snuck up and spied on them. I¡¯m very sneaky,¡± he told them.


    Blacknail was rather proud of his lies. How could the humans not believe him? They were perfect. This was turning out to be rather fun break from all the walking.


    ¡°Right¡­ well, let¡¯s see this cave of yours,¡± the man told him.


    With a nod of agreement Blacknail led them through the woods away from the bandits and down an incline. There, the cave mouth was visible in the exposed rocky side of the hill they had just come down. It was however too dark to see inside now, at least for a human.


    ¡°Is it safe to light a lantern, do you think?¡± the man asked Blacknail.


    ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no one to see it here,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    The man then reached into his bag and withdrew a small metal hand lantern. It smelled of ash and oil to Blacknail. The man got out a flint and steel and began trying to set the lantern wick alight. It took a few seconds to catch properly, but then the surroundings were lit by the small flickering flame.


    The man held the light up in front of him and the inside if the cave was revealed. The cave only extended a little more than two dozen feet past the narrow gash in the rock that served as its entrance. There was however plenty of room for three people inside, and it served as shelter from both the wind and observers.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be awfully dark inside there when we snuff the lantern,¡± the woman remarked.


    ¡°You set up. I¡¯ll get some wood for a fire,¡± Blacknail told the pair.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be very dangerous in the dark,¡± the man said in concern.


    The hobgoblin just shrugged and started walking back to the road.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sneaky,¡± he replied as he disappeared into the dark.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t stupid. He wasn¡¯t going to wander the woods looking for dry wood. That did indeed sound like a good way to get killed, and it was totally unnecessary. He just had to borrow some wood from Herad¡¯s group. They were all the same tribe so it was kind of his wood anyway.


    By this point most the bandits had drifted off to sleep, except for the two men on watch. It was thus a simple feat for Blacknail to creep up through the blind spot created by some of the tents, and make off with some of their wood and tinder.


    They had a fairly large pile of wood piled up against one tent. It was now substantially smaller though, and it amused Blacknail greatly to wonder what they would think when they noticed it was missing. He almost considered waiting around to see their faces, but that could take forever and would be dangerous.


    When Blacknail got back to the cave the pair of humans he had saved from the bandits had finished settling down for the night. The woman was lying down on a low rock ledge. Her rough traveler¡¯s clothes were set placed beside her, and she was between a pair of thick blankets.


    The man had set his own gear down, and unpacked his blankets on the ground close to her. He was standing guard inside the entrance of the cave instead of resting though.


    He seemed tense and stiff as gazed out into the darkness, but he relaxed a little when he saw Blacknail approach carrying a heavy load of wood. The lantern was behind him on the ground in the center of the cave floor. The light it cast was very weak and barely illuminated the cave.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, Saeter. I was getting worried about you. Where did you get that wood? It looks like it was split with an axe,¡± he asked.


    ¡°I knew a place to get it,¡± the hobgoblin explained as he walked inside.


    ¡°Ah, a huntsman¡¯s cache. You must travel through here a lot. We were truly fortunate to run into a good man like you,¡± the man told him.


    Blacknail just gave another shrug and begun setting up the fire. He was pretty great, but he wasn¡¯t a man. He smelled much better for one thing.


    He built the small fire near the cave¡¯s mouth so smoke could escape, and so it would serve as a barrier against wild animals. He was careful to face away from the man so that the shadows concealed his face as he worked.


    Once he had succeeded in using his flint and steel to light the tinder and wood Blacknail withdrew into the far corner of the cave where the shadows were deepest. He didn¡¯t want his new friends to get a glimpse of his green skin.


    In the dark corner he started setting up his own sleeping place. As he was working the man started talking again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not introducing myself earlier, Saeter. I¡¯m Rickas, and that¡¯s my wife Selstia. We¡¯re travelling north¡­ for our own reasons. Thanks again for helping us. I wish we had some way to repay you, but we don¡¯t have much,¡± he said.


    ¡°Got any cheese?¡± Blacknail asked hopefully. He really liked cheese.


    ¡°Er, yes. I have a small piece left. You¡¯re more than welcome to it,¡± Rickas replied uncertainly before digging through his pack and tossing Blacknail a small package.


    The hobgoblin caught the cheese. He could already smell its poignant scent through the cloth it was wrapped in. Cheerfully he unwrapped it and then slowly savored its sharp taste. He had eaten all his cheese days ago.


    ¡°Well, Saeter um¡­ I can tell Elorian isn¡¯t your first language. What is your native tongue?¡± the man asked the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail froze in the middle of eating. There was more than one human language? Why? He didn¡¯t know of any other languages, what was he supposed to say?


    Luckily, Rickas noticed his hesitation, and interpreted it in his own way.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it sounded like I was prying. I was simply trying to make conversation, but I see now that you are a private person,¡± he said apologetically.


    ¡°No problem. Do you want first watch?¡± Blacknail responded in relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. I¡¯ll wake you when my watch is over,¡± Rickus said.


    ¡°Good, but just call out Blacknail to wake me. Don¡¯t get too close. I¡¯m a private person,¡± Blacknail replied as he placed his sheathed sword against the wall in a very obvious gesture.


    Rickus looked confused for a second, but then nodded in understanding.


    ¡°Ah I see, that¡¯s a codeword of some sort? Anyway, I assure you that we¡¯re no threat to you, but I¡¯ll do as you ask,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail then sat down and leaned his back against the wall. He had placed his blanket beneath and behind himself to serve as a cushion. His form was still completely concealed by his clothes, hood, and the shadows. He wasn¡¯t too concerned about the humans sneaking up on him as he slept. He was a very light sleeper when he wanted to be.


    The next morning Blacknail woke early and went out scouting. When the rest of his tribe had gone down the road he headed back to the cave. After a brief talk with Rickus and Selstia they parted ways. The pair once again thanked him profusely for all his help.


    The hobgoblin rather liked all the praise they were giving him. He was glad he hadn¡¯t let them wander into Herad, and that he hadn¡¯t killed them either.


    As he sauntered off in pursuit of Saeter and the others, he heard the pair talking to each other.


    ¡°I know he saved us, but he¡¯s still creepy. Neither of us got a look at his face the entire time we were with him. He was always completely covered by his clothes, and never got too close to us. That¡¯s more than a little odd,¡± Selstia murmured to her husband.


    ¡°True, but he probably has his reasons. Maybe he¡¯s a wanted man or is scarred. Why else would he hide his face, and live out here?¡± Rickas replied.


    ¡°What about his voice?¡± she countered.


    ¡°He probably has a damaged throat, or was hiding his voice as well,¡± her husband guessed.


    ¡®Maybe, but there¡¯s still something off about him. Something different¡­¡± she replied doubtfully.


    ¡°What, you think he was secretly one of the forest people? Like in the myths where travelers stumble upon a mysterious stranger who helps them out or tricks them. You didn¡¯t accidently promise him our firstborn did you?¡± her husband asked teasingly.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re joking, but I can¡¯t help but think that you just might be right. It would certainly explain a lot,¡± Blacknail heard Selstia say before they were out of his hearing range.


    Blacknail would have liked to stalk his new friends for awhile and hear more of their conversation, but he was in a rush. Herad and his master had gotten quite a head start on him now.


    He broke into a light jog when he got back onto the road so that he could catch up. Herad must have been pushing her minions hard because even after an hour passed Blacknail had yet to catch a glimpse of them. He would have worried but the scent of their passing assured him that he was still on their trail.


    As he jogged down the forest road he came across a break in the trees. On one side of him the forest was replaced with thick heavy bush. There were only a few scattered young trees growing there. Without the heavy tree cover to stifle it the hobgoblin felt the wind around him pick up. Its caress cooled him off and felt refreshing as it blew under his clothes.


    Blacknail thought he saw what looked like a collapsed building deep within the clearing. It reminded him of what Herad¡¯s base had looked like when he had first seen it, but with more bushes. The whole area must have once been a human farm that was now slowly being swallowed by the forest.


    He continued jogging along, but when Blacknail was about halfway through the clearing a rustling noise caught his attention. It was probably just a rabbit or something, but just to be sure he slowed his gait and focused on listening for a second.


    The sound of several more things moving alongside him in the bushes reached his ears. That wasn¡¯t good. Rabbits didn¡¯t move in packs and stalk hobgoblins.


    Feeling a surge of acidic panic work its way up from his gut Blacknail picked up his pace, and gripped his sword hilt. If anything decided to jump him he was going to give it a face full of steel. That would discourage most of the things that lived out in the wilds¡­ but unfortunately not all of them.


    The sounds moved closer and Blacknail noticed the bushes began to tremble as something ran through them. Whatever these things were they were clearly not afraid of him. He sniffed the air for a hint of what was approaching, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. All he could smell was trees and earth.


    Suddenly up ahead of him the shrubs shook as something launched itself out of them. A shocked Blacknail had to throw himself to the side to avoid the stone projectile that whirled past his head. He landed on all fours and hissed in alarm as a creature stepped out of the bushes and cut off the road in front of him. He had never seen one before, but he knew without a doubt what it was.


    His opponent answered his hiss with a screech of challenge. The figure wore a dirty hide loincloth and brandished two crude stone axes high above its head. Its skin was green and two horns rose up from its unruly grey hair.


    It was a hobgoblin¡­ and it had brought friends. Shrieking goblins began to emerge from hiding all around Blacknail until he was completely surrounded and couldn''t escape. The goblins waved rocks and crude stone tipped spears in his direction. Their eyes were filled with hate and cruel excitement.


    "Human shit," Blacknail swore nervously from where he was crouched on the ground.


    He had accidently stumbled into the territory of another hobgoblin.

 Along Twisted Paths 5

    Blacknail was very badly outnumbered. He drew his sword and dropped his pack on the ground. Furious goblins encircled him. The green swarm was shrieking and waving their crude stone weapons. It would have been comical if not for the mad gleam in the goblins¡¯ eyes.


    He didn¡¯t do more than glance their way though. Blacknail¡¯s own eyes were locked on the hobgoblin that stood in front of him. If he looked away it would be a sign of weakness, and one he couldn¡¯t afford.


    The other hobgoblin¡¯s crude loincloth did little to conceal its body; so it was obviously male. It glared evilly at Blacknail, and growled as it raised its axes threateningly. The weapons looked to have been made from pieces of chipped stone that had been secured to fire hardened branches. They were obviously crude weapons, but still very dangerous looking.


    Out of the corner of his eye Blacknail observed the goblins around him. They hadn¡¯t attacked him yet, but when they did they would swiftly overwhelm him. They might be small and weak but there were a bloody lot of them, and they seemed quite angry. His best bet was to deal with the hobgoblin quickly, and hope that would scare the goblins into submission.


    Of course the other hobgoblin was noticeably larger and older than Blacknail. Several long pale scars decorated his exposed skin, and a particular nasty looking one ran down his left eye. His most distinct feature however was his black horns. Both of them were over half a foot long and branched like small antlers.


    They were impressive, and Blacknail found himself more than a little intimidated by them. His own horns had never really had a chance to grow because he had taken to filing them down. They might look imposing but horns made disguising himself and wearing hats impossible. Still, he really wished he had a pair now.


    Blacknail hissed angrily and waved his own weapon around as he took a step towards the hobgoblin. He needed to make this a challenge between the two of them. There was no way he could defeat the swarm of goblins as well as their hobgoblin leader.


    ¡°Hey, stupid tree head! You¡¯re ugly, and I¡¯m going to cut you up,¡± Blacknail growled as he took another step forward.


    He knew the other hobgoblin couldn¡¯t understand his words, but he didn¡¯t need to. There was no way he could misunderstand Blacknail¡¯s tone of voice and body language.


    The two hobgoblins postured and growled at each other for a few seconds as they slowly moved closer and began to circle each other. The watching goblins¡¯ howls of anger turned to excitement. They were now eager to see the two hobgoblins fight.


    Blacknail smiled; he had succeeded in making this a one on one fight for dominance. He took another step forward, and then suddenly lunged. He slashed violently down at the other hobgoblin with his blade.


    His opponent reacted faster than anyone Blacknail had ever fought before. He easily hopped back out of the attack¡¯s range, and instead of counterattacking he simply eyed Blacknail¡¯s sword suspiciously.


    Blacknail frowned as he realized his enemy was far from stupid, and knew how dangerous his sword could be. That changed things slightly. Before he could think through the implications though the other hobgoblin attacked.


    One of his stone axes hurtled towards Blacknail¡¯s head as his opponent swung it. Even while surprised Blacknail knew better than to try and block it. The axe was heavy, and the horned hobgoblin was bigger and stronger looking than him. Instead, he slipped to the side and out of the way.


    The second axe soon followed. Blacknail¡¯s opponent jumped and swung it down at him. Again Blacknail tried to slip to the side, but just as he was readying his counterattack the other goblin threw his first axe. Blacknail was caught off guard and flinched as the axe hurtled towards his face.


    He jerked his sword up and desperately tried to deflect the savage projectile, but he only managed to graze it. The axe bounced off his weapon and smashed into his shoulder. The weapon didn¡¯t hit edge first but it still cut into him, and it definitely hurt a lot. Blacknail let out a hiss as pain ripped through his side. The attack left only a small cut but his arm had gone numb from the impact.


    Blacknail growled loudly as he sized up his opponent anew. The horned hobgoblin was hanging back and watching Blacknail for any sign of weakness now. Around their small patch of road the goblins were jeering and chattering excitedly. Things were still relatively even though. Blacknail¡¯s one arm was injured but his opponent had lost a weapon.


    Rather than show weakness before his opponent and the watching goblins Blacknail attacked again. He unleashed a flurry of quick slashes at the horned hobgoblin¡¯s body and hands. His opponent countered by stepping back and trying to smash Blacknail¡¯s blade down with his own heavier weapon.


    Blacknail¡¯s lightning fast slashes drew blood and opened several small gashes on his opponent¡¯s arms and ribs. He smiled victoriously as the scent of his enemy¡¯s blood filled the air. However, Blacknail¡¯s sore arm suddenly flared with pain and his last slash faltered.


    His opponent seized the opportunity and brought his axe down on Blacknail¡¯s blade. The stone edge of the hobgoblin¡¯s crude axe shattered, but the impact shocked Blacknail¡¯s injured arm and it went numb. He lost his grip on the sword, and it was ripped painfully from his hands.


    The horned hobgoblin shrieked joyously and dropped his own damaged weapon. As Blacknail was still reeling in pain the other hobgoblin leapt and tackled him to the ground.


    Blacknail was knocked onto his back, as his opponent landed on his chest. The horned hobgoblin straddled Blacknail, reached down, and began to viciously strangle him. Blacknail coughed as his throat was forced closed and he lost the ability to breath.


    He tried to wriggle and escape but it didn¡¯t work. The feral hobgoblin grinned gleefully down at him as he chocked the life from him. Blacknail felt himself grow light headed and weaker, as he futilely tried to suck down air. With his opponent¡¯s superior strength and weight it was nigh impossible for Blacknail to get free.


    So he didn¡¯t try. Instead, he reached under his cloak with his good hand and drew his dagger. Then, he brought it up and savagely stabbed the horned hobgoblin in the side under the ribs. Then he did it again, and again. Then he did it one last time just to make himself feel better.


    His opponent coughed, and blood splattered all over Blacknail¡¯s face. The other hobgoblin went slack and then shivered as his grip on Blacknail¡¯s neck loosened. Herad¡¯s minion unceremoniously pushed his now twitching and coughing opponent off, and then rose to his feet.


    Around him the circle of goblins had gone silent and they now stared at Blacknail intently. Blacknail repressed the urge to fall over and stared them down. Then, the goblins suddenly broke out into shrill cheering, and rushed over to surround him. Their excitement was obnoxiously loud.


    The goblins pressed against him as they tried to reach out and paw the victor. Blacknail would have pulled away, but they came at him from every direction at once. Soon he was being jostled and pushed as the swarm around him moved.


    The surprised hobgoblin tried to shove through them and escape from the mass of unwashed goblins. The little critters had really dirty hands. Blacknail didn¡¯t know what they had been touching, but he knew he didn¡¯t like the fact they were getting it all over his clothes.


    One of the goblins broke away and stepped over to examine the pack Blacknail had dropped earlier. The hobgoblin saw him and growled menacingly as he tried to push the goblins away.


    ¡®Mine! Back, you little thief,¡± Blacknail barked angrily.


    The swarm of goblins around him scattered as his furious yell rang in their ears. The startled goblins retreated from him and began running around and yelling as well.


    Blacknail ignored them and knocked any goblins in his way out of his path as he lunged towards his pack. The goblin that was riffling through the contents of the backpack saw him coming and quickly ran off into the nearby bushes.


    Blacknail briefly checked to make sure that nothing was missing before quickly snatching his bag up. Then he patted himself down to make sure none of the goblins from earlier had stolen anything, and of course they had. He was missing a dagger and a pouch.


    ¡°Little thieves, bad goblins,¡± he hissed as he scanned the nearby goblins for signs of his stuff.


    He saw his pouch in the hands of one of them, and moved to grab it back. He was too slow though and the green thief slipped away into the bushes at the side of the road. Blacknail growled and immediately followed after him.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He swatted branches and plants out of the way as he pursued his target through the thick scrubland. His arm was still sore though, and he was quickly growing tired. This feral pack of thieves was beginning to really annoy him.


    He followed the goblin for several minutes until he stepped out of the bushes and into the ruins of an old human house. It looked to have once been fairly large but it had long ago crumbled away. Only an uneven square of cracked bricks a few feet high remained to mark where the house¡¯s exterior walls had once stood.


    The ground between the ruins was still hard packed enough that only a few small plants and grass grew there. The result was a small clearing, and the place reeked of goblins.


    As the hobgoblin looked around he spotted a pile of ashes and burnt stones that marked the location of a fire pit. It had clearly seen recent use. Other signs of goblin activity, such as tracks and small animal bones, littered the area as well.


    Blacknail heard the bushes behind him shake and he glanced back over his shoulder to see several goblins emerge from the bushes behind him. They cringed and lowered their eyes submissively when he threw a glare their way.


    He ignored them; they weren¡¯t a threat anymore. Goblins such as these feral pipsqueaks would never pick a fight with a hobgoblin such as him. Their natural place was below him.


    Now Blacknail just needed to find his pouch so he could get going. Every minute he wasted here the rest of his tribe got further and further away.


    He scanned the surroundings for signs of the thief, and quickly spotted what looked to be the entrance to an old basement or cellar hidden among the rubble. He smiled and headed towards it.


    The rough stone and mortar walls of the stairway were still intact, but the steps had long ago shifted and eroded. This made the walk down the ruined stairway treacherous. Luckily, Blacknail had both very good night vision and excellent balance.


    It took his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark but when he made it to the bottom of the passage he got a good look at the goblins¡¯ den. It was a large room big enough to hold dozens of people, or many more goblins than that. Like the stairway down, the old cellar¡¯s walls were rough stone with mortar holding them in place. The room had obviously originally been constructed by humans.


    The floor was packed earth, but Blacknail was unsure if it had always been that way or if the dirt had built up after it had been abandoned. Signs of goblin habitation were everywhere. Collected bits of feathers, wood, and human trash were scattered around the floor ; not to mention several insects buzzed around among the garbage.


    The only sources of light were the passage behind Blacknail and a small tunnel some of the goblins had dug in the far wall. Goblins always had more than one entrance to their dens, so that they could flee from predators. It looked big enough for a hobgoblin as well, but it would be a tight squeeze.


    Over in one corner there was a flattened pile of dried plants and bits of cloth. It looked like the horned hobgoblin¡¯s old bed to Blacknail. He sneered at it; his bed was much better.


    The hobgoblin then noticed his pouch on the ground beside the rear tunnel. He quickly jumped over and scooped it up before another goblin could appear and make off with it. He felt relief wash over him when it was back on his hip were it belonged. He was glad he didn¡¯t have to spend any more time looking for it.


    Just then a feeling of dizziness overcame Blacknail, and he realized he was starting to feel tired and sore from his earlier fight with the hobgoblin. That didn¡¯t surprise him; he had kind of gotten the shit kicked out of him. His opponent had got a few lucky blows in.


    He moved over to the grass bed in the corner and sat down. He just needed a moment to rest, and this den was probably safer and more comfortable than anywhere else he could find.


    As the hobgoblin surveyed the room around him his throat suddenly tightened and he was overcome with a feeling of homesickness. It wasn¡¯t quite the same but the cellar definitely reminded him of the sewers he had grown up in. That seemed like a lifetime ago now, even though it had only been several months. So many things had changed.


    His arm gave a twinge of pain so Blacknail removed his cloak and shirt to get a better look at it. The cut had already stopped bleeding, but there was a really nasty deep purple bruise forming around it. Blacknail winced as he examined it.


    The gash was really going to start hurting once the rush from the fight wore off. He was not looking forward to that at all. That stupid feral hobgoblin, with the alright looking horns, had gotten lucky during their fight.


    Carefully Blacknail began to clean and wrap the cut using supplies from his pack. By the time he was done his earlier excitement from the fight had completely worn off. Blacknail yawned as the fatigue from the struggle and all his travelling caught up to him all at once.


    He decided to take a quick nap, just for a bit, so that he had some energy for the road. With a little rest he would probably be able to move faster anyway¡­


    Lazily, Blacknail took out his Flybane and began applying it. Once he had applied enough to keep the bugs away while he rested he yawned again. Then, he laid his head down on his pack as if it was a pillow. He would just close his eyes for a second so he could rest better¡­


    Blacknail woke to the grumbling of his stomach. For a second he wondered why he was so hungry, but then he sniffed the air. The hobgoblin quickly sat up and looked around. Several goblins were cautiously loitering around the den, and they had apparently laid out a spread of food for him.


    A collection of berries and nuts were piled on some leaves in front of him, and that wasn¡¯t all. They had also placed a dead rabbit there and returned his knife as well. Blacknail eyed the nervous looking goblins, and then sniffed the food warily. It smelled very good; better than the dried human food he had been eating on the road. Maybe this tribe wasn¡¯t so bad after all.


    Blacknail quickly scoffed the berries and nuts down, which just left the rabbit. He grabbed both it and his knife as he headed up aboveground. Goblins scattered nervously out of his way when he moved.


    As he climbed the slippery passage upwards he was alarmed to see that it had grown darker. Hopefully it was just some cloud cover. Quickly, he jumped outside and looked up at the sky. The sun was starting to set; he had slept for almost the entire day.


    ¡°Damnnation-ss and rot!¡± he cursed in frustration.


    He would never be able to catch up with the rest of his tribe before night now. That left him only two options. He could either take his chances and sleep alone in the forest by the road, or stay here for the night. There were also his injuries to consider. The smell of his blood would draw predators to him like flies to shit.


    With a resigned sigh Blacknail placed the rabbit carcass on a nearby rock and went to gather some wood. Several goblins trailed after him.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to gather up quite a bit of wood. The area was full of it, and as he worked more and more goblins joined him. In the beginning only a few of them silently followed him around, but as he gathered up pieces of wood and tinder they began to whisper among themselves and copy him.


    Soon almost two dozen goblins were running everywhere and collecting fuel for the fire. An amused Blacknail soon stopped doing the labor himself and instead headed back to get a fire started. As he worked to light the tinder goblin after goblin appeared to drop loads of twigs and branches at his feet. Soon he had far more fuel than he needed, and a roaring fire.


    As the flames roared higher even more goblins appeared to see what was going on. Blacknail counted about three dozen of them, which was probably the entire tribe. There were several small goblings and pregnant females among them.


    They must have been hiding from the unknown hobgoblin when he first arrived. He didn¡¯t blame them. Goblin leadership transitions were often bloody, even without throwing hobgoblins into the mix.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t care about them in the least so he ignored them, and started skinning the rabbit. He enjoyed eating them raw, but after so many days on the road he felt like hot food. In fact he felt like more than just rabbit. Had he seen a pot below?


    Blacknail wandered back down into the den. His memory was right, and in one corner of the room there was a large blackened steel pot. The humans must have left it behind when they deserted the village, and the goblins had claimed it when they moved in. Among the trash he also found several wooden mugs and bowls.


    The hobgoblin grabbed all the stuff and dragged it up to the fire. Working quickly, he grabbed a large branch and stuck it into the ground on an angle so that it leaned over the fire. Then he propped it up by placing a rock under it, and another atop the buried part.


    Now he just needed some water, and some other ingredients. Blacknail turned to the closest goblin and repeated the word his tribe had used for water. The goblin just tilted his head to the side and gave Blacknail a bewildered look.


    The hobgoblin sighed and began to lap up imaginary water from his cupped hands. It was more than a little embarrassing. This was really beneath his dignity. The goblin just continued to stare at him with a confused expression.


    However, another goblin off to the side made an excited sound and rushed over. This goblin¡¯s eyes were wide with recognition, and he began to gibber excitedly. He was an averaged sized goblin with a slight blue cast to his skin and a few strands of grey hair on the crown of his head.


    Blacknail made a shooing motion towards the bushes. His eager helper ran up to the border and looked back to see if the hobgoblin was following. Blacknail went after the goblin and trailed him for a few minutes until they came to a small bubbling creek.


    After scanning it carefully for any sign of a concealed tyrant turtle he approached it and took a drink. That done he filled the two cups he was holding and gave one to his guide.


    When they got back to the den the hobgoblin tried to explain what he wanted to its little green residents. After several embarrassing failures Blacknail managed to get the goblins to start filling the pot using the bowls and cups. Soon, after that he had them bringing him wild carrots and other common herbs.


    He chopped up all the ingredients and threw them all into the pot, and then he hung the pot from the branch above the fire and waited for it to boil. About an hour later the pleasant aroma of stew filled the air above the goblin den.


    After Blacknail had finished eating there was still a lot of stew left, so he offered it to the goblins. Tentatively at first but then with eager excitement the tribe began taking mugs and cups of the stuff and drinking it down.


    Judging by their excited murmuring, and the brawls that broke out over bowls, they really liked it. Several goblins tried to drink directly from the pot but they stopped after Blacknail kicked the first few across the clearing.


    As the sky darkened and the stars began to come out Blacknail found himself sitting around a fire with an entire tribe of goblins. They scampered around energetically and chattered incomprehensibly among themselves. It reminded Blacknail of his life in the sewers, but was also disturbingly different at the same time.


    He was now very unlike how he had used to be back then. He couldn¡¯t even picture himself as one of the little green runts that were running around him. It wasn¡¯t even that he was a hobgoblin now; life with humans had changed him.


    As he stared at the feral goblins Blacknail realized he no longer saw the world the way this tribe did. They had such tiny short little viewpoints. They were just focused on simple things like food and shelter. When they saw the road at the edge of their domain what did they think? Did they wonder who had made it or where it led?


    Blacknail sighed as he realized a simple life like this would never satisfy him anymore. He couldn¡¯t believe he had ever wanted to return to the sewers. He would stay here for the night, and in the morning seek out Herad and the rest of his tribe. Humans had much better food anyway.

 Along Twisted Paths 6

    Blacknail grunted in annoyance. It was too late to try and go after his master, but he had just woken up from his earlier nap so he wasn¡¯t going to be able to fall asleep anytime soon.


    He didn¡¯t really want to sit around and watch a bunch of dirty goblins gulp down stew either. Even Blacknail couldn¡¯t believe how messy they were.


    The hobgoblin was used to doing chores when he had spare time, so out of habit he looked around for something to do. His gaze stopped on the pile of wood. It shouldn¡¯t be left out in the rain, so he decided to build a shelter for it.


    He got up and began to construct a lean-to against the remains of one of the nearby brick walls. He used some of the larger branches the goblins had brought him, and tied them together with twine to form the roof.


    Then Blacknail stood back and admired his handy work proudly. The goblins behind him murmured in appreciation. The hobgoblin froze. What in all the hells was he doing? Why was he building these little green pests furniture?


    With a disgusted grunt he sat back down by the fire. He slouched over and rested his chin on his palm as he gazed into the flames. For a few minutes he enjoyed staring at the crackling dance of the blaze, but he quickly grew bored.


    He had depleted some of his stock of rope earlier so he decided to replace it. He walked out into the bushes by the road and began to gather plant fibers. When he returned the goblins had not only replaced all the wood he had used up but actually made the pile substantially larger.


    Blacknail ignored them and began to twist the fibers together to make rope. As he worked several of the goblins copied him. The hobgoblin gave them a disdainful look. As if they would be able to do it properly. It had taken him weeks to learn to do it, and he was a genius.


    A few minutes later when Blacknail next looked up he saw several of the goblins working together to make near perfect rope. He felt his jaw grow slack and fall open in shock. That wasn¡¯t possible; there was no way these feral little runts should be able to do it so easily!


    Then, Blacknail remembered the other hobgoblin¡¯s axes. They had used similar cord to keep the stone heads attached. Obviously, the goblins had already known how to make twine.


    That made sense. They had probably had practiced for years to manage the feat, while under the threat of strict punishment. Still, maybe they weren¡¯t as dumb as they looked.


    It was some time before Blacknail grew tired. Before then he had not only made two more lean-tos and replaced all his rope, but also constructed a door for the den¡¯s entrance. He¡¯d made it from more branches and tied it down using twine and stakes.


    He was planning on sleeping down there anyway, so having a door directly benefitted him. He obviously hadn¡¯t done it for the goblins. That would be stupid¡­


    Several nearby goblins were playing with their new door as they squealed in excitement. Blacknail shooed them away, flipped the door open, and reentered the den.


    Once down there he scowled. It was dark enough now that even with the door open and goblin night vision he was having some problems seeing. That wouldn¡¯t do.


    Blacknail walked around the room until he found a section of the wall where the stones were crumbling. Using the deceased horned hobgoblin¡¯s axe as a hammer he opened a small hole there. Then he shoved a nearby goblin into it and forced the gibbering runt to dig its way to the surface, as he motivated it with pokes from his sword. His fireplace was thus completed!


    It only took a few seconds to fill the newly dug shaft with wood and light it with a burning branch from the other fire. He removed the goblin first,of course, a burning goblin would undoubtedly make a truly hideous amount of noise. Blacknail had gotten the idea for the fireplace from the one in Herad¡¯s house.


    With the light from the fire and the help of several eager goblins, Blacknail was able to clean the place up a bit and lay out his blankets. The final touch was to scatter flybane around to ward off the bugs. With that done Blacknail had created a comfy place he actually wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping in. In fact, it was actually pretty nice.


    Moving around so much had caused his wounded shoulder to hurt, so Blacknail laid down on his blankets and went to sleep. Just before he slipped unconscious he thought he felt several warm bodies cuddle up next to him. It could have been a dream though.


    As the sun was just peaking over the tree tops the next morning Blacknail opened the new trap door he had built and stepped outside to greet it. He had everything packed and was ready to continue his journey to Daggerpoint.


    Feeling fully rested he made his way through the bushes and back onto the road. He was going to have to travel quickly if he was to have any chance of finding Herad and the others¡¯ trail. With that thought the hobgoblin broke into a fast jog.


    Just as he was about to leave the bushy scrubland behind him he heard a shrill screech fill the air. Blacknail looked back to see a flock of harpies circling the goblin den from high up in the air.


    He then heard the unmistakable yelp of a terrified goblin. He hesitated and grunted in annoyance as he watched the harpies circle. Stupid bloody feral good for nothing runts, it served the goblins right for attacking him.


    The hobgoblin took another step forward but then froze. He was totally not responsible for them just because he had killed their chief. That wasn¡¯t how it worked!


    Blacknail let out a long resigned sigh and turned around. He raced back to the clearing in time to see one of the circling harpies dive. Below it a goblin was desperately attempting to scramble through the bushes towards the entrance to the den. It didn¡¯t look like it would make it.


    Blacknail was prepared though. He had already pulled out his sling, and he immediately sent a stone whirring towards the diving harpy.


    His hasty shot missed, but it definitely caught the raptor¡¯s attention. The sound of the stone shooting past it startled the harpy, and caused it to abandon its dive. Instead, it fluttered in the air for a second before winging its way across the clearing. The goblin it had been aiming for reached the trap door and slipped under it.


    The other harpies that were still circling up above began to screech angrily. Blacknail eyed them warily as he pushed his way through the scraggly bushes and back towards the den. When he burst into the ruins of the old home one of the flock detached itself and dove towards him.


    Blacknail whipped another stone at it, and this time it hit. The harpy squawked in pain and dropped from the air. There was a loud thud as it smashed through the bushes and into the ground.


    Blacknail gave the mangled body of the downed raptor a brief look over. He was fairly confident it was dead. That had been quite the lucky shot, or maybe he was just super skilled?


    That only left five more harpies. Blacknail hoped they would give up now that they knew how dangerous he was. He was really strong and fast after all! They wouldn¡¯t gain anything from attacking him.


    Suddenly, the air above him was filled with the furious screech of vengeful harpies. Moving as one the entire enraged flock descended upon the hobgoblin.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Blacknail swore as his eyes widened in alarm. Maybe that hadn¡¯t been a lucky shot after all¡­


    A surge of panic rushed through Blacknail as he sprinted for cover. He could hear the harpies descending upon him, so he quickly measured the distance to the den¡¯s entrance as he ran. It was obvious he wouldn¡¯t make it, so he swerved and threw himself aside at the last moment.


    The first four harpies missed and blew past him in a gust of wind, but the last one caught the edge of his cloak with its hind claws. The furious raptor then began to slash at Blacknail with the long claws on the end of its wings. Luckily, its efforts were hampered by the hobgoblin¡¯s clothing.


    Blacknail rolled and ripped his cloak off, with the harpy still attached to it. He then drew his dagger and stabbed at it. The flailing creature slipped away from him so he only managed to graze it. That was when the other harpies swung back around and whipped past him once more.


    He tried to roll out of the way again, but this time one of the raptors managed to slash him across the back as it flew past. The cut stung, and Blacknail could feel his clothes grow damp as blood seeped from the gash.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s roll ended as he hit one of the nearby crumbling walls. He placed his back up against it, and then brought his dagger up into a guard. Bleeding and tired, Blacknail prepared himself to face the winged terrors again.


    When the first harpy rushed at him he grabbed his cloak from off the ground and swung it at the creature. Instinctively, the surprised harpy gripped the long piece of fabric, so Blacknail whipped the cloak around and sent the raptor hurtling off into the nearby brambles.


    The other three harpies that were still in flight dove at him, so Blacknail flipped over the wall at his back. This forced the furiously squawking raptors to fly over him harmlessly. Blacknail smiled mockingly at the stupid feathered beasts. They weren¡¯t so tough.


    That was when the first harpy that had attacked him pounced on his back. Blacknail shrieked in pain and tried to throw the creature off, but it had its claws dug in deep. As he futilely tried to reach around and stab the harpy with his knife it suddenly and unexpectedly released him.


    Blacknail rolled through the dirt as he hissed in pain, but the urge to survive raged through him and drove him to act. He landed on his feet with his dagger up, as he spat loose feathers from his mouth.


    ¡°Stupid man faced birds I¡¯ll cut you all up!¡± the hobgoblin roared.


    He had expected to immediately have a face full of furious harpy but it didn¡¯t happen. It soon became obvious why. A goblin had shoved a spear up the raptor¡¯s ass.


    A wave of angry shrieking goblins had rushed out of their den, and were in the process of finishing off the two grounded harpies. The green mob filled the clearing.


    Several of them were mercilessly stabbing each of the flailing raptors with stone tipped spears. Several more rushed over to Blacknail and surrounded him protectively. They waved their spears and jeered at the three harpies that were still flying around.


    The now very outnumbered winged beasts apparently didn¡¯t want to keep fighting. They twisted in the air and started flapping towards the woods. A few seconds later, as Blacknail watched they let out one last angry shriek before disappearing into the trees. Blacknail let out a deep sigh of relief as the goblins around him began cheering at the top of their lungs.


    Now that the fight was over he grunted in pain as he awkwardly tried to stand up straight. That fight could have gone a lot better¡­


    There was no way he was going to be able to start after Herad and Saeter now. He had to clean and patch all the new wounds he had just gotten. Not to mention he wasn¡¯t exactly feeling up to a long run.


    Oh well, it wasn¡¯t all bad. At least he had a safe place to sleep and recuperate. Of course it was full of annoying little runts¡­


    He kind of, but not really, owed them one though. So he could also use the time to teach the goblins a trick or two. Just so they could survive without a hobgoblin around to look after them.


    After getting a nearby goblin to grab him some more food and patching his wounds Blacknail went straight to work. The most important thing was that the goblins were able to protect themselves. That way he could leave without having to worry about them being attacked as soon as his back was turned.


    If the harpies came back the goblins would need slings. Even a small goblin could do a fair bit of damage with a sling, and they worked well against flying targets. Then again a rock to the face worked against almost everything. He didn¡¯t have nearly enough cloth to make slings though¡­


    How else could he do it? Well the goblins had shown they could make twine so maybe he could use that.


    Less than an hour later the hobgoblin was laughing excitedly as he launched a small rock across the clearing using the twine sling he had just made. It had worked; he truly was a genius!


    Immediately, Blacknail grabbed several nearby goblins and forced them to make twine. He had to smack them a few times to keep them from slipping away, but once they knew what he wanted they went to work. The grey haired goblin that had guided him to the creek was there, and Blacknail didn¡¯t have to hit him at all. That was an impressive amount of intelligence for a goblin.


    When he had the enough twine he then got the goblins to watch him make another sling and use it. The weapon apparently impressed the goblins, or maybe they just liked mimicking the hobgoblin, because soon the air was full of flying rocks. That also meant the ground was soon littered with goblins who had welts and bumps decorating their heads. He should have seen that coming¡­


    Even Blacknail had to dodge the occasional rock that shot past his head. He couldn¡¯t figure out which goblin, or conspiracy of goblins, it was that kept doing that. His plan to discipline them by giving them all a good kicking also failed. There were just too many of them, and the little runts were quick when they wanted to be.


    ¡°Stupid ungrateful idiots,¡± he muttered to himself.


    Clearly he had to rethink things. How did Herad control so many bandits? She had lieutenants like Saeter and Red Dog! Could he train a goblin? The grey haired goblin had shown something that mimicked intelligence¡­ kind of.


    He was also standing right beside Blacknail, which placed within easy reach. With his mind made up the hobgoblin began instructing the grey haired goblin on how to use a sling.


    ¡°You boss goblin now,¡± the hobgoblin told his wide eyed follower.


    ¡°You boss,¡± the goblin repeated.


    Blacknail sighed. Well, language wasn¡¯t important anyway. It was time for phase two of his goblin proof plan.


    Blacknail handed Grey Hair a spear, and then had him go around smacking the other goblins with it. If they tried to fight back Blacknail gave them a solid kick, and that was that. Thus, did Grey Hair rise in the pack hierarchy.


    After repeating the process two more times Blacknail had trained himself some loyal lieutenants. Now if the stupid tribe of goblins didn¡¯t do as the hobgoblin wanted it was his lieutenants¡¯ problem, because he would take it out on them. That was much less smacking that Blacknail had to do, and while it started out fun it quickly became just more work.


    His plan worked flawlessly, because he was a genius. Soon Blacknail had the goblins under his, almost, complete control. He kept them very busy while he recuperated. With the help of his new lieutenants he managed to force most the goblins to practice slinging stones without anyone getting hurt.


    Next on the list was fortifying the den some more. First, Blacknail started constructing some more stone axes. He copied the horned hobgoblin¡¯s simple design. A sharpened stone was wedged into the split top of a length of wood, and then wrapped in twine. He had goblins use the axes to cut down saplings.


    The work went quickly with two dozen goblins all working together, especially since if one of the goblins wasn¡¯t working fast enough they got poked by one of the hobgoblin¡¯s spear wielding lieutenants. Blacknail knew how to motivate goblins.


    The wood from the saplings was used to reinforce the trap door, and then to add two smaller trap doors to the back tunnel and the fireplace. With the leftover poles he was even able to make himself a raised platform to sleep on. It was good to be chief.


    Once that was done he taught the goblins how to make snares, and how to use them to catch rabbits and squirrels. This greatly increased the amount of meat the goblins caught, and Blacknail cooked stew again that night.


    After a fire lit feast under the stars Blacknail and the tribe withdrew underground. The room below was barely recognizable now. The flickering orange light of the fireplace illuminated the old cellar. Thanks to the den¡¯s new doors the fire also warmed the cold stone walls of the chamber.


    Most of the trash had also been removed, and the place now smelled of Flybane instead of goblin¡­ stuff. The less he thought about that the better.


    From his place on his newly constructed bed Blacknail yawned and snuggled into his blankets. He felt good enough that tomorrow he would probably be able to hit the road again. For now though he just wanted to enjoy this rare moment of comfort.


    He was just about to fall asleep when heard a goblin approach. He opened his eye to see a female approach and began to lick his face. She was tall and skinny for a goblin, and had short black hair. Blacknail found her attractive, and he smiled in anticipation as blood rushed to his lower regions.


    It had been quite a while since the last time a female goblin had shown interest in him. Blacknail rolled over and sniffed the female. Lust built up in him as he took in her aroma. He growled in appreciation and his heart beat quickened. Just as he was about to mount her two other female goblins moved over and began to lick him as well.


    Blacknail¡¯s smile grew even wider. He was definitely enjoying being a hobgoblin, and was without a doubt glad he¡¯d come back to help this tribe.


    His master and Herad would be fine without him for a few days. How dangerous could this place Daggerpoint be?

 Along Twisted Paths 7

    The morning sunlight shone down gently on Blacknail as he jogged. He¡¯d been very busy yesterday. The hobgoblin had been so busy he hadn¡¯t even had time to hunt. Instead he¡¯d made the goblins he¡¯d been staying with bring him food and water, while he was busying.


    A satisfied grin was plastered across his face as he headed down the road, and he was feeling quite cheerful. This was despite the fact that he had no idea where he was going or what he was going to do when he got there. It sure was a nice day out though!


    Herad and her men¡¯s trail had long since faded, and it wasn¡¯t like he could stop and ask for directions either. His clothes had been torn apart by his recent scuffles and didn¡¯t serve as much of a disguise anymore. Unless he was trying to disguise himself as a hobgoblin wearing rags.


    This left him with two options. Turn back towards camp and hang out with Red Dog, or continue on down the road and hope it led him to Herad before winter came. He chose the latter. Red Dog was no fun, and he was pretty sure that if he just followed the sound of screams that Herad would be close by. She was funny like that.


    Whenever Blacknail heard or saw someone approaching he would slip into the woods and hide among the trees. He didn¡¯t want to draw any attention to himself or get delayed any more than he already had been.


    It wasn¡¯t like the passing humans had anything he wanted anyway. He hadn¡¯t wasted the time he had spent recuperating with the goblin tribe. His backpack was stuffed full of fresh supplies. Before leaving them he had had smoked quite a few strips of meat and collected several handfuls of nuts and berries.


    This meant he wouldn¡¯t need to stop to restock for quite awhile, and could thus keep moving the entire day. Hopefully, that would help him make up for some of the time he had lost.


    The forest on both sides of the road was full of birdsong and the occasional sound of creatures scurrying through the underbrush. The trees were mostly the triangular needle covered kind instead of the ones with leaves. The ground itself was uneven and rocky. It had only the thinnest amount of soil on it and large sections of stone were exposed.


    As Blacknail jogged around the next corner he was presented with a rather serious problem.


    ¡°Harpy teeth-ss and damnation!¡± he growled angrily as he took in the sight before him.


    The road forked; it split in two and both parts went in completely different directions. Blacknail had no idea which one he was supposed to go down. He tried to find some sign or scent of his tribe¡¯s passing, but was unsurprised when he discovered nothing.


    As he circled the crossroads for what must have been the tenth time he suddenly detected a noise. It sounded a lot like heavy footsteps, especially those of horses. Quickly, Blacknail slipped into the nearby bushes before he could be seen.


    As he watched from his hiding place a group of humans came down the road. There were about three dozen of them and they all wore heavy packs. Their clothing was more than a little faded but it still seemed oddly colorful to Blacknail. Red and blue of various shades decorated their outfits.


    Among their number there were three men and two women on horseback. Blacknail could already smell the foul beasts, the horses not the men. Their mounts also seemed to be carrying a lot of baggage. He had seen their like before on missions for Herad. These humans were traders.


    When they got to the fork in the road they started heading South the way Blacknail had just come from. The hobgoblin eyed them carefully. They seemed to know where they were going. Perhaps he could somehow arrange to get this useful bit of information from them?


    The hobgoblin waited until they had passed him by, and then began to stalk after them. It wasn¡¯t hard since they weren¡¯t exactly moving quickly, or being all that observant. Blacknail easily slipped through the bushes behind them unseen. Seriously what was up with their colorful clothing?


    None of the human merchants seemed too dangerous, but there were way too many of them for Blacknail to overcome alone. In broad daylight his torn up clothes wouldn¡¯t disguise him so approaching them was also out.


    That left him with only one option. He had to somehow get one of them away from the rest of the herd. That way he could get some answers out of them. How could he do that though? Humans such as these tended to stick together.


    The hobgoblin picked up speed and moved up ahead of the traders. A plan was starting to form in his head. When you baited animals you used food. So what did humans value instead of food? The answer was shiny coins, and Blacknail had some of those.


    Once he was a fair bit ahead of the human party the grinning hobgoblin broke from cover. He raced to the edge of the road and placed his open coin pouch beside a patch of thick bushes. He then hid himself nearby, and smiled eagerly in anticipation as he waited for someone to fall into his clever trap.


    It didn¡¯t happen. The stupid bloody humans were obviously blind because not one of them noticed the pouch. Not a single one of them! After they had all passed by, the grumbling hobgoblin emerged from hiding and started running ahead of the humans so he could try again.


    This time Blacknail placed the pouch somewhere more obvious, and scattered a few coins around it decoratively. Then, after a second of thought he tied the pouch to a bit of string. That way he could draw his prey in even closer.


    With his trap set the hobgoblin once again hid himself nearby and waited. A human had better notice the pouch this time or he was going to get really mad!


    As the travelling merchants were passing him by for the second time a man at the back of the group happened to glance in the right direction. His eyes went wide in surprise as he noticed the pouch, but then he quickly looked away. Nonchalantly, the man began to slow his pace and fall to the back of the group.


    Blacknail smiled excitedly from his hiding spot; that was perfect! Some suitable prey had noticed the bait.


    Once the rest of the merchants had moved past the coin sack the man hurriedly walked off the road and towards the pouch. With a wary glance back over his shoulder to make sure none of the other merchants were looking in his direction the man made his way over to the bushes. He then smiled greedily as he reached down to pick up the unexpected windfall.


    Right before he could pick it up however the pouch seemed to slide deeper into the shrubs. The man frowned and took a step after it. Then he froze as his eyes went wide in realization. Coin pouches didn¡¯t usually move themselves.


    It was however much too late for him. Off to one side Blacknail suddenly lunged from out of the bushes. Before his prey could even blink the hobgoblin was behind him with a dagger pressed firmly against his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t-ss fight or talk-ss,¡± Blacknail whispered as he pulled the terrified man into the bushes and completely out of sight of anyone on the road.


    ¡°What¡­ oh gods, you¡¯re not human,¡± the man whispered with obvious terror as he visibly paled.


    ¡°Stupid man-ss, that¡¯s obvious. I ask will ask-ss questions here, not you,¡± Blacknail replied viciously as he pushed the now shaking man into the woods.


    Once they had gone a few feet further in Blacknail stopped and looked the trader directly in the eyes. The man flinched and whimpered. Blacknail had to fight a sudden urge to smack some sense into his prisoner. Then he had to fight the urge to stab him.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Which way is Daggerpoint?¡± the hobgoblin asked the man as he pulled the knife tighter.


    ¡°What, you can talk?¡± the stunned man replied.


    Blacknail sighed. Why was this man so stupid? With his free hand Blacknail grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder and squeezed until his sharp nails drew blood. His prisoner whimpered in pain before gasping.


    ¡°Still obvious, answer-ss my question!¡± Blacknail growled.


    ¡°It¡¯s North! Daggerpoint is North of here,¡± the man whimpered.


    ¡°Again, that¡¯s obvious. Back the way-ss you came, which road would you take?¡± the hobgoblin asked scornfully.


    ¡°Uh, the left! It¡¯s the left road,¡± was the trader¡¯s frantic reply.


    Blacknail considered this answer for a second. How did he know the man wasn¡¯t lying?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tie you up, and go-ss capture another human. If he says different from you-ss then you will both die,¡± Blacknail explained untruthfully. That would be way too much work.


    ¡°It¡¯s left I swear!¡± the man repeated.


    Blacknail thought he was probably telling the truth. The whimpering man was obviously a coward and he had no reason to lie anyway.


    ¡°Take off your clothes then lay face down on the ground,¡± Blacknail commanded as he took a step back and drew his sword.


    The man just stood there for a second with a startled expression, but when Blacknail waved his sword at him he immediately began getting undressed.


    When the whimpering man was naked and laying on his stomach, Blacknail picked up his clothes and addressed him.


    ¡°Look up and I stab you,¡± Blacknail warned him.


    Then the hobgoblin immediately began creeping silently away. After he was a fair distance away he broke out into a run. Honestly, he had really wanted to stab the dumb human, but it would have broken Herad¡¯s rules.


    The man was a merchant, and he had been told to rob but not kill them. That way he could rob them again later. That made perfect sense to Blacknail. That human merchant had been so stupid he could probably rob him several more times the same way.


    In fact, Blacknail was already considering several ways to improve his human trap. He could place the pouch over a covered pit. That would mean a lot of digging though. Oh, he could place it beside a giant snare like the one Saeter had used on him! No, that would be way too noisy. He obviously needed to knock them unconscious somehow¡­


    With a new set of clothes and another pouch of shiny human bait to add to his own Blacknail headed towards the left fork in the road. He was relieved that he had managed to get back on his tribe¡¯s trail without too much of a problem. It had even been more than a little fun. He was certainly a genius among hobgoblins!


    A few hours later after heading down the left road he had to stop again. He had arrived at yet another crossroads. He growled in frustration. How many bloody roads did humans need? He probably should have asked the man about the entire way to Daggerpoint¡­


    Blacknail spent quite a while circling the area futilely. The time he was wasting frustrated him, and he began to growl and hiss to himself. He couldn¡¯t just choose a path and follow it though, he could end up anywhere. He had no choice but to wait for someone to come by, hopefully before tomorrow.


    It grew dark before any other travelers appeared, but much to Blacknail¡¯s relief eventually some did. Disguised by the darkness and his new outfit Blacknail was able to simply approach this group and ask directions.


    The humans turned out to be a pair of hunters returning to their camp. When he asked them directions they were more than happy to help him out, but they warned him Daggerpoint was a vile den of thieves and murderers. For his own good they didn¡¯t want to tell him how to get there.


    After a brief conversation he managed to convince them though. He told them he needed to find some of his tribe, or family as human¡¯s called it, who had headed there and who needed his protection. Khita was likely dragging Saeter into danger right this moment. What would they do without him to look out for them?


    The huntsmen thus gave him detailed instructions on how to get to Daggerpoint, and wished him luck in finding his family. Their instructions were rather long. Apparently, there were more than a few crossroads between the hobgoblin and the city. The world sure was a large place.


    After a heartfelt thanks and friendly wave goodbye to the two helpful men Blacknail wandered off to find somewhere to hole up for the night. The huntsman had offered to let him camp with them, but Blacknail hadn¡¯t thought that would be a good idea. They seemed far more observant than the last pair of humans he had spent the night with, and also more dangerous.


    The hobgoblin eventually found a good hollow tree to sleep in, and drifted off. The next morning he was up and on his way to Daggerpoint. The hobgoblin travelled that way for several days, and actually made fairly good time. The mountains in the distance grew larger and larger as he followed the road North.


    Then at last the hobgoblin arrived outside the city of Daggerpoint, or at least he hoped it was Daggerpoint. He didn¡¯t see any actual dagger, with or without a point.


    Blacknail stood upon a hill that looked down at the valley below.


    The city stretched out through the valley below him. It was an ugly place and noticeably smaller than most the other cities Blacknail had seen before. Both the city he had grown up in and Riverdown had been much bigger. Of course he had only seen Riverdown from a distance.


    Other than that, the first thing he noticed about the city was that they used a lot of wood, forests worth of the stuff. The wall that encircled the city was made completely from lumber and practically every building he could see was as well. The stone most other cities used to make buildings was almost nowhere to be seen.


    Near the center of the settlement there was one large fancy looking house that stood on the largest hill in the area. It was much larger than any of the other buildings, and stood entirely alone. At the base of the hill was what looked like some sort of fence, and the only greenery in the entire city lay within it.


    Blacknail thought the large house would be a good place to look for Herad. She always took the largest building as her own whenever she moved somewhere.


    All the other homes and other structures seemed to be placed haphazardly. Blacknail couldn¡¯t see a single straight road that lasted more than a few hundred feet. Everything seemed randomly placed and hastily built.


    All this combined to make Blacknail think the entire place could be set aflame by one well placed fire, he was even briefly tempted to try it. He should probably find Herad and Saeter first though. The fun stuff would have to wait until later.


    The hobgoblin scanned the city walls as he looked for a way in. The road he was on ran down the hill and through a gate in the wall. Two men stood outside the gate and briefly looked over everyone who entered. They didn¡¯t appear to be checking everyone too carefully or going through their stuff.


    Blacknail briefly considered just walking through, but decided not to risk it. It wasn¡¯t like he would be able to casually walk the streets during the day anyway. He would instead just wait for night and scale the walls. They didn¡¯t seem very hobgoblin proof, but then again few things were.


    Blacknail sat down to relax as he snacked and watched the city from his hillside lookout. He could be patient when the reward was great enough. Several hours passed and the sky above him darkened.


    For awhile light shone out of most the buildings in the city, but soon most of them died until only a few remained and the valley grew dark. The hobgoblin looked on as the city gates were closed and the guards withdrew.


    The night air was crisp and the moon was high in the sky when Blacknail finally descended the hill and approached the walls. As he strolled along their lengths he ran his fingers over their rough dry exterior, and then he smiled as his claws found purchase in the timbers.


    He continued walking though until he found a spot where the other side of the barrier was both dark and silent. Then, with an eager smile he dug his nails into the wood and began to climb. His lean but muscled body made it hardly any effort at all.


    Soon, the hobgoblin was perched atop the wall. His cloak rippled in the wind as the breeze blew in from over the dark forest behind him. He looked down to see several squat ramshackle buildings separated by a dark alley. Beyond them stretched a seemingly endless maze of wood and stone.


    Despite its rundown appearance even at night the city was alive with noise. Off in the distance he heard a chorus comprised of the clatter of footsteps and human voices raised in both fear and joy. As he listened a shriek of pain filled the air from only a few streets away.


    It sure sounded like the people inside were having a lot of fun. The hobgoblin couldn¡¯t wait to join in.


    Blacknail smiled as he began to climb down into the alley. He was very glad he had made the journey North and not stayed in the camp. This place seemed like it was going to be a very enjoyable place to visit. There were so many wonderful treats just waiting to be plucked and trapped here. It made him feel all tingly inside just thinking about it.


    He reached the ground and began walking out towards the street. The alley around him was piled high with refuse, but he didn¡¯t mind. Ahead of him flashes of warm light could be seen as doors and shutters were opened and closed off in the distance.


    The hobgoblin scanned the nearby buildings. Several of them seemed in bad repair and probably abandoned. Humans sure liked abandoning buildings. Well, it made it easy for him to find somewhere safe to sleep though.


    Blacknail laughed at the very idea of someone finding him in this twisted wooden human hive. It would be like trying to search for a single mimic in an entire forest, and just as dangerous for the searchers.


    Also, unlike out in the forest there were no dangerous beasts here. The wooden wall and the thick human stench behind it kept them out. In this city there were just blind, deaf, and stupid humans. Blacknail chuckled darkly in amusement.


    Well, there had been no dangerous beasts in the city. Now there was him.

 Interlude: For Love and Duty

    The press shifted towards him, and Ewerlayn readied himself for it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his men fall with a spear lodged in his guts. Another spear stabbed towards Ewerlayn¡¯s own face, but he batted it aside with his shield.


    Then, in one fluid movement he then knocked the spear¡¯s shaft down with his blade and stepped forward to counter attack. His slash was stopped by his opponent¡¯s mail shirt but the impact knocked the man off balance.


    Ewerlayn¡¯s second slash was lower and bit into his opponent¡¯s unprotected inner thigh. The man crumpled as blood spewed from his artery, and Ewerlayn kicked his weapon away.


    Then he had to shift his attention to the next member of the Elorian militia that charged him. He managed to take this one down with a single blow to the neck. The Elorian army really needed to train its soldiers better.


    Maybe they believed in quantity over quality though, because there was no lack of militia around to take the man¡¯s place. Ewarlyn¡¯s vision was full of tightly packed soldiers in blue. They pushed inexorably towards him like a crashing wave. Luckily, he had his own mob of violent killers to watch his back.


    ¡°Hold the line, and ready for impact. Not one of you takes a single step back. We¡¯re going to break these Elorian lilies before us!¡± Ewerlayn roared to the rank of spearmen around him as he brandished his blade.


    It was stupid to draw attention to himself in such a way, but he had a weakness for the dramatic.


    Behind him spears that had fallen as their wielders had tired were suddenly raised and thrust forward all at once to form a bristling wall. Then there was a chorus of heavy thuds and angry shouts as all the spearmen under Ewerlayn¡¯s command stepped forward to meet their enemies¡¯ charge.


    The mercenary lieutenant let his men engulf him and move past. He had done enough fighting for now. The two sides had become too tightly packed for sword fighting, and he could use a break anyway.


    He sheathed his sword and stepped back to get a better view of the battlefield. It was probably time for him to do some real officer work and stop playing around.


    Hundreds of men screamed and fought over the muddy field that lay before Ewerlayn. Soldiers wearing the blue of Eloria clashed with men clad in the yellow and green of Count Eron var Istabulan. Off to one side of the battlefield were the plain mismatched uniforms of the Silver Blades, the mercenary band Ewelayn held a commission in.


    He frowned as he observed the flow of the battle. It didn¡¯t look good. The Elorian forces were pushing the Count¡¯s forces back. The Count¡¯s men were fighting hard, but they were simply outnumbered by the Elorians. That group of archers over on the hill there also seemed to be doing a great deal of damage to the Count¡¯s flank.


    ¡°Well there¡¯s not much I can do about that now. Where are the cavalry though?¡± Ewarlyn muttered to himself as he looked around.


    The Count was supposed to have a sizable division of heavy cavalry. It was one of the reasons the Captain agreed to this commission in the first place, that and he was supposed to be rich. The Captain was always saying that mercenaries had to prioritize staying alive and getting paid, in that order.


    Ewarlyn didn¡¯t disagree. So, where in all the hells was that cavalry? If they didn¡¯t show up soon the Count¡¯s left flank was going to collapse, and then the Elorian infantry there would spill forward towards the Silver Blades. That would be very bad; there were a lot of the whores¡¯ sons.


    Suddenly the sound of trumpets filled the air, and Ewarlyn¡¯s head spun towards the source of the noise. Off in the distance across the torn up fields that lay before him a group of horsemen charging out from behind a hill, and towards the rear of the Elorian forces. One of the riders held a green and yellow banner that streamed through the air behind him.


    A smile appeared on the mercenary officer¡¯s lips as he watched them barrel towards the now panicking Elorians. There was the cavalry! Almost immediately the frantic sound of trumpets and signal drums filled the air as the entire battlefield shifted in the face of this new development.


    The Elorians began to pull back as they tried to deal with this new threat. Even the militia fighting Ewarlyn¡¯s own men soon disengaged. A ragged cheer broke out through the ranks of the Silver Blades as their opponents retreated.


    ¡°Let them go. We¡¯re not getting paid per head so there¡¯s no point pursuing them, lads,¡± the lieutenant ordered his men.


    He watched the battle for a few more minutes, but when the cavalry tore through the Elorians¡¯ archers and the rest of their army kept retreating it was plain the day was won. The Count was no fool; he had sprung his surprise at just the right time. The Elorians had been strung out and too engaged to respond properly.


    After one last glance back Ewarlyn put his second in command and headed off to find the other Silver Blade officers. He flipped off his helmet and removed his gauntlets as he walked. There was nothing more he could do here, and he had gotten quite thirsty. It had been a long hot day of fighting and a glass of wine would really hit the spot.


    A few minutes later he approached the Silver Blades¡¯ large grey command tent. The sound of arguing voices echoed out from within, and he sighed. The captain must not be present. Ewarlyn swaggered into the large brown tent to see what was going on.


    The inside of the pavilion was unlit but enough sunlight streamed through the entrances and gaps in the fabric walls that it wasn¡¯t an issue. Several large mats had been thrown over the ground, and a wooden table was set up in the center of the room. It was covered in maps and surrounded by several plain wooden chairs.


    Just as Ewarlyn had expected most the other Sliver Blades lieutenants were present but not the Captain. Two military looking men were seated at the table and another two were standing beside it. A servant also stood off to one side.


    ¡°I see you all survived to annoy each other another day. I hope the same can be said for the others. Any of you know where the Captain is?¡± Ewarlyn asked as he walked in.


    The others all turned towards him, and a younger man who was leaning back in his chair and had his feet resting on the table replied.


    ¡°You just lost me five copper, Ewarlyn. I¡¯d bet the others that you¡¯d finally gotten yourself killed. Damn, and it seemed like a sure thing. The fighting was thick and heavy in your area, and for some completely unfathomable reason you feel the need to fight on the front lines. I mean look at you! You were obviously just doing it. How are you alive?¡± the man joked.


    ¡°I am a knight of Azur-Waj, Rahgeid. I am dedicated to the god of war, and do not fear death or battle,¡± Ewarlyn replied with a smile, as he stepped forward and pushed the other man¡¯s feet off the table.


    ¡°Ugh, not that nonsense again! I thank the gods every day that I wasn¡¯t born a third son. If I had been then my parents might have tried to send me off to be a paladin as well, and then I¡¯d be just as stupid as you,¡± Rahgeid shot back.


    Before Ewarlyn could reply, or pour himself a glass of wine, the doorway of the tent darkened as the Captain and the last lieutenant entered. Ewarlyn let out a relieved breath he¡¯d been unaware of holding in when he saw them. In the back of his mind he¡¯d been afraid something had happened to them.


    Captain Hyrus was a thickly built older man with a large mustache and a shaved head. As a veteran of many battlefields and wars he had a commanding aura that dominated any room he was in. Everyone in the room went quiet and straightened their posture as he gazed their way.


    Of course, he was small compared to the woman that stood behind him. Lieutenant Vorscha was a very tall and muscular woman, but Ewarlyn still found her attractive. She gave him a friendly grin as she entered and he replied with a respectful nod.


    Captain Hyrus turned and gave all the lieutenants in front of him a stern grin.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to congratulate you all on not screwing this up, and surviving another day. I was just speaking to the Count and he¡¯s more than satisfied with our contributions to the fight. He even praised the skill of our troops. He told me we had grit. Basically, that means we can expect to get paid for this job and maybe we just might get a bonus as well,¡± he told them.


    ¡°Here¡¯s to getting paid!¡± Rahgeid announced as he raised his cup and then took a drink of wine.


    ¡°You can all take the rest of the day off, except you Rahgeid. You¡¯re in charge of clean up, because you look like you¡¯re already all rested up,¡± the Captain responded with a scowl.


    Rahgeid however just smiled and threw the Captain a messy salute.


    ¡°Will we be moving on soon?¡± one of the other lieutenants asked.


    ¡°Probably, the Elorians are unlikely to mount another offensive into this part of Hulgaron. They got pretty solidly thrashed here today. The Count seems like he¡¯s too shrewd a man to be willing to pay us good gold just to sit around, so we¡¯ll have to find a new employer,¡± Captain Hyrule explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me. The pay is nice but there¡¯s nothing but muddy fields and peasant shacks around here. Hopefully, the next place we fight has wine, food good, and beautiful women,¡± one of the other lieutenants replied.


    ¡°You forgot to mention good looking men, instead of all you sweaty pigs!¡± Vorscha added with a laugh.


    There were smiles all around at her comment, although some of them were strained. Ewarlyn himself found it hard to conceal a grimace. Her casual joke had unexpectedly drawn blood; he knew he wasn¡¯t the most handsome of men. His nose was a little too large and his other features were bland.


    The mercenaries made small talk for a few more minutes before the Captain dismissed them and sent them on their way. Ewarlyn slipped out at the same time as Vorscha.


    ¡°I hear you were fighting on the frontlines again, Ewarlyn. Unlike the others I¡¯m not surprised you managed to walk away unharmed. You take that paladin stuff of yours seriously, and you¡¯re one of the best fighters I¡¯ve ever seen. I wish I could have joined you, but the Captain had me serving as his second. I couldn¡¯t exactly tell him no, no matter how much I wanted to wet my blade,¡± Vorscha told him as they walked out.


    Ewarlyn felt himself flush slightly at the compliment despite an effort on his part to remain stoic looking. In truth, he didn¡¯t actually consider himself a great fighter or a particularly dedicated paladin. He simply didn¡¯t know how to act other than the way he had been trained.


    ¡°Coming from you that compliment is a great honor. You¡¯re also one of the best fighters I¡¯ve ever come across, and you didn¡¯t have all the advantages my birth and training gave me. I¡¯m not exceptional for a knight of Azur-Waj, but you¡¯re definitely something special,¡± he replied honestly.


    She gave him a happy smile and they continued happily discussing swordsmanship and fighting techniques for a few minutes before splitting up and heading to different parts of the camp. Ewarlyn gazed after Vorscha as she walked away for a few moments before continuing on his way.


    With a regretful sigh he wandered off to his tent to clean up and catch some rest. Once he was lying down it only took a few minutes for him to slip asleep. He had long ago grown used to the unpredictable schedule of a soldier.


    He woke as someone opened his tent¡¯s flap, and he immediately drew the knife he always slept beside. When he opened his eyes though the sight of one of his men greeted him, so he relaxed.


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    ¡°The Captain wants you at the command post now. Something¡¯s up,¡± his subordinate told Ewarlyn.


    The mercenary lieutenant frowned in confusion. Why would the captain want to see him now? Had the Elorians gotten reinforcements? No, that didn¡¯t make sense; they would have heard about it long before it became urgent.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my way. Thank you private,¡± he told the other man as he quickly got dressed.


    Once he was clothed and armed he strode quickly to the command tent. It would be poor form to keep his superior officer waiting, but if he ran it might alarm the common soldiers. Voices greeted him as he approached.


    ¡°¡­this doesn¡¯t add up. I know the men they¡¯re talking about, and they¡¯re not the type to do something like this!¡± Rahgeid was telling the Captain as Ewarlyn entered.


    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to cover your own ass,¡± one of the other lieutenants interjected scornfully.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Ewarlyn asked with concern.


    The Captain turned to him and answered. His eyes were dark and his was face was wrinkled with worry as he spoke.


    ¡°Several of Rahgeid¡¯s men were arrested about an hour ago. Apparently they were caught trying to steal coin from the Count¡¯s pay chest. I¡¯m told they¡¯ve already confessed, and that several others were with them but got away with a significant amount of coin. The Count is furious,¡± the captain answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that story doesn¡¯t make sense. He won¡¯t even let me see my men! He has them locked away where I can¡¯t get at them. It¡¯s bloody suspicious, is what it is,¡± Rahgeid added with obvious frustration.


    Several of the other mercenaries began to speak up. Most of them seemed to blame Rahgeid and disagree with him. The captain however was silent, and looked like he¡¯d just swallowed a spine toad.


    ¡°Quiet all of you! Unfortunately, I have to agree with Rahgeid on this. This smells more than a little fishy. It might be some sort of attempt by the Count to lower our pay. I¡¯ll have to go speak with him myself and try to sort it out. I want the company on full alert until I get back,¡± he told them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you; you¡¯ll need someone at your back,¡± Vorscha commented.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going alone. Stay here and help get things organized. I want to know where every single one of our men is when I get back,¡± he replied as he walked out of the tent.


    As soon as he was gone the other lieutenants began to talk and argue among themselves. Ewarlyn didn¡¯t approve; they should be out fulfilling their duties. Before he could say anything though, Vorscha spoke up.


    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s get moving! The Captain gave us orders,¡± she announced loudly enough to overwhelm everyone else who was talking.


    ¡°Indeed, we have a job to do. So let¡¯s do it,¡± Ewarlyn added in support of Vorscha.


    No one liked being talked down to but they knew they were in the wrong, so soon everyone was out of the tent and moving through the camp. Once again Ewarlyn found himself walking alongside Vorscha.


    ¡°I hope the Captain can sort this mess out,¡± he commented.


    ¡°I just hope he comes back unharmed. I met the Count and he¡¯s a typical noble snake! It wouldn¡¯t surprise me at all if he stabbed us in the back,¡± Vorscha replied with obvious anger.


    Ewarlyn raised an eyebrow. As the third son of a knight, and a landless knight himself, he was also a noble. Vorscha must have seen the look on his face because she hesitated.


    ¡°You¡¯re obviously an exception. I mean, as a knight you get your hands dirty so you¡¯re hardly a noble at all really,¡± she told him cheerfully as she gave him a friendly slap across the back.


    He had fight to keep his balance as the ¡®friendly¡¯ blow almost sent him sprawling forward. He turned around and gave her a complicated expression.


    ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± he replied with more than a little sarcasm, and then he rubbed his sore back.


    Just then one of the younger mercenaries in his squad ran up. The lad looked exhausted and more than a little scared. Instantly, Ewarlyn¡¯s hand went to the hilt of his blade for reassurance as he felt a spike of worry. This didn¡¯t look good.


    ¡°Lieutenant, they¡¯ve arrested him! They¡¯ve arrested the Captain!¡± the lad babbled.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Vorscha swore.


    Quickly, Ewarlyn reached out and took the panicking private by the shoulder. He couldn¡¯t have the lad spreading rumors throughout the camp and starting a wildfire of panic.


    ¡°Calm down, private. Now tell me what happened, quietly!¡± he commanded the lad.


    ¡°I was walking through the main camp when I saw the Captain walk up to that Count¡¯s big ole tent. When he approached the Count¡¯s guards drew their blades and surrounded him. They said he was under arrest for planning the theft of some gold or something. Sir, the Captain then tried to draw his blade but one of them guards smacked him down from behind and knocked him out good. Then the bastards dragged him away, sir!¡± the young private explained excitedly.


    ¡°Double shit,¡± Vorscha hissed angrily.


    ¡°Private, you¡¯re coming with us. We need to inform the rest of the officers,¡± Ewarlyn said as he considered the fact that there might be a battle today after all.


    After sending out messengers and quite a bit of running around Ewarlyn found himself addressing the other lieutenants. When he relayed what had happened to them most of them looked shocked and angry.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way the Captain had anything to do with any theft, if there even was such a thing. That damned Count must be trying to get out of paying us!¡± one of the officers said.


    ¡°He probably wants to conscript our men as well. Why pay mercenaries when you can just force them to work for free?¡± someone else added.


    ¡°Fucking hells. What do we do, Ewarlyn? You¡¯re the most senior lieutenant since Kevhar retired,¡± Rahgeid cursed.


    Ewarlyn felt a flash of panic as he realized the other man was right. He was in charge now, at least as long as the other lieutenants accepted it. He quickly gave them a quick glance to try and determine where they stood.


    Most of them seemed too scared or shocked to question his authority. He doubted anyone would challenge him for the position. It wasn¡¯t like he really wanted it though.


    As he gazed around the room he fell deep into thought. What were their options, and what would the repercussion of each action be? The way he figured, it basically came down to surrendering or trying to fight their way out. He didn¡¯t like either option much.


    ¡°If we surrender I question our value to the Count. He¡¯ll have little use for officers of questionable loyalty,¡± Ewarlyn told the others.


    ¡°Right, if I were him I¡¯d have us arrested and disposed of as well,¡± a nervous Rahgeid added.


    ¡°If we fight though, our chances aren¡¯t great. Our best bet would be to immediately try and cut ourselves a path North West towards Eloria. That way the count would hesitate to follow us, but on the other hand we might run into the Elorian army,¡± Ewarlyn continued.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really have another choice though, do we?¡± another officer asked.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t. Fuck surrendering, let¡¯s bloody these backstabbing bastards,¡± Vorscha growled.


    With their course decided Ewarlyn immediately began mobilizing the company, and planning their strategy. He was interrupted though when a runner arrived.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Count! He¡¯s marshaled his forces and is coming to arrest us all!¡± the messenger told him.


    ¡°Damn him to all the hells!¡± Ewarlyn swore as he leaned over the map table.


    It was too soon! They weren¡¯t going to be able to make it to safety this way. The bastard must have been preparing to march even before he arrested the Captain. He¡¯d had this entire ploy planned out since the beginning. Damn him!


    ¡°One of us is going to have to stay behind and lead a holding action to buy the others time, Ewarlyn. I volunteer,¡± she told him.


    Ewarlyn¡¯s throat went dry and he felt himself sway as a wave of panic ran through him. That would be suicide! He couldn¡¯t let her do that.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m in command and I chose this course. I¡¯ll lead the rear guard. It¡¯s my responsibility,¡± he announced as sternly as he could as he stared Vorscha down.


    The muscular woman looked startled but quickly opened her mouth to argue with him. He wasn¡¯t going to let that happen though.


    ¡°Shut up! Get your men moving, Vorscha. I¡¯ve given you an order, now move,¡± he hissed at her with as much false anger as he could manage.


    She flushed red with fury at his words and still looked like she wanted to argue, so Ewarlyn pointed to the door and then turned away dismissively. He heard a furious hiss of anger followed by heavy footsteps as she left. When she was gone he let out a relieved sigh. She would be safe now, as long as he did his part anyway.


    Quickly, Ewarlyn got to work and prepared to defend the camp. Orders had to be given and soldiers found. He couldn¡¯t fight the Count¡¯s forces by himself.


    When the first men wearing the yellow and green of the Count¡¯s forces began to stream over the nearby hill he was waiting for them at the edge of the Silver Blades¡¯ camp. Behind him stood a platoon of volunteers formed up into a shield wall.


    It would have been more impressive if his men hadn¡¯t been so outnumbered. He supposed it didn¡¯t really matter though. All they had to do was delay them, and they were dead anyway.


    Ewarlyn watched the enemy form up across the field. He didn¡¯t see any cavalry, which could be good or very very bad. He hoped the Count hadn¡¯t thought them necessary to subdue a mere company of mercenaries.


    To the lieutenant¡¯s surprise the enemy troops began to march forward. He had half been expecting the Count to try and parley. He looked back to the grim faces of his own soldiers. To his own surprise he found he didn¡¯t really feel like making a speech. What could he possibly say? Still he felt he had to say something¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you men but I¡¯m going to try and kill as many of these bastards as possible. If any of you lads manage to kill more than me then I¡¯ll be buying you a drink in the next world,¡± Ewarlyn shouted.


    There were a few half hearted cheers and chuckles as Ewarlyn stepped back. He raised his shield and took his place in the wall. An eternity and several seconds later the first wave of green and yellow washed over them.


    Familiar screams of defiance, rage, and fear sounded out from all around him. The sound of heavy impacts and wood splintering filled the air as the Count¡¯s forces threw themselves against their shields, but they held their ground and the enemies¡¯ momentum broke.


    Next came the swords. Ewarlyn stabbed forward as men all around began to do the same. Blades flashed through the air and tore through the ranks of the enemy.


    Ewarlyn began to lose track time of time as he hacked and slashed. Spears nicked him and he began to bleed heavily. Oddly enough he felt no pain though as he pushed himself to keep fighting. His men fell around him until only yellow and green remained.


    The world became a blur as he struggled to kill as much as possible before being killed. Feeling leaked from him as he drowned in red. He had no idea how long he had been fighting. Suddenly he felt himself sag and collapse into the mud. He struggled to rise, but couldn¡¯t for some reason beyond his understanding.


    As he started to fade away his last thought was of Vorscha¡¯s smiling face. He wished he had told her how he had truly felt, even if she would have just laughed at him. Then he smiled; at least she was safe now¡­

 Den of Beasts 1

    The city smelled of humans. That was no surprise to Blacknail, it was a scent he knew well, but its intensity was still almost overwhelming. The dark alleys and city streets reeked not only of their sweat and urine but also of their blood and shit.


    Blacknail grimaced in disgust as he slipped through the shadows along the edge of the street and past the other pedestrians. He stayed away from any light that shone out from nearby buildings. Even goblins knew better than to shit where they lived. Were the humans just lazy or were they too afraid to go outside?


    The black gloom of night lay thick over the city as Blacknail searched for some sign or scent of his tribe amongst the torrent of other odors that filled the streets. Try as he might though he couldn¡¯t detect anything. Mingled among the foul and the vile there were however some other more pleasant aromas.


    They were smells he couldn¡¯t quite place but were familiar none the less. Some of the scents were somewhat like stew but even more... varied. Other smells reminded him strongly of bread or some of the treats Varhs and Geralhd had occasionally brought him. These were so much more full and fresh in their aroma though. It brought back bittersweet memories of his life before he had been taken from the sewers.


    The sound of nearby whispering tickled his ears and Blacknail looked over to see the shadows shift at the entrance to the alley he was about to walk by. He frowned at what he saw within.


    Suddenly, figures dressed in rags burst from the alley and towards him. They ranged in size but some were far smaller than Blacknail. Before they could get too close though, he kicked one of them away, and growled at the rest.


    The human children gasped and fled in every direction away from him. The larger female he had knocked over quickly got to her feet and scrambled away.


    Blacknail smiled smugly. The pests had looked like they were just running past, but the hobgoblin hadn¡¯t been fooled. He knew they¡¯d been targeting him, most likely for theft. Goblins played similar tricks on each other all the time. A good kicking was always the right answer.


    The hobgoblin moved on. His recent actions had caused some attention to be focused on him, but not too much. No one had died and he hadn¡¯t made too much noise. The humans of this city seemed to value their privacy, which suited Blacknail just fine. He was even far from the only person out and about in a hood and cloak.


    Occasionally, a larger group of armed humans would pass by. Anyone who got too close to them was hassled and shoved around. Blacknail had examined a few of these human packs from a safe distance. They wore no uniforms or other marks of identification he could see.


    He had even seen two of the groups meet and exchange insults and threats. They hadn¡¯t actually fought though, so while they weren¡¯t friendly they weren¡¯t enemies either. Blacknail suspected these were warriors from different tribes attempting to gain status through displays of might and bravery.


    It was easy for him to avoid them. They were noisy and he could hear them coming from a block away. If he had wanted to Blacknail could easily have never even entered their sight. He was sneaky like that.


    The hobgoblin wandered the sprawling streets of the city for awhile without finding anything of too much interest. He did however pick up two tails. Blacknail didn¡¯t look back but he had definitely been hearing the same steady sound of footsteps for the last few minutes. That was interesting; he wondered who they were.


    Blacknail suddenly swerved and walked into a dark alley to his left. There were a lot of dark alleys to choose from in this place. He then crouched behind a pile of junk and waited. Just as he had planned two men soon stepped into the alley. They walked quickly towards his hiding spot as they scanned the shadows for signs of him.


    Blacknail frowned in disappointment. He didn¡¯t know them and they didn¡¯t smell of anyone he knew. They were probably just a pair of random stupid humans. With a sigh, the hobgoblin rose from his hiding spot and confronted the men who had been following him.


    ¡°There he is!¡± the smaller one barked as he spotted Blacknail.


    His companion whipped around and pointed a long dagger at Blacknail¡¯s face. The hobgoblin just tilted his head to the side lightly and gave him a quizzical look.


    ¡°Give up your coins or we¡¯ll¡­¡± he started to say, before Blacknail tuned him out and sighed again.


    These men were just boring thieving humans and no one important. They didn¡¯t even have swords or look tough at all. Oh well, it was to be expected. Thieves were the lowest of the low after all. The hobgoblin raised the sling he was holding at his side and launched a rock at the talking idiot¡¯s face.


    There was a loud crack as the stone smashed into the man¡¯s forehead and tore a bloody gash across it. The injured mugger staggered and began to collapse. Before he hit the ground Blacknail was already moving. The hobgoblin shot forward as he drew his sword, and slashed at the second man.


    ¡°Wha?¡± the man said as he fumbled for his own dagger.


    Blacknail¡¯s blade cut deep into his shoulder before his target could manage to draw his weapon. The man screamed shrilly in pain as his arm went slack and the dagger fell from his limp fingers. The disabled man tried to pull away from the hobgoblin, but Blacknail took a step after him and silenced his annoying blubbering with a second heavy chop to his neck.


    Blacknail then pulled off his right glove and leisurely reached down. With a satisfied smile he tore the unconscious first mugger¡¯s throat out with his bare claws. The man¡¯s flesh felt nice and squishy between his fingers as he squeezed. It was too bad humans didn¡¯t taste that good.


    The grinning hobgoblin then took a few seconds to listen for the signs of anyone approaching. It was soon however apparent that no one was headed over to check on the source of the brief scream, so Blacknail began rifling through his attackers¡¯ clothes for things to take as trophies.


    He found a few shiny coins and pocketed their daggers as well, before leisurely continuing on his way down the alley. He could tell no one was coming his way so there was no reason to hurry.


    A few minutes later Blacknail stepped back out onto one of the main streets. At this time of day there were only a few other people around, and none of them were looking his way. As he started walking deeper into the city his stomach gave a rumble; killing things usually made him hungry.


    He still had some smoked meat and nuts left in his pack, but surrounded as he was by such intriguing smells there was no way he was going to eat them. There were much better things around for him to sink his teeth into.


    Blacknial followed his nose in the direction the most delicious aroma was coming from. Soon he found himself moving closer towards one of the more crowded and well lit areas of the city. Cautiously, he looked out from a shadowy alley to see what was going on.


    The street was wider here and stretched quite a distance in both directions. It was well lit by bright torches, and the open doorways of buildings that lined the street. What had to be hundreds of humans were walking around as they shouted, yelled, and did other annoying things that were too loud.


    Most of them wore rough cheap clothing and bore visible weapons, but not all of them. Blacknail also saw quite a few human females dressed in next to nothing, and some similarly garbed men as well. He thought they looked more than a little cold¡­


    Scattered around the street there were several other humans in much nicer and more colorful clothing walking around too. Usually they were surrounded by more than a few tough looking escorts. They seemed to be higher status humans with their own warrior underlings.


    The hobgoblin still didn¡¯t see anyone he knew, so he looked past all the rather fatty and oily humans to see where all the wonderful smells were coming from. The most potent of the aromas seemed to be leaking from several large well lit buildings with open doors.


    The problem was that lots of people were coming and going from them. Light and crowds of humans in close proximity were something the hobgoblin planned on avoiding however.


    Some of the smells were coming from booths or smaller buildings with far less people in them. Those looked far more promising. Hesitantly, Blacknail stepped out of the shadows and onto the dimly lit street. He forced himself to casually walk past all the loud men and woman around him.


    As he moved a few of the tough looking men gave him glares, but they ignored him when he moved out of their way. Some of the skimpily dressed men and women looked him over curiously, but after he failed to meet their gazes they lost interest as well. No one appeared to notice anything off about him so Blacknail relaxed, and even began to enjoy himself.


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    Ha, he was so tricky! All these stupid humans didn¡¯t know he was right there in front of them. This was too easy. All it took was a cloak and the humans couldn¡¯t see him, and they sure couldn¡¯t smell him either! As he walked past a pair of chatting humans he sniggered in amusement.


    One of the women threw him a rude glare but kept walking. This only caused Blacknail to snigger harder. He was so amazing! Now he just had to find some food, and then locate his tribe.


    The hobgoblin scanned the nearby wooden booths. They were covered in delicious looking treats, but at least one human was watching over each of them. Blacknail grinned smugly; that didn¡¯t seem like it would be a problem.


    The hobgoblin did a quick walk down the street and back to pick a first target. Eventually, he settled on a booth being operated by a fat man that appeared to be selling some sort of meat pastry. Their spicy and meaty aroma made his mouth water.


    Blacknail watched the man carefully for a few minutes from the across the street. When he had the man¡¯s mannerisms down he made his move, and began his walk by of the booth.


    The fat man watched him approach from the corner of his eye, but seemed unconcerned. Blacknail was just another random person on the street. As he reached the booth the fat man looked up and away from the hobgoblin, towards a scantily clad woman who was walking by.


    Instantly, Blacknail¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed several pastries. Quick as a striking snake the hand then withdrew out of sight and back beneath his cloak. The hobgoblin picked up his pace ever so slightly and swerved to disappear into a nearby alley before the man even noticed anything was missing.


    Once safely out of sight within the alley the hobgoblin stuffed his face full of meat pies. They were so very delicious! Ugh, he couldn¡¯t eat them fast enough. They were just too good.


    Blacknail began coughing and choking as he fought down the urge to threw up from eating too quickly. That didn¡¯t stop him from devouring the last succulent pie as he shivered violently in excitement though. The delicious taste was worth it.


    After a few more dashes out to liberate food that wasn¡¯t being used Blacknail had filled his stomach. He then took a brief rest to let his stomach settle before continuing on his quest to find his tribe. It quickly grew even darker out as the hobgoblin searched the quickly emptying streets.


    Eventually, all the lights went out and all the humans disappeared. Blacknail cursed as he stood alone in the middle of a completely empty cobblestone street. During his search he hadn¡¯t managed to find any trace of Herad or the others. Well, at least he was in no danger of starving to death¡­


    With a tired yawn the hobgoblin decided to abandon his hunt for now, and find somewhere to sleep. After thinking it over for a minute he thought the best place to look was the area where he had first entered the city. Most the buildings there had been empty and abandoned. They were also a little worse for wear but he didn¡¯t care. As long as they kept the rain and wind away it was fine.


    Blacknail¡¯s cloaked form slipped silently through the now pitch black streets. The sky overhead was heavy with unseen clouds that blotted out the heavens¡¯ light. Even the hobgoblin had some difficulty seeing where he was going. His nose however worked fine.


    Soon, Blacknail was back where he had started earlier that night. He selected one of the nearby houses as his territory for the night. The one he had chosen was a squat wooden structure with a small upper floor. There was a hole in the roof but it was still mostly intact and would serve as a shelter.


    It was also the house that smelled the least of humans and rot. Unfortunately, it also smelled strongly of rats so Blacknail went around and urinated on the walls to mark the territory as his own. That would keep them away while he slept, and if not then he would simply not have to look very far to find some breakfast.


    The stairs up to the upper room had collapsed but Blacknail had no trouble climbing up using its remains. Once he was on the second floor he found the driest corner and set up his blankets. With that done he looked around and gave a satisfied nod. No humans would be able to sneak up on him while he rested there, and the rats probably couldn¡¯t either.


    When Blacknail woke up the next morning the sun was at its peak in the sky. So, it wasn¡¯t really the morning at all anymore. No rats, dogs, cats, or humans had disturbed his sleep.


    The hobgoblin got up and looked out of the nearby window. It only gave him a good view of the nearby empty alley, but he could see the sky as well. It was cloudy overhead and the sun was hidden but it was still far too bright for him to be comfortable going out.


    Of course his only other option was to stay in the ruined house for hours until it got dark, and see if the rats ever showed up. After thinking it over Blacknail decided he would be fine exploring the city as long as he stayed away from people.


    The city was a maze of shadowy alleys and narrow streets so it wouldn¡¯t be that hard to keep out of sight. Besides, he smelled something delicious and really wanted to taste it.


    Blacknail slipped his cloak back on and hopped down to the first floor. After looking around to make sure no one was around he crept carefully outside and into the sunlight.


    He then decided the first thing he was going to do was find some breakfast. Hopefully, he would stumble across some clue to Herad¡¯s location as well.


    So Blacknail started wandering the alleys and back streets of the city. He saw a few people around but he kept his distance from them, and they stayed away from him as well. The people of Daggerpoint weren¡¯t known for their friendliness.


    Once he accidently walked past a man covered in rags who was crouched under a ledge without seeing or hearing him. When the man unexpectedly spoke Blacknail jumped up in surprise before dashing away.


    It wasn¡¯t his proudest moment, but that was how Blacknail found himself standing outside the back of a large colorful building. It was only two stories tall but still was one of the tallest buildings around.


    It had a solid stone and mortar foundation and was solid wood above that. Unlike all the other buildings around it seemed in good repair, and looked freshly painted. Most importantly there was a rather interesting aroma wafting down from one of the second floor windows, and there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone nearby.


    Feeling intrigued the hobgoblin gave a quick look around before slipping over to the wall, and beginning to scale the outside of the building. His claws found purchase easily enough and it didn¡¯t take him long to reach the window ledge. He hung below it for a few seconds and listened, but didn¡¯t hear movement in the room on the other side.


    Reassured, he slowly raised his head over the window sill and looked within. His first thought was that the room on the other side was rather fancy looking. In fact it was the fanciest room he had ever seen.


    The walls were dark red and luxurious wooden furniture lined the room. A huge carved wooden canopy bed dominated the center of the chamber. Red curtains hung from the bed¡¯s canopy and it was piled high with ruffled sheets and pillows.


    Blacknail however focused on the wooden stand just on the other side of the window that held a silver platter and a jug of water. The delicious aroma he smelled was wafting up from there.


    With an eager growl Blacknail climbed through the window and crept quietly over to the tray of food. He eyed it critically for a second. There looked to be some kind of cheese, slices of red meat in some sort of sauce, and bits of fruit on it.


    They all looked tasty, but the cheese smelled so good he began to drool. He reached for the food with a happy smile on his face, but the smile slipped as he suddenly heard the sound of sheets shifting.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± a sleepy but smooth voice asked from behind him.


    Blacknail jerked in surprise, before quickly pulling his hood down further and raising a hand to hide his face. He then spun around towards the source of the unexpected noise. He was just in time to see the mass of blankets and pillows on the bed be thrown aside to reveal the form of a completely naked human female with long dark hair.


    The sheets slid down her body as she gracefully pushed herself off the bed and stood up, before glaring suspiciously at Blacknail. Much to his surprise she didn¡¯t betray a single shred of fear at his presence.


    Luckily, she didn¡¯t appear to have a plate in her hands.

 Den of Beasts 2

    Blacknail stared nervously at the woman who had appeared behind him. She was definitely completely naked¡­ yet she was looking him over without a single hint of fear.


    The hobgoblin found it more than a little unnerving. She was in a room with a cloaked hobgoblin while totally undressed! Why was he the anxious one?


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely not a customer. You¡¯d never get in the front door; your clothes are too rough looking. My first guess would be a burglar, but who would be stupid enough to rob this place? Maybe you¡¯re a fan? Although that also seems unlikely,¡± she asked with a thoughtful frown.


    Blacknail considered drawing his blade and killing her, but quickly discarded the idea. She wasn¡¯t a physical threat and the worst she could do was make some noise, which was what was most likely to happen if he did attack. Instead, he snatched up the plate of food and prepared to make his escape.


    ¡°Make no sounds woman. If you make noise before I leave I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Blacknail told the woman as he took a small step back towards the window.


    The woman just smiled at his remark, and then stretched herself out provocatively. As she arched her back her sizeable chest heaved.


    ¡°Since you apparently came in here without knowing who I am I¡¯ll introduce myself. I¡¯m known as Luphera, and surely you wouldn¡¯t want to hurt little harmless old me,¡± she commented a she pouted playfully.


    Blacknail suddenly found himself growing quite uncomfortable. He was feeling things he wasn¡¯t used to feeling about humans. There was just something so very attractive about the sinuous way this human moved. He wanted to lick her¡­


    Wait what?! Blacknail shook his head to clear his thoughts. What was he thinking? All humans were pink and fatty. He must still have some of the female goblins¡¯ scent on him, and it was confusing him.


    He took an unconscious sniff of the air in the room, and his nostrils were flooded with a weird flowery scent. As he fought a sudden urge to sneeze a realization hit him. It wasn¡¯t the left over scent of a female goblin that was confusing him; it was the sweet floral scent! It smelled somewhat similar to a female in heat.


    ¡°You¡¯ve intrigued me, you mysterious stranger. I don¡¯t get much in the way of excitement these days, and even for a thief you¡¯re oddly covered up. Not to mention your voice is just so chilling. It sent a shiver down my spine,¡± the woman told Blacknail as she hugged herself and shuddered theatrically.


    Blacknail froze just as he was about to take another step back. Against his will is eyes were drawn to her trembling body. The dark haired woman grinned smugly as she noticed his reaction.


    ¡°Are you ugly, is that why you cover yourself? You needn¡¯t worry. I can assure you that I¡¯ve been with uglier men. I¡¯ve seen it all: scars, deformities, and pock marks. You get used to them after awhile, so these things don¡¯t turn me off. In fact they can be exciting in their own way. Why don¡¯t you put that food down and come over here to amuse me for a while. It¡¯s early enough in the morning that we won¡¯t be disturbed,¡± she told him suggestively.


    Blacknail was beginning to get a strange headache. He really wanted to stay and stare at this female for awhile, yet at the same time he also felt an overpowering need to jump out the window and flee as quickly as possible. The woman noticed his hesitation.


    ¡°No? How rude, you¡¯re making me feel unattractive. There must be something you want though, beyond a plate of food. I deal in more than just sex you know. My clients also come to me for secrets and gossip as well. Maybe we can play a game? I¡¯ll answer one of your questions and then you can answer one of mine,¡± she offered him.


    Blacknail found himself nodding, and he wasn¡¯t completely sure why. He wanted to find Herad and Saeter, but he suspected it would be very dangerous to stay here. Unfortunately, leaving would require him to take his eyes off of the woman.


    She smirked at his gesture of acknowledgement, then twirled around and leisurely strolled back over to the bed. Once there she sat down and leaned back in a relaxed manner with her slender legs tucked up beside her. Blacknail had to bite his tongue to fight the urge to sit down beside her. The scent was really messing with his head.


    ¡°Ask your question then,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail hesitated for a second before answering. He really wasn¡¯t sure this was a good idea.


    ¡°Is Herad in-ss this city?¡± he eventually asked.


    The woman raised a finger to her lips and looked thoughtful for a second.


    ¡°The Black Snake? That¡¯s an odd question for a petty thief to ask. You just get more and more mysterious. I can¡¯t figure you out, and it¡¯s actually rather infuriating. However, since you asked I¡¯d be more than happy to answer,¡± Luphera told him. ¡°Yes, Herad the Black Snake is in the city. Her arrival a few days ago was big news, and her activities lately have shaken the city. There will be blood in the streets soon I think.¡±


    A cool surge of relief washed through Blacknail, and he broke out into a pleased grin. He hadn¡¯t been certain he was even in the right city. For all he knew there were dozens of human cities in this area.


    Actually knowing he was so close to his goal removed a weight from his back he hadn¡¯t even known he¡¯d been carrying. Plus, the blood in the streets thing sounded fun.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s my turn to ask a question now! Let¡¯s see, what should I ask? Well, since you¡¯ve been terribly discourteous by not introducing yourself to a lady why don¡¯t we start with your name?¡± Luphera told him with playful disapproval.


    The first thing that occurred to Blacknail was that he should leave now that he had his answer. The second was that he should lie. Yet, another part of him didn¡¯t want to displease the woman. Besides, he still needed to learn exactly where Herad was. It was a big confusing city full of the weird distracting smells.


    ¡°My name is Blacknail,¡± he answered reluctantly.


    Luphera let out a deep sigh and collapsed onto her side across the bed. She then gave the cloaked hobgoblin a pouty frown.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help me at all. Could you be any more confounding? You¡¯re making me so curious! I just can¡¯t stand it. Go ahead and ask your second question,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Where in the city is Herad?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I could get the answer for you of course, but I¡¯d have to get in contact with some of my people. I don¡¯t think you want to wait for that,¡± she replied.


    Blacknail frowned. If she didn¡¯t know where Herad was located then there was no point in sticking around. Now that he knew he was in the right city he wanted to get right down to finding his mistress. The scent in the air was making him drowsy, and really clouding his thinking. He had to leave now, or he didn¡¯t know what he would end up doing.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± he grunted as he spun around and walked over to the window.


    He didn¡¯t turn back in her direction until he was climbing out. Luphera was giving him a thoughtful look. When she saw him looking she sat up and smiled at him again, in a way that perfectly exposed her bare chest.


    ¡°Must you leave? I¡¯ll just die of suspense if you leave me hanging like this. I had such great questions all thought out too! I don¡¯t get many unapproved guests, so please feel free to climb back through my window anytime, Blacknail the mysterious. I¡¯ll have someone leave a tray of food out, and then we¡¯ll continue our little game,¡± she told him with a wink.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Blacknail muttered as he tore his gaze away from her and forced himself to climb down the side of the building.


    The fresh air outside quickly cleared the haze from his head. Once down on the ground he hastily slipped away down a nearby alley. Right before he was about to turn the corner and head out of sight though, he glanced back to see Luphera standing at her window grinning smugly at him.


    Her expression reminded the hobgoblin of a cat that had found a mouse to play with. He picked up his pace, if only to counteract the part of him that still wanted to go back and see what would happen.


    Once he was safely away from any possible pursuit Blacknail relaxed, and then started wandering the city again. It was still light out, so as before he stayed away from other people. He stuck to the back streets and used his sensitive hearing to make sure no one snuck up on him.


    Just as he was beginning to despair of ever finding Herad anytime soon he came upon a familiar scent. It smelled¡­ annoying, or more specifically like Khita. Blacknail smiled; he had never been happier to smell the greasy scent of a human.


    Eagerly, the hobgoblin began tracing her trail deeper into the city. As he moved through the winding streets it soon became apparent that she wasn¡¯t travelling alone; a man was accompanying her. Blacknail couldn¡¯t place him but he smelled sort of familiar, so he was probably one of Herad¡¯s men.


    He pulled his cloak tighter as he followed the trail past a pair of talking men. When he skulked past them they didn¡¯t do more than glance his way. Soon, however the scent led him out of the back streets and out into one of the city¡¯s main roads. Blacknail peered around a shadowy corner as he weighed his options.


    In front of him was a bright street full of people walking and talking amongst themselves. It was lined with stalls, and even a few horse drawn carts were carefully making their way down it. Of course, this being Daggerpoint almost everyone Blacknail saw was tough looking and armed to the teeth.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t really want to go out there. Not only would it be much harder to conceal himself while out in the street, but Blacknail was also pretty sure it would be much harder to follow the scent. There were a lot of people, food, and garbage out there. Not to mention the horses, which were horrid stinking beasts.


    He was also sure to draw unwanted attention to himself if he went around with his nose against the ground. Humans didn¡¯t usually do that in his experience.


    With a sigh, Blacknail stepped out into the street. He didn¡¯t really have a choice; it wasn¡¯t like he could just stay in the alley all day. If someone saw him he would just have to run away very quickly, or hope that they wouldn¡¯t care he was a hobgoblin. Of course, every human he had ever met had cared quite a lot¡­


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    He clutched his cloak tightly to himself has he hurried through the street. Khita¡¯s scent had been fairly fresh so he scanned the nearby crowds for her as he walked. A man that was walking by suddenly veered into Blacknail and knocked him aside.


    ¡°Out of my way midget!¡± the man said as he walked by.


    The hobgoblin was pushed sideways, and almost jumped out of his skin in surprise. He had to fight down his panic and resist the urge to draw his sword. Murdering the man in the middle of street would probably draw attention, even in Daggerpoint. At least he thought it would¡­


    So, Blacknail just ignored him and quickly moved on. Besides, the man had somehow managed to drop his coin pouch into Blacknail¡¯s hands.


    As he hurried away the hobgoblin scanned the crowds. He didn¡¯t see Khita or anyone else he knew anywhere, so he hissed in frustration. Who knew Khita could annoy him without even being around?


    The crowds were beginning to get to him, and make him feel squeezed in at every side. He needed to get away and catch his breath, so he made a break for a nearby alley.


    Right before he slipped away he threw one last look back, and froze. There they were! He saw Khita, and what¡¯s his face the bandit. They were across the street looking over some things at a stall.


    As he watched they broke away from the stall and headed towards a nearby shop. As Blacknail stepped out to follow them he noticed a group of five men look up from a booth down the road. They stared after Khita for a few seconds, and then moved towards where she¡¯d gone.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched them with sudden interest. They were definitely moving like hunters after prey; with eager steps and a coiled focus Blacknail knew well. He was thus willing to bet they weren¡¯t friendly.


    This was a problem. As annoying as Khita was she was still part of his tribe, thus an attack on her was an insult to him. Plus, if she was killed he wouldn¡¯t be able to trail her back to Herad, or kill her himself some day.


    As he observed the men Blacknail tried to come up with a plan. Taking out five large fighters was well outside his abilities. He was very dangerous and they seemed like normal stupid humans, but five was still probably too many for him.


    Khita and her companion spent the next few minutes moving from stall to stall and down the street. She had always claimed the city was her natural environment, but Blackanil was unsurprised to see she seemed completely ignorant of the fact that almost half a dozen hostile looking men were trailing her.


    Of course, those men were in turn completely unaware that they were being stalked in broad daylight through the busy city streets by a hobgoblin.


    Then the girl and her escort headed off the main street and down a back alley. The leader of the thugs barked an order at his minions, and the group split up. The leader took one of his men and rushed ahead, while the last three continued following Khita. Blacknail grinned with vicious glee as he watched them separate. This made the odds much better.


    The hobgoblin stalked after his new prey. His former nervousness faded away and instinct took over as the excitement of the hunt warmed his skin. The mobs of chattering people around him stopped being possible enemies and instead became part of the camouflage that hid him from his quarry.


    Life was now so simple for him. All he had to do was outwit his opponents, and then he would get to taste their sweet blood. Nothing else mattered but the chase and its inevitable end.


    As the three slower moving bandits slipped into the alley Blacknail was right behind them. He crept along without making a single noise but the quiet beat of his excited heart. He tracked them more by sound than sight, as he slipped from shadow to shadow and hid behind trash and the occasional crate.


    The men didn¡¯t seem too concerned about being followed though because Blacknail never even saw them look backwards to spot a tail. They were typical stupid humans who thought they were safe in their city, but they weren¡¯t. Blacknail had to stifle a vicious cackle.


    As they moved into a particularly dark alley that was surrounded on all sides by tall rough looking wooden buildings one of the men fell behind the others a bit. Blacknail sense opportunity, and made his move. He picked up his pace and silently closed the distance. Just as the other two thugs turned a corner Blacknail descended upon the unsuspecting third man¡¯s back.


    Blacknail¡¯s target must have heard or felt something because for a split second he slowed and began to turn his head. That was the wrong thing to do.


    Before the man even managed to turn around Blacknail had a dagger against his throat. An unnoticeable moment later blood poured from the man¡¯s neck as Blacknail¡¯s blade slid across it.


    The thug began to choke and stagger as red seeped down his body, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t looking. He had already bounded after the other two. He had to kill them before they noticed that their herdmate was gone.


    The hobgoblin could hear his preys¡¯ footsteps so he knew it was safe to turn the corner. He rushed around it and saw the other two thugs. They were peering ahead as they walked, and intent on keeping up with Khita.


    ¡°I hope Balstein let¡¯s us have some fun with the redhead before we kill her,¡± one of the thugs whispered to the other.


    The only reply he got was a stern disapproving look as the other man shushed him. Apparently, they actually thought they were being stealthy or something. Blacknail almost sniggered in amusement at the thought. They were about to learn what being sneaky was really like. It would be a very brief lesson.


    The hobgoblin put on a burst of speed and reached out to grab the back of the first man¡¯s shirt. He twitched in alarm as Blacknail pulled him backwards, and then rammed a dagger up under his ribs.


    ¡°Oh shit, what the hells!¡± the second thug cursed as his companion staggered forward.


    His eyes were wide with alarm and he reached for the dagger at his side. Blacknail however was already drawing his sword, and quickly launched a violent slash at the man. His opponent managed to dodge under the blow though, and draw his own weapon.


    Blacknail¡¯s second slash was blocked by a hastily raised dagger, so Blacknail stepped forward and kicked the man in the chest. The thug was sent flailing backwards, and hit the ground hard. Sensing his opportunity the hobgoblin stepped forward and stomped on the man¡¯s hand.


    The man shrieked and the dagger slipped from his hand. Blackanil grinned and hissed savagely as instinct took over. He then dropped his weapon and jumped on the thug.


    As he landed he grabbed the stunned man, and to make sure he stayed that way he then head butted him. There was a quiet crack as the hobgbolin¡¯s forehead smashed into his opponent¡¯s face. The movement also placed Blacknail in just the right position to tear his prey¡¯s throat out with his teeth.


    The man flailed weakly beneath Blacknail as the hobgoblin bit down on the flesh of his neck, and tasted the iron of his blood. A few seconds later after his prey stopped struggling Blacknail sat back up and sighed happily as he licked his lips. Humans didn¡¯t taste all that good, too fatty, but there was nothing like catching your own food.


    Unfortunately, he knew he didn¡¯t have time to savor his victory. He had to follow Khita and make sure the two thugs who were left didn¡¯t kill her. Blacknail had gotten a good look at the men and he didn¡¯t think even odds favored Khita. The bandit leader looked dangerous, and Khita just wasn¡¯t.


    Blacknail took a quick second to loot the bodies of their weapons and baubles. Then, he hurriedly cleaned himself off and restarted his pursuit.


    Just as he caught sight of his tribemates they came to a stop. Blacknail snuck up closer to get a better look at what was happening. Then, he crouched and hid behind a barrel that was up against one of the nearby dirty alley walls.


    Up ahead of him at the other end of the alley the two other thugs had stepped out from a side street to cut Khita and the other bandit off, and they¡¯d brought reinforcements. They¡¯d somehow managed to find another man and a tall lanky woman to back them up.


    Blacknail hissed in annoyance. Why did they think they needed so many warriors? As far as these stupid humans knew they had already outnumbered their prey by quite a bit. Weren¡¯t two more fighters kind of overdoing it?


    The dangerous looking scarred leader of the thugs drew his sword and pointed it at the man by Khita¡¯s side. He had an eager gleam in his eyes Blacknail didn¡¯t like. The hobgoblin¡¯s two tribemates drew their own blades in response.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? We¡¯re part of Herad¡¯s band, and under her protection,¡± Khita¡¯s companion told them confidently.


    ¡°Oh we know. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to kill you. We serve the Wolf, and Werrick wants your bitch of a leader dead. I figure killing you two is a good start. Besides, no one is going to miss a few grunts. People stumble over the corpses of weak fools in Daggerpoint every day,¡± the scarred man replied.


    Then, he lunged forward and slashed at Khita with his sword. The young woman attempted to block the blow, but wasn¡¯t fast or skilled enough. Her sword was sent flying out of her hands, and she yelped as the blade whirled past her face.


    Blacknail hissed in frustration. Even if he thought that he was a good enough fighter to turn the odds around, and he wasn¡¯t, he was still too far away to reach them in time. Surprise attacks were very different than face to face sword fights. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get a clear shot with his sling either. There was nothing he could do beyond what he already had.


    As he watched, two of the other thugs moved to attack Khita¡¯s nervous looking companion. Their leader grinned savagely as he stepped forward to finish the now unarmed young woman off. As his blade slashed towards her Khita¡¯s eyes went wide with fear.

 Den of Beasts 3

    ¡°Shit!¡± Khita swore as she threw herself out of the way of the blow at the last second.


    She rolled awkwardly over the dirty cobbles of the road, but somehow managed to escape unharmed and land in a low crouch. As her attacker delivered a follow up slash she scrambled backwards, and the blade grazed her shoulder.


    The wound bled profusely but looked shallow, so Khita wasted no time in drawing her daggers and snarling at her attacker. The scarred man apparently wasn¡¯t impressed though, because he just gave her an amused smirk.


    ¡°Ha, what do you think you¡¯re going to do with those tiny little¡­¡± he started to say.


    Before he could finish though Khita whipped one of her daggers at his chest, and the startled man had to dodge to one side. It only took him a second to recover, but that was all Khita needed to draw another dagger and put some more distance between them.


    Blacknail took advantage of everyone¡¯s preoccupation to clamber up the side of the wall beside him. Once up on the roof he laid low and began to inch his way closer to the fight. If he managed to get closer maybe he could end the fight with a sneak attack.


    Khita¡¯s companion was warding off his own attackers with defensive swordplay, but was slowly being pushed back. Neither he nor his opponents seemed too eager to close in on each other.


    Khita threw a glance at her comrade as she took a few more steps back, and then looked at the empty alley behind her. Her scarred opponent just continued grinning smugly, and didn¡¯t bother chasing her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running. I have men positioned to cut you off the second you try it. You¡¯re trapped here,¡± the thugs¡¯ leader bragged loudly enough that it echoed down the alley.


    He then smiled viciously and looked expectantly at the end of the street. Everyone else followed his gaze as well, including Khita. Several seconds went by¡­ and the man¡¯s smile slipped from his face.


    ¡°That means you should come out, you bloody idiots!¡± he shouted with an exasperated tone.


    Several more seconds went by as everyone stared towards the end of the alley. No one moved, and the only thing anyone heard was background sounds from the city. Nothing happened, and no one appeared from around the corner of the street. Eventually the silence was broken by the sound of snickering.


    ¡°Are you ever right about anything?¡± Khita asked the scarred man with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°Shut up and run!¡± the man who had been fighting beside her said as he made a break for it.


    Khita took his advice; she quickly threw another dagger at the enemy closest to her and then took off as well. After a brief moment of shock their attackers gathered their wits and ran after them in pursuit.


    ¡°Where in all the hells are the others?¡± their leader asked sourly as he ran.


    None of his men had an answer for him. Blacknail knew but he, obviously, wasn¡¯t telling.


    Instead, the hobgoblin just watched the action from his rooftop perch. Unfortunately for Khita, it looked like the tallest of the thugs was a good runner. He was quickly closing the distance between him and his quarry.


    Blacknail was looking down as they ran below him. He sighed; stupid Khita couldn¡¯t even run properly.


    He wasn¡¯t about to let her, or what¡¯s his face, die though. Her death would waste all the effort he had already put into saving them. So, Blacknail drew his sling and sighted on the fastest of his tribe¡¯s enemies. As the weapon¡¯s crack filled the air he ducked out of sight again.


    A scream of pain filled the air, and was quickly followed by a crashing sound as the man tripped and rolled into a pile of large wooden crates. Blacknail sniggered in amusement from his hiding spot. Humans had such terrible senses¡­


    ¡°Bloody fucking hells!¡± the hobgoblin heard his target swear between grunts of pain.


    It sounded like it hurt a lot, which was good. The tall man¡¯s noisy crash had distracted and slowed his fellows as well. The scarred man was livid and red with rage as he turned toward his fallen subordinate.


    ¡°You bloody idiot! How¡¯d you manage to trip over yourself? Now we¡¯re going to lose them. What¡¯s wrong with you morons? First, the others apparently get lost somewhere, and now this!¡± their leader growled angrily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fucking trip, boss. Look at my leg! It¡¯s a bloody mess. Something hit me,¡± the downed man replied between labored breaths.


    ¡°As if! There¡¯s no one here but¡­¡± the scarred thug began to reply.


    Blacknail had stopped listening. Once he¡¯d confirmed that his tribemates had gotten safely away he¡¯d rolled over the roof and climbed down the other side of the building. He had to follow Khita and the other man back to their base before they got too far ahead of him.


    The hobgoblin dropped down back onto the street and raced around the shabby building at the corner. Once he reached the entrance to the side street he caught their scent again, and he took off after them. He was tired of wandering the city. He wanted to find his master already!


    By dashing frantically, and ignoring the stares of the people around him, he closed the distance enough that he could hear his quarry. Their running footsteps stood out in this quieter part of the settlement, so Blacknail was able to follow that noise even from a street behind them.


    They led to him to a large sturdy looking building that was located right against the eastern section of the city wall. It formed a compact compound with several smaller buildings that surrounded it. As he closed in the hobgoblin smelled the scent of familiar people. The rich earthy tones of the forest still clung to some of them. This was definitely the right place.


    Blacknail¡¯s ears suddenly twitched as the sound of voices he recognized reached them. One of them was just Khita, but the other was definitely Herad. He¡¯d found her! The hobgoblin grinned happily as he realized his long journey was finally over.


    The sound of the conversation was coming from a nearby window, so he bounced joyfully over to it. Then, he looked around to make sure he was unseen and stopped to listen. It was best not to surprise them by entering unannounced.


    ¡°¡­lucky we escaped at all. If I wasn¡¯t so good with my knives they would have had us,¡± Khita said.


    ¡°It sounds like you were more than lucky. Both of you should still be back there in that alley, as corpses. It¡¯s more than a little odd that their reinforcement didn¡¯t show up like that,¡± Saeter¡¯s voice replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. I¡¯ll have their hides for this! I can¡¯t believe those bloody fools dare move so openly against me. This could mean war!¡± hissed the infuriated voice of Herad.


    Blacknail winced and cringed at the anger in her tone. He¡¯d been about to slip into the room and take credit for saving Khita, and that other guy, but now he hesitated.


    He didn¡¯t really want to approach Herad right now. He wasn¡¯t, technically, supposed to be in Daggerpoint after all. No one had actually forbidden him, but it didn¡¯t sound like Herad was in the mood to argue the point. There was no harm in waiting a bit¡­


    ¡°They must have something planned. This doesn¡¯t sound like a subordinate getting out of hand. They wouldn¡¯t risk this if they weren¡¯t sure of their victory,¡± Saeter said calmly as Blacknail resumed listening.


    ¡°It must be those fuckers Fang and Galive. The rumors that Zelena managed to buy them off must be true. That means Werrick¡¯s bitch has turned over half the larger bands against me. They¡¯re not afraid of a war because they think they¡¯ll win,¡± Herad speculated darkly.


    ¡°That would be bad. We¡¯ve recruited some more men, but not nearly enough to fight so many other bands. We also don¡¯t much in the way of allies among the other chiefs. Several of them wouldn¡¯t turn against us, but they also wouldn¡¯t fight Werrick for us either,¡± the old scout told her.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to kill Fang and Galive. That will serve as a message to the others, plus it will be very satisfying,¡± Herad said.


    ¡°Sounds like a great plan, but I don¡¯t see how it would ever get done. Both of them are veteran bandit chiefs, so they¡¯ll have measures in place against killers. Word on the street is the first thing Zelena did when she got here was buy the services of all the best assassins, anyway. With all the money she¡¯s been throwing around I doubt you¡¯ll be able to turn any of them,¡± Saeter commented.


    ¡°I could call them out, and cut them down myself,¡± Herad replied with more than a hint of frustration.


    ¡°I doubt they¡¯d go for that. We probably won¡¯t see heads or tails of them until they swarm over us like ants,¡± Saeter told her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not here to tell me what I can¡¯t do, Saeter! Come up with a solution. You must have contacts or something that will help. I brought you here for a reason, not so you could whine!¡± Herad hissed at him.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can come up with,¡± Saeter answered stiffly.


    Blacknail heard the sound of footsteps as his master left the room. He was fairly confident that now would be a really bad time to approach Herad. He didn¡¯t want wander the city forever though¡­


    So, he needed a way to get into her good side, if such a thing actually existed. It had to be something that would impress her enough that she would welcome him, and set aside the issue of whether he was really supposed to be in Daggerpoint or not.


    Only one thing came to mind. He would present her with the severed heads of her enemies. That meant he had to kill the men known as Fang and Galive, or at least one of them anyway. No one could possible stay upset after receiving such a great present! Herad would love it.


    The only problem was that he had no idea where to find those men. If wandering the city for the past day had taught him anything it was that Daggerpoint was a hard place to find someone.


    Threatening random people until they told him what he wanted to know would probably take too long. It would also attract attention, and thus be more than a little dangerous. How else could he find those men though?


    Blacknail frowned as a troubling answer occurred to him. He had met one person who apparently knew where people could be found. He didn¡¯t really want to go back there, but he didn¡¯t see any other option. He would have to very careful if he talked to her again.


    The hobgoblin sighed and slipped away from his tribe¡¯s new home. It took him a while to travel stealthily through the back streets and arrive at his destination.


    As he stood outside the large building he eyed the window he¡¯d climbed through earlier warily. Should he just climb through again? Should he just leave...?


    The tiniest hint of the spicy perfume from his first visit tickled his nose, and his heart quickened. A desire to seek the source of the aroma began pulling him towards the building. Blacknail snorted violently and shook his head in an attempt to clear it.


    With a sign of resignation he then crept back over to the window and carefully climbed up the face of the wall. Once again, he listened carefully for a minute before entering, but once that was done he swung himself through the window and landed on the floor.


    This time as he scanned the room he made absolutely sure he was alone. There was no one hidden among the sheets or anywhere else, so he relaxed. The room being empty did present him with another problem though. What was he supposed to do now, just wait for Luphera to come back?


    He stood on the center of the room for less than a minute before he gave up. If she wasn¡¯t going to come to him then he would have to go find her. Blacknail tip toed over to the entrance on the far wall of the room, and placed his ear up against the door.


    It was a large building and he could hear several people moving through it, but none of them seemed to be in the next room. Feeling reassured he reached out and pulled the door open slightly. Or at least he tried, it didn¡¯t actually move.


    With an annoyed grimace the hobgoblin pulled on the doorknob slightly harder. The door still didn¡¯t budge. He hissed in annoyance and stared and the polished bronze handle. Was it locked?


    He gave it another tug, before frustration overwhelmed him. He stepped back and growled at the offensive metal protrusion. The urge to smash his way through the door in front of him was getting harder and harder to ignore.


    Just then he heard noise from the room on the other side. He froze and his ears perked up as he listened. Someone was approaching. No, make that two people. He definitely heard two of sets of footsteps.


    A panicky twitch went through him as he instinctively looked around for somewhere to hide. He shook the reaction off though, and started planning. Hiding somewhere in the room would be stupid; he needed to talk to Luphera.


    Just as he was thinking of her Blacknail picked up the sound of her voice from the other side of the door. It sounded like she was the closer of the two people to the door. He grinned as he instantly decided on a course of action. With sudden calm the hobgoblin strolled over to stand behind the door, and waited to see what she did.


    He was momentarily distracted from his scheme as the door knob turned and the door opened. He stared at the bronze handle in surprise. So that was the secret to the human¡¯s nefarious goblin proof door ¡­


    ¡°..I have a delightful red wine that I think¡­¡± Luphera said, before faltering as the door she was pushing open hit Blacknail¡¯s boot and came to an unexpected stop.


    She froze and the hobgoblin could practically smell her hesitation hanging in the air. The woman¡¯s black hair cascaded over her face as she slowly peered around the door. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw Blacknail¡¯s cloaked form.


    The hobgoblin just smirked beneath his hood and raised a hand to make a shushing gesture. Luphera gave him an annoyed glare then turned back around and addressed the person behind her.


    ¡°You know what? Why don¡¯t you stay here for a second, while I attend to some brief chores. Just make yourself comfortable out here,¡± she said before quickly stepping through the door and closing it shut behind her.


    As she moved into the room the hobgoblin noticed that she was wearing clothes this time, although not a lot of them. She wore a flimsy looking white gown that was almost transparent. It didn¡¯t seem very practical or warm, so he wasn¡¯t sure why she bothered.


    As he watched her the woman gave Blacknail a scowl, and then walked over to the bed while motioning for him to follow. Blacknail did as she asked and moved away from the door.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I expected you back so soon. I¡¯m honestly not sure if I¡¯m pleased or annoyed. If you¡¯re here for more answers you¡¯ll have to be quick, and willing to pay my price. I¡¯m currently in the middle of another piece of business, and he¡¯s rather handsome,¡± She told Blacknail with a confident smirk, which went right over his head.


    ¡°Yes, I want answers to new questions,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    ¡°Oh, so you found Herad did you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I did. Now I must find two men known as Fang and Galive,¡± he told her.


    Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted in response to his words. She looked thoughtful.


    ¡°I¡¯m sensing a pattern here. What could you possibly want with the locations of three bandit chiefs? Before I answer your question I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask you to answer mine,¡± she told him.


    It was Blacknail¡¯s turn to scowl now, as he considered his options. Once again though, he didn¡¯t seem to have much of a choice. She clearly had the advantage when it came to this game of answers. Should he lie though? The problem with that was he didn¡¯t know what an effective lie would even be¡­


    ¡°Very well, I will-ss answer first. I wish to serve Mistress Herad, and so I seek-ss a gift for her. I will give her the men known as Fang and Galive,¡± Blacknail replied.


    If she didn¡¯t like his answer he could always just jump out the window, or kill her. Maybe it was the flowery scent in the air, but she was looking unusually tasty for a human.


    Luphera didn¡¯t overreact to his answer though; she just looked thoughtful. She murmured something to herself, before giving him an appraising look. Blacknail relaxed in response.


    ¡°You plan on killing two of the local bandit chiefs, by yourself? That won¡¯t be easy,¡± she told him.


    ¡°They¡¯re only human,¡± Blacknail replied with a shrug.


    ¡°True enough, I guess. I find it''s a common flaw in most the people I meet. Anyway, my time¡¯s running short so I¡¯ll answer your question for you. I¡¯ve never been a fan of either of those butchers anyway. If you manage to kill them, and not before, feel free to return and we¡¯ll have another lovely chat,¡± she told him dismissively.


    Blacknail grinned at her choice of words. They were more than a little amusing and he totally agreed. Saeter had told him to always say thanks when someone gave him something, including information, so he did.


    ¡°Thank-ss you,¡± he replied as he fell deep into thought.


    He couldn¡¯t understand this woman at all. Usually, humans were very simple creatures. They liked coins, and they didn¡¯t like being stabbed. Luphera was more complicated than that though. Her lack of fear confused him. Blacknail also had the distinct impression that she had been pleased by how the conversation had gone, but was trying not to show it.


    After Luphera quickly explained to the hobgoblin how to find both of the men¡¯s lairs Blacknail took his leave. He hopped out the window and quickly climbed down the outside face of the building.

 Den of Beasts 4

    Once he was back out on the street the hobgoblin broke into a jog, and swiftly headed towards the first of the locations Luphera had told him about. The man named Fang apparently lived in the northern part of the city.


    His lair was atop a place where humans bought drinks. He had been told it would be easy to find, but full of guards. If they were anything like the other men that lived in the city then Blacknail doubted they would be much of a problem.


    The hobgoblin travelled through the back alleys most of the way to Fang¡¯s tavern. Only when he got close to his destination did he emerge from the shadows, and walk out onto one of the more crowded main streets. He kept his hood up as he scanned all the nearby buildings. Almost immediately he found what he was looking for.


    The left side of the street was dominated by a large building that towered over the rest. It was a huge sprawling structure with two wings that protruded from either side. The central part even had three floors, and a wooden balcony. Most the building¡¯s in this city weren¡¯t nearly that tall.


    Quite a few people were moving in and out of the front entrance, and a clamor of human voices could be heard from within. Humans apparently liked to yell a lot while they drank their foul poisons, or maybe it was only the louder and stupider humans that drank it?


    Blacknail was sure he was in the right place because a wooden sign, with what looked like a long bloody troll¡¯s tooth painted on it, hung over the tavern¡¯s door. Luphera had told him to look for that symbol. This wasn¡¯t a building he could just walk into though, because two of the largest humans he had ever seen stood outside the entrance.


    They were obviously guards of some sort, because everyone who entered had to stop and speak to them first. Every once and a while, the pair of giants would turn someone away and force them to leave.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t think he could bluff his way past them. There were also too many people around out front for him to try and sneak in. He even saw several humans at windows who were obviously sentries of some sort, and one man who was loitering across the road was already glaring at him suspiciously.


    Undaunted, Blacknail started walking down the street until he was out of sight of anyone watching. He then briefly scanned the crowd to make sure he wasn¡¯t being followed, before slipping back into the maze of shadowy alleys that bordered the main streets.


    He then worked his way around to the rear of his target¡¯s base. It wasn¡¯t long before he began to notice small patrols of humans wandering around. He could hear their footsteps as they walked back and forth through the alleys. Fang must have sent them out to protect himself, but they were no threat to the hobgoblin. He easily avoided them or hid as they moved past.


    He also quickly spotted several men and women in the windows of nearby buildings. The way they kept looking around at the streets below indentified them as more than casual observers. These sentries were more trouble for Blacknail than the patrols were. The hobgoblin was sneaky, but he wasn¡¯t invisible.


    He marked their positions as he circled the compound and looked for a way in undetected. It took him a while to find one. Whoever had posted the sentries had known what they were doing, but Blacknail knew he could find a flaw in any defense if he looked hard enough.


    That was especially true for any defense made by mere humans. Blacknail grinned to himself as he watched one of the sentries from around a corner. Most humans weren¡¯t nearly as smart as they thought they were.


    After a few minutes of searching the hobgoblin managed to sneak right under the nose of the sentry. The woman was watching the street from a second floor window, so Blacknail slipped through the front door of her house and then right out the back. His ears and nose had told him there¡¯d only been the one person in the house.


    Blacknail then crept past the smaller buildings and wings, as he moved towards the largest building. He¡¯d been told Fang lived on the top floor of it.


    Blacknail moved slowly enough that he could hear anyone before they saw him. He had to be super sneaky now; there were a lot of men wandering around the area. It would be bad if he stumbled into them.


    When he got to the central building the first thing he did was find an empty second floor window, and then he hid himself behind a row of barrels in the alley directly below it. Once he was out of sight he closed his eyes and began to concentrate on listening.


    A multitude of voices echoed through the building, but almost all of them were in the large room on the first floor just past the front entrance. The second floor was much quieter, with only the occasional noise as someone spoke or boards creaked under people¡¯s feet as they moved. The third floor was utterly silent as far as Blacknail could tell. He couldn¡¯t have asked for a better set up.


    He waited for several minutes before making his move. He had to be sure that no one was looking his way or near a window, before he started scaling the wall to get inside. He was aiming for a second floor window because climbing all the way to the third floor would leave him exposed to any watchers. None of the surrounding buildings were taller than two stories.


    It was easy enough for him to quickly scramble up the side of the building and pull himself through the window and onto the second floor. Once he was inside the empty hallway on the other side of the window he crouched down and listened again.


    He still didn¡¯t hear anyone nearby, so he got up and began to look for the way up to the third floor. He exited the hallway and walked into some sort of wide eating room full of tables, chairs, and other furniture.


    Most the room was dark and smelled strongly of many different types of food. None of the scents were fresh though, and after a brief exploration Blacknail didn¡¯t find anything worth eating. Reluctantly, the hobgoblin stopped looking for a snack and went back work. He would just have to get a bite to eat when he was done.


    As he was crossing the room he heard the creaking of floorboards, so he dashed off to one side and hid himself under a nearby table. Moments later, a smaller man walked briskly through the room and then disappeared through the far door.


    When the man was gone Blacknail crawled out from under the table, and resumed his search for the way up. He found it several minutes later. Off to one side of the building there was a staircase that led upwards. Blacknail smirked eagerly as he carefully crept up the stairs and towards his target.


    At the top of the stairs there was a door. Blacknail stopped and stared at it for a moment before tentatively reaching out and grasping the door knob. First, he tried to push it. That didn¡¯t work, so next he gave the door a slight pull. When that didn¡¯t work either his stomach turned nervously. He only had one more shot at this¡­


    Blacknail held his breath as he attempted to twist the handle. There was a muted click, and he almost jumped out of his skin in alarm, as the door slid open slightly. He froze and listened just in case someone had heard something, before sliding through the doorway.


    He couldn¡¯t help chuckling quietly to himself as he moved. He¡¯d successfully defeated the clever human lock! Had there ever been a smarter hobgoblin than him? He doubted it.


    Expensive furniture lined the small room on the other side. It didn¡¯t seem as nice as the pieces in Luphera¡¯s chamber though, or as organized. Some of the furniture clearly didn¡¯t match, even if it all looked fancy. There certainly was a lot of it though. The walls were even covered in pictures drawn on rectangles of various sizes.


    Blacknail walked up to one of the pictures and examined one. He had seen similar things before, but never really had an opportunity to look at one closely. This one seemed to be of a man¡¯s face. It was really quite realistic. Blacknail had no idea how humans made things like this. Was it some sort of magic?


    The hobgoblin reached out and gently poked the portrait. He was somewhat relieved when his finger hit the flat canvass. For a second there he¡¯d almost been afraid there was a real person in there or something. That would have been awkward.


    With his curiosity satisfied Blacknail moved away and explored the room. There was only one other door in the chamber, and after failing to find anything worth collecting he went over to examine it. He grinned confidently as he turned the door¡¯s handle, but nothing happened.


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    The handle wouldn¡¯t turn. Blacknail hissed angrily as he clenched his teeth. Why wouldn¡¯t it turn? The stupid thing must be broken¡­


    As he went to try and give the handle another twist he noticed a tiny hole in the door above it. He stared at it for a second, before realizing that it reminded him of the locks he had seen on chests. The door required a key! No wonder he couldn¡¯t open it.


    Apparently, the stuff on the other side of this door was super important; because it not only required one of the turning puzzle locks but a key as well. Blacknail thought that was overkill, and more than a little unfair.


    He¡¯d had a key once, but he¡¯d given it to Saeter. How was he going to get past this door now? Fang¡¯s room undoubtedly lay on the other side of it.


    He was just about to try shoving random stuff into the keyhole when he heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs behind him. Blacknail stepped away from the door and frantically searched the room for someplace to hide.


    Should he hide behind the chair? No, too visible. What about in the chest? No, too uncomfortable.


    The thud of footsteps grew closer until it reached the top of the stairs. Blacknail had no more time to waste, so he quickly threw himself behind a long padded sofa. He just really hoped whoever was coming up the stairs didn¡¯t look too closely in his direction. The sofa¡¯s cushions didn¡¯t go all the way down, so his feet were visible underneath it.


    The wide eyed hobgoblin peeked out from his hiding spot as the stairway door opened. An older looking human woman in a long plain dress and shirt stepped out with a pile of clothes in her hands. As Blacknail watched she crossed the floor and reached the other door. Then, she pulled a key out from her pocket and there was a click as she unlocked the door.


    She pushed through and disappeared inside, but she left the door open behind her. Blacknail smirked excitedly as he rose from his hiding spot and crept over to the now open door. He looked through to make sure the woman was out of sight, and then slipped through as well. Problem solved!


    The room on the other side was pretty much the same as the last one. There was a lot of furniture and paintings. He didn¡¯t have a lot of time to look around though, as he soon heard the woman coming back.


    He hurried into a small dark side room as she passed, and then he heard the door to the stairway shut behind her and the click of it being locked. It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be leaving the same way he¡¯d come in¡­


    Blacknail didn¡¯t hear or smell anyone nearby so he began to carefully explore the suite. He found a few trinkets and shinnies someone had forgotten, so he picked them up so they wouldn¡¯t get lost. There were several more rooms as well, including a bedroom, but they didn¡¯t contain anything that was interesting or edible. They were also all empty; Fang wasn¡¯t here.


    That was a problem. This was supposed to be his lair, but that didn¡¯t mean he was always here. Obviously, he left it sometimes. Blacknail sighed; he really should have thought of that earlier¡­


    Oh, well there was no other option but to wait for the man to come back. What was he going to do in the mean time though? He should probably find somewhere to hide.


    There weren¡¯t a lot of comfortable places he could hide for a long period of time, so after a brief search Blacknail chose to conceal himself under the bed. The sheets that fell over the sides of the frame would conceal him, and as a bonus he could lay down on the floor. It was actually quite comfy.


    However, after a few minutes Blacknail began to grow bored. How long was this going to take? He gave a quiet yawn as he shifted around to get more comfortable. The entire bed had been placed over a rug so the floor wasn¡¯t too hard. Blacknail closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath and relaxed. He probably shouldn¡¯t let himself fall asleep¡­


    Blacknail was awakened by the sound of a door being slammed shut. As he blinked the sleep from his eyes he heard a pair of loud voices.


    ¡°Make sure I know the instant Zelena¡¯s message arrives. When we move to take Herad out I plan on being right out front. That crazy hag has been a pain in my side for too long. How arrogant do you have to be to just move south and claim the best territory around as your own exclusive little playground?¡± the first deeper voice said.


    ¡°You¡¯d have to have an ogre sized ego to think it would work, boss. That¡¯s for sure,¡± the other man replied.


    ¡°Well, the Black Snake is about to be cut down to size. Zelena¡¯s bought the cooperation, or at least the approval, of practically every chief in town. Only that pompous fool the Governor objects, and he¡¯s just worried about not being able to play us off against each other anymore,¡± the voice that Blacknail was sure belonged to Fang said.


    The hobgoblin ground his teeth as he listened. How dare they insult the chief of his tribe! So what if Herad was ugly? All humans were; they were pink! What a stupid color for skin to be. Green was so much better. Blacknail also knew Herad wasn¡¯t crazy, she was one of the sanest people he¡¯d had ever met. It was the rest of the humans who were weird¡­


    ¡°Very true, boss. There¡¯s no way she can stand against you and your allies,¡± the other man answered.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be outnumbered five to one, and she¡¯s the only vessel in her pathetic little band. Including me and that assassin of Zelena¡¯s we¡¯ll have at least five. Herad will be dead by the end of the week, and then all that nice territory she¡¯s claimed will be mine!¡± Fang exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°As well as whatever treasures she¡¯s hoarded away at her base,¡± his subordinate added.


    Under the bed Blacknail went rigid with surprise. Fang was a Slosher! That complicated things¡­


    ¡°True, although I don¡¯t imagine it¡¯s any great prize. That¡¯s enough of this useless talk. Go downstairs and send one of the wenches up, make it the new blonde. I¡¯m feeling like a good romp,¡± Fang told the other man.


    ¡°Yes sir, sure thing,¡± the man said before heading back down the stairs.


    Blacknail¡¯s target was now alone on the third floor. The hobgoblin under the bed grinned with eager anticipation as he plotted the man¡¯s murder. This was going perfectly, and would be so much fun!


    Since Fang was a Slosher the safest plan was probably to just wait until he fell asleep and then to slit his throat. That would involve a lot of waiting though, and Blacknail had already had a nice long nap. He really didn¡¯t want to fight a Slosher though. If he was anywhere near as dangerous as Herad then he would be very unlikely to win.


    So, Blacknail waited and listened as the man named Fang wandered around the apartment. After a few minutes he walked over to the bed and sat down. His feet dangled and swayed right in front of Blacknail¡¯s face.


    Then, a shirt hit the floor as the man started getting undressed. The shirt was soon followed by a pair of pants. As the trousers landed there was a whirring noise and several golden coins rolled out. Blacknail¡¯s eyes watched them intently as they rolled. They were so shiny¡­


    H e wanted to grab one, or more than one, but he knew it would be a dumb thing to do. Fang might be looking. As the hobgoblin watched, one of the coins rolled under the bed before falling over. Excitedly, Blacknail reached out and grabbed it. He smiled happily as he stared at its gleaming golden sides.


    ¡°Damn, bloody things,¡± Fang suddenly swore.


    The bed then creaked as the man leaned over and began picking the coins up. Blacknail held his breath and started fervently hoping the man couldn¡¯t count¡­


    The hobgoblin had no such luck. After he was done picking up the other coins, Fang got off the bed and dropped to his knees. He then reached over and lifted the edge of the sheets up to look under the bed.


    The hobgoblin and the man stared at each other for a second. Neither of them said anything. Blacknail¡¯s hood wasn¡¯t up so Fang got a good look at the hobgoblin¡¯s green, angular, and very inhuman, face.

 Den of Beasts 5

    ¡°Gods! What in all the hells¡­¡± the man whispered as his eyes went wide with shock.


    Blacknail flashed the man a toothy smile, and then stabbed him in the face with his knife.


    Fang screamed as the blade sliced down his cheek. He clutched his face and tried to pull back away from the bed. Blacknail didn¡¯t let him; he grabbed the man¡¯s hair and pulled him down.


    Blacknail had forgotten Fang was a Slosher though, and very strong. The entire bed flipped as the man pulled the hobgoblin out from under it and into the air. The violent motion wrenched Blacknail¡¯s arm, and he hissed in pain as his shoulder made an unpleasant grinding noise. This wasn¡¯t going the way he¡¯d planned.


    The hobgoblin swung through the air, as Fang roared in pain. Blacknail tried to right himself using his feet, but just ended up kicking Fang in the face several times. The large man snarled viciously and tried to reach over and grab Blacknail¡¯s neck with one hand. The hobgoblin let him, and then he stabbed the man again. Stabbing things seemed to solve most of his problems.


    His knife gouged into Fang¡¯s shoulder and nicked his neck. The bandit chief roared in pain again and threw Blacknail across the room. Blood from Fang¡¯s wounds flew through the air, as the hobgoblin smashed into a wall and then slid to the floor. Ow, why did humans have to be so big and strong?


    ¡°Gods! What the fuck are you, a demon? Have the hells opened up for me?¡± Fang cursed as he staggered and tried to stand straight.


    Blood poured from the cut on his neck. He was clutching it tightly with his hands, but that barely slowed the crimson flow. That was bad for him, but good for Blacknail.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t feel much better though. Every bone in his body hurt and the impact with the wall had knocked the air from him, explosively. The first rule of a challenge was not to show weakness though.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a demon! Tonight-ss you die,¡± Blacknail hissed dramatically in his scariest voice, which was actually just his normal voice.


    The hobgoblin pulled himself up off the ground. He was unsteady on his feet and wobbled a little, but he managed to start walking over to his target.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± the man cursed in reply.


    Fang was injured and in his underwear, but he was still a Slosher. He looked around the room for something to use as a weapon. There was a vase on top of a nearby stand, so the man grabbed it and then threw it at his attacker.


    Blacknail slid out of the way of the porcelain projectile and continued to close the distance. Fang then picked up the wooden stand itself and hurled that. This time one of its legs nicked Blacknail¡¯s shoulder. He stumbled slightly and winced. There was no real damage though, beyond another bruise.


    Fang took this time though to reach down with his one free hand and grab his pants from off the floor. Blacknail grinned with savage amusement. What was he planning to do with those?


    His smile slipped though when the man managed to fumble through the trousers and pull out a small dagger. Blacknail would have been more concerned, but Fang¡¯s eyes were starting to look unfocused and he¡¯d grown very pale.


    Still, it was better not to take any risks. Blacknail tucked his own knife away and drew his sword instead.


    Fang grimaced in anger and frustration as the hobgoblin approached. Blacknail raised his sword and then slashed down at the man. Fang raised an arm defensively and tried to block with his dagger, but Blacknail was too fast for him.


    The sword cut into the man¡¯s arm, and then Blackanil kicked him in the knee. There was a crunching noise as Fang collapsed onto his side. He shrieked in pain, and blood sprayed from his arm. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t give him time to recover. He mercilessly began hacking and slashing at the fallen man until Fang¡¯s struggling stopped, and he went limp.


    Blacknail only stopped when the gory mess at his feet was clearly a corpse. Then, he lined the blade up just right¡­ and cut the man¡¯s head off. Then, he tried again because it didn¡¯t quite come off right the first time.


    When the head was completely severed Blacknail gave it a brief shake to get some of the blood out, and then he wrapped it in a sheet from the bed. He was interrupted from his work by the rather loud sound of the door at the top of the stairs exploding inwards. Almost immediately, he then heard the sound of hurried footsteps.


    ¡°Horse reek,¡± Blacknail swore, as he stuffed his grisly trophy into his backpack.


    The hobgoblin pulled his hood up and sheathed his sword. He knew he only had seconds before he would be mobbed by a horde of very large and very angry humans, so he dashed towards the nearest window. He had no idea what was outside of it, but it had to be better for his health than staying there would be.


    It had gotten dark out while Blacknail had been napping. The hobgoblin grabbed the window frame and used it to swing around. Luckily for him, the exterior wall had a ridge he could grab. He used that to pull himself out of sight of anyone inside, and then he began scrambling down the side of the building.


    Below him was one of the grimy alleys that lay beside the tavern. There didn¡¯t seem to be anyone there at the moment, but Blacknail could hear swearing and yelling from the room he had just left. He was willing to bet people would soon pour out of Fang¡¯s lair and flood the streets.


    The climb down wasn¡¯t easy or fast, even for the hobgoblin. He couldn¡¯t go straight down because parts of the wall were too smooth to grip. Instead, he had to carefully feel his way around and scramble sideways to find footholds as he descended feet first. He disliked how long this was taking; he didn¡¯t have a lot to spare.


    The first story of the building was smaller than the others and recessed, so Blacknail had to jump down. His injured shoulder flared with pain as he landed on the ground. The hobgoblin just grunted and began running away as fast as he could.


    He could hear humans all around him, several of which seemed dangerously close by, so he dashed into a nearby alley that sounded empty.


    Behind him all the windows of Fang¡¯s lair started glowing brightly one by one as his men woke up and tried to respond to the turmoil around them. Angry shouts and cries of alarm began to fill the air.


    As Blacknail desperately tried to flee through the now dark city streets he hissed in pain. His pace slowed as his ankle began to hurt. He tried to fight past the pain, but his foot also felt weaker and unsteady when he put weight on it.


    He lurched sideways and limped into a small alley, as he heard a group of humans approach from ahead. The tight pathway was free of debris or clutter. This made traversing it easier but it also meant there was nothing to hide behind, and that mattered. The sound of footsteps echoed behind Blacknail as a mob of humans hurried his way.


    There was no way the hobgoblin could outrun them, so he looked around for anything that would help him escape or hide. There was nothing on the ground, so he looked higher up. He hissed in annoyance as he noticed the large overhangs on the low roofs that bordered the alley. There was no way he could quickly get over them and onto the rooftops.


    The sound of pursuit grew closer, and as Blacknail began to panic an idea suddenly occurred to him. He sprinted towards the nearest wall and then ran up it. His ankle flared with pain but he disregarded it; he wanted to live.


    Using his momentum he jumped up off the wall and grabbed the overhanging roof. Grunting with effort, Blacknail then pulled himself up under the roof and against the wall. There were wooden supports along the wall he could hold on to.


    He hung there as a dozen thugs suddenly burst into the alley. They had torches that burned the shadows that encircled them away. Together the mob of humans hurried down the alley. Since the path was straight and empty they didn¡¯t seem to be looking around too much.


    The light from the torches didn¡¯t reach into the dark recesses of the overhanging roof. Blacknail was tucked away in those shadows as he watched the men pass him by. If anyone looked his way they would have seen his eyes reflecting the light. No one looked though.


    He let out a deep breath of relief as they turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. That had been close; if humans weren¡¯t so blind and stupid he might have been caught there. There was no way a hobgoblin, or any animal really, would have missed the smell of blood in the air.


    He didn¡¯t hear anyone else close by so Blacknail let himself drop back down to the ground. He then hurried back onto the street and away. Several times he was almost caught by groups of searching thugs but he always managed to slip away at the last minute.


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    There didn¡¯t seem to be any pattern or cooperation among the human search parties. They all appeared be running around randomly.


    Eventually Blacknail got far enough away that he left the search parties behind, and the city grew quiet. Once free of pursuit he slowed down, and began hobbling through the dark city towards Herad¡¯s residence. He would be safe when he got there, and could lie down for a while¡­


    He definitely wasn¡¯t going after the other Bandit chief anytime soon. This hadn¡¯t been an experience he wanted to repeat. If only that ugly human bastard hadn¡¯t dropped those coins! It seemed unfair that Blacknail¡¯s perfect plan could be ruined by something so random.


    Herad would just have to be happy knowing Fang was dead, and having his bloody head as proof. Two heads probably wouldn¡¯t fit in his bag anyway.


    The hobgoblin trudged through the dark and empty city streets for several minutes before he got to his destination. As he approached the front of Herad¡¯s lair Blacknail saw two men standing guard outside.


    Light shone out from a window beside them and illuminated the lair¡¯s yard. The bored looking lookout glanced his way as the cloaked hobgoblin drew nearer. Blacknail caught a whiff of their scent and was very relieved that one of them smelled familiar. He was far too exhausted to try and sneak in right now.


    ¡°Halt, who goes there?¡± the first man asked as he placed a hand on the sword at his side.


    ¡°Me,¡± Blacknail replied unhelpfully. He was too tired to say more, not to mention he was feeling rather cranky.


    ¡°Who?¡± The man asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m Blacknail,¡± was his only response.


    ¡°What the hells? The hobgoblin? I¡¯ll believe that when the gods reveal it. Ha, there¡¯s no way a hobgoblin could be wandering around the city!¡± the first man replied.


    ¡°I can if I want to,¡± the hobgoblin replied, as he pulled his hood down and glared at the man.


    His eyes shone with barely suppressed anger and frustration. Both men took a surprised step away from him. The second man went pale as the moon, and then threw his partner a questioning look.


    After Blacknail was finished talking to Herad he was going to smack these idiots. He began walking past the guards and up to the door of the building.


    ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t just go in there!¡± the man told him.


    ¡°I can if I want to. I¡¯m here to see mistress Herad. Get in my way and I¡¯ll gut you like a rabbit,¡± the hobgoblin hissed as he marched past the guards.


    They didn¡¯t try to stop him; they just stood aside and watched without moving. The dried splatter of blood all across his face might have had something to do it. The unfamiliar smelling one turned to the other.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a real hobgoblin is it? I mean, I heard some of the other guys talking, but I thought they were joking!¡± he said nervously.


    His partner frowned and gave him a condescending look. He clearly didn¡¯t think much of the question.


    ¡°He was green, you idiot. Of course he¡¯s a hobgoblin; no human has ever had chompers like those, that¡¯s for damn sure!¡± the other man replied.


    Blacknail flipped his hood back up and made his way inside. The room there was plain and several people were sitting at a table while playing cards. Their reactions to Blacknai¡¯s sudden presence varied, but every one of them looked surprised.


    None of them were Saeter or Herad, so the hobgoblin kept moving. Behind him several men pushed their chairs back and got to their feet, as an anxious sounding conversation broke out.


    Blacknail could hear Herad¡¯s voice from deeper within the building. He followed it through the bare corridors. As he walked everyone he saw moved out of his way without a word.


    Moments later he stood outside a closed door. One of Herad¡¯s personal guards stood beside it. The sound of conversation between the bandit chief and several of her minions could clearly be heard from within by the hobgoblin.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s suicide to try and fight them all. My men and I joined your band because it sounded like you had a sweet set up down south. We didn¡¯t agree to fight all of Daggerpoint for you!¡± a deep voiced man said.


    ¡°You swore to follow me, so you don¡¯t have a choice,¡± Herad replied with frosty calm.


    Herad still sounded more than a little angry, but Blacknail was too tired and sore to care. He was also willing to bet his present would cheer her up.


    ¡°Open the door,¡± the hobgoblin hissed to the guard.


    The man flinched as Blacknail¡¯s voice issued forth from under his hood. He looked startled for a second, but then relaxed as a look of comprehension came over his face.


    ¡°Saeter¡¯s hobgoblin? What the hells are you doing here?¡± he asked.


    Blacknail sighed in frustration. Why were most humans all so stupid? His reason for being here was really obvious.


    ¡°Open the door-ss. I¡¯m here to see Herad,¡± he told the man.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to be disturbed. She told me not to open the door for anything short of an attack,¡± the guard replied.


    ¡°I understand-ss. I could stab you a few times if you want-ss,¡± Blacknail offered helpfully.


    ¡°Ha, no thanks. You don¡¯t scare me, you runt, I¡¯ll let you in though. If you piss the boss off it will be on your head, not mine,¡± he replied with a confident smile, as he stepped aside.


    The hobgoblin gave him an annoyed look, but said nothing as he moved forward and politely knocked on the door. The argument going on inside subsided.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Herad called out from within.


    Blacknail took a second to remove the severed head from his backpack. It was still wrapped up but the cloth was now completely soaked through with blood. The man standing beside Blacknail stared in revulsion at the object in the hobgoblin¡¯s hands.


    The door swung open as Blacknail pushed it open and stepped through it. The spacious room on the other side had only one small window, and was thus mostly illuminated by a black iron chandelier that held a dozen bright white candles.


    A large square wooden table stood beneath the chandelier in the center of the room. The light from the candles revealed several people sitting around the table, but left the rest of the room in shadow.


    Herad, of course, was seated at the far end of the table in the largest chair. Saeter was sitting to her right. Blacknail threw them both confident looks as he walked in.


    Muted whispering broke out as the people around the table took in his cloaked form. Saeter, of course, recognized him immediately and frowned in concern. Herad raised an eyebrow in surprise as she gazed at him and noticed the bloody object in his hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re dripping on my floor, Blacknail¡± she told him with apparent calm.


    ¡°Sorry, mistress,¡± he replied as he walked past the table and approached her.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t fooled by her voice. He knew she was angry at him, and getting angrier. A subtle clue was how she was stroking her sword hilt. He had best get right to the point. As the hobgoblin came to a halts in front of her Herad leaned forward and addressed him.


    ¡°What are you doing here? I don¡¯t remember giving you permission to do that, hobgoblin. I also seriously doubt that Red Dog sent you; that wouldn¡¯t be much like him,¡± she whispered as she glared at Blacknail with her icy blue eyes.


    ¡°I wanted to serve, mistress. I heard there was something you wanted, so I went to get it for you. It¡¯s a present, ¡± Blacknail quickly explained.


    The corner of Herad¡¯s mouth twitched as the hobgoblin finished speaking. She turned and looked at the bloody object that dangled from his hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s your present? This had better be good, hobgoblin. Otherwise, you¡¯ll regret coming here, briefly,¡± Herad told him.


    Blacknail hurriedly pulled the cloth off, and held up the severed head within by its hair. There were gasps around the table as everyone took in the sight. Fang¡¯s face was splattered with blood and loose strands of hair were stuck to it. His skin had gone corpse white, and his jaw hung loosely so his mouth gaped open. Most disturbingly, his dead eyes stared forward unblinkingly.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s mistress looked at it with disgust. Blacknail realized he had better explain. She probably didn¡¯t recognize him.


    ¡°For you, mistress. I give you the head of the man named Fang,¡± he hissed dramatically.

 Den of Beasts 6

    The entire room went silent. Herad¡¯s mouth went slightly slack and her eyes widened the tinniest bit. She stared in surprise at the severed head for several seconds. Blacknail really hoped it was a good type of surprise. The suspense was actually painful.


    ¡°By all that is holy and all that is profane, it is him,¡± she whispered.


    Nope, that didn¡¯t help. The hobgoblin still couldn¡¯t tell if Herad was pleased or not. Maybe she just needed a reminder of why she had wanted Fang dead in the first place.


    ¡°I killed him; he was fat, and you didn¡¯t like him,¡± Blacknail clarified hopefully.


    As the anxious hobgoblin watched a savage grin suddenly sprung into existence on Herad¡¯s lips. Her eyes began to gleam with excitement.


    Blacknail let out a breath of relief. He couldn¡¯t keep a happy smile from appearing on his lips, and he felt like dancing with joy. The chief was pleased by his gift. Truly, he was a genius. His plan was working perfectly!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t any of you bring me gifts like this,¡± Herad said with a laugh and an amused glance towards Saeter and the others around the table.


    From under his hood the happy hobgoblin grinned smugly at all the seated people. He was the chief¡¯s favorite! Blacknail threw the cloth onto the table and then put his trophy down on top of it. He¡¯d carried the thing far enough already, and it was Herad¡¯s now anyway. He hoped she was going to put it somewhere it would look nice.


    In the light of the chandelier hanging overhead, Blacknail could clearly see the other people around the table throwing disbelieving looks at him and the severed head. A few of them had even gone pale, and one looked like he was about to be sick. They began chatting and whispering amongst themselves again, and the sound of their hushed voices echoed around the dark corners of the room. Saeter stood up to address his boss.


    ¡°I should go have a talk with Blacknail, and get a report from him somewhere more private,¡± he told her.


    A thoughtful look appeared on Herad¡¯s face, and she glanced at the other men at the table. She then took another look at Blacknail and nodded.


    ¡°Agreed, take him to see Mahedium. He looks more than a little worse for wear,¡± she told Saeter quietly.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± he replied emotionlessly.


    Saeter then grabbed the hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder and began dragging him from the room. Blacknail was surprised at his master¡¯s sudden action. He wanted to stay and gloat some more. Everyone had been so surprised when he¡¯d unwrapped Herad¡¯s gift! No one was going to look down on him now, and he wanted to make sure all the new recruits at the table knew his new status.


    The sound of Herad¡¯s raised voice could be heard from behind them as she resumed her previous conversation with the other people at the table. The voices were quieter though, and unlike when he¡¯d first entered Herad now seemed to have control of the conversation.


    Once they were out of the room and down the hallway where there was no one else around Saeter turned to Blacknail. The hobgoblin grinned at his master proudly, but Saeter scowled back at him.


    ¡°Fool,¡± the old scout said as he smacked the hobgoblin across the side of the head.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Blacknail exclaimed in surprise, before rubbing the sore spot and cringing.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Look at you, you¡¯re half dead! If you were just going to wander around and pick fights then you should have stayed at the camp,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°I won!¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°This time! What about the next time though? I have no idea how, or why, you pulled this stupid trick off. You wouldn¡¯t have if you¡¯d stopped to think for a second though! Now that you¡¯ve acted as Herad¡¯s personal assassin once she¡¯s going to expect you to do it again!¡± Saeter told Blacknail angrily.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not-ss good,¡± Blacknail remarked hesitantly as he thought it through.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not! I hope you had fun getting the crap kicked out of you, because Daggerpoint is stuffed full of killers and Sloshers who hate Herad. So congratulations, you¡¯ve just volunteered to fight every single one of them,¡± Saeter explained scornfully.


    The hobgoblin licked his lips nervously. This sounded like it was going to be a serious problem. He¡¯d definitely not enjoyed fighting the man named Fang. Well, actually he¡¯d had lots of fun sneaking around and cutting Fang up, but that didn¡¯t make up for beating the bandit chief had given him. He still hurt in places he hadn¡¯t even known existed before.


    ¡°I¡¯m too injured?¡± Blacknail tentatively offered as an excuse.


    ¡°Ha, as if she¡¯ll care. Herad has her own problems to deal with, and now she has a solution in you. How much do you think she¡¯ll care about your injuries?¡± Saeter responded.


    ¡°Not-ss at all¡­¡± the hobgoblin said with a sigh.


    ¡°Exactly, you idiot. Let¡¯s hope we can get you patched up quickly, although judging by the way your limping I doubt that will happen. Here lean on me; you shouldn¡¯t be putting weight on that ankle,¡± his master told Blacknail .


    ¡°I¡¯m fine-ss; I can walk,¡± Blacknail replied with a stubborn tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me smack you again, boy,¡± Saeter threatened as he raised a hand.


    Blacknail winced and hissed in annoyance, but when his master extended an arm he took it. As they continued walking down the hallway Blacknail leaned on Saeter¡¯s shoulder. Soon, they arrived outside a heavy wooden door.


    Without bothering to knock Saeter pushed the door open and strode inside. Immediately, after entering the hobgoblin knew he was in Mahedium¡¯s new workshop. Everything about this room strongly reminded Blacknail of the mage¡¯s room back at the camp.


    Glass beakers of colorful liquids were scattered around an otherwise sparse chamber. More than a few crystals could be seen as well. They were either floating in some of the glasses or placed on shelves beside piles of books and delicate looking pieces of equipment.


    Mahedium was seated at a desk across the room and scribbling something on some papers. He looked up at them as they entered the chamber. A scowl appeared on his face when he saw Saeter but it disappeared when he saw Blacknail. He¡¯s eyes shone with interest as he looked the hobgoblin over.


    ¡°Blacknail? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d joined us,¡± he remarked cheerfully.


    ¡°I got an injured hobgoblin here, mage. You think you can patch him up? He looks like someone thrashed him until he was black and blue¡­ and green,¡± Saeter asked the mage.


    Mahedium got up from the desk and met them in the center of the room. He didn¡¯t even look at Saeter, and instead focused completely on Blacknail.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to examine him first, and then hope hobgoblins react to drugs in a similar way to humans,¡± the mage answered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have healing magic?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t; for a lot of reasons. The Fiery Eye is not a guild that worries about healing too much, and even if they were there¡¯s no way I would have gotten my hands on any healing spells. Healers are highly trained specialists, and they¡¯re treated much better than combat mages,¡± Mahedium replied with a frown, as he leaned over and examined Blacknail bruised neck.


    ¡°I should have figured,¡± Saeter responded grumpily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get him into the light where I can get a better look at him. Over there on that chair should serve our purpose,¡± Mahedium remarked.


    Saeter guided Blacknail towards the seat Medium had indicated and then placed him gently down, while Mahedium wandered the room and gathered a few things from the shelves. A few minutes later the mage returned and stared thoughtfully at Blacknail. He then touched a crystal on a nearby desk and it flared to life. This new light made it much easier to see.


    ¡°Hmmm, how do you feel, Blacknail? You definitely looked unsteady earlier. Are you suffering from nausea or a headache as well?¡± he asked the hobgoblin.


    ¡°My head-ss hurts, but what¡¯s nausea?¡± Blacknail replied in confusion.


    ¡°Er, does your stomach hurt?¡± the mage clarified.


    ¡°My everything hurts,¡± the hobgoblin whined in response.


    ¡°Fine¡­ but does it feel like you¡¯re going to vomit?¡± Mahedium asked him.


    Why couldn¡¯t the man have just asked that in the first place? All these annoying questions were making Blacknail think, and thinking was making his headache worse.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m hungry though,¡± Blacknail remarked hopefully.


    ¡°You¡¯re always hungry. Sometimes I think you¡¯re half pig,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good sign; an appetite is a sign of health¡± Mahedium mused aloud before turning to Saeter.


    ¡°Please hold his left, and then right, eye open for me while I check something,¡± he asked the scout in a businesslike manner, as he reached into one of his pockets and withdrew something.


    Blacknail tried to squirm away as his master grabbed his head and then proceeded to pry his one eye open. He was still feeling weak though, so even raising his arms took an effort. Ouch, what the hells were they trying to do to him?


    ¡°Hold still you silly runt, that¡¯s an order,¡± Saeter barked as he tried to keep his hold on the hobgoblin.


    Reluctantly, Blacknail relaxed and stopped struggling. It hadn¡¯t really been doing him much good anyway. Saeter was also unusually strong right now for some reason. He must have been eating well recently.


    Mahedium reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny crystal that was barely bigger than his finger tip, and held it up to Blacknail¡¯s face. The hobgoblin tried to blink, but couldn¡¯t because Saeter was still holding his eyelid up.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going to use magic,¡± Saeter remarked suspiciously.


    ¡°This is just a light crystal,¡± the mage replied.


    As Blacknail stared at the mana stone it suddenly burst to life. He instinctively tried to flinch away, but Saeter was still gripping him tightly. He relaxed a second later when he realized the light wasn¡¯t really all that bright and didn¡¯t actually hurt his eyes.


    In fact the crystal was more than a little interesting to look at. He had never stared right at one while it was lit before. There was a tiny speck in the very middle that seemed brighter than the other parts.


    ¡°His reaction seems fine as well, so I don¡¯t think he¡¯s suffered a dangerous head injury,¡± Mahedium observed as he pocketed the crystal again.


    After seeing that the mage was finished Saeter let go of Blacknail. The hobgoblin shook himself, and started blinking frantically to moisten his dry eyes. Meanwhile, the mage stood up and frowned down at Blacknail with concern.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡± Saeter grumbled impatiently.


    ¡°He¡¯s a hobgoblin,¡± Mahedium answered as he looked off to the side with a distracted manner.


    ¡°I noticed that, since awhile back actually,¡± the old scout replied scornfully.


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    ¡°Hmm yes, most people would. He also has obvious external injuries, but trying to figure out which herbs to apply is¡­ an interesting challenge. He might not react the same way a human would, so I¡¯ve chosen one of my more innoxious mixtures,¡± the mage explained carefully.


    ¡°So apply it. Standing around and scowling isn¡¯t going to change anything,¡± Saeter replied.


    Mahedium gave the older man an irritated look, but then got to work. Together, he and Saeter stripped Blacknail of most of his clothes. They then examined his wounds. The hobgoblin had only a few shallow cuts, but several rather impressive purple bruises decorated his skin.


    ¡°Huh, some of these are obviously at least a few days old,¡± Mahedium remarked.


    The mage then began applying a sweet smelling paste to Blacknail¡¯s wounds which numbed and cooled his skin. It was rather nice feeling, and soon the tension leaked from his body as he leaned back into the chair.


    ¡°What¡¯s in that stuff, it doesn¡¯t smell like anything I would use,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s White Duff, Clegorvein, and ground Scalewood bark,¡± Mahedium responded.


    ¡°Why are you using that crap? None of that has any real strength to it,¡± Saeter asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a master apothecary for almost a decade. I think I know which compounds to use,¡± the mage replied, as he scowled with indignation.


    ¡°Apparently not, because I might not have a fancy title, but I¡¯ve been treating wounds since before you were born. So I know¡­¡± Saeter countered as the two men fell into an argument.


    The argument went on for several minutes, and both of them grew louder and more belligerent as time went on. It continued even after they had finished bandaging his wounds. Blacknail wasn¡¯t paying attention though. Despite the increasing noise levels, he was starting to fall asleep.


    Blacknail was still drifting back and forth across the black borders of consciousness when the argument ended. Thus, he didn¡¯t even notice when Mahedium collected a small sample of his blood from one of his wounds. Saeter noticed though and quickly turned towards the mage with an angry expression his face.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing with that? What possible use could you have for his blood?¡± he loudly demanded of the mage.


    The harsh sound of his voice woke Blacknail. The hobgoblin opened his eyes to see his master and Mahedium glaring hostilely at each other. So, nothing much had changed.


    ¡°I simply want to run some tests on it. Hopefully, I can use it to discover whether goblin blood will react differently than human blood to several chemicals. That way I can be reasonably sure they¡¯ll be safe to use on Blacknail. Why do you care?¡± Mahedium answered confrontationally.


    ¡°Even a complete fool knows better than to let a mage take their blood! You could use it to place him under your power,¡± Saeter responded.


    ¡°Then you definitely know as much as a complete fool. Even if those peasant superstitions are true, and I have no idea if they are, then do you really think that¡¯s that sort of thing the guilds would teach combat mages? No, of course it isn¡¯t! So why don¡¯t you just be quiet and let me work,¡± Mahedium said as he glared at the old scout.


    Saeter opened his mouth as if to respond, but then stopped and seemed to think better of it. He appeared to think something over for second before he next spoke.


    ¡°Fine, do as you will. I¡¯m watching you though,¡± Saeter warned him.


    Mahedium just snorted dismissively and walked away to the other side of the room. Once there he started going through his equipment and picking stuff out. Saeter turned back to Blacknail.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± his master asked as he waved his hand in front of the hobgoblin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Sleepy. I want-ss to nap,¡± Blacknail replied before yawning.


    As he drowsily watched Saeter¡¯s hand move in front of his face, he felt a strange urge to snap at it. It kind of looked like a bird or something. He didn¡¯t actually try and bite it though; that would have involved getting up out of the chair.


    ¡°You can stay awake for a few minute, you lazy runt. I have some questions that need answering. It¡¯s important,¡± Saeter told him


    Blacknail failed to respond and his eyes lipped shut again. Saeter got his attention with a smack to the side of his head. The hobgoblin sprang awake as a new source of pain flared into existence above his ear.


    ¡°Ow! I¡¯m injured,¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°You¡¯re too tough for your own good, so you¡¯ll survive. Now are you going to answer my questions, or do you need another smack?¡± Saeter said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll answer,¡± Blacknail replied as he rubbed the side of his head.


    ¡°Good, so I¡¯m guessing you slipped away from camp and followed us here. What took you so long though?¡± Saeter asked him.


    The hobgoblin considered the question for a second; it was a long story. Where to even start, and how could he tell it so that it would make him look the best? An impatient look appeared on Saeter¡¯s face.


    ¡°I got attacked by a Hobgoblin, and had to rest,¡± he blurted out, as Saeter raised a hand to hit him again.


    ¡°Explain,¡± Saeter said as his eyes narrowed with interest.


    ¡°I was following-ss you when you went past the bushy place. A nasty huge hobgoblin with impressive horns then jumped out and attacked me! He had lots and lots-ss of goblins with him, and they all tried to kill me. I kicked and bit them all though, and managed to fight them off by myself. I then killed the hobgoblin, and became the new chief. Since I was injured by the cheating no good hobgoblin¡¯s lucky hit, I decided to stay there a while and rest,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Sounds like quite the adventure¡­ if any of it¡¯s true. How did you get to the city?¡± the old scout asked doubtfully.


    His master didn¡¯t seem to believe that Blacknail was telling the truth for some reason. It was kind of insulting. He was just leaving some stuff out¡­ and maybe exaggerating a little.


    ¡°I asked for directions, twice,¡± Blacknail replied as he shrugged. It hadn¡¯t been a big deal or anything.


    ¡°What, how? Never mind, I¡¯ll probably sleep better at night if I don¡¯t know the details,¡± Seater remarked.


    ¡°How did you end up killing Fang though? He was a blowhard, but still a Slosher. How did you even know he was Herad¡¯s enemy or where to find him?¡±


    ¡°I listened to Herad yell at some people, she was very loud,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Ha, yes she is at that. It probably wasn¡¯t all that hard to find us since all you had to do was follow the sound of her constant screaming,¡± Saeter said with a chuckle.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyelids were heavy and he didn¡¯t feel up to correcting Saeter, so he gave his master a brief nod. He also didn¡¯t want any part of insulting Herad. It was probably a good idea to change the topic of their conversation.


    ¡°I found Fang by playing a guessing game with a weird naked lady,¡± Blacknail then told Saeter.


    There was silence. The smile on Saeter¡¯s face grew strained and his one eye twitched. Across the room Mahedium broke out into a fit of coughing. Had he said something wrong?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t um... murder this woman, did you?¡± Saeter asked apprehensively.


    ¡°Nope, we just traded answers to questions. Do you usually kill people during guessing games?¡± Blacknail asked with interest.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t usually play them. Just in general it¡¯s a bad idea to kill people, okay?¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Why? You do it all the time, and so does Herad,¡± the hobgoblin pointed out.


    There was another amused snort from Mahedium. Saeter closed his eyes and messaged his forehead with his fingertips. Blacknail thought he looked a little upset.


    ¡°Ugh, I just realized Red Dog may have had a point after all. This is my fault as much as yours, though. I should have taught you about morals and civilized behavior. I guess I just never expected you to leave the woods,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°The round things you put stuff in?¡± Blacknail asked in confusion.


    ¡°No, those are barrels. Morals are very different,¡± Saeter explained with a sigh.


    The sound of steps echoed from the doorway so Blacknail twisted around to see who was approaching. The doorway was soon darkened by the redheaded form of Khita.


    The hobgoblin groaned when he saw her. Why did it have to be her? She was incredibly annoying, and he was stuck in this chair so he couldn¡¯t even escape! He already regretted saving her.


    ¡°Blacknail, I heard that you¡¯d shown up! Everyone was talking about the small creepy cloaked guy who killed that bastard Fang, and then presented his bloody head to Herad. How sharp is that! When they mentioned that the assassin had disappeared with Saeter I knew for sure it must have been you,¡± she exclaimed happily with a cheerful grin on her face.


    ¡°Blacknail is injured so don¡¯t get too close and you can¡¯t stay long,¡± Saeter told the young woman.


    The hobgoblin threw his master a grateful look, and Saeter gave him a knowing smile. Mahedium also responded from across the room.


    ¡°Oh, quite right. Keep at least a few feet away please, and no touching the patient,¡± the mage told Khita distractedly. He seemed engrossed in studying something at his desk.


    ¡°Sure thing, I got stuff to do anyway. I¡¯m super useful so Herad keeps me pretty busy,¡± Khita responded with undaunted cheer.


    ¡°You deliver messages,¡± Saeter replied dryly.


    ¡°That¡¯s important. What if someone tried to steal the message? I would have to fight them off. In fact I got into a fight earlier today, so ha!¡± Khita told him as she stabbed the air with a make believe knife.


    ¡°That had nothing to do with a message, they attacked you because¡­ You know what? Never mind,¡± Saeter said with obvious frustration.


    ¡°Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that you killing Fang was the sharpest thing I¡¯ve ever heard of by far. I mean come on, you brought his bleeding head to Herad in the middle of a meeting! How awesome is that!¡± she told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Does she know what morals are?¡± Blacknail asked curiously while glancing at the still smiling Khita.


    ¡°I seriously doubt it,¡± Saeter responded as he grimaced.


    ¡°Who does then?¡± Blacknail inquired.


    Saeter sighed and rubbed his forehead again. He suddenly seemed more than a little tired, and his forehead had become creased by wrinkles.


    ¡°You know what? Forget I said anything. Just try to kill as few people as possible, okay?¡± Saeter told him dryly.


    ¡°Advice to live by, unless you¡¯re an assassin of course,¡± Khita interjected.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail replied happily.


    He never killed anyone he didn¡¯t have to anyway. Why would he? That would be a lot of work, and more than a little silly.

 Den of Beasts 7

    All of a sudden there was a gasp of surprise from where Mahedium was working, and then the mage began madly scribbling away and sorting through a pile of papers. Everyone looked over his way at the unexpected noise.


    ¡°Ha, I can¡¯t believe my luck,¡± Mahedium exclaimed as he worked.


    ¡°Made a discovery have you? Perhaps Highwart plant is a goblin love potion or something?¡± Saeter asked with a roll of his eyes.


    The mage didn¡¯t bother answering, or even appear to hear the other man. He just started chuckling to himself, as he stared at Blacknail¡¯s blood sample. Saeter scowled and looked worried.


    ¡°I think our mage has lost it,¡± Saeter remarked.


    Even Blacknail found the mage¡¯s behavior more than a little odd. The hobgoblin got excited over blood sometimes, but only when it was fresher, and there was a lot more of it.


    ¡°He needs to stop sniffing his own herbs, if you know what I mean,¡± Khita said.


    Blacknail had no idea what she meant. Saeter apparently did though, because the corner of his mouth curled up into something that sort of resembled a grin. Mahedium ignored Khita and turned to Saeter.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made an incredibly exciting find. It has nothing to do with herbs though. After the surprise revelation that Varhs¡¯ pet goblin had the mage spark, I decided to run some tests on Blacknail¡¯s blood just in case, and I just found something,¡± he announced with obvious excitement.


    The young mage was practically vibrating with enthusiasm. In one hand he held up a small vial of purple liquid.


    ¡°Oh, is goblin blood like deadly poison or secretly magical?¡± Khita remarked.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s idiotic. Stay silent while the grownups are talking, please,¡± Mahedium replied irritably.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Saeter asked curiously, as Khita glared at Mahedium.


    ¡°Before I say anything I want to be absolutely sure I¡¯m right, so I need to perform a few more quick tests,¡± the mage answered as he quickly gathered up several things from his desk.


    Once Mahedium had what he wanted he hurried over to where Blacknail was sitting. The hobgoblin eyed him warily. He was fairly sure he didn¡¯t want the mage running any more tests, or performing any weird magic, on him. The eye test from earlier had been uncomfortable enough.


    ¡°Open your mouth, please. Normally I¡¯d just take a hair sample. Since you don¡¯t have much in the way of hair though, I¡¯m going to have to take a look at your teeth,¡± Mahedium told Blacknail.


    The mage raised his hands in front of Blacknail¡¯s face and waited expectantly.


    The hobgoblin met the mage¡¯s gaze and gave him a dubious stare. The man couldn¡¯t seriously be planning on shoving his hands in between his jaws, could he?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your fatty human hands in my mouth. They¡¯ll taste bad,¡± Blacknail replied as he stuck out his tongue in disgust.


    ¡°I keep my hands very clean, and I just washed them,¡± Mahedium responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re still human, and oily,¡± the hobgoblin muttered.


    ¡°Just get it over with, Blacknail. I¡¯ll get you a treat right after,¡± Saeter told him impatiently.


    The hobgoblin sighed but did as he was told. Maybe he could convince his master to get him one of those meat pies from earlier¡­


    Mahedium raised his tiny light crystal up to Blacknail¡¯s mouth. As it flared to life he raised a small knife and began to carefully poke and prod around the hobgoblin¡¯s teeth. It was more than a little annoying, and Blacknail gave Mahedium an irritated look. As he had suspected the man¡¯s fingers also tasted horrible, like old sweat.


    ¡°Huh, I expected them to be dirtier. You actually keep your teeth fairly clean,¡± the mage commented as he worked.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed. Why wouldn¡¯t his mouth be clean? It was humans that were weird and smelly.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s tempting, but don¡¯t bite him,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    A few seconds later the mage withdrew his hand and smiled proudly to himself. Blacknail shut his mouth and rubbed his jaw. Holding it open like that had been kind of painful.


    ¡°I was right! An elemental test of his blood revealed traces of crystal integration, and just now I discovered his teeth show subtle signs of fairly recent crystallization,¡± Mahedium announced.


    ¡°So he¡¯s a mage too?¡± Saeter replied warily.


    He didn¡¯t seem too happy at the idea, which kind of hurt Blacknail¡¯s feeling. Hadn¡¯t he earned his master¡¯s trust yet? The hobgoblin wouldn¡¯t mind becoming a mage. There were so many things he wanted to blow up! It would be glorious.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not indicative of the evidence I found. If he was a mage he wouldn¡¯t show the secondary signs such as crystallization of the teeth. Not to mention, I tested him for that not too long ago and found nothing. He¡¯s also not a mutant, for obvious reasons. So, by process of elimination we can conclude that Blacknail is actually a dormant Vessel,¡± Mahedium explained happily.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what I just said; his blood¡¯s magical,¡± Khita muttered as she glared angrily at the mage.


    No one bothered to respond to her. Blacknail sighed in disappointment. So he wasn¡¯t a mage¡­ and he wouldn¡¯t get to start blowing things up with magic. At least he was a Vessel thingy though. That made him super strong or something right?


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible? He¡¯s never shown any signs of that, and he¡¯s certainly never taken any Elixir,¡± Saeter asked with a voice full of doubt as he crossed his arms in front of himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how he was initially exposed to some form of Elixir, but at some point he undoubtedly was. As to him not showing any signs of being a Vessel, well the answer to that is obvious. He hasn¡¯t had any Elixir to fuel himself, so the ability is now completely dormant,¡± the mage replied.


    ¡°So it¡¯s utterly useless, since we have no way of getting him Elixir or even knowing what the right type is,¡± Saeter pointed out with more than a little evident relief.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯d like to run a few more tests, and there¡¯s someone in town that I may be able to consult with. It might be technically possible to find the correct type,¡± Mahedium told them.


    ¡°Well, good luck with that. Just don¡¯t be expecting to draw too much more of Blacknail¡¯s blood. With the way things are going he¡¯s going to need it right where it is. If you want to play around with a Vessel¡¯s blood feel free to ask Herad, though,¡± Saeter told the mage.


    ¡°I have as of yet not decided on the proper time or method of asking Herad for a blood sample¡­¡± Mahedium admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re still alive,¡± Saeter told him.


    His remark caused Khita to chuckle, which earned her a glare from Mahedium. Blacknail wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on, so he decided to ask.


    ¡°What does me being a Vessel mean?¡± he asked the others.


    ¡°Nothing really, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°It means if you find this one type of magic potion then it will give you magical powers, and you won¡¯t die, or explode, or anything,¡± Khita added


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s good,¡± Blacknail mused aloud.


    He really wanted magic of his own, and he definitely didn¡¯t want to explode. It sounded like he needed to find this Elixir stuff.


    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no way to find the right Elixir though,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°That¡¯s not completely true. I just finished telling you that I may know of someone who could help,¡± Mahedium argued.


    ¡°Fine, you do what you want. If you manage to find anything then tell us, but don¡¯t expect any help looking. Also, if you tell Herad about any of this nonsense then I¡¯ll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life. Thanks to Blacknail¡¯s recent idiocy she already has enough weird notions in her head about using him. If you tell her about this¡­,¡± Saeter warned the mage.


    He stopped talking when Blacknail poked him urgently on the shoulder, and he threw the hobgoblin a confused glance. Blacknail¡¯s eyes were wide with concern. He hadn¡¯t noticed it at first because he¡¯d been distracted by the conversation, but now he definitely heard the sound of familiar footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Ah, Saeter you¡¯re so predictable sometimes. I knew you¡¯d try to keep the hobgoblin away from me,¡± Herad said as she walked through the doorway and into the room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m intruding, but the things you were just saying sound so intriguing. I¡¯m having weird notions am I? We¡¯ll have to talk about that later. Right now though, I want my mage there to tell me more about the rather interesting conversation you were all just having.¡±


    There was a rather nasty looking grin on her face that was directed Saeter¡¯s way, and from under her dark bangs her eyes gleamed with furious excitement. Blacknail winced in apprehension and took a step away from Saeter. His master should have kept his big mouth shut.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Saeter grunted quietly, before turning around and facing his boss.


    ¡°Explain, now,¡± Herad commanded Mahedium.


    ¡°Right, of course,¡± the mage stuttered in reply. ¡°As you undoubtedly heard just now, after running some tests on Blacknail¡¯s blood I discovered that some time ago he must have ingested a sample of Elixir. Obviously, he managed to survive the transformation into a Vessel, but he hasn¡¯t been showing any signs¡­¡± the mage quickly explained before Herad cut him off with an annoyed glare and wave of her hand.


    ¡°I heard that part, and I don¡¯t much care. I don¡¯t need another Vessel, I need access to Elixir. Get to the part where you mentioned knowing someone that might be able to supply you with some,¡± she told him with a disdainful sneer.


    Mahedium opened his mouth as if to talk, but then closed it again. His forehead grew creased and he seemed reluctant to speak. Herad made an irritated growling noise, and he flinched before finally answering.


    ¡°Since my arrival in Daggerpoint I¡¯ve been making inquiries about any other rogue mages that might be in the city. Most of the leads I¡¯ve found were¡­ dead ends, unfortunately. None of the mages in this city are very knowledgeable about the magic they flaunt. They¡¯re the lowest sort of combat mage, with not a scholar among them,¡± Mahedium bitterly told her.


    As the mage talked Saeter¡¯s eyes flickered towards the exit. He looked to be considering trying to slip away while Herad was distracted. Blacknail didn¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°Even the market for spell stones and Elixirs is very limited and expensive. It contains nothing but the occasional piece of loot taken off a corpse. I highly suspect most of the crystals get purchased and then returned unused to the market when their owner is murdered,¡± Mahedium continued.


    ¡°But you said you found someone,¡± Herad pointed out impatiently.


    ¡°Yes, there was one merchant who seems to have a steady source of several Elixers, including Braxwells and Whitestrom. He refused to even discuss where he got it at first, but I was¡­ persistent. Eventually, I managed to get him to deliver a message to his supplier. I only got a short reply back, but it was enough to confirm my suspicions that someone in town is creating the Elixir. They¡¯ve agreed to meet with me in order to facilitate an exchange of knowledge,¡± the mage concluded.


    ¡°Tricky¡­¡± Saeter remarked softly.


    ¡°Yet, more than worth a little risk. A reliable source of Elixir could change the odds against us completely,¡± Herad added with a hostile glare at Saeter.


    Blacknail blinked in surprise at Herad¡¯s reaction to Saeter. He was more than a little surprised she hadn¡¯t sheathed a few of her knives into his master¡¯s chest already. She seemed really focused on getting her hands on this Elixir stuff. He almost thought he detected the tiniest bit of sour smelling desperation from her¡­


    ¡°True, but that doesn¡¯t mean we should run right into this. Anyone with a monopoly on such a lucrative trade isn¡¯t going to just give it up, and is more than likely working with one of the other chiefs. It¡¯s probably a trap,¡± Saeter replied as he frowned in concern.


    ¡°Obviously, it could be a trap. I don¡¯t need you to tell me that, Saeter. We¡¯ll just have to take precautions, and turn it back on them if they¡¯re stupid enough to try something,¡± Herad told him scornfully.


    Blacknail smiled as he listened. He thought that sounded fun. The idea of the hunter becoming the hunted amused him.


    ¡°When and where¡¯s this meeting supposed to take place,¡± Saeter asked Mahedium.


    ¡°Two days from now at a residence in the Central District of the city. I¡¯m allowed to come armed and bring one companion,¡± the mage answered.


    ¡°You agreed to enter a location of their choosing, with only one man for back up? I honestly thought you were smarter than that, Mahedium! This magic stuff is sure makes idiots out of people,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, Saeter. They¡¯re allowing me to bring my gear, and I¡¯m a combat mage. I¡¯ll have someone with me to watch my back, and enough magic at my disposal to level a small building. Besides, meeting in a public place wouldn¡¯t do me any good; I¡¯ll be visiting their lab. We¡¯ll need equipment and resources in order to accomplish anything,¡± the mage replied.


    ¡°What if they take you by surprise?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen. You¡¯re worrying too much anyway. I¡¯ll be going to the Inner City which is neutral territory. If they cause a disturbance there it will draw the attention of the Governor,¡± Mahedium responded.


    ¡°Ha, I have way more experience with this city than you, boy. The Governor and his men may enforce peace within the center of this snake pit, but they¡¯re powerless outside of it without the backing of the band leaders. They also don¡¯t care about murder, just that it doesn¡¯t happen on the streets,¡± Blacknail¡¯s master countered scornfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth the risk, Saeter. You¡¯ve said enough, don¡¯t you think? So shut your trap,¡± Herad ordered the old scout before turning to the mage. ¡°Who were you planning on taking with you, Mahedium?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday I couldn¡¯t have told you, but just now I decided on taking Blacknail,¡± Mahedium replied.


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Saeter barked immediately.


    Herad threw him a dark look and the old scout took a step back. Saeter looked like he really regretted speaking.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simply not up to you, so be quiet. Blacknail is no longer your servant,¡± Herad told him coldly, before turning to Blacknail. ¡°It¡¯s up the hobgoblin himself, and me. You¡¯re both my minions,¡±


    Blacknail froze as everyone looked his way. Oh oh, this wasn¡¯t good. He really didn¡¯t like being in the middle of a fight between Herad and Saeter. No matter which side he chose it wouldn¡¯t be good for him. Why couldn¡¯t everyone just get along?


    ¡°I had intended his presence to serve several purposes. You just mentioned that I should be concerned about being taken by surprise. I think we can agree that¡¯s unlikely to happen if Blacknail is with me. They will be unprepared for the superior senses of a hobgoblin,¡± Mahedium reasoned.


    Saeter just scowled and grunted vaguely in response. Blacknail however grinned happily to himself. Mahedium was right; hobgoblins were both superior and more sensible than humans.


    ¡°If they have good intentions and we can come to a deal, then Blacknail will also serve as a test of their skill as well. If they can make an Elixir for him they can undoubtedly make one for Herad as well,¡± Mahedium explained to Saeter.


    ¡°You could just take a blood sample with you,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want me taking anymore samples from Blacknail,¡± Mahedium replied scornfully.


    ¡°Blacknail will go with Mahedium, and he¡¯ll even get a pay raise for volunteering. To reflect his increased usefulness,¡± Herad said with a meaningful look at Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin gave her a confused look back, before realizing what she wanted a second later. Oh well, surely Saeter wouldn¡¯t blame him since Herad was giving him an order, sort of.


    He kind of wanted to go anyway. From what he had heard this might be is best shot of getting some magic of his own. That would be so useful¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Mahedium-ss. I¡¯ll fill these men with fear, and stab the people who try to hurt him,¡± Blacknail told Herad with an enthusiastic nod of his head.


    Saeter scowled grumpily at the hobgoblin¡¯s reply, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Herad threw a smug grin his way. She seemed to take a lot of pleasure from gloating over Saeter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too. I¡¯m also great at stabbing people,¡± Khita added from where she was standing off to one side.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here; safely out of the way,¡± Herad told the younger woman without even looking at her.


    ¡°But¡­¡± Khita started to say before Blacknail kicked her in the back of the knee.


    Khita stumbled and glared with narrowed eyes at the Hobgoblin, but he didn¡¯t care. She seriously didn¡¯t know when to stop talking. You didn¡¯t argue with Herad; you shut up and did as she told you.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Mahedium will take Blacknail, and together they¡¯ll enter this rogue mage¡¯s laboratory. I¡¯ll prepare a squad of men that will wait nearby. If there¡¯s trouble then Mahedium will signal us using magic,¡± Herad told everyone.


    ¡°Thank you for your support in this, Mistress Herad. I predict this endeavor will benefit us both greatly. As for a signal, I could always aim a force blast upwards. That should make a lot of noise and throw a quite a bit of debris into the air. It would be hard to miss,¡± the mage remarked.


    ¡°What could go wrong?¡± Saeter muttered grouchily as he glanced at Herad¡¯s turned back.

 Den of Beasts 8

    Blacknail and Mahedium were walking through the city alone. It was a cloudy afternoon in Daggerpoint, as the pair made their way down one of the city¡¯s main streets.


    Several days had passed since the hobgoblin had rejoined Herad¡¯s band. He¡¯d spent most that time lying around, healing, and stuffing his face with food.


    It was just after noon and the roads were crowded. Crowds of of bustling people were everywhere, so Blacknail wore his long dark brown cloak. With the hood up it completely concealed his form, and prevented him from drawing unwanted attention. The two of them still got the occasional second glance though. They made for an odd looking pair.


    Mahedium was dressed up to impress. He wore a set of fine clothes including a red shirt with long loose sleeves. He had also shaved and gotten a haircut, which made him look much different than the disheveled and distracted man he usually seemed to be. Most importantly, he wore several pouches around his waist, and was carrying his staff.


    Even though everyone on the street was armed, and half of them were thieves and killers, no one bothered them. A mage was more than the nearby thugs and pickpockets were willing to tangle with, and they didn¡¯t know what to make of Blacknail.


    The crowds grew thinner as they neared the Central Quarter of the city. The border was obvious in the daytime, but Blacknail had only been here at night before. Not only were the houses larger and better maintained there, but there were far less people on the street.


    Several men with helmets who were holding long spears and wearing steel breastplates watched everyone who passed. Their choice of equipment made them stand out. Spears and shiny metal weren¡¯t popular with most the other humans in the city, probably because they made it harder to run away.


    The metal wearing humans didn¡¯t stop anyone from passing into the Central Quarter, but only a few people seemed to want to walk past them anyway.


    Blacknail noticed that the shiny men got a lot of hostile looks from other people on the street. Even though they were badly outnumbered by the nearby crowds no one tried to start anything, though. Obviously, the spearmen weren¡¯t very popular, but they were respected warriors nonetheless.


    As they were walking Mahedium turned to Blacknail, and pointed at the steel clad humans.


    ¡°Those are the Governor¡¯s men, and we¡¯re entering his territory. He allows anyone entry, but they have to obey his rules. Mostly, they involve keeping the streets orderly and clear. Stick by me, and don¡¯t draw attention to us,¡± the mage told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail gave the mage an annoyed glare. That had been his plan anyway. He had obviously been doing that the entire way here, so why did Mahedium feel the need to mention it? Humans, other than his master, must just really like to hear themselves talk.


    As they crossed the border Mahedium started to look nervous. He was very obviously staring at the guards out of the corner of his eye, and he¡¯d grown twitchy. Blacknail on the other hand just strolled casually by; he didn¡¯t see a reason to be nervous. There were already plenty of humans around, and these were just a few more.


    The mage and the hobgoblin made it past the Governor¡¯s men unimpeded; the spearmen didn¡¯t try to stop them. As they headed deeper into the inner part of the city the houses and buildings began to get larger and fancier.


    There were noticeably less people out and about as well. The humans here were better dressed, but the occasional group of thugs and miscreants still could be seen wandering around. The crowds were also quieter, and there was a lot less shouting.


    As Blacknail observed the surroundings, a patrol of half a dozen of the armored men from before came down the street. These ones had swords instead of spears, but they were obviously from the same tribe as the border guards.


    ¡°We should be near the right place. Keep a look out for any signs that mention our destination,¡± Mahedium told the hobgoblin as they walked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do-ss the reading thing,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Ah, of course you can¡¯t. I should have realized that; you¡¯ve obviously never had a chance to learn. Maybe I¡¯ll teach you the basics sometime,¡± Mahedium replied as he looked around.


    Blacknail snorted. Why would he want to learn to read anyway? All his time was spent doing chores and learning useful things, like cooking and sword fighting. There were so many things he had to practice already. Reading seemed useless to him anyway; he would be better off burning books for warmth, or clubbing people over the head with them.


    ¡°Ah, there it is,¡± Mahedium exclaimed as he pointed to a building up ahead of them.


    It was a large mansion surrounded by a wrought iron fence. The inner section of the city was where all the larger and better maintained homes were located, which in Daggerpoint just meant they were more than one story and weren¡¯t in immediate danger of falling down.


    This home however looked to be in good repair. There wasn¡¯t a single shingle missing from the roof. The only obvious flaw was that the grounds were overgrown, but the fact it had grounds at all was impressive. Most the other buildings just had a large patch of mud out front.


    The yard behind the iron fence had several large trees scattered across it. A long wild looking row of hedges ran along the path; up from the gate to the front door of the residence. There were also a few overgrown flower beds full of weeds. All the unkempt greenery cast a lot of shadows in the afternoon sun, and gave the building a sinister air.


    Blacknail barely gave the house and yard a second glance though; his attention was focused on the large rough looking man standing on the other side of the gate. He had a sword at his hip and a mean look in his eyes that reminded Blacknail of the more dangerous bandits from Herad¡¯s band. The man was without a doubt an experienced killer, and not one of the Governor¡¯s men.


    The hobgoblin eyed him carefully as he and the mage approached, and he couldn¡¯t help but growl softly. The fact that such a human was being used as a guard made him more than a little uneasy. The owner of the house wasn¡¯t messing around when it came to security.


    The guard wasn¡¯t looking their way, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t fooled. He could tell by the man¡¯s posture and movements that he¡¯d noticed the two of them approaching. The man was good¡­ not great, but still good. Mahedium didn¡¯t seem to notice Blacknail¡¯s concern, because he walked right up to the man and announced himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m Mahedium Loggart and I have an appointment with your master. As per the agreement I have come armed and with one escort,¡± the mage declared confidently.


    The guard gave Mahedium and Blacknail a brief look over. His stare was intense, but also indifferent at the same time. Blacknail had to stifle another growl; the man¡¯s condescending attitude raised his hackles.


    Without a word the man then stepped over and unlocked the gate, before throwing it open.


    ¡°Enter,¡± he told them emotionlessly.


    Mahedium hesitated and an uneasy look flashed across his face. He was clearly thrown a little off balance by the guard¡¯s attitude. After a few seconds though, he unfroze and walked through the gate. The hobgoblin shadowed him closely while keeping careful watch on the guard. He already didn¡¯t like this place.


    ¡°He certainly wasn¡¯t a cheery fellow. The master of this abode should really consider getting some friendlier staff. There¡¯s something to be said for basic courtesy after all,¡± the mage muttered as he walked up the path to the house. ¡°Why would anyone want such inhuman thugs around?¡±


    Blacknail met Mahedium¡¯s gaze. The mage blinked and stared at the hobgoblin for a second before sighing.


    ¡°Right, never mind,¡± he then muttered to himself.


    The hedge loomed to their right as they approached the end of the path. When they got to the entrance Mahedium knocked politely. It was a massive wooden double doors. Almost immediately they began to swing open. The mage looked nervously through the entranceway. Another guard similar to the first one stood on the other side, and had opened the doors.


    ¡°Please take a seat,¡± he told them before stepping aside.


    The room on the other side was huge and dark. It was two stories tall and large enough to fit dozens of people. A pair of staircases ran up the walls on either side of the room, and led to the second floor. The windows were few in number however, and had curtains on them that blocked the light. As a result, the corners of the room were dim and shadowy.


    Mahedium threw Blacknail a nervous glance, but the hobgoblin just shrugged. The mage had been the one that had wanted to come here, and hobgoblins could see in the dark. With another sigh Mahedium stepped into the house.


    ¡°A flair for the dramatic is pretty common in mages, but this seems like overkill, even to me,¡± he muttered to himself.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Plush red furniture lined the room, including several couches and chairs, so Mahedium headed for the nearest set and sat down. Blacknail sat down beside him, in a chair that was as comfy as it was ornate and red.


    Just as he was settling down, a casual breath brought an unexpected scent with it. The building smelled of human blood. Not just one person either, but many different humans. Blacknail was unsure of what to make of it, so he decided to ask.


    The hobgoblin casually leaned over towards his companion, and whispered in his ear.


    ¡°It smells of human-ss blood here. Many different people-ss,¡± Blacknail told the mage.


    Mahedium looked rather uncomfortable and wary of having Blacknail so close, but after the hobgoblin finished speaking his eyes narrowed and he frowned uneasily. He appeared to be thinking something over.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing; don¡¯t worry about it,¡± the mage replied after a few seconds.


    Blacknail shrugged and sat back down in his chair. He could tell the mage wasn¡¯t being entirely forthcoming, and was somewhat concerned about something, but he didn¡¯t really care. It was probably just some pointless human thing anyway.


    After a few minutes of waiting for something to happen Mahedium began to scowl impatiently, and Blacknail grew bored. The hobgoblin could only amuse himself by examining the contents of the room for so long.


    The guard by the door was particularly boring, as all he did was stare straight ahead. The hobgoblin was tempted to throw something at him, just to see what would happen. He doubted Mahedium would approve though.


    Blacknail shifted restlessly in his seat. At least the chair he was sitting in was very comfy. As he moved the plush cushions made him spring up into the air slightly. He smiled at the unusual sensation, and did it again on purpose.


    Soon the bored hobgoblin was bouncing up and down on the chair and snickering to himself in amusement. The chair was just so soft and springy! He needed to find a chair like this to borrow when no one was using it, or around to see him.


    Blacknail¡¯s antics finally caused the man by the door to turn towards the visitors. He began scowling at the hobgoblin in annoyance, and with more than a little disbelief. Mahedium noticed as well.


    ¡°Stop that, it¡¯s impolite. Just sit still,¡± he whispered to Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin sighed but did as he¡¯d been told; it had been getting old anyway. Once Blacknail had settled down, they only had to wait a few more minutes for their host to arrive. A set of doors across the room were thrown open and two men stepped out.


    The first was an older man, even older than Saeter. He wore immaculate black clothing with silver lining, was bald, and sported a neatly trimmed short white beard. His face was wrinkled with age, but his eyes were sharp and his movements swift and full of purpose.


    Behind him came another man who looked to be another one of the house¡¯s guards. Like the others he was a large man with a cold focused stare. He also wore the same black and grey uniform. Blacknail could tell by the warrior¡¯s body language that he was subordinate to the white haired elder.


    The pair quickly crossed the floor of the room, and drew near their guests. Mahedium politely rose to meet them and Blacknail followed suit, mostly because it made it easier for him to fight or flee.


    As the mage stepped forward the hobgoblin fell in behind him in mimicry of the old man¡¯s guard. By doing so he made his role obvious, and was thus much more likely to be overlooked.


    ¡°Welcome, you must be Mahedium. Thank you for waiting. I simply had some other business I had to attend to. I¡¯m known as Master Avolus, and that is how you may address me,¡± the older man told the mage.


    He then reached out and extended a white gloved hand. After a second of hesitation Mahedium extended his own arm and they shook hands.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Master Avolus. Pardon me, but you must be the mage I corresponded with, then?¡± Mahedium asked respectfully.


    ¡°Indeed I am. I must say that I¡¯m also glad to meet you. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had an opportunity to converse with a colleague. Rogue mages with an interest in thaumaturgic research are very rare. The guilds are usually very successful in weeding us out, and of course they¡¯re not the only ones who benefit from monopolizing magical knowledge,¡± Avolus said with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes.


    Mahedium¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly at the other man¡¯s words and tone. They were more than a little suspicious, and Blacknail was sure he detected a hint of threat in them.


    ¡°Yes well, I¡¯m a skilled combat mage with quite a few powerful crystals at my disposal. I could show them to you if you like. I was also very lucky in coming across Mistress Herad, and in being allowed to join her band. In fact she expressed interest in this visit herself, and wanted me to tell her all about it as soon as I got back,¡± Mahedium replied dryly.


    ¡°Well then I¡¯d better be on my best behavior, I¡¯d hate for her to think badly of me,¡± the older man said with a faint smile.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t like the older man¡¯s grin. He looked like he knew some secret joke no one else was aware of. The hobgoblin hated not getting a joke.


    He also didn¡¯t like what the body language of the old man¡¯s guard was telling him. The huge thug¡¯s face was calm and unreadable, but his posture betrayed his contempt for his master¡¯s guests. Yet, the bodyguard was also looked ready to act at anytime, as if he expected a fight of some sort to break out.


    ¡°I feel like sitting,¡± Avorlus then remarked.


    He snapped his fingers and pointed to a small nearby table. Instantly, the guard by the door hurried over and picked the table up. He rushed over at put it down in front of the older man. Avorlus then pointed to a nearby chair, and the guard brought that over as well.


    Mahedium nodded and both mages sat down across from each other at the table. Avorlus¡¯ guard took up position standing behind his master¡¯s chair. Blacknail copied him again, and stood behind Mahedium.


    ¡°Well then, now that we¡¯ve been properly introduced, feel free to make yourself comfortable. We have much to discuss,¡± the older mage told them.


    ¡°This is a rather nice home you have here, your business must be quite profitable,¡± Mahedium politely commented.


    ¡°It certainly pays the bills and keeps me fed. There¡¯s always a demand for elixir in Daggerpoint, and the city is short on suppliers. What about you, how are you finding the city?¡± Avorlus replied with a smug grin.


    ¡°Well enough. It¡¯s nice to be out from under the guilds, and take destiny into my own hands. There are no lords or guild masters here to exploit me, and tell me what I can and can¡¯t learn,¡± the other mage answered.


    ¡°Very true. I myself found them quite stifling as well. Daggerpoint of course is not without its own dangers,¡± Avorlus replied.


    ¡°Obviously, you¡¯ve managed to prosper though,¡± the younger mage remarked.


    ¡°You seem to know a fair bit about my own operations, but I know next to nothing about you. May I enquire as to your own knowledge and background? Your note was intriguing, but severely lacking in detail,¡± Avorlus asked.


    Now it was Mahedium¡¯s turn to smile knowingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s not much I could tell you that you don¡¯t already know. A man so obviously as intelligent and successful as yourself would have already looked into my history as soon as my note arrived. It¡¯s also not like my past is a secret. You, on the other hand, are quite the enigma though,¡± the younger mage replied.


    ¡°Straight down to business it is then. When you first contacted me you suggested an exchange of knowledge would be to both our interests. That seems unlikely to me, but I¡¯d like to know what you have to offer anyway. As you¡¯ve already correctly determined I¡¯m a maker of Elixirs,¡± Avorlus said.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve amassed yourself a fortune, by secretly selling them to bandit chieftains using intermediaries,¡± Mahedium remarked.


    Avorlus nodded in response, so Mahedium continued speaking.


    ¡°My own area of expertise lies in a different area of research. I specialize in creating spell crystals. I have the skills and knowledge to grow them from scratch,¡± Mahedium told the other man as he reached into his coat.


    The old mage¡¯s guard tensed at Mahedium¡¯s movement, but didn¡¯t act further. Master Avorlus barely reacted. His fake looking smile didn¡¯t falter at all.


    The younger mage then pulled out a small pouch and emptied it onto the table. Half a dozen transparent crystals rolled across the table. Avorlus¡¯ white eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.


    ¡°They are a gift, from me to you. A token of my respect and an offer of friendship,¡± the younger mage explained.

 Den of Beasts 9

    Master Avorlus reached down and picked the largest stone up with two fingers. It was slightly smaller than his closed fist. He stared at it for a second and it pulsed with light.


    ¡°These are all light crystals,¡± the older mage observed impassively.


    ¡°Yes well, since I see that you¡¯re using candles to light your home, I think these will be quite useful to you,¡± Mahedium replied.


    The older man grunted and eyed Mahedium with new interest.


    ¡°Yes, these would be quite useful, but worth Elixirs? I don¡¯t believe so. You can¡¯t compare the ability to uplift mere men into Vessels to something that¡¯s a small improvement over a candle,¡± he remarked scornfully.


    ¡°Perhaps, but light crystals don¡¯t kill most the people who try and use them either, and I have other stones,¡± Mahedium countered.


    ¡°So what if you do? I make more than enough money to buy as many crystals as I want by selling Elixirs. Why do I need you?¡± the older mage replied.


    Mahedium didn¡¯t seem concerned by Avorlus¡¯ argument. He leaned back in his chair and appeared to relax.


    ¡°You can¡¯t use your potions yourself though. You¡¯re a mage not a Vessel. Are you really satisfied with granting other people power, and not finding ways to make and use magic for yourself?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re assuming I don¡¯t know how to make my own spell stones,¡± Avorlus responded coldly.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t fooled though. The older man was looking less composed and sure of himself now. Mahedium leaned forward and stared hard into the other mage¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I know you can¡¯t, for the same reasons I know you can¡¯t actually buy all the crystals you want. This home is lit by candles instead of magic. Where are all the crystals you¡¯re supposedly buying? I¡¯ll tell you where. They¡¯re tucked away somewhere safe, or hidden about your person in case of an emergency. You¡¯re never going to use them though; they¡¯ll lay there forever. You won¡¯t risk wasting them when you can never be sure you¡¯ll be able to replace them, and thus you¡¯ll never be truly free to use the power that is yours by right,¡± Mahedium explained with calm intensity.


    The younger mage kept up eye contact with the older mage, as he reached down and picked up one of the spell stones on the table. He concealed it in his closed fist, before it burst to life. The light from the crystal was so strong the shadows of the bones in his hand were visible as light blazed out from between his fingers. Then the light died, and Mahedium dropped the used up spell stone onto the table.


    ¡°Power that can¡¯t be used as one wishes, is not truly power at all,¡± he commented dryly.


    Avorlus looked away. His teeth were clenched hard together, and he looked unsettled now.


    ¡°Very well, I¡¯m listening. What do you propose?¡± he replied few seconds later in a defeated tone.


    ¡°Let us start by being forthright with each other. We could sit here all day making cryptic comments and never accomplish anything. Instead though, let¡¯s put our cards on the table, and see what we have to trade,¡± Mahedium suggested.


    Avorlus coolly eyed the younger mage for a few seconds, but then nodded. Seeing this, Mahedium continued talking.


    ¡°I have next to no information on the process of creating Elixirs, and you do. I can show you the basic techniques for creating spell stones however. What would you be willing to trade for it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Trade? You¡¯re here in my home begging favors from me. I¡¯m an experienced mage and you¡¯re nothing but a young upstart. I might teach you something in exchange for the scraps of knowledge you possess, but that doesn¡¯t make us equals,¡± Avorlus responded coldly.


    The old bald bearded mage then raised a gloved hand to reveal he held a crystal against his palm. Black smoke began to curl and rise menacingly upward from the spell stone. Blacknail really didn¡¯t like the look of that, or the smell. It reminded him of rotten eggs.


    Mahedium tensed at the other mage¡¯s actions. His own hand inched towards one of the spell stones concealed up his sleeve.


    ¡°I should warn you that I have a rather large force stone tucked up against my skin right now. If you do anything too sudden I might ignite it, and reduce everything in this room to smithereens,¡± Mahedium told the older mage, as he reached up his sleeve and pulled out a small wand. The end of the rod held a small crystal, and it began to thrum and vibrate.


    He didn¡¯t point it at anyone, but he didn¡¯t have to, the message was clear. He wasn¡¯t intimidated by the other mage¡¯s display. Blacknail got ready to draw his own weapon and fight as well. He would have preferred to flee, but the door was guarded and all the windows were too small to squeeze through.


    The two mages eyes met, and they stared defiantly at each other. Then Avorlus chuckled, and smiled humorlessly.


    ¡°You¡¯re very determined, I see. Good, maybe you¡¯re worth dealing with after all,¡± he remarked.


    Mahedium¡¯s posture relaxed at the other man¡¯s words, but he didn¡¯t put his wand back away. Blacknail continued to stare at the mage¡¯s bodyguard, who was staring right back at him. The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he was going to do if he actually had to fight this massive human, but that didn¡¯t stop him glaring menacingly.


    Avorlus noticed his guest¡¯s hostility and sighed dramatically. He then carefully placed his spell stone on the table in front of him.


    ¡°Your turn,¡± he remarked confidently.


    Mahedium gave the older mage a hard stare, but relented a second later. He tucked his wand back into his sleeve, and out of sight.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find that I¡¯m willing to do practically anything to increase my knowledge of magic. Now, what are you willing to trade for the basic techniques for creating spell stones,¡± Mahedium asked the other mage.


    ¡°As am I, young mage. Over the years I have collected quite a bit of information on the crystal growing process. I¡¯ve never had any luck making it work though; the information is incomplete. There are however a few formulas for spells in there that I¡¯m sure would be of great value to you, though. I will exchange this knowledge for the basic techniques you¡¯ve acquired,¡± Avorlus offered carefully.


    ¡°I would have to look it over before agreeing to anything,¡± was Mahedium¡¯s answer.


    ¡°I will allow you to read a sample of the writings beforehand,¡± Avorlus told him.


    ¡°Acceptable, but there are other areas I¡¯m interested in as well,¡± the younger mage replied.


    Avorlus tensed slightly and leaned backwards. The hostile look from earlier returned to his eyes. Mahedium didn¡¯t seem surprised or concerned though.


    ¡°You have nothing valuable enough to trade for my knowledge of Elixirs,¡± the older man replied coldly.


    ¡°So I understand, but I¡¯m not asking for anything like all your knowledge. I simply need to be able to create one specific formula, that which my leader Herad uses. She requires a new source of the Ressertein Elixir, and has tasked me with procuring it for her. Your business would remain undisturbed,¡± Mahedium explained.


    ¡°Do you have anything to offer me for this? If not, then she¡¯ll just have to purchase it from me like everyone else. I¡¯m not afraid of the bandit chiefs,¡± Avorlus told him coldly.


    Mahedium rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and looked off to one side for a second.


    ¡°I have some unique Vessel samples you might be interested it. They come from a rather interesting source,¡± he told the other man.


    ¡°They would have to be very interesting indeed.¡± Avorlus remarked doubtfully.


    ¡°Oh, they are. Blacknail would you please remove your hood,¡± Mahedium asked.


    From where he was standing behind his chair the hobgoblin gave the mage a curious look. He didn¡¯t really want to reveal himself in such a plain manner. It wasn¡¯t¡­ fun enough. Everyone was now looking his way, and Avorlus looked caught between curiosity and confusion.


    ¡°Now, please,¡± Mahedium requested impatiently, but with a trace of humor.


    Blacknail sighed, but then did as he was told. He flipped his hood down, and then gave the guard across from him a broad toothy smile. The reaction was immediate. Avorlus flinched away from him, and his guard went for his sword.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± the guard whispered to himself.


    This caused Blacknail¡¯s smile to widen. He had won the game, and made the stupid human say something aloud! Mahedium calmly reached into his sleeve and withdrew the small wand again, which he pointed at the guard.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for violence; he¡¯s friendly as long as you are. However, if you attempt to raise your blade against him then he¡¯ll be the least of your worries, because I¡¯ll blast you across the room so fast you won¡¯t know what hit you,¡± Mahedium told them.


    ¡°What is this thing that you¡¯ve brought into my home?¡± Avorlus asked in shock. His eyes were wide with alarm, and his wrinkled face and grown paler.


    Blacknail hissed in annoyance at the man¡¯s tone and words. It was more than a little insulting. The older mage¡¯s hand had also slipped into one of his pockets where it was clenching something. Blacknail was sure it was a weapon or spell stone of some sort.


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    ¡°It¡¯s a hobgoblin, and also a Vessel. He¡¯s the sample I was talking about before. Introduce yourself Blacknail,¡± Mahedium said.


    ¡°Hello. I promise not to kill you, or other bad things,¡± Blacknail told them cheerfully.


    Avorlus continued to stare in shock at Blacknail; he didn¡¯t seem reassured.


    ¡°See? He¡¯s actually a rather nice fellow when you get to know him,¡± Mahedium added with a smile of his own.


    Avorlus turned his attention to the younger mage, and then seemed to relax and regain his composure. He made a waving motion at the guard behind him, and the other man relaxed as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Vessel you say? Any idea which Elixir?¡± the older mage asked with obvious interest.


    ¡°I¡¯m a he, not an it,¡± Blacknail told the man with forced smile.


    ¡°I have no idea, but the blood work I did was conclusive. I was hoping you could tell us more,¡± Mahedium answered.


    ¡°I must admit to never seeing a non-human vessel before. I¡¯ve heard of them of course, though. Some of the guilds create hunting dogs or warhorses, but they¡¯re the play toys of the high nobility. How did he become a Vessel, and why do you think I will be interested in studying him?¡± Avorlus asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting question. Blacknail was originally picked up by one of Herad¡¯s men when they liberated him from a caravan, which just happened to have been guarded by a mage.¡±


    ¡°From which guild?¡± Avorlus asked curiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to that. It was before I joined, but Herad actually keeps records of everything she procures and sells. She also had some papers from the merchants themselves. From descriptions of the mage and the records I was able to determine that he was attached to that caravan in order to guard a shipment of materials for his guild; the Purple Hearts,¡± Mahedium explained.


    ¡°I see; the goblin was part of the cargo,¡± Avorlus whispered to himself, as an excited grin broke out on his wrinkled face.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t see, or understand either. What were these mages talking about?


    ¡°Indeed, the Purple Heart guild is known for its work on non-human vessels,¡± Mahedium remarked.


    ¡®Why would they experiment in order to create a goblin Vessel, though?¡± Avorlus mused.


    ¡°Why do the guilds do anything? I¡¯ve heard the Purple Hearts have an elixir for house cats! Goblin Vessels seem sane compared to that,¡± Mahedium replied with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°True, it was probably just some student¡¯s thesis project, which turned out to be an unexpected success. Was the goblin the only thing of interest from the caravan?¡± the older mage asked.


    ¡°No, when she raided the caravan Herad captured some other wares that I believe were also their work. She didn¡¯t think much of them and neither did any of her buyers, so they were still sitting around her base camp when I joined,¡± Mahedium remarked.


    ¡°You have them, here?¡± the older gentleman asked with eyes that shone with hunger.


    ¡°Of course, naturally I collected everything that even hinted at magic when I joined. At the time though, couldn¡¯t figure out what any of it was, so I dismissed it as useless. With your help though, and knowing that one of the samples is probably an Elixir for Blacknail¡­¡± the younger mage explained.


    ¡°Reverse engineering an Elixir is not an easy task. The Elixir itself is far more than the sum of its parts; once the mage blood is added it becomes active, and is completely transformed,¡± Avorlus explained.


    ¡°In the same way a crystal is grown from a mineral base and mage¡¯s blood,¡± Mahedium commented.


    Blacknail frowned in frustration as he realized what the mages had just said. You needed mage blood to make Elixirs. That ruined his plan to find out how to make it for himself, and not be reliant on Mahedium for his magic.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for time tested knowledge, in exchange for nothing but possibilities,¡± their bearded host said.


    ¡°True, but I¡¯m only asking for very basic knowledge that costs you nothing. If you¡¯re nearly as good an alchemist as you seem to be you, then you should be able to reverse engineer the Purple Heart¡¯s work. Think about what you would get from that, cutting edge guild research. A brand new unknown Elixir,¡± Mahedium countered.


    Blacknail grinned as an idea occurred to him. Scamp was a mage right? He could just use his blood! The little troublemaker undoubtedly had more blood than he was using anyway.


    ¡°You¡¯re playing me like a flute,¡± Avorlus told the other mage with a dramatic sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯re simply engaging in an exchange. You¡¯re losing nothing,¡± the other mage replied with a smile.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see. I agree to both of the deals. I¡¯d like to start as soon as possible. Come back tomorrow morning, and I¡¯ll have a lab set up,¡± their host told Mahedium.


    The other mage nodded, stood up, and then extended a hand. The two men shook, and then after a few brief words one of the guards escorted them out.


    They had no more trouble from their hosts on the way out. That was good because Avorlus¡¯ smoke crystal had apparently ended up in Blacknail¡¯s pocket. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure how; it wasn¡¯t like he wanted the smelly thing.


    As Blacknail and Mahedium walked back down the pathway that led to the iron gate and off the property, the hobgoblin considered what had just happened.


    Blacknail led the way towards the house where Herad was waiting. Just in case things had gone badly she had brought some men and they were waiting nearby. As they moved onto a deserted street, the hobgoblin heard several people step out of an alley onto the road behind them.


    He turned around to get a look at them and saw that they were thugs, like those that could be found all over Daggerpoint. This was the Central District though, and groups of a dozen men such as them were very rare here. Blacknail was too paranoid to think they presence was just a coincidence.


    Then one of the men raised a crossbow, and Blacknail¡¯s eyes went wide in alarm. He tackled Mahedium and threw both the mage and himself to the ground, just as a crossbow bolt zoomed past them. They hit the cobblestones hard, and Mahedium grunted in surprise in pain.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the mage wheezed.


    ¡°Enemies, and a crossbow!¡± Blacknail hissed angrily, as he scrambled back to his feet. He didn¡¯t like being ambushed. That was his thing; he did the ambushing, not the other way around!


    The man with the crossbow began to load it again, and his companions drew their own weapons and rushed towards Blacknail and Mahedium. The hobgoblin immediately began looking for somewhere to run. There was no way he could fight so many humans. He would also probably have to leave Mahedium behind¡­


    As Blacknail was planning his escape, Mahedium pushed himself up onto his knees. Then the mage leveled his staff at the armed thugs racing towards him. The crystal at the end glowed orange, and its power exploded out.


    The thugs between Mahedium and the crossbowman were knocked backwards and caught fire. The crossbowman himself was instantly set ablaze. Several of the attackers died instantly, but they were the lucky ones. Screams of pain filled the air as some of the other flaming thugs began flailing around in pain and panic. The smell of roasting meat filled the corpse littered street.


    The remaining unharmed attackers stopped and looked stunned, before deciding to make a run for it. They all quickly dashed out of sight. They didn¡¯t want to risk meeting the same fate as their companions. Mahedium was looking at the destruction he had wrought with a satisfied look on his face.


    ¡°The question is whether these were Werick¡¯s men, or if Avorlus sent them,¡± the mage mused aloud.


    ¡°Think later! We need to go, now!¡± Blacknail hissed.


    He heard yelling off in the distance. He was pretty sure it was the Governor¡¯s men coming to investigate the disturbance. Quickly, the hobgoblin grabbed Mahedium and began dragging the mage towards Herad and the rest of the band.


    Mahedium had surprised him. He was far more clever and dangerous than he usually pretended to be. He acted so clueless sometimes that it was easy to forget all the power he had at his fingertips.


    Blacknail wondered if the man was hiding his real self, or if he had simply risen to the occasion. Regardless, the hobgoblin planned to keep an eye on him. If only to make sure they never became enemies, and so he could find out the man¡¯s weaknesses if they ever did.


    <hr />


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    <hr />

 Interlude: Depths of Despair

    The leafy branch shifted as he pushed it out of the way, and the man¡¯s efforts were rewarded by the sight of his destination. Up ahead, through several paces of thick forest, stood the claim marker. It was little more than a post with a long piece of red cloth tied to it, but it did its job.


    Beside the marker he would find the cave they¡¯d discovered last month. He could still remember it like it had been yesterday. While out surveying the hills, he and his partner and had stumbled across the opening. After a brief debate they had risked a brief foray inside, and they hadn¡¯t been disappointed by what they¡¯d found within.


    ¡°Stop standing there and blocking the way, Elred! There are people behind you, and they don¡¯t want to stand in the middle of the woods just so you can take in the scenery,¡± a deep voice said from behind him.


    Elred sighed in annoyance, but started walking forward again. When he had stepped out from beneath the forest canopy and into the sun he turned around, and watched the rest of his party emerge from the trees.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take the lead if you¡¯re in such a hurry, Desleth?¡± he asked his partner.


    ¡°Because if someone was going to walk into a mimic or a troll I didn¡¯t want it to be me,¡± Desleth replied with a chuckle.


    Elred rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had been partnered with Desleth for over a decade, and the man¡¯s sense of humor was still as annoying as ever.


    ¡°I scouted this path just a few minutes ago. No one is in any danger of walking into a mimic, and you don¡¯t walk into trolls. You won¡¯t see one until it attacks, and then it will pick out the weakest target,¡± their guide Katha interjected.


    ¡°Hear that Elred? That means it would definitely attack you,¡± Desleth remarked.


    ¡°Ha ha, you¡¯re hilarious,¡± Elred replied in a distracted manner as he scanned the nearby rocks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about trolls. Mimics or goblins are one thing, but trolls are another. If you guys weren¡¯t paying so well I wouldn¡¯t have left Coroulis,¡± one of the miners added, as he walked out of the woods and into the clearing.


    Soon everyone had gathered in the rocky clearing around the claim marker. A huge pile of stones dominated the middle of the forest clearing. Tall trees and thick greenery surrounded them on every side, but the sky above was blue and clear.


    There were around a dozen people in their group, and seven pack mules. As Elred watched, everyone began settling down. Packs were discarded, and animals were tied up.


    Most of them were handpicked men from the Surveyors¡¯ Guild. That meant they had all signed a contract that acknowledged this claim belonged to Elred and his partner. Guild men were expensive, but they were worth it because using them prevented claim jumping and theft.


    Katha was their guide, and was holding up the rear of the group. She was an average sized woman with a lean hard cast to her features, and long brown hair that was tied back in a ponytail.


    Elred and his partner had debated hiring her, since she wasn¡¯t strictly necessary to find the claim. In the end, Elred had convinced his partner that they could afford her and an expert on the forest would make the trip much safer. Having her around had certainly reassured him. Running into a troll was unlikely this close to civilization, but not impossible.


    The last member of their party was a mage from the Earth Breakers. The mage guild had a deal with the surveyors, and was informed every time a new cavern system was discovered. The mage¡¯s name was Seraj, and he was apparently a specialist in exploring the Dark Paths.


    The man seemed agreeable enough, and would probably end up being useful. Elred hoped the mage ended up disappointed with their trip, though. The only reason he was here was to search for crystals, and if he found any it would make their trip a lot more dangerous. Mining in caves that possibly connected to the Dark Paths was bad enough, while mining near crystals was almost suicide.


    ¡°We may as well set up here,¡± Desleth remarked, as he started unpacking his bag.


    The group of miners then spent the next hour helping set up their camp. When they were done Elred called a meeting, and they began discussing exploring the cave.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be staying up here. You hired me to guide you through forest, not underground,¡± Katha told them.


    ¡°Oh come on! It¡¯s not really any more dangerous down there than in the forest,¡± Desleth exclaimed in exasperation.


    ¡°The forest is my home, the Deeps aren¡¯t,¡± she replied.


    Desleth looked like he wanted to argue, but Eldred cut him off.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, Katha. It¡¯s a good idea to have someone patrolling the woods, anyway. Just make sure nothing dangerous wanders into camp,¡± he told her.


    She gave a brief nod and then turned away. Desleth was scowling, but Eldeth ignored him. There was no point in forcing Katha to enter the cave with them.


    Lanterns and rope were then taken out and passed around. Last but hardly least, most of the party armed themselves with hooked spears. They were the weapon of choice for fighting underground.


    Hidden among the rocks behind the marker was a crack in the earth. The miners approached the opening and gazed down into it. It wasn¡¯t that deep. You could jump down to the bottom and easily climb out, even if the tight walls and rocky bottom made that a stupid idea.


    On the far side of the pit was the actual entrance to the cave though. It was a dark crack in the wall that led deeper under the earth.


    From where Elred was standing it didn¡¯t look like there had been a collapse or anything, not that he¡¯d expected there to have been one. A quick look around also failed to turn up any signs of bears or other unwanted wildlife.


    ¡°The first thing we¡¯ll have to do is fix up this entrance; It¡¯s much too hard to get in and out of the crack,¡± Desleth remarked as he stared down into the chasm.


    ¡°We¡¯ll throw some dirt down there to make a ramp, and maybe widen the cave mouth. First let¡¯s get this initial sweep over with,¡± Elred responded.


    His partner nodded and then climbed down into the chasm. When he reached the bottom a few seconds later, one of the men threw him a lantern. Desleth lit it, and then one by one the group started down after him.


    As Elred jumped down, his partner stepped into the cave mouth and out of sight. It was a tight fit in the chasm, the rocky walls pressed into Elred from both sides. Rocks scrapped against him as he pushed forward after his partner and the rest of their group.


    As he stepped into the rocky maw the light of the sun vanished and everything grew dark. All he could see was the flickering lantern lights ahead of him, and the flashes of light they cast on the cavern walls.


    When his vision had adjusted Elred was greeted by the sight of a twisting rock corridor. By the light of the lanterns the grey walls of the cave seemed to have a reddish cast to them. The sound of water dripping could be heard echoing from further in, and the air was moist and warm.


    The rest of his party was strung out in front of him, and at the very front was Desleth with a lantern. He was standing beside the mage, and seemed to be conversing with him. After a few seconds Seraj nodded and pulled out a lantern of his own. This one however wasn''t full of oil, but held a crystal instead.


    It flared to life, and the cave was suddenly illuminated by steady bright white light. Desleth smiled and snuffed out his own lantern. The cavern looked very different now. The crystal light was much brighter, and made everything look paler instead of red. It also didn¡¯t create any smoke, which was definitely a good thing.


    The party resumed moving forward at a slow pace. The prize was still a bit further in, and Elred was excited to lay his eyes on it again, but he also didn¡¯t want to die. Moving quickly while underground was a good way to get yourself killed.


    Feeling impatient, Elred moved his way up the line and next to his partner and the mage. They had both stopped walking, and were scanning the shadows between the stalagmites that hung from the ceiling. Desleth then turned around and addressed one of the men behind him.


    ¡°Pass me your spear, please,¡± he told the miner.


    Immediately, the man¡¯s spear was tossed up to Desleth, who caught it out of the air. He then aimed it upwards at the ceiling. A second later he stabbed at something behind one of the stalagmites, and there was a hissing noise.


    When Desleth¡¯s partner withdrew the spear there was a wriggling form impaled on the tip. Tentacles waved madly through the air and the thing flopped around uselessly for a few seconds, before going limp. The creature looked like a large grey octopus, but with a thick wing-like membrane stretching between all its limbs.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve killed our expedition¡¯s first stone strangler,¡± Elred remarked, as he joined the mage and his partner.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a small one; barely an adult, see,¡± Desleth responded as he swung the spear towards Elred.


    ¡°Hey, watch it!¡± Elred exclaimed as the spear tip and the dead creature were shoved towards his face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s very dead,¡± his partner said with a humorous grin.


    ¡°Ya, but you could still take my eye out with that thing,¡± Elred replied, as he pushed the spear away and frowned in annoyance.


    Some of the miners they¡¯d hired were giving the stone strangler nervous looks. So of course, Desleth waved the corpse in their direction.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a stone strangler. It¡¯s only really dangerous if it lands on your head and suffocates you to death, before someone else can cut it off of you,¡± he told them.


    Seraj turned towards Desleth. He had an un-amused look on his face.


    ¡°You¡¯re right; there are much worse things down here in the depths than stone stranglers. So, let¡¯s not let it distract us from other threats. We need to stay focused,¡± the mage told them.


    ¡°Good luck with that, because there¡¯s the first of the gold,¡± Desleth replied smugly as he pointed deeper down into the cavern.


    Instantly, everyone went silent and looked that way. They all peered past each other expectantly. The only one that was looking was Elred. He could have sworn he¡¯d heard something move behind him, but he didn¡¯t see anything there among the rocks and shadows. It was probably just water¡­


    Seraj held his lantern up, and golden veins suddenly shone brightly across the cavern wall, and formed intricate mesmerizing patterns. It was beautiful.


    ¡°Thank the gods,¡± someone mumbled.


    Everyone now had stupid grins on their faces. The only person who didn¡¯t seem particularly happy was the mage. In fact he was scowling in displeasure.


    ¡°Alright that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s not going anywhere. We need to continue scouting down this passage before anyone can get to mining. If it leads down into the Dark Paths I might have to seal it,¡± Seraj told them all.


    ¡°And we need to see if there¡¯s any more gold down there as well,¡± Desleth added with a mischievous grin.


    After everyone¡¯s fascination with the gold had worn off, they reluctantly moved on and continued on deeper into the cave. Soon, they reached the deepest reaches that Elred and Desleth had entered.


    When they had first scouted the passage it had been bare and mostly empty of anything but rock. That wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Piles of dirt lay around the place, and mushrooms were growing from them.


    ¡°No wonder there was a strangler so close to the entrance, while we were gone harvesters have moved in,¡± Elred remarked.


    The air was heavy with moisture here, and smelled slightly of compost. It wasn¡¯t a terrible smell, but it wasn¡¯t a good one either.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Ya, that¡¯s not good,¡± Desleth added as he looked around.


    ¡°They¡¯re just harvesters. The bugs are completely harmless,¡± one of the miners said.


    ¡°They might be completely harmless, but not all the things that come to eat their mushrooms are, and the things that come to eat those things certainly aren¡¯t,¡± Elred explained.


    Seraj nodded in agreement as he raised his crystal lantern up over his head, and scanned the surroundings. The light glinted off the shell of the occasional harvester that was busy working among the mushrooms, or that had taken flight.


    ¡°Them being here makes it far more likely that this cave leads to the Dark paths as well. Let¡¯s hope the passage is small and easy to seal,¡± the mage added.


    One of the miners approached one of the harvester mounds and was studying it. Suddenly, he yelped and fell backwards. The soil in front of him roiled and a small thin crab-like creature unburied itself, and swiftly scuttled away.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a lurker. They¡¯re harmless unless you¡¯re a rodent,¡± Elred said in relief.


    Several of the other miners chuckled at their fallen companion, whose face had turned red in embarrassment. Seraj threw them all a disapproving glare and they grew quiet.


    The mage then started walking forward again, so everyone reluctantly followed him. The twisting passages they moved through continued to be full of harvesters and their mounds. Twice they had to stop to spear stone stranglers that lurked up in the shadows of the uneven ceiling.


    They didn¡¯t however find any more gold, much to Desleth¡¯s disappointment. Elred was fine with that though. There was more than enough of the stuff near the entrance to set them up for life, if they managed to get it home.


    ¡°How much longer are we going to explore?¡± he asked the mage. ¡°Because this is just more of the same; rocky stone passages full of dirt mushrooms and bugs.¡±


    ¡°It looks like the way forward widens significantly up ahead. We¡¯ll see what¡¯s there, and then decide,¡± the mage replied as he continued walking.


    Elred sighed, and shared a knowing look with Desleth. The bloody mage was probably looking for trouble, and hoping to find some signs of crystals. Everyone else was happy with the gold, but apparently not Seraj. Elred really hoped the mage didn¡¯t find anything up ahead.


    The sound of dripping water grew stronger as they moved carefully forward, until Elred realized why. The natural chamber up ahead of them was much wider than the passage they¡¯d just come from, and in the center lay a pond sized pool of crystal clear water.


    Long stalagmites reached down from the roof. Several of them reached all the way down to the ground, and formed smooth stone pillars. Just with a quick glance around Elred was able to see at least two side passages that led deeper underground, and probably to the Dark Paths.


    The entire chamber echoed with the hypnotic sound of lapping water, and falling droplets. The only other noise was the rasping breath of the newly arrived men.


    The floor of the chamber was several feet below them, and its smooth layered surface had obviously been worn down by water over countless ages.


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that something,¡± Desleth remarked with a hint of awe in his voice.


    ¡°I wonder if any other human has ever set his eyes on this before,¡± Elred mused aloud.


    Seraj just grunted in reply. He then raised his lantern high and it flared brighter than ever. The white light burned the shadows from the chamber ahead of them, and revealed its hidden contents. Tall bumps scattered across the floor that Elred had taken to be rocks or natural formations were actually alive.


    There were dozens of the creatures, and each one of them was the size of a large dog. The light seemed to startle them because the closest ones started moving. Six long legs stuck out from a body that resembled a gigantic insect or crab.


    Their grey shells were curved and spiky in a way that helped them camouflage with the stone. Two huge wicked looking pincers extended out from the front of the beasts.


    ¡°Cave crabs, they¡¯re nasty if you get close to them, but not man eaters. Unless you¡¯re already dead, that is,¡± Elred said.


    ¡°Ya, this looks like the perfect place to seal the tunnel. It¡¯s a shame though, that we won¡¯t be able to see this ever again,¡± Desleth remarked.


    Elred was just about to reply when he noticed Seraj was staring intently at the center of the chamber, and the pool of water there. He followed the mage¡¯s gaze and didn¡¯t see anything at first, but then the water rippled ominously. Something large and pale glided through it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Elred asked the mage nervously.


    Seraj didn¡¯t reply; he just watched the pool. The other members of the party began to mutter amongst themselves in alarm.


    Then a massive white creature dragged itself out of the water. It was long, longer than a man was tall, even if you didn¡¯t include the tail it was dragging behind it. Its skin was practically transparent it was so pale, and veins could be seen running beneath it.


    It was a huge salamander. It crawled cross the cavern floor on four short legs, but it moved smoothly and with grace. Its long snout was pointed in their direction, and it was clearly headed their way.


    Its tongue flickered in and out of its mouth, which opened to reveal row upon rows of tiny razor sharp teeth. A pair of gills ran along the side of its neck, but the most startling thing about it was its eyes. It didn¡¯t have any. Its skull was completely smooth where they should have been, and yet it was swiftly and unerringly racing towards them.


    ¡°Okay that¡¯s dangerous. I¡¯ve never seen one of those,¡± Desleth remarked nervously.


    ¡°It¡¯s a blind hunter, and yes it¡¯s very dangerous. This one shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem though. Creatures such as it are at their most dangerous when you don¡¯t see them coming,¡± Seraj remarked.


    The mage then passed Desleth his light, and raised his staff. He aimed the end of it towards the salamander that was stalking towards them. A second later the air rippled and a bolt of force shot out towards the blind hunter.


    The magical attack missed the salamander, but slammed into the ground beside it. Bits of rock flew through the air, and a loud cracking sound reverberated through the cavern. The attacking salamander was thrown off its feet and sent flying into a nearby stone pillar, as a wave of air washed over the watchers.


    The noise startled the cave crabs, and they began running for shelter. Several dashed into the water and disappeared, while others hid among the rocks. The salamander itself lay prone and unmoving.


    ¡°See, as long as you don¡¯t let them sneak up on you they¡¯re not a real problem,¡± the mage told the others as he grinned smugly.


    That was when Elred heard a scuttling sound on the rocks below them. His first thought was that the noise was probably a cave crab. He leaned over the ledge at his feet to check.


    A rather large cave crab was climbing up the rocks, and headed in their direction. He sighed with relief, when he realized that it wasn¡¯t anything worse.


    Wait... The cave crab was rather large; it probably weighed as much a man, and it had an odd purplish tint to its carapace. In fact, it kind of looked like it had bits of crystal growing on it...


    ¡°Shit, mutant crab,¡± Elred yelled in panic as he backed away.


    ¡°Get back, all of you,¡± Seraj yelled as he stepped forward.


    He almost seemed excited at the presence of the mutant. Fucking mages, and their obsession with crystals!


    No one needed to be told twice. The miners and their two employers hurried back into the passage behind them. The mage himself took a few steps back. He then waited for the monster to pull itself up over the ledge, so he could get a clear shot with his staff.


    Just as the creature reached the top it lunged at Seraj, and he fired his staff. The bolt of force hit the mutant head on. It seemed to hang in the air for a second, with its claws extended and its legs dangling below it, until the moment ended and the creature ruptured.


    Purple flames burst out from its crumbling shell and washed over the mage. Seraj had no time to protect himself. There was a brief scream before he vanished behind the curtain of fire.


    The cave rumbled and bits of rock fell around them. Elred looked up in alarm. The cave was collapsing!


    ¡°Run!¡± Desleth yelled as he took off towards safety.


    Everyone else was right behind him. Luckily, Desleth still had the mage¡¯s lantern and it lit their way. They all ran madly towards the exit as the flames and falling rocks chased them. The sound of shifting stone was overpowering now, and the air was hot and dry. One of the men beside Elred tripped and fell. No one had any time to help him, or even look back.


    Up ahead the exit came into sight, and daylight streamed through the opening. The rumbling behind them seemed to have stopped, but everyone was still too terrified to stop running. They couldn¡¯t all fit through the entrance at the same time though, so Elred slowed.


    Desleth had already reached the exit, but he¡¯d also stopped there and was lighting the way for the others. As the men in front of him fought to get outside, Elred addressed his partner.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the hells out of here,¡± he said.


    Desleth nodded in agreement.


    ¡°We can come back later and see if the cavern is stable. Hopefully, that gods cursed explosion sealed that chamber and it¡¯s safe now,¡± he replied.


    Elred coughed as he inhaled dust that had been thrown into the air by the explosion, and then hurried through the now empty opening. Once outside he took a second to bask in the bright sunlight and fresh air. The sound of leaves blowing in the wind could be heard in the distance. Relief washed through him; he¡¯d had more than enough of caves for a while.


    As he pulled himself up out of the chasm he looked around and relaxed. His muscles were tight and sore from all the frantic activity. Where were the other men, though? They¡¯d been right in front of him¡­


    There was the slightest whisper of sound from behind him, but before he could turn around his head was thrown forward as something smashed into it from behind. Elred gasped in pain as he staggered, and then collapsed limply onto the ground.


    Confused but still lucid, he tried to move but couldn¡¯t d manage more than a loose flop. Something grabbed his ankles and began to drag him out of sight behind a rock. To his horror a pile of bodies lay there. All the miners had been ambushed as they¡¯d rushed out of the cave and climbed out of the chasm, just like him.


    Even Katha¡¯s body lay there, and it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight. Most her clothes had been ripped off and the flesh underneath had been mutilated. Elred felt a wave of horror and despair wash over him at the sight. What the hell had done all this? Why couldn¡¯t he move?


    As he struggled desperately to overcome his paralysis, he was suddenly released. A pair of green feet then descended and filled his vision. They were quickly followed by the leering face of a yellow eyed hobgoblin, as it leaned over him.


    It grinned wickedly as it reached over him with one of its clawed hands. Elred couldn¡¯t even scream as it ripped out his eyes, just choke and squirm mutely.


    ¡°Elred, where¡¯d you go?¡± Desleth¡¯s voice rang out.


    It was the last thing Elred ever heard.

 Journal Entry: Crystals and Mutations

    Ancient legend says that the god of darkness Cor-Dius¡¯ bears an old grudge against the god of light Hel-Lustra. Some believe that this hate is so strong that it oozes forth from the earth and takes on physical form as mana crystals.


    Such tales are nothing but silly superstition of course, but this one does perhaps accurately portray how dangerous and vile mana crystals can be. They are the scourge of human civilization all across the world. No matter where you travel you cannot escape the lingering threat of these deadly formations.


    The most common type of crystal is rarely even identified as such. It is a black oily looking growth that is usually mistaken for rock, hence it¡¯s name Blackstone. Luckily, this basic form of mana is inert and has no magical effects; it simply grows and spreads deep within the dark corners of the earth.


    As it expands, Blackstone consumes the dirt and rock around itself to create long twisting tunnels. Eventually, Blackstone growths will run their course and old crystal formations will dissolve, leaving nothing but rock behind. This is how significant portions of the Dark Paths were probably created.


    Unfortunately, that is not all Blackstone does. As it expands the crystals will occasionally consume something that causes what is commonly known as a mana stone to form. These crystals are bright and occasionally even glow, which makes them hard to miss. They come in many different colors, shapes, and sizes, but the important part is the magic that lies within them.


    Every mana stone has a unique magical effect that a mage can produce by using their mage gift to burn the crystal. While many are useless or even dangerous to users, some are extremely powerful and useful.


    These stone are the foundation of a mage''s power, and all the stones created by the guilds are copies or offshoots of naturally formed mana crystals. This makes such stones incredibly valuable to mages, and thus treasures of great value. Many a life has been lost searching for such stones.


    The Dark Paths are of course extremely dangerous themselves, but crystal formations make them even more deadly. For once you have Blackstone and mana crystals forming you will also start to see mutation.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Exposure to mana crystals sometimes causes the crystals to take root within living things. The process transforms an animal and creates a mutant. Such creatures are not only unnaturally strong, large, and swift, but the mana within them can actually imbue them with magical powers.


    These horrors are the stuff of nightmares, and a plague upon all human civilization. As crystal caves grow they can breach the surface, and deposit their vile contents upon it. Thus, what was once considered safe civilized land can suddenly become wild and dangerous, as mutant abominations run wild across it.


    Stories abound of such beasts, such as those of hard working farmers being slain by rats the size of dogs that can pass through walls or drive men mad with their whispers. Only, by removing the mana stones and sealing the tunnel can the nearby lands be made safe again.


    Some of the creatures that dwell within crystal caves have no obvious earthly origin, but instead seemed formed completely of the crystals themselves. Slimes are the best known of these, but rumors persist of hulking creatures made of Blackstone that dwell within the deepest parts of crystal caves.


    The magic derived from crystal caves is useful, but personally I do not believe it makes up for the threat such formations pose to humanity. They are just far too dangerous and unpredictable; you never know where one will appear, or what will crawl out of it.


    Monsters of legend such as the Breshura Cyclops or the Wurm of Terringale were probably mutants as well, and the stories passed own about these monsters puts those of any modern mutant to shame. These creatures leveled cities and cast down empires. One day, I fear that something truly horrendous will again be born within the depths of these horrid places, and then all of humanity will weep and know the face of fear


    -Farstidiuous Der Lanmount, Royal Gervaien Surveyor.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 1

    Blacknail yawned luxuriously as he slowly stretched out his long slender body. His movements caused the sheets beneath him to rub pleasantly against his skin. He then smiled contentedly as he sank into the soft fluffy mattress.


    He was really enjoying having a bed of his own. He¡¯d never had one before, only a blanket to curl up onto. This was much nicer, and bouncier.


    As he laid there his stomach grumbled slightly, which raised a dilemma. Should he get up and grab some food, or try and get back to sleep? On one hand the food here was very tasty, but on the other hand the bed was amazingly soft. It was thus a difficult choice to make.


    Sloth eventually overcame gluttony, and the decision was made for Blacknail. The hobgoblin fell back to sleep before he could make up his mind.


    When he next awoke, red tinted sunlight was leaking into the room from behind the curtains that blocked the window. Blacknail gazed lazily at it and yawned deeply again, before grinning happily to himself.


    It wasn¡¯t just the bed that was his, the entire room was! Herad had given him it, and it was just down the hall from hers. Most the other bandits had roommates, but he had his room all to himself. Blacknail had been told this was because he was special, which probably meant he was Herad¡¯s favorite.


    Having his own space was definitely a good thing; humans tended to smell funny, so he didn¡¯t want to share a room with one. Unlike his master, most of them didn¡¯t even try to hide their weird human scent. Saeter usually smelled strongly of herbs, soil, and the forest.


    Judging by the amount of light that was coming in through the curtains it was around noon now. Blacknail rarely got out of bed this early in the morning anymore. Mostly, he just lounged around inside until he got hungry, or it got dark, or both.


    He still did a lot of training; he just did it in the afternoon, when it was harder for people see. Herad wanted to keep Blacknail¡¯s presence a secret, or at least make sure he remained mysterious. Blacknail understood her reasons, and even approved of them. The less people knew about him, the more they would fear him. It was a very hobgoblin way of thinking, and Blacknail liked being feared.


    Saeter had also originally tried to find chores for him to do as well, but had given up eventually when he hadn¡¯t found anything appropriate. The city was a much easier place to live, and Blacknail liked it that way. Fewer chores meant more naps.


    After they were done training, his master had to go do his own jobs. This left Blacknail free to slip away and out into the city. He hadn¡¯t been told he wasn¡¯t supposed to go out, and he liked it that way, so he wasn¡¯t about to ruin it by asking for permission.


    Sleeping in his room was great, but so was the city. There were so many tasty treats out there for him to eat! It seemed like Daggerpoint contained endless different types of food for him to try.


    As the hobgoblin was contemplating the contents of his next meal, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He sighed in irritation when he realized they were headed his way. It was unlikely to be someone bringing him food.


    A few seconds later the door opened and Saeter stepped into the room. The hobgoblin gazed up at him curiously from his bed. What did his master want this early in the day?


    Saeter grunted and gave Blacknail an irritated scowl when he saw that the hobgoblin was still in bed.


    ¡°Get up you lazy green lump. You don''t get to sleep in till sun down today,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin with obvious satisfaction.


    ¡°Why?¡± muttered Blacknail in annoyance.


    He wanted to sleep in until sundown. It sounded like fun.


    ¡°Herad wants to see you,¡± Saeter replied smugly.


    ¡°Why?¡± the hobgoblin asked again, as he slowly picked himself off the bed.


    He shouldn''t keep his chieftain waiting, it would be bad for his health. Knives were funny that way.


    ¡°It''s a surprise,¡± his master told him.


    Saeter then threw Blacknail his scabbard and belt. Blacknail caught them and started putting them on. If whatever Herad wanted required a sword then it would probably be interesting at least.


    ¡°Come on; we don''t have all day,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin as soon as he was finished dressing.


    Blacknail then followed his master out into the hallway, down a flight of stairs, and out into the yard behind Herad''s hideout. The enclosure was usually used for training, but this time as Blacknail walked outside he immediately noticed that Herad was standing in the middle of the yard.


    The bandit chieftain was wearing her usual black leathers, and carrying her usual plethora of blades. Her dark eyes stared out from under her short black hair as it waved in the wind.


    Mahedium was the only other person present, and was standing off to one side. He was wearing a long grey coat today, probably because the air outside had a chilly edge to it. The sky overhead was full of grey clouds that hid the sun away.


    Blacknail didn''t see any sign of a single other person. Both Herad and the mage seemed excited. The hobgoblin was now very curious about what was going on, and more than a little apprehensive as well.


    ¡°Finally, you sure like making me wait, Saeter. Or, maybe you¡¯re just getting slower in your old age,¡± Herad remarked as Saeter and the hobgoblin approached.


    ¡°I must be getting old then, how could I ever resist the attraction of your company?¡± Saeter replied without an ounce of humor or disrespect in his voice.


    Herad eyed the grey haired scout carefully, and her hand dropped towards one of her daggers. Blacknail held his breath, but after a few seconds she relaxed.


    ¡°Mahedium has something for you, Blacknail¡± she told the hobgoblin.


    Now that it was safe, Blacknail shifted his gaze to the mage. Maybe, Herad was giving him a gift in return for his earlier present! He hoped it was edible. He still hadn¡¯t had breakfast.


    ¡°Hmm, I do indeed,¡± the mage remarked as he stepped over.


    Mahedium then reached into one of his coat pockets and withdrew a small vial. Blacknail stared at it for a second and frowned. The liquid inside was light blue, and he didn¡¯t think it looked very tasty.


    ¡°Finally, after several days of research and hard work Avorlus and I managed to re-create your Elixir!


    We¡¯re almost completely sure it will work!¡± Mahedium told him with an excited grin.


    ¡°Oh, good¡­¡± Blacknail remarked skeptically. He was excited about getting his own magic, but he¡¯d caught that ¡®almost¡¯ Mahedium had said.


    Then there was that color¡­ Elixirs were edible; or drinkable at least. What did Elixir taste like anyway? He hoped the color meant it would taste like blue berries. Wait, what had he been worrying about?


    Mahedium handed Blacknail the vial and gave him an expectant look.


    ¡°Just pop it open and drink the contents. You should be able to feel a difference right away since you¡¯re already a Vessel,¡± the mage explained.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the hobgoblin politely replied happily.


    He couldn¡¯t wait! Blacknail grasped the vial and quickly twisted the top off. Soon, he would have magic of his own; he¡¯d be a magic hobgoblin! Nothing could stop him from drinking this.


    ¡°Oh, and if you suddenly develop a headache, nausea, diarrhea, break out into a rash, or start losing your hair tell me,¡± the mage added as a side thought.


    Blacknail froze, and gave Mahedium a startled look. Suddenly drinking the vial didn¡¯t seem like such a great idea to him, magic or not.


    ¡°It¡¯s poison?¡± he asked in concern, as he held the vial above his lips.


    ¡°No, all those symptoms are very unlikely. I¡¯ll be right here if anything happens, anyway,¡± the mage replied.


    ¡°And you have cure?¡± the hobgoblin asked in relief.


    ¡°Um, no¡­ I have some basic soothing herbs and water here though, and I¡¯m told that sometimes helps,¡± Mahedium explained helpfully.


    What? That didn¡¯t really seem all that helpful to Blacknail. He looked over towards his master, but Saeter had a carefully neutral expression on his face. The hobgoblin still didn¡¯t feel like taking the Elixir¡­


    ¡°Stop wasting my time, goblin. Drink the damned potion! Don¡¯t make me come over there and shove it down your throat,¡± Herad ordered him with a snarl.


    Blacknail looked over to see her staring at him coldly. He raised the vial again. It didn¡¯t seem like he had any choice but to drink the stuff. Quickly, he gulped the liquid within down. It tasted nothing like blue berries. In fact, it tasted more like salty dirt, yuck.


    No one said anything as they all waited for something to happen, especially Blacknail. The hobgoblin was holding his breath while he stared at his arms, and searched for any sign of a developing rash.


    ¡°Try moving around,¡± Saeter suggested after a few minutes.


    Tentatively, Blacknail began walking around. Then he jumped on the spot a few times. It didn¡¯t feel like he was about to become sick, or explode¡­


    ¡°Ah, good. It would appear that we found the right mixture. He¡¯s not showing any signs of rejection. Master Avorlus will be very pleased,¡± Mahedium commented proudly.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.¡°Just as long as he keeps supplying me with Elixir. Now run around the yard a few times, Blacknail,¡± Herad commanded him.


    The hobgoblin immediately began jogging around.


    ¡°Faster you lazy green runt, or I¡¯ll have you dodging arrows,¡± she yelled a few seconds later.


    Blacknail broke out into a sprint.


    ¡°Do we have any idea what type of Elixir he¡¯s using, or if it has secondary effects?¡± Herad then asked the mage, as she watched Blacknail run.


    ¡°Um no, we don¡¯t. It¡¯s impossible to say just from the recipe, not to mention it seems to be a completely new experimental mixture,¡± Mahedium replied.


    Blacknail was listening carefully. Elixirs could have secondary effects? None of the Vessels he¡¯d seen had done anything special. As he ran, he began to feel an odd familiar burning sensation in his legs. The hobgoblin ignored it though, and continued to listen in on the others.


    Herad frowned as she considered the mages words.


    ¡°So we won¡¯t know what, if anything, it does until he starts breathing fire or jumping ten feet up into the air,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°Pretty much, although most elixirs don¡¯t apparently have much in the way of secondary effects. Like your own Ressertein recipe, they mostly just grant increased physical vigor, or so Avorlus has told me,¡± Mahedium replied.


    ¡°Blacknail¡¯s pretty fast, but I think he¡¯s doing a fair bit better than usual,¡± Saeter suddenly interjected.


    Herad and the mage looked over at the hobgoblin that was running around the yard. There was a small dust trail rising behind him as he moved.


    ¡°Huh ya, he¡¯s definitely a fast little beast. It¡¯s hard to tell if that¡¯s from the Elixir, though. Let¡¯s test his strength,¡± Herad said.


    ¡°You can stop now, Blacknail. Come over here,¡± Saeter yelled out to the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail immediately stopped and made his way back to the others. His chest rose and fell as he breathed heavily, but he wasn¡¯t feeling all that tired.


    ¡°Blacknail come over here and take my hand,¡± Herad said, as she raised one arm in his direction.


    Blacknail had never actually touched the chief before, and the idea made him more than a little uncomfortable. Hopefully, it was a sign of her favor, and she wasn¡¯t about to hurt him.


    When the hobgoblin hesitated to approach Herad gave him an impatient glare. Blacknail quickly reached out and took her hand. Immediately, Herad¡¯s fingers closed tightly around his wrist and held him in place. This didn¡¯t seem promising¡­


    ¡°Now goblin, you have to try and pull your hand away from mine. If you can¡¯t then I¡¯m going to punch you in the face a few times,¡± she told him dispassionately.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes went wide. This was definitely not good. The hobgoblin grabbed his own arm and lowered his stance as he began frantically trying to pull his hand free. His heels dug into the earth as he squirmed and fought to free himself.


    Herad¡¯s fingers seemed as strong as iron though, and he couldn¡¯t get his arm loose. She scowled in annoyance at Blacknail¡¯s futile struggling. Slowly, she then raised a clenched fist.


    The hobgoblin redoubled his efforts, and then all of sudden the burning sensation from before washed through his entire body. Fear spurred him on as he pulled desperately on his arm, and Herad moved. She kept her grip on him, but her body twisted as she kept her balance, and her feet slid forward slightly.


    Before he could react Herad grinned, and then released him. Off balance and in the middle of pulling, the hobgoblin was sent sprawling over backwards.


    ¡°Ouch, cheese rot,¡± Blacknail hissed, as he landed painfully on his ass.


    ¡°Hmm, that last pull was definitely above normal human, or hobgoblin, strength. It seems to have worked,¡± Herad remarked.


    A grinning Blacknail picked himself off the ground and jumped into the air experimentally a few times. He had super strength! He thought he was jumping a little higher than before, but nothing like ten feet. He then began breathing out as hard as he could.


    ¡°Do you have something in your throat?¡± Saeter asked him.


    ¡°Uh no-ss, it¡¯s nothing,¡± the embarrassed hobgoblin replied, as he turned away to hide his face.


    He apparently didn¡¯t breathe fire either¡­ which was too bad, that would have been amazing!


    ¡°So now I¡¯ve got both a Vessel hobgoblin, and a reliable source of Elixir for both of us. Good work, Mahedium. It¡¯s nice to know that not all my subordinates are completely useless,¡± she told the mage, as he nodded respectfully back.


    An eager smile spread across Herad¡¯s lips, and she turned to look towards the direction the rest of the city lay. There was a building blocking her view, but she didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Blacknail recognized that bloodthirsty smile. He shivered in excitement. That look meant Herad was about to start a fight, and that Blacknail was about to have a lot of fun!


    Not only had he finally gotten some magic of his own, but it looked like his tribe was about to go to war. This was the best day ever!


    ¡°This shifts the odds our way by a fair bit, and if I leverage this right I ought to be able mess up Werick¡¯s plans. I¡¯m done playing defense, now it¡¯s time to go for their throats. I¡¯ll isolate them and take my enemies out one by one. Then the chiefs that are left won¡¯t dare raise a hand against me, no matter what Werick offers them,¡± Herad bragged.


    She then turned to Blacknail.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already proved that you¡¯re a half decent assassin, so I¡¯m going to unleash you. With Fang dead, my biggest enemy is Galive, so I¡¯ll be sending you after him. I want Zelena dead as well, but word is she¡¯s surrounded herself with over half the bodyguards and assassins in the city,¡± Herad told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail smiled in anticipation. Now that he was a Vessel he was sure it would be much easier to take out Herad¡¯s enemies. If nothing else, he was now an even faster runner. There was no way he¡¯d get himself into trouble like the last time.


    ¡°Blacknail needs training before you throw him out there, or he¡¯ll just get himself killed,¡± Saeter interjected in concern.


    ¡°True, but that¡¯s easily fixed. You¡¯ve already been teaching him how to fight. I¡¯ll just have to  beat all the bad habits you¡¯ve taught Blacknail out of him,¡± Herad remarked.


    Blacknail¡¯s felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. This didn¡¯t sound good.


    ¡°He¡¯ll need more than just the ability to fight. He¡¯s a natural stalker and hunter, but totally ignorant of a lot of things. He¡¯s going to need some new equipment, and training in things like lock picking as well,¡± Saeter countered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you handle that stuff; I don¡¯t have time for it. I will however show him how a true Vessel fights. It¡¯s time that Blacknail and I had that spar,¡± Herad told Saeter.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s eyes went wide in alarm. This couldn¡¯t be happening! There was no way he could fight Herad; she¡¯d cut him into tiny little pieces. He turned to Saeter and threw him a desperate pleading look.


    Blacknail¡¯s master was frowning, but when he noticed the hobgoblin¡¯s attention he just shrugged helplessly. Blacknail grimaced in dismay. He¡¯d really been hoping Saeter would save him! Herad was going to kill him¡­


    Behind Blacknail, there was the sound of a blade being slowly drawn from its sheath. He shuddered in dread, as he turned around to see Herad pointing her naked blade towards his throat.


    ¡°Draw your sword, hobgoblin. It¡¯s time to test your mettle,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail peed himself a little. He was too young and smart to die!


    Herad didn¡¯t wait for him to respond; her blade sliced towards his head. The hobgoblin yelped as he ducked under the attack. He then scrambled backwards.


    ¡°You can¡¯t run, hobgoblin. Draw your sword or I¡¯ll skin you alive, you little green coward,¡± Herad growled viciously.


    Blacknail considered his options. Herad was way too into this, but she probably wouldn¡¯t actually kill him if he did as he was told. If he tried to run away though¡­


    Blacknail thus reluctantly unsheathed his own blade and faced Herad. He even managed to keep his trembling to a minimum. The bandit chieftain immediately reacted and attacked again.


    The hobgoblin raised his blade to intercept it, but then Herad¡¯s blade disappeared from his sight. He then reeled in shock as something smacked into the side of his head, and knocked him sideways.


    From where he was lying on the ground, Blacknail looked up with cloudy eyes to see Herad sneering down at him. She¡¯d hit him with the flat of her blade. Out of the corner of his eye the hobgoblin saw his master wince.


    ¡°Pathetic. We¡¯re going to keep doing this until you can burn your Elixir at will, and until you know one end of a blade from another. Now get up or I¡¯ll smack you again,¡± Herad told him condescendingly.


    Blacknail whimpered in self pity. This was the worst day ever!


    Herad evidently heard him, because she gave him a disproving look and then attacked again. Blacknail''s eyes widened fearfully as her blade sliced towards his face. She hadn''t even given him time to raise his own sword; there was no way he could dodge or block it!

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 2

    ¡°Blacknail you need to come out from under there,¡± Saeter said with obvious frustration, before continuing to grind his teeth.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to,¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t make me get down there and drag you out,¡± Blacknail¡¯s master added.


    The goblin sniffled miserably and groaned in pain and humiliation. Herad¡¯s lessons had gone on for hours! She¡¯d beat him black and blue, and then purple and green. It had been so much worse than even his first lesson with Saeter.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this,¡± Saeter mumbled to himself.


    The old scout crossed his arms and scowled in annoyance, as he glanced around the room. There was no one around to see his expression though, so a few seconds later he sighed in defeat and turned back to where the hobgoblin was hiding.


    ¡°What are you doing? You can¡¯t be all that scared of Herad,¡± Saeter asked.


    Blacknail stifled another whimper. Getting beaten up by the chief had crushed his ego into pulp. Why did she hate him so much? He¡¯d thought he was the chief¡¯s favorite! He¡¯d killed her enemies for her and everything.


    There was no way he was ever going to show his face in public ever again. He¡¯d just never leave this hiding spot, and slowly fade away.


    ¡°The chief hates me, and made me look bad in front of you,¡± Blacknail whined in response.


    Saeter sighed again, and then looked thoughtful.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t hate you, Blacknail. That¡¯s just how Herad is. No matter how much she acts like it sometimes, she isn¡¯t a hobgoblin. She wasn¡¯t punishing you, in fact in her own weird way she was actually helping you out,¡± he explained, while managing to keep a straight face.


    ¡°Really? ¡± Blacknail asked hopefully.


    ¡°Yep, do you know how many men, er people, she¡¯s ever agreed to train personally?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°None, which means you really are her favorite. Now come out from under there, and I¡¯ll buy you all the meat pies you can eat,¡± Saeter offered reluctantly.


    Blacknail¡¯s ears perked up. Now that his master had mentioned food, the hobgoblin realized that he was hungry. He hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet, and meat pies sounded like just the thing. Blacknail reluctantly got up and crawled out from under his bed.


    It had been getting kind of stuffy under there anyway.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go eat. I want some cheese,¡± he told his master.


    ¡°I offered meat pies, so if you want cheese you¡¯ll have to get it yourself,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Fine-ss, I know a place I can take some from, anyway,¡± Blacknail muttered.


    ¡°You know you have money, right? You could just buy some bloody cheese; you don¡¯t have to steal it,¡± his master pointed out.


    The hobgoblin gave Saeter an uncomprehending look. What was this now?


    ¡°Buying means taking, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he asked in confusion.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t; buying means trading. Humans trade money for other things they want. It¡¯s why we get paid, and want coins,¡± Saeter explained.


    That was stupid! Why would Blacknail give his shiny coins away, when everything he wanted was just lying around?


    ¡°Why not just pick up the things you want-ss?¡± he asked his master.


    Saeter gave the hobgoblin a questioning look. Blacknail returned it.


    ¡°Because you can¡¯t steal everything you want, and it¡¯s often a lot more work than just buying stuff,¡± Saeter answered gruffly.


    Who said anything about stealing? Blacknail wasn¡¯t a thief. His master sure got confused sometimes. Good thing he had Blacknail around to help him out!


    ¡°But I like my coins. I want-ss to keep them,¡± the hobgoblin explained.


    ¡°Ha, you don¡¯t even use them for anything! In fact, you lose half of them,¡± Saeter replied.


    Blacknail hissed in annoyance. That wasn¡¯t true at all; he didn¡¯t lose them. He just put them somewhere safe and hidden, and then forgot about them¡­ Okay, he kind of lost them.


    ¡°When we get to the market I¡¯ll show you how to buy stuff. In fact, we won¡¯t be coming back until you purchase some stuff for yourself. Think of it as a skill I¡¯m teaching you,¡± Saeter told him.


    Together, the two of them headed out of Herad¡¯s compound and towards the market. As usual the city was bustling with life, and the streets were full of people. Merchants were calling out to customers from their colorful stalls, and their wares were piled up in front of them.


    Saeter went over to one, and after a brief exchange with its owner he walked away with several delicious smelling meat pies. He handed them to Blacknail, and then grimaced in disgust as the hobgoblin inhaled them down within seconds.


    ¡°Thanks, master,¡± Blacknail told him, right before burping.


    ¡°Slow down, you don¡¯t need to eat so quickly, or while I¡¯m looking. Anyway, now it¡¯s time for you to buy some stuff, so we¡¯re going to wander around until you find something you like,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail sighed, and tried to think up some excuse to keep his coins. He couldn¡¯t think of anything though, so he reluctantly nodded his assent. He still thought it would be much smarter to just take something no one else was using¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s the cheese?¡± he asked Saeter.


    Several minutes later, after some bargaining with a confused, and more than slightly frightened, shop keeper the two of them headed back to base. As he walked Blacknail was twitching with anticipation and hugging a huge wheel of stinking cheese to his chest, while trying to resist the powerful urge to immediately bite into it. He wanted to taste it so bad!


    ¡°You¡¯re so tasty and delicious. I will hide you away in my room, and eat you for days,¡± Blacknail told the cheese.


    This caused Saeter to give him a concerned look.


    ¡°You¡¯re not taking that back to your room. It would stink up the entire floor,¡± Saeter told him.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why that was something people would complain about. The cheese smelled great to him, almost like meat that had spoiled only the tinniest bit. The hobgoblin licked his lips in anticipation.


    Blacknail tore his gaze away from the tasty treat he was holding in order to see where he was going. As he was looking around his eyes wandered across a nearby stall, and the false faces it was selling.


    The merchant that was running the small shop didn¡¯t seem to be doing a lot of business, but the occasional person stopped to take a look at his wares. His booth was covered in wooden carvings, including several of the masks that had caught the hobgoblin¡¯s attention. Most intriguingly, like Blacknail the shopkeeper wore a long hooded cloak that concealed his features.


    Blacknail knew the merchant wasn¡¯t a hobgoblin though, because he was large even for a human. He also would have noticed the smell of another hobgoblin immediately if there was one so close by, and the idea of a one selling wooden carvings was just silly.


    However, the hobgoblin really liked the look of some of the work, so he wandered over. Most the little statues were of animals, but a few were of people going about their everyday business. Blacknail didn¡¯t see one of someone being mugged though, which was a pretty common part of life in Daggerpoint.


    The cloaked man looked up as Blacknail approached, yet remained silent as the hobgoblin examined his wares. Blacknail was most interested in the masks; he liked how fierce they looked. One was of a snarling wolf, and another beaked mask bore the image of a tyrant turtle. The turtle one was so life-like that Blacknail hesitated to pick it up; he was afraid it would bite him.


    Saeter walked up beside him and examined one of the small figures. It was perfectly crafted statue of a harpy in flight. He stared at it for a few seconds before saying anything.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like normal wood to me,¡± he whispered as he turned to look at the seller.


    ¡°You are a craftsman yourself, then?¡± the other man asked.


    The merchant¡¯s voice was smooth and clear, so much so that its uniqueness drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. He couldn¡¯t make out any of the man¡¯s features though. His clothing concealed everything. Blacknail tried sniffing the air for his scent, but could only smell the wooden figurines. They reminded him of something¡­


    ¡°I dabble in wood carving sometimes, yes. Nothing like this, though,¡± Saeter told the man respectfully.


    Blacknail¡¯s master was gazing at the man inquisitively, and seemed off guard. His posture was tight and his eyes were slightly wide, as if something had startled him.


    ¡°Indeed, you obviously know something of my work. I hadn¡¯t expected to find anyone here with such knowledge,¡± the cloaked man replied slowly.


    Blacknail shuffled over a bit and bent down to examine another figurine. Then, when he thought no one was looking he tried to look up into the man¡¯s hood. He ended up disappointed though, because all he managed to glimpse were the edges of a wooden mask, like the ones on sale.


    The merchant turned to Blacknail, and the hobgoblin quickly looked away. If the other man was going to conceal his face, Blacknail sure wasn¡¯t going to let him see his! Wearing clothing like that was kind of rude.


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    ¡°And you travel in very interesting company, forest walker,¡± the large robed shopkeeper said.


    Saeter stiffened, but then nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°I want a mask too. I like the turtle,¡± Blacknail interjected as he waved a hand in front of the merchant¡¯s face.


    This man sure was slow. The other shopkeeper had practically shoved his goods into Blacknail¡¯s hands.


    Saeter winced at the hobgoblin¡¯s behavior, and reached over to grab his shoulder. He was interrupted though, when the shop keeper stood up.


    ¡°Then you shall have one, but not of a turtle. I have something more fitting for you,¡± he replied as he reached under his stall.


    A second later the shopkeeper pulled out several items. First, he handed Blacknail a new mask that was different from the ones on display, and then he set two long poles on the stand in front of him.


    Blacknail stared at the mask for a second. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was supposed to be. It most resembled a smiling human, but the proportions were all wrong. He liked it though. It was intimidating in its own way, and the mask looked like it was having fun.


    ¡°What¡¯s it supposed to be?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The spirit of hunger,¡± the man explained.


    The shopkeeper than turned to Saeter and handed him the two poles. Saeter¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when he got a good look at them.


    ¡°These are bow staves. I didn¡¯t think you made those,¡± he replied in shock.


    ¡°Ignorance is the root of knowledge. Everything grows, or it dies. Remember that,¡± the cloaked merchant replied.


    Saeter nodded and then reached into his money pouch to withdraw a gold coin, which he handed to the man. The man took it and nodded in thanks before sitting back down, and turning away from both his customers to watch his surroundings. It was clearly a dismissal, and Blacknail found it more than a little rude. No wonder the man had so few customers; he was kind of a jerk.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted this mask; he liked it, but the turtle was also pretty frightening. He reached over to pick the turtle mask up again, but Saeter grabbed his arm and pulled him away.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not done buying stuff!¡± Blacknail exclaimed.


    ¡°You¡¯re done now; we need to get back,¡± Saeter told him as he dragged the hobgoblin down the street.


    Blacknail frowned in annoyance, but followed his master.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to get back to Herad¡¯s base. Blacknail got more than few stares from the other bandits as he carried his massive wheel of cheese inside.


    ¡°Just put the cheese in that cupboard,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin as they entered the main building.


    ¡°What if someone steals it? I need to hide-ss it somewhere close, were no one will look. I need to watch-ss over it always, it¡¯s mine!¡± Blacknail argued in concern, as he hugged it close.


    ¡°No one is going to steal it; it¡¯s a huge lump of foul smelling cheese,¡± Saeter replied in exasperation.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Blacknail exclaimed, as he gave one of the bandits walking past them a suspicious glare.


    There was no way he was going to leave his precious treat where other people could steal it. Humans were all thieves¡­


    Just then Khita appeared from around the corner and saw them.


    ¡°Herad¡¯s looking for you two, and I wouldn¡¯t keep her waiting,¡± she told them.


    ¡°Oh, why?¡± Saeter asked curiously, while Blacknail tried to hide behind the huge snack he was carrying.


    The hobgoblin wanted to meet with Herad right now about as much as he wanted to try and swallow his sword. He shivered shamefully at the very thought of talking to her again. He still hadn¡¯t completely gotten over the humiliation of their last meeting.


    ¡°I think she wants to train with Blacknail again. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s being taught by Herad personally. I¡¯m just so jealous of him! I bet she¡¯s a much better teacher than Vorscha; all she does is tell me to do drills,¡± Khita complained bitterly.


    Blacknail glared maliciously at Khita. She was such a foolish human; Blacknail would gladly let her take his place. There was no way he could face Herad right now. The very thought made him queasy and gaseous.


    ¡°Well...¡± Saeter responded.


    He probably would have said more, but he was interrupted. There was a wet thud as a large wheel of cheese hit the floor. Saeter whirled around just in time to catch Blacknail before the hobgoblin could make a run for it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, except for all the bruises,¡± he told Blacknail reassuringly.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t believe him. He whined as he tried to pull away, but Saeter kept a solid grip on him. Briefly, Blacknail considered cutting his own arm off, so he could escape.


    ¡°The boss is up in her room,¡± Khita told them, as she stared in confusion at Blacknail¡¯s response.


    ¡°Right,¡± Saeter grunted.


    He then dragged the whimpering hobgoblin up the stairs and to Herad¡¯s chamber.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t be a bloody coward!¡± Saeter hissed as he shoved Blacknail through her door.


    Herad looked up from her desk as the two of them entered. Blacknail smiled nervously as he fought down his panic, and Saeter gave her a respectful nod.


    ¡°Ah, I was just looking for you two,¡± she told them, said as she looked back down and scribbled something across a piece of paper in front of her.


    ¡°Well, here we are. What do you need?¡± Saeter responded.


    ¡°Galive has become a thorn in my side. He¡¯s taken over a lot of Fang¡¯s gang, and is obviously under Zelena¡¯s thumb. All those men make him the biggest threat to me right now, and I would prefer not to have to fight him directly,¡± Herad explained.


    ¡°What would you like us to do about it?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°I need him dead,¡± Herad said, before dropping her pen and looking up at them.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail answered happily.


    He grinned happily at Herad, and his earlier queasiness disappeared. This was much better than another round of training. He¡¯d rather fight the entire city than go through that again.


    ¡°He¡¯s not ready,¡± Saeter responded sternly.


    ¡°Oh relax, Saeter. You¡¯re like an old mother hen fussing over its chicks. The hobgoblin can take care of himself. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m throwing him away without preparation. I wouldn¡¯t risk such a useful asset, if I didn¡¯t think he could succeed,¡± Herad said with a dangerous grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking him to try and fight a Vessel with a small army of killers at his disposal,¡± Saeter told her.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking. Now let¡¯s go over the details,¡± she responded coldly.


    Blacknail sighed, and took a step away from Saeter. His master really needed to stop trying to argue with the chieftain. That never worked.


    ¡°Now, I can¡¯t have my favorite assassin going out unprepared, or anyone learning his true identity. So, I had some gear prepared for you,¡± Herad explained as she gave the hobgoblin a comradely smile.


    Blacknail straightened up proudly at Herad¡¯s words. So he was her favorite after all! He felt all giddy inside. He¡¯d show her that he deserved such an honor.


    Herad picked up a small sack from her desk and handed it to Saeter. The old scout reached inside and withdrew a glass vial of Elixir, which he then passed to the goblin. Next, he pulled out a large roll of bandages.


    ¡°To hide his skin, it¡¯s rather distinctive,¡± Herad explained as Saeter gave it a dubious look.


    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about people figuring out he¡¯s a hobgoblin then I guess he could use the mask he just got as well,¡± Saeter remarked.


    Blacknail thought that was a great idea. He reached into his cloak, and then held the wooden mask up in front of his face. Herad stared at its stretched features and the intricate patterns of lines that decorated it.


    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting mask. Where did you get it?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°I bought-ss it, with money,¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully.


    Saeter hesitated before responding. He looked like he couldn¡¯t decide what to say.


    ¡°From a stall at the market,¡± he explained after a second.


    Herad eyed him doubtfully, but chose not to pry. She turned away from the old scout and looked at Blacknail instead.


    ¡°Now he looks like a real assassin, and one worthy of being in my service,¡± Herad observed with a vicious grin.


    ¡°He¡¯s still not ready,¡± Saeter muttered.


    ¡°Well, one of you is going to do it. So decide amongst yourselves, because I don¡¯t really care. Now get out of here, and I don¡¯t want to see either of you until the job is done,¡± Herad told them with an annoyed scowl.


    Saeter marched out of the room. Blacknail followed him out.


    ¡°I want to do it, you can stay-ss here,¡± Blacknail told his master as they walked through the hallway.


    ¡°We¡¯re both going to do it. I¡¯m not letting you mess this up!¡± Saeter responded as he ground his teeth in frustration.


    That sounded like even more fun than going alone! With both of them working together, and his new but foul tasting Elixir, this job was going to be too easy! Blacknail grinned in anticipation, and his smile matched that of the mask exactly.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 3

    Blacknail and Saeter stood across the street from their target and observed the people coming and going from it. Both of them had their hoods up, and were taking shelter from the afternoon sun within the shadows of a nearby building.


    A huge rectangular stone building rose before them. Its walls were straight and decorated with intricate carvings of people and animals. Stone pillars several times taller than a man surrounded the building. They supported a wide peaked roof, which extended past the walls. At one point it looked like there had been statues between the pillars as well, but all that remained of them now were ruins and rubble.


    Saeter¡¯s arms were crossed in front of him, and he scowled in disgust as he looked it over.


    ¡°A few years ago, Galive appointed himself a priest of Cor-Dius. I¡¯ve met few people in my life less priest-like than him, even by the shadow god¡¯s lax standards. It¡¯s hard to argue against a man with a small army though. Anyway, every priest needs a temple so Galive commandeered this one. He¡¯ll be in there somewhere, all we have to do is find him,¡± the grey haired scout told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail nodded sagely as he considered Saeter¡¯s words. Before leaving Herad¡¯s lair, the hobgoblin had donned his new and improved disguise. Under his usual hood his face was covered by the wooden mask, and his skin was wrapped in bandages that concealed its color.


    What¡¯s a priest?¡± he asked a few seconds later with obvious confusion.


    Whenever the hobgoblin thought he¡¯d learned all the humans¡¯ words, they came up with new ones. Saeter let out a frustrated sigh before responding.


    ¡°Someone who thinks they can talk to the gods,¡± Saeter explained


    ¡°Everyone can talk to spirits. You do all the time, like after you had that fight with Red Dog, and you asked them to make a spine toad crawl up his butt,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Um, sort of. The thing is priests think the spirits talk back to them,¡± Saeter replied with a smile.


    ¡°Do they?¡± the hobgoblin asked curiously.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ve yet to meet anyone who has heard the voice of a god. If the gods communicate with us then it¡¯s through the world around us. Perhaps, the rustling of the leaves in the wind are their whispers,¡± Saeter replied seriously, as he looked up at the clear blue sky.


    ¡°So, that means that you do think the gods talk to people?¡± Blacknail asked uncertainly.


    Saeter turned towards him and gave him an annoyed glare.


    ¡°Shut up, you¡¯re just a hobgoblin; what do you know?¡± the old scout growled irritably, as he absentmindedly tried to swat Blacknail across the side of his head,


    The hobgoblin saw it coming though, and easily ducked out of the way. What had he said to annoy his master? Humans could be so confusing sometimes.


    ¡°I¡¯m morbidly curious about what your plan for getting to Galive is,¡± Saeter asked a few seconds later.


    ¡°I have a great plan, and it¡¯s a very nice and tricky one! I¡¯m going to sneak inside his home, wait until no one else is around, and then stab him-ss a whole bunch of times. Maybe I¡¯ll wait-ss until he¡¯s asleep; humans are stupid and like to sleep in the same place at the same time every day,¡± Blacknail answered excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much what I thought,¡± Saeter grunted disdainfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s a perfect plan,¡± Blacknail responded irritably.


    ¡°Sure it is, let¡¯s just work on the details a little,¡± Saeter told him sarcastically. ¡°For instance, how do you plan to get in? Also, do you even know what Galive looks like?¡±


    Blacknail looked back across the street at the bandit¡¯s lair. It was a large sprawling structure with plenty of places to hide. A small stone wall circled around what had once been the temple¡¯s grounds. Blacknail wouldn¡¯t have any problem scaling it, but doing so would make him very visible to any watchers.


    The center portion that used to be a temple was stone, but a large wooden addition had been constructed beside it. Only, a few parts of it had a second floor, and as a result most the windows were small and barred.


    It certainly looked to be a larger challenge than Fang¡¯s lair had been, and then he¡¯d known where to go. Blacknail had just sort of assumed it would be obvious which human was Galive, and which room belonged to him. It usually wasn¡¯t that hard to figure out. Couldn¡¯t he just go after the loudest person with the fanciest room?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go-ss in a window,¡± Blacknail told Saeter hesitantly.


    Saeter snorted in disbelief and eyed the hobgoblin critically.


    ¡°Even if you managed that, how would you find Galive? You have no idea where his room is,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin cynically.


    ¡°It worked last time,¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°It almost didn¡¯t, and you got lucky!¡± Saeter sternly pointed out.


    Blacknail scrunched up his face as he scowled in irritation. He had so not gotten lucky; it had been all skill!


    ¡°Do you know a better way?¡± he asked grumpily.


    ¡°I think I just might. It¡¯s like hunting; you have to know your prey,¡± Saeter remarked, as he gave the hobgoblin a knowing glance.


    Several hours later after the sky overhead had grown darker, and evening had set in, Blacknail found himself following Saeter through Galive¡¯s front door. They weren¡¯t alone; dozens of other men and women were all around them. The rhythm and roil of many different conversations surrounded them as they walked calmly into their enemies stronghold.


    A dozen men wearing long black cloaks stood guard around the building, one of which looked directly at the pair for a second before turning away. Saeter and Blacknail apparently didn¡¯t stand out.


    ¡°Look at those idiots. Thanks the gods Herad doesn¡¯t make us wear a uniform,¡± Saeter muttered to himself as he walked.


    Torches and been placed around the yard and up the walkway that led into the old temple, and their wavering orange light threw back the darkness of the night. Blacknail didn¡¯t like it; he preferred the dark. With all the stone pillars around, the torches cast a host of shifting shadows that was actually harder to see through.


    ¡°Why is our prey just letting us, and all-ss these other people, just walk-ss into his home? It¡¯s so stupid!¡± Blacknail asked his master uncertainly.


    The hobgoblin was very confused; was this bandit chieftain suicidal, or was this a trap? It sort of seemed like a trap to him.


    ¡°Like I said, Galive thinks he¡¯s a priest. And what¡¯s a priest without a congregation?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, what¡¯s a congregation?¡± Blacknail whispered back nervously.


    Saeter snorted in amusement before responding.


    ¡°In this case, it¡¯s a big party. Galive throws a feast every week. Supposedly it¡¯s in Cor-Dius¡¯ honor, but really it¡¯s just so he can show off,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin with obvious disapproval.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Blacknail replied excitedly. A feast meant that there would be food!


    The pair made their way through the crowd that was entering the building, and then down a wide stone hallway. Blacknail froze as the guards gave them a brief look over, but after seeing that the pair had no obvious weapons they waved them through. A few seconds later Saeter and Blacknail walked into a huge round chamber.


    Crude wooden tables and benches filled the center of the floor, and a long counter ran along the far wall. A lot of humans were sitting down, or moving about the room. Quite a few of them were also crowded around the counter to get drinks.


    Long simple black tapestries and quite a few lamps hung from the walls, and a raised platform stood in along another of the walls. More black tapestries hung around the stage, and a large bronze statue stood at the back of it. The statue was of a man in a hood, and he was holding a dagger in one hand and a flaming brazier in the other.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes were wide open in surprise as he looked around. The room was actually quite impressive. It didn¡¯t even seem like the inside of a building to him, but more like a large cave.


    He wanted one of his own just like it, except he¡¯d replace the statue with an even bigger one of himself! If he killed Galive would Herad let him keep this one? Would the statue look better with him holding a sword or Galive¡¯s severed head?


    Saeter saw Blacknail staring off into the distance, and whacked him across the back of the head to get his attention.


    ¡°Just stay close to me and don¡¯t make a scene. For now we just have to wait,¡± Saeter told Blacknail, as they pushed their way towards a relatively empty corner of the room.


    Up against the wall was an unused wooden bench. Saeter took a seat along its length, as far from anyone else as possible, and Blacknail sat down beside him. The old scout then leaned forward and scanned the throng of people around them.


    ¡°We¡¯ll just stay here until Galive shows himself¡­¡± Saeter told Blacknail, or he would have if the hobgoblin had still been there.


    Blacknail had smelled something delicious, and wandered off to find it.


    ¡°Bloody damnation,¡± the hobgoblin heard Saeter swear, as he slipped through the crowds and out of sight of his master.


    Blacknail¡¯s stomach was grumbling and there was no way he was going to pass up an opportunity to fill it. Besides, there was really no reason for him to stay there, and he¡¯d get back to his master in just a few minutes anyway.


    As he weaved through the crowds, the hobgoblin observed the people around him. He made sure to avoid walking into the direct line of sight of anyone who looked threatening, and he also kept an eye out for conveniently unattended food.


    Almost all the humans had drinks, but most of the ones with food were sitting down. Blacknail wanted nothing to do with the crazy human liquid that made them even crazier, but he definitely wanted something to eat. It would be hard to sneak food from the people sitting down though; they were kind of eating it¡­


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    He also couldn¡¯t take food from the people walking around with it. It was busy enough in the hall that people were watching where they were going, and making sure they didn¡¯t drop their food if they bumped into someone.


    So Blacknail decided to head towards the smell of cooking meat, that was where the freshest morsels would be anyway. After sniffing and looking around for a few seconds, he noticed that most the humans were getting their food from a man behind a counter. Blacknail headed that way.


    How would he get the food, though? It seemed to be kept out of sight until someone arrived to take it. The other men behind the counter were probably making it¡­


    After giving it some thought, Blacknail decided to simply wander over to the counter, and loiter around until an opportunity presented itself. The drooling hobgoblin thus casually walked over to it and leaned against the counter in a totally unremarkable manner.


    Now he just had to wait, and the tasty smelling meat would be his. Yep, he was just another human doing stupid human things. There was absolutely no reason to look his way!


    Much to the hobgoblin¡¯s alarm his plan almost immediately went wrong. The man behind the counter noticed his approach and turned his way. He gave Blacknail a frown as he looked him over.


    ¡°Well?¡± the man grunted.


    Blacknail flinched and panicked at the unexpected question. What had he done wrong, and what did the human want? He didn¡¯t understand!


    ¡°I¡¯m human,¡± he blurted out, before cringing at his own stupidity.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s three copper for chicken and bread, and it¡¯s four for pork. Ale is extra. What do you want?¡± the bearded man asked Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin stared blankly at the speaker in surprise. Right¡­ he could just buy the food. That made things simpler.


    ¡°Chicken,¡± Blacknail responded, as he leaned back and attempted to look calm and collected.


    A few seconds later the plate of food was placed in front of him, and Blacknail gave the nice man three coppers. It wasn¡¯t his money though; he¡¯d somehow acquired it from someone¡¯s pocket on the way over.


    The roast chicken smelled so nice, and its flesh looked soft and juicy. Blacknail wanted to start eating it right away, but he couldn¡¯t until he took off his mask. With a frustrated sigh he wandered back over to where Saeter was sitting.


    ¡°Where in all the hells have you been, and where¡¯d you get the grub?¡± Saeter asked angrily as the hobgoblin approached.


    ¡°I bought some food, I was hungry, and I stayed out of trouble,¡± Blacknail replied smugly, as he took off his mask and chewed a bird leg.


    Saeter stared at him for a few seconds; he didn¡¯t seem to know what to say.


    ¡°Bah, whatever. Just don¡¯t wander off again. We have a mission,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°I have food now-ss anyway,¡± Blacknail replied without concern.


    ¡°You sure have been getting uppity lately. Remind me to schedule you more sword practice,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail opened his mouth to reply, but froze when the atmosphere around him suddenly changed. The formerly loud and wild sounding room had grown completely quiet. The unnatural suddenness of it unnerved him, and he hissed in alarm as he looked up.


    ¡°And here¡¯s the man himself; that¡¯s Galive,¡± Saeter remarked calmly.


    The steady and sure sound of his master¡¯s voice reassured Blacknail somewhat. The hobgoblin swiftly found the source of the disturbance as he looked around the temple antechamber.


    Everyone was now facing the same direction and focused on the same thing. A man had walked out onto the raised stage across the room, and he was the center of attention. This new arrival was alone on the platform, but quite a few of the black cloaked men ringed the stage and kept people away from him.


    Blacknail instantly knew that this had to be Galive. Not only did he have an air of authority, but the warriors were clearly protecting him.


    Herad¡¯s enemy was tall, and muscled. Long black hair fell down his back, and he was dressed in dark expensive looking clothes. Like the guards below him he also wore a long black cloak, but his was lined with silver. He was rather similar to Herad actually, except for the friendly smile on his face.


    ¡°Welcome, my fellow bandits and dwellers in darkness to this blessed festival. Tonight we gather together to worship our divine patron Cor-Dius, he who keeps watch over those who move in secret. So, feast, rejoice, and drink to your heart¡¯s content, for how better to show our appreciation than in revelry!¡± Galive announced enthusiastically, as he raised his hands dramatically above his head.


    His voice was loud and clear as it echoed throughout the stone chamber. As soon as he was done speaking, the crowd burst out into cheers and joyous laughter. Ale splashed up into the air as it escaped from people¡¯s raised mugs. Blacknail grimaced in distaste at what he saw; the humans were getting that stuff everywhere¡­


    Galive was basking in the crowd¡¯s adoration, but after a few minutes he stepped down from the stage. As the guards moved to protect him, he walked over an empty table that had been set aside and took a seat.


    Immediately, a few other figures detached themselves from the crowd and moved towards him.


    Most of these people were turned away by the black cloaked guards, but a few were let through.


    Among these was a group of three women wearing next to no clothing, and several tough looking men. Galive smiled and invited the women to sit next to him, and they were soon draped around him. The men took seats across the table from Galive and started talking amongst themselves.


    ¡°What now, master?¡± Blacknail asked as he watched.


    He didn¡¯t think it would be a good idea to go after the man now. He had a lot guards around to protect him.


    ¡°Take a second to memorize his face. When they retire for the night you can go over there and catch his scent, and then you can track him to his room when things quiet down,¡± Saeter explained.


    Blacknail sighed; he didn¡¯t feel much like waiting around. Normally, he would enjoy lying in wait for the perfect time to strike, but all the movement and noise in the room had him at the edge of his seat and bursting with energy. He wanted to do something now!


    ¡°I could-ss go over there and listen in. They wouldn¡¯t suspect it, since humans are-ss terrible listeners with tiny little ears,¡± Blacknail remarked.


    ¡°That¡¯s pointless. They won¡¯t be saying anything important, and you¡¯d only be drawing attention to yourself,¡± Saeter replied.


    Blacknail groaned and leaned back against the wall. His master sure knew how to take all the fun out of assassination¡­


    The hobgoblin impatiently started looking around for something interesting to watch. Mostly, all he saw was humans staggering around, shouting, and making fools of themselves. It would be so easy to stab some of them¡­


    The minutes passed and Blacknail grew more and more frustrated. Eventually, with an annoyed hiss he sprung to his feet and tried to find something to do. This time though, Saeter reached out and grabbed his shoulder before he could getaway.


    ¡°Sit back down and wait,¡± the old scout told him as he pulled the hobgoblin back onto the bench.


    Blacknail grunted as he sat back down. He was so bored! Why couldn¡¯t he just wander around a bit?


    Several hours passed, and they seemed like an eternity. Saeter only allowed him up to purchase more food and drinks, and even then he accompanied the hobgoblin to the counter.


    Well, at least he got to eat as much as he wanted¡­


    Eventually, the celebration started to die down, and things quieted down. Some of the noisy humans began to leave and others simply collapsed onto tables, chairs, and even the floor.


    As Blacknail was throwing another bored look around the room, he noticed movement from his prey. The hobgoblin immediately sat up and focused completely on Galive; his eyes narrowed behind his mask and his ears perked up as he stared.


    The man had gotten up, and was headed for a doorway that led further into the building. He had two of the women from earlier on each of his arms, and his guards were pulling back and following him as well.


    Saeter had noticed this as well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he grunted to the hobgoblin as he stood up.


    Finally! Blacknail smiled as he and his master walked across the room towards the now deserted table. They made their way past drunken humans, and the garbage they had left behind. Bodies and empty tankards littered the floor.


    When they reached the now deserted table Blacknail immediately started sniffing around. He could detect the scent of several distinct humans. So, he quickly leaned down over where Galive had been sitting and started smelling it.


    He was so engrossed in this that he didn¡¯t notice the man approach him from behind.


    ¡°What in all the hells do you two think you¡¯re doing?¡± one of Galive¡¯s guards asked them.


    The huge muscled thug had drawn his sword, and was standing behind Blacknail while glaring suspiciously at the masked hobgoblin and his master. Blacknail stiffened in alarm, and his hand crept towards one of his daggers.


    Out of the corner of his eye he quickly glanced around the room, and noticed several other guards looking their way as well. That wasn''t good; if it came down to a fight then things were going to get messy quickly.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 4

    Before the hobgoblin could act and draw his weapon, Saeter quickly spoke up.


    A huge content smile appeared on his face as he turned towards the thug, and that kind of freaked Blacknail out. His master''s face just didn¡¯t look right unless he was glaring or scowling.


    ¡°We were just checking to see if any of the big wigs dropped any coins. We already spent all of ours, but we still need some more drinks,¡± Saeter muttered brokenly, as if he was drunk.


    The old scout swayed slightly as he waited for Galive¡¯s minion to respond. The guard eyed them critically for a second, but then snorted in disgust.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t have any more money then get out of here. A man of your age should bloody well know better than this,¡± the cloaked thug told Saeter, before turning around and walking away.


    When the other man was gone the smile immediately dropped from Saeter¡¯s face, and a familiar scowl reappeared.


    ¡°Ya, fuck you too,¡± he muttered as he turned back to Blacknail.


    ¡°Did you get it? We need to move,¡± the old scout then asked him.


    ¡°I got it; the human Galive can¡¯t hide from me!¡± Blacknail whispered excitedly.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to hide, he¡¯s a bloody Vessel and an experienced fighter. In anything like a fair fight he¡¯ll rip your scrawny green ass apart,¡± Saeter growled back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be very sneaky,¡± the hobgoblin replied defensively.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried about it. Galive wouldn¡¯t be the first Vessel he¡¯d faced, and fair fights were for idiots and humans anyway.


    ¡°You¡¯d better; don¡¯t take any foolish risks. We can always try again another night,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Yes, master. What-ss now?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re on your own. I¡¯m not much good at sneaking around a building like this. Find Galive and kill him. Just don¡¯t let anyone see you, especially not Galive,¡± Saeter ordered him sternly.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Blacknail whispered back gleefully.


    It was time for the hunt to begin, the oh so delicious hunt. Blacknail licked his lips and started salivating just thinking about it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be outside across the street and a bit down the escape path we planned out,¡± Saeter told Blacknail.


    The old scout then gave Blacknail a farewell nod, and started walking towards the front entrance. Blacknail watched him go for a second, before turning around and smirking at the door Galive had gone through.


    At last, it was time to have some fun! Galive was going to regret making him sit still so long! He would also regret making Herad angry too, of course. Either one was really just a bad idea.


    Now what was the best way of tracking down his prey? Blacknail slowly turned and regarded the room around him. There were still a lot of random residents of Daggerpoint around, but none of them were looking his way. There were still several of the cloaked guards standing around the perimeter of the room, though.


    Two stood by the bar, two more were by the main entrance, and one was stationed by the door Galive had gone through. As Blacknail watched, the last guard glanced his way. Blacknail knew that he was acting somewhat suspicious, so he casually turned around and mingled with the remains of the earlier crowds.


    He then looked around the room. There was no easy way into any of the doors that led inside; they were all guarded. He¡¯d have to make his own way in, and that meant he needed a distraction. What would work?


    After a few more seconds of thought, Blacknail headed over to the table closest to the door Galive had gone through. There were two men and one woman sitting at it, and they all seemed quite drunk. The woman seemed unsteady and was leaning onto the larger of the two men. Blacknail grinned as he walked past them. They would work perfectly.


    For his plan to work he still needed another human, and none happened to be nearby. That was easily solved though; all he had to do was use a human trap. Blacknail nonchalantly strolled up behind the people seated at the table, and placed several coins on the ground behind them. He then took a seat at a nearby table, and waited.


    Within a few minutes a human took his bait. A man from across the room noticed them, and walked over to pick them up. As he passed Blacknail the hobgoblin got up and quietly shadowed him.


    Just as the man was about to reach down and pick up the coins, Blacknail tripped him. The man grunted in surprise as he fell over and hit the woman at the table, and she screeched in alarm. Immediately, her large companion got up and pushed the other man away.


    ¡°You little bastard, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± the larger man roared angrily.


    ¡°Shit, it was an accident,¡± swore the other man as he picked himself off of the ground.


    Blacknail rushed over to assist him. The hobgoblin extended an arm and helped the man get up.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± the confused man told him, as he stood up.


    ¡°You dropped this,¡± Blacknail told the man as he pressed an item into the man¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡°So, it¡¯s a fight you want,¡± roared the bigger man as he drew a knife.


    ¡°Um, what...¡± the smaller man replied, as he twitched in nervous surprise.


    He then looked down and noticed what he was brandishing in his hand. He was holding up a dagger of his own, the one Blacknail had put there. He paled slightly and opened his mouth.


    ¡°No, I¡­¡± the man started to say.


    He didn¡¯t have time to finish speaking; his opponent lunged towards him, and the smaller man had to defend himself. Laughter and shouts of excitement soon filled the air, as everyone else began to notice that a fight had started. A crowd soon formed.


    By this time Blacknail had already slipped away, and mingled into the crowd that had rapidly formed to watch the fight. The noise and mob quickly grew large enough to attract the attention of the guards, and several rushed over, including the one that had been guarding the door.


    With a smug smile Blacknail broke away from the others, and walked through the now unguarded entrance while everyone was distracted. He giggled merrily to himself as he moved. It was so easy to fool humans sometimes! Why did they even bother placing sentries?


    The hallway on the other side was dark, and Blacknail happily scurried into the shadows. He stopped for a second to listen for signs of movement nearby. A second later, when he was sure there was no one nearby he began to follow Galive¡¯s trail.


    After a few seconds he heard someone approaching so he slipped into a side room until they had passed by. Blacknail was finding it very easy to stay out of sight. The temple had a lot of dark unused rooms in it for him to hide in.


    It was hard to follow Galive¡¯s scent though. The bandit¡¯s trail was mixed up with that of many other humans, and it had been muddled up by how many times Galive had walked these halls. It was hard to figure out which trail was the freshest.


    Thankfully, Blacknail didn¡¯t really need to use his nose. As he moved out of the dark hallway and into better lit areas of the temple he heard talking up ahead, and thanks to Galive¡¯s rather boring speech from earlier he knew exactly what the man sounded like.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t make out what was being said, but he definitely knew which direction the man lay in. It was just a matter of time until he found his prey. The hobgoblin stalked forward eagerly, but soon ran into a rather annoying obstacle. The room up ahead of him was brightly lit, and four of Galive¡¯s cloaked henchmen were playing cards in the middle of it.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t think of any way of sneaking past them, or any way to take them all out silently. He hissed in frustration and tried to think of a solution. A few moments later he heard someone coming from behind him, so he quickly slipped into another side room and out of sight.


    He waited for several moments until the person had walked past, then Blacknail peeked out from around the door frame. As the hobgoblin took in the sight of another dark cloak a great idea occurred to him.


    Blacknail quickly took out his coin purse and lunged forward. Before the man could react the hobgoblin had swung his makeshift weapon and smashed him across the back of the head. The man immediately slumped and started to collapse. Humans were apparently weak to coins in more than one way.


    Before the thug could hit the floor Blacknail caught him and dragged him into the side room, and then behind a pile of crates. The hobgoblin then claimed the defeated warrior¡¯s cloak for his own. It was rather nice looking, and much smoother feeling on his skin than his own.


    The grinning hobgoblin pulled the cloak on and then walked back out into the hall. When he reached the occupied room up ahead he simply flipped the hood up, and kept walking. None of the men playing the game did more than casually glance his way as he walked into the room.


    Blacknail fingered the dagger and the sling he had up his sleeves and ready to go just in case, but he didn¡¯t need them. The humans were engrossed in their game, and Blacknail was soon through the far door and out of their view.


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    He then stopped to listen again. A few seconds later he swerved left and headed towards a staircase; the voices sounded like they were coming from up above.


    Once up there he stepped out into another hallway, and then quickly darted into a empty looking room before anyone came. The room was rather large but it only contained a few chairs and crates. Blacknail had to stifle a sneeze, as he realized there was also a lot of dust in it as well.


    The hobgoblin could feel the floorboards tremor slightly as a group of people approached, so he moved out of sight. He hid up against the wall; behind table had been flipped on its side.


    The pack of humans quickly passed, but Blacknail didn¡¯t move. He was now close enough to Galive that he could make out the chieftain¡¯s words. In fact the man sounded like he was in the very next room.


    ¡°Listen, I appreciate the sentiment, but you can¡¯t stay in here,¡± Galive told someone with obvious frustration.


    ¡°Zelena sent me to protect you, and that¡¯s what I plan on doing. Need I remind you what happened to Fang? He also thought he was safe in his hideout, but Herad¡¯s assassin got to him,¡± the other voice explained.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything else you asked; I switched rooms, I doubled the guards, and I¡¯ve let you tag along, but this is my home and you¡¯re staying out of my bedroom! This is not a debate,¡± Galive responded.


    ¡°You¡¯re putting yourself at risk,¡± the other man told him.


    ¡°Maybe, but how would anyone even get in here? This is the second floor, there are guards outside, and the window is too small for a man to slip through. I¡¯m far from helpless as well; I¡¯m a Vessel after all,¡± Galive told him.


    ¡°A good assassin can get into anywhere,¡± was the other¡¯s reply.


    ¡°I guess you would know. You¡¯re the most expensive knifeman in Daggerpoint and after all, Malthus,¡± Galive said.


    ¡°I am the best, and that¡¯s why you should listen to me,¡± the other man replied.


    The bandit chieftain grunted disdainfully before responding.


    ¡°I thought Zelena had bought out the entire Assassin Guild, anyway. If that¡¯s true, where did Herad¡¯s knifeman come from?¡± he asked Malthus.


    ¡°Zelena has entered into such an agreement with us, but we only have a monopoly on knifemen in Daggerpoint. Herad seems to have picked her killer up from outside,¡± the assassin explained.


    ¡°Huh, I heard she¡¯s been wandering around the countryside down south. What, did she randomly come across him in the middle of the forest?¡± Galive laughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve tried to find out, but I haven¡¯t had much luck. Herad is keeping him hidden, even from most of her own men. Normally, that wouldn¡¯t stop me, but I suspect someone else is covering for him as well. Some of the guild informants have gone silent recently,¡± Malthus admitted with obvious frustration.


    ¡°Seems like Zelena is paying you guys way too much then,¡± Galive pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s not your concern. You just need to worry about yourself. This mysterious assassin doesn¡¯t even need to enter your room to kill you; he could poison your food or drink,¡± the assassin turned bodyguard explained.


    While crouched in his hiding spot Blacknail smiled to himself. That was a great idea. He wondered if he could do that right now¡­


    ¡°All my food is checked anyway. Herad is far from my only enemy. You¡¯re welcome to test it yourself though,¡± the chieftain replied.


    The hobgoblin hissed in annoyance. Apparently, he couldn¡¯t poison the man after all. Oh well, he would remember the idea for later. He was sure it would come in handy eventually.


    ¡°He could also use some sort of magical device, or throw a firebomb into the room,¡± Maltheus added.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have either of those, but they sure sounded cool! He was definitely going to ask for some of those when he got back.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of this, I gave you an order. You can stay here or guard the window from outside, it¡¯s up to you. Now, I¡¯m going to go tell the girls to join me and you won¡¯t be there to watch, got it?¡± Galive commanded the assassin sternly.


    ¡°As you wish, I¡¯ll stay here and guard the door,¡± was the other man¡¯s reply.


    Galive then huffed and walked away. Blacknail didn¡¯t worry though, he knew his target would be back. The hobgoblin just made himself comfortable, and prepared himself to wait for the right moment to strike.


    A few minutes later he heard the sound of Galive returning, and he wasn¡¯t alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to show you ladies a great time,¡± the chieftain bragged as he approached his room.


    This was quickly followed by quiet chuckling and excited murmurs from the females accompanying him.


    ¡°So, you think you¡¯re a great lover, eh?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Of course I am. Cor-Dius is the god of things done in darkness, so as his head priest I¡¯m obviously the greatest lover in the city, if not the world,¡± Galive bragged as he opened his door and stepped inside.


    There was more murmuring, before the door shut and blocked the noise. The assassin snorted in disgust as soon as Galive was safely out of earshot. He apparently didn¡¯t agree with the chieftain¡¯s high opinion of himself.


    Just as Blacknail was settling back down to wait, noises began to erupt from the other side of the wall he was leaning on. He heard the creaking of a bed, followed by high pitched human squeals, and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh.


    The hobgoblin groaned quietly to himself. He really didn¡¯t want to sit there and listen to humans mating. Hopefully, it would be over soon.


    However, the noises actually soon grew louder, and groans of pleasure were added to the mix. Blacknail stuck his tongue out in disgust as he plugged his fingers into his ears. The noises were giving him a huge headache.


    ¡°Stupid pink-ss humans,¡± he hissed, as his imagination started supplying images to go along with the noises. The hobgoblin now had another reason to kill Galive.


    After what seemed like hours, but was probably actually much less time, the noises finally stopped and the room grew quiet. Blacknail heard a groan of relief from the man guarding Galive¡¯s door, and nodded in agreement. He was also glad they had finally stopped.


    After enough time had passed that the hobgoblin was sure his target and his company were asleep, he put his plan into motion. On the outside wall of the room there was a small cross shaped window. Blacknail was pretty sure it was exactly the same as the one in his target¡¯s room.


    It was too small for all but the smallest humans to fit through, but Blacknail thought he could slip through. Hobgoblins were very skinny, that was part of the reason they were so attractive.


    Silently, he crept over to the window and looked outside. There was a guard holding a lantern down in the yard below. The man seemed to be patrolling the perimeter of the temple. He was doing a terrible job of it though, which was typical for a human.


    Blacknail took a second to take off his new cloak and put it away; it was comfy and he¡¯d decided to keep it. He then looked out the window and observed the below guard''s routine for a few minutes. When the hobgoblin was satisfied that the man was unlikely to look up and spot him, he squeezed through the window and outside.


    It was a tight squeeze and getting his head through was uncomfortable, because his brain was so big, but Blacknail managed it. There was a small ridge on the wall outside so the hobgoblin grabbed it and began to shimmy carefully along it, and towards the window into the next room. His claws dug into the wood and gave him nice firm handholds.


    After a few minutes of climbing and clambering along the wall, Blacknail managed to make it across the outside wall without alerting the guard below. The hobgoblin let out a small sigh of relief when he reached his destination, and saw it was indeed the same type of window he had just come through. It would have been really awkward if it hadn¡¯t been.


    Blacknail carefully reached up to get a solid hold on the windowsill, and then hauled himself over to it. As he hung there and the light of the guard¡¯s lamp passed below him, he carefully pulled himself up to the window opening. There was a heavy blue curtain in the way, so he gently pushed it aside.


    The hobgoblin grinned wickedly and shivered with anticipation, as he peeked inside. His prey was right there, and was sleeping defenselessly. Soon the hunt would be complete, and the sweet taste of victory would be his!


    For a second the clouds above shifted and the moon shone brightly in the sky. Blacknail''s thin clawed shadow stretched out and into the room. Seeing this, the hobgoblin giggled and then moved eagerly in for the kill.


    <hr />


    :imdead: I worked hard on this bonus chapter, so please rate</a> this fiction. Just click the stars and hit submit.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 5

    There was a lamp on a dresser against one of the walls, and it lit the room that lay on the other side of the window. The hobgoblin that hung outside could thus see its occupants just fine; all four of the humans within were lying next to each other on the big bed that dominated the room.


    Blacknail could clearly hear the soft sighing of their relaxed breathing as they slept. His skin tingled pleasantly as he gazed upon his helpless prey, and he started to slip through the window.


    Unfortunately, he¡¯d misjudged the size of the opening slightly, and his head got momentarily stuck. After a second or two of trying to painfully squeeze his skull through the tight frame, he succeeded and popped through. A soft thud echoed forth as Blacknail lost his balance and landed on the floor at the base of the window.


    He froze for a moment to make sure he hadn¡¯t disturbed anyone, but the only sound he heard was the gentle breathing of slumbering humans. Feeling confident, the hobgoblin crept up to the bed.


    It wasn¡¯t that fancy of a bed, but it certainly was huge. Blacknail thought it could easily fit a dozen humans lying side by side. Why did this man need such a huge bed? Maybe it was some sort of human status symbol?


    Blacknail loomed over Galive¡¯s slumbering face and smiled smugly. The bandit chieftain didn¡¯t seem so tough now! He was just prey. In fact, it would be so easy to toy with him a little before finishing him off¡­


    The hobgoblin reached over until his hand hung over the man¡¯s sleeping face. His claws were a hair¡¯s breadth from the man¡¯s eyes when he froze. No, fooling around now would be a bad idea. It would be really messy, and would probably make a lot of noise. Blacknail frowned in regret, as he pulled his hand back and drew his dagger. It was best to do this quickly.


    Suddenly, Galive stirred slightly and started murmuring something. Blacknail panicked for a second and jumped slightly in surprise, before he realized the man was still unconscious. He was just talking in his sleep. Feeling curious, the hobgoblin leaned over to listen.


    ¡°Oh ya, that¡¯s the way. Spread that honey around,¡± Galive whispered.


    Blacknail blinked in confusion. What was this now? What could this weird human possibly be talking about? Well whatever, he was here to kill Galive, not try to understand him.


    Blacknail stopped wasting time. He quickly grabbed the Galive¡¯s long dark hair and pulled it down, as he dragged his dagger against the man¡¯s exposed throat. Blood poured from the long jagged wound and onto the sheets, as his knife bit deep into Galive¡¯s flesh.


    Galive¡¯s dark eyes shot open and fluttered briefly before going dead. Blacknail smirked as he stared intently into their confused depths. When he was sure the man was dead, he stepped quietly away. That was one less bandit chief that would be trying to take his and Herad¡¯s territory, and it hadn¡¯t even been hard to get rid of him.


    Blacknail was just about to make his exit, when the woman to the right of Galive¡¯s bloody corpse stirred in her sleep. The movement caused Blacknail to instantly focus on her.


    Some of Galive¡¯s blood was pooling beneath the woman¡¯s bare shoulders, and was staining her long blonde hair. It was also clearly disturbing her slumber.


    She stirred again and Blacknail realized he had to do something, before she woke up and raised the alarm. He stalked back over to her, and tried to come up with a solution. He couldn¡¯t remove the blood; there was too much of it and he wasn¡¯t that thirsty. He also couldn¡¯t move woman without waking her¡­


    With an annoyed sigh Blacknail leaned over her, and cut her throat too. When he was sure she was dead, and that no one else was about to wake up, he tiptoed over to the window and made his exit. He managed to make it through without getting his head stuck this time.


    As Blacknail crouched on the windowsill he observed the yard below him. The guard from earlier was still out there, but he was walking away from the hobgoblin. The man was just about to turn the corner of the building and disappear out of sight.


    With his mission accomplished Blacknail was beginning to feel impatient, so he climbed down the exterior wall as far as he could and then simply dropped the rest of the way. He landed unharmed on all four limbs, and then dashed for the stone fence that encircled the temple. He hit it at full spend and then vaulted over it onto the street on the other side. With that done, he¡¯d successfully escaped from Galive¡¯s lair unharmed.


    As he raced through the dark and dirty streets of Daggerpoint towards safety and his rendezvous with Saeter, the hobgoblin giggled happily to himself. That had been too easy. The bandit chieftain had been supposed to be so tough, but he hadn¡¯t been a problem for Blacknail!


    That other assassin guy, Malthus, had been an idiot as well! Blacknail giggled again as he turned into an alley. The fool had just stood there outside the door as Blacknail slit the throat of the man he was supposed to be protecting! It was hilarious how bad the man was at his job, or maybe Blacknail was just that good.


    Obviously, Blacknail was an amazing assassin; probably the best ever! He was like Herad¡¯s fearsome unstoppable shadow killer guy! When he returned with news of Galive¡¯s death there was no way Herad would beat him up ever again. In fact, she would probably tell everyone how amazing he was, and then give him some pie.


    Blacknail reached the corner right before his destination, so he slowed down and looked for any sign of Saeter. A brief inspection didn¡¯t reveal any traces of him, and the hobgoblin grew slightly concerned. Had something happened to him?


    ¡°Where are you, master?¡± he muttered to himself.


    Blacknail began to creep around stealthily as he searched. He moved from shadow to shadow as he wandered around the area near the meeting place. He didn¡¯t find anything, until he stumbled upon a faint scent trail.


    It led into a nearby building so Blacknail followed it in. All the structures in this part of the city were small and tightly packed, and this one didn¡¯t stand out. It did appear to be abandoned though; the missing front door was subtle clue.


    Blacknail walked into the pitch black interior, and then headed up the stairs to the room on the second floor. He was careful not to make any noise, because he didn¡¯t know what to expect. Also, creeping around all sneaky-like was just more fun.


    When the hobgoblin got to the top of stairs he saw a dark figure looking out a window through a doorway. He froze for a second, but soon realized that it was just Saeter.


    Before he started moving again, an idea occurred to him. His master didn¡¯t appear to know that Blacknail was here¡­ so wouldn¡¯t it be fun to surprise him!


    Blacknail grinned gleefully to himself. This was going to be so much fun! As he stepped through the doorway he felt something tug gently on his ankle, and then heard a faint clattering noise. He looked down to see what it was, and realized that he¡¯d stumbled over a piece of string had been tied to a pile of sticks.


    How had that gotten there? Well, hopefully it hadn¡¯t ruined his surprise.


    Blacknail looked back up to see something shiny. It was Saeter¡¯s unsheathed sword point, and it was less than an inch from his face. The surprised hobgoblin went very still, as his eyes widen in alarm. Yep, the surprise was ruined, and this had definitely been a bad idea.


    ¡°The Deep Green has yet to spit out a beast that can sneak up on me, hobgoblin, and that includes the likes of you,¡± Saeter whispered threateningly, before relaxing and dropping his blade.


    ¡°I was just having fun. I wasn¡¯t going to do anything bad,¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°If I thought you were, I¡¯d have already skewered you. Missions aren¡¯t the time to be having fun. That¡¯s how people get hurt,¡± Saeter replied gruffly.


    Blacknail nodded enthusiastically in agreement. He¡¯d certainly almost been hurt. His master grunted and his hard expression softened. The hobgoblin almost thought he detected a slight smile on the man¡¯s lips.


    ¡°How¡¯d the mission go; did you get Galive?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°Of course, I started a fight, crept through the shadows, went in and out some windows, and murdered the sleeping human. There was nothing to eat,¡± Blacknail explained cheerfully.


    The old scout rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner after the hobgoblin finished speaking. Blacknail frowned at his master¡¯s response. What was wrong with his answer? It covered all the important bits.


    ¡°You can tell Herad the details. Did that Elixir of Mahedium¡¯s come in handy?¡± Saeter inquired.


    Blacknail mouth fell open slightly, as the question caught him off guard. He had kind of forgotten he¡¯d had it. There were definitely a few times a boost of speed and strength would have been useful though¡­


    ¡°It was too easy, I didn¡¯t need it,¡± Blacknail bragged dishonestly.


    Saeter gave him a suspicious glance, but didn¡¯t bother to question the hobgoblin.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Come on let¡¯s get back to base, winter¡¯s approaching, and it¡¯s getting bloody cold out,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin as he walked past him and headed downstairs.


    The hobgoblin sighed regretfully as he followed the old scout. His master probably shouldn¡¯t have waited out in the cold for him; he was going to catch the sniffles. Obviously, he¡¯d been worried Blacknail was going to mess things up, so he¡¯d stuck around. Why couldn¡¯t his master have just trusted him? He was very trustworthy!


    After several minutes of walking through the now almost pitch black street, Blacknail was starting to wonder where they were going. They weren¡¯t headed anywhere near Herad¡¯s base.


    Saeter soon turned around and scowled at Blacknail.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you lead the way, waiting around for you so long has left my legs sore,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why that mattered. Wouldn¡¯t he have to walk the same distance anyway? Well, whatever¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re going back to the lair?¡± he asked, just to make sure.


    ¡°Of course, we bloody are. Where else would we be headed?¡± Saeter huffed indignantly.


    ¡°Nowhere-ss, sorry,¡± the hobgoblin replied, as he quickly took the lead.


    He took a second to decide on the fastest route, and then within minutes they were approaching Herad¡¯s stronghold. The guards out front simply nodded in greeting when they recognized Saeter, and Blacknail gave them a friendly nod back. The pair then walked through the front entrance and into the room on the other side.


    As usual, there were several bandits sitting around the table there playing a game of cards. This time however, Khita was one of them. Judging by the pile of coins in front of her, and the dissatisfied looks on several of her opponents¡¯ faces, she appeared to be winning.


    The young redhead glanced their way as Saeter and Blacknail entered, and smiled cheerfully at them. She seemed to having fun.


    ¡°You¡¯re back! How did your top secret mission for the boss go? I know she sent you out to do something, all hush hush,¡± she asked.


    ¡°If you know that, then you shouldn¡¯t be asking,¡± interjected a large male bandit that was sitting across from her.


    ¡°Bah, you¡¯re just upset that you¡¯re losing,¡± Khita responded, as she beamed at Blacknail.


    The bandit scowled angrily at her, and one of his eyebrows started twitching.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re lucky that the boss likes you so much,¡± the man muttered angrily.


    Blacknail agreed with him, but he found himself giving the man a steady disapproving glare. If anyone was going to kill Khita, then it was going to be him! The bandit met his stare for a second, but then hurriedly looked away.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Herad?¡± Saeter asked Khita.


    ¡°She was in that big room down the hall to the left, the one with all the couches, the last time I checked,¡± Khita replied.


    Saeter grunted his acknowledgement, and then unceremoniously left the room. After one quick glance back at the man who had challenged him, Blacknail followed him out. It only took a few seconds for them to reach the room Khita had mentioned, and Herad was indeed there.


    She was sprawled comfortably over the edge of one of the couches. A platter of food and drink had been set out on a side table in front of her, and several of her usual guards were also there. Most of them were standing around the room, but two had seats of their own.


    Herad smiled eagerly when she saw them, and pulled herself up into more of a sitting position.


    ¡°Clear the room,¡± she then announced.


    With a quick nod of acknowledgement the guards got up and left the room. They closed the doors behind them.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re both back, I take it that Galive is dead?¡± the chieftain asked them.


    ¡°So the hobgoblin tells me,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°I totally killed him. I cut his neck deep as he slept, and he bled everywhere!¡± Blacknail answered cheerfully.


    Herad ignored Blacknail, and raised an eyebrow dubiously at Saeter.


    ¡°You think he¡¯s lying?¡± she asked curiously.


    ¡°Ha, no. He went in, and he came out alive. That means Galive is dead,¡± Saeter huffed.


    ¡°You never know. Maybe they found out about your hob¡¯s secret weakness for sweet cakes, and bribed him,¡± she replied with a chuckle and a grin.


    Blacknail scowled in annoyance. That was just insulting. He would never betray his tribe for a sweet cake! There weren¡¯t enough cakes in the whole world for that. Of course, the world wasn¡¯t that big, and mostly seemed to be made up of trees.


    Herad saw his look and instead of growing angry she smirked. She then reached out and grabbed one of the pastries from the platter, and tossed it up into the air towards Blacknail. Instantly, the hobgoblin caught it and shoved it into his mouth.


    ¡°Thank-ss you so much mistress,¡± he told her happily as he chewed. All his previous feelings of irritation had been completely forgotten.


    ¡°If only all men were so easy to please,¡± Herad remarked, with a look towards Saeter.


    ¡°You mean control,¡± Saeter replied dryly.


    ¡°That too,¡± Herad added with another smug grin. ¡°Saeter, I¡¯ll have you get a report from Blacknail and give it to me tomorrow. His full reports are¡­ different.¡±


    ¡°They certainly are,¡± Saeter agreed.


    Herad then turned to the hobgoblin.


    ¡°For now, just tell me about anything important or unexpected that happened, and this time leave out any details about how things tasted or smelled. I don¡¯t need to know about that,¡± Herad asked, as she grimaced with disgust.


    Blackail sighed in disappointment. That was usually the most interesting part, though! He took a moment to recall everything that had happened on his mission.


    He¡¯d walked there with Saeter, there¡¯d been some humans, he¡¯d eaten the chicken, he¡¯d tricked some more humans, bleh bleh, and then he¡¯d killed Galive and ran away. Oh wait, there had been one thing.


    ¡°There was a man, an assassin. He was there to protect Galive, but he sucked at it,¡± Blacknail told his chieftain.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. You overheard them talking?¡± Herad asked.


    ¡°Yes, he was sent by a Zelena human,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°See, Saeter? I knew they were working together. Galive swore he was a neutral party, but I wasn¡¯t fooled! That bastard lied like a village peddler; for all that he was supposed to be a priest.¡± Herad exclaimed excitedly.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t disagree with you about that,¡± Saeter pointed out.


    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t, for once,¡± Herad commented with a roll of her eyes.


    ¡°If that¡¯s everything, then I¡¯d like to get some sleep. I also wouldn¡¯t mind a hot cup of tea,¡± Saeter told her.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯d hate to keep you up past your bed time. You two can go rest,¡± Herad answered dismissively.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my bedtime. I¡¯m going to go out and find some food,¡± Blacknail interjected.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with me. Now is not the time to be wandering around,¡± Saeter replied as gave the hobgoblin a stern glance.


    ¡°But I¡¯m still hungry,¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°Grab something from the kitchen,¡± Saeter told him as he gave him a light push towards the door.


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m eating whatever I want,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he opened the door.


    ¡°Go ahead, just keep out of trouble,¡± his master said as they passed by the guards from earlier.


    After almost an hour of ransacking the kitchen and terrorizing the chef, Blacknail had stuffed himself enough that he began to grow sleepy. Saeter had already left so the hobgoblin yawned and headed for his room.


    Once there, he disrobed and began rearranging his blankets for maximum comfort. The hobgoblin then curled up on his bed and almost immediately went to sleep. He¡¯d earned his rest.


    It wasn¡¯t to be as long a rest as he¡¯d hoped, though. Several hours later, he twitched in his sleep as an unexpected rhythm penetrated his subconscious.


    When the quiet sound repeated itself, the hobgoblin stirred and frowned in annoyance. He opened one eye slightly and saw that it was still dark outside. He didn¡¯t like being awakened like this, so hopefully whatever the annoying thing was it would soon stop or die.


    It sounded like footsteps. In fact, it sounded like several people were trying to move quietly, and it was coming from the roof...


    The hobgoblin growled softly as he came completely awake. His tribe was under attack!


    <hr />


    :sleepy: This is the 3rd chapter this week! It was tons of work, so please rate</a> this story. Just click the stars and submit.


    <hr />


    As always, you can find the next chapter</a> at my website.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 6

    Blacknail immediately pulled himself up from the tangle of sheets around him, and growled menacingly. The sound of his anger echoed throughout his small room, as he shot to his feet. Someone was trying to be sneaky and invade his tribe¡¯s lair!


    ¡°Enemies,¡± he hissed to himself.


    The hobgoblin felt his drowsiness burn away under the relentless waves of his rage. His lips rose to reveal his teeth as he snarled. Whoever these people were, they were about to get a very nasty surprise. He was going to stab them, a lot.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t waste any time. He quickly began throwing on his clothes and arming himself, as he carefully listened in on the enemies'' progress.


    The footsteps were slowly but steadily crossing the roof. At first the hobgoblin assumed they were coming to attack him, but he realized that was unlikely. No one knew who he was, or where he¡¯d stashed his cheese.


    That meant they must be after Herad! They were assassins, and aiming to murder Blacknail¡¯s chieftain the same way the hobgoblin had killed the other chiefs.


    Well, it wouldn¡¯t work, because they were much worse at it than Blacknail. The hobgoblin had already discovered them, and not being detected before reaching the target was the most important bit.


    He pulled on his mask, slipped quietly through his door, and stalked quickly forward down the hallway towards Herad¡¯s room. The hallway was dark except for a single candle set on a small table, and there was a sleepy looking guard leaning against the wall beside it.


    Blacknail growled as he noticed the man¡¯s eyes were closed. What kind of pathetic warrior went to sleep in the middle of a job?


    The man was apparently a light sleeper though because the hobgoblin¡¯s outraged growl woke him. He blinked and turned to see what was going on, and then jumped in alarm when he saw the masked and cloaked hobgoblin descending upon him.


    ¡°Shh, quiet,¡± Blacknail hissed as he raised a finger to his mouth. ¡°There are-ss people on the roof,¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the man whispered in confusion, as he began to recognize Blacknail and started calming down.


    ¡°Assassins on the roof!¡± Blacknail whispered back.


    Why did he always have to repeat himself? Human hearing wasn¡¯t that bad, even if they had tiny pink ears.


    Herad¡¯s guard flinched as the hobgoblin¡¯s words finally sunk in. He then threw a quick glance upwards, as if he expected to see something. Blacknail sighed in frustration; he wasn¡¯t impressed.


    ¡°We need to raise the alarm,¡± the man said a few seconds later.


    ¡°No, then-ss they would run. Give-ss me door key, and then go raise alarm, silently. Herad would-ss want us to warn her, and then trap them so they end up dead,¡± Blacknail argued.


    There was no way Herad would want to pass up an opportunity to kill some of her enemies. She was pretty consistent that way.


    The guard seemed to agree with Blacknail¡¯s judgment of Herad¡¯s character, because he nodded reluctantly in agreement and then handed Blacknail the key.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. You wake the boss then. Better you than me anyway; she¡¯s not a morning person,¡± the man told him.


    He then quickly disappeared into a side room, and several seconds later the hobgoblin could hear him begin whispering to someone else.


    Blacknail was tense and nervous as he unlocked the door and walked through it. Not because of the assassins, but rather because he was pretty sure the guard was right about how Herad wouldn¡¯t like being disturbed. She would however like not being informed of the assassins even less, which meant there really weren¡¯t any good options.


    The chieftain¡¯s room was dark, except for the slivers of moonlight that squeezed through the cracks of the one small shuttered window, and the light of the candle in the hallway that shone out from under the closed door behind Blacknail.


    It was however more than enough light for the hobgoblin¡¯s sensitive eyes. He could make out most the details of the room, including the bed Herad was sleeping on. The bandit chieftain was curled up under her sheets and her sleeping face was pointed his way.


    As he approached Herad, Blacknail very carefully calculated a minimum safe distance that was out of reach of a sword. He didn¡¯t believe for a second that she didn¡¯t have one shoved somewhere around the bed, or that she wouldn¡¯t use it on him if he angered her.


    Once he had gotten as close as he dared, Blacknail took a second to study Herad. She looked different somehow, but the hobgoblin couldn¡¯t immediately figure out why.


    Then he realized her eyes weren¡¯t as shadowed and menacing as usual. Did Herad wear makeup? No wait, that was just silly; of course it was actually war paint. That made much more sense.


    The creaking of wooden supports from above brought Blacknail back to reality. He knew he needed to wake his chief up before the assassins arrived, but he couldn¡¯t figure out how to do it safely. Yelling was out of the question, and so was touching her. Maybe he could poke her with a long stick?


    Blacknail looked her over again. She actually didn¡¯t seem all that dangerous at the moment. In fact she seemed kind of vulnerable, so he should probably just go shake her awake. That would be quietest way to do it after all. He took a tentative step forward¡­


    ¡°I can think of three reasons a hobgoblin would be creeping around in my bedroom after dark, and you¡¯ll only survive one of them,¡± Herad told him, as she lay unmoving in bed with her eyes closed.


    Blacknail instantly froze, and he felt a cold shiver work its way through him. His eyes widened as he realized he¡¯d just almost gotten himself killed. Good thing he was a coward.


    ¡°There are bad assassins on the roof! When I, your ever loyal servant, heard them I told your guards. Then I came in here to tell you,¡± Blacknail whispered to her nervously.


    The bandit chieftain grunted and opened her eyes. Her cold gaze bore into him as she studied his face. She was still scary, even without war paint.


    ¡°Good, because you¡¯re not my type, and it''d be a shame to have to kill you for being too ambitious,¡± she told him, as she sat up.


    Her movement caused her blankets to shift and slip off of her shoulders. Underneath that, she was wearing a loose plain white shirt and long dark pants.


    ¡°How many?¡± she asked, as she stood up and pulled on a leather jacket that had been lying beside her bed.


    ¡°Five or six,¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly. He was just grateful that his answer had apparently been the right one. What had the other two been?


    ¡°They¡¯re coming for me?¡± Herad asked as she pulled a sheathed sword and hilt out from under her pillow.


    ¡°Sounds like,¡± Blacknail whispered back.


    There was suddenly a slight creaking noise from the roof above, and both of them looked up. Herad then narrowed her eyes and then turned to the window. It was the only way in other than the door.


    There was then a creaking noise from behind them, as the entrance swung open slightly. Both Herad and Blacknail tensed and reached for their weapons. However, it was only several of Herad¡¯s guards. When they saw that their boss was up and about they stopped, and waited for orders.


    Herad studied them for a second before motioning silently for them to back off. The man in front nodded, took a step back out of the room, and then carefully shut the door behind him.


    The bandit chieftain then moved over to her bed and pulled several pillows out from underneath it. She then stuffed them under her blanket, so that it looked like someone was still sleeping there. With that done she crouched down beside the bed out of sight of the window.


    Blacknail had been wondering where all the spare pillows had gone, they¡¯d disappeared suddenly right after he¡¯d piled them all on his bed to make himself more comfortable.


    The hobgoblin ignored that for now though, and tried to find somewhere to hide. Another creak, this time from the roof right above the window, meant that the hobgoblin had to move quickly.


    He didn¡¯t see anything large enough to hide behind, except for the bed, so he crept up to the window and then pulled himself up over it and into the rafters above. Humans rarely ever looked up; it was a weakness of the species.


    Herad gave him a dubious look, but then just shook her head and crouched back down out of sight. Blacknail was fairly sure that meant she trusted his judgment, and why wouldn¡¯t she?


    Almost immediately, the shutters below Blacknail shook ever so slightly. A slim hooked blade poked out from between them, and then slid upwards until it hit the latch. There was the faintest of clicking noises as the blade knocked the latch loose and unlocked the window.


    As the hobgoblin watched from above, the shutters swung open ever so slowly. A second later, a man wrapped in dark clothing crept through the window and into the room. He quickly glanced around the room, and stared apprehensively at the dummy beneath Herad¡¯s sheets for a few seconds, before tiptoeing off to the side.


    The assassin was wearing a black hood and had a dark grey scarf wrapped around the lower part of his face, but Blacknail recognized his scent. It was Malthus, the assassin who had failed so badly at being Galive¡¯s bodyguard.


    A soon as Malthus was out of the way his companions followed him in, until all five of them were inside. Blacknail watched with interest as Malthus raised a hand and signaled to his men using some sort of sign language the hobgoblin didn¡¯t understand.


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    Almost instantly, the assassins spread out and stalked stealthily towards Herad¡¯s bed. Blacknail waited expectantly for them to step completely into the trap, but halfway there Malthus froze and hurriedly signaled his men.


    Instantly, the two men closest to the window turned and ran for it. The other three, including the leader, drew their swords and began backing up slowly. Up in the dark rafters Blacknail pouted in disappointment. Somehow, they¡¯d obviously noticed the trap, and that was no fun.


    Several things then happened all at once. Blacknail dropped down onto the back of one of the fleeing assassins, and then lashed out and kicked the other one savagely in the head.


    Meanwhile, Herad rose up from behind the bed with her blade drawn and launched herself at the other three assassins. The ringing of clashing blades drew the attention of several of Herad¡¯s guards, who had been waiting in the hallway. They threw the door open and moved to join the fight.


    As Blacknail grappled his opponent to the floor, Herad engaged two of the assassins in a swordfight. The third attacker stepped back and quickly reached into his robe, before pulling out a beaker and throwing it violently towards her charging minions.


    The glass container hit the floor and spilled liquid everywhere as it shattered. Herad¡¯s thugs stepped onto the mess as they ran towards her, and then began tripping all over themselves as their feet slid out from under them.


    The man wrestling Blacknail finally went limp as the hobgoblin withdrew his knife from out under his ribs. The assassin Blacknail had kicked earlier had gotten to his feet and was crawling through the window, so the hobgoblin grabbed the booted foot closest to him, and pulled him back into the room.


    The vial thrower assassin used the time he had bought himself and his companions to turn back towards Herad. He was however too late to prevent Herad from parrying one of his companion¡¯s blades and then unleashing a lightning quick slash that sent the assassin¡¯s severed hand falling to the floor.


    ¡°Plan Dawn,¡± Malthus barked as he ducked under a slash from Herad.


    Hearing this, the assassin who had thrown the beaker broke away from the fight, and made a dash for the window. He ran right past Blacknail as he fled. The hobgoblin was now wrestling with his second assassin, and he wasn¡¯t doing nearly as well as he had against the first.


    The man had got in a lucky blow at the start, and kicked Blacknail¡¯s knife away. The masked hobgoblin had more, but he was too busy trying not to get choked out by the larger and stronger human to draw them. He also wished he wasn¡¯t wearing the mask so he could just bite the stupid man¡¯s fingers off, or that he hadn¡¯t forgotten to take his Elixir again.


    Herad was now locked in a brutal sword fight with the assassin leader. Both of them launched attack after attack at each other with furious precision. Their blades flashed through the air so quickly that they were almost impossible to see. It was obvious that both combatants were Vessels, no one else could move so swiftly.


    Herad was slowly forcing the man back though. She smiled cruelly as she fought, and seemed to be having quite a bit of fun. The assassin leader on the other hand looked nervous. He was obviously having trouble avoiding some of her attacks, and already had a few superficial gashes in his clothing.


    The man who was fighting Blacknail suddenly lurched backwards, and then surprised the hobgoblin by punching him heavily in the side of the head. Blacknail¡¯s mask absorbed most of the blow, but it also shifted slightly to the side and blinded him.


    The now blind hobgoblin could only flail about and try to grab his opponent¡¯s hands. This didn¡¯t work very well though, and a few seconds later he lurched backwards as something slammed into his stomach.


    By this time the third assassin had reached the window, instead of diving through it though, he turned and pulled something out of his coat.


    ¡°Dawn,¡± he yelled at the top of his lungs, which caused everyone to look his way.


    Blinding light then burst forth and enveloped the room. Swearing rang out as everyone tried to shield their eyes.


    ¡°Fucking mage,¡± Herad hissed.


    The leader of the assassins had been facing away from the light and prepared for it, so he wasn¡¯t blinded. He took the opportunity to slash at Herad¡¯s neck. The bandit chieftain must have sensed something though, because she threw herself out of the way of the attack. The assassin¡¯s sword ended up only grazing her shoulder.


    He didn¡¯t try for a second attack. The man turned and fled towards the window, as Herad and her men tried to organize themselves and regain their footing.


    The assassin that was grappling with Blacknail pushed him aside and tried to rise to his feet. As Blacknail lurched backwards he growled in frustration. Rage and confusion pulsed through him, until he couldn¡¯t take it anymore and he ripped his mask off.


    His opponent froze and his eyes widened in terror as the hobgoblin¡¯s inhuman visage was revealed. Blacknail didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. He grabbed one of the man¡¯s wrists, and then before the man could recover he lunged down and savagely bit into it with his now exposed teeth.


    Screams filled the room as the hobgoblin dug his teeth deeper into the human¡¯s flesh. The iron taste of blood filled his mouth, and excited him. Filled with a sudden bout of hungry energy the hobgoblin let go of his opponent¡¯s ruined arm, and then dug his fingers into the man¡¯s eyes.


    The hobgoblin''s long sharp nails cut through his gloves, and then deep into the man¡¯s sockets. More tortured screams rent the air.


    As the man lay helpless and writhing beneath him, Blacknail took the time to look around the room. The other assassins had already fled. Only Herad, her minions, and several corpses remained.


    Herad blinked and dropped the hand that was massaging her eyes. She looked at Blacknail and ground her teeth together furiously.


    ¡°Leave the wounded one, you idiot. After them!¡± she yelled at him.


    Blacknail immediately grabbed his fallen mask and jumped to obey. He leapt off his defeated prey and launched himself at the window.


    In mid air he grabbed the window sill and swung himself around to the outside wall, where he sank his claws into the wood and began to climb after the assassins. He could hear them running across the roof, and see the discarded piece of rope they had used to escape on the street below.


    With inhuman agility the hobgoblin pulled himself onto the roof and scrambled after the fleeing assassins. Instinctively, he knew that the best way to catch them was to make sure they didn¡¯t know they were being followed. Also, Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure what to do with them when he caught them. They still outnumbered him, and Malthus was apparently a much better swordsman than he was a bodyguard.


    So the hobgoblin kept his head down and used the angle of the roof to hide himself from sight. When the remaining pair of assassins reached the end of the roof they disappeared. Blacknail scurried over and saw them on the ground below him, he also saw the rope they had used to get there. As he watched they ran across the dark city street and into an alley.


    Blacknail slid down the rope and hurried after them. He couldn¡¯t see them, but he could still hear their heavy footsteps and follow their scent.


    His quarry twisted and weaved their way through the city as they tried to lose any possible pursuit. Blacknail found it highly amusing. All their efforts were utterly pointless against him; he followed after them though the alleys and back ways of the city without any problem.


    Soon, Blacknail arrived in a familiar part of town. The trail of the assassins who had tried to kill Herad led up to the front entrance of a large colorful building that the hobgoblin didn¡¯t immediately recognize, because he hadn¡¯t really looked at it from the front before. It was the place he¡¯d met Luphera.


    A suspicious growl escaped from Blacknail¡¯s lips, as he stood at the opening of a nearby alleyway. The darkness of night hid him as he glared at the building, and considered this new development.


    Was Luphera involved in the attack on Herad? It wasn¡¯t impossible, she had bragged about having minions and connections. The idea upset Blacknail for some reason. He wasn¡¯t sure why though; it wasn¡¯t like they were of the same tribe, and he didn¡¯t really even know much about her. In fact, she was very unsettling to be around.


    What should he do now? Could he just return to Herad and tell her where the assassins had gone? Did she expect him to kill them before returning? He probably could head back now without being punished, but Blacknail realized he didn¡¯t want to. He wanted to know exactly what was going on, and whether Luphera was involved.


    Yes, perhaps it was time to be a little more¡­ aggressive with the woman. He had let her weird perfume and behavior put him off guard before, but now he was done being on the defensive.


    He would find her and get answers, but this time there would be no stupid games. He would simply take what he wanted, no matter who he had to kill.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 7

    Blacknail growled as he made his way around the building and towards the back exit. The way was familiar and he¡¯d been here enough times now that he wasn¡¯t really paying attention, and thus he almost walked right into a pair of guards.


    He heard them coming only seconds before they turned the corner. Startled, Blacknail immediately ducked behind a large barrel of rainwater and out of sight. A man and a woman with sheathed swords and leather armor then stepped into view, and headed his way.


    Blacknail¡¯s stomach twisted as he watched them from concealment. He wasn¡¯t in a very good hiding spot, and if the two thugs got too close or walked behind the barrel they would see him. He cursed himself for not paying attention.


    The hobgoblin held his breath as the two humans walked right by him. One of the pair suddenly stopped walking, and threw a look backwards at the barrel. She stared at it for a few seconds, and frowned when she didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± her partner asked.


    ¡°Nothing, I just thought I heard something, but there¡¯s nothing there,¡± she replied before turning back around and walking away.


    ¡°This is Daggerpoint, if you jump at every shadow you¡¯ll be spending the entire day on your toes,¡± the man remarked.


    ¡°Maybe, but that just means it¡¯s also one of the places where you¡¯re most likely to get a knife in your back,¡± she replied, before they both turned the corner and disappeared again.


    Blacknail sighed with relief as soon as they were gone. When the humans had passed him by, and he¡¯d become exposed, he¡¯d instinctively crept around to the other side of the barrel and back out of sight. His instincts had served him well, but then again they almost always did.


    The hobgoblin stood back up and then continued on his way. He still burned with anger, but now he was struggling to keep it contained. Nothing good ever came from letting his fury loose.


    He prowled through the alley and towards Luphera¡¯s window. When he got to corner that overlooked the passage behind the building he stopped and peered stealthily around it.


    The sun was now starting to rise. The tips of its rays had just begun to shine over the grungy buildings of the city. This gave Blacknail a very good view of the two guards that were standing by the back entrance of his destination.


    Both of them were large armed men with purple vests, and one of them had placed a lit lantern on top of a nearby crate. The windows of the building behind them also shed light out on the back street. None of the sources of illumination were that strong, so together they cast a confusing maze of shadows onto the dirty cobblestones and mud of the alley.


    Blacknail studied the guards from the mouth of the alley. Why were there all these guards around suddenly? There had never been so many before. Were they expecting him?


    It didn¡¯t matter though. There was no way he was going to let a few stupid humans stop him. He would get the answers he wanted. He didn¡¯t know why he felt so driven to question Luphera, and he didn¡¯t really care.


    The hobgoblin glared at the guards furiously for several seconds, and then several more. Okay, he had no idea how he was going to actually get past them¡­


    There were a lot of shadows to work with, but it would still be difficult to sneak past them up into a window. No, he¡¯d have to get rid of them somehow. How would he do it though?


    He could sneak up to them and try to take them out quickly before they could raise the alarm, but that would be risky even with Elixir. A distraction might work, if he could come up with a good enough one.


    He didn¡¯t feel like sneaking around anymore, though. He was angry and wanted to hurt someone, and these men were undoubtedly connected to the assassins that had awakened him in the middle of the night! He really liked sleeping on his bed.


    So he would use a distraction, and then attack them! Why do one when you could do both? Even so early in the morning Daggerpoint was never a quiet city, so a little noise ought to be fine.


    The hobgoblin waited until the men were looking the other way then made his move. He stalked silently out of the alley and through the shadows. He kept the cool stone wall at his back until he reached an empty wheelbarrow someone had left at the side of the street. He ducked down behind it and carefully prepped his sling.


    Blacknail then took out his vial of Elixir, lifted his mask, and gulped it down. Ugh, it still tasted like dirt, but he was going to need every bit of speed he could muster. When he was sure no one was looking again he gently lobbed a stone from his pouch down the street, so that it clattered against a wall on the other side of the guards.


    ¡°What was that?¡± one of them asked, as he took a step closer to the noise to get a better view.


    ¡°Probably a rat, they get pretty big here,¡± the other man replied without concern.


    That was when the second stone from Blacknail¡¯s sling took him in the back of the head. The thug immediately crumpled as a muffled cracking echoed through the alley. His companion jumped and began to turn back around, but Blacknail had already sprung out of hiding.


    With savage ferocity he descended on the man, and Elixir burned through his flesh and bone as he leaped. With inhuman speed the hobgoblin¡¯s blade slashed through the air and sliced into the man¡¯s unprotected neck. The guard barely had time to gasp, before he was dead on his feet. Then he crumpled and hit the ground.


    Blacknail froze and scanned the windows around him for any sign that he¡¯d been seen or heard. When he didn¡¯t see anything he switched to focusing on listening. A few streets away a horse neighed, and the pounding of footsteps and creak of wheels came from everywhere. None of that was unusual though, so it didn¡¯t sound like he¡¯d alerted anyone.


    The hobgoblin then crouched down over the body of the man he¡¯d hit with his sling, and listened for any signs of breathing. Nope, nothing; the human was dead. Blacknail grabbed the corpse¡¯s feet and dragged it out of sight behind a pile of wood. He was breathing slightly harder when he went to get the other body.


    ¡°Stupid fat city humans, they should-ss get outside more,¡± Blacknail muttered as he strained to move the second corpse. The people of Daggerpoint were even more bloated than normal humans.


    When that was done, he scowled at the blood trail he¡¯d left in the dirt. A few seconds later he shrugged and turned to look up at Luphera¡¯s window. It probably wouldn¡¯t matter; most humans were blind and couldn¡¯t smell at all anyway. Why did they even have noses?


    Quickly, Blacknail began climbing up the stone work and wooden struts until he reached the opening on the second floor. He didn¡¯t have a lot of time. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe that even humans wouldn¡¯t eventually find the bodies; soon the guards he¡¯d taken out would be missed.


    Blacknail reached the window and peeked over the windowsill. He didn¡¯t see anyone there so he pulled himself up and crawled inside. The bedroom was basically the same as before. The furniture was still lavish and comfortable looking, but only the faintest hint of the incense remained in the air.


    Blacknail remembered his first visit here, so the first thing he did was double check the bed to make sure no one was hidden among the sheet, and then just to be sure he looked under the bed as well. There was no one in either of those spots, so Blacknail relaxed.


    After taking a second to scratch an itch, he then turned towards the room¡¯s only door and headed carefully over to it. As he approached someone on the other side spoke up.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want anything to drink? I have both wine and tea?¡± Luphera asked someone.


    Blacknail¡¯s ears perked up as he recognized her voice, and his heart beat a little faster. His prey was close. The only reply to Luphera¡¯s question however, was a disdainful grunt from someone with a deep masculine voice.


    ¡°What, do you think I¡¯ve poisoned it or something?¡± she chuckled at the unseen man.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one of your clients, Luphera. I¡¯m here to keep a watch on you until all this is over with, not fraternize,¡± the unseen man responded in a rather unfriendly tone.


    Blacknail stalked silently over to the door, and very carefully pulled it open ever so slightly. He then peered through the tiny crack into the room on the other side.


    Luphera was seated on a lavish purple couch, and wearing a delicate white dress. She had a bored look on her face as she regarded the only other person in the room.


    A large man stood by the far door, with his arms crossed in front of him. Blacknail instantly pegged him as a companion to the men he¡¯d followed here. He was dressed the same, but looked a bit different than any of the attackers. His eyes were narrowed as he glared hostilely at Luphera.


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    ¡°Is that what I do, fraternize?¡± Luphera asked with obvious amusement.


    ¡°No, what you are is a whore and a gossip monger,¡± the man told her coldly.


    ¡°And you¡¯re an easily replaced murderer, so I wouldn¡¯t be so quick to judge another¡¯s profession,¡± she replied coolly.


    Blacknail eyed the two humans as they glared at each other. He was fairly sure these two weren¡¯t friends. He wasn¡¯t the best reader of human tone and body language, but he was fairly confident about this. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Luphera wasn¡¯t involved in the attack.


    ¡°What I am is loyal, unlike you, and our master knows it,¡± the man countered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not loyal? You¡¯d think that after all these years of service Najget would trust me more. He certainly values my services,¡± Luphera mused.


    She then turned away from the man for a second and looked around the room. To Blacknail it almost seemed like her gaze stopped on him as it passed by the door, but that was impossible. He was much too sneaky to be discovered.


    ¡°Silence, whore. You¡¯re not supposed to use the guild master¡¯s name, ever,¡± the assassin growled angrily.


    ¡°You and the master are far too fond of your little drama. As if there¡¯s anyone around to hear it but us,¡± she replied condescendingly as she turned back towards him and rolled her eyes.


    Blacknail heard it; he grinned happily from behind the door. He¡¯d just discovered a secret! He had no idea what a guild master was, but he was sure it was important. A secret name sounded very¡­ sharp. Maybe, he should make one up for himself, like Sneaky Death Killer!


    ¡°Shut your mouth, I¡¯m through getting lip from you. If you speak to me again then you¡¯ll regret it, no matter how useful you are to the master,¡± the man snarled furiously.


    ¡°You would very much regret raising your hand against me,¡± Luphera replied coldly with more than a hint of condescension.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to find out,¡± the assassin growled, as he raised a fist and stepped towards her.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure what was going on here, so he considered his options. He had a limited amount of time, so he should use any opportunities that came up. He also had to make sure he could act without raising the alarm, though.


    He tried to remain detached, but his snarl grew tighter as he watched the man march across the room towards the woman. For some reason he felt protective of Luphera, and he didn¡¯t know why. It wasn¡¯t like they were of the same tribe. He supposed that he just liked talking to her, or maybe her perfume was rotting his brain.


    It wasn¡¯t because he¡­ liked her, though. Blacknail shuddered. She was just another fat pink human woman.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re just going to hit a defenseless woman, Farghus?¡± Luphera sneered.


    ¡°And I¡¯m going to enjoy it,¡± the man replied.


    The big brute loomed over the woman as he approached. Luphera didn¡¯t react to him, except to deepen her scornful scowl. She did however flinch and shield her face when he swung his heavy fist down at her.


    There was a cracking noise and a crash as Luphera was sent sprawling onto the floor. However, she didn¡¯t scream or even moan in pain. She just pushed herself up and stared back up at the man with eyes that burned with dark fury.


    Her dress had slipped off her left shoulder as she¡¯d fallen, and also slid up to reveal her long slender legs. Blacknail found himself staring at them, and quickly looked up. This meant he met her eyes though, and the controlled fury within them tugged at something primal inside him.


    ¡°That was stupid,¡± Luphera spat angrily, as she cradled her sore arm.


    ¡°Why, you going to do something about it?¡± the man laughed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to do anything about it. I don¡¯t need to,¡± Luphera replied icily, and louder than she had to.


    Rage and the dark instincts of a predator guided Blacknail¡¯s silent steps, as he stalked forward with murderous intent. Luphera¡¯s assailant never knew what hit him.


    One second he was sneering down at Luphera, the next Blacknail¡¯s hand was wrapped around his mouth and chin, as the hobgoblin¡¯s other hand pushed a dagger up under his ribs where it tore his insides apart. Then Blacknail started twisting the knife, because he enjoyed the feeling of it.


    The man choked and blood bubbled out of his mouth as his body¡¯s strength drained away. He couldn¡¯t say anything or scream for help though, because Blacknail held his mouth closed. He tried to reach up and free himself from the hobgoblin¡¯s grip, but he was already too weak to do anything but struggle futilely.


    ¡°Shhhh, no talking please. I¡¯m trying to be quiet,¡± Blacknail whispered into his ear.


    Blood poured from the gash in the man¡¯s side, and seconds later he collapsed. There was already enough blood on the floor that there was a wet smacking noise as he hit the carpet beneath him.


    Calmly, Luphera got to her feet and gave Blacknail a polite nod of greeting.


    ¡°You¡¯ve completely ruined that rug,¡± she told Blacknail, as she fixed her dress.


    Blacknail just stared silently at her menacingly¡­ because he had no idea how to respond to that.


    ¡°Well, I guess I shouldn¡¯t complain. I was hoping you¡¯d drop by tonight after all. That¡¯s a lovely new mask by the way,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Blacknail replied stiffly.


    He had no idea what was going on here. Was Luphera friend or foe? He hadn¡¯t really attacked the man to save her, but rather because he¡¯d sensed weakness and an opportunity. He decided just to ask her, since he was here to get answers from her after all.


    ¡°Who was he, what¡¯s going-ss on here? Also what do you know about the men who attacked Mistress Herad?¡± the hobgoblin hissed at her menacingly.


    Luphera didn¡¯t seem scared though. One of her eyebrows rose, as she considered him for a second.


    ¡°That was one of Najget¡¯s hired assassins. He¡¯s the owner of this establishment, and several others like it. He¡¯s also the one who sent those men after Herad. He uses this place to collect information, and I¡¯m one of the best brokers in the city. I despise the man though, and will gladly help you kill him,¡± Luphera explained.


    Blacknail stared at her blankly for several seconds. That had been really frank¡­ he had kind of been expecting to have to play some sort of game or trick the information out of her.


    ¡°Why would he challenge Herad?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously.


    He¡¯d never heard of the man before, and Herad was rather vocal about her enemies and what she wanted to do about them. So, why would he try and pick a fight with her? That sounded like a great way to get killed.


    There was also something about Luphera''s posture and tone that bugged him. He thought he detected some hostility from her, which didn''t make sense. Why would she be angry at Blacknail? Hadn''t he just saved her?


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t challenging her, and the attack wasn¡¯t entirely his idea. Lately, he¡¯s become a little paranoid about the loyalty of some of the employees, so he¡¯s been hiring men from the Dark Guild. They pretty much own him now, and since Zelena bought them out that means she controls him,¡± Luphera explained.


    Blacknail had definitely heard of Zelena. Herad had made her opinion on the other woman really obvious quite a few times. Blacknail didn¡¯t know where she would get that many burning needles though¡­


    Blacknail shook his head to clear it and looked back up at Luphera. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what was going on here, but it seemed like this Najget worked for Zelena. That meant he was an enemy, and thus Blacknail should probably kill him. It''s what his mistress would want him to do.


    ¡°I see, so¡­¡± the hobgoblin began to ask, before Luphera cut him off.


    ¡®¡­so, you need to go downstairs and kill Najget. He usually stays hidden in various hideouts across the city that even I don¡¯t know about, but right now he¡¯s here and vulnerable,¡± Luphera told him.


    Blacknail was caught off guard again. He didn¡¯t like being told what to do, but that did sound about right¡­


    ¡°This may be your only chance to get him. He has a few guards, but I¡¯m sure Herad¡¯s faceless assassin won¡¯t have a problem getting past them. You have quite the reputation after all,¡± she told him appreciatively, as she met the masked hobgoblin¡¯s eyes and smiled charmingly.


    Blacknail found himself standing a little taller, and grinning happily. Obviously, he''d been imagining any hostility from her.  He was a great killer, and this probably was the right thing to do¡­

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 8

    Luphera fluttered her eyelashes as Blacknail considered his options. He did really feel like killing someone. He was also very good at it, so he could probably murder Najget without any real difficulty. The feat would also certainly impress Luphera¡­


    Wait, what was he thinking? Why would he want to impress her anyway? She was just a human woman, not a prospective mate, and she wasn¡¯t even of his tribe! Not that he trusted everyone in Herad¡¯s tribe though. Some of them weren¡¯t nearly as dependable as him.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s confident look turned to one of suspicion as he met Luphera¡¯s gaze. He didn¡¯t even know if Najget was a real person.


    ¡°How do I know you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± he asked her doubtfully.


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t raised the alarm,¡± she pointed out, with a friendly smile.


    It was a nice smile¡­ No, he had to concentrate. There might not be a lot of the perfume from before in the air, but there was still a lingering trace of it, and that was apparently enough to mess with his head.


    ¡°Yes, but if you were noisy I would have stabbed you,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°Oh, stop being so paranoid, Blacknail. Haven¡¯t I always helped you out? Now, I just need you to do one small thing for me, kill Najget. It¡¯s what you should be doing anyway!¡± she exclaimed assertively.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Blacknail mused. It did sound like fun, but Saeter had once told Blacknail that paranoia was the only thing that kept you alive. His master was also really old, so he probably knew what he was talking about.


    Even if Luphera wasn¡¯t outright lying, she still might be playing down the danger involved. There were an awful lot of guards around, and Blacknail didn¡¯t even know where Najget was, or what he smelled like.


    Luphera moved closer and leaned against his shoulder, and her body was surprisingly soft. As the hobgoblin watched her warily, she gave him a pleading look.


    ¡°I would be ever so grateful for your help, and I¡¯m sure we can work out some sort of reward. I¡¯ve heard some very interesting rumors about what¡¯s under that mask, and look forward to finding out if they¡¯re right. I hope they are; it would be a novel experience, even for me,¡± Luphera told him seductively, as she gently dragged one of her fingers down his arm.


    Blacknail immediately took a step back away from her. He didn¡¯t like the hungry look in her eyes; he wasn¡¯t used to being on the receiving end of an expression like that. The sudden mad beating of his heart also unnerved him, it hadn¡¯t been caused by fear.


    ¡°You¡¯re so shy. Not at all what one would expect from your reputation,¡± Luphera purred as she took another step after him.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t trust you¡± Blacknail replied as he hastily backed away again.


    Instinctively, the hobgoblin glanced around the room for something to hide behind, even though he knew it would be pointless and stupid. Luphera¡¯s attention was becoming more than a little uncomfortable.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say to her, or even what to think. He just knew he wanted out of the room. He had no reason to put himself at risk to kill someone right now.


    ¡°Maybe later, I have-ss to get back,¡± he muttered, as he turned away from Luphera and her unsettling eyes.


    ¡°Please Blacknail, I need your help,¡± the woman pleaded.


    Blacknail ignored her, and immediately fled towards the window he¡¯d used to enter the building. Once outside the fresh air would clear his head. Before he could get more than a few feet though, he heard a commotion from outside the window.


    The sudden sound of several people shouting filled the air. Someone was raising the alarm! They must have discovered the bodies.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Blacknail hissed.


    Almost immediately, he heard heavy footsteps from below as people from the building flooded out into the street. There were at least a dozen of them, and there was no way Blacknail could escape that way anymore. He¡¯d let himself grow distracted, and had talked to Luphera for far too long!


    ¡°You were followed!¡± someone shouted angrily from outside.


    ¡°Impossible, I took precautions. No one could have followed us back here,¡± a familiar voice replied. It belonged to one of the assassins he¡¯d followed here.


    ¡°So I suppose these two corpses by the door are just a coincidence?¡± the other person replied sarcastically.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter now. Someone¡¯s here, but he won¡¯t be leaving in one piece. I want people watching every possible exit until we catch him,¡± a third man added.


    Luphera walked up beside the frozen hobgoblin.


    ¡°It seems like you left a mess out there when you came in, and now you¡¯ll have to find a different way out if you want to leave,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail grunted unhappily. He was fairly sure he detected a hint of smugness in her voice.


    ¡°I suggest heading out into the hall and taking a left. There¡¯s a window in that room you might be able to escape out of. I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s very likely though,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail knew that tone of voice. It was one human¡¯s used when they thought they were so smart, but they rarely were.


    ¡°What¡¯s your plan?¡± he asked her sullenly. It was probably going to be terrible.


    ¡°Well, if Najget were to suddenly die, then I¡¯m sure I could take control of the situation. Then you could just hide somewhere, while I have the house guards kindly ask the assassins to leave,¡± Luphera suggested.


    The hobgoblin thought it over. Apparently, Luphera was actually that smart because her plan might actually work. Most of the humans inside the building seemed to be heading outside and forming a perimeter to stop him from leaving, which also meant picking a window and trying to make a run for it was probably a bad idea.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll kill the man for you,¡± Blacknail sighed reluctantly.


    ¡°You might want to get going then, time isn¡¯t on your side,¡± Luphera pointed out.


    Blacknail nodded and quickly headed for the door that led deeper into the structure. He was more than happy to get away from Luphera for now.


    ¡°Najget is the old man in purple with the moustache, and try not to kill anyone but him and the assassins,¡± Luphera called after him.


    Blacknail grunted vaguely in reply. He didn¡¯t think he was going to have much choice but to kill anyone that got in his way if he wanted to survive this mess.


    The hobgoblin quickly shut the door behind him, as he stepped into the empty hallway on the other side. Once out there, he took a second to listen to the surroundings.


    He heard floorboards creek as people moved all around him. To his left was a door and a heavier human, who had a sword hilt slapping against his thigh as he walked, was about to walk through it.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t have the time or the patience to do this quietly. He was going to have to do this fast and brutal.


    Blacknail swiftly pulled out the vial of Elixir and gulped the rest of it down. Then, he stepped to the side of the door and drew his blade. When the door swung open and another assassin stepped out, Blacknail was out of his line of sight.


    Then before the man even noticed the hobgoblin¡¯s presence, Blacknail stepped into view and slashed savagely down at the man¡¯s head. The man¡¯s eyes widened in the split second he had before Blacknail¡¯s sword smashed into the side of his head.


    There was a wet crunch and the man collapsed into a bloody heap on the floor. Blacknail pulled his blade out of the man¡¯s skull, and then stepped over the man¡¯s corpse and continued on his way. This wouldn¡¯t be the last human he killed before the night was over, and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time.


    As he passed by the open doorway, he saw the window that Luphera had mentioned as a possible escape route. Briefly, he considered abandoning the plan and just jumping out of it, but then he sighed and quickly reconsidered. There would be people watching all the exits, including that window.


    So he reluctantly kept going and picked up speed as he dashed towards the stairs at the end of hallway. Now was not the time for stealth. The sound of people getting up and moving towards him could be heard from many of the adjacent rooms, and he planned to be long gone before they showed up.


    Just before he reached the stairs something creaked slightly from below, like there was someone climbing the stairs. Blacknail smiled and instead of slowing he sped up. As he turned the corner and began to rapidly descend the stairs, he caught sight of a purple vested guard with a drawn club.


    Blacknail¡¯s downwards charge surprised the man, and the guard flinched and froze for a split second. That was all the time Blacknail needed. Instead of drawing his weapon or slowing down, the hobgoblin simply leaped towards the man and kneed him in the face.


    There was a muted crack as the two individuals collided. The purple vested guard''s head snapped back, and he began to tip over backwards. Blacknail didn¡¯t really feel like trying to roll down the rest of the stairs, that sounded very painful, so he grabbed the man¡¯s shirt and fell on top of him.


    The man¡¯s back hit the stairs, and then repeated thuds were heard as he started to slide down the steps. Blacknail still had a tight grip on the guard¡¯s shirt and was perched on his chest. It was bumpy going but he managed to ride his opponent safely down, until they hit the wall at the bottom and stopped.


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    Blacknail then hurriedly got to his feet. His opponent seemed to be unconscious, or dead. Sometimes it was hard to tell. The hobgoblin had effectively taken him out and done it quickly, but unfortunately it had been far from sneaky.


    He had already attracted a lot of attention. Blacknail could already hear people heading towards him. He looked up from the unconscious man to see he was in another hallway. It was empty except for one shocked looking woman standing at a doorway.


    A second later the woman gasped in shock, threw herself out of the hallway, and then slammed the door behind her. Blacknail was more than happy to let her go. He had enough problems with human women right now, and had to find his target.


    He just wished he knew what Najget¡¯s voice sounded like, so he could track him that way. All he could do now was head towards anyone that sounded like an old human male, and Blacknail thought there was a good chance of there being more than one of those here.


    Quickly, the hobgoblin got up and dashed down the hallway. Where had Luphera said to go? Oh right, Najget was supposed to be past the last door to the left.


    As the hobgoblin raced down the hallway one of the doors in front of him swung open. A second later another of the purple vested guards stepped out and turned to face Blacknail. He was right in the hobgoblin¡¯s way.


    This guard also had a club and he swung it at the hobgoblin. Blacknail ducked under the weapon and then shoved his attacker aside as he raced past. There was no point in sticking around to fight.


    Before the guard could pick himself up, the hobgoblin had reached the door and thrown it open. Blacknail then stepped through into a large sitting room that was lit by several brass lanterns that hung from the ceiling.


    Heavy bookshelves lined the walls, except for where two large windows and another door were set on the opposite side of the room. Tasteful chairs had been placed around several large round tables, and there were several comfortable looking couches as well. Fancy red curtains framed the windows, and there were a few scattered books lying out on the tables.


    There was however no one that looked even remotely like a Najget. The room wasn¡¯t empty though, there were two assassins in it, and one of them looked really familiar. Blacknail groaned in frustration. He didn¡¯t like this turn of events at all, but at least there were windows he could jump out of.


    ¡°At last we meet, Faceless One! I¡¯ve been looking forward to this for awhile now. You¡¯ve been making me look bad, but that ends today¡­ because I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± Malthus shouted triumphantly, from the center of the room.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. Here was another stupid human that liked to say the obvious. The hobgoblin just wished the man wasn¡¯t also a much better swordsman than him.


    Malthus and his companion drew their blades and headed for Blacknail. Both of them were still dressed in their dark leather armor and cloaks, but they had removed their face masks and dropped their hoods.


    This was actually the first time Blacknail had gotten a good look at Malthus. The other times they¡¯d been close the assassin had been cloaked and hooded or out of sight. He was a slightly taller than average man with a thin face and brown hair that was almost long enough to reach his eyes.


    The hobgoblin watched the assassins approach and tried to come up with a new plan, one that didn¡¯t involve getting sliced into tiny green bits. Fighting Malthus would be a really stupid thing to do, so he needed to get out of here.


    He couldn¡¯t go back the way he¡¯d come though, and Malthus was blocking the way forward. So, some trickery seemed to be called for.


    ¡°We have met though, Malthus. I¡¯ve seen-ss you around many times, you just haven¡¯t seen me,¡± Blacknail shouted contemptuously.


    Malthus¡¯ face grew slightly more lined as he frowned at the hobgoblin, but he also slowed his advance. He appeared to be trying to come up with a good comeback. Blacknail grinned beneath his mask. It had worked; the man really liked to talk.


    ¡°Yes well, now you¡¯re going to pay for being so arrogant as to think you could get past me twice. You were simply lucky the first time that Galive wouldn¡¯t let me do my job properly,¡± the assassin replied.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lucky, you¡¯re deaf-ss and stupid. While you stood there by the door like a frog on a log-ss I was cutting Galive¡¯s throat open and laughing-ss at you. Good thing Galive wasn¡¯t paying you anything,¡± Blacknail countered viciously.


    The hobgoblin and Malthus were slowly and cautiously approaching each other, but there were still several tables and couches between them. Blacknail began to circle a bit off to the side, while trying to look like he was just seeking a better position.


    ¡°I¡¯ll restore my title as the city¡¯s best Knifeman when I string your corpse up from the city gate. That¡¯s what usually happens to assassins who operate in Daggerpoint without the Dark Guild¡¯s permission,¡± Malthus shot back.


    ¡°No you won¡¯t; I¡¯m a far-ss better hunter and killer than you¡¯ll-ss ever be. You¡¯re just a soft and weak city man, but I come from the Deep Green and I¡¯m Herad¡¯s chosen killer!¡± Blacknail bragged.


    The two assassins were fairly close now. Malthus scowled as he stepped around a couch. He seemed both annoyed and more than a bit confused by the hobgoblin¡¯s words. Maybe Blacknail needed to talk slower so he could understand. A second later the assassin¡¯s gaze focused on the hobgoblin¡¯s mask.


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight properly; face to face. Why hide behind a mask now? Let me see the visage of the man I¡¯m about to kill. Only one of us is going to leave this room alive anyway,¡± the man proposed.


    Blacknail snorted in amusement. That sounded so dumb. Weren¡¯t assassin¡¯s supposed to be sneaky?


    ¡°No, besides you¡¯ve a got a friend there,¡± Blacknail replied scornfully, as he pointed to the other man beside Malthus.


    The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t in the habit of doing what his enemies told him. If Malthus wanted him to remove his mask then Blacknail intended to keep it on. The hobgoblin snuck a glance at the far door. Thanks to his maneuvering, Malthus and the other assassin were no longer directly between him and it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; he won¡¯t interfere in our fight. He¡¯ll just make sure you don¡¯t attempt to run. I want to take care of you myself. My pride demands it,¡± Malthus replied.


    Blacknail¡¯s pride demanded that he never act as stupid as Malthus. The more the assassin talked the more convinced Blacknail became that he was an idiot.


    ¡°No, he can fight too. I brought friends of my own,¡± Blacknail said smugly, as he pointed at the window behind the assassins.


    The pair looked startled for a second and quickly glanced towards the window and the new threat, but there was nothing there. Blacknail had been lying through his teeth.


    While the two assassins were looking at the window, he quickly drew the sling and stone he¡¯d been stealthily preparing as he talked to them. With lightning fast speed he whirled the stone and sent it flying towards Malthus¡¯ companion. Blacknail was fast but the sound of the sling spinning through the air alerted the assassin, so he had just enough time to flinch.


    The stone smashed into the assassin¡¯s arm as he raised it to protect himself. Blacknail grunted in disappointment. He¡¯d been hoping to do damage to somewhere more vital or for a fatal strike.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± the assassin roared in pain, as his blade dropped to the floor. He cradled his arm against his chest and hissed in pain.


    ¡°You vile bastard!¡± Malthus cursed, as he realized his companion was now out of the fight.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t trust you. Now it really will be just you and me,¡± Blacknail said, as he shrugged without apparent concern.


    The assassin¡¯s face grew red with fury, and his grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles went white.


    ¡°You have a bloody sling? What kind of weapon is that for an assassin?¡± Malthus swore.


    ¡°It works, so it¡¯s a great one,¡± Blacknail replied with an amused chuckle.


    Malthus¡¯ companion was still hopping around in pain and clutching his arm. He¡¯d made no move to retrieve his sword.


    ¡°Fuck, this hurts! I think the bastard cracked my arm,¡± he told Malthus.


    ¡°Fine, go get medical attention. I don¡¯t need you for this,¡± the other man replied.


    ¡°You sure?¡± the injured man asked.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fight, so go!¡± Malthus hissed back angrily.


    The injured assassin nodded and began stumbling away towards the far door. The hobgoblin and the remaining human were now only a dozen feet apart.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you for that!¡± Malthus told Blacknail, as he turned back to face him.


    The assassin¡¯s black cloak fluttered behind him, as he kicked the last chair between them out of his way. The enraged Vessel¡¯s eyes gleamed with hatred, and the light from the bronze lanterns overhead reflected off the edge of his blade, as he charged the hobgoblin.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 9

    The hobgoblin quickly drew his sword. There were no more obstacles between Blacknail and the skilled assassin he¡¯d just pissed off, only a small section of floor. Blacknail really wished he¡¯d had time to dig a pit or set up a snare trap there. That would have made his survival much more likely.


    All of a sudden Malthus lunged across the distance separating them and stabbed towards the hobgoblin¡¯s chest. Blacknail side stepped the attack and then countered with a quick downwards slash of his own.


    The assassin easily knocked the hobgoblin¡¯s attack aside and then launched a flurry of attacks at Blacknail. The hobgoblin hissed in frustration as he blocked and weaved his way around the strikes. Blades flashed and cloaks swirled as the two combatants fought.


    Blacknail knew he was in trouble. He was already having a hard time defending himself, and Malthus was obviously just testing Blacknail. He¡¯d seen the assassin move much faster and more skillfully when he¡¯d fought Herad. The difference in ability and experience between them was just too great.


    Blacknail jumped backward to avoid a lightning fast slash aimed at his chest, and quickly readied himself for the next blow. It never came though; his opponent relaxed his guard instead of following after him. Malthus grinned at the hobgoblin while Blacknail watched him warily.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re only a passable swordsman, but at least you¡¯re a Vessel. There¡¯s no other way you could have kept up with me just now. I was worried this was going to be too easy, but this might be somewhat entertaining after all,¡± Malthus arrogantly remarked, as he showed off by flourishing his sword through the air.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes in exasperation. Who was the human trying to impress?


    ¡°If you want-ss a hard fight, why don¡¯t you go fight-ss Herad? Oh wait, you did! You fought-ss my mistress, and then you ran away like a rat from a cat,¡± Blacknail laughed viciously.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you,¡± Malthus hissed angrily in reply.


    ¡°You already said-ss that, idiot,¡± Blacknail pointed out, as he started circling around to place a table between them.


    Seriously, what was with humans and repeating themselves? It was annoying.


    ¡°Enough games,¡± the assassin roared as he lost his temper and charged.


    Blacknail jumped aside, so that the large wooden table was between them. Malthus didn¡¯t slow down though. The assassin jumped right onto the tabletop and lunged across it as he tried to catch the hobgoblin.


    The man was fast; Blacknail had to give him that. Of course he was a Vessel, so he was cheating more than a little. Fortunately, the hobgoblin had just taken some Elixir as well.


    As the assassin was sailing over the table towards him, Blacknail dove under it and rolled safely away. If there was one thing that being beaten up by Herad had taught him, it was how to burn the Elixir within himself to avoid attacks by really fast humans.


    ¡°But I like-ss games,¡± the hobgoblin laughed, as he rolled to his feet on the other side of the table.


    He could feel the Elixir flowing through his body and energizing his muscles. It tickled the inside of his skin.


    The assassin¡¯s face was twisted into a snarl as he stared across the table at Blacknail. He started walking around it towards the hobgoblin, but Blacknail started moving as well.


    After several seconds of following him around the table Malthus tried switching directions, but Blacknail instantly switched too.


    Malthus grabbed the table and flipped it on its side, then snarled in rage as he charged again. Blacknail ducked into the blind spot created by the table¡¯s top, and then dashed away. When Malthus cleared the obstacle, the hobgoblin was gone and standing several feet away on the other end of another table.


    Malthus ground his teeth together and his face went scarlet red. The tip of the sword he was holding shivered as he shook with rage.


    ¡°Fight me fair, you coward¡± the assassin yelled at Blacknail.


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    ¡°You are not amusing!¡± Malthus growled as he walked over to the table and stared hard at the hobgoblin from directly across it.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Blacknail replied as he pushed the table forward and slammed it into Malthus¡¯ gut.


    ¡°Ugh, hells and damnations,¡± the assassin wheezed painfully, before wincing and taking a step back to steady himself.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t help himself, he began to chuckle. That had looked like it had hurt.


    ¡°Bloody bastard, you are going to pay for that,¡± Malthus growled as he straightened back up.


    The assassin then quickly reached into a coat pocket with one hand and pulled out a vial. He pulled the cork out with his teeth and then drained the contents. He didn''t lower his guard though, because his other hand kept his short sword pointed at the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail felt his earlier levity drain away. There was no mistaking the contents of the vial; it was Elixir.


    Malthus hurled the glass container aside and then wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his free hand. The assassin glared at the hobgoblin, as he gripped his sword with both hands and raised it over his head. Then he kicked the table forward.


    The move caught Blacknail by surprise, but he managed to push off of the edge of the tabletop with one hand and slide backwards without being hit. Unfortunately, that was when the surface he was leaning on exploded; Malthus had brought his sword down and cleaved right through it with all of his strength.


    Blacknail¡¯s support was pulled out from under him as the wooden surface collapsed. He stumbled unsteadily for a second, and that was all Malthus needed. He charged through the wooden wreckage, and backhanded Blacknail across the face.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s mask absorbed some of the blow, but not all of it. He grunted as pain shot through his jaw and up into his teeth. He tasted blood as he staggered sideways. There was a second of blackness, and the next thing Blacknail knew he was laying down and the hard floor was pressed against his back.


    He groaned in pain as he tried to clear his head. Where was he again, and why did he have such a terrible headache? He hadn¡¯t drank any of that human poison they called ale, had he?


    Blacknail was gripping something tightly with one hand. It felt like a sword hilt. Why was he holding a sword as he slept? That seemed kind of silly.


    The sound of footsteps approaching penetrated his agony, and Blacknail swiftly looked over towards the source of the noise. It was a pair of black boots, and they looked really fancy and tight¡­


    What kind of moron wore boots like that? Wait a second¡­ it was Malthus! This wasn¡¯t good. Blacknail rolled aside just in time. There was a heavy thud as a blade bit into the wooden floor boards that had been under his head a second ago.


    Blacknail jumped back onto his feet, as Malthus raised his sword again and descended upon him. The assassin¡¯s blade sliced towards Blacknail¡¯s head, but the hobgoblin stepped out of the way. Their eyes met and they exchanged hateful glares for a second.


    ¡°That was very satisfying,¡± Malthus said as he grinned viscously.


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Not for long. You can¡¯t run from me,¡± the assassin remarked grimly.


    Blacknail begged to differ; Malthus¡¯ anger and confidence was making his attacks easy to predict.


    This wasn¡¯t actually going so badly, other than that blow to the head he¡¯d just taken. That had hurt a lot. All Blacknail had to do was keep dodging, and Malthus would eventually make a mistake. Then the hobgoblin could make a run for it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t catch me,¡± Blacknail respond confidently.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to, you little bastard. You¡¯re stuck here, and I¡¯ll soon have reinforcements,¡± the assassin pointed out.


    Oh, right; Blacknail scowled behind his mask, as he realized the man had a very good point. Should he just attack the assassin while he was off guard? He didn¡¯t seem to have any other choice.


    ¡°Fine, it¡¯s a challenge,¡± Blacknail replied coldly, before raising his blade and stepping forward.


    Malthus smiled eagerly and raised his own blade. Their gazes met and the two swordsmen locked eyes as they closed in on each other.


    That was when the hobgoblin grabbed a nearby chair and whipped it at his opponent. There was no bloody way he was going to fight Malthus fair. Blacknail still remembered seeing the assassin fight Herad, and he knew he was out matched.


    There was a grunt of effort from Malthus as he knocked the chair out of the air. Blacknail threw himself forward and tried to skewer the human while his sword was out of position.


    Blacknail was focused on Malthus¡¯ eyes, and that gave him a hint of a warning. Something was wrong; the assassin¡¯s eyes gleamed with confidence. Why would they do that? The hobgoblin hesitated in his attack right before he committed himself.


    While the chair still partly blocked Blacknail¡¯s view, Malthus¡¯ left hand blurred and something shot towards the hobgoblin. Blacknail instinctively ducked, as a throwing dagger ripped through the air where his head had been less than a second ago.


    Blacknail jumped back and raised his sword up into a guard. He stared grimly at his opponent as he reevaluated him. Malthus was much sneakier than he pretended to be. Blacknail was almost impressed.


    As the hobgoblin watched, the angry expression slid off the assassin¡¯s face. Malthus then grinned cheerfully and gave Blacknail a respectful nod.


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    ¡°You missed,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°Yes, I did. I honestly thought I had you there though. I spent a fair bit of time and effort setting that trick up, so what gave me away?¡± Malthus asked Blacknail.


    Blacknail ignored his question and just stared at his transformed opponent. The man didn¡¯t seem angry at all anymore. Had he been acting? Why?


    ¡°You like games too,¡± Blacknail replied accusingly.


    ¡°Ha, yes. You¡¯ve got me here. I¡¯m a Knifeman not a paladin. Did you really think a man with a reputation such as mine could be such a straightforward fool?¡±


    The answer to that had been yes.


    ¡°Why-ss the act?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously. He really didn¡¯t like this turn of events.


    The black cloaked assassin grinned and shrugged.


    ¡°It was fun; there¡¯s nothing I like more than a battle of wits. Locking blades pales in comparison to matching minds. We¡¯re assassins, so a duel between us should be about trickery and wits, not straight forward swordplay. Where would the fun be in just cutting you down without first proving myself superior?¡± Malthus explained.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t look like you were having fun,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Oh, but I was. It was a very interesting fight, and besides I wanted to figure you out before I killed you. However, I must admit that I still have no idea who you are. You¡¯re a very¡­ odd man,¡± the assassin replied as he titled his head to the side and gave Blacknail an inquisitive look.


    The hobgoblin chuckled in response. Apparently, Malthus wasn¡¯t the only good actor here. In fact Blacknail was obviously by far the better actor; he was pretending to be a completely different species.


    ¡°Wrong, you¡¯re very wrong,¡± he replied cheerfully.


    The assassin frowned when Blacknail spoke, and he looked him over again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say, you¡¯re not a woman,¡± he remarked.


    Blacknail laughed again. If it was the assassin¡¯s curiosity that was keeping him from attacking then Blacknail was going to give him a mystery. Malthus had been a dangerous opponent even when he¡¯d been acting like an idiot.


    ¡°No, not a woman, not a man, nor a child pink of flesh,¡± the hobgoblin sang out tauntingly.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t deny being weird,¡± Malthus replied as his eyes narrowed and he continued to look Blacknail over. He appeared to be deep in thought.


    ¡°Fine, you win. I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, but I should probably stop letting you stall. I can always figure it out after I¡¯ve killed you and stripped that mask off your face,¡± the assassin told Blacknail a few seconds later, as he brought his blade back up and stepped towards him.


    The hobgoblin had much preferred it when the man had acted like an idiot. He needed a new plan, and he was running out of time. He had to somehow escape, and do it without getting a knife in his back.


    Just then, there was a creaking noise as the door behind Malthus opened. Both the combatants slowed as they waited to see who was about to enter the room.


    ¡°Horse stink,¡± Blacknail cursed, as three more assassins entered the room.


    The black cloaked figures swiftly started fanning out in an attempt to surround him. It wouldn¡¯t take them very long to navigate through the furniture that filled the library.


    ¡°This is still a one on one fight,¡± the hobgoblin remarked.


    ¡°And it will still be one, as long as you don¡¯t try to run,¡± Malthus replied.


    Yep, that was what Blacknail had expected. It was time to leave. He didn¡¯t really have anywhere to go, but he couldn¡¯t stay here. He had a plan, but it was terrible, and was most likely going to get him killed. If he stayed here though, he was definitely going to die.


    ¡°Surround the intruder but don¡¯t interfere,¡± Malthus yelled at his newly arrived companions.


    Blacknail used this brief distraction to quickly grab another chair and throw it at Malthus. Before the assassin could responded with another knife Blacknail threw a stone from his pouch at him.


    Instinctively, the assassin dodged it which ruined his throw. The knife sailed harmlessly across the room, and nowhere near Blacknail. The hobgoblin then wasted no time in making a mad dash for the nearest window. He sheathed his blade so he could concentrate on running.


    Normally, Blacknail would have made a run for the windows earlier, but these ones were barred. Apparently, this Najget man didn¡¯t want anyone accidentally walking off with any of his books, through a window.


    The assassins behind him started shouting and chasing him as Blacknail raced towards the window, but there was no way a bunch of humans were going to catch up to him now that he had a head start.


    Blacknail just really hoped he was going to fit through those bars. If he didn¡¯t the last few moments of his life were going to be very embarrassing.


    The hobgoblin ducked as something whizzed by his head, and then a knife ricocheted off the wall in front of him.


    ¡°Damn,¡± Malthus cursed from behind Blacknail. ¡°I want you all to spread out and make sure he can¡¯t double back. Those windows are barred so he can¡¯t go out that way, but he might have a trick up his sleeve. He¡¯s a cunning bastard.¡±


    Good, the humans didn¡¯t think he would be able to escape through the window, so they weren¡¯t chasing him too quickly. He hoped they were wrong.


    Blacknail was now only a few feet from the bars, and his feet were carrying him rapidly closer. He really didn¡¯t like how close together they looked; it was going to be a tight fit. Swiftly the hobgoblin took off his mask and rearranged his pouches.


    Before he hit the bars head first Blacknail grabbed them and pulled himself up. He then swung his legs and feet through first. They went through without a problem, but next came his chest. Blacknail felt his ribs compress painfully and push all the air from his lungs as they slid through the opening.


    His mouth was forced open and he coughed as his breath burst from his mouth, and then it was his head¡¯s turn. He turned his face sideways and tucked his chin into his shoulders he went through. At first it went smoothly and he thought he was alright, but then the back of his head smashed into one of the bars.


    Momentum carried him through, but Blacknail collapsed bonelessly onto the ground outside. His eyes fluttered and he twitched as he lay in a twisted heap there.


    ¡°Hells, how the fuck did he manage that,¡± a surprised Malthus swore as the hobgoblin disappeared from his view.


    Blacknail gave himself several seconds to recover and then picked himself up. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head until the shiny little stars had disappeared from his vision. He was very thankful that he wasn¡¯t fat like a human, and that his bones were so bendy. They were supposed to be like that right?


    Blacknail shook his head to clear it, and tried to focus. He was far from safe outside. Malthus and the other assassins couldn¡¯t follow him, but the hobgoblin knew they had ordered most the men to watch the perimeter of the building, and that was where he was now.


    The yard outside this part of the brothel wasn¡¯t all that wide, and was bordered by a line of shrubs. The plants themselves were just there to conceal the dirty wall of the building next door. Really it was just a pretty alley.


    There was nowhere for him to hide out here. Autumn had even stripped most of the leaves from the bushes. Most importantly, the hobgoblin could already hear footsteps approaching. What was he going to do now?


    ¡°There he is!¡± a large man yelled as he turned a corner and came into sight. Several other people were right behind him, and all of them were armed.


    The hobgoblin hissed in aggravation as he saw enemies began to approach from the other side of the narrow yard as well. He was faced with walls on two sides and hostile humans on the other two.


    He¡¯d known that there would be lots of enemies outside, but had been hoping to spot an escape route through them. There wasn¡¯t one though, and that left him with only one option.


    Blacknail sprinted away from the window he¡¯d just come out of, and then turned around and sprinted back towards it. Right before hitting the wall of the brothel he flared his Elixir and jumped as high as he could. His outstretched claws found purchase and he managed to catch hold of a second story windowsill. He had nowhere else to go but back into the brothel.


    Blacknail smiled smugly as he pulled himself and began to climb up the wall. There was no way any of the big fat pink humans below would be able to follow him, so he was safe for a little while.


    That was when a crossbow bolt slammed into the wood beside his head. The stunned hobgoblin stared wide-eyed at the vibrating projectile for a split second, before his gaze automatically turned towards the shooter. Below him a purple vested guardsman was reloading a crossbow, as other human thugs gathered around him.


    ¡°Damnation, you missed. Quick, reload; the slippery bastard is getting away,¡± one of them yelled.


    "Uh-oh," Blacknail gasped in shock.


    If that human hadn''t had such terrible aim he could have just died! It was time to leave. With panic and Elixir lending him strength, Blacknail quickly flipped himself up and over the windowsill and back into the brothel. Hopefully his second trip inside today went a lot better than his first.

 A Tradesman鈥檚 Tools 10

    The cloaked hobgoblin found himself in another bedroom that was a smaller version of Luphera¡¯s, and he wasn¡¯t alone. A blonde woman in a lacy red shift was standing not too far from the window. She was deathly pale and staring at him in horror.


    Blacknail slowly looked up and met her gaze. Her only reaction was a slight shiver; she seemed too scared to move. He had absolutely no interest in this woman, and she obviously wasn¡¯t dangerous, so maybe he could just ignore her? The hobgoblin took one slow step forward.


    Instantly, the blonde started screaming shrilly. The long high pitched sound ripped into Blacknail¡¯s sensitive ears. He winced in pain, as a sharp ache developed in the back of his skull. Not only would the woman¡¯s screams attract too much unwanted attention but it also was really annoying. He had to get her to stop.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± he yelled at her angrily.


    She didn¡¯t stop, and Blacknail groaned. This called for desperate measures. The hobgoblin took a step forward and grabbed the woman. He then drew his knife and waved it in front of her face.


    ¡°Quiet or I¡¯ll stab-ss you!¡± he hissed in her ear.


    Amazingly enough this actually caused her to scream louder, which Blacknail hadn¡¯t thought possible. This human was too stupid and annoying to live. Why wouldn¡¯t she just shut up!


    The hobgoblin couldn¡¯t take the noise any longer; something had to be done. He sheathed his knife, tightened his grip on the woman, and then pulled. A second later the woman was flying out the window, and much to the hobgoblin¡¯s relief the screams finally stopped.


    There was a thud and a grunt of pain from outside. Blacknail giggled in satisfaction and amusement. It sounded like she¡¯d hit one of the men standing out there on the way down. Hopefully, it had been the crossbowman.


    Blacknail knew he didn¡¯t have a lot of time, so he hurriedly dashed out of the room and into another hallway. He¡¯d lost his pursuit for now, but probably not for much longer. He needed to find this Najget man and kill him quickly. Then, hopefully all his problems would go away.


    However, before Blacknail could even figure out which way to go he heard footsteps quickly approaching from both directions. He was cut off; there was nowhere to run.


    ¡°Cheese weevils,¡± Blacknail swore viciously.


    He really should have just run back to Herad, instead of going to see Luphera. She was nothing but trouble, and lots of it. Especially her long legs¡­


    Blacknail smacked himself along the side of his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do, so he dashed up to a random door and silently opened the door a crack. Maybe he could find somewhere to hide until everyone stopped looking for him, or maybe Najget would walk by so Blacknail could kill him. That would certainly simplify things.


    The hobgoblin peeked through the door and into the room on the other side. The chamber wasn¡¯t empty; there were two women inside.


    A scantily clad woman similar to the others Blacknail had run across was cowering behind a more muscular woman who was holding a sword. The swordswoman looked like she¡¯d dressed in a hurry; she¡¯d thrown on a jacket but wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt beneath it.


    Both of them were focused on the door, one in fear and the other with determination. Blacknail didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to go in there, unless he wanted to get stabbed or screamed at again, so he hurriedly moved on to the next door.


    The hobgoblin was unsurprised to discover that it led into another bedroom. This one was thankfully empty though, so Blacknail quickly slipped inside. Seconds later, he heard a large group of people stomp out into the hallway. Why did this place have so many beds? Did people come here just to sleep? That didn¡¯t make much sense to him.


    Other than the large four post bed with white hanging curtains, there were several other pieces of furniture in the room. A large heavy clothes drawer stood against one wall, and a small side table had been placed beside the bed. There was also a closet and another window, but Blacknail didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to try and go back outside right now.


    The sound of doors being opened and closed as men searched the nearby rooms, reminded the hobgoblin that he didn¡¯t have a lot of time. He couldn¡¯t see any better options so he rushed over to the closet and pulled the door open. He was tempted to try hiding under the bed, but that hadn¡¯t really worked out all that well for him last time.


    It was small and cramped inside, but Blacknail dove inside and closed the closet door behind himself anyway. Most of the space was taken up by clothes that were hanging from a rod. The majority of the clothes were dresses, but there were a lot of smaller more frilly bits as well. There was also a large brown sack lying on the floor.


    Blacknail opened the sack and found it full of dirty clothes that smelled strongly of human sweat. He frowned at them and then looked around the rest of closet. There were no good hiding spots in sight. With a disgusted sneer Blacknail reached up under his mask and pinched his nose shut, before climbing into the sack. It would hide him for a few more seconds anyway.


    As soon as he was discovered Blacknail planned on jumping the closest human, and then making a dash for the window. Since so many men were now searching for him inside the house, there were probably fewer humans guarding the perimeter. The longer he hid the more likely it became that he could slip through the remaining guards and escape.


    He was beginning to think that Luphera had tricked him, and that he hadn¡¯t imagined sensing some hostility from her after all. He wasn¡¯t sure why she would be angry at him though. He¡¯d done nothing but help her out.


    Even if a man name Najget existed, she must have known that Blacknail wouldn¡¯t be able to get to him nearly as easily as she¡¯d said he would. If she had tricked him then she was going to regret it. He might have to flee for now, but someday soon when she least expected it he¡¯d be back to get his revenge.


    The hobgoblin had already drawn his knife, but for now all he could do was wait, and hope the humans looking for him were even stupider than normal. The clothes inside the sack really smelled bad. What had the woman been doing when she wore them that had gotten them so smelly?


    The hobgoblin¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the room¡¯s door bursting open. Several sets of footsteps then rushed inside. Blacknail instantly went still and quieted his breathing. He¡¯d been hoping there would be fewer of them; it would be difficult to get past so many.


    ¡°I got the bed, you check the closet,¡± someone said from the other side of the closet door.


    There was a ruckus and more than a few thuds as the men tore the room apart looking for Blacknail. Then the floor boards creaked as someone approached the closet. There was another creaking noise as the door was pulled open, and a flood of light illuminated the closet. Blacknail could make it out even from inside the sack.


    ¡°Anything in there?¡± one of the men asked.


    ¡°A lot of woman¡¯s clothes,¡± the man by the closet answered as he looked around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going then; we got a lot of rooms to search,¡± the other replied.


    ¡°One second, I should check this sack,¡± the first man said.


    The man¡¯s shadow blocked the light as he reached towards the sack. From within his hiding spot Blacknail tightened his grip on his knife. The second the man looked in the sack he was going to get a knife in his eye, and an angry hobgoblin in his face.


    ¡°You think the Faceless Assassin is hiding in a whore¡¯s laundry sack? He¡¯s probably on the other side of the building by now,¡± the second man chuckled in amusement.


    The first man paused. His hand was hovering only inches from Blacknail. The hobgoblin¡¯s heart started pounding as he readied himself to attack.


    ¡°Malthus told us to be thorough, and check everywhere,¡± the closer man told his companion.


    ¡°Fine whatever, just make it quick, you disgusting pervert,¡± the other man replied dismissively.


    The man began to reach towards the top of the sack again. Blacknail tensed and held his breath. If he could take the first human out before he could make any noise then he should be able to make his escape.


    ¡°Stop! everyone who is not an employee is to leave the premises immediately. All house guards are to stop searching and escort them out,¡± a familiar female voice suddenly commanded from out in the hallway.


    Luphera projected her voice loud enough that it echoed through the hallway outside the room Blacknail was in, and through all the adjacent chambers as well.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± the man reaching towards Blacknail¡¯s hiding spot said, as he froze again.


    A second later he stepped back and away from the concealed hobgoblin. Blacknail was more than a little confused as well. What was Luphera doing? He hadn¡¯t killed the Najget person yet. Had she betrayed him, and come to finish Blacknail off herself?


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Stop interfering in my search!¡± Malthus yelled back from another room.


    There was then the sound of heavy footsteps as Malthus stomped out to confront the woman.


    ¡°There is no more search, and your services are no longer required,¡± Luphera answered disdainfully a few seconds later.


    ¡°What? That hell begotten assassin is still running around this place! There¡¯s no way Najget cancelled our contract now. You¡¯re going to be in a lot of trouble when he finds out about this foolishness, woman¡± the assassin told her.


    ¡°What Najget wants also no longer matters to anyone but the gods; your men failed to protect him, and now he¡¯s dead,¡± Luphera calmly explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I had two of my best men guarding him, and Herad¡¯s knifeman never went anywhere near them,¡± Malthus replied with obvious shock.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Blacknail carefully nodded to himself. The annoying human assassin was right; he hadn¡¯t even seen anyone who looked anything like the man Luphera had described.


    ¡°Nonetheless, all three of them are now dead. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but this faceless assassin has made you and your guild look like fools, again. I understand this isn¡¯t the first time he¡¯s sneaked right past you and killed a man under your protection,¡± Luphera pointed out.


    ¡°No, I refuse to believe that the bastard escaped me. He must have had an accomplice that struck at Najget while he distracted us. That means he¡¯s still here somewhere, and I intend to find him,¡± Malthus replied angrily.


    Blacknail definitely hadn¡¯t killed a group of three people. He would remember that. Had Herad sent backup, or had the humans perhaps done something stupid and killed themselves? Blacknail knew from experience that it was hard just keeping humans alive sometimes. Half of Herad¡¯s band would be dead if he hadn¡¯t kept getting them out of trouble.


    ¡°I know there¡¯s more than one assassin here, and that¡¯s the problem. You¡¯re disturbing our business with all this violence, and it¡¯s unacceptable. The only reason the assassin came here was to kill Najget because he allied himself with you,¡± Luphera replied coldly.


    ¡°We were just here to protect our employee; we can hardly be blamed for him having enemies. That¡¯s why he hired us in the first place,¡± Malthus responded scornfully.


    ¡°Then why have so many of you Knifemen been coming and going? I¡¯m not blind. You¡¯ve been using this place as some sort of way station or hideout, and that¡¯s unacceptable. This is a brothel not a den of assassins,¡± Luphera told him.


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave when we¡¯ve captured the masked assassin, and not before. We¡¯ll be doing you a favor by getting rid of him anyway,¡± Malthus countered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. Now that Najget is dead, the other assassin will have no reason to stick around. He was smart and skilled enough to completely outplay you, so he¡¯s probably already long gone. If I let you stay until you find him, then you¡¯ll never leave. I have no intention of letting you control me the way you did Najget¡± Luphera argued.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my intention! I want that bastard''s head. He¡¯s here somewhere, and I¡¯m going to find him!¡± the assassin growled with barely contained fury.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. This is my business now, and I¡¯m telling you to leave! If you refuse then these gentlemen behind me and the many others like them throughout this building will forcibly remove you in the most unpleasant method possible,¡± Luphera ordered the man.


    ¡°We could offer you the same deal we gave your boss,¡± Malthus pleaded.


    ¡°Frankly, even if I required your services, and I don¡¯t, I doubt you could deliver on any promises you made. Your track record lately has been truly pathetic,¡± the new mistress of the house told him dismissively.


    ¡°You¡¯ll regret this,¡± the furious sounding assassin hissed.


    ¡°I doubt it. Now get the hell out of my brothel and don¡¯t come back, unless it¡¯s to spend your coin on our services,¡± Luphera commanded him coldly.


    Muttering and the sound of footsteps filled the entire floor as all the searchers started giving up and leaving. Blacknail was relieved when the man closest to him walked away and shut the closet door. The closet grew dark again, and the hobgoblin took a second to scratch himself now that there was no one around to see. He was getting kind of hot and sweaty.


    After a few minutes had passed the building around the hobgoblin grew quiet.


    ¡°Go make sure they¡¯ve all left. I want some privacy,¡± Luphera then announced from where she was standing out in the hall.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± a male voice replied before fading footsteps signaled his departure.


    ¡°That means you can come out, Blacknail. It¡¯s just me here now,¡± Luphera then said aloud.


    That didn¡¯t actually make the hobgoblin feel safe, or like coming out¡­


    He was still more than a little confused as to what had just happened, but he knew he¡¯s been tricked. He should never have agreed to help her out. She was a lying liar.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re there, and we have important things we need to discuss. I have a message for Herad that you need to deliver,¡± the woman announced.


    Blacknail sighed, and reluctantly pulled himself out of the bag. It didn¡¯t smell very good in there anyway, and he couldn¡¯t stay there forever.


    He then stalked out of the closet and to the bedroom door. Silently, he peeked out into the hallway. Luphera was there, and she was alone. She also wasn¡¯t armed; he¡¯d been half expecting her to be carrying a loaded crossbow or something.


    She was however wearing more clothes than Blacknail had ever seen her in before. A full length purple frock with golden embroidery covered her, and she also seemed to have a new air of authority to her.


    The hobgoblin took a tentative step out into the hallway. Luphera turned towards the masked hobgoblin and smiled his way when she heard him approach.


    ¡°There you are. For a second I thought you were avoiding me,¡± Luphera joked.


    Luphera was a little unsettling most the time, but now he thought he heard something weird in her voice. It made Blacknail uncomfortable, but he really wanted to know what was going on.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Najget yet-ss, but I was totally going to-ss,¡± he told her, as he carefully walked over.


    Luphera just smiled at him, and winked conspiratorially.


    ¡°Nonsense, I have several guards that will swear they saw you do it. I¡¯m told it was very impressive too,¡± she responded with a chuckle.


    Blacknail had no idea why she was making that weird eye motion, but compared to some of the other things he didn¡¯t understand about Luphera he supposed it was nothing. The hobgoblin was also sure he would have remembered killing a man in purple with a mustache with two guards¡­


    Well, whatever. He would have killed the man if he¡¯d found him first, so it was kind of like he¡¯d done it anyway.


    ¡°I¡¯m very good-ss at killing people,¡± he bragged, which caused Luphera to smile.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s also very impressive how you led that idiot Malthus on such a merry chase, and avoided him so effortlessly,¡± she said appreciatively as she stepped closer to him.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very stealthy; even when I¡¯m right beside them people can¡¯t see me,¡± Blacknail told her arrogantly.


    It was even technically true sometimes, like when it was very dark or when he was hiding in a sack. All of a sudden Blacknail felt Luphera¡¯s hand on his shoulder. He flinched in surprise. When had she gotten so close?


    Wait, he was doing it again! He was letting Luphera¡¯s words and smiles distract him. He had to focus.


    ¡°You lied about-ss how easy the job would be. I think you tried to trick me. Why?¡± Blacknail asked her suspiciously.


    Luphera¡¯s grin broadened and took on a slightly sinister look. Blacknail instinctively took a step back away from her.


    ¡°I owed you one, or it might be more accurate to say you owed me one. I know that it was you who killed Galive, and he wasn¡¯t the only one that died that night. There was a woman, and while I barely knew her, she was still one of mine,¡± Luphera explained.


    Blacknail frowned as he thought about her words. He did remember killing a woman who had been in bed with Galive. He hadn¡¯t really had a choice though; she would have messed everything up. Had she been of Luphera¡¯s tribe and not Galive¡¯s? Human tribes sure were complicated.


    ¡°Sorry-ss, I didn¡¯t know she was yours. She was going-ss to mess things up,¡± Blacknail explained reluctantly.


    Did this mean they were enemies now? The hobgoblin''s left hand crept closer to the dagger he kept hidden in his coat, but Luphera didn''t make any hostile moves.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, you didn''t know, and you¡¯ve almost paid me back now. There¡¯s just one more thing you can do for me,¡± she told him as she walked closer.


    Now Blacknail was very uncomfortable. He took another step backwards, but Luphera glided effortlessly after him. She was impressively nimble on her feet¡­


    ¡°Um right-ss, I need to go back to Herad¡­ you said you had-ss a message for her?¡± Blacknail remarked nervously.


    ¡°Running away to another woman, eh? How mean. Well, you¡¯re not going anywhere until I get a chance to properly thank you. Why don¡¯t you take your mask off and relax with me?¡± Luphera asked him playfully, as she smiled knowingly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that¡­ I was told-ss not to, because um... magic,¡± the hobgoblin replied nervously.


    The woman just smiled at his response though, and took his hand. Blacknail flinched.


    ¡°I don''t believe you. Could the real reason be because underneath of it you¡¯re not human? Don¡¯t worry a bit of green skin isn¡¯t going to scare me off. It sounds exciting, actually¡± Luphera told him excitedly with a hungry smile.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes went very wide. He¡¯d been kind of hoping it would though¡­ and wait, she knew he was a hobgoblin. He¡¯d been found out! How had she figured it out? He was a great pretender, and had acted exactly like a human at all times. Someone must have let the secret slip. It had probably been Khita, she practically never shut up.


    ¡°Why are you so surprised? Knowing things is my business, or half of it anyway. I look forward to showing you the other half very shortly,¡± Luphera explained flirtatiously.


    Her closeness and the scent of her skin caused a shiver to work its way down the hobgoblin¡¯s spine, and then come to rest below his gut. He smelled a lingering trace of the perfume from before on her clothes, and it began to do strange things to his head.

 Interlude: The Light of Faith 1

    Sir Masnin of Westspring Hill rode into town and wondered what difference a handful of peasants made. The town of Breststock did not seem to suffer for the lack of them.


    The market square was filled with busy merchants¡¯ stalls, and the locals were going about their business without any apparent concern for the alleged disappearances, or the party of seven armed strangers who now walked amongst them.


    Lowborn wives examined goods from wooden stalls, as laborers moved and unloaded wagons across the wide cobbled streets. The town''s buildings showed the wealth of the area with painted wooden doors and shutters; most were wide open to let in the day¡¯s sun. They were obviously far from the frontline of the war here.


    He''d expected a very different sort of welcome and wasn''t sure what bothered him more, the idea that he''d volunteered for a wild hob chase, or that they would find what they had come looking for.


    The only people the knight had spotted so far who showed any signs of fear were the condemned criminals on display and awaiting sentencing in their cramped cages. Their thin frames and fearful eyes marked them as petty thieves or debtors. It was always possible they were deserters from the army though.


    The young knight quickly dismissed the criminals from his mind; he was unwilling to dwell too much on fear or poverty. He turned his attention back to the town, imitating the older knights that led his group.


    For the last several days, he had been working to make a good impression with the senior knights and their leader, the paladin Sire Iolan. He was not just a holy warrior of the Order of Helio-Lustria but also a captain who held land and a title in the order¡¯s name.


    Masnin of Westspring had eagerly answered the paladin''s call for noble men to join him on a mission for his order. He was the third son of a minor knight with no lands of his own, and that meant he would have to make his own way in the world.


    Most young men in his position would have ridden off to war and joined the king¡¯s army, but he had no intention of joining the legions of men who had died seeking their fortune in the wars. Despite all the promises, Masnin hadn¡¯t noticed very many soldiers or knights returning home with titles or plunder. He hadn¡¯t noticed very many of them returning at all.


    The best way to avoid that, and the shame of poverty, was for him to join an order, but there were only two ways to do that. You could be sponsored at a young age and raised by the order, or a knight with a few brave feats to his name could be invited. Well, that or use connections his humble upbringing didn''t give him. He would have to make do by displaying the dignity and skill of a true knight.


    ¡°If you keep grimacing like that you''ll pull a muscle, and then your face will stay like that forever,¡± said a voice from beside him.


    Masnin turned to the speaker, a man one or two years older than himself with newer armor than his own and a foolish grin on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Masnin, caught off guard.


    ¡°That silly look on your face,¡± Sir Rusk said. ¡°I''ve seen it happen before. For the rest of your life you''ll be cursed to walk around looking like you¡¯re constipated. ¡±


    ¡°I don''t have a look on my face,¡± he replied, annoyed.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± the smiling Sir Rusk shrugged in reply.


    Masnin tried to relax his face, not because he thought the other knight was right, but to hide his annoyance. Sir Rusk of the Toppling Hills had been his bane for the entire journey.


    It seemed like all attempts to distinguish himself ended with him being overshadowed or ridiculed by the blond knight. Not only was he the perfect picture of a paladin with his new armor and broad shoulders, but he came from a wealthy and well connected family.


    Masnin''s own thin frame betrayed the past few years he had spent traveling the countryside and living off the hospitality of country lords. Not all of them had been very welcoming.


    The young knight gripped the hilt of his sword and tried to banish his anxiety. If he was to have any chance of becoming a paladin, he would need to be ready to risk his life.


    ¡°This is the place sir,¡± reported Sir Annis, the paladin who was second in command of the mission.


    ¡°It¡¯s as good a spot as any,¡± replied their leader, Sire Iolan.


    Sir Annis, who was short but heavily built, led the group to a large and comfortable looking inn. One of the taller buildings in the town at three stories high, the inn was clearly meant for the better class of travelers; the kind of place he hadn''t been able to stay at since he became a knight.


    The sign that hung from the front of the building displayed the unlikely sight of a horse¡¯s head with a burning lantern hanging from its mouth. It was a clear invocation of Mesa-Min the god of travelers and curiosity, as opposed to the seedier patron of darkness and shelter, Cor-Dius.


    Masnin stood straight and watched intently as the expedition leader dismounted and marched up the stairs of the building. Captain Iolan then turned to address his men from the raised porch there.


    ¡°I''m sure you are all tired from your journey,¡± he said. ¡°We have much work to do tonight and many things left to do before then. Annis and I will invoke the Writ and round up some support in preparation for tonight. I expect you all to be ready to go when we return, but other than that you gentlemen can relax and prepare yourselves. We should be back well before dark.¡±


    With that said, the paladin turned and left. Annis followed behind him. The other riders began to dismount and tie up their horses. Those knights who had squires handed their mounts over to them to be taken away, and Masnin gave his to a nearby stable boy.


    ¡°Finally,¡± said Rusk as he led the others inside. ¡°I thought we''d be riding all day and night without rest.¡±


    Masnin didn¡¯t reply. He considered it unseemly for a knight to complain or engage in idle banter.


    They entered the inn and found it full of customers enjoying the common area. He and his companions all made their way to the bar, where a large and friendly man assured them he would handle bringing in their possessions and make sure their horses were taken care of properly.


    Despite the friendly and professional atmosphere, Masnin couldn''t bring himself to let someone else handle his possessions unwatched. He had little enough to steal, but that only made his scant belongings more precious to him. He walked back outside to watch.


    The stable boy ignored the young knight as he did his work. Masnin grabbed his bag and was just about to leave when he heard the sound of the shutters being shut and locked. He turned back to the stable boy and saw him do the same thing to the stable doors. He frowned; it was already uncomfortably hot in the building¡­


    ¡°Do you usually shutter the windows during the day?¡± asked Masnin curiously. ¡°It''s a bright and warm day today with a few hours of sun left.¡±


    The boy stopped and looked embarrassed.


    ¡°I just don''t want to forget,¡± he replied.


    Masnin eyed the young boy critically. There was something going unsaid and he wanted to know what it was. He casually moved between the boy and the door.


    ¡°Problems with theft?¡± he asked, trying to sound kindly.


    ¡°No,¡± the boy said very quickly. ¡°I was just told to make sure is all,¡±


    Masnin had been in enough stables to know this was far from standard practice, especially in such a thriving little town. Wheels turned in his mind, perhaps the missing people hadn''t gone as unnoticed as it seemed.


    ¡°Oh, why is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Da, just said to make sure. Been doing it for a week. Ever since...¡± the boy said before stopping suddenly.


    ¡°Since what?¡± The young knight asked intently.


    The boy however held his silence and just stared at him.


    ¡°By the light of Helio-Lustria, pup, just answer the question,¡± the knight exclaimed.


    The boy just gave him an unimpressed look before looking at the exit. He clearly wanted to leave.


    Masnin didn¡¯t like being ignored though, and he wanted to know the answer to his damn question. The information sounded like it could be useful later, and he needed every advantage he could get.


    The knight cast a suspicious glance around the stable. He would have to take extreme measures if he wanted answers, and it wouldn''t do to be seen. He reached down to his belt and grabbed his coin purse. It was depressingly light in his grasp. He riffled through it until he felt the familiar shape of a penny in his fingers, and then he took it out and held it in front of the boy.


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    ¡°Since what?¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Two nights ago, a guard went missing in the night. Everybody was talking about it because he had a wife and kids. And then people started talking about how others had gone missing, but nobody really noticed they were missing because they didn''t have no families. That''s all I know, honest,¡± The boy whispered back, as he took the coin.


    Masnin stepped out of the boy''s way. He grabbed his baggage from his saddle and turned to follow the boy out of the stable, and into the hallway that led to the common room.


    When he returned to the common room, the only one of his companions he saw was Rusk, who was sitting by himself. He didn''t really like Rusk but he was short on friends, and as fellow knights and brothers in arms they should learn to get along.


    Rusk watched him sit down with a smile on his face and a mug in his hand. Masnin really hoped the man wasn¡¯t getting drunk while they had a job to do. That would be embarrassing for everyone in their party.


    ¡°Where are the other two?¡± asked Masnin.


    ¡°They''re just enjoying the town''s hospitality,¡± said Rusk. ¡°Seems like a friendly place, one appreciates handsome young knights on a holy mission.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go with them?¡± Masnin asked with a raised eyebrow.


    From what he¡¯d seen of Rusk the man wasn¡¯t one to pass up an opportunity to have fun.


    ¡°Good things come to those who wait.¡± Rusk said as he gave Masnin a look over. ¡°You¡¯re decent looking enough in a tall dark and broody kind of way. With the number of friendly young women around you should have no trouble finding companionship yourself,¡±


    ¡°Are they just friendly?¡± Masnin asked inquisitively.


    ¡°You suspect a sinister plot?¡± Rusk replied with a smile.


    ¡°I suspect that everyone here is not as carefree as they appear to be, and a companion who''s handy with a blade might be more important than good looks,¡± the other knight answered.


    Masnin took some small pleasure in Rusk losing his smile.


    ¡°Had''s horn,¡± the blond knight said miserably. ¡°And I thought the most difficult thing I would be called upon to do today was choosing a bed companion.¡±


    ¡°Not likely,¡± sighed Masnin. ¡°We''re probably going to be hunting ghouls.¡±


    An hour later, Iolan returned and set them about their work. The paladin didn''t mention what investigation he had done but his preparations were obvious.


    The main streets of the town were lit by braziers and torches. Masnin noted that the largest braziers were decorated with the markings of Helio-Lustria, the god most opposed to ghouls. The veteran paladin clearly believed that there were ghouls about, and Masnin had no reason to doubt him.


    He paired Rusk and Masnin together and assigned them an area of the town; a dark patch of twisting alleyways. The winding streets stopped the light from shining far and the untidy buildings that lined them cast shadows across every surface.


    They were to patrol it together and summon aid with a horn if they encountered anything. Under no circumstances were they to split up or leave their area unless summoned by another horn.


    Armed only with their swords and torches they walked the streets. Masnin would have preferred a silent vigil but that apparently wasn''t an option.


    ¡°What did you do to piss off Iolan?¡± asked Rusk for the third time.


    ¡°Perhaps him giving us the most difficult patch is a sign of trust,¡± returned Masnin with obvious annoyance.


    Why did it have to be him who¡¯d angered their leader? Rusk¡¯s behavior was much worse than his own. If anyone had done something wrong it had undoubtedly been him.


    ¡°Ha! More likely one of your brothers once bedded his nephew¡¯s wife,¡± said Rusk as his eyes peered out into the dark. ¡°Or one of the other knights is his nephew and he''s removing the competition.¡±


    ¡°Sire Iolan is a holy knight of Helio, and I''d appreciate it if you didn''t besmirch the name of my happily married brothers,¡± Masnin replied angrily.


    ¡°I..¡± Rusk started to say, but he fell silent as they both heard a scratching sound.


    The two young knights stopped moving and considered the darkness around them. Neither one of them could see very well. There could be anything out there¡­


    Masnin moved his torch slowly, trying to illuminate as much of the street as possible. From around a corner he heard the definite sound of footsteps on cobble. After a moment of hesitation he dashed forwards and around the corner.


    He heard Rusk swear lightly and follow him. Turning the corner revealed a dark humanoid shape facing away from them. Masnin caught up to it quickly and readied his sword to strike, but something shoved him lightly from behind and sent him stumbling.


    ¡°Surrender now or die!¡± said a voice from behind him that Masnin recognized as Rusk. The other knight had hit him! Why would he do that and why was he talking to the...


    ¡°I surrender!¡± said the man who was apparently not a ghoul.


    The figure turned to reveal a gaunt but unmistakably human face wearing dark clothing and a crude blue cowl. The man looked like the more dramatic kind of thief. He was definitely just a man though.


    Masnin felt a wave of shame wash over him. He had been a single moment away from stabbing a man in the back. That was the very antithesis of knightly behavior, even if the man had probably been nothing more than a common born thief.


    ¡°I won''t even ask why you¡¯re skulking around,¡± said Rusk, with his blade still drawn. ¡°But get inside or I guarantee you won''t survive the night.¡±


    While Masnin watched the figure nod and scurry back away into the darkness, Rusk turned his back to the man and confronted Masnin.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little too eager for blood,¡± he commented gruffly.


    ¡°I.. I made a mistake. Thank you for stopping me,¡± Masnin said honestly.


    ¡°Yes well, the situation calls for quick actions. Just remember to temper them with caution. I imagine the town would become a lot less friendly if we left a trail of bodies behind us, and it seems like we might be here for a few days,¡± the blond knight replied, as he paused to consider the empty night.


    Masnin just nodded in reply. Not only had he almost killed that man but he had no doubt scared away any ghouls in the area. When he voiced that opinion to Rusk however, the other knight disagreed.


    ¡°You said one of the missing men was a guard, so I think we may be dealing with brazen predators,¡± he said.


    Suddenly, Masnin heard something. It seemed like a startled grunt from the direction the fool he had almost killed earlier had gone.


    Once more he dashed forwards. The man could have put a bit of distance between them, but the sound had seemed to come from not that far away. Masnin held his sword out as he scanned his surroundings. The alley was empty; had he misheard? There was no place to hide here¡­


    ¡°What is it,¡± asked Rusk with concern, keeping close behind him.


    ¡°Shh, I thought I heard a sound,¡± Masnin whispered, as he stilled himself and tried to slow his breathing.


    After several seconds of listening he heard nothing though, so he sighed. It seemed he''d embarrassed himself once more.


    ¡°Let''s get out of the dark,¡± he said. ¡°It''s making me paranoid.¡±


    Sir Rusk did not reply though, he was staring upwards. Masnin followed Rusk''s gaze until it came to rest upon a piece of cloth that was hanging out of reach off the side of the sheer ally wall.


    He immediately recognized it as the same cloth the man they¡¯d run into had been wearing, but now it had dark patches that could only be bloodstains all over it.


    Masnin was taller than Rusk so he caught the fabric with his sword and pulled it down. Something had shredded it and left a hollow sharp point stuck in the fabric. It appeared to be a claw of some kind¡­


    ¡°Ghouls?¡± asked Rusk nervously.


    Masnin stared up into the night sky and considered the claw. It may have been his imagination but he thought he saw the stars flicker quickly as something large and as black as midnight passed overhead.


    ¡°By all the gods together, I certainly hope not,¡± he replied in spooked voice.

 Interlude: The Light of Faith 2

    Sir Iolan considered the cloth and the claw just as seriously as Masnin had, and with just as little enthusiasm. Rusk and Masnin had decided against sounding their horn, and instead they¡¯d gone to meet the captain at the inn that they were using as their headquarters. This late at night, the common room was deserted except for Iolan, Annis, and a handful of their companions.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you heard the attack take place in the alley, not above it?¡± Sir Annis asked.


    The paladin didn''t sound disbelieving, just professional. Masnin tried to reply in the same tone.


    ¡°Yes sir, I have no doubt about that,¡± he replied stiffly.


    Iolan grunted and turned to the mage he had recruited. The grey haired but hearty looking man had apparently shown up in town shortly after they¡¯d arrived. He¡¯d been sent by his guild to support the paladins in case there actually was a ghoul infestation. The Militant Order of Helio-Lustria had a charter from the king that allowed them to summon help from the mage guilds in such emergencies.


    The mage wore a robe with the Fiery Eye on it. Masnin had seen a few of them before, however this one¡¯s staff was more ornate and complicated than those carried by the fodder that the guild usually produced for the army. He was also older, with a trim white beard and lines under his eyes.


    ¡°What do you make of this, Roilg?¡± Sir Iolan asked the mage.


    ¡°I don''t recognize the claw as coming from any particular creature. However, there is one test I can run that might be enlightening.¡± The other man replied in a baritone voice.


    The mage then produced a glass vial from a pocket sewn into his vest. Masnin noticed that there were many more such pockets inside there. He had no idea what the mage could possibly need them all for.


    Roilg the mage carefully poured a single drop of the clear liquid from inside the vial onto the claw. When the fluid hit the talon it let out a faint hiss, and wisps of quickly disappearing black smoke began swirling up from it. Masnin watched intently; he had rarely seen magic at work, even magic as mundane as this.


    ¡°Well, I can say with absolute surety that this talon came from a mutant, although I have no clue as to what manner of creature it started as. I¡¯m relatively certain that¡¯s it''s not an herbivore though.¡± Roilg explained as he frowned down at the claw with a concerned expression.


    Iolan cursed out loud, and at his side Annis paled a little. Their reactions shocked Masnin. Was a flying foe so hard to deal with? Surely these two veteran paladins had dealt with this sort of thing many times before. Masnin didn''t consider it appropriate to voice his thoughts aloud, but Rusk did.


    ¡°Abominations such as a crystal host can be deadly foe, but surely they aren¡¯t as terrible as an outbreak of the unholy plague?¡± the young knight asked from his seat at the inn''s bar.


    The mage snorted grumpily in response. Sir Iolan turned and considered the two paladin hopefuls. He considered the question worth answering though, which pleased Masnin.


    ¡°Ghouls can do more damage than just about anything. A full blown ghoul epidemic is a nightmare beyond imagining. They¡¯ve gutted cities in the past, but that hasn''t happened in ages. The unholy plague and its bearers are an old foe and one we understand, so they usually can be predicted and exterminated before they do too much damage,¡± Sir Iolan explained.


    ¡°Mutants however are cursed unpredictable things. They might, like this one, kill only one person a night, but stopping a powerful beast such as this is much more dangerous for the hunters. So far all we know about this thing is that it''s a night hunter with claws and a taste for human flesh,¡± Sir Annis added.


    ¡°We know it flies,¡± interjected Masnin. He had seen enough to know that.


    ¡°Do we?¡± asked Sir Iolan. Then he smiled benignly at Masnin''s answering frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your word, but crystal hosts can be tricky. Can you say for sure that it doesn''t levitate, walk on walls like they were flat ground, or turn invisible?¡± the older knight clarified.


    ¡°Those are real possibilities?¡± asked Masnin in shock.


    He didn''t like considering that the gods would arm the enemies of humanity with such strange and powerful abilities. Had the creature really flown away? Now Masnin couldn''t be so sure of what he¡¯d seen or assumed.


    Beside him Rusk looked just as shocked as him, which made Masnin feel better. Apparently, he hadn¡¯t been the only one ignorant of all this.


    ¡°They are; all of those abilities have been documented by the guilds. Information on mutants is one of the few things shared amongst the guilds,¡± answered Roilg.


    ¡°So we will need a new plan for tomorrow night. This creature has already proven that the patrols are useless, and they were undertaken with ghouls in mind anyway,¡± Sir Annis told everyone.


    ¡°What do you suggest we do instead, then?¡± Sir Iolan asked his subordinate.


    ¡°I believe that tomorrow night we should get everyone off the streets, every last blackguard and streetwalker. Then, we bait the creature and lure it into a trap,¡±


    ¡°Bait? I can think of only one thing you could use to bait this man-eater. That seems like a deadly task, considering what we know about the creature. I doubt you''re volunteering yourself,¡± commented Sir Iolan with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°We could use the condemned in the square,¡± Sir Annis replied stonily.


    The older Paladin''s face showed no remorse at using living men as disposable tools. Sir Iolan looked thoughtful, but also more than a little reluctant. He didn¡¯t seem completely comfortable with the idea of using men, even criminals, to lure the beast into an ambush. Masnin couldn¡¯t read the mage¡¯s face at all.


    Masnin himself frowned as he considered Sir Annis¡¯ plan. It seemed like it might work, no one was offering any other options, but there was a serious problem with it. It wouldn¡¯t give Masnin a chance to prove himself, and he desperately needed to show these men his worth.


    ¡°I volunteer,¡± offered Masnin, surprising even himself.


    The others all looked at him in surprise. Rusk seemed particularly shocked, and was looking at Masnin like he was crazy. Maybe he was, or maybe he was just desperate. He couldn¡¯t live the rest of his life as a knight errant. The constant travelling and dependence on charity was already wearing him down.


    ¡°We already know it''ll target armed men, because it killed that guard. The plan has a better chance of success if the bait can fight. If we use the criminals if might just snatch one up and disappear, but it¡¯ll find a trained and armed knight a much more difficult target¡± he explained reluctantly to the other knights.


    Sir Iolan gave the volunteer a long look, taking his measure. Masnin returned the look, and did his best to look stoic and brave. He wasn¡¯t sure how well he succeeded.


    ¡°Fine, I accept your offer and acknowledge your courage,¡± proclaimed Iolan. ¡°Helio-Lustria''s blessing on you. May the sun god shield you against this creature of darkness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need it,¡± Masnin heard Rusk mutter quietly.


    The young knight didn¡¯t get a lot of sleep that night. He spent the next morning and afternoon thinking about all the things that could go wrong with the plan. They didn¡¯t even know what the beast looked like¡­


    Masnin was up early the next morning to help the paladins set up the trap. When dusk finally came and darkness blanketed the town, Masnin found himself sitting alone in the middle of a small unlit square staring into a large brazier filled with water. He cursed his courage and the fate that had led him here.


    The brazier had been Roilg''s idea. He¡¯d raised the possibility that the creature wouldn''t attack if its prey kept checking the skies for it. So he¡¯d proposed using the reflective surface of the water as a mirror.


    In it, Masnin could easily make out the stars above him. The young knight sighed. As last sights went he supposed the reflected night sky was a decent one. If only he could be sure that it wasn¡¯t full of evil mutant beasts that wanted to eat him¡­


    Masnin strained his hearing as he watched the reflection of the skies. Listening not only for the monster, but for the reassuring sounds of his companions and the town guards hidden away in the homes and shops around him.


    The plan was that when he engaged the monster sharpshooters would fire on it from the windows above. Roilg was also around, but he hadn¡¯t participated in the planning. He¡¯d just said that he would do whatever was necessary.


    That hadn¡¯t reassured the young knight. In fact, it had almost made him think the mage was going to set the entire square on fire. He was a hard man to read.


    As Masnin pondered all the ways he could die within the next few hours he felt an odd tingling sensation on the back of his neck as his hair rose. Instantly, he concentrated on the reflection in the brazier, and noticed a patch of stars flickering up in the sky above him.


    He rolled. Not forwards, but backwards to his knees as an acrobat might do. As a country knight he''d been hunting enough to know that even the dumbest predators would try to predict how their prey would dodge them.


    ¡°Now!¡± he screamed, as he prepared himself for the worst. It was a wasted effort.


    Standing before him was a creature seemingly made of living darkness that stood a story tall. It had swooped into the square without a sound and having missed him, spun around with speed that was just unfair in a creature that big.


    The unseen thing seemed to swell and contract in size as it moved to strike him. It almost seemed to be a living shadow as it rose like a black wave to sweep him aside. His gut clenched with fear as he realized he wouldn¡¯t be able to block the blow.


    Luckily, the attack never came, instead a swarm of quarrels buzzed through the air and into the shape. The beast didn¡¯t make a sound as it contracted back into itself, withdrawing. Just as soon as it had shrunk, it swelled again and somehow the writhing black mass launched itself upwards and into the sky. A gust of dusty wind swept into Masnin''s face and forced him to shield it with his arm.


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    It seemed like the creature was going to escape when a loud crack filled the air and the unseen thing suddenly was thrown into the side of a building. The wooden wall the creature was thrown into wasn''t solid enough to stop it. With a snap it burst through, landed inside the building, and disappeared.


    Masnin''s allies were busy though. A dozen armed men streamed out of the nearby homes and into the square to stop the creature from escaping. Masnin moved to join them, stopping with the rest just short of the building.


    No one moved to enter it though, as it was filled with an eerie and unnatural darkness. Even as men began lighting the braziers and lamps outside on the street, the flames failed to penetrate the shadows.


    ¡°Aside,¡± came an authoritative voice.


    It was the mage Roilg, who no doubt had been the one who had grounded the creature so dramatically. The mage walked up beside Masnin and frowned at the darkness. Quick as thought, his hands played along his staff like a musical instrument. His seemed to shift and change shape under his hands, and seconds later a stream of bright light burst forth into the building.


    It failed to illuminate anything; if anything it only defined the darkness more. There were mutters of fear and shock from the guardsmen and even some of the knights, as they realized the inside of the building was impervious even to his magical light. It almost seemed to be a pitch black wall that you could reach out and touch.


    There were murmurs of fear and whispers of ¡°demon¡± from the men. Masnin himself felt a cold fear in his chest as he stared into that lightless abyss. If ever a true demon walked the world, it was this creature of darkness.


    ¡°Fear not darkness. Do not waver before uncertainty,¡± proclaimed Sir Iolan the paladin as he approached the darkness.


    ¡°It''s just a mutant, and we¡¯ve cornered and wounded it now. The darkness only hides it; it does not protect it from our steel. Fire into the building and finish the thing off!¡± he proclaimed.


    His words had an effect. Men pressed forward and drew strength from each other. Masnin let out a breath he didn''t know he had been holding. He relaxed slightly and got ready to move again. He still needed to impress the paladins; volunteering wasn¡¯t enough, he would have to actually engage the creature.


    The crossbowmen were still in the windows of the square. Only Sir Annis was in position to fire into the building. He raised his crossbow and fired. Nothing happened. With a practiced motion he reloaded and was about to fire again, when quick as thought the darkness flowed over him. He had just enough time to begin raising the crossbow when it engulfed him.


    There was a terrible scream and a wet tearing sound. Masnin jumped in shock and took a fearful step back. It had killed the paladin so effortlessly, and he was probably next!


    Men cried out in shock and quarrels were fired desperately at the living shadow. Roilg sent a wave of fire into it without apparent effect. It only illuminated the scared faces of the guardsmen with flickering orange light.


    Masnin saw the dark creature subtly swell in the mage''s direction and knew it was considering the mage. If the creature got to him then the fight would be over. The guards would surely flee, and they might be right to do so. The living darkness showed no weakness or fear.


    Should he retreat? Nothing they¡¯d done had seemed to work at all. Retreating was probably the smart thing to do.


    What would he be running to, though? No, he couldn¡¯t run. I would be better to die here with honor than to shame his family by fleeing.


    He sprinted forwards at what he could only guess was the rear of the creature, and raised his blade. With a primal roar he unleashed all his pent up frustration and terror and channeled it into one attack. If he was going to die then there was no point in keeping it all bottled up anymore!


    The edge of his sword sliced into the shadow and kept going. His heart missed a beat and he despaired. Just like the rest of his life his death would be pointless¡­


    A sudden tug on his arms brought him back to reality, his blade had found purchase. He¡¯d hit something!


    His relief was short lived; the shifting darkness before him spasmed, and then reached out to envelop him. A second later, something slammed into him, and he was sent flying through the air.


    He landed hard, and his armor scraped against the rubble and cobblestone that littered the street.


    Masnin didn¡¯t know how long he lay there stunned and staring up at the night sky, but when he finally got to his feet he found the situation had gone downhill.


    Roilg was down, and lay crumpled up against a nearby wall, while a guard stood over him protectively. Masnin wasn''t sure why the creature hadn''t finished the mage off.


    Without the power of the mage, the men were retreating from the unseen thing. Several braziers had been tipped over in the struggle, and their fiery contents had spilled across the road. Even with the very earth aflame no light penetrated the mass of shadows that moved among the guardsmen.


    Masnin backed away and waited for someone to do something; for someone to bring order to the confusion. No one stepped up. Sir Iolan was nowhere to be seen, and Sir Annis was dead. The only one of their group he could see was Rusk, who seemed even less inclined to action than him.


    The other knight noticed Masnin though, and quickly made his way over to him. Rusk kept one eye on the creature as moved. Masnin watched him come over numbly. He was tired and sore, he couldn''t imagine what he could possibly do to help the situation.


    Surely this was more than the gods could demand of him. He had been brave and valorous. It hadn''t been enough. All he''d accomplished was to watch brave men die futilely.


    Surely if the gods wanted more from him, they would send him a sign; a light to guide him.


    Rusk was only a half dozen feet away from him when he stumbled and fell. His feet slipped out from beneath him and he landed on his ass with a crash.


    Without thinking, Masnin moved to help the other knight up, and offered the only remaining knight a hand.


    ¡°What a cursed night,¡± the other man said raggedly. ¡°I slipped on some unlucky man''s blood. I''ll take that as an omen. It''s time to go.¡±


    Masnin stopped and considered this. As Rusk regained his footing, the young knight''s gaze took in the square. The creature remained standing in the centre, and the remaining men were more concerned with retreating safely than attacking it. All around the square dark liquid pooled around the cobbles of the street.


    It was blood, too much blood. It couldn¡¯t all have come from the soldiers. Masnin glanced down at his blade. It was faint, but the reflective surface of the steel was marred by dark red liquid.


    ¡°It can bleed¡­¡± Masnin exclaimed with sudden hope. It only seemed invincible!


    ¡°What?¡± asked a confused Rusk. ¡°Did you land on your head earlier?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s flesh beneath the darkness; it¡¯s bleeding!¡± Masnin said again, louder and clearer this time as he held up his sword for Rusk to see.


    The other knight¡¯s eyes widened as they took in the blood that stained Masnin¡¯s blade. The fluid was clearly visible as the nearby flames reflected off the steel. Masnin didn¡¯t wait for a reply. He yelled and charged the beast again.


    The only way the mutant could be bleeding and yet still standing was if the veil of shadows that surrounded it were much bigger than the actual creature, and almost all the attacks were missing it. That meant it couldn¡¯t be much bigger than a man.


    The beast froze and stopped chasing a fleeing guard, as it somehow sensed Masnin¡¯s approach. The young knight eyed the swirling darkness before him as he moved. He would probably only have one chance at this. Where was the actual beast?


    Once again as he neared the darkness stretched out and consumed him. Masnin was instantly blinded. His heart pounded in his chest and his throat felt tight, but he took several steps deeper into the darkness.


    He heard a scratching noise, and instantly he struck towards it. He felt his blade bite deep, and heard an inhuman screech echo through the darkness. Then something smashed into his breastplate and knocked him backwards. His blade flew loosely away from his numb hands.


    He was sent sprawling across the ground, but he ignored the pain and pushed himself up onto his side. He needed to see the creature.


    A little over a dozen feet away the dark mass of shadows that concealed the mutant was writhing energetically, but it was also shrinking. As Masnin and everyone else watched, the creature¡¯s magic disappeared to reveal what lay beneath it.


    Long twisted limps with tight membranes that stretched between them framed a skinny body, and a truly hideous face. Several arrows protruded from its flesh, and its furry hide had a long bleeding gash across it. It twitched there on the ground and its wings were tattered. The mutant was a giant bat!


    Masnin collapsed again, and sighed in relief. As he lay there on the cold stone ground, the young knight breathed in the cool midnight air. This was what knights were meant to do, slay monsters. Masnin felt his earlier fear and frustration slip away as he reveled in his victory. He had been a hero and a true knight!


    Even if he didn¡¯t end up becoming a paladin, he would still always know that his life hadn¡¯t been wasted.

 Queen of Swords 1

    The cloaked hobgoblin tiptoed silently down the shadowy hallway. The dull noonday sun shone in through the nearby windows, but he kept out of the light and in the dark. Since this passage was rarely used for anything but storage, it didn¡¯t get a lot of traffic and the windows were the only source of light.


    Blacknail could hear the creak and thud of people''s footsteps moving around him, but none of them seemed to be moving in his direction, and that was good. He wanted to avoid detection at all costs. He¡¯d come fairly close to being caught earlier when a guard had walked by, but Blacknail had managed to duck aside and hide behind a shelf at the last second.


    His heart still hadn¡¯t slowed to its normal speed and was thudding in his chest. It would be very bad if he was discovered, and Blacknail didn¡¯t even want to think about the consequences. He had to stay hidden from the humans no matter what!


    Of course that was never going to happen. He¡¯d proven over and over again that mere humans couldn¡¯t detect a hobgoblin like him. He was the dreaded Faceless Assassin, and Herad¡¯s undefeated sneaky killer!


    ¡°What in all the hells are you doing, Blacknail?¡± Saeter asked from right behind him.


    The unexpected voice slipped into the hobgoblin¡¯s ears, and his heart exploded in panic. He jumped several feet into the air. He hadn¡¯t heard anyone approaching! Oh no, it was master Saeter.


    When Blacknail hit the ground, he was already dashing away down the hallway as fast as his feet would carry him. He¡¯d been found; he had to escape, and quickly!


    ¡°Stop right there, you little green idot! Come back here, or I swear I¡¯ll go get my bow and hunt you down through Daggerpoint and all the land beyond it,¡± Saeter barked loudly.


    Blacknail believed him; he could hear the stubborn certainty in his master¡¯s voice. When he used that tone there was no arguing with him, and he always did what he said he would, no matter how stupid or dangerous it was.


    The hobgoblin stopped running, went completely still, and let out a pitiful whimper. This was the worst possible outcome; why did it have to be his master that had found him?


    The urge to flee and hide was overwhelming, but he knew that wouldn¡¯t work. Saeter would find him soon enough. He was incredibly annoying like that.


    ¡°Right, now come back here,¡± Saeter ordered impatiently.


    The hobgoblin sighed and obeyed. With his head down he walked sullenly back to his master. He didn¡¯t dare meet his eyes.


    ¡°Lose the hood, and look at me,¡± his master ordered next.


    He sounded very annoyed, so Blacknail reluctantly pulled his hood down and met the old scout¡¯s gaze. Saeter looked him over inquisitively for a few seconds, and his expression changed from an angry look to a concerned one.


    The hobgoblin cringed and had to turn away a few seconds later. What if his master could smell something? What if it showed? His master spoke up.


    ¡°What bloody nonsense has gotten into you, Blacknail? You¡¯ve been acting weird, and avoiding everyone since you returned from chasing those assassins. You told Herad that they got away after a brief fight, and she didn¡¯t question it. She doesn¡¯t know you like I do though, and I¡¯ll eat my boots if that¡¯s what really happened,¡± he asked the hobgoblin quietly, so that no one would overhear.


    ¡°Yes, it is. That totally happened,¡± Blacknail replied nervously, as his anxious eyes wandered around the room.


    Saeter just glared at the hobgoblin stubbornly; he obviously wasn¡¯t convinced. Blacknail withered under his master¡¯s gaze for several seconds. The hobgoblin knew that Saeter wasn¡¯t going to let up until he got an answer, so obviously he had to lie through his teeth.


    Blacknail looked up and met his master¡¯s eyes. He licked his lips with his long tongue nervously as his brain worked feverishly to come up with the greatest lie ever told.


    ¡°I got lost¡­¡± he muttered a second later.


    His master crossed his arms and gave the hobgoblin an unamused stare.


    Blacknail winced and groaned regretfully. Why had he said that? That was a stupid lie, and totally unconvincing! Why hadn¡¯t he thought of anything better?


    Overcome with shame, the hobgoblin flipped his hood back up to hide his face. He then crouched down in order to make himself as small as possible. Maybe if he just stayed like this his master would eventually get bored and leave¡­


    Saeter groaned in annoyance at Blacknail¡¯s behavior.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± he remarked in disbelief.


    The old scout then reached down and pulled Blacknail¡¯s hood off. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then froze.


    ¡°Are you¡­ blushing?¡± he asked in surprise, as he took in the hobgoblins face.


    There was a startled look on Saeter¡¯s face. Blacknail¡¯s usual green features had a faint reddish purple cast to them, especially around the cheeks. It certainly seemed like he was doing the hobgoblin equivalent of blushing.


    Blacknail opened his mouth to respond and deny everything, but then he stopped. He did sort of want to talk to someone.


    Last night, his experience with Luphera had been very¡­ different. The memory caused Blacknail to flinch, and he felt his face burn hotter. Luphera didn¡¯t act or look anything like a female goblin, so why had he let her drag him around by his handsome nose?


    He felt used, and he had no idea what he¡¯d been thinking. That terrifying scent and her hungry smile had just done something weird to his head, and other parts of his body.


    Luphera had invited him back, but there was no way he was ever going to do that! He felt dizzy just thinking about it. At first his instincts had taken over, but once they¡¯d died down he¡¯d had no idea what he was doing there.


    What if he¡¯d done something wrong¡­? No, there was no way he was ever going to go back! How was he supposed to be around humans now? What if they could smell her on him? Their noses couldn¡¯t be that bad, could they? He didn¡¯t want anyone to know.


    Saeter coughed impatiently as he stood over the red faced hobgoblin. Blacknail¡¯s mouth hung open, but he had yet to say anything.


    ¡°There¡¯s this woman¡­¡± he muttered a second later, as the truth burst out of him unexpectedly.


    Saeter¡¯s face went through several stages. First his eyes narrowed in confusion, then he frowned doubtfully, then his eyes widened with shock and worry, until finally his expression settled into a look that portrayed deep but sad wisdom. The old grey haired scout reached out and put a hand on Blacknail¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°There always is,¡± he sagely told the confused hobgoblin.


    There was a weird twist to Saeter¡¯s smile, and his eyes also seemed a little odd. Blacknail didn¡¯t care though, he was just relieved his master wasn¡¯t... overreacting. He grinned happily as he began unburdening himself. There was no way his wonderful and ever so wise master would make fun of him.


    ¡°You see...,¡± a relieved Blacknail began explaining.


    ¡°Nope, keep it to yourself,¡± Saeter interjected quickly, as his one eye twitched.


    ¡°But¡­,¡± the hobgoblin exclaimed in confusion.


    ¡°Some things you need to solve for yourself,¡± his master explained simply with a blank face. ¡°Now come with me, Herad wants us.¡±


    Blacknail then watched in confusion as his master turned around and headed for the door.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t even want to think about it,¡± Saeter muttered quietly to himself a few seconds later, as he shivered slightly.


    What had just happened? The hobgoblin was glad his master didn¡¯t seem to care, that was obviously the best outcome, but he also felt more than a little slighted.


    Saeter should have at least listened a little bit. Not that Blacknail wanted to tell him anything, of course. Yet surely, the whole situation was interesting and worth talking about, right?


    The confused hobgoblin was left there crouching on the floor of the hallway all by himself. He stared after his master for a second before his thoughts untangled themselves. Then with a start, he remembered that Saeter had told him that he¡¯d been summoned by Herad.


    Quickly, he got up and hurried after his master. No matter how embarrassed he was it would still be a terrible idea to anger the chieftain. He was fairly certain he couldn¡¯t actually die of embarrassment, but he couldn¡¯t say the same thing about being stabbed.


    Blacknail quickly caught up with Saeter, and then followed him to the other side of the building. Their destination soon became apparent; it was the sitting room where they¡¯d met with their mistress after Galive¡¯s death.


    Saeter walked right in, but Blacknail took a second to peek around the doorway before entering. He was still feeling more than a little shy, and didn¡¯t want to run into any unpleasant surprises.


    Herad was lounging back on a sofa in the middle of the room, and was scowling darkly at everyone she saw. The bandit chieftain definitely seemed to be in a bad mood. She was wearing pair of long black trousers, and a dark brown leather vest over a black shirt. She held a silver goblet up in one hand while her other hand massaged the pommel of a dagger sheathed at her hip.


    Blacknail hesitated to walk into the room when she was so angry. However, Herad quickly noticed him standing in the doorway and glared at him, so the hobgoblin immediately straightened up and walked nonchalantly in as if he hadn¡¯t just been hiding out of sight.


    There were only a few other people in the room, and all of them were members of Herad¡¯s tribe. Blacknail headed towards where his master stood in a deserted corner of the room. Once there, he kept to his master¡¯s shadow and as out of sight as possible. He was still feeling a bit awkward about being around humans, and with Herad in such a bad mood it was best not to attract attention.


    It took a few moments for everyone invited to arrive in the sitting room, but no one said anything as they waited. Their boss¡¯ dark mood hung in the air, and no one dared break the silence. There were an awful lot of anxious glances being exchanged between the bandits, though.


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    When the last person arrived, Herad¡¯s personal guards sealed the room. Blacknail jumped a little as the doors were slammed shut; not having anywhere to run made him fidgety and nervous. It was only then that Herad finally spoke up.


    ¡°I just got an interesting message from an information broker. It said they owed me a favor for services rendered by a subordinate of mine, and it was sealed with a lipstick mark,¡± she announced coldly.


    No one said anything as Herad slowly gazed around the room and at everyone there one by one. Her eyes lingered on some people more than others, and thankfully they completely overlooked Blacknail. He was still hiding behind his master.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who exactly it was referring to, but I have my suspicions. Some people lack discipline, and have a bad habit of sticking their nose in things that don¡¯t concern them,¡± Herad said as she glared coldly at Saeter.


    The old scout was stone faced and kept his expression carefully blank, but when Herad looked away he gave Blacknail a dark suspicious look out of the corner of his eye. The hobgoblin quickly turned away and tried to look innocent. He thought he managed to pull it off.


    ¡°That¡¯s not of immediate concern, though. What¡¯s important is that the message contains a lot of details on Zelena¡¯s movements and plans. Some of it is easily verifiable, but most of it isn¡¯t. The sender also expressed concern about Zelena¡¯s schemes to control Daggerpoint, and wished us luck in defeating her,¡± the bandit chieftain explained.


    ¡°We get tips and word from all kinds of information dealers almost every day, so what makes this one stand out?¡± someone brave asked.


    Herad nodded and smiled darkly at no one in particular. Blacknail thought she was trying not to look at Saeter, although he wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of this broker before, and the letter also contains information on my own movements. It lists things I¡¯d thought I¡¯d kept secret. Thus, I¡¯m willing to believe most the information on Zelena is also reliable,¡± Herad explained.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s not good news,¡± an older female bandit commented reluctantly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. As most of you know, I¡¯ve managed to cripple or thwart practically all of Zelena¡¯s schemes. She hasn¡¯t been able to turn most the other chieftains against me, or at least she hasn¡¯t been able to get their direct support for any sort of attack. They¡¯re too afraid of me to risk that,¡± Herad remarked arrogantly.


    ¡°They should be afraid of you. You¡¯re the deadliest fighter in the city, and from what I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve been dispatching Zelen¡¯s pet captains left and right,¡± another man replied proudly.


    This time Herad¡¯s dark eyes were hard and cold as she responded.


    ¡°All very true, but I can¡¯t do everything myself. According to the information I¡¯ve received, Zelena has abandoned her plan to turn most the other chieftains against me, and since her assassination attempt also failed, she¡¯s now planning to simply purchase enough men to launch a frontal attack on us,¡± she explained.


    Some of the bandits gasped in shock, others blinked in confusion, but most didn¡¯t seem too concerned by the news. Blacknail himself understood what Herad had said, but he didn¡¯t really know what to think about it. He had no idea how many people there were in the city, or how many warriors each tribe had. He just knew there were a lot.


    ¡°Even if she buys up all the loose scum and hired muscle in the city, and lures a fair number of hands away from other chieftains as well, she¡¯d still have a very hard time defeating us in any direct attack. She didn¡¯t bring all that many of Werrick¡¯s men with her East,¡± Saeter remarked thoughtfully.


    ¡°Without Werrick¡¯s veterans to stiffen their spines anyone they hire is unlikely to be of much use anyway,¡± another man added dismissively.


    Several of the other people in the room apparently agreed with him, because they nodded and made approving noises. Herad wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, and Zelena realizes this as well. Only an idiot wouldn¡¯t, and while Zelena is many other things, she isn¡¯t an idiot. That¡¯s why she has purchased the services of a small group of mercenaries. According to the letter I received they¡¯re due to arrive sometime next week,¡± she explained grimly.


    The reaction to this news was more dramatic. Dark muttering and swearing filled the room.


    ¡°Where in all the hells is she getting all that bloody coin?¡± someone asked in surprise.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± someone else cursed.


    ¡°It can¡¯t all be from Werrick¡¯s spoils out west. Even he couldn¡¯t be making that much from robbing and pillaging. Zelena¡¯s throwing gold around like It¡¯s well water,¡± another bandit remarked in frustration.


    ¡°Are the other chiefs going to allow that? No one¡¯s ever brought a force like that into Daggerpoint. It¡¯s going to make a lot of people nervous, especially the Governor,¡± someone else added.


    ¡°She seems to think she can get away with it,¡± Herad told them.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that much different from hiring the normal thugs and rift raft. Half of them are deserters anyway. There are certainly no rules against it and the rules around here are pretty fluid anyway,¡± Saeter commented.


    ¡°And if anyone complains about it then she has a nice force of mercs at hand to silence them,¡± a scarred bandit added with dry humor.


    ¡°What are you planning to do about it?¡± Saeter asked Herad calmly over the din.


    The old scout didn¡¯t seem too concerned, and so neither was Blacknail. He trusted his master to know what to do.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t that many options. Ideally, I¡¯d just have Zelena assassinated, but word is the assassins have her squirreled away somewhere secret. That also means we can¡¯t attack her before the mercenaries get here,¡± the bandit leader replied.


    ¡°And we can¡¯t exactly start a fight with every chief whose minions might join her, or all the free agents in Daggerpoint,¡± Saeter pointed out.


    ¡°So we¡¯re doomed?¡± another bandit asked nervously.


    Herad snorted disdainfully in response, and threw the man a disapproving glare. He wilted under her attention.


    ¡°Having a group of mercenaries at her side hardly makes Zelena invincible. Bringing them into town will make her enemies, and we can use that,¡± she told all her minions in a voice full of steady authority.


    Instantly, the room quieted and everyone calmed down. The panic hadn¡¯t subsided completely though, a hint of it lingered in the room.


    ¡°How?¡± someone asked expectantly.


    ¡°Simple, we build up alliances of our own, and then crush Zelena¡¯s coin bought soldiers. They¡¯re mercs, so they won¡¯t be sticking around. That means Zelena has to attack us, and that gives us the advantage. Now that we know they¡¯re coming we can fortify the base, and prepare our forces. When Zelena attacks she¡¯ll be walking into a trap,¡± Herad answered.


    ¡°Sounds like it could work. This is a nice defensive location,¡± Saeter added in support of his boss.


    ¡°What do we know about the sell swords?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re an infantry company called the Leather Heels. The broker didn¡¯t know much about them, except that they¡¯re from down south and that they¡¯ve seen a few battles,¡± Herad explained.


    ¡°Too bad Vorscha isn¡¯t around, she¡¯d know more about this company,¡± Saeter mused.


    ¡°It would also be nice to have her here for the fight. There¡¯s no one I would rather have at my back,¡± another man added.


    ¡°She¡¯s needed where she is, and couldn¡¯t get here in time anyway. We have more than enough men for this plan, though,¡± Herad remarked confidently.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want us all to keep this to ourselves?¡± Saeter asked her.


    ¡°Obviously, a trap only works if the victims don¡¯t know it¡¯s a trap. None of you are to share this information with anyone, including your subordinates. I wouldn¡¯t even be telling all of you this if it wasn¡¯t necessary. Just remember, if you open your mouth I¡¯ll find out about it, and then I¡¯ll seal your lips permanently. No second chances; I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re drunk or even being tortured,¡± Herad told them threateningly, as she gazed around the room.


    There were grim nods of acknowledgement from most the bandits present. No one seemed to think she was exaggerating. Blacknail made a mental note to remember to forget that this entire conversation had ever happened. He was taking no chances.


    A few minutes later after Herad started explaining the details of her plan, Blacknail began to grow bored of all the talking. He sighed quietly to himself and stifled a yawn. That was when Herad spoke up in an excited tone that immediately caught the hobgoblin¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Some of you might be questioning me, and thinking that I''m a poor bet, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. It¡¯s Zelena that¡¯s desperate here, not me. I¡¯ve knocked that bitch on her ass every time she has tried something, and this latest stupid ploy of hers will be no different. When her last desperate gamble falls apart, and we flood the streets with the blood of every petty thug stupid enough to accept her coin, then there will be no one left to challenge me. I will be the undisputed ruler of my territory, and the top dog in Daggerpoint and beyond. Then, a new age will dawn in the North, my age, and all of you here will reap the benefits!¡± she announced eagerly.


    Loud cheering broke out in the room, as the bandits¡¯ greed and pride got the better of them. All trace of their earlier fear and uncertainty had disappeared. Herad saw their reaction and grinned hungrily. Her ambition and blood lust was plain as day.


    Blacknail giggled and licked his lips, as he pictured all the fun things that were about to happen. It seemed like his tribe was about to go to war. It was about bloody time!

 Queen of Swords 2

    Now that all of her minions were solidly behind her, Herad started organizing them. Her short black hair fell over her forehead, as she leaned forward over the table in front of her sofa and gave out her orders.


    ¡°Corveyn, you¡¯re in charge of defenses. I want work parties organized and this place fortified as much as possible. If you need funds then you¡¯ll have them,¡± she said.


    ¡°Not a problem. I already have a few surprises in mind for our guests when they arrive,¡± a man who Blacknail assumed was Corveyn replied.


    He was one of the men who had joined the tribe after they¡¯d arrived in Daggerpoint. All these new hires were beneath Blacknail¡¯s notice, unless they had something he wanted, so he hadn¡¯t bothered to learn their names. He was Herad¡¯s favorite after all, and they were just rookies.


    ¡°Saeter, I want you to get in touch with some of your old contacts. See if you can recruit a few more good men, or at least convince as many as possible not to join up with Zelena when she starts spreading that coin of hers around. They can¡¯t spend it if they¡¯re dead,¡± the chieftain told Blacknail¡¯s master.


    Saeter nodded calmly in acknowledgment, and Blacknail stepped out from where he¡¯d been hiding behind him. The hobgoblin then smiled hopefully at his mistress. He wanted a job too!


    However, Herad didn¡¯t even glance his way as she issued orders to the other bandits. Blacknail pouted sulkily as he gazed Herad¡¯s way. Why hadn¡¯t she given him a job? He was far more useful than most of these lazy humans. Surely, there was someone who needed killing, or maybe some pies that needed stealing?


    Herad happened to glance back his way, and she noticed his demeanor. The bandit chieftain rolled her eyes disdainfully, but then gave him a wicked grin. The hobgoblin returned her smile hopefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Blacknail. I¡¯m sure an opportunity will present itself and I¡¯ll find someone for you to hunt. It might even be someone in this room if they disappoint me enough,¡± she chuckled darkly and loudly enough that everyone in the room undoubtedly heard her.


    Muted muttering broke out between the bandits as several people looked Blacknail¡¯s way, and the hobgoblin heard his master grunt in disapproval. He wasn¡¯t sure why Saeter wasn¡¯t pleased, though. Blacknail was glad that Herad trusted him to hunt her enemies for her, and he enjoyed the fearful looks he was getting.


    The new members were barely part of the tribe anyway. None of them had been around nearly as long as him! He¡¯d joined the tribe a whole um¡­ lots of months ago! That was practically forever.


    In a tribe it was natural for the weak to fear the strong, and for them to be kept in their place. Everyone was certainly very afraid of Herad!


    The fact that the chieftain had mentioned Blacknail personally obviously meant she considered him to be only one step below herself in position and toughness. Maybe his master was jealous?


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough gabbing from you lot; it¡¯s time to get to work. Get on out of here,¡± Herad announced loudly.


    Her voice cut through the commotion around her, and everyone else instantly grew silent and jumped to obey her. Soon, all of the bandits were walking through the doors and exiting the room. .


    Saeter let most of the other bandits leave, and get out of the way, before heading out himself. Blacknail followed him closely, and as soon as they were alone in the hallway Saeter turned to him.


    ¡°Listen Blacknail, you shouldn¡¯t be happy about being picked out like that by Herad,¡± the old scout told the hobgoblin seriously.


    Blacknail frowned at his master¡¯s comment. He didn¡¯t understand why Saeter was upset.


    ¡°It means she trusts me, and that I¡¯m dangerous!¡± the hobgoblin bragged cheerfully.


    ¡°Maybe, but it will also make your own comrades afraid of you,¡± the grey haired scout replied.


    ¡°They should be afraid of me; I¡¯m much faster and smarter-ss than them. None of them could challenge me,¡± Blacknail pointed out arrogantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, Blacknail. Herad¡¯s words were meant to set you against the rest of the tribe. If they¡¯re too afraid of you then they will see you as a threat, and then they won¡¯t have your back later, or they might even try to take you out,¡± Saeter explained.


    The hobgoblin gave his master a confused look. Wouldn¡¯t most of them do that anyway?


    ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m stronger than them so I don¡¯t-ss need their help, and they won¡¯t dare attack if they¡¯re afraid of me,¡± he replied as if he was stating the obvious.


    ¡°And if they gang up against you, or simply leave you to die somewhere?¡± Saeter asked.


    Blacknail squinted and scratched his long green nose, as he considered that idea. He didn¡¯t like it. Humans sure were a sneaky race. How was a poor hobgoblin supposed to keep himself safe?


    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± he asked his master reluctantly.


    ¡°You need to show them you¡¯re more than just a killer, and that they¡¯re your comrades and friends,¡± the old scout replied.


    ¡°So I need to outsmart and trick-ss them¡­¡± Blacknail mused aloud. ¡°That should be easy; I¡¯m a great actor!¡±


    Saeter sighed in resignation, and gave the hobgoblin an annoyed look.


    ¡°Sure, whatever works,¡± he told Blacknail as he shook his head.


    ¡°You sure are tricky, master!¡± Blacknail replied happily.


    ¡°Go get your mask and gear, Blacknail. I may as well get started on recruiting for Herad right away, and that means you¡¯ll be coming with me,¡± Saeter told him irritably, as they moved.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± the hobgoblin asked curiously.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to a bar. There¡¯s some people there I should talk to,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Why?¡± the hobgoblin asked.


    ¡°I need a drink; talking to you has given me a headache. Also, I used to move between the smaller bands a bit before I joined up with Herad, so I know some of the people. The kind of coin Zelena has will seem awfully tempting to them, but most should listen to reason,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Bah, why is Herad worried about a few tribeless humans? She should just kill them all, if they¡¯re going to become our enemies,¡± Blacknail suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bloody stupid idea! Try to actually use that skinny green head of yours, Blacknail. Fighting them would just hurt us, and we¡¯re trying to recruit some of them, remember?¡± Saeter replied heatedly.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right-ss, sorry master,¡± Blacknail responded. ¡°So first we recruit, and then-ss we make the new members fight the others for-ss us. If they die we don¡¯t even have to give them shinnies!¡±


    Saeter turned around and swatted the hobgoblin atop his head. Blacknail hadn¡¯t been expecting it, so he didn¡¯t manage to dodge the blow in time.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± he whined, as he took a step back and rubbed his now sore ear.


    Saeter glared at him furiously, and Blacknail wilted under his gaze. What had he said wrong? He¡¯d thought that was a great idea¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re trying to avoid making more enemies, Blacknail. Daggerpoint is a pretty immoral place, but even here bloody killing sprees in the streets are frowned upon,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Why would anyone-ss care what we do to our enemies?¡± the hobgoblin asked with honest curiosity.


    Saeter sighed in frustration and gave the hobgoblin a brooding look. Blacknail met his gaze with a confused expression. It seemed like his master was thinking deeply about something unpleasant. He hoped he wasn¡¯t about to be smacked again¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t just go around killing everyone, even in the North¡± Saeter explained a few seconds later. ¡°This piss poor excuse for a city is still a city, and it needs to stay at least somewhat civilized. If everyone just started killing everyone else then Daggerpoint would fall apart. No one would be able to buy food, clothes, or build shelter. Soon after that almost everyone would be dead or have left.¡±


    ¡°But the strongest would-ss hold the territory; it would all be his,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°So what? It¡¯s the people that make the city valuable,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°It¡¯s not like the wilds, were you can make most things for yourself. In a city you need lots of people to buy, sell, and make things. An empty city is worth less than a mud pit.¡±


    The hobgoblin tried to wrap his head around that. It sort of made sense to him, maybe.


    ¡°So, if I were to kill-ss the maker of tasty pastries then he couldn¡¯t make any more-ss of them, and if I were to start killing too many people he might-ss run away,¡± the hobgoblin muttered thoughtfully.


    Saeter rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Kind of; it¡¯s a bit more complicated than that, though. If you scare away or kill too many other people then who will buy his goods? If there¡¯s no one to sell pastries to then he¡¯ll leave. The city is sort of like¡­ an animal. It can take a few cuts and scrapes, but if you wound it too deeply or hit the wrong spot then it will die,¡± Saeter told him.


    Blacknail nodded at his master¡¯s words. He could picture that. All the people in a city were kind of like the different squishy bits inside a rabbit, they were even the right color.


    The hobgoblin frowned as another thought occurred to him. Were there green bits inside animals? He then shook his head to clear his thoughts. He should probably concentrate on Saeter¡¯s words; he could always search through the insides of a rabbit later.


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    ¡°I think-ss I understand, master, but I still think there must be a less boring way-ss to do this,¡± Blacknail told the old scout.


    ¡°If you can come up with one then knock yourself out,¡± Saeter replied condescendingly.


    Blacknail was a smart hobgoblin, so he knew his master didn¡¯t want him to actually bash himself across the head. His words were just a weird way humans gave people permission, or so Khita had explained when Blacknail had woken up after the first time Saeter had used that expression.


    ¡°So, we can¡¯t do anything too scary¡­ I know! They¡¯re weak and alone without a tribe, so I¡¯ll come back at night and kill them from the shadow where no one can see,¡± Blacknail announced proudly.


    Saeter eyed him critically.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you understand how many of them there are. We¡¯re talking about a good part of the people in the city. Even you couldn¡¯t pull that off, and some of them are very skilled. I used to be one, remember,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°How about just their leaders then, so the others will flee in terror?¡± Blacknail mused thoughtfully.


    ¡°Sure, that sounds fine,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Really?¡± Blacknail asked hopefully.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s a bloody stupid idea! There¡¯s still far too many of them for that to work,¡± Saeter answered scathingly.


    ¡°Fine whatever, you said they all live in their own part of the city?¡± Blacknail asked sulkily.


    There had to be some way to solve this problem that wasn¡¯t as boring as talking. It wasn¡¯t like humans were usually all that hard to murder.


    ¡°Well, they can hardly live in an area controlled by a gang leader, and the Governor¡¯s territory is too expensive for them,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Ha, it¡¯s simple then. We¡¯ll just burn all their homes down in the middle of the night, and kill them as they flee before us,¡± Blacknail suggested gleefully.


    ¡°Creepily enough, that might actually work. We¡¯re not going to do it, though. That would definitely count as too much damage to the city, and every time you kill someone you might be making someone else your enemy.¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°¡­but the flames would be so pretty,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself.


    This was very complicated. He supposed his master had a point though. Killing that one woman who had been with Galive had made Luphera angry. There were just so many humans shoved into Daggerpoint that he supposed they all knew each other or something.


    ¡°So if we can¡¯t kill people then what do we do?¡± he whined.


    ¡°I already told you. I¡¯m going to go talk to some people, and you¡¯re going to follow me,¡± his master replied.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very fun,¡± Blacknail commented darkly.


    In fact, it sounded very boring, and over the last few days the hobgoblin had slowly come to realize that talking wasn¡¯t one of his strong points.


    ¡°Not everything is supposed to be fun; think of this as a chore if you want. Personally, I think sharing a few drinks with some old acquaintances sounds bloody great right now, so get moving, and stop asking me these damned annoying questions,¡± Saeter crankily replied.


    Blacknail grumbled to himself but quickly headed over to his room to get dressed. A few minutes later he rejoined his master and together they left their band¡¯s base and headed out into the city.


    Saeter led Blacknail towards their destination. It was only just after noon, so Daggerpoint was busy and the streets were full of its myriad colorful inhabitants.


    Merchants hawked their wares from stalls or store fronts. The more successful ones had bodyguards at their sides, to prevent theft or other problems. The others simply glared suspiciously at everyone that approached, and kept one hand on a weapon.


    Small groups of thugs, and what passed for normal citizens, were also walking around. It could have been a scene from any other city, except everyone¡¯s clothes were rough and practical looking, and almost everyone was visibly armed. Knives and swords appeared to be the weapons of choice, but several people had clubs, and one man was even walking around with a spiked mace in his hand.


    The hobgoblin and Saeter weaved their way through the crowds while keeping their distance from most of the other people. The only interruption was when Saeter had to stop and drag an errant Blacknail away from where he was attempting to purchase an unidentifiable piece of meat on a stick, using money he had somehow acquired from another man¡¯s pocket after bumping into him.


    Saeter then took them off the main roads and through the less travelled alleys and narrower residential streets. They were about to walk around a tight corner when Blacknail realized they were surrounded, and about to be ambushed. They¡¯d walked right into a trap.


    The hobgoblin''s ears went flat against his head, as he hissed a loud warning to his master. Saeter flinched and dropped his hand towards his sword hilt. Before he could draw his weapon though, several figures burst out hiding and rushed towards the pair, several very small figures.


    The street children ran over and quickly surrounded the two bandits. They kept their distance though, and stayed out of attack range. Their clothes were ragged and filthy. Blacknail could see their ugly pink skin through the holes in it.


    ¡°Please sir, do you have any coins to spare? My sister is sick and I can¡¯t afford food for us both,¡± a taller male begged with wide desperate eyes.


    ¡°My parents beat me unless I bring home enough coins, please help me,¡± a smaller girl whined.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any parents, they were killed by a gang of thieves,¡± a third said, in a clear attempt to upstage the others.


    Saeter sighed and began to pull out his coin pouch, but he wasn¡¯t as fast as Blacknail. The hobgoblin had also reached into a pouch, but he pulled out a handful of small stones, and then hurled them towards several of the children.


    The youngsters saw the projectiles coming and quickly scrambled out of the way. The stones bounced off their turned backs and raised arms, or flew harmlessly past. Blacknail then hissed and charged them. He reached for the closest annoying little thing¡¯s neck, but was stopped by a swift tug on the back of his cloak.


    The children took this opportunity to make a break for it. They gasped, shrieked, and fled from Blacknail¡¯s masked form as fast as their little legs could take them.


    ¡°What in all the hells do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Saeter swore angrily at Blacknail, as he held his cloak.


    ¡°Chasing away-ss the little thieves! If you let the small ones close they¡¯ll take-ss your stuff,¡± Blacknail replied wearily. His master seemed really angry.


    ¡°They¡¯re street children, you shouldn¡¯t attack them! They might be annoying, but if you give them a few coins they¡¯ll leave,¡± Saeter explained scathingly, as he glared furiously at Blacknail.


    ¡°But-ss, if I just chase them away then I don¡¯t need-ss to give them any of my shiny coins,¡± Blacknail pointed out reproachfully. That was just common sense.


    ¡°Listen carefully, Blacknail. I know you don¡¯t understand morality, but by the gods you¡¯re going to understand this. You don¡¯t need your coins as much as those children do. You don¡¯t even spend most of them; you just hoard them!¡± Saeter growled angrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± a startled hobgoblin replied with wide eyed confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s called charity, Blacknail. You give some coins to others who need them more than you. Those children will starve or freeze in the winter without the money they get from begging, if they aren¡¯t murdered by a random thug,¡± the old scout explained.


    ¡°They look fat-ss and healthy to me,¡± Blacknail countered defensively.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a stupid hobgoblin. Humans aren¡¯t supposed to be dressed in rags and that thin¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°But, there¡¯s food everywhere-ss here. You humans pile it in the street. Look right-ss over there, there¡¯s a cat! A morsel-ss like that is a tasty feast for a little goblin or person, and they¡¯re not that hard to catch,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Humans don¡¯t eat that stuff,¡± Saeter explained irritably.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they, if they¡¯re hungry? They¡¯re just spoiled by human food,¡± the hobgoblin replied dismissively, as he glanced in the direction most of the children had run.


    ¡°They¡¯d get sick, Blacknail! Human children aren¡¯t goblins. They can¡¯t eat garbage and hunt cats through the streets!¡± Saeter exclaimed.


    ¡°They could if you gave them slings, they¡¯re not that slow and weak,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Saeter sighed in defeat, and then gave Blacknail a hard intense look.


    ¡°Forget it, Blacknail. Just don¡¯t hit any more children, ever. If you do then I¡¯ll give you the worst beating of your life, and then get Khita to nurse you back to health,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m not giving them shinnies¡­ I mean coins,¡± Blacknail replied darkly, before shuddering at the thought of being stuck defenseless with Khita for days. His master was a very scary human.


    Saeter just grunted and continued walking down the now empty alley. Blacknail cast another suspicious glance back towards the way most of the small humans had fled, before hurrying after his master.

 Queen of Swords 3

    Saeter led the hobgoblin through several more back streets, before they emerged back into a more public area. The street ahead of them was wide and mostly empty. It was bordered by worn down looking but well maintained homes. Everything had a well used feeling to it.


    There were no crowds bustling about in this part of the city. Only a few tough looking men and women could be seen walking together in small groups. The people here seemed to like to keep to themselves; there wasn¡¯t a lot of talking or noise.


    Saeter and Blacknail silently passed these people by, as they made their way down the street. After several minutes of walking, Blacknail noticed a building that was clearly not a home of any sort.


    It was much larger than the two houses that were on either side of it, even if it had the same worn down aura. Most tellingly though, there was a sign that hung out above the door, so Blacknail knew that meant he was looking at a human tavern. Unsurprisingly, it also appeared that Saeter was walking right towards it.


    Blacknail sighed in resignation as they walked up the creaky wooden steps of the tavern. He could already smell booze and the door wasn¡¯t even open yet. When Saeter opened the door, he sneezed wetly beneath his mask as the scent of alcohol and human sweat washed over him.


    The inside of the building was uncomfortably warm and stuffed full of humans. Apparently, the reason the streets were so empty was because everyone was in here, and by the smell of it none of them had bothered washing.


    The floor of the tavern was rugged stone and totally uncovered. The walls were rough looking wood and completely bare of decoration.


    There were a few tables and benches scattered about, but not enough for everyone, so a lot of people were standing around in small groups. Almost everyone inside was dressed in rough workmen¡¯s clothing, including a lot of the women. Only a few women were wearing long plain dresses and shirts instead.


    Saeter and the hobgoblin got more than a few glances as they moved into the room. Unlike outside, no one here was hooded. Blacknail hissed nervously as he realized he stood out from the crowd. He didn¡¯t like being the center of attention.


    The hobgoblin''s posture stiffened, but Saeter ignored everyone else and walked up to the bar. A second later Blacknail hurried after him. He felt much safer beside his master.


    The bald barkeep was round and fat even for a human. He lazily turned to look their way as they approached, and then he scowled in irritation. Blacknail didn¡¯t think the man was reacting to them; it seemed more likely that he always grimaced like that at everyone. His thick face was certainly lined enough for it.


    As the barkeep glowered thoughtfully at Saeter and Blacknail, a flash of recognition suddenly appeared in the large man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Huh, I thought you were dead,¡± he grunted at Saeter.


    ¡°I¡¯m impossible to kill, you should know that,¡± the old scout replied gruffly.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been by in a few years. At your age that usually means a man has retired or died, and you never struck me as the retiring type,¡± the innkeeper explained with a ponderous shrug of his shoulders.


    ¡°True enough,¡± Saeter responded as he took up position on the other side of the long crude wooden bar from the man.


    ¡°Who is your friend?¡± the innkeeper inquired, with a nod and a suspicious glance at Blacknail.


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine; you don¡¯t need to worry about him,¡± the old scout answered.


    The innkeeper didn¡¯t seem convinced; he eyed the hobgoblin suspiciously. He also apparently wasn¡¯t the curious sort though, because a few seconds later he just shrugged and changed the topic.


    ¡°Well then, what brings you back here? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re looking for work,¡± the innkeeper asked.


    ¡°No, I have a permanent employer these days. I¡¯m just here to tickle some ears,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Well the bulletin board''s still over there. Feel free to post something,¡± the large bald man remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for something a little more thorough than that. Maybe you could help me spread the word?¡± Saeter responded.


    ¡°Depends on what you want said,¡± the innkeeper explained.


    He then looked past the pair at another group of patrons who were across the room. Saeter ignored his rude behavior and continued talking.


    ¡°I hear Zelena is going to be looking for some muscle soon. When her men come around I want it known that it¡¯s a bad deal, no matter what they pay. The kind of deal that puts a man in an early grave,¡± he said.


    The innkeeper huffed in annoyance and turned back to scowl darkly at Saeter.


    ¡°Not likely, and not even for you. I find it healthy to stay out of local politics, and that¡¯s what this smells like to me,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. Zelena will use up anyone she hires and throw them away. Her plan is already a failure, and it¡¯s just going to get anyone she hires killed,¡± Saeter explained irritably.


    ¡°Oh, I trust your word, Old Raven. I can¡¯t say that about many men, but I¡¯ll say it about you. That doesn¡¯t change nothing though; I¡¯m still not going to get involved. Men die every day here in Daggerpoint, and everyone here knows the risks when they take a job,¡± the barkeep responded grimly.


    ¡°I can pay up front,¡± Saeter offered.


    ¡°I imagine so can Zelena. It¡¯s not about the coin,¡± the bald man replied.


    Saeter sighed and frowned. He then looked around the room, and he didn¡¯t seem to like what he saw. He grimaced as he took in all the people staring at him and Blacknail. The hobgoblin had started to nervously clutch the hilt of the sword at his hip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember this place being so full before, and I can¡¯t say the atmosphere has improved either,¡± Saeter remarked.


    The barkeeper turned to look at his other patrons, and then grunted in acknowledgement. It was hard to tell what he thought, as his face seemed frozen in a never ending grimace.


    ¡°People around here have become suspicious of strangers lately, especially ones that hide their face. There have been some unusual disappearances that have put people on edge,¡± he explained darkly.


    ¡°What do you mean disappearances?¡± Saeter asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Missing beggars, loners, and sometimes people just aren¡¯t making it home at night. People think it might be ghouls,¡± the large man answered reluctantly.


    Saeter turned to give Blacknail a thoughtful stare. Blacknail stared back blankly in return. He didn¡¯t like the look on Saeter¡¯s look; it usually meant he was about to tell Blacknail to do something annoying.


    ¡°I might be able to help you with that. If there are ghouls around I should be able to track them down,¡± Saeter offered.


    ¡°How are you going to do that, master?¡± Blacknail asked curiously, as he leaned closer to his master.


    Saeter turned towards the hobgoblin and rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not; you¡¯re going to do it,¡± he answered dryly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Blacknail replied uneasily.


    The barkeep gave the hobgoblin a dismissive glance, and then turned back to Saeter.


    ¡°Last time I checked, ghouls are hard to track down unless you have trained dogs. The Governor is the only man in town with them, and he doesn¡¯t bother himself with unconfirmed rumors. I don¡¯t think your friend there will be able to do it,¡± he said dismissively.


    ¡°Do you doubt my tracking skills?¡± the old scout replied coldly.


    ¡°No, but¡­¡± the barkeeper started to say before Saeter cut him off.


    ¡°Well this¡­ fellow here learned from me, and he¡¯s even better at tracking some things. You might even say ghouls are his specialty,¡± Saeter explained boastfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t expect any kind of reward for this; I¡¯m not going to change my mind about interfering in the affairs of the chiefs,¡± the Barkeeper responded darkly.


    ¡°Bah, ghouls are everyone¡¯s problem. I¡¯m not looking for a reward; I just don¡¯t want to have to worry about this crap later. Besides, I¡¯m just going to find them, not exterminate them. That will be up to the Governor,¡± Saeter replied dismissively.


    Blacknail groaned; he didn¡¯t think that was very likely. Experience had taught him that if there was trouble around then Saeter would inevitably drag him into the middle of it. He would be very surprised if they didn¡¯t end up in a fight or fleeing for their lives.


    ¡°Fine, do what you want then, Old Fool,¡± the barkeep told him.


    ¡°I always do,¡± Saeter replied.


    The two men then began talking about the details, and other things that Blacknail didn¡¯t find very interesting. He scanned the inside of the tavern, but nothing interesting caught his attention. Luckily, Saeter finished up his conversation after only a few minutes.


    ¡°Come on, Blacknail,¡± the old scout said, as he walked away back towards the door.


    Blacknail followed his master, but before he reached the door he turned back towards all the men and women who were throwing him dark looks.


    There was no way he was going to let some grubby looking tribeless humans look down on him. The hobgoblin straightened up and met their gazes.


    Several looked away, but one or two glared back. The hobgoblin let his hand drop down to the hilt of his sword, and then he growled in their direction. Suddenly, no one was looking his way.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Blacknail grinned wickedly from behind his mask. None of these smelly humans dared to challenge him! The hobgoblin skipped happily outside, and the door swung shut behind him. Ha, of course no one dared confront him; he was far too scary for weaklings like these!


    ¡°Stop wasting time,¡± Saeter grunted, as he looked impatiently back at Blacknail.


    ¡°I¡¯m right-ss behind you,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    Saeter shook his head disdainfully, and then proceeded to walk down the street. Blacknail just smiled as he sauntered over to his master. What were they doing again? Oh right, they were tracking down ghouls¡­


    ¡°Why are we-ss doing this? I don¡¯t want to go near-ss any foul black bloods,¡± Blacknail asked with disgust.


    Some of his memories from when he¡¯d been just a mere goblin had grown fuzzy, but he still remembered his tribe¡¯s fight against the ghoul things perfectly. He was unlikely to ever forget it, so he didn¡¯t really need, or want, any new memories of ghouls. They wouldn¡¯t be good memories.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on confronting any ghouls today. I just want you to sniff around and see if there are actually any around,¡± his master answered.


    ¡°Bah, why are we-ss even doing that?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Because we can,¡± Saeter grunted in reply.


    His reply didn¡¯t really answer Blacknail¡¯s question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do a lot of things I could-ss, usually because you won¡¯t let me. Don¡¯t steal that or don¡¯t stab thems-ss you tell me, and those things sound like much more fun than ghoul stalking,¡± the hobgoblin commented.


    ¡°I meant we¡¯re doing it because no one else but us can. Remember when I told you about cities and how they can fall apart?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Saeter sighed again.


    ¡°It was like an hour ago! Daggerpoint is like an animal, remember?¡± Saeter clarified.


    ¡°Oh right-ss, but we¡¯re not killing anyone right now, so we¡¯re not hurting-ss the city or stopping pastries from being made,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°We may not be hurting the city, but the ghouls certainly are. They¡¯re a sickness, and if left alone they¡¯ll kill the city,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°¡­and then-ss all the pastries and tasty treats will be gone,¡± Blacknail sighed in defeat.


    Of course, they were the only ones who could do this. Everyone else in the city was apparently useless and stupid! How had all these humans survived without him around to save them constantly?


    ¡°Right. Anyway, we¡¯re here now. Most the disappearances have happened on this street. Sniff around and see if you can smell any ghouls,¡± Saeter told him, as he stopped walking and stood in the middle of the empty street.


    Blacknail reluctantly nodded and did as he was told. He leaned over and began to smell random cobblestones. When he didn¡¯t detect anything that way, he moved over to the edge of the street and sniffed the barrels and alley entrances there.


    ¡°I smell nothing,¡± Blacknail told Saeter, after several minutes of wandering.


    ¡°Keep trying,¡± Saeter grunted in reply.


    The hobgoblin sighed and started over again. After several boring minutes of smelling the same untainted, but still foul, scent of humans he decided to wander down into the nearby alleys. His master didn¡¯t seem like he was going to let Blacknail stop.


    He walked over to the nearest back street entrance. It was a fairly tight alley with two rough looking houses on either side of it. The hobgoblin walked into the shadows, and idly began sniffing random things. Then he froze, and started sniffing one spot again. Saeter noticed the hobgoblin¡¯s sudden fascination with a broken piece of board.


    ¡°Did you find their trail?¡± he asked eagerly.


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail replied, as he sniffed the piece of wood some more.


    ¡°Then, what in all the hells are you doing?¡± Saeter shouted in frustration.


    ¡°I smell familiar people-ss,¡± Blacknail responded.


    ¡°Who?¡± Saeter asked curiously.


    ¡°Two of the men-ss who serve the mage Avorlus,¡± Blacknail answered.


    ¡°They probably live around here,¡± Saeter remarked dismissively.


    ¡°They bled-ss here, and so did someone else. If they hunt other men here it would explain why their base reeks so much of human blood-ss,¡± Blacknail mused to himself.


    ¡°What!¡± Saeter exclaimed in alarm. ¡°You should have mentioned that before!¡±


    ¡°All mages smell of blood, just usually only-ss their own,¡± Blacknail replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re going,¡± Saeter suddenly growled, as he spun around.


    ¡°What about-ss the ghouls?¡± Blacknail asked in disbelief.


    ¡°There are no ghouls!¡± a furious Saeter replied, as he began stomping back out into the street. ¡°This might actually be much worse.¡±


    Blacknail let out a defeated grunt as he followed his master. Of course, as soon as he was resigned to having to fight a pack of ghouls, he was told the situation was actually somehow worse. Did Saeter ever deliver good news? Why did Blacknail follow him around, again?


    ¡°Are we going-ss towards the worse things, or away-ss from them?¡± he asked his master with morbid curiosity.


    Ghouls were more than dangerous enough for Blacknail, so he really hoped they were heading away from danger. He knew his master too well to believe that, though. Saeter had some odd, and more than a little crazy, ideas about what could be considered fun.


    ¡°Away. We¡¯re headed back to see Herad,¡± Saeter grunted in reply.


    Blacknail felt a wave of relief wash over him at his master¡¯s words. Somehow, against all odds, Saeter had started to actually make sense! It must be Blacknail¡¯s lucky day.


    ¡°Good,¡± the hobgoblin replied cheerfully.


    He then followed Saeter into a nearby alley. As the pair walked into the shadowy passage, Blacknail heard something from behind him.


    He spun around just in time to see two men enter the alleyway behind them and draw their blades. Blacknail hissed loudly in alarm, as he reached for his own sword.


    ¡°This better not be another group of street kids¡­¡± Saeter started to say.


    Blacknail¡¯s master turned around to see what had alarmed the hobgoblin, and stopped talking when he noticed the two men.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking you two aren¡¯t here to welcome us to the neighborhood,¡± Saeter remarked, as he studied the pair.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sniffing around where you don¡¯t belong, so now you¡¯re dead meat,¡± the leader replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea; we¡¯re part of Herad¡¯s gang, and she takes attacks against her people personally,¡± Saeter explained threateningly.


    ¡°That never works,¡± Blacknail muttered darkly.


    ¡°Well, then we just won¡¯t tell her about this,¡± the closer assailant told Saeter with cruel humor.


    ¡°See, it didn¡¯t work! It never does,¡± Blacknail pointed out irritably.


    Saeter turned and gave him an annoyed look.


    ¡°What should I have said, then? Do you want to take over the negotiations?¡± he shot back at Blacknail.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just kill them. They don¡¯t look so tough! The one in the front is too skinny, and the one in the back looks slow and stupid,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    ¡°What did you just say about me, you little bastard?¡± the further of the thugs asked angrily.


    Blacknail sighed and shook his head. Human ears sure were pathetic if they couldn¡¯t even hear someone talking from that short of a distance away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill these assholes, quick,¡± one of the thugs told the other.


    His companion nodded and both of them pulled a vial out of their coats. Blacknail¡¯s eyes went wide as he watched them chug down the contents. Everyone kept telling him that Vessels were rare, but that didn¡¯t really seem to be the case¡­


    ¡°See, this is why you try to talk first,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin irritably.


    Blacknail grunted vaguely in reply, as his master turned to face their attackers. Saeter¡¯s face twisted into a grimace as he considered them. He looked as if he¡¯d just swallowed something unpleasant.


    ¡°So, I was right. You two work for Avorlus,¡± he commented darkly.


    ¡°How the fuck¡­¡± the dark haired one started to remark.


    Before he could say more though, his companion shut him up by punching him in the shoulder and giving him a cold glare.


    It was the perfect opportunity to hit them with a surprise attack, so Blacknail stealthy reached into one of his pouches for ammo. His fingers frantically searched the inside of the bag, but he didn¡¯t feel any stones.


    Oh right, he¡¯d thrown them all at the pack of little thieves that had ambushed him. He¡¯d forgotten to retrieve them because Saeter had started lecturing him.


    ¡°Dog teeth,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself.


    If there had been just one Vessel Blacknail could probably have fought him off, and if he¡¯d been alone he could have just run for it. With Saeter here, and with two Vessels as his opponents, he didn¡¯t know what to do.

 Queen of Swords 4

    Since he had no ranged weapons available, Blacknail drew his sword. Meanwhile, Saeter reached into his coat and took out a pouch of his own. The old scout then threw a quick glance at the alleyway behind them. The hobgoblin saw the movement, and knew what Saeter wanted to know.


    ¡°There are only two of them. I hear no one behind us,¡± Blacknail told his master.


    Saeter nodded and turned back to watch the pair of thugs who were approaching. He eyed the two men warily.


    ¡°We¡¯re running. Follow me,¡± he whispered a second later.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes widened slightly in surprise, that was not what he had expected Saeter to say.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be fast-ss runners,¡± he warned his master.


    Blacknail really hoped his master had a plan. Normally he was all for running away from danger, but he wasn¡¯t sure Saeter was fast enough to escape.


    ¡°Now!¡± his master grunted a second later, as he started running.


    Instantly, Blacknail turned and sprinted away as well, and he shoved his sword back into its sheath. Within a few short seconds he pulled ahead of the old scout.


    ¡°Blasted cowards, don¡¯t let them escape!¡± one of the Vessels yelled from behind them.


    The pounding of heavy footsteps then reached Blacknail¡¯s ears as the two thugs gave chase. The hobgoblin looked over his shoulder, and winced when he saw how fast their pursuers were running down the alley towards them. The men were moving at a pace a non-boosted human would have a very hard time matching.


    At this rate they would catch up within seconds. Blacknail could increase his own pace, but Saeter probably couldn¡¯t. Desperately, the hobgoblin searched his pouches for something useful as he ran. If only he had been a mage, then he could have used magic or something against them!


    One of Blacknail¡¯s hands came to rest against his coin pouch, and he let out a resigned sigh as a annoying idea occurred to him. The hobgoblin quickly reached inside, scooped the coins into his hand, and the whipped them back at their pursuers.


    ¡°Eat-ss this, pinkies!¡± Blacknail yelled as the swarm of glittering projectiles flew through the air.


    The two Vessels barely had time to react before the coins showered over them. They both raised their hands to protect their faces, but not in time to stop the first few projectiles.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± one of them swore, as a coin smashed into his forehead and drew blood.


    He stumbled and slowed momentarily to wipe the blood from his face. The second pursuer winced in pain as a coin bounced off his knee cap, and he slowed as well. Behind his mask Blacknail smirked smugly at them.


    Idly, he wondered if this counted as charity. The two thugs had certainly needed the money, thrown at their ugly faces, more than he had. He would have to ask Saeter later, after they finished running for their lives.


    Just ahead of Blacknail, Saeter rounded a corner and momentarily disappeared out of sight. When the hobgoblin caught up he noticed that his master was emptying the pouch he¡¯d been holding onto the ground. It had been full of little spiky pieces of metal.


    ¡°Keep running,¡± Saeter told him, as he finished and picked up speed again.


    ¡°I never stopped! You¡¯re-ss the slow one, you run!¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    ¡°Bah, whatever,¡± Saeter grunted in reply, and the annoyed hobgoblin had to suppress an urge to kick his master in the ass.


    The two of them only managed to run a short distance, before their pursuers rounded the corner as well. The thugs were moving very quickly, and thus they didn¡¯t have time to notice the presents Saeter had left behind for them.


    ¡°Ugh, bloody hells! My foot,¡± one of them screamed, as he stepped on a spike.


    The other man instantly looked down, and his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw.


    ¡°Fuck, caltrops!¡± he exclaimed.


    The first man stumbled, and then quickly hopped out of the way. He was limping and his face was scrunched up in pain, so he was clearly no longer in any shape to continue the chase. However, the second man had been warned. He was managing to awkwardly hop across the caltrops without stepping on any, so Blacknail picked up a rock off the alley floor, and launched it at his face.


    The thug was looking down at his own feet, so he didn¡¯t see it coming at all. There was a thud as the heavy stone bounced off the side of his head. He stumbled and stepped on a caltrop. As the hobgoblin watched, his leg gave out and tipped over sideways to land on his side. As he hit the ground several more spikes were driven into his body.


    ¡°Damn you to all the hells forever!¡± the man screamed shrilly in pain.


    Ouch, Blacknail was fairly sure that guy was no longer a problem either. Maybe he should go back there and finish them off¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it, keep running,¡± Saeter suddenly remarked, between heavy breaths.


    The old scout had clearly understood the hobgoblin¡¯s hesitation and body language. Blacknail sighed in regret, and continued running. He¡¯d been hoping to at least go back and get his coins, and he wouldn¡¯t have said no to having some fun with the two men who¡¯d attacked them.


    The pair burst out of the alley and onto one of the main streets. Without slowing Saeter led Blacknail right into the middle of the crowds. Men and women pressed against the hobgoblin from all sides, but he ignored them. Several minutes later, after it was clear no one was still following them, Saeter slowed down to a walk, and moved off to the side of the road.


    He was huffing and breathing heavily. His face was red and looked exhausted, but the hobgoblin had barely broken a sweat. All this easy city living was clearly making him weak.


    ¡°I think we lost them,¡± the grey haired scout told Blacknail. ¡°Now, we need to get back and have a talk with Herad, though.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take them long to reach Herad¡¯s compound. They passed the guards and stepped inside without a problem. Blacknail eyed his master warily as he walked. Saeter seemed to be growing more and more animated the closer they got to Herad, and that made the hobgoblin nervous.


    Saeter burst through the entrance to Herad¡¯s room, and the door slammed into the wall behind him with a loud crash. His eyes burned with rage, as he stomped into the chamber on the other side.


    Blacknail stayed out in the hallway, and cowered behind the two startled looking guards that Saeter had just blown past. All three of them gave each other shocked looks, and then peered wide eyed through the doorway to see what happened next.


    Herad looked up from her desk. There was a look half way between annoyance and amusement on her face. She was also reaching under her desk for something that was probably a weapon, but she relaxed and smirked when she recognized Saeter.


    ¡°Down boy,¡± she ordered him loudly.


    Saeter stopped a few feet from her desk, and then grimaced as he realized he¡¯d unintentionally obeyed her. Herad smiled mockingly at him.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± she remarked as her eyes glittered with amusement.


    Saeter¡¯s scowl deepened and he gave her an irritated look. Blacknail let out a relieved breath. It didn¡¯t seem like they were going to fight, or that his master was about to be killed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a dog,¡± Saeter grunted.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t act like one, old man. Knock on the door before you enter, and don¡¯t slam it,¡± she told him condescendingly.


    Blacknail could hear Saeter grinding his teeth as he tried to hold in his anger. Luckily, this just seemed to amuse Herad.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because there¡¯s something you need to know,¡± he said, a few seconds later.


    One of Herad¡¯s eyebrows rose as she gave Saeter an unsurprised look.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t think you stormed in here to invite me to dinner, so please go on and tell me what bug has gotten up your butt this time,¡± she remarked disdainfully, as she leaned back in her chair.


    ¡°Avorlus is a blood mage,¡± Saeter announced gravely.


    The old scout met Herad¡¯s eyes and stared her down. Herad¡¯s mouth opened slightly and she looked momentarily lost for words. Blacknail had no idea what a blood mage was, but it sure sounded serious!


    ¡°Well¡­ that certainly makes sense, and is useful to know. How exactly did you figure this out?¡± Herad calmly asked, after a moment or two of thought.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? I just revealed there¡¯s blood mage in our midst, and that¡¯s all you have to say?¡± Saeter growled angrily.


    ¡°What is it you expect me to say?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I expect you to do something about it!¡± he replied.


    ¡°He¡¯s useful, so I don¡¯t really care all that much,¡± Herad explained emotionlessly, as her dark eyes narrowed.


    ¡°He¡¯s a blood mage!¡± Saeter exclaimed in outraged disbelief.


    ¡°And now that I know what he is I can hold it over him to guarantee his cooperation, so thanks for telling me. Now shut your trap; you¡¯re not to discuss this with anyone,¡± Herad ordered as she glared coldly at him.


    Blacknail heard footsteps, so he turned to see Mahedium approaching the room. Herad¡¯s guards straightened and tried to look like they hadn¡¯t just been listening in, but the hobgoblin just gave the mage a friendly wave before peering back through the doorway.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how dangerous it is to be around blood mages? Not to mention, they kill people and harvest their blood! ¡± Saeter pointed out.


    Before Herad could answer, their conversation was interrupted as Mahedium walked into the room. They both scowled at him as he entered, but the mage didn¡¯t seem disturbed.


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    ¡°I heard you wanted me, Saeter,¡± the mage calmly said, as he approached Herad¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Yes, I did! I wanted to discuss your friend Master Avorlus. Did you know he¡¯s a blood mage?¡± Saeter replied angrily.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very serious accusation. I take it you have proof?¡± Mahedium asked.


    The young mage was still calm and composed. He held his staff in one hand, and stood straight with military discipline. With his plain face, hazel eyes, and short brown hair he looked as unremarkable as usual.


    ¡°I know he¡¯s been abducting people off the streets, and that his home reeks of people¡¯s blood,¡± Saeter replied darkly.


    ¡°He¡¯s probably a blood mage then,¡± Mahedium admitted with a frown.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± Saeter asked threateningly.


    ¡°I had some suspicions, but nothing more,¡± the mage replied without concern.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± the old scout exclaimed angrily.


    ¡°It¡¯s not something I care to accuse people of without proof,¡± Mahedium answered coldly.


    ¡°More like you didn¡¯t care¡­¡± Blacknail¡¯s master grumbled to himself.


    The mage met Saeter¡¯s angry stare without flinching. The old scout turned away from him after a second, and looked back at Herad.


    ¡°You two aren¡¯t taking this seriously enough. Blood mages pollute the very earth, and they twist beasts into monsters!¡± he announced in frustration.


    His face was red and he was breathing heavier than normal. This was the most worked up Blacknail had ever seen him. However, Herad just gave Saeter a flat uncaring stare.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, blood mages aren¡¯t much worse than any other type of mage. I¡¯ve never met a combat mage that didn¡¯t have the blood of dozens of men on their hands. All that garbage about blood magic causing mutants to appear is just superstition,¡± Herad told him dismissively.


    ¡°That¡¯s different, combat mages are soldiers. Blood mages prey on people for their own ends,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°I also believe there¡¯s an important distinction there,¡± Mahedium added. ¡°Also, Saeter isn¡¯t completely wrong about the relationship between blood magic and crystal hosts.¡±


    A triumphant look appeared on Saeter¡¯s face, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Herad cut him off.


    ¡°Explain,¡± she ordered the mage.


    ¡°Blood magic comes in several forms, but it¡¯s actually very simple. In fact, the first mages probably all used blood magic, before modern alchemical magic was created. The type I imagine Avorlus is doing, simply involves harvesting the blood of people who didn¡¯t survive the transformation into a Vessel, and maybe some that did. He¡¯s probably dosing the people he¡¯s abducted, and then distilling their blood to create Elixir,¡± the mage explained.


    ¡°Why would he do that, and what does it have to do with mutants?¡± Herad asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a way to create more of an Elixir, even if you don¡¯t know the formula for it. With such an endless supply of samples it also becomes much easier to study an Elixir and discover its recipe. Unfortunately, refining the blood also creates a lot of waste products that contain active crystals. It¡¯s unlikely, but possible, that exposure to this waste could cause a creature to become a host,¡± Mahedium admitted.


    ¡°So, a horde of savage mutants isn¡¯t about to tear its way through the city,¡± Herad said, as she glared at Saeter.


    ¡°No, most likely exposure would just kill the creatures it comes into contact with. It¡¯s very dangerous stuff to anyone not already a mage or Vessel. I wonder how Avorlus is disposing of it,¡± Mahedium replied.


    ¡°One mutant would be too many. We need to stop him before it¡¯s too late!¡± Saeter said.


    ¡°Your paranoid fear of mutants is getting annoying; they die like everything else,¡± Herad replied scornfully.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen the havoc a truly dangerous crystal host can create. No man can stand against them, the empty ruins of Coroulis¡¯ should be proof enough of that,¡± Saeter countered.


    His face was still red from being so worked up, and he waved his hands as he talked. This clearly wasn¡¯t an argument he was willing to lose. Of course, Herad wasn¡¯t usually one to care what other people thought, only that they obeyed.


    ¡°Even if I wanted to do something about him, and I don¡¯t, I¡¯m not in a position where I can throw away such a useful ally. Perhaps, over your rather long and eventful career as a thief and murderer you¡¯ve noticed that people who play at being a hero, and who involve themselves in events that aren¡¯t any of their damn business, end up dead or as failures. That¡¯s not a mistake I intend to make,¡± she replied harshly, and with obvious scorn.


    ¡°Some things are more important than petty gains, and worth sacrificing for. Maybe, becoming murder queen of the cutthroats shouldn¡¯t be your first priority,¡± Saeter told her.


    Herad¡¯s chair slid back across the floor with shrill screech. A dangerous look appeared on her face as she rose to her feet. Her dark eyes narrowed as she regarded Saeter with hostility. Both Saeter and Mahedium took a step back away from her, as she walked towards them.


    ¡°You overstep yourself, Saeter! Remember that I¡¯m the chief here, and that you work for me. You will do as I say, and nothing more, or I¡¯ll dispose of you like so much trash,¡± she snarled, as she stood in front of him.


    The old scout stiffened and his face went slightly pale, but he held her gaze, and his eyes were full of defiance. Blacknail hissed quietly in alarm. Why wasn¡¯t his master backing down? He was going to get himself killed after all!


    The hobgoblin held his breath as Saeter and Herad glared at each other. Blacknail¡¯s master seemed unwilling to submit and look away, and Herad¡¯s left hand began to creep closer towards the hilt of a dagger on her hip.


    The hobgoblin began seriously considering creating a distraction, and then dragging his master away in the chaos. Maybe he could pretend there was an attack or start a fire?


    Just as Herad¡¯s fingers closed around her dagger¡¯s pommel, Saeter finally spoke up.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you say; you¡¯re the boss,¡± he answered flatly.


    Blacknail sighed in relief. Saeter then started to turn away from Herad, and head towards the door, but the bandit chieftain stopped him.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? I didn¡¯t give you permission to leave,¡± she hissed.


    Saeter froze and grimaced. It looked like he wanted to say something unwise. Blacknail held his breath again. If his master said anything stupid, and suicidal, then Blacknail was going to bash him over the head and apologize to Herad for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to go get a drink,¡± Saeter grunted reluctantly a second later. The hobgoblin relaxed.


    ¡°Very well; go ahead. Just remember that I meant what I said about keeping this quiet,¡± Herad replied smugly.


    The old scout didn¡¯t respond, he just immediately walked out of the room. Mahedium threw Saeter a concerned look but he also chose to keep his mouth shut.


    Saeter walked out the door, and past the two guards and one hobgoblin who were now trying hard to look like they hadn¡¯t been listening. Blacknail moved to follow his master as soon Saeter stomped out into the hallway, but he hesitated when he heard Herad address him.


    ¡°Blacknail, make sure the old fool behaves, or you¡¯ll both regret it,¡± she told him coldly.


    ¡°Yes, mistress,¡± Blacknail answered , as he turned and lowered his head submissively.


    ¡°At least one of them knows who is in charge around here,¡± the hobgoblin heard his chieftain mutter, as he scurried quickly after Saeter.


    Why couldn¡¯t Saeter just keep his mouth shut? If he kept this up one of these days Herad was going take offense at his actions and kill him. He¡¯d come awfully close just now, and Blacknail would rather that didn¡¯t happen.


    Saeter¡¯s feet thudded against the wooden floorboards as he stomped through the building. He was obviously still furious, so Blacknail hesitated to approach him. He should probably try to cheer his master up, though.


    ¡°I could just kill Avorlus for you, or we could do it together, master. I¡¯ve gotten very good at the sneaking and stabbing,¡± Blacknail offered hopefully, as he walked up beside Saeter.


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping, Blacknail. I¡¯ve done a lot of immoral things in my life, but I¡¯m not an assassin,¡± the old scout replied.


    ¡°I am, so I¡¯ll do it for you!¡± the hobgoblin cheerfully pointed out.


    ¡°No,¡± his master sternly replied. ¡°Stay here, I need to be alone for awhile.¡±


    As Blacknail looked on, his master sighed tiredly and walked out the front door of Herad¡¯s base. The hobgoblin would normally have been more than happy to let him go, but Herad had commanded him to keep an eye on Saeter. With an exasperated sigh, Blacknail stealthily crept after his master.


    Things would be much easier if Saeter would just not resist the chief, or if he would at least launch a proper challenge. Of course, if he did challenge Herad he would most likely be cut to pieces, but if Herad did spare him then he would at least learn his place.


    There wasn¡¯t much chance of Saeter winning. His master really needed to realize that Herad was a lot tougher than him, so he should just do as she said. That was simply the natural order of things after all.

 Queen of Swords 5

    The air in the closet was dry and stale, and with the door closed it was almost pitch black inside. Only the tiniest hint of light managed to slip in under the door. Deep at the back, behind a pile of crates and a heap of musty old sheets, there was a quiet muffled shuffling sound as a shadowy figure stirred.


    Two long arms that ended in long jagged nails reached out and carefully retrieved something from under one of the sheets. There was then a sinister chuckle, as Blacknail the hobgoblin brought the wheel of cheese up to his mouth and took a luxurious bite out of it. It was so tasty and yummy!


    He¡¯d hidden his cheese wheel here several days ago, and now he was enjoying a quick snack. No one would ever think to look for his tasty treat here. As he happily chewed the strong tangy cheese, his revelry was suddenly broken by the sound of raised voices.


    Last night he¡¯d followed Saeter out into the city, but nothing interesting had happened. Herad had ordered Blacknail to look out for his master, so he had carefully shadowed Saeter through the streets. The old scout had just wandered to the nearest tavern though, and spent the afternoon drinking.


    Blacknail had slipped into the tavern as well, and sat down at a table. He¡¯d chosen a spot across the floor from Saeter that was tucked away in a dark corner. When anyone had tried to approach him he¡¯d simply hissed at them until they had gone away. If they hadn¡¯t got the message then he¡¯d drawn his dagger.


    Other than the fun he¡¯d had scaring the occasional drunk or waitress, it had been a very boring night. Eventually, his master had stumbled drunkenly home, and Blacknail had followed him back. The hobgoblin had only needed to kill one mugger to keep his master safe.


    It was now the next morning, and Blacknail¡¯s ears perked up as he detected unusual activity. Not only were a group of people discussing something rather loudly, but the sound of hurried footsteps now filled Herad¡¯s base. Something was happening¡­


    The hobgoblin carefully placed his cheese back in its hiding spot, and then stealthily crept out of the closet. He was curious about what was going on, but also cautious. It was entirely possible Herad was just in a mood, and had decided to put everyone to work. It was also possible she¡¯d simply started to kill everyone she saw. In either of those cases, Blacknail wasn¡¯t planning on going anywhere near her.


    He silently made his way down the hallway and towards the speakers, until their voices got clearer. One of them was definitely Herad, but she didn¡¯t sound angry. Rather, she sounded excited and cheerful.


    Blacknail flinched as he was suddenly overwhelmed by an urge to run back to the closet and crawl under something. If Herad was happy then bad things were about to happen to somebody, and Blacknail didn¡¯t want it to be him.


    ¡°¡­just a few hours away. They weren¡¯t all that easy to count, but there are about a hundred and a dozen of them. They¡¯re definitely a foot company; only a few of the officers were mounted,¡± a familiar sounding bandit was saying.


    ¡°They¡¯re a little early, but we¡¯re ready for them,¡± Herad replied.


    ¡°They were moving pretty quickly, and seemed organized. Whoever these guys are they know how to march,¡± the other bandit explained.


    ¡°Did you get a good look at their equipment?¡± Herad asked him.


    ¡°Not really; they¡¯re transporting it in covered wagons. I don¡¯t think there was enough room in them for all too many pikes or crossbows, though. They had shields on their backs so most of them are most likely planning on fighting with sword and shield,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I would prefer it if they didn¡¯t have shields, but crossbows would have been a bigger threat. You didn¡¯t ambush or raid them at all?¡± the chieftain inquired.


    ¡°No, as per your orders we held back and remained out of sight. The mercenaries didn¡¯t give us an opening to go after. Their officers and supplies were always well protected,¡± he answered quickly.


    ¡°Good, the element of surprise is worth more than the loss of a few grunts to arrows from the forest. It¡¯s important that they don¡¯t realize that we¡¯re expecting them,¡± Herad announced to everyone there. ¡°I want every single member of the band accounted for, and equipped within the hour. The men already here are to start rolling out the heavy defenses, right away. It¡¯s time to dig in.¡±


    ¡°Right away, boss,¡± another bandit responded, before Blacknail heard him run off.


    As Herad continued to talk, Blacknail slipped into the room. He wanted to be part of the action, as well. Hopefully, Herad would give him a real job this time.


    The chamber was packed full of people, most of whom Blacknail couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember by name. He did see both Saeter and Khita, though. No one looked his way as he walked over towards his master.


    ¡°Have you been able to round up a few more horses?¡± Herad asked a tall lanky woman.


    ¡°No, there have been some complications there, boss,¡± the woman replied nervously.


    ¡°What kind of complications?¡± Herad asked with more than a hint of anger.


    The female bandit winced and paled slightly. Blacknail was glad he wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d annoyed the chieftain.


    ¡°A lot of the dealers are having problems with their stock. A lot of the animals in the city are sick. They think there¡¯s either a flu going around, or that someone has been poisoning them. I don¡¯t know why anyone would do that, though,¡± she explained quickly.


    Herad grunted in acknowledgment and some of the anger left her face. It was quickly replaced by confusion. She didn¡¯t seem to know why anyone would do that either.


    Blacknail went very still, and tried to look as innocent as possible by forcing himself to smile. He wasn¡¯t sure it was working very well. Luckily, Herad didn¡¯t look his way. Saeter turned and gave the hobgoblin an irritated look, though.


    ¡°They started it!¡± Blacknail whispered to him.


    His master didn¡¯t seem convinced. The old scout sighed and shook his head, until he turned back towards Herad a second later.


    ¡°Smelly stupid horses,¡± the hobgoblin muttered to himself. How dare they get him in trouble! Next time he was going to use stronger poison.


    ¡°What about Zelena; is she moving?¡± Herad asked.


    ¡°Well, we still don¡¯t know where she actually is, but none of her men seem to be doing anything yet,¡± another bandit replied. He was one of the men Blacknail couldn¡¯t be bothered to remember.


    ¡°Good, then we probably have some time. I want you to tell the guards to lock and block every door but the main entrance, girl,¡± Herad said as she looked at Khita.


    The young redhead pointed to herself uncertainly.


    ¡°Yes, you,¡± Herad replied irritably as she pointed to the door.


    ¡°I have a bloody name,¡± Khita muttered darkly to herself.


    The young woman knew better then to disobey though, and she hurriedly headed for the exit. Blacknail watched her go, and when Khita noticed him he stuck his tongue out at her mockingly. She scowled at the hobgoblin in return, but that only made him smile smugly.


    Herad then turned towards the band¡¯s only mage. Blacknail hadn¡¯t noticed him at first because he¡¯d been standing at the back of a group of people and out of sight. Also, while most humans looked the same, Mahedium was even more generic looking than most.


    ¡°Mahedium, I want you to visit your friend Avorlus and deliver a message for me,¡± she told the mage.


    He frowned in displeasure as he considered Herad¡¯s words.


    ¡°Is he going to like this message?¡± he asked dryly.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Herad chuckled, as she threw Saeter a smug smirk.


    The old scout¡¯s face muscles tightened and he clenched his fists, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Mahedium sighed in resignation, and Herad handed him an envelope. The mage then nodded and left the room.


    ¡°Blacknail and Saeter, I have a job for you two as well. Saeter, I want you to take some of the other scouts out and stop anyone who tries to approach the base. I don¡¯t want Zelena to know what she¡¯s getting into before it¡¯s too late,¡± Herad told them.


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss, how could I refuse?¡± Saeter replied coldly.


    ¡°What do we do if too many enemies show up?¡± Blacknail asked quickly.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t want to give Saeter the chance to annoy Herad. He also wanted to know exactly when it was alright to run away. That was an important thing to know if there were going to be lots and lots of angry humans around.


    ¡°Fall back to the first line of defense and help defend it. I want you to keep an eye out for assassins or scouts that try to sneak past, though. That¡¯s your main concern, Blacknail. I expect Zelena to send them in when she realizes how hard a nut we¡¯ll be to crack, and I want you ready. It¡¯ll be your job to deal with them,¡± the bandit chieftain explained.


    Blacknail scowled doubtfully. If Malthus showed up he didn¡¯t want to get in another fight with him. The annoying man was a much better sword fighter than him. Herad was giving him a very dangerous job. His expression didn¡¯t go unnoticed.


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    ¡°If you manage to handle Zelena¡¯s Knifemen then I¡¯ll buy you all the food you can eat,¡± Herad told him as she grinned sardonically.


    The hobgoblin fidgeted as he considered the offer. It sounded interesting, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t an idiot. The job was going to be very risky, so he wanted something more than just a lot of food. He wanted quality food.


    ¡°You¡¯ll give-ss me all the expensive blue cheese and apple pies I want-ss?¡± the hobgoblin asked, as he licked his lips.


    Herad rolled her eyes, and several bandits chuckled.


    ¡°Anything you want,¡± she answered dryly.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do-ss it!¡± Blacknail replied eagerly.


    The hobgoblin grinned smugly to himself. He was obviously a master negotiator! Blue cheese was worth a little danger. It smelled so good, but was very hard to find or buy.


    The merchants wanted crazy amounts of coins for it, and never left it lying around, which was very rude of them. Even the thought of eating as much of it as he could swallow sent shivers of joy down his spine.


    ¡°Do you think you can handle it?¡± Saeter asked him with concern.


    The hobgoblin looked down at the ground and began to think furiously. A few seconds later he looked up and met his master¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Yes, I can do it. They might be sneaky and dangerous, but they¡¯re just humans. I also don¡¯t have to fight them fair,¡± Blacknail replied with a vicious grin.


    ¡°Sounds like you have a plan,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best plan ever! This job will be easy,¡± the hobgoblin bragged as he grinned smugly.


    Saeter grunted dubiously and frowned at Blacknail, but he didn¡¯t say anything further. The hobgoblin knew his master was skeptical, but was sure his plan would work.


    The meeting continued on for almost another hour, before Herad sent everyone away. Saeter immediately went off to gather men for their mission.


    ¡°Get ready to do some running and fighting. You¡¯ll want all your gear for this, including your bow. I have to wrangle up the other members of our little party, so I¡¯ll probably be a while. Some of them just got back, so I¡¯ll meet you out front at the eleventh hour,¡± his master told him.


    The hobgoblin nodded and then dashed over to his room to get his stuff. He would need all the time he could get if he wanted to prepare his surprise for Malthus and the other assassins.


    He quickly wound the bandages around his arms and legs, donned his cloak, and pulled on his mask. He grabbed his backpack and filled it full of some extra rope and stakes. Then, as his master had suggested, he strapped his bow to his back and pulled on his sword belt.


    When that was done, Blacknail quickly rummaged through one of his other bags. A second later, he pulled out a pair of sausages and scoffed them down. He didn¡¯t want to run on an empty stomach.


    The hobgoblin dashed out of the building. When he returned around two hours later his backpack was missing, and he was out of breath from running so hard.


    Saeter was right where he¡¯d said he would be, just outside the front entrance to Herad¡¯s base, and he wasn¡¯t alone. Two dozen other men were with him. Blacknail recognized them all as scouts that had been with the band since before he¡¯d joined.


    The rangers were dressed somewhat similarly to the rest of the band. If anything, their leathers and cloaks were more worn down looking than usual. Unlike most the men in Herad¡¯s employ though, they had an aura of stillness about them. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t seem dangerous; it was just that that danger was tempered by patience, which was good because Blacknail was late.


    ¡°So, the hobgoblin¡¯s finally here,¡± one of them commented, as Blacknail arrived.


    ¡°Good, I was beginning to think old Saeter was going to make us leave without him, and he¡¯s probably worth two or three men for something like this,¡± another replied with a smile.


    Blacknail gave the second man a friendly nod of acknowledgement. He had spent more time around the scouts and foresters than any of the other bandits, and was thus comfortable being around them. He also respected their skill.


    ¡°More than that, at least ten,¡± Blacknail bragged, which drew a round of chuckles.


    A scattering of wispy white clouds filled the sky overhead, but the noon sun was still visible most of the time. A cold heavy wind was blowing from the north though, and it was pulling the dark clouds that lay thick on the skyline ever closer. Blacknail thought there was a good chance the day would soon grow dimmer.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re all here, so let¡¯s get moving,¡± Saeter told everyone. ¡°Our job is to intercept anyone trying to get a good look at the compound. Gavius, I want you and seven others to watch the gap in the buildings to the West. I¡¯ll take these eleven and watch the main road.


    There were nods of agreement from everyone present. The rangers started to form their parties, but just as the groups had started to split up Saeter spoke up again.


    ¡°And remember, nobody here should try and play hero. If you see anything you can¡¯t deal with then don¡¯t try, go for reinforcements. It¡¯s not our job to stop a serious advance,¡± he said.


    ¡°You remember it!¡± Blacknail muttered, as he gave his master a dark look.


    If anyone here was going to end up putting themselves in danger it was almost certainly going to be Saeter, and that meant Blacknail would have to put himself in danger to help him. This time, if the old scout tried anything stupid Blacknail was going drag him away, even if he had to knock him unconscious first.


    Saeter led the hobgoblin and the other rangers over to the main road, and they started walking to their destination. As they moved Blacknail observed their surroundings carefully for any signs of danger.


    This part of the city was mostly deserted. The fact that it had been claimed by Herad was common knowledge, and so was her violent nature. Not that a lot of people had lived here even before the bandit chieftain had moved in.


    Most buildings here were old warehouses, and two large ones rose up on either side of this part of the road. Their foundations were rough stone and mortar, but the rest of them were made of thick wooden planks. Saeter stopped and pointed to a window high up on the second floor of the building to the right.


    ¡°That spot has a good overview of the entire area. I want someone with a bow up there. If you see anyone that doesn¡¯t belong then use standard birdcalls to tell everyone else which side of the street they¡¯re on,¡± Saeter said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± one of the scouts replied.


    The man exchanged a nod with Saeter, and then headed for the entrance to the warehouse.


    ¡°Alright, you two are with me and Blacknail. The five of us will take the west side of the road. The rest of you will take the eastern side. Carvus, you¡¯re in charge,¡± Saeter then explained.


    There were nods of agreement all around, and then the group split into two. Scouts weren¡¯t the most talkative of people.


    ¡°Keep those big green ears of yours open, Blacknail,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin, as they walked off the street and into an alley.


    ¡°I will-ss, no one will get past me!¡± Blacknail replied happily.


    The hobgoblin was already scanning his surroundings with all his senses. Hunting like this always made him excited, and this time was no different. The act of sneaking around while looking for prey made him feel all tingly inside. There was nothing he would rather be doing, and he couldn¡¯t wait for some unexpecting enemy to stumble onto his path. Dealing with them would be so fun!


    It had rained slightly that morning, so the loose cobblestones under Blacknail¡¯s boots were still damp and muddy. The sun hadn¡¯t quite risen high enough in the sky to illuminate the spaces between the buildings, so the alleyway was gloomy and full of shadows.


    Blacknail heard a slight noise from up ahead, and he instantly whipped his head around to stare intently in that direction. Was it an enemy? No, a rat had just scuttled out of hiding. The hobgoblin sighed and continued following his master, as the vermin disappeared through a hole in a wall.


    They continued trudging through the alleys for what seemed like forever to Blacknail, and it was boring! Why hadn¡¯t an enemy shown up yet? The hobgoblin was beginning to think he should be going on ahead by himself. There were supposed to be lots of enemies in the city right now, so he could just go grab one of them. The sucker would never know what hit him!


    Suddenly, Blacknail heard a thumping sound from down a side street up ahead. There had been a few more false alarms since the rat, so at first he didn¡¯t think too much of it, but then the sound repeated itself several times.


    It sounded suspiciously like footsteps; a large group of unknown people were approaching. Since the hobgoblin''s group was out here looking for enemies it seemed likely that they''d just found some. Hooray?

 Queen of Swords 6

    Blacknail hissed softly in warning, as the sound of footsteps on wet cobblestone drew closer. Saeter quickly held up a hand and signaled everyone to stop, and then looked back at Blacknail to see what was the matter. The hobgoblin responded by pointing to the source of the noise, and then making the hand gesture for people approaching.


    Saeter immediately gestured for the group to split up, take cover, and ready their weapons for an ambush. Blacknail was more than happy to obey. Finally, some prey had shown itself! He hoped they had lots of shiny bits and tasty things on them he could take as trophies, like pie.


    The hobgoblin quickly dashed over to a rain barrel and hid behind it, before drawing his bow. It had been a while since he had last used the weapon, but he remembered how.


    It just wasn¡¯t something he usually carried around with him in Daggerpoint, since a sling was almost as good and much less conspicuous. Experience had taught Blacknail that half of successfully hitting someone lay in making sure they didn¡¯t know you were about to take a shot at them, and that was hard to do with a bow unless you were very far away.


    The other members of his party also took cover behind various obstacles, and waited for the source of the noise to draw near. Blacknail could barely contain his excitement. He was shivering eagerly and had even started to drool in anticipation, as he listened to the footsteps approach.


    The stupid humans didn¡¯t know what was about to hit them! Unless it was Malthus of course, if it was Blacknail planned on running away as fast he could.


    Soon enough, a man¡¯s head poked out from around the corner. His wild looking hair was dirty blonde and he had a short beard. After a few seconds of staring down the street suspiciously, he then turned around and looked the other way for a few seconds, before stepping back around the corner and out of sight.


    ¡°It looks clear,¡± Blacknail heard him tell someone.


    There was a low rumble of conversation, and then the blonde man stepped back out into the street. He was soon followed by several other men and a woman. Blacknail studied them as they walked closer. All of them were wearing rough mismatched leather armor, and were armed with short swords.


    They all looked like normal Daggerpoint thugs to the hobgoblin, but they clearly weren¡¯t just out for a morning stroll. They were far too nervous to be anything but intruders, and that meant they were fair game.


    Saeter¡¯s hiding spot was the closest to the enemy because he had been leading the group. While still concealed, Blacknail¡¯s master flashed the signal for three, and then the one for two. Blacknail smiled eagerly as he realized it was a countdown.


    Just as the lead thug stepped in a small puddle in the middle of the street, Saeter gave the go command. As one, the scouts rose from their hiding spots and unleashed a barrage of shrieking arrows. Their targets barely had time to react before the arrows ripped into them.


    Howls of pain filled the air, and three of the enemy fell with feathered shafts protruding from their flesh. Their bodies hit the wet ground with a splash and went still. Two more of the enemy had been hit, but were still standing.


    Blacknail hissed in annoyance. His own arrow had missed and flown harmlessly down the street. The stupid human had moved at the last second! That wasn¡¯t fair. He had wanted to show off how great an archer he was!


    ¡°Damnation, you bloody bastards!¡± swore a large brown haired thug.


    He had a deep gash across his arm that had been caused by an arrow grazing it, but the wound didn¡¯t stop him from drawing his sword and charging the closest target he saw. The three uninjured thugs behind him also drew their own weapons, and charged as well. Blacknail hissed in irritation when he realized that they were headed for Saeter. Why did that always happen?


    The hobgoblin was relieved that at least the last two thugs weren¡¯t joining the attack. One was too busy cradling his arm, because it had an arrow sticking out of it. The other was uninjured, but decided to make a run for it. He dashed back the way they¡¯d come, but didn¡¯t get very far. A scout to Blacknail¡¯s left calmly put an arrow right between his shoulder blades.


    Saeter saw the enemies bearing down on him and threw down his bow, so he could pull out his sword. Blacknail hurriedly put his own bow down on the barrel in front of him and rushed over to support his master. Two other scouts were right behind him. They all drew their swords as they moved.


    Saeter took a step back as he warded off his opponents with a wide swing of his blade. This bought Blacknail enough time to close on the thug closest to him. The hobgoblin put on a dash of speed and ducked under the surprised man¡¯s blade. He then stabbed the tip of his sword deep into the terminally surprised man¡¯s belly.


    There was a wet sucking sound as the blade sunk into his flesh, quickly followed by a choking noise as the man collapsed and vomited up blood. Blacknail hurriedly stepped out of the way of the messy red torrent, and then kicked the kneeling man hard in the ribs, so he could pry his sword out of his guts.


    That left three enemies that were still attacking Saeter. Blacknail¡¯s master didn¡¯t seem to be having any trouble keeping out of reach of their blades, though. He calmly side stepped any slash or stab that went anywhere near him, and soon the other two scouts reached his side.


    Instantly, the odds turned against the thugs; now they were the outnumbered ones. Saeter and the other bandits took full advantage of this. All together they pressed forward and attacked, as Blacknail leaped to the side and threatened the thugs¡¯ flank. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t like attacking from the front.


    Blades flashed through the air as Zelena¡¯s hirelings were encircled and pushed together. The clang of steel on steel filled the alley as blade met blade.


    As Saeter and the other scouts attacked and exchanged blows with their opponents, Blacknail leaped in from the side and slashed down at one the thugs¡¯ feet. The hobgoblin¡¯s swing didn¡¯t connect, but it forced the man to lurch out of the way, and caused a gap to open in the intruders¡¯ defense.


    Almost immediately, one of them stumbled and a sword cut into his neck. He collapsed and the gap widened. Saeter and his men redoubled their efforts, and blood splashed against the ground as another of Zelena¡¯s thugs was cut down. Blacknail giggled excitedly as he circled behind the remaining enemies; he sensed victory.


    ¡°Halt,¡± Saeter told his companions, as he held out a hand.


    Blacknail and the scouts stopped their attack. The hobgoblin threw a questioning glance at Saeter. He¡¯d been having a lot of fun, and they were just about to get to the best part, so why had Saeter made them stop?


    ¡°Throw down your weapons, and surrender. There¡¯s no point in fighting,¡± the old scout told the last two thugs.


    ¡°We surrender,¡± the remaining man instantly replied, as he dropped his sword.


    The woman was quick to follow. Both of them looked relieved, but still more than a little afraid. Their fear was understandable, since they were surrounded, and at their feet lay the bloody corpses of their former comrades.


    The hobgoblin was still wound up from the fight and had to hold himself back from continuing to attack and torment the prey. He shivered as he fought down the urge to pounce on them. He really hoped this surrendering business was just Saeter¡¯s clever way of disarming the enemy so that they were easier to finish off, but he doubted it.


    Blacknail distracted himself by studying the captives. The surviving male was a shorter man with a wide build. The hobgoblin thought he looked like he had quite a bit of meat on him. He had dark eyes and dirty brown hair. He also had a short scraggly beard that did little to conceal his fat cheeks and the pockmarks on them.


    The female was tall for a woman, and gaunt looking. She also had messy short brown hair and pale washed out blue eyes. Blacknail eyed her suspiciously. She seemed full of nervous energy and was constantly fidgeting. If one of them was going to try something it would probably be her. Blacknail hoped she did.


    Both the captives noticed his intense stare, masked face, and agitated demeanor. The man blanched and took a step away from him, while the woman paled and froze. Their reactions simply excited Blacknail further.


    ¡°See, I told you the hobgoblin would come in handy. He led us right to them and we caught them like fish in barrel,¡± the ranger from earlier remarked.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t actually what you said,¡± his companion replied dryly.


    ¡°Close enough. Thanks, Blacknail,¡± the first man said.


    ¡°No problem; it was easy,¡± the hobgoblin replied cheerfully, without taking his eyes off the prisoners.


    Saeter ignored the chattering going on behind him, and was also focused on the captives


    ¡°Surrendering was the right choice. Now, what were your orders?¡± he asked them threateningly.


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    ¡°We were just told to scout ahead and report back any activity,¡± the male captive quickly replied.


    "We¡¯re not Zelena¡¯s minions, we''re just in this for the money. They offered us bonuses if we brought back good info. Please, don¡¯t kill me,¡± the woman begged.


    ¡°Do you know anything about Zelena¡¯s movements?¡± Saeter asked them harshly.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± the man replied eagerly. ¡°She¡¯s planning on attacking you today, and is massing her forces over at Second and Gilber Street.¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s master looked them over contemplatively for a few seconds, before turning to his companions.


    ¡°They¡¯re just throwaway hirelings, and probably a distraction for the real scouts,¡± Saeter told them.


    ¡°What do you want to do with them?¡± one of Herad¡¯s rangers asked. He didn¡¯t sound like he really cared all that much.


    The old scout turned to look at the captives again and frowned. The woman gave him a hopeful smile. Blacknail took a step forward and eagerly voiced his opinion.


    ¡°You could let them go¡­¡± he suggested eagerly.


    Some of the tension disappeared from the captives¡¯ posture, and they looked relieved.


    ¡°¡­and then I could hunt them down through the streets for fun,¡± the hobgoblin finished.


    Both the captives took a hasty step back from him, and a horrified expression appeared on the woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°That would take up too much time,¡± Saeter replied dryly.


    ¡°I could catch them very fast,¡± Blacknail remarked as he eyed the woman.


    She smelled strongly of fear, and Blacknail detected a slight shiver to her movements. She was obviously more afraid than her companion, and her fear was exciting the hobgoblin. He would really enjoy hunting her. Blacknail licked his lips greedily.


    ¡°Nope, still not going to happen,¡± his master answered sternly, and Blacknail sighed deeply in regret.


    Saeter then turned towards the two captives. There was a sad look in his eyes.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have taken this job. I don¡¯t have time to lock you up, and you obviously can¡¯t be trusted,¡± he told them.


    ¡°No, wait please!¡± the brunette woman wailed, before one of the scouts silenced her with a swing of his blade.


    The stocky man tried to flee but Saeter stabbed him ruthlessly in the back. The old scout then sighed unhappily at the corpses at his feet.


    ¡°I wanted to do that!¡± Blacknail whined. His master obviously hadn¡¯t enjoyed doing it, so why had he hogged all the action?


    Saeter looked up and frowned at the hobgoblin. He looked sad for a second but his face quickly hardened.


    ¡°I have another job for you, Blacknail. I¡¯m betting there¡¯s another more skilled group of scouts around, and I want you to track them down. There should only be one or two of them,¡± he told him.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± Blacknail replied happily. He would get to hunt some people down after all! That was better than just stabbing them.


    The hobgoblin immediately took off at a sprint down the dirty alleyway. He had plenty of energy to burn, and within seconds he had disappeared from Saeter¡¯s sight.


    Instinct told him that anyone using the humans from earlier would have wanted to make sure their distraction did as they were told, so Blacknail back traced the enemies path, and soon stumbled on a scent that didn¡¯t belong to them.  Someone had indeed been shadowing the first group of humans as they''d approached Herad¡¯s territory.


    From there it was simple for Blacknail to follow the new scent trail through the winding back alleys until he closed in on his prey. The man he was following wasn¡¯t bad at moving silently and keeping out of sight, so the hobgoblin had to proceed carefully when the trail grew fresh, lest he stumble into him. He didn¡¯t want the man to know he was being stalked, that would take the fun out of it.


    Blacknail carefully scanned the shadows for any sign of movement, or anything that didn¡¯t belong, as he moved through the alley. His prey was close now. He saw nothing though, so he closed his eyes and concentrated on listening.


    The clatter of everyday activities echoed through the narrow streets from far away, but Blacknail tuned it out. A slight wheeze stirred the air somewhere to his right, and the hobgoblin¡¯s eyes shot open. He immediately stalked towards the source of the noise. There was someone nearby.


    It had come from the other side of a decrepit looking building, so rather than expose himself by walking down the street Blacknail chose a different way. Silently, the hobgoblin crept up to the wall in front of him and began to climb.


    He swiftly made his way up the rough uneven wooden exterior of the building, and pulled himself up onto the roof. Ever so carefully, he stalked across the clay roof tiles until he reached the far edge, and then he looked down.


    Below him a man wearing the familiar hooded cloak of an assassin was pressed up against the building. The hobgoblin watched as the man peered nervously around a corner and down the street for signs of pursuit. He appeared nervous for some reason, and that annoyed Blacknail. Had he somehow detected the hobgoblin¡¯s presence?


    Blacknail was just about to drop down on the unsuspecting assassin and assassinate him, when he heard someone else approaching. Thinking that it might be more enemies, he quickly rolled back over to the other side of the roof and out of sight.


    When the new arrival turned the corner, the hobgoblin peeked over the tip of the building to see who it was, and his eyes widened in surprise. He recognized the man; it was what¡¯s his face the bandit! He was one of the men that had joined Herad after Fang had died. Was he also looking for spies?


    Much to Blacknail¡¯s confusion, the assassin stepped out from the shadows and greeted the newcomer. What¡¯s his face returned the greeting, and the hobgoblin¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously. The man wasn¡¯t looking for spies, he was a spy! Blacknail was definitely going to kill him.


    ¡°Do you have the information?¡± the assassin asked the traitor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, do you have my gold?¡± he replied.


    The assassin grunted, pulled out a small pouch, and threw it to the traitor. The bandit caught it and then opened it so he could peer inside. He seemed satisfied with the contents because he smiled and tucked it into his coat.


    Upon hearing the word gold Blacknail had instantly focused on the pouch, but he hadn¡¯t been able to see inside of it when it had been opened. If there was gold in there though, then he planned on taking the shiny stuff for his own. He didn¡¯t actually have any gold yet, just a bit of silver.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn,¡± the assassin remarked, and the traitor nodded.


    ¡°All the information you want is in there, including stuff about her defenses and the location of her camp,¡± the man explained as he pulled out a scroll case, and handed it to the assassin.


    ¡°What about information on which merchants she deals with, the caravans she¡¯s hit in the last year, and the details of her operation down South?¡± the assassin asked.


    ¡°Ya, that¡¯s in there too. I don¡¯t know why in all the hells you want that, though. It seems pretty bloody useless,¡± the other man replied.


    The assassin just nodded, and then opened the case and looked the scroll over quickly. A few seconds later he closed it again and tucked it away.


    ¡°Good, this will do nicely. Thank you for your efforts,¡± the assassin replied.


    The other man snorted in response.


    ¡°I know which way the winds are blowing. Herad¡¯s no match for Warrick and the people behind him. Her days are numbered,¡± the traitor said.


    ¡°Very true, but then so are yours,¡± the assassin remarked with deceptive calm, as he lunged forward and stabbed the traitor up under his ribs.


    The man coughed and crumpled lifelessly onto the alley floor. The assassin then quickly cleaned his knife off with a cloth and re-sheathed it. The corpse¡¯s eyes were wide open in surprise, and the assassin gave it a smug smile.


    He then picked the pouch up from where it had fallen on the ground, and opened it. This time Blacknail clearly saw the glint of gold from within, and he purred softly to himself.


    ¡°I''ll be taking this back for myself,¡± the man laughed


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s mine,¡± Blacknail giggled as he dropped down on the man¡¯s back.


    ¡°What, who?¡± the startled man gasped.


    The impact stunned the man and he started to fall. The hobgoblin wasted no time; he started stabbing wildly at the man¡¯s exposed sides. Before the assassin even hit the ground Blacknail had stabbed him more than half a dozen times, and then Blacknail stabbed him half a dozen more.


    The grinning hobgoblin stepped off the man¡¯s squishy body and started to loot the bloody corpses. He took the scroll as a gift for Herad, but claimed all the assassin¡¯s knives and the pouch of gold for himself. He¡¯d earned them after all.

 Queen of Swords 7

    With his human prey laying dead on the wet cobblestones at his feet, Blacknail hurried back towards Saeter and the other scouts. He broke out into a quick run so it only took him a few minutes to find them. Thankfully, they hadn¡¯t gone far and were just around the corner from where they¡¯d fought Zelena¡¯s hirelings.


    When he turned the last corner and Saeter¡¯s form came into view, Blacknail let out a deep relaxing breath. He was relieved that his master hadn¡¯t managed to get himself into trouble while he¡¯d been gone. He''d sort of been expecting his master to have picked a fight with a troll or something. He had no idea how or why a troll would show up in the middle of the city, but if one did he was sure Saeter would run into it.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Blacknail called out as he rejoined the rangers. He didn¡¯t want to startle them and get shot in the chest by an arrow.


    ¡°Did you find anyone?¡± his master asked with obvious interest.


    ¡°Yep, I found-ss two stupid humans¡­¡± the hobgoblin started to reply.


    However, he was unexpectedly cut off by the shrill sound of a distant whistle. The first blast of noise was soon followed by several more, and they formed a pattern Blacknail recognized. It was the signal that enemies were coming down the road. Even the humans beside him, with their tiny useless pink ears, apparently heard it, because they turned to look in that direction.


    ¡°Time to go. Quickly, get back to the road!¡± Saeter commanded everyone, as he broke out into a jog.


    Together the group of rangers dashed back towards the main street that led to Herad¡¯s compound, and the lookout there that had just signaled them. As they ran Blacknail risked a quick look around.


    The sun had now reached the apex of the sky. It was still cloudy overhead so it wasn¡¯t all that bright out, but there was enough light to strip most the shadows from the tight corridors that Saeter¡¯s group were running through. The sunlight had also finally started to dry the wet ground, and the puddles were evaporating.


    Saeter¡¯s group soon arrived near the warehouse where they had stationed the sentry earlier, and they came to a cautious stop. One of the scouts peeked out at the street from around a corner, but the roadway seemed clear. Carefully, he led the others to the entrance of the building. Blacknail listened carefully for signs of an ambush as well.


    He didn¡¯t hear anything at first, until they got close to the doorway, and then he heard a slight shuffling noise. There was at least one person concealed on the other side of it. He was just about to hiss a warning, when he got a good whiff of their scent.


    The hobgoblin relaxed when he didn¡¯t smell anyone around who wasn¡¯t a member of Herad¡¯s band. Sure enough, a second later a familiar face stepped out of the doorway and greeted them. It was one of the rangers Saeter had sent out earlier.


    ¡°Good, you''re back. We need to get out of here. Zelena¡¯s men are moving in force now. There¡¯s easily a hundred of the scum coming down the road. The misbegotten bastards will be here in just a minute or two,¡± he told them.


    ¡°Any word from Herad about how the preparations are going?¡± Saeter asked him gruffly.


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t care. We¡¯re not here to buy her time, if she even needs it. We were just told to stop anyone trying to get a look at our defenses until the main attack comes, and it¡¯s bloody well here now,¡± the other man replied impatiently.


    Saeter grunted in vague agreement before replying.


    ¡°Fine then, let¡¯s get going. Tell the sentry to get his ass down here so we can leave,¡± he growled.


    The other rangers soon arrived and the entire group quickly retreated down the road towards the base. The group of about a dozen rangers and the hobgoblin dashed towards safety.


    As they ran, Blacknail could hear noise from behind them, and it made him more than a little anxious. It definitely sounded like people were chasing them, and he didn¡¯t like being the hunted one. He threw a nervous look over his shoulder, but the road behind them was still empty. The clutter of hoofs on stone and the thud of boots were very clear in his ears, though.


    He could also hear quite a bit of activity from up ahead, and he really hoped it was the rest of his tribe. It would be awkward if it was a trap, because then he¡¯d have to make a break for safety and leave everyone else behind. The reason for all the noise soon became obvious however, and it wasn¡¯t a trap.


    The wide cobblestone road that led to Herad¡¯s base was full bandits, and a tall wooden barricade now stretched all the way from the building on one side to the building on the other. It was a little taller than a human man, and had been hastily constructed out of mismatched wooden panels.


    Herad herself was out front overseeing the work as her minions finished assembling the wall. Her idea of supervision seemed to involve an awful lot of screaming and insults.


    ¡°Move faster you lazy vermin! If you don¡¯t start moving your fat asses faster then you won¡¯t have to worry about the enemy, because I¡¯ll kill you fucks myself!¡± she yelled savagely at the workers.


    The bandit chieftain then noticed Saeter¡¯s group returning and turned towards them.


    ¡°I take it that your arrival means that Zelena¡¯s finally attacking?¡± she asked Saeter as they walked up to her.


    ¡°A large force of what certainly looks like Zelena¡¯s men is coming down the road right behind us. There¡¯s no sign of the mercenaries yet, though. How are things going here?¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Well enough, the barricade isn¡¯t pretty, but it should do the job. The demolition crews have also finished collapsing buildings across the other ways in,¡± Herad answered.


    ¡°We sure are making a mess,¡± one of the other scouts murmured to himself.


    Before Saeter could respond to Herad, her expression hardened and her hand dropped towards her sword. Thankfully she was no longer looking at Saeter though, but gazing past him instead. Both Blacknail and his master hurriedly turned to see what she was gazing at. It was probably important.


    The hobgoblin growled softly as he took in the figure of a lone horseman on the empty road behind them. The rider had come to a stop well out of bowshot, and he was too far away for the hobgoblin to see details, but he seemed to be scrutinizing Herad¡¯s barricade.


    ¡°The first enemy has arrived. Looks like you two got here just in time for the big fight,¡± Herad remarked.


    ¡°Oh, joy-ss,¡± Blacknail hissed sarcastically. He had seen human battles before, and being stuck in the middle of one was among the last places he wanted to be.


    The bandit chieftain then whistled sharply to get everyone¡¯s attention. Blacknail winced as the noise painfully pierced his skull. Ugh, he hated it when people whistled.


    ¡°Alright everyone, get to the other side of the wall. The pathetic fools we¡¯re about to slaughter have arrived!¡± Herad yelled loudly enough for all her nearby minions to hear.


    There was no gate in the barricade, so Saeter¡¯s group followed Herad into a nearby building. The door was shut and locked behind them, and then a large bookcase was jammed up behind it for good measure.


    With that done they stepped out of another door and into the area behind the barricade, where they would supposedly be safe. The hobgoblin was glad they had a wall, but he thought it would probably be safer to be somewhere that wasn¡¯t about to be attacked.


    A slight smile appeared on Herad¡¯s face as she surveyed the scene before her. Her men were rushing around to put the finishing touches on the wooden barricade that loomed before them.


    Blacknail thought this was a good time to give her his gift, because it looked like things were going to get very busy soon and he didn¡¯t want to forget. He found that when people tried to kill him it was usually very distracting.


    ¡°Oh great-ss mistress, I have a present for you!¡± he announced loudly to catch her attention.


    Herad turned around and scowled at the hobgoblin. He gave her a hopeful grin in return.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be about to lay some dead rat you caught on the way back here at my feet,¡± she remarked coldly.


    ¡°He¡¯s a hobgoblin not a cat,¡± Saeter interjected dryly.


    Herad just huffed impatiently for Blacknail to get to it. The hobgoblin hurriedly pulled the scroll case out from where he¡¯d tucked it into his belt and held it out in front of himself where she could see it.


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    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve started writing or even reading, so what in all the hells is that?¡± she asked curiously as she reached out and took it from him.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s hobgoblin poetry,¡± one of the scouts whispered to the man beside him, which caused him to snicker quietly. Blacknail ignored them.


    ¡°The vile and smelly-ss traitor gave it to the stupid human-ss assassin I killed. So I offer-ss it to you as proof of my kills,¡± he told Herad excitedly.


    ¡°What traitor?¡± Herad asked with sudden anger as her eyes narrowed dangerously.


    Her expression didn¡¯t get any better when she opened the scroll case and started reading. In fact, it got much worse.


    ¡°Umm, you know¡­ the man. The um¡­ pink one with the tiny ears and nose,¡± Blacknail stuttered in reply.


    Herad looked up from her reading and scowled at him again. Blacknail cringed under her scrutiny. Why was she angry at him? Maybe he should learn people¡¯s names after all. Why did all humans have to look so similar?


    ¡°He¡¯s the one who smelled kind-ss of rusty all the time-ss,¡± the hobgoblin added hopefully.


    He was disappointed; Herad¡¯s scowl grew deeper, but thankfully she turned away from him and towards his master. Surely he hadn¡¯t been the only one to notice that smell? Humans sure had bad senses of smell.


    ¡°Saeter, I don¡¯t suppose you happened to see the bastard Blacknail is talking about?¡± Herad asked.


    ¡°Um no, sorry,¡± Saeter replied carefully.


    Herad groaned in uncharacteristic frustration, and eyed Blacknail irritably again. The hobgoblin gave her a nervous smile back.


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Don¡¯t worry about his bloody name, then. Tell me exactly how you got this scroll!¡± she commanded the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail immediately launched into a rambling explanation on how he¡¯d tracked the super dangerous eight foot tall assassin through the streets and then killed both him and the traitor in an extended knife fight. There may have been a vicious pack of dogs, or harpies, as well.


    He left out the little unimportant details though, like the pouch of gold.


    ¡°Well, it seems like you handled the situation right,¡± Herad told the hobgoblin. ¡°I can figure out who in all the hells the traitor was after I deal with the small army that is about to attack us. Now get back to work. I want you both to join the defensive line, but don¡¯t forget to keep an eye out for anyone trying to sneak around it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, oh great-ss mistress,¡± Blacknail replied respectfully.


    He thought it was a good idea to make sure that he was back on her good side. Herad wasn¡¯t impressed, though.


    ¡°Shut your flapping trap and move. I¡¯m busy,¡± She growled back as she turned away dismissively.


    ¡°You heard the boss; let¡¯s get going,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin.


    The pair then hurried away from the irate bandit chieftain and went to find a good position. Blacknail started to head directly for the barricade, but Saeter stopped him and pointed out a nearby roof with easy access by an exterior stairway.


    It was just off to one side of the barricade, was within easy bow shot of it, and had a clear view of the street. The building was also tall enough that anyone below would have trouble scaling it to get at them, so they made their way over to it.


    By the time they reached the rooftop balcony the horseman had disappeared. The road in front of Herad¡¯s barricade was now empty.


    ¡°Maybe he got-ss scared and went home. I¡¯m very scary; people-ss run from me all the time,¡± Blacknail remarked hopefully.


    ¡°Not likely,¡± his master chuckled in reply.


    Saeter and the hobgoblin weren¡¯t the only ones getting into position; dozens of Herad¡¯s bandits were also nearby and getting ready. The barricade was too thin to at the top to stand on but platforms had been set up behind it for people to climb up.


    Most of the platforms were just stacks of crates or barrels that had been piled up behind the wooden wall. There were also one or two carts that had been dragged over. The makeshift footing looked effective though; the bandits standing on it could easily hit anyone that tried to get over the wall in front of them.


    Men armed with a variety of weapons, including spears and bows, were positioned all along the barricade to defend it. As Blacknail looked down the last few men got into position and the sounds of activity died down. A sudden stillness then fell over the area, as everyone waited for the enemy to show themselves. There was nothing more to do but wait.


    They didn¡¯t have to wait all that long. Within minutes there was a clatter of hoofs as several new riders appeared at the end of the road.


    One of them held a long banner. There wasn¡¯t quite enough wind for it to unfurl, so Blacknail couldn¡¯t make out the symbol on it, but it still looked more than a little impressive.


    As all of Herad¡¯s minions watched, the horsemen talked among themselves and observed the barricade that was blocking their way. They didn¡¯t seem very impressed by it.


    A deep keening noise suddenly rippled though the air as one of the riders raised a horn to his lips. The eerie wail washed over Blacknail and caused the hairs on his skin to rise. When the noise died down Blacknail didn¡¯t feel any better, because it was quickly replaced by the sound of pounding footsteps, and quite a lot of them.


    As Blacknail watched the horsemen cantered off to the side of the road, and a rough looking mob of men came down the street past them.


    Blacknail gulped nervously as he gave up trying to count them. There must have been hundreds of them! Certainly, there were more of them than he had fingers and toes, anyway.


    ¡°They look like normal Daggerpoint riffraff. Zelena must be holding her real soldiers in reserve,¡± Saeter remarked matter of factly.


    Blacknail eyed his master skeptically. There were even more enemies than he could see? They already outnumbered Herad¡¯s band!


    ¡°They look more than scary enough to me. Let¡¯s find somewhere safer to be, like the forest!¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°Bah, stop being a coward. Fighting isn¡¯t all about numbers,¡± Saeter replied scornfully.


    As the wave of armed and angry looking humans descended upon the barricade Blacknail got a better look at them. They did seem to be nothing special. Most of them wouldn¡¯t have stood out if Blacknail had seen them walking down the street. Of course, this was Daggerpoint so that just meant they weren¡¯t armed with anything larger than a short sword or a large club.


    By contrast Herad¡¯s men were better armed and shinier. Almost all of them had helmets, and many of them had weapons larger than just short swords. A few of them even had chainmail shirts and shields. None of the attackers had that sort of equipment. There were still a bloody lot of them though.


    Blacknail was brought back to reality by the sound of Saeter pulling his bow string back. He looked over just in time to see his master release an arrow at the approaching enemies, and a loud twang sound echoed past him as the bowstring vibrated.


    The projectile sailed over the heads of the first few advancing attackers, and then slammed into the throat of an unlucky man several ranks back. Instantly, the man collapsed and then disappeared as he was trampled underfoot by the rest of the mob.


    A victorious roar went up from the rest of Blacknail¡¯s tribesmen as they celebrated the kill. It was quickly matched by a chorus of bloodthirsty cries from the wave of heavily armed thugs that were bearing down on the wall. Now that they were within bowshot the mob picked up speed as one by one they started breaking out into full out sprints.


    The attackers looked eager to strike back and spill some blood of their own. Blacknail was going to have to do his best to disappoint them. He clenched his fists nervously as the violent maelstrom of noise from the young battlefield below washed over him.


    The first shot had been fired. The first death had been dealt. The battle that would decide the fate of Herad¡¯s Band and all of Daggerpoint had begun.


    Blacknail¡¯s stomach grumbled; he wished he¡¯d brought more snacks. Maybe he could loot something¡­

 Queen of Swords 8

    The wave of attackers bore down on the barricade Herad had ordered built across the road. Blacknail and his master looked down over the battlefield from a balcony on the side of a building beside the makeshift wall. Both of them had bows and full quivers of arrows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there; help me out!¡± Saeter growled at the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail smiled eagerly as he took up his bow and fitted an arrow to it. He gripped it steadily and pulled the string back all the way to his face. He carefully selected a particularly stupid looking red haired human from among the advancing crowd, aligned his sights on the man¡¯s chest, and then let the arrow loose.


    The unleashed projectile sprung forward with a deep twang, and bit deep into the knee of a man standing several feet to the left of Blacknail¡¯s target. The accidental victim screamed before collapsing onto the ground.


    The hobgoblin grimaced at how far off he¡¯d been. He was a great archer; that arrow should have gone where he¡¯d aimed! The wind must have shifted or something¡­ stupid wind.


    ¡°Huh, not a terrible shot,¡± Saeter remarked as he let loose another arrow of his own.


    ¡°Yes, now he can¡¯t run-ss away,¡± Blacknail responded guardedly. He¡¯d do better next time. The last shot had just been a fluke after all.


    The hobgoblin then selected another arrow and target. This time he chose to aim at the chest of a tall lanky man with a small steel helmet. If the man didn¡¯t want to be shot then he shouldn¡¯t wear such a shiny hat. Maybe Blacknail would take it as a prize after the battle.


    He let go of the string, and the arrow zoomed forward and straight toward the unsuspecting man. The hobgoblin grinned happily as he watched it fly true.


    The grin slipped from his face though, when the arrow ricocheted off the surprised man¡¯s helmet and spun into the face of the man next to him. They both went down in a confused tumble of limbs, but then a few seconds later they both got back up again.


    The first man looked pale and unsteady on his feet, and there was a large uncomfortable looking dent in his helmet. He staggered and blinked uncertainly for a while before rejoining the charge. The second man had a large gash across his face that was bleeding heavily, but he appeared to still be able to fight as well. Both definitely seemed like they would live¡­


    ¡°Dog breath-ss,¡± Blacknail hissed angrily.


    ¡°Ha, that was an unlucky shot! Just keep on shooting, though. They¡¯ve almost reached the wall,¡± Saeter yelled.


    Blacknail grunted unhappily in reply as he squinted at the mass of moving humanity below, and as he watched the front runners reached the wall and stalled before it. The hobgoblin was more than a little curious as to how they planned on actually getting over it.


    The hurriedly put together wooden barricade was only about as tall as a human, but there were dozens of armed men behind it who were extremely motivated to stop anyone from climbing it. It was too high to jump over and to climb it someone would need both hands, which would leave them more than a little vulnerable to being stabbed or hit over the head with something heavy.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s next arrow missed completely and slammed harmlessly into the ground. He growled in frustration at his latest failure. The shaft must have been bent! In fact, if Blacknail turned his head just so and glared at the arrow a certain way then it definitely looked curved. It wasn¡¯t his fault he¡¯d been given defective weapons!


    As more and more attacker reached the wall their intentions became obvious to Blacknail; they were planning to simply overwhelm the defenders with the force of their numbers. As the mob rushed forward they left a trail of dozens of dead and wounded on the ground behind them. More than a few of them had already been brought down by Herad¡¯s archers, but there were still plenty more.


    Groups of Zelena¡¯s soldiers began throwing themselves at the barrier. They aimed for any spot that looked undefended and easy to climb over. Some tried to go over alone while others worked together to try and distract the guards and protect the climbers.


    Blacknail was happy to see that it didn¡¯t work very well. Almost all the climbers got a blade shoved in their face as a reward for their efforts, but some made it and the fight started in earnest. Fighting began to break out on the other side as attackers scaled the barricade and found themselves face to face with Herad¡¯s men and outnumbered.


    The defenders tried to overwhelm the initial attackers before more of Zelena¡¯s hirelings could make it over, and the desperate attackers tried to survive long enough for reinforcements to scale the wall behind them.


    The hobgoblin was very glad that Saeter had chosen a position that was nowhere near any place that was under attack. The melee below him didn¡¯t look like a lot of fun. He liked it up on the balcony where he was safe and could shoot people without being distracted.


    Blacknail noticed one of his tribesmen along the wall cut down a climber, and get dragged from his perch by several other attackers for his trouble. Immediately, more men began to scale the barrier where it was now undefended.


    The hobgoblin quickly chose one of the men and shot an arrow at him. Blacknail held his breath expectantly for the short seconds it took the arrow to hit its target, and hit it did. The projectile slammed into the man¡¯s ass, and he howled as he fell from the wall.


    ¡°Aha, that one-ss hit!¡± the hobgoblin laughed triumphantly.


    Blacknail raised a fist into the air and gave a little jump as he celebrated his glorious kill. He really was a great archer! He¡¯d been aiming for the man¡¯s back but that was really close.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Saeter suddenly roared.


    The old scout hurriedly grabbed Blacknail¡¯s sleeve and yanked the surprised hobgoblin to the ground. The surprised hobgoblin¡¯s wrist jammed painfully as he tried to catch himself and stop his fall.


    ¡°Wha?¡± he hissed in pain and confusion.


    Blacknail¡¯s confusion was dispelled as an arrow whirred through the exact space his head had been a split second ago. The hobgoblin felt his throat tighten from the shock and he gulped nervously. That had been very close¡­


    ¡°Pay bloody attention to what¡¯s going on around you, you damn fool,¡± Saeter growled as he held the hobgoblin down.


    ¡°Yes master, I will. I just-ss didn¡¯t think they had-ss any archers,¡± Blacknail replied submissively.


    His master had just saved his life. He was fairly sure getting an arrow in his skull would kill him.


    ¡°Well, now you know they do!¡± Saeter answered heatedly as he let go of the hobgoblin¡¯s sleeve.


    The old scout peered carefully over the edge of the balcony they were on. A few seconds later he quickly rose to his feet, and then aimed and shot his bow in one smooth flowing motion. After a moment the old scout smiled.


    ¡°There, I got the bastard,¡± he then crowed proudly.


    Blacknail was more than a little impressed. Since they¡¯d left the forest his opinion of his master had started to slip. He thought Saeter was¡­ sort of useless in the city, but now he knew he¡¯d been foolish to believe that. He still had a lot to learn.


    As Blacknail admired his master¡¯s skill, Saeter suddenly tensed. The grey haired scout then threw himself to the ground as a flock of arrows ripped through the air and smacked into the wall behind him and Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin flinched at the noise, and dropped onto his stomach with his arms covering his head. Above him several still quivering and humming arrows protruded from the wooden side of the building. Apparently, Saeter had missed an archer or two¡­


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ve attracted some unwanted attention,¡± Saeter remarked as he grinned at Blacknail from where he lay next to him on the balcony.


    ¡°Yes, so let¡¯s leave-ss,¡± the hobgoblin hastily replied. He didn¡¯t like being shot at nearly as much as shooting at people.


    ¡°Just a second,¡± the old scout told him.


    Saeter crawled over to the balcony¡¯s edge and peeked over it. He then scanned the battlefield below them thoughtfully.


    Blacknail crawled up beside him, while keeping an eye out for incoming projectiles, and followed his gaze. He quickly noticed what his master was looking at. In the center of the street, among the chaotic masses, a small disciplined group had appeared. They stood out from the others, and were clearly more than just normal Daggerpoint thugs.


    Their formation included several men with shields surrounding a group of archers. As Blacknail eyed them nervously the bowmen resumed shooting. Arrows began to rain down on the defenders that were still struggling to hold the barricade, and the occasional unlucky attacker as well. The climbers redoubled their effort to make it over the barricade, and the sounds of fighting intensified.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°So, Zelena has finally made her next move. I wonder what Herad will do. They¡¯re both playing their cards close to their chests,¡± Saeter mused to himself.


    As Blacknail peered over the balcony railing he noticed movement at one of the windows of a building across the street. He tried to see what it was, but it was too far away and all blurry.


    ¡°There¡¯s something there,¡± he told his master as he pointed to it.


    ¡°Ah, here we go; there¡¯s Mahedium,¡± Saeter replied.


    Blacknail had no idea how his master could tell who was at the window, the hobgoblin¡¯s own eyes had trouble making out things that far away, but Saeter was soon proven right in a dramatic fashion. A heavy pulsing noise washed over the battlefield as a wave of rippling air shot forth from the window. The distortion then slammed into the center of the group of shielded enemy archers.


    The street exploded into sharp stone fragments, and Blacknail was practically deafened by the blast.


    Mixed in among the dirt and rock of the explosion were shields and other pieces of equipment, as well as several torn limbs. Bodies were sent rolling across the ground as the impact threw them aside. Only a few of the men anywhere near the blast site managed to keep on their feet, and they looked worse for wear.


    The battlefield seemed to pause as everyone took in this new development. As the roar of the blast died down the sounds of steel on steel and screams of pain and rage seemed muted and less frequent. A weird veil of quiet fell across the fighting.


    Then, Mahedium unleashed another barrage upon the largest concentration of attackers near the wall. Screams filled the air as men were torn apart by the magical force, and the tide of battle shifted once again. Blacknail grinned savagely at the beautiful destruction that filled his eyes. It was moments like this that made him really want to be a mage.


    The rest of the thugs attacking the wall faltered and began to panic. Men trying to climb the wall froze, as the companions beside them took a nervous step back. Blacknail even saw one shorter female fighter who had successfully made it over the barricade abandon her position and leap back across. She was obviously very smart for a human.


    Herad¡¯s men were quick to take advantage of this opening, and they regrouped. Her bandits surged up to the wall and began to cut down Zelena¡¯s stunned men. Soon, no attackers were left on the defenders'' side of the barricade, and Herad took complete control of the wall back.


    That was too much for the remaining attackers at the foot of the barricade. They still outnumbered the defenders, but now they were disorganized and at a serious disadvantage. As one they seemed to waver, and then one of them screamed in surprise and pain as Blacknail¡¯s latest arrow slammed into his left butt cheek.


    Why did that keep happening? That wasn''t where he had aimed...


    That was too much for attackers. As if the wail had been some sort of prearranged signal they broke and started to flee. Groups of them began dashing away from the wall and down the street. Within seconds, the fighting stopped and only the sound of panicked footsteps remained. Soon even that was gone and the last of Zelena¡¯s soldiers disappeared down one of the many shadowy side streets.


    ¡°Aha, we won! Run-ss stupid humans, run. I¡¯ll find you though; you can¡¯t hide-ss from me!¡± Blacknail cheered triumphantly.


    The hobgoblin then quickly turned away from the battlefield and headed for the stairs that led down to safe side of the wall. He wanted to beat the rush and get the best loot for himself.


    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, Blacknail?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going-ss to go find some prizes. Some of the people-ss in our band are really greedy and will take all the good stuff-ss for themselves, unless I get there-ss first!¡± the hobgoblin responded.


    ¡°The battle is far from over!¡± Saeter growled.


    The hobgoblin turned around and gave his master an uncomprehending stare. Below him on the street the last of attackers had already fled, only blasted rubble and a scattering of corpses remained. It certainly looked like his tribe had won¡­


    ¡°Really-ss?¡± he asked his master doubtfully.


    ¡°Yes, that was just the first wave. They were disposable. Zelena¡¯s commanders just threw them at us hoping that they would weaken us. Their main force is still to come, and now they¡¯ve tested our defenses,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°¡­and that¡¯s bad?¡± Blacknail asked with wide eyes.


    ¡°It might be; we¡¯ll have to see what they do next,¡± Saeter replied.


    The hobgoblin sighed and walked back over to his master. He then leaned over the balcony and tried to peer down the street to see if anyone was coming. He couldn¡¯t see very far though, because another tall wooden warehouse was in the way, but after several minutes spent leaning precariously over the railing he finally heard something.


    It was quiet enough that he almost dismissed it. It wasn¡¯t the sound of a large group of people, but rather it sounded more like just a few. Was the enemy trying to be sneaky? If so they wouldn¡¯t be able to get past him. No one was as sneaky as Blacknail; he was the sneakiest of them all.


    As he turned to look in the direction the sound had come from, a sudden burst of movement caught his eye. A small group of men burst out of the entrance of one of the nearby side streets, and took up position outside it. There were about a dozen of them and they stuck close to the nearby building for cover.


    They didn¡¯t seem very threatening to Blacknail. What were they doing? Several of them had bows, but what could half a dozen archers do, especially at that range? Unless they were all very good shots they would have trouble hitting anyone from that far away.


    As he watched another man stepped around a corner and into sight, with a lit torch in his hand. Blacknail tilted his head to the side in confusion. That was weird. Why did they have a torch out in the middle of the day? Maybe, they were cold?


    A few seconds later his question was answered, and his eyes widened in surprise. One of the men drew an arrow and held it up to the flame. Instantly, the oddly thick head of the arrow caught fire. The archer then wasted no time in taking a shot at the wall with his bow.


    The fiery projectile arced through the air and slammed into a wooden panel on the barricade, before bouncing off and falling harmlessly to the ground. It was quickly followed by others though, and several of those hit the wood and stuck.


    ¡°Oh, fire!¡± the hobgoblin remarked in fascination as he stared at the flames that writhed around the enemies'' arrowheads. He wanted some of those. Imagine being able to light fires from a distance. The possibilities were endless, and you didn¡¯t even need magic!


    Those of Herad¡¯s men that had bows of their own shot back, but the new attackers were quick to scramble behind cover where they were hard to hit. A steady rain of fire arrows began to fall on the wooden barricade that protected Herad¡¯s forces.


    Slowly but surely the flames began to spread and consume the wooden barricade. Cries of alarm went up from the defenders as their protection burned. Blacknail winced has he heard Herad start yelling at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°Get those fires out now! You know what to do,¡± she commanded her men. Blacknail knew things were serious because she hadn¡¯t even had time to swear.


    Saeter joined in the defense. The old scout drew an arrow from his quiver and took a shot at one of the saboteurs. This time however, he missed his mark by a few inches and his arrow bounced harmlessly off a wall behind one of the attacking archers.


    The close shave startled the man though, and he dropped the arrow he¡¯d been about to shoot. It clattered onto the ground and went out. The archer then had to go back and have it lit again.


    ¡°Damnation!¡± Saeter swore as he reached for another arrow. ¡°They¡¯re too far away. I really hope the fools don¡¯t burn the entire city down. Why is that damn barricade so flammable?¡±


    A mental picture of all of Daggerpoint burning suddenly sprung to life in Blacknail¡¯s head. It was almost all wood so it would burn quite nicely, and it would sure make for a huge spectacle. He kind of wanted to see that, just not from the inside...


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Blacknail exclaimed nervously as he studied the panicked activity below him.

 Queen of Swords 9

    Suddenly, a door near the barricade swung open and a squad of Herad¡¯s men started pouring out. The armed bandits immediately raced towards the archers. However, the saboteurs didn¡¯t stick around to fight. They took a few seconds to fire off one last volley, and then disappeared back into the alleyways.


    Some of the lead members of the bandits tried to give chase, but they were soon called back.


    ¡°You bloody idiots, get back here! Unless you''ve got a death wish get back here,¡± their leader yelled.


    Just as the group of Herad¡¯s men started to turn around another group of archers appeared on the other side of the street and loosed another volley of fire arrows at the barricade. A few of the saboteurs shot at the bandits out on the street instead of the wall, and one of Herad¡¯s men went down with an arrow in his side.


    The leader of the group froze for a second and looked around hesitantly before springing into action.


    ¡°Grab the injured and let¡¯s get back to the wall. We¡¯re not doing any good out here,¡± he yelled as he started organizing his squad¡¯s retreat.


    By this time the flames from the first enemies¡¯ arrows had started to spread across the wooden barrier. There was a loud crack and a shower of sparks as a particularly dry section caught flame.


    ¡°We should get down there and help,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin as he started down the stairs.


    Blacknail nodded happily in reply. He wanted to see the fire from closer up anyway. The dancing reds and oranges were always so pretty, and he liked the crackling noise the flames made.


    The hobgoblin and his master quickly rushed back down to the road behind the barrier. It was a mad bustle of activity there. Bandits were running around everywhere as they tried to fight the fire, keep a lookout for the next attack, help the wounded, and move flammable supplies out of the way.


    Herad was in the very middle of the street shouting commands. At her direction the barrels by the wall that some of the bandits had been standing on were opened, and water was scooped out into buckets. Blacknail was impressed; apparently, Herad had predicted that the enemy would use fire.


    Saeter immediately headed for the chieftain to get orders, but before they got there Mahedium stepped out of a nearby crowd and drew her attention. The mage was carrying his usual staff, and Blacknail eyed it with new respect. He¡¯d seen the damage it had inflicted on the enemy.


    The mage wasn¡¯t alone this time, though. A scared looking older boy was at his side. He was carrying what looked to be a spare mage¡¯s staff and had short blonde hair. Herad grinned excitedly as she noticed the mage.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Yes, a blaze this size should be no problem. I¡¯m well prepared for much worse,¡± Mahedium replied, as the boy at his side shied away from Herad.


    ¡°Then get to it! The flames aren¡¯t getting any smaller, and my barrier isn¡¯t getting any stronger,¡± the bandit chieftain told the mage dryly.


    ¡°Just make sure there aren¡¯t any snipers hidden anywhere nearby. I¡¯d hate to get an arrow in my back as I¡¯m working. That would be inconvenient for both of us,¡± Mahedium replied coolly.


    ¡°Blacknail and I will take care of that, if that¡¯s what the boss wants,¡± Saeter explained as he joined the other two bandits.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, just hurry up,¡± Herad told them.


    ¡°Good, you two are the best,¡± the mage commented as he calmly, but vigorously, started walking towards the barricade¡¯s entrance.


    All four of them hurriedly passed through building that led to the other side of the wall. The boy following Mahedium stayed as far away from Blacknail as possible. Blacknail was curious why the boy was with them, but every time he so much as glanced at him the boy hid behind Mahedium. The hobgoblin made a mental note to try again later when he wasn¡¯t wearing his scary mask.


    ¡°My staff, please,¡± Mahedium told his aide as soon as they got back outside.


    The boy immediately handed the staff he was carrying to the mage, and the mage exchanged it with his own. Mahedium then stared at the staff head for a few seconds, before making a few quick adjustments. When he appeared satisfied with the result the mage aimed the tip towards the wall.


    There were bandits atop the barricade throwing water down, but they were barely keeping the flames under control. Flaming arrows would occasionally appear from an alleyway or rooftop down the street, and hit previously untouched spots on the wall. These new flames distracted the men trying to quench the fires, and were preventing them from getting things under control.


    As Mahedium leveled his staff at the wall Blacknail felt the air swirl around him, and everyone¡¯s clothes began to stir as newborn air currents pulled and tugged on them. Blacknail had to reach up and grab his hood to keep it from slipping off.


    The hobgoblin jumped in surprise as a white icy spray burst forth from the mage¡¯s weapon and slammed into the wall. Frost formed instantly wherever it hit, and within seconds every flame had been extinguished.


    The wooden barricade was still charred in quite a few places, and covered with patches of ice, but seemed mostly intact. Saeter raised a surprised eyebrow as he regarded the mage¡¯s work.


    ¡°That was no measly magic trick. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that before,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯m not surprised. A staff like this isn¡¯t something many combat mages get their hands on, outside the navy anyway. It¡¯s delicate and requires three different stones to power it. There¡¯s no better way to put out fires, but the guilds don¡¯t like handing out staffs with more than one stone in them to combat mages,¡± Mahedium replied.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you get it from, then?¡± Saeter asked curiously.


    ¡°Avorlus had it, as well as the stones to power it. I didn¡¯t ask where he got it from though, because I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d like the answer,¡± the mage replied.


    ¡°And he just gave it to you?¡± Sater asked in disbelief as his eyes hardened at the mention of the blood mage.


    ¡°Herad sent him an eloquently written letter asking him for his aid, and so he graciously agreed to help us in our time of need, as any gentlemen would,¡± Mahedium explained sarcastically.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Saeter replied as he scowled darkly. Blacknail didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°He also gave me several other crystals, and the use of half a dozen of his men,¡± the mage added.


    One of Saeter¡¯s eyebrows rose and he gave the mage an incredulous look, before making an impressed whistling sound.


    ¡°Herad must really have him by the balls. That sounds like a small fortune,¡± the old scout remarked.


    ¡°Indeed, it is. Avorlus has his own reasons for wanting Zelena¡¯s plans foiled, though Herad¡¯s rather¡­ direct letter certainly motivated him further,¡± Mahedium explained.


    This conversation was just making Blacknail more confused. He didn¡¯t really understand what his master and the mage were talking about.


    ¡°Ha, I imagine it did,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°She certainly knows where to stick the knife. Although, I imagine you¡¯re right about him not liking the idea of Werrick taking over, or anyone else for that matter. Chaos suits people like him much better than order.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why is Herad grabbing Avorlus¡¯ balls?¡± Blacknail suddenly interjected.


    Saeter wheezed loudly and began coughing hard enough that he had to bend over. The fit only stopped after he hit himself in the chest a few times, and even then he still looked pale. The corner of his mouth was also twitching.


    Mahedium blanched, grimaced, and seemed to be struggling to keep a spasm that had developed in his left eye under control. The boy at his side just looked shy and scared, so basically the same. None of those responses answered the hobgoblin¡¯s question. In fact, they raised several more¡­


    Blacknail¡¯s master threw a quick glance over his shoulder, and when he saw no one was there he gave a quiet chuckle and smiled at the hobgoblin.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a saying, Blacknail. It means she¡¯s threatening him and he has to do as she says,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Ah, alright-ss,¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly.


    Any further conversation was interrupted by someone yelling down at them from the wall.


    ¡°You four may want to stop gabbing and get back on this side of the wall. We¡¯ve got incoming,¡± a bandit that was leaning over the top of the barricade told them.


    Immediately, they all looked down the street. Blacknail¡¯s ears went back against his head as he saw what was there. It was a lot more enemies, and they looked meaner than the last ones.


    Coming down the street towards the wall, and the hobgoblin standing in front of it, were two formations of soldiers. Unlike the last attackers these men weren¡¯t a mob; they were organized.


    They were also better equipped. The smaller group on the left looked a lot like Herad¡¯s own men. They had rough looking armor and an assortment of wicked looking weapons.


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    The group on the right was even more dangerous looking. Each man in it was equipped in exactly the same way, with a brown tabard, chainmail shirt, metal cap, short sword, and a small shield. They were also walking in step and moving all together, like some sort of gigantic bug with a hundred little legs. Blacknail had never seen anything like it. On one hand it seemed sort of pointless to him, but on the other it was more than a little terrifying.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be Werrick¡¯s regulars on the left, and the mercenaries to the right. Now the real fight starts,¡± Saeter mused aloud.


    ¡°We should head back inside,¡± Mahedium quickly replied.


    The mage then started for the door without waiting for a response. Blacknail eyed the incoming troops anxiously. They didn¡¯t look weak, and together they outnumbered his tribe by a fair bit.


    ¡°We should-ss run away. It¡¯s stupid to try and fight-ss them like this,¡± he told his master.


    ¡°Herad knows what she¡¯s doing, Blacknail; we can win this. The chief has a plan, and if it doesn¡¯t work, well she¡¯s never been too proud to run before. Probably, she even has an escape plan all laid out just in case,¡± Saeter replied as they both headed off the street.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen-ss to know this escape route, would-ss you?¡± Blacknail asked him curiously.


    A derisive snort from Saeter was the only answer the hobgoblin got. The pair then quickly hurried after Mahedium, and back through the building to the other side of the barrier.


    ¡°Are we going back to the uh¡­ place we were before?¡± Blacknail asked his master.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a balcony, and we may as well; the other option is to take a spot on the wall,¡± Saeter answered.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± Blacknail remarked quickly. That seemed like a horrible idea; a lot of the people that had been protecting the barricade had gotten themselves killed! What kind of idiot would want to go there?


    The old scout and the hobgoblin then made their way back to the balcony were they had overlooked the first part of the battle. As Blacknail was climbing the last stretch of the creaky wooden stairs that led up the side of the building he caught another good look at the approaching enemy.


    The two enemy formations were still moving separately and advancing slowly. A small group of horsemen rode between them, and seemed to be the leaders.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad none of those riders are stupid enough to get within bowshot. I wouldn¡¯t mind putting an arrow in someone more important than a grunt,¡± Saeter remarked as he gazed towards the enemy.


    ¡°Yes, then I could-ss shoot those horses,¡± Blacknail replied viciously.


    Saeter rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°What-ss? They¡¯re mean ugly things that trample-ss and bite people!¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just concentrate on the battle,¡± his master replied dismissively.


    The hobgoblin scowled in fustration. Why couldn¡¯t all these humans see that horses couldn¡¯t be trusted? One day Blacknail knew he would be proven right! Then everyone would know how smart he was and all the horses would be slaughtered. What a glorious day that would be.


    ¡°So, we''re just going to stand here and shoot people like before?¡± Blacknail asked his master.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t mind doing that. Except for the part at the end where the enemy had started shooting back it had been both fairly safe and rather amusing.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Saeter answered as he readied his bow.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Mahedium just-ss blow up all these idiots like before? Then-ss we could all go back to base and eat,¡± the hobgoblin remarked.


    ¡°Maybe he will. We¡¯ll have to wait and see,¡± the old scout answered distractedly.


    The first rank of soldiers entered the edge of bow range, and Saeter aimed and drew his weapon back. There was a familiar twang as he released an arrow, and seconds later it pierced the shoulder of one of Zelena¡¯s men.


    ¡°Stop showing off, Saeter! We get it, you¡¯re a good archer. Why don¡¯t you come down here and shoot with the rest of us?¡± a laughing man yelled up from below, which was quickly followed by amused snorts and chuckles from the rest of Herad¡¯s men.


    Blacknail leaned over the edge of the balcony, spotted the laughing man, and threw a small rock at him. How dare he make fun of Blacknail¡¯s master! The stone bounced off the bandit¡¯s steel cap with a noisy clang.


    ¡°Ow, that hurt, you blasted green wretch!¡± the man cursed in response.


    There was more muted laughter and Blacknail smirked smugly to himself.


    ¡°Save it for the enemy, they¡¯re almost here,¡± Saeter ordered the hobgoblin, but Blacknail noticed he was grinning slightly.


    A sharp clear trumpet blast drew everyone¡¯s attention towards one of the horsemen, and as Blacknail watched Zelena¡¯s men stopped moving. The mercenaries quickly marched ahead and all together they raised their shields. The first rank of soldiers held them in front of themselves and the ones further back lifted them above their heads. The shields were unpainted wood with thin steel bands around the edges and were shaped like rounded triangles.


    Blacknail eyed the moving mass of protected soldiers in annoyance. That was kind of cheating; how was he supposed to shoot them now?


    "Well, that will help protect them against archers, but how are they planning on dealing with our mage and the wall?¡± Saeter mused aloud.


    The enemy was within easy bow shot of the balcony now, so Blacknail loosed an arrow their way. Unfortunately, it slammed harmlessly into one of the soldiers shields and stuck there. The hobgoblin growled in frustration.


    More of the defenders started shooting and a shower of arrows descended upon the advancing enemy. Almost all the arrows failed to find a soft target though, and only a few mercenaries fell. Meanwhile, the enemy¡¯s quick march brought them ever closer toward the wall.


    ¡°Cease fire,¡± the hobgoblin heard Herad yell.


    Immediately, her men stopped firing and the rain of arrows ceased falling. The hobgoblin saw Mehdium climb up onto the barrier and level his staff at the enemy. He watched wide-eyed as a wave of force once again appeared at the end of the mage¡¯s staff, and then like a massive invisible snake it shot hungrily forth.


    Any second it would collide with the mercenary formation. Blacknail waited eagerly to see these new enemies get smacked violently aside like rats hit by a boot. Their fancy shields wouldn¡¯t stop them from being blown up!


    The mercenary formation finally stopped, and their shield wall suddenly parted. A tall armored man stepped out from the front rank and raised a steel amulet on a chain.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Saeter cursed unexpectedly from beside Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin was then surprised further when his master hurriedly fitted an arrow to his bow and took a shot at the tall man. Herad had told them to cease fire so why was his master ignoring that order?


    As both the magical blast and the arrow raced toward him, purple light flared forth from the man¡¯s raised amulet. The air began to churn and a vortex burst into being and began sucking in everything in front of the mercenaries¡¯ mage. The air churned and whirled as dust and grime from the street was picked up and pulled into the amulet.


    Mahedium¡¯s blast and Saeter¡¯s arrow were also tugged aside and sucked into the unnatural vortex. There was a flash of purple light and then the other mage dropped his amulet and the vortex disappeared. The enemy formation was completely unscathed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good-ss, even if it was sort-ss of pretty,¡± Blacknail remarked nervously.


    ¡°No, it seems Mahedium has some competition, and this battle will be uncomfortably close,¡± Saeter replied darkly as he scowled at the figures below.


    ¡°At least that guy isn¡¯t throwing any magic back at us,¡± Blacknail remarked hopefully.


    The enemy mage gestured and one of the men behind him passed him a staff. It looked exactly like Mahedium¡¯s staff. The tall man then leveled it at the barricade that blocked his company¡¯s progress, and a familiar looking ripple shot forth.


    This new blast slammed into the wooden wall and smashed through it. Splinters and bits of wood filled the air as a large section of the barricade exploded noisily. Mahedium and several other bandits were thrown off the wall and disappeared, as a loud crash roared across the street.


    A few seconds later cries of alarm and pain filled the air. At least a few of the hobgoblin''s tribesmen had been wounded, and a huge easily traversable hole had been punched through Herad¡¯s barricade.


    The tall enemy mage stepped back into rank, and the mercenaries began to march inexorably forward again as wreckage rained down from above.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Blacknail grunted as he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. This wasn¡¯t good¡­

 Queen of Swords 10

    The thud and crunch of heavy boots on cobblestones filled the air as the large wedge of shield bearing mercenaries marched. The enemy soldiers were headed right towards the large gaping hole that their mage had created in the barrier that Herad had ordered built across the road.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Blacknail asked his master frantically.


    The roar of the barricade exploding had sent the hobgoblin¡¯s heart into overdrive and it was beating a hundred times per minute. He twitched nervously as his every instinct urged him to run somewhere safer or to find somewhere dark to hide.


    Any place that hostile magic men were blowing up stuff was a bad place to be. The only thing stopping him from fleeing was a desire not to abandon his tribe, in case he couldn¡¯t find them again later, and Saeter¡¯s reassuring presence beside him.


    ¡°Keep shooting,¡± his master barked as he let loose an arrow at the nearest enemy soldier.


    The old scout had aimed low, so his arrow hit the man below the shield and sliced through the side of his leg. The mercenary didn¡¯t look critically wounded but he stumbled and cried out as he fell.


    Blacknail did as he was told and sent another arrow at Saeter¡¯s target. It hit the collapsed man in the center of his now exposed back, and the mercenary twitched and then slumped loosely onto the ground. He looked dead.


    Unfortunately, there were plenty more mercenaries left, and they had now almost reached the shattered wall. Saeter took another shot and Blacknail was just about to do the same, when the sound of a horn rang out from behind the barricade. The hobgoblin froze and turned to see what was going on.


    ¡°That¡¯s the retreat signal,¡± Saeter exclaimed.


    ¡°Did we lose?¡± Blacknail asked. He hoped the answer was yes so that they could all go back to the forest¡­


    ¡°No, this fight¡¯s not over; Herad isn¡¯t out of tricks yet. It¡¯s just time to withdraw and reorganize,¡± his master answered.


    That sounded like it meant they were allowed to run away, so it was good enough for Blacknail.


    ¡°Time-ss to go, then,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he hurriedly started down the stairs.


    His master followed him, and when they reached street level the last of Herad¡¯s men were just jumping off the back of the barricade. The long stretch of rigged together pieces of wood stood empty as its builders hurried away and left it behind.


    The only people still near the wall were two small squads of bandits who seemed to be keeping watch over the gap in its expanse, and the mercenary company that was quickly closing in on it.


    The rest of the bandits were running further down the street but they weren¡¯t panicked or moving aimlessly. Orders were being shouted out by lieutenants and everyone was being organized into squads.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Herad?¡± Saeter yelled at the nearest squad leader.


    The man pointed back towards the abandoned barricade, so both the hobgoblin and his master turned to look. Blacknail didn¡¯t see the chieftain, but now that he was looking closer he did recognize three of the larger bandits. They were part of Herad¡¯s personal guard.


    ¡°Shit, what now?¡± Saeter grumbled anxiously as he started running in that direction.


    Blacknail sighed in exasperation as he followed his master towards the most dangerous part of the battlefield.


    Ahead of them, there was a loud clatter as the pile of rubble beside the hole in the barricade shifted and two more of Herad¡¯s bodyguards straightened up and rose into sight. They were both holding up the end of a large heavy looking panel of wood that had been lying atop the rubble.


    A second later two other figures appeared between the guards. One of them was Herad, and as they watched, she pulled Mahedium up from off the ground. Once he was standing, if unsteadily, she wrapped an arm around the limping mage¡¯s shoulder and began dragging him behind her.


    ¡°Here let us take him; I¡¯m sure you have better things to do,¡± Saeter offered as he ran over to help. Blacknail assumed he was also being volunteered.


    ¡°Damn right I do! Just don¡¯t fall behind, old man. I need that mage in working condition,¡± Herad replied as she passed Mahedium off to him.


    With her hands now free the bandit chieftain raised her fingers to her lips and whistled sharply. Instantly, all her minions near the barricade began to fall back and join the others down the street. They didn¡¯t seem to want to stick around, and Blacknail didn¡¯t blame them. Bad things were coming.


    The hobgoblin moved over to help his master by supporting Mahedium¡¯s other shoulder. The faster they got Mahedium moving the more distance there would be between them and the enemy. The mage shook his head and blinked before turning towards Saeter.


    ¡°Thank you. Just give me a few moments and I think I can walk on my own. Nothing appears to be broken. I just had the wind knocked out of me,¡± Mahedium told them.


    ¡°And half a mountain of rubble dropped on you,¡± Saeter dryly replied.


    ¡°We should-ss probably walk faster,¡± the hobgoblin interjected nervously as he looked back over his shoulder.


    Just as Blacknail finished speaking the first group of shield bearing mercenaries marched cautiously through the gap in the barricade behind them. The trio had almost reached the rest of Herad¡¯s men, though. They were only a few dozen feet away from the closest thing to safety around.


    ¡°Good thing they aren¡¯t in any rush to attack. You¡¯re heavier than you look,¡± Saeter remarked.


    ¡°Yes, but what happens if the bad-ss mage decides to throw exploding magic at us right now?¡± Blacknail replied uneasily.


    This was apparently something that hadn¡¯t occurred to Saeter yet, because he tensed up and gave the enemy behind them a nervous look.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that if that mage there decides to blast us into human paste you could stop him?¡± Saeter remarked expectantly.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Mahedium coughed in reply. He didn¡¯t sound very confident.


    ¡°Bloody wonderful,¡± Saeter sighed.


    ¡°Hopefully, they don¡¯t recognize me as the mage from before, and all they see is some walking wounded. There¡¯s no way they would waste any mana crystals on us then,¡± the mage explained.


    Blacknail eyed him thoughtfully. That meant that if the enemy did recognize Mahedium then they could be about to blast all three of them into little bits at any second. He didn¡¯t want to die that way, or any other way really¡­


    ¡°We should dump him. We can say he tripped,¡± Blacknail suggested quietly to his master as he covered the still somewhat stunned mage¡¯s ears with his hands.


    ¡°Herad needs him, and besides we¡¯re already here,¡± Saeter answered dryly.


    The hobgoblin stopped staring back at the enemy and looked ahead. His master was right; they had already reached the rest of Herad¡¯s men. He gave his master an unabashed grin and uncovered Mahedium¡¯s ears.


    The scout and the green killer then let go of Mahedium and the mage managed to stand by himself. Herad was watching from out of sight of the enemy at the back of a nearby squad and she called the mage over. He seemed unsteady at first but after a few seconds managed to start walking without their help.


    ¡°Thanks you two for your help,¡± he told them.


    ¡°No problem-ss, you can pay me back-ss later. Now, I¡¯m just going to go stand over-ss there, and um¡­ guard that very important barrel,¡± Blacknail replied wryly as he took a few steps away from the mage and cast another nervous glance back at the enemy.


    Saeter smacked him across the back of the head.


    ¡°What? If we stay near him then the other mage might set us on fire or turn us into little pieces,¡± Blacknail hissed quietly to his master.


    ¡°This is a battlefield; nowhere is safe,¡± Saeter replied as he led the hobgoblin away.


    The old scout didn¡¯t lead the hobgoblin in Mahedium¡¯s direction, however. Instead, they joined a small squad of men off to the side of the road.


    During this time the enemy hadn¡¯t been idle. They weren¡¯t attacking, but soldiers had continued to stream in through the gap in the barricade, and now almost half the mercenaries had taken up position on the same side of it as Herad¡¯s men.


    The two sides glared at each other. On one side were over a dozen loose squads of bandits in mismatched gear, and on the other was a solid formation of uniformed soldiers that was slowly growing as more of them slipped through the wall. The expectant stillness was broken by Herad¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Show these poor bastards what happens to my enemies, mage,¡± she yelled.


    At her command Mahedium stepped forward and once again leveled his staff. Instantly, a purple glow sprung into being amidst the enemy¡¯s front rank. However, Mahedium didn¡¯t do as anyone expected. No shimmering air or invisible force appeared, instead a pillar of roaring flame burst from his staff and raced across the battlefield.


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    The purple glow intensified as the enemy mage summoned another vortex into being in front of him, but once again Mahedium had done the unexpected. He hadn¡¯t aimed at the enemy but several dozen feet to their left.


    The column of raging fire slammed into wooden barricade and hungrily consumed it. Within seconds that section of the wall had been transformed into a roaring bonfire. Its flames reached as high as the nearby roofs and it was still spreading and growing. The crackle and hiss of burning wood filled the air.


    Mahedium unleashed another blast of flame at the barricade on the other side of the gap and the mercenaries that filled it. The enemy combat mage was powerless to stop the second blast as well. Apparently, his purple magic wind sucker thing only worked on attacks headed towards him.


    Blacknail giggled happily to himself as a soothing wave of relief washed over him. So that was what the plan was! He liked it; it was a nice little trap. More traps should involve fire.


    The mercenaries¡¯ position was now less than optimal. They were stuck halfway through the barricade and flames were rushing toward them from both sides. There was no way they could turn around and retreat quickly enough to avoid the flames completely.


    So the tall enemy mage did the only thing he could; he went on the offensive. He dropped his amulet, grabbed his staff, pointed it in Mahedium¡¯s direction, and unleashed a blast of force. Immediately, there was a chorus of angry shouts as the mercenaries around him started rushing forward at Herad¡¯s men, and away from the fire. Blacknail was happy to see that their formation wasn¡¯t quite so neat anymore.


    As the wave of magic raced towards Mahedium he reached under his shirt and pulled out an amulet of his own. In imitation of his counterpart, he then raised it. The crystal didn¡¯t glow purple and no whirling vortex appeared. Instead, a small circular transparent shield appeared in front of him, and then quickly expanded until it covered not only him but all the men around him.


    The force blast smashed into it with a loud crashing sound that Blacknail felt in his teeth, and a wave of dusty wind blew outwards from the impact site. In the middle of the blast zone stood a completely unharmed squad of bandits with Mahedium standing tall at their center.


    ¡°Charge, and push them back into the flames!¡± Herad¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    At her command every bandit squad attacked. They flowed together as they raced towards the enemy. The mercenaries¡¯ forward march faltered as their moral took a serious hit. Not only were they now cut off from reinforcements, but their mage seemed to have been bested, and their backs were up against the wall. Not to mention, the wall was on fire.


    Both mobs of fighters were racing towards each other now, but they hadn¡¯t met yet. Both mages took advantage of this to quickly throw attack spells back and forth. The mercenary mage sent a ball of kinetic energy into a squad of Herad¡¯s men that were too far away from Mahedium for him to protect. It smashed into them and scattered them like leaves in the wind. In a split second a dozen men had been blown off of their feet and several didn¡¯t get back up.


    Mahedium took advantage of his opponent¡¯s distraction and blasted the edge of the mercenaries¡¯ formation with a wave of curling flame. Screams filled the air as men discarded burning shields or fell smoking to the ground.


    The enemy mage cursed loudly and raised his staff to counterattack, only to take an arrow in the neck and keel over before he could do anything. It was only one of many arrows that began to rain down on Zelena¡¯s hired soldiers as archers hidden on rooftops on both sides of the street opened fire.


    Now the mercenaries really started to falter. The death of their mage clearly demoralized them, and their advance ground to a halt. Herad¡¯s men didn¡¯t stop their charge though, and battle was joined as the lead combatants from both sides crashed together.


    The still somewhat disciplined enemy shield wall was hit by the first rank of Herad¡¯s men. A wave of bandits wielding swords, clubs, and spears began battering at the mercenaries and quickly started bending around the enemy formation. Herad was now the one with the numbers advantage.


    The mercenaries were a tough nut to crack, though. They were better equipped and more disciplined than their foe, and they were too close now for archers or magic to be used. Hand to hand combat would now decide who would be victorious.


    The clash of metal on metal, the thud of blades biting into wooden shields, and human cries of rage and pain filled the street. Behind it all was the crackling of wild flames as the wooden barricade burned.


    Blacknail and Saeter kept to the back of their squad. Neither of them was too eager to enter the melee. The hobgoblin only went as close as he did so that he could keep Saeter out of trouble. He kept an eye on the old scout as he darted around the edge of the fight and halfheartedly exchanged blows with the occasional opponent. It wasn¡¯t really his job to fight on the front lines, and that was what rookies were for.


    Even with so many things set against them the Leather Heels Company stood their ground. They kept their shields high and their blades swinging. Bandit after bandit fell before them and it looked like they would manage to hold, but then Herad herself joined the fray.


    The bandit chieftain charged out from among her minions with her bodyguards at her side, and slammed into the center of the enemy¡¯s formation. Her silver blade flashed through the air and cut down two mercenaries as her hulking guards slammed themselves into the soldiers. They were wearing heavier armor than most the other bandits and carrying heavy two handed swords or pikes.


    Her men rallied around her and drove into the gap she created. As she whirled into the enemy formation more and more mercenaries fell and their formation began to dissolve. The sound of Herad¡¯s vicious laughter rang out as she batted a blade away and slashed its wielder across the face. She looked like she was having fun.


    A mercenary stabbed at her chest but she sidestepped the blow and ended up with only a shallow cut across her ribs. Herad then stabbed low. Her blow cut her attacker¡¯s leg just below his groin. He collapsed as blood poured from the wound.


    Suddenly, there was a loud cry of despair and the enemy broke. Their formation came apart and Herad¡¯s men started pushing them back, but there was nowhere for them to go. The roaring flames of the burning barricade blocked their escape.


    Step by step they were pressed backwards until one of them stumbled and fell into the blaze. His screams rent the air as he caught fire, and then he lunged forwards in a futile attempt to escape the flames that now covered him. Of course, there was nowhere for him to go so all he managed to do was throw himself on top of his startled comrades and spread the flames, before one of them panicked and cut him down.


    This distraction only served to weaken the mercenaries further and soon another man was pushed into the flames, and then another. The smell of roasting human flesh wafted over the battlefield. Blacknail really wished he¡¯d brought more to eat now; the scent was making his stomach gurgle with hunger.


    Enemy soldiers began to drop their weapons, either in hopes of surrendering and being spared, or just so they would die a clean death at the end of a blade instead of burning to death.


    Herad didn¡¯t take any prisoners. She and her men cut into the mercenaries until they had all been slain and the more stubborn ones pushed into the flames of the barricade. A triumphant cheer went up from her men when the last of them fell.


    As a bloodstained Herad strolled over the corpse-littered street her men started looting the bodies. They were safe from any counterattack for awhile and they were eager to get their hands on some valuables. Blacknail took a few minutes to try and find some boots and socks that fit him. He tended to go through them quickly because of his long sharp toenails.


    After he¡¯d found a satisfactory pair the hobgoblin glanced around the battlefield. The butchered or burning remains of his tribes'' enemies were scattered everywhere and most of Herad¡¯s men were still busy looting the bodies for weapons or valuables. The flames that wreathed around the barricade itself were finally starting to die down as the last of the wood it was feeding on blackened and crumbled.


    ¡°Have we won yet?¡± Blacknail asked Saeter hopefully.


    He was fairly sure they¡¯d won, but then again he¡¯d thought that after the first enemies had run away and it hadn¡¯t been true.


    ¡°No, we''re just getting to the hard part,¡± his master grunted darkly in reply.

 Queen of Swords 11

    ¡°Well, maybe the battle¡¯s over but I doubt it,¡± Saeter told Blacknail. ¡°Even if the rest of the mercenaries decide to call it quits we¡¯ll still only have taken out Zelena¡¯s gold bought thugs and soldiers. We still haven¡¯t gone up against Werrick¡¯s own men.¡±


    The old scout had to speak loudly in order to be heard over all the background noise. Bandits were still stomping around and cheering their victory as the remains of the wooden barricade burned. All in all it put Blacknail in a festive mood. It certainly smelled like a party, the air was thick with smoke and the iron scent of blood.


    The cackling flames of the burning wall also prevented the enemy for launching another attack, for now. The fire wouldn¡¯t last all that much longer though.


    ¡°Zelena¡¯s a sly one. She¡¯ll have saved her best tricks for last. Werrick¡¯s regulars will be harder to deal with than the others,¡± Saeter added.


    ¡°If they¡¯re so tough, why did she need-ss to hire so many other fighters?¡± Blacknail scoffed.


    ¡°To wear us down so that we¡¯re easier to take out,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Ha, they didn¡¯t-ss do all that much, and they probably-ss cost a ton of coins,¡± the hobgoblin countered.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to pay them if they all die,¡± his master explained darkly.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s tricksy. This Zelena lady is smart. Who is she again-ss?¡± Blacknail remarked in surprise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know who Zelena is?¡± his master asked in surprise.


    ¡°The enemy. I have-ss enough trouble keeping track of all you humans¡¯ names without worrying-ss about the ones I¡¯m going to kill soon anyway,¡± the hobgoblin replied with an indifferent shrug.


    ¡°Do you know who Werrick is?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°The enemy,¡± the hobgoblin replied with another indifferent shrug.


    Saeter sighed in frustration before replying. The lines on his face under his grey bangs looked deeper than usual.


    ¡°Most people consider Werrick to be the most powerful of the northern bandit chieftains because he has the most men, and Zelena is one of his lieutenants. Awhile back people started calling him the Wolf because of the ruthless way he raided caravans,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Why are we-ss fighting him?¡± Blacknail asked curiously. It didn¡¯t seem very smart to pick a fight with the strongest enemy possible, but maybe it was just a Herad thing.


    ¡°Herad and Werrick hate each other. They¡¯ve met here in Daggerpoint a few times and Herad ended up killing one of his lieutenants in a duel. The arrogant prick thought Werrick¡¯s name would allow him to do anything he wanted, but it didn¡¯t,¡± the old scout answered.


    ¡°Ah, makes sense,¡± the hobgoblin replied with a knowing nod.


    The same type of thing could happen if there were rival gangs of goblins in an area, just with less walking about and more poo throwing. Humans were weirdly indirect some times.


    ¡°The battle isn¡¯t going too badly, though. Herad thought Werrick would be too busy to come to Daggerpoint for the winter this year, and she was right, but he sent Zelena in his place. Zelena¡¯s forces are smaller than Herad¡¯s and even without the barricade we still have a strong defensive advantage,¡± Saeter explained.


    The hobgoblin rubbed his chin as he thought his master¡¯s words over carefully. From what he¡¯d just heard it seemed likely that Zelena would attack soon, so he needed a plan.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go join the archers on-ss the roofs. Once there we can just shoot all of Zelena¡¯s men-ss because they don¡¯t have shields,¡± Blacknail suggested. That seemed like the safest plan.


    Before Saeter could reply, there was a scream of pain and a hollow thud as something fell from the top of nearby building and hit the ground. Blacknail looked over to see a twisted corpse lying there, and it had a crossbow bolt sticking out from its chest.


    A quick flash of movement drew the hobgoblin¡¯s eye upwards and he glimpsed a familiarly dressed figure dash across the roof and then disappear. It had been one of Malthus¡¯ assassins¡­


    ¡°Or maybe we should just stay here,¡± the hobgoblin remarked warily as he scanned the nearby roof tops.


    ¡°Blacknail get over here, now!¡± Herad suddenly roared from across the street.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be an option,¡± Saeter remarked dryly in amusement.


    The hobgoblin winced in reluctance. He had a feeling that he knew where this was going and he didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    ¡°You¡¯d better do as she says,¡± Saeter told him.


    Blacknail sighed and started dragging himself over to where his mistress was waiting. There was another scream of pain from across the street and the hobgoblin sighed as the sound of running footsteps on a nearby roof reached his ears.


    Herad was yelling at a pair of nervous looking subordinates and gesturing towards where the first archer had fallen from, but when Blacknail approached she looked over and the rage in her eyes died down slightly. She still looked very angry though. The hobgoblin just hoped she wouldn¡¯t direct that anger at him. He was still her favorite, right?


    ¡°There you are! You¡¯re supposed to be taking care of those assassins, so go over there and kill them,¡± she commanded Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin grunted vaguely in acknowledgement. She made it sound so simple¡­


    ¡°What are you whining about? I thought you had a plan all worked out so that mere humans wouldn¡¯t stand a chance,¡± Herad told him impatiently.


    ¡°I do, and it¡¯s a great plan. There¡¯s no way it will fail,¡± Blacknail replied crossly.


    ¡°Then go do it before I lose anymore of my men,¡± the chieftain ordered him.


    ¡°Ugh fine, but don¡¯t forget my blue cheese,¡± the hobgoblin muttered darkly in reply.


    Herad eyes narrowed dangerously at being talked back to, but she nodded in acknowledgement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Do as I say and you¡¯ll have all the rewards you could ever want,¡± she answered.


    It was Blacknail¡¯s turn to nod now. He then slipped away towards his new targets and disappeared into a nearby crowd of bandits.


    Saeter walked up to Herad. The old scout had a concerned look on his age-lined face as he confronted his boss.


    ¡°You¡¯re depending on Blacknail for quite a bit. He might be in over his head, you know,¡± Saeter told her with obvious concern on his face and in his voice.


    Herad¡¯s reaction was to laugh in his face. Her sharp barking laughter unsettled the old scout and he shuffled nervously. He wasn¡¯t the only one either. Most of the other nearby bandits threw her surprised or anxious looks.


    ¡°You just can¡¯t see it, can you? I¡¯m not betting on your pet or your partner, old man; I¡¯m betting on the monster we created, one the likes of which has never walked the North before,¡± she explained with vicious amusement.


    ¡°That¡¯s a tad dramatic. He¡¯s just a hobgoblin, and not a terribly old one at that,¡± Saeter countered.


    ¡°There has never been a goblin like him, and you know it. He will kill those men because that¡¯s what he is, a predator. Wolves need not fear the lamb,¡± Herad replied coldly.


    ¡°Those are some well armed sheep,¡± Saeter muttered as he turned and looked in the direction Blacknail had gone.


    The hobgoblin himself was now walking towards the fallen archer and scanning the rooftops for any sign of enemies. He slipped between squads of Herad¡¯s men as he moved in order to keep out of sight of any watchers.


    When he was sure no one hostile was looking he dashed off the main drag and into a shadowy alley that was squeezed between two large warehouses. Once there he started creeping further in as he listened for any signs of his prey.


    He might not know where the enemy was, how many of them there were, or what they were planning but he did know where he needed to go. He had made a perfect plan of his own earlier for dealing with the assassins after all.


    Now, he just had to adjust the plan slightly and figure out how not to get shot by the assassins¡¯ crossbows. They were an unwelcome addition to his scheme but one he was sure he could work around, or at least dodge at the last second.


    Blacknail decided to head towards the closest location Herad had placed archers. Trying to chase down assassins through these dark side streets seemed like a lot of work, but if the enemy was here to get rid of the archers then they would serve as the perfect bait. The suddenly eager hobgoblin rushed through the dirty alleyways towards his target.


    It only took him a few moments to find one of his tribes¡¯ archer stations. From behind a pile of crates he observed five men who were standing on a rooftop above him. Two of them were on watch while the other three were resting.


    However, Blacknail immediately noticed several blind spots that he, or an assassin, could use to approach them unseen. The hobgoblin shook his head in disapproval. These members of his tribe weren¡¯t very good sentries. It was a good thing Blacknail was here to protect them, or most of them anyway...


    The hobgoblin circled around the area until he found somewhere he could watch the two best ways to sneak up to the archers. The building was right on the edge of the battlefield, and a large section of it had been collapsed to serve as part of the barrier that funneled attackers towards the main street. The northern side was still standing though, and it made a good lookout spot. Blacknail climbed up and perched at a window on the second floor.


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    If he waited there he was sure the assassins would soon show themselves. They were after Herad¡¯s isolated archers and this group had made them themselves vulnerable. These enemies moved like predators, if not very good ones, so they would without a doubt be drawn to weakness, and that made them predictable.


    As Blacknail waited among the rubble and shadows the voices of the archers reached his long green ears.


    ¡°Are you sure we''re just supposed to be sitting around here?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Do you see anymore enemies coming down the main street? No? Then that¡¯s what Herad told us to do,¡± another bandit replied.


    On one hand Blacknail wanted to smack them for being so loud and drawing attention to themselves, but on the other hand that was exactly what he wanted them to do. Maybe he could smack the survivors after the battle was over.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a rustling noise, like heavy cloth rubbing up against something. A second later a trio of cloaked figures pulled themselves up onto a nearby roof. They crouched there for a few seconds to make sure no one had noticed them and then started to slowly and quietly make their way across the shingled roof.


    Blacknail smiled wickedly as he watched them from his perch. It was time for him to get moving. He quickly turned away from the window and climbed down the pile of rubble that he¡¯d used to get to the second floor.


    The assassins were using one of the routes he had scouted out earlier to approach the archers so he knew exactly what he had to do. It was too bad that he hadn¡¯t had time to set any traps¡­


    Silently, Blacknail dashed across the street and started climbing up the side of an ivy covered building. The thick vines allowed him to easily make his way up to the roof. He was then positioned perfectly to ambush the assassins.


    As Malthus¡¯ men crossed the last stretch of roof Blacknail peeked around a brick chimney and observed them. They were focused on sneaking up on their targets. The idea that someone might be stalking them in turn didn¡¯t seem to have occurred to them, and that made Blacknail feel all tingly inside.


    The slate rooftops in this part of the city were squeezed close together. It was easy enough to jump from some of them to others. Any trace of the morning¡¯s dampness had been erased by the hot rays of the midday sun that hung overhead.


    The squad of five archers was still positioned on a rooftop that overlooked the battlefield and the now smoldering remains of Herad¡¯s barricade. On the roof next to them the trio of assassins were creeping ever closer by using the slant of the roof to conceal themselves. On the next building over a hobgoblin lurked behind a chimney stack and was eagerly awaiting the fun that was about to start.


    One of the assassins had a crossbow strapped to his back. He looked up over the peak of the roof at his targets, and then pulled the weapon off his back and began loading it. His two companions began unsheathing their blades.


    The first assassin rose and sighted on the back of one of the archers¡¯ lookouts. He didn¡¯t take the shot though; instead the other two men crept out of hiding and started creeping closer. In just a few moments the two swordsmen would be upon the archers. They might have been outnumbered but with the element of surprise on their side they would make quick work of Herad¡¯s men.


    Blacknail would almost have been impressed by the maneuver if they hadn¡¯t left themselves completely open to a counter ambush. That was undoubtedly all you could expect from a bunch of fat city humans.


    The hobgoblin quickly pulled his own bow off his back and drew an arrow. He then aimed at the crossbowman. Just as the first of the enemy swordsmen made the long step over to the other roof Blacknail let the string go. There was a sharp tang as the arrow zoomed through the air and slammed into the back of the crossbowman. As the man gasped and crumpled the hobgoblin yelled out a warning to his unprepared tribesman.


    ¡°Oh no-ss, the enemy is attacking. Quickly, protect-ss yourselves!¡± he screamed shrilly at the top of lungs.


    The two swordsmen instantly froze and threw startled looks back at Blacknail and the corpse of their companion. The sentry also spun around and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Blacknail. He quickly noticed the attacking assassins as well.


    ¡°Hells, an attack!¡± he cursed loudly.


    At the sound of his voice the two swordsmen jumped back into action and charged the sentry. The bandit took a scared step backwards and tried to draw his sword. He didn¡¯t have enough time though, and he had to give up and dodge out of the way of a slash from the lead assassin.


    However, the sudden evasive movement caused the lookout to lose his balance, and Blacknail winced as he toppled over the side of the roof and disappeared from sight. That was going to hurt¡­


    The attackers didn¡¯t waste any time in racing after the other archers. They clearly wanted to reach them before they were ready.


    Blacknail dashed carefully across the tiled roof after them. The tiles threatened to come loose beneath his feet, but he had to keep the enemy in sight or they might get away. The sounds of fighting rose from the other rooftop as he moved.


    He jumped across the gap between the buildings and ran up the side of the roof. Below him on the opposite slope the two assassins who were left were fighting the three remaining members of Herad¡¯s band. Judging by the bleeding corpse lying prone on the roof one of the archers had already fallen.


    Now though, the remaining archers had discarded their useless bows and drawn their close combat weapons. Two of them had short swords and one had a small hand axe. Unfortunately for them they didn¡¯t seem very good at using them.


    The two assassins still clearly had the upper hand in the fight. Their blades flashed through the air and forced the bandits back. It was all the archers could do to defend themselves as they flailed about with their own weapons. The clay tiles of the roof also made the footing treacherous so it was a sloppy mess of a fight.


    As hobgoblin ran towards the closest enemy, he jumped over the tip of the roof and then kicked out with both feet. His boots slammed into the shoulder of one of the assassins and the impact knocked him sideways with more than enough force to send him right over the edge.


    There was a surprised yell and a smacking noise from below as the man hit the ground. This was quickly followed by a series of crashes as a section of clay tiles came loose and slid of the roof.


    Blacknail landed next to the last remaining attacker, but the tiles below him came loose from the impact and started to slide. The hobgoblin scrambled to find his balance and get a solid grip on the roof.


    ¡°Oopsie,¡± Blacknail hissed in annoyance as his footing shifted beneath him. This wasn¡¯t good.


    The last enemy was startled but quick to react. He lurched around and swung down at Blacknail¡¯s head with his sword. The hobgoblin¡¯s eyes widened in alarm as the silver flash descended towards his face.


    A surge of panic jolted through him and Blacknail instinctevely reached deep inside himself to burn a bit of residual Elixir. With lightning speed he twisted to the side, found solid footing, and drew his own blade to parry the blow.


    The impact knocked the assassin off balance for a second, and he didn¡¯t get time to recover. An axe slammed into his back and the man¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. His legs gave out a second later and he toppled over.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Blacknail told the bandit who had finished the last assassin off.


    ¡°Ha, we¡¯re the ones that should be thanking you. If you hadn¡¯t yelled out that warning they would have gone through us like Ritchet Oil through a sick sheep,¡± the axe wielder replied.


    Blacknail gave him a blank stare. Like what through a what? What was this crazy human talking about?


    ¡°Er, no problem,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he brushed himself off.


    All that fighting had gotten his clothes dirty. Stupid assassins, and their running around on unsafe rooftops! He snorted in annoyance and kicked the corpse of the assassin off the roof. It fell in a clatter of shattering tiles. Why did humans put such dangerous things on their roofs?


    Anyway, the first part of Blacknail¡¯s amazing plan was complete. The second part was for him to get the rest of the assassins¡¯ attention. The third was for him to kill Malthus and all his annoying cloaked minions. He wasn¡¯t quite at the third step yet, but he was getting there, and he was really looking forward to it.


    The hobgoblin walked over to the peak of the roof and coughed to clear his throat.


    ¡°Malthus, you stupid-ss fat pink bastard! I just killed three of your little friends and I¡¯m going-ss keep killing more of them until you fight me! So come here and face me, unless you¡¯re-ss as cowardly as you are ugly!¡± he yelled shrilly at the top of his lungs.


    The sound of his voice echoed over the city. The remaining archers that were standing beside him gave the hobgoblin shocked looks. They seemed more than a little nervous.


    ¡°Oh right-ss, you may want to find somewhere-ss else to hang out. Things are probably going-ss to get-ss exciting here soon,¡± Blacknail told them thoughtfully.

 Queen of Swords 12

    The bandit archers that Blacknail had saved from the assassins took his advice and decided to leave. It would have been pointless for them to have stayed to help him fight, but it would have also been nice of them to offer. Humans sure were an ungrateful bunch.


    Before they left Blacknail borrowed some of their rope. The hobgoblin was a little concerned that Malthus would get lost and not be able to find his location, so he wandered back over to the first assassin he¡¯d killed. He then picked the corpse up and hung the cloaked body by its neck from the tallest nearby chimney. There was no way Malthus could miss that helpful sign!


    Now all he had to do was be patient¡­


    Wait, what if Malthus didn¡¯t come because he suspected an ambush or something? That would ruin Blacknail¡¯s perfect plan.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a trap. I just want-ss to kill you, Malthus!¡± Blacknail yelled out to clarify things.


    The sound of his voice echoed loudly over the nearby rooftops and through the dark alleys between them. The hobgoblin was more than a little disappointed when no one yelled back to thank him for the explanation.


    Standing around on the rooftop was definitely getting boring. Why couldn¡¯t Herad fight people who were more interesting and talked more?


    Blacknail impatiently strolled along the rooftops as he waited for his enemies to show up. He would occasionally stop to throw out a few more insults, apparently Malthus was the son of a goat, but the hobgoblin kept his head down and eyes open. The fact that the assassins were running around with crossbows hadn¡¯t slipped his mind.


    A few minutes later Blacknail finally heard the sound of someone trying to sneak up on him. He quickly looked over his shoulder to see a flurry of movement in an alley below him as several cloaked figures dove for cover.


    ¡°I think he saw us,¡± one of the men whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± another replied quietly.


    ¡°I can-ss hear you too!¡± Blacknail answered back helpfully.


    He wanted them to stop sneaking around and attack him already. There really was no point in them trying to sneak up on him.


    ¡°Damnation, how in all the hells can he do that?¡± one of the assassins cursed.


    ¡°Maybe he just guessed what we said, and he didn¡¯t actually hear us,¡± another suggested.


    There was a moment of silence as the assassins thought this possibility over.


    ¡°I¡¯m not-ss just guessing; I can-ss really hear you,¡± Blacknail yelled back.


    ¡°Rot and ruin! It must be some sort of magic,¡± one of them cursed from where he was hiding behind a pile of trash.


    ¡°He could have just guessed that we¡¯d think he was guessing,¡± the first assassin added thoughtfully.


    There was another second of silence. Then the hobgoblin heard a smacking sound like someone had just gotten slapped or punched and Malthus spoke up.


    ¡°Just shut up, you idiot. It doesn¡¯t matter how he¡¯s doing it! Everyone just stay silent; we¡¯re switching to hand signals from now on,¡± he commanded his men.


    ¡°Just hurry up! You¡¯re taking-ss forever,¡± Blacknail impatiently shouted their way.


    ¡°Shut your vile trap you freakish bastard!¡± Malthus yelled back angrily.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be talking!¡± the hobgoblin pointed out cheerfully.


    Blacknail may have just been imagining it, but it almost sounded like he could hear Malthus grinding his teeth all the way from the roof. Was he angry for some reason? He was just trying to be helpful so that the assassins would stop wasting so much of his time.


    The hobgoblin waited for Malthus and his men to approach him. After a few seconds they tried to slip around the other side of the building and flank him. Blacknail sighed in annoyance at their snail-like pace.


    Well if they wouldn¡¯t come to him then he would just go to them! The hobgoblin broke out into a dash. The thump of his footsteps as he ran knocked the tiles beneath his boots loose and they started to slide and fall off of the roof and onto the ground below.


    Blacknail jumped the gap between ledges and landed on the next roof over. He scrambled to catch his balance for a second and then continued running straight for Malthus and the assassins, or at least towards the roof that hung over their heads.


    After another quick leap he passed them right by and just kept on running. There was muttered swearing from the alley below as the hobgoblin zoomed by, and Blacknail smiled in self-satisfaction. His plan was perfect. All he had to do was get Malthus to follow him, and he had a fairly good idea about how to do that.


    ¡°You idiots are too slow. I¡¯m just going-ss to lose you in the city and then go kill-ss Zelena,¡± he yelled as he ran by.


    The muttering from below intensified, and was quickly followed a stampede of footsteps. It definitely sounded like all the assassins were chasing him.


    ¡°Quick, after him! Don¡¯t let him escape, but keep an eye out for ambushes. This is probably a trap,¡± Malthus ordered his minions as he took off after the hobgoblin.


    The rooftops were treacherous and harder to run on than the streets below, and that slowed Blacknail down somewhat. They also allowed him to take more than a few shortcuts though, and more importantly he was a hobgoblin Vessel, so he was easily able to keep his lead. In fact, he had to slow down several times so that he didn¡¯t get too far ahead.


    At the brisk pace he was keeping Blacknail soon led his pursuers out of Herad¡¯s territory in the warehouse district and out into the city proper. The roofs under his feet and the buildings that supported them grew smaller. The occasional citizen of Daggerpoint also appeared below now that they were away from the battle.


    As a Vessel Malthus was by far the fastest runner in his squad, but he seemed reluctant to leave his men behind and that slowed him down. All the assassins were also on the ground below Blacknail, and he was above them on the rooftops, so they couldn¡¯t attack him no matter how close they got.


    Or at least that was true for the first few minutes of the chase. Suddenly, there was a series of odd thumps from below and a curious Blacknail looked over the edge just in time to see Malthus launch himself off a pile of crates, grab a post that protruded from a wall, swing himself up, twist through the air, and then roll onto the roof.


    The maneuver slowed the assassin down and left Blacknail with a strong lead so he wasn¡¯t too worried though. Even though Malthus was a Vessel he was still human so Blacknail was confident he could outrun him.


    The hobgoblin grinned smugly at the assassin without concern, until there was a shout from below and Malthus reached over the edge of the roof just in time to catch a crossbow one of his subordinates had thrown up to him. Blacknail¡¯s smile quickly faded after that.


    ¡°Uh oh, that¡¯s bad-ss as bugs,¡± he swore to himself.


    The still running assassin leader pulled out a bolt and started struggling to load his crossbow while he was still moving. Unfortunately, Blacknail was fairly sure he would get it right soon. He was proven correct a few seconds later when an ominous clicking noise rang out behind him.


    All of a sudden Blacknail wasn¡¯t left with very many good options, so he jumped off the roof. A second later a crossbow bolt whistled over his head and flew off into the city.


    The, still crossbow bolt free, hobgoblin now hung in the empty air over the street that ran beside the edge of the roof. A split second later he began to drop inexorably towards the rather hard looking cobblestones below.


    So he twisted around and grabbed a clothesline that hung over the road. His weight dragged the line downwards and he began to slide down its length towards the center of the street, until the line broke with a sharp snap.


    ¡°Piss on crossbows!¡± Blacknail hissed as he flailed in the air and fell uncontrollably towards the ground again.


    There was nothing else nearby he could grab, so he tucked himself up and rolled when he hit the ground. The rough stone and gravel of the street dug into his back as he careened across the street and smashed into a stack of crates.


    Luckily, the crates weren¡¯t solidly built. The thin wood shattered easily when the cart-wheeling hobgoblin hit them to reveal that they were stuffed full of packing straw. Bits of broken wood jabbed painfully into his sides as he slammed suddenly to a stop, but the cloak that he was now tangled up in stopped any of them from drawing blood.


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    ¡°Ow,¡± the hobgoblin whined as straw rained down around him. The only part of him that was visible was his feet. They stuck up into the air while the rest of his body was hidden by shattered crates and their contents.


    ¡°He¡¯s down, get him!¡± Malthus yelled from a nearby rooftop as he reloaded his crossbow.


    Blacknail¡¯s head poked out from the pile of wreckage he was buried in and he spat out a mouthful of straw. He didn¡¯t feel so great. The city seemed blurry and to be spinning around him for some reason.


    There was something else that felt wrong too¡­ His face felt oddly exposed.


    His mask! Blacknail quickly pulled his mask back on. It must have come loose when he¡¯d crashed. Luckily, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone had seen his face. Herad had told him to keep his identity a secret.


    Blacknail shook his head to clear it and quickly rose to his feet, just as the first of his pursuers ran around the corner of a close by building and came into sight. It was time to go!


    ¡°There he is!¡± one of the assassins yelled as he pointed to Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin immediately broke out into a sprint towards the nearest alley. He almost tripped as he struggled to untangle his cloak from his feet but caught himself at the last second. He had to get out of sight before Malthus reloaded that crossbow!


    He apparently made it because no pointy objects slammed into his back as he dashed for cover. The good news was that he was almost at his destination now. The bad news was that every bone in his body hurt and his vision was still a little blurry.


    The assassins entered the alley only moments after Blacknail, but he had already sprinted a fair distance ahead. Since Malthus was still more than a bit behind the hobgoblin took gleeful advantage of his absence. He pulled his sling out and sent a hail of stones at the men chasing him. They whirred through the air and smashed into the unsuspecting assassins.


    ¡°Bloody bastard,¡± one of them swore as a stone slammed into his shin.


    He dropped to the ground, and he wasn¡¯t alone. Another assassin also took a rock to his stomach and fell. That left¡­ just four more assassins plus Malthus that were still chasing him.


    One of the remaining pursuers dove for cover and pulled a crossbow off his back, so Blackail hurriedly fled down the alley. Rotten contraptions, why did all his enemies seem to have them? This would be a lot easier if he didn¡¯t constantly need to worry about being shot!


    Blacknail threw himself around the corner of a building and out of the shadows of the alley. He burst at a full sprint out onto a wide sunlit street.


    ¡°Ah, which way-ss now?¡± Blacknail hissed to himself.


    All that dodging had gotten him turned around and he had to take a second to figure out where he was. He didn¡¯t dare slow down though.


    Homes made from wood and white plaster lined the edges of the road, and the running hobgoblin drew curious glances from several people who were walking by. It was far from crowded here but there were several dozen rough looking men and women scattered about. This was Daggerpoint though, so he was mostly ignored. No one wanted to get involved in something that didn¡¯t concern them.


    The assassins ran out of the alley a few seconds later, and Malthus had already gotten off the roof and caught up to them somehow. Blacknail veered left to place a small crowd of six people between him and his pursuers just as Malthus raised his crossbow.


    ¡°What in all hells!¡± a woman swore as she noticed the weapon that was seemingly aimed towards her.


    The rest of her group flinched and two of the men drew their swords. Malthus tossed his bolt thrower to the assassin on his left and then drew his own blade. He dove forward with an angry growl and his sword flashed through the air.


    The assassin¡¯s blade knocked one of the men¡¯s weapons aside and then he slashed through the other''s exposed wrist. The second man shrieked in pain and his sword dropped from his now bloody mangled hand. Malthus then dove through the remaining unresisting members of the crowd and after the hobgoblin.


    Shouts of surprise and alarm rang out as the assassin leader scattered people in his wake and they fled from him. Blacknail started running a little faster. He was almost there now!


    The street was now almost completely empty of pedestrians as everyone fled from the ruckus, but now Malthus himself was between Blacknail and the crossbowman.


    The hobgoblin suddenly turned right and vaulted over a small waist-high wooden post fence that stretched the short distance between two homes. He landed on packed dirt with sparse grass sprouting up from it. Malthus was hot on his heels and the hobgoblin had to run as quickly as possible to stay ahead of him.


    A tall stone wall blocked his way, so Blacknail jumped up on top of a barrel and then flipped over the barrier. He landed in a cluster of bushes on the other side and quickly scrambled to his feet.


    There were no buildings on this side of the wall. Thick scrubby bush and gangly trees filled the area. The ground was dry and cracked but it showed obvious signs of flooding in the spring. That was probably why no one had built anything here. It was a forgotten little corner of Daggerpoint that had been allowed to run wild.


    While exploring the city Blacknail had discovered several places like this, but this was the closest one to Herad¡¯s base. Blacknail grinned as he ducked out of sight behind a tree. This is where he had decided to prepare his fun little surprises. It was time to see how these fat city humans did in Blacknail¡¯s natural environment!


    As the hobgoblin watched Malthus appeared atop the stone wall. The man grimaced and cursed quietly to himself as he scanned the bush below him. He seemed hesitant to chase his target into the thicket.


    Blacknail was tempted to taunt him but he knew that wouldn¡¯t help. Not knowing where his target was and whether he had doubled back towards the battlefield was undoubtedly bugging him.


    After a minute or two Malthus¡¯ cloaked subordinates climbed up onto the wall next to him. They also seemed less than happy when they saw what lay ahead of them.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Malthus asked.


    ¡°I think he led us here on purpose,¡± an assassin remarked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s led us into an ambush. It would take a half a company to secure this bush and we¡¯d see signs of them,¡± another man replied.


    ¡°Not to mention there¡¯s no way Herad would throw away that many men during a battle,¡± Malthus added.


    ¡°What if he just wants to waste our time while we search this foul mess for him? He could be long gone,¡± one of the other assassins asked.


    Malthus scowled darkly and stared into the bush and trees for any signs of Blacknail. He appeared to be deep in thought and conflicted about what to do.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s in there. He¡¯s alone, wounded from his fall, and cornered. I¡¯m not losing this chance to take him out. I don¡¯t care if Zelena wins her little battle. I want this bastard dead. Daggerpoint is our territory; there isn¡¯t room in it for both us and this freak,¡± he eventually told his men.


    There were reluctant nods of acknowledgement from the other four assassins, and together Malthus and his men jumped down into the thicket below. They landed among the bushes and took up a spread out formation as they pressed forward.


    From where he was lurking and watching, Blacknail purred quietly to himself in pleasure and his eyes flashed with malevolent joy. The chase had ended and the real hunt had now begun. His perfect plan had reached the final stage.


    The hobgoblin carefully turned and began to silently creep away from his pursuers. He then purposely stepped on a large twig. The piece of wood broke under his weight and made a loud snapping sound.


    Instantly, the assassins turned towards the noise, but they couldn¡¯t see him through the heavy brush. They thus began to move carefully towards the source of the noise. Blacknail giggled to himself as he led them deeper into the shadows of the trees.

 Queen of Swords 13

    As Blacknail slipped through the trees and around the nearby thorny bushes, a bird sang out from up above in the trees and drew his attention for a second. It had been a while since he last remembered hearing such a sound. There weren¡¯t a lot of songbirds among the dirty streets of Daggerpoint.


    He could reminisce later though; right now he had people to hunt. Or were they hunting him? It was a little confusing¡­


    The rustling of plants reminded the hobgoblin that Malthus was chasing him. Blacknail threw a quick look over his shoulder and was surprised when he saw nothing but living green plants and a canopy of leaves fading to red and autumn gold.


    He could no longer see the shaped stones and squat buildings of Daggerpoint. The hobgoblin stretched and straightened his posture as he felt an unseen weight leave his shoulders. It was good to be back among nature and away from the places humans had made their own.


    He reached up towards his face with a clawed hand and pulled his smiling mask off. The hobgoblin then tossed it aside into a bush where he could retrieve it later. This was not a place for wearing masks. His green angular face broke out into a wide toothy smile as it was exposed to the world.


    In the wild, even in this little isolated patch of it, things were different, purer. There was nothing to hold him back or make him question himself. His thoughts could run free without restraint or the weakness that came from hesitation.


    A branch snapped off to his left and the hobgoblin¡¯s long green ears twitched as they picked up the noise. Without a doubt it was Malthus and his pack. The assassins were making quite a bit of noise as they moved through the woods, much more than Blacknail.


    The area here was more brush than true forest. The trees were small and spread apart enough that there was no real canopy to block the light. That just made the undergrowth thicker, though. There were bushes and tall stands of plants everywhere for him to hide in, and walking in straight line was difficult.


    The hobgoblin had assumed the assassins would be unaccustomed to wilder places, and it sounded like he¡¯d been right. He was having no trouble keeping track of them and slipping ahead of them unseen.


    He wasn¡¯t even trying to conceal his trail but they didn¡¯t seem to be able to follow it regardless. Thus, he would have to remember to make some noise every once in a while. The humans couldn¡¯t be allowed to believe he had escaped. He needed them to follow him.


    It was a delicate game he was playing with these hunters of men. There was an uneasy balance that had to be kept. To win and claim his prize Blacknail would have to prey upon their instincts and shape their desires to his own end.


    He had to appear weak and vulnerable so to lure them in, and yet he couldn¡¯t allow them to draw in too close. He had to get them to walk into his trap and believe that it had been their own idea. Luckily, most humans were very stupid.


    As he approached a cluster of thin white barked trees the hobgoblin heard movement off in the bushes from a fair distance behind him. A second later he heard the rustle of leaves from out of sight and over to his left. Blacknail took a second to look over his shoulder and scan the forest behind him.


    It really was quite easy to track Malthus and his men in here. He could hear their untrained footsteps crunching twigs and leaves as they pushed their way through the brush. The assassins were spread out but it sounded like they were keeping in sight of each other as they combed through the grass and bushes for any sign of him.


    Right now his prey was falling too far behind for his liking. Blacknail coughed and sputtered loudly, as if he was in pain and couldn¡¯t help it.


    He wanted them to think he was wounded and vulnerable, and not thinking about how stupid of an idea it was to have followed him in here. The more they underestimated him the easier it would be to trick them. The coughing wasn¡¯t really fake though, he had just fallen off a roof after all. That had hurt a lot.


    A loud twang-like noise suddenly split the air behind Blacknail.


    ¡°Eep!¡± the hobgoblin squeaked in alarm as he dropped to the ground and covered his head.


    A crossbow bolt ripped through the greenery with a whipping sound. There was then a loud crack as the projectile sunk deep into the bark of a tree trunk that lay several feet ahead of him.


    The forest behind Blacknail suddenly echoed with the crashing and snapping of plants as Malthus and his men shot forward and pushed their way through the forest towards Blacknail. It was time to get going!


    The startled hobgoblin jumped to his feet and dashed forward deeper into the trees. As he ran he snuck a look back and saw Malthus¡¯ form burst out of a thicket of bushes and throw an angry look around. Blacknail quickly stepped behind a tree and out of sight.


    Okay, maybe he had let Malthus get a little too close that time. Blacknail was glad the assassins only had one crossbow¡­


    ¡°Damn that bastard to all hells! I thought we had him this time,¡± Malthus hissed angrily.


    The master assassin was standing next to where Blacknail had been a few seconds ago and staring hatefully at the crossbow bolt stuck in the tree.


    ¡°Do you want to turn back?¡± one of his men asked with more than a hint of nervousness in his voice.


    ¡°No, we¡¯re right behind him,¡± Malthus replied angrily.


    ¡°I still think this is a trap,¡± the other man replied.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a trap; we know that, and it doesn¡¯t matter. Stop letting a little patch of bushes and trees unnerve you and let¡¯s get after him,¡± Malthus commanded his men.


    Blacknail took advantage of their discussion to slip away to the side and put some distance between him and his pursuers. He really needed to take care of that crossbow. It was too much of a wild card, and being shot would probably hurt a lot.


    The hobgoblin crouched down behind a bush and squinted as he watched the assassins. All six of them had been close together while they talked but now they were spreading out again. It was the one on the far right that held the crossbow.


    There was no way he could charge the man before Malthus intervened, and even using his sling would involve getting dangerously close and revealing himself. It also wasn¡¯t guaranteed to take the man down in one hit, and it might convince Malthus to turn around and leave.


    Well, it was probably about time to begin anyway. He had lured them deep enough. He would just have to position everything just right so that the crossbowman got taken out first.


    The hobgoblin slowly got up and crept further away from the assassins. When he was far enough away that a screen of bushes and leafy tree limbs concealed him he stopped. Then he looked down, selected a fairly large twig, and stomped on it.


    The twig snapped beneath his boot and a loud cracking noise echoed through the forest. Blacknail was already diving behind a tree. A second later another crossbow bolt tore through the greenery and sliced through the air where his chest had been mere moments before.


    Blacknail picked himself off the ground and peered around the tree he had used as a shield. One of his eyebrows rose in surprise at how accurate the shot had been. That assassin was really good with a crossbow. The hobgoblin was definitely killing that guy first.


    Blacknail hurriedly got up and began dashing through the forest. He made absolutely no attempt to be quiet about it, and instead just focused on keeping ahead of his pursuers. Underneath the sound of his own footsteps he could hear his pursuers. It was also important to keep the crossbowman too busy running to reload.


    A large tree with dark droopy branches appeared on Blacknail¡¯s left and he recognized it. With a cunning grin he ran up to it, and then threw himself onto the ground beside it. He coughed again loudly and then moaned dramatically.


    Seconds later, Malthus and his men burst out of the bushes and saw him. Blacknail picked himself off the ground slowly as if he was in pain and had just tripped. The hobgoblin had discarded his mask but his hood was still up. It wasn¡¯t quite time to drop that yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you this time! You can¡¯t escape now, and no one will be coming to your rescue,¡± Malthus gloated smugly as he smiled.


    Blacknail ignored him and stepped around the tree. Which way would each assassin go?


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    There was a click as the crossbowman began reloading and Blacknail¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The trick here would be to predict exactly what the assassins would do. He needed to be careful though, Malthus had fooled him before by pretending to be too angry to think properly.


    Malthus signaled to his men using a quick series of hand gestures that Blacknail didn¡¯t understand. Immediately though, two assassin including the crossbowman started circling around to the left. Malthus and the other 3 men headed straight for Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin turned to face them and drew his sword. The crossbowman raised his weapon so Blacknail took a quick step backwards. The gnarly trunk of the large tree was now in the way of a shot, but the crossbowman and his guard just started flanking Blacknail to cut off his escape as the rest of their companions descended on the lone hobgoblin.


    Blacknail had them exactly where he wanted them.


    ¡°So much for the Faceless Assassin! When you die at my hands it will be just another chapter added to my legend. You weren¡¯t even much of challenge, although I have to admit you¡¯re a lucky fool and not half bad at running away,¡± Malthus bragged as he drew his own weapon.


    ¡°Things are not-ss always as they seem, Malthus. Perhaps you are the one that-ss is about to die,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°I am the best killer in all of Daggerpoint and you¡¯re just a creepy little freak. No man is my equal. I¡¯ll take great joy in ripping that hood off your face and seeing what lies beneath it,¡± the assassin leader responded angrily.


    Blacknail began to laugh and he didn¡¯t bother trying to sound human. His shrill malevolent laughter rolled over the assassins and they flinched in surprise. Even Malthus looked startled by the sound.


    ¡°Stupid human, Herad is not a man and you ran from her. Soon, you will see my face and then you shall run from me as well,¡± the hobgoblin cackled.


    ¡°Shoot him!¡± Malthus roared impatiently but with a hint of fear. He had clearly been unnerved by the strange laughter.


    The crossbowman aimed his weapon and began to take a step to the left to get a better shot at Blacknail. The hobgoblin leaned around the tree and gave him a toothy grin. The assassin stared in shock and his eyes widened in horror at what he saw beneath Blacknail¡¯s hood. That was when the spear took him in the stomach.


    The spear was a long sharpened branch that had been tied to a forcibly bent over sapling. It had been concealed in a bush and been triggered by the assassin¡¯s foot hitting a trip wire. Saeter had taught him how to make them to hunt deer or wild boar but it worked on humans just as well.


    The crossbow fell from the man¡¯s slack hands and hit the ground. He gasped as he looked down at the wooden spear that was stuck in his guts and started shivering uncontrollably.


    The rest of the assassins gaped in confusion as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. That was when the sling stone smashed into the forehead of the assassin standing next to the crossbowman.


    There was a loud crack and a spray of blood as the stone tore through his flesh and slammed into his skull.


    Blacknail was already burning Elixir and dashing forwards before either of the assassins¡¯ bodies began to crumple. The hobgoblin laughed again as he ran towards the fallen man¡¯s weapon.


    It had worked! That was two men down. The first piece of the puzzle had fallen into place and now all Blacknail had to do was follow the rest of the plan. He was truly a sneaky super genius!


    ¡°Shit, what in all hells!¡± a surprised Malthus cursed as he sprinted after the hobgoblin.


    The man was fast but not as fast as Blacknail. He may have been closer to his fallen companions but surprise had slowed his start as well.


    Blacknail reached the weapon first and scooped it up. He spun around and grinned as he aimed it at the master assassin. Malthus reacted quickly this time and dodged away to the side, but Blacknail had predicted this. The hobgoblin shot the assassin that had been following in Malthus¡¯ footsteps instead.


    That was three down. The man shrieked in pain as the bolt punctured his chest and then collapsed a second later. Blacknail quickly tore the string off the crossbow. He then threw it straight at Malthus¡¯ charging form.


    The assassin flinched and batted the flying weapon aside with his blade. Blacknail jumped to the side and dashed away. The last two of Malthus¡¯ minions that were still standing tried to intercept him and cut off his escape.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t chase him. There are more traps!¡± Malthus roared suddenly.


    His cloaked subordinates froze in their tracks and warily scanned the ground at their feet while keeping one eye on Blacknail. They didn¡¯t want to be caught off guard by a shot from his sling.


    The hobgoblin himself ran to the edge the bushes and then turned back around. He was a safe distance away now.


    Malthus slowly and carefully walked over to his companion¡¯s side. He looked calm but Blacknail could see rage smoldering behind his eyes. It amused the watching hobgoblin. He liked pissing off Malthus.


    The master assassin suddenly whipped a throwing knife at Blacknail¡¯s head, but he easily leaned out of the way. He was too far away for such knives to be much of a threat. Malthus growled as he stared at Blacknail.


    ¡°Do you think that just because you managed to take out a few of my men that you¡¯ve won? Nothing could be further from the truth, Faceless One. As long as I live your days are numbered, and it will take more than a few traps made from pointy sticks to kill me,¡± he hissed angrily.


    Blacknail just laughed again. The time for hiding who and what he was over. Now it was time to spread delicious fear and panic.


    ¡°I have just gotten started, arrogant man. You won¡¯t-ss leave this forest alive. It was so very stupid-ss of you to follow me-ss here. Also, my name is Blacknail, and-ss I have a face,¡± the hobgoblin replied haughtily.


    He grinned broadly and then reached up slowly to pull down his hood. His enemies froze as they got their first view of his green skin, pointy ears, long nose, and sharp jagged teeth. Blacknail could see the blood drain from their cheeks as they took in his inhuman visage. It made him laugh again.


    ¡°Cor-Dius¡¯ cloak shield us. He¡¯s not human,¡± one of the assassins whispered in horror.


    Blacknail took a step forward and stared into the eyes of the closest enemy. The man stared back with wide eyed dread.


    ¡°Rawr,¡± the hobgoblin yelled as he lurched forward a step.


    The man shrieked and fell over backwards as he tried to stumble away. Blacknail chuckled darkly at the stupid human and licked his lips in anticipation of what was to come.


    He then turned to the still frozen Malthus and gave him a brief bow, before stepping into the bushes and out of sight.


    ¡°Soon¡­¡± the hobgoblin¡¯s eerie voice promised as he walked away.


    He shivered in excitement as he crept through the forest and circled around his prey. The humans had yet to move. They stood there for several seconds without saying anything.


    ¡°We should never have come here. We¡¯re going to be killed and eaten!¡± one of the men whispered fearfully.


    ¡°Shut up or I¡¯ll kill you myself,¡± Malthus told him as he stared his subordinate down.


    The man was shivering in fear and he couldn¡¯t meet his boss¡¯ eyes. Malthus snorted in disgust.


    ¡°So he¡¯s not human; it changes nothing! It won¡¯t stop me from cutting his head off with my sword, and it actually explains a lot,¡± Malthus exclaimed.


    ¡°He¡¯s right about one thing, though. We should not have walked into these woods,¡± the last man added fearfully.


    Malthus grunted darkly in reply as he scanned the nearby greenery for signs of Blacknail. He was still looking more than a little pale and jumpy.


    ¡°That was definitely a mistake, but we¡¯re far from finished. I¡¯m not scared of a little green freak that likes to hide in bushes,¡± the master assassin told his men, but judging by their skeptical expressions they didn¡¯t seem too reassured by his speech.


    As Blacknail watched from his new hiding spot next to a pile of rocks and thorny plants, he smiled. Malthus was clearly lying. The wind reeked of blood and terror, and those delightful smells were only going to grow stronger¡­

 Queen of Swords 14

    Blacknail the hobgoblin stalked through the dense forest scrub with a merry spring in his step and a huge grin on his face. He had just killed three human warriors! How amazing was that? Incredibly super unbelievably amazing is what it was!


    When he finished off Malthus and his last two minions it would be a total of¡­ seven human warriors! He couldn¡¯t wait to tell everyone about how awesome he was. Saeter would be so impressed, Herad would give him more cheese than he could possibly eat, and everyone else would finally realize how much better at everything he was than them.


    Up ahead, across a few dozen feet of thick bush, the three remaining assassins were slowly trudging back towards the city. They were slowed down by the need to check for traps and watch for ambushes. Much to Blacknail¡¯s disappointment they¡¯d already found and disarmed one that had been in their way.


    The hobgoblin was keeping his distance from his prey for now, and waiting for an opportunity to appear. At the pace they were going they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from the forest any time soon, so he could afford to be patient. Rushing in would be stupid; Malthus wasn¡¯t a human he intended to underestimate again.


    After a few more minutes of watching, Blacknail stealthily moved up beside his quarry and narrowed the distance between them. The assassin to Malthus¡¯ left was beginning to slow. Instinctively, the hobgoblin¡¯s eyes picked out the fact that the man¡¯s legs were dragging and his shoulders had started to slouch.


    Blacknail¡¯s heart beat sped up and his mind focused. Distractions and other thoughts were pushed aside as he studied his prey. He sensed weakness and that was an opportunity waiting to be taken advantage of.


    He tore his eyes away from the man and turned to study the terrain. If the assassins kept their current course they would soon pass next to a small ridge. It was the perfect place for an ambush. Now he had both a place and a target. It was time to put his latest brilliant scheme into action!


    The hobgoblin picked up his pace and moved through the underbrush to cut off his quarry¡¯s path. He quickly crept through the trees until he reached the ridge. He then looked out from behind a large moss covered rock that sat at the very edge of the ridge. Malthus and his men were approaching so Blacknail quickly ducked back out of sight.


    The trio of men were looking very nervous as they carefully moved through the brush. One of them flinched and jumped slightly when he was startled by the cry of a blackbird. He wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s target though. The hobgoblin was aiming for the other assassin, the one that hadn¡¯t reacted at all and looked tired.


    As Malthus and his men drew closer, Blacknail took out his sling and silently loaded it with a stone from one of his pouches. He then peeked ever so slightly out from his hiding spot and watched hungrily for the right time to strike.


    Below him, Malthus turned away to look off into the opposite side of the forest and the fatigued assassin slouched and looked down towards his feet. Blacknail made his move. There was a quiet rustling as the unseen hobgoblin rose to his feet and then a loud crack as his spinning sling unleashed its payload.


    All three assassins flinched at the noise. The stone zipped through the air towards the off guard man¡¯s chest, and instead of ducking or dodging he froze. Malthus acted quickly, though. The master assassin¡¯s cloak whipped around him as he moved with lightning speed and tackled the other man to the ground.


    Blacknail clenched his fists and hissed in annoyance as his projectile sailed harmlessly off into the trees. He didn¡¯t have much time for regret though; Malthus was back on his feet within seconds and headed Blacknail¡¯s way.


    ¡°Come face me, you cowardly abomination!¡± the Knifeman roared as he dashed towards the earthen ridge the hobgoblin stood atop of.


    ¡°Maybe later!¡± Blacknail yelled back as he quickly ran away and disappeared into the trees.


    It took Malthus several seconds to climb up the small cliff that lay between them. The soil was loose and wet so by the time he got to the top the hobgoblin was long gone.


    ¡°Hells and damnation,¡± The master assassin cursed loudly to himself as he looked around.


    He didn¡¯t give chase, though. Instead, he reluctantly turned back around and rejoined his men in heading out of the bush.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to let that thing get away?¡± the anxious assassin asked.


    ¡°For now; there¡¯s no bloody way I¡¯m chasing that thing through its own territory. As far as I know the entire purpose of that attack was to try and lure me away and into more of those traps. No, all we need to do is get out of this damn bush and then we¡¯re the ones with the advantage. I¡¯m not going to underestimate that creature. It must be a hobgoblin, and I¡¯ve heard stories about them,¡± Malthus replied.


    A fair distance away Blacknail was hanging halfway up a slender tree. Its thick leaves hid him from below, but its thin grey trunk was still swaying slightly from his hurried ascent. It probably wasn¡¯t the best hiding spot but he was stuck there now.


    He waited there nervously for a few seconds as he listened for any signs of pursuit. When he didn¡¯t hear anything the hobgoblin carefully climbed down and began to creep back after his prey. Now that he knew they weren¡¯t hot on his trail he was safe, and he couldn¡¯t let them get too far ahead or they would escape.


    As he moved the hobgoblin¡¯s eyes narrowed and his forehead grew lined. He had a problem he had to think through and solve. His ranged attack from ambush moments ago had been an obvious failure. He hadn¡¯t managed to even wound anyone and he¡¯d even had to flee for his life.


    He was going to have to get closer if he wanted his next strike to succeed. That would be difficult though; he would need a new plan.


    The assassins were terrible woodsmen but they weren¡¯t blind or stupid. They knew what he looked like and would see him if he got too close. Hmmm, what if he changed his appearance, though?


    Blacknail giggled and rubbed his hands together gleefully as a fun idea popped into his head. It was time to get down and dirty!


    It had rained a bit earlier that morning so there were still a few scattered puddles and patches of wet ground around. The hobgoblin quickly headed over to the closest one he remembered and took off all his clothes. It had been quite a long time since he¡¯d last run around naked, and it felt quite liberating, if a little cold.


    The hobgoblin hastily and enthusiastically jumped into the muddy puddle and began rolling around. Mud and dirty water splashed up in to the air as he shifted his weight around.


    It had also been quite a while since the last time he¡¯d done this, and he¡¯d missed it. The mud felt wonderful and cool on his skin, and so much better than wearing itchy clothes. Humans were so weird about covering themselves up. They¡¯d probably enjoy the occasional mud bath if they tried it.


    When Blacknail got back up the green skin that was stretched over his lanky frame was covered in muddy smears. The result was shifting patterns of green and dirty brown that blended in with the forest around him. After bundling up his gear and discarded clothes the hobgoblin headed back after his quarry. The mud on his skin was already starting to dry and flake off as he ran.


    Once again, Blacknail circled around the assassins and got out ahead of them. Luckily, they had been slowed down because they¡¯d run into a noose trap. The trap had done little more than snag one of the assassins¡¯ feet and trip him, but it had prevented them from getting very far.


    From a safe distance away, the very dirty and naked hobgoblin watched as Malthus cut his subordinate free and helped him back onto his feet. The third man was keeping watch in case Blacknail tried anything while Malthus was distracted.


    Up ahead a thick hedge of thorny bushes cut the way forward off. There was only one real path through it. The tall briars had a gap in the middle of them that a human could easily walk through. It was probably some sort of game trail.


    ¡°Hmm, perfect-ss,¡± the hobgoblin murmured happily to himself when he saw it.


    With one last look backwards to make sure the assassins were still occupied, Blacknail stalked through the trees and over to the pathway. A quick inspection of the area revealed a leafy depression that would conceal him, so he climbed in. He was only a few feet from the edge of the trail.


    It was at moments like this that Blacknail really appreciated how bad human¡¯s sense of smell was. It almost made things too easy.


    Soon, his prey was moving again and the hobgoblin grinned in delight when they headed his way. From his hiding spot Blacknail waited for Malthus and the other men to pass by. He was both nervous and excited.


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    All three of the assassins were keeping close together, but the thin trail was only wide enough for one person at a time to walk comfortably so they were strung out in a line. Malthus was leading the other two and thus the first to walk by.


    The master assassin made his way warily down the trail. He carefully studied the heaps of thorn bushes and other thick plants around him as he walked.


    Then he stepped right next to Blacknail¡¯s hiding spot and looked in his direction, but his eyes passed right over the hobgoblin. Nonetheless, Blacknail¡¯s stomach twinged and he felt a flash of nervousness as he held completely still. He could have reached over and touched the master assassin.


    Then Malthus was past the hobgoblin and walking away from him. There were still two more assassins left, but Blacknail relaxed and calmed down. Malthus was the one he was worried about.


    The first of the two remaining enemies walked by without seeing anything either. The cloaked man didn¡¯t even really bother to check his surroundings, most likely because Malthus already had. He just strolled along after his master. Now there was only the rearguard left.


    The last of the assassins followed his companions through the gap. The nervous looking man was mostly focused on keeping an eye out for people sneaking up from behind, so he only looked in Blacknail¡¯s direction for a split second before turning back around to stare anxiously at the forest behind him.


    The assassin stepped next to Blacknail, and this time the hobgoblin reacted. The second the man¡¯s back was turned the almost invisible hobgoblin silently stood up and stretched out his long thin arms.


    One clawed hand instantly snapped down over the unsuspecting man¡¯s mouth and sealed it, while the other reached around with a small dagger and quickly sliced open his pink throat. The hobgoblin¡¯s victim tried to struggle and cry out but it was futile, his throat was gushing blood and Blacknail had him locked in a tight embrace. He couldn¡¯t even fall over.


    Malthus and the other man continued forward; they hadn¡¯t heard a thing. As he carefully watched them walk away, Blacknail kept his victim¡¯s mouth covered and slowly lowered him to the ground. He had to keep very quiet. The faintest of sounds would give him away.


    The man¡¯s now unmoving corpse touched the earth without making a sound, and the grinning hobgoblin took a few quiet steps backwards. The other two men still hadn¡¯t noticed anything, so he wasted no time in dashing away around the tall thorn bushes and out of sight.


    He¡¯d done it! He¡¯d snuck up right under that arrogant fool¡¯s nose and killed his companion. Blacknail giggled to himself smugly. Who was the best assassin now? He was, that¡¯s who! The hobgoblin giggled again as he dove behind the bush where he¡¯d stashed his pants and the rest of his gear.


    Mere seconds later yelling broke out from behind him as the dead man¡¯s companions noticed his absence and his corpse was discovered. Oh how Blacknail wished he could see their faces right now!


    ¡°Shit, he got Janus! The monster was right here and we didn¡¯t even notice. He must be flaming invisible. We have to make a bloody run for it now!¡± Malthus¡¯ subordinate yelled with a voice full of fear.


    He sounded one step away from full blown panic, which made Blacknail feel really special. Even fully grown human warriors were terrified of him! He was so amazing.


    ¡°Be quiet, he¡¯s probably still somewhere nearby,¡± Malthus replied sternly. ¡°You know why we can¡¯t make a run for it. Not only are there traps scattered around this accursed place, but do you really think we could outrun a hobgoblin in a forest? One trip over a root or slip on some mud and we¡¯d be done. We need to keep our heads together and make for safety slow and surely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not working, though! That thing¡­ is out there and it¡¯s just playing with us! It¡¯s going to creep up behind us and slit our throats, and we won¡¯t even see it coming. We have to run!¡± the other man stuttered loudly in response.


    ¡°If you run then I¡¯ll kill you, and then you won¡¯t have to worry about the hobgoblin,¡± Malthus told the other man coldly.


    ¡°Fine, you¡¯re the boss, Malthus. You know what¡¯s best so I¡¯ll stay with you. That hobgoblin is probably no match for you anyway,¡± his nervous subordinate replied.


    ¡°Make sure you do, because I¡¯m watching you,¡± Malthus remarked threateningly.


    Over on the other side of the thorn hedge Blacknail had finished putting his clothes back on and was considering their words. He scratched his bald head as he considered Malthus¡¯ behavior. The man sure was mean. He had threatened to kill his own companion if he tried to run. The poor man was obviously terrified!


    Blacknail pulled his sling back out and sent a stone arcing over the bushes towards the assassins. It sailed through the air and tore its way through the greenery next to the assassins. It went nowhere near the humans but that wasn¡¯t the point.


    The last of Malthus¡¯ minions yelped and jumped up into the air when he heard the unexpected noise. A second later he took off like a shot away from the bushes and Malthus.


    The master assassin sighed deeply in annoyance and there was a whirring noise that sounded suspiciously like a knife being thrown. Oddly enough, it was followed by the sound of a blade sinking into flesh and a heavy thud. Blacknail grinned smugly; that was another one down.


    ¡°It¡¯s just you and me now, hobgoblin! Are you ready to fight?¡± Malthus roared in challenge.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t reply. He wasn¡¯t quite ready yet, so Malthus would just have to wait. Right now any confrontation between them would be far too much like a fair fight for his liking.


    When no one replied the master assassin began trudging through the forest again. The hobgoblin followed closely behind him. Malthus was on his own now. He¡¯d gotten rid of all the assassin¡¯s minions but Malthus was by far the most dangerous of them all.


    The man was a far better swordsman than the hobgoblin. Blacknail knew he would need a special plan to best the man. It was too bad he didn¡¯t really have one... Oh well, something would probably pop into his head before too long.


    Several minutes later Malthus was getting dangerously close to the edge of the vacant land and of returning to the city. Blacknail was running out of time. He¡¯d been kind of hoping that Malthus would trip over a trap and kill himself, but that hadn¡¯t happened. No dangerous forest creatures had inexplicably appeared and eaten him either.


    As the master assassin walked out into small clearing that Blacknail recognized, the hobgoblin realized he had no choice. This was his last chance to stop the man from returning to the battlefield, and if that happened Herad would get very mad. With a regretful sigh, the hobgoblin walked out of the bushes and into the grassy clearing.


    ¡°Here I am, Malthus. Let¡¯s fight,¡± he announced half heartedly as he pushed a branch out of his way.


    ¡°So the monster shows itself. What¡¯s wrong; have you run out of tricks? I told you that I wouldn¡¯t be done in by such petty traps or schemes,¡± Malthus replied angrily as he glared at Blacknail.


    The assassin¡¯s blade was already in his hand and he looked completely uninjured. He didn¡¯t even seem that fatigued, although his cloak and clothes had become stained and dirty.


    ¡°I got tired of your smell. You¡¯ve been upwind this entire time,¡± Blacknail replied as he drew his own sword and strode forward.


    Malthus just smiled and carefully began to walk towards the hobgoblin. He didn¡¯t seem ruffled by the loss of his men or the events that had happened in the forest. Blacknail couldn¡¯t tell if it was an act or if he had been pretending earlier. It probably didn¡¯t matter, though.


    ¡°I admit that I misspoke earlier when I said my victory over you would be just one small part of my legend. Instead, it shall be among my crowning achievements. In fact, I think I¡¯ll have your head mounted and put on display,¡± the master assassin said as he took a fighting stance in the center of the clearing.


    The hobgoblin raised his own blade and cautiously went to meet him. A gust of wind blew through the forest and into the clearing knocking autumn leaves loose from the trees and sending them swirling to the ground.


    As the killers eyed each other and began to circle one another, both their cloaks caught the wind and rippled. Then there was a flash of silver as Malthus struck first.

 Queen of Swords 15

    Blacknail ducked as the master assassin¡¯s sword sliced through the air towards his head. As a result the blow passed harmlessly above him. He then raised his own blade to protect himself as he lunged forward to stab Malthus, but the assassin just laughed and easily sidestepped the blow.


    ¡°You¡¯re fast, but too predictable,¡± Malthus told Blacknail with an amused chuckle.


    The hobgoblin grunted in annoyance. He then raised his guard again and silently stared his opponent down. Neither one of them looked away as their eyes met. Without warning Malthus struck.


    Blacknail hissed angrily as he burned Elixir for speed. A hot wave of energy ignited within him as he jumped backwards. The tip of Malthus¡¯ blade cut though his shirt and drew blood, but it was only a scratch.


    The master assassin immediately stepped forward and followed up his last attack with another one. This time it was a horizontal slash aimed at the hobgoblin¡¯s chest. Blacknail stepped forward to meet the blow and swung his own weapon. There was loud clang as the blades collided, and Blacknail felt the pommel vibrate in his hands.


    A second later the blades slid down against each other until the swords locked. Both fighters eyed each other as they fought to keep their balance and their swords up.


    ¡°That¡¯s very hard on a sword, you know. They¡­¡± Malthus remarked snidely.


    Before he could finish though, Blacknail¡¯s left boot shot up towards his groin.


    ¡°That¡¯s not very sporting,¡± the assassin joked as he easily twisted his hips out of the way of the low kick.


    However, his move forced him to shift his balance and push his locked blade up higher. Deep with the hobgoblin¡¯s mind instinct and experience sparked. Blacknail lunged forward as he instantly acted on the sudden thought.


    With lightning-like speed the hobgoblin¡¯s open mouth snapped towards Malthus¡¯ hands. The assassin¡¯s eyes opened in surprise as he was caught off guard by the move. Apparently bite attacks were rare in sword fights. Blacknail¡¯s teeth grazed the man¡¯s knuckles as he jerked his hands, and the sword in them, back.


    The quick movement caused Malthus to stumble, and the hobgoblin mercilessly pressed his advantage. He stepped forward and battered the man¡¯s sword aside. As Malthus struggled to get his guard back up Blacknail¡¯s blade sliced towards his exposed shoulder.


    Blood wetted the edge of the hobgoblin¡¯s sword as it cut into the assassin¡¯s skin, but Malthus was already dodging to the side. The attack failed to cut deep enough and Malthus spun away without any real damage. The assassin then tucked himself into a ball as his body hit the ground, and the long grass of the clearing was flattened beneath him as he rolled away.


    The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t about to let him get away that easily, though. He charged after the assassin with his sword raised above his head and ready to strike. The distance between them rapidly shrunk.


    Just as he was about to catch up, a pair of slender projectiles flew out from the assassin¡¯s form while he was in mid roll. Caught off guard, Blacknail could only flinch to the side to avoid the first one and flail wildly at the second. He got lucky and there was a muted clang as his blade safely knocked the spinning knife from the air.


    Malthus used this time to spring to his feet and retake his fighting stance. Blacknail hissed in annoyance. He had been so close to killing the bastard! Now they were right back where they started.


    ¡°You¡¯re certainly a creative fighter, but you¡¯re not the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve,¡± Malthus bragged as he grinned smugly.


    ¡°You talk-ss too much,¡± Blacknail replied with a scowl.


    ¡°Whereas you apparently have better uses for your mouth,¡± Malthus observed irately. ¡°I suppose I should expect such things from a savage beast like you.¡±


    The assassin then scowled and wiped the small cut on his hand against his pants. Blacknail hoped it got infected. No wait, he hoped Malthus died way before that could happen.


    ¡°You taste like-ss a weakling, and smell-ss worse,¡± Blacknail grumbled in reply as he spat off to the side.


    He then eyed his opponent carefully. The wound on the assassin¡¯s shoulder was a sticky mess of torn cloth and blood but it seemed to have already stopped bleeding. It didn¡¯t seem to be slowing him down either. Malthus¡¯ sword was held out in a high guard and it looked steady.


    Blacknail only had a superficial wound as well. He took up a basic stance of his own as he stepped forward. Both fighters had come out of the first exchange on even ground.


    It looked like things had yet to be settled. The next clash of swords would determine who the better swordsman was, so Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to do that. That would be really stupid and he wanted to live. He was going to keep trying to cheat!


    In fact, he already had a plan in mind. He just needed to figure out how to set it up. The hobgoblin let his gaze slip away from Malthus and he scanned the surrounding brush.


    His opponent didn¡¯t give him time to think, though. Malthus advanced on Blacknail. He seemed eager to resume the fight, and that was just another reason Blacknail wanted to avoid it.


    There was a crunching noise as Malthus stepped forward and crushed a twig beneath his feet. The hobgoblin readied himself as the assassin moved into striking distance. Sure enough, his opponent immediately attacked.


    Blacknail blocked a flurry of quick strikes from Malthus, but every blow forced him backwards. The clang of steel on steel filled the clearing as their swords clashed.


    Blacknail found himself slowly retreating as he desperately struggled to keep the assassin¡¯s blade at bay. The sword in Malthus¡¯ hand flowed like water through the air and had a grace Blacknail couldn¡¯t match. The hobgoblin could only burn Elixir and muster as much speed as possible in an attempt to keep up.


    The bushes at the edge of the clearing were getting very close now. He couldn¡¯t back up forever. Not unless he wanted to risk tripping over something and then getting stabbed as he flailed around on top of a thorn bush.


    Blacknail batted aside one slash that was aimed low, but Malthus¡¯ blade twisted back around toward his face in a quick fluid motion. The hobgoblin hissed in alarm and threw himself to the side. Instead of following up though, Malthus took the opportunity to brag.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got your measure now. I suppose you¡¯re not a bad swordsman, all things considered. You¡¯re better than you look anyway, but far from a master. This next pass will be your last,¡± Malthus remarked disdainfully.


    The assassin then lunged forward again with a confident smirk on his face. His blade whistled through the air towards Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin stepped back to lessen the power of the blow and blocked it, but Malthus just grinned. The assassin¡¯s dark cloak rippled as he spun around to the side. His blade twisted around like a snake and suddenly an alarmed hobgoblin found his sword being knocked from his hands.


    Blacknail managed to keep a grip on the hilt as the tip of the blade was forced down. Malthus¡¯ technique wasn¡¯t finished though. His own sword slid forwards and stabbed towards Blacknail¡¯s gut. The hobgoblin hesitated for a moment, before letting go of his weapon and jumping out of the way.


    It hit the ground with a muted thud as Malthus stepped passed it. The assassin quickly descended upon the now unarmed hobgoblin.


    ¡°And now you¡¯re mine,¡± he gloated as he raised his blade above his head.


    A panicked look appeared on Blacknail¡¯s face as he cringed away from the blow. He threw himself backwards and to the right, but there was nowhere for him to go. The thorn bushes were behind him and Malthus¡¯ charge was too fast.


    The razor sharp edge of the sword sliced down towards him as the assassin stepped into range, but Blacknail¡¯s mouth split open into a wide toothy grin and his panicked look disappeared. Malthus noticed the change and he hesitated, but it was far too late. As his sword swung downwards his foot hit the trap.


    Leaves and other debris exploded into the air as the rope concealed beneath the grass sprung into motion. It wrapped around Malthus¡¯ foot and pulled it savagely into the air as the bent over sapling it was tied to unfolded with a loud snap.


    ¡°Ahhh, hells,¡± the assassin yelled as the slithering rope wrenched him off of his feet.


    The sapling wasn¡¯t tall or strong enough to get him completely off the ground, but it didn¡¯t have to. Malthus was dragged roughly across the grass and his head hit the ground with a loud thud. His sword slipped from his hands as he was pulled away.


    When he came to stop the stunned assassin was lying on his back next to the still swaying tree. His clothes were disheveled and he was covered in bits and pieces of torn up plants. It wasn''t the best look on him.


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    Blacknail grinned smugly to himself as he appreciated his handiwork. It had taken a lot of work to place so many traps everywhere but it had been worth the effort. It was a good thing he had spent so many hours learning to make rope...


    As Malthus groaned and blinked in confusion, the hobgoblin skipped happily over to his side. The fun part was finally here!


    ¡°And now you¡¯re mine, stupid human¡± Blacknail gloated as he loomed over his prey and grinned wickedly.


    The hobgoblin wanted to take his time and enjoy this. What should he do to his catch? Should he skin him like a rabbit, cut off all his fingers and toes, or set him on fire? All three options had pluses and minuses. It was so hard to choose¡­


    Oh, he knew! He could combine all of them and make Malthus jerky! It probably wouldn¡¯t taste all that great, but it would be very satisfying in other ways.


    Blacknail reached down to pull one of his knives out, but was interrupted when he felt Malthus grab his leg. What was the man up to? He wasn¡¯t strong enough to do anything with his bare hands.


    As the hobgoblin looked down in curiosity he felt an odd tingling sensation. He frowned and then was thrown sideways as pain burnt its way up his leg. He landed on the ground several feet away and yelped as every muscle in his body started to spasm.


    Blacknail writhed painfully on the ground. What had Malthus done? Some sort of magic? Whatever it was, it hurt a lot!


    ¡°Ha, as if you could defeat me! I¡¯m the greatest Knifeman in Daggerpoint, and you¡¯re just a jumped up beast. My master selected me to succeed him and trained me to be undefeatable. I have all his skills and the power of a Vessel at my fingertips,¡± Malthus exclaimed as he cut himself free and slowly stood up.


    The assassin sounded pained and he made no move to approach the fallen hobgoblin, though. He seemed unsteady on his feet and barely capable of standing.


    The pain running along Blacknail¡¯s nerves suddenly died down. He coughed and quickly rolled into a defensive crouch. As Malthus watched he stood up and met the man¡¯s eyes. Both them stared hatefully at each other as they caught their breaths and cleared their heads.


    The nearby songbirds had been startled by all the noise, but they resumed singing now that things were quieter. Around the two combatants colorful leaves continued to drift lazily down from the trees onto the knee high grass.


    Blacknail hissed softly to himself. His entire body hurt, especially his leg, and the pain focused his thoughts. He now was utterly focused on killing his opponent. He would rip the man apart with his bare hands and enjoy the squishy feeling of his wet flesh between his fingers.


    ¡°Your pants are on fire,¡± Malthus dryly pointed out.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s first instinct was to ignore the man and assume it was a trick. However, his leg did sort of feel funny¡­ Blacknail looked down. There was a large hole in the cloth below his knee where he had been grabbed, and it was smoldering.


    ¡°Eeep,¡± Blacknail yelped as he hopped up on one foot and began trying to put out the flames. He slapped his leg repeatedly with his hands until it stopped smoking.


    ¡°It would be far too embarrassing to die by your hands, so I¡¯m going to have to go all out now,¡± Malthus remarked with a pained sigh.


    As Blacknail calmed back down, Malthus unwrapped a thin short chain from around his waist. It was no longer than a man¡¯s arm and ended in a weighted hook.


    It didn¡¯t seem like that threatening of a weapon but Malthus wouldn¡¯t have drawn it without a reason. Something told Blacknail it was connected to the burning attack from earlier, and that could only have been caused by one thing.


    ¡°Magic, but you¡¯re not-ss a mage,¡± Blacknail hissed in annoyance as he drew a pair of daggers and stared Malthus down.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Malthus chuckled. ¡°Not all Vessels are created equal.¡±


    The assassin then raised a hand up to where Blacknail could easily see it. As the hobgoblin warily watched little tendrils of lightning danced between the man¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°That¡¯s cheating!¡± Blacknail exclaimed annoyance as he scowled.


    ¡°It¡¯s a flashy trick, but it consumes a lot of very expensive elixir. Stabbing someone is almost always easier anyway,¡± Malthus added in explanation.


    Blacknail hadn¡¯t known Vessels could do anything like that. How come he didn¡¯t have a power like that? He wanted a fancy magic trick, and he didn¡¯t care how much it cost! It wasn¡¯t like he paid for his own Elixir anyway. Also, Mahedium was definitely going to get an annoyed visitor later. How dare he not give Blacknail the best magic possible!


    The combatants were only a dozen feet from each other and had both recovered enough to move. Malthus took a step forward and began to spin his chain. It made a whirring sound as it cut through the air.


    Blacknail raised his daggers and took up a knife fighting stance that Saeter had taught him. He knew that the chain had to have some sort of trick to it.


    Most likely it could somehow shock him like Malthus¡¯ touch had. If that was the case then this fight was going to be very bothersome, and more than a little painful.


    The hobgoblin kept his guard up as Malthus suddenly lunged at him. The man¡¯s spinning chain shot out towards his chest. He didn¡¯t try and block it. Instead, he dodged left and slashed over the chain towards Malthus.


    The assassin simply stepped back out of the way. His chain had a lot more reach than a dagger.


    ¡°Crunchy maggots,¡± Blacknail cursed.


    Knives weren¡¯t the best weapon for this, and his sword was too far away to get at. Maybe he should have kept that crossbow...


    Malthus suddenly swung the chain around towards the hobgoblin¡¯s head, and Blacknail was forced to duck out of the way. The assassin kept attacking without a break. The chain rattled as it swung towards its target over and over again.


    Blacknail managed to dodge every blow, but he couldn¡¯t get near his opponent. Malthus had too much of a range advantage.


    As he fought the hobgoblin furiously tried to come up with a solution. He needed a new plan. What tools did he have on hand? What could he use?


    Suddenly, Blacknail remembered some of the preparations he¡¯d made earlier. There was something nearby he could use!


    As Malthus continued his assault Blacknail side stepped another attack and circled round to the left. With one eye on his opponent, he hurriedly started backing away. The assassin immediately followed him and his chain slashed out at the hobgoblin¡¯s legs. Blacknail jumped over the weapon and continued his retreat.


    Then Malthus lunged forward again and his chain smashed into the hobgoblin¡¯s upper arm. Blacknail felt a crunching sensation as the weapon impacted his flesh and bone, but no shock. He reeled to the side but managed to keep on his feet. Ow, now his arm hurt too!


    ¡°Huh, your clothing must have been too thick. I¡¯ll have to hit somewhere else next time, or just beat you to death,¡± the assassin remarked as he resumed spinning his chain.


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t-ss do any of those things,¡± Blacknail hissed angrily back.


    He had grown tired of this fight. He was exhausted, in pain, and really wanted to kill this stupid stinking human bastard!


    The hobgoblin kicked the ground at his feet. The tip of his boot hooked a branch that was laying there and flipped it up into the air. Immediately, Blacknail burned Elixir and he felt the magic energy drive away some of his aches and pains.


    With inhuman speed he grabbed the long heavy branch out of the air and swung it at Malthus¡¯ head. The man¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as the improvised club closed the distance between them. There was a loud thud and cracking noise as the branch slammed into his face and knocked the man over sideways.


    Malthus crumpled onto the ground, and Blacknail didn¡¯t give him any time to try anymore tricks. He stepped forward and continued his savage assault. The clearing was filled with wild growling and heavy thuds as Blacknail beat the man to death.


    Soon, there was nothing left but a wrecked and bloody corpse. The assassin¡¯s skull had several dents in it, and one of his eyes had been knocked loose from his head. From experience, Blacknail knew humans couldn¡¯t survive nearly that much damage.


    ¡°Ha, I win!¡± the exhausted hobgoblin moaned as he dropped the club and turned around.


    He was breathing heavily as he started slowly walking back to the battlefield. Both his leg and his shoulder hurt, but his mission had been accomplished. It was time to return to his tribe, so he could demand extra cheese and take a very long nap.

 Queen of Swords 16

    After a minute or two of walking Blacknail stopped and sighed in exasperation. He then turned around and headed back the way he¡¯d come. He¡¯d forgotten to do a few things. To get back to his tribe he¡¯d need to travel through the city and the people that lived there.


    He didn¡¯t feel like going back for his mask so he just left it behind. He did however fix up his clothes as much as possible so that he wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention. They had gotten very dirty and torn so he looted a few bits and pieces from the men he¡¯d just killed. They also made for convenient bandages to tie up his wounds.


    None of Malthus¡¯ stuff was salvageable; nothing was left of them but bloody scraps. It had been totally worth it, though; he regretted nothing.


    Once Blacknail had managed not to look like some sort of murderous drifter, even if he kind of was one, the hobgoblin stepped back into the city. He slipped out of the bushes at the edge of the scrubland and into a nearby alley.


    The cool air in the shady alley was a welcome change from being out under the hot sun. All the clothing he wore got very hot when he did strenuous activities such as fighting off squads of assassins and dueling their leader.


    It didn¡¯t take him all that long to trace his way back to the edge of Herad¡¯s territory. He kept his head down and his distance from any crowds as he walked the city streets. There weren¡¯t a lot of people around anyway, and those that Blacknail did see were moving quickly and looked nervous.


    Word of the battle taking place had undoubtedly already spread. All the magical explosions from earlier had probably gotten people¡¯s attention as well. Like rabbits or mice that had heard an unexpected noise the citizens of Daggerpoint were seeking shelter and finding other less dangerous places to be than out on the streets.


    As he drew closer to Herad¡¯s base the sounds of fighting became more and more obvious. The cloaked hobgoblin stopped at the entrance to an alley and looked up over the city as he listened. It sounded like the battle had started up again.


    Zelena must have attacked again while he was gone. Blacknail¡¯s chest tightened painfully as he felt a sudden sense of urgency. He picked up the pace and started to jog. He didn¡¯t really want to join the fighting but what if something bad was happening? He had to know how the fight was going.


    Quickly, Blacknail scuttled up the side of nearby building and pulled himself onto the roof. Once up in the sunshine he looked over to where Herad¡¯s barricade had been built. Nothing remained of it but ash and the stone all around it was stained black. The flames had scarred the city.


    Further back from the blaze the cobblestone streets were red with blood. Ha, Herad really had dyed the streets of Daggerpoint with the blood of her enemies, and more than a few of her minions as well. Saeter had told him she wasn¡¯t being literal but he¡¯d been wrong!


    The killing was far from over, though. Below Blacknail the struggle for control of Daggerpoint was still ongoing. Blacknail frowned with concern as he realized Herad¡¯s men were making a fighting retreat back towards their base. If the enemy reached the base then all of the hobgoblin¡¯s things would be in danger, even his cheese!


    Zelena had finally committed her own forces and they¡¯d been joined by what was left of the mercenaries. A small solid square of shield bearing infantry were pushing their way down the center of the street. On both sides of them were loose mobs of Zelena¡¯s bandits.


    The attackers were steadily pushing the bandits of Blacknail¡¯s tribe back, and they also had them outnumbered. They looked to have a man and a half for everyone in Hera¡¯s tribe. However, the battle was far from over. Herad may have lost her tall wooden wall but Blacknail knew that she¡¯d made other preparations. He¡¯d spent a lot of time avoiding having to help set them up after all.


    The advance of Herad¡¯s enemies was slowed by layers of obstacles such as overturned carts and piles of sandbags. Blacknail¡¯s tribe made ready use of the cover as they fought. Before they could be overrun they abandoned their barricade and moved to the next one.


    As the hobgoblin watched a group of archers appeared on a rooftop down the street and opened fire. After several volleys had fallen on Zelena¡¯s men the archers quickly disappeared before the enemy could muster a counter attack.


    After looking around for a few more moments Blacknail climbed back down onto the ground. The safest place to be where he could still keep an eye on things would be next to Herad and his master. At least it would be as long as Saeter wasn¡¯t doing anything too stupid¡­


    Blacknail hurried through the empty side streets that ran parallel to the battle. He ran until the sounds of battle were behind him. It was then that he noticed the sentries. There were two of his tribe posted at the corner of the street, and they were doing a terrible job because they hadn¡¯t noticed his approach. He wasn¡¯t even trying to be all that stealthy!


    Something really needed to done about how terrible humans were at watching and waiting. After all this was over maybe he should start attacking sentries at random. That ought to get them to pay attention, and all the really bad ones would end up dead.


    As the hobgoblin studied the two men in front of him, his first thought was that he should just slip past them unseen. He decided against it a moment later, though. That would take effort and he was too tired and sore for that sort of thing. Instead, he slowed down to a non-threatening walk and headed their way.


    The pair of sentries quickly noticed him and their shadowy forms tensed, finally. One of them stepped forward and drew their sword.


    ¡°Stop, who goes there?¡± he shouted as he brandished his blade in what looked like a poor attempt to look intimidating.


    ¡°It is I, Blacknail the faceless assassin and the greatest killer in Daggerpoint,¡± the hobgoblin bragged in answer.


    He¡¯d gotten the last title after he¡¯d killed Malthus. He was fairly sure that killing the old greatest killer made you the new one. If that wasn¡¯t case then he¡¯d just kill anyone else who tried to claim it.


    There was no response for several seconds. Both the sentries started whispering to each other.


    ¡°That¡¯s the hobgoblin, right?¡± a thin man with a scruffy beard asked.


    ¡°Ya, tell him to drop his hood so we can be sure,¡± the shorter bald one replied.


    ¡°Drop your¡­¡± the first man started to say before falling silent.


    Blacknail had already flipped his hood down. The bearded bandit squinted through the shadows at him


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s definitely a hobgoblin,¡± he remarked in relief. He seemed glad that a fight wasn¡¯t about to break out.


    ¡°Are we sure it¡¯s Blacknail, though?¡± the bald bandit asked apprehensively.


    His eyes were wide and his voice shook with anxiety. He obviously didn¡¯t like being in a dark alley with a hobgoblin. His companion turned and gave him a dry look. Apparently, Blacknail wasn¡¯t the only one who thought that was a really stupid question.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s some other random hobgoblin that has decided to play dress up and wandered over to see what¡¯s going on. As if anyone but Saeter could ever tame a hobgoblin, or want to!¡± the bearded bandit replied with biting condescension.


    The two men then started to argue and bicker heatedly amongst themselves. Blacknail just ignored them walked right past. They were too preoccupied to stop him. Clearly, Herad wasn¡¯t expecting a flanking attack and was putting her less intelligent minions where they could do the least amount of harm.


    After a quick peek around the corner to make sure it was safe, Blacknail stepped out onto the main street. Before him was the rear of Herad¡¯s forces. Bandits were running everywhere as they rushed to and from the front lines. A nervous energy permeated the air and Blacknail could smell both fear and excitement.


    In the center of all the activity stood Herad; she was only a few dozen feet from the fighting and was yelling orders as she waved her short sword around. At her command bandits abandoned cover or held their ground and counterattacked.


    When a group looked like it was about to be overrun she and her bodyguards would dive in and join the fray herself. Enemies fell by the dozen when that happened.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but notice two unfamiliar faces next to her that were also racking up quite the body count. Judging by their physical prowess and the dark look in their eyes Blacknail was pretty sure they were Sloshers sent by Avorlus. Mahedium had mentioned something about that earlier, hadn¡¯t he?


    The fear she and her bodyguards inspired among Zelena¡¯s men was obvious. They hesitated to approach her and were quick to retreat when she advanced. Only the mercenary formation was unaffected, and Herad seemed to be avoiding them.


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    Suddenly, there was a shift in the way the enemy was moving. The ranks of Zelena¡¯s men parted and three humans stepped out into the now empty space in front of Herad.


    One of them was obviously a mercenary. He was wearing their brown tunic and armed and armored the same way as them. The second was a huge human male in crude leather armor with a large round belly and a long black beard. He had a huge mace over his shoulder that looked to be the size of Blacknail¡¯s entire body. The third was a tall woman with a chainmail shirt, steel helmet, and a long spear in her hands.


    The hobgoblin was willing to bet that they were all Sloshers. Herad must have thought so as well because she instantly focused on them and ordered most her men back, only Avorlus¡¯ Sloshers stayed by her side as she marched forward to meet these new foes.


    Blacknail looked away from his chieftain for a second and tried to find Saeter. He scanned the nearby crowds but didn¡¯t see him anywhere near the rear. With a frown of annoyance and concern he started looking along the front line. There a flash of movement caught his attention and he spotted his master¡¯s face¡­


    Ahh, Saeter was doing something stupid! Why was he fighting on the front lines? That was for dumb people and disposable members of the tribe! His master wasn¡¯t replaceable. Did he want to get Blacknail killed?


    Immediately, the frantic hobgoblin began pushing his way through the crowd of bandits that lay between him and the front line. He had to make sure his master was safe. Who else would feed and train him?


    For reasons beyond Blacknail¡¯s understanding Saeter had his sword out and was fighting one of Zelena¡¯s henchmen. He was holding his own but he looked exhausted. His shoulders were slumped and his movements slower than usual.


    Blacknail¡¯s heart started beating faster and a sick uneasy feeling grew in his gut. He picked up his pace and shoved a nearby bandit out of his way.


    As the hobgoblin drew nearer Saeter managed to parry his opponent¡¯s blade and then deliver a deep slash to his chest. The enemy fell as blood poured from the wound. For a moment Blacknail almost felt relief but it didn¡¯t last long. Another enemy fighter stepped forward to challenge his master, and this one was bigger and had a larger sword!


    Saeter raised his blade defensively but he was too slow. The larger man¡¯s sword swatted it aside and sent the old scout reeling. As Blacknail watched his master collapsed onto the ground and didn¡¯t get back up.


    The hobgoblin was sprinting now, and not so much pushing people out of the way as picking them up and throwing them. The uneasy feeling pulsating in his gut was being subsumed by a new emotion, a burning wave of all consuming fury. It raged through him like a storm of fire.


    Blacknail¡¯s clawed fingers tightened and curled. His eye narrowed and his lips curled up into a snarl to reveal his long pointy teeth. He was angry, very very angry.


    The thug standing over Saeter raised his sword high in preparation to strike. There were still people in the hobgoblin¡¯s way, but he didn¡¯t care. Blacknail flared Elixir. It mingled inside of him and seemed to drive his rage to new heights.


    So empowered, he jumped and landed on the shoulders of a surprised bandit. The man wobbled but Blacknail had already lunged away towards the target of his now intense and focused hatred.


    He hit the unsuspecting thug like a sac of bricks thrown by an ogre. The man coughed painfully in surprise, dropped his sword, and lurched sideways as the speeding hobgoblin smashed into him. A second later he was falling over and Blacknail had his hands around the man¡¯s neck. A second after that Blacknail¡¯s claws sank into the man¡¯s throat and the hobgoblin tore his windpipe out in a small gory red explosion.


    Several of Zelena¡¯s henchmen stepped forward to deal with the new threat, but they all froze in terror a second later. The jump and following impact had thrown the hobgoblin¡¯s hood back, and Blacknail was far too enraged to give a damn.


    He rose from atop his victim¡¯s body with a vicious snarl on his face and blood dripping from his hands. A loud menacing growl echoed up from his chest and out through his lips as he turned to stare malevolently at his closest enemies. He would rip them all apart and bathe in their blood!


    Some of Zelena¡¯s men flinched away from his gaze, others paled and remained frozen in fear, and one blonde tall powerfully built man stepped forward to attack. Blacknail ducked under the blow and killed him with a knife through his groin. The man fell and bled to death in seconds.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s bloodlust was far from satisfied; feeding it had just made it stronger and the cravings more seductive. Blacknail went for the weakest and easiest prey next.


    He grabbed the fallen man¡¯s sword and swung it towards the closest of his stunned foes. The hobgoblin Vessel¡¯s inhuman speed took everyone by surprise. Before anyone could react the blade had sliced off the man¡¯s hand.


    Blacknail was already spinning towards the next target. He slashed up towards the thug¡¯s face but was stopped by a clumsy block. This didn¡¯t stop the hobgoblin. He pushed his blade forward to knock the man off balance, and then stepped forward. As quick as thought, Blacknail¡¯s hand shot out and his fingers sank into the man¡¯s exposed eye sockets.


    More screaming filled the air. It seemed to synch with the hobgoblin¡¯s frantically beating heart and was music to his ears. Blacknail withdrew his hand and gave it a quick lick. The taste of iron, blood, and brains felt wonderful on his lips. It tasted like belonging.


    A blade sliced through the air towards him but Blacknail dodged to the side. He laughed gleefully as the claws on his left foot tore through the front of his boot and into the groin of an attacker. Then, another thug stepped forward and right into Blacknail¡¯s blade. The edge bit into his neck with fatal precision.


    Blacknail laughed as bloodlust overtook him. All these stupid humans were so slow, and their moves were so obvious. He could kill them all day, and he would, because it was such great fun!


    He ducked under a wild panicked swing and gutted the idiot who had attacked him. A space had cleared around Blacknail now. Both friends and foes had fallen back from him and the pile of mangled corpses at his feet.


    The hobgoblin frowned as the sound of a yelling voice penetrated the red haze that surrounded him. One of his enemies was trying to summon some crossbowmen. Blacknail was so going to kill him next. He took a step forward to do just that when a hush fell over the battlefield.


    Almost everyone was suddenly looking towards the center of the battlefield, and then Herad¡¯s voice echoed over it.


    ¡°Your Vessels are dead Zelena. They couldn¡¯t stand against me and neither can these pitiful drags you call an army. Now, do you dare challenge me personally or will you run like a coward?¡± she yelled loudly enough for everyone to hear.


    There was no response from anyone on Zelena¡¯s side, so Blacknail took this opportunity to murder the man to his left while everyone was distracted. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t die as quietly as the hobgoblin had hoped and his screams filled the air for a few moments before Blacknail could finish him off.


    Blacknail met the eyes of his next victim and stepped forward. The man¡¯s eyes widened in terror as he returned the hobgoblin¡¯s gaze, and a second later he turned and ran. The thug to his left followed him, and then running away suddenly became the popular thing to do.


    All around Blacknail men began to flee for their lives. Soon, it wasn¡¯t limited just to those few men near the hobgoblin. The rhythm of pounding boots on cobblestone rang out repeatedly as all of Zelena¡¯s men broke formation and turned to run. Even the mercenaries started to march slowly backwards.


    As they fled, Blacknail took a step forward to chase them but then stopped. As hungry as he was for new kills he couldn¡¯t help but notice that none of his tribe were in pursuit. Going after all of Zelena¡¯s men alone might sound fun but it was also probably unhealthy.


    The hobgoblin stood all alone on the blood covered street. As the red rage of his bloodlust slowly drained away, he remembered that he¡¯d come here for a reason. His master had been hit! How could he have forgotten that?


    Blacknail spun around to find out what had happened to Saeter. He desperately needed his master to be alright. No amount of blue cheese could replace the man who had taught him so much!

 Queen of Swords 17

    There was ragged cheering from Herad¡¯s band as Zelena¡¯s forces fled for their lives. The shouts of dozens of tired but joyful men and women rose into the air as they celebrated their victory. Everyone still standing was glad just to have survived the long day of fighting.


    With the battle now over, the anger and the energy that had come with it quickly started to drain from Blacknail¡¯s body. Suddenly, he could feel all his injuries again and if anything they hurt more than before!


    The hobgoblin couldn¡¯t rest just yet, though. He immediately began limping around in search of his master. Blacknail needed to know if he was okay, and not dead or anything.


    What was he going to do if Saeter was hurt? His chest felt unpleasantly hollow just thinking about it, and so did his stomach. His master was the one that fed him most the time!


    It didn¡¯t take long for Blacknail to find Saeter. The hobgoblin winced when he saw his master lying up against the side of a building.


    Immediately, Blacknail ran over to his side and poked him in the arm.


    ¡°Are you-ss alive? It¡¯s not-ss my fault if you died,¡± he asked as he crouched over his master.


    Saeter coughed, opened his eyes, and glared angrily at the hobgoblin.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, stop poking me you overgrown goblin!¡± the old scout growled weakly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look or sound fine,¡± Blacknail replied in an unconvinced tone as he tilted his head to the side.


    Now that he was closer the hobgoblin noticed that someone had wrapped some bandages around his master¡¯s chest and left arm.


    ¡°Bah, I¡¯m just taking a brief rest. I¡¯m not so weak that a blow like that could do me in. I¡¯m just out of shape is all. Now leave me alone,¡± Saeter said as he closed his eyes again.


    Blacknail sighed in relief as he stood back up. Well, his master was apparently going to live, so that was good.


    The curious hobgoblin decided to ask around and find out what exactly had happened while he¡¯d been fighting. A few minutes later he got his answer.


    Apparently, the blow from the now very dead thug had merely stunned Saeter, and when Blacknail had charged in one of his nearby tribesmen had taken the opportunity to drag the old scout back away from the front lines.


    The rescuer was a young blonde man. He was one of the new recruits that Herad had hired in Daggerpoint.


    Blacknail walked over to him. The young man paled slightly as he warily watched the bloodstained hobgoblin approach. Blacknail smiled reassuringly but that didn¡¯t seem to help for some reason.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name-ss?¡±Blacknail asked him.


    ¡°Eylias,¡± the man stuttered in reply.


    Obviously, he was awestruck being around an amazing bandit such as Blacknail. The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t surprised, he was really amazing.


    The hobgoblin stepped up in front of Eylias and looked him over carefully. The blonde bandit froze and his eyes widened in utter amazement. Blacknail thought he looked smarter than the average human, although that wasn¡¯t saying much.


    With snake-like speed Blacknail leaned forward and wrapped the man in a huge hug. Elyais¡¯ panicked attempts to escape were futile.


    ¡°Thank you for saving Saeter! I like you,¡± the hobgoblin exclaimed happily.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome!¡± the man squeaked in alarm as Blacknail squeezed his ribs together.


    ¡°You can be my minion. I¡¯ll show you how to make rope and kill people you don¡¯t like,¡± the hobgoblin announced cheerfully.


    All the important bandits had subordinates, so why shouldn¡¯t Blacknail? He was pretty much the second or third most important bandit in the entire band!


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Eylias gasped.


    ¡°Most humans-ss don¡¯t. It doesn¡¯t matter; you just have-ss to do what I say,¡± Blacknail explained as he let the man go.


    Eylias stumbled unsteadily as the hobgoblin stepped back.


    ¡°I mean¡­ I¡¯m already part of Richter¡¯s crew so I can¡¯t be in yours,¡± the man quickly said after sucking down a long breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask-ss Herad to fix that. Then we can go out-ss into the woods!¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°The woods?¡± the man asked with dawning horror.


    ¡°Sure, you need-ss to learn to hunt, and knowing how-ss not to get eaten or torn apart is important too,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°No thanks, I don¡¯t really want to learn that stuff,¡± Eylias quickly blurted out.


    Blacknail just shook his head and sighed; he had expected this reaction. Humans were really lazy after all, so they needed motivation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You just have-ss to do as I say, and then nothing bad will happen to you,¡± Blacknail said with a dark look and a meaningful nudge.


    For added emphasis he then made a few stabbing motions with his hand. You could never explain things to clearly too humans.


    ¡°I see,¡± the young bandit replied a few seconds later.


    He sounded more than a little shocked and overwhelmed. The right side of his face also seemed to be twitching slightly. Well, it wasn¡¯t every day that a nameless disposable grunt like him managed to get such a great new position in the tribe!


    Off in the distance, the sound of Herad yelling could still be heard. Even though the battle was over there was still tons of work to be done. Men were rushing around to help the wounded, load all the corpses and body parts on wagons, loot the fallen, and finish off wounded enemies.


    The hobgoblin wanted to join in the fun but he was too tired and sore. He didn¡¯t have the energy left to wander around the battlefield and look for loot to take home.


    Oh well, most of his tribesmen would undoubtedly grow tired of their prizes and leave them lying around somewhere Blacknail could pick them up anyway. Most the things the hobgoblin wanted ended up in his possession one way or another. He just had to keep an eye open for all the despicable thieves¡­


    Just then a pair of men arrived with a stretcher. Blacknail watched with interest as they loaded his master up and began to carry him back to base. That stretcher sure looked comfy and Blacknail was really sore from all the fighting.


    A few dozen feet away another man was carrying a stretcher and looking for wounded to carry. Blacknail decided to help him. With a cheerful smile on his face he grabbed Eylias and dragged him over to the porter.


    ¡°I want to ride-ss on this. Carry me back to base,¡± he told the man with the stretcher.


    ¡°It¡¯s um¡­ only for wounded people,¡± the porter replied uncertainly.


    ¡°I¡¯m very wounded. I can barely walk-ss and I feel like I¡¯m going to fall over. Now carry me-ss back to base or my new minion Eylais will show you-ss how wounded I am, by hurting you the same way,¡± the hobgoblin replied threateningly with narrowed eyes.


    The porter gave Elyais a confused look. The young blond just stared back with a bewildered look on his face.


    Blacknail drew his knife and started to pick his nails clean with it in a very conspicuous manner while he stared intently at Eylias. He got the message.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯d better do as he says,¡± the young bandit reluctantly said.


    The porter looked between Eylias and Blacknail before shrugging and setting stretcher down on the ground. The hobgoblin then cheerfully jumped on and the two men started carrying him down the road. It was just as comfy as Blacknail thought it would be. He laid back and enjoyed the ride. He should travel everywhere like this.


    However, they didn¡¯t get very far before their trek was interrupted. Blacknail heard the sound of familiar light footsteps approaching and he opened his eyes to see Herad headed his way.


    At first she gazed towards Saeter¡¯s prone form and scowled in dissatisfaction, but then she turned towards Blacknail. Her eyebrows rose slightly in surprised amusement as she took in the sight the hobgoblin sprawled over the stretcher being carried by the two men.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s my favorite hobgoblin. I heard that you¡¯d walked back here on your own without any obvious injuries, but the sentries clearly must have not been paying enough attention. You¡¯re obviously wounded so I¡¯ll have to punish them later,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail grinned uncertainly as he stifled a lazy yawn. The two men carrying him froze at their boss¡¯ attention. The hobgoblin noticed that his chieftain looked unusually¡­ happy. It made him uncomfortable, like being in the calm center of a storm. Apparently, all it took to put her in a good mood was the deaths of hundreds of her enemies.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very wounded; it hurts-ss everywhere. Bad sentries, they¡¯re terrible at their jobs. Ow, the pain-ss,¡± he whined dramatically as he collapsed back onto the stretcher.


    ¡°I see. Well, since you¡¯re obviously not too wounded to talk I need a report on what you¡¯ve been up to. I gave a mission,¡± she told him with a trace of her usual sternness.


    The hobgoblin quickly began telling his boss all about his plan to take out the assassins and how it had worked perfectly! He grinned and made suggestive hand gestures as he recounted the daring escapes and close fights that had taken place as he¡¯d dealt with Malthus and the other two dozen assassins with him.


    ¡°¡­but now I¡¯m so wounded. Ow, the pain-ss is everywhere inside of me,¡± Blacknail finished melodramatically.


    The bandit chieftain rolled her eyes and a small grin appeared on her lips as the hobgoblin spoke. When he was finished she shook her head in disbelief.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re so wounded I guess you won¡¯t be able to get you reward for a while,¡± Herad remarked.


    Visions of blue cheese and meat pies flashed through Blacknail¡¯s head, and his stomach grumbled loudly in response.


    ¡°I can still eat!¡± Blacknail exclaimed quickly as he sat back up.


    ¡°Somehow I thought that might be the case,¡± Herad remarked dryly as she started to walk away.


    After a second she seemed to hesitate and then spoke up again without looking back.


    ¡°Oh, and Blacknail¡­ good job pulling Saeter¡¯s ass out of the fire,¡± she told him before leaving.


    When she was gone Blacknail relaxed and collapsed back down onto the stretcher in relief.


    ¡°What-ss are you two waiting for? Get moving!¡± he growled at the porters.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    After returning to base and getting his own injuries patched up Blacknail curled up on his big comfy bed and took a nap. When he heard the sound of someone trying to wake him up he did his best to ignore it. Unfortunately, that proved difficult and he soon had to roll over and open his eyes so that he could glare at Khita.


    ¡°Wake up, Blacknail. You¡¯ve already slept for over a day and Herad wants you,¡± the young woman said as she reached over to shake the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Touch me and I¡¯ll bite you,¡± Blacknail hissed as he rolled away from her.


    ¡°She wants you to follow her to a meeting with the other chiefs in Daggerpoint,¡± Khita explained.


    Blacknail grunted vaguely in reply but didn¡¯t move. That sounded really boring. He was in no hurry to get off his wonderful bed and out from under his soft sheets.


    ¡°She wants you there to scare everyone and intimidate them,¡± Khita added.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s eyes opened again as he thought her words over. That actually did sound like fun. He could practice making scary faces. With a deep sigh, Blacknail sat up and looked back at Khita.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m getting up. Go away,¡± he grunted.


    ¡°Hurry up; you don¡¯t want to keep Herad waiting,¡± Khita replied as she walked out the door.


    A few minutes later Blacknail was dressed in his usual clothes but without his mask. He was fairly sure he wouldn¡¯t need it and it was still in the bush where he¡¯d thrown it anyway.


    He then dragged himself out of his room and joined Herad and her hulking bodyguards at the main entrance to the base. Herad was dressed in a fancier version of her usual black leathers and the shadows under her eyes seemed darker as well, but she smirked when the hobgoblin arrived.


    Either the effects of winning the battle had yet to wear off or she was really looking forward to this meeting because she was still looking unusually cheerful. She wasn¡¯t even glowering at anyone and it didn¡¯t look like she was about to kill anyone at all!


    With Blacknail in tow the two dozen bandits headed out towards the central district. They passed by the guards that stood watch over the border without incident and entered the better part of the city. After a brief walk past increasingly better maintained and larger homes they arrived at the mansion at the center of the city.


    More sentries like those that guarded the central district stood outside of it, but Herad ignored them. She strolled right past them and they quickly shuffled out of her way without comment. A few of them noticed Blacknail and scowled, but the hobgoblin just threw them a toothy smile and they didn¡¯t say anything.


    As they approached, the doors to the mansion were thrown open and they marched inside. The room on the other side impressed Blacknail. It was the fanciest room he had ever seen. It was much fancier than even Luphera¡¯s or Avorlus¡¯ homes.


    The walls were smooth pearly white plaster and long wispy white curtains framed the large glass windows. Intricate silver chandeliers hang from the roof to provide lighting. Even the tables and chairs looked like pieces of delicately crafted art.


    ¡°Greetings, mistress Herad. If you would please follow me I will take you to the conference room,¡± a sharply dressed servant explained with a bow.


    Herad nodded in reply and the man immediately led them through a side door and into a short hallway. He then pulled open another door and motioned them inside.


    The room on the other side of the door was dominated by a large round table. A dozen men and women were seated around it while a few dozen more stood around the edges of the room. Herad motioned for her minions to take up position along the wall behind her as she swaggered over to a chair and sat down at the table.


    Once again, Blacknail drew a lot of attention and no one seemed happy to see him. The hobgoblin ignored them. He was busy trying to find somewhere to sit down.


    Whoever had set up this room had been very inconsiderate in not including chairs for everyone, so Blacknail had to do a bit of problem solving. There was a small stand up against the wall and the hobgoblin simply took all the junk on top of it and placed it on the floor before sitting down. During the process a few of the decorations, including a silver candleholder, may have somehow inexplicably ended up in his pockets.


    ¡°Ahem, now that everyone is here let¡¯s get this meeting started. As you all know several important and unusual events have recently taken place in this city,¡± a well dressed older man with a grey goatee announced.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bloody understatement, Governor,¡± one of the rougher looking men at the table replied as he threw Herad an annoyed look.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small miracle that most the city¡¯s still standing. Some people have a lot to answer for,¡± someone else added.


    ¡°Ha, who are you referring to, Raelan?¡± Herad replied with a scornful chuckle. ¡°I was simply defending myself, and I wasn¡¯t the one that brought a mercenary company into the city with the intention of conquering it. Also, anytime you want me to answer for something you can feel free to challenge me to a duel. I¡¯ll gladly accept that or a larger fight. With Zelena gone and Fang dead I have the largest force in the city.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, we are not here to reprimand anyone. While I have no say in what you do amongst yourselves in the outer parts of the city I myself don¡¯t consider Herad to have broken any of the rules we agreed to when I invited all of you into the city. However, Zelena¡¯s actions require some¡­ discussion,¡± the Governor interjected.


    ¡°What do you mean by discussion?¡± another chieftain asked.


    ¡°I mean that I¡¯m hoping we can agree to some clarifications about the rules. In particular, I¡¯m talking about Zelena¡¯s use of mercenaries. There is presently no rule against hiring such forces but I think we can all agree that in light of recent developments it¡¯s unacceptable,¡± the older man explained.


    ¡°I have no problem with that. While everyone is here I¡¯d also like to remind them that most of my band is operating down south right now, and that anyone else who enters my territory will be handled without mercy,¡± Herad added.


    ¡°And what about Herad¡¯s new pet there? That thing should be put down. It certainly shouldn¡¯t be roaming the city, let alone allowed in this room!¡± a large ugly looking female chieftain exclaimed.


    Blacknail turned and glared at the speaker. He was pretty sure she was talking about him. He wasn¡¯t a pet, though. The woman was obviously not that smart but Blacknail still didn¡¯t like being insulted. Well, Herad had brought him here to be scary so he doubted she would care if he spoke up.


    ¡°Like-ss that weak fool Malthus, you insult-ss me. I¡¯ll be seeing you-ss later,¡± he growled in his most sinister voice as he glared at the woman.


    She flinched away from him as he spoke and she wasn¡¯t the only one. Several other people in the room appeared more unnerved by his ability to speak than his looks. Herad just laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you forbid Blacknail from anywhere or anything. Several people who used to sit around this table learned the hard way that he goes where he wants. Even running would be futile. If you think he¡¯s dangerous in this city you haven¡¯t seen anything yet. He was trained to hunt and track by Saeter himself and he¡¯s a bloody hobgoblin! There''s nothing he enjoys more than hunting people through the forest. I¡¯m sure that if you apologize he¡¯ll forgive you though,¡± she remarked cruelly.


    Blacknail did his best to look threatening. He scowled at the men and women at the table and around the edges of the room. If that didn¡¯t get a reaction he smiled at them and licked his pointy needle¨Clike teeth with his long agile tongue. That seemed to be what disturbed them the most.


    The chieftains soon started to argue amongst themselves and eventually even acting scary started to grow boring. The humans just kept talking and talking! Blacknail was just about to get up and wander around the room when the meeting finally came to a close.


    After what seemed like hours of arguing the only thing the bandit chieftains had agreed upon was the Governor¡¯s proposal to ban mercenaries. If Herad had to deal with people like this all the time it was no wonder she wanted to kill everyone.


    After a brief walk back to their base, Herad was greeted at the entrance by Saeter. Blacknail was glad to see his master up and about. The bandit chieftain dismissed her guards and turned to the old scout as they walked deeper into the building.


    ¡°What do you want, Saeter?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I thought I should inform you of a discovery I made while looking over the loot Zelena left behind when she fled the city,¡± Saeter explained forebodingly.


    Herad frowned at his words and tone of voice.


    ¡°I take it that this isn¡¯t the kind of discovery that can be converted to cash?¡± she remarked wryly.


    ¡°Depends on what you mean. One of the things in the storeroom was an oak chest,¡± he told her.


    ¡°I remember it,¡± Herad replied impatiently.


    ¡°Well, I thought it looked familiar so I tried to open it. The good news is that there were several small bags of silver inside. The bad news is that I opened it with this. Blacknail took it from Persus when the man''s caravan visited our camp.¡± Saeter told her as he held up a familiar golden key.


    There was an ominous silence as Herad absorbed the old scout¡¯s words and then her lips tightened into a scowl.


    ¡°Maybe they just buy chests from the same locksmith,¡± Herad replied a second later as she stared menacingly at the key.


    Blacknail¡¯s master opened his mouth to say something but Herad cut him off.


    ¡°Shut up, I was being sarcastic, Saeter,¡± she hissed at him.


    Saeter closed his mouth and looked grim.


    ¡°Demons and damnation, that fucking weasel! Well, at least this explains why Werrick seems to have unlimited funds,¡± the bandit chieftain exclaimed darkly as she glowered.


    Blacknail had no idea what they were talking about or why they were upset. It was just a key. He kind of wanted to ask for his cheese now, but it seemed like a bad time¡­

 Epilogue: The Flow of Shadows

    The plain looking middle-aged man passed his coat off to the waiting servant. It was a well made jacket of the finest quality but you wouldn¡¯t have noticed that at first glance. It was tailored in a subdued style and had a simple design.


    As the servant stepped away, the man calmly adjusted the collar of his shirt and walked down the mansion¡¯s hallway. He didn¡¯t bother to say anything to the servant or even acknowledge his presence more than necessary.


    The severe looking man ignored his surroundings as he moved, even though the inside of the building was lavishly decorated. His face remained absolutely expressionless.


    A long red carpet muted the sound of his footsteps as he walked. Night had fallen hours ago and it was pitch black outside, but an abundance of bright oil lamps lit the man¡¯s way. The light from them glinted off the expensive silver and bronze items that were on display around the room.


    He reached the end of the hallway and unhurriedly pulled the door open. There was a lavish but cozy room on the other side and it had three occupants. They were all seated around a small intimate table in the center of the room. All three of them looked up as the newest arrival entered and closed the door firmly behind himself. It clicked shut as the mechanism within sealed the room.


    The man gave each of his compatriots a quick look over, but his thin face revealed nothing of his thoughts. There were two other men and one woman at the table.


    One of the men was older than him and had a neatly trimmed beard, graying hair, and a smug twinkle in his eye. The other was younger, clean shaven, and didn¡¯t look to be in good shape. He had a pudgy cast to his features and looked like he was carrying extra weight.


    ¡°Thank you for joining us, Ressarus,¡± the grey haired gentleman said as the man pulled out a chair and took a seat.


    ¡°Thank you for hosting this meeting, sir¡± Ressarus replied politely but emotionlessly.


    ¡°I hope your journey here was less eventful than mine,¡± the matronly looking woman remarked.


    She was wearing a long plain dress that gave her a frumpy look and her long blonde hair was carefully braided. Altogether, it made her seem older than she actually was.


    ¡°I ran into no surprises, and I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re fine and still capable of continuing to fulfill your responsibilities for this company,¡± Ressarus told her.


    ¡°Your concern touches my heart,¡± the woman told him dryly as she tinkered with a wine glass.


    ¡°None of us are responsible for your travel plans, or how spectacularly they went wrong. Maybe next time you won¡¯t skimp out on hiring the necessary protection. We don¡¯t control the North yet,¡± the younger man told her scornfully.


    ¡°I never said you were,¡± the woman replied coldly.


    There were no servants in the room, and only a single bottle of wine on the table. Nor were there any windows in the walls. All the light came from a silver chandelier hanging overhead.


    ¡°Wonderful, now that the formalities are done with, let¡¯s get down to business. I have ventures of my own to get back to and a throng of lesser nobles that need to be kept in line,¡± the bulky man suggested impatiently as he reached for the wine bottle and poured himself a cup.


    He then set the bottle back down and took a sip from his glass. His comment earned him scowls of disapproval from the woman and Ressarus. The older grey haired man simply smirked as he folded his hands in front of himself on the table.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s with that stupid look on your face, Ressarus. You¡¯re even less of a stickler for formalities than me,¡± the youngest member of the group remarked irritably.


    ¡°Perhaps, but impatience is not something I approve of either, especially in business partners. I believe that the fact we went rushing in without proper preparation is the reason our plans have been recently delayed,¡± Ressarus explained.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about that mess in Daggerpoint. That was unfortunate, but I would hardly even call it a real setback,¡± the older man replied.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re probably right that our impatience is to blame for our failure there. We saw an opportunity to expedite our plans and took it. However, Zelena¡¯s failure simply means we are back to our old schedule, and all it cost us was a small chest of silver,¡± the woman added as she shrugged without apparent concern.


    ¡°Ha, even we don¡¯t have unlimited funds. We shouldn¡¯t get in the habit of accepting such losses. Investing so much money in that fool Zelena was a mistake on our part. We should have waited until Werrick could take things in hand personally,¡± the bulky man remarked.


    ¡°Now now, we all knew this would be a complicated endeavor and that we would face setbacks. Let us simply move forward from here,¡± the older man interjected calmly.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Ressarus commented.


    There were mutters of agreement from the other people at the table as well.


    ¡°So, we underestimated both Herad¡¯s pride and her competence, but that won¡¯t happen again. Based on what Persus told us we assumed she wouldn¡¯t make a good¡­ employee, so we chose to ignore her until it came time for Werrick to eliminate her. However, these latest events have shown that we must deal with her directly,¡± the older man added.


    ¡°Yes, the next time we move we must leave nothing to chance. For Werrick to control the North for us the Black Snake must be eliminated. I propose we spare no expense when we move against her; she must be crushed with overwhelming strength!¡± the younger man told his partners.


    ¡°Winter is almost here so we can¡¯t do anything until spring. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve ever seen a proper northern winter, but it shuts almost all travel down,¡± the woman remarked.


    ¡°That works both ways. Herad¡¯s movements will be restricted as well. She will be stuck in Daggerpoint all winter. Come spring, she will assuredly then move South to reunite with the rest of her band. We simply have to get ready to strike once that happens,¡± Ressarus explained.


    ¡°Won¡¯t that kind of manpower draw attention to ourselves?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°From who? The nearby lords are the next best thing to destitute. Hulgaron is kingless and Eloria preoccupied by myriad other concerns. We also have agents in place that can make sure anyone looking is distracted if necessary. A group of merchants paying to exterminate some bandits is hardly suspicious, anyway. Anyone who even notices will probably applaud us!¡± the younger man explained.


    ¡°Indeed, it would even set a useful precedent. Since no one else is willing to stand up to all the nefarious bandits in the North, why should we not protect ourselves? When Warrick pushes South none of the powerful lords will care if we raise a small army of mercenaries to protect our interests, and once that happens¡­¡± Ressarus drawled on suggestively.


    The older man laughed and smiled cheerfully at his companions and poured himself a glass of wine. He then raised his glass up into the air in front of himself. He looked like nothing more than someone¡¯s favorite elderly uncle.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s official; I don¡¯t see any need for a formal vote. When the snows start to melt this spring the Broken Wheel Company will destroy The Black Snake and her band. Cheers!¡± he happily announced.


    The others all raised their glasses, even Ressarus¡¯ empty one, and a chorus of cheers and the sound of chinking glass filled the room. None of the participants had any doubt in their minds that they would succeed. The resources they controlled were simply far too great for a mere bandit chief to stand against.

 Prologue: Rooting in Broken Earth

    ¡°Just when you thought things couldn¡¯t get any worse, they do. Everyone has plans but no one can really predict the future, especially these days. There are a lot of high and mighty fools out there who think they can control the world but of course they can¡¯t¡± Luphera told the man across the table from her.


    She was dressed in a long white dress and petticoat. It was an oddly conservatively outfit for the consort and information dealer.


    ¡°Seems to me like the powerful are at least very skilled at keeping themselves on top, even if they obviously aren¡¯t very good at running anything. I¡¯m a prime example of this, myself,¡± the Governor remarked with a self-depreciating chuckle.


    The two of them were by themselves in a small room off to the side of the Governor¡¯s mansion in the center of Daggerpoint. They were seated across from each other at a table and the morning sunlight poured into the room from a large window.


    ¡°Rulers and authorities come and go all the time. Most of them rarely leave much of a mark on the world before they¡¯re usurped by someone else ruthless, cunning, and equally replaceable,¡± Luphera told him after taking a leisurely sip of wine.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s just not true. Even terrible rulers leave an impression, sometimes more so than good ones. Take a look at the state of the world around us! Who is to blame for all the wars, violence, and poverty if not some godsforsaken king somewhere,¡± the Governor replied.


    ¡°Who knows? I was just recently reminded that the world is a much larger place than people realize, and most of it has never been seen by human eyes,¡± the woman commented. ¡°We¡¯ve lived on this continent for hundreds of years but we never truly conquered it. Travel any direction but East and soon enough civilization just stops. To the West are the great empty plains, to the North lie dark frozen forests, and to the South grow the steaming jungles. We have no idea how large this continent even is!¡±


    ¡°The lesson on geography is interesting but I believe you¡¯re talking about Herad¡¯s new pet,¡± the older man said with a frown of distaste.


    ¡°It would be a very foolish mistake to think of Blacknail as anyone¡¯s pet. Meeting him was very eye opening, in more ways than one,¡± Luphera replied as she smirked smugly.


    The Governor just rolled his eyes and poured himself another glass of wine.


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to shock an old man then you¡¯re going to have to try much harder, Luphera. The rite of Beldeva was quite popular among the cult of Tera-Nan when I was young, you know,¡± he told his drinking companion.


    ¡°Hmmm, how intriguing, but I believe we¡¯ve gotten off topic. I was talking about how the schemes of men and women are doomed to failure,¡± Luphera responded.


    ¡°And I was disagreeing with you. I take it this isn¡¯t a completely philosophical argument, though? ¡± the man remarked.


    ¡°No, it definitely isn¡¯t. Now that spring has come and the roads have opened people have began leaving the city. Just this morning Herad and her band headed back South for instance,¡± the woman explained.


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Ah yes, the Black Snake goes to rejoin the rest of her forces and prepare for the coming storm. My own investigations, as undoubtedly have yours, have revealed that there are significant forces set against them. Thus, her ambitions seem doomed and I suppose that¡¯s an example of plans going awry,¡± the Governor remarked with a frown.


    The older man then took a deep drink of wine and sighed in fatigue.


    ¡°I just wish my own fate wasn¡¯t so tightly entwined with hers. If Herad falls and Werrick succeeds in unifying the rest of the bands then he won¡¯t have much use for me. The city doesn¡¯t need a neutral mediator if it has a king,¡± he added.


    Luphera smiled reassuringly at the man. She was rather fond of him after all. Without him and the deal he¡¯d made with the outlaw bands so many years ago there would be no Daggerpoint, and he was one of the more interesting conversationalists around.


    ¡°I was actually thinking of the exact opposite. Werrick¡¯s mysterious backers are powerful and have obviously made some very long term plans for all of us. Undoubtedly, they think they¡¯ve accounted for everything but they haven¡¯t. The world is wider than they know and Herad could surprise them,¡± she countered.


    ¡°So they¡¯ll try again. Even if the Wolf somehow gets himself killed I¡¯m sure they could find a replacement. That mercenary band of Zelena¡¯s was quite the shock. These people aren¡¯t fooling around; Herad is simply outmatched in this fight. I fear we will all soon be under someone¡¯s boot,¡± he replied bitterly.


    ¡°You might be right. Things change and it may soon be time for the North to have a ruler. Herad certainly seems to be the underdog here,¡± Luphera replied as she turned and gazed thoughtfully out the window.


    A second later she turned back to her companion.


    ¡°The North is not so easily predicted though, and lately things have been¡­ stranger than ever. I¡¯ve recently expanded the scope of the information I collect, and what I¡¯ve received so far paints a messy picture indeed,¡± she told him.


    ¡°Like what?¡± the Governor asked in surprise.


    ¡°Things have begun to change. The outlaw bands have done as they pleased for years now but that time may be over. The smaller more isolated groups have started to disappear; something is preying on them. There are more and more reports of mutant and beast sightings, and just yesterday I got news of brazen attacks and thefts along the southern road by goblins. That hasn¡¯t happened in over a hundred years! After turning on itself for so long, I fear humanity has begun to lose its grip on the North completely,¡± she replied darkly.


    ¡°Surely, you¡¯re exaggerating?¡± the startled older man asked.


    ¡°No, as much as we both detest the very idea, a king may be exactly what we need. It is possible that even in victory our would be puppet masters may win themselves nothing.¡±

 Explanation of Current Events

    Okay everyone, here is an explanation of what I''ve been up to lately and why there have been no recent releases. I''m very sorry about that but I''ve just been very busy.


    I have in fact been working on the story but not on writing new chapters. Instead,  I''v been trying to improve the first half of the story. Your feedback would be much appreciated.


    I really feel that I''ve improved as a writer since I started and thus I''ve been editing the first few arcs. On top of just general improvements I''ve also been trying to bring it up to e-book quality and format.


    Below is a timeline for the story as it stands now. I had a much rougher timeline I was working from but as I actually wrote the story a lot changed. This is my first big writing project and I had no idea how to pace everything as I wrote. The Iron Teeth has turned out to be much longer and slower paced than I initially planned so some things need shifting around.


    Current Timeline:  Warning Spoilers


    The Road North<ul>


    <li>Merchant caravan in cage, thinking back to sewer life</li>


    <li>Bandit attack, freed by Saeter</li>


    <li>Training to do chores</li>


    <li>Meets Vorscha and Garalhd</li>


    <li>Goes out to get rabbits and sees harpies</li>


    <li>Meets Herad, reason for staying</li>


    <li>Out hunting for deer and spiders</li>


    <li>Sneaks into party and gets drunk


    </li></ul>


    Honor Among Thieves<ul>


    <li>Wakes up with hangover</li>


    <li>Rides Wagon and practices tying cord</li>


    <li>Stop for the night</li>


    <li>Does a lot of chores, skinning, smoking, gets knife and leather</li>


    <li>Hunts with trap and sling</li>


    <li>Bullying followed by Gerlahd and Herad fights</li>


    <li>Goes out to get snares and slime fight</li>


    <li>Search for cave and Mimic attack, goblins</li>


    <li>Merchants arrive and trade, Blacknail steals key</li>


    <li>Herad goes out to raid weapon shipment</li>


    <li>Boar attack and disappearances</li>


    <li>Raid returns with casulties</li>


    <li>Ghoul infestation and battle</li>


    <li>Blacknail sniffs out infection


    </li></ul>


    Written in Blood<ul>


    <li>Becomes a hobgoblin</li>


    <li>Beat up by Saeter and given a sword</li>


    <li>Kills bandit at latrine</li>


    <li>Khita is recruited</li>


    <li>Training by Vorscha</li>


    <li>Red Dog and Saeter attack deserters</li>


    <li>They end up in tight spot</li>


    <li>Blacknail sneak into deserters, kills leader</li>


    <li>They recruit deserters, mage, prisoner woman</li>


    <li>Troll Attack</li>


    <li>Follow Troll back to it''s lair and kill it</li>


    <li>Returns to camp, see goblin


    </li></ul>


    Along Twisted Paths<ul>


    <li>Herad and Saeter go North to Daggerpoint</li>


    <li>Red Dog left in charge of camp for winter</li>


    <li>Blacknail follows Saeter</li>


    <li>Drake and Ogre Stampede</li>


    <li>Runs into travellers</li>


    <li>Run into goblins and fights harpies</li>


    <li>Teaches goblins stuff and improves lair</li>


    <li>Gets lost, uses human trap, and asks for directions</li>


    <li>Arrives at Daggerpoint and scales wall


    </li></ul>


    Den of Beasts<ul>


    <li>Stalks through alleys and explores.</li>


    <li>Meets Luphera and gets information</li>


    <li>Khita is ambushed and he intervenes</li>


    <li>Follows her back to base and overhears Herad</li>


    <li>Decides to kill her enemies</li>


    <li>Visits Luphera and gets info</li>


    <li>Sneaks into Fang''s base and kills him</li>


    <li>Runs back to his tribe and presents Herad with Fang''s head</li>


    <li>Visits Avorlus with Mahedium  and they return with deal</li>


    <li>Failed attack on them by thugs


    </li></ul>


    A Tradesman''s Tools<ul>


    <li>?Wakes up in room</li>


    <li>?Training with Herad</li>


    <li>Elixir from Avorlus</li>


    <li>Under bed next morning</li>


    <li>Goes out shopping and finds mask</li>


    <li>Sent to kill Galive with Saeter</li>


    <li>Kills him and avoids Malthus</li>


    <li>Hears footsteps on roof while sleeping</li>


    <li>Assassins and Malthus attack Herad at night</li>


    <li>Blacknail kills some and chases rest back to Luphera''s</li>


    <li>Sneaks in, kills man, and meets Luphera</li>


    <li>Alarm is raised and he is convinced to kill man for Luphera</li>


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.<li>Fights guards and assassins then duels with Malthus</li>


    <li>Flees through window but has to climb back inside</li>


    <li>Hides in closet until Luphera kicks assassins out</li>


    <li>Stuff


    </li></ul>


    Queen of Swords<ul>


    <li>Goes out with Saeter to recruit</li>


    <li>Run in with street children</li>


    <li>Hears about ghouls but it turns out ot be Avorlus'' men</li>


    <li>He is a bloodmage</li>


    <li>Saeter confronts Herad and Mahedium</li>


    <li>Preperations for war and construction of barricades</li>


    <li>Zelena summons mercs and starts attack</li>


    <li>Hired thugs fail to take barricade after Mahedium blasts them</li>


    <li>Mercs advance and blow hole in barricade with mage</li>


    <li>Head falls back and sets wall alight</li>


    <li>Mercenaries are pushed into flames and defeated</li>


    <li>Assassins start targeting Herad''s archers</li>


    <li>Blacknail is sent out to stop them</li>


    <li>Lures Malthus into overgrown land.</li>


    <li>Uses traps and ambush to kill assassins</li>


    <li>Blacknail goes back to battle.</li>


    <li>Sees Saeter fighting and dives in to save him</li>


    <li>Meeting of remaining bandit chiefs


    </li></ul>


    On top of a lot of editing to speed up the pace of the first few arcs I''ve been thinking about adding a new arc in after Written in Blood. The point of this would be too make the first half story more self contained and like a novel; so it has a clear beginning, middle, and end that gives readers more of a sense of progression. Again, this is also to fix the really slow pacing of the story at the start.


    Some ideas I''ve been throwing around for this are:


    <ul>


    <li>Finding the cave and a battle with a powerful mutant, such as a giant snake.</li>


    <li>Build up the world more naturally with resorting to interludes.</li>


    <li>An attack by the knights from the beginning of Written in Blood to show more about nobles and society.</li>


    <li>Very action heavy arc with lots of chaos.</li>


    <li>Shows Blacknail''s character and social status growth.</li>


    <li>Sets up the war in Daggerpoint</li>


    <li>Earlier introduction of unique Elixir powers


    </li></ul>


    Tell me what you think and about any ideas you have!


    Another big thing I''ve been thinking about is rewriting the prologue to make it more relevant and have a bigger hook. A good story needs to get people''s attention in just  the first paragraph and I''m not sure my current one does that. Some readers have also complained about it being so long and the shift in perspective, and they have a point.


    New/Changed Prologue: The Shattering of Ways


    Blood poured from the man¡¯s wounds onto the cold ground beneath him. He was dying and beyond help now. He choked and gasped as bitter blood clogged his throat but he fought to hold still and at least die with dignity. In his last moments, and in front of all these witnesses, he wasn¡¯t going to go out thrashing around like a fish out water. Burn that!


    He refused to have regrets, even though he had never gotten what he¡¯d wanted out of life. He had done the best he could and died for what he¡¯d believed in! His would be the last laugh anyway.


    He could still feel the inhuman eyes that watched and blazed with hate. The dying man tried to chuckle but all that came out was a weak gargling cough. The fools had no idea what they¡¯d unleashed! They couldn¡¯t see how the world had changed and turned against them.


    As the man¡¯s vision grew dark, scenes from his past began to play out before him. His last breath rattled through his teeth and he couldn¡¯t help but think back to how it had all began¡­


    The point here is to shorten the really huge and not completely relevant prologue I have now and really get it to grab peoples'' attention in only a few sentences. The story is just so long now that keeping the same prologue wouldn''t make much sense. I''ll probably re-add it as an interlude.


    If you have any ideas or criticisms for any part of the story I would love to hear from you. It would be really helpful to hear from all my readers about what they think makes my story strong and what makes it weak.


    The more input I get the faster I can get this out of the way and get back to new chapters!


    -ClearMadness

 Rolling the Dice 1

    The loud creaking of the wagon¡¯s wheels was somewhat muted by the frequent thud of footsteps on the dusty ground of the road. The only other sounds to be heard were the wind through the trees and the restless rustling of leaves.


    Blacknail the hobgoblin looked up from where he¡¯d been absentmindedly inspecting a set of tracks next to the road, near a thick clump of coned reeds. The footprints had caught his interest but they had turned out to be from nothing more than wolves. The forests of the North contained many things much more dangerous than wild dogs.


    A dozen men and women were walking alongside a wagon that had been piled high with goods. Their clothing was mostly tough looking leather and every one of them was armed. This wasn¡¯t surprising, since they were bandits who had just robbed a caravan and were now taking their spoils back to their base.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hobgoblin doing over there?¡± a nearby blonde man nervously asked the scarred woman walking next to him.


    ¡°He¡¯s plotting to kill us in painful and humiliating ways,¡± the woman replied sarcastically. ¡°Why are you bloody asking me? Why do you even care? He probably just smelled a rabbit or something.¡±


    The outlaws had gotten some great loot. Blacknail knew this because he¡¯d been happily looting the merchant caravan beside them. The bandits were his comrades and they all served under Herad the Black Snake.


    Not all the humans liked him, though. Some of them were jealous of his good looks and superior murder skills. Happily, a few demonstrations of those same skills had silenced the hobgoblin¡¯s most vocal critics. They''d been very impressed.


    Recently, Herad had ordered all her minions to charge tolls instead of outright robbing people, but the bandits¡¯ last target had been trying to sneak through her territory without paying. That meant they had to be made an example of, and so the hobgoblin had gotten to murder them and take their stuff. That was Blacknail¡¯s favourite part of being an outlaw.


    As soon as most the merchants were dead the hobgoblin had immediately sniffed out all the best loot and taken it for himself. After some hissing and snarling to scare away the other bandits, five wheels of cheese, a pretty red cloak, two roast ducks, and bag of shiny stones were all his.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to get home and show Saeter. The old ranger had been the one who had trained him and taken him in when he¡¯d been just a little goblin.


    ¡°What have you got there?¡± a short cloaked man asked politely as he walked over.


    The man was one of the scouts with the mission. Blacknail was the other one. They were there to help track down their target and to keep watch on the forest. Most of Herad¡¯s scouts were friendly towards the hobgoblin, and greatly respected his master Saeter. The old ranger was the best scout in Herad¡¯s band.


    ¡°Nothing-ss, just wolf prints,¡± Blacknail replied happily.


    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s probably nothing to worry about then,¡± Wyre the scout said.


    ¡°Dunno, forest doggies aren¡¯t that dangerous but there-ss are a bunch of people watching us from the trees behind-ss me,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°What? How do you know?¡± the man asked as he jerked in alarm.


    ¡°I smell-ss their trail all along the road. They were just on-ss it but they ran off in that direction when we got close,¡± Blacknail explained.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s master Saeter would have been able to detect the watchers by observing the flight of birds, or something. Blacknail didn¡¯t need to do that because most humans smelled like a pile of shit on legs. They were hard to miss.


    Wyre frowned thoughtfully and took a few seconds to process this.


    ¡°How many of them are there and what can you tell me about them?¡± he asked.


    ¡°There are three men-ss, all in good health, and they were waiting here for a while before we-ss arrived,¡± Blacknail replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Fuck, they¡¯re probably not friendly then,¡± the short man cursed softly. ¡°I can¡¯t think of a good reason for a small group like that to be hanging out here in the middle of nowhere. I have the unpleasant suspicion that they were waiting for us here.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. As a general rule everything out here in the forest was dangerous and hostile. Humans were also a very violent race. They started fights over the weirdest things.


    ¡°What are they planning, though? Three men aren¡¯t a threat to us,¡± the scout mused.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go ask them. I like asking people questions,¡± Blacknail suggested.


    After a brief talk with the other bandits, Wyre and the hobgoblin slipped into the bushes at the side of the road. Together, they stalked into the shadowy woods that bordered the road. They moved slowly and approached their target from the side to conceal themselves, but it soon became obvious their stealth was unnecessary.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t stick-ss around. They all ran that way,¡± Blacknail mused as he examined a boot print in muddy ground.


    The forest was still damp and wet from the spring melt. The mud made it easier to track their quarry but also harder to move. It also meant there were a lot of annoying insects flying around.


    ¡°That way leads back to the road. They must have slipped ahead of us,¡± Wyre pointed out as he swatted at an insect. ¡°That¡¯s not something innocent passersby would do. It would be much safer just to hide and wait until we were gone.¡±


    ¡°They were waiting-ss for us and they¡¯ve gone to tell someone that they¡¯ve found-ss us,¡± Blacknail suggested as he slapped a bug that had landed on the tip of his nose.


    ¡°Damn, I think you¡¯re right. We¡¯ve got an ambush waiting ahead of us. It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense. They have to be out here for us,¡± the scout cursed in acknowledgement.


    Blacknail got up and began moving back towards the road.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± his companion asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to follow them. You stay here. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± the hobgoblin answered as he broke out into a run.


    If these humans were going to meet up with their friends so they could all attack at once the solution was simple. He would just run them down and kill them before that happened. It would be easy. Humans were fat and slow while he was not only a hobgoblin but a Vessel as well.


    Blacknail¡¯s cloak billowed behind him as he raced through the trees. He crushed broad leaved plants beneath his boots and smashed through the slight branches that tried to block his path.


    The hobgoblin could feel the Elixir in his blood simmer as he unconsciously tapped into it to boost his speed. The ability to drink Elixir and use it to strengthen himself was what made him a Vessel.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    A shallow woodland stream appeared in front of him. It was flooded with water from the spring melt. Without stopping, Blacknail jumped across and landed on the other side.


    Wyre was already out of sight behind him. The human scout couldn¡¯t keep up with Blacknail.


    A second later, Blacknail burst out of the forest and back out under the sun. He charged through the bushes and came to halt in the middle of the dirt road.


    He took a second to sniff the air and listen. He could hear the creak of the wagon his tribe had stolen down the road. The rest of his companions were now far behind him.


    He could smell the men he was tracking. The scent was old enough that he knew they were still ahead of him by a fair bit. With a gleeful hiss of anticipation Blacknail kicked off the ground and started running down the road after his prey.


    At a full sprint, it didn¡¯t take him long to catch up. The hobgoblin heard the pounding of their footsteps before he saw them. There was a curve in the path ahead that blocked his sight, so he slowed down and glanced around it.


    There were three men in front of him, running down the dirt road at a steady pace. For a second Blacknail almost mistook them for members of his own tribe. Their clothes were the same worn looking mix of leather and rugged cloth. They also carried themselves the same way.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t recognize anyone of them or their scent, though. They were definitely strangers. Who were they? They were enemies but of what kind? Blacknail licked his lips as the urge to hunt flowed through him. It didn¡¯t really matter who they were as long as they were acceptable prey.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to think; it was the time to strike. The hobgoblin dashed off the road and back into the forest, where he was harder to see. He had a plan and he needed to get ahead of them for it to work.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have time to move with absolute stealth so he made a fair bit of noise as he trampled through the brush. Even puny pink human ears would probably be able to hear him. Pink was a silly color...


    ¡°What was that?¡± the smallest of the men suddenly asked in a spooked tone as he heard something out in the forest.


    ¡°It was probably just a deer or something,¡± one of his companions replied dismissively.


    ¡°Just keep moving. I want to put more distance between us and Herad¡¯s men,¡± the last man added.


    With long strides, Blacknail passed the running men and moved ahead of them. Even out in the bush he could hear their footsteps. When he had a fair lead on them, he turned and moved back towards the road.


    From the shadows, the hobgoblin watched the three unsuspecting men approach. As he waited, Blacknail reached into his coat and pulled out a vial of liquid.


    The Elixir in the vial tasted unpleasant as it hit his tongue, like dirty water with a hint of sour fruit. It had been a while since he¡¯d last had any. He¡¯d been using only the traces left over since his last drink.


    A familiar warmth spread throughout his body, from his toes to the top of his head. It was accompanied by a rush of energy, which mingled with his desire to hunt and drove it to new heights. His teeth ached with need. It was time to attack.


    As the three men passed through an area where the forest encroached closely upon the road, Blacknail drew his sword and launched himself out of the bushes. There were only a few feet between him and the closest man.


    The rustling of leaves as the hobgoblin charged alerted his prey. They didn¡¯t have enough time to react, though. Blacknail was already upon them. The closest man¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he fumbled for the blade at his hip.


    Before he could draw it, Blacknail¡¯s sword sank into his chest. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t even try to pull it free, but instead immediately drew two long knives and whirled to the side.


    The man to his left raised a sword and stepped forward. Blacknail reacted faster. Before his enemy¡¯s boot was firmly planted on the ground, the hobgoblin kicked his foot out from under him.


    ¡°Arrh, fuck,¡± the man wheezed as he landed hard on his side.


    A silver sword sliced through the air towards the hobgoblin¡¯s head as the third man attacked. Blacknail dove under the swing. He slashed at the man¡¯s arms as they went by. His dagger cut through the man¡¯s sleeves and drew blood.


    The wounded man stepped back but Blacknail stuck with him. The man¡¯s slow block didn¡¯t stop the hobgoblin from sliding to the side and slashing at his arms again.


    Blacknail sniggered as kept up the pressure. He dodged the increasingly frantic man¡¯s swings and attacked again and again. Soon, the man¡¯s arms were covered in bleeding cuts. He was having fun now.


    The second man climbed to his feet and charged the hobgoblin with his sword held high. Blacknail stepped back from the man he¡¯d been fighting and spun out of the new attacker¡¯s way.


    Combat stopped for a second as everyone faced each other. Blacknail gave his two playmates a wide grin that showed off his sharp and long tongue. The two men took in his visage and they both flinched in fear.


    ¡°What the fuck is that? It¡¯s not human,¡± asked with obvious terror as his face paled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just kill it!¡± the other responded as he raised his sword with shaking hands.


    Blacknail giggled to himself merrily. That was so not going to happen. The scent of blood was thick in the air and he had to suppress a shiver of excitement. He could sense the fear that was starting to undermine his prey now and destroy their resolve.


    The hobgoblin dove forward. One of his opponents countered with wide defensive swing but the other jumped back in fear. Blacknail¡¯s move had been a feint, though. He bounced backwards out of the way of the sword, leaving the man overextended.


    With careful precision, the hobgoblin stepped forward and knocked the sword down with one dagger. There was a hollow gasp of pain as the other dagger sank into the man¡¯s side. The short steel blade parted flesh and slipped in under ribs as it cut its way into vital organs.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead,¡± Blacknail whispered gleefully into his opponent¡¯s ear as the man began to collapse.


    The only remaining enemy¡¯s eyes went wide in terror. He stuttered as he tried to raise his sword up into a defensive stance. However, his cut up arms shook and seemed to lose strength. With a moan of despair, the man¡¯s sword fell from his grip. Blood flowed down his mangled arms and dripped from his fingertips.


    The whimpering man immediately turned and ran. Blacknail laughed and then started humming cheerfully to himself as he pursued at a leisurely pace. His prey had no chance of escaping now. He had been hobbled and was leaving a trail of blood.


    The terrified man was dashing madly down the road away from the hobgoblin, but he didn¡¯t get very far. Soon enough, he tripped over his own feet.


    Blacknail laughed again when the man¡¯s attempt to catch himself failed. His arms gave out on him a second time and his face hit the dirt with a loud thud.


    There was the sound of whimpering as Blacknail walked over to him. It was shame but it seemed the hunt was already over. His quarry had been no match for his Elixir powered speed and hobgoblin cunning. He was just too amazing!


    Blacknail crouched down and poked the fallen fighter in the shoulder.


    ¡°I think-ss I¡¯m supposed to ask you questions now,¡± he mused to himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Oh, gods. Please don¡¯t kill me,¡± the man sobbed weakly.


    ¡°No problem, just answer my questions. Who are you and why-ss are you out here waiting for me and my friends?¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully.


    The man¡¯s request was a simple one and more than worth the reward. Now that the hunt was over his own bloodlust was waning. He felt no need to kill this man.


    ¡°You have friends?¡± the confused man asked in disbelief.


    Blacknail scowled and poked the man again. This human was kind of rude. His long fingernail jabbed into an open wound and the man spasmed in pain.


    ¡°The men from earlier. The ones you were watching,¡± the hobgoblin hissed in answer.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man moaned. ¡°We were sent to watch the road in case any of Herad¡¯s men came by. We were headed back to tell the rest of our squad you were coming.¡±


    The hobgoblin took a second to think this over and lick his finger clean. It sounded a lot like an ambush. Who would be stupid enough to fight Herad¡¯s men here in her own territory, though? His chieftain had a lot of warriors and was a dangerous Vessel as well.


    ¡°How many of you-ss are there, and who do you work for?¡± Blacknail asked his captive.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t eat me. There are thirty men at the camp. They¡¯re just an hour down the road, and we work for Werrick,¡± the man quickly answered as the hobgoblin stared down at him.


    Blacknail shifted in surprise. He knew that name. When he¡¯d gone to the human city of Daggerpoint with Herad it had been mentioned a lot. A lot of the groups of bandits and human warriors they had fought in the city had been working for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not-ss going to eat you. I said I wouldn¡¯t already. Now tell me, what does Werrick want?¡± the hobgoblin asked next.


    Werrick was someone Herad really wanted dead, and the feeling was mutual. He was a bandit lord just like Herad, which explained why the men Blacknail had just fought seemed somewhat familiar.


    ¡°To kill Herad,¡± the captive replied nervously. ¡°We¡¯re just the tip of the spear. He¡¯s coming here himself and bringing all his men with him, hundreds of them. He intends to destroy the Black Snake, and he has more than enough swords to do it.¡±


    The man on the ground tensed as if expecting to be poked again. Blacknail just smiled instead. It sounded like there was a war coming. What fun!


    The hobgoblin knew his chieftain. There was no way she would be taken down easily. Blacknail had watched her slaughter foes that outnumbered her before. This time would be no different.


    Although, before he joined back up with her and his master Saeter he was going to have to escape the ambush waiting for him. He had almost forgotten about that...

 Rolling the Dice 2

    It took several minutes for Wyre to catch up, and a few more after that for the wagon to arrive. Blacknail was seated on a rock at the edge of the forest. The hobgoblin hummed cheerfully to himself as he watched them come down the road towards him.


    When his slow human comrades were close enough, he hopped off the rock and walked over to them. Wyre and the others warily drew to a stop as Blacknail came towards them.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve been busy,¡± Wyre remarked as he took in the bodies that littered the ground. ¡°Are any of them still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that one there,¡± Blacknail replied as he pointed. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I asked him a lot of important questions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what did you learn?" The short scout asked with obvious interest.


    ¡°They don¡¯t-ss have any cheese,¡± Blacknail answered with grunt of disappointment.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± The scout asked as he gave Blacknail an annoyed glare.


    ¡°Yep, these guys brought-ss a lot of friends,¡± the hobgoblin added. ¡°They¡¯re camped up ahead of us.¡±


    Scowls and various looks of displeasure appeared on everyone¡¯s faces. A pair of bandits turned and scanned the road up ahead, as if they expected attackers to appear at any second.


    ¡°Good thing you stopped them, then,¡± one of the bandits remarked.


    ¡°Yes, nice job, Blacknail. Did your captive happen to mention why they want us dead and who they are?¡± Wyre inquired.


    The hobgoblin smiled at the compliment. He had done a good job! He was such an amazing scout and ranger!


    ¡°Yep, I asked that! They¡¯re all-ss part of the army Werrick sent to kill us all,¡± Blacknail explained happily.


    There was a shocked silence as everyone took this in. The hobgoblin gave the humans a few seconds so that their slow brains could catch up. Sometimes watching humans think was like waiting for someone to light a fire by striking two rocks together. It took a lot of time and effort to get a good spark.


    ¡°Ah, that would certainly make sense,¡± Wyre eventually mused aloud.


    ¡°What the fuck? Bloody hells, I hope that¡¯s some sort of weird hobgoblin joke!¡± one of the other bandits exclaimed in shock.


    ¡°If it is then it¡¯s not bloody funny,¡± another added.


    ¡°My jokes are funny,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself.


    He didn¡¯t make a lot of jokes but when he did people laughed. He was fairly sure they were laughing with him...


    ¡°Maybe, he¡¯s making this up! Are we going to trust his word?¡± another scared sounding bandit added.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Wyre replied sternly. ¡°He has no reason to lie about this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a liar,¡± Blacknail hissed as he shuffled over and gave his captive a kick.


    ¡°He¡¯s telling the truth,¡± the man on the ground grunted.


    Blacknail gave the man who had questioned him a mean stare. Everyone else turned to look at the captive. They had forgotten he was still alive, because he certainly didn¡¯t look like it. The man was lying on his stomach with his wounded arms beside him. His face was turned away from them and pressed against the dusty ground.


    ¡°See, you¡¯re being paranoid,¡± Wyre told the blonde man.


    ¡°Bah, why are you defending a bloody hobgoblin? That thing kills everyone around him!¡± the blond man exclaimed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t kill everybody!¡± Blacknail countered reproachfully. ¡°That would-ss be pointless and a lot of work! Look, I left-ss the captive alive. We¡¯re even friends now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re friends?¡± Wyre asked skeptically.


    The scout turned to look at the prone form of the cut up man Blacknail had chased down. The cuts on his arms had mostly stopped bleeding but the long scarlet gashes and the trails of blood they had created across the dusty road were still very visible. Even the slight rising and falling of his chest as he breathed looked painful.


    ¡°Yep, we are definitely friend now,¡± Blacknail announced loudly as he gave the man on the ground a light kick. ¡°I saved his life, from myself.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re... the best of friends,¡± the man on the ground coughed painfully a second later.


    ¡°I¡¯d hate to see his enemies,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not how that works. You can¡¯t save him from yourself,¡± Wyre pointed out.


    ¡°Then I saved him from you. If you had-ss caught him would you have left him alive?¡± Blackail added with undeterred enthusiasm.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Wyre reluctantly agreed.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± one of the other bandits added as there were mutters of accord from the rest.


    ¡°I promised to let-ss him live and everything!¡± Blacknail added to support his argument.


    He had kind of forgotten where he was going with this... but that wasn¡¯t going to stop him.


    ¡°And that¡¯s actually a promise you intend to keep?¡± Wyre asked with morbid curiosity.


    ¡°Why not? I have no reason to kill him. I¡¯m-ss a nice person.¡± Blacknail responded. ¡°Also, Saeter said lying was bad-ss. If you¡¯re good and never lie then people will start to believe everything you say. That sounds amazing!¡±


    Wyre blinked in surprise. He stared at the hobgoblin for several seconds. The scout¡¯s face was completely blank and revealed nothing as the hobgoblin beamed at him.


    ¡°Ah, words of wisdom if I ever heard them,¡± he remarked deadpan a second later.


    After a few moments Wyre turned away and walked over to the prisoner. He crouched over the man and began to ask him questions of his own. When he was done he turned back to Blacknail.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going now. Apparently, we have a hostile army to avoid. Do you just plan on leaving this guy here?¡± Wyre asked the hobgoblin as he stood up.


    Blacknail hadn¡¯t really thought about it. He wasn¡¯t against Wyre¡¯s plan, though. It certainly sounded like the least amount of work.


    ¡°Sure, he can-ss stay here. He won¡¯t be able to catch up to us and no one-ss should find him for a while,¡± Blacknail reassured the other scout.


    ¡°Something will probably eat him, like wolves... or a hobgoblin,¡± one of the other bandits muttered.


    Blacknail ignored the comment and turned back to the man on the ground.


    ¡°When-ss you do get back to your comrades remember to tell them how-ss scary I am. I¡¯m frightening, you know!¡± Blacknail bragged.


    ¡°I know,¡± the man replied dryly as he turned and stared in fascinated horror at the hobgoblin.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Blacknail liked how his new friend was absolutely terrified of him. He should probably encourage this behaviour in others.


    ¡°Also, I¡¯m going-ss to come back here soon and kill everyone in their sleep,¡± Blacknail explained cheerfully to his captive. ¡°I¡¯ve been told I¡¯m good at that! Make sure you tell-ss everyone that. I¡¯ll let you live again though-ss, because we¡¯re friends.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± the man replied quietly.


    He sounded somewhat delirious and out of it. Blacknail gave him an encouraging pat on the head to cheer him up.


    ¡°Come on, leave him,¡± Wyre told the hobgoblin. ¡°We need to go. The longer we stay here the more likely it is they¡¯ll send someone to check up on their lookouts.¡±


    With a sigh of resignation, Blacknail nodded and got up.


    All together, the bandits then started down the road again. One of them manoeuvred the creaking wagon around the bodies of the fallen. The horse pulling it seemed more worried about keeping an eye on Blacknail than anything else.


    Before he got very far down the road, Blacknail suddenly stopped. He turned back towards the last surviving member of Werrick¡¯s men. He¡¯d just had a great idea!


    ¡°I¡¯ll also spare people-ss who leave cheese out in the woods for me. Tell everyone!¡± he shouted before turning and jogging after the rest of his group.


    When the hobgoblin had rejoined the others, Wyre turned to him and coughed loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°We slipped the noose just now, when Blacknail took out those scouts, but we¡¯re still in danger. The enemy is between us and safety and our wagon is far from stealthy. They¡¯ll spot it from a mile away,¡± he told them.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s just dump it,¡± a nervous sounding man commented.


    Blacknail gave the man a mean glare to shut him up. His cheese was still on that wagon! Wyre also scowled and shook his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be the one to explain its loss to Herad. Are you?¡± he asked.


    When no one replied, the scout continued talking.


    ¡°The roads the only way back, anyway. Blacknail and I might survive a jaunt through the forest but I doubt most of you will. No, we¡¯re going to clear the route for the wagon and then make for safety as fast as possible,¡± he said.


    ¡°By clearing the road you mean killing people, right?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wyre answered.


    ¡°Good, I can-ss do that,¡± the hobgoblin replied confidently.


    Wyre ignored the smiling hobgoblin.


    ¡°The enemy will have sentries posted somewhere along the road. I¡¯ll take the North side and Blacknail will take the South. Together, we¡¯ll sweep ahead of wagon and take out their sentries unseen.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to do everything by yourselves?¡± the sole female bandit present asked.


    ¡°If we need help we¡¯ll come back and get it. If we don¡¯t then you¡¯ll just be a liability. It¡¯s over either way if we get spotted,¡± Wyre explained.


    No one else had any questions after that so they resumed their trek. Only when they got a little closer to where the enemy was supposed to be did Wyre signal for the wagon to slow. He and Blacknail then both stepped into the woods on opposite sides of the road.


    The hobgoblin licked his lips as he slipped through the bushes. He was on full alert and excited as he stalked silently under the trees. Today was going to be such a great day! He was going to hunt, not once, but twice!


    The speckled shadows of leaves cast by the branches above darkened the woods. Even though the road was so close the forest here was dark and oppressive. Only a light covering of small leafy plants grew across the ground.


    It wasn¡¯t so dark that the hobgoblin thought he would run into any giant spiders but he kept a look out for webs just in case. He really didn¡¯t like those creepy things.


    Blacknail came across a well worn animal path and stopped to sniff the earth. He could smell traces of rabbits and wolves. He also thought he detected a faint whiff of harpy.


    Wolves and harpies could both be dangerous in large groups but Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried about them. Food was plentiful in the spring and neither would risk attacking him. Even without a steel blade in hand and magic lurking in his blood, a hunting hobgoblin was more than a match for them.


    With his focused eyes full of forest green, Blacknail continued on. There was so little underbrush around he had to move carefully to stay out of the sight of any watchers. Tall tree trunks stretched out before him in every direction.


    Soon, the ground began to slope upwards towards a hill. Blacknail eyed it carefully from below. He didn¡¯t see any sign of enemies, but he couldn¡¯t see the top of the hill and it would be a perfect vantage point from which to watch the road.


    It would be difficult to make the climb undetected by someone above so the hobgoblin waited and observed for a while. Patience was often the key to catching prey. He couldn¡¯t wait too long, though. The wagon was still moving down the road and would shortly come into sight.


    His patience was soon rewarded. Blacknail heard a rustling sound and then a murmur of voices. The hobgoblin¡¯s long green ears perked up. The noise was clearly coming from atop the hill. There were definitely people up there.


    ¡°Grab my bag when you go,¡± someone out of sight said. ¡°If I¡¯m going to be stuck here I want it. And don¡¯t take too long. There¡¯s supposed to be two of us here,¡±


    Someone muttered a reply. Blacknail then watched intently from behind a thick tree trunk as a rough looking man with brown hair made his way down the hill. This was perfect!


    Carefully, the hobgoblin drew his sling and loaded it with a rock. A second later, the unsuspecting man collapsed after a rock ricocheted off his head. Smiling smugly to himself, the hobgoblin dragged his victim¡¯s body out of sight.


    Blacknail then walked up the slope. At first he moved silently but then the last sentries back came into sight and he sped up. The man was preoccupied with watching the road and not looking his way.


    ¡°Do you have my stuff?¡± the sentry asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Blacknail replied as he bashed the man in the back of the head with a rock.


    The hobgoblin then just had to wait a few minutes for the wagon to roll into sight. From atop the tree covered hill he watched it make its way across the road. When it was safely past the lookout spot, he jumped down the hill and ran to catch up with the others.


    ¡°You¡¯re back. Murder anyone while you were gone?¡± the leading bandit asked Blacknail when he stepped out of the forest.


    ¡°Just two,¡± Blacknail replied as he held up a pair of fingers. ¡°I found the enemy sentries.¡±


    ¡°Good, did you find the camp?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Nope, I didn¡¯t see it-ss. Maybe it¡¯s on Wyre¡¯s side of-ss the road,¡± Blacknail answered.


    ¡°It is and we need to move faster,¡± the aforementioned scout announced as he stepped out of the woods. ¡°There were no sentries watching the road on my side but they had a few around the camp. I only got a quick look, but it¡¯s not small or unorganized. It looks like a military camp and they have at least a few horses.¡±


    ¡°You think they¡¯ll notice their sentries are missing soon and send riders after us?¡± the female bandit asked.


    ¡°Of course, the gods never miss a chance to mess with us mere mortals,¡± Wyre replied. ¡°We¡¯re simply going to have to move as fast as possible. It¡¯s all we can do.¡±


    ¡°What if they just ride us down?¡± someone who sounded nervous asked.


    Blacknail sympathized. Being chased by a bunch of horses with people on them didn¡¯t sound like fun to him either. From experience he knew it didn¡¯t usually end well for the person without a horse.


    ¡°Depends, if there are only a few of them then we¡¯ll fight. If there are too many for us to handle then we¡¯ll make for the woods. They¡¯ll have to dismount to follow us,¡± the short scout explained.


    There were a quick series of acknowledgements from everyone present and then they all picked up the pace. Wyre gave the chestnut horse pulling the wagon a slap on its flank. The beast snorted disdainfully in response and gave the man an annoyed look but it began moving faster as well.


    Blacknail did his best to ignore the stupid creature as he jogged alongside the others.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you humans go any faster? This is very slow.¡± Blacknail remarked after a while.


    ¡°We have to keep this pace up all day if we want to make it back to camp,¡± one of the bandits replied angrily.


    ¡°So? It¡¯s still really slow. Stop being so lazy and go faster,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bloody lazy! This is as fast as we can go. We¡¯re not all hobgoblins, Vessels, or batshit insane like you!¡± the man shot back.


    ¡°Huh, I guess,¡± Blacknail replied as he ran.


    After a moment of thought he dropped back to talk to Wyre.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the scout asked.


    ¡°We need to run faster,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°Unless you know magic or at least an incredibly inspiring running song that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± the man huffed in reply.


    ¡°No, but I do have a plan! I could go to the back and poke the slowest runner with a sharp stick until they go faster,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Tempting, but no. I¡¯m going to have to pass on that,¡± Wyre chuckled in response.


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± the hobgoblin sighed.


    With such slow idiots for companions there was no way the group was going to be able to outrun anyone. Blacknail picked up the pace. If they got chased down he planned on being at the front where it was safer. All the slow humans could take the brunt of the attack. Maybe that would motivate them to move faster...


    The running continued for quite a while. The sun overhead slipped behind a cover of thick white clouds and its light dimmed.


    All of a sudden there was a chill to the wind, as if winter hadn¡¯t quite gone away yet. The air¡¯s touch raised goose bumps along Blacknail¡¯s exposed skin and he shivered slightly.


    The creaking of wooden wheels and heavy wheezing from the nearby humans filled the hobgoblin¡¯s ears. Up ahead of him the road made a sudden turn. A particularly tall tree stood on the very corner of the bend. Its long trunk had grown on a slant and its drooping branches hung over the road.


    Blacknail was watching it out of the corner of his eye when he saw movement. As he focused, a figure stepped out from under the tree and froze in surprise. Several other people quickly appeared around him and pointed towards the hobgoblin¡¯s group.


    Uh oh, this wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°There are men ahead-ss of us,¡± Blacknail hissed in alarm as he skidded to a stop.


    ¡°Shit, I see them too,¡± Wyre swore.


    The rest of their party stopped. The horse neighed when one of the bandits pulled on its reins to stop it. There was tension in the air as everyone stared at the new arrivals.


    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be anyone from Herad¡¯s camp out this way,¡± Wyre commented.


    ¡°Whoever they are they¡¯ve got us cut off,¡± someone added.


    More and more people came into sight up ahead. There were at least as many of them as there were bandits in Blacknail¡¯s group, and who knew how many more were still out of sight.


    The hobgoblin heard one of the unknown men shout, and suddenly blades began to appear in their hands.


    ¡°Draw your weapons and get ready for a fight,¡± Wyre commanded everyone.


    Blacknail drew his blade and threw a worried glance back at the wagon. It had finally happened... they had come for his cheese.

 Rolling the Dice 3

    Blacknail, the hobgoblin, snarled as the unidentified humans in front of him drew closer. They had weapons in hand and looked ready for a fight. Well, if it was a fight they wanted then that was what they were going to get. No stupid humans would be getting their dirty hands on his tasty cheese without a fight!


    ¡°We must defend the loot!¡± Blacknail growled loudly to his companions.


    Behind the hobgoblin, those of his fellow bandits that hadn¡¯t already taken out their weapons did so. The ranger Wyre pulled out a bow and hurriedly strung it. It wasn¡¯t a particular long bow but next to his short stature it looked large.


    ¡°Why are we listening to the bloody hobgoblin?¡± one of the bandits whined with an edge of panic in his voice. ¡°When did that start to make sense? They¡¯re murderous savages! Maybe the horse has some tactics it would like to share as well?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not listening to the hobgoblin. We¡¯re doing what Herad ordered us to, bring this wagon back to base,¡± Wyre responded in a harsh commanding voice.


    ¡°We should leave the wagon and head into the forest. This must be a trap! There are probably more of them coming up behind us,¡± the scared bandit said as he threw a nervous look backwards down the road.


    Blacknail growled. If the coward was allowed to run then the others would follow, and that was no good. The humans had to stay here and fight to protect his cheese!


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anyone behind us and they haven¡¯t surprised us. How could it be a trap, stupid human?¡± the hobgoblin pointed out scornfully.


    ¡°What does a beast like you know? We need to run!¡± the man shot back.


    Blacknail growled again in annoyance, and stepped up beside the man.


    ¡°If you run-ss you¡¯ll never make it. Something terrifying out in the woods will kill-ss you slowly and painfully, me!¡± he whispered to the cowardly man.


    The bandit paled and took a step back from the hobgoblin. He then threw a nervous look towards Wyre. The scout was too far away to have heard Blacknail, but he noticed the other man¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Stand your ground, both of you,¡± Wyre ordered. ¡°There¡¯s no need to run yet. Blacknail¡¯s right. I see no sign of us being encircled and they seem just as surprised as us to have run into company here.


    Blacknail did as he was told. Not because Wyre was his boss, he wasn¡¯t, but because it was what he wanted to do anyway.


    <hr>


    Up ahead, one of the unidentified people detached from the rest and walked forward. His hand was raised up to shield the sun from his eyes. He appeared to be trying to get a good look at Blacknail and the bandits.


    ¡°Hey, I think that¡¯s Boots!¡± the female bandit standing next to Wyre exclaimed. ¡°They¡¯re not enemies at all; they¡¯re from Herad¡¯s camp. We¡¯ve got reinforcements!¡±


    Blacknail turned and looked. He squinted at the approaching man but could only make out the blurry outline of a face. Well, most humans looked alike anyway.


    ¡°It seems we hit a spot of good luck after all. Come on, get the wagon moving. Let¡¯s see what brings our fellows out this way. Not that I¡¯m complaining,¡± Wyre announced as he started to walk forward.


    There was a loud neigh and the creaking of straining wood as the horse hitched to the wagon was signalled into motion again. Blacknail and several other bandits put away their blades and followed after Wyre.


    Most the tension from earlier had already faded away. Now everyone seemed relieved and excited.


    Soon, the other group came into focus, and it became obvious they were from Herad¡¯s camp. Blacknail recognized several of them, even if he had never bothered to learn most their names. Most bandits with less status than him weren¡¯t that important.


    Blacknail quickly recognized the man leading the other group, though. It was his master, Saeter. The hobgoblin perked up and smiled happily. Now he could brag about all the amazing things he had done on this mission! His master was sure to proud of him!


    ¡°You¡¯re early. Did you forget to pack enough food or something? ¡± Saeter yelled their way.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not supposed to be out here at all. We almost ended up charging you!¡± Wyre shot back. ¡°Did Herad finally kick you out, or did you just miss us?¡±


    ¡°Bah, more likely you were about to piss yourselves and run, and who would miss your faces? Blacknail¡¯s the best looking out of all of you,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°No, one of the patrols ran across some signs of movement so we¡¯re checking it out.¡±


    Blacknail grinned smugly to himself after hearing his master¡¯s words. He was an amazingly handsome hobgoblin after all. Obviously, none of the humans could match the beauty of his long pointy nose. It was just the perfect length and shape.


    ¡°We...¡± Wyre started to say before Blacknail cut him off.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here, master,¡± the hobgoblin shouted as he waved enthusiastically in his master¡¯s direction. ¡°I saved everyone¡¯s lives like twice! I also killed some enemies, snuck around a lot, and found some cheese!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun,¡± the old scout replied as he rolled his eyes and signalled for Wyre to speak up.


    Blacknail¡¯s feelings were a bit hurt, but he would have plenty of time to talk to his master later.


    ¡°As I was saying, on our way back we ran into some unexpected company, which would explain the signs of activity you found. It seems Werrick is on his way here,¡± the other scout explained.


    Saeter frowned as he and Wyre met in the middle of the road. The pair began talking and comparing notes. Neither of them looked happy.


    Blacknail found their talk boring. He already knew all that stuff. As he idled away the time, the hobgoblin saw a hint of something that might be a berry bush off to one side of the forest. All the walking had made him hungry, so he decided to investigate.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Saeter commanded the hobgoblin, after only a brief glance his way.


    Blacknail sighed in annoyance but did as he was told. He spun around and made his way back over to the wagon. He had some snacks tucked away on it. No one could complain if he ate those now.


    A few minutes later, after Blacknail had finished shoving half a loaf of bread down his throat, Saeter and Wyre decided on a course of action. The pair of scouts called all the other bandits over, and they gathered around.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point sticking around,¡± Saeter told everyone. ¡°We have no idea how many men Werrick has here. That camp may not be the only one, and we need to get the wagon back to base.¡±


    ¡°Later, I¡¯m sure Herad will want to send a few squads out to watch and harass the enemy, but that¡¯s not our job right now,¡± Wyre added.


    No one argued with them. All the other bandits simply nodded or said nothing. Most of them were deserters, and they hadn¡¯t left the army because it didn¡¯t fight enough.


    After a bit more instruction, everyone got moving again. The two groups of bandits melded seamlessly into one and started back down the road towards camp.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Saeter had a rearguard put together to protect the wagon but no one attacked them. The only sign of the enemy was a single horseman off in the distance that observed them for awhile before disappearing. It was rather disappointing to Blacknail, really.


    The walls of thick bushes and trees that flanked the road eventually widened to reveal a barricade of tall, lashed together stakes. Blacknail gave the men guarding it a friendly wave, they were also part of Herad¡¯s tribe.


    Behind the crude wall lay Blacknail¡¯s home, the camp of the bandit chieftain Herad. The barrier was pulled to the side and the captured wagon rolled in, along with all the men and women accompanying it.


    Saeter and Blacknail took a minute to unpack their gear and settle down after the trip. The hobgoblin had to make sure all his prizes and tasty treats were hidden away where he¡¯d left them.


    ¡°You¡¯re all back early,¡± Red Dog commented as he walked over to them. ¡°Should I be concerned?¡±


    Blacknail looked over from where he was prying open one of the sacks on the wagon.


    Red Dog was the lieutenant whom Herad had left in charge of the camp when she had gone to Daggerpoint last fall. Red Dog had been very disappointed to see Blacknail return with her. He had hoped that the hobgoblin had run off into the wild, never to be heard of again except in unsettling campfire stories.


    ¡°We need to talk to Herad. Things are moving quickly and not in a good way. It looks like some of Werrick¡¯s men are moving into our territory,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°So I should be concerned,¡± Red Dog replied with a sigh. ¡°Damnation, I was hoping for another easy spring of robbery. Shit like you¡¯re talking about is how honest bandits like myself get themselves killed.¡±


    ¡°Honest bandits?¡± Wyre asked in amusement.


    ¡°I don¡¯t pretend to be anything else,¡± Red Dog replied with a shrug.


    ¡°And here I thought you were without virtue,¡± Saeter commented. ¡°But enough chitchat, we need to report to Herad.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you talk to her,¡± Wyre added. ¡°She seems to like you best.¡±


    The older scout gave the younger one an annoyed glare but didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he turned back to RedDog.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± he asked the other man.


    ¡°The boss is at Vorscha¡¯s cabin, right now. They¡¯re talking about supplies and stuff,¡± Red Dog answered. ¡°I might as well go with you. It sounds like this is going to throw all our plans up in the air.¡±


    ¡°Come along then,¡± Saeter grunted as he started off towards Vorscha¡¯s cabin.


    Blacknail followed his master as they marched though the camp. Crudely constructed wooden cabins of various sizes littered the clearing. They had all been built last year as shelter from the winter that had just passed. Many of them were large barracks-like structures that housed groups of bandits.


    The grass that had once dominated the clearing had long since been trampled down into dirt that was dusty in dry weather and muddy after the rain. In the center of the camp stood the old farmhouse Herad had taken as her own. Along the edges of the camp the tall trees of the northern forest loomed, reminding everyone that they were far from true civilization here.


    Herad was indeed talking to Vorscha. The pair of them were standing out front of her cabin as they conversed. Of the two women, Herad was very much the smaller. She was only of average size.


    When Saeter and the others came around the corner of another building, Vorscha saw them and pointed their way.


    ¡°What brings all you lazy bastards back so quickly? I hope for your own sake that you actually followed my orders,¡± Herad asked as she turned towards the new arrivals.


    ¡°I certainly did, as always. The men you sent with Blacknail ran into some trouble after taking their spoils and hurried back here with news,¡± Saeter explained in a carefully neutral tone.


    By the time he had finished a cold look had appeared on Herad¡¯s face. Well, colder than usual. Herad always looked like she was one step away from violence. Blacknail tried to attract her attention as little as possible, unless he had something to brag about.


    The Bandit chieftain ran her fingers through her short black hair as she considered Saeter¡¯s words. Her dark eyes stood out from her pale skin and were narrowed in thought.


    ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t completely unexpected. We thought it likely that Werrick, and the fucking bloody bastards that he has backing him, would move against us,¡± the bandit chieftain replied as she scowled.


    ¡°They¡¯re moving very quickly, though. Faster than we thought they would,¡± Vorscha pointed out.


    The large brunette women spoke with a hint of concern in her voice. She was wearing a loose cloth shirt, and crossed her arms in front of her in a way that highlighted both her lean muscles and her ample chest.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Herad responded. ¡°The longer he waits the more men and equipment Werrick can rally. Having him move this early is to our benefit, not his. The impatient fool is underestimating me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, and that has me worried. Why is Werrick moving so quickly? He knows you won¡¯t be easy to beat in your own territory. He must be very confident for some reason,¡± Saeter pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯d be confident to if I had the kind of backing he did,¡± Vorscha countered. ¡°With those crooked merchants behind him he can probably afford to lose his entire army and then just buy a new one. Manpower isn¡¯t hard to come by out here, with all the deserters feeling the southern wars.¡±


    ¡°True, in Daggerpoint his lieutenant Zelena used mercenaries. I would be very surprised if Werrick hasn¡¯t hired a few more,¡± Saeter added.


    ¡°If he relies on outside forces too much the other bands will never accept him,¡± Herad replied with a disdainful sneer. ¡°He can¡¯t just buy himself an army and use it to control the North. That would make him too much like a conquering outsider out to crush all banditry.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do us much good if we¡¯re dead,¡± Red Dog muttered.


    ¡°If Werrick does come against me with a mercenary host then I¡¯ll retreat and wait," Herad replied as she drew one of the many daggers she had tucked around her person. Idly, the bandit chieftain toyed with it as she spoke.


    ¡°He¡¯ll have to leave eventually to deal with other bands and then we¡¯ll raid the forces he leaves behind. He won¡¯t be able to conquer the North with strength of arms alone. He needs to convince the other bands to follow him, and to do that he has to convince them he¡¯s one of them,¡± she told her subordinates.


    Saeter nodded in agreement. A flash of annoyance gleamed in Herad¡¯s eyes for a second in response. The old scout¡¯s approval always seemed to anger her for some reason.


    ¡°Most the outlaws I¡¯ve worked with came North to escape the rule of Kings,¡± Saeter explained. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t fall to their knees and accept Werrick as their master if he looked like a southern puppet out to destroy their livelihood and freedom.¡±


    ¡°Which means we just have to worry about Werrick¡¯s band and maybe a little outside support. He must have left some men behind but he undoubtedly still has more than us,¡± Vorscha pointed out skeptically.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too worried if that¡¯s all he brings to the table,¡± Herad said. ¡°We have the defensive advantage. We know the terrain, have fortifications up, and are building more. I¡¯ve outmaneuvered him before and this time will be no different.¡±


    ¡°We need to be prepared. We should speed up construction, double our patrols, and cancel all leave. Every man in camp should be assigned to a job until Werrick is defeated,¡± Vorscha suggested.


    ¡°Practical as always, Vorscha.¡± Herad responded approvingly. ¡°I¡¯ll leave organizing that up to you."


    Off to one side, Red Dog sighed regretfully and grimaced to himself. Blacknail took a not so casual step behind Saeter, where he was harder to notice. He wanted avoid being given a job.


    The talk lasted for a few more minutes before Herad dismissed everyone. Saeter and Blacknail were given the rest of the day off, and they headed back towards their camp site.


    They lived in a pair of tents off to one side of the encampment, near the forest, instead of one of the larger buildings. Both of them had spent the winter in Daggerpoint and liked to live simply. Everything Saeter owned could be packed up in a few minutes.


    As soon as they arrived, Blacknail happily ran over to his tent and began to unpack all his stuff. All the yummy snacks, shiny trinkets, and hard won loot he had acquired from his last mission had to be put away. If he just left it out then a despicable thief would probably steal it! Some people were just savages.


    The hobgoblin took off his cloak and outer garments, flipped open the door to his tent, and crawled inside. The interior was small, but once inside Blacknail¡¯s body heat immediately started to heat the place up. Beneath him a small collection of blankets carpeted the floor, and his own familiar scent filled the air.


    The hobgoblin gave out an unexpected yawn and collapsed onto the ground. He leisurely shifted the blankets beneath himself as he closed his eyes and smiled. It was so comfy and warm here. If it wasn¡¯t for the need to eat and drink he would never leave.


    Blacknail gathered up a clump of blankets and rested his head on them like a pillow. One of the sheets was little more than a beat up rag but the hobgoblin didn¡¯t care. In fact, that rag was his favourite by far. It had been given to him by his master when Blacknail had been nothing more than a little goblin.


    His memories from way back then were blurry and confused but when he held the blanket close and smelled it he was overcome by a sense of security and... something else. Was it comfort and appreciation? It was a nice feeling anyway. It made him feel warm inside.


    A few seconds later, Blacknail let out a deep breath and opened his eyes. He wanted to rest some more but knew he had things to do. Reluctantly, he reached into his pockets and started removing the best of his new acquisitions.


    A small metal figurine was taken out and placed off to one side. The tiny warrior¡¯s bronze surface was dull but it still had a slight shine to it. Next, a glass eye was put down beside it. Blacknail snickered to himself as he remembered how he¡¯d gotten that. Fun times!


    Oh, there was also a little bit of biscuit in there. Blacknail pulled the chunk out of his pocket and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed on it as he slipped out of his tent and back outside.


    Up in the sky, the sun was a fair bit past midday peak. Small fluffy clouds were scattered around it but they didn¡¯t block its light.


    The hobgoblin looked down and at the human dwellings around him. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.


    The first thing that had to be done was chores, so Blacknail went to find the person he¡¯d told to do them all.

 Rolling The Dice 4

    The hobgoblin threw his cloak on and went to find Elyais. Before he¡¯d left to go on his last mission, Blacknail had given his minion a list of chores to complete.


    Blacknail had saved Elyais life, or something, back in Daggerpoint. He''d forgotten the details but the important bit was that he¡¯d taken the man in as his minion. All the other important bandits had minions so Blacknail needed at least one.


    Eventually, Blacknail found Elyais outside one of the barracks. The blonde young man was standing several feet from a group of men playing dice. There was a small crowd around the players, watching them play. Elyias was at the very back.


    ¡°What are you-ss doing?¡± the hobgoblin asked as he stepped up right behind the young man.


    Elyaias hadn¡¯t seen him coming. He rose almost half a foot into the air as he twitched in fear. A look of unrestrained terror appeared on his face for a split second before he got control of himself.


    ¡°Ah, what the hells?¡± he gasped in shock. ¡°You! You¡¯re not supposed to be back yet.¡±


    Several other bandits noticed Blacknail and gave him wary looks, but they soon turned back to the game. They were used to him.


    ¡°Some enemies showed up, so we came back quickly,¡± Blacknail explained cheerfully.


    ¡°Damnation, what¡¯s with my luck? I can¡¯t ever catch a break,¡± Elyias muttered to himself in a muted manner that Blacknail could totally hear.


    ¡°Have you been a good-ss minion and done the jobs I gave you?¡± the hobgoblin asked him.


    Blacknail knew it was important to keep your minions occupied. His master had certainly made sure he had been busy all the time. You also had to be firm but fair with minions.


    ¡°Err, ya. I did, Blacknail,¡± the young man answered. ¡°Your firewood has been replaced, and I made sure no one went near your tent.¡±


    ¡°What about all the traps? You emptied-ss them?¡± Blacknail asked coldly as he stared into the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ah, no... I was going to but when I got out there something had torn most of them apart,¡± Elyais replied uncertainly.


    Blacknail scowled at the man and stared him down. He was disappointed in his minion. The young bandit wilted under his gaze.


    ¡°Then you fix them-ss!¡± Blacknail suddenly hissed angrily in explanation. ¡°I know you can make the string and set up the traps!¡±


    The hobgoblin¡¯s long tongue wormed its way out from between his teeth as he spoke. Elyais paled and furtively glanced around for anything that would help him or distract the hobgoblin. He didn¡¯t find it.


    Meanwhile, Blacknail had to fight to suppress a smirk. He wasn¡¯t actually that angry. He¡¯d been the one that had destroyed the traps, and he¡¯d known Elyais wouldn¡¯t fix them. It was all part of the teaching process.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it, I swear,¡± the blonde young man exclaimed fearfully. ¡°Just let me grab my gear.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m checking the snares-ss tonight and if they''re not done...¡± the hobgoblin drawled threateningly.


    Blacknail then snorted disdainfully and stomped away with over exaggerated anger. He could feel Elyais watching him leave.


    A few seconds later, the hobgoblin walked around the corner of a building. Once he was out of sight, Blacknail stopped and swiftly turned back around. He then peeked stealthily back at the group of people around Elyais and listened in. He was pretty sure Elyais was going to be bad and slack off.


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be some way I can give that creature the slip,¡± the young man complained to the bandit next to him.


    His compatriot was a tall man with a pot belly and long black beard. He was dressed in rough furs. Unlike Elyais, he had been part of Herad¡¯s band since before Blacknail had joined.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t try it if I were you,¡± the large man replied with an unfriendly smile. ¡°Just do what he says and don¡¯t piss him off. Let me tell you, some extra work is nothing. Fresh meat like you usually goes through much worse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± a bald woman with a vicious scar across her face added. ¡°I¡¯ve seen pretty boys like you forced to do all sorts of things. Although, maybe you¡¯re the type that wouldn¡¯t mind having a big strong guy to look after you and keep you warm at night.¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Elyais responded as he grimaced in distaste.


    ¡°Ha, then get to work,¡± the bearded bandit laughed.


    ¡°I will, right after this round is finished. I want to see who wins so I know who to play with when I join in later,¡± Elyais replied distractedly as he watched the gamblers in front of him.


    There was a clatter of wooden dice and then murmurs of appreciation from the crowd as one of the players got a good roll.


    ¡°You¡¯d be much better off not playing. Even if you somehow ended up winning that would be worse than losing for you,¡± the bearded bandit told him.


    Eylias muttered vaguely in response and stepped closer to get a better look at the players. He seemed too focused on the game to pay the other man much attention.


    From his hiding spot, Blacknail sighed and shook his head. Elyais was going to get himself in trouble. He obviously wasn¡¯t that smart. It was a good thing he had Blacknail to look out for him!


    Well, that was a problem, or entertainment, for later. Blacknail didn¡¯t feel like harassing Elyais anymore right now. It would be more educational, and amusing, to punish him later when he didn¡¯t fix the snares in time.


    The hobgoblin turned around and headed back to his tent. It had been over an hour since he had last eaten a full meal so he was hungry again. Time sure went by quickly when you were having fun!


    On the way back, Blacknail passed by Vorscha¡¯s home again. Herad and Vorscha were both long gone, but the large woman¡¯s minion and mate Geralhd was now outside. The skinny human was leaning against the building¡¯s entrance way while talking with Red Dog and another man.


    Red Dog¡¯s hands were moving energetically as he spoke to Geralhd, and their conversation was loud and boisterous enough that it drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. Maybe something important was going on?


    ¡°Fuck, and I was planning on going to town soon. I guess I won¡¯t be getting roaring drunk and visiting the brothels after all,¡± Red Dog cursed.


    ¡°Get yourself a lover in camp. It¡¯s cheaper and you won¡¯t spend so many cold nights alone,¡± Geralhd told him.


    ¡°No thanks. I prefer my women to be... less dirty and not so well armed. Give me a flower scented whore over the women in this camp any day,¡± Red Dog replied with a wince.


    ¡°I find that comment to be more than a little insulting,¡± Geralhd replied as his face took on an affronted expression.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Ha, who cares? Everyone knows you only shack up with Vorscha for protection. Although, I wouldn¡¯t mind feeling up those big tits of hers once or twice myself,¡± the third bandit interjected with a laugh and some rude hand gestures.


    The speaker was a man of average height but he looked to weigh a fair bit. His arms and legs were thick, if somewhat soft looking instead of muscled. His round face was covered by a short, patchy, brown beard.


    Geralhd glared at the bandit angrily. They were about the same height, but Geralhd was much lighter and his face was clean shaven. He was one of the few bandits in camp that bothered with shaving regularly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you take that back, Urick. You shouldn¡¯t talk like that about Vorscha or me,¡± Geralhd exclaimed furiously.


    ¡°Are you going to make me, pretty boy? Because I don¡¯t think you can,¡± Urick replied with disdainful sneer.


    From where he was watching, Blacknail sighed and rolled his eyes. Why did Geralhd keep picking fights with people bigger than him? It was stupid. He should just stab them from behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start a fight, Urick. I¡¯ll be very pissed if you make me intervene,¡± Red Dog told the other man.


    ¡°Bah, I haven¡¯t started anything,¡± Urick spat. ¡°Pretty boy here is the one that¡¯s getting too big for his boots.¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t apologize then were going to have a problem,¡± Geralhd told Red Dog.


    The bandit lieutenant just looked amused by his comment. A smirk appeared on his lips.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my job to make people say sorry,¡± Red Dog replied dismissively. ¡°If you want a nice flowery apology then that¡¯s your business. I¡¯m not too worried about it, or Urick.¡±


    ¡°Hear that? This is your problem, pretty boy,¡± Urick announced cockily. ¡°You don¡¯t realize that, besides the gal you¡¯re shacking up with, no one likes you or has any use for you.¡±


    Soundlessly, the hobgoblin walked up behind Urick and put a hand on his shoulder. His touch caused the big man to flinch in shock and turn his head around to see who it was.


    ¡°I like Geralhd. He feeds me so that I don¡¯t get hungry,¡± Blacknail interjected meaningfully as he stared into Urick¡¯s eyes and grinned toothily.


    The unwashed man¡¯s green eyes widened and went completely still. His mouth hung slightly open as he stared uncomprehendingly at Blacknail. While Urick¡¯s brain was trying to catch up the hobgoblin turned and flashed Red Dog a grin.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Blacknail announced cheerfully.


    ¡°Apologize, Urick,¡± Red Dog said grimly as he narrowed his eyes and scowled at Blacknail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want...¡± Urick began to say.


    ¡°Shut your trap and apologize!¡± Red Dog hissed.


    The bandit hesitated for a second and threw Red Dog a confused look, before complying. Blacknail just kept on smiling.


    ¡°I take back what I said,¡± Urick muttered grudgingly.


    ¡°Your apology is accepted,¡± Geralhd replied gratefully as he grinned cheerfully.


    The two other bandits scanned his face for any signs of smugness but didn¡¯t find any. He seemed genuinely happy to have the conflict resolved.


    Blacknail smiled and patted Urick on the shoulder in a friendly matter. They were all friends here, for now! The bandit looked confused; he still hadn¡¯t managed to completely close his mouth.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go,¡± Red Dog told Urick as he pulled the other man away.


    ¡°See you around,¡± Geralhd told them.


    ¡°See, we can all get along if we try!¡± Blacknail announced joyfully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how that idiot has survived this long. He must be the luckiest fool in all the North,¡± Red Dog muttered to himself as he walked away.


    Blacknail thought that was kind of mean. Red Dog needed to relax more.


    ¡°Why did you make me apologize?¡± Urick asked the other man peevishly.


    The big man looked annoyed and his hands were balled up into tight fists. Red Dog gave him cold glare.


    ¡°Geralhd¡¯s harmless, but you shouldn¡¯t give the hobgoblin a reason to dislike you. That monster will kill you for giggles and you won¡¯t see him coming. It would also get away with it just fine. It¡¯s smart enough not to leave proof and to make itself useful to Herad,¡± Red Dog explained quietly.


    The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t able to hear anymore because a beaming Geralhd took a step down from the doorway and spoke up.


    ¡°Thanks for the support, Blacknail. It was nice of you to stick up for me and show Urick that I have lots of friends,¡± the unusual bandit told him.


    ¡°No problem,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he waited expectantly.


    ¡°Here, have a treat,¡± Geralhd announced as he reached into a pocket.


    The man withdrew a piece of candied meat and tossed it to Blacknail.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± The hobgoblin replied as he smiled smugly and caught it.


    He had been pretty sure Geralhd would have a treat on him and that showing up would earn him it. He had the man well trained, so there was no way he was going to let some big stupid human injure him.


    ¡°Urick is such an asshole. I don¡¯t know how Red Dog can stomach being around him. Someone should stick a knife in his back,¡± Geralhd muttered darkly to himself.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail replied distractedly as he chewed.


    Urick was now on the list, which meant the hobgoblin would get to him eventually. Blacknail didn¡¯t mind killing him for Geralhd, but why was he so bloodthirsty? Whatever, humans were weird.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re here, do you mind running an errand for me?¡± Gerlahd asked. ¡°I have some letters I need delivered. Mahedium is constantly sending out packets, so could you give mine to him?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Blacknail answered happily as he finished chewing and wiped his hands on his shirt.


    A chore like this was sure to earn him another treat and it would only take a second. The hobgoblin grinned as he was handed several pieces of folded paper.


    ¡°What are these for?¡± Blacknail asked curiously.


    He had never really understood the point of writing. Remembering things and sending people with messages worked fine for him. Most humans must have terrible memories if they felt the need to write so much down.


    ¡°I keep in contact with some my family. I may be in exile but I hope to one day return when my bounty expires. Who knew killing a twat in a fair duel could get someone in so much trouble?¡± Geralhd explained with a frown. ¡°Also, I left some of my clothes and other stuff with my friends. I have to keep reminding them I¡¯m still alive so they don¡¯t sell it.¡±


    That sounded very complicated to Blacknail. Why hadn¡¯t Geralhd just buried his stuff somewhere no one would find it?


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give these to Mahedium,¡± the hobgoblin told the young bandit.


    If he let Geralhd start talking too much the man would never stop.


    ¡°See you soon,¡± Gerlahd replied as he waved Blacknail goodbye and stepped back into his home.


    Felling happy to be helpful and fed, Blacknail wandered his way through the camp toward Mahedium¡¯s lab. The log cabin stood apart from all the others and most of the bandits avoided it.


    Many of the humans were superstitious and wary of the mage. There were a lot of rumors about the dark sorcery that went on in his cabin, but mostly they avoided the area because of all the explosions. The roof of Mahedium¡¯s lab had caught fire three times.


    After making sure Mahedium wasn¡¯t doing any dangerous experiments, Blacknail made his way up to the cabin¡¯s door and stepped inside. If he knocked it might disturb the mage, so he just stepped inside.


    The first room of the house was the living quarters. It was a rectangular room with a scattering of furniture. A bed, a table, and a bookshelf dominated the room. Loose papers and open books lay on all the surfaces.


    Blacknail ignored it all and walked over to the door on the opposite wall from where he¡¯d come in. That was where Mahedium would be, in his lab. As he moved a familiar yet unexpected scent reached his nose.


    The smell really didn¡¯t belong. Blacknail¡¯s lips curled up into a grimace and his fingers curled up slightly as he contemplated the smell.


    Quickly, the hobgoblin pushed through the door and entered the lab. It looked like it usually did; only a few items had been rearranged inside.


    Tables and shelves full of equipment filled the room. Glass beakers, metal tubing, and crystals were everywhere. There were no windows, light was provided by glowing mana crystals hanging from ceiling or set in tabletop lamps. Mahedium had made them himself.


    The mage himself was leaning over a table and staring at a glass jar full of bubbling liquid. Beneath the beaker a small fire was burning steadily.


    The hobgoblin ignored all that and continued looking around for the source of the smell. A quick look from the door didn¡¯t work, so he took several steps in to the room.


    ¡°Blacknail, what are you doing here?¡± Mahedium asked as he stood up and removed the spectacles he had been wearing.


    The mage blinked several times and looked confused to see the hobgoblin. He was an average looking man with short brown hair. Mahedium didn¡¯t even seem particularly old or young, just average.


    He was dressed in heavy trousers, a tan shirt that with long sleeves, and a thick leather apron. The apron was covered in burn marks and several unidentifiable stains of various colors.


    Blacknail stepped over and handed Geralhd¡¯s letters to the mage. He briefly looked them over before taking them.


    ¡°From Geralhd,¡± Blacknail explained distractedly.


    The hobgoblin peered past the mage and continued to scan the surroundings for his target.


    ¡°Ah, of course. I had mentioned to him that I was going to send a bunch of letters out to Daggerpoint and other places, and he said he might slip a few letters in with my own,¡± Mahedium thought aloud.


    Blacknail ignored him and kept peering around the room. The mage noticed his odd behaviour and frowned.


    ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± the mage asked.


    ¡°Yes, I smell it,¡± Blacknail replied grimly as he sniffed the air again.


    A look of comprehension suddenly appeared on Mahedium¡¯s face. He turned away from Blacknail and glanced toward one corner of the room. The hobgoblin followed his gaze and noticed a small cage sitting on a table.


    ¡°Ah, I had Varhs capture one for me,¡± Mahedium told the hobgoblin. ¡°I wanted to run some experiments on Scamp but he wouldn¡¯t let me. So, I had him trap some wild ones and test them for the mage gift.¡±


    Blacknail peered into the darkness that concealed the contents of the cage. There was as shuffling sound from within as something moved. The hobgoblin¡¯s eyes adjusted to the darkness and the form of small creature became visible. It was a goblin! This was unacceptable!


    Why did people keep bringing goblins into camp without asking him? It was incredibly rude! How would they like it if he brought in a bunch of random humans and let them spread their scent, wander around, and pee everywhere?

 Rolling the Dice 5

    Blacknail stared at the goblin in the cage before him. The creature was hard to see in the shadowy corner of the lab. The only light was pale and came from the magic crystals across the room. Beside him, Mahedium continued talking.


    ¡°I keep it locked up most the time,¡± Mahedium explained casually. ¡°I was afraid I was going to have to drug it or have it trained, but that hasn¡¯t been necessary. For some reason it seems mostly content as long as I keep it up high where it can see most of what¡¯s going on.¡±


    The small creature in the cage was thin for a male goblin, but not unhealthily so. Its lanky form was hunched over as it regarded the hobgoblin that had suddenly appeared in front of it.


    Its eyes were what drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. Not only were they bright red but they shone with something more than animal cunning: patient intelligence. Blacknail didn¡¯t like that one bit.


    As the two stared at each other, a smug grin suddenly appeared on the goblin¡¯s lips. Blacknail growled softly in response. How dare this pipsqueak smirk at him! He was like three times his size!


    A second later, the goblin turned away and laid down in the far corner of the cage. The hobgoblin frowned at the unexpected action. Was that a sign of submission? Was it just crazy? Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure...


    Anyway, why had Mahedium brought this weird goblin here? This was Blacknail¡¯s territory. Humans shouldn¡¯t be bringing goblins into camp without asking him!


    He wanted to yell at the stupid human but he tried to keep calm. He had seen the mage blow up buildings before and set dozens of men aflame. There was no telling what type of Mana crystals he had tucked away on him and Blacknail didn¡¯t want to find out the hard way. It would be better to keep things polite.


    ¡°Stupid human! Why do you need a goblin? There are enough goblins here!¡± Blacknail asked with a hint of anger in his voice.


    ¡°Red Dog would agree with you,¡± Mahedium chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I only take it out for short walks and experiments. I have to keep it healthy if I want to draw blood from it. It¡¯s very convenient to have another source of mage blood and not have to constantly cut myself. Maybe I should get an apprentice? Anyway, my fingertips haven¡¯t been this smooth in years!¡±


    Blacknail glanced at the lock on the cage door. It was a double latch. There was no way the goblin didn¡¯t know how to open it! The only reason it was still in the cage was because that was where it wanted to be!


    ¡°It just watches you do magic-ss and stuff?¡± Blacknail asked doubtfully as he turned to face Mahedium.


    ¡°I guess. It¡¯s just a feral goblin though, so it probably doesn¡¯t even know what magic is. It probably just likes the fire and flashing colors,¡± the mage replied with an indifferent shrug.


    Blacknail threw a quick glance over his shoulder, back towards the cage. The goblin within was staring intensely at Mahedium¡¯s bubbling glass jar and the crystal inside it, but it quickly looked away when it noticed the hobgoblin¡¯s attention. The complete fascination and intelligence in that gaze unnerved Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin was more than willing to bet that the goblin understood a lot more than Mahedium thought it did. Stupid humans! How could they be so blind?


    ¡°It even responds to one or two basic commands,¡± the mage added appreciatively.


    ¡°I see,¡± Blacknail replied flatly.


    This goblin was deeply suspicious! Goblins didn¡¯t normally act like that! The hobgoblin squeezed his fist shut as he tried to rein in his anger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Can I kill it?¡± the hobgoblin asked politely.


    Killing the goblin would simplify Blacknail¡¯s life greatly.


    ¡°What? There¡¯s no need for that. Here I¡¯ll show you,¡± the surprised mage replied.


    The mage then reached down and unlatched the cage. The door swung open with a creak but the goblin didn¡¯t attempt to leave. Instead, it just looked up and gave Mahedium an inquisitive look.


    ¡°Out. Heel.¡± The mage ordered it.


    Almost immediately, the little goblin stepped out of the cage and scampered over to Mahedium¡¯s side. It looked up at him with a dutiful expression, which didn¡¯t fool Blacknail for a second. Suspicious!


    Much to the hobgoblin¡¯s surprise the goblin then raised a green arm and offered it to the mage. Mahedium just shook his head, though.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t need to draw a blood sample today. Good boy, back into your cage now,¡± the mage said as he pointed towards the pen.


    Sure enough, the goblin quickly hustled back into the enclosure it had just come out of. It kept its eyes downcast in a sign of submission to both Blacknail and the mage the entire time.


    ¡°See, the little thing is remarkably well behaved and incredibly beneficial to my research. Including the production of your Elixir,¡± Mahedium told the hobgoblin proudly.


    Blacknail sighed in annoyance. The new goblin was a lot more obedient and useful than Scamp. Of course, Blacknail couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it was just bidding its time until it could murder everyone in their sleep. No one was perfect, though.


    The goblin was more of a prisoner than a member of the tribe, no matter how well it behaved, so Blacknail didn¡¯t feel the need to beat the snot out of it so it understood the hierarchy. He was just going to have to keep an eye on the creepy little thing.


    Anyway, he¡¯d delivered the letter so he didn¡¯t see any reason to stay around here. Blacknail eyed the bubbling liquid on the table warily. Something might explode, and not in a fun way but more likely in a burning liquid in your eyes kind of way.


    ¡°Fine, it¡¯s your problem-ss. I¡¯m leaving,¡± Blacknail told the mage.


    The hobgoblin then threw the little goblin an annoyed grimace and stalked out of the room. It was getting late now, so he decided to look for Saeter. His master should be starting to cook supper soon.


    By the time Blacknail arrived back at his tent, he¡¯d somehow managed to pick up a few new interesting trinkets, including a small coin pouch. It was weird how people just left them laying around everywhere...


    Blacknail found Saeter seated next to his campfire. The old scout was stirring the contents of a big iron pot with a wooden spoon. The smell that rose from the pot as it cooked above the flames was heavenly. The hobgoblin¡¯s mouth immediately began watering.


    ¡°You¡¯re making stew!¡± Blacknail exclaimed happily.


    The hobgoblin loved his master¡¯s cooking! Usually, he had to make his own food, and it was never as good as the stuff Saeter could cook.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done a fair bit of walking recently, so I thought we should put some weight back on our bones,¡± the old scout replied.


    Blacknail eyed the big iron pot. It was almost full. That was a lot of food! It was time to stuff himself silly.


    His delicious thoughts were interrupted by the sound of people approaching. Blacknail had to fight a sudden urge to spin around and hiss threateningly. It was his food! They would have to fight him for it!


    Instead, Blacknail just looked over his shoulder and scowled at the newcomers. It was Geralhd and Vorscha. What did they want?Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Vorscha was his sword instructor, so he knew fighting her could only end badly for him. Geralhd also had to be handled carefully. The man kept Blacknail well supplied with snacks. Blacknail didn¡¯t want to scare him away. Hopefully neither of them was after his food.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± Saeter asked suspiciously as he looked up from the pot.


    ¡°Do we need a reason to visit a good friend such as you?¡± Geralhd countered courteously.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Saeter grunted in reply. ¡°You weren¡¯t invited.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too nice of an afternoon for anyone to be spending it alone. We just felt like stopping by and enjoying the pleasure of your company,¡± the younger man explained with a smile.


    ¡°Plus, you make really good stew, and I¡¯m hungry,¡± Vorscha added. ¡°we could smell it from across the camp.¡±


    ¡°Too bad,¡± Saeter told them. ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°Blacknail wants us to stay,¡± Geralhd told the old scout.


    The hobgoblin frowned. He really didn¡¯t want any such thing.


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Saeter replied gruffly.


    ¡°Do you?¡± Vorscha asked as she grinned smugly and winked at Geralhd.


    ¡°Blacknail, we brought cheese scones!¡± her lover announced.


    The hobgoblin ears perked up and oriented themselves towards Geralhd. The rest of his head quickly followed. His eyes instantly locked onto the bundle of cloth the younger man had just taken out from behind his back.


    ¡°They can-ss stay!¡± Blacknail declared quickly.


    Saeter glowered at both visitors, highlighting the lines of his weathered face. He looked like he was trying to think of some way to get rid of them.


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± he sighed in defeat a few seconds later.


    ¡°Yeah, scones!¡± Blacknail giggled happily.


    This meal was going to be so great, maybe even the best ever! Rabbit stew with cheese scones! He couldn¡¯t wait.


    Vorscha smiled and Geralhd placed the rolled up cloth on a rock next to the fire. The pair grinned at each other as they settled down on the other side of the campfire from Blacknail and his master.


    Saeter¡¯s fire pit was a quite large, even if it was just a shallow hole in the ground surrounded by a ring of round stones. Two nearby flat rocks could be used as chairs, and there was also a nearby collection of cut up logs for people to sit on.


    Wait, why did his master have so many seats around his campfire if he didn¡¯t want visitors? Blacknail couldn¡¯t figure it out. Was the old scout going to use them for something?


    ¡°Bah, I suppose I cooked enough food to share,¡± Saeter grunted as he started stirring the stew again. ¡°It goes bad quickly, anyway.¡±


    His master¡¯s speech, and the intense stare Blacknail was directing towards the yet unwrapped scones, distracted the hobgoblin enough that the voice from behind him was a surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± a newly arrived woman asked.


    ¡°No!¡± Blacknail hissed in alarm as he realized who it was and spun around.


    It was Khita! She had probably come to steal some of his delicious scones and stew. Well, he wasn¡¯t going to let her! She was useless.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Vorscha announced as Khita walked closer. ¡°Take a seat.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say she could-ss come,¡± Blacknail whined.


    ¡°She¡¯s with us,¡± Vorscha replied as she gave the hobgoblin a flat stare.


    Blacknail froze under her gaze. Good natured or not, there was a steely edge to her gaze. She clearly wasn¡¯t going to accept any complaints from him. Why was the big woman always sticking up for Khita? She was useless.


    ¡°What¡¯s one more mouth to feed? She may as well join us,¡± Saeter remarked sarcastically as he sat down on his favourite stump.


    ¡°Thanks, your stew usually tastes nice,¡± the young woman remarked.


    Saeter frowned at Khita and pursed his lips. Clearly, he was insulted.


    ¡°Nice...¡± he huffed as he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been perfecting this recipe since before you were a fire in your father¡¯s loins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the nectar of the gods itself, if that¡¯s what you want to hear,¡± Vorscha told the old scout as she rolled her eyes.


    Khita took a seat next to Blacknail. The hobgoblin groaned and shuffled away. The cheese scones had better be bloody delicious!


    ¡°Hey, Blacknail! How did your last mission go?¡± Khita asked Blacknail. ¡°Herad and Vorscha never let me go on any important missions. I¡¯m either stuck here in camp or Vorscha is watching my every movement.¡±


    ¡°It was alright. I snuck around, met a new friend, and killed a bunch of people,¡± Blacknail remarked offhand as he waited for stew.


    He didn¡¯t mention the food he¡¯d looted from the wagon. He wouldn¡¯t put it past Khita to steal it.


    ¡°Sharp! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about,¡± the young woman exclaimed happily. ¡°I want to go on a mission like that!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think killing people is a good measure of success,¡± Geralhd interjected unhappily.


    ¡°It is if you¡¯re a hobgoblin,¡± Saeter told the other man.


    ¡°Is the food ready? The smell is making me hungry,¡± Khita suddenly asked.


    ¡°Close enough,¡± Saeter replied as he got up.


    The old scout reached into a sack and pulled out a bunch of wooden bowls. One by one he filled them with stew from the pot and passed them out.


    While he was doing that, Gerlahd finally unwrapped the cloth bundle he had been holding to reveal the scones within. It only took a few seconds for him to toss them around. Blacknail grinned as he caught his and took a bite. They were bloody delicious, so cheesy and yet so smooth and rich.


    There was silence as everyone ate, if you didn¡¯t count the hobgoblin¡¯s smacking. Blacknail thought that this was fine, but Geralhd apparently found it awkward. The young man looked thoughtfully around at everyone else seated by the fire.


    Up in the sky, the sun was starting to set behind the western clouds. The clouds glowed a deep red as darkness started to set in. All around, the shadows grew thicker as flickering firelight filled the camp.


    ¡°So Saeter, what do you think of our current situation? From what I hear, Werrick is coming and he¡¯s bringing more than few men,¡± the young man asked to break the silence.


    ¡°I think there is going to be a fight,¡± Saeter replied stonily.


    ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to discuss fighting right now,¡± Vorscha interjected sourly. ¡°Here we are enjoying a great meal among friends! Why bring up violence?¡±


    ¡°Imagine what will happen if she wins, though,¡± Gerald pointed out. ¡°She¡¯ll basically hold dominion over all the North! All its wealth will be at her fingertips and part of that will be ours!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Vorscha remarked as she smiled. ¡°Retiring from the bandit life with a chest full of gold sounds great to me. I could really use a nice mansion full of servants.¡±


    ¡°That does sound nice,¡± Geralhd mused.


    ¡°It would have to be in Daggerpoint, or somewhere else beyond the King¡¯s writ, but it would still be much nicer than my current cabin. Especially if you were there with me,¡± Vorscha told her lover.


    He looked uneasy and smiled sadly before responding.


    ¡°That does sound wonderful. Unfortunately, as you know, I need to be heading home as soon as possible. My parents and sister need me back down South,¡± Gerlahd replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re still a wanted man,¡± Vorscha pointed out.


    ¡°The warrant for my arrest will eventually expire, especially if I get my hands on enough coin to grease the right hands. Bribes are the only reason I was ever charged in the first place. All I did was win a fair duel!¡± the young man complained.


    ¡°And kill a man,¡± Vorscha added dryly.


    ¡°There are duels all the time where I come from, back in Eloria proper. Some of them are even to the death, yet rarely is anyone arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment,¡± Geralhd exclaimed angrily.


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re all lazy or cowards. I don¡¯t plan on retiring ever! I¡¯m going to work my way up to become Herad¡¯s most trusted lieutenant and maybe even eventually be her successor!¡± Khita bragged.


    There was a lot of eye rolling and skeptical looks from everyone else present. Blacknail tried to picture Khita as the leader of anything and failed. How could anyone ever be stupid enough to accept her as their chieftain?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Herad trusts anyone, especially not her lieutenants,¡± Saeter grumbled to himself as he got up and refilled his bowl.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very likely. Everyone retires eventually,¡± Vorscha told Khita. ¡°You really should be trying to figure out how to escape the criminal life.¡±


    ¡°It will be an adventure!¡± Khita replied defensively. ¡°Besides, I won¡¯t be alone. Blacknail won¡¯t be retiring to some stuffy mansion. He¡¯s a hobgoblin and they know how to have fun!¡±


    Blacknail looked up from where he was eating the last of his scone. Bits of crumps fell off his chin.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go where Master Saeter goes,¡± he replied simply.


    This caused everyone to look Saeter¡¯s way. The old scout just frowned and sat back down.


    ¡°Bah, having dreams like yours is just a good way to be disappointed. Only fools believe in happy endings. You¡¯re better off just accepting things the way they are,¡± he told the others.


    Blacknail put his empty bowl down and gave his master a questioning look. He seemed to remember Saeter saying something else a while ago.


    ¡°I thought your wanted-ss to make Herad Queen of the North and kick the southern king person in the balls. Didn¡¯t you say that? I think-ss you did...¡± Blacknail mused aloud as he tried to remember.


    Gerlahd suddenly snorted in amusement and a huge grin appeared on Vorscha¡¯s face. For some reason, Saeter¡¯s face grew noticeably redder. The old scout winced and looked off to the side.


    ¡°I never said anything like that! Stop lying, Blacknail. You¡¯re imagining things, you stupid hobgoblin,¡± he quickly argued.


    ¡°Ambitious, but I like it,¡± Vorscha remarked.


    ¡°Ha, so much for not having any dreams!¡± Geralhd laughed. ¡°I should have known you had a reason for sticking around here.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind kicking a king or two in the nuts,¡± Khita mused as she smirked. ¡°Those fancy bastards have never done anything for me.¡±


    ¡°That was just something I said once as a joke,¡± Saeter protested.


    ¡°Of course it was. Don¡¯t worry, Saeter. We all know you didn¡¯t mean it,¡± Vorscha joked.


    As Saeter glowered, Blacknail looked around at everyone¡¯s smirks. He didn¡¯t get it. What was so funny?


    It quickly grew dark as the bandits talked and laughed. Soon, the only light was from their campfire or that of other nearby groups. By the time Saeter¡¯s guests left, almost everyone else in the camp had turned in for the night.


    With happy yawn, Blacknail went to bed. An owl hooted off in the trees as he walked over to his tent and crawled inside. Feeling comfortable, Blacknail curled up and fell asleep.


    However, his rest was disturbed by unpleasant dreams, and Blacknail tossed and turned in his sleep.


    A green maze of twisted trees surrounded him, and there was only a single path through it. Skulls and swords littered the ground as he walked. Coins slipped from his fingers no matter how hard he tried to hold them and eventually he was all alone in the darkness. The hobgoblin looked up and saw a white light shinning down the forest path in front of him. He reached out towards it...

 Rolling the Dice 6

    Blacknail smiled as his knife opened the helpless man¡¯s throat. Blood poured out of the raw jagged wound and spilled down his chest. The man¡¯s body jerked and twitched but the hobgoblin held it still. A few seconds later, he went limp and Blacknail let the body fall.


    With an annoyed sigh, the hobgoblin bent over and began to roll the corpse over into a nearby clump of bushes, where it would be hidden. When that was done, he scuffed the dirt with his boot to conceal the blood trail. Cleaning up after himself was always such a pain.


    This was the second sentry he¡¯d taken out today, and it was probably far from the last. There were undoubtedly a few more around the perimeter of the enemy camp.


    A lot of humans seemed to think that if they simply had lots of guards everywhere it would make up for the fact that they were all incompetent. It didn¡¯t work that way.


    The forest around Blacknail was full of thick green vegetation, and small hills lay scattered in every direction. This made spotting people difficult and hiding easy. To keep one step ahead of his prey the hobgoblin needed a better view.


    Quickly, Blacknail pulled his boots and socks off. He took a second to wiggle his toes and flex his fingers before sinking his claws into the bark of a tall tree beside him. Then, he began to climb up into the higher branches to find a vantage point.


    The tree swayed ever so slightly in the wind once he got higher but that didn¡¯t bother him. Up there among the leaves, Blacknail made himself comfortable and looked around. His flexible light body gave him excellent balance.


    Herad, Blacknail¡¯s great and deadly chieftain, had ordered the hobgoblin to head out and scout around the base Werrick¡¯s men had set up. The other bandit chieftain¡¯s encroachment on her territory would be met with blood and fire.


    Blacknail had spent two days skulking around the forest by himself to get all the information his mistress had wanted. He¡¯d been told to avoid being seen at all costs, and he hadn¡¯t even been allowed to kill anyone!


    This was the North! Who would notice one or two missing humans? There were hundreds of ways they could have gotten themselves killed or vanished. Most humans were so dumb Blacknail was constantly surprised they lived long enough to breed.


    Not his humans, though. They were remarkably intelligent, almost hobgoblin-like, really. Of course, Blacknail had only ever met one other hobgoblin, and he¡¯d stabbed him to death several minutes after their first meeting. Still, that meant half the hobgoblins he¡¯d ever encountered had been incredibly smart and handsome. He could not say the same thing about humans.


    Well, that was the past. He certainly had permission to kill now. The time for scouting was over. Herad¡¯s attack was underway.


    Blacknail balanced on a long branch as he studied the terrain below him. From his high perch, he could see the steep hill that concealed the enemy camp. It looked like the way there was clear. However, a pair of Werrick¡¯s men stood off some distance to his left.


    ¡°Hmm, difficult,¡± Blacknail mused.


    It was practically impossible for someone to take down two sentries by himself without making any noise, and that meant it was sort of difficult even for Blacknail. The hobgoblin preferred easier targets, though. Why work hard?


    With this in mind, Blacknail swung below the branch he was sitting on and climbed back down the tree. Once on the ground, he brought his fingers up to his lips and whistled. The sharp cry of a bird echoed out through the forest as he blew.


    A few moments later, an answering bird call rang out from the wild greenery around him. Blacknail smiled as Saeter slipped out of the forest and walked over.


    The old scout was dressed in brown leathers with a dirty green cloak. He held a bow in his hands and there was a full quiver on his back.


    ¡°We¡¯re all clear here?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°Yes-ss, there are no enemies around-ss until we get closer to their camp,¡± Blacknail replied eagerly.


    ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go together in case we run into a larger group,¡± his master suggested.


    Blacknail opened his mouth to agree, but he was interrupted by the sound of another bird whistle. His mouth snapped shut in surprise. That was their signal!


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not the right season for real grey warblers to make that cry...¡± Saeter remarked. ¡°...and no one else could possibly know we were using it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Blacknail replied nervously. ¡°Maybe-ss it¡¯s an ambush.¡±


    Together, the pair peered off into the forest in the direction the sound had come from. Slowly, Saeter drew an arrow and strung it on his bow. Nothing moved in front of them.


    Instead, there was fluttering noise behind them. Blacknail flinched in surprise and jumped around. His long knife slid out of its sheath as he pulled it free in one smooth motion. Beside him, Sater moved as well.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s heart pounded as he scanned the forest for the cause of the noise. There was nothing there, or at least he didn¡¯t see anything. Something had made the noise, though.


    Suddenly, movement made Blacknail look up at the side of a tree trunk. Perched there was a harpy. Its human-like face looked down at Blacknail and Saeter with amusement. It flashed them a toothy smile and then a familiar mocking bird cry issued forth from it lips.


    ¡°Shoot it,¡± Blacknail hissed in alarm.


    Harpies were dangerous. The large bird-like creatures had long talons on their feet and the tip of their wings. They were also very cunning.


    Saeter raised his bow to take the shot. Before he could do anything though, there was another flutter from the direction they had just turned away from.


    ¡°Shoot it,¡± someone or something said.


    Blacknail¡¯s head whipped around and he raised his dagger defensively. A second harpy was standing on a tree branch not too far away.


    ¡°There¡¯s another harpy behind us, isn¡¯t there?¡± Saeter asked flatly.


    The old scout hadn¡¯t turned around. He had kept his arrow aimed straight at the first harpy.


    ¡°Yes, but two harpies aren¡¯t much of threat-ss. I¡¯ll take one and you can-ss take the other,¡± Blacknail replied as he took a step toward the second creature.


    Before he could get near it though, the beast let out a muted screech and flapped its wings. Blacknail froze. They were still near the enemy camp. Raising a commotion would draw attention, and that would be bad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it make so much noise!¡± Sater hissed.


    ¡°Fine, you shoot both of them,¡± Blacknail replied angrily.


    What did his master expect him to do? The hideous creature could fly!


    ¡°I can¡¯t get both of them at the same time,¡± Saeter grunted in annoyance.


    ¡°So much noise!¡± squawked the first harpy merrily.


    ¡°You shut the hells up,¡± Saeter told it.


    ¡°Ya, no one asked you,¡± Blacknail added angrily.


    Both, Saeter and Blacknail stood there silently for a few seconds as they contemplated their next step. The hobgoblin scratched his nose as he warily eyed the harpies. They didn¡¯t appear to be doing anything...


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Blacknail asked his master.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The fucking things are probably just messing with us. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll attack us,¡± Saeter replied cautiously.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    The first harpy, who still had Saeter¡¯s arrow pointed at it, slowly hopped down from the tree. It landed on the ground and then eyed the hobgoblin and his master. Blacknail thought it looked smug.


    ¡°I want to kick it in-ss the face,¡± the hobgoblin muttered to himself.


    The harpy ignored him and began to crawl across the ground using the claws on its wings as another set of legs. Its motions were smooth and purposeful as it headed towards a familiar set of bushes.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Blacknail remarked in surprise as he watched.


    The harpy slipped into the bushes and there was a tearing sound as it ripped into the corpse within them. Saeter¡¯s eyes widened as he realized what the beast was doing. He spun and pointed his arrow towards the second harpy, which was still sitting in the tree.


    ¡°In the face!¡± the beast laughed merrily as it licked its wing feathers.


    It didn¡¯t seem concerned about the bow and arrow at all. Instead, it just continued cleaning itself while studying them out of the corner of its eye.


    ¡°The bloody fuckers!¡± Saeter growled quietly as he realized what was happening.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed as he came to the same understanding as his master. The creatures were extorting them!


    The harpies wanted the human corpses Blacknail had left in his wake, and if he tried to stop them they would create enough noise to raise the enemies¡¯ alarm!


    The hobgoblin grimaced and flexed his clawed fingers. Human corpses were worthless to him but he still didn¡¯t like the idea of being outsmarted and bullied by a bunch of bird brains!


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill them!¡± he hissed furiously to his master.


    ¡°No, stop Blacknail,¡± Saeter commanded him coldly. ¡°Leave them be. They¡¯re no threat to us and we have a job to do.¡±


    The hobgoblin stared at the grey feathered creature that was up in the tree. It seemed to have completely dismissed them as threats and was busy cleaning itself.


    ¡°Ugh, fine. Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Blacknail replied broodingly.


    Saeter nodded and the pair cautiously made their way away from the feasting harpies. The old scout kept his bow nocked but he let the string go loose.


    ¡°Job to do!¡± a shrill voice whispered mockingly from behind him as he walked away.


    Blacknail clenched his fist but kept on walking. He¡¯d killed harpies before and he would do it again. Next time, he was going to enjoy every moment of it, though.


    Soon, they were away from the flying pests. Blacknail and his master scanned the forest for further threats. While the harpies hadn¡¯t made too much noise they still had made some. It was possible they might have alerted someone. The pair of sentries he had seen from up above in the tree might not be the only ones around.


    ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± Saeter remarked quietly a few moments later as he motioned Blacknail forward.


    The hobgoblin ground his teeth together as he stalked forward through the forest. The base Werrick¡¯s men had built lay before him and he fully intended to take his frustration out on its occupants. Oh yes, there was going to be blood! He might even booby trap the corpses as a surprise for greedy harpies.


    Blacknail stepped up to an old thick tree that sat atop a hill. From there its branches hid him and he could look down on the enemy camp. Saeter joined him a second later.


    The base was nestled in a large clearing. The tall dark trees of the forest surrounded it on all sides. The ground below was slightly sloped towards a small creak that ran through the middle of the clearing before disappearing into the forest.


    The camp itself was mostly a massive collection of blue tents. They filled the center of the glade. Off to one side lay a hitch post were dozens of horses were tied up, and men could be seen walking everywhere.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s weird how they have all those tents. They look new. Did Werrick buy them all just for this attack?¡± Saeter mused.


    ¡°Does it matter? Let¡¯s just find-ss the sentries and kill them,¡± Blacknail hissed.


    It wasn¡¯t the hobgoblin¡¯s job to worry about such things. Herad could deal with it later. He just wanted to work out his bad mood.


    Saeter turned and gave Blacknail a critical look.


    ¡°Keep your emotions under control or you¡¯ll fuck this up and we will be the ones getting killed,¡± the old scout told him.


    ¡°Fine, sorry,¡± Blacknail grunted sourly in reply.


    The hobgoblin knew he was letting his rage slip out of control. Having the harpies steal his trophies was simply infuriating. It didn¡¯t matter that he hadn¡¯t actually wanted a bunch of human bodies. They were still his!


    ¡°There is a sentry over by that log,¡± Saeter remarked as he pointed down below.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take him out so we can slip closer,¡± Blacknail whispered in reply.


    The hobgoblin mentally worked through a few basic sword forms to calm himself down, as he turned towards his destination. Discipline had been beaten into him by his master during his sword training.


    Suddenly, there was an outcry from below which caused the hobgoblin to flinch.


    ¡°Intruders! To arms! We¡¯re under attack!¡± someone in the camp yelled.


    A chorus of answering shouts soon joined it. As Blacknail watched in dismay, the enemy camp came alive and dozens of men emerged from tents. The sentry below was quickly reinforced by a fully armed squad of bandits, and together they all disappeared into the forest. Uh oh, this wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°We need to leave. Let¡¯s get to the fallback route,¡± Saeter announced as he spun around.


    ¡°What? No! They couldn¡¯t have seen us!¡± Blacknail whined in exasperation.


    He wanted to hunt! This wasn¡¯t fair. What had just happened?


    ¡°Less moaning, more running,¡± Saeter replied as he started moving.


    Blacknail growled in frustration before following his master back into the forest. As the pair ran through the woods, Blacknail managed to get his emotions under control.


    ¡°What¡¯s going-ss on? How do they know we are here?¡± Blacknail asked his master.


    ¡°They probably don¡¯t, we aren¡¯t the only ones here, remember,¡± Saeter huffed back as he ran.


    Oh, right. Blacknail had actually forgotten that. Herad had sent several teams of scouts. Blacknail had just sort of assumed they would all hang back while he and Saeter did all the real work.


    Shouting could be heard behind them as Blacknail and his master ran through the woods back to their rendezvous point. The hobgoblin¡¯s long pointy ears also detected some closer voices.


    ¡°This is all your fault!¡± a female voice whispered angrily off to Blacknail¡¯s left.


    ¡°Me? How could it be mine? I¡¯m the scout here, not you!¡± a deeper male voice answered.


    Blacknail sighed when he recognized the voices. He now knew why the enemy had been put on alert: incompetent people.


    Saeter apparently heard the sound of nearby people trudging through the forest but not their voices because he turned to the hobgoblin and questioned him.


    ¡°Who is it? Enemies?¡± the old scout asked.


    Blacknail grimaced in distaste before replying. He wanted to say yes.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re... allies,¡± the hobgoblin replied hesitantly.


    Saeter nodded in acknowledgement and then dodged left. Blacknail jumped over a fallen tree and followed him, as they both veered off towards the newcomers. A few seconds later, the pair slipped out of the greenery and met up their comrades.


    Running out in front was the scout Varhs. His pet goblin Scamp was scrambling alongside him, and trailing them both was the young redhead Khita. Varhs looked shocked for a second as Saeter and Blacknail appeared, but he quickly calmed down when he recognized them.


    ¡°Ah, Saeter! Don¡¯t surprise me like that,¡± the younger scout exclaimed as he kept moving.


    ¡°Oh, the boss is here,¡± Scamp commented excitedly. The little goblin had obviously heard them coming.


    Blacknail squinted at the three running figures before him. He was pretty sure he knew who to blame for this mess and who had alerted the enemy. Varhs was a good ranger and at home in the forest. Scamp was annoying but he could at least stay hidden, especially if there was work to do. That left Khita, the most useless one.


    ¡°Why are you here? You¡¯re not a scout,¡± Blacknail asked her.


    ¡°I convinced Varhs to let me come,¡± Khita replied. ¡°Staying around camp was boring.¡±


    The hobgoblin threw Varhs a questioning look. He was disappointed in him. Varhs seemed like a half decent ranger but he kept surrounding himself with idiots.


    ¡°She said she could keep up,¡± Varhs muttered in reply.


    Saeter gave the other scout a cold glare.


    ¡°Next time don¡¯t let a pretty face sway you,¡± he told him. ¡°For now though, just keep running and follow me. It sounds like there are people right on your tail.¡±


    Sure enough, Blacknail could hear the sounds of pursuit. Several people were yelling and crashing through the underbrush behind them. The hobgoblin made sure he was running near his master at the front, where it would be safest.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°The rendezvous point. Just slow down for a second,¡± Saeter replied as he gulped down air.


    The old scout was beginning to look worn out. His pace had slowed and he was wheezing for breath. Blacknail frowned in concern for his master. They hadn¡¯t been running all that fast...


    ¡°Is that a good idea with this many people chasing us?¡± Varhs asked as he looked back over his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have a plan. A good ranger always has an escape route prepared,¡± Saeter explained. ¡°Just make sure you follow my steps exactly.¡±


    Up ahead, the forest opened up to reveal a sunny clearing. The old scout headed straight towards it.


    ¡°Oh, this plan...¡± Blacknail remarked uncomfortably.


    He remembered this plan, it was terrible. He really hoped his master knew what he was doing...


    ¡°Did you place traps here or something?¡± Khita asked as she ran up beside Blacknail.


    The young woman was studying the long grass that lay ahead of them suspiciously. They¡¯d reach it and be out of the forest within a few seconds.


    ¡°Or something-ss,¡± the hobgoblin hissed in reply.


    He was too busy running to answer her more clearly and didn¡¯t really care anyway. Although, if she wandered off the trail she would ruin everything... even more than she already had.


    ¡°Stay close behind me and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Blacknail added reluctantly.


    ¡°Alright, thanks,¡± the young woman replied.


    The mismatched group charged out of the forest. Blacknail pushed a leafy branch away from his face and winced as the light from the sun hit him.


    Saeter was ahead of him and already stomping through the grass. Blacknail frowned and looked nervously around as he followed his master. Behind him came Khita. Much to the hobgoblin¡¯s annoyance, she seemed to be making a game of only stepping in his footprints.


    Holding up the rear was Varhs and Scamp. The other scout didn¡¯t question Saeter¡¯s plan, but he had drawn his bow and was watching carefully for pursuers. Scamp was scampering along beside his master. The goblin looked more than a little spooked and hesitant to enter the clearing.


    ¡°Danger everywhere!¡± he moaned as looked over his shoulder.


    Together, the group worked their way into the clearing. They were surrounded by long green grass and thick plants. Clumps of taller bushes and small trees spotted the glade, but Saeter led them away from those.


    They had barely made it halfway through the clearing when their enemy caught up. There was shouting as over two dozen men burst out of the forest and stepped into the grass. The leader instantly spotted Blacknail¡¯s group.


    ¡°There they are. The grass is slowing them down. There¡¯s no way they can escape!¡± he yelled as he pointed towards them.


    Unfortunately, Blacknail had to agree. The hobgoblin felt his stomach twist nervously. Saeter wasn¡¯t moving fast enough, and cutting a path through the clearing was slowing them down. Theywouldn''t be able toget away without a fight.

 Rolling The Dice 7

    Enemy troops spilled out of the bushes at the edge of the forest and into the clearing. Like Herad¡¯s own men, they wore a rough collection of leather armor. Hatred filled eyes glared towards Saeter¡¯s party from unshaven faces framed by long messy hair.


    Those few that didn¡¯t already have weapons in hand drew them. Swords hissed free from sheaths and one of them pulled a war axe from off his back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the bloody vermin get away! Charge!¡± their leader ordered his minions.


    Varhs immediately raised his bow to pick the man off, but Saeter put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.


    ¡°Hold your fire until they get closer,¡± Saeter ordered the other scout. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to scatter just yet.¡±


    Varhs did as he was told but he gave Saeter a doubtful look. The front ranks of the enemy contained over a dozen men and were closing in on them. They only had a few minutes until Werrick¡¯s men caught up.


    There were only four people in Saeter¡¯s group, four and a half if you included Scamp. If you didn¡¯t count Khita as a full person then you only had like three and a half, or something... Counting wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s strongest skill.


    Scamp was sticking close to his master¡¯s heels and he looked terrified. His normally large eyes were huge as he gazed around nervously. He looked like he was going to run at the slightest provocation.


    ¡°Fine, but I hope your plan is a good one,¡± Varhs grunted at Saeter.


    ¡°So do I,¡± the grey haired scout replied sourly.


    This didn¡¯t make anyone feel better. Khita just looked puzzled, but Blacknail groaned and Varhs looked like someone had just slapped him across the face.


    ¡°Running away would be a lot safer than this,¡± the hobgoblin muttered to himself.


    Sure, not all of them would survive if they ran, but he would. He was the fastest runner here by far. Also, killing everyone else would probably slow the enemy down enough for Saeter to escape.


    ¡°Hey, they¡¯ve got bows of their own,¡± Khita suddenly interjected.


    Everyone looked over to see three of the enemies nocking arrows to their bows. They stood back as the rest of their group advanced. The enemy fighters were getting uncomfortably close. The tall man with the war axe was leading the way and there was a wicked grin on his face.


    ¡°Perfect. This way,¡± Saeter told them as he turned away.


    ¡°Perfect? How is this situation anywhere near perfect?¡± Varhs remarked in exasperation.


    Saeter didn¡¯t reply. He immediately led the others towards a clump of tall bushes off to one side. Before they reached it though, there was a whistling sound and three arrows tore through the air towards them.


    The first one was aimed too high but the others were more on target. One arrow zoomed a few feet wide of Varhs¡¯ chest. The other flew through the group and passed right by Khita¡¯s face before slamming into the ground with a thud.


    The young redhead went completely still when she realized what had just happened. Slowly, the color drained from her face. She lifted a hand up to wipe her cheek and drops of blood appeared on her fingers. She stared in shock.


    The arrow had grazed her and given her a shallow cut. If it had been an inch to the left she would have died.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand there. Get down, you idiot!¡± Varhs growled angrily as he pulled her toward the bushes.


    Within seconds, they were all behind cover. Blacknail peered at suspiciously at the nearby bushes and the tree in the middle of them. When he didn¡¯t detect anything off, his healthy paranoia then focused on all the men with swords coming to kill him.


    His concentration was broken though, when Khita¡¯s back pressed up against his side. What was she doing?


    He turned around and saw the young woman trembling slightly beside him. She still looked more than a little pale. As he watched, she shuffled even closer up against him, and accidently jabbed him with her elbow. Blacknail winced as his ribs throbbed painfully. Ow, she was sure was bony.


    Saeter noticed the young redhead¡¯s behaviour and the hobgoblin¡¯s confusion.


    ¡°She¡¯s in shock. Comfort her!¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Why?¡± Blacknail asked in surprise. That didn¡¯t sound like something he¡¯d do.


    ¡°Because I said so...¡± his master hissed back. ¡°...and she might slow us down.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing it,¡± Varhs interjected hopefully.


    The scout was crouched next to Blacknail on the opposite side from Khita. He had been keeping watch on the advancing bandits. Now he was staring at Khita with a thoughtful expresion, though. Saeter gave him a hard look that was completely devoid of amusement.


    ¡°Keep watch! You wanting to show off is what got us into this mess!¡± he hissed at the other scout.


    Varhs looked reluctant and glowered at Blacknail for a second, but he turned back around. Blacknail had no idea why the man was angry at him! What had he done? This was obviously Khita¡¯s fault!


    ¡°How do you comfort people?¡± the hobgoblin asked his master doubtfully.


    ¡°Tell her she¡¯s safe,¡± Saeter answered.


    ¡°Would slapping her work?¡± he inquired. That would be quicker.


    ¡°No!¡± his master replied with an angry glare.


    Blacknail sighed in annoyance and turned to look at Khita again. She was huddled up next to him. Gently, he reached around to hold her shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re safe-ss now,¡± he told her as he patted her on the head reassuringly.


    A good pat on the head always made him feel better. In fact, he kind of wanted one now. Why had he suddenly become the person that gave out pats instead of receiving them? When had that happened?


    ¡°Thanks, but I just needed to catch my breath, Blacknail. That¡¯s all,¡± Khita replied with a forced smile. ¡°Ha, I guess I¡¯m lucky those arrows missed me.¡±


    Her shivering had stopped but she still looked pale. Well, that was good enough. Blacknail quickly withdrew and took a step back from her.


    ¡°Your idea-ss of luck is different from mine,¡± Blacknail replied dryly. ¡°If I was lucky-ss I wouldn¡¯t be here with you.¡±


    For some reason, that totally truthful statement earned him a glare from Saeter, but Khita just smiled. Her eyes looked a little wet.


    ¡°Ha, you remind me of my brother, Blacknail,¡± she told him. ¡°You joke around just like him. You also look after people.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m better looking, though,¡± the hobgoblin commented.


    He had obviously never met her dead brother but that didn¡¯t matter. Humans were pink after all, and that was a really stupid color to be. Green was just a much better color all around.


    The nearby bushes suddenly shook. Everyone flinched and ducked down low. A pair of arrows tore through the plants and slammed into the ground. Leaves were knocked loose and rained down over Blacknail and the others.


    After making sure he hadn¡¯t been shot, Blacknail turned and gave Scamp a kick. The startled goblin had tried to squeeze between him and Varhs, so he could use them as a meat shield.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Why are we still sitting here?¡± Varhs asked urgently. ¡°They¡¯re almost upon us.¡±


    Saeter got up and looked towards the mass of angry bandits stomping towards their hiding spot. He scrutinized them carefully, as he pulled out his own bow and nocked an arrow to it.


    ¡°Alright, now!¡± he ordered the other man. ¡°Aim right towards their center.¡±


    Immediately, both scouts rose and loosed their arrows. The shots skimmed through the air above the grass and slammed into the approaching enemies. Two of the men fell with shafts sticking from their chests.


    Blacknail had pulled out his own sling as well, so that he could help. He spun it and his stone projectile was launched into the air a second later. It hit the arm of an advancing enemy and caused him to drop his sword.


    ¡°Bloody hells, you bastards!¡± someone screamed hoarsely.


    ¡°Get to cover but keep advancing. Spread out and surround them!¡± a tall blonde bandit who had been standing near the back yelled.


    The other enemy bandits followed his orders. The mass of armed and dangerous looking men split up into smaller groups. A few of them kept coming forward but most headed off to the sides where they could find cover behind the nearby clumps of trees and bushes.


    Before Saeter and Varhs could get another shot off, the enemy archers opened fire. The two scouts had to duck back out of sight as the arrows flew over their heads.


    ¡°Now what? They¡¯re circling around,¡± Varhs asked as he crouched down low.


    ¡°Now we wait for a reaction,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°They are reacting! They¡¯re running everywhere,¡± Varhs pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about the men,¡± the older scout answered.


    Suddenly, a sharp crashing noise filled the clearing. Something snapped and there was a hollow thud. Khita flinched and beside her Blacknail jumped slightly. However, the hobgoblin quickly grinned as screams of surprise and pain filled the air. It was music to his ears.


    Saeter¡¯s plan had actually worked! They most likely weren¡¯t all going to die!


    The enemies that had headed into the thickets to find cover were under attack, by the bushes themselves. The tallest of the nearby trees had reached out and slashed at several nearby bandits.


    Familiar angry hissing reached Blacknail¡¯s ears, as the trees transformed before his eyes into mimics. They looked angry too. The giant, spindly, insect like creatures tore into the bandits that had approached them with their many long clawed limbs.


    Werrick¡¯s men were too surprised to put up much of a fight. Even the bandits well away from the fighting had stopped moving and were gaping at their distressed allies. They didn¡¯t seem to know what to do.


    A few of the enemy soldiers started to retaliate, but their blades either missed the mimics¡¯ flailing limps entirely or bounced off their hard carapace. One of the tree creatures grabbed a man and then tossed him violently aside. Leaves cascaded down as the mimic moved to smash aside a new target.


    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s time to run again,¡± Saeter informed his companions.


    None of them argued with him. Almost instantly, they were all on their feet and headed away from the fight. The end of the clearing and the way back into the forest loomed ahead of them.


    ¡°What in all the hells are those?¡± Khita gasped in surprise. ¡°Did you bring those trees to life?¡±


    The young woman kept as close as possible to Blacknail as she ran. Which annoyed the hobgoblin. Her eyes were wide with surprise and more than a little excitement.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re just beasts, mimics,¡± Saeter replied dryly as he ran.


    ¡°How did you know they were there?¡± Khita asked next.


    ¡°Obviously, I scouted this path out in advance,¡± the old scout told her.


    ¡°How did you know...¡± the redhead started to ask before Saeter cut her off.


    ¡°Stop asking me such stupid questions and run,¡± he growled at her.


    Behind them, the sounds of battle continued. Someone screamed and there was a thrashing sound, like branches colliding.


    Blacknail risked a look over his shoulder. None of the enemies were chasing Herad¡¯s minions, and no arrows flew their way. The surviving thugs were backing away from the mimics, and the creatures were letting them.


    Saeter¡¯s party soon reached the far edge of the clearing. A wall of bushes and younger trees blocked their way.


    ¡°Are you sure there are no mimics here?¡± Varhs asked Saeter.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t yesterday,¡± the old scout grumbled in reply before pushing his way through.


    After a few tentative steps, everyone else quickly followed him back into the woods. The barrier of thin branches and greenery gave way to reveal a dark expanse of tree trunks under a shadowy canopy.


    ¡°Are we safe now?¡± Khita asked when they were all out of sight of the battle behind them.


    ¡°No, they¡¯re not bloody idiots, girl,¡± Saeter told her scornfully. ¡°They will have sent men around to cut us off.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the young woman remarked unhappily.


    ¡°But you have a plan right?¡± Varhs asked. ¡°Preferably something better than sitting in the middle of a bunch of mimics and hoping the enemy walks into them before we do!¡±


    ¡°Yes, we keep running,¡± Saeter told him.


    Blackail hadn¡¯t stopped. The hobgoblin ducked under a low branch as he continued jogging through the forest. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think they were out of danger, even for a second.


    The others were right behind him. It wasn¡¯t like he was slowing his pace to keep an eye on them or anything. He just knew it would be dangerous to run ahead alone...


    Rows of trees surrounded them on all sides. The ground was almost completely bare of anything but dark earth. Only a few short leafy plants and small ferns grew around the base of the thick smooth tree trunks.


    The group was silent as they ran between the trees, until Khita spoke up.


    ¡°Um, There¡¯s a...¡± she suddenly mumbled.


    ¡°Save your breath,¡± Varhs huffed from beside her.


    ¡°But there¡¯s a dead guy right over there!¡± Khita shot back angrily.


    Varhs¡¯ eyes widened as he turned in the direction Khita was pointing. Both Saeter and Blacknail¡¯s gaze quickly followed.


    A human body lay strewn over a tangle of roots at the base of a tree. The cause of death was obvious. An arrow jutted out from his back and his brown scout¡¯s cloak was red with blood. It was undoubtedly one of Herad¡¯s men, although without getting a better smell Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure exactly which.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Saeter swore. ¡°They¡¯re ahead of us.¡±


    Both scout¡¯s cloaks swished behind them as they turned to survey the surrounding woods. Blacknail¡¯s gaze lingered on the fallen man¡¯s corpse for a moment. Maybe he should go through his pockets, in case there were any clues there?


    ¡°Incoming! Get down!¡± Varhs yelled a second later.


    There was a shrill whipping sound. Instantly, Blacknail was laying face first on the ground with his arms shielding his face. He didn¡¯t have to be told twice. Stopping to think could get you killed!


    Arrows hissed through the air where he had been standing a second ago. There was a dull crack as one embedded itself into a nearby tree trunk, and Blacknail flinched in pain as the sound stabbed into his ears. Ah, that was too close!


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t take any chances. From on the ground, he lurched sideways and started rolling towards the base of a tree where the roots would shield him.


    When he didn¡¯t hear any more arrows, Blacknail looked up and peeked out from behind his hands. His companions were on the ground around him, and none of them seemed to have feathered shafts sprouting out from uncomfortable places. That was good.


    Even better, Scamp was nowhere to be seen. The cowardly goblin had been running behind Varhs but had disappeared after his master had yelled. With luck something had already eaten him. More likely though, he had run off somewhere.


    The next thing Blacknail noticed was the squad of enemy archers stomping through the woods towards him. Several of them were already reaching for new arrows.


    ¡°We need to get to the road!¡± Saeter yelled as he jumped to his feet.


    The old scout immediately dashed forward and placed a wide tree trunk between himself and the archers. Blacknail scrambled up and ran after his master. Varhs and Khita sprinted for cover together, sort of. It looked like both of them were trying to outrun the other so that they could use each other as human shields.


    Blacknail easily kept ahead of both of them. Losers!


    Another arrow flew past and cut through the forest. It didn¡¯t come close to hitting anyone, so everyone just kept running.


    A ledge came into view up ahead. Past a few trees, the ground suddenly fell away. Down below, the road could be soon on the other side of some bushes.


    ¡°Damnation, I meant to go around this,¡± Saeter growled.


    The fall couldn¡¯t have been more than ten feet but it was still an uncomfortable jump. They didn¡¯t have a lot of choices, though.


    Blacknail put on a burst of speed and raced ahead. A second later, he jumped off the edge and plummeted down. He felt his bones shake as he landed in a crouch on the ground. The hobgoblin ignored the feeling. He quickly stood up and glanced backwards at the ledge.


    Khita and Varhs were right behind him. The pair jumped over the ledge. They seemed to hang in the air for moment before plummeting back down to earth. Both of them landed feet first and then rolled straight past the hobgoblin. However, Saeter hesitated a moment before jumping.


    Sensing a problem, Blacknail gritted his teeth and reached down inside himself to burn any Elixir left in his system. There wasn¡¯t a lot but it would have to do.


    ¡°Jump and I¡¯ll catch you,¡± he told his master.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t need to do that...¡± Saeter grumbled.


    Blacknail gave his master an annoyed glare, but before he could say anything shouting broke out on top of the ledge. It sounded like the enemy was very close. Saeter threw a look over his shoulder and then immediately jumped.


    The hobgoblin froze for a split second in surprise before reacting. He then spun to the side and reached out to scoop up his master¡¯s legs. As Saeter¡¯s weight descended Blacknail cushioned it.


    Then he lost his balance. The impact knocked him backwards, and Saeter landed on top of him.


    ¡°Ack, toad piss,¡± Blacknail coughed painfully as he lay flat on his back.


    His master had landed right on the hobgoblin¡¯s chest. The impact had squeezed his ribs and knocked the air out of him. His lungs burned painfully when he tried to draw in a breath.


    Saeter got up, brushed himself off, and immediately started running towards the road again. It was only a few dozen feet away.


    ¡°Hurry up, Blacknail!¡± he shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t just lay there like a log!¡±


    The hobgoblin coughed again and pulled himself to his feet. He then quickly began following the others. As he picked up speed, he glared hostilely at his master¡¯s back.


    ¡°Some thanks-ss would nice!¡± he hissed to himself.


    When they got back to camp Blacknail was going to make sure Saeter paid him back! If he didn¡¯t then the hobgoblin was sure Vorscha and Geralhd would find the story amusing. Yes, he was definitely going to get something tasty or shiny...


    Khita and Varhs were already pushing through the bushes. Saeter was right behind them. Blacknail brought his hand up to shield his face as he stepped through the brush and out of the forest again.


    ¡°Your plan sucks,¡± Khita remarked as she looked around the empty road.


    ¡°What now?¡± Varhs asked. ¡°Do we make a break for the other side?¡±


    Saeter scowled as he studied the surroundings. The wide dirt road was empty. It cut through the forest but there was nothing to see in either direction.


    The bushes a bit down the road shook as several enemies stepped out. They raised their weapons.


    ¡°Shit, we¡¯re right back where we started,¡± Varhs cursed.

 Rolling The Dice 8

    More enemies stepped out of the bushes, until Blacknail counted ten of them. The hostile bandits marched up onto the road and eyed Saeter¡¯s group. All of them were armed with swords and looked dangerous, like hardened killers.


    ¡°Capture some of them alive!¡± their leader ordered the rest. ¡°We need to interrogate them.¡±


    Blacknail weighed the odds. He had some Elixir on him but he wasn¡¯t sure he could fight this many people and protect Saeter at the same time. The old scout looked worn out and Khita wouldn¡¯t be any help. That left most of the work up to him and Varhs.


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t sneak his master away from the others so it wasn¡¯t like he had a choice. The hobgoblin drew his blade and reached into his pocket to grasp his vial of Elixir. Varhs and Khita both took out their own short swords.


    ¡°Are we fighting?¡± Khita asked Saeter.


    The old scout didn¡¯t reply. He was frowning and seemed to be staring straight ahead at the enemy, but Blacknail could tell he was scanning their surroundings out of the corners of his eyes. He was looking for something.


    ¡°That one looks like a girl!¡± one of the larger enemies said as he grinned at Khita. ¡°I¡¯m taking her.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure they don¡¯t get away,¡± the leader responded.


    The big brute raised his sword and stepped forward, just as an arrow took him in the chest. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he coughed and collapsed. A hail of arrows quickly followed the first. They slammed into the enemy bandits until most of them had fallen.


    ¡°Fucking hells, an ambush!¡± the leader cursed as he backed up and raised his sword defensively.


    A new group of human bandits rose from where they had been hiding in the ditch along the road, but these were Herad¡¯s men. There was the sound of shaking leaves as more of them stepped out of the forest behind the ditch, including Red Dog. The bandit lieutenant scanned the remaining enemies.


    ¡°Swordsmen forward, take them down!¡± he bellowed confidently.


    At his command, the men from the ditch drew their blades and jumped onto the road. They charged forward and engaged the now vastly outnumbered and injured enemies.


    ¡°Thank the gods!¡± Varhs exclaimed as several of Herad¡¯s men ran past him.


    Blacknail let his sword drop. It didn¡¯t seem like his help would be necessary.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t really need their help. I could have taken the big guy...¡± Khita remarked assertively. ¡°...and Blacknail could have taken the rest.¡±


    The hobgoblin gave her a skeptical look. How could she possibly believe that? Blacknail had seen Khita fight. She wasn¡¯t that good at it! Also, why did he have to do most of the work?


    There was the sound of blades clashing as Red Dog¡¯ s men fought. Only a few of Werrick¡¯s men were left standing and they were quickly surrounded. Seconds later, they were all cut down. No prisoners were taken.


    ¡°Is that all of them or are there more hiding in the trees?¡± Red Dog asked as he walked over to Saeter.


    ¡°That¡¯s all the ones that were chasing us,¡± the old scout answered him. ¡°I was beginning to think you had gotten lost and missed the rendezvous point.¡±


    ¡°I just had to wait until they were all out in the open,¡± Red Dog replied with an indifferent shrug. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been a very good ambush if I didn¡¯t get them all.¡±


    ¡°But the ambush would have worked fine if we all died? What if they had used bows?¡± Varhs grumbled to himself.


    ¡°Did you get your job done?¡± Red Dog asked Saeter as he ignored Varhs.


    ¡°I certainly did my part, and Blacknail did his,¡± the old scout replied. ¡°We took out quite a few sentries before being discovered and led several more right to you. I¡¯m not sure about Varhs, though. He let himself get distracted.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Red Dog said as he eyed Khita disdainfully.


    Varhs coughed and looked away. There was slight embarrassed flush to his cheeks.


    ¡°Hey, I did more than you!¡± Khita interjected as she glared angrily at Red Dog. ¡°I was out there fighting and risking my life. All you did was stand here and order other people to fight for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the burden of command,¡± the bandit lieutenant replied.


    ¡°Burden my ass; you¡¯re just lazy,¡± Khita told him.


    Saeter reached over and swatted the side of her head. Khita stepped back and glowered at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t argue with the commander in the field,¡± he told the young woman. ¡°There will be plenty of time later to tell Vorscha all about how he put you in danger.¡±


    Red Dog frowned at the old scout¡¯s words. He looked slightly nervous for a second but then he just scowled in annoyance. It was quick, but Saeter grinned smugly for second in response.


    ¡°Since you feel so hard down by, let me escort you the rest of the way then,¡± Red Dog said as he motioned towards one of his men.


    ¡°You there, make sure the small redhead stays safe. She might trip in a pothole and hurt herself. Also, you should watch out for squirrels,¡± he told the man.


    The man in question froze and stared in confusion as Red Dog and Khita glared furiously at each other. He didn¡¯t know how seriously he should take the order. Either option could backfire on him.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re moving on then?¡± Saeter asked to break the tension.


    ¡°Since you seem to have drawn the enemy sentries out of position so well, we should go join up with Herad. The main attack has probably already begun,¡± Red Dog replied.


    ¡°What about the rest of the scouts sent out with us?¡± Saeter pointed out.


    ¡°Most of them have already returned. I¡¯ll leave a few men here in case more show up, but I¡¯m not going to risk sending men into the forest after them,¡± Red Dog explained.


    As soon as he was done talking, Red Dog led the group down the road towards the enemies¡¯ camp. A wedge of sword wielding bandits went first. Behind them came the archers, and in the middle were Blacknail and his companions.


    They arrived at their destination within a few minutes. The once hidden path that led from the road to the enemies¡¯ camp was now plainly obvious. Corpses littered the ground and boot prints were everywhere. The bushes on either side of the side trail had been hacked down to create a gaping hole that led into the dark forest beyond.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a scout, but I think we should go that way,¡± Khita announced as she pointed towards the mess.


    This earned her more than a few glares. However, no one took a step towards the looming entrance. The group came to a stop and took a moment to study the scene before them.


    Blacknail could hear the sounds of battle down the path, although the forest canopy muted the noise. He briefly scanned the nearby bodies. Most seemed to be enemies but he did recognize one of the fallen men. There was definitely a fight going on here. He hoped his side was winning.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d mind taking a look around?¡± Red Dog asked Saeter and Varhs. ¡°That brush there would be an excellent spot for an ambush.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve done enough of that today, don¡¯t you?¡± Saeter replied coldly.


    The bandit lieutenant shrugged and motioned his men forward. The lead bandits carefully made their way down the path. When they weren¡¯t ambushed, attacked by wild animals, or maimed by traps everyone else was quick to follow.


    ¡°And we¡¯re back into the woods,¡± Varhs commented darkly as he stepped into the shadows. ¡°I hope Scamp catches up with us soon.¡±


    The path itself was narrow but moving through the forest was easy. The ground was sparse and mostly bare from the lack of light. The only real obstacles were the trees and they were easy enough to go around.


    Blacknail followed the other members of his tribe up the shallow hill that rose in front of them. Shouting and screams could be heard on the other side of it, so that was probably where Herad was. She enjoyed that sort of thing.


    When they reached the top of the hill, Red Dog and Blacknail stopped and looked down. A lot had changed since the hobgoblin had seen the enemy¡¯s camp. It was in shambles. The mass of blue tents were still there but many of them had been flattened. Several were on fire.


    Herad was leading a push through the very center of the camp. Close to a hundred of her men fought beside as she cut her way in deeper. The enemies¡¯ resistance was scattered and failing. Her sword flashed through the air and bandit after bandit fell before her.


    ¡°Damned fools, they¡¯re getting crushed,¡± Red Dog remarked. ¡°They let their sentries get pulled out of position and then their rear was assaulted.¡±


    ¡°This fight was already over once Herad got past the chokepoint back behind us,¡± Saeter added. ¡°They should have defended it better.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like there is much left for us to do,¡± Varhs observed without a trace of disappointment.


    Red Dog nodded in agreement. Across the valley, an enemy captain appeared to be trying to rally the defenders. He waved his sword above his head as he shouted orders.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stay here and pick off any stragglers that try and make it back to the road,¡± Red Dog told everyone.


    The enemy captain didn¡¯t manage to assemble much of a force before Herad reached him. There was brief struggle as he was overwhelmed by Herad and her minions. With him dead there was no organized resistance left.


    The remaining enemies lost all will to fight. They fled. Herad screamed something that sounded both bloodthirsty and triumphant as her organized formation split up to pursue them. Bandits streamed throughout the camp in every direction and slaughtered each other. From so far away it was hard to tell who was who, especially since most humans looked the same.


    ¡°What about our share of the loot?¡± one of Red Dog¡¯s men asked suspiciously. ¡°How are we supposed to get it from up here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get it, don¡¯t worry. I certainly plan on getting my cut,¡± Red Dog answered as he continued to stare down at the carnage below.


    Blacknail frowned in disappointment. He wanted to be down there with Herad. It looked like everyone there was having fun and that was where the best loot was. He didn¡¯t trust most the humans in his tribe. They would squirrel away all the good stuff and keep it for themselves!


    ¡°Ha, if all of Werrick¡¯s men are this soft then winning this war is going to be easier than pinching a fat man¡¯s purse!¡± Khita chuckled.


    ¡°Do you remember-ss being chased through the woods?¡± Blacknail asked her in dismay. ¡°I do! It was just a few minutes ago!¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad,¡± the young woman replied calmly. ¡°They fell into our trap.¡±


    From off to one side, Varhs took a step closer to Khita and smiled at her.


    ¡°Yep, I had the situation completely under control. Rabble like the men chasing us were no match for me,¡± he bragged confidently.


    ¡°The fucks?¡± Blacknail exclaimed in disbelief.


    They had almost died several times! What were these morons saying? Khita was an idiot, and he had no idea what was wrong with Varhs! The scout didn¡¯t usually act this stupid. Maybe Khita was infectious...


    As Blacknail watched, a small group of Werrick¡¯s men broke away from the camp and headed his way. They had been hiding in some of the tents off to one side.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to have company,¡± Varhs observed as he noticed them.


    Red Dog gave the approaching men a disgusted look. He didn¡¯t seem too concerned. There were less than a dozen of them and several of them didn¡¯t even appear to be armed.


    ¡°Idiots. Even if they made it to the road unmolested, how do they think they are going to survive in the woods without any gear? There isn¡¯t any shelter nearby,¡± Saeter remarked condescendingly.


    ¡°They¡¯re cowards, what do you expect?¡± Red Dog answered him.


    Blacknail just smiled and started humming to himself. These humans seemed to be acting pretty normally to him. Fear did strange things to men¡¯s heads. It made them easy targets.


    ¡°Sharp!¡± the hobgoblin purred happily as he watched the fleeing enemies draw closer.


    He had been worried for a second, but it looked like the loot was coming to him! How lucky.


    Blacknail¡¯s group was waiting for the cowards when they crested the hill. After a very brief struggle, Red Dog¡¯s men put them down. Taken by surprise and unarmed, they didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. The hobgoblin killed two without even bothering to use Elixir.


    Blacknail had made sure he was right at the front when the fighting started. That gave him an excuse to loot the bodies.


    Sometime after the hobgoblin had finished increasing the size of his bauble collection, the entire group of bandits he was with headed down to rendezvous with the others. The battle had ended a while ago and things seemed to have settled down.


    Blacknail led the way down the hill and through the trees. When he stepped out into the clearing one of the first people he saw was Vorscha. Several other people were nearby as well including Geralhd.


    The female warrior was seated on a crate someone had left next to a tent. Her armor was covered with mud and several bloodstains, but she looked unharmed. She had obviously seen combat but instead of resting she was busy cleaning her gear. A large long sword was balanced on her knees and she seemed focused on wiping it down with a cloth.


    Geralhd was standing next to her and was inspecting a pair of daggers. Unlike his lover¡¯s, his armor looked perfectly clean.


    ¡°Hail the camp,¡± Red Dog announced as he stepped out behind Blacknail.


    At the sound of his voice Vorscha looked up and smiled their way.


    ¡°There you are. I was wondering how long you were all going to hang out up on that hill,¡± she said.


    ¡°Just as long as we needed to,¡± Red Dog replied with a shrug.


    The rest of his men and Saeter walked up as well. Khita was directly behind the old scout and Varhs was holding the rear.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re all alive. I was a little worried when Khita disappeared,¡± Vorscha told them.


    ¡°And I was worried when she showed up,¡± Red Dog added dryly.


    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± Khita interjected in an irritated tone.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Vorscha replied doubtfully.


    Red Dog ignored the exchange and turned to his men.


    ¡°You can all stay here. I need to find the boss and make a report,¡± he told them before walking off towards the middle of the camp.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really need them. I have sentries out and everything else has been wrapped up already. They can go where they want,¡± Vorscha announced before Red Dog had gone more than a few steps.


    Immediately, most the men either found somewhere to sit down or wandered off. Blacknail started off to find something interesting as well. There had to be something nearby worth eating or at least something entertaining.


    ¡°Not you,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin. ¡°Stay here. I still remember all the trouble you got into last time you wandered off in place like this.¡±


    The hobgoblin froze and scowled. He wanted to go look around but his master seemed determined that he stay here. That was no fun!


    ¡°Stupid naked lady!¡± the hobgoblin muttered irritably to himself.


    It wasn¡¯t like he was going to run into another one. That sort of thing wasn¡¯t common, was it?


    ¡°So, did you see any action? We had quite a bit here,¡± Geralhd asked Saeter politely.


    ¡°You could say that?¡± the old scout huffed.


    ¡°We got chased through the woods, shot at, and attacked by bunch of trees,¡± Khita bragged.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Vorscha asked Saeter as she threw him an annoyed glare.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her to come,¡± Saeter replied as he shrugged.


    His words caused Vorscha to sigh and turn back to her blade. After a few more wipes she resheathed it.


    ¡°Well, thanks for bringing her back in one piece,¡± she said as she looked back up.


    ¡°You need to stop worrying about other people. You¡¯re not responsible for every hopeless case that wanders by. The girl needs to take care of herself,¡± Saeter told Vorscha.


    ¡°Ya, stop,¡± Blacknail added irately.


    It was annoying how Vorscha kept forcing Blacknail to look after Khita. The girl was constantly getting herself into trouble and she never even learned from her mistakes! Why did he need to be involved? That wasn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°Ya, stop,¡± Khita said in imitation of the hobgoblin. ¡°I can take care of myself.¡±


    Everyone ignored her. Geralhd coughed and politely changed the topic of the conversation.


    ¡°I must say, this is quite the victory for us and our capable leader. I hope the rest of this little backwoods war ends like this battle did,¡± he observed aloud.


    ¡°It was foolish of Werrick to leave this force unsupported. We cut it to pieces like a hog on a slab,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t plan on us finding them or maybe he just didn¡¯t care,¡± Geralhd guessed.


    ¡°Logistics is a bitch,¡± Vorscha explained. ¡°Werrick has to move quite a few men from several different places to here. It can¡¯t be easy to do all that at the same time. Most likely he just made a mistake or one of his subordinates did. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s an experienced general and the man in command here didn¡¯t seem all that smart.¡±


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s just another advantage Herad has. She¡¯s already emplaced and doesn¡¯t have to worry about being picked off in detail,¡± Geralhd added.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need every advantage we can get. We¡¯ve won this battle but not the war. Even after losing this many men Werrick will still outnumber us. Werrick can afford a mistake or two,¡± Vorscha explained as she cleaned her blade. ¡°All he needs to do is win one major battle and Herad¡¯s position will be shattered.¡±


    There was a grim silence as everyone considered her words. However, Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried. Herad had one other advantage that no one had mentioned. She had him! He was the greatest killer in the North, if not the world! Let the human named Werrick come. Death was waiting for him.

 Interlude: The Working of Magics

    Mahedium stared at the liquid solution in front of him. It had been hard to find sulfur pure enough but it looked to be working now. The contents of the glass beaker were a nice rose color and bubbling satisfactorily. The hot coals beneath the beaker were keeping the temperature just right.


    Yes, he had a good feeling about this batch. With some luck, a new type of crystal would soon start to form within the solution. With even more luck, it would be useful and easily reproducible! If the gods were truly looking down on him then it would be something even the guilds hadn¡¯t gotten their hands on yet.


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a grand twist of fate! For all their money, connections, and corrupt hoarding of knowledge he could still get the better of them! It would just take hard work and a lot of luck.


    Mahedium turned away from his work and headed over to his desk. He was in his personal lab within Herad¡¯s camp. It was an adequate facility and he had filled it with all the tools he needed to do his research. Shelves lined the room. They were full of books, glass containers, and strange metal devices.


    The room was dark and only lit by several small lamps. A multitude of shadows lay thick upon every surface, but there was enough light to see by.


    The mage passed by a small wooden cage as he walked, and there was a shuffling sound from within. Mahedium instinctively looked towards the noise. The small goblin captive inside the cage was staring out at him. Its gaze was calm and steady without a hint of fear.


    ¡°I know what you want,¡± Mahedium said as he reached into a pocket and took out a bit of sausage.


    The mage reached down, opened the cage, and then tossed the morsel inside. The meat had been part of his lunch but he hadn¡¯t been hungry enough to finish it off. Sometimes he forgot to eat at all when he was working on a promising experiment. There was always so much to do.


    He didn¡¯t bother to close the cage door again. His goblin helper, and that was how he had come to think of the creature, was always very well behaved after it had been fed. Why wouldn¡¯t it be? It had shelter and food here.


    ¡°Yes, goblins are very simple creatures after all,¡± the mage mused to himself as he continued on over to his destination.


    When he got to his desk, the mage reached over to grab a lamp stand. With practiced ease, he pulled the transparent crystal out from the top. As he was working, he heard the soft pitter-patter of footsteps behind him.


    Mahedium ignored the sound and took a second to examine the crystal, both with his eyes and with his mage sense. Since he was holding it against his bare flesh he could feel the power within the small mana stone.


    Its power tickled and warmed his skin. Mana stones had always felt almost alive to Mahedium, like they wanted to be used. It wasn¡¯t a very scientific belief but it was one he had never been able to get completely out of his mind.


    ¡°But then how much do we really know about such things?¡± he mused to himself.


    Mentally, he reached toward the transparent crystal in his hand and ignited it. It flared to life and white light washed out across the room. The mage almost seemed to be holding congealed light aloof. It wasn¡¯t even warm.


    After a second, Mahedium grunted contentedly and then placed the stone back within the lamp. He had flared the stone just enough to light his desk. He could have burned it brighter but then it would have lost power quicker and have to be replaced sooner. There was no known way to recharge a mana stone.


    He hadn¡¯t needed to actually take the stone out of its casing to light it, but he had felt like reveling in simple success for a second. He had felt so few of those moments recently. He was still alive and pursuing his research though, so he couldn¡¯t complain.


    Normally, to ignite a mana stone you needed physical contact. Mages had long ago developed ways around this, though. Activating magic by touch wasn¡¯t usually very practical.


    Certain metals conducted mana. If a conductive path was created between a mage and a stone then it could be ignited without direct contact, and from a safe distance.


    ¡°You could have done that, although not with my finesse and control,¡± Mahedium said as he turned to look at the goblin behind him.


    As usual, the little creature was placidly standing behind the mage and watching what he did intently. He was probably attracted to the bright colors, unique aromas, and other distracting by-products of magical research. It was rather amusing how easily true intelligence could be imitated.


    ¡°Magic runs in your blood, just as it does mine. We are not similar in any other regard but in that we are brothers. Have we been chosen or is it just luck? Where does our gift come from?¡± the mage asked himself contemplatively.


    A few seconds later, Mahedium sighed and turned back towards his desk. He didn¡¯t have time to think about such things, no matter how interesting.


    His work desk was covered in paper. Most of it was letters from various correspondents. Several of the messages were even in code. It wouldn¡¯t do for their secrets to be exposed.


    He had made quite a few useful contacts during his visit to Daggerpoint. The renegade mage known as Avorlus was particularly useful. His speciality might be Elixirs but he was in possession of more than a few interesting tidbits about mana stones as well.


    The mage stared at one letter in particular. It wasn¡¯t from Avorlus, although it had passed through his hands. The sender had offered Mahedium an exchange of knowledge and favors. If they were telling the truth then his research would be able to leap years ahead, if not decades.


    His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of a door opening. Mahedium frowned and glanced over his shoulder. A young man, barely out of adolescence, stood in the door. He was carrying a sack over his shoulder, and was obviously straining to support its weight.


    ¡°Master, I have the charcoal you wanted,¡± the young man announced.


    He was sweating from exertion and strands of his short brown hair were sticking to his forehead. He looked to be about 16 or so years of age.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Ah, thank you. Just leave it there by the door please,¡± Mahedium told the new arrival.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± the youth replied as he did as he was told.


    The mage had recruited his assistant in the nearby city of Riverdown. He was just a young man who had been down on his luck and seemed to have more intelligence than most street trash. Honest work was hard to come by these days, especially in the North.


    He had the mage gift too, of course. Mage blood was a crucial component of all aspects of magic, and Mahedium had grown really tired of cutting himself. He was lucky he used to be an herbalist and thus knew how to deal with infections.


    Now that he had both an assistant and his pet goblin he almost never had to slice open his own fingers for a few drops of blood. Keeping the wounds clean had been such a pain.


    ¡°Come over here, Ressus. I want to show you how to take care of this,¡± Mahedium told the young man.


    ¡°Yes, master,¡± his assistant replied quickly as he walked over to the mage.


    On his way, the young man noticed the goblin standing over to Mahedium¡¯s left. He paused and stared at it suspiciously.


    ¡°Should that critter really be left out?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± the mage replied absentmindedly. ¡°It¡¯s never been a problem before and it¡¯s quite useful really. I haven¡¯t seen a single mouse or rat around since I started letting it out of its cage. The bloody vermin used to get into all my herbs. I even found a nest in one of the pots a while back. That isn¡¯t sanitary.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± his assistant commented as he walked over to peer over his master¡¯s shoulder and see what he was doing.


    ¡°I started this culture while you were gone,¡± Mahedium explained. ¡°It should be done in a few hours. During that time, the heat must be kept steady so you have to replace the charcoal if it gets low.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, master. That sounds simple enough,¡± his assistant replied unenthusiastically.


    Mahedium sighed and shook his head. Why did Ressus sound so apathetic? They were studying magic!


    ¡°You have no idea how lucky you are!¡± the mage accused the young man. ¡°You¡¯re learning secrets here that men would kill to possess. If you were to join one of the mage guilds you would end up as combat fodder and would never be allowed anywhere near real magic like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master. Sorry,¡± Ressus quickly replied as he flushed in embarrassment.


    ¡°The guilds keep all their secrets locked up in their colleges. Unless you¡¯re of noble blood or politically connected you would never be able to create your own spell stones, no matter how intelligent you were!¡± Mahedium ranted. ¡°They would keep you reliant on them, and you would be nothing but a pawn in the games they play amongst themselves.¡±


    ¡°I am very thankful, sir,¡± his assistant replied but it was obvious the mage wasn¡¯t listening.


    ¡°The petty quarrels of the mage guilds are almost as harmful as their squandering of magical knowledge,¡± the mage continued irately. ¡°It was right before the old empire¡¯s collapse that the guild¡¯s first came into power. Now, they have benefitted more than anyone else from all the constant warfare. They have grown rich and influential by selling war magic...¡±


    Mahedium lost his train of thought and froze. His hands were held up above his head dramatically and there was a confused look on his face. Why where they discussing history? Didn¡¯t he have research to do?


    ¡°What was I just talking about?¡± he asked Ressus.


    ¡°You were showing me how to take care of the crystal culture here,¡± his assistant replied dryly.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s right. Just check in on it every few minutes and to make sure the heat is kept steady. If a mana stone starts to form within it inform me at once,¡± the mage told the young man.


    With that done, Mahedium made his way over to a different table. What looked to be a disassembled staff lay upon it. Small metal bits and gears were scattered around a long wooden rod. The staff had holes of various sizes in it and seemed to have a metal core.


    ¡°Right now, however, take a look at this. I¡¯m in the process of creating a new focus device. It¡¯s important that you understand at least the basic concepts involved in such a thing,¡± the mage explained excitedly.


    Ressus was just hired help. He wasn¡¯t being trained as a researcher but he needed to know enough to lend a hand and fetch the correct tools.


    ¡°There is practically nothing magical about a staff or amulet,¡± the mage added. ¡°Their purpose is to simply hold mana stones and channel their power in the correct direction, although they are sometimes reinforced by materials from crystal caverns. Most mana stones are far too dangerous to ignite by hand, and the results would be unpleasant anyway. Even a simple heat stone would burn the user.¡±


    ¡°What does this staff do?¡± his assistant asked.


    Mahedium smiled smugly before responding. He had been working on this idea for a while.


    ¡°My army staff is fine for producing light, heat, or explosive force but now that I have mastered producing other types of crystals I need something with more... punch,¡± he answered.


    The young man just frowned thoughtfully and threw his master a questioning look. This just made the mage feel even smugger.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had problems piercing hard targets recently, such as giant mutant snakes,¡± Mahedium explained. ¡°Once finished, this staff is designed to fire crystalline spikes. A force stone located here will propel the projectiles created by a second mana stone in this chamber.¡±


    ¡°Giant mutant snakes?¡± his assistant asked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right sir?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? No that was just a few months ago. The Deep Green is full of such things, or so I hear,¡± Mahedium answered absentmindedly as he stared at the disassembled staff before him. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely another one will show up, but it would make a great weapons test.¡±


    Behind him, the goblin had turned to look at the beaker of liquid Mahedium had set up earlier to grow a crystal in. While the mage and his assistant had been talking it had turned black and started to boil with ever increasing fervor. The goblin eyed it for a second and then hurriedly backed away. Less than a second later, he was back in his cage and the door was firmly shut.


    The noise attracted Mahedium¡¯s attention as well. He looked up and stared at the beaker.


    ¡°You were supposed to keep the heat steady. Quickly, remove the coals,¡± the mage ordered his assistant.


    The young man quickly spun around but he froze when his eyes took in the sight of the black boiling liquid. He clearly didn¡¯t want to go anywhere near it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry it¡¯s perfectly safe,¡± the mage reassured him.


    Ressus reluctantly stepped forward, and Mahedium reached into one of his pockets. Carefully, the young man picked up a small rod and pushed the metal charcoal tray out from under the beaker.


    There was a loud bang as it exploded. The glass container instantly shattered and the liquid expanded outwards in a black cloud. Shards of black crystal shot out of the smoke.


    They flew around the room and several of them slammed into Ressus. His eyes went wide with shock and he crumpled bonelessly over backwards.


    Mahedium had been ready, however. His hand came out of his pocket holding a small steel amulet. The gem set in its center glowed. A see-through barrier appeared in front of him and the crystal shards headed his way shattered against it.


    Mahedium dropped his shield and tucked the amulet back away. He hadn¡¯t really expected the beaker to explode. Something like that had actually had been a very low probability outcome, but it paid to be prepared.


    Ressuss¡¯ body was lying on the lab floor. Several long black crystalline shards were impaled in him. One of them had pierced his left eye, so he was obviously very dead.


    The mage looked at his deceased assistant and sighed regretfully. He had actually liked the young man. He had shown a glimmer of promise, if only a glimmer.


    Oh well, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard to find a new assistant. He would undoubtedly be moving around a lot soon anyway, so having him underfoot might have been an inconvenience. Better to use disposable helpers for now.


    The knowledge he could glean from his experiments was worth the lives of a few assistants. They were just uneducated and unmotivated mage-gifted anyway. There were always more of them around.


    Mahedium threw a glance back towards his desk. There was a big battle coming and he had a crucial part to play. As a mage, the power he commanded could easily turn the tides of war, and he was just getting stronger as he learned to harness new spells. One day his magic would change the world!


    Now though, he had better call someone to remove the corpse from his lab. It might contaminate something. When that was done, the mess from the explosion had to be cleaned up and the experiment restarted. Even magic could be tedious sometimes.

 Comes the Wolf 1

    Blacknail watched the enemy march down the road towards him. There were hundreds of them. The impact from their boots hitting the hard earth of the road filled the air with a thudding sound and caused dust to billow up into the sky.


    The savage looking fighters formed a long serpentine line of moving bodies. More and more of them came into sight as they marched past a bend in the road and out from behind a mass of greenery.


    The lead elements drew to a close out of bowshot. They were plainly visible under the noonday sun because a gentle wind carried all the dust away and over the forest. Werrick¡¯s main force had arrived.


    Blacknail watched from the forest nearby as their commanders started ordering them to stop and rest their feet. Herad had sent the hobgoblin and Saeter out to keep an eye on the invaders.


    ¡°So many pathetic cowards,¡± the hobgoblin hissed angrily.


    He was perched atop an old dead tree trunk that had fallen over in the forest. It lay on a angle so that the end Blacknail was seated on was several feet above the ground. Saeter was standing beside him. Together, the pair peered out past the edge of the woods at the enemy on the road before them.


    ¡°They¡¯re not doing anything. How can they be cowards?¡± Saeter remarked with irritated uncertainty.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they aren¡¯t doing anything!¡± Blacknail answered him. ¡°They should-ss attack already. There are so many of them already, but they are just sitting there. It¡¯s boring!¡±


    ¡°It would be nice if they were that stupid,¡± his master mused aloud in reply.


    ¡°Ah, I have so many things to do!¡± Blacknail whined as he glared at the humans that had entered his territory uninvited. ¡°But I need to stay here and watch them! They might try something tricky-ss if I leave.¡±


    Saeter was dressed in his forest greens. The wrinkles on his weathered face were plainly visible as he eyed the hobgoblin critically. As usual he was clean-shaven and his grey hair was kept practically short.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to watch them, and besides, what is it that you need to do so badly? If I didn¡¯t get you moving in the morning you¡¯d sit around all day like a pig in the mud,¡± he replied dryly.


    ¡°Stuff. Important stuff, that is what I need to do,¡± Blacknail responded carefully as he fidgeted uncomfortably.


    Usually, he did a daily round of the camp to make sure nothing had changed but he hadn¡¯t had time today. There were also a few items that he had hidden away and he liked to check in on them every once and a while. Not being able to do that was making his brain itch. What if a thief found them and hid them somewhere?


    ¡°Stupid humans,¡± Blacknail hissed to himself as he continued to stare out at the enemy troops.


    ¡°What was that?¡± His master asked.


    ¡°Nothing-ss,¡± the hobgoblin quickly responded.


    His master would probably misunderstand the comment. Sometimes Blacknail forgot that Saeter was technically a human. He was a lot smarter and sneakier than most other men.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen enough. Let¡¯s head back,¡± Saeter told the hobgoblin. ¡°I don¡¯t see any signs that they are planning on leaving the road or circling the camp.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Blacknail murmured distractedly back.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t budge. He remained perched on a log at the edge of the forest where he had a good view of the road. He knew that any second now the enemy humans were going to do something important and he didn¡¯t want to miss it.


    ¡°Come on, Blacknail. If that army starts to move then you¡¯ll bloody know, trust me. You don¡¯t have to watch it yourself,¡± Saeter said as started walking into the forest.


    The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t so sure. His personal experience was that all human sentries were completely useless. He snuck by them all the time, it wasn¡¯t even that hard. He didn¡¯t think it unlikely that they could miss an army or two.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for lunch, anyway,¡± Saeter remarked loudly as he ducked under a low tree branch.


    With a sigh, the hobgoblin got up and followed his master. Watching the enemy was important but there was no way he was going to skip a meal.


    Together, the pair slipped through the forest back towards their camp. Saeter whistled a signal before stepping out onto the road in front of the gate. The entrance to their bands¡¯ camp was heavily guarded.


    Herad had received plenty of warning of the enemy¡¯s arrival. She had used that time to build up her defenses. The barrier of long wooden spikes that had run along the side of the camp facing the road had been expanded to encircle the entire base and raised platforms had been set up for archers. Trenches had also been dug to slow invaders down.


    Saeter and Blacknail carefully made their way up to the entrance. A dozen bandits were guarding the narrow gap in the wall. The closest one gave the pair a brief nod when he recognized them and signalled them forward.


    On the other side of the wall, several more squads of bandits were waiting and ready to reinforce the gate in case of an attack. They were armed and armored more heavily than usual. The sunlight from above occasionally glinted off shields, helmets, and bits of armor.


    Off to one side, Herad stood at the base of a watchtower. She was issuing orders to several other bandits around her. Tension and the acrid smell of human sweat was thick in the air as Saeter headed over to talk to her. Everyone was waiting for the attack they knew was coming.


    ¡°I just came back from taking a look around,¡± Saeter told the bandit chieftain when she noticed his approach.


    ¡°Oh, did you see anything important?¡± Herad asked him derisively. ¡°You must have if you¡¯re bothering me about it. I¡¯m very busy right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I didn¡¯t see that matters,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°I see no sign of Werrick being here yet. The enemy appears to be waiting for him.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right about that,¡± Herad huffed darkly. ¡°If he was here we would know about it. Werrick is an arrogant braggart. He would announce himself with the subtlety of a charging ogre.¡±


    ¡°I also haven¡¯t seen any sign of mercenaries or anything unexpected,¡± Saeter told her. ¡°It seems like they are planning on treating this like a straight up brawl.¡±


    ¡°And that bothers you? Why? They could be with Werrick or on their way,¡± Herad replied.


    ¡°Maybe, but something isn¡¯t sitting right in my gut,¡± the old scout explained as he grimiced. ¡°This whole campaign feels slapdash. We took out that exposed first group too easily and this next attack is too straightforward. It¡¯s like Werrick isn¡¯t even trying.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re overestimating Werrick,¡± Herad countered.


    ¡°He could do better than this,¡± the old scout responded darkly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be jumping at shadows now, old man,¡± the bandit chieftain said as she rolled her eyes. ¡°If you do find something then feel free to inform me. If not, then keep out of my way and stop wasting my time with useless conjecture.¡±


    ¡°Very well. As you wish,¡± Saeter grumbled in reply as he turned and started walking off.


    ¡°Are we going to have lunch now?¡± Blacknail asked his master as he followed behind him.


    ¡°Yes, because we bloody well earned it,¡± Saeter replied crossly.


    ¡°Are you going to cook something?¡± the hobgoblin asked hopefully.


    When he cooked or ate rations it was never nearly as good as the fare Saeter made. For instance, the worm stew Blacknail had made yesterday should have tasted a lot better than it had...


    ¡°No,¡± the old scout answered as he looked around the camp.


    A few seconds later, he started stomping over towards Vorscha¡¯s cabin. Geralhd and her were seated out in front of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s someone else¡¯s turn to whip up some grub,¡± Saeter grumbled.


    The hobgoblin and his master circled around a large group of bandits resting next to a pile of crates. When they got to the other side, Vorscha noticed them.


    ¡°Oh, Saeter! Geralhd and I were just sitting down to eat. Care to join us?¡± she asked him cheerily.


    ¡°Is Khita going to appear out of nowhere?¡± Saeter asked her suspiciously.


    ¡°Not likely. She¡¯s apparently fooling around with Varhs right now. The little vixen has that man wrapped around her little finger,¡± the muscular woman replied with a knowing wink. ¡°I taught her how to do that.¡±


    Saeter blinked and mentally digested that remark for a second before replying.


    ¡°I¡¯ll accept your invitation and join you then,¡± the old scout replied neutrally as he walked over. ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t having rations or such shit.¡±


    Vorscha smiled at both him and Blacknail. There was a delicious meaty aroma coming from their fire-pit. They had something roasting the flames on a spit. It obviously wasn¡¯t any kind of trail ration.


    ¡°All we have is a bit of venison and some fairly fresh bread but you¡¯re welcome to it. You may have even brought the meat in yourself,¡± Geralhd explained as he gestured towards the fire.


    ¡°It smells great,¡± Blacknail told him as he sniffed the air and licked his lips.


    ¡°What do you think of this mess we''re in?¡± Saeter asked Vorscha as he sat down across from her.


    ¡°The fight with Werrick you mean?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course, what else could I mean?¡± Saeter grunted back.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m tired and want to rest for a bit. It¡¯s important to keep rested up before a battle,¡± Vorscha replied.


    ¡°This is important. Things have been too easy. Herad doesn¡¯t see any problems but my instincts are telling me something is wrong,¡± Saeter told her.


    ¡°It might be because there is a large army a few hundred feet that way intent on killing us all. That bothers me!¡± Geralhd commented dryly.


    ¡°Then you should go do something about it,¡± Saeter told him sarcastically.


    That caused Blacknail to giggle. The image of Geralhd trying to fight off an army, or even more than one person, was hilarious.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve been winning every battle,¡± Vorscha pointed out. ¡°Werrick has pushed us back all the way here. I¡¯m still sore from the fight at the river.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just weight of numbers,¡± Saeter told her. ¡°Herad wasn¡¯t seriously planning on stopping him before he got here. Those fights went exactly the way Herad wanted them to.¡±


    ¡°We could have held the river for quite a while if that mage hadn¡¯t frozen it. It would have nice to have done a bit more damage there,¡± Vorscha countered as she grimaced in distaste.


    Blacknail remembered the fight at the river. It had just been a few days ago. Mostly, he had just stood back and shot a few arrows at the enemy. Not that he had been counting, but he had managed to hit two enemies. He had even been aiming for one of them!


    Vorscha had led a large group and tried to stop the enemy from crossing the river. At first it had been easy to pick off anyone trying to make the crossing. However, when the river had started to freeze over they had immediately retreated.


    ¡°Even that was a victory for Herad. She drew that mage out into the open and now she has a better idea of the tricks he has at his disposal,¡± the old scout countered.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re logic is a little flawed there, Saeter,¡± Geralhd interjected. ¡°It sounds to me like you¡¯re trying to twist things to fit your argument.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that I don¡¯t care then,¡± Saeter commented before turning back to Vorscha.


    ¡°The thing is, we both know things are going too smoothly,¡± the old scout told her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like Werrick is really even trying! Hells, he hasn¡¯t even bothered to show up yet!¡±


    ¡°Maybe he just likes to sleep in. If I was the boss I¡¯d sleep in all the time,¡± Blacknail contributed.


    How great would it be to sleep in to noon every day? He could stay curled up in his blankets and minions would bring him breakfast...


    Vorscha took a few seconds to think. The tall woman frowned and poked at the fire with a stick. There was a crack as a hot coal shifted and a small shower of sparks rose into the air.


    ¡°It does seem like he is doing exactly what we expect him to,¡± she admitted. ¡°That¡¯s not something I would anticipate from a man of his reputation. He hasn¡¯t become the most powerful bandit chief in the North by being an idiot.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he¡¯s basically just throwing bodies at us!¡± Saeter announced. ¡°We¡¯ve bled him quite a bit so far by making him fight for every choke point on the way here, but what if he doesn¡¯t care? What if it¡¯s not only Herad¡¯s plan that is going perfectly but his as well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that idea, but it makes a lot of sense. It would explain why we haven¡¯t seen much from the man himself. There has been no need for him to change his plans or get involved,¡± Vorscha mused sourly.


    ¡°But that would mean he wants to fight us here?¡± Geralhd remarked with a voice full of doubt. ¡°I can¡¯t see the logic in that. We have all the advantages here! He doesn¡¯t outnumber us all that much and we have a solid defensive position. How does he expect to get through our walls?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he is planning. My gut is just telling me he has a plan, and that we won¡¯t like it,¡± Saeter told him.


    ¡°You sure know how to ruin someone¡¯s appetite, Saeter,¡± Vorscha remarked. ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t get invited over to eat by many people.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. Even he got invited over more than his master and he wasn¡¯t the most popular member of Herad¡¯s band. It was probably because Saeter was so grumpy and because hobgoblins were so handsome.


    ¡°Werrick doesn¡¯t need to have some sort of complex machinations in the works,¡± Geralhd added. ¡°Maybe he simply thinks he has the blades and mages to swamp us under. He is known to be quite the arrogant ruffian.¡±


    ¡°Just right, we have a few tricks up our own sleeves as well,¡± Vorscha commented as she raised a fist and grinned confidently. ¡°The enemy isn¡¯t going to be getting inside our walls without a hell of a fight.¡±


    ¡°I should just stab this Werrick man,¡± the hobgoblin mused. ¡°All this waiting for battle is getting annoying.¡±


    A leader as powerful as Werrick probably also had a lot of great stuff to loot. There was no way he would be able to get his hands on it during a battle but if he was the one that killed Werrick it would be very different.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably best if you don¡¯t try that,¡± Geralhd told Blacknail. ¡°Werrick is a skilled Vessel. They say he has killed hundreds of men.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve killed Vessels before,¡± Blacknail said without concern as he shrugged.


    It hadn¡¯t even been that hard. Everyone needed to sleep and human guards were usually lazy. The trick was to stab them in the back a few times before the fight started.


    ¡°Not like the Wolf, you haven¡¯t,¡± Saeter interjected. ¡°If skilled assassins could get anywhere near him then he would already be dead. He will have heard of you and won¡¯t be taking any chances. You weren¡¯t exactly subtle back in Daggerpoint.¡±


    ¡°I was the sneakiest! No one saw me coming,¡± Blacknail bragged as his master rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Maybe, but they sure noticed the bloody carnage you left in your wake. You went through Daggerpoint like a troll through a barn,¡± the old scout replied.


    Suddenly, the sound of trumpets blared from the other side of the walls. Geralhd and Blacknail both jumped in surprise.


    The hobgoblin dropped the bit of bread he had been holding, but he quickly picked it off the ground and shoved it into his mouth. The dirt didn¡¯t even make it taste any worse. It was almost a seasoning, really.


    Shouting immediately followed the sound of instruments, from both outside the camp and within it. Bandits all round the camp began to move.


    ¡°Vorscha get over here! I need you at the wall,¡± Herad called out of the din.


    The tall woman was instantly on her feet. She grabbed the long sword that had been lying at her side and started running towards Herad¡¯s voice.


    The others were quick to follow. Men and women were rushing around everywhere but they managed to find a way through the crowds. Together, they ran over to the closest stretch of wall and peeked through the gaps in the posts. The lookout platforms were already crowded.


    It was immediately obvious what had raised the alarm. Werrick¡¯s army had started to move. As the trumpets blared, banners rose above the enemy host. A white wolf¡¯s head flew on a black field.


    There was a chorus of shouting as the lead elements of the enemy army began to march forward towards Herad¡¯s base. The sound of the footsteps echoed off the trees. Before they got into bow range, shields were hoisted up to form a protective barrier. The attack had begun.


    There could be no doubt, the Wolf himself had finally arrived.

 Comes the Wolf 2

    The enemy shield wall drew closer. It contained hundreds of men and spanned the road from one end to the other. The approaching formation of soldiers only ended where the edge of the forest got in the way.


    ¡°First rank, fire!¡± Herad yelled.


    A swarm of buzzing arrows leapt into the air. They rose from all along the wall and then descended upon Werrick¡¯s men. The sound of all the arrows hitting the enemies¡¯ shields was almost like the patter of raindrops on a roof, only with more screaming in the background.


    Unfortunately, while some of Werrick¡¯s men did fall as arrows slipped through the gaps in their defensive barrier, most of the enemies remained unharmed. They continued marching towards the wooden barricade Herad had erected to block their way.


    ¡°Second rank, fire!¡± Herad yelled.


    Another cloud of arrows hit the enemy, with much the same effect.


    ¡°Should we do something?¡± Geralhd asked Saeter as he stared at the enemy.


    The hobgoblin and them were standing at the wall and peeking between the crude wooden posts that composed most of its length.


    ¡°Feel free to run out there if you want,¡± Saeter replied sarcastically. ¡°I plan on staying right here unless I¡¯m ordered to move.¡±


    ¡°I think-ss I should go scout something out in the woods,¡± Blacknail added. ¡°Just in case the enemy attacks... somewhere else.¡±


    The hobgoblin''s guts felt a little watery as he stared at the approaching army. Standing in its way didn¡¯t seem like a great idea.


    ¡°You¡¯re staying right next to me,¡± Saeter ordered Blacknail as he turned to give him a level stare.


    The hobgoblin grinned nervously back but nodded in affirmation. He would have to wait until things got more chaotic before making a break for it.


    ¡°Do you think he will want to parley?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°Who, Werrick? What would be the point?¡± Saeter answered condescendingly.


    ¡°To settle his differences with Herad without getting hundreds of people killed?¡± the other man asked with uncertain hope.


    ¡°Ha, neither of them will give ground. They have nothing to talk about. This is a fight to the death,¡± Saeter replied.


    ¡°Why are we even fighting again?¡± Geralhd wanted to know. ¡°I know Herad and Werrick hate each other, but how does Werrick profit from a huge fight like this? Shouldn¡¯t he be more concerned with robbing people and other bandit activities?¡±


    ¡°Feelings have very little to do with this,¡± Saeter told the other man. ¡°Things in the North are changing and there isn¡¯t room for two top dogs.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I thought the boss was just protecting our territory from intrusion. She never said she wanted to rule over any of the other bands!¡± Geralhd remarked in surprise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Herad very well,¡± Saeter explained knowingly. "Holding this patch of land and setting herself up as its ruler was always but the first step. With a firm footing here she could quickly expand all through the North.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just great,¡± Geralhd remarked sarcastically before sighing deeply.


    ¡°Yep, if you can conquer more land why would you ever stop?¡± Blacknail exclaimed excitedly. He had always assumed that Herad was going to kill all her rivals.


    ¡°So that you don¡¯t get killed in a stupid battle in the middle of nowhere?¡± Geralhd countered as he frowned at the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Everyone dies, but not everyone gets the pick of all the best loot,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    Geralhd sighed and looked back at the wall. He didn¡¯t seem convinced. In the background, another volley of arrows flew into the air at Herad¡¯s command.


    ¡°This is an enlightening conversation but perhaps we should focus on the battle that is about to be joined,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure what I should be doing right now.¡±


    ¡°If Vorscha didn¡¯t order you to do anything then just stay back,¡± Saeter huffed. ¡°You can join one of the reserve units if you want, but it¡¯s not like you¡¯re even properly equipped,¡±


    Geralhd turned and gave the old scout an annoyed glare. The younger man was dressed in lighter clothes than most of the nearby bandits. Instead of armor he was wearing a long cloth shirt and a thin leather vest. Even the leather jackets Blacknail and Saeter wore offered much more protection.


    ¡°I like being able to move freely, and I don¡¯t see you manning the walls,¡± he remarked dryly.


    ¡°Not my job,¡± Saeter countered. ¡°I just got back from a scouting mission. I¡¯m not a grunt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a grunt either,¡± Geralhd replied.


    ¡°Oh, then what are you? A camp follower?¡± the old scout joked as he grinned with obvious amusement.


    The younger man stared at Saeter coldly. It looked like he wanted to say something but he bit his tongue instead and remained silent. After a few seconds he turned to look at the approaching army.


    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Herad just have Mahedium blast their formation? They are all tightly packed together,¡± Geralhd asked to redirect the conversation.


    ¡°Do you think Werrick doesn¡¯t know we have a mage? This entire attack could just be bait,¡± Saeter told him. ¡°If Mahedium shows himself then Werrick¡¯s own mages will bombard him with everything they have.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I had forgotten about them. Why is Werrick even bothering with an assault? His mages could just blast our barricade to smithereens,¡± Geralhd asked.


    Blacknail turned to look at the wooden wall that was a mere three feet away from him. He could easily picture it exploding into a hail of deadly splinters.


    ¡°Why are we standing here?¡± he asked his master doubtfully. ¡°This seems like a bad idea.¡±


    Saeter shook his head and rolled his eyes condescendingly.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to lose his own mages,¡± he told Geralhd. ¡°Herad probably has Mahedium lying in wait, ready to drop a ton of war magic on Werrick¡¯s mages the second they try and assault our barricades. The first side to reveal its magic users is at a disadvantage in a fight like this.¡±


    ¡°So both Herad and Werrick are holding back in hopes of forcing the enemy to commit their mages?¡± Geralhd mused.


    ¡°Or whatever other tricks they have tucked away,¡± Saeter confirmed.


    ¡°Obviously,¡± Blacknail added smugly as he took several large steps away from the wall, just in case it suddenly exploded.


    A squad of Herad¡¯s men ran up beside the hobgoblin¡¯s group. The enemy was only a few seconds from the wall now. Herad could be heard yelling for reinforcements at the gate.


    Both Blacknail and Geralhd turned to look at Saeter for guidance; he was the only one who knew what was going on. However, the old scout didn¡¯t appear to be in a hurry. He seemed content to just stand there.


    There was a furious scream. Blacknail winced as he instinctively covered his head and ducked. Werrick¡¯s men hit the wall; their formation seemed to ripple as it halted their advance.


    ¡°What are they...¡± Geralhd stared to ask before he was interrupted by a chopping sound.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    He flinched as an axe blade hit the barrier. It was swiftly followed by many more blows as the enemy started chopping their way through the barrier. Ladders appeared from out of the mass of enemies and were thrown up against the wall.


    Arrows continued to fall on Werrick¡¯s troops but men with shields stopped most of the deadly projectiles. Several bandits near Blacknail started using spears to push ladders down or to stab through the wall at the axemen, but most of Herad¡¯s minions didn¡¯t seem to know what to do. They could only wait for the enemy to make their way through or over the wall.


    More intense fighting was happening at the entrance to the camp. A mass of enemy troops were trying to force their way through the gap in the wall there. However, that was also where Herad had most her troops.


    Both friends and foes were pressed closely together as the wall channelled Werrick¡¯s troops towards the entrance there. Bandits hacked and slashed at each other relentlessly as they fought for space.


    Herad wasn¡¯t fighting on the front lines. She was watching and yelling orders from behind as her minions fought to push the enemy back.


    Blacknail took a step back as an axe head burst through the wall near him. As a pair of bandits stepped forward to deal with it, the hobgoblin noticed the top of a ladder appear above the barricade. It began to shake as someone started to climb it.


    His first instinct was to let someone else deal with the problem but then an amusing idea occurred to him. After a quick look around, Blacknail jumped onto the wall and began to climb. His claws had no problem gripping the wooden posts and they easily supported his weight.


    Once he got to the top, Blacknail waited a few seconds. Soon enough, a man¡¯s head popped up and looked around. He froze when he noticed the hobgoblin staring up at him from only few inches away.


    Blacknail smiled and sliced one of the hands the man was using to cling to the ladder. His knife cut cleanly through several fingers.


    The man yelped in pain and flinched backwards. His face was an agonised red and his eyes were wide with terror as Blacknail pushed over the ladder he was standing on. The hobgoblin smiled as he watched the man crash into his fellows below.


    With that done, Blacknail scampered back down the wall to safety. He¡¯d had his fun and hanging around would be dangerous.


    Saeter and Geralhd were still standing in the same spot, so Blacknail walked back over to them. The hobgoblin gave his master a happy smile. Saeter just rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Unless either of you feel like joining the defense here, I see no reason to stay,¡± Saeter commented before turning and striding away. ¡°I want to get a better view and right now I can¡¯t see the forest for the trees.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be much help here. Lead the way,¡± Geralhd quickly replied as he threw a nervous glance over his shoulder at the fighting going on near the wall.


    The young man then quickly hurried after the old scout. Blacknail didn¡¯t feel the need to stick around either, so he joined them.


    Saeter led the other two over to a small hill that lay closer to the camp¡¯s entrance. The old scout stepped up onto one of the crates there and began looking around.


    At the gate something was happening. The fighting slowed down as the front rank of the enemy split. A man with a chainmail shirt and a steel helmet that covered his face stepped forward.


    Wielding a long sword in one hand and large round shield in the other he began cutting down all of Herad¡¯s men within reach. The effortless way he swung his heavy weapon around seemed to indicate he was a Vessel.


    The forces Herad had guarding the entrance to her camp hesitated. As the Vessel stepped forward, none of them went to meet him, instead they held back.


    ¡°Cowards, all of you!¡± the Vessel bellowed arrogantly. ¡°Will none of you face me? Not even your useless bitch of a leader, Herad?¡±


    The bandit chieftain didn¡¯t budge. She simply glowered at the enemy without answering. After a few moments she began yelling out new orders.


    ¡°Is that Werrick?¡± Blacknail asked inquisitively. Maybe things were finally coming to a head!


    ¡°No, Werrick is taller than that and would never expose himself so early,¡± his master explained.


    ¡°Ah, Herad should just go kill that human,¡± Blacknail remarked as he frowned in disappointment. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look so tough and she¡¯s scary strong.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Werrick wants, you green idiot,¡± Saeter countered gruffly. ¡°What do you think will happen if Herad steps out onto the front line?¡±


    ¡°Er, something bad?¡± the hobgoblin replied uncertainly.


    The old scout reached over and smacked the side of the hobgoblin¡¯s head.


    ¡°She will be roasted like a feast day duck! Werrick will bombard her with all the magic at his disposal and that will be the end of us,¡± Seater explained heatedly.


    ¡°Okay, she shouldn¡¯t do that then,¡± Blacknail replied sheepishly as he rubbed his sore head.


    When no one appeared to challenge him, the enemy Vessel charged. His sword slammed into the neck of a bandit and then he stabbed the chest of another. He wasn¡¯t alone either; a squad of heavily armed soldiers protected his flanks.


    ¡°I hope Werrick doesn¡¯t have many more Vessels at his disposal,¡± Geralhd remarked. ¡°We only have Herad and um... Blacknail.¡±


    ¡°Herad has trust issues when it comes to other Vessels, but it seems like the Wolf doesn¡¯t,¡± Saeter explained.


    ¡°Except for me, because I¡¯m so loyal and handsome. I¡¯m the boss¡¯ favourite!¡± Blacknail added cheerfully.


    Herad¡¯s minions seemed incapable of stopping the enemy Vessel''s advance. As the flow of the battle turned against her, Herad yelled out a new series of orders. Suddenly, the center of the bandit formation defending the gate began to pull back.


    Werrick¡¯s men surged forward unopposed, especially the Vessel and those around him. Rather than fight him, Herad¡¯s minions retreated.


    The Vessel lunged forward to attack, but his sword smashed harmlessly into the shield of a defender. The bandits nearby all raised shields and stuck together as they fell back.


    ¡°Cowards!¡± the Vessel roared.


    However, he didn¡¯t chase them further. He was already too far ahead of most of his companions. Only a few of Werrick¡¯s men had kept up with him.


    The Vessel raised his shield and banged his sword hilt against it angrily, as he held his position and waited for reinforcements. Before that could happen though, Herad yelled another order and flight of arrows descended upon him.


    Most the projectiles missed as the Vessel dove to the side and then raised his shield defensively. His companions weren¡¯t all so lucky; several of them fell to the ground with bloody wounds.


    However, the rest of the arrows bounced ineffectively off the Vessel¡¯s shield and armor. For a moment, he hesitated, unsure of whether to advance or retreat.


    Herad ordered another volley and the man made up his mind. He roared a challenge and charged forward. A horde of Werrick¡¯s men raced after him towards the defenders.


    The enemies stepped through the gap in the wall and into the bandits¡¯ camp. Before they could steady themselves though, more of Herad¡¯s troops emerged from both sides. They slammed into the attackers.


    A fierce melee erupted at the entrance of the camp as the defenders attempted to encircle the Vessel and the men near him. More attackers poured through the gate in an attempt to stop them until the fight was a chaotic mess.


    In the center of it all, the sword wielding Vessel continued to batter Herad¡¯s men around. It seemed like he would hold his ground long enough to create a hole in Herad¡¯s defenses and allow the attackers to gain a foothold in the camp.


    That was when Herad joined the fight. She drew her sword and charged towards the melee, with her bodyguards at her back. Her minions quickly got out of the way as she raced forwards.


    The enemy Vessel was fighting hard to hold his ground. He bashed one of Herad¡¯s men aside with his shield and then slashed at another. His sword battered another man¡¯s weapon aside and it went flying.


    That was when Herad attacked. The bandit chieftain dashed out from behind a group of her minions and struck. Her blade lashed out towards the enemy¡¯s neck with viper-like speed.


    He managed to step back and block the first blow but then Herad smoothly launched a barrage of lighting fast attacks. He could only stumble backwards and try to hold his shield up in front of himself.


    As Herad kept the Vessel busy, two of her bodyguards charged in from the side. They were big men in dark leather armor and they held long spears, which they stabbed towards the enemy¡¯s chest.


    The Vessel had no option but to try and block this new attack, and Herasd took full advantage of this. She ducked under a swing of his sword and then slashed his groin. Crimson blood splashed onto the ground and the enemy stumbled.


    Herad tripped the stunned warrior and he hit the ground with a metallic crash. She then drew a knife from a sheath on her belt. Its oddly thin blade glinted in the sun as she stabbed it down through his chainmail shirt and into his heart.


    ¡°She did it!¡± Geralhd observed happily.


    ¡°Of course she did. That was the easy part,¡± Saeter grunted in reply.


    Without wasting a second or reclaiming the dirk, Herad immediately turned and started running away. Her body guards were right behind her.


    From somewhere at the back of the enemy formation, several dozen feet outside the camp, a ball of energy suddenly appeared. It hung in the air and glowed with an odd green light. Then, without warning, it arced off towards where Herad had been fighting.


    The crackling orb flew over the heads of fighters from both sides before hitting the ground a few feet from the fallen Vessel¡¯s body. A second later, it exploded into green flame.


    Dozens of men were thrown off their feet and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Herad was well out of the blast zone though, and most the victims were Werrick¡¯s own men.


    From atop one of the archer platforms behind the wall, a blast of fire descended at the origin of the magic. Mahedium had revealed himself.


    The scarlet flame flew towards the location of the enemy mage, only to be stopped by an invisible barrier. However, the flame didn¡¯t completely disappear. Tongues of flire slid of the barrier and rained down on the men below. More screams of pain and horror filled the air.


    Immediately, Mahedium launched another attack. This time, there was a screeching sound as a blast of energy hit the ground beneath the barrier. The earth beneath the target burst open. Jagged shards of rock flew into the air as the ground tore itself apart in a violent eruption. All the nearby troops were thrown off their feet as the earth sliced into them.


    There was no way to tell if the enemy mage had been hit or not, but no more obvious magic was cast by them. Mahedium also stopped his attack. Blacknail saw the mage jump down from the platform and quickly hurry away.


    More magic wasn¡¯t necessary, though; the enemy¡¯s advance halted. They had managed to cut their way into Herad¡¯s camp but they had lost their Vessel and been hit by several damaging magical blasts. Herad¡¯s troops redoubled their efforts and started to push the intruders back. The enemy¡¯s morale had been crushed.


    Someone else had noticed the attackers¡¯ poor position as well. Trumpets called out from across the battlefield. It was the signal to retreat, and Werrick¡¯s men began to disengage from the fighting.


    The first day of fighting was over but there would be more. Off in the distance, the wolf head banner continued to fly above a still mostly intact hostile army.

 Comes the Wolf 3

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all over,¡± Saeter remarked. ¡°I¡¯m going to go sit down.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Geralhd pointed out. ¡°We just stood here and watched the battle.¡±


    ¡°Wrong, I was out scouting before the fight. That¡¯s my job,¡± the old scout replied. ¡°You are the only one here that didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    ¡°I fought one enemy,¡± Blacknail added proudly. ¡°He won¡¯t be climbing the wall again without-ss the fingers I cut off.¡±


    Geralhd didn¡¯t have anything to say that. He sighed in dissatisfaction before turning away and looking at the retreating enemy. Blacknail thought he should have been used to being useless by now.


    The hobgoblin also took a second to look over the battlefield. This hadn¡¯t been the first human battle he¡¯d ever seen, but he had been impressed by it nonetheless. Not only had there been more fighters than he could count but the way they fought all together was overwhelming. Also, the magic was scary. What could a normal hobgoblin do against that sort of power?


    Goblins would be climbing all over each other if they had been packed that tightly, and that was only if they didn¡¯t start fighting among themselves. Even if they did stay loyal they would most likely forget which side they were supposed to be on.


    Below them, Mahedium was still moving away from the wall, in case the enemy retaliated against him for his earlier magic, but he had slowed his pace. The mage noticed Saeter and the others atop the hill and headed their way.


    ¡°Can you see what¡¯s going on from there?¡± Mahedium asked as he approached.


    ¡°Most of it,¡± Saeter grunted in reply. ¡°The enemy is retreating.¡±


    The old scout looked annoyed at this new interruption. He had been about to leave before Mahedium called out to him.


    ¡°That was some spectacular magic and a great improvement over your earlier works,¡± Geralhd congratulated the mage. ¡°You certainly put some fear into the enemy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, that means something coming from an educated man such as yourself,¡± Mahedium replied. ¡°I am always striving to advance my craft.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen both better and much worse,¡± Saeter noted objectively.


    ¡°I imagine you have, and I¡¯ll take that as a compliment,¡± Mahedium replied graciously as he glanced at the old scout.


    Blacknail was fairly sure his master¡¯s words hadn¡¯t been a compliment. Saeter didn¡¯t give a lot of those out.


    ¡°I liked the explosions,¡± he commented. ¡°You should blow people up more often; it¡¯s hilarious. I wish I could do that!¡±


    The hobgoblin waved one hand dramatically in the direction of the enemy and made a fake sounding explosion noise.


    Everyone took a second to consider what would happen if Blacknail ever gained such an ability. Judging by the pained look on his face, Mahedium in particular found the idea unsettling.


    ¡°Anyway... do you think you got that enemy mage?¡± Geralhd asked Mahedium.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± the mage admitted. ¡°Things were very chaotic there at the end. He was too far away for me to see clearly.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully you got him. You certainly blasted everything around him beyond dust and death,¡± Geralhd replied happily.


    ¡°Herad¡¯s plan was effective. I¡¯m simply grateful that she knew what she was doing and that she obviously values me,¡± Mahedium commented. ¡°If she had been less worried about my safety and had ordered me to attack first I might not have survived that fight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she won¡¯t throw away someone so useful,¡± Saeter agreed as he grinned unkindly at the mage.


    ¡°Ah, yes. I heard that battles where both sides have mages can be complicated and dangerous,¡± Geralhd interjected carefully.


    ¡°Indeed, the key to hostile exchanges between mages is twofold,¡± Mahedium explained. ¡°Firstly, you have to hit hard and fast. It is easier to attack than defend. Secondly, if that fails, you need to analyze your opponent¡¯s defenses and find a way around them. Having a multitude of attack spells is important.¡±


    All of Mahedium¡¯s long winded chatting didn¡¯t interest Blacknail. He glanced away and observed the activity going on all around him. Maybe there was something interesting going on, or free food around.


    There were certainly a lot of human corpses littering the ground. It was a shame that humans didn¡¯t approve of their dead being made into snacks. Well, they didn¡¯t taste all that good, anyway.


    On the other side of the barrier that blocked the way into camp from the road, Werrick¡¯s troops had come to stop. They were well out of bow range and had returned to their own encampment. Their camp, most of which was out of sight beyond a twist in the road and a barrier of trees, was swarming with activity. The fight might be over for now but wounds had to be tended and order had to be restored.


    That was certainly what Herad was doing. The bandit chieftain was yelling orders as she stomped up and down the length of the wall.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move, it¡¯s windy here,¡± Blacknail suggested to the others as he watched her.


    Standing up on the hill made them very visible, and the hobgoblin didn¡¯t want to catch Herad¡¯s attention. She might give him work.


    ¡°Good idea,¡± Saeter replied as he started down the hill.


    Geralhd and Blacknail immediately followed the scout towards his campsite, but Mahedium hesitated. He remained where he was and glanced towards his cabin.


    ¡°I should really talk to Herad and then get back to my lab,¡± the mage announced.


    ¡°Good, you do that,¡± Saeter grunted as Blacknail waved goodbye.


    Without further interruption, the two men and the hobgoblin walked the short distance to where Blacknail and Saeter¡¯s tents were set up. The camp was oddly empty. No one was near the cabins or tents at the back of the clearing. Almost everyone was still over by the wall.


    ¡°Why did you follow us? I didn¡¯t actually invite you,¡± Saeter asked Geralhd as he took a seat on a chair by the fire pit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have anywhere else to go,¡± Geralhd replied as he shrugged. ¡°Vorscha is probably busy off doing something important and I don¡¯t want to get in the way.¡±


    Blacknail smiled as well. It was obvious the thin human had grown used to Saeter¡¯s grumpiness and was ignoring it. That was fine with Blacknail; he enjoyed having Geralhd around, it usually meant more food for him.


    The hobgoblin and Geralhd took seats near Saeter. The old scout ignored them. He reached over to grab a large sack and began going through its contents.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you want to play some dice to help spend our time more quickly?¡± Geralhd asked Saeter.


    ¡°No,¡± Saeter grunted without turning away from the bag he was rummaging in.


    ¡°I suppose I could teach Blacknail to play...¡± the young man mused to himself thoughtfully as Blacknail¡¯s ears perked up.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Before the hobgoblin could reply though, someone yelled in their direction. They all turned to see who it was and saw Varhs approaching.


    The other scout was dressed in his leather armor and was wearing his forester cloak. Behind him, Scamp plodded along happily. The goblin was wearing a pair of brown human sized trousers that had been cut short and secured with rope.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you all intact,¡± Varhs greeted them as he grinned and waved cheerfully in their direction. ¡°Although, I never doubted for moment that you were fine, Saeter. If mere mortal blades could pierce your old hide it would have happened years ago.¡±


    Geralhd smiled at the joke. Blacknail glared at Scamp. The little goblin had disappeared for a while during a fight with some of Werrick¡¯s men out in the forest. Since then, the hobgoblin had been sure that he had smelled traces of him around, but he had never laid eyes on Scamp until now. Obviously, the goblin had been avoiding him.


    Saeter saw the other scout, frowned, and then did a quick double-take. He glanced behind the man and seemed relieved that there was no one behind him except Scamp.


    ¡°You¡¯re alone, right?¡± he asked. ¡°That red-haired pest isn¡¯t following you?¡±


    ¡°What? No, Khita had some stuff to wrap up,¡± Varhs remarked in surprise. ¡°She seems to go wherever she wants.¡±


    The younger scout looked a little troubled when he talked about Khita. He winced and pouted slightly. Maybe they had gotten into a fight, or maybe he had finally realized being around her was making him stupid.


    Blacknail hoped she was dead. Khita was useless and annoying.


    ¡°As long as she isn¡¯t here,¡± Saeter replied. "I see your goblin came back,¡±


    This new comment seemed to cheer Varhs up. His frown quickly became a self-satisfied smile.


    ¡°Scamp came back the very next day,¡± Varhs answered. ¡°He¡¯s a great companion and very well trained. He just got lost in the forest for a bit after that chase.¡±


    ¡°Trained by me, not you,¡± Blacknail muttered in disgust.


    Scamp was an undisciplined nuisance! Blacknail had no idea why the scout had gone out of his way to find and train a goblin. Varhs let Scamp do whatever he wanted and he had never taught the goblin how to behave.


    When Scamp had caused a huge mess a while ago he had almost been executed by Herad. He had only survived because Blacknail had promised to help train him.


    The hobgoblin had selflessly tried to beat some sense into Scamp in exchange for the occasional snack. However, the hobgoblin had eventually grown too busy to continue the training. The snacks hadn¡¯t been very good either.


    Blacknail had more important things to do now, like keep an eye on Elyias, his new minion. Wait... he had forgotten about Elyias.


    ¡°Oops,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself.


    He hoped his minion hadn¡¯t managed to get himself killed. That would be inconvenient. The man was amusing.


    ¡°So are you here for a reason, or are you just trying make a nuisance out of yourself?¡± Saeter asked as he scowled at the younger scout.


    ¡°I just got back from watching the forest paths,¡± Varhs replied. ¡°Herad told me to check in on you and make sure you were going back out soon.¡±


    ¡°There are plenty of other scouts that can do that job. Why do I need to go out?¡± Saeter asked sourly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you need to convince. Go argue with Herad and see how that works,¡± Varhs replied brusquely. ¡°I can only guess that the boss values your skills and Blacknail¡¯s nose.¡±


    ¡°It is very nice looking.¡± Blacknail bragged happily as he wiggled his nose.


    There was a chuckle from Varhs and Geralhd. Even Saeter grinned. Blacknail took this to mean that they agreed with him and that the very idea of someone disagreeing was hilarious. He was an undeniably handsome hobgoblin.


    ¡°I have some chores to finish before I head back out. I¡¯m not leaving right away,¡± Saeter told Varhs as he scowled in annoyance.


    ¡°Again, it¡¯s not me you have to worry about. I¡¯m just the messenger,¡± the other scout replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Then, she should be here telling me herself,¡± Saeter muttered angrily.


    Blacknail frowned. He was fairly certain that wasn¡¯t how the chieftain and subordinate relationship worked. His master was getting dangerously grumpy again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go out. It¡¯s quieter out there anyway. You like the forest,¡± Blacknail interjected.


    The hobgoblin took it upon himself to prevent any conflict between Herad and his master. Saeter was usually very wise but when it came to the chieftain he was stupider than Scamp after he had been kicked in the head a few times.


    ¡°Fine. I have some stuff to do first, though. I need a few minutes,¡± Saeter replied reluctantly.


    While everyone else had been talking, Scamp had wandered over to Geralhd. The bandit noticed the goblin and reached into one of his pockets. A second later, he pulled out bit of dried meat.


    ¡°There you go,¡± Geralhd said as he handed the morsel to the little goblin.


    ¡°Traitor!¡± Blacknail involuntarily gasped as his mouth fell upon in shock.


    Geralhd was supposed to give treats to him! Scamp didn¡¯t deserve tasty things! Even if Scamp was behaving himself it was only because Blacknail kept him in line.


    The hobgoblin was so going to give Scamp a good kicking, and the next time Geralhd needed help he was on his own! They had betrayed his trust!


    ¡°Hm, what was that, Blacknail? I bet you want a treat too,¡± Geralhd commented as he turned towards him.


    The man then pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it to the hobgoblin. Blacknail quickly snatched the gift out of the air and studied it. Was it... candied fruit! Joy!


    ¡°Yummy, thank you!¡± Blacknail exclaimed happily as he shoved the treat into his mouth and began chewing.


    ¡°Of course I have something for you, my favourite hobgoblin,¡± Gerahld told him.


    As he scoffed the treat down, the hobgoblin smirked smugly and eyed Scamp.


    The goblin was staring at Blacknail, with obvious jealousy, as he chewed on his pathetic piece of meat. That cheered the hobgoblin up completely. Fine, he would forgive Geralhd and Scamp.


    Scamp could keep his tiny morsel. Blacknail knew how to make dried meat himself anyway and could do it anytime. He was practically throwing the stuff out. Candied fruit was so much better than meat, just like he was superior to Scamp!


    ¡°I need to go get back a dagger I leant someone. You can wait here, Blacknail,¡± Saeter announced as he got to his feet.


    Blacknail was too busy chewing to do more than nod as his master walked away. Geralhd invited Varhs to play a round of dice, and the scout agreed. Varhs took a seat and the pair started a game. Apparently, Geralhd had been carrying the dice in his pocket throughout the entire battle.


    Instead of watching, Blacknail took advantage of the humans¡¯ preoccupation to sneak up behind Scamp and place a hand on his shoulder. When the goblin turned around, Blacknail smiled toothily down at him.


    ¡°Hey, boss,¡± Scamp nervously addressed the hobgoblin.


    He had flinched at Blacknail¡¯s touch and didn¡¯t seem happy to have his attention. That was fine with Blacknail.


    ¡°So, you¡¯ve been getting tasty treats from Geralhd,¡± the hobgoblin mused aloud.


    He wasn¡¯t upset at the goblin anymore, not really, but there was a certain pecking order that had to be enforced. Blacknail was at the top.


    ¡°Have you been avoiding me?¡± the hobgoblin inquired with false cheer. ¡°Maybe, because you did something bad?¡±


    ¡°No, boss!¡± Scamp whined. ¡°I um... was looking for stuff to give you!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± the hobgoblin replied skeptically.


    ¡°Ya, look,¡± the goblin said as he rummaged through the pockets of his pants.


    After a few seconds of searching, the goblin withdrew a collection of small items and held them up to Blacknail. The hobgoblin studied them. He saw a few coins, some shiny rocks, a mouse skull, and a twisted bit of metal.


    ¡°Alright, fine. I believe you,¡± Blacknail told Scamp reluctantly, even though he knew the goblin was lying through his crooked pointy teeth.


    It was just useless junk and no good to Blacknail at all, but it was the act of giving that was important. It showed who was in charge, even if the hobgoblin already had much shinier rocks than these.


    ¡°Is this everything?¡± Blacknail asked Scamp.


    The goblin froze before looking off to the side thoughtfully and scratching his head. He seemed to remember something after a moment, because he reached back into his pockets.


    ¡°I did meet that goblin in the mage¡¯s house,¡± Scamp admitted.


    As he listened, Blacknail¡¯s eyes grew wide from shock. They were organizing against him! The goblins were conspiring behind his back to overthrow him! He had to do something. The hobgoblin¡¯s claws inched towards Scamp¡¯s neck.


    However, his murderous intent was delayed when Scamp withdrew a thin shard of black crystal. Its murky surface looked oily and seemed to shift as Blacknail stared at it in fascination.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been stealing from Mahedium again, have you?¡± the hobgoblin asked in surprise.


    Stealing a crystal was what had gotten Scamp into so much trouble before. The goblin could apparently set them off, because he had been born without a limit to how annoying he could be.


    ¡°No, boss! This was given to me, to give to you, from the goblin in the mage¡¯s house. It¡¯s tribute from him. He said no one would be missing it,¡± Scamp explained in an excited burst as he hurried to clear his name.


    ¡°Or at least I think so. He doesn¡¯t speak good; I think he¡¯s stupid,¡± Scamp added as he anxiously watched the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail took a second to mull this new development over. Maybe he had misjudged the goblin that Mahedium had captured. If he was willing to pay Blacknail his respects in such a way then he might not be so bad after all, even if he was a creepy little thing.


    It was a rather nice looking piece of crystal, and it didn¡¯t look like the kind that exploded. Yes, if the goblin was offering tribute then he would be allowed to stay. Organizing the goblins in Herad¡¯s tribe would be useful...


    ¡°Fine, I accept his gift. He is now one of my minions, like-ss you,¡± the hobgoblin announced as he took the crystal from Scamp. ¡°You both have to keep paying tribute, though. Just don¡¯t steal from the mage.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± the goblin replied enthusiastically. ¡°Finding good stuff is easy. The humans forget things everywhere, and if you beg they give you stuff!¡±


    After cursing a bad roll of the dice, Geralhd looked over at Blacknail and Scamp. Varhs was laughing in delight.


    ¡°Hmm, what are you two up too?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Blacknail hurriedly replied. ¡°We were just... talking about candy.¡±


    ¡°Yum, candy!¡± Scamp added as he forced an awkward smile.


    With a distracted frown, Geralhd turned back to his game. Blacknail uncurled his claws and let Scamp go. Good, the humans suspected nothing.

 Comes the Wolf 4

    It only took a few minutes for Saeter to come back. After shooing Geralhd and Varhs away from his campsite, the old scout led Blacknail off into the bush again. Herad wanted them to watch the enemy and make sure they didn¡¯t circle around, so that was what they were going to do.


    The hobgoblin and his master took the path at the back of the camp and then circled around through the woods towards Werrick¡¯s flanks. They moved stealthily through the trees. With the enemy so close, the green maze of trees that encircled them was even more dangerous than usual.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just enemy scouts or war parties we need to worry about. All this human activity and blood will have scared away some creature but attracted others,¡± Saeter told Blacknail as they stopped at a lookout point.


    Below the shallow rocky overhang they were standing on, they could see a large stretch of thick vegetation. Neither of them saw any movement down there, so they both moved on.


    It quickly became apparent that the enemy seemed to have little interest in moving off the road. They only ran into a single scout that had ventured into the forest. They trailed him carefully for a few minutes as he circled his own camp, but he never approached Herad¡¯s base.


    Other than that one man, they only saw a few bandits that had obviously been posted as sentries. They were positioned out among the trees and around Werrick¡¯s army to warn them of attack. All and all, the enemy seemed more concerned with Herad¡¯s band attacking them from ambush than entering the forest themselves.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a closer look at their encampment before we head back,¡± Saeter announced.


    The pair were crouched down behind a fallen tree. A gully lay before them and it wound its way through the forest toward the road. They had just watched from concealment as a pair of sentries had made their way along it and back to their camp. Many of Werrick¡¯s men were obviously using the gully as a path because its banks were covered in muddy footprints.


    ¡°There will be people watching,¡± Blacknail pointed out hopefully.


    ¡°You will just have to deal with them,¡± Saeter replied dryly.


    ¡°Good! Sounds like fun,¡± Blacknail exclaimed as he grinned and rubbed his hands together gleefully.


    The hobgoblin then popped out of hiding and looked around. He didn¡¯t see or hear anything, so he crept over to the path Werrick¡¯s men had trampled. Saeter was right behind him, and together, they headed towards the road.


    It was a few minutes before they spotted any sentries. Blacknail noticed them first. A woman with short curly brown hair and a black haired man were standing next to a large rock.


    Blacknail signalled to Saeter and then slid up next to a tree. He peeked out from behind it, as he observed the humans. The enemy sentries had a good view of the surroundings. It would be difficult to sneak past them without having to circle quite a distance around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± Blacknail said as he stepped forward.


    ¡°No bodies,¡± Saeter ordered him sternly.


    A sigh of disappointment escaped Blacknail¡¯s lips. That made things more complicated, but he still had an idea that could work. Why was his master so against having fun?


    The hobgoblin made sure no one was looking in his direction, before dashing over to a clump of nearby bushes. He withdrew a stone from one of his pouches and threw it towards the sentries.


    The small rock arced silently over the enemies¡¯ heads and hit the bushes on the other side of them. The resulting rustling sound drew the sentries¡¯ attention. While they were distracted, Blacknail slipped around to the side and behind another tree.


    ¡°Huh, it was probably just a bird,¡± one of the sentries told the other.


    While they were still looking in the opposite direction, Blacknail threw another stone. This one hit the woman in the back of the head.


    ¡°Ow, did you just hit me with a rock?¡± she exclaimed angrily at the man as she rubbed the back of her head.


    ¡°What, no?¡± he replied in surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one here,¡± she pointed out as she scowled at him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hit you. I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± the man answered.


    ¡°Fine, forget about it,¡± the woman huffed as she turned back to survey the forest in front of her.


    The man did likewise. A few moments later, they both happened to look away from Blacknail¡¯s hiding spot again. The hobgoblin threw another rock. This time it hit the man in the back of the head.


    ¡°Ow, shit. You hit me!¡± he growled at his companion. ¡°I told you that I didn¡¯t touch you! Don¡¯t fucking hit me for no reason, bitch!¡±


    The woman stiffened and then whirled towards the man. Her face was red with anger as she shoved a finger in his face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to you. You¡¯re the one that hit me!¡± she hissed back.


    ¡°I fucking didn¡¯t hit you, stop lying,¡± the man replied as he straightened up and glared at her.


    As the two stupid humans argued among themselves, Blacknail signalled for Saeter to move. The old scout swiftly made his way over to the hobgoblin undetected. Neither of the sentries so much as glanced in his direction.


    Once out of sight, Saeter led the way up the hill until the forest ended abruptly at the top of it. A stretch of bushes and a shallow ditch was all that lay between them, the road, and Werrick¡¯s army.


    Carefully, Blacknail stalked over to a thick bit of brush that would conceal him. Then, he nudged a branch aside and peeked out. Saeter moved up beside him.


    Werrick¡¯s men were everywhere. Some of them were only a dozen feet away. Troops stomped around as they performed their duties. A maze of blue tents filled the road and all the clear ground around it, until they stretched out of sight. There were hundreds of them.


    Saeter tapped Blacknail to get his attention and pointed out a group of wagons. Half a dozen of them stood off to one side of the camp. Next to them, a line of horses were tied up. Blacknail eyed them suspiciously for a few seconds before moving on.


    The next thing he saw that stood out was a huge pavilion. Its peaked tip towered over the other tents. And it looked wide enough to hold over a dozen men.


    It was common sense that the biggest and fanciest quarters belonged to the chieftain, so the tent probably belonged to Werrick. The huge wolf head banner that flapped in the wind above it was also a clue.


    There was no sign of anyone that fit Werrick¡¯s description around, though. Blacknail frowned regretfully. He had wanted to catch a glimpse of the enemy chieftain he had heard so much about.


    Another tap from Saeter drew the hobgoblin¡¯s attention. This time the old scout pointed back the way they had come, so without wasting another moment, the pair withdrew. They slipped past the still arguing sentries and headed back to Herad to report.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Before they got halfway back, Blacknail caught an unsettling scent and froze in shock. His master immediately noticed his reaction and reached for his sword, but he stopped short of drawing it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Saeter asked softly.


    ¡°I smell a troll,¡± Blacknail answered just as quietly.


    ¡°How recent?¡±


    The hobgoblin sniffed the air again and took a moment to mull it over. The forest was full of animal and plant smells that he had to sort.


    ¡°A few hours,¡± he answered.


    ¡°It was probably attracted by the blood earlier. There¡¯s no real need to worry, but let¡¯s hurry back,¡± Saeter explained.


    Blacknail nodded and started moving again. There was a new urgency in both his and Saeter¡¯s steps as they walked, and they watched the forest around them more intently.


    At their quicker pace, it didn¡¯t take them very long to make their way back to Herad¡¯s base. After greeting their own sentries, the pair headed directly over to talk to their chieftain. Blacknail wanted to take a nap, but his master was in a hurry for some reason.


    Herad was resting in her cabin after the battle. As usual, two large guards stood outside the door. They immediately recognized Saeter and greeted him.


    ¡°She knows you¡¯re here and will be out soon,¡± the closer one told the old scout.


    Saeter nodded in reply as Blacknail took a seat on the ground. He didn¡¯t feel like standing; Herad might be a while. Saeter threw the hobgoblin a disapproving look but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Before too long, the door of the cabin swung open with a creak and Herad stepped out. She was wearing a loose white shirt that was obviously fresh and her dark eyes looked tired as she glanced their way.


    ¡°What is it, old man? This had better be important,¡± she asked crankily.


    ¡°While out scouting, I got a good look at Werrick¡¯s camp,¡± Saeter explained carefully.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Herad remarked with obvious interest.


    ¡°He has most his supplies loaded up onto several wagons that are parked next to each other. They¡¯re only a few dozen feet from the edge of the forest. Obviously, his lookouts are sloppy too, since Blacknail and I got so close,¡± Saeter told her.


    ¡°You want to hit them,¡± Herad finished for him.


    The bandit chieftain seemed intrigued by the idea but not convinced.


    ¡°I can lead a group through the forest before it gets dark. We¡¯ll hit the wagons and set them ablaze before high-tailing it out of there. They won¡¯t have time to react,¡± Saeter explained to her.


    Herad considered the old scout¡¯s words carefully for a few moments.


    ¡°I can give you twenty or thirty men, of which only half a dozen can be woodsmen,¡± she told the old scout.


    ¡°That will be fine. Blacknail and I can clear the way,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± Herad asked him.


    ¡°It would be nice to have some magic on this raid,¡± Saeter suggested. ¡°There is no better or faster way to get things burning.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not risking Mahedium,¡± Herad replied. ¡°It¡¯s not worth any of the possible gains.¡±


    ¡°Things will be a lot slower if we have to depend on torches and fire arrows. We might lose more men,¡± Saeter pointed out.


    ¡°Then, that¡¯s what will happen,¡± Herad told him coldly as she leveled a heavy gaze his way.


    Saeter sighed but nodded in compliance. Herad relaxed a little in response to his submission and her expression softened slightly. Blacknail smiled to himself. His master was actually doing the right thing for once!


    ¡°Let¡¯s just bring Scamp, then,¡± the hobgoblin mused aloud.


    ¡°What?¡± both Saeter and Herad replied in surprise at the same time.


    They threw each other a quick glance before turning back to the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Scamp can use magic. We could just take him,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°The goblin can set things off, that doesn¡¯t make him a mage,¡± Herad replied.


    ¡°All he needs to do is make some-ss crystals explode. We can just throw him at the wagons. It worked against the snake,¡± Blacknail suggested to his chief.


    He was careful not to challenge her in any way or give her an excuse to take offence. Herad was both very violent and quite dangerous.


    ¡°We probably don¡¯t need to actually throw the goblin,¡± Saeter pointed out.


    ¡°No, but it would be more fun,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me about that,¡± Herad said as her eyes narrowed. ¡°If you want to consider this Saeter, then feel free, as long as Mahedium agrees. You can run the mission your way. I don¡¯t want to hear anything more about exploding goblins.¡±


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Saeter quickly replied.


    ¡°Exactly. Now, is there anything else you want to bother me about?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s everything,¡± the old scout responded.


    ¡°Good. Talk to Vorscha about getting any of the gear you need. I¡¯ll make sure she knows to give it to you,¡± Herad said as she dismissed them with a wave of her hand.


    The bandit chieftain then turned around, opened her cabin¡¯s door, walked through, and slammed it shut in everyone¡¯s faces. The guards to either side of it flinched at the unexpected noise.


    ¡°Well, that went a lot better than I thought it would,¡± Saeter told them.


    The hobgoblin and his master then started over to talk to Mahedium. It didn¡¯t take much to convince him. He was more than willing to give them some crystals, as long as he didn¡¯t have to go anywhere near combat.


    After that, they met with Varhs. He had no problem with Scamp joining their raid as long as he came as well. That was probably for the best, and Saeter readily agreed to it.


    Finally, they talked to Vorscha about rounding up the men and equipment. This wasn¡¯t a simple or quick process so Blacknail left it to Saeter. He went to find something to eat instead.


    A couple of hours later, the raid was about to begin, but Blacknail had one more task to complete beforehand. The now sated hobgoblin got up and began sniffing around. He was looking for his lost minion.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to pick up a trail. Elyias seemed to wander around the camp a lot for some reason. The hobgoblin followed his scent over to a cluster of small ramshackle buildings. Behind them, Elyias was having a conversation with three other men. It didn''t look like he was having fun.


    ¡°We would like our money,¡± the first man said menacingly.


    He was the tallest and most physically imposing of the group. His posture was both confident and aggressive, and the other two men beside him were obviously following his lead.


    ¡°Come one, fellows! It was just a few friendly games of dice!¡± Elyias replied nervously as he backed away. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take it so seriously.¡±


    ¡°The money, now!¡± the man asked again.


    His voice was cold and completely without camaraderie. Elyias grin stiffened and he paled upon hearing it.


    ¡°Just calm down, fellows. There¡¯s an army attacking us right now! What good would money do you? You can¡¯t spend it until we win, and then I¡¯ll get paid and have more than enough to pay you back. There will be plenty of spoils for everyone!¡±


    ¡°You owe us now, not later. If you don¡¯t have the metal then you can pay us back with labor. If we ask around I¡¯m sure someone can find some way for you to work your debts off,¡± the large man replied with a dark chuckle as he gave Elyias an appraising look.


    Elyias clearly found the attention uncomfortable and he gulped in fear. Sensing weakness, the large man began to reach for him, but he stopped at an unexpected noise.


    ¡°He¡¯s busy,¡± Blacknail told the men as he smiled pleasantly.


    His agreeable demeanor was somewhat ruined by the fact that he was standing less than a foot behind them, and they hadn¡¯t heard him approach. All three men jumped in shock and whirled around. They flinched again when they took in the sight of the hobgoblin¡¯s toothy grin.


    ¡°Hells, it¡¯s the hobgoblin!¡± one of the men swore.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± another asked.


    However, the leader quickly regained his composure. His look of surprise became an angry glare that he levelled at Blacknail. The hobgoblin could tell that this human considered himself to be an alpha, and that he was unlikely to back down. Joy!


    ¡°Listen, we¡¯re going to get our money...¡± the man started to say, before his speech was interrupted by a high pitched squeak that whistled forth from between his own lips.


    Blacknail continued smiling as he stared into the man¡¯s wide trembling eyes. No one spoke. After a few tense moments, the hobgoblin loosened his grip on the man¡¯s groin. His sharp claws slid free from flesh as he relaxed them slightly.


    ¡°Mine,¡± Blacknail explained as he pointed towards Elyias.


    ¡°Go away,¡± he added a second later. ¡°Or would-ss you rather lose all the little bits of meat I can take without killing you?¡±


    Blacknail let completely go of the man¡¯s privates. A hasty moment later, all three men were flat out running away. The hobgoblin watched them for a second before turning to his minion.


    ¡°Ha, thanks, I guess,¡± Elyias told him as he smiled in relief. ¡°That was just a small misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Blacknail replied as he began to walk away.


    His minion frowned and bit his lip. It didn¡¯t look like he wanted to come, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe he had a choice either.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± he asked uncertainly as he hurried after Blacknail.


    ¡°A mission,¡± the hobgoblin replied pleasantly.


    With his minion in tow, Blacknail walked over to the corner of the camp where Saeter was preparing to leave. The old scout had over twenty men around him and they were all armed and ready for a fight. Dusk had started to fall so the nearby forest was dark and ominous.


    ¡°Why is there a greenhorn following you around?¡± Saeter asked the hobgoblin as he approached.


    ¡°I volunteer him for the mission. He should be in the front,¡± Blacknail told his master.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Saeter replied indifferently as he turned to face Elyias.


    ¡°Try not to die, lad,¡± the old scout told him before turning away.


    ¡°I will do that...¡± Elyias replied uncertainly.


    No one was listening, though. Both Saeter and Blacknail had already otherwise preoccupied themselves. Elyias groaned and threw longing look back towards the way he had come. He stayed put, though, reluctantly.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Elyias asked as he looked around.


    It took a few seconds for one of the bandits to reply.


    ¡°We¡¯re launching an attack on the enemy,¡± a man with savage scar across his face answered.


    Elyias paled. He looked around again and counted the nearby bandits. It didn¡¯t take him long, although he paused for a second when he noticed Scamp sitting next to Varhs.


    ¡°By ourselves?¡± he asked.

 Comes the Wolf 5

    Saeter led the raiding party out into the forest. One after the other, they slipped into the heavy shadows cast by the trees. It was too late in the day for bird song, so they moved in almost complete silence. Only the occasional sound of a snapping twig or rustle of movement could be heard. Even Scamp was perfectly quiet.


    Soon, they reached the span of the forest where they had seen Werrick¡¯s sentries. Saeter signalled for everyone to stop and then motioned Blacknail over to his side.


    ¡°You know what to do,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    Excitedly, Blacknail smiled and nodded in response, before spinning around and creeping away into the forest. His hunting instincts were already kicking in and urging him on. This was a game he both loved and excelled at; he was born to it.


    The bushes around him were thick and dark. However, the hobgoblin had no problem seeing. His eyes shone with hunger as they pierced the shadows with ease.


    Blacknail¡¯s stalked silently towards the spot where he and Saeter had seen the sentries earlier. There was no light or noise to indicate anyone was nearby, but Blacknail could smell their scent on the wind and feel the presence of prey in his bones.


    Yes, there they were. Two humans were standing next to the same stone as before. They were hidden by the shadows, but Blacknail knew where to look. Closer inspection revealed that it wasn¡¯t the same two people as before. Their builds were different. However, these new lookouts weren¡¯t any better at their jobs than the last ones.


    Against a human enemy, they probably would have been able to raise an alarm long before being detected, but against a hobgoblin they were outmatched. Blacknail easily circled around until he was in their blind spots, and then he began to creep their way through the bushes. The darkness was his ally, not theirs. They were only human.


    A few moments later, Blacknail¡¯s thin cloaked form stood only a few feet behind the sentries, and they were none the wiser. This delighted the hobgoblin and he had to suppress a grim chuckle.


    The pair of humans in front of Blacknail stared off into the darkness as he observed them. The only sound they made was of gentle relaxed breathing; the hobgoblin made none at all.


    Suddenly, one of the sentries started to turn around. Before he could finish, Blacknail was beside him, his dagger drawn. The unseen blade lashed out through the night air and tore open the unlucky sentry¡¯s throat.


    As the first man fell with a faint gagging noise, the second reacted. He spun around, only to see nothing but his comrade¡¯s body and an empty black forest. His mouth opened to raise the alarm, and Blacknail¡¯s knife slid in under his ribs. The hobgoblin had dashed in under the man¡¯s vision and gotten behind him unseen.


    With his task done, Blacknail took a second to hum a happy little tune while he cleaned his daggers. He hadn¡¯t even needed to burn any of the Elixir he had taken a few minutes ago. When his blades were clean, the hobgoblin headed back to his master to report in. He had done such a good job!


    After whistling the prearranged bird call to announce his arrival, Blacknail walked out of the shadows. Everyone looked his way as he approached, but they didn¡¯t otherwise react.


    In the middle of the group, Elyias was looking very nervous. The young man was glancing fretfully about and seemed ready to bolt. The dark forest that lay in every direction and loomed above clearly unnerved him.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Saeter asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Yep, all done,¡± Blacknail replied smugly.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s get going,¡± Saeter said as he motioned the group forward again. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste.¡±


    The party of bandits immediately headed past the fallen sentries and towards the road. Soon, the flickering light of campfires could be seen ahead of them through the trees. The raiding party stopped at the very edge of the forest.


    Saeter gazed out at the scene before them as his subordinates drew their weapons. Out on the road, Werrick¡¯s troops had started to tuck in for the night. The tents were all still there but there wasn¡¯t nearly as much movement as before.


    Only a few shadowy figures were walking about. Others could be seen around campfires, but most seemed to have gone to sleep in their tents. The wagons the raid was targeting were still in the same place as well. They lay only a few rows of tents away, but getting to them wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    There were lots of lookouts, of course. A fair number of armed guards had been posted to watch the trees. They stood with the fires of the camp behind them so they didn¡¯t lose their night vision. It also made them great targets.


    If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the road was too close to the forest for them to have a very good view. With the sentries in the forest already gone, they would only have a few seconds of warning and that was it. Blacknail could do a lot with a few seconds.


    ¡°We make for the wagons there,¡± Saeter told everyone as they huddled near him in the gloom. ¡°Archers will take out as many lookouts as possible and then we will charge. Varhs, make sure Scamp throws his stones well away from allies. The rest of you should sow chaos, set things aflame, and then retreat back this way.¡±


    There were nods and everyone readied themselves. Elyias raised his hand as if to ask a question, but Saeter stared him down until he sheepishly lowered it. Then, the old scout signalled, and everyone sprang into action.


    A dozen cloaked archers stepped out of the bushes and let loose a volley of arrows. The nearby lookouts went down before any one of them could raise the alarm. Immediately, the rest of Saeter¡¯s men burst out of the forest and dashed towards the wagons.


    Now, some of Werrick¡¯s bandits began to notice that something abnormal was going on. Cries of surprise rose into the air as men lurched to their feet. However, the fastest members of the raiding party, including Blacknail, had already reached the closest campfires.


    The hobgoblin slashed at a startled man that was trying to back away from him. His blade caught the man¡¯s arm and sliced deeply into it. Even as the man was falling, the hobgoblin was already running past. There was much to do and it had to be done fast.


    Similar scenes played out nearby. Werrick¡¯s men had been caught off guard, and they were being cut down before they had a chance to organize or even draw their weapons.


    Well, almost all of them. One squad of half a dozen men seemed to appear out of nowhere. They were armored and they drew their blades as they charged towards the raiders.


    Varhs saw them coming. He quickly passed something to Scamp and pointed towards them. The goblin then tossed the object at the charging enemy. It flickered with orange light as it sailed through the air, before exploding with a thunderous bang. The enemy was violently blasted backwards and scattered.


    Blacknail raced past tents as he closed in on the wagons. That was when he encountered the first bit of resistance. A pair of enemies ran out of the darkness to cut him off. Both of them already had their swords out and up in defensive guards.


    Instead of slowing, Blacknail sped up. He grinned excitedly as he burned Elixir and felt its effects wash through him. It tingled as it boosted his body.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s move caught the enemy off guard. Before they could react, he had already batted one sword aside and flanked his opponents. The closest man was off balance, so Blacknail stabbed at his chest. With his Elixir-driven strength, the hobgoblin¡¯s blow punched through the armor and into the soft flesh beneath.


    That left one defender still alive. Blacknail quickly kicked his victim¡¯s chest so that he could tug his sword out of it easier. It came loose with a loud sucking noise and the man¡¯s body flopped over backwards.


    The other defender lunged forwards past his comrade¡¯s body to strike at Blacknail, but the hobgoblin was too fast for him. Blacknail stepped back out of the way and then dodged another strike by jumping to the side.


    Before the defender could try for a third blow, Blacknail launched a series of attacks. The lightning fast slashes pushed the man back until the last caught him in the shoulder.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s foe screamed in pain and dropped his blade. His voice was silenced a second later when Blacknail¡¯s sword cut deep into his neck.


    That was when several of Blacknail¡¯s comrades reached him. Without slowing, they raced past him towards the wagons. Two of them had stopped to light torches, and they hurled them into the back of the wagons. The contents of the carts almost instantly burst into flame.


    As the fire spread, it frightened the horses that had been tied up nearby. The beasts began to scream harshly and stomp around in a panic. It was music to Blacknail¡¯s long pointy ears.


    The hobgoblin grinned madly as he grabbed a flaming piece of woods and threw it towards them. He hoped the vicious beasts burned! This was great!


    By then, the wagons were completely ablaze. Flames roared above them and crackled madly, illuminating the camp for hundreds of feet. The sound of both human and animal screams filled the night, and Blacknail basked in it all.


    Energy was surging through him in incredible amounts. He was truly alive. The goblin took a moment to let out a loud hysterical laugh, as another explosion went off somewhere behind him. He was having so much fun! It was incredible.


    ¡°Everyone, back!¡± Saeter roared from somewhere nearby.


    Blacknail leapt to obey his master, mostly. Instead of heading straight back the way he had come, the hobgoblin took a slight detour. He picked up a flaming torch someone had dropped, and dashed into a thick cluster of tents.


    The cloaked hobgoblin ran through the camp, dragging fire and death behind him. He pressed the torch against the fabric of the tents as he moved, setting them ablaze. Whenever someone lurched into his path he cut them down mercilessly. They seemed to move in slow motion when compared to his Elixir-boosted hobgoblin speed.


    Werrick¡¯s men started running away from Blacknail instead of trying to face him. The hobgoblin laughed in vicious delight as panicked men and women fled before him through the darkness. The raging fires that surrounded him blinded as much as they illuminated.


    His blade reflected the flames as he cut a fleeing man down, and he laughed harder as joy overtook him. The sound off his high pitched voice rose above the flames. Its eerie cadence sounded nothing at all like a human¡¯s.


    The rows of tents eventually came to end though, and Blacknail found himself standing not too far from the edge of the forest. He threw a quick look back at the chaos behind him, and then dashed forward into the bushes and shadows with a smug smile on his lips.


    Once back in the forest, he could hear people running through it in front of him. It was probably Saeter and the others so he headed their way. It didn¡¯t take him long to catch up.


    Most of the raiding party, including Varhs and Scamp, seemed have made it out safely. Saeter was leading the group. As Blacknail approached, the old scout turned to him.


    ¡°Is anyone following us?¡± he asked the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail took a second to listen before replying. He could still hear shouting and mayhem from Werrick¡¯s camp and someone in the forest behind them stumbling around. He focused on the closer sound and recognized a familiar terrified mumbling.


    ¡°Just a straggler,¡± the hobgoblin told his master. ¡°I¡¯ll go get him!¡±


    Before Saeter could reply Blacknail was already dashing off into the trees.


    ¡°Oh, gods! I¡¯m going to die here, all alone in this accursed dark forest. I can¡¯t see anything!¡± Elyias whimpered as he staggered around in the dark.


    The young bandit clearly had no idea where he was going. He had been stumbling around in circles.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine; I¡¯m here,¡± Blacknail announced as he stepped out of the shadows.


    Instead of being comforted, the hobgoblin¡¯s voice startled Elyias and he sucked down a breath to let loose a scream. Before he could though, Blacknail kicked him in the stomach. The young man coughed and gagged as the impact knocked the wind from him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, silly,¡± Blacknail explained cheerfully. ¡°You need to be quiet. Now, come with me.¡±


    As Elyias tried to right himself, the hobgoblin patted him reassuringly on the shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do better next time,¡± Blacknail said as he began dragging him away towards the others.


    Elyias seemed too stunned to resist, so it didn¡¯t take them long to catch up. Most the humans were having trouble moving in the dark and this slowed them down. Night had truly fallen now and there was little light to see by. The slow pace meant it took them a while to get back to Herad¡¯s base.


    Eventually though, they did slip in through a side entrance and make it back to safety. They were greeted quite jovially by the guards, although Blacknail got a few uneasy glances.


    Elyias took the opportunity to collapse up against the wall. He sat on the ground and began rocking back and forth as he muttered softly to himself. He was such a funny human! Blacknail really looked forward to bringing him on the next mission.


    Herad showed up before the rest of the raiding party had a chance to sit down and relax. Vorscha and Red Dog were also walking at their boss¡¯ side. All of them had excited grins on their faces, even if Herad¡¯s was a lot more bloodthirsty than the others.


    ¡°You can see the flames from here!¡± Herad bragged haughtily. ¡°I bet this knocks the wind out of Werrick¡¯s sails.¡±


    ¡°The wind also carried the screams and laughter here,¡± one of the guards remarked. ¡°Hearing that probably sent shivers down more than a few spines. I know it scared the crap out of me.¡±


    There were a few murmurs of agreement and looks directed towards Blacknail. This made the hobgoblin feel quite good about himself. He was feared!


    ¡°We got the job done,¡± Saeter told his chief. ¡°The wagons were destroyed and we did more than a little damage besides that.¡±


    ¡°Did you get the information I wanted?¡± Herad asked him.


    ¡°Yes, the chaos gave me enough time to find someone to ask some pointed questions,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the full report later.¡±


    Herad nodded her acceptance as her eyes glinted excitedly. She obviously wanted to hear his report but she was being uncharacteristically patient about it.


    ¡°They should have cut back the forest,¡± Vorscha commented as she shook her head in disapproval. ¡°Camping next to it is just asking to be taken by surprise.¡±


    ¡°Ha, these are bandits, not a real army. I¡¯m surprised Werrick has managed to get them as organized as they are,¡± Red Dog replied scornfully.


    ¡°Well, they might make it a priority now,¡± Vorscha mused.


    ¡°Only if Werrick doesn¡¯t pack up and leave,¡± Red Dog countered. ¡°That light you see over the trees is their main supply cache going up in smoke. They will probably start running out of food before too long, and it¡¯s going to be hard to get more all the way out here safely.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention, their morale has to be down in the drags. They have no reason to believe we can¡¯t pull this off every night,¡± Vorscha added.


    ¡°We probably can,¡± Saeter said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to strike them quite so hard, but we could certainly hit them around the edges and see what gets knocked loose.¡±


    As the others were talking, Herad¡¯s grin widened. The bandit chieftain looked positively delighted. It was more than a little unsettling.


    ¡°Werrick can¡¯t afford to retreat,¡± she told her minions. ¡°But this is still a huge blow against him. I bet the rude bastard is fuming and cursing himself sick right now.¡±


    ¡°I think I deserve a treat, great mistress,¡± Blacknail interjected hopefully when his chieftain was finished speaking.


    He had been very useful, and all the killing and setting things on fire had made him more than a little peckish. Also, everyone was smiling so this was probably a good time to ask.


    ¡°You deserves many more than just one,¡± Herad replied as he placed a hand on the hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes widened from shock and he shuddered slightly. The chieftain was touching him! It was terrifying! What should he do?


    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone whip you all up a feast,¡± Herad told the raiding party.


    She then withdrew her hand from Blacknail¡¯s shoulder, which made him feel a lot better. All the nearby bandits smiled and several of them cheered. More than a few conversations broke out as people began bragging and talking among themselves.


    The hobgoblin slipped away while the others were busy. The humans were being too chatty for him, and he wanted to get some space. They almost never discussed things that interested him. He¡¯d come back when the food was ready.


    Blacknail shivered as he walked. The hot remnants of battle lust were still working their way through his system. He still felt the urge to run and fight in his muscles.


    As a gust of wind blew by, Blacknail wandered off towards the wall. He picked out an empty expanse and began to climb it. Once perched atop the barrier of stakes, he stared out into the darkness.


    The road before him was dark and empty for quite a distance until it reached Werrick¡¯s camp. The flames there illuminated the tree tops on either side of the road as they swayed in the wind.


    Only a few of the fires Blacknail and his tribe had set were still burning, and they were reduced in size. There were quite a few campfires to see by, though. Blacknail could see the small shadowy figures of people moving everywhere. Werrick¡¯s camp was still a hive of frantic human activity.


    Blacknail watched them scurry about for a while. He kind of wanted to go back and hunt a few more of them, but that would be a terrible idea. It had gotten too dark for even him to see properly and going out alone was dangerous.


    No, he would just have to wait until tomorrow.

 Comes the Wolf 6

    Cries of alarm woke Blacknail from his slumber. He could hear people yelling excitedly outside his tent. It was probably nothing, though. Humans were prone to meaningless fear and could get themselves worked up over nothing.


    When the noise failed to fade away, the hobgoblin groaned and threw his blankets off. He then stuck his head out of the entrance of his tent and looked around. It took a moment to clear the sleep from his eyes by blinking.


    Outside, it was so early in the morning that it was still dark out. The tip of the sun was barely visible on the horizon and the trees blocked most of its light.


    With a dissatisfied hiss, Blacknail turned to look at his surroundings. What could possibly be going on so early in the morning? If there wasn¡¯t a good reason for all this commotion then Blacknail was going to track down the person responsible and make his displeasure known.


    It didn¡¯t seem like a false alarm, though. All around Herad¡¯s base there was an unusually high amount of activity. The bandit chieftain¡¯s minions were all running around with far more enthusiasm than they usually mustered this early in the day.


    ¡°To arms, the enemy is coming!¡± someone of in the distance yelled.


    Another annoyed hiss escaped Blacknail¡¯s lips as he realized what was going on. He had a feeling this wasn¡¯t going to be one of his favourite days. Any morning that started hours before breakfast was bound to be terrible.


    There was a rustle from the nearby tent where his master slept, and then Saeter stepped out. The old scout was only partly dressed, but he was already quickly slipping the rest of his clothes on.


    ¡°Come on, what are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go,¡± he ordered the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail grunted sourly in reply before disappearing back inside his tent. After making sure his shirt wasn¡¯t on backwards again, he quickly dressed himself and stepped outside.


    ¡°This is bloody annoying. Why is the enemy attacking so early?¡± Blacknail grumbled aloud as he strode over to his master.


    ¡°They probably wanted to move before we could catch them napping, like last night,¡± Saeter replied.


    This made sense to Blacknail. The enemy should fear his awesome martial prowess. They would be fools not to. In this case though, it would have been nice if they had feared him a little less so that he could get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The pair headed off to talk to the nearest group of bandits so that they could figure out was going on. However, before they got halfway there someone called out to them.


    ¡°Saeter and Blacknail, over here!¡± Vorscha yelled as she waved and stomped towards them.


    The muscular woman looked both aggravated and distracted. She had Khita trailing behind her, and the redhead looked excited. Saeter kept walking forward as if he hadn¡¯t heard anyone call out his name, so Blacknail poked him in the shoulder and pointed their way.


    When she saw Saeter looking in her direction, Vorscha turned to make sure Khita was still behind her and then starting dragging her over to them.


    ¡°I need you to watch this ruffian,¡± the warrior woman told them when they got close.


    Neither Blacknail nor Saeter thought much of this. Both of them scowled in distaste.


    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± an affronted Khita declared.


    Vorscha simply rolled her eyes and pushed her towards Saeter. The much smaller woman stumbled but managed to catch herself.


    ¡°If that¡¯s an order then I guess I have no choice. More importantly, what¡¯s going on?¡± the old scout asked Vorscha.


    ¡°Werrick¡¯s men are marching towards the wall, right now. It looks like he¡¯s really throwing everything he¡¯s got into the assault this time. I think your raid last night really pissed him off,¡± Vorscha explained.


    ¡°You should have told me about that sneak attack! I would have gone with you,¡± Khita exclaimed angrily.


    Blacknail wouldn¡¯t have minded taking Khita along for the raid. Unfortunately, if he had invited her then he would have also taken the blame when she got herself killed. A much more subtle way of getting rid of the annoying pest was required.


    ¡°I just got up. What are the plans for the defense?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°We were up late burning important things,¡± Blacknail added grumpily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to fill you in. I really need to get back to the gate before the fighting starts,¡± Vorscha explained. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a place to be then you should just do what you did last time, hang back and reinforce any spots that look stressed.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± Blacknail replied. It also sounded easy and like a great way to keep an eye out for good looting opportunities.


    ¡°Which, conveniently enough, will allow us to keep Khita back away from most the danger,¡± Saeter remarked dryly.


    Vorscha leveled a heavy glare at Saeter. Beside her, Khita¡¯s face was red with anger and her fists were clenched tightly. She looked like she wanted to punch someone. Blacknail took a small step away from her.


    ¡°Are you complaining about something? Do you want to join the front line or something?¡± Vorscha asked the old scout.


    ¡°No, it sounds like a great plan,¡± Saeter replied as he shrugged indifferently. ¡°I was just thinking aloud.¡±


    Off to the side, Blacknail threw Khita a speculative look. Was it possible that Khita¡¯s uselessness was actually proving useful, right now? No, he must be misunderstanding something.


    Suddenly, there was a loud twang as a volley of arrows tore through the air. The enemy had entered within bowshot. Vorscha flinched at the noise and turned to Saeter.


    ¡°Then shut up, old man,¡± Vorscha growled at him with uncharacteristic vehemence.


    Everyone took a step back from her in surprise. Even Saeter had been caught off guard by her temper.


    ¡°I need to go,¡± she told them. ¡°But before I do, I have one last thing to say. Blacknail, I¡¯m holding you responsible for Khita. Watch her like a hawk or I¡¯ll gut you like fish.¡±


    With that said, Vorscha turned and began hurrying over towards the entrance to the camp and the break in the wall there. No one said anything for a moment, but off in the distance the now familiar sound of an army marching could be heard.


    ¡°Fine, follow me,¡± Saeter told his two companions.


    The old scout led the way off towards the same hill they had watched the battle from before. Still somewhat off balance, Khita and Blacknail followed him silently.


    Before they could get to their destination, a wave of hot air slammed into them as the sound of splintering wood filled their ears. Something had exploded.


    Blacknail ducked low to regain his balance. He shielded his head as he turned to look in the direction the blast had come from. There was a huge gaping hole in the wall between him and Werrick¡¯s army.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Flames danced around the edges of the new opening. The nearby bandits who had been near the wall had been thrown aside and scattered. Some of them were picking themselves off their feet, while others weren¡¯t so lucky. Shrapnel from the explosion had crippled and killed.


    ¡°Well, all hells and damnation. I think we found a spot that looks stressed and needs reinforcing,¡± Saeter remarked sourly as he surveyed the damage.


    There was a lot of damage to survey. A dozen men could have stepped through the gaping hole that had been blown in the wooden barrier protecting the camp.


    ¡°Fucking magic,¡± Blacknail muttered. He hated mages when they weren¡¯t on his side. It didn¡¯t seem fair.


    ¡°Wow, that doesn¡¯t seem fair,¡± Khita remarked in an awed tone as she gazed at the blast zone.


    Blacknail turned to glare at the redhead. She wasn¡¯t allowed to agree with him. It made him seem dumb...


    ¡°Very little is fair about war,¡± Saeter remarked dryly. ¡°What I want to know is why Mahedium isn¡¯t firing back.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s over there,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    The other two turned in the direction the hobgoblin indicated. They could clearly see Mahedium running over to the wall from his workshop. The mage was carrying a long staff as he moved at a hurried pace.


    ¡°That¡¯s another reason they struck so early,¡± Saeter commented. ¡°Werrick knew Mahedium couldn¡¯t always be on guard. He¡¯s not nearly as dumb as Herad likes to say he is.¡±


    Before the mage reached his destination, the sound of shouting intensified and there was a series of metallic screeches. The enemy had reached the wall and battle had been joined again.


    A wave of enemy bandits was fighting their way towards the front entrance. A large mass of Herad¡¯s troops were blocking their way and pushing them back. Another large group was headed towards the hole the enemy mage had blown in the wall.


    Herad¡¯s troops there were still recovering and badly outnumbered. Only a few of them fought back when the front rank of enemy bandits reached the break and began trying to force their way inside the camp.


    ¡°We need to help out,¡± Saeter said as he quickly pulled his bow from off his back. ¡°They can¡¯t be allowed to get a foothold inside.¡±


    The old scout then quickly nocked an arrow, aimed, and let it loose. The arrow took flight and slammed into the chest of a bandit that had just stepped up to attack one of Herad¡¯s troops that was trying to defend the gap in the wall.


    Blacknail was already running after the arrow. He pulled out a vial and downed it, as he dashed down the hill. It took him only a few seconds to run past all of Herad¡¯s nearby minions and reach the fighting.


    The invigorating rush of Elixir being burned washed through him as he drew his blade. It came free with a quiet hiss, and the hobgoblin immediately aimed its silver edge at the nearest enemy.


    There was no point in holding back. The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t going to dive into a melee full of armed humans without taking every advantage he could get. Humans might be dumb and slow but there were also big and tough.


    Around Blacknail, about a dozen disorganized bandits were desperately trying to block what seemed to be hundreds of enemies from slipping through the break in the wall before them. Their resistance seemed pointless.


    Then, the hobgoblin¡¯s blade cut down the first attacker. Everyone barely had time to register his presence before Blacknail moved on to a second. Relying on pure Elixir driven speed, he slipped around the attackers and cut them down, one after the other. Half a dozen of them fell before they could react to this new unexpected threat.


    When they did realize what was happening, the enemy recoiled in fear and shouts of surprise escaped their lips.


    ¡°Gods¡¯ sweet mercy, it¡¯s a monster,¡± someone shrieked in terror.


    Blacknail grinned as their sweet fear made his heart flutter in joy, and then he launched himself forward again with renewed energy. Instinct guided Blacknail as he attacked his enemies¡¯ weak points. A familiar bloodlust rose within him and drove him forward.


    His blade sliced through soft flesh as he easily sidestepped a counterattack. However, for every one of Werrick¡¯s men he killed another soon took its place. The mass of attacking enemies didn¡¯t seem to be shrinking at all.


    Suddenly, the enemy stopped coming. They lined up just out of reach, and Blacknail had to stop himself from leaping forward after them. Fury and hunger burned within him. He wanted to fight!


    As he warily watched the enemy, Blacknail took a careful step back. An enemy officer screamed something, and then the entire enemy line marched forward together. Now there was no space between them that Blackail could use or slip through. They was just a solid mass of furious looking humans bearing down on him.


    ¡°Shit,¡± one of Blacknail¡¯s nearby allies swore.


    ¡°Double shit,¡± the hobgoblin added in agreement. His blood-lust was swiftly giving ground to his love of running away from danger.


    The enemy approached, and Blacknail took a moment to glance over his shoulder. Herad¡¯s forces were still greatly outnumbered; there were only a little more than ten of them still standing. These weren¡¯t odds the hobgoblin liked.


    Saeter and Khita were off to one side. They had apparently followed after Blacknail without him noticing. Both of them had swords in their hands and looked tired from fighting.


    The front rank of the enemy reached the wall. Instead of fighting them, Herad¡¯s scattered forces retreated backwards, giving the enemy a foothold inside the camp. Even Blacknail didn¡¯t like the idea of trying to fight that many humans back to back. Running would probably be a better option, especially if he could get his master away but leave Khita behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let those rutting bastards take a single step forward!¡± a familiar voice suddenly yelled.


    Everyone turned to see dozens of bandits charging towards the fight, with Vorscha leading them. The warrior woman had taken the time to get armored up. She had a steel breastplate and was wearing a chainmail shirt underneath that. A long sword was raised above her head as she ran past Blacknail and joined the defense.


    Right behind her ran the other bandits, including Geralhd. The laid back man had finally bothered to throw on some real armor as well. There was a steel cap on his head that looked somewhat ridiculous over his long hair. However, he used the short sword in his hands skillfully.


    The defenders were invigorated by the reinforcements. They threw themselves alongside Vorcha in an attempt to push the enemy back out of the camp. Overextended and flanked, Werrick¡¯s troops were quickly forced back.


    The entire time, Vorscha was in the middle of the fighting. She wielded her long sword with skill and power as she urged her troops on.


    ¡°Push the damned bastards all the way back. Don¡¯t leave a single one alive!¡± she yelled as she cut an enemy down.


    There was a ragged cheer from her comrades in response and they pressed forward. Even Blacknail found himself rejoining the fighting. The urge to join up and fight alongside Vorscha¡¯s counterstrike was just too great to resist.


    Soon, the enemy was in full retreat and Vorscha had secured the break in the wall. Once her troops had formed up to block further entry by Werrick¡¯s men, she turned to look back the way she had come.


    A pair of horses was pulling one of the supply wagons towards her. Vorscha saw it and motioned towards the drivers.


    ¡°Get that bloody thing in the gap, right fucking now!¡± Vorscha yelled in their direction.


    The drivers nodded and jumped off the wagon. Then, they quickly unharnessed the horses and led them aside, as Vorscha led a small team over to the cart.


    As the defenders of the wall jumped aside, the bandits pushed the wagon into the break and swung it around. The wooden sides of the wagon filled most the space even if there were gaps.


    Almost immediately, enemy troops attempted to scale it or slip around it. They were quickly fought off by the reinforcements Vorscha had brought with her. The warrior woman backed away from the fighting and turned to Saeter.


    ¡°That¡¯s one crisis averted, for now. I wish I could say that was going to be the last,¡± she told the old scout.


    ¡°How are things going at the gate?¡± Saeter asked her as he sheathed his sword.


    ¡°We¡¯re holding,¡± Vorscha replied. ¡°For now, I can¡¯t say much more than that.¡±


    ¡°Things aren¡¯t going badly but not great either,¡± Geralhd added as he wandered over.


    Vorscha¡¯s lover was smiling cockily as he flashily flourished his blade. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why Geralhd was so proud. The man had fought alongside everyone else but he hadn¡¯t really distinguished himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early in the day. Werrick might be trying to wear us down with his superior numbers,¡± Vorscha explained. ¡°That damn opening magic barrage of his widened the battle line and has forced us to commit most our reserve already.¡±


    Suddenly, before anyone could respond to that, a chorus of blaring trumpets split the air. It was almost immediately followed by the steady beating of drums. The energetic refrain was clearly coming from near the front gate.


    Everyone turned to look that way. However, the press of bodies around the gate was too thick. All they could see was the back of Herad¡¯s forces.


    ¡°Damnation, what in all the hells is going on now?¡± Vorscha cursed loudly.


    This terrible view didn¡¯t satisfy Blacknail. He immediately dashed towards the wall to get a higher position. He wanted to see what was going on. Instead of climbing to the top, where he would be an easy target for every enemy with a bow, he hung below the apex and peeked over.


    Hundreds of enemy soldiers were trying to push forward through the gap in the wall where the camp¡¯s front entrance was. However, there wasn¡¯t nearly enough space for them to attack all at the same time so Herad¡¯s forces were holding them off.


    Above the fighting floated the wolf head banner and it was steadily moving closer to the front line. Right below the symbol a small group of people were positioned. The enemy soldiers moved out of their way and gave them space as they advanced towards the front.


    One tall figure stood out from all the others and strode confidently forward through the ranks. He was dressed in heavy armor made of overlapping steel bands and he wore a steel helmet shaped like a wolf¡¯s head. A thick mane of grey hair jutted out from the back of the helmet and cascade down the man¡¯s back.


    The large armored warrior could only be Werrick. The Wolf had finally shown himself and was now personally leading his forces in an all or nothing assault. A shiver of fear seemed to run through the ranks of Herad¡¯s outlaws as they recognized him.

 Comes the Wolf 7

    ¡°Don¡¯t just hang there, you green idiot! Tell us what you see!¡± Saeter ordered the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail suppressed his irritation at being addressed so rudely, and then began to explain what was happening to the others. A force led by Werrick himself was headed straight towards the gate Herad was trying to defend.


    None of his companions seemed to think this was good news. Nervousness and fear was plain on their faces. Their reactions surprised the hobgoblin. A battle between chiefs sounded exciting to him!


    ¡°Showing himself now makes no bloody sense!¡± Vorscha cursed aloud. ¡°He¡¯s got the advantage in numbers so he should be wearing us down, not leading a charge.¡±


    Without warning, a sizzling ball of flame burst into existence and shot towards the group of people beneath the wolf banner. Mahedium had revealed himself in a display of fiery power.


    Before the flaming orb could reach its target, a lanky figure beside Werrick raised a hand. A shimmering wall of force sprang into existence and smashed into the fireball. The flames were battered aside before disintegrating into a brilliant rain of sparks. The shower of tiny lights fell over the battlefield without any noticeable effect.


    Werrick¡¯s advance continued unimpeded. The huge armoured figure reached the frontline, and his troops cheered as they stepped aside for him. The sound of bandits screaming in exhilaration filled the air and drowned out everything else.


    ¡°The Wolf has come! Forward to victory!¡± they roared excitedly as they redoubled their attack on Herad¡¯s camp.


    Their annoying voices hurt Blacknail¡¯s sensitive ears. Now he really wanted to kill them, if only to shut them up. Also, their cheer was stupid.


    ¡°We need to get closer,¡± Saeter exclaimed in frustration as he looked around.


    There was a small lookout platform around halfway down the wall in Herad¡¯s direction. There was no way to get through the press of bodies at the front lines so Saeter headed over to it. Vorscha and Geralhd were quick to follow.


    Blacknail gave them all a head start before racing ahead. They were just humans so he was much faster than them. He barely had to try.


    ¡°Down now,¡± Vorscha ordered the archers in the tower. ¡°We need to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    After they quickly climbed down to obey her, Saeter made his way up the rickety ladder. It was little more than a bunch of branches tied together by rope, and the platform itself was little better.


    Vorscha and Geralhd followed him one after the other. There was only room for about three people on the crude wooden platform, so Blacknail simply climbed up the wall again.


    From their new vantage point they saw Werrick and his elite join the melee. His banner flapped loudly in the wind overhead as the Wolf wadded into combat. The huge warrior had a shield in one hand and a long sword in the other. His heavy steel armor and ornate helmet shaped like a wolf¡¯s head made him easy to pick out of the crowd.


    With seemingly unstoppable momentum, Werrick began to cut down Herad¡¯s forces. They broke before him like the tide hitting a rock, as his blade cleaved and knocked them aside. None of her men so much as slowed him down and they began to fall back away from him in fear.


    The tide of battle swiftly changed and the attackers began steadily gaining ground. Herad didn¡¯t take this challenge lying down. She screamed out a series of orders from where she stood at the back of the battle.


    Instantly, her bodyguards and Mahedium rushed to her side. With the bandit chieftain at the lead, they formed a solid wedge that moved to intercept Werrick¡¯s advance.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t the mages calling up any magic?¡± Geralhd asked as he squinted in Mahedium¡¯s direction and leaned over a wooden rail.


    ¡°They¡¯re too close for that now,¡± Vorscha cursed. ¡°I doubt our comrades would appreciate Mahedium dropping a ball of fire on their heads while they are fighting.¡±


    ¡°They also need to keep their defenses ready in case of surprise attacks,¡± Saeter added. ¡°That close to the melee they need to be careful, and the first thing on a mage¡¯s mind is always their own safety.¡±


    As Blacknail¡¯s group watched, the two bandit chieftains quickly converged on each other. Without needing to be told, fighters from both sides moved out of the way and gave them space. Soon, only a few feet separated the two parties. They stared ferociously at each other as they converged.


    The fury of all the nearby combatants ebbed slightly as they noticed what was about to take place among them. Everyone knew that if Herad and Werrick fought the outcome would determine the course of the battle. Even if they were fighting for their life no one wanted to miss this.


    ¡°Shit, she''s going to fight him herself!¡± Saeter swore. ¡°I need to get over there.¡±


    Before he could take more than a single step, Vorscha placed a hand on his shoulder to restrain him. He stopped and glared at her. The wrinkles around his eyes seemed deeper than usual.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do. You¡¯ll never cross the field safely and what could you even accomplish if you did? You¡¯re just going to have to trust the boss. She knows what she is doing,¡± Vorscha told him.


    ¡°Damnation,¡± Saeter cursed in reply. ¡°I should be there, but I never guessed this would happen.¡±


    The old scout didn¡¯t make another move to climb down the lookout platform. He gazed towards the center of the battle and bit his bottom lip nervously. Geralhd and Vorscha also looked worried as Herad came face to face with her nemesis.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t know what to think. The mood of his human friends bothered him but he couldn¡¯t see Herad losing. She was the most dangerous and ruthless human he had ever met! He doubted Werrick could beat her in a stabbing contest.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve decided to show yourself at last, coward,¡± Herad yelled as she snarled in Werrick¡¯s direction.


    The other man didn¡¯t immediately reply. There was quiet lull as he gazed in her direction. His steel helm hid his face and concealed what he was thinking.


    Both bandit chieftains stood just out of striking range with their raised weapons in front of them. Violence could erupt without warning any second.


    ¡°I have nothing to fear from the likes of you,¡± Werrick eventually announced in reply.


    His voice was deep and serene, without the smallest hint of fear or worry. Like Herad, he had a natural commanding presence. Both bandit chiefs were still in a way that suggested restrained power. As people fought and died around them, they remained motionless and sized each other up.


    Herad moved first. She lunged forwards and the quiet that had overtaken the field ended. Werrick blocked her blade with a casual raise of his own, but before he could counterattack Herad had already slipped out of his range.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    The bodyguards and companions of the band leaders rushed forward to support their bosses. They encircled their chiefs as they fought each other but they didn¡¯t get too close. A bubble of space developed around the fighting Vessels that everyone else avoided.


    Beyond the bodyguards, the other bandits were still fighting. Screams of pain and rage filled the air as violence was done and lives were ended.


    As the masses fought around them, Herad and Werrick dueled. Under his heavy armor, Werrick moved slower than his opponent. Herad ducked in and out of his range while launching a series of feints.


    However, the larger man easily kept her away from his vital points by holding his shield high and with the occasional lazy swing of his sword. He might have been slower but his fluid movements betrayed no lack of skill.


    Again and again the pair of Vessels crossed blades. They moved with super human speed and their ferocity was unrelenting. Herad seemed unable to hurt Werrick but the advance of his troops had come to a complete halt.


    From off to the side, a pair of wrestling bandits suddenly stumbled between the two chieftains. They were too preoccupied with fighting and too off balance to stay out of the way.


    Herad saw them coming, lunged to the side, and kicked the closer man¡¯s back. This sent them both careening straight towards Werrick. With a mighty swing of his shield, the Wolf battered them out of his way. There was a crunching sound as they hit the ground and rolled. Neither of them got up.


    Herad took advantage of this momentary distraction to dash in from the other side and strike. Werrick¡¯s blade slashed through the air to block her advance, but she ducked under it and stabbed towards his armpit.


    The tip of Herad¡¯s sword accelerated towards a gap between two steel plates under Werrick¡¯s arm. All Werrick could do was take a frantic step back and turn away from the blow, but it was enough. Instead of hitting flesh, the blade impacted steel and slid away without drawing blood.


    The heavy shield on Werrick¡¯s other arm then swung around, and Herad had to dodge back out of the way. The two combatants separated and watched each other warily. Neither of them dropped their guard, and their respective bodyguards stepped forward to protect them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t defeat me like this. You aren¡¯t my equal, Black Snake,¡± Werrick shouted haughtily her way.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a duel, cur,¡± Herad replied scornfully. ¡°I don¡¯t need to beat you in a fancy fencing match.¡±


    As she finished speaking, the bandit chieftain raised a hand above her head and signalled someone. Immediately, two volleys of arrows rose into the air.


    Two groups of a dozen archers had stepped out of hiding from both sides of the entrance. The swarms of projectiles flew over all the fighting bandits¡¯ heads and descended upon Werrick¡¯s party from opposite directions.


    Only one arrow shot towards Werrick though, and he easily blocked it with his shield. A few more ripped through the banner that one of the Wolf¡¯s men was holding aloft, but most the buzzing projectiles were aimed at the nearby mage.


    ¡°See, the boss has a plan,¡± Vorscha observed with more than little relief.


    No one answered her. They were fixated on the events unfolding before them.


    The mage hurriedly raised an amulet. A rippling wave of force smashed into all the arrows coming at him from one direction and smashed them harmlessly aside. He quickly turned to block the ones from the other side as well, but he was a little too late.


    His second blast hit the other flight of arrows and battered some of them away, but a lot of them had been too close to be affected properly. Two of the mage¡¯s bodyguards fell as arrows pierced their bodies, but the others raised shields and blocked the rest of the projectiles.


    ¡°Ha,¡± the staff wielding mage laughed triumphantly. He was completely unharmed.


    ¡°That could have gone better,¡± Geralhd remarked unhappily.


    That was when a lance of yellow energy slammed into the enemy mage from the front and hurled him off his feet. The men all around him were knocked aside as well; their bodies spasmed for several seconds on the ground before going still.


    Mahedium stood off to the side of Herad. The staff in his hands was still glowing faintly yellow. Several of Herad¡¯s bodyguards surrounded him, and had been keeping the fighting safely away from him.


    As Mahedium slowly leveled the staff in Werrick¡¯s direction, Herad began to laugh triumphantly. She pointed her blade towards Werrick as a mocking grin appeared on her lips.


    ¡°Victory is mine, you arrogant son of a whore!¡± she laughed. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy destroying you.¡±


    The enemy chieftain took a step backwards. It was hard to see under his armor, but Werrick looked tense and anxious. He glanced back and forth between Herad and Mahedium, as the troops behind him froze in fear. They knew that the tide of battle had just made a sudden and dramatic turn against them.


    ¡°She¡¯s got him!¡± Vorscha exclaimed breathlessly from the lookout platform. ¡°We¡¯ve got this in the bag!¡±


    ¡°It... definitely seems like it,¡± Saeter observed skeptically next to her. As usual, the old scout refused to give in to optimism or the equally repugnant feeling of happiness.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way even a Vessel could dodge war magic at that range,¡± Geralhd remarked. ¡°Vorscha¡¯s right, we¡¯ve won. Werrick is finished.¡±


    ¡°Mahedium may have him cornered but I won¡¯t be counting the Wolf down until he¡¯s actually dead,¡± Saeter replied. ¡°If he escapes then he can just come back with a new mage and reinforcements.¡±


    The fighting between both sides didn¡¯t stop but it slowed a little as people noticed what had happened. Blacknail smirked from his perch atop the wall. He had known that Herad was going to win. She always did. That was why she was the chief!


    Leisurely, Mahedium strolled forward. Everyone except for his guards backed away from him. Without the other mage around to check his power Mahedium was free to let loose against anyone that threatened him, and he had already demonstrated the lethal power he had at his disposal.


    The mage kept his staff leveled directly at Werrick and its tip crackled with yellow energy. He avoided getting too close to anyone else as he moved towards the enemy leader.


    ¡°Are you going to try and run?¡± Herad taunted her opponent. ¡°You might be able to make it.¡±


    A wide exhilarant grin was plastered across her face. It made her seem almost mad, or at least madder than usual. Her dark eyes blazed with excitement as she watched her cornered enemy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would accomplish anything,¡± Werrick replied tonelessly as he gazed at Mahedium.


    ¡°Take that helmet off,¡± Herad commanded him. ¡°I want to see your face.¡±


    Werrick hesitated for a second, and then removed his steel helm. He tossed it aside and it rolled across the ground. His face was stern looking but handsome. The grey mane had been part his wolf helmet but he had fairly long brown hair of his own. He looked neither particularly young nor all that old.


    There was a defiant glint in his eyes as he met Herad¡¯s glare. She noticed it but it just made her chuckle. She liked breaking peoples'' pride.


    From his perch on the wall, Blacknail studied Werrick. He frowned as he realized the man didn¡¯t seem all that scared. The hobgoblin considered himself an expert on human behaviour, especially their fears, and this man was too calm. Despite himself, Blacknail was intimidated and he didn¡¯t like that at all.


    ¡°Ha, for years you¡¯ve claimed to be the biggest and baddest bandit in all the North. Now look at you!¡± Herad gloated. ¡°In the end you fell right into my trap!¡±


    ¡°Trap?¡± Werrick asked skeptically. ¡°You were simply fortunate enough to take out my mage, and I¡¯m not defeated yet.¡±


    ¡°As you made your way here I tested your forces several times and interrogated a few captives,¡± Herad explained smugly. ¡°I quickly learned that you only had two mages with you, and during your first attack on these walls my mage defeated one of yours.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s far from any sort of grand strategy. It¡¯s just basic intelligence,¡± Werrick remarked with noteworthy calm.


    Blacknail studied the enemy leader closely and licked his lips uncertainly. He knew his humans, they were simple creatures at their core, and he sensed that something was off about this one. What was it?


    ¡°I knew that you would eventually have no choice but to join the attack yourself, and that you would need to bring your mage,¡± Herad explained smugly. ¡°I knew that without him guarding your back you would be an easy target, and I was right. Here we are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly sounds like something a second-rate backstreet thug like you would come up with,¡± Werrick replied coldly. ¡°It¡¯s as cowardly as it is simple.¡±


    ¡°Petty insult will do you no good, Wolfy. Everything that was yours is about to become mine! I want you to reflect on that before I kill you,¡± Herad gloated.


    ¡°You have no idea what I possess, Black Snake. It¡¯s truly sad that you think that killing me would elevate yourself,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°You are as blind and ignorant as always, a mindless killer with delusions of greatness. You aren¡¯t worthy of walking in my shadow.¡±


    ¡°We will see about that,¡± Herad replied angrily.


    ¡°Enough useless talk. Are you just going to stand there or am I going to have to make you use that thing?¡± Werrick asked as he turned towards Mahedium and levelled his sword at the mage.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± Mahedium remarked coolly as the energy around his staff grew more violent.


    The air was thick with tension as everyone waited to see what was about to happen. Werrick didn¡¯t flinch as Mahedium moved.


    The mage then swung his staff around and blasted the guards behind himself. They went down as yellow energy arced between them.


    ¡°What?¡± Herad gasped as her eyes went wide with shock.


    She froze in surprise, which gave Mahedium more than enough time to point his staff in her direction. She tried to dodge to the side as Mahedium unleashed a bolt of magic in her direction, but it clipped her side.


    A cry of pain and complete disbelief escaped Herad¡¯s lips as the energy hit her. A tremor worked its way through her body and then she collapsed bonelessly onto the ground. She didn¡¯t get back up.


    Werrick laughed. There was a mocking tone to it as his deep booming voice echoed out over the battlefield.

 Comes the Wolf 8

    There were gasps of horror from the people on the platform near Blacknail. It was swiftly followed by swearing and action.


    ¡°King¡¯s blood! What just happened?¡± Geralhd whispered.


    ¡°He¡¯s turned traitor!¡± Saeter roared. ¡°That fucking bastard, I¡¯m going to kill him!¡±


    The old scout immediately dropped and began climbing down the ladder. His movements shocked his nearby companions out of their own paralysis.


    ¡°What do you plan on doing?¡± Vorscha asked him in alarm. ¡°You¡¯ll never get there in time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to do whatever I have to!¡± Saeter spat back as he jumped down the final length of the ladder and started running.


    Vorscha threw out a few more colorful curses and then turned to Blacknail. The hobgoblin was still in shock. What was going on? Was his glorious leader dead? This didn¡¯t make sense!


    ¡°Don¡¯t just hang there! Go watch his back!¡± Vorscha ordered Blacknail.


    It took a moment for her words to penetrate the haze of uncertainty that had filled the hobgoblin¡¯s mind. However, when her meaning became clear he quickly nodded, dropped down onto the ground, and started running.


    His master was headed towards the fighting all by himself. That was dangerous! Blacknail needed to go after him. Why was his master always doing such dumb things? Why did he always follow him?


    There was a mob of tightly packed enemies and allies between Saeter and Herad¡¯s fallen form. Blacknail couldn¡¯t even see her anymore from ground level. However, he could still see Werrick. He was much taller than most other humans.


    Most of Herad¡¯s fighters hadn¡¯t seen her fall, and even if they had they were still stuck in the melee. Blacknail caught up with Saeter before he reached the fighting.


    ¡°What are you-ss doing?¡± Blacknail asked the old scout. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡±


    His master barely registered the hobgoblin¡¯s presence. He spared Blacknail a brief glance before facing forward again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get Herad out of there!¡± Saeter growled as he ran.


    A wave of exasperation and anguish hit Blacknail and caused him to groan. That was a terrible plan! What did his master think he was doing?


    ¡°We should wait for help or find somebody else to do it,¡± Blacknail told his master. ¡°Red Dog must be around here somewhere. This sound-ss like something he should do.¡±


    Unfortunately, the hobgoblin got no reply. Blacknail seriously considered clubbing his master over the head and dragging him away. That was probably unnecessary though, because the way forward was blocked by a wall of their allies. There was no way Saeter would be able to press through it and into the center of the melee where Herad was.


    Up ahead, Werrick was talking to Mahedium as he walked over to the mage. He then made a sweeping hand gesture in the direction of the thickest fighting.


    With a nod of acceptance, Mahedium turned and began shooting bolts of magic at those of Herad¡¯s minions that were still fighting. The battle quickly started turning against them as the yellow blasts of crackling energy thinned their ranks.


    There were cries of despair as the force of bandits protecting the camp¡¯s gate collapsed. Their leader was down and they had no protection from Mahedium¡¯s magic. Overcome with fear and hopelessness, the remaining defenders broke.


    Large groups of bandits turned to run. Werrick¡¯s troops roared in triumph and eagerly gave chase. Many of Herad¡¯s men were slain as they exposed their backs to enemy.


    Other more organized squads of defenders held themselves together. Some of these tried to keep fighting and were swiftly surrounded and cut down as their allies deserted them. A few lucky larger groups managed to hold their attackers back and to start a fighting retreat.


    The battle at the gates swiftly degenerated into a dozen smaller fights as Herad¡¯s forces fled deeper into camp. It was into this mess that Saeter dove. Blacknail groaned again and then quickly followed him. The dissolution of the battle and the resulting chaos was allowing Saeter to advance.


    There was very little organized resistance to Saeter¡¯s dash into enemy lines, much to Blacknail¡¯s annoyance. Why was no one stopping them? Even if the fighting had moved on, there were still more than a few scattered enemies around.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t like Herad or Werrick¡¯s minions wore uniforms, and most of the enemies were confused by the fact Saeter and Blacknail were running towards them instead of away. Others were more concerned with settling grudges or looting than with the new arrivals.


    A few enemies did try to intercept Saeter, but Blacknail leapt ahead and cut them down without mercy. The hobgoblin was adept at taking advantage of chaos, and he still had a lot of Elixir burning through his system.


    As Blacknail¡¯s blade gutted a man wearing particularly shoddy armor, Saeter ran ahead. They were only a few dozen feet from Herad now, and well out of what was left of the fighting. Those groups of bandits still resisting Werrick had already retreated into deeper into camp.


    However, before the old scout could reach his destination, Mahedium turned and noticed him. The mage was standing guard over Herad¡¯s prone form. The fallen bandit chieftain¡¯s chest rose and fell as she drew breath and her fingers were twitching. She was still alive!


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you two. I was wondering when you would show up,¡± the mage remarked as he leveled his staff in their direction.


    ¡°Die you traitorous filth!¡± Saeter spat in reply as he lunged forward with his blade held high.


    A frown appeared on Mahedium¡¯s lip as yellow energy once again burst out from his staff and slammed into Saeter. The old scout stumbled and collapsed. The sight of his master falling enraged Blacknail. Mahedium would pay for this! He would feast on the man¡¯s eyes!


    With an angry hiss and a new burst of speed, Blacknail managed to dodge to the side of a blast aimed his way. He rolled across the ground for a second before jumping to his feet and leaping at his magic wielding opponent.


    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re frighteningly fast,¡± the mage remarked as he grabbed an amulet on his chest.


    When he touched the amulet, an invisible wall of air slammed into Blacknail. It whipped up clouds of dust as it raced across the ground and its impact threw the hobgoblin backwards. He soared quite a distance through air before smashing into a pile of crates.


    There was a loud crash. Pain ripped through the hobgoblin¡¯s back and his ribs felt like every single one of them had cracked. He whimpered, and his jaw started hurting.


    Even though he was having trouble even breathing, Blacknail fought off the pain and tried to pick himself off the ground. Fury and adrenaline rose within him to drown out all other concerns.


    This wasn¡¯t the time to be sitting around! He had to save his master and the chief! He was Blacknail! It would take more than a treacherous mage and a big fat human Vessel to defeat him! He was an invincible killer and they would taste his blade!


    The hobgoblin hissed furiously and stood back up. He shook his head to clear it and tried to think up a plan. He was good at sneaking so maybe he could get behind Mahedium and...


    That was when a beam of energy slammed into the hobgoblin. Instantly, Blacknail lost all control over his body and began convulsing. His spasming limbs sent crates flying and snagged a tarp. By the time the convulsions stopped he was back on the ground and thoroughly wrapped up in the tough fabric.


    Exhausted, Blacknail groaned in pain. Every muscle in his body was aflame and all his joints felt out of place. He phased in and out of consciousness for a few seconds as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He remembered it was bad.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Blacknail opened his eyes, which hurt in ways he hadn¡¯t thought possible, and saw his master lying on the ground a fair distance away. There were several unfamiliar and unfriendly looking bandits standing around Saeter. The hobgoblin tried to reach out in his direction but his hands wouldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Just the man I was looking for!¡± a tall armored man announced as he walked over the fallen scout. ¡°You¡¯re right on time to see me kill Herad.¡±


    It was Werrick. The enemy leader smiled broadly as he looked down at the old scout. Behind him, corpses littered the battlefield and the shattered remains of the camp¡¯s walls loomed.


    Saeter was laid out on the ground where he had fallen after being hit by Mahdium¡¯s magic. He slowly turned his head to glare at Werrick. No one had touched him but he still seemed incapable of making large movements.


    A dozen of Werrick¡¯s troops surrounded him as he looked down at the old scout. There wasn¡¯t a friendly face in sight, unless you counted some of the corpses that littered the ground. A lot of bandits had died in the fight at the gates.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you for a while, White Raven,¡± Werrick told Saeter.


    ¡°Go fuck a pig,¡± Saeter spat vehemently in return. He was apparently able to talk now.


    The old scout sounded winded and like he was in pain. As he wheezed, the man he had insulted grinned in amusement.


    ¡°I suppose I deserve that,¡± Werrick admitted. ¡°I did just have you blasted by magic. It looks like it hurts a lot.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only a brief stunning effect. There is no lasting harm done,¡± Mahedium interjected in explanation. ¡°But it certainly keeps people down long enough for more permanent solutions to be achieved, although both Vessels and mages resist it. The length varies but Herad won¡¯t be up for...¡±


    With a wave of his hand, Werrick silenced the rambling mage. The victorious bandit chieftain then turned back to Saeter.


    ¡°Your old leader has been defeated and will soon meet her end at my hand. I¡¯m willing to show you mercy if you pledge your allegiance to me, and I will also to extend that kindness to others you choose,¡± Werrick told him. ¡°I¡¯ve always been an admirer of yours and having the White Raven under my command would be useful.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Saeter replied as he glared defiantly at his capture.


    ¡°I see I¡¯m going to have to strengthen my argument,¡± Werrick mused.


    With an exasperated sigh, the bandit leader turned and strode over to Herad. She was still breathing but appeared to be unconscious.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose your offer extends to her?¡± Saeter asked scornfully.


    There were hints of fear and concern concealed behind his veneer of contempt, though. The old scout¡¯s stubborn resolve seemed to grow weaker as Werrick got closer to Herad.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s too stupid to ever learn her place. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why you would even ask. Look at her,¡± Werrick replied contemptuously.


    When he reached her, the large man gave her a solid kick to the ribs. She flinched as the pain of the blow woke her up and then again when she saw the man looming over her.


    ¡°What?¡± Herad gasped as she tried to sit up.


    ¡°It¡¯s rather simple actually. You¡¯re the one that fell into my trap, not the other way around,¡± Werrick explained. ¡°I¡¯ve defeated your pathetic band and now I just need to deal with you.¡±


    Herad coughed and looked around. Sometime after she had fallen, someone had stripped her weapons from her. Her sword was gone and after checking her clothes she didn¡¯t find any daggers. Her actions didn¡¯t seem to concern Werrick. He just watched her and made no move.


    ¡°I made a deal with your mage. He agreed to switch sides if I presented him with a perfect opportunity,¡± Werrick continued as he held his arms out wide to emphasise his surroundings. ¡°And here we are. You led him right to me and set yourself up.¡±


    ¡°You fucking faithless coward. I hope demons drag you down to the deepest hells beyond the sight of the gods,¡± Herad cursed Mahedium as she glared at him.


    The mage just shrugged without concern. He didn¡¯t seem insulted.


    ¡°I simply did what was in my best interest. Just like when I first joined up with your band,¡± Mahedium explained without remorse. ¡°Werrick has resources and connections that you would never be able to give me. Everything I do is to advance my work, and the Broken Wheel knows the true value of my knowledge and skills. There¡¯s absolutely no reason for me to stay in your dirty little camp anymore.¡±


    ¡°Can you really blame him for betraying you? Just look at the mess you¡¯ve made of things, and how pathetic your strategy was,¡± Werrick remarked. ¡°Luring me forward? Again? Really? That was how you dealt with the Vessel I sent to test you.¡±


    ¡°So what are you waiting for? Kill me, you coward,¡± Herad growled as she collected herself.


    Her cloak was torn and her leather armor was covered in dirt and grime. Her fall had even smeared dust over her face. She looked tired and defeated, although her eyes still burned with anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m the coward? You¡¯re the one that tried to use magic to subdue me! I simply turned your own ploy against you,¡± Werrick replied dismissively.


    Herad opened her mouth to reply but then she finally noticed Saeter. Her eyes flickered with recognition and she hesitated.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked in surprise.


    ¡°I came to see your victory parade. It could use some work,¡± Saeter replied sarcastically.


    ¡°And I¡¯m currently trying to recruit him,¡± Werrick added in a smug taunting tone.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re both very happy together,¡± Herad remarked bitterly as anger flashed in her eyes.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided on anything yet, although it¡¯s definitely sounding like a better idea all of a sudden,¡± Saeter shot back.


    As the pair glared at each other Werrick looked momentarily taken aback. It took him a moment to come up with something to say.


    ¡°He¡¯s far less likely to run into obvious traps under me,¡± Werrick rebuked Herad. ¡°Did you really think I would charge into your base unprepared? How pathetic of you.¡±


    Herad glared furiously at her opponent as Werrick continued his speech.


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯m being uncharitable,¡± he told her. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re anything more than a petty bandit. I knew exactly what you were thinking every step of the way. I timed my attack so that you would have no chance to question your strategy or come up with a new one.¡±


    ¡°Enough with the pompous bragging, you bloody ass. Why am I still alive?¡± Herad asked. ¡°I¡¯d rather be dead than listen to you expel such rot.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here because I don¡¯t fear you in the slightest. You¡¯re beneath me and I want there to be no misunderstandings about that left in your head, or those of your minions, when you die,¡± Werrick answered as he smiled.


    Just as he finished speaking, a new group of enemies appeared and walked his way. There were four soldiers and they were escorting a nervous looking Red Dog. The bandit lieutenant had been disarmed and there was a gash above his eye that was bleeding. His face was inscrutable as he took in the scene before him.


    When they got to Werrick, one of the men kicked the back of one of Red Dog¡¯s knees. With a huff, the bandit lieutenant landed on his knees kneeling position.


    ¡°He surrendered himself as soon as he learned you wanted to talk to him,¡± one of the guards told their master.


    Werrick nodded and then motioned for the newcomers to step back.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Red Dog tentatively asked. His voice was full of fear but it was also edged with hope.


    ¡°While most the bandits you find in the North are nothing more than deserters and riffraff too incompetent or stupid to stay in the army there are a few exceptions. It would be a waste to kill such men when they could be of use to me,¡± Werrick told him.


    ¡°So you want me to join up with you?¡± Red Dog inquired optimistically.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°First, there will be a demonstration, and then I shall test your loyalty.¡±


    As everyone warily watched him, the tall Vessel gestured and one of his minions tossed him a sheathed sword. Herad flinched as her enemy drew the blade, but instead of attacking her he tossed it onto the ground and then took several large steps backward.


    ¡°What in all the hells are you doing?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Proving a point. Pick up the sword and let¡¯s have another fight. You can even have a few minutes to rest if you want. It doesn¡¯t matter; you¡¯re no threat to me and you never were,¡± Werrick replied as he drew his own blade.


    Herad hesitantly reached out to pick up the blade and then climbed to her feet. When Werrick didn¡¯t react, she quickly brushed her black hair from her face and then raised the sword defensively.


    A ring of enemy soldiers surrounded her and Werrick. Saeter and Red Dog were dragged out of the way by some of them so that there would be enough room for the fight. Neither of them was allowed to stand and an armed guard stood behind them.


    Nothing happened for a few seconds. Herad seemed to be taking her time to collect herself.


    Then, Herad lunged. Her eyes blazed with hate and she snarled as she slashed at her opponent¡¯s head. However, Werrick wasn¡¯t caught off guard. He parried her attack, and his front foot kicked out to catch Herad¡¯s leg. As she stumbled, Werrick¡¯s sword came around and stabbed her in the stomach.


    ¡°No!¡± Saeter gasped.


    Herad¡¯s eyes went wide with shock as she collapsed forward onto her knees. She landed in a kneeling position with her forehead against the ground. There was a savage wound on her back to match the one on her front, and both of them bleed profusely. Werrick¡¯s blade had gone right through her.


    A moment later, the bleeding stopped and thick black scales appeared. They sealed the wound and replaced her torn armor. However, Herad groaned in pain and drew a wheezing breath. Her face was still pressed against the dirt. Her internal injuries hadn¡¯t disappeared; they had only been patched over.


    ¡°That¡¯s a convenient power but it¡¯s not going to save you this time,¡± Werrick remarked as he raised his blade again.


    ¡°You damned butcher!¡± Saeter cursed him.


    ¡°It was a fair fight, or close enough,¡± the Vessel remarked with a shrug.


    He then kicked Herad¡¯s blade from her hands. She barely reacted, except to hiss in pain and pull her hands in close to her chest. A second later, she coughed and splotches of blood hit the ground.


    There was an unexpected clang, as Werrick dropped the blade he was holding next to Herad. Red Dog and Saeter stared at it uncomprehendingly.


    ¡°Now you have both seen me defeat Herad both in terms of strategy and in personal combat. I am clearly the better master for you to serve,¡± Werrick told his captives.


    Red Dog glanced at Herad¡¯s fallen form and winced. He then turned to the enemy leader.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you up on your offer. I see no point in dying here,¡± Red Dog said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not quite that simple. First you must prove yourself,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°Pick up that sword and finish off your old boss. Only when her corpse lies before me will you be allowed to serve.¡±


    There was silence for several long seconds as his word sank in.


    ¡°And if we refuse to bloody our hands and darken our souls on your behalf?¡± Saeter asked.


    ¡°Then you and everyone else in this band will die,¡± Werrick answered.

 Comes the Wolf 9

    Saeter didn¡¯t say anything for several long moments. He just stared at Herad. She was still stooped over in the dirt. Her breathing was laboured and she didn''t seem aware of what was going on.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t do it. She was my leader and she had my loyalty,¡± he eventually told Werrick. ¡°I¡¯m too old and tired to throw everything away again. I¡¯ve done that too many times already.¡±


    The enemy bandit chieftain stood in front of Saeter. The old scout was still sitting on the ground and Werrick¡¯s huge presence loomed over him.


    ¡°Are you sure about that? If you don¡¯t join me then I will kill every last member of this band. Surely there are some among them that you wish to see saved?¡± Werrick asked. ¡°You may choose a few to keep as your subordinates.¡±


    Saeter frowned in concern and wrinkles formed under his eyes. He looked unsure of himself as the Wolf continued his speech.


    ¡°There is the goblin you took in for instance. I saw your loyal pet at your side but a few moments ago. Mahedium may have swatted him aside but he still lives,¡± Werrick said as he pointed towards where Blacknail lay. ¡°If you refuse me then I will have no choice but to kill him as well.¡±


    There was another moment of silence as Saeter glanced in Blacknail¡¯s direction. His face was blank and it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.


    ¡°If self interest isn¡¯t enough then perhaps you need a cause to call your own?¡± Werrick inquired. ¡°Join me and I shall create a new kingdom, greater than all the others! Together we will usher in a new age where men¡¯s actions count for more than their blood!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but the puppet of a gaggle of corrupt Southern merchants. I know you work for the Broken Wheel Company,¡± Saeter accused the bandit chieftain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t work for anyone. The Broken Wheel¡¯s backing is simply convenient, for now. When they try to undermine me I will be ready,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°I am the one using them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what every pawn and tool ever born believes,¡± Saeter replied. He wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°Join me and see for yourself.¡± Werrick countered. ¡°The White Raven fought for Northern independence and was the first bandit chief in the North. I intend to be the last. I shall raise a new kingdom up in these untamed lands, one greater than all the others. We dream of the same thing, old man. I fight for what you fought for.¡±


    ¡°You expect me to believe that when you revel in torture and misery?¡± Saeter accused Werrick. ¡°You obviously don¡¯t fight for anyone but yourself and your own sick enjoyment.¡±


    ¡°I am never cruel without a reason,¡± Werrick replied evenly. ¡°We both know Herad did far worse than this to others. Her minions killed, raped, and robbed their way across the North. Countless lives were destroyed by her actions and you supported her. Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re better than this.¡±


    ¡°Oh, then why did you set up this sick show?¡± Saeter asked. His voice seethed with anger.


    ¡°Firstly, to show you that she wasn¡¯t worth your loyalty,¡± Werrick explained. ¡°Here in the North, it is natural for the strong to rule the weak, and I am far stronger than her. I¡¯m simply making this clear to you.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you are making us finish her off,¡± Saeter countered.


    ¡°That¡¯s simply so I know if you can be trusted,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°If you refuse to strike down your old leader I know you remain loyal to her and will work against me. If you do finish her off then you will be just as responsible for her death as I am. I find it this is an effective test of character.¡±


    Saeter had been slouching but after hearing Werrick¡¯s words he straightened up and met the man¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°No, I refuse. You¡¯re going to have to kill me. I¡¯ve done enough evil for one lifetime and this is a line I refuse to cross,¡± the old scout announced with determination.


    Werrick frowned and turned to Red Dog.


    ¡°Well, what about you then?¡± he asked the other captive.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± the other man answered with a voice full of reluctance and guilt.


    Slowly, the bandit lieutenant got up and reached out for the fallen sword. He picked it up and then froze. For several seconds he stared down at Herad and bit his lip.


    Werrick waited patiently. Even though he was unarmed and within Red Dog¡¯s striking distance he didn¡¯t seem concerned. There was an aura of self-confidence around the bandit lord that weighed on his surroundings. It was hard to imagine things not going his way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing her a favour at this point,¡± Red Dog muttered to himself.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be saving your own skin by betraying her,¡± Saeter rebuked him.


    ¡°He promised to spare some of my men as well. They¡¯re more important than one woman who is already dead, even if she used to be the boss,¡± Red Dog shot back. ¡°It¡¯s not like she would risk herself for us anyway. She¡¯s always been a selfish bitch.¡±


    The bandit lieutenant took a step towards Herad and raised the sword up above his head. His old boss didn¡¯t respond. She appeared to have lost consciousness.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Saeter suddenly ordered Red Dog.


    As his captures watched, the old scout rose to his feet. Red Dog froze as Saeter reached out and took the sword from his hands.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Werrick asked.


    ¡°Let me do it. I¡¯ll be the one to take her life,¡± Saeter answered him. ¡°I just need to tell her something first.¡±


    One of Werrick¡¯s eyebrows rose as a surprised look appeared on his face, but he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Goodbye, Herad. You¡¯ve always been an arrogant snake without a shred of decency and look at where it has led you,¡± Saeter told his fallen chief. ¡°You should have taken your ill-gotten riches and retired.¡±


    The old scout then stuck the blade he had taken from Red Dog into the earth and knelt at her side. He placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her slightly. She turned to look in his direction. Her face was clouded by pain and hate but she was conscious.


    Saeter leaned in close and whispered something to her. It was too quiet for anyone to overhear, but as he spoke a weight seemed to disappear from his shoulders.


    ¡°Fuck you, old man,¡± Herad coughed in reply as she glared at him.


    A few seconds later she coughed again and rolled onto her back. Her eyes were clenched shut and her face was tight with suffering. Stony faced, the old scout drew a dagger from his side. A moment later, he stabbed Herad up under her rips and then pulled the blade back out.


    As everyone watched, the defeated bandit chieftain let out a deep breath and went still. All the fatigue and anxiety disappeared from her bearing as she died. Saeter placed a hand on her face and muttered a quick prayer.


    ¡°There, she¡¯s dead,¡± the old scout said as he turned back towards his captures and pulled the sword he had sheathed in the ground out.


    There was a frown on Werrick¡¯s face as he examined the old scout and Herad¡¯s corpse. He then turned towards Red Dog.


    ¡°You still need to do your part. The bitch is already dead or dying so you¡¯d better get your blow in quickly,¡± he told the other man.


    ¡°Right,¡± Red Dog acknowledged nervously.


    The bandit lieutenant reached out and gestured for Saeter to hand him the sword. The old scout nodded, stepped forward, and ran Red Dog through with the blade.


    ¡°What?¡± he croaked in disbelief as he looked Saeter in the eyes.


    ¡°I never really liked you, coward,¡± Saeter explained as he quickly pulled the blade out and spun towards Werrick.


    The ranger brought his sword around and viciously stabbed at the bandit chief¡¯s chest. Werrick was caught off guard and a look of shock appeared on his face. He was able to jerk his body to the side and dodge the blow, though.


    Instantly, his guards drew their own weapons and readied themselves to take Saeter down. They had the old scout completely surrounded. However, before they could act, Werick raised a hand and stopped them.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do this myself,¡± he told his guards.


    Saeter slashed at him again, but Werrick easily stepped back out of the way. There was a disappointed look on Werrick¡¯s face as he glared at the old scout. The Vessel dashed to the side and one of his men passed him a sword. He started to say something but another attack by Saeter forced him to stop and concentrate on blocking the blow.


    Before Saeter could strike again, Werrick took the offensive. There was a slick metallic noise as Werrick pushed Saeter back and their swords slid against each other. The Vessel¡¯s inhuman strength knocked the scout back and he stumbled. Immediately, Werrick followed up with a slash that slammed into Saeter¡¯s side.


    ¡°Damnation,¡± Saeter cursed as he fell.


    Blood poured from a great gash in his side as he collapsed onto his back. However, a smug grimace appeared on his lips as he lay there. It was clearly a fatal wound but the old scout didn¡¯t seem afraid or angry.


    ¡°What was the point of that? Why were you loyal to her?¡± Werrick asked. ¡°She didn¡¯t deserve it and I had hoped for more from you.¡±


    If Saeter was capable of mustering a reply he didn¡¯t have time. There was a distant bang and a thick column of black smoke rose into the air. Everyone turned to look at this new distraction.


    ¡°That came from my lab!¡± Mahedium shouted in alarm.


    ¡°I left specific orders that no one was to enter that building,¡± Werrick replied with obvious frustration at being interrupted.


    ¡°I need to go see what has happened. The materials and papers there are irreplaceable!¡± the mage whined.


    ¡°Then go see what happened,¡± Werrick told him coldly. ¡°You¡¯re not needed here.¡±


    The bandit chieftain then ordered several of his men to accompany the mage. With his escort in tow, Mahedium hurried over towards the explosion and whatever remained of his lab.


    A rustling sound from nearby woke Blacknail from his stunned stupor and reminded him that he had his own problems. Was one of his enemies finally coming to finish him off?


    Shock and confusion had overwhelmed the hobgoblin. His head was numb and hazy, and thinking about the events he had just seen unfold caused pain to stab through his mind.


    Nonetheless, his self preservation instinct was strong. He wasn¡¯t about to lie down and die. He could figure things out later. Right now, he just had to live. There was no way his master was really dead. He could still be saved somehow...


    Blacknail quietly began to struggle to rise to his feet. As he moved he glanced towards the direction of the noise and saw a familiar face.


    Khita was leaning around the corner of nearest building. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted Blacknail and she raised a finger to her lips to signal silence. Blacknail stared at her blankly as she skulked over to his side. What did she want? He didn¡¯t have time for her.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help,¡± the young redhead explained as she pulled out a knife and began cutting him free from the tarp he was tangled up in.


    When that was done, Khita grabbed his shoulder and pulled him up. With Blacknail leaning on her shoulder, she started walking back over to the building. She was leading him away from his master but Blacknail couldn¡¯t muster up the will to resist. His everything still ached.


    No one noticed their escape; none of Werrick¡¯s minions glanced in their direction. Half of them had gone with Mahedium so that only half a dozen remained, and they were all looking at the pillar of smoke that was winding its way up into the sky in the opposite direction.


    Khita hurriedly led Blacknail around the corner of the building she had come from. When they got there, Blacknail was surprised to see several members of his tribe hiding out of sight among a scattering of barrels and other equipment.


    Vorscha stood out in front of the others. Behind her was Geralhd and around a half dozen other bandits. Oddly enough, Scamp was cowering behind Geralhd¡¯s legs but there was no sign of Varhs.


    ¡°Here he is. I told you I could do it!¡± Khita exclaimed happily as Vorscha reached out to take Blacknail from her.


    ¡°And I told you not to try! You could have been killed!¡± the large woman hissed in reply.


    ¡°But she succeeded, and we need to worry about our next move now,¡± Geralhd interjected. ¡°You can drum her down later. The explosion won¡¯t keep them distracted forever and the Wolf¡¯s men are everywhere.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no chance of getting Saeter?¡± Vorscha asked Khita with obvious concern.


    ¡°No, Werrick¡¯s right on top of him and he¡¯s been badly wounded,¡± Khita explained.


    ¡°Then we need to leave. We¡¯ve already overstayed our welcome. I was hoping to grab Saeter or another scout but we will have to make do.¡±


    ¡°Finally, I don¡¯t know why I followed you idiots. We should have run off into the woods at the first chance we got!¡± a man behind Geralhd exclaimed nervously.


    Several other bandits nodded in agreement. They all looked terrified and more than a few of them kept scanning their surroundings. Blacknail was instantly reminded of rabbits that sensed a predator nearby.


    ¡°Have any of you morons ever traversed the Deep Green?¡± Vorscha rebuked them. ¡°Without supplies and proper scouts we won¡¯t last a day, and Werrick will have people watching the roads for us. To escape him we will have to hike through the forest for who knows how long.¡±


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ve got the hobgoblin and the gear so let¡¯s go. Blacknail is supposed to a holy terror out in the forest,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°I have to agree with that. I know we are still short on scouts but I don¡¯t think we are going to find any still around,¡± Geralhd added.


    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s amazing how fast those bloody bastards disappeared,¡± Vorscha admitted darkly.


    ¡°That¡¯s rangers for you. Half of them probably had their gear ready to go, just in case, and I don¡¯t blame them,¡± someone else muttered.


    While still supporting Blacknail, Vorscha started leading the squad of bandits off towards the forest. However, the hobgoblin tried to pull away from her.


    ¡°My master!¡± he hissed angrily. ¡°I need to go back.¡±


    He was too weak to break free and Vorscha kept moving. She only threw him a pitying look. There was deep sadness reflected in her eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t save him, little one. You would only be throwing your life away,¡± she told him. ¡°A good soldier knows when the cause is lost and when to fight another day.¡±


    ¡°No! I will sneak up on the man named Werrick and stab him the back. I can kill them all!¡± Blacknail argued defiantly.


    ¡°You can barely walk,¡± the woman replied frankly.


    The group of fleeing bandits were slipping through the more built area of Herad¡¯s camp. They used the buildings and tents for cover as they slipped towards the back of the base and the forest that lay beyond it.


    Chaos reigned all around them. Most of Werrick¡¯s forces seemed to have chased other parts of Herad¡¯s forces back onto the road. Another large group had been roped into helping fight the fire at Mahedium¡¯s cabin. The roof of the building was covered in flames and black smoke continued to pour out of it.


    There were still a few small groups of Werrick¡¯s men around but they seemed busy looting. None of them wanted to get a close look at Vorscha¡¯s party, lest they turn out to be unfriendly.


    ¡°I will save my master! Let me go!¡± the hobgoblin protested.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you go. The people here need you, and I won¡¯t let you throw their lives away along with your own,¡± Vorscha told him.


    Shouting interrupted any reply Blacknail could have made. It rang out from near Werrick¡¯s location.


    ¡°The hobgoblin, it¡¯s missing!¡± someone yelled in surprise.


    ¡°Search the area. He can¡¯t have gone far!¡± Werrick shouted in reply.


    The bandit chieftain¡¯s voice was immediately followed by pained laughter. Blacknail had never heard such a sound before, but he knew without a doubt who was making it. It was Saeter. The noise died a few seconds later and there was silence.


    Dread overpowered Blacknail and his gut twisted up. His heart skipped a beat as he tore himself away from Vorcsha. He only made it three steps before collapsing.


    No, this couldn¡¯t be happening. He could make it in time! There was no way his master was dead. All he had to do was pick himself up and run to his rescue! For the first time ever, tears welled up in Blacknail¡¯s eyes. His claws sank into the ground and as he clenched them they tore up the earth. He whimpered in pain. Why did it hurt so much! He didn¡¯t understand!


    ¡°Get up!¡± Vorscha hissed as she grabbed Blacknail and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.


    ¡°Come on Blacknail! Keep moving,¡± Khita begged him.


    They started walking again. Feeling was beginning to return to Blacknail¡¯s limbs and his stride strengthened. However, a new type of weakness plagued him. He felt hollow inside and he couldn¡¯t think straight.


    ¡°There they are!¡± someone shouted from of in the distance.


    ¡°Damnation, run for the trees!¡± Vorscha yelled as she passed Blacknail to Khita.


    The warrior woman spun around to see a small horde of enemy soldiers bearing down on her party. Instantly, most of her companions made a break for the safety of the trees ahead of them. Only Geralhd and Khita hesitated.


    ¡°Take the hobgoblin and go! I¡¯ll hold up the rear,¡± Vorscha ordered them.


    Geralhd nodded and began helping Khita drag Blacknail. Together they managed to get him moving at a fair pace.


    The sight of the enemy awoke something in Blacknail. Now that he had a focus, despair gave way to rage. Someone was going to pay for making him feel bad.


    ¡°I can run now,¡± he hissed as he pushed his two human helpers aside.


    The hobgoblin broke out into a jog. He was still unsteady but he could keep up with Khita and Gerhald easily enough. Anger burned within him but he kept it contained by mentally running through sword drills his master had taught him. His master...


    As his gait strengthened, Blacknail saw his tent off to one side. He and Saeter had set their campsite up near the forest, and Blacknail veered off towards it.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Geralhd asked between exhausted breaths.


    The hobgoblin didn¡¯t reply. He dashed towards his tent, quickly grabbed his backpack, snatched up one other item, and then hurried back over to the others.


    They hadn¡¯t slowed down for him but it didn¡¯t matter. It took him mere seconds to catch back up. The diversion had been more than worth the time. Saeter had always made sure that Blacknail kept a bag ready in case they needed to go out on a mission. Its contents would be very useful.


    The thick bushes that grew at the edge of the forest where the wall ended was only a short dash away now. Blacknail headed straight towards them.


    There were too many enemies to fight. All he could do was run and try to figure out his next move. He wasn¡¯t going to throw his life away in a fight he couldn¡¯t win, not when there were so many people that he needed to kill.


    There was a whistling sound and a loud meaty thud. Blacknail¡¯s ears perked up and he ducked low as he recognized the sound of arrows in flight.


    ¡°Gods damn it!¡± Vorscha suddenly roared.


    Someone had shot an arrow at her and it had grazed her leg. The warrior woman tensed up and stopped running. A deep graze bleed profusely a few inches below her knee.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you. Come on,¡± Geralhd quickly offered as he came to a stop as well.


    ¡°No, keep running. I¡¯ll hold them off. I¡¯ll never make it with a wound like this slowing me down,¡± his lover replied sadly.


    ¡°But...¡± he started to reply until Vorscha cut him off.


    ¡°Go!¡± she growled angrily as she drew her sword and turned to face the enemies bearing down on her. ¡°We both knew this was a just a short term thing, lover. It was never going to work out.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, and thank you for everything, love,¡± Geralhd replied sorrowfully.


    After a moment of hesitation, he started running again. Anguish was plain on his face but he had no choice but to flee.


    The sounds of fighting rang out in the air as Blacknail slipped into the bushes at the edge of the forest. Khita had already gone ahead and Geralhd was right behind him.


    The hobgoblin took a moment to peer out through the greenery at everything he was leaving behind. Smoke rose above Herad¡¯s camp. Somewhere out of sight lay Saeter and Herad¡¯s bodies.


    Nearby, Vorscha held off the first few enemies with a swing of her long sword. She wouldn¡¯t last long. She was already being encircled by vicious looking bandits.


    There was nothing Blacknail could do. He was helpless. The hobgoblin choked and his eyes watered as he clung to the item he had taken from his tent. It was the first gift his master had ever given him, his raggedy blanket.


    Then, without a word, Blacknail turned and slipped away into the Green. He would be back one day...

 Interlude: A Perfect Victory

    ¡°We¡¯ve got the area under control now, sir,¡± a tough looking bandit in leather armor carefully explained.


    He had short messy brown hair and was standing among the cluster of cabins in the center of Herad¡¯s encampment. There was only one other person nearby, but there was a lot of human activity off in the distance. The occasional cheer or exhilarated laugh rang out as groups of bandits wandered about and celebrated their recent victory.


    ¡°We¡¯ve pushed all hostiles out of the perimeter and set up watches,¡± the man continued. ¡°A few of the Black Snake¡¯s minions managed to flee down the road but there¡¯s nowhere for them to really go. The reserve force you left a few miles back is sealing their only escape route.¡±


    The bandit then saluted and waited for the armored man in front of him to respond. It took a few moments for a response to be forthcoming.


    ¡°And those that have surrendered?¡± Werrick eventually asked after thinking something over.


    The bandit chieftain was still dressed as if for battle, although he hadn¡¯t put his helmet back on. There was an unhappy expression on his face. His long brown hair was messy and he took a second to push a lock of it away from his eyes.


    ¡°They have been rounded up and await your decision, sir. As per your orders,¡± his subordinate quickly answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m in a foul mood. Let them stew for a while,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°Things didn¡¯t work out like I¡¯d hoped they would.¡±


    ¡°Sir? It was a perfect victory. We destroyed Herad¡¯s forces and killed her, all while taking acceptable losses,¡± the man remarked uncomprehendingly.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the gods given truth. However, things could have gone better after the battle...¡± Werrick mused to himself. ¡°I had my eye on recruiting a few more useful pieces.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.¡± the bandit replied carefully.


    ¡°Not your fault,¡± Werrick told him.


    The bandit chieftain took a second to look around. There was no longer any smoke rising into the sky or any sounds of fighting. However, most the tents that Herad¡¯s men had set up had been ransacked as their victorious opponents searched for loot. The camp had quickly been gutted and debris of various sorts now littered the ground.


    Off in the distance, tall trees surrounded the camp. Their leafy green branches blocked the view in every direction.


    ¡°What about those that fled into the forest?¡± Werrick asked his subordinate as he studied the trees.


    ¡°We have squads of scouts and hunters out to pursue them. They¡¯re unlikely to get far but some will probably try to circle back to the road so I thought it important to make sure none of them catch us unaware,¡± the other man replied.


    ¡°Indeed, only the truly desperate would seek safety out there. The wilderness is far more merciless than me, and even if they make it back to civilization all the North is now under my control,¡± Werrick chuckled.


    As he was talking, a cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows and approached him. There was nothing remarkable about the newcomer, except that their features were hidden under a fur hood, but Werrick recognized them and gave them his complete attention.


    ¡°You are dismissed,¡± he told the subordinate he had been talking to.


    The man saluted again and hurried away. When he was out of earshot the hooded figure spoke up.


    ¡°Lord, I watched the mage as you requested,¡± they announced in a surprisingly feminine voice. ¡°So far he has done nothing to arouse my suspicion, although the loss of all his papers in that fire was inconvenient. I had hoped to go through his correspondence.¡±


    ¡°I think that fire hurt him far more than it did us, Zelena,¡± Werrick replied. ¡°It also changes nothing really. We will simply have to be cautious in case he has struck additional bargains with the Broken Wheel behind our backs.¡±


    ¡°I will remain vigilant, my lord,¡± Zelena replied as she pushed her hood back to reveal her long blond hair and elegant looks.


    Her blue eyes gazed down submissively but they still shone with intelligence. Her every movement was calculated and controlled.


    ¡°I know you will. It was very reassuring to have you there during the battle. I wouldn¡¯t have wanted to actually put myself under that traitor¡¯s power,¡± Werrick told her.


    ¡°He could not have harmed you. I had defenses ready to neutralize anything he could have cast,¡± Zelena explained as she held up her hands.


    The sleeves of her thick coat slipped down to reveal a pair of delicate looking golden gauntlets. They were exquisitely crafted and fit her petite hands snugly. Symbols ordained the metallic surfaces and large crystals had been set into the palms.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t doubt your abilities as a mage bodyguard. Mahedium would never have known what hit him if he had tried to back out on our bargain,¡± Werrick told her confidently.


    ¡°We should kill that man now that we no longer need him,¡± Zelena replied as she scowled in distaste. ¡°It is dangerous to associate with a dark mage such as him. Nothing good will come of drawing the attention of the guilds. They are ruthless in protecting their secrets.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think his research will be useful?¡± Werrick asked her. ¡°I would have thought you¡¯d welcome a new source of mana stone.¡±


    ¡°I can buy new ones on the black market or from my connections, and his dealings with the Broken Wheel concern me,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Perhaps, but I also have plans for our renegade alchemist and the magic he can provide us. The mage guilds are a long ways from here and care little about the North,¡± Werrick countered. ¡°If he betrays us you can kill him, though.¡±


    There was a disapproving scowl on Zelena¡¯s face but she nodded in acceptance. Werrick was amused by her reaction and smiled.


    ¡°I will make sure he has no chance to work against you, lord,¡± she observed with complete confidence. ¡°His understanding of magic is deep but he is a floundering novice when it comes to conspiracy and subtle manoeuvrings.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you said about Herad when you went to Daggerpoint, and we both know how that turned out,¡± he replied.


    ¡°She had resources and allies I did not suspect,¡± the blonde explained defensively. ¡°How was I to know that...¡±


    ¡°It was not a rebuke, Zelena,¡± Werrick interrupted her. ¡°I was simply reminding you not to be overconfident. You have already been punished for your failings in Daggerpoint, such as they were.¡±


    ¡°Yes, lord. You are right,¡± was her immediate reply.


    Before they could resume their conversation there was an interruption.


    ¡°There you are, Werrick,¡± Mahedium yelled as he walked over towards the bandit chieftain. ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything important.¡±


    ¡°No, I was just about to go look for you, myself,¡± Werrick replied cheerily.


    There was no hint of suspicion or dislike in his voice, and Zelena¡¯s face went carefully blank.


    ¡°Hmm, how should I address you?¡± Mahedium asked uncertainly as he squinted at the bandit chieftain.


    ¡°Sir or Werrick is fine. How goes the recovery efforts at your lab?¡± Werrick asked him.


    The mage sighed deeply before replying. He looked deeply frustrated.


    ¡°As well as can be expected,¡± he admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to save most of my equipment but a lot of my notes have been completely destroyed. It will take quite a bit of experimentation to get some of the measurements and details I lost right again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have that time and also more resources than Herad ever gave you,¡± Werrick reassured him.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very grateful for your patronage,¡± the mage commented sincerely.


    There was a frown on his face though, and Werrick noticed it.


    ¡°Is something else bothering you?¡± he asked the other man.


    ¡°Ah, nothing much. It¡¯s just that a... pet of mine disappeared during the fire. I¡¯m somewhat glad it didn¡¯t die, but I find myself concerned about where it ended up,¡± Mahedium answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure its enjoying its new-found freedom,¡± Werrick replied dismissively.


    ¡°Hmm, yes. On a related topic, I hear that Blacknail managed to evade capture and is now out in the woods somewhere,¡± Mahedium remarked with a hint of nervousness.


    ¡°The hobgoblin? Yes, it managed to escape. After everything you hit it with I thought it would have been long dead, but it got up and slipped away,¡± Werrick replied.


    ¡°A pity, he was an interesting example of inhuman Elixir binding,¡± the mage commented. ¡°I would have liked to examine him a few more times.¡±


    ¡°So the bloody beast was really a Vessel!¡± Werrick remarked in surprise. ¡°I had assumed those rumors were tall tales.¡±


    ¡°I told you that they were not,¡± Zelena interjected irately. ¡°No natural creature could have done the things it did in Daggerpoint. I was thwarted at every turn by that monstrosity.¡±


    The blonde woman¡¯s face was red with anger and her fists were clenched tightly together. A shiver of rage went through her as she rounded on Mahedium, although her hands remained carefully concealed in her sleeves.


    ¡°Were you the one that created that foul thing?¡± she accused the mage.


    ¡°Uh, no... I had nothing to do with that. He was already a Vessel long before I ever met him. In fact, his origins are a bit of a mystery. I deal mostly with mana stones, not Elixirs,¡± Mahedium replied carefully.


    ¡°I think I would have liked to get a closer look at this Blacknail,¡± Werrick interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a hobgoblin and if he really was a Vessel than some of the other stories about him might have been true as well.¡±


    As he spoke he took a step forward between the two mages. He clearly wanted to prevent any conflict between them.


    ¡°I validated most of those reports myself,¡± Zelena told her boss.


    ¡°Yes, but many of them were still too outlandish to believe, and I judged that you weren¡¯t the most impartial of witnesses at the time,¡± he replied dispassionately.


    ¡°You know I am not one to exaggerate the prowess of my enemies to excuse my failures, lord,¡± she countered sullenly.


    ¡°As you say. However, the men in the reports spoke of him like he was the shadow of death itself, instead of flesh and blood. It was like they thought he was a monster that lived under their beds, just waiting for the right moment to strike,¡± Werrick explained. ¡°It was difficult to take seriously.¡±


    ¡°Their fear was understandable,¡± his lieutenant countered. ¡°Even I have never heard of such a creature and it left a trail of bodies in its wake. It hunted down some of my best men and slipped unseen into the strongholds of the allies I recruited.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I would have liked to get a closer look at him,¡± Werrick replied.


    Mahedium frowned and turned to regard the forest off in the distance. The trees swayed slightly as a breeze blew by.


    ¡°Be careful of what you ask the gods lest they grant your desire,¡± he remarked nervously.


    ¡°I hardly think one hobgoblin is much of a threat. He will soon run out of Elixir, as well,¡± Werrick replied.


    ¡°Blacknail was dangerous long before he was provided with Elixir. I personally saw him kill a powerful human Vessel without it. Hobgoblins are dangerous predators and they excel in hunting men and women,¡± Mahedium explained.


    ¡°Do you really see him as a credible threat to me,¡± Werrick asked in disbelief. ¡°What do you think he will do?¡±


    ¡°If Blacknail is truly out there then I have no idea what he is thinking or planning. He may just wander off, never to be seen again,¡± the mage admitted.


    ¡°That would be smart thing for him to do,¡± Werrick laughed confidently. ¡°One man can¡¯t hope to stand against the forces I have built.¡±


    ¡°He is not a man, and he doesn¡¯t think anything like one,¡± Mahedium countered. ¡°If he does resurface he won¡¯t come as an enemy or a competitor. We are prey to him, nothing more. The aurochs have both incredible strength and numbers, but that doesn¡¯t save them from the lion¡¯s jaws.¡±

 Into the Green 1

    What was pain? Blacknail contemplated the awful nature of the feeling as he led the way through the forest. Agony coursed through him. His injuries ached from walking but it was more than that. Something had been taken from him, and he knew he would never get it back.


    The absence enraged him. How dare they take what had been his! Herad had been his chieftain and Saeter had been his one and only master! Blacknail wavered slightly as hate boiled through him. Rage filled him to such an extent that it seemed to want to burst out from his insides like vomit, and he had to fight the urge to scream and rip apart the nearest bush or human scapegoat.


    The survivors of Werrick¡¯s attack meekly followed behind the hobgoblin. There were thirteen of them, but Geralhd and Khita were the only ones Blacknail knew very well. Scamp was also following meekly behind Geralhd.


    It had only been a few minutes since they had fled their old base. None of the humans were scouts so they didn¡¯t question the path Blacknail had chosen. They reeked of mind-dulling fear and sweaty defeat. Blacknail ignored their weakness and forged on ahead.


    ¡°Did you see Varhs?¡± Scamp asked Blacknail as he run up to his side.


    ¡°No!¡± Blacknail hissed back with barely contained fury.


    The little goblin¡¯s eyes were huge and shiny with tears. He looked both terrified and sad. Blacknail had to resist the urge to kick him. His pain was so much worse than Scamp''s! What did the spoiled little goblin know about suffering?


    Herad was dead. His chieftain had seemed invincible but she had fallen in combat after being betrayed. He had thought her cleverer than that. How could someone so ruthless and powerful die?


    Very little of her band remained after her demise. Vorscha was probably dead by this point and so was Saeter. The memory of his master¡¯s fallen body enraged Blacknail again.


    Even Red Dog had died. That wasn¡¯t fair! Blacknail had wanted to kill him, and he had been saving him for a special occasion!


    The hobgoblin snarled and squeezed his fists together. He had to fight to keep his rage in check. The idea of living without his master was... distressing. Did he want to stay with this other remnant of his tribe? What would be the point in that?


    The humans behind him were weak and useless, especially Khita. Most of them had injuries that made them next to useless in a fight. Leaving them would increase Blacknail¡¯s odds of survival, but where would he go after that?


    Blacknail had never really understood Saeter. His master¡¯s pink head had contained many weird human thoughts, but the hobgoblin had respected him. He had owed the man so much; Saeter had made the hobgoblin who he was.


    Vorscha had also been a complete idiot, even if she had been strong. Why sacrifice yourself and look after useless people like Khita? Blacknail didn¡¯t get it.


    It was Herad that Blacknail had actually understood the best. The bandit chieftain had ruled as a hobgoblin would... just better. It didn¡¯t take much imagination for him to know what she would have wanted him to do. Werrick had to die.


    Was that what Blacknail wanted, though? Killing the human named Werrick wouldn¡¯t be easy. It was possible a sneak attack might work but it would be risky and gain Blacknail nothing. He would still be alone and surrounded by enemies.


    Other strategies would require he seek out help. The humans that he was travelling with right now had been overcome by fear and were useless. It was annoying how cowardly humans could be.


    He didn¡¯t want to travel all by himself, though. That sounded really boring!


    Besides, the clumsy humans had one significant use. They served as a meat shield that would attract any attacking predators. That was important, because out here in the Deep Green there were a lot of things that liked people-sized meals.


    A scent reached Blacknail¡¯s nose. The hobgoblin stopped and stared off into the trees for a moment. He recognized it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Khita asked him nervously.


    ¡°Stay here. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Blacknail replied as he stomped off into the bush.


    The hobgoblin sniffed the air as he ducked under a branch. After a quick look around he located the source of the scent. It was coming from a cluster of roots at the base of a nearby tree. The tree itself was huge and its trunk rose up into the canopy where it blocked out the sun.


    ¡°Come out, you idiot. I know you¡¯re under there,¡± Blacknail hissed impatiently.


    There was a shuffling noise and a second later a head poked out from the space between two large roots. It was Elyias, and he didn¡¯t look all that happy to see Blacknail. What a stupid human.


    Elyias looked pale and scared. His eyes didn¡¯t meet Blacknail¡¯s and he kept looking off to the sides. He seemed both afraid of the hobgoblin and everything else as well.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. I heard something and was afraid it was some sort of monster... other than you. Is it safe now?¡± he asked nervously.


    A frustrated sigh escaped Blacknail lips. What kind of idiot hid in a stupid place like that just because they had heard some noise?


    Instead of replying Blacknail stepped forward and grabbed the man¡¯s shoulder. With a quick tug, he hauled him out of his hiding place. The young man was too petrified by fear to put up any resistance.


    ¡°There are some more people this way. Come with me,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Thank the gods. I was afraid that I was going to be stuck alone or with just... someone else,¡± Elyias whined fearfully.


    The stupid minion had obviously run off into the forest all by himself as soon as Herad had been defeated. He wouldn¡¯t have lasted a day if Blacknail hadn¡¯t found him. Elyias owed him another favour now.


    It was only a short walk back. Elyias trailed after Blacknail with a relieved expression on his face. They got a few looks as they approached the spot where the hobgoblin had left the others.


    ¡°Oh, a straggler. The bastard is lucky you found him,¡± one of the bandits said as they spotted Elyias.


    ¡°Ah, him. He¡¯s that kid that kept losing at dice. Why do we want him?¡± another male bandit remarked disdainfully.


    ¡°We already have Khita. He won¡¯t be any worse than her,¡± Blacknail explained.


    The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t quite sure why he had bothered going after Elyias. Had it been just out of habit? No, it was because Elyias was his minion. He had lost too many tribesmen today to give up any more. Anyone that tried to take what was his would have to pry it from his clawed hands!


    ¡°True enough,¡± the man replied. ¡°I guess he may as well join us.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Khita exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m a better woodsperson than any of you asses!¡±


    All the survivors started talking amongst themselves, but Blacknail took back his position at the front of the group and started walking again. He didn¡¯t care about what they said.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Um, Blacknail. Maybe we should stop for a second?¡± Geralhd told him as he hurried over to the hobgoblin¡¯s side.


    The hobgoblin turned to look at the man. He was standing right behind Blacknail with a nervous smile on his face. There were mutters of agreement from the other humans as well.


    ¡°We need to keep moving,¡± Blacknail hissed in response.


    ¡°I understand that, but we don¡¯t even have a plan. Where are we going?¡± Geralhd asked him.


    ¡°We¡¯re headed away from the people trying to kill us,¡± Blacknail explained condescendingly. That should have been really obvious to everyone.


    ¡°Yes, but that doesn¡¯t tell us where we are headed,¡± Geralhd countered.


    Out of morbid curiosity, Blacknail decided to ask and see if any of the humans had something in mind. He stopped walking and turned towards them.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he asked them.


    Geralhd and the others started talking among themselves. Unsurprisingly, none of them had any good ideas.


    ¡°We should probably head in the same general direction as the road. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anywhere else to go,¡± someone commented.


    ¡°But if we get too close someone might stumble onto our trail,¡± another replied. ¡°Werrick probably has a lot of men out looking for us.¡±


    This discussion went on for a few minutes before Blacknail lost patience. He grunted in annoyance and started walking again.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Geralhd asked the departing hobgoblin.


    ¡°There is a place Saeter and I sometimes used as a campsite this way, and it will be dark soon. Follow me if you want. I don¡¯t care,¡± Blacknail grunted without stopping.


    After a few more seconds of arguing everyone decided to let him lead the way.


    Despite all the dramatic events that had unfolded less than an hour ago, the forest was the same as always. Blacknail was still struggling to hold back the rage he felt but around him things were almost tranquil.


    They were walking a path the hobgoblin had used many times before when he¡¯d gone out hunting. Birds sang in the trees off in the distance. Leaves rustled as small animals scampered around out of sight.


    The canopy overhead was porous on this trail, so the undergrowth was thick. As Blacknail was stepping over a fallen log, a crunching sound reached his ears. It had come from a fair distance down the trail behind him, and it was swiftly followed by a dull snap.


    Instantly, Blacknail''s heckles rose and he turned to scan the forest in that direction. He didn¡¯t see anything but he knew something was there.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Khita asked him.


    The concern in her voice disturbed the hobgoblin. He looked her and the other humans over. Some of them were wounded and they all looked exhausted.


    ¡°I think someone is following us,¡± he told her loud enough that everyone could hear.


    Fear immediately appeared on most of the bandit¡¯s faces. Several of them twitched and threw nervous glances backwards. Blacknail watched them and frowned. It was unlikely they would be useful in a fight. Their retreat had broken their spirit.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± someone asked with barely concealed panic.


    No immediate answer was provided by Blacknail. He took a few seconds to mull over his options. He looked up at the sky overhead. It was starting to get dark out. The sun had almost reached the western horizon already.


    ¡°I will go back and see who it is. Keep following this trail until you reach the end,¡± Blacknail told everyone.


    He then explained to them how to get to the campsite he had mentioned before. As soon as he was done most of the humans started hurrying away. They wanted as far away from any form of pursuit as possible.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want help?¡± Khita asked.


    Blacknail snorted disdainfully in reply. Khita was incapable of being helpful. There was no way she could move through the forest unseen.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just going to take a look, scout stuff,¡± he lied.


    The redhead nodded and without another word headed after the others. Blacknail watched her go for a second before stepping off into the bushes at the edges of the trail.


    Before he could come up with a plan he needed to find out who was tracking his party. He had only heard one person but there could easily be many more.


    Luckily, it was getting dark out now. In just a bit it would be too dark for humans to see properly, but he wouldn¡¯t have that problem.


    The forest was silent as Blacknail slipped through the trees. He headed away from the trail and then began moving parallel to it. With great care he kept to the shadows and out of sight. It was important that he not be seen, but he had to keep an eye on the trail.


    Almost immediately, he heard another crack as someone stepped on a twig. The hobgoblin froze and went perfectly still. There was movement along the trail. From his hiding spot behind a fallen log, Blacknail studied the source of the noise. It was a group of humans.


    Saeter would have found their movements sloppy but it was much better than that of most humans. They moved carefully and only the occasional sound betrayed their presence as they followed the trail and the signs left by the survivors of Herad¡¯s band.


    The enemy scouts were dressed much the same as Herad¡¯s rangers had been. Most of them wore hunter¡¯s cloaks and dirty leather clothing.


    Seven of them were visible. Blacknail didn¡¯t think they had any scouts out or backup nearby. They wouldn¡¯t want to split up in unfamiliar territory.


    Even without reinforcements, that was more than Blacknail would usually want to fight. However, this wasn¡¯t a normal situation and he really wanted to kill something.


    The hobgoblin considered running ahead and getting some help from his human allies, but he quickly discarded that idea. They would be too scared and tired to fight properly, and they would only give him away. Alone, there was no way the pursuers would be able to detect him before it was too late.


    However, the most important consideration was the rage. Every second Blacknail watched the enemy, images of Saeter dying filled his head. He had been helpless before, but now this group of foolish humans had left the safety of their pack and entered his domain. There was no one to hold him back from taking his bloody vengeance.


    Blacknail turned away and headed deeper into the woods. Once safely out of sight, the hobgoblin broke into a run. The trail curved up ahead so he could cut across the forest to get a lead. There was a good ambush spot down the trail he wanted to take advantage of.


    After whipping through a patch of bushes, Blacknail jumped back onto the trail. He didn¡¯t stop moving. He kept running for several minutes until he came to the place he remembered.


    A huge tree had recently toppled across the trail here. The fall of the towering giant had opened up the canopy but the undergrowth hadn¡¯t had time to thicken yet. Except for two more tall trees there was no real cover along this part of the path, and one side of the trail was blocked by a rocky ledge that was twice as tall as a man.


    Blacknail slipped his backpack off and hurriedly began his preparations. First, he pulled out some rope and started setting a trap. He emptied his backpack, filled it with rocks from the ledge, and then tied the rope to it. With that done, he threw one end of the rope over a thick branch overhead and then scrambled up the other tree.


    He chose a sturdy limb that was over a dozen feet up and stretched over the path as his hiding spot. The leaves of the tree made him almost impossible to see from below. From there, he made his final preparations and strung his bow.


    Nothing happened for several long minutes, until there was a faint rustling noise. The first scout appeared below Blacknail and began carefully walking down the path. He didn¡¯t look up, humans almost never did. It was a weakness of the species.


    Soon, the rest of the party followed their leader out onto the path. The hobgoblin grew excited as he watched them. When they were directly below the trap Blacknail grinned and cut the rope.


    The only warning the men below got was a slight rasping noise as the rope rubbed against bark. Surprised faces looked up just in time to see the sack of rocks drop on top of them.


    Cries of pain were quickly followed by a sickening crunch as the heavy weight smashed into two men standing in the middle of the enemy formation. It knocked one man aside and hit the other dead on, crushing him.


    The other humans panicked and threw themselves to the sides, away from the danger. Blacknail didn¡¯t give them time to recover or figure out what was happening. He already had his bow drawn back and immediately let loose an arrow. It sank into one of the scout¡¯s backs.


    The twang of the bow was muffled by the commotion caused by the first attack. It took several moments for the hobgoblin¡¯s enemies to realize another one of their comrades had fallen and how.


    ¡°Ambush! To cover!¡± a hooded scout ordered as he dove off the path and into some bushes.


    His fellows were quick to scatter and seek the closest cover as well. None of them seemed to know where they were being attacked from but they knew the general direction from which the arrow had come.


    The man that had been knocked aside by Blacknail¡¯s trap was trying to get to his feet. He was struggling and had obviously been badly hurt. Blacknail reloaded his bow and shot him in the back. The man flopped down back onto the ground and went limp.


    There were no more easy targets, so the hobgoblin dropped his bow and dashed further out onto the tree limp he had been perched on. He jumped off the branch, caught another one, and then threw himself sideways.


    Branches whirred past Blacknail as he flew through the air and landed on an unsuspecting enemy¡¯s back. The hobgoblin was not wearing boots so that he could climb easier. The long claws on his hands and feet sank into the man¡¯s clothes and then the flesh beneath.


    There was a shrill scream of pain as the man collapsed under Blacknail¡¯s weight. A shock went through the hobgoblin¡¯s arms as they both hit the ground, but the hobgoblin caught himself. Without hesitation, he quickly drew his knife, reached around, and cut the stunned man¡¯s throat.


    There were three enemies left, and they were scattered around the ambush site. This was going to be easy! Bloodlust rose within the hobgoblin and tinted his vision red. He almost spasmed with the need to bite and tear into his prey. It was time to make his enemies pay for what they had done.

 Into the Green 2

    Blacknail rose up from atop the corpse of the enemy scout whose neck he had just slit. The salty scent of blood was in the air as the crimson liquid seeped into the ground. Without a word, he launched himself towards his next victim. There were still three of Werrick¡¯s minions scattered around the area.


    A cracking noise revealed someone moving behind a tree up ahead. As Blacknail dashed across the ground, he drew his sword. It came loose with an eager hiss, as if anticipating the spilling of blood.


    A bearded human peeked out from behind the tree. He was an older man with untidy brown hair, and there was a tense look on his face.


    Instantly, Blacknail leapt forward and slashed at the human. The man¡¯s eyes went wide and he quickly disappeared back behind cover.


    A predatory growl escaped Blacknail¡¯s lips, but he didn¡¯t give chase. Instead, he threw himself the other way. He dashed around the opposite side of the tree trunk, towards the man¡¯s back. His claws sunk into earth and tree roots as he moved.


    ¡°Bloody hells!¡± the bearded man yelled as he turned and realized what had happened.


    His back was exposed. He had drawn his blade but it was useless since he was facing the wrong direction. His eyes widened in terrified helplessness, as the lightning quick hobgoblin closed the distance and stabbed him in the side. The blade sank deep into flesh before grinding against bone and coming to a halt.


    That left just two humans. Blacknail laughed as he tugged his sword free, and his voice echoed eerily through the trees. Behind him, the bearded man fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut.


    ¡°What in all the hells is going on here? What is this?¡± a panicked voice shouted from off to one side.


    ¡°It¡¯s him, the monster!¡± someone exclaimed in reply. ¡°The reaper of Daggerpoint!¡±


    The fearful tone caused an excited shiver to go down Blacknail¡¯s spine. The sound was full of weakness to be exploited. The hobgoblin licked his lips eagerly. He could practically taste their terror, and it was sweet and satisfying. It quenched a need.


    The last two humans were on the other side of the path and hiding behind a fallen log. There would be no benefit in giving his prey time to think and collect themselves, so Blacknail darted towards them and onto the trail.


    Just as he had reached the center of the path, a hooded figure rose and aimed a short bow at him. Sunlight reflected off the steel tip of the nocked arrow. It was aimed directly at Blacknail¡¯s face, but the hobgoblin ignored it. Unflinchingly, he stared directly into the archer¡¯s eyes and kept running straight.


    Time flowed slowly as Blacknail moved. His muscles were as taut as a coiled snake¡¯s as he prepared. His eyes glowed with hunger and hate as they focused completely on the enemy.


    The archer was a tough looking human woman with short brown hair and a crooked nose. Her eyes shimmered with fear but they also held steely determination. One well placed arrow would turn the tide of the fight.


    The woman¡¯s gaze relaxed, and the tension left her face for a moment as practiced calm took over. The arrow flew free as the archer¡¯s fingers let it go, but Blacknail had already dived to the side. He had seen his opponent¡¯s expression change and known what it meant.


    The projectile missed the hobgoblin entirely and shot off into the forest.


    ¡°Mine!¡± Blacknail growled triumphantly as he leapt forward and raised his blade.


    The archer jumped back and dropped her bow. She reached for the blade at her side, but she wasn¡¯t quick enough. Blacknail¡¯s sword cut into his opponent¡¯s exposed arm and drew blood. It wasn¡¯t a deep cut but the archer stumbled back and lost her grip on the blade she was drawing.


    Immediately, Blacknail swung his sword around again, but his attack was interrupted. There was a rustling of leaves, as the last enemy ranger rose up from his nearby hiding spot and attacked with a swing of his own blade. The hobgoblin was forced to dodge out of the way of this new attack and bring his blade up defensively.


    There was a loud metallic clang and sparks as the two swords collided. Despite his strength, Blacknail was pushed back by the man¡¯s sheer weight. The hobgoblin smiled sourly as he absorbed the force of the blow by jumping backwards. He didn¡¯t like being pressed back by a human fatty.


    ¡°Damnation, it¡¯s really him!¡± the new attacker cursed as he looked at Blacknail.


    He was a stocky human male that was dressed in the same rough clothing as the others. His long blonde hair had been gathered up into a ponytail, and he had a patchy looking goatee. There was alarm in his eyes as he studied Blacknail.


    As soon as he landed, the hobgoblin brought his sword back up into a defensive posture. He met his opponents¡¯ stares and grinned savagely in a way that highlighted his pointy teeth. They flinched, much to his delight.


    They should fear him! Soon, he would tear them apart for daring to raise their weapons against him and his tribe. Saeter would be avenged! Nothing could save them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to chew your bones,¡± Blacknail hissed menacingly.


    He wasn¡¯t actually going to do anything like that. Humans didn¡¯t taste very good, especially not the bones, but the idea of being eaten unsettled them in a way that simple death didn¡¯t, because they were dumb.


    ¡°It¡¯s a demon! It talks!¡± the man stuttered fearfully. ¡°How can it speak?¡±


    His words amused Blacknail. The hobgoblin had spoken up before that. This human was a particularly stupid specimen.


    ¡°Shut up and fight,¡± the female hissed as she drew her sword. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter right now.¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes flickered with interest. Her grab for her weapon had been clumsy, probably because her main hand had been wounded and she was using her weaker one.


    The man took a step forward. Immediately, Blacknail circled around away from him and towards the woman. She was obviously the weaker of the two.


    ¡°Cover me,¡± she told her companion as she tried to step back.


    However, Blacknail didn¡¯t give them chance to coordinate. He dashed forwards and jumped onto a nearby log. It was a massive fallen tree trunk and slippery with moss but Blacknail¡¯s exposed claws gripped the bark without any problems.


    Before his opponents could react, he sprinted along its length for a second before leaping back down onto the ground. His unexpected move placed him on the far side of the woman, out of reach of the man.


    ¡°Get back!¡± the man yelled as he tried to circle around.


    He was way too slow. Blacknail launched a flurry of sword slashes at the woman. She desperately tried to block and parry the hobgoblin¡¯s blows but was clearly having trouble. Her use of her weaker hand slowed her reactions.


    As he crossed blades with the woman, Blacknail kept an eye on the man. Every time he tried to join the fight, the hobgoblin pushed the woman in his way or circled around in the opposite direction.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    His inability to get near the hobgoblin frustrated the man, and the woman began to tire. Both of them quickly grew red in the face as the fight went on. Suddenly, Blacknail stepped forward. The woman was slightly off balance, and a blow from the hobgoblin knocked her sword aside. She was now completely open to attack.


    The woman¡¯s face paled as Blacknail raised his sword again in one hand. She had no way to block his next strike. The hobgoblin grinned as he stared into the woman¡¯s terrified eyes. This was the end!


    However, before the hobgoblin could attack, the man leapt forward with his sword raised up above his head. His blade came down in a mighty blow that battered Blacknail¡¯s weapon aside.


    Instead of resisting, the hobgoblin relaxed and absorbed the force of the strike. As Blacknail¡¯s spun around, the man¡¯s momentum carried him closer. As he staggered past, the hobgoblin casually drew a dagger with his free hand and plunged it into the man¡¯s exposed back.


    ¡°Humans are so easy,¡± Blacknail purred happily as let go of the knife.


    In front of him, the man fell and began coughing blood onto the ground as he died. The long dagger had sunk deep and cut into his vitals.


    The woman squeaked and dropped her sword, before turning to run away. Blacknail sighed overdramatically. Humans were also slow. She had no chance of getting away. Really, what was she thinking?


    With dagger still in hand, the hobgoblin leapt forward and caught the woman¡¯s cloak. Instead of trying to pull her down, he simply tugged on it to slow her down and pull himself closer. She glanced over her shoulder, panicked, and immediately tried to backhand him.


    The blow missed as Blacknail ducked under it. He took the opportunity to tackle her legs, and they both fell in a tangle. As he hit the ground with a thump, the hobgoblin was tempted to burn Elixir so he could quickly overpower his enemy. He resisted the urge though, since he had very little left in his system and only one vial.


    Dirt and debris from the forest floor was thrown into the air as they rolled. Blacknail fought to keep his hold on the enemy scout. With a grunt of effort, he pulled himself up onto her chest as they suddenly came to a jarring stop.


    The woman tried to buck her hips and throw him off, but Blacknail easily held her down. He hissed menacingly as he placed his dagger against her exposed throat, and she went perfectly still.


    ¡°Oh gods. Oh gods, no. Please spare me,¡± the woman begged tearfully.


    This reaction stumped the hobgoblin for a second. He stared down the now crying woman¡¯s face and hesitated. A flicker of emotion stirred within his chest as he studied her face.


    ¡°Why would I do that? It would be stupid,¡± he asked her curiously as tilted his head to the side.


    ¡°Please spare me!¡± the woman continued to whine.


    Blacknail frowned and shook his head disdainfully before answering.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to kill me so I need-ss to kill you first. That¡¯s how this works, and I hate you. You killed my tribe. Ending your life will make me feel much better,¡± he patiently explained.


    The suppressed anger he had unleashed at the start of the fight still roiled within him, but it had mostly been spent. Victory was now his and with it came smug satisfaction. He wanted to drag out the fun for a little bit, and was honestly curious what she was going to say. Did she have something valuable to offer him?


    ¡°You can have all our gear and coins!¡± she told him frantically.


    Blacknail scratched the back of his head. That idea didn¡¯t work for him. Even bringing it up was stupid.


    ¡°I can just take your stuff after killing you. Not having you running around is much better for me,¡± he pointed out.


    The woman stared at Blacknail for several long seconds without replying. She seemed to have regained some measure of self-control and was studying the hobgoblin carefully now, even though his dagger was still pressed against her neck.


    ¡°I can offer you pleasure,¡± she told him.


    Blacknail considered her words. He had no idea what she was talking about, but he noticed her right hand was now concealed behind her back. It looked suspiciously like she was reaching for a concealed weapon.


    ¡°I already said I would enjoy taking my vengeance,¡± he countered as he remained alert.


    ¡°But surely laying with a woman would be much more satisfying,¡± she replied confidently.


    ¡°Laying with a...¡± Blacknail mused as he thought her words over.


    Suddenly, his eyes opened wide in shock. A stab of pain went through his skull as visions of a certain woman from Daggerpoint flashed through his mind. Even worse than the sights was the phantom smell of perfume. He didn¡¯t want to remember that!


    Blacknail flinched away from the woman and his cheeks felt hot. There was no way he was doing anything like that with a human woman ever again! Nope, that wasn¡¯t happening. If it hadn¡¯t been for that perfume, he would never have let that smirking woman control him like that.


    As the hobgoblin was working to repress painful memories, he felt the person beneath him shift. His eyes focused in time to see a dagger plunge towards his side. Quickly, Blacknail threw himself sideways out of the way of the attack.


    The knife cut through Blacknail¡¯s shirt and grazed his ribs. The woman took advantage of his movement to throw him aside and scramble back onto her feet. A second later, she was dashing off down the trail that led back towards Herad¡¯s old camp.


    ¡°No fair,¡± the hobgoblin grumbled bitterly as he jumped to his feet.


    She had almost stabbed him while he had been thinking! Even worse than that, she had made him recall things he had been repressing for months.


    Rather than pursue his escaping enemy, Blacknail picked up the bow she had dropped earlier. He grabbed a few arrows off the ground as well, and then he leapt atop the huge fallen log again. He took careful aim and then shot the fleeing woman in the back.


    She instantly crumbled and then rolled across the ground until hitting the base of a tree. Blacknail stuck his tongue out at her corpse before turning away dismissively. He hadn¡¯t felt like chasing her down and tackling her again. Her disturbing offer had totally ruined his vengeful moment!


    Why did humans think he wanted to mate with them? Several members of Herad¡¯s band had mentioned stories about hobgoblins raping humans. They were so fat and tall, and also pink! How was that attractive?


    Blacknail wanted to rant at the woman for suggesting such a thing, but she was already dead. In the hobgoblin¡¯s experience, it was human woman who came onto him! Not that he wanted them to. They were perverts.


    All the enemy scouts that had been following his group were dead now. Blacknail sighed resignedly as he looked around at their remains. What was left of his fury and outrage swiftly began fading away.


    The killing had sated his bloodlust, but he still felt oddly hollow. The meager vengeance he had taken hadn¡¯t made him feel any better. Saeter and his other tribemates were still gone and would never be coming back. The emptiness still ached.


    If killing half a dozen minions hadn¡¯t filled the void within him then he would just have to find something else that would. The answer was simple. Werrick was the one who had taken his tribemates. Nothing would be right until that smug human was dead.


    An idea occurred to the hobgoblin. Werrick thought he had won, that the battle was over, but that was not the case. Blacknail didn¡¯t like the idea of his future prey feeling relaxed and triumphant as he rummaged through the spoils of Herad¡¯s camp. He would leave the man a message.


    An actual written message wouldn¡¯t work because Blacknail couldn¡¯t read or write, but that didn¡¯t matter. The hobgoblin knew more than a few other ways to get his point across.


    Blacknail grabbed the leg of a nearby human corpse and began dragging it. After a bit of hard work and creative self-expression he had finished up. Now the forest path looked much better. There was no way anyone was going to miss this message or misunderstand what it meant!


    Three of the corpses were now hanging from tree branches and creaking as they swayed. The other bodies had been piled in the center of the path nearby. Several of them were missing their heads. The skulls now decorated spikes that had been driven into the ground.


    After looking around and nodding approvingly, Blacknail smiled to himself. It was annoying that he didn¡¯t have any more time to play, but this would do. It got the point across.


    There was a muted cracking noise behind him, so Blacknail glanced over his shoulder. He wasn¡¯t too worried. It couldn¡¯t be an enemy. It was unlikely they could have sneaked up on him, and they would have acted already if they had.


    For a few moments he didn¡¯t see anything. Then, his eyes focused on a large green shape. He stared at it for several long seconds as he stayed perfectly still. It was a troll.


    Oh right, there had been signs of a troll hanging around. Saeter had pointed them out before the battle. Perhaps staying next to all these bloody corpses for so long had been a stupid idea.


    As Blacknail watched, the huge beast stepped out onto the path and ambled over to the pile of corpses. There was a loud snorting sound as it sniffed them, and then in an impressive display of strength it reached out with one muscled arm and picked one of the bodies up.


    The troll stared at the body for a few moments, and then it took a bite out of it. There was a series of loud crunches and wet smacking noises as it chewed and tore into the now mangled body. Blood splashed onto the ground as the beast ate.


    This troll was noticeably larger than the one Blacknail had seen before. Like the other, it had thick green skin and a mane of dirty brown hair. It¡¯s face somewhat resembled that of a very angry goblin, but it obviously weighed several times more than a hobgoblin. Heavy muscles seemed to roll under its skin as it moved, and two large tusks jutted out from its mouth.


    A minute passed very slowly for Blackanil as he watched the massive predator. There was a smile on his lips, because he didn¡¯t dare let his facial expression change, lest even the tiniest movement attract the troll¡¯s attention.


    After swallowing a particularly large chunk of meat, the troll turned towards the hobgoblin and growled deeply. Blood dripped from its jaws.


    Blacknail had been hoping, futilely it turned out, that the beast hadn¡¯t seen him. The hobgoblin carefully weighed his options. None of them seemed to offer him very good chances of survival. He was completelyfucked.

 Into the Green 3

    The troll growled menacingly as it glared at Blacknail. The sound was full of raw rage and hunger. A shudder went down the hobgoblin¡¯s spine, and he instantly understood what the beast was trying to communicate.


    ¡°Yep, you can have those,¡± Blacknail stuttered nervously with false cheer. ¡°Consider the meat a gift!¡±


    He carefully took a step back from the troll and the pile of bodies it had been feeding on. Overcome by terror, he kept his eyes lowered submissively. He didn¡¯t plan on trying to assert his right to his own kills.


    With all that food in front of it, the troll probably wouldn¡¯t bother chasing down one small scraggly hobgoblin, as long as it didn¡¯t get angry. Unfortunately, trolls were famous for getting homicidally enraged over nothing and killing people.


    The hobgoblin continued to back away slowly, and the beast turned away from him. It continued eating again. Blacknail reached the edge of a patch of bushes. He took a step backwards and there was a snapping sound as his foot crushed a twig.


    Blacknail winced at the unexpected sound and his breath caught in his chest. He hoped the unwelcome noise didn¡¯t draw the beast¡¯s attention.


    He wasn¡¯t so lucky. The troll looked up and its furious eyes locked onto the hobgoblin. It growled, and its massive green bulk shifted as it took a step towards him.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Blacknail swore under his breath.


    With a hiss of rage, the troll lurched forward. Its mouth opened to reveal huge razor sharp teeth as it lunged towards the hobgoblin.


    In response, Blacknail yelped in terror and jumped. He twisted around in the air and was already moving when he landed. Instantly, the terrified hobgoblin sprinted madly across the ground towards the closest tree. Its huge trunk might get in the way of the terrible beast and slow it down. It wasn¡¯t a great plan, but it was the only one he had.


    The sound of claws tearing into the earth and growling quickly closed in on Blacknail¡¯s exposed back, but his plan worked. The hobgoblin reached the tree without getting eaten, and he put a hand up against its bark as he rushed around it.


    Blacknail threw a terrified glance back over his shoulder to see the troll¡¯s charge slow. It didn¡¯t want to collide with the tree trunk at full speed. The hobgoblin would have laughed triumphantly, but he still had nowhere to go and he was probably going to be eaten alive.


    Could trolls climb trees? The hobgoblin had no idea.


    Another menacing deep growl issued forth from the troll as it approached. It reached out with one hand and its claws tore into the tree bark as it came to stop. Fury radiated from the beast as it studied the hobgoblin hiding from it on the other side of the tree.


    ¡°Go away... please,¡± Blacknail said as he stared at the unstoppable predator with eyes wide with fear. ¡°I¡¯m just a little hobgoblin. You don¡¯t want to eat me; I probably don¡¯t taste nearly as nice as a fat juicy human.¡±


    He was totally fucked. The hobgoblin whimpered softly to himself and his stomach felt sick. There was no way he was going to survive this.


    Blacknail had seen how fast trolls could move and how hard they were to kill. It had taken a large squad of specially armed humans to take the last one down. This one was just toying with him, like he was rabbit or a mouse.


    So much for all his plans; Blacknail was never going to kill Werrick. This troll was going to chew the hobgoblin up, and then it would finish eating all the humans he had killed. Werrick wouldn¡¯t even get Blacknail¡¯s message. It would look like a troll had killed the scouts. It had all been pointless.


    The troll smelled of foul meat and rot. Its muscles flexed as it crouched low and prepared to spring towards Blacknail. The hobgoblin drew his sword. It was a pitiful weapon, but maybe he would get lucky, and piss the beast off enough that his death would be quick.


    There was a rustling sound as a breeze blew through the forest and shook the branches on the trees. For a second, the scent of the troll was replaced by that of leaves and soil. Then the moment ended, and the beast leapt. Its eyes glowed with hunger as its massive jaws opened in preparation to feed.


    Pure terror overwhelmed Blacknail and he froze. Time moved slowly, as his eyes widened with shock. The troll was fast and its jaws promised inescapable death. There was no way he could possibly get out of the way.


    As the beast lurched through the air towards him, something hit it. The troll was knocked sideways as a long wooden spear slammed into its flank and sunk deep. There was a thunderous crash as the beast hit the ground. It roared in fury and pain from the unexpected assault.


    Blacknail stood there and watched uncomprehendingly. He twitched slightly but didn¡¯t otherwise move. He had no idea what was going on. A second ago, he had been staring at the open troll jaws that had been about to bite down on him.


    With tremendous force, the huge spear was driven deeper into the troll. There was a snapping sound as it pierced right through the green predator and sunk into the ground, pinning it there. The troll began to roar and thrash around but it was held fast.


    Four arms held the long spear in place. Each of them was much larger than those of a human. They were also covered in bark. Blacknail had been saved by what looked like a mimic.


    A closer look revealed more details. The creature with the spear was undeniably similar to a mimic but also quite different. It had the same shell like armor that looked like bark, but its build was different. Its tall body was much bulkier and had fewer growths with leaves protruding from its back.


    The biggest difference was the face. Instead of eye stalks, it had a head that looked almost like a human wearing a polished wooden mask. Its dark eyes shone with intelligence instead of the dumb blackness that filled those of a mimic.


    The creature was silent as it held the troll down. No matter how much the troll thrashed and howled it couldn¡¯t get free or reach its attacker. After a few moments, it began to slow and eventually go completely still. It was dead.


    Nothing happened for a moment. Blacknail watched silently. He didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of anything that killed trolls. That would be stupid.


    There was a quiet creaking noise as the tree-like creature turned to look at Blacknail. The hobgoblin cringed and reluctantly met its gaze. The thing was very tall and it had a very big spear.


    However, the creature simply looked curious as it studied Blacknail. At least, it didn¡¯t seem hostile, but it was hard to tell since its face resembled a solid slab of wood.


    There was a soft muttering noise from behind Blacknail. He cringed again and glanced over his shoulder. What was it now? Another troll? Hadn¡¯t things gotten crazy enough?


    Another creature stood behind the hobgoblin. It sort of resembled the spear-holder, but it was much smaller and only had two arms. It also had a carapace that resembled bark, but pale green flesh was visible in the joints.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Blacknail felt his jaws go slack with surprise as he studied the second creature. It sort of looked like a human! In particular, it looked like a woman wearing oddly shaped wooden armor, even if it wasn¡¯t really human.


    A mass of long vine-like tendrils grew from the back of its head, and its face was soft and fleshy. There was no mistaking the resemblance to a woman; it even had breast-like bumps under its chest armor.


    The female tree monster met Blacknail¡¯s gaze. Her face was serene and revealed nothing. The hobgoblin looked like someone had shaken him until he couldn¡¯t stand straight.


    The creature opened her mouth and incomprehensible words spilled out from between her weirdly human lips. Blacknail just stared at her blankly. Her voice was soft and melodic but he had no idea what was trying to say. It sounded nothing like the words of humans or goblins. He hoped this wasn¡¯t a test.


    When Blacknail didn¡¯t reply, she turned to her much larger companion and said a few more strange words. He answered her in a deeper voice that echoed like sound through a hollow log.


    When they were done talking, she walked over to the spear-wielder, and he shambled over to the troll and picked it up. Together, the pair then started walking off into the forest.


    Blacknail let them go. He wasn¡¯t going to question what had just happened. If trees wanted to come alive and save his life then that was fine with him. Also, he was still so shocked he had forgotten how to move.


    What were those things that had killed the troll? Saeter had never mentioned anything like them, and they seemed important!


    After a few moments had passed, Blacknail shook himself free of his paralysis. He was glad that he had already repacked his bag and gear before the troll had shown up. It was time to get the hells out of here and meet back up with the others. He would be safer among his human meat shields.


    Without a word, the hobgoblin dashed back onto the trail. He moved as quickly as his legs would carry him, and he didn¡¯t look back. It was starting to get very dark out now. Dusk had passed and the sun was well past the horizon. Even Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblin eyes were having trouble seeing through the gloom of night.


    The only sound that reverberated through the forest as Blacknail scrambled down the trail was the sound of his own heavy breathing and frantic footsteps. This didn¡¯t reassure him much. He hadn¡¯t heard the strange tree creatures approach at all, and they had been near silent when they had left. He simply had to hope that they weren¡¯t following him or that he could outrun them.


    After a few long minutes of running, and almost tripping over unseen stones or branches a few times, Blacknail saw a familiar rock up ahead. It was taller than him and its grey bulk jutted out from the ground beside the path. It was the marker he was looking for.


    Off of the path, the darkness of the forest was almost impenetrable, but Blacknail turned and stepped into it. This was the way to the campsite where he had sent the others.


    A lot had happened today. Blacknail had fought a battle, lost comrades, hiked through the forest, gotten into another fight, and then seen things he didn¡¯t understand. He was too tired and sore right now to even process it all.


    Even if it was too dark out now to see footprints or other signs, Blacknail could still follow his comrades¡¯ scent through the forest. The campsite was just up ahead, and Blacknail was going to be very angry if there wasn¡¯t a hot meal waiting for him.


    They had no excuses. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t care if half of them had fallen into a sink hole or been mangled by a giant boar. None of his human tribesmen could navigate through the forest or help all that much in a fight, so they had better at least have set up a half decent campsite. If they hadn¡¯t, Blacknail was going to give them such a kicking in the morning.


    Blacknail stepped out of the forest. Moonlight shone down on the ground in front of him and illuminated the way. Up ahead, there was a rocky hill that ended at the base of a cliff. A small fire burned atop the hill, and it cast a host of shadows against the backdrop of the cliff.


    The hobgoblin had found the rest of his party. He raised a finger to his lips and whistled shrilly in a way that imitated the call of a particular bird. That was the signal he had arranged beforehand. He didn¡¯t want to startle anyone by sneaking up on them unannounced. They might overreact and then he would have to hurt them.


    There was no response, so after a few seconds Blacknail whistled again impatiently. What were they doing? Were the lazy pink fools even listening?


    This time he did get a reply. It didn¡¯t sound anything like the signal, though. It sounded more like a frog being strangled than any sort of bird call. Still, it was close enough. Blacknail grunted in annoyance as he made his way over to light.


    The hobgoblin could see a pair of figures near the fire watching him as he climbed the rocky hill. Saeter had used this spot as a campsite because the open ground around the hill and the cliff behind it made it almost impossible to approach without being seen.


    When he got closer, Blacknail recognized one of the humans as Geralhd. The thin young man was standing with his back to the fire. The other bandit beside him wasn¡¯t important.


    ¡°You¡¯re back! I was afraid something had happened to you,¡± Geralhd announced happily when Blacknail was close enough to see by fire light.


    ¡°Is there hot food?¡± Blacknail asked grumpily before yawning.


    He wanted to eat and then get some sleep, not deal with idiots. He looked past Geralhd at the dark shapes that were stretched out around campfire. Most of the bandits were asleep.


    One smaller outline obviously belonged to Khita, and she was very gently snoring. Blacknail was glad he didn¡¯t have to deal with her obnoxious personality right now.


    ¡°There¡¯s some stew. It¡¯s barely palatable, though. We only had one pot, and none of us had time to get proper rations, so we just threw whatever we had in,¡± Geralhd explained as he pointed to a small iron pot that had been set on a stone beside the campfire.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Blacknail grumbled as he walked over to it.


    The stew didn¡¯t smell very good, like boiled dried meat and grass. That wasn¡¯t surprising since that was probably what it actually was. Blacknail picked the pot up, sat down on the rock, and began slurping the stew down. As he ate, Geralhd continued talking.


    ¡°There was a small cache of firewood under an overhang where it would stay dry, and we gathered up a bit more from the forest before it got dark, but we will have to conserve it carefully if we want to keep the fire going all night.¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t reply and just kept eating. None of that sounded important. As soon as he was done eating he planned on finding a spot next to the cliff, where it was safest, and curling up to sleep.


    ¡°Um, when you doubled back to check for pursuit, what did you find?¡± Geralhd asked the hobgoblin.


    This caused Blacknail to finally look up at him. The hobgoblin blinked a few times as he sorted through events in his mind. He had no idea how to answer in a way that was both truthful and which wouldn¡¯t invite a million more annoying questions, so he lied.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything worth talking about,¡± he eventually replied.


    ¡°So then... what was all the screaming we heard about?¡± Geralhd asked in surprise.


    Blacknail stared blankly at the thin bandit for a second, and then his gaze shifted to the man¡¯s tiny pink ears. Humans had such terrible hearing that the hobgoblin had just assumed they hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    ¡°But then I ran into some of Werrick¡¯s men and killed them,¡± Blacknail explained reluctantly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about them. We¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°And the bestial roars?¡± Geralhd asked next.


    ¡°I stepped on a pinecone. It really hurt,¡± Blacknail replied deadpan.


    This answer clearly didn¡¯t satisfy Geralhd, but there was no way the hobgoblin was going to admit to even seeing a troll. It would bring up too many other questions he didn¡¯t want to answer, and the humans didn¡¯t need more reasons to be afraid and useless.


    Blacknail ignored Geralhd¡¯s questions and told the man he was going to sleep. Reluctantly, Geralhd left the hobgoblin alone and went back to take his turn on watch.


    When he was gone, Blacknail found an empty spot and unpacked his blanket. The familiar softness of the cloth comforted and relaxed him. He yawned as he spread it over the hard ground and then lay down. It smelled like home.


    The stars shone brightly in the clear sky up above, but a lot of them weren¡¯t visible. The shadowy cliff loomed to one side, and wall of trees rose on the other. It was almost like Blacknail was looking up from the bottom of a deep pit or well.


    The only sound to be heard was quiet human snoring and a faint rustling off in the forest somewhere. Blacknail stared at the stars as his body relaxed. However, for some reason, one corner of his mind couldn¡¯t let go of consciousness. It wasn¡¯t a problem he¡¯d ever had before.


    He was... troubled. He couldn¡¯t stop wondering about the future and thinking about the past. Blacknail was used to living in the present, so this feeling bothered him.


    It was like the illusion of the pit that surrounded him was real, instead of just in his mind. He had fallen into darkness. What did he do now that he had no master? What did he do without Saeter?


    The howl of wolves echoed from off in the distance. Their sound was faint, even to his amazing ears, but easily recognisable. Blacknail listened and a wave of memories washed over him.


    Saeter had found the sound beautiful. He had said it was the sound of the North. Blacknail didn¡¯t feel the same way. The howling reminded him of how vast the Green was, and of all the strange things that lived within in it.


    Wolves were just dogs and they were associated with his enemy. One day, Werrick would die at his hands. The hobgoblin focused on that thought until he drifted off to sleep.

 Into the Green 4

    The early morning twitter of cheerful birds filled the air. Blacknail was repacking his bag and preparing to start hiking again. All around him, the other remnants of Herad¡¯s band were getting ready to move as well. When you were being hunted down by an army it was important to rise early and keep moving.


    Over a quick breakfast, the bandits had decided to keep following the trail they were on as it paralleled the road north. They didn¡¯t have a lot of options. Heading back would be suicide and there was nothing for them to the South. Most of them were wanted men and the others didn¡¯t have the papers necessary to avoid being press ganged into the army.


    The plan was to use the trails for a few more days and then slip back onto the main road. The forest path kept them hidden but it was also less direct and slower going.


    The road would take them to Daggerpoint or another bandit friendly outpost. Once safely there they would disband, disappear, and hopefully join up with other bands. Most bandit chieftains didn¡¯t ask their new recruits too many questions, and Werrick had no reason to put much effort into chasing down a few ragged and powerless survivors.


    This plan didn¡¯t sit well with Blacknail, but he couldn¡¯t argue against it. It was frustrating, but he had no idea what he should do now. Would another tribe of humans take him in? Did he even want to join up with anyone?


    Well, if he didn¡¯t find a new tribe to join, he could always just do what he had done the last time he had gone to Daggerpoint. Living on the streets, stealing food, and killing people for fun and profit hadn¡¯t been so bad. A hobgoblin could do much worse.


    Blacknail¡¯s idly thoughts were interrupted by Geralhd walking over to him. The man seemed to be muttering to himself. All that morning, the thin bandit had been looking sickly and depressed.


    ¡°Ah, Blacknail. How are you doing?¡± he asked the hobgoblin. ¡°We face a cruel new dawn today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been better,¡± Blacknail replied as he eyed the young man critically. Did he want something?


    ¡°Those are my general feelings as well... I woke up expecting Vorscha to be lying next to me, and then I realized that her presence would be ever denied me now,¡± Geralhd mused sorrowfully.


    This wasn¡¯t something that Blacknail wanted to hear, or think about. It brought to mind his own recent losses. There was nothing he could do about that right now, so he was trying to avoid thinking about it.


    ¡°You should be getting ready to move,¡± the hobgoblin pointed out sourly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I just felt like talking to someone, and no one else here seemed like much of a listener,¡± Geralhd admitted.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why the quality of his hearing mattered. He was confused for a second and his hesitation allowed Geralhd to keep talking uninterrupted.


    ¡°We had a complex relationship based on mutual self interest, but I¡¯m going to miss her deeply. She deserved better...¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t care. The man could talk but that didn¡¯t mean the hobgoblin had to listen. Hopefully, when they started moving Geralhd would grow too tired to keep talking.


    Having conversations about your feelings was dumb. If you were happy you should continue doing the things that made you happy, and if you were mad then you should stab the person that had made you upset. That was the system that had always worked for Blacknail.


    Admittedly, sadness was proving a little more complicated, but stabbing someone still seemed like a promising solution. It probably just had to be the right person, and if Geralhd didn¡¯t shut up it might be him.


    ¡°Even Scamp looks melancholy,¡± Geralhd added as he pointed towards where the goblin was sitting. ¡°He is probably missing Varhs. It¡¯s all rather quite distressing.¡±


    The motion drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. He stared at where the goblin was sitting on a rock. The little menace was wearing his usual shorts and had a large knapsack on his back. Blacknail immediately noticed one huge problem, though.


    ¡°That¡¯s not Scamp,¡± the hobgoblin observed warily.


    ¡°What?¡± Geralhd replied in surprise as Blacknail stalked over to the goblin.


    It only took Blacknail a few moments to recognize the pale skinned little creature with black hair. It was definitely Mahedium¡¯s pet, but what was it doing here?


    The goblin calmly met Blacknail¡¯s suspicious gaze, as the hobgoblin stomped his way. There was a relaxed look on its face which annoyed Blacknail. How dare the little creep come into the hobgoblin¡¯s camp without asking permission or offering tribute!


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked the goblin as he snarled down at it.


    ¡°Following you, great one,¡± the creature replied politely.


    This response startled Blacknail and threw him off track. He hadn¡¯t even known the goblin could talk! Still, it was being properly respectful, at least.


    ¡°Where did you learn human speak?¡± he enquired in shock.


    ¡°I listen to people and talk to Scamp,¡± the goblin answered simply.


    That made sense, but it was also deeply suspicious! Blacknail didn¡¯t like the idea of the little goblin sitting in a dark corner while secretly listening to everything everyone said. Worse, he had probably been learning things, on purpose. What kind of goblin did that? Learning was something you should only do when you had no other choice!


    ¡°Where is Scamp?¡± Geralhd asked as he walked up beside Blacknail. ¡°Nothing happened to him, right?¡±


    ¡°Over there,¡± the goblin replied neutrally as he pointed towards the forest.


    Sure enough, a small green figure could be seen walking along the tree line. The goblin appeared to be rooting through the underbrush for bugs or other sources of food.


    That was normal behaviour for Scamp, but there was something very odd about Mahedium¡¯s goblin, and Blacknail intended to put him in his place. He was the hobgoblin here and this goblin was too arrogant.


    ¡°Fine, but what¡¯s in the sack?¡± Blacknail asked as he smiled smugly and nodded towards the bag on the goblin¡¯s back.


    Something flickered behind the goblin¡¯s eyes for a second before he responded. He had thought something over with alarming speed.


    ¡°I take shinnies from Mahedium,¡± he told the hobgoblin humbly. ¡°You can have if you want, very tall stabber of humans, but it heavy.¡±


    Blacknail scowled in disappointment as he flipped the sack open and peered inside. He hadn¡¯t expected the goblin to offer him the bag. That took the fun out of taking it from the goblin. However, he did like the titles the goblin was giving him. Blacknail knew his height was just perfect for a hobgoblin.


    ¡°That certainly looks like stuff from Mahedium¡¯s lab,¡± Geralhd added as he leaned over Blacknail¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The little goblin must have grabbed whatever caught his eye before fleeing the fire and following your scent. He must have thought it would be safer to follow a hobgoblin.¡±


    The inside of the bag was indeed stuffed full of items that looked like they had come from the mage¡¯s cabin. None of the junk at the top was all that interesting or useful during a long hike, and Blacknail didn¡¯t want to dig deeper in case something exploded.


    ¡°You can keep it,¡± the hobgoblin announced as his scowl deepened.


    Geralhd¡¯s explanation didn¡¯t satisfy Blacknail. There was something off about this goblin and the way it acted. However, if the goblin wanted to drag heavy junk through the forest for who knows how long then Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to stop him.


    ¡°Thanks, wise master,¡± the goblin responded as he nodded respectfully.


    ¡°He needs a name. What should we call him?¡± Geralhd interjected happily.


    What was this now? For some reason, the bandit¡¯s mood had picked up. Blacknail and the goblin both turned towards Geralhd.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Our new compatriot needs a name, like yours and Scamp¡¯s,¡± the young man explained. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have one yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± the goblin confirmed as he sat there with an indecipherable expression on his face.


    After thinking it over for a few seconds, Blacknail realized that Geralhd was right. Naming the goblin would be useful. Unfortunately, the hobgoblin didn¡¯t really care all that much and no good names sprung to mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just call him Gob,¡± Blacknail announced.


    This name didn¡¯t appear to please anyone else. Geralhd winced as if in pain and the goblin vigorously shook his head in denial.


    ¡°How about Imp, after the demon that punishes the arrogant who turn away from the gods?¡± Geralhd suggested.


    As if a goblin needed fancy name like that! Well, it didn¡¯t matter. Blacknail didn¡¯t feel like arguing about something so stupid.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± he said before snorting disdainfully and turning away.


    After a few minutes passed, everyone had finally gathered up, and they were ready to get going. With Blacknail leading the way, the surviving bandits entered the forest and made their way back to the path.


    Hiking quickly grew monotonous. The trail was rough, uneven, and thin so the going was difficult and tiring. Several of the humans started talking quietly amongst themselves to pass the time, and their conversation drew Blacknail¡¯s interest.


    ¡°So, the hobgoblin is our scout, but who is our leader? We should really have one in case we need someone to take charge in an emergency,¡± a bandit pointed out.


    Blacknail¡¯s ears perked up as he focused on the man¡¯s words. That was a very good question! He had been too busy fighting and working to consider the fact that their group was currently leaderless. They obviously needed a chieftain, and it should obviously be him!


    ¡°I should be the new leader,¡± Blacknail politely suggested as he came to a sudden stop and turned around.


    There was silence for a few seconds as everyone else stopped and considered this. For some reason, almost no one but him seemed to think it was good idea.


    ¡°Er, how do you figure?¡± a male bandit asked with surprise and doubt plain in his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m the strongest and smartest person here,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°I could kill you all or just leave you all to die in the forest. How could it be anyone else?¡±


    ¡°The person part is arguable,¡± a blonde bandit muttered quietly.


    ¡°I heard that,¡± Blacknail replied crossly as he glared at the man.


    ¡°...but he¡¯s still got my vote!¡± the man quickly added as he flinched and smiled apologetically at Blacknail.


    ¡°Blacknail should totally be the new boss!¡± Khita exclaimed, but everyone ignored her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not following a hobgoblin!¡± another man interjected heatedly.


    ¡°Just leave it. What are you going to do? Fight him? That¡¯s not going to make anyone here think you¡¯re smart,¡± a woman replied. ¡°We do need him more than he needs us.¡±


    ¡°Plus I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Blacknail added helpfully.


    The humans took several seconds to talk among themselves. Surprisingly, it was Geralhd who took charge.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we have any other plan but to follow him, anyway. Why shouldn¡¯t he be in charge?¡± he told the others.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to be the one to tell the murderous hobgoblin Slosher that he can¡¯t be the leader,¡± a bearded bandit added.


    ¡°Er, can he even do the job? He¡¯s undoubtedly a great fighter, but it takes more than that to lead,¡± someone else replied skeptically as he threw Blacknail a nervous look.


    ¡°I have a plan there,¡± Geralhd countered before turning back to the hobgoblin.


    ¡°We¡¯ve agreed that you¡¯re the best choice for leader, Blacknail,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Good,¡± Blacknail replied proudly as he straightened up and smiled.


    He was the leader! That meant he was better than everyone else, and that they all knew it.


    ¡°We also want to elect a sub-leader, in case you are too busy... doing important things... to take charge. You know, just in case,¡± Geralhd added diplomatically.


    That made sense to Blacknail. He nodded in acceptance and the humans began talking among themselves. Having a sub-leader would just mean less work for him, and the leader already did next to no work. This was going to be great!


    ¡°You seem to be the hobgoblin whisperer here, so it may as well be you,¡± the woman from earlier suggested to Geralhd.


    After a brief but intense conversation everyone else agreed. Some people looked angry and disappointed but they didn¡¯t argue. They were probably just jealous of Blacknail¡¯s undeniable leadership skills.


    ¡°All right, that¡¯s all settled then,¡± Geralhd concluded.


    Blacknail took this time to plan his first move as the leader. He scanned the people behind him for a familiar face. Ah, there was Elyias! The young bandit was way at the back and Blacknail had almost forgotten he existed. How silly of him.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m the leader, I shouldn¡¯t carry my own bag,¡± Blacknail announced before pointing at Elyias. ¡°You should take them.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s not fair!¡± the young man said in shock.


    Elyias had been keeping to himself at the back of the party, but now he spoke up and looked to the others for support. No one cared. They shrugged or even glared at him for trying to drag them into his problem.


    ¡°Just do it,¡± the man next to him said mercilessly.


    ¡°Also, if you drop anything or steal from me I¡¯ll kill you,¡± Blacknail added as he passed the young man his bags.


    ¡°Fuck me,¡± Elyias swore as he took them. ¡°How did I end up here?¡±


    Free of the weight of his knapsack, Blacknail¡¯s shoulders felt much looser. He hummed happily to himself, as he rolled his shoulders and started leading his loyal tribe of followers through the forest. He was the leader!


    Nothing much happened for the next few days. They hiked through the day and took shelter during the night. Their movement through the forest was slow, and since they had little in the way of supplies they also had to forage a fair bit as they moved.


    Luckily, Blacknail knew where to find edible plants. Saeter had taught him quite a lot and he had a very good nose. It was spring so quite a few young plant shoots could be eaten raw.


    Scamp and Imp were also skilled at gathering plenty of delicious bugs. They easily found more than they could eat and shared the rest with the humans. However, for some reason, the humans started to complain about the food. They were very spoiled.


    ¡°Would it be possible to find some real meat?¡± Geralhd eventually asked Blacknail.


    He had just come from a brief huddle with most the other humans. They had begun to thin out a little and their eyes shone with hunger. Blacknail thought it was a good look on them. It made them more hobgoblin-like and the loss of fat would allow them to run faster.


    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s out there,¡± Blacknail replied as he pointed toward the forest.


    ¡°Er, I meant could you go get it? You¡¯re the best hunter here. The only hunter, really,¡± Geralhd clarified.


    ¡°You wanted to move quickly,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°We also need real food. Most of us are out of rations.¡±


    Blacknail considered this for a few moments. He didn¡¯t want to do it, however since he was such a great leader, he would.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll stop early at night and I¡¯ll set up some traps, which I¡¯ll empty in the morning,¡± he explained.


    This was good enough for Geralhd and the others. They continued hiking for the rest of the day until it began to grow dark, and then they set up camp. While the others foraged for plants, Blacknail sniffed out some rabbit trails and set up snares.


    That next morning he checked them and found three rabbits. The excited humans quickly turned them into a breakfast stew. Over the next few days of travelling they kept this pattern up, even if it did slow them down.


    Eventually, the trail they were on ended at the top of a cliff. Below them, they could see an expanse of trees and a wide roaring river. The river stretched down from a far off mountain range and cut across the landscape. There was only one way to cross it.


    They had to make their way back to the main road. Herad had destroyed the original bridge across the river there, but it looked like Werrick had repaired it. From atop the cliff, they could see it.


    Some of the bandits thought it would be too risky to head back to the road. This was an obvious spot for an ambush. Unfortunately, Blacknail explained that they had no choice. He knew of no other crossing and it would be incredibly risky to try and find one.


    So, the group of survivors carefully crept through the forest and back towards the main road. Blacknail led the way down the slope and through the trees. He moved carefully and kept his eyes open, just in case there were enemies nearby.


    However, when Blacknail stepped out of the forest and under the sun, nothing happened. There was no ambush waiting for them on this side of the river.


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t care about us?¡± Geralhd remarked in relief. ¡°I mean, why would they? With Herad dead, we¡¯re no threat to Werrick.¡±


    There was a chorus of agreements from the others, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t so sure. Why send rangers after them at all then? He intended to keep his eyes open.


    The hobgoblin made his way over to the bridge that lay across the river. It was a slim rickety looking thing, but it was still much better than trying to swim across the water. This early in the spring, the river was wide and its current was moving rapidly. Splashes of white water were constantly hitting the rocky banks.


    After glancing across the river at the winding road and distant tree line for any sign of ambushers, and not seeing any, Blacknail started crossing the bridge. The wooden planks beneath his feet creaked as he moved, and he was soon joined by the rest of his group.


    They made it to the other side without anything dramatic or unexpected happening. Blacknail glanced back over his shoulder in the direction they had come, before leading his party down the road.


    The mood of the party quickly started to pick up. Unlike on the forest trail, it was easy going on the road and the trees weren¡¯t so oppressively close. Without branches hanging overhead and greenery blocking their sight, everyone felt much safer.


    ¡°We will get to Daggerpoint within a few days at this rate!¡± someone cheered.


    ¡°If Werrick was chasing us he would have guarded the bridge. That means we¡¯re in the clear!¡± another woman added happily.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad we don¡¯t have to walk through anymore mud. I think my one boot has sprung a leak,¡± Khita announced.


    Several other bandits joined in the celebration. Most of them seemed to believe that they had escaped their pursuers. However, Blacknail just frowned thoughtfully, and Geralhd noticed his expression.


    ¡°What are you thinking about, Blacknail?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I think they might think that we have a secret sneaky way across the river; this is our territory. That means they would ambush us anywhere but at the bridge,¡± the hobgoblin explained.


    ¡°That¡¯s a little paranoid,¡± one bandit suggested.


    ¡°Did that even make sense?¡± another asked.


    There were murmurs of agreement from most the other humans, and that annoyed the hobgoblin more than a little. He turned to glare at them. He was the boss! How dare they question him!


    ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re all being too noisy. I¡¯m the leader and I say be quiet,¡± Blacknail ordered them haughtily.


    ¡°Ya, he¡¯s the leader,¡± Khita added.


    The hobgoblin ignored the annoying redhead and his hand inched towards his sword hilt. If anyone challenged him then he might have to make an example of one or two of them. It was important to keep minions in line.


    ¡°We should do as he says,¡± Geralhd interjected. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to attract unwanted attention.¡±


    There were nods of reluctant acknowledgment to the man¡¯s words, and Blacknail let his hand fall away from his sword hilt. He snorted disdainfully before turning back around and continuing to walk.


    There was still a long journey ahead of them before they reached Daggerpoint, and anything could happen in the wilds. Blacknail was going to have to muster all of his considerable intelligence and natural leadership skills to get them there safely.

 Into the Green 5

    Blacknail and his new subordinates made good time on the road before they had to stop for the night. The last time the hobgoblin had come this way, he¡¯d stumbled upon a hidden cave the size of a small room. It served as shelter from the elements and a hideaway, so he led the bandits to it.


    As his minions were setting up camp, and doing all the unimportant not-leader things, Blacknail went out to put up his snares. It had become a nightly ritual, and his human followers depended on the food he caught. They were completely useless without him.


    Once finished, the hobgoblin took a few minutes to forage for edible shoots and leaves. Several of his followers had already been through this area in their own search for food, but Blacknail had neglected to tell them that Red Cress leaves were edible. In fact, they were the tastiest treat around, which was why he hadn¡¯t told anyone about them. More for him!


    When he got back to the cave, Geralhd was there to welcome him. Most the other bandits were seated around the cave and resting. Days of hiking had worn them down and given them more than a few aches.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you led us here. It looks like it might rain over night, and we didn¡¯t find much in the way of firewood,¡± Geralhd told the hobgoblin. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to go most the night without any light, so I¡¯m glad we¡¯re not out in the forest.¡±


    Blacknail nodded sagely in response. He didn¡¯t really care, but this sounded like something that important people talked about, and he was definitely important.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the leader. I know of many secret hiding places, because I¡¯m amazing.¡± the hobgoblin replied as he grinned haughtily.


    After a brief conversation, Geralhd went to see if there was anything else that needed doing, and Blacknail let him. The humans could take care of themselves, probably. In any case, most of them were expendable, so it didn¡¯t matter.


    It quickly grew too dark to see outside. Even the inside of the cave was barely lit by a small flickering fire. As the leader, Blacknail didn¡¯t need to take a turn on watch, so he found somewhere comfortable to curl up and quickly fell asleep.


    When he rose early the next morning, the hobgoblin yawned sluggishly and started waking everyone else up. Several of the lazy humans tried to sleep in, but Blacknail didn¡¯t let them. They had things to do, and a horde of murderous bandits to evade!


    ¡°Ah, let me sleep just a little more!¡± Khita whined as she rolled over on her sleeping roll.


    Most the bandits had bedrolls or blankets of some sort, even if they didn¡¯t have much more than that. Before fleeing the battle they had grabbed what they could.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the leader. Get up!¡± Blacknail told her as he kicked her in the back.


    ¡°Ow, stop that!¡± the redhead hissed angrily.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the leader. Get up!¡± Blacknail repeated happily as he kicked her again.


    He was enjoying this aspect of leadership quite a bit. Not only was physical discipline fun, but it was for their own good as well.


    ¡°Argh, fine! I¡¯m getting you back for this later, though,¡± Khita growled grumpily as she sat up and turned to glare at him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get back at me, I¡¯m the leader,¡± the hobgoblin explained condescendingly. Didn¡¯t she know anything?


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Khita responded as she got up and started rolling her blanket up.


    Blacknail left her alone and went to get the next lazy human moving. It only took one blow to wake Elyias up. However, the still drowsy young man took one look at the hobgoblin¡¯s face and yelped in terror. A second kick to the stomach shut him up. Minions were so funny.


    After a quick breakfast they were back on the road. Once the sun rose up past the horizon, it became a bright day with little in the way of clouds.


    The bandits continued on their trek North for several hours. They saw no sign of pursuers, although a small flock of screeching harpies flew overhead at one point.


    They were long gone before Blacknail could string his bow and try to shoot one down. His minions were always complaining about being hungry, and a harpy had a fair bit of meat on it.


    As he was walking, Blacknail¡¯s mind was focused on his latest leadership problem. The top of his head was itchy because his horns were growing. They were still only a pair of small bony nubs, but they were definitely getting bigger. It was annoying.


    All hobgoblins had horns - or at least Blacknail thought they did - but he kept his filed down so that they didn¡¯t get in the way of wearing hats and stuff. Unfortunately, Blacknail had forgotten his file so he couldn¡¯t get rid of them.


    Even worse, none of his human minions had a file either. Blacknail had asked them, and then gone through their bags while they were sleeping, just to be sure they weren¡¯t holding out on him, but he still hadn¡¯t found one.


    While Blacknail was scratching his scalp, an uneasy feeling came over him. It started with an itchy sensation like someone was watching him from out of sight, and then his gut twisted slightly to the left. Since he hadn¡¯t recently eaten any strange mushrooms, that meant something was wrong.


    The hobgoblin stopped what he was doing and scanned the tree lines on both sides of the road. He didn¡¯t see anything, but the feeling didn¡¯t disappear, so he raised a hand up and signalled for everyone to stop.


    Immediately, a surprised man walked right into Blacknail¡¯s back. The man swiftly apologized and backed off, but Blacknail was still annoyed. Most of the humans had completely ignored his signal and were still walking!


    ¡°When I have my hand up like this it means you¡¯re supposed to stop!¡± an infuriated Blacknail explained as he tried to stare everyone down.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± the bandit right behind the hobgoblin replied nervously.


    Everyone then slowly came to an uneasy standstill as Blacknail glared at them. Who had trained these humans? They were terrible at everything! They must have been raised by awful masters.


    Grumbling to himself, the hobgoblin turned back to the road up ahead and listened carefully. A branch snapped and birds sang, but he didn¡¯t hear anything too out of place or which explained his uneasy feeling.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Geralhd asked nervously.


    ¡°Your great leader is not sure,¡± Blacknail replied contemplatively.


    ¡°We have a great leader?¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing. The hobgoblin is just being paranoid again,¡± a bearded bandit then remarked.


    ¡°Really, you¡¯re going to question his instincts? Do you think your senses are better than his?¡± Geralhd countered sarcastically with a voice full of ire.


    The bearded man shut up and didn¡¯t reply. Everyone else was quiet, as they waited for their hobgoblin leader to do or say something. After a few seconds of silence, Blacknail tilted his head back and sniffed the air. He smelled nothing unusual, so he began walking forward.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Once he had moved a few dozen feet up ahead, the distracting scent of his stinky human followers disappeared. Blacknail sniffed the air again and then crouched down to press his nose against the dirt. He inhaled the scent of the road for a few seconds as he crawled around in a small circle.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± someone enquired.


    ¡°Er, did you catch a scent?¡± Geralhd asked as the hobgoblin came to stop and stood up.


    ¡°Your glorious leader has found something important!¡± Blacknail replied as he brushed himself off.


    ¡°What?¡± Khita asked.


    The young redhead sounded tired and irritable. It was probably because she wasted so much energy being annoying. She should try and sleep a little more instead of talking so much.


    ¡°I found humans!¡± Blacknail announced gravely.


    All the bandits glanced at each other uncertainly. They frowned in confusion and more than a few of them rolled their eyes.


    ¡°Er, we know we are humans...¡± Geralhd remarked.


    ¡°No, stupid minions, I mean different humans,¡± Blacknail countered. ¡°There was a large group of people here less than an hour ago.¡±


    It took the bandits several seconds to consider this, and then they all tried to speak up at the same time.


    ¡°Damnation, that could mean anything!¡± someone cursed.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± a woman asked her fellows. ¡°It¡¯s probably Werrick¡¯s men!¡±


    ¡°We need to know more before we do anything,¡± the first person replied.


    Before the humans could get too loud and waste his time, Blacknail shushed them. They all fell silent immediately at the tone of his voice, and at the sound of his sword leaving its sheath.


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader, so I decide what we do!¡± he told them as he brandished the blade dramatically.


    ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± the woman asked guardedly.


    The other bandits also seemed nervous and unsure of themselves. Luckily, they had a leader to tell them what to do! Blacknail considered his options for a few moments before replying. Completely on his own, he quickly came to the conclusion that he needed to know more before he could decide.


    ¡°You all stay here, and try not to die. I¡¯m going to look around,¡± he ordered his minions.


    There were murmurs of disagreement, but Blacknail ignored them. As the leader, his was the only opinion that mattered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you!¡± Khita offered with sudden interest.


    ¡°No. If she tries to follow me then stab her,¡± Blacknail ordered Geralhd as he turned away from his followers.


    ¡°Er, sure,¡± the thin man replied uncertainly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it for you, if you want,¡± a bearded bandit offered him.


    Blacknail ignored them and headed for the edge of the forest. No one followed him as he slipped into the shadows cast by the branches overhead.


    Stealthily, the hobgoblin slipped around trees and bushes. All his senses were alert as he searched the area for signs of any watchers. When he didn¡¯t see anyone, he began paralleling the road.


    It was only after several minutes of walking that he detected someone. As Blacknail was climbing over an old rotting log, a rustling sound drew his eyes towards a tree next to the road.


    There was a black haired man crouching in the shadows there, where he couldn¡¯t be seen from the road, but where he could still observe anyone approaching from that way. Blacknail instantly recognized him as a sentry. His gear was also too similar to what Werrick¡¯s men wore for it to be a coincidence.


    Blacknail crept closer to get a better look. He circled around a thick green bush and hid behind the base of a particularly wide tree. Once there, he spotted a dozen other concealed humans near the road, and there were undoubtedly more that he couldn¡¯t see.


    This was an ambush. Werrick¡¯s men were laying in wait, and they were ready to pounce on Blacknail¡¯s party if they went down the road. They obviously already knew that the survivors from Herad¡¯s band were nearby, or they wouldn¡¯t be waiting like this. That meant Blacknail didn¡¯t have much time.


    It didn¡¯t look like the first sentry Blacknail had seen was visible to any of the other ambushers. The hobgoblin weighed his options. It was best to retreat as quickly as possible, and killing the sentry might alert someone. However, on the other hand, he really enjoyed murdering people.


    He was going to do it. He couldn¡¯t help himself.


    Quickly, Blacknail slipped out from behind the tree and closed in on the man. He was absolutely silent as he glided up behind the bandit and drew a dagger. Once close enough, Blacknail lunged forward, cut the man¡¯s throat, and then stabbed him under his ribs. The man barely had time to shiver and gasp before he bled to death in Blacknail¡¯s arms.


    To avoid suspicion, Blacknail leaned the corpse up against a tree in an as natural a position as he could, and then hurried back the way he had come. Soon, the enemy would realize that Blacknail¡¯s party wasn¡¯t going to walk into their ambush and they would give chase. The hobgoblin planned on not being around when that happened.


    There was a small commotion when Blacknail stepped out of the bushes at the edge of the road. All his companions looked his way and started talking all at once. Blacknail noticed that Khita was seated on the ground and sulking. The bearded bandit from before was standing behind her with a hand on his sword hilt.


    The hobgoblin huffed in annoyance and signalled for Geralhd to speak. He was the sub leader after all.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, Blacknail. What did you find?¡± the thin bandit asked nervously.


    Blacknail quickly filled everyone in. If they had been nervous before, they quickly grew terrified as the hobgoblin told them what he had seen. By this point, their reaction didn¡¯t surprise the hobgoblin. Had every coward in Herad¡¯s band somehow made their way into this group? The only person who didn¡¯t look afraid was Khita, and that was because she was too dumb to feel proper emotions.


    Before anyone could ask Blacknail the predictable and stupid questions that he was always asked at time like this, the hobgoblin growled and stared everyone down. Then, when he had their undivided attention, he explained his plan. It was a good plan.


    ¡°We''re going to run away,¡± he told them all.


    ¡°I think we should just take their ambush from behind!¡± Khita suggested enthusiastically. ¡°They¡¯re scum, and we¡¯ll easily cut them to pieces!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, nobody asked you,¡± Blacknail replied dismissively.


    ¡°Where can we go?¡± the blonde woman asked fearfully. ¡°We can¡¯t go forwards into the ambush, and there is nothing behind us but enemies!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already almost out of food! We can¡¯t afford a detour,¡± another bandit added.


    Their reactions annoyed Blacknail. It wasn¡¯t a minion¡¯s place to question the boss.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Blacknail hissed. ¡°I¡¯m the leader, and I say we¡¯re running, so let¡¯s go.¡±


    The hobgoblin¡¯s angry tone caused several people to step away from him. They eyed each other nervously but none of them started moving.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Blacknai repeated furiously. Why weren¡¯t they moving?


    ¡®Um, where are we running to? You haven¡¯t told us yet,¡± Geralhd politely pointed out.


    ¡°Oh, right. We¡¯re going into the forest,¡± the hobgoblin explained. ¡°I¡¯ll lead us around the ambush.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that?¡± someone asked doubtfully.


    ¡°Yes, easily,¡± Blacknail replied with complete sincerity.


    He wouldn¡¯t have any problem going around the ambush. It was everyone else that would have difficulty. They weren¡¯t nearly as sneaky as he was, and they were dumb. Half of them would probably fall into a hole or something; the same hole, all at once.


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t have much of a choice,¡± Geralhd admitted. ¡°Every other option is worse.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t; I¡¯m the leader,¡± Blacknail agreed.


    The hobgoblin then quickly got everyone moving. They didn¡¯t have much time so he herded them towards the forest. Once they were all off the road, Blacknail took the lead again.


    No one spoke as they hiked through the woods. With all the overhanging branches and bushes nearby, everyone was afraid of being overheard by someone out of sight. Only Blacknail had any idea in which direction the enemy lay.


    They had just walked down into a small muddy gully when they heard shouting from back on the road. Everyone stopped and looked in that direction.


    ¡°They¡¯re on to us! We need to move before they find our tracks or get our scent,¡± Blacknail ordered his followers.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be able to track us by scent,¡± Geralhd replied. ¡°People can¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Not even if they put their noses really close to the ground and take really deep breaths?¡± the hobgoblin asked uncertainly.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Humans are so useless,¡± Blacknail remarked disdainfully as he shook his head. ¡°Why do you even have noses?¡±


    No one replied, so the hobgoblin picked up his speed. Everyone else struggled to follow him up the other side of the gully, but it didn¡¯t take them very long to reach the top.


    Blacknail wanted to move at a faster pace but some of the humans were frustratingly slow. He considered leaving them behind, but decided against it for now. He could always abandon them later.


    After fleeing through the forest for a bit less than half an hour, Blacknail began to hear sounds of pursuit. Someone had found their trail and was following it.


    The hobgoblin eyed his minions and considered his options. As he watched, one person near the back tripped over an exposed root and fell. Blacknail sighed as they quickly got back up. He was going to have to do something.


    Why was it always him that had to take action? Chieftains weren¡¯t supposed to be the ones doing all the work. That was contrary to the entire point! He was obviously spoiling his minions rotten.


    ¡°We¡¯re being followed. Keep going forward and I¡¯ll deal with it,¡± Blacknail explained as he turned and started heading back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Khita suggested.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re slow,¡± Blacknail quickly replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re not letting me do anything!¡± she whined in response. ¡°I want to fight.¡±


    Instead of replying, Blacknail turned to look meaningfully at the person behind her. It was the bearded bandit from before.


    ¡°Stab her if she tries to follow you?¡± the man guessed.


    Blacknail nodded happily before walking away. It was possible to teach grown humans new tricks!


    The rest of the survivors from Herad¡¯s band headed deeper into the forest, and they soon were out of sight. Blacknail backtracked for a few moments before spotting a hiding spot at the base of a large rock surrounded by bushes.


    As he moved towards it, he pulled his bow off his back and strung it. He then crouched down and started waiting. The enemy would be arriving soon and the hobgoblin planned to be ready for them.

 Into the Green 6

    It didn¡¯t take long for the sound of footsteps to reach Blacknail¡¯s pointy green ears. He listened with patient excitement as he crouched in his hiding spot between a boulder and a clump of bushes. It was almost time to begin the game.


    Blacknail peeked out from behind a screen of leaves as three enemies walked into view. The trio was moving carefully and keeping an eye out for their quarry. At least one of them was a trained scout because they were easily following the trail that Blacknail¡¯s group had left.


    All three of the men looked like Werrick¡¯s minions. They had rough dirty armor and they were armed to the teeth. Their faces were weathered and hard looking. These were men who had seen more than their fair share of fighting and were looking for more.


    However, only one of them had a bow and it wasn¡¯t strung. As he studied his prey, Blacknail could hear more enemies approaching from behind. These first three men were just the enemies¡¯ vanguard.


    ¡°Have you noticed anything weird about some of the tracks?¡± one of the scouts asked his fellows.


    ¡°No, why?¡± the lead man replied as he looked down at the ground.


    ¡°I uh... I¡¯ve heard that the Killer of Men might be in among the group we¡¯re tracking,¡± the first speaker admitted nervously.


    ¡°The hobgoblin? He¡¯s just a tall tale meant to frighten townies. You don¡¯t really believe in magic talking hobgoblins, do you?¡± the third man interjected scornfully.


    ¡°No, of course not... I¡¯m just telling you what I heard.¡±


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing strange about any of the signs I¡¯ve seen. They all look human to me, although if the Killer of Men is wearing boots then it might be hard to tell,¡± the lead man joked.


    All three of the enemy bandits chuckled among themselves, although the one man still looked more than a little anxious. Nearby, Blacknail joined in the laughter and cackled gleefully. It was funny because it was true.


    ¡°Um, who is that?¡± the nervous man asked.


    His eyes had gone wide with fear as soon as he realized someone else was there. Before either of his companions could respond though, Blacknail rose from his hiding place and shot the lead scout in the chest. There was a hollow thump as the arrow sunk into flesh.


    As the other men jerked backwards in shock, Blacknail swirled around and dashed away with startling speed. The hobgoblin used the bushes as cover and swerved behind a tree. Instead of trying to catch up with Geralhd and the others, he took off to the side.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s plan was to distract and delay the enemy. He knew he could run much faster through the forest than a bunch of clumsy humans. He would lead them on a futile chase for a while before circling back.


    Once out of sight, Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but start laughing. The hunt was on! The thought caused excitement to course through the hobgoblin and it quickened his blood. The hobgoblin¡¯s laugh twisted into a chilling inhuman howl.


    The dreadful sound echoed through the forest. Blacknail could only imagine the sweet fear it was stirring inside the hearts of the humans who thought they were chasing him. Soon, they would know how very wrong they were.


    After a few seconds, Blacknail started to grow red in the face. Unfortunately, it was hard to breathe and laugh at the same time. He had to stop and focus on running.


    To his surprise, just as he fell silent, an answering howl rose above the forest from off in the distance. Was it an echo, or had something answered his challenge? Well, whatever it was, it would have to wait. The angry humans chasing him were the priority now.


    Soon, the sound of his own heavy breathing filled Blacknail¡¯s ears as he ran through the forest. After almost half an hour of running and stopping, he was beginning to tire out.


    Somewhere close behind him, the enemy bandits were still in hot pursuit. That was the point though; he wanted them to chase him. He could have lost the enemy a long time ago if he had wanted to. They were only human.


    Blacknail came to a stop again and turned to look over his shoulder. Off in the distance, he saw a small swarm of enemies running towards him through the trees. They looked sort of mad. Maybe it was because he had purposely led them through several thick clumps of thorn bushes and more than a few large mud pits?


    After catching his breath for a moment, Blacknail decided that he was far enough away now. It would be a bad idea to leave his minions leaderless for too long, so he should probably turn back. Who knew what trouble they would get into without him?


    ¡°Goodbye, smelly humans. Thanks for chasing me!¡± Blacknail yelled before dashing away.


    Instead of goofing around like before, he immediately went full out. With startling speed, the hobgoblin ran back towards his minions, and left his pursuers behind.


    Trees zipped by as Blacknail sprinted through the forest. A small creek appeared in front of him and he effortlessly jumped right across it without slowing down. He kept up the hurried pace until he stumbled upon the first sign of his allies passing.


    After stopping for a single moment to make sure he was going in the right direction, he took off again and headed deeper into the woods. Hopefully, his minions had kept going straight. He had specifically ordered them to, but then again they were all a bunch of morons.


    In front of Blacknail, the ground began to slop upwards and grow rockier. He had to swerve around several large grey rocks that jutted forth from the earth. Eventually, after several more minutes of running, he spotted Geralhd and the others.


    A rocky cliff face loomed up ahead. It was almost a hundred feet high and incredibly steep. Only a few stunted bushes grew on its face, but it was crowned by a line of trees where the forest continued up above. A single winding path ran up to the top. It looked like a difficult climb.


    Geralhd and others had stopped near the base of the cliff and were arguing amongst each other. Scamp and Imp were sitting off to one side and they looked bored.


    ¡°We need to hurry up and start climbing. We have no time to waste!¡± Geralhd exclaimed angrily.


    ¡°I¡¯m not climbing that; we¡¯d be easy targets, like frogs on a log! We should go around,¡± a large bandit countered.


    ¡°Get climbing, now!¡± Blacknail shouted sternly as he jogged up behind them.


    Everyone flinched and turned to look Blacknail¡¯s way. When they saw the angry look on his face, they all immediately started moving. The hobgoblin took up the rear as they formed a line, so that he could punish any stragglers. They needed to hurry!


    As they ascended, rocks were knocked loose by people¡¯s boots. The stones made a lot of noise as they rolled down the cliff. Blacknail looked down. It was already quite a ways to the ground. Falling would be bad.


    Around two-thirds of the way to the top, the bandits¡¯ progress suddenly stopped. There was a break in the path that couldn¡¯t be walked over. The next section could be reached via a short climb, but only one person could do it at a time.


    As Blacknail watched impatiently, Geralhd reached out for a handhold and began pulling himself up. Everyone else was forced to wait for him.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Geralhd reached the top and Khita started climbing, but Blacknail grew frustrated by the sluggish pace. Even humans should be faster than this. They didn¡¯t have all day!


    ¡°Climb faster!¡± he hissed at the man in front of him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t; it¡¯s not even my turn yet,¡± the man replied angrily.


    This statement of the obvious annoyed Blacknail. He knew that, but why did his minions have to make everything so complicated? They should just do as they were told.


    Movement down below at the base of the incline drew the hobgoblin¡¯s attention. People were stepping out of the trees and gathering at the bottom of the cliff. There were at least three dozen of them and they were obviously Werrick¡¯s men. Why would anyone else be out in this part of the woods?


    ¡°Slimy harpy spit,¡± Blacknail swore.


    His plan had been for his party to be on top of the cliff when the enemy showed up. That way they could just throw rocks down on anyone chasing them. The hobgoblin¡¯s lazy minions had ruined that great idea, though.


    Down below, a black-haired man of medium build raised a hand and signalled towards Blacknail¡¯s location. He had a goatee and his hair was slicked back with grease. A few seconds later, he shouted something and led a charge up the cliff path.


    ¡°Damnation, what do we do?¡± one of Blacknail¡¯s men asked.


    There were still a dozen men stuck on the lower part of the cliff path and the enemy would be upon them in under a minute. There was nowhere they could escape to, and down below three of Werrick¡¯s men held back and started stringing bows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. At least throw something at them!¡± Blacknail hissed as he pulled his own bow off his back.


    A few of the bandits next to Blacknail immediately leaped to obey. They grabbed large rocks from off the ground and hurled them down at the attackers charging up the path. It barely slowed the enemy, but it was better than nothing.


    Meanwhile, Blacknail had already nocked an arrow and let it loose. The projectile whirred through the air and into one of the unsuspecting archer¡¯s chests. He had been busy prepping his own weapon and hadn¡¯t even been looking up.


    As the wounded archer collapsed, Blacknail was already pulling out another arrow from the quiver one of his minions was carrying. He nocked it and took aim again. He fired off his second shot just as the enemy archers let loose. The arrows zoomed past each other as they flew through the air.


    ¡°Eep,¡± Blacknail cried as he covered his head and ducked low. The ugly pink bastards had both aimed at him!


    The enemy¡¯s two projectiles buzzed over his head and slammed into the cliff face behind him. There was a loud cracking sound as one of them bounced off a rock and then hit his leg. The impact stung but it didn¡¯t draw blood.


    Blacknail ignored the pain and glanced back towards the archers. The hobgoblin grinned when he saw that one of them had fallen on his ass and had an arrow sticking out of his arm. That left only one still standing, but the hobgoblin didn¡¯t have time to worry about him. He dropped his bow and drew his sword.


    He was just in time; the goateed enemy leader was approaching quickly. With startling speed, he dashed ahead of his comrades and raised his blade up above his head. Before anyone but Blacknail could react, the man then slashed at the bandit standing next to the hobgoblin.


    There was a loud metallic clang as Blacknail extended his own weapon and blocked the attack. The hobgoblins¡¯ hands shook under the force of the blow, and he gritted his teeth. The goateed man¡¯s strength and speed were too high for a normal human; he had to be a Slosher.


    ¡°Stinky troll piss,¡± Blackail cursed as he eyed his new opponent.


    The man looked surprised for a second and then smiled as he stepped back. The smug taunting grin on his face irritated Blacknail. The hobgoblin hated fighting Sloshers. In a fair fight, human swordsmen were already a pain to deal with, even when they didn¡¯t use Elixir.


    ¡°So, you can talk. I hadn¡¯t thought that was true,¡± the goateed man remarked as he raised his sword and took a defensive stance.


    As he was doing this, the rest of the enemy fighters caught up to him. The cliff path they were all standing on was only wide enough for three or four people and the footing was treacherous, so most of them held back. Only a few of them could engage the closest of Blacknail¡¯s minions.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re stupid,¡± Blacknail replied as fighting broke out around him.


    It was a terrible rebuttal, but it was the only thing that had come to mind. He was under a lot of pressure! The comment certainly didn¡¯t impress the enemy Slosher. The man smirked and gave the hobgoblin a condescending look.


    When Blacknail hissed angrily back, the Vessel attacked with a whip-like slash at his face. The hobgoblin was startled but barely managed to dodge to the side.


    The man attacked again, and as Blacknail blocked the blow with his own sword he growled hatefully. Attacking while the enemy was distracted was his thing! The hobgoblin was going to enjoy killing this man. He was infuriating!


    The hobgoblin snarled and slashed at his opponent. He wished he¡¯d taken the time to drink some Elixir. He only had one vial left, but it wouldn¡¯t do him any good if he was dead.


    The two fighters exchanged blows and manoeuvred around as much as their tight surroundings would allow. Neither one of them wanted to collide with the other bandits who were fighting nearby or to stumble and fall off the ledge. It was a long way down and the rocks looked pointy.


    It soon became apparent that the goateed Slosher was stronger than Blacknail, even if their speed was almost the same. His blows were forcing the hobgoblin on the defensive, and there was nowhere to fall back to.


    ¡°Is this all you got? I¡¯m disappointed!¡± the Slosher remarked as he pressed his advantage.


    ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ve killed many Vessels like you,¡± Blacknail hissed back as he defended himself.


    This was true, but ignored the fact that none of those men had been killed in fair fights, and this contest was looking to be way too even for the hobgoblin¡¯s comfort. He had to think up some way to cheat!


    To Blacknail¡¯s left, one of the attackers fell off the ledge and began to roll down the cliff. The man had been locked in a sword fight until he¡¯d lost his balance. Now, he screamed as he hit jagged rocks and they tore into him.


    Blacknail ducked under a slash aimed at his head and counterattacked. His blade sliced through the air towards his opponent¡¯s front foot, but the man stepped back out of the way.


    Someone bumped into Blacknail from behind, and he was forced to take an awkward step forward to catch his balance. The goateed man was quick to take advantage of this stumble. He lunged forward and slashed at Blacknail¡¯s exposed arm.


    The hobgoblin could only lean back clumsily out of the way, and it wasn¡¯t enough. The man¡¯s blade caught on Blacknail¡¯s sleeve and sliced through it. It cut into the flesh beneath and drew blood before coming free.


    Hissing in pain, Blacknail flinched and stepped back. He forced his throbbing arm to keep a steady grip on his sword¡¯s hilt, and he quickly raised his blade defensively again. He couldn¡¯t afford a moment of weakness. A single mistake would lead to his death.


    To either side, other bandits were fighting, even if the thin pathway meant everyone was pressed tightly together. Most of Werrick¡¯s troops couldn¡¯t get near the melee. They formed several ranks as they waited for an opening. Behind Blacknail, around ten of his companions were still waiting to climb across the break in the path. Even when Blacknail¡¯s turn came, he couldn''t cross while under attack. The next time anything like this happened Blacknail was going to make sure the leader got to escape first!


    ¡°I¡¯d heard you were a tricky fighter, but you honestly don¡¯t seem like anything special,¡± his opponent observed condescendingly. ¡°You¡¯re just an ugly green beast waving around a bit of metal in imitation of a person.¡±


    The tone of the man¡¯s voice caused anger to roar to life within Blacknail¡¯s guts. Screw escaping, he really wanted to kill this guy! He just needed an opening, a good one.


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not pink and fat!¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    The goateed Slosher attacked again with a flurry of strikes. Blacknail tried to slip past and get a blow of his own in, but he was forced to block an attack and was knocked back.


    As he was scheming his next move, Blacknail noticed a green blur out of the corner of his eye. Both he and his opponent glanced down to see a goblin jump up onto a nearby rock. It was Imp, and there was something in his hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± the Slosher mumbled in confusion as he kept one eye on Blacknail.


    As they watched, the goblin hurled something up into the air over their heads. It was a crystal, and odd light flickered out from it as it landed in the middle of the enemy¡¯s ranks.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± the goateed man remarked as he realized what he had just seen.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t bother to respond. He swirled around, crouched down low, and pulled his cloak tightly about himself. The hobgoblin recognized magic when he saw it, and there was only one possible outcome of it when goblins were involved.


    He was just in time. There was a deafening boom as the crystal exploded. A wave of force washed over everyone and a storm of dark crystal shards quickly followed. The crystalline blades sliced into anyone in their path, and more than a dozen of Werrick¡¯s men were thrown over the ledge by the blast.


    Screams filled the air as bodies fell and flesh was torn. Blood splattered against the rocks and its tangy scent filled the air. In just over a second, the enemy formation had been smashed. Bodies littered the ground. Blacknail smiled as he climbed back to his feet.


    ¡°Ha, I always have a trick, even if I don¡¯t know about it yet,¡± he then bragged smugly.


    There was a smile on Blacknail¡¯s face as he took in the sight before him. Who was laughing now! He had shown them! Imp had also helped a little.


    ¡°I always win!¡± the hobgoblin laughed.


    However, the grin slipped from Blacknails lips as the enemy Vessel stood back up and glared at him. What was this? The explosion hadn¡¯t done more than stun the man. That wasn¡¯t fair.


    The goateed man wasn¡¯t alone either; almost half the enemies on the ledge started to climb to their feet. As impressive as the explosion and crystal shrapnel had been, the enemies closest to the blast had absorbed most of the damage.


    Blacknail¡¯s group was still outnumbered and cornered. Also, the enemy Vessel looked really mad now. Maybe Imp had another crystal?


    The hobgoblin threw a look over his shoulder. Imp had taken advantage of the confusion to cut in line and climb up over the break in the path. The little traitor had run away!


    ¡°What in all the burning hells was that? Never mind, you die now,¡± the enemy Slosher suddenly spat as he leapt forward to cross swords with Blacknail again.

 Into the Green 7

    As the fighting continued around him on the narrow path leading up the cliff, Blacknail raised his blade and lowered his center of gravity. He kept his weight balanced mostly on his back foot as the goateed Vessel lunged forward and slashed at him. There was a metallic ringing as the hobgoblin blocked the blow with a slash of his own.


    The impact almost knocked Blacknail over. His lips curled up into a snarl as he struggled not to give ground. He had been hoping his enemy would still be too stunned to attack with his full force, but that was obviously not the case.


    With a wordless cry full of hate and determination, the human Slosher pressed forward. His weight and power pushed the smaller hobgoblin back an arm¡¯s length. As Blacknail recovered, the man launched a brutal series of sword strikes from every direction.


    Each blow was stronger than the last and harder to stop. Blacknail¡¯s opponent was now obviously burning Elixir without holding back. The clang of steel hitting steel rang out repeatedly, and Blacknail knew he was in trouble. He was fighting as hard as he could and using every ounce of power he could summon from within himself, but he couldn¡¯t keep this up. If only he had taken the time to down some Elixir of his own!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to carve my name in your hide!¡± the enemy bandit roared.


    The shout was quickly followed by a wide swing from the left that smashed Blacknail¡¯s guard aside. The hobgoblin stumbled, and the goateed Slosher raised his blade up in preparation to strike again.


    A cold feeling of inevitability filled Blacknail as he watched the blade descend, but then one of the hobgoblin¡¯s allies dove in from the side. The goateed man was forced to turn away from Blacknail for a second and block the newcomer¡¯s attack.


    A vicious toothy grin appeared on Blacknail¡¯s lips as he took advantage of the distraction. He stepped forward and stabbed at the man¡¯s exposed ribs.


    The enemy Slosher saw the blow coming, but instead of trying to block it he took a deep breath and turned to look directly at Blacknail. Raw fury shone in the man¡¯s eyes as he exhaled a searing burst of red flames.


    The fireball shot towards Blacknail¡¯s head. Instinctively, the hobgoblin raised his arms to shield his face and fell backwards. A wave of heat washed over him, and his ass hit the rocky ground with a painful thump.


    Blacknail hissed in pain. His long experience with humans told him that they didn¡¯t normally breathe fire. It must be a Vessel power. Why didn¡¯t he have a cool ability like that?


    The hobgoblin opened his eyes to see that his sleeves were on fire. Hurriedly, he smacked them against his pants until they went out.


    ¡°I hate doing that,¡± the enemy Slosher admitted bitterly as he kicked Blacknail¡¯s surprised ally aside. ¡°It burns far too much Elixir, and it tastes like ash.¡±


    The man then turned towards Blacknail and raised his sword again. That was when the hobgoblin realized he had dropped his sword. Not good. The cliff edge to the hobgoblin¡¯s right prevented him from rolling that way, and there were people to his left and behind him.


    With a victorious grin, the enemy slashed down at Blacknail. The blade cut through the air, and then there was a loud crack as a rock smashed into the man¡¯s head. Blacknail blinked. The Slosher¡¯s eyes rolled up into his head until the whites showed. In slow motion, he fell sideways and rolled off the ledge and out of sight.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s good,¡± Blacknail said as he stared disbelievingly at the empty space his opponent had been occupying until a moment ago.


    The hobgoblin shook his head to clear it, and he looked up towards the source of the rock. The top of the cliff was empty. There was no one there.


    None of Blacknail¡¯s companions were anywhere near the spot that the rock had fallen from. They were in the opposite direction, on the far side of the pathway. Had the falling rock come loose on its own? That seemed unlikely...


    The fall of their leader didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the other enemy bandits. Their lead elements took a step back and stopped fighting, so that they could revaluate the situation. Most of them looked stunned.


    Sensing weakness, Blacknail grabbed his fallen sword and rose to his feet. He brandished the blade as he growled menacingly as deeply as he could. It was bluffing time.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s aggressive move shook the remaining enemies¡¯ spirit. The closest ones flinched and instinctively took a step back. Fear and uncertainly was plain on their faces.


    ¡°Time to feast!¡± Blacknail cackled as two of his minions took up position next to him and raised their blades.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish these scum sacs,¡± one of them suggested in a sinister tone.


    Werrick¡¯s men wavered. They didn¡¯t know what to do. Nervously, one of the men at the front rank took a step back. It looked like they were going to run, which was good since Blacknail was exhausted. Continuing the fight would be risky.


    ¡°Hold your ground! We still outnumber the freaks,¡± a tall man said as he pushed his way to the front.


    This new human was wearing chainmail shirt and was holding a two-handed war-axe. He was bald, and he looked particularly stupid when the rock dropped onto his head. With a hollow plunk, the man collapsed limply onto the ground and dropped his weapon. Everyone looked up, but there was still no one there.


    ¡°Curse this mess!¡± one of Werrick¡¯s men swore as he turned and started pushing his way through his allies.


    The rest of the enemies quickly did the same, and their formation dissolved into chaos. They fought amongst themselves as they fled down the cliff and back towards the ground. Blacknail and his companions watched them go.


    ¡°Ha, I win!¡± the hobgoblin bragged loudly as he puffed up his chest. He always won, even if he wasn¡¯t always sure how. He was amazing like that.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± a confused voice enquired.


    ¡°Did someone race ahead to the top of the cliff and drop that rock?¡± another bandit asked as he looked up.


    ¡°No, there hasn¡¯t been enough time. This side of the way is tough going,¡± Geralhd yelled from the other side of the break in the path.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. Maybe the gods are finally smiling down on us?¡± the man standing next to Blacknail suggested with a cheerfulness born of exhaustion.


    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s anything up there we¡¯ll see it soon,¡± Geralhd speculated.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t believe we made it out of that alive. Let¡¯s get the hells out of here¡± Elyias suggested.


    ¡°We survived because I¡¯m such a great leader. Look at all the foes we beat, and we didn¡¯t even lose anyone! I¡¯m the best leader ever,¡± Blacknail celebrated as he grinned at the bodies of Werrick¡¯s fallen men.


    ¡°We lost Marcus. He was cut down in the melee, and his corpse is right there,¡± Geralhd responded as he pointed towards the man¡¯s body.


    ¡°Except for him,¡± the hobgoblin corrected himself. ¡°And one person barely counts anyway.¡±


    Every leader lost a minion here and there, even the best ones. Minions were like that, and Marcus hadn¡¯t been important. Blacknail didn¡¯t even remember him, since so many humans looked the same.


    Since it was possible that the enemy could return with reinforcements at any time, Blacknail and the other bandits hurriedly climbed over to the other side of the path. As Geralhd had pointed out, the way past it was rough going. They had to scrabble over rocks and up inclines to reach the top.


    It was hard work but they soon made their way to the top without any further incidents. This time Blacknail went first, just in case. While he sat down and took a break, the person after him helped the others up.


    The forest continued on the top of the cliff. There was a thick line of bushes on the edge of the forest, where the sunlight got through, and then row after row of trees after that.


    Down below the heights, the leaves of the trees looked like a green sea. Blacknail could see the river and the bridge they had used to cross it off in the distance. From up this high, he could see for miles.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here,¡± Geralhd suggested as the last man was pulled up to the top. It was Elyias, and he was still carrying Blacknail¡¯s bags.


    ¡°Yep, sounds good, and that was my plan anyway, since I¡¯m such an amazing leader,¡± Blacknail replied before yawning.


    Exhausted from the fight and the climb, everyone settled down to rest. Packs and bags were put down, and flasks of water were passed around as people quenched their thirst. Most of the bandits looked out over the cliff at the view that stretched out before them.


    ¡°Thank the gods that we made it. I thought I was going to die! ¡± Elyias remarked in relief. ¡°Do you think those bastards will chase us?¡±


    ¡°Eh, this cliff is easy to defend and it stretches a fair way in both directions. They¡¯d be fools to try and go around it through the Green,¡± one of the female bandits replied.


    ¡°True, but what do we do now?¡± Geralhd mused aloud. ¡°We can¡¯t go back to the road and we¡¯re almost out of supplies.¡±


    There was a few seconds of silence as everyone digested this unwelcome bit of information. No one could think of a reply. Eventually, it was Geralhd that broke the silence again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to find a trail and follow it North. It will be tough, but Blacknail should be able to keep us going in the right direction and find us enough food to get by,¡± he said.


    ¡°Of course, Blacknail can. We have nothing to worry about,¡± Khita exclaimed confidently. ¡°Blacknail¡¯s a hobgoblin and was trained by Saeter himself. He¡¯s like the best scout ever!¡±


    ¡°That will take weeks of hiking through the Green!¡± Elyias protested. ¡°Trying that without real meals sounds like nothing but a slow death to me, and who knows what we¡¯ll run into out there!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much of a choice. You¡¯re welcome to choose a fast death, though,¡± a bearded bandit replied as he gestured significantly towards the cliff.


    Elyias looked over the edge and at the rocks below, before stepping back away and slumping down into a sitting position in defeat.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± the bearded man remarked disdainfully.


    ¡°Maybe we should ask Blacknail what he thinks,¡± Khita proposed.


    At her words, everyone turned to look towards Blacknail. The hobgoblin was lying on the ground and using a knapsack as a pillow, but he noticed the attention and perked up.


    ¡°We will find a trail and go north,¡± he told his minions as he met their gazes.


    He had only vaguely been paying attention, and he hadn¡¯t really been planning anything, but Geralhd¡¯s idea seemed fine.


    No one had anything more to say to Blacknail, so after a few more minutes of rest, he got up to look at the nearby bushes. Staring at the view over the cliff had gotten boring.


    Before he reached the shrubs at the edge of the woods, there was suddenly a rustling noise from within them. Blacknail froze as a stone spear abruptly erupted from the undergrowth and stopped an inch from his face.


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± the hobgoblin noted loudly as he stared cross-eyed at the weapon¡¯s tip.


    His voice drew his minions¡¯ attention and most of them looked his way, just in time to see a swarm of goblins launch themselves out of the bushes towards them.


    There was a loud outburst of inventive cursing as the bandits rose to their feet and reached for their weapons, but they were too slow. The goblins were upon them almost instantly. The green horde overran the humans, and a mass of stone tipped spears prodded the unarmed bandits away from their gear and towards the cliff.


    Blacknail took a careful step back from the weapon that was hovering in front of his eyes, just as the snarling hobgoblin that was holding it emerged from the undergrowth.


    ¡°Ah, this makes sense,¡± Blacknail observed as he connected the mental dots. He had been wondering where those falling rocks from before had come from. Now he knew.


    ¡°Fuck me, we¡¯re all damned!¡± Elyias whined hysterically as he dodged the stab of a goblin spear.


    ¡°Everyone hold still, and try not to provoke them,¡± Geralhd ordered everyone with uncharacteristic firmness before turning to Blacknail.


    The humans had been pushed together by the swarm of gibbering goblins. They were surrounded except for where their backs were facing the empty air that lay over the cliff ledge. Fear and desperation was plain on their faces.


    The goblins were mostly nude but a few of them were wearing loinclothes. Primitive bracelets and necklaces made from bits of string, beads, and feathers were common decorations.


    The snarling hobgoblin leading them was also wearing a loincloth made of animal skin. Blacknail was instantly reminded of the last hobgoblin he had fought. Like that one, this one had messy grey hair and two black horns. His horns were much smaller and didn¡¯t branch off like antlers, though. He also looked younger and wasn¡¯t covered in scars.


    ¡°Are they hostile? What are they saying?¡± Geralhd urgently asked Blacknail. He sounded terrified.


    ¡°How would I know? It sounds like stupid grunting to me,¡± Blacknail responded crossly. ¡°I¡¯m not from here.¡±


    This didn¡¯t cheer anyone up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they want to kill us,¡± Khita remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hobgoblin and a swarm of bloody goblins! Of course, they fucking want to murder us,¡± another bandit countered furiously. ¡°I¡¯ve heard this story; it ends with us in cook pot.¡±


    ¡°Blacknail¡¯s a hobgoblin and he¡¯s not our enemy,¡± Khita pointed out as she stared with great interest at the goblin poking at her with a spear.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Blacknail! You¡¯re the leader, do something.¡± Geralhd told him fervently.


    In response, Blacknail straightened up. Geralhd was right; he was the leader, so he had to do something. It was time for him to take charge and face danger head on.


    A stern look appeared on Blacknail¡¯s face as he stared at the hobgoblin in front of him. Uncowed, the hobgoblin returned the gaze and snarled menacingly. Blacknail didn¡¯t respond. Instead, as everyone watched, he reached out and slowly pushed the spear aimed at his face aside.


    The feral hobgoblin just continued to stare hatefully at Blacknail. Their eyes were locked as they regarded each other with careful consideration. Then, Blacknail hissed and stepped forward. For a split second, the feral hobgoblin hesitated at the unexpected move.


    Seizing his chance, Blacknail sprang into action. He growled fearlessly as he raised a fist and smacked the hobgoblin over the head with it. There was a quiet thump, and the feral hobgoblin whined before collapsing onto the ground into a subordinate kneeling position. The goblins all went completely still.


    Blacknail stood over his defeated opponent and bragged, ¡°There, now I¡¯m the goblin chief!¡±


    No one said anything for several long seconds. They stared at the two hobgoblins with various mixed and complex expressions. Disbelief was common. So was confusion.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Khita asked with incredulity. ¡°You¡¯re not going to fight?¡±


    Blacknail turned and gave the redhead a condescending look.


    ¡°Why would we? I know him,¡± he told her.


    ¡°What, how?¡± Geralhd asked as one of his eyes twitched.


    ¡°I just do. I ran into this tribe before and beat some sense into them. The hobgoblin was just a goblin then, though,¡± Blacknail replied as he eyed the hobgoblin at his feet suspiciously.He recognized the the hobgoblin''s scent. It was the same as a grey-haired goblin that had served as one of Blacknail''s chief subordinates for a while.


    What was he supposed to do with a hobgoblin minion? He had met one other hobgoblin before, and that encounter had immediately ended in a duel to the death. Blacknail suspected that all hobgoblins were kind of jerks.


    Well, he couldn¡¯t be worse than Khita, and he would undoubtedly be more useful. Blacknail would just have to keep an eye on him.


    ¡°So we¡¯re not going to die?¡± Elyias asked with desperate unbelieving hope.


    ¡°Not unless you want to,¡± Blacknail replied dismissively.


    Elyias had gone totally white with fear, but color started to reappear on his face. Blacknail ignored him and scratched his head where his horns were irritating his skin. He wasn¡¯t sure what his next move was.


    ¡°Er, could you do something about these goblins?¡± Geralhd politely interjected.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned away from the prostate hobgoblin.


    The goblins that were holding Geralhd and the others hostage were quickly dispersed with a little hand waving and angry yelling by Blacknail. They chattered senselessly as they scattered in all directions and then reformed closer to their old leader. With curious expressions, they carefully watched Blacknail interact with the humans.


    Once no longer under immediate threat, the survivors of Herad¡¯s band quickly moved to re-arm themselves and gather their gear. The humans then formed up into a defensive formation and started talking amongst themselves.


    ¡°So... um, what do the goblins want?¡± Geralhd asked Blacknail as he turned away from the others.


    It took Blacknail a few seconds to come up with an answer to that question, and he blinked in surprise. It was like Geralhd was trying to be as confusing and stupid as possible.


    ¡°They want what I want them to want. I¡¯m the chief now,¡± he replied patronizingly.


    ¡°Hmm, but why did they attack us?¡± Geralhd enquired.


    ¡°They¡¯re goblins; this is their territory,¡± Blacknail explained. He was quickly losing patience.


    Geralhd didn¡¯t look any less confused or afraid after Blacknail¡¯s answer. He opened his mouth to ask something else, but Blacknail ignored him and walked back to the other hobgoblin. He didn¡¯t want to answer any more pointless questions.


    The feral hobgoblin had gotten off his knees while Blacknail had been talking, but his eyes immediately shifted downwards in submission when Blacknail looked his way. He clearly didn¡¯t want to fight.


    As Blacknail approached, the feral hobgoblin grumbled something incomprehensible. Blacknail had no idea what it meant, but it didn¡¯t really matter since he was in charge.


    ¡°I shall call you Gob. That¡¯s a great name,¡± Blacknail remarked before motioning vaguely towards the forest and starting to walk again.


    The goblins quickly fell in line behind him as he stepped into the trees.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Geralhd called out in surprise.


    ¡°To the goblin¡¯s den,¡± Blacknail explained without turning around.


    ¡°What! You¡¯re just going to leave us here?¡± Khita asked.


    Blacknail sighed in frustration before turning back to glare at the humans. Why were they so slow?


    ¡°No, you have to follow me! I¡¯m the leader,¡± he reminded them. How could they not understand this?


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with a swarm of wild goblins!¡± one of the bandit exclaimed fearfully in reply.


    ¡°The very idea is insane.¡± Elyias added hysterically. ¡°We have to leave, now!¡±


    There was a general mutterings of agreement from most the other humans. They were still looking at the goblins with poorly disguised hostility and fear.


    ¡°They have food and a place to rest,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    There was silence as everyone considered this. Blacknail didn¡¯t wait for a response. He started walking again and pushed his way through the bushes into the forest proper. The grey haired hobgoblin followed after him and so did the goblins.


    After a few minutes of walking, Blacknail glanced over his shoulder. His human minions had decided to follow him after all, but they were keeping a generous distance between themselves and the goblins.


    ¡°This is the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± a female bandit announced. ¡°Even the morons you hear about in campfire horror stories weren¡¯t dumb enough to follow two hobgoblins and a tribe of goblins into the Green. We¡¯re so going to die horribly.¡±


    ¡°So, stay here then, coward. I¡¯m following Blacknail,¡± Khita remarked confidently.


    ¡°As long as they fatten us up before they eat us then I¡¯ll die happy,¡± the bearded bandit added.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Blacknail isn¡¯t going to betray us. He¡¯s always been a loyal and stalwart comrade,¡± Geralhd added in an attempt to reassure the others. ¡°I¡¯m sure he has a plan.¡±


    It took a few more minutes of walking for Blacknail to realize that he had no idea where he was going, so he gestured for the feral hobgoblin to take the lead. It also had the advantage of placing Gob where he could be easily watched; even being around him put Blacknail on edge. No one with a lick of sense would ever trust a hobgoblin.

 Into the Green 8

    After the goblin¡¯s ambush, the trek through the forest was uneventful. The feral hobgoblin led the way for around half an hour, and they soon emerged from out of the trees into an overgrown clearing full of thick bushes that were too tall to see over.


    Blacknail instantly recognized the area. The main road wasn¡¯t too far from here. Last year, during his trip to Daggerpoint he had been attacked by the hobgoblin that had ruled this territory. After a long brutal fight to the death where Blacknail had been forced to use all his impressive cunning and skill, he¡¯d then had to stop and rest with the local tribe for a while before moving on.


    Gob hadn¡¯t been around then. Blacknail eyed the hobgoblin suspiciously out of the corner of his eye. Gob must have been a mere goblin during Blacknail¡¯s last visit, and only transformed into a hobgoblin after Blacknail had left to catch up with Herad and Saeter.


    Well, the important thing was that the tribe should have plenty of food. Blacknail had spent a fair amount of time teaching the goblins here how to trap animals and smoke meat. If the stupid little critters had already forgotten his lessons then Blacknail was going to be very mad. One way or another, they were going to be providing him with as much food as he wanted to eat.


    A breeze swept through the trees as Blacknail began to push his way through the bushes in front of him. His new goblin followers were right behind him, but a sudden low growl which was followed by a fearful yelp stopped his advance. He turned around to see what was happening and sighed. It was probably something dumb and annoying. His minions had problems with even the simplest instructions.


    The people behind Blacknail had stopped moving. Gob was growling menacingly at Geralhd while standing in his way. The humans had backed away from the suddenly hostile hobgoblin and were looking nervous. Their posture was tense and a few of them had started to reach for their weapons. Scamp and Imp stood off to the side and watched.


    ¡°What now?¡± Blacknail mumbled to himself as he walked back to see what all the commotion was about. It didn¡¯t look like Gob was going to attack anyone but he was obviously upset about something.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Blacknail called out to Geralhd.


    ¡°Nothing, he just won¡¯t let us pass!¡± the young man replied with obvious exasperation.


    As if in response, Gob growled again and glared at Geralhd menacingly. The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t brandishing his weapon though, so Blacknail carefully observed the situation for a few moments before a possible explanation occurred to him.


    ¡°Ah, you need to bow!¡± Blacknail declared with sudden understanding as he met Geralhd¡¯s gaze. It all made sense now.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The hobgoblin ranger rolled his eyes. How could anyone possibly survive long enough to reach adulthood without knowing this sort of thing? It was so basic.


    ¡°Gob is angry because you¡¯re strangers. You need to join the tribe before he¡¯ll let you near his lair.¡±


    ¡°And how do we do that?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°Bow before me, your great leader, like Gob did before.¡±


    Why did he have to explain this? It was really obvious and he had just answered this question a second ago.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing that,¡± a blonde woman replied as she grimaced distastefully.


    ¡°There must be an easier way to show him that we¡¯re not a threat,¡± Geralhd remarked.


    ¡°Sometimes goblin leaders piss on their...¡± Blacknail started to suggest before he was interrupted.


    ¡°Bowing it is,¡± the blonde woman quickly cut in.


    ¡°What happens if we do neither?¡± a bearded bandit whose name Blacknail kept forgetting asked.


    ¡°Then you stay here while I go get something to eat,¡± Blacknail replied callously. He was a little annoyed at being cut off.


    After a lot of unhappy grumbling, all the bandits knelt in front of Blacknail, even if they did it reluctantly and as quickly as possible. Blacknail couldn¡¯t stop himself from smirking the entire time. It was just too satisfying to see all his hard work and sacrifice pay off. He was finally being treated like he so rightly deserved to be, as the chief. When the last human had finished bowing, Gob nodded happily to himself and got out of the way. Blacknail felt a little better about having the hobgoblin around now. He was proving to be useful.


    ¡°Now that you have joined the tribe you can enter,¡± Blacknail told everyone before turning around and leading the way into the clearing. All the goblins except for Scamp and Imp had already gone ahead.


    ¡°I swear to the gods, there had better actually be food here or I¡¯m going to kill someone,¡± a bandit remarked bitterly as he followed Blacknail. There was also a bit more grumbling from some of the others, but none of them decided to stay behind. They all trailed after Blacknail as he headed towards the goblin¡¯s lair.


    A few minutes later, a sense of nostalgia washed over Blacknail as he pushed aside the last bush. The goblin¡¯s lair had changed a lot since his last visit but it was still recognizable. The tribe had built their home atop the old ruin of a large human dwelling. The worn down remnants of the building¡¯s walls could be seen encircling it. The goblins had reinforced the breaks in the old brick wall with wooden stacks so that they had a defensive barrier. When Blacknail had been here before the wall¡¯s interior had been almost bare. There had only been a few small structures made up of loosely piled branches leaning up against the walls, but now a large new building was visible.


    This new structure looked large enough to hold a dozen men, even if they had to slouch over because of the low roof. It was made up of branches that had been carefully woven together and reinforced with twine. Layers of bark had been tied to the roof and walls to block out the wind and rain, although a few spots used tarp or bits of cloth that had obviously been stolen from humans.


    The rest of the goblin camp was mostly packed dirt and a few tiny dwellings, except for where a large fire pit sat in the center of the site. Right where Blacknail remembered it, a huge old pot was hanging over the fire pit.


    ¡°Incredible, I didn¡¯t know goblins still made things like this,¡± Geralhd remarked breathlessly as he looked around.


    ¡°I showed them how to do stuff like that,¡± Blacknail bragged.


    ¡°Ya, it¡¯s great if you love dirt and twigs,¡± another bandit observed sarcastically.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the food?¡± Khita asked. Her priorities were clear.


    ¡°Just wait. Soon we will have a feast to celebrate my great leadership!¡± Blacknail responded as he looked around.


    The feral goblins were lurking around the edges of the camp. They were staring at the humans but also giving them plenty of room. In sharp contrast, Gob was sticking close to the intruders. He slowly circled them while glaring suspiciously their way, and his attitude clearly unnerved some of the bandits. Blacknail ignored all that. He quickly walked over to the fire pit and examined the pot. He was intent on planning his victory celebration. A great chieftain deserved a great feast.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The first thing Blacknail needed to do was round up some goblins, so that¡¯s what he did. He stalked over to the closest one and grabbed it before it could escape. Then, he hoisted it up into the air and shook it a few times to get its attention. When he was sure the goblin knew who was the boss, he gestured towards the pot and then in the direction where he knew a creek lay. The goblin seemed to understand because it nodded along enthusiastically, so Blacknail dropped it.


    Soon, Gob was leading a group of goblins over to the creek to fetch water. Through various physical threats, complicated gestures, and bouts of angry hissing Blacknail got a few more parties of goblins working on other jobs. Most importantly, he sent them out to gather food, or at least he hoped that¡¯s what they were doing. It was either that or they were going to set fire to the forest. He would find out soon enough.


    ¡°You really should be trying to teach them some Elorian, it would make this much easier,¡± Gerlahd said as he observed Blacknail work. All the bandits that had come with Blacknail had found places to sit and rest at one end of the camp. They watched the goings-on with wary attention.


    ¡°What¡¯s Elorain?¡± Blacknail asked doubtfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s the language we are speaking right now,¡± Geralhd explained with obvious amusement. There was a slight smirk on his lips.


    ¡°Oh, right, I knew that. I¡¯m just too busy right now for more lessons,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    ¡°Then maybe I¡¯ll do it. Scamp learned it fairly quickly,¡± the young man mused aloud as he looked towards the large hut the goblins had built.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Blacknail said distractedly as the first of goblins began to filter back in.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the big pot was filled with water and hauled up above the fire pit by Gob and a few goblins. Piles of leaves, roots, firewood, and small game where piled up off to one side. The goblin tribe was quite skilled at hunting rabbits, birds, and squirrels.


    The feral tribe quickly grew excited as Blacknail began throwing ingredients into the pot. He had cooked for them during his last visit as well, and apparently they had liked it. They goblins slipped past the nearby humans in order to peer over his shoulder, and he had to smack a few to keep them out of his way.


    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Blacknail announced happily a few minutes later. The smell of the stew now filled the air.


    As the feral goblins fought amongst themselves over the few bowls they possessed, the bandits began serving themselves. They were briefly interrupted when a growling Gob forced his way to the front of the line. However, no one tried to fight the hobgoblin, so he took his food and withdrew peacefully.


    ¡°Huh, this isn¡¯t half bad,¡± Elyias remarked in surprise after sitting down and tasting the food.


    ¡°It¡¯s the nectar of the gods compared to the stuff we were eating yesterday,¡± another bandit added.


    ¡°Ya, if I went another day eating nothing but raw leaves I was going to go crazy,¡± a third agreed. ¡°That and shit my brains out.¡±


    When all the humans had gotten out of the way, an unruly crowd of goblins ran over to get their own food. Scamp and Imp had been behind the last bandit so they were in the swarm¡¯s way. Scamp had to fight his way through the mob. He hissed and scratched anyone who got too close to the bowl he had pressed protectively against his chest. In sharp contrast, none of the ferals bothered Imp. Whenever one got too close he directed a cold stare their way and they scurried away.


    Of course, Blacknail had taken the first bowl for himself. He just finished slurping the meal down when the feral goblins finished emptying the rest of the pot. However, since there were still plenty of ingredients left it didn¡¯t take him very long for him to get another batch going. He was almost finished when his cooking was briefly interrupted by a loud screech from Khita that hurt his ears.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s mine!¡± the redhead yelled as she jumped to her feet.


    A goblin had somehow managed to get its hands on her knife. The little creature quickly ran off into the bushes outside of the camp and Khita disappeared after it. Blacknail snickered in amusement at the sight. What kind of idiot let her stuff get stolen by goblins?


    After he had finished cooking, Blacknail yawned and decided to take a nap. He had stuffed himself and his full stomach was making him more than little sleepy, but before he could nod off he was interrupted.


    ¡°Blacknail, what are we supposed to do now?¡± Geralhd asked nervously after walking over to his side.


    ¡°Sleep,¡± the hobgoblin replied crossly.


    ¡°Where should we do that?¡± Geralhd enquired in a frustrated tone. ¡°We need shelter and I don¡¯t want to anger our... hosts.¡±


    ¡°We also need some way to prevent the goblins from slitting our throats while we sleep,¡± Elyias added. The young bandit sounded nervous and he kept glancing around every time there was the slightest of noises or movement by a goblin.


    Blacknail sighed and sat up. Couldn¡¯t the humans do anything for themselves? Did they really need him to tell them where to sleep?


    After a brief conversation, Blacknail led Geralhd on a tour of the feral goblins¡¯ camp. The young bandit was surprised when Blacknail pulled open a makeshift trapdoor to reveal a staircase that led downwards into the ground.


    ¡°Oh, this must be an old root cellar,¡± Geralhd observed as they walked down into a fair sized room with stone walls. There were a few goblins lurking about, but Blacknail hissed and they quickly disappeared into a small tunnel in one of the walls. This was where the hobgoblin had slept the last time he was here.


    It was getting dark outside and there wasn¡¯t much light in the underground chamber, so Blacknail walked over to the fireplace he had dug into the wall during his last visit. There was already a tiny bit of dry wood and grass inside, so it only took a few seconds to get a fire going using sparks from a piece of flint and steel.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a little dirty, but will work quite well,¡± Geralhd remarked as he looked around. ¡°We can seal that hole there easily enough and then there is only one way in. I don¡¯t mean to offend your... friends, but I know we¡¯ll all sleep sounder in a secure location.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust goblins either,¡± Blacknail replied indifferently. Why would you ever trust a goblin? Of course, humans were just as bad in their own way. Blacknail¡¯s heart twisted painfully for a second as several memories suddenly overcame him. The only human he had ever really trusted had been Saeter, and now his master was dead. That meant Blacknail was the only trustworthy person left. Being so loyal and incredibly amazing was a lonely burden.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now. Don¡¯t bother me,¡± Blacknail announced before getting his blanket out and curling up in one corner of the room.The humans could sort everything out now, and he didn¡¯t really feel like interacting with feral goblins right now, not even the female ones. For some reason, he just wasn¡¯t as interested in them as he had used to be. They were kind of short and flat-chested... Wait, why was he thinking about this?


    It wasn¡¯t long before all the bandits started coming down into the cellar. Some of them brought wood to feed the fire. The flickering flames lit the room as everyone set up for the night.


    It was several hours after that when Khita finally showed up again. Blacknail awoke to the sound of her stomping down the stairs. Her clothes were covered with mud and her exposed skin had scratches on it. She looked like she¡¯d gotten into a fight with a thorn bush.


    ¡°Did you get your knife back?¡± he asked her snidely.


    ¡°Fuck you, you miserable bastard,¡± she snarled in reply before going to sit over by the fire. Blacknail was fairly sure that meant she hadn¡¯t gotten her knife back.


    After an otherwise uneventful night, Blacknail led the bandits out of the root cellar and back up to the fire pit. He sighed as he observed how nervous and fearful they were acting. Why were they so afraid of a few goblins and one hobgoblin? They were a bunch of big humans with steel weapons!


    Gob greeted his new chieftain by kneeling on the ground before him, which pleased Blacknail greatly. Maybe the hobgoblin wasn¡¯t so bad after all, and that meant there was no reason to kill him and make it look like an accident. Blacknail had spent some time last night thinking about the best way to go about that. Goblin chiefs weren¡¯t supposed to kill their subordinates but it happened all the time, especially when those subordinates got uppity.


    ¡°Hey that¡¯s my knife!¡± Khita exclaimed when she noticed the item tucked into the side of the hobgoblin¡¯s loin cloth.


    She reached over to take it, but Gob stepped back and hissed at her. The redhead and the hobgoblin then stared at each other. Neither seemed likely to back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start anything,¡± Geralhd warned her. He clearly didn¡¯t want a fight to break out.


    ¡°Make him give it back,¡± Khita told Blacknail.


    ¡°Get it back yourself,¡± Blacknail replied. He didn¡¯t like the tone of her voice. He was the leader and didn¡¯t take orders from anyone.


    ¡°Is this some sort of hobgoblin test? To see if I¡¯m sneaky enough to steal it back and prove myself?¡± the redhead asked as her eyes narrowed with sudden suspicion.


    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t care,¡± Blacknail remarked flatly. If Khita couldn¡¯t hold onto her own stuff then that wasn¡¯t his problem.


    ¡°You¡¯ve become kind of an ass lately, Blacknail,¡± Khita huffed in reply as she scowled at him.


    ¡°Nope, wrong,¡± the hobgoblin replied dismissively. He was completely sure he hadn¡¯t changed at all. There was just no one around to force him to do stupid things anymore, like care about Khita or take baths.


    Life was better when you were the leader.

 Into the Green 9

    Blacknail ignored Khita and everyone else as he went to work on things that were actually important. The early morning sunshine shone down on him as he got breakfast going. Sleeping, like everything else, made him hungry.


    More meat was brought over by goblins and roasted over the fire. There was enough that all the humans got to eat their fill, and there were still lots for the goblins. During Blacknail¡¯s absence, the goblins had gotten skilled at hunting small game. Blacknail had shown them how to make slings and snares before he had left. The tribe had certainly grown larger, and none of them looked hungry.


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be so happy to eat a squirrel, or that they¡¯d taste so good,¡± Geralhd said after chewing and swallowing a bit of meat.


    ¡°They¡¯re pretty nice eating, really. Much better than rats,¡± Khita replied from where she was sitting on the ground by the fire.


    Geralhd blinked in surprise and he gave her a disbelieving frown. Khita noticed his reaction and shrugged indifferently. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve eaten a lot rats, but when you¡¯re living on the streets and you¡¯re hungry you eat whatever you can get.¡±


    Her explanation just made Geralhd look more uncomfortable. He fidgeted and looked away.


    ¡°I used to live off rats and bugs, but now I prefer human food. It tastes less like dirt and it doesn¡¯t fight back,¡± Blacknail added cheerfully.


    Khita threw Blacknail a friendly grin, which Blacknail returned, but there was silence as Geralhd and the other nearby humans considered this piece of hobgoblin wisdom.


    ¡°Er, that stew from yesterday... What was in it?¡± Elyias asked as put down the rabbit on stick he had been eating. A few of the others grimaced and looked queasy as well.


    ¡°Lots of stuff. Saeter taught me how to cook it,¡± Blacknail replied. The last part of his explanation seemed to reassure the humans a little. Most of them resumed eating.


    Blacknail smiled proudly to himself. He was a great cook, and he was glad they had enjoyed his cooking, even if it hadn¡¯t been his best recipe. There had barely been any bugs in it at all! The next time he cooked he was going to make sure he had the ingredients necessary to give the stew a proper crunch. That was the best part.


    ¡°This foray into goblin culinary habits has been fascinating, but we have some more important matters to discuss, like our next move,¡± Geralhd said after he had finished eating.


    There was agreement from the other bandits and they began talking about their plans. A few humans had grown tired of hiking through the forest, but it was quickly decided that nothing had really changed. They still had no option but to try and find a trail that led North. After the confrontation with Werrick¡¯s men, there was no way there weren¡¯t enemies watching the main road.


    ¡°So we still have to walk through those gods deserted woods for what will probably be weeks,¡± one of the women said. ¡°We¡¯re lucky we made it this far without being eaten by something. Getting to Daggerpoint is going to be like trying to trek through one of the hells.¡±


    ¡°At least we got to rest under a roof last night and eat our fill for once,¡± said the bearded bandit who Blacknail kept forgetting the name of. Maybe he should just call the man Beardy. As the leader, he was allowed to change his minions¡¯ names, right?


    It was still early in the morning when Blacknail led his troupe of humans, and two goblins, off into the woods. Several of the bandits visibly relaxed when the goblin camp was out of sight, which was stupid. Things were at their most dangerous when you couldn¡¯t see them.


    The going was tough for the first few hours. The ground was uneven and there were plenty of obstacles, such a rock and trees, which had to be avoided. Most of the trees themselves were tall with long slender needles instead of leaves, and sap oozed from breaks in their scaly bark.


    After a while though, the ground evened out, and smaller leafier trees began to appear. That was when Blacknail noticed something strange; their group had somehow picked up an extra human.


    ¡°Hmmm, how many people are we supposed to have?¡± he asked Geralhd, who was standing right behind him.


    ¡°What? Did we lose someone?¡± the young bandit asked as he spun around to look.


    ¡°No, the opposite,¡± Blacknail replied as he studied the bandits.


    They had all stopped walking and were gazing at the hobgoblin with confused expressions. None of them looked unfamiliar... but it was hard to say for sure. Blacknail couldn¡¯t always tell all his humans apart. Of course, the hooded man at the back of the line was deeply suspicious. Blacknail walked past everyone until he got to the individual in question. He had a nagging suspicion about the hooded figure, which quickly proved correct.


    Blacknail glared angrily at the intruder as he spoke. ¡°What are you doing, Gob? That¡¯s my cloak trick. I did it first! Don¡¯t copy me!¡±


    The feral hobgoblin froze for a second and then made a shrug-like motion, before pulling down his hood. The cloak had been doing a terrible job of concealing his horns anyway; the tips had been pushing up the fabric. Underneath the cloak, he was still dressed in a loincloth but he was also wearing a brown shirt he had stolen from somewhere.


    ¡°By all that is holy!¡± Elyias cursed as he jerked back away from the hobgoblin that had been revealed. This reaction annoyed Blacknail. The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t much of a danger now that he had been exposed, and his disguise had been terrible anyway. Only an idiot like Elyias would have been fooled by it. He wasn¡¯t even wearing pants!


    ¡°Did he kill and replace one of us?¡± someone asked in horror.


    ¡°Everyone is still here. He just stole some clothes,¡± Geralhd quickly explained to keep everyone calm.


    The two hobgoblins stared at each for a few minutes. Gob hissed and barked for moment and then Blacknail growled back. The humans watched the interplay nervously.


    ¡°Why is he following us?¡± Geralhd asked when they had both fallen silent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He just keeps making weird noises,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Please make an educated guess then.¡±


    ¡°He wants to stay with me because I¡¯m such a great leader. I¡¯m so handsome, strong, and wise that he will follow me anywhere,¡± Blacknail observed with a fair bit of self-satisfaction. Now that he had said the words aloud he realized that they had to be true. What other explanation could there be?


    ¡°Well, he can¡¯t stay!¡± Beardy the bearded bandit sputtered. He sounded angry and more than a little fearful.


    ¡°Oh? Are you the leader now?¡± Blacknail hissed menacingly as he rounded upon the man and leveled a cold stare his way.


    He hadn¡¯t actually wanted another hobgoblin around - they couldn¡¯t be trusted ¨C but there was no way he was letting anyone else decide that! He was the leader, and now that Beardy was against it, Blacknail wanted Gob to stay.


    ¡°He¡¯s a wild hobgoblin!¡± another bandit protested.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Which means he¡¯s way more useful than you, or anyone else here but me,¡± Blacknail countered.


    A few more bandits tried to argue with Blacknail¡¯s decision but he didn¡¯t back down. Eventually, they had no choice but to accept Gob¡¯s presence. Blacknail was the leader and more than willing to stab a few people to make a point.


    ¡°Are the goblins going to be alright without their leader?¡± Geralhd asked with a level of concern that confused Blacknail. Why did he care?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail replied simply. The goblins would probably be better off without the hobgoblin lazing about and stealing their food.


    By this time it was clear no one was going to try and chase him away, so Gob turned around and yelled something incomprehensible. Immediately, four goblins with spears and one carrying a large sac ambled out of the bushes and joined the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Bloody lovely,¡± Beardy remarked sarcastically.


    ¡°If they can bring in food then I¡¯d much rather have their company than yours,¡± a woman remarked.


    The addition of a few more goblins certainly didn¡¯t bother Blacknail. He just shrugged and walked back up to the front of the line. He then picked a direction at random and started hiking again. After a few suspicious glares, the human bandits followed him, and behind them came the feral goblins. Scamp and Imp stuck with the bandits. If anything they seemed more distrustful of the newcomers than the humans were. Scamp in particular gave them a few nasty looks and hugged his collection of pouches close.


    The group walked for most of the day, with only a few breaks. The most interesting thing to happen was when they walked around a clump of bushes and spooked a herd of deer. The meeting was a surprise to both sides, but the animals were long gone before anyone could string a bow or try and bring one down. With fleet grace, the deer sprung away and vanished off into the trees.


    When it began to grow dark and they stumbled upon a half way decent campsite atop a rocky outcrop, Blacknail signalled for a stop. As they were setting up camp, the humans objected to sharing their space with the feral goblins, but Blacknail pointed out that he was the leader and they didn¡¯t get to decide anything. He also mentioned that it was better to keep the goblins close where they could be watched.


    ¡°They did share their camp with us earlier,¡± Geralhd told the other bandits. This bit of unasked for truth earned him some angry mutters and glares, but it did seem to placate some of the dissenters.


    However, it was the goblins'' ability to gather firewood, even when it got dark, which finally convinced the last of the objectors. When Gob built a fire for himself and the goblins the bandits shut up and took a seat around it.


    Geralhd even sat next to Gob and tried to communicate with him for a few moments. It didn¡¯t take long for the feral hobgoblin to grow annoyed by the human. Gob threw Blacknail a suffering look that was clearly an attempt to ask for permission to gut the noisy human that wouldn¡¯t shut up, but Blacknail shook his head, so the feral hobgoblin was forced to try and ignore the man instead.


    In the morning, the ferals further impressed the humans by catching several rabbits and squirrels. As was proper, they offered them to their great chieftain Blacknail, and he in turn shared the spoils with everyone else, after he had finished eating his fill. It wasn¡¯t enough to fill everyone¡¯s bellies, except Blacknail¡¯s, but it was more than they would have had otherwise.


    The early morning birds were out in full force as they set out. The sound of their singing filled the air. However, Blacknail soon began to grow tired of walking through the forest. It was nothing but the same mix of trees they had seen over the last few days. He was careful to avoid the older and darker areas where giant spiders might dwell as well as the overgrown clearings that Mimics preferred. That was the safe thing to do but it was also boring. Some excitement would almost be worth the risk of losing a few goblins or humans.


    A sudden loud cracking noise jerked Blacknail to attention. Everyone else heard it as well, but the sound echoed through the forest in a way that made it hard to guess where it had come from. The group stopped in their tracks and they looked off in different directions.


    There was another loud sound like wood shattering. This time Blacknail zoned in on the origin. He saw only trees in that direction, but then he noticed a place where the ground suddenly dropped away. He couldn¡¯t see what lay at the bottom of the hill, but if there was something dangerous there he needed to know about it, plus it might be interesting.


    Blacknail signalled for his followers to be quiet and then he stalked over to the top of the hill. The incline was steep and muddy. At the bottom, there was a clearing full of long grass, and it was bristling with activity. Blacknail stared at the commotion below. The clearing was occupied by ogres. The herd was trampling through the grass along the edge of the clearing where the trees were, and they were using the huge claws on their front limbs to pull branches off of the trees. The huge brown beasts then brought the foliage to their mouths and chowed down on the leaves before throwing most of the harder wood aside. This was the source of all the noise.


    Several of the bandits including Geralhd joined Blacknail atop the hill. They let out quiet exclamations of surprise when they saw the ogres. Many of them had never seen the beasts before, so the group took a quick break to watch them.


    ¡°Wow, those are some huge hulking things,¡± Khita¡¯s eyes were wide with surprise and awe as she watched the creatures amble about below.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of ogres but I didn¡¯t think anything got so large,¡± Elyias remarked. ¡°You don¡¯t see anything like them down south. They must be twice as tall as a man when they stand up on their hind legs.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re dangerous? Are we safe up here?¡± Geralhd asked.


    Before answering, Blacknail took a moment to think the question over. He had only seen a herd of ogres before once, but because he was the leader he wanted to sound like he knew what he was talking about.


    ¡°We¡¯re safe up here. Ogres don¡¯t chase people. They will crush you if something scares them into stampeding, but they don¡¯t actually chase people,¡± he explained.


    ¡°What could scare those giants?¡± Elyias asked with amused disbelief. He sounded like he thought Blacknail was joking.


    ¡°Lots of stuff,¡± Blacknail answered. ¡°Trolls and drakes will hunt and eat ogres.¡±


    ¡°Drakes are real? I thought they were just stories meant to frighten people...¡±


    ¡°Of course they¡¯re real. I mean, I¡¯ve never seen one but I¡¯ve read about them,¡± Geralhd said.


    ¡°I saw one chase some ogres. It was way bigger than a house and its teeth were longer than a man!¡± Blacknail told them as he held his arms out as far apart as possible to show everyone what he meant. ¡°Its roar shook the trees and even Herad ran away from it.¡±


    Khita grinned excitedly as she listened and her eyes shone with glee. ¡°If we wait here do you think a drake will show up? They sound amazing!¡± she asked.


    ¡°I admit to a certain scholarly curiosity about the creatures as well, but that¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Geralhd told her. ¡°Our journey is dangerous enough without purposely trying to encounter a drake, and we don¡¯t have time to waste.¡±


    Blacknail had to agree with Geralhd. Waiting around would be stupid. He shooed a newly terrified Elyias back into line and quickly got everyone moving again. A long march still lay ahead of them, and they spent the rest of the day trying to shorten it as much as possible.


    After another night in the forest, and an early morning start to the day¡¯s hiking, Blacknail was forced to admit that he had no idea where he was or how to get to Daggerpoint. Somehow, one of his minions had gotten them lost. Why were his minions all so useless?


    ¡°Your plan isn¡¯t working,¡± Blacknail accused Geralhd as he pulled him aside. A confused expression appeared on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°My plan?¡±


    ¡°Yep, the one where we walk North until we find a trail to a human city. I haven¡¯t found any trails,¡± Blacknail pointed out. Geralhd winced as if in pain and sighed. He apparently didn¡¯t like being told the obvious.


    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t turn back now. We¡¯ll just have to keep going and hope that we find a road, although I think we should head more towards the East now. That¡¯s the way Daggerpoint should be,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Fine, whatever,¡± Blacknail replied. He wasn¡¯t sure that was the greatest idea, but it didn¡¯t matter to him. He was fine with wandering the woods. It was as good a place to be as any, and he still wasn¡¯t certain what he would do when they got to Daggerpoint.


    They resumed their march and quickly stumbled into a swampy area. Soon over half the standing green trees were replaced by white skeletal husks, and the firm ground gave way to mud. Pools of standing water blocked the way forward, and no one wanted to go for a swim. However, the real problem was the bugs. Swarms of buzzing insects descended on the bandits and goblins. The humans threw their hoods up and the goblins quickly rolled in the mud, and then they made a run for it. Blacknail led the charge away from the swamp and up to drier ground.


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve really gotten us lost,¡± Blacknail accused Geralhd as he swatted a mosquito that had landed on his nose. They finally stopped running when they had reached a hill where there was enough wind to blow all the insects chasing them away.


    ¡°I have? What did I do?¡± Geralhd replied indignantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s your plan so everything is your fault,¡± the hobgoblin explained.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t failed us yet. Let¡¯s keep moving.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s keep walking off into the woods until we all fall over dead. That way the goblins get a free meal and don¡¯t even have to raise a hand against us,¡± Beardy the bandit interjected. He didn¡¯t actually sound as if he actually liked Geralhd¡¯s plan.


    ¡°No, they just have to walk half a hundred miles. That¡¯s stupid. The goblins are the only ones here that aren¡¯t having any problems finding food,¡± Geralhd replied dismissively.


    ¡°Ya, you¡¯re stupid,¡± Blacknail added. He felt it was his duty as the leader to point that out.


    A few more of the bandits grumbled but they quickly shut up when Blacknail glared their way. It wasn¡¯t like they had better ideas, or anywhere they could escape to, so the long hike through the seemingly never ending forest continued.

 Into the Green 10

    The forest was just beginning to darken as dusk fell when Blacknail¡¯s band of misfits found themselves making their way up an unremarkable hill. A canopy of broad leaves towered above them and was supported by scattered broad tree trunks that rose out of the earth. Dark soil was visible underneath the thin covering of plants that covered the ground.


    They had been walking through the trees without stopping since they had decided to head Northeast in search of some sign of human civilization. Blacknail was just about to admit defeat and start looking for somewhere to set up camp for the night when he stumbled across a nearly invisible game trail, where the earth had been flattened and no plants grew. It went almost straight North, so at first Blacknail didn¡¯t give it more than a brief glance. However, it was an unusually wide path and that drew his interest because a lot of animals were obviously using it. It would be useful to know what sort of creatures were nearby, in case any of them liked eating people. Blacknail only had so many spares.


    A brief sniff around revealed nothing more dangerous than some old wolf piss, but his eyes spotted something interesting. Saeter had taught the hobgoblin not to rely too much on smell and how to track by following physical signs. It wasn¡¯t usually that useful but sometimes rain or time would wash a weak scent away.


    Blacknail came to a stop and looked down at his find. ¡°Your great leader has found something, because he is the best scout ever,¡± he announced to his followers.


    ¡°It¡¯s not another weird mushroom you want one of us to eat, is it? Elyias still looks a little out of it, but at least he¡¯s stopped mumbling to himself now,¡± Beardy replied. He was third in line and he didn¡¯t sound too enthusiastic about Blacknail¡¯s discovery.


    Elyias was holding up the rear of the bandits and he looked more than a little green. Every once in a while one of the feral goblins would poke him and giggle before running away but the young man barely reacted. He just plodded forward and stared ahead with unfocused eyes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a foot print, and Elyias will be fine. My minion¡¯s just feeling... relaxed now that his stomach is full and he¡¯s not so hungry. His skin color has never looked so good!¡±


    ¡°A footprint? Is it a human one?¡± Geralhd asked hopefully from behind Blacknail as everyone stopped walking and looked toward the hobgoblin scout.


    ¡°Yes, from a boot,¡± Blacknail explained as he crouched down and pointed to where the heel of a boot had left an imprint in the dirt. The smooth curved edge was clearly visible, and a quick inspection of the surroundings revealed a few more signs of passing humans.


    ¡°It¡¯s about bloody time! Gods, I hope this means we¡¯re near a town or something. I thought the Green would be more exciting than this. All we¡¯ve done is walk and then walk some more,¡± Khita remarked. She sounded oddly bitter and disappointed that the worst thing they had run into was goblins.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with it being boring. It couldn¡¯t be Werrick¡¯s men who made those tracks, could it?¡± A woman asked nervously from where she was standing near the back of the bandits.


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of any reason they¡¯d be way the hells out here. They can¡¯t know where we¡¯re headed and it¡¯s a long walk,¡± Geralhd replied.


    ¡°This trail looks like it goes back to the road, and it runs North the other way,¡± Blacknail observed as he pointed one way and then the other.


    ¡°Why would anyone travel up that way? There¡¯s nothing there but trees and then the mountains,¡± Beardy asked. ¡°Nobody has ever crossed the Iron Teeth and nobody lives there.¡±


    No one had an answer for him, so after discussing their options for a bit they decided on a course of action, which Geralhd then convinced Blacknail to take. Blacknail was the leader so he got to decide everything important, even when he had no idea what was going on. Luckily, Geralhd was there to explain things to him and remind him of important stuff, like that humans needed to eat a certain amount or they would die.


    Thus, Blacknail agreed that they should follow the trail North. His bandit minions hoped the path would eventually turn East towards civilization or at least lead somewhere where they could rest and resupply.


    As they followed the trail, Blacknail noticed plenty of other signs of human passage. It seemed like several different people were using the trail regularly. Even though they made good time, they didn¡¯t reach the end of the trail before night started to fall. Everyone was subdued as they set up camp under a rocky ledge.


    ¡°Damnation, I want to keep going. The source of those tracks might be just out of sight, and that¡¯s going to bug me all night,¡± a bandit said as he unrolled his blanket next to the fire.


    ¡°Go ahead, stupid, but I¡¯m not going to track you down when you get lost in the dark,¡± Blacknail replied as he supervised everyone else¡¯s¡¯ work. He was the leader.


    The only other person that did much talking was Geralhd. As had become routine over the past few days, he spent a while trying to communicate with Gob and teach him the human language. The goblins and the humans had gotten used to each other, but the bandits¡¯ long journey had worn them down. Most of them stared out into the forest with fearful eyes, and even though they had been eating better they had continued to lose weight. In the light cast by the campfire, their faces were thin and eyes sunken. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure that some of them would last much longer. He didn¡¯t want to lose any minions, but if one of them did die he hoped it would be the man with the nice red coat or Khita.


    The goblins were a little spooked to be out in unfamiliar territory but otherwise fine. If anything the presence of so many large humans had come to reassure them. They had their own sentries but most of them curled up to sleep.


    When the sun had risen early the next morning and everyone had gotten up, they started hiking again. The tantalizing prospect of stumbling onto the source of the tracks they were following energized the bandits. They moved more quickly than they had earlier, and soon the forest changed around them. The thicker leafy trees gave way to tall trees pine trees that were clustered tightly together. Their fallen needles covered the ground and smothered a lot of the underbrush, so there was little to block vision.


    ¡°Oh, benevolent goddess! I pray we reach succour soon. My feet are bloody killing me,¡± Elyias whined overdramatically. He was at the back of the group again, while Blacknail was leading the way up a shallow slope. He seemed to have recovered completely from the mushroom poisoning.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re a whiny brat. How the hells did you end up here and how have you survived this long?¡± Beardy responded. The large man then spat contemptuously to the side.


    A haunted look appeared on Elyias¡¯ face and it took him a few moments to reply. ¡°I don¡¯t know... but by all that is divine, I wish I did. I joined up with Herad in Daggerpoint because it seemed like a sure way to make some easy money.¡± A miserable chuckle escaped his lips as he finished speaking.


    ¡°Ha, how¡¯s that going for you?¡± Beardy asked as he grinned cruelly. The large bearded man seemed to find Elyias'' suffering amusing. That annoyed Blacknail a little because Elyias was his minion, so Elyias was supposed to amuse him! It was almost disloyal...


    ¡°It was going fine until that big street fight with those mercenaries in Daggerpoint,¡± Elyias explained before sighing deeply. ¡°I hadn¡¯t signed up for that sort of shit. I¡¯m a thief, not a soldier. However, when the fighting had all finished and I had relaxed, Blacknail showed up.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°And then things became great! Because I made you my minion,¡± Blacknail interjected happily. He had been listening in.


    ¡°Something sort of like that,¡± Elyias remarked bitterly.


    The young man turned to stare off into the forest. He seemed depressed. Maybe he needed another mushroom to cheer him up? There had been some funny looking purple ones a while back. Before Blacknail could speak up, Khita suddenly called out in an unusually loud voice meant to get attention. It worked.


    ¡°Hey, look over there!¡± she announced.


    The group had just reached the top of the incline they had been climbing and could see beyond the top of it now. The forest abruptly ended about a hundred feet up ahead. The tree line just stopped and gave way to a large clearing. The open area wasn¡¯t natural. Stumps littered the edge where the forest had been cut back not too long ago, and all the grass in the area had been trampled down. There was thus nothing to block their view of the settlement that stood in the middle of the clearing. Large wooden buildings could be seen behind a tall fence, and a pillar of smoke was rising up from a chimney.


    ¡°It¡¯s a village or something,¡± a female bandit remarked as she stared past her companions. This pronouncement of the obvious earned her a few annoyed looks, including one from Blacknail.


    ¡°Everyone be quiet. Let¡¯s not give yourself away until we¡¯ve figure out who they are,¡± Geralhd said as he looked around at the forest to make sure they weren¡¯t being observed.


    ¡°Ya, let¡¯s do that,¡± Blacknail agreed. He took a second to listen carefully, but all he heard was the usual forest noises like the rustling of leaves. It didn¡¯t sound like there were any strange people around. He would have heard them or smelled them unless they were waiting in ambush, and that was unlikely. After a signal from their glorious leader, the bandits cautiously made their way over to the edge of the forest and stared out into the clearing. The goblins followed them.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s too big to be an outpost or a trapper¡¯s hut. You could fit a hundred people in there. It must be village after all,¡± Geralhd observed.


    ¡°Look at the ground here in front of us. Most of it has been worked in the past and those areas closer to the wall there look like they¡¯ve already been planted,¡± Elyias pointed out as he crouched down and stared at the dirt in front of him. ¡°You would only do that if you were living here.¡±


    Beardy scratched his head and scowled as he looked around. ¡°They¡¯re farming out here? I thought all these little villages got raided and wiped out a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°The bandits would have to find them first. This village is more than a little out of the way and even bandits stick close to the main roads. I¡¯m guessing they try to keep their location secret as well,¡± Geralhd remarked.


    ¡°So they¡¯re probably not too fond of visitors, and some small communities can get very intense about that sort of thing,¡± Elyias remarked warily.


    ¡°Well, not matter who they are, they probably won¡¯t welcome a group of armed strangers in their hearth, and they definitely won¡¯t appreciate us bringing a pack of goblins with us,¡± Beardy added.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Khita asked. ¡°I¡¯m not staying out here when there¡¯s a nice comfy house right over there. I want to sleep on a bed. No, I need to sleep on a bed, and I have no problem with stabbing a few people to get it either. ¡±


    ¡°We should wait out of sight until nightfall and then find a way inside. They won¡¯t be expecting an attack. Those walls are for keeping beasts out, not people, and I¡¯ll eat my boots if they get travellers out here.¡±


    Everyone considered this plan for a few moments. Several people including Geralhd started to raise objections, but Khita cut them off. ¡°What if we just grabbed some hostages? Then we could force them to let us in, and we wouldn¡¯t have to wait so long. Nightfall is a bloody long time from now!¡±


    ¡°Huh, you might be right; waiting could be risky. They know the area and someone might stumble into our trail and alert the village. So instead, we could have Blackail climb over the wall and let us inside. He could probably manage that undetected in the day, and then we could grab the first few people we find as bargaining chips.¡±


    ¡°Why is every option you present so violent?" Geralhd asked as he glared at Beardy. ¡°We have other alternatives, and not everything needs to end with drawn steel and bloodshed.¡±


    Beardy delivered his reply in a cold and dispassionate voice. ¡°Because I¡¯m a starving murderous bandit who steals from people for a living, and because seeing my friends die bloodily and then taking a week long trek through the damned Green has put me in a shitty mood.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, but let¡¯s not jump into anything,¡± Geralhd replied in a carefully neutral voice. The other man¡¯s reply had clearly unsettled him. ¡°Antagonizing these people could cost us a lot more than it would gain us. We should try and parley with them first.¡±


    ¡°That would cost us the element of surprise, and we can¡¯t trust them. They live out in the deep Green! No one normal does that. They¡¯re probably all a bunch of cannibals or something worse,¡± Elyias said as he stared nervously at the buildings that sat in the middle of the clearing in front of them.


    ¡°What in all the hells do you have against rural villages? Did one murder your parents?¡± a woman asked Elyias.


    ¡°What do you think we should do, Blacknail?¡± Khita interjected as she threw the hobgoblin an excited grin.


    It took a few moments for Blacknail to come up with a reply. He wasn¡¯t against sneaking into the village and killing some people ¨C that was kind of what he did ¨C but he wasn¡¯t sure what the point would be. In fact, what were they even after in the first place? The humans had very different priorities than him, because they were so stupid.


    ¡°What do you want from the village?¡± Blacknail asked the group as he shrugged. There was once again a quiet lull as the bandits considered the unexpected question.


    ¡°Food and rest?¡± Beardy replied uncertainly.


    ¡°Then we would need to kill them all or make nice,¡± Blacknail remarked as he stared at the villages fortifications.


    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Geralhd said. ¡°Infuriating the natives won¡¯t get us anything. If we attack them they will fight back and we won¡¯t be able to trust them or drop our guards. We can¡¯t hope to kill them all either. Our only real way of securing a place to rest and recuperate is to talk to them and work out some sort of deal.¡±


    ¡°But what if they¡¯re all a bunch of crazed inbred cultists that worship some twisted forest god?¡± Elyias asked. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why they live way out here, and if we just walk up to their front door and announce ourselves the bastards may run out and slaughter us for supper.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, what is it with you?¡± the woman from before asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve just had a few bad experiences with small towns, alright? They can be very unfriendly places, where the king¡¯s law isn¡¯t always upheld like it should be, and I¡¯ve heard some things.¡±


    ¡°Ha, let me guess. You tried to steal or cheat at gambling and the villagers ran you out of town because you were an outsider,¡± Beardy suggested.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t have a lick of evidence that I did anything wrong!¡± Elyias hissed angrily in reply. ¡°I had to spend the night in an abandoned shed.¡±


    ¡°We need to get back on topic,¡± Geralhd told the others.


    Blacknail nodded his agreement and spoke up. ¡°How about I take a person and ask them some questions before we talk to the village?¡±


    ¡°You mean kidnap,¡± Geralhd corrected him. ¡°You don¡¯t take or steal people, you kidnap them.¡±


    ¡°I mean what I said.¡±


    ¡°Fine, that plan could work, but where how would you find this person?¡±


    Blacknail grinned confidently to himself as he stared at the human settlement. ¡°All prey must leave their lair to find food and water. We just need to watch and wait for an unsuspecting human to come to us.¡±


    ¡°Creepy, but it¡¯s not a bad plan,¡± Beardy replied. ¡°However, if we don¡¯t want them dead set against us you¡¯d better not let them know you¡¯re a hobgoblin. That means one of us should do most the talking and the actual grabbing.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Blacknail answered. He was never against doing less work.


    ¡°Someone leaving the village might not come out in this direction. There might even be villagers over in the forest on the other side,¡± Geralhd said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go look over there then,¡± Blacknail replied as he stood up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a big forest maybe you should get help. I¡¯m sure the goblins could track down a villager for us.¡±


    Blacknail turned to observe the pack of goblins. They were all clustered off to the side at the edge of the forest where they could hide among some stumps and bushes. Like the humans, they were mostly staring at the village that sat in the middle of the clearing. As Blacknail watched, two of the goblins started hissing at each other and then began fighting. They wrestled for a second before Gob sprang into action and pulled them apart. The growling hobgoblin grabbed both of the goblins¡¯ necks and pressed them down into the dirt until they shut up. He then let them go and they quickly scampered away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re smart enough for that,¡± Blacknail said as he scowled at the scene before him.


    ¡°You had them doing more complex tasks than this before,¡± Geralhd pointed out.


    ¡°Yes, but not important things, just stuff that didn¡¯t affect me if they messed up. Also, I can¡¯t explain the details to them because they don¡¯t talk well.¡±


    ¡°I think they understand more than you think, and I¡¯ve been teaching Gob. He can give them the details.¡±


    This idea didn¡¯t sit well with Blacknail for some reason, but if it worked then he would have less work to do, so it was worth a shot. He sighed before responding.


    ¡°Fine, but if this goes badly it¡¯s all your fault.¡±

 Interlude: Getting What You Want

    Aris grunted as he lifted the bucket of slop up over the side of the enclosure and dumped its smelly contents into the tray below. It splashed upwards when it hit the bottom of the wooden container but none of the muck landed near Aris or his clothes. He was quite practiced at this. The pigs that had been idling about the mud filled pen immediately began trotting over to grab some food.


    Aris smiled as he pulled the now empty bucket back over the fence. His heart lifted at the animals¡¯ happy snorts and hurried waddling. They seemed so happy to receive the village¡¯s kitchen castoffs. If only his own needs were so simple.


    A sigh escaped Aris¡¯ lips as he looked at his surroundings and his own problems came to mind. Around him were the crude wooden buildings that lay at the center of his village. Everything looked run down and dirty, although Aris had never seen them any other way. In fact, he had never seen any other buildings. Behind the buildings the settlement wall could be seen, and beyond that the tall trees of the forest loomed. It was a despairingly familiar scene that made him want to scream. The sight of the trees tormented him. They were a constant reminder of the outside world but also of all the barriers that shackled him here.


    He had been born in the isolated village of Shelter over fifteen winters ago, and it was likely that he would die here. There had to be more to life than this! Aris grimaced as he carried the bucket back over to his house. Like every other home in the village, it was a squat structure with a thatch roof. There was only enough space inside for three cramped rooms. He dropped the slop bucket outside the front door before walking inside. His mother was working in the kitchen. There was a table in the middle of the room and she was chopping something up on top of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m done with the morning chores, mother,¡± Aris told her as he stepped through the door.


    ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± his mother replied without looking up from her work. Although she wasn¡¯t young anymore, the brunette was still attractive. She wasn¡¯t slim but she moved gracefully and there was almost always a welcoming smile on her face.


    ¡°Is there something else you wanted me to do now?¡± he asked her as he came to stop in the doorway. There were always more chores to do.


    ¡°No, not right now. We can do some cleaning together later, but right now I need to focus on this. You can take a break for an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to go for a walk or something then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, a walk? Are you planning to take it with anyone in particular?¡± his mother said as she finally looked up and grinned at him. Aris¡¯ cheeks flushed slightly in response.


    ¡°Nah, no one in particular,¡± he replied unconvincingly as he quickly looked to the side.


    ¡°Sure, sweetie, whatever you say. Have fun with your walk,¡± his mother responded smugly. Aris quickly muttered something incomprehensible and then made a break for his room. He loved his mother but she could be so very embarrassing. Why couldn¡¯t she just stay out of his business?


    The room was shadowy and dark because the only source of light was one tiny round window, but it was enough to see by. Once inside his bedroom, he pulled out a drawer from his dresser and grabbed a clean shirt. It was still rough homespun and an ugly tan color, but at least it wasn¡¯t covered in dirt and grime. He had to watch his balance as he changed because there was so little space in his cramped room. There was only a tiny piece of open floor between the bed and the dresser.


    When Aris was finished, he tried to slip past his mother and back outside but she noticed him and spoke up in a worried voice. ¡°If you end up going out into the forest don¡¯t go too far, and make sure you obey all the rules, including taking at least two other people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother, of course,¡± Aris responded as he tried to hide a grimace. Did she think he was still a child?


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you mean it,¡± his mother observed as she scowled his way. ¡°We have those rules for a reason, as you well know. I shouldn¡¯t have to explain them to you of all people.¡±


    Aris simply nodded and smiled insincerely in agreement before hurriedly walking out the door before she could respond. He didn¡¯t want to argue with his mother when there were better uses of his time. She was just being overprotective. Hardly any of the other villagers followed the three person rule. His mother was just paranoid about the forest because of how his father had disappeared. Years ago, he had gone out with one of his friends to do some trading in another village but had never returned. His mother was sure some sort of beast had taken him, but Aris wasn¡¯t so sure. Maybe he had just grown tired of living in an isolated collection of hovels where there was no future and decided to leave his family behind. Aris barely remembered his father as more than a weathered smiling face with a brown beard.


    As Aris was walking through the village towards his destination, a flock of small birds twittered and flew over the village. Aris watched them disappear into the trees on the other side of the wall and sighed again. The birds¡¯ freedom filled him with envy. If his father had abandoned his family instead of dying then Aris wasn¡¯t so sure he could bring himself to hate the man. He was more jealous than anything. Of course, since his father wasn¡¯t around it was even more impossible for Aris to leave Shelter. Someone had to stay and help his mother. She was unlikely to remarry since there were so few unmarried men her age left in the village. Their life out here was hard and dangerous. Fatalities were far from unheard of, and men did most the dangerous jobs.


    ¡°Damn this place! Why did I have to be born here?¡± Aris swore as he moved. At least not everything was terrible. There were one or two good things about Shelter. Like Joan, whose house he was now approaching.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    After a quick look around to make sure no one was within sight, Aris walked over to a window in the nearest house and looked inside. He didn¡¯t see or hear any movement, so he grinned and moved to the door. He had wanted to make sure her parents weren¡¯t home before entering.


    ¡°Are you here, Joan?¡± he called out eagerly. There was a shuffling sound from deeper in the house before anyone replied.


    ¡°Aris, is that you?¡± a girly voice asked. A young woman in a homespun dress then stepped out of one of the back rooms. She had long blonde hair that was tied up into a bun atop her head and a smile on her face. Her figure was slim in a healthy way.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I just finished my morning work, and I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time together,¡± he replied happily. Joan¡¯s beautiful smiles never failed to fill him with joy. There were only about two dozen children his age in the village, so they had all grown up together, and Aris had known Joan forever. However, it was only recently that Aris had found himself being drawn to her and started asking to spend time with her alone.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m still working on finishing up some sowing and my parents are out,¡± Joan mused aloud. She sounded uncertain but tempted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it can wait. I was thinking we could go for a short walk and have a nice talk.¡±


    ¡°That does sound fairly nice. A walk to where, though?¡±


    Aris shrugged. He hadn¡¯t really thought about it too much. ¡°Just around the wall and then maybe over to the apple trees. No one will bother us over by the shed there.¡±


    Joan shook her head, although there was still a smile on her lips. The movement did however cause several loose hairs to fall over her face and she had to brush them aside. ¡°The orchard shed? That¡¯s where all the grabby young men like to take their girls. I don¡¯t think I want to go there. How about a real walk, like through the woods.¡±


    Her response disappointed Aris. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from pouting slightly. He had been looking forward to snuggling up next to Joan and seeing if maybe he could steal a kiss or too. The forest would be private but there was one huge problem with it.


    ¡°You want to go by ourselves?¡± he asked. Aris had a feeling that he already knew the answer, and that he wasn¡¯t going to like it.


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll definitely need a third person, silly. Those are the rules.¡±


    That was what Aris had been afraid of. ¡°Where are we going to find someone to go with us right now? We should just go to the orchard or go to the forest by ourselves instead.¡±


    ¡°I can just ask my brother. He¡¯s just out back and it will only take a second. Wait here.¡±


    Having said that, Joan smiled again and walked past him. Aris¡¯ heart fell as she stepped through the door and out of sight. He had to wait there awkwardly for Joan to return a few minutes later, and behind her came her brother, Hassiol. Aris forced himself not to grimace when Hassiol threw him a cocky grin. Aris wasn¡¯t thrilled by this new addition. Hassiol wasn¡¯t overprotective of his sister, but he obviously enjoyed annoying Aris by getting in his way. He seemed to find the whole thing to be hilarious, which made Aris want to punch him. The two boys had never been close, even though they were only a year apart in age. They weren¡¯t enemies but they hadn¡¯t been really been friends.


    ¡°So you want to go out into the forest for a walk! That sure sounds romantic. Thanks for inviting me,¡± Hassiol told Aris as he smirked and his eyes glinted with amusement.


    ¡°No problem. I can¡¯t think of anywhere else I would like to take you¡­¡± the other boy replied before muttering. ¡°¡­and where I¡¯d like to leave you for something to eat.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you two get along so well. Let¡¯s get going!¡± Joan told them both. She seemed genuine in her excitement so Aris suppressed his own disaffection.


    ¡°I just remembered seeing some spring flowers the last time I went out into the forest,¡± Aris told her as he tried to ignore her brother. ¡°I¡¯ll show them to you. I think you¡¯ll love them. They¡¯re almost as pretty as you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sounds lovely,¡± Joan replied.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll like them? I can¡¯t wait to see what color they will be!¡± Hassiol interjected in a tone full of sarcasm.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Aris replied crossly.


    ¡°Will they be as pretty as I am?¡±


    There was a second of silence as Aris suppressed the urge to kick Hassiol in the balls. As much as the boy deserved it, it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea in front of his sister. Aris was trying to leave a good impression.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to decide that on your own, or get one of the other girls to tell you. That¡¯s if you ever find one that is interested in you,¡± Aris eventually replied as he stared hostilely into Hassiol¡¯s eyes.


    Joan laughed at their exchange before stepping between them and speaking up. ¡°You two are so funny! But there will be plenty of time for joking around as we walk. Let¡¯s get going. I want to see these flowers.¡±


    The blonde girl then took Aris¡¯ arm and led him towards the door. Her brother followed as they made their way towards Shelter¡¯s gates. The warm feeling of her body pressed up against his overwhelmed Aris, even if her heavy clothes meant their skin wasn¡¯t touching. His heart started beating louder and faster in his chest. He remained silent as they stepped outside the village, but then Joan let go of his arm and stepped away.


    Across the barren fields outside the walls loomed the green trees that completely surrounded Shelter. Aris felt his good spirits drain away when they came into sight. He suddenly felt very alone, regardless of his company. His home village was a small speck in the center of an endless maze that he couldn¡¯t escape. The outside world full of people he had never met and the grand cities that he had heard some of the elders speak of were all impossibly far away. Regardless of how well this little outing went he was doomed to die in this village where nothing happened but the slow grind of tragedy. None of the elders said it aloud, but everyone knew that the village was shrinking. Less planting was done every year, and life was constantly getting harder. Shelter was dying, strangled by the Green. It couldn¡¯t survive on its own.


    ¡°Why did you stop? Let¡¯s get going,¡± Joan asked from up ahead as she turned and gave Aris an inquisitive look.


    ¡°Oh, I was just thinking of how much I enjoy being around you,¡± Aris replied smoothly as he started walking again. Behind him, Hassiol gagged in disgust. They all followed the path to the edge of the woods and stepped into the shade cast by the branches overhead.


    Birds twittered all around and leaves shook in the wind. Aris found himself praying as he followed Joan. ¡°I wish something would happen, anything really. Tar-Galhd, lord of the Green, you¡¯re the only god that could possibly hear me out here. I¡¯ve lived my entire life in your embrace¡­ Please, I beg of you, let me grow.¡±


    Aris looked around. There was no sudden unnatural silence or divine sign, so he just sighed and kept moving. It had been stupid of him to suddenly be so dramatic. If he kept this up he was going to let a sour mood ruin a perfectly good date with a beautiful woman. The young man moved up next to Joan and smiled at her. When she smiled back he quickly forgot his prayer and the thoughts that had been dragging him down. He had feeling this was going to be a great day, even with Hassiol was around.

 Hearts and Homes 1

    Blacknail walked away from the village that stood in the clearing behind him and headed over toward Gob and the feral goblins. They were lounging about among some bushes and tree stumps at the edge of the forest. Geralhd trailed after Blacknail.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t talk to Gob more on the way here. You¡¯ve barely said two words to him since your reunion,¡± Geralhd said as they moved.


    Blacknail sniffed in annoyance before replying. ¡°Why would I want to speak to him? He¡¯s a hobgoblin so he has nothing interesting to say.¡±


    ¡°Well, if he learns a few more words...¡± Geralhd argued before Blacknail snorted rudely and cut him off.


    ¡°No, wrong. I mean Gob has nothing to say because he lives out in a forest with a bunch of goblins. I¡¯ve seen the forest and I know all about goblins. Talking about those things would be dumb.¡±


    Geralhd wasn¡¯t able to come up with a reply to that before they reached Gob¡¯s side. The hobgoblin looked their way and then bowed his head submissively towards Blacknail. This just caused Blacknail to snort again, however Geralhd greeted Gob with a cheerful wave and a smile. The two then began communicating through hand gestures and a few human words as Blacknail watched. Most of it was confusing nonsense but it certainly seemed like Geralhd was asking Gob to send out goblins to help scout the forest.


    ¡°Yes. Yes,¡± Gob replied in a scratchy voice after Geralhd had finished speaking. The hobgoblin¡¯s head bobbed up and down enthusiastically as he spoke, and then he looked toward Blacknail. There was a questioning look in his eyes, and he was obviously seeking Blacknail¡¯s approval to do whatever Geralhd had just asked of him.


    He didn¡¯t get it right away. Blacknail stared at Gob suspiciously for a second before reluctantly nodding. He had no reason to go against the plan now, but he couldn¡¯t resist ending the nod with a haughty growl. Blacknail wanted to remind Gob who the boss was. It was him. He was the boss.


    Gob immediately turned around and made a barking sound. The goblins who were loitering all around him perked up and looked his way. When he had their attention, Gob hissed and grunted at them a few times before motioning towards the forest.


    Blacknail watched intently. He had no idea what any of those stupid sounds were supposed to mean. When he tried to command the goblins it usually took him much longer. Gob was certainly very useful to have around, which unfortunately meant Blacknail couldn¡¯t kill him yet. The goblins muttered amongst themselves for a few moments before running off into the woods. One of them tried to stay behind, but Blacknail gave the lazy critter a swift kick that sent him scampering off into the bushes. The little pest was probably going to sit down somewhere out of sight, but there was nothing Blacknail could do about it.


    Soon all the goblins had left except for Scamp and Imp. Both of them were still sitting over by the bandits. Blacknail briefly considered giving them both a kick and forcing them out into the forest as well, but Scamp was useless and Imp was still wearing his backpack. Blacknail was afraid an impact might cause something in the sack to explode.


    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Beardy remarked as he walked up next to Geralhd.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s Geralhd¡¯s idea, so everything that goes badly is his fault.¡±


    The bandits then fell into quiet conversation as they watched the village from afar and waited for the goblins to return. It took a little over half an hour for the first of the green critters to come back. The goblin scampered out of the bushes and ran over to Gob with an excited gleam in his eyes. The hobgoblin and the goblin grunted at each other a few times, and then Gob turned towards Blacknail and pointed out into the forest.


    ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve found someone,¡± Geralhd remarked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see who it is,¡± Blacknail replied eagerly as he motioned for the rest of the humans to join him.


    The hobgoblin had gotten sick of waiting around. Recently, when he stayed still he couldn¡¯t help but think back and reflect on his memories. This wasn¡¯t something he enjoyed. Whenever Saeter¡¯s face came to mind cold rage flared to life in his chest. It was only by keeping busy that he had managed to stay calm.


    When they were ready to move, Blacknail signalled Gob. The feral hobgoblin hissed at the goblin that had come back, and the pair began walking off into the forest. Blacknail and his human minions followed behind them silently.


    They circled through the thick greenery around the edge of the clearing for a few minutes. The goblin then sniffed an exposed tree root and veered off deeper into the woods. Blacknail eyed the surroundings carefully as they moved. It was faint but the dirt here had been beaten down and hardened by footsteps into a trail that led from the village off into the woods. People were obviously using this path frequently.


    The goblin and the bandits followed the trail for a few minutes, until the sound of voices reached Blacknail¡¯s ears. Gob noticed them at the same time, and both the hobgoblins immediately stared ahead towards the noises¡¯ source. As he listened, Blacknail raised a hand to signal for silence and slowed his pace. He took extra effort to move quietly as he continued to walk forward. It sounded like only two people were talking, a man and a woman. Blacknail smiled. That was a perfect size group for the bandits to target, so he kept creeping closer through the underbrush, and soon he spotted his quarry.


    There were three humans, not two. One of them had simply been staying quiet. The first two were standing right next to each other. One of them was a blonde girl and the other was a brunette boy. They were a few feet from the path and looking at something on the ground. There were several branches and bushes in the way, so the details were hard to make out but that much was visible. Blacknail crept up beside a tree and peered around the trunk to get a better look, but he didn¡¯t have any luck, so he switched to studying the third person. There was a second young man leaning up against a tree a few feet from his companions. He was blonde and he had a look on his face that betrayed a mix of annoyance and disgust as he watched the other two.


    Apparently Blacknail wasn¡¯t the only one that noticed the boy¡¯s expression. The other young man with brown hair did as well, and he spoke up. ¡°Why did you come with us if you are just going to glare and make stupid faces at my back?¡±


    ¡°You know the reason. Anyone going out into the woods needs to be in groups of at least three,¡± the blonde young man replied.


    ¡°But we¡¯re only a few minutes away from home. This is practically our yard!¡±


    ¡°The rules still stand. You never know what¡¯s out here. The forest is a dangerous place and I wasn¡¯t going to let my sister come out here without any real protection, especially with you.¡±


    ¡°What the hells is that supposed to mean?¡± the brunette boy replied indignantly. There was a rustling as he rose to his feet, but the other boy just smiled.


    ¡°It means I don¡¯t think you can take care of yourself let alone others, and if you trip over a root and crack your skull then I don¡¯t want her to have to carry you back herself.¡±


    There was a second of angry silence before the girl spoke up. ¡°Come on boys, stop arguing, it¡¯s just silly. Let¡¯s have a good time.¡±


    After that their voices grew quieter so Blacknail carefully retreated back to the rest of his party. He had heard and seen enough anyway. These people would make great hostages and would be easy to capture. They were clearly idiots with little in the way of survival skills.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± Geralhd asked Blacknail when he got back. His voice was quiet and nervous. Behind him stood the other bandits and Gob.


    ¡°Three scrawny and weak-looking humans. Two males and a female,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Great, let¡¯s grab them!¡± Beardy said as he stepped forward. He didn¡¯t get very far though, because Blacknail sniffed disdainfully and got in his way.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s stupid. You can¡¯t just rush in there or they will escape, stupid.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s obvious. You need to cut them off and encircle them,¡± Blacknail explained as he raised a finger and drew a circle in the air. As everyone listened the hobgoblin laid out his plan. If there was one thing that Blacknail was an expert at it was hunting down prey, especially human prey. They were very predictable.


    When they were done planning all the humans split into two groups and headed off in different directions. Blacknail told Gob and the goblins to stay put, and then he followed after Geralhd¡¯s group. A second later, he spun back around and hissed at the goblins that were shadowing him until they ran back to Gob. The stupid creatures really needed to take some initiative and learn a proper language so he could yell at them properly.


    Geralhd led his half of the group through the forest for a minute until they were well away from their quarry, and then they stepped onto the path and leisurely began following it back. Blacknail pulled his hood up and kept to the behind his human minions. He was supposed to stay out of sight so that his fearsome greatness didn¡¯t scare the humans too much, or something. He had forgotten the exact reason but it wasn¡¯t important.


    Before closing the last stretch and approaching the three youths, Blacknail raised two fingers to his lips and whistled to signal their approach. The sound was almost indistinguishable from that of a real bird, and from off in the forest there was a quick reply from the other party, so they kept moving. It hadn¡¯t been a very good reply, unless the signaller had been trying to imitate a bird that had died halfway through its song, but it served its purpose. Both groups were in position, and the three youths came into sight.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that last birdcall was weird. We should head back. What if it was a harpy or something?¡± the shorter brown haired boy told the other. The blonde woman was pressed up against him, and all three of them were standing on the path together and talking.


    ¡°There would have to be more than one harpy to threaten us, and they know better than to come near here. Every time one of those things shows their ugly face a hunting party is sent out to exterminate them. Our father still has a skull he got from the last hunt,¡± the blonde young man replied. He didn¡¯t sound too concerned.


    ¡°What about goblins?¡±


    ¡°Those stunted wretches, what about them? I know the old folks like to tell horror stories about them but that¡¯s all they are, stories. We¡¯re in no danger from goblins. You¡¯re just being jumpy.¡±


    Suddenly, the girl looked past her companions and spotted the bandits walking their way. She froze as she studied them, and then she flinched and her mouth fell open slightly in shock. The two boys noticed her behaviour and turned to see what she was looking at.


    ¡°Oh, hello there!¡± Geralhd greeted them. His voice was pleasant and he waved a hand in their direction. The men behind him also smiled, but in a far less friendly way. They were about thirty feet away now.


    The taller blonde boy was the one that replied. His voice stuttered nervously as he spoke and he had gone pale. He was clearly terrified but trying not to show it. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a harmless traveller who has gotten lost and is looking to get some directions, and maybe some shelter for the night,¡± Geralhd replied with a broad reassuring smile.


    The girl stepped closer to the other boy and hugged his arm tightly to her chest. She didn¡¯t seem convinced.


    ¡°And what about all the men behind you with the weapons?¡± the blonde boy asked as he stuck out an arm and pushed the other two back behind him. All three of the youths then took a few nervous steps away from the bandits.


    ¡°They are my associates. The forest is a dangerous place for a lone traveller. You don¡¯t need to be afraid of them,¡± Geralhd replied in the same calm voice.


    It looked like the young humans were going to bolt off into the forest, but they didn¡¯t get a chance. There was a rustling sound as the other group of bandits stepped out of the bushes and onto the path behind the youths. The youngsters paled even more when they saw the newcomers. They were surrounded now, and they knew it.


    ¡°Those are also some of my associates,¡± Geralhd said as the young woman began trembling.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± the shorter boy asked as he held the girl and glared defiantly Gerlahd¡¯s way.


    ¡°I already told you. I just want to ask you some questions, that¡¯s all. We can all be friends, so why don¡¯t you sit down so we can talk,¡± Geralhd answered. This time there was a cold tone to his voice that made it clear that he wasn¡¯t making a suggestion.


    All three of the youths stepped closer together. There was a desperate look in their eyes as they searched for an escape route.


    ¡°Sit,¡± Geralhd ordered them as both groups of bandits closed in. All three of the youths immediately sat down on the ground. The rough looking and dirty bandits quickly took the opportunity to encircle them.


    ¡°If you harm us our parents and the others will hunt you down,¡± the blonde haired boy explained. There were amused chuckles from a lot of the bandits. Khita¡¯s laugh was one of the loudest, and her voice drew the tall blonde boy¡¯s attention, and he clearly had no idea what to make of her because he frowned in confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to harm you,¡± Geralhd reassured them as he crouched down so that their faces were almost level. ¡°I just want to ask you some questions and then maybe you can do us a quick favour and introduce us to your village.¡±


    The three youths exchanged glances before the girl replied. ¡°What do you want to know, sir?¡±


    The question took Geralhd by surprise. He hesitated for a moment as he tried to come up with an answer. They hadn¡¯t actually planned this part.


    ¡°Um¡­ we just want to know about your village,¡± he eventually explained.


    There was no immediate reply so Elyias took the opportunity to lean down and ask his own question. ¡°Do you worship any strange gods that command you to murder outsiders or eat human flesh?¡±


    ¡°No... um... we have a small shrine to Ter-vur,¡± the blonde boy answered slowly. He had obviously been taken aback by the question, and now everyone was looking at Elyias weirdly.


    ¡°What kind of stupid question was that?¡± Beardy asked the other bandit.


    ¡°An important one,¡± Elyias replied defensively. ¡°Do you want to be eaten by cannibals?¡±


    Before anyone else could speak up Blacknail stepped forward and asked his own question. ¡°Do you have cheese?¡± The bandits had run out days ago and Blacknail dearly missed the taste.


    This time it was the girl that replied. ¡°A little? We have a few goats although the last cow died a couple years back.¡±


    There was an exasperated sigh from Beardy, and before the hobgoblin could respond to the girl Geralhd glared at him. Oh right, he wasn¡¯t supposed to be talking. Why had he agreed to that, again?


    Without anymore interruptions, Geralhd interrogated the captives about their village. They were reluctant to talk about certain things, but soon a clear picture of the fortified community began to appear.


    ¡°It seems like a half decent place to get some supplies and maybe spend a night,¡± Geralhd observed. ¡°They have empty homes and they don¡¯t sound like a bunch of paranoid bastards we can¡¯t trust.¡±


    Most the other bandits agreed and they soon came to a decision. They would risk trying to contact the village and seeing if they could spend the night there. Blacknail went along with it mostly because it sounded much more exciting than staying out in the forest, plus they had cheese.


    ¡°Let¡¯s grab these younglings and get moving then,¡± Beardy remarked impatiently.


    ¡°I volunteer to guard the girl on the way over,¡± Elyias said as he leered her way.


    ¡°As if, greenhorn. I¡¯ll do that,¡± an older bandit remarked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch her,¡± Blacknail said as he stepped closer to the blonde girl.


    ¡°Er, why? I thought you weren¡¯t into that¡­¡±


    ¡°Into what?¡± Blacknail asked as he blinked in confusion. Why couldn¡¯t the humans just make sense?


    ¡°You know¡­¡± the older bandit replied as he made several crude finger gestures. Blacknail stared blankly at him. He had no idea what the bandit was trying to get at, so he just clarified his own thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m much faster and a better guard than any of you, and the other two little people smell horrible.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± the bandit said as the two boys gave Blacknail hostile looks. Humans could be weirdly sensitive about their smell even though their noses were barely functional.


    The girl looked frightened by all the sudden attention. The captives had calmed down somewhat once it became apparent they weren¡¯t about to be assaulted and murdered but they were still on edge.


    ¡°You should probably stay back and keep watch. You¡¯re our best scout after all,¡± Geralhd quickly interjected before lowering his voice to a whisper and continuing. ¡°And you promised to stay away from the captives! They can¡¯t learn that you¡¯re a hobgoblin.¡±


    This caused Blacknail to snort in annoyance, but he didn¡¯t argue the point. Without a word, he moved to the back of the group as they got moving. The captives were in the middle of the party as they made their way back up the trail and towards the village.


    The three youths weren¡¯t the only nervous ones, though. Most the bandit¡¯s looked uncertain and moved stiffly. Approaching the village was something they had to do but it was also dangerous. They didn¡¯t know exactly what they would find there. Soon enough, they reached the edge of the woods and began crossing the clearing and the worked earth within it. Ahead of them, the settlement wall made up of wooden stakes loomed. It¡¯s hostile presence informing everyone that the village was prepared to defend itself from outsiders.

 Hearts and Homes 2

    As they approached the wall in front of them, none of the bandits had their weapons out. They had taken pains to make themselves as presentable as possible after spending so long hiking through the forest. It hadn¡¯t really worked. They still looked exactly like what they were, a pack of desperate bandits that sane people should avoid.


    The captured youths that were now being herded by the bandits had said that there wasn¡¯t usually a lookout on duty at the gate, just a guard, and that seemed to be true. Blacknail¡¯s group got right to the entrance before they were noticed. Geralhd opened his mouth to shout for attention when he was interrupted by a spiel of swearing from the other side. That was quickly followed by the hidden man there yelling for backup and crying for the village to take up arms.


    ¡°This already could have gone better,¡± Beardy commented.


    ¡°Let¡¯s run while we still have the chance,¡± Elyias muttered fearfully.


    ¡°Just let me do all the talking and we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Geralhd said as they waited for someone in the village to take charge. He didn¡¯t sound too convincing.


    It took a few minutes for that to happen, but eventually a gruff voice addressed them from the other side of the gate. ¡°Who are you and what are doing with those children?¡±


    ¡°We are just some lost travellers who happened to stumble upon your humble abode here and thought to introduce ourselves,¡± Geralhd replied politely. ¡°We mean you no harm, and we certainly wouldn¡¯t harm any children. We encountered them in the woods and thought maybe we could ask them some questions about your village. We were just curious and they¡¯re here with us now because I thought you¡¯d want them to come home after all this commotion.¡±


    There was a disbelieving huff from the hidden man. ¡°So you¡¯ll let them go at any time?¡±


    ¡°Of course, although they can¡¯t exactly go inside as long as this gate is closed.¡±


    ¡°Then how about you back up and leave them here.¡±


    ¡°That would hardly be very gracious on your part, and speaking of manners, you haven¡¯t introduced yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Tannin, the headsman of this village. Other than a silver tongued liar, who are you supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°My name is Geralhd Rhodeius, and it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Tannin. Why don¡¯t you open this gate so that we can talk properly? I assure you that we mean you no harm.¡±


    There was no reply for a few seconds but then Geralhd had to step back as the wooden gate in front of him swung open. On the other side there were about two dozen burly men armed with various improvised weapons, including wood axes and pitchforks. All of them were wearing the rough homespun clothing that most peasants wore. Standing out front was an older man with thick arms and a long grey beard. His head was balding and thin of hair but his eyes were full of fierce energy.


    ¡°Now, Geralhd, how about you let the children come over and you tell us what is it that you really want?¡± the man asked in Tannin¡¯s voice. The bandits glanced at each other nervously but didn¡¯t draw their weapons.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t really holding them so of course they can leave,¡± Geralhd replied as he signalled to the men behind him, who stepped aside.


    The three youths promptly ran away from the bandits and joined the villagers. The headsman relaxed slightly when they reached him but he quickly shushed them and pushed them back behind his men where they were out of the way.


    ¡°See, we aren¡¯t here to hurt anyone. We only want to have a friendly conversation,¡± Geralhd said as he smiled politely.


    ¡°We don¡¯t get many visitors here and I have a low tolerance for bullshit, so why don¡¯t you get right to the point and tell me exactly what you want,¡± Tannin replied.


    ¡°Fair enough. My companions and I are travelling East but we need to avoid the main road. We want to buy supplies, get directions, and rest here for the night.¡±


    Tannin¡¯s eyes narrowed as he studied Geralhd. ¡°And why should we let you in or deal with your kind at all? We could just close this gate and you¡¯d be forced to leave.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice wall but it¡¯s hardly a real guarantee of protection. Besides, if you¡¯re going to be that inhospitable to everyone that passes by then eventually you are going to anger someone. Such a person or group might stick around to cause problems for you and I really doubt you would want them spreading news of your community around when they do leave. You¡¯d be better off staying on their good side and getting something out of dealing with them.¡±


    ¡°Ha, how do you propose to pay us for our goods?¡±


    ¡°We have coin and a few extra small blades we could trade. Isolated as you are, I doubt you have much in the way of spare iron here.¡±


    ¡°I might be able to arrange the things you want, but if we did let you inside what guarantee do I have that you¡¯ll behave. You all seem to be armed to the teeth and that concerns me more than a little.¡±


    ¡°There aren¡¯t enough of us to attack this settlement, and making enemies out of you would only come back to bite us. We have every reason to stay friendly.¡±


    As the armed villagers watched the bandits, Geralhd and the village headsman continued their talk for several long minutes. A dozen more armed villagers arrived to join their fellows, but Tannin¡¯s expression grew less hostile and angry over time and he eventually decided to let the bandits in, and they began to bargain about the price. Things grew slightly heated when Tannin ordered the bandits to hand over their weapons but Geralhd didn¡¯t back down.


    ¡°Even armed we are still too outnumbered to take this village, but without our blades we stand no chance at all of defending ourselves if you decide to just rob us instead of sticking to your word,¡± he argued. Tannin was unhappy with that line of reasoning but eventually conceded the point.


    ¡°Fine I¡¯ll show where you can bunk up and I¡¯ll arrange to see what we can sell you. You¡¯ll be under guard though, so don¡¯t wander around or cause trouble,¡± the village headsman said. Blacknail thought he detected a sly slant to his smile but didn¡¯t know what to make of it.


    Geralhd nodded in acceptance and grinned triumphantly to himself. There were sighs of relief as the bandits began following the villagers deeper into the settlement. It seemed like a fight had been avoided, but as Blacknail fell in behind the bandits Geralhd turned and whispered his way.


    ¡°You should sneak away now, Blacknail. The goblins shouldn¡¯t be left alone and you can meet up with us after dark. I¡¯m sure you can make it into the village and find us without being detected.¡±


    His words sounded a bit too much like orders to Blacknail, so the hobgoblin scowled. ¡°I¡¯m the leader and think I should stay here and instead you should go meet up with the goblins.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the leader... but they¡¯re still suspicious of us and with your hood up you stand out. You can¡¯t hide your skin color from them, and if the villagers do turn against us then you¡¯re the only one who could sneak in and free us.¡±


    That argument didn¡¯t sit well with Blacknail. He wanted to stay closer to the cheese, but he had to admit Geralhd had several good points. He grunted in aggravation and then quickly spun around. Blacknail was only a few steps from the gate, and it took him but a moment to slip back outside the wall. Several bandits were between him and the villagers so none of them noticed him leave. The cloaked hobgoblin crept around the outside of the wall for a bit - to avoid any watchers - before sprinting across the fields and towards the forest. He would be back when it got darker.


    The sound of singing birds could be heard from up in the treetops overhead, as Blacknail trudged through the bush. It was a fair walk back to where he had left the goblins, but after a few minutes some of the bushes up ahead shook and a familiar pair of goblins scampered out. It was Scamp and Imp, and Imp was still hauling his heavy backpack around. They must have been waiting for Blacknail to leave the village and decided to meet up with him.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Blacknail asked them. None of the feral goblins had appeared.


    Scamp immediately threw a look back over his shoulder and a confused frown appeared on his ugly green face. It seemed like he hadn¡¯t even noticed that the ferals weren¡¯t around until just then. On the other hand, Imp just gave the hobgoblin a calm knowing look that irritated Blacknail.


    ¡°They left to follow a smell. Gob looked angry,¡± Imp explained. He didn¡¯t seem too concerned, but then again he never did.


    ¡°They¡¯re not very nice so we stayed to wait for you, boss. You¡¯re much better than them,¡± Scamp added helpfully.


    This news didn¡¯t please Blacknail. Not only was he supposed to keep a watch on the goblins but Gob had acted without permission. This is what Blacknail had been afraid of and why hobgoblins couldn¡¯t be trusted! He could only hope Gob wasn¡¯t leading a raid on the human settlement at this very moment. He should have dealt with the other hobgoblin days ago.


    ¡°What way did they go?¡± the hobgoblin asked.


    Both the goblins immediately pointed in completely different directions. Blacknail groaned and rubbed his eyes. This was dumb. Was he going to have to go all the way back to the place he¡¯d last seen Gob and track him from there? That would be a waste of his time and he probably didn¡¯t have much left.


    ¡°They went off into the forest away from the humans,¡± Imp added, which caused Scamp to nod along. Both the goblins dropped their arms.


    That was an important bit of news. Imp was undoubtedly the smarter of the pair...


    ¡°Which way did they go again?¡± Blacknail asked as he got ready to move.


    Unsurprisingly, the goblins pointed in different directions again, but this time Scamp was clearly pointing far to the left of his last choice, while Imp¡¯s orientation hadn¡¯t changed.


    ¡°That way it is,¡± Blacknail grumbled as he broke out into a quick jog in the direction Imp had indicated. The goblins followed him as he cut through the forest and headed deeper into the woods.


    It took the hobgoblin a few minutes to stumble upon the feral goblins¡¯ trail. Imp had apparently been right. They had made a lot of tracks and disturbed the forest. Blacknail picked up speed as he followed the signs and started running, but even then it took him over half an hour before he found anything.


    As the hobgoblin jumped over a fallen log he spotted the missing goblins. They were all crouched behind a clump of bushes and peering through the branches. Blacknail snarled as he saw Gob in the center of the group. He drew his sword and stalked toward the other hobgoblin. How dare he disobey an order! The noise drew Gob¡¯s attention. He looked over his shoulder and then flinched in terror at the sight of Blacknail closing in on him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Blacknail hissed angrily. He didn¡¯t appreciate having to run so much.


    ¡°Enemy goblin,¡± Gob quickly replied as he lurched to his feet. There was an uncertain look on his face as he met Blacknail¡¯s gaze but then he turned away to look through the bush again. Blacknail took a second to follow his stare. Whatever was there must be important, or this was some sort of trick.


    Up ahead the forest ended and gave way to a series of low rocky hills. Only a few scraggly trees spotted their desolate surface. The terrain on the way here had been uneven and steep, so the area they were in now was hidden away within a low valley that was surrounded by tall peaks covered in greenery.


    At first, Blacknail didn¡¯t notice anything special about the place, other than all the rocks, but then something caught his eye. He ignored Gob and came to a stop. There was a post at the bottom of one of the rocky hills, and a human skull had been placed atop of it. Its empty eye sockets stared out into the forest. Colored feathers had been jammed into gaps in the wood and weird symbols had been carved into the post below the bleached bones. Half the symbols looked like crudely drawn genitalia, so this was probably the work of feral goblins.


    ¡°Goblins attack goblin. Follow here,¡± Gob explained.


    ¡°I see,¡± Blacknail mumbled to himself before glancing back at his hobgoblin minion. He understood what had happened now. One of the goblins he had sent out to scout must have stumbled upon a goblin from another pack. The two had fought and then things had naturally escalated until Gob had decided to raid the enemy himself and slaughter them all.


    That left Blacknail with only one real option: total war. These goblins were his minions ¨C even if he didn¡¯t really want them ¨C so an attack on them was an attack on him, as well as a good excuse to have some fun. Besides, it was only a bit past noon now. It wouldn¡¯t be dark for hours, and Blacknail didn¡¯t want to sit around and wait. Geralhd had wanted Blacknail to keep the goblins out of trouble but he probably wouldn¡¯t care about something like a small tribal war, or ever even know about it. Who would tell him? Most of the goblins couldn¡¯t talk and Scamp was an idiot who rarely remembered anything that wasn¡¯t beaten into him repeatedly over a long period of time.


    The problem was that post. It wasn¡¯t something you would expect a small tribe to make, and Gob only had half a dozen goblins with him. The post was also too tall for a goblin to have placed that skull there alone, and teamwork was unlikely. Thus, it was most likely the work of a hobgoblin, and that would also explain Gob¡¯s aggressive behaviour. The scent of the other hobgoblin must have enraged him.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I showed up,¡± Blacknail told Gob as he sheathed his sword. ¡°You¡¯re kind of runty for a hobgoblin, and it¡¯s stupid to attack an enemy in their own territory without a plan.¡±


    Blacknail grinned to himself as he stepped through the bushes and began walking over to the post. He was still feeling angry, but now he had a new target to focus on, one he didn¡¯t have to hold back against. His hood was down and his hobgoblin features were plainly visible as he strode out into the clearing. The rule about walking into enemy territory didn¡¯t apply to him. He was special.


    Almost immediately there was a reaction. Two dozen goblins rose from hiding places atop the nearby hills and out from behind rocks. They growled menacingly and their ugly green faces were scrunched up into vicious snarls as they grabbed stones and raised them in preparation to throw. Blacknail calmly watched a single stony projectile zoom his way but it fell short and rolled harmlessly to a stop at his feet. With an amused grin, he then scooped the rock up and pulled out his sling. A twirl of the weapon sent the projectile straight back at its original thrower. It hit the surprised goblin right between eyes with a loud thud and knocked it unconscious. The other goblins fell silent as they watched their companion roll down the side of the hill.


    ¡°Now what will you do?¡± Blacknail mused as he looked around for the enemy leader. He still hadn¡¯t shown himself. Gob and his goblins stepped out of the bushes and took up position behind Blacknail. The enemy goblins were starting to look afraid now.


    Nothing happened for several long moments as the two groups stared at each other, and Blacknail began to grow impatient. If the enemy wasn¡¯t going to show himself then Blacknail would force his hand. The hobgoblin drew in a deep breath and then bellowed as loudly as he could. The unexpected blast of sound startled everyone, but as soon as Blacknail fell silent an answering roar rose into the air as the enemy hobgoblin finally stepped out from behind a large jagged boulder and into sight.


    Striking yellow eyes filled with hate glared at Blacknail from atop a long crooked nose. The hobgoblin was bulky and taller than any other hobgoblin Blacknail had seen before, but his two horns were short and straight. Several long pale scars decorated his skin, he was dressed in dirty rags that could only have once been human clothing, and he was holding a rusty axe. It was clearly a woodsman¡¯s axe and its edge had dulled from neglect but it still looked dangerous.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s appearance caused Blacknail to smile hungrily to himself. Blacknail was still outnumbered and in hostile territory, but it had been a while since he¡¯d had an opportunity to let loose. This looked like it was going to be fun, and deliciously bloody.

 Hearts and Homes 3

    The swarm of feral goblins glared at Blacknail with hate-filled eyes. More and more of them were slipping into sight from behind rocky hills and grey boulders. Most of them gathered up behind their leader, the yellow eyed hobgoblin, until there were almost forty of them. They shook and fidgeted as they worked themselves into a fury and glared at the intruders. In the center of the group, their hobgoblin chieftain watched Blacknail with his bright yellow eyes. He stood confidently but seemed willing to wait.


    ¡°Let¡¯s run away,¡± Scamp said as he cowered behind Blacknail. He clearly regretted coming out of the bushes that bordered the forest behind him.


    ¡°Run and I¡¯ll make you into a loincloth,¡± Blacknail hissed in reply as he studied the enemy.


    This wasn¡¯t a small tribe at all, and they far outnumbered Blacknail¡¯s own paltry force. Even with another hobgoblin to back him up they would quickly be swarmed over by the mob in a straight up fight. Even a good sword wouldn¡¯t stop an angry green wave. Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried, though. It wouldn¡¯t come to that, because that wasn¡¯t how goblins acted. They were only slightly smarter than humans, but they were far less likely to commit suicide for no real reason. Still, it would be a terrible idea to let the enemy have time or let them think they had the advantage. If they sensed weakness then the wild goblins would attack all together.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to charge. Follow me or I¡¯ll rip your guts out,¡± Blacknail ordered his followers. He then eyed Gob and made an aggressive gesture that he hoped conveyed his meaning. The other hobgoblin didn¡¯t have a great understanding of how to talk.


    ¡°What?¡± Scamp asked disbelievingly.


    Instead of responding, Blacknail drew his sword and launched himself forward. Another roar echoed out from his throat as he closed the distance between himself and his target.


    ¡°Die, you snotty runts!¡± he yelled at the top of his lungs.


    The enemy goblins flinched in surprise. Instinctively, they huddled closer together for a moment for safety. The yellow eyed hobgoblin froze for a split second but then quickly raised his axe. This didn¡¯t faze Blacknail. He grinned savagely as he dove forward. Meanwhile, the massed goblins realized who Blacknail¡¯s target was. The sudden noise and the attack startled them. Caught off guard, they didn¡¯t have time to do anything but react. Screeching filled the air as the goblins dove away from the charging hobgoblin. It was one thing for them to seek safety in numbers from an enemy but it was something completely different to place themselves directly between two fighting hobgoblins.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t waste this opportunity. He attacked the exposed enemy leader. However, one of the fleeing goblins was too slow, and didn¡¯t manage to get out of the way in time. Blacknail kicked him aside before stepping forward and slashing at the yellow eyed hobgoblin. There was a loud thud as the hobgoblin pivoted away from the attack and knocked the sword blade aside with a swing of his axe. The blade bit into the wooden shaft but didn¡¯t do much damage and bounced back.


    The startled mass of goblins flinched away from the fighting like rippling water and dissolved into chaos. They didn¡¯t know what to do. Their leader tried to step back and strike at Blacknail, but he was too slow. Blacknail growled and lunged forward at the same moment. Both their weapons were still locked together. A shimmer of fear flashed in the hobgoblin¡¯s yellow eyes and he was forced to step back as Blacknail leaned forward and snapped at him. Blacknail¡¯s teeth closed on empty air but the action startled everyone.


    ¡°You¡¯re a big fish in a small pond, very small,¡± Blacknail hissed through his teeth as he stared at his surprised opponent.


    A few enemy goblins that Blacknail had scattered decided to act despite their fear. Three of them jumped at him from the side, but that was when Gob joined the fight. With fists swinging wildly he waded into the fight and assaulted any of the goblins that tried to get close to Blacknail. The smaller fighters screeched as they were pushed aside by this new threat and then Gob¡¯s own minions rushed in to support him. The melee descended into chaos.


    One goblin did manage to get through, and Blacknail had to take a second to kick it away. This gave the enemy hobgoblin time to recover but Blacknail didn¡¯t care. He just laughed manically as he turned back to face his opponent. The fearful goblins tried to stay out of their way.


    ¡°You have no idea what I am. You don¡¯t know how afraid you should be!¡± Blacknail laughed as he raised his blade. The cloak draped over his shoulders rippled as he moved. It felt good to let his emotions out after controlling himself around humans for so long. Out here their rules no longer applied to him. He was free.


    The uncomprehending feral hobgoblin simply hissed and sputtered angrily in response. He didn¡¯t know what Blacknail had just said but the confidence he was projecting appeared to worry him. A shimmer of fear had appeared in his eyes, but instead of trying to retreat he attacked again. The yellow-eyed hobgoblin raised his axe up and swung it straight down at Blacknail.


    The blow didn¡¯t connect. A metallic ringing noise rang out as Blacknail parried the attack. He then stepped forward and slugged his yellow-eyed opponent in the face. There was a wet crack as the hobgoblin fell over backwards. His long green nose was now bent at an awkward angle and his eyes were wide with pain and surprise.


    A nearby goblin saw an opportunity and jumped at Blacknail from behind. He was gripping a large sharp rock in one hand. Blacknail saw him coming, turned, grabbed his arm, and then used the goblin¡¯s own momentum to toss him through the air and over a nearby pile of rock. Several other nearby goblins watched with impressed looks on their faces.


    The yellow-eyed hobgoblin once again tried to catch Blacknail off guard. From where he had fallen on the ground, he whistled sharply, and then a goblin that had been hanging back out of the fight rushed forward and tossed something his way. The yellow-eyed hobgoblin caught the javelin out of the air, and then he whipped it at Blacknail¡¯s head as he jumped to his feet.


    The projectile zoomed past Blacknail¡¯s face as he leaned out of the way. It all happened in a single instant, but Blacknail noticed that something had been smeared across the tip of the weapon. It was probably some sort of poison, and Blacknail made a mental note to watch out for such tricks. The enemy hobgoblin hissed in disappointment when his surprise attack failed. He reached down to pick up his fallen axe, but Blacknail didn¡¯t give him time to take a defensive stance. He extended the momentum of his dodge into a quick spin that ended with a slash of his sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m bloody magic!¡± Blacknail hissed as his blade sliced into his opponents shoulder. ¡°I have killed beasts and men far more dangerous than you!¡±


    The cut wasn¡¯t that deep but the pain made the enemy hobgoblin gasp and waver. Blacknail had no mercy. It was time to end this farce of a fight. He unleashed a flurry of attacks that leapt past his enemy¡¯s defenses and drew blood. His opponent stumbled again so Blacknail slashed at his eyes. The enemy immediately ducked down out of the way but the attack had been a feint. As the yellow-eyed hobgoblin dropped, Blacknail¡¯s booted foot smashed into his groin.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    There was a shrill squeak and a pop as the enemy hobgoblin¡¯s eyes crossed and he collapsed. He looked like he was in a lot of pain so Blacknail helped him out. Before he had even hit the ground, Blacknail swung his sword around in an arc and the tip of his blade ripped the hobgoblin¡¯s throat out.


    ¡°Ouchie,¡± Scamp remarked from the edge of the fighting. There were groans and gasps of shock from many of the other goblins and all of them immediately stopped fighting. They all stared at the victor of the duel uncertainly.


    Blacknail took a moment to stomp on his fallen opponent¡¯s body and end the annoying gargling sound it was making before turning to meet the gaze of the onlookers.


    ¡°All of you. Big goblins and small ones, you have no idea what lurks outside your territory, the things I have seen. You are all so petty and stupid, just beasts that live in the dirt,¡± Blacknail said as sneered at the nearby goblins. They cowered and shifted nervously under his vicious gaze. Their fear amused Blacknail.


    ¡°That¡¯s kind of mean,¡± Scamp remarked. Blacknail ignored him since he was too far away to kick and that would ruin his moment.


    The joy of victory had lifted Blacknail¡¯s spirits. All his previous doubts were as nothing. Why had he even cared about such stupid things? He was full of confidence and energy. He could do anything.


    ¡°I am the greatest of hobgoblins! A chief among chiefs!¡± Blacknail screamed triumphantly as he stomped on his fallen foe''s body a few more times. Conquest felt good. A lot of Herad¡¯s old actions made more sense now. He should do this more often.


    No one interrupted Blacknail, but after a few minutes standing around and gloating to a bunch of goblins got boring, so Blacknail stepped away from the yellow-eyed goblin¡¯s corpse and looked around. An eager Gob walked over to Blacknail and gibbered something before motioning towards the nearby hills. He was practically vibrating with energy and his eyes were wide with excitement.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Gob. Let¡¯s go see what I¡¯ve conquered,¡± Blacknail replied as he began to walk over to the nearest hill. There had to be a lair around here somewhere.


    As he searched the hills for a cave or crevice, the defeated goblins began to disperse. It was clear now that Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to try and slaughter them all right this instant so they had things to do. One smallish local goblin with a bluish tint to her skin hesitantly wandered over to one hill and called out to Blacknail. When the hobgoblin looked over she pointed towards an opening. She was obviously trying to get on Blacknail¡¯s good side by being his guide. That was fine with Blacknail.


    Closer inspection of the opening revealed a dark crevice that the yellow-eyed hobgoblin had apparently been using as his personal chamber. It was big enough to hold a dozen goblins but it looked and smelled like only the hobgoblin had slept here. There were few items stashed around the place, but nothing more interesting than a few yellow rocks.


    Once he was done looking that cave over, Blacknail¡¯s guide led him to several other small caves that were being used by the goblins. None of them caught Blacknail¡¯s attention, but as they were walking, other local goblins approached him to offer the conquering hobgoblin tribute. Blacknail took most the berries and fresh meat for himself but passed the shiny stones and other such things to Gob. He had enough of that sort of stuff already.


    The last cave he was led to was different from the others. The entrance was at the bottom of a hole near the post, and it took a second to climb down. This cave was much larger than all the others and didn¡¯t look like the goblins had used it much. It was wide and extended deep into the ground until it ended at a pile of rubble. It looked like there had been a cave-in at some point. Unfortunately, it was hard to make out the details since it was too dark even for goblin eyes to see clearly inside. One small section of the wall did contain a bit of the yellow metal that humans liked, though.


    Once Blacknail had completed his inspection, he walked over to the tallest hill and took a seat atop of it. From there he could see everything in the rocky area and the forest beyond it. He was no longer feeling quite so euphoric but his mind felt clearer than it had during the march North. Gob and several goblins waited for him at the bottom as Blacknail began to think. Gob knelt there reverently and a few of the goblins copied him, although most of them just sat down.


    Now Blacknail was the chieftain of another bunch of goblins. Did that matter? Was that what he wanted? The joy of shedding blood and destroying his enemies had begun to fade. Taking this place had been fun but staying here seemed boring. It couldn¡¯t compare to being a part of Herad¡¯s band. These were just goblins. There was no Saeter here, no sense of home. Blacknail¡¯s memories still tugged at his heart. He had things to do; even if he didn¡¯t know exactly what it was he had to do or how to do it.


    The sky overhead had begun to darken as the sun fell toward the western horizon, and Blacknail sighed. It was time to get back to the human village and the bandits. Who knew what sort of trouble they had gotten themselves into without him around? Blacknail took a few moments to explain to Gob that he was now in charge of everything while Blacknail was gone and that he didn¡¯t want to be followed. Gob appeared to reluctantly accept this command, so Blacknail left everyone behind and sprinted off into the woods.


    Blacknail ran at a fast pace that soon left him out of breath, because he didn¡¯t want to take too long or be out in the forest when darkness fell. That was when things got truly dangerous. As he ran, Blacknail realized that he could just leave Gob and the others behind now and they would never bother him again. That was an idea worth considering. The goblins were more than a little annoying.


    After about half an hour, the hobgoblin reached the village and its tall wooden walls came into sight. No ravenous beasts or monsters blocked his way. After waiting a few more aggravating minutes for the sun to set a little more and for the night to grow darker, Blacknail crept out of the bushes at the edge of the clearing and stalked across the empty fields. He reached the wall without incident and listened carefully for any sign of watchers before choosing a deserted-looking section of the wall to climb over. He took off his boots and his claws made the ascent simple. They dug into the soft wood and easily found purchase.


    The village was largely quiet. Before proceeding, Blacknail took a moment to pull his hood up and put his boots back on. There didn¡¯t seem to be much in the way of late afternoon activity here, unlike in larger human settlements such as Daggerpoint. Blacknail moved cautiously and kept to the shadows as he searched for Geralhd and the others. He hoped they hadn¡¯t all been killed. He already had enough dead humans to avenge, more important ones.


    The village only had thirty or forty buildings of various sizes, so it didn¡¯t take the hobgoblin too long to find his first clue to his quarry¡¯s location. Several armed villagers were standing out in the middle of one section of the street and watching three nearby homes. Blacknail was pretty sure he knew what that meant, so he slipped into an alley and circled around to the back of the buildings.


    Once in the dark and tight space between the homes where no one could see him, the sound of conversation drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. He snuck up to a ground story window and listened.


    ¡°Thank you again for your hospitality, master Tannin,¡± Geralhd said.


    ¡°Ha, there is no need for stuffy titles out here, lad. I¡¯m just another villager, and not a master of anything but myself,¡± Tannin replied.


    ¡°Still I¡¯m grateful.¡±


    ¡°Feel free, graciousness is never unwanted; however let¡¯s talk about something more important. You seem like a bright young man, so I bet you¡¯re wondering why I let you all in. You¡¯re clearly not just a bunch of lost travelers, not armed like that you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°We have no intention of causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you do. The truth of the matter is that you¡¯re hardly the first bunch of miscreants to wander by, although you¡¯re the largest yet.¡±


    Blacknail took a chance and peered through the window for a second. There was a small room on the other side, and no one was looking his way. Tannin and Geralhd were both seated at a small table across from each other.


    ¡°Er.. and what happened to those people, may I ask?¡± Geralhd asked nervously.


    Tannin laughed loudly in amusement and slapped his thighs. ¡°Nothing too terrible, lad. I¡¯m one of them. Anyone who wanders out in this direction has reasons to want to stay out of sight, and this settlement is always looking for more manpower.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s an invitation to take up residence here we will have to decline. Several of our group are looking forward to getting back to civilization.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s too bad. You seem like a useful person to have around. I¡¯ll let you think about it overnight and discuss it with your companions,¡± Tannin replied jovially as he stood up and pushed his chair aside.


    As Blacknail squatted in the alley and listened, a realization crystallized in his head. It had been nagging at him for weeks but only now was it clear. He didn¡¯t want to go to Daggerpoint. There was nothing for him there. Events had been forcing Blacknail to react and do what other people wanted. That was going to end. It was time he figured out what he really wanted and how he was going to get it. In the shadows, the hobgoblin began to plan...

 Hearts and Homes 4

    Of course, the problem was all the humans. Their weird mental issues really complicated Blacknail¡¯s plans. The tight alley was dark and shadowy as the hobgoblin leaned against the side of the building he had just been spying into. It seemed unlikely that anyone would stumble his way, so he had plenty of time to think.


    What did Blacknail want for himself? Food? Shiny things? No, he wanted to kill Werrick. Blacknail¡¯s mouth began to water whenever he thought about it. The memories of Saeter¡¯s last moments were still fresh in Blacknail¡¯s mind, and they demanded action. Blood had to be paid with blood, but killing Werrick would be very difficult and dangerous.


    None of the survivors of Herad¡¯s camp were anything like Saeter. Blacknail had travelled with the humans for a while now but it hadn¡¯t filled the hole in his heart. Going to Daggerpoint wouldn¡¯t satisfy him at all. His master couldn¡¯t be replaced by anyone else. It was pointless to try. Only vengeance was left to him.


    Werrick would be difficult to kill, though. He was a powerful Vessel and he had a horde of minions. Being sneaky wouldn¡¯t be enough, which meant Blacknail needed more power, and the easiest way to get that was by increasing the size of his tribe. Werrick had a large army so Blacknail needed one too. Unfortunately, while that idea was very appealing, it would be hard to actually accomplish.


    After observing his human minions for a while Blacknail had come to the troubling conclusion that most of them didn¡¯t like having him in charge. Even though he had done such a great job as their leader and saved their lives too many times to count they didn¡¯t trust him, and it was obviously because he was a hobgoblin. What a bunch of stupid herd animals.


    Blacknail sighed as doubt clouded his mind. There was no way he was ever going to build a human army the way Herad or Werrick had. Being the strongest wasn¡¯t enough. Did that mean his goal was impossible? Maybe he was just thinking about this the wrong way. What if he thought about this like it was¡­ a hunt? Yes, that could work. He had certain tools available and it was all about using them correctly in order to corner his quarry. Most of the tools were humans, and they were defined by their fear and their greed. Controlling them was simply a matter of introducing the right type of motivation at the right time. He also had some other tools available, like the goblins, even if they were useless for anything that required an attention span of over a minute.


    After going over his options for a while Blacknail was forced to take a break. The pieces weren¡¯t falling into place. He had hit a mental wall and while he had been thinking night had fallen around him. It was almost pitch black outside now. The only noise was from far off night birds and the occasionally rustle of a rat moving through the garbage behind the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Time to sleep. I can think later,¡± Blacknail yawned. He then turned and climbed through the nearby window that led into the home Geralhd was using.


    The room on the other side was lit by a single flickering candle. Geralhd was still sitting in his chair at the table, but it looked like he had fallen asleep. He was slumped over and his chest rose and fell slowly as a quiet whistling sound issued forth from his mouth. Blacknail walked over and poked him on the cheek.


    ¡°Ah, what?¡± the man exclaimed in surprise as his now wide open eyes jerked around the room before focusing on Blacknail.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me, be quiet,¡± the hobgoblin replied as Geralhd visibly relaxed.


    ¡°Oh, Blacknail, it¡¯s you. I was waiting for you, but I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to show up tonight.¡±


    ¡°I had stuff to do,¡± Blacknail said as he looked around the room and then peered through a doorway into the bedroom beyond.


    ¡°Well, I was talking to Tannin, this village¡¯s headsman, and it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re going to trick or attack us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard.¡±


    ¡°If you were there then why didn¡¯t you come in earlier?¡±


    ¡°There was someone coming so I had to leave,¡± Blacknail lied smoothly as he walked into the bedroom and stared down at the bed that was up against the far wall. He walked over to it and began ruffling up the blankets.


    ¡°Actually, I was planning on sleeping there¡­¡± Geralhd muttered after getting up and talking to the doorway.


    Blacknail ignored him and sat down on the bed. The hobgoblin¡¯s mouth stretched wide open as he yawned.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just use the smaller bed in the next room,¡± Geralhd said. He sounded quite annoyed but Blacknail didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Did anything important happen while I was gone? You humans keep getting into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, except what I already told you. The plan is that we take a day off to buy whatever we can and rest our feet. We can leave for Daggerpoint the next day.¡±


    There was a creaking noise from the bed as Blacknail leaned over sideways so he was lying down. He kept his eyes on Geralhd and scowled slightly out of irritation. He was still the leader so he was the one who got to decide when they would leave , although another day to think up his own plan would probably be enough. While Geralhd was here, Blacknail decided to ask him some questions. He had heard the man discuss something interesting with Tannin, and maybe a human¡¯s point of view would help the hobgoblin. Geralhd was the most human-like human Blacknail knew. He was slow to react, confused about everything, and loved saying pointless things that barely made sense.


    ¡°I give you all permission to do that, but I have some questions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Tannin asked you if you wanted to stay out here in this village,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Ah, that. You don¡¯t have to worry about any of us wanting to stay out here. Only a few of our band would ever be open to that. Staying out here in the wilds isn¡¯t a very appealing choice. This place is just a bunch of dirty shacks. I¡¯m a city man myself and I can¡¯t wait to get back to civilization, where people bathe and women have less facial hair.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what¡¯s the first thing you want to do when you get to the city?¡± Blacknail asked. He wanted to understand the humans¡¯ motivations a little better.


    ¡°Ha, that¡¯s easy. I want to hit up a tavern and purchase a hot meal and a hot bath. It will cost more than few coins but it will be worth it. That¡¯s probably what most the band will do. We still have a fair bit of silver between us but we can¡¯t spend it out here,¡± Geralhd laughed.


    This answer greatly interested Blacknail. There was a new cheery shine to his eyes as he replied. ¡°Which minions do you think want to get back to a human city the most?¡±


    Geralhd laughed again before replying. He seemed to enjoy discussing the topic and thinking about civilization. While he was talking, Blacknail took a second to match names to faces and remember how much he liked those people.


    The hobgoblin and the man talked for a few more minutes before Blacknail yawned again and let Geralhd go. By that time, Blacknail had gotten the inspiration he had wanted. When he was alone, Blacknail took off his boots and coat. He curled up on his bed and smiled to himself before closing his eyes. He had a plan now. The hunt was on.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    The next morning Blacknail got up before the sunrise. He got dressed and slipped out of the house before Geralhd was awake. While the other bandits where exploring the village and getting ready to the next day, he was making his own preparations. He ran through the forest and back to the goblins¡¯ lair where Gob was.


    When the rocky hills that concealed the caves below came into sight, several goblins that were climbing over them immediately noticed Blacknail and one of them let out a trumpeting screech. A few seconds later, Gob hurried into sight and approached Blacknail.


    ¡°You are back, great chief! Command me,¡± Gob said as he gave a quick respectful bow.


    ¡°Yes, your amazing leader is here,¡± Blacknail replied as he stared appraisingly at Gob. Having another hobgoblin around had originally annoyed Blacknail to no end. There was just something wrong and dangerous about it, but after careful consideration he had decided that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages.


    Blacknail turned to look at the nearby goblins who were wandering around the clearing. This tribe was a lot bigger than Gob¡¯s old one. Blacknail wasn¡¯t even sure how many of them there were, but there were at least fifty. Several different groups of various sizes lived in the nearby caves.


    The plan Blacknail had come up with last night would only work if he could somehow turn this chaotic goblin tribe into a useful force that would follow orders. It was going to be very hard, but Blacknail had a few good ideas that might work, and since he was the smartest hobgoblin in the entire world, if anyone could do it then it was him.


    After collecting his thoughts for a moment, Blacknail began giving orders to Gob. A primitive camp like the one here wouldn¡¯t do. A more secure base had to be built and provided with a steady supply of food. In order for all that to happen the goblins here had to be brought to heel, so the first thing Blacknail ordered Gob to do was to select a group of loyal followers he could stalk and force into obedience. Once they had been beaten into submission they were to be taught how to use traps and stone tools. Loyal lieutenants could be selected from their ranks which in turn would bring more goblins under Blacknail¡¯s control. Blacknail was too busy and important to do that himself.


    ¡°Can I rejoin the humans now? I want to see Geralhd,¡± Scamp whined as he wandered over and interrupted Blacknail¡¯s conversation. Imp was right behind Scamp but he just watched the proceedings with his usual inscrutable expression.


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t want you,¡± Blacknail replied scornfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. They pet me and give me tons of treats!¡±


    ¡°They are with other humans who don¡¯t like goblins, so you have to stay here,¡±


    ¡°Not fair!¡±


    ¡°Shut up before I throw a rock at you,¡± Blacknail threatened as he glared at the goblin.


    ¡°I hate it here, everyone is so mean and the food sucks,¡± Scamp muttered as he turned to leave.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could go,¡± Blacknail added as he reached down and grabbed Scamp¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Eh?¡± the surprised goblin said as he stared at Blacknail in confusion.


    ¡°You know a lot of human tricks, so help out or I¡¯ll string your puny body up from a tree by your slobbery little tongue.¡±


    Herding goblins was a difficult task, and before Blacknail had accomplished all that much the day began to approach its end. That meant it was time to get back to Geralhd and the others. Blacknail took a moment to stretch himself out before heading back into the forest. As he ran, the hobgoblin considered the next step of his plan.


    About an hour later he arrived back at the village. He got there without a problem and easily snuck back inside. Going over the wall was easy in the dark. However, instead of visiting Geralhd again Blacknail snuck around the town and met up with a few of the other bandits. He talked to them for several hours before slipping back into the house Geralhd was using and going to sleep.


    The morning of departure came and found Blacknail leading the way towards Daggerpoint. The sky was still dark overhead and the forest was a maze of shadows. They had left the village at the break of dawn to avoid unnecessary attention. There was no wind but the early morning storm of bird song was at full force.


    ¡°Ha, I can¡¯t wait to get to Daggerpoint. I know we still have a long way to go, but it seems like we¡¯re almost there to me,¡± a short bandit with dark hair and a moustache announced happily. He was following right behind Blacknail.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Now you just know some horrible beast is going to jump out of the bushes and attack,¡± a taller bandit with fair hair replied.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± Blacknail replied before chuckling to himself.


    There was a brief pause before the fair-haired bandit spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re unusually talkative today, Blacknail.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a good day. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± the hobgoblin asked as he smiled at the man.


    ¡°I can¡¯t argue against that. It¡¯s certainly seems like it¡¯s going to be better than I thought it would. I¡¯m definitely richer than yesterday.¡±


    There were only four men and Blacknail within sight. The hobgoblin was leading the way as they walked between a maze of tall trees. The earth was dark and soft where it was visible between the short broad-leaved plants that dotted the ground.


    ¡°Are you sure no one is going to catch up to us?¡± Elyias asked nervously as he looked back over his shoulder.


    ¡°Yes, we aren¡¯t following the same path as before and none of them are trackers,¡± Blacknail answered.


    ¡°Some of the villagers could be half decent woodsmen,¡± the mustached bandit pointed out.


    ¡°They¡¯re just humans, and I would hear them if they got close. As long as you¡¯re with me you don¡¯t need to worry about anything else,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, they¡¯re just a dumb bunch of peasants. The inbred dirt famers probably never leave their shacks, and we¡¯ve got Blacknail with us. He has proven that he knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°I definitely have a plan,¡± Blacknail agreed. It was nice to finally get some proper appreciation.


    The group of five bandits hiked through the forest for several hours. The sun rose in the sky until its light shone straight noon through the branches overhead. Up ahead, Blacknail spotted a hill through the trees. It wasn¡¯t a particularly tall mound but there was plenty of room to sit on top of it and it was nice and dry. A small creek with a rocky bottom ran through the trees and passed by the bottom of the hill. The bubbling water looked clear and clean.


    ¡°This looks like a good place to stop. There¡¯s a creek right there. I¡¯ll make stew,¡± Blacknail announced as he put his pack down.


    ¡°Do we have time for that? We should probably keep moving,¡± the mustached bandit replied.


    ¡°It will be quick. I have everything already prepared. I just need to heat the water,¡±


    ¡°Still, we should save the large meal for supper. We can just eat a quick bite of dried trail food right now.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking for your advice,¡± Blacknail hissed. He stopped unpacking his bag for a second so that he could glare at the man. ¡°I¡¯m stopping to make stew. You can walk off into the woods by yourself if you want. Are you going to do that?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not. You¡¯re the boss, so let¡¯s eat,¡± the man admitted reluctantly. He looked more than a little angry at being forced to concede. Normally, this would have annoyed Blacknail but the hobgoblin was in a forgiving mood.


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. I¡¯m the leader,¡± the hobgoblin agreed cheerfully as he tried to get a fire started. He had brought a bit of dried firewood with him for this exact purpose.


    The other bandits settled down to rest as Blacknail began cooking. The hobgoblin took his time and enjoyed the process. He liked the process of throwing ingredients into a pot and boiling it.


    ¡°I have to admit that I was skeptical of your plan when you met with me last night, but it¡¯s going perfectly,¡± the fair-haired bandit said. ¡°We might actually come out of this horrible trek through the woods with some real gains. I thought that when Herad fell we were doomed.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± another bandit agreed. ¡°I just regret not being there to see that whinny wimp Geralhd¡¯s face when he realized that we¡¯d run off with everyone¡¯s coin and valuables!¡±


    ¡°Split between just the five of us there is enough coin to have a proper good time when we get to Daggerpoint. This is a plan worthy of a hobgoblin. It¡¯s cunning and merciless! I like it,¡± the mustached man added as he grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯m very smart, and I didn¡¯t get anything out of guiding a bunch of idiots to Daggerpoint. So why would I do it?¡± Blacknail said as he returned their smiles. He was practically blushing now from the unexpected compliments.


    Elyias was silent as Blacknail passed out bowls of stew. He looked uncomfortable but also too nervous to talk. When Blacknail had recruited him for this betrayal it had been less of an offer and more of a threat to disembowel him and choke him to death with his own guts. It was only when Blacknail went back to stirring the pot without handing him any food that he finally spoke up.


    ¡°Um, where¡¯s my bowl?¡± he asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get any,¡± Blacknail replied as one of the other bandits began coughing.


    ¡°What? Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because I poisoned it, you pink idiot,¡± Blacknail answered as he stood up.


    The other two bandits were both coughing as well now. All three were struggling to breath and their eyes were wide with fear. They grasped at their necks in a vain attempt to gasp down some air. One of them managed to struggle to his feet but the other two were writhing on the ground. Blacknail drew a knife and walked over to the man who was standing. The bandit desperately flailed in an attempt to keep Blacknail away but the hobgoblin easily dodged the blow and cut the man¡¯s throat.


    ¡°That¡¯s part one of the plan complete. Now for part two,¡± Blacknail exclaimed happily as the bandits died and Elyias watched on with horror.

 Hearts and Homes 5

    The corpse of the man Blacknail had just killed lay on the ground. Blood leaked from his torn open throat. The other two men the hobgoblin had poisoned had also stopped choking and gone still. A mere minute ago, they had been talking in a friendly manner with Blacknail, and then the hobgoblin had killed them without mercy or warning.


    There was a look of complete horrified shock on Elyias¡¯ face. His eyes were wide with terror as he took a fumbling step back away from Blacknail. ¡°Oh gods! What the hells? Have you gone crazy? Are you going to kill me now? I knew this was going to happen, but no one listened to me. Oh gods, why didn¡¯t they listen?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine,¡± Blacknail reassured his minion. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you about this part of the plan? I thought I had told you¡­¡±


    ¡°Plan? You can¡¯t just kill people!¡±


    ¡°They betrayed the rest of the band, so it¡¯s fine. That¡¯s the kind of people you¡¯re supposed to kill. Herad did it all the time.¡±


    ¡°You were the one that convinced them to do that! You led them out here, so you¡¯re just as responsible as them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m the leader; I can¡¯t be a traitor. It was a test and they failed,¡± Blacknail replied as he rolled his eyes in a condescending manner. Humans sure could convince themselves of some crazy things.


    Elyias stared slack-jawed at Blacknail. He didn¡¯t seem to know what to say at first but then he opened his mouth. ¡°Why did you bring us out here if you were just planning on killing them? It makes no sense. You¡¯re insane!¡±


    ¡°It makes lots of sense, too much sense for a minion like you,¡± Blacknail answered. ¡°You¡¯re here to help me carry things, and I brought them out here because they were in the way of my plan.¡±


    ¡°What plan? Is it to see how many humans you can lure out into the woods and murder?¡± Elyias yelled. His voice echoed through the trees.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s dumb. That plan is for later. I don¡¯t want to kill you humans. You¡¯re part of my tribe and I¡¯m trying to help you.¡±


    ¡°By lying to us and poisoning our food?¡±


    ¡°Phh, I¡¯m trying to help most of you, the ones that deserve it. Like you, you¡¯re a good minion. Aren¡¯t you?¡± Blacknail asked as he stared meaningfully at Elyias. The human minion got the message.


    ¡°Er, yes?¡± he responded carefully in much lower voice.


    ¡°Good. Going to Daggerpoint through the forest was just a stupid idea. We all would have died,¡± Blacknail replied. Elyias was always fun to have around. His reactions were so amusing and he was easy to control with threats.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained your plan at all.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m not going to right now. There¡¯s a lot to do and you need to get to work.¡±


    Despite the man¡¯s obvious reluctance and residual fear, Blacknail ordered Elyias to help him move the bodies somewhere out of sight and to gather up their valuables, including all the coins they had stolen from the other bandits.


    ¡°What do you even want all this money for?¡± Elyias asked as he picked up the last coin purse.


    ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t want other people to have it,¡± Blacknail replied.


    When they were done, the hobgoblin led the way back. Elyias had no option but to follow him. They were in the middle of the forest and Elyias wasn¡¯t anything remotely like a woodsman.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have gotten back by now?¡± Elyias asked after a few hours of hiking at a steady pace. He had a large pack on his back and the effort of carrying it had tired him out. His brow was sweaty and he was breathing heavily.


    ¡°We would have reached the village if that was where we were going,¡± Blacknail answered without slowing or turning around.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Elyias asked in surprise. He didn¡¯t sound happy.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon,¡± Blacknail replied.


    After only a few more minutes of walking, the pair arrived at the caves where the goblins lived. Gob was standing at the base of one of the hills and supervising a group of goblins. He noticed Blacknail right away and hurried over to meet him.


    ¡°Where did all these goblins come from?¡± Elyias asked Blacknail as he looked around. ¡°There are a lot more of them here than before. Even goblins don¡¯t breed this quickly.¡±


    ¡°I conquered them. It was a great battle! I had to fight a ten foot tall hobgoblin with a poison spear,¡± Blacknail replied proudly.


    ¡°Do hobgoblins get that large?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I think I know more about hobgoblins than you,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Alright, but what are we doing here? Why didn¡¯t we go back to the village?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything here. I¡¯m leaving. You¡¯re going to stay here, though,¡± the hobgoblin explained.


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not staying out here with a bunch of goblins!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader so you don¡¯t have much of a choice.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just imprison me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can. I¡¯m the leader and you betrayed the tribe. If you try and run I¡¯ll hunt you down and skin you alive.¡±


    Elyias was overwhelmed by indignant horror. He could only gape as Gob arrived and Blacknail turned towards the other hobgoblin.


    ¡°Guard this human. Make sure he doesn¡¯t go anywhere and keep this gear safe. I don¡¯t want any goblins stealing anything,¡± Blacknail told Gob as he shoved Elyias his way.


    Nothing appeared about to explode or catch fire so Blacknail saw no reason to stick around. It was already late in the afternoon. He dropped all the stuff he had taken from the bandits he¡¯d killed and got ready to leave.


    ¡°Yes, chief,¡± Gob replied as he nodded and grabbed Elyias¡¯ shoulder. The smaller grayish hobgoblin was being his usual obedient self, but Elyias still seemed to find him threatening.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going? Gods damn it all. You can¡¯t leave me here! What if they eat me?¡± Elyias wailed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone eat him,¡± Blacknail yelled at Gob as he began to jog away. There was a wordless scream of frustration from behind him but he ignored it.


    The next stage of plan was to talk to Geralhd again. Blacknail ran back over to the village. He was really doing this way too much lately. All the running back and forth was getting very tiresome. When the hobgoblin reached the clearing that contained the village, he pushed aside the bushes and saw something unexpected. There was a figure sitting on a chair over by the gate. After peering at the man for a few seconds Blacknail realized it was Geralhd. He didn¡¯t appear to be injured or in distress, so why was he sitting there?


    What was going on? This wasn¡¯t something Blacknail had predicted would happen, and it certainly wasn¡¯t part of his plan. Blacknail had been planning to wait until dark and then sneak back in, but somehow a stupid human had already managed to mess things up. The hobgoblin stared at Geralhd for a few seconds before shrugging, pulling up his hood, and stepping out of the forest. He didn¡¯t really have any other option but to go and talk to the man.


    Tentatively, Blacknail walked over the barren fields and into sight of the walls. Before he got halfway there was a sudden jerk of movement from Geralhd as the man noticed Blacknail. He jumped to his feet and stared at the hooded hobgoblin.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°There you are! Thank the gods. I was afraid you had disappeared as well. I¡¯ve been out here for hours. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. I¡¯m sorry I missed the meeting this morning but some unfortunate events occurred,¡± Geralhd exclaimed as Blacknail walked closer.


    Geralhd had missed the meeting this morning as well? That was convenient. Blacknail had originally been planning on claiming he had been distracted by a crisis. He had spent a fair amount of time coming up with the best excuse possible - like getting into a fight with another hobgoblin - but apparently that had been a complete waste of time.


    ¡°You answer my questions first. What are you doing out here?¡± the hobgoblin asked as he threw a suspicious glance towards the village walls. There was probably someone watching from there.


    ¡°I had to get your attention somehow. There are things you need to know and I didn¡¯t want you trying to sneak into the village.¡±


    Blacknail stared at Geralhd¡¯s face. The man didn¡¯t seem suspicious at all, and he actually even sounded apologetic.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the hobgoblin asked coyly. There was no point incriminating himself.


    ¡°Four of our compatriots disappeared this morning. We think they stole some things and then ran off. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the whole mess has made Tannin unduly suspicious of our group. He has the entire village on lock-down, which is why sneaking in would be a terrible idea.¡±


    Blacknail tried to look surprised and outraged. ¡°They took stuff and headed off into the forest, by themselves? Who? Why?¡±


    ¡°Rhgalt, Helf, Elyias, and Abjar are gone. The sons of whores must be headed back to civilization by themselves. I don¡¯t know what they could possibly be thinking but they couldn¡¯t have gone anywhere else.¡±


    ¡°Elyias? That traitor! I thought he was loyal. I have been betrayed,¡± Blacknail hissed dramatically.


    ¡°I thought they all were. Have you seen any sign of them?¡±Geralhd asked.


    ¡°No, but I can check for their trail. If they left towards Daggerpoint there will be signs. Do you want me to hunt them down or will we all go after them together when we leave?¡±


    Geralhd grimaced before replying. ¡°We won¡¯t be leaving anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Blacknail asked with fake outrage. This actually sounded exactly like what he had been aiming for.


    ¡°On top of the stealing, the deserters also destroyed quite a few pairs of boots and other gear. Following after them would be very hard, if not impossible,¡± Geralhd replied. Blacknail had to hide his smirk. He had enjoyed cutting that stuff up.


    ¡°How long of a wait?¡± Blacknail asked as he pretended to glower angrily.


    Geralhd grimaced and looked uncomfortable before replying. ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­ some of the men want to stay for a while now. The men who left were some of the most vocal advocates of leaving, and without any coin even if we get to a city we will basically be on the streets. Laying low here for a while sounds pretty tempting to some of the men and women, especially since Tannin has made it clear that we are welcome.¡±


    ¡°So we aren¡¯t leaving?¡±


    ¡°Probably not anytime soon, no.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide that! I¡¯m the leader, and I don¡¯t want to stay here,¡± Blacknail hissed furiously, if ingenuously.


    ¡°I uh... don¡¯t think we have much choice. I certainly don¡¯t enjoy the thought of dwelling out here in these boonies for a second longer than we have to. They don¡¯t even have an inn! It¡¯s nothing but a collection of shacks, but what¡¯s the other option? We have no money.¡±


    The first solution that popped into Blacknail¡¯s head was that they could rob someone. That was an activity they had some experience with. However, bringing that up wouldn¡¯t serve Blacknail¡¯s purposes, so instead he took a step forward until his face was only a few inches from Geralhd¡¯s and growled. ¡°Fine, but you all owe me. This is a debt that must be paid.¡±


    Geralhd flinched as the hobgoblin¡¯s hot breath hit his face. There was a hint of fear in his eyes as he responded. ¡°Um, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°Cheese,¡± Blacknail whispered fervently as he stared into Geralhd¡¯s eyes. ¡°The village has cheese and as long as we are here you and the others will bring it to me.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. I¡¯m sure I can get that for you,¡± Geralhd replied nervously as he took a step back.


    A smile appeared on the hobgoblin¡¯s lips. His plan was coming along perfectly, and his cheese supply had been acquired. ¡°You¡¯d better. Now explain why you met up with me in sight of the village. That¡¯s not very sneaky.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, Tannin is paranoid. I had to negotiate to leave the village at all. He thinks we might have allies hiding out in the forest and that we¡¯re planning to attack the village from within and without at the same time. I had to reassure him that there was only one person out in the forest and that I needed to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°You told him about me?¡± Blacknail asked. Geralhd had been the one telling the hobgoblin to keep his presence a secret.


    ¡°I told him you¡¯re a ranger that hates being around people and didn¡¯t want to stay in the village. The story is that your face was mutilated by a run in with a bear and that¡¯s why your voice is so¡­ unique. You can keep your hood up and rap a scarf around your jaw when you meet him.¡±


    ¡°Meet him? Why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Um yes¡­ I had to promise him a quick conversation with you, so that he would know I was telling the truth. It shouldn¡¯t be big deal. We¡¯ll just head to the gate and you can say a word or two.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t part of Blacknail¡¯s plan. He didn¡¯t think it was going to be too big of a problem though.


    ¡°Fine,¡± the hobgoblin agreed as he pulled on a pair of gloves. Geralhd handed him a scarf which he then wrapped around his face.


    That done, the pair got up and headed over to the gate, which began to open as they approached. Someone had indeed been watching. When the gate swung open, Tannin stepped out. The bearded older man had a smoke pipe in his mouth, and there was a hard expressionless look on his face as he studied Blacknail¡¯s hooded form.


    ¡°See, there¡¯s no reason to be concerned. It¡¯s just as I explained. There is no one out here but our scout, and he is no threat to you or yours,¡± Geralhd said with false cheer as they came to a stop in front of Tannin.


    ¡°That remains to be seen,¡± the older man replied before turning back to Blacknail. ¡°So you¡¯re this mysterious scout of theirs. I thought I noticed one of you slipping away yesterday, and the young ones mentioned a creepy cloaked fellow.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail replied in his best imitation of a human voice. Its high hiss-like tone still left something to be desired.


    ¡°You¡¯re not exactly talkative, are you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Tannin grunted in dissatisfaction. ¡°I hear you¡¯re a sodomite.¡±


    Geralhd let out a startled cough. Blacknail didn¡¯t react. He wasn¡¯t familiar with that word, but it sounded like an insult. Normally he would have responded violently to such a display of disrespect, but he was trying to lay low and killing or injuring Tannin would probably ruin his plans. Cheese was worth a few unkind words.


    ¡°What? Preposterous. Why do think that?¡± Geralhd asked with obvious surprise.


    ¡°The young lassie you kidnapped before, Joan, mentioned some of the things your bunch said around her. Like how this one here wasn¡¯t interested in women.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a misunderstanding, and a large one. Like I said, Blacknail just isn¡¯t social at all. His injuries were rather extensive¡­¡±


    ¡°Blacknail, that¡¯s an interesting name. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve mentioned it before.¡± Tannin said as a sly smile appeared on his lips.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the hobgoblin responded dead-pan. Tannin was clearly trying to annoy him so that he would talk, but that wasn¡¯t going to work because Blacknail was too smart. Also, he still had no idea what they were talking about. Every time Blacknail thought he had learned every human word they came up with a new one.


    ¡°Blacknail is but a silly nickname. We all have them,¡± Geralhd said as he shrugged. He had obviously intended for the gesture to look nonchalant but he couldn¡¯t disguise his nervousness.


    ¡°Oh, it sounds like there is an interesting story there. Care to share it?¡±


    ¡°I have a black toenail,¡± Blacknail explained slowly.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Tannin responded cautiously as he puffed on his pipe. He seemed to be at a loss for words.


    There was a few seconds of silence as both Tannin and Blacknail stared at each other. Neither one of them spoke up and a hostile atmosphere began to build up. Their staring competition was interrupted by an unexpected yell from someone within the village.


    ¡°Blacknail, there you are!¡± Khita shouted as she ran over.


    The young redhead was smiling joyfully. Blacknail felt a shiver of dread work its way up his spine, and Tannin frowned at the intrusion. He clearly didn¡¯t know how to handle the young woman.


    ¡°I was beginning to think you were avoiding me,¡± Khita said as she came to stop in front of the hobgoblin. Blacknail¡¯s answering grimace was hidden by his scarf. He had been avoiding her.


    ¡°So you and this man are friendly, are you?¡± Tannin asked with obvious interest.


    ¡°Of course, we go way back,¡± Khita replied cheerfully. ¡°We¡¯ve fought together a dozen times, and his master used to train me as well.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail said.


    ¡°His master?¡± Tannin enquired before blowing some smoke from his pipe. He looked thoughtful.


    ¡°She means Saeter, the ranger that trained him,¡± Geralhd quickly interjected.


    ¡°Was this before or after he was maimed by the bear?¡±


    ¡°Before,¡± Geralhd responded just as Khita said, ¡°after¡±.


    There was an awkward moment of silence and Tannin grinned smugly. He obviously wasn¡¯t convinced by Geralhd¡¯s cover story.


    ¡°This is all beside the point. Khita shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Geralhd argued.


    ¡°She¡¯s half the reason I¡¯m inclined to trust your group. If you truly meant me and mine harm then I doubt she could keep it a secret from me,¡± Tannin replied.


    ¡°Well, then you should extend that same trust to Blacknail. He really is just a ranger that likes to keep to himself. You¡¯ve met him and had a nice little chat so he probably wants to leave now,¡± Geralhd argued.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail agreed succinctly.


    ¡°Ya, let¡¯s go,¡± Khita added.


    ¡°We?¡± the hobgoblin asked as he experienced a growing sense of horror. He needed to get out of here.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not staying here while you have adventures. That stupid kid Hassiol keeps bugging me, and these dirty bumpkins want me to do chores.¡±


    ¡°We are giving you a house. How do you expect to earn a living without working?¡± Tannin pointed out in exasperation.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault this stupid mud heap isn¡¯t large enough to support a proper gang.¡±


    ¡°Why would we want a street gang?¡± Tannin replied as he glowered at Khita.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, because I¡¯m joining Blacknail. I can be a forest ranger with him and scout out all the secret trails while we find hidden treasure.¡±


    This idea didn¡¯t seem to impress any of the other people listening to her. The young redhead had managed to annoy and drive everyone else to exasperation in under a minute. There was no way Blacknail was going to let her accompany him.

 Hearts and Homes 6

    ¡°Are we almost there yet?¡± Khita asked Blacknail as she ducked under a low hanging branch.


    ¡°Yes, I already told you that!¡± the hobgoblin hissed in response. This was the third time he had answered her annoying question.


    ¡°Then how come we haven¡¯t gotten there yet? We should have if we were actually close.¡±


    ¡°Because that¡¯s not how it works! Shut up and walk.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t even been an hour yet and Blacknail already wanted to kill Khita. He really wished Gerahld hadn¡¯t explained all the reason he couldn¡¯t. Tannin would be highly suspicious if she disappeared and that would ruin all of Blacknail¡¯s plans. Why was he never allowed to kill Khita? It was if the world was trying to keep her alive just to annoy him.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Blacknail hissed as he stepped out of the bushes at the edge of the forest.


    The rocky hills that made up the local goblins¡¯ lair lay in front of them. Khita took a moment to look around after pushing a bush aside. The young redhead was wearing tall slim boots that went up to her knees and a leather vest over her long green shirt. It was the same outfit she had worn during the trek North but it had been washed and patched.


    ¡°This is a terrible secret base. It¡¯s just a bunch of rock piles,¡± Khita replied as they began walking toward the hill. They had attracted the attention of quite a few goblins but they all recognized Blacknail and kept their distance. None of them wanted to attract his attention. Khita also didn¡¯t seem too disturbed to see the goblins either. Blacknail had to speed up his pace in order to prevent her from walking ahead.


    ¡°I just conquered it. It will get better soon,¡± Blacknail replied defensively. What did she expect? A fortress?


    They passed through a pair of hills and the center of the clearly came into sight. Gob was standing on a flat patch of rocky earth there. The hobgoblin was surrounded by a squad of goblins. Each of these goblins was holding a spear and standing straight. Gob noticed the newcomers but after glancing at Blacknail to make sure he didn¡¯t need anything he turned back to the goblins he was teaching and went back to work.


    ¡°Wow, you didn¡¯t waste any time before rounding up the local goblins. There sure are a lot of them,¡± Khita remarked as she looked around. She didn¡¯t seem scared at all, even though she was among so many unfamiliar goblins.


    ¡°They started it.¡±


    ¡°But you ended it, like the bloodthirsty boss you are,¡± Khita laughed. ¡°So what are you scheming? I know you, Blacknail. There¡¯s no way you weren¡¯t involved in everything that¡¯s happened. You¡¯re up to something. It looks like you¡¯re building a goblin army here, and I don¡¯t think Geralhd would approve.¡±


    ¡°I''m not plotting anything. That¡¯s dumb. You¡¯re dumb. Shut up,¡± Blacknail quickly replied as he tried to look innocent. ¡°I¡¯m just hanging out in the forest and doing normal hobgoblin things like¡­ umm sleeping?¡±


    ¡°Ha, I don¡¯t believe that for a sharp sliver of a second. You¡¯re plotting something. You¡¯re like me. You¡¯re a scrapper and you can¡¯t stop until you¡¯re the king of the heap.¡±


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m lazy and want to sleep all the time. It¡¯s all I do.¡±


    ¡°Really? So you haven¡¯t lied to anyone and you aren¡¯t planning anything?¡±


    ¡°I just told you so. I¡¯m completely trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°Then why is Elyias right over there, when he¡¯s supposed to be with the deserters?¡± Khita replied.


    Blacknail turned to look in the direction she was pointing. Elyias was indeed right there. He was surrounded by another small squad of goblins with spears that appeared to be herding him towards Blacknail. Scamp was leading the group as they headed towards Blacknail. His chest was puffed up proudly as he swaggered forward, and it looked like he was in charge.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. Did you get yourself kidnapped as well?¡± Elyias called out when he noticed Khita. He sounded depressed but he looked fine. The goblins hadn¡¯t hurt him.


    ¡°No, I asked to come here. The village was boring and full of mud-brained bumpkins,¡± Khita answered.


    ¡°Really? Then you¡¯re the dumbest person I¡¯ve ever met. I knew you weren¡¯t the straightest of arrows but that¡¯s just crazy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one that¡¯s being pushed around by a bunch of naked goblins,¡± she replied scornfully.


    Scamp smiled and waved at Khita and she returned the friendly gesture. The little goblin looked quite happy to see Khita. He ran over to her side and Khita gave him a pat on the head.


    ¡°Khita!¡± Scamp exclaimed cheerfully as he hugged her leg. ¡°I missed you!¡±


    ¡°I missed you too,¡± the young redhead replied.


    ¡°I knew you would. Do you have any food?¡± Scamp asked as he looked up at her with a sad begging expression on his face.


    Before anyone else could distract him, Blacknail spoke up in a commanding voice. ¡°I think Elyias should be quiet. If he talks those goblins will probably poke him painfully with their spears. Goblins do that.¡± The hobgoblin emphasized certain words to get his meaning across.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elyias said as a goblin suddenly poked him in the ribs. ¡°Ow, stop that. Ow.¡±


    The stone tipped spears didn¡¯t penetrate his shirt, but the goblins kept poking him every time he gasped in pain. It seemed like it was going to be an endless cycle.


    ¡°No, only if he talks,¡± Blacknail hissed in frustration.


    ¡°He is saying ow,¡± Scamp pointed out from where he was watching.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡±


    Scamp shrugged and then made several grunting noises. The other goblins lowered their weapons. Elyias glared at them but kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Take him away for now. I¡¯ll talk to him later,¡± Blacknail told the goblins. ¡°Right now there are more important things I have to do.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss,¡± Scamp replied. He then walked over and gave the nearest goblin a forceful push before leading the other goblins away. He seemed very proud and happy to have assumed a leadership position within the tribe, even if he was only really a translator.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to what we were talking about before. You were explaining your plan,¡± Khita said when Elyias¡¯ group had disappeared behind one of the nearby hills.


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± Blacknail replied. He wasn¡¯t going to fall for that. He was too smart.


    ¡°So you admit to having one?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t! I have never admitted anything. You have the wrong person.¡±


    Khita rolled her eyes. She didn¡¯t seem convinced. She was obviously too stupid to understand him properly.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re not sharp enough to come up with a good plan. I bet your plan is really stupid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. My plan is the best ever!¡±


    ¡°Oh, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to¡­ Wait, this is another trick,¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°You may as well tell me. I already know about Elyias and you just confessed to having a scheme in motion.¡±


    ¡°Elyias proves nothing. He got separated from the others and lost in the woods when they left. Some goblins found him and brought him here. I¡¯m hiding him because the others are angry and I¡¯m such a great loving leader,¡± Blacknail growled in explanation. He had known the two humans would probably meet if Khita followed him, so he had come up with an excuse earlier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that for a moment. You¡¯d bleed him dry if he betrayed you. There isn¡¯t a shred of mercy in your body, Blacknail. You may have the others fooled but not me.¡±


    She had a point about his lack of mercy. It was also clear that Khita was not going to believe his lies, no matter how convincing and well thought out they were. That was alright, though. He had a backup plan for dealing with her and it was more fun anyway.


    Blacknail took a sudden step towards Khita. The unexpected movement caught her off guard and she flinched. The hobgoblin grabbed the front of Khita¡¯s vest and pulled her forward. His strong grip kept her off balance as he glared at her. Their faces were only a few inches apart.


    ¡°What?¡± she exclaimed. She sounded mad but also nervous. Blacknail didn¡¯t reply right away. Instead, he growled for several long seconds. His lips rose to reveal his long jagged teeth. Fear shone in Khita¡¯s eyes but instead of trying to pull away she went perfectly still. Her reaction satisfied Blacknail. It was time to scare this girl into line. He was the great Blacknail and she would do was she was told.


    ¡°Listen, little human. I am the leader here, the chieftain,¡± Blacknail hissed as he stared into her eyes. His face was twisted up into the most menacing visage he could muster. ¡°If you tell anyone anything about my plans I will hunt you down. I will pry your eyes from your skull and slurp them down while I cut off your delicate fingers and chubby little toes. Obey me or suffer.¡±


    Khita didn¡¯t move. Her face was so pale it seemed almost frozen, but as Blacknail watched it came back to life. The fear faded and Khita smiled excitedly. This¡­ wasn¡¯t the reaction he had been hoping for.


    ¡°Anything you want, Blacknail. You can trust me. It¡¯ll be just like before the battle, except now you¡¯re the big boss.¡±


    The urge to groan and throw his hands up in frustration welled up in Blacknail, but he resisted it. He just gripped Khita¡¯s shirt tighter and shook her a bit. ¡°No, I¡¯m not trusting you with anything! I¡¯m just scaring you into silence. Be scared!¡±


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯s all the same. You¡¯re just like my brother. All his yelling and threats were just to toughen me up so I would get stronger. That¡¯s how I knew he cared.¡±


    Her response flabbergasted the hobgoblin so much he wanted to claw at his own eyes. Blacknail was beginning to suspect Khita¡¯s relationship with her brother had been more than a little abnormal. The hobgoblin tried to think up some way he could get his point across without leaving any incriminating marks on her, but nothing occurred to him. He let out a frustrated hiss as he let Khita go. The young redhead caught herself and then casually brushed the front of her shirt off.


    ¡°So, are you going to tell me your plan now? I want to help.¡±


    ¡°Fine, as long as it will shut you up,¡± Blacknail hissed in reply. He had given up. There was no way he was going to tell the redhead all the details of his scheme but she could probably be trusted with some of it. Her particular type of crazy stupid meant she was unlikely to betray him.


    ¡°You¡¯re building a goblin army aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re going unleash a horde of green killers and conquer the North!¡±


    ¡°What? No, that¡¯s stupid. Goblins make terrible fighters. They¡¯re too small and cowardly.¡±


    ¡°Gob is training a bunch of goblins to fight right over there. I can see them.¡±


    Blacknail snorted and waved dismissively. ¡°That¡¯s just discipline training so they will work harder and smarter.¡±


    ¡°Then what is your plan?¡± Khita asked. She sounded disappointed that there would be no screaming goblin horde invading the North.


    ¡°I will kill Werrick. Herad and him fought over territory. My mistress lost but I will fulfill her wish and take everything from Werrick.¡± Blacknail explained proudly. Although he hid it, the hobgoblin felt a twinge of embarrassment saying all that aloud.


    ¡°Ha, I knew it! There was no way you were going to run away from the Wolf. You¡¯re not a spineless wimp like the others. So what¡¯s the plan if you aren¡¯t using goblins?¡±


    ¡°I do want a few goblins and hobgoblins, but not an army. I want a group that can move faster and sneakier than humans. Then I will strike at Werrick from the shadows and prey upon his minions,¡± Blacknail answered as he grinned savagely. He was really looking forward to it.


    ¡°You won¡¯t beat him that way. He can afford to lose a lot of men. He¡¯s the top dog around these parts so all the weaklings flock to his side.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid; I know. That¡¯s just the first part of the plan. Once I¡¯m famous I will use other humans against him.¡±


    ¡°How will you do that?¡±


    ¡°I will tell you later if you behave,¡± Blacknail replied. Hopefully, that would motivate her to keep her mouth shut.


    ¡°Fine, then at least tell me what you doing here in this camp right now so that I can help out. Oh, I should get a tour!¡±


    Blacknail shrugged in response. That actually didn¡¯t seem like a terrible idea. He might even be able to find some make-work for her to do that would keep her out of trouble while he told Elyias what he was allowed to say. He didn¡¯t want Khita learning everything. Blacknail led the way and they walked around the camp. He showed her the highlights and most important parts.


    ¡°And this is another cave. It¡¯s not the biggest one but it¡¯s very dry.¡±


    ¡°Is there anything here but rocks and caves?¡±


    ¡°Goblins, lots of goblins,¡± Blacknail answered.


    Khita groaned. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen enough damned caves. What is Gob up to?¡±


    ¡°I have him training goblins how to hunt using traps,¡±


    ¡°Then why are most the goblins he is talking with holding spears?¡±


    ¡°Those are to use against other goblins. The stupid runts need to keep the stupider runts in line or they will steal from the traps.¡± Dealing with goblins was as frustrating as dealing with humans but in a completely different way.


    As they walked over to Gob, Blacknail explained that he was building a core of loyal goblins that would keep the others in line. That was almost as important as training trappers, since goblins weren¡¯t very diligent workers unless they were being threatened with physical punishment or they were the ones that got to deal out the physical punishment. He also told Khita about the foragers he had sent out to gather materials. Gob was planning on building a longhouse like the one he had built at his old lair. Poles made from young trees would be tied together using rope. Thankfully, several of the goblins that had come with Gob knew how to make rope from plant fibers and they were teaching others. The ropes were also an important part of making traps and tools.


    The pair stopped a few feet away from the circle of goblins around Gob. They watched the goblins working at their tasks. None of them seemed to be doing exactly the same thing. Some were clearing making tools of various kinds while others were simply watching as Gob hissed at their companions. Blacknail let out a nostalgic sigh as he watched. He himself was a master of rope-making. He had spent a long time learning such skills under Saeter, and he was planning on putting that knowledge to good use now. Everything he had been taught would help him get his vengeance.


    ¡°What are those goblins over there doing?¡± Khita asked as she pointed to Blacknail¡¯s left.


    The hobgoblin turned to see what she was talking about. Someone had built a fire pit at the base of one of the nearby hills. Two goblins sat next to a ring of stones that contained a small fire. A large flat-sided rock jutted out of the hill behind them. It formed a small cliff like wall, and there was a pile of branches piled next to it. Blacknail instantly recognized one of the goblins. It was Imp.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Blacknail asked as he walked over.


    Imp looked up and gave Blacknail a blank look before answering. ¡°I¡¯m helping burn things.¡±


    This piece of information didn¡¯t clarify anything. Imp had always made Blacknail uncomfortable. He was a weird little goblin and Blacknail really didn¡¯t understand what went though his head. He was always watching silently from somewhere or doing inexplicable things.


    ¡°Why are you burning things?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Practice,¡± the other goblin beside Imp replied as he turned to smile at Blacknail.


    This new goblin¡¯s eyes glowed with feverish excitement as they reflected light from the fire. He was an average sized goblin that Blacknail had never seen before. His body was slightly on the skinny side and his skin had a pale grey cast to it. He had messy reddish brown hair that covered the top of his head and orange irises. If anything this new goblin looked even weirder than Imp. Blacknail hoped he wasn¡¯t a mage. That wouldn¡¯t likely end well.


    ¡°I like your hair! It¡¯s a great color,¡± Khita remarked cheerfully as she studied the goblin. She then reached down to pat him on the head and mess up his hair. The goblin didn¡¯t appear to know how to react to this. He flinched and threw Imp and Blacknail confused looks. Blacknail just shrugged in response.He didn''t know how to deal with Khita either.


    ¡°I bet he doesn¡¯t have a name! Can I name him?¡± Khita asked Blacknail. She didn¡¯t wait for an answer. ¡°I think it should be¡­ Ferrar!¡±


    Blacknail opened his mouth and started to ask her why she had chosen that name, but he stopped when he realized he didn¡¯t really care. Khita answered anyway. ¡°It means fire or something in Old Imperial, so it matches the color of your hair!¡±


    ¡°Why are you two really making fire?¡± Blacknail asked the goblins. He still found them suspicious even though Khita had distracted him.


    ¡°They are probably cooking or something,¡± Khita said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not time to eat yet.¡±


    ¡°We will need it later. Fire is important.¡± Imp answered matter-of-factly. Blacknail didn¡¯t disagree, but he wasn¡¯t sure they were thinking of the same things.


    An idea suddenly popped into Blacknail¡¯s head. While it wasn¡¯t time to eat quite yet, it would be soon. A large part of his plan was to feed the goblins a lot so that they would stick around even when he made them work, but he didn¡¯t have a pot to make stew. Sending Khita to get one would get her out of the way for a while so he could talk to Elyias and get some work done.


    ¡°I need you to go get a big pot from the village so I can cook. Geralhd owes me, and I will send some goblins to help you,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°Fine, this tour has been boring anyway, but I want to take Ferrar with me,¡± Khita replied. Blacknail turned to look at the goblin in question. He was poking the fire with a stick and giggling as sparks shot up into the air. In his other hand he was holding a steel fire striker that Imp had probably given him.


    ¡°Alright, but don¡¯t burn the village down,¡± Blacknail replied warily. ¡°I need those humans.¡±

 Hearts and Homes 7

    The village of Shelter didn¡¯t end up burning down, although Blacknail had been sort of been expecting it to. Khita and the goblins returned with a large iron pot and without causing a commotion. The goblins kept to the woods and never went near the settlement, or anything flammable.


    ¡°I just walked up to the gate and asked for it,¡± Khita told Blacknail. ¡°Geralhd found one for me as soon as I told him that you sent me. He also gave me this.¡±


    The young redheaded woman passed Blacknail a small wrapped up parcel, which he quickly unwrapped. There was a small wheel of yellow cheese inside. It had been far too long, almost a week. Blacknail felt his eyes began to water as joy overwhelmed him, although it might have been caused by the poignant smell wafting off the cheese. It was a very strong blend.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re trying to inhale that,¡± Khita remarked as she took a step back and pinched her nose.


    Blacknail¡¯s nose was pressed against the wedge of cheese. He took a deep breath and just enjoyed the blissful aroma for a second. Even several of the nearby goblins gave him strange looks but he didn¡¯t care. After licking his prize a few times the hobgoblin wrapped it back up and shoved it into his coat for later.


    ¡°You brought the pot so now I¡¯m going to cook up some stew!¡± Blacknail told Khita. ¡°It¡¯s an important part of my plan!¡±


    ¡°Oh, well, I need to borrow a bowl or something because I didn¡¯t bring any,¡± Khita replied. Blacknail stared at her for an awkward few seconds.


    ¡°Bowls¡­ right,¡± he mused to himself as he scratched the side of his nose. He had completely forgotten about those. He had one for himself but that was it.


    In order to eat stew his goblin minions were going to need bowls as well. You couldn¡¯t eat soup or stew without something to put it in. This was a pain because Blacknail was fairly certain none of them had any. How could his minions forget something as simple as bowls? It was annoying how dumb they all were.


    ¡°Do you think anyone would get suspicious if we asked the village for a hundred bowls?¡± Blacknail asked Khita.


    ¡°Ya, I think that would get some of them thinking. Can you make your own?¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°People usually make them out of wood or clay. You could try that.¡±


    ¡°You mean I could get goblins to make them out of wood or clay,¡± Blacknail clarified. He wasn¡¯t going to be making bowls for stupid little goblins. If goblins couldn¡¯t be forced to do physical labor then what was the point of them?


    ¡°None of the goblins here use clay or whittle?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Blacknail answered after a second or two of thought. He hadn¡¯t seen any evidence of that.


    The hobgoblin knew what clay was. Saeter had once pointed it out to him at the bank of a stream. The grey material had definitely been one of the better tasting types of dirt, but that wasn¡¯t saying much. Blacknail vaguely knew that humans made stuff out of clay but he had no idea how. Khita didn¡¯t know much about it either and it sounded too complicated to figure out quickly. He also had no clay to work with.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to work. I¡¯m going to eat,¡± Blacknail announced as he headed over to the fire pit Imp and Ferrar had made. Both goblins were once again sitting and watching the fire.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t cook any stew but that wasn¡¯t the only thing he knew how to make, it was simply the best. The goblins Gob had been training had been stockpiling food. There was a rack covered in rabbits and squirrels from the traps that had been skinned and drained of blood, and there was a pile of edible roots and leaves. Blacknail looked over the ingredients for a while before deciding on a recipe.


    ¡°I need Wakev leaves,¡± Blacknail mused to himself.


    The plants had large fan-shaped leaves. They themselves weren¡¯t edible but you could cook things in them for flavor. The short stubby plants were also very common and grew on the ground. Blacknail rounded up several goblins and sent them out to harvest the leaves. He also sent a goblin to bring over Scamp and Elyias.


    ¡°You two can help me cook,¡± the hobgoblin told Ferrar and Imp. He didn¡¯t plan on doing all the cooking himself and the sooner he taught others how to do the sooner he could make them do it for him. As disturbing as these two goblins were they also were among the smartest of his minions.


    ¡°Yes, chief,¡± Imp replied as he stood up and walked over to Blacknail¡¯s side. Ferrar continued to stare at the fire for a few more seconds before smiling at Blacknail and getting up. Scamp and Elyias then appeared.


    ¡°Watch and copy what I do, if you can,¡± Blacknail told everyone there.


    ¡°Yeah, grunt work! At least it beats sitting around or following Scamp,¡± Elyias huffed indignantly.


    As his minions watched, Blacknail began cutting up the meat and the veggies on a nearby flat rock. He didn¡¯t plan on putting too much effort into this, so large chunks were good enough. He chose a pale round root and some small spicy leaves to add to the mix, and left the other veggies for another time. When the goblins started dropping off the leaves, he mixed the ingredients together and wrapped them in the leaves to make small packages.


    After he was finished with the first serving, all the others began chopping and sorting. They quickly got quite a few wraps down so Blacknail hung them above the fire using a rack made of sticks and twine.


    ¡°That smells pretty damn good,¡± Khita remarked.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m amazing at everything,¡± Blacknail replied confidently as he took a seat on a nearby rock and relaxed. ¡°Now get back to work.¡±


    Soon, the rest of the goblin tribe began to gather as the smell of the food drew them in. By the time the first bit of food was done cooking there were dozens of them. Blacknail handed out cooked parcels to all of Gob''s overseers and everyone who had helped cook.


    ¡°Yummy!¡± Scamp declared as he started eating. The goblin only stopped eating in order to smugly look down on the goblins that hadn¡¯t gotten food yet.


    ¡°Why are you putting so much effort into cooking for these goblins?¡± Elyias asked. He sounded like he had accepted his situation for now.


    ¡°It¡¯s motivation so they learn and stay loyal. Now they know why they are hunting,¡± Blacknail explained as he chewed.


    A small riot broke out behind him. A mob of goblins that hadn¡¯t gotten food yet banded together to raid a smaller group that had. Screeching goblins wrestled and bit each other as they fought for the food. Blacknail didn¡¯t interfere. He just smiled contentedly and nodded proudly to himself. It seemed like the goblins enjoyed his cooking. As the humans got clear Gob intervened with a squad of overseers. They started indiscriminately beating all the fighters with the butts of their spears.


    ¡°No fighting here! The great chief has blessed you with yummies! Rejoice!¡± Gob yelled as he kicked a goblin out of sight.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The fighting soon stopped and order was restored. Night began to fall and the rocky clearing grew dark as everyone finished eating. The fire was still burning brightly in the middle of the goblin mob but no one was still cooking. Blacknail decided that there was little point in staying up so he decided to go to sleep for the night. He had a cozy new cave to try out.


    ¡°Where am I supposed to sleep?¡± Khita asked when Blacknail got up and started to walk away. Elyias and Scamp had already claimed another small cave as their own earlier.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Blacknail replied before yawning. He was definitely starting to feel tired.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. There¡¯s plenty of room here in this cave,¡± Khita remarked as they arrived at the entrance to the cavern.


    Blacknail briefly considered chasing the annoying redhead away but he didn¡¯t feel like going through the effort. His cave was also more than big enough for the two of them.


    ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re sleeping over there,¡± Blacknail replied as he pointed to the other side of the cave. Khita yawned and nodded in agreement. They both unrolled the blankets from their pack and went to bed.


    Early the next morning, Blacknail got Khita up and went back to work. There was a lot of things that needed done in order to fix up this camp. Khita had been right when she had called it just a pile of rocks. Herad and Saeter had built their old base camp from nothing into a small village and Blacknail planned to do the same. He had sort of been paying attention to most the things they had done.


    ¡°What are we doing now?¡± Khita asked after she had gotten dressed and they had both eaten.


    ¡°We still need bowls. Let¡¯s try making wood ones. Maybe it will be easy!¡± Blacknail announced as he went to find a suitable piece of wood.


    It wasn¡¯t easy. It only took a few minutes to find a large enough branch and to cut it down, but trying to whittle it into shape proved very frustrating. Blacknail used the axe he had taken from the slain hobgoblin and his own knives. As he had been taught, the hobgoblin had cleaned and sharpened the axe as soon as he claimed it. It had known it would be useful later.


    ¡°This is stupid,¡± Blacknail huffed as he tossed the piece of wood he had been working on away. It was shaped nothing like a bowl and still had some bark attached to it. There was no way goblins were going to be able to make bowls using stone tools anytime soon and Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to waste any of his knives by giving them away.


    ¡°There must be another way,¡± he growled as he turned to stare at Khita. Humans made civilization seem so easy. Blacknail refused to fail at bowl making. He was pretty sure that was one of the simpler things humans made, but he had never been taught how. All the humans he knew had just carried the things around with them, or they had killed another human and taken them.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ve heard some people in the West drink from skulls,¡± Khita suggested hesitantly.


    That was an idea. Blacknail liked it. The top of people¡¯s heads were just the right shape to hold liquids. Why hadn¡¯t this idea occurred to him right away? It was so obvious.


    ¡°Great, but where can I get so many large skulls¡­¡± Blacknail mused.


    There were a few lying around but not nearly enough. The only creatures around in sufficient numbers and with big enough heads were goblins. Killing a few dozen of them to make dishes seemed wasteful though, and might cause problems with recruitment later. Maybe he could find another tribe and start a war? Still, cleaning those skulls seemed like a lot of messy work.


    ¡°We will collect skulls but they won¡¯t be enough,¡± Blacknail admitted in defeat.


    Since he hadn¡¯t come up with a solution to his dishware problem the hobgoblin decided to focus on making food that could be eaten by hand for now. Preserving meat was first on that list.


    While Gob continued to train the goblins how to hunt and make rope, Blacknail picked out a few of the smarter looking ones and began to teach them how to smoke meat. It wasn¡¯t all that hard, so even goblins could do it. The first step was to dig a hole a few feet deep. Firewood was placed at the bottom and then sticks were inserted into the sides of the hole up above that to make a grill for the meat. Green branches from pine trees were placed over the top to keep most the smoke in. The important part was having an overseer around to poke goblins that tried to eat the meat, and making sure the overseers themselves weren¡¯t hungry.


    Two goblins actually volunteered to help with the smoking, Ferrar and Imp. Both of them walked over and began to copy the goblins Blacknail was instructing. At first the hobgoblin was tempted to chase them away since they were so creepy, but they both quickly mastered the skills. They were too useful to chase away, even if they were super suspicious. Ferrar probably just wanted to play with fire, but Blacknail had no idea why Imp ever did anything.


    Soon, the pair of goblins began teaching the others and Blacknail took the opportunity to step away. He was a leader now so he never worked at anything unless he couldn¡¯t find someone else to do it, besides there were other important things he needed to do.


    Blacknail looked around the goblin lair. The center of the rocky hills he had conquered through strength had already changed a fair bit. It had been completely bare before but now there was a large fire pit and several racks where meat was hanging. Signs of habitation were everywhere.


    Another thing that Blacknail noticed was that a lot of the food left over from last night had disappeared. Even some of the uncooked roots were gone. That was annoying but hardly surprising. They had been left unattended in the middle of a goblin settlement after all. Blacknail decided to do something about it. He found the coldest cave and kicked all the goblins out of it, although there were only a few there since it was so cold. Next, he had all the food that wasn¡¯t being used moved into the cave, and then told Gob to post a guard at the cave and another at the drying racks at all times. Exercising his amazing leadership skills left Blacknail feeling very proud of himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored. Let¡¯s do something interesting now. I followed you out here because I wanted excitement!¡± Khita told Blacknail as she walked over to him. She had wandered off somewhere earlier.


    ¡°Alright, I feel like hunting. You can come. Just be quiet and try to learn,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go. I hope we run into something dangerous, like an ogre.¡±


    That was the exact opposite of what Blacknail wanted and he said so. ¡°I hope we run into something useful, like a poor lost cheese merchant.¡±


    After walking back over to his cave, Blacknail grabbed his gear. He took a water flask, some jerky for a snack, and his bow. The sky overhead contained a scattering of white puffy clouds but there was still a lot of blue to see, and there was next to no wind.


    ¡°I need a bow. I lost mine way back,¡± Khita observed.


    ¡°Then you need to find or make a new one later,¡± Blacknail hissed dismissively. She didn¡¯t really need one anyway since she was mostly there to carry stuff for him. Khita tried to argue but Blacknail shushed her.


    ¡°No talking in the forest. You have to be quiet while hunting,¡± he told her. It was even sort of true.


    There was a small stream that ran along the western edge of the clearing. The hobgoblin decided to follow it North, away from the human village. He hadn¡¯t actually been out that way yet. This part of the forest was completely unknown to him, so he wanted to explore it. There might be interesting or useful things there.


    Like on the other side of the camp, the terrain was rough. The same tall tree-studded hills rose off in the distance and hid the horizon. The morning chatter of birds echoed through the forest as Blacknail and Khita walked along the edge of the stream. The trees here weren¡¯t very tall, and they only formed a patchy canopy overhead that let a lot of light through. Most of them were evergreens with brown trunks. They didn¡¯t have much in the way of branches near the ground to block Blacknail¡¯s sight, so he could see clearly in most directions.


    The stream cut its way through the earth as it rushed down a series of hills. Its winding banks had long ago exposed the occasional large grey rock, but the water was surrounded mostly by hard packed dirt and the roots of trees.


    After a few minutes of hiking, a flash of movement up ahead caught Blacknail¡¯s attention. He raised a hand to signal for Khita to stop, and began to creep silently forward. Blacknail climbed up the steep bank of the creek and up to the trees. He hid behind the closest tree trunk and then peered out from behind it. Up ahead and around the bend, there was a deer drinking from the stream. The beast looked like a fully grown doe with brown fur and white spots on its flanks. Blacknail grinned as he drew an arrow and readied his bow. He had found some worthy prey.


    Without wasting another second, the hobgoblin stepped out from his hiding spot and lined up his shot. He let the string go and his arrow zoomed straight towards his target. It slammed into the deer¡¯s neck. The beast screeched and took off like a shot. It scrambled down the slippery bank of the creek and out of sight. It was wounded but far from dead yet.


    ¡°Did you get it?¡± Khita asked breathlessly as she ran up beside Blacknail.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go,¡± he replied.


    Blacknail jumped down to the creek and ran over to where the deer had been standing. He scanned the muddy soil there and then sniffed it. There were clear hoof prints visible and drops of blood were scattered around. He had the creature¡¯s scent and he knew it was bleeding. The wound he had given the deer was fatal. It wouldn¡¯t get far before it lost strength and faltered.


    ¡°What now?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°Now you be quiet again and follow me,¡± Blacknail hissed as he began to jog after the deer.


    He had no doubt in his ability to track down his wounded quarry. Even without his amazing sense of smell he could clearly see the trail of broken branches and hoof prints it had left. The only question was whether something unexpected would happen. Another predator might appear or they could stumble into something else deadly. The forest was a dangerous place, and the hunter could quickly become the hunted if they weren¡¯t wary.

 Hearts and Homes 8

    The sound of rushing water grew louder, as Blacknail tracked the deer he had shot through the vibrant green forest. Khita was right behind him as he ran along the edge of the stream. Blacknail knew he was going the right way. The beast¡¯s muddy hoof prints were plain to see, and the scent of its blood was thick in the air. The smell excited Blacknail. Hunting down wounded prey was always a red hot rush. He wanted to drop down to all fours so he could sniff the earth as he moved. He suppressed that urge but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from salivating in anticipation of running down his bleeding prey. There was no escape from him now. Soon, the deer¡¯s sweet flesh would be his to feast upon.


    The creek he was following lay at the bottom of a shallow gully, and it continued to wind its way past rows of short evergreen trees until it suddenly ended up ahead. Blacknail approached the spot where the water disappeared into thin air and looked down. There was a cliff below him and the stream at his feet rushed over its edge and became a roaring waterfall. The white water fell for thirty feet or so before slamming into a wide pool below. Mist spread out from the base of the waterfall and washed over the pool¡¯s rocky shores. The air here was cool, humid, and full of energy.


    Khita walked over to Blacknail¡¯s side and started to say something, but the hobgoblin elbowed her in the stomach and she shut up. He was scanning the scene below carefully and he didn¡¯t have time for the redhead¡¯s stupidity. A moment later, he looked away from the pool and to each side. The forest continued on his left but he saw no sign the deer had gone that way. To his right, the ground sloped downwards and there was a path down towards the bottom of the cliff. Almost immediately, he spotted a splatter of dark red blood on a rock there.


    "This way,¡± he hissed quietly to Khita as he headed after the deer.


    The roaring of the waterfall drowned out almost all the other noises. Even Blacknail¡¯s long sensitive ears were a little deafened, so the hobgoblin was wary. He carefully observed his surroundings for movement as he stalked forward into the rocks. It wasn¡¯t until he reached the bottom of the incline that he spotted something. Something brown was poking out from behind a large triangular rock. Blacknail crept silently over to get a better look and got ready to draw his sword, just in case. However, the identity of the object soon became obvious. It was the deer. It had collapsed at the base of the rock, and its still chest indicated that it was no longer breathing. Blacknail¡¯s arrow was still sticking out of its now blood-stained neck.


    ¡°We got it!¡± Khita exclaimed happily when she walked up behind Blacknail.


    ¡°We?¡± the hobgoblin grunted in reply. It seemed like the hunt was over. He was almost disappointed that it hadn¡¯t been more exciting. Some real struggle from the prey would have been nice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before something comes to try and steal our prey,¡± Blacknail told Khita as he scanned the nearby trees suspiciously. The deer was his prize now, and he didn¡¯t want some big fat lazy beast stealing it.


    It took a fair bit of time and effort to get the deer carcass back to camp, but most the effort was Khita¡¯s, so Blacknail didn¡¯t care. This was the reason he had allowed her to come, to carry things. On the way, the pair spotted a few deposits of grey clay along the stream bank. It seemed like procuring clay wouldn¡¯t be hard. Now they just needed to figure out what to do with it.


    That wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s first concern, though. The priority was skinning and butchering the deer he had just brought down before it went bad. He also wanted to use this opportunity to teach his minions, so he rounded up his larger followers. Khita was already with him so he went and found Gob and Elyias.


    They watched as Blacknail dragged the carcass over to an empty spot near the drying rack and got to work. First, he slit the dead animal¡¯s throat and hung it up so that the blood would drain out. Blood went bad quickly and would taint the meat. Next, he took out a knife and began to cut the skin away from the flesh. He had plans for the pelt so he tried to keep most of it in one piece. The bloody work quickly drew a small crowd of curious goblins. Blacknail ignored them, and when the hide came free he put it aside and started to butcher the animal. His knife split open the animal¡¯s guts and he reached in to pull out all the organs.


    Gob diligently watched everything Blacknail did. Goblins usually just ripped their prey apart and nibbled them down to the bone so this was all new to him. Khita had done similar things a few times before when she had been learning from Saeter but Elyias was a city boy. He scowled in disgust as Blacknail worked, especially when the intestines were pulled out and dumped into a steaming pile on the ground.


    The final step of the butchering was to cut the carcass up into smaller pieces. Blacknail used his long knife to cut off the deer¡¯s hunches and strip the flesh from the bone. When he was done there wasn¡¯t much left of the deer but its detached head, squishy organs, and bloody bones.


    ¡°See, even idiots like you can do it!¡± Blacknail told his minions as he plucked the eyes from the animal¡¯s skull and slurped them down. They were the nice and chewy reward for his hard work.


    ¡°I will remember everything you have done, great chief. A hundred deer will be laid at your feet,¡± Gob replied as Blacknail nodded happily. That was the kind of enthusiasm and drive he liked in his minions.


    ¡°Ha, Blacknail¡¯s right, you two are dumb as bricks,¡± Khita laughed. For some reason she thought she had been excluded from his comment.


    ¡°I hate you all,¡± Elyias cursed.


    However, Blacknail had already turned away and was busy planning his next job. Having all this fresh meat in front of him just reminded him that he still needed to figure out how to make bowls. The deer¡¯s bones would have added flavor to a stew.


    ¡°Do any of you know how to use clay?¡± he asked the others.


    ¡°You mean baking it to make pottery?¡± Elyias replied uncertainly.


    The young man didn¡¯t much know more than Khita, and Gob just stared uncomprehendingly at Blacknail and shrugged. Blacknail groaned. Of course, none of them were useful. As usual, he was going to have to do everything himself.


    ¡°You need to go back to the humans and find one that can make bowls from clay,¡± the hobgoblin told Khita.


    ¡°And what do I do when I find such a person?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°Learn from them, or if it¡¯s too hard bring someone who knows back with you. I can meet them.¡±


    ¡°What if they don¡¯t want to come?¡±


    Blacknail frowned thoughtfully before replying. ¡°I can talk to them at the village, but if they try to keep clay making secret from me then I will sneak in and grab them when it gets dark. They will talk.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Khita answered as she smiled and rubbed her hands together gleefully.


    ¡°Why does that excite you, and whose side are you on?¡± Elyias asked in disbelief.


    ¡°My own. I don¡¯t owe anyone anything,¡± Khita snorted. This caused Blacknail to glance her way.


    ¡°Except maybe Blacknail. We¡¯ve saved each other¡¯s lives more time than I can count,¡± she quickly corrected herself. Blacknail was sure she couldn¡¯t count very high, but he let the comment go.


    The young redhead didn¡¯t waste any time in heading back to Shelter. Blacknail sent Scamp and a couple goblins with her to keep her out of trouble and so that she could send him a message if they needed to meet up later. When she was gone, Blacknail let Gob get back to his own projects and started tanning the hide of the deer he had caught.


    With Elyias¡¯ help Blacknail scraped the remaining flesh from the underside of the hide. When all the flesh and fat had been removed they took it to the creek and washed it thoroughly. The hide was then stretched out the drying rack and tied in place so that it wouldn¡¯t shrink. That was all they could do for now since it would take a few days to dry.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Since Khita wasn¡¯t back yet, Blacknail decided to wander around and see if there was anyone that needed bossing around. After yelling at a few goblins that were lazing around he stumbled over to where Gob was working. The other hobgoblin had finished training the overseers and teaching goblins basic skills, so now he was building a structure of some sort.


    Gob had been sending out goblins to collect materials for a while now. He had built up a stockpile of twine, bark, and poles made from slender trees, and now he was using them to create a longhouse. Blacknail had seen the small one Gob had created at his old tribe¡¯s lair, and this new one looked like it was going to be a fair bit bigger. He already had the frame of the building up. Poles had been stuck into the ground, bent to form an arch for the roof, and tied into place. They weren¡¯t all up yet, but when they were the large strips of bark would be tied to them to form walls. The finished building would be a comfier place to sleep than in a cave.


    While Gob was working Blacknail decided to procure some of his materials in order to build himself a bed. A few pieces of lumber would make the frame and he could pile some dry plants on top to soften the surface. Gob looked up but didn¡¯t say anything as Blacknail begin to drag several poles away. He put them down near the entrance to his cave and then used the axe to cut them up. He had just about finished when Scamp ran over.


    ¡°Khita found some people who know the thing you want to know,¡± the little goblin exclaimed excitedly as he ran in a circle around Blacknail. ¡°They want to meet at the village.¡±


    Scamp¡¯s blabbering wasn¡¯t very clear but he probably meant that Khita¡¯s mission had been successful. It was good that they apparently didn¡¯t need to kidnap anyone, but Blacknail still had some concerns.


    ¡°How many people?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Um, she didn¡¯t say,¡± Scamp replied as he stopped running in circles.


    The hobgoblin nodded and went into his cave to grab his backpack. He opened it, put on gloves, wrapped a red scarf around his face, and pulled his hood up. If he was going back to the village then he needed to disguise himself. When he had finished dressing, Blacknail hid a few extra daggers around his person. He didn¡¯t trust the humans of the village and wanted to be ready to fight his way out.


    With that done, Blacknail headed out into the forest. He jogged through the trees at a steady pace until he spotted something out of place. Several sets of paw prints crossed the trail he was running along. Blacknail took a second to crouch down and study the tracks. They definitely belonged to a pack of wolves. Normally that wouldn¡¯t have bothered Blacknail too much, but one set of prints was much larger than any he had seen before. Blacknail looked up and scanned the forest around himself nervously. Only when he was sure there was nothing nearby did he lean over and sniff the ground. There was something off about the smell of the prints as well. An out of place mineral scent similar to that of Mahedium¡¯s workshop lingered where the animal had been. Disturbed, Blacknail got up and studied his surroundings again. He didn¡¯t like this development, but the forest seemed normal, so he got up and began running again. Just to be safe, it would be a good idea to start sending his minions out in groups now, especially Khita, at least until he wouldn¡¯t be blamed for her death.


    The rest of the trip to the village was uneventful. Blacknail reached the area of clear ground that surrounded the village. He eyed the front gate suspiciously for a few moments before sauntering out of the woods and crossing the fields. There was no point in being sneaky.


    ¡°Open up,¡± Blacknail shouted as he pounded on the door.


    ¡°Gods above, man. You don¡¯t need to raise such a ruckus,¡± the guard replied as the entrance swung open.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet some people, and not to do anything unfriendly or suspicious,¡± Blacknail said as he stepped inside. He was out of practice when it came to talking to humans.


    ¡°So I¡¯ve been told,¡± the man replied as he gestured for the hobgoblin to go on.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t need any further invitation. He quickly walked past the man and into the village. There were a bunch of small houses lining the main street and an older woman bustled by, but he didn¡¯t see Khita anywhere. The young redhead was supposed to be waiting for him. Where was she?


    Feeling very annoyed, Blacknail concentrated on listening for her voice. At first he didn¡¯t hear anything, but then he heard a laugh that sounded like it had come from Khita off in the distance. The hobgoblin scowled and stalked towards the source of the noise. He slipped into an alley between two homes so that he could stay out of sight. Another closer burst of laughter allowed Blacknail to pinpoint Khita¡¯s location, so he lengthened his stride. A few seconds later, he turned a corner and saw her standing in front of a shed that lay behind a house, and she wasn¡¯t alone. Blacknail recognized the faces of the three young humans the bandits had used as hostages when they had first arrived at the village.


    ¡°Ya, I¡¯ve been in around a dozen battles and killed at least twenty men,¡± Khita bragged. She was facing the three smaller humans and there was a proud look on her face.


    ¡°Really, that sounds so terrible,¡± the blonde girl gasped in surprise.


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not afraid of anything,¡± Khita replied dismissively. ¡°It was all the other bandits that were terrified of me and my sword skills!¡±


    Blacknail remembered Khita¡¯s sword skills quite clearly. He had trained alongside Khita under Vorscha, so he knew that when she had a sword in hand Khita was most dangerous to herself.


    ¡°Did you ever see any real magic?¡± the taller blonde boy asked. He sounded excited and curious, but he was looking to the side as if trying to prove that he didn¡¯t care all that much.


    ¡°Sure, I saw tons of magic!¡± Khita answered. ¡°Our band had a mage and a few Vessels. The mage was always throwing flaming balls of fire around.¡±


    ¡°Vessels are real? I thought they were just exaggerated stories,¡± the younger lad with short brown hair remarked.


    ¡°Of course they are real. You¡¯ve even met one,¡± Khita replied as she rolled her eyes.


    With sudden haste, Blacknail¡¯s hooded form stepped out of the shadows and headed for Khita. She had said more than enough already, and it was time to shut her up before she revealed something important. He was almost directly behind her so she didn¡¯t see him coming, but her companions did and they froze in surprise.


    ¡°Eeep,¡± Khita squealed as Blacknail placed a hand on her shoulder.


    She spun around to see who it was and only relaxed when she recognized Blacknail¡¯s distinctive clothes. An awkward smile forced its way onto her face.


    ¡°So you¡¯re not afraid of anything?¡± Blacknail chuckled as he stepped up beside her.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t afraid; I was just on guard,¡± Khita countered.


    ¡°Blacknail¡¯s the only person who can sneak up on me like that. We both trained under the same master ranger,¡± she quickly explained to the others.


    ¡°Greetings, Mister Blacknail. Khita has told us a bit about you. You probably remember me. I¡¯m Joan,¡± the blonde hesitantly interjected in order to introduce herself. She gave him a friendly nod.


    ¡°She¡¯s been more than a little vague about you, though. Why do you hide your face all the time? It¡¯s bloody suspicious,¡± the older male asked as he glared at Blacknail.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Hassiol,¡± Joan told the blonde male.


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I be rude? It¡¯s weird how welcoming everyone is being to these newcomers. Some of them seem dangerous to me. I mean look at him!¡± he replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You¡¯ve been trailing after Khita like a hound,¡± the younger lad countered. Blacknail remembered that his name was Avis.


    ¡°I have not! Anyway, Khita isn¡¯t the problem here,¡± Hassiol protested.


    The youth¡¯s bickering didn¡¯t seem like it was going to end any time soon, and Blacknail didn¡¯t have all day. If they had been goblins he would have just smacked them around a bit, but they weren¡¯t, so he delegated.


    ¡°I came here for a reason. Shut these younglings up and take me to the person who knows how to shape clay,¡± he hissed quietly at Khita.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s Joan. Don¡¯t worry I have these young fools eating out of my hand. I¡¯ll shut them up and get her to show you the trick,¡± she replied.


    To Blacknail, Khita didn¡¯t seem all that different from them. Hassiol was the same height as her and probably weighed more. Blacknail held his tongue though, and Khita quickly got the two boys to quiet down.


    ¡°Why do you want to learn this stuff, anyway?¡± Joan asked as she led the way over to the shed.


    ¡°Um¡­ just normal human reasons,¡± Blacknail quickly replied.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Hassiol commented suspiciously. He was now glaring at Blacknail again so the hobgoblin must have said something wrong.


    ¡°He broke his favorite bowl and wants to replace it himself. Blacknail is all about self sufficiency and he has a lot of free time out there in the forest,¡± Khita interjected.


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± Joan observed cheerfully as they all stepped inside.


    There was easily enough room in the shed for the four humans and the hobgoblin, even though there was a small table in the center of the room and a large shelf stood against one wall. Joan went over to the shelf and picked up a large chunk of dry clay. She carried it over to the table and began to explain how to use the material and shape it.


    ¡°I used to make a lot of little pots and cups from clay when I was a little kid, because it was a lot of fun. My parents would bring me the stuff and help me fire it,¡± she told everyone as she smiled brightly.


    Blacknail watched and listened carefully. Joan rolled up her sleeves and then crushed the clump of clay into dry powder. She then added a bit of water to rewet it and began rubbing it between her hands to make a ball and several long cylinders. The bowl began to take shape when she had flattened the ball to make the bowl¡¯s base and placed several rings of clay on top of it. After that, she smoothed the clay out with her fingers until it looked like a real bowl.


    ¡°Now you just need to fire the clay. Here in the village we use a kiln but you don¡¯t need one. You can use a fire pit if you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± she explained as she held up her little grey bowl.


    ¡°That seems easy enough,¡± Khita observed. She sounded confident but Blacknail was sure she hadn¡¯t been paying attention during half the lecture. He would have to make sure he remembered everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s just dirt. Why are you all staring at it?¡± Scamp asked from where he was standing next to Blacknail.


    The little goblin was peering up over the table at the unfinished bowl in Joan¡¯s hands. Everyone turned to look at him when he spoke up. No one had noticed him approach, but he was the center of attention now. Blacknail groaned. Things had been going so well¡­

 Hearts and Homes 9

    ¡°Oh, hello,¡± Scamp said as everyone in the shed turned to look his way. The goblin gave the humans a friendly wave and smiled at them. He looked like he was enjoying all the attention.


    The three young villagers didn¡¯t return the goblin¡¯s grin. Joan went stiff from fear and Aris stepped in front of her protectively. Hassiol just looked really confused and more than a little disbelieving. His eyes were wide with surprise.


    ¡°A goblin!¡± Aris yelled dramatically, as if he was doing something more than stating the incredibly obvious.


    Blacknail wondered if it was too late to kill Scamp and pretend he knew nothing about him. It wasn¡¯t impossible that a goblin could randomly wander in here.


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m a goblin. You¡¯re smart for a human.¡± Scamp replied cheerfully.


    This forced Blacknail to acknowledge that it was too late to kill him. Random feral goblins didn¡¯t talk like that.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be here!¡± Blacknail hissed. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to stay out in the forest. The villagers aren¡¯t supposed to see you!¡±


    ¡°Staying behind is boring, and you didn¡¯t say I couldn¡¯t come,¡± Scamp whined back. ¡°I miss the others. I want to see Geralhd.¡±


    ¡°It talks! How can it talk?¡± Aris asked. He sounded like he was in shock. A good punch to the side of the head would probably clear his mind, or wipe his memories. Either would work for Blacknail.


    ¡°Scamp isn¡¯t dangerous,¡± Khita hurriedly explained as she stepped over and placed a hand on top of the goblin¡¯s head. ¡°He¡¯s a pet that was trained by a member of our band.¡±


    ¡°Goblins can talk?¡± Hassiol asked in a great display of human ingenuity in the face of the unexpected.


    ¡°They can if you teach them,¡± Blacknail grumbled. ¡°There is no point though, if they are too stupid to follow orders.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean to him,¡± Khita told Blacknail as she patted Scamp on the head. The little goblin looked smug.


    ¡°How did it get in here? We have walls and the gate is watched,¡± Avis asked.


    ¡°I snuck through a hole under the wall, it wasn¡¯t very hard,¡± Scamp explained helpfully.


    ¡°Goblins can talk?¡± Hassiol asked again. He didn¡¯t seem to realize that that question had already been answered, and his obnoxious repetition was really starting to grate on Blacknail.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a goblin this close before,¡± Joan remarked as her shock gave way to curiosity. Scamp wasn¡¯t all that intimidating for a goblin, unless you counted his smell.


    ¡°I have. A few years ago, one got its hand stuck in a hole in the side of a barrel, while it was reaching for the apples inside,¡± Avis said. ¡°The beasty caused quite the commotion right outside our window that night, so my mother grabbed a broom and went out to deal with it. She got a few good smacks in before the critter gave up on the apples, pulled its hand out, and ran off.¡±


    ¡°We should report this to Mr. Tannin,¡± Hassiol told his friends. This earned him a place on Blacknail¡¯s most annoying human list. It wasn¡¯t a long list, because people kept dropping off of it, usually in spectacularly fatal ways. Life was funny that way.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to tell anyone. Goblins probably sneak inside this village all the time, like in Avis¡¯ story. What is Tannin going to do about it?¡± Khita replied before chuckling dismissively.


    ¡°He should still know.¡±


    ¡°What, are you afraid of the little goblin? He¡¯s just a pet,¡± Khita teased him.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the blonde boy quickly replied as he blushed a bright red. He tried to stand tall and look confident but since he couldn¡¯t meet Khita¡¯s eyes he just looked insecure.


    ¡°Then a tough guy like you doesn¡¯t need to tell anyone about a harmless goblin like Scamp. This can be a small secret just between us,¡± Khita told him as she smiled suggestively. Her words actually caused Hassiol to smile back and nod, although Blacknail had no idea why. It was more than a little weird.


    ¡°I¡¯m not harmless¡­¡± Scamp muttered before Blacknail placed a gloved hand on top of his head and gave it a firm squeeze. To the others it looked like a friendly pat, but Scamp flinched and quickly shut his mouth.


    ¡°I can understand why you kept the trained goblin a secret,¡± Joan observed. ¡°A lot of people don¡¯t like the little pests and wouldn¡¯t want it wandering around.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just being stupid,¡± Avis added. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a goblin attack anything bigger than a chicken. They¡¯re not nearly as dangerous as the adults like to pretend.¡±


    ¡°Yes, completely harmless,¡± Blacknail pretended to agree as he nodded. Since the whole Scamp issue seemed settled, he turned to Joan.


    ¡°Thank you for the lesson,¡± he told her.


    ¡°It was nothing. We¡¯re all supposed to be getting along now,¡± she replied as she gave him a bright cheery smile.


    ¡°Even with the creepy faceless ranger who hangs out in the forest,¡± Avis muttered to himself. Blacknail heard him but chose to pretend he hadn¡¯t. The kid wasn¡¯t worth his time.


    Since the demonstration was complete and he had learned what he wanted to know, Blacknail spun around and left. The human settlement unnerved him. It was full of hostile humans, and unlike a larger city there weren¡¯t any abandoned places he could hide. The cloaked hobgoblin sent Scamp back to sneak out the way he had come in and then headed to the village gate. Khita said her own goodbyes and then followed him. They left the settlement and crossed the fields until they reached the forest. As soon as the greenery shielded them from any watchers at the village, Blacknail called for them to stop.


    ¡°We will wait for Scamp,¡± he announced.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s unlike you. Why are we waiting for him instead of going on ahead?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°I saw wolf tracks on the way here. There is a pack around, so no one should go out alone,¡± Blacknail replied as he scanned the forest around them. Nothing seemed out of place.


    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of some wolves?¡±


    Blacknail turned and snarled at Khita. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m just smarter than a dumb girl like you. One of the wolves smells wrong. It might be a threat.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just some dumb dogs,¡± the redhead replied defensively.


    Her response infuriated Blacknail. He didn¡¯t need to hear such nonsense from a weakling like Khita. She had no idea what she was talking about. The hobgoblin spun around and smacked her across the side of the head.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Khita cursed as she reeled away from him in surprise. One of her hands came up to rub her sore head. It hadn¡¯t been a strong blow but it had still hurt.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Enough; listen instead of talking!¡± Blacknail hissed ¡°You will not enter the forest alone until I say so. I am the leader and you are the minion. The Green is dangerous. You do not question, and you will do as I say!¡±


    ¡°Fine, sorry. I won¡¯t underestimate the danger again,¡± Khita answered.


    Her response didn¡¯t fool Blacknail. He saw a defiant gleam in her eyes and noticed that she hadn¡¯t really promised to obey his orders. Normally, he would just hit a few more times, but as tempting as that was, his hands were tied due to his promise to Gerlahd. A more delicate solution was required. Blacknail sighed and grimaced at Khita. This wasn¡¯t going to be fun.


    ¡°You did good job back in the village,¡± he admitted. It was true; somehow the redhead had actually managed to help out and not screw anything up.


    Just saying those words gave Blacknail a nasty headache, though. However, they caused Khita¡¯s eyes to shine with surprise. The young redhead straightened up and threw Blacknail a questioning glance as if she couldn¡¯t quite believe what she was hearing.


    ¡°But, you need to listen to me. If you die all the stupid people will blame me,¡± Blacknail quickly added. He didn¡¯t want Khita to misunderstand the reasons for his concern. He just didn¡¯t want her to mess anything up.


    Instead of immediately replying, Khita lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the hobgoblins waist. He tried to jerk away from her but her hug was too tight. A giigle could be heard from Khita, and a shiver of disgust went down Blacknail¡¯s spine. This was uncalled for. What did the annoying girl think she was doing?


    ¡°Thanks for caring,¡± Khita exclaimed.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Blacknail told her. If he had known this was going to happen he would have just left her to die.


    After one more friendly squeeze, Khita stepped back away from the cringing hobgoblin. Blacknail was spared having to tell her anything by the timely arrival of Scamp. The goblin scampered out of the bushes and headed their way.


    ¡°Why are you standing around?¡± he asked as he walked over.


    It took a few moments for Blacknail to warn Scamp about the wolves, but then they all headed back to the goblin lair together. Blacknail led the way along the now familiar trail. As the hobgoblin hopped on top of a tree that had fallen across the path, he caught the scent of something that put him on guard. He stiffened and quickly turned to survey his surroundings. The scent of blood was on the wind, goblin blood.


    Immediately, Blacknail snarled and drew himself up defensively. Practically anything could be watching from nearby. There were plenty of places to hide among the trees and branches overhead. The back of Blacknail¡¯s neck itched. Looking carefully, he spotted a patch of wet ground up ahead by the base of a tree. He jumped down from the log and stalked over to it. He moved cautiously, but once there he crouched down and sniffed it. It was definitely goblin blood.


    Scamp had detected the same smell. His expression was alert and he kept right behind Blacknail, where it was safest. Even Khita had realized something was wrong. She kept her mouth shut and looked slightly nervous as she followed the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail ignored them and began to sniff around the tree. A trail of blood spatters led away from the roots and towards a bush. He pushed the branches aside and found another patch of wet ground. There was also a tuff of reddish fur stuck to one of the branches, and it smelled of wolves.


    ¡°A goblin was killed here, one of mine,¡± Blacknail growled angrily as he stepped back from the bush with the fur in hand.


    He vaguely recognized the scent of the goblin. It had been from his tribe even if they hadn¡¯t interacted much. Still, a pack of wolves had entered the territory Blacknail had claimed and attacked his tribe. This could not stand. He wouldn¡¯t let it.


    ¡°Poor little thing. Was it killed by the wolves you warned me about?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail hissed as he threw the fur aside and began walking down the trail again.


    ¡°Where are you going? And what are planning to do?¡±


    ¡°Back to camp. I can do nothing now. The wolf scent is from hours ago,¡± Blacknail explained as his companions began following him again.


    It wasn¡¯t unusual for a goblin to be eaten by something like a wolf; in fact it happened all the time. However, Blacknail knew that there was more to this. He could feel it in his bones. This pack of wolves wasn¡¯t normal, and it was going to strike again, so he had to be ready for them. The hobgoblin began to think this new unwanted problem over as he headed back to his lair.


    By the time he stepped out of the forest, he realized that there wasn¡¯t much he could do. He wanted to hunt the beasts down and rip them apart with his bare claws, but that wouldn¡¯t work. He didn¡¯t have the time to try and hunt down a pack of wolves, and he could afford to lose a few goblins anyway. As the leader, his time was more valuable than their lives.


    Gob had to be informed though, so some basic precautions could be put in place. Khita and Scamp went off to do their own thing, as Blacknail walked into the clearing and passed the rocky hills until he found Gob working away at building the longhouse. The other hobgoblin had several goblins helping him out, and they had accomplished quite a lot. All the poles were up to create the building¡¯s frame, and now they were working on weaving the bark walls. Blacknail interrupted the work long enough to explain the new threat to Gob.


    ¡°If you send goblins out make sure they move in groups and have spears. I don¡¯t want to lose any useful minions,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Yes, great chieftain. I shall be careful as a clam and if I see these wolves I will kill them myself, for your glory!¡± Gob replied. The hobgoblin then bowed reverently.


    "That¡¯s not what I said. Don¡¯t try to kill the wolves yourself. You¡¯ll die,¡± Blacknail told his minion.


    ¡°As you wish, great master. I will let you have the honor of killing the beasts. They will fall before you.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly. Now that Gob was getting better at speaking he was saying some weird things. Blacknail no longer questioned the hobgoblin¡¯s loyalty, just his grasp on reality. Still, it was nice to finally be appreciated by someone.


    After dampening Gobs excitement a bit, Blacknail went right back to work on his main project, making some gods-damned bowls, so he could cook up some bloody stew. He now knew how to use clay and where to find it, so it was time to go get it.


    Blacknail quickly rounded up a few of the nearest overseers and then had them gather up a several other goblins. Blacknail led the way over to the stream at the edge of the camp, and followed it until they found a deposit of grey clay. Behind him came the goblin workers that would do the actual digging and carrying, and behind them came the overseers who watched the other goblins and used their spears to poke any of them that tried to run away or get out of work. It was an inefficient system but it worked, and best of all Blacknail could stand back give the orders without having to dirty his own hands. He didn¡¯t have to worry about all the workers and could just punish the overseers if anyone messed up.


    Soon, the work party was heading back to base. Every worker was covered from top to toes in mud and was carrying a big lump of clay. Once at the lair, the spoils were piled atop a large flat rock where they could dry in the sun. Blacknail admired the grey blobs for few minutes before getting bored and wandering off. He had been hoping it would be more exciting.


    Since it was starting to get late, Blacknail had his overseers round up a new group of cleaner goblins and put Elyias in charge of making supper. Blackail then took it easy and went back to building himself a bed. After taking a break to eat he managed to finish and get the construct made of strapped together poles moved into his cave. With some stuffing made of dried plants under his blanket it was even sort of comfy. When she came in to sleep for the night, Khita saw it and decided to make her own eventually.


    ¡°It¡¯s too bad there isn¡¯t anyone nearby I can steal a bed from,¡± she muttered as she went to sleep on the ground.


    The next morning, when Blacknail woke up he decided his next personal project would be some sort of door for his cave. There had been a bit of a draft last night. However, since he didn¡¯t have the materials for that right now he put it on hold. There were lots of other things that needed done anyway.


    The early morning sun was just peeking above the trees as Blacknail stepped outside. From his vantage point at the cave entrance he could see the various projects underway in the middle of the rocky clearing. Where empty rock had once been several drying racks stood, and the frame of the longhouse Gob was building was off to the side. In the center of everything was a pit ringed by a circle of stones where most of the cooking was done, and off by itself was another pit used to smoke meat. Two goblin guards were holding spears and watching the cave that Blacknail had made into a larder.


    The hobgoblin yawned and decided to head to the larder so he could make sure the food wasn¡¯t being stolen, and he could grab something to eat while he was there. Of course, there was some food missing but that was to be expected. The guards would keep other people out but there was no one to prevent them from stealing the food themselves. As long as they only took enough to fill their own stomachs that was fine, though.


    Once in the cave, Blacknail chowed down on some smoked rabbit meat and a large white root. It was going to be a busy day so he wanted a full stomach. Things were finally falling in place. He had gathered minions, materials, and knowledge. Now it was time to start building up the base for real. It would be hard work but Blacknail intended on creating a goblin village. The hobgoblin growled as he walked back outside, and the guards stepped back away from him. Patience was difficult but it was necessary if he ever wanted his sweet bloody vengeance. One day, Blacknail would avenge his master, no matter what it took.

 Book One is now out on Amazon!

    </a>


    </a>


    I just released myfirst ebook on Amazon</a>. I have been talking about it forever without actually doingit, but now it is done. No take backs. I''m very nervous.


    I''ve put a lot of effort into making this ebook worth buying. I hired and worked with a professional editor, and I went through a rather long process where Itried to commission the perfect cover. Even discounting the countless hours spent writing and editing, getting all this done was very expensive, especially since I had no idea what I was doing. None of it would have been possible without my lovable patrons. I am super in debt to all of you. Thank you so much.


    If you enjoy my writing then please purchase this book. It helps me out way more than just putting a few bucks in my pocket. The more people buy the book on Amazon the more it will be advertised there. That means it will be easier for new people to find, and thus I willget more sales. A big boost from you guys will really help to get the sales ball rolling. Every purchase helps, like a lot.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The other important thing to do is to review the book on Amazon</a>. Every single good review helps promote my ebook there. Reviews by verified purchasers are especially important, so if you buy the book please take a minuteto review it. I will be ever so grateful to you. It really means a lot.


    The Goblin''s Tale chronicles the first book of the web serial. The story goes from the beginning of the serial to just before the characters set out for Daggerpoint. Some changes have been made to focus the plot and I have added some new scenesas well. Compared to the web serial the book is much more professional and streamlined. I think it is worth getting even if you have already read the web serial.It might just be time to reread the beginning of the story and remember all the things you missed. That sounds like fun to me.


    I chose the current price based on other novels. The Goblin''s Tale is actually much longer than a lot of other books. It''s over 120,000 words and its price reflects that.


    You can also review the book on Goodreads</a>.I planon releasing a physical book eventually, but I''m very busy right now, so I don''t have a time frame. I''m super busy gettingall the stuff for this book launch done, and to top it off I will be moving soon. Its a good thing I own next to nothing.


    Buy the book.

 Hearts and Homes 10

    After stomping out of the larder, Blacknail shoved his volatile emotions aside and went to work. The most important thing Saeter had ever taught him had been how to control his rage and how to focus on things you didn¡¯t want to do. There was no one forcing Blacknail to do anything anymore, so he had to do it to himself. Only ruin awaited him if he forgot his master¡¯s lessons and acted out. He had to be patient and cunning, like a spider weaving a web.


    The clay was still airing out in the sun, so Blacknail headed over to the drying rack. The pelt of the deer he had slain was still stretched out on the rack. It looked ready for the next step of the tanning process, so Blacknail went off to gather some helpers. Gob was busy teaching basic tasks to goblins and disciplining the overseers so he tracked down Elyias and Khita. Both of them could be found sleeping in their respective caves. Humans usually slept-in very late for some reason.


    ¡°Do I really have to do this? Why can¡¯t you just get a blanket from Geralhd or something?¡± Elyias asked as he and Khita followed Blacknail over to the drying rack.


    ¡°Stop being lazy. You¡¯re not doing anything but sitting around,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    ¡°Because you¡¯ve basically kidnapped me and are holding me here in this gods-forsaken place against my will!¡± Elyias replied angrily.


    ¡°Exactly, you can¡¯t leave so you may as well make yourself useful.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t by mistake that Elyias had ended up stuck with Blacknail. Goblins could do simple tasks like fighting and hunting, but for some things Blacknail needed helpers with a bit more brains in their skulls. He didn¡¯t have time to teach all the goblins by himself, so he planned to teach Elyias and then have Elyias pass the knowledge on. Since Khita had interjected herself into his plans the hobgoblin planned to use her for this as well.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there something less boring I could help with?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°No, you wanted to follow me and help, so this is what you will do. Watch and learn,¡± Blacknail told her.


    The hobgoblin then proceeded to show them how to finish tanning the stretched out hide. First, he took the skin down and carefully scrapped the hair from it. Next, he took a big rock and bashed the animal''s disembodied head until its skull broke open like an egg. The brains were then scooped out, thrown in the bucket, and mixed with water until it became soup-like. The resulting goop was worked into the hide by hand.


    ¡°This is so disgusting,¡± Elyias remarked as he cringed back away from the slop in the bucket.


    ¡°Yet tasty,¡± Blacknail replied. He enthusiastically licked his fingers to prove the point.


    ¡°Can I not do this?¡± Khita asked.


    The answer was no. Blacknail needed both of them to learn to do this. There was a near endless supply of smaller hides that needed to be preserved, and he wasn¡¯t going to do it. He was the leader after all. The only reason he was working so much right now was to avoid more work later. Hopefully, once he had all his minions trained he could start napping all day while goblins brought him the best morsels of food.


    Once the hide had been thoroughly massaged with the brain oil by all of them, it was wrapped up and placed in the larder, where it would keep cool and be allowed to soak until tomorrow. It was annoying how making things the human way took so much time. There always seemed to be several steps where you had to just leave the material alone for hours or days. Why couldn¡¯t the humans have created better ways of doing this stuff? Were they just lazy?


    ¡°Are we done now?¡± Elyias asked.


    ¡°Yes. Now we can start making things from clay,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Can I at least wash my hands?¡±


    ¡°Your loss,¡± Blacknail answered as licked his fingers clean.


    Now that the clay Blacknail had procured yesterday was dry it was ready to be processed. Joan had explained the process yesterday, and it hadn¡¯t sounded that hard. The dry clay was already on top of a flat rock so the workers immediately began using smaller stones to break it up and crush it down to powder. Blacknail then gathered up the dust and ran it though the loose cloth he had been given yesterday by Joan. This removed all the small rocks and bits of plants. He had been told it was possible to use your hands and pick out the unwanted debris but that this was easier. He liked easier.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was tricked into becoming some sort of menial laborer for a hobgoblin,¡± Elyias moaned as he halfheartedly smashed the clay. ¡°Where did my life go so wrong?¡±


    ¡°If you want to continue getting free food and a warm place to sleep you will work harder,¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to life than eating and sleeping. This primitive shit is going to drive me mad.¡±


    Khita put down her own rock and threw Elyias a disdainful look before speaking up. ¡°This is the easy life compared to what I went through as a kid. The streets are a harsh place to grow up. Sure when my brother was still around and in charge things were softer than this, but that¡¯s life. The gods raise us up and knock us down, but that works both ways. I¡¯m here because I expect this horse to catch its stride and start going places soon.¡±


    ¡°Just because I had proper parents doesn¡¯t mean my life was a piece of pie,¡± Elyias replied defensively. ¡°My family wasn¡¯t rich, and I¡¯m the third son so even before the draft I had to head out and find my own way in life. I got nothing I didn¡¯t earn myself.¡±


    ¡°I used to fight rats that were bigger than me for garbage to eat,¡± Blacknail told them. He had seen a few human street children before and they really didn¡¯t have it that bad. Goblins usually had it much worse.


    Elyias grumbled to himself but went back to work without another complaint. Blacknail added water to the clay powder until it became a malleable blob that kept its shape.


    ¡°Huh, Joan was right. This is pretty fun,¡± Khita remarked as she took a blob and began to shape it into a bowl.


    Blacknail and Elyias were both doing the same thing. They soon had a dozen crude bowls ready to be fired.


    ¡°Now for the fire!¡± Blacknail said as he admired his creations.


    ¡°Yes, the fire!¡± a raspy voice agreed.


    What? Blacknail glanced over his shoulder to see who had just spoken. He was quickly treated to the sight of a pale goblin with a huge smile plastered on his face. It was Ferrar.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked. How did these stupid goblins keep sneaking up on him?


    ¡°I¡¯m watching,¡± Ferrar replied as he smiled at Khita and Elyias. Blacknail had already known that, so the goblin¡¯s vague answer annoyed him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Imp? You two creeps are always together.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s sleeping.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like him,¡± Blacknail remarked. Imp always seemed to be up and about somewhere.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Things change.¡±


    The vague words sounded vaguely threatening, but Blacknail decided it had to be unintentional. There was no way the feral goblin knew the language all that well. Blacknail was frankly surprised he could speak at all since he was originally from this territory. Imp must have taught him.


    ¡°Fine, stay and watch. You will like this part.¡±


    Earlier, the hobgoblin had ordered some goblins to dig a pit and gather wood and tinder. Now it was time to finish up this experiment. Blacknail, Khita, and Elyias each grabbed two bowls and placed them in the middle of the pit. Blacknail then carefully arranged a ring of firewood around the clay items. After adding a bit of tinder, he used his flint and steel to set it all ablaze.


    When the wood was completely ignited and several minutes had passed, Blacknail carefully added more wood. Over the next half hour, he kept building the fire closer and closer to the bowls until the flames touched the items. That was when he placed a large pile of wood right on top of the clay and created one huge bonfire. By this time the waves of heat thrown off of the blaze was causing him to sweat profusely.


    Now that the fire was burning steadily, Blacknail didn¡¯t feel the need to stick around. Someone needed to watch it, though, and he had other things for Khita and Elyias to do. That left only one option, Ferrar. Normally Blacknail wouldn¡¯t trust a goblin to pay attention that long, but Ferrar seemed to spend most his time around fire.


    ¡°Keep this going for at least three hours and then let it cool down during the night,¡± Blacknail told the goblin.


    ¡°Burn things made in fire!¡± Ferrar responded excitedly. The goblin then ran over to the pile of firewood and threw another log on bonfire.


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Blacknail grunted. He would come back later and make sure everything was alright.


    After working so hard, they all went to the larder to grab some food. Once they had filled their stomachs, Blacknail had Khita and Elyias start to teach groups of goblins how to tan and preserve animal skins. They didn¡¯t have any more deer pelts but they did have a near endless supply of rabbits from the traps the goblins were putting out.


    While the others were doing that, Blacknail took another group of goblins and overseers out to gather more clay. They would need quite a lot more of the grey ooze to start mass-producing bowls and other useful items.


    Everyone worked hard teaching and gathering materials until it got dark. Blacknail then once again threw a huge feast using the food the goblins had brought in and stored in the larder. As the chattering masses of goblins rushed over to eat, Blacknail counted quite a few new faces. More goblins were either coming out of hiding or were wandering out of the forest and joining the tribe. There were now at least sixty goblins living in Blacknail¡¯s outpost. Sixteen of those were trained overseers that would actually obey orders. Weirdly, both Scamp and Imp didn¡¯t show up, but Blacknail didn¡¯t think too much of it. Maybe one of Imp''s magic stones had finally exploded and killed them.


    The next morning, Blacknail woke up early and walked over to the smoldering remains of the bonfire he had put his clay bowls in. Khita and Elyias followed him, and Ferrar invited himself along. When they got there, all that was left was a pit full of black charcoal and white ash. Blacknail reached in and started rummaging through the ash to find the bowls.


    ¡°You might want to use a stick or something. That could be hot,¡± Khita remarked as Blacknail yelped and withdrew his hand.


    ¡°Say it faster next time,¡± Blacknail hissed sourly as he sucked his sore thumb. Khita was so useless and annoying. It was infuriating.


    Further digging using a stick unearthed the clay bowls. Five of the nine had survived the firing intact and were now an earthy brown color. Their uneven and crude shapes were none-the-less functional. The other four had split in half or shattered into fragments and were thus completely unusable.


    ¡°These three are mine! They all worked,¡± Blacknail proudly congratulated himself as he selected three of the intact bowls at random. He was a master craftsman.


    ¡°That one has my fingerprint on it,¡± Khita pointed out.


    ¡°I meant this one,¡± Blacknail replied as he quickly switched the bowl with another successful one.


    No one said anything, but the humans both rolled their eyes. Blacknail didn¡¯t care what they thought. They were just jealous of his obviously superior skill.


    Since the experiment in making clay had mostly worked, Blacknail got goblins working on producing more. He needed a lot more than five bowls. Groups of goblins were sent out to gather clay, process it, and to dig the firing pits. Elyias was put in charge of the overseers and Ferrar volunteered to help him burn things.


    That left Blacknail and Khita free to finish up the tanning of the deer hide. They took the hide out of the cool larder, cleaned it a bit, stretched it out between them by hand, and then softened the hide by hitting it with a stick. An odd surge of bittersweet emotions welled up in Blacknail as he worked with Khita. He could clearly remember doing this with Saeter, although the stretching part had been more respectful and less like a game of tug a war, which Blacknail had easily beaten Khita at.


    Once the hide was soft enough it was ready to be smoked. Blacknail sewed up the tears in the hide and placed it above the fire using a rack made of sticks. He threw green wood on the coals to produce lots of thick smoke. He smoked both sides for an hour each before taking it down from the rack and holding it up proudly.


    ¡°It¡¯s done! Aren¡¯t I great at hunting and making useful things!¡± Blacknail bragged.


    ¡°What are you going to use it for?¡± Khita asked dryly. She made no comment about the hobgoblin¡¯s own question.


    ¡°I want to hang it at the cave door to keep the warmth in.¡±


    ¡°You already have blankets. You should give it to Gob.¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s mine, I caught it.¡±


    ¡°Gob has really done a lot¡­¡± Khita started to say before Blacknail cut her off.


    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯m the leader. I want this. It¡¯s neat,¡± he told her as he walked off to hang up his new trophy. Who cared what Khita thought?


    After admiring his work, the hobgoblin helped the goblins processing the clay when they ran into a problem. They only had the one cloth to sort the dust and it was already wearing down. Blacknail consulted with Gob and together they came up with the idea of using the soft fibers under all the bark Gob had collected to weave a mesh of their own. It took a lot of time to make the cloth, but Blacknail didn¡¯t trust the goblins to sort anything properly by hand. They were too lazy and stupid.


    The clearing full of rocky hills that the goblins used as a base was now constantly humming with activity. Groups of goblins were always walking around and working at different things. There were gatherers and trappers bringing back food and materials. Overseers were watching over the food. Several goblins were putting hides and meat up on the drying rack. Gob and a few helpers were almost done building the longhouse. Other goblins were firing clay or chipping stones to make tools. Blacknail had just lain down to rest for a bit in the sun, when Elyias showed up and started bothering him.


    ¡°It¡¯s Scamp. He is sick or something!¡± the man told him.


    ¡°So what?¡± Blacknail replied grumpily. The heat from the sunlight was pleasant and he didn¡¯t want to move.


    ¡°He could die!¡±


    ¡°More food for everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Um, it might be contagious?¡±


    The little nuisance had been very quiet lately. With a sigh, Blacknail got up and followed Elyias over to the cave he shared with Scamp. It was smaller and mustier than Blacknail¡¯s. It was little more than a rocky overhang with three walls and a large open entrance, but that probably suited Elyias fine since humans didn¡¯t see well in the dark. Scamp was entangled in a dirty blanket and sleeping against the back wall.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Blacknail asked as peered at the goblin.


    ¡°Nothing! He hasn¡¯t moved all day. At first I thought he was just being lazy but it¡¯s clearly more than that.¡±


    Feeling suddenly uneasy, Blacknail walked to the goblin¡¯s side and looked down. He scowled at what he saw, and then he kicked Scamp in the ribs. There was a solid thud noise but the goblin didn¡¯t react. Blacknail kicked him again.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Elyias asked. He sounded alarmed by the sudden violence.


    ¡°Working out my frustration.¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t done anything wrong. He¡¯s sick.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not sick. Scamp¡¯s sleeping because he¡¯s turning into a hobgoblin. Look, he¡¯s got tiny little horns,¡± Blacknail hissed angrily. There was indeed a pair of horn tips growing from the goblin¡¯s head.


    The entire point of building up the goblin lair and disciplining the local goblins had been to create hobgoblins. However, Scamp wasn¡¯t the type of goblin Blacknail had wanted to transform. He would probably just become even more useless and eat more, a lot more.


    ¡°So, he will wake up soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, in a day or two,¡± Blacknail answered before suddenly freezing.


    He had just had a terrible thought. Imp had been awfully quiet lately. In fact, he had disappeared at the same time as Scamp. Blacknail immediately dashed out of the cave. He had no idea where Imp usually slept so he quickly tracked down Ferrar. The goblin was busy shaping clay to throw in the fire.


    ¡°Has Imp been sleeping all day?¡± Blacknail asked Ferrar. The goblin considered the question for several seconds before nodding in the affirmative. Blacknail resisted the urge to choke him to death.


    ¡°Things change. Goblins change,¡± Ferrar answered as he squished a clump of wet clay between his fingers.


    This news didn¡¯t sit well with Blacknail. He hadn¡¯t been expecting hobgoblins to appear yet, and Imp wouldn¡¯t have been one of his first choices anyway. He was smart but creepy, and Blacknail didn¡¯t like having powerful unpredictable minions. He wanted nice followers that were easy to control. However, a hobgoblin version of Imp would probably prove smart enough to be useful¡­


    Wait, he was missing the main point. Having a pair of newly changed hobgoblins running around the camp unsupervised was a terrible idea. Having a new hobgoblin running around with a backpack full of magical explosives was worse. Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. He needed a plan, one that would allow him to keep the new hobgoblins out of trouble - and most importantly - keep himself in charge. Things were going to become interesting when Scamp and Imp woke up.

 Interlude: Stuck in a Rut

    ¡°And that¡¯s how you milk a goat,¡± Tannin announced as he stepped back away from the animal. There was a satisfied look on the old man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Fascinating, I feel enlightened by your succinct yet thorough explanation of this wonderful natural process,¡± Gerahld replied from a few feet away. He was smiling in a way that looked very forced and unnatural, almost as if he was being sarcastic.


    Both of the men were standing in a large dirty shed. Piles of hay littered the floor and there were several goats wandering around. The grey beasts were mostly ignoring the humans. They all seemed focused on chewing things, although Geralhd had no idea what. He hadn¡¯t seen any of them eat anything.


    ¡°I may not be a scholar of any sort but I know what sarcasm is,¡± Tannin answered dryly.


    Gerahld coughed and made an effort to reply in a more polite and respectful tone. ¡°It would be unfair to hold your circumstances of birth against you. You seem like a very wise man to me.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t born in this village, young man. You¡¯re just digging yourself deeper. Like you, I stumbled upon it and then eventually decided to take up residence,¡± Tannin explained as he walked out of the shed.


    He immediately looked up at the sky. It was a cloudy morning outside but it didn¡¯t look like it was going to rain. The white clouds were slowly but steadily being dragged across the sky by a lofty wind that was barely touching the land below.


    ¡°No one in my group is settling down quite yet. We¡¯ve merely been forced into taking a temporary reprieve from the road,¡± Geralhd replied as he followed the older man out.


    ¡°Your speech sure has grown fancier since you got here. I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°I had different priorities during the adventure that led me to your door. Sleeping indoors and proper meals also agree with me, but I will be leaving when the time is right.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well, when I first arrived. It didn¡¯t last.¡± Tannin said as he headed down the main road towards the center of the village. ¡°Your bunch has the look of people with nowhere else to go. I can tell you¡¯ve got demons on your tail that you can¡¯t outrun. Finding somewhere to lay low is probably your best bet and there¡¯s nowhere better for that than here.¡±


    ¡°You sound like you¡¯re speaking from experience. Why did you settle down here?¡±


    ¡°The people were halfway decent when I got to know them, and no one here ever tried to tax me or declare themselves my better by virtue of their blue blood.¡±


    ¡°I can appreciate that sentiment, but what were you running from exactly?¡±


    ¡°Trying to pry into my past, eh? That¡¯s alright; it¡¯s ancient history. I was accused of being a thief by a noble and had to disappear. My father was a carpenter and the noble didn¡¯t want to pay him what his work was worth. Or at least that was what I told my wife. The truth may be more complicated,¡± Tannin explained as he gave Geralhd a conspiratorial wink.


    The young man smiled awkwardly in return and then looked away. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s quite similar to another tale I¡¯ve heard. A woman I once knew was in a similar situation.¡±


    Tannin ignored the sad look that appeared on Geralhd¡¯s face and kept talking. ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me, but let¡¯s speak about something more relevant to the here and now. Did your education happen to include anything useful? The other members of your group have been helping out with farm work or heavy labor, but you haven¡¯t been contributing much, and you didn¡¯t seem to be paying much attention when I was showing you how to milk that goat. Maybe you know medicine or some sort of trade perhaps?¡±


    ¡°I learned nothing even remotely that pedestrian. My tutors taught me the higher fields of study such as philosophy and math.¡±


    ¡°Well, if I need someone to count the local chickens I will come find you,¡± Tannin huffed.


    ¡°Not that I don¡¯t appreciate your generosity, but you¡¯re being awfully welcoming to me and my friends.¡±


    ¡°Bah, you¡¯re a young and healthy bunch. That¡¯s the kind of blood that we need around here. There a few young widows that have been giving you a few sideways glances.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I¡¯m sure there are, but I¡¯m personally not in the least interested in settling down. This place doesn¡¯t quite offer the lifestyle I crave, or any other sort of style, really.¡±


    ¡°Give it time. It¡¯ll wear you down.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put money on that. I¡¯m not the village living type. One way or another I¡¯m going to be headed back to society,¡± Geralhd said. He spoke in a stubborn tone that was as much for his own benefit as anyone else¡¯s. He much preferred the finer things in life over the simpler parts. They tended to smell better for one thing.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    The pair was passing by another shed when something caught Tannin¡¯s eye. He turned and scowled at the base of the building. Geralhd followed his glance. Something had dug up under the wall and into the shed. The bottom of the wooden siding had been torn up as well and straw from inside had been dragged out.


    ¡°Gods damn it,¡± Tannin cursed.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little hole,¡± Geralhd replied calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the third mess I¡¯ve seen this morning alone. People keep reporting small thefts and pests getting into their supplies. We don¡¯t have the resources for this type of nonsense. We need everything we have for when winter comes.¡±


    ¡°Is something causing this? What do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°Goblins. You can see the prints in the dirt there,¡± Tannin answered angrily as he pointed towards the hole in the wall. ¡°The green pests get into everything, but it¡¯s not usually this bad. A pack of the damned thieves must have denned-up somewhere nearby.¡±


    A surprised cough escaped from Geralhd¡¯s mouth and he turned away to hide his guilty expression. He had a fairly good idea what, or who, was causing Tannin¡¯s problems. It was probably the goblins that had come with Blacknail. Geralhd wasn¡¯t surprised that they were making trouble, although he had been hoping Blacknail would keep them under control. At least they were only stealing small things and food, and not something that would really anger the villagers, like children.


    ¡°Huh, weird. I have absolutely no idea what could be causing that sort of phenomenon, none what so ever. It must be just one of those weird little things in life that can¡¯t be explained,¡± he said aloud.


    Something in Geralhd¡¯s voice drew Tannin¡¯s attention, because he threw the man a suspicious look. After a second, he just grunted and looked back at the shed, though.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll let you go. I¡¯ve got to deal with this mess, among other things, and I know you¡¯ve got your own things to do,¡± he said.


    ¡°Very true. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Geralhd replied as he started to hurry away. There was no point sticking around and Tannin was a little too perceptive.


    Without looking back, Geralhd headed down the dusty dirt road that ran through the village and towards the homes that had been lent to the bandits. He soon reached his destination and stepped inside. It was a small house that looked worn down. Immediately, he was confronted with the sight of several people seated around a wooden table. They were all former members of Herad¡¯s band, and they looked his way as he walked over to them.


    ¡°There you are. We were waiting for you. What took you so long?¡± one of the bandits asked. He was a blonde man with a sly smile.


    ¡°I was speaking to Master Tannin. He wanted to talk to me after he finished trying to get me interested in animal husbandry,¡± Geralhd answered with a shrug.


    ¡°About what?¡± a woman asked suspiciously.


    ¡°I think he was fishing to see what our plans were and whether we are going to stick around.¡±


    ¡°Then he knows about as much as we do, nothing. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here to discuss. So let¡¯s get to it,¡± the blonde man said. ¡°I for one have had enough of this place. They have me helping with the planting. I don¡¯t plan on settling down to become a dirt farmer. I became a bandit for a reason.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re talking about getting work parties to cut the bush back at the edge of the clearing. That¡¯ll be hard work and dangerous,¡± a tall bearded bandit agreed. ¡°On top of the falling trees you have to worry about pissing off a mimic or just ending up in a hungry beast¡¯s gullet. It¡¯s no wonder they have lost some of their people and are looking to replace them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really any more dangerous than serving under Herad. That wasn¡¯t exactly safe. In fact, it was probably much less survivable, especially at the end there,¡± the woman countered.


    ¡°Maybe, but it paid a lot bloody more, as in more than nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s far from perfect here, but it¡¯s much better than anywhere else I¡¯ve seen since leaving my family farm with a press gang right behind me,¡± a shorter bandit interjected. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind settling down here. There is a young widow that fancies me.¡±


    ¡°You should marry her. That sounds like a great way to waste away to nothing out here in the middle of nowhere,¡± Geralhd replied sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m getting out of this pit the first chance I get.¡±


    ¡°Which brings us to the main point. Can we come up with a realistic plan to leave?¡± the bearded bandit told everyone. ¡°We¡¯re stuck here with no money, shabby equipment, and a horde of enemies laying in wait for us out there. I¡¯m also worried about our guide going native if we leave him out there too long. He¡¯s a hobgoblin so who knows what¡¯s going through his head. Without human contact he might go feral and disappear on us. Then we will really be stuck.¡±


    ¡°Should we just leave right away and risk it all on the road? If we wait it doesn¡¯t seem like that will improve our odds any,¡± the blonde bandit asked.


    ¡°I hate it here, but that trek through the woods sounds like suicide to me. Count me out,¡± the bearded bandit interjected stubbornly.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re over exaggerating the risk. Werrick has no reason to spend so much effort chasing a few survivors like us, and once we get back to civilization we can earn some coin easily enough, Beardy,¡± another bandit laughed.


    ¡°My name is Ralph Livistanius, and I take great pride in my family lineage. If you use that bloody nickname again I¡¯ll knock your teeth out of your skull. The hobgoblin may get away with calling me what he wants, but you¡¯re not him,¡± the bearded man replied angrily. His face was red as he rose up from his chair.


    ¡°Alright, settle down. Let¡¯s stay on topic. No one else here wants to listen to you argue about nicknames,¡± Geralhd told them. ¡°Now, it doesn¡¯t seem like a good idea to leave right away. I want out of here more than anyone. The thought of never again enjoying a good vintage of wine crushes my soul into nothingness, but we need to wait until we can gather some equipment and supplies at least.¡±


    ¡°What about the hobgoblin? What if he disappears?¡±


    ¡°Blacknail¡¯s got Khita with him, and I have a hard time seeing him going feral,¡± Geralhd explained. ¡°He¡¯s too intelligent for that and he enjoys his little comforts as much as any of us, if not more. He certainly whines a lot if he runs out of cheese. No, I¡¯m more worried about him getting bored and causing a ruckus here. Blacknail will be fine in the forest, where he is safely out of the way. How much trouble can he get into out in the bush?¡±

 It Echoes Onward 1

    As Imp and Scamp slumbered and grew, Blacknail was hard at work. As the leader of the goblin tribe he had many important duties that he couldn¡¯t ignore, like yelling at random goblins and glaring at everyone that tried to talk to him. Usually, when someone approached him they wanted him to do something annoying or answer a question he didn¡¯t actually know anything about. Making up answers that satisfied his minions was a pain so Blacknail went out of his way to discourage such behavior. The goblins could figure out how to make tools and build stuff on their own now, or they could ask Gob. It wasn¡¯t his job to help others; he was leader.


    There were also more important things that Blacknail had to concentrate on, like eating, and preparing for the hobgoblins¡¯ awakening. Someone had to focus on the big picture, someone intelligent and resourceful. Hobgoblins were dangerous and Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to let them wander off or sleep unattended. Under his orders, the two sleeping goblins were moved into secure cages made from lashed together stakes. The cages would remain sealed until Blacknail could appraise the new hobgoblins and make sure they could be trained to obey orders. He had no use for them if they were unruly.


    Hobgoblins made Blacknail uneasy. They were untrustworthy, and Blacknail was an expert on the subject because he was one. He knew exactly how twisted and dark their minds were. Gob wasn¡¯t so bad and he had proven his loyalty, but Blacknail¡¯s gut told him that Gob was a weirdo and that other hobgoblins would be much more difficult to deal with. As a young goblin, Gob must have fallen and hit his head against a rock or something.


    Two days passed while Scamp and Imp slept and changed, and the goblin lair continued to develop. As more and more hides were tanned, the previously naked goblins began to wear fur and hide clothes which they decorated with feathers and trinkets. They also began carrying more stone tools such as spears and axes. Most significantly of all, Gob completed his longhouse. Dozens of goblins now slept inside the long dark building. It was far more comfortable than a cave and all the body heat warmed it at night. It didn¡¯t smell great, though.


    Ferrar had become obsessed with making clay bowls. He had a group of overseers forcing goblins to constantly bring him materials and refine it for him, and that suited Blacknail just fine. The goblin himself spent all day building and experimenting with different types of firing pits and shapes of bowls. His eyebrows grew singed from constantly standing next to the flames, but his efforts weren¡¯t wasted. Dozens of crude clay bowls were now stacked up in the larder, where they wouldn¡¯t be stolen or broken by curious goblins. There were even a few large pots meant for cooking. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure whose idea those had been, but it had been a good one. He would have to take credit for it.


    The sun was just reaching its noonday peak on the third day, as Blacknail was sitting down by the cooking fire to make himself some lunch. Most of the camp ran fine without him now anyway. He was just about to start cooking the mix of meat and veggies he had cut up, when Elyias ran up next to him.


    ¡°Scamp is awake,¡± the man explained breathlessly.


    Blacknail eyed his uncooked meal carefully for a few seconds before responding. It was tempting to let Scamp wait, but he decided he didn¡¯t want to deal with this situation on a full stomach. That could get unpleasant.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go,¡± Blacknail muttered as he put his frying pan down on a rock. It was unlikely any goblin would be brave or suicidal enough to steal it.


    The pair quickly walked over to the cages, which were right beside each other. Inside the one on the left there was movement. A tall shape slowly withdrew from the bars, as if it was trying to pretend hadn¡¯t just been chewing on them. Blacknail wasn¡¯t fooled, though. He was very observant and there were teeth marks clearly visible on the bars.


    ¡°Go get Gob,¡± Blacknail told Elyias.


    Without another word, the human went off to do as he had been told. Blacknail focused on the cage¡¯s occupant. The new hobgoblin inside was thin and gangly. His ribs were exposed by his thin flesh that lacked any sort of fat. Although, Blacknail could still recognize him, Scamp¡¯s face had changed a lot. It had grown longer and less chubby looking. However, Scamp still had soft round eyes that made him seem almost friendly instead of vicious. It made Blacknail want to punch his dumb face.


    Also, Scamp had always had a bit of messy black hair on his head, but now it looked like both the length of his hair and the area covered by it had grown out quite a bit over the past few days. The result was a mess of hair with patches of different lengths. Blacknail was glad he was naturally bald. Having hair seemed like a pointless inconvenience.


    Pulling out his knife, Blacknail cut the cord holding one of the cage¡¯s vertical bars in place. It fell away and opened up a space wide enough for a hobgoblin to step through. Blacknail took a step back out of the way, so Scamp cautiously stepped out of the cage.


    The two hobgoblins faced each other. Blacknail kept his face neutral, but Scamp was clearly dealing with a confusing mix of emotions. He fidgeted and had difficulty meeting Blacknail¡¯s eyes, like he was uncomfortable in his own skin. Neither of them said anything for a few moments, until Scamp broke the silence.


    ¡°Hey there, Blacknail. How¡¯s it going?¡± he asked as he shifted his weight awkwardly.


    That was when Blacknail punched him right in the face. Scamp squeaked as his nose was flattened against his face, and he fell over backward. The blow had taken him completely by surprise.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you should call me,¡± Blacknail hissed as he leaned over to stare menacingly into Scamp¡¯s eyes. There hadn¡¯t been nearly enough fear there before, but that could be fixed easily enough by gratuitous violence.


    ¡°Sorry, boss!¡± Scamp whined as he cowered on the ground in front of Blacknail.


    ¡°Who is your boss?¡±


    ¡°You are!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to do everything I tell you? And obey my every order?¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± Blacknail growled as he lunged forward, grabbed Scamp by the throat, and pinned him against the ground.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t then I will rip your neck open!¡± Blacknail growled as he squeezed. ¡°Remember this, you puny wimp. If you try and run away I will hunt you like prey and gut you while you scream. Fleeing through the forest won¡¯t save you from me.¡±


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t messing around and his tone of voice made that clear. He sounded more like an enraged beast than a thinking being. Hobgoblin minions were an important part of Blacknail¡¯s plan, but that didn¡¯t mean he had to like them. If there were going to be other hobgoblins around then they were going to have two choices: submit completely or be torn apart. Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to take as much as a single insubordinate look from another hobgoblin. He was the leader and it was going to stay that way. Challengers would be put down.


    ¡°Up, stand up,¡± Blacknail ordered Scamp after letting him go and stepping back.


    The new hobgoblin rushed to obey and hurriedly climbed to his feet. Even standing, Scamp kept cowering in fear. Before Blacknail could give him another command someone else spoke up.


    ¡°Can you let me out too, great leader?¡± a familiar yet odd voice asked.


    A twinge of irritation went through Blacknail. He turned towards the source of the voice and saw a figure stand up in the other cell. It was Imp. He was awake, and he had changed a lot. The goblin¡¯s form had been stretched out into that of a hobgoblin. His long nose was pointier than Scamp¡¯s but it was his eyes that stood out the most. They were narrower with red irises that shone with intelligence. He looked very different from Scamp.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I promise to obey,¡± Imp remarked as he waited by the bars. He seemed perfectly respectful and in control of himself.


    Blacknail considered his options. He didn¡¯t feel like letting Imp out, but it was actually convenient for him to deal with both the hobgoblins at the same time. Blacknail got his knife out and opened up the cage. When Imp stepped out, Blacknail punched him in the face. There was a loud crack.


    ¡°Ow, why did you do that?¡± Imp asked as he held his bleeding nose. He had fallen onto his ass from the impact.


    ¡°Because I could. Now get up,¡± Blacknail hissed in answer. He hadn¡¯t believed Imp was actually planning on being obedient for even a second. Even as a goblin he had been creepily good at hiding his thoughts, so Blacknail was just going to assume he was untrustworthy and keep hitting him.


    Imp climbed to his feet and walked up next to Scamp. There was now a rebellious spark in his eyes that hadn¡¯t been there before, and that cheered Blacknail up greatly. Now he could look forward to beating it out of him. Both Scamp and Imp glared at Blacknail as Gob and Elyias arrived.


    Like Blacknail, Gob was taller and more heavily built than Scamp and Imp. However, both the newly transformed hobgoblins would quickly put on weight and grow a bit once they started eating.


    ¡°Our numbers grow,¡± Gob exclaimed happily. He eyed both the new hobgoblins with a mix of excitement and suspicion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill either of them without permission,¡± Blacknail replied absently. That would be inconvenient.


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Gob said as he sheathed the dagger he had just drawn a second ago.


    ¡°You can hit them a lot, though. Discipline must be beaten into them,¡± Blacknail added.


    He remembered how he had felt after becoming a hobgoblin. His paranoia and blood thirst had been difficult to suppress. He never would have managed it without his lost master. Even now, Blacknail could sense resentment and rebelliousness from Imp and Scamp.


    ¡°Both of you must do as Gob says. His words are mine,¡± Blacknail told Scamp and Imp. He glared at them until they reluctantly nodded back.


    ¡°I shall teach them proper respect, mighty leader,¡± Gob responded eagerly. ¡°They won¡¯t dare question you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I ask,¡± Blacknail said as he nodded happily. Gob really understood him.


    Just then, Scamp¡¯s stomach grumbled loudly. Blacknail turned and gave the hobgoblin an appraising look. He should probably let the new hobgoblins eat something now. They looked really hungry, and they hadn¡¯t eaten in days.


    ¡°You have my permission to go get some food. When you are done you will be given chores. If you try and run away I will hunt you down and carve out your hearts,¡± Blacknail told the two hobgoblins. It was important they knew the consequences of misbehavior.


    ¡°What if we both run in opposite directions?¡± Scamp asked.


    Blacknail scowled at him and considered the question. Imp took a step away from Scamp.


    ¡°Why are you asking?¡± Blacknail inquired. He was surprised by the question. It was a stupid thing to ask, even for Scamp.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°If you both run then I will send Gob after one of you,¡± Blacknail answered.


    Scamp glanced at Gob out of the corner of his eyes, as if he was weighing his chances. Gob sighed, stepped forward, and punched Scamp in the gut. The new hobgoblin gasped and fell to his knees. Blacknail watched and nodded approvingly. This was a successful learning moment.


    ¡°You are weak and I am strong. Do as our great master commands or suffer and die,¡± Gob hissed as he glared down at Scamp.


    ¡°Alright, fine. I will do everything you say.¡± Scamp replied after a few moments of painful sounding wheezing.


    ¡°Yes, me too. I live to obey,¡± Imp quickly added as Gob turned his way.


    It seemed like they were under control for now, so Blacknail dismissed them. Imp and Scamp quickly retreated towards the larder.


    ¡°That went well,¡± Blacknail told Gob. The other mature hobgoblin nodded in agreement, not because he agreed, but so he didn¡¯t get punched in the face by his chieftain.


    Yep, everything looked in order. Now Blacknail just had to wait for Scamp and Imp¡¯s inevitable attempt to kill him. There was no way both of them wouldn¡¯t try it at least once. Scamp¡¯s attempt would probably be pathetic and easily thwarted, but it was a good thing Blacknail had confiscated Imp¡¯s bag. Magic explosive rocks would really have messed up Blacknail¡¯s plan to survive with all his limbs intact. Killing Werrick would be difficult with only one leg.


    Gob and Blacknail took a few minutes to discuss their plans as they waited for the new hobgoblins to finish eating. They could see the larder entrance from where they were standing and Blacknail kept an eye on it in case one of the hobgoblins tried to slip away. You couldn¡¯t be too careful around the untrustworthy freaks.


    Saeter had beaten discipline into Blacknail by teaching him swordsmanship. Only when it became very clear to Blacknail that his attempts to fight back were utterly futile and that his rage was weakening him had Blacknail began to learn to control himself. There was no reason to change a system that worked.


    Blacknail was planning on personally training the other hobgoblins the same way. In preparation, he had already gone back to Shelter and acquired some wooden training blades. He had also taken the time to teach Gob the basics of sword fighting so that he had a head start on the other hobgoblins.


    Imp and Scamp walked back out of the larder cave with a pile of food. They didn¡¯t bother cooking any of it but instead immediately sat down and began eating. They shoved smoked meat and roots in their mouth as they sat on a pair of large grey rocks. When they were done Blacknail walked over. It was time to get them to work. They had to get used to following his orders.


    Scamp was sent to help Gob build tools. Blacknail decided to oversee Imp himself. Imp was definitely the more dangerous of the two and Blacknail wanted to keep an eye on him. He led the hobgoblin over to where a mob of goblins was working on firing some clay. Ferrar was there leading the effort with the special enthusiasm he always showed when things near him were on fire. The goblin gibbered and pranced around the flames with his arms above his head.


    The goblins stirred uneasily as Imp approached them. They threw careful glances between him and Blacknail. Some of the goblins seemed to expect a fight to break out at any second, and they weren¡¯t wrong in thinking that. However, Ferrar immediately left the firing pits and approached the hobgoblins.


    ¡°Show Imp how to make pots,¡± Blacknail told the goblin. He was too lazy to do it himself.


    Ferrar nodded at Blacknail and then exchanged a few squeaks and grunts with Imp. The goblin then led the hobgoblin over to the big flat rock where the clay was being strained. Imp followed him and studied everything with obvious interest. The pair quickly got to work.


    That was exactly what Blacknail had wanted them to do, but he was still very annoyed. What kind of hobgoblin meekly took orders from a mere goblin! Why wasn¡¯t Imp being more aggressive? This was no fun. He had been expecting to have to scream at Imp repeatedly to get anything done, but it was looking like he wasn¡¯t going to have to do anything. With a sigh, Blacknail walked over to a nearby rock and laid down on top of it. At least it was a nice sunny day and the light was warm on his skin.


    With Ferrar¡¯s help, Imp began building a series of large pots. He seemed rather excited about it actually. From atop the rock he was resting on, Blacknail occasionally yelled things at them, but his heart wasn¡¯t in it.


    Eventually, it began to get dark and Blacknail got bored. It didn¡¯t seem like the hobgoblin was going to misbehave so Blacknail had something much more important that he needed to do. He was going to throw a feast and finally cook up some stew. It would be a huge event in celebration of the two hobgoblins waking up, but mostly it would be about how amazing Blacknail was. They also finally had enough bowls to serve most of the goblins. Blacknail couldn¡¯t wait. He was going to make the best stew ever, and everyone would know how great he was at everything. He had been the one to teach the tribe to hunt, fire clay, and to cook. He was also a really nice person.


    The food for the feast had already been gathered by the goblins and was sitting in the larder. Blacknail sent out minions to gather the ingredients he needed and to drag the big iron pot over. It had gone unused until now. Once the pot was propped up above the fire, Blacknail threw the ingredients in and started the fire below it.


    Soon, the stew was bubbling away and steam was rising up into the air. The smell attracted curious goblins who wandered over to see what was going on. Blacknail smiled to himself. His creation was almost done. Now, he just had to start handing out the bowls and then he would finally get to show everyone how great his stew was. Everything he cooked was tasty, especially his stew, and this batch in particular was turning out great. It had a nice spicy taste, which was probably from the purple leaves he had thrown in. He had never seen leaves like that before, but they had certainly looked tasty.


    Suddenly, an eerie howl echoed out across the hills. It had come from out in the forest. Blacknail kept on stirring. It was probably nothing. Another louder howl rose up into the air. The goblins near Blacknail began to look nervous and started mumbling among themselves. Blacknail thought they were being jumpy cowards. It was probably nothing.


    A terrified shriek suddenly erupted from somewhere near the edge of the hills. It was quickly followed by dozens of shrill goblin screams and beastly growls. That was probably something. Blacknail looked up and scanned the hills. It sounded like a mob of panicked goblins was headed his way, and judging from the growling, something hungry was chasing them.


    Blacknail let out a deep breath. Of course, this was going to happen now, just as he was finishing up his cooking.

 It Echoes Onward 2

    Blacknail stepped away from the pot of stew he had been cooking and drew his sword. The late afternoon sky overhead was dark and cloudy. The wind was still and quiet, but that only created an expectant atmosphere that filled Blacknail with unease and amplified the other noises. It sounded like the goblins¡¯ base was under attack. Blacknail could hear howling and screams, and neither of those sounds usually meant anything good. Feeling concerned, Blacknail peered over the heads of the nearby mob of goblins, towards the rocky hills beyond them. It was good thing they were so short.


    Across the clearing, three goblins ran out from behind a hill as if something dreadful was chasing them, because something was. There was a vicious snarl and a grey blur burst into sight. It tackled one of the goblins to the ground. The green critter screamed in pain and struggled to escape its attacker. Long jaws descended and there was a crunching noise as it bit down. The goblin was being mauled by a large grey wolf. It looked like it hurt.


    One wolf wasn¡¯t much of a threat to Blacknail, but there were probably more around. Wolves were cowards like that. Blacknail felt fury start to bubble up from within him. How dare this animal enter his territory with such impunity. It was an insult! Blacknail snarled and lunged forward toward the wolf. He was going to cut the mangy beast to pieces and eat it! He didn¡¯t care how bad it tasted.


    The nearby goblins reacted at the same time as their leader, and immediately fled in the opposite direction. Blacknail hadn¡¯t been expecting anything else from them, but it still annoyed him. The cowardly creatures outnumbered the wolf ten to one. This was why you had to beat your goblins regularly.


    The wolf looked up from its prey and noticed the charging hobgoblin. It studied him for a quick second, and then without a word, it bounded away back behind the hill. Blacknail hissed in frustration as he slowed down. The overgrown doggy was running!


    Just as Blacknail came to a stop, he heard another growl from behind him. The hobgoblin glanced over his shoulder in time to see two new wolves dash in and pick off one of the fleeing goblins behind him. The nearby goblins shrieked in terror, and then one of them veered off to the side and ran straight into the firepit. There was a crash as the goblin smacked into the pot and sent it crashing over. The goblin rolled through the fire pit, scattering sparks and embers, and then jumped up and continued running.


    ¡°No, my stew!¡± Blacknail wailed in horror. As he watched, the food splashed out of the pot and spilled out across the ground. That was way more dirt than the recipe called for! His stew was ruined. He had put so much effort into making it¡­ This wasn¡¯t fair!


    Blacknail stood there frozen, as the wolves that had pounced on the goblin turned and began to run off with their prize. Blacknail shook himself to clear his mind. Now wasn¡¯t the time to focus on spilled stew. There were important things to do. The wolves were killing his minions, and he wasn¡¯t going to let that happen. If he didn¡¯t get any food then no one was!


    Infuriatingly, the wolves were too far away for Blacknail to catch. They were fast bastards, and it was like they were working together to keep him off balance. Well, that wasn¡¯t going to work. Blacknail was a genius and thus much smarter than them.


    There was more than one way to hunt. Blacknail didn¡¯t need to catch the wolves. He hurriedly sheathed his sword and drew his sling instead. A moment later, he sent a rock through the air towards the closest wolf. It yelped in pain when the rock hit its leg, and then it crumpled and rolled across the ground before coming to a stop. Blacknail was already running towards it. Its companion saw him coming and took off with the goblin¡¯s corpse, but the wounded wolf wasn¡¯t so lucky. Before it could get up, Blacknail dove on top of the wolf and grabbed its furry neck.


    ¡°Got you!¡± Blacknail yelled victoriously. His bloodthirst was in full swing now.


    The hobgoblin pulled out a dagger with his other hand, as the beast struggled to escape. It rolled onto its back and raked the hobgoblin¡¯s arm with its rear claws, but the pain just enraged Blacknail. His fury muted the feeling into irrelevance.


    The wolf snapped at Blacknail and hot spittle splashed across his face, but the hobgoblin kept his grip on the beast¡¯s neck and held it away. Blacknail snarled as he stabbed the wolf in the chest over and over again. A few seconds later, it went limp as blood began to pour out of its wounds. The hobgoblin relaxed but kept his grip on the beast as he stood up and looked around. He could still hear goblins screaming in panic but there were only a few stragglers left nearby. The others had fled towards safety, but that wasn¡¯t the important thing. There were still more wolves that needed killing.


    There were too many piles of rocks blocking his view, so Blacknail decided to get a better vantage point. He needed to know what was going on. He ran over to the nearest hill and began to climb. After scrambling hallway up the rocky incline, Blacknail stopped and looked around. Below him, mobs of goblins were still rampaging around aimlessly. The occasional wolf could also be seen darting around.


    Off to one side, Gob was standing his ground outside the longhouse. A small formation of goblin overseers had formed up around him. Blacknail decided to head over there as well, but before he could, he heard something that caused him to jerk in surprise. A deep haunting howl washed over him. It was coming from his left and sounded far too close for comfort.


    Alarmed, Blacknail quickly glanced to his left, and he saw a wolf jump up onto the top of another hill. The beast was huge and stood out from the others. Its furry grey body dwarfed that of the other wolves Blacknail had seen, but the most startling thing about it was the series of dark blue spikes that ran down its back. It was a mutant.


    The vicious looking creature stared directly at Blacknail, and the hobgoblin met its eyes. For a few seconds neither of them moved. They just glared at each other. Blacknail didn¡¯t like this new development. He hated mutants. They were trouble. There had been this one giant snake¡­


    The wolf that had run away from Blacknail appeared behind the alpha and took up position beside it. It was still holding the dead goblin in its jaws in a way that was very suggestive. The bloody thing looked smug, and it seemed to smile as it turned to stare at Blacknail.


    Well, two could play that game. The hobgoblin grinned as he lifted up the wolf he had killed. This seemed to anger the alpha wolf because it immediately growled. Blacknail growled back, but then realized he was at a disadvantage here. He was outnumbered and he didn¡¯t really want to fight a mutant. They could be very tough.


    Fighting would be a bad idea, but he wasn¡¯t going to back down either. This was his territory and no giant wolf monster was going to show up and scare him. That would make Blacknail look bad in front of all his minions.


    The hobgoblin and the beast continued to stare at each other hatefully from their respective hills. Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but notice how massive the mutant was, and he began to feel his rage fall away. Self preservation was important after all. A lot of people depended on him.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    The beast looked like it weighed well over twice his weight, and like most mutants it probably had some sort of magical power. Attacking the wolf would undoubtedly be ill-advised, but showing weakness might also invite an attack. This was a problem¡­ Maybe if he glared at it hard enough it would go away. He couldn¡¯t think of any better options so that was what he did. Blacknail made his best scary face and took a confident pose. He continued to hold the dead wolf up, even if his arm was starting to hurt. The mangy carcass was heavy.


    The mutant wolf snarled and glared, but Blacknail didn¡¯t back down at all, not that he had much choice. It would be strategically unwise to move too much.


    Suddenly, there was a chorus of shouts from behind Blacknail and the stomping sound of a lot of small feet. Gob¡¯s voice was recognizable among the others. The wolf alpha looked away from Blacknail and towards the noise, so the hobgoblin snuck a quick glance over his shoulder. What he saw cheered him up considerably. It looked like Gob had managed convince a small swarm of goblins to charge towards Blacknail¡¯s location. Gob and several overseers were at the back of the mob, where they could drive the others forward. Blacknail was going to have to reward Gob somehow. He was a great minion.


    The wolf threw a look back at Blacknail and snarled viciously, but it didn¡¯t attack. Instead, it raised its head and let out another echoing howl. Right away, the scattered wolves began to turn away from the camp and run towards the forest. Their grey forms zoomed through the rocks and out of sight. The alpha wolf then jumped down the hill and darted off towards the forest. Its companion followed it.


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re not tough. Fear me!¡± Blacknail shouted after it as he dropped the wolf carcass. His arm muscles really hurt now.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to help, supreme one! Let us drive the enemy away!¡± Gob said as his mob met up with their chief. The collected goblins looked nervous but they were all armed, so they probably felt safer together and wouldn¡¯t flee.


    ¡°I already did that,¡± Blacknail replied proudly. ¡°I just scared the enemy leader with my greatness, so they all ran. It was a huge and very dangerous mutant.¡±


    ¡°You are truly a mighty warrior,¡± Gob remarked in awe.


    ¡°I am,¡± Blacknail agreed as he nodded smugly to himself. He had sure shown that furry freak who the boss was. He was!


    ¡°The beast still lives, though. Should we chase it? It killed some of our tribe. Blood must pay for blood.¡±


    A mental image of him trying to lead a mob of goblins through the forest after the wolf popped into Blacknail¡¯s head. It didn¡¯t seem like it would work very well, because they were so stupid and cowardly. The goblins would lose their confidence and desert in short order. That would leave Blacknail alone in the woods with the angry wolf pack, which didn''t sound fun.


    ¡°No, I have a better plan. We will have another chance to kill the foul beasts,¡± Blacknail quickly replied.


    He actually had several different schemes that could work. His first plan involved hoping the wolves went away and never came back. This was the optimal outcome. His second plan involved waiting, building up his forces, and hoping the wolves didn¡¯t kill anyone important until he was ready for them. A dozen hobgoblins should even the odds enough. His third plan was to dig a big hole and hope they all fell in it. It wasn¡¯t a very good plan.


    ¡°We need to build a wall,¡± Blacknail mused aloud.


    He had a new appreciation for all the walls he had seen around human settlements. They had always seemed so useless to him, because they had been so easy for him to get through, but now he realized that keeping out amazing sneaks like him wasn¡¯t their purpose. They were meant to keep less awesome things like giant wolves or other predators out. Really, there was nothing that would keep Blacknail out of somewhere he wanted to go, anyway. He was too amazing.


    Yes, a wall was what he needed. Blacknail had thought that gathering a large tribe of goblins together would scare away most predators, or at least prevent them from coming right into camp where the important people were, but obviously that wasn¡¯t the case. More goblins just meant more food to some beasts.


    ¡°What the bloody hells is going on?¡± Khita yelled as she ran up to Blacknail. The young redhead had her sword out and looked excited as she glanced in every direction.


    ¡°That mutant wolf I warned you about was real, and it attacked,¡± Blacknail told her. He was always right and she was always wrong.


    ¡°Really? Is it still here? Will it come back?¡± she asked him as she stared at the edge of the forest.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s gone. I scared it away and it won¡¯t dare come back. Now it knows that only death waits for it here.¡±


    ¡°Blast, I wanted to see it, and to get a chance to take it down,¡± Khita said as she sheathed her sword and sighed. She sounded really disappointed, and Blacknail rolled his eyes. If Khita had come face to the face with the wolf she would have been petrified from fear. She wasn¡¯t brave like him.


    ¡°Where is Elyias?¡± Blacknail asked her.


    ¡°Cowering at the back of a cave with Scamp,¡± she answered dismissively.


    ¡°Ah, good.¡± Blacknail had been slightly concerned. He hadn¡¯t seen them around, and losing them would be inconvenient. He still had a use for them.


    Blacknail and Gob spent the next hour calming down the camp. The wolves had picked off a few goblins but they didn¡¯t seem to have done any structural damage. Once everything was back under control, Blacknail put a few goblins on lookout. If the wolves returned and tore them apart their dying screams would give him a chance to prepare.


    As he was working, Blacknail¡¯s stomach suddenly rumbled. He had completely forgotten that he hadn¡¯t eaten. The attacking wolves had rudely interrupted his cooking. Blacknail quickly headed back the firepit to see if there was anything left. He approached the toppled iron pot, knelt down, and peered within it. It was completely empty.


    ¡°You filth! I will find you!¡± Blacknail roared as he stood back up. He shook from rage as he glared in every direction for any sign of a convenient target.


    It was obvious that some goblins had even taken advantage of the chaos and cleaned out the inside of the pot while he had been bravely facing down the alpha. What a bunch of thieving scum! Why did Blacknail even bother defending them! If they weren¡¯t so easy to turn into menial laborers then he would have already left them all to die.


    Grumbling to himself, Blacknail went to get some food from the larder. It wasn¡¯t very satisfying and only reminded him of the hot meal that had been stolen from him. Goblins were scum. After finishing his food, Blacknail headed off to bed. He didn¡¯t feel like staying up or doing anything useful. No one here appreciated the things he did for them.


    The next morning Blacknail felt better. He immediately tossed Khita out of her bed and went to work. Or at least he went out and started to get other people working. He was the leader.


    The first thing that needed done was to construct a wall. It was far too easy for dangerous forest creatures to get into the base and start munching down on goblins. The forests of the North contained an endless supply of slavering beasts, and Blackail was using these goblins. Every barrier between his cave and an attacker was also appreciated. You could never be too careful.


    ¡°The wall will be made of pointy sticks. It needs to go around the entire base and be too high to jump,¡± Blacknail explained to Gob.


    He had just finished showing the other hobgoblin how he wanted the wall built. As Gob watched he had chopped down a several thin trees and stuck them in the ground. They were also tied together and supported by another piece of timber that was jammed in behind them on an angle. It was a crude copy of a design he had seen Herad use before.


    ¡°As you wish, I will make sure this wall encircles all the base, great master,¡± Gob said. The hobgoblin nodded along seriously and looked eager to get going.


    Something about that reply bothered Blacknail. He took a second to think it through before replying. ¡°Leave a gap for an entrance.¡±


    Sometimes Gob took him too literally. There had been an incident a few days ago after Blacknail had asked someone to knock some sense into Elyias.


    ¡°Make that two entrances; I want one at the back as well. It¡¯s too far to walk,¡± Blacknail added thoughtfully. ¡°Round up all the overseers ¨C and make some more - and get them to force every goblin they find that isn¡¯t already working to start cutting down trees.¡±


    As Gob started to get down to work, Blacknail went to track down the other two new hobgoblins. He felt like getting some early morning exercise, it was past time to start training them, and he felt like beating someone up. It sure was convenient that he could do all three at the same time. Maybe Scamp or Imp would even try to kill him! That would really amuse Blacknail. He couldn¡¯t wait.

 It Echoes Onward 3

    Imp was easy enough to find. The newly transformed hobgoblin was hanging out near the clay pits. He always seemed to be there, working on something that Blacknail didn¡¯t understand. It was almost like he enjoyed it, which was unsettling. Why would he enjoy working? It was weird behavior for a hobgoblin. Even Gob spent most his time bossing goblins around instead of doing chores himself. Blacknail had considered making Imp work somewhere else, but he was too productive to waste. With Imp there, the clay pits were producing over twice as much as before.


    On the other hand, Scamp was much more difficult to track down. Blacknail had to look around the base for a while before he found him. He wasn¡¯t in the longhouse or the larder. Eventually, he located Scamp napping over by some rocks on the far side of the camp.


    After a swift kick to the ribs, the sleeping hobgoblin yelped and jumped to his feet. When he calmed down and recognized Blacknail, Scamp smiled nervously and greeted his chieftain. Blacknail just snorted and told him to follow. He led Scamp over towards the center of the base, where Imp was waiting. Khita and Elyias were also lounging nearby and sitting in the shade at the base of a hill. Both of them had their swords at their hips, but they only looked up as the new arrivals approached and didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Well, this ought to be an amusing show. It¡¯s usually very boring around here.¡± Elyias remarked as he grinned nastily at the hobgoblins.


    ¡°Now I will teach you how to use a blade,¡± Blacknail told the other two hobgoblins as he tossed them wooden practice blades. He picked up one for himself and took up position in front of his minions.


    Imp didn¡¯t look that impressed. He studied the sword for a second and then looked back towards where he had been working. Scamp smiled excitedly and waved his new weapon around a few times experimentally.


    ¡°I always wanted to get a shiny sword. When I learn this, will I get one?¡± Scamp asked. He looked hopeful, which amused Blacknail.


    ¡°Yes, when your training is done,¡± Blacknail told him. He had a small stash of extra blades he had taken from people who were incapable of using them anymore.


    ¡°Now, stand like this and hold the blade up,¡± Blacknail ordered Scamp and Imp as he showed them the proper stance and technique.


    Both of the hobgoblins studied him and shifted their stances, but neither of them copied it correctly. They both looked off balance and open to attack. Blacknail showed them a few different techniques and watched them try them. Imp seemed to just be going through the motions without any real interest, and Scamp was goofing around instead of learning properly.


    That was alright. Blacknail had a plan for motivating them. He ordered Scamp forward and told him to take up a defensive stance. Scamp obeyed and sloppily raised his blade up. A moment later, it was bashed aside and Blacknail¡¯s wooden sword smashed into his shoulder.


    ¡°Ugh, that hurt!¡± Scamp yelped as he was knocked over sideways.


    "Too slow,¡± Blacknail hissed coldly. ¡°It was also weak. Are you a real hob or an overgrown goblin?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a hobgoblin!¡± Scamp whined as he got back up. He was wincing from the pain and rubbing his shoulder.


    ¡°Then act like it, you runt. Step back and let Imp come over here.¡±


    Both the hobgoblins quickly obeyed. Imp didn¡¯t look very excited about taking his turn. He wasn¡¯t stupid, so he¡¯d already figured out what was coming next.


    ¡°Take a defensive stance,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Can you just show me how to do it?¡± Imp asked hopefully. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know the right way, but I¡¯m sure a great teacher like you could show me.¡±


    There was a nervous smile on his face as he met his instructor¡¯s gaze. Blacknail grinned back, but it wasn¡¯t a pleasant expression.


    ¡°Nope,¡± he laughed as he swung his blade. The weapon hit Imp in the stomach. He crumpled and fell to his knees.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Imp groaned.


    ¡°Pay attention next time, you arrogant runt. You aren¡¯t smarter than anyone else. You¡¯re just an arrogant prick of a hobgoblin,¡± Blacknail told him. His voice and expression were both harsh and unyielding.


    That was how the rest of the training went. Blacknail would explain a technique to them, they would try to copy him, and then they would be tested.


    Failure always resulted in pain, and neither of the hobgoblins ever passed a single one of Blacknail¡¯s tests. His blade slipped through their defenses or pushed their own weapon aside every time.


    Going on easy on them would defy the entire point of the exercise. It also wouldn¡¯t be any fun. Blacknail was having a great time!


    ¡°Why are Khita and Elyias here?¡± Scamp asked as he stepped forward again. He was obviously trying to distract Blacknail and buy himself a few minutes of rest.


    ¡°To watch and prevent you from doing something stupid,¡± Blacknail replied as he glanced at Imp. ¡°They are also here to remind you of all the people who could stab you to death, because you suck.¡±


    The other hobgoblin glared back. He was seething with rage and red in the face. Clearly, the training was working. Blacknail was a great teacher!


    ¡°I can take over the training if you want, Scamp. I think I¡¯d like a chance to knock a hobgoblin around, and I think Blacknail is going a little easy on you,¡± Khita said from over where she was sitting.


    Scamp paused and looked uncertain. He clearly hadn¡¯t expected Khita to say such a thing. However, before he could make up his mind, Blacknail spoke up.


    ¡°Not today, but maybe another time. I got this,¡± he said as he motioned Scamp forward again.


    They continued to train for half an hour until Blacknail eventually stopped and addressed his tired out minions. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough for today.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Scamp asked hesitantly. He was favoring one leg and he had developed a few purple bruises. Imp was in a similar sorry state.


    ¡°Yes, unless either of you want a chance to hit me back.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Imp asked. The hobgoblin sounded intrigued but also cautious. He suspected a trap. It had been that kind of day.


    ¡°We could spar,¡± Blacknail told him.


    Imp¡¯s beady red eyes stared intently at Blacknail for several long seconds. His hands were gripping the wooden practice blade so tightly they almost seemed to be shaking. He looked really tempted to give into his rage and take up the offer. Scamp quickly shook his head to signal he wasn¡¯t interested. He was a coward, so that wasn¡¯t surprising.


    ¡°No, I would never want to hurt you, wise leader,¡± Imp eventually hissed in reply. He didn¡¯t sound like he really meant it.


    ¡°Too bad, because now your wise leader feels like sparring with you. We will keep going until I say so or you hit me. Maybe you will learn some of my wisdom,¡± Blacknail replied smugly as he grinned from ear to ear.


    There was a hateful hiss from Imp as he raised his blade up in front of his face. It was an aggressive stance, but instead of charging, Imp cautiously inched forward.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t feel like waiting for him. He lunged, battered Imp¡¯s sword aside, and then smashed his sword into the other hobgoblin¡¯s ribs. Imp flinched but gritted his teeth and tried to strike back. However he aimed too high and Blacknail easily ducked under his slash.


    Over the next few minutes, Blacknail demolished Imp. The newly transformed hobgoblin quickly descended into a blind rage and began swinging wildly.


    ¡°Hold still!¡± he screeched as Blacknail stepped back away from one of his attacks.


    Imp continued to attack over and over again, but none of his attacks hit. Blacknail dodged and parried them all, while occasionally slipping in his own attacks. Imp¡¯s complete loss of self control was deeply satisfying. Blacknail couldn¡¯t stop himself from grinning widely in delight. Imp had been far too self-controlled as a goblin, so Blacknail had always wanted to beat the smugness out of him. He wasn¡¯t so smart now was he!


    Eventually, Imp screamed hatefully at the top of his lungs, dove forward, and was promptly smacked down. The flat of Blacknail¡¯s blade crashed into the top of his head and knocked him down into the dirt. He coughed and didn¡¯t get back up. Instead, Imp just lay there on the ground.


    ¡°Do you give up?¡± Blacknail asked the prone hobgoblin. Instead of replying, Imp let out a defeated groan that Blacknail assumed meant yes.


    ¡°Remember this lesson, weakling. Strength comes from obedience; not from rage,¡± Blacknail told Imp as he leaned down over him. ¡°Defy me and you will stay weak and pathetic, and weakness leads to pain.¡±


    It was important that Blacknail¡¯s new hobgoblin minions not only learned to fight but also to fear him. Unquestioning obedience born from hopelessness was required. Blacknail couldn¡¯t have disobedient hobgoblins running around. That would be too dangerous.


    ¡°Tomorrow will be your turn to spar,¡± Blacknail told Scamp as he turned and gave him a meaningful look. Scamp gulped in fear and Elyias laughed.


    ¡°That sure was interesting,¡± the young man remarked as he got up and walked over to Scamp. ¡°I always wondered how Saeter trained you, so that you wouldn¡¯t kill him in his sleep or anything.¡±


    ¡°I was a better learner than these two,¡± Blacknail told him. Memories of hanging from a tree and being beaten up by Saeter rose up in his mind, but he suppressed them.


    ¡°Come on, you look like shit. Let¡¯s get you something to eat,¡± Elyias told Scamp as the pair walked away.


    Khita followed Blacknail back over to where the wall was under construction. They left Imp alone on the ground.


    The training continued over the next two days. For a few hours every afternoon, Blacknail taught Scamp and Imp how to use a sword and how to control their emotions. They weren¡¯t very good at either yet, but Blacknail was having fun, so he wasn¡¯t in too much of a hurry.


    Over and over again, he showed them the basics of sword fighting and hit them when they failed to impress him. The objective was not only to motivate them to succeed but also to enrage them. During the sparring, when they lost control and tried to hit him, Blacknail simply countered using his vastly superior skills and then humiliated them. The point was to condition them to not give into their anger. The hobgoblins'' violent instincts had to be suppressed, and Blacknail wanted them to know he was in charge. He was the leader, and he didn¡¯t plan on stepping down or letting himself get killed.


    He also took an hour every day to teach Gob, who he didn¡¯t beat black and purple. However, Gob spent most of his time overseeing the construction of the wall around the base. The goblins needed to be watched at all times or they would slack off. Blacknail was fairly sure that most of them were only pretending to work anyway, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do about it.


    Still, the wall was starting to take form. Its rickety wooden length looked like garbage, but it would do its job and keep out most the nasty wildlife. Gangs of goblins led by overseers were constantly dragging timber out of the forest. Even goblins with stone axes could cut down slender young trees fairly easily, and there were a lot of goblins around. It was a good thing the larder was full of food because everyone was too busy to hunt or forage.


    On the third morning, Blacknail decided to head back to the human village. He had grown bored of hanging around the goblin lair and wanted to talk to some other people. He was also out of cheese. Going without cheese for a few days was unthinkable.


    ¡°We need some supplies, so I¡¯m going to lead a mission back to Shelter. It will be dangerous but I can handle it, no problem,¡± Blacknail told Gob as he smiled confidently.


    ¡°Thank you, most powerful of chiefs. Surely, only you could do this,¡± Gob replied as he gave a little bow.


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Blacknail agreed as he nodded along happily in agreement. Gob sure said it like it was.


    ¡°I want to come,¡± Ferrar said as he scampered up to Blacknail¡¯s side. The hobgoblin chief looked down at him and frowned thoughtfully.


    ¡°Why? All the things you want to burn are here. You¡¯re not allowed to burn things there.¡±


    ¡°I need to learn something from humans,¡± Ferrar explained. ¡°Humans know a lot about fire and clay that Imp and I want to know too.¡±


    The idea didn¡¯t immediately appeal to Blacknail. The creepy little goblin wanted to go and talk to some humans? That didn¡¯t sound like a good idea. They¡¯d probably kill him and then hunt down every other goblin they could find. Blacknail could barely resist the urge to do that himself.


    ¡°It will allow us to cook new tastier foods,¡± Ferrar added as he noticed his chieftain¡¯s reluctance.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Blacknail replied excitedly. He had grown tired of the simple fare available at the goblin camp. Good food made everything better!


    ¡°The goblin¡¯s coming with us now?¡± Khita asked from where she was standing nearby. Half a dozen goblins were beside her. They had been chosen to join the mission.


    ¡°Yes, he has a very important task,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°I wish I could go back to Shelter. It¡¯s a pile of dung full of peasants, but I¡¯m really getting sick of staying out here in the forest. The gods know I would do anything to get back to civilization,¡± Elyias whined.


    The young man was also nearby, although he wasn¡¯t joining the mission. He simply had nowhere better to be. Lately, he had been working under Gob a lot and helping out with the wall. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if it was by choice or if Gob had conscripted him, and he didn¡¯t really care.


    ¡°I told them you stole their coins and deserted so you can¡¯t go back, but you can be the second in command while we¡¯re gone. That¡¯s a promotion for working so hard lately!¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Elyias replied as he scowled. He didn¡¯t seem all happy about the wonderful promotion he¡¯d just been given. Blacknail decided not to take that as an insult. Elyias had always been a miserable person. That was why annoying him was so fun.


    ¡°Just watch for Scamp and Imp while I¡¯m gone,¡± Blacknail warned him. ¡°They might go insane and start killing people at any time. If that happens you need to help Gob fight them off.¡±


    ¡°What? Is that a real possibility? You must be joking,¡± Elyias asked in alarm. He looked concerned and more than a little afraid. It was unbecoming of a second-in-command.


    ¡°That¡¯s always a possibility with hobgoblins, even me,¡± Blacknail laughed as he walked away. Elyias was a funny guy.


    Without wasting any more time, the group set off. Blacknail took the lead as they trudged through the forest. The mixed group passed between rows of towering trees and up and down rocky hills as they approached their destination. The familiar journey took them about an hour. Once they were near the village, they stopped among a thick clump of bushes at the edge of the fields.


    ¡°Can you sneak past the walls and rejoin us?¡± Blacknail asked Ferrar.


    ¡°Sure, I sneak in there all the time,¡± Ferrar replied with a confident smile and a excited nod.


    This reply caught Blacknail off guard. What was this now? When did Ferrar have the time visit the humans? Why would he want to? After a few seconds of furious thinking Blacknail decided to let it go. This didn¡¯t sound like it was his problem. As the leader, he needed to focus on the important things, like getting his cheese.


    Khita and Blacknail left the goblins behind. They crossed the fields and went in through Shelter¡¯s gate. The one old farmer that was serving as the guard let them in without any concern. They were familiar visitors now. The hooded hobgoblin even gave the man a friendly nod. Being polite was important.


    The pair wandered through the streets until they got to where Geralhd had taken up residence. It was a small home that looked like it had seen better days, but it was clean and serviceable. Compared to Blacknail¡¯s cave it was a mansion. Khita walked up to the door and called out, but no one answered.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be home,¡± she told Blacknail.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here. I heard you¡¯d come to visit my humble abode and decided to cut you off,¡± Geralhd answered from behind them. The both turned to see him walking towards them from down the street.


    ¡°Oh, where were you? I hope we aren¡¯t interrupting anything,¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°I was simply out and about. It was nothing important. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?¡± he asked in return. Blacknail was fairly sure it was question. Geralhd sometimes had a problem speaking clearly.


    ¡°I bet you were with a woman,¡± Khita laughed. There was an amused grin on her face.


    ¡°In this village? I prefer having relationships with less strings attached,¡± Geralhd replied with a grimace of distaste.


    ¡°Oh, like with Vorscha,¡± Blacknail observed. Geralhd and Vorscha had done everything together until Werrick¡¯s attack. They had been forced to leave her behind when they fled the battle and she had died horribly. It was too bad. She had been strong and useful.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Geralhd replied with obvious awkwardness. He suddenly looked a little sad.


    ¡°That was utterly thoughtless. You don¡¯t say things like that,¡± Khita quietly hissed at the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail sighed and rolled his eyes. He had no idea what she was talking about. It must be a stupid human thing. Every time he thought he had them figured out he was proven wrong.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not stand out here on the public street and under the sun. Come in and have some tea. It¡¯s dreadful herbal stuff but it¡¯s still better than the local swill,¡± Geralhd said as he walked over to the entrance of his home.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t think Geralhd looked too hurt by his words. Khita was probably being overdramatic. She did that a lot.

 It Echoes Onward 4

    The main street that ran through the village of Shelter was little more than a wide dirt path. The homes that ran along both sides of it were squat buildings with thatch roofs. The sound of people talking and the creaking of wood could be heard off in the distance. Nothing looked broken or ruined, but everything looked like it had been patched several times.


    Geralhd walked through the front door of the house where he was staying. It led into a small kitchen. Khita and Blacknail followed him. As Geralhd threw some water into a pot and lit a small fire in his stove, both his guests sat down at the table in the center of the room.


    ¡°So you didn¡¯t answer me before. Why are you here?¡± Geralhd asked after he joined them a few moments later.


    ¡°You owe me more cheese. I don¡¯t have any left,¡± Blacknail immediately told him. His voice was rather intense, because he was rather upset about it.


    Geralhd rolled his eyes, but before he could reply, there was a knock on the front door and someone spoke up from outside. ¡°It¡¯s me, Tannin. I heard you had some guests a visiting so I decided to stop on by.¡±


    ¡°Come one in. I just put some water on for tea,¡± Geralhd replied after letting out a deep sigh. The young man then turned and gave Blacknail a meaningful look.


    ¡°Be good,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°I¡¯m always good. You humans are the ones who always mess things up. Do better,¡± Blacknail replied dismissively. As the leader, he was the only one that got to judge people¡¯s performances.


    The front door then swung open and Tannin stepped inside. The bearded old man gave them all a polite nod of greeting. There was a friendly smile on his face and his eyes held a warm twinkle. Blacknail decided that this meant the old man wanted something. The hobgoblin was getting used to humans¡¯ strange ways.


    ¡°I see you¡¯re still alive, young lass,¡± Tannin told Khita. ¡°A few of the others had a bet going. Most of them thought you¡¯d die or come crawling back here within a day or two. Living out in the forest is rough going for anyone, let alone a young woman.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± Khita replied scornfully. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone telling me what to do, where to live, or how to survive. Tell those old hags you stuck me with before to mind their own damn business. They can shove their etiquette where the sun don¡¯t shine.¡±


    Her angry words just caused Tannin to chuckle loudly and grin wider. He looked quite amused.


    ¡°I take it that means you plan on staying out in the forest for a while longer?¡± he asked her playfully.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± she replied in a chilly tone.


    Tannin nodded and then turned towards the cloaked hobgoblin. ¡°And I see Blacknail is being as mysterious as always. Do you ever not wear a hood?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail replied as he waited for his tea. He hoped it wasn¡¯t the bitter kind. For now, Tannin had nothing the hobgoblin wanted, so talking to him wasn¡¯t important.


    Geralhd got up and pulled out a chair for Tannin, and then they both sat down. The two made small talk for a few moments, and Blacknail fought the urge to close his eyes and take a nap. When was he going to get his tea? He tried glaring at Geralhd to get his point across, but the man ignored him. He wasn¡¯t a very good minion. Blacknail was going to have to do something about that later.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask for Blacknail¡¯s help?¡± Khita suddenly asked. The use of his name caused Blacknail to focus back on what everyone was saying. He hadn¡¯t been paying attention at all, so he had no idea what they were talking about.


    ¡°Does he know a lot about goblins?¡± Tannin asked. Blacknail felt a small tingle of panic, but the man sounded friendly and curious.


    ¡°I dare say, he is one of the utmost experts on the subject,¡± Geralhd replied with obvious amusement.


    ¡°I suppose he must have run into a lot of them out in the wild Green,¡± Tannin mused aloud.


    Blacknail had been about to claim complete ignorance about goblins, but since Geralhd had spoken up, he decided to go along with it. This must an important conversation. Food was probably involved.


    ¡°You¡¯re having a problem with goblins?¡± Blacknail asked as he straightened up in his chair.


    ¡°Ya, you could bloody well say that!¡± Tannin huffed in frustration. ¡°We¡¯ve suddenly been overrun by an infestation of the little pests. They¡¯re getting into everything! The thieving is bad but it¡¯s the destruction they leave in their wake that is the real damned problem. They¡¯re spoiling more food than they actually steal. Every day we lose vital supplies.¡±


    Tannin sounded and looked like he wanted to hit something. He was holding one hand up and was clenching it tightly into a fist. This topic was obviously making him angry. Blacknail could use that. Tannin could probably be convinced to offer a tasty reward to anyone who solved his problem.


    As the old man continued to ramble on about spoiled grain, Blacknail heard a scratching noise from the far window. He looked out of the corner of his eye and noticed a green flash of movement. It was a goblin, a familiar one. Ferrar had caught up to them and was peeking in through the window.


    ¡°This batch even seems smarter than usual,¡± Tannin continued. ¡°They sniff out poison, and they even avoid all our traps! The weighted barrel trap used to catch them by the dozen, but when young Raius checked it last night it was empty. Not only that, but somehow the goblins actually managed to disarm it and make off with the bait! If I didn¡¯t know better, I would swear they were listening in on us and learning to counter our plans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s silly; goblins aren¡¯t that smart,¡± Blacknail quickly agreed in a flat voice as he turned away from the goblin in the window and focused on Tannin¡¯s face. He needed to focus on manipulating the foolish human.


    ¡°Probably not, but something¡¯s going on here. Do do you have any special tricks up your sleeves for dealing with the bloody things?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing up my sleeves but my human arms, but I do know some tricks,¡± Blacknail replied carefully. He didn¡¯t want to give himself away.


    There was moment of awkward silence, so Blacknail spoke up again. ¡°I usually set bait out for them and then shoot them. Have you tried that?¡±


    Blacknail had just made that up, but it was the best he could come up with on short notice, and it even sounded like it could work. When Blacknail wanted to chase goblins away he simply gave them chores. He usually never saw them again after that.


    However, this idea didn¡¯t appear to appease Tanin. The old man frowned and shook his head. He opened his mouth as if to speak but Khita cut him off.


    ¡°Blacknail, you¡¯re forgetting one obvious solution,¡± she interjected.


    ¡°I am not,¡± Blacknail hissed at her. She was dumb.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°You keep the wild goblins away by training other goblins to guard your stuff. Mr. Tannin could do the same thing. There is no reason he can¡¯t.¡± Khita shot back.


    Blacknail grunted sourly. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that. It was just a really stupid thing to bring up. Was she trying to expose his true identity and ruin his plans? Probably not, she was just stupid.


    ¡°Guard goblins?¡± Tannin asked doubtfully. He didn¡¯t seem sure if Khita was joking or not, but he clearly found the idea hilarious. There was an amused grin on his bearded face.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he does, and it works,¡± Khita replied defiantly. She then shrugged like she didn¡¯t much care what he thought, even though it was obvious she did.


    As he turned towards Khita, Blacknail sighed and gave her an annoyed glare. Seriously? Why was she bringing this up? This idea was so dumb only a human could have thought of it. Tannin would never consider such a dumb plan.


    ¡°My old master used to do it,¡± Blacknail explained after turning towards Tannin. ¡°Goblins are territorial so if you take one in then it will drive the others away, but even trained goblins can be very annoying and get into trouble.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that actually doesn¡¯t sound completely unreasonable,¡± Tannin mused as he looked off to the side contemplatively. ¡°At this point I¡¯d try almost anything, and feeding one goblin would cost us less than feeding a hundred of the gods damned despoilers.¡±


    Under his hood, both of Blacknail¡¯s eyes widened from surprise. Khita¡¯s plan was so stupid it might actually work! He couldn¡¯t waste this opportunity to take advantage of how weird humans were. Letting the humans get used to goblins would suit Blacknail¡¯s purposes. It would also allow him to spy on the humans without concern, although apparently it wasn¡¯t that hard. Even feral goblins could do it. Ferrar was still looking in through the window, and Blacknail had no doubt that he knew exactly what was going on.


    ¡°Er, I happen to have some goblins you could borrow,¡± Blacknail suggested. He had to press his advantage. ¡°They know some simple commands and will keep out of trouble. Geralhd and the others can help you train them, so within a few days you should see a lot less goblin thefts.¡±


    ¡°How exactly do you train goblins?¡± Tannin asked. It sounded like he was seriously considering the idea.


    ¡°Mostly you just hit them a lot and offer them food. They only get into trouble if they get hungry,¡± Blacknail told him.


    The water finally finished boiling and the shrill whistle of the kettle on the stove filled the air. As Geralhd got up and served the tea, everyone continued to discuss the goblin problem. Eventually, Tannin agreed to accept a pair of goblins from Blacknail.


    With that decided, Blacknail and Khita excused themselves. Geralhd had promised to give Blacknail some cheese when they stopped by on their way out of the village, and they had finished their tea, so there was little point in sticking around. They still had to go track down Joan and ask her a few questions for Scamp and Imp.


    ¡°I suppose you youngsters don¡¯t want to hang around here with an old man like me,¡± Tannin laughed as they were leaving. ¡°Although, I suppose I have no idea how old you are, Blacknail.¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ I¡¯m ten,¡± the hobgoblin answered him. That was a good age for a human right?


    ¡°You¡¯re ten?¡± Tannin repeated in disbelief. Uh oh, he seemed suspicious. Was that too low?


    ¡°Ten and a half?¡± Blacknail suggested.


    ¡°Ha ha, Blacknail is such a joker,¡± Geralhd laughed. His laughter was awkwardly loud and there was a stiff smile on his face.


    ¡°Get out of here and let me talk to Tannin,¡± he added as he motioned for Blacknail to leave. The hobgoblin immediately did as he was told and fled.


    Once outside, Blacknail and Khita headed towards where they had met Joan during their last visit, and the sound of little footsteps followed them.


    They passed by a few villagers as they walked and Blacknail gave them polite nods. When they got to their destination, Joan wasn¡¯t there, so Khita went to find her while Blacknail waited.


    ¡°Hello again, Mr. Blacknail. How can I help you?¡± Joan asked when she arrived alongside a proud looking Khita. The young blonde woman was wearing a long homespun dress and there was a polite but curious expression on her face.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t immediately respond. He just stared at her blankly. What had he wanted to ask her again? Ferrar had been the one who had wanted to talk to her. He couldn¡¯t remember what the goblin had told him¡­


    ¡°Um¡­¡± he mumbled aloud to buy time.


    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have long to wait. Ferrar appeared from behind the corner of a nearby building. The little goblin looked extremely excited. He practically bounced as he ran over to join the conversation.


    ¡°Ask her about the color of clay matters, sometimes it goes black,¡± the goblin suggested as he grabbed Blacknail¡¯s pants and looked up at the hobgoblin with wide eyes that shone with excitement.


    ¡°Does the color of the clay matter? Sometimes it¡¯s black?¡± Blacknail repeated uncertainly at Joan.


    There was no immediate reply. The blonde girl studied Blacknail and the goblin for several long seconds. She was squinting at them, and she seemed unsure of something.


    ¡°Is the goblin asking the question? I think that¡¯s what I just heard,¡± she asked in disbelief.


    This called for some skillful evasion of the truth.


    ¡°We¡¯re both asking,¡± Blacknail answered. ¡°He likes to talk, even if it¡¯s nonsense, but you know that. He was here before.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, are you sure this is the same goblin? It looks a little different...¡±


    ¡°Yep, he is the same, and his name is Scamp,¡± Blacknail replied cheerily as he nudged Ferrar with his foot. The little pest had better play along.


    ¡°I¡¯m Scamp and I¡¯ve visited you before. That happened,¡± Ferrar quickly agreed as he nodded along enthusiastically. He was a smart little pest.


    ¡°How many talking goblins do you think there are? This is the same one as before,¡± Khita added as she laughed. Her words seemed to convince Joan, although Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why anyone would take her word over his. It was kind of insulting to be judged lower than Khita in any way....


    Ferrar left Blacknail¡¯s side and wandered over to Joan. The young woman continued to stare at the goblin suspiciously, but she didn¡¯t back away. Ferrar began to ask her question after question and she answered them one by one. Blacknail and Khita hung back and tried to look interested. It was hard. Making clay pottery was apparently much more complicated than Blacknail had thought.


    After talking for a few minutes, Joan led Ferrar inside of a shed and showed him around. Ferrar kept up his barrage of questions as they walked past several shelves. They stopped in front of an oven for few moments and Joan opened its door to show Ferrar. Blacknail peered inside as well, but it was empty and boring. Could they leave now?


    ¡°Alright time to go. We have important things to do,¡± Blacknail announced after a few minutes. He¡¯d had enough. Looking at the oven had made him hungry.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come visit you again!¡± the goblin told Joan as he smiled happily.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Joan replied. She still didn¡¯t seem to know what to make of the goblin and his questions, so she just smiled back politely.


    With their farewells complete, Joan left to walk home and Ferrar disappeared. The goblin couldn¡¯t leave by the front door with them and had to sneak out. That left Khita and Blacknail alone again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before we run into one of the old ladies that live here. I swear the hags have nothing better to do than bug me,¡± Khita complained as she turned to watch the street. She looked in both directions as if she was afraid someone was trying to sneak up on her.


    On the way out of the village, they stopped by Geralhd¡¯s again. Blacknail still needed to pick up his cheese. By this time, Tannin was gone and Geralhd met them at the door.


    ¡°Here you go. Someday soon I think I¡¯m going to have to check out this base of yours,¡± Geralhd remarked as he handed the package of cheese over to Blacknail. It smelled like a good batch. He could tell because, it burned his nose when he tried to sniff it.


    ¡°Er¡­ you can¡¯t do that,¡± Blacknail told him as he tucked the precious bit of dairy away in his cloak. Geralhd didn¡¯t know about Elyias or the horde of goblins there.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Geralhd asked. The quick reply had made him curious.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a secret?¡± Blacknail muttered uncertainly. The cheese fumes were still clouding his brain. He was still seeing flashes of color.


    One of Geralhd¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°You have a secret base?¡±


    A grimace appeared on Blacknail¡¯s face. It sounded dumb when Geralhd said it like that.


    ¡°There¡¯s a huge wolf pack in the area. They¡¯ve been acting aggressively so it wouldn¡¯t be safe,¡± Khita added.


    ¡°Ya, that,¡± Blacknail agreed. How was Khita being so helpful? She had covered for him several times. It was weird. The hobgoblin scratched his nose. Maybe he was just having an off day?


    ¡°Oh, well take care of yourselves,¡± Geralhd told them. At the first sign of danger he had completely changed his mind about joining them.


    ¡°We¡¯re not afraid of any wolves,¡± Khita replied confidently. Blacknail didn¡¯t agree with her. He was tactically cautious about anything larger than him that wanted to eat him.


    After saying their goodbyes, Blacknail and Khita headed out the village gates. They crossed the fields and met up with Ferrar and the other goblins, who were waiting for them. Well, one goblin was missing, but Blacknail was sure it would show up later, or not. The important thing was that they had accomplished their mission.


    ¡°Did you learn what you wanted to?¡± Blacknail asked Ferrar.


    ¡°Yep, I know many new things about fire and clay! I can burn more now,¡± Ferrar replied eagerly.


    ¡°Did you learn how to cook or make better food,¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously. That was the reason he had agreed to let Ferrar come along.


    ¡°Um, yes. I learned about ovens,¡± the goblin replied carefully.


    ¡°Good. Good,¡± Blacknail muttered as he turned away. He had gotten his hands on cheese, new ways of cooking, and convinced the stupid humans to let goblins inside their village. Things were looking up.

 It Echoes Onward 5

    Although Blacknail stopped every time he heard a twig break and studied every bush for signs of slavering monsters, he and the others made it back to the goblin lair without an incident. None of them were picked off by giant wolves, not even Khita. Blacknail didn¡¯t understand how she had survived so long.


    The base was much the same as they had left it, which was unsurprising since less than a day had passed. After doing a quick patrol to make sure nothing suspicious was going on, Blacknail retired for the night. He was feeling lazy after so much walking.


    When he woke up the next morning and went to grab some breakfast, there were signs of new construction going on. Over by the clay-works the hobgoblin Imp was busy constructing a building of his own. It looked like a smaller version of the longhouse Gob had built, except round. Out in front of it, Ferrar was busy digging a small pit, while goblins piled clay up beside him into a huge heap. As was normal for a project involving goblins, it was chaotic mess as goblins ran about in every direction. Half of them were so dirty they looked like mobile piles of mud. Only around Imp was there any sense of order. The hobgoblin¡¯s presence cowed the nearby goblins.


    ¡°What are you doing? Why do you need so much clay?¡± Blacknail asked Ferrar as he wandered over to take a look. Was the goblin going to fill the hole with clay and bathe in it? Blacknail knew Ferrar really liked clay, but that seemed silly and impractical.


    ¡°Building a furnace,¡± Ferrar answered as he continued to dig energetically.


    ¡°Out of clay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, fire hardens it. Fire is great! You use clay and fire to make more clay and more fire. You can never have enough! I need more fire!¡± Ferrar explained as he gestured energetically at the empty hole in the ground and the pile of clay beside it.


    This seemed dumb to Blacknail, but what did he know? He was only the smartest hobgoblin ever to live.


    ¡°And you can use it to make food?¡± Blacknail enquired in a firm tone. It was important to keep everyone¡¯s priorities straight. He was the leader.


    ¡°Yep, that too,¡± the goblin replied absent-mindedly without looking up.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes and looked over at Imp for a few moments. The hobgoblin was still busy building the hut and ordering goblins around. Feeling assured that none of his nearby minions were slacking off, going crazy, going crazier, or planning to kill him, Blacknail yawned and went to find some that were. He wanted some excitement.


    Eventually, he gave up and decided to head back to Shelter. He had promised to deliver some goblins to them, and that sounded like it would be pretty amusing. After rounding up Khita and a pack of goblins, he headed out back into the forest. Khita was basically part of his disguise. Most of the people in the village seemed to like her, for some reason. However, they also planned to solve their goblin problem by importing more goblins, so they obviously weren¡¯t that smart.


    After the walk through the woods, Blacknail and Khita met up with Tannin inside the gates. As promised, they brought a pair of leashed goblins with them. Blacknail had chosen them because they both looked big and lazy. Thus they were large enough to fight off other goblins and not energetic enough to get into trouble. They had both volunteered ¨C after being grabbed and leashed - when they had learned that they would be getting free food without having to do anything to earn it.


    ¡°So these are the critters, eh?¡± Tannin mused as he studied the goblins. He looked and sounded skeptical.


    ¡°Yes, I trained them myself,¡± Blacknail replied. He had smacked them aside the head and told them to behave. That counted as training.


    ¡°Do they obey commands?¡±


    ¡°A few simple ones, like sit and come.¡±


    ¡°And having them around will keep other goblins out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, goblins are very territorial.¡±


    These new guards were probably some of the same goblins that had been causing the problems in the first place, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to mention that. In his experience, there were a lot of things humans were better off not knowing. It would only bother them.


    After explaining a few things and promising to deliver more goblins if the current pair worked out, Blacknail and Khita headed back. As they emerged from the trees around the goblin lair they were presented with a great view of the clearing. Work was being done on building a second longhouse, Imp was building his own small hut, and there were almost a dozen fire-pits scattered around the camp. However, the biggest change was the wall. The barrier of wooden stakes now stretched around almost half the exterior. The clearing had changed drastically since Blacknail had shown up. It used to look like an empty cluster of rocky hills. Now it was beginning to look like a proper base.


    Feeling proud of himself, Blacknail decided to stroll around. It wasn¡¯t like he was busy, anyway. Imp¡¯s hut was the most novel change so he decided to check it out again. It also wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to make sure Imp wasn¡¯t plotting anything dangerous. Blacknail was still expecting an attempt on his life.


    As he walked over, Blacknail spotted a heap of stuff piled outside the door of Imp¡¯s home. None of it looked like it had been made by goblin¡¯s hands. There was a pair of iron pots, some glass jars containing random powders or creams, a small pile of silverware, and a live chicken in cage. The terrified bird stared at the hobgoblin with mad eyes. What did Imp want with a live chicken? Was it just a snack or something else entirely? Blacknail had no idea, but he doubted it was part of an assassination attempt, unless Imp planned on poisoning it...


    The hobgoblin chieftain looked around for a few seconds, before creeping up to the door and peering inside. He didn¡¯t want to interrupt Imp¡¯s work, or walk into a trap. At first glance, there didn¡¯t appear to be anything suspicious going on inside. Imp was busy hanging things from the ceiling and storing things on crudely made shelves. However, after looking closer Blacknail recognized some of the items. He saw a metal scale and a glass jar from Mahedium¡¯s lab! Imp had been carrying that stuff in his bag, but Blacknail had taken that bag away from him and hidden it after Imp had become a hobgoblin!


    ¡°Hey, where did you find that? I hid that bag!¡± Blacknail asked as he stepped inside and frowned.


    Imp jumped slightly in surprise and then spun around. He then studied Blacknail for a quick second before answering. ¡°My bag? I found it in a hollow tree. I just followed my nose. It has a strong smell.¡±


    There was a friendly expression on Imp¡¯s face as Blacknail glowered at him. Damned hobgoblins, Blacknail didn¡¯t like it when they used his own tricks against him. He wished he could outlaw it. It wasn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°Did you want it back?¡± Imp asked respectfully.


    ¡°No, you can keep it. I¡¯m a generous leader, so you can consider it a gift,¡± Blacknail replied. Imp would have already taken out and hidden all the important things anyway.


    Since there was nothing else to do here, Blacknail decided to leave. He was a little disappointed. Neither Scamp nor Imp had tried to overthrow him, and didn¡¯t seem to even want to. What a bunch of layabouts! What kind of hobgoblins were they?


    On his way out, Blacknail spotted Ferrar¡¯s latest project. The pit he had dug had been filled in by a mound of clay that rose several feet into the air. There was a big hole in one side and another at the top. Ash was spilling out of the bottom hole. It looked like Ferrar had been burning things in the mound to harden the clay. Blacknail quickly lost interest in the mound and wandered off. It was just clay.


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Since Blacknail had no idea where Scamp was, he went to talk to Gob instead. There was no need to even look for him, since Blacknail could hear him yelling orders every once in a while. Gob¡¯s voice led Blacknail over to the newest section of the wall. The other hobgoblin was busy supervising the construction, as he had been ordered. Gob was very obedient. Blacknail needed more hobgoblins just like him.


    ¡°Good job keeping the goblins in line. You¡¯re doing great work,¡± Blacknail congratulated the other hobgoblin.


    ¡°Thank you, supreme leader. I live to obey,¡± Gob replied as he turned and bowed ever so slightly. The gesture caused the hobgoblin to lower his eyes submissively. He had just been watching the goblins working on the wall.


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Blacknail replied happily. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Scamp. Have you seen him around?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s over by that hill. He¡¯s sleeping, because I punched him out and tied him up.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you get tired of his stupidity?¡± One of Blacknail¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. He could understand if that was the case.


    ¡°No, he tried to bash my head in with log. He was helping me build the wall and I turned my back on him, but I kept my ears open,¡± Gob explained as he wiggled his long green ears. ¡°I let him live as you commanded.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Blacknail replied with even more cheer. Maybe there was hope for Scamp yet!


    Both of the hobgoblins had earned a reward. He would take them hunting for big game. That was a fun activity that they could all do together! There was nothing like killing things to help hobgoblins bond. It was also one of the few jobs left that only Blacknail could do, so if he trained some replacements then he could slack off more.


    After getting directions, Blacknail went to fetch Scamp. He found the other hobgoblin at the base of a nearby hill. Just as Gob had said, he was tied up by ropes. One of them even ran around his head and through his mouth so that he couldn¡¯t talk. Scamp was lying on his back and staring at the sky, but he looked over and started fidgeting when he heard Blacknail approach.


    ¡°You tried to kill Gob, he¡¯s my second-in-command,¡± Blacknail accused Scamp as he leaned over him. ¡°You¡¯re not good enough to replace him. Try it again and I¡¯ll boil you alive.¡±


    There was a muffled whimpering sound as Scamp nodded desperately in agreement, so Blacknail sighed and began untying him. A few minutes later, he led the two other hobgoblins over to his cave and had them wait outside while he grabbed some things. When he returned he was carrying three bow staves.


    ¡°These are for you,¡± Blacknail told them as he held two of the weapons out. ¡°We¡¯re going to go hunting.¡±


    He then taught them how to string and maintain the bows. One of the bows was for Blacknail himself. It was the one his master had given to him in Daggerpoint and it was made from a weird type of wood that was very hard and flexible. The other two bows had been taken from enemies, or enemies that had used to be friends until they weren¡¯t.


    Once they had fired off a few practice arrows at a log, the hobgoblins headed off into the forest. They were mostly there to learn from Blacknail¡¯s amazing skills, so they could practice accuracy later.


    ¡°If you shoot anyone in the back it won¡¯t stop me from tearing your limbs off,¡± Blacknail warned Scamp.


    ¡°I would never do that, boss! I¡¯m loyal and obedient,¡± Scamp replied nervously. He had been eyeing Gob and playing with his bow when the other hobgoblin¡¯s back was turned.


    With a disdainful huff, Blacknail led them past the creek. They jumped across its muddy banks and went deeper into the Green. Most animals worth hunting avoided the area around the goblin¡¯s camp.


    The trio trudged through the greenery before stumbling upon a fresh set of tracks. Blacknail took the time to point them out and give the other hobgoblins some tips on tracking. He then told them to be quiet and started following the trail.


    A few minutes later, Blacknail spotted a flicker of movement. Most of the trees here were huge things with smooth grey bark and trunks wide enough for several people to hide behind. They were fairly widely spaced apart, but row upon row of the trees stretched out in front of the group, and clusters of thick roots grew around the trees¡¯ bases. Around a hundred feet ahead, a herd of deer were walking between the trees.


    There were about a dozen of the graceful beasts. Their brown spotted coats camouflaged in with the dark ground and bushes. They would have been hard to make out if they had been holding still and hadn¡¯t been walking. At the head of the herd was a large stag with magnificent antlers that were over a foot long. The stag looked warily around in every direction as he led his herd through the woods.


    Blacknail raised a hand and motioned for the others to be silent, and then started to creep through the trees. He wanted to slip around the herd and cut them off so he could get a better shot. It was a maneuver that humans would have had difficulty doing, but hobgoblins were naturally stealthy and this was their element. They simply had to follow their primal instincts. Hunting and creeping up on unexpecting prey was what they did best.


    Scamp and Gob fell in behind Blacknail as he hunched down and scampered quietly around the deer. Occasionally, one of the beasts would glance over in their direction, but none of them noticed the approaching predators. The hobgoblins moved with an eerie precision and quiet that surprised even Blacknail. Sometimes he forgot that Scamp and Gob had been born in the wild. Even if they hadn¡¯t been taught by the greatest ranger ever to live like he had, they had survived on their own in these very forests for years.


    There was a thick tree positioned ahead of the herd and a bit to the side. Blacknail snuck up to the tree¡¯s trunk and hid himself behind it. The other two hobgoblins joined him a second later. The grey behemoth easily concealed all of them, and Blacknail quickly peeked around it. The deer were still headed towards them. If they didn¡¯t change course they would pass within easy bowshot of the hobgoblin¡¯s hiding place.


    As they waited, Blacknail prepped his bow and drew an arrow. Scamp and Gob copied him. Once ready, Blacknail relaxed and waited for the right time to strike. The stag wandered within a hundred feet and started to walk past the tree. The herd was moving parallel to Blacknail¡¯s group now. Every step now carried the lead deer further away.


    From behind the tree, Blacknail chose a target and drew his bow back. He would leave the stag alone and aim for one of the closer does. The hobgoblin could already taste the sweet deer flesh. He grinned wickedly as he let his arrow fly. The projectile zoomed through the air. It closed in on the doe''s flank, and then passed under it. There was a thud as the quivering arrow sunk into the ground. Blacknail had missed.


    ¡°Turtle shit,¡± he cursed to himself. There must have been wind or something.


    The noise and flash of movement from the arrow alerted the deer. The herd all perked up and then began to run off into the trees, away from the hobgoblins. That was when another arrow whirred past Blacknail and hit the flank of one of the fleeing deer. The animal crumpled onto the ground, and the other deer left it behind as they dashed out of sight.


    Blacknail turned around and saw Scamp holding an empty bow. There was a big happy grin on his face.


    ¡°I set that up for you,¡± Blacknail told him flatly. It had probably been beginner¡¯s luck.


    ¡°Thanks boss,¡± Scamp replied. He was still smiling, and that annoyed Blacknail.


    ¡°Since you shot it, you¡¯re carrying the carcass back,¡± he told Scamp.


    Gob helped tie the deer to a long pole and then he and Scamp began carrying it back to base. As they walked, Blacknail told them stories about Saeter and taught them little tracking tricks. If it looked like the other hobgoblins weren¡¯t paying enough attention then he kicked them in the ass, hard. He would tolerate no disrespect towards his old master.


    It hadn¡¯t been so long ago that Blacknail had been the one learning this way. A feeling of sad nostalgia came over the hobgoblin. He missed his master.


    It was starting to get dark by the time they returned to the goblin camp. The main cooking campfire was burning and so were a few of the smaller ones, like where Ferrar was busy firing clay. The little goblin never seemed to stop burning things. Sure fire looked pretty and all, but there were other things to life.


    The hobgoblins dropped the deer carcass over by the drying rack. The nearby goblins watched with interest and a hungry gleam in their eyes. The smell of blood was strong. Just as Blacknail was ordering Gob and Scamp to prepare the meat, Elyias marched over. The goblins scattered out of his way as he walked up to Blacknail¡¯s side.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Blacknail asked. Something must have happened. Elyias almost never sought him


    out.


    ¡°I was doing my rounds and I found four sleeping goblins with signs of growing horns. That¡¯s what you told me to watch out for,¡± the young man answered anxiously.


    Elyias had been placed in charge of watching the goblins for signs of transformation. He had been a natural choice for the job, since he wasn¡¯t a goblin himself, he was already paranoid about hobgoblins, and it didn¡¯t take much in the way of intelligence.


    Blacknail arched his back and laughed. The shrill sound rang out above the camp. Goblins fell silent and looked his way with both curiosity and fear. Even Elyias looked uncomfortable as the loud inhuman sound filled the air. Blacknail ignored them and shared his joy with world. Behind him, the campfire crackled and threw light up against the hills.


    Finally! He had waited so long. Things had been going infuriatingly slowly, but now his scheme was starting to pay off! He needed hobgoblins and now he was getting them. They were the entire reason he had bothered building up this grimy little base. He needed the goblins to be well fed and feel secure so they would transform.


    Still laughing, Blacknail contemplated the future. It was time to move on to the next part of his plan. Vengeance against Werrick would be his. He needed to rip the man apart with his own two hands. No one took what was his.

 It Echoes Onward 6

    The sound of mad hobgoblin laughter cascaded through the rocky clearing. Blacknail was full of exhilaration now that his plans were finally coming to fruition. The laughter was just bubbling out of him. Nothing could stop him from getting his terrible revenge!


    ¡°What in all the hells is Blacknail up to? Did he get hit in the head?¡± Khita asked as she scowled and walked over. She had a finger deep in one of her ears and was twisting it around.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get to close. He might scratch you or something. He seems really wound up,¡± Elyias replied dryly. He was walking beside her.


    Blacknail stopped laughing and turned to glare at the two humans. They were ruining this for him. Well, whatever. He would get them back later, Elyias especially. Blacknail had plans for him.


    Smiling smugly to himself, Blacknail ignored the humans and immediately went to work preparing for the next phase of his scheme. Now that he had built up his base enough to start producing hobgoblins, it was time to introduce a bit of chaos and excitement into the system. Chaos created opportunity, and Blacknail excelled at taking advantage of opportunities.


    The hobgoblin chieftain grabbed a sack from off the ground as he walked. He had no idea where it came from, but that didn¡¯t matter. Some goblin had probably stolen it from Shelter.


    The next thing he needed was light, so the hobgoblin built a primitive torch from a branch and some dry rope and cloth. He wandered over to the clay firing pit to set it aflame, but his first few attempts failed to produce a useable amount of fire. The end of the torch just blackened and smoked.


    ¡°Imp has light,¡± Ferrar said from nearby. The goblin had been working but he had stopped to watch Blacknail¡¯s efforts. As usual, his eyes shone with perceptive intelligence.


    ¡°I know that,¡± Blacknail muttered as he futilely poked the fire one last time. He didn¡¯t like failing in front of his minions. Stupid torch.


    The hobgoblin then threw his failed torch on the fire and headed for Imp¡¯s hut. It wouldn¡¯t surprise Blacknail if there was a torch or something among all the junk Imp had piled up there. He seemed to have everything else.


    There was a shuffling sound from inside as Blacknail walked up to the door. Imp was inside. He was walking around his home as he picked up and put down a plethora of small items. Every once in a while he would stop and stare intently into one of two large clay pots.


    Blacknail coughed to get his attention, and when Imp looked over he spoke up. ¡°Your leader ¨C me - is looking for a light so I can go into a dark cave. Give me light.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I have that,¡± Imp replied.


    He nodded enthusiastically and then walked over to a shelf. He picked something up off of it and then turned to show it to Blacknail. In the center of the hobgoblin¡¯s hand was a small transparent crystal.


    ¡°Oh, right, magic,¡± Blacknail replied. He remembered those crystals; Mahedium had used to make them. ¡°Good job acquiring something so useful, Imp. I thought your bag was full of useless trash.¡±


    ¡°No, I made this,¡± Imp explained. ¡°You just need a pot, special dirt, and blood.¡±


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s not going to blow up, is it?¡± Blacknail asked warily as he took a step back. He then glanced nervously at the contents of all the nearby shelves. Mahedium¡¯s workshop had tended to explode every now and then.


    ¡°No, light stones don¡¯t go boom, only the more interesting and harder to make stones do that. I¡¯m just growing light makers. The worse they do is cut your fingers with their sharp edges, or burn your eyes out and blind you. Just don¡¯t look directly at them for too long.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± Blacknail mused aloud. Even the sun could blind you, and some of Blacknail¡¯s favorite possessions were designed to cut people.


    Imp quickly agreed to follow his glorious chieftain, and the pair headed over to the deepest cave in the camp. Since Blacknail wasn¡¯t a mage he couldn¡¯t use the light stone, and thus Imp had to come along.


    Cautiously, Blacknail jumped down the ledge that led to the cavern. He walked through the cave entrance and looked around. It was too dark for him to see anything inside, even though the sun was still shining brightly outside. He could barely make out the rock studded walls of the dark tunnel, and the way forward was nothing but a murky black void.


    As Imp stepped up behind Blacknail, light flooded out to fill the tunnel. Suddenly, the cracks and crags in the grey stone walls were completely visible. Blacknail could see down into the cave until the way forward curved out of sight. The floor was dirty and uneven. Short spiky stalactites hung from the ceiling. Blacknail glanced back over his shoulder and saw Imp holding one hand up above his head. The light was pouring out from between the hobgoblin¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Blacknail ordered Imp as he turned back around and began walking deeper into the cavern. He was in no way afraid of the light going out and being stranded all alone in the dark. He was just going to keep very close to Imp.


    The two hobgoblins carefully made their way deeper into the cave. After only a few moments of scrambling over rocks and cracks in the floor, they reached their destination. The cave abruptly ended at a wall of loose rock. It looked like the ceiling had collapsed, but that wasn¡¯t why they were here. The light pouring out from Imp¡¯s stone was thrown back by something embedded in the cave wall. It sparkled with a yellowish tint.


    ¡°Ah, yellow shiny rocks,¡± Imp observed as he leaned closer.


    ¡°It¡¯s called gold!¡± Blacknail explained proudly. He still knew a lot of things that Imp didn¡¯t. The other hobgoblin wasn¡¯t as smart as he liked to pretend he was.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty, but what is it for?¡± Imp asked. He seemed sure they weren¡¯t here just to admire the view or get a new shiny trinket to play with.


    ¡°You use it to trick humans. They go all crazy when they see gold. All their favorite coins are made from it,¡± Blacknail replied confidently. He didn¡¯t have a complete understanding of how currency worked, but he knew that was one of the most important parts.


    ¡°You want to trick some humans?¡±


    ¡°No, I want to trick all of them,¡± Blacknail explained as he spread his arms apart as if he was trying to grab something gigantic. There was a fierce smile on his face.


    ¡°Ah, that sounds like fun,¡± Imp replied cheerfully as he studied the gold. He wasn¡¯t looking at Blacknail.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you believe me,¡± Blacknail observed crossly. Imp¡¯s lack of enthusiasm was a little insulting. ¡°When we leave I will show you how it works with Elyias. You¡¯ll see; he¡¯s easy.¡±


    Blacknail and Imp then spent a few minutes gathering up any loose yellow rocks they could find. The sack Blacknail had brought was just starting to get uncomfortably heavy, when he heard a wet sloshing sound from behind him. It was quickly followed by the thud of a falling rock.


    Both of the hobgoblins turned and looked at each other. Upon seeing that the other was just as confused as them, they both glanced over their shoulders. The noise had come from the barrier of fallen rock behind them. As they watched, there was another splashing sound from somewhere out of sight.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°You should check it out. In fact, I order you to, as the leader,¡± Blacknail told Imp.


    ¡°If I die then we lose the light, and you¡¯re a much tougher fighter,¡± Imp quickly countered.


    Those were good points. This was why Blacknail hated smart minions. He should have brought someone expandable, like a goblin.


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± he muttered as he tiptoed over towards the source of the sound. It was probably a rat or something.


    The rocks in front of him were piled up on each other to form a steep slope. The light from the mana stone didn¡¯t light it all up because its surface was so uneven. Instead, the uneven rocks were covered in slowly shifting shadows. There were several dark gaps in the rock that looked disconcertedly deep. Some of them might even penetrate right through the rocks and lead to a chamber on the other side of the collapse.


    A flash of movement and another wet sound drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. Something was moving on the other side of a tall grey rock. The hobgoblin leaned sideways to get a better look, just as something stepped into sight. The empty eye sockets of a human skull stared at Blacknail, and he stared back.


    ¡°Um, what?¡± Blacknail exclaimed in surprise. Below the skull, a frame of bones formed a complete standing skeleton.


    ¡°Did you know that human bones could walk around?¡± Blacknail asked Imp as he stared at the sight before him and slowly reached down to draw his sword.


    Human remains didn¡¯t scare the hobgoblin all that much. Even living humans weren¡¯t typically that dangerous, and they were usually in much better shape than corpses, but it was better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that. It seems a little weird. None of the other dead humans I¡¯ve seen could walk, and goblin bones don¡¯t do that,¡± Imp replied as he gazed past Blacknail. He sounded a little surprised. ¡°Maybe we both ate a bad mushroom?¡±


    Before Blacknail could reply, the skeleton took a shambling step forward and Blacknail was forced to take a wary step back from it. The moving corpse was still mostly in the shadows, and he was in no hurry to fight it. How did you kill a pile of bones anyway?


    ¡°Here, let me help,¡± Imp said. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re seeing it right.¡±


    A second later, Imp held his hand out and the light he was holding grew much brighter. The white glow of the stone suddenly illuminated the skeleton as it stepped forward again, and Blacknail got a good look at it.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s covered in slime,¡± he observed as he suddenly had a realization.


    The human bones were wrapped in transparent goo, and it was very familiar looking to Blacknail. Before he could finish his thought though, the skeleton suddenly lurched forward and swung an arm at him. Blacknail dodged under the blow and stabbed the attacking monster in the stomach. The blade sank into the slime and bounced harmlessly off of bone.


    The skeleton didn¡¯t appear to have been harmed. It ignored the blow and swung at him again. Blacknail was forced to throw himself back out of the way. His blade came free with a wet sucking sound. After stumbling, he caught his balance and raised his sword up into a guard.


    ¡°You could help,¡± Blacknail hissed at Imp.


    ¡°How? I have no sword and I¡¯m not touching that. It looks icky,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Magic?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re standing a little close. The boom is big,¡± Imp answered skeptically.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it myself,¡± Blacknail told him as he stepped in and took another swing the shambling pile of bones and ooze. The attack hit, but once again it accomplished next to nothing. The thick slime slowed the blow enough that the bones were barely damaged by the strike.


    This wasn¡¯t the first ooze monster Blacknail had ever fought, but this one was noticeably tougher than the last. Oozes usually had vulnerable organs, but this one¡¯s were protected by the skeleton¡¯s ribcage. The stolen human bones also allowed to it to walk instead of rolling around, and its arms gave it some reach. Every time the skeleton flailed at Blacknail tendrils rose off the monster¡¯s arms and reached for him.


    Again and again, Blacknail sliced and swung his sword but the ooze remained unfazed. The hobgoblin was forced to retreat as the skeleton lurched towards him with outstretched arms. If the slime got a hold of him it would be difficult to get free and the monster would quickly squeeze the life from him.


    This fight wasn¡¯t going anywhere. The skeleton was too slow to hit Blacknail, but he couldn¡¯t hurt it either. He needed to change things up. Imp certainly wasn¡¯t helping. He was just standing back and watching the fight. That wasn¡¯t what minions were for!


    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me do this, aren¡¯t you?¡± Blacknail muttered at Imp as he readied himself.


    A second later, he lunged towards the slime. He was holding his sword down low, and as he charged he thrust it towards the skeleton¡¯s chest with all his might. He needed to break some bones.


    Before the slime could react, Blacknail¡¯s sword slammed into its chest. The tip of the blade cut through the slime and hit a pair of ribs. For a moment, the bones seemed to stop the attack, but then they shattered. The blade slipped right through the skeleton¡¯s chest.


    Unfortunately for Blacknail, he couldn¡¯t stop his charge. He had built up way too much momentum. It carried him right into his opponent, and they both fell over in a tangle.


    ¡°Ugh, this feels icky!¡± Blacknail cried after hitting the ground. The slime had already begun enveloping him. It had firm hold on him now, and that wasn¡¯t good.


    Suppressing his disgust, Blacknail let go of his sword and fought to keep one hand free. As the slime spread towards his face and pulled him down, the hobgoblin plunged his hand through the skeleton¡¯s broken ribs and began feeling around. The thick slime moved around his fingers and made it hard to tell if he was hitting anything. He needed to destroy the thing¡¯s organs.


    The ooze bubbled up and covered Blacknail¡¯s mouth. The hobgoblin couldn¡¯t get free now and he had only a few seconds left to find his opponent¡¯s weak spot. Where was the damned thing? He should have already grabbed it. This wasn¡¯t the first time Blacknail had stuck his hand inside a human chest cavity, it wasn¡¯t that large!


    A burning sensation flared to life within Blacknail¡¯s lungs. He couldn¡¯t breathe, or even get his hands loose so he could try to pry his mouth open. Where in all the hells was that organ! What did humans even mean when the talked about the hells? It was all so confusing. He was getting too weak¡­


    A loud cracking noise splintered the quiet, right next to Blacknail¡¯s head. He flinched and glanced in that direction. The sight of a shattered skull filled his vision. A large rock had smashed open the dome of the slime¡¯s stolen skull, and a pair of green hands was holding the rock. As Blacknail watched, black fluid began to leak out of the cracked remains of the skull¡¯s eye sockets, and the slime holding him went limp. The organ had been in the skull, not the chest.


    ¡°That was my plan all along. I set that up for you,¡± Blacknail told Imp as he sat up and began coughing. There was slime in his throat. It did not taste great.


    ¡°Of course, boss. Your mighty struggle was amazing,¡± Imp replied flatly.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if he was being sincere, but he was too tired ¨C and slimy - to care right now. He stood up and began wiping himself off. The fallen skeleton was at his feet and the now inactive ooze was sloughing off of its bones.


    Before he was anywhere near clean, there was a scuttling sound from where the slime had come from. Both hobgoblins looked over to see a pale crab-like creature emerge from the rocks and stare back at them. It was the size of a large dog.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Blacknail told Imp.


    The other hobgoblin didn¡¯t argue. Blacknail grabbed the sack of gold and they scrambled out of the cave. They had gotten what they had come for anyway, so there was no point in sticking around.


    The first thing Blacknail did after leaving the cave was to jump in a deep pool of water and change his clothes. Once all the slime had been washed away, Blacknail and Imp went to talk to Elyias. They found the man sitting atop one of the hills at the edge of the camp. He was looking outward towards the forest, and his slouching posture made him seem tired and depressed. What a whiner.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Elyias asked when he spotted the hobgoblins approaching.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Blacknail countered cheerfully.


    ¡°To leave and get back to civilization,¡± Elyias replied. He didn¡¯t sound amused.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ are you being serious?¡±


    ¡°Why would I lie?¡±


    ¡°Because you find it amusing?¡±


    Blacknail fought to keep the serious look on his face. Elyias had him there, but that wasn¡¯t the case now. ¡°No, I want to take you back to human lands. Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Like all the demons in all the hells are chasing me,¡± Elyias replied. His eyes had gone wide with surprise and hope. It was sort of cute, in a kickable way.


    ¡°Good, we leave tomorrow,¡± Blacknail told the young man. The hobgoblin¡¯s lips had twisted into an amused grin. ¡°There are just two things you have to do for me?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°First, I command you to tell everyone about Shelter. You need to convince people to come here.¡±


    ¡°Ha, whatever floats your boat. Get me out of the wilds and I¡¯ll do anything you say.¡±


    Blacknail grinned knowingly to himself. Elyias thought he was being clever. Blacknail knew the man planned on running at the first chance he got. Why did humans always underestimate him? ¡°Yes, you will. You won¡¯t run or forget my orders because of the second thing I need from you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Elyias asked cautiously.


    ¡°I need you to take this with you,¡± Blacknail explained as he reached into the sac and pulled out a lump of yellow rock. ¡°When you¡¯ve done as you¡¯ve been told, I will give you more.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s highly suspicious,¡± Elyias observed as he stared at the gold. ¡°But I really can¡¯t say no.¡±


    ¡°No. No, you can¡¯t,¡± Blacknail replied as he winked at an impressed looking Imp.

 It Echoes Onward 7

    ¡°Do you remember what you have to do?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Ya, it¡¯s not that complicated, just stupid. Why are you doing this?¡± Elyias countered.


    The hobgoblin and the young man were standing outside of a small inn. Blacknail was hooded to conceal his unnaturally good looks, so that he wouldn¡¯t attract attention. After trudging back along the route through the forest they had taken to Shelter, the pair had eventually found a major human road, which had led them here to this inn. The journey had taken a week and all of it had been long and boring. Blacknail had spent the entire time annoying Elyias and making him do chores, most of which had been utterly pointless, but fun to watch.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know why I¡¯m doing this. Just repeat your orders. It¡¯s important,¡± Blacknail hissed at Elyias.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m supposed to find some of Werrick¡¯s men and tell them about Shelter. I¡¯m not supposed to mention you or any of Herad¡¯s old minions, but I have to tell them about there being heaps of gold there.¡±


    ¡°Good, and do you remember what will happen if you don¡¯t obey my orders or mess this up by doing some stupid human thing?¡±


    ¡°I remember. You promised to gut me like a fish and hang my nude corpse from a village gate,¡± Elyias replied dryly.


    ¡°You make me sound so mean! I¡¯m just trying to help you remember everything properly. Motivation is important!¡± Blacknail protested. ¡°Also, on that topic, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t find you if you try to run. I can follow you through a city. Herad¡¯s enemies weren¡¯t safe from me in Daggerpoint. I hunted them down like rats.¡±


    ¡°Rats? What? Agh, never mind. I thought I was finally going to be free of you,¡± Elyias muttered under his breath as he turned towards the inn door.


    Blacknail¡¯s ears were sensitive enough to pick up his words, but he just smiled to himself. He didn¡¯t say anything as Elyias disappeared through the door, leaving Blacknail alone on the long dusty road.


    The inn was an isolated building that served as a safe house for travelers. It was a solidly built structure that looked like it had been designed with defense in mind. There was a stable off to one side, and Blacknail could hear several horses neighing and whinnying inside it. The hobgoblin had to resist the urge to burn the whole thing down. Killing a few disgusting and obnoxious horses wasn¡¯t worth messing up his amazing plan. The stable did look really flammable though. There was hay everywhere¡­


    ¡°I paid for a good bed. I demand better than this!¡± a woman yelled from inside the inn. The noise derailed Blacknail¡¯s train of thought.


    ¡°Well, Elyias is finally back among his own kind, whiny people, so I should get moving,¡± the hobgoblin told himself before turning and starting to walk away.


    He had a long journey ahead of himself. Without stopping , he travelled down the road for the rest for the day. By the time the sun was starting to set he had almost driven himself crazy.


    He was so bored! He hated being alone. He wasn¡¯t used to it anymore. Blacknail hissed in frustration as he looked down the road. Being the leader was pointless if there was no one to brag to or boss around. He already regretted leaving Elyias behind, but he¡¯d had no choice. The plan was more important than anything else. He would just have to find another human that was even more fun to torment.


    Boredom was one of the main reasons he hadn¡¯t become a feral hobgoblin after Saeter had died. It had been tempting to leave the whiny humans behind, but if he¡¯d obeyed his instincts and ran off into the woods then there wouldn¡¯t be anyone for him to agonize or lord-over. Being around stupid humans and shifty-eyed hobgoblins he couldn¡¯t trust was dangerous, but there was more to life than just living, like cheese.


    When night came, Blacknail pulled off his pack and unrolled his blanket. He was always able to find some sort of crevice or nook to sleep in. The forest was full of predators, but only a few of them hunted during the blackest part of the night, and fewer still would dare prey on a hobgoblin.


    By the third day, hiking along the dusty road past all the trees was really starting to get old. If he looked up, there were some clouds and some mountains on the horizon, but those weren¡¯t exactly riveting either. Blacknail found himself talking to random birds that were up in the trees. They chirped a lot but they didn¡¯t talk back.


    When Blacknail finally drew close to his destination, several more days had passed, and he was desperate for company. All the hobgoblins had been too busy to come with him, every goblin was worthless, and he¡¯d rather swallow a spiny toad than spend so much time alone with Khita. However, he should have forced at least one of the hobgoblins to come along. There was several hours worth of hiking left until he got home, and they were going to be excruciatingly dull.


    Letting out a deep sigh, Blacknail passed underneath a huge slanted tree that overshadowed the path. The giant had partially fallen over some time ago, but it was still alive. The forest around the hobgoblin was quiet. The short leafy bushes and tall tree trunks around him were still.


    Suddenly, an uncomfortable tingle spread across Blacknail¡¯s back and up his neck. Was it perhaps too quiet? Wasn¡¯t there usually more birdsong and scurrying noises? Blacknail stopped walking. He turned to look around. Nothing seemed out of place, but he still felt on edge.


    Cautiously, Blacknail began walking again. He couldn¡¯t just wait around all day. He had places to be. If he was walking a little quicker than before it wasn¡¯t because he was afraid. Ha, that would be ridiculous. He was the hunter, not the hunted.


    Just then, Blacknail heard a rustling. It sounded like something was in the bushes, and creeping closer to him. He kept walking as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, but he also surreptitiously glanced over his shoulder towards the noise. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a patch of grey fur. Blacknail began to walk a little faster and one of his hands grasped the hilt of his blade. He really should have brought someone else along.


    As he hustled along the path, Blacknail was careful to keep his eyes open and to walk close to tree trunks so one of his sides was covered. A snapping sound from behind him - like a twig breaking - reminded him that he was being followed. He needed to do something about that, but first he needed to figure out exactly what sort of situation he was in. Proper tactics were important.


    There was a huge tree up ahead. The giant stood alone; no bushes or other trees were within two dozen feet of it. Its trunk was wider than Blacknail¡¯s arms and covered in pale smooth bark. Most importantly, there was a pair of low hanging branches on it. Blacknail dashed forward towards the tree. When he reached it, he planted his feet, and drew his blade as he spun around. The sword whirred through the air until it came to a stop up in a guard position in front of Blacknail¡¯s face. The hobgoblin grimaced in determination as he took a defensive stance and prepared himself for combat.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Immediately, there was an explosion of leaves, as several low shapes burst out from the underbrush. Four of them were normal wolves, while the fifth was much larger and had a small crystalline horn on its head. It was the mutant wolf that attacked Blacknail¡¯s base! The alpha snarled as it led its pack mates in a charge towards the hobgoblin warrior. The beast¡¯s eyes shone with mad hunger.


    ¡°Nope, bye,¡± Blacknail exclaimed as he dropped his sword.


    The hobgoblin then turned and leaped towards the closest branch on the tree behind him. There was no way he was going to fight so many wolves by himself. As he grabbed the branch and began pulling himself up, one of the wolves jumped after him.


    ¡°Ah, my butt! I need that,¡± Blacknail screeched as a set of teeth grazed his ass and tore through his pants.


    The hanging hobgoblin flinched and quickly threw himself up out of the way. He landed on top of a solid branch, and then immediately jumped up to the next one, just in case. Only then did he stop and take a second to glance at the seat of his pants. There was a long gash through them, although the skin beneath had only been scratched. The wound hurt, though. His butt was a tender area, and the damage to his trousers annoyed Blacknail. He didn¡¯t have a lot of spare pairs of pants. They were difficult to loot unless you didn¡¯t mind them smelling really bad. In battle, humans leaked quite a few different fluids, none of which were fragrant.


    Beneath him, the alpha wolf leaped up onto the side of the tree and began scrambling up the bark. It growled as its jaws snapped on empty air. Up on his branch, Blacknail flinched again and leaned back away. However, the huge beast quickly lost its grip. It slipped back down to the ground and landed on all fours.


    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re just a stupid mutt without any hands. Grow some thumbs, loser,¡± Blacknail laughed as he stuck his tongue out.


    The alpha stared up at the hobgoblin. Its yellow eyes were narrowed hatefully. Blacknail spat down at it, but his wet projectile missed completely, and the alpha growled again.


    ¡°Just wait, I got a present for you!¡± Blacknail said as he rummaged around in his pouches for his sling.


    The wolf seemed to recognize the weapon, because as Blacknail began loading it, the beast let out a quick howl and then darted off back into the bushes. Its companions followed it, leaving Blacknail up the tree with nothing to shoot at. Several minutes passed.


    ¡°Are they gone?¡± Blacknail muttered darkly to himself as he tried to peer through the undergrowth below.


    The wolves weren¡¯t visible, but that didn¡¯t mean they were really gone. They might be laying in ambush, waiting for Blacknail to come down so they could tear him to bits. The alpha had seemed like a cunning beast with a twisty mind. It wasn¡¯t truly intelligent, of course, but it was the next best thing, sort of like a human.


    Everything was quiet for several more minutes as Blacknail waited up in the tree. The longer he waited the more frustrated he grew. This was not how a great hobgoblin chieftain was supposed to spend his time. He was a hunter without equal, not a squirrel. He should be doing hobgoblin chieftain things, like um¡­ sitting on a pile of skulls? Why didn¡¯t he have a pile of skulls? That sounded amazing.


    Wait, that was a problem for another time. He should focus on the situation at hand, the wolves. Blacknail thought over his options. He really only had two. Sit in the tree or climb down.


    ¡°They are probably gone. The dumb mutts probably lost interest and went to find something less dangerous to attack,¡± Blacknail reassured himself before jumping down to the lower branch.


    He then carefully studied the nearby bushes before making the last leap down to the ground. When no slavering wolves jumped out at him he picked his sword off the ground and resumed heading down the trail that led him back towards Shelter. It wasn¡¯t like he had much choice.


    Before he had gone more than a few feet, a loud crash and a squeal echoed through the trees. He tensed, but it sounded like it was coming from far away. Was it the wolves?


    After stopping and listening, Blacknail decided to check it out. If the wolves were really making all the noise he wanted to know what they were doing. He might be losing a chance to put some distance between himself and the beasts, but he much preferred being the hunter over the hunted. He wasn¡¯t about to let a bunch of arrogant dogs chase him all the way home.


    There was another loud squeal. Blacknail turned and began creeping towards the sound. He kept low and skulked through the bushes as he moved. His long green ears were erect as they listened for even the slightest sound. The tiniest warning could save him if this was a trick.


    Blacknail soon found what he was looking for. As he peered out from behind a tree, the hobgoblin saw an unfolding battle. There was a steep rocky cliff up ahead. At the base of the hill, the alpha wolf and several of its pack mates were circling around a herd of boars.


    One of the boars was a gigantic beast. It had dark brown fur with subtle black stripes and long pointy tusks. The giant towered over even the alpha wolf by two or three feet. The normal wolves looked small and harmless next to its huge girth. Around half a dozen smaller pigs were hiding behind their larger companion. They looked to be sticking close to a small crevice in the side of the hill and trying to keep out of the fight.


    With the support of his pack mates, the alpha was darting in to bite at the large boar¡¯s heels and exposed flank. It was smaller than its prey but its speed and strength were unnatural. The alpha was having no trouble getting past the boars¡¯ defenses. It showed no fear, and its teeth were already wet with blood.


    Since no one and nothing was looking in his direction, Blacknail decided to circle around and get a better view. He headed up towards the hill. That seemed like a defensible spot and he would definitely get a good view up there. The sounds of battle continued behind him as he moved.


    There were several large rocks on top of the hill. Blacknail crept up behind the one closest to the edge and looked down. At the bottom of the rocky ridge, one of the smaller wolves dove into the melee. It lunged at the back of one of the boars as the alpha distracted it, but it was too slow. The boar turned and head-butted the wolf before it could pull back. The wolf whined in pain as it was sent flying and hit a tree.


    This enraged the alpha wolf. It growled angrily, jumped on the boar¡¯s back, and sank its long sharp teeth into the beast¡¯s neck. Another loud squeal filled the air as the boar bucked and tried to shake itself free. The other wolves took the opportunity to jump in and began harassing the smaller pigs. A ragged din of high-pitched squealing and hungry growls quickly filled the air.


    As Blacknail watched all this, he weighed his options. It certainly seemed like the wolves were going to win, and that wasn¡¯t good for him. They had already attacked both him and his tribe. Briefly, he considered stringing his bow and taking a shot at the alpha, but it would probably take more than an arrow or two to hurt a mutant like that.


    Blacknail¡¯s attention was drawn back to the fight, when the boar finally managed to dislodge its attacker. It spun itself around in tight circle and the alpha came loose and hit the ground. The wolf rolled a few times before getting back to its feet, but the boar was already charging. The wolf tried to jump out of the way, but the huge pig managed to graze its foe. Its tusks cut into the wolf¡¯s side and drew blood.


    However, the now bloodied mutant was far from out of the fight. It calmly landed and began circling the boar again. Its yellow eyes were alive with excitement, not pain. The boar was the one that seemed to be on its last legs. It was huffing and puffing fitfully as it limped around. It looked ready to collapse at any second.


    Up above, Blacknail frowned to himself. The alpha was wounded and its pack mates were hurt and distracted. Blacknail knew he would likely never have a better chance than this to even the score. He needed to come up with a plan, one that would actually work.


    The rock Blacknail was leaning on suddenly shifted ever so slightly, and a new idea occurred to the hobgoblin. He grinned maliciously to himself as he looked around for a branch. He quickly found one he could use, so he jammed it under the large rock and began pushing. There was a low crack as the boulder came loose and began rolling down the hill. It hit several smaller stones on the way down and a small rockslide formed.


    The wave of jagged rock hurtled downwards at the beasts below. Blacknail laughed joyfully at the sight and rubbed his hands together in glee. Down below, the alpha finally looked up and away from his lagging foe. The noise from all the fighting animals had been drowning out the sound of the rocks until they got closer. Blacknail was sure he saw a terrified expression appear on the wolf¡¯s face for a moment, before it howled fearfully and turned to run away.


    ¡°Too late! You¡¯re going to get smooshed flat,¡± Blacknail yelled down at the mutant. There was a savage victorious grin on his face. No dog was ever going to get away with hurting him!


    That grin faltered though, when the ground beneath Blacknail¡¯s feet suddenly shifted. He lost his balance. There was a loud grinding noise from below, and then the part of the hill Blacknail was standing on began to come apart and slide down the slope.


    ¡°Ah, harpy shit,¡± the hobgoblin cursed as he fell.

 It Echoes Onward 8

    Small stones bounced through the air all around Blacknail as he slid down the side of the hill. He desperately fought to keep his balance, but the rocks beneath his feet kept moving. All he could do was to try not to hit anything on the way down. A large rock rose before him, so the hobgoblin jumped to the side. After landing, he had to reach down and catch himself, but he barely managed to keep from falling on his ass as he slid down the slope.


    At the bottom of the hill, the first wave of stones reached the beasts fighting down below. Most of the shards were small and harmless, but there were some larger ones, including the original boulder Blacknail had knocked free. That huge rock was rolling right towards the alpha wolf.


    The mutant wolf had turned and fled from his fight with the huge boar a few moments ago, when it had noticed the incoming rockslide. The injured boar was too exhausted to escape, and it knew it. Instead of running, it turned to face the rocks and hunkered down. The other wolves and pigs were fleeing in all directions.


    The wave of stones washed over the huge boar and then rushed past it without slowing. Wolves and pigs were thrown in every direction and crushed by rock. The alpha wolf dodged to the side to avoid the huge boulder, but then a smaller rock smashed into its head. The mutant canine was sent rolling across the ground and was then hit by a shower of smaller stones.


    Blacknail would have cheered but he was too busy trying to keep himself in one piece. The hobgoblin was still sliding down the slope amidst a wave of dust and rock. Most the large rocks were in front of him but that didn¡¯t mean he was safe. There was a lot of momentum carrying him down the hill, and even a small rock could crack open his skull.


    A few moments and some near misses later, the hobgoblin reached the bottom of the hill. He leaped over a pile of rocks and then kept running as he weaved his way forward past all the obstacles. As he ran, Blacknail tried to backpedal and slow himself down, but his momentum was too strong. Then he stepped on a small round stone.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± the hobgoblin said as he tripped and his foot flew up into the air. This was going to hurt.


    It did. Blacknail hit the uneven ground hard. More than a few sharp stones dug into the flesh of his back. He gasped painfully as he started rolling. Even more pointy objects stabbed into him as he rolled. When he finally came to stop, a cloud of gravel fell on top of him.


    ¡°Ouch,¡± Blacknail groaned as he picked himself up. He then spat to one side. His mouth was full of dust. It tasted like he¡¯d tried to chew rocks.


    The hobgoblin looked around. There were several large dust clouds hanging low close to the ground but they were already beginning to blow away. Loose rocks were strewn about everywhere, but Blacknail saw no immediate threats, so he took a second to check his body for injuries. He had quite a few new tender areas, but nothing seemed broken. It would take more than a mere rockslide to defeat Blacknail!


    With his checkup done, Blacknail went looking for the alpha wolf. The creature had definitely been hit by the rockslide and it had already been wounded. This was far too good of a chance to pass off. The wolf was probably already dead, but if it wasn¡¯t, Blacknail was going to finish it off. This was his territory and no mutant was going to get away with attacking him!


    The pile of rocks covering his target wasn¡¯t that far away, so Blacknail headed over towards it. He smacked the side of his head a few times to get the rocks out of his ears as he walked. He had no idea how they had gotten in there.


    The fallen body of the giant boar was off to one side. It looked even bigger from up close, but it also looked very dead. Large bleeding gashes had been torn in it sides and it was breathlessly still. Since it wasn¡¯t a concern, unless he got hungry, Blacknail turned away from the boar and focused on the wolf up ahead.


    As Blacknail walked, he drew his sword. The alpha wolf had been hit by a wave of rock so it was probably long dead, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t about to underestimate a mutant. They could be freakishly tough. He might have to stick it a few time to finish it off. He hoped he would; that sounded like fun.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make me a wolf fur blanket and a maybe a pretty tooth necklace too,¡± the hobgoblin bragged as he smiled confidently.


    The hobgoblin approached the buried alpha wolf, and kicked a stone away. He couldn¡¯t see much of the wolf beneath the rock, only a few patches of fur. Suddenly, the entire mound shuddered and began to rise. Rocks fell away to reveal the back of a huge furry shape. Blacknail took a step back. He didn¡¯t like where this was going.


    The creature then turned and looked at the hobgoblin. It was without a doubt the alpha wolf, and it looked mad. Its yellow eyes were narrowed hatefully at Blacknail. A few bits stripes of blood decorated its fur but it didn¡¯t seem all that wounded. As the hobgoblin watched, the creature¡¯s fur seemed to darken and go flat. The sudden change made it obvious the wolf¡¯s fur had been weirdly fluffy and shiny a moment ago.


    The wolf shook itself to remove some of the dust and dirt that covered its body, and then it snarled menacingly. Its lips rose up to reveal the many sharp teeth in its maw as the menacing sound reached Blacknail¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Cheater,¡± Blacknail remarked resentfully. He then reached into a padded pocket in his shirt and pulled out a thick glass vial. It was his last vial of Elixir. He hurriedly popped the cork and downed the pink contents. He had a feeling he was going to need it. The alpha had obviously used some sort of weird power to protect itself.


    The wolf was still fairly dirty and it shook itself again. Blacknail didn¡¯t waste the opportunity. A hot flash of energy went through his body as he burned Elixir and lunged forward. His sword whirred around into a downward slash that was aimed right at his opponent¡¯s neck.


    Blacknail moved with incredible speed, but the wolf didn¡¯t even try to dodge. Instead, it held its ground and growled. The fur all along its body instantly puffed out and grew shinier. It almost looked like crystalline spikes.


    The sword hit the fur and was violently repelled. The force of the blow recoiled up Blacknail¡¯s arm. The sword vibrated in his hand for an instant and then it shattered. Bits of metal flew away as the blade was snapped in half.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Blacknail hissed at he stared at his now completely destroyed weapon. This wasn¡¯t going the way he had planned. He hated magic.


    A moment later, the wolf¡¯s fur softened and went flat again, and it lunged at the hobgoblin. Its jaws opened wide to reveal jagged yellow teeth, black gums, and a long slimy tongue. Blacknail immediately threw himself out of the way. The mutant¡¯s teeth snapped shut on the empty air where his head had been a brief moment ago, and a drop of warm drool splashed against his neck.


    As panic caused his heart to speed up, Blacknail threw his broken sword down and drew a long dagger. He was just in time, the wolf attacked again. It came in low to snap at his feet, but Blacknail managed to twist to the side and slash at the creature¡¯s head. The power of the Elixir was already seeping into his body and lightening his movements, and this time his blade cut through the fur and drew blood. However, the glancing blow only left a shallow scratch.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Both combatants stepped back and eyed each other. Blacknail knew he was in danger but trying to flee never even occurred to him. He was face to face with another predator. Backing down would only put him at a disadvantage. He had to win no matter what the cost.


    The potent energy from the Elixir was rushing through Blacknail¡¯s body. It threw his mind into overdrive. His first attack had been completely ineffective, but the second had worked. It seemed like the beast¡¯s fur was only tough when it was shiny. The wolf also moved slower then, so it transformed its hair only as a last ditch defense. Blacknail could use that, somehow.


    The wolf let out a deep growl as it began to circle around the hobgoblin. Its every step brought it slightly closer, and Blacknail had to continue turning to keep his eyes locked on it. Before he got dizzy, Blacknail snarled and slashed at the wolf. It was only a feint, but the beast jumped back out of the way.


    Sensing an opportunity, Blacknail drew another dagger and whipped it at the mutant¡¯s head. The knife spun as it whirred through the air, and then it sailed right over the wolf¡¯s head and hit a tree. The blade didn¡¯t even sink into the wood; it bounced off into a nearby bush.


    ¡°Ya, I never really learned how to do that right,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself in disappointment. It had looked really cool when he saw bandits do it, though.


    The throw wasn¡¯t a complete waste. The startled wolf ducked low and its fur went spiky again for second, but then it realized the hobgoblin had missed, and it growled at him again. Blacknail growled back and raised his dagger menacingly. He was feeling confident. The Elixir was flowing through his body and strengthening it. He felt no pain or weariness. So what if the wolf was a mutant? He was Blacknail, the greatest hobgoblin warrior in the history of ever! He had no equal.


    Blacknail lunged forward to attack again. He slashed at his opponent¡¯s eyes. The wolf tried to twist around the attack and get at Blacknail, but the hobgoblin was ready. He reversed the direction of his slash and drove the beast off.


    The wolf¡¯s yellow eyes focused on Blacknail as it hunched down, and an instant later the wolf leapt up. It jumped straight for the hobgoblin¡¯s chest. Blacknail grinned in bloody anticipation as he aimed his dagger at the creature¡¯s exposed throat, but then its fur rose up again and hardened.


    At the last moment, the hobgoblin was forced to throw himself down. He rolled across the ground and away from the wolf. Unfortunately, the mutant landed and spun around before he could get back up. With a victorious growl, it charged. Blacknail raised an arm to shield his head, and the wolf¡¯s jaws closed down on it. Teeth sank through his heavy leather coat and into his arm.


    ¡°Bloody gods and piss everywhere,¡± Blacknail gasped as the pain hit him.


    Instead of flinching though, he channeled his pain into anger. With lightening-like speed he stabbed at one of the wolf¡¯s eyes with the dagger in his other hand. His mind wasn¡¯t muddled by fear or pain, but focused by them instead. The here and now was all that mattered. He had to win.


    The dagger¡¯s tip headed right for the wolf¡¯s iris, and the wolf reacted immediately. Instead of letting go, it dropped its weight and pulled Blacknail off balance. The hobgoblin stumbled and clenched his jaw as the beast¡¯s teeth dug deeper into his flesh. Blacknail¡¯s attack missed, but he didn¡¯t waste any time. He growled as he slashed at the wolf¡¯s eyes again.


    This time, the beast twisted around and let go of his arm. The action caught Blacknail by surprise. He was thrown violently to the side and flew through the air until he hit the ground and started rolling. Disorientated, his body knocked aside loose rocks. He reached with his hands and tried to grab something, but then a solid object smashed into the back of his head. There was a loud crack. Blacknail¡¯s head jerked forward and his neck twisted. For a moment, everything seemed fine. It was just another minor wound. The fight was still going on, and he couldn¡¯t back down. Blacknail growled as he tried to stand up, but then his body suddenly went limp. As he fell, his vision went black.


    ¡­


    Blacknail was sinking into cold nothingness. Like chains, the darkness held him down. It was so cold that even thinking was hard. What was going on? Who was he?


    A ring of stones rose up into sight. The darkness rippled away from them like black water. Crude symbols decorated the weathered grey monoliths. Their lines and whirls were hypnotic even though they held no meaning to Blacknail. He remembered seeing something like them once¡­


    Then there was light. At first it was a pin prick, but it grew until a blazing sun hung overhead. A giant appeared in the light. The blaze behind it obscured its features, but it was looking down at Blacknail. The hobgoblin could feel it studying him with unseen eyes that pierced everything. He felt acceptance instead of judgment, but that didn¡¯t matter to him. He didn¡¯t care what anyone else thought. Actions were what mattered.


    Suddenly, one of the stones began to topple. As it fell, it hit the next one in line, and that stone began to fall. Soon the entire ring would collapse. All the commotion energized Blacknail. He began to struggle against the cold waters dragging him down. He couldn¡¯t afford to stay here. He had plans! He had no idea what those plans were, but he remembered having them!


    The giant noticed the flailing. It reached down with one dark hand and grabbed Blacknail. There was a sucking sound as it dragged him out of the cold water. Then, just as the third stone was beginning to fall, the giant took the hobgoblin and wedged him beneath the stone so that it stopped falling. Blacknail felt a heavy weight push down on him. He couldn¡¯t see his own body but he felt it shift and deform under the pressure ever so slightly. There was a popping sound, and he opened his eyes.


    ¡­


    Blacknail was lying on his back. Fragmented flashes of some sort of vision or dream ran through his mind. Had he fallen unconscious for a second? There was a rock poking painfully into his side, and a huge mutant wolf jumping at his face. Normally that would mean he had but a few scant moments to live, but everything seemed to be moving very slowly, like he was underwater. The wolf hung suspended in the air. Blacknail could clearly see its grey fur, yellow teeth, and long claws.


    The hobgoblin knew his body was too battered and bruised to react properly. He wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid the wolf¡¯s attack in time. Death seemed certain, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t about to give up. Purpose filled him. Vengeance still smoldered within his heart, but it was more than that. He would live! He would conquer! If his body wasn¡¯t up to the task then he would simply find another way.


    Time continued to pass, even if it was at a slower rate. The wolf was closer now. Soon it would land atop Blacknail and its jaws would close down on his neck. The Elixir was still coursing through the hobgoblin¡¯s body. Blacknail could feel its energy empowering every fiber of his being. With no other option, he drew on every bit of it he could gather up. It burned within him with nowhere to go.


    The energy was too much. His muscles couldn¡¯t burn it nearly fast enough. The pressure built up and began to rip the hobgoblin apart from the inside. Just when Blacknail was sure he was about to burst, the energy found an escape. The power surged into Blacknail¡¯s head and then exploded outward. There was a path for it there that had only ever seen a trickle, but now it was being flooded.


    Invisible energy struck towards the wolf and ripped into it. Time sped back up.


    Birds exploded out of all the nearby trees and flew up into the sky. The wolf yelped in surprise and began to writhe in midair. Instead of landing on Blacknail, it hit the ground next to him on an awkward angle. There was loud thud as its back slammed into the ground. Its fur was standing up so straight that it looked sharp in places.


    Blacknail was already moving. He threw himself atop the writhing wolf without any care for his own safety. Rage drove him. This place was his, and he was the strongest!


    A claw scraped against Blacknail¡¯s chest but he twisted around it so he could get in closer. The wolf seemed to recover from whatever had confused it. It tried to push away from the hobgoblin and get back on its feet, but its thick fur slowed it down and restricted its movements.


    As the last remnants of Elixir burned up within him, Blacknail grabbed a tuff of fur on the wolf¡¯s neck, pulled himself over, and then stabbed at the creature¡¯s closest eye with the dagger in his hand. There was no oddly tough fur there. The blade sank into the fleshy orb, and then Blacknail twisted the blade in deeper. Blood poured out of the wound, and the wolf yelped.


    The beast¡¯s hind legs hit Blacknail hips and knocked him aside. He lost his grip on his weapon, and he landed off to one side of the wolf. The furious hobgoblin immediately tried to get back up, but his muscles suddenly gave out on him. He stumbled before managing to get back on his feet.


    Meanwhile, the wolf flailed about. It seemed to try to scratch the sky for several seconds, but then it let out a deep wheezing breath and flopped down onto its side. Blacknail drew another dagger from within his coat and stared at the beast for several long seconds, but it lay still.


    ¡°Ha, now you¡¯re dead. Stupid mutt,¡± the hobgoblin exclaimed viciously.


    He then spat a mixture of blood and mucus to the side and collapsed into a sitting position on the ground. He was really tired all of a sudden. It had been a long day.

 It Echoes Onward 9

    The sound of his own deep breathing filled Blacknail¡¯s ears as he sat among the loose rocks from the landslide. The corpse of the huge boar lay behind him and in front of him was the fallen body of the mutant wolf. The bloody beast was finally dead. Blacknail had killed it.


    Not that the outcome had ever been in question. Sure, the monster had been tough, but Blacknail was a master ranger and swordsman. He could beat anything.


    Now, Blacknail was taking a quick break. The energy from the fight and the Elixir were starting to wear off. Pain was beginning to flare up as Blacknail lost the numbness caused by his rage, and he had more than a few injuries. The wolf had gotten in several good blows and had bitten Blacknail¡¯s arm quite hard. The hobgoblin had also fallen down a hill and hit the back of his head against a rock so hard he lost consciousness. He was probably going to need to stitch himself up.


    It was a good thing he¡¯d managed to stun the wolf with that thingy¡­ Wait, had he just used Elixir to do some sort of special magic?


    ¡°I¡¯m magic!¡± Blacknail remarked in excitement as he perked up. Ow, the sudden motion had hurt his neck.


    All Vessels were technically magic users. That¡¯s why they had increased strength and speed, but real magic was flashier than that. What was the point unless you could do something impressive like breath fire?


    ¡°Now I¡¯m the greatest magic hobgoblin warrior ever!¡± Blacknail announced proudly to the empty air. ¡°And I¡¯m the leader.¡±


    What exactly had he done, though? The wolf had seemed to spasm and panic. The hobgoblin hadn¡¯t shot fire out of his eyes or zapped it with magic death beams, but whatever he had done had also scared the nearby birds in flight. Scared¡­. Was that it? Had he simply used magic to terrify the wolf into running away?


    That sort of sucked. He wanted to shoot fire out of his eyes. Well, at least he was alive and could brag about having real magic. He might even be able to use it to finally get Khita to leave him alone.


    Hmm, maybe his power wasn¡¯t so bad, even if it wasn¡¯t fancy looking. There were probably a lot of great and terrible things he could accomplish with such a power, like jumping out at people to scare them silly. He couldn¡¯t wait to see the faces of some of his human minions!


    ¡°Oh, wait,¡± Blacknail suddenly muttered to himself. He had a problem. He was out of Elixir now. He had used his entire last vial to fight the wolf, and Blacknail had no idea where to find more. He couldn¡¯t ask Mahedium.


    The sun overhead was heating up Blacknail¡¯s clothes, so he got up and shuffled under a nearby tree. Once there, he pulled off his torn clothes and took out some supplies. His wounds needed looking after. Blacknail gritted his teeth as he applied stinging ointment to himself and sowed up the deeper cuts. When that was done, he took a seat on a large root that jutted out from the bottom of the tree, leaned back, and closed his eyes. He needed a quick break.


    No strange dreams overcame him as he rested in the cool shade. The birds resumed their chirping and a breeze blew through the trees. The tired hobgoblin nodded off.


    Time passed. A shuffling sound intruded into Blacknail¡¯s sleepy mind. He lazily opened one eye and looked around for the source. There was movement a few feet away, over where he¡¯d dropped his bag. Someone was going through it. Was that Scamp? Blacknail stared at the hobgoblin. It was Scamp!


    As Blacknail watched, Scamp finished rummaging through the bag. The other hobgoblin pulled a knife out of the sack and then causally ambled over towards Blacknail. He was still holding the knife up, as if he had plans to use it.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail hissed angrily as he opened his eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure what Scamp was planning, and because he was a hobgoblin he was untrustworthy.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake,¡± Scamp remarked in surprise as he hid the knife he was holding behind his back.


    ¡°Answer the question.¡±


    ¡°You were making a lot of noise. Rocks go boom and stuff. We could hear you at base, so Gob made me come here and check it out. I¡¯ve been hunting a lot lately. Sometimes Gob doesn¡¯t let me back inside the camp unless I bring meat back with me. He¡¯s mean.¡±


    ¡°And why were going through my bag?¡±


    ¡°Um, in case there was something dangerous in there?¡± Scamp replied uncertainly. ¡°You never know.¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. He may be injured and tired, but he could still beat up Scamp without any real problems. The only reason he didn¡¯t was because he wanted someone to carry his gear. Scamp couldn¡¯t do that with a broken limb or two.


    ¡°Give me my dagger back,¡± Blacknail said as he climbed to his feet and held out his hand.


    Scamp smiled sheepishly and did as he was told. As Blacknail was tucking the blade away, three goblins approached the hobgoblins. They were from the camp and had clearly come with Scamp.


    ¡°Come look, little beasts!¡± the leader of the group announced excitedly as he threw his hands up above his head.


    Neither Blacknail nor Scamp had any idea what he was talking about, so they followed the energetic goblin over to the base of the hill. There were rocks everywhere now, but Blacknail recognized the spot that the boars had been protecting. Another goblin was standing just outside of the small fissure there. Blacknail pushed the others aside and peered inside. He immediately spotted what the goblin had been talking about.


    There were nine small piglets tucked away in the back of the hole. They were all piled on top of each other for warmth and their little pink snouts stuck out from the mass of their brown striped fur.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking these,¡± Blacknail announced as he reached in and pulled one of the critters out. The little thing squinted up at the hobgoblin and then let out an unimpressed grunt.


    ¡°Why?¡± Scamp asked.


    ¡°They look tasty and since they aren¡¯t dead yet they will stay fresh for a while.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me,¡± Blacknail agreed as he put the piglet back with the others.


    There was no point sticking around. Blacknail had recovered somewhat from his fight with the wolf. Whatever Elixir had been left in his system had all been used up to help him heal. He was in far from perfect shape but he wasn¡¯t about to collapse either. His wounds remained but they were no longer bleeding or limiting his movements.


    At Blacknail¡¯s command, goblins rounded up the piglets and the corpse of the alpha wolf. They hung the large carcass from a long pole so that four goblins could all carry it together. It was very heavy but there was no way Blacknail was going to leave his trophy behind. He planned on shoving it in everyone¡¯s faces. They all had to know how great he was. This meant that they had to leave a lot of good meat behind, but since they were only a short journey from camp, Blacknail planned on sending some of his minions back to grab them later.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The group¡¯s journey back to the goblins¡¯ camp took a while because they were burdened by their cargo. Blacknail led the way ¨C because he was the leader - and he didn¡¯t set a fast pace. The constant stops were for safety and not because he was tired or weak in any way. Anyone who suggested that would have instantly regretted making such a slanderous insinuation.


    The last stop Blacknail made was right at the edge of the forest that bordered the clearing which contained the goblin base. The sight of his camp surprised him. It had changed a lot while its glorious leader had been away.


    The most obvious difference was the wall. Except for the gap that served as the entrance, the wall completely blocked the way into the base. The tall barrier of wooden stakes looked crude, but it was still imposing. Dangerous animals would have a much tougher time attacking the goblin camp now, which was good because Blacknail had to live there, and he¡¯d dealt with enough of those for now.


    It looked like Gob had managed to keep everyone busy while Blacknail had been gone. Past the wall, two more longhouses were being built among the hills. That meant the base would soon have four of the long wooden structures. There were also some smaller constructions that Blacknail didn¡¯t recognize, and the entire camp was a hive of activity. Goblins were running around everywhere.


    There were even four goblins standing outside the break in the wall. Blacknail couldn¡¯t tell if they were on guard or just hanging around there. They had spears, but they seemed to be zoning out or talking amongst themselves, because none of them had spotted the approaching group of goblins and hobgoblins yet. Suddenly, two of the goblins turned on each other and began fighting. They hissed furiously as they wrestled across the ground. Blacknail made a mental note to make sure he posted a hobgoblin or human on watch duty in the future if there was any real looming threat.


    The goblins on watch were so focused on fighting or watching the fighters in their midst that they didn¡¯t see Blacknail¡¯s party they were right in front of them.


    ¡°Get out of the way, you stupid runts. I¡¯m the leader!¡± Blacknail hissed back as he walked over. The fighting goblins were blocking the entrance.


    The goblins immediately sprang into action. The two fighters separated and all the goblins lined up to stand at attention. It was way too late for them to look even remotely competent. Scamp chuckled at them but shut up when Blacknail threw him a glare. As if he was any better.


    After entering the camp, Blacknail ordered the goblins carrying his trophy to deposit over by the larder. He then dismissed Scamp and headed over to his cave. The idea of taking another nap on his comfy sleeping roll sounded really nice.


    However, on the way there he noticed something odd. Blacknail studied a group of seven goblins that were hanging out in the shade under a rock. The little green critters were wearing crude clothing made from small tanned hides that had been sewed together. Two of them had stone axes and three of them were sipping water from clay cups, or at least Blacknail assumed it was water. Looking around, Blacknail spotted several other groups just like it. That was a lot of goblins, way more than he had seen before. Since entering the camp he must have seen over two hundred goblins, and very few of them looked like new arrivals. Most of them had tools and clothes.


    Blacknail was thinking this over when he arrived at the entrance to his cave. He immediately noticed that Gob was waiting for him there. The hobgoblin lieutenant looked much the same, although he was now wearing a human shirt and ripped human pants. The sword Blacknail had given him was hanging at his side, which reminded Blacknail that he had to replace his own broken blade.


    ¡°I rejoice at your return, great one. I saw the corpse of the wolf you laid low. Your warrior might is beyond belief!¡± Gob exclaimed happily when Blacknail got close.


    ¡°Ya, I¡¯m amazing. I want to sleep now, though. You can compliment me later.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hurt! Was it the wolf?¡± Gob remarked in surprise after studying Blacknail for a second.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! I just need some rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss! If you desire anything then just say so. I will do it.¡±


    ¡°Well, you seem to be doing a good job. Keep it up,¡± Blacknail told him. Gob was one of his most useful minions.


    ¡°Whenever I have a problem I just ask myself what a great leader such as you would do!¡±


    ¡°That sounds like the best thing you could do. You¡¯re very smart to have figured that out yourself,¡± Blacknail told him. ¡°Did anything important happen while I was gone?¡±


    ¡°The four new hobgoblins woke up and five more goblins fell asleep. You should probably meet them,¡± Gob answered.


    Five new goblins were transforming? That was more than Blacknail had expected so soon. His plan only called for around a dozen. At this rate he was going to end up with far more than he could easily control.


    ¡°That is important, but so is napping. They¡¯ve waited a few days already so they can wait one more,¡± Blacknail remarked thoughtfully. ¡°Also, I was wondering about all these goblins. Why are there so many new ones around?¡±


    Gob shrugged before replying. ¡°They just showed up after the wall was built. Every night they come in from the forest. I made sure to put them to work, as I thought you would wish.¡±


    ¡°Lazy good for nothings,¡± Blacknail hissed.


    The goblins must have realized how much safer it was inside the wall and were taking advantage of all the hard work he had put into making it! He hadn¡¯t built it so every little green pest in the forest could relax inside at his expense. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it now, though.


    ¡°I will make sure all the goblins work hard to serve you, chief!¡± Gob replied enthusiastically. Blacknail hadn¡¯t actually been asking him to do anything, but whatever.


    ¡°Khita isn¡¯t around, is she?¡±


    ¡°No, the loud human female went to Shelter when you left.¡±


    ¡°Okay, good,¡± Blacknail replied before yawning. He didn¡¯t want the pest interrupting his sleep.


    Since there wasn¡¯t anything else pressing to talk about, Blacknail shooed Gob away and pushed aside the hide covering the entrance to his cave. He then entered and went to sleep on his bed. With the soft cloth beneath him, he was unconscious as soon as he had closed his eyes.


    Sunlight was streaming in through the cave entrance when Blacknail woke up the next morning. He yawned and stretched as he opened his eyes and looked around. His wounds felt much better. They had scabbed over and were a little stiff but they didn¡¯t hurt at all.


    The sound of quiet breathing drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. He instinctively focused on it and looked for the source, in case it was prey. It wasn¡¯t; it was Khita. She was sleeping in her bed on the other side of the cave. Blacknail stared at her in incomprehension for several long seconds, before throwing his blankets aside and walking over to her. She was supposed to be at Shelter! There was no way she could have travelled to the goblin camp over night.


    ¡°Wake up!¡± Blacknail growled as he shook her shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, Blacknail you¡¯re finally awake,¡± Khita told him as she sat up and blinked the sleep from her eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing here? I was told you were at Shelter.¡±


    ¡°I came as soon as I heard you were back. It¡¯s been so boring here without you. You¡¯re the only person here who isn¡¯t an idiot or a coward, but when I got here you just slept for two whole days.¡±


    Blacknail groaned. It wasn¡¯t the next morning at all! He had wasted so much time.


    The hobgoblin quickly left Khita behind and ran out of the cave to find Gob. He had things to do. His plan was already in motion and wouldn¡¯t wait for him. Once he had found Gob, Blacknail had his minion take him to see the new hobgoblins. They had been receiving some training from Gob but only Blacknail could do it right. They wouldn¡¯t properly fear him unless he was the one beating them.


    None of the new hobgoblin looked or smelled familiar to Blacknail. They hadn¡¯t stood out as goblins. All four of them were dressed the same and wearing loincloths. Gob had probably ordered them to make the clothing themselves. Despite the similarity in their dress though, they were easy to tell apart.


    The first two hobgoblins were very similar to each other. They both had long lanky builds and short fuzzy hair on the top of their heads. One had brown hair while the other had grey hair, though. They eyed Blacknail with suspicion as they studied their chieftain with fresh eyes. The pair could probably be trained to obey, though.


    The third hobgoblin was a bit shorter and still had some meat on his bones. He also had a small pot belly and was bald like Blacknail. The hobgoblin¡¯s pudgy form was unusual since the hobgoblin transformation normally consumed all of a goblin¡¯s fat. He must have been quite large before his transformation. His expression was guarded but not unfriendly. He seemed to have some measure of self-control already, which Blacknail approved of.


    The last new hobgoblin was also a little short but his body was thin instead of fat. He had thick black hair that was long enough it got in his eyes. There was a creepily excited grin on his face as he returned Blacknail¡¯s stare. He didn¡¯t know what to make of it. Was this another goblin with a weird obsession, like Ferrar?


    Blacknail then looked down at the hobgoblin¡¯s body. He froze in surprise. Were those breasts? They were. This hobgoblin had a pair of small but noticeable breasts. Understanding dawned on Blacknail as he stared at the naked tits for an uncomfortably long time. This hobgoblin was a female!

 It Echoes Onward 10

    It took a few seconds for Blacknail¡¯s brain to start working again. During that time he continued to stare at the female hobgoblin in front of him. She was standing in line with the other three new hobgoblins.


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Blacknail mused to himself to fill the awkward silence. He had been planning on acting tough in front of the new recruits, but he had been thrown off track.


    Why was this such a surprise anyway? It wasn¡¯t like Blacknail hadn¡¯t considered the idea of female hobgoblins before. He had. It was just that he¡¯d grown used to all of the new hobgoblins being male. Why now had one finally appeared now? There were as many female goblins as there were male ones.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a female,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± she replied. The female hobgoblin¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as she stared directly at Blacknail. Her intensity was a little unnerving.


    ¡°Good...¡± Blacknail mused aloud. He knew he sounded stupid, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°Why are you a hobgoblin?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. I just follow you around everywhere and watch you all the time, and eventually I became like you,¡± she answered him.


    ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t remember you¡­¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly.


    ¡°No reason a great one such as you should. I was small and unworthy. I stayed back. I avoided other goblins that would distract me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± Blacknail told her while he forced a smile. That didn¡¯t make sense. He was getting a weird vibe from this female.


    The hobgoblin chieftain coughed and took a step back so he could see all the new hobgoblins. He shouldn¡¯t focus on just one of them.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you all names now,¡± he told them.


    ¡°We have names already,¡± one of the two lanky hobgoblins remarked as he looked at the other.


    ¡°You do? Goblins don¡¯t usually give themselves names,¡± Blacknail replied. He was more than a little surprised.


    Normally, Blacknail only named hobgoblins because no one else did. If they wanted to name themselves that was fine with him. Coming up with good names that everyone had to use forever was sort of annoying anyway. It was too bad he couldn¡¯t just name them all Gob. That was a great name for a hobgoblin.


    ¡°No, we gave each other names,¡± the second lanky hobgoblin explained. ¡°I call him Twig Arms.¡±


    ¡°And I call him Bone Face¡± the other added with a smile.


    Were they being serious? Blacknail scowled at both of them. Why would they insult themselves? This had better not be a joke at his expense, or they were going to get it.


    His look didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Bone Face quickly spoke up to explain. ¡°We fight and insult each other a lot.¡±


    ¡°Well, those names are still too annoying to say. You¡¯re Bones and Twig now,¡± Blacknail told them before turning to the third hobgoblin.


    ¡°Do you have a name?¡± he asked him.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then now you¡¯re Rolly, because you¡¯re almost as fat as a human,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Sure,¡± the chubby hobgoblin replied as he shrugged. He didn¡¯t seem to care all that much.


    ¡°What about me? You¡¯re giving me a name, right? It will be a connection between us, forever,¡± the female goblin asked.


    ¡°Er, how about you name yourself?¡± Blacknail suggested. He didn¡¯t know what to call her. His mind kept going back to Tits, but he didn¡¯t think that would work well.


    ¡°You should name me,¡± she insisted.


    Since he apparently didn¡¯t have a choice, Blacknail racked his mind for a name that wasn¡¯t Tits.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to name you later. It¡¯s hard,¡± he told her. He wasn¡¯t coming up with anything. The weird way she was staring at him wasn¡¯t helping him think either.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s so important to you?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    This made her smile fiercely enough that Blacknail grew uncomfortable again. He looked away and addressed the entire group. He ordered them to remain loyal to him and explained that he would be taking over their swordsmanship training.


    ¡°¡­and if you disobey then I will make your skulls into cups,¡± Blacknail said as he finished up his motivational speech. It had been one of his better ones. ¡°Any questions?¡±


    The other hobgoblins wisely remained silent, except for the female.


    ¡°Wanna sex?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Er¡­ right now?¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly. Her sudden question had caught him off guard.


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m busy. Maybe later,¡± Blacknail told her.


    He had a feeling that he shouldn¡¯t commit to anything. It could end badly. He needed to think things over first. Her weird behavior made him more than a little suspicious. She might simply be planning on getting close to him so she could kill him and take his place as leader. Also, she reminded Blacknail of Khita. That was a huge turn off.


    With his speech complete, the hobgoblin chieftain then made a break for it. He wanted to get some advice so he went to find Gob. He was the only hobgoblin Blacknail could trust, and they came from very different backgrounds. Maybe he would have some wisdom to share.


    ¡°What do you think of the new hobgoblins,¡± Blacknail asked when he found Gob over by his longhouse.


    ¡°They will serve you or die,¡± Gob replied seriously


    ¡°Well, of course, but one of them stands out, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°True, it''s weird how he is still fat. Is he going to get even bigger if he eats?¡± Gob replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°No, the female!¡± Blacknail hissed. ¡°Why is she the only female to transform?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t thought much about it, because you haven¡¯t ordered me to.¡±


    ¡°Fine, what do you think about her, as a female?¡± Blacknail asked him. This was obviously one of those times he had to be very specific with Gob.


    ¡°Umm, she looks a little thin, because she just transformed, but she will probably thicken up and become attractive after a while.¡± Gob replied uncertainly.


    ¡°Do you have any advice for dealing with her?¡±


    ¡°Well, she is a hobgoblin, so try not to get killed?¡±


    It was obvious that Gob wasn¡¯t an expert on female hobgoblins, and that he really wasn¡¯t understanding what Blacknail was trying to get at. He had been hoping Gob would have knowledge to share since he had come from a wild tribe that had been ruled by a hobgoblin. With a disappointed sigh, Blacknail headed off towards his cave.


    Was he just over thinking things? Gob seemed fine with her. Maybe some form of human stupidity had rubbed off on him. Their mating rituals were weird and complex. Females and sex had never bothered Blacknail before. He had mated with quite a few female goblins in his life, but he had mostly lost interest in them over the past year.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Was he attracted to the female hobgoblin? He wasn¡¯t sure. She was a lot more human-like than a goblin. That was both a turn on and a turn off. In particular, memories of his experiences with one human in Daggerpoint kept popping into his head, Luphera. Thinking about her always set Blacknail on-edge. Actually, it had been after Luphera had ambushed him that he had started to lose interest in female goblins¡­ No, that was just a coincidence. There was no way he found humans attractive, not even the ones with big breasts like Luphera. Er¡­


    Was it too late to leave this village and find a new one?


    ¡°La la la,¡± Blacknail hummed loudly to himself as he headed for his cave. He was trying to drown out his own obnoxious thoughts. It was even sort of working.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Khita asked from where she was standing outside the cave. ¡°That¡¯s some of the worst singing I¡¯ve ever heard. Barking dogs sound better when they¡¯re in heat.¡±


    Her voice made Blacknail stop and look up. Khita wasn¡¯t someone he would usually go to for advice but maybe she might have an idea about naming the female goblin. She was technically a female as well.


    ¡°Shut up and listen,¡± the hobgoblin told her before explaining his problem to her. He left anything even remotely connected to sex, though. He didn¡¯t want to confuse her simple brain.


    ¡°Oh, there are female hobgoblins? I can¡¯t wait to meet her!¡± Khita replied as she grinned and looked around. There were no female hobgoblins in sight so she turned back to Blacknail.


    ¡°Of course there are, you idiot,¡± he told her.


    ¡°Ah, I was beginning to wonder since all of you were male, but then I thought it might just be because of you,¡±


    ¡°Because of me?¡±


    ¡°Ya, I was thinking maybe hobgoblin women were avoiding you.¡±


    This statement earned her an annoyed glare from Blacknail. Why would anyone avoid him? Female goblins had thrown themselves at him. He was both strong and incredibly handsome. His nose had a perfect pointy tip.


    ¡°Stick to the name, stupid. What should I call her?¡± he told Khita.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. A lot of women are named after flowers, especially ones from romantic plays, not that I¡¯ve ever watched anything dumb like a play. I um¡­ spend all my time fighting and shit.¡±


    Since he had no idea what she was on about, Blacknail ignored the later part of what Khita had said. It didn¡¯t sound important anyway.


    ¡°Hmm, flowers¡­¡± Blacknail mused to himself as he began walking away from Khita. She called after him but he ignored it. He was done talking to her.


    Saeter had taught Blacknail the names of quite a few flowers, like Goat¡¯s Beard or Stinging Creeper. Stinging Creeper sounded like a good fit for the female hobgoblin. Hmm, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to get more input first, though. Geralhd might be worth talking to.


    With the mutant wolf dead and his pack scattered, Blacknail was probably safe making the journey to Shelter by himself. It would take a while for other creatures to move into the wolf¡¯s old territory. However, Blacknail didn¡¯t feel like walking all the way there. He had just gotten back and his feet sort of hurt.


    Maybe he would just take a stroll around the camp instead. He still hadn¡¯t seen everything that had changed, and it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to check in on Imp and Ferrar. Who knew what they had gotten up to?


    They didn¡¯t disappoint him. After crossing the camp, Blacknail found Ferrar over by the clay firing pits. The little goblin wasn¡¯t alone. Imp was right beside him, and they were both studying a furnace.


    The sight of the huge oven surprised Blacknail. It was a long structure with an entrance at the front and a chimney at the back that was taller than him. It wasn¡¯t made from just clay either. The walls and roof had been reinforced with countless bricks. The roof even looked to have been made from a brick arch.


    ¡°What in the deepest Green is this for?¡± Blacknail asked as he walked over.


    ¡°Making bricks,¡± Imp replied.


    ¡°But you already have bricks¡­ and you needed them to make this,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°We used a smaller kiln to make the bricks for this so we could make even more bricks,¡± Imp explained.


    Looking around, Blacknail saw the other kilns. There was the small one Ferrar had created first. It looked like one big lump of clay the size of a goblin. Beside that, there was also another kiln that was about three times as large as the first. It was bee hive shaped and it looked like it had been created using crude bricks that had been plastered with clay. Three tall pots could be seen cooling down inside of it.


    ¡°Why do we need to make so many bricks?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°To burn more interesting things!¡± Ferrar replied cheerfully.


    ¡°So we can build important things, like even bigger kilns,¡± Imp added.


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°Why do you want a bigger kiln?¡±


    ¡°Magic!¡± Imp explained as he raised both his arms dramatically. ¡°I need better tools. I need to tame the flames. Crystals must have steady heat to grow.¡±


    That was probably the best answer Blacknail was going to get. He had no idea what Imp got up to when he was doing his magic stuff. It wasn¡¯t like Blacknail couldn¡¯t see a few ways to use the bricks himself. He was just surprised Imp and Ferrar had gone to such lengths. They had obviously worked hard on this since Blacknail had left, and that thankfully meant that they had been too busy to get into trouble.


    ¡°Alright, whatever,¡± Blacknail told his minions before turning and starting to walk away.


    Now that he¡¯d met with all the hobgoblins, Blacknail decided to see what had happened to the body of the fallen wolf. He¡¯d brought it back with him to camp, but he hadn¡¯t seen it since. He wanted to keep its hide as trophy and its teeth would also make an interesting necklace. Anyone that saw Blacknail wearing that would instantly know how big of a deal he was.


    What was left of the mutant¡¯s corpse was hanging up on the drying rack. Someone had skinned the beast and hung the hide up to dry.


    Blacknail walked over to the wolf¡¯s pelt and gave it a sniff. He smelled brains. It seemed like it was being prepared correctly, but it wasn¡¯t done yet. It would be a few more days until it had dried out. Out of curiosity, Blacknail ran a hand across the grey fur that covered one side of the hide. The hairs prickled his skin and pushed back against him. They were much tougher and springier than normal hair, even if they weren¡¯t as hard as when the wolf had used them to defend itself. Still, the hide was probably strong enough to make a useful cloak that would turn a blow or two.


    Blacknail¡¯s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by someone yelling ¡°Hello, boss!¡±


    He turned around to see Scamp headed his way.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked. Scamp usually skulked around so that no one could find him and force him to work.


    ¡°Gob ordered me to tan all these hides. I catch most the big beasts, and that¡¯s a lot of work, but he still gets mad if I let any of their skins rot,¡± Scamp replied. He sounded annoyed about it.


    ¡°Good for him,¡± Blacknail huffed. It sounded like Gob was doing an excellent job.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t fair! Why do I need to do everything?¡±


    ¡°What happened to the rest of the wolf?¡± Blacknail asked. He didn¡¯t feel the need to respond to Scamp¡¯s sniveling.


    ¡°The meat smelled funny and went bad right away. The bones are in the cold cave there, and Imp took the crystal thing that was in its skull,¡± Scamp answered.


    ¡°What crystal?¡±


    ¡°The mutant¡¯s horn, it was a magic stone that went into its head. Imp took it.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Blacknail remarked to himself. He would have to talk to Imp about that later. ¡°What about the little piggies? I remember claiming those. No one ate them yet, did they?¡±


    ¡°No one would dare, boss. The piggies are all in a cage.¡±


    ¡°Good. Have you been feeding them? I want them nice and fat! Pig meat is so juicy. I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been getting food scraps,¡± Scamp answered.


    There were things that goblins wouldn¡¯t eat? Blacknail couldn¡¯t picture that. ¡°Who exactly has been looking after them?¡±


    ¡°Khita was doing it but she stopped. The piggies don¡¯t mind goblins, but every time she tried to pet them they squealed and bit at her. They really don¡¯t like her much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m keeping them, forever,¡± Blacknail exclaimed gleefully. He had finally found the means to keep the annoying redhead away. All he had to do was train the pigs to follow him around and then they would chase her away every time she bothered him.


    ¡°Um, boss. Are you going to talk to Gob about getting someone else to tan the hides?¡± Scamp asked tentatively.


    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Ya, all you have to do is find another hobgoblin and get them to take your place. Feel free to beat them up until they agree.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Scamp exclaimed disappointment. He didn¡¯t sound too optimistic about his chances. Blacknail wasn¡¯t either.


    ¡°Now get back to work,¡± Blacknail told him before starting to walk away.


    All the distractions had been nice, but now it was time for him to train the new hobgoblins. That meant he had to decide on a name for the female hobgoblin. He couldn¡¯t put it off anymore.


    Screw all this thinking. It was annoying. He was just going to go with the first thing on his mind. There was no point getting worked up over the name of a hobgoblin just because she was female.


    After crossing the camp, Blacknail met up with the new hobgoblins at the training ground. They were waiting for him with training blades in their hands. Blacknail appraised them and gave the female a particularly long look before approaching them.


    Their features and attitude hadn¡¯t changed but the female was now wearing one of Khita¡¯s shirts. The redhead must have tracked her down and given it to her. That or she had stolen it. No, that couldn¡¯t have happened. She wouldn¡¯t have dared steal anything from Blacknail¡¯s cave.


    Blacknail stopped in front of the female goblin and studied her for a second before speaking up. ¡°Your name is Herah.¡±


    She had already been smiling as she stared at Blacknail, but the grin on the female hobgoblin¡¯s face widened considerably as she listened.


    ¡°What does it mean?¡± she asked eagerly.


    Blacknail snorted. Names didn¡¯t have to mean anything. He made most them up on the spot, and most the humans had nonsense for names. Although in this case he had chosen hers for a reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s based on the name of someone I used to know. She was angry all the time and killed lots of people before she died.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I love it so much,¡± the hobgoblin exclaimed breathlessly. Her eyes were practically shinning with joy.


    Blacknail was sure that Herad would have approved of her name inspiring that of a hobgoblin. The bandit chieftain had always been very hobgoblin-like herself: ruthless, cunning, and quick. Blacknail was unsure about her opinion on cheese, though.


    ¡°Now listen you rats. If you think Gob was hard on you then you were wrong! I¡¯m going to really train you,¡± Blacknail announced as he stepped back and addressed all the hobgoblins.


    A grin appeared on Blacknail¡¯s lips as he picked up a training blade and held it up. He would probably feel better about Herah after he had beaten her up a few times. That was how he¡¯d grown to accept the presence of all the other hobgoblins.

 Interlude: No Favorites Among Men

    The clatter of dice filled the room as the small cubes hit the wooden table and rolled across it. It was a quiet noise but the previously rowdy tavern had suddenly gone silent a moment before. A dozen eyes watched with complete focus as the two dice finally came to stop.


    ¡°It¡¯s demon¡¯s eyes. You rolled a two, and that means you lose,¡± a rough looking man observed in carefully neutral tone.


    That was the signal for everyone else in the tavern to let their breath out and start moving again. The room suddenly filled up with background noise. The watchers sat back and began talking to themselves as the barmaid wandered away with a tray full of dirty dishes.


    ¡°Shit, I was so close! Everything was falling into place,¡± Elyias swore in disappointment. ¡°I just needed another good roll to finish off the straight set.¡±


    The young man was standing at one end up the table and he punched its wooden surface in anger. The impact shook the table only slightly. It hadn¡¯t been a strong blow.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s definitely the end of your little lucky streak. You just lost everything you had won and then some,¡± a portly man in the fine clothes of a merchant told him.


    ¡°You win some and you lose some. The gods have no favorites among men. The fates they weave suit them; not the likes of us,¡± another man laughed. He sitting on a chair and leaning back with his boots resting on the table, and he grinned cheekily when Elyias threw him a sour look.


    ¡°Bah, I will get a lucky break eventually. My bad fortune can¡¯t last forever,¡± Elyias muttered to himself.


    His remark just caused the man that looked like a merchant to chuckle. He then scooped up the pile of coins Elyias had placed on the counter earlier. It wasn¡¯t a small heap. Several of the coins glinted with the sheen of gold. Elyias had just lost a fair bit of money.


    ¡°I wish you nothing but good luck with that, unless of course you decide to come back here and bet with me again, and then I¡¯ll gladly take more of your coin,¡± the merchant replied happily.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll find another den to place my wagers at. I don¡¯t think place is good luck for me,¡± Elyias said as he stepped away from the table.


    ¡°Suit yourself, lad. Personally, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to be finding luck like that anywhere,¡± the seated man told him.


    Elyias just frowned to himself and headed for the door. He didn¡¯t see the point in staying here, since he had no more coins on hand. He¡¯d spent them on drinks and lost them gambling.


    ¡°I was so bloody damn close this time,¡± he muttered to himself as he pushed the tavern door open and stepped outside.


    Outside, the cloudy sky overhead was growing dark. It was late in the afternoon and well after supper. Elyias looked up at the sky as he walked back to the inn he was staying at. The clouds were gray and heavy looking. There was a good chance it would rain.


    After eating supper Elyias had gone out to find a new gambling spot. That was what he had done every night since arriving in town. After parting with Blacknail, he had headed East until he¡¯d found a fair sized town. The walled settlements that were left in the North were hardly thriving but it was easy enough to find a place to sleep as well as a good place to play some games of chance. Having a lot of gold helped.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Elyias had quickly sold one of the larger chunks of gold that Blacknail had given him. That had given him more than enough to spend several days in luxury. The best wine and women in town had been his. Tonight he didn¡¯t feel like celebrating much, though. He just wanted to get to bed early. Tomorrow was a new day, which would wipe his slate clean.


    It probably wasn¡¯t a great idea to keep spending so much money in one place. It would attract attention. However, Elyias wasn¡¯t ready to leave town just yet. Travelling was a pain, and wanted to win some money back here first. He couldn¡¯t leave without getting one good lucky break at dice or cards. That would leave a bad taste in his mouth. Leaving on a high note was important.


    There wasn¡¯t very many people in sight as Elyias made his to the inn. Those people he did pass kept walking without doing more than glancing in his direction. It was getting late so people wanted off the streets. Elyias passed a single guardsman with a truncheon who was leaning up against a wall, but the uniformed man barely glanced his way. He didn¡¯t seem to be paying much attention to his surroundings. The guards in towns like these were usually lazy and corrupt.


    A minute later, the guardsman was behind Elyias and out of sight, and the entrance to the inn he was staying at lay before him. As he walked, a group of three men exited an alley and headed his way. The men were dressed as common laborers and weren¡¯t suspicious in any real way, but Elyias was suddenly nervous.


    Every since he had escaped that crazy hobgoblin that had entrapped him he should have been feeling ecstatic. He was finally free and he had more money than ever before! However, a lingering sense of dread had remained within him. Instead of fading it had grown steadily stronger over time. Elyias had tried taking a hot bath and scrubbing himself clean but that hadn¡¯t helped. Getting completely smashed on hard liquor had also proven to be but a temporary reprieve, with foul consequences of its own.


    Under no circumstances was Elyias planning to do the things Blackail had told him to. He was quite happy to spend the gold he had in peace. Getting in touch with Werrick¡¯s men or any other bandits sounded dangerous and stupid. No, he would just head East away from the cursed hobgoblin. If Blacknail ever did manage to track him down ¨C unlikely - then Elyias was sure he could come up with a good excuse, like that the gold had been stolen before he could show anyone.


    ¡°Oh, pardon me,¡± one of the three passing laborers said as he looked up and gave Elyias a friendly grin.


    ¡°No problem, thank you,¡± Elyias replied as the group of three men stepped to the side and walked past him.


    A sigh of relief escaped Elyias¡¯ lips. It had really been foolish of him to worry about some random people on the street. Once he was safely at the inn he would order a nice cup of wine and hit the sack.


    That was when someone grabbed the back of Elyias¡¯ shirt and pulled him backward. Elyias yelped, went stiff with surprise, and then froze in terror as he felt something thin and cold press itself against his neck. It was knife.


    ¡°Actually I just remembered that we have some business with you,¡± someone said as Elyais was pulled off the street and into another alley.


    Once there, he was spun around and confronted by the three laborers. They grinned maliciously at him.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Elyias gasped.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been flashing a lot of coin around lately, newcomer,¡± one of the men replied.


    ¡°You can have it!¡± Elyias hurriedly told his assailants. ¡°I don¡¯t have much on me but I have some more in my room at the inn.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we know. We¡¯ve already gone and taken a look around that room of yours,¡± one of the men chuckled as he held up a familiar looking sac.


    Elyias¡¯s hopes fell. That was the bag where kept all the raw gold he had been given. He had nothing else of value.


    ¡°Then what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not often you quality find rocks like this around here, and you don¡¯t seem like a miner to me. We want to know where you got it. Information like that could be very lucrative.¡±


    Several different responses flashed through Elyias¡¯ mind. He quickly chose the one that gave his assailants the least reason to kill him and leave his body in the alley to rot.


    ¡°I found it in a cave! There¡¯s lots more gold there, and I can take you to it!¡±


    ¡°Huh, that is indeed promising. Personally, that doesn¡¯t sound like something I¡¯d be interested in going out to find ¨C I¡¯m a city man, myself ¨C but I¡¯m sure we can find someone who would be interested.¡±


    ¡°Ya, Derial¡¯s band is in town. This sounds like something they could profit from. They¡¯ve done a fair bit of raiding for Werrick.¡±


    Elyias chocked down a sob. It seemed like he was heading back to Shelter after all. Why was his luck always so terrible?

 Out of Darkness 1

    A strong wind was blowing in from the North. The thick greenery of the forest kept most of its force away from the earth but the wind that did reach the ground was cold and dry, and it made a lot of noise as it blew through the treetops overhead. The loud rustling of leaves filled the forest. It almost sounded like the whispers of the seashore. Beneath the sound of the wind, the next loudest noise was the slap of footsteps on the forest floor. A hunting party was heading home.


    The hunters numbered eight. They moved through the greenery with both confident ease and respectful caution. The savage dangers of the Green didn¡¯t scare them, since most of them had been born and raised in the forest. They were all hobgoblins. Their green skin, sharp features, and long pointy ears made this obvious even if they were wearing a mix of savage looking fur and scavenged human garments. Two of the hunters were carrying a deer between them.


    A human observer would have been startled by the sight and probably terrified as well. Hobgoblins simply didn¡¯t form up into groups this large. They were notoriously violent and anti-social. It had been hundreds of years since any human had encountered anything like this hunting party. A single lone hobgoblin was dangerous enough, and it would take a fearsome and powerful leader to bind so many of them together. Even the forest seemed unsure of what to make of them. The calls of animals seemed unusually subdued and wary. There was an expectant feel to the air.


    As the hobgoblins stalked forward, the leader glanced over his shoulder at his followers. His eyes quickly glanced over each individual as if he was judging them. Unexpectedly, he suddenly came to halt as he saw something that disturbed him.


    ¡°Wait, where did Bones go?¡± Blacknail asked his minions. In response, all the other hobgoblins threw each other surprised and befuddled looks for a few moments before one of them eventually spoke up.


    ¡°Oh, there was a cliff back there. I pushed him off it,¡± Twig explained helpfully. He was standing at the back of the pack.


    ¡°Again? Stop doing that! It¡¯s annoying and we¡¯re supposed to working together,¡± Blacknail hissed angrily as he glared at the other hobgoblin.


    ¡°I had to get him back. He did it to me earlier today,¡± Twig whined. He was looking down at the ground as if he knew he had done something wrong.


    ¡°Just stop! If you hurt a tribemate during a mission again I will throw you off a cliff, headfirst onto jagged rocks while you are tied up. You will not survive!¡±


    ¡°Right. Sorry, boss¡± Twig muttered sullenly.


    ¡°Do you want to go back for him?¡± another hobgoblin asked.


    ¡°No, he can catch up. I¡¯m sure he is fine,¡± Blacknail replied as he started walking again.


    Twig and Bones were constantly fighting and playing tricks on each other. As unlikely as it seemed, neither of them had been seriously harmed yet. Even the incident with the pot full of poisonous snakes had failed to do any lasting harm.


    However, it had been made very clear to both the hobgoblins that if one of them actually did manage to kill or maim the other then he would be severely punished. Blacknail didn¡¯t want to condone violence between hobgoblins. He was the only one allowed to kill anyone. Everyone else had to ask permission first.


    By the time the party reached the camp, Bones had caught up with them. He seemed no worse for wear except for some dirt on his clothes and some twigs stuck in his hair. All together, the hunting party exited the forest with their prize. The goblins that were guarding the break in the wall quickly got out of their way. Beyond the wall was the goblin encampment. There were now six completed longhouses and various other smaller huts and tents. A plethora of tanned animal hides served as roofs, doors, and decorations. Now that there were several trained hobgoblin hunters in the camp lots of larger animals were being brought in.


    The expedition that Blacknail had just led had mostly been to help train several of the new hobgoblins that had only recently transformed. The extra food was nice but it was just a bonus. Blacknail had plans, plans that required hobgoblin minions that could hold their own in a fight, so he could murder people.


    Blacknail looked over the hobgoblins behind him. Most of them looked vicious and savage in their scavenged clothes. As they scanned the forest and each other , their eyes were focused in a way that humans¡¯ weren¡¯t. Their gazes glimmered with hunger and focused cunning. They seemed to be living in the moment in a way most human¡¯s couldn¡¯t.


    There was no doubt that hobgoblins were dangerous, but they also had serious weaknesses. Their main problem was their size. Hobgoblins were usually shorter and thinner than humans. This meant they were at a disadvantage in a head to head fight. Then there was their age. All the hobgoblins under Blacknail¡¯s command couldn¡¯t hope to match the experience and skill of human fighters. They had only begun to learn how to use a sword. Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins would be destroyed in anything like a fair fight.


    However, this fact didn¡¯t stop a vicious grin from appearing on Blacknail¡¯s lips. Hobgoblins didn¡¯t fight fair, and for every weakness they had they possessed two strengths. Hunting and stalking came naturally to them. They were also fast, agile, and completely without mercy. That was why Blacknail was focusing on teaching them how to fight in the forest and use bows. Proper use of instinct and cunning would allow his hobgoblins to defeat any clumsy humans they encountered, and they were learning fast. Blacknail would soon have his two dozen skirmishers. If only dozens of other problems weren¡¯t constantly popping up to distract him.


    As they reached the drying racks one of the new hobgoblins turned towards Blacknail and asked a question. ¡°Do humans really taste that bad?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they do,¡± Blacknail answered as he motioned for the hobgoblins carrying the deer to put it down by the racks. ¡°So you can¡¯t eat them, even if they are enemies, unless it¡¯s an emergency.¡±


    This was a question he got quite frequently from the new hobgoblins.


    ¡°Hmm, but what exactly do they taste like?¡± the hobgoblin enquired.


    ¡°Humans sort of taste like squirrel meat that has been out in the sun for a few days,¡± Blacknail told him.


    The young hobgoblin made a disgusted face and Blacknail nodded in agreement. Humans did taste pretty bad, but Blacknail wanted to make sure none of the new hobgoblins did any experimenting on their own. That might ruin his plans.


    ¡°Hey, boss,¡± Rolly announced as he stepped out of the cave that served as the camp¡¯s larder. ¡°I will take that deer and make sure it gets chopped up properly.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Rolly had somehow ended up in charge of the larder and the drying rack. Blacknail wasn¡¯t entirely sure how that had happened, but he was too busy to question it. The chubby hobgoblin seemed to be doing an alright job anyway. He had put on a few more pounds, but the amount of food being stolen had actually gone down.


    There were a lot of things that needed Blacknail¡¯s attention so he turned and started to walk away, but Rolly stopped him.


    ¡°Ah, boss, I need to talk to you about something,¡± The pot bellied hobgoblin said.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°What?¡± Blacknail asked sourly. This already sounded like it was going to be more work for him. He hated working.


    ¡°We¡¯re getting short on food. The goblins are bringing in less and more of them keep showing up. We need more food.¡±


    ¡°Just round up some goblins and send them out to forage,¡± Blacknail replied as he gestured vaguely in the direction of the trees.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing that. It¡¯s not enough. We have too many goblins and the forest around the camp is being stripped clean,¡± Rolly explained.


    Blacknail sighed. He hadn¡¯t planned on gathering so many goblins. They had begun showing up on their own after the wall had been completed. He didn¡¯t want so many of the pesky runts but if he chased them away they would just come back. Maybe he could round a whole bunch of them up and slaughter them? No, that would ruin morale¡­


    ¡°Fine, leave it to me. I¡¯ll solve it somehow,¡± Blacknail muttered as he turned to leave again. Sometimes being the leader was a pain. It was his minions¡¯ fault. They weren¡¯t smart enough to solve their own problems so Blacknail had to do it for them. He really needed to find some smarter minions.


    After grabbing something to eat, Blacknail still hadn¡¯t found an answer to the food shortage, so he decided to ask a human for advice. They usually had a solution to most problems, if only because they caused so many. Since Khita was the only human nearby he went to find her.


    The young redhead was over at the field that was used as a training ground. Several hobgoblins were watching as Khita showed them a sword technique. Khita wasn¡¯t a great swordsman but she had solid basics and that was more than the hobgoblins knew. There was also no one else more skilled available.


    ¡°Have any of them tried to kill you yet?¡± Blacknail asked as he walked up to Khita. It was only a matter of time until someone got fed up with her.


    ¡°No, but I¡¯ve been keeping my eyes open,¡± Khita replied cheerfully. ¡°A few of them have been glancing at me out of the corner of their eye when they think I¡¯m not paying attention.¡±


    ¡°You should probably beat one up as an example.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been considering it. These hobgoblin aren¡¯t so different from the street scum that used to run in my old gang. Once they know who the boss is they will behave.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me; I¡¯m the boss,¡± Blacknail reminded her sternly. No one must ever be allowed to forget that.


    ¡°But I¡¯m one of your most trusted lieutenants!¡± Khita told him.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Blacknail replied as he stuck out his tongue at her.


    However, Khita had already turned away and gave no sign of having heard him. She was watching her students with her chest puffed up proudly. Blacknail sighed and decided to get to the point. It was annoying just being around Khita.


    ¡°I have a question. What did you use to do when you ran out of food?¡± he asked her after making sure she was paying attention.


    ¡°Steal something and then sell it,¡± Khita automatically replied.


    That wasn¡¯t a terrible idea in general, but it didn¡¯t really help him right now. There weren¡¯t many people he could steal from. Even Shelter was low on food, and there was no one to sell to either.


    ¡°That¡¯s a dumb idea. You humans have thousands of people in your cities; how do you feed them all?¡±


    ¡°Farming, I guess?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s that thing were you dig in the ground a lot?¡± Blacknail asked skeptically. He liked mud as much as the next hobgoblin but he didn¡¯t see how all that digging would be useful.


    ¡°Pretty much. You plant seeds and harvest the plants later,¡± Khita explained.


    ¡°Ah, I see. Goblins could do that¡­ but it would take a while and it is probably more complicated than it sounds,¡± Blacknail mused. Everything humans did was unnecessarily complicated.


    ¡°Probably, I don¡¯t know anything. Mucking about in the dirt is for country bumpkins like the villagers at Shelter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. They have fields outside Shelter! I¡¯ll convince them to take in some more goblins and use them for farming. Goblins can dig and plant things!¡±


    ¡°They still won¡¯t produce food anytime soon,¡± Khita remarked doubtfully.


    ¡°Yes, but while they are there I won¡¯t have to feed them,¡± Blacknail replied smugly.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going back there I want to go with you. I¡¯m done here and I¡¯ve got some things to do at the village.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°I need to grab some gear. Give me a minute,¡± Khita said. She then dismissed the hobgoblins that she had been teaching and started walking toward the cave she shared with Blacknail.


    Most of her hobgoblin students immediately began leaving, but one of them stayed behind. It was Herah, and as Khita turned her back she threw Blacknail a meaningful look and gestured toward one of the other hobgoblins that was leaving. It was one of the latest batch, who Blacknail had named Lumpy. He was a very average looking hobgoblin, except for the bump on his nose that gave him his name.


    After studying Lumpy for a moment, Blacknail turned back to Herah and gave her an affirmative nod. He then headed over to his cave via a circuitous route that led him around the other side of a lodge and away from everyone else. Once out of sight, Blacknail stopped walking and began to jog. He dropped his head down and surveyed his surroundings as he stalked forward at a quicker pace. There were a few goblins by the side of the lodge but they ignored him.


    Soon Blacknail had circled around and gotten ahead of Khita. From the shadows at the base of a rocky outcropping he studied the nearby hills and buildings. There was practically no one around this part of the camp. Everyone tended to avoid it since it was so close to Blacknail¡¯s cave and he was sometimes cranky in the mornings, so when Blacknail detected movement atop one of the hills he zeroed in on it.


    It was Lumpy. The hobgoblin was peering over the edge of the hill as if he was waiting for someone, and there was a large rock in his hands. Blacknail found that to be highly suspicious.


    In a few short moments Khita would be directly beside the hill. She was very predictable and almost always followed the same paths when she moved to different parts of the base. Lumpy had undoubtedly noticed this and taken advantage of it. He was planning on throwing the rock from out of sight and then running away. His scent would be hard to distinguish among all the other goblins and there were ways to hide it. If it hit, a stone that size would cave in Khita¡¯s skull.


    Ever so slowly, Lumpy raised the rock he was holding up above his head. He was preparing to strike. Blacknail dashed forward. He zoomed across the open ground and a series of quick leaps carried him up the hill. The noise drew Lumpy¡¯s attention. He began to turn. Before he realized what was happening, Blacknail had grabbed the back of his shirt and stabbed him. His knife slid up under the other hobgoblin¡¯s ribs and into his soft internal organs.


    ¡°You¡¯re too stupid and ugly to live,¡± Blacknail told the dying hobgoblin. Lumpy¡¯s plan had not only been treacherous but also ill-conceived. There was no way Blacknail wouldn¡¯t have been able to trace it back to him. There was no room in the tribe for a stupid hobgoblin with poor self-control. Also, Blacknail had never liked the hobgoblin¡¯s face. He was better off dead.


    Lumpy gasped but Blacknail just sneered and threw him off of the hill. His body bounced as it hit all the rocks on the way down, and it left a trail of blood on the rocks before coming to a stop in front of a very surprised Khita.


    ¡°What? What in all the hells did he do?¡± Khita asked when she looked up and saw Blacknail perched above her.


    ¡°He was going to kill you, you idiot,¡± Blacknail hissed. Killing always made him angry and excited.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Khita exclaimed in surprise. She looked stunned for a moment.


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t need to kill him! I could have handled it myself,¡± she added defensively a second later. It seemed like she had recovered her wits, even if they weren¡¯t very good wits.


    ¡°Just go get your stuff,¡± Blacknail told her dismissively. ¡°I¡¯m leaving without you if you take too long.¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Khita did as she had been asked. The young redhead pulled her gaze away from the dead hobgoblin and began jogging over to the cave. Blacknail watched her go until he heard a soft whish of movement from behind himself. Unsurprised, he turned to see Herah standing there.


    ¡°See, I told you earlier that stupid Lumpy was going to try and hurt the human,¡± she announced as she leaned in close to Blacknail. The female hobgoblin was grinning in her usual overexcited way, and Blacknail had to fight the urge to take a step back from her.


    ¡°You did,¡± Blacknail replied neutrally. He had been very suspicious when she had first approached him.


    Herah was hard to read and even harder to predict. Blacknail had no idea what was going on behind her creepy smile. If anyone was going to try and kill someone he had thought it would be her.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so concerned about Khita,¡± he told Herah as he studied her face. He had noticed the female hobgoblin staring at Khita with a sour expression on her face more than once. It was little wonder that she had noticed that Lumpy was going to try something.


    ¡°If she dies who else would I learn all about you from? We talk a lot. Also, she is one of my glorious boss¡¯ possessions. Of course I would protect her,¡± Herah explained as she continued to grin.


    ¡°She¡¯s um¡­ not really mine¡­¡± Blacknail muttered in reply. ¡°She just kind of hangs around, like a swarm of mosquitoes.¡±


    ¡°But I did good, yes?¡±


    ¡°You did. No one is allowed to kill anyone else without my permission,¡± Blacknail replied as he met her eyes and stared into them.


    After a few more minutes of awkward conversation Blacknail dismissed Herah. He still had no idea what he was going to do with her, but she didn¡¯t seem like an immediate threat. He was tempted to give in to her advances, it had been a while and she wasn¡¯t bad looking, but he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was dangerous. Letting another hobgoblin get so close might end badly for him. Her teeth were rather sharp¡­


    Also, Blacknail was fairly certain that she had goaded Lumpy into making the attempt on Khita¡¯s life, and that she had set him up to fail. She was definitely dangerous.

 Out of Darkness 2

    Blacknail was walking through the forest. He had left the goblin settlement behind him and was headed to Shelter. There were things he had to talk to the humans about and he wanted to get some distance from the other hobgoblins. He had mostly gotten used to having them around but they still made him a little uneasy. It was nice to get away and relax sometimes. When he had first come up with the idea to create a small group of hobgoblin minions to help keep his human ones in line he¡¯d failed to realize how complicated dealing with them would be. He had just planned on killing a few as an example. Herah alone caused him quite a bit of anxiety.


    As he followed the thin dirt trail, Blacknail ducked under a leafy branch and jumped over a muddy puddle. He was almost to the village now. Suddenly, the hobgoblin noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There was a track in the mud, and it belonged to a wolf. Suspiciously, Blacknail leaned over and brushed aside a few nearby plant leaves as he scanned the ground for any more signs. However, after sniffing the ground and only detecting one unique scent he decided that there was only one wolf nearby. It was probably a survivor from the pack of the mutant he had slain in glorious battle. The track was fresh but a single wolf wasn¡¯t much of a threat ¨C Blacknail had easily defeated the Alpha after all - so he continued on his way. He wanted to reach Shelter before too long.


    A few more minutes passed. Blacknail was just about to reach the edge of the forest when he heard a noise from off in the distance. The hobgoblin looked around but didn¡¯t see anything. Had another hobgoblin followed him? If they had then they were going to get smacked aside the head.


    Blacknail still didn¡¯t see anyone so he listened carefully. It sounded like someone was talking off in the forest, so he stepped off the path and headed over to find the source. If there was something going on he wanted to know about it. Hunters sometimes left Shelter but the hobgoblin never had a problem detecting and avoiding them.


    Carefully, Blacknail peeked out from behind a tree. He quickly spotted the source of the noise. It was one of the human children from the village, the unimportant young male with brown hair. Aris was his name. He was leaning against a tall tree with rough bark and there was a frustrated scowl on his face.


    Blacknail¡¯s first instinct was to sneak up, knock him over the head, and see if he had any items worth claiming, but that was beneath him now. He was a great leader! If he wanted something he just ordered his minions to hand it over. His second instinct was to leave the human alone, but there was a wolf around. Bringing the stupid human back with him seemed like a good way to earn some good will. The hobgoblin pulled his hood up and wrapped his scarf around his face. His frighteningly handsome face and green skin were now completely concealed.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have to turn me down so quickly,¡± Aris muttered to himself before kicking a rock into a clump of bushes. ¡°Stupid girls. Why am I always the one left out?¡±


    Blacknail took the opportunity to step out from behind the tree and call out to the human. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out here by yourself. Something might decide you look tasty.¡±


    The hobgoblin¡¯s voice startled the young man. He jumped and spun around to see who had spoken. His eyes went wide with fear when he spotted Blacknail but then he calmed down as he realized who the hooded figure had to be.


    ¡°Ah, how much of that did you hear?¡± Aris asked Blacknail tentatively. His cheeks had turned more than a little red from embarrassment.


    ¡°Um, less than all of it but more than nothing,¡± Blacknail remarked as he stepped closer and scratched the side of his head through his hood. What kind of dumb human question was that?


    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re not the boss of me, so you can¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± Aris replied surly.


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss everyone I say I am, and I can tell you what to do because you¡¯re dumber than me. If you had any smarts at all then you wouldn¡¯t be out here alone. It¡¯s dangerous for a useless person like you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that dangerous and I¡¯m not useless.¡±


    ¡°Saying that just proves how useless you are. The Green is always dangerous. That was the first thing my master taught me, that and how to braid twine. I spent a lot of time making rope¡­¡±


    ¡°This part of the forest is as safe as it gets. That¡¯s all I meant. You¡¯re the newcomer here. I¡¯ve lived here my entire life, asshole,¡± Aris huffed in reply.


    ¡°So you know there are hungry wolves about? I just found some fresh tracks, but if you think it¡¯s safe you can stay here, youngling,¡± Blacknail countered. If the annoying little human wanted to die then Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to go out of his way to save him.


    ¡°I, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Just follow me. I will take you back to Shelter,¡± Blacknail told him as he stopped in front of the young man and motioned in the direction of the village. The sooner he got this young idiot back to the village the less he would have to listen to his drivel.


    ¡°Fine, but how much of what I said earlier did you hear?¡±


    ¡°You were whining about girls,¡± Blacknail replied without interest as he turned and started walking again. Aris winced and reddened again at Blacknail¡¯s blunt response but he didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that Joan hasn¡¯t had any time to do anything with me for the past while. She¡¯s always busy doing some stupid pottery stuff or getting up to the gods know what with Khita,¡± the young man explained.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve barely seen her for days. We grew up together and Khita is just a newcomer, a total stranger!¡± Aris continued as if Blacknail hadn¡¯t said anything.


    ¡°Why do you people keep telling me these things?¡± Blacknail asked. He seriously wanted to know. He had no interest in the minutia of human existence but they kept telling him about it.


    ¡°I guess you just seem like a good listener. You¡¯re very laidback and quiet. You also seem to always know what you are doing.¡±


    Blacknail sighed to himself in resignation before responding. If Aris was going to keep asking these questions then he might as well give his honest opinion. ¡°Do you have a real question?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering if you have any advice on girls.¡±


    After thinking about the question for a few moments Blacknail voiced his thoughts on the matter. ¡°They are trouble. You need to watch them carefully so that they can¡¯t stab you in the back.¡±


    ¡°Ya, I think I see what you mean. Joan really shouldn¡¯t be ditching me like this,¡± Aris replied with obvious frustration. The pair then walked in silence for a few brief moments. Blacknail didn¡¯t think Aris had really understood what he¡¯d meant.


    ¡°So um¡­Blacknail, I¡¯d like to go with you,¡± the young man asked after a few all too brief seconds.


    ¡°Probably, getting back to the village will be much safer with me.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°No, I mean when you leave the Shelter.¡±


    ¡°You want to go to my camp?¡±


    ¡°No, when you leave the village for good! I want to accompany you and your friends when you go South. I know you will be leaving eventually.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Ya, I could always use another human minion.¡±


    ¡°Why did you just mention the fact that I¡¯m human?¡±


    ¡°Because you are?


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true¡­ but you¡¯re still weird. Also, you¡¯re not supposed to agree with me. You¡¯re supposed to tell me to stay in the village and do as the elders tell me.¡±


    ¡°Why would I do that? Will the elders kill either of us if we disobey them?¡±


    ¡°Um, no. They will probably just scold me and give me chores.¡±


    ¡°Then what they want doesn¡¯t matter. You should do whatever helps me the most.¡± Blacknail would kill people who disobeyed him.


    ¡°You¡¯re very honest.¡±


    ¡°Always. I was taught that lying to people you don¡¯t intend to kill is a bad idea. It makes you look bad,¡± Blacknail explained as he nodded sagely. The other trick was lying in such a way that you never got caught. Blacknail was an expert at that.


    When they reached the village gate Blacknail parted with the Aris and went to find Tannin. As he was walking through the village, he spotted a goblin sitting on a barrel. It was right out in the open and appeared to simply be resting as it leisurely looked around. An older village woman passed it by and didn¡¯t give it a second glance. It seemed like the goblins had already been completely accepted by the villagers. That was good. It would make talking to Tannin much easier.


    It only took Blacknail a few minutes to find Tannin. The village elder was talking to some men in the village center. Blacknail waited for them to leave before approaching. Much to Blacknail¡¯s surprise, it didn¡¯t take much effort to convince Tannin to try using the goblins as farm laborers. Tannin seemed impressed by what the goblins had managed so far.


    ¡°You know, that¡¯s a clever idea you got there. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out how to get some of the old worked lands productive again,¡± Tannin explained enthusiastically. ¡°The fact that year after year the fields have been getting smaller has been weighing down on me like a fat sow. We just haven¡¯t had the manpower we need to keep the forest back.¡±


    ¡°Goblins can definitely help you there. Being forced to do simple repetitive things is their specialty. They can also dig well.¡±


    ¡°The labor is nice but it¡¯s the increased safety that really intrigues me.¡± Tannin explained. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose any villagers to the dangers of the forest, but if we use goblins to do most the dangerous work¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly, they¡¯re also great that way. There are always more goblins!¡± Blacknail agreed.


    ¡°Yes, I think this is a great idea with lots of potential,¡± Tannin replied as he nodded along happily. ¡°Thank you for suggesting it; it sounds so crazy that I would have never come up with it myself. However, the goblins you got us have proven so useful as pest control already. There hasn¡¯t been a single loss of stores since they settled in. Some people are even teaching them tricks.¡±


    ¡°Goblins can do a lot. They even use them to clean sewers in some places. I know a lot about that.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said your master was the one who started training goblins.¡±


    ¡°He was, but I¡¯m from the South and I¡¯ve seen them work there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, where exactly do you hail from?¡±


    Blacknail stiffened. He had been telling the truth. He really did come from a city in the South. He had spent most of his life there, but he had no idea what it was called. Names hadn¡¯t mattered much to him back then.


    ¡°¡­Southmantown?¡± he suggested.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it,¡± Tannin replied dryly.


    ¡°Well, they have big sewers there and they use goblins to clean them. They keep the rats out. Rats are tasty¡­ if you¡¯re a goblin, which I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Er.. right,¡± Tannin replied uncertainly. There was an awkward silence as Blacknail and him stared at each other for a few moments.


    ¡°Hey, Blacknail! There you are,¡± someone suddenly yelled from off to one side. The hobgoblin turned to see Geralhd and another bandit coming down the street towards him. Looking closer, Blacknail realized that the second man was Beardy, he had simply trimmed his beard so that it was much smaller now.


    ¡°We need to talk to you,¡± Geralhd announced as he walked over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just leave you fellows alone then. I got business of my own I need to get to,¡± Tannin remarked before nodding politely and wandering off.


    That left Blacknail alone until the other two bandits got to him. He considered running off for a second, but swiftly discarded that idea. He had a good idea of what Geralhd wanted, and it wouldn¡¯t be problem. Blacknail¡¯s plan was already in motion.


    ¡°Hello, friends,¡± Blacknail said as he waved at the newcomers.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you showed up,¡± Beardy growled. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting around here forever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy. Surviving in the Green is hard. You need to do a lot of difficult hunting and stuff,¡± Blacknail replied as he shrugged indifferently.


    ¡°Still, it was beginning to look like you were avoiding us,¡± Geralhd told him. ¡°We¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you, but when you do enter the village you always slip away without contacting me or any of the others.¡±


    ¡°You could just ask Khita.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to have a serious conversation by passing messages through that maniac. Every new dawn that sees her still alive is a minor marvel,¡± Beardy commented as he glowered.


    ¡°This is serious, is it?¡± Blacknail asked innocently. This caused Beardy¡¯s frown to deepen, but that had been the point. It was fun to needle him.


    ¡°It¡¯s serious enough. You¡¯re our band¡¯s ranger and an important part of our group. We need to be able to reach you,¡± Geralhd told him.


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader, so that¡¯s very true. Now what do you want, my faithful minions?¡±


    Geralhd rubbed his forehead and looked down for a second. Beardy just grunted in annoyance. Their reactions continued to amuse the hobgoblin. He had to stifle a smile. Humans could be so predictable. They always thought they were smarter than him. A moment later, Beardy threw Geralhd a meaningful look that seemed to say that the other man should do the talking.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been here in this little backwater village long enough. It¡¯s time to leave. We¡¯ve managed to repair our gear and gather supplies so there is no reason to stick around any longer,¡± Geralhd said.


    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s time to hit the road,¡± Beardy interjected.


    ¡°Right now?¡± Blacknail asked with fake confusion.


    ¡°No, in a day or two. We just need to make sure you¡¯re ready to guide us¡­ and lead us.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t tell anyone about this. We plan on slipping away at the crack of dawn when the village is asleep. They might get upset if they find out, and there is no reason to upset them,¡± Beardy added.


    ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want. I¡¯m tired of this place as well. I want to go somewhere with a better selection of cheese, and I¡¯m sick of staying out in the forest where I have to hunt. Ugh, camping is so much work,¡± Blacknail told them as he scowled in distaste and kicked the ground for extra effect.


    He was fine with the bandits¡¯ plan. They had said exactly what he thought they were going to say and he had already accounted for their actions. The third phase ¨C or was it the fourth? - of Blacknail¡¯s ingenious plan would probably kick in before the date of departure, and if not then Blacknail could just stall them. It wasn¡¯t like they could go anywhere without him. It might be amusing to fake an injury or something¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you agree with our unworthy idea, wise leader,¡± Beardy remarked as he rolled his eyes. Blacknail suspected he was being sarcastic.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s nice to finally have a plan in place,¡± Geralhd said as he smiled cheerfully. ¡°I was afraid I was never going to feel the sweet taste of fine wine on the tip of my tongue ever again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is nice to have a plan. You can accomplish anything, and kill anyone, if you have a good plan, no matter how long it takes,¡± Blacknail replied as he pulled down his scarf and gave the bandits a vicious smile that revealed all his teeth. He couldn¡¯t help but gloat a little. He had been bottling in his feelings for so long. He wanted to kill!


    This statement didn¡¯t appear to please either of the bandits. Geralhd grinned back uncertainly and Beardy¡¯s face went carefully neutral. He seemed to be thinking something over.


    ¡°Blacknail, what is it that you actually want? I just realized that I don¡¯t know?¡± Geralhd asked a second later.


    ¡°I just want to help you!¡± the hobgoblin answered as he spread his hands out in a friendly manner. His humans just didn¡¯t know what they really needed. It was lucky for them that their leader did.


    ¡°That is incredibly unlikely,¡± Beardy muttered to himself sourly.


    Suddenly, there was bout of yelling from the direction of the village gate. It was swiftly followed by the sound of a horn. The long bellow echoed out over the roofs of the village, and immediately drew everyone¡¯s attention. They all turned to look toward the gate.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Geralhd asked.


    Since neither of his companions knew, the trio quickly decided to head for the gate and find out. No one blew a horn like that for no reason. Before they got to their destination they encountered Tannin. He was huddled with a dozen other men from the village. They all looked uneasy and upset.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Geralhd asked them as they jogged over.


    ¡°That was our warning horn. There is a large group of armed men crossing the field, and they look about as friendly as a troll with an arrow up its ass,¡± Tannin cursed. His face was uncharacteristically pale and there was a fearful tremor to his voice.


    Oh, hey! The enemy was early. Blacknail stepped behind Beardy and did a little happy dance. Elyias must have done a good job. That man deserved a reward. Blacknail hoped he was still alive.

 Out of Darkness 3

    The long bellowing sound of the warning horn rang out over the village of Shelter. Its unusual cadence seemed to vibrate in people¡¯s bones and put them on edge. Geralhd, Beardy, and Blacknail followed Tannin and the other villagers over to the town gate. Everyone was talking to each other as they strode purposely forward. The air was thick with tension and everyone looked fearful and nervous. Blacknail was at the very back and there was a cheerful spring in his step as he skipped along after the humans. This was going to be great fun!


    ¡°I¡¯ve already called up the town militia,¡± Tannin was explaining to Geralhd. ¡°I¡¯d like you to arm your own men and join us. The stronger and steadier we look the less likely this situation is to fall to bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°What? We can¡¯t trust them!¡± another villager protested. He was a middle-aged man with a balding head. ¡°They¡¯re probably the reason these outsiders are here. It can¡¯t be a coincidence that we get one group of intruders right after the other.¡±


    ¡°Could they be after you? When you first came here, you did mention that you were looking to escape from some enemies that you had made,¡± Tannin asked as he turned to face Geralhd.


    ¡°It¡¯s highly bloody unlikely,¡± Geralhd quickly responded in an offended tone. ¡°We had rivals we were avoiding but the timing for this makes no sense. They have no reason to search the Green for a full month in the slim hope of catching us! They would gain absolutely nothing from that, and our trail is beyond cold and dead. How could they possibly know where we are?¡±


    As he frowned thoughtfully, Tannin considered this answer. After a moment, he nodded and turned back to the man who had spoken. ¡°I have to agree with Geralhd. They¡¯ve been here too long for this to be someone looking for their tracks. That means that this isn¡¯t directly related to them, so we need to trust our guests for now. We¡¯re all in this mess together.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll know who the newcomers are soon enough, I guess. I have a feeling we''re not going to like it, though,¡± the balding man replied as he stared off toward the gate.


    ¡°I fear you¡¯re right,¡± Tannin agreed. He sounded apprehensive. While they were talking, Gerahld sent Beardy off to gather up the remaining members of their band.


    Nothing more of much importance was said until they reached the gates. When they got there, Tannin climbed up the ladder that led to the watch platform, as the others peered through the gaps in the log walls. Blacknail jumped up and pulled his head over the wall so he could see. His display of agility got him a few looks but everyone had more important things to worry about than him.


    ¡°Damnation, there are a lot of the bastards,¡± Tannin cursed as he studied the approaching group. Blacknail agreed with him.


    Across the field, the hobgoblin could see a large mob of humans. They definitely looked like bandits to Blacknail, and he was an expert. They were wearing dirty, rough clothing and they were armed to the teeth. Blacknail could see a plethora of weapons such as swords and axes. However, most telling of all, they were walking with an arrogant swagger that promised violence at the drop of a hat. Blacknail knew it well.


    ¡°Ya, these ruffians look like trouble,¡± Geralhd commented to no one in particular.


    Blacknail began counting, but then got frustrated and stopped. They kept moving around, but he figured there were just over a hundred intruders. That was more than Blacknail had been planning on dealing with. Stupid Elyias couldn¡¯t do anything right. Hmmm, this was a bit of a problem. He would have to make sure the village didn¡¯t get damaged too much. It was full of resources he wanted under his control. Still, the enemy were just humans. They had no idea what was waiting for them out here in the Green. This was Blacknail¡¯s territory.


    As the people at the gate were talking among themselves and trying to come up with a plan, more villagers began to arrive. Those that weren¡¯t already armed were quickly handed weapons such as axes or improvised spears. Soon, there were dozens of them, and they were joined by Beardy and the other bandits. Even Khita was there. All of them were armed and Beardy led them right over to Geralhd. Their swords, leather armor, and confident posture made them easily distinguishable from the villagers.


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s been a while since we were all together like this,¡± Beardy commented as he looked Blacknail¡¯s way.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s not the last,¡± another bandit replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be such a downer,¡± Khita said as she punched the man in the shoulder. ¡°After all we¡¯ve been through this will be easy, like picking the pocket of a drunken housewife.¡±


    ¡°Stealing is bad. Don¡¯t be a thief!¡± Blacknail interjected as he threw Khita a disgusted scowl.


    ¡°Is Blacknail aware of what bandits do? We were all bandits,¡± Beardy asked Geralhd as he leaned his way.


    ¡°Now is not the time,¡± Geralhd answered. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the situation at hand, please. We need to figure out what we should be doing.¡±


    ¡°I thought that would be obvious. I have no problem with helping these folk negotiate from a position of strength, but the second things get dicey we should leave. I¡¯m not dying to defend this hole in the mud.¡±


    ¡°And where would we go, exactly? The last time I checked, we were still out here in the middle of nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Blacknail¡¯s with us now. We can leave at any time,¡± Beardy replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Shelter has been good to us. I don¡¯t want to leave these people to die,¡± an uncertain sounding bandit added.


    This immediately caused all the bandits to start arguing among themselves. Khita was uncharacteristically silent. She seemed unsure of herself and torn. Blacknail just snorted and looked away. It didn¡¯t matter what any of the humans said. Everything was going as he had planned. He hadn¡¯t left them any choice but to do what he wanted.


    ¡°Quiet, all of you. This isn¡¯t useful,¡± Geralhd eventually told them all. ¡°We obviously don¡¯t know enough right now. We will see what these people want before we make any plans.¡±


    There was some grumbling in response, but no one spoke up against Geralhd directly, so he nodded to himself and then walked over to talk to Tannin. Blacknail followed him. They joined the village chief just in time. Most of the new arrivals came to a stop before they got to close to the gate of the village, but one man detached himself from the crowd and approached alone. Blacknail peered through a gap in the wall to get a good look at him.


    ¡°Hail, the settlement! I¡¯ve come to parley!¡± the man yelled. He was a tall man with black hair and a grizzled appearance that screamed bandit.


    ¡°We hear you. Who are you, stranger?¡± Tannin yelled back.


    ¡°Greetings, goodmen. My name is Orvit. I¡¯m the leader of the scavenger crew you see before you.¡±


    ¡°Scavengers? I know thieves and marauders when I see them. What does someone like you want out here? You¡¯re a long way from anything worth scavenging.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. We¡¯ve come for the gold. Tell us where it is and then no one will get hurt.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any bloody gold here, stranger. You¡¯re confused.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, old man. I¡¯ve seen the nuggets myself, and this is right where it is supposed to be.¡±


    There was silence from Tannin for a few moments. He looked confused and he took a while to think before replying. ¡°Give me a minute. I need to discuss this with some others.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but we¡¯re not going anywhere until we get the location of that gold mine. We will storm your pathetic little village if we have to. Don¡¯t think we won¡¯t!¡±


    Tannin immediately called over a pair of villagers and Geralhd. ¡°Does anyone here have any idea what these idiots are talking about? They mentioned a gold mine.¡±


    ¡°If any of my band knew where a gold mine was we would have left ages ago and be living it up in a city somewhere,¡± Geralhd told him.


    ¡°Wait, maybe that¡¯s why the others left¡­¡± Beardy guessed.


    ¡°You think they found gold and decided they didn¡¯t want to share it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, and then they ran into these bastards.¡±


    ¡°I told you these outsiders were the cause of all this trouble!¡± the angry villager from before interjected.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter right now,¡± Tannin told the man in calm soothing voice. ¡°Even if there is gold around these parts, none of us know where it is, so we can¡¯t exactly give it to anyone.¡±


    ¡°These scavengers aren¡¯t going to like that,¡± Geralhd pointed out.


    ¡°Which means this is most likely going to end in violence,¡± Beardy remarked dryly.


    ¡°Not necessarily. If we present a strong front we could still scare them away. All men are afraid of dying,¡± Tannin told them.


    ¡°You¡¯re underestimating the siren call of gold to people like them. If they don¡¯t dare attack us directly then they will simply try something else. They won¡¯t just leave,¡± Geralhd replied.


    ¡°It would be bothersome if they just sit outside our walls and look for a way in. We can¡¯t stay in here forever, and if they manage to slip inside during the night they could do a lot of damage,¡± Tannin mused aloud.


    ¡°Can we take them in straight up fight? That might be our best option,¡± one of the village militiamen asked.


    ¡°Charging them would be a rather large tactical mistake,¡± Geralhd said. ¡°It looks like your militia and the men with me are about equal in numbers to Orvit¡¯s force, but they are better armed and trained than your militia. We¡¯d take heavy casualties if we managed to win the day at all. Defending the wall greatly increases our odds.¡±


    This topic was actually something Blacknail cared about, so he spoke up. ¡°You¡¯d be slaughtered. Don¡¯t go out there.¡±


    ¡°But we can¡¯t make them attack us when we want them to. I can¡¯t have the militia on duty forever,¡± Tannin countered.


    ¡°So what do you want to do?¡± the militia man asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to try and talk to them again. Maybe I can convince them that we don¡¯t have any gold.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea,¡± Beardy told him as he rolled his eyes disdainfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s also stupid. They might kill you,¡± Blacknail added. He didn¡¯t want Tannin talking to the scavengers too much, he might learn more than he was supposed to. That would be awkward.


    ¡°Nonetheless, I have to at least try to resolve this peacefully. The cost of violence would be too high for Shelter to survive,¡± Tannin replied. ¡°We need every man and woman alive.¡±


    Several villagers tried to talk him out of it, but they were unsuccessful. Blacknail scowled, as Tannin ordered the gates opened a crack and stepped out to talk to Orvit again. Geralhd also volunteered to go with him and represent the former bandits.


    ¡°You need someone who can actually fight,¡± Blacknail remarked as he stepped out after them. He wanted to be close in case he had to intervene or steer the conversation.


    Orvit and two of his lieutenants met them halfway. They were about fifty feet from both the gate and the rest of the scavengers. They were on a path of hardened dirt and sparse grass that ran through the village¡¯s fields.


    ¡°Have you decided to stop holding out on me?¡± Orvit asked them.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t holding out on you. No one in my village knows anything about any gold,¡± Tannin tried to explain calmly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I heard,¡± Orvit replied as he reached into a pouch and pulled out a small golden nugget. ¡°My source says that the village chief knows about the mine, and he¡¯s been right about everything else so far.¡±


    Blacknail smiled to himself. He remembered telling Elyias to say that. It had been a smart idea, not that he had any other kind.


    ¡°Attacking us won¡¯t gain you anything,¡± Tannin told Orvit.


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t need to attack your precious village,¡± Orvit replied as he suddenly drew his blade. ¡°You¡¯re the one who supposedly has the answers I need. Why don¡¯t I just get them out of you?¡±


    Geralhd and Tannin were both caught by surprise. They flinched back away from the naked blade. However, Blacknail responded differently. The moment Orvit had touched his weapon Blacknail had started drawing his own, and he was faster. There was a faint whistling sound as the blade sliced through the air.


    ¡°Try anything stupid and I¡¯ll cut you deep,¡± Blacknail hissed as he pressed the tip of his sword into Orvit¡¯s exposed side. Orvit¡¯s two guards cursed but couldn¡¯t do anything. Blacknail had reacted too quickly for them.


    ¡°Blacknail, we need¡­¡± Geralhd began to say.


    ¡°No, enough talk. We¡¯re leaving. Run back to the gate, now,¡± the hobgoblin told him.


    As Orvit stared at them malevolently, Tannin and Geralhd turned to flee back to the village. Blacknail didn¡¯t immediately join them.


    ¡°I have a question for you, thief,¡± he told Orvit as he poked him in the side.


    ¡°Agh, what is it, you creepy fiend?¡± the man replied as he glared hatefully at Blacknail. He had his sword out but there was no way he could use it before Blacknail could disembowel him, and he knew it.


    ¡°Do you work for Werrick?¡±


    ¡°I do. You¡¯re more informed than an ignorant hick would be, not to mention surprisingly fast with that blade. That means you should know what happens to people who cross the Wolf. Let me go now and maybe I¡¯ll show you mercy.¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t bother replying. He just smiled and kicked Orvit so that the man smashed into one of his guard¡¯s and they both fell. Then Blacknail immediately dashed away. The remaining guard took a step after him but the hobgoblin was already halfway back to gate. He was a very fast runner.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get my hands on that gold! Those shoddy walls of your won¡¯t stop me,¡± Orvit yelled as Blacknail pushed Tannin and Geralhd through the gate and then followed them.


    The gate thudded to a close behind them, and there was an uproar as all the villagers tried to talk at the same time. They sounded distressed and excited. Half of them seemed to want to run away or hide in their homes and the other half wanted to charge Orvit¡¯s band. They were all stupid.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t run like that in years,¡± Tannin remarked in between deep breaths. He was red in the face and looked exhausted. ¡°Thanks for having my back, Blacknail.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I couldn¡¯t let you die,¡± the hobgoblin replied. It was a simple statement of fact.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± one of the village militia leaders asked Tannin. He sounded more than a little fearful.


    ¡°Whatever we do, I don¡¯t think we can reason with this Orvit fellow, so let¡¯s keep these gates closed,¡± Geralhd said. There was more yelling from all the humans, until Tannin silenced them all.


    ¡°Quiet down, all of you. This is important. What are the scavengers doing now?¡± he asked the sentries atop the wall.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t advancing. Their leader rejoined the rest of his men and they seem to be organizing something,¡± the lookout answered him.


    ¡°Damnation, I almost wish they were attacking. We could get this over with,¡± Tannin cursed.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± a villager asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Geralhd commented.


    ¡°There has to be some way to prevent Shelter from being destroyed,¡± Tannin exclaimed angrily. ¡°We¡¯ve spent too many years struggling to keep this place alive, through plague and famine. I¡¯m not going to let some asshole who can¡¯t accept the fact that we have no hidden caches of gold destroy it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the village elder, just tell us what you need,¡± a member of the militia replied.


    ¡°The militia needs to stay on guard in case of an attack,¡± Tannin told him. ¡°We can probably repel a frontal assault with ease, but the wall around this village wasn¡¯t meant to keep a determined human enemy out. Come nightfall, they will try to slip through it. I wish I had an answer for that, but I don¡¯t. I¡¯d do anything for a solution.¡±


    Blacknail was really liking the aura of desperation most the humans had. It was so strong he could smell it. Yes, this would work wonderfully. Now was the time for him to propose his solution and take control of the situation. The hobgoblin coughed loudly enough to get everyone attention.


    ¡°Would you really do anything for a solution?¡± he asked Tannin as everyone turned to look his way.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± the village elder replied hesitantly as he met Blacknail¡¯s gaze. He seemed to have detected something off about the question because he looked slightly suspicious.


    ¡°Good, because I could kill Orvit and his men for you.¡±


    ¡°You could? There are a lot of them and only one of you,¡± Tannin replied as he tried to see past the hobgoblin¡¯s disguise.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sneaky and I have some¡­ minions I could ask for help. Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Blacknail, we really should discuss this¡­¡± Geralhd interjected nervously before Blacknail quieted him with a glare. He stuttered for a second and then shut up.


    ¡°If you pay my price I will save your people. Would you really do anything?¡± Blacknail asked as he turned back to Tannin.


    ¡°I would, but I still don¡¯t see how you could possibly do what you say you can.¡±


    ¡°I can do it because of what I am,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he pulled his hood down and removed his scarf so that his face was visible.

 Out of Darkness 4

    The brown cloth of Blacknail¡¯s hood fell down to his shoulders. He then pulled off the scarf covering the front of his face. This meant the hobgoblin¡¯s green visage was plain for everyone to see. His long pointy ears and nose were clearly inhuman, and there were two short horns rising from his bald head. He sure was handsome.


    There were gasps of surprise and horror from some of the nearby residents of Shelter. The closest villagers stepped back and some of the militia raised their weapons defensively. Blacknail gave them his best friendly smile, but made an effort not to show his teeth. Some humans found them intimidating.


    ¡°What in the deepest of hells is this?¡± Tannin cursed. He looked shocked and more than a little angry.


    ¡°It¡¯s my face,¡± Blacknail replied matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Why are you green?¡± one of the villagers asked. He sounded shocked.


    ¡°Ugh, Really? Stupid ignorant hicks,¡± one of the bandits with Geralhd mumbled.


    ¡°I¡¯m a hobgoblin,¡± Blackanil explained for the people that didn¡¯t get it. Humans sometimes needed a few moments for their brains to start working.


    There were more murmurs now, and they sounded angrier. A lot of the villagers were glaring at him with hate in their eyes. That wasn¡¯t good, but things were going the way Blacknail had expected them to. The sudden appearance of a hobgoblin in their midst had shocked and scared the villagers. They were reacting defensively and working themselves up into a state of uncontrolled anger and fear, not that there was much difference for humans. Luckily, Blacknail had a plan in action to counter this. Magic.


    Before coming here, Blacknail had met with Imp and asked about making Elixir. The fight with the alpha had used up his supply. Imp couldn¡¯t do it, however it turned out that the hobgoblin mage did have a vial of Blacknail¡¯s Elixir on hand. He had taken it from Mahedium¡¯s lair after Werrick¡¯s attack. Blacknail had ingested a quarter of the vial on the spot. Thus, the hobgoblin squinted and focused his attention on Tannin and the villagers. He tried to recreate the feeling from his fight with the wolves. It was sort of a weird floaty feeling, like he was thinking about loosening some string, except mint flavored.


    Since the arrival of the scavengers, Blacknail had been using his new found Vessel ability to tweak the emotions of the people around him. He could only affect their fear but that was still very useful. Fear seemed to affect everything humans did. When the raiders had arrived, Blacknail had played up the peoples¡¯ fears to make them more desperate and open to suggestion. Now he was doing the opposite, stifling their fears so they would be more accepting. The slight headache meant it was working, that or he wasn¡¯t getting enough air. Maybe he should focus more on breathing.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± Tannin asked Geralhd in a sharp accusatory tone. ¡°I can¡¯t see how you couldn¡¯t have.¡±


    ¡°I knew about it. Blacknail is my friend,¡± Khita interjected. The redhead had been standing behind Geralhd but now she stepped up beside Blacknail and put a hand on his shoulder. The hobgoblin had to suppress the urge to bite her fingers. Now was not the time for that, so instead he just kept smiling.


    ¡°Yes, we all knew,¡± Geralhd replied reluctantly. Meanwhile, Beardy took a step away from him and tried to look innocent and unrelated. He didn¡¯t really blend in with the villagers, though.


    ¡°How can this be possible? Why would you travel with a hobgoblin?¡± Tannin asked. He was clearly upset.


    Blacknail tried to focus his magic on the village elder¡¯s mind for a moment. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was working. He was very new at this and it was very weird. He couldn¡¯t really sense peoples'' thought or anything, but if he really concentrated, it felt he could feel their minds, or something. They were like piles of squirming worms. What Blacknail had to do was use his power to sort of calm the worms down or make them more agitated. It was actually much easier just to flare the Elixir and send out a wave of fear that hit everyone, like he had with the wolf. All this thinking about worms and brains was making him hungry.


    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s a rather complicated tale,¡± Geralhd explained to Tannin. ¡°When he was just a little goblin he was picked up and raised by one of our companions, Saeter. Since then he has never really done anything wrong and he has been rather helpful actually. We grew used to having him around.¡±


    ¡°See, I¡¯m helpful and I¡¯ve never done anything wrong. Nothing, ever,¡± Blacknail crowed proudly.


    ¡°Ya!¡± Khita agreed. ¡°Just like me.¡± Everyone ignored her.


    ¡°Well, he has always obeyed orders, anyway,¡± Beardy clarified.


    ¡°They would have died so many times without my help, just like you right now,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let this creature inside our village without permission! He could have hurt someone,¡± Tannin yelled at Geralhd.


    ¡°They needed me to get home and I was their companion. They knew they could trust me, but they knew nothing about you,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°Um, that¡¯s actually a good point. You¡¯re rather smart aren¡¯t you?¡± Tannin admitted as he studied Blacknail again. He seemed to be rethinking some things and getting his thoughts in order now. The worms that made up his brain were flopping around less.


    ¡°We¡¯ve talked over a dozen times. You know how smart I am,¡± Blacknail pointed out. He was the smartest person here, or maybe anywhere. He was also magic.


    ¡°Right¡­ that¡¯s also a good point,¡± Tannin replied before falling silent. He seemed momentarily at a loss for words.


    ¡°This is why I hid my face. I get asked so many dumb questions by angry people who know nothing,¡± Blacknail hissed. There were also a lot of other reasons. It certainly made sneaking up on people easier.


    ¡°Why are you talking to the beast? We need to drive it out of town now!¡± a member of the militia suddenly yelled. He was a pudgy man with a balding head.


    ¡°Shut your pie hole, Aster,¡± Tannin told the speaker as he spun to face him. ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose our heads now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you try and chase me away then I won¡¯t be able to help you,¡± Blacknail told them as he tried to magic their brains.


    ¡°You expect us to accept help from the likes of you? You¡¯re a monster! Why would we ever do that?¡± the man yelled in defiance of Tannin. His brain worms were practically dancing about.


    ¡°Because you need me,¡± Blacknail replied in as soothing a voice as he could muster. It wasn¡¯t very soothing. ¡°I have never done anything but help you, and without my aid you and all your families will die, all of them. These invaders will slit their throats and burn you from your homes. I alone can save everything you hold dear.¡±


    There was silence from all the nearby villagers now. They seemed unsure.


    ¡°Just what sort of price are you demanding?¡± Tannin asked. He sounded apprehensive, like he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to learn the answer.


    Several nearby villagers began whispering among themselves and guessing. Blacknail heard people mention babies, human blood, and women. The hobgoblin had no idea what he¡¯d do with two of those three, and eating the other would get him in trouble.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°I just want a few simple things. Nothing bad!¡± Blacknail said.


    ¡°Like what?¡± Tannin asked.


    ¡°First, I want to be your friend, to come and go from the village, as before. I want to trade with you so I can get supplies. This would help us both.¡±


    ¡°That sounds¡­ fine,¡± Tannin answered reluctantly. This led to angry muttering from some of the villagers so he added, ¡°We can keep an eye on you easily enough.¡±


    ¡°Second, I want the stuff in your heads, your secret knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Our secret knowledge?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the way you make things. I want that. You will teach me the secret of making cheese!¡±


    There was silence of a different kind from the villagers.


    ¡°Is that everything?¡± Tannin asked after moment.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Um, alright. You have a deal.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself. He was beginning to think he should have asked for more. Well, whatever. He could always trade them some yellow rocks for whatever he wanted later.


    ¡°So how do you plan on dealing with our uninvited guests?¡± Tannin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill them,¡± Blacknail responded.


    ¡°There are a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°I know that. It won¡¯t matter. I have minions and magic. Come morning you will see how helpful I can be!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we have much of a choice. If you do actually manage to save Shelter from the raiders then on my word as the village Elder we will welcome you back regardless of your um¡­ skin color.¡±


    ¡°¡­and teeth, those things are horrifying,¡± one of the militiamen muttered under his breath. He and most the militia were still staring at Blacknail suspiciously but they no longer seemed like they were considering preemptive violence.


    ¡°Hey, Blacknail. Step over this way for a moment,¡± Geralhd quietly asked as he motioned for the hobgoblin to come closer. Blacknail did as he was asked and walked over to Geralhd¡¯s side. Several of the nearby former bandits leaned in closer as well so they could hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve managed to tell Tannin the truth, but are you sure this is the best idea?¡± Geralhd asked Blacknail quietly so that the villager¡¯s couldn¡¯t overhear. ¡°The minions you were talking about are Gob and the goblins, right? I don¡¯t think any of the old band are going to want to do anything too dangerous right now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. As your leader, I want you all right here where you can help protect the village, in case the raiders attack before night. I have enough hobgoblin minions for the rest,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Wait, you have more hobgoblins now? How? And how many are we talking about?¡± Beardy asked in shock.


    ¡°Pff, too many. It¡¯s annoying. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do with them all. There are more every day,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly an interesting bit of information,¡± Geralhd remarked.


    ¡°Red Dog was right about everything,¡± Beardy cursed. ¡°We¡¯ve doomed ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Stop being such a cry baby,¡± Khita told him. ¡°How can a grown man be so pathetic? Are you going to go cry alone in a corner somewhere now? The new hobgoblins aren¡¯t so bad. Scamp and Imp are two of them.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you must have known about this all along. You¡¯ve been spending half your time out in the forest with Blacknail. Seriously, what is wrong with your mind? Did you get dropped on your head as a child? Why did you keep this from us?¡± Beardy shot back.


    ¡°You never asked. Goblins turn into hobgoblins, that¡¯s what they do,¡± Khita replied with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders. This remark made Beardy¡¯s eyes bug out and his face grow red. He raised a clenched fist and started to open his mouth, but Blacknail smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.


    ¡°We should all just get along. Getting mad can be very bad for a human¡¯s health. I¡¯ve seen it many times,¡± Blacknail told Beardy helpfully. Most the humans Blacknail had seen die had been rather upset before the end.


    Beardy didn¡¯t seem to know how to respond to this. He looked flustered and grunted sourly before shaking his head.


    ¡°See? That¡¯s better!¡± Blacknail told him cheerfully.


    There was wasn¡¯t much more to say, so after answering a few more questions, Blacknail began his preparations to leave. A pair of militia men escorted the hobgoblin to the far side of the village, where Blacknail found a gap in the wall he could squeeze through. Khita had wanted to come too but Blacknail had quickly ditched her. Once outside, he made a dash for the forest. It didn¡¯t seem likely that the scavengers had set up a ring of sentries yet, but it was better safe than sorry.


    No enemies appeared at the edge of the forest to stop him, so Blacknail slipped into the trees without a problem. He immediately headed for the goblin settlement at a quick run. If he wanted to be ready before it got dark he needed to get things organized fast, and the upcoming fight was making him more than a little excited. This would be a hunt unlike any other.


    He was out of breath by the time the walls of the goblin camp came into sight through the thick greenery of the forest, but he had made very good time. Blacknail slowed down to a walk as he stepped through the gate. He needed to recover so that he could do some screaming. That was the best way to get attention.


    ¡°To me! Gob, hobgoblins, your chief is calling you,¡± Blacknail yelled at the top of his lungs as he stomped into the camp. Goblins scattered before him and fled from the sound, in case he was angry or looking to assign them work.


    Almost immediately, Gob came running. The senior hobgoblin ran out from behind a hill and practically fell at Blacknail¡¯s feet as he kneeled submissively. Blacknail had to jerk back to prevent himself from tripping over the other hobgoblin. Gob could move surprisingly fast at the weirdest times.


    ¡°Great master of the tribe, I am yours to command,¡± Gob exclaimed proudly as he thumped his chest with a closed fist. ¡°What is it you desire, warrior king?¡±


    ¡°Stand, war master. Our tribe is going to war!¡± Blacknail told him. The title had slipped off his tongue. Something about Gob''s use of them was contagious.


    ¡°Who dares threaten our territory and challenge Blacknail the Undefeated?¡± Gob hissed furiously.


    By this time, a few more hobgoblins had appeared. They were standing back a bit and watching with great interest. At the mention of war they grew visibly more excited. Their eyes began to shine with bloodlust and a few of them licked their lips. Blacknail saw Twig, Bones, and Herah among them.


    ¡°A tribe of humans from afar has come to claim our land. They want the shiny stones that lay beneath the ground here,¡± Blacknail shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear. ¡°But they shall not have them. We shall rend the flesh from their bones and tear them limb from limb instead!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will kill at your command with great joy,¡± Gob hissed as the other hobgoblins made excited noises.


    ¡°They won¡¯t take our shinnies!¡± Bones yelled.


    Blacknail cleared his throat and then raised his voice to an even higher volume. It was time to set the mood. ¡°These humans are many but they are still prey. We shall hunt them through the dark and descend upon them unaware. We will slit their throats as they sleep and pull the ground out from beneath their feet. I will lead us to victory! There will be loot for us all, too much shiny human things for us to carry!¡±


    The hobgoblins roared their approval and pumped their fists up into the air excitedly. There were around two dozen of them now, but Blacknail still saw some faces missing. The talk of loot had really got them going, which was good. Blacknail needed his minions to be brave, and that wasn¡¯t what hobgoblins and goblins were known for. However, it didn¡¯t seem like he would have to influence them using magic, yet.


    ¡°Now go my minions. Gather up your weapons, return here to obey War Master Gob, and then together we shall hunt!¡± Blacknail yelled. The cheering hobgoblins immediately roared their approval again and then dispersed to prepare.


    As the hobgoblins ran off, Blacknail turned back to Gob and began filling him in. There were a lot of tasks that needed to be completed quickly. When the other hobgoblin knew what to do, Blacknail hurried off to find Imp. The hobgoblin shaman had been missing from the gathering and Blacknail needed to speak to him. It was time to find out exactly what the mage was capable of.


    Predictably, Imp was in his hut. He was working away at some sort of project, and completely focused on a small glass beaker full of cloudy grey liquid. Blacknail noticed a few other oddities lying around that drew his interest as well.


    ¡°Imp, stop what you are doing. The tribe is going to war! I need you to prepare your magics for battle,¡± Blacknail told him.


    The hobgoblin shaman looked up and blinked a few times in confusion before managing to focus on Blacknail. ¡°This is very important. Maybe I should stay here?¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Blacknail asked. He normally didn¡¯t appreciate disrespect or disobedience but he didn¡¯t want to mess around with magic either.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it occasionally bubbles,¡± Imp replied as he turned back to stare at the beaker.


    ¡°You¡¯re coming with us,¡± Blacknail ordered him coldly. What was it with some hobgoblins and weird obsessions?


    ¡°What do you expect me to do in a fight?¡± Imp asked.


    ¡°Magic. Make things explode, like boom and kablam!¡±


    ¡°I can do that. It¡¯s the stopping the boom that is hard.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± Blacknail replied as he grinned and rubbed his hands together gleefully. It had been too long since he had seen anything explode. Pottery and furnaces didn¡¯t count.


    ¡°Also, one more thing. Why do you have two goblins in cages?¡± Blacknail asked as he turned to look at the wooden cages in question. They were made of lashed together branches that had been hardened in fire, and inside of them sat two small goblins who were watching the hobgoblins¡¯ conversation with great interest.


    ¡°So I can use their blood. They have the magic in their blood. I cut them and extract it for my potions,¡± Imp explained.


    ¡°Can¡¯t they get out of them?¡± Blacknail asked curiously. A goblin could easily escape from a wooden cage given time.


    ¡°Of course, but why would they want to?¡± Imp responded as he blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Blacknail told him. He was too busy to think about this right now. He had a battle to win. Hopefully one where lots of things exploded.

 Out of Darkness 5

    The branches overhead creaked and swayed back and forth as the wind blew. The leaves rustled restlessly alongside them. It was a cool afternoon and the sun was just beginning to disappear behind the horizon. However, the shadowy canopy overhead blocked sight of the dusk sky and stifled the light it cast. There was an expectant feeling to the earthy smelling air, and for good reason. Dozens of silent hobgoblins waited in the shadows around Blacknail. Soon the hunt would commence.


    There was a faint rustling noise as Scamp stepped out of the bushes and approached Blacknail. He stalked forward and gave the other hobgoblin a bow, which earned him a nod in return.


    ¡°I circled the human camp, boss. They have no watchers in the trees, and only a few men watching the fields around their tents,¡± Scamp quietly informed his chieftain.


    ¡°Then we move now. Follow me. I will lead the way,¡± Blacknail replied as he grinned in anticipation.


    Blacknail shivered in delight. It had been too long since he had hunted his favorite prey, humans. Nothing else made him feel quite so fulfilled as taking down a thinking enemy that he had outplayed. The fact that these men worked for Werrick also added to his delight. When this hunt was done he would be one step closer to his vengeance.


    With a wave of his hand, Blacknail signaled his minions and began creeping forward. Silently, the other hobgoblins followed after him. They barely made a sound as they slipped through the gloomy trees and bushes. Every hobgoblin was completely focused on the task ahead.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to reach the edge of the forest. Like Scamp had said, they encountered no scouts or any human at all until they reached the border. Blacknail crouched behind a bush and peered out into the fields. There were campfires burning there and they cast long shadows as men moved around them. The raider¡¯s camp was made up of several clusters of tents, with a ring of watch fires set up around it to provide the sentries with light and ward off beasts from the forest.


    The camp was situated between the forest and Shelter, and since it had been set up out of bow range from the village, that meant it was only about a hundred feet from Blacknail¡¯s current position. After a few moments counting the shadows and studying the layout of the encampment, Blacknail turned back to minions and began issuing orders. He knew how to infiltrate this group of humans.


    ¡°Split into three groups. Gob, Scamp, and I will lead them. We will each aim for one of the closest fires and take out the scouts there. You will then leave behind imposters to replace the scouts and cover our exit, as the others move in deeper. Remember to withdraw when you hear the signal,¡± he told them.


    There were murmurs and nods of acceptance from the listening hobgoblins. A few of them even bowed, including Gob. Blacknail had no idea where they had learned to do that, but he kind of liked it.


    The hobgoblins then quickly organized themselves and began creeping out into the fields. The three groups of ten separated and headed for different targets. Each hobgoblin crept across the ground on all fours and kept their head down. It was slow going but they were patient. When the shadows shifted and light from the fires shone out in their direction, the nearby hobgoblins froze and waited until it passed.


    When each group was in position they signaled their readiness with a birdcall. At the sound of the third call, they made their move. Hobgoblins with bows sighted their targets as others with drawn blades rose up and dashed closer. Blacknail led the way. He drew two long daggers and lunged out of the darkness. In a blur of motion, he hit the exposed back of one of the sentries. The man was looking in the wrong direction, and before he could even turn around, Blacknail had cut his throat. That done, Blacknail spun around to face the next target, but there was no need for him to do anything. Another hobgoblin had already stabbed the man, and his sword was sunk deep into victim¡¯s chest. In fact, there were no sentries left standing. The last one coughed quietly and collapsed onto the ground with an arrow in side. All three of the sentries had been taken out before they could raise the alarm.


    Blacknail quickly looked towards the other two campfires he¡¯d ordered attacked. He saw some quick flashes of movement as the hobgoblin there finished up, but he didn¡¯t hear any loud noises that would alert the enemy. Most of Blacknail¡¯s minions had received only the most basic of training, but they had succeeded in their task. Blacknail had been more than little worried. So many things could have gone wrong. He had never tried to lead so many hobgoblins in such a complicated manner before. It was a good thing that hunting such as this came naturally to hobgoblins. They knew what to do. They just obeyed their instincts.


    Smiling to himself, Blacknail picked out three hobgoblins and ordered them to replace the sentries around the fire. They quickly looted some human clothes and complied. If anyone looked they would be indistinguishable from humans at a distance. Blacknail then joined in the looting of the bodies and pocketed a dagger and some coins. There was no way the other hobgoblins weren¡¯t doing it, so he might as well join in.


    ¡°Enough, we need to move,¡± Blacknail hissed after he¡¯d finished searching the body of the man he had killed. His minions reluctantly did as they were told. Unlike Blacknail, they had never seen such riches before.


    The sounds of human activity from deeper within the encampment were much clearer now. Among the tents, people were walking around and talking amongst themselves. Black listened for a moment before motioning for his minions to follow him deeper in. Going in further was risky because it became much harder to keep an eye on all his minions, but it was still too early to head back.


    The hobgoblins hanging back away from campfires slipped into the dark space between the lights and joined their companions in a dash towards the enemy camp. A few humans looked in their direction but they were taken down by archers before they could figure out what was happening. Then the hobgoblins hit the tents. The savage killers dispersed to wreak as much chaos as they could.


    As the firelight flickered behind him, Blacknail charged ahead. He crouched low as he ran past a pair of empty tents. There were two raiders walking together off to his right. One of them had a hand raised and was pointing in the general direction of some of Blacknail¡¯s minions. They had noticed movement in the darkness but they had no idea what it was yet. Blacknail decided to make sure they didn¡¯t ever find out. He circled around another tent and then dashed out behind them. With his sword raised high, Blacknail lunged forward and attacked. Elixir burned through his blood as his first slash whipped through the air and tore into the neck of his target. The man never even saw the blade coming. As the body crumpled, the second man flinched and turned around. Blacknail didn¡¯t waste a second. He shifted his body weight, stepped forward, and stabbed his second target right through the stomach. The man gasped and coughed. Flecks of bloody spittle flew out of his mouth, and then Blacknail withdrew his blade. The raider collapsed onto the ground and went still, but Blacknail was already running off to find a new target.


    For a while, there was only an occasional scuffle or surprised gasp as hobgoblins jumped on unsuspecting raiders or slipped into tents to kill their sleeping occupants, but then a ear shattering scream of pain rent the air and everything changed. Blacknail froze as he was about to cut open a tent that looked occupied. Around him, raiders began yelling and drawing weapons. The attackers had been discovered. Blacknail grunted sourly and stepped back. He hesitated a moment about whether to call the retreat, but then a blinding white light appeared in the center of the camp. He squinted and turned away, as the light illuminated all the tents and cast away the darkness. It revealed the shadowy figures of the raiders and the hobgoblins, and Blacknail knew it was time to go. That was mage light. If he ever figured out which hobgoblin had messed up he was going to get such a kicking.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    It was somewhat unnecessary at this point, but Blacknail took a moment to scream the retreat signal. The harsh wordless yell echoed over the raiders'' camp and then was repeated by other hobgoblins that heard it. The violent screams sounded more like the bloodthirsty call of a beast than a signal to retreat, but that was sort of the point. Now that the hobgoblins had been discovered it was time to spread fear and confusion.


    Partially revealed by the mage light, shadowy hobgoblins began pulling back away from the tents. They headed towards the periphery campfires they had seized on their way in, but it was not an orderly retreat. Many hobgoblins were still looting or had been engaged in combat. Blacknail quickly dashed towards the closest fight. He needed to buy his minions some time.


    In front of him, two hobgoblins were struggling to fight off two raiders. Without the advantage of surprise they were having a hard time just defending themselves. Humans were larger and stronger than hobgoblins and they were almost always better trained. The blades of the raiders were hammering down against the hobgoblin¡¯s weapons and pushing them back. Then one of hobgoblins was knocked backwards after an awkward block. The raider facing him stepped forward to finish him off, but Blacknail intervened. He charged in and parried the man¡¯s downwards swing. There was a metallic clang as the blades met, and then Blacknail twisted around and launched an attack of his own that forced the man back.


    ¡°Retreat. I got this,¡± Blacknail hissed at his minions as he took a swipe at the second man. Both hobgoblins immediately jumped back and ran away, which annoyed Blacknail a little. They could have at least thanked him.


    Blacknail¡¯s sour thoughts were interrupted when his opponents attacked again. He parried one slash and sidestepped the other. There were more and more raiders appearing, so Blacknail knew he had to hurry. He would soon be swamped by angry humans.


    Thus, Blacknail readied himself. The raider to his left slashed at his head while the other waited for an opening. Just as he blocked the blow, Blacknail met both the raider¡¯s gazes and then blasted them with fear. He reached down into himself and pushed the burning power of Elixir out at them. Instantly, the raider¡¯s minds trembled and they flinched. Fear was plain on their faces as they went stiff. That was all the opening Blacknail needed. He knocked away the blade of the man who had just attacked him and twisted his own sword around into a slash at the other raider. Caught off guard, the raider couldn¡¯t stop the blade from slicing deep into his shoulder.


    ¡°Demon piss,¡± the man swore as he stumbled back and dropped his weapon.


    The remaining raider raised his blade defensively to block a new attack by Blacknail. It was a clumsy maneuver. He still hadn¡¯t recovered from the terror attack, so Blacknail had no problem using leverage to force the blade aside and stab the man in the chest. Blacknail then tugged his weapon loose and jumped on the fallen raider. A few savage chops later he was dead as well.


    ¡°There¡¯s one of the intruders!¡± a deep voice yelled. Blacknail looked up to see a squad of heavily armed raiders bearing down on him. He quickly sheathed his sword and ran away. As the leader he was too important to risk, unless the situation seemed like fun.


    Off to one side, a hobgoblin was dodging the wild sword slashes of a raider. It looked like the hobgoblin had a wound on his leg so he couldn¡¯t run away. Blacknail took a brief moment to veer over and help. The raider saw him coming and slashed at him, but he dodged under the blow and kicked the man aside.


    ¡°Go,¡± he told the hobgoblin.


    As the wounded hobgoblin obeyed, Blacknail looked around. It seemed like there weren¡¯t any more of his minions in trouble. All of them were withdrawing towards the forest. However there were a few laggards. One unconscious hobgoblin was being carried by another and a few others were also moving slowly, either because of injuries or because they were loaded down by loot. Rolly was carrying an entire pile of pots, and was even wearing one on his head. Blacknail had no idea why.


    To make sure his minions escaped, Blacknail ran over to guard their backs. There were dozens of armed raiders chasing them, and they were only about two dozen feet away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the bloody fiends escape!¡± a taller man roared as he brandished a sword above his head and led the charge after the fleeing hobgoblins.


    Sensing that he needed to do something, Blacknail turned and took a deep breath. His cloak whipped behind him as he faced the raiders that were trying to run him down, and then he screamed as loudly as he could. Hatred and hunger poured out from him.


    ¡°Humans, I am your death! I am Blacknail, the hunter of men. You serve the Wolf, but he cannot protect you from me. None of you will ever escape the Green. You have gone too deep, and now you are mine,¡± Blacknail yelled. He then let out a deep echoing laugh that was filled to the brim with bloodlust and malevolence, and flared Elixir. As the power rolled through him, he boiled it and blasted it outwards so that it slammed into the raiders.


    The power hit them like a physical wave. Most the raiders slowed and visibly flinched away from Blacknail. A dozen or so jumped back and came to a complete stop, while several even tripped and fell. The entire group of charging raiders fell into chaos as they hit each other and stumbled, and that was when the arrows hit them. The retreating hobgoblins had reached the campfires, and the hobgoblins stationed there were taking the opportunity to cover their companions. Arrows whirred through the air and slammed into the raiders. There were shrieks of pain and half a dozen more of them fell.


    ¡°Gods damn it all. Keep moving!¡± the enemy leader roared. His words didn¡¯t accomplish much. His subordinates had come to complete stop.


    ¡°You cowardly bitches! Come back here and fight like men,¡± the enraged raider then yelled at Blacknail.


    ¡°I am no man,¡± Blacknail laughed as he spun around and ran past the campfires. The darkness there engulfed him and he disappeared from sight.


    The retreating hobgoblin chieftain soon caught up with his minions. They were waiting for him at the edge of the forest. Their slanted pupils shone as they reflected the distant firelight, and most of them had satisfied smiles on their faces. There was no sign of pursuit, although cursing and screams could still be heard from the raiders¡¯ camp.


    ¡°It is done, great leader. We are victorious! All praise to you,¡± Gob said as he stepped out from behind a tree. He didn¡¯t look any worse for wear, which was good. Gob was the one hobgoblin that Blacknail couldn¡¯t easily replace.


    ¡°What he said, boss,¡± Scamp added with smile. He had a swollen eye that looked like it had been punched, but he was carrying a new sword and there was a sack slung over his shoulder.


    All the familiar faces Blacknail remembered seemed to be there. Bones seemed to be unconscious but Twig was supporting him and he was still breathing. It seemed weird to Blacknail that Twig would go out of his way to help his rival, but whatever. Herah and Rolly were present, and both of them had grabbed quite a bit of loot. It didn¡¯t seem like they had lost anyone. How many hobgoblins had they started with? That would have probably been a good thing to have learned beforehand.


    ¡°Did we lose anyone?¡± he asked his assembled minions.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Scamp replied. He sounded uncertain.


    ¡°Maybe?¡± Blacknail enquired impatiently.


    ¡°One of ours died, but we grabbed his corpse, so he¡¯s not really lost,¡± Scamp replied as he pointed to a body slumped up against a tree.


    ¡°Ah, good,¡± Blacknail exclaimed as he nodded in satisfaction. He had ordered them to retrieve any bodies.


    Humans feared things they didn¡¯t understand. If they had a corpse to examine, gloat over, or make into a trophy their fear would have diminished. Blacknail wanted these servants of Werrick¡¯s stewing in their own terror as the darkness pressed in around them all night. He wanted to smell their fear on the wind. He wanted them to jump out of their skin every time they heard a twig crack and see hobgoblins in every shadow. Blacknail knew humans and he knew fear. Their terror would sap them of their strength and leave them ripe for plucking.


    Since all the other stuff was out of the way, Blacknail asked the most important question next. ¡°Now, did any of you find any cheese?¡±

 Out of Darkness 6

    The dusk raid on the raiders¡¯ camp had only yielded one small piece of cheese. It hadn¡¯t even tasted all that good, too plain. What was the point of cheese too weak to water your eyes or burn your nose? That seemed like a waste to Blacknail. All in all, the raid had been somewhat of a disappointment. That was more because of other factors, but the cheese thing was still disappointing.


    It seemed like that after killing the sentries most the hobgoblins had avoided combat and focused on stealing everything that wasn¡¯t nailed down, which had been everything but the tents, and even then an enterprising hobgoblin had found a way to grab one. That meant the raid had only resulted in the deaths of less than two dozen humans. They did however gain a whole bunch more weapons, a pile of pots, several sacks of food, and a lot of other random knickknacks.


    ¡°I found some new knives! I can¡¯t wait to show Khita,¡± Herah exclaimed happily as she followed after Blacknail.


    ¡°Do you want one, boss?¡± she asked him. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one for a favor!¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Blacknail replied as he kept on walking. He was lost in thought.


    ¡°Are you sure? You might like it!¡±


    Instead of replying, Blacknail picked up the pace a little. Being dragged into this conversation seemed like a bad idea.


    The hobgoblins were headed back to the forward base they had set up. The main goblin encampment was too far away. Blacknail wanted to keep close to Shelter so he could keep an eye on things. The new camp was only about two minutes away from Shelter, but Blacknail was willing to bet the raiders wouldn¡¯t be doing too much exploring now. The Green could be a terrifying and dangerous place even under normal circumstances.


    ¡°I got a whole bunch of human hair! It¡¯s all mine now,¡± a bald hobgoblin announced as he proudly showed off the tufts of various colors that were in his hands.


    ¡°Why did you waste your time on hair? That¡¯s useless. I got pants!¡± another hobgoblin responded as he held up his loot. He was currently wearing just a loincloth so Blacknail didn¡¯t blame him for being so excited.


    As the group of hobgoblins walked through some bushes, their temporary camp came into sight. Some time ago, a huge tree had fallen over and slammed into another giant. This had resulted in a small clearing where there was no canopy overhead. The massive tree trunk¡¯s fall had been broken by the other tree so now the entire thing lay on an angle. Near the base, there was enough room under it for hobgoblins to stand, and they had covered the open sides with long branches and green bushels of leaves to make walls.


    After all the hobgoblins had taken a moment to pile their ill-gotten gains somewhere, Blacknail called them over for a meeting.


    ¡°You were all terrible. I did all the hard work,¡± Blacknail told his minions. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill enough people. That was the entire point of this attack!¡±


    There was some assorted muttering from the assembled hobgoblins and they looked away from their chief, usually toward their loot. However, they didn¡¯t seem all that remorseful.


    ¡°Scamp, take two other hobs and watch the enemy. Send me someone if they do anything,¡± Blacknail ordered his subordinate.


    ¡°I want to rest! I just finished fighting,¡± Scamp protested. ¡°Send someone else less deserving!¡±


    ¡°There is no one else less deserving, anywhere,¡± Blacknail countered. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending replacements to find you after a while, and if you¡¯re napping they will have orders to beat you silly.¡±


    Since there was no way he could argue with Blacknail, Scamp picked out two other hobgoblins and headed back to watch the fields. Imp was standing off to one side of the main group of hobgoblins so Blacknail turned to face him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you doing anything. Why were there no big booms?¡± Blacknail asked him crossly. He had wanted some big booms.


    ¡°I saw no good targets. It¡¯s hard to use magic stones,¡± Imp replied with a shrug. He had been one of the hobgoblins assigned to guard the campfires.


    Blacknail sighed. He should have probably asked about this before. Why were all his minions such terrible subordinates? They needed to do better.


    ¡°What do your magics do, exactly?¡± he enquired of the mage. ¡°Mahedium had staffs that shot fire and necklaces that sucked things up.¡±


    Imp took a second to process the question. He titled his head to the side and licked his lips.


    ¡°I have rocks that give off glow and others that burn a lot,¡± he responded slowly as if unsure of himself.


    ¡°You can¡¯t shoot fire or anything?¡±


    ¡°No, I have the magic fire but I don¡¯t have a staff to push the flames away. After I set the crystal alight they explode after a few seconds,¡± Imp explained. Blacknail found these magics to be less than impressive.


    ¡°So how do you use them to fight?¡±


    ¡°I throw them.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything else?¡±


    ¡°I do have some other stones that explode in other interesting ways. Some of them are green or make whistling noises! The problem is that they sometimes go boom in your hand, which is bad.¡±


    ¡°That is a problem,¡± Blacknail admitted. One hobgoblin mage throwing mana crystals that exploded into flame wasn¡¯t going to be all that useful. He would have to think about this. He wanted magic, and if anyone could come up with a solution it would be him, the greatest hobgoblin genius ever.


    After a little more conversation, the hobgoblin warband settled down and prepared to wait out the night. Hobgoblins had great low light vision, but even they couldn¡¯t see through the black of night. They set up cots in the crude structure they had built under the fallen tree, and they even built a small fire off to one side where it was shielded from view. When he wasn¡¯t dealing with complaints about who deserved what loot, Blacknail caught some sleep.


    When morning was just beginning to spring to life, Blacknail was up and waiting for it. In the dark of early dawn, he led his warband back to Shelter. From atop a tall tree at the edge of the fields he surveyed the raiders¡¯ camp. The leafy branch he was perched on swayed ever so slightly beneath him as he counted the tents and men. Blacknail wasn¡¯t great at counting but he believed there were still around a hundred raiders left.


    ¡°That¡¯s too many smelly humans,¡± Blacknail muttered to himself. He would have to work on cutting them down more.


    The tree trembled a bit more as Blacknail climbed down and rejoined his minions. It was still dark out enough that hobgoblins would have the advantage. The sun hadn¡¯t quite appeared on the horizon.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to hunt again!¡± he excitedly informed his minions.


    Another raid like their last would go a long way towards breaking their opponents, especially if the hobgoblins actually kept on task this time. Once the raiders realized that the hobgoblins could attack with impunity at any time they would be consumed by their terror and become easy prey.


    At his command, Blacknail¡¯s minions split into three groups and slipped out of the forest to launch a new attack. Their targets were the groups of sentries that Blacknail had picked out from up above in the tree. Carefully, the hobgoblins crept across the gloomy fields towards their prey.


    This time however, things didn¡¯t go to plan. Before any of the hobgoblins had reached the sentries, a cry of warning reverberated through the air. Blacknail froze where he was crouched down low against the earth. He looked up to see that the sentries ahead of him were alert and scanning the ground around him. The man beside him had a strung bow in his hands, and there was noise from deeper within the enemy camp.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Reinforce the perimeter now! Secondary squads move into position,¡± a sentry yelled.


    ¡°Are the attackers human? You know what some of the others were saying,¡± another raider asked fearfully. The only answer he got was an order from his sergeant to shut up.


    ¡°Miserable slimy slugs,¡± Blacknail cursed. It seemed that the raiders had learned their lesson. They had been caught unaware the first time, but now they were ready for another sneak attack.


    Frowning furiously, Blacknail signaled to the hobgoblin next to him. His minion nodded, rose up, nocked an arrow to his bow, and then took a shot at the sentry with the bow. The projectile flew straight and true. It whirred through the air and slammed into the archer¡¯s chest, knocking him over. Blacknail could have totally made that shot if he had wanted to, but he didn¡¯t need to, since he was the leader.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± Blacknail yelled as he rose to his feet. He didn¡¯t need to worry about being shot now that the archer was down.


    As more armed humans appeared to reinforce the sentries, Blacknail and his minions ran back to forest. An arrow flew past them and sank into the ground with a twang, but it missed by several feet. When Blacknail reached the trees he turned back to see that this time the enemy was giving chase. Eight armed and armored raiders were chasing him.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± Blacknail hissed at his minions as he picked up the pace and dove deeper into the forest.


    The raiders stopped at the edge of the forest and didn¡¯t follow, but Blacknail kept going. The humans soon disappeared from sight, and Blacknail veered off towards the base camp. Once he got there, he began pacing back and forth furiously as he waited for the other squads to return. The other hobgoblins avoided him. This mission had not gone well. After a few minutes had passed, Scamp and Gob finally showed up with their minions in tow. One of them was visibly wounded and bleeding from a gash on his arm.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Blacknail hissed as he stomped over to Scamp¡¯s side. He highly suspected that if anyone had messed up that it would be Scamp.


    ¡°They saw Fingers coming and shot him, not my fault,¡± Scamp replied warily. He wouldn¡¯t meet Blacknail¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°And then they shot me,¡± the wounded hobgoblin added.


    ¡°Where is Fingers?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°He dead,¡± Scamp answered matter-of-factly.


    A sigh escaped Blacknail¡¯s lips. Of course he was. The raid had gone even worse than he had thought. They had only killed one human and they lost a hobgoblin. To make matters worse, it was clear that sneak attacks weren¡¯t going to work anymore. Blacknail was going to have to come up with an entirely new plan. He really needed to find a subordinate to do this type of thinking for him. He was the leader, so it was beneath him.


    After helping sew the wounded hobgoblin¡¯s cut shut and applying some herbs to prevent infection ¨C that was another thing he needed to find a competent minion to do - Blacknail sent scouts back to watch the enemy camp. He then took a seat up on top of the huge fallen tree they were camping under. Once up there, he brooded and tried to come up with some ideas. He had promised to take care of the raiders, but it was proving harder than he had thought it would be. When you wanted humans alive they got themselves killed doing something stupid, and when you wanted them dead they defended themselves. It was frustrating.


    The problem had to be the quality of his minions. The entire point of them was so that Blacknail didn¡¯t have to do everything himself, and yet here he was, basically doing everything himself.


    The sky overhead grew brighter quickly as an hour passed, and then the bushes rustled as one of the scouts returned.


    ¡°Boss, the enemy tribe is moving!¡± the hobgoblin scout shouted as he ran to below Blacknail¡¯s perch.


    The hobgoblin chieftain immediately dropped down and landed on the ground. He shouted out a quick series of orders, grabbed his weapons, and then dashed back over to the fields around Shelter. His minions followed right behind him.


    When he reached the fields he was greeted by the sight of fighting. The enemy had copied Blacknail¡¯s idea. They had split into three and attacked Shelter early in the morning before most people got up. Three different sections of the wall around Shelter were under attack by groups of twenty to thirty heavily armed men. Men with axes were trying to chop their way inside through the wooden palisade while their companions covered them. It looked like they weren¡¯t meeting all that much resistance and would soon get inside.


    ¡°Quick, which spot seems weakest?¡± Blacknail asked Scamp.


    ¡°Um, that one?¡± the other hobgoblin replied uncertainly as he pointed to the closest squad of enemies. Blacknail took moment to study his choice. The men with the axes there had already cut through one post and were in the process of pulling it out of the way so they could climb inside.


    ¡°Alright, you better not be wrong,¡± Blacknail said as he motioned for his minions to form up around him. It was time for Blacknail to save the day, again.


    ¡°What is it you wish, wise leader?¡± Gob asked as he stepped up beside him.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to run down those outside humans.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s bright out and they will see us coming. You told us not to fight humans unless we could ambush them,¡± Bones pointed out.


    ¡°The rules change! This will be an entirely new type of surprise. They won¡¯t suspect that we will charge right at them,¡± Blacknail replied


    There were murmurs of conversation as the hobgoblins thought this over. They didn¡¯t sound convinced or enthusiastic.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t fight them then you will have to fight me,¡± Blacknail said as he gave his minions a harsh glare. He was the leader; other people¡¯s opinions didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°And me!¡± Gob added in support.


    ¡°Now charge!¡± Blacknail yelled as he drew his sword and pointed it towards Shelter.


    The hobgoblins hesitated for a moment, but then they all broke out into a run. Blacknail waited a second and then followed after them. He wanted to keep an eye on them so he stuck to the back, where he could motivate them to run faster.


    The mob of hobgoblins raced across he fields towards the walls of Shelter. Ahead of them, the raiders had hacked their way through the palisade and were starting to climb through. The attackers were slightly outnumbered by the hobgoblins, but Blacknail still didn¡¯t consider that great odds for his side.


    The enemy wasn¡¯t looking behind themselves. They were focused on getting inside the wall, so they didn¡¯t see the hobgoblins coming until the last second. One larger man who was waiting his turn happened to look over his shoulder.


    ¡°Bloody shits, we¡¯ve got incoming,¡± he yelled in a panic. His nearby companions turned as well, spotted the hobgoblins, and raised their weapons.


    ¡°Demon spawn! They¡¯re real,¡± another man babbled.


    Right before the two groups met, Blacknail sped up and dashed to the front of his minions. With inhuman speed, he lunged at the enemy before they were ready. His sword sliced into a man¡¯s belly as he ducked under a hurried blow. Another man swung at him. Blacknail parried the blow and kicked the man in the knee. There was a crunch as the limb gave out. Still reeling from Blacknail¡¯s assault, the other raiders were unprepared for the wave of hobgoblins behind him, and the hobgoblins knew it. They grinned and growled fiercely as they pounced on the raiders.


    ¡°Form up on me!¡± a bearded man with blonde hair yelled as he swung at a hobgoblin with an axe. In response to his voice, the raiders still facing the wall turned and stepped into position next to their compatriots. Together they formed a tight defensive line and began pushing the hobgoblins back.


    A sword sliced through the air next to Blacknail¡¯s head. He twisted around and slashed at the face of the sword¡¯s wielder. The man jumped back but the edge of the sword grazed his cheek and drew blood as he fell over backward. That was when Blacknail saw one of the raiders stumble out of the hole in the wall. As Blacknail unleashed a flurry of blows at another raider that had been about to strike down a hobgoblin, the man hurried over to the blonde raider¡¯s side.


    ¡°We¡¯re being pushed out of the village, captain,¡± the raider yelled at his commander as another man popped through the wall. ¡°The fighting here made too much noise and the peasants swamped us before we were ready for them.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re retreating,¡± the commander replied. He raised his voice and ordered his men to fall back. All together, the raiders stepped back while keeping their defensive line strong.


    Seeing this, Blacknail instantly yelled for his own minions to let them go. Within seconds, the two sides were completely disentangled and the raiders began falling back. They kept close to the wall as they headed to meet up with the other raider squads.


    ¡°Do we have dead or wounded?¡± Blacknail asked as he watched the humans go.


    ¡°Two dead and several wounded,¡± Gob replied.


    ¡°Anyone important?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Blacknail said as he thought about his next move.


    ¡°I¡¯m still alive!¡± Scamp added, in case anyone cared.


    The raiders disappeared around the curve in the wall so Blacknail decided that now was a good time for his force to leave. Trying to enter the village and helping out there would probably be a bad idea, and he¡¯d lost enough minions for one day. They were replaceable but annoying to train. Blacknail was just about to order the withdrawal when he heard a familiar voice.


    ¡°Blacknail, over here,¡± Geralhd yelled as he leaned out of the hole the raiders had knocked in the wall.


    ¡°Oh, hello,¡± Blacknail replied as he blinked in surprise.


    ¡°Is this one of those humans we¡¯re not supposed to kill?¡± Bones asked as he looked between the sword in his hand and Geralhd.


    ¡°Yes, that one belongs to our chief,¡± Gob told him.


    ¡°He has snacks!¡± Scamp added.


    ¡°Thank the gods I found you!¡± Geralhd continued yelling. ¡°When the raiders attacked we had no idea what was going on and if anything had happened to you. Also, by all that is divine, those are a lot of hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Scamp,¡± Scamp explained as he walked over to Gerahld. ¡°Do you have any food?¡±


    ¡°Wow, you sure have grown,¡± Geralhd remarked in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re barely recognizable after your metamorphosis.¡±


    ¡°We need to leave,¡± Blacknail interjected. The last thing he wanted to do was listen to Scamp and Geralhd catch up. He could only take so much stupid. ¡°The enemy could show up at any second, but don¡¯t worry. I have a great plan and everything is going the way I expected it to.¡±


    ¡°Do you mind filling me in quickly?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°Sorry, I got to go!¡± Blacknail told him as he motioned for his minions to head back to the forest. He then took off and joined them. Scamp was obviously reluctant to move, but Gob gave him a shove.


    Geralhd called after them but Blacknail didn¡¯t stop. He had lied. He had no plan, and he needed to come up with a new one, quick. The raiders had seen what Blacknail had done and countered it. He needed to counter their counter without getting countered in return, simple. It shouldn¡¯t be that hard. Humans were nothing but predictable. Unfortunately, one mistake could ruin everything, and he didn¡¯t have much time. Eventually the raiders would find their way inside Shelter or call for reinforcements. Blacknail had to deal with them quickly or his plans to avenge Saeter would fall apart. He couldn¡¯t let that happen. Now that his master was dead and he was alone, vengeance was everything. Nothing else gave him purpose.

 Out of Darkness 7

    What would Saeter do? As Blacknail led the retreat back to his forward base, he pondered this question. There was a rather large group of humans he had to get rid of and he couldn¡¯t quite figure out how. His first raid had killed over twenty of them, but that still left almost a hundred. Some more had probably died attacking Shelter, but the fighting there hadn¡¯t looked too bloody. Before leaving, Blacknail had stuck around to watch the battle, and the enemy had been driven off before they could get past the walls. However, they had cut some holes in it, which meant the villagers had to watch several new vulnerable areas. Next time, the raiders might get through, especially if they were prepared for Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins to counterattack from the forest.


    Blacknail grunted and scratched his nose. Maybe if a surprise attack wouldn¡¯t work he could use an ambush instead? Yes, that idea had potential. Saeter had mentioned something about hobgoblins and ambushes before. A flash of excitement invigorated Blacknail, as the pieces began falling into place within his mind. This would work, but he was going to need to go back to the main goblin encampment and prepare.


    When the hobgoblins arrived at the base they had made under the fallen tree, Blacknail began giving out orders. He wanted most the hobgoblins to stay and keep a watch on things, but Gob had to come with him. Gob was skilled at rounding up workers and keeping them in line. Imp was also needed because he was their only mage.


    ¡°Scamp is in charge while I¡¯m gone,¡± Blacknail reluctantly told his subordinates. Was that seriously his best option? He really needed better minions.


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss!¡± Scamp exclaimed happily to the hobgoblin next to him. No one else was excited about it. The other hobgoblins looked bored or irritated by the prospect of serving under him.


    ¡°Only until I get back. Just watch the enemy and don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± Blacknail told Scamp as he grimaced sourly. This was going to work, right?


    With everything in order, Blacknail and a few of his helpers headed back to the main goblin encampment. Their run through the deep forest was uneventful and they made good time. Once there, it took a while for them to round up all the help and supplies they needed. Blacknail even had an idea about how to use Imp¡¯s magic stones, without getting lots of hobgoblins maimed or killed. By the time they got back to the forward base it was starting to get dark outside. Scamp was napping atop the fallen tree but he quickly hopped down when Blacknail returned.


    ¡°The enemy humans attacked the village again, but the cowards quickly retreated when a big fight started,¡± Scamp reported to Blacknail. He seemed to be pretending he hadn¡¯t just been asleep, even though everyone had obviously seen him.


    ¡°And you just watched and didn¡¯t do anything stupid?¡± Blacknail asked as he eyed Scamp carefully. He had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Um, I shot at some humans with my bow,¡± Scamp admitted. ¡°Then the no good cheaters shot back and I had to run away.¡±


    Blacknail was just glad no one had died. One stupid attack was no big deal. He snorted and hit the top of Scamp¡¯s with his closed fist. The other hobgoblin just took the blow, scowled, and rubbed his now sore head.


    ¡°So, great chieftain, what is your new plan?¡± Gob asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to split into three groups and attack their sentries!¡± Blacknail explained as he grinned proudly.


    ¡°Um, this meager hobgoblin doesn¡¯t understand how that¡¯s any different from before...¡±


    ¡°Just trust me! I¡¯m way smarter than you,¡± Blacknail responded jovially.


    ¡°I like that plan!¡± Khita added excitedly.


    Very slowly, Blacknail turned to stare at her. His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of her annoying face. The young redhead was grinning happily at him. Her eyes were practically shinning with excitement.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°She was wandering around in the forest looking for you,¡± Scamp explained.


    ¡°And you invited her here?¡± Blacknail asked in disbelief.


    ¡°She had snacks,¡± Scamp replied with a shrug.


    This sort of thing was exactly the sort of stupid stuff Blacknail had been worried about. The hobgoblin chieftain turned and smacked Scamp again. What was he supposed to do with Khita now?


    ¡°I have some snacks for you too, Blacknail,¡± Khita told him.


    ¡°You can¡¯t bribe me with food, right now. I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Blacknail replied contemptibly. How simple did she think he was?


    Since there was no getting rid of her now, Blacknail agreed to let Khita join his force. She could serve as a human shield. If he did save the entire village of Shelter they would probably forgive him the death of one idiot. Still, she might slow him down so she would have to sit out the first attack and stay back with Imp and the others. They needed to hang back and make some preparations.


    When he¡¯d marshaled his forces and distracted Khita by giving her a meaningless job, Blacknail led his force around the edge of the forest until they arrived at the staging ground he had selected. There, a large tree-studded hill rose up right where the fields ended. The uneven ground also meant that the border between the clearing and the forest was irregular. Only the flat earth had been cleared. Off to the left of the hill, there was a ridge where the trees and bushes jutted out into the clearing by almost thirty feet.


    ¡°Perfect, this will work great,¡± Blacknail laughed as he looked around from atop the hill.


    ¡°The tribe is ready, clever leader,¡± Gob told him. He sounded unusually unsure about the last part.


    ¡°Good, just remember to retreat back here when I give the signal,¡± Blacknail responded as he gave Scamp a meaningful look.


    ¡°I¡¯m great at retreating,¡± Scamp bragged. The only response from Blacknail was a non-committal grunt.


    It was just starting to grow dark as Blacknail led his squad of hobgoblins out into the fields and towards the raiders¡¯ camp. As before, there were groups of sentries posted all around the perimeter. However, now it was light out enough out that they wouldn¡¯t have much problem seeing. Still, the hobgoblins kept low to the ground and attempted to sneak up on the sentries. They moved with great care but only made it about halfway across the fields before they were discovered.


    ¡°The savages are attacking again!¡± someone suddenly yelled at the top of their lungs. It was quickly followed by other shouts from deeper within the enemy camp.


    Surprisingly, Blacknail found their choice of words to be fitting. He was both a savage fighter and savagely good looking. Maybe he would show them mercy.


    ¡°Charge, tear the invaders apart and take all their possessions. You keep what you kill!¡± Blacknail roared as he stood tall and pointed his blade towards the sentries. On second thought, mercy took a lot of effort.


    Immediately, the hobgoblins rose and sprung into action. Half of them charged forward to attack the grossly outnumbered sentries, while the others drew their bows and began shooting arrows across the field.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°I get that hat!¡± Twig yelled as he dashed forward.


    One of the sentries went down as an arrow caught him in the chest, and then the charging hobgoblins overran the other two. The mob of seven hobgoblins instantly surrounded their victims and pulled them down. There were pained screams as Blacknail¡¯s minions ripped into the men with their claws, and then silence. Apparently, they had taken his order to tear them apart literally.


    By this time the rest of the raider camp had come alive. A dozen armed men were already running towards Blacknail¡¯s minions, and there were more behind them.


    ¡°Slow them down,¡± Blacknail ordered his archers as he pointed towards the raiders¡¯ lead element.


    A small flock of arrows immediately took flight and flew towards the charging raiders. Most of them missed but they did slow the targets down. This gave Blacknail time to signal the retreat.


    ¡°Run, back to the forest. The humans are too many!¡± he yelled.


    At his command, the hobgoblins that were still looting the sentry post quickly started running away from the charging humans and back towards the archers. There was only about a dozen feet between the hobgoblins and pursuing humans now, but Blacknail¡¯s minions managed to pull ahead a bit and keep their distance. They were quick on their feet and rather motivated.


    When the runners raced past Blacknail¡¯s position they were joined in their retreat by the archers. All together, the entire group headed back to the hill. This scene was repeated by the other two hobgoblin squads led by Gob and Scamp. Fifty feet from the edge of the forest all three squads met and converged. Unfortunately, this meant that all the raiders converged as well. Blacknail looked over his shoulder to see dozens of armed thugs in hot pursuit. Why did humans have to be so big?


    ¡°They¡¯re chasing me!¡± Scamp yelped as he ran up beside Blacknail.


    ¡°They¡¯re chasing all of us,¡± Blacknail hissed back.


    Although Blacknail was beginning to doubt the wisdom of his own plan, he couldn¡¯t just abandon it now.


    ¡°Turn and fight!¡± Blacknail roared as he drew his sword.


    As they had been instructed earlier, the hobgoblins stopped running and turned to face their pursuers. They didn¡¯t seem very happy about it, though. It took mere seconds for the raiders to close the distance between them. The humans drew their weapons and roared in rage. The hobgoblins were silent and grim looking, however none of them fled. Blacknail had been very clear about what would happen to any cowards, and he was much harder to escape than a clueless blundering human.


    Blades flashed through the air as the two sides formed a violent melee. Hobgoblins and humans hacked at each other and dodged blows aimed their way as they fought to survive and cut down their enemies. That discipline didn¡¯t last long, though. Within a few seconds the first hobgoblin was cut down. He was soon joined by another, and then the others broke. Outnumbered and outmuscled, the hobgoblins stood no chance in a head to head confrontation, and they knew it. They dashed towards the forest, as another one of their number was cut down from behind.


    However, not every hobgoblin was running blindly. Blacknail kept fighting as he backed away from the humans. His blade forced the raiders around him away, but he kept having to retreat in a hurry to avoid being surrounded. Raiders were pressing in at him from every side. It was only after most Blacknail¡¯s minions had gained a fair bit of distance, that he ducked under a wild swing and began sprinting away at full speed. He didn¡¯t have to go far. They were at the edge of the forest now. In their haste to chase down their foes, the raiders had followed them all the way to the very edge of the greenery.


    The lead element of the raiders stepped into the bushes and under the shade cast by the trees of the forest. Blacknail lured them in closer. As he stepped around a tree trunk to avoid a slash aimed at his face, he blasted the humans with his power. However, he didn¡¯t make them more afraid, instead he did the opposite. With his power he stifled their fear and emboldened the minds of the raiders. The writhing worms that formed their minds were drained of energy and kept calm.


    However, even while under Blacknail¡¯s influence, the humans didn¡¯t lose all sense of caution. Like the last time they had pursued the hobgoblins, the raider stopped their counterattack at the edge of the forest. Only their lead elements followed the hobgoblins into the bushes, the rest were called back their leaders and came to stop. That was alright, though. Blacknail had been expecting it.


    As the ranks of enemy raiders came to halt and hobgoblins dashed behind bushes and trees, well over a hundred goblins rose from out of hiding. Their dirty green skin allowed them to camouflage right in with the face of the hill that started right were the fields ended.


    ¡°Attack! Kill them from afar! Show them our power!¡± Blacknail yelled as he leaned out from behind a tree. It was safe there.


    The goblins immediately sprang into action. Each and every one of them was carrying a loaded sling, and at Blacknail¡¯s command they began to twirl them. Sharp whipping sounds rang out as the swarm of goblins launched a barrage of rocks. The stony projectiles zipped through the air and slammed into the surprised raiders.


    ¡°Form up! Protect your heads!¡± a raider sergeant yelled as he pulled another man back away from a bush.


    All the raiders could do was try to shield themselves. Waves of rocks were pummeling their ranks and one by one they began to fall. Blacknail didn¡¯t waste the chance to make their situation worse either. At his command, the hobgoblins that had retreated to behind cover popped back out with bows in their hands. They began picking off targets among the raiders.


    This new assault was more than the humans could take. Their formation broke as raiders began to turn and run in a selfish attempt to save themselves. However, this didn¡¯t prevent more raiders from dropping as rocks smashed into their now exposed backs. The entire group quickly fell apart, leaving their dead and injured. While this was happening, Imp and Khita reached Blacknail¡¯s side. Imp was accompanied by two other hobgoblins that had been assigned to help him.


    ¡°Have we won?¡± Khita asked as grinned excitedly.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything,¡± Blacknail pointed out as he watched the enemy carefully.


    ¡°Should I join the battle now, warchief?¡± Imp asked. He was carrying a large backpack that was full of equipment and supplies.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Blacknail replied. They were already winning and he knew it was important to hold something back, in case he needed a good surprise to counter something his enemy did. He had learned this lesson from watching Herad lead battles. Basically everything he knew about war he had learned from her.


    Suddenly, the retreating raiders stopped in their tracks. A new group of reinforcements had joined them and stiffened their spines. As Blacknail watched, the raiders parted to let one of the newcomers approach the front. It was a woman. She was protected by two men with shields who blocked the rocks and arrows that flew his way. The new arrival raised a hand, and there was a loud boom as a blast of rippling force shot forth. The explosion rose into the air and knocked most of the incoming rocks and arrows harmlessly aside.


    She was a mage! Blacknail had suspected that the raiders had one when he had seen the magelight during his attack on their camp. It looked like this was a serious magic wielder, a combat mage. That wasn¡¯t good. Blacknail had seen what mages like Mahedium could do. They were dangerous beyond belief. Since magic was so expensive and hard to control, the raiders must have been holding the woman in reserve.


    Down below, the enemy mage raised her staff and pointed it at the hillside before her. The tip of the arcane weapon began to glow.


    ¡°Get down!¡± Blacknail yelled as he grabbed Khita and pulled her down in front of himself.


    A column of flame burst into being and rushed forward towards the forest. It hissed and roared as it flew through the air, and then there was a cataclysmic boom as it hit the earth. Everything shuddered. Dirt and bits of wood flew through the air all around Blacknail as he huddled down close to the earth. The smell of smoke and burnt flesh assaulted his nose. He looked up to see that the power of the blast had torn a long scar across the hill. It was only about two dozen feet from his own position.


    Those goblins that weren¡¯t frozen in shock were already screaming and fleeing off deeper in to the forest. Only a few of them had actually been killed or injured by the blast, but they were cowards.


    ¡°That¡¯s taught these skinny savages their place!¡± one of the raiders yelled triumphantly. ¡°Now let¡¯s drive these green freaks away and show them what humans are made of!¡±


    The battered ranks of raiders roared their approval and began to charge forward again. Very few goblins were still throwing rocks, although several hobgoblins shot arrows at the advancing humans. The hobgoblins were braver than mere goblins, and smart enough to know that running would expose them and make themselves targets. However, a few stones and arrows wouldn¡¯t be enough to stop the human charge.


    ¡°Rot and ruin, what are we going to do now?¡± Khita asked as stared at the approaching wave of human brutes. ¡°That¡¯s some serious magecraft they¡¯ve got!¡±


    ¡°Now you can use your magic! Return fire at the mage,¡± Blacknail ordered Imp, who was huddled next to him.


    The hobgoblin mage nodded and stood up. His two followers quickly followed his example and pulled out two large slings. There were already red crystals loaded in the weapons. Imp pulled a small metal wand and touched it to both mana stones. As they burst into flames, the two hobgoblins began to spin and aim their weapons. Blacknail had selected the pair for their skill with slings.


    There was a twang as the hobgoblins released their shots. The two crystals whistled and trailed flames as they flew up into the air. Blacknail held his breath as the flaming orbs began to arc down toward the center of the raiders'' formation. What happened next would determine the course of the battle.

 Out of Darkness 8

    Smoke billowed out from the shallow trench the enemy mage¡¯s blast had dug across the hillside. The haze made seeing difficult, but Blacknail peered past it as he observed the enemy. Around him, the goblins were in disarray but most of the hobgoblins were picking themselves off the ground or shooting at the humans that were now pushing their way through the bushes at the edge of the forest. Gob was leading the resistance down below. However, Blacknail was focused on the large formation of raiders that was staying out in the fields. That was where the enemy mage was, and where Imp¡¯s magical projectiles were about to land. Even the most complicated trap could work if you lured the enemy to exactly where you wanted him and then trapped him there.


    The enemy mage had already turned away from the goblins'' position and was issuing orders to the men around her. Another raider raised the alarm, and the mage spun around and looked up. Two blazing orbs were headed her way, and they left a tail of fire behind them as they fell.


    The mage hurriedly raised her hand up in a defensive gesture. She seemed to recognize that the small fireballs were dangerous. Another blast of invisible power burst forth from her amulet, and there was a loud boom as the resulting explosion met the falling balls of fire and knocked them aside. One of the flaming crystals was thrown safely off to the side. It hit the ground and exploded without hurting anyone. However, the other fireball was only nudged off-kilter a bit. It spiraled down and fell at the edge of the raiders¡¯ formation, where it detonated. A blazing sphere the size of a small home engulfed over a dozen men, and the force of its birth threw a dozen more raiders aside. Screams of shock and pain filled the air.


    ¡°Finally, a successful test!¡± Imp exclaimed happily as he smiled broadly and threw his hands up in excitement. ¡°Boom! I¡¯ve already learned so much. Look at them burn.¡±


    ¡°Very nice,¡± Blacknail replied as the flames reflected in his eyes. ¡°But you need to do it again. Most of them are still alive.¡±


    Blacknail was really coming to like magic. It made everything so much easier, especially blowing people up.


    ¡°Yeah, do it again, and hit the mage this time. That bitch has it coming,¡± Khita added as she climbed to her feet. She had apparently been unhurt by the mage¡¯s attack but was feeling resentful.


    Imp and his two assistants immediately launched another set of fireballs. Just like the last ones, the new projectiles soared towards the enemy formation. However, before they could hit, they were blocked by another blast from the mage¡¯s hand. Both the fireballs careened harmlessly off to the side. As Blacknail watched, the mage then turned and pointed the tip of her staff right in Blacknail¡¯s direction. The hobgoblin¡¯s eyes went wide and he tensed up.


    ¡°Dodge!¡± Blacknail yelled as threw himself off to one side.


    He was just in time. Flames shot forth from the end of the weapon and blasted the hillside again. A wave of excruciating heat washed over Blacknail and he was sent rolling across the ground by the explosion. The air was knocked out of Blacknail¡¯s lungs as he came to a sudden stop and his back slammed into the base of a tree. Pain flared through his ribs and spine, and his head hit the ground hard. Dizzily, he blinked and looked around. Burning leaves were falling all around him. The ground was torn and broken. The blast had dug a burning trench where he had been standing a few moments ago. Luckily, other than Imp and his assistants there hadn¡¯t been many goblins or hobgoblins nearby.


    Everything looked blurry as Blacknail tried to gather his thoughts. He sat up but didn¡¯t try to stand. His entire body hurt far too much for him to try and get up right now, maybe in a minute. He touched the side of his head and his fingers came away wet. He appeared to be bleeding. That wasn¡¯t good.


    From what Blacknail could see, he was alone now. Imp and his aides were missing or incinerated. No more fireballs were being thrown at the raiders, and they were charging into the forest unimpeded. Blacknail could hear the raiders cheering. The hobgoblins were being pushed back or had been spooked by the mage¡¯s attack and were already running away. There was chaos as the humans pressed their advantage. In their enthusiasm, their orderly lines broke apart as they reached the trees and separated.


    It seemed like Blacknail¡¯s plan had failed. Stupid mages. Blacknail hated magic. It was unfair and impossible to predict. How was a hobgoblin supposed to kill a bunch of humans when they could blow up hillsides with magic fire? This was Imp¡¯s fault, somehow. He should have been a better mage. Now it seemed like the only thing Blacknail could do was retreat and try to rebuild. He didn¡¯t see any way of turning this disaster around, not while that mage was alive. Maybe he could sneak back later ¨C after he had healed a bit - and try to kill the mage?


    Blacknail closed his eyes for a second so he could rest them, and his other senses expanded, including his magical ones. They felt stronger than usual. Instantly, Blacknail could sense the minds of the people around him. They were mostly just tiny glimmers off in the endless dark, but they were there.


    Oh, right. He had Elixir; that would probably make him feel better. Blacknail opened his eyes and reached down to pull out his vial of Elixir. Without a thought, he downed the entire container in one gulp. For some reason it tasted a little off. Well, it was probably nothing.


    The familiar cleansing burn of Elixir surged throughout Blacknail¡¯s body and he pulled himself to his feet. New strength was already building within him. Suddenly, Blacknail felt his mental sense expand again. The glimmers of fear all around him grew brighter and came into focus. He could feel both the minds of the humans and of the hobgoblins. They were very different. At the current moment, most the hobgoblins were more afraid than the humans, but at the same time they were capable of less depth in their fear.


    ¡°Ha, stupid humans,¡± Blacknail mumbled to himself.


    Just as Blacknail was about to try and help the remaining hobgoblins organize their retreat, a sudden sensation burst into his mind. Cold terror stabbed its way through his skull and he gasped from the unexpected pain. Ugh, what was this? Blacknail couldn¡¯t figure out the source the pain. He stumbled as he tried to clear his mind. Wait, was the source outside of himself? Blacknail reached out and sensed a mind that was blazing with terror. It was human and nearby.


    Steadying himself, Blacknail scanned the forest for signs of the source. It didn¡¯t feel that far away. Suddenly, he noticed a flash of red among the underbrush. For a second he didn¡¯t recognize it, but then he did. It was Khita¡¯s hair. The redhead was lying on the ground. The enemy mage¡¯s blast must have thrown her there. As Blacknail watched, she shivered and moved ever so slightly. Until this moment, he had completely forgotten that she had joined his war party and been near the blast. He usually tuned her out.


    Grimacing in pain, Blacknail walked over to her. He didn¡¯t have much time. There were raiders searching the bush nearby. They were moving carefully but they would reach him in seconds. Khita turned and looked his way as he shuffled over.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°Hey, stupid. Stop being afraid, now!¡± Blacknail told her. His brain still felt like it was freezing over. It was uncomfortable and obviously Khita¡¯s fault.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way,¡± Khita laughed ruefully. ¡°I can¡¯t walk. My knee is all busted up and so is my arm. I can¡¯t even get up. I¡¯m going to die here.¡±


    Blacknail stared down at her. He didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Goodbye, maybe?


    ¡°You need to leave me, Blacknail. Just promise me you will survive and get bloody vengeance for me,¡± Khita told him as she groaned in pain. ¡°I want these fuckers to bleed.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re terrified of dying,¡± Blacknail pointed out. He could feel it. Why was she pretending she wasn¡¯t?


    ¡°So what! Just get out of here,¡± Khita hissed at him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t leave you,¡± Blacknail replied angrily. This headache was seriously slowing him down. Trying to run with it would be risky. Also, leaving her to die felt wrong. She was a part of his tribe, sort of.


    ¡°Go! Everyone leaves everyone eventually. We¡¯re all alone in the end. Even the bonds of family, gangs, and bands are just comforting lies,¡± Khita shot back as she clenched a fist angrily. ¡°I only joined Herad¡¯s band and then your tribe because I wanted to go out with a bang. At least I succeeded at that. Damn this bloody world! I¡¯m happy to leave it behind.¡±


    ¡°This is one of those annoying rants about your brother, isn¡¯t it?¡± Blacknail replied. Khita tended go on about his death when she got emotional.


    ¡°I thought you never paid attention to that!¡± the redhead hissed as she glared at Blacknail.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I have good hearing, and you never shut up about it.¡±


    ¡°Leave already, you ungrateful bastard!¡±


    ¡°Fine, stay here,¡± Blacknail replied angrily as he turned to stomp away. It was insulting that she wanted to sacrifice herself for him, as if it gave her value. It was such a dumb human thing to do. In fact, another human had done it for him before, Saeter¡­


    Blacknail hissed as new emotions warred within him. This headache was infuriating. The connection to Khita was much worse than the pain. He took a deep breath and tried to stifle Khita¡¯s fear. His power reached out and pressed down on her mind, but her inner turmoil didn¡¯t seize. Blacknail¡¯s cold headache continued, so instead he tried something different. Instead of fighting the feeling, he embraced it. Blacknail immediately regretted this decision. He went stiff as terror such as he had never known tore through his mind. It hurt worse than being punched in the brain. Worse of all, it felt permanent, like he was being scarred. Was this what Khita was feeling? Was this what humans felt? It sucked. No wonder they were such weaklings.


    New sensations clawed at Blacknail¡¯s thoughts. He wanted it to stop! What was he doing? Stupid magic. He staggered again as he tried to reorient himself. Suddenly, he remembered something. There were raiders approaching. He felt them. Two of them had spotted him and were marching through the bushes toward him. Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed. They were the problem. They wanted to take what was his. As annoying as she was, Khita was his. Blacknail growled, and the deep menacing sound echoed out into the forest. He flared his Elixir and the magic washed away his confusion. Suddenly everything was so clear. He had purpose and power.


    ¡°Wait, something¡¯s off about his hob,¡± one of the raiders stuttered. He was a big man but he suddenly looked nervous and unsure of himself.


    The other raider hesitated and looked at his companion. He must have sensed that something was wrong as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a savage,¡± he replied. It was supposed to have been a reassuring comment but the man just sounded uncertain.


    Both the raiders had their weapons drawn and were keeping an eye on Blacknail, but that didn¡¯t save them. The furiously invigorated hobgoblin lunged forward with startling speed and attacked with all the power of his rage. He didn¡¯t bother with drawing his sword. He ducked under the man¡¯s weapon and then reached up to tear his throat out with his claws. There was a crunching noise and blood sprayed from the wound, but Blacknail was already turning to face the other man. With a panicked yelp, the raider swung at Blacknail, but the hobgoblin sidestepped the blow and jumped on his opponent. They fell together and Blacknail landed on top of the man¡¯s chest. There were screams as Blacknail¡¯s claws started ripping into flesh, and then silence when Blacknail pushed the man¡¯s flailing hands away and took a bite out of the side of his exposed neck. The hobgoblin spat bits of flesh away and then looked around for more raiders. The taste of blood filled his mouth and it dribbled down his chin.


    Ice and fire churned within Blacknail¡¯s body. The Elixir burned through his blood as cold waves of alien terror washed over him. He couldn¡¯t stand still. The pain was a minor thing now. He barely felt it. It had been numbed by the energy within him, and that wanted out. Blacknail screamed in rage. The chilling predatory sound echoed through the forest as he was propelled by momentum forward through the bushes. He had failed to save Saeter and Herad. Werrick had taken them. Blacknail would never see or learn from them ever again, but he wasn¡¯t going to lose anyone else, not even a useless person like Khita. All of Werrick¡¯s men had to die. He could think of nothing else.


    Three more swordsmen rushed forward to attack Blacknail from behind, but he sensed them coming. He jumped away from the raiders and drew his own blade. As one of the men lunged and slashed at him, Blacknail twisted out of the way and sliced the man¡¯s hand. He yelped and dropped his weapon. The second raider¡¯s blade zoomed toward Blacknail¡¯s chest. He stepped into the blow and blocked it with his own sword. There was a metallic crack as the blades met. A quick shove then knocked the man off balance, and Blacknail stabbed him in the gut. The third enemy backed off and was quickly reinforced by two other men who had noticed all the activity.


    Blacknail eyed his opponents as they watched him in turn. They were prey and the world was his trap. Blacknail grinned as he took a moment to reach out with his power and clamp down on some of the minds he felt. There was a rustling from the bushes off to one side, and then three arrows zipped out and shot towards the raiders. Two of the whirring projectiles hit. One slammed into a raider¡¯s arm and the other sank into a man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Ah, shit,¡± the raider who had been shot in the arm cursed as he dropped his weapon and cradled his injury.


    There were still some hobgoblins hanging back to see what unfolded. The commotion Blacknail was causing was drawing them to him even as it caught the attention of the raiders as well. They had only needed a little encouragement in order to get over their caution and join the fray. Suppress one instinct and another would rise to take its place, bloodlust.


    As the raider with the arrow in his chest toppled over backward, Blacknail attacked. He charged in and swung at the uninjured raider. The man grunted and raised his blade to block the blow, but Blacknail was already spinning away. The hobgoblin lunged sideways and stabbed the raider with the injured arm. His blade cut into the man''s side and bit deep before coming free.


    ¡°You bloody bastard!¡± the last raider cursed as he backed away from Blacknail.


    The enraged hobgoblin met his gaze and growled. The raider quickly took another step back, and that was when an arrow pierced his thigh. As the man stumbled, Blacknail lunged forward and sliced his throat open. There was a thud as the body hit the ground, and Blacknail looked over his shoulder to see three hobgoblins with bows standing next to a tree. Blacknail grunted, turned away from them, and pressed on. Killing these grunts wasn¡¯t good enough. He needed to eliminate the real threat, the mage. Only then would he be safe and satiated. Only then would the pain end.


    The edge of the forest lay just ahead, and Blacknail could sense what was beyond it. He picked up speed. As he ran, he gathered his power. The burning magic of the elixir continued to boil his blood as icy rage seeped into his bones. Behind him, terror reigned. The hobgoblins that had been in retreat were now counter attacking the disorganized and stunned humans. Arrows flew and green figures leapt out of bushes upon men driven mad by fear. Blacknail¡¯s power was spread all throughout the trees and it pressed down upon the minds on his enemies, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Raw alien emotion rushed through Blacknail, subsuming everything but his uncontrollable drive to lash out at his enemies, the people that hurt him, the people he feared.


    There was a whipping noise and an explosion of leaves as Blacknail burst out the bushes and into the clearing. Like a lightning bolt, he smashed into the force of raiders that were waiting there. He let loose a scream of rage and pushed out as much magic as he could. The power distorted the air around him. It rolled forth like an unrelenting wave of steam and enveloped everyone nearby. With it came terror and horror.

 Out of Darkness 9

    Magic radiated out from Blacknail as he charged out of the forest. The dread power writhed like a frenzied snake and lashed out at the minds of the thirty or so raiders before him. They had been ready for an attack but not for what confronted them now. With startling speed, Blacknail crossed the ground between him and the raiders. He snarled as he swung his blade and leapt upon the first human that dared to stand in his way.


    A raider cursed as Blacknail brutally slashed the face of his first victim. ¡°By all that is divine, what is this thing! It¡¯s not natural!¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods. It¡¯s a demon from the deepest hells!¡± another man shouted as he flinched away from the violence.


    Enemies that should have stood their ground stumbled and jerked away from the monster in their midst. A haze of raw magic streamed from Blacknail¡¯s skin, distorting people¡¯s vision, even as terror twisted their perceptions and dulled their wits. Blacknail¡¯s blade flashed as he cut down everyone near him. He twisted and danced around the sluggish counterattacks of his enemies. There were over two dozen raiders facing Blacknail, but none of them had even managed to land a blow on him yet.


    Blacknail flowed and fought with the savage abandon of Herad. Instinctively, he copied her style as best he could. Sword fighting was one of the many things Blacknail had been taught by Saeter, but he had also learned a thing or two from his old chieftain. She had been a Vessel, the fiercest fighter he had ever seen, and a ruthless leader worthy of his reverence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t retreat! Surround the beast and don¡¯t let it slip away,¡± a furious sergeant screamed.


    Several raiders were too shocked or afraid to attack. They focused on protecting themselves and stood their ground or stepped back away from Blacknail when he advanced. This gave him space to maneuver and blocked other raiders from joining the fight. Blacknail ruthlessly used this advantage. He dodged to the side of an attack and then sliced the leg of a man to his left. The raider fell but was almost instantly replaced by another. This didn¡¯t faze Blacknail. The odds didn¡¯t matter. There was only the fight and the blood.


    His master had believed in things. Blacknail had never really understood that until now. The liquid ice that was churning within him was bringing new thoughts with it. He felt bloated, but suddenly he knew what it was to be carried along by something greater than himself. Vengeance was personal. Bloodthirst was personal, but this wasn¡¯t about him. He was going to kill these raiders because they were in the way of what he was building. He was part of something greater. Saeter would have approved.


    ¡°You useless toads, kill it!¡± someone screamed.


    Annoyed, Blacknail took a moment to look for the speaker. As their eyes met, Blacknail¡¯s magic ripped into the man¡¯s mind. There was a gasp as the raider¡¯s eyes went wide. He then convulsed and collapsed.


    A sword sliced toward Blacknail¡¯s side, but he easily parried the blow and then struck back. As the attacker fell, the hobgoblin vaulted over his body and pressed forward toward his goal. At the back of the squad of raiders was the enemy mage. She was staring at Blacknail and clenching her protective amulet tight.


    Someone cursed as Blacknail cut another raider down. ¡°Gods above, what is this thing?¡±


    ¡°It must be a mutant, cut it down!¡± the mage ordered her minions.


    There was an annoyed grunt from a bulky bandit with long black hair beside her. He had engaged Blacknail earlier but had taken a slash across his arm and been forced to retreat. ¡°You¡¯re our magic expert, you deal with it!¡±


    ¡°Anything strong enough to hurt it would splash back on us, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you can take it down,¡± the mage replied. She herself was hanging back far away from the action.


    At the command of their leader, several fresh raiders stepped forward to attack. Blacknail had already killed or disabled seven enemies, and wounded several more, but there were still over a dozen left, and the mage was keeping out of reach. Exhaustion was also finally starting to set in. Blacknail¡¯s frantic pace was pushing him to his limit. The power within hadn¡¯t diminished, but it felt like his body was starting to rebel and go numb.


    Two raiders moved to attack Blacknail from opposite sides at the same time. He stepped forward to block one blow as he twisted out of the way of the other, but he didn¡¯t quite manage it. The blade grazed his side and drew blood. It wasn¡¯t a serious wound so Blacknail ignored it and kept fighting. He couldn¡¯t even feel the wound beneath his pulsing rage.


    Blacknail hissed as he launched a flurry of blows. ¡°Die humans. All the Wolf¡¯s men will die.¡±


    A shorter raider jerked back away from Blacknail when he spoke. ¡°The thing can talk!¡±


    ¡°Get out of the way, you coward!¡± the sergeant yelled as he pushed his way past the other raider. He was a big man with a scar under his left eye and a bit of flesh missing from the tip of his nose.


    Blacknail was forced back when the ugly man took a swing at him. He had to scramble to catch his balance and avoid stumbling into an enemy. Reassured by their sergeant, other raiders were pressing in closer. Blacknail hissed and took a few swings at them to keep them away. He had lost his momentum and was now on the defensive. If he didn¡¯t regain it then he would be overwhelmed.


    Suddenly, a flock of arrows flew out of the forest and hit the edge of the raider formation. Several men screamed and fell as the projectiles drew blood or sank into soft flesh. In the nick of time, Blacknail¡¯s minions had come to his aid. It seemed like the hobgoblins had retaken control of the forest and were regrouping, although they hadn¡¯t worked up the courage or the numbers to rush to Blacknail¡¯s side yet.


    Blacknail dodged to the side of a swing by a distracted raider, and sent a blast of fear forward. As the magic pulse washed over them, the raiders in front of Blacknail froze or jumped back. One raider fell and clenched his chest before beginning to spasm on the ground.


    Ignoring the wounded and the weak, Blacknail surged forward through the now open path before him with supernatural speed. He dodged around a surprised swordsman and then the mage stood before him. She was a tall woman with short blonde hair, and she had a hawkish look to her face because of her sharp nose and chin. Unlike most the other raiders, she was dressed in recognizable armor including a metal cap and breastplate. As Blacknail closed in, her face went white and her eyes widened in fear. Hurriedly, she raised a hand and thrust forth her amulet at the hobgoblin. Blacknail immediately reacted. He dove to the side and through the legs of a surprised raider, just as the wave of force exploded around him. Raiders were thrown backward as the mage¡¯s spell hit her allies.


    Low to the ground, Blacknail weathered the blast. A foot hit him in the back as a raider flew past him, but Blacknail grimaced and prepared himself. He flipped over and crouched on all fours. When the magic died down and there were no raiders still standing near him, Blacknail uncoiled and launched himself at the mage again. The woman yelped and swung her amulet around, but Blacknail caught her arm and pushed it up so that the blast was sent harmlessly up into the sky. A loud boom shook the air.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine!¡± Blacknail growled as dust blew all around him.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Monster!¡± the mage gibbered.


    She dropped her staff as she tried to pull her arm free, but Blacknail held it firm. He growled as their eye met and the woman froze in terror. This gave Blacknail the chance to pull her closer and smash the back of her head with the pommel of his sword. There was a thud and she slid bonelessly to the ground.


    ¡°Ha, I win! No one can defeat me. I¡¯m magic,¡± Blacknail crowed as he stood over her unconscious body. Mages were magic too¡­ but that wasn¡¯t important right now.


    The hobgoblin¡¯s reflection was interrupted by the sound of someone yelling. ¡°Quick, get the creature before he finishes her off!¡±


    Blacknail looked over to see several humans with wicked looking blades getting ready to attack him. Oh, right. Those guys. He had somehow forgotten about them. His head felt funny.


    Now that the mage was down, Blacknail still had to deal with the dozen raiders that had picked themselves off the ground or were still standing. The hulking humans had him surrounded. Bereft of other options, Blacknail turned to face the nearest one and growled menacingly. The low throaty sound passed escaped past his teeth and out into the air. The raiders flinched. It had waned a little, but magic was still flowing through Blacknail¡¯s body. However, the mysterious chill energy had begun to make him lightheaded. Wait, had he just charged the enemy alone? That didn¡¯t sound like something he would do. Now wasn¡¯t the time to question himself, though. He needed to keep killing.


    Blacknail steadied himself and he shifted his grip on his sword as he brought it up into an aggressive position. The raiders spread out to surround him. A hint of fatigue began to sap Blacknail¡¯s strength. Now that he had lost his momentum he didn¡¯t feel quite so unstoppable. A tall raider with a red beard signaled to his fellows with a hand gesture and stepped forward. The other raiders advanced as well. Suddenly concerned, Blacknail looked for a way to escape their confinement. He wasn¡¯t blade proof.


    That was when a small fireball hit the ground off to one side. There was heavy thud as it landed and everyone looked over to see what it was. A moment later, the flaming crystal exploded. A wave of heat washed over Blacknail and the raiders. They all shielded their eyes and braced themselves, but the explosion wasn¡¯t close enough to hurt any of them. However, it definitely got their attention.


    ¡°Ya, fuck this! I¡¯m getting out of here,¡± a shorter raider with an axe cursed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what in damnation is going on here, but this place is crazy, and I don¡¯t want to die fighting this thing.¡±


    The man then threw his axe aside and began sprinting away. There was a moment of hesitation, and then was soon followed by the rest of his companions. As Blacknail watched, the raiders fled away from the forest. He was soon left standing alone at the edge of the field, except for the bodies of the fallen.


    ¡°Huh, I win for real this time,¡± he remarked to himself. He hadn¡¯t meant to sound surprised but he had. He also felt kind of dizzy.


    A rustling noise drew Blacknail¡¯s attention, and he looked over to see the bushes at the edge of the forest shake. He hoped it wasn¡¯t a troll. It had been one of those days. Much to Blacknail¡¯s relief, it wasn¡¯t a troll. Several hobgoblins stepped out onto the fields and began walking over toward him. All of them looked a little worse for wear. Their mismatched clothes were dirty and most of them had new cuts and bruises. Despite that, they looked proud of themselves and were carrying new weapons. It seemed like they had taken the time to loot some of the fallen raiders. One of the hobgoblins was even carrying a decapitated human head. He had it gripped by the hair and its mouth was hanging open as it dripped blood.


    At the head of the group was Gob. Blacknail also noticed Herah, Imp, and Scamp among them. When the hobgoblins reached his side, they immediately dropped to their knees and began prostrating themselves. Blacknail watched numbly as they waved their hands up and down repetitively. They looked stupid.


    ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± he asked his collected minions.


    Gob was the one to immediately reply. ¡°Bless us with your presence, great one. You are as a god!¡±


    ¡°You defeated the humans almost all by yourself! You charged them and struck down their maker of magics. They fled before you!¡± Herah added as her eyes shone with wonder. She crawled forward to hug Blacknail''s leg but he shook her off.


    ¡°Yes, I did do that¡­¡± Blacknail replied thoughtfully.


    What would have Herad have thought of his actions? It was almost something she would have done. Saeter would have thought it was moronic, and Blacknail agreed. So why had he done it? He could have died a dozen times or more. Whatever his motivations, it didn¡¯t change the fact that his head hurt a lot. Ouch.


    The hobgoblins continued their bowing and adoration. Blacknail found it super annoying. He usually enjoyed being complimented and praised, but this naked worship was sort of creepy. It was also a waste of precious time, and it was distracting him when he was trying to think. He had a nagging feeling that there were important things he was forgetting.


    ¡°Get up! There are things that need done still,¡± Blacknail ordered his minions. They could worship his amazingness later, on their own time.


    The enemy still had some forces left. The survivors from the battle would rejoin the raiders that had been left behind at their camp. Blacknail forgot the name of the raiders'' leader, but he might also still be alive. If so, then there might be another battle in the near future. He had to round up the rest of his forces before they dispersed.


    ¡°Whatever you wish, it shall be done!¡± Gob exclaimed as all the hobgoblins got up.


    Instead of answering right away, Blacknail took a few more moments to continue thinking. There was also the situation with Shelter. He had to make sure the talk with them went well. They needed to know that they owed him for saving them. They owed him a lot. Also, um¡­ he should check on Khita. For some reason he had just charged a small army to keep her alive, so he would feel really stupid if she was lying dead back there in the forest.


    ¡°I want¡­¡± Blacknail began to reply before wavering and stopping. What did he want again?


    His tongue felt thick and stiff all of a sudden. He blinked at Gob, who stared back expectantly.


    ¡°Make sure Khita gets help,¡± Blacknail managed to say.


    The power of the Elixir suddenly stopped. Blacknail felt his body weaken as the fire within went out. Stabs of pain sliced through his body and he stumbled. The chill occupying his mind disappeared as well. He had a moment of clarity, and then his legs buckled and he began to fall over backward. The sky overhead was very blue. Blacknail stared at it until darkness rushed in to fill his vision. A second later, he hit the ground. There was a soft thud, but Blacknail didn¡¯t feel a thing. He was already unconscious.


    ¡­


    There was something sharp digging into the middle of his spine. Since his back was already sore in several places, he decided to do something about it. Blacknail opened his eyes, shifted his posture, and then grunted in satisfaction. With that done, he remembered who he was and everything that had happened. It was a lot to take in at once.


    Quickly, Blacknail sat up and looked around. The movement hurt more than a little and a wave of dizziness washed over him, but that wasn¡¯t important. What had happened to him while he had been out? It looked like someone had carried him back to the forward base. He was laying on a stretcher inside the makeshift structure under the tree, and he wasn¡¯t alone. Scamp was sitting on the ground off to one side. The stupid hobgoblin was napping as he leaned back against a wall.


    ¡°Wake up, you dumb slug!¡± Blacknail yelled.


    Jerkily, Scamp sat up and his now open eyes focused on Blacknail. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep. I was listening for danger, to keep you safe, boss.¡±


    ¡°How long have I been out and where are the others?¡±


    ¡°It has only been an hour or so. Some of the tribe are outside resting, or watching the enemy. Gob is out tracking down a lot of the tribe. Some cowardly hobgoblins fled into the forest, but not me! I¡¯m brave and loyal, boss.¡±


    Blacknail grunted. Scamp had probably been watching from a safe distance or something. ¡°What are the raiders doing?¡±


    ¡°The humans that you have yet to kill have all gone back to their camp. It looks like they are packing up to flee away from your territory!¡±


    A bit of Blacknail¡¯s unease vanished upon hearing that. It sounded like nothing catastrophic had gone wrong while he was asleep. If the raiders were running then he had time to rest. Everything else could wait a bit. Of course, he still didn¡¯t like the idea of being weak or unconscious near other hobgoblins. The very idea made his skin crawl. He was simply going to have to hope that he¡¯d trained them sufficiently, and that they hated each other more than him.


    ¡°What happened to Khita?¡±


    ¡°She is alive, boss. We sent her to Shelter.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Blacknail replied. He definitely didn¡¯t want to be stuck in the same room with her as they both recovered. That would be terrible.


    With all the pressing matters dealt with, Blacknail took a few moments to examine his own thoughts. He felt like himself again, mostly. He still felt light headed, but there were no more alien emotions or cold forces rushing through his mind, which was good. He had been doing some crazy shit lately. That was going to stop right now. He had minions for a reason.


    A yawn suddenly escaped from Blacknail¡¯s mouth. He still felt tired and sore. The dizziness was just getting worse, so he decided to rest for a while more.


    ¡°Wake me up if anything important happens,¡± Blacknail muttered as he lay back down and swiftly fell asleep. His tribe couldn¡¯t do anything without him¡­

 Out of Darkness 10

    When Blacknail awoke again, it was the morning and he felt much better. Getting into another fight anytime soon would be a bad idea, but he could walk around. The first thing he did was carefully push Herah¡¯s sleeping form out of the way and leave the makeshift shack. The female hobgoblin had cuddled up to him in the middle of the night. Blacknail shuddered at the thought of her getting so close to him while he was helpless. She was a hobgoblin so she couldn¡¯t be trusted. The second thing he did was track down Gob. It wasn¡¯t very hard. He was standing right outside the shelter, and it looked like he was standing guard. Obviously, he hadn¡¯t done a very good job since Herah had managed to get in.


    After a few minutes of praising everything about Blacknail, it didn¡¯t take long for Gob to fill his chieftain in on everything that had happened. The raiders had packed up and left. There were scouts following their tracks and keeping an eye on them. Blacknail decided that they could wait, so he rounded up an honor guard of hobgoblins and headed for Shelter. He had them pick out some new ¨C or at least sort of clean ¨C clothes. Most the hobgoblins already had some that they had looted, which annoyed Blacknail. He had missed his chance to claim some trophies for himself. Blacknail was willing to bet that all the good loot had already been taken and squirreled away. Stupid useless minions, as the leader he was supposed to get the best pickings. He had done most the work!


    Once the hobgoblins were dressed up in mismatched but mostly whole clothes, Blacknail led the way to Shelter. He wanted to impress his new friends there and get them used to seeing hobgoblins. The gates didn¡¯t immediately open upon their arrival. Blacknail could hear an argument from the other side of the wall. It went on for several minutes before the gates swung open and Tannin stepped out.


    Blacknail greeted him with a cheerful smile and a wave. ¡°Hello there!¡±


    Tannin stared at them unsurely for several seconds before responding. His gaze lingered over the hobgoblins standing beside Blacknail. ¡°Greetings. I see you¡¯ve done as you said you would, and have gotten rid of Orvit and his mob of scum.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Blacknail asked in confusion as he titled his head to the side and squinted.


    ¡°The leader of the bandits you just fought.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ya. That guy. He¡¯s dead.¡± Blacknail had no idea if that was true, but it wasn¡¯t important. He had forgotten the stupid human-face had existed until now.


    ¡°So, what are you here for?¡± Tannin asked.


    ¡°I came to see that you¡¯re all right. You¡¯re my friends, right? That¡¯s a normal thing for someone to do for their friend.¡±


    It took Tannin a few moments to come up with a reply to this. He stroked his grey beard thoughtfully. ¡°Hmm, yes. Geralhd assures me that you make a much better friend than enemy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m great as both! It¡¯s just that my enemies don¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ so anyway, none of your companions from before have any wounds they won¡¯t be able to walk off, except for young Khita. That lass should pull through, though. She¡¯s a fighter.¡±


    ¡°Good then I can go talk to them.¡±


    ¡°Um, I can send someone to bring Geralhd here¡­¡±


    Blacknail could see where this was headed, so he quickly cut the man off. ¡°I feel like going inside Shelter to see them.¡±


    ¡°Why? What difference does it make to you? This is as good a place as any for a brief talk,¡± Tannin replied as he grimaced. He was obviously reluctant to let the hobgoblins inside his village.


    ¡°You said I could. I just fought a battle for you,¡± Blacknail hissed as he stared into Tannin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now, I want to sit down and have some tea, but not the bitter kind. The sweet stuff is better. Snacks would also be nice. I¡¯m kind of a hero.¡±


    ¡°I want tea too,¡± one of hobgoblin guards muttered. He shut up when Blacknail threw him a angry look. Guards weren¡¯t supposed to talk.


    Tannin sighed in defeat. ¡°You will get your tea and snacks.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, friend!¡± Blacknail exclaimed happily as he stepped forward and put his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder in a friendly gesture. Tannin managed not to flinch, which impressed Blacknail.


    Since he didn¡¯t have much of choice, the village elder led the hobgoblins through the gate and inside Shelter. The guards there were all armed and nervous looking, but after a nod from Tannin, they let Blacknail¡¯s group inside without comment.


    ¡°My people are a bit jumpy right at the moment, because of the fighting and such. Just try to behave yourselves,¡± Tannin explained as they walked onto the main street.


    At first there was no one in sight, but then two dozen armed militia stormed out of side street and cut them off. There was a bald man with a large gut leading the group. He threw Blacknail a horrified look and then turned to Tannin. ¡°What are you doing? Have you lost your mind, old man! How could you bring those monsters here?


    Tannin groaned and moved to confront the newcomers, but Blacknail acted first. He quickly hopped forward and addressed the leader of the group. ¡°I¡¯m here because I saved your village from the bad men, with my horde of murderous monsters, because I¡¯m a nice guy who doesn¡¯t have any reason to dislike you, yet.¡±


    ¡°Was that a threat? I¡¯m not an idiot. I know a threat when I hear it!¡±


    ¡°Then why did you ask?¡± Humans could be very confusing.


    ¡°Shut up. Your little pack isn¡¯t here, though. Is it? We could deal with you right now!¡± the fat man shot back. He was probably trying to sound tough, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t impressed. He had met scarier spine toads.


    ¡°Silly human. Killing me won¡¯t get rid of my minions. You want to be friends with me because I keep the others in line, Laytin.¡±


    ¡°Uh, how do you know my name?¡± the man asked as Blacknail¡¯s remark caught him off guard.


    Blacknail wiggled his fingers dramatically. ¡°The wind and the shadows tell me many things. There are ears everywhere!¡± The truth was he¡¯d heard someone say the man¡¯s name a second ago when they had been marching over. It had been quiet, but Blacknail had very good hearing.¡±


    Laytin stuttered for a moment, but Blacknail ignored him. The hobgoblin turned to Tannin instead. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m done talking to this person. If he gets in my way I will just kill him and all the people stupid enough to follow him.¡±


    The village elder nodded and quickly led the hobgoblins away from the irate militia. There were no more interruptions - probably because all the villagers went out of their way to steer clear of the hobgoblins ¨C so they soon reached their destination, Tannin¡¯s home. Blacknail was ushered inside, sat down at the table, and given a cup of tea. It was even the sweet stuff.


    Geralhd arrived soon after that. ¡°Blacknail, it¡¯s great to see you! I was dreading the thought of you disappearing into the forest again for who knows how long.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    After a happy greeting, the pair talked about the battle and what had happened. Tannin chimed in a few time as well. Blacknail spent quite a while going over everything he had done, and proudly describing the dozens of raiders he had personally slain. Unfortunately, he got the impression that they didn¡¯t quite believe him, especially about dodging the magic fire and taking down the mage. Humans could be so silly.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you came here to do more than brag about your heroic exploits,¡± Geralhd guessed when Blacknail finished his story.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Blacknail replied as he began trying to remember what he had wanted to talk about. Oh, right.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any goblins around. Are you still using them to dig in the ground?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are. The fighting scared the critters, that¡¯s all. I¡¯ve heard some muttering about them being spies for you, but no one with the common sense the gods gave simpletons thinks the goblins are smart enough for that, and they have been so useful for our planting that no one is seriously considering getting rid of them. They can be a handful and hard to keep on track, but no one wants to go back to doing all the planting and weeding ourselves.


    ¡°Good, do you want more? I have too many of the pests sitting around and not working.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re good for now. I swear that there are more goblins every time I look.¡±


    He was probably right. Blacknail had noticed that the prospect of food and a safe place to sleep tended to attract wild goblins. The pests seemed to have their own ways of spreading information.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want from us?¡± Tannin asked the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Some of my minions will be coming to trade. You need to let them in.¡±


    ¡°What do you have that you think we want?¡±


    ¡°We can trade food. We hunt a lot and you grow things. We also have the tools we claimed from the raiders. I know you need steel.¡±


    ¡°You have a good point there. I can¡¯t deny it. Our stock of good metal has been diminishing these last few years, and we could always use more venison. What would you want in return for this?¡±


    Blacknail sat up and met Tannin¡¯s gaze. ¡°I want good human food, especially cheese. I get upset if I go without cheese for too long, and you wouldn¡¯t like me when I¡¯m upset.¡±


    ¡°Huh, well I¡¯m sure we can work something out there.¡±


    ¡°I also will need some humans to teach my minions things, like how to make cheese or cooking. You have a lot of things that make life easier and I want those. Work sucks.¡±


    ¡°Again, that seems reasonable, and you¡¯re not really giving us much of a choice, are you? You seem to have a small army out there in the Green.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not making you do anything. We¡¯re friends, and it¡¯s up to you if we stay that way.¡± He had a feeling that Tannin would do as he was asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a two way street. I¡¯ll make sure everyone in the village knows to treat you and yours respectfully, but you have to make sure your people don¡¯t start anything. Hobgoblins aren¡¯t exactly known for their good behavior.¡±


    ¡°I promise. None of my minions would dare to hurt a friend of mine. I wouldn¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡®Then I think this will be a productive relationship,¡± Tannin said as he extended a hand.


    Blacknail grabbed it and they shook hands. Tannin had large hands and a powerful grip that kind of hurt. After that, Blacknail said goodbye and he and Geralhd walked back out into the street.


    As soon as they were out of range of anyone trying to overhear them, Geralhd leaned close and whispered to Blacknail. ¡°You were talking like you were planning on sticking around this area for a while. I could have sworn that we had all agreed to leave at the first opportunity.¡±


    Oh, ya... Blacknail had forgotten about that. He had told Geralhd and the others that he would guide them south.


    ¡°And we will leave soon, but we can¡¯t go right now,¡± Blacknail quickly explained. ¡°I need to rest, and we have wounded, like Khita. We can¡¯t go anywhere without her ¨C she is one of us! - and she might take a while to heal.¡±


    It was almost a shame that Blacknail couldn¡¯t just leave with Geralhd right now. The thought of leaving Khita behind greatly amused him. She would be stranded in the village with all the people that annoyed her and have no way of ever catching up with them. Tempting, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to ruin all his plans just for that.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. We do need a bit of time to rest and recuperate from the cost of the fighting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we do! But don¡¯t worry. We will be going back south soon enough. I want to stay out here even less than you.¡±


    ¡°Ha, I doubt that! Gods,¡± Geralhd replied mirthfully. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get back to the comfortable joys of civilization. It has been so long since I tasted good wine or took a nice perfumed bath. I wasn¡¯t made for this rough and tumble life.¡±


    ¡°Ya, and the food out here is terrible. I want spicy meat pies and candied fruit,¡± Blacknail agreed. That was certainly one of the reasons he wanted to get back, but not the main one.


    ¡°Roast pork in honey sauce is what I crave,¡± Geralhd whispered passionately as he closed in his eyes for a second.


    Now that Geralhd had been reassured that his group¡¯s guide wasn¡¯t going rogue, Blacknail was able to say his goodbyes and leave. His hobgoblin minions followed him as he left the village of Shelter and headed back to the goblin encampment within the woods. Instead of walking through the gates though, Blacknail veered off the path and climbed a hill at the edge of the settlement. When he reached the top, Blacknail looked down over the valley.


    ¡°Go get Gob and bring him here,¡± he instructed one of his minions. The hobgoblin immediately nodded and did as he was told.


    The bushes behind Blacknail rustled as he looked down at the settlement he had created. It had been nothing more than a pile or rock before his conquest. Now it was so much more than that. The long wooden wall surrounded a dozen buildings. Half of those were longhouses that held almost fifty goblins each. Most the buildings were made of woven bark and bent saplings but there was a new one under construction that was being made from bricks. Below, smoke was rising into the air from several fires. Most were for smoking meat or cooking, but the largest column of smoke was coming from the source of the bricks. It was a huge furnace that that Ferar had built. The lumpy clay structure dwarfed even the last furnace that the goblin had made. It was taller than a hobgoblin and quite impressive looking.


    Blacknail scowled. Everything was going well, so he should be happy. However, the strange power that had overtaken him during the battle had left a mark after all. He couldn¡¯t deny it. Most of the time he felt completely normal and he could forget all about that annoying incident, but sometimes strange thoughts slipped into his head. All of a sudden it would be like he was seeing something from a completely new point of view. The sudden shift was disorienting, like seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, and it broke his usual focus with useless thoughts of what could be.


    With new eyes, Blacknail studied his creation. Before his fight with the raiders, he had simply seen the encampment as a collection of tools for his use. Everything had a simple purpose. To fight Werrick, he needed an army, which meant he needed humans. However, humans were scatter-brained and reluctant to work for him, so he needed other hobgoblins to help him keep control. The settlement below him had simply been a place for him to gather up hobgoblin minions and train them in pursuit of his vengeance against the Wolf, but now he saw more of its¡­ looming potential.


    The goblin encampment was more than a sum of its parts and it had taken on a life of its own. What happened here would ripple out and affect all of the North. Blacknail snarled and scratched his nose. It was a bother, but he was going to have to make sure his actions here didn¡¯t end up causing too much destruction and chaos. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t care, but he knew that Saeter wouldn¡¯t have approved of such things. Blacknail¡¯s master had loved the North and the people that lived there, in his own way. He hadn¡¯t shied away from violence but he¡¯d greatly disapproved of the destruction of cities and unnecessary killing. Blacknail even understood why, kind of. Too much killing made people too afraid to make nice and tasty things. Blacknail liked having other people make him tasty things.


    The hobgoblin chieftain¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Gob. He stepped out of the bushes and walked over to Blacknail¡¯s side. ¡°What do you command, great warchief?¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed and he turned to stare at the forest behind him. ¡°Now we deal with what is left of the intruders. They cannot be allowed to return to the lands of men.¡±


    Gob smiled and licked his lips. ¡°We will hunt them through the trees?¡±


    ¡°Yes, gather up all the hobgoblins you can. It will take many days for the humans to escape the Green. We will stalk them until they grow weary and break. Not a single man will live to tell others of us.¡±


    ¡°Your words shall be done,¡± Gob replied with obvious excitement before bowing and hurrying back down to fulfill his orders.


    When he was gone, Blacknail snorted and shook his head to clear all the clutter. He was doing way too much thinking. It was annoying and actually a bit painful, so he was going to stop and have fun instead.


    The hobgoblin chieftain smiled and turned to address the hobgoblin guards that were standing behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s go hunt and kill a bunch of people. They might have things we want.¡±


    The simple life was the best. Soon, Blacknail would make his move South, and the minor scuffle at Shelter would be nothing compared to the terror he would unleash upon the Wolf and his unsuspecting servants. They had no idea what was coming for them, no one did. Soon, blood would pay for blood, and Saeter would be avenged. He would make Herad proud.

 Interlude: The Hoarding of Power

    The scribbling sound of an ink-stained feather-pen sliding rapidly over paper filled the small room. It was occasionally interrupted by a plop, as the writing instrument was quickly and methodically dunked in an ink vial. That swiftly moving pen was being gripped by the hand of a bald man with a long white beard. He was in turn seated at a grand wooden desk, which was covered in stacks of paper. The old man was wearing ornate red robes and there was a grim but dedicated look on his face as he worked.


    It was getting late and very little light was coming in through the windows, so the small room was lit by two delicate looking lamps. One was hanging from a wall and the other was sitting on the desk. Both of them were made from delicate twisted metal and powered by a mana crystal. The pure white light that shone out of them revealed an impressive looking chamber. Red tapestries emblazoned with a stylistic eye hung on the walls.


    The man continued his work for several minutes until he was interrupted by the sound of the room¡¯s single door opening. He looked up and scowled as a pair of younger men stepped into the room. Both of them stood stiffly and were dressed in red militaristic uniforms, but one was taller and took the lead.


    ¡°You asked to see us, master,¡± he said as he and his companion gave the man behind the desk a quick bow.


    The bearded man stared at them silently for several seconds. When he replied, he didn¡¯t sound happy and he got right to the point. ¡°Captain, we have recently received several concerning reports from various merchant houses we are in contact with. They all hint at the presence of a rogue mage in the North with access to far more thaumaturgical knowledge than he should have. This is unacceptable. You are to take a guild task force north and deal with the situation yourself.¡±


    The mage guard captain nodded deferentially as he stood at attention. ¡°How reliable is the information? The sources seems suspect to me. The merchant houses have never been our strongest supporters. They would sell anything given the chance.¡±


    The man behind the desk huffed disdainfully, but he didn¡¯t seem annoyed by the question. ¡°True, the fact that several different sources have collaborated the information could be seen as verification of its authenticity, but it is also more than slightly suspicious. It seems likely that our ever-so-helpful informants are working together to feed this information to us. Regardless, investigating this situation is in our interest. The merchants are too powerful to ignore and catching rogues is our greatest priority. Something must be happening here and we need to know what.¡±


    ¡°Why would the merchants want to work together to feed us information? The coin grabbers all compete with each other,¡± the second mage guard asked in confusion.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    This earned him a glare from the guild master. ¡°Unnecessary information. Regardless, it wouldn¡¯t be all of them. There is a certain group of merchants that work together to further their interests. The guild has been watching them, but that doesn¡¯t concern you. Simply do as you have been instructed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master!¡± the lead mage guard quickly responded. ¡°Do you have recommendations or instructions that won¡¯t be in the official briefing?¡±


    ¡°Why else would I have called you here?¡± the guild master said as he held out a handful of papers. The lead man took them and quickly looked them over.


    ¡°Daggerpoint? That¡¯s way up in the lawless lands! Unless we bring a full war party or join a large caravan even getting there will be difficult.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, and we might not be the only guild that this information has reached. What we have heard suggests that this rogue may have stolen some rather advanced techniques. Our guild is very interested in knowing exactly how true this is.¡±


    ¡°Ah, and you want us to make sure that our guild¡­ learns exactly what techniques this rogue has acquired.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and since the North is an uncivilized place with no current rulers and few witnesses, it is also your job to make sure that none of the other guilds prevent this from happening,¡± the guild master explained as he gave his subordinate a meaningful look.


    The mage guard captain nodded again. ¡°I understand. We will leave in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Good, it seems that you do understand. It goes without saying that you will be rewarded greatly if you return bearing useful knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master. We will not fail you or this guild. Magic is power and magic is truth!¡±


    ¡°See that you don¡¯t. I am authorizing you to requisition whatever you think you need. Take as many soldiers, equipment, and battles mages as you think suitable. The North can be quite dangerous and this rogue may not go down without a fight. Plan for extended magical combat but don¡¯t be too obvious about it. This is an operation that requires subtlety and perhaps some deniability as well.¡±


    ¡°As you wish. I will bring a full squad of guild wardens and my own pick of experienced battle mages. We will travel north incognito and find this rogue mage.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, also missing from the official briefing are some of our local contacts,¡± the guild master replied as he held out another piece of paper. ¡°Even in Daggerpoint we maintain some sources of information, unsavory as they may be. When you get to the city put pressure on them and they should be able to point you in the right direction.¡±


    ¡°Is that everything, master?¡± the mage guard captain asked as he took the paper.


    ¡°Yes, you are dismissed,¡± the guild master replied as he waved his subordinates away. He then looked down and pulled his pen out of the inkwell it had been resting in.


    ¡°For the glory of the Fiery Eye!¡± the two mage guards said as they saluted and turned to leave.


    The guild master didn¡¯t look up or reply as they exited the room. He scowled deeply as he began writing again. When the door had swung shut and he was alone, the magically lit room was once again filled with the sound of scribbling and rustling papers.

 A Familiar Fate 1

    Geralhd frowned with obvious trepidation as he studied Blacknail. The hobgoblin simply smiled back in a cheerful manner. That always disarmed humans, or maybe it stunned them, Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure. It worked. That was what mattered.


    It was mid day, and people were walking past them on the street as they both stood outside a rather fancy looking inn that was located on a busy city street. It had stained glass windows and its sign bore the image of a wine bottle and a silver fork. Blacknail had his hood up so that he didn¡¯t draw attention, and the other former members of Herad¡¯s band had already gone inside.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to join us?¡± Geralhd asked. ¡°We¡¯re planning on holding a celebratory feast, and it won¡¯t be the same without you. You were our guide here. Let us reward you! We can rent a private room to help keep you incognito.¡±


    ¡°I was the leader, not just the guide,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That too.¡±


    Blacknail fel the urge to roll his eyes, but he suppressed it. That would be rude. It was amazing that humans were stupid enough to believe that he was stupid enough not to catch the nuance of their words. Did they think he was as stupid as they were? Well, whatever. Their reluctance to admit he was the best leader they had ever had wasn¡¯t an issue right now.


    ¡°No, I got things to do, very important things. I need to visit some people I met here before. They will be very excited to see me.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I keep forgetting that you came here with Herad last year. But all that can wait. Think of all the food and drink you will be missing, and Khita is expecting you to join us. She wouldn¡¯t have gone in without us otherwise.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, and Khita can bother someone else for a while. I¡¯m busy.¡± The young redhead had mostly recovered from the injuries she had acquired during the battle at Shelter, but the journey here had taken a lot out of her so she had gone ahead to sit down.


    ¡°There will be more meat pies than you can eat.¡±


    Blacknail wavered. That was a tempting offer. He could eat a lot of meat pies. Maybe his plans could wait¡­ No, he had to prioritize and resist temptation. He would just have to rob a store later tonight, when he was done.


    ¡°Sounds tasty, but I can¡¯t. I will see you soon,¡± Blacknail responded before turning to leave. He had to focus on the mission. Pies were secondary to vengeance, most of the time.


    ¡°Good luck then, and try to stay out of trouble!¡± Geralhd called after him. The man was obviously torn between keeping an eye on Blacknail and finally getting the rest and relaxation he had been craving for months, but his impatience had won. All of the former bandits had filled their pockets with coin from the slain raiders.


    ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m amazingly sneaky, and I will keep my head down,¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully as he turned to wave goodbye. He was going to do the exact opposite of what he had just said.


    Without a shred of guilt, Blacknail turned back around and started walking away. The hobgoblin¡¯s cloak trailed behind him as he moved down the street, and people got out of the way. He had engineered everyone¡¯s return to Daggerpoint for a purpose, and it was time to get to it.


    About three weeks had passed since the defeat of the raiders who had attacked Shelter. While Geralhd and the others had been resting and relaxing, Blacknail had hunted down the fleeing remnants of the raiders. He and his minions had stalked them through the forest and worn them down with constant surprise attacks until they were easy pickings. It had been both a necessary part of Blacknail¡¯s grand plan and a lot of fun. There was just something so sweet and right about a good hunt with a bloody ending. It warmed Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblin heart.


    Once the last of the raiders were dead and no longer amusing, Blacknail had returned to Shelter and finally guided his companions east through the Green to Daggerpoint. The journey had taken a while but it had been mostly uneventful, until he had dropped them off at the inn behind him.


    After walking past a tailor¡¯s shop, Blacknail stopped at a corner. He brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled sharply. The shrill noise caused several people to look his way, but Blacknail ignored them, and there was soon a replying whistle from off in the distance. Blacknail headed towards the noise. He walked down the road, stepped behind a fruit booth, and slipped into an alleyway that was out of sight of everyone on the road. The side street wasn¡¯t empty though, two dozen cloaked figures were standing in the shadows. They looked Blacknail¡¯s way as he approached, and he saw into their shadowy hoods to get a good look at their faces. They were hobgoblins.


    Blacknail quickly counted them to make sure they were all there. They were. ¡°Good, you made it into the city without any problems.¡±


    ¡°Yep, it wasn¡¯t even hard,¡± Scamp replied proudly. ¡°We climbed the wall. All the humans didn¡¯t even look our way, and they couldn¡¯t smell us if we were sticking our fingers up their small pink noses.¡±


    ¡°Why do they even have noses?¡± another hobgoblin asked no one in particular.


    Before leaving Shelter, Blacknail had assembled a group of hobgoblins and ordered them to follow in secret. Scamp hadn¡¯t been Blacknail¡¯s first choice for sub-leader, but Gob was needed back at their main base, and after Blacknail Scamp was actually the most experienced hobgoblin when it came to dealing with humans. He had also been raised in Herad¡¯s camp when he was a goblin.


    Blacknail took a moment to study his minions. Entering the city had affected each hobgoblin differently. The place was incredibly alien to most of them since they had been born and raised out in the forest. Some were excited while others were more nervous, but all of them seemed distracted and jumpy. Several weren¡¯t even looking in Blacknail¡¯s direction. They were scanning the shadows for danger or trying to peer past Blacknail to get a look at all activity on the street behind him. To remedy this, Blacknail hissed and slapped the nearest hobgoblin across the side of the head. That got their attention.


    ¡°Pay attention to me. I¡¯m your leader,¡± Blacknail told his minions. ¡°You don¡¯t need to fear the humans here. They are blind and stupid. As long as you are with me you will be safe, so ignore all the delicious smells. I will get us all tasty food later.¡±


    This speech reassured the hobgoblins a fair bit and they calmed down enough to give Blacknail their complete attention.


    ¡°What are we doing here, boss? Are we going to steal a whole bunch of tasty and shiny stuff?¡± Scamp asked.


    ¡°No! Stealing is bad,¡± Blacknail replied as he kicked a surprised Scamp in the shin. ¡°We are here to learn from the humans, and then we will probably kill a whole bunch of them. If those people just happen to have lots of interesting items for us to take then that isn¡¯t stealing because they aren¡¯t using the stuff anymore, since they are dead.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense to me,¡± another hobgoblin agreed. A lot of other minions nodded, while Scamp winced and shook his sore leg.


    ¡°The first person we are looking for is a mage. He knows some fancy magic stuff I need.¡±


    ¡°So we are going to talk to him?¡± Herah asked as she stepped right up next to Blacknail and stared into his eyes.


    Blacknail leaned away from her. He had considered leaving the female hobgoblin behind, but she was one his best disguise artists and voice mimics. She was one of the few hobgoblins who could sound completely human and she even had a blonde wig. Also, she had really wanted to come and he wasn¡¯t sure she would have listened if he said no.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Sort of. His name is Avorlus, and he probably won¡¯t want to share his magic with me, so we are going to sneak into his house and ask him about it when none of his servants are around. We don¡¯t want to meet his guards. They are tough fighters and rather unfriendly.¡±


    Once all of his minions had fully grasped the details of the mission, Blacknail led the way deeper into the city. Avorlus lived near the center of the city where most of the big fancy houses were. To avoid unwanted attention, Blacknail chose to move through the back streets and less occupied portions of city. His cloaked hobgoblin minions trotted after him, as they moved through the shadows and grimy alleys.


    It felt weird to be back in Daggerpoint. The city was the same. It was still a steaming heap of nose burning scents, both good and bad, but he was here under very different circumstance than his first visit. Then he had been one of Herad¡¯s servants and now he was the leader of his own group. Blacknail¡¯s right hand tightened into a fist as he suddenly felt the ache of Saeter¡¯s absence. Soon¡­


    The hobgoblins ran into people more than once as they stalked through the back streets, but after one glance at Blacknail¡¯s party the people all quickly disappeared without a word. This was Daggerpoint and everyone here knew better than to go looking for trouble. It soon became obvious that there was no immediate danger of discovery so the hobgoblins began talking amongst themselves.


    ¡°There are so many humans here.¡± one remarked in awe.


    ¡°There is even more garbage,¡± another replied as he scowled down the unidentifiable substance he had just stepped in.


    ¡°Oh ya. The pinkies are everywhere. They have lots of cities all over the place. You just don¡¯t see them out in the forest much because almost all of them are too stupid to survive there without being in a huge mob,¡± Blacknail replied as he kept walking.


    The group passed an alley that led out into a street where several food vendors were hawking their wares. The aroma of the greasy food wafted out and enveloped the hobgoblins. Two of them instinctively moved to investigate, and Blacknail had to drag them back by their cloaks. After a couple of quick punishment swats, they kept moving.


    All the hobgoblins with Blacknail had been thoroughly trained, but they were still hobgoblins. Each of them had been taught self-discipline the same way Blacknail had, through intensive and exhausting swordsmanship lessons. The only way to escape the embarrassing beatings was for them to seize control of their emotions and learn the skills necessary to fight. This self-discipline was necessary because hobgoblins were violent and anti-social by nature. In the wild, hobgoblins usually murdered each other at first sight. Those that failed to learn to suppress their urges were executed. They were too dangerous to keep around and of no use to Blacknail.


    After observing his minions, Blacknail had also come to realize that a lot of the successful hobgoblins changed throughout their training. Some developed quirks such as nail-biting or making clicking noises when stressed, while others became obsessed with something. The hobgoblin walking right behind Blacknail would stop and tap his elbow every few seconds. Blacknail was glad he hadn¡¯t picked up any weird quirks like that when Saeter had trained him.


    Soon the hobgoblins reached an area where the houses were squeezed together and the back alleys came to an end, so they quickly stepped out onto a main road. It wasn¡¯t particularly busy there, but there was more than a few people about, and Blacknail¡¯s group drew a fair amount of attention. Cloaked figures were hardly rare in Daggerpoint, but although the hobgoblins¡¯ features were hidden there was still something off-putting about them. Maybe it was the way they moved or maybe it was their height that raised people¡¯s hackles. There were lots of humans as short as hobgoblins, but they didn¡¯t usually wear dark cloaks and travel together in large groups.


    Before they could draw too much attention though, Blacknail led his minions back down into an alley. No one raised an alarm behind them so they kept going. After a bit more walking they reached a tall wall that ran between two homes. Two by two, the hobgoblins jumped and grabbed the top so they could pull themselves up and over it. Once they landed on the other side they had reached the central district of the city.


    The going here was tougher. It was the only place where the city watch patrolled, and although they tended to let most people enter and leave unmolested, Blacknail was sure they would be suspicious of his minions. They weren¡¯t as good at disguising themselves as he was. The key to mimicking humans was to walk around like you were blind and about to walk right into something.


    Blacknail peered out from behind the corner of a building and looked around. He didn¡¯t see any guards so he motioned for his minions to follow. All together, they ran across the street and jumped into some shrubbery that bordered a yard. A few moments later, they leapt out and ran over to the neighbors¡¯ place. Like this, they made their way down the street until they had arrived at their destination. In front of Blacknail was the fenced-in property where he had met Avorlus. Like before, the long path up to the house was barred by a metal gate, but now there was no huge glowering guard watching over the entrance. It looked deserted.


    Carefully, Blacknail signaled for his minions to hold their position and then went to investigate. He nonchalantly walked over to the gate and looked around. No one stepped out to stop him, so he placed a hand on the iron gate. His gentle touch caused it to swing open on its well oiled hinges. Blacknail froze but no guards appeared, so he stepped inside and glanced towards the house. There were no signs of activity, so he signaled for his minions to follow him.


    Once they were all past the gate, the hobgoblins crept up the pathway that led to the house. One side of it was bordered by a neatly trimmed hedge, so they kept their heads low as they moved. As they approached the door, Blacknail noticed that it had been left slightly open. He watched the windows of the huge mansion before him for any signs of movement as he stalked over to the door and carefully examined it. The lock had been busted. The wood was splintered around the metal plate and wouldn¡¯t shut properly anymore. Blacknail grunted and peered inside. The house was dark and empty. This wasn¡¯t going anything like he had planned. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but it didn¡¯t seem likely that Avorlus was inside and off guard.


    After his minions had joined him, Blacknail pulled the door open and they entered Avorlus¡¯s mansion. The reception room was exactly as Blacknail remembered, except for the lack of people and the huge hole that someone had blasted through one of the interior walls.


    ¡°This is definitely the house of a mage. Something went boom,¡± Scamp remarked as he walked over to the hole and examined it. The edges of the rubble were burnt black.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Avorlus did that,¡± Blacknail replied as he reached Scamp¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯d bet that some other humans with magic attacked this place.¡±


    The scent of blood was thick within the mansion and there were other signs of battle everywhere. As the hobgoblins explored the other rooms they found more blast marks, some rather extensive water damage, shards of black crystal jutting out from walls, and what looked like a bottomless pit in the middle of a hallway.


    ¡°Do you think this is supposed to be here?¡± a hobgoblin asked as he peered down into the pit¡¯s black depths. The wooden floor around the hole had been cracked and torn.


    ¡°No, humans don¡¯t like having holes in the ground in places where they walk a lot,¡± Blacknail replied. He knew this from experience.


    More searching revealed quite a few interesting items that quickly disappeared into hobgoblin pockets but no signs of Avorlus. There were also a lot of books and bits of paper with writing on them scattered around the house, but none of the hobgoblins could read. Blacknail hoped the secrets he was looking for weren¡¯t¡¯ written on any of them. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him to bring a human in case he needed someone to make sense of their scribbling.


    ¡°What do we do now, boss? I don¡¯t think your magic man is here,¡± Scamp asked when they had all returned to the reception room.


    Blacknail sighed and thought it over quickly. He needed to find Avorlus, even if it meant taking some risks. Hopefully the mage was still alive.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± Blacknail orders his minions.


    The hobgoblin chieftain then went back to the largest and most luxurious bedroom they had found and started searching it. It took him a few minutes to find what he was looking for, several articles of clothing that smelled strongly of Avorlus. He grabbed them and then handed them out to his minions.


    ¡°What¡¯s this for? I already took a nicer looking shirt. It has silver buttons!¡± a hobgoblin remarked as he held the brown shirt he had been given out in front of him.


    ¡°Smell it. I¡¯m looking for the human that wore them,¡± Blacknail explained as the hobgoblins passed the clothes around and sniffed them. ¡°I¡¯m going to send a bunch of you to look for him.¡±


    ¡°You want us to explore the city by ourselves?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just stay out of trouble. Sniff around for signs of Avorlus and make sure no humans get a good look at you. If they do then kill them. Come back here when four hours pass or if you find Avorlus.¡±


    All the hobgoblins immediately turned to leave. Most of them were grinning in excitement.


    This didn¡¯t amuse Blacknail. ¡°No, not all of you! Some of you have to stay here with me. I will decide who gets to leave.¡±


    There were moans from the hobgoblins as Blacknail chose three to remain behind with him. They watched the others leave with obvious disappointment. Both Herah and Scamp were selected to go hunting. Blacknail had wanted to keep them with him and out of trouble, but they were too skilled not to use.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find something nice to wear and maybe a new wig!¡± Herah exclaimed as she walked out the door.


    Scamp was right behind her. ¡°I want an entire tray of sausages, the spicy kind!¡±


    Blacknail scowled after them. He had no way of keeping his minions on track once they left. All he could do was hope they remembered to actually look for Avorlus and not just stuff themselves silly.


    ¡°What are we going to be doing here?¡± one of the remaining hobgoblins asked as he gazed longingly after his more fortunate fellows.


    Blacknail smiled fiercely as he answered. ¡°We¡¯re laying a trap. There is no way the people that attacked this place aren¡¯t watching it. If we make some noise then someone will come to investigate and we can ask them some questions.¡±

 A Familiar Fate 2

    While he was waiting for his minions to return, Blacknail began laying the groundwork for his next move. The first thing he did was explore Avorlus¡¯ mansion more thoroughly. The huge building was full of grandly decorated rooms and lavish furniture, but that didn¡¯t interest the hobgoblins. However, they did make some interesting discoveries. The building had a kitchen of course, and so now that most of the others had left, Blacknail and the remaining hobgoblins raided it for snacks. Since it didn¡¯t seem like anyone had been around for a few days, most of the food was a little stale, but that didn¡¯t matter too much to the hobgoblins. A little age made most human foods taste better anyway. Mold added both color and flavor.


    After eating their way through the cabinets, the searchers moved on to examine and loot the rest of the place. One of them stumbled upon a hidden doorway in a wall. It opened to reveal a stairway going down, so the searcher immediately ran to fetch Blacknail.


    ¡°Where do you think it goes?¡± he asked when everyone had gathered to study the stairway.


    ¡°To a place that the mage wanted hidden, a place where he keeps his most prized possessions,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°A hidden food store?¡± the hobgoblin guessed as he leaned forward and peered eagerly down the passage.


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°No, a mage values his magic more than anything else.¡±


    After a brief search for a torch to light the way, Blacknail led the way down the stairs. There were light crystals on the walls but none of the hobgoblins could activate them, since they didn¡¯t have mage blood. Scamp could have done it, so Blacknail sort of regretted sending him away. However, on the other hand, if there was any explosive magic down here then Blacknail didn¡¯t want Scamp anywhere near it.


    Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, the hobgoblins found themselves in a fair sized room with rough stone walls. Tables, shelves, and complex looking contraptions filled the space. Light from the torch Blacknail was holding shone out into the room but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to dispel most of the shadows that filled the chamber¡¯s corners. Most evidently of all though, everything reeked of human blood. The smell was practically suffocating.


    ¡°Ew, it smells like a pinky exploded down here,¡± a hobgoblin remarked as his lips curled up in disgust.


    ¡°What are those metal cages for?¡± another minion asked as he stepped up to examine one of the objects in question. There were three empty cages with iron bars up against the nearest wall. They were more than large enough to hold people and piles of chains lay inside them.


    Blacknail pinched his nose close. ¡°They are for holding people. You can smell it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we should get one for our base. They seem super useful!¡±


    ¡°Maybe later,¡± Blacknail replied absently as he went to investigate a shelf.


    The tall wooden shelf contained a lot of the items that Blacknail had come to associate with mages, such as glass bottles and delicate looking metal tools. All the beakers and vials were empty, though. Judging from all the stained glass shards on the ground, it looked like someone had hastily swept the one that had been full of liquid off the shelf and onto the ground. None of the remaining items were of any use to Blacknail so he moved on.


    The table off to one side looked like it had once been covered in piles of papers and books, but now there was only a black stain, fragments of burnt paper, and a small pile of ashes atop it.


    ¡°This bed isn¡¯t very comfortable,¡± a hobgoblin remarked.


    Blacknail looked over to see that the speaker was lying down on a wooden platform in the middle of the room. It was slightly slanted and looked to be adjustable. It also had several straps on its surface, and next to it was a little table that held various small knives, a pair of scissors, and a large saw with jagged teeth.


    ¡°That¡¯s because no one lays down on it by choice,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°It¡¯s for butchering people.¡±


    The hobgoblin quickly rolled to his feet and backed away from the table. ¡°I didn¡¯t think humans ate other humans. Even we don¡¯t eat humans.¡±


    ¡°The meat and blood aren¡¯t for eating. They are for the mage¡¯s experiments.¡±


    ¡°Magic sounds very icky.¡±


    ¡°It is, when it¡¯s not exploding,¡± Blacknail replied as it dawned on him that he had no idea what the Elixir he drank was actually made out of. It was probably best not to think about it.


    Further exploration of the room failed to yield any useful discoveries. All the beakers were broken or empty, and there were no mana crystals lying around. There also wasn¡¯t a map to Avorlus¡¯ location sitting out anywhere, which would have been useful. Disappointed, Blacknail headed back up the stairs and into the main part of the mansion. All the other hobgoblins were forced to follow him since he was the one holding the torch.


    The entire mansion had had been completely searched now that the hidden basement had been explored, and Blacknail hadn¡¯t found any clues to Avorlus¡¯ location. That meant he had to go back to his first plan and prepare an ambush.


    Blacknail had been doing a lot of travelling lately, so he¡¯d had plenty of time to think about a pet project of his, building a better human trap. Now was his opportunity to put his ideas into action. What fun. He couldn¡¯t wait to see the look on his preys'' faces when the trap was sprung! Right away, Blacknail went about gathering up supplies and materials. He was going to need a lot of rope, some bait, and a large frying pan.


    Humming with excitement, Blacknail went to work. Once he had the tools he needed, he looked around for the best spot to put his ingenious design together. The key was to think like a human so that you could predict exactly what they were going to do. You had to know what they liked, what they couldn¡¯t resist, what they hated, and what they feared. Although, it was almost more useful to know what they didn¡¯t fear, since humans seemed terrified of basically everything. Not like hobgoblins, which were only afraid of things that made sense, like¡­ giant green things with teeth. There were just an uncomfortably large amount of those in the North.


    ¡°Why are you putting those shiny bits on the ground?¡± one of the hobgoblins asked as Blacknail was working.


    ¡°They are bait. The humans will see them sparkle and investigate,¡± Blacknail explained as he did his best human voice. ¡°They will be like, look silver coins! They are super useful if I want to do pointless human things. I can never have enough money, so I should pick them up and not think at all about how suspicious they are.¡±


    ¡°Is that what a human would really say?¡±


    ¡°It is what they will think as they pick the coins up.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°That sounds really dumb, but then again they are very shiny. Can I have one?¡±


    ¡°No, these are mine. Get your own.¡±


    Another hobgoblin walked over. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just sneak up and grab them when they show up?¡±


    Blacknail glowered at his minion. ¡°This will be safer and¡­ more fun. Just shut your jaw and do as I say. We are doing it my way. I¡¯m the leader.¡±


    When the trap had been set up, Blacknail ordered one of his minions to pull his hood up and go hang around outside the front gate of the complex. He was to stay by the gate and within sight of the street so that he would attract attention, but he was ordered to disappear back inside if the city guard showed up or anyone tried to approach him. Another hobgoblin was to watch from concealment and report everything that happened. Nothing was likely to happen right away, so Blacknail went to stuff his face and take a nap while he waited. All this planning had made him hungry and the great big bed in Avorlus¡¯ room was both comfy and empty.


    Blacknail hadn¡¯t quite drifted off yet when he heard the sound of someone approaching. He was curled up atop a pile of blankets and feeling quite comfortable, but he fought off his drowsiness and looked up towards the source of the noise. It was one of his hobgoblin minions, which meant that this probably wasn¡¯t an attempt on his life. Although, Blacknail wasn¡¯t completely sure since hobgoblins were so deceitful and vicious, except for himself. He was loyal and honest at all times. Even when he lied he was being honest in spirit, since it was probably for their own good. He was caring like that.


    ¡°A stranger has come,¡± the hobgoblin announced when Blacknail looked his way.


    A human had arrived to test the trap! Blacknail immediately jumped up and motioned for his minion to lead the way. The hobgoblin nodded and together they raced across the mansion to one of the back doors. They then slipped outside and stalked through the bushes until they were looking out at the front entrance from a concealed position behind a tree.


    At first Blacknail didn¡¯t see anyone, but then he saw motion along the path from the front gate. Someone was creeping carefully along the other side of the hedge, where it would be harder to see them from the house. It was a figure in a long brown cloak. They weren¡¯t doing a very good job of moving stealthily, but their jerky and tense movements certainly made them look like they were trying hard at it.


    From his hiding spot, Blacknail watched the figure get closer with building excitement. He smiled as the man got close enough for him to get a good look at. It was definitely an unfamiliar human! Under his hood, he had dark eyes that made him look tired and an unshaven face. The man crouched at the edge of the hedge and leaned out to look around. He scanned the front of the house and the nearby greenery, but his eyes slipped right past Blacknail and the hobgoblin beside him. The man obviously wasn¡¯t much of a tracker or hunter.


    When he didn¡¯t see anyone else around, the intruder got up and hurried over to the front door. As he was crossing the grounds, he happened to look over to one side and see something on the ground. He stopped and took a quick second to pick up the item that had caught his attention. It was silver coin. Blacknail giggled quietly to himself from his hiding place.


    Just as he was about to start moving again, the intruder saw another coin in the grass and hesitated. A moment later, he shuffled over to pick up this coin as well. That was when he noticed the open pouch of coins next to a nearby tree. The bag was open so that the coins were clearly visible.


    The man hesitated again. He looked confused and hesitant as he turned to scan his surroundings, but once again he didn¡¯t see anything dangerous, so he shrugged and slipped the coin he was holding into one of his pockets as he moved towards the tree. He took several steps and then his boot hit something. There was a crack as a twig snapped somewhere nearby. The man flinched and stood up straight to look around again, but he didn¡¯t see the trip wire he had just set off. The trap was in motion, and a moment later a dark object descended from the leafy branches hanging overhead. The frying pan smashed into the top of the intruder¡¯s head. There was a thud and a clank as the iron skillet bounced off bone. The man swayed, regained his balance, and then crumpled bonelessly onto the ground like an empty set of clothes.


    ¡°Huh, it worked,¡± the hobgoblin next to Blacknail muttered in surprise.


    ¡°Ha, it worked!¡± Blacknail shouted excitedly as he burst from concealment.


    The two hobgoblins then ran over to examine the fallen human. They were quickly joined by several other hobgoblins that had been hiding and watching.


    ¡°Hmmm, very nice. Good timing. It was a little boring, though. I need to make the next one have more whiz and crack. Some boom wouldn¡¯t hurt,¡± Blacknail mused to himself as he examined the remains of the trap. ¡°Maybe I can do something with forks...¡±


    ¡°Now what?¡± a minion asked.


    ¡°We bring him inside, put him somewhere nice and comfy, and then threaten to cut him into pieces until he tells me what I want to know.¡±


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t know anything?¡±


    ¡°Then at least I will have fun.¡±


    At Blacknail¡¯s command, two hobgoblins dragged the unconscious man inside the mansion and plopped him into one of the chairs there. Hobgoblins then tied him to the back of the chair with a loop of rope, while Blacknail grabbed another chair and sat down in front of the captive. When a slap failed to wake the man up, a minion went to fetch a bucket of water. Blacknail made a mental note to maybe use a smaller frying pan next time.


    ¡°Ah, gods above!¡± the man screamed as cold water splashed across his face and soaked into his clothes. He jerked forward but the rope held him down, and his eyes shot wide open but they didn¡¯t focus on anything for a few moments. However, when the captive did get a good look at the person seated in front of him his eyes went even wider than before. He gasped and looked terrified out of his mind.


    Blacknail just smiled and leaned forward so he could meet the man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hello!¡±


    The captive¡¯s mouth fell open and he stared back uncomprehendingly. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the one who is going to be asking the questions,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°You just need to worry about answering them.¡±


    ¡°Hells, what are you?¡± the man gasped in terror.


    ¡°What did I just say?¡± Blacknail replied as he glowered in annoyance. He was really getting sick of how stupid people could be. Maybe a few pokes with a knife would help this human learn.


    ¡°Are you a demon? Am I dead?¡±


    Blacknail paused and took a moment to think. ¡°Er, yes¡­ Yes, you are. I¡¯m a demon and this is the hells, so there is no point in not answering all my questions.¡±


    ¡°Oh, gods. No, I can¡¯t believe it. I prayed to Cor-Dius constantly and tried not to commit too many crimes a day! How could this happen to me?¡±


    ¡°Believe it. Now answer my questions,¡± Blacknail hissed as he raised a dagger threateningly. That seemed like fairly demon-like behavior to him.


    The man immediately began spilling his guts. In fact, he was talking way too much. Blacknail didn¡¯t really care about his reasons for sleeping with his neighbor¡¯s wife or that time he had stolen his brother¡¯s golden ring and sold it.


    ¡°Focus on the stuff that happened right before you¡­ um died,¡± Blacknail told him.


    The frantic man quickly began explaining about how he¡¯d been hired to watch the house for signs of activity by a group of men who had assaulted it a few days earlier.


    ¡°Who where they?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell me, foul one. I was just paid to help them find the place, but they must have been from a mage guild. They were too organized and packing too much magic for them to be anyone else. I have no idea which one. Please don¡¯t devour my soul.¡±


    Blacknail really didn¡¯t like being called foul by a smelly human, but that wasn¡¯t important right now. He had heard of the mage guilds many times, although he knew little about them, except they were a group of powerful mages. Mahedium had been on the run from them, and now it seemed like they were after Avorlus.


    ¡°What did they want with Avorlus?¡± Blacknail asked his mortally confused captive.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, great defiler. I just know they wanted him alive.¡±


    That was interesting, and good news. It meant there was a solid chance Avorlus was still alive. Blacknail asked the man a few more questions but didn¡¯t get any more interesting information out of him, except for the location of what the captive swore was the best cheese shop in the city. Since the man was no longer of any use, Blacknail got up, walked around, and cut his throat from behind. He did it without warning so that the man barely had time to react. One moment he was whining about how he¡¯d been forced to kill that dog because it wouldn¡¯t shut up, and then the next he was choking on his own blood. The frothy gurgling was much more pleasant to listen to.


    Alive, the man would undoubtedly have tried to warn his companions about the hobgoblins¡¯ presence, and Blacknail had no way of stopping him. Two hobgoblins then carried the man¡¯s body over to the deep pit in the hallway and dropped it down into the dark. Blacknail didn¡¯t want to leave Avorlus¡¯ house a mess. He was a guest here after all.


    Before Blacknail could wander back to the bedroom and start napping again, a hobgoblin ran over with news.


    ¡°One of the scouts has returned, boss,¡± the excited minion reported. ¡°He found the mage you are looking for, but so have the people that attacked this place. It looks like there is about to be a big fight.¡±

 A Familiar Fate 3

    The four hours Blacknail had given his scouts were almost up, and it was time for them to return from their hunt, so Blacknail decided to wait a few minutes before heading off to track down Avorlus. The scout that had found him needed a moment to catch his breath anyway, and some of the minions that had stayed at the mansion had wandered off and needed to be rounded up.


    After stretching and yawning to shake off the effects of his nap, Blacknail sent out word for everyone to meet at the main foyer. There, they began preparing to head out, while they waited for the laggards to arrive. Equipment needed to be sorted, disguises had to be fixed, and loot had to be stashed away.


    It didn¡¯t take long for the scouts that had been sent out to start coming back. The first hobgoblin that arrived walked through the front door and reported that he hadn¡¯t found anything of interest. However, Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but notice that his clothes were absolutely covered in blood that smelled suspiciously human.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°I tripped,¡± the hobgoblin replied meekly as he turned to avoid meeting Blacknail¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Into a giant puddle of human blood?¡±


    ¡°Er¡­ yes. That.¡±


    Before Blacknail could question him more ¨C like about how the puddle had gotten there in the first place - he was distracted by the arrival of another scout. This one had something sitting on its shoulders. It was a human, a very small one.


    ¡°Weeee,¡± the little brown haired child laughed as he threw his hand up into the air. He was dressed in fine looking clothes and didn¡¯t seem put off by the presence of all the hobgoblins at all, least of all the one he was riding.


    Blacknail stared. ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°I found it behind a house. Can I keep it?¡±


    ¡°Green men!¡± the child giggled as it stuck its tongue out at Blacknail.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t keep it. I already have to deal with too many small useless critters, and that thing can¡¯t even feed itself. It could take over a year to properly train it!¡± Blacknail growled angrily. He had no idea how long it took human children to grow up, or how old this child was. He just knew they matured slower than goblins, so it took around six years, maybe?


    ¡°I know it¡¯s pink and ugly, but look at its chubby face and big cute eyes! Don¡¯t you just want to give it treats and pat its head?¡± the hobgoblin explained as he set the child down.


    ¡°No, take it back, right now!¡±


    ¡°Angry green man,¡± the child laughed.


    ¡°I promise to feed it and train it to do chores.¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t have time for this. Go return it. You can catch up to us later.¡±


    ¡°Aww,¡± the hobgoblin scout replied sadly as he turned to leave the mansion and do as he was told.


    The arrival of Herah and Scamp was quite plain by comparison. They were merely pushing a wheelbarrow full of junk and food between them.


    ¡°Did you even look for the mage?¡± Blacknail asked them. He was not amused. It seemed like most his scouts had simply been slaking off. It was a miracle that one of them had actually stumbled onto Avorlus¡¯ path.


    ¡°Sure, he wasn¡¯t in any of the sausage shops we went to,¡± Scamp replied as he stopped pushing the wheelbarrow and let go of it.


    ¡°Why would he be in a sausage shop?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s where I would be.¡±


    Blacknail glared at Scamp. Once they got out of this city, the hobgoblin was going to be given an endless stream of chores to do, or get stabbed to death. Either one would be fine.


    ¡°I looked for the mage. I¡¯d do anything for you,¡± Herah interjected as she approached.


    ¡°As you should. I¡¯m the leader,¡± Blacknail replied absently as he stepped out of the way of her attempt to lean against him. At this point, it was second nature to him.


    ¡°I also have cheese!¡± Herah said as she presented him with a small bundle wrapped in cloth.


    Blacknail quickly snatched the present from her and sniffed it. It was cheese, alright. It wasn¡¯t the best type, but it was far from the worst as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re my new favorite,¡± Blacknail told her approvingly.


    ¡°Does that mean I get a hug?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Blacknail replied as he eyed her suspiciously. He knew she wanted to mate with him, but why did she want to hug him? Was she trying to trick him somehow?


    When everyone had gathered and gotten ready, the scout who had located Avorlus led the way back out into the city. The hobgoblins quickly left the central district and made their way into the outer parts of Daggerpoint, where everything was dirtier and more cramped. It was beginning to get dark out as the day grew old, and the sun was now touching the western horizon. The streets had become less crowded as shops closed and the shadows had lengthened. This made it easier for Blacknail¡¯s party to move through Daggerpoint without drawing too much attention. They passed through the residential area, walked past streets full of shops, and exited an alley to emerge among rows of derelict-looking warehouses. There was no one in sight but the occasional rustle or clank could be heard from down a dark alley. It was probably just rats, or orphans. They were pretty much the same thing anyway.


    ¡°That¡¯s the place there,¡± the hobgoblin scout said as he peered out from behind the corner of a building and pointed to a warehouse.


    Blacknail joined him and leaned around the corner as well. All the other hobgoblins were behind him. ¡°You followed the scent here?¡±


    ¡°I found the mage¡¯s trail in a nearby alley and it led me here, boss. There are men guarding the entrances so I went back to get you.¡±


    ¡°And the enemy?¡±


    ¡°The hunters. They are in the buildings around us. The watch and wait. For what, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°They probably want to move in darkness. Even in Daggerpoint people would notice a small battle and come see what was happening,¡± Blacknail mused to himself as he scanned the nearby windows for signs of watchers.


    ¡°What do you want to do, boss?¡± Scamp asked.


    ¡°We will sneak in and try to find Avorlus. There is no way some lazy city humans will see us,¡± Blacknail answered haughtily as he turned to face his minions and rubbed his hands together in glee. This shouldn¡¯t be too hard.


    Before anyone could reply, there was a loud boom. The orange light of untamed flames shredded the nearby shadows. The unmistakable crack and thud of flying masonry filled the air and all the hobgoblins flinched. One of the walls of Avorlus¡¯ hideout had just exploded, and there was a cacophony of excited shouts from within.


    Blacknail leaned back around the corner and frowned in annoyance. As he watched, a squad of armored human warriors stormed out of a door across the street and ran toward the action. Their leader was very clearly holding a mage staff, and as soon as they had disappeared into a side street there was another explosion.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Or we could wait here and see what happens,¡± Blacknail told his minions. This didn¡¯t seem like a situation he wanted to get involved in.


    ¡°Great idea, boss!¡± Scamp agreed as the other hobgoblins nodded.


    ¡°You are so wise,¡± Herah added fawningly as she fluttered her eyelashes his way.


    There was another explosion, and then a body flew out of a second-story window and smacked into the street below. It slid briefly across the cobblestones before coming to a stop. A few moments later, a new squad of armored soldiers marched out of an alley and took up position in front of the door of Avorlus¡¯ warehouse. They ignored the corpse that lay by their feet.


    ¡°Wow, the humans in this city sure have a lot of fun,¡± Scamp remarked in surprise.


    Flames were now leaping out of some of the first story windows. A burning man threw himself out of one of them and began thrashing around on the ground. He screamed for a few seconds before one of the soldiers walked over and silenced him with a stab of his sword.


    Several minutes passed as the hobgoblins in the shadows watched the building burn. Blacknail took the time to try and come up with a new plan, but nothing came to mind that didn¡¯t end with him staring down the business end of a mage¡¯s staff. Then, there was a crash, and several figures stepped out of the warehouse¡¯s front door. By the light of the fire, they were recognizable as the attacking soldiers that had entered the warehouse before. Their leader with the mage staff was still with them. More importantly, two of soldiers were carrying a limb body between them. Blacknail studied the figure and saw the familiar figure of a white-haired old man. It was Avorlus!


    ¡°That¡¯s him, our quarry,¡± Blacknail hissed as he pointed at the unconscious mage.


    ¡°It seems like these humans got him first,¡± Scamp replied.


    ¡°Too bad, let¡¯s go home!¡± another hobgoblin added. He seemed a little frightened by all the mayhem, so Blacknail stomped on his foot and gave him a hard stare to remind him of who he should really be afraid of.


    The two groups of soldiers had now merged and Avorlus was right in the very middle of them. Suddenly, two men in the dark uniforms of Avorlus¡¯ bodyguards rushed out of the front door of the warehouse. It wasn¡¯t clear if they were chasing after their master or just trying to escape the flames. They had swords in hand, and like all of the rogue mage¡¯s men, they were heavy set and tough looking. Avorlus also had a habit of making his guards into Vessels, since that was his magical specialty.


    The leader of the soldiers saw the guards emerge from the building, and he raised his staff. As soon as it was pointed in their direction, a blast of force shot out and slammed into the closest guard. There was a crash as he was sent flying back through the door and into the building. Before the other bodyguard could even react, a second blast smashed into him. He was also blown backwards, but instead of going back through the door, there was a loud splat as he hit the wall.


    The leader of the attackers then studied the building for a few seconds, before flipping his staff around. He fiddled with the knobs on the side, and then he pointed it back at the building. A heavy boom shook the air as a green ball of energy of slammed into the building. It flew in through a window and exploded within the building, causing the earth to shake slightly. However, the mage didn¡¯t stop there. He fired three more times. The walls of the building began warping and then the entire warehouse collapsed into a pile of burning rubble. A second mage with a staff then stepped forward and began spraying the remains with a stream of water. The water hissed and steamed as it hit the flames and hot stones. It didn¡¯t take long for all the visible fires to be put out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not fight them,¡± Herah suggested. She sounded impressed, and Blacknail didn¡¯t blame her. This was easily one of the greatest displays of magic he had ever seen. Usually mages held back more.


    With the building completely destroyed, the soldiers started marching away down the street. They moved quickly, as if they were in a hurry, and Blacknail could guess why. They hadn¡¯t exactly been subtle during their attack. Even this late, people would be coming to investigate all the noise they had just made. There were probably already some unwanted eyes around.


    ¡°We are following them. Be sneaky and stay out of sight,¡± Blacknail hissed at his minions as he stepped out on the street and began stalking after the soldiers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me that,¡± a hobgoblin whispered as he began tiptoeing after Blacknail. ¡°I¡¯m going to be sneakier than ever, so I don¡¯t end up going splat against a wall.¡±


    The other hobgoblins then followed, if somewhat reluctantly. It was night now, and a slim crescent moon was visible in the sky overhead. Without the firelight, it was dark and hard to see out, although there were still some light streaming from windows. Daggerpoint was a large city, and some streets were lit and still occupied, but the soldiers avoided them.


    The rooftops started pressing closer together as the group Blacknail was following headed into a lower end residential distract. To get a better view, Blacknail jumped onto a pile of barrels and climbed up the side of a building. He pulled himself onto the clay tile roof and then continued after his prey. The soldiers travelled down several dark streets and more than a few tight alleyways, as Blacknail stalked them from above. The soldiers had a rear guard that was watching their retreat, but none of them looked up for pursuers, which was a common human failing.


    As his minions followed below, Blacknail leaped from one roof to another. He landed softly with almost no noise, and then he scrambled after his quarry. He caught up to them and stopped to watch from behind a chimney as they suddenly came to a stop outside a large shop. It was a large two story building along a fairly prosperous-looking street, although there was no one out at this time of night. The door of the shop was opened by someone within and then the soldiers hurried inside with Avorlus.


    Below Blacknail, his hobgoblin minions arrived and took up position in the shadows of a tight alleyway. They waited for his orders as he studied the building. Inside, a light flared into existence, but the windows were shuttered so nothing was visible inside. After a few moments of thinking, Blacknail scrambled down the side of the building to join his minions in the alleyway.


    ¡°What now, boss?¡± Scamp whispered.


    ¡°Now we prepare to move,¡± Blacknail replied quietly. ¡°These humans are very organized and this is their base. There will be sentries all around here. Check the nearby buildings and streets. I want every one of them found and watched.¡±


    ¡°Can we kill them?¡± another hobgoblin asked eagerly.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Blacknail answered. This didn¡¯t please many of his minions, but they knew better than to complain.


    ¡°It¡¯s a night hunt,¡± Herah remarked as she smiled. She didn¡¯t seem too disappointed.


    ¡°Yes, and it will be easy. Humans can barely function in the dark,¡± Scamp bragged.


    As they broke up into smaller groups and headed out, the hobgoblins began betting with each other about who would find the most sentries. They were far more eager for action now that there was little chance of a face-to-face fight breaking out, and hobgoblins loved to hunt, even when it didn¡¯t immediately end in blood.


    Blacknail left two minions behind to watch the front door and then took another with him as he circled around to find the back entrance. If anyone left the shop he wanted to make absolutely sure he knew about it. Once he¡¯d found a comfortable spot on a nearby rooftop to watch from, he settled in to wait. Now was not the time to act. It was best to let the humans relax their guard, and then strike when they were unprepared. The guild wanted Avorlus alive, and he had been unconscious when he¡¯d been captured, so that meant Blacknail had time.


    Midnight came and went as Blacknail waited with the patient focus of a predator. The night grew pitch black and then began to lighten, as hobgoblins reported in to their leader and then went back out to scout or watch their quarry. Several enemy sentries had indeed been found and easily evaded. Several humans slipped into and out of the shop, but none of them were Avorlus. As the very first rays of the sun began to shine out from behind the horizon, Blacknail decided it was time to move.


    ¡°Now, tell the others to take out all the sentries and then report back here,¡± he told two of his minions that were behind him. They nodded and ran off to spread the word.


    Soon, grinning hobgoblins began arriving as Blacknail¡¯s forces gathered. Several of them already smelled of blood from taking out the enemy sentries.


    ¡°All the watching humans are dead?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Except the two in the shop that are watching the streets from windows,¡± Scamp replied.


    ¡°Then we take them out now, at the same time I go in to find Avorlus.¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want, boss.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Blacknail hissed in reply. ¡°I¡¯m the leader, and if you follow my orders then we will get what we came for without a problem.¡±


    At Blacknail¡¯s command, Scamp led a small group of hobgoblins over to scale the front of the building and take out the sentry that was posted at the window there. Blacknail took three helpers and went to do the same to the sentry at the side window. After descending to the ground, he crept through the shadows and towards the shop. When he got to the wall, he reached up and began scaling it by grabbing the rough stonework. Soon, he was dangling just beneath the windowsill. He waited there until he heard a quiet whistle from below. That was the signal. The sentry was alone and had turned away from the window. Grinning, Blacknail reached up and then pulled himself up onto the window. His strong, light, and agile body allowed him to move with both ease and in complete silence.


    There was a small sitting room in front of Blacknail. It was barely lit by a single small lamp off in a far corner. The sentry was an armored soldier and had walked away from the window so he could grab a bite of food from a tray on a table off to one side. There was only about seven feet between him and Blacknail, and he seemed completely unaware of the fact that he wasn¡¯t alone anymore. In one smooth motion, Blacknail drew a long dagger and leapt towards the man¡¯s back. He sailed through the air like an errant shadow, and as he landed on his target, he pulled the man¡¯s head back and reached around to cut his throat. The dagger sliced effortlessly through the flesh, and then Blacknail pulled the man down to the ground and stabbed him under the ribs for good measure. Blood spilled out of the wounds as Blacknail pinned the sentry against the floor. He died a few seconds later without ever managing to put up a fight, or even get a look at his attacker.


    His prey slain, Blacknail stood back up and grinned viciously at nothing in particular. He was practically vibrating with bloodlust, but he suppressed it as he walked over to the window and signaled for his minions to climb up. They were in. Now they just needed to find Avorlus without alerting the mages.

 A Familiar Fate 4

    After taking a second to listen and make sure that no one was hanging out in the hallway, Blacknail crept out of the room where he had just killed the sentry. Two hobgoblin minions followed after him, and one remained behind to serve as a lookout. He had been ordered to imitate the sentry if anyone came looking, kill any humans that weren¡¯t fooled, and whistle sharply if he was found out. That would be Blacknail¡¯s cue to break for the closest exit.


    Having followed the guild soldiers that had abducted him, Blacknail knew that Avorlus was somewhere in this building, and he needed to find the mage without being detected by those same soldiers. Blacknail doubted he could fight his way to the mage. There were dozens of heavily armed human soldiers inside and at least two combat mages as well. Blacknail had just seen a demonstration of the firepower those combat mages wielded, and he had no desire to go head to head with them. On top of their unbelievable power, mages could be very tricky. They didn¡¯t play by the same rules as other people, and Blacknail had no idea what the rules of magic were. It might be a good idea to learn sometime. He would have to remember to ask.


    A long carpet stretched down the hallway and muffled the sound of the hobgoblins'' steps. One end of the hallway ended at a door, and at the other end was a staircase that led down. Blacknail headed for the stairs. As he walked, he heard voices from behind the closed door of one of the adjacent rooms.


    ¡°With the target captured we should head back at first light,¡± a man said.


    ¡°It might be better to interrogate him here,¡± someone else replied.


    Blacknail grinned in relief as he walked past the door. It sounded like Avorlus was still alive. He had been fairly sure that the guild wouldn¡¯t kill him yet, but not completely certain. Humans could be unpredictable in their stupidity.


    When he reached the stairs, Blacknail took a moment to sniff around. He didn¡¯t detect any signs of Avorlus, and this seemed like the only way up to the second floor. That meant that Avorlus wasn¡¯t up here. Cautiously, Blacknail leaned over and peaked at the floor below. It was another empty hallway, although this one was much better lit, so with his minions in tow, Blacknail got up and carefully crept down the stairs. The steps creaked a bit, but no one showed up to check out the noise.


    The hallway at the bottom branched off in several direction. Blacknail walked forward a bit and peered down a side passage. He was immediately greeted by the sight of the front door. Two enemy soldiers in chainmail were guarding it. Since there was nothing for him there, Blacknail waited until he was sure they were both looking away, and then he and his followers slipped past the doorway and further down the hallway. The scent of Avorlus reached Blacknail¡¯s nose as he moved deeper into the building. The rogue mage had been brought in through the front door and then been carried this way.


    There was a door to Blacknail¡¯s right, and it was hanging slightly open. A quick look inside revealed a large dark room that was full of people. Blacknail had found most of the soldiers, but they weren¡¯t currently a threat. Most of them looked to be asleep on makeshift hammocks or the floor. The room was obviously an impromptu barracks and judging by the smell Avorlus wasn¡¯t inside. Moving on, the hobgoblins passed several closed doors, but none of them were the way Avorlus had gone.


    Suddenly, Blacknail heard the creak of floorboards from behind him. He froze. Someone was about to walk out into the hallway, and there was no way he would miss the hobgoblins there. Quickly, Blacknail tested the closest door. It opened to reveal a linen closet. Blacknail wasted no time, and jumped inside. His two minions were right behind him, and the door snapped shut after them. No one moved or spoke for several long moments as the hobgoblins waited in the darkness of the closet for the sound of footsteps to pass, but then Blacknail spoke up.


    ¡°Get your foot away from my nose. You¡¯re crushing it,¡± he hissed as he stared at the offending hobgoblin¡¯s boot, or at least he was fairly sure that it was a boot that was pressed up against his face. It was difficult to see in the gloom.


    The closet was rather small and the hobgoblins had been in a hurry when they had jumped inside, so they had ended up bunched together in a messy ball of awkwardly placed limbs.


    There was a grunt of exertion as someone tried to wiggle around, but then it stopped. ¡°Sorry, boss. I can¡¯t move.¡±


    Blacknail hissed and tried to get free but one of his arms was jammed between someone¡¯s legs and both his feet were immobile as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck too,¡± the other minion added unhelpfully.


    Annoyed, Blacknail kicked someone in the stomach. He wasn¡¯t sure who, but both his minions deserved it so it didn¡¯t really matter. A few moments later, and after a bit of trial and error, the hobgoblins managed to roll themselves out of the closet by shifting their weight all at once. They fell apart once they were free, and Blacknail climbed to his feet. He really wanted to smack his stupid minions around, but now wasn¡¯t the time. He needed their help to complete the mission. After that he could smack all he wanted.


    A turn in the hallway revealed another staircase that led downward. A quick sniff around proved that Avorlus had definitely been carried down them, so Blacknail followed after him. These stairs were less creaky, which was good because the basement wasn¡¯t empty. A quick glance around revealed that there were two guards standing next to a door across the room.


    Blacknail studied the two soldiers carefully for a few seconds, and then when he was sure they weren¡¯t looking his way, he dropped down the stairs then rolled to the side in one smooth motion. The basement room below was full of crates and barrels, and Blacknail came to stop behind a trio of barrels that concealed him from the guards¡¯ view. The entire chamber was obviously used for storage. It was lit by a series of oil lamps on the walls, but the room was far from bright. The piles of materials cast shadows everywhere, and there was a draft in the room that was causing some of the lamps to flicker ever so slightly.


    Blacknail was quickly joined by his two followers, as they copied the maneuver he had used to descend the stairs. One of the hobgoblins opened his mouth to say something, but Blacknail shushed him. The storage room had a stone floor and stone walls, so echoes could be unpredictable and any speech might alert the guards no matter how quiet it was. Blacknail signaled to his minions using hand gestures that he wanted them to follow and then he started moving. He dashed out from behind the barrels and over to a pile of crates. From there, he crawled across the ground until he reached another bunch of barrels, and then he peeked out to look around. The guards didn¡¯t react at all. They hadn¡¯t seen him or heard anything suspicious yet.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    There was a problem, though. The doorway the soldiers were guarding had a large open space around it, and there was no way the guards wouldn¡¯t see anyone approaching. Thus, a more complex plan was needed. Blacknail withdrew a pair of small round stones from a pouch on his waist. He then explained the general outline of his plan to his minions using hand signals. Once they got the idea, Blacknail tossed a rock. It flew close to the ground before hitting a crate on the far side of the room. There was a thud as it bounced off the wood and then clattered noisily against the stones of the floor.


    ¡°What was that?¡± one of the guards asked as he looked over towards the noise.


    The other man shrugged. ¡°It was probably a rat or something. I¡¯m sure there are heaps of the nasty beasts in this disgusting excuse for a city. I can¡¯t wait to leave this crap hole behind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check it out.¡±


    ¡°Why? We¡¯re not here to protect some merchant¡¯s stock from vermin. Our orders are too make sure the prisoner doesn¡¯t go anywhere.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I still want to check it out. The rats get huge in these parts, and it might be something else,¡± the first guard said as he stared suspiciously at the source of the noise.


    ¡°Like what, a goblin? I think the rat would be more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t know until I look, but with a blood mage having been loose in this city for years I don¡¯t want to take any chances.¡±


    This argument seemed to resonate with the second guard. He grimaced sourly. ¡°Gods forsaken blood mages. We should have already killed this one. They are vile.¡±


    ¡°Not our call,¡± the first man replied as he walked carefully away from the door and toward the pile of crates the noise had come from. He had a wary hand placed on the sword hilt at his waist.


    His companion watched him move forward, and thus they were both looking directly away from the hobgoblin¡¯s position. Blacknail flashed his minions the go signal and then launched himself into action. He jumped over the crates he was hiding behind and when his boots hit the basement floor he was already sprinting forward. As Blacknail dashed towards the guard at the door, he pulled his sword loose.


    Both men were still looking the other way so they saw nothing, but the guard by the door heard something and turned to look Blacknail¡¯s way. He froze for a second at the sight of three running hobgoblins and didn¡¯t seem to know what to do, as if he doubted his eyes. A brief instant later, he opened his mouth to shout something, but Blacknail had already closed the distance between them. His sword sliced through the air and towards his target¡¯s neck.


    ¡°What?¡± The guard gasped as he managed to jump backwards out of the way of the attack. However, the hurried action left him off balance.


    Blacknail adjusted his stance and turned his slash into a thrust. The tip of his blade cut into the man¡¯s throat and silenced him. However, the brief scuffle had made more than enough noise to draw the attention of the second guard. He turned to see what was going on, only to be tackled by the other two hobgoblins. Their momentum sent him sprawling over sideways, and there was a loud crack as his helmeted head smacked against the stone floor. The blow stunned the guard for a moment, and that was all the time the hobgoblins needed. Knives appeared in their hands and almost instantly sank deep into his exposed flesh. He was dead within seconds, without having managed to shout or give any warning.


    The man Blacknail had stabbed in the neck was also no longer among the living. Blood was slowly seeping out of the guards¡¯ bodies as Blacknail walked over the corpse in front of him and inspected the door. It was a thick wooden barrier with a cast iron doorknob and keyhole. He turned the handle, but it didn¡¯t budge. It was locked.


    ¡°Look for a key,¡± he ordered his minions as he turned to look at them.


    Almost immediately one of the hobgoblins held up a thick iron key and gave Blacknail a happy grin. Since they had started looting the fallen guard¡¯s body the second it had hit the floor it hadn¡¯t taken them long to find it. Blacknail took the key and inserted it into the lock.


    ¡°Watch this carefully. It is very difficult and you may need to explain it to the others,¡± he explained as he showed the watching hobgoblins how to unlock a door.


    ¡°And that means it will open now?¡± one of the minions asked as the lock clicked.


    Blacknail turned the handle again and pushed the door open ever so slightly before responding. ¡°Yes, but you need the right key. They are not all the same.¡±


    A push caused the door to swing fully open, and the hobgoblins were greeted by the sight of a small windowless room that had been completely dark until the door had been opened. In the center of the room was a small table that was just big enough to sit two people, and there were in fact two chairs on opposite sides of it, and in one of those chairs was Avorlus. The mage was tied to the back of the seat and there was a cloth gag stuffed into his mouth. Blacknail could hear the mage breathing ever so quietly but he didn¡¯t move or look up at the intrusion into his chamber. He seemed to still be unconscious.


    ¡°This human smells like the person we are looking for,¡± one of the minions remarked as they wall walked into the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s him. He is the mage I¡¯m hunting,¡± Blacknail answered as he smirked triumphantly. He had found the maker of Elixirs. Now he just had to get out of here with him intact.


    At Blacknail¡¯s order, one hobgoblin grabbed Avorlus¡¯ feet and the other grabbed his torso. They then flipped him into their shoulders where they could carry him with ease. The jostling failed to wake him up, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with him.


    ¡°Can we leave now?¡± one of the hobgoblins asked.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that,¡± Blacknail replied. He didn¡¯t feel the need to stick around either.


    With Blacknail in the lead and their cargo safely acquired, the hobgoblins hurried back out of the side room and then over to the stairs. Blacknail went up first to make sure the hallway was empty, and then they rushed through the building and upstairs.


    ¡°Who is that? I hear a lot of movement,¡± one of the guards at the entrance asked after the hobgoblins had run past.


    The hobgoblins ignored them as they raced through the upstairs hallway to the room where they had entered. The sentry they had left behind was waiting for them there, and the shop was coming alive behind them. They didn¡¯t have much time before someone investigated this room. A lot of people were now moving down below and talking amongst themselves. The hornet nest had been well and truly kicked now, so Blacknail wasted no time. He leaned out the window and whistled. Right away, several hobgoblins stepped out of the shadows on the street below.


    ¡°Catch the human,¡± he told them as he signaled the minions behind him forward.


    The two hobgoblins holding Avorlus immediately dumped the unconscious mage out of the window. He plummeted down to the ground, but right before he hit, three hobgoblins managed to dive forward and catch him.


    ¡°Good work!¡± Blacknail laughed as he jumped out the window. He landed on the cobblestones below feet first and then rolled to reduce his impact.


    Without waiting for orders, the hobgoblins still up in the room jumped out after him as well. They were just in time. Light flared out of the second story window as someone with a lamp or light stone stormed into the room.


    ¡°Someone just jumped out the window. They¡¯re on the street below!¡± an irate sounding woman yelled from up above.


    ¡°Run, and don¡¯t forget the mage!¡± Blacknail shouted as he followed his own advice.


    He took off at a sprint away from the shop and deeper into the twisting alleys of Daggerpoint. His minions, including two that had picked up Avorlus, were right behind him. Together, they slipped away into the shadows as the front entrance to the shop burst open and human soldiers began pouring out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± someone roared.


    Blacknail laughed gleefully as he turned a street corner. The sound echoed off the buildings and back toward the shop, where it undoubtedly reached the ears of the guild soldiers. There was no way any humans were going to catch him now. It was still so early in the morning that it was dark out, and he had too much of a head start. Avorlus was his, and that meant that the power at Blacknail¡¯s fingertips would soon grow stronger than ever, and power was meant to be used.

 A Familiar Fate 5

    The hobgoblins under Blacknail¡¯s command carried Avorlus through the back alleys of Daggerpoint. At first they heard shouts and the stomp of boots as guild soldiers tried to follow them, but they soon lost any sign of pursuit. Blacknail led the way out of the merchant quarter and into a rundown residential section. The slum¡¯s streets were narrow and dirty, and many of the small homes here were obviously derelict.


    Daggerpoint had a huge human population, but it wasn¡¯t overflowing with people. It seemed like its population had shrunk over time, although Blacknail had no idea why. It wasn¡¯t the sort of thing that he usually thought about, but as he led his minions past an old abandoned wagon that was missing a wheel, several notions flashed through his mind. Maybe it was because the city humans had gotten lazy and couldn¡¯t protect themselves from the beasts in the forest anymore?


    The sun was coming up, so before too many people started taking to the streets, Blacknail chose an isolated building on an empty block. The door had fallen off so the hobgoblins just marched inside. The small home had been stripped clean of furniture and was obviously water damaged because of a leak in the ceiling. It also didn¡¯t smell great inside, but this was Daggerpoint, so that wasn¡¯t a surprise. Blacknail expected that some of his hobgoblin minions would suffer permanent damage to their ability to smell before they left, especially if they kept sniffing spices.


    Once Avorlus had been thrown inside, Blacknail got his minions busy doing work. He needed some items, and he wasn¡¯t going to go get them himself. That wasn¡¯t what leaders did. Minions were also sent out to form a perimeter. If the guild soldiers showed up anywhere nearby Blacknail wanted to know about it, before they started raining down fire and blowing up buildings. Those hobgoblins that had good disguises and half decent acting skills were also given orders to gently but firmly send away any approaching citizens, under threat of pain and death.


    Soon, the hobgoblins had acquired most of the things Blacknail wanted. A blanket was hung over the door, two simple wooden chairs were acquired from nearby, and someone fetched a bucket of water. Blacknail took a seat in one chair while two of his minions picked Avorlus off the ground and sat him down in the other. A third minion then dumped the bucket of water over Avorlus¡¯ face, while the other hobgoblins stood back behind him.


    As the water washed over him and then splashed down onto the floor, the mage came awake. It had been very cold water, and it got a strong reaction. Avorlus¡¯ eyes snapped open and he jerked forward in what looked like an attempt to stand. However, he was still tied up and a hobgoblin was standing behind him and holding him in place, so he didn¡¯t get very far. All Avorlus could do was flop back onto the chair and look around. There wasn¡¯t much to see in the dark room so he quickly noticed Blacknail sitting in front of him. His eyes narrowed as he stared hatefully at the form before him.


    ¡°You may as well kill me. I won¡¯t tell you anything! You have no right to the secrets I have discovered. You are parasites and vermin that feed upon the wonders of magic! You guilds exist only to stifle the works of your betters and hoard power you don¡¯t deserve,¡± he cursed. ¡°One day real seekers of knowledge will rise up and destroy you!¡±


    What? Blacknail considered his words for a moment before carefully replying. ¡°I think you¡¯re confused. I¡¯m obviously not with the guilds.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not?¡± Avorlus remarked in surprise as he stared at Blacknail. He seemed to be having trouble seeing.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m a hobgoblin. I don¡¯t think your mage guilds have many of us.¡±


    Avorlus froze and one of his eyes twitched. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m green and I have pointy ears,¡± Blacknail explained as he pointed to the tips of his ears.


    ¡°Oh, um¡­ its dark in here and my vision is still a little blurry. I think someone bashed me over the head¡­¡±


    Blacknail looked around. It was fairly dark in here. He had forgotten how bad human eyesight could be in dim lighting.


    ¡°I can help you with the light,¡± Blacknail replied as he motioned for a minion to go remove the blanket from the door. He had just put it there to make sure no one could see inside, but it probably wasn¡¯t necessary.


    With the sheet gone a lot more light streamed into the room. Avorlus looked around and gulped nervously. He didn¡¯t seem all that happy to be out of the clutches of the guild. ¡°I see that you¡¯re all hobgoblins. That¡¯s interesting¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader,¡± Blacknail told him. It was important that everyone knew that.


    Suddenly, Avorlus sat up straighter and his eye narrowed in understanding as a realization hit him. ¡°You must be that hobgoblin of Mahedium¡¯s. I can¡¯t think of any other reason you would want to abduct me, and I don¡¯t know of any other hobgoblin that can¡­ talk and such.¡±


    ¡°I can talk just fine,¡± Scamp interjected, before Blacknail shut him up with angry look.


    Blacknail then turned back to Avorlus and hissed angrily. ¡°I never served that traitor. I was Herad¡¯s favourite.¡±


    A neutral expression overcame Avorlus¡¯ face and he leaned back. ¡°Ah, sorry. That was a slip of the tongue. I apologize.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Do you mind answering some questions? Like where am I and how I got here? I must admit to being rather confused. The last thing I remember is the guild assault on my hideout,¡± Avrolus asked in a careful tone.


    ¡°I rescued you from those guild people after they had caught you. Now, we are hiding in Daggerpoint.¡±


    ¡°Ah, and why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re friends!¡± Blacknail explained as he smiled cheerfully. ¡°You helped Herad and me out before so I helped you.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re going to let me leave?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but as your friend and ally I can¡¯t let you walk back into danger. That¡¯s not what a true friend would do.¡±


    ¡°I see, so if I said I would like to meet with some people?¡±


    ¡°Too dangerous. Those guild soldiers could be anywhere.¡±


    ¡°And if I said I wanted to join a caravan leaving the city?¡±


    ¡°Too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m your prisoner,¡± Avorlus stated flatly.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s silly. I¡¯m just going to send you to a safe place where the bad guild people won¡¯t be able to find you. As your friend, it is the least I can do!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I like this development all that much, but at least it seems like I¡¯m not going to be tortured to death today. That¡¯s an improvement anyway.¡±


    ¡°Everything becomes better when I show up!¡± Blacknail agreed.


    Avorlus sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve avoided the guild and becoming anyone¡¯s servant for almost forty years, and now this. I¡¯ve lost everything and been kidnapped by primitives.¡±


    ¡°Not kidnapped, I liberated you!¡± Blacknail replied. He was mildly annoyed that Avorlus wasn¡¯t understanding the difference.


    ¡°Well if you want me to stay that way there is something you should know. The guild will probably be able to track my location using magic, so we need to get moving right away.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°How will they do that?¡± Blacknail had never heard of magic that could be used to find things. That was what noses were for.


    ¡°My attackers had ample opportunity to collect some of my blood, and I undoubtedly bled somewhere they can access. With that and the right mana stone they can make a blood compass, which will point in my direction. The technique is common among guild hunters.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Blacknail remarked as he began to think. If it pointed in Avorlus¡¯ direction¡­ ¡°The city isn¡¯t safe. It¡¯s too easy to sneak up and surround us. I will have to send you out into the Green.¡±


    ¡°You want to send me out into the forest?¡± Avorlus asked in alarm. ¡°The Green is full of dangerous beasts and who knows what other terrors!¡±


    ¡°It will be safer for you there. My minions live out there and know how to survive, unlike the men chasing you. You will be fine.¡±


    ¡°You have a point,¡± Avorlus remarked reluctantly.


    ¡°I have several, and I keep them sharp,¡± Blacknail replied as he stroked the hilt of a dagger at his waist. It was one of his favorites.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that,¡± Avorlus said as he frowned thoughtfully and looked up. ¡°I¡¯m more curious about what you want with me, though. What is it that you''re up to and how can I help you with it? Last I heard, Herad was dead and her forces had been scattered.¡±


    Blacknail met Avorlus¡¯ gaze with a steely look of his own. ¡°I want to kill those that destroyed my old tribe, including the traitor Mahedium. You know how to make my Elixir, and I need more of it, lots more of it.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t mind helping you with that. It¡¯s actually in my own interest, although I clearly don¡¯t have much choice,¡± Avorlus huffed as he looked down at the ropes encircling his torso. ¡°The timing of the Fiery Eye¡¯s sudden interest in me is highly suspicious. I¡¯d just turned down an invite from Mahedium and his backers. They wanted me to join them in creating a sort of¡­ secret guild that answered to them. I said no ¨C I serve no one but myself - and then all sorts of troubles began cropping up to hinder me. They weren¡¯t subtle, but they were obviously too afraid to face me and my allies here in Daggerpoint directly, so I underestimated how far they would go to monopolize magical knowledge in the North.¡±


    ¡°Our enemies are the same,¡± Blacknail agreed. ¡°Mahedium betrayed Herad so that he could join up with the Wolf.¡±


    ¡°And the merchants that support the Wolf, the Broken Wheel.¡±


    ¡°Yes, them. They were the ones that gave the Wolf¡¯s minions gold when Herad was here in Daggerpoint. They used it to buy troops.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve done a lot more than that. The Broken Wheel and Werrick control everything in the North now, either directly or from behind the scenes. These are very powerful people that you¡¯ve decided to raise your blade against. What makes you think you stand a chance?¡±


    ¡°I have my minions here, and many more of them as well.¡±


    ¡°You will need more than hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of human minions, and a vast territory I control,¡± Blacknail bragged. It wasn¡¯t his fault that most of the humans that worked for him were too stupid to realize that they did, and he did control a vast territory, even if it was almost all empty forest on the edge of the frontier that no one else wanted.


    ¡°But do you have somewhere that I can do my work safely?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I even have a minion that knows many of Mahedium¡¯s secrets. He makes crystals for me.¡±


    ¡°Do you now¡­¡± Avorlus replied with obvious interest.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Blacknail told him. Avorlus would undoubtedly be surprised when he learned who Blacknail was talking about, but it was the truth.


    Avorlus grinned. ¡°It seems we can help each other. I¡¯m curious about something, though. When you ¡®liberated¡¯ me, did the hunters ever see your faces?¡±


    ¡°I think so. They probably saw something. We had to kill a few of them. Why do you want to know?¡± Blacknail asked. Was this a bad magic thing? Could they be tracked somehow?


    Avorlus smirked evilly. ¡°No real reason. I just wish I could see the look on their superior¡¯s face when they hand that report in.¡±


    If Avorlus was telling the truth about the blood compass then unwanted company was probably going to arrive soon, so Blacknail ordered several of his minions to take the mage out into the forest right away. They had a campsite out in the Green nearby that they had used on the way here, and it would be impossible for the guild to get close to it without being seen.


    ¡°You¡¯re not coming with us, boss?¡± Scamp asked. He had been selected to lead Avorlus¡¯ guards, because Blacknail didn¡¯t want him around.


    Blacknail grimaced. ¡°No, I have to meet with a human, a very dangerous one.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they must be very super scary,¡± Herah remarked in surprise. She had also been personally selected to guard the mage. Blacknail had a strong feeling that things would be much simpler if she were out of the way for this next part, and he trusted his instincts.


    ¡°They are. Be very grateful you don¡¯t have to meet them,¡± Blacknail replied as he sent his minions on their way.


    When they were gone, Blacknail sighed and rubbed his eyes. He had been putting this part of his mission off, but he didn¡¯t have any more excuses. He needed information on Werrick and this Broken Wheel company. More than that, he needed to understand a lot of things about human, their society, and their lands that were mysteries to him right now. Such things hadn¡¯t concerned him before, but ever since the battle at Shelter he had come to realize how ignorant he was. That had to change.


    Blacknail hissed in frustration. As much as he wished that he could just attack some random important looking humans for information that was unlikely to work. He knew of only one person that would know about Werrick and all the other stuff he needed. He was going to have to visit Luphera.


    ¡°You stay here and guard this place. I will be back soon,¡± Blacknail told the dozen hobgoblins that hadn¡¯t gone with Avorlus. He expected some of them to sneak out and explore the city the second he left, but hopefully they would at least organize some sort of watch. Right now, he was too distracted to care, though.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want anyone to go with you?¡± one of the guards asked.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t,¡± Blacknail answered grimly. There was no way he wanted any of his minions around when he visited Luphera. Not that he cared what they thought, but they would be putty in her hands, unlike him. Blacknail was known for his iron self-control.


    After leaving the other hobgoblins behind, Blacknail walked out onto the street and began making his way to Luphera¡¯s home. He hoped she still lived in the same place. Having to search for her would be annoying.


    The sun had fully risen above the horizon now, but Blacknail didn¡¯t bother sulking through the shadows. With his hood up he was just another private individual. In the slums, the few people he passed ignored him. This wasn¡¯t surprising since half of them looked even more suspicious than he did. One man in dirty brown clothes was dragging a sack that made a coughing noise as Blacknail walked by. The hobgoblin was tempted to seize the sack and see what was inside, but he had to prioritize.


    The street he was on led him past rows of small homes and onto a larger road lined by stalls and shops. This still wasn¡¯t the best part of the city but it was an improvement. There were a lot more people milling around here, but no one gave Blacknail trouble. He looked down to hide his face, stepped into the crowd, and made his way through them. He passed by colorful peddlers, confident thugs, and tired-looking workers as merchants hawked their wares from nearby stalls. Blacknail made sure he kept an eye out for children so he could avoid them. Almost all the small humans were thieves out to steal his shinnies, but they weren¡¯t the biggest hazard. The real danger was the carts or horses being led around. Blacknail distrusted horses. They were vile creatures that stank like death and their eyes shone with hatred. He made sure he didn¡¯t go anywhere near them so they couldn¡¯t kick or bite him.


    Eventually Blacknail passed through several different sections of the city and found himself standing outside the large building that Luphera shared with lots of other scantily clad women. There was a bald man in a red vest guarding the door. He was taller and much more muscular than most human men, and he probably weighed three times as much as a hobgoblin. Blacknail considered walking up and beating him to a pulp, just to prove that he could. However, Luphera had reacted badly the last time he had hurt one of her employees. Should he just go up and ask to see her? She would undoubtedly want to see him, but would they actually tell her that he was here?


    Blacknail decided to just sneak in through the back. That was what he had done every other time and it had worked out fine, even though he¡¯d had to fight his way through a small army of assassins once. It was unlikely to happen twice though, so Blacknail headed around to the alley behind the building and climbed inside the window that led to Luphera¡¯s bedroom. It was empty. The fancy looking room with its ornate furniture and huge four post bed looked much the same, but it smelled very different. Not only was the scent of Luphera¡¯s unique perfume gone, but the woman¡¯s own scent had been replaced by that of an unfamiliar woman.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t good,¡± Blacknail mused to himself as he examined the room. He didn¡¯t find any treats or signs of Luphera, just lots of silky clothes.


    As Blacknail was examining a particularly frilly piece of clothing he had found in a drawer, someone knocked on the suite¡¯s door. The hobgoblin sat up. The bedroom door that led to the sitting room was open, so Blacknail got ready to hide.


    ¡°Blacknail, the mistress invites you to join her,¡± a man politely announced from outside the suite.


    ¡°How?¡± Blacknail hissed to himself in confusion. They knew he was here? What? That didn¡¯t make any sense. There was no way some lazy city humans had seen him! He was a master sneaker of peerless skill.


    Slowly, Blacknail got up and made his way over to the suite door. He could hear relaxed breathing from the other side but that was it. The man there wasn¡¯t moving and seemed perfectly willing to wait for him.


    The hobgoblin hesitated and then opened the door. It swung open to reveal a thin older man with a neatly trimmed grey mustache who nodded respectfully in welcome. He was wearing a tidy outfit with black pants, a white shirt, and a red vest.


    ¡°Er, hello.¡± Blacknail greeted him.


    ¡°Hello to you as well. This way please. The mistress is waiting,¡± the servant replied as he gestured down the hall. He was wearing white gloves and he didn¡¯t seem surprised in the slightest by Blacknail¡¯s appearance.


    Blacknail shrugged and began walking in the indicated direction. It wasn¡¯t like he had any better options, and he was used to being confused and irritated whenever Luphera was involved.

 A Familiar Fate 6

    The prim servant with the mustache and the fancy clothes led Blacknail around a corner and down to the very end of the hallway. He then stepped to the side and gestured towards the door there.


    ¡°The mistress is waiting just inside for you,¡± he announced politely. Blacknail resisted the urge to wipe the pleased look off his face by kicking him in the groin.


    Instead, the hobgoblin stared at the door for a moment, before sighing and pushing it open. He would have much preferred it if he¡¯d been able to sneak in, instead of being invited like this. All this preparation for his arrival resembled a trap far too much for his comfort. Luphera probably didn¡¯t want to kill him, but that didn¡¯t mean her intentions would be in his best interest, especially if she got handsy. She had tricked him into doing things for her more than once. Not this time, though. Blacknail had changed. He was going to stay in control of the situation. He was a leader now, and he wasn¡¯t going to let a human woman tempt him into doing anything that undermined his pride.


    The door in front of Blacknail swung open to reveal a lavish sitting room that was much larger than the one in Luphera¡¯s old suite. Tasteful bits of ornate furniture ringed the room and art decorated the walls. A pair of cushioned couches sat in one corner and there was a long low table in front of them. The first thing Blacknail noticed was the plates of food on the table. The second thing he noticed was that Luphera was sprawled out on one of the couches. She was laying on her side in a bold but lazy posture, and she smiled confidently as Blacknail walked in. As per usual, she was wearing thin silk clothes that revealed the shape of her. Although this time they were blue and instead of a dress she had on loose trousers.


    After studying her for a moment, Blacknail shifted his gaze and focused on her eyes. Looking at her body muddled his thinking, but her eyes revealed her intelligence and confidence. Luphera had power. It wasn¡¯t the type of power that Blacknail was used to, but it was very real and very dangerous. Blacknail had to concentrate on that, and not on the curviness of her hips¡­


    ¡°Ah, Blacknail. I¡¯d been hoping that you¡¯d come visit me again. It has been so very boring here without my favorite gentleman caller around. I found myself longing for the excitement of your company,¡± Luphera said as the door behind Blacknail shut with dull final thump.


    Luphera continued to smile invitingly as she sat up and pushed some of her long blonde hair behind her ear. As she moved, the long neck of sleeveless shirt shifted and more of her ample bosom was exposed. Blacknail did is best to focus on her eyes.


    ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± he asked her. That was still bugging him.


    Luphera laughed. ¡°I deal in information and I have people everywhere.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer.¡±


    ¡°If you want something from me then you need to pay for it, although this won¡¯t cost you much. You just need to stop being so rude and greet me properly,¡± Luphera replied in a playful tone. Blacknail didn¡¯t like being told what to do - he was a leader, not a minion- but this was just a small thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again, Luphera. You smell as nice as ever,¡± Blacknail said as he grinned at his host. The scent of her perfume filled the room and was hard not to notice.


    ¡°Thank you, please hang your cloak and jacket on the hook by the door. They aren¡¯t needed. It¡¯s nice and warm in here,¡± she replied as she gestured towards a brazier that was sitting in the far corner of the room.


    After forcing himself not to growl, Blacknail did as she had asked. It was warm in here, and again this was a perfectly reasonable and normal request for her to make. Taking off his jacket made him feel exposed for some reason, though.


    As he turned around to face Luphera again, she got up from the couch and walked over to him. Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but notice how her hips swayed as she walked. Herah¡¯s didn¡¯t move like that. Wait, why was he comparing them?


    ¡°See that wasn¡¯t so hard,¡± Luphera remarked as she picked something up off a cabinet and handed it to him. ¡°These are for you. Think of them as a gift from someone looking to please a handsome leader.¡±


    Receiving a gift thrilled Blacknail. Obviously, Luphera knew how amazing he was, and she had mentioned that he was leader! Blacknail took the items and looked them over. It was a full set of clothes, including socks. They were nice looking if very different from what he usually wore, much softer. The shirt was white and long-sleeved. The pants were black and surprisingly snug. Usually human clothes were very loose on him and fit poorly, although that wasn¡¯t surprising since every piece of clothing he owned had been looted from dead people.


    Luphera smiled invitingly. ¡°Try them on.¡±


    ¡°Right now?¡± Blacknail asked uncertainly. He wasn¡¯t usually concerned about nudity. Until his master had taught him otherwise, he had spent most of his life running around naked, but he liked the idea of having as many barriers as possible between himself and Luphera right now.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not loitering around here in those dirty rags. This is a classy establishment. The least you can do is wear something clean.¡±


    Blacknail grimaced. His clothes weren¡¯t dirty! Sure they had dirt on them, but it was the good kind. They barely stank at all, especially when compared to humans.


    ¡°Most humans don¡¯t like people changing in front of them,¡± Blacknail pointed out. He¡¯d had this explained to him several times. Vorscha in particular had told him she didn¡¯t want to see his skinny green ass, even though she had usually been very practical for a human. He missed her.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing I haven¡¯t seen before,¡± Luphera replied. She twittered with obvious amusement.


    ¡°Can I change in the next room?¡± Blacknail asked. It might be better to play this safe.


    ¡°I can hardly stop you,¡± Luphera laughed. ¡°However, why would you bother? Are you afraid of little me?¡±


    Blacknail was not afraid of anyone. He huffed and immediately began disrobing. However, when he looked up to see Luphera licking her lips he had to suppress a shudder. It was possible he may have just been tricked, so he pulled on his new clothes as quickly as possible.


    ¡°Yes, these look quite good on you,¡± Luphera commented as she walked over and adjusted his clothing a bit. ¡°It was definitely worth all the trouble of having them custom made and coming up with a style to fit your figure and features. You look absolutely chilling, like a uniquely sophisticated beast.¡±


    Blacknail held very still as she smoothed out some wrinkles on his shirt. His new clothes were so soft they almost tickled his skin. It was distracting. He had never worn anything like them before.


    ¡°Will you tell me how you knew I was here now?¡± he asked. He really wanted to know. It didn¡¯t seem possible.


    ¡°Yes, of course, since you¡¯re being so well behaved. It¡¯s not complicated,¡± Luphera replied as she walked back over to her couch and sat down. ¡°When I received word of a figure matching your description being seen around Daggerpoint again, I immediately placed that window you entered through under surveillance by someone in the neighboring building. You¡¯ve used it every time you¡¯ve come to visit me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too sneaky. No one could have seen me,¡± Blacknail countered gruffly. Although, he supposed they might have noticed another hobgoblin that wasn¡¯t nearly as handsome as him and somehow mistaken them.


    ¡°There were a few other hints that you were back in the city as well, such as the arrival of a group of Herad¡¯s old minions and some rather large explosions.¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Blacknail huffed. So it was Geralhd¡¯s fault. ¡°The explosions didn¡¯t have anything to do with me. I just watched them.¡±


    ¡°Yet we tend not to see very many destructive displays of magic such as those in this city, except for some reason when you¡¯re around. You have a way of livening up the place,¡± Luphera said as she leaned sideways against the arm of the sofa she was sitting on.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not lazy, unlike some people,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°I find the excitement you bring to be one of your more charming traits. But surely you have some other questions. Alas, you never just visit for the pleasure of my company.¡±


    Oh, right. He was here for a purpose. Blacknail scratched his nose and considered what to say. Maybe he should try to turn the tables a bit and be charming. He was so handsome that it had to work, especially with his nice new clothes.


    ¡°I did come just to see you. You¡¯re the best smelling human in the entire city, and you¡¯re also so smart. You know practically everything,¡± he told her as he put on his most charming smile. He wasn¡¯t sure how effective it would be since he had never tried it before.


    Luphera pouted. ¡°So you don¡¯t want anything from me?¡±


    ¡°Everyone wants stuff from everyone else. Humans and hobgoblins are the same that way, although hobgoblins are more honest and direct about it,¡± Blacknail replied. They usually just took what they wanted without asking.


    ¡°Like you are right now?¡± Luphera asked with an amused smile.


    ¡°Exactly! I¡¯m completely honest.¡±


    Luphera sat up and patted the surface of the sofa next to her. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re here to relax and enjoy some conversation with the best smelling woman in Daggerpoint why don¡¯t you come sit down.¡±


    Blacknail hesitated. He may have made a tactical error. Was it too late to flee for his life? He didn¡¯t want to get too close, but on the other hand that was where the food was and he was getting sort of hungry. There was even a plate of cheese slices¡­


    It didn¡¯t seem like he had much of a choice, so Blacknail sighed quietly to himself and reluctantly walked over to sit stiffly down next to Luphera. Then he helped himself to a slice of cheese. It was very good, but Blacknail wondered how much it was going to cost him.


    ¡°Now, what did you want to talk about? I¡¯m shivering in anticipation of your conversational topic of choice,¡± Luphera whispered as she leaned up against Blacknail and titled her head so that it rested against his shoulder.


    ¡°Um, so how are things here?¡± Blacknail asked her. He was being subtle and indirect.


    Lupherea suddenly sat up straight so that she wasn¡¯t leaning against him anymore. ¡°Ha, they¡¯ve been better. Business has been good, especially the physical part. There is more money moving through the city now, but my real area of interest has been drying up. There is a lot less intrigue in a city controlled by one man. Everyone is holding their breath and waiting to see what happens next.¡±


    ¡°Werrick rules Daggerpoint,¡± Blacknail remarked in a deliberate attempt to steer the conversation. Being subtle was easier than he¡¯d thought it would be.


    ¡°Ruling is probably too strong of a word, but yes,¡± Luphera replied with sly smile. ¡°All the remaining bandit chiefs and gang lords have bent the knee. He left a lieutenant and the man is nominally in charge of the city, although the Governor still runs the inner district as before.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m neither a bandit nor a gang lord. I wasn¡¯t asked to swear to anyone, and if something mysterious and assuredly fatal happened to Werrick or his men I would quietly cheer and uncork a bottle of my best wine. The city is growing boring and stale. There are no opportunities for me to prosper in such a place.¡±


    ¡°This lieutenant, where does he live and what is his security like?¡± Blacknail asked in as neutral a tone as he could manage.


    Luphera leaned back, raised a leg, and placed a bare foot on Blacknail¡¯s thigh. ¡°Oh, why would you want to know that?¡±


    ¡°You made me curious?¡± Blacknail replied uncertainly as he stared at her manicured toes. He didn¡¯t want to give himself away, but it was hard to focus.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll do my best to satisfy your curiosity then. The name of Werrick¡¯s top man in the city is Cedric. He¡¯s holed up in a mansion on the edge of the inner district, and he has quite a few guards, although he relies far more on borrowing Werrick¡¯s strength than using his own. He doesn¡¯t have nearly the forces necessary to keep everyone else in line,¡± Luphera explained before going into more detail.


    She withdrew her foot and continued talking for several minutes. Blacknail nodded along. Occasionally he grabbed a piece of fruit or cheese from the table as he listened.


    ¡°Is your desire for knowledge sated now?¡± Luperha asked once she was done speaking. She


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know much about Werrick, other than the obvious. I bet you do, though.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there is an interesting man, even if he isn¡¯t my type. I¡¯ve met him only once briefly, but he¡¯s too important for me not to have learned everything I can about him. Before I reveal anything more though, how about you do some sharing of your own? It¡¯s only polite for you to entertain your host.¡±


    ¡°Me? What do you want to know about?¡± Blacknail asked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, you. I find you absolutely fascinating. You¡¯ve never told me anything about yourself. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a riveting story.¡±


    A frown appeared on Blacknail¡¯s lips as he thought back. He¡¯d spent most his life a tiny goblin in a sewer. He didn¡¯t feel like sharing this story, so he twisted the truth a little instead.


    ¡°I wandered the wilds South when I was younger,¡± he explained to start off his story.


    Luphera listened to him make stuff up until he finished with his arrival in Daggerpoint the first time. ¡°What have you been up to since our last meeting? You were part of Herad¡¯s band, but Werrick wiped them out. Obviously, you survived.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I survived, although my master Saeter didn¡¯t. Werrick killed him,¡± Blacknail hissed. He couldn¡¯t help himself from showing some anger as the emotion flooded over him.


    ¡°Alas, so Saeter really is dead. He was quite the man if half the stories about him were to be believed.


    ¡°He was the best man in the entire world, and I will avenge him,¡± Blacknail replied as his eyes narrowed in fury.


    A flash of interest appeared within Luphera¡¯s eyes but then it quickly disappeared. She reached out and put a comforting hand on the hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But how did you survive?¡±


    Blacknail mentally went through some sword drills to calm himself down. Saeter had been the one to teach them to him. ¡°I¡¯m very hard to kill. I fought Werrick but had to go save some of my human minions. I guided them through the forest. None of Werrick¡¯s men could hope to catch me in the Green.¡±


    Luphera sighed dramatically. ¡°The endless Green, so close and yet so unreachable. You have such interesting tales of it. Here in Daggerpoint, it lurks just out of sight and we try not to think about it, yet it has all of us city dwellers completely surrounded. We could visit it at any time, but only the blandest of its edges. We would never survive the journey to its heart, where its true splendors await.¡±


    ¡°Mostly it¡¯s full of trees and things that want to eat you,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    Luphera rolled her eyes. ¡°Werrick¡¯s attack on Herad was months ago. Where did you go after that?¡±


    ¡°I found a safe place out in the woods, and made some human friends. They liked me because I helped them kill some other humans.¡±


    ¡°Such is the way of the world,¡± Luphera laughed. ¡°But I¡¯d heard that you have some other friends as well. Where did you find them?¡±


    She was probably talking about the hobgoblins. Blacknail shrugged without concern. If she knew about them then she knew about them. ¡°I just sort of found them out in the forest. I¡¯m a natural leader so they decided to follow me around.¡±


    Luphera leaned over and stroked Blacknail¡¯s nose with a playful finger. ¡°And now you¡¯re here seeking vengeance with new friends and allies. You seem very confident. Since you¡¯re so smart and such a great leader, surely you have some other exciting resources that you haven¡¯t told anyone about.¡±


    Blacknail shivered in delight. ¡°I have a cave full of gold and some mages.¡±


    ¡°That is so interesting. I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint me.¡±


    Blacknail groaned. Why had he admitted that? The gold was supposed to be a secret. Luphera was starting to get to him, and her sweet perfume was starting to clog up his brain. He needed to steer the conversation back to where he wanted it to go.


    ¡°Can you tell me about Werrick now?¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯d be glad to help my favorite hobgoblin,¡± Luphera answered as she snuggled in close to him. ¡°Werrick was the second son of a minor noble that held lands on the western border of Hulgaron. While he was away fighting for his country his family lands were decimated by the war with Eloria. When news reached him he deserted and managed to convince his entire squad to come along. He then came north and set himself up as a bandit captain, but even then he wasn¡¯t satisfied. His drive and ambition pushed him to seek out more power and prestige for himself.¡±


    ¡°What does he want? He is already the most powerful chieftain¡± Blacknail asked her. He wanted to understand his enemy.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t read his mind, but I imagine he wants to be a king. He is a man of noble stock after all. Normally such a thing wouldn¡¯t be possible, but these aren¡¯t normal times. What¡¯s left of the border lords are holed up in their castles and little more than bandits themselves, and the neighboring countries have bled themselves dry in their wars.¡±


    ¡°How is a king different form a chief, and what wars are we talking about?¡± Blacknail asked. He barely understood some of the terms and references she was using, and he felt like the details were important here.


    ¡°Well that will take a long time to explain. If you want to know all that then you¡¯ll have to stay the night,¡± Luphera purred as she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer.


    Blacknail felt his elbow rub up against Luphera¡¯s chest. He suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling down below his belly. It was an itch he desperately wanted scratched and Luphera¡¯s scent was intoxicating. Desperately, he tried to remember that she was just a fat pink human, but it didn¡¯t work. The memory of the soft feel of her skin filled his mind instead. The color suddenly didn¡¯t seem all that important, even if green was far superior in every way.


    ¡°I guess I should stay then. It¡¯s my duty as a leader to learn as much as possible,¡± he told her as he stared at her breasts through her semi-translucent shirt. He was a great leader.

 A Familiar Fate 7

    The terrified scream echoed out from the dark hallway behind Blacknail and into the building beyond. The now annoyed hobgoblin had been stealthily stalking towards the door that led to his target, but he stopped for a moment and hissed in frustration. One of his minions had messed up. Now the enemy had been warned and the assault had to be sped up. Thankfully this was Daggerpoint and it was still dark out. No one from outside would be coming to investigate. Getting involved in other peoples¡¯ problems was a bad survival strategy here.


    ¡°We move now. Kill everyone and leave no witnesses,¡± Blacknail ordered the half dozen hobgoblins behind him before drawing his sword and dashing forward.


    The sound of running feet on wooden floorboards broke the quiet as the inhuman killers abandoned stealth and suddenly began sprinting toward the door at the end of the hallway. Blacknail reached in first, and he grunted in effort as he kicked it. There was an earsplitting crunch and thud as it burst open, and he dove inside. The room on the other side was dark, but there was enough moonlight coming in from one small window that the hobgoblins could make out the outlines of the chamber¡¯s contents. Rows of beds lined both walls, and most of them were occupied.


    ¡°What in all the hells,¡± someone yelled as they scrambled out of bed and tried to make sense of what was going on. The other occupants of the room were reacting in a similar manner, but it was dark and they had all been asleep until a moment ago, so they were moving slowly and without organization.


    Without pause, Blacknail lunged forward and cut the closest man down as he fumbled around blindly. Behind him, his hobgoblin minions flooded into the room. Blades sliced through the shadows and found soft flesh. More screams and curses filled the air as the confused and disoriented humans began to grow terrified. The scent of blood filled the room, and giggles of delight could be heard beneath the screams as the hobgoblins delighted in their grisly work. They were predators in their element.


    ¡°Oh, gods. What¡¯s going on?¡± someone pleaded.


    Then, there was a flash as a man at the back of the room managed to light a lamp. The unexpected illumination flooded into the room, reflected off raised blades, and revealed the attackers.


    ¡°Shit,¡± the lamp bearer cursed softly as everyone froze for a brief moment and looked around for the first time. He had just rolled out of bed so he was completely nude, which made it obvious he was trembling in fear of the sight before him.


    ¡°Keep fighting. They are ours,¡± Blacknail yelled as he stabbed a man that tried to run past him. He didn¡¯t want his minions to falter just because the odds had changed a little.


    A big bald man wearing nothing but a loose shirt produced a sword from somewhere. Blacknail stepped forward to engage him before he could strike out at another hobgoblin. The man hesitated and then swung wildly at Blacknail¡¯s head. Blacknail ducked under the blow and gutted his opponent with a precise horizontal slash. A disbelieving grunt of pain escaped the man¡¯s lips as he fell and his guts slipped out of his abdomen. They made quite a mess on the floor.


    As Blacknail moved on to cut down his next victim, his minions struggled with the other humans. Some of them had dropped or lost their swords and were biting and clawing at their opponents. One unlucky hobgoblin was punched in the face by a large pot-bellied man and collapsed into a heap. However, Blacknail advanced up the center of the room and his swift blade cut through any resistance that formed. Filled with terror, the humans fought desperately but they were swiftly overwhelmed. Confronted with inhuman opponents that most of them only knew from stories, they didn¡¯t plead for mercy as they fell, and Blacknail didn¡¯t give them any. Soon, the floor was drenched in blood and all its former occupants were dead.


    ¡°Now to the next room,¡± Blacknail growled as he turned back towards the door. He didn¡¯t have time to waste.


    The hobgoblin chieftain ran back out into the hallway and towards his next objective. The attack on Cedric¡¯s headquarters was going well. Thanks to Luphera¡¯s information Blacknail knew exactly where everything was. After taking out the sentries in a coordinated attack, he had divided his followers into teams and sent them to take three different objectives. Even now, his minions were rushing through the building and killing all the humans they found. They were outnumbered ¨C Cedric had over fifty men in this building alone - but the hobgoblins had the advantage of surprise and momentum. Quite a few enemies had died in bed or before they could even figure out what was going on in the darkness around them. Blacknail grinned as he felt a throb of sadistic glee. Hobgoblin night-sight could be very useful if used correctly by a great leader, and he was better than a great leader.


    Another door appeared out of the darkness in front of Blacknail. He kicked it, but it was unlocked so he lost his balance as the door slammed into the wall behind it. Cursing, he stumbled forward but then caught himself and looked around the room. This one was already lit by a lamp. The people within had used the warning they had been given to start to organize, but there were only three of them. Blacknail was unsurprised. This was Cedric¡¯s room, and leaders usually didn¡¯t share their chambers.


    ¡°What in damnation are you supposed to be?¡± the man in the center of the room swore as he looked Blacknail over. He matched the description of Cedric, a tall man with short black hair. The other two residents of the room, a man and a woman who looked like servants, were helping him strap a boiled leather breastplate over a simple shirt and trousers that he must have just thrown on.


    ¡°Your death,¡± Blacknail replied with a mirthless laugh and a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    Cedric grunted as he reached over and picked up a sword of the bed beside him. His servants both finished attaching his breastplate. The woman stepped back away with a fearful look on her face, while the male drew a long dagger.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re that hobgoblin. The one they call the faceless killer. I¡¯d heard you were dangerous, but you can¡¯t be doing this alone,¡± Cedric remarked as he raised his weapon and took up a defensive stance. It was at that moment that several of Blacknail¡¯s minions caught up and slipped into the room behind their boss.


    Their arrival surprised Cedric and he grimaced. ¡°That answers my question I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it does,¡± Blacknail laughed as he stepped forward and attacked.


    His opponent easily dodged the blow by leaning back, but Blacknail turned the slash into a flurry of attacks. Cedric blocked one and then dodged the others, before slashing at Blacknail¡¯s chest with a two-handed strike. His sword was a longer and heavier weapon, so Blacknail dodged instead of blocking. Meanwhile, the servant with the knife tried to circle around and get at Blacknail¡¯s exposed side, but two hobgoblins intercepted him and forced him back. Another hobgoblin circled around to approach the female servant. Before he got too close though, she pulled out a long knife of her own, and the hobgoblin hesitated.


    There was a metallic ringing as Cedric blocked a downward slash from Blacknail. The hobgoblin jumped back and looked for an opening. He feinted a stab and turned it into an upward riposte when Cedric tried to parry it. Blacknail¡¯s weapon caught on his opponent¡¯s breastplate and then slid up and away without doing any damage.


    Cedric took a step back and glared at Blacknail. ¡°What are you here for, creature?¡±


    ¡°To deliver a message to your master, all his friends, and all of his enemies,¡± Blacknail shot back. He was getting a little tired of this fight. It might be time to order his minions to help. He didn¡¯t have any Elixir left to burn and he didn¡¯t feel like taking any risks.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°Fighting the Wolf is a fool¡¯s errand.¡±


    Blacknail laughed with dark amusement. ¡°Says the man whose corpse will soon be a warning to others.¡±


    ¡°Not likely,¡± Cedric growled as he lunged forward and launched a flurry of attacks.


    Both the human servants had managed to keep their hobgoblin attackers away so far, but as the man slashed at the hand of one hobgoblin another jumped forward and stabbed him in the gut. He gasped and collapsed with the sword stuck in his belly. The woman gasped but didn¡¯t drop her guard. This development left Cedric¡¯s side exposed to Blacknail¡¯s minions. He let up his attack and shifted into a defensive stance.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fight all of Werrick¡¯s men. He has allies and friends everywhere. The North belongs to him,¡± the bandit lieutenant told Blacknail.


    ¡°He has no friends in the Green. He has no allies nearby to save you. The North belongs to whoever holds it,¡± Blacknail replied as he stepped forward. His minions smiled and pressed in to pressure Cedric¡¯s flank.


    On the other side, the woman was now desperately flailing with her knife. She had kept the hobgoblin assaulting her at bay so far, but she couldn¡¯t keep it up. Her assailant was playing it safe and constantly feinting with his longer blade to wear her out. Suddenly, she stumbled and the hobgoblin facing her reacted. His blade sliced down and cut into her arm. She yelped and fell backwards, dropping her weapon as she instinctively clutched her wound. Her opponent followed up by kicking her in the head, and there was a cracking noise as she fell over sideways. Unconscious, she didn¡¯t stir as she began to bleed out onto the floor from the gash on her arm. Blacknail grinned and focused on Cedric. A female opponent was no different from a man to him, and he wasn¡¯t even slightly interested in mercy when it came to anyone who worked for Werrick, even indirectly. Mercy was human thing anyway.


    Cedric looked grim now, and he had good reason. He was surrounded by hobgoblins on three sides.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± he asked Blacknail. ¡°Werrick will unite this land and build something better. He is the greatest man I¡¯ve met, and I¡¯m sure he could use your skills or at least pay you off.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care at all. The Wolf attacked my tribe and killed my master. He took what was mine, my most precious things. I can never get them back, so I will take from him in kind,¡± Blacknail hissed as he motioned for his minions to attack. It was time to finish this. As he lunged forward from the front, Blacknail¡¯s followers closed in on Cedric from the other directions.


    ¡°You will fail, you pathetic creature,¡± the man growled as he glared at Blacknail.


    ¡°You¡¯ve already failed,¡± Blacknail hissed back as he slashed at Cedric¡¯s front leg.


    The man had no option but to block the attack, and then try to twist away from the other hobgoblins¡¯ blades as they took the opportunity to attack all at once. He failed. With pleased hisses, Blacknail¡¯s minions stabbed and slashed their opponent. Some of the blows bounced off the breastplate, but others sank deep into flesh and cut into organs. Shuddering, Cedric coughed up a mouthful of blood and then tottered over backwards. A moment later, Blacknail walked over and kicked him in the ribs. He didn¡¯t move or appear to be breathing, so the hobgoblin turned away.


    ¡°I win,¡± Blacknail announced to no one in particular as he walked over to the bed and used a sheet to wipe the blood off his blade. Now that all the enemies were down, some of his minions copied him. He¡¯d made sure they knew the importance of keeping their blades clean.


    ¡°Take his breastplate off and carry it for me. It¡¯s mine now,¡± Blacknail told one of his minions as he stepped back out into the hallway.


    It seemed like the mission had gone perfectly. Their main target, Cedric, was dead, and it didn¡¯t sound like there was anyone still putting up any resistance. Blacknail walked over to a window and stared out of it. The moonlit rooftops of Daggerpoint lay before him, and they looked a lot less shabby in the dark. As he stared at the scene, the hobgoblin felt his heartbeat slow and his fury slip away. He took a moment to reflect.


    This was a blow against Werrick. The death of his lieutenant would weaken his hold on the city and make him look weak. A weak chieftain would face many more challengers and have fewer options than one that seemed invincible. Blacknail could also use the fallout to manipulate others into doing what he wanted. Yes, everything was going perfectly, but he didn¡¯t feel any better. He was still hollow inside. Werrick was still alive. Saeter was still dead.


    Blacknail growled and stomped off to organize his minions. Thinking about this was pointless, and the mission wasn¡¯t quite over yet. He had meant what he¡¯d told Cedric about leaving a message. The ruin and horror he was about to make this building into would be Blacknail¡¯s message to Werrick. All his minions already had their orders, and were undoubtedly already fulfilling them, but Blacknail wanted to make sure they stayed on task.


    Bodies were moved, furniture was torn apart, and everything that was both shiny and light enough to carry was gathered up by hobgoblins as Blacknail stalked through the building and oversaw the work. His minions went about their tasks with obvious glee and they tried to outdo each other. In one room five mangled bodies had been hung from the roof with rope, while in another the bodies had all been hacked into pieces and strewn all over the room. When it was about time to leave, Blacknail went back to Cedric¡¯s room and cut off the man¡¯s head. He carried it by its hair over to the front door, and while all his minions watched, he impaled it on a wooden spike that one of his minions had driven into the ground. No one that approached the building in the morning could fail to notice the bloody detached head, and no one that learned of what had happened inside the building could fail to realize that this hadn¡¯t been a normal fight. Word would spread and carry fear and uncertainly with it all the way to Werrick.


    ¡°Victory is ours. This is just a taste of things to come,¡± Blacknail told his gathered minions. ¡°I will lead you to all the best and tastiest prizes you can imagine. We will hunt our enemies and spread our tribe¡¯s territory far and wide!¡±


    The crowd of hobgoblins cheered, and Blacknail grinned in satisfaction. He knew how to motivate hobgoblins and keep them loyal. He just had to keep on winning, and this had been a great victory. Not a single hobgoblin had died. A few had gotten injured, but that was it. The humans had been completely caught off guard and unable to defend themselves as Blacknail¡¯s minions had cut them down in the dark.


    Since they had accomplished their mission and they had already loitered here too long after making so much noise, Blacknail led his minions through the streets as it began to grow lighter out. The sun was just beginning to rise. Instead of going to the safe house, they headed toward the city wall. Once there, they climbed over it and slipped out the city. It was possible that they might have picked up some observers and Blacknail didn¡¯t want to lead them back to the safe house. He also wanted to check in on the forest camp. He¡¯d left Herah in charge of watching Avorlus there.


    The birds were signing their morning songs as the victorious hobgoblins slipped into the forest. The streets had been empty and they hadn¡¯t run into any problems on the way out of the city. Blacknail located a familiar animal trail and they followed it through the trees and over to the hill where they had set up the camp. It was only about half an hour from the walls. The only way up the hill from the direction of Daggerpoint was easily watched. It involved using a fallen tree to cross a stream that lay at the bottom of a deep chasm and taking a narrow path up a steep rock face. Thus, they were spotted well before they reached it. Blacknail had left sentries out to watch in case the guild tried to track down Avorlus. The sentries acknowledged their companion''s presence but stayed at their posts as they passed them by.


    Soon enough, Blacknail reached the top of the hill and saw the camp before him. It was a simple collection of tents that had been set up among some large rocks, and various bags and piles of loot lay around the place. As he had expected, Blacknail noticed Herah and Avorlus sitting by the firepit, but they weren¡¯t alone. Something red and annoying was sitting beside Herah. It was Khita¡­ What? He had left her behind in Daggerpoint! How could she have possibly found this place?


    ¡°Ah, there you are Blacknail! I was beginning to think you were never going to show up!¡± the redhead young woman remarked cheerfully as she stood up to greet him.


    ¡°How did you get here?¡± Blacknail spat back in frustration.


    ¡°Oh, Herah came and got me. She wanted to talk to me about some stuff.¡±


    What? Blacknail wasn¡¯t completely sure why but he didn¡¯t like this development. It smelled like a conspiracy against him.


    ¡°I saw that you¡¯ve captured another mage. I don¡¯t know why you want them all, but I¡¯m sure you have a plan.¡±


    ¡°I do and it¡¯s a great plan. This mage knows how to make my Elixir. He¡¯s why I came to this city. I need Elixir to kill my enemies easier.¡±


    ¡°Well at least this one isn¡¯t tied up and naked, unlike the last. Is it because he¡¯s a man?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Avorlus asked in alarm as he threw a nervous look at his captor.


    Blacknail hissed and stomped the ground in exasperation as he glared at Khita. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me. Imp did that, and it made sense. Who knows what dangerous magic thingies that woman was keeping in her clothes.


    Why did Khita keep bringing this up? During the battle at Shelter, Blacknail had knocked out the raiders¡¯ mage. While he had been resting after his glorious victory, Imp and some other hobgoblins had captured her, and then taken some simple and completely justified safety measures that Khita wouldn¡¯t stop bringing up.


    ¡°Ah, sure. That sounds believable,¡± the redhead replied as she smirked.


    Blacknail hissed again. Why did humans have to make something as simple and pure as stripping and tying up your prisoners so complicated? They injected sex into even completely innocent activates. It was disgusting. There was a time and a place.

 A Familiar Fate 8

    Grunting in annoyance, Blacknail wandered away from the center of the hobgoblins¡¯ forest camp and sat down on a stone that was right beside his tent. He needed to take a quick break. Being around Khita was tiring, and he¡¯d just completed a difficult mission that had involved a lot of hard fighting and great leadership. He also hadn¡¯t gotten a lot of sleep last night ¨C for reasons - and it was still early in the morning. Blacknail closed his eyes, but he found it difficult to clear his mind. Up in the trees, the birds were singing their morning tunes and incessantly chirping away. He was also not left alone. Khita murmured something to Herah and than wandered over to Blacknail¡¯s side.


    He looked up at her and scowled. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°To talk to you about some things,¡± Khita replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Too bad. Go away.¡±


    She didn¡¯t listen. ¡°I was just having a chat with Herah.¡±


    ¡°My eyes and ears work fine. I knew that,¡± Blacknail observed derisively.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re grumpy right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying to rest my eyes and think, but you¡¯re bugging me, like a bug. Stop buzzing around and go away,¡± Blacknail replied with a wave of his hand as if to shoo her away.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not busy right now, and this is important.¡±


    ¡°Fine, what is it?¡± Blacknail sighed. It was probably best to deal with Khita quickly so that she would leave him alone.


    Khita smiled gleefully. ¡°Right, so I was talking to Herah and she mentioned that you¡¯d been avoiding her, even though anyone can see that she wants to jump your bones.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business. Why do you care?¡± Blacknail hissed.


    ¡°Herah is my friend.¡±


    Blacknail doubted that, but he humored the redhead. ¡°She¡¯s a hobgoblin.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t find them attractive? What, do you like human women, or men, or something?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Blacknail sputtered in surprise. What was she getting at? Did she know about Luphera?


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. Stop being so stupid, you ugly human!¡± he quickly shot back. ¡°Of course hobgoblins are much better looking than humans. You¡¯re all fat, and pink!¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± Khita asked.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes and sneered at her. ¡°Hobgoblins can¡¯t be trusted. They are devious and violent. Letting them near you is stupid. I can¡¯t let her get too close or she might kill me and take my place as leader.¡±


    Khita gave Blacknail a perplexed look as she titled her head to the side. ¡°You¡¯re a hobgoblin too¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I know they can¡¯t be trusted.¡± Blacknail explained. No one knew hobgoblins better than he did.


    ¡°So the others and I shouldn¡¯t trust you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Blacknail hesitated before replying. ¡°¡­because I¡¯m loyal and amazing, and I¡¯m already the leader anyway.¡±


    Khita shook her head. ¡°Right, I think you¡¯re being stupid and paranoid. Herah is attractive for a hobgoblin, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail answered uncertainly. That was one of the reasons she was dangerous.


    ¡°Then you should definitely hook up with her! Just have fun!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Several rather odd and confusing images popped into Blacknail¡¯s head. He gave Khita a startled look.


    ¡°You should have sex with her,¡± she explained dryly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your advice about this. Go away, stupid girl.¡± Seriously this might be the most annoying conversation Blacknail had ever had with Khita, and that was saying something.


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re being stupid. Just relax and have fun. We¡¯re all going to die eventually,¡± Khita told him as she turned and began walking back to Herah.


    ¡°But I have things to do before then,¡± Blacknail growled at her back.


    Khita didn¡¯t know anything. She was human, and not a very smart one. Sure, Blacknail would have enjoyed playing around with Herah. She had nice pointy ears, and a properly thin body, unlike Luphera, but she was dangerous. Blacknail could feel it in his bones. More than once, he¡¯d caught her looking at him like he was a big juicy steak. That was unnerving. Yet, Luphera couldn¡¯t be trusted either and he¡¯d messed around with her. Blacknail could take care of himself, and it was possible that Herah wasn¡¯t actually trying to kill him. Perhaps he was just so handsome that she couldn¡¯t help but want to be with him and keep him around? He did have the nicest looking nose in the North. Before Blacknail could think about the situation any more, a hobgoblin appeared at the edge of camp and ran over to him.


    ¡°Boss, I found something while I was in the city,¡± the newcomer announced excitedly.


    ¡°Oh? What is it? Blacknail asked as he looked up. He wasn¡¯t going to ask why the hobgoblin had been wandering the city alone, because he already knew the answer. A lot of the hobgoblins were sneaking away to explore. He was also grateful for the interruption.


    ¡°A familiar scent, a human. I found someone in the city that was back at our main camp!¡±


    Blacknail could think of only one person that could be. He stood up and smiled. ¡°Oh, really? Take me to them.¡±


    Soon, Blacknail and some his minions were sneaking back into Daggerpoint. Khita and Herah invited themselves along this time, but Blacknail ignored them. It was amazing how ineffectual the city wall was at keeping hobgoblins out. They could easily scale it, dig under it, or slip through the gaps in the wood. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone ever patrolled or repaired the barrier.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck!¡± Khita hissed from where she was balancing atop the wall. She was having a more difficult time slipping into the city and had required a lot of help.


    ¡°Just jump down,¡± Blacknail told her impatiently.


    ¡°It¡¯s like a three story drop from here! Are you going to catch me?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re a big fat human. You¡¯d crush me.¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not fat! You hobgoblins are just skinny,¡± Khita huffed as she began to slowly climb down. Blacknail had provided her with a rope but it was still taking her forever.


    When she reached the bottom, the party quickly made their way along several back streets and towards a rundown residential district. They avoided as many people as possible and people avoided them right back. The dirty looking workers and tired women that walked by gave them plenty of space.


    ¡°The trail led here,¡± the hobgoblin they were all following said as he came to a stop across the street from an inn. They were standing beside an empty stall that somewhat concealed them from casual observation.


    The inn was a rather shabby structure that looked like it had seen better days. The faded sign over the door bore the image of a cup, or maybe it was a tower? It was hard to tell. Blacknail took a few moments to think about the best way to approach this situation. Having their entire group walk into the inn would probably be a bad idea. There was no way a whole group of hooded individuals wouldn¡¯t draw attention once they were inside. He would probably be fine if he went in with just Khita, but then what would he do once he found his target?If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    As Blacknail was mulling his options, the door swung open and a man stepped out. After exiting the building, he briefly scanned the surroundings, but his gaze swept right over Blacknail¡¯s group without concern, and he began walking away from them and down the street.


    ¡°That¡¯s him. Follow me,¡± Blacknail hissed as he set off after the man.


    The hobgoblins and Khita hung back while their target remained in plain sight of the public. They watched and waited for several minutes as he wandered the city streets, until finally he stepped off of a main road and into an alley. Instantly, Blacknail put on a burst of speed and sprinted after him, with his minions in pursuit.


    In the alley ahead, the man began muttering to himself and kicked a bit of trash. ¡°Damn, innkeeper. He should be paying me to stay in such dirty rooms. If only those raider bastards hadn¡¯t taken almost all my gold.¡±


    Suddenly, he froze as if he¡¯d heard something. With a startled look on his face, he turned to look back over his shoulder. He swiftly spotted the cloaked hobgoblins and jumped in surprise.


    ¡°Is this about the money?¡± he squealed. ¡°Were you sent by Jasper to collect? I don¡¯t have it on me, but I swear I can get it. My luck at cards is usually very good. That was just a onetime fluke.¡±


    Instead of answering, Blacknail motioned his minions forward. They jumped on the startled man and began tying him up with rope they¡¯d prepared beforehand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! Oh, gods. I¡¯ve come too far to die now.¡±


    Once the man was completely secure and gagged, Blacknail removed his hood and leaned over. ¡°Hey there, Elyias! It¡¯s great to see you again. You don¡¯t have to worry anymore. It seems like you got lost and couldn¡¯t find your way back to Shelter, but your great leader is here to help now!¡±


    Elyias¡¯ eyes widened and he opened his mouth wide as if to scream - probably in joy ¨C but then a hobgoblin shoved a sock in his mouth. The only sound he could make was a muffled moan, as he chewed the dirty wool and struggled against the two hobgoblins holding him,


    Blacknail smiled and continued talking. ¡°Good thing we found you before this Jasper fellow! It sounds like you were in trouble. Don¡¯t worry, though. He won¡¯t find you at Shelter.¡±


    As Elyias tired to scream something incomprehensible, Blacknail stood up and ordered three of his minions to take the man back to their forest camp and keep him there. As they left, Blacknail wondered where the sock had come from¡­


    ¡°Why do you even want that loser?¡± Khita asked as she watched Elyias be carried off.


    ¡°He¡¯s a friend! We can¡¯t just leave him all alone in this dangerous city,¡± Blacknail explained as he nodded sagely. It was good to help your friends.


    ¡°Whatever, now that you¡¯ve had your fun can we move on to something important?¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go meet up with Gerald and Beardy. When I¡¯m not around for too long they get into trouble.¡±


    The inn that Blacknail had last seen his human companions at was in a much better neighborhood on the other side of town from where they were, so it took a while to walk there. With the others gone, only three hobgoblins were left with them, so they didn¡¯t draw too much attention as they walked along the main roads.


    When they reached their destination, Blacknail left the other hobgoblins outside and entered through the front door with Khita. The place was mostly empty although there were still a few people around. Most of them seemed to be drinking and keeping to themselves, which suited Blacknail just fine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go up to their rooms. The innkeeper and his employees know me. You should stay down here,¡± Khita suggested.


    ¡°Fine, be quick.¡± Blacknail told her as he looked around for a good place to sit down.


    He chose a table over in an isolated corner. There was no one else near it. As he sat down to wait, Khita walked up the stairs to the second story and out of sight. Blacknail sighed impatiently, but his boredom was quickly interrupted. A big man who had been drinking at a table across the room got up and wandered his way. He was more fat than muscle but his fists were almost the size of Blacknail¡¯s head. It was amazinghow big some humans got.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re so tough just because you¡¯re wearing a fancy hood? It¡¯s rude indoors, you know,¡± The huge man said as he glowered at the cloaked hobgoblin. His breath reeked of alcohol. ¡°What, are you hiding your ugly mug? I think you must be a hideous bastard under that. ¡±


    Blacknail sighed again and shook his head. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m tough because I¡¯ve killed a hundred men like you.¡±


    A knife appeared in the hobgoblin¡¯s hand as he stood up. His motions were smooth and so frighteningly quick the man barely had time to react. Blacknail really wanted to work out some frustration by killing this dumb drunk, but that would draw too much attention. Instead, his blade lashed out at the man¡¯s waist. Too quickly to follow, it sliced through cloth and leather while barely grazing the skin beneath.


    ¡°Huh?¡± the drunk remarked as his pants suddenly fell down.


    ¡°Leave or die,¡± Blacknail replied as he sat back down without concern.


    The drunk stared at him for moment and then looked down. It took him moment to process what had happened, but when he figured it out he took a quick step back, almost tripped over his pants, and then hurriedly stumbled back to his table as he pulled his trousers back up. There were a few soft laughs from around the room.


    Blacknail grunted in amusement as he leaned back in his chair. The incident had gotten the attention of a few people, but they didn¡¯t do anything more than look his way and whisper among themselves. However, some of those whispers reached his ears and drew his attention. There were two men seated at a table across the room, and they were talking to each other while deliberately not looking in Blacknail¡¯s direction. Both of them looked like any other thug off the street.


    ¡°Is that the hobgoblin?¡± one of them asked the other.


    His companions whispered back, but Blacknail¡¯s ears caught the reply. ¡°Probably. It¡¯s incredible that it can just walk around like this. Even knowing what to look for I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s human or not from here.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s it then we should go get the others. I¡¯m not going to be getting close enough to peak under that hood, so there is no point in staying around.¡±


    The second thug nodded in agreement, and then they both carefully got up and headed for the door. Blacknail studied them out of the corner of his eye as he pretended to watch the stairs. They knew, but how? Who were they and where had they learned about him? There was only way to find out. Blacknail rose to his feet and followed after the humans.


    Once he was outside, he spotted a pair of his hobgoblin minions across the street where he had left them. They also noticed him right away, and he flashed them a quick series of hand signals. Upon receiving his orders, the hobgoblins studied the humans that had just left the inn and nodded back to Blacknail. They then slipped away into an alley and out of sight.


    Blacknail waited a few moments, and then he began to trail his targets. He kept his head down and made sure there was always a group of people between him and the two men he was following, as he walked through the crowds that had come out to shop or work. People were walking and talking everywhere, and Blacknail did his best not to stand out as he kept an eye on his quarry.


    Then a few moments later, the two men stepped away from the crowd. They walked over to the shadows near a closed shop and began talking amongst themselves, while occasionally scanning the crowd. Blacknail casually sauntered behind a colorful stall and out of sight. It seemed his targets were worried about being followed, but they were also apparently terrible at searching for pursuers. As Blacknail watched, three hobgoblins stepped out of the alley behind the men and dragged them into the shadows.


    Blacknail grinned as he sprinted across the street after them. He slipped into the alley and was confronted by the sight of his minions holding the two men at knifepoint. The humans were holding very still and had their hands up above their heads. Both had hobgoblins behind them with blades pressed against their throats.


    ¡°Who are you and why were you looking for me?¡± Blacknail asked them as he stalked over to study them.


    ¡°We¡¯re just pickpockets,¡± one of the men stammered.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. Cut off one of his fingers. He has lots of them and if he is stubborn we can remove his toes as well,¡± Blacknail ordered the third hobgoblin that wasn¡¯t holding anyone.


    ¡°Wait, no! I¡¯ll tell you everything,¡± the thug quickly offered. Blacknail motioned for the man to continue talking and for his minion to put his knife away.


    ¡°Ahh, I wanted a human finger,¡± the hobgoblin whined.


    The first thug wasted no time in spilling his secrets. It was actually impressive how fast he could talk. ¡°We were sent here to look for the crew that attacked Cedric. Our boss thought that if we handled you then Werrick would reward us, or at least know we weren¡¯t involved. He wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t too much for his gang to swallow first though, so he sent us in to look around before committing the rest of the crew.¡±


    ¡°And how did you know who attacked Cedric or where I was?¡± Blacknail asked as he leaned forward to stare into the man¡¯s eyes. He was shivering. They were only a few inches apart now, and Blacknail¡¯s inhuman appearance obviously terrified him.


    ¡°Our boss paid an informant. They told him about you and they said that you were tied to a group of thieves that used to serve the Black Snake, before she got herself wasted. They also told us where to find them, at the inn.¡±


    Blacknail growled and bared his teeth. ¡°Do you have any proof of what you say?¡±


    This development was very unwelcome. He had been planning on staying in the city for a while and gathering up a lot more supplies and information. If everyone knew who he was and where to find him that would be impossible.


    ¡°Um¡­ I have this note from the dealer. It has your pals¡¯ descriptions on it,¡± the first thug answered as he hurriedly pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. The second man glared at him but kept quiet.


    Blacknail took the note and unfolded it while everyone watched him. He took his time to study it carefully, but since he couldn¡¯t read all the scribbles meant nothing to him. However, he recognized a very faint scent that clung to the paper. It smelled of exotic flowers. The scent tingled his nose and excited him.


    ¡°Kill the one that didn¡¯t talk. Let the other go,¡± Blacknail told his minions.


    The hobgoblins immediately obeyed. The second thug only had time to blink once before his throat was cut. The other stared at his dying companion in horror as the hobgoblin behind him backed off.


    ¡°Wha¡­ why?¡± he asked in confusion.


    ¡°So that people know what happens when they go against me and what happens when they cooperate,¡± Blacknail answered dismissively as he turned to leave.


    The thug stared after him for a second, and then sprinted away down the alley. Blacknail growled to himself as stomped off out into the street. He had some unwanted yet important things to deal with now. His human friends needed warned, and he needed to deal with a tattletale. This was going to be¡­ complicated.

 A Familiar Fate 9

    When Blacknail got back to the inn everyone was waiting for him. Geralhd, Khita, and Beardy were standing beside the table he¡¯d been sitting at, and they looked upset. There was a scowl on Geralhd¡¯s face and Beardy was grimacing. Blacknail walked over and nodded in greeting.


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Khita asked. She only sounded slightly annoyed.


    ¡°I needed to follow some people and then kill one of them,¡± Blacknail explained.


    Geralhd winced. ¡°Uh, who?¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Beardy asked as he threw his hands up in exasperation. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be staying out of trouble.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°He was a spy for someone who wanted to kill all of you.¡±


    ¡°What? Why would anyone want to kill us?¡± Beardy asked. He sounded like he didn¡¯t believe Blacknail.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to find out. When I asked, they said a whole bunch of Werrick¡¯s men got themselves murdered and chopped up into little bits. They were looking for the people who did it, and someone saw you and remembered that you were Werrick¡¯s enemy.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not his enemies! Herad is dead and we don¡¯t work for her anymore. We¡¯re just minding our own business now. We certainly didn¡¯t kill any of the Wolf¡¯s men!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. They thought you were involved and were going to gather some friends so they could capture you for questioning,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°It sounds like you had your reasons for wandering off, but I have to ask, did you kill Werrick¡¯s followers,¡± Geralhd asked the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just one small hobgoblin, smaller than a human. I don¡¯t even have Elixir anymore, and almost a hundred men were killed. I couldn¡¯t do that alone.¡±


    Khita gave Blacknail a knowing look, but Geralhd and Beardy nodded along. On the way to the city, Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblin minions had stayed back and out of sight of the human bandits. They had no idea that he¡¯d brought them with him.


    ¡°Then who did do it?¡± Geralhd mused aloud.


    Blacknail shrugged and suppressed a smirk. ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s a mystery.¡±


    ¡°The important thing to focus on is how this affects us,¡± Beardy pointed out. ¡°If people think we¡¯re involved in that mess then they are going to be come after us like hungry wolves.¡±


    Geralhd nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. I don¡¯t think we can just explain this away, no matter our innocence, especially now that Blacknail has intervened so aggressively.¡±


    ¡°I saved you,¡± Blacknail pointed out. He didn¡¯t want there to be any confusion about that.


    ¡°Well, whatever happened, we can¡¯t stay here,¡± Beardy remarked. ¡°We need to get everyone up and leave this inn immediately, before anyone else comes to look for us.¡±


    ¡°Where will we go? Is anywhere in the city going to be safe?¡± Khita asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know this city very well,¡± Geralhd admitted.


    Blacknail perked up. ¡°I do, I know this city very well! I¡¯ve even met most the important people in it, some of them are even still alive. It¡¯s the information dealers we need to watch out for. They know everyone and have eyes everywhere.¡±


    ¡°Is there anywhere we can hide from them?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot of abandoned houses we could hide in. There are a lot of dark places people never go in this city. They are dirty but dry,¡± Blacknail offered. He knew the humans were too picky to take him up on his offer. Geralhd in particular was a wimp.


    As if to prove Blacknail right, Geralhd grimaced in disgust. ¡°No thanks. It seems like we have no choice but to leave Daggerpoint.¡±


    There was thud as Beardy slammed the table with a closed fist. ¡°What! Where will we go? Werrick controls all the cities and towns around here. If he is looking for us then we¡¯re screwed!¡±


    Khita winked at Blacknail and then turned to Beardy. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even know about Shelter, let alone control it.¡±


    ¡°You want to go back to that mud pit? We just left! They probably don¡¯t even want us there.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back there anymore than you, the people there are a bunch of nosy hicks, but do we have a choice? There is nowhere else we can lay low until this blows over,¡± Khita shot back.


    ¡°We have money. We could buy proper supplies and gifts for them,¡± Blacknail suggested. ¡°They would like us if we did that.¡±


    ¡°Some good wine would make the stay there much more tolerable,¡± Geralhd mused as he rubbed his chin. He sounded like he was considering the idea and warming up to it.


    ¡°I suppose it might not be a terrible place to hide out, as long as we bring our own supplies,¡± Beardy admitted.


    ¡°Tannin was always saying he needed a lot of metal tools. Bringing him some would make the villagers happy,¡± Blacknail pointed out. They would also serve his own purposes.


    ¡°True, but for a haul of that size we will need pack animals to carry it, like some horses,¡± Geralhd pointed out.


    ¡°No!¡± Blacknail hissed loudly. His voice was full of fury and disgust.


    Khita rolled her eyes and Geralhd frowned.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Beardy asked in surprise.


    ¡°Horses can¡¯t be trusted. They are vile smelly beasts. No horses will be going with us to Shelter!¡± Blacknail replied.


    Geralhd sighed and gave Blacknail a confused look. ¡°Your animosity towards simple animals is misplaced. Why do you hate them so much?¡±


    Blacknail growled softly before replying. ¡°When I look into their big stupid eyes I see their spirit, it is black and vile. They¡¯re selfish beasts full of evil thoughts that enjoy peoples'' pain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably your reflection,¡± Khita remarked with a roll of her eyes.


    Blacknail glared at her. ¡°Nuh uh, no it¡¯s not. You humans are just blind and stupid.¡±


    There was a tired sigh from Beardy. ¡°Fine whatever, we will use donkeys instead. You don¡¯t have a problem with them, do you?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Blacknail replied hesitantly. He had no idea what a donkey was, but he wasn¡¯t going to admit it.


    ¡°If we¡¯re going to be bringing donkeys we may as well grab some other animals,¡± Geralhd suggested. ¡°I¡¯m sure Tannin would appreciate some new stock, and it would improve the local menu as well.¡±


    ¡°Good idea, but this is starting to sound expensive. Can we afford all this?¡± Beardy asked.


    ¡°I have some money that I stumbled upon. You humans leave it everywhere,¡± Blacknail said as he placed a pouch on the table. The coins inside jingled as they moved. Blacknail hated parting with so many shiny bits, but he didn¡¯t really use them for anything. He usually just ended up hiding them under rocks and stuff.


    Geralhd opened up the bag and looked inside. ¡°This will help a lot, but we will still have to watch what we buy.¡±


    ¡°I also have this,¡± Blacknail said as he placed a fist-sized object on the table. It was nugget of pure gold. There was silence as everyone stared at it.


    ¡°Where in all the hells did you get that?¡± Beardy asked. He sounded awed. Yellow rocks sure had a weird effect on humans.


    ¡°I found it in cave near Shelter,¡± Blacknail explained with shrug. It was a rock. Where did the humans think those came from?


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell us?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem that important,¡± Blacknail explained.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Beardy gave Blacknail a greedy look and stroked his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Was there more gold there?¡±


    Khita sighed and spoke up. ¡°We need to focus on leaving right now, remember? There are people after us.¡±


    ¡°Are we sure we couldn¡¯t just buy all our enemies off?¡± Beardy asked as stared at the gold nugget.


    Geralhd shook his head unhappily. ¡°That probably wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°It really wouldn¡¯t,¡± Blacknail agreed. It didn¡¯t even make sense. Why wouldn¡¯t they just take the money and then kill them for the rest?


    ¡°Fine, then that settles things. We need to get moving before anyone else shows up to look for us,¡± Geralhd remarked as he picked up the coin pouch and gold.


    ¡°Meet me at our last campsite outside the city at dusk,¡± Blacknail told everyone before turning to leave.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°I need to meet with some people and cover our tracks,¡± Blacknail told them as he walked away.


    As the door shut behind him, Blacknail smiled to himself. That had gone well. He hadn¡¯t even really needed to convince them to do anything. With a little help from Khita, they had agreed on going back to Shelter without any input from him that might have seemed suspicious. Unfortunately, he had more unpleasant duties to attend to now.


    After looking around the street to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone suspicious around, Blacknail headed off towards Luphera¡¯s domicile. It had been her scent he¡¯d detected on the letter, and the thugs had mentioned learning about him from an information broker. Luphera was a seller of secrets, and she probably knew more about him than any others that might be in the city. Blacknail growled as he stepped past a mother and child walking down the street. The conclusion was obvious, Luphera had betrayed him. She had put him and his friends in danger, and she had almost ruined his plans. That meant that Blacknail needed to deal with her. He couldn¡¯t let anyone get away with betraying him, and even more importantly, she knew too much. If Luphera told Werrick everything she knew it would be a disaster. Blacknail had made sure not to tell her any of his plans, but he¡¯d accidently let a few things slip. She had to be silenced.


    As Blacknail walked down the street, he tried to figure out the best way of accomplishing his goal. Obviously, he needed to confront Luphera, however the last time he had tried to sneak into her place it hadn¡¯t gone so well for him. She also had lots of guards, so fighting his way inside seemed like a lot of work. With Elixir a few humans wouldn¡¯t be much of problem for him, but he didn¡¯t have any more of it. Could he just walk in? Luphera¡¯s servants might still have instructions to let him inside. That might be a trap, though. It was possible that she would lead him right into a room full of enemy soldiers. He wasn¡¯t going to underestimate her. Should he go gather up some reinforcements? No, he didn¡¯t have time for that.


    Since all his other options seemed worse, Blacknail decided to take the risk and just ask to see Luphera. During his last visit, Luphera had given him instructions on how to meet with her, since he would make a scene if he went in through the front door. She had told him to go to the back door and knock, so that was what he did. He calmly sauntered around the building and into the empty alley behind it. There was no one around so he walked over to the door at the back of the building and knocked. After a few long seconds, the door swung open to reveal the older mustached man from his last visit. Both his clothes and his expression looked as unruffled as before as he quickly looked Blacknail over.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Luphera,¡± Blacknail explained. He tried to sound friendly, but his rage made that difficult, and the man¡¯s smug face annoyed him.


    ¡°Welcome. I will check and see if she is available. Please follow me,¡± the servant replied with a polite nod before turning around.


    Blacknail cautiously followed the man deeper into the building. Neither of them said anything as they walked, and they kept to empty hallways and back rooms that were obviously used by servants and for storage. Only a single uniformed servant passed them by, and he gave Blacknail a quick glance and then hurried on his way. Eventually Blacknail¡¯s guide stopped at a door.


    ¡°Please wait here a moment. I will be right back,¡± the man said with an apologetic smile. Blacknail nodded civilly back. He¡¯d cooled down somewhat.


    The mustached man then stepped through the doorway. Blacknail got a quick look at a larger and more lavish hallway on the other side before the door closed and he was left alone in the servant¡¯s passage. He waited there for a minute or two until the door opened again.


    ¡°Just this way. The mistress is ready to see you,¡± his guide announced as he held the door open for Blacknail.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the hobgoblin replied cheerfully as he stepped through the frame and out into the brightly lit and lavish hallway on the other side.


    From there, it was only a few steps to another familiar door. Blacknail recognized it as the room where he¡¯d met Luphera during his last visit. He tensed up as the mustached man glided over and opened the room¡¯s door for him, as he had the others. Blacknail had been listening carefully and sniffing the air, but he sensed no signs of ambush. However, that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t one. Luphera had managed to surprise him more than once.


    Gritting his teeth, Blacknail stepped through the door. He had come this far and wasn¡¯t going to back down without a good reason. The room in front of him hadn¡¯t changed at all. It was still warm, luxurious, and inviting. As before, Luphera was seated on a couch by the low table, but this time she gave off a more business-like impression. Her silk outfit had been exchanged for a proper blue dress that had long sleeves and went down to her ankles. The outfit still highlighted her bosom and the contours of her body, but it wasn¡¯t at all playful looking.


    ¡°Blacknail, this is a surprise. I wasn¡¯t expecting you back so soon,¡± Luphera remarked. Her back was straight and her hands were resting on her lap, so that she looked calm and collected.


    ¡°Good,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he looked around the room. He took a second to stare at the room that led off to the side, but nothing seemed out of place.


    The unique flowery scent that Luphera wore still filled the room. After a few breaths Blacknail could feel it began to clog up his mind and quicken his pulse. However this time the scent had a slightly different result. His hidden yet roiling emotions skewed the perfume¡¯s effects. His fury was only enhanced by lust. He wanted to taste blood, to rend flesh between his fingers and bite bone. Sex and violence weren¡¯t so different if done right.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come sit down and tell me why you¡¯re here?¡± Luphera asked.


    ¡°One second. I¡¯m just here to ask a quick question,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned back to look at the door he had come in through. The mustached man that had guided him here was still standing beside it.


    Before anyone could react Blacknail lunged forward. He reached out, placed a hand on the servant¡¯s head, and then pushed. Crack. The man¡¯s head smashed into the wall behind him and he crumpled down to the ground. Blacknail smirked. Ah, that had been very satisfying. Gutting him would have felt even better, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to go that far yet.


    ¡°What! How dare you?¡± Luphera hissed as she jumped to her feet.


    ¡°He was annoying, but don¡¯t worry. He will live, probably,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned to face her.


    Luphera¡¯s face was red with fury as she glared at the hobgoblin, but she flinched when he took a step towards her. There was a mad grin on Blacknail¡¯s face that highlighted his bared teeth.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Luphera stuttered as she fought to remain calm.


    Blacknail pulled the note he had taken from the thugs out of his pocket and took another step forward. ¡°You¡¯ve been telling tales.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    The hobgoblin simply held the note out until Luphera took it.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Luphera muttered as she read it. ¡°And you think I had something to do with this?¡±


    Blacknail growled softly as he met her gaze and stared intently into her eyes. ¡°Did you?¡±


    There was silence for several long seconds. Luphera was still, except for her eyes which moved as if she was thinking hard. Eventually she grimaced in distaste and looked away.


    ¡°Yes, I did. A powerful client came asking for information and I had to offer them something. I couldn¡¯t just ignore them.¡±


    ¡°You betrayed me,¡± Blacknail hissed as he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. She didn¡¯t try to pull away. That and the fact that she hadn¡¯t lied about her involvement allowed Blacknail to prevent himself from lashing out. Rage was still boiling beneath his skin. He didn¡¯t like traitors, especially ones that targeted the people close to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember forming an alliance with you, and I¡¯m certainly not your servant,¡± Luphera replied as she straightened up and her expression grew steely. ¡°Our relationship is a mutually beneficial one, but also ultimately transactional.¡±


    ¡°You put my friends and minions in danger by telling my enemies where they were. If you are going to be working against me why shouldn¡¯t I kill you?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t reveal anything you told me in confidence. You never even mentioned where your friends were staying to me. I learned of them through my own means, just as I would have learned who was responsible for Cedric¡¯s death if I hadn¡¯t already known you were the culprit. Little happens in this city that I don¡¯t know about. Just because we are close that doesn¡¯t mean I can afford to never work against you in any way. I¡¯m running a business here after all, and I have duties to my other clients.¡±


    Blacknail scowled and loosened his grip on Luphera¡¯s arm slightly. This was confusing. Was she an enemy or not? Blackanil was fairly sure that she didn¡¯t want him dead. She hadn¡¯t revealed everything she knew about him, and she could have undoubtedly sent much more dangerous people after him than the two incompetents he had run into.


    ¡°What should I do with you then?¡± Blacknail mused softly to himself.


    Luphera shrugged and gave Blacknail an annoyed look. It was an impressive display of bravery considering her position. The hobgoblin¡¯s long nails were digging into her arm and his teeth were practically in her face.


    ¡°Nothing. Aside from all the fun we¡¯ve had together, if you harm me in any way I won¡¯t work with you ever again. I¡¯m your best source of information and have helped you several times. You need me. So what if we sometimes work at cross purposes? You¡¯re a big boy. I¡¯m sure you can handle yourself.¡±


    Luphera was making a weird sort of sense. It wasn¡¯t like she had ever promised to be his ally. They had simply exchanged information. Still, Blacknail knew she was twisting the truth. He could see it in her eyes. There was something about this situation that he wasn¡¯t seeing. Giving bits of information about him to his enemies had been part of a plan of some sort. But what had it been? Had she been trying to separate him from his allies? Maybe she wanted to force him out of town for her own reasons? Blacknail didn¡¯t know. He wished he had some Elixir. If he could taste her fear then he might be able to figure out what she was playing at.


    ¡°If you¡¯re just going to stand there all day, why don¡¯t we relax a little?¡± Luphera remarked as she slowly stepped forward so that one of her legs went through Blacknail¡¯s legs and brushed up gently against his groin.


    Blacknail twitched and let her arm go before stepping back. ¡°No, you¡¯ve answered my question, and your advice is as good as ever. I¡¯ll be leaving.¡±


    The hobgoblin turned and stalked out the room, past the unconscious servant on the floor. Luphera was a confusing distraction right now. Killing her would be a waste, and anything short of that would be... unproductive. The only option seemed to be to be more careful of her in the future.


    Right now, he needed to meet up with Geralhd and the others and head back to Shelter, where he was beyond Luphera''s reach. The tools they were bringing would be very useful, and with the information Blacknail had learned here in Daggerpoint he could begin the next phase of his plan to defeat the Wolf.

 Interlude: Biting the Wolf

    The room was silent as Edic watched his boss read the message that he¡¯d just delivered. Werrick was standing behind a desk, and there was a scowl on his face that revealed carefully contained fury. It only got worse as he continued to read.


    Edic glanced off to the side where Zelena was sitting in a chair. The beautiful but cold blonde woman looked relaxed as she patiently waited for her master to finish. Edic was less sanguine about the present situation. He didn¡¯t like being put on the spot when his boss was angry. Although Werrick had a reputation for fairness, he could be very intimidating. He was a huge man and famed for his martial prowess. You didn¡¯t keep several small armies of outlaws in line by being non-violent. Edic was used to being around dangerous people, but Werrick was different. He wasn¡¯t a noble and he didn¡¯t follow the chivalric code. Edic was the last son of a now deceased knight from lands near the border. He was a knight himself, even if his lands were worth almost nothing but the title they granted. He had seen which way the winds of fortune were blowing and decided to forswear the king who had never done anything for his family and offer his services to the rising power.


    ¡°This is an unwelcome development,¡± Werrick observed in a frosty tone as he finally looked up from the piece of paper.


    ¡°Yes, sir¡± Edic replied neutrally. He wanted to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He was just the messenger.


    ¡°Have you read this?¡±


    Edic flinched and tried to hide it. ¡°Yes, sir. I have. That¡¯s why I brought the report to your attention right away.¡±


    Werrick¡¯s scowl grew deeper. ¡°My subordinates have been slaughtered, and worse, there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. The perpetrators are long gone and have escaped into the forest. Sending men out into the deep Green to follow a hobgoblin sounds like a great way to never see those men ever again. This entire mess makes me look weak and foolish. Cedric¡¯s position was an important one. Having him in Daggerpoint reminded all the local bandits of my power and control. I need them to fear me. There are too many for me to fight all at once.¡±


    ¡°We can send out orders for everyone to be on their guard, and Cedric can be replaced with ease,¡± Edic quickly responded. ¡°The hobgoblin will have a much harder time getting into a properly fortified building full of men that are waiting for him. We can adapt to this tactic with ease. It won¡¯t work again. Cedric was lazy and arrogant.¡±


    Werrick huffed. ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you, Edic. You¡¯re constructive. That¡¯s one of the better traits to have in lieutenants, I believe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m simply trying to do my best to serve,¡± Edic replied stiffly as he stood straight.


    ¡°And you do a good job of it,¡± Werrick admitted with sour grin. ¡°Send out the order, and make sure everyone is on the lookout for hobgoblins. If he isn¡¯t afraid to strike at the center of a city then anyone out on the road should be extra vigilant.¡±


    ¡°Immediately, sir.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that only helps us reduce the damage of any further attacks. It doesn¡¯t deal with the actual heart of the problem.¡±


    ¡°As you said, going after the hobgoblin would be difficult. He could be anywhere out in the Green, and he undoubtedly knows it far better than we do,¡± Edic agreed.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Werrick sighed regretfully. ¡°Mahedium warned me about this hobgoblin, and it appears he was right. I thought he was being paranoid, but I was wrong. I admit it. I will have to summon him so we can discuss what he knows about this Blacknail.¡±


    ¡°You want to meet with him directly instead of just communicating via letter?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust that mage to be completely forthcoming unless it¡¯s in person. I¡¯ve rarely met anyone as secretive as him.¡±


    From off to the side, Zelena finally joined the conversation. ¡°I agree, lord. It is important you question the mage face to face. He has no allegiance to you beyond convenience. He also won¡¯t want to leave his work. The Broken Wheel has supplied him with a lab and all the toys he could ever want.¡±


    Werrick scowled again. ¡°I don¡¯t care what he wants. This comes first. Having magic support is nice, but I can do without any new mana stones. The hobgoblin is much more of a concern. If we can¡¯t hunt him down, my first instinct is to set a trap for him, but I know too little about him right now. What does he want?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a hobgoblin. They are little more than beasts. He probably just struck out at random,¡± Edic said.


    Werrick shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Mahedium said that the hobgoblin¡¯s inhuman intelligence was a threat. The death of Cedric might be only a minor blow against me, but considering the strength of our opponent, it¡¯s one of the best opening moves he could have made.¡±


    ¡°Surely that was just luck? I have a hard time seeing a savage like him coming up with a grand strategy.¡±


    ¡°Underestimating him again would be a mistake. Don¡¯t forget that after my victory over Herad most the troops sent after the group he was with didn¡¯t come back, and we¡¯ve lost several other groups of bandits in that area that pledged themselves to me. No, we can¡¯t underestimate him. I sense a pattern unfolding. This hobgoblin is going to be a dangerous opponent, maybe my most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right, sir,¡± Edic replied. He didn¡¯t necessarily agree, but knew better than to challenge his boss when he¡¯d already made up his mind.


    ¡°I usually am,¡± Werrick agreed with a grin. ¡°Was there anything else you wanted to bring to my attention?¡±


    Edic took a second to think and coughed to clear his throat. ¡°There has still been no progress in opening communication with anyone to the west, and we lost another scout. Neither the lords nor the outlaws out there care much about what goes on here in the eastern lands.¡±


    ¡°No one even wants to talk?¡± Werrick asked. He sounded slightly surprised.


    ¡°They just want to keep to themselves. As per your orders, we¡¯re trying to find someone powerful there to negotiate and ally with, but usually they just kill the messenger for trespassing or speaking with the wrong accent.¡±


    Zelena spoke up again. ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. Since this continent was settled, the West has always been a dark and wild place. They¡¯ve never had kings or any central authority out there on the edge. Every hill is ruled by its own paranoid little lord, and they are always fighting each other, with the occasional break to oppress the peasants. Not that the common folk are any better. They¡¯re just as vicious and insular.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t even find any half decent maps of the place,¡± Edic agreed. ¡°It¡¯s all just hamlets and tiny forts out in the forest. Half of them are probably abandoned by now. Hells, they may all be. There might only be a few villages left west of Eloria. It¡¯s impossible to tell because they bloody keep to themselves and there are no real roads. Look at what is happened here in the North, everything is collapsing, and they¡¯ve been dealing with this sort of chaos for over a century.¡±


    ¡°You have a good point, but the difference is that they¡¯ve always been like this,¡± Zelena told him. ¡°I think they never would have settled out there in the first place if they couldn¡¯t survive, or they would have died off long ago anyway. Don¡¯t forget, the far West was settled all in one big wave from the Homelands, and there have always been dark rumors about the nobles that rule them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about that. I¡¯m not a scholar, but I don¡¯t put much faith in old monster stories,¡± Edic replied respectfully.


    Zelena chuckled. ¡°And yet our current problems center around a monster from times long past.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, it might be best to just leave the West alone,¡± Werrick admitted. ¡°We have problems enough already it seems. Inviting more would be foolhardy. Outside of the occasional raid or trading caravan, the people of the West haven¡¯t had anything to do with East for a century, so I doubt we need to worry about them.¡±

 The Noble Thirst 1

    The winding path before Blacknail ran through the tall trees, past the bushes at their edge, and out into the midday sunlight. The hobgoblin followed the trail and stepped out onto the top of a hill. Immediately, he was confronted by the sight of a valley surrounded by forested hills. Within the valley lay a crude looking village. It had been a long journey, but Blacknail had finally gotten back from Daggerpoint.


    From atop the hill, Blacknail could see over the settlement¡¯s walls. He frowned thoughtfully. What he saw within them surprised him a little. The large clearing was still full of rocky hills, but the amount of buildings around them had more than doubled. Black smoke rose up into the sky from several chimneys. The older longhouses made from woven branches and bark were still standing, but now there were plenty of buildings made from mud bricks and large felled logs. There were only a few areas within the walls left clear of construction, but an odd sight caught Blacknail¡¯s eye. There was a crater where a longhouse had used to be. Had there been an accident? One lost building wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Blacknail had actually been expecting to find half of the place on fire when he got back.


    Looking over a bit, Blacknail saw that the forest outside the settlement had also been pushed back almost a hundred feet. A lot of that ground was still filled with tree stumps but some of the soil looked like it had been torn up and cleared of rocks and plants. Blacknail knew the trees had probably been cut down for firewood, but he wasn¡¯t sure why the ground had been cleared. Maybe Gob was just trying to keep the goblins busy?


    ¡°How many goblins live here now?¡± Blacknail muttered to himself. Feeding them all might be difficult come winter, and he knew a lot of the little green pests were free riding of all his hard work, even if it was hard to find out which goblins those were. They all claimed to be hard workers¡­


    Scamp interrupted Blacknail¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Dunno. Lots.¡±


    The other hobgoblin walked up beside Blacknail and peered over at the settlement. There were several other hobgoblins behind him.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you,¡± Blacknail replied dismissively as he began walking down the hill.


    After dropping off Geralhd and the others at Shelter, Blacknail had met up with the hobgoblins that had been following them in secret and headed here. Most of the hobgoblins were carrying piles of tools such as axes or shovels. A lot of gear had been dropped off at Shelter but Blacknail had kept some for his own use. In particular the steel-headed axes would be useful for chopping down trees in order to build and provide firewood. Stone axes just weren¡¯t anywhere near as good.


    ¡°And now I¡¯m back here in this dirty death trap,¡± Elyias moaned from the back of the group. He was carrying a particularly large heap of tools.


    Since Elyias was known as a thief and a traitor, he had stayed with the hobgoblins instead of travelling with the humans, although Blacknail hadn¡¯t actually given him any other option.


    ¡°You¡¯re safer here than practically anywhere else,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°There is a difference between living and surviving. One of them has ale and women.¡±


    Blacknail smirked at Elyias. ¡°You can¡¯t have either if you¡¯re dead, but don¡¯t worry, soon we will be having lots of fun!¡±


    Elyias sighed despondently, but Avorlus spoke up. ¡°This is where your mage is? The young fool is right, it doesn¡¯t look like much. Although I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.¡±


    Blacknail scowled at the mage¡¯s words. He was rather proud of the goblin settlement. It had taken a lot of hard work to create it out in the forest. Avorlus was just being miserable. He had journeyed with Geralhd and the others to Shelter, but he had demanded to go with Blacknail and meet his mage at the goblin settlement right away, even though the long journey from Daggerpoint had tired his old body out. On the way here Avorlus had found out that the mage he was looking for was a hobgoblin, but he still wanted the knowledge Blacknail said he had.


    There was activity at the gate they were walking toward so Blacknail turned to observe it. Several goblins ran off as two hobgoblins stepped forward with raised spears. Blacknail didn¡¯t recognize either of them.


    ¡°Stop! Who are you?¡± one of them yelled towards the approaching hobgoblins.


    ¡°I¡¯m Blacknail, your leader,¡± Blacknail shouted back in an annoyed tone. They should really know this already. He was important.


    ¡°Really?¡± one of the guards replied uncertainly.


    Blacknail glared t him. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s Blacknail all right,¡± Scamp added helpfully. There was a moment of silence from the guards as they turned to regard each other.


    ¡°I thought Gob made him up,¡± one of them remarked to the other quietly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. I always knew he was real,¡± his companion replied before turning toward Blacknail.


    ¡°You may come in!¡± he announced.


    Blacknail huffed as he walked past the guards. ¡°I know I can come in. I¡¯m the leader and we outnumber you.¡±


    The targets of his ire didn¡¯t respond. They wisely kept silent and got out of the way. The wall in front of Blacknail was made from a row of long wooden stakes that rose up from the earth. They were tied together for extra strength and their tips had been sharpened to make them hard to climb or jump over. The gate through them was just a gap for people to walk through, which Blacknail¡¯s group promptly did.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see Gob,¡± Blacknail informed his minions as he looked around the settlement. He wanted backup in case something unexpected happened.


    After a few seconds, Blacknail spotted Gob¡¯s old home and began walking over to it. It was one of the earliest branch longhouses, and a quick inspection revealed no sign of Gob, just half a dozen goblins that quickly ran off. Blacknail was just about to check the next longhouse when Gob appeared with two other hobgoblins behind him. Gob was the first hobgoblin that had joined Blacknail and he had been left in charge of the settlement while Blacknail was gone. Gob was very loyal but Blacknail was still a little nervous. He had been gone for a long time, and hobgoblins weren¡¯t known for their patience or subservience.


    ¡°Welcome back, great one!¡± Gob exclaimed joyfully as he bowed his head.


    Blacknail¡¯s posture relaxed a little. Gob sounded very sincere. It was hard for a hobgoblin to fake happiness like that. ¡°You seem to have done an alright job here in my absence,¡±


    ¡°You commanded me to keep the food stores full and make sure everyone behaved, so I have done so, lord.¡±


    ¡°Are you feeding all these goblins?¡± Blacknail asked. On the way in they had passed what must have been a hundred goblins.


    ¡°Yes, many of them work in the human fields for food, and I have started a few plantings of my own outside the walls.¡±


    ¡°I brought some tools that will help you with that,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°Did you run into any problems while I was gone?¡±


    Gob shook his head. ¡°There were a few young hobgoblins that refused to listen to your teachings, so I killed them.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have left plenty alive,¡± Blacknail observed. He had seen quite a few new faces as he¡¯d strolled through the settlement. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure he really wanted so many hobgoblin minions. They were hard to control.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You are a great leader, the more minions you have the higher your own stature!¡±


    ¡°True¡­¡± Blacknail mused aloud. He hadn¡¯t really considered it that way before. Gob was making a fair amount of sense, but Blacknail was curious about one thing. ¡°What happened to the longhouse over there?¡±


    ¡°Great one. I lack your power and good looks, so several hobgoblins began planning against you while you were gone. They thought themselves better than you, so I had Imp blow their house up while they were sleeping.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I probably would have done the same thing. That sounds like it was fun,¡± Blacknail admitted with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, master. May I ask who this new person is?¡± Gob asked as he looked toward Avorlus.


    ¡°A mage that can make some important stuff for me.¡±


    Gob frowned. ¡°He still has his clothes.¡±


    Avorlus sputtered loudly and gave Blacknail an irritated look. The hobgoblin sighed.


    ¡°He¡¯s not a prisoner,¡± Blacknail quickly said before leaning in close to Gob and whispering. ¡°But make sure he doesn¡¯t leave the camp without permission.¡±


    Blacknail then coughed and stepped back. ¡°I also have a bunch of tools I brought from the human city, find somewhere safe to put them. I don¡¯t want any stupid goblins stealing them.¡±


    ¡°Rolly will take care of that. He has done a good job being in charge of the food storage,¡± Gob replied as he motioned toward a fat hobgoblin standing beside him.


    ¡°Make sure they are kept clean and ready for use. I don¡¯t want them getting dull or rusty,¡± Blacknail added.


    Rolly was one of the first local hobgoblins that had transformed. He had looked a little chubby even then, and he¡¯d only grown thicker since. He wasn¡¯t quite human fat, but he had a noticeable pot belly and was the widest looking hobgoblin Blacknail had ever seen. Still, Rolly had always struck Blacknail as clever enough to stay out of trouble, so he probably wasn¡¯t a bad choice to look after the supplies, even if he did eat more than his share of them.


    ¡°Yes, boss. I will keep them safe and ready for use,¡± Rolly replied with a sloppy salute. When Blacknail nodded back, he then led the hobgoblins that were carrying gear off deeper into the camp.


    ¡°Since that seems like everything important, I¡¯m going to go take a nap,¡± Blacknail said as he turned to look off towards where his cave lay. It had been a while since he had slept in his bed here and he wanted to get reacquainted with it.


    Gob frowned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare tell you what to do, but I was planning on holding a meeting for all the hobgoblins. Too many of them have never seen their glorious leader, and that is unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to nap for a bit. Get me when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Gob winced. ¡°Sorry, boss. I got excited and already sent out minions to gather everyone. They should be ready in just a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get it over with then,¡± Blacknail groaned. It was probably a good idea to make sure everyone knew he was in charge, especially if it only took a few minutes.


    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to skip this little event and meet with your mage already. I want to see if this hobgoblin really can make mana stones. If he does then this little jaunt won¡¯t have been a complete waste of my time.¡±


    Since there was no reason to keep Avorlus around, Blacknail led him and the hobgoblins on a detour toward Imp¡¯s hut. Once there, Imp began a demonstration of his knowledge that involved several glass beakers and a lot of incomprehensible muttering. Avorlus frowned at the primitive surroundings and scavenged tools, but he quickly became enraptured by what Imp was saying and doing. Everyone else found staring at boiling liquids mind numbingly boring, so they stepped outside.


    Blacknail was just about to suggest going to the meeting, when an unfamiliar hobgoblin walked over to him and waved in greeting. He was tall and thin with an unhealthy grey cast to his skin. His dark hair was very short and fuzzy, like it had been cut or burned off and only recently regrown.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Blacknail asked in confusion. Most hobgoblins didn¡¯t wave. That was a human thing.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ferrar,¡± the hobgoblin replied in an equally perplexed tone as he quickly dropped his hand and stopped waving.


    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Blacknail saw the resemblance now, although it was hard to recognize him since he wasn¡¯t standing next to a fire. ¡°Have you come to pay respects to your great leader?¡±


    Ferrar looked uncertain. ¡°Er, yes. Congratulations on doing all the wonderful things that you did while you were gone to the place you went¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, congratulations on becoming a hobgoblin!¡±


    Ferrar tapped the side of his head. ¡°The better thoughts make it easier to figure out how to burn things.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°Is that everything you wanted? I¡¯m a little busy right now.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I wanted to ask you for something, boss.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Blacknail asked. He was willing to bet it had something to do with fire.


    ¡°There are secrets that the humans have that I want.¡±


    ¡°Ask the villagers. They are supposed to share that sort of stuff with us now.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know! I need to learn from other humans that live somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°What are we talking about?¡±Blacknail asked as he frowned in puzzlement.


    ¡°Making the shiny metals. My fire doesn¡¯t burn them enough! The humans here only know how to repair metal things. None of them can take iron from the ground and make new tools out of them!¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to do that? It¡¯s easy enough to take metal things from humans,¡± Blacknail replied. The world was full of easily hunted humans with useful items.


    Ferrar¡¯s eyes seemed to glow with fervor. ¡°I don¡¯t want to take. I want to make a furnace that will melt iron and cleanse it. It will be bigger and hotter than any of the fires I have made yet, but I will tame its flames and create so many wonderful new things with its power!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for such a human,¡± Blacknail replied carefully, before taking a step back.


    Ferrar was a very useful minion, if a little intense at times. Even as a goblin he¡¯d been one of the most productive of Blacknail¡¯s subordinates. Almost all the pottery was made under his direction and he was the best at crafting it, so keeping him happy would be worth a little effort. Building a new furnace to smelt iron would also keep him busy and hopefully out of trouble.


    Now that Ferrar was done talking, Gob walked up and addressed Blacknail. ¡°Most your minions should have gathered by now.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then. I¡¯m getting tired,¡± Blacknail replied with yawn.


    With a respectful nod, Gob led Blacknail over to the largest open space inside the settlement. It was usually used for training, but someone had built a raised platform over on one side of it. To get to it the group had to pass by a crowd. Quite a few hobgoblins and goblins had gathered for the meeting. There looked to be almost a hundred hobgoblins and countless goblins. Once he reached the top of the podium, Blacknail took a second to look down at them. It was a little intimidating. There were so many eyes on him, and the idea of there being a hundred hobgoblins in one place was unreal. The idea that he would want to be anywhere near them was even weirder. Why weren¡¯t they killing each other?


    ¡°They seem well behaved,¡± Blacknail remarked uncertainly to Gob.


    Gob beamed proudly back. ¡°I¡¯ve been training them the way you taught me, and only those that learn are allowed to live. They practice with swords and to control their rage and hunger almost every day. Your ideas did this, wise one. Your genius knows no bounds! We are a mighty tribe now.¡±


    Blacknail frowned as he looked over the hobgoblins. ¡°Where do they all live?¡±


    ¡°Every longhouse has a small group of hobs that control it,¡± Gob explained. ¡°The strongest rules the home and all the goblins that live there. Each longhouse is like a small tribe within a tribe, except they all serve their glorious leader, you.¡±


    Blacknail still had a hard time seeing them all getting along. Even disciplined hobgoblins would find reasons to brawl. ¡°Do they fight or steal from each other much?¡±


    ¡°Stealing from other longhouses is not allowed, by your orders. You have told me many times that stealing is bad, so I killed the thieves for you. Now they only steal small things and are very sneaky about it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am very smart for thinking of that. What about fighting?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes they fight, but they know what is allowed and what isn¡¯t, only small murders not big ones.¡±


    Blaknail nodded along thoughtfully. ¡°Ah, that makes sense.¡±


    Since Blacknail had no more questions, Gob stepped up to the edge of the platform and raised his arms. From somewhere off to the side someone blew a horn. The deep echoing sound rolled over the green crowd, and they all fell silent and looked towards the stage. Blacknail stared back. What was this now?


    ¡°Listen, brothers and sisters! Our magnificent chieftain has returned from his battle with our enemies. He has brought many spoils and bathed in the blood of the fallen. We are victorious! All praise to Blacknail the undefeated!¡±


    The gathered goblins and hobgoblins immediately roared their approval by screaming at the top of their lungs. Their raised voices seemed to tear the air and explode out into the forest. Blacknail had to catch his balance and shake off the effect of the screaming. It felt like his skull was vibrating. When Gob had mentioned a meeting Blacknail had been picturing something smaller and a lot less noisy.


    Gob then lowered his arms and stepped out of the way. The eyes of the crowd instantly all focused on Blacknail. He gulped and froze for second. He didn¡¯t know what to say, and then he remembered that his audience were hobgoblins. He was a hobgoblin, so he knew them, even if he didn¡¯t like them. You just had to tell them what they wanted to hear.


    Blacknail stepped forward and yelled at the crowd. ¡°Once we were weak and small. Once we feared the jaws of trolls and the claws of harpies, but no longer! I have slain these beasts. Follow me and you will never fear anything in the forest ever again. Serve me and food will be plentiful and your nights warm. You who stand before me are the strongest and the smartest. Serve me and we shall take the world as our own. Blood will flow and the hunt will last forever. I cannot be beaten!¡±


    There was another frenzy of excited screaming from the mob. Hobgoblins were jumping up into the air and waving their arms. Even the goblins were getting into it, although Blacknail didn¡¯t think most of them had any idea what was going on. They just liked shouting. The massed energy infected Blacknail and he found himself grinning crazily at the ranks of minions before him as they cheered for their glorious leader. He felt invincible and fulfilled, like a king. Maybe hobgoblins weren¡¯t so bad.

 The Noble Thirst 2

    The darkness of night enveloped Blacknail. Off in the murk, insects chirped and an owl hooted forlornly. Blacknail was leaning up against a tree and studying a distant source of light. Through the trees and down a hill, someone had lit a campfire. This was the deep Green. Humans didn¡¯t camp out here unless they were very brave or very lost.


    ¡°Is that the man you are looking for?¡± Scamp asked. A dozen hobgoblins and two humans stood behind Blacknail.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little too far away to tell,¡± Blacknail answered disdainfully. What a dumb question.


    Khita stepped forward. ¡°This is the right place. The villagers we asked said he was out here. Although, I guess they could have been lying. They were mucking hostile, like everyone else in this dumb place.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see if it¡¯s him,¡± Blacknail said as he began walking forward.


    Blacknail and his followers had travelled west for weeks to get here. They had come to find one of the few famous bandits that still hadn¡¯t allied with Werrick. There weren¡¯t many holdouts according to what Blacknail had learned from Luphera, but they were far from Werrick¡¯s territory here.


    It had taken Blacknail a few days to rest after getting back from Daggerpoint. He had used that time to study all the changes that had taken place in the goblin camp and to plan for this excursion. There were a lot of new hobgoblins to intimidate and new building to explore. He had also visited Shelter and met with Tannin. The villagers had thrown him a feast! They had been grateful for all the gifts he¡¯d brought them from Daggerpoint, especially the two cows. However, Blacknail had to leave and head east to fulfill the next stage of his plan.


    After reaching the town of Westwatch, Blacknail¡¯s group had resupplied and asked around. The people there had been more than willing to discuss the bandit chief that both raided the area and occasionally sent people to buy supplies there. Humans were weird. However, in the next village they had reached the people hadn¡¯t been willing to talk to strangers. They had practically run Elyias and Khita out of town. Blacknail had thus been forced to track down the Red Hand himself, and their quarry had proven elusive.


    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± A hobgoblin asked as he fell in behind his chieftain.


    Blacknail kept walking. ¡°Sneak around and take out any sentries you find, but don¡¯t hurt them unless you have to, and don¡¯t reveal yourselves. Anyone who gets caught will get a kicking.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± the hobgoblin responded as he and several others dashed off into the shadows.


    Soon, Blacknail reached the bushes at edge of the light. He hid among the leaves as he studied the figures around the fire. There were easily over thirty humans in the camp. Several had set up tents but most of them were sleeping under the outstretched branches of trees. Around half a dozen of them were still awake and moving around, most of whom were sitting around the fire.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes were drawn to one man in particular. He sat alone, and Blacknail smelled leadership on him. Not with his nose, but with his instincts. It was obvious this man was the boss. Everyone else made sure to give him space, and they kept glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes, as if they were worried he would disapprove of something they were doing.


    There was no doubt as to the nature of the men in the camp. These were Blacknail¡¯s kind of people, bandits. Each of them was armed and they swaggered around like they owned the space they walked through and were daring someone else to say otherwise. In fact, most of them were better armed than Herad¡¯s men had been. Blacknail saw several steel breastplates and bits of heavier armor.


    Blacknail smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go introduce ourselves, Elyias. Everyone else stay here and watch.¡±


    Elyias flinched. ¡°What? Why me?¡±


    ¡°Ya, why him?¡± Khita asked. ¡°I want to go.¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. Thankfully, he knew how to handle the young redhead. ¡°No, you stay here. I need minions who can fight to cover my escape path. Use your bows if things get violent or if I give the signal.¡±


    The hobgoblins nodded and the ones with bows readied them. Khita wasn¡¯t happy about the orders, but she didn¡¯t raise any more objections, and she stayed put with the rest of the hobgoblins when Blacknail and Elyias stepped out of the bushes.


    At first no one in the human camp noticed them, and those that did dismissed them, but then someone realized they were out of place. By this time, Blacknail and Elyias were almost to the fire and had passed through half the camp unseen.


    ¡°Wait. Who are you two?¡± a tall man near the fire exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and drew his weapon.


    ¡°Intruders?¡± another bandit asked as he looked up. There was a nervous look on his face.


    As all the nearby men reacted, Blacknail strode a few feet closer and then came to a stop. The bandit leader calmly leaned back and studied the newcomers. He was of average build and height, but he had a heavy presence. His shoulder length black hair had been slicked back and his eyes were hard and cold. They reminded Blacknail of Herad¡¯s eyes, except they seemed gloomier, and also they were red. That was an unusual color for a human. Blacknail wondered if it meant something.


    ¡°You have a lot of guts to just walk in here,¡± the bandit leader remarked evenly. He didn¡¯t seem concerned about their presence or even all that interested.


    As Elyias trembled, Blacknail shrugged. ¡°Thanks for the compliment. I came to speak with the leader of these bandits.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you think that we won¡¯t just murder you?¡± a bandit asked.


    ¡°Because arrows kill people,¡± Blacknail replied as he signaled to the hobgoblins in the woods with a hand gesture.


    Two arrows instantly burst out of the darkness and slammed into the ground beside the fire. Bandits swore and scrambled away from the impact site. Even Elyias flinched and he¡¯d known they were coming.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of arrows,¡± the bandit leader observed. Blacknail believed him. He hadn¡¯t even flinched. His cold eyes just studied the arrows for a moment and then moved back to Blacknail.


    ¡°So what is it that you want?¡± the leader asked.


    Blacknail poked Elyias¡¯ shoulder hard. This was his job! Elyias¡¯ face was pale as a sheet. He sputtered and then quickly began reciting the speech Blacknail had ordered him to memorize.


    ¡°My master, Blacknail, is a notorious and terrible killer. He is a powerful bandit lord from the east and he demands a meeting of equals, so that he may discuss matters of grave importance with the bandit chief known as the Red Hand."


    ¡°And where is this master of yours?¡± the man known as the Red Hand asked. He looked and sounded annoyed.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Blacknail answered.


    The man frowned and looked the hobgoblin over again. ¡°Really? You¡¯re a little odd, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°True, a lot of people say things like that about me, some of them even more than once, but it¡¯s usually because of my skin color,¡± Blacknail said as he lowered his hood. ¡°I think most of them are just jealous of my handsome nose.¡±


    There was a moment of shocked silence as all the bandits took in Blacknail¡¯s face. It was green, and it definitely belonged to a hobgoblin.


    ¡°Hells, what is that?¡± someone cursed. There was muttering from several more men as they flinched away or reached for weapons.


    ¡°This is a new twist,¡± the leader said as he stood up. ¡°None of the other messengers have been hobgoblins.¡± He looked interested now.


    ¡°I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s servant or lackey. I¡¯m a leader,¡± Blacknail huffed. ¡°I also haven¡¯t sent any messengers.¡±


    ¡°A man representing the Wolf showed up. I killed him,¡± the black-haired chief replied with cruel smile. Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but notice that he had rather long and pointy teeth for a human.


    Blacknail stood tall and smiled back to show off his own impressive teeth. They were even pointier. ¡°Good, I hate that guy. That¡¯s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about, killing him together. Also, what should I call you? The Red Hand sounds silly.¡±


    ¡°My name is sir Ilisti Vang. You may address me that way, hobgoblin. This sudden interest in me from people in the east puzzles me. Why now?¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°Things are changing. Werrick wants to become king of the North, while everyone in the South is too busy fighting to stop him. Also, there is me. I¡¯m doing some stuff.¡±


    ¡°The Silent Reaches change little. It has stayed much the same over the centuries. It was set up that way by the original settlers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s this place?¡± Blacknail asked. He¡¯d never heard that name before.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we westerners call our lands. It is a place of refuge for exiles. We don¡¯t much like outsiders - such as you - prying into our business.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not here to pry into your embarrassing secrets. I just want to help you make friends, conquer new lands, and kill the Wolf.¡±


    Ilisti looked skeptical. ¡°Why would I want to ally with you? Are you offering me anything more than vague promises?¡±


    Ah, a negotiation. Blacknail scratched the side of his head. He didn¡¯t have a lot of practice with these, except for the ones where he offered not to kill people in return for material reward.


    ¡°I¡¯m a great ally. You help me and then I¡¯ll help you kill your enemies. I¡¯m the most dangerous killer in the world, and I have a lots of hobgoblin minions. We could have killed half your men before you knew we were here and then slipped away into the night.¡±


    ¡°And you think I need your help to slay some enemy you imagine I have?¡± Ilisti asked as he crossed his across his chest.


    Blacknail¡¯s grin deepened. ¡°I know enough about humans to understand that they don¡¯t like hanging out in forests with dirty clothes and almost no women around. You¡¯re here because you have a powerful enemy.¡±


    A hint of smile appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s a fair enough point.¡±


    ¡°I have lots of points. Now, how can I help you? Who is this man that needs to be murdered?¡±


    Ilisti frowned and rubbed his chin. His posture relaxed as he fell into thought. Warily, Blacknail watched him. The hobgoblin had been smiling and talking freely, but something about the man in front of him put him on edge. His scent was a little off, and he reeked of blood.


    Without warning, Ilisti lunged forward. His blade flew free of his scabbard and sliced toward Blacknail¡¯s face. Blacknail jerked backwards and burned a bit of Elixir he had ingested back in the forest. The sword¡¯s tip barely missed his nose as he drew his own blade. It slid free just in time for him to block Ilisti¡¯s next attack, however Blacknail was slightly off balance and the strength of the blow knocked him backwards an inch. He grimaced and desperately shifted his weight in preparation for the next blow, but it didn¡¯t come. Cautiously, Blacknail held his sword up high in a guard.


    ¡°Not bad. I was expecting worse,¡± Ilisti remarked as he took a step back and sheathed his weapon. ¡°You¡¯re even faster than you look and certainly stronger than your scrawny frame suggests.¡±


    ¡°You''re fast for such a fatty,¡± Blacknail hissed back as he lowered his blade slightly. He didn¡¯t like being surprise attacked. That was his thing.


    Ilisti smiled. ¡°It was a test, nothing more. I wanted to see if you were as formidable as you claimed you were.¡±


    ¡°It was rude,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°So it was. I apologize. It has been a while since I entertained proper guests.¡±


    All the nearby bandits were on their feet now and several had drawn weapons. Ilisti turned to them and motioned them away. ¡°Give us some space. I wish to talk to the hobgoblin alone.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, sir,¡± the closest man replied. All the bandits then bowed and hurried away, leaving Blacknail alone with Ilisti at the fire, except for a still frozen Elyias. Blacknail waved him away, and he ran off into the forest.


    ¡°I believe we were discussing our enemies,¡± Ilisti said as he sat back down.


    ¡°You first,¡± Blacknail replied as he also took a seat across the fire. He was still wary.


    ¡°Very well, you were right. I do have a powerful enemy. I was not always a landless exile. In my youth I was heir to my family¡¯s ancestral lands, but a powerful neighboring noble stole my birthright. My family¡¯s blood sworn knights fled the castle with me while my father bought them time.¡±


    ¡°And you want me to kill this noble?¡±


    Much to Blacknail¡¯s chagrin, Ilisti laughed. ¡°You would find that difficult. I don¡¯t doubt your might or skill, Blacknail, but my enemy is an ancient Vympir. His wounds heal in seconds and he is strong enough to rip a man in half. It is said his gaze can kill, that the darkness obeys him, and that he once killed a troll with his bare hands.¡±


    That did sound difficult, and it raised some important questions. Blacknail sniffed the air and frowned as an unusual but familiar earthy scent filled his nostrils. ¡°He¡¯s a mutant, like you.¡±


    ¡°That is a rather unflattering way to describe the hallowed power granted by the ancient blood, but not completely inaccurate,¡± Ilisti admitted with shrug of his shoulders.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want my help killing your enemy then what do you want?¡± Blacknail hadn¡¯t known that humans could become mutants. Could hobgoblins? Suddenly, he had a lot of questions that need answered.


    As he leaned back, Ilisti sighed dramatically. ¡°There is nothing for me here in the West. With what remains of my Bloodsworn, I have spent years surviving on the fringes while I wait for my blood to grow in strength and for some other noble to grow weak so that I mays seize his lands. That hasn¡¯t happened, and I grow weary.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Blacknail asked. He was getting a lot of information he hadn¡¯t asked for.


    ¡°In normal times, I would never even think of going east, but your presence suggests an opportunity. My people have remained apart from the eastern kingdoms for good reasons. The cults tend to dislike our existence and your gathering of the wise agrees with them. They are jealous of our power, so they turn the lowborn against us and hunt us, but I don¡¯t think they are your allies either.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like those people much, but it hardly matters. They rarely show up in the North. It¡¯s mostly just the farmer type of humans and violent stealing types. Although there aren¡¯t a lot of people outside the cities anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, which suggests the time is ripe for me to visit and perhaps carve out a place for myself. My kind have long thrived were we can offer our protection to the abandoned and forgotten.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what everyone else is doing. Help me kill the Wolf and I¡¯ll help you take some land.¡±


    ¡°That sounds a profitable basis for an alliance,¡± Ilisti remarked with a smile. His eyes had warmed up a little, but they were still dark and brooding.


    Blacknail agreed with him. It sounded like Ilisti¡¯s interests aligned with his. Werrick wanted to rule all the North and it didn¡¯t sound like the Vympir would ever willingly serve the Wolf.


    ¡°There is one thing I should probably mention,¡± Ilisti said. ¡°As a Vympir I occasionally need to feed on the blood of other men.¡±


    That sounded inconvenient. Blacknail frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t just eat animals like everyone else? People don¡¯t taste all that good.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of taste, but of need. My bite paralyses people, and slowly changes their blood, so that I may return later and feast upon it.¡±


    ¡°More like slurp. Blood isn¡¯t a food, it¡¯s a liquid,¡± Blacknail mused aloud.


    The Vympir sighed. ¡°I would not tolerate such disrespect from a man, but I have no idea if you''re being serious.¡±


    Blacknail ignored him. This new bit of information did create some problems. He had been looking for a human to serve as a figurehead because humans didn¡¯t seem to trust hobgoblins, but a Vympir would also probably not inspire trust. Still, Blacknail had found a useful tool here. He would just have to find some other human to be his puppet. He liked puppets.


    ¡°Alright, I will be your guide east,¡± Blacknail said as he looked up. ¡°I can explain how things work there and introduce you to some people. I¡¯m also an expert at hiding, so you won¡¯t have to worry about the cults or anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Good, then we have a deal. I will help you fight the Wolf,¡± Ilisti said as he stood up.


    The Vympir walked over to Blacknail¡¯s side and extended an open hand. Blacknail stood up and took it. As they shook hands to seal their agreement, their inhuman eyes met and they both smiled. Blacknail liked Ilisti. He seemed like a straightforward guy.

 The Noble Thirst 3

    After Blacknail and Ilisiti had finished their conversation, the vympir went to prepare for the journey he had agreed to undertake. Since all his men were glaring suspiciously at Blacknail and none of them looked like great conversationalists anyway, the hobgoblin wandered off into the woods to meet back up with the minions. They were right were he¡¯d left them.


    ¡°Oh, good. You didn¡¯t run off into the forest,¡± Blacknail remarked when he saw Elyias was with the hobgoblins and Khita.


    Khita huffed in annoyance. ¡°He tired. I grabbed him before he got himself lost.¡±


    ¡°That man was a monster. A vympir!¡± Elyias exclaimed as he stepped forward. He was still pale and shaking.


    Blacknail put a hand on Elyias¡¯ shoulder to steady him. ¡°What do you know about vympirs? They seem like mutant humans to me.¡±


    An excited gleam appeared in Khita¡¯s eyes. ¡°Really a vympir? Those are real?¡±


    ¡°I just said they were. What do you know about them?¡± Blacknail responded. Her sudden enthusiasm was a little unsettling.


    ¡°Just that they¡¯re evil,¡± Elyias explained darkly. ¡°Most people think they¡¯re myths from hundreds of years ago. There are lots of tales of evil nobles with strange powers who prey on peasants, or of strangers who arrive in a village and pick the people off one by one.¡±


    ¡°I like the stories about vympir princes who fall in love with maidens and abduct them so they can be together forever. Usually the woman dies horribly, but it is still romantic!¡± Khita added as she smiled manically.


    ¡°They are terrible monsters that devour people and cause disasters,¡± Elyias hissed. ¡°They hunt people at night and feed on them like beasts!¡±


    ¡°So, you think they are a lot like hobgoblins, eh?¡± Blacknail replied thoughtfully.


    A startled look appeared on Elyias¡¯ face. ¡°Er¡­¡±


    While Elyias tried to figure out what to say, one of the nearby hobgoblins took the opportunity to speak up. ¡°So does this mean we won¡¯t be attacking them and taking their stuff? They have some nice stuff.¡±


    ¡°No, they are probably our allies now,¡± Blacknail told him.


    The hobgoblin picked his nose. ¡°So, what do you want us to do with the sentries we caught?¡±


    Blacknail had completely forgotten about them. ¡°You better let them go.¡±


    ¡°What about their stuff? Can we keep that?¡±


    ¡°No, give it back. We don¡¯t want to upset our new allies.¡±


    ¡°I think one of them is coming over here,¡± another hobgoblin remarked as he stared past Blacknail at the camp behind him.


    The hobgoblin chieftain turned to see what his minion was talking about, and sure enough there was a human walking out to the edge of the forest. He was easy to see with the fire behind him, and he cast a long shadow. It was a man with a sword at his waist, but he didn¡¯t look like Ilisti.


    ¡°My lord has sent me to talk to the one known as Blacknail,¡± the man announced formally once he reached the trees. His eyes roamed the darkness in search of the hobgoblins, and he didn¡¯t seem afraid of the forest or the hobgoblins within it at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± Blacknail replied as he stepped out of the shadows. He was feeling festive and light hearted. It wasn¡¯t every day that you made an important new ally, and he was glad that coming to this depressing place had turned out to be productive after all.


    The young man took a second to study the hobgoblin. He was calm, and didn¡¯t flinch or look afraid at all. Blacknail found that unflappable demeanor to be annoying. He was used to getting reactions from people. Physically, the young man had short black hair, a clean-shaven face, and a patient look that spoke of a type of discipline most bandits lacked. He was shorter that his master, but he had the same red eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re a mutant too,¡± Blacknail remarked inquisitively.


    ¡°My name is Garen, and I¡¯m a vympir, not a mutant. To call us such is an insult to our bloodline, and will not be tolerated.¡±


    ¡°How many of you are there? Mutants don¡¯t usually get along.¡± In the wild, Blacknail had never encountered more than one mutant in the same place. He¡¯d always assumed they ate each other.


    ¡°I am the only vympir in service to lord Vang, and as I said, we are not simple mutants. Ours is an ancient power that stretches back to the first emperors of man.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that sound impressive. How did you become one?¡± Blacknail asked. He wanted to know what he was dealing with.


    ¡°In my childhood, I was offered up by my village as a sacrifice to my lord¡¯s family. However, I survived the offering of life and the ancient blood took root in me. Since the young lord Vang had no bond servants I was put into his service, where I have served him loyally ever since,¡± Garen explained. ¡°How did you become such as you are? You are an uncommon hobgoblin.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. No one had ever asked him that before. It was sort of a complicated question. Although, most of it probably wasn¡¯t important.


    ¡°I was taken in by a bandit named Saeter to be his helper. He taught me everything I know, like how to fight, but he died, so now I¡¯m trying to get revenge.¡± That covered the important bits.


    Garen nodded in understanding. ¡°Seeking vengeance against the enemies of your slain lord is a true servant¡¯s duty.¡±


    Blacknail nodded along. ¡°Also, I¡¯m very angry with them and want to enjoy pulling their tongues out with my claws.¡±


    ¡°Traditionally, I believe grim determination is the appropriate emotion for such tasks, but I don¡¯t think anyone has ever actually said you can¡¯t have fun doing it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but those rules probably don¡¯t apply to me. Most rules don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you might have a point there. Most rules of honor weren¡¯t designed with hobgoblins in mind,¡± Garen admitted as he looked thoughtfully to the side.


    ¡°What were you here for, again?¡±


    Garen looked embarrassed. ¡°I apologize. I was momentarily distracted by your unusual demeanor.¡±


    ¡°Plus I look funny,¡± Blacknail added helpfully. If he couldn¡¯t scare the man then he could still catch him off guard in other ways.


    ¡°Er¡­¡± Garen seemed rather uncertain of what to say now, but he collected himself and determinedly pressed on. ¡°I was sent by my master to ask about several of our men who have disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Oh, them. I just gave orders for them to be returned. They should all be fine.¡±


    ¡°That is good. I would hate for our alliance to be marred by the stain or blood.¡±


    ¡°Ya, the smell is hard to get rid of, and you humans bleed everywhere.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Garen replied with careful neutrality.


    Silently, Blacknail and him stared at each other for several very awkward seconds. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t blink. Surprisingly, Khita took this opportunity to walk over and join the conversation. The surprising thing was that she hadn¡¯t butted in earlier.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re a vympir? Is that why your eyes are red?¡± Khita asked as she walked up beside Blacknail and beamed happily at Garen. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you guys were real.¡±


    ¡°Who is this?¡± Garen asked Blacknail. It was subtle, but he was definitely leaning away from the redhead. It was reaction the hobgoblin understood.


    ¡°She¡¯s Khita. Someone fed her, so now she follows us around and won¡¯t go away.¡±


    Khita ignored the hobgoblin and focused on Garen. ¡°I hear you drink blood. That doesn¡¯t sound very appetizing. Does it taste different to you?¡±


    ¡°The taking of life is a sacred activity, that I shall not discuss with you,¡± Garen replied sourly.


    Khita walked right up to him and looked him over. This caused Garen to look uncomfortable. Apparently, Blacknail wasn¡¯t the only one who was used to being feared.


    ¡°Have you ever kidnapped a maiden?¡± Khita asked him.


    A stiff smile appeared on Garen¡¯s lips. ¡°Having fulfilled my master¡¯s request, I will be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡± Blacknail replied as the man walked out of the shadows and back to the campfire.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t very polite,¡± Khita observed as she watched him go.


    With nothing else to do, Blacknail and his minions waited in the darkness under the treetop for Ilisiti to get back to them. It took almost an hour for him to appear at the edge of the light, but when he did, Blacknail went to meet him halfway.


    ¡°I just finished conversing with my subordinates and making plan. There is still lots to do, but I should be able to start heading east before noon tomorrow,¡± Ilisiti announced as he walked over to Blacknail.


    ¡°How many men do you have?¡± the hobgoblin asked.


    ¡°I have fifty-two armsmen in my service.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would have more. That¡¯s not very many.¡±


    ¡°Quality is more important than quantity, little green monster. I could have more if I wished, but taking care of them would have been difficult. Once I¡¯ve created a base of operations I can recruit from around my family¡¯s old lands. There is no shortage of men there that would join my cause.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°You can have both quantity and quality, big pink monster.¡±


    An amused grin appeared on Ilisiti¡¯s face. He seemed to have a much stronger sense of humor than Garen. ¡°We will leave tomorrow, after I send someone to gather supplies from the village.¡±


    ¡°Will they deal with you? They were rather rude to us, and you¡¯re a bandit.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a vympir, even though they don¡¯t owe me fealty, the people here know better than to aggravate me. The proper respect for the ancient blood has been instilled within them for generations. Being raided by me is practically an honor.¡±


    ¡°Neat. It would nice to buy some supplies before we leave tomorrow. How about you send someone with us?¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll send Garen with you. You shouldn¡¯t have any problems with the villagers then.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that sounds good,¡± Blacknail replied. It also sounded fun. He should bring Khita. Amusement was hard to come by in the Green, and not to be wasted.


    After talking to the vympir for a few more moments, Blacknail went off to set up his own camp. He didn¡¯t fully trust his new allies yet, they had just met, and Ilisti¡¯s men weren¡¯t used to being around hobgoblins anyway. Sharing a camp overnight was thus probably a bad idea, so instead Blacknail selected a spot that was several minutes away. It was a defensible position in a small grassy clearing. They had checked it carefully for mimics before moving in, and found one right at the far edge. However, it was out of the way and mimics didn¡¯t move much at night. If they set a watch the creature probably wouldn¡¯t be a problem, and might even act as protection.


    ¡°What do you think of our new friends?¡± Blacknail asked his nearby minions when they had finished scouting the campsite. Around him, hobgoblins were trampling the grass and setting up the fire.


    Khita shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why we need their help, but they seem interesting anyway. We could do worse. It is sort of sharp to have vympirs on our side.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re vympirs! We can¡¯t trust them,¡± Elyias shot back. ¡°They will probably try to creep into our camp during the night and drink our blood while we sleep!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Several hobgoblins will be watching over you while you rest,¡± Blacknail responded cheerfully. ¡°From what I saw, my minions are better rangers and sneakers than the vympir¡¯s.¡±


    The hobgoblins in questions had just finished stomping down most the tall grass. Lurking animals could have used the plants as cover to approach unseen, so they had to be flattened.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t know what they can do! They are mutants,¡± Elyias replied darkly. ¡°Maybe Ilisti can turn into mist or put our sentries to sleep with magic!¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s not a bad point,¡± Blacknail admitted reluctantly. He hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    Every mutant that Blacknail had ever fought had used some sort of weird magic. Vympirs undoubtedly had one as well. Did they each have different magic abilities or did they all share one?


    The hobgoblin chieftain turned to look at Khita and Elyias. ¡°You two have heard of vympirs before. Do you know any stories about them using magic like a mutant?¡±


    ¡°Nah, all the myths I¡¯ve heard give them a whole bunch of abilities,¡± Khita replied. ¡°In some, they turn into wolves or bats, and in others they can enslave people¡¯s minds. Most of the stories are obvious shit meant to frighten children.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes they can fly or go invisible,¡± Elyias added after glancing quickly upwards. He still looked rather spooked. Blacknail didn¡¯t see how vympirs were worse than any other mutants that lived in the Green. They certainly were far from the biggest.


    By now, the hobgoblins had managed to gather a large stack of wood. They had also managed to get a small fire going, and the flickering light from the flames illuminated the clearing. Shadowy branches reached out from the trees at the edge. Blacknail turned to study the small tree that he knew was actually a mimic lying in wait, but it hadn¡¯t moved.


    ¡°Maybe I can trick Ilisiti or Garen into telling me,¡± Blacknail mused aloud. He was rather smart.


    ¡°They might show their power if they get in a fight,¡± Khita remarked.


    Blacknail turned to look at Elyias. ¡°Do you feel like challenging Garen to a duel? If you insult his master I¡¯m sure he would accept.¡±


    ¡°Ha! As if he would need to use some hidden power to beat me. You should do it. You¡¯re the only one here who could give him a real challenge.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. ¡°That would probably ruin our alliance, so it wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we will see them fight before too long,¡± Khita pointed out.


    Blacknail agreed with her, and since there wasn¡¯t much else for them to discuss, he ordered everyone to bed down for the night. As everyone else fell asleep, he took first watch with another hobgoblin.


    While his minion patrolled the edge of the clearing, Blacknail sat with his back to the fire and stared out at the forest. In the dark, the trees were a mass of shifting shadows. All the talk of mutants had put him on edge, and if anything was going to attack it would probably be during first watch. However, the forest was silent except for the chirping of insects and gentle rustling of leaves. Above the hobgoblin chieftain, the occasional cloud floated across the starry sky and briefly blanketed the moon and stars. Blacknail looked, but he didn¡¯t see any vympirs flying up there.


    Off to one side, Khita began snoring. Thankfully, a quick nudge from the toe of Blacknail¡¯s boot caused her to roll over and shut up.


    Now that there was no one else around to distract him, Blacknail begin to wonder if he was on the right path. He had a plan to get his revenge, and he was following it, but was that what he really wanted to do? What would Saeter have thought of his actions? Blacknail had no idea. Saeter had been a complex man. He would have wanted Herad to be avenged, but he hadn¡¯t been a big fan of unnecessary violence. He had also seemed to care a lot about the people of the North.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if what he was doing benefitted the North the way Saeter had seen it. On one hand, he was about to start a war, but on the other he was making friends and protecting people! As Blacknail stared out into the darkness, he decided to just keep following the plan. He had already started it, and he couldn¡¯t honestly think of anything else he wanted to do. Now that Saeter was dead, vengeance was the only force that propelled him forward. Without it he had no purpose.


    The night grew colder, and Blacknail went to sleep after waking his replacement. Early the next morning, he led his followers back to Ilisti¡¯s camp site. The vympir greeted them, and as promised, sent Garen to guide them to the village.


    ¡°They know you¡¯re a bandit, right?¡± Khita asked as they walked off the main road and through the entrance of the village. Blacknail followed them with his hood up.


    There were only a few people visible on the streets of the settlement, noticeably less than you would have seen in an eastern village at this time of day. There were also several other obvious differences. The buildings had a different style, with rounder sides and taller roofs. There were also weird fetishes made from twisted sticks in a lot of doorways and windows. Most of them were circular and braided into intricate web-like patterns. The entire place had an eerie feeling, as if something dangerous was hiding just out of sight, but it looked prosperous. The streets were clean, and the buildings were large and well maintained.


    Geran shrugged as he answered Khita¡¯s question. ¡°They know I am of noble blood and that is all that matters. They fulfil their duties to us and we fulfill ours to them, even if my master doesn¡¯t hold these lands.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are your duties?¡± Khita asked. ¡°To only suck a few of them dry? To only feast on them when you¡¯re really hungry?¡±


    This earned her a scowl from Geran. ¡°We protect them, from everything that would destroy them. Our might keeps both plague and the beasts of the forest at bay, and we rarely feed on villagers. Unless we are wounded or forced to expend ourselves, we can go over a year without having to take a new thrall, and most thralls are taken in battle besides.¡±


    Two villagers that had been standing down the street noticed the newcomers. They both stiffened, and after a brief conversation, the woman hurried away while the man drew closer. As if they had received some subtle signal, all the other villagers slipped out of sight as well. As Garen and the others stopped in the middle of the road, the man hurried over. He was middle aged, dressed in a grey robe, and there was a soft cap on his head. He looked like some sort of administrator.


    He immediately focused all his attention on Garen, and gave him a respectful bow. ¡°How may I serve you, lord.¡±


    Garen turned to Blacknail. ¡°See, acquiring the things you need will be simple. Tell the man what you want, and we will soon be on our way.¡±


    "Yes, it certainly is convenient to be so feared," Blacknail replied.

 The Noble Thirst 4

    Now that Garen was with them in the village, Khita and Blacknail were able to buy food and gear in no time. The middle-aged man that had rushed over to meet them organized everything. Blacknail was sure that he was also trying to get them out of the village as soon as possible and away from the other villagers, but that was fine with him. He was used to behavior like that, although this time they didn¡¯t even know he was a hobgoblin. The villagers were worried about Garen, even if they showed him nothing but respect.


    When they were done shopping, they headed back out into the forest to meet up with the others. Not long after that, Ilisti was ready to move. Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins acted as scouts for the vympir¡¯s men and guided them East. Ilisti¡¯s men had packed their camp up and were transporting it using several horses ¨C which Blacknail chose to ignore - and a small cart. Blacknail was fairly sure there were two corpses wrapped up in blankets on the cart, but who was he to judge?


    At the front of the main group, Blacknail walked beside Ilisti. Khita, Elyias, and Garen strode behind them. Both the vympirs had horses, but they had chosen to travel on foot with their new allies for now. They were making their way along a dirt road that cut through the forest. At this pace it would take them almost two weeks to get back to Shelter.


    The sky overhead was cloudy as they walked, and the wind was still. Most of the road was shaded by long branches that extended out from the forest on either side. The smell of wet earth and growing things hung heavy in the spring air, although the clouds up above were white and fluffy, so it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to rain anytime soon. That was good. Rain would have turned the dirt road to mud and slowed them down considerably. Although the walk wasn¡¯t too bad, Blacknail was bored so he decided to have a friendly chat with Ilisti.


    ¡°What¡¯s your favorite way of hunting people?¡± he asked him.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± the vympir replied as he gave the hobgoblin a surprised look.


    ¡°You¡¯re a vympir. I¡¯m a hobgoblin. We both hunt people. Everyone says so. I was wondering if you had any tips for me,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Um, no. Sorry. I¡¯m not some beast out of an eastern folk tale, terrorizing villagers at night. I¡¯m a lord of the ancient blood. I don¡¯t hunt my prey. I earn my thralls in combat or they are offered to me by my gracious subjects if I am in need.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you ever want to start hunting people then feel free to ask me for tips. I¡¯m very good at it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Ilisti replied dryly.


    Just then, a hobgoblin scout slipped out of the trees up ahead. Blacknail watched with interest as the scout jogged over to him. Had the scouts found something?


    ¡°What is it?¡± Blacknail asked. He hoped it was interesting.


    The hobgoblin gave a little bow before answering. ¡°Tracks, boss. They aren¡¯t like anything we have seen before, and there are lots of them, everywhere.¡±


    ¡°What kind of tracks?¡± Blacknail¡¯s minions weren¡¯t all that experienced, so it was possible they were just confused.


    ¡°Weird ones, boss. The feet look small, but they have three long claws, and the way the tracks are clustered together makes us think the things have six feet. That¡¯s a weird number of feet.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Blacknail mused. That description didn¡¯t sound like anything he¡¯d seen or heard of before, especially if these things travelled in groups. Maybe these creatures only lived in the West?


    ¡°Do you know anything that fits this description?¡± Blacknail asked Ilisti.


    The vympir frowned thoughtfully and then grimaced. ¡°Only one thing comes to mind, and I¡¯m far from an expert on them, boggarts.¡±


    ¡°What are those?¡± Blacknail asked. He¡¯d never heard of them, except it sort of sounded like something humans yelled when they stubbed their toes.


    ¡°Come up here and inform our ally,¡± Ilisti said as he turned back to look at Garen.


    ¡°Yes, lord,¡± Garen immediately replied as strode forward to join them.


    ¡°I thought boggarts were made up, like house spirits¡± Khita remarked as she invited herself into the conversation.


    ¡°Up until the last few years, most good people would have agreed with you.¡± Garen admitted. ¡°However, that has changed. It all started with a sudden uptake in the disappearance of livestock. At first, harpies and goblins were blamed, but then herders and farmers began to find tracks similar to the ones you described. Hunters and foresters began to notice other things as well, like a sharp decrease in sightings of other creatures in certain areas, particularly goblins.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Blacknail remarked. He didn¡¯t like where this was going.


    Khita shrugged. ¡°So, you¡¯re just giving the name to some new pest? Has anyone actually seen these things?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a few bodies have turned up, although I¡¯ve never met anyone who has seen the beasts themselves. However, the rumors describe insect-like creatures the size of large dogs with twisted bodies and incredibly sharp claws and teeth. They are also supposed to live underground and come up above to hunt. Maybe they hail from the Dark Paths¡±


    ¡°Ugh, nasty,¡± Khita remarked as she stuck her tongue out in disgust.


    ¡°How fresh are the tracks?¡± Blacknail asked his scout. He wanted to know if there were any swarms of goblin eating monsters around.


    ¡°We think they¡¯re from yesterday,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    ¡°Tell the others to be cautious and careful anyway. We don¡¯t know much about these boggarts,¡± Blacknail said. There was a big difference between hunting goblins and hobgoblins, but maybe boggarts were too stupid to realize this for themselves.


    The scout nodded and hurried off back into the forest.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of boggarts attacking a column of men, so we should be safe,¡± Garen remarked as they watched the scout leave.


    ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t imagine anything will be getting the drop on us with a screen of hobgoblins out there keeping watch,¡± Ilisti observed cheerfully. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, they are remarkably proficient scouts, as only true creatures of the Green can be.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. ¡°I taught them everything they know.¡±


    The rest of the journey that day was uneventful. No horde of semi-mythical boggarts materialized to attack them. When it began to grow dark, the humans and the hobgoblins set up camp next to each other. Ilisit¡¯s men were still uncomfortable sleeping right next to hobgoblins, and Blacknail thought it best to keep the hobgoblins out of trouble. However, before everyone started tucking in for the night, Ilisti and Garen visited Blacknail¡¯s campfire.


    ¡°Greetings, I just wanted to stop in before took my night¡¯s sleep,¡± Ilisti said as he walked over.


    Blacknail, Khita, Elyias, and several hobgoblins were seated around the fire. Elyias immediately shied away from the vympirs, while everyone else greeted them.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°We¡¯re just sitting here, discussing our favorite foods. Mine is old smelly cheese.¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°You eat food, right? You don¡¯t just drink blood, do you?¡±


    Garen winced but Ilisti took the questions in stride and answered matter-of-factly. ¡°We eat normal food, yes. The blood of thralls is simply the source of our power. We consume it rarely.¡±


    ¡°Good. The world is full of tasty things. I would hate to have an ally who couldn¡¯t enjoy it. I¡¯ll bring you some cheese when we get back.¡±


    ¡°I shall look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t,¡± Khita muttered darkly to herslef. Ilisti seemed to intimidate her in a way Garen didn¡¯t, so she didn¡¯t usually speak up around him. Blacknail didn¡¯t get it. They were both vympirs.


    ¡°You humans usually don¡¯t make your food taste strong enough,¡± Blacknail remarked. ¡°I find letting it age awhile almost always makes it taste better.¡±


    Ilisti frowned, and Blacknail didn¡¯t think it was because of his culinary advice. ¡°We vympirs don¡¯t really consider ourselves humans, and most men agree with the distinction.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s silly,¡± Blacknail huffed. ¡°As someone who really isn¡¯t human, I know what humans look like. Having red eyes and magic doesn¡¯t make you all that different. Mutant wolves are still wolves, and they usually lead wolf packs, sort of like you and your men.¡±


    The vympir looked uncertain but then a moment later he nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Perhaps you are right. You certainly see the issue from a fresh perspective. Huh, you have given me something unexpected to think about, my unusual green friend.¡±


    ¡°I like being unexpected,¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully. It made it easier to take things and stab people.


    ¡°Well, I should get back to my own men. I bid you goodnight,¡± Ilisti told them all before nodding and walking away.


    Garen stayed until his liege was out of sight, and then he frowned at Blacknail. ¡°He lets you get away with so much. Your inhumanity protects you. You are outside all our social norms, and he doesn¡¯t hold your ignorance of them against you. He has killed men for a fraction of the disrespect you show.¡±


    ¡°Plus I¡¯m handsome!¡± Blacknail added.


    Garen scowled disapprovingly at the hobgoblin, but then Khita leaned closer and smiled at him. The vympir hesitated and then beat a quick retreat.


    ¡°He¡¯s very flighty for a monster from legend,¡± Khita remarked.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. ¡°You can annoy anyone or anything.¡±


    Soon after that, everyone tucked in for the night. Their sleep was uninterrupted by attacks by unknown terrors from the Green, and they woke up the next morning ready to continue on their way back to Shelter.


    Sometime after noon, Blacknail found himself leading the main body again while his hobgoblins were out scouting. Garen and Khita were with him, but Ilisiti was at the back somewhere, and Elyias was actually with some of the hobgoblins. He had apparently decided they were less threatening than vympirs. The way his mind worked was a mystery. Khita was doing her best to draw Garen into a conversation, while Garen did his stoic best to ignore her.


    Walking so much was beginning to bore Blacknail. Movement in the forest up ahead drew his attention, but it turned out to just be two hobgoblins. They pushed through the bushes at the edge of the forest and headed over to report to their chieftain. They looked to be in a hurry, so something was probably happening.


    Blacknail sighed in resignation as he watched them approach. ¡°I sort of miss doing my own scouting, but I¡¯m an important leader now. I don¡¯t get to explore the forest and almost nothing exciting happens without someone telling me about it beforehand.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the entire point of having scouts,¡± Garen remarked dryly.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°They are also more people for me to boss around.¡±


    The lead hobgoblin raised an arm and shouted. ¡°Boss! Trouble. There is a troll lurking about in the forest nearby. It has seen some of the humans and is stalking them now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get my lord!¡± Garen exclaimed as he ran back toward the other humans.


    Blacknail watched him go and the turned back to the scout. ¡°It is probably looking for an easy target, so we have a bit of time. Where is Elyias?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s with the scouts we sent to watch the troll,¡± the scout explained.


    ¡°Huh,¡± Blacknail remarked. That didn¡¯t sound like something Elyias would do. ¡°Did you tell him that was where he was going?¡±


    ¡°No. We wanted it to be a surprise.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Blacknail replied as he gave the hobgoblin scout a thumbs up.


    ¡°I hear we have visitor!¡± Ilisiti yelled as he ran over with Garen at his side. He was wearing a chainmail shirt with long sleeves and armored boots.


    ¡°Yes, I was just thinking about how we were going to scare it away,¡± Blacknail replied. Trolls mad him nervous.


    ¡°Nonsense, it has been too long since my last troll hunt,¡± Ilisti countered. ¡°Just point me in its direction and I will kill it.¡±


    What? Blacknail couldn¡¯t believe his ears. His jaw hung slightly open, as he turned and gave Ilisti an uncomprehending stare. ¡°You want to fight it? For fun?¡±


    ¡°Yes, trolls aren¡¯t too dangerous for a vympir as long as they don¡¯t grow overconfident,¡± Ilisti explained as he smiled in anticipation. ¡°I will have my weapons, armor, and men-at-arms with me to contain it and drive it off if I become injured.¡±


    ¡°Troll hunting is traditional for western lords. It impresses on others their might and power,¡± Garen added.


    Blacknail shook his head in disbelief. ¡°It works. I¡¯m impressed.¡±


    ¡°Do they not hunt trolls in the East?¡± Ilisti asked curiously.


    ¡°Not unless they have no choice,¡± Blacknail answered. ¡°I¡¯ve hunted one with my old master once, but only because it was stalking us and we had to kill it before it killed us.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could have been there, but that was before I joined,¡± Khita remarked wistfully. ¡°At least I will get to see a troll today! I¡¯ve never seen one before.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t hunt drakes, do you?¡± Blacknail asked the vympirs. That was the only beast more dangerous than trolls that he could think of.


    Ilisti laughed. ¡°Ha, no. Even the ancient blood has limits, and being swallowed alive by a giant lizard is one of them.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Blacknail remarked in relief. He wasn¡¯t planning on going anywhere near a drake anytime soon, and he didn¡¯t want a suicidal ally.


    As they were talking, a squad of a dozen men hurried over. They were carrying various pieces of equipment including armor and several long lances. The men immediately began strapping the armor onto Ilisti. When they were done, one of them handed the vympir a steel helmet with a full faceplate and decorative bat wings on the sides.


    Ilisti tucked the helmet under his arm and turned to Blacknail. ¡°Alright, take me to the troll. It would be shame if it decided to wander off before we got to it.¡±


    Blacknail looked over at the scouts. The lead one shrugged, so Blacknail sighed and motioned for them to lead the way, which they promptly did. They headed over into the forest at the side of the road, and everyone else followed them, including a dozen of Ilisti¡¯s men who held long spears.


    Blacknail noticed that Ilsiti moved surprisingly quietly considering all the metal he was wearing. He avoided branches and soft earth with ease. It must have been because of his vympir strength and great balance. How strong were vympirs? Blacknail had been assuming they weren¡¯t much different from vessels, but if they hunted trolls then that might not be the case. He hoped they weren¡¯t too strong. He had come here looking for an ally that needed him, not a new rival he didn¡¯t understand.


    The forest was fairly open here next to the road. The trees were tall with rough brown bark, but they had no branches near the ground and there was enough space between them that you could see fairly far. There was also next to no bushes or tall plants to block people¡¯s sight.


    After a few moments of walking, the mixed group of men and hobgoblins encountered another pair of hobgoblins that were warily watching the forest up ahead. They gave the newcomers a quick glance and then turned back to watch the trees.


    ¡°The troll beast is just on the other side of that hill,¡± their guide explained quietly


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll handle it from here,¡± Ilisit remarked with a smile. ¡°Hunting trolls isn¡¯t complicated. I¡¯ll go in first to get its attention, while my men and you surround it. It will focus on me.¡±


    ¡°Do you want us to do anything?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    ¡°Just help out my men if they engage. Otherwise stay out of the way. Garen and my men know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Not a problem. Good luck!¡± Blacknail told him. He was planning on staying as far back possible and seeing what happened. It would at the very least be an interesting show.


    As everyone watched, Ilisti lifted his lance and began walking forward. Garen and his soldiers let him get twenty feet ahead and then fanned out after him in a loose formation. All of them were walking carefully with raised spears, including Garen who held two long lances. Blacknail gave them a few seconds and then followed with his minions in tow. Those hobgoblins that had bows readied them, although arrows wouldn¡¯t do much against a troll. The only vulnerable spots on trolls were their small eyes, and they didn¡¯t hold still so you could line up a shot.


    Ilisti stopped atop the slope, and there was a rustling sound from down below. Blacknail tensed as Ilsiti began edging forward. The human men-at-arms began spreading out to encircle the target, and the hobgoblin stayed atop the hill so that they could see what was happening. Below, the troll emerged from behind a large tree.


    The beast was huge, as all trolls were. Standing on two legs, it towered over even Ilisti, who was very tall himself. Its thick hide was splattered in mud and had tufts of brown hair. Its elongated arms hung almost to the ground, and long black claws sprouted from its thick fingers. It gazed at the vympir before it with beady red eyes that were set below a thick forehead, and boar-like tusks protruded from its lips. All in all, it looked like what it was, an unthinking killing machine.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a runt,¡± Ilisti remarked in disappointment as he studied it.


    A thunderous snort exploded out of the beast¡¯s nostrils as it stepped towards him. It seemed slightly confused by the vympir¡¯s behavior. The human wasn¡¯t running and it didn¡¯t seem frozen by fear, however that didn¡¯t matter to much to the troll. It had only one real reaction to almost every situation anyway, hunt and kill. With startling speed, the troll reached out with its claws and lunged at Ilisti. Blacknail held his breath.

 The Noble Thirst 5

    Branches and leaves were shredded and brushed aside as the troll leapt through the forest at Ilisti, and the its long deadly claws reached out for him. Killing intent radiated out from the beast. It was unrestrained violence in motion, and it moved almost too quickly for Blacknail to keep track off, but Ilisti was ready. In one fluid motion, the vympir stepped to the side and lowered his stance, as he brought up the tip of his lance. The troll¡¯s claws missed him by mere inches and caught only empty air, but his weapon sank into the flesh beneath the beast¡¯s shoulder, pushing it back. The force of the blow was incredible, but the butt of the lance was set against the earth, and although it shivered, the sturdy weapon did not break. It kept the troll away from Ilisti.


    Roaring savagely in pain, the troll swiped at the vympir with a claw. Its eyes were wide with hate, and its thunderous voice ripped through the forest as its mouth stretched opened to reveal countless jagged yellow teeth. Ilisiti ducked and raised an arm to protect his head. There was a terrible scratching noise as the troll¡¯s claws scrapped against his armor. He was knocked slightly back by the force, but he quickly righted himself and kept his balance. The troll hissed as it tried to press forward and snap at Ilisiti with its jaws, but its body was held back by the rooted lance. In front of the deadly monstrosity, Ilisiti didn¡¯t freeze or hesitate. He was unflinching as he drew a long knife from his waist, and he grunted loudly as he rammed it up under the troll¡¯s ribs. It sank up to the hilt, but the troll didn¡¯t bleed. Thick green fluid oozed out of the wound for a second and then it dried, sealing the wound.


    Dumbfounded, Blacknail could only stare at the spectacle. The power of both combatants was unreal. Their might defied belief, and dwarfed that of humans or hobgoblins. One of swing of the troll¡¯s claws would have sent Blacknail flying, even if he had been wearing armor, and the idea of standing in front of charging troll was ludicrous, but it had appeared to work.


    The combat didn¡¯t let up. Ilisti stabbed the troll again with his long knife. Trolls weren¡¯t the smartest of creatures, they didn¡¯t need to be, but this one knew it had to try something else. Its claws weren¡¯t doing much damage to the armored vympir who was enthusiastically trying to gut it. Eyeing the lance keeping it at bay, it raised a fist and smashed down on the weapon¡¯s shaft. The wood splintered, and Ilisti jumped backward out of the way.


    ¡°Lance!¡± he yelled as he raised a hand.


    Immediately, Garen pressed forward and threw him a new weapon. Ilisti caught it and leveled it at the troll. The red-eyed beast wavered as it studied its unexpectedly tough opponent, but it was a predator and it didn¡¯t flee from creatures that were so much smaller than itself. Instead, it made a hissing noise like a kettle full of very angry snakes and stepped forward again.


    The beast moved with new wariness as it slashed at Ilisti with a claw, but the vympir deftly stepped aside and responded with a stab of his lance that forced the troll to back off. Frustrated, the beast swiped at the weapon, but Ilisti danced the lance out of the way and then slashed the troll¡¯s lead leg. It was a superficial wound, but it annoyed the creature.


    ¡°It¡¯s too cautious. Harry it forward,¡± Ilisti yelled as he launched a series of quick stabs that failed to damage the troll but distracted it for several seconds.


    Immediately, most of the arms-men that had been hanging back behind Ilisti rushed out to flank the troll from both sides. Garen led half of them as they circled behind the beast. Once in position, they began stompin their feet and yelling. The troll growled at them but didn¡¯t dare turn away from Ilisti. However, this new threat unnerved it. It didn¡¯t like being surrounded, and it wanted out. Its eyes locked on Ilsiti as it realized that the vympir was now standing alone. The green giant roared again and charged forward, with the intent of battering Ilisti aside. The vympir had other plans. He rushed to meet the charge and ruined the beast¡¯s angle of attack. Instead of coming at Ilisiti from an angle, the two combatants hit each other head on.


    Ilisti ducked under a swipe from the troll and raised his weapon. The troll¡¯s bulk barreled forward, and the tip of the weapon sank into its gut. Quick as a snake, Ilisti managed to set the butt of his weapon against the earth, and once again the trolls own power drove the lance through its tough hide and into its soft flesh. It shrieked in pain as it tried to back away, and one of its flailing limbs hit Ilisti square in the chest. The heavily armored vympir was sent flying sideways and hit a tree before falling to the ground in a shower of leaves.


    Watching from a safe distance away, Blacknail winced. ¡°Ouch.¡±


    However, Ilisti didn¡¯t stay down. Almost immediately he climbed to his feet. The troll had taken a few a few steps past him, but its injuries obviously pained it and hampered its movements. It walked with a limp, and there were now two lance shafts sticking out of its body. Garen ran over and handed his lord a longsword, and then Ilisti began stomping over to the troll.


    Realizing it couldn¡¯t get away, the beast stopped trying to flee and turned to face its challenger. Its voice shook the trees as it roared again, but Ilisti kept coming. It slashed at him, but he dodged back and cut at the troll¡¯s arms. The creature was definitely moving slower now, while Ilisti didn¡¯t even seem tired, despite his crash into the tree.


    The combatants exchanged a flurry of blows, which resulted in the troll gaining a series of small wounds all over its body, all of which instantly closed up, but then the troll stumbled. Halfway through a swing of one of its arms, its back leg gave out. Ilisti seized the advantage. He spun around the beast¡¯s outstretched arm, and raised his blade up high. With all his power, the vympir chopped down at the trolls neck. The blade sliced through air and into flesh. There was a wet thud as metal hit bone and cut into it. As Ilisti pulled his blade free, the long ragged wound began to fill with green ooze, but that didn¡¯t stop the troll from falling. There was another thud as the beast hit the ground face first amid a small cloud of dust. It shuddered a few times and then went still. Was it dead? Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure. He was still shocked, and he hadn¡¯t seen many dead trolls.


    Ilisti seemed to think he was victorious. He dropped his blade and stepped back away from his fallen opponent. An arms-man ran over to pick up his lord¡¯s sword, while two others approached and poked the troll¡¯s sides with their spears. It didn¡¯t move.


    Taking off his helmet, Ilisti turned to give Blacknail a satisfied look. ¡°Not a bad hunt. The troll looked a little gaunt, though. Which is strange for a healthy adult. They rarely have trouble hunting in forest such as this. The area must be short on game for some reason. Still, it¡¯s a shame I have no hall to hang its head in. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad trophy¡±


    Blacknail snorted. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get a hall for yourself eventually. I know some that wouldn¡¯t be all that hard for you to take.¡± In fact, if the bout he had just seen was any indication, Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure he had ever encountered a building that Ilisti couldn¡¯t have taken with ease.


    Ilisti grinned. ¡°True, but keeping it is the problem. I wouldn¡¯t want to live anywhere that I would have to deal with constant attacks by your cults or paladins.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t my paladins,¡± Blacknail replied with a roll of his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve only ever met one, and now that you mention it, I¡¯m not even sure what they¡¯re supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I keep forgetting about your¡­ unusual upbringing, even if you¡¯re an Easterner.¡±


    ¡°The fact that I¡¯m green should remind you,¡± Blacknail pointed out dryly.


    ¡°Ha, yes. However, you can also talk, which sometimes confuses me. Did the paladin by chance survive your meeting?¡± the vympir asked. He was clearly fishing for information. He¡¯d perked up the moment Blacknail had mentioned meeting a paladin.


    ¡°It was a long time ago. I wasn¡¯t allowed to kill him, but we ended up exploding a giant snake together, so it all worked out.¡±


    Ilisiti¡¯s eyes grew unfocused for a second. ¡°Um, good?¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°I liked it,¡± Blacknail replied with a smug grin. He wasn¡¯t going to give too much away without getting anything back in return.


    The vympir¡¯s men began cleaning up, and Blacknail sent his scouts out to make sure all the noise hadn¡¯t attracted anything else dangerous. Trolls were solitary creatures and their presence usually scared most other beasts away, but not everything. It was possible a mutant or a drake would come looking for the source of all the commotion.


    When they got back to the road and rejoined the others, Blacknail took a moment to think over what he had just witnessed. It was obvious that he¡¯d underestimated his new vympir ally a lot. Ilisti was an incredibly formidable fighter. He was both very fast and far stronger than any vessel Blacknail had ever encountered. He would make a useful ally, but also a terrible rival.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t like being the weaker partner in an alliance. He was supposed to be in charge, but it seemed likely that Ilisti would eventually try to assert authority over him. The man was very proud and forceful. The only reason he really need Blacknail was for his expertise and skill as a guide, and over time that value would slip as Ilisti established himself in the East. However, Blacknail didn¡¯t have any intention of giving up his position as boss. He would have to take steps to keep Ilisti in check and to learn more about him and vympirs. They must have some sort of weakness he could exploit. They probably weren¡¯t immune to being killed in their sleep, and fire killed almost everything.


    After Ilisti had taken off his armor and everyone involved in the hunt had taken a quick break, the expedition started moving again. Men called out, and the cart creaked as the horse pulling it began walking again. It was still a long way to Shelter. Blacknail took up his position at the front of the group, while Garen and Ilisti kept to the back for a while. It wasn¡¯t until the late afternoon that the vympirs reemerged. With Garen in tow, Ilisti approached Blacknail.


    ¡°Greetings. How fare you?¡± Ilisti asked as he walked over.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes before turning around. ¡°I¡¯m tired of walking and annoyed that I have to keep doing it for days. My feet hurt and the world is too big.¡±


    ¡°Ah, perhaps. I hope you enjoyed the hunt earlier.¡±


    ¡°You certainly outsmarted that starving troll that my minions found, and it was fun to watch you stab it a lot,¡± Blacknail replied. He was feeling a little surly, but he tried to keep his tone respectful.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ilisti responded in a dry tone, while Garen glared at the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Did you want something else?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Yes, I find you to be an interesting conversationalist, despite your peculiarities, or maybe because of them. Talking with you is always amusing and sometimes surprisingly illuminating. Also, allies should get to know each other.¡±


    That suited Blacknail¡¯s purposes so he nodded. ¡°What do you want to talk about? I know a lot about quite a few interesting things, like all the best mushrooms you can eat.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m curious about the East. I must admit to never having travelled past Westwatch, although I¡¯ve heard a lot about it. It must be quite different than the West.¡±


    ¡°The people are friendlier, if they don¡¯t know you¡¯re a hobgoblin, the trees are the same, and there are fewer vympirs,¡± Blacknail explained as he began to describe some of the other difference he had noticed. He hadn¡¯t seen all that much of the West but he had noticed a few things.


    ¡°Oh, and the people in the West smell less like sweat and more like bitter herbs. They must eat a lot of onions,¡± Blacknail finished before asking a question of his own. He thought it was particularly important to describe exactly how everything smelled because humans had such useless noses. ¡°What¡¯s it like being a vympir?¡±


    Ilsiti stood up straight and spoke in a reverent tone. ¡°The burden of our responsibilities and power weighs heavy on us, but we have a sworn duty to protect our people.¡±


    That didn¡¯t tell Blacknail anything he wanted to know, although he hadn¡¯t expected the vympir to just blurt out his secret weakness. The hobgoblin asked a few more questions but didn¡¯t learn anything important, and after talking for several minutes both parties fell silent and concentrated on walking.


    The next two days were rather uneventful, but on the third they neared Westwatch. While everyone else set up camp on a hidden hill in the forest, Blacknail sent Khita and Elyias into town to look around. He had been gone a while now, and he had a lot of new faces with him, so he didn¡¯t want to run into trouble. Going himself would be riskier since he would have to go in disguise. It would also have required him to walk around, and his feet deserved a break.


    Blacknail was sitting on a log next to a campfire and wiggling his bare toes to get his blood flowing, when he saw Khita and Elyias return. They looked aggravated, which wasn¡¯t good and probably meant that they had something bad to tell him.


    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Khita announced sourly to confirm the hobgoblins¡¯ suspicions.


    Blacknail let his foot drop and sighed. ¡°You never bring me good news. Why do I send you places?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m not responsible for what I find.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should be,¡± Blacknail responded. He would get more good new that way.


    ¡°Are you going to actually listen to what I found?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I¡¯d better. It¡¯s my duty as your leader. What did you see in the town? Was it more trolls? A drake? Two drakes?¡±


    Khita glared at Blacknail. ¡°Why would there be a troll or a drake in a town. No, it¡¯s Werrick¡¯s men. They¡¯ve taken over the place.¡±


    After listening to what Khita said, Blacknail immediately put his shoes on and went to find Ilisti. The vympir needed to hear this.


    ¡°So, what seems to be the problem? We haven¡¯t even truly left the West yet,¡± Ilisti asked once Blacknail had gotten everyone together.


    ¡°My enemy Werrick has been moving quickly while I was gone. His men have taken Westwatch, and his troops watch the roads now,¡± Blacknail explained.


    This news caused Ilisti to frown and look thoughtful, while behind him, Garen kept his expression neutral and unreadable.


    Khita gave the noble a cautious look and then spoke up in a respectful tone. ¡°It¡¯s not just here in this town, either. I talked to a bunch of people on the street and everyone is saying that the Wolf is taking over everywhere. He has troops in all the important towns and villages, and he is even collecting dues now!¡±


    ¡°No one is doing anything to stop him,¡± Elyias added. ¡°They¡¯ve all just rolled over like dogs. The bastard is actually doing it! He is setting himself up as some sort of king.¡±


    ¡°That is upsetting, and not just because of the consequences to the plans we discussed,¡± Ilisti remarked carefully. ¡°There has always been an unspoken agreement about this place, that no one would claim it. Thus, your cults and lords have touched it only lightly, and those of the ancient blood have avoided it. Westwatch has always served as a buffer between lands.¡±


    Khita shrugged. ¡°I guess no one told Werrick that, and technically he is still just a bandit, even if everyone works for him and he also wants to be king. He probably sees no reason not to take it like every other town.¡±


    Ilisti nodded. ¡°Such is the way of tyrants; however, his ignorance is not an excuse. There will be repercussions for this action.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Blacknail asked. He didn¡¯t get it. From what he¡¯d heard the western nobles didn¡¯t exactly get along with each other, or even talk all that much.¡±


    ¡°A powerful noble might attempt to conquer the town and wrest it from this Werrick, while claiming it was self-defense, and his peers may look the other way now. They would have quickly acted to remove him before, so that he wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention to the presence of the ancient blood.¡±


    ¡°Huh, are you thinking of giving it a shot?¡±Khit asked.


    Ilisti chuckled dryly. ¡°Maybe, but not anytime soon. I don¡¯t have the forces to hold such a prize as of this moment, to say nothing of placating the populace.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you planning on doing about all this?¡± Khita asked Blacknail. ¡°You¡¯re the boss.¡±


    The hobgoblin chieftain scratched his nose and began thinking. ¡°We could probably slip past their patrols on the road, after killing only a few of them.¡±


    Ilisti coughed politely to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°But then we would have to worry about their presence behind us, and whether or not they can get a message out. It is possible they might coordinate and set up a blockade in front of us.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°I can lead us around any other humans that show up.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not waste time running and hiding. It is not in my nature, Ilisti replied. ¡°This Werrick has overextended himself here. He obviously doesn¡¯t expect a creditable challenge to emerge, and his position seems weak. I believe the best move would be to smash his local forces, and then move on with our rear secure. My men can easily handle the troops the young woman saw within the city.¡±


    ¡°Sure, we could do that,¡± Blacknail agreed. It sounded like Ilisit¡¯s men would be doing all the hard work anyway.


    ¡°Hmm, there is one thing I didn¡¯t mention, but probably should if we¡¯re going to start a brawl,¡± Khita added. ¡°Rumor has it that Wolfy¡¯s men have two combat mages with them.¡±


    Ilisti frowned. ¡°Wisemen? I don¡¯t know much about them, or their capabilities in combat. In the West, they are considered dangerous and their powers are shunned by both the nobles and the common folk.¡±


    ¡°Smart,¡± Elyias huffed quietly to himself as he gave the vympir a critical look. He obviously wondered why they tolerated vympirs.


    ¡°Mages blow stuff up a lot. They point their staff at you and then boom! Fire or lightning shoots out and you die,¡± Blacknail explained before reciting some of his more exciting experiences fighting mages. It was kind of weird that he had done it so many times¡­


    Ilisiti listened patiently before speaking up again. ¡°It sounds like my plan is still viable, with some alterations and a little aid from the hobgoblins.¡±


    Blacknail licked his lips and smiled eagerly. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s sack a city. I¡¯ve always wanted to do that.¡±


    Werrick had made his move, so now Blacknail needed to make one of his own. The people of the North only obeyed Werrick because they were afraid of him, however they would soon learn that the Wolf was far from the most terrifying warrior around. It was time for Blacknail to announce his glorious self to the world. Joy! He could already taste the blood and ash.

 The Noble Thirst 6

    The walls of Westwatch lay before Blacknail. They were twice a man¡¯s height and constructed of irregular rocks being held in place by gritty grey mortar. The materials had undoubtedly been taken from the rocky hills that surrounded the town. Like most human walls in the North, this one had been constructed primarily to keep dangerous wildlife out. Bears, wolves, and even trolls would have a hard time getting through or over it, which undoubtedly made the people within feel much safer.   The wall also helped keep unwanted people from getting into the town, but not reliably. It could be scaled by a determined invader since most of its length wasn¡¯t watched, and it was barely a barrier at all for Blacknail and his hobgoblins. Most of them had already climbed over it. Their light bodies and sharp claws made them excellent climbers, especially if they took off their boots so that they could use their sharp toenails.


    The noonday sun was almost completely overhead, as Blacknail jumped down off the wall and onto the ground inside. He was now in a dirty alley, and there were rough-looking houses with thatch roofs to either side.  As his minions gathered behind him, Blacknail pulled up his hood and rearranged his clothes to complete his disguise and cover his skin.  His minions did likewise, and once everyone was ready, the hobgoblins began to move carefully deeper into the city.


    With wary anticipation, the hobgoblins crept through the back alleys and toward their goal, the city gates. Blacknail had infiltrated the city and scouted out the place earlier in the day, so he knew where to go and the best way to get there undetected. There was a guard tower next to the gate that was always occupied by at least one sentry and several guards. That meant attacking it directly would be a difficult. Luckily, there were several spots along the wall that were unwatched, like the one that Blacknail and his minions had just climbed over.


    There were a few people on the streets, but the hobgoblins easily avoided them. The city was nervous and on edge. The occupation by Werrick¡¯s men was recent and the townsfolk hadn¡¯t had time to get used to it. This worked in Blacknail¡¯s advantage in some ways, though. Few people would be rushing to report suspicious activity to the occupiers.


    Blacknail leaned out from behind the corner of a building to study a structure across the street. It was a long two-story building made of brick and stone. It was surrounded by an old low stone wall that looked like it was being worked on and shored up, although there were no workers present right now. This was the place that Werrick¡¯s men had taken as their headquarters in Westwatch. It was both defensible and just down the street from the city gates. Blacknail studied it for a few moments, but he didn¡¯t see any activity at the windows or anyone outside, so he signaled to his minions and they continued on.


    The hobgoblins hurried down the road and past an abandoned cart, before darting back into an alley where they could look out at the gate. There was a simple guard tower next to a double wooden door that could be swung shut to block the way into the city. There were several armed men loitering around near the bottom of the tower. As Blacknail watched, a man on horseback approached from outside. One of the guards walked over to talk to him, and then waved him inside a moment later. None of the other guards did more than look over briefly. Most of them were leaning up against the wall or standing around lazily. They didn¡¯t seem that organized or motivated, which was what Blacknail expected from Werrick¡¯s men. They had all probably been deserters and bandits not too long ago.


    After taking a moment to go over the plan in his head again and make sure he had it right, Blacknail looked back over his shoulder. There were two dozen hobgoblins behind him, and all of them looked ready to go. Most of them were grinning in anticipation and licking their lips. Their prey lay ahead, and they had been promised blood and loot. Hobgoblins were simple creatures. That was all they wanted from life, and Blacknail didn¡¯t mind giving it to them.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to wet your teeth and blades with red, but remember the plan,¡± Blacknail said as he gave them all a harsh glare. ¡°Sow chaos and take out any armed humans you see, but be ready to regroup on the signal. If you run off or get lost then you will be left behind, and you will get a kicking from me if you somehow survive, which is unlikely.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± several of the hobgoblins instantly replied. Some of them also threw him sloppy salutes. The others just nodded and grinned in delight.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t convinced that they would obey. Sighing to himself, he pulled out a vial of Elixir and took a swig from it. He then charged across the road, as his minions fell in behind him. They raced toward the unsuspecting guards, most of whom were looking out in the wrong direction, since they assumed any attack would come from outside the city. It wasn¡¯t until Blacknail was within thirty feet of them that someone raised the alarm. A guard near the wall had turned to look in their direction and seen them.


    ¡°Watch out! I think we¡¯re under attack from within,¡± the man yelled to his companions as he drew his sword.


    The other guards reacted quickly, despite their surprise. They drew their weapons as they spun around. Six of them clustered together, and they stepped forward to form a line and buy time for their allies. Blacknail swerved to meet them, as he drew his own weapon. Right before meeting the enemy, he burned a bit of Elixir and sped up ahead of his minions. Power flared throughout his body and carried him forward. Air flowed around him and pulled his hood back, as he slammed into the guards. He laughed manically, and his blade flashed as he hacked at the lead guard¡¯s exposed arm. The man screamed and stumbled back as his flesh was cut and blood spurted out. Blacknail¡¯s speed and fury had shocked them.


    ¡°It¡¯s a hobgoblin. They all are!¡± one of the men yelled. He sounded shocked and more than a little scared, which excited Blacknail.


    ¡°By the gods, you¡¯re right!¡± another guard at the back of the group facing the hobgoblins shouted in response. He was so terrified that his voice broke, and he stumbled backwards.


    Sensing their sweet fear, Blacknail redoubled his assault. He didn¡¯t need the strange magical sense that he¡¯d gained to know that fear was slowing the men¡¯s responses, but he used it. As he batted aside a shaky blade, Blacknail reached out with his magic and touched his preys'' minds. He could sense the glowing fear in their minds, and it was simple for him to feed that spark and make it grow into a fire.


    Ducking under an off-balance slash at his head, Blacknail stabbed the attacker in the gut and then quickly withdrew his blade. The man spat up blood and fell. Swirling about, Blacknail blocked another slash and kicked the swordsman in the groin. There was a satisfying crunch and the man squeaked shrilly as he rose up an inch into the air. Blacknail was already turning to deal with his next target, and then his hobgoblin minions crashed into the guards. Frozen in fear and with Blacknail running amok in their midst, they were cut down like wheat by the wave of hobgoblins.


    Another large group of about half a dozen guards had formed beneath the sentry tower. After finishing off a fallen guard by slashing his neck, Blacknail stalked over to confront them. He wanted to keep fighting. The scent of blood saturated the air, and it filled Blacknail with red-hot energy, mixing with the power of the Elixir that pumped though his veins, driving him forward. He needed to fight and dance upon the corpses of his vanquished foes. What joy that would bring!


    Hesitantly, a guard with a spear stepped forward and stabbed at Blacknail. The hobgoblin grinned as he danced aside and then lunged forward with his blade raised high. He slashed down, and the terrified guard jumped back. The guard hit the man behind him and they both fell in a pile. Blacknail took this opportunity to unleash a flurry of blows upon all the other assembled guards. His sword knocked blades aside and cut through flesh, until several other hobgoblins joined him in cutting down the last few survivors. When the final one was dead, Blacknail took a deep breath to calm his fury and looked around. It was probably time for him to do boss things, so he needed to keep his head clear.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    There were no guards left standing anywhere in sight, although there were corpses piled everywhere, including one that belonged to a hobgoblin. One of his arms had been mangled and hung loose. The cut must have hit a vein because the hobgoblin lay in a pool of his own blood. Blacknail scowled at the corpse for a moment and then moved on. He could afford to lose minions, and it hadn¡¯t been anyone important. In fact, Blacknail had found the dead hobgoblin to be one of his more annoying minions. If he had been better at life he would still be alive now, but he hadn¡¯t been, so his death wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s fault.


    Just then, there was a stomping of boots. Blacknail looked up in alarm, in case it was enemy reinforcements, but he quickly realized the noise was coming from the wrong direction. The stomping sound was rising from outside the gate, which meant it was probably allies. Indeed, when Blacknail looked over, he saw Ilisti leading a formation of troops inside the city. The vympir was fully armored in chain and plate, but he was wearing a new helm. Unlike the one he had worn when facing the troll, this one was open at the front so that his mouth was visible, even if his nose and eyes were protected. Behind the vympir''s men, came Khita and Elyias.


    ¡°Ha, I see everything is going well so far. You¡¯ve secured the gate for us without any problems. That speaks well of your capability,¡± Ilisti remarked as he walked over to Blacknail¡¯s side. He sounded excited.


    ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s the easy part,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°Now you need to hold the gate.¡±


    The vympir turned to study the city. ¡°We can handle it. Have you seen any sign of the wise-men?¡±


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°No, they must be hiding, but if they show themselves I will deal with them, as I promised I would. Mages die easily enough if you do it right.¡±


    ¡°Make sure of it,¡± Ilisti replied grimly. For all is supposed confidence, he sounded a little fearful of the mages.


    ¡°I will. Just hold the gate and wait,¡± Blacknail told him before turning and walking back to his minions.


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± Khita yelled as she ran after him. Blacknail sighed but didn¡¯t try to dissuade her. He was busy, and it wasn¡¯t worth the effort.


    At this point, most the hobgoblins were either watching Ilisti¡¯s men or looting the fallen guards. However, they had all been keeping an eye on their leader and formed up when he yelled to get their attention.  They knew they would get a kicking if they ignored him or looked inattentive.


    Blacknail pointed to a pair of hobgoblins. ¡°You two stay with me. The rest of you, start setting fires and chasing people, but don¡¯t go far and watch for the signals. You all know the plan. Follow it.¡±


    The hobgoblins nodded and did as they were told. Most of them had already dropped their hoods, but those that hadn¡¯t did so now. For this next part of the action, Blacknail wanted everyone to know who was attacking. It was time to make sure everyone heard of Blacknail the hobgoblin and his tribe of savage killers. Word of his might and ability to fight Werrick needed to spread throughout the North.


    The hobgoblins had orders to spread out and sow chaos, and that¡¯s what they did. The hobgoblins ran down the streets and began busting through windows and ransacking everything in sight. There were screams as people inside the nearby homes saw them.


    ¡°Sweet, I¡¯m getting in on this,¡± Khita shouted as she ran over to join them.


    Blacknail sighed again, but let her go. The town was apparently going to be raided by a bunch of hobgoblins and one young redheaded woman. Whatever. He didn¡¯t want to look after her anyway.


    Blacknail led the minions he had selected over towards the enemy base. The streets were completely empty now. Shouts from the fighting and bystanders who had ran off had alerted the city that someone was attacking the gate. The townsfolk had reacted by withdrawing into their homes and hoping whatever was happening passed them by. However, Blacknail did see several people peek out at him from nearby windows. He ignored them, and led his minions to a two story home he had picked out earlier. Blacknail kicked the door open and stormed inside. There was a brief scuffle as they subdued the surprised man inside, but then they left his unconscious body behind and headed upstairs. Up there, Blacknail walked over to a bedroom window and looked out. He could see both the enemy base and all the streets around it clearly.


    The walled compound that Werrick¡¯s men had taken as their own was buzzing with activity now. Dozens of men were running in and out, and a mob was forming up in the courtyard out front. They already outnumbered Ilisti¡¯s troops, and more men were still joining them, but that was Ilisti¡¯s problem. Blacknail ignored them and looked for any sign of the mages. Dealing with them was his mission, however he didn¡¯t see anyone holding a staff or displaying any other signs that they were mages. Everyone he could see looked like thugs or soldiers.


    Patiently, Blacknail watched for several minutes as the soldiers finished assembling and headed off to the gate, but neither of the mages showed themselves. A few moments later, the sound of fighting reached Blacknail¡¯s ears, but he couldn¡¯t see what was going at the gate from his vantage point. He didn¡¯t hear any explosions though, so Ilisti was probably fine. If he could handle a troll he could deal with some normal human soldiers.


    Just as he was about to give up and retreat, Blacknail spotted movement in the compound. A small squad of soldiers rushed out and began running to the gate. In their midst was a man holding a long staff.


    Blacknail grinned ¡°There he is!¡±


    ¡°The guy you want to kill?¡± a hobgoblin asked as he perked up and looked over Blacknail¡¯s shoulder.


    There wasn¡¯t enough room at the window for everyone, and hobgoblins got bored easily, so they had found ways to distract themselves. One hobgoblin had been sleeping on the bed, and the other had carried the unconscious man upstairs and had been poking him in the hope that he would wake up, so he could knock him unconscious again.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to kill him,¡± Blacknail replied as he rushed out of the room.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± the hobgoblins exclaimed as they followed after him.


    The group of soldiers with the mage had already passed by the house, so Blacknail slipped out the front door and quickly followed them. The street was empty except for the mage¡¯s guards.


    ¡°Get your bows ready,¡± told his minions as he readied his own.


    The best way to kill mages was from afar, before they saw you coming. It was easier not to die in a fiery explosion that way.


    ¡°Release all together at my command,¡± Blacknail ordered the hobgoblins when they all had their bows in hand. ¡°Go!¡±


    One of the guards heard something and turned to look, but it was too late. Four arrows zoomed through the air towards the mage¡¯s exposed back. Two of them missed completely, but the others passed through the soldiers and slammed into the mage.  As the mage dropped his staff and fell, his guards spun around.


    ¡°Now we leave,¡± Blacknail remarked as he dashed away at top speed. He could probably finish the soldiers himself, but that wasn¡¯t his job, and he needed to keep an eye out for the other mage.


    ¡°After them!¡± one of the soldiers yelled.


    Instead of going back to the house, Blacknail slipped into an alley and headed for the gate. It was time to check on the fight there, and he wanted to make sure that the second mage hadn¡¯t somehow slipped by him.


    With the dead mage¡¯s guards in pursuit, Blacknail and his minions zipped through a maze of alleys and then scrambled up a drain pipe and over a wall. There was cursing from behind him as the guards were forced to stop in front of the barrier.  Ignoring them, Blacknail led the way down another alley. There was a pile of barrels there he used as a springboard so that he could jump up and reach the roof. Pulling himself up, he crouched on the roof and surveyed the fight happening at the gate.


    Ilisiti¡¯s men were still outnumbered but they were holding their ground. They had formed up into a bent line formation right in front of the gate, with Ilisti himself at the front. The vympir was cutting down enemy soldiers left and right as Werrick¡¯s men tried to push him and his men outside the city. They weren¡¯t having much luck. Down the street, a few buildings were starting to catch fire, and Blacknail saw two hobgoblins chase a man down the road.


    ¡°Can we join in the fun?¡± a hobgoblin asked as he crouched down beside Blacknail. ¡°I want to find some shiny trophies to take.¡±


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go,¡± Blacknail responded.


    He had no idea where the other mage was, but Ilisti didn¡¯t look like he needed any help. The men attacking him were like water splashing against a rock. As Blacknail watched, Ilisti grabbed an enemy swordsman, picked him up, and bit his neck before throwing him aside. Ya, it was time for Blacknail to start rounding up his minions. Also, he needed to go look for Khita. Knowing her, she was probably doing something stupid that would ruin all his plans if he didn¡¯t stop her.

 Interlude: A Singular Purpose

    A skittering sound echoed out from every direction. It wasn¡¯t that loud, but the sound bounced eerily through the dark confines of the tunnel. Unfazed, the watcher waited patiently in the darkness as the noise grew louder. Soon it would complete the mission that it had been commanded to fulfill, and service to the Host was all. It was a warrior and the purpose of life was obedience.


    The cave around the warrior was dark and dank. The only sources of light were small glowing mushrooms that grew in clumps on the ground and from the walls, but that was enough for the warrior. Its four eyes shimmered as they drank up all the light, and they allowed the warrior to see the shiny Harvester beetles that were tending to the nearby mushrooms.


    A few moments later, a mob of shadowy figures emerged from a side passage. The mass of skinny limbs and dark carapace came to stop before the watcher, and the skittering sound died down. The new arrivals were short. They didn¡¯t even come up to the watcher¡¯s shoulders. One of the creatures stepped forward and began making a strange mix of hisses and clicks. It was a member of the Host¡¯s worker cast.


    The warrior listened and then replied in a similar way. When he was done, the lead worker bowed, and the warrior began to return the way he had come. The tunnel was once again full of the sound of claws scrapping against stone as the workers followed him.


    They passed several small Harvester plantations, which they left alone out of respect. The mounds were built from piles of organic mass gathered from the depths and above ground. They were covered in many different types of mushrooms, some of which glowed or glimmered different colors. Sometimes shapes that were much larger than harvesters moved among the fungi, but the shadowy creatures all avoided or fled from the travelers. Clusters of stalactites hung from the ceilings, and occasionally drops of water dripped down from them to splash against the stone floor. The mob of skittering creatures moved past it all unimpeded.


    Soon, they emerged into a circular cavern that was illuminated by a dull light. Across the chamber stood two more warriors, who were guarding the far passage. Both the warriors were armored in thick black carapace, had four shining eyes, and sharp mandibles protruding from their mouths. Like the workers, they had six legs, but they were standing on four of them. Using their top pair of limbs, one of the warriors held a long spear, while the other held a tall staff. Both the staff and the spear were made from a bone-white material that was twisted and looked like it had been grown instead of crafted. The top of the staff held a glowing white crystal, which was the source of the dim light that filled the cave.


    After a brief nod of acknowledgement from the guards, the newly arrived warrior led his worker charges into the passage beyond them. They came out into a huge cavern that had a high roof and was hundreds of feet across. An underground river flowed through the middle of it, filling the chamber with a gentle lapping sound. Around the river, dozens of workers were busy with varied tasks. Using their claws, they tended to the heaps of dirt and refuse they had collected. Like giant Harvesters, the workers built and rooted through the piles. However, they weren¡¯t growing mushrooms. There were very little fungi in sight. Instead, the workers seemed to be reaching inside the piles and extracting something. Claws emerged from dark rotting soil with long white filaments clutched within them. The thin shapes squirmed and flailed about in the air as the beetle-like workers gathered them. They were worms. The entire cavern was a farm for huge white worms.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    The warrior was undaunted by the sight, although it made his stomach rumble slightly from hunger. His mandibles clicked softly as he thought about the sweet taste of slimy worm flesh, but he banished the thought. He had a duty to fulfill, and there was no time to consider anything else. He had been trained well, and he would eat his fill later. There was more than enough food for all the servants of the Host. Under the leadership of the noble caste, the Host had greatly expanded its agricultural operations, so that the next grand spawning could be the biggest ever. The Host''s numbers were growing in leaps and bounds, as was their destiny. Soon.


    At this point, most of the workers that had been following the warrior walked off to seek their next task. Only their leader kept shadowing the warrior and following behind him. Together, they passed through several more caverns. Some of them were farms of various sizes that teams of workers were taking care of.


    Eventually, they entered an incredibly large cavern. The distant walls were veiled by darkness that seemed to stretch on forever, and the roof hung hundreds of feet overhead. Hundreds of towers made of some sort of dark resin-like material stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and similarly constructed walkways and bridges connected the buildings. All throughout the darkness little pinpricks of white light glowed softly, like stars in the night sky. A nearby light post revealed the source of the dull illumination. There was a small mana crystal sitting atop it.


    A steady chorus of whispering and tapping echoed through the cavern. The dim light glinted off countless black carapaces, as workers and warriors scurried along the bridges and ramps that led in every direction. The darkness here flowed and roiled with the gathered creatures¡¯ endless obscured movements.


    The warrior and the worker submerged themselves into the flow of their kind, as they headed to a ramp that twisted its way up one of the largest towers. They ascended the incline, and when they were halfway to the ceiling, they entered the tower through a gaping irregular entrance in the resin. It was quiet and completely dark within the room, and after stepping inside both of them stood at attention and waited.


    From the impenetrable darkness, two large creatures emerged. They were as tall as the warrior but with thicker builds. Their bellies were rounder and the armor at back of their heads was longer and covered with ridges, although they had the same general shape and black carapace. With a series of clicks and raspy grunts they addressed the warrior and the worker. These were administrators, the highest servants of the nobility, and their words were not to be questioned.


    When they were done talking, the warrior responded. He told them all about what the scouts had discovered above ground and the feed they had brought back with them. Of particular importance was their observations of the humans, the ancient invaders. The nobility and the administrators wanted to map out the location of as many human settlements as possible. The resurgence was coming, and the Host would soon reclaim what had once been theirs. The exile had been long ago and they were no longer what they had once been, they were now the Host. Their weaknesses had been stripped from them during their retreat into the darkness below. The deep places and its beasts had tried to devour them, but they had devoured them instead. The exiles had learned much and taken their enemy¡¯s strength as their own. Under the divine guidance of the nobility, the casts had been formed, and the Host had been forged into a single will with a single purpose. Soon.

 To Forgotten Places 1

    It took a bit longer than Blacknail had hoped to track down all his hobgoblin minions. He had ordered them to show themselves off to the townsfolk and to sow chaos, and they had gone about it with great enthusiasm and inventiveness. Following the sound of screams, Blacknail had found one hobgoblin chasing a shrieking woman down the street. Judging by his slow pace and the grin that had been on his face, the hobgoblin hadn¡¯t been trying to catch her, but the chase had amused him greatly. Another hobgoblin had been chopping down someone¡¯s front door with an axe, while the occupants huddled inside. Apparently, the family had just finished baking a pie, and the smell had drawn the hobgoblin. Blacknail also found a pair of hobgoblins carrying a bunch of crates full of chickens back toward the gates, and lastly, he¡¯d found Khita ransacking a jeweler¡¯s shop with two hobgoblins she had convinced to help her. They had gathered up quite a large sack of loot before Blacknail¡¯s arrival.


    While Blacknail had herded his followers back to the gate, Ilisti and his men had shattered the town¡¯s defenders. Like a force of nature, the vympr had cut down or crushed every man who had dared come within reach of his long deadly blade. Faced with such a juggernaut, the terrified defenders had broken ranks and run. Unopposed, Ilisiti had then moved on to complete the next part of plan. He led his troops deeper into the city and burned the enemy stronghold to the ground. Deprived of a rallying point and their supplies, the remaining enemies would have a much harder time reorganizing or following Blacknail¡¯s allies when they left.


    Despite Blacknail¡¯s paranoia, the second mage never showed himself. He had either been killed before he¡¯d had a chance to cast any magic, or he was hiding somewhere far away from the fighting. Battlefields were messy places, and in Blacknail¡¯s experience battles rarely went as planned. He was just glad chance had worked in his favor this one time. It was probably the first time ever. Still, Blacknail kept an eye out as he rejoined Ilisti and led everyone out of the city. You never knew when random people would try to kill you.


    Although Ilisti¡¯s men had taken some time to loot after the fighting, most the takings had been plundered by the hobgoblins. Blacknail planned on making his minions share, though. In particular, there was a barrel of pickles and a sack of meat pies the humans would probably enjoy. There were also quite a few bags of coins and other shiny bits they could share. Blacknail was getting tired of having so much money, and coins were surprisingly heavy and hard to carry in large amounts. Also, he never did anything with them anyway. Sure, they were nice and sparkly, but at this point he preferred more unique or useful items. The opportunity to spend money almost never came his way for some reason. It was weird.


    Blacknail¡¯s favorite new acquisition was thus a purple hat. He loved it, and he was wearing it right now. The hat had a wide-brim and a white feather sticking out from the top. Stylish. It wasn¡¯t even loot, and it definitely wasn¡¯t stolen. Blacknail wasn¡¯t a thief. Rather, the hat had been a gift from an admirer. A man whose house Blacknail had wandered into had thrown it at him before running away. Obviously, he¡¯d wanted Blacknail to have it, probably because he¡¯d thought it would look much better on the hobgoblin¡¯s head. Purple and green looked great together.


    Once back on the road and well away from the city walls, the victorious force stopped and took a moment to catch their breath and reorganize. As Blacknail chased a pair of hobgoblins away from the loot and yelled at them to go out and scout, Khita jogged over to him. She was hauling around a small sack of loot and there was a satisfied grin on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s the most the fun I¡¯ve ever had. What a sharp party!¡± she shouted happily.


    ¡°It was alright,¡± Blacknail replied as he reached up to adjust his new hat. He was keeping an eye on all the surrounding activity, in case something went wrong. It usually did, especially when Khita was around.


    The redhead¡¯s grin grew wider. ¡°We need to do this again soon! Joining Herad and becoming a bandit was the right choice after all. This is the life!¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. He had been under the impression that she had joined Herad¡¯s band because all her old gang friends had been out to kill her and she had needed to flee her old home.


    ¡°Say, I¡¯ve been thinking, Blacknail,¡± Khita said in an excited but quiet voice.


    ¡°Try to keep it simple so you don¡¯t get confused,¡± Blacknail remarked helpfully.


    ¡°Ha, very funny. You should be a minstrel,¡± Khita told him as she huffed in annoyance. ¡°What was I talking about? Right. This is what I want out of life. To be the baddest bitch around, like Herad was. I¡¯m sick of following others around. I¡¯m want to show the world how great I am! I want to conquer with sword and fire!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re terrible with a sword,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°I am not, you green ass. Sure, I¡¯m not as good as Herad was, almost no one is, but I¡¯ll get better with practice.¡±


    ¡°You also don¡¯t practice,¡± Blacknail pointed out. He trained a lot more than her, almost every day. It helped him quiet his emotions and it reminded him what was important.


    Khita glared at him but kept talking. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stay a nameless minion. I¡¯ll find a way to make a real name for myself. Life isn¡¯t worth living if you don¡¯t seize your dreams, and cut down every asshole who tries to stop you.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. Go ahead,¡± Blacknail answered with a nod of his head. Agreeing with her was usually the best way to shut her up.


    Khita scowled at him. She seemed to suspect that he wasn¡¯t really paying attention, but before she could say anything more Blacknail spoke up. ¡°We need to get moving, so I need to go do important leader things now. Come see me when I¡¯m done. We can talk as we walk.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Blacknail then hurried away. If Khita did come to see him later while they were marching, he could always pick up the pace until she was too tired to talk to him. It was one of the many strategies he¡¯d developed to shut her up.


    Soon, the combined force of hobgoblins and men were once again headed east toward Shelter. Ilisti was able to get his men moving at a quick pace, and this spurred the hobgoblins on. Much to Blacknail¡¯s delight, Khita didn¡¯t manage to say more than a few words to him along the way. They travelled the rest of the day and then set up camp when it began to grow dark. In the wild, it was important to scout out a good site and secure it properly, lest you run into unpleasant surprises during the night, such as mimics or boars.


    After a few more days of travelling, they passed by Riverrun and entered territory that Blacknail was more familiar with. They avoided the town by crossing the river at a shallow point downstream, and then they hiked back over to the road. Their group was way too suspicious looking to enter the town. They wanted to avoid being sighted by anyone who would report back to Werrick.


    As they were walking down the road, an abandoned village came into sight to their left. It wasn¡¯t the first one they had passed either. Thick bushes and slender trees surrounded its derelict buildings and covered what was left of its fields. The sight seemed to interest Ilisti. He stopped at the edge of the road and studied it for a moment, so Blacknail slowed down to wait for him.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I had heard that the East was starting to fray at the seams, but I had not expected to see such obvious signs of ruin,¡± Ilisti mused aloud. ¡°Out west, we usually think of these lands as richer than our own, although we don¡¯t like admitting it. Seeing it like this is odd.¡±


    Elyias was walking behind Blacknail, but he stopped to reply. ¡°Ha, things did use to be blessedly good in these parts. The harvests were bountiful, and everyone had a smile on their face when I was young. That stopped after the wars started. Way down south, Teshura and Deveshur went at each other like cats in a sack over trading rights or something, and it didn¡¯t end there. The kings of Eloria and Hulgaron decided to join the fray - because crowns apparently turn men¡¯s minds to mush - and everything has been a bloody mess since. After the Doom of Coroulis, small villages like this one couldn¡¯t defend themselves against the bands of deserters coming from the South or the beasts coming down from the mountains.¡±


    Ilisti nodded and began walking again. ¡°Yes, that makes sense. I suppose the rigid ways of my people are useful sometimes.¡±


    The next day, they left civilization behind and headed off into the Deep Green, for no real roads led to Shelter. The only way there was a long trek along a narrow trail through the wild forests of the North. Even with a guide, it was a rough and dangerous journey. Thankfully, everyone in the group was used to hard marches through uneven terrain, although Ilisti had to leave his cart behind. The most important cargo was tied to the horses, and the rest was thrown away.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not be leading us to our doom,¡± Ilisti remarked jovially as they hiked through the forest. Despite the difficulty of their travel he had kept up a good mood.


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± Blacknail replied as he scratched his noise.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t surprise me, although I hope it isn¡¯t always from new people.¡±


    Blacknail threw the vympir a wicked grin. ¡°It usually is. I make friends easily.¡±


    Ilisti laughed and kept walking. Behind him, Garen looked uncomfortable, but that was normal for him.


    ¡°These woods are not so different from my family¡¯s old lands,¡± Ilisti remarked. ¡°You said that there are hidden villages still surviving out here? That sounds like a perfect place for me to claim. I will need a base of operations if I am to help you.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°You can¡¯t have Shelter, that¡¯s mine, but we can find you another village. I¡¯m sure there are some around that need saving. All the humans around here keep dying. They need smart and tough leaders like us to look after them.¡±


    Another day passed, and they began to grow closer to their destination. With the hobgoblins scouting out ahead, they climbed rocky hills and skirted dark bogs that were full of buzzing insects. As if sensing their strength, the creatures of the forest avoided the travelers and kept their distance. That made Blacknail nervous. He had a feeling that something bad was going happen. Ilisti had slain a troll, one of the fiercest beasts of the North, but no matter how dangerous you were there was always something nastier in the Deep Green. On the third day, Blacknail¡¯s suspicions were proven right. Midstride, he froze as the hunting cry of a drake echoed through the trees. His spine shivered in response to the sound and all his hair stood up straight. The humans noticed his reaction and stopped as well.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Elyias asked nervously.


    ¡°A drake,¡± Blacknail explained as he glanced about. The trees were old and had grown tall in this part of the forest. This made it hard to see far, because although there wasn¡¯t much growth near the ground, the thick canopy overhead made the forest dim and shadowy.


    Elyias shuddered. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    That was a good question. Blacknail wished he knew the answer. Saeter¡¯s only real advice about drakes was to avoid them, which wasn¡¯t very helpful. The massive predators were rare and tended not to bother hunting small prey such as humans or hobgoblins, but if they did decide they wanted to taste you there was basically nothing you could do about it. They could outrun people with ease and were strong enough to topple trees.


    Blacknail carefully listened to the now muted sound of the forest. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s nearby. We should keep moving.¡±


    Ilisti nodded and began walking again at a slightly faster pace. He was no stranger to the ways of the Deep Green. ¡°Yes, that seems like the wisest course. Loitering around here would be foolhardy."


    Thankfully, there were no more drake screams or any other sign of the fearsome beast. The next day, just before the sun reached the apex of the sky, Blacknail and his companions reached Shelter. Gathering at the edge of the woods, they looked out at the walled village across the fields.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Shelter, eh? It¡¯s not a bad size for a town,¡± Ilisti observed. There was a hungry gleam in his eyes that Blacknail didn¡¯t like.


    ¡°You stay here. Having a whole bunch of new people show up might startle them and your red eyes stand out,¡± Blacknail replied as he began walking across the fields. ¡°I¡¯ll go see what has happened in my absence.¡±


    Khita followed him. ¡°I¡¯m coming with.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to inquire as to the location of any other nearby towns that might still be alive,¡± Garen called after them.


    Tired from the long journey but excited to be back, Blacknail approached the town gate. Once there, he called out to get the guard¡¯s attention. The villager on duty let them in after a brief moment of hesitation. He was surprised to see the hobgoblin after such a long absence and a little nervous, but he opened the gate for Khita and him.


    Blacknail immediately headed for Tannin¡¯s house. The village elder would be able to answer all his questions. After a knock on the door, it opened to reveal the bearded middle-aged man. There was frustrated scowl on his face at first, but a surprised smile appeared when he recognized his guests.


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re back, eh? I was wondering where you¡¯d wandered off to.¡±


    Before Blacknail could reply, Khita spoke up. ¡°We just went for a hike.¡±


    Tannin gave her an amused look. ¡°That was a long hike. You were gone for weeks.¡±


    ¡°We also went South to do some shopping, because we got bored.¡±


    ¡°Oh, did you get anything interesting? Other than that gaudy misfortune of a hat,¡± Tannin asked as he eyed the purple hat that was still perched on Blacknail¡¯s head.


    ¡°Yes, but the hat was the best part,¡± Blacknail replied sincerely.


    The hobgoblin quickly gave the town leader a completely fabricated account of where they had been. After finding out that everything had been quiet around Shelter, Blacknail subtly steered the conversation to a new topic so he could ask Tannin same questions.


    ¡°Say, there aren¡¯t any more villages still around in this area, are there? That are full of living people and not corpses or wolves or worse,¡± he enquired.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a weird request. What¡¯s with the sudden interest?¡±


    ¡°I was just thinking of doing some exploring.¡±


    ¡°Well, there used to be a few nearby settlements, back in the day. However, I know the people in most of them packed up and moved south to live in the larger cities where they thought it would safer, and we lost contact with the rest of all our old neighbors years ago. I don¡¯t imagine any of them are left. It¡¯s takes real grit to survive out in the Green like we do,¡± Tannin replied with more than a little pride.


    ¡°You survived, so maybe some of them did too. Which village do you think has the best chance of still being around?¡±


    Tannin¡¯s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he pulled gently on his beard. ¡°Probably Herstcrest. It was the largest, other than us, but they were always a bit stuck up and unfriendly. If they have somehow survived I wouldn¡¯t suggest going there. Isolation will have probably made them jumpy and paranoid, and you¡¯re you. They probably want nothing to do with a hobgoblin.¡±


    ¡°Which way was Herstcrest? I can¡¯t avoid it if I don¡¯t know where it is,¡± Blacknail asked.


    This earned him a skeptical look from Tannin, but he gave the hobgoblin directions anyway. Herstcrest lay about a days travel to the west. There had used to be a small dirt road, but it had been overgrown by the forest years ago. After listening, Blacknail thanked Tannin and departed.


    As they were leaving, Khita turned to Blacknail. ¡°I¡¯m going to stick around here. I got some stuff to do in Shelter, and one of us should stop in and talk to Geralhd and the others.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Blacknail replied without stopping. He was hardly going argue with her.


    ¡°I need talk to some people and get some things organized, so I can do what we talked about earlier,¡± Khita yelled at his back.


    Blacknail had no idea what she was talking about so he just waved and then walked away. He needed to meet back up with Ilisti, and head over to the hobgoblin settlement. Biting his lip, Blacknail felt a nervous twinge. He had been away from most of his goblin minions for too long. Without his leadership, they were probably causing all sorts of damage, and he had to make sure no one was conspiring against him. That happened a lot with hobgoblins. Gob was good at weeding most of them out but he wasn¡¯t perfect. After he was sure everything was alright at the goblin settlement, and he¡¯d had some time to rest, he needed to go looking for Ilisti¡¯s village. Hopefully, this Herstcrest place was still around, and not full of terrible monsters. That would be a nice change.

 To Forgotten Places 2

    Although some of Ilisti¡¯s men wanted to visit Shelter, Blacknail convinced them that wasn¡¯t a good idea. Instead, he guided them back into the forest and toward his goblin settlement. The hobgoblin chieftain and the vympirs made plans as they walked. There were some grumbles from the men - they were tired from walking - but they obeyed their leaders without question.


    ¡°And you think this town of Herstcrest is our favored bet?¡± Ilisiti asked.


    ¡°Sounds like it. It¡¯s not too far away, and it was big and rich,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°The people should still be there, but if it is gone we can just look somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°Very well. My men could use a day or two of rest, but after that I¡¯d like to get moving as soon as possible. There is no point in lying around.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You can camp outside my base. This is my territory. We have lots of food for you and it will be safe.¡± Or at least Blacknail hoped that was the case. All the stupid lazy goblins ate way too much, and they might have emptied the food stores while he was gone. Useless things.


    The walk to their destination took a few hours, but regular use had beaten down the dirt and created a fairly smooth path between Shelter and the goblin settlement. That made the going a little easier, although they still had to climb a few hills and cross some streams. When they reached the top of the hill that overlooked the settlement, there was near silence as the men and hobgoblins took a moment to take in the sight below them. The only sound was the wind blowing through the nearby trees and rustling their leaves


    It was Garen that eventually spoke up first. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, but I must admit, in my head, your base was much smaller than this. I did not think that hobgoblins could build things such as this.¡± He sounded slightly worried.


    There were grunts and mumbles of agreement from the other men, and Blacknail as well. The hobgoblin chieftain was more than a little surprised by what he saw. His base had expanded and grown during his absence. The forest around it had been chopped down and pushed back another hundred feet, and the area inside the wall was now stuffed full of buildings, except for where the rocky hills jutted out of the ground and where the training ground was. Most of the structures were made of clay bricks, although there were still some that had been rigged together using wooden poles and stitched animal hides. There was very little organization to the placement of the buildings. They looked to have been built wherever there was an open patch of level ground, and what must have been hundreds of small green figures could be seen moving around inside and outside the walls.


    Sighing, Blacknail stared at the mess. That was a lot of mouths to feed, although it looked like Gob had worked and planted crops in most of the cleared ground outside the walls. Blacknail hoped that the harvest would be enough to feed everyone through the winter. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there were a thousand goblins living in the settlement. You could really cram a lot of goblins into a small space if you had to, but that was still a lot. Well, at least it hadn¡¯t all burned down. Blacknail had been a little worried about Imp and Ferrar¡¯s dangerous activities, and all the other goblins and hobgoblins probably weren¡¯t much better. All of them would probably enjoy burning down a few buildings just to see what happened. They didn¡¯t have his wisdom and self-control.


    As Blacknail watched with interest, he noticed a group of about a dozen goblins burst out of the forest below and head toward the gate, which was guarded by three hobgoblins. The goblins seemed to be yelling something that got the guards'' attention, because one of the hobgoblins ran inside, while the other two looked up at Blacknail¡¯s position. It seemed like their arrival had been noticed. Hopefully, that was a good thing.


    Blacknail began to climb down the hill, and his hobgoblin minions followed him. ¡°You humans stay here. I¡¯m going to go down and explain who you are, so that no one tries to throw rocks at you, but keep your helmets on just in case.¡±


    By the time he got near the gate, all the goblins had fled out of sight. At first, the two remaining hobgoblin guards drew their weapons and eyed him suspiciously, but then they recognized him and visibly relaxed.


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t know your own leader?¡± Blacknail asked them crossly. ¡°Why are you raising your weapons at me? Do you think there are lots of other enemy hobgoblins wandering around out here?¡±


    One of the guards looked sheepish as he sheathed his blade. ¡°We¡¯re sorry for not recognizing your handsome and wonderful face sooner, boss. We¡¯re at war, though, so we¡¯re a bit jumpy.¡±


    Blacknail frowned in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re at war?¡± What was that supposed to mean?


    ¡°There have been some strange goblins and hobgoblins about. They attacked some of the tribe¡¯s goblins while they were out hunting, so Gob ordered everyone to keep a watch out for them.¡±


    Before Blacknail could ask any clarifying questions, Gob arrived with a small mob of hobgoblins in tow. He grinned in excitement when he saw Blacknail, and immediately bowed. This sudden movement surprised the hobgoblins running behind him, and they almost ran right into him, and had to jump back. As other hobgoblins copied Gob and bowed, their formation dissolved into confusion. Blacknail sighed and motioned for Gob to step forward and speak, which the hobgoblin quickly did.


    ¡°Supreme one! Your return fills me with overflowing joy! I stand ready to fulfill your commands,¡± Gob said as he gave Blacknail a sloppy salute.


    ¡°Thank you, this place is still standing, so I suppose you¡¯ve done a good job in my absence,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°Now what is this about a war?¡±


    Gob scratched the side of his head and looked embarrassed. ¡°I had hoped to destroy these pests before your return, so I could present their skulls to you as a trophy. I¡¯m sorry for failing in this, wise leader.¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine, but who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Some of the goblins started to come back from foraging with injuries they said were from fighting other goblins. I told them to hunt in larger groups so they could drive these invaders away, but the enemy responded in kind. Now there are big fights between dozens of goblins all the time, and there are reports of hobgoblins among the enemy.¡±


    ¡°From goblins? Only a few goblins have seen anything?¡± Blacknail asked Gob skeptically. This was all sounding very vague to him, and not something a true leader would be worried about.


    ¡°I sent out hobgoblins to be sure. They found some tracks, but they had to come back before they found anything else. The cowardly enemy is hiding very far away, at the edge of your territory, boss.¡±


    ¡°How far away?¡± Blacknail asked.


    Gob shrugged. ¡°About half a day of walking.¡±


    Blacknail sighed again. He hadn¡¯t even known his territory was that large. In fact, it sounded like some of Blacknail¡¯s ever growing horde of useless minions had entered the territory of another hobgoblin. His goblins were the invaders!


    ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about that right now. We have more important things to do. I brought a bunch of humans with me,¡± Blacknail said. As far as he could tell this war existed almost completely in his minions¡¯ heads. They were being paranoid, and causing him grief.


    ¡°Yes, the sentries said they saw a lot of tough-looking humans approaching, and here you are leading them,¡± Gob observed proudly. ¡°Are they your prisoners?¡±


    Blacknail grunted. Gob sure was confident in his leader. ¡°They are some new allies I hope to use against our human enemies.¡±


    ¡°So, you tricked them into fighting for you. I see. You are the cleverest of all hobgoblins. None are your equal,¡± Gob replied with wide eyes full of adoration.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ not true,¡± Blacknail replied thoughtfully.


    Just then, Herah pushed her way through the hobgoblin¡¯s behind Gob and lunged at Blacknail with wide open arms. Blacknail raised a hand and held her back before she could hug him.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, boss!¡± she yelled in excitement as she struggled to get closer to him. There was a wide excited grin on her face, and she was practically drooling.


    Keeping his arm stiff, Blacknail studied the female hobgoblin. She hadn¡¯t changed much since he¡¯d seen her last. She was still incredibly annoying, although he had to admit she wasn¡¯t unattractive, even if the drool didn¡¯t help. He probably wouldn¡¯t have minded her attention if the idea of letting another hobgoblin get so close wasn¡¯t so off-putting. All hobgoblins were dangerous, and Blacknail knew that if he fooled around with Herah then he would never be rid of her. She would cling to him and never let go. Besides, he was a very busy leader, with little free time. He was always doing important things, like napping.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Blacknail said he shoved her back. He then took a step sideways so that Gob was between them.


    Gob didn¡¯t appreciate being used as a shield, but he just frowned resignedly before addressing his master again. ¡°Do you need anything from me, boss? I live to serve you.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°Our guests will need food, and I don¡¯t want anyone bothering them. Take care of it.¡±


    ¡°As you command, greenest. I also have a message from Imp and the human mage for you. They wanted you to visit when you got back.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Blacknail replied as he began to walk to the mage¡¯s hut. Had Gob just called him greenest?


    Blacknail wanted to get off his feet, but it was undoubtedly a good idea to check on the mages as soon as possible. Who knew what they were getting up to? Probably nothing good.


    ¡°Do you have more questions for me?¡± Gob asked as he moved up alongside his chieftain.


    Looking around at all the buildings, Blacknail took a moment to think before answering. There was one thing that was bothering him. ¡°How many hobgoblins are in my tribe now?¡±


    Gob smiled proudly. ¡°A hundred and three.¡±


    Blacknail stared at the other hobgoblin. He didn¡¯t understand. What was he supposed to do with a hundred hobgoblins? How was this settlement still standing? Why wasn¡¯t Shelter a burnt-out wreck? How was he going to feed them all? He could feel a headache coming on.


    ¡°How are you keeping them all in line?¡± he asked Gob in disbelief.


    ¡°I use the wise ways you taught me. The sword training weeds out the untrainable hobgoblins and teaches them to obey, and I task the most useful with keeping the others in line. They are my direct subordinates, and not part of a home.¡±


    Blacknail blinked. ¡°Part of a home?¡±


    Gob nodded and pointed at several nearby buildings. ¡°Every home in the camp is run by a hobgoblin, who is in charge of everyone who lives there. They are like small tribes in the larger tribe. Sometimes hobgoblins fight for control of a home, but we stay out of it unless it affects whole tribe. This keeps most of the other hobgoblins busy while I lead tribe for you.¡±


    Much to Blacknail¡¯s surprise, that sounded like it might actually work. Weird. ¡°And all the home leaders listen to you?¡±


    ¡°I kill them if they don¡¯t, and someone else takes over their home. You have many loyal followers, but the homeheads don¡¯t get along with each other, so they have no allies. The only reason they don¡¯t fight is because we don¡¯t let them.¡±


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s great that I thought of all that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss. You¡¯re the wisest and strongest of leaders,¡± Gob agreed. His eyes glowed with complete sincerity, which Blacknail found a little unnerving.


    Suddenly, there was a loud squealing noise from just out sight. It sounded like it had been made by some sort of large animal.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Blacknail asked as he turned to look for the source. Dangerous animals shouldn¡¯t have been able to get into the base undetected. That was why they had a wall and guards.


    ¡°Those are your pigs,¡± Gob replied. ¡°We¡¯ve been taking care of them, as you ordered.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. It took him a moment to remember what Gob was talking about. Those beasts were still around? He had completely forgotten about them.


    ¡°No one ate the piglets?¡± he asked in surprise.


    Gob scolwed fiercely. ¡°Who would dare do such a thing? You commanded us to take care of them forever!¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Blacknail admitted, but he¡¯d only said that to annoy Khita. She hated the animals.


    ¡°Well, lets go see them,¡± Blacknail said as he headed in the direction the squealing had come from. The piglets were probably big enough to eat now, and he was hungry.


    As soon as they circled around one of the nearby brick houses, a different kind of structure came into sight. It was a small shack made of wood and bark, and there was a crude post fence around it. The inside of the fence was full of mud and several pigs. Blacknail blinked in surprise when he saw the animals. They were huge. None of them were the size of the giant boar Blacknail had fought, but some of them were looked like they weighed more than a hobgoblin already. As he studied them, one of the beasts looked back. It regarded him beady black eyes set above a twitching pink snout. Its thick fur was dark brown, and two long yellow tusks jutted out of its mouth.


    ¡°They must eat a lot,¡± Blacknail observed. He knew he¡¯d been saying that a lot, but it was important. Somebody had to make sure there was enough food to go around, and for the occasional feast.


    ¡°Gunkit lets them roam around outside the walls,¡± Gob explained. ¡°The pigs tear up the ground and eat their fill there, which helps with the planting. They also eat the bushes. They are very thorough.¡±


    Blacknail was about to ask who Gunkit was, when a hobgoblin appeared at the edge of fence. Blacknail had failed to notice him before because he was covered in mud from the tip of his head to his toes. The hobgoblin ¨C presumably Gunkit ¨C saluted, and Blacknail leaned sideways as mud was thrown into the air and almost hit him.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re in charge here?¡± Blacknail asked the hobgoblin. He had a weird hunched-over posture that made him seem much shorter than most hobgoblins.


    Gunkit smiled and grunted proudly. ¡°I tamed them, boss! They are good beasts. I fed and played with them every day. Together, we roll around in the mud and dig up roots out of the ground for eating.¡±


    ¡°Gunkit lives here with them,¡± Gob added.


    Blacknail scratched his head. It sort of seemed like the beasts had tamed Gunkit, instead of the other way around. With his mud splattered body and hunched-over posture he was almost more of a boar than a hobgoblin. Two of the pigs made an almost affectionate noise as they ran over to the fence and stared at Blacknail.


    ¡°They remember you,¡± Gunkit exclaimed happily.


    Blacknail walked over to the fence and gave both the pigs a quick pat on the head. They were soft to the touch, and their snouts tickled him as they sniffed his hand, before he withdrew.


    ¡°Well, keep up the good work,¡± Blacknail told Gunkit before turning to leave with Gob. It didn¡¯t seem like he would be eating roasted pig anytime soon.


    ¡°He¡¯s a little weird, isn¡¯t he?¡± Blacknail remarked to Gob as they resumed walking over to Imp¡¯s hut.


    Gob shrugged. ¡°He is a hobgoblin who is both useful and loyal, boss.¡±


    ¡°True, that is very weird,¡± Blacknail agreed. He couldn¡¯t really complain about his minions being odd.


    It didn¡¯t take them very long to cross the village and arrive at their destination. Imp¡¯s shack had changed a lot. In fact, it was obviously a completely new shack, since it was larger and all the wood had been replaced by mud bricks. Gob shouted to signal their arrival and Imp almost immediately appeared in the door.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back. Good, good,¡± the hobgoblin mage exclaimed happily as he squinted at Backnail. ¡°I have a lot to tell you, I do.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve improved your hut,¡± Blacknail observed after he told Gob to leave and take care of the tasks he had given him.


    Imp smiled and waved him inside. ¡°Ah, yes. Brick is good. Less likely to burn down. Although, you could still melt it with green fire¡­¡±


    Blacknail hesitated in the doorway, but then stepped inside. The interior of the building was bright. It had two large windows that let in sunlight, two active mage lights, and a small fire burning in a bowl on a table. The walls were lined with shelves that held all of Imp¡¯s magical equipment, and there was a large table in the center of the room. Blacknail was pleased to see Avorlus standing near a shelf. He hadn¡¯t been sure if the bearded human mage was going to be here.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you got back,¡± Avorlus grumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being left here so long. I may have learned some interesting things, but this place is a heap. Walking back here from the village is tiring, and I can¡¯t risk doing any real work somewhere those ignorant peasants might stumble upon it.¡±


    Before Blacknail could reply he spotted another person sitting at the table behind Avorlus. Surprisingly, it was a human woman. She scowled angrily at Blacknail as he glanced her way, and he recognized her. It was the mage he had captured during the fight with the raiders.!


    ¡°What is she doing here?¡± he asked Avorlus.


    ¡°Where else would she go?¡± the mage replied with a shrug. ¡°She knows she can¡¯t escape from a hobgoblin encampment out in the Deep Green, so she is trying to extend her life as much as possible by being as helpful as she can.¡±


    ¡°She is useless. We have much better mages than her,¡± Blacknail remarked coldly. She was a just a combat mage. They were soldiers, and they knew far less about magic than Imp or Avorlus.


    ¡°Be that as it may, she can still contribute. I¡¯m too old to be cutting myself and drawing blood from my veins, and having another pair of human hands around doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°Use a goblin.¡±


    ¡°I remain unconvinced that goblin blood and that of humans are perfect substitutes. There might be minute differences in their composition that could taint my careful formula.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. He had mostly understood what Avorlus had just said. ¡°Fine, whatever. I see you gave her clothes back.¡±


    There was wordless growl of rage from the woman, and Avorlus laughed. ¡°Yes, having her around in the nude would have been quite the distraction.¡±


    ¡°Is she what you wanted to show me?¡±


    Avorlus grinned and pulled several vials of dark liquid out of his coat pocket. ¡°Ah, no. She is of little import. I wanted you to know that I have completed my part of the bargain, and taught Imp here how to make your Elixir. These are the first fruits of his labor, and we also have some other concoctions to show you.¡±

 To Forgotten Places 3

    Blacknail leaned forward and studied the vials of Elixir that Avorlus was holding. ¡°Imp made those?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I supervised the work, but his hands are indeed the ones that crafted them,¡± Avorlus answered.


    ¡°And I won¡¯t die if I drink them?¡± The Elixir looked the same as the stuff Blacknail usually drank, but that didn¡¯t mean much.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. These are completely indistinguishable from what you¡¯ve used before.¡±


    With a reluctant sigh, Blacknail reached out and took the vials. He was going to have to trust Imp eventually if he wanted to keep getting Elixir. As Blacknail was tucking the vials into one of his pockets, the mage coughed to clear his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯d just like to remind you that you don¡¯t necessarily need to drink all the Elixir yourself,¡± Avorlus pointed out. ¡°You could give it to another hobgoblin in order to empower a new Vessel.¡±


    That hadn¡¯t occurred to Blacknail. ¡°Don¡¯t most people who take Elixir die?¡±


    ¡°Usually that is the case. It is a necessary sacrifice. Although, it¡¯s hard to tell if the same rules would apply for this particular recipe ¨C sense it hasn¡¯t been tested at all - and for hobgoblins as a species,¡± Avorlus explained as he grinned hungrily. ¡°I have no real experience dealing with the empowerment of inhuman beings. That¡¯s why I would like to run some experiments, to clarify things. Understanding this will undoubtedly prove important to your future plans.¡±


    Blacknail eyed the bearded mage. That sounded like a terrible idea. He really didn¡¯t want more hobgoblin Vessels running around. They would be a threat. The only hobgoblin he would even consider giving Elixir to was Gob. Being a Vessel would probably help Gob keep the others in line, but it wasn¡¯t worth the risk of losing him.


    ¡°No, my trustworthy minions are too valuable to lose,¡± he told the mage.


    Avorlus nodded. He seemed to understand the unsaid implications. ¡°What if we kept our experiments to goblins?¡±


    Feeling conflicted, Blacknail frowned. ¡°Fine, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Good. Thank you. Nothing of value was ever produced without equal sacrifice. I¡¯m also working on some other projects that I will share with you soon,¡± Avorlus replied.


    Blacknail turned to Imp. ¡°Do you have any new magics?¡±


    Imp looked thoughtful and then wandered over to pick up a staff that was leaning against the wall. ¡°I¡¯ve discovered a few new types of explosions, but mostly Avorlus has been helping me clean up my magic and use my new staff. I can use it to shoot fire now, like the human mages do.¡±


    ¡°Very nice, but what do you mean clean up your magic?¡± Blacknail remarked in confusion.


    Avorlus coughed and interjected himself into the conversation. ¡°Imp¡¯s process was effective in so far as it could produce mana crystals, but it created too many flaws and needed refining. Clay pots are not a good container to grow crystals in. They contaminate their contents. When doing any sort of mana engineering clean tools made from glass or metal are far safer to work with.¡±


    ¡°We need more glass, though,¡± Imp added. ¡°I only have a few pieces I took from Mahedium.¡±


    Avorlus¡¯ eyes narrowed angrily at the mention of the other mage¡¯s name. ¡°Yes, we need much better working conditions than this. Access to glassblowers and craftsmen not available here or Shelter is paramount.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Blacknail told them.


    The hobgoblin chieftain then turned to the woman who was still sitting at the table in the far corner of the room. She had been trying to look inconspicuous but hadn¡¯t been able to conceal the hateful glances she kept sneaking at him. Her posture went stiff as Blacknail walked over to her side.


    ¡°And what is it that you want?¡± Blacknail asked as he leered down at her.


    The woman¡¯s behavior amused him. Her intense fear was matched only by her hate, Blacknail could smell the power of her emotions, but she kept both under control and had managed to survive this long after being made a prisoner. The captive mage turned to look at Blacknail. She was a tall woman with a stern looking face and short messy blonde hair. Being a captive hadn¡¯t allowed her to do much in the way of hair care.


    ¡°I simply want to survive,¡± the woman replied as neutrally as possible.


    ¡°That would make you unique among humans, I think. You creatures always want more than that. You can¡¯t help yourselves.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the creatures?¡± she hissed indignantly.


    Blacknail chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t we all creatures? Also, that was a stupid thing for someone who just wants to survive to say.¡±


    The woman grimaced and bit her tongue to hold back another angry retort before replying. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sorry? Stop lying and tell me what you want. If you could ask me for anything, what would it be?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to be escorted safely back to human lands,¡± she quickly replied.


    ¡°Do you think you deserve such a reward? You came here to kill, and you lost a fair battle. You also have all my mages'' secrets and our location in your head. I know you have been watching and learning. That wasn¡¯t very smart for a survivor,¡± Blacknail replied smugly.


    ¡°Why are you tormenting me?¡± she growled.


    Blacknail grinned back. ¡°I like to get to know my prey, to get in their heads and taste their insides.¡±


    The woman held his gaze, so the hobgoblin just nodded and walked away. He was done with her for now, and she wasn¡¯t going anywhere. He could enjoy her company later. Imp and Avorlus had nothing more to say to him either, but almost as soon as he had walked outside, another hobgoblin appeared. It was Ferrar.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Blacknail asked as the hobgoblin hurried over.


    ¡°More fire,¡± Ferrar immediately replied. ¡°Nice hat by the way, boss.¡±


    Blacknail grinned. ¡°Thanks.¡± No one else had said anything about his nice new purple hat. He had been wearing it all day, and he was glad someone had finally noticed how dashing it looked on his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can give you more fire,¡± Blacknail remarked. Ferrar already had a lot. Way more than was probably useful, or even remotely safe.


    ¡°I can make my own fire,¡± Ferrar clarified. ¡°I just need iron. There is lots around, but I don¡¯t know how to use it. I talked to the people in Shelter, but the advice they gave me was bad. You¡¯re supposed to be able to melt the rocks in a furnace, but what they told me was too vague. I¡¯ve already lost two helpers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out for you,¡± Blacknail replied. He was feeling generous since Ferrar had complimented his hat.


    ¡°I want to go on your expedition.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You''re looking for humans and so am I.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Blacknail replied as he dismissed Ferar and began to walk over to his cave. He was tired and wanted to nap now.


    He¡¯d had a long day, and was looking forward to getting off his feet. He suspected that the longer he stayed awake the more problems and requests his minions would dump on him, and Black didn¡¯t want to deal with that. He was the leader. His minions were supposed to do stuff for him, not the other way around. Circling around to avoid anyone looking for him, Blacknail reached his cave. He pushed the deer hide that was hanging over the door aside, and then entered. Almost as soon as he¡¯d curled up under his blankets, he fell asleep.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    When he awoke and stepped outside, it was early the next morning. The glowing red sun was just peeking up over the forested hills in the distance. There were also several goblins and hobgoblins outside, waiting for him. They were leaning or sitting on rocks, and they immediately jumped to attention as soon as they noticed their chieftain. Herah was among them.


    ¡°What are you doing here? It¡¯s not to ask me for things, is it?¡± Blacknail told them sourly. He¡¯d just woken up and was in no mood to help people out. They could solve their own problems.


    A hobgoblin Blacknail had never seen before quickly hurried over. ¡°No, highest of hobs. I¡¯m here to give you a wonderful gift!¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Blacknail asked skeptically. That didn¡¯t seem likely.


    ¡°Yes, I have to come to offer my chieftain, that¡¯s you, tribute.¡±


    Oh, right. That was a thing goblins did. It had been a while since any of his minions had done this, since he had been travelling so much, but goblins needed to suck up to their boss and gain special treatment from him ¨C or just avoid being killed randomly - somehow.


    As Blacknail watched, the hobgoblin in front of him raised a clay bowl. Blacknail took it and looked it over. It was quite well made, and an impressive piece of work for a hobgoblin. Perfectly round, the bowl had a smooth exterior decorated by crudely drawn stick figures. The figure with the crown who was hitting everyone else with a stick was probably supposed to be him. Although it was crude compared to a lot of his loot, Blacknail found himself liking the bowl, especially since he didn¡¯t have many bowls right now. It was almost like someone had snuck into his cave while he had been gone and studied everything he owned so they knew what to get him.


    ¡°I like it. Your bribe is accepted,¡± Blacknail told him. The hobgoblin then stepped aside and the next claimant hurried over.


    ¡°I bring you the finest hide in the camp!¡± the hobgoblin announced as he presented the item. Blacknail nodded and took it. You could never have enough blankets.


    When it was Herah¡¯s turn, she shuffled over nervously and held up a white silk shirt. It had long sleeves and fancy lace around the collar and the end of the sleeves. The shirt was remarkably clean for something that had probably been handled by hobgoblins for days or weeks, and it was nicer looking than anything Blacknail owned. Instantly, a picture of what he would like with the shirt on appeared in Blacknail¡¯s head. It would go nice with his purple hat, but he was going to need shinier pants.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Blacknail inquired. He hadn¡¯t seen anything like it around.


    ¡°Another hobgoblin had it. He got it after the battle, but he didn¡¯t wear it because it was damaged. After I hit him a few times he gave it to me. Khita showed me how to clean and repair it, so I made a bunch of goblins do that for me.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Blacknail admitted.


    ¡°Do you accept my gift?¡± Herah asked in pleading tone. Her eyes shone with hope as she looked up at Blacknail.


    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Blacknail answered as he carefully reached over to take the shirt.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Herah shouted as she bounced happily. ¡°Do I get a hug now?¡±


    ¡°No hugs,¡± Blacknail replied firmly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you more fancy clothes,¡± Herah offered.


    Blacknail scowled. ¡°Fine, one small hug.¡±


    Immediately, Herah lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Blacknail. He grit his teeth as she squeezed him tight. Although, she had a flat chest compared to human, Blacknail clearly felt her breasts press against him. It was uncomfortable in an awkwardly exciting way. Several seconds passed, and Herah gave no sign of ever letting go, so Blacknail squirmed to escape, and once he was loose he pushed her back.


    ¡°The hug is over,¡± he told her after taking a deep breath.


    Herah didn¡¯t seem disappointed. ¡°Yeah! Khita¡¯s advice worked. I wanted to bring you skulls, but she said that would be a bad idea, so I brought you clothes instead.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. It sounded suspiciously like Herah and Khita were still conspiring against him, in their own stupid way. Normally, he strongly discouraged such behavior, but they were probably harmless, except to themselves, and he was getting gifts out of it, so he would continue to ignore them.


    With Herah out of the way, the next few supplicants approached. They were mostly hobgoblins, although there were a few older and smarter goblins among them. His minions gave Blacknail a varied pile of gifts. The highlights included some spiced jerky that tasted much better than anything else cooked by a hobgoblin that Blacknail had ever had, and some stone arrow heads. They were inferior to human made ones, but the tribe was running low on metal arrowheads, so Blacknail was glad someone was making stone ones for hunting. Among the supplicants was another female hobgoblin. She eyed Blacknail, but didn¡¯t do anything out of the ordinary. Still, her sex caught Blacknail¡¯s attention. Why were almost all hobgoblins male? He had no idea.


    When everyone was done offering up their tribute to their grand and majestic leader, Blacknail made a brief speech about what he wanted from his minions in the future.


    ¡°More cheese and better cooking,¡± Blacknail explained. ¡°Don¡¯t steal it from Shelter, but any hobgoblin that brings me lots of cheese will become my new favorite. It¡¯s a shame we can¡¯t make it ourselves.¡±


    When he was done speaking, Blacknail dismissed everyone. A small group of hobgoblins were talking animatedly amongst themselves about some sort of hunt as they left. Blacknail watched them go and then began to plan out the rest of his day. It would probably be a good idea to have a meeting between all his allies and minions. There were a lot of things that needed planned out, and if he held a meeting, other people would probably do all that work for him. To get things rolling, Blacknail went to find Gob. He had the other hobgoblin send out messengers to both Ilisti and Shelter. While he waited for everyone to gather, Blacknail went to the training grounds. It had been too long since he¡¯d sparred with other hobgoblins. Undoubtedly, there were some new minions that needed his training and could use his help to achieve self-discipline and their full potential. Also, beating up other hobgoblins never failed to make him feel better about himself.


    A few hours passed by fairly quickly as Blacknail exerted himself, and soon it was time for the meeting he had set up. He had chosen to have it during lunch, because he found both humans and hobgoblins to be more agreeable when they had a stomach full of someone else¡¯s food.


    Throwing on his best cloak and new shirt, Blacknail met up with Gob and headed to the meeting place, a campsite just outside of the settlement. Along the way, Ferrar and Imp joined them. A fire was already burning when they arrived, and goblins were piling up firewood beside it, as a pair of hobgoblins were finishing the setup of a large hide tarp, for shade. Dozens of chairs littered the ground around the fire, although they were all mismatched Most of them were just carved stumps, although a few were obviously items from Shelter that had somehow been misplaced.


    As goblins went to fetch the food and drink, Blacknail took the best chair for himself and sat down to wait for the other to arrive. Unsurprisingly, Ilisiti was the first to show up, since he had such a short distance to travel. He arrived with Garen and several other armsmen, although they weren¡¯t armed, except for side-swords. The vympir greeted Blacknail and then sat down. Both Garen and him looked eager to get going. It took a few minutes for the people from Shelter to arrive, but when they did there were more of them than Blacknail had been expecting. Not only were Khita and Avorlus there, but Geralhd and Beardy as well, and they had brought along almost all the survivors of Herad¡¯s band. Blacknail looked behind Khita, and saw several people from Shelter. What were they doing here? He hadn¡¯t really wanted the people of Shelter to know about Ilisti and his men, but they seemed to already be informed about he westerners, since none of them looked surprised to see them.


    Once everyone had taken a seat, Blacknail had some of his minions distribute lunch. This would buy him some time to study the attendees. Spit-roasted venison was served with squirrel and mixed root stew, that Blacknail was pretty sure wouldn¡¯t poison anyone to badly. A lot of the humans reacted differently to being served food by polite hobgoblins. Some stared at it suspiciously, but then began eating alongside everyone else. Others chuckled or laughed, and some seemed completely indifferent. However, before long everyone began to relax. Blacknail smirked as he watched. Humans were clay in his hands. Ready to be molded¡­ into bowls¡­ or something. Whatever.


    Geralhd was one of the first people to finish, and he quickly scooted over to Blacknail¡¯s side. ¡°What is going here? Why have you brought these people here? I thought we were hiding.¡±


    Blacknail sighed and turned to face him. ¡°It just sort of happened. They are really nice once you get to know them.¡±


    Geralhd looked skeptical, so Blacknail went into greater detail. He explained to Geralhd that Ilisti was a useful ally against Werrick, and that he just wanted a place to hide out, where he could help people in need. As they spoke, other people finished eating.


    ¡°Why did Khita bring those people from Shelter?¡± Blacknail asked.


    It was Geralhd¡¯s turn to sigh in exasperation. ¡°Khita has some idea in her foolish head about building her own crew. She¡¯s managed to convince a few of the old band and some of the younger villagers that you have some sort of scheme to rule the world, and that they should get in on it by joining her.¡±


    Blacknail turned to look at the redhead in question. She was talking to Avorlus about something and she was obviously excited, almost maniacal. The bearded mage reached into his coat and pulled out a vial.


    ¡°Yes, I actually have that Elixir on me, since I was going to show it to Blacknail. I was using it to test out some of the equipment I am forced to use here,¡± Avorlus told her. ¡°It¡¯s not a particular stable mixture, though.¡±


    Reacting quickly, Khita grabbed the vial from him and jumped back. People looked over in concern as she jumped up on log bench, and Blacknail groaned. Before he could get up and confront the stupid thief, she downed the contents of the vial. Then, with a dumb grin on her face, Khita laughed loudly at everyone around her.


    ¡°Other people may be afraid of death, but not me!¡± Khita told a surprised crowd. ¡°Herad¡¯s Elixir won¡¯t kill me. It will just make me stronger than ever before. I will inherit her will, and I¡¯d rather be dead than stay the way I am anyway. I¡¯m going to be great! I will take what I want from this world or I will die spectacularly!¡±


    The redhead grinned madly at everyone for a few seconds, and then collapsed. Her head hit the bench with a loud crack as she fell to the ground. Blacknail frowned as he stared at her unmoving body. She was sprawled out on the dirt, and she didn¡¯t appear to be breathing. Well, at least no one would be able to blame him for her death now.

 To Forgotten Places 4

    There was a moment of hushed silence as everyone stared in disbelief at Khita¡¯s unconscious form. It was as if no one could quite believe it was possible for anyone to be so dumb. As a student of human behavior, Blacknail knew better. He had been around humans ¨C and Khita in particular - too long to ever be surprised by any new height of stupidity they achieved.


    ¡°Is she dead?¡± Garen asked from where he was sitting next to Ilisti. He sounded almost hopeful that she would be.


    Instead of replying, Avorlus sighed and walked over to Khita¡¯s prone form. Moving stiffly, he crouched down and studied her for a second. He then pulled another vial out of a pocket and held it under her nose. Immediately, Khita spasmed and let out a wheezing cough. When he withdrew the vial, she settled down again without opening her eyes.


    Seeing this, Avorlus nodded to himself and stood up. ¡°The young lady is still alive, despite her seeming complete lack of a survival instinct. However, she will be unconscious for a while and might die over the next few days as the Elixir works its way into her body. If she wakes up and is lucid then she will probably be fine.¡±


    Looking distressed, Geralhd joined the mage. ¡°What are her odds, and is there anything we can do to help?¡±


    ¡°I will do what I can. Keeping her hydrated and warm will help, but at this point she has already ingested the Elixir. Ultimately, her survival is out of my hands. Either her body will accept the power, or it will consume her from within.¡±


    As everyone began talking to themselves or went back to eating, a bandit produced a blanket from somewhere and helped Geralhd wrap Khita in it. She was then carried over to a spot near the fire. Several of the people who had come to the meeting with the redhead went over to her side to check on her, but most of them looked embarrassed about being seen near her after her dramatic stunt. The exception was a blonde young man from Shelter that Blacknail recognized. He had a concerned and fretful look on his face as he stared down at Khita. He seemed barely aware of the other people present unless they bumped into him. Was his name Hassiol? He¡¯d been one of the hostages they had taken to get into Shelter the first time.


    Seeing that everyone was distracted, Blacknail scooted over to where Ilisti was sitting and leaned over to whisper in his ear.


    ¡°See those people from Shelter over there? I think they might like to know about our friendly scouting mission to see if Herstcrest is still around and to help them if they need it,¡± Blacknail told the vympir. He ended his speech with a meaningful wink, in case the vympir didn¡¯t get it.


    An amused looked appeared on Ilisti¡¯s face and he nodded in agreement. ¡°Ah, I can see why you might be concerned. Rest assured, I will inform these good people of our charitable mission.¡±


    His objective complete, Blacknail smiled to himself and sat back down in his seat. He was just in time to overhear a bit of conversation between Gob and Geralhd.


    The merchant¡¯s son turned bandit sounded apologetic. ¡°How have things been going here? It has been a while since my last visit, but I¡¯m impressed by everything you¡¯ve accomplished. I meant to stop in more and study what you¡¯ve been doing, but getting here through the Green is difficult.¡±


    ¡°I just did as I was told by the boss,¡± Gob replied with an indifferent shrug.


    ¡°Ya, he¡¯s one of my best minions,¡± Blacknail added as he walked over to join the conversation.


    Geralhd smiled at Backnail and waved a hand toward the goblin settlement. ¡°I never imagined that goblins could build such a large community. Even back before humanity¡¯s conquests I don¡¯t think you built villages like this. It¡¯s huge.¡±


    Blacknail grinned proudly. ¡°I¡¯m not a simple hobgoblin. I¡¯m Blacknail, the wise and terrible! There has never been anyone like me.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Geralhd agreed as he carefully studied Blacknail for a moment. It looked like a thought had popped into his head. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly learned a lot from Saeter and others, such as me. The ancient hobgoblins didn¡¯t have that advantage.¡±


    ¡°Plus, I¡¯m way tougher than they were.¡± Being the strongest was important if you wanted to keep others in line.


    ¡°That probably doesn¡¯t hurt, although I think your intelligence and restraint explains your success much better. Merely being strong isn¡¯t enough, as all the old philosophers explained at length,¡± Geralhd replied. ¡°One of the most astounding features of the hobgoblins here is their self-control and ability to coexist so close to humans. I¡¯ve tried to serve as an ambassador of sorts between the two settlements, but there hasn¡¯t really been all that much friction to begin with.¡±


    Gob nodded. ¡°Hobgoblins are only allowed to visit Shelter if they are with me or the boss, and I only go there to trade. We have things they want and they have things we want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your trading missions have done a lot to familiarize the people of Shelter to the presence of hobgoblins,¡± Geralhd observed before turning back to Blacknail. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, there was one thing that I¡¯m curious about. Does your village have a name?¡±


    ¡°A name? No.¡± Blacknail grunted in surprise. He had never thought about it. The place was simply his.


    ¡°You should think about naming it then,¡± Geralhd told him. ¡°It¡¯s an incredibly fascinating place. It¡¯s history in the making, and I can¡¯t wait to see how far goblins can develop their society.¡±


    ¡°Bloody terrifying is what it is,¡± Beardy the bandit huffed as he joined the conversation. ¡°Getting all happy about the green savages learning to copy people and organize themselves is crazy. They were dangerous to begin with. Now they¡¯re terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Hobgoblins are mostly just misunderstood,¡± Geralhd countered.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true at all, you bookish fool. Live in the real world for once. It has always been obvious exactly what hobgoblins were, savage killers. It¡¯s only now that Saeter¡¯s experiment here is around that they are beginning to change,¡± Beardy replied as he nodded at Blacknail. ¡°He¡¯s got them under his thumb, and is making them dance to his tune. Now who knows what is going to happen. The only thing that is guaranteed is that a whole bunch of people are going to die!¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t think Beardy was wrong, but he was leaving an important bit out. ¡°Humans are always dying anyway, and with me around you are less likely to be one of those doing the dying.¡±


    ¡°Ha, that¡¯s the only reason I¡¯ve stuck around so far. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m not on to you, hobgoblin. I know you¡¯ve been messing around and manipulating us ever since Herad¡¯s fall.¡±


    Blacknail put on his best startled yet innocent expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Beardy replied as he gave Blacknail a steady glare. ¡°Our trip to Daggerpoint smelled fishier than a beached sea serpent, especially the way you hurried us into leaving. Plus, your explanation for bringing these westerners here doesn¡¯t hold oil.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re being a little paranoid. I don¡¯t believe that Blacknail is the type to weave grand conspiracies, do you?¡± Geralhd laughed dismissively. His naivety was adorable.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Beardy huffed before turning and walking away. Blacknail let him go and grinned to himself. It was far too late for Beardy to do anything about the plan. Everything was already in motion.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    After talking to Gerlahd for a few more minutes, someone coughed politely behind Blacknail to get his attention. He turned around to see Garen, who nodded toward where Ilisti was standing next to the fire. Someone had carted Khita away while he hadn¡¯t been paying attention, but that wasn¡¯t important.


    ¡°My lord wishes to speak to you,¡± Garen explained.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Blacknail replied as he began walking over to the other vympir. Geralhd followed after him.


    ¡°I believe we need to plan out our immediate goals. You told me you wanted to find a village out in the Green,¡± Ilisti said as Blacknail approached.


    The other nearby conversations died down as everyone else present listened in. They were all curious about Ilisti and his men, but most people hadn¡¯t dared approach them.


    ¡°Yes, Herstcrest. I wanted to um¡­ see if they had anything worth trading for, like steel. There have also been reports from my minions about strange hobgoblins in that area, so I want to check it out. If any of these other hobgoblins do anything bad, I don¡¯t want to be blamed for it.¡±


    Ilisti nodded and met Blacknail¡¯s eyes. It was clear he wanted a commitment from Blacknail. ¡°When were you thinking of leaving? It sounds like this town might be in quite a lot of trouble, with so many hobgoblins around, and could use our help as soon as possible.¡±


    Blacknail scratched his chin. ¡°In three days? We could all use some time to rest before heading back out into the Green.¡±


    Ilsiti took a second to respond. ¡°That seems like it could work. I¡¯ll prepare my men to move out that morning.¡±


    After carefully saying absolutely nothing that made it sound like that they were looking to go conquer one of Shelter¡¯s neighbors, Blacknail and Ilisti separated. Around them, the other people present began talking and eating again. Blacknail sat down and Geralhd joined him.


    ¡°This stew is quite nice,¡± Geralhd observed as he finished off another bowl. ¡°What¡¯s in it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a secret recipe,¡± Blacknail replied absentmindedly as he stared into the fire. For some reason humans didn¡¯t like eating squirrels, even though the were both nutritious and delicious.


    ¡°Are you sure we can trust this Ilisti fellow? Something about him bothers me. He¡¯s obviously a noble in exile, so why is he here?¡±


    ¡°I told you, he is hiding from Werrick, like us. They are enemies,¡± Blacknail told him.


    It took a little more convincing, but Geralhd eventually settled back down. He appeared to buy Blacknail¡¯s explanation, although reluctantly. By that time the meeting was basically over. Everyone had separated and sorted themselves back into the groups they had arrived in, so Blacknail told everyone they could leave. As they left, he finished off the last of the stew in the pot. There was no more venison left.


    Blacknail spent the next two and a half days lounging around the hobgoblin settlement. When he wasn¡¯t eating or sleeping, he did random inspections of the camp. Blacknail wanted to make sure no one was slacking off. He had no idea what any of the occupants of the settlement were supposed to be doing, or what the purpose of the settlement even was at this point ¨C he already had enough hobgoblin minions - but regardless, he wasn¡¯t going let any stupid goblins get away with not pulling their own weight. Everything in the settlement belonged to him, including all the food, and he wasn¡¯t giving it out for free.


    While he fulfilled his duties as the leader, Blacknail considered several important questions. Firstly, Geralhd had made a good point about naming the settlement, but nothing good was going to mind. Naming it after himself was the obvious answer, however that would probably confuse the stupider half of his minions. Secondly, Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure he wanted the place to keep growing the way it was. He hadn¡¯t planned for that, and he was worried about the settlement collapsing into chaos after getting too large. How many hobgoblins could you shove into one small valley before they began slaughtering everything in sight? Probably not that many, but Blacknail couldn¡¯t think of any way to actually stop the settlement from growing without doing something drastic, like slaughtering every second goblin he saw. The problem with that was it might lead to all the goblins fleeing, and the hobgoblins turning on him. Blacknail thus decided to ignore his concerns about he size of the settlement for now. Nothing bad had happened yet, so everything would probably be fine from here on. Right?


    On the third morning, Blacknail awoke and went to gather up a bunch of minions for the expedition, only to find Gob outside and everything already organized. Three dozen hobgoblins with backpacks and sacks were standing behind Gob, including an excited looking Ferrar, and a smiling Herah. Blacknail rubbed the sleep from his eyes, but they didn¡¯t disappear. Huh.


    ¡°Where too, boss?¡± Gob asked cheerfully.


    Briefly, Blacknail wondered if his input was even necessary, but then he dismissed the thought. Of course, it was. He was the leader.


    ¡°To Ilisti¡¯s camp!¡± Blacknail explained as he began leading the way. He chewed the breakfast Gob had brought him as he walked.


    Another surprise was waiting for Blacknail as they walked through the settlement¡¯s gate. A group of humans were waiting for them, and it wasn¡¯t Ilisti¡¯s men.


    ¡°There you are. I was afraid I¡¯d missed you!¡± Khita remarked happily. There were half a dozen people behind her, including the two young men from Shelter that she had once helped kidnap, but were now apparently her friends.


    ¡°Oh, you survived¡­¡± Blacknail remarked as he looked her over.


    The last he¡¯d heard, Khita had been taken to Shelter, where she had lain unconscious without showing any sign of waking up. Blacknail hadn¡¯t sent a messenger to check on her health, or anything like that. He¡¯d just been worried that her corpse might explode and damage Shelter. Anything was possible when magic was involved.


    Khita appeared to be fully alive now, though. In fact, she seemed to be glowing from health. Did that mean she had survived the Elixir? Was there a chance she could still keel over? Probably not.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked the redhead. She could have at least looked sick and miserable.


    ¡°I¡¯m going with you, obviously,¡± Khita told him. ¡°As if I¡¯d let you have an adventure without me.¡±


    ¡°And why are you bringing those people?¡± Blacknail asked as he peered past her to look at her companions.


    ¡°They wanted to come, after I told them they should. Sitting around in Shelter is boring. Hassiol and Aris over there have never even left the village, at least not for real. How sad is that? It¡¯s about time they lived a little, and this outing is just the opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Um, ya¡­¡± Hassiol agreed with obvious reluctance.


    ¡°And the others?¡± Blacknail asked as he looked at several former bandits and men from Shelter.


    Khita grinned proudly. ¡°They also decided to join up with me. I can be quite persuasive, and everyone loves adventure.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to keep on eye on the younglings and you,¡± one of the men from Shelter told Blacknail, as Khita rolled her eyes.


    ¡°They just can¡¯t admit to themselves that they want more out of life than Shelter offers,¡± the redhead countered.


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°I suppose you can come. Just don¡¯t slow us down.¡±


    The hobgoblin chieftain turned away and headed over to Ilisti¡¯s camp. When he got there, he saw that the vympir¡¯s men had almost finished packing the entire place up. The tents had all been taken down and rolled up, while most of the soldiers were busy packing away their gear. Ilisti and Garen were standing at the edge of the camp and overseeing the work. They both turned to look when Blacknail and the others approached.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost ready to move. Are those people coming with us?¡± Ilisti asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s still alive?¡± Garen remarked in surprise when he noticed Khita. Speaking up while in his lord¡¯s presence was unusual for him.


    ¡°They are bringing their own food, so they can come if they want,¡± Blacknail told Ilisti as he shrugged. Getting rid of them would be a bigger bother than managing them.


    The vympir lord just nodded and went back to supervising his men. Garen stared at Khita for another second before scowling and turning away, and Khita chuckled at him. Soon after that, the vympirs¡¯ men finished packing up the campsite, and the journey began.


    A huntsman from Shelter pointed them in the direction of the road that had used to lead to Herstcrest, but it was now almost completely overgrown. It had only been a dirt path before so there wasn¡¯t much left of it, but Blacknail¡¯s discerning eye could see where it had used to be. There was clearly a strip that extended through the brush where no trees grew, and the undergrowth was a little thinner because of the hard ground. The going wasn¡¯t that hard, though. Since the travelers¡¯ group was so large, the lead elements trampled the brush down for the people behind.


    As he was walking up to the front of the party, one of the people from Shelter stepped out of line to hail Blacknail. It was Aris, and Hassiol was standing right beside him.


    ¡°Um, you¡¯re Blacknail, right?¡± the young man asked with a nervous stutter.


    Blacknail turned to glare at him. ¡°You can¡¯t tell?¡±


    How could anyone fail to recognize his magnificence? Was the kid stupid or blind?


    Aris went pale. ¡°No, I can. I just um¡­ wanted to be sure.¡±


    ¡°So now you are. Did you want something else?¡±


    ¡°Right, I was wondering how dangerous this trip is going to be. I mean, we have all these men here, whoever they are, and we have you. Your hobgoblins can handle anything that tries to attack us, right? The Green is supposed to be dangerous, but it¡¯s not that bad, right? ¡°


    Blacknail gave Aris a disbelieving look. ¡°No, the Green is probably way more dangerous than you¡¯ve been told. No onecould have told you about the really deadly things inside it, because the men who saw them are all dead.¡±


    Aris went even paler. ¡°Khita said it would be safe.¡±


    ¡°And you believed her?¡± Blacknail laughed as he walked away. ¡°Silly, human. If a drake or a big mutant attacks us then we are all going to die!¡±

 To Forgotten Places 5

    Blacknail left Aris behind and walked up the line. Once he was up at the front of the column of soldiers, Blacknail led his scouts on ahead. That was the easiest way to avoid Khita and the others. Some of them might have questions he didn¡¯t want to answer, plus they were annoying.


    At his command, Hobgoblins fanned out into the woods on either side and jogged on ahead. Blacknail didn¡¯t want to run into any surprises, and he wanted scouts out looking for signs of the unknown hobgoblins. Even with trackers out, it would take some luck to discover the location of the enemy hobgoblins. Most of the beasts in the Green would consider hobgoblins too dangerous to mess with, but there were some noticeable exceptions, so the feral goblins had undoubtedly hidden their lair somewhere out of sight.


    The completely overgrown road continued on unabated until the sky overhead began to darken. At the advice of one of his scouts, Blacknail led his party over to the base of rocky hill. They set up camp there, where it was dry and the face of hill protected one of their flanks. Their encampment took up quite a bit of space. Dozens of tents and sleeping rolls littered the ground where it was clear of rocks and tree trunks. The hobgoblins set up near the bottom of the hill - with the humans up above - and Blacknail joined them. He had the biggest tent out of all the hobgoblins, although Ilisti¡¯s was bigger, for now. Anyway, Blacknail¡¯s was big enough for three people and grey colored. He¡¯d gotten it as a gift after asking its old owner for it very politely.


    As Blacknail used one eye to watch a pair of hobgoblins set up his tent for him, and his other eye warily watched the hobgoblins he had assigned to guard Ferrar and keep him away from the campfire, Herah walked over.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Blacknail asked the female hobgoblin.


    ¡°Can I sleep with you? Your tent looks comfy,¡± Herah replied as she gave him an eager smile.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go sleep in another hobgoblin¡¯s tent tonight,¡± Herah replied neutrally before walking away.


    What? The ease with which Herah had accepted his command confused Blacknail. She usually begged and pleaded with him for a while after he shut her down, and what was this about sleeping with someone else? Who was she talking about? As Blacknail watched, Herah joined up with a grinning Khita. They both glanced at Blacknail briefly before moving on and disappearing out of sight behind a tent. Blacknail didn¡¯t like this. Khita seemed to be a terrible influence on Herah. As Blacknail was considering this development, he saw Geralhd wandering over his way. Immediately, the hobgoblin got up and headed in the opposite direction. Blacknail had his own food now, and Geralhd was already doing what Blacknail wanted, so there was no point in talking to him.


    Blacknail managed to avoid taking any responsibility for the rest of the night, and soon fell asleep in his tent. The next morning he awoke to the sound of birdsong. After taking a quick moment to stretch and enjoy the cool morning air, Blacknail then woke up the hobgoblins closest to him and got them up and moving. It took a little longer for the humans to start getting up, but the hobgoblins¡¯ activity and all the noise they were making eventually woke them. Which had been Blacknail¡¯s intention. He wanted to cover as much ground as possible today. Some of the small fires from last night were rekindled as people warmed up breakfast and packed up their gear. Soon after that, Ilisti¡¯s troops were marching through the forest. Like yesterday, the hobgoblins ranged ahead and everyone else followed behind them.


    Blacknail and several of his minions were at the very front of the group on the road. At first, he let the others trample down the brush, but then he grew bored and took the lead. Blacknail grunted as he pushed his way through some tall green plants that came up to his waist. Around him, the forest was quiet as he kept moving. The early morning birdcalls had died down, so that now there was only the rustling of the leaves in the wind and the thud of footsteps from back behind.


    While walking, Blacknail noticed that the trees were growing larger and closer together. Huh. Here, almost all of the trees were a variety with smooth white bark and thick trunks. At first it was nothing more than an idle observation, but then the trend continued. High above, long branches stretched out across the path and shadowed everything in sight, while the plants and branches closer to the ground began to grow bare and stunted. Warily, Blacknail called for everyone to stop. He then looked up and began scanning the thick canopy overhead. Stray beams of light pierced the green barrier, but Blacknail didn¡¯t see any movement. That wasn¡¯t good. Normally, there should have been some critters moving in the trees.


    As Blacknail was contemplating this, one of the scouts he¡¯d sent up ahead returned and reported in. He told Blacknail that the forest got even darker ahead, and that he¡¯d turned back instead of pressing on, which Blacknail considered to be the right move. While the hobgoblins were talking, the humans grew impatient. Both Ilisti and Geralhd walked over together.


    ¡°Why have we halted our progress?¡± Ilisti asked.


    Frowning, Blacknail turned toward them. ¡°Because the forest ahead is dark and dangerous. We should go around it, which means finding a new path.¡±


    Geralhd sighed. ¡°You want to leave the path? That sounds like that will really slow us down and might even get us lost. What is up ahead that has you so apprehensive?¡±


    Blacknail pointed off to his left, where the rows of shadowy white-barked trees were clearly visible. ¡°The forest is too dark here, and it grows even darker up ahead. That is a bad sign. Dangerous things lurk in the dark parts of the forest.¡±


    Ilisti nodded in agreement but Geralhd just looked confused as he studied the trees. ¡°Dark? What does the darkness have to do with anything? I guess I haven¡¯t been in any parts of the forest quite like this before. The trees certainly are huge, and it¡¯s a little strange looking, but are you saying something dangerous dwells hereabouts, such as trolls?¡±


    ¡°Trolls go wherever they want,¡± Blacknail huffed. ¡°You¡¯ve never been to a place like this because everyone avoids them, and for good reason. It¡¯s the spiders that like it in the dark places.¡±


    ¡°Spiders?¡± Geralhd chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re worried about some small arachnids?¡±


    As Blacknail gave Geralhd an annoyed look, Ilisti spoke up. ¡°No, the hobgoblin has it right. Out west we avoid the oldest parts of the forest for the same reason. Canopy crawlers might not be a true threat to a large group of prepared men, but its still best to avoid their territory. There is no telling how large their territory is, and we could end up with more than a few of our men paralyzed for days or even dead if they get bitten multiple times.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Geralhd asked in surprise. ¡°What kind of spiders are we talking about?¡±


    Blacknail held out his hands so that they were a good three feet apart, which was a bit of an exaggeration. ¡°Big ones that build huge webs. They live in swarms up in the tress and drop down on people. Very nasty. Their poison bites make people¡¯s bodies go stiff, and then they tie you up in webs so that they can eat you later. It is a bad way to die.¡±


    ¡°Why has no one ever told me about these creatures before?¡± Geralhd remarked as he shuddered and threw a nervous glance at the trees. It was if he expected a swarm of spiders to burst out at any moment.


    ¡°Canopy crawler swarms stay exclusively in the oldest parts of the forest. They almost never wander out, so they are only a danger to people who enter the deepest part of the Green. If a swarm starts to build up near a village, they usually just burn it out,¡± Ilisiti explained.


    ¡°What he said,¡± Blacknail agreed, even though he hadn¡¯t actually known most of that. He just knew the spiders were creepy and bad.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief to learn. In light of this new information, I¡¯m fully behind finding a way around the man-eating spiders,¡± Geralhd told them.


    After a bit more talking, the two humans withdrew, and Blacknail went back to conversing with his scouts. He needed to find the best way around the old growth before they could start moving again. Eventually, he decided that it was better to go left, because the spider¡¯s territory appeared to extend further to right. With this in mind, Blacknail led everyone off the overgrown road and into the trees.


    Cautiously, the group made their way forward along the edge of the spider¡¯s territory for over two hours. The going was tough because the ground was muddy and uneven in places, but fortunately, the old growth began to recede after that, and they were able to make their way safely back to the remains of the road.


    As Blacknail was walking and studying an old twisted tree to his left, because the warped wood looked like a place that giant spiders might hide, movement from his right drew his attention. The bushes shuddered as one of the hobgoblin scouts he¡¯d sent out to explore the forest returned. The hobgoblin saw his leader and gave him a sloppy salute, so Blacknail nodded and motioned for him to relax. Some of his minions were copying things they saw the humans doing. That was usually a good thing, but it was a little annoying that they all copied different things. Someone really needed to set up some standards. Stupid lazy minions.


    The scout dropped his salute. ¡°I found a goblin trail, boss. Several of the smelly runts are using it a lot, so it should take us right to their base.¡±


    ¡°Good job. Let¡¯s see it,¡± Blacknail replied.


    The scout immediately led Blacknail deeper into the forest, as the humans continued on down the path without him. After a few minutes of walking through the trees, they reached an old rotten log that was speckled with green moss. The hobgoblin scout rested one of his feet on the log and pointed at the ground on the far side of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s there. Many goblin feet scratched the dirt here,¡± he observed.


    Mildly curious, Blacknail leaned forward to look. There were indeed dozens of goblin sized footprints in the wet dirt beside the log.


    ¡°Go get the others. We will leave the humans and a few guides behind while the rest of us find the enemy lair. We can catch up to the slow noisy humans easily enough later,¡± Blacknail told his minion.


    The hobgoblin nodded and ran off. While he waited for him to return, Blacknail searched the area. When he failed to find anything of interest, he sat down on the log and rested his feet. It took a few minutes for his minions to arrive. With Scamp at their lead they trudged through the woods and joined him. There were twenty of them in total, which was probably more than enough to deal with some feral hobgoblins. In fact, it was probably massive overkill. Blacknail could probably handle it by himself, but a show of force was always useful when you were dealing with hobgoblins.


    Confident in his power, Blacknail didn¡¯t send out minions to clear the way of any goblins that might detect his party¡¯s approach. It was almost better for him if the enemy forces gathered, so he could deal with them all at once, and it was unlikely that any feral tribe of goblins that contained multiple hobgoblins would run from a challenge. Their leaders couldn¡¯t afford to look weak.


    After about half an hour of hiking, the goblin tracks grew more plentiful and fresher. There were also some larger prints that had clearly been made by a hobgoblin. Blacknail smiled to himself as he stopped for a second to study them. They were definitely headed in the right direction and would soon find their target. Indeed, after just a few more minutes, Blacknail¡¯s party stumbled out into a huge clearing that was obviously occupied.


    The trees had given way to a wide field full of short grass that was hundreds of feet across, and nestled between a tall hill and a large creek. It was a very inviting scene, but the truly eye-catching thing was the obviously artificial parts. Six small buildings stood in the middle of the clearing. They were primitive things, similar to the bark and branch huts Gob had first built, but they were far more than Blacknail had been expecting to find. Around the huts, the goblins had built barricades of wooden spikes that had been tied together. They were full of holes and didn¡¯t block off every way into the village, but they would definitely hamper and annoy any beasts that tried to hunt down the goblins within. The goblins would also be able to dive through them to avoid and outmaneuver predators. Actually, as Blacknail looked back at the huts, he noticed that they all had sharpened stakes sticking out in a lot of places, and they didn¡¯t have doors. Instead, the huts could only be entered through tunnels in the ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any of the goblins that live here,¡± Scamp observed as he looked around. After scanning the village he studied the forest around them, as if looking for an ambush.


    ¡°They probably ran away and hid the second they saw our glorious and handsome master,¡± Herah replied. She sounded proud of herself for some reason.


    Blacknail scratched his nose. ¡°If they are inside the huts then it will be very annoying to get them out. Going in through the tunnels would be stupid. They¡¯d just stomp us to death one at a time, so we¡¯d need to cut through the walls.¡±


    ¡°Just challenge them. If their leaders don¡¯t come out all the goblins will know they¡¯re cowards,¡± another hobgoblin remarked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. I¡¯ll go in alone. Wait here,¡± Blacknail told his minions.


    The hobgoblin chieftain began walking out into the clearing. He felt confident. With six huts of that size, the village probably contained less than six hobgoblins and less than sixty goblins. Obviously, that was more than he wanted to fight at one time, but the feral goblins wouldn¡¯t attack a hobgoblin without hobgoblins driving them. As for the feral hobgoblins, Blacknail was more than a match for them. He had Elixir, and a good steel sword that he had trained to use. A few feral hobgoblins with pointy sticks weren¡¯t a threat to him.


    When Blacknail had gotten within forty feet of the village, he stopped and coughed to clear his throat. He then yelled at the top of his lungs. ¡°Hey! All you stupid runts who sleep in your own shit, are you just going to hide like filthy squirrels in a tree?¡±


    Grinning, Blacknail studied the village. That ought to ruffle some feathers. The feral hobgoblins were probably shaking in terror while they hid in the dark. Still, they would have no choice but to come out and face him once they realized he¡¯d challenged them alone. Suddenly, movement all around the village drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. As he watched, six hobgoblins and a dozen goblins rose up from where they had been hiding beside the spike barriers. They were either naked or wearing ragged fur loincloths, but Blacknail¡¯s attention was swiftly drawn to what they were holding in their hands. Those looked like slings¡­


    Uh oh. Blacknail¡¯s eyes widened as the ferals all turned to face him and raised their weapons. The slings began to spin. Perhaps he might have made a slight miscalculation here. Crack. A swarm of stones shot toward Blacknail as the ferals unloaded their weapons.


    ¡°Bloody piss,¡± Blacknail swore as he dove onto the ground.


    He was a little too slow. He heard a dull thud as a stone hit his shoulder, and then pain exploded through his body. Rolling up into a ball to protect his head, Blacknail pulled out a vial of Elixir and downed the entire thing. Instantly, the pain that consumed his side dimmed. Shielding his face as he looked up, Blacknail saw the ferals preparing to launch another volley his way. As the fire of the Elixir burned though his blood, Blacknail hissed and pushed out with his mind. A blast of fear rippled out and slammed into the ferals just as they began shooting again. The wave of terror caused many of the ferals to flinch, making their projectiles to go wide, but Blacknail dropped back down on to the ground just in case.


    By this time, Scamp and the others were reacting to the attack on their chieftain. Luckily, several of them had bows. They nocked arrows and took aim at the ferals. Three hobgoblins went down as arrows slammed into their chests. Surprised by the unexpected barrage, the feral goblins screamed and fled. The feral hobgoblins froze as Blacknail¡¯s minions ran over to see if their boss was alright.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t wait for them. He rose to his feet and screamed in wordless fury at the remaining ferals. How dare they hurt him. They were nothing. He was going to rip them apart with his bare hands while he blasted their pathetic minds to pieces with pure terror! Blacknail¡¯s voice shook the air. Its impact was almost physical, and caused all the feral hobgoblins to jump from fright. A moment later, the last of the visible ferals dashed off into forest. An arrow from one of Blacknail¡¯s minions took a hobgoblin in the back, but the others got away.


    Rather then go anywhere near their enraged chieftain, his minions ran past Blacknail and over to the huts. However, since they were lacking orders and didn¡¯t know what to do with themselves, the hobgoblins stopped and held their ground once they had actually reached the goblin village. Glaring malevolently, but gradually cooling off, Blacknail stomped over to join them. It was vengeance time.


    Eyeing his boss warily, Scamp spoke up first. ¡°What do you want us to do now? I think we won.¡±


    ¡°Ya, great job boss. You were a very brave and incredibly skilled decoy. We are all in awe of your magnificence,¡± another minion added, which earned him a glare.


    ¡°Thank you. It was all part of my plan,¡± Blacknail told his minions. ¡°Now I order you kill every feral hobgoblin you find, and make it hurt.¡±


    ¡°Even her?¡± Scamp asked as he pointed behind Blacknail.


    Blacknail looked over to see a hobgoblin emerge from one of the tunnels that led into the huts. She immediately raised her hands in gesture of surrender, and her sex was obvious since she wasn¡¯t wearing anything but a loincloth. Hobgoblin females had much smaller breasts than humans, but they could still easily be told apart from males.


    ¡°Alright, maybe not her,¡± Blacknail replied as he carefully studied the newcomer. He was still mad, but now other feelings were starting to build within him.

 To Forgotten Places 6

    The female hobgoblin didn¡¯t appear to be afraid of Blacknail and his minions. That was a little surprising since they had just finished slaughtering a large part of her community. She regarded each hobgoblin calmly before orienting on Blacknail and walking over to him. With sword still in hand, Blacknail watched her warily. It was interesting, if unsurprising, that she had instantly figured out that he was the leader. She must have been affected by his inspiring aura of command.


    After pulling his eyes away from the female¡¯s chest, Blacknail studied the rest of her. She was of average height for a hobgoblin, but her body was noticeably curvier, especially around the hips. Her long black hair had been tied back in a ponytail, and Blacknail noticed some subtle lines around her eyes. Huh, he¡¯d assumed that she was young, but that didn¡¯t appear to be the case. In fact, she was probably the oldest hobgoblin he¡¯d ever met. Although, that wasn¡¯t hard. Feral hobgoblins rarely lived more than a few years as far as Blacknail could tell, and this female was still more than young enough to be attractive looking. It was simply a mature beauty, not unlike a certain woman that Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to think about.


    As Blacknail was purging his mind of awkward thoughts, the female hobgoblin stopped in front of him and made a series of undecipherable squeaks. It was rather cute sounding, but meant nothing to Blacknail at all.


    ¡°Right, there is no way you speak human,¡± Blacknail observed before sighing in frustration.


    He turned to his minions. ¡°Did any of you understand that?¡±


    A young hobgoblin that Blacknail had never bothered to learn the name of raised his hand. ¡°I got a little of it. It¡¯s not so different from the old tribe speak.¡±


    ¡°What did she say?¡±


    The hobgoblin glanced between Blacknail and the feral female. ¡°She is surrendering to you, and she thinks you are handsome.¡±


    ¡°Well, she isn¡¯t blind,¡± Blacknail huffed in reply. ¡°Ask her who was in charge of this place.¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s minion nodded and said a few guttural words to the feral female. She nodded and spoke a few quick sentences back. The hobgoblin minion frowned and then turned to Blacknail.


    ¡°She says there was no real leader. The males fought, and she tried to keep everyone from killing each other.¡±


    Blacknail considered this. He could sort of see this goblin settlement working that way, although he was suspicious that this female was leaving something out. This was the first time he had encountered multiple feral hobgoblins living together, and there had to be a reason for that.


    ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t think she is being completely honest,¡± Blacknail mused aloud.


    ¡°Yes, she is lying. She has a no good liar¡¯s face,¡± Herah remarked angrily as she walked up beside Blacknail and glared at the newcomer.


    The feral female had been maintaining a pleasant smile, but as she noticed Herah, a displeased scowl appeared on her face. The expression vanished a moment later, but Blacknail noted it with interest, and it unleashed a chain of thoughts in his mind. That was the look of someone who was used to getting their own way. It seemed likely that this female had been the settlement¡¯s true ruler, and that she had played all the male hobgoblins against each other, while simultaneously enticing them so that they didn¡¯t wander off. Blacknail had some personal experience with that sort of female behavior. She was definitely smarter than her male compatriots anyway, since she wasn¡¯t dead or fleeing for her life.


    ¡°But what should we do with her?¡± Blacknail mused aloud.


    ¡°Kill her like the males,¡± Herah immediately responded. ¡°She will just cause problems.¡±


    ¡°She might know something important,¡± Scamp suggested with a shrug.


    ¡°Like what? She¡¯s a feral,¡± Blacknail countered. His tribe was better than hers in every way.


    Herah grimaced before reluctantly speaking up ¡°Ask her why there are so few female hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°Why that?¡± Blacknail asked Herah. He¡¯d wondered about the same thing before, but the question had sort of come out of nowhere.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious if she knows. Khita asked me about it, but no one knew the answer.¡±


    Shrugging, Blacknail told his minion to pass the question on, which he promptly did. The feral female seemed to consider the query for a few moments before replying. However, her words seemed to confuse the translator, because he scratched his head in a puzzled way.


    ¡°Something about small goblins¡­ Oh, I get it. She says babies get in the way,¡± the translator explained. ¡°She also said that after her first litter she couldn¡¯t have any more babies, so when she got bigger she focused on protecting her babies and their babies.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in understanding. ¡°Ah, makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Ya, I¡¯ve never had any, but all the other female goblins were mating all the time, like everywhere,¡± Herah agreed. ¡°So, now that she has answered the question, let¡¯s kill her.¡±


    ¡°Not quite yet,¡± Blacknail told her.


    He found the feral female interesting. She was obviously very unique for a hobgoblin, and this entire hobgoblin settlement had obviously sprung into existence because of her. Most goblin mothers didn¡¯t care much for the lives of their adult children. The little things quickly learned to take care of themselves, but this female was different. Since she couldn¡¯t have new ones, she had become attached to them, and had thus created a tribe. Also, if she truly cared about the goblins here, that meant she could be predicted and controlled. Most hobgoblins didn¡¯t come with such a useful weakness.


    ¡°What are we doing with all of this?¡± Scamp asked as he looked around the entire settlement. ¡°We should burn it and then loot it.¡±


    There were nods and mumbles of agreement from most the other hobgoblins, which earned them an annoyed glare from their chieftain.


    ¡°You have to loot it first. Loot, then burn,¡± Blacknail told them sourly. This was basic stuff.


    There probably wasn¡¯t much of value here, though. Blacknail wandered away from his minions and began to look around. He walked over to the huts and inspected them. They were cramped and dirty, but inside he saw several crude clay bowls and some stone tools. None of it was worth looting. Muttering to himself, Blacknail then turned to look around the rest of the clearing. To his surprise, he noticed that there was an unusual amount of berry bushes scattered around. They had obviously been cultivated. Looking around some more, Blacknail saw two other patches of plants that looked like they had been planted on purpose. They were unusually healthy and the ground around them had been torn up to give them room to grow. The first was a tall plant with a thin stalk and arrow-shaped leaves, while the other was a small bushy plant with tiny reddish leaves.


    ¡°What are these?¡± Blacknail asked the translator.


    When the feral female was finished listening, she hurried inside one of the huts and came back out with two fist-sized clay pots that had lids. She then opened them, and made some noises as she showed Blacknail their contents. They were full of dried leaves.


    ¡°She says you put one on meat to make it tastier, and that you drink the other,¡± the translator explained. ¡°How do you drink leaves?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s tea,¡± Blacknail explained to his minion as he studied the leaves. Was there a way to find smarter minions? This bunch weren¡¯t impressing him.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The feral hobgoblin let out a series of grunts, which were promptly translated. ¡°She offers them to you if you spare her, and she will mate with you too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to mate with her right here,¡± Blacknail replied as he rolled his eyes and thought about sword drills.


    The offer was tempting, but he wasn¡¯t that stupid. While he was distracted, one of his minions might stab him in the back. Most likely it would be Herah, because she was glaring at him quite intently. He could feel her eye burning into the back of his head.


    Blacknail decided that he wanted to try the herbs himself, so he ordered it done. He then sat down and waited as the female feral went about preparing it. As she was working, some of the feral goblins within the huts began to peak out as curiosity started to overcome their fear. A few minutes later, the female hobgoblin handed Blacknail a cup of tea and a piece of cooked meat that had been rubbed with the second herb.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s poison?¡± Herah asked.


    ¡°Then she dies,¡± Blacknail replied as he took his first sip of the tea.


    It wasn¡¯t bad. Blacknail smiled. It was bitter, but almost in a good way. His mouth tasted cleaner after tasting the drink. The meat was also much better tasting with the herb. It had a spicy flavor, that Blacknail had only ever encountered in human food before. He wanted this for his own settlement. Nothing was more important to a hobgoblin than getting five proper meals a day.


    The feral female noticed Blacknail¡¯s happy grin. She straightened up and smiled proudly to herself, as if taking credit for the taste of the herbs. The action reminded Blacknail of Khita, which was a buzzkill. Wait, Herah also acted a lot like Khita. Blacknail had assumed that was because they were close, but what if all hobgoblin females acted like Khita? A cold feeling washed over Blacknail and he shivered. The world was suddenly a much darker place.


    Gathering his strength, Blacknail put his empty cup down. He was probably wrong about the Khita thing, and he needed to focus. How was he going to bring these herbs to his base? They were unlikely to grow if he uprooted them. It took over a day to reach the base from here, and they weren¡¯t seeding right now. It was still spring. He had been planning on destroying this settlement, but that didn¡¯t seem like a good option now. He didn¡¯t want a rival tribe near his own territory, but he wanted to make sure these herbs didn¡¯t get lost.


    It looked like he would have to keep the place intact, at least until he got the herbs growing in the fields over by his own settlement. The female feral would have to be spared as well. Of course, there were some other advantages to not burning the whole feral village down. It would prevent all the goblins in this area from migrating to Blacknail¡¯s settlement, which is what they would undoubtedly do if the village was destroyed. The bloody pests would move in en mass and steal his food! There were already too many goblins there. Blacknail didn¡¯t want more.


    ¡°I need to leave some minions here to watch the herbs,¡± Blacknail mused as he turned to study his minions.


    Obviously, he couldn¡¯t leave these ferals here alone. The problem was that if he left some of his minions here to rule over the place they might betray him. Hobgoblins couldn¡¯t be trusted to stay loyal without daily reminders of who was the boss. Also, any minions that went rogue would be far more dangerous than ferals.


    Blacknail looked at Scamp, who looked back uncomprehendingly. Was that the answer?


    ¡°We¡¯re not looting the place,¡± Blacknail announced as he stood up. There were disappointed looks from many of his minions.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Scamp asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re staying here, with three others. I¡¯m putting you in charge of this place,¡± Blacknail explained as he pointed at the other three hobgoblins one by one.


    Yes, this would work. Scamp was too stupid to betray him, and even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t be much of a threat. He also knew enough about hunting, building, and training to serve as the leader here. He didn¡¯t need to do much thinking because Blacknail and Gob had already taught him everything he needed to know.


    Scamp blinked in surprise. ¡°Why? What do you want me to do here?¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°Rule in my name. The most important thing is that you kill everyone who defies me. After that, you need to grow a lot more of these herbs and protect this place. Start by getting all the goblins to build some real walls.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Scamp replied. He sounded unsure of himself. His new orders had obviously caught him by surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days. Feel free to mate with the feral female!¡± Blacknail said as he began to walk back toward the forest.


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re leaving right now?¡± Scamp asked as his eyes widened in panic.


    ¡°Ya, I need to catch up with the humans. Good luck!¡± Blacknail replied as the other hobgoblins started following him away, including Herah, who was now smiling gleefully.


    The feral female watched them leave, and then walked over to Scamp and leaned up against him. This startled Scamp, who had been staring at Blacknail. However, that was when Blacknail looked away and stepped into the shadow of the trees. Scamp would have to take care of himself. He would probably live until Blacknail sent someone to check on him.


    Without wasting any more time, Blacknail led the way back over to the trail they had left the humans at. He broke out into a fast jog, since they needed to make up a lot of lost time. However, even at that speed, it was over two hours before they caught up. Blacknail jogged up past Aris and the others and over to Ilsiti, who was near the front of the column.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back. Did you take care of your problem?¡± Ilisti asked Blacknail.


    ¡°Probably. I killed just the right number of hobgoblins, I think,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Ha, you don¡¯t sound too sure of yourself.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°How do you humans keep your minions loyal, even when they are far away from you?¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is something nobility has always worried about, particularly my own people, since we rely so much on personal charisma and strength to justify our rule. The problem might be central to the advance of human civilization itself. Certainly, empires have risen and fallen because the loyalty of men has ebbed like water on the shore.¡±


    ¡°Right. So, do you have an answer?¡± Blacknail asked, Humans seemed to rule over very large territories, even if they said a lot of nonsense. They must know something.


    ¡°For hobgoblins? I don¡¯t know,¡± Ilisti mused. ¡°What exactly is your problem?¡±


    ¡°I need to keep a watch on some hobgoblins that live far away from me at an outpost in the Green.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, proximity might not be your real problem out here in the Green. This is almost the opposite of what my own people do, but expanding kingdoms and empires used good roads and cavalry to speed up the movements of their troops. That in turn allowed them to keep distant vassal states under control more easily. If you make it easier and faster for people to travel to this outpost then they will feel you presence there much more acutely. Once travel is easy, you can also send out frequent messengers and shuffle administrators around, so they don¡¯t get too comfortable in one location.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that makes sense to me, so why don¡¯t you westerners do it?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously.


    Ilsiti grimaced sourly. ¡°Because most Vympir are focused on protecting what we have, instead of empire building. In my opinion, that is one of our few weaknesses, and why we don¡¯t rule all of humanity. Most of the old lords are paranoid and isolationist. They care only about securing their next meal.¡±


    ¡°Well, even if you¡¯re too scared to use it yourself, it¡¯s still a good idea,¡± Blacknail replied. There was a groan from Garen, who was standing on the other side of his master.


    Ilisti just smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not an exact summary of what I said, although I understand your confusion.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°People are confusing.¡±


    ¡°That we are,¡± Ilsiti admitted.


    Since he suddenly had a lot to think about, Blacknail picked up the pace and pulled ahead of the humans so that he could join the scouts at the vanguard. As he followed the old abandoned road, Blacknail considered the Vympir¡¯s words. He could reduce the time it took to reach the feral village by clearing this old road of vegetation, and it might even be possible to do something about the spiders¡­


    The travelers continued on their way for several hours. Blacknail and two other hobgoblins led the way past a shallow creek and a large pond. The only real barrier they faced was one section of the road that had been occupied by a mimic. Thankfully, one of the scouts detected it and they knocked it off balance from a safe distance using spears and then finished it off with axes. Soon after that, another hobgoblin returned from scouting up ahead with news.


    ¡°I found the humans you were looking for,¡± the scout told Blacknail. ¡°They are just past the next two hills.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they are still alive?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    ¡°They are moving around and stuff, so I think so. They are also doing a lot of that thing where you take care of plants.¡±


    ¡°Farming?¡±


    ¡°Ya, that.¡±


    ¡°Do they have any sentries out?¡±


    ¡°No, not in the forest. It looks like they watch the fields, though.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. Since they were finally approaching their destination, he walked back to get Gerlahd and Ilisti. Once the three of them were together, they quickly completed the last stretch of their journey. From atop a hill that rose up above the treetops, they surveyed the town of Herstcrest.


    ¡°Judging by those cleared fields and those smoking chimneys, I¡¯d say this town is definitely still populated,¡± Gerlahd remarked as they all studied the landscape before them. ¡°I would have bet against it surviving even this long. Civilization, it seems, is hardier than I believed possible.¡±


    Nestled between a river and a line of rocky hills was a long valley that had been cleared of trees. Crops had been planted all throughout it, except for where the town itself stood. Herstcrest was nestled up at the base of cliff and every other side of it was protected by a rough stone wall. It looked to be about twice the size of Shelter, judging by the number of houses.


    Ilsiti scowled as he pointed to a structure in the middle of the fields. ¡°That¡¯s a watch tower, and it is poorly placed to survey the forest or anyone approaching the fields from outside.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°It means it was put there to keep on eye on the workers, lest they slack off or run. I do not believe outsiders such as us will receive a warm welcome here,¡± Ilisti explained as his eyes narrowed dangerously.


    Blacknail chuckled. ¡°Almost no one is ever happy to see me, but that has never stopped me before. Let¡¯s go introduce ourselves!¡±

 To Forgotten Places 7

    ¡°We need a plan,¡± Geralhd observed. ¡°If these reclusive folk are as hostile as you suggest they are then we can¡¯t just walk in unannounced and expect them to greet us with open arms.¡±


    Blacknail, Ilisti, Garen, and him were still staring down at the town of Herstcrest from a hill out in the forest. They had come a long way to find the town, and now they had. Of course, some of them were here for different reasons. Geralhd thought the was tagging along on a scouting mission, while Ilisti was here to conquer the place.


    ¡°We could sneak in after nightfall and kill all their leaders in their sleep,¡± Blacknail suggested.


    ¡°Um, what would that accomplish, exactly?¡± Geralhd replied uncertainly. Garen and Ilisti didn¡¯t look convinced either.


    Blacknail smiled sheepishly. ¡°It¡¯s just sort of what I do?¡±


    ¡°Well, we will keep that option in mind,¡± Ilisti responded dryly. ¡°However, I believe a less drastic first move would better serve our ends.¡±


    Garen looked thoughtful. ¡°We could just take the town. Even without the hobgoblins and their skill as infiltrators, our troops could undoubtedly march down there and seize that gate with minimal losses. The people are highly unlikely to be organized or effective soldiers.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t actually know that these people are hostile yet. We just got here,¡± Geralhd pointed out firmly. ¡°Striking first would be unconscionable. A lot of innocent people could easily be hurt by such a reckless course of action.¡±


    Ilisti nodded. ¡°I agree. I would rather not create any unnecessary grudges or resentments among the populace. When we move on the town¡¯s rulers, it must be with secure motives and moral justification, so that we can maintain a good relationship with the common folk.¡±


    ¡°I think you mean if we move against the town¡¯s rulers.¡± Geralhd replied warily.


    Ilisti gave him vague nod before looking back at the town. ¡°As you say.¡±


    Geralhd frowned. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that we need to talk to them. A delegation is the obvious answer.¡±


    ¡°Sending in only a small group might be dangerous. We don¡¯t know how they will react.¡±


    ¡°A show of force from our troops might keep them in line. We could march them out into the open. No one would get hurt then,¡± Garen suggested.


    ¡°Or such an action could easily frighten them into not accepting the delegation at all,¡± Ilisti mused thoughtfully. ¡°They are obviously reclusive, and they might lock their doors at the slightest provocation. If we want to make sure they accept a delegation we have to make it look as harmless and valuable as possible.¡±


    Listening intently, Blacknail sighed quietly. His assassination plan was sounding better and better the more he listened. This was getting annoyingly complicated, and in his experience, the best way to simplify things was to kill some unnecessary humans.


    Oblivious to Blacknail, Geralhd nodded in agreement with Ilisti. ¡°We could send some people in posing as traders or merchants. Secluded as they are, these people must be in desperate need of certain goods, like a decent vintage of wine. We have a cart here, and it could pass as a merchant¡¯s vehicle. It would be easy enough to load it up with some of our supplies to complete the disguise.¡±


    Garen was less enthused by this idea. ¡°That doesn¡¯t solve the safety problem. We are still sending this delegation into a dangerous situation we can¡¯t predict. They will be greatly outnumbered, and their escape route will be cut off. What¡¯s to stop these peasants from simply swarming them and taking their cargo?¡±


    There was silence as everyone considered this problem.


    ¡°How likely is that, do you think?¡± Geralhd asked after a few long moments.


    ¡°Quite,¡± Ilisti replied. ¡°As I pointed out before, those watch towers suggest that the community is tightly policed, and thus probably hostile to outsiders who might bring trouble with them. Also, isolated as they are, who would punish them for robbing and killing some travelers?¡±


    Blacknail perked up. He had just thought of a solution, and this time it wasn¡¯t to kill everyone in their sleep. ¡°How about we send in our toughest fighters, then? Ilisti, Garen, and me could take some fat town humans, easy.¡±


    Garen opened his mouth as it to object, but Ilisti cut him off. ¡°That could work. Yes, there would be definite advantages to such an introduction.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it!¡± Blacknail exclaimed cheerfully. This sounded like it was going to be great fun!


    Unfortunately, while the adults had been talking, Khita had snuck over to listen to their conversation.


    ¡°If you want to bring all the strongest fighters along, I should come too.¡± she announced as she walked up behind Blacknail. ¡°I¡¯m a Vessel now!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail told her.


    Geralhd shook his head at her. ¡°You don¡¯t have any Elixir and you are still new to your abilities, so I¡¯m with Blacknail here.¡±


    Khita scowled. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail told her sternly. ¡°Stay with the villagers you brought. They are your responsibility.¡±


    Khita didn¡¯t look happy, but she shut up, and that was the important thing. Sighing, Blacknail turned back to the vympirs, who¡¯d remained silent. ¡°We have a plan, so let¡¯s go!¡±


    Geralhd coughed to get everyone¡¯s attention. There was a doubtful look on his face. ¡°What about the disguise? Do any of you know anything about the particulars of a merchant¡¯s trade? You¡¯re a noble, a soldier, and a hobgoblin.¡±


    The vymprs and the hobgoblin looked at each other. None of them had a response to that, so Blacknail turned to look at Geralhd. ¡°Alright, you can come with us. You¡¯re from a merchant family, right?¡±


    Geralhd¡¯s mouth fell open in surprise. ¡°Um, that wasn¡¯t what I was getting at.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re a big bad bandit, remember! You got this,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the obvious choice to pose as the leader of this delegation,¡± Ilisti added. ¡°Garen and I will be your guards, while Blacknail stays with the cart and serves as the packman.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good¡­¡± Geralhd remarked neutrally as he realized he¡¯d walked into a trap of his own making.


    With their discussion over, everyone got to work preparing their disguises and organizing the delegation. The supplies on the donkey cart were rearranged, and everyone put on long brown rain cloaks. When the cart was ready, they headed out into the fields. Geralhd drove the cart while the others walked alongside it. Unlike a horse, the donkey tolerated Blacknail¡¯s presence, even if was obviously and rightly afraid of him.


    After they had been on the rough dirt road that led to Herstcrest¡¯s gates for a few minutes, Geralhd began to look really nervous. They were surrounded on all sides by uneven fields.


    ¡°I think I just saw someone run into the town. They must have been out working in the fields and seen us,¡± Geralhd said. From up on the cart, he had a better vantage point than the others.


    ¡°That¡¯s to be expected. We don¡¯t want to surprise them anyway,¡± Ilisti reassured Geralhd. Garen and him looked completely calm as they trudged along beside the cart.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the worst case scenario here?¡± Geralhd asked.


    Garen huffed in annoyance. ¡°That this place is ruled by an ancient vympir lord who immediately squashes us into paste. Try not to think about it.¡±


    ¡°There could also be an incredibly intelligent hobgoblin inside that sees right through our disguises and is so cunning that we are helpless before him,¡± Blacknail added. ¡°Although, that¡¯s unlikely since I¡¯m the smartest hobgoblin ever.¡±


    This got a chuckle from Ilisti, but everyone else was silent as they approached the gates. When they reached the wooden doors, they stopped and waited for something to happen. Blacknail used this time to study the town¡¯s defenses. The wall was made of small stones that had been mortared together into a barrier that was about eight feet tall. It was certainly better at keeping things out than Shelter¡¯s walls, but it still didn¡¯t seem designed to stop a determined attacker. It was more like a really sturdy fence. Suddenly, someone yelled their way.


    ¡°Who goes there?¡± a man shouted down at them. He was standing on the wall, right next to the gate. Everyone immediately looked at Geralhd, who winced in an anxious manner as he was put on the spot.


    ¡°Ah, hello there!¡± Geralhd called back with false cheer. ¡°I¡¯m a travelling merchant. I got lost in the forest a while back and somehow ended up here, in front of your rather inviting looking home. I¡¯d like to come in and sell some of my wares, if you don¡¯t mind, good man¡±


    ¡°Who is that all with you?¡± the man on the wall asked. He sounded suspicious.


    ¡°These are just my guards and my packman. Travelling alone in the Green is a terrible idea, but don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re harmless. I basically pay them to keep me company on my travels. My packman is actually worse than them. He has been known to bite,¡± Geralhd joked. Blacknail found it funny.


    There was no immediate reply to this, but the doors began to swing open.


    ¡°Am I the only one who finds this ominous?¡± Geralhd asked.


    ¡°Yes, get the cart moving,¡± Garen replied. Geralhd did as he was told, and soon they were passing into Herstcrest.


    Before them, a paved street appeared that was lined by houses. Most of the visible homes were wooden with stone foundations. None of them looked new, and many were run down. Blacknail thought he saw movement at some of the windows, but the occupants were keeping out of sight. Directly in the cart¡¯s path stood a small crowd of two dozen men. Blacknail immediately noticed that most of them were of the thuggish variety, and that there wasn¡¯t a single visible woman.


    One man was quite noticeably different from the others. He was shortest, and he was wearing a long purple coat. It stood out, since all the other men had on plain brown clothes. The short man was also standing in the very middle of the group, and he had a jovial smile on his face, while the others were glowering sternly at the newcomers.


    After snapping the donkey¡¯s reins and bringing the cart to a halt, Geralhd jumped down and turned to face the man in the purple coat. As per the plan, Blacknail stayed back by the cart, while Garen and Ilisti moved to stand behind Geralhd in as non-threatening a way as possible. The hobgoblin and the vympirs were still wearing their long brown rain cloaks to disguise their more alarming features.


    Geralhd coughed politely to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Hello there! This is a nice little town you have here. I like the um¡­ quaint homes.¡±


    There was a loud thud as the gate behind them snapped shut again, and Geralhd flinched. Meanwhile. the man in the purple coat studied Geralhd and his cart. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a merchant? It has been a while since any of your ilk chanced upon this valley. It seems the roads aren¡¯t as well maintained as they used to be.¡±


    The short man chuckled briefly as he finished speaking, and his thugs snickered along with him, although Blacknail hadn¡¯t found his words to be funny at all. In fact, the thugs didn¡¯t seem amused either. All of them looked gaunt and there was a hungry gleam in their eyes. Blackanil studied them carefully. Everything about them reeked of blood and barely constrained violence. Even most of the bandits he¡¯d encountered had seemed calmer and friendlier by far. Something was wrong about them, although Blacknail couldn¡¯t put his finger on what.


    Geralhd smiled as neutrally as possible. ¡°Yes, I noticed the poor condition of the roads, myself. How astute of you. I sort of stumbled into this place by accident, although there is no reason it can¡¯t be a happy accident! I was following a road to the south, when one of my guardsman spotted a pack of desperate bandits waiting in ambush ahead of us. To evade them, we took a side route off into the Green, and thus promptly got completely and utterly lost.¡±


    ¡°Well, the outside world is certainly a treacherous and dangerous place. It¡¯s much safer here in Herstcrest,¡± the man in the coat replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°I can tell from your noble bearing that you¡¯re a man of some standing, but you haven¡¯t introduced yourself yet. May I humbly ask your name and title? I¡¯m known as Geralhd Delsavius.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how silly of me. You are quite correct, stranger. I¡¯m the mayor of this little patch of heaven, and my name is Felsisio Melvarea. I¡¯m pleased to welcome someone with such a discerning eye.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it would please me greatly to sell all my wares here in your wonderful town. Perhaps I could set up a stall or something?¡±


    The mayor huffed in displeasure. ¡°That would be pointless. I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t find very many buyers among the townsfolk. They have little use for money anymore. No, I will browse your goods and personally do all of the purchasing, acting in my capacity as the representative of Herstcrest, of course. In particular, I¡¯m curious as to whether you have any good wine on you. It has been a while since we¡¯ve had a decent vintage.¡±


    The news about the townsfolk lacking money seemed to unsettle Geralhd. He couldn¡¯t keep a scowl from his face, and he muttered quietly to himself. ¡°Greedy little toad. He plans on robbing me in plain daylight.¡±


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why Geralhd cared. They weren¡¯t really here as merchants. It was all a rouse.


    Geralhd sighed and turned to look at the mayor again. ¡°Then, perhaps we could discuss accommodations, before getting down to business? I¡¯m sure my servants are looking forward to real beds and the safety of solid walls after so long on the road.¡±


    ¡°First, I must insist that you disarm your guards and hand over their weapons. There is no need for such violent tools within Herstcrest,¡± the mayor replied smugly. Behind him, his heavily armed mob of thugs loomed menacingly. The inconstancy of this didn¡¯t appear to matter to the mayor.


    ¡°I hardly think that is necessary,¡± Geralhd countered warily. ¡°My servants are no threat to you and your rather large personal guard, and my servants have a formed quite an emotional attachment to their weapons over the past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°As the mayor of Hercrest, I make the laws and I enforce them. There is no higher authority. Hand over your weapons.¡±


    As Geralhd began politely arguing with the mayor, another group of people approached from down the street. Blacknail shifted his gaze to study these new arrivals. There were five of them, and they were all wearing loose green robes and had shaved heads. Like the mayor¡¯s group, they were all male, and most of them were large and armed with wooden clubs. The exception was an older man at the center of the group. Even though he was bald, he had a short white beard and was hunched over.


    As soon as the robed men arrived, the mayor turned to greet them. ¡°Ah, Obdehi! You¡¯re finally here. Thank you for coming.¡±


    ¡°It is no problem, lord mayor. These are the outsiders?¡± the bearded man replied as he turned to look at Geralhd. His eyes were dark and utterly without warmth, like a snake¡¯s.


    ¡°Obdehi here is the high priest of Herstcrest, and a servant of the harvest god Dev-Methi,¡± the mayor cheerfully told Geralhd.


    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s nice to meet him. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of that god before, though.¡± Geralhd replied cautiously.


    ¡°He has only recently revealed his great glory to us simple mortals,¡± Obdehi explained with smug smile. ¡°All he demands in return for his blessing is the occasional petty sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good¡­¡± Geralhd replied awkwardly. Even Blacknail had found that speech creepy, and he knew next to nothing about human religion. Ilisti reacted as well. The vympir leaned over and whispered something in Geralhd¡¯s ear.


    When he was done, Geralhd turned to the priest. ¡°And your god¡­ can you see him, or is he more of an invisible presence?¡±


    ¡°He is with us in spirit, always. He watches us and rewards our fervor with the bounty of the earth. From his blood springs life,¡± Obdehi answered as he gazed at Geralhd intently.


    The mayor took this opportunity to cut in. ¡°I was just telling Geralhd here that his guards need to hand over their weapons.¡±


    The priest nodded sagely. ¡°Ah, of course, yes.¡±


    As Blacknail watched, Obdehi immediately reached up to grab a chain around his neck, and he pulled an amulet up from beneath his robe. The piece of jewelry was made from gold and had a single large transparent crystal set in the middle of it.


    As one hand closed around the crystal, the priest spoke up in a louder, more resonant voice. ¡°You should do as the lord mayor commands and relinquish your weaponry. There is no need for such things here. You have never been safer than here among the people of feast and famine.¡±


    It could have been a trick of the light, but Blacknail thought he saw a subtle light began to twinkle within the heart of the crystal. At the same time, he felt a wave of calm wash over him. Blacknail felt his fears and suspicions fade, but then something within his mind pushed back, hard. Immediately, Blacknail twitched as awareness and anger burned its way out of his skull and into the rest of his body. He had just been attacked by some sort of magic.


    ¡°Yes, I see your point¡­¡± Geralhd said aloud. He sounded confused and suddenly looked unsteady on his feet.


    ¡°I knew you would see reason!¡± the mayor replied with a confident smirk as he began telling Geralhd why he needed to disarm his guards.


    Quickly, Blacknail glanced at Ilisti and Garen, who were standing to both sides of Geralhd. Thankfully, Ilisti looked back to meet his gaze, and the vympir seemed both unaffected by the magic and very angry. There was a grim scowl on his face and his red eyes were practically glowing. Seeing that Blacknail was still alert, he motioned for the hobgoblin to come closer. Cautiously, as to not draw any attention, Blacknail slowly walked behind Ilisti.


    When he got there, Ilsiti spoke up without looking his way. ¡°That priest is some sort of wise man, and he has assaulted us with some sort of mind numbing sorcery. That¡¯s reason enough for us to consider the rules of hospitality violated.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you want to do?¡± Blacknail whispered back.


    ¡°Violence seems like the appropriate response. Garen will take the priest. Support me when I go after the mayor,¡± Ilisti answered.

 To Forgotten Places 8

    Geralhd gave Obdehi a friendly smile. ¡°Yes, you all seem like such nice people. There is no reason we need our weapons among friends like you!¡±


    This was a rather weird thing for him to say, since he had just met the man, and had absolutely no reason to trust him. Not only were the priest and the mayor super creepy, but they were surrounded by armed thugs that looked almost feral.


    ¡°Just have your servants throw them on the ground between us,¡± the mayor told Gerahld, as both he and the priest looked smug.


    Still grinning, Geralhd nodded and turned to Ilisiti. ¡°Let¡¯s do as he says.¡±


    A groan escaped from within Blacknail. He understood that Geralhd¡¯s normally naive mind was under the effect of magic, but this was still incredibly pathetic and obviously suicidal.


    After a moment of silence, Ilisti coughed to clear his throat and then spoke calmly and clearly. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that is a good idea. Let¡¯s take their weapons instead.¡±


    Before anyone had time to respond, Ilisti threw off his cape to reveal his burning red eyes and chainmail armor. Then, with startling speed, he drew his long sword and lunged toward the mayor. The vympir lord moved so quickly that he seemed to fly across the ground, but that didn¡¯t stop Garen and Blacknail from being right behind him. They were both incredibly fast as well.


    Caught off guard, the first few thugs went down hard in a spray of blood as Ilisti cut them apart. Meanwhile, Garen veered off to the side and rushed toward the priest. He cut open one man¡¯s belly and stabbed another through the stomach before Blacknail caught up. Ripping his cloak off, the hobgoblin threw it at a cultist and breathed deep. As the air filled his lungs, he reached down inside himself. There, the power of the Elixir he had drank earlier simmered in his blood. Exhaling, Blacknail laughed madly as he burned the energy within his body and sent it out as an invisible wave of mental power. The sound of his laughter had already drawn a lot of attention, and his hobgoblin visage provided a spark of fear. That was all the magic needed. It doused the spark to ignite an magical inferno of terror within the minds of all the nearby humans.


    There were shrieks and gasps as people froze or jumped back away from the charging hobgoblin. Screams followed as the terror wormed its way deeper and began tearing thoughts apart. Using this opening, Blacknail drew his blade and unleashed a flurry of slashes at all the nearby thugs. It had been quite a while since he had let loose, and it felt wonderful! He was unstoppable and completely free of restraint. Bloodlust boiled up from within his guts as the power of Elixir flowed through him. More thugs fell as Blacknail used the techniques he had spent countless hours drilling, but now discipline was the furthest thing from his mind. Hunger and fury drove him forth with abandon. He dodged a club and cut the attacker open from groin to collar.


    Ahead of him, Garen kicked away a thug that was bleeding from his neck. The terrified henchmen were no match for his superhuman strength and speed. Now, there was no one between him and Obdehi, so the vympir stepped forward to grab the priest, while Blacknail moved to take down the last two robed thugs.


    Pale with fear, Obdehi finally reacted. The bearded priest raised the amulet he was still clutching and grunted with effort as he unleashed its full power. As Blacknail dodged a hasty and off-balance blow from a club, he felt a new sensation tear its way through his mind and body. Like a wave of intensely cold water, the mental force froze everything it touched, deadening thoughts and emotions. Blacknail felt his fury wither and then shatter into nothing. Light became darkness. Halfway through a swing of his sword, he suddenly let it go. The blade flew off to the side as Blacknail¡¯s arms went slack, and he came to a complete stop. Suddenly, nothing seemed important. Even thinking was pointless. He was nothing.


    Around the hobgoblin, all the remaining thugs and the mayor were hit even harder. They dropped to ground as they lost the will to stand up. Geralhd tottered for a moment and then fell as well. Similar to Blacknail, Ilisti and Garen stumbled and dropped their weapons. As Obdehi jumped back and dashed away down the street, the vympirs just gazed straight ahead with dazed expressions.


    Seconds ticked by without anyone moving. It was only after almost half a minute had passed that the stunned combatants began to shake off the effects of the magic. Blacknail blinked and watched Ilisti slowly reach down to pick up his fallen sword.


    ¡°That may have well have been the most uncomfortable thing I have ever experienced, and I¡¯ve been set on fire, twice,¡± the vympir growled.


    Blacknail blinked some more. ¡°My head is cold and alone. Why am I here?¡±


    Garen shuddered and took a step forward. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m sorry, lord. I failed to get to the wiseman in time.¡±


    Ilisti shook his head. ¡°You did not fail me. I set you an impossible task. You didn¡¯t have the time necessary to stop him from using the amulet. A single moment was all he needed, and I planned for that. However, I didn¡¯t guess that his magic would be quite so¡­ horrible.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to go after him?¡± Garen asked as Ilisti looked over all the fallen humans.


    Blacknail took a moment to stare at his hands. He felt hollow, although the sensation was slowly fading. He could move, but with no immediate threats around, he didn¡¯t really feel like it.


    ¡°Yes, pursue the wise-man, and take the hobgoblin with you,¡± Ilisti replied as he walked over to the fallen mayor. ¡°I have plans for the unworthy leader of this settlement, and someone should stay with our friend Geralhd.¡±


    Garen threw him a quick salute. ¡°At once, lord!¡±


    The vympir knight then walked over to Blacknail and met his gaze. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    The hobgoblin stared back. ¡°Hmm, yes. I¡¯ll follow you since I don¡¯t have anything better to do.¡±


    Sighing, Garen poked Blacknail¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I need you to track which way he went.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± the hobgoblin replied as walked over to where Obdehi had been standing and sniffed the air a few times.


    The movement helped Blacknail shake off some more of the magical numbness, so he immediately began running after the priest. Garen followed right behind him, and they ran down the empty street. There were plenty of houses, but there wasn¡¯t a single person in sight. Blacknail thought he saw a terrified face peeking out of a window, but when he turned to get a better look at it, all he saw was an empty window. It was odd how empty this town was. He would have thought it was abandoned, except for how well maintained most of it was. There weren¡¯t even any screams, which was very unusual for anyplace Blacknail was visiting. Silence reigned across the whole town.


    Following the scent of the bald old priest, Blacknail and Garen ran through a pair of tight alleys and down three wide streets. There was a noticeable lack of any sign of activity in the streets. They were clean, but Blacknail didn¡¯t see any colorful signs, stalls, litter, or any other evidence that people ever gathered outside. Even most the shops he saw were closed and boarded up, as if they hadn¡¯t been used in a long time.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Putting these oddities out of mind, Blacknail concentrated on tracking Obdehi¡¯s scent. A few minutes later, he found himself on the far side of the town, next to the cliff. Houses had given way to run-down warehouses and mineshafts.


    ¡°Is he trying to hide in a tunnel?¡± Garen guessed.


    ¡°It smells like he went to that building,¡± Blacknail remarked as he pointed to the structure in question.


    It looked like some sort of temple. Its walls were made of thick stone blocks, its front was decorated by a row of smooth stone columns, and it had a long triangular roof. Yep, it looked exactly like a temple. Although, oddly enough, the entire thing had been built so that it backed up against the face of the cliff.


    ¡°Yes, that does seem like the sort of place a false priest of a false god would run,¡± Garen observed disdainfully.


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. Together, Garen and him approached the entrance to the temple. It had wide double-doors made from wood. Deciding to play it safe, Blacknail pulled one of them open as Garen covered him. As the door swung open, the dark interior was flooded with light, revealing a long room with a raised altar at the back. A myriad collection of rugs and blankets covered most of the floor, but there was no sign of any people.


    After pushing the other door open to get more light, Blacknail walked into the chamber, and sniffed irritably as the heavy reek of burnt incense assaulted his nose. Seeing no danger, Garen and him took the path through the center of the room that avoided all the mats. As they approached the altar, the scent of human blood began to edge out the smell of the incense, and the source was obvious. The altar ahead of them was made of grey stone and its top was perfectly flat. It was also about the right size for a human adult to lay down on, which didn¡¯t seem to be a coincidence. The entire thing was covered in dark red blood stains.


    Garen scowled in distaste as he looked the altar over. ¡°Disgusting. What does this false priest hope to accomplish by doing such heinous acts?¡±


    Sensing that Garen didn¡¯t actually want him to answer the question, Blacknail just shrugged. The vympir also wasn¡¯t in the best position to criticize other people about that sort of thing. Blacknail was pretty sure he drank people¡¯s blood and carried dead bodies around, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t one to judge.


    Turning away, the hobgoblin sniffed the air again. Smelling his prey, he examined the green tapestry that hung behind the altar. As he pulled the tapestry aside, a dark natural cavern was revealed. It led deep into the rock, and judging from the wooden supports someone had built to hold the roof up, it had probably been a mine at some point.


    ¡°Do you happen to have a lamp?¡± Garen asked Blacknail as he peeked over his shoulder.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have a light on him, so the pair were forced to search for one. Eventually, Garen found one in the warehouse next door, but not before a quarter of an hour had passed.


    ¡°This passage had better not just curve around and lead back outside,¡± Garen grumbled as he stepped into the mine shaft.


    To shield his eyes from the light of the lamp, Blacknail moved in front of him. His sword was out, and he was ready for anything as he began walking forward. Garen followed after him, and the light from the lamp he was holding up shone over the rough cavern walls, casting shadows everywhere.


    ¡°Ever been deep underground?¡± Blacknail whispered as he snuck a glance back at the vympir.


    ¡°No,¡± Garen replied tersely. He seemed a little on edge.


    ¡°I have. It¡¯s even more dangerous than the Green. Lots of monsters down here that sting or bite people,¡± Blacknail explained as he studied the roof overhead. Sometimes critters liked to hang among the stalactites.


    ¡°So, I hear, but I¡¯m more worried about the priest. This is a mineshaft, not part of the dark roads.¡±


    As Blacknail and Garen walked around a curve in the passage, a light appeared up ahead of them. It was faint, but it could clearly be seen shining out of a side passage. Garen nodded at Blacknail, and they both quietly moved to investigate it.


    When they reached the lit opening, Blacknail slowly leaned over and peered into it. There was a natural cavern on the other side. It was vaguely roundish and about half the size of the temple they had just left. The light was coming from a lamp that had been placed on the floor, and by its illumination, Blacknail could see Obdehi. The priest was standing over by a table and a large cage that had been placed on the far wall of the cavern. There was a dark shape lurking at the back of the cage, but Blacknail couldn¡¯t make it out. Over a bit, there was also a pair of barrels next to a simple looking wooden shrine. A soft green glow could be seen escaping from behind the shrine¡¯s closed doors. Blacknail had no idea what was going on there, but it probably wasn¡¯t good.


    Putting his lamp down by the opening, Garen stepped past Blacknail and went inside. Moving quickly but stealthily, the vympir stalked toward the priest¡¯s turned back. Shrugging, Blacknail crept after him. Garen was apparently in a hurry.


    After they had properly entered the room, Blacknail noticed some new details. Most importantly, there was a large crevice in the center of the chamber. The crack in the floor was too thin for a human to climb down into, but it was about ten feet wide. As Blacknail tiptoed forward, light glinted off several small shapes within it. Were those crystals?


    Just then, Garen¡¯s foot hit a loose piece of rock, and sent it clattering away. With the cave so dark and full of shadows, the small rock had been next to impossible to see. However, the it was more than large enough to create an almost impossible to miss echo in the silent cavern. Blacknail tensed up and quickly glanced toward their target. They hadn¡¯t even gotten halfway to him yet.


    Immediately, Obdehi spun around. There was a shocked look on his face, and there was a crystal in his hand as he held it out toward the intruders. ¡°No, I¡¯m not ready! How did you find me?¡±


    ¡°You stink,¡± Blacknail explained helpfully as he came to stop.


    Garen stopped as well. ¡°Drop the magic stone, priest. It won¡¯t save you from us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Make one more step and I¡¯ll blast you into oblivion. This isn¡¯t the same power as before. It is a new gift from my mighty god,¡± Obdehi replied reverently as he backed up toward the cages.


    Warily, Blacknail examined the crystal in the priest¡¯s hand. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but it did look smaller and it did seem to have a purple cast to it. Wait¡­ it was new? Blacknail didn¡¯t see any of the usual mage equipment around. Uh oh, had this priest just picked the crystal out of the crevice in the floor? ¡­And was that dried blood he saw next to the crevice? Had this complete idiot been pouring human blood down there? Blacknail wasn¡¯t a mage, but he knew there was no way that was anything like safe! It was perhaps the dumbest thing Blacknail had ever heard of, let alone seen.


    Carefully, Blacknail nudged Garen with his elbow. ¡°I think the priest¡¯s new magic stone grew here in this cave. There is a shiny crack in the floor over there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the secrets of the wisemen, what does that mean?¡± Garen replied quietly as he looked toward the crevice.


    ¡°It means that rock is very super dangerous, but even more dangerous than that to the priest. He probably doesn¡¯t even know what it does!¡±


    ¡°So, it could do nothing?¡± Garen asked as he studied the priest with narrowed eyes.


    Blacknail grimaced. ¡°Not likely. I have seen mages work and do magic quite a few times. If he uses that thing, he will probably either melt into goo or kill us all with a funny colored explosion that smells like dewberries. I don¡¯t know which.¡±


    Garen took a moment to contemplate this. Judging by his deepening scowl, he wasn¡¯t thrilled by the implications.


    Obdehi had used the time given to him by Blacknail and Garen¡¯s indecision to reach the cage. As they watched, he spun around and unlatched it, before quickly dashing away. Still holding up the mana stone, the priest hurried over to the shrine and peeked inside.


    Before Blacknail or Garen could go after him, there was movement from within the just opened cage, and a large creature emerged from the shadows. Blacknail drew his weapon as the beast stepped out the cage and looked around.


    Garen groaned in disbelief and disgust as he pulled out his sword. ¡°Is that a giant mutant rat?¡±


    Blacknail grimaced. That was definitely what it looked like to him. The creature was almost the size of a donkey, and probably weighed more than a hobgoblin. It had slick black fur and a long tail that trailed behind it like a pale worm. Its purple eyes seemed to glow in the darkness of the cavern as it focused its attention on Blacknail and Garen. Viciously, the rat rose up on its hindquarters and hissed at the intruders. The beast¡¯s snarl revealed two huge fangs and countless smaller needle-like teeth behind them, and now that it was standing up, Blacknail could see that there was an iron collar around its neck.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s a new record,¡± Blacknail mused. He¡¯d seen a lot of large rats before, especially during the goblin rat wars of his youth, but this was the biggest.


    From next to the barrels, Obdehi began yelling furiously. Spittle flew out of his mouth as he shouted. ¡°This is the herald of Dev-Methi! It will unleash the fury of the great god against you without mercy, and soon the lord himself will appear. Only doom awaits sinners and unbelievers. Those who do not bow before him will know the damning touch of famine and ruin!¡±


    As he spoke, the vicious mutant stared at Blacknail and Garen with purple eyes that reflected barely contained hunger and rage, and the green glow within the shrine intensified.

 To Forgotten Places 9

    ¡°It¡¯s a giant rat,¡± Garen growled as he eyed the creature warily.


    It may have been a rodent, but it was more than large enough to be dangerous, and it was no normal animal. Underestimating any sort of mutant was stupid. You never knew what they were capable of.


    ¡°It is a divine being, and your doom!¡± Obdehi screamed fervently. What was he doing beside that glowing barrel? Blacknail didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°We should kill this mutant quickly. The priest is up to something,¡± Blacknail told Garen.


    ¡°Agreed, delay does not suit our purposes. Let us attack!¡± Garen replied as he raised his weapon and stepped forward.


    The rat hissed menacingly and bared its fangs again as Blacknail moved to flank it. The creature didn¡¯t like being surrounded. Its hackles rose as it watched both its opponents, and its eyes shone with bestial rage.


    ¡°I wish I had a spear,¡± Garen muttered. He seemed to be having difficulty deciding on the best way to attack the beast.


    The rat solved his problem for him. With a furious hiss it threw itself at Garen. The vympir reacted quickly, but the rat was faster than it looked. It came in under his blade and barreled into him, knocking him over and disarming him. He hit the floor with a thud but wasn¡¯t stunned. Instead, he immediately began punching the creature in the face repeatedly, as he tried to throw it off. The rat reacted by biting down on one of his arms and scratching at the vympir¡¯s face with its claws. Garen screamed in pain and rage, but he kept using his free arm to punch the rat and try to knock it loose.


    Fortunately for Garen, he had an ally. Blacknail lunged forward and stabbed the creature¡¯s side with his sword. The blade sank into flesh almost to the hilt, and the rat screeched. This meant it let go of Garen¡¯s arm, so Blacknail took the opportunity to kick the creature as hard as he could. His boot hit with enough force to send the rat rolling away and free Garen.


    ¡°Thank you for your aid,¡± the vympir said as he quickly picked up his sword and jumped to his feet. He didn¡¯t seem to be too badly injured. His armor had absorbed most the damage, although there were some nasty looking scratches on his face.


    ¡°I like stabbing rats anyway,¡± Blacknail replied with a grin.


    The giant rat didn¡¯t stay down long. Even though Blacknail had given it a deep wound, it quickly scrambled back onto its feet and spun around to face its attackers. It was large enough that it would take more than a single attack to kill it, and it was a mutant as well. That always made combat uncertain.


    Garen glanced at the hobgoblin. ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s attack it together before it has a chance to recover.¡±


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Blacknail asked him. He¡¯d just been mauled by a rat that probably weighed as much as he did.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Blacknail nodded, and they both lunged at the rat at the same time. Their steel blades swept toward the monster, but it didn¡¯t stay still. Hissing, the rat jumped sideways. Garen¡¯s blade sliced across the creature¡¯s side and cut through the thick black fur, but Blacknail¡¯s missed. As the hobgoblin¡¯s blade swung harmlessly past it, the rat leapt straight for him. The creature was fast, but so was Blacknail, and he had skill and discipline to back it up. Twisting around, the hobgoblin pulled out a dagger and rammed it into one of the rat¡¯s eyes, before spinning away.


    The blade sank deep into the eye socket, scraped against bone, and then penetrated into the soft brain matter beyond. Shrieking in pain, the rat trembled, and its back legs gave out, causing it to stumble and fall onto the stone floor of the cave. That was when Garen lunged forward and decapitated the beast with a swing of his sword. The blade sliced through the air and cleaved the rat¡¯s head from its body with a single strike. Thick black blood splashed against the rocks as the body tottered over. A moment later, the head hit the ground with a wet thud.


    ¡°Should I take a trophy?¡± Blacknail mused as he walked over to pull his knife out of the creature¡¯s eye. A rat tooth necklace might look dashing.


    Meanwhile, Garen was already striding over toward Obdehi. The priest was still standing near the shrine. During the fight, he¡¯d continuously glanced back and forth between the fighters and the shrine.


    ¡°Put the mana stone down and you we won¡¯t kill you,¡± Garen told the priest. He was undoubtedly lying.


    At his words, Obdehi hesitated for a second. He seemed uncertain of what to do next, so he nervously glanced back at the shrine. At that moment, the green glow within the shrine¡¯s confines flickered and grew brighter. In response, the tension seemed to flow out of Obdehi. He reached down and carefully placed the crystal he¡¯d been holding up on the ground.


    ¡°¡­Alright, good,¡± Garen remarked in surprise as he slowed his approach.


    Ahead of him, Obdehi suddenly stepped over to the shrine and threw open its small ceremonial doors. This revealed the source of the light. It was a round crystal on a cushion. The priest wasted no time. Hurriedly, he grabbed it and moved to place the chasm in the floor between him and his assailants.


    ¡°Less good,¡± Garen grunted sourly.


    Obdehi sneered at him and raised this new glowing crystal high. ¡°You may have defeated the herald, but that means nothing! You have simply prolonged your suffering, instead of accepting Dev-Methi¡¯s mercy, fools. The great god¡¯s power remains endless and undiminished by your pathetic struggles. You have simply earned his ire. Now, he comes, and you will be devoured! Your time is nigh.¡±


    Blacknail really wasn¡¯t liking where this was going, and his suspicions were confirmed a second later when the ground beneath his feet shivered ever so slightly. Instantly, the tiny hairs on the back of Blacknail¡¯s neck stood straight up. Every instinct he had was telling him that something bad was about to happen.


    As Blacknail readied himself, Obdehi tipped over a barrel, and dozens of cabbages rolled out. Um, what? Why cabbages? Never mind, they were probably just a distraction. Blacknail turned his attention back to the priest.


    Garen also sensed danger, although it was rather hard to miss at this point. Throwing caution to the wind, the vympir sprinted straight for Obdehi. The width of the chasm was the only thing between him and priest, and after putting on a burst of speed, Garen launched himself right over it.


    Right before Garen¡¯s blade could come down and slash Obdehi, something burst out of the chasm below him and knocked him aside.  The vympir was thrown against the cave wall next to the now empty shrine. He hit it with a thud and then fell down on top of the tipped over barrel and amongst the spilt cabbages. Blacknail winced. At least the vegetables were soft.


    Focusing, Blacknail starred at the thing that had come up from the crack in the floor and assaulted his ally. It was hard to see in the dark, since it seemed to reflect the green light that was radiating from the crystal Obdehi was holding. Was it some sort of limb or tail? Actually, it looked transparent, and as Blacknail watched, the thing¡¯s shape flexed and expanded in a way flesh couldn¡¯t.


    Wait, was that slime? It was. Obdehi began laughing as another wave of transparent slime surged out of the crevice and splashed onto the cave floor. Instead of going soft, it formed itself into a rigid blob. Then, light shone out of the crevice for a moment as another glimmering crystal emerged and floated into the center of the blob. It was smaller, but the crystal was definitely glowing the exact same color as the one Obdehi was holding.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Groaning, Garen got back up and quickly retreated away from the slime. He seemed to still be a little dazed and confused. As the ooze chased him, it sucked up all the fallen cabbages and tore them apart.


    ¡°What hit me?¡± Garen asked as he stumbled toward Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin spared him a glance. ¡°Looks like a slime. The priest is controlling it somehow, probably with his glowing rock.¡±


    It looked like more and more slime was flowing up through the crevice. The blob just kept getting bigger and bigger. How big was this slime? How big did slimes get? Blacknail could easily imagine a truly massive slime living deep under the ground, maybe even city-sized.


    ¡°Yes! You are powerless before my god!¡± Obdehi laughed. ¡°His might is without limit, and he is as vast as the oceans! He will devour you as he devours all.¡±


    Blacknail groaned. The priest was undoubtedly just making fancy noises, and the slime was probably not nearly that big, but it was better to play it safe. More and more slime was seeping up from below. Soon, it might fill the entire cavern.


    Thinking quickly, Blacknail sheathed his sword and pulled out his sling. After loading it, he spun the weapon and hurled a stone at Obdehi. Instead, of dodging the priest scowled disdainfully and made a dismissive gesture with his free hand. Immediately, a wall of slime rose in front of him and blocked the shot.


    ¡°Rat blood!¡± Blacknail cursed as he stepped back and almost slipped in some rat blood.


    Unfortunately for him, Obdehi didn¡¯t stop there. The priest made another sweeping hand motion, and the blob of slime next to him began to change form. A thick tentacle formed and shot toward Blacknail. The hobgoblin sidestepped it and jumped back. As the tentacle reformed to attack again, Blacknail drew his sword. Just as it moved to lash out at him, Blacknail cut right through the tentacle with a slash of his sword. Immediately, the severed portion collapsed into a pool and began to creep back toward the main blob.


    ¡°You¡¯re just delaying the inevitable! Your doom has already been decided,¡± Obdehi yelled at them.


    ¡°He¡¯s not wrong,¡± Garen remarked as he stepped up beside the hobgoblin. He was looking better now. ¡°We can¡¯t remain defensive. We need to take that crystal from him. We should try a coordinated flanking maneuver.¡±


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not mages. Even if we take the crystal, we can¡¯t use it. The slime might still eat us.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡±


    ¡°Running away. This is a very bad place for this fight, and the slime keeps getting bigger.¡±


    Garen grimaced angrily. ¡°I won¡¯t run from a false priest and his pet ooze.¡±


    ¡°Alright bye,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned to leave.


    Garen grabbed the hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder to hold him in place. ¡°What if we destroy the slime¡¯s core?¡±


    ¡°How are you going to do that? It¡¯s inside the deepest and stickiest part of the blob!¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°You can go swimming if you want, but I like breathing.¡±


    Garen scowled. ¡°Fine, we will perform a defensive withdrawal to lure the slime and the priest after us. That should cause the slime to stretch out and render its core more vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll withdraw first!¡± Blacknail said as he tugged himself free from vympir¡¯s grip.


    At Obdehi¡¯s command, a wave of slime surged toward the pair, forcing them both to stumble back. Next to the priest, the main blob of slime had shrunk as a result of the attack, although more slime was still pouring up from the ground to replenish the fluid that had just been used. Garen¡¯s plan just might work.


    Sighing, Blacknail began to slowly back away from the sludge and toward the exit. He kept his sword up defensively and one eye on Obdehi as he moved. Beside him, Garen was doing the same thing.


    ¡°Ha, look at how helpless you are before the might of my god!¡± Obdehi laughed. ¡°Soon, you will see that running will earn you naught. There is nowhere you can hide from his terrible hunger.¡±


    As he laughed, the priest began walking forward at a leisurely pace. The main blob of the slime shivered and moved to follow alongside him. It remained connected to the chasm in the floor by a thick tendril of flowing ooze.


    ¡°Pick up the speed, but try to stay in sight. It¡¯s working!¡± Garen whispered as they approached the door.


    Nodding, Blacknail glanced back over his shoulder as he backed through the cavern¡¯s entrance. He wanted to make sure he wasn¡¯t about to walk into a wall or trip other some rubble. Garen followed him and then took up position right in the center of the door, as Balcknail picked up the lamp they¡¯d left on the floor.  Without its light, they wouldn¡¯t be able to see in the dark cave.


    ¡°That¡¯s no god!¡± Garen yelled at the priest. ¡°It¡¯s just another foul monster, and you¡¯re a mad pretender to power.¡±


    ¡°The words of an unbeliever mean nothing to me,¡± Obdehi shouted back. He sounded very angry for someone who supposedly didn¡¯t care about what Garen had said. ¡°You¡¯re just like all the other doomed souls who stood in my way! They couldn¡¯t see the majesty of the god, and so their souls were consumed.¡±


    As the priest was yelling, a trio of tentacles formed out of slime and reached for the vympir. Garen was forced to jump back and scramble out into the corridor. The tentacles tried to follow him, but the further they got from the main blob the slower they became. Blacknail watched from a safe distance.


    A few moments later, Obdehi stepped around the corner and emerged into the corridor. His face was red with fury as he glared at Blacknail and Garen. ¡°Until the revelation of the great harvest god, no one gave me the proper respect, but I showed them. Everyone who slandered me or refused to bow before the divine was devoured by Dev-Meshi. He then consumed their families as payment for his blessings and the crops grew bountiful once again. Thanks to me!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re completely insane and a murderous menace to all civilization,¡± Garen replied coldly.


    ¡°And your god smells terrible,¡± Blacknail added.


    Obdehi¡¯s eyes burned with rage as he glared at Blacknail and Garen. Blacknail grinned back. His insult seemed to have hit home.


    ¡°Enough prattle, now you die!¡± the priest hissed as he thrust the glowing mana crystal he was holding forward.


    Instantly, the blob of slime containing its core rolled into the corridor, and then it exploded forward. A dozen tentacles shot toward the vympir and the hobgoblin with startling speed. Surprised, Blacknail jumped sideways and cut down the closest slimy appendage. He could only use one arm since he was still holding the lamp. Unfortunately, one of the tentacles he¡¯d dodged swerved at the last second and grabbed his leg. It tugged him off his feet, but as Blacknail fell, he managed to cut himself loose with a slice of his sword. The impact of the fall made the light of the lamp flicker, but it didn¡¯t go out.


    At the same time, Garen was back up, but he quickly noticed the hobgoblin¡¯s plight. He dashed forward and unleashed a flurry of attacks against the tentacles that were now turning to grab Blacknail. Slime splashed against the floor as his blade cut through the transparent tendrils.


    ¡°Your god doesn¡¯t seem like much to me. It¡¯ll have to do better than a few tiny tentacles if it wants to get us,¡± Garen remarked loudly as Blacknail climbed back to his feet.


    ¡°Just die already, you heathen maggots!¡± Obdehi screamed.


    As if in response to his anger, the main body of the slime spasmed for a moment, and then a wave of slime exploded out from it. The churning surge of ooze filled half the confine of the tunnel as it rolled forward with startling force. It was more than large enough to drown both Blacknail and Garen.


    ¡°Now¡¯s your chance. Go!¡± Garen yelled urgently to Blacknail as he pointed to the creature¡¯s core.


    Hesitating, Blacknail threw the vympir an annoyed look. Why was he the one that had to charge in there? It was Garen¡¯s plan! Before he could point this out though, the wave of slime threatened to slam into him.


    Growling in displeasure, Blacknail burned some of the Elixir in his blood and put the lamp down. As the power flared up within him, he jumped up and over a corner of the incoming wall of slime. Flipping through the air, he landed safely atop a rock on the other side of the wave. As soon as he¡¯d regained his balance, Blacknail went down into a sprinter¡¯s crouch and eyed his target.  Next to the now startled - but still red-faced ¨C Obdehi, the slime¡¯s main body had shrunken noticeably in size. The blob of protective ooze around its core was much thinner now. The entire thing was only about three feet tall.


    Much of the floor around Blacknail was covered by ooze, and it quickly began to churn in response to his presence. However, the hobgoblin didn¡¯t give it time to take shape. He launched himself forward using the slant of rock beneath his feet as a block. Sprinting with all his might, and with a hungry grin on his face, Blacknail charged straight for Obdehi.


    The priest yelped in fear and stumbled backward, which caused him to fall on his ass. However, the slime reacted as well. Three new tentacles shot out of the blob to block Blacknail¡¯s charge. That was fine with the hobgoblin, though. Kicking off another rock, he swerved out of the way of the tentacles and right toward the blob itself. As he zoomed toward it, he held his sword out like a spear.


    ¡°No!¡± Obdehi screamed as the tip of Blacknail¡¯s sword penetrated the ooze and hit the glowing core within.


    The impact of the blow shattered the crystal. Its light went out as it fragmented into over a dozen pieces. Then, Blacknail¡¯s body hit the slime. There was a loud smacking noise as it absorbed the momentum of his charge, and he sank several inches into it before coming to stop. Thankfully, with the core dead, the slime quickly began dissolving around the hobgoblin and he was easily able to free himself.


    Shaking himself clean, which threw slime in every direction, Blacknail got up and turned to look at Obdehi. ¡°I just killed your god, and now it¡¯s your turn."

 To Forgotten Places 10

    As Blacknail grinned maliciously and pulled his sword out of the dissolving slime, Obdehi¡¯s face went completely pale from fear. The priest was still sitting on the ground, but he quickly jumped up and bolted deeper into the mine. Instead of giving chase, Blacknail let him go. He was much faster than his prey, and it wasn¡¯t like the priest could go anywhere. The passage he¡¯d taken was completely dark, and Obdehi didn¡¯t have a lamp on him. The priest had left his in the side chamber.


    Stretching to work out some sore muscles, Blacknail turned to Garen. ¡°You don¡¯t want him alive or anything dumb like that, do you?¡±


    Garen shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s too dangerous to let live, and we already have the mayor. Hurry up and get him before he falls down a shaft or something. I want to bring my lord the false priest¡¯s head.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like fun,¡± Blacknail replied as he walked back to grab the lamp he¡¯d put down earlier.


    Pacing himself, Blacknail then began jogging down the tunnel, and Garen followed him. As a hobgoblin, he had much better low light vision than a human. Also, he had a lamp, so he was able to avoid obstacles and make his way through the dark at a much faster pace than the priest. Obdehi was not so lucky. From up ahead, there was a screech and the sound of rolling rubble as the priest tripped and hurt himself in the dark.


    A few seconds later, the light Blacknail was carrying through the tunnel revealed Obdehi. He was leaning up against a wall, with one of his feet raised awkwardly as if he¡¯d hurt it. He was also shielding his eyes from the brilliance of Blacknail¡¯s lamp, so his face was hard to see.


    ¡°Foul creature, I will¡­¡± Obdehi began to shriek as the hobgoblin approached. However, his speech was cut off when Blacknail promptly stabbed him in the stomach.


    ¡°Ugh, no!¡± the priest gasped as the blade sank into his guts.


    Sighing in irritation, Blacknail stabbed him several more times until he stopped making stupid noises and lay still. Even for a human, Obdehi had talked way too much. Blacknail wasn¡¯t even a little interested in listening to him anymore. Even the pained squeaks he was making were annoying.


    When Obdehi was most definitely dead, Blacknail turned to Garen, who had just walked up beside him. ¡°If you want his head, you will have to cut it off and carry it.¡±


    Sighing, Garen went to work, and Blacknail took a few steps back. He didn¡¯t want to get any more splatter on his clothes. The ground around Obdehi¡¯s corpse was already soaked in blood.


    The streets were still empty when the pair emerged from the temple, but there was an expectant hush over Herstcrest as they walked back over to the front gate. Occasionally, Blacknail saw flashes of movement at windows or in alleys. It seemed the townspeople were aware that something important was going on, even if they were afraid to show themselves.


    ¡°There you are!¡± Ilisti called when he caught sight of them. ¡°I was beginning to wonder if you¡¯d gotten lost or if something unexpected had happened to you.¡±


    The vympir noble was still standing in the middle of the square before the main gate of Herstcrest, and the bodies of all the fallen thugs littered the ground around him. Beside Ilisti, cowered the mayor. He looked terrified out of his mind, but didn¡¯t dare run, even though Ilisiti was basically ignoring him. The wagon was also still there, however Geralhd was nowhere to be seen, and the gates of Herstcrest were now wide open.


    ¡°It took us a while because we had to kill a god,¡± Blacknail told the vympir.


    A wicked grin appeared on Ilisti¡¯s face. He looked like he was having fun. ¡°And I missed it? There goes the opportunity of a lifetime.¡±


    ¡°It was a false god, but still a rather noteworthy battle,¡± Garen replied.


    ¡°The priest is dead, though?¡± Ilisiti asked him.


    Garen raised the blood-soaked shirt he was using to carry Obdehi¡¯s severed head. ¡°Without a doubt. Henceforth, he will not trouble you or interfere with your plans, lord.¡±


    ¡°Good. I have been interrogating Felsisio, here,¡± Ilisti said as he nodded toward the trembling mayor. ¡°It seems the priest was the real power in this place. However, he was also quite insane, and thus the mayor ran everything.¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t care too much about that, but he did have one question. ¡°Where¡¯s Geralhd?¡±


    ¡°When he¡¯d recovered from the sorcery the priest placed him under, I sent him to go summon my troops,¡± Ilisti explained. ¡°He should be back momentarily.¡±


    As Garen reported to his master about the details of what had happened, Blacknail listened in and corrected the vympir when he failed to adequately emphasize Blacknail¡¯s own contributions. He was the one that had actually killed the huge slime god, after all. Garen had just sort of helped.


    However, before Garen could quite finish his tale, Geralhd and the others arrived. The formation of western soldiers led the way, while Geralhd and others followed them. At the very back came the hobgoblins. They stayed behind the others and out of sight as much as possible.


    When they got inside the town, some of the people from Shelter looked shocked to see the bodies of the thugs, but Geralhd quickly began explaining what had happened.


    ¡°Ah, good. Now, we can begin,¡± Ilisti remarked cheerfully when his guard had joined him.


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    ¡°With the help of the mayor, I plan on introducing myself to the good people of this town in a way appropriate to someone of my standing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to step on them?¡± Blacknail asked in confusion.


    Turning away, Ilisti ignored the hobgoblin. Instead, he looked down at the mayor and gave the man a cold smile. ¡°You have a way of calling your people to gather, do you not?¡±


    The mayor gulped. ¡°Yes, of course, I do.¡±


    ¡°Then, please do so. I wish to address the people of this place, so I will send some men to escort you while you attend to my will,¡± the vympir explained.


    Since he had little in the way of choices, the mayor nodded in agreement as Ilisti handed him off to Garen. He was then escorted deeper into the town and out of sight.


    There wasn¡¯t much for Blacknail to do at that point but wait around, since wandering around the town would probably be a bad idea. With nothing better to do, he walked over to Geralhd.


    ¡°Do you have any snacks?¡± he asked the man.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of food loaded up into the cart, remember?¡± Gerlahd replied distractedly. He was surrounded by the people of Shelter, who were still upset at how their visit to Herstcrest was going so far.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Blacknail acknowledged before turning around and heading toward the cart.


    However, before he got there, some of his hobgoblin minions intercepted him. They quickly skulked out from behind their human allies and moved out in front of the cart. Being in such an obviously human place made them nervous.


    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s good to see that you are safe. What is it you want us to do now?¡± Herah asked him.


    ¡°Are we going to loot anything? You conquered this place, so that means we get to loot it!¡± another hobgoblin added.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°No, I traded this place to Ilisti, so no looting. There will be a victory feast, though.¡±


    This seemed to appease most of the hobgoblins. Given the opportunity to loot, they would probably have mostly taken food, and wasn¡¯t like any of them had done any fighting. That had all been Blacknail.


    ¡°Just stay out of trouble. Stick with our allies and try not to scare anyone. The humans here look fragile,¡± Blacknail told them.


    While the other hobgoblins were thinking this over, Ferrar stepped forward and met Blacknail¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the iron man, boss. I need you to find one for me, so I can make shiny things for you.¡±


    ¡°Right, sure,¡± Blacknail replied as he scooted around his minions and over to the wagon.


    He was only distracted from his rummaging through the cart for the tastiest bits of food when some of the people of Herstcrest began to arrive in the plaza. All of them came in small groups that seemed to huddle nervously together. They studied all the visitors with poorly concealed fear, and they kept their distance from them. It seemed like they were here only because something even more frightening prevented them from leaving.


    Curious, Blacknail turned to study the townsfolk. Both men and women wore simple grey homespun clothes, that looked as faded as everything else in the town. Contrary to his expectations, none of them were fat, despite being lazy town humans. In fact, some of them looked slim even from the perspective of a hobgoblin.


    The crowd grew larger as more folk arrived. Noticeably, almost all of the people¡¯s eyes looked dull and hollow, as if they had been worn down somehow. Blacknail frowned. These townsfolk almost seemed inhuman to him. Their behavior was all wrong. Even the way they held themselves was too meek and fragile. Looking the people over, Blacknail saw a disturbing lack of curiosity and initiative. It was like they were damaged or broken. They seemed to have no ability to imagine anything but the same grinding repetitive fear and pain, even when confronted with a novel situation such as this. Weird.


    After a few more minutes had passed, the group of armsmen Ilisti had sent to escort the mayor returned with him. There was another large group of townsfolk following them meekly.


    ¡°This should be enough people. I¡¯m told the town isn¡¯t quite as populated as it used to be,¡± Ilisti remarked when the mayor reached his side.


    ¡°Should we set up a perimeter?¡± Garen asked him.


    Ilisti shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that will be necessary. I¡¯ve never seen a people so downtrodden. I rather doubt they could muster the courage to do violence, or that they would be much of a threat.¡±


    Without wasting anymore time, the vympir noble grabbed the mayor¡¯s shoulder and dragged him over to the middle of plaza. There was a quite hush as everyone watched. At the center of the plaza, Ilisti could be seen by everyone.


    ¡°You probably recognize this man as your mayor,¡± the vympir noble explained as he lifted the surprised man into the air using one arm. It was an impressive feat of strength, and in his dark armor, Ilisti¡¯s muscular figure looked powerful and dangerous.


    ¡°Today, his reign over this place has ended. He attempted to kill me and my allies just so that he could rob us of a few possessions, and this pathetic act led me to take up arms against him. He was not alone in this egregious assault. He was aided by a priest, a servant of a false god.¡±


    As Ilisti pronounced those last few words, somehow the silence grew deeper. The entire crowd was paying apt attention to him now.


    The vympir paused dramatically for a moment before continuing, and lowered the mayor. ¡°This priest is dead, and so is false god he pretended to serve. Both lay dead and can no longer harm you!¡±


    As Ilisti finished speaking, Garen unveiled the severed head he was holding and tossed it forward. It landed on an empty patch of ground where almost everyone could see it. Instantly, here were gaps of surprise and disbelief from the crowd. They began to whisper among themselves. Their reactions varied greatly. Some looked hopeful, others angry, and many seemed skeptical. There were even a few that didn¡¯t appear to care. They stared ahead with empty eyes.


    Ilisti didn¡¯t wait for them to quiet. His booming voice drowned them out as he resumed speaking. ¡°As of now, I¡¯m laying claim to this domain. My troops are unchallenged and have complete control of the wall. Know that your lives will improve greatly under my authority. You will not need to fear capricious deities, hungry beasts, or famines brought on by incompetence. I will bring change to this domain, but I will also bring prosperity and restore some connection to the outside world. No longer shall you wither away in the Green!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure we should be handing this place over to Ilisti,¡± Gerlahd remarked nervously as he listened to the speech.


    Blacknail turned to give the man a dry stare. ¡°We? You can try to stop him if you want.¡±


    While they¡¯d been talking, Khita had wandered over, and she chose this moment to join the conversation. ¡°Ilisti conquered the place, so it¡¯s rightfully his, unless you think you can take it from him. Hmm, maybe I should go exploring and find an old village to conquer for myself. There must be some more out there in the Green.¡±


    As Khita and Gerlahd began to argue, Blacknail sighed and turned away. He felt no need to deal with their stupidity.


    After a few more minutes of yelling, Ilisti wrapped up his speech. By this time, the crowd had grown far more energetic. They were talking animatedly amongst themselves now, even if fear was still the prevailing emotion.


    Grinning confidently to himself, the vympir let go of the mayor. ¡°Take me to your abode. I will need a residence in my new domain, and my allies will need somewhere to rest while they recover from the journey.¡±


    The mayor quickly nodded and began leading Ilisti and his guard deeper into the town. Since he¡¯d been invited, sort of, Blacknail went along as well, and everyone else followed. There was no point hanging around in the square.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at the mayor¡¯s soon to be former home. It was a mansion located among the other large dwellings in the center of Herstcrest, and it was by far the largest of all of them. Interestingly, many of the larger houses they had passed were among the worse maintained and several were obviously abandoned.


    The mayor¡¯s mansion was built from grey stone and mortar. It was a rectangular building with a steep roof covered in brown tiles. Three chimneys and several windows with triangular peaks stuck out of the roof. It was surrounded by a large yard that was in turn surrounded by a low stone fence. In a few places, ivy grey up from the ground to cover sections of the mansion¡¯s walls.


    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not very defensible, but it will have to do. It is unlikely I will be able to get a proper keep built anytime soon.¡± Ilisti remarked as he stepped past the fence and onto the paved path that led from the road to the door.


    For the next hour and a half, Ilisti and a few others toured the mansion. Blacknail and Geralhd were among the invited, along with Khita. The home had a dozen bedrooms, a huge kitchen, and a grand hall for eating and entertaining guests. At the end of the tour, Blacnknail had to admit that Ilisiti¡¯s new home was a lot more impressive than his cave.


    The hobgoblin scratched his nose as he studied a tapestry that hung in a hall. It portrayed a duel between two knights in plate-mail, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t really focused on it. He was thinking about the best way to get a fancy new mansion. Could his minions build one? If not, was there someone he could kidnap?


    Before Blacknail could think up an answer to his conundrum, Ilisti called for everyone to join him in the main hall. It was short walk there for Blacknail, and once inside he took a seat at the long table that dominated the center of the room. Almost everyone else was already there, but it took Garen a few minutes to arrive. He¡¯d been sent to round up and interview all the mayor¡¯s old servants and shove the mayor somewhere he couldn¡¯t get up to trouble.


    ¡°Firstly, I wish to thank everyone in this room,¡± Ilisti announced as he walked over to stand behind the chair at the far end of table. There was a pleased grin on his face that contrasted greatly with his normal self-control.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Blacknail replied. That was the polite thing for people to do.


    Ilisti nodded at the hobgoblin. ¡°Your contributions, in particular, are worthy of note. You have fulfilled your end of our bargain with remarkable speed, and I am greatly pleased. So, I wish to grant you a boon.¡±


    ¡°That means he wants to give you a gift,¡± Geralhd whispered helpfully in the hobgoblin¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You already promised to help me kill Werrick,¡± Blacknail mused aloud as he considered his options.


    This first thing that popped into his mind was asking for all the cheese in the town, but that wouldn¡¯t be very practical. What he really wanted right now was a mansion, but those weren¡¯t very easy to carry around. Could he ask for something to help him build one? It was Ferrar that would probably know about that sort of thing. He¡¯d made all the bricks and furnaces back at the goblin settlement. Wait, hadn¡¯t Ferrar wanted something?


    ¡°I would like to borrow someone who knows about melting iron rocks,¡± Blacknail announced.


    Ilisti gave the hobgoblin a puzzled look. ¡°That is a rather unusual request, and not at all what I was expecting.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°I promised one of my minions that I would find someone to teach him. He¡¯s always looking for new things to set on fire.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can spare you a smelter, if that is indeed what you are asking for. This settlement once operated a large mine, so there is probably more than few around, even though the place has fallen on hard times.¡±


    ¡°So, you and Garen are going to stay here from now on?¡± Geralhd asked the vympir. He hadn¡¯t been invited to some of the prior strategy meetings.


    ¡°Yes, I think these people need me,¡± Ilisti explained. ¡°Their lack of proper authority has obviously come close to ruining them.¡±


    ¡°Well, you certainly can¡¯t be worse than their old leaders,¡± Geralhd admitted reluctantly. ¡°What will you do here?¡±


    ¡°There is a lot that needs done, urgently so,¡± Ilisti replied. ¡°I have no plans to reopen the mines until I get the agricultural situation in hand, which will probably take a while. There is clearly starvation within the town. I may even have to order some of my guard to help tend the fields. They won¡¯t like that, but they will do as I command.¡±


    ¡°And after that?¡±


    Ilisti shrugged. ¡°Once I have things organized and under control here, I will send Garen back West to recruit some settlers from my old lands. There are plenty of vacant homes for them to take.¡±


    ¡°What about Werrick?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously. The vympir had promised to help him.


    Ilisti looked toward the hobgoblin and nodded. ¡°My swords are yours should you call for them, and from what I have heard of the man named Werrick, I¡¯m willing to bet that we will be hearing from him soon.¡±

 Interlude; Finding the Flames

    As Ferrar stepped into the abandoned workshop, the light of his lamp pushed back the darkness. However, the building he¡¯d just entered was full of heavy equipment that cast a host of shadows. Ferrar grunted and walked further in. His movements threw up small clouds of dust that had been sitting on the floor. Despite the fact that Herstcrest was still occupied by humans, it seemed like no one had entered this particular building in years. It was one of the warehouses located at the back of the town near the mines.


    Yet, even if the humans had abandoned it, this place had drawn Ferrar¡¯s attention. It contained so many secrets and wonders. The hobgoblin walked up to a dusty old furnace and ran his fingers over the iron. The metal was colder than the air and rough. Among the dust and darkness, the furnace didn¡¯t seem like anything special, but to Ferrar it was a marvel. Once, fires hotter than any he¡¯d ever cultivated had burned brightly within it. Ferrar wanted to see those flames dance and feel their heat on his skin. How beautiful would their golden light be? He needed to know how these machines worked and how it to make his own. Being so ignorant of something humans took for granted frustrated him.


    Moving on, Ferrar walked over to pile of coal that was stacked to next to a wall. He had learned of this type of rock from the humans. It looked black and like it had already been touched by flames, but it still burned very brightly. Ferrar consider licking the coal for moment, but decided against it. Instead, he walked over to a nearby table.


    There were a dozen steel rods lying on the table. Ferrar brushed some of the dust off them and examined the metal beneath. It shone as it reflected back the light from his lamp, almost as if the fire that had forged it was still locked somewhere in the metal. Such intense heat and skill were needed to make even these simple rods. The power of fire was without limit, but it was almost impossible to tame.


    After a few more moments of reflection, the hobgoblin walked over to the nearest wall. The stones that made up the base of the wall were held in place by grey mortar. Even they had been shaped by the touch of flames. That didn¡¯t surprise Ferrar, quite the opposite. He knew that everything of value was forged in fire at some point, even if it was just by the weak light of the sun. Certainly, it was the inner fire that burned within Ferar that drove him forward in his endless quest for power.


    Ferrar spent the next few minutes wandering around the inside of the workshop. There was a lot of metal equipment inside. The hobgoblin couldn¡¯t figure out what most of it was for, but here and there he saw hints of secret knowledge. What had this place been like back when it had been in operation? Had every furnace contained a shining blaze? It must have been awesome to behold.


    Turning away, Ferrar walked back outside. It was time for him to meet up with some of his chieftain¡¯s human allies, and he didn¡¯t want to be late. His chieftain had gone to a lot of trouble to arrange this meeting.


    The streets of Herstcrest were still almost completely empty, even after Ilisti had taken the place over. His soldiers could occasionally be seen moving about in small patrols, but the citizens of the town were still staying indoors and almost never came out unless ordered to. The only exceptions were the work parties that went to tend the fields every morning and came back every afternoon, but even they were silent and kept completely to themselves.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Ferrar to make his way through the empty streets and arrive at his destination, a large house next to Ilisti¡¯s mansion. The vympir noble had began turning it into a temporary barracks for his troops. There were two of them guarding the front door as Ferrar approached.


    ¡°You¡¯re the hob we were told to expect?¡± one of the guard asked him.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    That was sort of a stupid question, but Ferrar nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to see the humans you have found for me.¡±


    ¡°Right, then head inside and take a left. There will be a door down the hallway to your right. The workmen are waiting for you there,¡± the guard replied.


    The man had tried to sound indifferent, but the hobgoblin¡¯s presence clearly made him both curious and nervous. Ferrar found Ilisti¡¯s soldiers to be interesting. They were much less willful and curious than any humans he¡¯d encountered before, but their inner fire still burned brightly, unlike the people of Herstcrest.


    Walking past the humans, Ferrar entered the building and did as he¡¯d been instructed. He took a left turn and found the right door. On the other side of it was a large sitting room and half a dozen humans. One of the men was another of Ilisti¡¯s guards, but the others were all residents of Herstcrest. They were easy to tell apart because of the empty look in their eyes and because they all flinched as he entered the room. They weren¡¯t used to seeing hobgoblins, but they were used to being afraid.


    The guard walked over to Ferrar. ¡°My lord promised you a craftsman and these are the best we could find. We had our patrols go house to house and ask around for workers that had the skills you requested.¡±


    ¡°So, they can melt iron so that you can make things from it?¡± Ferrar asked him. That was the important thing. He¡¯d been told you had to smelt iron before you could work it.


    The guard shrugged. ¡°Probably, ask them. Just let me introduce you first. These are a cowardly lot.¡±


    The arms-man then turned to face the nervous-looking townsfolk who were standing against the far wall. ¡°You all know why you are here but let me remind you. My lord, the new master of this town, is looking for someone to help our important ally here. As per the agreement, you will not be harmed, and if chosen for this task you will receive a substantial reward to be paid out to your family immediately.¡±


    The gathered craftsman began muttering amongst themselves as Ferrar studied them. Like almost all the residents of Herstcrest, they were skinny and frail looking humans. Most of them wore plain grey clothes and had unkempt beards. Although they looked unsure about the deal, Ilisti had apparently offered them something of value, because none of them left.


    ¡°Can all of you do what was asked for?¡± Ferrar questioned them.


    Being addressed directly by the hobgoblin startled the craftsman. They were silent for a few moments, until a man with a particularly long beard spoke up. ¡°We weren¡¯t given too many details, but from what I can tell, you have some iron ore you¡¯d like to smelt into workable ore?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know you need to use fire, but what I try doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    The bearded man grunted sourly and stared at the hobgoblin. ¡°So, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t have access to a real bloomery like what we have here. What is your goblin home like? And what sort of resources are you working with?¡±


    Ferrar frowned. That was a complicated question. ¡°I have a few kilns to make lots pots and bricks, and I¡¯m using the bricks to make houses.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s better than nothing. I know of an old technique for purifying raw iron ore that doesn¡¯t need much more than that. It¡¯s not efficient but I should be able to get it working.¡±


    Another craftsman shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything without real equipment. Count me out.¡±


    Looking at the hobgoblin with suspicion, a third craftsman spoke up. ¡°What are you going to be using this iron for?¡±


    Ferrar shrugged. ¡°I just like playing with fire, but the boss wants to make arrowheads for hunting, axes for chopping down trees, and some other stuff too. I try to keep the boss happy, so that he lets me burn more things.¡±


    The first man to volunteer sighed. ¡°Right. Well, I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re using the iron for. I just want to leave this place and to take my daughter with me. I hear Shelter is still around and a much better place to live these days.¡±


    ¡°You have inner fire. I like that,¡± Ferrar remarked as he met the man¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t seem quite as numb as most the other people from Herstcrest.


    Turning away, Ferrar studied the other craftsmen. None of them had the same energy inside them. ¡°Alright, I choose you. You will come with us back to our settlement and show me how to make fire so hot it can harden iron and melt it.¡±


    The man nodded, and none of the others seemed all that upset about losing out. Ferrar just grinned as he began to plan. Now, he was one step closer to building a workshop to match any the humans had ever built. Soon, he would catch a new, deeper, glimpse of the secret truth hidden within the flames. All he had to do was burn the world down.

 Will of Iron 1

    Blacknail and the others stayed in Herstcrest for two days. They needed time to rest and recuperate after their journey through the uncharted Green, and no one was in a huge rush to get back to Shelter anyway. Herstcrest wasn¡¯t a great place to visit. The walled town¡¯s streets were still creepy and depressing, but it was a novel place to explore, and roaming the streets was safer than walking through the Green, probably. The people from Shelter were particularly curious, since some of them had never visited another town or city before. Ha, what a bunch of rubes. Blacknail himself had visited five cities and towns. That was a lot, probably.


    Before departing Herstcrest, Blacknail¡¯s party got a few things done. The hobgoblins got the feast they¡¯d been promised, although since there was a local shortage, the fare wasn¡¯t all that great and had mostly come from the supplies they¡¯d brought. Blacknail was able to eat his fill, though. The hobgoblins also managed to find themselves a fair pile of loot, even if it was mostly junk no one else wanted. Ferrar also used this time to meet up with some human craftsman and pick out one to travel back with them. The fire obsessed hobgoblin really wanted someone to learn smelting from. Thankfully, Ilisti was quite generous about rewarding the hobgoblins for their help, and he gave them everything they asked for. He did have one request, though.


    Since he was facing a food shortage, the vympr wanted some hobgoblin hunters to bring in game for him, and he was willing to pay them for it. Once the food from the wagon ran out, Hesrtcrest would start starving again. Blacknail readily agreed. It cost him nothing, and he was always looking to put some of his lazy minions to work. He had too many of them, and he didn¡¯t like it when they hung around his base and ate up his food.


    On the day of departure, Blacknail led his minions and allies through the gates of Herstcrest and out into the fields around the town. It was early in the morning and the wagon creaked as it rolled over the packed dirt path. The travelers had unloaded almost all the food that they¡¯d brought, but they¡¯d refilled the wagon with loot and equipment. Blacknail and Ferrar had scooped up all the axes and metal tools they could find, which was a lot. Herstcrest had plenty of steel shovels and similar things laying around inside its many abandoned warehouses.


    Behind Blacknail, walked the hobgoblins that weren¡¯t out scouting ahead of the main party. Geralhd and most of the humans from Shelter were walking around the wagon, while Khita and her followers took up the rear. Since the vympirs and their troops had remained behind, the party was much smaller now. The only new additions were the craftsman Ferrar had chosen and the small female he¡¯d brought with him. Briefly, Blacknail wondered why Ferrar had chosen this particular human. His bland looks didn¡¯t make him stand out from everyone else in Herstcrest, but then again Ferrar was weird. He¡¯d probably picked the man based on whispers from the fire or something.


    Soon after they¡¯d entered the forest, they approached the dark woods that the spiders had taken over, and they had to leave the old overgrown road and head off into the forest. Luckily, they could just follow the path they had made to get to Herstcrest in the first place. Moving through the Green was slow, especially for the wagon, but they knew which way they had to go and what lay before them.


    Soon, they passed close to the location of the goblin camp that Blacknail had conquered and occupied. Since Scamp and a few other minions were still there, Blacknail took some hobgoblins along and went to check on him. It was only a short walk through the forest, so they left the others with the wagon.


    When Blacknail got there, he immediately noticed that the camp had undergone some changes. A swathe of small trees and bushes had been cleared around the edge of the camp, and a short stretch of wall had already been built on one side. The patches of herbs appeared unchanged, though. That was good. Blacknail had been a little worried about Scamp accidently killing them all somehow. Knowing Scamp, it wasn¡¯t impossible that his mere presence might have caused all the plants to wither down to nothing.


    The nearby goblins scattered as Blacknail and his minions walked into the clearing. One of the hobgoblins left behind was on the far edge of the camp, and he began walking over to greet Blacknail. Meanwhile, several of the feral goblins yelped loudly in excitement, which caused a sleepy looking Scamp to crawl out of one of the huts. He yawned as he got up and tried to figure out what was going on.


    Blacknail walked right over to Scamp, stopped in front of him, and then slugged the surprised hobgoblin right in the face. Scamp yelped in pain and fell over onto his ass. This both amused and satisfied Blacknail, who grinned down at his minion.


    ¡°Good job! Keep up the good work,¡± Blacknail told Scamp. It was important to make sure everyone remembered who the real boss was, but also to give them positive reinforcement.


    ¡°Um, thanks?¡± Scamp replied as he rubbed his sore nose and climbed back to his feet. He didn¡¯t sound too grateful for the praise.


    ¡°I¡¯m just stopping by to see how you are doing. Where is the female hobgoblin?¡± Blacknail asked.


    Scamp pointed back toward the hut that he¡¯d just emerged from. ¡°She¡¯s still in there.¡±


    ¡°Ah, try to get at least some work done,¡± Blacknail replied with a frown.


    Scamp smiled proudly. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m working super hard, boss! Soon, I¡¯ll have the wall done, just like you asked.¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes in disbelief. He doubted the wall would be complete anytime soon. It was a big project, and he knew Scamp too well to believe that he¡¯d personally gotten his hands dirty working on it. Scamp was a lazy idiot, which was what made him a great sub-leader. He wasn¡¯t a threat.


    After a brief conversation to get the other hobgoblin caught up, Blacknail had his minions drop off a bunch of the tools they¡¯d been carrying. He¡¯d brought some axes and shovels to help the hobgoblins here build the wall. Steel axes made chopping down trees and cutting stakes much easier. Stone tools broke very easily so they had to be constantly repaired, which took time.


    Scamp seemed fine with staying here now, but some of the other hobgoblins wanted to leave, so Blacknail switched a few of them around with the hobgoblins he¡¯d brought. Ilisti had told him that moving his minions around a lot was an important part of keeping them loyal, and Blacknail could see why. It prevented them from getting too comfortable and forming cliques. Plans for keeping his hobgoblins loyal had been on Blacknail¡¯s mind a lot lately.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send some more workers from the main camp soon. Just keep building the wall and taking care of the herbs,¡± Blacknail told Scamp before heading back into the forest. He didn¡¯t want to leave the humans waiting too long, lest they get into trouble.


    Fortunately, when the hobgoblins got back to the wagon, everyone was still in one piece and nothing important had happened. Blacknail took a moment to speak to Geralhd and reassure him, and then they resumed their journey. However, when they got to the others side of the dark woods and reached the overgrown road again, Blacknail called for a stop and started rummaging through the wagon for some specific items he¡¯d packed.


    ¡°What are you doing? There is nothing here but empty forest and the same endless greenery,¡± Geralhd asked as he walked over to Blacknail¡¯s side. There was a confused frown on his face.


    Blacknail pulled out a torch and a large flask of oil. ¡°Just stay here. I need to go into the dark woods for a while, but be prepared to move quickly when I get back.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°How long are you going to be?¡± Geralhd asked with obvious concern.


    ¡°Not long. I will be running back,¡± Blacknail replied as he looked over his minions.


    Geralhd tried to ask him a few more question, but Blacknail didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he selected two minions to come help him.


    ¡°You will probably want to see this up close,¡± Blacknail told Ferrar.


    The other hobgoblin he selected was Herah. She followed him around everywhere anyway, and probably would attempt to sneak after him even if he tried to leave her behind. He¡¯d caught her stalking him a few times. She clearly had way too much free time. With those two minions in tow, Blacknail started walking back down the overgrown road and toward shadowy trees that hung over it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place. It makes the back of my neck tingle,¡± Herah remarked as she looked up into the dark treetops. Any number of dangerous things could have been hiding up above them in the branches.


    ¡°Ya, it¡¯s a bad place to visit,¡± Blacknail replied as he held his torch up and strode forward. The flickering flames pushed back the darkness but didn¡¯t dispel it. In gloomy silence, the dark haze hovered around them. Shadows shifted and danced as the light of the torch hit the twisted trees.


    ¡°Then why are we here?¡± Herah asked.


    It was Ferrar that answered her. ¡°That¡¯s obvious. We¡¯re going to burn it all down!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Herah exclaimed as she turned to look at him.


    Ferrar shrugged and grinned excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s why he brought me, to burn things. This place is bad, but fire will fix that. Also, look at all this dry wood. Anyone who saw it would want to burn it all down.¡±


    Herah gave Ferrar a doubtful look. She seemed concerned, and she turned to look at Blacknail. He just nodded in agreement though, which didn¡¯t reassure her at all.


    The forest around them had grown even darker. The trees stretched up high into the sky, creating a stifling sea of foliage above their heads that blocked out all the light of the sun. Closer to the ground, twisted white branches jutted out from the sides of pale trees. Some of trees were dead and dried out, like Ferrar had pointed out, but many others still had healthy canopies up above.


    As he walked and held his torch high, Blacknail carefully studied the twisting branches that hung low to the ground. Was that glint of light as something reflected the illumination from the torch? Yes, it was. Blacknail instantly stopped walking.


    As Herah and Ferrar stumbled to a stop behind him, he turned to look at the female hobgoblin. ¡°Walk over to that tree.¡±


    ¡°Um, why?¡± Herah asked skeptically. The dark woods clearly made her nervous.


    Blacknail gave her his best reassuring smile. ¡°That¡¯s an order, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you if anything happens.¡±


    Herah hesitated but did as she was told. She began to carefully walk toward the tree as she scanned the surroundings for any sign of danger. She didn¡¯t see any, but as she neared the pale trunk of the tree, something moved up above in the shadows. Then, there was the crack of a branch as a large blurry shape hurtled down at her from one of the branches overhead. It zoomed toward her exposed back with hungry purpose.


    Reacting too slowly, Herah tried to spin around to face the threat. The shape was less than a foot from her head when Blacknail swatted it aside with a two-handed swing of his sword. There was aloud crack as the flat of his blade smashed the leaping spider and knocked it away from Herah. Instead, it hit the ground and bounced. Herah squeaked in fear and jumped back.


    The huge grey spider hissed angrily as it jumped back onto its feet. It immediately tried to scuttle away, but while it was still stunned, Blacknail stepped forward and used the tip of his blade to impale its abdomen. The hairy grey spider hissed and squirmed, but it was stuck now. Dark fluid seeped out of the wound around the blade for a few seconds, and then it went still.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Herah shrieked fearfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s a spider,¡± Blacknail replied as he removed his blade and bent down to examine his catch. The arachnid was easily two feet across.


    ¡°Is that why you wanted me to go to the tree?¡±


    Blacknail hesitated. It was probably a good idea to not upset Herah any further. ¡°Um, yes. Good job. You really helped me catch it.¡±


    Herah wasn¡¯t mollified. She looked outraged. ¡°It could have killed me!¡±


    ¡°No, I was protecting you, and their bite isn¡¯t deadly. They just paralyze you and wrap you up for later. You were safe with me here,¡± Blacknail told her as he picked the dead spider up. He wanted to show it to everyone. The stupid humans hadn¡¯t believed him when he¡¯d described them.


    ¡°Can we burn things now?¡± Ferrar interjected impatiently.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Herah didn¡¯t look mad anymore. If anything, she looked smug. Blacknail¡¯s words had apparently calmed her down. She seemed to like the idea that he¡¯d protected her, so he handed her the dead spider. Startled, she took it and then stared at it as if unsure of what had just happened.


    Meanwhile, Blacknail took out his flask of oil and dumped its contents on the base of a dead tree. He¡¯d asked Ilisti what the best way to burn out the spiders was, and the vympir had suggested this route. When the flask was empty, Blacknail lit it using his torch. The slick oil immediately burst into flames, and the fire quickly began to spread past the oil and onto the dry wood.


    ¡°We should run now,¡± Blacknail said as he stepped back away from the flames and smoke.


    Ferrar grinned joyfully and his eyes reflected the red light of the burning tree. He nodded absently at Blacknal¡¯s words, but he made no move to leave, so Blacknail grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away. Herah followed them with the spider still in hand. She still seemed to have no idea what was going on. As they retreated back the way they¡¯d come, there was a loud crack and shower of sparks sprayed in their direction, causing everyone to pick up speed.


    It didn¡¯t take them long to reach the edge of the dark woods, but before leaving the shadows, Blacknail glanced back. Behind him, he saw the previously gloomy forest glowing with a sinister orange light. The fire was spreading quickly.


    The hogoblins¡¯ hurried run drew a lot of attention when they reached the wagon. Everyone looked in their direction, and most the people looked wary.


    ¡°Holy gods. That¡¯s an incredibly large spider,¡± Geralhd remarked in surprise as he saw what Herah was carrying. There were mutters of agreement from most the other humans.


    ¡°Yep, I caught it myself, but we should get moving. Right now,¡± Blacknail told him.


    Geralhd looked concerned. ¡°Why? You¡¯re not being chased by a swarm of giant arachnid, are you?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I set the forest on fire,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°What? Why would you do that,¡± Geralhd asked in shock.


    ¡°Ilisti told me to, and he also said the flames shouldn¡¯t spread out of the dark woods, but we should probably keep moving just to be safe.¡±


    Herah dumped the dead spider on the wagon, as the party began moving again. Blacknail was pretty sure he could smell smoke on the wind now.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you wanted to burn down the forest,¡± Geralhd told Blacknail as they jogged side-by-side. They creaking of the wagons wheels was loud behind them.


    Blacknail frowned at the man¡¯s cluelessness. ¡°Because giant spiders live there, obviously! I wanted to clear the road so that we a get to Herstcrest faster.¡±


    Geralhd huffed. ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope that Ilisti was right and the fire doesn¡¯t spread out of the dark woods.¡±


    After half an hour of hurried running, it appeared that Ilisti had been right. No roaring wall of flames consumed them, so everyone was rather relieved about that. However, back behind them, a torrent of black smoke began to rise up into the sky. Thankfully, it did seem like the blaze wasn¡¯t moving in their direction.


    Blacknail nodded happily to himself. He¡¯d been right to set the fire after all. Not only would it get rid of the spiders and allow them to use the road, but it would clear all the brush from atop the road there as well. Once the fire died down, getting to Herstcrest would be much easier. Blacknail also planned on clearing the rest of the road, so that he could send minions to the other goblin camp quicker and safer. Maybe he could use the boars to do that?


    The rest of day went by slowly as Blacknail¡¯s party followed the old overgrown road back toward Shelter. When it started to grow dark, they began to look for a place to settle down for the night. Up ahead, there was a large rock formation visible from the road. Its sharp stone point pierced the top of the forest canopy, so Blacknail decided to take some hobgoblin scouts and go check it out. A quick exploration of the huge rock formation revealed an excellent place to set up camp at its base. The ground was dry, the rocks provided shelter, and it was easily defendable.


    However, when Blacknail left his minions behind and circled around the rocks, he heard a noise off to his left. Frowning, the hobgoblin looked up over a boulder to see what had made the sound. There were any number of dangerous creatures that it could be, and setting up camp near them would be stupid.


    As he peeked over the rock, Blacknail froze in surprise. A strange and completely unexpected sight lay before him. Were those giant bugs? He was looking at two creatures about the size of a hobgoblin, but instead of standing straight up they moved across the ground on six skinny legs. Faded black carapace covered their very insect-like bodies, and their mouths were flanked by protruding mandibles.


    Both the creatures were walking backward as they dragged large objects behind them using their mandibles. One had a deer carcass, while the other was dragging a large green bush. Sensing Blacknail¡¯s presence, they suddenly stopped and spun to face him. Their eyes were dark empty pits as they studied the hobgoblin, and then they both reared up and hissed aggressively at him.

 Will of Iron 2

    Surprised, Blacknail took a step back as a tingle of fear shot up his back. In front of him, the large insect-like creatures continued to hiss and glare. Blacknail had never seen anything remotely like them before. Saeter also hadn¡¯t mentioned anything similar, so he had no idea how to react. Were they dangerous? Should he run away or stand his ground and try to scare them into retreating? Blacknail had no idea what the right action was. Although, he vaguely remembered that Ilisti had mentioned some mysterious creatures that sort of resembled these things. Boggarts, he had called them.


    Both the black beasts began to scuttle forward, so Blacknail reacted instinctively. No giant bugs were going to chase him away from this place! He had already claimed it as his own.


    ¡°Enemies are here. To me, my minions! Fight for your great leader,¡± Blacknail yelled as he drew his sword.


    Since he didn¡¯t know how to properly handle these boggarts, the safest bet was just to kill them. He could probably manage that easily enough. Not only was he super strong, but he had allies nearby.


    Almost immediately after Blacknail¡¯s shout, there were replying yells from the nearby hobgoblins who were just out of sight, and they began to run over. While that was happening, the two boggarts hissed and threw themselves at Blacknail. Their front limbs came up and reached for him, revealing three long curved claws on the end of each foot. Their large black eyes shone as their jagged mandibles opened wide enough to bite down on a human¡¯s head.


    Blacknail quickly dodged to the side and slashed at one of the outstretched claws. His blade hit the limb and knocked it aside but didn¡¯t appear to do much damage. Hmm, that wasn¡¯t good. A frown appeared on the Blacknail¡¯s face as he caught his balance. The creature¡¯s shiny carapace was strong and thick. Playing it safe, Blacknail retreated a few steps to buy time for his allies to arrive, which they promptly did. Behind him, two hobgoblins ran around the spire of rock and then toward the fight.


    The arrival of more hobgoblins didn¡¯t appear to intimidate the boggarts. If anything, it seemed to infuriate them. They hissed loudly like boiling tea kettles and shook with anger. One of them reared up on its back legs and clawed the air aggressively. It only stopped when the reinforcements reached Blacknail¡¯s side and became an immediate threat. Readying themselves to fight, the two boggarts crouched down as if they were about to leap.


    ¡°Oh, what are these things?¡± one of the hobgoblins asked in shock as he raised his weapon to guard Blacknail¡¯s flank. The second hobgoblin took up position on his chief¡¯s other side.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just kill them,¡± Blacknail replied as he leaned back to avoid the swing of a claw. It didn¡¯t look very clean.


    Following his orders, both the other hobgoblins immediately slashed at the boggarts and went on the attack. Their swords bounced harmlessly off carapace, but Blacknail took the opportunity to step forward and kick the enemy to his left. The toe of his boot slammed into the head of the boggart, stunning it. Grinning as the thrill of the fight filled him, Blacknail didn¡¯t let up. Fiercely, he stabbed his sword down into one of the creature¡¯s shoulder joints. The blade caught for a moment, before sinking into the thin strip of pale flesh between the armor segments. The boggart immediately shrieked in pain. The shrill scream assaulted Blacknail¡¯s ears. He winced as he tugged his blade free and stepped back, but the pain felt like sweet victory.


    The wound seemed to cripple the boggart. Its arm went slack, and slobber began dripping from its mouth. It tried to attack again, but even its working front limb moved slowly and weakly. Blacknail grunted disdainfully as he blocked the blow, and then he kicked it in the head again. There was a wet crunch and the boggart collapsed onto the rocky ground.


    The remaining enemy was busy fighting the two other hobgoblins, but its companion¡¯s fall seemed to enrage it. The boggart ignored a blade aimed at its head and charged. The surprised hobgoblin¡¯s blade bounced off its armor as it leapt on top of him, and its mandibles clamped down on his arm. As the hobgoblin yelped, Blacknail pulled out a dagger and stabbed the boggart in the eye. The blade effortlessly sank deep into the creature¡¯s brain, and it began to spasm uncontrollably. Immediately, the hobgoblin it had tackled pushed it off himself and stood back up. His wounded arm was bleeding quite badly and he was covered in scratches.


    ¡°Huh, I thought they¡¯d be tougher. Ilisti made boggarts sound scary,¡± Blacknail remarked as he studied the fallen creatures. They hadn¡¯t been weak, but there were a lot of things more dangerous than them in the Green.


    The injured hobgoblin made a pained whine and cradled his arm. It was difficult to say how bad his injury was, but most the hobgoblins had been taught basic first aid, so he would probably live and recover. If he didn¡¯t, it wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s problem. Back at his base, more goblins were transforming into hobgoblins all the time. He honestly didn¡¯t know what to do with them all.


    Blacknail started to sheathe his sword, but a clattering noise drew his attention. Still on edge, he turned to look over at the edge of the rocky formation. There were several tall boulders blocking his sight, but as he watched, a group of dark shapes ran out from between the rocks.


    ¡°More enemies!¡± Blacknail yelled to get his minions¡¯ attention.


    He counted five boggarts this time. That was bad. Even if he defeated these, he couldn¡¯t be sure there weren¡¯t more on the way. The five boggarts took a moment to study the hobgoblins and their fallen kin, before scuttling forward to attack.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like these things,¡± Blacknail observed sourly as he readied himself to fight again.


    Judging by their behavior, it seemed like boggarts were territorial and moved in large packs. It also looked like they didn¡¯t care much about individual survival, which wasn¡¯t a good trait to encounter in an enemy.


    The five boggarts hissed and spat angrily as they determinedly charged the hobgoblins. Blacknail and his two minions stepped closer and raised their weapons as the boggarts closed in. Blacknail grimaced as he studied the enraged creatures. This was going to be a hard fight if his own reinforcements didn¡¯t arrive soon. Just then, there was yell from behind Blacknail.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to join the fight! Wow, what are those? They look mean,¡± Khita shouted excitedly as she ran over to join Blacknail and his minions.


    Blacknail grimaced and sighed in exasperation. Why did it have to be Khita? Anyone but her would have been much more useful. She was useless.


    However, quite unexpectedly, the scuttling mob of attackers suddenly stopped just outside of the reach of the hobgoblin¡¯s weapons. Instead of charging the surprised hobgoblins, they froze in place and threw a series of surprised glances at Khita. Uncertainty shone in their large black eyes as they studied the human girl. When she reached the hobgoblins, the boggarts began furiously clicking at each other, and then they backed away and fled back the way they had come.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Blacknail exclaimed angrily as he watched them go.


    Why had they chosen to flee all of a sudden? Was it possible that they been afraid of Khita but not him? No, that was impossible. Khita was as weak as her skinny arms and fat head made her look.


    Apparently, Khita had simply been the first of Blacknail¡¯s allies to arrive. From the same direction, a mix of humans and hobgoblins rushed out from behind a pile of rocks. Glancing over his shoulder, Blacknail saw Geralhd among them.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Ha, look at those creepy things run,¡± Khita laughed as she put a hand on Blacknail¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I sure scared them away. They''re no match for us!¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t scare them away. Don¡¯t say that!¡± Blacknail replied as he brushed her hand away. The boggarts were now completely out of sight, but they hadn¡¯t fled from Khita.


    ¡°What in all the hells were those things?¡± Geralhd asked as his group joined up with Blacknail¡¯s. Several of the humans looked spooked.


    ¡°They were boggarts,¡± Blacknail explained authoritatively. He was fairly certain that was right, and no one else here would know more than him.


    ¡°I thought those were a myth, and a lot smaller,¡± one of the men from Shelter remarked in surprise. ¡°Weren¡¯t those supposed to steal chickens unless you put out old shoes for them?¡±


    The humans began talking amongst themselves nervously. The two dead boggarts were still laid out on the ground alongside the bush and dead deer that they¡¯d been dragging.


    ¡°They don¡¯t even have real feet. What would they do with boots?¡± Khita observed as she pointed at a carcass.


    Everyone ignored her, and Blacknail took a moment to lean down and study the fallen creatures. They were certainly strange looking. Like bugs, their bodies were divided into three segments and they had hard shells. They also reminded Blacknail of Mimics, especially their eyes, although their body shape and coloring were completely different. They also lacked anything that resembled a Mimic¡¯s fake foliage.


    Sniffing one of the dead boggarts, the hobgoblin¡¯s nostrils were filled with a rich earthy musk. It had an undercurrent of what smelled like a mix of decaying matter. Strange. Blacknail was reminded of the piles Harvesters made, but these creatures were obviously not related to the beetles at all, despite a few small superficial similarities.


    ¡°Do you think those creatures ¨C the boggarts or whatever- will be coming back?¡± Geralhd asked.


    Blacknail frowned and stood back up before beginning to walk toward the rocks that the boggarts had disappeared behind. ¡°Good question. Let¡¯s see where they went.¡±


    A lot of the humans from Shelter seemed confused. One of them scratched his head as he spoke up. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand. Aren¡¯t boggarts like evil spirits? I don¡¯t think they¡¯re supposed to be real¡­ or this ugly.¡±


    ¡°These are boggarts. Do you know more about the Green than me? I¡¯m the ranger here,¡± Blacknail replied as he reached the rocks and glanced behind them. Stupid confusing humans. Obviously, he was an expert on boggarts, even if he knew next to nothing about them.


    There were no boggarts behind the boulder, just a lot more tall splinters of rock. After signaling for his hobgoblin minions to come up and cover him, Blacknail began to sniff out the fleeing boggarts'' trail. He followed their scent around the huge stone pillar and the through the smaller boulders for a few moments before it disappeared into a slender fissure. Blacknail stopped and stared warily at the dark opening. It was located at the base of a pile of boulders and its black interior was impenetrable to his sight.


    Geralhd arrived and looked over Blacknail¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The boggarts went down into there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m staring at it,¡± Blacknail replied dryly.


    ¡°So, what does this development mean for us, exactly?¡±


    ¡°It means we shouldn¡¯t camp anywhere near here and that we should double our night watch,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned away from the hole in the ground.


    There were several things about this situation he didn¡¯t like. Most importantly, he had no idea how many boggarts were down there in the deep roads. There could be dozens or hundreds of them just waiting underground for the right time to attack. Secondly, the creatures obviously had no problem seeing in the dark, which meant a night attack was likely.


    No one disagreed with Blacknail¡¯s plan to leave the area even though it was getting dark. The two boggart corpses were a plain reminder that something strange was going and that they weren¡¯t safe. Everyone immediately began packing up and they were soon back on the road. The sun was almost halfway under the horizon now and it was starting to get difficult for the humans to see, but they didn¡¯t have any other choice but to put some distance between themselves and the rock formation.


    Luckily, after about half an hour, the scouts found another good camping spot, on a hill next to the overgrown road. It wasn¡¯t quite as nice as the old one, but a quick exploration revealed no nearby caves or angry boggarts.


    As everyone else was settling down for the night, Blacknail stood at the peak of the hill and looked around confidently. Geralhd and Khita were with him, and it was truly dark out now. The stars and moon both shone overhead in the black sky.


    ¡°Yep, we should be safe here. As both the leader and our best ranger, I led us to a good spot,¡± the hobgoblin remarked proudly.


    Geralhd grunted and looked over the trees to the west. ¡°I wish the horizon wasn¡¯t still on fire, though.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. From atop the hill, they could all see that a long stretch of forest off in the distance was burning brightly. The orange glow of the flames was obvious in the dark of night.


    ¡°It¡¯s not moving in our direction, and it won¡¯t spread beyond the old woods. Ilisti said so,¡± the hobgoblin remarked with more confidence than he truly felt.


    Khita just laughed. ¡°I think it¡¯s as pretty and sharp as silver. It¡¯s definitely the biggest fire I¡¯ve ever seen, and I¡¯ve burned down a few buildings. You can see the light reflecting off the clouds.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Ferrar agreed as he emerged from the darkness to join them. ¡°The burning is so bright, yet so far away. I wish I could feel its heat.¡±


    ¡°I believe that would almost certainly be fatal,¡± Geralhd observed dryly.


    Since there was little else for anyone to say and it was starting to get very late, everyone went their separate ways and laid down for the night. Amidst the other hobgoblins, where it was safest, Blacknail snuggled into his blankets and went to sleep.


    The next morning, Blacknail woke up and got everyone moving. It only took a few kicks and shouts into lazy peoples'' ears. Once that was done, a quick chat with his sentries revealed that no one had spotted any strange activity during the night, but there was no reason to stick around. Blacknail shuddered as a shiver went down his spine. He had a bad feeling in his gut about the boggarts. Their black armor and segmented bodies were creepy and icky, but it was more than that. He couldn¡¯t explain exactly why they bothered him so much, but his instincts were telling him that they were dangerous, and that he hadn¡¯t seen the last of the cave dwelling scavengers¡­


    The party and their creaky wagon travelled along the old overgrown road for several hours before nearing their goal. Except for a flight of harpies flying overhead and the distant bellowing of an ogre, they didn¡¯t encounter anything dangerous.


    Once the forest parted and the fields around Shelter came into sight, the group split up. Most the humans headed for the town, while the hobgoblins began hiking over to their camp. The humans took the wagon, but almost all of its contents were divided up among the hobgoblins for them to carry. The only human travelling with the hobgoblins was the smelter from Herstcrest that Ferrar had chosen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be along to check on you soon,¡± he told his mute daughter before handing her off to Geralhd.


    Geralhd gave the man a dignified nod. ¡°I promise that she will be well cared for. Shelter is a rather safe and welcoming place. The people there are rustic but well-meaning. She¡¯s in good hands. You won¡¯t find better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked to some of the men from there, and I believe you¡¯re right,¡± the man replied before giving his daughter a reassuring smile. The little girl gave him a sad nod back and clutched her doll.


    Ferrar had been rather stubborn about making sure the craftsman came with them right away, instead of going to Shelter first. Blacknail didn¡¯t care, but Ferrar was apparently quite impatient to get to work and hadn¡¯t been willing to accept any delay.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go with them to Shelter. I need to make sure my underlings are taken care of and stuff. Some of them have been complaining about the adventure we just went on,¡± Khita told Blacknail. He didn¡¯t care.


    Once Geralhd¡¯s group was moving, Blacknail led the others to the goblin settlement. Weighed down by loot and gear, it took the tired hobgoblins a few hours, but they got there without a problem.


    As usual, before entering through the gate, Blacknail climbed up one of the nearby hills so that he could look down on the entire settlement. It was much the same, a crude wooden wall around a bunch of rocky hills and primitive structures, but he noticed two things that had changed. The longhouse that had been under construction when he¡¯d left was done and the beginnings of a completely new one had been put down. Blacknail sighed as he studied them. So many hobgoblins¡­


    ¡°Huh, I was actually expecting much worse than this,¡± the bearded craftsman remarked matter-of-factly as he stared down the hill. ¡°I can see some smoke rising from those clay furnaces over there. You weren¡¯t lying about that.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°It keeps growing. I can¡¯t stop it.¡±


    ¡°I built those furnaces,¡± Ferrar announced proudly.


    The man grunted and began walking toward the gate. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going. I can¡¯t say I ever thought I¡¯d be doing anything like this, but I¡¯ve been expecting to die in misery for a while now, and this can¡¯t be worse. The gods have given me hope, so I¡¯d be a fool not to grasp at it, no matter how treacherous the way through the dark is.¡±


    Ferrar laughed with gleeful excitement as he followed after the man. ¡°The light is from a fire burning bright. I can¡¯t wait. We¡¯re going to burn so much together! It will be so very glorious.¡±

 Will of Iron 3

    Once the travelers descended down the hill and entered the goblin settlement below, Ferrar didn¡¯t waste any time. He immediately dragged the craftsman toward his workshop, and soon they were both out of sight. Blacknail had his own business to get down to, so he headed off in a different direction.


    As was usual, it didn¡¯t take him long to track down his target, Gob. As Blacknail¡¯s second in command, he had been left in charge during Blacknail¡¯s absence and would be able to update his boss about what had happened while he was gone.


    Gob was standing in the empty patch of land in the middle of the settlement, and he wasn¡¯t alone. He was surrounded by over two dozen other hobgoblins. It looked like they were doing training. Some of them were just watching, but most of the hobgoblins were sparring with wooden blades made from carved branches. Rather than hard combat, the training seemed to be more about self-control and form. None of the hobgoblins were going all out, and Gob was watching them carefully just in case. He wandered among the sparring hobgoblins while occasionally giving out advice and orders.


    Blacknail nodded in approval. Discipline was more important than skill. Without the ability to control and suppress their emotions a hobgoblin was more of a liability than a useful tool.


    Seeing Blacknail walking his way, Gob stopped what he was doing and hurried over to meet his boss. Their chief¡¯s presence also drew the attention of many of the other hobgoblins. They glanced his way and more than a few of them began to pretend to work harder. Once he reached Blacknail¡¯s side, Gob immediately gave him a quick salute.


    ¡°Welcome back, bossiest one! As always, I¡¯m ready to obey your every command.¡±


    Blacknail grimaced. ¡°That¡¯s not a compliment. Being bossy is a bad thing.¡±


    Gob flinched. ¡°Sorry, greatest of hobgoblins! I meant no offense.¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t do it again,¡± Blacknail replied. He knew Gob had misspoken. Gob wouldn¡¯t dare insult him, especially to his face.


    A brief conversation was all it took to for Blacknail to learn that nothing all that interesting or unexpected had occurred while he¡¯d been gone. He then took a few minutes to fill Gob in on what had happened during the trip Herstcrest.


    ¡°¡­and so I killed the humongous glowing god and conquered Herstcrest all by myself. Then, I gave it to Ilisiti because I already have a human town,¡± Blacknail said in conclusion.


    ¡°Truly your strength and power is without match. No man or god can stand against you!¡±


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m pretty amazing,¡± Blacknail agreed with a nod of approval. Gob sometimes had a way with words. Sometimes they were even the right words.


    ¡°Is there anything you wish me to do now?¡± Gob asked eagerly. He seemed to want to serve.


    ¡°For now, you can continue training the hobgoblins. That¡¯s important, but there is some stuff I want you do later.¡±


    ¡°Like what, boss?¡±


    ¡°The cave I am staying in now is not worthy of my greatness. I¡¯m going to need my minions to build me a mansion. It needs to be bigger than all the other buildings and be incredibly impressive looking. Everyone who looks at it should know that they need to respect me,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°I will begin work this very day! It will be larger even than any building in Shelter!¡± Gob replied enthusiastically.


    Blacknail smiled and nodded appreciatively. ¡°That¡¯s a very good point. Make sure you do that.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t do to have anyone in Shelter looking down on him because they had a larger house than him. It was very important that all the humans there knew who was in charge. He was.


    Before Blacknail could think up any more important features his house would need, his train of thought was interrupted by a scream. Closing his mouth, Blacknail glanced over his shoulder just in time to see a flaming goblin run out from behind a building. It was actually the goblin¡¯s shirt that was on fire, but he certainly seemed to be in pain. He didn¡¯t stop screaming as he ran past the hobgoblins and toward the creek outside the settlement walls. Blacknail sighed as he watched the goblin disappear. He was certain he knew where that goblin had just come from.


    Blacknail grimaced as he turned back to Gob. ¡°You¡¯d better go make sure that goblin doesn¡¯t set anything important on fire. I think I should go see what Ferrar is doing.¡±


    He¡¯d thought he could leave the fire-obsessed hobgoblin alone with his new toys, but obviously he¡¯d been wrong. Very wrong.


    Leaving Gob to his own duties, Blacknail headed through the settlement and toward Ferrar¡¯s workshop. Soon, the hobgoblin¡¯s workshop came into sight. It was a fairly large building made of mud bricks with a tiled roof. The original had been made of wood, but it had burned down. Several clay furnaces of different sizes and shapes surrounded the workshop, and off to one side was a pavilion made from four tall wooden posts with stitched hides stretched between them. Piles of materials were stored under there.


    Ferrar and his recently acquired human helper were standing out in front of the building. The human seemed to just be watching with an amused ¨C yet more than slightly frightened - look on his face, but Ferrar was directing a dozen goblins as they dug a hole and gathered up piles of bricks and clay. All the goblins were running in every direction while Ferrar yelled and waved his hands in the air.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Blacknail shouted as he stomped over. He needed to be loud to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°We¡¯re working fast! Soon, but not soon enough, we will be melting iron in the cleansing fire of a new furnace. The secret is the air and the waterless wood. Fire breathes, you see. You need to give it more air so it can grow stronger and hot enough to melt metal,¡± Ferrar laughed as he turned to give Blacknail a mad grin. He was practically vibrating with excitement.


    Blacknail gave him a cold stare. ¡°I just saw a goblin run by. He was on fire.¡±


    Undaunted, Ferrar shrugged and kept grinning. ¡°That happens. We¡¯re doing science!¡±


    Blacknail stared at Ferrar for several long seconds. He wasn¡¯t sure what he could say that would get through to the other hobgoblin. Ferrar seemed to be in the middle of some sort of mad fit.


    ¡°Flaming goblins aren¡¯t safe. This is my territory. If you burn anything or anyone important then I won¡¯t allow you to keep burning things,¡± he eventually replied.


    Ferrar¡¯s smile didn¡¯t slip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. I can be safe and fast at the same time!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true at all,¡± Blacknail countered. Ferrar didn¡¯t seem to be paying attention, though. He turned back to the working goblins and yelled several new orders at them.


    Instead, it was the human who answered. Still looking more than a little afraid, he turned to Blacknail and gave him a polite nod of greeting. ¡°He certainly really likes his work, too much really. Don¡¯t worry, though. I¡¯ll keep things under control. This is just a small test and should be fairly safe.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°Good. Just try not to get burned to death. That would annoy Ilisti and the people of Shelter,¡± Blacknail told the man. As he was talking, a goblin ran over with several large pieces of raw iron that had been taken out of one of the nearby caves. Some of the caverns were quite extensive and went on for a long time before ending.


    All the commotion attracted some other attention. Imp¡¯s workshop was nearby, and he wandered out to see what was going on. The hobgoblin mage carried the tall metal staff Blacknail had won from a human mage in one hand as he walked over.


    ¡°You¡¯re back, chief. Did you encounter any magic on your trip,¡± Imp asked.


    Blacknail sighed despondently in response. What was with some of his hobgoblins and obsessions with weird and dangerous things? Sure, it made them too useful to smack or kill, but it also made them dangerous and frustrating to deal with. Also, they were generally too needy to be good minions. They forgot to be properly respectful, and why did they need him to constantly solve their problems? He was the leader, not their subordinate.


    ¡°I did find some magic, and if you grovel a few times I¡¯ll tell you about it,¡± Blacknail told the mage crossly.


    Immediately, Imp did as he was told and bowed while praising his chieftain. A few minutes of this satisfied Blacknail, so he informed Imp about all the mana crystals and magical powers he¡¯d encountered on his journey. The mention of the crystal that had controlled the slime seemed to interest him most of all.


    ¡°How amazing. Avorlus will be interested to learn of this. Yes, very much,¡± Imp exclaimed excitedly.


    Once Imp¡¯s curiosity had been sated, Blacknail wandered off. He had several other important things that needed done before he could settle down and take a well-deserved break. Ever since he¡¯d been forced to leave Scamp behind at the other goblin camp, Blacknail had been distracted by thoughts about what the hobgoblins with him were getting up to. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they were conspiring against him. Now that they were safely away from his direct supervision it was possible they might use all the skills he¡¯d taught them against their rightful leader. The ungrateful scum!


    Thankfully, Ilisti had given some good advice on how to manage minions that were far away, and Blacknail had some good ideas of his own. He knew that in the future he would be forced to send lots of his minions off to different places were Gob and him couldn¡¯t supervise them, so it was time to put some precautionary measures into place. Hobgoblins couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    The pig pen had grown a lot larger since the last time Blacknail had seen them. They were still next to a wooden shack with a thatch roof, but now the muddy pen itself was almost twice as large as it had been, although it was still encircled by a ramshackle fence made up of tied together branches sticking out from the ground. As expected, there were several large pigs and boars wallowing in the mud. Even though they were all young, some of them were already much heavier looking than Blacknail, and they would undoubtedly keep growing. The boar that had fathered them had been many times a hobgoblin¡¯s size before his death at Blacknail¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Is there anyone inside? Your leader is here. Come and praise me!¡± Blacknail yelled as he approached the hut.


    The last time he¡¯d been here the hobgoblin in charge had been rolling around in the mud with the pigs, but he didn¡¯t seem to be there now. Unless he was under the mud¡­ or had been eaten by the pigs¡­


    A series of thuds from inside the hut drew Blacknail¡¯s attention, and a few seconds later a scrawny hobgoblin stepped out and saluted him. Blacknail didn¡¯t recognize him, but that was probably because he was fairly clean instead of coated in mud.


    ¡°Thank you for visiting this pathetic hobgoblin, chief. How can I help you?¡± the hobgoblin asked.


    Blacknail gave him a stern nod. ¡°I¡¯m going to have a job for you and your animals soon. How many of them are strong and tame enough to be put to work out in the Green?¡±


    ¡°I have around a dozen good strong pigs, and soon I will have even more. They are good boys and girls, and because of your incredibly wise orders, the hunters are still bringing in more young pigs to join my herd.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Blacknail mused. He¡¯d given that order a while back. It had mostly been to help clear land for planting and create an emergency meat supply, but now the beasts would serve another purpose. It was a good thing he hadn¡¯t cancelled the order after those two hobgoblins had been mauled to death by an angry boar that had objected to them stealing his children.


    ¡°What exactly do you want my herd to do?¡± the hobgoblin herder asked.


    ¡°I will be building some roads. So, I¡¯m going to need them to uproot a lot of bushes and haul logs and materials around.¡±


    ¡°They can do that, no problem. They are good, smart animals. Yes, they are.¡±


    ¡°You really seem to like the pigs a lot. You¡¯re always here with them,¡± Blacknail observed. Obviously, this was another hobgoblin obsessed with something weird.


    ¡°I like being with them and playing with them. They¡¯re my friends. Unlike other hobgoblins, they¡¯re nice to me and bring me presents, instead of hitting me. Also, they smell much better and are much cleaner than hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Blacknail admitted. Hobgoblins weren¡¯t big on personal hygiene, but they did like hitting each other. A closer look at the hobgoblin in front of him, revealed several scars on arms and face. He seemed to have lost a few fights, which wasn¡¯t a surprise given how scrawny he was. Well, it wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s problem, and he seemed happy enough to be useful.


    After a brief conversation about the pigs, Blacknail quickly excused himself. He was getting tired and experience had taught him that hobgoblins could talk about their fixations forever without end. Blacknail wandered the camp and spoke to a few more hobgoblins before going to get something to eat and relaxing for the rest of the day. He scowled at the entrance to his cave and grumbled to himself in dissatisfaction before entering it. He really needed to get his mansion built. An important leader like himself needed a huge fancy dwelling that instilled awe and fear in all his minions, and a great leader certainly didn¡¯t live in hole in the ground.


    Blacknail spent some of the next two days relaxing, but during his absence a lot of small problems and work no one else could do had built up. Instead of eating and sleeping all the time, he was forced to go around and manage a lot of hobgoblins that wanted his input or orders. Only when all that was done did he have time to rest and recuperate from all his travelling. Why was being the boss so much work?


    Ferrar and his new helper were also quite busy. They had finished constructing their new smelting furnace last night and had lit a small fire inside it to harden its clay walls. That fire had burned out over the night, allowing the furnace to cool. The device was a cylinder that was open at the top and made from bricks held together by clay. It rose up from a mound of earth and there was a big hole at the bottom of it. A pile of black ashes had spilled out from that hole. They couldn¡¯t use it yet, though. Instead, they were gathering up wood and tinder to create fuel for the furnace. Once the wood was stacked up vertically, they slathered the pile with clay and completely covered it except for a few holes at the bottom and one at the very top. The wood and tinder were then set on alight, and once it was nicely aflame the holes at the bottom were sealed. When the fire had died down, the mound was torn open to reveal the charred black remains of the wood.


    Apparently, this burnt wood was called charcoal and it burned hotter than normal wood. Blacknail found that very doubtful and it made no sense to him. Shouldn''t wood that had already been burnt be less useful as fuel? Well, whatever. Ferrar and the human craftsman were the experts.


    It took a while for the charcoal to cool down, so Ferrar was forced to wait another day before attempting to actually melt some raw iron ore into useable ingots.


    When the next morning came, Blacknail woke up and got to work again. He grinned in excitement as he shoved the cloth that hung across his door and stepped outside. Today he would be taking several steps toward the fulfillment of the plan he¡¯d began the moment he¡¯d recovered from the death of his master. Werrick didn¡¯t know it, but his death was inevitably stalking closer.


    The first thing Blacknail did was go and check on what Ferrar had accomplished yesterday, and make sure he was still alive and completely intact. The hobgoblin had still been working when Blacknail went to sleep, but he found the fire-obsessed tinkerer already up and working on the smelting furnace. He¡¯d already loaded some iron ore and charcoal into the smelter. Now several goblins were taking turns at the bellows that he¡¯d acquired somewhere and was using to pump air into the structure.


    ¡°This is a small furnace and won¡¯t make much metal, but if it works I can build a bigger one,¡± Ferrar explained.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll be able to go to Shelter and see my daughter for a few days while he sets up the next phase of our experiment,¡± the human craftsman added. He looked and sounded tired, which wasn¡¯t surprising. He¡¯d been sleeping in Ferrar¡¯s workshop. Blacknail doubted Ferrar was anything like a good roommate, especially over the past few days. He¡¯d been a little intense about this project.


    ¡°So, if this works then you will be able to make iron tools?¡± Blacknail asked. He wanted to make sure he was going to get something useful out of all this rather tiring fuss. There had already been another flaming goblin incident.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m told there is a blacksmith in Shelter that will be able to forge the metal for you,¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Good,¡± Blacknail exclaimed gleefully as he rubbed his hands together. It was time to bend the people of Shelter completely to his will.


    Turning away from the workers, Blacknail headed over to gather up some minions to send to Shelter and invite the important people there over to see his new furnace in action. The pieces were in place. All he had to do was tell the simple humans what they wanted to hear and give them some meaningless trinkets and they would be clay in his hands. Today, his settlement would become a power to be reckoned with and finally began to change the North to suit its master''s vengeful will.

 Will of Iron 4

    It took a few hours for the humans from Shelter to arrive at the goblin settlement. However, all the people Blacknail had been hoping to see were there. Escorted by his minions, the large group of people walked through the front gate and into the settlement. The mix of villagers and former bandits numbered over forty. Tannin was there, alongside Geralhd, Khita, Avorlus, and Beardy.


    With a friendly grin on his face, Blacknail walked over to them and gestured at his surroundings with wide open arms. ¡°Welcome to my camp! It¡¯s not much, but the walls keep the wind and animals away.¡±


    It was Tannin that stepped forward. The older man with a thick grey beard gave the hobgoblin an appraising look for a second before nodding politely. ¡°Thank you for having us. I hear you¡¯ve got a proper mess of interesting things that you want to show off.¡±


    ¡°Yep. You¡¯ll be very impressed. I¡¯m pretty amazing,¡± Blacknail responded cheerfully.


    The crowd of humans promptly followed Blacknail over to Ferrar¡¯s workshop. The hobgoblin had just finished opening up the furnace and extracting the refined iron a few hours ago. Still excited, Ferrar directed their gazes toward where two chunks of ore were cooling on a rock off to one side. Blacknail didn¡¯t find them all that interesting, but the blacksmith Tannin had brought along seemed impressed.


    ¡°These nuggets of pig iron look like they¡¯ve been made properly,¡± he observed. ¡°I can see that the slag has been melted out of them. Yes, I can work ore of this quality into proper wrought iron that we can use.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. Even after going through the furnace and cooling down the metal Ferrar had refined was next to useless. Apparently, it needed to be heated up again in a different furnace and hammered. It was a good thing Ferrar was so obsessed with this stuff. It was far too complex and tedious for Blacknail to figure out.


    As Ferrar beamed at the blacksmith¡¯s words, Tannin nodded and turned to Blacknail. ¡°And you¡¯re willing to trade pig iron like this to us regularly?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re neighbours. We should get along and help each other!¡± Blacknail replied cheerfully.


    ¡°Right, what do you want in return for this generosity?¡± Tannin huffed.


    Blacknail smiled and made a dismissive gesture with one hand. ¡°Just more of what you¡¯re already doing. You can trade me food like cheese. Also, I will pay you to help my minions plant crops and to teach them to make stuff. There are lots of things my minions can¡¯t do, such as blacksmithing.¡±


    ¡°You could also help me make wrought iron,¡± Ferrar suggested.


    Tannin frowned skeptically. ¡°Oh, why would we want to teach you any sort of forging? Giving away our monopoly on that skill wouldn¡¯t seem to be in our interest. Your iron is useless without it.¡±


    Blacknail just smiled. He knew that the iron was valuable to the humans since they couldn¡¯t produce the metal themselves, and they had a lot of tools that had degraded over the years, but they had no idea how valuable their knowledge and expertise was. With it, Blacknail could change the world and become a the most powerful chieftain in the North.


    ¡°My minions are going to need a lot of simple little iron tools, like nails and arrowheads. Your one blacksmith would need to work nonstop to make them all, or he could take a few hobgoblin assistants to help him with the small simple things while he concentrates on your own needs.¡±


    ¡°And what happens when you no longer need our skills? Why would you continue to supply us with iron?¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°We can learn anything we need from Herstcrest, even if the craftsman they lent us doesn¡¯t know. It¡¯s better to be friendly with us now so we will give you better trades later. It will take a long, long time for us to learn even part of your skills.¡±


    Tannin exchanged looks with the blacksmith and then sighed. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s an acceptable offer.¡±


    Blacknail snorted. He was more than willing to barter, since it cost him so little, but there was no ignoring the force disparity between the two groups. While Shelter had a large population, there was no way it could survive in a long-term struggle against Blacknail¡¯s minions. In fact, they¡¯d already been falling into ruin before Blacknail¡¯s arrival. They needed his good will.


    After the bargaining with Tannin had completed, Geralhd walked over to Blacknail. He¡¯d been studying the workshop with obvious enthusiasm and interest, which was a little odd since he¡¯d never been one for hands-on work.


    ¡°This is all rather amazing!¡± Geralhd remarked excitedly. ¡°There is no archeological evidence to suggest that goblins and hobgoblins ever worked iron before. They only used stone tools. I¡¯m seeing history in the making here. I wonder if in the future anyone will ever dig up this site and study its artifacts.¡±


    Blacknail blinked. Just wait until Geralhd saw what he was going to do with the iron.


    ¡°I do amazing things all the time, since I¡¯m the greatest hobgoblin who has ever lived,¡± Blacknail remarked before leading the group away from the smelting furnace. While he was showing off, there were some other places he wanted to show them.


    The next stop on their tour was the clay ovens. There several goblins were feeding the fires and loading up an oven full of newly-made pots. The process had been improved a lot since the goblins had first tried it. The specially made kilns damaged or destroyed far fewer pots. The pots themselves were also much more complex and artistic. The goblins that were making them liked carving little figures and patterns into the clay. Hunting and war were common scenes, although most of them just looked like squiggly lines.


    After moving away from the kilns, Blacknail took them to the tanning racks where the animal hides gathered from hunting were hanging up and drying. He knew humans wouldn¡¯t find it all that impressive, but the hides were worth something in trade. Several of the humans were rather impressed by some of the wolf skins had acquired.


    ¡°And this is where my giant mansion is going to be built,¡± Blacknail said as he pointed to a large area of stony ground that had been cleared and levelled. Everyone stopped to look.


    ¡°Huh, but right now, it''s just an empty patch of dirt,¡± Geralhd observed carefully.


    ¡°Maybe, but when it¡¯s done it will be bigger than everyone else¡¯s homes, including yours,¡± Blacknail replied crossly before moving on.


    ¡°How many goblins and hobgoblins are here in this village now? I can¡¯t seem to figure it out by looking since all these goblins haven¡¯t stopped running around, and they seem to pack themselves into houses like berries in a bear¡¯s mouth,¡± Tannin asked as they walked back to the main gate.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°No idea. More are always popping out of nowhere. Gob might know.¡±


    Tannin frowned and glanced over toward one of the longhouses for a moment. They¡¯d finished visiting most the interesting places within the camp, with the notable exceptions of the gold cave and Imp¡¯s hut. The people of Shelter didn¡¯t need to know about the gold or Blacknail¡¯s access to magic. Having magic around made some people twitchy and unreasonably paranoid. Blacknail was one of those people, but for now, the benefits of Imp¡¯s magic outweighed the risks.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Why are we headed back to the entrance?¡± Tannin asked as his group followed Blacknail. ¡°You aren¡¯t kicking us out already, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I just want to show you something and suggest an idea,¡± Blacknail replied as they reached the gate and looked out at the forest.


    ¡°Hmm, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Moving through the Green is hard and dangerous, yes? Even coming here isn¡¯t easy for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true enough.¡±


    Blacknail raised a hand and pointed at the path that led back to the humans¡¯ village. ¡°But you humans built roads to make it faster and safer to travel from place to place. We could do that. My minions could cut a road from here to Shelter and then from Shelter to Herstcrest. That would make it easier to trade.¡±


    Tannin perked up. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s an interesting idea. We¡¯ve been disconnected from the larger world for too long. What would you need from us?¡±


    ¡°Mostly just advice,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°We¡¯d be more than happy to help you out with such a project. Of course, even with a proper road, the Green is dangerous to travel through.¡±


    ¡°My minions could patrol it and build shelters beside it for people to rest at. They wouldn¡¯t be fancy, but they would keep animals out,¡± Blacknail replied. He had something like the feral goblins¡¯ half-buried huts in mind. They would be able to hold back anything up to an enraged troll, which they would still at least slow down.


    After a bit more conversation, Tannin agreed to send over some people to help with Blacknail¡¯s latest project. The group then headed back inside the settlement to get some lunch. As Tannin stepped back to speak to some of his people, Avorlus emerged from the crowd and headed over to Blacknail¡¯s side.


    ¡°It has been a while since our last conversation,¡± the mage remarked.


    ¡°Still doing dangerous magic stuff?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    Avorlus rolled his eyes. ¡°Yes, which is what I wanted to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Blacknail mused. Should he take a step back?


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned almost everything of value I can from Imperious and taught him what he needs know to make your Elixir in return, as per our deal. Thus, I find myself with a surplus of free time and yet a severe deficit of proper facilities to work with.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t go back to Daggerpoint. The other mages still want to kill you,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°True, but since I¡¯m stuck out here in these savage lands, I might as well take advantage of any opportunities that fall into my lap. Imperious has been telling me about your visit to Herstcrest. I was hoping to make a visit there to examine the crystal cavern you found. I¡¯ve never actually ventured to see such a source before.¡±


    Blacknail absently scratched the side of his head. ¡°I¡¯m planning to send some minions that way in a few days, but I don¡¯t think the vympirs like mages much. They call them wise-men, but they seem to think they¡¯re too dangerous to have around.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they are fascinating creatures. I¡¯d seen them referenced in scholarly works, but never heard of anyone seeing any in real life. I would love to be able to examine them.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try it,¡± Blacknail advised the mage.


    Avorlus grunted sourly. ¡°I¡¯m not suicidal. I understand their enmity toward mages, and it¡¯s not completely unreasonable. If I do go to Herstcrest, I will endeavor to stay out of sight and be as unobtrusive as possible.¡±


    ¡°Until you begin playing with the magic exploding crystals in their basement?¡±


    ¡°Even then.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    By now they¡¯d reached the cooking area, so everyone began to sit down. There were a bunch of crude stools and chairs scattered around the fire pit. Blacknail had gotten the stew started a few hours ago so it was done now. After serving Blacknail first, the hobgoblin in charge of the cooking began handing out bowls to everyone else, which were delivered by goblins.


    Soon, everyone was eating and talking amongst themselves. Blacknail nodded happily as he observed what was happening. All the humans looked relaxed, despite being surrounded by hobgoblins. The people of Shelter were growing used to the hobgoblins. Not too long ago they would have been terrified by the presence of even one.


    While Blacknail was eating, Geralhd and Beardy walked over and sat down next to him.


    ¡°You seem to be keeping yourself pleasantly busy with all this work,¡± Geralhd observed.


    ¡°Ya, it¡¯s suspicious. You¡¯re a lazy beast at heart,¡± Beardy added. Blacknail couldn¡¯t deny that.


    Geralhd sighed. ¡°I think, we¡¯re both simply curious as to why you¡¯ve suddenly become so interested in building a series of roads. That seems like an incredibly difficult and thankless task for someone with your priorities and inclinations.¡±


    Blacknail weighed his options for a moment before answering. He wasn¡¯t sure how honest he wanted to be, but a moment later, he decided that there was no point holding anything back. ¡°I keep having to send minions away to do missions, but I¡¯m worried about how loyal they will be. You can¡¯t trust hobgoblins. However, Ilisti said that better roads will help me keep a better eye on what is happening in other places.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the sanest thing you¡¯ve ever said, the bit about hobgoblins, anyway,¡± Beardy remarked.


    Geralhd looked doubtful. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a little paranoid? It¡¯s not like the other hobgoblins are all trying to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Quite a few of them are trying to kill me,¡± Blacknail replied with an amused grin. ¡°But I¡¯m very hard to poison and after I executed the last few idiots that tried to ambush me, they¡¯re all too afraid to try again.¡±


    Beardy seemed to find this funny. He let out a loud belly laugh. Geralhd winced in surprise.


    ¡°Well, maybe, what you¡¯re missing is a cause or mission. Roads don¡¯t seem like a terrible idea, but a united sense of purpose and identity seem like a better idea to me if you want to inspire loyalty in your followers.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Like human countries have flags and symbols, so that no matter where they go they know who and what they serve. A country gives people a shared identity so that they can work together and remember that what serves the whole group also serves them individuals. It¡¯s like a story they live, I suppose. It makes them part of something greater than themselves.¡±


    Blacknail frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t think that would work for hobgoblins. We¡¯re a little different.¡±


    Hobgoblins were not the same as humans. Despite what Geralhd seemed to think, their minds worked very differently. Humans were herd animals in a way that hobgoblins weren¡¯t. Hobgoblins formed tribes, but those tribes were always a tool for the hobgoblin to use, not something they would sacrifice themselves for. It was even difficult for hobgoblins to see a tribe as something more than a collection of individuals.


    ¡°In a lot of gangs or the navy, they just get tattoos,¡± Beardy remarked.


    Blacknail perked up. ¡°Skin art? That could work!¡±


    Yes, at the very least it would allow the tribe to recognize its own. Having the symbol of Blacknail¡¯s authority etched in their skin might also make a lot of hobgoblins hesitate about betraying him, especially if that symbol gave them status. Hobgoblins liked being better than others, and wouldn¡¯t want to lose that.


    Grinning excitedly, Blacknail turned to Beardy. ¡°Can you make tattoos?¡±


    ¡°Um, I guess I can. I mean I¡¯ve got one and seen it done a few times. It didn¡¯t look that hard, as long as you don¡¯t want anything too fancy.¡±


    ¡°Good, I want to give all my hobgoblins marks.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do I get out of this? That sounds like a lot of work,¡± Beardy remarked coldly.


    Blacknail reached into his coat and pulled out a small lump of gold, which he tossed to Beardy. After catching it, the man blinked in stunned disbelief at the object in his hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re just going to give this to me?¡± Beardy asked in surprise.


    Blacknail chuckled. ¡°Yes, where would you go?¡±


    Beardy scowled but tucked the nugget of gold away into his own coat. ¡°I suppose you have a deal. I can teach you how to create tattoos.¡±


    With the deal complete, Blacknail began to turn away from the humans, but Geralhd coughed politely to get his attention. ¡°You should at least try to come up with a name for both this settlement and your tribe. If for no other reason than so people know what to call you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I will have to think of some names. I¡¯m great at naming things, just ask Gob!¡± Blacknail exclaimed happily. For some reason, Geralhd grimaced sourly.


    By this time, everyone had finished eating and all the conversations were starting to die down, so Blacknail ended the lunch break. He talked to Tannin briefly before saying goodbye to everyone and sending them back to Shelter with some hobgoblin scouts as guides. Only Beardy remained behind to do some experiments on giving goblins tattoos. Several were knocked over the head and volunteered for his use.


    Once the visitors were gone, Blacknail began organizing things for the next day. There was no point waiting around. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. For the first time ever, he was going to muster the full power of the settlement he¡¯d built - an organized horde of goblins - and put it to work. The Green would be pushed back and Blacknail¡¯s route South would open up before him. First, he would build the road, and then he would march an army down it to strike at his master¡¯s unsuspecting enemies.

 Will of Iron 5

    After making plans with Gob, Blacknail began gathering up all the tools he would need to begin building a road through the Green. After that, he spent the rest of the day selecting hobgoblins to lead work crews and threatening to gut them like fish if they didn¡¯t have their crews assembled tomorrow at dawn. Then, he went to bed. Screaming and growling menacingly at people was hard work.


    The next morning, when the yellow orb of the sun began to peek above the horizon, Blacknail had breakfast while all the work crews hurriedly assembled themselves outside his home. It was a great display of how amazing and inspiring his leadership skills were. Had there ever been a better leader than him? Undoubtedly not. He was unprecedented.


    When Blacknail finished eating and headed out to begin working on the road to Shelter, he brought along a large mob that was a mix of hobgoblins, goblins, and boars. They crossed the cleared fields and swiftly reached the trees. There, the goblins cleared bushes and moved debris, while the hobgoblins used steel-headed axes from Herstcrest to chop down trees. The boars were mostly used to drag or move the trees once they had fallen. It was slow going and very loud. The repetitive sound of axes splintering wood filled the air while goblins screamed at each other.


    The idea was to create a road that a wagon could travel across easily. Blacknail also wanted to clear the area around the road of all the brush and cover that could be used by predators to ambush travellers. That meant the ground had to be flattened and the trees to either side of it had to be cut down.


    As Blacknail watched from a safe distance, there was an ear-splitting crash as a tree hit the ground. As soon as the ground stopped shaking, a swarm of goblins and hobgoblins ran over and began to disassemble it. Branches were hacked off and boars were tied in place so they could begin dragging the tree out of the way. Teams of goblins began digging up the stump, while goblin overseers with spears kept watch to make sure none of their kin tried to leave or slack off. Moving the fallen trees took a lot of muscle power, but Blacknail had a lot of goblins. With some rope, and a lot of pointed encouragement and supervision, it was entirely possible for them to pull the logs.


    All this activity made Blacknail feel proud. Miraculously, it was happening with very little intervention from him. He simply pointed the lead hobgoblins in the right direction, and they kept the others in line. There was a pyramid of authority and Blacknail only had to worry about punishing the people at the top of it if there were any screw ups. That meant he didn¡¯t personally have to deal with all the stupid and disorderly goblins at the bottom of the pyramid.


    As Blacknail was congratulating himself, Ferrar walked over to his side. He wasn¡¯t one of the crew leaders, but Blacknail had invited him along to get his input on the construction, since he was the closest thing the tribe had to an expert on building stuff. He was almost as good at building as he was at destroying.


    ¡°Hmmm, that¡¯s a lot of wood, boss,¡± Ferrar remarked as he watched another tree fall. ¡°I could use these logs for charcoal. All my furnaces are going to need to burn a lot of fuel.¡±


    ¡°Take what you need,¡± Blacknail replied as he supervised the workers. ¡°We can use the rest to build log cabins. The new axes will make it easy to chop the logs. I helped make cabins for Herad, and they were very warm during the winter.¡±


    The work crews didn¡¯t manage to accomplish all that much during the first day, but that was fine with Blacknail. They were still experimenting and learning how to do the job. The next day, Blacknail led them all out into the Green again, and their productivity increased noticeably. While they were working, they got some visitors from Shelter. Three older male villagers Blacknail hadn¡¯t talked to before came to see the work and give advice.


    ¡°If you plan on building a road that a wagon can roll across and one that won¡¯t wash away in the spring you¡¯re going to have to put some foundations in place to hold the dirt in place,¡± one of them pointed out. ¡°Also, you might want to think about how you¡¯re going to bridge the creeks and gulley¡¯s in your way.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just use some of these logs?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Those will be fine as temporary fixes, but green wood will rot quickly and constantly need replaced. I don¡¯t suppose you have mortar?¡± the villager replied. Blacknail didn¡¯t know what that was, but Ferrar apparently did.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been using clay to stick bricks together,¡± the hobgoblin answered.


    ¡°That might work, but lime would be better. Do you have that?¡±


    As Blacknail listened, the pair began talking about how to create lime mortar by putting limestone into a kiln and firing it. Blacknail was quite amazed that Ferrar had somehow managed to find another reason to build some new kilns to burn a completely new material in. It seemed like half of human civilization was finding the right way to set things on fire. Maybe Ferrar¡¯s fire-centric worldview was less crazy than Blacknail had thought, if only a little.


    ¡°All in all, it looks like you¡¯ve got what you need to build yourself a road, though,¡± the human villager told Blacknail. ¡°The idea of a road to Herstcrest has quite a few people in town excited, even if they understand the place isn¡¯t what it used to be. We¡¯ve been cooped up inside Shelter for too long. Still water goes bad, and a lot of folk feel like we¡¯ve been under constant siege these last few years.¡±


    ¡°It might take a while to build that road,¡± Blacknail replied.


    The man just nodded sagely. ¡°We¡¯ve been cut off for over a decade. We don¡¯t lack patience.¡±


    After inspecting everything, the villagers went back home. Under his careful supervision, Blacknail¡¯s minions continued working until it began to get dark, and then they headed back home for supper. All the hobgoblins and goblins were tired and hungry after working so hard, but none of them complained, since that would have just got them smacked.


    The following days passed in a similar manner. Slowly but surely, the work crews cut their way through the forest. Tree after tree fell to hobgoblin axes, until at last, they reached their destination. After two weeks, Blacknail¡¯s minions arrived at the fields outside Shelter. There was a crash as they cut down the very last tree in their way.


    A small crowd of people from Shelter were watching, and they immediately began clapping once the tree had fallen. Blacknail waved at them, before yelling at some hobgoblins to get back to work. It was important to keep up good relations with the humans, even if they were doing silly human things that seemed like a stupid waste of time.


    Anyway, there was still a lot of work that needed to be done before the road was truly finished. They may have cleared the last tree, but the path wasn¡¯t fit for a wagon. The muddy ground needed to be flattened and hardened, bridges needed built over creeks, and weak spots needed to be drained and reinforced. However, Blacknail didn¡¯t need all his work crews for that. Most of goblins could be let go now, and getting to Shelter was now noticeably faster and safer. No more stumbling into unseen mimics or bears.


    After the last tree had been dragged aside and work had begun on digging up its stump, Blacknail paid closer attention to the gathered humans and listened in on what they were saying.


    ¡°Never thought I¡¯d see the like, goblin roads,¡± one man remarked with a judgemental huff.


    The woman in a homespun dress beside him nodded in agreement. ¡°Things are changing, that¡¯s for sure. Probably for the better, I think. The gods know there are few ways they could get worse.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Maybe, but I sure wish I knew what was going to happen next. This is a strange wind that is blowing over us and who knows what rides upon it,¡± an frail-looking older man with a bald head replied as he stroked his long white beard.


    Blacknail huffed indignantly in response and turned away. Of course, things were changing. He was here now. How could they not change when the greatest leader ever born was here? He made everything better by his mere presence.


    Tannin came over to talk for a few minutes about Blacknail¡¯s schedule. After they were done chatting, the village headman led the other humans back to the village. Blacknail let his minions rest for a few minutes before taking them back to the goblin settlement.


    Just as the walls of their home came into sight through the trees, they passed by a group of Ferrar¡¯s minions who were working around a cluster of newly-constructed charcoal mounds. The smoking piles of earth had been built to burn the trees felled by the work crews. Even from this far back, Blacknail could see the thick trails of smoke that were now constantly streaming up into the air over the settlement. Ferrar¡¯s many ovens, kilns, and furnaces were all constantly burning wood and charcoal to produce the endless stream of materials Blacknail¡¯s plans required, and because Ferrar just liked burning things.


    When the work crews reached the settlement¡¯s gate, Blacknail disbanded his minions. Instantly, the ranks of goblins and hobgoblins dissolved into chaos as they all fled in every direction as quickly as their feet could carry them. They didn¡¯t want to stay anywhere near Blacknail, in case he changed his mind or found something else for them to do. Blacknail just grinned in amusement as he watched them flee. Their efforts were futile. There was nowhere they could hide from him.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Gob to show up. He walked up to Blacknail¡¯s side and gave his chieftain a quick respectful salute.


    ¡°How are the preparations for tonight going?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    ¡°Everything shall be as you wish, your amazingness. There have been no problems with your incredible plan. I made sure of it, personally,¡± Gob replied.


    Blacknail stretched out his arms and yawned. ¡°Good, I¡¯m going to take a nap until the feast is ready. Make sure all the hobgoblins are there when I show up. I don¡¯t plan on doing this twice.¡±


    Gob gave him another salute in acknowledgement, and Blacknail headed over to his cave to waste some time until supper. It was so nice to finally have some halfway competent minions he could delegate things to.


    Some time later, the low rumble of drums awakened Blacknail from his slumber. He grumbled to himself, but climbed to his feet and walked outside of his cave. It sounded like the feast was starting and he didn¡¯t want to miss it. It was important that he give his speech. Tonight, he was going to be making some important changes. Just thinking about it made Blacknail excited and he grinned in anticipation. The sluggishness of sleep sloughed away as the sound of drums grew louder in his ears. It pulsed in tune with his beating heart.


    All the noise was coming from the center of camp. It was just starting to get dark, so Blacknail could make out the light of several fires up ahead. The soft glow cast flickering shadows on the walls of the buildings around Blacknail as he walked closer to the light, and the succulent smell of cooking meat grew stronger. Without a doubt, the combination of sound and smell was drawing every hobgoblin and goblin to the training field. They wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.


    Walking out from among the longhouses, Blacknail stepped out onto the training ground. As expected, it was full of hobgoblins and goblins. They loitered around and watched the bonfires, where Gob and a small formation of hobgoblins with swords and spears were overseeing the cooks and drummers as they worked.


    The drums were primitive things, but they made more than enough noise and they were fun to use. The instruments were made from a tanned animal skin that was stretched over a hollow cylinder of wood and tied in place using sinew. To play it, a goblin or hobgoblin simply slapped the top repeatedly. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure where the design had come from. One of the hobgoblins had just started making them, and since they weren¡¯t completely useless, he¡¯d allowed them to continue.


    Walking through the crowd, Blacknail approached Gob. ¡°Is everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I sent some hobs to look all throughout the settlement, and they didn¡¯t find anyone. Besides, who would want to ¨C or dare to - miss a speech from our great chieftain?¡± Gob hurriedly answered as Blacknail nodded and turned away.


    Under the darkening sky, Blacknail studied the ranks of his hungry minions as the firelight played across their angled faces and sharp inhuman features. Most of them were grinning from excitement or hunger, revealing a sea of sharp pointy teeth, and their beady eyes were almost all looking his way now. Yes, he definitely had their attention. It was time. Grinning confidently to himself, Blacknail stepped up onto a wooden platform several goblins hurriedly brought over and cleared his throat.


    ¡°I am Blacknail, the mighty chieftain of this mighty tribe. Before I gift you all with lots of delicious hot food, listen to my wise words!¡±


    All the gathered hobgoblins grew silent, and the rhythm of the drummers behind Blacknail grew quieter and more subdued.


    ¡°Some of you may be wondering why you are here and why you listen to me. Let me tell you why you obey,¡± Blacknail told the gathered goblinoids with steely confidence. ¡°There are those among you that do not know what it is like to be a feral hobgoblin. Because of me, many of you have grown up without knowing that savage life. Ferals have no clothes or tasty meals. They have no allies and no shelter. If you were a feral you could not sleep without fear of harpies¡¯ claws and trolls¡¯ jaws. Without the restraint I have beaten into you all, you would turn against each other and become ferals. You would need to flee before the steel and skill of humans. They would surround you and cut you down, no matter how sly and tricky you are.¡±


    Amidst the sound of the drums, there was a crack as a branch in the fire snapped in two, and a shower of sparks shot up into the air next to Blacknail as he continued speaking.


    ¡°I have changed all that. I tamed the rage that would destroy you. Now, we cut down the Green itself to make our homes and trample the ground beneath our feet. Our power rises every day. Under me, you have more than you could ever dream of, and this is just the beginning. When you eat the feast I offer to you, remember that it is yours because you obey me and contribute to the tribe. Loyalty and skill are rewarded here.¡±


    Several hobgoblins shouted in agreement, but Blacknail silenced them with a wave of his hand. ¡°We are more than just some goblins and hobgoblins gathered together, and we are more than a mere feral tribe that has grown larger than normal. There has never been anything like us before. The world shudders as we take our place upon it. The sound of our drums echo unchallenged through the Green. Thus, I now give us a true name. We are the Blackmark clan and this fortress that we have made our own is Ironbreak!¡±


    As Blacknail¡¯s voice fell silent, his gathered minions began whispering and talking among themselves. A heady blend of emotions could be heard in their voices. Fear, excitement, and surprise were all mixed together. Blacknail gave them a second before continuing.


    ¡°However, tonight, I offer you more than names. I offer a new reward to the skilled and loyal among you, a mark to show everyone your abilities. To show the world what you have made of yourself.¡±


    Blacknail gestured and one of the hobgoblins standing beside Gob stepped up onto the platform next to Blacknail. In the light of the bonfires, it was easy to see that there was something different about him. He had a tattoo under his left eye.


    It had taken quite a bit of experimentation to get the tattooing process down, but the third group of goblin test subjects had all survived, so Beardy and Blacknail had moved on to discussing design and placement. Blacknail had wanted it to be somewhere in plain sight, so he¡¯d decided to put the tattoos on hobgoblins¡¯ faces. The entire point of the tattoo was to be a constant and unescapable reminder of membership in the tribe. The design they had settled on was a simple series of black lines around the eye. This hobgoblin was a warrior and that was what his tattoo indicated. The black dye stood out from the green skin and it was easy to make from certain smashed rocks.


    ¡°From now on, all hobgoblins will be given a mark after their transformation to signify their membership in the tribe, and after they have completed their trial of initiation, they can ask to be tested for further marks,¡± Blacknail explained before pointing at the hobgoblin beside him. ¡°This hob has the warrior mark. He was tested by the tribe¡¯s leaders and found to have enough skill and courage to be one of our best fighters.¡±


    When he was done describing all the benefits of getting a mark, including not having to do menial work, Blacknail explained that the warrior test wasn¡¯t the only one a hobgoblin could take. There was also a crafting mark for skilled workers and one for mages, although neither had been designed yet. Ferrar and Imp would be in charge of testing for them.


    The gathered goblins and hobgoblins reacted with excitement to the news, although they swiftly began to grow bored and hungry as Blacknail kept talking. Noticing this, the hobgoblin chieftain quickly wrapped up his speech and announced the start of the feast.


    Instantly, the mob of goblins rushed forward and began to fight over the best pieces of food. Blacknail smiled as he watched them from atop his platform. As they ate, the hobgoblins talked amongst themselves. They seemed excited about getting their own tattoos. Blacknail chuckled as he listened in. The Blackmark tribe had been born, and soon the entire world would know that name, along with his own, and they would tremble in fear.

 Will of Iron 6

    The gathered horde of hobgoblins and goblins continued to feast until the last bit of food was gone. Too stuffed to move, most of them sat around the bonfires and relaxed. The scratchy sound of goblin conversation could be heard over the low sound of the drums, and a few hobgoblins even began singing. Acting swiftly, Blacknail used a club and excessive levels of violence to stomp it out before it started. He didn¡¯t want to listen to that. Hobgoblin throats were not made for singing.


    Once everyone had been given some time to digest their meals, Blacknail announced the next event. The night wasn¡¯t over yet. Not even close. Now, Blacknail would be publicly testing the first few hobgoblins that wanted warrior marks. As everyone watched, an area next to the bonfires was quickly cleared of goblins and a circle was drawn in the dirt around it.


    When the ring was complete, Blacknail and one of Gob¡¯s minions entered the circle. Both of them wore leather armor and were holding blunt short swords. Blacknail was planning on putting on a show, so that everyone was reminded about how awesome he was. The test itself was simple. The applicant would duel the examiner and try impress him with his sword skills. Once the duel was over, the examiner would decide if he passed or failed. Harming the examiner was forbidden, but Blacknail had taken a swig of Elixir just in case. You couldn¡¯t be too careful around hobgoblins, and it was more than possible for them to be dangerous because of stupidity or incompetence rather than malice.


    Raising his blade, Blacknail smiled at his opponent. The hobgoblin seemed nervous and unsure of himself so Blacknail took the initiative and attacked first. He opened with a few easy and controlled swings that forced the hobgoblin to concentrate and dodge. After several of his blows were blocked, Blacknail increased the speed and power of his attacks. However, the hobgoblin was able to block or dodge them all using the basic sword techniques he¡¯d been taught.


    ¡°To pass you need to attack me,¡± Blacknail said as he advanced.


    The hobgoblin grimaced but moved forward to meet Blacknail, and after dodging his chieftain¡¯s next attack, he slashed at Blacknail¡¯s arm. Blacknail easily stepped out of the way of the attack and countered by extending a leg and tripping his off-balance minion. The surprised hobgoblin stumbled and Blacknail easily tapped his back with the tip of his blade.


    ¡°You need to do better. Try again,¡± Blacknail laughed as his embarrassed opponent nodded and steadied himself.


    They sparred for a few more minutes without the hobgoblin getting a blow on Blacknail. That was to be expected, though. Blacknail had trained for much longer than any of his minions, was a Vessel, and was also a total genius at everything. Still, this hobgoblin had shown a solid understanding of the basics, so Blacknail ended the fight and awarded him with a pass. Smiling in relief, the hobgoblin initiate bowed to Blacknail and then stepped out of the ring. The nearby hobgoblins shouted encouragement as he passed. Watching the fight had gotten everyone excited.


    After a quick break, the next hobgoblin looking to be tested entered the circle and began to spar with Blacknail. This fight and the next both went very similar to the first. The hobgoblins passed, but they weren¡¯t able to hit Blacknail or even challenge him all that much.


    The fourth hobgoblin to enter the circle was quite tall. Much to Blacknail annoyance, he was even slightly taller than him. Ignoring his height, his head was decorated by two curved horns and short brown hair. He also didn¡¯t seem as nervous as the others had been. Instead, he was actually smiling in excitement. Weird. Looking him over, Blacknail decided that he wasn¡¯t going to go quite so easy on this applicant. A few smacks would probably do him good.


    As soon as his opponent had taken up a guard position, Blacknail rapidly glided forward to attack. He unleashed a swift slash at the hobgoblin¡¯s head meant to force him to block, so Blacknail could push him off balance with the next move. However, much to Blacknail¡¯s surprise, the tall hobgoblin didn¡¯t try to block. Rather, he managed to lean out of the way of the attack and counter at the same time. The hobgoblin¡¯s blade sliced toward Blacknail¡¯s side and he was forced to jump back. Scowling, Blacknail brought his guard back up and reassessed the skill of his opponent. Clearly, this hobgoblin was better than the ones before.


    Aggressively but not without caution, the tall hobgoblin stepped forward to keep the pressure on. Blacknail didn¡¯t give ground, so they quickly exchanged a series of blows and slashes, with neither of them gaining the advantage. Blacknail stopped holding back. Without burning Elixir, he used all his speed and power. When his opponent failed to buckle under the pressure of his blows, he then began to use every dirty trick he knew. Although a few techniques caught the tall hobgoblin by surprise, he swiftly adjusted and managed to avoid being hit. The fighters danced around the circle as they relentlessly hacked and slashed at each other. Their blades sliced through the air and met with violent clangs that caused the myriad watchers to flinch. The rowdy mob of watchers that encircled the ring began to grow quiet as everyone became entranced by the fight and the dance of flashing blades.


    However, Blacknail eventually began to tire, since this was his fourth match. How could this hobgoblin possibly be so good at sword fighting? Where had he learned to fight like this? It didn¡¯t make any sense. Blacknail grimaced as he deflected a stab toward his gut. As the leader, there was no way he was going to back down. He still had a trick or two left anyway.


    Scowling in determination, Blacknail pressed the attack. He launched a series of quick feints and slashes at the space around his opponent¡¯s head. The hobgoblin dodged the first few strikes but was eventually forced to take a step back. That was what Blacknail had been aiming for. Instantly, he swung his blade around and slashed at the hobgoblin¡¯s trailing front leg. His sword sliced through the air but missed its target by less than an inch as it the hobgoblin pivoted on his back leg. At the same time, his sword came back around and struck toward Blacknail¡¯s shoulder.


    Cold surprise shot up Blacknail¡¯s spine as his eyes locked on the incoming blade. For a timeless moment, the sword seemed impossible to stop and Blacknail stood frozen. Then, Elixir burned away Blacknail¡¯s doubt as he tapped into its power, and he burst into motion. With new speed, he leaned away from the blow as he raised his weapon, and then he struck. His blade leapt toward his opponent¡¯s side and hit him squarely in the ribs. At the last moment, Blacknail pulled the blow and twisted his sword so that he hit with the flat of the blade, but it still struck with enough force to send the hobgoblin stumbling backward, and there was a loud thud from the impact.


    Grinning in satisfaction - even though he¡¯d maybe, sort-of cheated a little tiny bit -Blacknail let his blade drop. He¡¯d won, and that was the important thing. Of course, it hadn¡¯t really been a competition¡­ Well, whatever. He¡¯d won.


    As a cheer broke out and the watching mob began screaming Blacknail¡¯s name, the fallen hobgoblin groaned and stiffly climbed to his feet. He kept his blade arm low and clutched his injured side, so it didn¡¯t look like he wanted to keep on fighting. That was fine with Blacknail.


    ¡°So, did I pass, boss?¡± the tall hobgoblin shouted so that he could be heard over all the shouting.


    Oh, right. This was a test. Blacknail nodded. ¡°Ya, good job. Where did you learn to fight like that? You¡¯re much better than everyone else but me. It¡¯s a little weird.¡±


    The hobgoblin shrugged, and then winced as the action caused him pain. ¡°Lots of people taught me. I¡¯ve been learning from every human and hobgoblin that would teach me, and fighting all the people who wouldn¡¯t. The redheaded human female has been very useful.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that, but good job. Your swordsmanship is impressive,¡± Blacknail replied. He was one of the few hobgoblins Blacknail had ever met who would probably be able to defeat a human in a fair duel. Was he some sort of genius or something?


    The hobgoblin bowed his head in thanks. ¡°The shinning sword is all. The way of the blade is the knowledge you gave us. It had allowed me to be better than my rage. It has transformed me. Now, I am the blade itself. I have given it my everything and it has given me my everything in return.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Neat,¡± Blacknail replied with a tight smile. Ah, so he had another one of these. At least it was a very straight forward and useful obsession. Most the others were much more roundabout when it came to using them for murder. Although, the tricky part was going to be not getting murdered himself.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know your name. Do you have one?¡± Blacknail asked.


    The hobgoblin nodded. ¡°They call me¡­¡±


    Blacknail cut him off with a wave of his hand. ¡°I shall call you Slashi. That¡¯s your name now, and it¡¯s a great one, so you should thank me.¡±


    The hobgoblin now known as Slashi looked unsure and hesitated a moment for replying. ¡°¡­Thank you?¡±


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯m awesome at naming things!¡± Blacknail replied as he gave Slashi a friendly pat on the shoulder.


    Unsteady on his feet, Slashi then departed the ring and the last challenger entered. Blacknail scowled as he realized who it was. What was Herah doing here? Had she always been part of the event? Blacknail had no idea if she was any good with a blade. Wait. Was that Khita standing over by where Herah had come from? Seriously, why was she here? The stupid redhead had definitely not been invited. No humans had been.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked Herah as she walked over with blade in hand.


    She gave him a curious look. ¡°I¡¯m here for the test. I want a warrior mark.¡±


    ¡°Alright fine, but Gob didn¡¯t mention that you were one of the candidates. I would have probably remembered that.¡±


    Herah shrugged. ¡°Yes, one of initiates he suggested was injured in an unfortunate accident, so I volunteered to replace him.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened to this unlucky hob?¡± Blacknail asked. He was suspicious.


    ¡°Something hard hit the back of his head and knocked him unconscious,¡± Herah answered deadpan.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Blacknail replied carefully. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get the test started.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure what Herah was up to, but Khita was undoubtedly involved in it up to her scrawny pink neck. Why else would she be here?


    Herah nodded in acknowledgement and raised her blade as she took a stance, so Blacknail did like-wise. A moment later, he began the spar with a high slash meant to draw her out. She hesitated but didn¡¯t take the bait, so Blacknail pressed the attack.


    The sparring match continued for several minutes after that. Herah seemed to be at the same level as the first two hobgoblins or maybe slightly higher. Blacknail quickly began to get tired, so he wrapped the fight up fairly quickly. After tapping Herah¡¯s shoulder he stepped back away from her.


    ¡°Fine, you pass. You can have the warrior mark,¡± Blacknail told her as he took a few deep breaths to fill his lungs and speed his recovery.


    A happy grin appeared on Herah¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, thank you, great chief. You are as wise as you are handsome!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned away from her.


    There was a loud chorus of cheers from the watchers around the ring as they realized the fight was over, and Blacknail went to find somewhere to sit down. His arms were stiff, and he was breathing heavier than normal after all the sparring.


    Herah happily trailed after him. When he turned to look at her, she gave him a friendly grin. ¡°Would you like some food, boss? I can grab some for you.¡±


    ¡°Why would you?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously.


    ¡°You¡¯re the chief and I¡¯m your minion. I live to serve you, and besides, you worked so hard to set up the test.¡±


    Blacknail considered her words for a moment. ¡°Alright, fine. I do feel like having some more meat.¡±


    ¡°Right away, boss!¡± Herah replied. She winked and then turned to run off back the way she¡¯d come.


    Feeling a little confused, Blacknail went to find a place to sit. There was a nice wooden bench sitting just the right distance from one of the bonfires. The only problem was that it was occupied by three hobgbolins, but that was easy enough to fix. Yawning, Blacknail simply walked over and shoved them off the bench from behind. Once the startled hobgoblins saw who it was that had pushed them, they swiftly vacated the premise without a word. Blacknail nodded in satisfaction as he sat down on the bench. It was nice to be respected properly.


    After Blacknail had been sitting down and enjoying the waves of heat coming off the fire for a few minutes, Herah returned with a plate of meat. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure were she¡¯d gotten it since almost everything had already been eaten. She must have had it squirrelled away somewhere.


    ¡°Here you go, best boss,¡± she said as she handed it to him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Blacknail replied as he took the plate. He had to push himself up since he was lying on his side.


    Herah quickly sat down beside him and gave him another grin. ¡°Do you want me to feed you? You seem very tired.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, alright,¡± Blacknail replied after thinking it over. Her idea would prevent him from having to get up, and it was unlikely that she was trying to poison him. He was fairly sure he hadn¡¯t done anything to enrage her lately. In fact, she had been unusually quiet these past few days.


    Without delay, Herah began cutting up the meat and using a fork to bring the meat up to Blacknail¡¯s mouth where he could eat it. She smiled down at him as Blacknail ate, and Blacknail got a whiff of her scent. It smelled like she¡¯d been rolling in flowers or something. Weird. By the time the plate was empty, Blacknail was feeling very full. His belly stuck out and felt heavy. He had already eaten earlier after all.


    Looking around, Blacknail saw that the field around the bonfires was emptier now and the sky overhead had become pitch black and peppered with stars. It had grown late and many of the goblins and hobgoblins had wandered off back to their homes. Since Blacknail had already eaten as much as he possibly could, it was probably time for him to do the same and head home for the night. Groaning, Blacknail begin to get up.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Herah asked with a pout. She seemed to have been enjoying herself, although Blacknail had no idea why.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now. See you tomorrow,¡± Blacknail answered as he began to walk away from the bonfires and out into the darkness.


    Instead of staying behind, Herah quickly followed after him. ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you.¡±


    Blacknail waved her away. ¡°No, stay here.¡±


    As Herah stopped and pouted again, Khita suddenly emerged from out of nowhere and walked over. ¡°She can come with me. I¡¯m going to the cave as well.¡±


    Blacknail stopped in his tracks and turned to scowl at her. Khita had a bed in his cave because back when he¡¯d first claimed the place it had been one of the only safe places she could have slept, but she had rarely used it lately. Still, it was obviously too dark for her to go back to Shelter now, and she had to sleep somewhere.


    ¡°Why are you even here?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°I never miss a party or a fight, and this was both. Where else would I be?¡± the redhead replied with a smug smile.


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Neither of you better ruin my sleep, though,¡± Blacknail replied as he began walking again.


    For some reason this made Khita laugh as she joined up with Herah. Together, the pair strolled after Blacknail and whispered quietly back and forth. Blacknail¡¯s ears twitched as he tried to listen in, but he couldn¡¯t quite make out what they were saying. Blacknail huffed in annoyance. It was probably stupid nonsense anyway.


    When Blacknail got to his cave and walked inside, Khita and Herah both followed him. Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Blacknail sat down on his bed and stared at them. It was obvious that they were up to something. The pair were obviously co-conspirators in some sort of scheme, although Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure what the goal of it was.


    As Blacknail watched, the pair whispered to each for a few moments, and then Khita suddenly spoke up. ¡°Sure, you stay here. I¡¯ll go grab the comb. I want to show it to you anyway.¡±


    The redhead then turned and gave Blacknail a quick mischievous grin before running out of the cave. Suspicious! Blacknail¡¯s brow wrinkled as he watched her go. What was she playing at? He hoped it wasn¡¯t going to interfere with his sleep. He didn¡¯t have the time or patience to deal with all this nonsense right now.


    As Blacknail focused on Khita leaving, Herah tentatively walked his way. Blacknail frowned and turned to look at her, and she gave him a nervous smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to show you,¡± Herah announced.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Blacknail asked.


    That was when Herah pulled off her shirt of and untied her belt. Both her shirt and her pants hit the floor at the same time, revealing her naked body. Blacknail stared, too surprised to think.


    ¡°My breasts have gotten bigger, haven¡¯t they?¡± Herah asked as she put her hands on her hips.


    Slowly, Blacknail brain began to work again. He¡¯d figured out what was going on now. It was an ambush! The problem was he wasn¡¯t sure he even wanted to avoid the trap.


    ¡°Do you like what you see?¡± Herah asked him as she stepped closer and wiggled her hips. Even in his current state of mind, Blacknail knew there was only one answer to that question.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re nice to look at,¡± Blacknail found himself saying. It was true. Herah¡¯s chest had filled in a little, even if it was still nothing compared to that of certain humans¡¯, including one that Blacknail wasn¡¯t even going to think about right now. Bad idea.


    Blacknail hesitated as Herah leaned in closer, and he smelled the flower scent again. It wasn¡¯t particular strong, but it did smell refreshing. Stop. He had to focus, and not on Herah¡¯s enticing green body. Something else.


    Was it safe to mate with Herah? Blacknail had been sure that he¡¯d had good reasons not to¡­ but he couldn¡¯t remember what those were right now. Most importantly, it seemed unlikely that this was a plot to assassinate him. Herah was loyal, and would gain nothing from killing him since everyone would know it was her. Unless someone else was behind the plot... but who?


    Suddenly, Herah¡¯s lips met his own, and Blacknail¡¯s brain shut off again. Burning need blazed up from below his core and sent his heart into overdrive. He growled softly as the feeling consumed him, and he reached over to pull Herah¡¯s thin body closer

 Will of Iron 7

    The image of a dashingly handsome hobgoblin with a perfectly pointy nose looked back at Blacknail as he stared into the puddle of water. Wow, he was good looking. Grinning at his own magnificence, Blacknail raised a hand and rubbed the top of his forehead where his horns were growing. It had been a while since he¡¯d last trimmed them, and now they were as long as one of his fingers. That was longer than they¡¯d ever been.


    Having horns was awkward. Blacknail was still getting used to their weight, and they kept getting heavier as they grew. They also made it much harder to wear hats and hoods, and it was basically impossible for him to disguise himself as a human anymore. That was fine, though. The time for hiding his identity was over. Now was the moment for seizing power, and among goblins long horns were a symbol of authority.


    Blacknail nodded in approval at his reflection. His horns definitely had a nice white color that contrasted nicely with his green skin. Blacknail couldn¡¯t wait until they got longer. He hoped his would keep growing until they were as impressive as the antlers of the hobgoblin chief he¡¯d killed. Those had been very striking. It wasn¡¯t like he really cared, but he wondered if Herah would find that attractive. What about humans?


    ¡°Bah, whatever,¡± Blacknail grumbled as he stood up and began walking back to the road. At this point he doubted he could keep Herah away with a long pointy stick, no matter what his horns looked like.


    Blacknail had just finished going for a quick early morning walk out in the bush. He enjoyed his privacy, which was hard to find in Ironbreak these days. The settlement was buzzing of activity, and Blacknail¡¯s minions were always looking to get his approval or advice for something that should have been obvious. It never stopped.


    Several weeks had passed since the first warrior initiation ceremony had been held. Except for a few difficult areas, the road to Shelter was complete. Most of the work crews were now working on the road to Herstcrest, but Blacknail had also sent some of them South to scout and map the old roads that led back to civilization.


    The workers cutting their way to Herscrest were actually making good time. Unsurprisingly, it was much easier to repair an old road than create an entirely new one. Most of their work was just clearing brush and younger trees, and in some places that already done that for them by the fire Blacknail had set.


    Blacknail wandered out of the bushes and jumped up onto the road. Broken vegetation and torn earth still surrounded it, clear signs of all the effort that had gone into cutting a path through the forest. Here and there, a few fallen logs were still laying next to the road. Many of the logs had been dragged back to Ironbreak, but there was still plenty left that had yet to be moved.


    As Blacknail approached the settlement, he saw dozens of logs piled up outside the walls. Further out, the crops that the goblins had planted were beginning to grow. The small fields looked haphazard and chaotic but most the plants were healthy. Under he watchful eyes of overseers, teams of goblins kept the fields free of weeds and bugs.


    Two weeks ago, Blacknail had sent a bunch of his minions over toward Herstcrest. Some of them were replacements for Scamp¡¯s group at the goblin camp, and others were to help Ilisti hunt for food. Avorlus had also gone with them. He¡¯d been determined to study the crystal cave there, and Blacknail had decided to let him. He wasn¡¯t sure it was safe, but he¡¯d already gotten the information he needed from the mage, so that wasn¡¯t really his problem.


    The morning air was wet and chilly, so as he fought off a shiver, Blacknail headed to Ferrar¡¯s workshop. There was always at least one warm fire burning there, and he found their work interesting as well. He usually had no idea what they were trying to do but watching them run around playing with fire was amusing.


    Ferrar¡¯s workshop hadn¡¯t stopped growing. It now contained a large storehouse and a small smithy. There was a hobgoblin working at the smithy as Blacknail approached. Using a large hammer, the hobgoblin was pounding a small piece of heated wrought iron into the shape of an arrowhead. He was using a pair tongs to hold the metal in place on top of a small anvil as he worked. The anvil had been loaned to them by the smith from Shelter.


    Blacknail walked over to the heat of a furnace, and watched sparks fly as metal crashed loudly against metal. This hobgoblin was one of Ferrrar¡¯s assistant and he had the maker¡¯s mark on his face. It was largely the same as the warrior mark, but the lines around the eye were a bit different. The rhythmic clanging of the blacksmith¡¯s work kept Blacknail¡¯s attention as the warmth radiating from the smoking furnace next to him warmed his bones. Ah, that felt better.


    Ferrar and his assistants were now capable of creating a bunch of simple tools out of wrought iron. Mostly, they made nails and arrowheads, but they were also trying their hand at spear tips and shovels.


    Blacknail¡¯s presence at the smithy didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Ferrar emerged from one of the nearby buildings and quickly hurried over to his chief¡¯s side.


    ¡°Have you found a swordsmith to kidnap yet?¡± Ferrar immediately asked. There was a hopeful look on his face.


    ¡°Still no,¡± Blacknail told him. He was unamused. Ferrar had been asking him the same question every day for the past week.


    Blacknail had made the mistake of asking Ferrar if he could make swords. The answer had been a definite no, but the question had intrigued Ferrar. Apparently, swords were much harder to make than arrowheads. Wrought iron was too soft, so they had to be made from steel, which Ferrar couldn¡¯t make yet. Actually making a sword also required special blacksmithing techniques that Ferrar, the expert from Herstcrest, and the blacksmith from Shelter all didn¡¯t know. That was why he¡¯d asked Blacknail to find and kidnap a human who did know how to make swords.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even left Ironbreak. Where would I find a rare type of human like that?¡± Blacknail asked. He¡¯d come to the conclusion that Ferrar was spoiled rotten, and far too used to getting what he wanted.


    Ferrar shrugged ¡°Maybe he got lost in the woods?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s dumb. I¡¯ll tell you if I find a swordsmith. Stop asking,¡± Blacknail replied before huffing and walking away.


    Looking over to his left, Blacknail saw a construction site. The surplus of lumber and access to iron axes had allowed the hobgoblins to began building log cabins. Some of the flimsier longhouses were already being torn down to make room for them. The log cabins would be much warmer in the winter, and the area inside the settlement¡¯s walls was starting to get crowded, so room had to be made for them. It had become impossible to count all the goblins that now lived inside Ironbreak. The little runts had swarmed out of the Green to get access to the plentiful food and shelter that Ironbreak offered. More and more of them were also transforming into hobgoblins. It was a good thing that the Green was so bountiful. If you could survive to harvest it, the forest was full of food, and goblins would eat almost anything anyway.


    The availability of timber and iron tools had also allowed Blacknail to began construction on his mansion. Several workmen from Shelter were helping his minions create a proper house of his own using the best human construction techniques. It was far from done, but once complete it would be the biggest and fanciest home around! Blacknail couldn¡¯t wait to fill it with loot.


    As headed to Gob¡¯s longhouse, Blacknail passed by the training field. It was the only large empty area left inside the walls. The space was needed both for training, which several hobgoblins were using it for right now, and for the public tests. Blacknail had been holding new initiation ceremonies for warriors every few days. However, there was quite a backlog of hobgoblins with the skills to pass the test, so it was a good thing that Gob and a few of his more skilled helpers could act as test administrators.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Really, it was the tattoos that were slowing everything down. The art of tattooing was simple in theory. Dye was pushed under the skin using needles. However, in practice it was quite difficult. Beardy had done the first few tattoos and tried to teach others, but only one hobgoblin had really picked the skill up. Blacknail was just glad that the warrior mark design was easy to make and didn¡¯t have to be exact.


    After Blacknail reached his destination, he yelled out Gob¡¯s name, and the hobgoblin immediately stepped out of his longhouse and gave his boss a salute. ¡°Command me, mightiest of chiefs!¡±


    ¡°Is the expedition force ready?¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Yes, boss. They¡¯re at the gate. I picked out only the best scouts and warriors for your escorts and made sure they had the best food packed for the journey. The runner I sent also said that the humans from Shelter will be waiting for you. Everything is ready.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Blacknail replied with a nod of approval.


    Blacknail had grown tired of sitting around Ironbreak and doing nothing. It was time to push his plan forward, and to do that he needed to make a move South. That was why he¡¯d sent scouts out to map the best route. There was an old road that had used to connect Shelter to the rest of the human lands, but it had been consumed by the Green years ago. Still, it was the easiest way South. The original path Blacknail and the others had used to get to Shelter had been far less than straight and involved passing over a lot of rough terrain that the old road would avoid.


    After listening to Gob praise him for several more minutes, Blacknail dismissed his subordinate and went back to his cave to grab his gear. Once had his backpack, he headed over to Ironbreak¡¯s main gate. There, just as Gob had promised, Blacknail found the force he¡¯d requested waiting for him. Two dozen hobgoblins were surrounded by twice that many goblins, and behind them were two hogs that had been loaded up with supplies. Half of the hobgoblins bore the warrior mark and had proper swords. The others carried iron-tipped spears and daggers.


    Blacknail grunted when he saw Herah among them. He wasn¡¯t surprised by her presence. The female hobgoblin had been bothering him even more now that he¡¯d mated with her, and she was rarely far away. Oh, well. At least he was getting plenty of sex. That was nice.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± Blacknail yelled as he motioned for everyone to head through the gate.


    His minions jumped to obey his command, and soon they were all marching down the newly constructed road that lead to Shelter. They made much faster progress than they could have if they¡¯d been forced to hike through the woods, and Blacknail set a brisk pace, so they promptly reached their destination.


    Lounging outside of Shelter¡¯s walls were a bunch of familiar faces. Blacknail saw Geralhd, Beardy, and at the back, Khita. There were also half a dozen other old members of Herad¡¯s band and one young man from Shelter.


    ¡°Ah, good. You¡¯re here, hobgoblin. We can finally get going,¡± Beardy remarked as Blacknail approached.


    Geralhd was politer. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you, Blacknail. Are you feeling up to an adventure! Myself, I can¡¯t wait to get going. Shelter has become a sort of home, but it¡¯s missing quite a few luxuries, I¡¯m afraid. I really need to go shopping.¡±


    Blacknail gave them both a quick nod. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s move.¡±


    Several of the hobgoblins that Blacknail had sent South to scout the way were with him now, so they wee able to lead everyone through the forest and over to the old road without a problem. The overgrown road was in similar shape to the one Blacknail had taken to Herstcrest. It had obviously been a while since it had seen regular use. Grass and thick clumps of bushes had grown up through what had once been hard packed earth. The trees had also pressed in on both sides and debris like fallen branches and logs littered its surface. However, it did supply Blacknail¡¯s group with firm level ground to travel on.


    ¡°Hmm, yes. This is much easier than the route we took the first time. Less swamp and cliffs,¡± Geralhd remarked after they had been hiking for about an hour. There were murmurs of agreement from most the other humans and Blacknail nodded along.


    Despite Geralhd¡¯s earlier excitement, the rest of the day was uneventful, and after walking until it began to get dark, they had to come to stop and set up camp for the night. Before everyone went to sleep, a scowling and exasperated Khita visited Blacknail. She had apparently been selected by the other humans to tell him and Herah to stop mating so loudly. That was fine with Blacknail. Herah was rather exhausting.


    It wasn¡¯t until two more days of hard travel had passed that they escaped the untamed Green. The stretch of ruined and overrun road they were following led up a hill and then down to another road. This new road was in much better repair and obviously saw plenty of use. They had reached the border of civilization.


    ¡°At last, we¡¯re here!¡± Geralhd exclaimed happily as he looked down at the road.


    ¡°But where exactly is here?¡± Blacknail asked Beardy. This was why he¡¯d brought him along.


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do some exploring to find out. I¡¯m not familiar with every nook and cranny in the North, but we should be somewhere Northeast of Herad¡¯s old camp,¡± the man replied gruffly.


    Geralhd nodded. ¡°There are a few walled towns left in this area, and probably some travellers nearby, so we should be able to find someone who knows the lay of the land.¡±


    That sounded fine to Blacknail. ¡°Go then, and make sure you find out everything you can about Werrick. I will stay here with my minions and wait for two days.¡±


    Geralhd grinned in excitement, but Beardy gave Blacknail a thoughtful look. ¡°And what are you up to? You didn¡¯t bring us here just for information and shopping, did you?¡±


    ¡°Getting supplies is important, but you¡¯re right. I want to keep a watch on this area, just in case,¡± Blacknail replied with a shrug. ¡°We should keep our eyes open. Werrick might try something. He knows we¡¯re out in the Green and he doesn¡¯t like us much.¡±


    Beardy accepted that argument reluctantly, and then he led the other humans down the road. Khita waved goodbye to Blacknail as they walked out of sight.


    ¡°What now, boss?¡± one of Blacknail¡¯s minions asked.


    ¡°We scout,¡± Blacknail replied. He wanted the entire area explored and everything of interest found before he humans got back.


    At his orders, the hobgoblins split into two even groups and went in separate directions. They were to avoid contact with strangers and stay out of sight. He didn¡¯t want any of his minions getting into trouble and creating a mess he had to clean up.


    Blacknail led the group going in the opposite direction of the humans, and they took the pack beasts, because he was the leader. They walked for over an hour without seeing anything but a lot of trees and rocks, until some noise from up ahead alerted them that someone was coming their way. Blacknail quickly commanded his minions to hide in the forest at the edge of the road, and then followed them.


    Hiding behind a bush, Blacknail watched the road and waited for the source of the noise to appear. It didn¡¯t take long. Three minutes later, a small merchant caravan came into sight. It was compromised of two covered wagons being pulled by horses. Around the wagons, quite a few humans were walking or riding. The clothes the people were wearing were bright and colorful, which was common among humans that constantly travelled.


    Briefly, Blacknail considered ordering an attack so they could steal all their stuff, but quickly decide against it. Now wasn¡¯t the time for that, and he doubted they had anything he really wanted. No, he had different plans in mind for the merchants using this road. Soon¡­


    When the caravan was safely gone, Blacknail and his minions got back on the road and resumed their exploration of the area. As they marched, Blacknail kept on eye out for any signs of abandoned side roads and sent hobgoblins to examine animal trails. After about an hour, one of those scout¡¯s found what Blacknail was looking for, an abandoned village hidden away in the forest.


    It was a small cluster of two dozen huts that the wild had long ago reclaimed. The North was dotted by hundreds of similar ruins caused by humanity¡¯s decline, but it would serve Blacknail¡¯s purpose just fine. The thatch roofs that had rotted away long ago could be replaced and most the walls were easily repairable. It wouldn¡¯t take all that long to clear out all the vegetation that had taken over the village and its fields, and the well in the center of the houses smelled like it would be fine after a thorough cleaning. Blacknail nodded in satisfaction as he walked around and looked over the ruins. Yes, this place would function excellently as a hidden forward base.


    ¡°We still have lots of time until we need to meet back up with the humans. Get cleaning this place up, you lazy runts,¡± Blacknail ordered his minions.


    This was why he¡¯d brought so many minions, and all the goblins. He planned on setting up another outpost like the one near Herstcrest here. Experience had taught him that it wouldn¡¯t take long for the settlement to began to grow and attract feral goblins. Depending on what the humans found out, Blacknail planned on moving South soon, and when he did, he wanted a fully functional base available to help him seize control of the nearby territory. That would certainly draw Werrick out, and then their game of prey and predator could began in earnest. The Wolf had no idea what lay waiting within the Green.

 Will of Iron 8

    Over the next two days, Blacknail took it easy until it was time of the reunion with Geralhd and the other humans. He kept his minions busy, though. As he intermittently supervised and napped, a lot of work was completed on restoring the abandoned village Blacknail¡¯s minions had found. The well had been cleaned and cleared of debris. All the shrubs inside the village grounds had been cut back, and work had been started on fixing up the houses. Of course, they had focused on repairing a house for Blacknail first, he was the leader after all.


    When the time came for the meet up, Blacknail led a dozen of his hobgoblins back out onto the road. He left the other hobgoblins and all the goblins behind to continue work on building his new forward base while he was gone.


    After a steady uneventful march, Blacknail and his minions reached the rendezvous point without any trouble. When they got there, they didn¡¯t see any sign of the humans, so they settled down to wait at edge of the forest. There, they could stay out of sight but see anyone approaching. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have to wait long. Less than half an hour later, Geralhd and the others walked into sight. Stretching to work out some kinks, Blacknail walked out of the forest to greet them.


    ¡°I was a little afraid that you wouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Geralhd said as he gave Blacknail a relieved smile. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why. Events have simply been inconveniently chaotic lately, I suppose.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m glad you managed to return without falling into any holes. If you had taken much longer I would have had to go looking for you.¡±


    Khita also said hello, but Blacknail ignored her and went straight to business. ¡°While you were gone, what did you learn about this place and Werrick?¡±


    It was Beardy that replied first. ¡°Well, we were right about where we thought we were. As for the Wolf, we found a town and asked around, but they didn¡¯t know all that much about the man himself and what he¡¯s been up to, other than rumors.¡±


    ¡°We only know what some of his men have been doing locally, but I can guess at his plans based on what I¡¯ve heard,¡± Geralhd added. ¡°It seems like now that there are no credible threats to his authority, Werrick has been turning the remaining chiefs against each other by backing one side and encouraging them to take out their rivals. He seems intent on whittling down the number of bandits in his territory. Which makes sense to me. There are far too many armed bandits around for anyone to control. They can¡¯t just stop robbing and pillaging, since they aren¡¯t good for much else.¡±


    Beardy nodded. ¡°From what we heard, that¡¯s what happened around here recently. One of the local bands was wiped out after their closest rival got some reinforcements and encouragement from Werrick.¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Blacknail mused aloud. The Wolf was a cunning leader. His plan seemed like a great way to eliminate unwanted troublemakers and build loyalty among the scattered bandits around the North at minimal cost to himself.


    Suddenly, Blacknail perked up as an interesting thought occurred to him. ¡°Did any of those bandits survive? The ones from around here.¡±


    ¡°Probably?¡± Beardy remarked uncertainly. ¡°I heard that some managed to flee, but surviving out in the wilds is tough for men like that. I doubt most of them will manage to hang on much longer.¡±


    Blacknail grinned smugly. Perhaps the Wolf had made a mistake. His plan only worked flawlessly if there was no serious opposition to his rule left in the North.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Gerlahd asked curiously.


    ¡°I think we should help out the poor people who have just found themselves in the same situation as we used to be. Right now, they are probably suffering all alone out in the cold. So sad,¡± Blacknail told him before sighing emphatically. Human emotions were fun to mimic.


    Beardy rolled his eyes scornfully. ¡°And how are we supposed to find these poor suffering professional murderers?¡±


    ¡°If you know the last place they were seen, my scouts will do the rest,¡± Blacknail replied as he flashed a toothy grin.


    Geralhd was a little skeptical about the value of trying to recruit some unknown bandits, but he wasn¡¯t completely against it. Beardy had long ago learned not to fight Blacknail about this sort of thing, so he simply shrugged and told him everything he wanted to know. Blacknail used that information to quickly come up with a plan.


    ¡°It seems that we will be staying here for a little longer,¡± he told Geralhd.


    The man just shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, my friend. I¡¯ve still got plenty of coin left unspent, and a rather deep thirst for good wine that I suspect will never be quenched. How about we go back to the town and meet you back here the day after tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°That would be fine,¡± Blacknail agreed. Two days was probably plenty of time if he moved fast. However, it would help his mission if he had¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with Blacknail,¡± Khita suddenly said. Her unexpected interjection interrupted Blacknail¡¯s thoughts and seemed to surprise Hassiol, the young man who¡¯d been following her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already seen everything interesting that town has to offer, and I feel like more of a real adventure,¡± Khita explained as she suddenly became the center of attention.


    Blacknail scowled at her. He wanted to tell her to go away, but he¡¯d just been about to ask for some humans to help him communicate with any bandits he found, and to serve as proof that he didn¡¯t eat humans. Thus, he couldn¡¯t really turn her down and ask someone else to stay.


    ¡°Fine, you can come,¡± Blacknail told her before sighing deeply.


    Soon after that, the humans turned around and headed back to the town they¡¯d just come from. That left Blacknail alone with his minions, Khita, and the blonde kid that followed her everywhere.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re going to go round us up some new minions!¡± Khita exclaimed happily.


    Blacknail sighed again. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the plan, but we will be going to my secret base to get some more supplies and minions first.¡±


    ¡°Sharp! A secret base. I can¡¯t wait to see it,¡± Khita replied cheerfully as they began to walk.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably going to be disappointed,¡± Blacknail told her. What exactly was she expecting?


    He was wrong. When Khita got to Blacknail¡¯s newest outpost, an impressed look appeared on her face as she looked around. What? She had come from a human settlement much more impressive than this place, even before it had become an empty decaying ruin.


    ¡°Wow, sharp,¡± Khita remarked as she stared down into the well.


    Hassiol nodded. ¡°It¡¯s sort of neat.¡±


    Blacknail glowered at them both. ¡°Stop being silly. What¡¯s neat about this place? It¡¯s a wreck.¡±


    ¡°Lots. I¡¯ve never visited an abandoned village before,¡± Hassiol explained. ¡°The way it is all overgrown is spooky.¡±


    ¡°Do you think all the people that used to live here were slaughtered by bandits or mutants?¡± Khita asked speculatively.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°No, there are no bones,¡± Blacknail told her coldly. ¡°And there is nothing special about this place. There are lots of abandoned human places everywhere. You¡¯re very messy.¡±


    Khita shrugged. ¡°Huh, I guess we are. Where¡¯s my house?¡±


    Blacknail gave her a blank look. ¡°Why would you have a house?¡±


    ¡°So, I have somewhere to sleep.¡±


    ¡°You can have any house you fix,¡± Blacknail told he dismissively before going off to find a better use of his time. Talking to Khita was making him dumber. He could feel it.


    Thankfully, Blacknail had places to be and things to organize. After deciding to leave half a dozen hobgoblins behind, he mustered up the others and got them marching onto the road. He also brought along the hogs and the two humans. He had the last known location of the bandits he was looking for, so he could probably use that to track them down. First though, he had to get there. It was several hours away, even using the roads, so they would have to move quickly if they wanted to get back before their deadline.


    Blacknail pushed the pace, and his group eventually closed in on their destination. It was a small semi-permanent campsite built next to the road, and it had been trashed. All the buildings and barricades had been torn down and burnt out. Blacknail thoughtfully frowned as he studied the remains. It looked like the camp had housed around fifty or so humans. However, judging by all the rotting corpses everywhere, only far less than that could have possibly survived the attack.


    ¡°Spread out and find me any human trails that lead out into the Green. I want survivors,¡± he informed his minions, and they quickly jumped to obey.


    ¡°There is no chance of running into the raiders that did this, is there?¡± Hassiol asked as he looked back at the road nervously.


    ¡°It could happen,¡± Blacknail replied neutrally. ¡°But, they left several days ago, and we can always retreat into the forest if they return. Besides, we would hear them coming and human bandits could never track us through the Green.¡±


    Instead of joining the conversation, Khita studied the nearby ruins with an uncharacteristically depressed expression on her face. That was odd. Violence and the destruction it left in its wake usually excited the young redhead.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t much different than what happened to us,¡± she remarked morosely a moment later. At her words, Blacknail felt a twinge of loss, which quickly transformed into anger. Werrick¡­


    ¡°Not the same. We had a much larger base and fought much harder than these losers,¡± Blacknail replied dismissively as he waited for his minions to report back. ¡°The bandits here were just prey for the Wolf. If Mahedium hadn¡¯t betrayed us, Herad could have beaten him.¡±


    ¡°Ya, maybe,¡± Khita responded solemnly.


    For the next few minutes, they waited among the devastation. The silence was awkward, but no one felt like speaking up. Blacknail just glared at everything. Thankfully, one of his scouts soon returned with news.


    ¡°I found you a trail, boss. Several humans fled into the Green, that way,¡± the scout explained as he pointed toward the far side of the camp.


    ¡°Gather up the others, then. We¡¯re moving out,¡± Blacknail replied as he began walking. He wanted to get out of this place as soon as possible.


    After giving the hobgoblins time to return and reorganize, the scout led Blacknail and the others over to an animal trail that led into the forest. They carefully followed the winding path through the trees. Blacknail led the way. As he walked, he spotted many signs of recent human activity. There were partial footprints in the dirt and broken branches along the way. However, he saw no signs of sentries or watchers.


    Eventually, the trail led them down a hill and to a rocky stream. Leaning out from behind a tree, Blacknail sniffed the air and studied the forest for any sign of humans. He didn¡¯t detect anything recent, so he carefully began to creep down to the stream. Once there, he looked around for more signs, and found some footprints headed upstream.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why wouldn¡¯t the raiders who took out the camp follow these people. They left a trail even I can see,¡± Hassiol asked quietly once he¡¯d walked over to Blacknail.


    ¡°Lots of people get chased into the Green, but very few make it back out again,¡± Khita replied as Blacknail nodded in agreement. Even for trained scouts, the forest could be deadly, and most humans were complete idiots.


    After following the stream for a while, the canopy overhead began to open up. Beams of sunlight pierced the leafy roof overhead and hit the ground around the stream, and clusters of tall bushes and young trees grew up toward the illumination. Blacknail immediately signalled for everyone to stop as he studied the greenery suspiciously. The scent of blood hung heavily in the air here.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Khita whispered.


    ¡°A mimic. Our targets probably ran into it and then fled. We¡¯re going around,¡± Blacknail explained. He thought one tree in particular was suspicious, but when it came to mimics, it was almost always impossible to sure unless you got dangerously close .


    Cautiously, Blacknail led the group around the edge of the sunlit area, and he soon found the humans¡¯ trail. There were drops of blood on the ground now. At least one of them was wounded.


    It didn¡¯t take them long after that to find their quarry. The wounded humans hadn¡¯t gone far. After escaping the mimic, they¡¯d holed up in a nearby cave. Blacknail studied it from distance. There was one human keeping watch at its entrance, but he didn¡¯t see anyone else.


    ¡°So, what do we do now, boss?¡± one of the hobgoblin scouts asked.


    Blacknail smiled and turned to look at the two humans he¡¯d brought. ¡°Now we introduce ourselves.¡±


    One brief conversation later, Blacknail left his hobgoblins behind and began leading his two humans over to the cave. They moved slowly, but out in the open where they would be impossible to miss. Beside him, Khita was vibrating with excitement, while Hassiol looked terrified.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re just going to go talk to them,¡± the young man remarked.


    Amused, Khita just grinned at him. ¡°Stop being a baby. What are you afraid of? They have no reason to attack us. It would be stupid.¡±


    ¡°They attack everyone. They¡¯re bandits!¡± Hassiol remarked in outrage.


    ¡°So am I!¡± Khita laughed as the blonde young man sputtered in disbelief.


    By now, their approach had been noted. Several more humans appeared at the cave entrance, and they were all looking toward Blacknail¡¯s group with obvious tension.


    ¡°Hello!¡± Blacknal yelled as he waved in their direction.


    ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± one of the survivors yelled back.


    ¡°To help you and to have a nice friendly conversation,¡± Blacknail shouted back.


    The survivors immediately began furiously talking among themselves as Blacknail¡¯s group drew closer. Blacknail wasn¡¯t wearing a hood, and it seemed like his inhumanity had been noticed.


    As the two parties met, all the survivors eyed Blacknail warily. They didn¡¯t seem to know what to make of the two young humans with him, but their presence did relieve some of their suspicion, just as Blacknail had planned.


    All the survivors looked worse for wear. Their already rough clothes were torn, and their entire bodies were splattered with dirt. Dark bags hung under their eyes and their faces were unshaven. Blacknail was fairly sure he could smell desperation and hopelessness on them. He could definitely smell a faint hint of sickness, although it was just what you would expect from humans with untreated wounds.


    A brown-haired man stepped forward and eyed Blacknail. ¡°Judging by how you''re walking and talking, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re the Man-Hunter, the hobgoblin they call Blacknail. I¡¯ve heard of you.¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. I used to work for Herad the Black Snake,¡± Blacknail replied as he gave the man a friendly smile. He was famous!


    ¡°So then, what have you come here for?¡± the man asked warily. ¡°We weren¡¯t exactly expecting guests.¡±


    ¡°You seem to have gotten yourselves into a lot of trouble, so I thought I¡¯d help you out. We have the same enemies after all.¡±


    ¡°And what would you want in return for this help?¡± the man asked suspiciously.


    Blacknail kept smiling. ¡°I am currently looking for minions.¡±


    ¡°What if we¡¯ve had enough of being on the Wolf¡¯s bad side?¡±


    ¡°Then, you can stay here. I don¡¯t want to force you to do anything,¡± Blacknail replied as indifferently as possible. ¡°Die if you want.¡±


    ¡°Are you so sure we¡¯d go alone?¡± another survivor asked angrily.


    Chuckling, Blacknail let out a loud whistle. Instantly, hobgoblins emerged from out of hiding all around the entrance to the cave. Most of them had bows ready.


    ¡°Silly human, you don¡¯t threaten me,¡± Blacknail laughed. ¡°Alone, I have killed many more humans than you have here, and I¡¯m far from alone.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m here too,¡± Khita added.


    The leader of the survivors gave the redhead a disgusted look. ¡°What are you? His pet?¡±


    There was a loud crunch as Khita¡¯s fist impacted the man¡¯s face. Blood streamed from his nose as he flipped over backward. Shocked, the other survivors froze and looked on in disbelief. The young woman had moved with startling speed and power.


    Fuming mad, Khita glared down at the man she¡¯d felled. ¡°I¡¯m no one you should be disrespecting. I¡¯m a warrior and a Slosher, one of Blacknail¡¯s fiercest lieutenants.¡±


    Quietly, Blacknail hummed in disagreement to that statement, but he kept his mouth shut.


    Looking up, Khita focused on the other survivors. ¡°Some of you are probably thinking that going up against Werrick is stupid, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Blacknail commands an ever-growing army, and his scouts don¡¯t fear the Green, as shown by how he tracked your sorry asses down. Werrick can¡¯t touch him, and if you sign up with us, we¡¯ll get you out of here safely. Then, we¡¯ll fill your bellies and tend to your wounds.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have some good points there, especially in the short term,¡± one of the still standing survivors remarked.


    On the ground, the group¡¯s leader stared blankly into space for several seconds and then collapsed backwards into unconsciousness.


    Blacknail looked down at him and sighed. ¡°Someone is going to have to carry him now.¡±

 Will of Iron 9

    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here for a while. It¡¯s nice and safe, so you should thank me, a lot,¡± Blacknail told the bandits he¡¯d rescued as he led them into the abandoned village his minions were in the process of repairing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a dump,¡± one of the men replied with a sneer.


    Blacknail turned to give the ungrateful bandit a cold look. ¡°It will be fixed up soon, and who are you to complain? You were about to die horribly and living in a dirty cave full of bugs. Here, I will be giving you food, water, shelter, and safety. So, bite your tongue or I will rip it out, human.¡±


    Immediately, the man blanched and pressed his mouth firmly shut. His companions carefully moved away from him so that they were out of the hobgoblin¡¯s direct gaze. Blacknail¡¯s cold reptilian stare was more than unnerving.


    ¡°Ya, stop your complaining, you ungrateful slob. It¡¯s not like all of you are even capable of travelling,¡± Khita observed as she looked toward the two men being carried on stretchers.


    The rescued bandits had more than a few injuries, and two of them were unable to walk. Luckily, Blacknail had plenty of hobgoblin minions who were more than happy to help out and carry heavy things for their chief. They knew better than to complain.


    Once the new arrivals were settled in, Blacknail got the uninjured working on repairing some huts for them to sleep in. This also kept them busy, out of trouble, and helped distract them from the reality of being surrounded by hobgoblins. That usually made humans uncomfortable, and these ones were no exception.


    By the time Blakcnail got everything organized, there wasn¡¯t much time left until the rendezvous with Geralhd¡¯s group. Leaving Khita behind to take care of human stuff, Blacknail took a few hobgoblins with him when he went to meet them. He got there without any problems and didn¡¯t have to wait long. Geralhd and the others arrived early. After a brief conversation where he filled them in on what they¡¯d missed, Blacknail led the humans over to his secret base.


    ¡°They¡¯re about what I expected, a sorry bunch of scum,¡± Beardy remarked as he studied the newly recruited bandits. ¡°Still, you could do worse, I guess.¡±


    Several of the bandits had stopped working - or pretending to work - and were staring back at Geralhd and the others. The two groups watched each other warily. Blacknail had told them to expect more humans, but they were still nervous about all the things that were happening to them that were beyond their control.


    ¡°If you want to keep these ruffians out of trouble, consider getting them some grog. Man cannot live on bread and water alone. Although, you also don¡¯t want them getting drunk,¡± Beardy said before walking over to talk with the newcomers.


    Blacknail watched the two groups of humans mingle. The newcomers seemed to accept Beardy as an authority figure almost immediately. He only had to punch out one guy. Hmmm, Blacknail could use that. Once Beardy was done staring haughtily down at the newcomers and putting them in their place, Blacknail approached him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like you stay here and be in charge until I get back. I need to visit Ironbreak and someone halfway competent has to be in charge here,¡± Blacknail told him.


    Beardy gave the hobgoblin a skeptical look. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°A promotion, lots of gold, and you can actually spend it nearby,¡± Blacknail huffed in reply.


    Beardy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a fair offer. I must admit that I don¡¯t feel any pressing need to get back to Shelter. So sure, for the proper compensation, I¡¯ll watch these grunts for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving quite a few hobgoblins and goblins as well. Keep them busy repairing this place, and you¡¯re going to want a wall up as quickly as they can manage it,¡± Blacknail informed him.


    ¡°Anything else? Maybe I should build a cathedral while I¡¯m here?  Beardy asked sarcastically.


    Ignoring his tone, Blacknail scratched his nose and took a second to think before answering. ¡°Werrick¡¯s new plan is making him a lot of enemies. They may be weak, but try to gather up any more lost humans you hear about.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that!¡± Khita replied as she joined in the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ve already learned about a few leads while I was in town. To get the juiciest gossip, you have to know who to ask. There¡¯s always someone who can¡¯t keep their mouth shut for even a second.¡±


    Blacknail hesitated but eventually agreed to let Khita work on finding more men to recruit. Sure, her incompetence meant she was unlikely to accomplish much, but it also meant that he could leave her behind and not deal with her stupidity for a while. Blacknail shuddered as he realized that Khita had been following him around almost constantly for months now. He couldn¡¯t even remember what it was like not having to worry about her popping out of nowhere. The things he did for vengeance¡­


    Since there was no point in hanging around, and still plenty of light left in the day, Blacknail quickly organized everyone who was returning to Shelter and got them moving. He took three hobgoblins along and left the others behind at the forward base, but most of the humans that had come with him decided to return. Only half a dozen people from Shelter stayed with Beardy and Khita.


    Blacknail guided the returning party back over to the overgrown road which led to Shelter. It took them two days to reach their destination, but they managed to do it without any casualties, despite an attack by two harpies on an idiot who wandered off to piss. Geralhd and the other humans left the group when they reached the village of Shelter, while the hobgoblins continued on to Ironbreak.


    The goblin settlement was still a buzzing hive of activity, so Blacknail quickly found himself forced to take charge. More and more hobgoblins were transforming and undergoing basic training and indoctrination. There were so many that the tribe had run out of swords. Thus, Blacknail was forced to start training the new hobgoblins with spears instead and keep the swords for marked warriors. Also, since he wasn¡¯t much of a spearman, Blacknail had to bring in some human experts to teach.


    The sudden surge in demand for spears meant that Ferrar¡¯s forges had to work overtime to produce them. Carts full of charcoal constantly rolled into Ironbreak to feed the fires, and the hammering never stopped as hobgoblin smiths worked wrought iron into spear blades. Other craftsman carefully produced the weapon¡¯s shafts by shaping long pieces of wood and blackening it in fire to harden it. The results were crude weapons, but deadly and easy to use.


    The road crews were still working on cutting their way through the forest, but they¡¯d slowed down as they got further from Ironbreak. Blacknail had to go out to motivate and reorganize them himself. It would still be a while before the road to Herstcrest was done, and the repairs to the road South had barely gotten started.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Even after a week had passed, Blacknail was too busy to get back to the forward base. On top of everything else, Herah kept taking up a lot of his time. She was insatiable and completely without shame. So, Blacknail had to send a supply caravan south instead of going himself. Two dozen hobgoblins accompanied four huge pigs loaded with supplies. Four days later, ten hobgoblins returned with the pigs. They¡¯d successfully completed their mission and delivered the supplies and reinforcements.


    When two weeks had passed, Blacknail finally managed to get everything back under control, and he was ready to lead another force South. This time, he didn¡¯t worry about humans. He assembled thirty hobgoblins, a similar number of goblins, and four pigs packed with supplies that the forward base couldn¡¯t make for itself. The goblins would be easier to feed at the forward base, where there was more forage.


    Unsurprisingly, the small army of heavily-armed goblinoids were not attacked by any beasts, and they made good time down the overgrown road.


    Blacknail was pleasantly surprised when he reached their destination. A few weeks had made quite the difference. It looked like the hobgoblins and goblins that he¡¯d left behind had been working hard. The forest and all the bushes had been completely pushed out of the village. The roofs on all the stone homes that were still standing had also been thatched, and the holes in their walls had been patched. There was even some new construction. The beginnings of a crude wall similar to the one around Inronbreak could be seen, and off to the side, there was a long log cabin under construction. Blacknail had ordered his minions to start building a barracks as soon as possible, so that was probably it. To fufill its purpose, the forward base was going to have to be able to hold a lot of troops and supplies.


    Upon Blacknail¡¯s arrival, Beardy leisurely strolled out of one of the huts and approached. ¡°So, you¡¯re back now. I see you brought a lot more hobgoblins.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s lots of work to be done here,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Beardy snorted rudely. ¡°Right, I suppose they¡¯re all here to help build huts.¡±


    Blacknail grinned and shook his head. ¡°No, the wall. We need to get that done before something nasty with teeth tries to come and eat my workers or you. Did anything important happen here while I was gone? Like attacks by things with lots of teeth?¡±


    ¡°Well, if any goblins got picked off, I didn¡¯t notice it. Khita has been busy, though,¡± Beardy admitted with a frown. ¡°She has actually managed to find a few more recruits.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Blacknail asked. He was surprised. Where had she found them, under a rock? Were they human?


    ¡°Ya, she¡¯s been travelling around the area, and on one of her trips she stumbled upon a dozen starving highwaymen. She apparently beat a few of them up and then the others joined her for the food. Things are getting pretty rough out there. Werrick is really cracking down on everything.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. ¡°Where is Khita now?¡±


    ¡°Out on the road, scouting and looking for more recruits. She should be back soon, though,¡± Beardy replied. ¡°She only took half a dozen men with her. That lass is way too overconfident in her own skills, even if she is a Vessel.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dumb,¡± Blacknail agreed. ¡°But enough about her. I¡¯ve another job for you. All the hobgoblins here need trained to use their spears. I know you can do that.¡±


    ¡°Sure, as long as I get paid for my effort,¡± Beardy replied.


    After talking to Beardy for a bit more and giving him a few more yellow rocks, Blacknail inspected the base and then went to find some people to boss around. It didn¡¯t take him long to discover some minions that weren¡¯t working fast enough in his opinion. Obviously, they needed to be motivated by some proper angry yelling and threats.


    Khita got back a few hours later, and she immediately sought Blacknail out when she learned he was there. She found him supervising the construction of the wall at the far end of the village.


    ¡°Hey Blacknail, guess what! I found some new minions,¡± she said as she ran over to him. There was very smug look on her face, which annoyed Blacknail.


    ¡°So Beardy told me,¡± he replied neutrally. ¡°Good job, why don¡¯t you come help build this wall? Another pair of hands would help.¡±


    ¡°Um, I have some more important stuff to do. See you later!¡± Khita replied before hurrying away. Blacknail smirked after her. He¡¯d been fairly certain that would work.


    Blacknail hung around the base for a few days, while supervising the work on the wall. It went quickly with him around to keep goblins and hobgoblins in line. There were dozens of them and they had access to iron axes and shovels, so on the fourth day, they completed the barrier. While the construction had been ongoing, Beardy had been drilling the hobgoblins on spear fighting tactics, and the work had finished on the first barracks. A second big building was already being planned.


    There was a smile on Blacknail¡¯s lips as he as he walked away from the completed wall. Everything was going according to plan. Now, he just needed to talk to Beardy.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Beardy asked the hobgoblin stepped into his house.


    Blacknail smirked at the man. He was in for shock. It was time to stop concealing his real intentions. ¡°Now that I have a secure base, I plan on taking control of the nearby roads. I want to start charging the merchants a toll, like Herad used to.¡±


    ¡°I knew you were up to no good. Just scouting, my ass,¡± Beardy swore. ¡°You must know that Werrick will respond, right? Even if things are still settling into place, he is the unchallenged lord of the North, right now.¡±


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t help himself. He started laughing, and it took him a few moments to stop. If only the humans knew. They still underestimated him so much.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Blacknail explained to Beardy as he grinned savagely. The man seemed taken aback, but Blacknail couldn¡¯t help himself. He had been keeping this to himself for too long. He had to unburden himself and reveal to someone how amazing he truly was.


    ¡°It has taken so long to get here. So many dark nights and long days spent stewing in hatred and loss. Countless hours fighting my own hunger for revenge,¡± Blacknail continued. ¡°Now, I will feast. The Wolf took my master. Did you think I would forgive or forget? No, he will die. I will rip his bleeding carcass apart with my bare hands and put his head on a spike.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and how are you going to accomplish that feat?¡± Beardy asked carefully. ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed, he¡¯s an undefeated Vessel, and he¡¯s got a massive army.¡±


    Blacknail just kept grinning. ¡°I will lay a trap for him. The right trap can catch any prey, and the Wolf has no idea that I am hunting him. He thinks himself invincible, and that I am one hobgoblin alone. He is deliciously wrong. When my minions show themselves on the road, the hobgoblins will disguise themselves and stay behind the humans. Everyone will think they are more dumb human bandits and nothing more. That¡¯s the only reason I need you and the other humans.¡±


    A flash of understanding appeared in Beardy¡¯s eyes. ¡°If it looks like an organized band has seized this territory from him, he just might lead a small force of his own to destroy them. He wouldn¡¯t be able to trust the job to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°But I am not some simple human thief,¡± Blacknail agreed. ¡°I am so much more. When he comes, I will meet him with hundreds of hobgoblins. We will hunt them in the dark and through the Green. My minions will blast them with magic fire, and I am not without Vessels and allies. Like me, the vympirs are predators. The bloody scent of a weakened rival will draw them in.¡±


    Beardy stared at Blacknail for several long seconds without saying anything. His face was frozen by shock and his mouth hung open. However, eventually, his jaw swung shut.


    ¡°It just might work. No, it will probably work,¡± he admitted with obvious disbelief. He then turned to Blacknail and studied him. It was obvious he was re-evaluating everything he¡¯d thought he knew about the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Wait, you planned everything¡­ didn¡¯t you?¡± Beardy said. He stuttered as a realization hit him. ¡°Everything that has happened since Herad¡¯s fall, you¡¯ve been manipulating everyone. Us bandits, the people of Shelter, everyone. It¡¯s the only way you could have done this. It has fallen together too perfectly.¡±


    Blacknail smirked in amusement. ¡°Yes, it wasn¡¯t that hard. You¡¯re all just human, and it is easy to get into your heads. Your fear makes you prey. But you shouldn¡¯t worry about that. Think about what will happen when we defeat Werrick. The North will be ours. You could set yourself up as a king.¡±


    Beardy hesitated, but then nodded in agreement. ¡°Fine, but my bloody name is Ralphi, not Beardy. You¡¯d better start using it from now on, you moon-crazy hobgoblin. Enough with that cursed nickname or yours. Even if I¡¯m a king, if I have to reign as King Beardy, it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± Blacknail replied. Beardy was his nickname? It wasn¡¯t a very good one. Why had he never brought up his real name before if he hated it so much? What a weirdo.

 Will of Iron 10

    Grinning, Blacknail walked out from behind a tree at the edge of the woods. He watched with barely contained excitement as his minions emerged from the forest at a run and suddenly surrounded the unexpecting caravan that was passing by. They moved in two groups. Blacknail and one party of bandits blocked the caravan¡¯s way forward, while the other cut off their retreat. It was a fair-sized merchant convoy, containing five large wagons and over thirty people, but Blacknail¡¯s minions had them outnumbered by a bit. This was going to be fun.


    There were cries of alarm from both humans and pack beasts as the caravan came to a sudden stop. Weapons quickly appeared in the hands of many of the merchants and their guards. However, Blacknail¡¯s bandits didn¡¯t attack, and the people in the caravan began to talk nervously amongst themselves as they waited for the bandits to make their move.


    Blacknail had organized his forces carefully to give off the right impression. Most of the minions he¡¯d brought were human, and the hobgoblins that were present were wearing hoods and keeping to the back. They¡¯d been ordered to keep out of sight, and were only really there to pad Blacknail¡¯s numbers. Thus, the merchants undoubtedly thought all the bandits were human.


    When Blacknail thought the merchants had stewed long enough, he gave Beardy ¨C who was standing right beside him ¨C the go ahead. Er¡­ right, he was supposed to call the man Ralphi now. That was hard to remember.


    ¡°Hail the caravan!¡± Ralphi yelled, which caused a brief stir among the merchants.


    ¡°I see you, and I know robbers when I see them. What do you want?¡± one of their number yelled back a moment later. He was a portly man with a moustache, and judging by his fancy red coat, he seemed to be in charge of the caravan. ¡°If you¡¯re expecting an easy target, you¡¯re going to be disappointed. We will protect our cargo and our families with both our lives and cold steel.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck then,¡± Ralphi replied. ¡°All we want is a little toll.¡±


    The merchant scowled. ¡°And why would we give you criminals any of our hard-earned coin? We would starve if we let every ragged band of scavengers in the North walk over us, and we¡¯re more than ready to defend what¡¯s ours.¡±


    ¡°How about because we have you outnumbered and we¡¯re far nastier fighters than a bunch of peddlers. Testing our resolve would be a mistake,¡± Ralphi replied dryly.


    ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re all deserters and cowards, or you wouldn¡¯t be out here. Attempt to harm our livelihoods or families and you¡¯ll find out that we have stiffer spines than that.¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you calling me a coward? I¡¯ve killed men for far less,¡± Khita shouted as she stepped forward. The redhead was obviously trying to look angry, but it didn¡¯t work, and she immediately got several confused glances.


    Ralphi sighed loudly and glared at the merchant. ¡°I think you¡¯ll find our toll to be more than reasonable, and if you pay it, there will be no reason for your families to be involved at all.¡±


    The lead merchant didn¡¯t seem convinced by Raplhi¡¯s logic or scared enough to back down, so Blacknail decided it was time for him to step in. Scaring humans was his specialty, and as the leader, he was also the best arguer in the tribe.


    Still grinning, Blacknail sauntered out from among the other bandits. Immediately, most the merchants¡¯ eyes were drawn to him, causing a new chorus of nervous chatter as they took in his unconcealed visage. He was a handsome hobgoblin.


    ¡°I think you should be smart and just pay the toll,¡± Blacknail announced as he came to stop in front of his minions.


    There was silence for a moment, before the head merchant spoke up again. ¡°You¡¯re him, aren¡¯t you? The hobgoblin they call the Blacknail. I thought you were dead¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°That¡¯s me, and I¡¯m not dead. I¡¯m the leader here. That means you need to do as I say.¡±


    ¡°Er, how much is this toll of yours exactly?¡± the head merchant asked. Blacknail¡¯s arrival had clearly surprised him and forced him to reevaluate his position.


    Sighing, Blacknail scratched the side of his and put on a fake confused expression of his own. ¡°I¡¯m not good with counting. How about twenty silver coins? I like that number.¡±


    The merchant hesitated. Twenty silvers wasn¡¯t a lot for a caravan the size of his, in fact it was rather low. That was fine with Blacknail, though. Only his human minions really needed coins anyway, and he wanted word of his low rates to spread.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll let us pass unmolested if we give you the silver?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I like shiny silvers,¡± Blacknail replied with a happy nod.


    ¡°Just pay the money and I maybe I won¡¯t have to hurt you,¡± Khita added.


    ¡°Hmm, alright,¡± the merchant replied as he gave Blacknail and Khita a skeptical look. He seemed to have decided to ignore the redhead, which was a smart move.


    The hobgoblin ignored the man¡¯s expression and sent Ralphi forward to get the money. Soon after that, the caravan was once again headed down the road while the bandits watched from the edge of the forest.


    ¡°Do you think he bought the act?¡± Ralphi asked.


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°Probably, you humans always think hobgoblins are dumber than you. That¡¯s one of the many reasons you¡¯re so easy to kill. Plus, we had Khita with us, so he probably thinks we¡¯re stupider than a hat made of rocks.¡±


    Khita smiled smugly. ¡°Ya, I¡¯m an amazing actor. If I wasn¡¯t even better at robbing people, I might have become a temple player.¡±


    Ralphi ignored the redhead. ¡°Well, this is definitely a tale he¡¯ll be telling everyone he meets, so we don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    Grinning, Blacknail agreed. ¡°Even if he doesn¡¯t talk, there will be plenty of other merchants who will. Werrick will hear of this soon, and he will know that I¡¯m the one in charge. I¡¯m a loose end. He had me defeated, but I escaped from right under his pink nose. He will be worried about me feeling back into the Green and want to finish me himself.¡±


    ¡°The Wolf is who we really have to fool,¡± Ralphi remarked. ¡°We don¡¯t want him to think this is a trap. If he brings all the troops and resources he has to bear, we won¡¯t be able to touch him.¡±


    ¡°He is undefeated, and no one dares challenge him directly. He will be not suspect danger, and besides, he is trying to control a vast territory. He can¡¯t empty it to come after a hobgoblin,¡± Blacknail replied as he gazed off toward the horizon above the trees. There, several tall white-peaked mountains rose above the forest.


    Blacknail took a moment to take in the scenery and think. The caravan was now out of sight, and on its way. It was inevitable now. Word of what he¡¯d just done would reach Werrick. Suppressing a sudden nervous twinge, the hobgoblin went back to work.


    Since the territory Blacknail had taken was quite large and included three separate roads, he had to split up his minions and have groups patrol the other roads that didn¡¯t run near his base. Thankfully, he had trusted human minions he could put in charge of these patrols. They were knowledgeable enough to react properly to unexpected situations. On top of the patrols, Blacknail also sent out hobgoblin scout teams to watch for threats.


    The initial part of Blacknail¡¯s scheme worked perfectly. More merchants passed through his territory and paid his toll. Despite some hostility, he wasn¡¯t forced to attack any of them. Thus, word soon spread of his low rates and honesty. This in turn attracted more merchants and travelers. When Blacknail himself wasn¡¯t present, a specially trained hobgoblin pretended to be him. It wasn¡¯t like the humans could tell the difference.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    There were a few unexpected wrinkles, though. Merchants weren¡¯t the only people to pass through his territory. Soon, a group of refugees from the South entered his territory. They had been travelling with some peddlers for safety, but the peddlers didn¡¯t want to pay their toll.


    ¡°And they don¡¯t have the money?¡± Blacknail asked Ralphi skeptically as he glared at the refugees. His fee was next to nothing. How could they not have it? Sigh. They were making this rather complicated for him. It was inconsiderate of them.


    Blacknail and Ralphi were both standing in the middle of the road. There were several more bandits behind them, and fifteen cowering refugees in front of them. The impoverished travelers were all on foot and wearing ragged clothing, although they did have one small cart and three donkeys. Off to the side were the peddlers. They¡¯d paid their part of the toll and were now obviously trying to stay out of sight and mind.


    ¡°They say they don¡¯t, and I believe them,¡± Ralphi replied with an unsympathetic shrug.


    Blacknail groaned. ¡°So, do we drop the price or kill them as a lesson for the others?¡±


    ¡°Er, I don¡¯t think they have any money left, and killing them wouldn¡¯t really convince other refugees to carry more money. That¡¯s not how that works. Their homes were destroyed by an enemy army. If they had some way of getting their hands on coin they wouldn¡¯t be here.¡±


    ¡°What would Herad do in this situation?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    Ralphi shrugged. ¡°Kill some of them, take the young women prisoner as entertainment for the men, and chase away the rest. Of course, that was before her doomed territory grabbing scheme. I¡¯m not sure what she would have done after that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose any of them are swordsmiths?¡± Blacknail asked. Ferrar was still looking for one of those.


    Ralphi snorted. ¡°As if, anyone with a skill like that would be scooped up by the closest army faster than a solider spends his pay.¡±


    Blacknail walked forward and addressed the crowd of refugees, as they fearfully fell back away from him. ¡°Are you useful for anything? Or, should I just kill you all?¡±


    A tall woman in a dirty dress with a determined look on her face stepped forward. ¡°We are far from useless. We¡¯re upright and hardworking people. You won¡¯t find hardier folk than us. Times have simply been tough and made us desperate.¡±


    ¡°And what was it you used to work so hard at?¡± Blacknail asked her.


    ¡°Well, mostly we¡¯re farmers. Admittedly, that¡¯s not exactly a sought-after skill up here in the North, Mr. Blacknail, but we¡¯re good people just looking for safety. Our village was destroyed by King Namirius¡¯ armies and we had no choice but to flee up here, lest all our menfolk get conscripted by the Baron and us women forced into becoming camp followers. We¡¯re just looking for a second chance. By the gods¡¯ graces, please find it within yourself to let us pass.¡±


    Blacknail gave her a blank stare. ¡°No.¡±


    Shock and despair displaced the determined look on the woman¡¯s face. She looked like she was about to cry. ¡°So, this the end. After all we¡¯ve been through, we¡¯re to be killed by a monster and his gang of Northern brutes.¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. ¡°We could do that too, but actually I¡¯ve got a whole bunch of land I need farmed, and I know some human villages to the North where you could live. They are looking for people.¡±


    The woman blinked in surprise. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they used to be cut off by the forest, but I saved them. I do that a lot,¡± Blacknail told her.


    A lean man that was holding the hand of a child found the courage to speak up. ¡°And you¡¯re not taking us as slaves or anything?¡±


    ¡°That would be more work than its worth. I¡¯ll just drop you off at a village and you can settle there and help them grow food. None of them keep slaves and I¡¯ve got plenty of stuff to trade for food anyway,¡± Blacknail replied. There might also be some charges for road use and protection later, but he didn¡¯t need to bring those up right now.


    As the peddlers were sent further up the road, the refugees were gathered up by Ralphi and taken to the forward base. Blacknail expected the supply caravan to get back soon, and then he could send the refuges with them back to Shelter.


    Days passed. After the first group of refugees was sent North, more of them began to arrive. It seemed that word of a safe haven fore refuges had been spread by the peddlers. It said a lot about how desperate people were that they even considered throwing themselves at the mercy of a hobgoblin, although apparently many people considered Blacknail to be Ralphi¡¯s figurehead. Some people even thought Khita was the real chieftain, which was really dumb.


    However, refugees and merchants weren¡¯t the only people who were attracted by rumors of Blacknail¡¯s operation. Thugs and ruffians began to show up looking for work as bandits. Blacknail was always looking for new minions, but he wasn¡¯t sure how useful or trustworthy these new people would be. Most of them seemed to be out to earn a quick profit, and probably couldn¡¯t be trusted to stand firm in a fight with Werrick¡¯s troops. There was also the matter of possible spies. Now that Blacknail¡¯s activities were common knowledge, it would be surprising if various people didn¡¯t try to send spies to infiltrate his tribe and learn more about him and his goals. After talking the situation over with Ralphi, Blacknail decided to accept the new recruits, but he had each of them shadowed by a hobgoblin. If they tried to leave or meet up with any outsiders, they wouldn¡¯t get far.


    News from the South also began to reach Blacknail¡¯s minions. It seemed like the human wars had grown more intense. The king of Eloria had invaded Hulgaron again, and the nobility there had allied to repulse him. That meant that a new round of conscription had been started, and that was why so many refugees were headed north.


    After things had been going smoothly for a few weeks, Blacknail left the forward base in the hands of Ralphi and went back to Ironbreak to check on things there. He¡¯d been away for a while, and there were things he needed to do. It was early yet, but it was possible that Werrick might react soon. Blacknail had to be ready, just in case. He left behind a further expanded forward base. Alongside the repaired homes, it had four large barracks. The walled complex housed almost a hundred troops.


    Once back at Ironbreak, Blacknail met up with Gob and his other supervisors. None of them had too much to report. He¡¯d left them all with lots of work that they were still struggling to accomplish. Ferrar was running the forges, while Imp busied himself making mana stones, and Rolly managed the food supply.


    When he was sure no one was slacking off or doing something wrong, Blacknail began rounding up hobgoblins and organizing an army. It was time to make all the slackers earn their meals. Although some hobgoblins already had important permanent jobs, such as craftsmen or supervisors, a lot of them floated around and did temporary work. It was these that Blacknail formed into the bulk of his force. Unfortunately, this meant that work on side projects, like clearing the roads, ground to halt. However, Blacknail soon had over a hundred hobgoblins training to fight in formation with spears. Among them, there were two dozen warriors with swords. Blacknail trusted them to fight better and harder than the others. They were probably even a match for an average human bandit one-on-one.


    When combined with the forces already at the forward base, Blacknail would have well over two hundred troops. Honestly, the hobgoblin chief was surprised about how well things were going and how obedient his minions were being. Everything seemed to be running on momentum. He had the hobgoblins working so hard that they didn¡¯t have time to question it. Everyone else was obeying, so they did too. Every hobgoblin could feel the energy in the air and knew that significant events were underway. Even if none of them understood what was happening, they didn¡¯t want to be left behind.


    The other thing Blacknail needed to do was send a message to Herstcrest. He didn¡¯t have time to go himself, so he had Geralhd write a letter for him, and planned to send some hobgoblins to deliver it. He didn¡¯t trust a hobgoblin to remember his exact words, and the details were important.


    In the letter, Blacknail informed Ilisiti that Werrick might be showing himself soon, and that he would probably be brining a small army with him. This would obviously prevent the vympir from bringing in more of his people from his old lands in the West. The letter also politely informed the vympir that this meant Blacknail would be forced to recall the hunters he¡¯d lent him and stop work on the roads until the Wolf problem was solved. Perhaps, Ilisti might want to prepare his own men to come help kill the Wolf, especially if he was vulnerable? That would certainly eliminate the biggest threat to Herstcrest.


    ¡°Yes, I think this is the proper phrasing and tone for such a message,¡± Geralhd remarked as he finished writing down Blacknail¡¯s words.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t threaten him at all. I was all subtle, and just told him what his own interests are. He¡¯d be stupid not to send troops to fight Werrick, and now he can¡¯t ignore that truth. A lot of humans avoid the obvious until it starts biting their face,¡± Blacknail said. He was speaking from experience. Sometimes he was the obvious.


    When the letter was placed in a secure pouch, Blacknail gave it to a pair of scouts, and they hurried off to deliver it. After that, Blacknail no longer had any pressing business that needed his attention, so he took some time off to relax. He set aside an entire day for napping and eating, and assigned a bodyguard with a club to chase away anyone but Gob that tried to approach him. Sometimes it was nice to just sleep on a full stomach and not have to worry about other people¡¯s stupid problems.


    Unfortunately, when his break day was over, Blacknail had to get back to work. In particular, he needed to help train the army. They had to get used to obeying orders from him, and he had to know what orders to give. It turned out that leading an army involved more than just pointing out the enemy and giving the attack order. Thankfully, some of his human minions who had been in a real army were able to give him some pointers.


    However, Blacknail didn¡¯t have unlimited time. After a few days, a pair of runners reached Ironbreak. They¡¯d come from the forward base with news from Ralphi. Werrick was moving. Rumors were already swirling. They said the Wolf was moving to crush the upstarts that had dared to steal territory from him. Some peddlers had also reported seeing troops on the move.


    It was time. Blacknail sent Ilisti another message and then ordered his army out onto the road. He took Gob with him and left Rolly in charge. Blacknail didn¡¯t really care too much about Ironbreak right now, and he wanted his best minion with him. Killing Werrick and avenging Saeter was all that mattered.

 Will of Iron 11

    Blacknail¡¯s army moved through the forest with more confidence than the largest of drakes. They trampled the undergrowth and made no attempt to hide their presence as they travelled south along the abandoned road. They were at home in the Green and there was safety in numbers. Even a drake would hesitate when confronted by over a hundred hobgoblins marching in formation with spears over their shoulders, if only out of surprise. This was a degree of cooperation that was completely alien to the nature of hobgoblins. Any watcher would have doubted their eyes. This wasn¡¯t something that could have happened in the world they knew, but that world was gone, and a new one was being born.


    Under Blacknail¡¯s watchful eye, the Blackmark war party moved at a quick pace until they reached their forward base. Any laggards or slouchers quickly learned to fear Blacknail¡¯s attention. Gob and him were both quick to punish anyone that stepped out of line.


    Once they got to their destination, Blacknail marched his troops inside and began settling them into place. A fourth barracks was almost completed, but they were still short of shelter for everyone. It was a good thing that all the hobgoblins were rugged and used to conditions that would have dismayed a human. They thought nothing of sleeping outside and could quickly scavenge up some shelter.


    Thanks to word sent ahead by scouts, Ralphi immediately came out to greet Blacknail and help organize everything. ¡°Werrick¡¯s forces have set up near the border of our territory. They¡¯re sending out scouts - which I have hobgoblins watching ¨C but I¡¯m not exactly sure what they¡¯re up to. I was expecting them to be more aggressive. Right now, all they seem to be doing is diverting any caravans headed in our direction.¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed as he listened intently. ¡°How many humans are there, and is Werrick with them? This is pointless unless we trap the Wolf.¡±


    ¡°Your scouts have reported around three hundred enemy troops, although most of them can¡¯t count very well, so that may be not be the most accurate count. They all seem to be the usual bandit rabble, with no cavalry or heavy infantry support. As for Werrick, his personal flag is flying and some of the scouts have claimed to have seen someone matching his description. I believe them too. Werrick is hard to miss.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good, Blacknail replied with an excited smirk. That was more troops than he¡¯d been hoping to face, but the plan was still workable. As long as Werrick didn¡¯t know what he was up against, he would let his guard drop, and Blacknail had several surprises ready that could even the odds.


    Once the new troops were billeted, Blacknail began organizing another supply caravan. Even with hunting and foraging, it was going to be difficult to keep the army and the forward base supplied. When that was done, Ralphi had some requests.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to start training the new troops with the ones you left here with me. The hobs you brought with you seem to know one end of a spear from the other, but there is a lot more to being a soldier than that. They need to drill and learn to move and fight in formation. To fight Werrick¡¯s men, they¡¯re going to need every advantage they can get, but a proper wedge of spears should help even things up considerably.¡±


    ¡°Spears are better than swords?¡± Blacknail asked. He didn¡¯t have much experience with them.


    Ralphi snorted. ¡°When used right, they are. They¡¯re just not the easiest weapon to haul across the North, and most bandits are lazy bums. They prefer a weapon they can strap to their hip or back and forget about, and I¡¯ve yet to meet a chief that ran formation drills.¡±


    Since Blacknail had no plans to attack Werrick in strength for a while yet, he gave Ralphi permission to run some exercises for the troops and had Gob help him. Even though Werrick was tantalizingly close ¨C Blacknail could almost smell him on the wind ¨C patience was required. The trap had not yet closed completely. The prey had to be drawn in further.


    After talking to Ralphi a bit more, Blacknail came up with his next move. He was going to irritate Werrick with a hundred small cuts. That would hopefully anger the Wolf and lure him in, while also giving his troops a chance to train. There was also the matter of reinforcements. Blacknail was still hoping to get some. Attacking three hundred human thugs with his current forces would end badly for him. His hobgoblins were not equal to human bandits in a one on one fight. Not only were they slightly smaller, but they were also far less experienced.


    Thus, to begin his plan to even the odds, Blacknail rounded up his best scouts and sent them out in small groups to harass Werrick and blind him by taking out his rangers and sentries. They also had orders to attack and kill the men Werrick was using to divert caravans if possible. Blacknail was confident that his hobgoblins would make quick work of Werrick¡¯s rangers. Blacknail was also extremely tempted to go with them. He wanted to hunt and cut his way closer to his prey, however slowly, but he resisted the urge. Herad hadn¡¯t led scouting missions. As the leader, she had needed to be at the center of things where she could be found by everyone and quickly take command.


    However, once his hobgoblin stalkers left to complete their mission, Blacknail began to feel anxious. There was nothing more he could do personally. He wasn¡¯t even able to help much with the troops¡¯ training, although he did take part a few times so that he could learn all the commands Ralphi was using. Days passed uneventfully, and Blacknail grew sullen. He spent his free time watching the road for any signs of movement. That wasn¡¯t the best use of his time, but he was tired of waiting around and wanted something to happen. Both Khita and Herah tried to talk to Blacknail ¨C in Herah¡¯s case she wanted more than talk ¨C but he sent them away with a snarl. He was in no mood to talk. Instead, he kept waiting and watching.


    As time passed, the scouts kept reporting no movement from Werrick¡¯s troops, even though he was slowly losing men. Blacknail had expected the Wolf to react at least a little to that. What was he doing? Argh! Was there something here that he¡¯d missed?


    It wasn¡¯t until a few days had gone by that Blacknail¡¯s questions were answered. When he was eating lunch back at the base, a pair of anxious looking scouts ran over to deliver him news. Another large mob of human troops was approaching from the other direction. They numbered over a hundred. Blacknail scowled and grunted in frustration. These humans were obviously reinforcements for Werrick, and if they met up with him he would have well over four hundred soldiers. That was far too many for Blacknail to risk attacking with his two hundred hobgoblins.


    ¡°We could ambush them before they met up with their boss,¡± Ralphi suggested.


    Blacknail grimaced and shook his head. ¡°We would still lose troops and Werrick would learn of our strength and hidden weapons. We will wait and see what happens. The Wolf is our true target.¡±


    That was all they could do. That was all Blacknail could do. Despair and anger welled up within the hobgoblin, but he kept it under control by enforcing the disciplined thinking Saeter had taught him during sword training. He¡¯d had a lot of practice when it came to suppressing his emotions, and it wasn¡¯t over yet. There might be still be a way to get to Werrick. He had to be patient.


    As more reports form the scouts filtered in, a clearer picture of what was happening began to emerge. Much to both Blacknail and Ralphi¡¯s surprise, the new division of troops didn¡¯t move to join Werrick. Instead, they took up position on the main road at the edge of Blacknail¡¯s territory, and Werrick sent a hundred of his own troops to join them.


    ¡°He¡¯s boxing us in,¡± Ralphi observed as the latest scout finished his report. ¡°He didn¡¯t bring so many troops because he was expecting heavy resistance. He brought them so that he could encircle us. He thinks we¡¯re a normal robber band hiding in the woods, so he¡¯s trying to isolate us and starve us out.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mistake,¡± Blacknail observed as his anxiety began to drain away and be replaced by excitement.


    Ralphi nodded and grinned. ¡°Yep, it seems like he is underestimating us after all. We have more than enough men to bring either of his divisions to battle. And although he has no way of knowing it, we could also just slip away through the Green or keep getting supplied almost indefinitely by Ironbreak.¡±


    ¡°He knows I¡¯m here, but he doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m no longer just a ranger,¡± Blacknail mused aloud as he tried to get inside his prey¡¯s head. ¡°He isn¡¯t sure that he can get me, since I can slip away into the Green, and I¡¯m the real threat to him. But, if he slaughters all my human allies then that will scare away any others who I might recruit later. I would be defanged if no one dared work with me.¡±


    Ralphi laughed. ¡°Shows what he knows. Men aren¡¯t even a quarter of your forces anyway.¡±


    ¡°He has no eyes in the Green, thus he cannot see my strength,¡± Blacknail agreed. ¡°So, let the Wolf think his plan is working, while we prepare to strike.¡±


    ¡°You are the most cunning and mightiest leader in the North, chief! The Wolf will soon be dead at your awesome feet.¡± Gob added with an enthusiastic nod. Blacknail just rolled his eyes.


    Both divisions of Werrick¡¯s forces began sending out large armed patrols of around fifty men to probe into Blacknail¡¯s territory. By this time, all merchant traffic had been stopped already, so the patrols were undoubtedly meant to scout the roadways for signs of Blacknail¡¯s camp. They were also probably bait, meant to draw Blacknail out, so instead of attacking them directly, Blacknail simply harassed them. He had his minions fire at them from concealment and then fade away, while he watched and waited for the right opportunity.


    That opportunity arrived at noon the next day with his reinforcements. Guided by hobgoblins, a force from Herstcrest arrived. They numbered only around thirty heavy infantry, but Ilisti was leading them. They were escorting a supply caravan from Ironbreak, which was led by Imp, and Geralhd was with them. Blacknail hadn¡¯t invited him, but he¡¯d wanted to see what was going on.


    Blacknail hurried over to talk to Imp first. The hobgoblin mage had brought a dozen hobgoblin and goblin helpers, and they were carrying the equipment Blacknail had asked for. Blacknail grinned as he studied it, and then greeted Ilisti and called for a war conference, which Khita wasn¡¯t invited to. Now that Blacknail had magical support, the next priority was bringing Ilisti up to speed and making sure he was committed to helping. The noble vympir had his own concerns and motivations. He wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s servant and had to be handled carefully.


    ¡°Hmm, this might be workable after all,¡± Ilisti remarked thoughtfully after he¡¯d learned of the situation from Ralphi. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect when I got here.¡±


    ¡°We will never have a better chance to kill the Wolf. He has walked into our trap unaware, and with him gone, no one in all the North will be able to threaten us,¡± Blacknail agreed.


    ¡°Quite a few people here also owe him for killing our poor companions and chasing us survivors into Green,¡± Geralhd remarked sourly as Ralphi grunted in vague agreement. Now that all the hard work had been done they didn¡¯t mind getting some vengeance.


    ¡°So, do you have a plan of attack, then?¡± Ilisti asked the hobgoblin. ¡°What¡¯s our first target? There are several options. Do you want to start taking out the patrols? They are the obvious first step.¡±


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°My target hasn¡¯t changed. It¡¯s Werrick. The other humans are nothing. We strike him when he is weakest, after sending out a patrol. Then, we surround his camp and attack with everything we have before he realizes the danger he is in. That is how we catch him. He must not have a chance to escape.¡±


    Ilisti grinned and nodded. ¡°I like it. It¡¯s a bold and aggressive strategy. Worthy of a warrior. We go for his throat before he has a chance to raise his defenses.¡±


    Ralphi wasn¡¯t so sure, though. He grimaced. ¡°That plan will pit our hobgoblin forces directly against Werrick¡¯s human troops. The entire battle plan will depend on them, and they are untested. If they can stay in a tight formation and remember the drills they should be able to push Werrick¡¯s men back, but if not¡­¡±


    ¡°They will hold. I will make sure they all know the price of failure,¡± Blacknail replied darkly. If he had to beat the training into every single hobgoblin personally, he would. That probably wouldn¡¯t be necessary, though. This was why he¡¯d brought Gob.


    When they were done planning, Blacknail¡¯s minions and allies took a day off to rest and make some final reparations. Supplies were packed up and Blacknail oversaw the last training regimen.


    When the day of the attack came, Blacknail¡¯s forces and allies got up just as the sun was beginning to peek above the horizon. It was still dark out as the hobgoblins and bandits grabbed their gear and formed up into lines. As the morning chorus of birdsong began, they were marching down the road.


    Scouts ranged far ahead to detect patrols and silence sentries as they marched toward Werrick¡¯s camp. They used a back road that slowed their pace but allowed them to circle around and hopefully avoid any early morning patrols. Blacknail led the main party. Behind him marched almost three hundred troops, both human and hobgoblin. Beside him were Ilisti and Ralphi, while Imp and Blacknail¡¯s human minions were mixed in with the troops. Geralhd had remained behind to oversee the base, and Khita was leading her own followers.


    Pride and excitement filled Blacknail. He had done it! He¡¯d built his army. The idea had seemed impossible all those months ago when he¡¯d first had the idea, but here he was, marching an army toward his nemesis. Sure, he¡¯d originally planned on having more humans and far less hobgoblins, but that didn¡¯t matter. Soon, his forces would engage the Wolf¡¯s, and he would have his chance at vengeance. Blood would pay for blood, and Saeter would be avenged. The Wolf would finally realize the error he¡¯d made in taking from Blacknail. After Werrick¡¯s decapitated head was decorating a spike in Ironbreak, no one would dare do that again.


    As they approached their target, scouts returned and reported that a patrol of fifty men had just left Werrick¡¯s camp and was heading away down the main road. From experience, Blacknail knew that they wouldn¡¯t be returning before noon, and that was more than enough time. With a savage grin, Blacknail ordered his forces to come to halt and called his commanders and allies to a meeting.


    ¡°We will split into two groups and attack with fury and speed,¡± Blacknail explained. ¡°First my rangers will go in and clear out their sentries. Then, my spearbearers and Ilisti¡¯s men will charge through the front, while I take the rangers and skirmishers and go attack their back through the Green. Gob and Ralphi will command my spearbearers and Imp will support them.¡±


    ¡°Very well, that sounds workable,¡± Ilisti agreed. ¡°My troops and I will aid in the frontal assault. I look forward to clashing with this Wolf, and any false-blood champions he may have in his service. I doubt they¡¯ve ever seen a true noble¡¯s might.¡±


    Since the vympir was the only one who didn¡¯t have to obey Blacknail, that meant the plan was a go. After ending the meeting, Blacknail needed time to get into position, so he quickly went and ordered his irregulars to follow him as he headed off into the trees. There, several hobgoblin rangers that had scouted ahead led him toward his target. They looped around the enemy and approached them from the back. Khita and Herah both tried to accompany Blacknail, but he sent Khita back to the main force. She had her own troops to look after.


    Once away from the bushes that grew in the sun along the road, the hobgoblins passed into the shadowy depths beyond. Here, the thick canopy overhead that blocked out the rising sun was supported by countless tall trees. Some of the thinner trunks had white bark that peeled away like paper and others had dark brown bark that was thick and scaly. The ground was clear of anything but small plants, but it was uneven, and tangles of roots jutted up from the dark earth. However, the hobgoblin irregulars moved through the forest with silent stealth and swift ease. Every one of them had been born into the Green and knew it well.


    Soon, they passed a pair of fallen human sentries with slit throats that had been left to bleed out at the base of a tree. A few minutes later, the edge of the forest appeared in front of them. The trees thinned and then became a hedge of thorny bushes. Here, there was another dead human sprawled out on the ground, and two hobgoblins scouts with long cloaks waiting. Blacknail gave them an approving nod as he slowed and walked over to the bushes. Peering through them, he saw Werrick¡¯s camp.


    The Wolf has set up in a clearing next to the road. It wasn¡¯t a very defensible spot, as it could be approached from every direction. However, there was a fair stretch of open ground to cross until the first rows of tents and the camp proper started. That would have made it difficult for a small group to sneak in unseen, but that wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s plan this time. When he moved, he would have a distraction and he would be doing it in force.


    The camp was made up of a several large clusters of blue triangular tents. Blacknail recognized them from Werrick¡¯s attack on Herad¡¯s base. Around the tents, countless humans walked and worked. There were also a few wagons and horses. Blacknail¡¯s eyes were drawn to one large round tent in the center of the camp. A wolf¡¯s head flag flew above it, marking it as Werrick¡¯s own.


    Behind Blacknail, his troops formed a loose battle line. All the hobgoblins wore mismatched outfits made up of looted human gear and tanned hides. They also carried a mix of weapons such as swords, axes, and spears. However, they were all wearing bloodthirsty smiles. The looming prospect of violence excited them, and an unsuspecting enemy lay before them.


    ¡°We¡¯re ready, boss. Just give the word,¡± Herah told Blacknail.


    ¡°Soon,¡± the hobgoblin chief replied as he turned to stare at Werrick¡¯s tent. ¡°Soon, my long hunt will be over. Soon, my thirst for the Wolf¡¯s blood will finally be sated.¡±

 Will of Iron 12

    Turning to stare intently at Werrick¡¯s tent, Blacknail waited for the signal that would announce the beginning of Gob and Ilisti¡¯s assault. Fidgeting, he licked his lips and ran his tongue over the sharp points of his teeth. His minions should already be moving into place, but it was hard to wait for them. Blacknail¡¯s chest felt tight and uncomfortable as anxiety bubbled up within him.


    Suddenly, several of Werrick¡¯s men near the road began shouting. Soon, the cry was taken up by others and the entire camp came alive as bandits began running around in every direction. It looked like someone had finally spotted the Blackmark tribe¡¯s main force approaching. Finally! Hidden in the bushes at the edge of the clearing, Blacknail grinned and watched the commotion intently.


    Judging by all the panic, it seemed like Blacknail¡¯s force had caught the enemy off guard with their sudden assault. The Wolf wasn¡¯t a fool, though. Despite being surprised by the sudden appearance of an army from nowhere, it was obvious that Werrick hadn¡¯t allowed his troops to slack off. He¡¯d obviously been expecting Blacknail to try something, even if he didn¡¯t know what. Not only had he posted several layers of sentries, but as Blacknail watched, over a third of Werrick¡¯s forces quickly formed up into ranks and marched toward the road. The Wolf had kept quite a large portion of his army ready for action. That was annoying, but to be honest, Blacknail hadn¡¯t really expected things to go too easily.


    Annoyed and still anxious, Blacknail scowled as he watched bandits run back and forth through the camp. Within a few moments, almost all the camp would be up and armed. Still, Blacknail waited and his patience was rewarded as he spotted someone emerge from the big tent at the center of the enemy camp. It was a tall muscular man wearing a long fur cloak and a helmet shaped like a wolf¡¯s head. A spike of hungry excitement stabbed through Blacknail¡¯s chest as he watched the man march over toward the road and the troops forming up there. At last. Werrick had shown himself. Saeter¡¯s killer was right where Blacknail wanted him.


    Most of Werrick¡¯s force was armed now, although there were lots of stragglers still rushing around. Then, on the road across the camp, Blacknail¡¯s main force appeared. Holding up rows of spears, they marched toward the enemy at a quick pace. From this distance, it was hard to tell that most of the attackers weren¡¯t human. The hobgoblins¡¯ scavenged gear covered most of their skin. Blacknail wished he was close enough to see the reaction of the human bandits when they realized what they were fighting.


    When Werrick reached his troops, he began yelling, and the entire formation started moving to cut off their attacker¡¯s advance. Although more men were still running out to join Werrick, the camp was mostly empty now. It wasn¡¯t unguarded, though. A small rearguard of about a dozen men had stayed behind. Werrick was still playing it safe, and that frustrated Blacknail. He couldn¡¯t see a way to get to Werrick before the two main forces collided. By then, Ilisti would probably get to him first. Blacknail wanted to be the one to snuff the life from the Wolf.


    As the wedge of hobgoblin spearmen marched toward the mob of human bandits, there was a sudden boom. Immediately, a twisting ball of air shot out from near the center of Werrick¡¯s troops and zoomed toward their charging enemy. That was what Blacknail had been waiting for. Werrick had deployed his mage. His attention was now completely focused forward.


    ¡°Now! Charge like your ugly green asses are on fire, or they will be! The last hob into battle gets my sword in his guts,¡± Blacknail roared at his nearby minions as he burst out of the bushes and began running into the clearing.


    His screaming minions immediately charged after their boss. His threats wrere entirely unnecessary. The hobgoblin irregulars outnumbered the enemy rearguard three to one, and that was the kind of odds hobgoblins liked. The thought of easy prey drew them like moths to a flame. Every one of them wanted a piece, so they raced forward in a ferocious mob.


    On the other side of the camp, the air was shaken by a big boom. Imp had countered the enemy mage¡¯s blast by throwing a ball of force of his own, using the mage staff he¡¯d claimed before. The two magic blasts had collided and nullified each other, allowing the spearmen to continue marching forward. Meanwhile, three of Imp¡¯s apprentices slung flaming mana crystals at Werrick¡¯s men. The fiery projectiles sizzled as they rose up into the air and then descended. Unfortunately, it seemed Werrick had brought a second combat mage, because a wave of twisting air shot up from the bandit¡¯s flank and knocked the fireballs aside. That didn¡¯t deter Imp¡¯s assistants from throwing another volley of them, though. Soon, magecraft was flying back and forth with abandon, although very little of it hit anything. Both sides prioritized defense and became stuck in a magical deadlock.


    As Blacknail charged them, the rearguard quickly noticed the line of screaming hobgoblins charging out of the forest. Several flinched and yelled out in shock, but they didn¡¯t run. Instead, they closed ranks and prepared to meet his charge. It didn¡¯t help them much. Blacknail had gulped down a vial of Elixir and its power flowed through him as he ran. As Blacknail lunged forward, he released a wave of gut twisting fear that washed over the bandits and weakened their resolve. One of them stumbled as dread wormed its way into his mind, and Blacknail cut him down with a lightning fast flick of his blade. Then, before the other nearby bandits could recover, Blacknail unleashed a flurry of slashes that cut deep into flesh and forced them back. That was when the swarm of hobgoblins hit. Smelling blood, they slammed into the humans and began tearing them apart with little regard for their own safety. There were agonized screams as the crude assortment of weapons sent blood gushing from gaping wounds.


    As his minions vented their fury, Blacknail stepped through the carnage and focused on what was happening up ahead. There was a plan. He had to focus on it. Having cut a path through the rearguard, he needed keep his eye on his true prey, Werrick.


    Ahead of him, the blasts of energy thrown by the mages died out as the two sides finally met, but then one final burning projectile shot up from Werrick¡¯s troops. It was a whistling purple fireball, and after rising straight up into the air, it exploded into a large bright star shape. The bang from explosion stung Blacknail¡¯s ears, but the spell didn¡¯t do any real damage to anything. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t have to. Blacknail suspected he knew the spell¡¯s purpose. It was a signal that could be seen for miles. Now that both sides were locked in combat, Werrick had summoned reinforcements. His patrol would see the sign and return immediately. Even the other enemy division might see it and come to investigate. That wasn¡¯t good, but it didn¡¯t change Blacknail¡¯s options. He had to win this fight as soon as possible.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    As the armies clashed, Werrick roared and ordered his men forward into the wedge of hobgoblin spears. The first row of humans was brought down by the sharp points of hobgoblin spears, but then the second row bullied their way past. Many of those humans screamed and fell as spears pierced them, but then the third row of bandits attacked, and the two sides became locked in a tight brutal melee. At first, neither side gave ground, however the weight of the stronger humans began to push the hobgoblins back.


    That was when Werrick himself joined the fight. The big man with the wolf helmet pushed past his troops and pulled a huge longsword off his back. With all the spear tips already pushed aside or stuck in other people, there was nothing to stop him from driving his blade into the closest hobgoblin. That hobgoblin died instantly ¨C skewered like a cooked meat on a stick ¨C and then Werrick was hacking and slashing his way forward. Hobgoblins began falling left and right as the Wolf¡¯s blade tore into them, and the entire formation of spearmen began to tremble and fall apart. Sensing weakness, the human bandits pushed forward to seize the advantage.


    Thankfully, Blacknail had his own allies. Werrick¡¯s advance had not gone unnoticed by Ilisti. Unafraid, the vympir lord led his men straight toward the thickest fighting. In several places, he simply grabbed hobgoblins that were in his way and tossed them aside. Without slowing, Ilisti drew his own longsword and slashed at Werrick, who was pushed back by the blow. The two armored figures began fighting. Their blades clanged as they met repeatedly, but neither seemed to have an immediate advantage. As the vympir¡¯s men joined the battle around their master, they stiffened the hobgoblins resolve and the Blackmark force stopped yielding ground and began pushing back.


    Blacknail growled impatiently as he watched and waited. Thankfully, it was at that moment that his minions finally got into place. Several of Imp¡¯s assistants reached his side and began pulling out red mana crystals. Behind them, the last of the rearguard was swarmed over by hobgoblins and died messily.


    ¡°Keep your shots low. Hit their backs. If you go over their heads I¡¯ll kick your brains out,¡± Blacknail told the mages as they worked.


    They quickly nodded or blurted out quick affirmations, and a moment later, they were ready to strike. Slings were out and loaded with their ammunition.


    Blacknail smiled viciously and gladly gave the order. ¡°Fire.¡±


    The hobgoblins obeyed, and as the mana crystals begin to burn, they were launched at the back of Werrick¡¯s troops. Preoccupied by his sword fight with Ilisti, the Wolf wasn¡¯t aware of the strike until the fireballs hit the back rank of his troops and exploded. Without warning, men were torn apart by vicious explosions, and then a wave of fire washed over them. The flames singed and blackened flesh as they tried to consume everything in their way. Over a dozen of Werrick¡¯s men died instantly, more were wounded, and the remainder were stunned by the unexpected explosions at their backs. Many of them were preoccupied fighting hobgoblins and couldn¡¯t even turn to see what was happening. They just knew it was bad, and most likely very bad.


    Blacknail laughed like a madman as he took the sight. Boom! Roasting humans was always fun, especially when they served the Wolf. With the rearguard defeated, the hobgoblin irregulars had formed up behind him. So, with a wave of his hand, Blacknail ordered them forward and signaled for his mages to cover their advance with another barrage. As the hobgoblins surged toward the fight, three fireballs flew over them toward Werrick¡¯s troops.


    However, only one of the fireballs hit. Forewarned, one of Werrick¡¯s mages had gotten himself into position to defend against the attack. A transparent shield of shimmering blue appeared and blocked two of the fireballs. However, the one remaining fireball blasted several enemies off their feet and set them aflame. They screamed as they rolled across the ground.


    With him at their lead, Blacknail¡¯s troops yelled bloodthirsty warcries as they charged toward the enemy¡¯s exposed rear. However, since they were in the way, the hobgoblin mages couldn¡¯t launch anymore fireballs. The enemy mage was quick to take advantage of this. He lowered his shield and began throwing force blasts at the charging hobgoblins. There was a loud crunch as a blast slammed into a hobgoblin to Blacknail¡¯s left and threw him backwards. However, the irregulars were spread out. The mage kept firing, but all the magical attacks either took out a single target or missed completely. They couldn¡¯t stop the mob, but just in case, Blacknail kept his head low. There was no point in making himself a target.


    As Blacknail raced toward the enemy, Werrick changed his strategy. Blacknail was too close to the press of bodies to see clearly, but there was a sudden surge of activity around the Wolf. There was a muffled boom and all the spears near him were knocked aside. At the same time, all the combatants swayed slightly as if surprised or hit by a strong gust of wind. Whatever he¡¯d done, Werrick even somehow managed to push Ilisti and his men back a few steps. This gave the Wolf a quick reprieve, and he didn¡¯t waste it. He began falling back and organizing a retreat. Blacknail could hear him yell out orders, and his men leapt to obey without question.


    However, Blacknail was forced to turn away and focus on things closer to hand. He was almost upon the enemy, so he drew his sword and threw himself at the closest bandit. The back rank of the enemy had had more than enough time to turn around and face the attack from Blacknail¡¯s irregulars, but they were still shocked and unorganized after being blasted by magical fire. As Blacknail¡¯s irregulars closed in, he ran down the bandit¡¯s line. Hacking and slashing, he ruthlessly attacked every bandit in his way as he worked toward his true goal, Werrick. The bandit lord was making his way toward the back of the formation.


    The hobgoblin irregulars slammed into the enemy. They were outnumbered, but they had momentum and all they had to do was hold the enemy in place. Ilisti and the spearhobs had recovered and were pressing the attack from the other side. With Werrick gone, they were slaughtering the human bandits.


    That was when Werrick suddenly reappeared. He burst out of the back of the enemy formation and began cutting down hobgoblin irregulars, opening a path for his forces to retreat through. Immediately, Blacknail shifted course. He backed away from a stumbling bandit he¡¯d been about to cut down and began moving to intercept the Wolf. A blond human in leather armor with an axe tried to block him, but Blacknail ducked under his swing and sliced his leg open. Blood sprayed from the wound and the man fell screaming, but Blacknail ignored him and moved on.


    Cutting down one more bandit and shoving another man aside, Blacknail approached Werrick. The Wolf had just finished killing a hobgoblin and was focusing on trying to get his men moving. His formally gleaming armor was splattered by blood and his long fur cloak was torn, but he didn¡¯t look injured. Instead, he dominated the space around himself, like a giant. Even through his fury, Blacknail felt momentarily impressed by the sight of the tall man as his gaze swept his way. Werrick¡¯s silver helm bore the visage of a snarling wolf.


    ¡°This is unreal. Where are you critters coming from?¡± Werrick asked as he raised his longsword. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Stifling his doubts, Blacknail readied himself and rushed in. At the same time, Werrick swung his weapon around and took a casual slash at him. Blacknail saw the blow coming. As it whipped toward his face, the hobgoblin chieftain readied himself for a fierce fight. He gripped his own blade tightly and let out a deep breath. Deadly calm, but with fire burning in his guts, Blacknail faced Saeter¡¯s killer head on.

 Will of Iron 13

    Werrick¡¯s sword cut through the air as it zoomed toward Blacknail¡¯s face. However, the hobgoblin was ready. He ducked under the attack and stepped forward. Behind his wolf helmet, a brief frown appeared on Werrick¡¯s face as Blacknail then stabbed upward at the man¡¯s unarmored armpit. To ward off the blow, Werrick was forced to take a step back and swing his weapon around into a guard position. Blacknail didn¡¯t stay still either. That would be stupid against such a powerful opponent. Still moving, he circled around to find a new opening in the man¡¯s stance.


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely something different about you,¡± Werrick remarked as the battle raged on around him.


    Over his leather, the Wolf was wearing a chainmail shirt with steel pauldrons and bracers on his arms. He towered over Blacknail by over a foot - if you didn¡¯t include the hobgoblins horn¡¯s ¨C and he must have weighed over twice as much. Blacknail didn¡¯t care about that, though. He¡¯d hunted big game before, and this was his greatest enemy. His only real rival and the killer of his master. He had to die.


    Hissing with barely contained fury, Blacknail burned Elixir and feinted left. When Werrick moved to counter the feint, Blacknail quickly turned and slashed right instead with unnatural speed. His blade nicked Werrick¡¯s arm and drew blood, although it was but a tiny wound. As Werrick raised his guard again, a look of dawning comprehension appeared on his face.


    ¡°Oh, I understand now,¡± Werrick laughed confidently. ¡°You¡¯re him, the Blacknail. I didn¡¯t recognize you. All you green-skinned savages look the same, and there are suddenly a lot you around.¡±


    ¡°All you pink idiots die the same,¡± Blacknail hissed back as he looked for another opening. Time was on his side now. His reinforcements were a lot closer than Werrick¡¯s.


    Werrick just smiled. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s true at all. I¡¯ve seen my fair share of both humanity and death. Still, I must say, you¡¯ve managed to surprise me quite badly here, with this ambush of yours. Mahedium warned me about you, but I didn¡¯t suspect anything like this. You¡¯ve raised an army from nowhere! If anything, you¡¯re even more dangerous than the mage warned. This has become quite the mess.¡±


    ¡°You were a fool to let me lure you here. Underestimating me will be your last mistake,¡± Blacknail replied in a tone that seethed with anger. ¡°Your first was daring to take my master from me. I will bleed you for that.¡±


    ¡°Now who is being overconfident?¡± Werrick countered. He didn¡¯t seem impressed by Blacknail¡¯s bluster. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to chat though. I admit you¡¯ve placed me in a bit of an unexpected bind, so let me show you how I pushed back your big friend back there. You should be proud. Very few people have ever managed to make me fight seriously. Herad never did.¡±


    Blacknail opened his mouth to shout back, but then something odd caught his eye. Werrick¡¯s blade had grown hazy. It was almost like smoke was rising from it, creating ripples in the air.


    Before Blacknail could figure out what he was seeing, Werrick took a step back and slashed. His blade cut empty air, but something shot out from the sword. The blur zoomed straight for Blacknail¡¯s head, but he dodged to the side and it flew past him to collide with a hobgoblin that had been running over to join the fight. There was a spray of blood as the invisible force cut into the hobgoblin¡¯s chest, and he dropped lifeless to the ground.


    Blacknail grimaced and turned to focus on Werrick¡¯s weapon. Was that a magic sword? Blacknail hated magic. It was never fair. Was Werrick a mage? No, you couldn¡¯t be both a mage and Vessel, unless everyone had been lying to him. The man must be using the sword to channel his Vessel powers somehow.


    Before Blacknail could give his situation any more thought, Werrick attacked again. He slashed the air and then charged forward with startling speed. Blacknail was forced to jump aside to dodge the magic slash and then hastily try to block Werrick¡¯s actual sword. He barely managed it, but he was knocked off balance by the bigger man¡¯s strength and stumbled. Bloody magic!


    As Werrick twisted around to strike at him again, Blacknail decided to even the score. Burning the Elixir in his blood, he reached within himself and pushed a wave of mind smothering fear at Werrick. He growled and bared his teeth as he unleashed the magic. Halfway through the swing Werrick was aiming to decapitate Blacknail with, the power hit him. The Wolf flinched in surprise and stumbled, but quickly recovered. Blacknail had time to get his own balance back, but not enough to strike at Werrick in return. He¡¯d been hoping for more, but Werrick was obviously resistant to magic. Most Vessels and mages were.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Werrick grumbled as he eyed Blacknail warily and readjusted his stance.


    The Wolf didn¡¯t wait for an answer, though. Instead, he immediately attacked again. Without bothering to use his magic, he unleashed a flurry of slashes at Backnail. Even with his guard up, the hobgoblin was hard pressed to stop the attacks. The crash of metal on metal rang out as their blades met. Werrick was fast and powerful. His attacks also had weight, and he was armored. Almost every advantage was his.


    Blacknail jumped back away from a cut aimed at his face, and Werrick didn¡¯t follow. Instead, the man slashed the air again, and a blade of air flew past Blacknail. Glancing over his shoulder, Blacknail saw two more his minions fall as the slash tore into them. They¡¯d been about to join in the fight. Not that they would have been much help.


    This confrontation wasn¡¯t going the way Blacknail had thought it would. In his head, he¡¯d pictured himself picking off a wounded Werrick or getting a surprise attack in that would quickly end the fight. At the very least, he¡¯d thought he¡¯d have help. Unfortunately, his minions were useless, and Ilsiti was stuck on the other side of the battle. Still, there had to be a way for him to win. He wasn¡¯t going to let Saeter¡¯s killer get away. Not when he was right there in front of him and in as weak a position as Blacknail could hope to arrange.


    Snarling, Blacknail lunged forward and cut at Werrick¡¯s side, but the man blocked the attack and replied with one of his own. His blade swung around and nicked Blacknail¡¯s arm. The hobgoblin winced. The wound stung, but it wasn¡¯t serious. Blacknail couldn¡¯t afford any distractions, though. As Werrick took a step back, Blacknail was forced to follow him. Werrick was able to attack from a distance and Blacknail wasn¡¯t.


    With Werrick holding his ground, there was a clear avenue for his troops to move through, and more and more of them were retreating from the battle. Blacknail couldn¡¯t stop them, and his irregulars had become useless. There were too few of them left to block Werrick¡¯s retreat.


    With no other ideas, Blacknail fought an aggressive defense. He kept within striking distance of Werrick but focused more on dodging and blocking rather than trying to cut his enemy down. He was simply buying time now, in the hopes that something would shift the advantage back his way. Off to the right, two hobgoblins managed to take down a bandit, but then two more bandits surged forward and scattered them.


    As Blacknail dodged a slash aimed at his shoulder, the flow of the battle around him began to change. Most of Werrick¡¯s troops had escaped the encirclement now. Only the line of troops holding back Ilisti and the hobgoblin spearmen were left, and they were retreating in a slow but orderly fashion. Soon, Werrick and his men would be completely out of the trap.


    Blacknail hissed as he stepped forward and hacked at Werrick, but the man easily blocked the blow and then pushed. The force of the shove almost knocked Blacknail over, and he was forced to stumble backwards.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Watch out, boss!¡± a voice suddenly yelled.


    Blacknail glanced over his shoulder to see one of Imp¡¯s assistants. He was holding a red mana crystal, which he immediately ignited and threw at Werrick. Instantly, Blacknail jumped out of the way of the burning projectile. Werrick didn¡¯t stay still either. However, instead of dodging, he raised a gauntleted hand. As Blacknail watched, a rippling burst of force shot out his palm and hit the crystal, carrying it right back to the hobgoblin who had thrown it. The hobgoblin mage¡¯s eyes went wide in shock. He barely had time flinch in surprise before the mix of force and fire hit him in the chest, pushing him backwards, and then it exploded. The air shook from the boom and pieces of earth flew in every direction. Blacknail winced as he saw that there was only a smoking crater where the hobgoblin mage had been standing a second ago. Ouch.


    ¡°I¡¯m growing impatient. It¡¯s time to finish this,¡± Werrick announced as he swung his blade at Blacknail again.


    As Blacknail dodged the wind blade that sliced past him, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that all his nearby minions had suddenly found other places to be. None of them were coming to help him. Instead, they¡¯d found less deadly bandits to attack or had just run away. Stupid minions. This was what he¡¯d created them for! They were being incredibly ungrateful. When this was over, they were all going to get the worst punishments imaginable.


    Werrick didn¡¯t give Blacknail any more time to think. Ilisti would soon arrive with his troops, so the Wolf went all out. Shoulder first, he swung his sword back and charged straight at his opponent. Blacknail tried to sidestep and take a slice at Werrick¡¯s head, but the man didn¡¯t dodge. Instead, he just brought his shoulder up and ducked his head down, so it was protected by his pauldron. Screeching, Blacknail¡¯s blade scraped against the metal armor without penetrating, and then Werrick smashed into him. They were too close for Werrick to use his sword, but the force of the charge was dangerous enough. Werrick¡¯s shoulder hit Blacknail¡¯s chest, blasting the air out of his lungs and throwing him up into the air. The hobgoblin¡¯s ribs warped and squeezed his organs for a second as the physical force of the blow passed through him. Instantly, pain seared throughout his body and his head whipped back, cracking his neck and making his vision go white for a second.


    Unprompted and without thought, Elixir suddenly flowed through Blacknail¡¯s veins. Its power burned through him, and a few pumps of his heart later, he gasped and was pulled back to consciousness. He wasn¡¯t going to lose! The need to for vengeance still roared within Blacknail, and he fought to reorient himself.


    However, that was when Werrick struck again. Blacknail was still stumbling backwards. All Werrick had to do was swing his sword. Blacknail saw it coming but he was too weak to react properly. The hobgoblin could only blink as the blade came around in an arc and smashed into his ribs. Cutting through his leather vest, the sharp metal implement cracked bone and tore into flesh as Blacknail was sent flying sideways. He hit the ground hard, and his limp body rolled across the grass, leaving a trail of blood.


    Pain blazed throughout Blacknail as his rolling body came to stop. In its wake it left desolation and weakness. He felt cold and his vision had gone blurry. He was laying on his side, and he knew he couldn¡¯t stay there, no matter how much he hurt. Grimacing and marshaling his strength, he tried to move, but he couldn¡¯t manage anything more than a feeble twitch of an arm.


    Despair blossomed throughout Blacknail as he realized that he¡¯d lost. He was already dying. No, this couldn¡¯t be the end! Dimly, red hot hate flared up and attempted to push away the smothering darkness of despair and the death that was pressing down on Blacknail¡¯s spirit, but it was pointless fight.


    Movement caught Blacknail¡¯s gaze, and he noticed Werrick calmly walking his way. The man stopped a few feet away and looked down at Blacknail. There was an inscrutable frown on his face.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s still some life in you. Impressive. It¡¯s almost a shame I have to snuff it out,¡± Werrick remarked. ¡°You¡¯re the only real opponent I¡¯ve had since I started this business. In a way, dealing with you was practically fun, but this is the last time you¡¯ll surprise me. You¡¯re far too unpredictable to let live. I still can¡¯t wrap my head around how you built an army of hobgoblins, and they¡¯ll be as dangerous as demons even without you around to lead them.¡±


    All Blacknail could manage in reply was a hate filled gurgle. It burst out of his throat along with more than a few drops of blood. Stupid human.


    Werrick laughed and raised his weapon. As the man slashed the air, something hit Blacknail¡¯s chest. He spasmed as more pain ripped through him. Under this new assault, his body gave out. His vision blacked out and his muscles went limp. Consciousness began to fade...


    Everything was dim and cold. Blacknail couldn¡¯t quite remember where he was or why he hurt so much. Screams of pain and the ring of metal hitting metal echoed over him. Was he in a battle? Everything was going black, even the light of his own thoughts¡­


    Suddenly, someone poked Blacknail¡¯s shoulder, and his eyes flickered open. His vision was blurry, but he saw two figures leaning over him.


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s dead?¡± one hobgoblin asked the other.


    ¡°Dunno, do you think anyone would care if I took his pants?¡± his companion replied.


    Blacknail groaned. He was slightly more conscious now. He still couldn¡¯t talk but he could glare at them. Bloody minions. So useless. Why couldn¡¯t any of them have taken some initiative and become healers? Really good ones. This was all their fault, somehow.


    Without warning, Blacknail¡¯s vision dimmed again and he lost his grip on consciousness. When it returned, he wasn¡¯t sure how long had passed, but there were several new people around. One of them had red hair. Oh, no. It was Khita. She wasn¡¯t even going to let him die in peace. So annoying.


    ¡°He should be dead already. There are two holes in his chest,¡± someone who sounded familiar observed.


    ¡°You need to fight, Blacknail. Don¡¯t let death claim you. We¡¯re here. We¡¯ll get you wrapped up. Fight,¡± Khita shouted in his ear.


    The redhead sounded quite distraught. Blacknail was glad he wasn¡¯t the only one in pain. She was also quite afraid, Blacknail could sense it. In fact, he could sense a lot of fear from countless people. Their thoughts swirled around him, like sparks from a bonfire up into the night sky.


    ¡°Fight what? Wolfy gone,¡± Blacknail wondered aloud. His voice was little more than a quiet rasp. Werrick had gotten away. He¡¯d walked right out of the trap Blacknail had spent so much time building. What was the point in struggling more?


    Much to Blacknail¡¯s frustration, Khita instantly began yelling again. ¡°Fight to live! Fight to protect what you¡¯ve built! Saeter would be so proud if he could see you now. Don¡¯t let it all go to waste. We need you!¡±


    Of course, they needed him. He was the leader. They couldn¡¯t do anything without him, the idiots. Khita wouldn¡¯t last a day. Blacknail sighed mentally. He wasn¡¯t dead yet, despite the wreckage of his body, and that meant his spirit could still fight for life. But did he have the will to fight? What price was he willing to pay? There would be so much pain¡­


    Was killing Werrick really all that mattered? An image of Ironbreak as seen from the hill overlooking it flashed before Blacknail¡¯s eyes. He¡¯d built that. It had been all him. If he died now it would probably fall apart as the hobgoblins turned on each other. Then what would happen to all his poor human minions? Saeter had wanted him to look after them. The old scout had always talked about his love for the North. Really, this wasn¡¯t about Blacknail at all¡­ Was that possible? What a weird way to think.


    Blacknail took a deep breath. It hurt, but the pain cleared his mind. He was dying. He had to do something about that. His body was spent, so he needed a new source of power, and he had an idea. Blacknail burned Elixir and felt the burning power flow through him. Then, reaching out with his magic, Blacknail grabbed at the minds he felt all around him. He¡¯d done this once before. Half dead, he remembered how.


    Cold power flushed throughout Blacknail as he tasted the fear and terror of hundreds. It raged within him as it mingled with the usual fire of his Elixir. He was forced to take another aching breath. It burned like he was trying to hold ice with his brain, but he didn¡¯t let go. This was magic. If anything could heal him, this could. Focusing, Blacknail sent the power flowing out into his body. A storm of potential.


    Almost immediately, Blackail felt his body grow stronger, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough. So, the hobgoblin pulled in more power. He ripped at all the minds around him and dragged at their light, sucking in all their terror and hate. It was too much for his body and began to slip away, so Blacknail began forcing the power into one spot and compressing it. That worked. Power poured into Blacknail and raged throughout his body. As the maelstrom whirled and raged, his body expanded in response. Flesh healed, and bone reknit.


    There were several gasps of shock from the onlookers, but then Gob spoke up from somewhere nearby. ¡°We have to move him. No one must see him while he is weak. I do not trust the vympir or many of the hobs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch over him myself, and we can trust Herah,¡± Khita quickly responded.


    That was all Blacknail heard. Without warning, his spirit suddenly gave out and he was consumed by darkness again.

 Interlude: Breathe of Life

    ¡°Well, this is a fine mess we¡¯ve gotten ourselves into,¡± Ralphi remarked sourly.


    He was leaning against the room¡¯s only doorframe. It wasn¡¯t a very large room, but there were several other people and one large bed in it. A tense looking Herah was standing guard on the other side of the door. Geralhd was sitting in a chair beside the bed, and Khita was sitting on the edge of the bed itself. Behind her, Blacknail was sleeping. He¡¯d been cleaned, and his wounds had all been bandaged, but there were bloodstains showing through some of the cloth. Many of his wounds were still bleeding, even while others had healed. It was miracle that he was still alive at all. He¡¯d looked dead when they¡¯d first found him.


    ¡°It looks like he¡¯s going to pull through now,¡± Geralhd remarked as he studied the hobgoblin on the bed. ¡°Despite the spectacular nature of his wounds, they¡¯re closing and he is healing.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± Khita huffed loudly. ¡°There¡¯s no way Blacknail would die from something like this. He¡¯s almost as hard to kill as me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s practically a real compliment,¡± Ralphi muttered snidely.


    ¡°We¡¯re lucky Werrick¡¯s troops finally broke when they did and that Ilisti¡¯s charge forced Werrick to retreat. Although, he undoubtedly thought Blacknail was already beyond saving.¡±


    Ralphi¡¯s scowl just deepened. He looked like he¡¯d bitten into a sour fruit. ¡°At this point, I¡¯m not worried about the hobgoblin fading away on us. It¡¯s everything else that¡¯s got me worried about my skin. For starters, we have no idea how the other hobgoblins will react to his defeat and injury. Gob is keeping control for now, but they haven¡¯t had time to really process it. We¡¯re in uncharted waters there, and I¡¯m worried about sinking.¡±


    ¡°Then, maybe you should be out there helping?¡± Khita replied bluntly. ¡°You did help train the hobs. They listen to you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can, but I have no idea if it will be enough,¡± Ralphi told her. ¡°There are also lots of other things to worry about. Even with Blacknail safely back here at the base and recovering.¡±


    ¡°Like Werrick. He got away and he¡¯ll be back,¡± Geralhd agreed with a nod of his head. ¡°The Wolf knows what he faces now, The next time he seeks battle he will bring all his forces against us, and some of our allies are less than reliable. Ilisti won¡¯t bleed for anyone else. He only helped this time because we had the advantage.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°Yep, we just started a war with the most powerful man in the North, and all we¡¯ve got are a bunch of shifty hobgoblins, questionable alliances, and some dumb villagers,¡± Ralphi agreed. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d be making a break for it if there was anywhere to go. Even with gold in my pocket it would be hard to get anywhere safe to spend it.¡±


    ¡°I just hope Blacknail recovers soon. Ilisti has been wanting to see him, but I¡¯ve been making excuses. I can¡¯t keep doing that for too long, and the vympir is rather intimidating,¡± Geralhd said before sighing deeply.


    ¡°Even when he does wake up, that will just cause us a whole bunch of different problems. We don¡¯t know what to expect from him,¡± Ralphi countered. He was in a very bad mood.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be the same old Blacknail as always, no doubt,¡± Khita said.


    ¡°Even you can¡¯t be blind to the changes that are happening to him,¡± Ralphi replied as he gave her a condescending glare. ¡°The healing itself isn¡¯t something Vessels normally do, not like that, and he¡¯s already grown an inch or two. Also, his horns are rather obvious. They¡¯re starting to branch like antlers and they¡¯re not even bone anymore. If you look closely, they¡¯re some kind of black crystal. He has mutated, and that might affect his personality. Hells, it might do next to anything. I wish that creep Avorlus was here. We should probably send for him.¡±


    Geralhd grimaced. ¡°Ilisti might also know more, but I¡¯m not sure we should bring it up with him.¡±


    ¡°Why would the vympir know anything?¡± Khita asked with obvious confusion.


    ¡°What do you think vympirs are? It seems obvious to me that they¡¯re a variant of human mutants,¡± Geralhd answered. ¡°But that also means he might see Blacknail as a threat or rival now, and choose to take him out while he is vulnerable. One thing I do know about mutants is that they¡¯re very territorial.¡±


    ¡°So are hobgoblins,¡± Khita remarked snidely. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we won¡¯t notice a difference. He¡¯ll be the same as always, just taller.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could believe that. However, evidence and experience suggest otherwise. At the very least, when Blacknail wakes he will be¡­ stronger.¡±


    ¡°Arghh, stupid hobgoblin,¡± Ralphi cursed as he scratched his neck in nervous manner. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s managed to involve me in this craziness. What I use for brains must have been knocked out years ago.¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever happens. He needs to wake up as soon as possible,¡± Geralhd observed. ¡°He has implicated us all beyond any chance of escape, and we¡¯re going to need him. Werrick will be back, and as bad as our odds are, no one else stands a chance.¡±


    A concerned look appeared on Ralphi¡¯s face as he turned to stare at one of the walls. ¡°Aye, and I can¡¯t shake the feeling that there are other dangers coming that we know nothing about. This is the North. It¡¯s a savage and dangerous place that has never really accepted civilization, and now it¡¯s shifting and changing right before our eyes. A king is rising, hobgoblins are building armies, and strange new creatures like those boggarts are stalking men. Who knows what will happen next? But, out here in the Green, obvious movement usually means that the predators are gathering.¡±

 On Winters Wings 1

    There was darkness. It enveloped everything in impenetrable silence. The dreamer¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t pierce it at all. He hung there, floating in the black. Yet, the dreamer knew he was being watched. Despite his blindness, he could feel countless eyes on his skin. Their gaze prickled at his awareness as they examined him. Both close and far, the eyes were beyond number and yet one. There was no escaping their sight.


    The dreamer remembered fear and hate. Around him, the darkness stirred. He had called out and been answered. The watching presence closed in. Invisible, it pressed against him and sank into his flesh. It filled him, like a deep invigorating breath, and he began to rise. He was pulled upwards and the dark gave way before him. The dreamer¡¯s eyes were already open, but he opened them again. He saw. A ring of tall grey stones emerged from the darkness. Weathered and worn by untold ages, they still projected the endless strength and weight of the earth. The dreamer recognized them. He had lain eyes on them in the waking world long ago. Painful nostalgia pressed against his heart, although he couldn¡¯t remember why he would feel this way. Sadness. His thoughts were hazy, and he could remember little of the waking world.


    Suddenly, the ring of standing stones shifted. The unseen earth rumbled as the smooth stones fell and new rocks appeared. Soon, the dreamer was looking at a circular stone wall. But, the scene wasn¡¯t done changing. The sound of crashing and roaring waves echoed out of the darkness. The powerful noise intensified as the source rushed toward the stone walls, seemingly from every direction at once. Then, the distant dark began to twist and turn with furious energy. A wave was coming. It rolled forward with incredible force toward the stone wall. As the crushing power of the dark water approached, the unseen earth shook. A solid thicket of spears burst out of the ground in front of the wall, breaking the wave at the last moment. All was chaos. Water was tossed in every direction as spears were torn apart. Slowed, but not stopped, the wave reformed and smashed into the wall. Cold water was suddenly everywhere. Its freezing embrace pulled the dreamer away from the stone wall. Shocked, he gasped and flailed as he was carried away.


    The dreamer¡¯s eyes were already open, but he opened them again.


    ---


    Blacknail woke up with a cold jolt that made his heart miss a beat. At first, the complete lack of darkness and freezing water surprised him, although he wasn''t sure why. In fact, there was a roof over his head and it felt like he was lying on a dry bed. Curious, the hobgoblin sat up and looked around. It looked like he was in one of the small huts at the forward base he¡¯d built. Sunlight was coming in from a small window, and it wasn¡¯t morning. The light was bright enough for noon. He must have slept in. Wait, had he just been dreaming? He remembered dark water¡­ Maybe? Yawning, Blacknail tried to gather his thoughts. His mind was chaotic and confused. Everything was a mess. Fragmented scenes from every period of his life kept pushing themselves to the fore. He remembered looking up at Saeter for the first time and sitting by a campfire at night while surrounded by human rangers. He remembered the hundredth time he¡¯d contemplated stabbing Khita and dumping her body in some bushes. That didn¡¯t help. Even now Khita was an annoying distraction, and he still had no idea why he was in bed.


    Focus. How had he got here? What was the last thing he remembered? Wait, he¡¯d been in a battle. Yes. He¡¯d been fighting Werrick¡­ but he couldn¡¯t remember the end of the fight. Uh oh, that wasn¡¯t good. He was the leader, and none of his minions were nearly competent enough to win a battle without him.


    A faint rustling sound drew Blacknail¡¯s attention downwards. There was a hobgoblin lying on the floor beside his bed, and it was Herah. What was she doing there? It was creepy.


    ¡°Get up! If you¡¯re on guard duty you¡¯re doing a terrible job,¡± Blacknail yelled at her. He wanted some answers.


    Instantly, Herah jumped up and turned to face Blacknail. She blinked in confusion for a few seconds before coming fully awake. The female hobgoblin was Blacknail¡¯s¡­ They sometimes had sex. However, that didn¡¯t mean she was trustworthy. She was a little too obsessed and no hobgoblin was trustworthy. That was why he¡¯d kept her at arm¡¯s length until recently.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re not sleeping anymore!¡± she announced happily. She looked genuinely delighted to see him and almost surprised. He must have been quite badly injured.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m awake now,¡± Blacknail replied dryly as he began to think about what to ask her first. There were a lot of options.


    However, the sudden commotion inside the hut drew attention from outside. The door of the hut flew open and Khita stepped through it. Seeing Blacknail, the young redhead grinned happily. She must have been standing just outside.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± Khita announced as she rushed over to Blacknail¡¯s side.


    Blacknail scowled in annoyance. He knew he was awake. Stupid humans were always repeating the obvious. What had he been thinking about? Right, he needed to clear up the holes in his memories. There¡¯d been a battle.


    ¡°What happened to Werrick? Did I win the fight?¡± Blacknail asked the redhead. She probably knew more than Herah and could explain it better.


    A troubled frown appeared on Khita¡¯s face and she looked off to the side. ¡°Er, sort of.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t help. Explain better,¡± Blacknail hissed at her. This was important.


    ¡°We technically won the battle, because the enemy fled,¡± Khita explained. ¡°But, they managed to flee, which was bad for us, because we really wanted to stop them from getting away, you know. So, we didn¡¯t get Werrick and he wounded you before he left. That was very bad, but now you¡¯re fine, so yeah!¡±


    It took a few seconds for Blacknail to sort through that tangle of words and pull something like meaning out of them. When he had, he almost preferred ignorance. He¡¯d failed. Blacknail grimaced as he felt ugly self-loathing boil up inside his guts. Blacknail¡¯s old master, the ranger Saeter, was unavenged and Werrick still lived. Even worse, Blacknail had exposed almost all his secrets to the enemy now. Werrick was no longer ignorant of Blacknail¡¯s true strength and knew about Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblin forces. That would make the Wolf a much more dangerous foe. He wouldn¡¯t be walking into anymore ambushes. Ugh, this wasn¡¯t fair. How could this have happened? He¡¯d been so close to finishing off the enemy bandit lord only to be cut down at the last moment. It was probably one of his minion¡¯s faults, or all of them. They obviously hadn¡¯t fought hard enough.


    However, staying in bed wouldn¡¯t help. Grunting in displeasure, Blacknail shook off his negative mood, slid out of bed, and stood up. Immediately, he noticed two things. One, his body felt unsteady and clumsy from weakness. Two, he wasn¡¯t wearing pants.


    ¡°Did someone steal my pants?¡± he asked as he looked down and frowned. He seemed to remember something about that¡­


    Blacknail suddenly swayed as a moment of vertigo hit him. Catching his balance, he looked down and studied his own legs and feet. They looked unusually far away. Was he sick? Maybe he was still dreaming¡­


    ¡°Why would anyone want your pants? They were basically rags,¡± Khita remarked as she blushed and looked away. ¡°No, we took them off so we could get at your wounds, and then we threw the dirty things out. Besides, you outgrew them.¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Herah didn¡¯t look away, but it wasn¡¯t anything she hadn¡¯t seen before, so Blacknail ignored her and looked around for something to wear. He didn¡¯t much care about the human concept of modesty, but he¡¯d gotten used to wearing pants and his lower body felt drafty without them now.


    As Khita handed him a pile of clothes that had been set aside on a nearby chair, Blacknail noticed something else odd. Had Khita and Herah both gotten shorter? It certainly looked like they had. Neither of them was taller than the height of his nose. Wow, how had they managed that? They must have been up to some crazy stupid stuff while he was asleep. What weirdos.


    ¡°How did you get so short?¡± Blacknail asked as he hopped on one leg and pulled on his pants. His movements were clumsy, and in particular, his head felt oddly heavy. Herah looked slightly disappointed when he¡¯d covered himself up.


    ¡°Um, what?¡± Khita replied as she threw Herah a confused look.


    ¡°He¡¯s taller,¡± Herah pointed out.


    ¡°Oh, right¡­¡± Khita drawled as she suddenly understood.


    Blacknail glowered at them both while he waited for one of them to finally get around to explaining it to him. Maybe he needed to go find some smarter minions to ask.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten taller. We didn¡¯t shrink,¡± Khita told him a moment later.


    That didn¡¯t sound likely to Blacknail. His hobgoblin body had stopped growing a while back. ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±


    Blacknail began trying to pull on a shirt, but it didn¡¯t work. Instead, his head was jerked sideways as his clothing got tangled in his horns. Had they grown too? They certainly felt longer and larger. Was that why he was so off-balance? Probably. Hmm, he was going to need a looser shirt, but there wasn¡¯t one here.


    Khita grimaced in frustration before answering Blacknail¡¯s question. ¡°You were out for only about a week, but you changed because of um¡­ magic and hobgoblin stuff.¡±


    Sighing, Blacknail put the shirt down and headed for the door. Yes, he definitely needed to find someone smarter to talk to. Was Geralhd around?


    Blacknail¡¯s silent question was answered a few seconds later. As soon as he¡¯d opened the hut door and looked around, he noticed Geralhd running over his way. He must have heard that Blacknail was awake. Good, the merchant¡¯s son turned bandit was without a doubt one of the smartest people around, even if he did say a lot of nonsense. As Blacknail stepped out to greet the man, Khita and Herah followed him.


    ¡°Blacknail, it¡¯s so good to see you up and about!¡± Geralhd remarked happily before leaning closer to Khita. ¡°He¡¯s not murderous or anything, is he?¡±


    ¡°Not so far. He¡¯s just grumpy and impatient,¡± the redhead replied.


    ¡°That could change. Explain!¡± Blacknail interjected as he glared at them both. What was this now? Someone had better start actually explaining things.


    ¡°Um, I was just a little concerned about your condition,¡± Geralhd told him.


    ¡°Which is?¡± Blacknail asked irately as realized that he didn¡¯t have a blade on him. That was too bad, because in his experience the best way to get answers out of humans was by putting a knife against their throats.


    Gerald suddenly looked nervous and uncertain. ¡°Right, that¡¯s a good question. I mean, we¡¯re not completely sure, and I¡¯m not an expert, but we believe you used too much magic after your battle with Werrick. You managed to heal yourself, but you also seem to have undergone magical mutation. So, you¡¯re a mutant now.¡±


    Blacknail blinked. What? He knew what mutants were, of course. They were large magical animals that you sometimes came across in the Green. Usually, they were very dangerous. But, how could he be one? Blacknail couldn¡¯t picture that. Could you be a mutant and not know it?


    ¡°It¡¯s why you¡¯re taller. Most mutants are significantly larger than normal, although I believe that normally happens gradually,¡± Geralhd continued. ¡°In your case, it¡¯s almost like the initial mutation triggered your goblin to hobgoblin transformation again. Maybe because hobgoblin bodies are used to that kind of rapid change and responded to it as if it was a similar natural process?¡±


    Slowly, things began to make sense to Blacknail, even if Geralhd was spouting a lot of nonsense. He did sort of remember burning all his Elixir and pulling in as much magic as possible when he¡¯d been wounded. Still, it was overwhelming to think about. He needed a moment to clear his head.


    ¡°Is Gob around?¡± Blacknail asked. Another hobgoblin might be easier to deal with.


    Geralhd shook his head. ¡°No, he left once he was sure you were recovering from your wounds. Someone with some authority had to go back to Ironbreak to hold things together there.¡±


    ¡°Argh, fine. I¡¯m hungry, so I¡¯m going to go find something to eat. Unless there is some reason I can¡¯t do that? Mutants eat, right?¡± Blacknail asked sarcastically. He was fairly certain mutants ate normally.


    ¡°Um, go ahead,¡± Geralhd replied.


    Blacknail hadn¡¯t waited for his permission. He had already sighed in frustration and turned to begin heading for the building that served as the forward base¡¯s larder. His stomach grumbled as he walked, and he realized that he really was starving. For some reason, he¡¯d simply failed to notice his hunger. Blacknail supposed that there had simply been too much going on.


    The two hobgoblins on guard duty outside the larder jumped out of the way as Blacknail approached. Snorting rudely, Blacknail stepped past them and into the hut. Once inside, he looked around and began gathering up everything that looked tasty, including the only wheel of cheese. Then, he sat down at a table and started stuffing his face. That went on for a while, until even he was surprised by how much he managed to cram into his stomach. A whole wheel of cheese and two large rabbits went down his gullet. Apparently, a lot of his increased height was to make room for a much bigger stomach. Useful.


    While he¡¯d been eating, the others had been giving him some space and patiently waiting outside the door of the larder. So, when he was done satisfying his hunger and feeling a little better, Blacknail went out to talk to them again. They turned to study him as he approached.


    ¡°What exactly happened to Werrick and his men? Where are they now?¡± Blacknail asked Geralhd. That was the most important question he could think of. It had been weighing on him since he¡¯d woken up.


    ¡°He fled, and we haven¡¯t heard anything from him or his men since,¡± Geralhd explained. ¡°After your um¡­ fall, Werrick rallied all his men and marched them right out of the territory you¡¯d claimed. That flare his mage sent up alerted his other nearby force and our scouts reported that they were on their way, so we all decided to retreat. Honestly, we expected him to hold his ground, but he just left. Word is little unreliable out here, but we¡¯ve heard that he headed all the way back to his stronghold in the east and has remained there.¡±


    Blacknail frowned as he began thinking. The Wolf had beaten him and escaped his trap, but he¡¯d also just received a huge shock and almost been killed. The idea of a hobgoblin army would have thrown him off balance. He¡¯d probably never even considered it possible. They were monsters from stories, and for all his strength and power, the Wolf was still human. He would want to retreat home and gather his courage, like a human would. The other option was trying to hunt down an organized army of hobgoblins through the Green. Blacknail wished he¡¯d been that dumb. He knew exactly how good Werrick¡¯s rangers were. Not nearly good enough.


    ¡°Hmm, what will he do next?¡± Blacknail mused aloud.


    Geralhd quickly spoke up. ¡°Ralphi seems to think he is pulling back until the Spring. It¡¯s already Fall, and he says starting a campaign against a mobile and irregular opponent like us would be difficult to wrap up before Winter begins. He must also believe you dead, and thus he¡¯s probably hoping our band falls apart.¡±


    Wait, who was Ralphi? It took a moment for Blacknail to remember. Right, that was what Beardy had changed his name to. What an idiot. Beardy was a much better name. However, his thoughts on strategy made more sense to Blacknail. He nodded as some of the mental and physical tension he hadn¡¯t been consciously aware of having slipped away. It was nice to know that Werrick wasn¡¯t going to be launching an assault on the forward base or Ironbreak anytime soon. Given time to prepare, Blacknail could salvage this mess he found himself in. He¡¯d bet quite a lot on being able to kill Werrick in their last encounter, but unfortunately that hadn¡¯t happened. Still, in a lot of ways, time was on Blacknail¡¯s side. His minions were growing in numbers and were easily replaceable. Sure the Wolf had huge armies and now knew about Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins, but he couldn¡¯t know anything about the goblin settlement of Ironbreak. For all the Wolf knew, the army he¡¯d faced had burst fully formed out of the Green.


    ¡°Werrick will move cautiously,¡± Blacknail mused. ¡°He will try to learn more before he attempts to attack us. We can simply harass him and flee into the forest if he does show up, and then Winter will stop him for us. He is no threat until the Spring.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that reasoning makes sense,¡± Geralhd admitted before grimacing sourly. ¡°However, that only buys us some time. Werrick is practically the King of the North already. He has massive armies, rogue mages, and support from an entire society of corrupt merchants with enough gold to bury a small city. How in damnation are we going to survive when he does come for us in the Spring? What do we do?¡±


    Blacknail just shrugged calmly. ¡°We have no choice. We will fight. If it is a war he wants then we will give him one.¡±


    ¡°Now that sounds like fun!¡± Khita exclaimed with a wide excited grin. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have my chance at taking Werrick down. He fled before I could get to him last time, but I¡¯m a Vessel now so I bet I can take him!¡±

 On Winters Wings 2

    "I wish I could think of a better solution to our problem,¡± Geralhd remarked after Blacknail had told Khita to stop yelling nonsense. They were still standing outside the hut that served as the forward base¡¯s larder and kitchen and had been discussing what to do about their inevitable next conflict with Werrick.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about thinking. I can do it for you, since I¡¯m a genius,¡± Blacknail pointed out helpfully.


    Geralhd sighed. ¡°I certainly hope you are, because I have no idea what you¡¯re thinking most the time, and we need every advantage we can get. However, now we should focus on what our more immediate plans are.¡±


    ¡°I need to get my minions back to work,¡± Blacknail said with a shrug. ¡°We can¡¯t let Werrick learn anything about us while we prepare to fight. He is human, so he will fear the unknown, and that will make him hesitate and buy us some more time. We want that time, so we have to make sure no one tells him anything.¡±


    ¡°Spies are probably our number one concern right now,¡± Geralhd agreed. ¡°Werrick is undoubtedly trying to find out everything he can about us, but Ralphi and I have been careful to keep any of the new human recruits from learning too much about our presence further North. That should keep them in the dark about most the important happenings.¡±


    ¡°What about the vympirs?¡± Blacknail asked. They were the next thing on his mind. Ilisti and his men had fought beside Blacknail¡¯s troops against Werrick, but they weren¡¯t loyal to anyone but themselves. They were also very dangerous. Blacknail had once watched Ilisti tear apart a troll one-on-one. It had been impressive.


    ¡°When they found out you were unconscious they headed back North to Herstcrest,¡± Geralhd told him. ¡°Honestly, none of us have any idea what Ilisti is thinking. It¡¯s apparent that they do things quite differently in the West.¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t understand them either, so he just nodded. ¡°Then we continue here as before. We will patrol the roads in our territory and demand tribute from travelers. If Werrick does attack then we will just hide and harass him until winter.¡±


    Geralhd frowned thoughtfully. ¡°What about new recruits and refugees heading north? I wouldn¡¯t have believed it, but word continues to spread of opportunities up North and we¡¯re still attracting deserters looking to join up with us and families fleeing the wars to the south.¡±


    ¡°Were else are they going to go?¡± Khita pointed out. ¡°Those inbred fools that pass themselves off as nobles keep fighting down south, and Werrick isn¡¯t recruiting anymore. Even he can¡¯t afford to pay every deserter that heads North.¡±


    Snorting, Blacknail gave them his opinion on the refugees. ¡°They won¡¯t be a problem. Any human who goes north will just have to stay there. My hobgoblins will find anyone that flees long before they escape, if they even last a day in the Green.¡±


    Personally, he didn¡¯t think it was likely any humans would get far if they tried to move through the Green on their own. Even a veteran ranger wouldn¡¯t try that journey alone.


    ¡°Alright, so we¡¯re fairly secure for now, but we¡¯re still simply reacting to Werrick,¡± Geralhd told him. ¡°You haven¡¯t given us much in the way of details yet. They¡¯re kind of important if you really want to wage a war against the Wolf. We need a real strategy for when he attacks in force. You know he will, and he won¡¯t come alone. There will be a massive army at his back. Werrick is setting himself up as King of the North and he can¡¯t have us challenging his rule.¡±


    That was the problem. Blacknail hadn¡¯t come up with the details just yet, although he was sure he would soon. He was a genius after all. He also apparently had plenty of time to come up with them while he gathered new resources. It had taken less than a year for Blacknail to build up the forces he had now. With a few more months, he could do a lot more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Werrick will find us a difficult foe to defeat. I¡¯ll come up with a new plan, much better than the last one. I have many surprises left, and I¡¯m the best leader ever,¡± Blacknail assured his human minions with more confidence than he actually felt. Even though he wasn¡¯t burning Elixir, he could feel Geralhd¡¯s fear, like a faint whisper scratching on his awareness.


    Letting out a deep breath, Geralhd relaxed a little. ¡°Well, at least you¡¯re back up and can deal with the hobgoblins. Ralphi has been trying to keep them busy working on construction so that they¡¯ll stay out of trouble, but I believe they¡¯ve been getting rebellious. You¡¯re their real leader, and it has been too long since they¡¯ve seen you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯ll deal with them in a bit. I want to get some exercise first,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned to scan his surroundings.


    He was standing in the middle of the forward base right now. It had been built over the ruins of a human village that had been swallowed by the forest. Most of the buildings in sight were stone and mortar huts that hobgoblins had repaired and rethatched. None of the wooden buildings had survived. However, off to one side, stood several large log structures. They were barracks for troops that Blacknail had ordered built, and they were where most the hobgoblins lived. Another log building was currently under construction, and there was a wall made of lashed together stakes being built around the entire place.


    As far as Blacknail knew, there weren¡¯t any mirrors around, so he headed for the stream at the back of the base. He wanted to get a good look at himself. He¡¯d been told he looked different now, and his horns had certainly grown longer. His nose hopefully hadn¡¯t changed, though. It had been beautifully shaped before. The perfect mix of long and pointy.


    Blacknail passed several hobgoblins as he made his way to the stream. All of them froze in surprise when they saw him, but Blacknail ignored them. Soon, he was out of the base and kneeling at the edge of a pool of water. Tall tees surrounded him, but there was enough light for him to see his own reflection in the running water.


    His nose was still perfect, so Blacknail let out a deep sigh of relief. He¡¯d been really worried about that. Some of his other features had changed, though. The first change was incredibly obvious. His horns were more like small black antlers now. The way they curved around his head and had branches jutting upward was almost crown-like when seen from the right direction. Blacknail liked it, even if they were rather heavy. He was going to have to try headbutting someone soon. They looked hard and pointy enough to do some real damage.


    Below his horns, Blacknail¡¯s eyes had changed color. They were no longer mud brown, instead they were a startling dark violet. Huh, weird. The other changes he noticed were less dramatic but still noticeable. Both his face and his body had filled out, giving him some more weight. His arms and legs were also longer and thicker. He felt powerful. Patting himself on the head, Blacknail figured he was about the same height as an average human male now, and probably weighed about the same as well. That was¡­ exciting. Blacknail had grown used to being smaller than most humans, but he never really liked it. Size mattered.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Grinning, Blacknail turned and headed back to the base. It was time for a workout. He wanted to test this new body of his, so he headed over to where the log building was being constructed. Several hobgoblins were working there, but they quickly got out of his way as he sauntered over to a heavy log on the ground. Blacknail then grabbed the end of the log with both hands and began to lift. At first, his muscles strained without effect, but then the end of the log began to slowly rise. With his muscles burning, Blacknail managed to lift the weight up to stomach level, before he let go. He then stepped back and grinned in excitement as the log hit the ground with a heavy thud. That was equal to any feat of strength he¡¯d ever seen a human do, even a big angry one that had been stabbed a few times! Also, Blacknail hadn¡¯t even been burning Elixir.


    Ready to try a new experiment. Blacknail turned his attention inward and tried to reach for the power of a Vessel. Nothing happened. Blacknail frowned in confusion. Was he completely out of Elixir? Before, he¡¯d always been able to sense at least a hint of Elixir in his blood, even if it was just useless fumes. However, now there was absolutely nothing circling inside him. Had he used it all to heal or something?


    ¡°Work harder!¡± Blacknail commanded the nearby hobgoblins before turning and leaving. He didn¡¯t know what they were doing, but they could always do it faster.


    After thinking for a moment, Blacknail went to find Geralhd. Maybe he knew where the vials of Elixir Blacknail had been carrying had ended up. Unfortunately, the man had left the larder, so Blacknail had to search the camp. Eventually, he found the man in the hut that served as the local command post. It was where all the important people sat around to talk about important stuff, and also where they went to eat lunch and avoid dumb questions from their subordinates. Thus, minions weren¡¯t allowed inside.


    As Blacknail entered the front room of the hut, he noticed that Geralhd wasn¡¯t alone. Both Khita and Ralphi were there. They were all seated at a table in the main room and looking at a map. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure Khita belonged. Well, it was impossible to keep her out of anywhere, so he let it go.


    ¡°We gave you all the Elixir we could find when you were wounded,¡± Geralhd explained after Blacknail had asked him about his vials. ¡°We hoped it would help you heal, so it¡¯s all gone. You were in bad enough shape that holding any back seemed foolish.¡±


    Blacknail grunted sourly. He couldn¡¯t really blame them for that, although he was tempted. Not having any Elixir was annoying. Still, he probably didn¡¯t really need any right now. His new body was already quite strong and fast without it. He would just have to wait until he could get more from Imp at Ironbreak. The hobgoblin mage knew how to make his Elixir.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you up and about. That means I can hand you back all the tough jobs and relax for a while,¡± Ralphi remarked. He¡¯d been carefully studying Blacknail since his arrival.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not doing that. I¡¯m leaving,¡± Blacknail replied matter-of-factly. ¡°I need to get back to Ironbreak right away.¡±


    ¡°What? I hope you don¡¯t expect me to continue looking after this place while you¡¯re gone!¡±


    Blacknail gave him a smug grin as he channeled his inner Herad. ¡°I do expect that. You work for me now and that¡¯s your job. If you don¡¯t like it, you could always run away and see if Werrick has a better offer for you.¡±


    This statement earned the hobgoblin an angry glare, but a moment later Ralphi just grunted sourly in acknowledgement. He really didn¡¯t have any other option but to do as Blacknail said.


    ¡°Trust my new plan,¡± the hobgoblin chieftain told the man.


    ¡°Is it better than your old one? Because that didn¡¯t go so well,¡± Ralphi replied in a cold tone.


    Blacknail just grinned. ¡°My old plan worked great, even if the end part needs reworked a little. I¡¯m alive, stronger than ever, and I still have a growing army.¡±


    Ralphi snorted with obvious scorn. ¡°We will see if that¡¯s enough when Werrick shows up.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± Blacknail agreed. ¡°So, you¡¯d better do your part and build up this base as much as possible.¡±


    Once again, Ralphi could only glower at the hobgoblin, which made Blacknail chuckle.


    Khita smirked along with him. ¡°Ya, Blacknail¡¯s got the right idea. We didn¡¯t manage to beat Werrick, but we¡¯ve still got our hands in the jar!¡±


    ¡°Your optimism is appreciated, but hard work is definitely going to be more helpful,¡± Geralhd told her. ¡°We have quite a few challenges waiting for us if we wish to survive.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m going to Ironbreak,¡± Blacknail replied with a nod of agreement. ¡°I can¡¯t do much here.¡±


    He felt the need to get to work. He had to be ready. Something was coming¡­


    After talking to the humans for a few more minutes, Blacknail headed back out to prepare for his journey. He needed supplies and an escort. Thus, the first thing he did was round up some hobgoblins. The barracks were the obvious place to look for hobgoblins that weren¡¯t doing anything, so that was where he went. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t alone. Khita followed after him.


    ¡°Geralhd told me to make sure you don¡¯t overexert yourself,¡± the redhead told him as they approached the barracks. It was a large building made from horizontal logs.


    ¡°Good for you,¡± Blacknail grunted as he opened the door in front of him and stepped inside. As usual, it was best to ignore the redhead as much as possible.


    The inside of the barracks was dim and tightly packed. Small mismatched beds were everywhere. Some of them were hastily built wooden frames, but most of them were simple hammocks that had been hung between the outside walls and posts. In a lot of places hammocks had been set up on top of each other so they took up less room. Bags of loot and tools were scattered around as well, and the interior had a strong musky hobgoblin smell. That wasn¡¯t a surprise since there were over a dozen hobgoblins in the building. They had been chatting loudly among themselves and watching two of their members wrestle in the center of the floor, but they all immediately stopped and stood up straight as soon as they noticed Blacknail. There was sudden silence they stared at him intently.


    Sneering haughtily as if he found them lacking, Blacknail met their gazes and looked them over. ¡°I need some minions to take me back Ironbreak, so you¡¯re going to do it.¡±


    The hobgoblins quickly glanced at each other and then one of them took a step forward. ¡°We would be honored to serve you, our undying lord.¡±


    ¡°Good, get moving and packed up,¡± Blacknail told them. He¡¯d never been called undying before. In fact, he¡¯d never even known that was a word.


    ¡°Are you planning on walking back? That sounds pretty strenuous to me. Remember, you shouldn¡¯t exert yourself too much,¡± Khita told him. Apparently, she was taking Geralhd¡¯s advice seriously.


    Blacknail sighed and turned to face her. ¡°Do you have a better idea? Carts can¡¯t go through the Green and the road isn¡¯t done yet.¡±


    The hobgoblin spokesman coughed to get his boss¡¯ attention. ¡°We could carry you on a litter. It would be our honor, supreme one,¡±


    ¡°I will allow that,¡± Blacknail agreed after thinking it over for moment. He wasn¡¯t a huge fan of walking anyway. Too much work.


    Less than an hour later, Blacknail¡¯s party was ready to move. Both Khita and Geralhd were coming along so that they could get back to Shelter. They¡¯d only been staying at the forward base in order to watch him while he was recovering. There were also a dozen hobgoblins coming along, four of which were carrying the litter. It was a simple hammock that had been tied between two long poles, but Blacknail found it quite comfy. The going was bumpy, but the cloth was soft, and he could lay down or sit up depending on his mood. All in all, the journey to Ironbreak was the most enjoyable ever for Blacknail. He decided that he needed to get carried around by his minions more. In fact, he might never walk anywhere again. This was how real leaders travelled!


    ¡°What are you going to do once you get back to Ironbreak?¡± Khita asked as she walked over beside Blacknail¡¯s litter.


    Sitting up, Blacknail gave her a suffering look. ¡°Everything. I¡¯m going to be very busy. I need to make sure nothing has gone wrong and that all my minions are keeping busy.¡±


    ¡°I must admit to being concerned about Ironbreak as well,¡± Geralhd added as he followed Khita. ¡°Without you around to keep things orderly, who knows what has transpired. Some of the hobgoblins are¡­ well-meaning, but they need firm leadership. Their proximity to Shelter also worries me. There is too much opportunity for a misunderstanding to arise between the two settlements.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. Geralhd had mentioned only a small fraction of the things that had already occurred to him. There was the possibility of rebellion, cave-ins, drake attacks, mutant swarms, or that someone had stolen all his cheese. If Blacknail arrived at Ironbreak and his cheese had been stolen, a lot of people were going to die.

 On Winters Wings 3

    Blacknail rather enjoyed being carried by four hobgoblin minions on a litter. He only dismounted from it when his party reached Ironbreak¡¯s gate. Being carried around was nice and relaxing, but it was time to stretch his legs. Yawning, Blacknail rolled off the litter and began walking toward the gate. Several armed guards quickly followed after him, since they had nothing better to do. There were four hobgoblins guarding the gate in front of Blacknail, but they immediately bowed to their chieftain and then moved out of his way. Blacknail gave them a brief nod as he walked past. He was happy to see that things hadn¡¯t descended into chaos or rebellion here yet. He¡¯d been a little worried about that.


    Ironbreak was new settlement. It had been built by goblins and hobgoblins at Blacknail¡¯s orders, and thus most of the construction was crude. The wall that encircled it was made from long sharpened stakes meant to keep beasts out. Inside the walls, what had once been an empty clearing containing a few rocky hills and caves was now a fair-sized settlement. Mismatched buildings filled almost every space. None of them seemed to have the same style, and they were made from various materials. Clay bricks were common, but so were huts made from woven branches, and a few of the larger and newer buildings were made from horizontally stacked logs. The nearby roofs were covered by thatch or layers of long bark strips. The result was chaotic and savage looking, but also completely functional. Humans might have found it dirty and distasteful, but it was far better shelter than goblins were used to.


    The arrival of Blacknail and his party quickly drew the notice of Ironbreak¡¯s inhabitants, of which there were plenty of around. Goblins were everywhere. There were too many of the green critters to count. Dozens of them were running around between the buildings, while others lazed around in the shade, and there were even a few sitting leisurely on the nearby rooftops. Scattered around the scene, there were also a few hobgoblins, who mostly ignored their smaller kin as they went along on their own business. However, all that changed as Blacknail stepped through the gate. Almost instantly, he became the center of attention. Ignoring his new audience, Blacknail looked around. He¡¯d sent a runner ahead to spread word of his arrival, so he soon found who he was looking for. Gob and several other hobgoblins were over to one side, and they were already walking over to meet him.


    ¡°You have returned, great one! It is a blessed day,¡± Gob exclaimed happily as he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply in front of Blacknail. Some of the other nearby hobgoblins copied him.


    Gob was Blacknail¡¯s second in command, and while he was unquestionably loyal, he was also way too overdramatic about everything. It was frankly a waste of time. Before Ironbreak had been founded, Gob had been the first hobgoblin to swear fealty to Blacknail. Back then, Blacknail had been wandering the Green after the defeat of Herad¡¯s bandits by Werrick. That hadn¡¯t been their first meeting, though. There was no way Blacknail would trust a strange feral hobgoblin. No, Gob had also been a member of a small goblin tribe that Blacknail had helped out a while back. He¡¯d saved them from some harpies while he¡¯d been travelling to Daggerpoint.


    ¡°Get up,¡± Blacknail told his minions with a frustrated sigh.


    Gob immediately did as he was told and climbed back to his feet. Blacknail was instantly reminded of his own recent transformation, because Gob looked shorter than he remembered.


    ¡°I stand ready to obey your every word, master of all goblins!¡± Gob shouted loudly. Blacknail winced. He had sensitive ears and Gob was being too loud. Also, becoming the master of all goblins sounded like it would be way more trouble than he would ever want.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to be giving out a lot of orders,¡± Blacknail told Gob. There was definitely a lot to do in preparation for the coming war with Werrick.


    Gob listened intently as Blacknail began explaining what he wanted done. There were two areas that Blacknail was most focused on, the mines and food. You could never have too much food. Behind Blacknail, the humans that had travelled with him walked over and then wandered off to do their own things. At the same time, several other hobgoblins arrived. Blacknail easily recognized Imp and Ferrar. As was usual, Ferrar¡¯s reddish-brown hair and eyebrows were singed, and Imp was carrying a tall staff he¡¯d taken from a defeated human mage. The mechanism in the staff allowed him to channel and control the power of mana crystals.


    ¡°Wow, you sure got bigger, boss!¡± Ferrar remarked in surprise.


    Looking intrigued, Imp stepped in close and stared at Blacknail¡¯s horns intently. Blacknail found this behavior rude, so he snorted and lightly shoved the hobgoblin away.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, boss,¡± Imp said after he¡¯d regained his balance.


    Blacknail just rolled his eyes before addressing all his lieutenants together. ¡°I¡¯ve got work for you. We need to rebuild the walls using the extra stone from the iron mines, and I also want some real gates that can close. Having a big hole in our walls is just dumb.¡±


    They would need better defenses to repel Werrick if he ever showed up, although Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why he was set on stone walls¡­ Well, whatever.


    ¡°Is someone or something going to attack us?¡± Ferrar asked as he frowned in concern.


    ¡°We are probably safe for now, but we will need better defenses eventually. All the big human towns have better walls than us, and we¡¯ve been lucky. There are things in the Green that would smash right through our walls, like a drake. Also, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re short on workers. There are too many goblins just lazing around here,¡± Blacknail explained as he motioned towards all the nearby goblins. Lazy minions annoyed him. They just sat around eating his food¡­


    Grimacing, Blacknail turned to Ferrar. ¡°You¡¯re in charge of mining. Are you digging up enough stone to make a wall?¡±


    When Blacknail had left to fight Werrick, Ferrar had been the hobgoblin in charge of Ironbreak¡¯s smiths and craftsmen. By extension that meant he¡¯d also been in charge of acquiring raw iron from the caves below the settlement. All the furnaces and smithies in Ironbreak had been built by the fire-obsessed hobgoblin.


    Ferrar frowned in response to the question. ¡°Work below slowed down after you left, boss. Getting stone isn¡¯t hard, we¡¯ve got the tools and goblins, but we¡¯ve had to go deeper down to find more iron, and that¡¯s gotten dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous how?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Goblins keep getting hurt or attacked by the beasts that live down there. When we block off a passage, something always opens it,¡± Ferrar explained.


    This news didn¡¯t surprise Blacknail. He¡¯d been down in the caves a few times, so he knew how dangerous they could be. Not only were there lots of hungry predators underground, but mutants seemed more common down there as well. Normal hobgoblins couldn¡¯t be counted on to fight mutants.


    ¡°We need both iron and stone, so I¡¯ll have to clear the tunnels,¡± Blacknail told his minions. He didn¡¯t see any other option.


    He then turned to Imp. ¡°I will need light crystals and mages.¡±


    Imp nodded in agreement. ¡°Of course, boss. I¡¯ve got lots of apprentices and light stones. Making them is easy for me now, and I¡¯ve already been sending mages to light the tunnels for the miners.¡±


    That reminded Blacknail of his Elixir shortage, so he immediately asked the hobgoblin mage to bring him some. Imp gave a quick bow and then hurried off to retrieve the magical liquid. While he was gone, Blacknail went over some details with the others, but he didn''t have to wait long. A few minutes later, Imp returned and handed Blacknail a small glass vial. He shook it and watched the familiar dusky liquid inside slosh around, before uncorking the vial and downing its contents. The Elixir tasted exactly the same as always as he gulped it down, and he felt a tingle as the power began to seep into his body. Yes, he could feel himself growing stronger. It felt¡­If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Without warning, Blacknail gagged and vomited all over Imp. As Imp unhappily began wiping himself off, Blacknail swayed and wobbled. He tried to steady himself, but it was all he could do to stop himself from vomiting again.


    ¡°I think you messed that vial up,¡± Blacknail remarked as he slowly began to feel better. Normally, he¡¯d punish Imp for such a failure, but he was undoubtedly already regretting his mistake.


    Imp used a finger to wipe some vomit off his face and then tasted it. ¡°My Elixir was fine. That vial was part of a batch you¡¯ve taken before.¡±


    ¡°Good Elixir doesn¡¯t make me sick,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t use to, but now¡­¡± Imp said as he gave Blacknail¡¯s changed body a meaningful look.


    Blacknail frowned. This wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Can you make me a new Elixir?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll need some of your blood,¡± Imp told him. ¡°What exactly happened after you drank the Elixir? Do you feel magical at all?¡±


    That was a good question. Closing his eyes, Blacknail focused on the state of his own body. Hmmm, he actually did feel like there was some new energy flowing through his blood, but not a lot of it. Less than what he usually got out of a vial of Elixir. Huh, he could also feel that power draining away to somewhere. Opening his eyes, he explained this to Imp.


    ¡°Avorlus would know more. All I can do is test your blood and tweak your Elixir, boss,¡± the mage replied.


    Grunting in displeasure, Blacknail agreed to visit Imp¡¯s workshop later and to send a message to Avorlus. The human mage was an expert Elixir maker and owed Blacknail a lot, but he¡¯d gone to Herstcrest to study a crystal cave they¡¯d found there. That was inconvenient. Blacknail was beginning to get really frustrated about not understanding how is own body worked. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t really been to curious about mutants in the past. All he¡¯d had to know was how to kill them.


    Blacknail had been planning on doing some sparring, to show off his body in front of his minions and find out his own limits, but now he didn¡¯t feel like it. It could wait until he felt better. Drinking that Elixir ¨C and then vomiting it up ¨C had made his stomach more than a little queasy. However, he didn¡¯t have time to rest. There was still lots to do.


    ¡°How are the road crews doing?¡± Blacknail asked Gob. He¡¯d ordered large work parties to build roads to all the nearby settlements a while back. Last time he¡¯d checked, they¡¯d only finished the one leading to Shelter and were still working on the one heading to Herstcrest.


    ¡°The way to Herstcrest is half done, but the minions get lazier the further from the base they are, so it has slowed down,¡± Gob quickly explained.


    Grunting, Blacknail considered his options. It sounded like he¡¯d have to go there personally if he wanted to speed things up, but he didn¡¯t have time for that right now. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the wall.¡±


    ¡°Then we need the caves cleared so we can send more miners down there,¡± Ferrar pointed out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look down there now. Imp will come with me,¡± Blacknail said with a deep sigh. His stomach was feeling better, and he was only planning on looking around, so he wanted to get it over with.


    Imp acknowledged his chieftain with a nod. ¡°I have everything I need on me and I live to serve, boss.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to come too, so I can examine the mine and what needs done,¡± Ferrar added.


    ¡°You could also take a few hobs with you, chief,¡± Gob suggested as he motioned for three of the nearby hobgoblins to step forward. ¡°You are too mighty to fear anything, but Imp and Ferrar could use some guards.¡±


    Blacknail agreed with his minions¡¯ ideas, and his small party was soon headed for the largest cave in Ironbreak. It was where almost all the mining was done. The entrance to the cave had used to be at the bottom of a steep rocky hole in the ground, but it had been dug up to make it easier to access. Now there was a wide dirt ramp leading down. Blacknail walked down to the cave entrance and peered inside. The cave was dark and gloomy, but he thought he saw some light coming from deeper within it, and there was also a steady clanging noise echoing out.


    While Blacknail was studying the cavern, Imp began fiddling with his staff. The hobgoblin mage turned a screw a few times and then the crystal on the top of the staff came loose. He then removed the crystal and replaced it with a new one from a pouch. After tightening the screw again, Imp raised his staff, and the cavern was flooded with white light. This allowed Blacknail to get a much better look at the way forward.


    ¡°Alright, in we go,¡± Blacknail announced as he began walking. His minions quickly followed after him.


    There was nothing but rocks and hanging stalactites in sight as they moved through the first part of the cave. At first, Blacknail couldn¡¯t see the glimmer of light from before because of a bend in the tunnel ahead and the radiance of Imp¡¯s staff. However, the source of the light and noise came into sight when they passed the bend. The tunnel continued on, and up ahead of them was a goblin work crew. Four goblins were attacking the cave wall with picks, while two more goblins were gathering up some of the rubble they knocked loose and putting it in sacks. Behind them, a hobgoblin with a spear was standing guard while a goblin mage with a crystal in hand was providing them all with light.


    None of the work crew noticed the newcomers right away, but as they walked over, the hobgoblin guard noticed Imp¡¯s light and glanced their way. Seeing Blacknail, he immediately saluted and stood at attention.


    ¡°Carry on, we¡¯re just inspecting the cave,¡± Blacknail explained as he stopped to study the miners.


    ¡°They¡¯re mining gold, not iron,¡± Blacknail observed a moment later. Wasn¡¯t iron far more useful?


    Ferrar stepped up beside him and nodded. ¡°Yes, we were running low on gold. We¡¯ve been trading it to the humans for tools and lessons. Building your mansion requires a lot of help from humans and gold is used for some of the decorations.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine then. Carry on,¡± Blacknail replied before walking past the workers and heading deeper into the cave. It sounded like Ferrar knew what he was doing, and Blacknail¡¯s mansion was important, even if he¡¯d almost forgotten about ordering his minions to build it for him. A true leader needed to a have magnificent house that would impress all the lesser people.


    ¡°Where do you get the iron?¡± Blacknail asked Ferrar as they walked. He¡¯d never actually seen it mined.


    ¡°We got it from loose rocks up above at first, but we used that up quick. Now we get it from another cave up ahead,¡± Ferrar explained. Instead of replying, Blacknail just grunted in acknowledgement.


    There was a pile of rocks up ahead. It had used to completely block off the way forward, but some time ago the pile had collapsed, so now there was a way around it. Blacknail remembered fighting a slime here when he¡¯d first come this way, so he studied the shadows cast by the rocks suspiciously, but he didn¡¯t see anything.


    As the party travelled deeper into the caves, Blacknail noticed signs of activity that hadn¡¯t been there before. Goblin tracks were visible in the dirt and there was more loose rubble around. Soon, they came to another bend in the tunnel, and Blacknail saw a huge new crack in the wall that hadn¡¯t been there before. When had that appeared? Frowning, Blacknail carefully crept over to the hole and peered within. However, the chasm was too deep for Imp¡¯s light to penetrate. It was impossible to see where it led.


    ¡°We should probably seal this up with rock,¡± Blacknail muttered before continuing on his way.


    ¡°We have before, something keeps opening it,¡± Ferrar replied.


    Moving on, they soon reached a familiar fork in the tunnel. From experience, Blacknail knew that the route to the left continued on into deeper tunnels, while the other led to an underground river.


    Ferrar pointed to the left tunnel. ¡°Our miners all go this way. It¡¯s where the iron is.¡±


    Blacknail nodded as he studied both passages. They¡¯d come down here to see the mines, so obviously they should go left, but he hesitated. With narrowed eyes, Blacknail studied the rightward tunnel. He felt something coming from that direction, something strange. It was almost like a cool breeze on his skin, except the air was still. The feeling made him intensely curious. What was it?


    Without bothering to explain anything to his minions, Blacknail began heading toward the underground river. Something was pulling him that way, and he wanted to know what it was. As Blacknail walked, the feeling grew stronger. His skin began to tingle ever so slightly. It was invigorating, like a breath of fresh air after he¡¯d been holding his breath.


    Soon, Blacknail and his followers reached the entrance to the cave that contained the underground river. As the gentle lapping of water on stone reached their ears, Imp and Blacknail stepped forward and cautiously looked into the chamber using the light from Imp¡¯s staff. It was a huge open space and Blacknail knew it was dangerous. He¡¯d run into giant crabs and huge predatory salamanders here before.


    The white light from Imp¡¯s mage staff radiated out into the dark expanse of the cave, illuminating a large part of it, but not quite reaching the far end. An uneven rocky incline led down from where Blacknail was to the main floor. There, the river shimmered with reflected light as its flowing length cut the cave in half. Around it, dozens of tall stone columns jutted out of the ground. These rocks cast a host of deep shadows that practically anything could have been hiding in.


    Suddenly, the shadows next to one of the closest columns shifted and a shape emerged. It was a crab the size of a very large dog or pony. It had long spindly legs and a pale grey shell. Two powerful-looking claws hung beneath its round body, which had two beady black eyes set in it. As Blacknail watched, the creature skittered closer to his party. At the same time, there was movement from other nearby spots. Three crabs whose rugged shells had disguised them as rocks rose up while two more slipped out of the darkness. The creatures quickly formed a small pack as they headed for the hobgoblins.

 On Winters Wings 4

    The mob of giant crabs scuttled over the rocks that littered the cavern floor as they headed straight for Blacknail¡¯s party. The hobgoblin guards that had come along eyed them nervously. The creatures weren¡¯t that tall, but they had thick carapaces, and claws that were powerful enough to crush limbs. Even with spears, they would be dangerous opponents for normal hobgoblins.


    ¡°Want me to blow them up, boss?¡± Imp asked as he held his glowing staff up high. Its white light was illuminating the depths of the cave around them.


    ¡°No, I got this,¡± Blacknail answered confidently as he began walking forward alone. No one tried to stop him as he headed down the rocky incline, and he hadn¡¯t expected them to.


    The sound of moving water filled Blacknail¡¯s ears as the underground river in the middle of the cave continued to ebb and flow. Now that he was in the huge cavern, the cool energy that had drawn him here was even stronger. It washed over him, making him feel stronger and invigorated. As a result, confidence filled Blacknail. There was an excited grin on his face as he drew his blade and stepped forward to meet the first crab.


    The creature made an angry gurgling sound as it slashed at Blacknail¡¯s chest with an open claw. However, the claw snapped shut on open air. Blacknail easily sidestepped the blow. He then leaned forward and stabbed the tip of his sword into the creature¡¯s mouth. It tore through what little shell was there with ease and then sank deep into the crab¡¯s flesh. Grunting with effort, Blacknail pushed forward, and his blade slid even deeper. The crab instantly quivered and began to fall as its insides were shredded by sharp steel, so Blacknail withdrew his blade and jumped back. As he moved, a claw swipe from another crab missed him by a hair. The stupid things were faster than they looked.


    However, Blacknail¡¯s movement were even more quick and powerful. He was still drawing in the energy around him, and it was making up for his lack of Elixir. Actually, it felt somewhat similar. Jumping sideways to avoid two charging crabs, Blacknail slashed at a third. His blade sliced into its arm at the joint - where there was no carapace to protect it ¨C and the creature¡¯s claw was cut right off.


    Unfortunately, the other crabs had used this time to surge forward and surround Blacknail. The hobgoblin just grinned, though. He wasn¡¯t worried. The unknown power had seeped into Blacknail¡¯s body. It pooled in his blood in a familiar way, so he used it. With an act of will, Blacknail ignited the energy in his blood and pulled it up into his head. He then pushed it out as an invisible wave, which washed over the gathered crabs. The result was exactly as if he¡¯d been using Elixir. The magic tore into the beast¡¯s minds, filling them with unnatural terror. Blacknail could feel the power go to work.


    Inhuman hissing filled the air as the crabs began stumbling backwards. Two of the creatures even collided and fought briefly as they hurried away from Blacknail as fast as they could. Soon, the entire mob was scuttling away at top speed. As he watched, the crabs separated and disappeared back into shadows or slipped into the river.


    Ferrar made his way down to Blacknail¡¯s side and picked up a severed crab arm. ¡°I bet these taste great if you cook them right.¡±


    He was swiftly followed by the other hobgoblin¡¯s, including Imp. Now that it was safe, they all descended the rocky incline and made their way to their chief.


    ¡°Why did we come down here, boss?¡± Imp asked as he joined Blacknail. ¡°The mines are the other way.¡±


    Blacknail had been studying the far reaches of the cavern, but now he turned to face the other hobgoblin. ¡°I wanted to explore. There is something here, and we¡¯re going to find it.¡±


    There were some openings in the wall over to Blacknail¡¯s left, so that was where he headed. The cavern he was in had plenty of passages leading out of it, but many of them were on the other side of the river and crossing that waterway would be dangerous. Not only would it be a treacherous place to swim, but it was full of strange creatures such as crabs and giant predatory salamanders. There might even be much worse things that had yet to reveal themselves.


    Thankfully, the crabs kept their distance as Blacknail¡¯s group crossed the cave. When they reached the passages there, Blacknail studied them. One was a short dead-end, while the second just felt wrong. The third looked promising though, so he jumped over the rocks in front of it and then helped Imp up. As his minions climbed after him, Blacknail then headed inside.


    The passage was tall but tight and the walls were a smooth rock that was so dark it was almost black. Water had worn channels in the floor but only a few small stalactites hung from the ceiling. Imp followed right behind Blacknail, but the winding nature of the tunnel meant they couldn¡¯t see too far ahead. However, after a few minutes, the passage widened significantly until the entire group could have walked through it side-by-side. Natural shelves appeared on the walls, and most of them weren¡¯t empty. A colorful assortment of mushrooms grew from heaps of dirt that had been piled on them. The light from Imp¡¯s staff also glinted off the shiny rainbow-colored shells of harvester beetles as they moved among the fungus or flew through the air.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen these bugs up in the forest, eating leaves,¡± a hobgoblin observed as he leaned down to study a cluster of mushrooms. ¡°You can¡¯t eat them.¡±


    Blacknail snorted before haughtily correcting his ignorant minion. ¡°They don¡¯t eat leaves. Harvesters bring stuff down here to make these piles, then they eat the mushrooms that grow. Also, you should watch out. Sometimes bigger bugs with venomous tails hide in those mushrooms.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you sure are smart, boss,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he carefully stepped back.


    ¡°Of course, I am. I¡¯m the smartest,¡± Blacknail explained as he looked around.


    He hadn¡¯t come down this passage to look for harvesters, and now the energy he¡¯d been feeling was weaker. They must have gone the wrong way. Blacknail turned to head back the way they¡¯d come, but Ferrar stopped him.


    ¡°Look, there on the ground; tracks,¡± the hobgoblin said as he pointed at a spot up ahead.


    Frowning, Blacknail leaned down to get a better look. He almost immediately saw what Ferrar was talking about. The ground here was very dusty - probably because of the harvesters dragging dirt in ¨C and there were some obvious scuff marks. Some of the them resembled footprints. In fact, they sort of looked like goblin tracks.


    ¡°Do goblins live down here?¡± Blacknail wondered aloud. He¡¯d never seen any.


    ¡°None of my workers have mentioned seeing ferals down here,¡± Ferrar replied.


    ¡°None of our goblins would ever come here. They¡¯d get eaten,¡± Imp added helpfully. Several hobgoblins nodded along. They seemed worried about getting eaten themselves.


    Blacknail sighed. Of course, none of his minions were helpful. He had to do and learn everything himself. Leaning down, Blacknail sniffed the ground, but all he could smell was rotting plant matter, dung, and mushrooms. The rich scent of the harvester farms was too strong.


    ¡°We¡¯ll follow these tracks for a bit before heading back. Be silent; we¡¯re hunting,¡± he told his minions as he began walking further down the tunnel. There was really only one way the makers of the tracks could have come from.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Moving with stealth now, Blacknail¡¯s party crept forward through the tunnel. Imp fell to the back of the group and dimmed his light until it was only a meagerest of glows. Hobgoblins had great night vision, but they couldn¡¯t see when there was no light at all. Around them, some of the mushrooms began to give off their own glows in response to the return of darkness. It was still difficult to see in such dim light, though. Blacknail listened intently as he carefully navigated through the maze of shadows and rocks. His ears twitched overtime the heard a drip of water or a tiny critter skittering through the dark, but he stayed focused.


    They continued on this way for several minutes, until Blacknail thought he detected a hint of light up ahead. Motioning for Imp to stay behind, he stalked forward through the dark until he reached the end of the passage. Another large cave chamber opened up in front of him, so he hid himself behind a large rock and peered out.


    Thankfully, Blacknail¡¯s eyes had grown used to the gloom, so he was able to study the scene before him. It was a large cavern, and it looked to be full of huge mushrooms, some of which were glowing. The size of the fungus surprised Blacknail. He¡¯d never even heard of anything like it. It was difficult to see, since only a few of the mushrooms were glowing, but some of them had to be as tall as people. As he watched, Blacknail also saw small dark figures move among the shadowy forest of fungus, but he couldn¡¯t tell what they were. They were about the right size for goblins, though. Weird.


    After a few moments, Blacknail¡¯s minions joined him, including Imp, who¡¯d completely shut off his staff. Blacknail considered his options for a moment, but then decided he¡¯d seen all that he could from here. It was also unlikely that he¡¯d be able to sneak closer undetected, so he turned to Imp and signaled for the mage to light the way. With a nod of acknowledgement, Imp did as he was told. He raised his staff and it burst to life. Bright white light radiated forth, lighting up the cavern before them.


    Shielding his eyes to protect his vision, Blacknail quickly stepped out from behind his rock and looked around. He was now able to see a lot more of the fungal forest. Mushrooms of all forms and sizes rose up from a dark mass of rich-looking dirt that covered the floor of the cave. Above them, shinning droplets of water dripped down from stalactites. However, Blacknail was looking for movement. The sudden burst of light had startled the inhabitants of the cave, sending them running. Blacknail was only briefly able to glimpse a bunch of pale grey forms before they dashed away. He hadn¡¯t gotten a very good look, but they¡¯d been vaguely goblin-like, even if they were the wrong color. All the goblins he¡¯d seen had been some shade of green.


    ¡°Were those goblins?¡± a hobgoblin asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Blacknail replied as he walked forward to study the mushrooms.


    Almost the entire cave was full of towering fungus. A few skinny tubular ones were almost twice as tall as a hobgoblin, and they were a startling purple color. There were also plenty of capped mushrooms of various colors, and even a few big white balls that were too perfectly spherical to be rocks.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of mushrooms,¡± Ferrar remarked in an impressed tone. Blacknail nodded in agreement. He wondered if they could be used as an emergency food supply.


    ¡°Do any of you want to try eating some mushrooms?¡± he asked his minions.


    ¡°Which ones are poisonous, boss?¡± one of the guards asked.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Blacknail admitted. He wasn¡¯t sure if these giant mushrooms were the same as the smaller type, just bigger, or if they were completely different.


    In the end, no one decided to try eating any of the fungus, so Blacknail led his party back the way they¡¯d come. There was no way they were going to run down any of the pale creature snow, so there was no point in sticking around. He still wanted to track down the source of the energy as well, and this was definitely the wrong way for that. The energy was even weaker now, although it was still around. Underground, it never seemed to vanish completely.


    A brief hike led them back to the river chamber, and once there, Blacknail selected another passage to try exploring. This one was wider and wetter. The ceiling dripped, and as a result pools of water were scattered around the floor. However, using Imp¡¯s light, they were able to navigate it easily, while only getting a little damp. As they walked, it soon became obvious that the tunnel sloped downward, deeper into the earth. Blacknail also quickly realized he¡¯d chosen the right passage. The energy in the air grew noticeably stronger as they headed down. It felt good.


    ¡°How far are we going?¡± Ferrar asked nervously after a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m the leader. We go until we find what I¡¯m looking for,¡± Blacknail replied testily without slowing.


    Soon after that, Blacknail saw the light of Imp¡¯s staff reflect off something in the wall. Excited, he peered at the object. It was a blue crystal, and it was growing straight out of the wall.


    ¡°A mana crystal,¡± Imp observed. He sounded excited as well.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail agreed as he turned to peer down the tunnel in front of them. He thought he saw more glints of light up ahead, so be began walking again.


    Sure enough, the walls of the cave further down were studded with small crystals. Blacknail briefly looked them over as he walked past. Imp and the others were forced to hurry after him, and soon they came to the end of the tunnel. A rocky round chamber about the size of a house lay in front of them. There was no way to continue on, but there was a large crack in one of the walls. It was surrounded by crystals, and it was obviously the source of the strange energy. The air was thick with power here. It tingled Blacknail¡¯s skin as it washed over him.


    The crack was too tight for anything thicker than a finger to fit through. Blacknail studied it for a moment from afar and then began to walk over to get a closer look, but then a noise caught his attention. There was clatter of falling stones from the opposite side of the cave. Blacknail turned to look, and saw a huge white salamander slide out from behind some rocks. He¡¯d been too focused on the crevice to notice it, and its skin had camouflaged it in with the stone.


    Blacknail had seen the predatory salamanders that lived in these caves before, but this one was different. While it was the same pale white as the others and completely lacked eyes, this salamander was much bigger. It looked to be at least three time the weight of a hobgoblin. The reason for its size was obvious. It had a rows of translucent crystal spikes running down its back. It was a mutant, and undoubtedly it had been drawn here by the same energy as Blacknail.


    There was silence as the hobgoblins studied this new threat. Then, all the minions began backing up slowly. Apparently, they¡¯d decided to let their chief deal with the problem. Blacknail glared at them for a moment, but then had to turn and focus on the salamander. What a bunch of useless cowards. Well, whatever. They wouldn¡¯t be much help anyway, and Blacknail was feeling confident. The energy from fissure was flowing through him, and he wanted to test out his new body. He felt like pushing his limits would help him grow. Also, if he started losing, he could always order Imp to blast the thing into bloody pulp.


    Stepping forward, Blacknail drew his blade and met the salamander¡¯s gaze. They stared each other down, like beasts before a kill. Er¡­ Blacknail stared at where the creature¡¯s eyes would have been if it hadn¡¯t been born eyeless. It knew he was there, right? Blacknail was going to feel silly if he was posturing for no reason.


    Suddenly, the creature reared up and hissed at Blacknail, revealing rows of needle-like teeth. Apparently, it could sense the hobgoblin¡¯s location. Blacknail had mixed feelings about that.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± Blacknail told his minions before lunging toward the mutant.


    The hobgoblin chief held his blade ready as he charged at his foe. The salamander reacted by hissing again and then rearing back as if to strike. However, before Blacknail got anywhere near its striking range, the mutant¡¯s head jerked forward, and it opened its mouth. Confused, Blacknail stared at its countless pointy teeth and pink gums. What? That posture was just making the salamander vulnerable¡­


    Then, as the hobgoblin continued to move closer, the empty space between the beast¡¯s jaws began to ripple and glow. Blacknail reacted instantly. He stopped his charge and threw himself to the side. He was just in time. A blast of green flew through the space he¡¯d been occupying a second ago and hit the cave wall. The power splashed against the stone and started sizzling as it dripped down. As Blacknail rolled to the side, he glanced over and saw the green liquid begin to bubble as it ate through the rock. He instantly decided that not getting hit by that sludge was his new number one priority.


    Blacknail jumped to his feet and raised his sword, but the blind salamander hadn¡¯t remained still after launching its first attack. With eerie precision, its eyeless head tracked Blacknail¡¯s movements, and then it opened it jaws again. Blacknail was paying attention. The second he saw the air distort, he jumped to the side. Another green missile shot past him as he charged the salamander again.


    The mutant apparently couldn¡¯t fire its magical blasts in quick succession, because Blacknail was able to close the distance without having to dodge again. The salamander just hissed and readied itself to meet him. Running past several tall rocks, Blacknail raised his blade and then slashed down at the creature¡¯s head. It reared back and opened its mouth, as if to try and bite down on the blade, so Blacknail adjusted his swing. The hobgoblin grinned as his sword sliced right toward the mutant¡¯s exposed neck. It didn¡¯t connect. Without warning, he salamander¡¯s tail came out of nowhere. The long appendage slammed into Blacknail¡¯s side with a loud crack that knocked the air from his lungs, and he was sent flying away.

 On Winters Wings 5

    Carried by the force of the giant salamander¡¯s blow, Blacknail flew through the air and slammed into the cave wall. There was a loud crack from his spine as it impacted the uneven stone surface. Then, he slid down the wall and hit the floor. Ouch. Pain stabbed through Blacknail¡¯s entire body. He was more than a little disoriented, but he immediately found the strength to jump to his feet. The memory of what the salamander¡¯s acidic magic had done to the rock wall was still fresh in his mind, and he desperately wanted to avoid finding out what getting hit by that felt like.


    Blacknail got ready to dodge another attack by the blind salamander, but it didn¡¯t come. Instead, he saw a shimmering ball of force fly by and hit the salamander in the side. The mutant creature hissed violently as it was knocked sideways by the impact. It skidded and stumbled across the cave floor until it hit a stalagmite, but it didn¡¯t appear too hurt. Blacknail glanced over and saw Imp standing at the cave entrance with his staff pointed at the mutant. Behind him, several other hobgoblins were cautiously peeking out from behind cover.


    Blacknail scowled at them. He hated looking weak in front of his minions. ¡°I didn¡¯t need help. I had it right where I wanted it.¡±


    ¡°It smashed you into a wall,¡± Imp pointed out.


    ¡°Exactly, I was fooling it into dropping its guard,¡± Blacknail replied arrogantly before huffing in indignation.


    Wait, why did his side feel wet? Reaching down, Blacknail touched his ribs and his hand came away covered in blood. The salamander¡¯s tail was studded with small sharp crystals. One of them must have cut him. Blacknail grunted. Now he wanted to return the favor and headbutt the salamander using his new horns. That would probably be a terrible strategy, though.


    Imp¡¯s expression was carefully blank. ¡°Ah, then you¡¯re a very good pretender, boss. You sure fooled me too.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. I¡¯m one of the best actors ever. I hunt a lot of humans that way,¡± Blacknail agreed in satisfaction as he turned to focus on the salamander again. It was getting back on its feet, and it looked about as mad as an eyeless salamander could look.


    ¡°Shoot it again,¡± Blacknail told Imp.


    There was an amused sounding sigh from Imp as he obeyed. Another magical strike lashed out of his staff. However, this time the blind salamander sensed it coming somehow. It jumped to the side and dodged the blast. Imp was capable of creating bigger blasts, but he was probably keeping the power down so that he didn¡¯t start a cave-in. A small blast was all the distraction that Blacknail needed, though.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s mine,¡± he yelled as he charged the creature.


    Blacknail wouldn¡¯t normally do something stupid like seeking out a one-on-one fight, but he wanted to test himself. He suspected that facing some real danger and pushing himself to his limit was the only way he was going to figure out how his new mutant body really worked, and not understanding himself was unacceptable. When Blacknail had first become a hobgoblin, his old master Saeter had literally beat the value of discipline into him. However, you couldn¡¯t control yourself without first knowing yourself. Every moment of ignorance invited ruin.


    The pale salamander reacted quickly to Blacknail¡¯s charge. It scrabbled over to a tall rock, so its flank was protected from Imp, and then it shot another green blast at Blacknail. The hobgoblin chieftain lunged to the side, but he stumbled over a loose rock at the last second. Apparently, he was still a little unsteady on his feet. Thankfully, the salamander¡¯s magical attack didn¡¯t hit him. It zoomed right past, missing by less than an inch, and actually eating through the edge of his cloak. Grimacing, Blacknail caught his balance and resumed his charge toward the blind salamander. That had been a little too close for comfort.


    The salamander was too close now for it to try another acid blast, so it decided to meet Blacknail¡¯s charge. It scrambled out from behind the rock and lunged at him. As they closed, the pale mutant opened its mouth wide. At the same time, Blacknail raised his sword and prepared to strike. Just as the salamander began to bite down, he spun out of the way. Then, he ducked under the tail swipe that followed and slashed the creature¡¯s side. There was a hiss of pain from the mutant as it spun around to bite him, but Blacknail leaned back away from the strike and countered by slashing the creature¡¯s neck. He was then forced to jump back as the salamander reared-up and slashed at his face with a clawed forelimb.


    Blacknail¡¯s body ached from his previous wounds, but he was steely calm as he twisted around and caught his balance. Through the pain, he could feel his body and the magic within it. The power that radiated from this cavern was still flowing around him and seeping into his blood. It was similar to how Elixir worked, but Blacknail was now aware of one big difference. Instead of pooling and building up in his blood, the magic was being drawn away into a single point within the center of his chest. That was why he hadn¡¯t been able to feel the power before. Yes, now Blacknail could really fight.


    There was an enraged growl from the blind mutant and it snapped at Blacknail again. The hobgoblin dodged to the side and reached down within himself. He sought out the core where his power was resting. He could feel it; it burned bright like a star. Really, he had no idea how he¡¯d managed to stay ignorant of its existence until now.


    At Blacknail¡¯s command, power surged out of the burning core, filling his body. It was very similar to drinking Elixir, and it empowered him the same way. A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Blacknail¡¯s face as he lunged at the giant Salamander. With startling speed his blade sliced into the creature¡¯s shoulder and tore through it. Even Blacknail was surprised. He almost stumbled. That had been faster than he¡¯d ever moved before.


    The blind salamander was bleeding from several wounds now, but it was far from finished. While Blacknail was admiring himself, it jumped back and shot a blast of acid at him. Tapping into his new strength, Blacknail sidestepped the magical strike and then lunged forward. As his blade sliced down at the creature¡¯s head, the beast dodged to the side and swung at the hobgoblin with its tail. Instead of hopping back again, Blacknail decided to have some fun. He jumped over the crystal-studded tail as it whipped his way. Then, as he flew toward the blind salamander, he raised his blade high up above his head dramatically.


    The salamander had time to react, it reared back as if in preparation to strike at Blacknail while he was still in the air. However, Blacknail had anticipated that. He pulled power out of his bright core and dragged it up into his head. His thoughts grew clearer and faster, even as the furious power made focusing on anything but itself harder. Then, Blacknail snarled and pushed the power out at the salamander. The magic rippled as it shot through the air and slammed into the salamander. The eyeless creature shivered as the power tore into it, and then it froze from terror. The wave of fear had overwhelmed its mind for a moment. That was all the time Blacknail needed. As he fell toward the salamander, he swung down at its neck with all his power. His muscles strained as metal met flesh, but the blade cut through skin and sliced into the creature. Blood sprayed out of the wound as a large artery was severed, and a gurgling sound escaped the creature¡¯s throat. As Blacknail kicked the salamander¡¯s shoulder and used the leverage to tug his blade free, the beast spasmed violently and then collapsed onto the cave floor. A pool of shimmering dark blood swiftly began expanding out from its body as it lay completely still. Laughing gleefully, Blacknail hopped over the blood and gave the corpse a kick. He¡¯d won and grown stronger doing it! Was there any better feeling than cutting your enemies apart?The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A few seconds later, Blacknail relaxed and took a series of deep breaths. His euphoria quickly faded and was replaced by weariness as he wiped his blade clean and sheathed it. As he looked down at his fallen foe, he could feel what he suspected was magic radiating out from its body now that it was dead. Blacknail closed his eyes for a moment and let himself feel what was going on around him. His own body seemed to be pulling that power in and draw it into his core, where it was stored for later use.


    ¡°Congratulations on your incredible victory, boss,¡± Ferrar announced as he led the other hobgoblins over to Blacknail¡¯s side.


    Imp gave Blacknail a quick nod, and then the mage walked over to the fallen salamander and pulled out a long knife. Kneeling down, he began cutting into its belly. A moment later, he reached in up to his elbow, and began rummaging around for its core. Blood got everywhere, but Imp didn¡¯t seem to care. He was focused on his prize.


    ¡°My victory was never in doubt. That stupid mutant was easy prey for a great hunter like me,¡± Blacknail said as he turned to face Ferrar. He had to suppress a pained grimace, since his side was beginning to hurt again now that he wasn¡¯t reinforcing himself using magic anymore.


    Ferrar nodded. ¡°Yes, you are truly amazing, boss. What do you want to do now that the beast is slain?¡±


    Blacknail frowned and looked around. He felt like taking a bit of a rest and enjoying the quiet atmosphere for a while. The cave was still full of power he could absorb.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here and enjoy the um¡­ air for a few minutes. Go wait outside and give me some quiet,¡± he told his minions.


    Imp had apparently found the blind salamander¡¯s core. The hobgoblin was splattered with blood as he walked over to join the others. Ferrar looked confused, but he gave Blacknail a quick bow and did as he was told. All the other hobgoblins followed him back out into the passage that led into the crystal chamber.


    ¡°The air smells like dead fish and worms in there. Why would the chief¡­¡± a hobgoblin observed as they walked out. His companion just silenced him with a stern look, and then they were out of sight.


    When all his minions were gone, Blacknail walked over to the crack in the wall. The chamber was much darker without the light from Imp¡¯s staff, but several of the crystals on the walls glowed dimly, and that provided Blacknail with enough light to make his way around. Blacknail studied the crevice and the crystal around it for a moment. He could feel the magic flowing out of it, and he hungered for it. Thus, since he didn¡¯t have a better idea, he sat down on the floor in front of it and closed his eyes. In the dark, he just let the power wash over him and be drawn down into his core. It was very relaxing and satisfying, like taking a deep drink of cool water after being out in the hot sun for too long.


    Blacknail lost track of time as he focused on his breathing and the flow of magic. Actually, he may have fallen asleep for a moment or two, but eventually he began to feel sated. He also knew that he couldn¡¯t to sit there forever, so he reluctantly climbed to his feet. Making his way through the dark chamber, he walked out to join his minions in the passage.


    Several of them were napping, but a few swift kicks got everyone up and moving. Once they reached the underground river chamber, Blacknail used his ability to project terror to send any creatures that approached skittering back into the shadows. After that, they soon got back to the intersection that led toward the surface and the mines, so they finally began their tour of the mines. Blacknail found them to be rather unimpressive. They were just a bunch of long tunnels full of rocks and spotted by the occasional harvester farm, pool of water, or bottomless pit. However, looking around did help him come to a better understanding of what would be required to secure the mines and get production up. Cracks needed to be sealed, guard posts needed to be set up at chokepoints, and patrols would be needed to inspect the sealed cracks.


    All of Blacknail¡¯s minions were tired and weary by the time they got back up to the surface, so he gave them a few orders and then dismissed them. Only Ferrar remained behind, since they had more to talk about. Imp hurried back to his workshop to examine his new mana crystal, and hopefully clean up a bit. He was still soaked in salamander blood and it had started to smell.


    ¡°How is my house coming?¡± Backnail asked Ferrar after they¡¯d discussed the operation of the mine for a while.


    ¡°Slow but steady, boss. I let the humans from Shelter take charge of that project, since they know more about it and I¡¯m busy with other jobs. Humans are good at fancy things.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. ¡°They are, but don¡¯t let them work too slowly. I want my fancy house before the snows.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I just show you what¡¯s been done?¡± Ferrar asked.


    That sounded like a good idea to Blacknail, so he let the hobgoblin craftsman take him over toward the center of the settlement. That was where the mansion was under construction. The home was far from done, but a large area had been dug up and filled in with a foundation made from stone and mortar. There were several large piles of logs and other construction material laying nearby, and a few exterior walls had already been raised. When it was done, the mansion would be several times larger than any of the longhouses. It would also be a lot more impressive looking.


    It looked good, but Blacknail really wanted the work to go faster. Right now, he was still sleeping in a cave. It was a rather nice cave and he¡¯d never had any problems with it, but as an important leader, he needed a fancier home than everyone else.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you go any faster?¡± he asked Ferrar.


    ¡°We could use the stone from the mine and mortar to help build your home¡¯s walls. It would be a good test for the settlement¡¯s walls, but it would also slow down work on them,¡± Ferrar suggested.


    ¡°Fine, if you think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Blacknail agreed reluctantly. Why couldn¡¯t his minions just do everything at the same time? Obviously, they were spoiled rotten.


    ¡°A stone home would look fancier than a wood one,¡± Ferrar pointed out.


    ¡°It would also be harder to burn down,¡± Blacknail replied as he gave the other hobgoblin a meaningful look.


    ¡°True, some of the goblins around here like playing with fire too much,¡± Ferrar agreed as he frowned in disapproval.


    Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed as glared at the other hobgoblin. ¡°And you don¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°I never play with fire! It¡¯s no toy. You have to respect the flames and offer them proper sacrifices if you want to summon their full might! Only then will they bless you with warmth and power. Only then will they let you transform the world with their searing glory!¡±


    Blacknail was fairly certain that was an even more troubling way of thinking. Still, Ferrar hadn¡¯t burned down anything too important yet, so Blacknail let it go. He dismissed Ferrar and went to find something else to do. After resting in the cave and drawing in so much mana, he was full of more mundane energy as well. He needed to do something to burn it off. His muscles were practically aching to be used. He wanted to just start running around until he collapsed.


    However, Blacknail didn¡¯t break out into a run. That would look undignified, and probably scare a lot of goblins. Instead, he ended up wandering around until he found a spot outside the walls where several hobgoblins were chopping down trees. He grabbed an axe and joined in. This startled the nearby hobgoblins, who were quite surprised to find their towering chief began attacking all the nearby trees. Blacknail ignored them. They were just minions. He focused on burning as much energy as possible. For what was possibly the first time ever, working hard felt good.


    Eventually, Gob and several other hobgoblins arrived and walked over to talk to their boss. Blacknail registered their presence but didn¡¯t stop hacking at the tree in front of him. Chips of wood flew away as his axe bit deep into it again and again.


    ¡°What are you doing, boss?¡± Gob asked him.


    ¡°I¡¯m helping the work crews chop down some trees,¡± Blacknail replied as he continued to work.


    ¡°The crew left almost an hour ago.¡±


    Blacknail finally stopped swinging his axe. He let its heavy iron head fall to the ground as he turned to look around. Huh, Gob was right. There were no more hobgoblins workers around. He hadn¡¯t even noticed them sneak away. What a bunch of slackers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need any more trees felled,¡± Gob observed politely. There were dozens of the fallen giants already in sight.


    ¡°You may be right,¡± Blacknail admitted. ¡°Maybe I should gather up some minions and carry these logs inside?¡±


    Gob frowned. It didn¡¯t seem like he thought that was a good idea. However, Herah stepped forward and licked her lips as her eyes studied every inch of Blacknail¡¯s body. ¡°I can think of something sweaty and physical we could do together.¡±


    Blacknail dropped his axe and grinned back at her. ¡°Sure, that sounds like fun.¡±

 Book 3 Available Now and Book 1 Sale

    Hello again readers! If you saw my last post then you''re probably aware that book 3 of The Iron Teeth is now available at Amazon!</a> The paperback will became available sometime later today.


    Also, I''m planning on putting my first book, A Goblin''s Tale on sale for 99c for a week or two, so look out for that. I''ve been told this is the thing to do now that I have three books out, and it will help new people find the series.


    If you''re interested in the ebooks, don''t worry if you''ve already read the web serial. Buying the e-book will not only give you access to a revised and professionally edited version of the story that is worth rereading, but the book version also comes with several new chapters that form a new arc, The Suffering Souls. This new adventure takes place at the end of the book and is worth a read. It rounds out the story of Blacknail and several other characters, giving them some depth.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Purchasing and leaving a review is a also just a great way of supporting the author. Every purchase and review works makes my books more visible on Amazon, and helps other potential readers find my writing. If you haven''t bought and reviewed the first and second books</a> then please do that as well. Why not reread the revised and edited story right from the start?


    So, please head over to Amazon</a> and check out my books! Every purchase and review helps a lot. Thank you all. I look forward to putting out a lot more content for you.

 On Winter鈥檚 Wings 6

    After several rounds of rolling around with Herah, which were interrupted only for snacks and meals, the pair eventually drifted off to sleep together in Blacknail¡¯s bed. By that point, both of them were exhausted.


    Early, the next morning, Blacknail felt quite satisfied when he awoke next to Herah¡¯s sleeping form. Yesterday had been a good day, and he was happy that no one had assassinated him while he¡¯d been unconscious. He¡¯d been a little worried about that, because he¡¯d let his guard down. Not only had he let Herah sleep over, but he¡¯d exhausted himself into an unusually deep sleep. That could have ended badly for him, but thankfully it hadn¡¯t.


    Shoving Herah aside, Blacknail got dressed and went out to supervise the work going on in Ironbreak. As the leader, it was his duty to make sure that there was as little slacking off as possible going on. However, since the settlement was populated mostly by goblins, he knew he had his work cut out for him. Stupid minions. They were too lazy to even try to assassinate him properly.


    Blacknail spent the next hour wandering around and screaming at everyone in sight who was slacking off, which was basically everyone. When he was done with that, he headed over to check on his house. He wanted it done before winter set in for obvious reasons. For one thing, he had no idea how warm his cave was going to be when it started to really get cold.


    Not a lot had been accomplished on the house since yesterday, so Blacknail decided that he had to intervene personally and provide everyone involved with motivation and leadership. Thus, after harassing the workers for a while to figure out what was slowing them down, he went to find Ferrar and Gob. Together, the three hobgoblins were able to round up some work crews and get the project moving faster. Parties of hobs and goblins were sent into the mine to fetch stone and shore it up. Construction was swiftly started on the improvements and defenses Blacknail and Ferrar had decided on yesterday. The caves were full of dangers, so the miners had to be kept safe or they couldn¡¯t concentrate on their work.


    Once the mine was running smoothly and production was up, Blacknail focused on the house itself. In Ironbreak, there were always some goblins lazing about somewhere, so Blacknail had some more rounded up and added to the construction crew. If nothing else, they could help carry tools and heavy objects around. The mansion required a lot of stone and lumber and there was a shortage of wagons. However, since the actual construction was being planned and supervised by humans from Shelter, there was only so much Blacknail could do. He had to wait for them to show up, which wasn¡¯t until the next day. Then, Blacknail managed to negotiate for them to pick up the pace and bring in some more humans, mostly by making veiled threats and throwing small yellow rocks at them.


    It took a few days for Blacknail to get everything moving along at a pace he approved of. During that time, he visited Herah quite a few times to vent his frustration. This left her quite satisfied but also left her too tired to do much else. The female hobgoblin spent a lot of time napping and recovering her energy. As a bonus, this prevented her from talking much.


    Unfortunately, even with the construction of his mansion coming along nicely, Blacknail knew there was a lot more that needed done. He still hadn¡¯t come up with a real plan for dealing with Werrick. The only thing he could do was try to increase his own powerbase before the Wolf attacked, and Blacknail disliked being on the defensive. Still, if Werrick planned on marching an army into the Green and all the way to Ironbreak, there were a lot of tricks Blacknail could play on him. The real danger was if the Wolf simply took back control over the roads to the south and forced Blacknail into hiding. There was little Blacknail could do to stop that, and it would make him look weak and deprive him of access to human goods and recruits. He needed those if he was ever going to try and match Werrick¡¯s forces.


    The coming change of seasons made even recruitment much more complicated. Instead of growing his army, Blacknail knew he had to worry about keeping the minions he already had alive through the winter. Northern winters were cold and terrible. They claimed the weak and the vulnerable without mercy. Preparation was needed to keep as many useful people alive as possible, and to figure out which people were useful. The most crucial concern was about food. When the snow came, it would kill off most the vegetation and severely hamper the tribe¡¯s ability to forage. There were some fields of root vegetables growing outside the settlement walls, but Blacknail honestly had no idea if they were going to be even close to enough. It was a good thing that they¡¯d still be able to hunt, but even there preparation was going to be key. Food needed to be preserved and stored properly.


    In Ironbreak there was a large cave set in the side of a hill that served as the official larder. The chill air within it helped preserve food, and its only entrance was guarded night and day by a pair of hobgoblins. In a goblin settlement, thieves were always a problem. Bloody degenerates; Blacknail hated thieves with a passion. They were always trying to take his stuff. Anyway, the larder already contained a fair amount of food. Blacknail had taught his minions how to smoke meat and dry roots, and everything that wasn¡¯t eaten was thrown in there. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to last the entire winter, though. Hopefully, the harvest of the fields would help with that. Blacknail also had a few other, larger ideas that would cut down on the settlement¡¯s food consumption, but he was going to wait awhile to implement them. Most of his minions were still worth keeping around.


    Blacknail was complaining to Geralhd about how lazy and stupid his ever-hungry minions were when the other man made a suggestion. ¡°You know, Blacknail. You could always trade for necessities with some of those merchants caravans that pass through your territory. Your troops are already stopping them so that you can extract your toll. Why not just use some of that money to buy food or whatever else you find yourself requiring?¡±


    Taken by surprise, Blacknail frowned thoughtfully. Huh, that was good idea. He¡¯d forgotten that human merchants carried useful things. He¡¯d sort of fallen into thinking that all they transported were stupid human things; like alcohol, perfume, or a hundred different colors of cloth.


    ¡°I will send some messengers south right away,¡± Blacknail mused aloud before walking away to do just that. Geralhd didn¡¯t seem too annoyed by his abrupt departure.


    Food wasn¡¯t the only thing they would need to survive the winter, though. There was also the matter of shelter. Gob had supervised the construction of quite a few longhouses that would be able to keep a few hundred hobgoblins and goblins warm, but there was a problem. No one had any idea how many goblins there actually were in the settlement. The little nuisances were impossible to count. They were always running around everywhere and most of them didn¡¯t even have names. All Blacknail could do about the problem was to try and get as much shelter built as possible. Any goblins without homes would just have to tough it out. Ferals survived the winter just fine, somehow.


    The other hobgoblin leaders also had their own duties and kept themselves busy. Ferrar was charge of producing all sorts of materials. His furnaces created everything from pottery to workable iron. He was also in charge of the operation of the mine and the crafting of weapons and tools. The iron tools were particularly important. Not only was Ironbreak in constant need of new axes and shovels, but the tools could be traded to Shelter in return for human expertise and advice.


    After their excursion into the crystal cave, Imp had withdrawn into his workshop with some new crystal samples and had yet to leave. A constant loud bubbling sound was heard from within, and it was occasionally punctuated by the sound of mad laughter, breaking glass, and explosions. Blacknail had avoided going in there himself, but he¡¯d questioned a few of Imp¡¯s assistants who¡¯d managed to escape, and apparently this was all fairly normal for Imp.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    As usual, Gob kept things running smoothly wherever Blacknail himself couldn¡¯t be. He supervised the construction of log longhouses and the day-to-day running of Ironbreak. Everything that was too repetitive and boring for Blacknail was his job. There were a few duties that Blacknail had to help with though. As the leader, he was more important than everyone else. One of these duties was leading the warrior ceremony.


    During the ceremony, every hobgoblin could show off his fighting skills in an attempt to earn the warrior tattoo. It was just a small mark above their left eye, but it gave them bragging rights and more authority in battles. There was also a crafter and mage mark, but Imp and Ferrar handled those.


    The date of the next warrior ceremony swiftly arrived. Blacknail had been looking forward to taking part. It was perfect opportunity to show off his new body and its strength to the entire tribe. No one would dare challenge his authority when they saw how amazingly powerful he was!


    The ceremony itself took place after a dinner feast where most the tribe was gathered around the training field. The sound of drums filled the air as goblins ate and mingled around several large bonfires. Blacknail was seated in the very middle of the feast, at the head of a table next to the largest fire. From there, he surveyed his gathered minions as he finished eating a leg of venison. Many of them glanced his way when they thought he wasn¡¯t looking, and a mixture of fear and awe showed on their faces. Blacknail ignored them and smiled confidently to himself. He knew his large body and tall horns drew eyes. That was just natural. Without a doubt, his minions had never seen a hobgoblin as awesome as him. He was greatest hobgoblin ever, and they hadn¡¯t seen anything yet. He was going to show off his swordsmanship soon. That would really impress the green idiots.


    After letting his food settle in his stomach for a few more minutes, Blacknail got up and called for the beginning of the warrior ceremony. Immediately, the pace of the drumming picked up and the gathered green-skinned throng rose to its feet and began moving. This wasn¡¯t their first ceremony. They all knew what to do, and they wanted to get to it. All the hobs and goblins enjoyed the spectacle.


    To one side of the fires, the massed tribe formed a rough circle. They all stood facing inward as Blacknail walked out into the center of the group. He smiled as he studied the tightly packed ring of his minions.


    ¡°You all know why we¡¯re here!¡± Blacknail yelled once he reached the very center. There was a roar of excited approval from all the watchers.


    Blacknail stopped to listen for a second and then continued yelling. ¡°We¡¯re here to see who among you is worthy to be a true warrior of the tribe and serve me as a skilled sword. However, before we begin the testing, I¡¯m going to show you what true swordsman are like. I will duel the strongest warrior in the tribe, Slashi!¡±


    At this news, there was another bout of mad yelling from the gathered hobgoblins and goblins. They were more than happy to watch any sort of fight, and one involving their chief sounded great. Blacknail just grinned and waved at them before turning to watch Slashi emerge from a group of hobgoblins to his left. He gave Blacknail a quick respectful bow before taking up position across from him.


    Slashi was tall for hobgoblin and his eyes shone with a focus that was very unusual. He had been named by Blacknail because he was the best swordsman among all the hobgoblins Blacknail had trained or fought. He was obsessed with sword fighting and spent all his free time practicing or finding new sparring partners among the humans. Thus, although he¡¯d only been a hobgoblin for a short while, he was already more skilled than Blacknail. That was just a pure skill comparison, though. Blacknail was much smarter, and his supernatural strength meant he could easily defeat the other hobgoblin. This was just going to be a show and chance for him to show off.


    Blacknail drew his blade and nodded at Slashi, who then drew his own weapon and stepped forward. Grinning, Blacknail rolled his shoulders to loosen them and then moved to engage. The drums picked up the pace again and the crowd screamed as Blacknail raised his blade and slashed down at his opponent. His blade cleaved through the air, but Slashi easily side-stepped the attack and countered with a swift cut aimed at Blacknail¡¯s arm.


    Leaning back slightly, Blacknail shifted his sword and blocked the blow. The two blades collided and slid against each other, until Blacknail grunted and pushed Slashi away. The other hobgoblin couldn¡¯t hope to win a contest of strength, so he was forced back. He recovered quickly though and threw himself back into the fight with obvious excitement. There was a tight grin on his face as he launched a flurry of quick strikes designed to put Blacknail on the defensive. Slashi was happiest when he got to face a good opponent and test his skill.


    Blacknail easily blocked or dodged the incoming blows. To his mutant eyes, Slashi¡¯s moved weren¡¯t particularly fast. It was also simple for him to react thanks to the power and speed of his new mutant body. Then there was his reach. Blacknail¡¯s long arms gave him another advantage, and it was one that was obviously frustrating Slashi. Since he was so tall, he wasn¡¯t used to fighting a hobgoblin with longer limbs.


    Picking up the pace, Blacknail went on the attack. He stepped forward and pushed Slashi back with two lightning-quick blows. Slashi was forced to duck under one and then jump back. Filled with confidence, Blacknail attacked a few more times, but held back just enough so that Slashi could dodge. This was a demonstration after all. He didn¡¯t want it to end too quickly.


    After a few more seconds of desperate dodging and weaving, Slashi went on the attack again. He suddenly ducked in under a horizontal slash aimed at his head and charged forward. At the same time, he stabbed his blade toward Blacknail¡¯s chest. Caught off guard by the swift and smooth movement, Blacknail was forced to burn a bit of magic as he sidestepped the blow. He almost didn¡¯t make it, and he could swear his shirt was nudged by the blade as it slid past.


    Scowling, Blacknail decided to end the fight. He drew power from the core in the center of his chest and felt the magic fill him. A moment later, his blade lashed out at Slashi. Startled by the unexpected speed of the blow, Slashi could only manage a clumsy block and was knocked backwards by the strength behind it. As he stumbled backwards, Blacknail pressed his advantage. All in one motion, he knocked the other hobgoblin¡¯s blade aside, stepped forward, and kicked him in the chest. There was a loud thud from the impact and the breath was knocked out of Slashi¡¯s chest as he flew several feet backward and then landed on his back. He groaned and didn¡¯t try to get up.


    ¡°I win!¡± Blacknail bragged loudly as he raised his arms victoriously. That drew another round of cheering from the spectators, probably because they knew better than to not agree with their chief as loudly as possible.


    Grinning, Blacknail motioned for Gob to send some minions over to carry Slashi away, and then he turned back to the crowd. ¡°Now the ceremony begins! Let the first challenger step forward.¡±


    In response to Blacknail¡¯s words, another hobgoblin emerged from the crowd. He gave his chieftain a deep respectful bow and then the duel began. He wasn¡¯t nearly as good as Slashi, so Blacknail was able to deal with him easily. He then left it to Gob to decide whether the applicant had passed, since he honestly wasn¡¯t sure what the standard was anymore. His new body made measuring his opponent¡¯s skill accurately hard. Everyone seemed equally weak.


    After that, the sky overhead began to darken as Blacknail fought several more bouts. None of the contestants stood out, and the cheers from the crowd slowly grew quieter as even the audience tired out. That was when the last contestant stepped forward. Instantly, Blacknail realized that something was different about him. He was average-sized for a hobgoblin but dressed almost like a human. He wore dark leather jacket over a tan shirt and leather pants. The outfit was not only clean but even seemed to match. On his head, he had two small black horns. They had a twisted shape and were surrounded by short black hair. Blacknail eyes the new hobgoblin curiously. There was something going on here. The applicant¡¯s dark eyes shone with emotion and there was tight grin on his face. He seemed almost smug about something.


    Well, whatever. Blacknail raised his weapon and signaled for the challenge to start. His opponent hurriedly drew his own blade and eagerly stepped forward. The light from the fire reflected off the steel of his weapon in an odd way that drew Blacknail¡¯s attention. Was there something smeared on the blade? Wait, was that poison! Was this¡­ an assassination attempt?

 On Winter鈥檚 Wings 7

    The well-dressed hobgoblin with black hair smirked as he approached Blacknail. His poison-stained blade was up in an aggressive position, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried. There was no way some random hobgoblin he¡¯d never seen before was going to be a good enough fighter to cut him, especially now that he was aware of the poison. As a mutant, there was a good chance he was immune to the poison as well, although that would be a stupid thing to put to the test.


    Confidently, Blacknail stepped forward and unleashed a swift slash at his opponent¡¯s side. Startled, the warrior applicant was forced back as Blacknail kept him off balance with a series of heavy blows that he struggled to block. Blacknail used this time to think. What did he want to do here? The simplest thing to do would be to cut this conniving hobgoblin down. It would be easy, and no one would care, but was it the right move? Blacknail had to admit that this hobgoblins behavior made him curious. He stood out from the crowd, and technically Blacknail had never said applicants couldn¡¯t poison their weapons during the warrior challenge. He was honestly surprised that no one had tried it before.


    Pivoting to the side, the dark-haired hobgoblin managed to dodge a blow from Blacknail and earn himself a second of respite. He used that moment to quickly slash at Blacknail¡¯s outstretched arm. The attack was fast but light, and wouldn¡¯t have done more than scratch Blacknail, but he dodged it anyway. Even a tiny cut would spread the poison on the blade.


    After stepping back and raising his guard, Blacknail gave his opponent a smug grin. This caused the well-dressed hobgoblin to lose his own grin and begin to look nervous. He paled slightly and glanced sideways to avoid his chieftain¡¯s knowing gaze. He was obviously afraid that his scheme had been discovered.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to do better than this,¡± Blacknail said. The applicant just grunted sourly in response.


    Holding back his true strength, Blacknail chuckled and launched a new series of controlled attacks. His opponent managed to block or dodge all the strikes and even counter with a few quick cuts of his own, but Blacknail taunted his opponent by easily avoiding each of them at the very last moment. This quickly led the well-dressed hobgoblin to grow even more nervous and fearful looking. He¡¯d begin to suspect that Blacknail was playing with him.


    Grumbling something, the hobgoblin dodged a slow slash and stepped closer to Blacknail. Then, he raised a upturned wrist to his mouth and exhaled strongly at Blacknail¡¯s face. Almost invisible in the dark, a cloud of dust flew through the air between them and right at Blacknail¡¯s eyes. Flinching in surprise, Blacknail barely managed to jump back out of the way of the dust. However, even though he wasn¡¯t hit directly, his eyes begin to sting. Growling, Blacknail begin blinking rapidly and using his blade to fan the air to ward off the lingering dust. What was this crap? It was burning his eyes and making it very hard to see.


    Blacknail¡¯s lowered guard and blindness almost cost him dearly. Right as he blinked, his opponent surged forward and slashed at his exposed arm. The coward didn¡¯t even try to go for a proper blow. He focused on applying his dastardly poison.


    However, Blacknail sensed him coming, and now he was angry. Growling, he forced his burning eyes open and tapped into the power in his core. Time seemed to slow as his body was filled with unnatural power and speed. Almost effortlessly, he batted his opponent¡¯s weapon aside with brutal ease. As the loud clang of metal hitting metal rang out, Blacknail then let his opponent¡¯s own charge carry him forward. Off-balance from Blacknail¡¯s strike, the well-dressed hobgoblin¡¯s stance was wide open. For a moment there was a horrified look on the hobgoblin¡¯s face as momentum pulled him forward, and then Blacknail¡¯s boot came up and smashed into his groin.


    Suddenly, there was silence from the watching horde of hobgoblins as Blacknail¡¯s opponent rose a foot up into air and let out a tormented squeak. In the sudden quiet, that pathetic noise reached every nearby ear, and more than a few hobgoblins winced. Eyes crossed, Blacknail¡¯s opponent then fell to the ground with a thud and curled up into a ball after squeaking pitifully again.


    Blacknail kicked the shuddering hobgoblin¡¯s poisoned sword away and looked down at him. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to let you live. Rejoice or else.¡±


    The hobgoblin just groaned, but Blacknail decided that was good enough. This hobgoblin was a treacherous snake, but he also reminded Blacknail of Elyias. Just a smarter and more ambitious, which was natural since he was a hobgoblin. Thus, teasing him was just too much fun, and killing him would be a waste. Besides, Blacknail knew he couldn¡¯t trust any hobgoblins, except maybe Gob. Having one obvious backstabber around wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference. It would just help motivate Blacknail to stay on guard and help him figure out who was plotting against him. This hobgoblin would naturally draw other disloyal minions to him, exposing them. All Blacknail had to do was watch him carefully.


    ¡°You also pass the warrior ceremony, so see Gob about getting your tattoo, after you¡¯ve thanked me,¡± Blacknail explained.


    ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± the hobgoblin mumbled painfully as he climbed to his feet. He looked unsteady and more than a little nauseous, but he¡¯d live. Blacknail was fairly sure you didn¡¯t need both balls anyway, so no real harm done.


    ¡°Do you have name?¡± Blacknail asked. It would be awkward to have him followed if he didn¡¯t. Black hair wasn¡¯t that rare.


    The well-dressed ¨C but now very dirty and ruffled looking ¨C hobgoblin shook his head. ¡°No, boss.¡±


    Blacknail smiled as be begin thinking. He enjoyed naming things, and he was great at it! This stupid hobgoblin had no idea how lucky he was to receive a name from his awesome chieftain. ¡°You shall now be called¡­ Crow.¡±


    The newly named hobgoblin was still in too much pain to do more than grunt ungratefully in reply and throw his boss a poorly disguised glare, so Blacknail sighed. His genius was going unappreciated. He¡¯d chosen the name Crow because of the hobgoblin¡¯s black hair and horns. The fancy way he dressed and took care of his appearance also reminded Blacknail of the stuck-up birds. Lastly, Blacknail knew crows to be completely untrustworthy birds that would murder everyone if they could. They were like horses that way.


    With the last bout was finished, Blacknail announced the end of the ceremony and dismissed the gathered hobs and goblins. At his command, there was one last cheer from the mob before they begun to wander off. Satisfaction filled Blacknail as he watched them go. The ceremony had fulfilled its purposes. Now Blacknail had a few more warriors and the entire tribe had seen his new might and cunning. Hobgoblins were natural schemers, but now even the most ambitious of them would tread carefully around their chieftain. Blacknail grinned proudly. Those that did try to move against him would probably try to gather allies such as Crow, which would play right into Blacknail¡¯s hands. He was so smart. Handsome too. No other hobgoblin stood a chance against him, and when Werrick was dead, he could say the same thing about humans.


    All the nearby hobs and goblins scattered out of Blacknail¡¯s way as he walked over to Gob. They spoke for a few minutes and Blacknail ordered Crow watched. Gob wanted to kill the treacherous hobgoblin, but Blacknail talked him out of it. It was getting boring around here. There had been almost no attempts on Blacknail¡¯s life over the past while, which meant the would-be-assassins were getting smarter and sneakier. Hopefully, Crow would lure some of them out. After his talk with Gob was over, a tired-out Blacknail yawned and went to bed.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    The next morning, a cold wind was blowing down from the North when Blacknail pushed aside the tanned hide that covered his cave¡¯s entrance and stepped outside. He shivered as he studied the distant northern mountains and their snowy peaks. The trees at the edge of the forest were now covered in red and brown leaves that were beginning to come loose and drift down to the ground. Winter was almost upon him. Blacknail considered the scene for a few moments, and then he turned around and went back inside. A moment later, he reemerged wearing a fur cloak that had been made from the hide of a wolf he¡¯d slain. Its thick fur kept the cold at bay and allowed Blacknail to build up some body heat as he started walking around outside.


    Many of the other hobgoblins and goblins outside were also wearing heavier clothing than normal. Usually, most goblins still went around in nothing more than a loincloth, but most of the ones in sight now had on various types of shirts. Some were rough-looking and had obviously been stitched together by someone in the tribe, but others were plundered human items that had been cut down to size. On a goblin, a human shirt was a loose robe that hung down below their knees. That only made them warmer though.


    The cold filled Blacknail with new urgency. It was a chill reminder that his plans would all come to nothing if he didn¡¯t prepare for the coming turn of the seasons properly. Thus, he quickly walked over to the nearest cooking fire and grabbed some food from the hobgoblins there. Then, he gathered up a small escort of guards and headed for Shelter.


    It was an easy journey now that the road between the human village and Ironbreak was complete. There were no obstacles in the way and the surface of the road had been raised in most places to keep it flat and dry, although it was now covered in more than a few fallen leaves. The forest had also been pushed back at least fifteen feet from the road, so it was easier to move without having to worry about being ambushed by predators. Moving too quickly in the Green was normally a great way to run head first into a disgruntled bear or a hungry mimic.


    Soon, Blacknail left the forest behind and the road led him out into the fields around Shelter. He trudged past the scattered remains of the harvest as he approached the village¡¯s gate. When he got there, he yelled to get someone¡¯s attention and he was swiftly allowed inside. Many of the villagers still didn¡¯t like the idea of letting hobgoblins inside their home, but most of them were smart enough to realize they couldn¡¯t keep his tribe out and they benefitted from staying on his good side.


    However, instead of wandering around just to prove he could, Blacknail and his guards waited on the other side of the gate for Tannin to show up, which didn¡¯t take very long. The bearded village elder gave Blacknail a polite nod as he walked over. He had come alone, although the gate guard was still watching from a distance.


    ¡°Welcome, Blacknail. It¡¯s good to see you back on your feet. I¡¯d heard you gotten yourself knocked around and was worried for a while that you wouldn¡¯t make it. Things around these parts would have gotten even more chaotic without you, and that¡¯s the last thing we need. These are already disturbingly turbulent times,¡± Tannin said. He seemed unsurprised by Blacknail¡¯s physical changes.


    ¡°Hello, mister Tannin. I¡¯m fine, better than ever really,¡± Blacknail said as he smiled and flexed his muscles. ¡°I just came to check in on things and see how everything was going here. Leaves are falling, and the season is changing.¡±


    ¡°Aye, the first frost won¡¯t be long now,¡± Tannin agreed. ¡°But we¡¯re as ready as can be hoped. Even with all those new faces you¡¯ve been dumping on us, we should have enough food to last the winter.¡±


    ¡°Good, I was worried about all the human refugees that my minions have been sending north. I haven¡¯t had time to personally deal with them, so I was expecting to find them all wandering around in circles in the middle of the forest. Nothing ever gets done right unless I take charge,¡± Blacknail whined.


    Tannin grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t say that they haven¡¯t been causing their fair share of problems, but all the empty homes are full of people again, and that¡¯s a nice feeling. I never thought I¡¯d see the day. Before you showed up, Shelter had been shrinking for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to need more food? I can probably spare some hunters or bring some food up from the south if you¡¯re short.¡± Blacknail didn¡¯t want to worry about helping the humans feed themselves in the middle of winter. It was better to deal with it now.


    ¡°Every little bit helps, but I think we¡¯ll be fine. Thanks to your goblins, we managed to plant more crops and reap a bigger harvest than usual, and the little critters mostly scavenge up their own meals. On top of that, they¡¯re also keeping other pests away. That was how we lost most of our harvest before, rats. The vermin got in everything over the winter, and what they didn¡¯t eat they despoiled with their shit. Some of them were so big they turned the tables on our cats.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°Rats are nasty beasts. Goblins are always getting into fights or starting wars with them, but we¡¯re superior so we almost always win.¡±


    ¡°Wars?¡± Tannin asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Yes, rats don¡¯t fight fair. They try to mob goblins using their huge numbers, so goblins have to build up a swarm of their own. It gets quite bloody.¡±


    ¡°Well, the goblins certainly are enthusiastic about keeping the rats away, even if I haven¡¯t seen signs of anything like a battle.¡± Tannin laughed. ¡°Some of the critters are even building snares to trap any rats that get too close to the supplies. It¡¯s rather amusing to watch them build the contraptions. Most of them don¡¯t work, but they¡¯re always trying new designs. We¡¯ve had to crack down on trophy-taking though. Having piles of rat skulls everywhere isn¡¯t clean or appealing.¡±


    Blacknail talked to Tannin for a few more minutes and then went off to find Geralhd and the others. The former bandits stayed in Shelter most the time. No one had anything all that important or interesting to say though, so Blacknail soon found himself headed back to the gate. On the way he passed by villagers going about their business. On top of the usual chores, many of the homes were being repaired to make room for new arrivals. Blacknail got more than a few glances, but both the refugees and original inhabitants of Shelter were used to hobgoblins by now, even if they still weren¡¯t comfortable around them. That didn¡¯t bother Blacknail. Even he thought getting comfortable around hobgoblins was a stupid idea.


    Over the next few days, the temperature stayed chilly and the north wind blew regularly. After a week, Blacknail decided that he couldn¡¯t put the next phase of his plans off any longer, even if it meant slowing down all the work going on at Ironbreak. It was time to spread the tribe out so that it would be easier to feed them over the winter. Blacknail sent a runner to find Gob and called a meeting of all his lieutenants. Khita wasn¡¯t invited.


    There were already three major goblin settlements under Blacknail¡¯s control. There was Ironbreak, the settlement on the way to Herstcrest, and the forward base to the south. Blacknail had been building up all three so that they could shelter as many goblins and hobgoblin as possible.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to move a lot of goblins out of Ironbreak and to the other bases,¡± Blacknail explained to Gob and Ferrar. ¡°We also need to build a bunch of hunting lodges where hobgoblins can live. We don¡¯t have much time, but we can use the branch huts that ferals build. They can be put up quickly to make warm and safe shelters.¡±


    Gob threw Blacknail a salute. ¡°Right away, boss!¡±


    ¡°Why are we doing this?¡± Imp asked as he frowned in confusion. Since magic wasn¡¯t involved, he was little out of his element.


    ¡°Food,¡± Ferrar replied with a snort.


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°We will need to hunt more when the snow comes and all the plants die, but there are too many of us here to find enough food that way. We need to spread out. We can plant larger fields next year, but that won¡¯t help us now.¡±


    ¡°Will they be alright off by themselves, boss? The Green is very dangerous,¡± Ferrar remarked.


    ¡°You¡¯re just spoiled,¡± Blacknail huffed in reply. ¡°Ferals live through a lot worse. These minions will have shelter, weapons, knowledge, and supplies. Hunting is easy with bows and snares. They¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Very true, great one!¡± Gob added in support.


    Since he was the boss, and everyone had to do what he said, Blacknail had his lieutenants begin organizing everything for the coming winter. Gob handled the troops, and Ferrar made sure every group had the proper training and craftsman to build and maintain a lodge. Imp didn¡¯t have much to do. All his mages were going to stay in Ironbreak since there was no point in spreading them out, but Blacknail made him take part in the meeting anyway. You never knew when you¡¯d want something exploded.

 On Winter鈥檚 Wings 8

    When the meeting with his lieutenants was over, and Blacknail had finished dumping all the work on them, he wandered off to bother the lazy workers finishing off his house. Glaring and yelling at them kept him busy and amused for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to make them work faster. What a bunch of lazy runts.


    The next morning, a large mob of hobgoblins and goblins headed out of Ironbreak. Obeying the commands that Blacknail had given out yesterday, they followed the road into the Green on their way to the forward base. To make sure that enough goblins went, every hobgoblin was ordered to bring three goblins with him. This caused some grumbling, but it worked. Blacknail watched them go, and then he went to make sure none of his minions were slacking off. There was another group of getting ready to head for Herstcrest.


    When he was sure Gob had everything under control, Blacknail took some guards and went to Shelter. He needed Geralhd to write a letter for him, since he didn¡¯t know how to read or write.


    Blacknail had spent some time mentally debating whether or not he should go to Herstcrest personally, but in the end, he¡¯d decided against it. Although going to Herstcrest would become extremely difficult once it began snowing, there was little point in going there now. Blacknail didn¡¯t have any use for Ilisiti or his men over the winter, and they¡¯d parted on uncertain terms. It would be better to send him a letter and then meet up with him after the snows had receded.


    The letter Blacknail got from Geralhd was short and simple. First, it informed Ilisti of Blacknail¡¯s recovery, without going into too much detail. Second, it reassured Ilisti that their alliance still stood and that he could expect some support from Blacknail, such as a delivery of supplies from the south and meat over the winter. That should keep the vympir satisfied and on Blacknail¡¯s side for a while. Ilisti was a valuable but unpredictable ally. Blacknail didn¡¯t like depending on allies he couldn¡¯t easily assassinate.


    The group of hobgoblins and goblins headed to the settlement near Herstcrest wasn¡¯t that large because there were only a few crude lodges there. The settlement had started out as the lair of a small feral goblin tribe, but after conquering it, Blacknail had ordered it expanded and a wooden wall built around it. The goblins there had grown some tasty herbal tea plants that he¡¯d wanted to keep cultivating. Now, it would serve as a good place to garrison troops over the winter. It was amazing how smart Blacknail was.


    As the expedition was leaving, Blacknail handed his letter to a hobgoblin messenger and ordered him to deliver it directly to Ilsiti.


    The departure of so many hobgoblins and goblins had a noticeable effect on the atmosphere of Ironbreak. Without so many chittering goblins running around, it grew quieter and it became easier to move through the streets. Still, Blacknail wasn¡¯t quite satisfied. He wanted to build at least a few hunting lodges along the edge of his territory, if only as an experiment. Thus, he had Ferrar and Gob assemble a few parties and send them out. Three hobgoblins and three times that many goblins was the size they decided on. That would provide them with enough skills and manpower to survive, while still allowing them all to live in one large lodge. However, if the lodge fell apart but they were still alive, they could always return to Ironbreak. The building of the hunting lodges would probably displace some feral goblins, but that wasn¡¯t Blacknail¡¯s problem.


    After the last party was sent out, Ironbreak was still fairly crowded. Over the last few months, countless goblins had been flooding out of the Green and into the safety of the settlement, until it was stuffed full of the green pests. Many of them had then grown fat on Blacknail¡¯s food and transformed into hobgoblins. There were still too many goblins in Ironbreak to fit into proper buildings, but now you could at least walk around without tripping over them.


    Over the next week and a bit, Blacknail went about organizing Ironbreak. This mostly involved bringing in as much food as possible and getting it stored properly. There was also the matter of clothes and shelter. It was too late to build more buildings, but hunters were still bringing in more hides that could be used to make warm clothing and boots. Thankfully, they had more than enough firewood, so that was one thing they didn¡¯t need to worry about. Not that Blacknail was doing any of the physical work. He was the leader and that was what minions were for. He liked to watch though.


    Blacknail was supervising such a group of hide tanners that were working at the smoking pits when a messenger from Gob showed up with a scout report. Blacknail was too busy to personally listen to every scouting report, so he had Gob handle it and send him all the important stuff. At first the report was nothing but the standard information on supplies and merchant movements down south that Blacknail had come to expect, but then the messenger mentioned some sightings the hunters had made out in the Green.


    ¡°Boggarts, Gob called them that. They look like huge black bugs,¡± the messenger told Blacknail. ¡°Three different hunters saw them moving out in the forest. One hob even came back with a black claw as a trophy. He said he shot and killed it, but it didn¡¯t smell like good eating.¡±


    Blacknail had been lounging on a spare timber, but upon hearing the mention of boggarts, he grimaced and sat up. Boggarts were bad news. He¡¯d run into them out in the Green before and fought several of them. They were also new. According to the humans, they¡¯d only recently begun appearing. The creatures popped up from underground and dragged whatever food they could find back down there, and they were tough enough to consider both humans and hobgoblins food sources.


    ¡°Make sure Gob keeps me informed of all boggart sightings. I want to know if any large groups are sighted,¡± Blacknail told the scout before dismissing him.


    Boggarts unnerved Blacknail. His instincts screamed that they were a threat, even if he wasn¡¯t sure why. There was just something off about the person-sized bug-things. They were too mysterious and unlike anything else he¡¯d encountered. He also suspected that they were much smarter than they appeared. Blacknail didn¡¯t like having smart enemies that he didn¡¯t understand. Humans were easy to predict. At heart, they were prey.


    The next day, another hobgoblin messenger found Blacknail while he was eating lunch and informed him that the work on his mansion was complete. Smiling, Blacknail immediately hurried over to check on his new home. He¡¯d been waiting months for it to be finished, and he couldn¡¯t wait to tour it and move in. Only then could he brag about it properly to everyone like a real leader.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Blacknail to reach his destination. He¡¯d seen the mansion while it was under construction of course, but now that it was complete, he still stopped and took a moment to study it from afar. Over to one side, he saw two of the human workmen who¡¯d been supervising the construction. They noticed him as well and began walking over to greet him.


    The building before Blacknail was made up from two adjunct wings. Both of them were rectangular, but one was longer and almost twice as tall as the other. Both wings were built atop a short stone and mortar foundation and held up triangular roofs. The roofs were covered in rows of tiles that had been made by Ferrar and his craftsman in their furnaces. The front of the building around the entrance was made from more stone and mortar, but the other walls Blacknail could see were smoother. From a previous visit, he knew those walls were made from stacked logs that had been slathered in lime to seal them. It was an impressive sight. The large wing had two floors! There were even some shuttered windows, which were very rare in Ironbreak.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What do you think? As requested, it¡¯s bigger and better than anything in Shelter,¡± one of the workmen said as he reached Blacknail¡¯s side. There was a big smile on his face.


    ¡°It looks alright. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Blacknail replied coolly as he began walking toward the door. It was a real wooden door, and not a hanging hide. Amazing!


    The workman nodded. ¡°Sure thing. We¡¯ll give you the tour.¡±


    The main wing had two floors and a cellar. The ground floor was one big hall, while the upstairs was divided into six rooms and a long hall. The second wing was the location of the kitchen and other side rooms. Below that was the basement, which was mostly for storage.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need a lot more furniture,¡± Blacknail remarked after his tour was over. He only had a bed, a shelf, and a chest in his cave.


    The workman chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d start with a table. I know a carpenter in Shelter who could make one for you, and he can work over the winter.¡±


    Blacknail gave the man a polite nod, and then begin walking around the main hall of his mansion again. This was a home fit for a real leader. There was a fireplace on the far wall, and he was really looking forward to spending most the winter laying in front of it. He¡¯d get a mug of tea and a fur blanket. It would be incredibly relaxing. Best of all, there would be very little for him to do all winter. The snow meant that everyone would be hunkering down and most work and travel would be next to impossible. Yes, he could just sit in front of the fire and nap for day after day. His minions would bring him food, so he wouldn¡¯t even need to get up!


    Unfortunately, there was still a lot of work to be done before Blacknail could do enjoy some well-deserved rest. Life was difficult for great leaders. The bare physical structure of his mansion might be complete, but it was almost empty. Now he needed to get the place stocked, furnished, and organized. He was also going to need guards and servants he could trust not to stab him in his sleep or poison his food. That was going to be a problem. Was there a lock on his bedroom door? If not, he needed to get one. How did you make a lock? He should ask Imp. They were magic, right?


    Blacknail spent the next two weeks trying to get his new mansion up and running smoothly. He bought some spare furniture from Shelter ¨C yellow rocks sure were convenient - and he had Ferrar¡¯s craftsmen build him some more. None of them were great carpenters, but they could make functional but crude chairs and tables. Blacknail had a fair number of pretty items stashed away in his cave that he could use as decorations but not enough to fill his entire new mansion. Thus, he assembled a squad of hobgoblin warriors and sent them out to gather useable tribute from his other minions. Later, he learned from Geralhd that this was called taxation, and human rulers did it all the time. It was a shame that Blacknail couldn¡¯t cover his walls with animal hides. With winter coming, every warm animal skin would be needed for blankets and clothes. Blacknail should have just taken them anyway, since it was his minions¡¯ own fault for being so lazy and not making more, but he decided against it since he didn¡¯t want goblin corpses everywhere. Blacknail¡¯s minions sure were spoiled.


    Gathering up trustworthy servants for his mansion and organizing them properly turned out to be more difficult than finding furntiure. Badly chosen furniture didn¡¯t normally kill you in your sleep. Blacknail¡¯s mansion needed cleaners, cooks, and guards to keep all the filthy goblins out of his stuff. Goblins didn¡¯t understand boundaries and they¡¯d pee on everything given half a chance. Only Blacknail was allowed to pee on his property.


    The mansion was quite large and got dusty rather quickly, so Blacknail knew he needed cleaners. Goblins could do the work, but they came with a lot of downsides. Not only were they thieves and liars, but they were scatter-brained and dirty. Thus, Blacknail figured that cleaning his home was probably a job better suited to a hobgoblin, and maybe a goblin or two that reported directly that hobgoblin. After thinking the problem over, Blacknail decided to simply have an audition for the job. Cleaning wasn¡¯t that hard. Finding guards didn¡¯t take long. Lacking a better idea, Blacknail simply asked Gob to find him some trustworthy guards. He was getting far too reliant on Gob lately.


    One of the first people to apply for the housekeeping position was Crow. His obvious intentions were amusing, but Blacknail quickly sent him packing and then ordered the guards to deny him entry into the mansion if he came back. After that, Blacknail eventually settled on a quiet female hobgoblin that seemed to like to keep to herself. She wanted the job because it allowed her to avoid other people without having to go off into the Green. At first, Blacknail thought she was secretly attracted to his magnificent body, but she avoided him like she avoided everyone else. He almost never saw her, and when he did, she quickly bowed and scurried away. Whatever, she kept the place clean and the kitchen stocked.


    With some basic furniture in place and the staff finally hired, Blacknail invited all his most important minions and allies over for a dinner feast. All and all, there were about three dozen of them, but he was able to sit them around several long tables in his new dining hall. One of the tables was actually a door laid out on some logs, but you could barely tell since it had a sheet over it.


    ¡°Welcome, to my new home. I bet you¡¯re all super impressed!¡± Blacknail announced when everyone was seated.


    Across the table, Gerahld smiled politely. ¡°It¡¯s quite an striking piece of work. I can¡¯t believe you got such a solid looking structure completed so quickly.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot bigger than your house,¡± Blacknail pointed out with a smirk.


    Most the former bandits ¨C including Ralphi - mumbled quick replies and then begin eating the food set before them, but Tannin chuckled so Blacknail turned to face him.


    ¡°It¡¯s also bigger than your house, even though you¡¯re the boss of Shelter.¡±


    ¡°Very true,¡± Tannin replied as he grinned in amusement. ¡°I¡¯m rather comfortable in my old place, but yours is certainly larger. It suits you.¡±


    Blacknail frowned thoughtfully. ¡°Maybe, it could be bigger though.¡±


    Several of the human guests full out laughed now, but Blacknail ignored them. How big of a home would be too big? It was hard to even imagine.


    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly got some nice big bedrooms upstairs,¡± Khita remarked. ¡°Which one of them is mine?¡±


    Blacknail immediately turned to glare at her. ¡°You don¡¯t get one. They¡¯re all mine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Why do you need more than one bedroom? I used to have a bed in your cave, and I visit Ironbreak all the time.¡±


    ¡°You can have the cave. It¡¯s a gift from me,¡± Blacknail told her.


    They argued for a few minutes, and Blacknail tried to stubbornly resist her demands, but she was just too whiny. He eventually conceded simply to shut her up. Maybe he could install a lock on her door so that it locked from the outside¡­


    When they were done arguing, Ralphi spoke up and raised a cup. ¡°Your foods great and all, but what¡¯s with the water? Seriously, where¡¯s your real drink?¡±


    Blacknail looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°Water is a drink.¡±


    Ralphi glared back. ¡°Alcohol. Where¡¯s your alcohol?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any. It¡¯s poison, and not the useful kind.¡±


    Ralphi gave him an incredulous stare. ¡°You¡¯ve got swarms of fidgety hobs and gobs running around doing and building every crazy thing imaginable, but you don¡¯t have a single brewery or still?¡±


    ¡°None.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I could help some of your hobs build one. I¡¯d be interested to see what kind of fire water they come up with.¡±


    ¡°Try it and I will hang your body from the gates as a warning to others,¡± Blacknail told him. He¡¯d had a very bad experience with alcohol in the past, and he didn¡¯t see the point. It tasted terrible and gave you a pounding headache. Also, his minions were dumb enough without imitating humans and getting drunk.


    ¡°You can¡¯t have a real feast without alcohol. It¡¯s the grease on the axel wheel of society!¡±


    ¡°Have some tea. I have a new type and it¡¯s very nice,¡± Blacknail told him.


    Ralphi snorted. ¡°Tea is for the elderly and the sick, and I¡¯m neither. Besides, I¡¯ve seen what happens to people who eat or drink anything strange they get from you, so that¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    The lack of alcohol caused a few more humans to moan or mutter, but everyone still had a good time at the feast. Many of them complimented Blacknail on his great new home, which was nice to hear. After feeding them all such great food, Blacknail felt he deserved at least a little praise back in return.


    Eventually, after all the attendees had eaten their fill and conversed, it became time for the guests to depart. All the humans left together since the way back to Shelter wasn¡¯t safe even with the road completed.


    However, before leaving, Tannin turned and gave Blacknail a friendly grin. ¡°Thank you for the food and hospitality. It¡¯s good to see that you and your tribe can be good neighbors. I think your people and mine can look forward to many years of friendship and mutually beneficial trading.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I think so too. Be sure to make a lot of cheese for me,¡± Blacknail replied as he sent the man on his way.

 On Winters Wings 9

    After the feast with the humans from Shelter was over, Blacknail invited Herah up to see his new bed. They then had a lot of sex on it before falling asleep. It was a great way to end an enjoyable day, because Blacknail had finally managed to show off his new home. It was bigger than everyone else¡¯s, except for Ilisiti¡¯s mansion in Herstcrest, which didn¡¯t count, for reasons.


    The next morning, Blacknail got up early and shoved Herah aside. He had to go do leadership stuff. There were a bunch of stupid minions that needed him to make decisions for them. Thus, after a hearty breakfast at his new table, Blacknail spent the morning talking to scouts and work crew leaders that were looking for direction. Most of the answers he gave them were simply encouragement to do what they already knew was the right response, but a lot of hobgoblins felt the need to ask Blacknail for permission and advice every time the slightest problem came up. Blacknail supposed it was because he was so smart and such a great leader. Most the news he got was about supplies that had been bought down south from passing merchants being brought north. The preparations for winter continued.


    Not all the reports Blacknail got were pointless though. Scouts brought him word of several more boggart sightings. The creatures seemed to be growing more active, which was a rather unwelcome development. Blacknail had been hoping the creatures would disappear back underground, but that didn¡¯t seem to be happening. Even if they didn¡¯t start attacking his minions, they were competing with them for prey and food, and that could lead to serious problems over the winter. Blacknail was going to have to do something about them eventually, but he had no idea what.


    A messenger also brought him interesting news from one of the parties that had been sent out to form a hunting lodge. Apparently, after making their way through the Green and reaching the edge of Blacknail¡¯s territory they¡¯d stumbled upon a small goblin village. The settlement was made up of three huts that had been built next to a river. It had been led by a single hobgoblin, so it had been easy for Blacknail¡¯s minions to rush in and conquer the place. After the brutal killing of the feral hobgoblin, all the goblins had immediately submitted to their new rulers. The settlement wasn¡¯t much and needed a lot of work, but it was far better than any lodge the party could have built before the first snowfall. It not only came with a bunch of goblins that could be put to work, but it also had a plentiful food source. The local goblins frequently fished the river using sharpened branches to spear the fish. Just off the top of his head, Blacknail could think of several ways to improve their catch.


    Avorlus also finally returned from his visit to Herstcrest. The mage had gone there to study the crystals Blacknail had found in one of the mines behind the city. Herstcrest was much larger than Shelter and probably would have been a more comfortable place for Avorlus to spend the winter, except that Hercrest was ruled by Ilisti. The vympir lord was very vocal about his distrust of mages, so staying in Herstcrest hadn¡¯t really been an option for the mage. Out west, in the isolated lands where Ilisti and the other vympirs came from, there didn¡¯t seem to be many mages. Putting two and two together, Blacknail thought this was because the vympirs had killed them all, which was understandable. Even ignoring all the random explosions mages caused, it was obvious why vympirs would have a problem with mages. Vympirs ruled through fear and power, but even though they were very dangerous and incredibly tough, a big enough magical blast could kill anything. It was a good thing Blacknail didn¡¯t have worry about that. He was in charge because he was better than everyone at pretty much everything.


    Upon his arrival, Avorlus immediately came to see Blacknail at his mansion. The old mage looked rougher than the last Blacknail had seen him. His clothes were simpler and dirtier, and his beard wasn¡¯t so nicely trimmed, but his stiff posture still radiated pride. Blacknail had first met Avorlus in Daggerpoint. The white-haired old man was an Elixir specialist. He was also a rogue mage, since he wasn¡¯t affiliated with any of the mage guilds. The mage guilds didn¡¯t like that, so they sent some hunters to arrest Avorlus. Luckily, Blacknail had been nearby. He¡¯d taken some of his minions and snuck past the guild guards. Then, he¡¯d grabbed Avorlus¡¯ unconscious body and carried him off into the Green where no one would ever be able to find him, and he could spend his days making useful Elixirs for Blacknail¡¯s tribe. Blacknail was such a great guy.


    ¡°Ah, how very interesting,¡± Avorlus remarked as walked right up next to Blacknail and begin studying his new body. The mage hadn¡¯t even said hello first.


    ¡°You¡¯re a little close. It¡¯s rude.¡± Blacknail frowned. The old mage didn¡¯t smell great, and was spreading the smell through the house. Maybe he needed to set a pail by the door for humans to use for washing. He could also get a tub for his guards to throw people in.


    Avorlus blinked in surprise and stepped back. He then gave Blacknail an apologetic grin. ¡°Oh, sorry. I let my curiosity get the best of me. I¡¯ve studied Vessels and mutants all my life and rarely do I get the chance to see such a unique specimen. Usually when a subject is exposed to a properly stabilized Elixir it will either die or become a Vessel. Only if the Elixir wasn¡¯t made correctly will the subject fully mutate, and then there is usually obvious mental degeneration. From what I¡¯ve heard and seen, it doesn¡¯t seem like you degenerated at all. Maybe the opposite. Hm¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously. Had he just been insulted?


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. It¡¯s simply curious that you managed to become a mutant after being a Vessel for so long. Of course, there have always been rumors of warriors drinking too much Elixir and going berserk until they become mutants, but I¡¯ve never seen any actual evidence of it before now. I thought rumors were all they were.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s mental degeneration?¡± Blacknail asked. He¡¯d never heard that term before, but it sounded important.


    ¡°Ah, degeneration means to weaken. In the case of mutants, it¡¯s a reference to how they seem to lose the ability to think rationally and become more governed by their passions. In particular, traditional mutants appear to become obsessed with feeding and fighting.¡±


    Blacknail gave Avorlus a thoughtful look. ¡°Have you been turning people into mutants on purpose?¡±


    ¡°Er, not on purpose exactly¡­¡± the mage replied defensively.


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care about your human city rules. I was just wondering if you actually know what you¡¯re talking about when you mentioned mutants getting dumber, or if you were just talking about rumors again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sure. I was quite thorough in my¡­ tests,¡± Avorlus admitted matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Hmm, how safe are your experiments. I was thinking of trying to turn some of my hobgoblin minions into Vessels.¡± Using hobgoblin Vessels was a risky strategy, but Blacknail knew he needed every advantage he could get now, and it sounded like turning hobgoblins into mutants would be an even worse idea.


    The idea of doing some experiments on hobgoblins seemed to intrigue Avorlus, and he quickly agreed to Blacknail¡¯s proposition. That done, he asked Blacknail to come by Imp¡¯s workshop later so that he could draw some blood. Blacknail had heard that giving mages your blood was a bad idea, but Avorlus said it was necessary for the tests, so he reluctantly agreed. Also, it wasn¡¯t like Avorlus was going anywhere.


    When Avorlus left, Blacknail found himself alone in his mansion, except for the silent guards outside and his almost invisible housekeeper. It seemed like there were no more messengers to listen to or reports to go over. Huh. It was chilly outside, so Blacknail decided against going out there. Instead, it was probably time to take a well-deserved break and enjoy all the luxuries of his new home. Repeatedly telling people things they already knew was tiring work.


    The main hall¡¯s fireplace was already lit. Blacknail could easily get some hot tea from the kitchen and a blanket from wherever they were kept. Then, he could just sit down next to the fire and relax. Yes, that was how he should spend most of the winter. So comfy and warm. When it snowed, there wouldn¡¯t be much for him to do. Travel and most work would become almost impossible. Every day, he could sleep in and come down to curl up next to the fire¡­


    There was as sudden crash as the door of the mansion flew open. A cold wind blew into the hall and washed over Blacknail ¨C sending a shiver down his spine - as a hobgoblin stepped inside and looked around before focusing on Blacknail. There was a panicked expression on his face.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack, boss. They¡¯ve invaded the mines!¡± the hobgoblin screeched.


    The words washed over Blacknail and he immediately felt a painful headache flare to life inside his skull. Just why? He had a really bad feeling about this already. Implications and possible interpretations of the hobgoblin¡¯s words flashed through Blacknail¡¯s mind, each of them more annoying than the last. There was a reason his head hurt. It was a premonition of a dream lost.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Close the door before I skin you alive and bury you in an ant hill,¡± Blacknail hissed. Surprised, the hobgoblin jumped to obey and then knelt on the ground in supplication.


    ¡°Now, explain what is happening,¡± Blacknail told him. He wished he could just throw the messenger out and ignore this intrusion. Maybe Gob could handle it. Maybe it was an invasion of rats, or tasty bunnies!


    The messenger looked up from where he was kneeling on the floor. ¡°Yes, boss. A swarm of vile creatures have attacked and chased all the miners out of the caves. They aren¡¯t like anything the miners have seen before.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. So much for the bunny theory. ¡°Are they boggarts?¡±


    ¡°No, great one. They are too small. Just goblin-sized, but they attack in huge swarms. The filthy invaders sneak through the shadows and attack the mages with rocks from afar before rushing in.¡±


    Hmm. Blacknail was glad it wasn¡¯t boggarts at least. If boggarts were invading the mines, then Blacknail would have found himself in heaps of trouble. Not only were boggarts dangerous opponents but they were mysterious and sometimes moved in large numbers. Having them attacking would be a real threat, and quite possibly a permanent one, since there was no way to completely secure the mines.


    ¡°Alright, does Gob know?¡± Blacknail asked as he began stomping over to the door. It would be best to deal with this quickly.


    The messenger climbed to his feet. ¡°Yes, boss. He is the one who sent me. Gob is at the entrance to the mine and is gathering warriors and mages while he waits for your command.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. I¡¯ll go right there to lead the counter attack. Join me,¡± Blacknail said as he walked outside.


    The hobgoblin messenger quickly followed after him, so Blacknail broke out into a run as he headed for the main mine entrance. This was an invasion after all. He shouldn¡¯t waste time, not even for a snack, even if it sounded like no one was fighting right now.


    Gob was right where he was supposed to be, outside the mine with two dozen armed hobgoblin warriors and Imp. The hobgoblin mage was holding his crystal-tipped battle staff. At Blacknail¡¯s arrival, they all gave him a quick bow, although they all did it slightly differently and at different times, so they ended up almost falling on top of each other. Blacknail sighed as the last one regained his balance. Did he really have to find someone to train them to bow properly? Ugh, minions¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Blacknail asked Gob.


    Even though he¡¯d just bowed, Gob threw Blacknail a sloppy salute. ¡°All the miners and guards have been forced out of the mine. Many of them were injured by rocks, claws, and bites, but none of them seem to have been killed. The enemy targeted all the mages with lights, forcing them to retreat.¡±


    ¡°All the mages were just goblins?¡± Blacknail asked Imp.


    Imp nodded. ¡°Yes, I only have two hobgoblin mages, and I don¡¯t send them to work in the mines. For carrying light stones, little goblin mages work fine.¡±


    ¡°What about Scamp?¡±


    Imp scowled for a second. ¡°He¡¯s not a proper mage. Too little brains.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Blacknail admitted. What had Scamp been up to recently anyway? Blacknail hadn¡¯t seen him around.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan, greatest one. Bless us with your wisdom,¡± Gob asked.


    Blacknail smiled. ¡°We¡¯re going to go in there and fight the invaders!¡±


    ¡°Er, surely there is more to your wisdom¡­¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°All these invaders did was chase away some miners. I think proper hobgoblin warriors can handle them and protect our mages from some small critters in the dark.


    Gob and several other hobgoblins didn¡¯t seem too reassured by their chief¡¯s words, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t worried. He had a good idea of what they were up against. He confidently began leading the way into the dark mine, and all his minions reluctantly followed after him. Thankfully, Imp¡¯s staff flared to life almost immediately, throwing back the shadows and illuminating the cave. There wasn¡¯t any sign of the invaders yet.


    With his blade out and ready, Blacknail continued on deeper into the cave until his party reached the cavern¡¯s first major intersection. That was when he finally noticed movement in the shadows at the edge of the light, so he came to a stop and peered into the darkness ahead.


    ¡°Give me more light,¡± he ordered Imp without turning to look at him.


    The hobgoblin mage instantly obeyed, and the light from his staff brightened. The darkness was pushed back, giving Blacknail a quick glimpse of pale grey limbs and small skinny bodies, before the creatures hissed in alarm and retreated.


    Blacknail nodded at the sight and then began walking again. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    The creatures that had invaded the mine stayed in the dark and fled ahead of Balcknail¡¯s force, but they didn¡¯t disappear. Instead, the sound of their skittering steps and hisses grew louder as more of them gathered out of sight. Some of the hobgoblins began to grow nervous as the hidden creatures grew in number. All of Blacknail¡¯s party had their weapons out now and were on guard.


    Suddenly, the light from Imp¡¯s staff revealed a large patch of mushrooms growing on a pile of dirt, and the invader¡¯s hisses grew louder and angrier. Blacknail signaled for everyone to stop as the gathered creatures began to stalk closer to the light. Almost immediately, a barrage of rocks shot of the darkness and flew at the hobgoblins. Blacknail¡¯s troops were ready for this though. They easily batted the small projectiles aside with their weapons or used their armor to block them. Although many of the rocks were aimed at Imp, none of them got close to him.


    This staunch defense angered the creatures even more. Their hissing and growls grew furious, and then they charged. Dozens of the creatures burst of the darkness and ran straight for Blacknail and his minions.


    Blacknail just laughed as he readied his weapon. In the light, the true face of the invaders was finally plain to see. The creatures were small humanoids with pale grey skin and useless little tails. They all had completely bald heads and unusually large eyes that were mostly closed to protect them from the light. Also, despite the obvious differences, they were without a doubt close relatives to goblins. They general body shape was similar, even if they were skinnier and had stubby tails.


    As the first of the attackers leapt at Blacknail, he sent it flying away with a swift kick. He then knocked another out of the air by clubbing it with his sword hilt. The attacking creatures outnumbered the hobgoblins over three to one, and they tried to use their numbers to swarm them, but the hobgoblins stayed in formation and easily held their ground. The attackers were cut down or smashed aside with ease. Several jumped on hobgoblins and tried to claw or bite them, but they almost all failed to penetrate the hobgoblins¡¯ armor. The attackers made a lot of noise, but they were exactly as effective as you¡¯d expect unarmed feral goblins to be against armed and armored hobgoblins. They were ruthlessly crushed in seconds, and quickly lost their nerve. Soon, their angry growls turned to terrified howls and the survivors turned and fled.


    ¡°See, that wasn¡¯t so hard,¡± Blacknail remarked.


    Gob nodded solemnly. ¡°Truly, I was wrong to doubt you for even a moment, wisest of all beings. I am unworthy to serve you.¡±


    Blacknail sighed and gave Gob a look. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Most of my minions are even unworthier than you.¡±


    With the invaders scattered and broken, Blacknail and his minions were able to press on and scout the mines without facing any more resistance. Occasionally, they heard movement and familiar hisses echo out of the shadows, but the creatures didn¡¯t attack again. Usually they encountered the invaders near patches of mushrooms, which made Blacknail suspect they were what the goblin-like creatures were after. That didn¡¯t answer all of Blacknail¡¯s questions though.


    Blacknail frowned as he trudged through the twisting caverns with his retinue behind him. While he had defeated the enemy with ease, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d solved his problem. The invaders hadn¡¯t fled from his mines. It would still be unsafe to send goblin miners back to work, but the invaders weren¡¯t likely to attack Blacknail¡¯s party again. With that in mind, Blacknail led his minions over to long passage full of mushroom patches that would have attracted the creatures.


    As expected, as soon as Blacknail¡¯s group approached the first pile of fungus, there was a movement in the darkness. Blacknail grinned as he led his troops further in. He¡¯d chosen this particular passage for a reason. It was a dead end, which meant he could trap the invaders in it.


    There were hisses as the creatures fled before Blacknail¡¯s group, until they reached end of the tunnel. Then, the light from Imp¡¯s staff hit the far wall, shredding the last shreds of darkness the invaders were using to hide. Once again, they were revealed. About two dozen of the goblin-like creatures cowered against the far wall of the cave. They squinted and shielded their eyes from the light.


    Instead of ordering his troops forward to slaughter them, Blacknail took a moment to study his pathetic foe. Something was bothering him. Why were these creatures here? They were obviously cowards, so why did they attack his miners? They are terrified of hobgoblins, Blacknail could sense it clearly, and yet they¡¯d attacked him. Hmm, since they were so goblin-like, Blacknail thought he should be able to understand how they thought.


    As Blacknail studied the creatures cowering before him, one of them reacted to his lack of aggression. Shaking from fear, it slowly approached him and knelt on the ground. The wretched and sickly colored thing looked skinny and malnourished.


    ¡°Trog!¡± the critter whined as it cowered.


    When Blacknail failed to react with violence, several other of the creatures moved to join their fellow in surrender and begin whining as well. Feeling annoyed, Blacknail just scowled down at them. The surrender of these¡­ Trogs meant nothing. Without a doubt, they¡¯d scamper off the first chance they got, and Blacknail would never find them in the endless tunnels of the Dark Paths. Still, something was bothering him about this whole situation.


    Turning to look back the way he¡¯d come, Blacknail¡¯s scowl deepened. Several unwelcome suspicions had begun to form in his mind. The first place he¡¯d encountered the Trogs had been the huge mushroom forest. Why had they left it and come here, where there was danger and slimmer pickings?


    Unbidden, a swirl of half remembered thoughts rose in Blacknail¡¯s mind. Had he dreamt last night? He thought he remembered a gnashing of teeth and a skittering of black claws in the dark. Endless hunger and countless mouths¡­


    Blacknail grimaced and turned to Gob. ¡°Go gather up as many troops and mages as you can find. I want a full war party ready as soon as possible.¡±

 On Winters Wings 10

    After sending Gob and Imp outside to get reinforcements, Blacknail and several minions waited for them to return at the first intersection in the cave. An unknown number of trogs warily watched from the shadows beyond the light. One of Imp¡¯s assistants had remained behind with a crystal. Blacknail ignored the shifting darkness and the hissing of the unseen trogs. They weren¡¯t important now. He had much more dangerous things to worry about. In fact, the presence of the Trogs was reassuring because it meant nothing more dangerous was around.


    Thankfully, Blacknail didn¡¯t have to wait in the dripping darkness all that long. The alarm had already been raised earlier up above, so Gob was quickly able to round up more troops and return. As Gob and Imp¡¯s group came into sight, Blacknail counted thirty more hobgoblins and three more mages holding glowing light stones. Half the hobgoblins had the warrior mark, but all of them were armed with swords or spears. Blacknail almost felt like waiting for more, but decided it would slow them down too much. Imp¡¯s magic should be enough.


    Once he reached his chief¡¯s side, Gob immediately stopped and saluted. Blacknail gave him an approving nod. ¡°Good job.¡±


    Blacknail then turned to Imp. ¡°Did you bring your best battle magics? Every enemy we blow up is one less enemy trying to kill us.¡±


    ¡°Wise words, boss. But, you said not to get anything that would kill everyone in the cave or bury us under rock,¡± Imp replied with a frown.


    ¡°Fine, did you bring the best magic you can actually use without killing us all?¡±


    Imp nodded. ¡°Probably. We tested it once and nothing too terrible happened.¡±


    ¡°Just be ready to attack at my command,¡± Blacknail replied with a sigh. He hated magic.


    ¡°What enemy do you think is down here?¡± Gob asked as he studied the surrounding darkness with a frown. There wasn¡¯t much to see.


    ¡°Like a great leader, I¡¯m always expecting enemies everywhere,¡± Blacknail replied vaguely before ordering his troops to form up. There was a chance that his suspicions were wrong, and he didn¡¯t want to look silly in front of the minions. There was also no point in spooking them by revealing the truth. Hobgoblins weren¡¯t known for their bravery.


    With Imp at his side to illuminate the way, Blacknail led his troops deeper into the caves and toward the underground river. The heavy thud of footsteps echoed behind him as his troops marched in a three-hob wide column.


    When they reached the huge cavern that contained the rushing river, Blacknail led them down the rocky incline beyond the entrance and into the cave proper. Crabs and other beasts shuffled as they hid among the stone pillars that dotted the cave, but they didn¡¯t attack the passing hobgoblins. Blacknail used his power to terrify any beast that got too close, but he barely had to do anything. Such a large formation of tightly packed hobgoblins wasn¡¯t exactly a tempting target. There was easier prey for even the hungriest of creatures. Thus, Blacknail¡¯s troops reached the other side of the cavern and the passages that lay there unmolested.


    Blacknail called for a stop as he eyed the tunnel that led to the mushroom forest suspiciously. ¡°We¡¯re going to move quickly now. Turn up all the lights and keep in formation. Expect attacks from the shadows. Don¡¯t even think about hanging back though. Anyone who falls behind will be gutted and left for the crabs.¡±


    After sharing some nervous glances, the hobgoblins climbed up the rocks at the entrance to the tunnel and then swiftly fell back into formation. Immediately, Blacknail urged them forward and they begin moving at a brisk pace.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to try and be sneaky?¡± Gob asked as he marched beside Blacknail.


    ¡°No, most of the minions aren¡¯t used to the darkness down here. They¡¯d just trip and hurt themselves in the dark, or blunder right into an enemy. Light and speed will serve us better.¡±


    At Blacknail¡¯s command, the mages had brightened their mana stones, so the long cave passage was flooded with light. This helped the hobgoblins move over the irregular stone floor and navigate through the rocks at a quick jog, but Blacknail knew it would also give away their approach. Most likely, the enemy already knew they were coming. All they could do was give them as little time as possible to react, and hope that the light would blind their sentries.


    As they neared their goal, Blacknail saw the darkness up ahead swirl as something large slipped away. The movement was confirmation of his suspicions, but he wasn¡¯t pleased. He wished he¡¯d been wrong. A few seconds later, a cluster of shadows in the passage ahead of the hobgoblins shivered as something within them moved and then scuttled out into the light. At first, the twisted shapes looked like they were actually made from living shadow, but Blacknail¡¯s eyes quickly made sense of them. Their shiny black carapaces and many-legged bodies marked them as boggarts. There were five of them, and their empty black eyes shone as they scuttled forward to block the hobgoblins¡¯ advance.


    ¡°Keep moving and kill them!¡± Blacknail yelled as he charged forward and drew his sword. Its blade shone brightly with reflected light from Imp¡¯s staff as it slid free from its sheath.


    Without apparent fear of being so outnumbered, the boggarts held their position. They reared up and raised their front limbs menacingly as they balanced on their four back limbs. The creatures were smaller than hobgoblins, but they were covered in thick black carapace. Their claws and mandibles looked as sharp as daggers and they were almost as long.


    As he lunged at the center boggart, Blacknail sent a pulse of terror at the creatures. He then slashed at a gap in the carapace on his target¡¯s neck. The boggarts stiffened in shock as the unexpected magic washed over them, which allowed Blacknail to strike true. His blade sank deep into unprotected flesh. Blood spurted from the wound and the boggarts spasmed and fell, so Blacknail wrenched his weapon free and turned to face his next opponent.


    The first rank of Blacknail¡¯s minions joined the fight, just as he struck at his second target. Unfortunately, this time his blade was deflected by a thickly armored forearm. The power of the blow did knock the boggart off balance though, so Blacknail kicked his opponent in the side, and then tried to stab it in the face. It was time to stomp some creepy bugs.


    The five boggarts had formed a tight line that blocked the way forward, but with one of them already down, the charging hobgoblins easily managed to draw the creatures out and flank each boggart. The creatures were tough and difficult to hurt, but as they¡¯d been trained, the hobgoblins didn¡¯t fight fair. They worked together to surround and harass the boggarts until one of them could get in a killing blow. Feeling proud of his minions¡¯ skill, Blacknail helped. He quickly finished off his second opponent and then moved to help his minions kill a third. By that time, the other boggarts were down as well. The fight ended up lasting only around a minute.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard,¡± a hobgoblin warrior remarked as he kicked a dead boggart.


    ¡°Keep moving! These boggarts were just buying time for the others,¡± Blacknail remarked as he began running again.


    ¡°The others?¡± Gob asked.


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s the only thing that makes sense.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Blacknail¡¯s minions quickly hurried after their leader, although their formation was much rougher looking now. Still, it only took them a few moments to reach the entrance to their destination. Sword still out, Blacknail slowed for a moment to let Imp catch up, and then they stepped into the next cave together.


    Instantly, the light from the glowing crystal that was atop Imp¡¯s staff shone out into the cavern before the hobgoblins. It was a huge chamber that you could fit a village in, and it was full of all different sorts and colors of mushrooms. The tall fungus formed something very like a forest, and it blocked Blacknail¡¯s vision in several directions, but he could see enough. The mushroom forest had changed noticeably since his last visit. A dozen stumps jutted up from the dark soil that covered the ground where entire mushrooms had been removed, and there were dark shapes running around everywhere. Boggarts.


    Behind Blacknail, the hobgoblin troops were hesitating and getting stuck in the entrance, so he took a moment to order his troops forward and back into formation. That done, he turned back to study the enemy. There were a lot of them running around in every direction, although it was hard to count them as they darted around through the darkness. There were dozens anyway. For now, they looked unorganized, but that wouldn¡¯t last. Every time he¡¯d met them, boggarts had shown themselves to be very social and smarter than normal beasts. He needed to pick off as many of them as possible before they could rally.


    ¡°Follow me and kill everything that gets in our way!¡± Blacknail roared before marching toward the forest.


    The nearby boggarts scattered before the hobgoblins, but Blacknail kept his troops together. He was tempted to let them rampage, but he wanted them all nearby until he knew exactly what he was facing. It would be too easy to lose control of the situation if his minions ran into the trees, and boggarts unnerved him. The shiny bug things looked and acted far too freaky for his liking. Why couldn¡¯t they be as ugly-cute as humans?


    ¡°They¡¯re all running away, boss,¡± Imp remarked as he held up his light.


    Suddenly, a loud chorus of buzz-like screams echoed out of the fungal forest, and all the boggarts shifted to begin scrambling in that direction. They didn¡¯t seem so unorganized now. Blacknail growled and peered into the shifting mess of fungus and shadows that lay in the direction that the sounds had come from. As he watched, a mass of about thirty boggarts appeared. It was headed right for the hobgoblins and it was growing as more boggarts rushed out of the trees.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of enemies, great one,¡± Gob observed.


    Blacknail grunted sourly. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought the mages. To blow the bugs up. I¡¯m not planning on fighting fair.¡± He¡¯d had bad luck when it came to fair fights.


    ¡°Just say the word, boss,¡± Imp interjected eagerly. ¡°They won¡¯t know what hit them. No one will.¡±


    Before Blacknail could reply to that, he saw something that drew his immediate attention. There were several tall shapes in the middle of the boggart swarm. Most of the boggarts were scrambling across the ground on all six of their limbs, but these new figures looked to be as tall as hobgoblins, if not taller. That couldn¡¯t be good. Blacknail¡¯s eyes narrowed. What were they?


    ¡°Ready your magic. I¡¯ll give the command to strike when they¡¯re too close to run away. I want to squash these bugs,¡± Blacknail told Imp as he studied this new threat.


    The boggarts were closer now, so there were less mushrooms blocking Blacknail¡¯s vision. The tall figures were definitely boggarts, but larger and with a slightly different shape. They had longer front limbs and a heavier lower body, as if they were built to move on only their four back legs. A cold shiver went down Blacknail¡¯s spine and the hair on the back of his neck rose as he noticed other differences. These new boggarts looked to be bigger than hobgoblins, and they were carrying spears. Tools. Blacknail¡¯s most paranoid fantasies had been proven true. Boggarts were more than just mere beasts. They were a true threat to his entire tribe. One he couldn¡¯t ignore. They had to die.


    ¡°Fire now! Aim at the tall ones,¡± Blacknail told Imp.


    The enemy mob was only about twenty seconds away now, and there were about forty normal boggarts and ten large ones in it. That was way more than Blacknail wanted to face head on. A hobgoblin warrior could take one of the smaller boggarts, but probably not two, or one of the larger version. Hmm, it depended on how good they were with those spears.


    Imp barked a quick command and all his assistants hurled mana crystals at the center of the boggart mob. There was no need for slings since they were so close. The crystals fell and vanished into the crowd of shiny black bodies, before exploding with a series of loud booms. Blue light flashed though the shadowy forest. As per Blacknail¡¯s instructions, the explosions weren¡¯t all that large, but they were more than powerful enough to throw boggarts in every direction. The enemy mob stumbled to a sudden halt as it was pummeled by blue magical power. Clods of dark earth and clumps of fungus were also thrown into the air. Most the boggarts weren¡¯t hit directly, but over a dozen of them went down, including three of the big ones. Many of the others were stunned and their swarm now had huge holes in it.


    ¡°Good work, but those just looked like force blasts, but bluer. Do they do something special?¡± Blacknail asked. He loved magic. It was so useful.


    Imp nodded. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re from a batch of flawed force crystals that are weaker than usual, create blue light, and taste like fish. That makes them useful for down here though."


    What? Fish? Blacknail felt like he should ask about that, but he had a charge to lead. It would be stupid to give the enemy time to recover. They weren¡¯t finished yet.


    ¡°Charge! Don¡¯t leave a single bug alive!¡± Blacknail yelled as he ran at the stunned enemy. They were only about twenty feet away.


    The other hobgoblin warriors roared and raced after their chieftain. Blacknail lunged forward and cut off a boggart¡¯s arm. It squealed in pain as the front rank of hobgoblins slammed into the boggarts beside him. Blacknail began slashing at another nearby enemy, but even though it was still partly stunned, it was hard to kill. The stubborn boggart fell back and shielded itself with its arms, which presented Blacknail with an almost solid wall of black armor. After a few more fustrated swings, Blacknail managed to find a gap and kill the boggart, but most his minions were having the same problem. All around him, hobgoblins were slashing at defending boggarts. That didn¡¯t last long. The boggarts quickly recovered and pushed back. The surviving tall warriors pushed the smaller ones away began stabbing at the hobgoblins with their long spears. The reach of their spears allowed them to strike from behind the front rank of smaller boggarts. It was an effective maneuver, and several hobgoblins fell back with bleeding wounds.


    The hobgoblins¡¯ advance ground to a halt before the wall of black armor, and the fighting grew bloody and brutal. The smaller boggarts were more than just tough. If a hobgoblin dropped his guard, they would leap forward and try to rip their opponents¡¯ green flesh apart with their razor-sharp claws and mandibles. Several hobgoblins went down this way. Blacknail had to stab the exposed armpit of small boggart that had pulled down one of his minions and then kick it off him.


    Growling in fury, Blacknail begin hacking and slashing at the nearby enemies. This battle was not going as planned, and he needed to do something, because his minions were so useless. Eyeing a nearby boggart spearman, Blacknail drew power up from his core and kicked the small boggart that was in his way aside. He then unleashed a blast of fear at all the nearby enemies and lunged at the spearman.


    The tall boggart was a little shorter than Blacknail¡¯s new body, but it was obviously heavier. Not only was it covered in thick carapace, but it had an abdomen and four legs. The boggart warrior reacted slowly thanks to Blacknail¡¯s magic, but it still saw him coming and tried to knock him aside with a swing of its spear. Magic flowing through his body, Blacknail ducked under the blow and then slashed at the creature¡¯s exposed elbow joint. After a moment of resistance, his powerful strike cut through the vulnerable flesh and severed the entire limb. The boggart screeched like a teapot full of bees as it was left holding its spear with only one arm.


    However, Blacknail¡¯s attack had left him vulnerable and ahead of his minions. A small boggart rushed him from one side as another enemy warrior stabbed at his chest. To avoid the attacks, Blacknail was forced to jump back to safety. He hit another hobgoblin as he landed back among his troops, but he just shoved the unfortunate minion aside. Stupid minions should have seen him coming and gotten out of the way.


    Damaged by Imp¡¯s magic barrage and the hobgoblin charge, the outnumbered boggart mob nonetheless kept up their furious attack. There were still six of the tall warriors fighting, and they lashed out at the hobgoblins with startling speed and power. The swarm of smaller workers around them made it impossible for the hobgoblins to try and flank them. Blacknail had to throw himself back into the melee when the hobgoblin to his left was tackled to the ground by two smaller boggarts.


    ¡°We need to take out the big bugs!¡± Blacknail yelled as he rescued his fallen ally and then kicked him back away from the fight.


    This fight was still far too close for Blacknail¡¯s liking. The hobgoblins¡¯ charge had been stopped, and more boggart workers were still creeping out of the forest of mushrooms to join the enemy¡¯s ranks. Also, they were in a very large cave, but the fighting was beginning to cause the air to grow thin and dusty. Blacknail wheezed as he drew a deep breath. It was becoming hard to breathe. If they didn¡¯t do something soon, the boggarts would gain the advantage, break the hobgoblins'' formation, and then rip them apart. Stupid giant black bugs!

 On Winters Wings 11

    Blacknail coughed as he studied the swarm of boggarts that lay before him. The battle in the giant mushroom cave had been going on for a while now. Although the boggarts had been knocked off-balance by the hobgoblin¡¯s initial charge, they were beginning to push back, and hobgoblins were starting to fall. The smaller boggarts were tough to deal with, but the real problem was the taller warriors with spears.


    ¡°I got it, boss! Magic can probably help,¡± Imp suddenly yelled from somewhere behind Blacknail. The "probably" was worrisome.


    Regardless, the hobgoblin mage pushed up beside Blacknail and leveled his staff at the nearest enemy warrior. Immediately, all the nearby hobgoblins ducked out of his way, including Blacknail. Unlike the other magic users, Imp had a mechanical staff that he¡¯d taken from a human mage. The device allowed him to channel magic from mana stones and shoot it, instead of using the mana stones themselves as explosives. This gave him a little more control and finesse.


    The light crystal at the tip of Imp¡¯s staff had been replaced by a blue one. It glowed brightly for a moment, and then a rippling lance of blue energy shot out. The magic flew past Blacknail and slammed into the boggarts. All the smaller specimens in the front line were blasted away, and then the lance hit one of the warriors. The creature took the blow to its stomach. Instantly, it crumbled from the impact and then was knocked violently sideways. The blue beam then shifted as Imp swung his staff around, and the deadly magic hit two more warriors before fading away. Both the tall boggarts were thrown off their feet and into the rank of workers behind them.


    For a brief moment, Blacknail just watched the spectacle. Then, he grimaced in distaste. His mouth felt icky. The blue light did taste like fish. Weird.


    Suppressing the urge to start spitting and coughing, Blacknail raised his blade and charged into the hole in the enemy ranks. ¡°We end this now. Minions, forward!¡±


    As he ran, Blacknail used his power to stifle the fear of his minions, so they¡¯d follow him with more enthusiasm and less pesky self-preservation. That was a terrible trait for minions to have. At the same time, Blacknail also unleashed another wave of magical terror at the enemy. The boggarts had probably adapted to the magical fear already, but it couldn¡¯t hurt.


    Stunned by magical force and fear, the boggarts before Blacknail stumbled as the hole in their ranks widened. This exposed the tall spearmen at the back, so Blacknail lunged forward into the gap. He sensed weakness and his predatory instincts drove him to strike at his stunned foe and take full advantage. He was time to sink in fangs into his prey and taste victory.


    Magic power rushed through Blacknail¡¯s body as he charged. He spun as he ran, and his blade lashed out at two nearby smaller boggarts and cut into them. Both the workers fell as the steel weapon found gaps in their armor and tore into vital organs, but Blacknail was already moving past them. Ahead of him, was an enemy spearman. It saw Blacknail¡¯s approach and reacted quickly. Its long spear swung around and then its blade shot straight toward Blacknail¡¯s head as the warrior struck. Blacknail saw the spear¡¯s tip zoom toward his face, before he sidestepped the blow. Keeping his forward momentum, Blacknail then lunged forward and slashed at the warrior¡¯s exposed side. His blade sliced through the air with intense speed, but the warrior jerked backwards, and Blacknail¡¯s sword bounced off its carapace with a loud crack.


    The force of the impact vibrated up Blacknail¡¯s arm, slowing his response, and giving the boggart warrior time to react. It retracted its spear and then slashed at Blacknail. The hobgoblin chieftain grunted as he blocked the attack. This boggart was tougher than it looked, but he was even stronger. The only problem was getting through the creature¡¯s annoying armor.


    However, Blacknail wasn¡¯t fighting alone. As he pushed back against the boggart, two of his minions surged forward to join the fray. They took full advantage of the boggart¡¯s preoccupation with their chief, and flanked the creature from both sides. The boggart could only flinch as they both attacked. One sliced at its head with a sword while the other stabbed at its chest with spear. As Blacknail watched, the sword ended up glancing off the boggart¡¯s armor, but the spear found a gap and sank deep into flesh.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t waste any time. There was a battle going on. He shoved the weakened boggart¡¯s spar aside and slashed the base of the creature¡¯s neck. His blade found soft flesh and tore through it. Dark blood erupted from the wound and the boggart fell backward.


    Grinning from the satisfaction of a good kill, Blacknail turned and cut down another boggart worker that tried to jump him, and then moved on to challenge the next warrior. All around him, hobgoblins were engaged in a brutal and bloody melee. The hobgoblins had the momentum again, but the boggarts were very hard to kill. It usually took more than one hobgoblin to finish off even the workers. To Blacknail¡¯s left, a hobgoblin was slashing at a defensive worker, when another worker emerged from nowhere and tackled him to the ground. The hobgoblins screamed as the boggart¡¯s claws raked his face, but then another hobgoblin arrived and impaled the attacking boggart with a spear and drove it off his ally.


    Blacknail ignored his minions and focused on his chosen target. The boggart was stabbing at another hobgoblin that was hurriedly defending himself, but it stopped and turned toward Blacknail as it saw him coming. The two combatants eyed each other for a moment as they drew closer, and then Blacknail whipped his blade around and hacked at the creature¡¯s elbow. Stumbling back, the boggart avoided the blow. Blacknail kept moving. He stepped up beside the creature¡¯s outstretched weapon and punched it in the face. There was a loud crack as the boggart reeled backward and tripped over a worker that had been standing behind him. Grabbing the creature¡¯s weapon with one hand, Blacknail pulled himself closer and stabbed the creature in the chest. The boggart¡¯s black eyes didn¡¯t convey much emotion, but to his own satisfaction, Blacknail felt surprise and fear flood through his opponent as it died.


    As Blacknail looked around to find a new worthy opponent, the boggarts'' behavior suddenly changed. All at the exact same moment, every boggart disengaged from the fighting and turned to flee. Blacknail froze in surprise as all the nearby opponents scuttled away at full speed. Still moving as one, they fled into the mushroom forest.


    ¡°Form up and follow me. We¡¯re going to make sure they¡¯re gone,¡± Blacknail yelled as he began jogging carefully after the boggarts.


    Those minions that were still on their feet reluctantly obeyed. Imp took the opportunity to throw another blue blast of force at the enemies¡¯ backs. It slammed into them, throwing several aside and knocking over a huge mushroom, but the affected boggarts simply picked themselves up and raced to rejoin their fellows.


    A minute or so later, Blacknail led the way out of the other side of the mushroom forest. Ahead of him, the creatures were running toward the shadows at the edge of the cavern. It was difficult to see the edge of the cave because there were no glowing mushrooms there and Blacknail¡¯s light-bearing mages were behind him. However, just as the fleeing boggarts were disappearing into the shadows, a light suddenly burst into being among them. Blacknail blinked in surprise as he brought a hand up to shield his eyes. Was that a mana stone? Yes, peering at the center of the light, Blacknail saw that one of the workers was holding up a short staff made from the same dark material as the warriors¡¯ spears. At the top of the staff was a glowing mana stone.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t good. Blacknail grimaced as he watched the boggarts disappear into a passage at the far side of the cavern.


    ¡°That looked like magic,¡± Imp remarked curiously as he walked up beside his boss.


    ¡°I noticed that,¡± Blacknail replied in a sarcastic tone.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Gob walked over and grinned happily. ¡°We won, boss! Not that anyone doubted we would. Your brilliant strategy led us to great victory. What now, greatest of warlords?¡±


    Blacknail just grunted sourly as he eyed the tunnel the boggarts had disappeared into. He was unhappy about this complication. ¡°I¡¯m going to need a lot more hobgoblins, a lot more magic, and a lot more¡­ everything.¡±


    The implications of recent events seemed to have escaped Gob, but they hadn¡¯t escaped Blacknail. If the boggarts were capable of gathering large mobs, crafting weapons, and using magic, then Blacknail and his tribe were in serious danger. There was a deadly swarm of unknowable might lying in wait beneath their very feet. One that could match almost every trick they had. That was bad. The only real advantage the hobgoblins had was Blacknail¡¯s own incredible genius and leadership, but even Blacknail wasn¡¯t completely perfect. He knew he¡¯d fallen into a pattern recently and become far too dependent on magical barrages. If he wanted to survive, Blacknail was going to have to come up with some completely new tricks for his minions to use in combat. Even when properly trained, hobgoblin infantry and bandit riffraff just weren¡¯t tough enough to go head-to-head with all of Blacknail¡¯s enemies. Stupid useless minions.


    Frowning thoughtfully, Blacknail wandered over to examine the corpses of the defeated boggarts. Piles of them littered the ground. The dark soil around them had been torn up by both feet and explosions, and there was also the occasional dead hobgoblin. Blacknail¡¯s forces had suffered a dozen fatalities and twice that many injuries. It had been far from a bloodless victory. So annoying. Blacknail was supposed to be building his forces, not losing them.


    At least the corpses of the boggart warriors were interesting. The creatures looked dangerous even in death. They sure were big, and their claws looked like they could do nasty things to goblin flesh. Also, their solid black eyes had no pupils and reflected the light, making it seem like they were still watching their surroundings. It was creepy, but Blacknail pretended not to care. He walked over and kicked one of the dead warriors. That made him look tough, and the corpse''s lack of reaction also reassured him that it was really dead.


    After poking the dead warrior in front of him and stabbing it in the chest once just to be sure, Blacknail¡¯s gaze fell upon the creature¡¯s fallen spear. Excited at the unexpected opportunity for some looting, he grinned as he picked it up to examine. What he saw surprised him. The spear was made from a single smooth piece. Had it been carved from a branch or something? Blacknail moved closer to Imp¡¯s light and ran his finger along the spear¡¯s blade. No, it was way too sharp and strong to be wood, and it was the wrong color. Too black¡­ Wait, was the spear made from a carved piece of boggart carapace or bone? Was that possible? Blacknail frowned as he sniffed the weapon. It smelled like boggart, which wasn¡¯t a surprise. Also, the smell and feel of the weapon reminded him of something else. Right. It was very similar to one of his bows. The one he¡¯d gotten as a gift from Saeter in Daggerpoint. It had come from some hooded man at a stall¡­ What was the connection there? Blacknail had no idea, so he made a mental note to show the weapon to Geralhd later. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t forget.


    Now that the battle was over, and the mushroom forest was secure, Blacknail had Imp collapse the tunnel the boggarts had fled into with a blast of his staff. That probably wouldn¡¯t keep them out for long, but it would give Blacknail some time to prepare. It was obvious he was going to have to tighten the security of the tunnels beneath Ironbreak even more. Unless Blacknail was very mistaken, a full-on invasion of boggarts with magical support could start at any time, especially now that he¡¯d smacked the dumb bugs around. They were probably mad. Hmmm, Blacknail wished he hadn¡¯t sent so many of his troops away now. Recalling them now would be slow and dangerous.


    Some exploration of the mushroom cave revealed a large pool of water in the center of the chamber. As Blacknail studied it, wispy streams of white vapor rose up from the water and floated away. The water was warm to the touch, although not quite hot. Obviously, the heat and moisture from this pool was what allowed all the mushrooms to grow so large. Blacknail also found another tunnel leading off into unknown depths. However, it looked too narrow for the larger boggarts to slip through, so he had some rocks piled up to block it and then moved on.


    By the time Blacknail and his minions returned to the entrance to the mushroom cave, the trogs had reappeared. The pale critters cautiously emerged from the shadows and approached Blacknail. After a moment of hesitation, they began groveling and bowing again. Blacknail snorted dismissively at their antics. The creatures annoyed him, but they might be useful. They obviously planned on staying in Blacknail¡¯s new mushroom forest, which meant they were his minions now. The trogs were weak and stupid, but most of Blacknail¡¯s minions were. At least the trogs knew the darks paths and might make good scouts if they could be trained properly. Blacknail was in desperate need of more information about boggarts, so he¡¯d take what he could get. Also, Blacknail wondered how similar to goblins trogs actually were.


    Gob was standing right next to Blacknail and waiting for orders, so Blacknail gave him some. ¡°Make sure the mine workers begin taming these trogs. I want to be able to talk to them, and they should be put to work. They won¡¯t be getting free meals anymore.¡±


    ¡°As you command, lord!¡± Gob replied with a salute.


    With that done, Blacknail returned to the mines and then made his way back up to the surface. The bright sunlight hurt his eyes as he emerged from the cave, but it still felt great to be back outside. The caves had been very dark and dreary, and the sun felt nice on his face, even if it was brisk outside.


    Unfortunately, Blacknail didn¡¯t have time to take a nap in the sun. There were things that needed to be done and his minions were all too incompetent to do them without him. More troops had to be rounded up and sent down into the mine. Naturally, this meant hunting down a lot of goblins and hobgoblins that would prefer to avoid notice from their superiors and also anything like work. Tracking them down and getting them organized into squads was difficult. Stupid lazy minions.


    There was also the issue of getting the mine back up and running. Blacknail handled this from the comfort of his mansion¡¯s dining hall. As he sat on a chair next to the blazing fireplace, messengers and lieutenants came and went with news. Ferrar was in charge of the mine, but all the new underground activity had created a shortage of mages and light stones, so Imp had to be brought in as well. Soon, all the leadership gave Blacknail a headache, but he had to put up with it. There was more that needed done, and no one else to do it.


    ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of bad air. With more workers going underground this will become a bigger problem, even if goblins can usually smell and avoid it,¡± Ferrar explained.


    Blacknail sighed. Having lived in a sewer years ago, he knew quite a bit about bad air and the problems associated with it. ¡°What do you suggest?¡±


    Ferrar shrugged. ¡°Lots of mushrooms help clean the air, but they also attract nasty critters that bite and sting workers. They also only grow in damp warm places. A lot of the best mining spots aren¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°Give me a magical answer,¡± Blacknail said as he turned to face Imp.


    Imp smiled. ¡°We could try blowing up¡­¡±


    Blacknail instantly interrupted him. ¡°No, something else.¡±


    ¡°Well, if the problem is bad air, I might have something else. When I was working with Avorlus a while ago, we accidently made some green air crystals.¡±


    ¡°How do those work?¡± Blacknail asked curiously.


    ¡°They seem to suck up air as they grow, and then they release it all in one big explosion.¡±


    Blacknail gave Imp a stern look.


    ¡°¡­however, with Ferrar¡¯s help, I might be able to make a device to release small gusts of good air that goblins can breathe.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that sounds about right. If bad air becomes a problem, then you should do that. Do you have any more magics that might help the tribe mine or fight underground. This is very important.¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯ll study my collection again when I get back to my workshop.¡±


    ¡°Show everything to Ferrar. He might see something you don¡¯t,¡± Blacknail told the mage. Imp and Ferrar were dumb in complimentary ways.


    With that problem solved, Blacknail had his minions focus on the defense of Ironbreak. None of them seemed to consider the boggarts as mush of a threat as Blacknail did, but Blacknail was the leader, so he didn¡¯t have to put up with their stupid opinions. However, after some discussion, it quickly became apparent that none of them had any good ideas that Blacknail hadn¡¯t already thought of. Recalling some troops was the best they could come up with. Blacknail needed some smarter minions. It was a shame that all the humans were at Shelter. At least they usually thought differently than hobgoblins.


    Eventually, Blacknail had Gob summon several messengers so that he could order them out to recall the troops he wanted. However, when the messenger arrived there was a problem.


    ¡°That might be difficult for us to do, greatest of leaders,¡± the lead messenger explained reluctantly.


    ¡°Why?¡± Blacknail asked suspiciously.


    ¡°It¡¯s snowing, mightiest one.¡±


    Oh. Instantly, Blacknail jumped up and hurried over to his mansion¡¯s door and threw it open. A cold gust of wind washed over him as he peered outside, and it contained more than a few flutters of white. Blacknail groaned as he confronted the wall of white before him. Outside, heaps of fluffy snow were falling from the sky. The air was thick with it, and it was already building up on roofs and the ground. There was no way his troops were going to be able to make it back now. Stupid weather.

 Interlude: The Quiet Life

    A deep sigh escaped from Khita as she looked around and saw nothing but empty dirt streets and plain buildings. There wasn¡¯t a single other person in sight. All the residents of Shelter were inside and staying out of the cold as much as possible. Khita couldn¡¯t blame them for that. The air was chill enough that her breath turned a wispy white when she exhaled. It was a good thing that she had on a nice warm fur jacket. She¡¯d hate to be stuck inside all the time, because the weather was only going to get colder over the next while.


    Hearing a shrill voice form somewhere behind her, Khita quickly hurried down a side street. These days, the old woman she was staying with usually ignored her as long as she stayed out of trouble ¨C or at least didn¡¯t get caught ¨C but sometimes the old bag got a stick up her ass, and Khita found the best thing to do then was flee.


    Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have come back to Shelter. It was so boring here! Khita sighed again. The problem was that Ironbreak wasn¡¯t much better, and she had good reasons for leaving. It would snow soon, and she didn¡¯t want to get stuck there. Blacknail and the other hobgoblins were all busy preparing for winter, and not doing anything fun. Blacknail had recently also gotten into the habit of sending her to help the work crews whenever she approached him. Ugh, she was far too amazing of a person to waste her time that way. She was a Vessel and she had her own group of bandits!


    The redhead stuck out her tongue and made a face. ¡°What a stupid jerk!¡±


    There was also the situation with Herah. Blacknail and her were being gross. Honestly, that girl had problems. Instead of hanging out with Khita, all she wanted to do was stalk Blacknail and act like a floozy. Herah really needed to learn some self-control and how to play hard to get. At this rate, Blacknail would probably grow sick of her before too long.


    ¡°Ha, that would serve her right!¡± Khita chuckled as she kicked a rock down the street.


    How dare Herah ignore her bestest friend! Who was it who¡¯d stood by her and taught her everything she knew about seduction? It had been her, Khita! Herah should be acting way more grateful then she was. It wasn¡¯t Khita¡¯s fault that Blacknail had taken so long to fall for her. He was just dumb when it came to women. He¡¯d always been that way, although it had gotten worse after his first visit to Daggerpoint, for reasons Khita couldn¡¯t figure out. Whatever. Knowing Blacknail, it was something pointless and dumb. The point was that Khita wasn¡¯t going to hang around Ironbreak and beg for attention or do grunt work.


    ¡°Ugh, everything is so boring. I can¡¯t stand it!¡± Khita groaned as she looked around. The streets of Shelter were still empty of people. ¡°I miss the big city.¡±


    The truly terrible thing to contemplate was that everything was going to get way more boring before it got any more exciting. With winter on its way, everyone would be staying inside and hunkering down against the cold. They¡¯d harvested their food and had everything they needed stored safely away. It wouldn¡¯t be until spring that the people of Shelter would emerge from their homes and actually start doing anything interesting. The only exception would be a few huntsmen and wood gatherers. Well, there would also be a few village get-togethers. Khita shuddered in horror. Some hot food and socializing weren¡¯t worth putting up with all the villagers¡¯ horrible folksiness. Khita had been to a few of Shelter¡¯s celebrations. Never again. Everyone there would be gossiping like merchants¡¯ wives and there would be regular outbreaks of folk singing. Their only redeeming quality was the alcohol, but Khita could just steal that if she wanted it. Getting drunk alone was no fun though.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Maybe she should go see what some of her old bandit buddies were doing. Hmm, most of them were either working for Blacknail down south or had integrated into Shelter and become no better than the villagers. Stupid sellouts. All it had taken was some simpering village widows pretending to find them handsome, and they¡¯d all settled down the first chance they¡¯d gotten. Geralhd was still around and hadn¡¯t changed or gotten married, but he¡¯d never been all that fun to begin with. Vorscha had been the exciting one of the pair. Khita missed the warrior woman and her fighting lessons.


    If Khita did visit Geralhd, he¡¯d probably invite her in for tea and try to discuss philosophy with her. Bleh. Maybe she should have stayed at the forward base down south for the winter. At least then she¡¯d have gotten to rob a few fat merchants before the snow came. It was going to be pretty rough and crowded there though, and Khita liked her simple creature comforts.


    A cold wind blew by, so Khita pulled her jacket tighter and snuggled into its warmth. As she was doing that, she noticed movement next to a barrel at the entrance to a nearby alley. Looking up, she saw a pair of goblins peek out and stare at her. Grinning, Khita gave the cute critters a friendly wave. One of them waved back, while the other one just pouted adorably. A moment later, both the goblins cautiously stepped out into the street and looked around. Both of them were wearing scruffy cloaks made from rags, and one of them was wearing a rat skull on his head. They were also both carrying short sharpened sticks that looked like spears in their small hands.


    The goblins were undoubtedly hunting rats. They¡¯d been doing that a lot lately. Sometimes their little scuffles got really loud. Sigh. It was truly sad, but Khita was almost tempted to join them. At least they were doing something exciting, if you were a tiny stupid goblin.


    ¡°Maybe I should bother the boys,¡± Khita remarked as she watched the goblins disappear into another alley.


    It might be fun to play with the emotions of some of the younger men in the village, even if they were all too plain and stuffy for her. It would pass the time anyway, even if it wasn¡¯t something Khita would normally do, unless they had something she wanted. Fooling around with boys¡¯ feelings was a little mean, even for her. Stabbing people was more her thing.


    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m just so bored. Why can¡¯t a hideous mutant take up residence in the village and start picking off villagers one by one,¡± Khita whined as she started heading back home.


    There was no point just wandering around in the cold. She¡¯d get sick, and that would just make things even worse. Then, she¡¯d be stuck in bed and the old woman would be able to nag her nonstop. With heavy steps, Khita dragged herself back to her home. It was approaching lunchtime anyway, and the old woman would probably be warming up some soup. Since her brother¡¯s death, Khita had gone hungry too many times to ever pass up free food, so she could put up with some annoying conversation about responsibility and knitting or whatever.


    As the young redhead approached her destination, a few flecks of white drifted past her. Frowning, Khita looked up. The sky was full of snow. As she watched, more and more of it began to fall from the thick grey clouds overhead. It looked like it they were in for a huge weight of snow.


    ¡°Whelp, that settles it,¡± Khita remarked sadly as she studied the falling white specks. ¡°Now it truly is winter, and I¡¯m screwed.¡±


    Even if she wanted to go to Ironbreak, it would be a harsh and difficult journey now, and she¡¯d be stuck there for who knew how long. Even with a road, getting through the snow would be tough.


    ¡°Stupid Blacknail is probably just going to nap his way through the entire season ¨C without a care in the world - and not give me a single thought. What a lazy selfish jerk,¡± Khita remarked as she pulled the door to her home open and stepped inside to get some soup.

 Under the White 1

    Blacknail wanted to scream in frustration, but he¡¯d been doing a lot of that lately, so his throat was sore. Thus, instead he just glared irritably at everyone who dared approach him.


    Over a month had passed since the first snowfall of winter, and Blacknail had barely had any time to rest and relax. One nap a day wasn¡¯t enough for him. He wasn¡¯t some useless minion. As the big chief, he should be sleeping almost constantly.


    That first snowfall had lasted several days and left the ground covered in a white blanket that came up to Blacknail¡¯s knees. That had made it impossible for Blacknail to recall any of his troops and been a complete hassle in many other ways. Even moving around through Ironbreak had been difficult until Blacknail had personally gone and dragged his minions out of their warm homes and forced them to work on clearing the streets of snow.


    That had just been the beginning of Blacknail¡¯s problems. None of the hunters and gatherers had wanted to go out in the cold, so Blacknail had been forced to ration the food stores until the lazy fools got off their asses and went to find fresh food. Of course, having the hunters out in the snow led to other problems. There¡¯d been an increase in boggart encounters, which had led to several hunters never making it back. Blacknail had no idea how many goblins were being picked off, but he did know that wild game had been growing scarce, since the hobgoblins and boggarts were both hunting in the same area. Something needed to be done about that.


    There were also sightings of boggarts below ground. After their defeat and rout from the mushroom forest, they¡¯d avoided open conflict, but they still seemed to be creeping around the edges of his territory. They might be scouting for an attack, but Blacknail really had no idea how boggarts thought or what their plans were. They might just be acting randomly.


    There had been some good developments, but they were the sort of good developments that meant more work for Blacknail, so they were really mixed at best. Despite the boggarts creeping around, the mines had been reopened and their defenses had been reinforced successfully. All the passages big enough for boggarts to use were defended or sealed up, and the entire place was regularly patrolled to make sure no new tunnels had been dug. If the boggarts did invade, they¡¯d have to get past barricades and armed guards with lights that would immediately send for reinforcements. Several hobgoblins were also trying to figure out how to set traps for boggarts, but it was proving tricky. They¡¯d had yet to get one.


    At least the taming of the trogs had been going well, even if Blacknail had to get involved in that as well. The pale creatures were actually easier to deal with than goblins. Once they learned a few basic commands, it wasn¡¯t hard to convince them to work for their meals. They did share one serious flaw with goblins though. Once you started feeding them, swarms of them came out of nowhere looking for handouts. Honestly, no one had any idea where they were coming from or how they were getting into the mine undetected, but there were easily several times as many trogs in the mine as there had been when Blacknail had first gone down there to deal with their invasion.


    Thankfully, they seemed more than happy to eat the mushrooms that grew underground as well as some bugs and worms. Thus, by controlling access to the mushroom forest, it was easy for Ferrar to get them working in the mine. Ferrar was also trying to train some of them to be scouts, but that was more complicated. Trogs seemed to be even worse than goblins when it came to languages.


    ¡°There are no signs of any immediate boggart attacks, and the mines are secure,¡± Gob reported.


    He and Blacknail¡¯s other lieutenants were in a meeting with their chieftain at his mansion, which was nice and warm thanks to its several fireplaces. They¡¯d all been discussing their various projects and duties. As usual, Blacknail was concerned about their food supplies.


    ¡°The boggarts might be scaring away all our game to starve us out.¡±


    Gob didn¡¯t look convinced. ¡°We have plenty of supplies stored away, and we¡¯re still catching lots of small critters like squirrels and rabbits. We don¡¯t need much big game.¡±


    ¡°Boggarts probably eat rabbits. They both live in the ground, and we can¡¯t survive on squirrels,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°We could eat mushrooms from underground. The trogs seem to like them,¡± Ferrar suggested with a shrug.


    Blacknail scowled at him. ¡°If we get too many trogs they will eat all the mushrooms. Also, the boggarts could overrun the cave forest and the mines if they really wanted to. They have numbers, weapons, and magic. They only reason they haven¡¯t is because they¡¯re a bunch of dumb bugs.¡±


    ¡°So, what do you want us to do?¡± Ferrar asked.


    Blacknail turned to Imp. ¡°We need real mages at the guard posts. To blow up enemy swarms and defend us from boggart magic.¡±


    ¡°Blowing things up underground is a bad idea and defending against magic is difficult without a staff and special crystals,¡± the mage replied skeptically.


    ¡°Find a way to kill them without blowing everything up then. I¡¯ve seen mages shoot death beams.¡±


    ¡°Death beams?¡±


    ¡°Ya, the magic hits them and then they just fall over dead.¡±


    Imp frowned. ¡°That sounds very boring, but I might be able to come up with something.¡±


    Blacknail gave the mage a glare. ¡°Do it. No excuses, and if your minions need staffs or something, then get Ferrar to make them for you. Together, you should be able to figure it out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Imp replied as Ferrar nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I could get more of the trogs working to build defenses underground. I have more of them than I can use,¡± Ferrar suggested. ¡°They will work all day for food and protection from hungry beasts.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if we can use them to make food.¡± Blacknail liked making problems into solutions. Solutions were usually less work.


    Gob opened his mouth, but Blacknail cut him off. ¡°We¡¯re not going to eat them.¡±


    ¡°Could we farm mushrooms underground?¡± Ferrar asked. ¡°I think all we¡¯d need is a warm cave, water, and dirt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°And we have trogs to do the work, and there¡¯s no point letting them lay around like drunken humans.¡±


    ¡°There are some caves that are warm and wet enough. The rock in most of them shows that they flood a lot, but we can do something about that.¡±


    ¡°Good. Good. Do that.¡± Blacknail replied impatiently. He¡¯d already lost interest.


    ¡°Is there anything else you want to know, boss?¡± Gob asked.


    ¡°Have any of the trogs fallen asleep and not woken up? They¡¯re a lot like goblins. I want to know if they can become hobs.¡±


    ¡°No one has seen anything like that yet, boss.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The meeting lasted for a few more minutes, but then Blacknail dismissed them. They¡¯d gone over everything important and talking to his lieutenants was getting annoying. They needed to start doing better. Really, they should be predicting his orders. Herah had rewarded some of her minions for doing that, so obviously Blacknail needed to start punishing his until they became just as good. Also, it was almost snack time and he didn¡¯t want any of them around when he went to get the cheese he¡¯d stashed away in his secret cheese compartment. He¡¯d had the human workers build it, and then sworn them to secrecy. If they violated his trust, he¡¯d made it very clear that he¡¯d kill them and their entire families.


    Two days passed by without too much happening. Just the usual constant supervision of idiots. However, when Blacknail put on his heavy furs and stomped around outside, he was greeted by the sight of a very different looking Ironbreak. Snow covered the sprawling settlement and smoke rose from dozens of chimneys. There were also a lot less goblins running around. They¡¯d all found warmer nooks and crannies to shelter from the weather in. Those that didn¡¯t have places in longhouses with fireplaces had done what feral did during the winter and dug themselves burrows where they could huddle together with other goblins for warmth.


    Although there was snow everywhere, paths had been cut through the deeper parts and stomped down. The settlement was very much still active. Those goblins that had warm clothes still ran about on chores, and hobgoblins were still required to report for duty. The mine and most of Ferrar¡¯s workshops and smithies were still running at full production. Teams of lumberjacks were also constantly going out to get more wood to feed the many fires. Carts had trouble in the snow, so boars were used to drag simple sleds instead. Blacknail was even considering taking a sled to Shelter. After being away from his human minions for so long, he¡¯d come to miss their unique perspective on life. Also, they were much more fun to torment than hobgoblins and the look on their faces when they were scared or confused was just too amusing.


    Wait, what had happened to Elyias? Blacknail hadn¡¯t seen him in forever. He should still be around somewhere¡­ The little bastard must have fled somewhere while Blacknail had been injured, and then he¡¯d been too busy to notice. Well, at least hunting Elyias down come spring would be amusing.


    On the third day, while Blacknail was inspecting some of Ferrar¡¯s forges ¨C which just happened to be the warmest place in the settlement ¨C there was a loud cry from outside. Rushing to the door, Blacknail threw it open and stepped out to listen. The cry soon repeated itself and it was loud enough for the entire settlement to hear. It was a hobgoblin sounding the alarm. The mines were under attack.


    Immediately, Blacknail began screaming for all the nearby warriors to join him as he began running over to the mines. There was no time to waste. A boggart swarm could quickly slaughter their way through the tunnels and do severe damage to Ironbreak¡¯s underground operations. Thankfully, Blacknail had properly instructed his minions of the fate of any hobgoblins cowardly enough to try and avoid a general call-to-arms. Only marked craftsmen with other duties were exempt. Thus, hobgoblins with weapons were soon stumbling out of longhouses and moving to join him, as they pulled on their primitive armor.


    This time, Blacknail managed to beat Gob and the others to the entrance of the mine and the howling hobgoblin standing outside it. Seeing his chieftain arrive, the hobgoblin stopped yelling long enough to tell Blacknail what had happened. He was a little excited, and thus hard to understand, but it sounded like the boggarts had attacked a guard post on the far side of the mine, near the mushroom forest.


    Imp still hadn¡¯t shown up, but there was a hobgoblin mage with a light stone present, so Blacknail didn¡¯t waste any time. Leaving a messenger behind with instructions for Gob, he rallied the gathered hobgoblins and led them down into the tunnels. Two dozen hobgoblins should be enough to at least delay the enemy before they got too far into the mine.


    Moving at a quick jog through the caves - which was as fast as he could and not stumble over something or fall into a hole in the floor ¨C Blacknail headed straight for the lost guard post. The barricades that protected the underground entrances to the mines were simple tall barriers of piled rock secured by sharpened stakes. Each of them was guarded by three hobgoblins and a goblin mage to provide light. In case of an attack, two of the hobs were supposed to stall the enemy at the barricade while the third ran to get reinforcements.


    As they moved through the twisting tunnels, Blacknail¡¯s troops passed groups of frightened goblin miners that were fleeing to the surface and confused packs of trogs that quickly got out of their way. Several of the goblin work parties contained hobgoblin leaders that Blacknail ordered to join him. Before they got to their destination, a wounded hobgoblin stumbled into sight alongside a terrified looking goblin that was clutching a glowing light stone.


    ¡°The black bugs are coming, boss. They killed Nosy, and they¡¯re right behind me!¡± the wounded hobgoblin announced as he stumbled over to Blacknail¡¯s side.


    ¡°How many?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°Too many for me to count in the dark, and they have some of the big warriors with spears,¡± the guard replied.


    Blacknail grunted sourly as he came to a stop and peered down the passage ahead. That wasn¡¯t very helpful. At least this passage didn¡¯t have any branches that led into the mines. If he stopped the enemy here, he could stop the attack completely. It was too bad Imp wasn¡¯t here with a death beam. That would make this a lot easier. He really wanted a death beam.


    However, Blacknail didn¡¯t have long to think about his minion¡¯s failures. After only a few moments, the first of the boggarts burst into sight. A mob of a dozen black workers scuttled around the bend in the passage ahead. They slowed when they saw the waiting hobgoblins, but this only gave the other boggarts behind them time to catch up, including several looming warriors. Thus assembled, the boggarts didn¡¯t stop. The moving mass of black carapace hurtled toward the hobgoblins.


    ¡°Get ready to stomp some dumb bugs,¡± Blacknail laughed cheerfully. His minions needed some reassuring, so at the same time, he reached for the power in his core and used it to steal some of their fear.


    As his minions readied themselves for battle behind him, and the enemy closed in, Blacknail drew his weapon from the sheathe across his back. The long sword came free with a quiet hiss. It was a new weapon that Blacknail had chosen after his battle in the mushroom forest. His old blade just hadn¡¯t been big enough for his larger body and had been holding him back. This new weapon was a long two-handed sword that allowed Blacknail to fully use his new strength and gave him some impressive new reach. It had come from his stash of looted weapons taken form dead humans.


    The mob of boggarts was almost upon them now, so instead of waiting, Blacknail roared and charged forward to meet them. His sudden attack caught the front rank of workers off-guard, and his magically enhanced speed didn¡¯t give them any time to react. Two boggarts were almost instantly knocked aside and mangled by Blacknail¡¯s first swing, and a third worker lost a limb. The wounded boggarts were quickly trampled by the row of boggarts behind them, throwing the enemy¡¯s ranks into chaos. Boggarts stumbled over each other as Blacknail swung his blade around again and unleashed a blast of unnatural fear at them.


    The enemy warriors managed to react first. At the same time, two of them raised their spears and stabbed at Blacknail. The hobgoblin chieftain just grunted and batted both spears aside with a swing of his new weapon. This opened him up to an attack by the shorter boggart workers, but as they leapt forward to tackle Blacknail, they were intercepted by his minions. Hobgoblin spears and swords made quick work of the aggressive boggarts.


    Having fun now, Blacknail lunged forward and swung his long blade around at a warrior¡¯s chest. Stuck among the ranks of its fellows, it couldn¡¯t dodge or back away quickly enough. Blacknail¡¯s weapon smashed into it, sending the warrior crashing sideways with a huge gash in its armor.


    A spear from another warrior came out of nowhere and sliced past Blacknail¡¯s shoulder, giving him a shallow cut, but Blacknail ignored the wound and kept on hacking and slashing at everything around him. Unlike at the battle in the mushroom forest, the tight confines of this tunnel and his longer weapon allowed Blacknail to dominate the fight. With his minion¡¯s behind him, the boggarts couldn¡¯t get at his flanks.


    After a few more hectic moments of battle, the boggarts seemed to realize they were at a disadvantage. With their usual creepy precision, the creatures suddenly stopped attacking and began backing away. Blacknail laughed and jumped forward. As he landed, he brought his blade down on the head of a worker, crushing its skull like an egg. At this point, the boggarts abandoned their careful retreat and all turned to flee at full speed. Which was when they were hit by a hail of rocks. The thrown stones did no real damage to the boggarts as they slipped away, but Blacknail glanced back to see who had thrown them. What he saw surprised him. There was a small mob of trogs huddled behind his hobgoblins. They¡¯d been watching the fight and had thrown the stones. Huh, throwing rocks seemed to be trogs¡¯ go to move. Well, that was more bravery than goblins usually displayed anyway.


    Snorting in amusement, Blacknail turned to make sure the boggarts were all gone. Which was when he was surprised again. There was one boggart warrior left in sight. It was standing up ahead, right at the bend in the tunnel, and it looked to be calmly watching Blacknail. Its black eyes shone with reflected light as the menacing creature studied its foe. Blacknail¡¯s own eyes narrowed as he met its impenetrable gaze. He really didn¡¯t like these things.


    The two enemies eyed each other for another few seconds, until the boggart warrior suddenly looked away and scuttled out of sight. Creepy.

 Under the White 2

    There was no sign of any living boggarts in the tunnel ahead of them anymore, so Blacknail began cleaning his weapon and checking his minions over. After he was sure the injured had been treated, he led his troops over to the fallen guard post. The boggarts had completely demolished the barrier during their attack. It needed to be repaired right away, so Blacknail had some of the nearby hobgoblins grab the trogs that had shown up and get them working. Proper supervision was the key to efficiency when you were dealing with minions. You just had to make sure everyone was watching everyone else. Then, none of them would dare slack off.


    Leaving the workers and a fair number of guards to their task, Blacknail headed back the way he¡¯d come. Since he was down here already, he wanted to go check out the crystal cave again, to make sure no other mutants had shown up to steal his energy. It was still his by right of conquest, even if he wasn¡¯t there to use it.


    Heading through some tunnels, Blacknail and his guards made their way through the river cave and soon then reached their destination. Blacknail left his guards at the entrance and entered alone since he wanted peace and he didn¡¯t sense anything dangerous within. As before, the energy flowing out of the fissure in the wall was somehow both calming and invigorating. It felt wonderful. Taking, a seat on a large flat rock, Blacknail shut his eyes and let his core begin drawing in as much energy as possible. Soon, he felt himself grow completely relaxed and his mind stilled. The sound of his deep breaths filled the chamber as Balcknail relaxed and restored himself. It was quite nice in this cave. He ought to come here more often. Unfortunately, he had pressing matters to attend to, so he couldn¡¯t stay forever. Sighing, Blacknail eventually gathered his will and climbed back to his feet. He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how long he¡¯d been resting, but it was possible that several hours had passed since he¡¯d first entered the cave, or ten minutes.


    Grumbling about lazy minions, Blacknail led his guards back into the river cave. Since he was feeling wistful and invigorated, he actually took the time to examine and study his surroundings as he walked. The river cave was really a rather impressive sight. It was the biggest cavern Blacknail had ever seen, larger than even the mushroom forest cave. The most notable features were the rushing river that ran through it and the smooth stone columns that reached up from the floor to the ceiling. The columns seemed to have been worn down by untold centuries of water. Looking down, it was fairly obvious that the smooth but uneven floor had been worn down by water as well. Wait a second¡­


    ¡°This cave floods!¡± Blacknail announced in surprise as he stopped and looked around.


    His guards were momentarily confused and almost walked into each other, before coming to a stop as well. They glanced at one another, and then one of them looked at Blacknail and shrugged. ¡°Ya, probably.¡±


    Blacknail grunted sourly. ¡°If the river floods then I won¡¯t be able to get to the crystal cave or the mushroom forest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± the hobgoblin replied with careful neutrality. He obviously didn¡¯t know what else to say and wanted to avoid annoying his chief by saying the wrong thing.


    ¡°What am I going to do about the flood?¡±


    This time none of his minions replied. They wisely kept silent instead, so Blacknail glowered at them for a moment before turning to study his surroundings. This was a serious problem. The water would probably rise in the spring when the snow began to melt. Blacknail couldn¡¯t lose access to two such important caves for who knew how long! There might be another way to the mushroom forest, but the crystal cave was only accessible directly from the river cave. Being able to recuperate and gather energy there might save his life in the future.


    Scowling, Blacknail studied the river bank. He wasn¡¯t sure what needed to be done, but he knew it was going to be a lot of work. It was a big cave, and the flood would contain a lot of water. Hmm, someone was going to have to build something. That seemed like Ferrar¡¯s thing. Yes, this definitely seemed like a job he should dump on Ferrar.


    Having decided on a course of action, Blacknail immediately began heading back to the surface. On his way up, he moved through the twisting tunnels of the mine and passed several work parties. He also encountered some small groups of trogs that were just hanging around. Apparently, there were some idle paws around. Good.


    After dragging Ferrar away from a hot forge, Blacknail took him down to the river cave and showed him the problem. Ferrar briefly considered building a raised bridge, but that seemed problematic and dangerous, so he eventually settled on a long flood wall as the only real possible solution.


    ¡°Seems like a lot a of work,¡± Blacknail observed.


    Ferrar sighed and gave Blacknail disgruntled look. ¡°It will be a lot of work, but it would also help with security. A wall would keep the crabs and salamanders out of our territory. Sometimes, a crab will wander into the mine and scare the goblins. Also, some of the miners have seen a salamander creeping around. He might be eating goblins, but he doesn¡¯t do it when any hobgoblins are looking, so we aren¡¯t sure.¡±


    ¡°Huh, the critters all avoid me, but I suppose a good wall would also prevent boggarts from sneaking in,¡± Blacknail observed. The river cave had a few tunnels on the far side that hadn¡¯t been explored or guarded properly.


    ¡°It will also serve as practice to make Ironbreak¡¯s aboveground fortifications, which we can¡¯t make in the snow,¡± Ferrar replied as he scratched his nose thoughtfully.


    Getting work on the flood wall started turned out to be complicated. Rounding up some trogs and goblins to haul rock over wasn¡¯t that hard, but that was just one part of the plan. It turned out that Blacknail had to personally be present to keep the predators away. Salamanders and crabs lurked in the waters. Only Blacknail¡¯s fear power was capable of warding them off and preventing them from grabbing workers that got too close to the water.


    There was also the matter of actually building the wall. A lot of mortar would be needed to stick the rocks together and make the entire construction water proof, and Ferrar¡¯s ovens would take a long time to make so much mortar. Thankfully, Ferrar had another solution.


    ¡°Imp has some stuff in his lab that could work. It was very smart of you to get him to show me everything he had, boss.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯m very smart.¡±


    After sending some minions to drag Imp out of his lab and away from anything that might explode, the hobgoblin mage was brought down to the river cave. At Ferrar¡¯s suggestion, he¡¯d brought his staff and several mysterious bags.


    ¡°What¡¯s this secret magic?¡± Blacknail asked as Imp put his gear down.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a secret, boss. These stones just don¡¯t explode, so I thought they were useless and was going to have my helpers throw them away,¡± Imp replied as he put a grey mana stone in the slot atop his staff.


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t just throw away mana stone. That¡¯s a bad idea. Also, not everything has to explode.¡±


    ¡°Explosions make everything better,¡± Imp replied confidently.


    ¡°No, they don¡¯t. I¡¯ve been in many situations where explosions made things worse. Too many,¡± Blacknail told the mage in serious tone. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s this magic do, and how is it going to help me build a wall?¡±


    ¡°It slowly melts things, like rocks.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why is that useful?¡± Blacknail asked as he gave Ferrar an enquiring look. Rocks needed to be hard, or a stone wall was kind of pointless.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Simple, boss. Imp can use his staff to soften rock until it¡¯s like clay, after that it will slowly harden back to the way it was. We can use this magic to stick rocks together and to replace some mortar.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that does sound useful. How many of these mana stones do you have?¡± Blacknail asked Imp.


    Imp sighed. ¡°Not enough, although one stone can be used for a long time. I¡¯ll have to get my helpers making a lot more right away. It¡¯s a good thing I wrote the recipe down and have lots of helpers to take blood from and tend the pots.¡±


    ¡°You can read and write?¡± Blacknail remarked in surprise. He hadn¡¯t thought that any of his minions had picked up that skill.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned a bit from the humans,¡± Imp replied with a distracted shrug. ¡°Making magic is a lot easier if you can take notes, boss. There¡¯s too much to remember. I have dozens of experiments going and lots of finished recipes.


    Stupid educated minions. Blacknail was a little jealous of Imp¡¯s ability to read. Even he¡¯d never had the time to pick that skill up. Oh well, it was easy enough to find humans to do his reading and writing for him. As the leader, he had more important things to do anyway. Yes, reading was more of a minion skill.


    Having finished his preparations, Imp showed off the power of his melting magic on a nearby rock. A dull greyish light seeped out from the tip of the staff and washed over the rock. This didn¡¯t appear to do anything, so Blacknail had to agree with Imp. This magic was quite underwhelming. Ferrar disagreed though. Once Imp was done, he smiled in excitement and walked over to nudge the rock with his boot. The stone deformed slightly under the pressure, as if it was clay.


    ¡°See!¡± Ferrar exclaimed proudly as he pointed at the rock.


    ¡°It¡¯s very¡­ interesting,¡± Blacknail replied carefully. Imp just sniffed disdainfully, as if annoyed by the lack of explosions or colorful beams that tasted like strange things. Real magic stuff.


    As unimpressive as the demonstration had been, the magic obviously had potential when it came to building things. Using the staff, workers were able to stick rocks right to the floor. Soon, dozens of trogs were busy building the flood wall, as Blacknail and two teams of heavily armed hobgoblins watched and protected them. After a while, Imp passed the staff off to an underling and went to make more of the softening crystals. Ferrar supervised the work on the wall for an hour or two, but then had to go take charge of other work parties back on the surface. The project was still going to need lots of mortar, so he had to get his furnaces pumping the stuff out. All the construction materials also needed to be moved down into the cave. Thus, teams of trogs and goblins had to carry it all. Because of the rough terrain in the caves, this was done mostly using pots and simple barrows that were between two long poles and carried by two workers. They were crude and heavy, but Blacknail had plenty of goblins and trogs to carry them.


    The first stretch of the wall soon began to take shape. It was a crude looking barrier of stacked rocks about as tall as a hobgoblin, but when it was finished it probably would be enough to keep both the water and the creatures out.


    Eventually, Blacknail decided that work was done for the day and dismissed the workers. He would have let his minions keep at it, but he had to personally be present to guard everything and he needed a break. Standing around had gotten boring fast.


    On his way back up to the surface, Blacknail noticed a lot of trogs lying together in piles along the way. Did they just sleep in the mine like this? That was no good. It was messy and inefficient. The trogs needed a proper sleeping place. That way they could be nice and rested for work tomorrow and also easier to track down so they could be put to work.


    Blacknail chose a suitable side chamber near the surface to be the trogs'' new barracks. It was large, warm, and dry. He then had some straw, hammocks, and blankets brought down for them. It was all very basic, but still far better than what trogs were used to. Apparently, the little critters used almost no tools. Living underground limited their access to materials such as wood and prevented them from using fire. Smoke was incredibly dangerous in such closed in spaces.


    When the new barracks had been thrown together, Blacknail placed some food inside, and then had his hobgoblins go around grabbing sleeping trogs and throwing them inside. After they recovered from the shock, the trogs appeared to like the place. Most of them seemed confused by the hammocks, but they loved the blankets and straw. Watching them roll in the straw and hide under the blankets brought a smile to Blacknail¡¯s face. Not that he cared about anything but getting them to work harder though, because he didn¡¯t. Yes, he was smiling because he was looking forward to how much more useful they would be now that they were happier and could get some proper sleep.


    The next day, Blacknail got up early and began organizing further work on the flood wall. Despite the winter chill, Ironbreak was thrumming with activity. The surface might have been covered with snow, but now all of Ironbreak¡¯s resources and attention were being focused downward, below the ground. The flood wall wasn¡¯t the only project underway either. There was also the experimental mushroom farms and mining. Above ground, wood was also being chopped, charcoal was being made, and furnaces were burning almost nonstop to supply the settlement with the materials it needed.


    As Blacknail was headed down to the river cave so that construction could resume, a pair of hobgoblin guards intercepted him.


    ¡°Here, you said you wanted one of these,¡± one of them declared as he held out a limp trog. Even with a nearby light stone, the cave was dark, so it was hard to see the creature.


    ¡°I have lots of trogs. Way more than I ever wanted,¡± Blacknail told them.


    ¡°Er, this one is unconscious and won¡¯t wake up. We found it hiding in a pile of straw, but it¡¯s still breathing and everything!¡±


    ¡°Does it have a lump on the side of its head?¡± Blacknail asked with sudden interest.


    ¡°No, we checked for that too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, gimme,¡± Blacknail said as he reached over to take the trog.


    To get a better look at the creature, Blacknail turned and held it up to the light his mage escort was holding. It looked like a sleeping trog. Yep, it had pale grey skin, big eyes, and a tiny little tail¡­ Wait, where was its tail? This trog didn¡¯t have a tail. Blacknail squinted as he studied the creature. Now that he was looking closely, this trog¡¯s skin had a slight green tint and it looked a little fat. It was almost goblin-like. Hmm, was this trog part goblin? Was that why it had started to transform? Well, whatever. All Blacknail cared about was getting a useful minion that could direct trogs and explore the underground.


    Smiling, Blacknail hurried over to the river cave. There, he found Ferrar standing next to Gob, who had come down to check things out.


    ¡°Look, I found one!¡± he exclaimed as he shoved the unconscious trog in their faces.


    ¡°Incredible, boss,¡± Gob quickly replied. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if he knew what was going on though.


    ¡°It¡¯s a trog that¡¯s becoming a hobtroglin!¡± he explained. Ferrar winced and even Gob¡¯s smile seemed to tighten.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°A simpler name might be better,¡± Ferrar remarked diplomatically. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until he actually wakes up before we name anything.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged and passed the trog over to a guard so that he could be taken somewhere comfortable and safe until he woke up. ¡°Fine, whatever.¡±


    After that, Blacknail stood back and chatted with his lieutenants while he supervised the work on the wall. Only one trog got eaten by a particularly vicious salamander that lunged from out of the water, but Blacknail was quickly able to get everyone back to work. By the end of the day, a few dozen more feet of wall was nearing completion.


    Since they¡¯d worked so hard, Blacknail decided to further motivate his new trogs minions by cooking them a hot meal. How could they be expected to work so hard on nothing but mushrooms and bugs? Blacknail quickly ran into some problems though. Basically, you couldn¡¯t cook underground because of the smoke, and he wanted to do the entire process in front of them, so that the trogs would be impressed by his skill and know he was the one that had made the wonderful food.


    With that in mind, Blacknail went to find Imp. The mage probably had a magical solution. His lab was full of weird equipment.


    Imp sighed deeply when Blacknail had finished explaining what he wanted. ¡°Yes, boss. I do have some heating stones I use to boil Elixir smoothly, but all my helpers are already at their limit. I¡¯m bleeding them dry to make all the magic stones you want.¡±


    ¡°Get more helpers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already testing all the goblins I can find for the mage gift. There aren¡¯t more.¡±


    ¡°Test the trogs. You don¡¯t have to be smart to be a mage.¡±


    Imp scowled and gave Blacknail a mean glare, but he nodded a moment later. ¡°Fine, it will be an interesting experiment anyway.¡±


    Having sorted that out like a true leader, Blacknail headed back down to the trogs along with a goblin mage carrying a small metal heater powered by a red mana stone. With the goblin¡¯s help, Blacknail was able to get cooking without another problem. The cauldron he set up in the center of the chamber was soon bubbling away and filling the entire room with a delicious aroma, which probably wasn¡¯t dangerous.


    The smell drew in dozens of trogs until there were almost a hundred of them in their new barracks. They watched with worshipful eyes as Blacknail finished up the first batch of stew and began serving it in small clay bowls to the trogs that begged the hardest and looked the cutest.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you can¡¯t learn to cook like the goblins did,¡± Blacknail mused as he passed a trog a clay bowl. ¡°None of you want to come up above ground.¡±


    Blacknail had plans for these weird little critters beyond using them as laborers and miners.


    The problem was that living in caves was very different from living on the surface. That really limited the trogs¡¯ development, and Blacknail didn¡¯t have the time ¨C or the will ¨C to run their lives for them. No, Blacknail was pinning his hopes on the trog that had started to transform. Hopefully, he would become a half decent minion and be able lead the other trogs, without Blacknail having to get too involved. As the leader, he was already way too busy.

 Under the White 3

    A week went by without any further scuffles with the boggarts. There were a few sightings of dark figures lurking near the guard posts, but they didn¡¯t attack again. Instead, they seemed content to watch the hobgoblins and bide their time. Blacknail really wished he knew what the creepy creatures were thinking. They acted nothing like either humans or hobgoblins.


    Meanwhile, work continued on the underground projects at a fast pace. The trogs were good workers when properly motivated by hobgoblin taskmasters and occasional food scraps. Under Blacknail¡¯s watchful eyes, they worked diligently on the floodwall in the river cave.


    It was during this time that the transforming trog woke up. He¡¯d been wrapped in a blanket and stashed away at the back of the trogs¡¯ barracks with a goblin guard. The moment he opened his eyes, the goblin ran off to get his hobgoblin supervisor, who then ran to find Blacknail.


    Blacknail immediately suspended the work on the wall and went to check on his newest and most unique minion. The transformed trog was indeed awake and lucid. In fact, he was naked and sitting on the fur blanket he''d been sleeping under while staring in disbelief at his own hands.


    Like most newly transformed hobgoblins, he was so skinny his ribs were clearly visible and he had an extremely lanky build. His skin was a pale ¨C almost white - grey with only a barely noticeable green tint. He was also bald and hornless, which made several ways he seemed different from a normal hobgoblin more noticeable. His pointy ears were longer and slightly floppy, and his eyes were bigger than normal too. Also, his nose was rounder and shorter than that of a proper hobgoblin, which made him look quite ugly to Blacknail. As the transformed trog licked his lips, his teeth were revealed. Like a trog¡¯s, they were very needle-like and spaced far apart.


    Smiling, Blacknail walked over to his newly awakened minion. ¡°Hello, you¡¯re not going to try to kill me, are you? A lot of new hobgoblins do that, so I have to punch them in the face until they stop.¡±


    Looking up, the transformed trog just blinked at him in a confused manner, and then he went back to staring at his own hands.


    ¡°Hmm, I see you can¡¯t talk yet. Hopefully you aren¡¯t too stupid to learn,¡± Blacknail mused aloud. The transformed trog¡¯s features definitely gave him a sickly appearance, so maybe he was dumb too. There were a lot of humans that combined both those traits, and a few hobgoblins as well.


    Blacknail spent a few more minutes poking and studying the transformed trog, but he just sat there and looked confused, so Blacknail quickly got bored. He left and ordered another hobgoblin to go take care of the new minion and teach him to speak and follow orders.


    When he wasn¡¯t monitoring the construction of the floodwall, Blacknail frequently stopped in to visit the transformed trog. On the fourth day, the trog had learned to speak and understand most of the basic commands. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t dumb after all. Thus, Blacknail threw his minion some warm clothes -including his first pair of pants - and then took him out on a tour of Ironbreak.


    None of the trogs ever went above ground. They seemed terrified of the light and open spaces, so Blacknail waited until night, before having a pair of guards drag the transformed trog up into the settlement proper. When he realized where they were going, he tried to resist, but that wasn¡¯t an option.


    A chilly night breeze was blowing out of the snow-covered forest as they emerged out under the starry sky. Blazing fires of all sorts dotted Ironbreak, but it was still mostly a shadowy maze made up of ramshackle buildings covered in snow. Once he¡¯d given up trying to claw his guards¡¯ eyes out and flee back underground, the transformed trog began to take in the sights.


    ¡°Lots of high lights,¡± the hobtrog whispered as he blinked at the stars and stretched out a hand toward them.


    ¡°You can¡¯t touch the stars. They float way above the earth and never come down.¡± Blacknail laughed. What an amusing simpleton this new minion was. He sure had a lot to learn.


    As the overawed hobtrog walked around, his already huge eyes grew larger and rounder in awe. Everything from basic tools to the larder impressed him. He had to shield his eyes with a raised hand when they led him to the forge, but the sight of hobgoblins and goblins making tools obviously impressed him beyond his simple vocabulary¡¯s ability to convey.


    When the tour was over, Blacknail had the sickly-looking minion escorted back to his cave. He still needed more language lessons. Also, it was getting late so Blacknail was getting sleepy. He was a busy chieftain and needed regular naps to do his job properly.


    Three days later, the stone wall Blacknail¡¯s minions were building in the river chamber finally stretched all the way from one side of the chamber to the other. Blacknail nodded proudly as he inspected it. The long construction of stacked rocks that had been mortared and melted together by magic would not only keep out the water when it rose, but it would also keep out all the dangerous predators that lurked in the river. Trogs and goblins could now move to mushroom forest safely. Still, just to be sure, Blacknail had some of his minions begin building a scaffolding behind the stone. He wanted to be able to have patrols with lights walk from one end to the other safely.


    With the biggest and most labor-intensive project complete, trogs and minions became available to work on other activities. In particular, Blacknail wanted to know if they could get mushrooms growing underground during the winter. A lot of rotting wood, feces, and food waste was carried down into the warmer caves, but the experiments were still ongoing and had yet to succeed.


    Over the past few days, the transformed trog had been spending his time learning to speak and wandering around the caves. He never went far, but he did sometimes go up above ground when night fell. He just shyly crept around and watched hobgoblins go about their business.


    ¡°He seems very¡­ timid,¡± Gob remarked.


    Blacknail frowned. ¡°He¡¯s a little different than a hobgoblin, and he¡¯s facing many new things. It would be strange if he was as overconfident as a usual new hobgoblin.¡±


    All of Blacknail¡¯s lieutenants were meeting at his mansion and seated around the big table in his dinning hall. The fireplace on the wall behind Blacknail crackled and glowed with warm light, keeping the cold from outside at bay.


    ¡°We should give him a name, to make talking about him easier,¡± Herah pointed out. Lately, she been in charge of a lot of the underground patrols. She earned the position by beating up the old patrol leader one day when she¡¯d been bored.


    ¡°I was just going to call him Hobtrog,¡± Blacknail said with a shrug.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that you¡¯d call all big trogs?¡± Ferrar pointed out.


    ¡°No, those are hobtroglins.¡±


    There was silence for a moment as everyone digested this. Grimaces appeared on many of their faces, which annoyed Blacknail. His minions sure were uppity. Even Gob winced and turned to give Herah a meaningful look.


    ¡°Um, let¡¯s see if we can come up with some better names,¡± she suggested carefully.


    Blacknail glared at her. He could see what was going on here. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those names? I made them. They¡¯re great!¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Er, they¡¯re a little hard to remember? Maybe pick something else?¡±


    Blacknail scowled in disbelief, but there were nods of agreement from all the other hobgoblins present, so he didn¡¯t refute her. Obviously, his lieutenants were a little dumber than he¡¯d thought they were.


    ¡°So, what do you want to call them then?¡± If they were going to be so picky, Blacknail didn¡¯t know what would please them.


    ¡°We could just call him Ugly,¡± Ferrar suggested. ¡°His face is all sloppy and grey.¡±


    ¡°No, I call a lot of people ugly,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    Imp looked up. ¡°How about we give the big trog the name Grey and call others like him lurkers, because they lurk in the dark. Those are nice simple names. Easy to remember.¡±


    There were more nods of agreement from all the hobgoblins present, so Blacknail just sighed and went along with it. His minions were terrible at naming things but fighting them over this would be more work than it was worth. The meeting went on for a few more minutes before Blacknail got sleepy and sent everyone away so he could take a nap. The weather made him want to stay inside all the time, so it was difficult to spar and train.


    Thus, Blacknail spent a lot of time with Grey over the next few days. The transformed trog might have a stupid name, but he was still the most interesting thing around at the moment, since the boggarts weren¡¯t attacking. He was also smart, despite his stupid looking face. Grey quickly gained better mastery over the human language that the hobgoblins used and began learning to use their tools. Soon after that, he began teaching the trogs what he knew and organizing them. This pleased Blacknail since it was what he¡¯d been hoping would happen. The key to being a good leader was finding people to do all the work for you.


    With that in mind, Blacknail decided to take charge of Grey¡¯s sword training. It had been a while since Blacknail had taken charge of a hobgoblin¡¯s basic sword training, but he needed an excuse to get off his ass. Also, with his pale grey skin, the lurker still looked quite unhealthy. He seriously needed to put on some muscle, and he wouldn¡¯t make a very good scout and leader if he couldn¡¯t fight.


    After a few sessions of careful sword training in a well-lit cave, Grey¡¯s stopped hunching over quite so much and begin standing straighter. He also began to move with more confidence. However, sword fighting obviously didn¡¯t interest him all that much. During his free time, he preferred to watch the hobgoblins working above ground or explore the mines.


    Eventually, Grey selected an empty cave that was near the entrance to the mine and close to the surface and moved into it. At first, Blacknail thought he was making it his private lair, but then he invited several trogs to move in with him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Blacknail asked him after looking around the cave.


    ¡°Building a making place. Trogs want to make stuff, like you,¡± Grey replied after bowing before his chieftain.


    ¡°Why here?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    ¡°To dig up for good air. Need fire.¡±


    Huh, that was interesting. Blacknail gave the lurker his approval and then went to find a craftsman to help the trogs build their new lair properly. It probably wasn¡¯t a great idea to let them mess around unsupervised.


    Over the next few days, when Blacknail visited the cave for sword training, he saw the trog¡¯s workshop develop. Soon, they managed to dig into one of the walls and then all the way up to the surface. They then turned this shaft into a large fireplace.


    Unfortunately, the trogs still faced several problems when it came to actually using their new fireplace. Firstly, the bright light from the flames hurt their eyes. Eventually, Grey had to wrap his eyes in cloth to dim the light when he was working around the fire. Secondly, there wasn¡¯t a lot of fuel to be found underground. You could burn pieces of dried mushroom stalk from the underground forest and dried feces, but neither made for great or plentiful fuel. Blacknail had to have wood brought down. This wasn¡¯t a problem for him, there was plenty available, but Grey was disappointed that the trogs couldn¡¯t find their own fuel below ground.


    Access to a steady source of heat and light allowed the trogs to try several new activities such as cooking, boiling water, and drying things. Fire safety was an issue, but after the first few trogs burnt themselves and ran around screaming, the rest grew more cautious. Despite a few burns, their new fire meant the trogs were living far better than ever before.


    Blacknail also gave them some practical gifts, weapons. After some consideration and discussion with Ferrar, he gave the trogs a bunch of solid wooden clubs to use for self-defense. They were simple enough that the trogs could use them without hurting themselves, and they seemed like a good way to crack open boggart armor. Only a bit of drilling and a demonstration using a piece of black boggart carapace was required until they got the general idea.


    Imp came down and tested the trogs for mages. He found several, proving they could have the gift, but he wasn¡¯t sure what to do with them since none of the trogs would leave the caves. If they wouldn¡¯t come up to his lab, they were basically useless to him. Blacknail let him figure it out.


    With the river wall completed, most of the trogs were put back to work in the mines. Most mining had been put on hold since all the miners had been busy elsewhere. However, some of the trogs were ordered to work on the experimental mushroom farms. They built soil beds by piling rocks and carried down all the organic material for filling them. If harvester beetles could grow mushrooms, then Blacknail thought Ferrar would eventually figure it out.


    After another week of this - and only a few sporadic boggart sightings ¨C Grey grew confident enough to take some trogs out to explore the darkness beyond the caves the hobgoblins controlled. Like the trogs, Grey could move silently through the darkest of caves without making a sound. His hearing and dark vision were incredible. Even the smallest bit of light from a crystal or glowing fungus was enough for him to see by. In fact, Grey kept a small vial of glowing fungus in his pocket for just such a purpose. The transformed trog also scavenged up some other gear, besides the simple clothes Blacknail had given him. He had his sword, a long shirt, and a dirty old black cloak with several holes in it. The cloak appeared to be one of Blacknail¡¯s old ones, although he had no idea where Grey had found it. The dark clothes helped cover his pale skin, so he could blend into the darkness better.


    Despite all his preparations, Blacknail nervously watched Grey go out on his first foray into the tunnels beyond the mine. It would be terrible if something happened to Grey. Blacknail had put a lot of time and effort into raising the lurker. Where was he supposed to find another one? None of the other trogs had shown any sign of transforming.


    Thankfully, Grey never failed to return from his scouting missions. On their third trip, his small party even returned with the mangled corpses of two boggart workers. They ambushed the creatures in the darkness and bashed them to death with clubs before the boggarts could properly react. Blacknail could only beam proudly at the trogs as they chattered and displayed their new trophies. This was exactly what he¡¯d been hoping for. Trogs were perfect disposable minions he could use to harass the boggarts and explore the dark paths.


    Soon, more and more trogs were arming up and heading out to fight boggarts in the unexplored tunnels. Although, Grey usually led them, they sometimes went out without him. Blacknail was actually surprised by how eager the trogs were to confront their enemy now that they had weapons and a safe place to retreat to. The trogs really hated the boggarts. Even Grey grew sullen and practically growled when the creatures were mentioned. His eyes narrowed and smoldered with hatred. There was obviously some history there.


    Of course, the occasional ambush of a worker in a dark tunnel was hardly a real threat to the boggarts, but the creatures were still forced to withdraw their scouts. The hobgoblin guards Blacknail had stationed at the edge of the mine reported a complete stop to all boggart sightings. The hunters he sent out into the forest aboveground still ran into boggarts, but the occasional trophy brought back a group of returning trogs was the only sign that they were still down in the tunnels.


    When Grey returned from an expedition dragging the twisted corpse of the boggart warrior behind him, Blacknail could only stare. He was beyond impressed. Behind Grey, several trogs were also carrying the severed heads of four workers.


    ¡°Huh, good job. How did you kill the warrior?¡± Blacknail asked as he walked over to Grey.


    ¡°The foul ones don¡¯t know to fear our scent yet. We swarmed them in the dark. Many of the tribe fell but we beat them,¡± Grey answered with a grim smile. His thin needle-like teeth and wide eyes gave him a deranged look, and the dim light of the of the cave gave him an incredibly sinister air.


    Blacknail looked the dead warrior over. ¡°I¡¯m surprised the boggarts sent such a large party near our territory.¡±


    Grey sniffed disdainfully. ¡°They didn¡¯t. We went far to find their hiding places, where they thought they were safe.¡±


    ¡°Huh, good for you,¡± Blacknail remarked in surprise as he looked up at Grey.


    The lurker was creepy but even more effective than Blacknail had thought he would be, even if having him around led to some unforeseen consequences. Blacknail studied Grey¡¯s cloaked form and ugly visage. In fact, it was beginning to seem like he may have helped create some sort of unnatural abomination, who had then started a brutal race war. Not bad. There was some real potential here.


    Grey returned Blacknail¡¯s grin. ¡°We also found it.¡±


    ¡°Found what?¡±


    ¡°The foul things¡¯ nest. I saw it myself after we killed their guards.¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s smile grew wider. Yes, there was a lot of potential here.

 Under the White 4

    Upon receiving Grey¡¯s report, the first thing Blacknail did was run off to talk to Gob. When he found him, he immediately ordered the other hobgoblin to begin assembling the full might of Blacknail¡¯s tribe. Blacknail wanted every hobgoblin that could hold a spear ready to march, and as much magic power as he could get. It was time to strike back against the boggarts and hopefully end their assaults on the mines. Blacknail couldn¡¯t let them continue to harass his forces above and below ground. He had more important enemies, so the boggarts needed to be exterminated.


    ¡°Grey is just as useful as I thought he¡¯d be,¡± Blacknail remarked with a proud grin once he was done explaining everything to Gob.


    ¡°Yes, boss. Truly, it is like you¡¯re so wise you can see the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a super great leader,¡± Blacknail agreed with a nod. ¡°I think we need even more lurkers now. They are just too useful to only have one. I¡¯m putting you in charge of getting me more.¡±


    ¡°Er, how would I do that, boss? None of the trogs seem to be transforming.¡±


    Blacknail grinned smugly. ¡°Ah, I know the answer to that, since I¡¯m so smart and amazing. You really need to get smarter. You see, Grey is part goblin. You need to get a whole bunch more trogs that are part goblin.¡±


    Gob suddenly looked concerned. ¡°Um, boss. How am I supposed to do that? What exactly are you ordering me to do?¡±


    ¡°Figure it out yourself. I have to go back to Grey,¡± Blacknail replied with a dismissive wave as he turned to leave. ¡°Make sure my troops are ready to move when I get back.¡±


    Leaving Gob behind, Blacknail hurried back underground to where Grey was waiting.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. I want to see the base you found,¡± Blacknail told the lurker.


    An hesitant look appeared on Grey¡¯s pale face. ¡°You sure? We no bring a light into the dark. It be hard for you.¡± The lurker was still learning to speak properly so his speech could be a little garbled, or maybe it was a lurker thing. Blacknail honestly wasn''t sure yet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°You sure? Hobgoblins stumble in dark. I see you."


    Blacknail huffed indignantly. ¡°I¡¯m one of the greatest scouts ever! A dark cave is no problem for me. I¡¯m not some dumb blind human. I hunt in the dark all the time.¡±


    ¡°What a human?¡± Grey asked. There was a lot of basic information he didn''t know since he''d lived his entire life underground.


    ¡°Er, they¡¯re not important. Just take me to the boggart nest.¡±


    Nodding reluctantly in acceptance, Grey did as he was told and began to lead Blacknail through the tunnels. They quickly reached one of the guard posts at the edge of the mine and passed into the dark passages beyond it. Immediately, their pace slowed down to a crawl and Blacknail completely lost his ability to see. Everything was black. He couldn¡¯t even see the walls or the floor. He did manage to find a rock though, by hitting it with his shin. Ouch.


    ¡°Are you still here Grey?¡± Blacknail whispered as he hopped on one foot. His pride was almost as sore as his shin.


    There was a barely audible sigh from somewhere up above. ¡°I take out moss light.¡±


    There was a brief shuffling noise from up ahead and then a slight pale light appeared as Grey pulled out his glass vial filled with glowing moss. It was incredibly faint and didn¡¯t really illuminate its surroundings, but at least Blacknail could tell where his guide was now. Hobgoblins had great night vision, but it was apparently not nearly as good as that of trogs and lurkers. His hearing also seemed less sensitive than Grey¡¯s to the sounds of the underground.


    ¡°Good?¡± Grey asked.


    Shrouded in darkness, Blacknail grimaced. He was too proud to give up. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s keep going.¡±


    Grey didn¡¯t reply. His gloomy light simply started bobbing and swaying as he just began walking again. Blacknail hurried after him as quickly as he dared. He still couldn¡¯t see much of anything.


    Time crawled by with agonizing slowness as Blacknail followed Grey¡¯s little light, but they made steady progress and Blacknail¡¯s shins only hit a few more rocks. If he stared really hard at a particular black spot, Blacknail thought he could usually detect solid objects before actually walking into them. Still, Blacknail was quite happy when they passed by a patch of glowing moss that lit up the cave around it. That allowed him to see the floor for a few moments before they passed beyond the moss¡¯ light.


    Soon after that, Blacknail noticed a tiny orb of yellow light hanging off in darkness. He stopped and turned to whisper at Grey. ¡°What¡¯s that yellow light?¡±


    ¡°Bright stinger. It lure prey then bite and kill,¡± Grey replied without stopping.


    That sounded interesting, and Blacknail kind of wanted to go poke the yellow light now. However, he also didn¡¯t want to get left behind, so Blacknail hurried after Grey. They carefully made their way through the black tunnels for an unknown amount of time. In the dark, Blacknail found himself having trouble keeping track.


    However, Grey eventually came to a stop. The lurker turned around raised the vial of moss to illuminate his face. He then raised a finger to his lips to signal for silence. The pale lurker looked disturbing, but Blacknail was too surprised to resist as Grey grabbed his shoulder and shoved him down behind a rock. The lurker than pocketed the vial of moss, and darkness enveloped everything. Blacknail was left alone with no idea what was going on around him. This was no fun. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have made Grey bring him after all.


    Without sight, Blacknail focused on listening. The cave was almost completely silent, but he thought he heard a faint scratching sound somewhere up ahead. Crack! Blacknail flinched as the sound of metal hitting something hard rang out from the black. What was happening? Should he do something?


    There was several seconds of scuffling and Blacknail thought he heard a familiar hiss before the dark grew quiet again. He really wanted to ask Grey what was going on now, but he kept silent and waited. His patience was rewarded a moment later when Grey¡¯s moss light sprang back into existence.


    ¡°I killed boggart guard. Let¡¯s go. Base this way. Be quiet,¡± Grey explained before turning to begin walking away. Blacknail thought he saw the shadowy form of a boggart worker laying at the lurker¡¯s feet.


    After a bit more walking, Grey stopped and helped Blacknail crawl into a small passage. Goblins were burrowing creatures but being in tight confines so far from the surface still made Blacknail a little nervous. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t have to travel all that much further. After a few tense moments of crawling, light appeared in front of Blacknail. He carefully moved foward until he emerged out onto a long natural shelf that hung above a large cave. As he moved to the side, Grey crawled out and moved up beside him. Together, they then looked out at the cave before them. Blacknail¡¯s eyes were used to the darkness now and very sensitive, so he had to blink a few times before the shapes gained meaning.


    A large cavern lay before Blacknail. It was about as wide as his mansion but with a low hanging roof that was decorated by clusters of small stalactites. It was lit by a dozen evenly-spaced posts with dim light stones on top of them. Between the posts, boggart workers scuttled about through what looked like thick mud. The entire place reeked of wet earth and sour food. Blacknail found himself gagging as he studied the workers going about their business.


    On the far side of the cave there was a wide opening that was guarded by two warriors with spears. Blacknail could see past them into part of the huge cavern behind them. It was dotted with lights. And around them, tall buildings rose up into the air. From so far away, it was difficult to make out the details, but Blacknail thought the spires were rounded and that they were several stories tall. Some of them went up out of sight, so he didn¡¯t know how high they reached.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    It was an impressive sight, and Blacknail dearly wished he could see more. From his vantage point, it was impossible to tell how big the cave was or how many spires it contained. Still, this was obviously a permanent settlement that the boggarts had spent a considerable amount of time building. That made it a great target. It was time to leave.


    Blacknail nodded at Grey and then turned around so that he could begin wiggling his way back through the tunnel. Grey quickly followed him. Only once they were both safely on the other side did he risk a whisper.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I saw what I wanted,¡± he told the lurker.


    Grey simply nodded and began to lead the way back. Blacknail could only stumble after the dim light from the vial of moss he was holding. As he walked, he hit his shin on another rock and had to bite back a curse. Well, at least they were headed back now, and this horrible trip would soon be over. He wasn¡¯t going to suggest doing this ever again. He¡¯d gotten a lot of valuable information, but a hobgoblin¡¯s shins could only take so much.


    The pair managed to reach the hobgoblin mine and get up to the surface without a problem. Once there, Blacknail got involved with organizing his troops. Hundreds of them were hanging around the entrance to the mine now, but more were on their way and they had to form ranks and get equipped properly.


    When they were called up, Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins were supposed to form squads based around the longhouse they lived in. Every house leader was in charge of his bunk mates and making sure they all had equipment. Gob then assigned warriors to help and captains to take charge of multiple squads. Those captains answered to Gob, who served Blacknail. It was simple system, and more than a little messy, but it had advantages. Mainly, it was easy to remember and that allowed the hobgoblins to muster quickly.


    As Blacknail was stomping around and yelling at minions to form nice little lines so they could be counted ¨C which was important for some reason ¨C Ferrar arrived with a wagon full of arms and armor. Blacknail ordered him to hand them out to whoever needed it.


    Imp also soon arrived with half a dozen hobgoblin mages. Blacknail immediately hurried over to question him. ¡°Do you have a death beam yet?¡±


    This operation would be much easier with a proper death beam. Imp¡¯s usual fiery explosions were too indiscriminate to use underground in most situations.


    Imp sighed. ¡°Yes, I found some crystals I can use for that. They aren¡¯t very flashy though.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. Don¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Blacknail told him before going back to help organizing the troops.


    Soon, almost all the hobgoblins were lined up properly and ready to move. That was when Herah found him.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to fight, boss!¡± she announced as she walked over to him and gave him an enthusiastic salute. She wasn¡¯t alone either. There were two squads of hobgoblins behind her.


    ¡°Good. I see you brought some troops.¡±


    ¡°Yep, these are my patrol squad, and the others said they were your elite bodyguards, so I brought them too.¡±


    Blinking in surprise, Blacknail studied the second squad of hobgoblins. Huh, he hadn¡¯t even known he had elite bodyguards. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea. Had Gob assigned them to him? Wait, was that Crow hanging out near the back of the bodyguards? Yes, the well-dressed hobgoblin was wearing a helmet to hide his face and trying to blend in, but that was definitely him. Suspicious!


    Blacknail turned back to Herah and gave her a smile. ¡°You know what?¡±


    ¡°What? Tell me!¡± Herah asked with obvious excitement before Blacknail could continue.


    ¡°Er, you¡¯ve been doing a great job lately. You deserve a reward¡±


    ¡°Wow, thanks boss! What do I get? A kiss or maybe more¡­¡±


    Blacknail quickly cut her off. ¡°You get the honor of being the leader of my bodyguards during the battle.¡±


    Herah frowned. ¡°You already have bodyguards. What about them?¡±


    ¡°They get the honor of leading the charge against the enemy,¡± Blacknail explained as he turned to smile at the hobgoblins in question. In response to his words, there were muted curses from the squad, including more than a few from Crow.


    Ha, Crow wasn¡¯t nearly as smart as he thought he was. As if Blacknail was going to let a squad with him in it guard his back during a battle. Crow had probably formed the squad and filled it with disloyal scum. Well, that was fine. Those that survived leading the charge might reconsider their loyalties in the future.


    Working with Gob, Blacknail eventually managed to get everyone ready to move. The mustering of Ironbreak¡¯s forces had taken about two hours, which was way too long. They were probably going to have to hold drills or something. Before the boggarts had shown up, that simply hadn¡¯t been a priority during the winter.


    ¡°We will move one squad at a time through the caves. They¡¯re too tight for more,¡± Blacknail told his lieutenants. He¡¯d called a meeting right before giving his troop the order to march.


    Gob and the others nodded, so Blacknail turned to Grey. ¡°We¡¯re going to need you to lead the way to a large cave where we can regroup. From there, we¡¯ll rush through their farms and cut a way into their city.¡±


    ¡°I know a place. It big enough,¡± Grey reassured Blacknail.


    With that sorted out, the hobgoblin force began moving out. Squad by squad, they marched down into the mines. Each squad followed the one in front of it and had a goblin or hobgoblin mage to provide them with light. Grey led the first squad and had a screen of armed trog scouts covering his advance. Blacknail and Herah were also in the first squad, although the only thing they could really do was walk after Grey and hope he was taking them in the right direction.


    Thankfully, he was. After several minutes of marching, they arrived in a large circular cavern that contained three small pools of water. The smooth floor of the cave made it look like the place flooded frequently, but for now it was a perfect place to regroup. Blacknail¡¯s group took up position at the side of the cave and waited as more hobgoblin squads arrived.


    It took longer than Blacknail would have liked. Over an hour. He could only wait in the shadowy cave far beneath the ground and listen to the gentle lapping of water and the occasional hobgoblin fart. His incredible patience was rewarded though, when Gob arrived with the last squad.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Blacknail growled as he grabbed Grey and pulled him over to Gob. ¡°Which way is the enemy?¡±


    ¡°I lead way through caves, until their lights shine,¡± Grey replied enthusiastically. He seemed excited by the thought of the upcoming battle.


    That was fine with Blacknail. After a brief talk with Gob to make sure nothing had gone wrong, he got everyone moving again. This time, they swarmed through the tunnels as fast as they could. It was important that they catch the boggarts off guard as much as possible, but stealth wasn¡¯t an option, so they had to rely on speed.


    The mass of hobgoblins quickly encountered resistance. They were moving too quickly for the trogs to screen their advance, so after climbing over a short ledge, Blacknail and Grey found themselves facing a pack of boggarts. There were five of the creatures, and Blacknail didn¡¯t waste a second on surprise. He lunged forward with all his speed.


    As the boggarts reeled back in shock, Blakcnail drew his blade and began hacking and slashing with complete abandon. His minions were still behind him, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about hitting them. Thus, his sword smashed one bloody boggart aside and then severed the head of another. As he stepped forward and impaled his third target, the boggarts broke and began to scramble away. They hissed and chirped fearfully as they tried to flee into the darkness. Blacknail charged after them, and brutally cut down one more, but the last boggart worker managed to disappear into the shadows.


    ¡°Stink toads,¡± Blacknail swore as he came to a stop. He didn¡¯t have a light on him, so he couldn¡¯t give chase.


    That was when Grey charged past him and into the darkness after the boggart. Blacknail had forgotten he was there. Well, that was good. The lurker could probably catch a worker. Still, there was no point wasting time.


    Blacknail ran back to the ledge. Several of his bodyguards had already managed to climb it, but the rest of the army had slowed behind it. That wouldn¡¯t do. Blacknail had some of his guards pull out rope and hang it down over the ledge so that it could be climbed faster. Thankfully, the ledge was barely taller than a hobgoblin, and he quickly got a system going and his minions began zipping up the climb one after another. That done, Blacknail led the way down the tunnel after Grey. He really hoped there weren¡¯t any forks in the tunnel up ahead.


    There were. After about a hundred feet, the path split it in two, and Blacknail had no idea which tunnel to take. However, before Blacknail had to choose one at random, Grey returned.


    ¡°I got boggart,¡± he replied as he stepped into the light.


    ¡°Good. Hopefully, the noise we¡¯re making hasn¡¯t echoed all the way to their base.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Grey replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Just point out the right way. We need to keep moving.¡±


    Grey nodded and headed down the left tunnel. The passage behind Blacknail was now full of waiting hobgoblins who¡¯d trailed after their leader. Blacknail eyed them for a moment and then followed after Grey. His way was lit by a hobgoblin mage holding a crude staff, but shadows lurked and shifted in every direction. Irregular rocks jutted out from every surface, blocking both the light and everyone¡¯s vision. It was hard to tell what was a patch of shadow and what was a hole in a wall or pit in the ground.


    The hobgoblin army marched on behind their leader though. They didn¡¯t fear the dark. Soon, Blacknail turned a corner and saw some light up ahead. As he squinted, he recognized figures moving up ahead in the light. It looked like there were dozens of people running around, although he couldn¡¯t see any details.


    ¡°The boggarts. We here,¡± Grey announced with a bloodthirsty snarl. ¡°The foul ones heard us and are gathering.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯re going to have stomp them into gooey paste before they realize what they¡¯re up against,¡± Blacknail replied confidently. That said, the hobgoblin warlord drew his sword again and prepared to signal for the charge. It was time to see how the boggarts liked being invaded for a change.

 Under the White 5

    Blacknail grinned savagely as he raised his sword and eyed the shadowy group of boggarts that were standing in front of the passage ahead of him. Many of the hobgoblins in Blacknail¡¯s army were strewn out in the tunnels behind him, but there were still several dozen of his warriors nearby.


    ¡°Charge my minions! We need to clear the entrance before they get reinforcements,¡± Blacknail yelled as he started to run. He didn¡¯t go too fast though, since he didn¡¯t want to get ahead of everyone else and end up fighting alone.


    Blacknail charged straight toward the enemy. As he got closer, their forms got more distinct. They were definitely boggarts. Blacknail counted around a dozen workers and about the same number of warriors. As before, the warriors were all carrying long spears. That seemed to be their standard weapon.


    After a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure his allies were right behind him, Blacknail picked up speed and slammed into the assembled boggarts that were trying to guard the passage into the next chamber. Two spears sliced toward his chest, but Blacknail whirled to the side and cut off the arm of one of the attacking boggarts. It screeched in pain as it stumbled back, opening a hole in the enemy line. Drawing forth burning power from his core, Blacknail pressed his advantage. Dodging another spear, he smashed a worker aside and then whirled his blade around to deflect another attack by a warrior. Then, he slashed at the warrior¡¯s neck. His blade found a gap in the armor there and bit deep. The warrior went down, and Blacknail spun to find a new target.


    As Herah and his other bodyguards took advantage of the enemies¡¯ broken line, Blacknail continued to hack and slash at the boggarts near him. He mangled another worker that got too close and then exchanged a few quick blows with a spear wielding warrior. More boggarts began to arrive through the passage, but now the bulk of Blacknail¡¯s force was here. A solid wall of hobgoblins hit the boggarts and crushed them in short order.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t wait for the last boggart to die, instead he got his bodyguards and rushed forward through the opening. He had to seize control of the passage so that his forces could get through and assemble on the other side.


    As Blacknail stepped through the opening, he recognized the large cavern he¡¯d seen before with Grey. Most of the floor was covered in dark muck, although there were bare stone paths leading in every direction. Light posts were spaced out so that they illuminated the entire place, and dozens of workers were scrambling away toward the far side of the cavern. There, another host of boggarts was gathering.


    Behind Blacknail, squads of hobgoblins began to spill out of the passage. Squad by squad, they took up position beside their leader, until there were hundreds of hobgoblins assembled.


    Frowning, Blacknail considered his options. There were still more hobgoblins arriving, but he needed to keep moving. The objective was the enemy city, and that was in the next cave over. To get there, they¡¯d need to deal with the mass of boggarts before them. Oh well. Blacknail hadn¡¯t gotten this far by being afraid of fighting.


    ¡°Attack! Seize that opening and kill every boggart in your way!¡± Blacknail yelled at his minions. At his command, the gathered hobgoblins quickly began to advance. The ground was mucky but wasn¡¯t too hard to cross. The mud was only a few inches thick, and there was solid stone beneath it.


    Instead of leading the charge this time, Blacknail took a few moments to observe the situation and to make sure there were no problems. More hobgoblins were still making their way through the tunnels and entering the muck chamber. Blacknail had to yell at them to get them moving faster. He then formed them up into squads and sent them forward.


    It was only when Gob arrived that Blacknail left him in charge and moved to join the fight on the other side of the cave. He hopped over the muck and ran over stone when possible. That allowed him to reach the back of his own forces relatively quickly.


    However, before he could join the fight proper, there was sudden boom and a pair of hobgoblins over to his left went flying. A huge splash of mud was thrown into the air as well and it rained down all around Blacknail. He froze and tried to peer through the flying muck. What was going on? The visibility wasn¡¯t great in the shadowy cave.


    That was when he spotted a tall warrior boggart standing near the edge of the battle lines. He was holding a long staff tipped with a glowing crystal instead of a spear. A mage. Uh oh. Not good.


    For a split second, Blacknail considered his options, before realizing he didn¡¯t really have any. The long march through the tunnels and the rush to catch the boggarts by surprise had scattered the hobgoblin mages. Blacknail had no idea where Imp was, and thus his magical defenses were nonexistent right now. The enemy mage couldn¡¯t be allowed free reign though. Blacknail could already see his minions hesitate in the face of the boggart¡¯s magic. The cowards were going to ruin this for him unless he did something, and there was only one thing he could do.


    Grimacing, Blacknail drew out as much power as he could from his core and then burst forward. Leaving his bodyguards behind, he jumped over muck and landed on some stone as he charged the enemy. A hobgoblin was in his way, so he just knocked the unfortunate minion aside as he pushed past him.


    Blacknail had to shove several more hobgoblins aside as he approached the frontline from behind his own forces. No one looked in his direction. They were too focused on what was going on in front of them. Scattered squads of hobgoblins were fighting with groups of boggarts. Each side was trying to avoid the deep muck, so there were holes in their lines and the fight was a chaotic looking mess. Blacknail took a second to look around before entering the space between the two opposing sides. Some of his forces were holding back as they warily watched the enemy mage, who had stepped forward and was brandishing his staff high.


    Still moving, Blacknail burst out of the ranks of the hobgoblins around him and charged at his target. Magic boiled though his veins, invigorating and empowering his muscles as he dashed forward. The boggart mage saw him coming and turned to study him. Then, he began to swing his weapon down and point it in Blacknail¡¯s direction.


    Grinning, Blacknail reacted quickly. As he ran, he gathered up as much magic as he could and hurled it out at the mage and all the boggarts around him. The invisible wave of power slammed into them, causing them to flinch and step back as he closed in.


    This bought him several seconds and allowed him to jump over the largest bit of muck but not quite reach his enemy. The boggart had time to recover from his initial shock and get his weapon pointed in Blacknail¡¯s direction. There was a zapping noise as a swirling blast of energy flew out if its tip.


    Blacknail was already moving to dodge the magical strike. With perfect timing and magic enhanced speed, he side-stepped the attack, and it flew harmlessly past him. There were some shouts of alarm from hobgoblins as the blast headed their way, but Blacknail ignored them and concentrated on closing the distance to the enemy mage. He kept radiating chilling magical fear to slow and startle the enemy as he lunged. It worked. The boggart flinched, and Blacknail closed the distance and slashed down at his enemy without being blasted. The boggart managed to block the blow with his staff, but that was fine. Now that he was on the defensive, he couldn¡¯t use magic


    Blacknail growled loudly as he unleashed a savage flurry of blows on the mage. The enemy managed to block the first two, but the third cut into carapace, and the fourth bit deep into the creature¡¯s shoulder. It hissed in pain and its arm went slack, allowing Blacknail¡¯s fifth strike to sever its head from its body.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Of course, Blacknail still had to deal with all the nearby boggart warriors. Most of them were still suppressed by his magical terror, but he had to jump back as one tried to put a spear through his stomach. Blacknail had no plan to retreat though. Letting out a bloodthirsty yell, he threw himself straight toward the opening to the next cave instead. Holding nothing back, he struck out at every boggart warrior and worker that tried to get in the way. They usually didn¡¯t last long. Blacknail cut a swathe through the first group in his way and quickly moved on to the second. Rage and the power it brought was flowing through him now, and he had a mission to accomplish.


    Rallying behind him, Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblin minions began to push the other boggarts back. There was fierce fighting all around the cavern opening as the boggarts were cut down and pushed back. The ring of clashing weapons and the hiss of dying boggarts filled the air.


    Soon, Blacknail stood right before the opening. He dodged a spear strike and then cut its holder down with a lightning quick counter. On either side of him, the hobgoblin forces were closing in on the last few boggart defenders. Blacknail growled and raised a hand. Immediately, an oppressive crushing terror hit the enemy. They stumbled and quickly went down under hobgoblin blades, which allowed Balcknail to step through the opening unopposed. His minions streamed after him, eager for more violence and destruction.


    Blacknail stopped as he got his first real good look at the boggart settlement. It was a small underground city. There was no other way to describe it. The opening Blacknail had just stepped through was on top of an elevated incline, so he had a great view of the place. Dozens of tall black spires jutted out from the cave floor and rose up to the ceiling. They seemed to be made from the same shiny dark material as the boggarts¡¯ weapons. Thin and delicate bridges made from the same stuff also connected many of the towers and there were pinpricks of light everywhere. It looked like the boggarts had hundreds of light stones hanging all around the towers. It was beautiful, but also cold and alien. Looking it over, Blacknail felt a shiver go down his spine. The black towers seemed to twist in and out of existence where the shadows hid them.


    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m going to have to destroy all this before boggarts get everywhere,¡± Blacknail mused aloud as he took in the sight.


    Boggarts were probably like ants that way. If you them alone they¡¯d multiply like crazy, and there was room for thousands of boggarts to live in this city, and that was more than Blacknail wanted to fight. Way more.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have much time for contemplation though. Almost as soon as he stepped into the cave, the boggarts below reacted to his presence. Hundreds of workers began to stream out of the city. They rushed out of the buildings and ran through the streets as they charged Blacknail¡¯s position. Soon, they were an uncountable swarm of hissing black creatures.


    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± Blacknail remarked before looking back over his shoulder.


    His own troops were pouring into the cavern, but they had to get through the cave opening. Only a few dozen were formed up and ready to fight. That wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough to hold this chokepoint, even with Blacknail joining the fight personally. They¡¯d be overwhelmed long before reinforcements could arrive.


    Quickly, Blacknail spun around and began yelling at his minions to form a defensive line and get through the opening faster. As he was doing this, Imp and two of his helpers stepped through. Finally! A good development.


    ¡°I need a death beam!¡± Blacknail said as he grabbed Imp and dragged him forward. ¡°You promised me a death beam.¡±


    ¡°Alright, boss. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±


    ¡°Just kill all those boggarts before they kill us,¡± Blacknail hissed. ¡°That¡¯s what death beams are for!¡±


    Grunting, Imp played with the top of his staff for a moment. He adjusted the crystal and turned a screw near its top a few times, before leveling the weapon and pointing it at the closest of the boggarts that had just begun to run up the incline. A moment later, as the boggarts closed in, a purple beam lashed out and sprayed across their front ranks. Boggarts fell by the dozen, and the swarm slowed as the boggarts behind them stumbled over their fallen allies.


    ¡°See! Death beams work great!¡± Blacknail crowed happily.


    However, despite Blacknail¡¯s enthusiasm, the boggarts were still advancing. Imp hit them again and again, but while many boggarts fell, the swarm didn¡¯t grow noticeably smaller and it kept advancing while climbing over its fallen.


    ¡°Are you actually killing them?¡± Blacknail asked the hobgoblin mage. ¡°This is working, but I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s a proper death beam. They don¡¯t seem scared enough.¡±


    ¡°It worked on the mice. They died properly.¡±


    Blacknail scowled in dissatisfaction. ¡°You should test it on something bigger next time.¡±


    Imp huffed indignantly. ¡°The problem is the lack of explosions. If there were explosions, they would be more afraid.¡±


    At that moment, several blasts shot out of the closest black spires and zoomed toward Imp.


    ¡°Look out! Bad magic,¡± Blacknail cried as he jumped back away from the target zone.


    The transparent force projectiles flew straight at Imp but slammed into a barrier right before hitting him. The hobgoblin mage had let his staff drop and raised a protective amulet instead. The wave of energy from the amulet had completely blocked the attacks.


    ¡°I thought they¡¯d try something,¡± Imp huffed as he signaled for his helpers to spring into motion. One of them took the staff and began firing at advancing boggarts while Imp focused on supervising the work of three of his other helpers.


    As Blacknail watched, Imp blocked another barrage and his worker pulled slings and fire stones out of a bag. A moment later, the helpers loaded the slings. Sighting on the towers, they then ignited the red mana stones and hurled them at the bottom of the black spires. The glowing projectiles trailed fire as they flew through the air.


    ¡°I brought explosion makers, just in case. It should be safe to use them on something so far away,¡± Imp told Blacknail.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t bring the roof down,¡± Blacknail replied before turning away. He had his own responsibilities that he had to focus on. The horde of boggart workers was awfully close now.


    ¡°Form a defensive line! We practiced this, you idiots,¡± Blacknail screamed at his warriors. Many more of them had made it through the opening now.


    Suddenly, there was a boom over to his left as Imp¡¯s protections missed an enemy blast. Blacknail instinctively ducked and covered his head. However, the magical attack had slammed onto empty ground.


    Coughing, Blacknail turned to glare at his minions. ¡°If I find anyone out of position, I¡¯ll use their skull as a chamber pot!¡±


    Under Blacknail¡¯s supervision, a defensive wedge made up of almost two hundred hobgoblins quickly formed up. As more hobgoblins streamed into the cavern, the line began to march forward to meet the advancing boggarts. The enemy was still scuttling forward, despite dozens of them falling to the death beam that was being wielded by one of Imp¡¯s helpers.


    While this was happening, there was a boom of distant explosions and the ground shivered. Blacknail looked over to see a fireball slam into the base of the nearest black spire. It exploded violently, cracking the tower and causing it to shudder. Worried, Blacknail glanced up at the roof, but it didn¡¯t seem like anything was about to come down on him. Stupid boggarts, forcing him to use explosive magic underground. What idiots!


    Blacknail then focused on his own task and ran over to join his warriors. Without him there to stiffen their spines and rally them, he didn¡¯t trust his minions to hold their ground. Blacknail managed to take up position at the front of the hobgoblin formation just before the boggarts¡¯ lead elements hit them. All around him, spears and swords lashed out at black carapaces. Angry growls and violent hissing filled the air as black claws sought green skin and steel flashed through the air.


    The first wave of the boggarts went down as hobgoblin blades met them, but the next rank was right behind them and slammed into Blacknail¡¯s force without hesitation. Blacknail stood strong before the swarm and swung his blade around in savage arcs that knocked the advancing boggarts away and ripped them apart. The enemy was relentless though. As boggart after boggart slammed into the hobgoblins, Blacknail had to draw as much magic from his core as he could to stand his ground. The power flooded into his muscles, allowing him to cut down every approaching enemy with ruthless power, but they just kept coming. There didn¡¯t seem to be any end to the swarm of hissing boggart workers.


    Hobgoblins began to go down as boggarts climbed over their own dead to get within reach with their claws, but Blacknail¡¯s forces didn¡¯t waver. They had been well trained, and they knew that they couldn¡¯t outrun the swarm. They had no choice but to hold and trust that their glorious leader had a plan.


    Off in the distance, fireballs continued to smash into black spires. There was a loud boom as one of the towers began to topple over. As it fell, it hit another spire, knocking it over as well. A cloud of dust rose up as rubble was thrown into the air. Many of the boggarts that were still running through the city¡¯s streets were crushed by the debris.


    The destruction of the boggart settlement greatly pleased Blacknail, but he had to focus on things closer at hand. Even with his magically boosted strength, he was beginning to tire. Since the start of the fight, he¡¯d been striking out with continuous heavy slashes. Dozens of boggarts had died under his blade, but he couldn¡¯t keep it up forever. The hobgoblins behind him were also slowly being worn down as well.


    Blacknail really wished he had a plan.

 Under the White 6

    As fireballs flew through the darkness of the huge cave, the horde of hissing boggart workers tore into the line of hobgoblin warriors. Light stones held by hobgoblin mages or hanging near the twisted black spires that filled the cavern were the only other source of light. A hissing boggart worker scuttled up and bit Blacknail¡¯s boot, so he gave it a kick that sent it flying back and then spun around to cut down another boggart that had jumped at him. That done, Blacknail turned to strike his next opponent. There wasn¡¯t one. Unexpectedly, the boggart horde had stopped advancing.


    Blacknail took a moment to catch his breath and regain his balance. Had he scared the creatures away with his deadly skills and incredible might?


    That was when Blacknail noticed a black beam shoot out of the boggart swarm and hit one of Imp¡¯s fireballs that was flying overhead. The fireball simply disintegrated, leaving nothing but darkness. The beam then flashed several more times, clearing the sky of fireballs.


    ¡°Come here, Imp!¡± Blacknail yelled as he stepped back into the ranks of his exhausted troops. He didn¡¯t like this new development. Stupid magic. It never worked the way he wanted it to. Was an unstoppable yet easy to use weapon too much to ask for? No, he just needed better minions.


    Imp quickly ran over to his chief¡¯s side. ¡°What do you want, boss?¡±


    ¡°What was that black stuff?¡± Blacknail asked him.


    The hobgoblin mage just shrugged. ¡°It was probably magic.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. He¡¯d figured that much out. ¡°Can you do anything about it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t think of anything.¡±


    Blacknail sighed again. Yes, he definitely needed better minions. They were without a doubt holding him back. Feeling annoyed, Blacknail gazed toward the source of the beams. He thought he could a see a group of taller boggarts making their way forward through the ranks of workers. One of them must be the mage.


    The group of taller boggarts swiftly got closer, and it became apparent they were a group of about two dozen warriors. Blacknail couldn¡¯t tell which one the mage was though. He also had no idea what they were planning. Why stop the workers¡¯ attack?


    Imp - or one of his helpers - didn¡¯t wait to see what was happening. Blacknail nodded in approval someone hurled a fireball straight at the group of advancing warriors. It zipped through the air towards the boggart, but then vanished as another black energy beam shot up to intercept it. With fireball gone, the beam then shot up and hit the ceiling for a split second before disappearing without leaving a mark.


    This lack of effect disappointed Blacknail, but it didn¡¯t stop the hobgoblin mages from trying something else. A moment later, a purple death beam lashed out from Imp¡¯s position and toward the boggarts. However, right before slamming into the gathered warriors, a shimmering circle appeared. The round barrier reflected the beam like light off a mirror or still water. When the beam hit it, it was thrown back at the hobgoblins. Blacknail had to duck as the purple energy slashed through the air above his head and hit some of the hobgoblins behind. Thankfully, the beam almost immediately flickered out of existence as the mages stopped powering it, but it still left several hobgoblins dead. Glancing over his shoulder as he climbed back to his feet, Blacknail looked over their unmoving bodies and frowned. This was some seriously powerful magic. He¡¯d never seen anything like that mirror shield before, not even during any of Herad¡¯s battles. The boggarts were obviously more capable then he¡¯d thought.


    Blacknail turned to face the boggart swarm and growled. Magic was so unfair.


    Once they reached the frontline, the wedge of boggart warriors split apart, revealing a new figure that had been concealed among them. Blacknail grunted in surprise when he saw the newcomer. It was nothing like any boggart he¡¯d seen before. It had a far more terrifying and intimidating form that sent a cold shiver down Blacknail¡¯s spine. The creature looked like a human woman. She was covered in the black carapace that all the boggarts had, but she stood on two legs and had an undeniable feminine shape. Her carapace also didn¡¯t look like armor, it almost seemed to have been styled decoratively. In many places there were wide gaps in her carapace where pale flesh showed. Her face was also quite different from a normal boggart¡¯s. It was almost completely bare of carapace and unsettlingly similar to that of a human¡¯s, although her eyes were a creepy solid black and her mouth and nose were concealed by a carapace mask. She also didn¡¯t have ears, making it obvious that this was no real human, merely something mimicking one.


    The weirdly female boggart was armed with a long mage staff that had probably been the source of the black beams. Her gaze swept the line of hobgoblins as if she was looking for something. Blacknail studied her in turn, and their gazes soon met and locked. It appeared that she had been looking for him. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that. Was it too late to step back into the ranks of his minions and hide?


    ¡°We see. Much is explained. We are glad we came to investigate the reports ourselves,¡± the human-like boggart suddenly said in an oddly clear and harmonic voice.


    ¡°Huh, you can talk! I didn¡¯t think you boggarts had the parts for it,¡± Blacknail remarked in surprise. Despite her appearance, he hadn¡¯t expected that to have changed.


    ¡°Our noble form was bred to mimic the old enemy closely so that we could learn their strengths, just as other forms were bred for other tasks.¡±


    ¡°Er, alright,¡± Blacknail remarked with a frown. This lady-thing sure was creepy.


    ¡°You are the anomaly, a rival progenitor of the green ones. The old vermin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Blacknail.¡± He was almost certain he¡¯d just been insulted.


    The woman creature didn¡¯t blink. ¡°You are an unexpected complication to our progenitor¡¯s great plan and our coming vengeance. Your existence is a problem.¡±


    Blacknail snorted. ¡°Too bad for you, because I¡¯m going to stomp you like fat icky bugs under my boot.¡±


    ¡°We need not be enemies. Our peoples have many commonalities in both desire and origin,¡± the creature announced in sudden shift that threw Blacknail off. ¡°In the ancient days before the progenitor, when we dwelled among the Green, your kind and ours coexisted without conflict.¡±


    ¡°How about this. Stop with the crazy talk. I want you to go away and leave my territory. It¡¯s mine and you¡¯re stealing my food.¡± Blacknail hated thieves in general and food thieves in particular.


    The boggart noble didn¡¯t blink. ¡°The host sees much to respect in you. Like our own progenitor, you have seized control of your kind and raised them up into something new and powerful. You have begun something grand, as very few have, the greatest of works. Join with us against the human invaders, who drove us both from our ancient lands. We will slaughter them all and show them that we have grown into new shapes that are far more than we were. We have learned from them and taken their strength as our own.¡±


    Blacknail frowned thoughtfully. At last, she was making more sense. ¡°Well, there are a few humans I would like to see dead. I wouldn¡¯t say no to having you help me with that as long as you stop stealing my food.¡±


    The boggart noble nodded. ¡°All of the humans must be cleansed so that our host may grow.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°All of them? That seems like a lot of pointless work, like a lot,¡± Blacknail replied as he gave her an incredulous look. The walking alone¡­


    ¡°The humans are now inferior to the Host, they will be slaughtered so that the Host can grow. Their ancient conquest made us and now we take back our lands. The Host must grow.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. What nonsense. This lady-thing was crazy. As if Blacknail cared about things that had happened way before he¡¯d been born to people that weren¡¯t him. Humans weren¡¯t some big herd with one leader. Sure, you had to kill a lot of them, but many others were useful tools and minions. The species of a minion didn¡¯t matter, only how useful they were. It was really a sort of food balance thing. They had to produce more than they consumed¡­


    The boggart noble seemed to sense Blacknail¡¯s resistance to her plan. ¡°Setting yourself against us would be foolish. The Host¡¯s numbers are beyond counting and we are mighty enough to crush you.¡±


    ¡°There are too many humans to count as well. That doesn¡¯t matter. Stay out of my territory or I¡¯ll mount your head on pole as a warning to other thieving boggarts.¡±


    The boggart noble hissed angrily with surprising volume. ¡°If you will not serve the Host¡¯s purpose then you will feed it!¡±


    Off balance, Blacknail took a second to formulate a reply. He had to remember that he was quite outnumbered here and thus needed to be at his cleverest if he wanted to survive with most his army intact. He needed his army for later, so losing it wasn¡¯t really an option. A plan was required, something super clever.


    ¡°Maybe I should help you. What will you give me in return?¡± Blacknail asked in order to buy time.


    This seemed to calm the boggart leader down. ¡°If you serve our purposes we will allow you to remain within our territory, although you must leave the dark paths and go back to the light world. We will also only hunt a few of your people for food.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, interesting,¡± Blacknail mused aloud. Wow, that was a terrible offer.


    Instead of answering right away, he turned and whispered some commands to Imp. The hobgoblin mage nodded in assent and stepped over to his helpers. Blacknail then whispered several orders to his nearby soldiers and got them to pass them on.


    This delay did not please the boggart leader. ¡°We grow impatient. What is your choice? Submission or death?¡±


    Blacknail glanced up and frowned. Looking down a moment later, he stepped forward and put a smile on his face. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t want to die. Let¡¯s be friends instead. You can even have a gift, to show how much this alliance means to me.¡±


    ¡°That would be acceptable. It is good that you know your place in the hierarchy.¡±


    ¡°Good, then here, have this sack full of¡­ presents,¡± Blacknail told her. What did boggarts even like? He had no idea.


    At Blacknail¡¯s command, one of Imp¡¯s helpers then reluctantly stepped forward. He moved slowly and was holding the aforementioned sack, which he simply held out in front of him.


    ¡°Throw it on the ground,¡± the boggart noble told him. Obviously, she wasn¡¯t completely without suspicion.


    The hobgoblin did as he was told and dropped the sack before stepping back. Blacknail risked another glance upward and then sighed before turning to look as a boggart worker emerged from the swarm¡¯s ranks and approached the sack. It pulled the bag open and looked inside for a few long moments before turning to look at the noble and making a series of short clicking noises.


    A confused frown appeared on the noble¡¯s face and she turned to look at Blacknail. ¡°Why have you given us a bag full of rocks?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you like rocks? I thought boggarts loved them. Isn¡¯t that why you live underground and keep raiding my mine? To steal the rocks?¡± Blacknail replied as he gave her an embarrassed smile. He had to resist the urge to look up.


    The boggart noble tilted her head slightly to the side and gave Blacknail a pensive look. ¡°No.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. This was taking too long. The noble wasn¡¯t going to be distracted forever. ¡°Oh, sorry then. I was going to give you lots more rocks too. Are you sure you don¡¯t want them?¡±


    ¡°We are not sure if you are as odd and stupid as you seem, but if you are attempting to fool us somehow, we will be forced to punish you. Do not test us, green ones,¡± she replied as she glared at the hobgoblin and pointed the top of her staff in his direction. Blacknail really didn¡¯t want to find out what sort of magical attack she had prepared.


    ¡°How could I possibly hope to trick you? I¡¯m just standing here, trying to give you gifts. It¡¯s not my fault you kept doing things that made it seem like you wanted rocks. What would you like as present instead?¡±


    The noble¡¯s deep black eyes narrowed suspiciously. ¡°Food. You will tell your forces to drop their weapons and you will kneel before us.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± Blacknail replied as he held up his hands. He didn¡¯t move though. There was no way he was ever going to do that.


    ¡°Now,¡± the boggart noble said after several long seconds had passed. Her voice was full of cold anger.


    Blacknail glanced up and then gave her a cruel smile full of malice. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Instead, I¡¯ll just kill you, destroy your stupid army of bugs, and level your icky black city. You shouldn¡¯t have come into my territory.¡±


    The female shaped boggart stepped forward threateningly. ¡°We were here far before your time, vermin! Prepare for¡­¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t get to hear the end of her speech, because that was when several tons of rock slammed down on top of her. The rain of stone hit the cluster of boggart warriors and the workers around them like the foot of an angry god. There was a cataclysmic boom that rang in Blacknail¡¯s ears, and he and all the hobgoblins near him stumbled back as a wave of dust rose up and slammed into them, blocking their sight of the impact site.


    Still off balance, Blacknail glanced over his shoulder at Imp¡¯s location. The hobgoblin mage was standing behind the ranks of hobgoblin warriors with his assistants, and although he was shielding his face with one hand, he still had his staff pointed up at the ceiling. At his chief¡¯s command, he¡¯d loaded the stone melting mana crystal into the staff and had been using the nigh-invisible ray it produced on the ceiling. While Blacknail had kept the boggart noble distracted, he¡¯d been working on freeing the stalactite that had been hanging from the cavern ceiling directly above her head.


    Grinning victoriously, Blacknail turned back around. The strategy had been risky. His distraction had been growing rather thin by the end, but he hadn¡¯t been able to come up with anything else that might work. The boggarts had outnumbered them too much for a head to head battle to work, and the bug lady¡¯s magical defenses had obviously been too strong for Imp to defeat. Thus, Blacknail had been forced to use his legendary cunning, and it had worked like a charm. He was so amazing.


    The cloud of dust had yet to completely dissipate, but Blacknail could see more now. A pile of broken rubble towered over where the group of warriors had used to be, although it was impossible to say how many of them had been crushed. Around the rubble, the swarm of workers were in chaos. Many of them had frozen up, while others were running away or climbing over each other in their haste to escape.


    Blacknail¡¯s own forces weren¡¯t exactly orderly either though. The hobgoblin formation had dissolved into loose ranks and many of them looked shocked. Blacknail had told some of his minions to spread word of his plan, but apparently not everyone had been informed.


    A flash of movement near the rubble drew Blacknail¡¯s eye. As he turned and peered through the remaining dust, he saw a tall dark figure pull itself up off the ground and stumble away from the fallen rocks. It looked like at least one boggart warrior had survived the destruction. Blacknail then saw another figure appear in the dust. He frowned as he studied it. It looked vaguely feminine.


    ¡°Toad slime!¡± Blacknail cursed. The boggart noble was still alive. That was no good. What was he going to do? If she rallied her swarm of workers, then she could still drive Blacknail¡¯s army away.


    Blacknail eyed the boggarts stumbling through the dust ahead of him. There was only one way to make sure things were done right this time. Looking around, Blacknail saw Herah over to his right.


    ¡°Gather your squad and follow me. I¡¯m going in!¡± Blacknail told her. She blinked in surprise but nodded along, so he turned around and began running toward the boggarts.


    Sword already out, Blacknail headed straight for the enemy noble. Unfortunately, there was a boggart warrior with a spear in the way. As he dove into the dust, it saw him coming and quickly moved to intercept.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t slow. Instead, he adjusted his charge to meet it. As the creature stabbed at him with its long spear, he sidestepped the blow and ducked in closer. In response, the boggart warrior reared up and tried to slash at him with its sharp front claws. Surprised, Blacknail was still fast enough to throw himself sideways out of the way of the second attack and then counter with a powerful two-handed stab of his own. The blow hit the boggart warrior in the flank and tore through its carapace before sinking deeper.


    The boggart warrior shrieked and began toppling over, so Blacknail pulled his blade free and stepped away. That done, he started looking for the noble again. Herah and his bodyguards caught up to him just as he spotted some movement up ahead. It was the noble.


    Grinning in excitement as magic and bloodlust flowed through his veins, Blacknail immediately charged after his target. Sprinting around some fallen rocks, he quickly closed the distance. The boggart noble was still stumbling, as if she¡¯d been injured. Sensing weakness, Blacknail laughed as he ran toward her. She turned and gave him a cold glare as he closed in. It looked like she¡¯d lost her staff. That would make this easier.


    Unfortunately, that was when another boggart warrior emerged out from behind a nearby pile of rock. Its four feet clawed at the rocky ground as it shot forward and stabbed at Blacknail¡¯s chest with its long, deadly spear.

 Under the White 7

    Dust hung thick in the air all around Blacknail as he jumped back to avoid a blow from a boggart warrior that had just charged him from out of nowhere. Up ahead of him, the boggart noble stumbled away through the stone rubble that had fallen from the ceiling thanks to Imp¡¯s magic and his master¡¯s genius.


    Snarling angrily, Blacknail drew on his magical strength and leapt at the warrior. His furious flurry of blows pushed the creature back. It staggered just as Herah joined the fight. She jumped in from the side and sliced open the creature¡¯s neck with her shorter blade. Black blood squirted from the wound as her sword came free.


    ¡°I¡¯m helping!¡± she announced happily as she landed beside Blacknail and the boggart collapsed.


    ¡°Just a little. I could do this by myself though,¡± Blacknail replied as he saw a small pack of workers appear and begin heading his way. He pointed at them. ¡°Now, take your squad and hold them off. I need to get their leader.¡±


    Still grinning, Herah nodded as her squad arrived and took up position around her. Blacknail left them to their job and charged off at the noble again. This time, no new arrivals got in his way. He was able to close in on her before she got very far. She was still stumbling away, but as he neared, she spun around to glare at him. There was a hateful snarl on her face and her black eyes shimmered with rage. Creepy.


    ¡°You are vermin! You are nothing before the Host. We are countless and unending,¡± she yelled. ¡°This nest is but one of dozens, and we are ever growing. We will destroy you and all your disgusting people for daring to strike at us.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and die, bug lady!¡± Blacknail hissed as he dove in. She was like a terrible combination of everything he hated. Human women, freaky bugs, magic, and people that talked too much.


    Instead of accepting her inevitable death, the bogart noble raised her hand and pointed at Blacknail. There was a small black amulet with a transparent stone set in it clutched between her fingers.


    The trinket looked dangerous, but rage swirled through Blacknail, driving him forward. Thus, instead of trying to dodge whatever effect the amulet would produce, Blacknail attacked with everything he had. Magic flowed up from his core and raged through his body as he unleashed all the energy he could. It¡¯s burning might quickened his movements as he struck, and at the same time, he let out a savage growl as he slammed a wall of magical terror directly in her face.


    The boggart noble staggered as the magic tore into her mind and began thrashing about. As this was happening, Blacknail attacked with lighting quick speed. His blade sliced through the air and then came down on the boggart noble¡¯s outstretched arm. A moment later, the hand that was still clutching the strange amulet hit the ground, leaving a bloody stump.


    The boggart leader shrieked as she fell to her knees and clutched the remains of her arm to her chest. Without mercy, Blacknail kicked her in the shoulder so that she flopped over onto her back. He wanted to make sure he had a good view of her remaining hand, so she couldn¡¯t get up to any more mage tricks.


    ¡°You will all die for this! Your petty victory here means nothing,¡± she hissed as she glared up at Blacknail hatefully. ¡°This was but one small nest of many, and we number beyond counting. The Host will consume all who dare stand against us!¡±


    Sighing, Blacknail stabbed her through the chest with his sword. There was a gap in her armor-like carapace between her breasts for some weird reason. That was a very impractical spot for a gap, but whatever.


    Apparently, Blacknail¡¯s first blow didn¡¯t kill the boggart noble right away. She tried to say something more, so he stabbed her in the chest again. That did the trick. She shuddered and then lay still. Huh, now that she was dead and mangled, she looked a lot less like a human and more like a boggart. It was probably because of all the black blood.


    Anyway, with his mission complete, Blacknail withdrew his blade and looked around. Herah and some of his bodyguards were still fighting some scattered workers, but there was no real organized resistance left in sight. Not that Blacknail could see very well with all the rubble and dust around. He should probably return to his troops before they decided he¡¯d died and ran away.


    ¡°We¡¯re falling back to the others,¡± Blacknail announced as he sheathed his weapon and begin walking. His bodyguards quickly moved to dispatch their remaining opponents and follow him.


    Herah had a satisfied look on her face, not to different from the one she wore after sex. Apparently, slaughter pleased her in a similar way. That was a little off-putting, although Blacknail couldn¡¯t really judge. There was probably a similar look on his own face.


    The hobgoblins quickly jogged back toward the rest of Blacknail¡¯s forces, which were holding their position. The mass of hobgoblin warriors had reformed their lines now that they were no longer under attack. As Blacknail approached, Gob and Imp quickly pushed their way through the ranks and ran over to meet their chief.


    ¡°Wonderous one! You have returned, and the terrible enemy has been beaten back. What do you wish from us now? We will leap to obey!¡± Gob exclaimed reverently. This earned him a sour look of disagreement from Imp, but the hobgoblin mage didn¡¯t say anything.


    Blacknail gave Gob a smug grin. ¡°The enemy leader is dead. I killed her myself.¡±


    Gob nodded. ¡°As expected of the greatest warrior ever. What now?¡±


    In the corner of his vision, Blacknail thought he saw Imp roll his eyes, but he probably imagined it. There was no way the hobgoblin mage wasn¡¯t in awe of his chieftain¡¯s amazing accomplishments.


    ¡°Now, we destroy this nest of overgrown bugs,¡± Blacknail said as he turned to face Imp. ¡°The troops will protect you as we move closer to those twisty boggart spires. Then, you will bring them all down with your melty magic.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, boss. That sounds fun,¡± Imp said with a smile as he glanced over at the black towers of the boggarts.


    Under Blacknail¡¯s command, the destruction of the boggart nest quickly proceeded. He marched his troops closer and cut down the few remaining pockets of resistance with ease. With their leader gone and their swarm shattered, the boggarts were a disorganized mess. Even when Imp began bringing down the spire one after the other, no real threat materialized.


    Soon, the hobgoblin army stood in a huge dark cavern full of rubble and boggart corpses. All the remaining boggarts had fled into the darkness. Blacknail grinned happily to himself as he surveyed his work. Sometimes he impressed even himself.


    ¡°You have slain the foul. So, it begins,¡± Grey announced as he materialized out of the shadows behind Blacknail.


    Spinning around, the hobgoblin chieftain almost jumped out of his skin at the unexpected sound of the lurker¡¯s creepy voice. ¡°Ack. Don¡¯t do that! Also, where were you during the battle? I didn¡¯t see you do any fighting.¡±


    Blacknail had expected more from Grey. He¡¯d put a lot of effort into raising and training the former little trog into a proper minion. The least he could do was fight a bunch of horrible monsters for his chieftain.


    Grey didn¡¯t seem defensive though. He met Blacknail¡¯s stare without flinching. ¡°I was killing in the dark. Where I am best. Among the many is not my best place.¡±


    Blacknail grunted sourly. That made sense, sort of, and it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t contributed. This victory wouldn¡¯t have been possible without Grey¡¯s scouting. ¡°I hope you got a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°Not all, yet,¡± the lurker replied as his eyes narrowed with determination.


    ¡°Well, work on your hobbies some other time. I need you to lead the way back to Ironbreak,¡± Blacknail replied dismissively as he turned back to his regular troops. It was time to head home and Grey needed to focus.


    Grey quickly agreed with a nod of his head, so Blacknail got his troops moving back through the caves toward Ironbreak. Now that the boggarts were dead or driven away, there was nothing for them here. There wasn¡¯t even much in the way of loot, despite the size of the boggarts¡¯ settlement. The creatures didn¡¯t appear to use many tools or have any money. Imp took some light stones and other mana crystals off the bodies of fallen boggart mages. and some of the hobgoblins grabbed spears from dead boggart warriors, but that was basically it. Blacknail had no idea how the boggarts had even built their towers and weapons without proper tools. He was also confused about how they measured status since they didn¡¯t seem to collect shiny objects. Maybe they simply buried it all? Weird.


    The journey back to Ironbreak was an uneventful hike through the dark tunnels. Blacknail was starting to get sick of dark tunnels. Thus, once Blacknail was sure none of his minions were going to mess up too spectacularly ¨C like wandering down the wrong tunnel and getting lost ¨C he left Gob in charge of getting the returned troops settled down and went to his mansion to take a nap. All the fighting, killing, and long walks through unending darkness had made him sleepy.


    When he woke up the next morning, Blacknail took it easy and just loitered around his mansion. He¡¯d spent a lot of energy yesterday and his muscles were sore. He¡¯d earned a nice relaxing rest. Also, going outside was just annoying. It was cold and there was snow everywhere.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Thankfully, Blacknail had some well-trained minions that could take care of things and report back to him properly, so there was no need to overexert himself. Imp, Gob, and Ferrar all knew their stuff.


    Thus, one day of rest quickly became many, and Blacknail idled away an entire week. He only went out to check on Grey and when he felt like finding someone to yell at. This was surprisingly difficult since the streets were usually empty of minions thanks to all the snow and cold, so he had to use his tracking skills and put some effort into it. That almost defied the point!


    As the days went by, one consequence of Blacknail¡¯s victory over the boggarts quickly became apparent. Not only did the hobgoblin mine guards stop reporting any sightings of the creatures, but so did all the hunters and scouts that went out into the forest. With their base destroyed, the boggarts seemed to have deserted the entire area. Blacknail threw a feast in his mansion to celebrate his victory and invited all his lieutenants. Ha, he¡¯d shown those dumb bugs who the boss was! It was him. He was the boss.


    One morning, after Blacknail had gotten up to have breakfast and then gone right back to bed, he heard a commotion from downstairs. Immediately, he decided to ignore it. Pulling his blanket up over his head, he tried to get back to sleep. The noise didn¡¯t die down though. Instead, he heard someone begin to come up the stairs. A few moment later, someone began knocking loudly on his door. He kept it locked, so that no one could come in and kill him in his sleep.


    ¡°Go away. I¡¯m sleeping!¡± Blacknail hissed as he glared at the solid wooden door.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Khita! I came to visit you,¡± a cheerful announced from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Okay. Go away! The visit is over now.¡±


    ¡°Ha, very funny. Open up. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Grumbling, Blacknail got up and put some clothes on. He then walked over to the door and opened it. Instantly, Khita¡¯s grinning face confronted him. He glared sourly at her as he considered slamming the door shut again.


    Khita glanced at Blacknail¡¯s disheveled state and sighed. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so lazy. We came all the way here through the snow to see you, and you can¡¯t even get up to greet us. I bet you¡¯ve been napping since the first snow fall and haven¡¯t accomplished anything. Obviously, you need someone around to motivate you, like me. I thought Herah would keep you on track, but apparently I was wrong.¡±


    Blacknail glared at Khita and hissed. ¡°I haven¡¯t wasted any time. I keep my minions working hard! Anyway, you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I just fought a war and won! Lots of people died and there were explosions. Big ones.¡±


    ¡°Who was it against? The dust bunnies in your home? Because if so, I¡¯d say it was a draw at best.¡±


    ¡°Go back to Shelter,¡± Blacknail growled as he continued to glare at the redhead. Why was she here?


    ¡°No, it was hard to convince Geralhd to make the trip once, and I¡¯m cold. No one is going anywhere until we warm up.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± Blacknail said as he stepped past here and began walking downstairs.


    Geralhd was waiting for him in the main hall. He was standing next to the stone fireplace and warming his hands. One of Blacknail¡¯s minions usually lit all the fireplaces in the morning and kept them fed so that the entire place didn¡¯t get too cold. Humming an annoying tune, Khita followed Blacknail into the room.


    ¡°Ah, Blacknail! There you are,¡± Geralhd exclaimed happily as he turned away from the fire.


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s me. Why¡¯d you come all the way here in winter? It¡¯s a tough trip. You didn¡¯t destroy Shelter did you?¡± Blacknail asked. You never knew with humans. They were always doing dumb things and getting into trouble.


    ¡°Shelter is fine, it a little boring, and the trip here wasn¡¯t so bad. Despite the cold, the weather was nice and sunny, and it hasn¡¯t snowed in a few days now. We just dressed warmly and stuck to the road you so kindly built.¡±


    ¡°If Shelter is still fine, why go through the trouble?¡±


    ¡°We were getting a little tired of just hanging around Shelter all the time, and we wanted to see if you were getting along fine here,¡± Khita replied. As he turned to face her, Blacknail blinked in surprise at how short she looked. Now that he was standing straight, it was obvious that he towered over her.


    ¡°I¡¯m a great leader, so everything is going great. The only big problem was the boggarts, and I dealt with them,¡± Blacknail bragged proudly.


    Geralhd nodded. ¡°Ah, some of the men from Shelter had been saying they saw boggarts around, but all the sightings stopped a week or two ago. You must have sent out some hunters to deal with the pests.¡±


    Blacknail gave the man an irritated glare. ¡°No, I had to lead an army into the dark paths and destroy their nest. It was a lot of work! There were hundreds of them. They had magic and a city. One of them could even talk and looked like a woman.¡±


    Neither of Blacknail¡¯s human guests seemed to believe him. They glanced at each other and smiled like they¡¯d just heard a joke. Blacknail glared at them both. Stupid humans. They thought they knew everything, but they didn¡¯t understand how hard he worked.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll show you,¡± Blacknail replied as he grabbed Geralhd¡¯s sleeve and began dragging him out the door.


    Geralhd and Khita tried to protest, but Blacknail didn¡¯t let them. If they were going to come to his base and bother him, then they¡¯d have to listen to what he said and do as he commanded. He didn¡¯t have to put up with their ignorance.


    Soon, after a brief walk through the snowy streets of Ironbreak, they arrived at Ferrar¡¯s workshop. His work area was actually comprised of several large buildings now, but there was still one main building. Thick smoke was pouring out of the many nearby chimneys as they approached, and hobgoblin workers were running around on various tasks despite the snow. Some of them were pulling sleds full of charcoal while others were carrying various other materials as they rushed from building to building.


    ¡°Wow, it certainly is quite busy here. Frantic even. What are these hobgoblins doing?¡± Gerlahd asked as they neared the door.


    ¡°Most of them are making weapons for my warriors, although there are lots of other stuff they make too, like tools and clothes,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°Are you going to be doing this all winter?¡±


    Blacknail sniffed. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s what Ironbreak is for. All my minions have to work. Why else would I allow them to stay in my territory and eat my food? Remember Werrick? We have to fight him in the spring, and I plan to be ready! I keep getting more hobgoblins and they all need new equipment.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s true. I guess some many peaceful days spent in Shelter have made my soul too tranquil. It¡¯s easy to forget that the rest of the world still exists beyond the haze of white that has fallen over everything,¡± Geralhd admitted.


    As they stepped inside the workshop, Blacknail and the humans were hit by a wave of hot dry air. The entire room was full of glowing brick furnaces and hobgoblin workers. As Khita and Geralhd looked around in surprise, Blacknail walked over to a small table and picked a spear offit. He then returned to his guests.


    ¡°This is a boggart weapon. They have big warrior types that use them,¡± Blacknail explained as he showed the humans the weapon.


    ¡°Hmmm, this certainly doesn¡¯t look like anything of human construction,¡± Geralhd admitted in surprise as he studied the spear.


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°No, it¡¯s all one piece, and it¡¯s made from some weird black stuff that¡¯s like boggart carapace.¡±


    ¡°Huh, it does look very weird,¡± Khita remarked grudgingly.


    ¡°Yep, there were lots of huge boggart warriors with these weapons and even some mages with staffs like this.¡±


    Khita just smiled again in a dubious way, while Geralhd looked unconvinced. Why were they being so stubborn? Stupid humans. They should just believe everything he told them! He never lied¡­ Well, whatever. Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to run around just to convince some humans of their own stupidity. He knew he was right.


    The visit to the furnace filled workshop quickly heated up Khita and Geralhd, so they headed back to Blacknail¡¯s mansion. After some more conversation, they decided to go to bed early so that they could rise and return to shelter in the morning, weather permitting. Blacknail had no problem with this plan.


    It failed to snow overnight, and the weather was pleasant come sunrise, so Khita and Geralhd prepared to leave while they could. They¡¯d accomplished what they¡¯d come to do, check up on Ironbreak and the hobgoblins. Blacknail gave them some provisions and accompanied them to the gate. After waving goodbye, he let out a sigh of relief when they were out of sight. He was glad Khita¡¯s visit had been so short. She was way too annoying.


    That done, Blacknail wandered out to go for a quick morning walk and take a piss. At the edge of the forest, he selected a nice-looking tree and began to unbuckle his pants. That was when the tree suddenly turned to look at him.


    ¡°We see you at last,¡± it said from a human-looking face that appeared from nowhere.


    Very carefully, Blacknail buckled his pants back up and stepped away. Obviously, this wasn¡¯t really a tree, and it wasn¡¯t mimic. Mimics didn¡¯t talk or have human-like faces. Blacknail had run into these things before though. They hadn¡¯t attacked him then ¨C they¡¯d actually killed a troll he¡¯d been fighting ¨C so he probably wasn¡¯t in immediate danger. Then again, who knew how talking trees thought?


    The shape of the camouflaged creature grew more distinct as it stepped out from the greenery. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, although small leafless branches protruded from its upper body. Brown carapace that looked like bark covered most of its exterior. After further examination, Blacknail thought the creature¡¯s face seemed more like a wooden mask than a real face. It was too stiff and artificial looking, even if its expression did move a little.


    ¡°You walk among the trees so now we greet you,¡± a soft breezy voice said from directly behind Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin jumped and he spun around to see another tree-creature standing behind him. This one had a more feminine body with a thinner waist and human-like busty chest. Wait a second! Now that he was thinking about it¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re a lot like the boggart nobles!¡± Blacknail exclaimed as he took another step back from his visitors.


    The female just nodded stiffly. ¡°The dark ones that fled the light and the Green. Once we were one, long ago, before the coming of men. The ancient bearers of fire and steel drove them under the earth while we stayed hidden among the trees.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so why are you here?¡± Blacknail asked. He didn¡¯t like being cornered and surprised. This situation was making him uncomfortable. He wished he had some bodyguards with torches and axes.


    ¡°You are interesting, a new thing and yet very old. Useful perhaps?¡± the first creature replied simply.


    The female nodded again. ¡°We are slow and few in number, but still we watch what happens in the world around us. The dark kin prepare to strike. We know you have met them and won.¡±


    Blacknail grinned smugly. ¡°Ya, I stomped them. They weren¡¯t so tough.¡±


    ¡°They will crush you in time. They are many, and if they seize the above places, they will outnumber the stars in the sky. Ever stronger they will grow now that their long transformation is complete.¡±


    ¡°Transformation?¡±


    ¡°They are not as they once were. Closer to us they used to be, but their cruel master has breed them for war and conquest. Our people are quick to change, both from one spawn to another and when we seek to grow new flesh and bone. He used this. Now they are no longer equals, or even one people. They are several, all bent to the nobles¡¯ will.¡±


    Blacknail hadn¡¯t really followed that. Were the tree people and boggarts able to control how their bodies grew somehow? Was that how the boggarts made their tools?


    Wait, something clicked and fell into place in Blacknail¡¯s thoughts, connecting several of his memories. Had some of the tree people made his bow in a similar way? Had the man Saeter had gotten the bow from been a tree person in disguise? Suddenly, Blacknail had so many questions. He needed to focus on the important stuff though.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this? What do you want from me?¡± he asked. Everyone always wanted stuff from him.


    The two tree people glanced at each. The female then turned to Blacknail and answered. ¡°You must prepare for more struggle. Come the spring, the dark kin will spill forth from the earth like a tide across all the land. They will devour everyone, even us. For they think us weak and old. Thus, we came to warn you to keep this greater threat in mind always.¡±

 Interlude: The Long Wait Ends

    Dalin huffed as he hiked up the side of the grassy hill. His breath left the faintest white fog in the air. It was still early in the morning and the sun hadn¡¯t had time to chase away the chill of night. Thankfully, his homespun wool clothing kept him warm.


    Once he reached the top of the hill, Dalin took a look around. In front of him, the hill sloped downward for about twenty feet before ending at a short cliff that had been dug over countless years by a creek. The rush of water filled his ears, because the stream was swollen with dirty water from the recent snow melt. The water flooded over the creek¡¯s banks as it raced through the nearby hills.


    Dalin grunted as he turned to study the fields around the stream. Gentle rolling hills surrounded him and there were few trees or even large bushes in sight. In fact, most the ground was empty of anything but the battered remains of last year¡¯s planting. That was too be expected, since Dalin was a free farmer and these were his fields.


    Spring had finally come, and over the past few days, its warmer winds had melted the last of the snow that had clung stubbornly to the earth. As a result, the air was had fresh scent and felt full of invigorating energy that prickled Dalin¡¯s skin. After spending so much time indoors and sheltering from the cold next to the fire, winter¡¯s hold on the world was finally over. The wait was over. Everything was coming alive again and the world was opening up.


    As was usual for this time of year, the swollen rivers of the creek were doing some damage to Dalin¡¯s fields, but it wasn¡¯t anything he hadn¡¯t dealt with a hundred times before. Over in the distance, he could see that some portions of his livestock fence had fallen over. That would need to be fixed before he brought his animals out. Dalin sighed. The work never ended, despite the greying of his hair and the passage of years. Year after year, he struggled to keep his farm running.


    ¡°Well, I shouldn¡¯t complain too much. The gods might think I¡¯m ungrateful,¡± Dalin muttered glumly to the wind.


    These were hard times, and most people had it worse than Dalin. The war had entered a lull, but that didn¡¯t mean it was coming to an end. Far from it. It would pick up again eventually, as it had many times before. Thankfully, the fighting was far to the east, so Dalin didn¡¯t need to worry about raiders. He also didn¡¯t need to worry about press gangs, unless things got really bad. He was too old for military service and the recruiters had already taken his eldest son. His two younger sons were also still children and not fit for the army.


    Broken earth near the creek¡¯s bank caught Dalin¡¯s Eye. He frowned as he saw some tracks in the mud near the creek. Taking a few steps closer, he reached the edge of the cliff and peered over it. Hmm, he didn¡¯t know what had made the tracks. They almost looked clawed, and there were a lot of them. They¡¯d obviously been made by several beasts, not just one. Dalin lived in the north-west part of Eloria. He wasn¡¯t all that far from the border, but these were still civilized lands. They¡¯d been cleared of most dangerous beasts long ago, and kept that way by the local lords. Briefly, Dalin considered the idea that the tracks might belong to goblins or even a hobgoblin, but quickly discarded that thought. The shape was all wrong. He¡¯d seen goblin tracks many times. The pests were always pilfering feed from his barn.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Honestly, Dalin had no idea what could have made the marks in the mud. Some harpies landing to drink? That might be it. He¡¯d never seen any of the beasts this far south, but he was fairly sure they were real, and not tall tales. Looking up, Dalin scanned the sky for signs of large birds, but he didn¡¯t see anything suspicious. Overhead, the sun was hidden among a host of dull grey clouds.


    Feeling reassured, Dalin decided to head back home. The ground out here was still a little too wet for any farming work to be done, but there was still lots of chores he could do elsewhere, like in the barn. His wife would also probably have breakfast ready for him soon, and he was getting hungry. Dalin grinned. His wife was a great cook, and her food was what got him up in the morning every day to face both the unknown and the long familiar struggle that was the life of a farmer, even if her nagging could be as annoying as braying donkey.


    Dalin cast another quick look at the empty sky and then began trudging back towards his home. The mud wasn¡¯t bad as long as he stuck to the high ground.


    Soon, the side of Dalin¡¯s small family farmhouse came into sight. It was a rough-looking building with stone walls on the first floor and plaster around the second floor. It had also had a thick thatch roof that gave it a cozy-warm feeling, and this was enhanced by smoke rising from the chimney. Over to the farmhouses¡¯ right, there was a large wooden barn surrounded by fencing.


    Smiling at the thought of filling his belly with a hearty breakfast, Dalin walked closer and the around to the front of his house. That was when he noticed something odd. The door was open, but no one was in sight. It was still chilly out, so no one would have left it open¡­


    With the image of the mysterious tracks suddenly fresh in his mind, Dilan rushed over to the door. An uneasy feeling had settled in his gut and the hair on the back of his neck stood straight up.


    As he ran closer, Dilan saw that the door wasn¡¯t merely open, it had been smashed. The wood around the handle was broken and shattered where someone had hit it.


    ¡°Greta! Are you alright!¡± Dilan yelled as he approached the looming entrance.


    There was no answer, so Dilan began to panic. There was a shovel leaning against the wall nearby, so he grabbed that before continuing. Terror filled his heart now but worry for his family pulled him into the home. They could be injured or being held hostage by deserters!


    Desperately, Dilan hoped he was letting his imagination get the better of him, but he raised the shovel defensively as he stepped into the building. After being outside, his eyes were unaccustomed to the gloom, and it was hard to see through the shadows.


    Over to his right, past the dark shape of the dinner table, he saw the struggling low flames in the fireplace. Taking another step inside, he frantically scanned the shadows. Oh, gods. Was that a woman¡¯s arm he saw on the ground through the pantry door? Usually Dalin¡¯s home smelled of herbs and spices, but now he thought he smelled the iron scent of blood. Oh gods. He didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d do if his family was hurt. They were all he had!


    Letting his improvised weapon drop slightly, Dalin rushed over to the pantry to help his wife. That was when something dark and low to the ground leapt out from the shadows at him. Dalin instinctively tried to bat it away with his shovel, but it was too fast. The old farmer screamed as claws tore into his throat. Pain wracked his body and then everything went dark.

 Twists and Turns 1

    Spring came to Ironbreak on warm winds that swiftly began melting away at all the ice and snow. Soon, the green of growing plants once again appeared, and the air became full of the sound of chirping birds that had suddenly returned after their long absence. Their singing made everything seem fresh and full of new energy.


    Blacknail wasted no time. There was still a lot of melting mounds of snow left on the wet ground, but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t work for his minions to do. At last, winter was coming to an end, and the next phase of his bloody plan for vengeance could begin.


    The hobgoblin chieftain had been waiting a long time for the coming of spring. Months. Once the boggarts were dealt with, there wasn¡¯t much that had needed his direct supervision, and even he could only sleep and whine about the weather so much.


    Despite Blacknail¡¯s fears that the harsh cold of winter would wear his tribe down, Ironbreak had prospered instead. The food stores and hunters had provided enough food for everyone important, and despite the snow, the goblins had been able to scrounge up their own food most the time. They could eat almost anything, including tree bark and the bugs that hibernated in it. There was never a shortage of bark, thanks to the ongoing logging operation. The trogs had also managed to figure out how to build underground mushroom farms, which were producing some food, although not a lot. Mushroom farming was tricky and they only seemed to like a few caves that had just the right level of heat and humidity.


    While the living conditions in Ironbreak were well below that of most human villages, none of the goblins or hobgoblins complained. One, they knew Blacknail wouldn¡¯t care about their petty problems, and two, they were used to much worse. A solid roof over their heads and a warm fire were unheard of luxuries to most of them. As Blacknail feasted and napped in his mansion, the thought of how much he¡¯d improved the life of his minions filled him with smug satisfaction. He was the greatest leader ever. His ungrateful minions really should thank him more for everything he¡¯d done for them.


    After the snow melt, the first order Blacknail gave was for all his hobgoblins to emerge from their lodges, huts, and holes to be counted. He needed to know how many of them there were now. It had been impossible to count them all during winter. He¡¯d tried to send some minions around to do it, but they¡¯d all lost count after the first few homes. Apparently, everyone needed to be gathered in one spot for it to be done right. Counting and goblins didn¡¯t go together well.


    However, once everyone was assembled in the training yard, a rough estimate of Ironbreak¡¯s hobgoblin population was quickly reached. It seemed there were now over seven hundred of them in the settlement. This number took Blacknail by surprise. It was much higher than he¡¯d thought it would be, since he¡¯s sent so many hobgoblins to other camps before winter had set in and others had died in the battle with the boggarts. Had some of the hobs from outside snuck back in?


    No, after talking to his lieutenants, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. All the new hobgoblins were simply local goblins that had transformed over the winter. Despite the harsh conditions, many of them had apparently been snug and fat enough to feel comfortable. Obviously, Blacknail needed to work the little pests harder.


    Still, he couldn¡¯t complain about having more hobgoblin minions. He¡¯d been expecting to have to build up his forces over the spring once everything in Ironbreak was repaired and restocked. The mud from all the melting snow was a real problem. Luckily, Ironbreak had been built on high ground with a lot of firm stone, but there were still areas where water was pooling and needed to be drained. Some of the huts were also looking a bit saggy and had to be repaired before they fell over.


    There was also more good news. The workshops had been very productive over the winter. Load after load of ore and charcoal had gone in, and the workers had used those materials to make thousands of tools and weapons. Blacknail had enough spears and arrows to equip all his troops in Ironbreak, although there was still plenty of need for more, especially since he had other minions in other camps that would need to be equipped.


    Thus, after the inventory was complete, Blacknail began sending out orders and messengers to his other camps. All through the winter, the only place he¡¯d regularly gotten word from had been Shelter. Everywhere else could have been wiped off the face of the earth for all he knew. He needed status reports, and soon it would be time to withdraw all unnecessary minions back to Ironbreak so that Blacknail could muster his army and strike at his enemies. Hitting hard and fast while his foes were unprepared had always worked well for Blacknail before, so he intended to move quickly.


    As the ground dried up over the next few days, and repairs proceeded on Ironbreak, messengers began returning from the closer places Blacknail sent them. The hobgoblin from Herscrest was among the first to return, although he didn¡¯t have all that much to report. Ilisti was still in charge, and nothing too dramatic had happened in his city. They¡¯d had a difficult winter, although there had been little starvation thanks to the hobgoblin hunters that Blacknail had lent them. Ilisti had sent his thanks but had no plans to move anytime soon. He was preoccupied with ruling over his new people. That was fine with Blacknail. He wouldn¡¯t need Ilisti¡¯s help until later.


    News from all the small settlements Blacknail had ordered set up out in the forest soon followed. Although one or two of them had meet some unexpected disaster ¨C such as an attack by a troll or starvation ¨C most of them had prospered. The settlements had expanded as new huts went up, and dozens of new hobgoblins had transformed over the winter. The fishing village next to the river had actually managed to somehow double in size since the first snow fall. Blacknail was pleasantly surprised, even though he had no real plan for the settlements from here on. Well, he was going to have to do something with them. He couldn¡¯t just leave them unsupervised. So much work¡­


    It took a few more days for the messenger from the forward base in the south to return. The reports from there were much the same as from everywhere else. There had had been no real developments over the last few months, although quite a few goblins had transformed there too. It seemed like Blacknail¡¯s winter had been by far the most eventful. Everyone else had been slacking off while he¡¯d been fighting an underground war and building up an army. Stupid minions. They seriously needed to show some initiative. Obviously, they weren¡¯t being yelled at enough.


    Once he was done receiving all the reports, Blacknail sent out some new orders. All the new hobgoblins from the settlements were to come to Ironbreak for training, and Beardy was ordered to send out rangers to scout the nearby roads and villages for any sign of Werrick. Blacknail needed a target. The warm winds that blew through Ironbreak had awoken his long-buried passions. His bones ached for action and vengeance, pushing him to hurry his preparations.


    A few more days of work by Blacknail¡¯s minions got most of Ironbreak repaired, dried out, and cleaned up. That meant it was time for them to get ready to move. Blacknail¡¯s strategy depended on him moving before his human foe was ready, so the hobgoblin chieftain quickly began mustering his forces and assembling his army.


    Not all of the hobgoblins were soldiers and many of the new ones weren¡¯t trained properly, but that still left Blacknail with a sizeable force. He could afford to bring over six hundred hobgoblins South, where he would get further reinforcements from the forward base and the hobgoblins stationed there. He also had over a hundred human minions he could call up, mostly former bandits he¡¯d recruited and kept at the forward base.


    There was a lot of work that needed done before Blacknail¡¯s army was ready to move though. The hobgoblins needed to be organized into squads and given a refresher on marching. There was also the problem of equipping them all and gathering up enough supplies for a march. Blacknail¡¯s army was too big to depend on hunting and scavenging for food, and they needed to move quickly. Thankfully, this was something Blacknail had planned for. After the defeat of the boggarts, he¡¯d put Ferrar in charge of gathering up wagons and making some new ones as well. With help from some craftsman from Shelter, Ferrar had gotten the job done. It had required the making of some new large saws to cut the lumber, and the results weren¡¯t pretty, but he¡¯d eventually gotten the carpentry figured out. It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d been short on time, labor, or wood.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Thus, Blacknail now had two dozen wagons that could carry supplies and enough bristleback boars to pull them. The road to the forward base wasn¡¯t quite complete, but they could carry the wagons over the rough patches. That was what minions were for. Some of them weren¡¯t good for much else.


    Ferrar had some plans to build a proper sawmill now that Ironbreak had a demand for cut lumber, but it wasn¡¯t going to happen anytime soon. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was going to use to power the mill since the nearby creek wasn¡¯t large enough and coming up with a design was proving difficult. Ferrar had mentioned possibly using some sort of furnace to power the saw, which made Blacknail glad he was leaving soon and wouldn¡¯t have to go anywhere near a contraption like that. Strapping some moving blades to one of Imp¡¯s furnaces sounded like a terrible idea, they still occasionally exploded for one thing.


    Before leaving for the South, Blacknail paid a visit to Shelter. There were people there he had to talk to.


    ¡°Aye, sure. We will help your fellows out with your spring planting,¡± Tannin reassured Blacknail after coming to meet him at the town¡¯s gate. ¡°It¡¯s the least we could do, and probably in our best interest. If we¡¯re going to be living beside a tribe of hobgoblins, better they be well fed.¡±


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s true. Hobgoblins are easier to deal with when they¡¯re not hungry,¡± Blacknail replied. Tannin could be very practical for a human. Blacknail¡¯s ability to keep the good food coming was one of the most important reasons so many hobgoblins listened to him.


    Blacknail¡¯s minions had planted some crops last year, but this year he wanted a lot more sown. There was plenty of room around Ironbreak, since they¡¯d cut down so much of the forest for fuel and construction materials. He also wanted it done right this time. Last year the seeds had been scattered around somewhat haphazardly, instead of in neat rows like the humans used. If Blacknail¡¯s army spent a lot of time fighting down south, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stock up food for the winter, so Ironbreak would have to prepare food for them.


    As he was walking back to Ironbreak, Blacknail sighed. Ugh, there was so much that needed done, and so much had changed since Herad¡¯s death. He was just a simple hobgoblin, sort of. Why had he taken responsibility for so many hobgoblins, a small city, and a not so small portion of the North? Really, his wants were simple: a full stomach, to be the boss of everyone as he so rightly deserved, and to kill Werrick and make a necklace from his teeth. Hmmm, perhaps he¡¯d also make a pair of pants out of the man¡¯s skin. Blacknail smiled as several interesting ideas flashed through his thoughts, but he eventually discarded them. Humans, you make a lot of useful things out of their corpses, but that tended to upset them even when you used complete strangers. Blacknail and most hobgoblins didn¡¯t care about such things. As long as it didn¡¯t inconvenience him, he didn¡¯t what you did with dead hobgoblins or their skin.


    It was fast approaching supper time when Blacknail got back to Ironbreak, so he decided to throw a feast. Tomorrow, he¡¯d be leading an army south, so having a celebration before the long march made sense. Besides, he was hungry and felt like rewarding himself for all his hard work. Leadership was a heavy burden. Thus, Blacknail went to find Gob and get his minions working. The feast wasn¡¯t going to make itself.


    Thankfully, there was enough food in the larder. Hunters had begun bringing in a lot recently, and the high water level was making the caves below humid. This was in turn helping the underground mushroom farms grow. Rabbit and mushroom stew was both filling and delicious, as long as you used the non-poisonous mushrooms, so Blacknail got his minions cooking. He also had some deer brought out to be roasted slowly over the fire on a spit, because it wasn¡¯t a real feast with only one dish, and they were very low on vegetables and roots.


    Soon, the goblin settlement was a flurry of activity as everyone prepared for the feast. A hearty aroma filled the air as ingredients were dumped into boiling cauldrons and the prepared deer carcasses were roasted above blazing firepits. Guards had to be posted to keep all the hungry goblins from snatching bits of food before it was done.


    Blacknail wandered from fire to fire as he checked on all the food and made sure the cooks were doing their jobs properly. This required a lot taste testing, but that was fine with him.


    When the food was done, instead of withdrawing to his mansion, Blacknail decided to eat outside with everyone else. It was good for him to mingle with his minions occasionally. That way they knew who the boss was, and he could keep an eye on all the suspicious ones. There were a lot of suspicious hobgoblins. Many of them were new and Blacknail hadn¡¯t had a chance to beat them up in a sparring match yet. Finding the time was difficult because there was so many of them, so he couldn¡¯t be sure how loyal they really were. Probably not very. They were hobgoblins after all.


    As Blacknail was serving himself the first bowl of stew, as was his right as leader, Herah wandered over to his side and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Get me a bowl too,¡± she asked him.


    Blacknail eyed her skeptically. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get your own?¡± He was the boss here. It wasn¡¯t his job to get other people food.


    Herah let out an annoyed huff but then filled her own bowl. Together, the pair of hobgoblins then wandered over to a table that was well lit by a nearby firepit. All the other hobgoblins quickly got out of their way.


    As they ate, Herah scooted up next to Blacknail and pressed her body up against his. This pleased Blacknail. Herah had a nice body. It was soft in all the right places, and her nose wasn¡¯t bad looking either. It did have the same sharp majestic shape of Blacknail¡¯s own, but it was cute.


    The two hobgolbins weren¡¯t left alone for very long. After Blacknail had taken a few bites of food, Khita appeared out of nowhere and walked over. The hobgoblin chieftain almost choked on his food when he saw her. Why was she here?


    Meanwhile, Herah got up and gave Khita a quick hug. Blacknail frowned. Since when were hobgoblins hugging people? That shouldn¡¯t be a thing. It was unnatural, and one of the least hobgoblin-like things imaginable.


    ¡°Hey! Wow, that stew smells great,¡± the redhead announced as she leaned over Blacknail¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked the annoying girl. He hadn¡¯t told anyone in Shelter about the feast.


    Khita just grinned. ¡°I got bored in Shelter, and I was thinking that you¡¯d be doing something fun like this. Really you¡¯re very predictable. You¡¯ll take any excuse to celebrate and stuff your face.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. Well, at least she wasn¡¯t trying to hug him. Then he¡¯d have to stab her on general principles. ¡°I have guards and stuff, just so people can¡¯t sneak in without me knowing about it.¡±


    ¡°Those guys? They all know me. I¡¯m like your best friend, so they just let me come and go whenever I want.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound right to Blacknail. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what a best friend was, but he was fairly sure Khita wasn¡¯t his.


    Unsurprisingly, Khita continued talking. ¡°Well, most of them know me. I did have to punch out one stupid hobgoblin on my way in.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Blacknail replied as he concentrated on eating his food and tried to ignore Khita and Herah as they started gossiping.


    It didn¡¯t take him long to finish up his first bowl, and before he could get up to fetch another, a hobgoblin brought him over a new one. Unfortunately, the hobgoblin had been passed the bowl by Crow ¨C who was now watching from the shadow¡¯s over to Blacknail¡¯s left ¨C so this was probably another assassination attempt. That was too bad, the stew smelled great. It had a tangier smell than Blacknail¡¯s first bowl, which was probably caused by the poison.


    Putting the bowl down, Blacknail dismissed the hobgoblin that had given it to him and called for Crow to come over. Crow flinched in surprise, before reluctantly coming out of hiding and walking over to Blacknail.


    ¡°Oh, hello. Did you want something, boss?¡±


    Blacknail pushed the bowl towards the nervous hobgoblin. ¡°Eat this.¡±


    ¡°Er, why?¡± Crow asked as he stared at the bowl like it was a venomous snake.


    Blacknail grinned in a way that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the boss. I don¡¯t need a reason. Eat it.¡±


    Ever so slowly, the hobgoblin did as he was told. As Blacknail watched intently, he scooped up a spoonful of stew and put it in his mouth. He then swallowed.


    ¡°Yum. So good,¡± Crow said he put the bowl down. His act wasn¡¯t very convincing. He was clearly very worried about something.


    ¡°Eat more,¡± Blacknail told him.


    Crow grimaced as he raised his spoon again, but then his stomach grumbled. It was a loud bubbling sound, that almost made Blacknail wince in sympathy. Crow then stumbled as his face went pale.


    ¡°I need to shit,¡± Crow suddenly squeaked as he trembled in pain.


    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t do it here. People are eating,¡± Blacknail replied with a scowl of disgust and a dismissive wave.


    Immediately, Crow dashed away in an unsteady manner. Blacknail snickered in amusement as he watched. He hoped his treacherous minion didn¡¯t die. That would be a tragic waste of a very amusing hobgoblin.

 Twists and Turns 2

    After the feast was over, Blacknail planned on going to bed. First, he had to deal with Khita though. The young redhead had fallen unconscious after eating several large bowls of stew. The fool had stuffed herself until she¡¯d passed out. That, or some of the mushrooms in the stew had reacted differently when eaten by a humans They¡¯d never actually been tested on humans.


    Anyway, Khita was still breathing and didn¡¯t seem sick, so Blacknail picked her up off the ground and carried her to a spare room in his home, before throwing her on the bed. If he left her outside, someone useful might trip over her and hurt themselves, which would inconvenience him.


    That done, Blacknail took Herah back to his own room and had some fun before falling asleep next to her. By this point, he was fairly sure she wasn¡¯t going to kill him in his sleep, even if he slept with a hidden dagger under his pillow just in case. He¡¯d also faked sleep a few times, but he¡¯d quickly stopped because it was to much work. Sex made him sleepy and there were worse ways to die.


    The next morning, Blacknail woke up and briefly noted that no one had killed him in his sleep. Good, that meant it was time to march. The spring offensive couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Before the sun had completely risen, Blacknail got out of bed and began screaming for everyone to get up and get ready to move. He had a loud voice, so soon hobgoblins were streaming out of their longhouses and forming up into their squads at the training ground. Anyone moving too slowly got yelled at particularly loudly until they picked up their pace.


    Gob arrived quickly, so Blacknail put him in charge of making sure every squad was ready to move. The fat hobgoblin Rolly, who was usually in charge of the larder and supplies, checked on the wagons and made sure the army¡¯ supplies were in order. Imp also eventually showed up. Blacknail wanted him along on the expedition because he was best at using the mage staff and could do things other mages couldn¡¯t. The mage didn¡¯t want to leave his workshop and experiments, but Blacknail didn¡¯t give him a choice.


    Soon, everything was ready, and the army began to march out of Ironbreak and toward Shelter. Blacknail took the lead while Gob had command of the back. Ferrar and Rolly both stayed behind to run things while Blacknail was gone. Neither of them were warriors, but they shouldn¡¯t be doing too much fighting. There was no sign of the boggarts in Blacknail¡¯s territory, and all the hostile humans lived far away.


    After some discussion, it was decided that Grey would remain behind. The lurker¡¯s sensitive eyes made it difficult for him to travel above ground during the day, and he was needed to supervise the trogs in the mine. Also, he specialized at scouting and fighting underground, which Blacknail wasn¡¯t expecting to do. His target was Werrick, not the boggarts.


    Unfortunately, Khita came along, if only so that Blacknail could keep an eye on her. He shuddered to think about all the trouble she¡¯d cause if she was left alone in Ironbreak. Herah pulled the redhead out of bed and they both took up position behind Blacknail as the army moved. Blacknail also made sure Crow came along for similar reasons. The treacherous hobgoblin had survived his food poisoning, so Blacknail didn¡¯t want to leave him unsupervised among the new hobgoblins in Ironbreak, lest he spread his own disloyalty. Plus, he was amusing, and it was going to be a long march.


    The force of hobgoblins moved quickly over the road they¡¯d built as they approached Shelter. The forest was still around them. Although the Green was full of terrors, few of them wanted anything to do with a hobgoblin army. The heavy thump of footsteps drowned out all the natural sounds of the forest.


    There was plenty to see though. The forest was coming alive as the last touch of winter faded. There were clusters of bright evergreens, but most the trees were covered in small green leaves that had just budded. This gave the scenery a fresh and vibrant look that put a spring in Blacknail¡¯s step.


    Geralhd and about two dozen other men met Blacknail outside of Shelter. Most of them were former members of Herad¡¯s band, but others were villagers or refugees that had decided to join Blacknail¡¯s fight. Some of them wanted to defend their new homes, while others simply wanted to win some loot, and a few had been sent along to observe what Blacknail was doing by interested parties.


    ¡°So, once again we¡¯re heading South, where war awaits us, with all its glory and all its terrors,¡± Geralhd observed stoically as the humans joined the procession.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing most the fighting,¡± Blacknail reassured him. ¡°You just need to talk to other humans for me. You¡¯re good at that.¡±


    Geralhd grinned proudly. ¡°I do have a certain way with words. People have frequently remarked on the eloquence of my tongue.¡±


    Blacknail nodded politely and moved on.


    Once everyone was in place, the army quickly began marching to their next destination, the forward base. This journey took a little longer. Not only was it further away, but the road wasn¡¯t complete yet. This meant the troops had to march over tight muddy paths in some places and push the wagons along. Thus, it took four days for Blacknail to reach the forward base, and even then, he was forced to leave some of the wagons behind with guards. It would be another few days until they caught up.


    As Blacknail was ordering his troops to line up at the entrance to the forward base, which was surrounded by a wooden stake wall, Beardy came out to meet him. No wait. He¡¯d changed his name to Ralphi. Blacknail sometimes forgot that, since it was such a stupid name. Beardy was far superior. He should have kept that name.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re finally here,¡± Ralphi huffed. ¡°Took you long enough. Watching over this place for you was a chore and a half, let me tell you.¡±


    ¡°You did a good job,¡± Blacknail replied with a happy nod. He¡¯d been away for several months and the place hadn¡¯t burned down. That was impressive.


    ¡°Damn right I did. Keeping all these hobgoblins and bandits from dying or killing each other over the winter wasn¡¯t easy. There were several near riots caused by feuding hobs, and one green bastard tried to declare himself chief. I had to put him down personally.¡±


    That much trouble wasn¡¯t unexpected. Not only had Blacknail kept two hundred hobgoblins in the forward base over the winter, but it was also where most the human bandits he¡¯d collected had stayed as well. There were about two hundred of them, and they were mostly the remains of bandit bands who¡¯d gone against Werrick and lost.


    Grinning, Khita walked over to join the conversation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take some of that work out of your hands. I¡¯ll be leading my own men now that I¡¯m here.¡±


    This earned her a pair of scowls. The young redhead had spent some time last year recruiting and assembling her own group of bandits. She hadn¡¯t wintered in at the forward base with them though. Instead, she¡¯d followed Blacknail north, because it was far less boring there and she had a short attention span.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Knock yourself out,¡± Ralphi replied with a shake of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t expect any help from me though. Anyone dumb enough to follow you deserves what¡¯s coming to them.¡±


    The large bearded man then turned to Blacknail. ¡°Your messages were a little lacking in details, but from the look of your troops, I¡¯m guessing you want to go on the attack.¡±


    ¡°Yes, have you gotten any new information since the last message you sent me?¡± Blacknail asked him. They were both ignoring Khita now, who was pouting.


    Ralpi shrugged. ¡°Some. I¡¯ve been patrolling the roads to collect tolls, and even this early in the season, we¡¯ve had a few groups of refugees and merchants. People are saying it¡¯s a dark time and blaming some attacks and disappearances on demons. Nothing too unusual though. These days villages are always getting ransacked by one band or another.¡±


    ¡°What about Werrick?¡±


    ¡°No new word of him. He¡¯s out there, but he seems to be keeping his distance. What are you planning?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him,¡± Blacknail replied deadpan.


    Ralphi snorted rudely. ¡°Even you plan more thoroughly than that. Give me details.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to attack him before he is ready for me. My troops will rampage across the North and kill every one of his men we find.¡±


    ¡°And when he counterattacks? You¡¯ll be spread out and weak when his hammer comes down.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll retreat. I don¡¯t need to hold anything but this base, and while he is reconquering everything, I¡¯ll be harassing him and building up my forces. The more I take, the longer it will take for him to get here.¡±


    Ralphi looked thoughtful as he scratched his nose. ¡°Huh, it¡¯s not a bad plan. I wouldn¡¯t want to try it with regular troops. Your hobgoblins on the other hand, they¡¯ll be hard to pin down. They can flee into the woods and survive to regroup.¡±


    ¡°And unlike some dumb humans, they will always run from hard fights unless I¡¯m there to command them,¡± Blacknail added.


    ¡°Hmm, we should probably head east quickly then, although I¡¯m not sure if we should use hobgoblins or humans to hold villages. Neither of them are well behaved.¡±


    ¡°I will solve that problem later,¡± Blacknail replied as he walked past Ralphi into the forward base.


    The base had been built over the ruins of an old village that had been swallowed by the forest years ago. Thus, a few of the buildings were repaired village huts, but most of them were newly constructed log buildings that served as barracks for the troops stationed there.


    Now that he¡¯d arrived, Blacknail went to get something to eat. The occupants of the base collected dues from caravans, so there was undoubtedly some good human food hidden away somewhere, and as the leader, it was rightfully his.


    After sniffing around and finding some cheese and pickles, Blacknail allowed Gob to bring some leadership matters to his attention. Most importantly, his minions needed to set up camp. There wasn¡¯t room for everyone inside, and they weren¡¯t going to move out right away. His minions deserved a rest, outside, while he slept in a proper hut. There was one reserved for him, since he was the leader.


    The next morning, while all the troops were getting ready to head out, Blacknail called all his lieutenants to a meeting. Gob, Khita, Ralphi, and Geralhd were quick to arrive.


    ¡°We will hit our first target, the village in the east, and then I will decide on our next move. What I choose depends on what Werrick¡¯s men are doing, but I¡¯ll probably split the army up.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the village of Aldhara?¡± Ralphi asked.


    ¡°Sure, that one,¡± Blacknail replied. What did that name even mean? Humans were terrible at naming things.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to go,¡± Khita added happily. ¡°My men look forward to wetting their blades on Werrick¡¯s scum!¡±


    Ralphi rolled his eyes. ¡°I seriously doubt that. More likely they plan on hanging back until they see a chance to do some looting.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll drive them forward into the teeth of the enemy. Cowards have no place in my elite.¡±


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t stop himself from letting out a groan. ¡°Elite?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m a Vessel after all, and I only accept the best.¡±


    ¡°You accept anyone who will put up with your stupidity,¡± Blacknail told her. He knew exactly the sort of people Khita had recruited.


    ¡°Anyone who works under me is an elite. You¡¯ll see how successful my forces are after we split up and I get my own command.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen!¡±


    After a bit more arguing, the meeting was called to an end. Khita refused to give up the idea of her own command, so Blacknail let it go. It didn¡¯t matter what she thought. He wasn¡¯t going to put her in charge of anything. That wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    With the meeting over, the lieutenants went back to their troops and begin relaying orders. Soon, the now reinforced army was marching away from the forward base. It didn¡¯t take them long to get out of the forest and reach the old human-built road. Once on there, their speed picked up considerably. Blacknail took up position at the very front with Herah and his bodyguards. There he could promptly deal with any problems or situations that came up. He also sent patrols ahead to screen their way and divert any caravans travelling toward them. He didn¡¯t want anyone getting a good look at his army or seeing where it was going. Word of what they saw would eventually get back to Werrick.


    There were several nearby small villages that lay on the road. However, these settlements had already been subjugated by Ralphi and Blacknail last year, so Blacknail led his army right past them. His target was the walled town of Aldhara, which was the closest place controlled by Werrick. The word passed on by merchants was that Werrick had left a small garrison of his own troops there. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t that close and would take a few days to reach.


    When the day began to darken, and Blacknail called for his army to come to a halt, he didn¡¯t bother trying to order them off the road. His chosen spot had a small clearing around some hills off to one side, but he had most his troops set up camp right on the road. Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried about moving undetected and his force was a little too big to easily hide in the forest anyway.


    The night was uneventful and restful. After setting up the cooking fires, they had a late supper under the quickly darkening sky while the spring wind blew through the trees. Overhead, the night sky was dotted by clouds, but the light of the moon and stars shone through without a problem most the time. As the leader, Blacknail had a blanket and tent, although many of the hobgoblins and even some of the humans were forced to share or go completely without a tent and sleep out under the stars. Blacknail was glad he was better than them.


    It took three more days of travelling before they closed in on their destination. By then they were far away from any of the roads that Blacknail¡¯s minions patrolled or even kept watch over. That was when one of the scouts Blacknail had sent up ahead came back with news that they¡¯d found the town of Aldhara.


    Blacknail listened to the scout¡¯s report and description of the town and then began giving out orders. As his strung-out army began reforming into tighter lines, he sent squads of hobgoblins to range ahead and surround the town. He didn¡¯t want anyone escaping form the town and getting word to Werrick. When you were hunting prey, it was important to make sure they didn¡¯t know you were coming.


    When his army was ready to move again, Blacknail had them march toward the town at a brisk pace, so that they¡¯d get as little warning as possible. The humans and hobgoblins were tired, but also eager to finally reach their destination.


    The ranks of marching warriors filled the breadth of the road. Within minutes, they went around a bend and the walls of the town appeared before them. They were simple wooden walls like most remote northern villages had, but in Aldhara¡¯s case they actually had a strong looking stone gatehouse with an arch above the wooden doors.


    ¡°Move faster. I want a quick march. Keep up with me!¡± Blacknail yelled as he raised his weapon and picked up his speed.


    Immediately, his forces lurched forward as they headed straight for the open gate. There was a bloodthirsty yell from the hobgoblins. It was unlikely they¡¯d make it before the gates were closed, but Blacknail might get lucky. The enemy had no reason to expect an attack.


    Unfortunately, as Blacknail¡¯s forces quickly moved to within a hundred feet of the gate, it swung shut with a muted boom and creak of wood. Grunting in displeasure, Blacknail yelled for his minions to slow their advance. There was no point in tiring themselves out now.


    From the other side of the gate, Blacknail could hear lots of men shouting. It seemed like there really was a garrison in this town and that they were ready for action.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to have to do this the hard way,¡± Blacknail remarked as he studied the sturdy structure his minions were advancing toward. At least he was finally going to get a proper fight. It had been quite a while since Blacknail had enjoyed a chance to let his blade tear into human flesh, and he hated everyone who worked for Werrick ever so much for what they¡¯d taken from him. The hobgoblin shivered in anticipation of the fight.

 Twists and Turns 3

    "We should give our foes a chance to surrender,¡± Geralhd said as walked over to Blacknail. ¡°There is no point in starting a needless fight if there is a chance of avoiding bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°I like bloodshed, a lot,¡± Blacknail replied as he glanced at the man. Why did Geralhd feel the need to ruin this for him?


    Blacknail¡¯s forces had just arrived in front of the walled town of Aldhara. It lay just beyond the eastern edge of Blacknail¡¯s territory, and it had been garrisoned by a group of Werrick¡¯s men. The road behind Blacknail was packed with his hobgoblin and human troops. They were waiting for orders and the atmosphere was heavy with the anticipation that came before a battle.


    Geralhd grimaced. ¡°Unless they have a far more fighters manning those walls than it appears, they stand no chance of victory. We should give them an opportunity to prevent a slaughter.¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes. ¡°Why? I like slaughter and they¡¯re the enemy. I don¡¯t want them to live. They work for Werrick. Killing them is the entire point!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal civilized behavior for humans. Having mercy and restraint is important or we¡¯d be killing each other constantly.¡±


    Blacknail frowned and thought back to all the battles he¡¯d been a part of. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true at all. Herad didn¡¯t let people surrender and no one ever really offered it to her.¡±


    Geralhd hesitated, but before he could come up with a reply, a messenger arrived. He was one of the hobgoblins Blacknail had sent out into the forest to surround the town and watch it.


    ¡°It¡¯s all quiet in the trees, boss. The stupid humans have no scouts out, just watchers on the walls. The walls look strong though. They¡¯ve been all fixed up recently and all holes in them have been plugged so that we can¡¯t sneak through. Climbing in unseen would also be hard.¡±


    After listening to the report, Blacknail sighed. He¡¯d been hoping there would be a way to sneak in. With a small force at his back, he could probably cut his way to the gate and open it, and he liked being sneaky and clever. Now it seemed like he would have to assault the gate. He could build a ram and batter it open, but blasting it open with magic would probably be easier. Magic was just so convenient.


    As Blacknail thought his options over, Geralhd took the opportunity to speak up. ¡°See. There is no easy way to take the town, and you don¡¯t want to lose minions if it¡¯s not necessary. That would weaken you before you face Werrick again. Give me a chance to ask them to lay down their arms.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Whatever! Make it quick,¡± Blacknail told him. There would other opportunities to kill Werrick¡¯s men.


    With a pleased nod, Geralhd immediately began walking down the road toward the gate. When he was close enough to easily be heard, he began yelling. ¡°Heil the town! I¡¯ve come brining a peaceful proposition.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve no interest in talking to any man in service to evil beasts,¡± someone yelled back a moment later.


    This response seemed to startle Geralhd, because he froze. It took him a several seconds to come up with a reply, which was unusual for him. ¡°Then you should have no problem talking to me. I¡¯ve come in peace and good faith to prevent unnecessary violence.¡±


    ¡°We have nothing to say to you. You won¡¯t be getting us to lower our guards while that host of inhuman creatures lurks out there. We¡¯re not fools. The second we drop out weapons they¡¯ll be on us like highland wolves on sheep. The Blacknail has a reputation.¡±


    ¡°Indeed he does, one of mercy and honoring his word. He has no interest in murder, and many of the men you see in his army were once his enemies. And I say, anyone under the employ of a brigand such as the Wolf has little ground to stand on there. He is not known for his mercy.¡±


    ¡°At least he is human. Besides, betraying Werrick is a sure way to earn a hard death. We¡¯d rather take our chances with a battle. At least then we¡¯d die on our feet, like men.¡±


    ¡°Come now. You must be able to see the force assembled against you. It is mighty, and you are far outnumbered. Surrender, there is no shame in it. Needless battle would serve no purpose but to feed the crows,¡± Geralhd yelled. He was starting to sound rather exasperated.


    ¡°We¡¯ve rallied the locals and every good human is worth three little hobgoblins. We don¡¯t fear little green savages.¡±


    Blacknail snorted. Stupid humans. Under favorable conditions, a human might be worth one and a half hobgoblins. However, not only did Blacknail have more than that, but he wasn¡¯t going to give them that kind of fight. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to go head to head with them, where humans could use their greater weight and muscle against hobgoblins. Then there was Blacknail¡¯s own presence. He was worth a good hundred humans anyway!


    Growing frustrated, Gerlahd tried for several more minutes to convince the enemy to surrender. They eventually grew tired of his nonsense though.


    ¡°Still your tongue already. We won¡¯t be surrendering anything to that stupid green monster that you call master!¡± the enemy leader yelled.


    This annoyed Blacknail. As a mutant he might sort of be a monster, but he definitely wasn¡¯t stupid, and he didn¡¯t appreciate being called that by some humans. With their bizarre instincts, it was amazing most humans survived to adulthood.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t too annoyed though. There was easy way prove his great intellect and show the enemy who was smarter. He¡¯d simply slaughter the fools. They¡¯d really look dumb then, when they were corpses.


    Grinning, Blacknail walked up behind Geralhd and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You tried. Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    Geralhd sighed in disappointment as he looked back at Blacknail. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to attack them,¡± Blacknail replied as he turned to begin barking orders at his troops. He already had a plan, a great one. They were constantly popping into his head, because he was a genius.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Blacknail to get things moving. Soon, he was leading a large squad of his toughest warriors straight for the gate while the rest of his army followed behind in support. Herah was right beside him, leading his bodyguard, while Imp was in the center of the group. All the hobgoblins were grinning in anticipation of an easy fight. There were few things they liked better than the chance to shed some human blood. For most of them, there was no malice involved; humans and other prey were just fun to torment and kill. It was instinct. How would they react when the hobgoblins broke in to the town? Blacknail licked his lips. Chasing them as they ran around screaming would very amusing.


    As he marched forward, Blacknail shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to focus on the task at hand. He wasn¡¯t far from the gate now.


    A few scattered arrows flew out from behind the wall, but none of them landed anywhere near Blacknail, so he ignored them and turned to Imp. ¡°Open the gate.¡±


    The hobgoblin mage nodded and raised his mechanical staff. Around him, the other hobgoblins came to a stop. There were more subtle ways of getting into the town, but Blacknail didn¡¯t feel like waiting. The humans here had insulted him and had to be shown the error of their ways. He still wanted the town intact, but gates could be repaired.


    As Blacknail and the warriors watched, a rippling blast of transparent power shot out of Imp¡¯s staff. It tore through the air before hitting the center of the town¡¯s gate. There was a loud boom and the air shuddered as the magic exploded. The gates shook under the power of the explosion and then the wood bent and splintered. With a loud crack, the gate on the right came loose and partially collapsed, creating a gap in the center of the doorway that was wide enough for two people to walk through.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°I can hit it again,¡± Imp offered.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± Blacknail replied as he motioned his troops forward and began running. The wooden doors looked wrecked and jammed now. Further blasts might widen the gap, but they might also do nothing or even make it smaller, and Imp didn¡¯t have unlimited mana crystals to power his staff.


    Picking up speed, Blacknail charged straight for the gate. The enemy on the other side of it quickly began to react as well. Several armed men who looked like Werrick¡¯s troops took up position to block his entrance. Blacknail just licked his lips and drew his blade from its sheathe. It came free with an eager sounding hiss that was music to the hobgoblin¡¯s ears.


    The sight of Blacknail barreling toward them made the troops guarding the hole in the gate blanch. He was noticeably taller than a normal hobgoblin, even more than most humans, and his antler-like horns made him look taller still. His second transformation had also made Blacknail bulkier, with thicker limbs and muscles, and this was also emphasized by his black leather armor. All in all, there was no way the humans could mistake Blacknail for an average hobgoblin.


    Fear was obvious on the human guards¡¯ faces but Blacknail could also sense it using his magic, and he could use that. Gathering up his own power from his core, Blacknail fed the power up into his head and then sent it out. The magic washed forth like a wave, igniting the fear within the enemy and twisting it into numbing terror.


    There were three men blocking Blacknail¡¯s way into the town, and all three of them stumbled back as he fell upon them. Without mercy, Blacknail lunged through the hole in the gate and slashed at the closest man. His blade sliced through the air with stunning speed and tore into the man¡¯s arm. The blow almost cut the limb right off, and the man screamed in pain as Blacknail grabbed his shoulder and tossed him aside so he could get at his next target. The invigorating heat of magic was still rising up from Blacknail¡¯s core, but now it was feeding his muscles and trickling into his blood.


    The guard to Blacknail¡¯s left overcame his terror and slashed at Blacknail with a clumsy overhead swing. Blacknail just snorted dismissively as he spun his blade around and stabbed the man in the chest. He then kicked the man away and tugged his sword free.


    The last nearby guard turned to run, so Blacknail grabbed his collar, pulled him close, and then slit his throat with a flick of his blade. As his victim collapsed, Blacknail studied his new surroundings. He was on the other side of the gate now. The town lay before him, and there were lots more armed humans around, at least two dozen.


    However, instead of retreating, Blacknail just grinned and began stomping forward. Behind him, hobgoblins began pushing through the gap in the gate and entering the town. For several moments, Werrick¡¯s men stared at Blacknail in shock. In response, Blacknail burned his power. The fear inciting magic boiled off him like an invisible cloud and visibly slammed into the humans. They flinched or stumbled back.


    Their weakness thrilled Blacknail, sending shivers down his spine. Practically purring, he threw himself at the biggest clump of men and lashed out with his long blade. His magically enhanced blows crashed through defenses and hacked through flesh with ease, sending blood flying in every direction. Pain filled screams filled the air.


    Instead of rallying and trying to counterattack, the enemy hesitated. This allowed time for more hobgoblins to spill into the town and form a mob of their own. As Blacknail finished off the last nearby human with a bone crunching stomp to the man¡¯s chest, the mob of hobgoblin spearmen threw themselves into combat.


    There were still lots of enemy soldiers around, so Blacknail spun around and ran over to cover his minions¡¯ flanks as they fought. On his way he cut down two more enemies who tried to stop him.


    More of Werrick¡¯s troops began to arrive. Desperately, they threw themselves into combat in an attempt to prevent the hobgoblins from spilling into the town. The enemy commander had held troops in reserve and stationed guards all along the walls, but now he threw everything he had at Blacknail.


    It didn¡¯t work. Blacknail crushed every human in his way as he cut his way deeper into the town. Human after human was brutally dispatched by swings of his blade, and his minions surged forward in a growing wave of spears and green.


    The scent of blood grew strong as the dead piled up, and Blacknail began to notice some different looking humans mingled among the others. They were dressed in plain clothes instead of leather armor and many of them wielded tools such as axes and pitchforks instead of real weapons. Blacknail just laughed and cut them down regardless. They were even easier to kill.


    Laughing joyfully over the screams, Blacknail continued to throw himself into the press. However, the enemy ranks quickly began to grow thin, and then they broke. As he stopped to watch, the nearby human began to turn and flee into the town. Some of his nearby minions started to give chase, but Blacknail stopped them with a yell and told them to stay together. The enemy didn¡¯t have anywhere to flee to, except into the Green, so there was no rush. Seizing the gate was the priority anyway.


    Soon, many more of Blacknail¡¯s minions had entered through the broken gate, including some humans. So, Blacknail left a strong force behind to hold it, and then took about a hundred hobgoblins deeper into the town, toward the largest homes in sight. That was where he¡¯d find the leaders, or at least the best loot. This was turning into a great day!


    The front door of the biggest house in town was locked, of course. However, it was shut by a simple wooden latch, which Blacknail easily broke by slamming the door with his shoulder. He then stepped inside and looked around. It seemed like he was in the right place. Everything in sight was more lavish looking than the contents of an average villager¡¯s home, which were usually dirty and dim.


    There was no one in sight, but Blacknail heard creaks from upstairs, so he followed his nose over to the kitchen and told the minions that had followed him inside to round up the residents and bring them to him.


    After a quick raid of the pantry for anything that smelled tasty, Blacknail wandered over to a couch in the sitting room and waited. That was when Geralhd hurried in. The young man was out of breath, but he looked relieved to have caught up. Blacknail offered him some of the worse tasting pie, but the man shook his head and concentrated on catching his breath. His lose.


    As Blacknail ate, there was a brief scuffle upstairs and some yelling, but nothing major. Soon, his minions dragged everyone in the house in front of him. He studied them as he finished off some blue cheese. There were three adult women, one man, and two children. One of the women was much better dressed than the others, so Blacknail assumed the other two were servants of some kind. That meant the remaining humans were the leader and his family. They gazed at the hobgoblins with unconcealed terror, even though Blacknail wasn¡¯t doing anything with his magic anymore.


    One of the children was female and the other was male. The female looked to be older than the male, but Blacknail didn¡¯t pay them much attention. They weren¡¯t important. He also dismissed the two female servants in their plain black dresses.


    ¡°I¡¯m in charge now. Who are you?¡± Blacknail asked the town leader. He was a short man with a curly moustache that made Blacknail want to pull on it. Humans weren¡¯t supposed to have whiskers like rats.


    The man paled and hesitated before answering. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I mean, I was the mayor. What are you going to do with me? Please don¡¯t kill me. I haven¡¯t done anything wrong!¡±


    His wife threw him a nasty look, as if annoyed that he hadn¡¯t asked about her. She was taller than her husband and had a proud demeanor he lacked. The children just hugged one of the maids, like she was the only thing preventing them from drowning. Ha, they were stupid little critters. Amusing though.


    ¡°Your people attacked me,¡± Blacknail pointed out. ¡°I even sent someone over to offer you a nice surrender, but you helped Werrick¡¯s men instead. I think that was wrong.¡±


    The mayor flinched. ¡°Those bandits seized this town! They didn¡¯t ask me for permission. If some poor fools from here tried to fight you, it wasn¡¯t because I told them to do anything.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°Maybe, but you¡¯re still the leader, I should probably kill¡­¡±


    There was loud cough from Geralhd, who until now had stayed in the background. He hurried over to Blacknail¡¯s side, leaned down, and began whispering. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t kill the mayor yet. You don¡¯t actually know if he has done anything wrong.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. ¡°He¡¯s the boss, so he¡¯s responsible and needs to be punished. That¡¯s how things work. He lost, so he dies and I take over.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works with humans. Well, not usually. It¡¯s quite possible he had nothing to do with the villagers that fought against us. They could have been going against his wishes or been forced to do it by the bandits.¡±


    ¡°So? What do you want me do? He¡¯ll lie if I ask him anything,¡± Blacknail pointed out.


    ¡°Let me take some men and question the townsfolk. That way I¡¯ll be able to figure out what happened. We could even have a trial, which should keep the people placated. If you kill their mayor without justification, they might get angry.¡±


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure if he cared if the people here were angry or not. This wasn¡¯t Shelter. He didn¡¯t need anything from them, only that they stay out of his way. Still, Geralhd seemed to be offering to do all the work. Annoying human nonsense like this was also why he¡¯d brought Geralhd along. He¡¯d put a lot of effort into recruiting Geralhd into his force, so he may as well listen to him.


    ¡°Fine, do it your way. I¡¯ll tell my hobs to let you take charge. You need to find me someone to blame for everything though. Someone is guilty. No being annoying and saying the people responsible are already dead or I¡¯m killing the mayor.¡±


    Geralhd grimaced but nodded. Blacknail was satisfied, so as the mayor and his family trembled and watched, he remained sitting on the couch and began finishing off the last bits of food he¡¯d taken from the kitchen. The town was his, and he had lots of good food, so any more killing could wait.

 Twists and Turns 4

    As his minions took the mayor¡¯s family away to be questioned by Geralhd, Blacknail lounged on their couch, which was quite comfy and soft. By the time he had finished eating and gotten up, his forces had seized complete control of the streets of Aldhara. He received reports as the remaining enemies were cornered and cut down, fled into Green, or took shelter inside homes. There was no more serious resistance, so Blacknail had plenty of time to decide what to do next.


    First, he had the houses that the enemy were hiding in surrounded so that he could deal with them later. If he let his hobs storm inside and start dragging people out, it could get messy quick. None of the villagers were resisting his takeover anymore, and he wanted to keep it that way.


    Second, he sent a few hunting parties off to track down and finish off the enemies that had fled into the forest. That wouldn¡¯t be particularly hard for his hobgoblin scouts. Few humans would even see them coming in the Green, and even the most aware ones had to sleep sometime. Really, very few of them would have gotten far without being eaten by wildlife even without hobgoblins chasing them.


    Once those two things were done, Blacknail had his lieutenants join him in the mayor¡¯s home, which was his now. He liked it, although there was too much lace on the furniture. That could be torn or chewed off easily enough though.


    The half-dozen hobgoblins and humans all easily fit in the house¡¯s sitting room. To Gob and Ralphi, he gave orders to handle the last scattered groups of Werrick¡¯s men. Geralhd already had a job, finding someone for Blacknail to blame for the villagers¡¯ resistance. That left Khita and Imp. Imp didn¡¯t have any interest in anything that wasn¡¯t magical and could be ignored, but Khita was another story. Blacknail only wished he could ignore her.


    ¡°You¡¯ll stay here with me and Herah, in case something important happens,¡± Blacknail told the redhead. He actually just wanted to keep her out of the way. She wasn¡¯t useful enough to help him with anything important that came up, but she had a knack for getting into trouble when left alone.


    Surprisingly, Khita shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll have to do without me. I need to go recruit some more followers before anyone beats me to it. There are several fools that think they could do a better job than me and become one of your lieutenants, and I can¡¯t just kill them all. I got to stay ahead of them.¡±


    Blacknail grunted sourly. ¡°That¡¯s nice, but you have to do what I say, since I¡¯m the leader.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even want me for anything, and this is important. How am I supposed to become a great bandit if I don¡¯t recruit followers? I¡¯m going,¡± Khita said as she stuck out her tongue and then turned to leave.


    Blacknail scowled at her back. He could order some of his hobs to stop her, but then she¡¯d get all whiny and annoying for days. It was better to let her do what she wanted.


    ¡°Fine, you can go,¡± he told her as she walked out the door. She didn¡¯t look back, which made Blacknail¡¯s scowl deepen. Stupid Khita. Everyone else was afraid of him, as was proper. She was just too stupid to know better. How had she survived this long?


    After waiting with Herah for a while, Blacknail grew bored with scratching the furniture. Thankfully, that was when Geralhd returned. He¡¯d found the people responsible for inciting some of the townsfolk to fight Blacknail and his minions. Apparently, the ring leader was an innkeeper who¡¯d accepted coin from the leader of Werrick¡¯s men in return for promising to whip up a mob to help them fight. Geralhd now had the man under guard, which pleased Blacknail, and finally motivated him to leave the sitting room.


    Heading outside, Blacknail went to check on Gob and Ralphi. Before he could move on to the fun stuff, he needed to make sure he had complete control of the town, so all of Werrick¡¯s men needed cleaned up. Thankfully, that job was almost done. After Blacknail had sent them out, Gob and Ralphi had quickly moved to order squads into homes where enemies were hiding. If they resisted or attempted to take hostages, they were cut down, but those that surrendered peacefully were taken captive. Human minions were used, since sending hobgoblins into peoples¡¯ homes tended to provoke negative reactions.


    When Blacknail met up with Gob and Ralphi they only had two more houses to deal with, so Blacknail watched them finish up. It was quick and bloody work. When they were done, Blacknail gave them a nod of approval and then ordered them to marshal the local population so that he could talk to them in the town square.


    It took a while for this to happen. The people of Aldhara were reluctant to come out of their homes and gather outside now that Blacknail¡¯s forces were in control of the town. Blacknail had to go get the mayor and have him tell people it was safe, and even then it took a few hours.


    However, a decent size crowd eventually gathered in the town square. They looked nervous and whispered fearfully amongst themselves, but they didn¡¯t try to run or riot. Instead, they fell silent and listened as Blacknail began speaking. Many of them seemed surprised that he could talk, which was amusing. Humans could be so stupid. There was no way they hadn¡¯t heard about him by now. He was kind of a big deal.


    After a brief introduction, Blacknail informed the townsfolk that he was now in charge of the village but that he wouldn¡¯t be killing any of them, except for the innkeeper, who he promptly beheaded for inciting violence against his troops and as a warning to the others. That done, he told the townsfolk to go about their business as usual, except large gatherings were prohibited and he¡¯d be taking all their cheese. There was a price to pay for losing a battle. If they didn¡¯t want to lose all their cheese, they shouldn¡¯t have let Werrick conquer them.


    Still, now that he¡¯d gotten rid of the humans who were too stupid to live, Blacknail planned on generally leaving the others alone. This was mostly because he didn¡¯t really need the townsfolk for anything. He was only here because the town had strategic value in his fight against Werrick. He¡¯d burn the place down, but that would disturb his human allies, who were always looking for reasons to distrust him.


    Things settled down after the crowd dispersed, leaving Blacknail with the task of finding places for his troops to set up for the night. There were too many of them for them to all sleep inside, so most had to set up their tents outside, like they had when they¡¯d been marching. Blacknail slept in the mayor¡¯s house with Herah of course. He was the leader.


    The next morning, Blacknail got up early to receive reports from his scouts before calling his lieutenants to another meeting. There were so many meetings involved in war¡­ Seizing Aldhara and eliminating the troops there was simply the first step in Blacknail¡¯s plan. Now that he had a base of operations and knew more about the local situation, it was time to continue the attack. His plan depended on a series of lighting fast strikes, so that was what he was going to do.


    According to his scouts and the locals his minions had interrogated, Werrick only had small forces in the nearby villages and towns. That meant Blacknail could split his forces and take them out quickly before Werrick even knew what was going on. Of course, each force he sent out would need a competent and dependable leader, which was a problem. Blacknail had three targets in mind and planned on staying in Aldhara. He also only had two lieutenants he really trusted to lead anything more important than a work crew, Gob and Ralphi. Blacknail had been planning on sending Geralhd and one of his more trusted hobgoblin warriors to the third town, but Geralhd had apparently managed to trip and hurt his ankle last night, so he wanted to stay here.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in his place!¡± Khita suggested eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ve got more than enough men to take a town or two.¡±


    ¡°But do you have the brains¡­¡± Blacknail mumbled sourly.


    The redhead gave him a look. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just one town. I only want the one town taken. Don¡¯t go looking for more towns to attack,¡± Blacknail said with a sigh. ¡°Can¡¯t you just¡­ stay out of trouble and not be so annoying?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°I¡¯m a deadly bandit mistress, I¡¯m supposed to get into trouble!¡±


    Blacknail sighed again. He didn¡¯t have anyone more competent to send, and how badly could she really screw up such a simple job? Really, Blacknail didn¡¯t care much if she ended up destroying the village completely, as long as it clearly her fault and not his.


    ¡°Fine, you can lead the third team,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°Yes! My first conquest! Soon, there will be many more,¡± Khita laughed as she ran off to gather her followers.


    ¡°She worries me sometimes,¡± Geralhd remarked.


    Ralphi chuckled. ¡°She has always worried me. Something isn¡¯t right in that girl¡¯s head.¡±


    Blacknail nodded in agreement before giving his other lieutenants some more details about their mission. Khita should have been here too, but she¡¯d ran off before anyone could say anything. What a fool.


    Soon, over half of the troops in Aldhara were marching back out onto the road. The sudden reduction in power made Blacknail slightly nervous, but he had scouts out watching the roads and there had been no sign of any movements from Werrick. He was probably safe.


    When Blacknail¡¯s lieutenants were all gone, there wasn¡¯t much for him to do in Aldhara, beyond lounge around in the mayor¡¯s house and eat the townsfolk¡¯s food. The locals were terrified if him, and after the execution of the innkeeper, they all obeyed his edicts. When an entire day went by without anything interesting happening, Blacknail seriously considered making up some new, more difficult rules for the townsfolk to follow. It would be amusing to watch them run around and fail, just so he could punish them. Unfortunately, Geralhd managed to convince him that would be a bad idea.


    Thus, the only real productive thing Blacknail could do was go over reports that his scouts brought in. They didn¡¯t tell him much. The roads were clear and there were no signs of enemy troop movements or reconnaissance. There was actually less traffic on them then was usual for this part of the year, just a few merchants and woodsmen.


    This left Blacknail with a lot of time to worry about things beyond his control. Khita¡¯s mission in particular worried him. Who knew what crazy nonsense she¡¯d end up doing? The complete lack of movement from Werrick was also starting to concern him. He¡¯d expected to hear something from the bandit lord by now, but there was simply nothing. Blacknail began to suspect a vast conspiracy of stupidity was misleading him. Maybe Werrick was nearby, and all his minions were too incompetent to notice. Should he go do some scouting himself?


    Thankfully, word began to arrive from his lieutenants. This distracted Blacknail enough to prevent him from running out into the Green to search for hidden armies.


    The first message reported that Gob had easily conquered his target and taken out the few bandits Werrick had tasked with guarding it. He was on his way back now. The message from Ralphi was a little more worrying. Apparently, Werrick¡¯s men had abandoned the village he¡¯d gone to attack. They¡¯d pulled out right after the snow had melted and gone back east. Apparently, the village itself had suffered over the winter and was barely worth taking anymore. Ralphi¡¯s report was a little lacking in details, but he promised to bring more information with him when he got back.


    Khita didn¡¯t send a message at all. This worried Blacknail at first, but then she showed up in person with all her troops.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you a mission?¡± Blacknail said as he met her at the town gates.


    ¡°And I tried to do it. I simply ran into a small problem along the way,¡± Khita replied with a scowl. ¡°When I got to the village you wanted me to conquer, there was no one there. The whole soggy village was unoccupied.¡±


    Blakcnail sighed. He¡¯d been worried about this. ¡°You can¡¯t just kill everyone and pretend it didn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what happened! It really was completely empty when I got there! The entire place had been ransacked weeks ago, but there were no bodies in sight. Everyone was just gone. It was emptier than a drunk¡¯s bottle.¡±


    ¡°Humans don¡¯t just disappear. They always leave a mess,¡± Blacknail told her. He was an expert on this.


    ¡°Some of your hobs found traces of old boggart tracks,¡± Khita told him.


    Huh, that made more sense. Blacknail supposed that boggarts could have taken out the village. Apparently, they were far away enough from Ironbreak that the creatures thought they didn¡¯t have to worry about him. He¡¯d have to find some way of teaching them otherwise. This was his territory now, not theirs. He¡¯d conquered it properly. They didn¡¯t get to come in and steal his food and humans without a fight.


    Still, ignoring the boggarts, this was a third village where there had been no sign of Werrick. The Wolf was supposed to have fortified this area, but only Aldhara had contained a proper garrison. There was no way Werrick would think that was enough to hold the entire area and support an attack. Blacknail was really starting to worry now. It was swiftly becoming obvious that there was something going on that he wasn¡¯t aware of.


    Ralphi and Gob returned the next day. Ralphi came in first and a disgruntled Blacknail met him at the gates. The hobgoblin chieftain wanted an immediate report.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much to say about Werrick¡¯s troops,¡± Ralphi explained with a shrug. ¡°There were only about thirty of them, and they fled the village as soon as the roads were clear enough of snow for them to march.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°A man on horseback arrived with orders. No one knew exactly what he said to them though.¡±


    Frustrated, Blacknail scowled. ¡°Strange. That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he guessed you were coming and decided not to leave men around for you to pick off.¡±


    ¡°Then why not fortify Aldhara more? That would be the smart thing to do, and Werrick isn¡¯t dumb,¡± Blacknail hissed angrily. There was a plan! It had taken him a long time to come up with, and it was supposed to be the best way to deal with Werrick. Had he been tricked?


    ¡°Did you see or hear anything strange?¡± Blacknail asked Ralphi.


    ¡°The villagers did mention some disappearances. Mostly of animals, but two people did go missing. They also said they saw large shapes moving around in the shadows at night, but it was probably nothing, or a hungry bear. These villages in the middle of nowhere get quite superstitious.¡±


    ¡°More boggarts,¡± Blacknail grumbled thoughtfully. Was that the answer?


    ¡°Those things? They aren¡¯t that dangerous. Just pests really.¡±


    Blacknail gave Ralphi an annoyed look. ¡°They can be very dangerous. I chased all the ones around Ironbreak away after I defeated their swarm. That was a tough fight. Here, they¡¯ve been free to hunt people though. They must have a nest nearby.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Ralphi remarked reluctantly. ¡°Even wolves will pick off people if they get hungry during the winter.¡±


    Instead of replying, Blacknail ignored the man and started thinking. From experience, he knew that humans wouldn¡¯t believe him if he told them all about his war with the boggarts. For some reason, they always thought he was exaggerating about the size of the boggart swarm and all the weapons it had wielded. They couldn¡¯t accept the idea of boggarts using tools or magic. They seemed to think both those things were hard to figure out. They weren¡¯t. Even goblins could do them if they had someone to copy. Really, humans weren¡¯t nearly as unique or smart as they liked to think they were.


    Could the boggarts be responsible for Werrick¡¯s withdrawal from the area next to Blacknail¡¯s territory? Had the creatures attacked Werrick¡¯s men, causing them to retreat somewhere safer? No, that probably wouldn¡¯t be enough. Blacknail hadn¡¯t seen any indication that the boggarts here had been a threat to a large group of armed bandits. Hmm, except for the village that had been wiped out.


    Blacknail scratched his nose. He needed more information.


    Over the next few days, Blacknail sent men out to interrogate everyone that passed by nearby and had scouts head east to look for signs of Werrick¡¯s troops. It took a while for him to begin getting information back, but then a picture quickly began to emerge. Werrick had pulled back and was fortifying his own territory. He seemed to no plan to attack Blacknail at all. There were also countless rumors swirling about boggarts and demons. People were worried.


    ¡°Huh, what do we do now?¡± Khita asked. Blacknail had called a meeting and all his lieutenants had just gone over the scouts¡¯ reports.


    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Blacknail admitted as he scowled sourly. He¡¯d been sure that Werrick would attack him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this good news?¡± Geralhd asked. ¡°It means we have more time to establish ourselves. That¡¯s what we wanted.¡±


    ¡°But Werrick knows that too, so why is letting us have time? The Wolf is ruthless, and never just sits around like a pig in the mud. It makes no sense. It¡¯s a stupid ass thing to do, and he isn¡¯t stupid.¡±


    Geralhd shrugged. ¡°Any yet that is exactly what he¡¯s doing. We have confirmation from multiple merchants that have dealt with him directly and some refuges that passed through villages he controls out east. There is no sign that he is planning to move.¡±


    ¡°Then he knows something that we don¡¯t, which I don¡¯t like much.¡±


    Blacknail growled in agreement and clenched a fist. This wasn¡¯t fair. Sure, this wasn¡¯t bad for him strategically, but he wanted action and blood! Now he was going to end up sitting around for months, worrying about what Werrick was up to. He was supposed to be slowly closing the trap on Werrick using a series of clever attacks and daring escapes. Instead, he had no idea what was going on and felt stupid. Not fair.


    Khita perked up. ¡°I know! I could infiltrate his forces as a spy and find out all his secrets. That way we¡¯d know exactly what to do.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail replied as Ralphi rolled his eyes. Blacknail didn¡¯t care if Khita got herself killed in such an insane scheme, but she knew too much to be put at risk of being captured.


    ¡°What do we do? Just sit here and build up?¡± Geralhd suggested. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad plan.¡±


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°No, we can¡¯t do what Werrick thinks we will, or we will lose. He is too smart. We must attack the prey in a way it doesn¡¯t expects.¡±


    ¡°So what? Attacking Werrick in his own territory is a terrible idea. He has strong fortifications, knows the area better than us, and outnumbers us by quite a lot.¡±


    An idea occurred to Blacknail. He hadn¡¯t thought it through yet, but it sure sounded fun. ¡°We will attack Daggerpoint!¡±

 Twists and Turns 5

    ¡°Why in all the hells would we do that?¡± Ralphi asked as he scowled at Blacknail furiously.


    Geralhd and Khita also looked unconvinced that attacking Daggerpoint would be a good idea. Obviously, Blacknail needed to better educate the humans about why they were so wrong.


    ¡°We need to attack something, and it¡¯s there. He won¡¯t be defending it,¡± the hobgoblin explained, as if it wasn¡¯t obvious.


    ¡°There is a good reason for that. He doesn¡¯t technically own it,¡± Geralhd pointed out.


    ¡°He has more troops there than anyone else and everyone else has to do what he says. He owns it,¡± Blacknail countered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really true, and attacking people who technically don¡¯t work for Werrick will make you enemies. You¡¯re supposed to be trying to separate them from Werrick.¡±


    ¡°They all work for him, even if they pretend they don¡¯t, like little cowards. They think that makes them safe, but I¡¯ll show them it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Ralphi grimaced. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to seize the city, let alone hold it. We don¡¯t have enough men to deal with so many civilians and so many buildings where hostiles could hide. Your hobs also would make a terrible garrison. That wouldn¡¯t work at all. We¡¯d have revolts before the first day was over.¡±


    ¡°So, we raid them and leave before Werrick even hears about it. Lots of loot there we could win.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s all hidden away or in the hands of organized cutthroats. We¡¯d lose a lot of troops if we let them loose to loot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss here, and I think it¡¯s a good idea. It would be impressive,¡± Blacknail told them defensively.


    ¡°It would make everyone reconsider how much of a threat you were, and thus their own loyalty to Werrick,¡± Geralhd admitted.


    Ralphi shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not really enough payoff for something so risky.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot of hobs sitting around not doing anything. I can¡¯t just wait here for Werrick to move next year. That would be more boring than watching food get moldy.¡±


    Blacknail¡¯s human followers raised a few more objections, but he¡¯d already stopped listening and quickly dismissed them. He was the leader, so they had to do what he said. If they didn¡¯t agree, they were wrong.


    Of course, his decision had a cost, more work. Ugh. All his troops now had to be marshalled and made ready to move. Blacknail decided put that off until tomorrow. It was already starting to get late and he was getting hungry again. His first supper of the night ought to settle his stomach, so he headed over to the kitchen to see what was left in the pantry. He hoped there was pie.


    However, just as he¡¯d found some morsels that smelled tempting, a hobgoblin messenger burst through his front door and began yelling for him.


    Sighing, Blacknail put down the food and yelled for the hobgoblin to shut up. He then went to see what the hob wanted. This had better not delay his plan to attack Daggerpoint.


    When he saw Blacknail, the hob immediately began blabbering and waving his arms around. ¡°Boss, the enemy is coming! There¡¯s an army. A human army is almost here!¡±


    Blacknail eyed the hysterical hobgoblin. Was it possible he¡¯d eaten some bad food, gotten delirious, and was seeing things that weren¡¯t there? That happened sometimes. None of the other scouts he had watching Werrick¡¯s territory had seen any sign of movement and a human army would be hard to miss. They weren¡¯t all that stealthy.


    ¡°Where is it and how do you know about it?¡± Blacknail asked his minion skeptically.


    That was when another pair of hobgoblins ran up to the door and began shouting about a human army that had been sighted by the scouts. It was still possible some bad food was going around, but unfortunately, the army was probably real.


    A little worried now, Blacknail grilled his minions for details, and soon a picture emerged. The army was coming from the south, and although it was small, it didn¡¯t sound like Werrick¡¯s normal troops. The force comprised about hundred men, all of which were mounted. They were also carrying banners and wore a lot of shiny armor, but the hobgoblin scouts hadn¡¯t recognized the banners. That wasn¡¯t a surprise, since most the hobgoblins had transformed less than a year ago and had never been outside Blacknail¡¯s territory.


    Of course, Blacknail had no idea what to make of it either. Did Werrick have so much money that he was able to hire a host of well-equipped mercenaries? However, if that was the case, why not move to support them?


    Confused, Blacknail quickly sent his minions to assemble his lieutenants. Despite its small size, this approaching force was still dangerous, and Blacknail didn¡¯t like it when humans began acting oddly. Usually, they were very predictable creatures and lovely prey.


    Ralphi and Geralhd arrived quickly and joined him outside the home¡¯s door. Khita came a moment later, but Blacknail ignored her.


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t sound like a mercenary force,¡± Ralphi remarked as he scratched his hairy chin. ¡°They field mostly infantry, since proper military horses cost so much to feed and care for. Sometimes they¡¯ll have some mounted knights in charge, but it¡¯s never most the company.¡±


    Geralhd nodded in agreement. ¡°Judging by those banners and the description of those riders, I¡¯d say it¡¯s a noble¡¯s levy of household knights.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Blacknail asked them.


    Khita grinned snidely. ¡°It means you won¡¯t be heading to Daggerpoint anytime soon.¡±


    Blacknail ignored the obnoxious redhead. She wasn¡¯t funny and her opinion didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°I have no idea what brought this on,¡± Geralhd admitted. ¡°It¡¯s more than little strange to tell you the truth. We¡¯re far from the lands of any noble, and they have no reason to be interested in us. Undoubtedly, they have no shortage of problems to distract them back closer to home. You know, peasants to draft and send to the king for slaughter and such.¡±


    ¡°Could they be Werrick¡¯s allies?¡± Ralphi asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re a little outnumbered. Why wouldn¡¯t Werrick come along and help them?¡± Khita pointed out.


    Ralphi scrunched his face up so he looked confused. ¡°Then maybe they are just here to fight Blacknail, since he¡¯s a hobgoblin and a menace? Nobles get all¡­ noble sometimes.¡±


    Unsure, Blacknail turned to look at Geralhd. He had nothing to add. He was a menace, a great one. The best.


    Gerlahd looked uncertain. ¡°So, they are looking for us, but don¡¯t know how outnumbered they are? That¡¯s a weirdly benevolent motivation for a country noble in these hard times. Not to mention, it¡¯s highly risky with no reward even if he wins. If whoever this is had the troops to claim these lands, they would have done it a long time ago.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Khita scowled and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Ya, those blue bloods stick to their fancy towers and mansions except when they want blood or coin from their folk.¡±


    It seemed like none of his humans had answers for Blacknail. He needed better humans, or at least more of them. The problem with that was that humans needed a lot of care, so having too many was a chore. They were always wandering off and getting themselves in trouble, like being eaten by forest beasts.


    ¡°We¡¯ll assume they are coming to fight us. So, we¡¯ll have to be smart and prepare instead of going to Daggerpoint right away,¡± the hobgoblin chieftain said as he ignored Khita¡¯s chuckle. ¡°We¡¯ll fortify the town, but we¡¯ll also make some plans to retreat into the Green and regroup if they take the gate. There are some animal trails there that are too small for those big horses, and I don¡¯t want to fight knights head on.¡±


    Blacknail had fought the shiny human riders before, when he¡¯d been one of Herad¡¯s minions. He wasn¡¯t eager to repeat the experience, and he didn¡¯t have any illusions about how his hobs would fare against a charge. Stupid foul horses. Someone should poison them all.


    Ralphi quickly agreed that Blacknail¡¯s plan sounded like the best thing to do, and the others bowed to his greater experience with such matters. He was the only one of them that had been an actual solider.


    Since the enemy was mounted and Blacknail¡¯s forces were occupying a walled town, holding the gate was the priority. Work crews had already repaired it, mostly, but Blacknail quickly dispatched more minions to reinforce it. Wagons and junk could be piled behind the gates to prevent them from being easily opened. Blacknail also had archers and a group of spearmen hide out in the forest near the road. If the enemy became bogged down or managed to get through the gates, they could assault them from behind. If nothing else, they would be a great distraction.


    Soon, the town of Aldhara thrummed with activity as hobgoblins ran around in every direction. Blacknail had taken up position in the town square and was yelling at everyone to move faster. They were all a bunch of slow slackers and there was a lot to do before the enemy arrived.


    Several hours passed this way, and Blacknail¡¯s minions got their tasks accomplished, mostly because of Blacknail¡¯s wonderful ability to give great motivational speeches while chasing them around with his sword. Only one hobgoblin was seriously injured this way, and that had been an accident.


    Despite that small set back, when the enemy arrived, Blacknail was ready for them. He had plenty of warning from his scouts and was able to observe from the watchtower near the gate. Herah and Geralhd were with him, while Gob and Ralphi were down below with the troops. Two of the supply wagons, piles of crates, and more than a few barrels had been pilled behind the gate, sealing it shut. Most of Blacknail¡¯s troops were lined up behind the walls, where the enemy cavalry couldn¡¯t charge them. He had a few troops out in the forest and there were a few back ways into the town that would be very hard for massed cavalry to use.


    As Blacknail peered out over the wall, the forefront of the enemy came into sight. They rode around a bend in the road off in the distance and appeared from out behind the green expanse of trees. A column of riders moving at a quick pace, with dust billowing out behind them. Even from so far away, Blacknai¡¯s eyes caught glimpses of the armor they were wearing. The metal gleamed when it caught the sun. A few seconds later, as the stream of horsemen grew larger, the first of their banners came into sight. The flapping length of cloth was mounted on a tall spear and pictured a golden crown on a blue field.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s the royal heraldry,¡± Geralhd remarked in surprise. ¡°That means this group of riders is acting under the authority of the king himself. It¡¯s missing the red rose though, so none of the royal family are actually present.¡±


    ¡°So, these are the big human boss¡¯ guys,¡± Blacknail mused thoughtfully as if he was deep in thought. He had no idea what that meant. He¡¯d never really understood how the whole human king thing worked. All the humans seemed to do what they wanted regardless. Like with hobgoblins, the person giving the orders was usually the one who had the most fighters available to back him. Fancy metal hats were nice, but gave very little in the way of actual authority.


    Geralhd sighed. ¡°Er, perhaps. There are several groups that can act with the authority of the king. It¡¯s complicated. All it really tells us is that this group doesn¡¯t belong to an ambitious border noble, it¡¯s been organized by someone in the capital and thus has far more authority than a backwoods lord could ever hope for.


    ¡°But we¡¯re not in the southern king¡¯s territory; we¡¯re in mine. I took it, nice and fair, by conquest,¡± Blacknail reminded his human minion as he glared at the flag.


    The entire force of horsemen had emerged from behind the trees now, and their vanguard was much closer than before. Behind the royal banner, Blacknail saw another one bearing a stag that he recognized as belonging to a local noble. Why didn¡¯t Blacknail have a flag? What would he put on it? Hmm¡­


    As the enemy approached the thunder-like sound of hundreds of horse hooves hitting the ground filled the air. It was intimidating, and Blacknail felt himself began to grow nervous and sweaty. It looked like there were just over a hundred enemies, which wasn¡¯t all that many, but their mounts were rather large, so at first glance they looked quite numerous and dangerous. They certainly filled up a lot of space.


    The sound of bugles rang out, and a moment later, the riders slowed. Blacknail watched as they slowly came to stop just out of bow range of the town¡¯s walls. It seemed like they weren¡¯t going to attack right away, and since they were human, that meant they probably wanted to talk. If nothing else, they¡¯d want to brag and yell a lot before getting down to the fighting. Blacknail could understand that.


    Several of the horsemen near the front of the line broke ranks and gathered together. They were too far away for Blacknail to hear, but they were obviously talking about something, and it took them a while. It wasn¡¯t until almost a quarter of an hour later that they stopped. Then, two of the riders advanced to the front and dismounted. Blacknail studied them as they began walking toward the gate. One was a tall knight in very shiny armor, while the other was wearing a long brown robe. The knight¡¯s face was concealed by his helm, but the man in the robe was bald and clean shaven. He had the look of a priest, who were a type of human Blacknail usually found quite annoying. They talked a lot even for humans, and they were always going on about things you shouldn¡¯t do. Blacknail did whatever he wanted.


    After walking about halfway to the gate, the pair stopped and conversed for a moment. The tall knight then turned to the town¡¯s walls and began yelling in an oddly familiar voice. ¡°Hail the town. We come in peace to parley. We seek the one named Blacknail, and we¡¯ve been told he occupies this town.¡±


    This was unexpected. If they weren¡¯t here to fight, why were they here? Maybe this was just part of the usual bragging and yelling? Blacknail turned to look at Geralhd, but the man just shrugged unhelpfully.


    ¡°Go out and talk to them,¡± Blacknail ordered the man. That¡¯s what he got for being so useless.


    ¡°Why me? They want you!¡±


    ¡°Exactly, so let¡¯s not give them what they want yet, in case it¡¯s bad. Besides, you¡¯re smart about human stuff. You¡¯ll be able to tell me more if you meet them,¡± Blacknail explained. Humans were generally better behaved with other humans, since they were pack animals.


    Sighing, Geralhd did as he was told and began climbing down the ladder that led up to the watchtower. He then hustled over the gate, which could still be opened enough for him to squeeze through after some of the junk around it had been shifted.


    Blacknail watched as Geralhd headed out to meet the two human spokesmen. He really hoped he wasn¡¯t about to be killed horribly. That would make Blacknail sad.


    Once he¡¯d reached the intruders, Geralhd began waving his hands around and yelling. The priest-like fellow immediately began waving his hands and yelling right back, but the knight remained calm and no one attacked each other. Several minutes passed this way, and then Geralhd turned around and headed back through the gate, while the two visitors stayed behind. Blacknail climbed down to talk to him.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± Blacknail asked him once they met.


    ¡°They said they had been sent by the king¡¯s council to meet with you and make a judgement in the king¡¯s name. Other than that, not much. I tried getting more out of them, but they remained tight lipped. They said they¡¯d only talk to you, and that it was of the utmost important. I also noticed something. Judging by the knight¡¯s armor, I¡¯m certain he is a paladin of a religious order.¡±


    ¡°They fight monsters, don¡¯t they? Instead of other people, like everyone else,¡± Blacknail remarked. He¡¯d run into a paladin before, way back.


    ¡°Broadly, yes. The paladins are supported by not only the southern kings and the cults, but the mage guilds as well. They¡¯re all sworn to seek out and destroy inhuman evil and to withhold themselves from the disputes of men. All full members are also Vessels and warriors of some renown.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what they have to say. It should be interesting,¡± Blacknail said before nodding and beginning to walk over to the gate.


    Geralhd hurried over to his side. ¡°What? You¡¯re just going to go out there?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blacknail replied as he squeezed through the gate. He was curious now, and he had some idea of who he was dealing with.


    As Geralhd followed him like a good minion, Blacknail calmly walked out of the town and over to the waiting humans. The armored knight was about the same height as him and would be a difficult opponent to fight since he was a Vessel, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried.


    The paladin raised a hand in greeting as the hobgoblin mutant approached. It was an oddly polite greeting, considering the armored war host behind the tough looking man. The knight then pulled his helmet off, revealing a face Blacknail recognized and been expecting. ¡°Greeting. The gods have brought us together again, Blacknail the hobgoblin.¡±

 Twists and Turns 6

    Blacknail faced the paladin. ¡°Yes, hello. I remember you. You¡¯re um¡­¡±


    Grimacing, Blacknail tried to think of the man¡¯s name. This was a bit embarrassing. He knew this human, but he¡¯d met too many humans to remember all their weird human names, and most of them looked the same. Really, the most memorable thing about an individual human was the uniquely bad smell every one of them had.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve forgotten, my name and title is sir Masnin, and I have the honor and responsibility of being a paladin in service of the Order of Helio-Lustria,¡± the knight replied humbly and without any sign of anger. ¡°First, let me offer my condolences. I was genuinely saddened to hear of your mistress¡¯ death. She was a woman of¡­ strength and determination.¡±


    Despite how much time had passed, Blacknail felt a twisting surge of grief and anger well up within him at the reference to Herad¡¯s death. However, he quickly suppressed the feeling and gave the man a polite nod. Stabbing a random guy wouldn¡¯t be constructive. ¡°Thank you, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll kill all her enemies for her.¡±


    The paladin winced visibly. ¡°Perhaps, that¡¯s not the wisest course. Maybe you could honor her memory better by serving a greater good?¡±


    Blacknail smirked and gave the paladin an amused look. There was no way he actually believed that. He¡¯d met Herad.


    The paladin sighed. ¡°I suppose not. Forget I said that. Anyway, thank you for coming to see me. I was afraid you¡¯d avoid me, so let me reassure you that I have not come to seek battle or to slay you.¡±


    Blacknail decided to get right to the point. He wasn¡¯t one for small talk. ¡°So, why are you here if you don¡¯t want to kill me? You¡¯re a paladin, and I¡¯m the worst inhuman around here.¡±


    The paladin turned to glance at the priest. They shared a grave look and then he faced Blacknail again. ¡°Word of your deeds has reached many ears to the south, and in Eloria in particular. Thus, due to my familiarity with you, I have been sent to make contact and appraise your behavior and reasonableness.¡±


    ¡°Why do they care about me? They¡¯re very far away,¡± Blacknail asked as he tilted his head to the side in an inquisitive manner.


    ¡°Er, certain events to the south have made the ruling council nervous. They want reassurances and some sort of agreement to secure their northern flank if possible.¡±


    ¡°Your explanation of your mission and the proceedings that made it necessary seem a little vague to me,¡± Geralhd interjected. ¡°What are these ominous ¡®certain events¡¯ that you are speaking of?¡±


    Sir Masnin glanced at him as the priest frowned. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s all I¡¯m allowed to share for now. Only after you have been deemed¡­ trustworthy can I speak freely on such matters.¡±


    Blacknail immediately had one important question. ¡°What about Werrick?¡±


    ¡°I can answer that question,¡± The priest replied. ¡°The crown has also been in contact with the Wolf.¡±


    ¡°And who are you?¡± Blacknail asked.


    ¡°My name is father Jamhl. A high priest of Azur-Waj.¡±


    Things were beginning to make more sense now. Blacknail eyed his two visitors suspiciously. Obviously, Werrick¡¯s strange actions had something to do with this, and Blackail wanted to know what. ¡°How do you plan on knowing if I¡¯m trustworthy? You humans aren¡¯t always great at observing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already pleasantly surprised. You certainly seem far different from a normal hobgoblin. Yes, you actually have a solid command of our language, and you¡¯re certainly bigger than any hobgoblin I¡¯ve ever heard of.¡±


    Blacknail resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He doubted this priest had ever seen a hobgoblin before, let alone tried to talk to one. They were rare down south and tended to avoid people, for obvious reasons. Also, his skull hadn¡¯t been bashed in by a rock. Feral hobgoblins weren¡¯t exactly friendly.


    The priest continued speaking. ¡°As for the next step, we would like to inspect this town you¡¯ve taken.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°So we can judge how you treat humans you¡¯ve¡­ began to rule over.¡±


    ¡°Fine, as long as you two come in alone.¡± Blacknail sighed. He wasn¡¯t sure what they were looking for, but he wasn¡¯t worried about them deciding he¡¯d treated the town too badly, and he could keep most his troops out of sight. Oddly enough, compared to most human bandits, he was almost harmless. Blacknail had also heard a lot about all the atrocities that human nobles regularly committed.


    The priest bristled. ¡°We would need at least a small guard.¡±


    Blacknail pointed at sir Masnin. ¡°He¡¯s already a big guard, and a Vessel too.¡±


    The priest didn¡¯t really have a rejoinder for that, so he eventually accepted the hobgoblin¡¯s conditions. When that was done, Blacknail sent a messenger inside with orders for his troops. Some of them were to move out of sight of the path through the town that Blacknail intended to take his visitors along. This didn¡¯t seem like a trick, but there was no point in allowing them to count his troops. Also, most the horsemen had dismounted and were resting after their journey, so there would be plenty of warning if they decided to charge the gate for some reason.


    Thus, a few minutes later, Blacknail led the paladin and the priest into Aldhara. Sir Masnin and his bulky armor had a little trouble squeezing through the barricaded gate, but a helpful shove from Blacknail got him through.


    Once inside, both the visitors stopped to study the two formations of troops Blacknail had left nearby to guard the gate. There was a unit of about fifty human bandits led by Ralphi and a similar sized unit of hobgoblin spearmen led by Gob. Both the groups were formed up into orderly ranks, but it was the hobgoblins that drew the visitors¡¯ attention.


    ¡°To hear about it is one thing, to see it is another. Unbelievable,¡± the priest muttered.


    Sir Masnin nodded. ¡°Even for me, this is the first time seeing more than one hobgoblin in a place. They almost don¡¯t seem like the same creatures. Hobgoblins in formation. My mind refuses to accept what my eyes are showing it.¡±


    Blacknail smiled proudly. ¡°They do whatever I say. I beat sense into them after they transform from goblins, and they all know where the good food comes from.¡±


    ¡°Those spears aren¡¯t military issue, so you didn¡¯t loot them. Where did you get them from?¡± Sir Masnin asked.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°Some of my minions make them. We have forges and stuff.¡±


    The paladin¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, they certainly look sharp, if a little crude,¡± the priest added after taking a brief look. He seemed far less impressed than the knight.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Next, Blacknail took them to the town square near the center of the settlement. As they walked, they even saw a few townsfolk that were going about their business. Since Blacknail had taken over, they¡¯d remained skittish, but they couldn¡¯t hide inside all the time. They had jobs to do and lives to live.


    Both the paladin and the priest asked Geralhd several questions about the rout of Werrick¡¯s forces, and Geralhd answered as diplomatically as he could. Blacknail let him handle that, since dealing with other stuck up fancy people was what he did best.


    Sir Masnin seemed pleased that Blacknail had killed very few of the townsfolk, although it was a good thing he hadn¡¯t asked about looting. Blacknail had to give Geralhd credit for how he handled the conversation. He¡¯d also been right about how to deal with the resistance. Not executing a whole bunch of people without trial had paid off.


    While they were walking, sir Masnin stared at some of the houses and then turned to Geralhd. ¡°Has there been any sign of the dread plague in these parts?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all. Why do you ask?¡± Geralhd replied as he blinked in surprise at the abrupt question.


    The knight shrugged stiffly and looked away. ¡°I was simply curious. This part of the world has seen much turmoil, which is a fallow bed for the plague to grow upon. Cleansing such taints is one of my holy duties.¡±


    Blacknail eyed the paladin discreetly. His explanation made sense, but the hobgoblin felt he was hiding something. Sir Masnin wasn¡¯t a great liar.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see the local temples,¡± Jamhl told them once they¡¯d reached the town square and looked around.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail told him. That seemed like a harmless request. ¡°Geralhd will lead the way.¡±


    Geralhd frowned. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know the way either, or even if there is a temple to any of the gods in Aldhara. There probably is, but I haven¡¯t seen it.¡±


    This left them very little choice but to ask someone for directions, but they soon got themselves sorted out and headed in the right direction. It didn¡¯t take them all that long to get to their destination, a converted home with large double-doors on a residential street. If it wasn¡¯t for the large symbol hanging above the door, it would be almost impossible to tell from a normal house. That explained how the building had been overlooked by everyone.


    Once there, the Jamhl stepped inside to talk to the local priest, and sir Masnin followed behind him. That left Blacknail and Geralhd alone outside for a moment, giving them some time to conspire.


    ¡°This makes no sense to me. You¡¯re a human. Why do you think they are really here?¡± Blacknail asked his lieutenant.


    Geralhd frowned thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I thought the way he mentioned the plague was odd, but I¡¯m not sure what it means, to be honest. It all comes down to the fact that they were sent by the king¡¯s council, and they normally wouldn¡¯t concern themselves with the likes of us. Perhaps the war has been rekindled and has turned against them? They might be seeking either mercenaries to fight for them or to secure their northern border with treaties, so they can pull more troops away to the battlefront.¡±


    ¡°Why send a priest and a paladin for that?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, and that is troublesome. This whole situation smells rather fishy. I can¡¯t wrap my head around it, but my rather varied life experiences have given me half decent intuition, and it¡¯s telling me to expect bad news. Lots of bad news.¡±


    The priest and the paladin stepped back outside a few minutes later, and the priest flashed them a smile. ¡°Everything seems in order. I must admit to being slightly worried that you hobgoblins would profane places of worship.¡±


    ¡°Nope, we don¡¯t do that,¡± Blacknail told him. At least, he was fairly certain they didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t actually know what profane meant.


    A sudden spark of interest appeared I the priest¡¯s eyes as he leaned closer to Blacknail. It was weirdly intimidating. ¡°If I may ask, who or what do you worship? Do you follow the imperial gods, or do you have your own?¡±


    Confused, Blacknail threw a look at Geralhd, and the man quickly stepped forward. ¡°Goblins seem to have loose belief in natural spirits without any specific god-like entities.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what do you ask of these spirits?¡± the priest inquired as he turned to the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°Er, we don¡¯t ask them for much. That would be silly since they never listen to us. Mostly they give us someone to blame when stuff goes missing or something bad happens.¡±


    The priest nodded. ¡°I see. A very primitive belief system indeed. However, you have been exposed to human religion for quite some time, do you believe in any of the imperial gods?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Tar-Ghald, the watcher in the Green,¡± Blacknail replied immediately.


    ¡°Really?¡± Geralhd asked in surprise. Clearly, this was news to him.


    ¡°Saeter believed in him, so I do to,¡± Blacknail explained. How could his master be wrong? Besides, the Green God had never sounded like anything but a huge spirit to Blacknail, although instead of stealing people¡¯s socks, he watched people from the Green and whispered on the wind. Blacknail suspected he also responsible for those rustling noises in the woods that Blacknail could never find the source of, but the humans apparently hadn¡¯t caught on to that yet.


    Unaware of Blacknail¡¯s thoughts, Jamhl nodded in approval. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve discarded some of your people¡¯s primitive superstitions and are learning some of the greater truths that humanity holds.¡±


    Geralhd threw Blacknail a look that he instantly understood. It meant play along and maybe he¡¯ll tell us what we want to know. Blacknail had no problem with that. Honestly, the part that had bothered him the most was referring to all goblins as his people. That was a weird thing to even think about. He was just Blacknail. Humans were dumb.


    The priest made a brief spiel on the nature of the gods. Blacknail just nodded and pretended that he understood, but that appeared to make the man happy. He probably wasn¡¯t used to much more from humans either.


    After that was done, the paladin and the priest walked a few feet and had a brief private conversation before returning. Blacknail had heard everything they said with his amazing ears, but none of it had been important.


    ¡°It certainly seems like you¡¯re more than capable of coexisting with humans and forming some sort of pact with the kingdom of Eloria,¡± Jamhl told Blacknail. ¡°When I came here, I was half expecting to die in service of my god while trying to preach the edicts to savages. Being eaten by savages would be a terrible way to die.¡±


    ¡°You humans don¡¯t taste very good. We have much better food these days,¡± Blacknail muttered. Why did people keep bringing this up? Even starving feral hobgoblins probably didn¡¯t leave witnesses, so why were humans so sure hobgoblins wanted to eat them?


    Geralhd quickly coughed to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯re glad you decided that we¡¯re worthy of dealing with honestly. Such a relationship requires trust though, so why don¡¯t you tell us why you¡¯ve really come here?¡±


    Sir Masnin let out a deep sorrowful sigh. ¡°I suppose we should. Although it brings me misery even to think of it.¡±


    Jamhl nodded and then looked down and mumbled a brief prayer. Everyone else waited for him to finish, which took a moment.


    When the priest was done, sir Masnin finally began explaining why he¡¯d unknowingly interrupted Blacknail¡¯s attempt to attack Daggerpoint. ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering why a priest and a paladin are here as emissaries of Eloria when we¡¯re supposed to independent of them. The answer is simple. We¡¯re here to negotiate and seek accord, not only as representatives of a kingdom, but also of all humanity.¡±


    ¡°What it is that supposed to mean?¡± Geralhd asked doubtfully. Blacknail understood his confusion. As a member of humanity, he ought to already know.


    ¡°It means that this isn¡¯t a political issue between kingdoms or crowns, but one that concerns all of the civilized nations. Which is why I¡¯m here, instead of helping down south, where I¡¯m sorely needed. As a paladin, I¡¯m a perfect representative of severity of the situation and can convey that this goes far beyond the interests of Eloria alone. I serve and protect humanity instead of kings or crowns.¡±


    Geralhd looked slightly dumbfounded now. ¡°And what dreadful event has required this to be necessary?¡±


    ¡°A truly great evil has brought me to you, and though it be far distant, it¡¯s effects will ripple out across all the world. While King Namirius of Eloria was away at war, his country has been subsumed by the black plague of undeath. Ghouls and even worse monsters now stalk the streets of almost all the major cities of Eloria. In the entire of record history, we¡¯ve never seen an outbreak like this. It sprang from nowhere, and every attempt to contain it has failed.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Geralhd replied in shock. He suddenly looked a little green, which Blacknail thought was a good look on him.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained why you¡¯re here talking to us. This doesn¡¯t seem like something I can help you with,¡± the hobgoblin pointed out. He was immune to the plague twice over since he as both a hobgoblin and a Vessel, but he as still only one warrior.


    Sir Masnin sighed again. ¡°Normally, we would quarantine the cities involved and send Vessels in to cleanse them, but we¡¯re stretched thin by unexpected eruption in several populated areas and that has been unsuccessful. We suspect that the plague is not spreading naturally.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± Blacknail told them. He had lots of witnesses that could tell them he¡¯d never left the North.


    ¡°We know it wasn¡¯t you. The plagues is not the only threat we face. There have been many reports of strange black creatures with many legs moving among the infected. Isolated villages have also come under attack by these creatures, although we are still trying to gather more information of their movements. It is difficult to track them.¡±


    ¡°Boggarts,¡± Blacknail said as he narrowed his eyes angrily. Maybe now the humans would believe him about how dangerous they were.

 Twists and Turns 7

    Sir Masnin nodded. ¡°I see you are aware of these creatures. Boggarts are an old wives¡¯ tale, but I¡¯ve heard some of the local people call this new threat by that old name. Whatever they are, the creatures are truly twisted and evil. The havoc they have unleashed is unprecedented since the fall of the old empire and the burning of Jakhra on the sea.¡±


    Blacknail gave him a blank look. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Are things really so bad?¡± Geralhd asked in surprise. He apparently got the reference.


    ¡°Yes, the plague is decimating the capital and several other cities. Eloria has never faced a crisis such as this, and it may not be alone. We have nothing but rumors so far, but the plague may be hitting other countries as well. It may well be affecting the entire continent.¡±


    There was a moment of silence as all the humans shared a moment of dreadful reflection. They looked down and some of them murmured prayers. Blacknail joined in, since he didn¡¯t know what else to do. Really, this seemed like someone else¡¯s problem.


    After a few seconds had passed, sir Masnin looked up. ¡°The creatures do appear to be less of a problem in this area though. It¡¯s strange. If anything, there have been less attacks on isolated villages, yet these boggarts appear to dwell in the wild places, and there is no shortage of that out here in the North.¡±


    Blacknail grinned proudly and stood up straighter. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s because I chased them away and cut them into tiny black bits. They were bothering my hunters and miners, so I tracked them back to their nest and destroyed it.¡±


    Sir Masnin turned to stare at Balcknail with sudden intensity. ¡°You¡¯ve actually fought these creatures and seen their lairs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I slaughtered hundreds of the creepy bug things in a big battle. There are three different types and I¡¯ve killed them all,¡± Blacknail explained. He was glad a human was finally listening to him about this.


    ¡°This information could be invaluable to my cause. Would you tell me of this battle?¡± sir Masnin asked with obvious interest.


    ¡°Sure, right after you finish explaining why you¡¯re here. What exactly do you want from me?¡± Blacknail told him. ¡°We should talk about that first.¡±


    Despite his own willingness to brag, Blacknail wasn¡¯t going to let himself get distracted. If his guests wanted something from him, they had to give him something first.


    ¡°Ah, very well. As you know, we were sent here by the king¡¯s council, who are ruling in his name while he is away at the border. The situation at the capital is quite desperate, and the council realizes that they must resort to desperate measures. With this in mind, they gathered up all the allies they could find. Then, together with the local mage guilds, they came up with a dangerous plan.¡±


    ¡°And this plan somehow involves both the North and our humble selves in some manner?¡± Geralhd inquired.


    The priest nodded. ¡°Yes, the chances of success go up if we can secure the cooperation of the northern bandit lords. However, we weren¡¯t informed of all the details and a lot of information about this threat is still coming in from distant cities. Now that we¡¯ve judged you capable and trustworthy, we¡¯re simply here to invite you to the meeting where further details on this emergency will be discussed. There, you will meet a representative from the council itself and he will answer your questions.¡±


    Blacknail put on his best polite face. ¡°That¡¯s nice, but why would we go out of our way to help you so much? This plan of yours sounds dangerous and I¡¯m not afraid of the plague or boggarts.¡±


    Neither the priest nor the paladin looked surprised by this reply. Sir Masnin simply nodded. ¡°Cooperation will not go unrewarded. On top of gold and coin, the council has said they are willing to consider granting helpful northern bandit chiefs official recognition of the dominion they hold and perhaps even peerage.¡±


    Geralhd perked up, but Blacknail was unimpressed. The hobgoblin didn¡¯t feel the need to acquire permission from some southern humans for anything, especially ones that were desperate for his help. He did what he wanted.


    ¡°The meeting itself will be held in Redcliff castle, along the border. Of course, safe passage and all the courtesies of guests will be granted to you and all your subordinates when you come, even if you choose not to grant us your aid,¡± the priest explained before turning to Geralhd. ¡°The bounty on your own head has been rescinded as a courtesy by royal decree as well, although your crime is as yet unforgiven.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I am not ungrateful,¡± Geralhd told them as he grinned.


    Meanwhile, Blacknail was thinking through the implications of everything he¡¯d just been told. This definitely changed things, and it certainly explained Werrick¡¯s lack of movement. The Wolf was probably busy dealing with boggart attacks on villages in his area and avoiding any outbreaks of plague. He couldn¡¯t afford to lead troops after Blacknail. He was also probably preparing for the meeting with the representative of the king¡¯s council. From what Blacknail knew of Werrick¡¯s ambitions, there was no way he would pass up a chance for official recognition. So, if Werrick was going to be there, then so would Blacknail. If nothing else, it would be chance to mess with Werrick and insult him in front of other important humans.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go to your meeting,¡± the hobgoblin announced.


    The priest smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. These are dark days, and I hope we can all work together to end this horrid crisis.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll be going then,¡± sir Masnin told them. ¡°Now that we have your cooperation, I must move on. My duty calls me south, where my blade is sorely needed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving right away too,¡± Blacknail agreed.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯re riding out so soon?¡±


    ¡°Not riding, no, but leaving yes. I need to go prevent the plague from spreading to the people here in the North.¡±


    The paladin nodded solemnly. ¡°It is good that you plan on taking care of the small folk in your territory. It says much about the nature of your soul and your ability to rise above your savage origins.¡±


    ¡°Sure, letting the plague spread would hurt and kill a lot people,¡± Blacknail replied. The sick and the dead weren¡¯t very useful to him, he much preferred his minions healthy. Also, the paladin had misheard him. Black sensed an opportunity here to easily gain some new land. After all, his territory was any place he could force the inhabitants to admit it was his, and he could be very convincing.


    ¡°Fighting the dread plague is one of the most important duties a paladin fulfills, for the plague can cause untold devastation if it and the ghouls it creates are left unchecked.¡±


    Blacknail gave the man a toothy smile. ¡°Then perhaps there is something you can do to help me fight the plague.¡±


    After a bit more talking and saying a formal goodbye, the priest and the paladin were escorted out of the town and back to their men outside. The horsemen then got back on their mounts and started to ride away. Blacknail and Geralhd watched from the gate.


    ¡°So, what now? This throws all your plans into chaos. It looks like we won¡¯t be going to Daggerpoint after all,¡± Ralphi remarked smugly as he walked over.


    Blacknail just snorted disdainfully. ¡°It does no such thing. I¡¯m too smart and my plans are way too good to be ruined by something like this. Really, it¡¯s easier and will be faster now, since I¡¯m a genius.¡±


    ¡°So, we¡¯re still going to Daggerpoint?¡± Geralhd asked. ¡°Surely, we have more pressing matters to deal with?¡±


    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s the most important thing of all. This is the perfect time to conquer Daggerpoint,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°It¡¯ll be easy, and Werrick won¡¯t be able to do a thing about it. He¡¯ll look weak and I¡¯ll look strong when we meet the council.¡±


    Ralphi scowled. ¡°That¡¯s nice, but you still have to actually conquer the city, not just talk about it. We just finished explaining to you why that¡¯s next to impossible. You don¡¯t have enough troops to hold Daggerpoint.¡±


    Blacknail just gave him a smug grin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a plan.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    This answer didn¡¯t satisfy anyone, but Blacknail refused to enlighten them. He was the leader and they had to do what he said. They¡¯d learn his plan as he was putting it into action, mostly because Blacknail wanted to see their faces when they realized how amazing the plan was and how incredibly smart he was.


    Since Blacknail had already been preparing his troops to move before he was interrupted by sir Masnin¡¯s arrival, it didn¡¯t take all that long for him to get an expeditionary force ready. He took about half the troops he had available and left the others behind in Aldhara for now.


    ¡°How do you solve the problem of not having enough troops by taking even less soldiers,¡± Ralphi asked grumpily as they began marching out onto the road.


    ¡°By being as smart as me,¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°Also, we will be taking an even smaller force and running ahead. We don¡¯t have enough time to wait for everyone. We need to move fast.¡±


    ¡°Of course," Ralphi muttered sourly before walking off.


    Blacknail¡¯s vanguard force was made up of a dozen humans and twice that many hobgoblins. They had to reach Daggerpoint as quickly as possible, so they planned on using alternating mounts. The humans took turns riding on half a dozen horses. The hobgoblins also had several boars which were being used as mounts. Blacknail just ran. He was more than fast enough to keep up with all the animals on foot, and he wasn¡¯t so sure the boars made good mounts. Even the hobgoblins involved in caring for and training the beasts frequently fell off them, and some of them then got trampled by the beasts¡¯ hooves. Ya, running was much easier. The boar trainers were optimistic about being able to eventually work out the flaws in the boars¡¯ training so that they¡¯d become better mounts, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t.


    Even moving as quickly as they could, it took a few days to reach Daggerpoint. The vanguard quickly left the main body of troops behind though. However, moving so quickly wasn¡¯t easy or fun.


    Everyone begsn to develop sores and grow tired. They had to sleep on the hard ground next to the forest. There, every outstretched branch looked shadowy and dangerous at night, so it was hard to sleep restfully. Only a skilled watch by hobgoblins kept the beasts of the forest at bay so that they could get any sleep at all. The going was so rough and tiring, Herah didn¡¯t bother Blacknail for sex at all. No one talked much either, not even Khita.


    Over the course of the journey, they also left two unconscious hobgoblins in the ditch next to the road. The poor fools had been trampled by the boars after falling off while riding. Hopefully, the main force would pick them up, although Blacknail thought it more likely they¡¯d be carried off by harpies.


    Once they got close to Daggerpoint, the small force began to pass the occasional traveler or merchant headed in the same direction. No one travelled to Daggerpoint without being able to protect themselves, as it was a lawless place full of bandits. However, despite that, most the travelers that spotted Blacknail¡¯s group immediately fled into the forest. Blacknail regretted not having the time to stop and root through the wares some of them left behind. They were practically gifts, and he was sure some of them had cheese hidden away somewhere¡­


    ¡°Finally! My ass has never been so sore,¡± Geralhd whined when the gates of Daggerpoint came into sight over the hill before them.


    ¡°You should have run with me then,¡± Blacknail told him.


    As Geralhd threw Blacknail a unamused glare, Ralphi spoke up. ¡°So, we¡¯re here. Are you going to tell us how you plan to conquer the place with just over two dozen men? What exactly is our next move?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to walk through the gate, punch anyone who tries to stop us in the face, and then find somewhere to settle down where everyone can find us. I¡¯ll leave that up to you since humans are very picky about where they rest and sleep.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Ralphi replied with a sigh as he began riding toward the gate.


    There were several guards at the gate, but the disheveled men didn¡¯t try to stop Blacknail and his minions. Technically, all bandits were welcome inside the city, but most bandits weren¡¯t hobgoblins, so the guards had to think about they were going to do. Apparently, thinking wasn¡¯t their strong suit. Several of them went rigid with terror while others broke ranks, dropped their weapons, and fled as fast as their legs could carry them. None of them got in in the way though, or tried to close the rickety gate, so Blacknail rode into the city without a problem.


    Ralphi then took point and led them deeper into the city as the streets in front of them became conspicuously emptier with great speed. Not quite everyone fled, but those residents that remained in sight stood in tight groups and were heavily armed. That was hardly odd behavior for Daggerpoint though. The city was full of rival gangs and remorseless killers who were always eyeing each other warily. There was no law in most of the city to stop them if they came to blows.


    After a few twists and turns down various streets that were lined by rickety buildings, Ralphi led them up the front door of a large alehouse. Jumping off his horse, the large bearded man grumbled loudly to himself and then barged through the front doors without announcing himself.


    ¡°Alright, attention everyone! Our crew is taking this dive over. Everyone but the staff should bugger off right now if they know what¡¯s good for them, and the staff better stay put if they don¡¯t want worse,¡± Ralphi yelled as he entered the building.


    The first floor of the alehouse was occupied by large wooden tables and a bar. There were also several patrons, who simply stared at Ralphi in confusion at first. However, several hobgoblins walked in behind the bearded man, and they provoked a very different reaction. The sound of gasps and sliding chairs filled the room as the patrons got up and hurried for the back door.


    Ralphi snorted and pointed at the man behind the bar. ¡°Stay! We¡¯re buying drinks.¡±


    The barkeeper hesitated and eyed the back door of the pub longingly, but he didn¡¯t try to run. Instead, he simply grimaced and gave Ralphi a reluctant nod. The barkeeps of Daggerpoint were used to a lot of weird and dangerous stuff, but this one was clearly near his limit.


    Grunting in satisfaction, Ralphi strode over to one of the tables and took a seat. Hobgoblins and human bandits quickly followed after him and began occupying tables. Most of the hobgoblins glanced around with amused grins as they imitated their human companions. Only a few of them had ever been in an establishment like this.


    Blacknail took a seat on the far side of Ralphi¡¯s table and the rest of his lieutenants joined him. Ralphi gave his chief an annoyed look but didn¡¯t ask anymore questions. Instead, he yelled for the barkeep to bring him ale, and when the man brought it over, he focused on drinking. Ignoring the poisonous human liquid, Blacknail simply leaned back and waited. This earned him a few curious glances, but everyone appeared content to take a moment to rest after such a harsh journey.


    As he had expected, it turned out that Blacknail didn¡¯t have to wait long. Less than an hour later, a messenger arrived. The man was dressed in red ¨C the governor¡¯s color ¨C and tepidly stepped through the front door and looked around. The man hesitated and eyed the gathered hobgoblins cautiously before putting on a resolute expression and walking over to Blacknail. The hobgoblin chieftain was hard to miss. He stood more than a head taller than any of the other hobgoblins and he had an impressive crown of antlers. Some of the other hobgoblins had small horns, but nothing like their chieftain¡¯s. Blacknail knew he looked almost as important and impressive as he actually was, almost.


    ¡°Greetings! I have come with a message from the Governor,¡± the man announced as he reached Blacknail side.


    ¡°Yes, I know. That¡¯s why you¡¯re wearing so much red and bothering me,¡± Blacknail replied in an amused tone as he eyed the man.


    The man flinched but then calmed down after realizing Blacknail probably wasn¡¯t going to bite him or anything. ¡°Er, yes. He wishes to know what your intentions are in coming to this city.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to talk to him about that. In fact, we should meet face-to-face as soon as possible, like very soon. I have very important news to share with him.¡±


    ¡°Um, you could just tell me and I¡¯ll inform him of anything you wish.¡±


    ¡°Inform him I want to meet him right away. He can come here, or I can start walking to his big fancy house,¡± Blacknail replied.


    The messenger considered this for a moment and then gave Blacknail a quick bow. He¡¯d apparently decided that this wasn¡¯t his problem to solve. ¡°I will relay your wishes.¡±


    Turning around, the messenger then exited back out the front door and disappeared from sight.


    Over the next hour, Blacknail and his minions lounged in the alehouse and messengers ran back and forth between the hobgoblin chieftain and the Governor. The man was reluctant to meet face-to-face, but Blacknail was stubborn and more than willing to force the man¡¯s hand. Thus, the Governor eventually conceded and invited Blacknail to his mansion in the central district of Daggerpoint.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Blacknail told him minions as he got up out of his chair.


    ¡°All of us? We just sat down,¡± Geralhd whined.


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t trust you to stay out of trouble while I¡¯m gone,¡± the hobgoblin replied.


    There were groans from many of his human and hobgoblin minions who were enjoying ordering various new drinks and snacks from the now very overworked barkeeper and his two servants, but no one dared disobey. After informing the barkeep that they¡¯d be back soon and to stock more food, Blacknail¡¯s group headed back out onto the streets.


    Moving quickly, the group headed for the center of the city. Soon, they left the markets and dirty alleyways behind. The central district was different from the rest of the city. The homes were larger and better kept, and the streets were far cleaner. The main reason for this was obvious. The Governor¡¯s men patrolled the central district. Clad in steel helms and breastplates, the guards and patrollers carried short spears. This was the one area that bandits and criminals weren¡¯t allowed to run wild.


    Blacknail and his minions got a lot of mean looks from the guards, but they weren¡¯t stopped. Thus, they soon arrived at their destination, a huge mansion with a large yard that was surrounded by a stone wall. The entire grounds was neatly landscaped, and two more guards stood outside the entrance.


    ¡°Most of your¡­ men should stay out here,¡± one of the guards told Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin chieftain just nodded and selected Herah, Geralhd, Khita, and Ralphi to come with him. Normally, he¡¯d use some excuse to exclude Khita, but he wanted to show off.


    As the guards moved out of the way, Blacknail and his retinue entered the mansion. There was a large hall full of tasteful ornaments and marble statues on the other side of the door, with a crystal chandelier hanging in the center of everything. It was all very pretty and shiny. Blacknail wanted a chandelier of his own now. What type of human did he need to make one?


    The Governor was also present in the hall. With his trim white beard and distinguished posture, he looked the same as the last time Blacknail had seen him. He also wasn¡¯t alone. Several red-clad servants stood behind him, but they weren¡¯t important. There was a familiar woman in a long white frilly dress at the Governor¡¯s side.


    Luphera gave the hobgoblin an overly friendly and quite suggestive smile. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to see you again, Blacknail. I must say, you¡¯ve grown much more rugged looking, and I¡¯ve been too long without the unique pleasure of your company.¡±


    Her voice sent a shiver down Blacknail¡¯s spine. Ugh, this wasn¡¯t part of the plan.

 Twists and Turns 8

    ¡°Oh, hello,¡± Blacknail told Luphera uncertainly.


    What had he just walked into? Her unexpected inclusion in this talk had thrown him badly off-balance. Regardless of his complicated past with her, the woman¡¯s presence meant that this meeting wasn¡¯t going to be as simple as he¡¯d hoped it would.


    Luphera pouted. ¡°Really? That¡¯s all I get in the way of greeting. Aren¡¯t we intimate allies and close friends?¡±


    Er, Blacknail really didn¡¯t know what his relationship with Luphera was. Sure, he¡¯d killed some people for her, but that was nothing special. He killed lots of people, sometimes just because he could. The fact that she¡¯d seduced him once also didn¡¯t mean much to him. In fact, he suspected it had all been part of a dastardly scheme to manipulate him. He blamed her perfume for messing with his head. Usually he wasn¡¯t attracted to humans ¨C even thinking about it was icky - but that scent had clouded his mind and roused his blood.


    Cautiously sniffing the air, Blacknail didn¡¯t detect Luphera¡¯s usual scent. She was wearing a different perfume. No, wait. The mind-altering scent was there, just faint and buried under the other perfume. Blacknail didn¡¯t feel it affecting him yet, but he would need to watch himself carefully.


    ¡°Sex doesn¡¯t make us friends, and I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re still allies. Why are you here?¡± the hobgoblin asked the woman. He wasn¡¯t going to let his guard down.


    At his words, both Ralphi and Geralhd winced as if they¡¯d just imagined something they¡¯d rather not. Blacknail didn¡¯t understand why. Luphera wasn¡¯t bad looking for a human. Just very¡­ pink.


    Luphera just smiled. ¡°So cold. I¡¯m here to see you obviously. I wanted to do some catching up with my favorite hobgoblin. It¡¯s been rather dull here without you. I like what you¡¯ve done to yourself by the way. You have a handsome amount of muscle now.¡±


    Beside Blacknail, Herah had been glaring at Luphera intently. Now, she growled loudly enough that everyone heard her, which earned her a curious glance from Luphera.


    ¡°Oh, I see. A female. I couldn¡¯t tell at first,¡± she remarked a moment later as she gave Herah a smirk. It was easy to tell that she found Herah rather unimpressive.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but glance at Herah¡¯s body out of the corner of his eye and compare it to Luphera¡¯s. The hobgoblin was skinnier, shorter, and had far less curves. She was also wearing far bulkier clothes which were similar to what all male hobgoblins wore. Luphera on the other hand had on a flowing dress that accented her body, and she was wearing expertly applied makeup that wasn¡¯t obvious unless you looked for it.


    Sensing the woman¡¯s casual disdain, Herah¡¯s glare deepened. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a human? I thought a pig had wandered in to be butchered.¡±


    From somewhere near the back, Khita giggled. Blacknail just grimaced. Should he be saying something here? He really didn¡¯t want to though. Getting between the two females seemed like a bad idea.


    ¡°Feisty one, isn¡¯t she?¡± Luphera remarked as she glanced at Blacknail.


    Herah tried to take a step toward Luphera, but Blacknail stretched out his arm to stop her. He couldn¡¯t let this come to actual blows.


    ¡°Careful,¡± he told them both. This caused Herah to actually snarl so that her teeth showed, so Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d been listening.


    Luphera just laughed. ¡°Ha, I¡¯m not the jealous sort. I simply think she should at least put some effort into cleaning herself up, if only so that she doesn¡¯t drag mud across the floor.¡±


    ¡°Not everyone makes their living on their back,¡± Khita huffed not so quietly in support of her friend.


    Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but glance at Herah so that he could compare her to Luphera. They were very different, which wasn¡¯t a surprise since they weren¡¯t the same species. He found them both attractive, although he was far more comfortable with his desire for Herah. Being with a human was strange to even think about, even if Luphera¡¯s curvy body was delightfully soft and bountiful. Blacknail was fairly certain a whole bunch of his instincts were getting messed up when he was around Luphera, and some of them had more to do with hunting than sex. Luckily for her, Luphera could take care of herself and wasn¡¯t afraid of taking charge, even if that had embarrassed Blacknail a lot in the past. Ugh, he didn¡¯t want to think about.


    Still, embarrassment aside, Luphera had without a doubt had a huge impact on Blacknail. After being with her, Blacknail had no longer found female goblins attractive at all. They were too small now that he was a hobgoblin, and he was even bigger now. Female hobgoblins were built much more like human women though¡­ He was never going to mention this to anyone, especially not Herah.


    Since he wasn¡¯t deaf and blind, the Governor sensed the building tension in the room. Thus, he coughed and stepped forward. ¡°The purpose of this meeting is so that Blacknail can inform me of why he¡¯s seen fit to visit my city. At her request, I allowed Luphera to join us, but now is not the time for idle chatter. You can dally or claw at each other somewhere else.¡±


    Neither Luphera or Herah looked at him. Their eyes remained locked on each other. Somewhat off put by this, Blacknail decided to get this meeting over with as soon as possible.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to save you,¡± he told his host smugly.


    The Governor frowned. ¡°Save us? You are the only dangerous element affecting my city at the moment. Your presence threatens to destabilize the balance between the bandits and plunge my city into chaos. If you remain, Werrick¡¯s local lieutenant will have to strike against you, and he has the largest force in Daggerpoint.¡±


    ¡°I have a bigger one on the way.¡±


    A spark of anger appeared in the Governor¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, you plan to wage war here? You may outnumber the Wolf¡¯s men, but all the local bandit troops have sworn themselves to him and would also rise against you. You can¡¯t fight them all.¡±


    Blacknail chuckled. ¡°No, I¡¯m not here to fight humans. Like I said, I¡¯m here to save you.¡±


    ¡°From what?¡±


    Grinning broadly now in a way that showed off his teeth, Blacknail reached into one of his coat pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. He straightened it out and brushed it off a few times before handing it to the Governor.


    ¡°The dread plague,¡± Blacknail answered as the man began reading. Luphera looked over his shoulder. They were both visibly paler by the time they¡¯d finished reading. This was amusing.


    Grimacing as if he was in pain, the Governor looked back up at Blacknail. ¡°This is real? No, you couldn¡¯t have faked these seals. It must be true¡­¡±


    ¡°I got it from the paladin myself. Everything there is true,¡± Blacknail explained. He¡¯d requested an official letter from sir Masnin explaining the situation in the South. It also vouched for Blacknail himself, although that part was vague. It was all part of the plan.


    Luphera looked unusually disturbed and was biting her lip. ¡°My sources have reported outbreaks down south, but I had no idea it was this bad. I had assumed rumors were flying wild, especially in regard to these boggarts. I thought them figments of peasants¡¯ imagination.¡±


    ¡°I can also vouch for the veracity of the letter,¡± Geralhd added helpfully. ¡°It seems like the situation in Eloria - and possibly elsewhere ¨C is quite dire indeed.¡±


    The Governor nodded and turned to Blacknail. ¡°Well, I thank you for bringing this to our attention, but I don¡¯t believe you came here as any sort of messenger.¡±


    ¡°No, I came to save you from the plague,¡± Blacknail agreed. ¡°The boggarts are spreading it and must know this city is here. The creatures are smart and have been preparing for a long time. They want all humans dead.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine your help will come without a cost?¡±


    Blacknail smiled. ¡°Only a very small one. You just have to let my men inside and promise to help them. They will need food and shelter, but they aren¡¯t picky like humans.¡±


    ¡°Let in an army of hobgoblins? I don¡¯t see how that is necessary. We have our own methods of detecting and dealing with the plague. Hounds and Vessels among other things.¡±


    ¡°The southern humans had hounds and Vessels, but it wasn¡¯t enough. The boggarts were able to kill them easily. Also, you have less Vessels than you did. Avorlus made all of yours and he works for me now.¡±


    ¡°I had wondered what had happened to him after his disappearance,¡± Luphera remarked.


    ¡°If we did agree to your terms, what of your conflict with the Wolf and his forces in the city?¡± the Governor asked.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°To work, my men would need to be safe from ambushes by Werrick¡¯s men. You¡¯ll just have to kick all of them out of the city.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the men or the authority to do any such thing.¡±


    ¡°Then get the other bandits and gangs to do it. They will need protection from the plague too.¡±


    The Governor frowned. ¡°Perhaps that could work, but this seems like quite a lot to take on faith.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need faith at all,¡± Blacknail told him. ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet the plague is already in the city, spreading from human to human as we talk. My hobs can track it down within a few hours and show it to you up close.¡±


    The Governor¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and what smelled like more than a little fear. ¡°Already? You believe these boggarts are already spreading the plague within the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, there is no reason they wouldn¡¯t be. I chased them away from my territory, but Daggerpoint isn¡¯t in my territory.¡± Yet.


    Now the Governor looked very uncertain and afraid. He hesitated for a moment before saying anything more. ¡°Very well. If you find any infection within my city, I will back your plan completely.¡±


    Luphera chuckled grimly. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re giving us much choice. It seems we are completely dependent on you now. If the southern lands are truly being ravaged by the ghoul plague and these boggarts, we stand little chance on our own.¡±


    ¡°Yep, you need me,¡± Blacknail replied happily as he turned to leave. It would be silly to stick around now that he had the cooperation he needed. Every second he wasted, the plague was spreading further through the dark alleys and ramshackle buildings of Daggerpoint.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send a man with you, so you can contact me if you find something,¡± the Governor called after him.


    Heading back out the front door, Blacknail and the others met up with the rest of their force on the street. One of the Governor¡¯s men in red followed them as they headed back to the alehouse they¡¯d just left. It would serve as a fine headquarters from which to begin their search.


    ¡°Who was that woman?¡± Herah asked in a suspicious tone as she walked up right beside Blacknail. Khita was right behind her but hung back to listen without actually joining the conversation.


    Twitching nervously, Blacknail turned to look at her. ¡°Um, just an ally from long ago. She helped me kill someone, so I killed someone for her.¡±


    Herah pouted. ¡°I help you kill lots of people, but you¡¯ve never killed anyone for me!¡±


    ¡°Um, is there someone you want me to kill?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡±


    Blacknail had no idea what the point was. Thus, he deflected. ¡°I¡¯ll get you a gift. There¡¯s lots of nice stuff in this city.¡±


    This seemed to satisfy Herah for the moment. She smiled happily and nodded, but then Blacknail noticed her turn and glance hostilely back at the Governor¡¯s mansion. It was obvious what she was thinking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go trying to kill her. I need you with me, and you don¡¯t know the city. There are many dangers here and she has a lot of skilled minions,¡± Blacknail told her.


    Herah sighed in disappointment but nodded reluctantly. She then grabbed Blacknail¡¯s arm and pulled him close so that they were walking arm-in-arm. Normally, Blacknail wouldn¡¯t have allowed that, but he knew better than to say anything right now. It was a small price to pay for not getting stabbed in his sleep.


    Once they¡¯d burst back into the alehouse and startled the barkeep so that he dropped the platter he was carrying, Blacknail had a quick snack and then began organizing the search for the ghouls. It had been quite a while since he¡¯d encountered any of the twisted humans, but he clearly remembered what they were capable of. Images of Herad¡¯s fight against them flickered through his mind. The creatures had emerged from the forest at night and charged the bandits¡¯ campfires. It was then that Blacknail had first seen Herad go all out. Her blade had reflected the firelight as she¡¯d cut into the ghouls, but it had been a close fight, even for her.


    Blacknail also clearly remembered what the creatures smelled like. It was a nasty oily smell that was tinted by rot, and yet still very human-like.


    Forming up several packs of five hobs and one human minder, Blacknail told them what to look for. He also assured the humans that they weren¡¯t supposed to go anywhere near any ghouls. They were simply along to keep the hobs out of trouble and deal with any distractions that came up. The humans were understandably afraid of the dread plague. Not everyone who was infected showed obvious signs but any exposure to infected body fluids could spread the plague. All the infected also eventually became monstrous ghouls with claws and teeth that could slice into flesh and spread the plague that way. The only known cure was an expensive elixir made from silver.


    Blacknail himself stayed behind in the alehouse so that his minions could find him once they¡¯d detected the scent of the plague. While he waited, he snacked some more. The barkeep had done as he was told and gotten some more cheese. There were also meat pies.


    ¡°So, who was that flirty lady? You seemed to know her quite well,¡± Khita asked as she took a seat next to Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin chieftain frowned. ¡°No one important.¡±


    Khita huffed in disbelief. ¡°As if. Come on tell me!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail replied as he shoved her chair away. Stupid Khita. She was annoying as a bug that had gotten stuck up his nose.


    Thankfully, Blacknail didn¡¯t have to ignore Khita for much longer after that. One of the groups he¡¯d sent out returned to report.


    ¡°We found the scent you were seeking, boss,¡± one of his gobs explained after hurrying over to his master¡¯s side. ¡°There¡¯s a big abandoned building in a place few humans go. It smells exactly like you said.¡±


    Blacknail put down the rest of the drumstick he¡¯d been eating and got up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get ready then. The others should be getting back soon.¡±


    All the hunting parties he¡¯d sent out had orders to return every half hour, even if they didn¡¯t find anything. To contain a ghoul infection, Blacknail was going to need them all, so he headed outside to wait for them.


    It took fifteen minutes, because one group was late by over five minutes. Blacknail didn¡¯t have time to punish them though. They had to move fast. Thus, at his command, the hunters who¡¯d found the trail began leading the way into the city. Following behind them, Blacknail took his two dozen hobs, Khita, and the messenger in red with him. Khita was immune to the plague because she was a Vessel, but any other humans would just be a distraction. They could meet up with him once he¡¯d dealt with the infection.


    The hunters led Blacknail and the others down several twisting alleyways that ran between the dirty buildings of Daggerpoint. There was grime and garbage everywhere, as well as several unconscious drunks and a lot of rats. The drunks didn¡¯t move, but the rats scrambled away from the hobs and disappeared into junk or gaps between stones. Several hobgoblins eyed the vermin hungrily. The rats here were fat, but from experience, Blacknail knew they didn¡¯t taste great.


    The lead hunter suddenly stopped and raised a hand to point at a large building up ahead. ¡°There, that¡¯s where the trail leads and the scent is strongest.¡±


    Blacknail studied the structure. It was obviously derelict, since it had a huge sagging hole in its roof. Before being abandoned, it looked to have been a workshop of some kind. It had a big central section that was two stories tall and several smaller side sections as well. It had probably never been pretty looking, but now it was rather dark and forbidding. Most the buildings around here weren¡¯t in much better shape though. Many of them were abandoned and run down too. Only a few seemed like people ever visited them. This was one of the parts of Daggerpoint that had been left to molder after the bandits had taken over.


    Sniffing the air, Blacknail easily detected the scent of ghouls. The foul oily smell was thick here. Cautiously, Blacknail studied the dank and shadowy alleys that surrounded him. It was possible that there were ghouls hidden all around this area. If he attacked any of them, the others would rise up and attack him from behind. This hunt was going to require careful planning. Despite how they looked, ghouls had dangerous and cunning instincts.


    The messenger in red was still cowering at the very back of the group, so Blacknail sent him back to his master with a single hobgoblin as an escort. That way the Governor would know exactly where the infection was. That done, Blacknail began giving the others orders in a hushed voice. Most the hobs were to stay outside in pairs and make sure no ghouls fled, while Blacknail went in with a few minions to guard his back.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay out here and make sure none of them get away,¡± Khita volunteered.


    This earned her a look from Blacknail. He¡¯d expected the stupid redhead to insist on joining him. Now that he was paying attention, she did look out of sorts. She was paler than usual, and she kept glancing at all the nearby shadows.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked her.


    ¡°Ghouls creep me out,¡± the redhead whispered back. "I''m also not great haunted buildings."


    Blacknail frowned. ¡°You¡¯re immune to the plague now.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but they can still just kill and eat me. I mean, they used to be people, but now their blood is black and they¡¯re all starved looking. It¡¯s just wrong,¡± she replied with shudder of dread.


    ¡°Fine, stay out here,¡± Blacknail replied with a sigh. Of course, even her fears were stupid.


    A shuffling noise drew Blacknail¡¯s attention, so he glanced over to his left. There, a previously unnoticed figure wearing rags was crouched next to a pile of junk. However, now it had drawn attention by moving to look toward the hobgoblins. At first, Blacknail thought it was a beggar or another drunk, but then he met its gaze. Its eyes were pitch black pools full of shimmering hunger. Slowly, the ghoul began to rise, revealing its long claws and the emaciated body that lay under its filthy rags. A mouth full of twisted teeth and black mucus became visible as it opened its mouth to scream and summon its pack.

 Twists and Turns 9

    With every shred of speed he could muster and every bit of magic he could pull out of his core, Blacknail launched himself toward the ghoul. Like a striking snake, his blade flew out of his sheath and sliced through the air toward the ghoul¡¯s neck. The creature¡¯s mouth was already wide open as it sucked in the air necessary for it to scream and alert its pack. However, just as a shrill screech began to echo out of the ghoul¡¯s throat, Blacknail¡¯s blade slammed into the side of its neck. The blade cleaved through the deathly pale flesh effortlessly and sent black blood flying as it decapitated the ghoul in one powerful strike. There was a wet plop sound as the ghoul¡¯s body fell over, and its head hit the ground a moment later.


    Blacknail stared at the body for a moment, before looking around for something to clean his blade off with. Ghouls were weird, but he was fairly certain that decapitation killed them, so he wasn¡¯t too worried about it getting back up. He really didn¡¯t want to leave any black stains on his sword though. Ghoul blood smelled foul, and there was the small matter of it spreading the plague.


    ¡°Good job, boss! You¡¯re the fastest ever,¡± Herah congratulated her chief. Blacknail gave her a nod, because she was right.


    ¡°Did you get him in time?¡± Khita asked. She sounded a little shocked.


    ¡°I think so,¡± Blacknail answered as he used a nearby rag to clean his blade. ¡°The plan can continue without change.¡±


    The redhead nodded. ¡°Right, so I¡¯m staying out here, away from the haunted building full of ghouls.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. Just make sure you don¡¯t let any fleeing ghouls get past you,¡± Blacknail told her before turning to his hob minions and selecting the ones who would be entering the abandoned workshop with him.


    The building loomed ahead of the group. Its wood was so rotten there was a large gaping hole in the roof, and its stone foundation was stained with dirt and other fouler substances. The windows were all uncovered, but there was nothing but impenetrable darkness to be seen within them. Blacknail thought it was rather inviting and comfy looking. It would have made a great hideout for hobgoblins if it hadn¡¯t already been taken by ghouls. Also, he didn¡¯t really need a hideout, since he was a glorious leader these days. Mansions were more his thing now.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Blacknail told Herah and his guards as he started walking toward the building¡¯s front door. Behind him, Khita and his other minions began to spread out to form a perimeter around the target.


    Moving carefully and quietly, Blacknail and his minions approached the entrance to the abandoned workshop. The door had fallen off its hinges long ago, and only a small pile of wooden scrap on the ground was left of it. Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblin eyes could pierce the heavy darkness that lay beyond the entrance, but there wasn¡¯t much to see, just more rotten wood and shadows.


    Blacknail moved in complete silence as he stepped through the door and looked around. The building¡¯s interior was eerily quiet, even to his sensitive hobgoblin ears. There was a hallway to his left and a vast workshop full of junk to his right. It was hard to make out any details in the dark though. A multitude of ghouls could be hiding nearby. The creatures were stealthy and prone to concealing themselves and sleeping during the day. Although, Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure ghouls really slept like normal animals. It was more like they lurked unmoving for long periods of time, conserving their strength as they waited for a chance to strike.


    Frowning thoughtfully, Blacknail decided to head into the workshop, and ignore the hallway for now. He drew his sword as he began to creep forward, and his guards followed carefully after him.


    The large room had once contained rows of shelves and lines of tables. Now, all the shelves were broken scrap and most the tables had collapsed. A bit of late afternoon light got in through some small windows on the walls, but not a lot. The room was very dark and shadowy, and the remains of machinery had been piled up in one corner. Thus, there were plenty of places where ghouls could be hiding.


    As Blacknail moved further into the room, he had to move very cautiously. The floor beneath his feet was rotten and weak. Not only was there the danger of making a loud noise, but it wasn¡¯t impossible that placing his foot in the wrong spot would send him falling down through a new hole in the floor.


    Blacknail¡¯s magical senses weren¡¯t registering the presence of anything alive. They weren¡¯t the most consistent way to find enemies, but they usually gave him at least a little warning that he wasn¡¯t alone. Blacknail was sure there were ghouls here though. He could smell them for one thing. Their corrupt oily stench filled the air. Ghouls probably didn¡¯t trigger his magical senses because they didn¡¯t feel fear. Blacknail thought this was because their brains were so rotten. Any part of their mind that didn¡¯t help them spread their foul infection was long gone.


    Unfortunately, not all of Blacknail¡¯s minions were masters of stealth like him. After the group had made it about twelve feet into the room, a misplaced foot by one of the hobgoblins made the floor creak loudly. Blacknail froze and glanced back over his shoulder. All of his minions had frozen as well. It wasn¡¯t clear who had messed up and made the noise, so Blacknail gave them all an angry glare before turning to scan his gloomy surroundings. Had they given themselves away?


    At first, Blacknail detected no change in the environment. Everything was still. Then, his ears twitched as a subtle new sound reached them. It was very quiet, but it was there. Blacknail heard the rustling of cloth and something scrapping against wood. Even worse, it wasn¡¯t all coming from the same direction. Several similar noises were coming from all around the workshop.


    Resolved, Blacknail raised his blade and peered around the gloomy room. He was no human, so he feared neither the darkness nor the touch of ghouls. Hobgoblins such as him were predators and the shadows were their home. These ghouls were rivals and were trying to prey on humans that belonged to him.


    Suddenly, all at once, four figures rose up from out of sight and turned toward Blacknail. Their features were difficult to make out in the darkness, but their bodies were thin, and their clothes were ragged. Ghouls. The unnatural creatures seemed to study Blacknail for a moment, and then they all screeched simultaneously and threw themselves at him.


    ¡°Kill them all. Hack them to bits!¡± Blacknail roared as he planted his feet on solid parts of the floor and got ready to meet his attackers.


    Even as the first few ghouls closed in, Blacknail could hear other ghouls began to move in other parts of the workshop. Soon, they would all flood into this room as well.


    A ghoul in stained rags hissed furiously as it threw itself at Blacknail. It reached out to gore him with its jagged claws, which were caked in grime. Unimpressed, Blacknail cut the creature¡¯s arm right off with a swing of his sword and then kicked it in the chest, sending it flying backward. However, almost immediately, two more ghouls attacked him, and these ones were armed. One swung at him with a long club made from broken wood and the other had a rusty axe that looked like it had once been used to cut firewood. At the same time, Blacknail could hear several of his minions shout from behind him as more ghouls engaged them.


    Lashing out, Blacknail sliced the rusty axe being swung at his chest in half with his blade. He then ducked under the club, brought his weapon around, and gutted the ghoul holding the broken axe shaft. Black oily entrails spilled out of the ghoul as it screamed furiously and fell over sideways. Blacknail¡¯s blow had cut deep enough to damage the creature¡¯s spine, but it didn¡¯t sound in pain, just very angry.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    The ghoul with the club swung at Blacknail again, but the hobgoblin chieftain blocked the blow and then punched the monster in the face. Its head snapped back from the impact, but it recovered almost instantly. Dropping its club, it lunged at Blacknail with both of its claws outstretched. Even a magic empowered blow to the head from a mutant wasn¡¯t enough to overcome the ghoul¡¯s immunity to pain and shock.


    The ghoul was in too close for Blacknail to hit him with his sword, so he let his blade fall. At the same time, he reached down to his waist with one hand and drew a dagger. Stepping to the side and away from the ghoul¡¯s sharp claws, Blacknail then jammed the dagger up through the bottom of the ghoul¡¯s jaw and into its brain. Despite the way the transformation into a ghoul twisted a human¡¯s flesh and fingers, their bones were basically the same and had the same weaknesses.


    Glancing back, Blacknail saw that his minions were holding their own against half a dozen ghouls that were trying to overrun them. Herah in particular was fighting viciously to hold her ground. As he watched, she savagely hacked apart a ghoul that tried to jump on her. It was good thing Blacknail had trained his minions so well.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have time to watch other people¡¯s fights for long though. Two more hideous ghouls emerged from a side room and charged him. One of these new assailants was actually clutching a pitchfork. They hissed as they threw themselves forward, so Blacknail hissed right back, before swinging his sword with such force that it sent the pitchfork flying away. That didn¡¯t deter the ghouls, so Blacknail stabbed one of them in the gut. His blade sank deep, but then he realized his mistake. That would have been a killing blow against a human or hob, but the ghoul simply ignored the blade lodged in its stomach and tried to claw at Blacknail.


    Grunting, Blacknail kicked the ghoul away, which deprived him of his own weapon. That gave plenty of time for the second ghoul to throw himself atop the hobgoblin. Blacknail felt claws rake across his coat and the unprotected back of his head, drawing blood. Thankfully, it felt like the ghoul¡¯s claw had gotten entangled in Blacknail¡¯s horns before they could do too much damage.


    Although the hot rage of battle was burning within Blacknail, the wound still hurt, enflaming the hobgoblin more. Roaring in fury, Blacknail grabbed the offending ghoul and slammed him into the floor. There was a crack from the rotten wood, but that didn¡¯t stop Blacknail from following up his throw with a powerful stomp to the ghoul¡¯s head. There was a louder crack as the force of the blow drove the ghoul¡¯s skull right through the rotten floorboards. The creature also stopped moving. It looked like the hobgoblin had broken its neck.


    Still angry and looking to take his wrath out on his enemies, Blacknail stepped over to the ghoul which had his blade stuck in it. He gave it several heavy kicks that cracked bones, and then ripped his blade out of the creature¡¯s gut and decapitated it.


    That done, Blacknail turned and went to the aid of his allies. Although there were a lot of dead ghouls surrounding them, the hobgoblins were still fighting over half a dozen of the creatures. More ghouls had swarmed in from other areas of the workshop to join the fight as it dragged on, and despite the ease with which Blacknail had dispatched them, ghouls were not easy opponents. The creatures attacked without any regard for their own safety and had no mercy. They also had startling speed and strength to match that of the most dangerous humans. Most dangerous of all though, they completely ignored any wound that didn¡¯t outright kill them. Their only weaknesses were their lack of martial skill and inability to make complex plans. Even ghouls that had once been warriors seemed to lose their weapon skills, even if they could still wave around simple tools.


    Blacknail could understand how these things were such a threat to human cities. If his minions hadn¡¯t been immune to the creatures¡¯ infection, this fight would have been a nightmare.


    Herah was warding off two unarmed ghouls with her sword, so Blacknail stepped forward and struck down one of them down with a sword slash to the chest that knocked the creature sideways and ripped open its ribcage. This gave Herah a chance to finish off the other ghoul with a series of quick slices that disabled its limbs and then tore its throat open. After that, the hobgoblins began eliminating the ghouls one-by-one with their chieftain¡¯s help. The last two tried to disengage and run back into the shadows, but Blacknail bounded after them and cut them down from behind before they got far.


    ¡°What now, boss?¡± Herah asked when the last ghoul stopped moving.


    Blacknail grunted and looked around. ¡°Now, I think the humans are going to have to burn this entire building down.¡± They¡¯d sort of gotten black blood everywhere and that stuff stained. The hobs¡¯ clothes would also probably need to be burned too. Oh well, some considerate humans had probably left some clothes around somewhere.


    ¡°I meant, what should we do next?¡±


    Blacknail thought about that for a moment. ¡°We should do some exploring before the Governor gets here. I want to see the basement.¡±


    ¡°You think there will be more ghouls?¡± Herah asked.


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°Something else.¡±


    A quick exploration of the rest of the building revealed the stairs leading to the basement. They were behind a door in a back hallway. Blacknail and his minions stood at the top and stared down into pitch black darkness at the bottom.


    ¡°So, did anyone bring a light?¡± Blacknail asked his hobs. There was a quick chorus of nos.


    Blacknail sighed. He really needed to remember to get better minions that would remember this sort of stuff. This wasn¡¯t the first time this had happened.


    Since Blacknail didn¡¯t really want to go down into the basement without a light, he decided to station some guards outside it and head back outside to wait for the humans. Hopefully, they would bring a lamp or something.


    This proved to be a good idea, because when Blacknail left the workshop and found Khita, she was standing next to several men in the Governor¡¯s colors, and two of them were holding lanterns, probably because it was getting dark out. Apparently, the Governor moved quickly and efficiently when ghoul infestations were involved.


    ¡°Only one ghoul tried to escape, and some of your hobs got it. They¡¯re standing guard over its body now,¡± Khita yelled his way when she saw him.


    ¡°Good, we¡¯re almost done inside.¡±


    All the guards in red tensed as Blacknail approached, but he ignored it and held out a hand toward the nearest one. ¡°Give me your lantern.¡±


    The man froze from fear instead of replying, which annoyed Blacknail. He didn¡¯t have time for all this constant human stupidity. Khita was also apparently very unimpressed.


    ¡°Geez, what a coward,¡± she announced as she reached out to grab the lantern from the man¡¯s hand.


    Once she had it, the redhead handed the lantern to Blacknail, who immediately took it. The hobgoblin then gave her a grateful nod and hurried back to the stairs inside. It was nice to be reminded that there actually were more useless humans than Khita. It was hard to imagine, but he could have been stuck with someone worse.


    As Blacknail arrived back at the stairs, his hobs gave him a bunch of mistimed salutes. That was a little random, but whatever.


    ¡°Come down after me,¡± he told them as he held the lit lamp up with one hand and drew his sword with the other.


    ¡°At your order, boss!¡± one of the hobgoblins answered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you,¡± Herah added. Blacknail chose not to dwell too much on her choice of wording.


    The old wooden stairs creaked ominously as the hobgoblin descended. His lantern pushed back the darkness, revealing grimy walls made of loose stones and disintegrating mortar. The floor was packed dirt and there was rubble everywhere. There were also lots of cobwebs. Idly, Blacknail wondered if they were made by the crunchy type of spider or the poisonous type. It was important to know the difference if you didn¡¯t want your tongue inflating to three time its normal size.


    There was more creaking from the stairs as Blacknail¡¯s minions and Herah descended to join their chief. Blacknail quickly glanced their way before turning back around.


    Most of the rubble in the basement wasn¡¯t nearly big enough to hide a ghoul, no matter how sneaky they were. Blacknail also checked the ceiling, just in case, but there were no ghouls hanging up there either. There were footprints in the dirt, but it seemed like all the ghouls that had been hiding down here had come up during the fighting.


    Blacknail wasn¡¯t here to look for ghouls though. Lifting his lantern high, he began to walk around the room and inspect the walls. He soon found what he was looking for, a spot where the dirt was very loose, as if it had recently been dug up.


    After taking a moment to sniff the air, Blacknail handed his sword to one of his minions to hold, and then dug up the dirt a little. It soon became obvious that something had tunneled in under this wall, so Blacknail stopped playing around in the dirt and instead kicked the bottom of the wall as hard as he could. The stones gave way and collapsed outwards, to reveal a hidden passage. Blacknail kept kicking, and soon the entrance had been widened to the full size of the passage beyond it.


    The newly discovered tunnel was wide and tall enough for a man or a hobgoblin to walk through, and it seemed to have been dug through the dirt. It didn¡¯t look natural though, the walls were too regular.


    ¡°What dug this? It doesn¡¯t look like human work,¡± one of Blacknail¡¯s minions asked as he peered past his chief.


    Blacknail didn¡¯t need to answer him. Instead, there was a familiar hiss from the darkness of the tunnel and the shadows began to shift. A moment later, a swarm of angry boggarts emerged from the darkness and threw themselves at the hobgoblins.

 Twists and Turns 10

    The boggart workers swarmed out of the dark tunnel and into the abandoned building¡¯s basement. Blacknail stepped forward to try to hold them back, but although he managed to cut two of them down, the rest pushed him back with the weight of their armored bodies.


    Behind Blacknail, his minions quickly stepped up to join their leader, and together they formed a combat line that met the boggarts head on. The hob holding the lamp was the only one that fell back, since they all needed that light to see.


    Lashing out with his blade, Blacknail mangled a worker and then skewered another. His forces were managing to hold their ground, and this limited the number of boggarts that could swarm out of the tunnel. The creatures were tightly packed though, and they didn¡¯t hesitate to climb over one another as they threw themselves at the hobgoblins. Boggart after boggart was slain, but their attack didn¡¯t relent. Obviously, there was a large number of the creatures in Daggerpoint. Blacknail had expected that, since he¡¯d heard that the creatures had been attacking anyone who tried to hunt or quarantine ghouls in the South. Thus, Blacknail had decided to beat them to the punch and hunt them down first. A boggart managed to lunge forward and bite Blacknail¡¯s ankle. The hobgoblin chieftain suppressed a screech of pain, and violently stomped the creature¡¯s head until its skull shattered. Yes, this was all going according to plan. Mostly.


    Suddenly, the mass of boggart workers shivered and moved to make room for two tall warriors. The bigger boggarts had spears held out in front of them as they emerged from the tunnel. Blacknail grimaced. This development wasn¡¯t a surprise, but it was still annoying. The plan would still work.


    Remaining behind a rank of its own smaller brethren, who served as shields for him, one of the warriors lashed out at Blacknail with his spear. The hobgoblin was forced to duck under the blow and then kick away a worker that tried to attack him at the same time. He hated when boggarts did this.


    Meanwhile, the second warrior used his spear to attack a hobgoblin to Blacknail¡¯s right. The hob tried to block the attack, but it still grazed his shoulder, and he was forced back. This opened a hole in the hobgoblin line, allowing the workers to surge forward.


    ¡°That¡¯s far enough, you tiny black beetles,¡± Blacknail roared in response. He knew he needed to do something now. His minions were in serious danger of being overwhelmed.


    So, as the hobgoblin chieftain snarled at his foes, he reached into his core and pulled out as much mana as possible. He then shaped the power into a wave and hurled it at the boggarts before him. The magical power hit the creatures and soaked into their minds, bringing cold terror and mind-numbing fear with it. The boggart horde rippled and faltered.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to rip you apart!¡± Blacknail screamed as he began striking at the mass of enemies before him.


    The power of Blacknail¡¯s magic infused blows sent mangled boggarts flying, and as he yelled, he assaulted the boggarts with another wave of magical terror that attacked their minds. This was too much for many of the stocky workers. Their attack stopped as the swarm fell into chaos. Many of them began desperately trying to flee out of the range of Blacknail¡¯s long sword.


    As the enemy broke before him, Blacknail grinned madly and pressed his own attack. He kicked one of the last workers directly in front of him out of the way, and then he slashed at the warrior with the spear who¡¯d attacked him before. The warrior blocked the blow, but Blacknail didn¡¯t care. Growling hungrily, he used a burst of strength to push the warrior off-balance and then punched it in the face. There was a crunching sound as Blacknail¡¯s fist impacted the carapace, and the boggart spasmed. Thankfully, the carapace on the creature¡¯s face wasn¡¯t very thick, although the strike had still hurt Blacknail¡¯s hand more than a little. The pain was a minor concern though, and it was barely noticeable through the excitement of battle.


    Taking advantage of his foe¡¯s stunned state, Blacknail quickly raised his blade and decapitated the boggart with one swift strike. At the same time, the other hobgoblins rallied and trampled over the workers in their way as they threw themselves at the second warrior. One hobgoblin went down with a spear wound to his arm, but then the warrior was overwhelmed by a flurry of blows from the other hobs.


    As the last warrior went down, the workers broke completely. The last few that were still trying to fight turned and fled. Soon, the entire mass of boggarts was fighting itself as all the workers attempted to push their way back into the tunnel all at once. This gave the hobgoblins plenty of opportunity to attack their backs, and dozens of workers were quickly hacked apart. By the time the last living boggart had managed to escape, the floor of the basement was littered with boggart corpses and bits of shattered black carapace. It was a rather satisfying sight.


    With his bloodlust slowly fading, Blacknail looked around and then eyed the tunnel. It didn¡¯t seem like there was going to be another attack, and he had no desire to chase the boggarts underground into unfamiliar caves.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Blacknail told his minions as he turned and began walking to the stairs. He wanted to see what was going on above.


    None of his minion¡¯s objected to that plan, so they all hurried after Blacknail as he exited the decrepit and ruined workshop. The streets outside were much the same as the last time Blacknail had seen them, although there were a few more humans in red around. They were all keeping their distance from the workshop though, which made sense considering the danger the plague posed to them. Blacknail sheathed his weapon and began walking over toward Khita¡¯s position.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re back? Are you done this time? I¡¯m tired of sitting out here, doing nothing,¡± Khita said as he approached. The three guards in red beside her were silent. They still seemed nervous.


    Blacknail gave the redhead a look. ¡°Then you should have come with me into the building or not come with me to Daggerpoint at all.¡±


    Khita just huffed indignantly, as if Blacknail hadn¡¯t told her the simple truth.


    Suddenly, Blacknail felt someone tug his shoulder and yell in his ear. ¡°Get down!¡±


    Surprised, he let himself be dragged down toward the ground by Herah. This probably wasn¡¯t a weird assassination attempt by her. If she was going to kill him like this, she would have done it right after the meeting with Luphera. Around him, several other hobgoblins all ducked at the same time.


    This turned out to be the right thing to do, as a blast of swirling energy flew over Blacknail¡¯s head a moment later and then smashed into a building behind him. There was a deafening boom as the magic exploded and then clattering noise as broken stone and brick rained down around the hobgoblins.


    Shocked, Blacknail glanced toward the source of the attack, and saw a boggart warrior wielding a glowing staff. It was standing in the entrance to another abandoned building. However, as he watched, it stepped aside, and boggart workers began streaming out of the building.


    ¡°Stupid Khita,¡± Blacknail hissed as he climbed back to his feet. If he¡¯d been hit, it would have been all her fault since she¡¯d been distracting him with her stupidity. Normally, he would have sensed the attack or something.


    Unsurprisingly, everyone else was just standing around with stupid looks on their faces and no one seemed to be doing anything about the mob of boggarts that was swiftly building in size, so Blacknail had to. Typical.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Form up on me! Anyone who misses this fight will be beaten like a drum,¡± Blacknail yelled as he drew his sword and flourished it up above his head. There were still groups of hobgoblins scattered around the street, and he wanted them at his back.


    Hobgoblins quickly began hustling over from various buildings and alleys, but Blacknail knew that many wouldn¡¯t make it in time. From a ramshackle hut over to Blacknail¡¯s left, another wave of boggarts suddenly emerged. These new attackers charged right toward Blacknail and reached him within seconds. A melee quickly broke out as the hobgoblins and humans defended themselves. Soon, the streets were full of chaotic fighting between scattered groups.


    Blacknail slashed at several boggart workers that tried to swarm him, but he was forced to jump back as another blast of force zoomed by. The magical attack hit a hobgoblin and a worker that were fighting beside him, sending them both flying. Ouch.


    Hissing in frustration, Blacknail eyed the enemy mage. He had been keeping an eye on him, but now he knew the creature needed to be dealt with right away. Blacknail couldn¡¯t fight effectively if he had to worry about incoming magical attacks, and the boggarts could probably afford to keep trading workers for hobgoblins. It seemed like the boggarts had everyone else outnumbered.


    Leaving his allies behind, Blacknail immediately broke out into a run as he charged across the street toward the mage. Boggarts moved to intercept him, but he dodged them or kicked them aside with ease. The mage itself tracked Blacknail with the tip of his glowing staff. Apparently, he knew who the greatest threat was.


    As a blast of rippling power shot toward him, Blacknail threw himself sideways. He managed to dodge the attack by inches, but the swirling air around the blast knocked him off balance. He staggered for a moment, before recovering and resuming his charge.


    A mass of a dozen boggarts formed a line in front of Blacknail, but he didn¡¯t slow. Instead, Blacknail threw a wave of terror inducing mana at them, cut two down, and then pushed straight through the rest. Now, there was nothing between him and the mage.


    Caught off guard, the boggart spellcaster hurriedly tried to shoot another force blast at Blacknail, but the hobgoblin was quicker. He grabbed a nearby boggart and tossed it at the mage. The creature squealed as it flew through the air. This surprised the mage, throwing his aim off. His magical blast hit the worker, sending it flying, and then zipped harmlessly past Blacknail.


    Sensing sweet victory, Blacknail grinned as he lunged forward and slashed at the mage with a fierce two-handed swing. His blade came down on his opponent¡¯s staff, knocking it aside. A swift follow-up slash then planted Blacknail¡¯s blade in the boggart¡¯s torso. It spasmed and made a gurgling sound as the hobgoblin pulled his blade free, and then it flopped over.


    The fight was far from over though. Turning around, Blacknail saw that his minions and the local guards were still fighting a lot of boggart workers. Several tall black warriors had also appeared from somewhere. Growling angrily, Blacknail headed back to help his minions and Khita. He wasn¡¯t too worried about himself, but there were so many enemies that he was probably going to lose a lot of minions before the battle was over. He really hadn¡¯t expected the boggarts to be here in such force. They were supposed to relying on the plague to destroy the city.


    Over to Blacknail¡¯s right, a group of a dozen workers ran out of a building. They were headed right for Herah, so Blacknail quickly intercepted them. Charging among them, he hacked and slashed at the black figures until they were forced to stop and deal with him. One jumped at Blacknail, but he reached out and caught it in mid-air, dashed it against the ground, and then stomped on it for good measure. A quick blast of magical fear then sent the survivors of the group skittering back into the shadows.


    With the nearby boggarts all fleeing, Blacknail had a clear path to rejoin his minions. They were struggling against a mob of boggarts that outnumbered them two to one, including a single warrior. That didn¡¯t last though. Blacknail hit the back of the boggarts like a charging boar. He screamed as he launched a savage horizontal slash at the warrior¡¯s back. His blade cut down, smashing through carapace and parting the flesh beneath it. The force of the blow knocked the creature over, and the blade continued on, hitting a boggart worker. Pulling his sword back up, Blacknail stepped over the fallen boggarts and rejoined his allies. His presence quickly turned the fight against the boggarts, and more of them began to fall.


    There was no shortage of reinforcements for the swarm of black creatures though. Other groups of guardsmen in red went down under mobs of vicious black boggarts, and more were still emerging from the shadows to join the fight. Slowly, the black tide began to push Blacknail and his allies back.


    A hobgoblin to Blacknail¡¯s left fell as a boggart landed on his back. Reacting quickly, Balcknail stabbed the creature in the side and tossed its twitching carcass away. He then kicked another worker that tried to gore the fallen hobgoblin, which gave him time to reach down and pull the hobgoblin back to safety, where he could recover. As the fight continued, Blacknail found himself having to focus more and more on protecting his minions as they grew tired from the boggarts'' endless assault. This couldn¡¯t last. Soon, they would be overwhelmed, but there was little Blacknail could do but keep fighting. He didn¡¯t have nearly enough mana to use fear magic constantly. His core already felt low on power.


    Beside Blacknail, Herah suddenly slipped on some wet boggart blood. As she fell, he caught her and used his arm to block a boggart that tried to bite her face. Herah¡¯s face was one of Blacknail¡¯s favourite parts of her, so he didn¡¯t want it damaged.


    The boggart¡¯s fangs pierced Blacknail¡¯s thick leather jacket, but only barely. Growling in anger and pain, Blacknail swung the creature around and used it to smack another boggart out of the air. Herah then put a dagger in the boggart¡¯s eye and it came loose.


    That was when a new swarm of boggarts appeared and charged toward the hobgoblins'' flank. Blacknail grimaced in frustration. He couldn¡¯t be everywhere. This was going to hurt his minions a lot. In fact, it might be time to consider grabbing his most useful minions and retreating before he got encircled.


    Blacknail¡¯s cynical thoughts were interrupted by a fresh bout of yelling from down the street. The voices sounded both very human and quite angry. It also sounded like there were more than few of them. Glancing over that way, Blacknail saw a wave of heavily armed humans charge down the street and slam into the boggarts. Most of the men were wearing the red uniforms of the Governor¡¯s men, but there were more than a few men who looked like generic ruffians and bandits mixed among them.


    The massed line of heavily armed humans hit the smaller boggarts hard and immediately began pushing them back and trampling them. The gathered mobs of boggarts that filled the streets hesitated under this new assault. Their own attacks faltered as they tried to adjust and figure out what was happening. Blacknail took advantage of this pause to lunge forward and began cutting down every boggart within striking distance. Half a dozen fell within a few moments, but then the swarm finally reacted. As one, all the boggarts suddenly turned to flee. They scuttled away into the shadows, leaving their backs exposed, but Blacknail let them go. His own troops were exhausted, and in no shape to give chase. Several collapsed the moment it looked like the fighting was over.


    The human force that had just arrived spilled past Blacknail and moved to seize control of the streets. Blacknail eyed them warily and had his minions back up against an alley so that they had an escape route, but they weren¡¯t attacked. Blacknail had thought that unlikely, but it was better to be safe when unpredictable humans were involved.


    Soon, the Governor and Luphera appeared, and a squad of men escorted them over to Blacknail. Interestingly enough, they both had their own guards. The Governor was surrounded by his soldiers in red, while Luphera was protected by several large men in black, who resembled the other human fighters who joined the battle. It seemed like Luphera had brought her own troops.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation here? I¡¯ve ordered my men to stay away from all the buildings, lest they be exposed to the plague,¡± the Governor said as he met up with Blacknail, who was hard to miss thanks to his height and horns.


    ¡°I was right. There are ghouls and boggarts here,¡± Blacknail bragged. ¡°I just saved your city.¡±


    The Governor frowned and looked down at one of the nearby boggart worker corpses, of which there was no shortage of. ¡°So, I see.¡±


    ¡°We did just rescue you in turn,¡± Luphera pointed out, which earned her a nasty glare from Herah.


    ¡°Without me and my hobs you¡¯ll all get the plague and die,¡± Blacknail huffed in reply. He¡¯d been paying close attention to Luphera - her face, not her other more distracting parts, like her huge breasts ¨C and he was certain he knew why she was being so difficult. It was an act.


    Luphera sighed over-dramatically and nodded. ¡°That does seem to be true, so let¡¯s get down to business, shall we? We all have a lot to do if we want to save the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please tell us exactly what happened here. This situation needs contained,¡± the Governor added as he followed Luphera¡¯s lead. As the man was talking, Blacknail saw Luphera turn and give him a wink. Yes, she was definitely playing a game here. She¡¯d also noticed that he¡¯d noticed, or something.


    Blacknail felt a headache coming on. Human social interactions could be far too complex. Honestly, he wanted to stab someone, because that would simplify everything in a way hobgoblins naturally understood. There was also nothing like the iron scent of blood to clear the mind.


    Turning away from Luphera, Blacknail quickly explained the situation to the Governor.


    ¡°Well, it does seem like we will require your services if we are to face this new threat,¡± the Governor admitted after Blacknail had finished speaking.


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± Luphera agreed solemnly. She then turned to give Blacknail a subtle grin. ¡°It seems like Daggerpoint is going to be undergoing some changes.¡±


    The Governor turned to her, and her poker face instantly reappeared. ¡°So, you will support me if I attempt to uphold the new laws required for our¡­ treaty with Blacknail to work?¡±


    Luphera nodded. ¡°I will, and I¡¯m sure I can convince some of the chiefs to go along.¡±


    Blacknail watched Luphera out of the corner of his eye. It seemed like she wanted Blacknail¡¯s forces in the city for some reason, and she didn¡¯t want the Governor to know that. Well, he was just glad she was his ally, probably. Had her hostile behavior toward Herah also been some sort of manipulation? Ugh, he had no idea. This was why he avoided Luphera, or one of the reasons anyway.


    The Governor sighed. ¡°Then, I suppose we shall soon see what fate the gods have in store for us in these dark times.¡±


    ¡°I have a large force of hobgoblins arriving soon,¡± Blacknail told the humans. ¡°They should be able to hunt down any ghouls that the boggarts create and fight off any more boggart attacks as long as you support them. They will need food and probably some money too.¡±


    ¡°This alliance is sounding more and more like an occupation,¡± the Governor muttered to himself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can afford to pay these forces a basic amount for their services,¡± Luphera reassured the man. ¡°I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t demand much.


    ¡°What about you?¡± Luphera asked Blacknail. ¡°How long will you be staying?¡±


    ¡°Not long. I¡¯m very important and I¡¯m needed elsewhere,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Oh, then who will be leading the troops you leave behind?¡±


    ¡°One of my smartest hobgoblins, and he will have several human helpers.¡±


    Luphera grinned eagerly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet them.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. Hmmm¡­

 Interlude: Where It All Began

    The ruins stretched on as far as the eye could see. A once mighty city that had been brought low some time ago. Broken buildings lay alongside shattered streets and fallen towers. Plants and bushes grew wild and thick among the ruins. Bits of snow still also clung to ground in the shadows, although most it had long since melted in the sunlight. The air here was heavy and cold though, eerily so.


    It was also silent. There was no twittering birdsong or other animal sounds. There was no hint of human activity either. Although some buildings looked intact, there was no laughter or clatter of industry. All was unnaturally silent.


    Then, a sound like a mighty wind echoing through a canyon reverberated through the ruins, blowing swirls of dust and rustling the leaves of the scraggly trees growing through the stone, as it bellowed out from the remains of a fort-like building near the center of the city. There, a huge gaping hole had been torn though one of its thick stone walls that was large enough for an ogre to walk through.


    Only a little light from the dim sun up in the sky managed to find its way inside the building, so it was dark and shadowy within. However, as another rasping breath echoed out, there was movement from inside as something massive stirred.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    A single eye flickered open in the darkness. The size of a human head, it glowed as it reflected the remnants of light from outside. Lethargically, the slited pupil at the center of the eye swerved to take in its surroundings as if the creature it belonged to had just woken from a long sleep.


    Rubble began to shift and clatter as the beast rose to its feet, and there was a flash of grey scales as they caught the light. The massive drake growled loudly enough for the air to tremble as it stepped outside into the ruins of the once grand city. Rows of jagged crystals ran down its back, marking it as a child of magic and something far more than most of its lesser kin. As the humongous beast surveyed its devastated domain, its belly rumbled like a storm that was about to break. Feeling the pain of hunger, it hissed in annoyance and unleashed a small burst of magic. Immediately, the crystals on its back glowed faintly and a wave of cold washed forth. The air crackled as all the moisture in it froze and white frost crept across all the nearby weathered stone. Its frustration vented, the great beast began to walk down the street in search of the sustenance it craved.


    The world watched in terrified silence. For the greatest enemy of man, the true tyrant of the North, the Doom of Coroulis had awoken and it was time for him to hunt.

 Bane of Humanity 1

    There were two guards standing outside the gates of the castle. Both of them were wearing bright chainmail with purple tabards over it. They also wore steel caps that reflected the light from the setting sun off in this distance. This made them some the cleanest and fanciest soldiers Blacknail had ever seen. Looking clean seemed to be as important to them as actually guarding the gate, maybe more, considering how bored they looked and how unobservant they were being.


    Neither guard noticed Blacknail¡¯s approach until he was right on top of them. One second, the road leading to the castle was empty, and they were having an uneventful day, the next, there was inhuman creature looming over them.


    ¡°I have been invited,¡± Blacknail announced. He was dressed in his best armor and wearing his best cloak, which had been made from a mutant wolf he¡¯d slain. The setting sun was behind him, so his face was dark and his antlers caught the light and cast a mess of creepy shadows.


    ¡°Holy gods!¡± one of the guardsman yelped as he jumped back. The other simply froze and stared at the dark figure before him with wide eyes full of terror.


    ¡°I am Blacknail, and I have been invited by your leaders,¡± the hobgoblin told them. He was used to this. Most humans needed to be told everything repeatedly. It took several long seconds for the guardsman to process this, which was another annoying human trait.


    One guard fumbled with his sword, but Blacknail simply stepped forward and put a hand on the man¡¯s arm so that he couldn¡¯t draw his weapon. ¡°Bad idea.¡±


    The other guard hesitated but then recognition appeared in his eyes and he relaxed a little. ¡°Right, we were told about you.¡±


    ¡°So, are you going to let me in?¡± Blacknail asked.


    The guards looked at each other uncertainly. Letting a huge hobgoblin in through the front gate seemed like the exact opposite of their usual duty.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what we we¡¯re ordered to do if you showed up,¡± one of them remarked a few seconds later.


    ¡°Good, then open the gates,¡± Blacknail replied with forced patience. He wasn¡¯t here to talk to these idiots but smacking them around wouldn¡¯t help. If anything, it would make them stupider.


    One of the guards hesitantly walked over to the gate. Once he was there, a head-high slot opened and he began talking to someone on the other side. This went on for a while, so Blacknail sighed and studied his surroundings.


    The castle that loomed behind the two guards was quite impressive, and like nothing Blacknail had ever seen before. Its outer walls were not only taller than any other he¡¯d seen, but they were made from thick stone that fit together remarkably smoothly. They looked like they would resist even the most powerful of magical blasts or even a charge by a horde of ogres.


    All the pointy towers that had been built on the wall were also imposing. Anyone within them would have a commanding view of the area around the castle, which had been built next to the only trail that went through a series of very rugged hills.


    The keep rose up from inside the outer walls. Made up of more stone, it was squarish in shape except for its triangular roof and five towers. There was a tower on each corner of the square, and one taller one in the center. All in all, it had a very simple and functional design. This building was a defensive structure meant to repel invaders, not look pretty.


    It would have been very difficult for Blacknail to take this castle with his troops. Sure, he might be able to sneak over the outer wall and open the gate after fighting the guards, but even if his minions took the outer walls, the keep in the center could easily be sealed up tight. Against a determined force of human defenders, it would be next to impossible to conquer.


    Yes, this castle was very different from the crude fortifications that most settlements in the North used. That was to be expected though. This castle had been designed to stop real armies, not just forest beasts and bandits. Also, everything humans made in the South was supposed to be bigger and better, and this castle was located on the northern border of Eloria. Technically, once he was inside the castle, Blacknail would no longer be in the North.


    The guards were still debating someone on the other side of the door, so Blacknail sighed and let his thoughts wander. The march here from Daggerpoint hadn¡¯t taken that long, but they¡¯d had to move quickly to get here in time for the meeting. Not that he¡¯d minded leaving Daggerpoint as quickly as possible. The friction between Herah and Luphera had grown worse until it was quite uncomfortable for him. Blacknail wasn¡¯t even sure why they were fighting. He wasn¡¯t interested in Luphera anymore, and even if he had been, there was more than enough of him to go around.


    Anyway, Blacknail had ended up leaving quite a few troops in Daggerpoint, and had decided against leaving anyone important in charge of them. Whoever he left, they¡¯d just end up doing what Luphera wanted anyway. Thankfully, her interests seemed to align with Blacknail¡¯s, so he didn¡¯t need to kill her. He had more important things to deal with than her games, like boggarts and Werrick. That was why he was standing in front of this impressive heap of stone.


    Finally, the guards finished their conversation and the gates began to creak open. Blacknail waited until they were completely open, and then he turned and motioned toward a nearby hill. Immediately, over a dozen figures detached themselves from the shadows and followed him in through the gates. The guards jumped in surprise again, but a glare from Blacknail ¨C backed by a little fear magic - made them both instantly shut their mouths and go rigid with fear. They said nothing as a dozen hobgoblins and three humans made their way into the castle. There were more guards on the inside, but they either decided that the hobgoblins had all been invited in or that this wasn¡¯t their problem.


    ¡°Please wait here, someone will be along meet you soon,¡± one the guards told the newly arrived party, and Blacknail gave him a nod in reply.


    Khita stepped forward peered around the gatehouse. ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a castle before. Slums and city markets were more my thing.¡±


    ¡°I defended a castle out on the eastern border during a siege once, back when I was in the army, but we conscripts were never let in the keep itself,¡± Ralphi said.


    ¡°I visited one or two for family business when I was young,¡± Geralhd added. ¡°There usually isn¡¯t much to them. Just a lot of stone corridors and drafty halls.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°Lots and lots of stones. I¡¯m actually impressed that someone got a bunch of humans to do this much work.¡±


    ¡°The nobles definitely know how to motivate the common folk,¡± Ralphi remarked sourly.


    Blacknail looked over at him and gave him an interested look. ¡°Oh, how do they do that?¡± He could always use more efficient humans.


    Ralphi just sighed. ¡°Never you mind. It¡¯s not important.¡±


    Before Blacknail could press the point further, he was distracted by the arrival of someone new, a man in neat purple clothing.


    ¡°Blacknail the hobgoblin, I presume?¡± the man asked. He had a very emotionless manner and rigid posture.


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s me. I can show you my black toenail if you want,¡± Blacknail answered with a smile. He was rather proud of his black toenail. It was why Saeter had given him his name.


    A hint of grimace briefly flashed across the man¡¯s face. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±


    ¡°Your loss,¡± the hobgoblin remarked with a shrug. The man had just lost his only chance to see the toe that terrified the North.


    ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯m to escort you to see the royal councilor. He wishes to speak with you. Please leave your weapons here.¡±


    Geralhd coughed politely as he stepped forward and gave a little bow. ¡°We would be very grateful for your service. Please lead the way.¡±


    Blacknail just nodded along. As a mutant, he wasn¡¯t too worried about being disarmed, and Geralhd probably knew what he was doing since he was the fancy human ceremony expert. Blacknail had just been making everything up as he went along, which only worked because he was so amazing at everything.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    After everyone had handed over most of their weapons to the gate guards - Blacknail knew several of his party still had daggers hidden away - the herald began leading the group of hobgoblins toward the keep. They exited the gatehouse and went through the courtyard before reaching the main entrance to the central keep. There were a lot of human troops around, more than Blacknail had expected to see. The soldiers manned the walls and could be seen moving through the dusty courtyard on various tasks. It seemed like there was a small army stationed here right now.


    Passing some more guards, the herald led Blacknail¡¯s group into the keep. It was made from the same cut grey stone, but now there were tapestries and glimmering mage lights on the walls. They also passed the occasional servant, who all fled once they noticed Blacknail.


    After a little walking, they arrived at a small sitting room with a closed door on the far wall. Fancy tapestries featuring roaring lions and human knights decorated the walls. Blacknail also saw one featuring a harpy with wings outstretched and a very human face, but there was a conspicuous lack of hobgoblins. Well, it wasn¡¯t like humans were known for their good taste. At least, there were plenty of soft-looking chairs and couches present.


    ¡°Please be seated here, the lord will call for you soon,¡± the herald announced as he made a slight bow and then disappeared back the way they¡¯d come.


    With nothing better to do, the group of hobgoblins and former bandits sat down on the available chairs. There was enough for all of them as long as they squeezed as many hobgoblins as possible onto the two couches. Blacknail and his lieutenants all got their own comfy chairs, of course. The hobgoblin settled down to wait as his minions began to mutter among themselves, and twenty minutes went by without any word from their host.


    ¡°Why did that purple man bring us here just to sit around and do nothing?¡± Blacknail asked his humans after his patience wore out.


    Geralhd sighed. ¡°I believe he¡¯s asserting his authority over us by showing us that he can keep us waiting. It¡¯s a very common tactic for humans, especially among the nobility, who get off on these sort of petty power games.¡±


    There was a grunt of agreement from Ralphi, and Blacknail frowned thoughtfully.


    ¡°That seems rather rude,¡± Blacknail announced as he got up and walked over to the closed door. A quick jiggle of the handle revealed that it was locked.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Geralhd asked in concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m being as petty as possible to win the game,¡± Blacknail replied as he began knocking on the door.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works¡­¡±


    Blacknail kept knocking for several long moments, until there was a click as someone unlocked the door from the other side. A moment later, it opened slightly and a young man in the same purple outfit as the herald peeked out. He flinched visibly when Blacknail leaned sideways to meet his gaze ¨C they were only about a foot apart ¨C but he didn¡¯t withdraw.


    ¡°Yes, can I help you?¡± the servant inquired with a stutter. It looked like he was trying to be angry but was way too scared to pull it off properly.


    Sensing weakness, Blacknail leered at him. ¡°Is the noble guy I¡¯m supposed to meet in there?¡±


    ¡°Er, yes, but he¡¯s busy. Please, wait until he¡¯s ready.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m busy too,¡± Blacknail replied as he reached out and pushed the man out of the way, so that he could peer into the next room.


    It was a small chamber with a large wooden table in the center. There were four people around the table. An older man, two guards, and one other that Blacknail recognized instantly. It was Sir Masnin. All of the occupants of the room were staring at the intruding hobgoblin, so Blacknail gave the paladin a friendly wave.


    There was a deep sigh from the elderly man standing next to Sir Masnin who was wearing a long purple robe with silver trim. ¡°Very well, just let the hobgoblin in. We¡¯re just about ready for him anyway.¡±


    The servant Blacknail had pushed out of the way nodded at the elderly man. He then composed himself and turned to the hobgoblin. ¡°You may enter and attend the lord. Your retinue must wait outside though.¡±


    Blacknail eyed the servant. He found it highly amusing that the man little thought he could tell him anything. ¡°I need one of my men to come in and be a translator.¡±


    The servant scowled. ¡°Your command of the Elorian tongue seems more than adequate to me."


    ¡°I don¡¯t need him to translate words,¡± Blacknail explained with a sigh. ¡°I need him to tell me what humans mean. Your thoughts are all squishy and hard to understand.¡±


    ¡°Squishy?¡±


    ¡°Yes, like mushrooms or pie.¡±


    The servant considered this for a moment, but only appeared to grow more confused the more he thought about it, until it looked like his eyes were trying to go off in different directions. He glanced toward the noble, who rolled his eyes and nodded.


    ¡°Er, very well,¡± the servant conceded as his neutral expression reappeared. He was obviously far more comfortable with taking orders than thinking for himself. Humans, they accepted authority too easily and weren¡¯t properly ambitious like hobgoblins.


    ¡°Geralhd, get in here,¡± Blacknail told his human minion before he stepped into the room


    Smiling in what he hoped was a friendly manner, and not hungry-looking, the hobgoblin approached the table. ¡°Hello, nice to meet you.¡±


    The man in the robe gave the hobgoblin a tight smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re the infamous Blacknail. I must admit that I¡¯d been looking forward to meeting you in person. It¡¯s not every day that I encounter such a unique individual.¡±


    ¡°Well, now you have,¡± Blacknail replied. He felt like he should say more, but human small talk wasn¡¯t one of his strengths. ¡°Why did you invite me here? It¡¯s a nice castle, but you probably want something, right?¡±


    Gerahd suddenly stepped up beside Blacknail ¨C and slightly in front of him - and bowed. ¡°Greetings, lord. My I have the honor of knowing who I am addressing?¡±


    The noble nodded. ¡°I am Lord Lavista of the King¡¯s Council. You may rise.¡±


    Geralhd stood up straight as commanded. ¡°Excuse my companion. He is not schooled in the proper etiquette.¡±


    ¡°Ya, that¡¯s true,¡± Blacknail agreed. He wasn¡¯t even entirely sure what etiquette was. Something about not eating with your hands?


    ¡°I was not expecting you to be,¡± the noble told the hobgoblin. ¡°Honestly, your own station is not entirely clear because of the novel nature of your existence. Thus, for now, you operate outside of normal social interactions anyway.¡±


    Blacknail was fairly certain that was a good thing, but just in case, he replied only with a vague nod.


    ¡°Regardless, more pressing matters seek our attention, and I can thus put up with some ignorance of protocols in the name of expediency,¡± the noble continued. ¡°You are the last of the invitees to arrive for this summit, and there is no reason to delay it any longer, so I summoned everyone to the council chamber a while ago. Sir Masnin ¨C whose opinion I trust ¨C tells me that you can be worked with and trusted to adhere to simple bargains. However, I did want to converse with you before we met up with the others so that I could take your measure for myself. Due to the unprecedented crises facing my nation, I have been given the complete authority of the crown. Still, the upcoming negotiations will be difficult, even disregarding complete unknowns like you and your faction.¡±


    As the noble finished talking, Sir Masnin spoke to Blacknail. ¡°I¡¯ve informed the lord about all our interactions and what I know of the situation here in the North. It is far more complex than he had suspected. Down south, they tend to ignore everything that happens up here.¡±


    Lord Lavista nodded. ¡°That ignorance might have cost us dearly, especially since some say the black demons originated from these parts, but Sir Masnin has informed me of most of what I need to know about local conditions and actors. However, despite his good descriptions of certain aspects of your character, you still remain the most unpredictable and mysterious of the locals. I am told you control significant territory and have access to far more resources than most would suspect. What is it that you want?¡±


    Blacknail really wanted to kill Werrick, who was probably in this castle right now. Even now, the fervent desire ate away at the hobgoblin¡¯s insides like black boiling acid. He wanted nothing nearly so much as to see the man die horribly and then to chop the man¡¯s body up for trophies. The hobgoblin wasn¡¯t sure if he should admit this though. He hesitated. Would they accept shiny things as an answer?


    Thankfully, Geralhd once again proved his use and covered for Blacknail¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Allow me to give some small answer here. I have spent quite some time among Blacknail and his kin, and let me assure you, they¡¯re not so different from the human denizens of the North. Although primitive, they simply seek to better their lives and learn from humans so that they may live as well as we do. Blacknail himself is merely following in the footsteps of his now deceased mistress Herad.¡±


    Blacknail smiled. That wasn¡¯t entirely true. Living easier and better was nice, they¡¯d occupied him completely as a goblin, but turning into a hobgoblin had changed that. Now he thirsted for the hunt and conquest far more than comforts. Blacknail had built his tribe and was copying humans in order to forge soldiers and weapons that would help him kill Werrick. Still, it was a better answer than he could have come up with. It seemed like Geralhd thought that they should pretend to be simple bandits. Blacknail would play along. They weren¡¯t sure what this noble wanted yet after all, so it would be best to give him what he expected.


    ¡°Yes, I simply want to keep the territory I¡¯ve taken and trade with you humans. I can¡¯t do that if boggarts kill everyone,¡± he told the noble.


    The noble frowned subtly and studied Blacknail. He didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced, but Blacknail just kept smiling as disarmingly as possible. He knew it was difficult for most humans to read him, or even stare at his face for too long.


    ¡°How very wise of you,¡± the man finally remarked as he grimaced and looked away. ¡°Very well, thank you for humoring my enquiries. Head back to the sitting room. A servant will take you to the council chamber now, where I will address everyone.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, lord,¡± Geralhd immediately replied with another bow.


    Blacknail stayed standing straight, but he let Geralhd pull him back toward the sitting room. Once there, Geralhd turned to the hobgoblin, rubbed his forehead, and groaned. ¡°You only got away with that discourtesy because they need you, and Lord Lavista considers you little better than a violent savage that couldn¡¯t know better.¡±


    ¡°I am a violent savage, so they better not leave me to wait in any more empty rooms,¡± Blacknail huffed in reply.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    However, before Geralhd could argue any more, a servant appeared and began leading them down another corridor. They didn¡¯t have to go far, and soon they walked through a doorway and entered a large antechamber. The room was full of colorful hangings and impressive furniture. There were also lots of humans present, but Blacknail¡¯s gaze was drawn to one man in particular. Werrick. Blacknail growled as he laid eyes on his mortal enemy and rage surged up within him.

 Bane of Humanity 2

    There were two armed guards on either side of the door Blacknail had just walked through, and he¡¯d been disarmed. Thus, he didn¡¯t immediately charge Werrick, despite the rage that had suddenly boiled up within him. He took a deep calming breath instead. Vengeance would be his eventually, as long as he stayed in control of his emotions.


    Werrick was seated at a table that dominated the middle of the room. It was oddly shaped, like a half-circle. Over a dozen chairs sat all along the round edge, while only a single one had been placed in the middle of the straight side. Since Lord Lavista was occupying that lone chair, and facing all the others, Blacknail assumed this was another human intimidation thing, and promptly chose to ignore it. He was unimpressed. It was rather weak compared to the normal hobgoblin intimidation technique of killing someone and impaling their head on a stick.


    ¡°Please have a seat at the table. Your escorts can sit at one of the side tables,¡± the servant that had led Blacknail into the room said as he motioned to the side. There were several small tables scattered at both ends of the room. Some of them were empty, but there were people sitting at others. They had the look of minions, so Blacknail ignored them and turned back to Werrick.


    ¡°Your translator can also join us,¡± Lord Lavista added from where he was sitting. He had two guards standing behind his chair, and one of them was Sir Masnin.


    ¡°I want to sit at the big table with the important people,¡± Khita said. ¡°I¡¯m one of Blacknail¡¯s most important lieutenants and deadliest fighters, after all. Soon, I will rule a massive territory of my own, and everyone will tremble at the mention of my name!¡±


    ¡°Not a chance,¡± Ralphi snorted as he grabbed her shoulder and dragged her over to an empty table. ¡°There¡¯s already way too much that could go wrong here for my liking, even without you introducing your particular brand of messy stupidity.¡± Everyone else in Blacknail¡¯s group except for Geralhd followed them to the table.


    Werrick looked different than the last time Blacknail had seen him, mostly because he wasn¡¯t wearing armor or his wolf helm. Instead, his clothing didn¡¯t stand out from any of the other people at the table. He wore a grey shirt and some black trousers that looked simple but stylish. Blacknail guessed that he was trying to fit in among the other humans from the south. His rough face and penetrating gaze made him stand out though, especially now that he was scowling at Blacknail. The hobgoblin met his gaze and grinned savagely.


    Despite his resolve, Werrick flinched at the raw hunger that shone through Blacknail¡¯s eyes. He quickly recovered, but he was clearly rattled by the hobgoblin¡¯s appearance. That was to be expected. The last time the two had met, Werrick had cut down Blacknail and left him for dead on a battlefield. However, not only had Blacknail survived, but it was that brush with death that had triggered the hobgoblin¡¯s transformation into a mutant. Blacknail was significantly larger and more dangerous now. The fires of his hatred also burned stronger.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re alive after all,¡± Werrick remarked. ¡°Hobgoblins must be made of different stuff than men.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just special,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°So, I can see,¡± Werrick said as he glanced at the hobgoblin¡¯s horns. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about it for long¡­¡±


    Lord Lavista interrupted the pair¡¯s staring contest. ¡°Blacknail, please have a seat so that we may begin the meeting.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, sure,¡± the hobgoblin replied as he turned his attention to the other people at the table.


    Two were clearly mages from two different guilds. Their amulets and robes marked them as human spellcasters. There was also a man who was clearly a priest and quite a few people that looked like nobles of some sort. Some of them were dressed in frilly and colorful clothing that made what Geralhd usually wore look plain, but some wore more practical clothing that marked them as having martial experience. Except for Werrick and sir Masnin, Blacknail was sure he could take them all.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will matter who we sit next to,¡± Geralhd whispered. ¡°None of these people are likely to see us as peers or treat us courteously. Just choose a random place.¡±


    Nodding, Blacknail led Geralhd toward the closest two empty chairs. As he moved, he considered his next move. He knew he had one huge advantage over Werrick here, he didn¡¯t care what these southern humans thought of him at all. They were idiots, and he only needed their cooperation in the short term, while Werrick was obviously planning on starting a permanent relationship with them. That had always been the Wolf¡¯s plan to cement his rule, but Blacknail had other resources he could tap.


    Suddenly one young noble in a red jacket spoke up as Blacknail walked past him. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with disgusting savages now? I must protest!¡±


    Oh, good. A challenge! Smiling to himself, Blacknail stopped and turned to look at the man. There was complete silence from everyone else in the room as most people tensed up expectantly. Even Lord Lavista seemed willing to wait and see what Blacknail did.


    Sneering, the noble that had insulted Blacknail raised a hand as if to punctuate his next words, but Blacknail acted first. Quickly and smoothly, he stepped closer and leaned down so that his face was only a foot away from noble¡¯s. Then, he grinned savagely as he seized an invisible blob of magic from his core and slammed into the man¡¯s mind like it was an iron spike.


    ¡°Move,¡± Blacknail hissed right before the man squealed and toppled over backward.


    The magical terror had caught the man completely off guard ripped into his mind without resistance, overwhelming him and making incapable of controlling the fear that now surged within him.


    The stupid noble hit the floor back-first and then scrambled away. Still smiling, Blacknail simply grabbed the man¡¯s chair and pulled it closer.


    ¡°Thanks for the seat,¡± Blacknail giggled as he sat down. Geralhd sighed and took the seat next to him that had also suddenly become vacant.


    Looking around the table, Blacknail saw that most the humans present were studying him. Their expression varied from shock to outright hostility. Lord Lavista was the only person present who hadn¡¯t really reacted to his little display at all. He still had a carefully neutral expression that conveyed authority and control.


    ¡°Now, let the conference officially begin,¡± Lavisita announced as he stood up and gave everyone before him a cursory examination. ¡°You all know why you are here. A time of great trial and tragedy has engulfed Eloria. The plague threatens all of humanity and it is being spread by these black creatures that some call boggarts.¡±


    ¡°Has that actually been confirmed?¡± one noble asked respectfully.


    ¡°Yes, beyond a doubt. Our agents have observed them transporting diseased flesh and captured ghouls from city to city in order to weaken us for invasion,¡± the lord answered. ¡°It is no coincidence that our forces engaged in fighting the plague are ambushed by boggarts either.¡±


    There was murmuring from gathered humans as they took in this information.


    ¡°So, why are you here dealing with us? Shouldn¡¯t you be back at home fighting these things?¡± someone eventually asked. ¡°I can¡¯t see how the answer to your problem lies in the North, and you¡¯ve never cared about this land before.¡±


    The King¡¯s representative simply nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°That is true. However, this is everyone¡¯s problem, and we are reaching out to all our neighbors. We¡¯ve even ended all conflict with Hulgaron. Communication is ongoing, but it seems likely that a full peace treaty will be signed soon.¡±


    This caused everyone to begin talking amongst themselves even more. Geralhd whistled as if impressed. ¡°I suppose it would take something as catastrophic as a massive plague outbreak and an invasion by unknown monsters to stop that war. The death of countless thousands certainly didn¡¯t seem to concern them much. I suppose even the nobles realize they need some peasants alive to rule over and that the plague won¡¯t discriminate against blue blood.¡±


    Oblivious to what Geralhd was whispering, a porky noble in a frilly red shirt spoke up. ¡°But what brings someone so high in the king¡¯s esteem here to see us? Many of us are already owe Eloria our fealty and the others are no real threat to the realm, especially now.¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I am here for several reason. First, I come seeking information. Rumor and speculation say that the boggarts emerged from the North,¡± the councilor replied.


    ¡°If anything, it seems there are less boggarts in the North,¡± a stern looking older noble replied.


    The fat man in red shrugged. ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t like the cold.¡±


    ¡°How bad is it near the capital, I haven¡¯t heard any details. What exactly are we dealing with?¡± someone else enquired.


    This time it was Sir Masnin that answered. He looked sullen as he spoke. ¡°Almost every city of note is struggling to contain a full ghoul outbreak, while raids by boggarts striking from below ground weaken us. Already, the city of Persepulis has fallen to the dread plague and the royal army was forced to set it aflame to contain the infection and prevent a horde of ghouls from being released on the countryside. Many other cities are predicted to fall soon as well if nothing changes.¡±


    There was deathly silence as everyone contemplated the paladin¡¯s words. Many of the humans looked pale. Even Werrick looked shocked by the dire straits of the southern cities. Blacknail wished he could have been there to see the fire. He had always wanted to see what a human city would look like after being set aflame.


    ¡°And the boggarts aren¡¯t content to simply let the plague devour us either,¡± the elderly councilor added. ¡°Our scouts report that the creatures are building structures above ground. They are consuming everything from timber to farm animals in order to build settlements of some unknown black material. Where once there were farming villages, now eerie black spires are beginning to rise.¡±


    ¡°And the royal army is doing nothing?¡± a noble asked in disbelief.


    ¡°They were caught off guard by this sudden attack,¡± Sir Masnin explained. ¡°As you can imagine, most of the army was stationed at the border or actively engaging in action against the Hulgarons when the plague first appeared. They were swiftly withdrawn to help contain the outbreak but are now busy with that duty and have no time to spare to assault these new fortifications.¡±


    ¡°These creatures seemed to have planned this all disturbingly well,¡± a scowling noble with a military bearing observed.


    ¡°Yes, we are not dealing with mindless beasts here. This is a well-organized campaign by minds that understand long-term planning.¡±


    The fat noble looked very nervous now. ¡°What can we do against that? No one here has armies to spare, despite out relatively secure position here. If the plague does strike, we will have a demon¡¯s time just containing it.¡±


    Lord Lavista nodded. ¡°Yes, but the council has come up with a plan that will require your aid. Thus, as our first order of business, I would like to secure everyone here¡¯s cooperation and get an official oath of alliance. Eloria will reward you handsomely for your effort, of course.¡±


    Everyone began talking amongst themselves again. Blacknail couldn¡¯t help but notice that the old man hadn¡¯t specified what aid he actually wanted. The hobgoblin was thus willing to bet his weight in cheese that it was going to be costly or incredibly dangerous. It would be best not to get tricked into making any promises.


    Suddenly, Werrick broke his silence. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Your messenger mentioned getting official crown recognition of the lands I hold. Is that still on the table?¡±


    There was a nod from the councilor. ¡°Yes, take the oath and the king will acknowledge your holdings and grant you title over them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a bandit and a murderer. You shouldn¡¯t be demanding anything of the nobility,¡± a southern lord huffed dismissively at Werrick. He was a middle-aged man who was starting to go bald, but he was wearing more jewelry than anyone else, as if to display his wealth.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s not be to hasty. Someone as useful and powerful as the Wolf would make a great ally, regardless of the situation,¡± a younger - and less impressively dressed - noble countered. ¡°What does recognition really cost the crown? Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Bah, you¡¯re simply saying that because you basically work for the Wolf there already. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about the deal you¡¯ve made with him or the gold he sends your way. Dealing with bandits, despicable!¡±


    Many of the nobles began arguing. Blacknail watched with interest. It appeared that Werrick had a lot of influence on the poorer northern lords, but that most the southern lords looked down on him. Of course, Blacknail was unpopular with everyone, so he was in an even worse position. Lord Lavista also noticed the pull Werrick had with certain parts of the nobility, and he didn¡¯t appear to like it. He frowned thoughtfully as he studied the bandit lord, who seemed willing to let others argue his case for him now.


    ¡°What about that green savage sitting right over there!¡± someone suddenly yelled, drawing Blacknail¡¯s attention. ¡°Surely, having someone like the Wolf on the border is a much better option than letting an inhuman monster like him squat there. Why is such a creature even here?¡±


    Off to the side, Werrick smiled. Blacknail was fairly certain this noble was acting under the Wolf¡¯s orders.


    Lord Lavista quickly spoke up though. ¡°The hobgoblin is here because I wish it. He is a power in the North, as well as a vital source of information. In fact, I have heard that he engaged the boggart creatures in battle and vanquished them before they even launched their campaign against Eloria.¡±


    A noble sniffed disdainfully. ¡°Of course, the monster knows much about other monsters.¡±


    Blacknail said nothing. No one had actually asked him a question yet, and he was busy studying all the humans. They were all looking at him now, including Werrick who was nodding in sudden understanding. He seemed to have made some connections.


    The king¡¯s councilor didn¡¯t remain silent for long. ¡°Now, before I go on, I must get oaths of alliance from you. We will be discussing many secrets and vital plans, and those that refuse the oath must leave.¡±


    ¡°King Namirius already has my allegiance. My sword is yours, to do with as you will,¡± one noble immediately replied as he stood up and gave the older man a formal bow. Several others immediately did the same before sitting back down.


    ¡°If you hold to you word then I will aid you,¡± Werrick added. ¡°We should stick together in these hard times regardless.¡±


    ¡°What about us border nobles that already have land and title. What are you offering us?¡± a scowling man in shabby clothing asked.


    ¡°When this time of chaos is over, there will be plenty of land where the owners have fled or been lost to the plague. Those that aid the king can expect first claim when these lands are reassigned.¡±


    This offer quickly got the rest of the attendees to offer the councilor their allegiance, which left only Blacknail. Lavista gave the hobgoblin an enquiring look, but Blacknail kept his mouth shut. He was probably necessary for Lavista¡¯s plan, so there was no chance of him being kicked out. He could afford to play it safe and not offer any sort of promise that could land him in trouble later. He¡¯d hate to have to lie or murder someone to get out of a badly thought out promise.


    When everyone else had agreed to the oath, the elderly councilor looked toward Blacknail, and everyone else followed his gaze. ¡°To start, would you tell us about your clash with the boggarts and all you¡¯ve learned about them?¡±


    Frowning, Blacknail considered this question. After being insulted so much he wasn¡¯t feeling very helpful, but Lord Lavisita seemed to be the only person here who¡¯s opinion really mattered. Being unpopular with the other noble¡¯s wouldn¡¯t affect his plan at all.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Blacknail replied a few moments later. ¡°I ran into boggarts several times last year, but it was this winter that that I first really fought with them. It doesn¡¯t count as a real fight unless people on both sides die.¡±


    It took Blacknail quite a while to finish recounting his battle against the boggarts, especially since he had to go into so much detail about his own fighting skills and how he¡¯d used them to turn the tide of battle several times. He was amazing.


    Also, he had to remember to leave a lot of things out of the story, like about the specific types of magic his mages wielded and about the forest people and lurkers. That stuff would just have distracted the humans, and he didn¡¯t want Werrick knowing of all his capabilities.


    ¡°And were supposed to believe this fairy tale is even remotely related to the truth?¡± a noble asked in an exasperated tone once Blacknail was finished. There were murmurs of agreement from many of the other people present.


    Lavista quieted them with a glare. ¡°Several parts of my guest¡¯s tale have been independently verified, and it also contains scraps of knowledge about the boggarts that we¡¯ve only recently discovered ourselves. For instance, some of our agents have sighted these humanoid boggarts from a distance. I would not have wasted your time with this story if I didn¡¯t believe it to be true.¡±


    ¡°I find all this mention of uncontrolled magic disturbing, even if it is in inhuman hands,¡± one of the mages remarked.


    The fat noble in red make a thoughtful noise. ¡°The hobgoblin¡¯s story would explain why the creatures are rarer in the North, which no one else has an explanation for.¡±


    ¡°In fact, the closer you get to this Blacknail¡¯s territory the less reports of boggart activity you get,¡± the militaristic noble added.


    ¡°Yes, because I hunted the boggarts down through the dark paths and slaughtered them in their nest like vermin,¡± Blacknail explained as he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°But why haven¡¯t they moved against the North since then?¡±


    ¡°They are probably busy fighting you now. Also, they need food, like everyone else. I destroyed the underground farm near their nest and my hunters kill the scavengers they send out into the Green. They can¡¯t grow an army without food.¡±


    ¡°They might have trouble moving one without readily available scavenge as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well none of us are in any position to flood the dark paths with troops or even send hunters out on mass to stalk the Green. That would be folly. The dark paths are no place for men.¡±


    ¡°And most humans make terrible rangers and hunters,¡± Blacknail added helpfully.


    ¡°Some cities use goblins to keep sewers clean of sewers. Could we use hobgoblins for something similar in the dark paths?¡± one of the southern nobles suggested.


    The fat man snorted. ¡°Gee, what a wonderful idea. Let¡¯s just flood the tunnels under all our cities with armed hobgoblins. That would solve our boggart problem alright, and what could go wrong?¡±


    ¡°Order please. This conversation is long past the point of usefulness,¡± Lord Lavista announced in a commanding tone.


    ¡°Then get to it already please,¡± the fat man replied coldly. ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully vague about what you want from us, but we¡¯ve all taken your oath, so why don¡¯t you tell us what you are really here for?¡±


    The councilor scowled in displeasure at the tone, but he nodded a moment later. ¡°After much deliberation, the king and his council have come up with plan to help secure our cities. We need silver to create the cure for the plague and fortify our troops against it. Only then can be risk going on the offensive against the boggarts. However, there has been a shortage of silver in the southern realms ever since the fall of Coroulis, where most of it was mined.¡±


    Lord Lavista paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°Thus, I am here to launch an expedition to Coroulis in order to seize the silver we need.¡±

 Bane of Humanity 3

    Stunned silence filled the meeting room for several long seconds as all the attendees tried to wrap their brains around what their host had just said. It took them a while. Blacknail was the one who eventually broke the silence by letting out a deep sigh. This was already sounding like a lot of work, and he was probably going to have listen to a lot of dumb human screeching now. So annoying.


    ¡°What? How does that make sense?¡± a noble with a long white beard exclaimed. Based on his plain clothes and stern demeanor, he was probably from the north of Eloria.


    ¡°I also must protest. This plan sounds insanely dangerous,¡± another northern noble agreed.


    Lord Lavista frowned coldly. ¡°We have little choice. In order to survive the plague and launch a counter attack against the boggarts, the kingdom of Eloria needs a plentiful supply of silver. Without it, we are lost.¡±


    ¡°Surely, there is some other source available? What about the Homelands?¡±


    The king¡¯s councilor shook his head. ¡°We could not possibly afford to buy so much silver from the empire or the costal free clans. There is also the matter of having it transported here across the sea and half the continent. Besides, this is what our coastal neighbors are already doing, and they will leave us with nothing but scraps if we try to trade with them.¡±


    ¡°But you risk antagonizing the Doom. It destroyed Coroulis with ease and left the greatest city of the North an empty ruin. Nothing could stand against that drake¡¯s dread magic and horrifying strength. It levelled a city with ease.¡±


    Lord Lavista¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°They were caught off guard and didn¡¯t know what they were facing. It was the chaos caused by the drake¡¯s sudden attack during a blizzard and the following panic that destroyed the city as much as the beast itself. The city tore itself from fear and no one could actually mobilize a proper defense. We on the other hand would be sending a small group of dedicated warriors armed with the best weaponry the guilds can design specially for this task. Also, it is possible the beast is no longer in the city. It could have moved back over the Iron Teeth mountains some time over the last few decades, leaving the silver there for the taking. There have been no sightings of Myagnoir for years after all.¡±


    The fat southern noble looked thoughtful. ¡°Perhaps the Doom is long gone, but what if it isn¡¯t? We would be sending the expedition to their deaths unless these new weapons of yours are truly impressive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what exactly are these guild weapons you mentioned?¡± another noble asked. ¡°Can they really slay a mutant drake such as the Doom?¡± Werrick asked with interest. Blacknail could see the cold calculations going on behind his eyes. They were much the same as the ones he was making.


    Despite the risks, reclaiming Coroulis would benefit the bandit lords greatly. They were the ones that controlled the territory around it after all, and the Doom was technically a bigger threat to them than anyone else. If a wealth of silver began pouring out of city, there was also no way they wouldn¡¯t end up getting a large cut of the profit. It was unlikely that Blacknail and Werrick would be coming to an agreement to share though. No, the winner would take all. If Werrick could secure the city, then he could use the silver to buy a massive mercenary army and crush Blacknail. However, if the hobgoblin seized the silver, he would become irreplaceable to the southern lords and could strangle Werrick¡¯s support.


    ¡°I will let the guild representatives describe the weapons themselves. Please be patient and remember that we are all allies here,¡± Lord Lavista announced with authority as he gave the two bandit lords meaningful looks. Obviously, the king¡¯s councilor understood what was going through their heads and had plans of his own. Infighting wouldn¡¯t serve his purposes, yet.


    Blacknail was distracted from his thoughts as both the mages from the guilds stood up and turned to face everyone else.


    ¡°Yes, allow me to explain our work,¡± the younger mage said. He was dressed in a green robe with silver trim. His older companion in red with gold trim nodded in agreement.


    ¡°There are many written accounts of the fall of Coroulis available. Most of which were written by wealthy refugees that survived. Thus, we have a very good idea of the beast¡¯s capabilities and have developed several effective countermeasures to its powers.¡±


    ¡°I find that hard to believe. The incredible might of the Doom is known to everyone. Stories of its power are used to scare children into behaving,¡± one noble remarked skeptically.


    ¡°I remember those stories,¡± someone else muttered sourly.


    The lead mage frowned. ¡°Let me show you.¡±


    He turned and yelled out some quick orders to a pair of servants standing at the back of the room. At his command, they quickly hurried over with some equipment in their arms. One was holding a long spear-like thing, and the other had a large medallion.


    ¡°As most of you probably already know, Myagnoir is famous for using ice magic to freeze his enemies and protect himself. Several prominent guild scholars have been studying accounts of these abilities for years and discussing how to deal with them. This was mostly a theoretical exercise, until the king¡¯s council suggested this mission, but that research provided us with a framework we could quickly use to create these.¡±


    ¡°What are they?¡±


    The mage took the medallion from the servant and brandished it for everyone to see. ¡°This is a warming amulet. It uses carefully calibrated mana stones to produce a steady heat effect and will adjust its output in response to sudden drops in temperatures. Thus, it should protect its holder from the brunt of any cold based attacks.¡±


    ¡°That sounds useful, but there¡¯s that ¡®should¡¯ word again,¡± one noble remarked skeptically. Blacknail agreed with him. An amulet like that seemed like flimsy protection from a famously powerful mutant.


    ¡°That sounds too simple. This took years of research? Why should we trust in some common warming magic?¡± Werrick asked. Blacknail frowned at him. What an idiot. Who knew what these mages were capable of? Obviously, these amulets were incredibly powerful.


    ¡°These are no simple devices,¡± the lead mage replied as Blacknail nodded smugly in agreement. ¡°Creating a defensive ward that can automatically adjust to match incoming attacks is very complicated and delicate work. The amulets can also be activated by non-mages, which is something the guilds do not like doing, as you probably already know. If this wasn¡¯t an emergency, we would never have done it.¡±


    ¡°Alright we get it. The amulets are very impressive and will protect people from the Doom¡¯s magic. What does the spear do?¡±


    Putting the medallion down on the table, the mage then held up the thick spear. ¡°These lances are actually much simpler devices. When engaged, internal flame crystals are used to superheat the shaft beyond the hand grips to incredibly high temperatures, without burning the user. That heat should not only allow them to burn through even the thickest scales, but it should also render the Doom¡¯s magical defenses useless.¡±


    ¡°So, you stab the beast with it,¡± Werrick laughed.


    The mage frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a lance, yes.¡±


    Lord Lavista coughed to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The crown is convinced that these weapons will do the job, and the support from the guild does not stop there. The enormity of the situation facing us has convinced them to aid us in other ways. They will be providing the army with as many fully-equipped combat mages as they can as we attempt to halt the boggart¡¯s advance.¡±


    ¡°We recognize the danger that faces us all in this dark time,¡± the older mage agreed with a nod of head. ¡°The combat mages are the least of our contribution to the cause. All the guilds have opened up their vaults in response to humanity¡¯s plight. Our most advanced devices are being prepared and deployed as we speak. These are weapons the likes of which have never been seen on this continent. Some are capable of blasting entire cities to dust.¡±


    Blacknail perked up. What was this now? Could human mages really do such things? He might have to seriously reconsider how powerful the guilds were and how dangerous the southern kingdoms were to him. Avorlus would be the person to ask about this.


    ¡°However, without a supply of silver, we cannot defeat the plague,¡± ¡°Lord Lavista added. ¡°Thus, three experienced combat mages will also be equipped with the guild¡¯s best flame spells and sent to support the mission to Coroulis.¡±


    Geralhd sighed quietly. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean much. The guild researchers care very little for combat mages. They¡¯ve always been nothing but disposable pawns to the guilds, who keep the secrets of magic for themselves.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°The guild masters do have some concerns about sending mages and materials north,¡± the younger mage said with a frown, as if in agreement with Geralhd¡¯s whispers. ¡°There have been many reports of unlicensed dark mages hiding in the North and producing dangerous faulty mana crystals for unscrupulous buyers that don¡¯t care about the havoc such powers can cause.¡±


    Both Blacknail and Werrick glanced at each other and then looked away as they tried to look as innocent as possible. Both of them employed dark mages to create weapons.


    The older mage scowled and glanced at Blacknail. ¡°Even more absurdly, it seems like the rumors of hobgoblin mages are true, and now we hear that the boggarts are also capable of crafting spells and magical tools. This makes letting sophisticated tools be sent North a great risk. They could easily be stolen. There would be catastrophic consequences if a layman attempts to study and reproduce them.¡±


    ¡°And yet a failed expedition would be a far greater loss,¡± the councilor reminded them sternly.


    ¡°As you say,¡± the older mage admitted reluctantly as his companion and him sat back down.


    ¡°I imagine there is a limited amount of the new guild weapons available for the expedition,¡± Werrick inquired.


    The king¡¯s councilor nodded. ¡°There are enough to equip a dozen champions.¡±


    ¡°You expect a dozen men to kill the Doom?¡± a noble asked in an incredulous tone.


    ¡°Sir Masnin, one of the finest paladins and most experienced mutant slayers on the continent will be leading the expedition. He will lead a hand-picked team of veteran warriors to Coroulis, where they will scout the city out and look for the silver. If the expedition runs into the beast ¨C and that may not happen - then his task will be to slay it and secure the silver.¡±


    ¡°Even getting to the ruins will be a long and dangerous journey. Coroulis lays far to the North and the forest has grown dark and wild. Who knows what monsters lurk between here and that lost city. There may even be boggarts.¡±


    ¡°That is where our guest Blacknail¡¯s skills and expertise comes into play. Coroulis lays just beyond his territory and he is the best guide through the Green available. He was born in the wildest forests of the North, trained by the White Raven himself, and has seen every corner of the Green.¡±


    ¡°Um, sure,¡± Blacknail replied as everyone suddenly focused on him. This was probably a very bad time to mention he¡¯d actually been born in a sewer under a city in the south. Also, the Green was a very big place and he had only seen a very small fraction of it. He had been trained by seater though, and one out of three wasn¡¯t bad.


    Catching up, Blacknail cleared his throat and tried speaking more confidently. ¡°Yes, I can lead some people there safely. Leave it to me. I¡¯m the second greatest ranger ever.¡±


    Blacknail then turned to glare at Werrick. ¡°My master Saeter was the only better ranger, and he was actually from Coroulis. But, we can¡¯t get his help, because he¡¯s dead. Werrick killed him. He does that a lot. Kill important people.¡±


    Werrick could only scowl as the hobgoblin berated him in front of the nobles. Many of them were studying him with disapproving looks now.


    Ignoring the conflict between the bandit lords, a noble asked a question. ¡°How many men will be going on this quest, exactly? And what do you expect from us?¡±


    ¡°Even if Sir Masnin secures the silver, we will need to transport it south with utmost haste. Towards this end, all the local nobility will need to work together to help secure the route. This of course means that conflict along the border can¡¯t be allowed. Everyone must be working together.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means that all petty squabbles must stop. Nothing must be allowed to go wrong.¡±


    ¡°In return for some of the silver?¡± the fat noble enquired.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    There was some grumbling, but most the nobles seemed content with that arrangement. Blacknail glanced at Werrick, who was already looking his way. Was Lord Lavista expecting them to become long-term allies? That wasn¡¯t going to happen. In fact, now was probably the best time for Blacknail to start messing with Werrick and weakening his position. Joy. Holding his tongue had been difficult.


    Blacknail turned to Lavista. ¡°Why is Werrick even part of this alliance? I¡¯m going to be your guide, so I get a treaty and Eloria agrees to respect my territory, but why is he here?¡±


    Lord Lavista frowned. ¡°He controls a large part of the North, and several people have told me his cooperation would be necessary.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s getting the same reward as me, and I¡¯m doing much more than him. I¡¯m your guide. What¡¯s he doing to earn his pay?¡±


    Red-faced with anger, Werrick turned to glare at a noble. The man flinched and then quickly spoke up. ¡°Leaving the Wolf out our arrangement would throw everything into chaos. It would be a completely unnecessary risk that could doom everything we are trying to do.¡±


    Blacknail scoffed and threw Werrick a confident grin. ¡°He¡¯s just a bandit. We don¡¯t need him. I can handle him if he acts up.¡±


    ¡°My troops will crush your vermin like the pests they are,¡± Werrick replied.


    Blacknail chuckled. ¡°Good luck chasing me through the Green while all your men have the plague. Me and my hobs are all immune.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you won¡¯t help the expedition?¡± Lavista asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m the only one that can guide you to Coroulis, so you¡¯d better pay me properly.¡±


    ¡°If you are immune to plague how can we know you will remain committed to the mission,¡± the noble that Werrick had glared at countered. It was incredibly obvious that he was working for the Wolf.


    ¡°I was fighting the boggarts before you knew what they were, and I much prefer dealing with humans. Also, I¡¯d rather not have hordes of ghouls wandering around. They still attack hobs when the get hungry. I just want to make sure I¡¯m being paid properly for my efforts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d also like some of that silver,¡± Geralhd mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not immune to the plague.¡±


    ¡°What exactly are you asking for?¡± Lord Lavista enquired.


    ¡°I just think that If I¡¯m doing way more work than Werrick then I should get paid more. Maybe I should get a lot of his territory. That seems fair.¡±


    ¡°Unacceptable. If you try to take what is mine, the only payment you will get is blood,¡± the Wolf told the hobgoblin.


    ¡°Please, none of us can afford conflict. Asking the Wolf to give up land seems untenable. We need his cooperation,¡± one of Werrick¡¯s not-so-secret allies added.


    Blacknail scratched his chin and pretended to look thoughtful for a moment. ¡°Then perhaps he should simply come with us to Coroulis. He is a skilled warrior and a powerful Vessel. He could help us slay the Doom. He should have no problem with that, unless he¡¯s a coward or planning on betraying us.¡±


    The gathered nobles began muttering amongst themselves, but Lord Lavista looked thoughtful. He seemed open to the idea.


    ¡°Yes, I think the expedition North would greatly benefit from the addition of a warrior as renown as the Wolf,¡± the fat southern noble said as he gave Werrick a smirk.


    An argument quickly ensued between the various factions of nobles, but the king¡¯s councilor quickly quashed it. ¡°I agree. Blacknail¡¯s suggestion seems reasonable, and we could use the another strong sword arm.¡±


    Werrick was red-faced and fuming now. He gave Blacknail a furious glare. The hobgoblin just smiled back. It definitely seemed like he¡¯d messed up Werrick¡¯s plans. So many things could happen to Werrick during the long trek to Couroulis and back. Yes, that would be much preferable to another head-to-head battle.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I will accompany the expedition north and help retrieve the silver,¡± Werrick grunted sourly when it had become obvious that he had little choice.


    The king¡¯s councilor smiled. ¡°Good, then the most pressing matters seem to have been settled.¡±


    ¡°There are a few more issues that should be discussed,¡± a southern noble countered. ¡°If you want the roads secured, what about the refugees that are streaming across the border? Something needs to be done about them. They¡¯ve been causing chaos for years.


    Another southern noble in green silk nodded. ¡°Indeed, since we are all here, this seems like a good time to discuss how to finally deal with the deserter problem. With the help of the bandit lords, we can end the exodus once and for all, and prevent the deserters and traitors from fleeing their rightful lords and duties.¡±


    Lord Lavista nodded. ¡°Sealing the borders would help us contain the plague and prevent more desertion from the army. We¡¯re going to need to keep control over the common people in the days to come.¡±


    ¡°Consider it done. Denying my roads and villages to refugees would be a simple matter,¡± Werrick replied.


    Next to the hobgoblin, Geralhd made an angry noise, and there was a furious glint in his eyes. He seemed to seriously disapprove of the noble¡¯s stance on the refugees.


    Blacknail nodded along with the nobles, but had no intention of doing anything to the refugees, so he gave Geralhd a wink to reassure him. Trying to stop the stream of refugees seemed like a lot of work, and he had a use for them anyway. They could be used for things hobgoblins were terrible at. In fact, he wanted some human servants for his mansion. Most hobgoblins weren¡¯t great at cleaning, and having humans serve him was far more prestigious.


    ¡°What a bunch of stuck-up tyrants,¡± Geralhd whispered. ¡°They believe the common people exist to serve them and that their deaths mean nothing.¡±


    ¡°Er, ya. Bad them,¡± Blacknail replied. He was doing something completely different from the nobles after all.


    It took another hour for the nobles to stop arguing about the little details of their alliance. Blacknail didn¡¯t care about that stuff at all, and Geralhd had to pinch him a few times when he started drifting off.


    However, Lord Lavista eventually began explaining the timetable and details of the mission north. The expedition would be about fifty people in total, and both Blacknail and Werrick would be allowed to bring a small group of guards. They would also be leaving in five days, since the mages were still waiting on some equipment to arrive and Sir Masnin wanted everything prepared properly.


    That said, Lord Lavista dismissed the meeting, so that everyone could leave or talk among themselves.


    Blacknail quickly got to his feet and headed for the door. Sitting for so long had made him antsy, and he had a lot to do. This expedition was a great opportunity and he had to take advantage of it right away. Plans had to be devised and put into motion. There was no time to waste.


    However, before Blacknail could leave the room, Werrick intercepted him and his allies. The Wolf had reunited with his own minions, several thugs and one blonde woman in a dress that was lined by grey fur. Blacknail was fairly sure she was the one known as Zelena.


    Both sides glared at each other, but no one actually moved to attack, except for Khita. Ralphi had to grab the back of her shirt so that she didn¡¯t start anything.


    A forced smile appeared on Werrick¡¯s face as he faced Blacknail. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I can convince you to set aside old grievances? Our squabble is a distraction now, nothing more. A truce would benefit us both. Despite our mutual bravado, neither of us in any place to seize the other¡¯s territory now. There is much more to be gained from working together.¡±


    Blacknail had to resist the urge to spit on his face and kick him in the groin before biting his nose off. Discipline would be rewarded. Saeter had taught him that.


    ¡°We will see how the mission goes. During it, we will have lots of chances to work together,¡± the hobgoblin replied cryptically as he signaled for his minions to follow him out of the room.

 Bane of Humanity 4

    Blacknail lazily studied his surroundings. The birds were chirping merrily in the trees as the sun rose off in the distance. It was still spring, so there was chilly bite to the early morning air, although that would probably vanish as the day went on and the air warmed.


    Around Blacknail, there was a flurry of activity on the road right outside the castle as men prepped for the long journey ahead of them. Sir Masnin stood in the middle of the crowd of men and horses. He was constantly talking to people and yelling orders. Blacknail approved. Yelling loud enough that you were impossible to ignore was about half of good leadership.


    ¡°Waiting for these people is so annoying. They should move faster,¡± Khita observed. She was sitting on a rock over to Blacknail¡¯s left, with the rest of the hobgoblin¡¯s minions.


    Today was the agreed upon time of departure for the expedition north. Blacknail¡¯s group had gotten here yesterday. After the meeting in the castle with Lord Lavista and the other nobles, Blacknail had rushed back over to the village he¡¯d conquered, Aldhara. He¡¯d needed to meet with his troops and send out a lot of messages and orders. If he was going to be gone on a long expedition, he needed to make sure everything was still running smoothly in his own territory. Thankfully, that had turned out to be the case. There had been no reports of boggart attacks or any other disasters at Daggerpoint or Ironbreak, despite the problems facing everyone else.


    All the settlements in Blacknail¡¯s territory were actually running smoothly. In fact, Gob had headed back to Ironbreak to help train all the hobgoblins that were appearing there, and the forges were still working non-stop to produce spears and arrows for Blacknail¡¯s troops. Although Ironbreak was still expanding and more longhouses were constantly being built, it was always packed full of hobgoblins. Gob had to keep sending them south to reinforce other areas or to hunting lodges. It seemed like while everyone else was reeling from the plague, his forces and holdings were the only ones that were growing stronger.


    At the same time, more refugees were showing up and seeking shelter. Most of them were either penniless farmers fleeing the war ¨C and now the plague as well ¨C or deserters looking to escape a short brutal life in a noble¡¯s army. No one else seemed to want them, but Blacknail was happy to take them in. He had a use for both fighters and farmers. A core of skilled human soldiers would definitely help Blacknail organize his hobgoblins and stiffen their spines. Also, since Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins forces were constantly expanding, he needed to worry about keeping them feed. Goblins and hobgoblins weren¡¯t the best farmers. They got bored too quickly unless closely supervised, including the overseers themselves, so Blacknail had consulted Geralhd and quickly come up with a more dependable system. He¡¯d had land cleared for refugee farmers and provided them with everything they needed to survive in the short term, such a hut and some tools. The farms also used goblin labor and were protected by hobgoblin patrols. In return, Blacknail claimed most of their crops. There were some more details about loans and tribute, but Blacknail let Geralhd worry about that. He was just glad to get a reliable source of food.


    Reassured about what was happening back home, Blacknail had then returned to the castle to meet up with Sir Masnin. He¡¯d arrived late in the afternoon, reported in, and camped outside for the night. The next morning, Sir Masnin had come out of the castle and organizing the rest of the force. That was what Blacknail was watching now. His forces were already up and ready.


    Khita turned to glare at some people on the other side of the crowd, but then she giggled as a smug grin broke out on her face. ¡°Look at him there. He looks like he¡¯s got a big stick up his ass and can¡¯t get it out.¡±


    Blacknail followed her gaze until his eyes locked on Werrick¡¯s face. The man was clearly grimacing in frustration at everything in sight. He looked quite displeased to be here, which obviously delighted Blacknail quite a bit. The hobgoblin let out a vicious little giggle of his own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s creepy beyond words,¡± Ralphi remarked from where he was standing next off to the side.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a compliment,¡± the bandit grunted sourly.


    Werrick had remained in the castle the entire time that Blacknail had been gone. Without a doubt, he¡¯d spent that time scheming with the nobles he had under his influence and making plans of his own. Still, Blacknail was sure he still had the upper hand. There was only so much Werrick could do while on the expedition. They would be headed off into the deep Green. That was Blacknail¡¯s home territory, and not only would he have every advantage out there, but the Wolf would be completely cut off from reinforcements. Werrick wouldn¡¯t be entirely without resources though. He was bringing his own escort, and most of them were standing around him right now. Eleven mean looking thugs formed Werrick¡¯s personal guard, and he was also bringing one blonde woman, Zelena.


    Blacknail reached down to scratch his ass as he studied Zelena. She was an odd choice for an excursion into the wilds. All her clothing, from her long fur cloak to her grey skirt, was neatly tailored and expensive looking. Her long hair was also artfully done-up, and jewelry decorated her entire outfit. She looked more like a noble lady than anyone else in the castle, but there had to be more to her than was obvious. She wouldn¡¯t be with Werrick if she wasn¡¯t dangerous.


    Blacknail wished he could say the same about his own escorts. Sighing, he turned to look them over. He¡¯d brought the most skilled hobgoblin warriors and hunters he could get his hands on. Also, Khita had invited herself. The redhead had just laughed when Blacknail had told her she wasn¡¯t invited. Although to be honest, Blacknail hadn¡¯t tried all that hard to dissuade her from coming. She was a Vessel after all, even if she was annoying and was probably going to mess everything up somehow. Ralphi and Geralhd were only here to see Blacknail off. Their talents would only be wasted on an expedition into the Green to hunt a monstrous drake.


    The hobgoblins that stood out among the members of the expedition were Herah, Imp, and Slashi. With such a small group, Blacknail didn¡¯t need any of his sub-leaders like Gob along. They were better managing other hobgoblins elsewhere. Instead, Blacknail had concentrated on bringing competent and dangerous hobgoblins that had experience as hunters, could use magic, or had fought both beasts and humans. Herah wasn¡¯t the most skilled swordsman in the tribe, wasn¡¯t a mage, and she was a sub-par hunter, but she was one of the most experienced fighters since she was always shadowing Blacknail when he got into trouble. Plus, he could have sex with her. That was a nice bonus since this was going to be a long trip.


    Of course, although Werrick and Blacknail were both only supposed to be bringing a dozen escorts each, Werrick still had more men that he could call on. The bulk of the force Sir Masnin was leading was made up of nobles and their escorts. In total, four noble were coming along, and as Blacknail had seen in the council room, some of them were working for Werrick. Blacknail recognized two of them as men who were obviously his enemies, but he didn¡¯t know about the other two. They were southern nobles and they seemed to only be interested in completing the mission so far. Looks could be deceiving though. They could secretly be working for Werrick. To finish up their group, Sir Masnin had a dozen men of his own, who were probably not in league with Werrick.


    Suddenly, a commotion over to Blackail¡¯s left caught his attention. He glanced that way and saw a hobgoblin jogging his way. It wasn¡¯t one of his chosen followers, so the hobgoblin had to be a messenger. By the looks of it, the message was important. The hobgoblin had a determined look on his face and was moving at a quick pace. Blacknail really hoped this wasn¡¯t bad news. A lot of things could have gone wrong, like a swarm of boggarts overwhelming Ironbreak.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Blacknail asked as the messenger drew closer.


    The hobgoblin stopped and sucked down a deep breath before answering. ¡°He¡¯s coming!¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Blacknail asked as he made a funny face. He honestly had no idea who they were talking about. Werrick was already here, and he was the big threat.


    ¡°Ilisiti the vympir. Gob sent me to tell you that he is on his way!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Blacknail remarked in surprise as he sat up. Why would Ilisiti be coming here? Also, wasn¡¯t he really far away in Herstcrest?


    ¡°He is riding here with some of his men right now. They will be here in less than an hour.¡±


    Blacknail made a face like he¡¯d just swallowed something rotten, and not the tasty kind of rotten. This was an unforeseen complication. Just what did Ilisiti want? Well, whatever it was, Blacknail needed to do something about this development before it got out of control.


    ¡°Why is he coming here? Do you know?¡±


    ¡°All I know is he said he wants to join the hunt.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s cut him off at the road and see what he wants before he gets in sight of all these touchy humans,¡± Blacknail decided.


    ¡°What¡¯s all this now?¡± Ralphi asked as he leaned over to listen.


    After giving his minions a brief explanation of what was happening, Blacknail led them down the road away from the castle and any sentries it had out. Thanks to the hills surrounding them, they were soon out of sight of the castle. Blacknail kept them moving for a bit longer though. There was no reason to take chances.


    A few minutes later, the first sign of approaching riders appeared. Dust rose up from behind the hills and the thump of hooves reached Blacknail¡¯s ears. Frowning, the hobgoblin chief stopped and waited. It didn¡¯t take long for Ilisiti to ride into sight. He was a large man and unmistakable in his unique heavy armor. His helm had two small batwings protruding from its sides and its faceplate was quite menacing. Decorative steel ridges surrounded the eye holes, making it look like the wearer was always glaring with inhuman intensity. The rest of the armor plate was also quite ornate and had a antiquated look.


    Upon seeing Blacknail¡¯s group up ahead, Ilisti and the other riders began to slow. As they approached and came to halt, Ilisti studied the people in front of him for second before pulling his faceplate up.


    ¡°Ah, Blacknail. It is good to see you. I was hoping that you¡¯d intercept us,¡± the vympir said as he grinned. ¡°I was wondering if I was in the right place, since I¡¯ve never been this far south and no one on the road stuck around long enough for me to get directions.¡±


    ¡°That depends on what you¡¯re trying to do,¡± Blacknail replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to join you in your hunt for the beast of the North. Why else would I speed here?¡±


    ¡°You want to try and fight the Doom, on purpose?¡± Blacknail asked. Why would anyone join this expedition by choice? He was only here because of the rewards and the chance to murder Werrick, and he was hoping to avoid any mutant drakes they encountered.


    Ilisti laughed heartily. It sounded odd coming from someone who was usually dour and reserved. ¡°I enjoy testing myself against all manner of beast, as you well know. How could I possibly resist the chance to join in the hunt for the greatest quarry in all the world? No, this is where I shall make my legend.¡±


    ¡°How did you even find out about this?¡±


    ¡°One of my men at your forward base sent me a bird.¡±


    ¡°A bird?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a kingshrike. In the West, they are specially trained and bred to navigate the Green safely. It is how we keep in touch with our holdings.¡±


    Sighing, Blacknail took a moment to think. Would Sir Masnin and the others accept Ilisti¡¯s assistance? There was only one way to find out. ¡°Fine. Leave your men here and I¡¯ll take you to see the leader, Sir Masnin. You can ask him to join yourself.¡±


    ¡°I trust you¡¯ll put a good word in for me,¡± Ilisti replied as he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail said as he began leading his ally down the road. The vympir dismounted so that he didn¡¯t stand out from the rest of Blacknail¡¯s minions too much.


    They made it over to Sir Masnin without anyone raising the alarm, but the tall vympir did get more than a few looks. His fearsome armor made him hard to miss, but he was surrounded by armed hobgoblins and Blacknail, so the appearance of one guy in armor didn¡¯t appear to concern anyone much. They didn¡¯t appear to believe he was much of a threat in comparison to the hobgoblins around him. They were wrong. Blacknail had once seen Ilisti take a troll apart in a one-on-one fight.


    Sir Masnin was arguing with a noble about supplies when Blacknail approached him. Glancing over, the paladin frowned when he noticed Ilisiti. He then turned back to the noble and dismissed him.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about,¡± Blacknail told the paladin.


    ¡°So, I see,¡± Sir Masnin replied before turning to look at Ilisti. ¡°That¡¯s some interesting armor you have there. It¡¯s of western origin, unless I¡¯m very much mistaken.¡±


    Blacknail grunted in annoyance at being ignored but let Ilisti answer for himself.


    ¡°You are correct, sir knight. This armor has been passed down in my bloodline for generations, and I do hail from the West. My name is Ilisti, I¡¯m a powerful ally of Blacknail the hobgoblin, and I¡¯ve come to aid you in your expedition. With your permission I will join you with a dozen of my arms-men.¡±


    ¡°Where exactly do you hail from?¡± the paladin asked with obvious skepticism.


    ¡°I used to be from past Westwatch, but I find myself more to the east these days, along the border of Blacknail¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re another bandit lord looking for legitimacy?¡±


    ¡°I care little for the approval of eastern kings. I¡¯m here to join the hunt and test my might against that of the greatest magic-born creature alive. I look for no reward for this but glory rightfully earned.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s very strong. We could use his help and he knows his way around the Green much better than any of those fools,¡± Blacknail said as he pointed toward where some nobles were arguing with their servants.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t believe he¡¯s quite human, is he?¡± Sir Masnin answered in a steely tone.


    Ilisiti huffed in annoyance and raised his faceplate to reveal his pale face and red eyes. ¡°I haven¡¯t sought to hide anything from you. I know that a false-blooded pretender in service to a cult such as you would recognize one of the old bloodlines.¡±


    ¡°You humans have this all confused,¡± Blacknail added. ¡°Ilisti is as human as you, and he¡¯s as much a human as I¡¯m a hobgoblin. None of my minions go around saying I¡¯m not a hobgoblin just because I¡¯m a mutant.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t bite your hobs so that they get infected by your mutation and then harvest them for Elixir as they slowly die,¡± Sir Masnin explained. Blacknail grunted in reply. Was that how being a vympir worked?


    ¡°Your perspective on what my kin do is skewed by your own false teachings,¡± Ilisiti countered. ¡°We kill no more than the eastern lords do, and those that survive our touch are raised up to the nobility.¡±


    Sis Masnin sighed. ¡°Is your thirst going to be a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, I have made preparations for this journey,¡± Ilisti replied. ¡°Like your own, my power can be stored in vials for later use.¡±


    ¡°Very well. You may join us. Someone of your strength would be useful, and we are nothing if not desperate. Perhaps the hobgoblin is correct, this new threat we face certainly would include you among the members of humanity.¡±


    ¡°We have always been the best of humanity. We defended it long before the rise of the last empire or the rule of the mages, for all that most of mankind has been ever ungrateful.¡±


    Sir Masnin grimaced as if he disagreed, but before he could reply, something off to the side drew the paladin¡¯s attention. Blacknail glanced that way as well. It seemed that the vympir¡¯s presence had drawn Werrick¡¯s attention.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± Werrick demanded as he approached.


    ¡°We have some new arrivals that wish to aid our mission,¡± the paladin answered calmly.


    ¡°Unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not up to you,¡± the paladin replied coldly. ¡°This expedition is under my authority and mine alone. Now go ready your men. We are setting out now.¡±


    Ilsiti pulled his faceplate back down and turned to face the Wolf. ¡°I remember you, or at least your back. You fled before me rather than do battle the last time we met. If you disapprove of my presence here and wish to prove you aren¡¯t a vile coward, feel free to challenge me at any time, pretender.¡±


    Werrick¡¯s snorted rudely. ¡°Removing oneself from an ambush by a numerically superior foe is hardly an act of cowardice, and fighting you now would be foolish. I look forward to seeing how you fare against Myagnoir.¡±


    That said, Werrick turned and began walking away.


    Sir Masnin sighed as he looked at Blacknail. ¡°Watch out for yourself. Forcing that one to join our expedition was a risk. I have no idea how many nobles and troops he has turned to his side, but I would guess most of them. I can trust only my own personal forces, and the wolf is crafty. He will have many hidden cards prepared to deal with you.¡±


    Blacknail grinned. ¡°I have a few cards of my own and no one is craftier than me.¡±

 Bane of Humanity 5

    The clip-clop of horse hooves filled the air as the expedition to Coroulis made their way north along the road. All the humans were mounted. Blacknail and his hobgoblins were the only ones on foot. Horses and hobgoblins didn¡¯t get along very well. The beasts bit and kicked any hobgoblins that tried to ride them. That was fine though, since Blacknail hated horses right back. He¡¯d considered poisoning the foul creatures before they left, but Geralhd had convinced him they were necessary. He¡¯d have to wait until the mission was over.


    Blacknail kept up with human riders easily enough since they weren¡¯t pushing their pace, and so did Khita, thanks to her own enhanced strength and endurance. Blacknail¡¯s hob minions had to push themselves though, lest they fall behind.


    As the expedition made their way north, Blacknail kept his ears open and ordered all his minions to spread out and do the same. The humans were all travelling in groups around each party¡¯s leader, and they would occasionally talk among themselves. A lot of important information could be collected by listening in to their conversations, and Blacknail knew that any one of them could be planning on killing him once he was no longer useful. He didn¡¯t know which ones had made a deal with Werrick. Thankfully, most of the humans didn¡¯t seem to realize how good hobgoblin hearing was and they could listen in with ease.


    For now, Sir Masnin was riding at the head of the expedition with his personal troops. He¡¯d explained his plan for the first stretch of the trip before they¡¯d headed out. They were going to keep following the road until they reached its most northern limit. There the old road to Coroulis started, but no one had used it in decades, so it had become completely overgrown. Following it wouldn¡¯t be any faster than going through the Green, especially since sections of it had been wiped out by avalanches and floods, and all the road¡¯s bridges had probably collapsed long ago. Those bridges had crossed several deep rivers that were now flooding. Blacknail would have to find them a way across when they got to them.


    Once at the ruins of Coroulis, the expedition would load up their horses with as much silver as possible before returning south to organize a larger mission that could move much more silver. For that to work, the road would have to repaired by crews sent by the local nobles. There were plans to use river barges to transport the precious metal in the future, but the rivers were still dangerously flooded at the moment. For now, the main purpose of the expedition was to reach Coroulis and see if there were still any huge mutant drakes around. If there were, the humans would try to kill it, while Blacknail watched from a safe distance.


    Herah was at Blacknail¡¯s side as he walked on the left flank of the expedition with several of his other minions. As he walked, the hobgoblin chieftain was contemplating their mission and listening in to various conversations going on around him. He would have been in the center, but there were far too many horses there, and Blacknail couldn¡¯t stomach being surrounded by the smelly beasts. They might be planning something¡­ Also, occasionally, they¡¯d shit as they walked, leaving the crap right in Blacknail¡¯s way. Disgusting hateful things! Yes, they were definitely getting poisoned. His vengeance would be swift and terrible.


    Blacknail¡¯s fantasizing was interrupted when a horseman rode up next to him. Looking over, Blacknail instantly recognized Ilisti¡¯s rather unique armor.


    ¡°Greetings, Blacknail. I think it¡¯s time you and I had a talk,¡± the vympir announced.


    ¡°Sure, about what?¡± Blacknail replied. ¡°I like cheese a lot. We could talk about that.¡±


    ¡°No. Rather I was thinking that we hadn¡¯t discussed the transformation you¡¯ve undergone since our last meeting and what I means for our long-term relationship.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. The vympir had a point. Blacknail had transformed into a full-out mutant after he¡¯d been wounded by Werrick during their last battle. Ilisti had been there, but Blacknail¡¯s human minions had hidden Blacknail away after he¡¯d been wounded for his own protection. They¡¯d been worried about Ilisti¡¯s reaction. The vympir was an ally, but his motivations were complex and somewhat mysterious. Geralhd was worried he¡¯d see a hobgoblin mutant as a threat and rival in a way a mere hobgoblin vessel wasn¡¯t. Vympirs were apparently a type of mutant that could empower themselves by infecting other humans. These victims usually slowly died instead of becoming another vympir, and their blood was harvested by their attacker to make something like Elixir. Both mutants and vympirs had a reputation for being incredibly territorial.


    ¡°Do you have a problem with me being me?¡± Blacknail asked.


    Ilisti shook his head. ¡°No, I see no reason that this should alter our relationship. It has been tremendously beneficial to us both. You helped me find my new domain and your hobgoblins keep the surrounding Green from growing too wild, while I have supported you in battle. Admittedly, I had doubts at first about your ability to control yourself after your ascension, but you have put those to rest. There has been no conflict between us, and you have remained a steadfast ally to me and mine.¡±


    Blacknail eyed Ilisti. He wasn¡¯t sure how much he believed that little speech, but their interests did still seem to be aligned, especially with the boggarts going around killing everyone and spreading the plague. Vympirs were also hated by the rest of humanity, so it wasn¡¯t like Ilisti had any other allies, even if he disliked living so close to a hobgoblin mutant. That could change in the future though¡­


    ¡°Good, we should stay friends. Werrick is going to try and kill us before we get back,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°Yes, I believe he will. That man¡¯s thirst for violence and conquest surpasses even that of my bloodkin, and I have no intention of ever bending my knee to any man, especially not a wise-made pretender. Conflict between us is thus inevitable and this quest will provide us all with no shortage of opportunities to act against each other.¡±


    ¡°Want some cheese? I brought a lot so that I won¡¯t run out,¡± Blacknail said as he offered the man a small yellow and green chunk. Talking about cheese had made him hungry but eating and not sharing could be considered rude.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer, but no,¡± Ilisti said as he leaned back away from the fragrant food. His voice sounded slightly strained.


    ¡°In fact, I should get back to my men,¡± he added a moment later as he began riding away.


    As the day went on, and the expedition kept moving, eventually afternoon came and then night began to creep up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll stop here and camp on that dry hill for the night. We¡¯re almost at the northern end of this road anyway,¡± Sir Masnin announced as he brought everyone to a halt. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll head off to the Green, so prepare for that. Our pace will be much slower and more difficult in the forest proper.¡±


    No one had any problem with that, so everyone immediately began unpacking their tents and sleeping rolls. Several of the nobles had brought huge colorful tents for themselves. Blacknail watched them set up with some amusement. One of them even had flags on it. Sure, the huge things were fancy and impressive, but they were really impractical in the Green. They stood out and wouldn¡¯t be all that warm, unlike the small grey tent Blacknail had brought. If something attacked the camp during the night, the nobles would get eaten first.


    Blacknail¡¯s group set up their camp off to the side of the humans and next to Ilisti and his men. As Blacknail was putting up his own tent ¨C no one else did it right ¨C Khita wandered over to talk.


    ¡°This trip has been so boring,¡± the redhead complained. "I thought we¡¯d get at least a little excitement! But, no. Nothing but walking. Boring! Do you think something will attack us when it gets dark? That would spice things up. This is supposed to be an adventure!¡±


    Blacknail glared at her and sighed. ¡°Shut up and go to sleep. If you¡¯re looking for danger, we will be rushing through the Green tomorrow. I¡¯m sure a lot of these dumb humans are going to do stupid things that will get them killed in interesting ways.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Ya, you have good point. None of those stuffy nobles and servants are experienced rangers like us.¡±


    Another sigh escaped from Blacknail¡¯s mouth. He¡¯d lost count of all the times he¡¯d had to save Khita after she¡¯d almost gotten herself killed doing something stupid in the Green. She was not a ranger.


    ¡°Just go to sleep or I¡¯ll bash you over the head and dump you in the forest,¡± the hobgoblin said as he waved her away.


    Over in the center of the camp, Sir Masnin was organizing the building of a watchfire and setting up the sentry rotation. To reassure the nobles, he wasn¡¯t including any hobgoblins in the main rotation, but he called Blacknail over to make sure there was always one hobgoblin watching the forest. Sir Masnin wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew who his best scouts were.


    As Blacknail was heading back to his tent, he saw Ilisti standing off to one side, studying the forest.


    ¡°Did you put yourself on sentry duty?¡± Blacknail asked him. That didn¡¯t seem like something the vympir would do.


    Ilsisti turned and grinned at Blacknail. The firelight reflected in his red eyes, making them glow. ¡°No, I simply don¡¯t need sleep.¡±


    ¡°Right, sounds nice,¡± Blacknail replied as he walked back to his tent. Even he found that creepy.


    Shaking off the image of red eyes staring out unblinking into total darkness, Blacknail wasted no time in crawling into his tent. Herah was already curled up in there, but Blacknail didn¡¯t bother her. Instead he just laid down beside her and closed his eyes. A lot of the other hobgoblins snored like hacksaws, and sometimes Herah was one of them, so he wanted to get to sleep before they started.


    Nothing attacked them over the night, which didn¡¯t surprise Blacknail. The scent of hobgoblin and several mutants was probably more than enough to scare away anything but the deadliest of creatures or a completely berserk troll. Although, even if a frothing-at-the-mouth mad troll had attacked the camp, Ilisti probably would have just punched it to death.


    Early the next morning, Blacknail got up and had a quick breakfast with his minions. That done, he sat on his ass for over an hour and waited for the nobles to get up and ready. They were very slow. Even Sir Masnin got angry and eventually ended up sending his own troops over to help them pack up faster.


    When they did finally start moving again, it was significantly later in the morning than Sir Masnin had planned. They followed the road for about an hour before Sir Masnin called for a stop at a bend in the road. Tall greenery rose up all around the party, making this particular spot much the same as pretty much every other bit of forest they¡¯d passed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve reached the northern tip of the road to Westwatch,¡± the paladin explained as everyone listened to him intently. ¡°The old way to Coroulis used to begin here, although it¡¯s not obvious. Still, following it should be easier than trying to head straight into the Green. It should be fairly flat if nothing else.¡±


    There were some nervous murmurs from most of the mounted humans. Many glanced at the wall of brush and trees as if it were dangerous and might attack them. That was actually somewhat smart since it might do just that. The rough brush at the side of the road was a common haunt for mimics. Still, Blacknail found their fear amusing. The big armored human warriors on their big dumb horses were scared of the bushes. They must all be city humans.


    Sir Masnin spoke confidently and with authority as he continued. ¡°Blacknail and his hobs will now be taking the lead and ranging ahead. They are quite skilled at this and we couldn¡¯t ask for better guides. Please do as they ask if you wish to avoid any problems we might stumble upon in there.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever been in the Green before?¡± a young man asked. There was nervous stutter in his voice.


    ¡°I have journeyed off the beaten path and into the deep Green several times as I hunted monsters, and despite the danger, I emerged every time.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you lead us?¡± another older noble asked. ¡°Why are we even considering following a hobgoblin into the darkest woods of the North?¡±


    ¡°Blacknail knows far more of the forest and its dangers than I do. He enters its embrace almost every day. It is his home,¡± the paladin replied reasonably.


    Blackail simply rolled his eyes. His real home was a mansion in the middle of a settlement, although the settlement was out in the Green.


    ¡°The success of this mission depends on his skills as a guide, and I believe him to reliable,¡± Sir Masnin concluded.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I can think of several folk tales that warn against people doing this exact thing,¡± a sorry sounding man replied. ¡°The hobgoblin eats them as soon as they are deep enough in the Green that no one can hear their screams.¡±


    ¡°As I said, I believe Blacknail to be trustworthy. Also, this isn¡¯t a folk tale. I met Blacknail years ago, and he¡¯s still travelling with the same group of humans. I don¡¯t think we have to worry about being eaten. Besides, he¡¯s an enemy of the boggarts, and that makes us allies.¡±


    ¡°Or, maybe this savage is simply lying about his fight with the enemy. Maybe he made he made a deal with them!¡± one noble suggested darkly.


    Next to Blacknail, Khita looked up and laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯ve been with Blacknail for almost forever, and he never eats people. Sometimes he kills annoying people though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not helping,¡± Blacknail told her. If he really killed people just for being annoying, Khita would be long dead.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to take threats from a dirty half-wild peasant wench,¡± the noble announced as he turned to glare at the redhead. ¡°I will have your head.¡±


    Khita sneered back. ¡°Try It and I¡¯ll cut you to bits. You don¡¯t have any army of conscripts to do your dirty work out here, blueblood.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. The noble did have several knights and their retinue though, which was way more than Khita had. Contemplating his next move, Blacknail tried to remember who this particular human was. It was hard since a lot of humans looked the same. Hmmm, he was fairly sure this was one of Werrick¡¯s not so secret minions. That gave him some leeway since he was already an enemy.


    ¡°Know your place, bitch!¡± the armored noble hissed as he drew his sword and urged his horse toward Khita, who was unmounted.


    Sir Masnin quickly snapped his reins and begin guiding his own horse toward the noble. ¡°Hey now, we are all on the side here.¡±


    The paladin was quite far away though, and the noble didn¡¯t stop. Thus, Blacknail felt the need to intervene. He stepped up beside Khita and put on his most savage grin. He wasn¡¯t too worried about Khita, she was a Vessel, but he didn¡¯t want things to get too messy.


    ¡°You can have the fat one that keeps opening his mouth; I¡¯ll rip apart his little pink soldiers,¡± Blacknail announced as he grinned and drew his own blade. Even though it was quite massive, almost twice the length of the noble¡¯s weapon, he easily held it up with one hand. This reminded everyone who saw it of what they were dealing with, a mutant with superhuman strength. Just to be sure though, Blacknail gathered a bit of mana and sent it at the humans facing him.


    As fear washed over the noble and his escort, they hesitated. This allowed Sir Masnin to ride between the two groups.


    ¡°Stop, I won¡¯t allow violence between members of this expedition,¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t stand for being insulted by a hobgoblin¡¯s whore,¡± the noble replied. ¡°My honor must be upheld.¡±


    Khita just laughed. ¡°If you don¡¯t shut your fat mouth then someone is going stick you like a pig.¡±


    ¡°He should shut up and stop trying to pick a fight, or he will get one,¡± Blacknail told Sir Masnin.


    Grunting, the paladin turned to the noble. ¡°Drop your challenge. We can¡¯t be fighting over every slight, or this expedition will be a short one and we will fail in our duties.¡±


    ¡°I will not. I¡¯m not going to let a peasant slander me.¡±


    ¡°Then leave or get off your horse and fight Blacknail in a duel right now. There will be no lingering grudges in a party under my command.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need Blacknail to protect me,¡± Khita announced. ¡°The fat tub of lard can fight me if he wants.¡±


    ¡°This will be quick,¡± the noble announced as he began dismounting.


    Sir Masnin scowled. ¡°You don¡¯t think this is beneath your honor? You¡¯re sowing discord before this quest has even truly begun.¡±


    The noble just snorted rudely, so Sir Masnin glanced at Blacknail, who just shrugged. He was okay with this. Sir Masin gave the hobgoblin a look, but then sighed when he realized he couldn¡¯t stop the fight.


    ¡°Very well. Let me lay down some rules down first though. This duel can¡¯t be allowed to sabotage our mission. Regardless of the outcome, Blacknail and his guides will stay with us, and so will Sir Avex¡¯s men. Should he die, they will join my own escort.¡±


    Both combatants were confident of their victory and angry, so they quickly agreed. A small circle was then formed for the duel to take place in. Blacknail turned to study Werrick who had walked over to the opposite edge of the circle. Their gazed met, and Blacknail gave him a meaningful look, so that he knew Blacknail would be watching out for cheating. Blacknail knew Werrick had a bunch of little tricks he could use to influence the fight.


    As everyone watched, both duelists lined up in front of each other with blades drawn. Khita looked far less impressive than her opponent. He was a large man in steel armor, while she was a smaller woman in dirty leather.


    ¡°Begin,¡± Sir Masnin suddenly yelled as he backed away from the fight.


    Both combatants surged forward and their blades sliced through the air. Grinning viciously, Sir Avex slashed down at Khita with all his might. Surprisingly, instead of dodging, the redhead stood her ground and blocked the blow. There was crash of steel as the blades met, and the knight looked startled when Khita didn¡¯t give ground. Instead, the redhead then calmly knocked his blade aside and stabbed him in the groin. Deep red blood spurted from the wound. Sir Avex stumbled back as his face went a deathly white. The color of the blood marked his wound as fatal, and a moment later the noble collapsed. Almost everyone was staring in shock now. The little redhead had outpowered the overconfident noble completely.


    ¡°A Vessel,¡± someone observed in disbelief.


    "What a fool," another man added.


    Blacknail snorted at how unobservant these humans were. Why did they think Khita was here?


    ¡°Well, that was amusing,¡± Blacknail laughed as he grinned at Werrick. Although the Wolf still had plenty of allies, he had one less now.

 Bane of Humanity 6

    After the sudden conclusion of the duel in Khita¡¯s favor, one of Sir Avex¡¯s men insisted on returning south with his master¡¯s body. Sir Masnin was unhappy about losing another member of the expedition so soon ¨C they hadn¡¯t even entered the Green yet - but he ended up agreeing. The idea of leaving a noble¡¯s body to rot in the forest made a lot of the other noble¡¯s indignant. Blacknail wasn¡¯t sure why a corpse rotting in the forest was worse than it rotting anywhere else, but whatever. Humans did a lot of weird stuff. If he stopped to question that sort of thing, he¡¯d never have time for more important thoughts.


    Once the rider started heading south with Sir Avex¡¯s body on another horse, it became time for Blacknail to finally lead the way into the Green. There were still a lot of humans that were uncomfortable about this though, especially after Khita had killed Sir Avex. That hadn¡¯t made them more trusting of him.


    Still, Blacknail just rolled his eyes and let Sir Masnin convince the doubters. He was already bored. So, since Ilisiti and Khita were standing near him, he asked them a question right as it popped into his head. ¡°Why are so few of these human leaders Vessels? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be big tough warriors? Isn¡¯t that why we brought them?¡±


    Khita laughed. ¡°There are some real champions here, but none of them are leaders or high nobles like Sir Avex. As if those lofty fools lead from the front. I¡¯m sure they consider themselves great swordsmen and strategists, but that¡¯s all in their heads. They¡¯re cowards.¡±


    ¡°Even the false power granted by their mages kills most of the men who attempt to claim it,¡± Ilisiti explained. ¡°True power always has a cost.¡±


    ¡°Ya, they¡¯re already rich and powerful. Why would they risk so much for so little gain?¡± Khita agreed. ¡°Most Vessels are poor and desperate minor nobles. They have the connections to get the Elixir and those that survive serve as the champions of greater nobles, enforcing their every whim. Sir Avex was an arrogant waste of life, and I knew he was no Slosher. The prick probably never even considered that I might be one either.¡±


    Blacknail frowned. ¡°Huh, why don¡¯t the poor Vessels kill the weaker nobles and take their stuff.¡±


    Khita sighed and made a frustrated face as she tried to explain. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way for nobles. Um¡­ other nobles would gang up to kill anyone that tried that.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°So that their own servants don¡¯t get ideas and kill them. Instead, the nobles reward their champions with lands and titles to keep them happy.¡±


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Blacknail admitted. Obviously, the southern humans were very set in their ways and lazy.


    By this time, Sir Masnin seemed to have finished speaking with the reluctant nobles. They¡¯d grown quiet, and he began walking over to Blacknail.


    ¡°We are ready to proceed. Please, go first and scout the way. We will all be right behind you,¡± the paladin told Blacknail.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave some hobs behind to lead you,¡± Blacknail replied.


    The hobgoblin chieftain then turned and began giving out orders to his minions. A moment after that, he was slipping into the forest with several of his minions at his side. Moving carefully, Blacknail scanned his surroundings for any of the myriad threats that were common to the Green, but he didn¡¯t find any. Thus, after sending a signal back to the humans for them to follow, he forged on ahead.


    The forest here was entirely normal. A mix of tall trees and older shrubs, the likes of which were quite common. It was also easy to spot the old road. Not much of it remained, but Blacknail could still see a relatively flat stretch of ground that extended through the forest. On top of it, the vegetation was lighter. There were more bushes and the trees were noticeably smaller since the canopy overhead was younger than in the surrounding area. Luckily, it seemed like the old road wasn¡¯t entirely unused though. Generations of animals seemed to have followed it, creating a trail that led in the right direction. That was good news. Having to cut through the brush would slow the humans and horses down far too much, so they needed a trail to follow.


    After scouting on ahead for about an hour, Blacknail failed to find any signs of immediate danger. There were no troll tracks or recent harpy droppings around. It seemed like this stretch of forest was relatively safe, so he fell back and let some of his minions take point. They were more than skilled enough to detect or ward off mimics and other common threats.


    That done, Blacknail crept back through the woods toward his human allies. He made sure to move quietly, since he wanted to observe them while they were unaware of him. Not only would this be a great opportunity to study them while they were in a new environment, but Blacknail really liked stalking people. Few things made him feel all bubbly and warm inside the way hunting humans in the forest did. Blacknail licked his lips and smiled. Watching your unsuspecting prey as you planned the inevitable bloody end of your hunt was simply so satisfying. He even had some cheese in his pocket! This was going to be so much fun.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Blacknail to find the humans. They were following in his footsteps and making a lot of noise. At the front was Sir Masnin and a hobgoblin guide. The paladin was dismounted and one of his men was leading both his horse and his own. Most of the humans seemed to have dismounted. There were more than a few low hanging branches here, so most riders had difficulty moving through the woods quickly.


    Slipping to the side, Blacknail circled around the expedition. He was looking for Werrick. The humans were mostly travelling in a long line now that they had to follow a narrow animal trail. The Wolf and his servants were close to the back, although they weren¡¯t at the very end. Instead, they seemed to have chosen a position that let them avoid anyone but their allies as much as possible. Suspicious!


    There were plenty of bushes around, so Blacknail was able to shadow his supposed allies with ease from not too far away. His instincts guided him as he slipped from tree to tree. His eyes were constantly darting from Werrick and his men to the surrounding forest, but he was relaxed and at ease as he moved and listened in on Werrick¡¯s group. This sort of multi-tasking came naturally to a hunting hobgoblin. It was what they did.


    At first, Blacknail¡¯s targets weren¡¯t very talkative and didn¡¯t say anything of importance. Instead, they simply marched along the trail silently and watched the forest nervously. Of course, despite this wariness, they failed to spot Blacknail. Humans really were very bad at this, although there were a few rare exceptions. No wonder they put so much effort into building cities and farms. Most of them wouldn¡¯t last a day in the Green.


    Eventually, the fearful silence was broken, and the humans began talking to each other. Blacknail listened carefully as the humans began discussing various things. It seemed that many of them felt the need to seek reassurances from their allies and make new plans now that they were in the Green. This served Blacknail¡¯s purposes perfectly. From so far away, even his ears weren¡¯t sensitive enough to hear what was being said when the humans whispered to each other, but he learned a lot just by observing who was talking to who. Soon, the factions among the humans began to become clear to Blacknail.


    There seemed to be two main factions among the nobles. One group was mostly made up of northern border lords, and they were allied with Werrick. Blacknail didn¡¯t know the details, but is sounded like he¡¯d cowed them into supporting him with a mix of bribes and threats. With the King¡¯s authority so weak in the north of Eloria, they hitched themselves to him. Their leader was Lord Adred, who was an older man with a grizzled face and a thin body.


    The second group was comprised of southern nobles who really didn¡¯t care much about what was happening in the North, but they¡¯d come to see Werrick¡¯s influence as a threat. They also looked down on the poorer border lords and viewed Werrick as a savage. Unfortunately, this was smaller faction and they weren¡¯t outright hostile to Werrick anyway. Their leader was Lord Petryll, a portly noble with a beard who wore armor trimmed in gold. He seemed to enjoy flaunting his wealth, which Blacknail found stupid. Gold was for hiding. Wearing it only made it easier to steal and slowed you down if you had to run away.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Unfortunately for Blacknail, Werrick and his men were among the most closed-mouthed. The hobgoblin learned nothing of their plans. It was almost as if Werrick suspected he was being watched by someone unseen. That, or he simply felt no need to say much to anyone else at the moment. The Wolf was patient and careful.


    After a few hours had passed, Sir Masnin called for the expedition to stop and take a break for lunch. They¡¯d arrived at a small glade. There were relieved sighs from many of the humans as they began pilling into the clearing and sitting down. Blacknail watched them for a moment before circling back around. He wanted to rejoin the group from the proper direction, so that no one knew he¡¯d been lurking and spying.


    As he was moving next to a fallen tree, Blacknail saw two of Werrick¡¯s men wander over to the edge of the clearing not too far from him and step into the forest. Curious, he moved over to see what was going on. It was probably nothing, but it would only take a moment to investigate.


    The two men had messy hair and rough stubble on their faces. Their simple clothes had also seen better days. They were definitely some of Werrick¡¯s thugs. The pair walked down a small animal trail next to some thick bushes before stopping. Then, the man in the lead stepped next to the bushes and grabbed his own belt, as if to begin unbuckling it. The man had obviously been looking for somewhere private to excrete, and his companion had come along to watch his back in the forest.


    Blacknail grimaced as he watched. Humans were weird about their bodily functions and need for privacy, and it was going to cost these two. Seriously. Before the first man had gotten his belt pulled down and shown Blacknail more hairy pink flesh than he wanted to see, something reached out of the nearby bushes and grabbed him. As the man let out a terrified shout, long brown claws covered in green leaves pulled him toward the bushes and the hidden predator within them. Seeing this, the second man lurched forward to grab his companion who was tottering on the edge of the bushes. That was also a mistake. Immediately, a third claw shot out and grabbed him, and unlike his ally, he was instantly pulled out of sight. A split second later, his struggling companion also disappeared into the greenery. Pained filled screams filled the air for several long seconds as the mimic tore both of the humans apart so that it could feed.


    Blacknail let out an appreciative whistle as he began walking away. It wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to be found anywhere near a bunch of Werrick¡¯s dead minions. Despite their limitations, mimics were very good at what they did. Too make up for the immobility, they were experts at choosing ambush spots that lots of animals passed by, including the occasional person. Also, the creature¡¯s first attack had been a clever trap. It could have pulled the man in right away, but instead, it had used him as bait to lure in the second man as well. It was a good thing Blacknail and his hobs knew how to spot the creatures. The bug-tree-things were really nasty.


    Werrick¡¯s thugs had already stopped screaming, but they¡¯d created more than enough noise to draw attention. There were shouts of alarm from the camp as people began mobilizing. Blacknail slipped around to the other side of the camp and entered it from the opposite direction, so not to draw unwanted attention to himself. He hadn¡¯t been involved directly in the death of Werrick¡¯s men, but he probably could have saved them. Their deaths benefited him though, so he hadn¡¯t bothered. Also, the walk here had been boring, and this had lifted his mood.


    It looked like Sir Masnin had quickly seized control of the situation. Instead of letting people rush into the forest to meet a completely unknown foe, he was holding them back to defend the camp. That was smart. As far as he knew, there could be anything in there.


    Blacknail wandered over to the paladin¡¯s side and gave him his best innocent look. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Sir Masnin looked relieved when he turned and saw Blacknail. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Two men wandered into the trees and started screaming. They haven¡¯t come back out, but the screaming has stopped. Could you send someone to take a look?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go myself. It¡¯s probably nothing. People scream and die in the Green all the time,¡± Blacknail replied as he started walking back toward the forest.


    ¡°Er, thank you.¡±


    After a quick stroll over to the bushes the mimic was in, Blacknail took a moment to observe a few patches of blood and footprints. Even if he hadn¡¯t watched the scene unfold personally, these signs would have told Blacknail exactly what had happened. Thus, Blacknail nodded to himself and then walked back over to Sir Masnin. Now, most of the camp was armed and ready for action. They all watched as Blacknail strolled into the clearing and over to the paladin.


    ¡°They¡¯re dead. They walked right into a mimic.¡±


    ¡°Ah. May their souls rest in the gods¡¯ arms,¡± Sir Masnin replied sadly. ¡°Is this mimic a threat to use? Should we deal with it?¡±


    Blacknail shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not a threat to anyone else. Mimics rarely move, especially so soon after a kill, and they¡¯re very slow anyway.¡±


    Some of the humans wanted to kill the mimic and bury the remains of the fallen, but after some discussion, it was eventually decided to leave the bodies and move on. Werrick himself didn¡¯t seem to care about his fallen minions, and Sir Masnin reluctantly agreed that their mission was too important for them to waste any more time. They were just common-born bandits. Blacknail was also happy with this outcome, or at least he was, until Werrick made a suggestion.


    ¡°I take full responsibility for the loss of my men. I told them to move in pairs and not to enter the forest, but apparently, I wasn¡¯t strict enough. It would seem my men are too undisciplined. Thus, I would like to borrow some disciplined soldiers to keep the others in line.¡±


    Sir Masnin frowned thoughtfully, and Blacknail scowled. What was this?


    ¡°Yes, you did just acquire quite a few troops after Sir Avex¡¯s death,¡± Lord Adred added. ¡°Some of them would be ideal for installing the proper respect in that rabble. You should lend Werrick some of them.¡±


    Blacknail snorted. He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on here, but he knew he didn¡¯t like the people involved. ¡°Werrick seems very bad at leading. They would probably just die like the others.¡±


    Unfortunately, his amazing point was ignored, and after some more pressing by the northern nobles, half of Sir Avex¡¯s troops were put under Werrick¡¯s command. This annoyed Blacknail a lot, but there was nothing he could do about it. Stupid human politics. It complicated everything. How was it fair that Werrick got more troops after losing two and after Khita had killed his ally Sir Avex? Now all of Blacknail¡¯s work had been for nothing. Even though he hadn¡¯t done anything.


    The expedition soon started moving again. This time, Blacknail didn¡¯t bother creeping back to spy. Instead, he led the scouts and sent other minions back to watch Werrick and the others. He wanted his enemies under constant watch. Werrick had a secret plan to seize advantage of this expedition. Blacknail knew he did. He just didn¡¯t know what it was. There was no way Werrick would have come out into the Green with Blacknail without one.


    A few more hours passed by as Blacknail stalked ahead through the Green. He encountered another mimic hiding along the trail over the old road, but dispatching the creature was easy enough for Blacknail. He simply hacked it apart and moved on. Most of the more mobile predators seemed to be avoiding their group.


    Eventually, it came time for them to begin looking for somewhere to camp for the night, so Blacknail sent out scouts to scour the nearby area. Soon, one of them returned with news.


    ¡°I found some rocks, boss,¡± the scout announced proudly.


    ¡°Special rocks?¡± Blacknail asked.


    The hobgoblin nodded and held his hands out wide, as if indicating how big something was. ¡°Yep, they¡¯re huge and they¡¯re standing up!¡±


    ¡°Oh, let¡¯s see them then,¡± Blacknail replied before commanding his minion to lead the way.


    Soon, they arrived at the stones, and despite his minion¡¯s terrible description, they were exactly what Blacknail had expected to find. On a grassy hill stood a circle of standing stones. The weathered grey rocks were all vaguely rectangular in shape and at least a foot taller than any human. They looked ancient, like they¡¯d stood upon this hill since the beginning of time. The forest was young and momentary next to them, almost as if it could fade away at any moment.


    ¡°This seems like a great place to camp,¡± Blacknail remarked as he studied the stones.


    The entire expedition could fit within the stones and the ground there was hard and dry. It also wasn¡¯t a bad defensive position, since there were no trees hanging overhead and the stones themselves could be defended. There was the scent of feral goblins nearby, but that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. They would avoid unfamiliar hobgoblins like they would berserk trolls, for many of the same reasons.


    Nodding happily to himself, Blacknail went and fetched Sir Masnin and the others. It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the hill.


    The paladin closed his eyes and made a brief prayer upon seeing the stones. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re are truly blessed to find such shelter. There is an almost reverent feeling to this place. Who placed these stones here?¡± They are no natural formation.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m told it was hobgoblins,¡± Blacknail explained with a shrug. He felt a tiny spark of pride, but he had no real connection to the ancient builders of this place.


    Sir Masnin gave him a perplexed look. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±


    Blacknail just shrugged again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t around back then, and goblins don¡¯t tell stories. Saeter said hobgoblins built these though, so we probably did.¡±


    The paladin looked unsatisfied but nodded. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get everyone settled down. Nightfall is approaching and I don¡¯t want a repeat of this morning¡¯s tragedy.¡±

 Bane of Humanity 7

    ¡°Why do you suppose the ancient hobgoblins built this circle?¡± Darlin asked as Blacknail and him walked out of the ring of stones.


    The man was one of the combat mages attached to the expedition, and although he¡¯d avoided Blacknail before this, he couldn¡¯t resist questioning the hobgoblin about the standing stones. He was a solidly built man who wore a breastplate over his grey mage¡¯s robe. From what Blacknail could tell, he was the leader of the combat mages. Despite that, he had a youthful face and short brown hair.


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe they¡¯re for fighting in. Hobgoblins like fighting and I don¡¯t know what else you¡¯d use a big circle for.¡±


    After their first day in the Green, the expedition to Coroulis had camped within the circle of standing stones over the night. Now, they were ready to leave and get moving again.


    ¡°That seems unlikely,¡± the mage replied. ¡°I think the stones have been carefully placed to line up with the sun. Did ancient hobgoblins worship the sun?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Blacknail told him as he grimaced sourly. He was getting tired of everyone asking him about this stuff. He didn¡¯t know anything about the standing stones but what Saeter had told him long ago, which was that they¡¯d been built by hobgoblins. Humans hadn¡¯t been around back then, and the forest people hadn¡¯t built things from stone.


    Darlin glanced to the side. ¡°What do you make of the carvings though? Surely you have an opinion on them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of blurry lines. I think I could draw much better than that.¡±


    Although the circle of standing stone was ancient and had been weathered greatly by time, some carvings on their surfaces had survived. Many of the humans had studied these carvings with great interest, even though they were little more than some collections of lines that vaguely looked like people and animals. Except for some little horn-like things on the heads of a few of the figures, you couldn¡¯t even tell if most the figures were supposed to be hobgoblins. Many of them were indistinguishable from humans or forest people.


    Looking to get away from annoying questions about old rocks which he¡¯d already answered, Blacknail left the humans behind and went out into the Green to scout the way forward with some of his hobs. Thankfully, Sir Masin was able to get everyone moving before too long, and the rest of the expedition was soon following in Blacknail¡¯s footsteps. Really, what was the humans¡¯ fascination with those standing stones? Blacknail had personally built ¨C or at least ordered built - things that were much more impressive, like his mansion or Ferrar¡¯s furnaces, and humans didn¡¯t gather around those and whisper to each other. Homes and furnaces were actually useful, but they were far more interested in staring at some old rocks with badly drawn pictures on them. Stupid humans.


    It wasn¡¯t like Blacknail hated the stones. Actually, he rather liked them. They gave off an aura of ageless endurance that he found comforting, and he enjoyed seeing proof that hobgoblins could build things to last, since many of his plans required that to be true. Sometimes he wasn¡¯t so sure that was possible. Like every time Ferrar blew up his workshop, when his hobs started slacking off and fighting amongst themselves whenever he turned his back, or every time he remembered Scamp existed. Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t often these days. Scamp was far away, working at the hunting lodges outside Ironbreak.


    It was mostly the humans¡¯ reaction to the standing stones that annoyed Blacknail. They made everything about either humans or hobgoblins, like they were two big groups that all thought alike. That was clearly not the case, and dealing with their stupidity was annoying. He was just Blacknail.


    He could have done without the weird dreams though. They were also somewhat responsible for his bad mood. Despite their calming presence, there was something about the stones that had disturbed Blacknail¡¯s sleep. He remembered fragments of the chaotic dreams. There had been a storm of snow. In the dream, Blacknail had followed a bloody trail towards it, passing snow-covered bodies along the way. The massive blizzard had spun and twisted in on itself as it tore apart everything near it. White had drowned out everything, except at the center of the storm. There, where it had been eerily calm, Blacknail remembered seeing a glowing pillar of ice. It had radiated cold blue light, and then the dream had ended.


    What a dumb dream to have on a chilly spring day! Why couldn¡¯t he have dreamed of cheese and fur blankets?


    Blacknail was following an animal trail that wound through the trees, when he noticed a patch of dried mud that was covered in prints. So, he took a moment to crouch down and study the tracks. Most of them were from rabbits, deer, or other critters. But, he saw one track that sent a jolt through his bones. It was clearly from a boggart. Looking around, Blacknail found several more boggart tracks nearby, next to bushes and tree roots. They looked to be almost a week old, but it was still concerning that boggarts were moving around in this part of the Green.


    Scowling, Blacknail headed back to report to Sir Masnin. He¡¯d want to know about this development.


    ¡°Show me,¡± the paladin replied as soon as he heard about the tracks.


    Blacknail simply nodded and led him and two of his guards over to the footprints. He then pointed them out for the humans, since he doubted they¡¯d be able to find them on their own.


    ¡°What do you think this means?¡± Sir Masnin asked after studying the prints in the dirt.


    ¡°I might be nothing,¡± Blacknail answered. ¡°Boggarts come up from the dark paths to hunt for food in the Green a lot. These tracks probably belong to a foraging party like that.¡±


    ¡°We move on then, but be on the lookout for more signs of boggart activity, and report everything you find to me.¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°I will.¡±


    Sir Masnin then headed back to the main body of the expedition and they started moving forward again.


    Several hours later, Blacknail stumbled upon a new problem. The expedition had been following the old overgrown road north, but now the way forward was blocked by a raging river. The winding torrent of water had been flooded by the spring melt and was now impossible to cross. White frothy water gushed over its banks as it rushed along its path. There was no way anyone would be able to swim through that, and next to nothing remained of the bridge that had once crossed over the river. There were only a few stones left to mark where it used to stand.


    Blacknail scowled sourly at the river before him. Well, it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t expected to run into this exact problem. All he could do was report back to Sir Masnin and then try not to roll his eyes when the paladin told him to go look for some other way to cross.


    Sir Masnin nodded sagely when Blacknail informed him of the river in their way. ¡°It seems we have no choice but to find a new route. How long do you think it will take you?¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t roll his eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t know until I look. Could be hours, or it could be days.¡±


    ¡°Then you should get to it. What do you suggest our group do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent some minions to head downstream and look around, but I think we should head upstream. That¡¯s more the direction we want to go. My minions can catch up later, since you humans are so slow.¡±


    Sir Masnin looked calm as he nodded again. ¡°It¡¯s in the gods¡¯ hands then. Lead the way.¡±


    After excusing himself, Blacknail did just that. He marched ahead and met with his scouts, who told him about another animal trail that the humans could use to follow the river upstream. Blacknail checked it out for himself and then sent his scouts back out while he waited for the humans to catch up.


    Sir Masnin stepped through the bushes and out into the path first, but he was swiftly followed by several of his men and then Khita. A long trek through the woods didn¡¯t seem to have worn the redhead down at all. She was hyper and looked eager to explore. Her face brightened up upon seeing Blacknail. She¡¯d been travelling with the rest of the humans, and he¡¯d been avoiding her.


    ¡°Er, this trail is much larger than the last. What sort of beast made it, exactly?¡± one of the armsmen asked as he looked around. The trail they were now on was quite tall and wide. Two men on horseback could ride along it without a problem, and there weren¡¯t any branches hanging overhead either.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Ogres, mostly,¡± Blacknail answered.


    ¡°Mostly?¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°Drakes like to follow ogres around.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± the armsman remarked nervously as he peered into the nearby foliage as if drake might jump out at any moment.


    ¡°Are we in any real danger from drakes?¡± Sir Masnin asked.


    ¡°Probably not. They¡¯re rare, and I¡¯ve never been attacked by a drake. Then again, I¡¯m a hobgoblin, not a human. Maybe you smell tasty to them.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, and what do you think we should do if we encounter a drake?¡±


    Blacknail gave him a blank look. He wasn¡¯t an expert on drakes, so he could only guess. ¡°They like to chase large moving things. So, um¡­ stay away from the horses and try not to look yummy?¡±


    Sir Masnin frowned with obvious dissatisfaction. ¡°I was thinking of a more defensive plan where we either kill it or drive it away.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have a bunch of mages with drake killing weapons, so I suggest you use those,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°A fair enough point. I will speak to Darlin and the others,¡± Sir Masnin said before turning to go give orders to the men behind him.


    ¡°I bet you and I could take a drake in a straight up fight!¡± Khita told Blacknail as she grinned happily.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll let you go in first,¡± Blacknail replied.


    Turning away from all the humans, the hobgoblin chieftain headed down the path. He planned on catching up to his forward scouts. Being around Khita for even several second had already depleted his reserves of patience when it came to dealing with the redhead.


    The going was very easy now, thanks to the wide animal path. It seemed like even the trees overhead were thinner here. Thus, the humans were making much better progress than before since they could ride without a problem. That meant Blacknail had to push his pace a little though. Following the path was easy, but Blacknail was also responsible for commanding the scouts. He had to keep eyes on the river so that they didn¡¯t miss any possible crossings while also watching the Green for danger.


    After around an hour had passed, the forest path began to angle upwards and become rocky. The trees then began to thin out as the the forest transitioned into rocky hills that were covered in only a few stubby trees. Soon, the ogre path veered away from the river, but Blacknail pressed on ahead regardless. He didn¡¯t want to get too far from the water, and the rocky hills weren¡¯t too hard to traverse.


    Climbing up the side of a rocky incline, Blacknail took a moment to look around. From up high, he could see the river peeking through the trees to his right. It was about a hundred feet away now. Up ahead and to his left were more rocky hills, several of which that were taller than the one he was on now. Jagged grey stone and the occasional scraggly bush jutted out of the hard earth all around him. In every other direction lay a sea of greenery atop towering trees.


    While he was taking in the scenery, Blacknail reached into his coat and withdrew a wedge of cheese. It was the last piece of his favorite flavor. He¡¯d meant to make it last longer by eating other types of cheese, but he hadn¡¯t been able to resist. Smiling, Blacknail looked back to see if anyone was catching up to him as he raised the cheese to his lips.


    However, before the cheese reached his mouth, there was a wet sensation on his fingers and the cheese vanished from his grip. Surprised, Blacknail spun around to see that had happened, and came face-to-face with a brown hill goat. It was a huge example of its species and it was chewing on Blacknail¡¯s cheese.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s mine!¡± Blacknail growled as he glared at the wild thief. The large creature had a grey beard and sleepy eyes. It also had curved horns that were crystalline. A mutant!


    Blacknail reached for his blade. The huge goat simply snorted dismissively, and then in one swift movement, it spun around and kicked Blacknail in the chest. Caught off guard, the blow hit Blacknail hard, throwing him backwards. As his breath shot out of his lungs, he hung in the air for moment. Then, he hit the ground and began rolling down the hill. Rocks battered and stabbed him as he rolled, and he only came to a stop at the bottom of the hill.


    Groaning, Blacknail climbed to his feet and glowered at the goat atop the hill. Ow. His everything hurt now. There were rips in his clothing and he was scratched in several places, but at least he didn¡¯t seem to have any serious wounds.


    ¡°You will pay for this!¡± Blacknail yelled at the beast that had assaulted him and stolen his cheese.


    The goat just stared calmly down at him. Its face was expressionless.


    Drawing his sword, Blacknail began climbing the hill toward his assailant. Fighting a giant mutant goat right now probably wasn¡¯t the brightest move, but some things needed done. It was the principle of the thing. Absolutely no one could be allowed to get away with stealing his cheese! If he let this goat do it without reprisal, then other goats might get ideas.


    However, instead of standing its ground, the goat just snorted again and began to walk away.


    ¡°No, come back here, you smelly coward!¡± Blacknail cursed as he stomped after it.


    The beast didn¡¯t meet his challenge and just kept trotting away. Frustrated, Blacknail stopped and took a moment to think. He didn¡¯t want to chase his new archenemy all across the Green. He was a little too busy for that at the moment.


    Thus, the hobgoblin sheathed his sword and reached into his coat to pull out another wedge of cheese. This one wasn¡¯t quite as nice smelling as the last, but it was still quite fragrant, like musty herbs and old sweaty clothes.


    ¡°You want this? Come and get it,¡± Blacknail yelled as he held the cheese out toward the goat.


    ¡°What are you doing, boss?¡± a hobgoblin scout asked from behind Blacknail. He¡¯d just stepped out of the trees.


    ¡°Shut up and stay away,¡± Blacknail replied without turning around. The goat had stopped moving and had turned to look at the prize in Blacknail¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Sure, that sounds smart to me.¡±


    Slowly, the goat started walking back to Blacknail. The hobgoblin chieftain smiled. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Come closer.¡±


    When the goat was within Blacknail¡¯s reach, he lunged forward and tried to grab one of its horns. He missed as the beast ducked to the side and then snatched the cheese from his other hand. The creature was swift and slippery.


    Growling, Blacknail reached for his sword, and was promptly kicked back down the hill again. The fall hurt even more the second time.


    Coughing, Blacknail climbed to his feet. Ow. His ribs felt one size too small. Also, some of them may have been knocked a little loose.


    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll call this a draw. Consider yourself warned!¡± Blacknail yelled at the goat once he¡¯d caught his breath. Charging the beast wouldn¡¯t gain him anything, and really didn¡¯t want to go through all that again.


    The beast¡¯s face remained expressionless, but it licked its lips and drooled a little.


    ¡°Are you done, boss?¡± Blacknail¡¯s watching minion asked.


    ¡°Yes, I was simply scaring away a vicious mutant. Look at it up there, too afraid to come down here and face me. You¡¯re safe now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, boss.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Blacknail replied as he looked around for a new way forward that avoided the hill the goat was on.


    Focusing on his incredibly important mission, Blacknail resumed his scouting duties. If the goat bothered anyone else, he was sure one of the human Vessels could deal with it. Thus, the hobgoblin soon left the hill far behind. He didn¡¯t manage to leave the goat behind though. The stupid thing began trotting after him. It didn¡¯t attack or even get close, but it followed Blacknail as he moved over the hills and then back into the Green.


    ¡°You¡¯re not getting any more cheese!¡± the hobgoblin yelled at the goat, but it didn¡¯t react.


    Blacknail tried yelling at it and shooing it away several more times, but to no avail. It would fade away into the trees only to reappear again some time later. Eventually, he gave up and just decided to ignore it until it got bored and left.


    As the day went on, the wind began to pick up and the sky overhead grew cloudy. Blacknail looked up at the sky and grew concerned. A storm was coming, so he headed back to meet with Sir Masnin and make preparations.


    The paladin nodded in agreement after Blacknail had explained his concerns. ¡°If it begins to rain heavily then we will be forced to take shelter. I don¡¯t think our sleeping tents will shield us from a real torrent or storm. We will press on for now, but I believe that finding shelter for us should be your priority.¡±


    Blacknail had no problem with that, so he immediately sent out word for all his scouts to search for caves or other features that would shelter them from a storm. It took a while. The expedition continued to travel parallel to the river for another hour before one of Blacknail¡¯s scouts returned with news. He¡¯d found a series of shallow caves that would stay dry during a storm.


    After questioning his minion to make sure the space was suitable, Blacknail waited for the humans to catch up so he could lead them there. As he waited, the wind picked up and black clouds filled the sky. A heavy storm looked inevitable now.


    ¡°Have you found us shelter. A storm is coming!¡± Sir Masnin yelled over the winds upon reaching Blacknail. The rest of the expedition was walking or riding behind him.


    ¡°Yes, this way!¡± Blacknail yelled back as he led them off the trail and into the Green. The sky had already started to spit a light rain that was making everything damp.


    It took quite a bit of effort to get all the humans off the road and safely to the shelter. They stumbled through the now shadowy trees, tripping over roots and bushes. Hobgoblins were required to shepherd them and keep the stupider ones from getting lost. This was made much more confusing because there were a series of ponds nearby. Not only did people keep falling into them, but hordes of spiny frogs had emerged from the water to enjoy the rain. The critters were loud, and their spines could go right though leather boots if you stepped on them. Thankfully, at least the trees protected everyone from the wind and rain.


    ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll be staying here until morning,¡± Sir Masnin remarked once everyone was in the caves and they were all out of the weather.


    The caves they were occupying were located in the side of a small cliff. It was right in the forest, so trees surrounded it. Sir Masnin had to lean out of the cave and peak through gaps in the leafy canopy overhead to see the sky. Most of the mounts had been placed in their own cave, and the humans had gone deeper into the cave to huddle and warm themselves.


    ¡°This looks like a big storm that could go all night,¡± Blacknail agreed.


    Khita was standing nearby, and she suddenly raised a hand to point outside. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Glancing over, Blacknail saw a familiar shape out in the dark. It was the goat. Blacknail hadn¡¯t seen it for a while, and thus he¡¯d assumed that it had wandered off, but apparently not. The mutant¡¯s yellow eyes glowed in the dark for a moment, and then its dark silhouette vanished into the shadows cast by the trees. Blacknail growled as he scanned the forest for any sight of it. He had no doubt that it was still around somewhere. The smelly monster was after his cheese!

 Bane of Humanity 8

    Blacknail didn¡¯t sleep well that night, despite the double watch ordered by Sir Masnin. He couldn¡¯t even trust his hobgoblins to be diligent enough. The mutant goat had snuck up on him after all, and none of the other hobgoblins were near his match when it came to sneaking or detecting sneaks. His cheese was only really safe while he was personally watching it. Thus, Blacknail slept fitfully and woke up several times in the middle of the night. Feeling nervous, he¡¯d then do a quick inspection of the area outside the cave before going back to sleep.


    The next morning, despite the fact that none of his cheese had disappeared, he was in a grumpy mood. He couldn¡¯t rest peacefully while that stupid goat was out there. Blacknail studied the nearby trees and bushes from the mouth of the cave for any sign of the beast. It was probably watching him right now, biding its time¡­


    Blacknail considered slipping some cheese into Werrick¡¯s backpack, just to see what happened. No matter how that encounter ended, it could only help him.


    However, Blacknail couldn¡¯t obsess over the creature forever. Sir Masnin eventually got all the humans up and ready to move, so Blacknail had to lead the vanguard again. That forced him to focus on more immediate dangers, although Blacknail was pretty sure he spotted the goat at least once as he moved through the Green. The creature was definitely still following him.


    The expedition got lucky early that morning. About an hour after they¡¯d headed out, the scouts Blacknail had watching the river stumbled upon a ford. Despite the raging waters caused by the spring melt, it was shallow enough for men and horses to walk across. Slinging a rope across the river made it even safer, and soon everyone had made it to the other side. However, while the water had been relatively shallow at the ford, it had still come up to people¡¯s groins. Thus, everyone got very wet and cold, and they had to stop for a while to change clothes and dry out. Blacknail needed time to find a new path north though, so that was fine.


    Once the expedition was moving again, they travelled for several hours without any problems, but then the forest ahead of them began to twist and change. Blacknail quickly spotted these warning signs and sent scouts out to study the area ahead. Then, he walked back to talk to Sir Masnin.


    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Blacknail told the paladin.


    Sir Masnin frowned as he brought his mount to a halt, and all the riders behind him stopped as well. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The woods grow dark and thick up ahead.¡±


    Sir Masnin hesitated. ¡°And what does that mean?


    Blacknail sighed. These humans really knew nothing about the Green. ¡°The dark parts of the Green are the most dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Ah, do trolls and mimics prefer the dark?¡±


    ¡°No, because of the spiders.¡±


    ¡°The spiders?¡±


    Blacknail nodded. ¡°Yes, the dark woods are full of spiders that are bigger than your head. The poisonous creatures drop down on people from above and paralyze them with their bites. Then, they wrap you up in webs so they can eat you later.¡±


    Sir Masnin asked if they could go around the dark woods, but Blacknail informed him that this was a large stretch of old growth, and it would probably take days to go around it.


    ¡°It seems like we have been given no choice but to go through it then. Can you shepherd us through this treacherous expanse?¡± the paladin asked.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Blacknail admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very sure of yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know how to keep safe in the dark woods, but I prefer to either avoid it or burn it down. That¡¯s what most people do, burn all the spiders to death.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but we need to reach Coroulis and a wildfire would be even more of a barrier to our quest.¡±


    Blacknail didn¡¯t have a good answer for that, so he reluctantly began leading everyone toward the dark portion of forest that lurked ahead of them. A bunch of people were going to get bitten by spiders, but he supposed that wasn¡¯t his problem.


    Soon, the greenery near the ground began to grow sparser as the canopy overhead grew darker. Then, dead branches became common obstacles and all the groundcover disappeared, leaving the dark earth bare. Eventually, ghostly pale trees and thick shadows stretched out in every direction. This change was obvious even to the humans, and they started murmuring fearfully.


    Only when the first spiderwebs appeared did Blacknail call for everyone to stop so that he could inform them of what they were about to face. Their fear would make sure they took him seriously. Sure enough, as the humans studied the webs stretching from branch to branch ahead of them, lit torches appeared in their hands and everyone pulled up their hoods. When possible, blankets and tarps were also put over horses. It wasn¡¯t a sure thing, but the thick cloth would discourage any spiders that dropped down from biting. Meanwhile, the torches would hopefully mesmerize and blind the spiders so that their attacks were less accurate.


    One of the riders behind Sir Masnin looked particularly nervous. He kept glancing up. ¡°The hob is just messing with us, right? There¡¯s no way spiders get that big, even out here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Take your hood off and find out,¡± his nearest companion replied with a rude snort.


    As the expedition advanced, the forest continued to grow darker until the torches in people¡¯s hands were the only real source of light. Shadows filled the forest, stretching forth from twisted dead branches. The cobwebs also grew thicker, until shimmering white webs blocked off many of the paths between the trees. The resulting sifting gloom was incredibly unsettling and creepy, especially since it almost completely silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves from up above.


    ¡°I see why even rangers avoid these areas,¡± Sir Masnin remarked.


    The paladin and Blacknail were walking next to each other as they led the way forward. Behind them, the humans and hobs had clumped together into small groups for protection. Many of the humans were also leading blanket-covered horses.


    Blacknail opened his mouth to inform his ally that they hadn¡¯t even been attacked yet, when a shrill scream from behind him cut him off. Spinning around, he saw a hooded human lurch out of a crowd while screaming. There was a large brown spider on his back with long legs that wrapped around his torso.


    ¡°Hold still! I¡¯ll get it,¡± another hooded man yelled as he stepped out of the crowd after his ally and raised a sword.


    The man with the spider on his back didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he stumbled and fell on his face, which allowed his companion to kick the spider off and then hack it apart with his blade. That wasn¡¯t the end of it though. Blacknail saw several more brown blurs drop down into groups of people, and more screaming followed. This time, it was joined by the sound of frightened horses as everyone began to panic.


    Blacknail remained where he was as Sir Masnin ran over to help and prevent everyone from scattering in fear. Thankfully, things were soon under control and the spiders were killed before they could do too much damage. It seemed like only a single person had been bitten. He was paralyzed but could still be moved by slinging him across the top of a horse like a sack of grain.


    ¡°Some warning about the horses being so terrified of spiders would have been nice,¡± Sir Masnin remarked as he walked back to Blacknail. ¡°We almost lost several of them back there.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been in here with horses before,¡± Blacknail replied with a shrug. He was actually on the spiders¡¯ side here. As much as he hated the spiders, they were still more useful than horses, since you could extract their venom.


    ¡°Ah, very well. Regardless, do you think this is this worst we can expect, or will it grow more difficult as we penetrate deeper?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but we should be able to handle it. The spiders aren¡¯t a huge threat to large groups of people. They¡¯d have to bite all of us,¡± Blacknail answered.


    The paladin nodded and got the expedition moving again. Having faced the spiders and seen what they were capable of, most of the human warriors had gained some confidence and were no longer so afraid.


    After a few more minutes of walking, Blacknail saw something out of the corner of his eye and pointed it out to Sir Masnin. ¡°Look there.¡±


    There was something large and black hanging in a huge web that had been spun near ground level. It looked like a huge insect shell.


    ¡°Is that a¡­ boggart?¡± Sir Masnin remarked in surprise.


    ¡°Yes, it looks like a warrior.¡±


    ¡°How did the spiders manage to catch it? I thought they weren¡¯t that dangerous.¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. ¡°It must have come in alone.¡±


    The paladin frowned and pointed over to the left. ¡°There are two more over there.¡±


    The hobgoblin turned and saw that his ally was correct. There were indeed two more boggarts warriors hanging in another web.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t like this. Maybe we should go back,¡± Blacknail remarked.


    ¡°You¡¯re the guide,¡± Sir Masnin told him as both turned to look back over at the men they were leading.


    Thus, they had a great view of events when a thick white line shot down from above and hit a man at the edge of the group. A moment later, he was tugged up out of sight into the darkness of the canopy above. He hadn¡¯t even had time to scream, before he disappeared without a sound.


    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Blacknail groaned.


    ¡°Mages! I need light, as much as you give me, right now!¡± Sir Masnin yelled as he drew his sword.


    Almost instantly, the mages obeyed, and several bright lights appeared as they activated their staffs. The illumination quickly pushed the darkness back, to reveal a spider the size of a large wagon hanging over the expedition. It¡¯s many eyes glowed red with reflected light as it studied the prey beneath it.


    The mages didn¡¯t stop with just light. Two of them immediately launched magical blasts at the mutant spider - at that size, it had to be a mutant. Unfortunately, both blasts missed as the spider suddenly dropped down and hit the ground. It landed gracefully considering its size but still managed to crush several people. Everyone else recoiled and drew their weapons as they turned to face the monster in their midst. That was when more of the smaller spider began to fall upon the gathered humans, throwing things even more into chaos.


    After Sir Masnin, Blacknail was one of the first to draw his sword, but he was also one of the furthest away from the spider. As he began to move toward it, it spun around and glanced at him with several of its menacing red eyes, of which it had an uncomfortable amount. It seemed to recognize Blacknail as a threat, because a moment later, it launched a large clump of web his way. Blacknail tried to dodge, but the web extended as it flew toward him, shifting into a wide net that caught him and then threw him backwards into a tree. He hit the trunk and stuck fast.


    Surprised but uninjured, Blacknail tried to free himself, but his hands and legs were tightly trapped. He couldn¡¯t even turn his head to see how the fight with the spider was going, which was sort of important. All he could do was listen in, and it sounded like a chaotic mess. People were shouting and screaming. There was even a loud explosion. Ugh, maybe spiders weren¡¯t better than horses after all. Also, if any of his stupid minions could think properly, they¡¯d be cutting him loose so that he could help. That, or lead the retreat.


    As Blacknail was futilely trying to reach for his knife, he noticed movement. A spider was descending from the canopy toward him. Uh oh. He still couldn¡¯t move. The hobgoblin redoubled his efforts to free himself, but he made no progress before the spider landed on his shoulder and stared him right in the face. It made a wet hissing noise as its mandibles twitched and its red eyes studied him. Hopefully, that was just drool leaking form the spider¡¯s mouth, and not venom.


    ¡°Is anyone there? I could use some help,¡± Blacknail yelled in an even voice. He didn¡¯t want to be too loud lest it trigger the spider to bite his nose. It was the most obvious target, and he really likes his nose.


    From out of sight, Blacknail could hear the fight with the giant spider continue. It didn¡¯t sound like it was anywhere near done yet. That wasn¡¯t great.


    ¡°Ha, come get some you bug-faced freak!¡± Khita shouted right before another explosion went off.


    There was no reply to Blacknail¡¯s plea for aid. He could only watch as the spider on his side crept closer, until it was suddenly smashed away¡­ by a hoof? Blacknail managed to twist his head around so that he could see his rescuer. It was the mutant goat. The beast gave Blacknail a blank look and then leaned over to begin chewing at the web holding him to the tree.


    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± Blacknail asked. He was rather relieved that the spider was gone, but he wasn¡¯t sure the goat was much better. Being eaten by the spider would probably be less painful.


    The goat ignored him and kept chewing away at the webs on Blacknail¡¯s back. Soon, the hobgoblin was halfway free and could wiggle around much more. Was the goat helping him? Why?


    Blacknail stopped struggling and waited for the goat to finish whatever it was doing. However, a few seconds later, the beast stopped chewing webs and began routing through Blacknail¡¯s now exposed backpack. Before Blacknail could react, it then pulled out a wedge of cheese and began scoffing it down!¡±


    ¡°You thieving slab of mutton!¡± Blacknail yelled as he began fighting to free himself again. ¡°Don¡¯t eat my cheese! I¡¯ll eat you first. Stop!¡±


    The goat tried to reach for another piece or cheese, but Blacknail managed to get one of his hands free and flail around enough to discourage it. Snorting rudely, the beast then gave Blacknail another blank stare before turning and beginning to walk away. For a woodland creature it was oddly droopy and apathetic.


    ¡°Come back here and fight me!¡± Blacknail growled at it.


    As if it understood, the goat stopped and gave Blacknail an unimpressed look of challenge.


    ¡°Um, after I get free. Give me moment,¡± the hobgoblin quickly added as he tore some webs away. The goat simply snorted dismissively again and then vanished into the shadows beyond the trees.


    It took a few more moment for Blacknail to finally rip himself free. Spinning around, he glanced toward the fight with the giant spider, but it was already over. The spider¡¯s body lay on the ground and had obviously suffered quite a lot of damage. Several of its legs had been hacked off and corpse was on fire. It seemed the mages had managed to land at least one good hit. Most of the human warriors had been scattered after the attack - quite a few were laying on the ground or stuck to trees by webs ¨C but most of those that were still standing gave a quick cheer upon seeing the slain spider.


    ¡°Werrcik! Werrick!¡± several of the louder people roared as Werrick raised his blade in response. He was standing next to the spider and had obviously been fighting it. The sight annoyed Blacknail deeply.


    Blacknail wiped some more webs off his coat and stomped over. ¡°Shut up! This isn¡¯t the place to be loud.¡±


    The hobgoblin¡¯s point was made when a spider dropped down out of the canopy onto one of the celebrators. His companions rushed over to help him, which promptly ended the cheering. It put a smile back on Blacknail¡¯s lips though.


    Ignoring everyone else, Blacknail went to talk to Sir Masnin, who was also standing near the dead giant spider. The paladin quickly explained that the mutant had rampaged through the human warriors until Werrick had managed to cut off two of its legs. That had slowed the beast down enough that everyone could get clear and the mages could line up a shot to finish it off.


    Sir Masnin was too busy to explain in more detail. The spiders¡¯ attack had left the human ranks in shambles and he needed to get everyone reorganized fast. The mutant spider had killed two human warriors and wounded three others. The smaller spider had also taken advantage of the chaos to bite half a dozen men, paralyzing them all. It was a mess. Thankfully, Blacknail¡¯s allies had been spared. Most of the hobgoblins had been guarding the flanks of the expedition while Ilisti had been holding up the rear. Khita was the only one other than Blacknail himself who¡¯d managed to get herself into trouble. Blacknail found her webbed to a tree so thoroughly that she couldn¡¯t even talk thanks to the webs stuck to her face. Apparently, it had happened right before the end of the fight, which she¡¯d been a large part of.


    It was tempting to leave her there and enjoy the silence for a few more minutes, but Blacknail cut her down instead.


    Once all the wounded and paralyzed had been thrown onto horses, Sir Masnin decided to press on. They couldn¡¯t go back, and after consulting with Blacknail, they decided it was unlikely they¡¯d run into another mutant. The smaller spiders were annoying, but could be dealt with safely.


    To everyone¡¯s great relief, the expedition soon managed to make it out of the dark woods. The canopy overhead grew lighter and green plants sprung up all around them, returning color to their surroundings.


    Sir Masnin then had them stop and make camp for the rest of the day. The wounded needed a break, and the paralyzed would recover completely overnight. Of course, the dark woods were hardly the only dangerous part of the Green. With the scent of blood in the air, Blacknail and his minions had to double their efforts to scout the area and guard the expedition.


    While he was out scouting, Blacknail climbed a serious of hills and then stumbled upon a cliff that looked down on a vast stretch of forest. Peering out over the expanse of green and the snow-peaked mountains in the distance, Blacknail spotted one area that stood out. It was still very far away, but it was unmistakably a vast city with stretches of homes all surrounded by a tall wall. Even from so far away, it was obviously a ruin with holes in the walls, plenty of collapsed buildings, and odd patches of greenery. However, it was still an impressive sight and far larger than any city Blacknail had ever seen.


    There was only one city out here. It was Coroulis; the expedition¡¯s goal and the lair of Myagnoir, the most dangerous beast in all the world.

 Bane of Humanity 9

    After spotting the ruins of Couroulis off in the distance, Blacknail returned to the camp to report what he¡¯d seen. All the members of Sir Masnin¡¯s expedition were relieved to learn that they were headed in the right direction and that their destination was in sight. After their flight from the dark woods and its spider inhabitants, some good news was welcome. As the humans rested around their campfires and tended to their wounds, many of them cheered. Blacknail was a little insulted by their doubt in his tracking abilities, but he supposed they were simply being cowardly city humans, and he couldn¡¯t blame them for that.


    As per Sir Masnin¡¯s orders, the expedition didn¡¯t start moving again until the next morning. By then, they¡¯d had time to rest up and everyone who¡¯d been paralyzed by spider venom had recovered enough to walk or ride. Blacknail selected a narrow animal trail for them to follow as they got moving. His scouts had explored it yesterday.


    ¡°Hmm, this trail is much smaller than the last. A larger one would allow us to travel faster,¡± Sir Masnin observed as he walked next to Blacknail near the front of the expedition. Everyone was walking in a line because the thick greenery and uneven ground made riding difficult.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any larger paths. The ogres are gone, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be very many other big beasts around here, just lots of small ones.¡±


    Sir Masnin sighed in disappointment. ¡°Well, at least that means we should be relatively safe.¡±


    Later that day, two human warriors fell off a cliff and died. They¡¯d been lured to the edge by the unexpected sound of human voices ¨C which had actually been made by a hidden harpy - and then another harpy had swooped down from concealment in the nearby trees and knocked them both off the edge. The tumble against the rocks killed both men, allowing the two harpies to swoop down and feast upon their bodies unimpeded.


    There was nothing the other members of the expedition could do but continue moving. Climbing down the cliff would be dangerous and take far too long, and the harpies would simply see them coming and drag the bodies away if they tried.


    However, as they were trudging on, Werrick walked over to Sir Masnin and Blacknail. There was an angry scowl on his face and he spoke far louder than he had to. ¡°Another two of my men are dead. This would never have happened if this hobgoblin had been scouting the way properly. This is his fault.¡±


    Sir Masnin looked unconvinced and Blacknail simply let out a rude snort.


    ¡°Use your brains. Harpies can move around by flapping their wings. It¡¯s called flying,¡± Blacknail explained as he made a flapping gesture with both his hands. ¡°No one can watch the entire forest for everything. I warned you and your men not to do anything stupid. Listen next time and keep better control over your bandits.¡±


    ¡°Bah, as if a hobgoblin could be trusted. Your kind likes nothing better than to watch humans die.¡±


    ¡°He has my trust,¡± Sir Masnin interjected as he gave the Wolf a severe look. Blacknail¡¯s glare was even less friendly. There were some humans who he¡¯d like to see die much more than others.


    ¡°Perhaps we would all be safer if you didn¡¯t trust so easily,¡± Werrick replied coldly before walking away.


    Blacknail was unimpressed, and he snorted again as the man left. Unfortunately, the hobgoblin knew he hadn¡¯t been Werrick¡¯s real audience. Glancing at the nearby nobles, Blacknail noted that they¡¯d all been listening intently. He then sighed in frustration. Stupid humans. They were making this too complicated.


    Thankfully, the rest of the day was uneventful. After hiking through the Green for many hours, they eventually came to a stop and camped for the night. Even better, no one else managed to get themselves killed over the next two days. Blacknail spent most of his time scouting up ahead of the rest of the expedition. He ran into quite a few mimics and other pests, but they were easy to go around or scare away. However, there was one concern. The mutant goat was still following him around. The creature would occasionally show up when Blacknail was alone and approach him.


    Blacknail attempted to lure it in closer by holding out bits of cheese, but whenever he tried to grab it, the beast slipped away. Most the time it also managed to snag the cheese. It was very frustrating, but at least the creature didn¡¯t try to attack him. Keeping it happy with a few scraps of cheese was probably a good trade.


    On the third day, Blacknail stayed with the main part of the expedition. There, he spent most of his time walking near Sir Masnin or wandering through the trees next to the path as he listened in on other people¡¯s conversations. He didn¡¯t learn much. Most of the humans¡¯ discussions seemed to focus on their desire not to be eaten by spiders or Myagnoir. That was understandable, but it wasn¡¯t terribly interesting to listen to.


    Giving up on hearing any secret plans that his enemies were making, Blacknail rejoined Sir Masnin. They talked for a while as they compared hunting exploits. Sir Masnin was one of the few people that could come close to matching Blacknail¡¯s impressive list of kills. The paladin definitely had some very impressive stories, but Blacknail was sure that Sir Masnin was exaggerating some parts to show off and one up him. That was fine, though. He was just insecure.


    However, the pair¡¯s conversation was interrupted by an unexpected arrival. Without warning, the mutant goat walked out of the forest and stared at Blacknail. The hobgoblin grunted in annoyance as the entire expedition came to stop.


    ¡°What does it want?¡± SIr Masnin asked.


    ¡°Cheese,¡± Blacknail replied as he walked over and handed the goat a piece. It was probably better to give the beast what it wanted rather than risk it rampaging - or having its slimy tongue lick his face again. That had happened once before. The goat had been trying to get the crumbs clinging to Blacknail¡¯s face, and it had been quite disgusting. Anyway, the beast really didn¡¯t eat that much and he had plenty of cheese tucked away. Besides, the more he fed it, the more likely it was to lower its guard. Eventually, Blacknail would get the drop on it and teach it who was the boss. Any day now¡­


    A nearby soldier made a face and pinched his nose. ¡°That goat smells. Did it roll in something?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s the cheese,¡± the man next to him replied before making a gagging nose.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous. You¡¯re not getting any,¡± Blacknail told them as the goat disappeared back into the forest.


    The next day, the expedition crossed another river and then found themselves atop a hill that allowed them to see the walls of Coroulis off in the distance. They weren¡¯t far now. Blacknail guessed that they were only a few hours away from the ruins of the city. Sir Masnin immediately called for everyone to halt and summoned all the leaders to him for a meeting. Blacknail was the first person he addressed.


    ¡°I want your scouts searching for even the smallest hint of drake activity as we approach the city. If Myagnoir is alive, I want to know it long before we see him.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡± Blacknail replied with a nod. That was kind of important to know if he didn¡¯t want to get eaten.


    The mages were the paladin¡¯s next concern. ¡°I want you to check over your equipment and make sure all of it is ready to be used at a moment¡¯s notice. When you¡¯re done with that, every amulet and fire lance should be placed in the hands of our most capable warriors.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking one of those,¡± Ilisiti remarked.


    Sir Masnin simply nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking of denying you one. You¡¯re without a doubt one of our deadliest fighters.¡±


    ¡°I want one too,¡± Khita said. She¡¯d followed Blacknail here without really being invited.


    The paladin made a sour face. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°I thought the beast was supposed to be long gone or dead?¡± a nervous noble asked. ¡°That¡¯s what we were told before we came on this expedition!¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°No, you were told that might be the case,¡± the paladin replied sternly. ¡°Regardless, I plan on being prepared for the worst. Returning without the silver isn¡¯t an option.¡±


    No one had any arguments against that ¨C that they were willing to voice anyway ¨C so the meeting was soon called to an end, and the expedition started forward again. As per Sir Masnin¡¯s orders, Blacknail headed out to lead the scout vanguard himself. He wanted to handle this personally anyway, so that he knew none of his minions were messing up.


    However, despite a thorough search of the forest by Blacknail and his scouts, they found no conclusive evidence as to whether Myagnoir was still nearby. There were plenty of old trails, claw marks cut into bark, and toppled tree, but none of them seemed to be from within the last few years. A large drake had certainly been in the area, but not recently. That didn¡¯t mean Myagnoir was gone though. It might have just moved on to a different hunting area on the other end of the city. Coroulis was a large city and the Green was incredibly vast.


    When the expedition finally reached the outskirts of the abandoned city, Blacknail had to explain this to Sir Masnin, who was not happy to hear it. He frowned and glanced at the nearby bushes as the hobgoblin talked.


    ¡°I could circle around the city and check for tracks. That would answer your question, but it would probably take a day or two to do right,¡± Blacknail explained as the lead part of the expedition came to stop.


    The gates of Coroulis loomed ahead of them. Made of grey stone blocks with a massive arch at their peak, they were an impressive sight, although it was obviously a ruin. The twisted remnants of its once mighty doors lay on the ground before it, leaving the way into the city permanently open. The forest had also creeped right up to the walls. Trees grew below its ramparts and vines dangled from its heights. Beyond the gates, the members of the expedition could see cobbled streets and crumbling buildings.


    Sir Masnin stared into the city silently for several moments before replying. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have time for that. Before us lies a great monument to the fragile nature of human civilization, and that omen cannot be ignored. Every moment we delay costs humanity dearly and pushes us closer to the edge of annihilation. We will simply have to enter the city under the assumption that the monster still lives.¡±


    ¡°Good luck. I¡¯ll wait out here for you,¡± Blacknail told him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need your help locating the silver and scouting the city.¡±


    Blacknail sighed. Of course. He¡¯d been expecting a reply like that. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hired to fight giant drakes. I¡¯m here to guide you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And you won¡¯t be forced to fight the Doom. However, there is still scouting that needs done, within the ruins.¡±


    ¡°What about if Myagnoir attacks me?¡±


    ¡°Flee or fight, that¡¯s up to you. On my word as a paladin, I will aid you to the greatest of my ability.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Blacknail replied sourly.


    When everyone had gathered, Sir Masnin addressed them. ¡°We¡¯ll be entering the city shortly. The main body of the expedition will stay together in formation so that we can respond quickly to any attack and protect our vulnerable members. Meanwhile, small scouting groups will search the city as we move. There is no reason to fear, our quest has both mighty warriors with supernatural strength and the most powerful mage-made weapons ever forged. Carry on, and soon we will be heading home as heroes to match any figure of legend.¡±


    It was rousing speech that seemed to stiffen the spine of several humans, but Blacknail still found himself staring apprehensively at the gate ahead as the party began moving again. He didn¡¯t much care for being a hero, and the derelict gate loomed like the maw of a great stone beast that was about to bite. Blacknail really wanted to stay on this side of it. His instincts were screaming that entering the city was a bad idea, but he didn¡¯t have much choice but to do as Sir Masnin asked. His own plans demanded it.


    The first thing Blacknail noticed as he entered the city was the quiet. The sounds of the living forest disappeared. The walls kept the sound from outside out, and the city itself was an almost silent maze of crumbling stone. Blacknail didn¡¯t like it. It was unnatural for a place out in the Green. The forest and its inhabitants should have penetrated the city more.


    Once the entire expedition was through the gates and had assembled itself into a box-like formation with the mages in the center, Sir Masnin motioned for Blacknail to head out. Blacknail scowled back at the paladin but did as he was told. If a giant mutant did attack him, he was definitely leading it straight back to the humans. That would serve them right.


    Muttering darkly to himself, Blacknail wandered out into the city with Herah and half of his hobgoblins in tow. His other minions ¨C minus Khita, who was useless ¨C headed off in another direction. They weren¡¯t alone. There were also two groups of human scouts as well. Blacknail hoped they got eaten first and screamed loudly enough to warn everyone else. Hopefully, the Doom would then go after the main formation and get burned to ash by all the fire magic they were packing. That would be the best outcome, but probably not what actually happened. Blacknail¡¯s luck wasn¡¯t nearly that good, especially when it came to mutants. They were always getting in Blacknail¡¯s way.


    Really though, how dangerous could one mutant drake be? Taking out a city this size seemed impressive, but humans were always having their villages and towns destroyed. The North was littered with their ruins. Sometimes they were even destroyed by human bandits, which weren¡¯t all that scary. Famines were apparently a common problem too, which was rather embarrassing for the humans. Finding food out in the Green wasn¡¯t that hard. Ya, Myagnoir couldn¡¯t be all that dangerous. The humans had probably overreacted and gotten themselves killed while they ran around like terrified mice before a cat. Myagnoir probably wasn¡¯t much tougher than some of the other mutants Blacknail had killed.


    Feeling moderately better about his chances of survival, Blacknail continued his exploration of the vacant city. It was certainly an interesting place, and a nice change of scenery after spending so long in the forest. The old paved roads had seen better days and had a lot of grass and bushes growing up through their stones, but it was still mostly flat and easy to traverse. There were also a lot of hollowed out buildings with collapsed roofs and walls. A surprising number of buildings with slate roofs were still standing though. They were overgrown, but still looked sturdy.


    Walking over to inspect one well-preserved home, Blacknail took a moment to look over the stonework. Some of it was rather pretty. Coroulis must have been quite the city back before all its humans died horribly. Now, the ruins had an eerie feel to them, although scavengers had long since disposed of all the human corpses, except for the occasional solitary bone. All the stone radiated cold - despite the sun overhead ¨C and the entire place felt hollow. Hungry even. Blacknail didn¡¯t like it. It gave him the jitters.


    As he was studying the exterior of the house, something white caught Blacknail¡¯s eyes, so he turned to study the shadows behind the house. Under some bushes, stood a small pile of snow and ice. The hobgoblin stared at it for a moment. Myagnoir was supped to have ice powers, right? There hadn¡¯t been any ice out in the Green. It had long since melted¡­ No, he was probably overthinking this. Blacknail stepped away.


    There were surer signs of Myagnoir¡¯s presence that Blacknail could look for. All the stone and bricks made finding tracks difficult, but far from impossible. Moving back to the nearest street, the hobgoblin began studying the ground. He quickly found what he was looking for. Claw marks and indentations on the stone where something incredibly massive had walked. Thankfully, none of the marks seemed recent. Blacknail ran a finger along one gouge and then licked it. That didn¡¯t help with tracking at all, but the stone had some tasty salt residue on it.


    Getting back up, Blacknail scanned the ruins of the city around him as his minions shuffled nervously. Crumbling buildings of various sizes surrounded him. Parts of the city had been built on a slope, so he could see many more buildings rising up off in the distance. One building in particular stood out, a massive stone keep. It looked like it used to have four towers, but only one was still standing. Blacknail stared at it for several seconds, and then started walking over to it. It was as good a place to look as any.


    Warily, Blacknail and his minions walked around a street corner and past a tree that was growing up through the middle of the road. The keep was now directly ahead of him. He was planning to try to climb up onto its walls in order to get a better view, but he stopped upon noticing some more tracks on the ground in front of him. Bending down, he studied them, and a shiver went down his spine. These were fresh. Something with gigantic claws that could scar stone had been here within the last couple days.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading back, now!¡± Blacknail hissed at his minions as he turned around.


    All the nearby hobgoblins acknowledged his orders and started to follow him, but then everyone flinched as a cold breeze washed over them. Goosebumps rose on Blacknail¡¯s skin and he had to bite down to stop his teeth from chattering.


    ¡°Did you feel that boss?¡± Herah asked him.


    Blacknail had already picked up his pace. ¡°Yes, run!¡±


    Moving as quickly as he could without having his minions make enough noise to announce themselves to the entire city, Blacknail ran back toward where he had left Sir Masnin and the nobles. He wasn¡¯t fleeing in terror. No, he simply had some very important information to report. Yes, that was it.


    As the first human riders came into sight, Blacknail felt relieved. There was Sir Masnin at the front, looking strong and all shiny in all his armor. Behind him, rode over a dozen heavily armed human warriors, and behind them were the three mages with their fire staffs. Still more warriors held up the rear, including Ilisti and his men. Blacknail hurried toward them and safety¡­ so that he could give his report. That was important.


    Suddenly, there was a loud crack from behind Blacknail. Spinning around, he spotted something that caused his heart to skip a beat. A massive grey drake with a blue crest on its head was leaning on a building about two hundred feet away. With its front legs on the roof, it could stretch up and get a commanding view of its surroundings and see over all the nearby buildings, but right now its yellow eyes were locked directly on Blacknail. The hobgoblin went rigid as he saw the ravenous power lurking in the drake¡¯s eyes, and then the beast growled. As a sound like boulders grinding against each other washed over Blacknail, it brought with it a wave of freezing air that stung his skin and chilled his bones.


    Uh oh.

 Bane of Humanity 10

    Blacknail shuddered as an unnatural cold assaulted him. It burned as it stabbed through his flesh and seeped into his blood. Gritting his teeth, Blacknail steadied himself and looked toward the Doom of Coroulis.


    ¡°Keep running!¡± he told his minions as he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the cold. They felt like they were freezing and cracking, but he could see fine.


    The mutant drake was still perched atop the remains of the ruined home. Its intense yellow eyes seemed to focus on Blacknail as the other hobgoblins ran past him. Blacknail took a moment to study it in turn. It was gigantic, much larger than even many of the fancy homes of Coroulis. The mutant had the body of a grey-scaled lizard, but with a crest of blue feathers on its head that ran all the way down its back. The Doom was without a doubt unmatched predator. Its jaws were so thick and powerful they looked like they could crush boulders, and its magic abilities were made obvious by the blue crystal spikes sticking out of its skin.


    Saeter had mentioned this beast quite a lot, usually as some form of curse word. Saeter had never said it directly, he¡¯d almost never talked about himself, but others had told Blacknail that his master had been here when the city had fallen. His master had also apparently seen the mutant with his own eyes, just like Blacknail was now. The Doom was one of his master¡¯s enemies, which was one of the reasons Blacknail had agreed to come here. All his master¡¯s foes needed to die. That was Blacknail¡¯s mission. That was the hunger that drove him forward despite the pain and loss.


    ¡°Form up and activate your amulets!¡± Sir Masnin yelled from down the street. As the same time, many other humans began shouting and screaming. They sighted Myagnoir.


    Sir Masnin¡¯s words brought Blacknail back to reality and reminded him that he had a heating amulet of his own, so he quickly reached up to activate it. As soon as his fingers squeezed it, he felt the oppressive cold retreat as warmth flooded out of the protective trinket. Blacknail would have felt relieved, but that was when the Doom decided to hop down from the building and began stalking his way. Right. He needed to get the hells out of here. He wasn¡¯t actually planning on killing the Doom himself. That would be beyond stupid, like something Khita would try to do.


    Turning around, Blacknail sprinted toward the humans down the street as quickly as he could, which was faster than he¡¯d ever moved before. The humongous predator behind him gave him plenty of motivation to push himself.


    Up ahead, Sir Masnin was readying his force to meet the Doom. Taking advantage of the wide street, they¡¯d formed up into two lines of riders, and Blacknail saw that many of them were armed with the mages¡¯ heat lances. Lord Ilisti and Werrick both had them and were on either side of Sir Masnin. Behind the riders were the mages and warriors without lances. One of the mage¡¯s was already holding up a glowing staff. It burned with orange light and the air around it shimmered lightly.


    There was a loud crack as stone shattered beneath Myagnoir¡¯s weight as he ran. Blacknail flinched and looked back. He was almost to his allies now, but the drake had closed the distance considerably, even if it didn¡¯t seem to be moving nearly as fast as it could. Instead, it seemed aggressive but wary.


    In fact, Myagnoir slowed instead of charging straight ahead at the riders. It roared ¨C shaking the air ¨C and then the crystals jutting from its back glowed menacingly. Immediately, frost appeared on the ruins around the beast, the air above it swirled violently, and then two huge jagged shards of ice formed above the drake. Soon, they were both larger than a horse.


    As Myagnoir roared again, and the ice shards shot forth. The first went straight toward Sir Masnin and the other riders. There were fearful shouts as the icy projectile closed in on the humans, but then one of the mage¡¯s responded. He raised his staff and it let out a pulse of roiling red flame. This wave of burning power washed over incoming spear of ice and disintegrated it. The humans were completely unharmed.


    However, Blacknail didn¡¯t have time to feel relieved. The second icy spear had been hurled his way. Panic raced though Blacknail as he reached into his core and grabbed as much magic as he could. Shoving the magic into his muscles, he threw himself sideways out of the way of the ice spear. His body burned from the effort as a wave of cold overpowered his amulet and prickled his skin, but a moment later, the huge projectile flew past him. He¡¯d dodged it! He was still alive.


    One of the hobgoblins in front of him wasn¡¯t so fortunate. The spear slammed right into him. His body didn¡¯t even slow it. He simply disappeared as the icy projectile slammed into him, and then they both flew into one of the ruined homes alongside the street. The impact threw a cloud of dust up into the air as the building collapsed in on itself. There was no sign of the now very dead hobgoblin, except a single boot he¡¯d left behind on the street. It was just sitting there where he¡¯d been standing a moment ago. Blacknail had no idea how that had happened, but he couldn¡¯t spare it a thought. Myagnoir was still charging toward him.


    As the drake roared again, Blacknail resumed his frantic dash toward his allies. As he moved, he noted that Herah was already there. So much for her never leaving his side or whatever! He would remember this.


    A moment later, Blacknail reached the line of horsemen and quickly charged past them without stopping. He didn¡¯t plan on being anywhere near them when the fight started. He wasn¡¯t getting paid to fight city killing monsters. He¡¯d found the thing for them, so now killing it was the humans¡¯ job.


    Sir Masnin raised his lance and began shouting more orders. ¡°Forward knights! For righteousness, and for humanity! Flank the beast like we¡¯ve planned and target its weak underbelly as you pass.¡±


    As soon as he was done yelling, there was a determined cheer from the other mounted warriors, and then the paladin sprang into action. Shouting wordlessly, he urged his horse forward and it began charging toward the enemy. A moment later, the other knights and warriors followed. Splitting apart, the charging horsemen went up both sides of the road, leaving the center open. Obviously, they planned on flanking Maygnoir instead of facing him head on. This plan also had they advantage of giving the mages that had remained behind a clear line of fire, which they immediately took advantage of. Lances of searing flame and hissing fireballs shot toward the mutant drake.


    Seeing the incoming fire, Myagnoir roared again and the air around him began to swirl like a miniature cyclone. Then, the vortex was filled with swirling white shards of ice, turning the exterior of the cyclone into something that almost looked like a solid barrier that completely surrounded the drake. Blacknail felt the tip of his long nose freeze for a second before his amulet adjusted. The battleground had grown even colder. Now, white sparkling frost was everywhere, on both the ground and the nearby ruins. It was a good thing that the mage with the orange staff was shielding all the humans that didn¡¯t have amulets. They¡¯d all probably be dead without the shimmering haze of heat that was radiating from the staff. After the battle, Blacknail would have to look for an opportunity to acquire it when no one was looking. It be nice to have over the winter.


    Up ahead, the mages¡¯ fiery spells slammed into the drake¡¯s freezing cyclone, creating explosions of steam and throwing the cyclone into chaos. It grew more frenzied and chaotic as every blast hit it, until it began to shrink and fade.


    Growling, Myagnoir eyed the charging knights and abandoned his cyclonic shield. As it faded, he came to a stop and smashed one of his front claws into the stone of the road. Immediately, the earth rumbled and an unnerving cracking filled the air. A second later, as everyone watched breathlessly, the road in front of Myagnoir erupted violently. Huge jagged shard of ice burst out of the ground, lifting up tons of earth and stone to form a huge wall right in front of Myagnoir. The mage¡¯s fireballs slammed into the icy barrier and exploded without doing much in the way of damage.


    ¡°Forward, for country and divinity!¡± Sir Masnin yelled as he rode past the wall. His subordinates streamed after him. Blacknail saw Ilisti and Werrick ride past the other side as well.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Regardless of the ice wall, the knights were too close to Mayagnoir for the mages to keep throwing fire at the beast, so they lowered their staffs to watch like everyone else.


    Although the ice wall was partly in the way, Blacknail could still see almost everything. As he watched, the two lines of knights streamed toward Myagnoir. The massive drake growled and swiped at Sir Masnin with one of its claws, but the paladin and his horse managed to dodge the attack and make it past the beast unscathed. This also gave the other group of knights an opening that they ruthlessly exploited. Charging in, Werrick stabbed one of the mutant¡¯s legs with his fire-lance.


    Myagnor screamed in pain but reacted quickly and smoothly. The great drake spun around, so that its tail swiped at the knights from behind. Scattering, most the knights were forced to abandon their charge, and two of them were hit by the long scaly appendage. The impact sent both men and horse flying off the road and into the ruins. Judging by the loud snapping sound of armor and bone breaking he¡¯d heard, Blacknail was sure they wouldn¡¯t be getting back up.


    However, not all the riders missed their chance at the drake. Lord Ilsisti managed to duck under the tail and continue on. Before swerving away, his fire-lance bit deep into the side of Myagnoir, leaving a bleeding and faintly smoking gash. The drake¡¯s scales were thinner near its belly. It was injured, but not enough to hamper it. Ice-cold malevolence radiated from its yellow eyes as it glared at the humans.


    Myagnoir roared in defiance and rage once the last its foes had streamed past. The beast seemed insulted at being injured by such tiny attackers, even if it had only taken minor wounds. However, the roar was more than a scream of defiance. A blast of freezing air surged away from the drake toward the retreating knights. Thankfully, they managed to dodge the center of the icy blast, and their amulets protected them from the freezing winds that swirled around it. This seemed to infuriate Myagnoir further, it scratched the ground with one of its claws ¨C tearing up paving stones - and let out a low menacing growl.


    Turning away from the knights that were now attempting to reform for another charge, Myagnoir peered around the wall of ice and rubble it had made, and directly at Blacknail and the people near him.


    ¡°Uh oh!¡± Herah remarked. She¡¯d shamelessly made her way over to his side now that it was safe.


    ¡°Bah, that stupid lizard can¡¯t hurt us,¡± Khita said dismissively. She¡¯d also wandered over from somewhere.


    ¡°Ya, we¡¯re probably fine,¡± Blacknail replied. There were over a dozen humans in front of him, including two mages. While they may not have been knights or Vessels, they were still heavily armed warriors. They also had plenty of defensive magic. If Myagnoir attacked them, he¡¯d simply be opening himself to an attack from behind by the knights while he was distracted. Blacknail almost wished he would do that.


    However, Blacknail¡¯s confident sneer soon grew lopsided. As he watched, Myagnoir took a step back behind the icy wall, spun around in a circle, and slammed his tail into a boulder that was sitting atop his wall. There was a loud cracking noise as the ice broke, and then the boulder was sent flying straight toward the center of the humans'' formation. Flying with startling speed, it was headed right at the mage with the orange staff. Immediately, the mages tried to defend themselves. A shield of fire rose into the air and a fiery lance shot toward the boulder. However, the lance shattered the boulder without stopping it, and the rock shards were blackened by the shield but not deflected. Before the mages could raise a more appropriate defense, the shower of stone slammed into the center of the human formation. Screams filled the air as the rocks tore into flesh and bounced across the road.


    Blacknail was out of the immediate danger area but he still threw himself further away, just in case. Herah and Khita landed next to him a moment later.


    ¡°Stupid lizard is smart,¡± Blacknail growled as he picked himself off the ground a few moments later. He should have known better than to ever agree with Khita. She was always wrong. Always!


    Looking around, Blacknail saw that the mage with the orange staff was definitely dead. Both his body and his staff had been torn to pieces by the deadly hail, dissipating the heat aura he¡¯d been creating. That was very bad. Blacknail saw that everyone nearby was already starting to feel the effects of the cold. He was the only one - other than the remaining mage ¨C who had a protective amulet.


    ¡°So cold! It¡¯s freezing, boss,¡± Herah groaned as he climbed to her feet. She was hugging herself and shivering uncontrollably.


    Khita nodded in agreement. ¡°Ya, it¡¯s colder than a noble¡¯s heart all of sudden.¡±


    ¡°Get out of here,¡± Blacknail ordered them as he gave Herah a push. She didn¡¯t move fast enough, so Khita grabbed her arm and began leading her away. The redhead seemed to have some protection from the cold thanks to her status as a Vessel.


    Almost all the nearby humans were running or stumbling away now too. With the death of the mage protecting them, their entire formation had been destroyed and become a chaotic mess. Blacknail grimaced as he looked around. Although the Doom had turned back around to face the knights charging its way, this probably wasn¡¯t the smartest place to stand. He was exposed and alone in the middle of street. Thus, Blacknail jogged over into the nearby ruined buildings to look for somewhere he could watch the action from.


    Blacknail found a perch on a nearby wall just in time to see Sir Masnin and the others make their second pass. The thundering of horse hooves grew louder as they approached with lances ready. The Doom growled at them and launched several small ice spears their way, but none of them hit. Two were blocked by a hazy shield created by a mage, and the other missed the riders completely.


    Sir Masnin lead the first group of knights that charged at Myagnoir from its left. The massive drake appeared to have learned caution from its last run in with the knights. Instead of the facing its attackers head on, it swiped at the paladin and jumped back. Sir Masnin tried to dodge, but he took a glancing blow from the claws. He swayed back, but didn¡¯t fall, thanks to his heavy armor. A few second later, he rode past the mutant drake. The other knights attempted to stab the Doom, but it displayed a surprising amount of agility. Dodging away, it avoided the knights in the first group, and then it spun around again to avoid the second group trying to flank it. As they passed, it lashed out with its tail and sent another knight tumbling off his horse. Blacknail sighed as observed the conflict. This wasn¡¯t going his side¡¯s way.


    Sir Masnin seemed to have reached a similar conclusion, because he changed strategies. After turning around to face the Doom again, the riders shifted their formation and split into three equal sized groups. The third hung back behind the other two, who approached Myagnoir from opposite sides like before. Sir Masin and Ilisti led the forward groups, while Werrick led the back one.


    As they raced toward battle, Myagnoir attempted to raise another swirling shield of freezing air. However, as the vortex began to spin around him, a lance of hissing flame shot out of the ruins and slammed into it, scattering the winds and briefly washing over the drake¡¯s hide. The surviving mage from Blacknail¡¯s group appeared to still be in the fight. Good. Myagnoir was undamaged by the magical attack but snarled angrily as it turned to face the riders charging it. Its blue feathery crest rippled as if to display its rage at being challenged.


    Myagnoir tensed up as if in preparation to fight, but the approaching knights didn¡¯t immediately attack. Instead, the first two groups split up and rode past it, before quickly turning around. Growling, Myagnoir could only watch as it was encircled, and only then did Sir Masnin and Ilisti lead their forces in. They moved cautiously as the advanced all at once. Blacknail smiled to himself. It was obvious Sir Masnin was planning on pinning the Doom down so that the third group of knights could get strike a powerful blow. That was a good way to hunt something so big and nasty.


    The Doom of Coroulis didn¡¯t like being surrounded. It snarled and hissed as it lashed out with its claws and tail. The riders under Sir Masnin¡¯s command were being cautious, but they still took a few hits. Two knights were thrown off their mounts, although one got back onto his feet. As Blacknail watched, a third rider was bitten in half by a snap of Myanoir¡¯s jaws. He wouldn¡¯t be getting back up.


    The knights weren¡¯t ineffective, though. Ilisti dismounted from his horse and rushed in on foot. Dodging a claw, he then countered with a slash of his own. His heat-lance cut through scales, leaving a smoking gash on Myagnoir¡¯s leg. Enraged, Myagnoir turned to face him and hunched down as if to pounce. That was when Sir Masnin ran in and stabbed one of the beast¡¯s back legs. He¡¯d also dismounted.


    Startled, Myagnoir yelped and almost lost its balance as it flinched. Off balance, it lashed out at Sir Masnin with its tail. The paladin took a glancing blow and was knocked backwards. He then fell and rolled across the ground but got up a second later. He didn¡¯t seem wounded. It was hard to hurt a Vessel in full armor.


    Taking advantage of the distraction, Lord Ilisti charged at the beast. Myagnoir responded by swiping at him with a claw, but the beast was still off balance, and the vympir was able to duck under the attack. He then stabbed the Myagnor in the chest with the lance. The weapon hissed and smoked as it sunk almost a foot into the beast¡¯s flesh.


    Roaring in pain and rage, Myagnoir jumped back. Its eyes glowed menacingly as it gathered mana, and upon landing, there was a flash of blue light. Blacknail blinked. For second, it seemed like everyone had frozen in surprise, but that wasn¡¯t right. Their upper bodies were still moving. Their lower bodies were simply stuck to the ground by ice that had risen up from the earth.


    Steam rose from the human¡¯s boots as their amulets fought to free them, but they weren¡¯t quite fast enough. Ilisiti pulled one foot free, but before he could get the other, Myagnoir spun and hit him with a swing of his tail. The was a metallic ringing and the vympir was sent flying. He hit a pile of stone next to the road, sending up a cloud of dust.


    Blacknail winced and then looked down the road. He sensed something was amiss. What was taking Werrick so long?

 Bane of Humanity 11

    After sending Ilisti flying with a swipe of his its tail, Myagnoir shifted its weight and hunched up defensively. Most of the human warriors had already managed to get themselves or their mounts free from the ice that the mutant drake had bound their feet with, and they were now closing in to keep up the attack. Sir Masnin was the most aggressive. Ducking under a slash from a claw, he hacked at the beast¡¯s ankle before backing off. Red marred the drake¡¯s scales. It looked like he¡¯d drawn blood.


    Werrick had been hanging back with a squad of knights, but at that moment, he finally urged his men forward toward the drake. Blacknail hissed in annoyance as he watched them. Werrick had certainly taken his time, a suspicious amount of it. Either he was a coward, or he was playing a very dangerous game.


    The clatter of hooves on stone filled the air as the knights charged, causing Myagnoir to glance in their direction. The drake then turned and opened its mouth, as if to roar at them or assault them with magic, but Sir Masnin immediately leaped into action.


    ¡°Press the attack! We must keep the beast occupied!¡± he yelled as he jumped forward to stab the beast in the leg again. Pulling his lance free, he then stabbed at Myagnoir¡¯s underbelly.


    At the same time, several of his subordinates were also moving in to threaten the mutant drake and hack at its vulnerable spots. This forced to Myagnoir to turn back and confront them, lest it leave its soft belly vulnerable to their glowing weapons. The great beast stumbled back and bit at them with its humongous jaws. Wary of the creature¡¯s jagged teeth, which were the size of men¡¯s forearms, all of Sir Masnin¡¯s men were pushed back. Even the armored paladin would die instantly if bitten.


    However, it had never been Sir Masnin¡¯s job to wound the drake. His squad and him were only supposed to surround it and pin it down, which they¡¯d accomplished. Crouched defensively, Myagnoir was completely open to the charge from Werrick and the knights. Galloping at full-speed they made a close pass against the drake with heat-lances levelled. Myagnoir¡¯s back was covered by thick scales, but the magical weapons managed to cut through it. As knight after knight rode past, almost a dozen long smoking wounds appeared on the drake¡¯s hide.


    Roaring in pain, Myagnoir swirled around and lashed out at Werrick with a claw, Blacknail grinned expectantly, but the bandit lord saw the attack coming and managed to lead his mount out of the way of the blow. That was disappointing, but Myagnoir wasn¡¯t done yet. Still roaring, the beast attacked with his other front claw, and this time he managed to hit his target. The beast¡¯s claws ripped into an armored knight, going right through his steel plate armor and severing the man¡¯s arm. He fell screaming as his terrified mount ran past.


    Blacknail watched all this with mixed feelings of excitement and trepidation. The battle was fun to watch, and his allies had gotten in some good blows, but he wasn¡¯t sure they were winning. They¡¯d lost almost half a dozen fighters, and he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d done any real damage to their foe. If the beast didn¡¯t start to grow tired and weak, it seemed unlikely that they¡¯d win this fight. Ilisti¡¯s fall in particular had severely hurt their chances.


    Sighing, Blacknail began to make his way closer to the fight. He should probably check on his vympir ally. He could do that without getting too close to the giant murder drake, and it might turn the fight around. Blacknail needed the humans to win this battle. His own plans depended on it, and he¡¯d rather not deal with the boggarts alone.


    As the last of Werrick¡¯s mounted warriors rode out of the fight, Myagnoir was free to deal with Sir Masnin and the others again. Their battle resumed as the warriors worked together in an attempt to keep the beast distracted and prevent it from moving around too much. They needed to keep it on the road. The drake bit and slashed at them as they ducked in and out of combat.


    Soon, Blacknail reached the pile of rubble where Ilisti had fallen. Amongst the shattered stone and dusty bricks, he easily spotted the vympir¡¯s dark armor. It glinted in the sunlight despite the dust.


    Looking the scene over, Blacknail saw that Ilisti seemed intact, although he appeared to be unconscious. That, or dead. It was hard to tell. Thankfully, his armor seemed to only have a few small dents in it and he didn¡¯t appear to be bleeding everywhere. Grunting, the hobgoblin removed some rocks from atop the vympir and then pulled his helmet off so he could get a better look.


    Ilisti¡¯s black hair was plastered all across his pale face and his eyes were closed. Blacknail studied him for a moment, and then poked him in the cheek several times. That failed to provoke a reaction, so Blacknail put his finger under the man¡¯s nose to check for breathing. His first thought had been to lean over and listen, but he¡¯d quickly discarded that idea. For some reason, he was concerned about the unconscious vympir lurching awake and biting his neck.


    That turned out to be an unnecessary worry. A moment after Blacknail had put his finger under the vympir¡¯s noise, his eyes fluttered open and he began coughing. Ah, he was definitely alive! Blacknail grinned happily. Time to get him back in the fight!


    ¡°Ack, what is that smell?¡± the vympir groaned before coughing weakly again. His black eyes seemed unfocused, and he collapsed a second later.


    Oh, no. Ilisti was still clearly still out of it. Blacknail sighed as he withdrew his digit. Unlike a human, he knew he smelled great. Ilisti was definitely still out of it. Yep.


    Before deciding what to do next, Blacknail took a moment to study the ongoing battle. He didn¡¯t want to be caught by surprise if the flow of the fight suddenly changed or if Myagnoir headed his way.


    Sir Masnin and his subordinates still had Myagnoir on the defensive, although it seemed that they¡¯d lost one or two more members. Blacknail wasn¡¯t the best at counting, but that¡¯s what it looked like to him. The warriors and knights surrounded the beast and kept it busy by lunging in to attack its scaly body before it could counterattack.


    Meanwhile, Werrick¡¯s mounted force had finished turning around and was coming in for another charge. Every one of their lances was pointed straight toward the drake and they shimmered with constrained heat.


    Seeing his allies¡¯ approach, Sir Masnin redoubled his efforts and began yelling orders. ¡°Keep the beast constrained and we can end this! Don¡¯t let up.¡±


    As the knights thundered closer, the paladin ran in to distract Myagnoir again. Moving quickly, he stabbed one of the beast¡¯s front feet while it was looking the other way. The drake snarled but couldn¡¯t spare the time and focus to do more than half-heartedly try to backhand Sir Masnin away. The clumsy counterattack missed. Myagnoir was being pressed in on all sides by the other human fighters. It had to keep turning and snapping to keep them away from its belly.


    Seeing the horsemen closing in again, Myagnoir attempted to raise another shield of freezing air. All the fighters stumbled back away from the swirling vortex, but that simply gave the remaining kingdom mages a clear shot. Almost immediately, a beam of fire shot out of the nearby ruins and seared through the shield, dispersing it.


    That cleared the way for Sir Masnin and his men to dive back into combat. Myagnoir caught one mounted knight and violently slapped him and his steed aside with a claw, but the others kept up their attack. Blacknail found their tenacity impressive, or maybe they were simply desperate now. Regardless, several of their weapons bit into Myagnoir¡¯s flesh as they put themselves at risk to distract the beast from their charging allies. Leading from the front, Sir Masnin threw himself right into the fray. Perhaps realizing that they desperately needed to land a solid blow on the mutant drake soon, he challenged Myagnoir head on.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°For honor. For humanity. For divinity!¡± the paladin roared as he ran straight toward the beast¡¯s head.


    Accepting the challenge, Myagnoir let out a vicious growl and turned to give the paladin an intense glare that caused both its yellow eyes to glow intensely for a moment. Then, its neck extended like a snake¡¯s as it snapped at Sir Masnin with lightning speed. Moving just as quickly, the paladin blurred as he dodged the closing teeth by throwing himself sideways. He then slashed at the beast¡¯s neck. His lance parted the scales, leaving a long gash that quickly began gushing out blood. It wasn¡¯t a shallow cut. The Doom of Coroulis had been truly wounded now.


    However, now Sir Masnin was off-balance and exposed. Blacknail glanced toward Werrick¡¯s force and growled angrily. The bandit lord had slowed down his charge for some reason, and that meant Sir Masnin was alone and unsupported. If Werrick hadn¡¯t slowed, his force would have hit Myagnoir already and drawn his attention, but now the beast could focus on the annoyance in front of it.


    Rearing back, Myagnoir swiped at Sir Masnin with one of its front claws. The paladin tried to dodge by jumping back, but the tips of the claws caught the edge of his silver armor, causing him to stumble. Off-balance, he was stuck in place as the Doom of Coroulis snarled and snapped at him again. Blacknail¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he watched. This time, the drake¡¯s huge jaws closed down on the paladin, piercing armor and cutting deep into flesh. A flick of Myagnoir¡¯s neck then pulled the man up into air, so that the drake could to flip him into his mouth. The beast then began chewing as an incredibly satisfied expression appeared on its face. Blacknail winced. This was bad for so many reasons. He¡¯d actually liked Sir Masnin. He was rather fair and practical for a human, despite his suicidal need to fight monsters and protect people.


    Only then did Werrick begin his attack, while the drake was still chewing and swallowing. The bandit lord and the rest of his mounted squad held their heat-lances steady as they zoomed toward Myagnoir¡¯s exposed side. Werrick led the way and was the first to plunge his lance into the drake¡¯s side as the riders made their second pass. The weapon sizzled as it slid over three feet into the beast. It then got stuck, and Werrick was forced ride on without it. The assault didn¡¯t end there though. All of the other riders brought their own weapons to bear on the drake¡¯s side. Myagnoir screamed in pain loudly enough to shake the air and hurt Blacknail¡¯s ears. He winced, and a ringing noise lingered even after the beast fell silent.


    As the knights rode past, they left Myagnoir¡¯s hide a bloody mess of long bleeding wounds. Despite the creature¡¯s immense bulk, Blacknail knew that he¡¯d been gravelly injured. He just wished Werrick hadn¡¯t been the one to do it, and that Sir Masnin hadn¡¯t been chewed up and swallowed like a dry biscuit. Blacknail found the timing of Werrick¡¯s delay deeply suspicious. It had been a little convenient for him and far too inconvenient for everyone that stood in his way. The Wolf was obviously making his move, so Blacknail would have to be wary and accelerate his own plans. Being all alone in the ruins made that difficult though. Where had all his minions ended up?


    Blacknail¡¯s dark thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rubble tumbling behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at Ilisti, but the vympir hadn¡¯t moved. He was still lying on the ground. Instead, the noise appeared to have come from further back, out of sight. Blacknail frowned as he studied the ruins, but he didn¡¯t have to wait long. A man stepped into sight a moment later, and he was swiftly followed by a woman. They both quickly spotted Blacknail and gave him furious glares that made their unfriendly intentions clear, before briefly glancing at Ilisti¡¯s fallen form.


    Both humans were familiar to Blacknail, which was unsurprising. The idea of some random unknown humans wandering into Coroulis at this time was rather silly. The man was one Werrick¡¯s thugs, who had stuck close to his leader over the entire journey. He was tall with a smooth face and a bald head that Blacknail approved of, although his intelligent and convenient hairstyle didn¡¯t make him any less of an enemy. The longsword he was holding made that clear.


    Blacknail instantly recognized the woman. It was Werrick¡¯s lieutenant Zelena. Her long blonde hair, feminine elegance, and stylish furs made her quite unique among the expedition members. Even Blacknail would never mistake her for any other human. She wasn¡¯t armed with any obvious weapon, but delicate gold chains hung from one of her hands, and Blacknail knew not to underestimate her. She had caused trouble for him before and was one of Werrick¡¯s most trusted subordinates.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blacknail asked them as he gripped the hilt of his sword with one hand.


    Zelena stepped forward and smiled in a way that failed completely to be anything like friendly. ¡°I would ask you the same, but it¡¯s obvious. We both came here to check on the wounded. Why don¡¯t you leave this to us?¡±


    ¡°No, go away now,¡± Blacknail replied coldly as he drew his weapon. The blade slid free of the sheath with subtle ringing sound. There was no way his guests had good intentions. They certainly had no reason to help Ilisti, who was Werrick¡¯s enemy.


    Instead of replying, Werrick¡¯s minions stepped forward to confront Blacknail and their expression¡¯s hardened. Warily, Blacknail moved to intercept them. He didn¡¯t think they were stupid enough to not realize how amazing he was, so he stayed light on his feet and ready to move. They undoubtedly had some hidden weapons of their own.


    The hobgoblin was right, as usual. Zelena raised her chain covered hand, revealing her palm and the golden disc nestled there. There was a very magical looking white crystal in the center of it.


    Blacknail was already dodging sideways as a blast of lightning shot out of the crystal and tore through the space he¡¯d been occupying less than a second ago. Still moving, Blacknail dove toward the swordsman, so that he could use him as a shield against further magical attacks. He got within range of the man easily enough and then unleashed a flurry of vicious slashes.


    Surprisingly, the swordsman managed to defend himself. Steel loudly clashed against steel as their blades met in a storm of incredibly quick blows. Blacknail grunted in effort as he kept up his attack. The man was not only skilled, he was also too fast to be a normal human. He was a Vessel. This complicated things. Blacknail had been right to be cautious. He was up against both a mage and a Vessel. Werrick must have gone to quite some effort to keep their abilities hidden from the rest of the expedition.


    Hoping to knock his opponent off-balance, Blacknail tapped into his core and began radiating his fear aura as he slashed down at the man¡¯s face. The magical terror hit the enemy swordsman, causing him to flinch, but he recovered instantly. Blacknail¡¯s attack was sidestepped, and their clash continued.


    While Blacknail was fighting the swordsman, Zelena attempted to slip around and get a clear shot at Blacknail, but he didn¡¯t let her. Keeping one eye on her, he made sure to maneuver the swordsman between them whenever she moved. He didn¡¯t feel like getting hit by lightning.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working. Push the savage freak away!¡± Zelena suddenly ordered the man.


    Nodding, the swordsman suddenly stepped forward to block one of Blacknail¡¯s attacks. Their blades met with a loud metallic ring and then locked together as the fighters¡¯ muscles strained against each other.


    Blacknail attempted to gather up mana to empower himself so he could overpower his arrogant human foe, but then the air around the man began to shimmer. Immediately, Blacknail tried to disengage, but he was committed to his attack and couldn¡¯t just flee. He tried parrying his enemy by stepping to the side and redirecting the blow, but he was too late. The shimmering suddenly stopped, and then the air around the swordsman exploded. The blast wave hit Blacknail hard, lifting him up and throwing him back several feet, but he managed to land on his feet. He didn¡¯t seem injured either, or at least nothing worse than bruises. He could keep fighting and the pain simply made him angrier.


    ¡°That¡¯s cheating. Fight fair,¡± Blacknail complained as he steadied himself. Magic was so unfair. He hated it. What kind of jerk used magic like that in the middle of a sword fight?


    The real problem was his positioning. Blacknail winced and readied himself for trouble. The swordsman had taken advantage of the blast to step backwards, clearing Zelena¡¯s line of fire. She was already aiming her mana stone his way.


    Lightning burst out of the white crystal and reached for Blacknail with incredible speed. He tried to dodge, but he was slightly too slow. The edge of the bolt caught his arm, sending burning pain through his entire left side and setting his coat on fire. Thankfully, it was only a small flame that quickly went out. Of more concern was the numbness. Blacknail¡¯s left arm felt limp and weak. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fight properly with it anymore.


    The swordsman smirked as he approached the hobgoblin. ¡°We¡¯ve got the bloody creature now. To think this subhuman has caused the boss so much trouble. He¡¯s nothing much!¡±

 Bane of Humanity 12

    Blacknail¡¯s left arm tingled numbly as it resisted his attempt to move it properly. He could only get it to shiver and twitch, which wasn¡¯t nearly enough. He was in the middle of a sword fight and would have really liked to have both his arms working properly. Being hit by lightning sucked.


    Grunting, Blacknail eyed his two foes. The sword-wielding Vessel was grinning triumphantly as he brandished his weapon, while Zelena had a more serious look on her face. She was eyeing him carefully as she kept the magic jewelry in her hand pointed his way. Undoubtedly, she was already preparing to hit him with another blast of lightning. Blacknail was going to have to do something about that, but what? Hmm, magic would have to counter magic.


    Reaching down into himself, Blacknail grabbed control of the mana within his core and began circulating it through his body with increased intensity. Instantly, the tingling in his arm abated somewhat, but that hadn¡¯t been Blacknail¡¯s goal. Gathering some of the power up, Blacknail turned to growl at Zelena while he threw the invisible power straight at her.


    Unprepared, Zelena gasped and stumbled back as the magical terror washed over her. Her raised hand fell as she shivered uncontrollably for a moment. Her fearful reaction enflamed Blacknail¡¯s predatory instincts. He wished he could have lunged forward and torn the woman apart, but he wasn¡¯t given a chance. Seeing his ally falter, the human Vessel charged in to attack the hobgoblin.


    Steeling himself, Blacknail was forced to defend himself using a one-handed grip on his sword. It was less than ideal, and his lack of leverage quickly allowed the human to push him back. There was one upside though. Now that he was in close-quarters combat, Zelena couldn¡¯t get a clear shot on him anymore. Yep, all he had to worry about was getting a sword shoved down his throat. Yeah!


    Stumbling back over a loose brick, Blacknail hurriedly ducked under a vicious slash that had been aimed at his face. He then had to sidestep and dodge several more attacks from his enemy¡¯s blade. He desperately tried to counterattack, but with only one hand, his attacks were easily blocked or dodged.


    Growling in frustration, Blacknail was pushed back toward a solid wall. The stone was crumbling, but that wouldn¡¯t stop it from getting in his way. Desperately, Blacknail tried to step sideways, but Zelena cut him off and raised her hand menacingly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. There is no escape for the likes of you,¡± she told him in a venomous tone.


    Stuck in place, Blacknail could only jerk his head backwards as the human Vessel stepped forward and attacked again. His blade was a blur of speed as it sliced toward the hobgoblin¡¯s face.


    Blacknail¡¯s dodge wasn¡¯t quite fast enough. The sword bit into flesh and tasted blood as it sliced into Blacknail¡¯s cheek. Yelping as he jumped back against the wall, Blacknail raised his weakened hand and clumsily felt up his face. Both his eyes were still working, good. The cut on his cheek wasn¡¯t too deep, good. His nose¡­ There was a chunk missing from the tip of his nose! Blacknail gagged and felt sick. No, this couldn¡¯t be happening! His nose was his best feature, and now it was ruined forever. Would Herah even want to sleep with him anymore if he didn¡¯t have a perfect long pointy nose?


    ¡°My nose! Your deaths will be beyond pain!¡± Blacknail hissed furiously as he glared at his petty human attackers. How dare they cripple him so. He would tear them apart with his bare hands and then suck the marrow from their bones!


    The hobgoblin¡¯s rage allowed him to pull up even more mana, which was helping his arm heal, but it was still very weak after being hit by Zelena¡¯s lightning. More fear-based attacks probably wouldn¡¯t be effective since he¡¯d already used them on both his attackers and couldn¡¯t rely on the element of surprise anymore.


    ¡°You¡¯re finished now. A wounded animal that doesn¡¯t know its already dead,¡± the Vessel announced as he approached Blacknail with his blade raised.


    There was nothing the hobgoblin could do but ready his defenses. He was very aware of the cold stone wall behind him. There was nowhere to run and he was outmatched. His odds of surviving this weren¡¯t great¡­ No, he refused to die here without avenging his nose! Also, there was Saeter and Herad. He couldn¡¯t forget about them. They needed to be avenged too, and he was so close.


    The enemy vessel stepped forward and launched a flurry of attacks that immediately put Blacknail on the defensive. As he desperately defended himself, the hobgoblin took two shallow cuts on his arms that began leaking blood. Any moment now, he was going to falter and take a fatal blow. Blacknail glanced hopefully over toward Ilisti¡¯s fallen form, but the vympir was still completely out of it. What a lazy useless bastard.


    Suddenly, the combatants¡¯ blades crashed together. The impact caused the steel to ring and sent a shiver down Blacknail¡¯s arm. Then, the weapon slipped from his grasp. He could only stare in horror at his fumble.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re mine!¡± the vessel laughed triumphantly as he raised his blade to deliver the finishing blow.


    That was when a red-topped blur shot out from behind a pile of rubble and straight toward Zelena. The female mage spun around, but was too slow to prevent her attacker from stabbing her in the side.


    ¡°Die, you stuck up bitch!¡± Khita laughed as she pulled her weapon back. ¡°This will teach you to mess with the Red Cat!¡±


    The who? No, Khita¡¯s nonsense wasn¡¯t important. Blacknail concentrated on his enemies.


    Zelena gasped in pain and shock, although her wound didn¡¯t look fatal. Meanwhile, her ally glanced over to see what was going on and hesitated upon noticing the new arrival. That moment was all Blacknail needed. He might have been disarmed, but he didn¡¯t need a weapon to kill humans. He was a hobgoblin, a natural killer. Lunging forward, he dove in under the man¡¯s raised sword and tackled his opponent to the ground.


    Gasping, the man tried to defend himself, but Blacknail was in close now. Driven by rage and cruel instinct, the mutant hobgoblin pulled himself up and chomped down on the vessel¡¯s exposed neck. His long sharp teeth parted flesh with ease and a flick of his neck tore open a huge gaping wound. A half-gurgle scream filled the air, before Blacknail silenced it by taking another big bite. Now the man was reduced to a shivering pile of meat whose life was quickly draining away.


    The taste of blood and the feel of flesh in Blacknail¡¯s mouth was deeply satisfying, even if humans didn¡¯t taste great. Still, he let himself swallow the meat and then purr happily as he got to his feet, leaving his defeated foe beneath him. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t eat humans, but he deserved to take something back from the stupid human that had crippled his nose. Really, the man had gotten off too easy.


    Up ahead, Zelena was still dealing with Khita. As Blacknail watched, she threw the redhead back with a blast of force. Holding her bleeding side, she then glanced toward Blacknail. A look of pure horror appeared on her face as she saw the blood-soaked and manically grinning hobgoblin stalking toward her. Stumbling back, she grabbed an amulet that hung around her neck. Blacknail prepared to dodge an attack, but none came. Instead, Zelena¡¯s image became hazy and then disappeared a moment later, leaving Blacknail blinking in surprise.


    ¡°Um, where did that blonde whore go?¡± Khita asked in surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Blacknail replied as he looked around. ¡°How are you even here? I thought you ran from the cold.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The redhead chuckled and stuck her chest out proudly. ¡°As if that could keep me away from a good fight. Once I got warmed up, I ran back into the cold and took one of those fancy amulets off a fallen knight.¡±


    There was still no sign of Zelena, but Blacknail had bigger concerns. Climbing up onto a small pile of rubble, Blacknail looked over toward the fight with Myagnoir.


    Things there weren¡¯t going particular well. Lacking Sir Masnin¡¯s leadership and shinning example, the remaining fighters from the first group had scattered before the Doom of Coroulis¡¯ rage. No longer encircled, the great mutant drake was now retreating off the road and into an alley between two tall buildings. Werrick¡¯s riders were already abandoning their next charge, as they realized they wouldn¡¯t make it in time. Myagnoir had been gravelly wounded, but it was far from finished and was getting away.


    Blacknail growled furiously and his fingers curled up into claws. This was all Werrick¡¯s fault! He¡¯d set Sir Masnin up to die by not supporting him properly and he¡¯d sent valuable fighters after Ilisti instead of using them to fight Myagnoir. The selfish bastard was ruining everything.


    Khita climbed up beside Blacknail and observed the fight too. ¡°Well, that sucks donkey balls.¡±


    As Blacknail watched, Werrick¡¯s riders came to stop alongside the scattered remains of Sir Masnin¡¯s force. The Wolf began yelling orders, but it was obvious that Myagnoir had escaped. Then, the air shimmered next to Werrick¡¯s horse and Zelena appeared. The two quickly began talking and then the male femage pointed straight toward Blacknail and Khita¡¯s location.


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s even worse,¡± the redhead observed as the hobgoblin groaned.


    At least Blacknail¡¯s arm was feeling better now. He flexed his fingers and they responded almost normally, although they were still weak.


    Blacknail took a moment to watch what Werrick was doing, and he really didn¡¯t like it. His archenemy seemed to be giving a rousing speech to the other humans, who were responding and getting worked up. It also didn¡¯t appear that he was pointing them in Myagnoir¡¯s direction. No, he punctuated one particularly loud bout of yelling by gesturing toward Blacknail¡¯s location.


    This was not good. It was obvious that most the humans in the expedition had barely tolerated the hobgoblins¡¯ presence, and Blacknail had known that Sir Masnin was the only one keeping everyone else in line. However, the paladin was gone now, and it seemed like Werrick was having no problem taking over and turning everyone against Blacknail. In fact, he seemed to consider getting rid of Blacknail more of a priority than finishing off Myagnoir. Werrick¡¯s riders reformed and began moving toward Blacknail.


    ¡°Ugh, what do we do now, boss?¡± Khita asked him. Blacknail snorted. So, he was her boss now?


    ¡°We run away,¡± he replied as he hopped down from the pile of rubble and ran over to Ilisti¡¯s side.


    Thankfully, the vympir was awake. He groaned and gave Blacknail a questioning look. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°A big lizard smacked you with its tail before eating Sir Masnin. Now everyone is trying to kill us. You need to get up,¡± Blacknail told him.


    This earned them a confused stare, but the hobgoblin and the redhead simply grabbed his armor and pulled him up into something resembling a standing position. He wobbled a bit but didn¡¯t fall over.


    Staring into the vympir¡¯s eyes, Blacknail gave him some stern advice. ¡°You need to run and hide for a while. Don¡¯t let the humans find you.¡±


    Ilisti nodded and straightened up, so they let him stand on his own.


    ¡°We¡¯ll buy you some time. It¡¯s us they want,¡± Khita added proudly.


    Blacknail stared at her. That was not part of his plan, and why was she including herself? Werrick couldn¡¯t care less about her. Did she want to be hunted? Stupid human.


    Werrick was on his way, so they didn¡¯t hang around. The allies split up and ran into the ruins, with Khita and Blacknail going one way, while Ilisti went to find somewhere to hide. As he ran, Blacknail could hear the pounding of hooves as Werrick closed in. At least all the rubble and tight turns would slow the horses down a lot, and Blacknail had a plan. He needed to make it out of the lost city and rendezvous with his hobs.


    Glancing over his shoulder as he ran, Blacknail saw a horseman ride out from behind a building.


    ¡°This way. I found the treacherous creature!¡± the rider yelled to signal to all his companions.


    Blacknail bristled as he grabbed Khita and pulled her around a corner so they couldn¡¯t be seen so easily. Treacherous creature? He¡¯d never betrayed the expedition! He¡¯d never had a chance. It had been Werrick that had done that. All these stupid humans were going to pay for being so dumb.


    There was shouting from behind Blacknail and Khita as they ran toward the gate they¡¯d come in through. This was quickly followed by some yelling over to Blacknail¡¯s left. It seemed like the horsemen were spreading out to flank them. All the nearby ruined homes and bushes made it difficult for Werrick¡¯s men to find them, but it also made it almost impossible for Blacknail to see what Werrick was planning as well.


    ¡°This way!¡± the hobgoblin told Khita as he veered right away from the noise.


    Running down a narrow side street, the pair passed several small buildings that had mostly fallen apart. Empty windows and shadowy doors surrounded them, but they saw no signs of movement.


    ¡°We¡¯re not going to run into Myagnoir, are we?¡± Khita asked nervously. ¡°That thing''s still out here.¡±


    ¡°No, it went in the other direction,¡± Blacknail replied. Or, at least he¡¯d thought it had. All these bleached stone buildings looked the same and he¡¯d gotten a little turned around.


    Suddenly, there was a clatter of hooves, and a knight on horseback rode out onto the street ahead of them. Blacknail and Khita immediately scrambled to a stop as the armored warrior turned his mount around to face them and yelled to get his allies¡¯ attention.


    ¡°Boar crap,¡± Blacknail cursed as the knight began charging toward them. They wouldn¡¯t be able to outrun the rider in the open.


    ¡°Through here,¡± the hobgoblin yelled as he ran over to one of the nearby homes and jumped through a window.


    Landing on his feet, Blacknail kept running through the empty building. The only thing in his way was some wooden debris on the floor and a lot of dust. All the home¡¯s furniture had long since fallen apart. Behind him, Khita jumped inside the building just as Blacknail vaulted through another window on the far side of the room. Once outside, the hobgoblin found himself on another side street. The old crumbling buildings were tightly packed together here, so there was no way the knight could come over here. Good, that meant they were safe for a moment.


    Khita landed next to Blacknail, and they both began running again. Blacknail was fairly certain they were headed for the gate. He would have asked Khita, but she was useless.


    Using his long pointy ears, Blacknail listened carefully for any sign of pursuit. He could hear at least two group of riders off in the distance, but neither was ahead of them. The riders kept yelling at each other, so locating them wasn¡¯t hard. Hmm, was heading for the gate the best idea? They might be able to climb over the city wall if they could find a spot where some of those thick vines had grown up over the outside. Well, the way to the gate seemed open for now, so they¡¯d try that first.


    The narrow residential street the pair were on led to the city wall, so Blacknail and Khita took it all the way there before turning left toward the gate. They could see the top of it above some rows of ruined buildings, but there was no straight road leading to there. Still, with no other real choice, they sprinted in the direction of the gate.


    Unfortunately, that was when Werrick finally caught up to them. As Blacknail glanced down another side street as he ran past it, he saw the bandit lord and a dozen riders charging right for him. Not good! There was a vicious snarl on the Wolf¡¯s face, and none his followers seemed willing to talk over their differences either.


    As the stampede of horsemen turned the corner and began chasing the pair down, Balcknail considered his options. They were all bad. Khita and him were already running with everything they had, but the riders were still closing in. Stupid vile horses! Blacknail hated all of those hateful beasts. How was riding a big animal like that fair? It wasn¡¯t!


    The huffing and wheezing of the knights¡¯ mounts reached Blacknail¡¯s ears as they drew in closer.


    ¡°Run the filth down! Avenge our fallen,¡± Werrick yelled to the cheers of the other riders. They sounded as if they were only a few feet away, but were actually at least twenty seconds behind.


    Blacknail grimaced as he tried to circulate mana through his body to increase his speed. It didn¡¯t work very well. He was running out of mana. It had been a while since he¡¯d had a chance to recharge, and he¡¯d been using his powers an awful lot today. Meanwhile, Werrick¡¯s group drew ever closer.


    The hobgoblin knew that he could speed up a little, but then he¡¯d leave Khita behind, and he wouldn¡¯t actually be able to escape anyway. It was the later part that mattered there. Maybe he could pick Khita up and throw her at Werrick? Ugh, knowing the redhead, she¡¯d somehow survive that, and then he¡¯d be run down. Damn them to every hell! He was so close to getting what he wanted. If only Werrick hadn¡¯t started his terrible plan before Blacknail could start his own amazing one. Well, that was probably the entire point. Werrick was smart enough to know that Blacknail held all the advantages when they claimed the silver.


    That was when things got much worse. Dashing around a turn, Blacknail and Khita found themselves facing a dead end. A huge pile of stone blocked their way toward the gate. It looked like a watchtower had fallen off the city wall, and now its bulk was completely blocking the road.


    As the hobgoblin and the redhead slowed, one of the riders next to Werrick dashed ahead and closed in on them from behind. Sword raised high, he prepared to strike at Blacknail.

 Worldshift Beta Reading and Discord

    Alright, I¡¯ve finally gotten this entire novel written, edited, and prepared for beta reading. Writing a book takes a long time. Who knew? Here''s the plot summary of Worldshift: Virtual Revolution.


    Society has grown rich thanks to automation and technology. As a result, jobs are scarce, but its easy for society to provide its people with all their basic needs. Strict proscriptions on research and development prevent disruption, while the government tightly controls commerce with the help of the mega corporations to prevent economic disharmony.


    Ethan is young and unemployed. One of the many who fail to find a job and join the elite. Nonetheless, he lives a secure life thanks to the economic support he gets, and he finds excitement playing virtual reality games where he can take risks and lash out.


    However, despite his security and determination to avoid what¡¯s happening around him in the real world, he can¡¯t help but feel that something is wrong with society. That feeling becomes inescapable when he starts playing the latest event in the world¡¯s most popular game, Worldshift. Thousands of players are lured into climbing the Tower of Ascension by an incredible prize, where they team-up and battle amongst themselves, but nothing is as it seems. The tower is far more than a game. Not only are its rewards real, but so are its dangers.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Change is coming to a long stagnant world -a virtual revolution- and everything Ethan knows will be threatened.


    Writing Worldshift was an experiment and an exercise to improve my writing craft. It¡¯s a combination of a more traditional sci-fi and litrpg. I wanted a chance to write a contained story with a obvious beginning and end that was a single book in length. I also wanted the chance to really edit it several times before it was released, which you can¡¯t do with a web serial. The end product is very different from The Iron Teeth, but I hope people like it. At over 160000 words it¡¯s not short.


    I believe that writing Worldshift made me a better writer though. Among other things, it allowed me to focus on how to craft interesting characters that feel more real and have contained arcs.


    The beta draft of the novel is available to VIP tier users at Patreon</a> if you¡¯re interested in taking part in the beta reading. I¡¯ve set up a discord server so that beta readers can discuss the novel.


    If you¡¯re not interested in that, then you can still head over to the discord</a> to chat with people about my work. There are several channels where you can discuss different things. After the beta reading is done and I''ve done another round of editing, I plan on making this novel availible on Amazon.


    Thanks for reading!

 Bane of Humanity 13

    Blacknail scrambled to a stop and turned to face the mounted knight that was leading the charge by Werrick¡¯s force. Behind the hobgoblin, the fallen watchtower blocked the road. The long pile of shattered stone completely cut off Khita and his path toward the gate.


    The lead knight charged forward until he loomed right above Blacknail with his sword raised high in preparation to strike. Blacknail met the eyes of the brown warhorse and grimaced. He was cornered now and had no other option but to fight madly with every shred of his remaining strength, like a trapped beast. He wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight.


    Blacknail¡¯s body was tired and his mana low, but he still reached within and grasped as much power as he could. Shaping it with his will, he then pushed it out in one huge wave of rippling terror. The magic washed forward, hitting riders and mounts before seeping into their minds and overwhelming them.


    As expected, almost all the knights resisted the mental assault, but the same could not be said for their mounts. Blacknail¡¯s power tore into the minds of the horses, ripping thoughts apart and replacing them with raw terror. Screaming, the beasts attempted to escape from Blacknail, who loomed like a horrifying shadowy giant in their minds. Ha, if Blacknail was going down, he would take as many horses with him as possible!


    Some of the horses tried to scramble to a halt mid-charge, while others suddenly jumped to the side. As a result, Werrick¡¯s force immediately descended into violent chaos as riders collided with each other or were thrown off their panicking mounts. At least one man was trampled and many others barely managed to stay mounted. The riders ground to a halt before Blacknail, their charge ended as they dispersed and attempted to regain control of their mounts.


    Feeling hollow and weak, Blacknail stumbled back toward Khita, who stepped next to him and raised her blade defensively.


    ¡°Are you alright? Can you keep running,¡± she asked in a worried tone. His weakness was obvious.


    Glancing to both sides, Blacknail didn¡¯t see anywhere to go. The buildings here had all collapsed. Trying to climb over them while being chased would be very dangerous. However, before Blacknail could reply to Khita, he noticed something rather unfortunate. One rider was pushing through the chaos and headed his way. It was Werrick. He had kept control of his mount and he looked quite angry.


    ¡°You will not escape me, vermin,¡± the bandit lord roared as he rode forward. ¡°Today, you die and the North becomes mine at last.¡±


    Blacknail tried to sense the mind of Werrick¡¯s mount, and found it to be unusually bright and strong. It even seemed to contain mana. Was Werrick¡¯s mount a Vessel? Such beasts did exist, although Blacknail had never seen them before. Looking closer, the hobgoblin realized that this wasn¡¯t the same horse that Werrick had ridden on the journey here. He must have taken it from someone else. What a thief.


    ¡°I¡¯m out of ideas, do you have something?¡± Blacknail asked Khita as he watched Werrick trot closer. He was sure she didn¡¯t, but he wanted to hear her admit it aloud.


    Khita just grinned. ¡°Yes, we can take him together before the others recover. We got this.¡±


    Blacknail groaned. What a stupid idea. He should have known better than to ask Khita anything.


    Khita¡¯s words seemed to concern Werrick though. Since Blacknail didn¡¯t seem to be going anywhere, the mounted vessel brought his mount to a stop. Instead of attacking, he simply waited for his allies to recover so that he wouldn¡¯t have to fight alone. Blacknail grimaced. What a coward. Now, he might actually have to follow Khita¡¯s dumb plan. Attacking the bandit lord now would still be better than waiting to get overwhelmed by his entire force.


    An unexpected clattering noise suddenly drew Blacknail¡¯s attention over to his left. It sounded like falling rubble. Glancing that way, Blacknail saw a brown blur speeding his way. Flinching in surprise, he spun to face his new assailant, who he recognized a moment later. It was the mutant goat! Charging by Blacknail, the beast tried to grab at the hobgoblin¡¯s backpack and tear it off his back. It managed to catch the fabric, but Blacknail didn¡¯t let go of his prizes so easily. He held on to it as the goat¡¯s momentum began pulling him away.


    ¡°I got you!¡± Khita yelled as she grabbed his arm to help steady him.


    The goat didn¡¯t slow and Blacknail felt his bag begin to tear, so he swiftly changed his approach. Spinning around, he grabbed one of the goat¡¯s horns. However, this didn¡¯t slow the beast. Almost instantly, he was pulled along after the speeding goat, so he loosened his hold on the bag and jumped on the goat¡¯s back. This was made difficult by the fact Khita was still holding on to his arm, but after briefly considering kicking her in the face so she let go, Blacknail pulled her up behind him.


    ¡°What in damnation! Stop them,¡± Werrick yelled furiously as the goat continued its charge right up the tall pile of rubble along the side of the street. His only reply was mad excited laughter from Khita.


    Leaping from stone to stone, the large mutant goat barely seemed to notice its riders. There was a surprising amount of muscle under its thick fur, but Blacknail bounced on its back painfully as bony bits stabbed into his soft bits. Still, he gripped the creature¡¯s horns with everything he had. They were escaping!


    Reaching the top of the rubble, the goat began descending, and Blacknail had to hang on for his dear life. How was it that people could ride animals like horses? This was obviously unnatural. Not to mention, incredibly painful. Blacknail¡¯s thighs felt like they were being beaten by hammers, and the less he thought about his groin the better.


    Upon reaching the ground, the goat began speeding toward the city gate. That was great, since Blacknail had no way to steer the creature, and if he fell off the beast now, he was pretty sure he wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for a while. Behind him, Khita was still laughing. It didn¡¯t sound like she was in nearly as much pain as him.


    Gritting his teeth, Blacknail clung to the goat¡¯s back. They sped through the streets for a few moments, and then shot out of the city gates and into the forest. That was when their mount decided to try and rid itself of the annoyances on its back. Flinging itself about, the goat began trying to buck them.


    Blacknail managed to hold on for about three seconds before being thrown off. Then, he was airborne for another second before hitting the ground face first. Thankfully, the ground was soft loam here, and thus the pain from falling wasn¡¯t actually worse than what he¡¯d felt while riding. Groaning, he decided to take a moment to recover and simply lay on the ground. That was when Khita landed on his back. As she rolled away, the hobgoblin coughed and groaned. So far, this wasn¡¯t a good day.


    Looking up, Blacknail saw that the goat was around twenty feet away and was ignoring everything around it as it tore into the hobgoblin¡¯s bag in pursuit of the cheese within. Noticing Blacknail¡¯s hostile stare, it turned and gave him a look full of contempt and utter disregard before going back to snacking. Blacknail had very mixed feeling about this mutant. Technically, it had sort of saved his life twice, but it was still an arrogant thief. He wanted to kick it in the face.


    ¡°Wow, that was incredible!¡± Khita laughed merrily from beside him as she climbed to her feet. ¡°Can you believe how lucky we are?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Blacknail hissed angrily as he carefully stood up. Just no. His everything was tender and sore. He didn¡¯t want to start moving, but he had no choice. Werrick wouldn¡¯t have given up. He¡¯d be here soon.


    Blacknail twisted around to stretch out, and his spine made several uncomfortable cracking noises. Ouch. He winced as he did a few more stretches. There was much to do. He¡¯d had a run of bad luck, but his plan could still work. He was a tactical genius after all.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Blacknail told Khita as he began walking deeper into the forest and she fell in behind him. He didn¡¯t quite manage to walk normally thanks to his sore butt, but he managed to limp along at a fair pace.


    Leaving the trail and the goat behind, Blacknail attempted to disappear into the forest before Werrick¡¯s force showed up. He headed for a big clump of bushes and then passed through them before walking past several shadowy trees. The day had grown late while the expedition had fought Myagnoir. It wasn¡¯t quite so bright out now and the forest had grown dim. That was a small advantage to Blacknail since he was running away, and humans relied on sight so much to track.


    He didn¡¯t get far before he heard signs of pursuit. There was snorting from horses as they rode out of the ruined city gates and stomped over bushes. Glancing over his shoulder, Blacknail saw flashes of movement through the trees as riders spread out. The enemy was barely visible off in the distance, but they were determined and could catch up quickly if they spotted him.


    Werrick¡¯s enraged voice echoed through the trees. ¡°Find them! They dismounted out here so they couldn¡¯t have gone far. Do not let the hob escape! He dies today. There will be no more sulking about in the woods for him.¡±


    There were several shouts of acknowledgement and then the riders flooded out into the forest. Blacknail could hear more than one of them headed in his direction.


    ¡°We need to move faster!¡± he whispered to Khita as he picked up the pace.


    Racing ahead of the pursuers, the hobgoblin and the redhead hurried through the forest. Sticking to the shadows and bushes, they tried to stay out of sight as they ran. Since their pursuers were mounted, Blacknail wasn¡¯t too worried about leaving tracks. He simply didn¡¯t want to get run down.


    Several minutes passed before Blacknail detected someone heading their way. His ears twitched as he heard someone crashing through the bushes toward them.


    ¡°Hide in here and don¡¯t move,¡± he hissed at Khita as he pushed her into a crevice under a fallen tree trunk. He then threw some leaves and dirt on her, more for fun than for any practical purpose.


    The redhead sputtered angrily, but Blacknail ignored her and ran over to a nearby tree. Moving quickly, he climbed up into the branches. His claws sank into the bark and wood, making the ascent easy.


    Once up in the tree, Blacknail scurried out onto a thick branch and looked down. From the ground, he was hidden by some thick clumps of leaves, but he had no problem scanning the forest below for signs of movement. He didn¡¯t have to look hard. Within moments, a knight rode into sight. His mount made a lot of noise as it stomped through the bushes.


    As Blacknail watched from concealment, the rider pulled on his reins to slow his mount and began scanning his surroundings for any sign of his quarry. Like most of the warriors on the expedition, he was wearing a simple chainmail shirt over rugged padding, since heavier armor was too difficult for most of them to carry around all the time. He also had a steel helm on and a sword at his hip. Blacknail saw no sign of a lance, which would have been near useless in the forest anyway.


    The knight approached Khita¡¯s hiding spot at a slow trot, and Blacknail frowned. The man was moving too slowly. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste so much time hiding since there were other pursuers out in the forest that would surround them before too long. That meant action was required, even at the risk of revealing his position.


    Shifting his weight forward, Blacknail ever so carefully pulled himself over to another branch and then began creeping down it. A few moments later, the knight rode below him, so Blacknail grinned and dropped down on the unsuspecting human. His feet landed on the horse¡¯s back as his hands grabbed the rider¡¯s shoulders. Immediately, the horse bucked and whinnied in shock as it felt the unexpected weight on its back. Meanwhile, the rider held on tight and tried to turn to see what had grabbed him. Blacknail didn¡¯t let him. Reaching up, he wrapped one arm around the man¡¯s neck and drew a dagger with the other. As the rider struggled in his grasp, Blacknail pulled the man¡¯s chin up and slit his throat. Blood poured from the gaping gash and the man flailed about for a moment before going slack from blood loss. As a result, his grip on his mount ended and he began to slide off the horse, taking Blacknail with him. Blacknail tried to hold on, but the horse bucked again, and he was thrown off.


    ¡°Vicious stinky beasts. You¡¯re probably secretly allied with the boggarts¡± Blacknail hissed as he stood up and watched the horse run off into the woods. He¡¯d managed to land softly on all fours this time, so he wasn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Can I come out now?¡± Khita asked from her hiding spot.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve made too much noise. We need to run.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make any noise,¡± Khita replied sourly as she crawled out from under the log.


    ¡°Just follow me,¡± Blacknail told her as he began running.


    Already, he could hear shouting and the sound of running hooves echoing through the trees as some of Werrick¡¯s forces began heading in their direction. Obviously, they¡¯d heard the horses screams and were coming to investigate. Blacknail sighed as he ran. He could never catch a break.


    Despite the quick pace the pair managed to set, Blacknail soon heard the pursuit grow closer.


    ¡°I see them. This way!¡± someone yelled from behind them.


    However, instead of closing the distance, Werrick¡¯s forces stayed back. Most likely they were waiting for their boss to show up and engage Blacknail personally. For now, they were content to keep an eye on them.


    That was when Blacknail heard a familiar and yet out of place bird-song from up ahead. Right away, he replied using a different call as loudly as he could while still running. It was as signal from one of his minions who¡¯d noticed the commotion, and Blacknail had told him to prepare for a fight. That was about as specific as he could get while communicating using bird calls. Hopefully, this wasn¡¯t a lone minion that had retreated from Coroulis. Blacknail could really use some help. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stay ahead of Werrick for long.


    Beside the hobgoblin, a huffing and puffing Khita reached into a pocket and pulled out a vial of Elixir. She then chugged the entire thing down.


    ¡°No point in saving it now,¡± she grunted as Blacknail nodded in agreement.


    There was another bird call from up ahead, so Blacknail shifted direction slightly and headed straight toward it. There was no way a single hobgoblin would be replying. By now, they¡¯d have some idea of what was headed their way, and they were far too cowardly to risk themselves like that.


    Glancing back, Blacknail saw a group of horsemen racing up along his left flank. They were too far away to engage, but they did cut off one of his retreat paths and threaten to encircle him. There was also another force of riders hanging back directly behind him. The bushes and uneven ground slowed their mounts, but they would catch up before too long.


    The forest grew thinner and the bushes were swiftly replaced by thick trees with dark grey bark. The horsemen would catch up quickly such terrain. However, Blacknail had no real option but to keep running straight and hope for the best.


    That didn¡¯t work out so well. The flanking force sped up and pulled ahead as the pursuit caught up. Blacknail was forced to turn to his right where there was a rocky hill. This was an unwelcome development. Climbing it would be difficult, especially for Khita, and the riders could just go around it. Not to mention, Blacknail spotted a mage staff among the pursuing force. If they climbed the cliff, they¡¯d be easy targets.


    As they reached the edge of the hill, Blacknail and Khita reluctantly came to a stop.


    The redhead through him a nervous look. ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡±


    ¡°Now we fight,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You know I¡¯m always up for a good fight, but we¡¯re a little outnumbered here,¡± Khita remarked as she stared at the approaching riders. The dirty knights looked quite menacing on their huffing mounts.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have a plan.¡±


    This earned the hobgoblin an unenthusiastic grunt in response, but he ignored Khita and focused on the enemy. Seeing that their quarry was seemingly trapped, the riders slowed and spread out to encircle them as much as possible, although the hill behind Blacknail and Khita at least protected their backs.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Werrick to appear with Zelena riding beside him. Taking the lead, the bandit lord rode up through his allies and stared at Blacknail suspiciously.


    The hobgoblin sneered at him. ¡°You¡¯re a traitor. You let Sir Masnin die and let the Doom escape just so you could try to get me. You¡¯ve betrayed your people and your oath.¡±


    He then turned to glare at the other riders. His words had mostly been for them. Some of the knights probably were uncertain about these recent developments.


    ¡°Hold your tongue, beast,¡± Werrick told him. ¡°Everyone knows your words can¡¯t be trusted. I had nothing to do with Sir Masnin¡¯s noble death, and we will deal with Myagnoir in due time. It is wounded and on the run. You are the more pressing threat to humanity. We know you were planning on killing everyone and seizing the silver for yourself so that you and your ilk can weaken humanity and take over the North.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s what you¡¯re doing, you smelly liar.¡±


    ¡°I would never betray humanity to a threat as great as the boggarts or you, and I know I could never stand against the boggarts alone. Your pathetic and self-serving accusations don¡¯t even make sense.¡±


    Blacknail snarled. ¡°You¡¯re a murderous bandit lord and a coward. You¡¯re only concerned about your own skin, and what you know is that you could never beat me without treachery. Your country and other humans mean nothing to you.¡±


    Glancing over the enemies arrayed against him, Blacknail saw over two dozen horsemen. Counting Zelena, two of the riders were mages. That was horrible odds, especially since he was so tired and almost out of magic.


    Werrick motioned for his troops to charge all at once, but Blacknail cut him off. ¡°At least be brave enough to fight me yourself instead of sending the duped minions after me.¡±


    Sighing, Werrick dismounted. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ve crossed blades before, and this will simply be another humiliation for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the same as before.¡±


    ¡°True, but that won¡¯t be enough. I¡¯ve killed bigger, faster, and smarter mutants than you. My blade will put an end to your slander while the gods watch in judgement,¡± Werrick replied nonplussed as he drew his blade and stepped toward Blacknail.

 Bane of Humanity 14

    Werrick approached with his blade held out aggressively and its gleaming tip pointed right at Blacknail. There was silence from all the nearby human warriors as they watched, although some of their mounts neighed and snorted softly.


    Even Khita stepped back out of the way of the combatants, although she didn¡¯t stay silent. ¡°Kick his ass and cut out his liver! He¡¯d not so tough. You got this!¡±


    Readying himself and ignoring the redhead, Blacknail raised his own longsword up defensively and grimaced sourly as he eyed his mortal enemy. He didn¡¯t like this situation at all. He¡¯d been waiting for a chance at Werrick forever, but this wasn¡¯t how he¡¯d wanted it to happen. His position was even worse than it had been during their last fight, which he¡¯d lost. The hobgoblin knew he was tired and out of mana, while his enemy was in much better condition. Cheating would also be difficult, since Werrick was the one with backup nearby. Zelena was already watching him like a hawk. This entire situation sucked. He¡¯d put a lot of effort into making sure his next battle with Werrick was nothing like a fair fight, but it had all gone to waste. Somehow, this was Khita¡¯s fault.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape me now,¡± Werick laughed as stepped forward.


    Blacknail watched him warily. ¡°I¡¯m not running, pink face. You¡¯re the one that will die here.¡±


    He was totally planning on running the first chance he got. If Khita couldn¡¯t keep up, that was too bad for her.


    Werrick¡¯s blade lashed out, catching sunlight as it sliced toward Blacknail¡¯s shoulder. The hobgoblin quickly side-stepped and countered with a slash of his own, which was dodged just as easily. Testing each other, the combatants exchanged a flurry of light attacks. Neither gave ground nor pressed the attack, but they kept their guards up.


    Blacknail was more than happy to keep things at a standstill for as long as possible, but after a minute or two, Werrick grew confident and impatient. The bandit lord ducked under a high slash and grinned smugly as he pressed the attack. Stepping forward into Blacknail¡¯s personal space, he stabbed at the hobgoblin¡¯s chest.


    Dodging to the side, Blacknail countered with a heavy downward blow, but Werrick simply rose to meet the attack and parried it before surging forward, right into the off-balanced hobgoblin¡¯s face. He was going for a shoulder blow. Eyes wide with surprise, Blacknail hesitated for a brief moment, but then his instincts kicked in. Rage and mana swirled through his body as he growled and opened his mouth wide to reveal his long teeth. Leaning down, Blacknail attempted to gore his foe¡¯s neck.


    Now it was Werrick¡¯s turn to flinch in surprise, before abandoning his attack completely and throwing himself to the side. After recovering his balance and getting back into a proper stance, he threw Blacknail a dark look.


    ¡°I forgot how much of a savage you are,¡± Werrick said before spitting on the ground.


    Blacknail glared at him. ¡°You¡¯re the one that tried to cheap-shot me first! What was that?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a vast difference between my attack and biting like a rabid animal,¡± Werrick replied angrily before approaching again. ¡°You¡¯re nothing like a true warrior.¡±


    Blacknail snorted. He didn¡¯t care about being a true warrior at all. Survival was what mattered to him.


    ¡°You almost had him. Try it again and tear his throat out!¡± Khita cheered, earning her a lot of glares from Werrick and his men. Blacknail was sure his enemy wasn¡¯t going to try to tackle him again, so the redhead¡¯s advice was characteristically useless.


    There was a loud metallic clang as the combatants¡¯ blades met again. Werrick unleashed a flurry of skillful blows that tore through the air with shocking speed, but Blacknail managed to counter and keep him back with several powerful slashes of his own. The two fighters then stepped back and eyed each other warily. Blacknail was finding it noticeably easier to match his mortal foe now that he was a mutant. His longer arms and stronger muscles allowed him to use his new longsword to keep Werrick back much easier.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you getting tired?¡± Blacknail taunted his opponent.


    Werrick chuckled grimly. ¡°Not even a little. In fact, I believe it¡¯s time for me to stop messing around and end this little charade.¡±


    The Wolf¡¯s sword sliced through the air as he brought it around and fell into a more aggressive stance. Blacknail raised his own guard, but Werrick¡¯s move was more than it first appeared. A thin wave of force slid off his blade and cut through the air as it flew toward Blacknail. Only the hobgoblin¡¯s familiarity with the technique allowed him to recognize what was happening in time to dodge the attack. Werrick was using his unique Vessel abilities and channeling them through his sword.


    However, as Blacknail stepped to the side, Werrick launched himself forward and hacked at him with a wild swing. Blacknail¡¯s arms vibrated from the force of the blow after he was forced to block it, but he kept his stance solid and used an internal burst of mana to strengthen himself and push the big human warrior back.


    Frowning, Werrick stepped back and shot another two air blades at the hobgoblin, before following right after them. The two magical slashes travelled on slightly different trajectories, making dodging them difficult, but Blacknail managed to twist out of the way of the first and then duck under the edge of the other without losing his solid stance. Thus, he met Werrick¡¯s attack with a powerful slash of his own that sliced through the air and toward the bandit lord¡¯s head.


    Werrick tried to parry the blow and use his momentum to barrel over the hobgoblin, but Blacknail was having none of that. He met the attack head on, blocking Werrick¡¯s blade with his own. Their swords met with a crash that vibrated down both their arms and then the weapons locked together. Both fighters struggled to push the other back. Using some of the mana that was slowly gathering in his core, Blacknail managed to break the deadlock. His muscles strained as he pushed Werrick¡¯s weapon away.


    Grunting with effort, Werrick tried to turn his retreat into a sidestep and counter, but the pressure from Blacknail caused him to stumble instead. Sensing weakness, the hobgoblin felt a surge of excitement burn through his body as he lunged forward. His sword lashed out with lightning speed and bashed Werrick¡¯s weapon aside. Unimpeded, his blade then clanged as it hit the man¡¯s shoulder and was deflected off his chainmail shirt. Werrick let out a pain-filled shout as he fell back. His arm now hung stiffly as if wounded, although it wasn¡¯t visibly bleeding.


    Mercilessly, Blacknail pressed his advantage and leaped after his injured opponent, but he didn¡¯t get a chance to attack again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zelena raise a hand and point it in his direction. He¡¯d been keeping an eye on her, and he instantly knew she was up to no good.


    As Blacknail watched, a small blast of nigh-invisible power shot out of the crystal in Zelena¡¯s palm. It streaked through the air, forcing the hobgoblin the abandon his attack and jump back to avoid the magical projectile.


    ¡°Hey, I saw that!¡± Khita yelled as she pointed at the mage woman. ¡°That¡¯s cheating, you bitch! Come over here and try that. I¡¯ll cut slice open your throat.¡±


    Everyone ignored her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what foul trick you used to injure me, but this dishonor won¡¯t stand!¡± Werrick shouted proudly as he backed away like a coward. He was obviously playing to the crowd.


    Snarling, Blacknail considered going after him, but he was getting quite a few glares from the knights and mages around him. ¡°What trick? I hit you with my sword. That¡¯s what you were doing too!¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°If you have no honor then this duel is over,¡± Werrick announced before turning to his companions. ¡°Take him down. I injured him before he forfeited the match.¡±


    Shouting their acknowledgement, a dozen knights urged their mounts into motion and began riding toward Blacknail. The hobgoblin eyed them with deep concern as he backed up. Unfortunately, there was nowhere for him to run now.


    ¡°You cheating son of a harpy! Get over here and die.¡± Blacknail yelled at Werrick as he gave him the evil eye. The bandit lord didn¡¯t reply or even turn around. He just kept walking over to Zelena¡¯s side as if unconcerned by Blacknail¡¯s fate.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Khita asked as she drew her sword and ran over to the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail eyed her. Why did she think he had the answers? That was kind of unreasonable. ¡°Um¡­¡±


    As the knight¡¯s closed in, Blacknail¡¯s long green ears twitched. He heard rocks clatter behind him. While in front of him, the knights suddenly began slowing their mounts down.


    Werrick glanced at something behind the hobgoblin and then turned to the male mage in his group. ¡°Quickly, blast the fiend.¡±


    The mage quickly moved to obey and levelled his staff at his target, Blacknail, but before he could activate his magic, a glowing blue barrier appeared in front of Blacknail, shielding him. At the same time, the sound of clattering stones grew louder and Blacknail glanced over his shoulder to see six hobgoblins slide down the hill at his back and land behind him. Looking up, he saw that there were many more hobgoblins standing atop the hill as well. Far more than he¡¯d brought on Sir Masnin¡¯s expedition. Imp stood in their midst, holding an amulet that was the source of the shield.


    ¡°Oh good, you¡¯re finally here. I thought you got lost,¡± Blacknail said before sighing in relief. They¡¯d really left it to the last second. Either his minions were far too lazy, or someone had been plotting. Well, at least they were here now.


    Scamp frowned nervously as he looked down at his chieftain. ¡°You weren¡¯t easy to find, boss. We only got here so quickly because of all the noise you were making.¡±


    Blacknail was unconvinced and still more than a little suspicious. ¡°I signaled you a while ago. You knew I was here, so what took you so long?


    That was when the bushes off to Blacknail¡¯s left rustled and another dozen hobgoblins with spears appeared to flank the knights. A moment later, another twenty hobgoblins stepped out of the tree on the other side of Werrick¡¯s force. They were boxed in now, with no easy retreat routes.


    ¡°We waited until we had Werrick surrounded before showing ourselves. You told me to make sure Werrick didn¡¯t get away, no matter what, or you¡¯d feed my guts to the pigs, remember?¡± Scamp told him.


    Now that he mentioned it, Blacknail did remember that. ¡°Right, and it worked. Good job me. I¡¯m very smart.¡±


    Blacknail had known all along that Werrick would have several schemes in motion and that he would try to seize control of the other humans. He¡¯d had little choice after Blacknail had forced him to come on this expedition. Control of silver was far too important for the bandit lords to share it, and they hated each other with a passion anyway. If he¡¯d been allowed to stay behind, Werrick could have used his forces to ambush the silver and seize control of the city once it was found, but out in the Green, he was at Blacknail¡¯s mercy and cut off from most of his troops. Thus, Werrick had no other option but to kill Blacknail before Blacknail killed him. The exact method of his betrayal had caught the hobgoblin off guard ¨C he¡¯d assumed that Werrick would at least wait until after Myagnoir was dead ¨C but his vulnerability had been temporary.


    Fair fights were not Blacknail¡¯s specialty. Long before coming on Sir Masnin¡¯s expedition, Blacknail had secretly ordered a force of fifty of his hobgoblins to shadow the expedition from a safe distance. It was a feat that no human army could possibly hope to match, but his minions were far more comfortable in the Green. Thus, Blacknail had been prepared for any betrayal Werrick had planned and he could make sure the Wolf never left the Green alive. It was such a great plan. Blacknail knew he was amazingly smart for having thought of it, despite the slight problems he¡¯d run into before his reinforcements had arrived, like almost dying half a dozen times.


    Scamp hadn¡¯t been Blacknail¡¯s first choice as leader of the reinforcements, but he was a skilled ranger, and everyone smarter had been busy.


    Most of the enemy force seemed unsure of what to do now that they faced a serious threat that they didn¡¯t have massively outnumbered. Their mounts shuffled uneasily as the riders watched the newly arrived hobgoblins with obvious fear and concern. However, Werrick simply looked furious. Stomping forward, he levelled an accusatory finger at Blacknail and glared at him venomously.


    ¡°I was right. This is proof that the hobgoblin was always trying to ambush us on the way back and take the silver for himself!¡± Werrick shouted. ¡°He¡¯s brought an entire army here in secret to make sure none of us survive to reveal his treachery.¡±


    Blacknail glared back at him. Really? Human political nonsense, now? ¡°Stop lying. I just knew that you we¡¯re going to betray me, like you did, so I made plans to be ready to kill you and all your allies first. I didn¡¯t want anyone but you dead.¡±


    This argument didn¡¯t appear to sway anyone to Blacknail¡¯s side. The knights were still pointing their weapons in the hobgoblin¡¯s direction and had hostile expressions on their faces. Stupid humans. Sure, he¡¯d explained that badly, but he still made a lot more sense than Werrick had. Well, whatever. Once they were dead it wouldn¡¯t matter. Getting his words through their thick skulls would probably be much harder than getting his blade through their soft bits.


    ¡°Form up and prepare to fight!¡± Werrick ordered all the nearby riders as he jumped back on his own horse.


    ¡°I only want Werrick and his men. Anyone else that surrenders will make it back South alive,¡± Blacknail shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the treacherous creature! He¡¯s just trying to get us to turn on each other so that he can slaughter us piecemeal. If we fight side-by-side, then we can crush these pitiful savages beneath our valiant steeds¡¯ hooves!¡±


    None of the humans rode over to throw themselves at Blacknail and his hobgoblin¡¯s mercy, so the hobgoblin chieftain didn¡¯t see the point in wasting anymore time. He finally had Werrick right where he wanted him! He was outnumbered and stranded out in the Green, where running was impossible.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡± Blacknail ordered his minions as a vicious hunger rose up from within him. He grinned savagely at Werrick as he fantasized about finally hacking his master¡¯s killer apart with his own hands. He¡¯d taste Werrick¡¯s blood and watch with glee as the light faded from his eyes.


    At their master¡¯s command, the hobgoblins surged forward, closing in on the knights from multiple directions. Only about half a dozen hobs stayed back on top of the hill. Imp and two of his mage assistants were among them, and they seemed to be preparing spells. Scamp also made no move to leave the top of the hill.


    ¡°To me! We must escape the savage¡¯s entrapment,¡± Werrick roared as he guided his mount to the left.


    The bandit lord was attempting to strike where the hobgoblins were thinnest and smash through them to reach safety. Blacknail couldn¡¯t let that happen. Even outnumbered, if the knights got free, they could maneuver around the hobgoblins and trample them one group at a time.


    ¡°Charge! Follow me. The first to attack get the first pick of the loot!¡± Blacknail yelled at his minions before rushing ahead to cut off Werrick¡¯s retreat. He wasn¡¯t letting him get away now.


    Dashing forward at full speed, Blacknail ran over to where the melee was thickest, around some knights fighting from horseback. Several hobgoblins and Khita followed him. Up ahead, Werrick was cutting down two hobgoblins that had been unfortunate enough to be in his way. Over on the other side of the melee, there was a fiery explosion as the mages began dueling.


    Upon reaching the fighting, Blacknail wasted no time in throwing himself at Werrick, who was still mounted. Pushing past an unresisting hobgoblin that was glad to let him pass, he unleashed a wicked slash at his mortal foe¡¯s leg.


    Reaching down, Werrick easily deflected Blacknail¡¯s attack with his own blade. He then wheeled his mount around and the huge beast reared up to kick at Blacknail. Jumping back away from the horse¡¯s dangerous looking hooves, Blacknail weighed his options. Attacking mounted warriors was still super annoying. He really hated horses. They were more evil made flesh than real animals.


    Werrick immediately pressed his advantage and cut down another hobgoblin in the melee, so Blacknail threw himself back into the fight. He only had so many minions that he could afford to lose. Lacking any real plan, he went with his instincts.


    Blacknail lashed out at the horse¡¯s flank with his blade, however the vile beast managed to take most the strength out of the blow by sidestepping, so the sword inflicted only a shallow cut. Looking over, Blacknail saw that one of the horse¡¯s eyes was glaring right at him. The beast looked enraged and mad in the way of all its deranged kin. That gave Blacknail an idea. Horses seemed to hate and fear hobgoblins just as much as hobgoblins hated them.


    Sheathing his weapon, Blacknail ducked under another swing from Werrick and leaped at the ass end of the horse. It tried to move away but he dashed after it. A moment later, he was jumping onto its side, and his claws drew blood, giving him purchase and allowing him to pull himself up higher. The creature¡¯s brown flanks were impressively tall. Also, very sweaty and smelly.


    Ignoring the stench that was right below his nose, Blacknail continued to cling to the horse and climb up onto its back. The beast didn¡¯t like that one bit, and quickly began bucking and flailing around in an attempt to throw him off.


    ¡°What are you doing? Get off, you cretin!¡± Werrick yelled as he glanced back at Blacknail.


    The bandit lord tried to take a swing at the hobgoblin, but the bucking of the horse threw his aim off, and Blacknail managed to climb up and entangle the blade in his antler-like horns. Werrick struggled to keep control of his mount and free his sword as his horse neighed frantically, but Blacknail¡¯s presence finally broke its control. It went berserk and began flailing about with complete abandon in a desperate attempt to dislodge the predator on its back.


    Both Werrick and Blacknail were thrown off and tumbled into the melee.

 Bane of Humanity 15

    Blacknail hit the ground hard after being thrown from Werrick¡¯s horse. A shock went through his bones and he grunted in pain, but a moment later, he managed to roll across the ground and jump back to his feet. He didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d been injured badly, although that might be because his entire body was already sore. Shaking his head, the hobgoblin chieftain looked around for Werrick.


    The bandit lord had been thrown about twenty feet away and had also just managed to get to his feet, although he¡¯d dropped his sword. It was laying on the ground a few arms lengths away. Seeing an opportunity to take down big game, three nearby hobgoblins snarled and charged at the man that had fallen amongst them. Two of them held spears while the third had a short sword and a primitive wooden shield with red tribal marks on it.


    A raised arm deflected the first spear harmlessly to the side. As the surprised hobgoblin stumbled forward, Werrick reached out and grabbed him. A second later, that unlucky hobgoblin was sailing through the air right toward the other hobgoblin with a spear. They collided with a loud crack as their skulls met, and then they both fell unconscious to the ground. The sword wielding hobgoblin tried to slash at Werrick¡¯s exposed back, but Werrick simply dodged back away from the strike and grabbed the hobgoblin¡¯s arm. Pulling his startled opponent off-balance, Werrick then punched him in the face so hard that he flipped over backward. The hobgoblin landed in a twisted heap, and didn¡¯t get back up. Ouch.


    His attackers defeated, the bandit lord calmly walked over to pick up his sword and then turned to look at Blacknail, who was headed his way. A knight on horseback tried to ride up and hack at the hobgoblin chieftain, but Blacknail ducked under the attack and then slashed the leg of his mount. The horse screamed shrilly - which pleased Blacknail greatly ¨C and then tumbled over. Its rider managed to jump free and land on his knees, but before he could get up, two hobgoblins attacked him. One stabbed him in the side with a spear while the other jumped on him and began hacking at his neck with a long wicked-looking dagger.


    The arrival of his minions had changed more than the odds. The air was thick with fear now as the humans confronted a grinning inhuman foe that outnumbered them and had them surrounded. The dark stifling emotion leaked from the humans and was drawn to Blacknail by his mutant nature. Feeding on the terror, Blacknail felt his power replenish itself much faster than before. The magic boosted his strength and the overflow cycled through Blacknail before being released back out as an aura of dread, driving the humans¡¯ fear even higher. He felt powerful.


    As Blacknail kept walking over to Werrick, a dismounted human warrior charged out of the melee and lunged at him with his blade held up high. Glancing at the man and frowning, Blacknail drew his blade with startling speed and stabbed him in the chest. With a twist of his wrist, he then twisted the weapon around and pulled it out. There was a brief sucking noise as it came free and the human warrior collapsed. With his sword now dripping crimson blood, Blacknail made it the rest of the way to Werrick unimpeded.


    Actively reinforcing himself with mana, so that his pain and weariness faded away beneath seething magic, Blacknail sneered confidently at his foe. ¡°Nothing is going to save you this time. Today, you finally die.¡±


    Werrick laughed darky without a hint of fear. ¡°It is you that fate has conspired to keep alive. Your life should have ended at end of my blade long ago, you treacherous hobgoblin.¡±


    ¡°You betrayed me first! You¡¯re more treacherous than me,¡± Blacknail shot back.


    ¡°So, you admit to planning to betray your allies!¡±


    Scowling, Blacknail shifted topics slightly. ¡°I won¡¯t be dying until I¡¯ve avenged my master and Herah. You took them from me, and I¡¯ll make you pay in blood and bone. I¡¯ll put you down like a mangy dog, Wolfy.¡±


    ¡°Blood and bone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to use your skull as a decoration.¡±


    ¡°Your grudge is petty and pathetic both. You are nothing but a savage with no comprehension of what you do. My victory over Herad was fairly won and just another step along my destiny. The North will be mine; I have claimed it by right of steel and blood. You are nothing but a hobgoblin beast howling in the dark. I am a lord with backing of interests beyond your ability to understand.¡±


    It was Blacknail¡¯s turn to laugh. ¡°The North is mine. Yours is the old way that has already failed. I am making something young and strong. Your men sicken and die as my hobs grow more numerous. Even now I¡¯ve sent raiders to slaughter your men wherever they hide. When I leave the Green with the silver, your entire band will be already be dead or have surrendered to me. Your ambitions were doomed the moment you stepped into the Deep Green with me.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall simply kill you and your pathetic tribe of savages will turn on each other,¡± Werrick spat angrily. ¡°The silver is all I need to rebuild my kingdom. My destiny will not be denied. Before the fall of Courolis, my mother¡¯s family were the most powerful nobles in the North, and I¡¯m an unmatched warrior. The gods themselves have blessed my conquest. Once I cut you down like just another mutant beast that threatens my domain, I will become the king I was always meant to be and rebuild the North to its past glory.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. I¡¯ve built far more than you ever have, with all your talk of blood and destiny. No matter what, the North has changed beyond your ability to control. The old North is long gone, and it will have no human king. The boggarts and I have seen to that.¡±


    ¡°You are capable of nothing but ruin and will bring the people of the North nothing but suffering. What they need is a king, and my destiny will not be denied!¡± Werrick snarled as he finally threw himself forward to attack.


    Blacknail stepped forward to meet him, and their blades crashed together with a loud clang that reverberated throughout the melee. Neither of them gave ground, so both combatants then began hacking and slashing at each other viciously.


    Off to the side, Blacknail saw a fireball slam into a glowing shield. It detonated with a bang, raining fire down on several fighters. There were screams as the flames hit both hobs and humans, but Blacknail was too preoccupied to see any more. The important thing was that he hadn¡¯t been hit, although it would also be nice to know if his mages were winning their fight. Right now, he had no idea. Stupid magic.


    Ducking under a high blow from Werrick, Blacknail tried to slash the man¡¯s shoulder, only to miss as Werrick stepped back. The fighters didn¡¯t slow for a second. They both kept up a brutal of flurry of attacks while they attempted to find a weakness and seize the advantage. Their exchanges were so fast and powerful that everyone else fell back to give them room. Any normal soldier intruding upon their duel would have been cut down before they knew what happened.


    Werrick and Blacknail seemed to be quite evenly matched. During their last bout, Werrick had held all the advantages, but Blacknail¡¯s second transformation had fixed that. Their bodies were now around the same size, if you ignored the hob¡¯s horns. Werrick was still the more skilled swordsman, with many more years of practice, but Blacknail¡¯s mutant body was superior to that of Werrick¡¯s. Compared to a human Vessel, Blacknail had both faster arms and eyes. He could keep up with all of Werrick¡¯s movements, even the tricky ones.


    Werrick stepped back and launched a flurry of air slashes at Blacknail. They flew out at the hobgoblin without warning, forcing him to spin and duck out of the way. A split second later, both combatants lunged at each other and their blades met again, sending vibrations down both their arms.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Both fighters were giving their battle everything they had, but as blow after blow was exchanged, Blacknail began to grow more confident. Werrick was beginning to lag, while Blacknail felt as if he could keep up this pace all day. Fear reigned across the battlefield, feeding him more and more power. Magic circulated through his body as thick as blood now, invigorating him. Meanwhile, Werrick was dependent on Elixir, and Blacknail didn¡¯t plan on giving him a single moment to drink any. His assault was relentless. If he kept this a battle of endurance he would win. That was a good feeling. Blacknail had been waiting for this day for so long. His mortal enemy was in his power at last, and soon he would taste his heart¡¯s blood.


    Werrick didn¡¯t appear too concerned though. He calmly matched every blow of Blacknail¡¯s with one of his own, forcing the hobgoblin to keep absolutely focused on the fight. The man probably had at least one trick left. He hadn¡¯t dominated the North and killed Herad by being predictable and easy to defeat.


    Snarling as his memories of loss fed his rage, Blacknail picked up the pace. His blows became even more savage as he attempted to put his foe on the defensive and crush him. At first, Werrick managed to hold his own with a series of graceful yet powerful counters, but then he was pushed back by a brutal cleave attack that knocked his weapon aside in a shower of sparks.


    Blacknail attacked again immediately, and Werrick responded by jumping to the side. At the same time, the bandit lord grabbed his own wrist and pulled something loose, a steel bracelet. A second later, Werrick tossed the bracelet at Blacknail. On guard for tricks, Blacknail immediately dodged to the side and scrambled away from the suspicious item.


    It was the right move. As soon as it hit the ground, the bracelet exploded with a boom that sent dust flying in every direction. Shielding his eyes, Blacknail felt a rock hit him in the chest, cracking a rib and driving the air from his lungs. The blast had seemed like a less controlled version of Werrick¡¯s power. The bracelet must have been designed to use it that way.


    Ignoring the injury, Blacknail glanced back at Werrick. The man hadn¡¯t attacked. Instead, he was chugging down a vial of Elixir. He finished a moment later, and after giving the hobgoblin a smug grin, he raised his blade and moved to attack again.


    Their blades met with a metallic crash. His sore rib only slowed Blacknail slightly, but Werrick was also in better condition now thanks to his Elixir. Blacknail dodged a slash and feinted at Werrick¡¯s left shoulder before being pushed back. It was a tiny edge, but now Werrick seemed to have the advantage. Blacknail found himself on the defensive as a reinvigorated Werrick hit him with one heavy blow after the other. Desperately, he only managed to block each blow at the last second, and his own attacks stopped completely.


    Suddenly, a redheaded blur dashed out of the melee to Blacknail¡¯s left and charged at Werrick¡¯s back. It was Khita and she had her sword raised and ready to strike. Blacknail could only watch in surprise as she attacked.


    However, Werrick saw her coming somehow. Spinning around, he unleashed a heavy horizontal slash at her chest. As Blackail jumped forward to help, Khita managed to block Werrick¡¯s blow, but his strength was too much. It pushed her weapon aside and then his blade slammed into her side, slicing through armor and into gut. Gasping in shock and pain, Khita¡¯s eyes went wide as she was knocked over and collapsed to the ground.


    Werrick then spun back to block Blacknail¡¯s savage strike. Their blades ground together and locked in place as they both pushed with everything they had.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± Blacknail hissed. He was furious that Werrick had slain another of his companions, but at least it had been Khita. She wasn¡¯t that useful any more, since he had no problem getting other human minions now. Also, she was so annoying that he¡¯d thought about leaving her alone in the Green to die many times. Blacknail still planned to avenge her though. Also, Herah would miss her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll soon send you to meet all the lost souls you claim to care so much about!¡± Werrick growled back as he strained to overpower his attacker.


    At first, they were evenly matched, but then Blacknail embraced his emotions. Cold power coursed through him, spiraling down as he drew on the terror in the air. Black rage and grief rose to meet it, burning like a terrible inferno. They swirled together as emotions seethed within Blacknail. He was going to tear Werrick apart! All his losses would be avenged by his own hand, and then when Werrick was dead, he¡¯d never lose anyone he cared about again. Even Khita had ¨C sort of - been his friend, he could admit that now that she was dead. She¡¯d been annoying, but loyal in her own way. Not the right way, but a way.


    Muscles straining, Blacknail hissed like a boiling kettle as his rage steamed out from him. Then, he gathered all his power and prepared to overpower his mortal enemy and finally slay him.


    That was when Khita got back up and stabbed Werrick in the back. Dumbfounded, Blacknail could only watch as her blade pierced armor and slid past bone to sink deep into the warlord¡¯s flesh.


    Eyes wide in surprise, Werrick wobbled on his feet. ¡°What? No! I¡¯m supposed to become king. My destiny¡­¡±


    Blacknail blinked as his arms grew slack. What?


    ¡°Shut up and die. This is for all of Herad¡¯s band!¡± Khita said as she kicked the bandit lord over. The redhead then hacked at the man¡¯s neck with her sword a few times to make sure he was dead.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Blacknail asked in disbelief after he¡¯d recovered from his stunned surprise.


    Khita laughed arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯ve killed Werrick, the Wolf of the North, and taken my place in bandit history! Now I¡¯m the strongest human bandit lord of all time.¡±


    ¡°Bandit history? That¡¯s not how it works, and he was mine! I was going to kill him. I¡¯d waited and planned for years to do it!¡±


    Khita snorted rudely. ¡°Please. He was knocking you around like a wooden top and would have cut you down soon. I saved you.¡±


    ¡°I was faking it! I was luring him in so I could finish him off!¡±


    ¡°Phew, sure you were.¡±


    Blacknail sputtered angrily. Magic and rage still boiled within him, although it was fading. He really wanted to punch the redhead right in her smug face, but his hard-earned discipline stopped him. ¡°How are you even alive? Werrick sliced you open like an apple, but you''re walking around as if you¡¯re fine.¡±


    Rolling her eyes, Khita lifted her bloody shirt to reveal her stomach and ribs. Her pale skin was splattered with blood, but her wound was covered in what looked like black scales. Blacknail recognized them instantly. The same growths had appeared over Herad¡¯s wounds, protecting them and allowing them to heal much faster. It had been her Vessel power.


    ¡°When did you learn to do that?¡±


    Khita shrugged. ¡°Quite a while back. I¡¯m using Herad¡¯s Elixir recipe after all. It just never came up, and it¡¯s not something I can just show off on demand anyway. Still, it¡¯s a super handy magic power to have, since I tend get stabbed a lot lately. Werrick sure didn¡¯t see it coming.¡±


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you really be dead,¡± Blacknail quietly muttered to himself as he eyed the redhead darkly. This was just what he needed. Now Khita was even more difficult to kill. Ugh, the world wasn¡¯t fair.


    Looking around, Khita scanned the melee. ¡°You should probably do something about the rest of this battle, so I can get on to spreading the legend of the Red Cat.¡±


    ¡°The Red Cat?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my bandit name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a terrible bandit name,¡± Blacknail told her.


    ¡°It¡¯s better than Blacknail.¡±


    ¡°Blacknail is my actual name! I didn¡¯t pick it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever. We should probably focus on the battle.¡±


    Annoyed at her obvious deflection, Blacknail nonetheless saw her point. He did still have a battle to win and some knights to mop up. They¡¯d betrayed him and Sir Masnin, so technically they were targets of his vengeance as well. Blacknail tried to get worked up about that, but he couldn¡¯t really manage it. Faced with Khita¡¯s stupidity, his rage had drained away. Werrick¡¯s death at Khita¡¯s hands was just too depressing. He couldn¡¯t believe that had happened. He¡¯d been looking forward to doing it himself since forever.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so tough, why don¡¯t you end the battle?¡± Blacknail told Khita. ¡°Go add to the legend of the Red Cat while I stay here and watch.¡±


    She glared at him. ¡°I just took a sword to the stomach. I may not be dying thanks to my amazing magic, but I¡¯m not at my best either.¡±


    Sighing, Blacknail studied the fighting around him. The stench of fear was even stronger now. It seemed like more than a few humans had noticed Werrick¡¯s fall and word had spread through the bandit lord¡¯s forces that their leader was dead. Many of them had already been cut down, although the fight was still ongoing. It looked like a few knights had fled off into the trees, but Blacknail knew they wouldn¡¯t get far.


    Feeling tired after the depressing end to his long-awaited duel with his mortal enemy, Blacknail simply wanted to get the rest of this battle over with. There were still things he had to do today, like deal with Myagnoir. Sigh. Was Zelena still around here somewhere? Leaving her alive would be a mistake.


    After clearing his throat, Blacknail let out a stifling wave of magical fear and began yelling. ¡°Alright, listen all you stupid humans. Werrick is dead! Surrender and I¡¯ll let you live. Keep fighting and I¡¯ll rip your limbs off and feed them to you.¡±


    ¡°Ya, and I¡¯m the one that killed Werrick. Khita, the Red Cat!¡± Khita added proudly. ¡°Fear me too!¡±


    Blacknail gave her a look. He was so going to leave her behind when he went back south.

 Bane of Humanity 16

    Even after Werrick¡¯s defeat, ending the fight and taking control of the chaos took more than a few minutes. Blacknail ended up stomping around and screaming for over twenty minutes before the last of the fighting stopped. He also ended up killing another knight that tried rallying a resistance, back handing a berserk hobgoblin into submission, and stabbing two horses that wouldn¡¯t shut up. If he hadn¡¯t been in such a bad mood, the last part would almost have been fun.


    Most of Werrick¡¯s treacherous force was dead by then, along with quite a few hobgoblins, but many humans did drop their weapons and surrender. Blacknail had their weapons and armor confiscated before putting them under heavy guard. He was told that some of them were nobles that were worth quite a bit in ransom, so he didn¡¯t want to kill them all. Also, appearing merciful and honorable would only help him. He still had to deal with the southern humans and their kingdom. Thus, it was important to make sure they knew he hadn¡¯t betrayed them. It was Werrick who had done that.


    As he was looking over the prisoners, Herah appeared and began approaching him. He¡¯d caught glimpses of her after the fight, but he¡¯d been too busy to give her any thought. The other hobs he¡¯d left behind and her must have been drawn to all the noise and joined in the fight late.


    ¡°Congratulations on your victory over the Wolf, boss. I knew you could do it!¡± Herah announced she walked over to him.


    Blacknail sighed and used one of his arms to keep her away when she tried to hug him. The female hob tried giving him a seductive and playful look as she tried to slip past his guard, but Blacknail wasn¡¯t in the mood. There would be plenty of time for hugging and sex later.


    ¡°Actually, Khita killed Werrick,¡± he explained as he dodged her lunge.


    Frowning, Herah picked herself off the ground. ¡°But she works for you, so it¡¯s the same thing.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that,¡± Blacknail mumbled sourly. Khita was too scatter brained to truly work for anyone. She simply followed whatever dumb impulses popped into her pink human head.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s dead now, and you avenged your Saeter. You used to mumble about that all the time while we mated. So, let me cheer you up. All this blood in the air is so thrilling. It would be shame to waste the moment,¡± Herah said as she eyed him knowingly. There was a hungry gleam in her eyes.


    Blacknail just sighed again. ¡°No, I got a lot to do still. Maybe later.¡±


    Turning away, he glanced toward the direction in which the ruins of Coroulis lay. Despite having finally killed his mortal foe, there was an almost overwhelming amount of work still to do. He¡¯d sort of assumed that Werrick¡¯s death would automatically make things easier, but it really hadn¡¯t.


    Myagnoir still lived, and there was the matter of Ilisti. Blakcnail hoped he was still alive. He needed to track the vympir down and find the silver. Even when that was over with, and Myagnoir wouldn¡¯t be easy to deal with, there was still the slight problems of the boggart hordes spilling forth from the dark paths and the ever-spreading ghoul pestilence. Ugh, it was enough to make Blacknail want to climb a tree and take a nap until everyone left him alone. Why couldn¡¯t his minions be more competent and deal with these things themselves without bothering him? They were really slacking.


    Leaving the prisoners behind with their guards, Blacknail led the rest of his force back to the city. His first priority was finding out what had happened to Ilisti. Thankfully, that didn¡¯t turn out to be very hard. After marching through the city gates and back into the ruins, one of Ilisti¡¯s men found them and brought the vympir over. It seemed like six of Ilisti¡¯s personal troops had survived the fight and reunited with their lord.


    ¡°What has happened?¡± Ilisti asked as he stepped out from shadows cast by the ruins of a home. ¡°You seem to have emerged victorious, but is our foe, the Wolf, truly dead? That black-hearted traitor deserves far worse than a swift ending.¡±


    The vympir seemed to have recovered somewhat. He wasn¡¯t limping anymore, although his armor was still dented.


    ¡°Ya, he¡¯s dead, but we still have problems,¡± Blacknail told him.


    Ilisti nodded and then looked over at some distant ruins. ¡°Myagnoir. I can sense that the beast still lives. His presence is like a chill wind upon my skin, and a blot upon the land itself.¡±


    ¡°Can you still fight? My minions are gathering up all the fire weapons the mages made and then I¡¯m going to hunt it down before it can heal.¡±


    ¡°You plan seems sound, and nothing would keep me from this battle. So, let us fulfill our quest together. First though, my own condition would be greatly improved by some sustenance. Do you have any dying prisoners?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there are some humans laying around somewhere,¡± Blackanil replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have my scouts look.¡±


    The vympir nodded and then followed a pair of hob scouts back out into the forest. Blacknail had given them instructions to find a dying commoner that was away from the prisoners. He didn¡¯t want them panicking when the vympir started feeding.


    That done, Blacknail got back to work. Scouts had to be sent out and gear had to be gathered up from where it had been dropped. Myagnoir was wounded, but Blacknail still wanted every fire-lance and mage trick he could get his hands on before confronting the beast. Having as many amulets as possible was even more important. If Myagnoir started using his huge cold attacks again, only those with amulets would be able to stay in the fight.


    It didn¡¯t take long for some of the scouts to return. They¡¯d found Myagnoir¡¯s lair. The great beast had retreated into the ruins of a keep.


    After following his minions over to the site, Blacknail stared down at it from atop the remains of a tall stone building down the street. The keep was massive construction made up of huge stone blocks, but it was in a state of quite some disrepair. Rubble littered the ground around it, all its towers had fallen, and there was a huge gaping hole in its side. That hole was obviously how Myagnoir entered and left the building.


    ¡°What do we do now, boss?¡± Herah asked from beside him.


    ¡°Now, we watch and wait for Ilisti to get back, and then we make a plan,¡± he replied.


    Thankfully, Ilisti soon showed up with a new spring in his step. Apparently, a stiff drink of altered human blood had really energized him. As he reached Blacknail¡¯s side, they immediately began planning and plotting. Then, when they had decided on a course of action, they sprang into action.


    The force split into three. The first group was the largest and contained all the Ilisti, Khita, and most the troops. The second was made of up the hobgoblin mages and their guards, while the third was the smallest and comprised of Blacknail and a few of his tougher hobgoblins. On the street, Ilisti¡¯s group took up position between the mages and the hole in the keep wall. Meanwhile, Blacknail¡¯s group circled around to the side.


    As Blacknail hid behind some rubble in an alley next to the road, the battle began with a dramatic flair. The hobgoblin mages opened fire, sending four hissing fireballs up into the air. The burning magic arced down at the keep a moment later and then hit the ruins with a series of loud bangs. Crackling flames washed over the stones and one even flew into the hole in the keep¡¯s wall before exploding.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The response to the attack was immediate and powerful. A furious roar echoed out from the keep, shaking the very stones before hitting the attackers. Blacknail winced as the painful sound pierced his ears and reverberated through his head. Ugh, Myagnoir was loud!


    A second later, a blast of air ripped out of the keep, extinguishing the flames from the hobgoblin¡¯s attack. The wicked gale then raced down the street and hit Ilisti¡¯s force. They shivered and stumbled back under its force, but it only lasted for moment before ending.


    However, that was when Myagnoir emerged halfway out of the keep and looked around. The beast had no choice but to come out and face its attackers, since the keep wouldn¡¯t shield it from repeated waves of fireballs. The fiery blasts would collapse the old stone structure eventually. The huge mutant drake glared spitefully at the forces before it. It then let out another roar of challenge before stepping completely out of the keep and out onto the road.


    Immediately, Imp and the hobgoblin mages launched another volley of fireballs at the beast. The fiery projectiles zoomed toward the drake with lethal intent, but then Myangoir replied by exhaling deeply toward the incoming missiles. The breath contained a wave of magical power. It rippled out from the drake and slammed into the fireballs. They were snuffed out by the freezing air and their remains were blasted off into the distance.


    Seemingly unconcerned, the hobgoblin mages simply threw another four fireballs at Myagnoir. They had a lot of mana stones, and were under orders not to hold anything back. Their target reacted as before, unleashing another great breath of freezing air at the incoming attacks which dispelled them. However, Imp wasn¡¯t done. As Myagnoir exhaled, he raised a staff taken from a fallen human mage and shot a beam of intense burning heat straight toward Myagnoir.


    The attack caught Myagnoir off guard, and slammed into its shoulder, blackening scales and causing the beast to roar in pain before it could respond. A moment later, Myagnoir jumped away from the beam and then summoned a swirling shield of freezing air that surrounded its body, but it had clearly been wounded again. The burn on its shoulder looked serious.


    Of course, this wound only seemed to enrage Myagnoir further. Roaring in defiance, the great beast charged toward Ilisti¡¯s force with obvious violent intent. Imp sent another beam of heat at Myagnoir, but the mutant¡¯s magic shield shredded it.


    Surrounded by spinning gusts of icy wind, Myagnoir slammed into the force that was standing between him and the mages. For a few seconds, the hobgoblins tried to repulse him, but then they quickly began to break. Huge claws threw them aside as chilling winds tore into them. Most of them didn¡¯t have amulets to protect them from the cold, and those without quickly turned and fled before the killing cold. Thankfully, Myagnoir wasn¡¯t projecting his cold very far from his body any more. He seemed to not have as much energy as before.


    Not everyone fled before the great drake though, Ilisti and Khita held their ground, while a few hobs with amulets rallied round them. Dodging the drake''s bites and slashes, they struck back with their own weapons. Ilisti sidestepped a claw and then stabbed it with the fire-lance he was holding. Khita also had a fire-lance, and she had no problem dodging, but her attempts to counter with the fire-lance were clumsy and missed. Clearly, she had no idea how to use the weapon. One hobgoblin wasn¡¯t so lucky though. Striking with startling speed, Myagnoir''s head shot forth and its jaws closed down on him. A second later, the hobgoblin vanished down the drake¡¯s gullet.


    That didn¡¯t stop Ilisti from dashing forward and stabbing Myagnoir in the ribs. Enraged, Myagnoir attempted to barrel right through its attackers and crush them beneath its weight. Growling furiously, it let out a pulse of frost that stunned the nearby hobgoblins and human. Then, its claws and tail lashed out violently as it charged through their center.


    One hob was thrown aside by the strike of a claw, and everyone else was forced to flee from the creature¡¯s powerful and furious advance. Some stumbled back while trying to defend themselves, while others simply turned and ran. Roaring in triumph, Myagnoir then broke through and advanced toward the mages that had hurt it.


    However, this was all part of Blacknail¡¯s plan. As the mutant drake surged past the scattered remains of Ilisti¡¯s troops, Imp hit it with another heat beam. The magic attack slammed into the drake¡¯s wind shield, doing no damage, but weakening the power of the shield. The swirling wind died down as the heat beam assaulting it faded, allowing Ilisti and Khita to throw themselves back into the fight. They both came in from the front and slashed at Myagnoir¡¯s limbs, forcing the huge drake to end its charge. Hurt and occupied by the enemy in front of it, Myagnoir didn¡¯t notice Blacknail.


    The hobgoblin chieftain had been hiding at the edge of the road in some ruins, until Myagnoir¡¯s charge had brought it right past his position. Now that Myagnoir was stuck in place and busy fighting Ilisti and Khita right in front of him, Blacknail sprang into action. With fire-lance in hand, he quickly scrambled up the side of a crumbling building. After pulling himself up onto what remained of the structure¡¯s roof, he glanced at his foe again. He was about head height with the drake now, and Myagnoir appeared to still be completely unaware of his presence.


    In fact, as Blacknail watched, Ilisiti charged in to strike at the beast¡¯s flank and Myagnoir responded. The great drake stepped sideways -toward Blacknail¡¯s location- and then leaned down to bite at the vympir. Thankfully, Ilisti managed to dodge.


    This was too good of an opportunity for Blacknail to ignore. A crazy idea popped into his head. He knew it was a little risky, but he was feeling bold. Werrick was already dead, and he had died in a very unsatisfying way. Now was his chance to do something amazing. It wasn¡¯t like he had a lot of long term plans any more.


    Grinning, Blacknail drew on the magic in his core and threw himself off the top of the building, straight at the top of Myagnoir¡¯s head. Wind rushed past the hobgoblin¡¯s body as he flew toward the beast¡¯s grey scales, and hungry excitement coursed through his body alongside his blood. He raised his fire-lance up above his head.


    Then, Blacknail¡¯s feet made contact with the top of Myagnoir¡¯s head. The landing sent a shock up through his legs, but Blacknail still managed to keep himself steady and stab down at Myagnoir¡¯s skull with his fire-lance. As he drew on magic to put as much strength as possible into the blow, he activated the weapon itself. The length of the lance immediately began shimmering hazily as intense heat radiated out from it. That heat pushed back against the chill around Myagnoir, causing the air to hiss and swirl.


    Myangoir couldn¡¯t miss the sensation of Blacknail landing on top of its head, and it instantly sensed danger and tried to shake the unseen creature off. However, it wasn¡¯t nearly fast enough. Before it could do more than shiver, Blacknail struck. His fire-lance hit scales and then burned through them as the hobgoblin¡¯s enhanced strength and momentum drove the lance deep. The weapon struck bone and vibrated from the impact, but then the magic weapon cracked its way through and sank into Myangoir¡¯s brain, unleashing a wave of withering heat.


    The great drake screamed again, although this time the noise was nothing like anything it had made before. The air seemed to vibrate in resonance with the beast¡¯s primal pain. The sound tore into Blacknail, and would have hurt him more, but he had already been thrown off Myagnoir by the beast¡¯s spasms of pain. Blacknail twisted around in mid-air in an attempt to land on his feet. As he neared the stone covered ground, he managed to get them underneath him, but didn¡¯t quite succeed in catching himself. Falling sideways, he threw himself into a roll that sent him away from his foe.


    Meanwhile, Myagnoir was still screaming in pain and flailing around. The beast¡¯s bulk slammed into the building Blacknail had been standing on a minute ago, demolishing it and sending up a huge cloud of dust. Its tail then smashed into another building, destroying it as well. The drake certainly seemed unsteady on its feet.


    As Blacknail got to his feet, he watched Myagnoir pull itself and step out of the dust cloud. The massive mutant drake then turned to look squarely at the hobgoblin that had stabbed it. Its eyes betrayed more than a little pain and confusion, but they absolutely radiated hatred that was aimed right at Blacknail. Hissing furiously, the drake then lurched toward him. The ground shook beneath its heavy footsteps and it jaws opened wide, revealing wicked looking teeth of immense size.


    The drake¡¯s charge was startlingly fast, considering its wounds, and as it moved, it unleashed a massive surge of power. A blast of cold air erupted from Myagnoir, sending loose stone flying and hitting Blacknail like a furious blizzard.


    As the freezing power washed over him, all the hobgoblin could do was stumble back and stare at his approaching death. The cold seemed to sap all his strength, despite his amulet. He was paralyzed and stuck in place as the drake loomed over him and prepared to strike.


    Myagnoir then took another step toward him, before collapsing. There was a loud boom as its huge body hit the ground, and the hobgoblin was treated to a wonderful view of his fire-lance still sticking out of Myagnoir¡¯s skull. The beast''s now closed jaws were only a few feet away.


    ¡°Oh, good,¡± Blacknail managed to squeak out as he stared at the body of his fallen foe. ¡°I think I won.¡±

 Bane of Humanity 17

    After staring at Myagnoir¡¯s unmoving head for several long moments, Blacknail eventually worked up the courage to go over and examine it. The beast didn¡¯t appear to be breathing, so he poked it in the eye with his sword. The massive mutant drake didn¡¯t lurch back to life and devour him in one bite. In fact, it didn¡¯t move at all. The beast seemed very dead.


    ¡°I killed Myagnoir!¡± Blacknail announced to the world as he turned to grin at his allies. He¡¯d done it! He¡¯d slain the toughest monster in the North and somehow survived!


    Ilisti just nodded and looked tired, before dropping his lance. However, Khita grinned back at him. ¡°We all worked together. I was fighting the entire time.¡±


    Blacknail frowned at her. ¡°I got the finishing blow in though.¡±


    ¡°It was still a team effort.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said after you stabbed Werrick in the back. You went around bragging about how you killed him. You didn¡¯t mention me or teamwork.¡±


    ¡°So? What are you getting at?¡± the redhead asked as she scowled suspiciously at the hobgoblin.


    Blacknail smiled smugly. ¡°Myagnoir was a lot tougher than Werrick. The drake was also way more famous and feared. It had like six names! I wonder if I¡¯m the Doom now. That¡¯s how it works, right? That¡¯s a great bandit name. You can be called the Wolf Killing Cat or whatever, if you want.¡±


    This led to increasingly loud argument with Khita, but eventually Ilisti reminded the hobgoblin that there were still things to do. Thus, Blacknail squashed the unusual exuberance he felt after his unexpected triumph and went to yell orders at his scattered minions. Most of the lazy fools were laying around on the ground. They could moan and groan later.


    Soon, Blacknail managed to gather up his dispersed minions and reform them into something like and organized group again. Quite a few of them were injured, which was annoying since it reduced his manpower, but they¡¯d brought medicine and healers along so must of them would probably live. Hobgoblins were tough, and also easily replaced.


    With Maygnoir dead at Blacknail¡¯s hands, Coroulis was probably empty of any more threats. Drakes were quite territorial. Thus, Blacknail felt secure in sending his minions out to search the ruins of the city. They needed to find the silver after all, and he didn¡¯t want to stay here longer than necessary. It was important to get the silver back to the human lands quickly so that they could fight the plague and the boggarts. If they didn¡¯t do it, then he would have to, and he really wasn¡¯t looking for more work to do.


    Thankfully, it only took two hours for some lucky scouts to stumble upon a horde of silver. Blacknail spent that time laughing at Khita and proudly posing next to Myagnoir¡¯s dead body.


    It turned out that the keep Myagnoir had made its lair in contained a large stockpile of silver bars from the old mines outside Coroulis. The drake must have chosen the keep as its lair for that reason. Apparently, even drakes loved collecting shiny stuff. Hmm, maybe Blacknail would keep some of the shiniest bits of silver for himself. He was sure he could find somewhere to stash them.


    There was enough silver in the keep to make transporting it all at once impossible, and there was undoubtedly much more stashed around the city. Coroulis had been famous for its iron and silver mines after all. Getting the silver south would be the hard part, but even that was manageable. The human nobles were already throwing resources at the problem. Roads could be rebuilt and barges could carry silver downstream.


    Even if they did somehow run out of loose silver, the mines were still there. It should be easy enough for Blacknail to re-open them, although that would require a more permanent presence. Hmmm, that wouldn¡¯t be a terrible idea. Having conquered Coroulis by defeating its old ruler in a legendary battle to the death, Blacknail didn¡¯t really plan on giving the city up. Coroulis was his now. Yes, it was going to take a while for them to gather up all the silver and transport it south, and the city was far too important to leave unguarded, so he¡¯d need to leave a large force here anyway. Otherwise, some stupid human noble might try and seize it.


    Hmm, it wasn¡¯t like he was going to be short on minions any time soon. Most of his local enemies were dead, and more and more goblins and hobgoblins kept appearing to take his food. Coroulis was as good a place for them to live as any now that Myagnoir was dead. The place had a lot of¡­ space and materials laying around. It had also been Saeter¡¯s old home, so he¡¯d probably have liked it to be rebuilt. Maybe he¡¯d rename the place Saeterville or Saeterhome.


    Regardless of his long-term plans, the next thing Blacknail had to do was lead his minions back south with as much silver as they could carry. All the dead humans and left behind a quite a few horses, and the hobs had brought some boars to carry their own supplies, so they should able to move a fair amount of silver in the first trip.


    As Blacknail was getting the silver loaded up and everyone ready to move, Khita walked up beside him. ¡°I wonder if Gob has sent Werrick¡¯s remaining men fleeing for their lives yet. I want a chance to go at them and see them flee before me, but we¡¯ll probably be too late. All of the Wolf¡¯s camps and towns will probably fall before we get back. Without Werrick, I doubt they have much steel in their spines.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Blacknail replied vaguely. It was usually best not to think too much about what Khita said.


    ¡°I suppose that means we¡¯ve conquered the North. No one will dare fight us now. You¡¯ve got your hobgoblin armies and I¡¯m an invincible swordswoman.¡±


    What? Blacknail gave her an incredulous look. That was a very ridiculous thing to say, even or her. He¡¯d conquered the North, not her. Also, she was an average swordsman at best.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do next?¡± Khita asked. ¡°I know you. You¡¯ve always got a scheme!¡±


    ¡°I would be curious to hear of this as well,¡± Ilisti announced as he walked over to join them. ¡°You are now both my neighbor and the most powerful lord in all the nearby lands. You¡¯ve accomplished this with no small amount of cunning and daring, so what is it you now seek?¡±


    Blacknail shrugged. It was true. Soon, all the north would be his. He wasn¡¯t quite sure what he was going to do with it, but whatever. He¡¯d put too much effort into conquering it and killed far too many people to worry about that now. ¡°Once I¡¯m done getting rid of all the bandits that refuse to swear to me, I¡¯m going to take a really long nap in my mansion.¡±


    ¡°Boring,¡± Khita replied as she stuck out her tongue.


    ¡°That seems unwise. What of the boggarts? They remain a threat, even in the northern lands that you claim,¡± the vympir pointed out.


    Blacknail stifled a groan. This was by far his least favorite part of leadership, the responsibility. He hated that. Come to think of it, he¡¯d never really planned to conquer the North because he actually wanted to run it. He¡¯d simply fought to prevent Werrick from taking it over. Also, it was just sort of there. Someone had to control it, and why shouldn¡¯t all the North be his territory? He was the best leader and fighter in or out of the Green after all. Couldn¡¯t he just delegate everything and relax in his mansion all the time? That¡¯s how leadership was supposed to work.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send hunters out to kill the boggarts in my lands and destroy any nest I find, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be too eager to fight me. It¡¯s humans they hate, and I¡¯ve bloodied them every time we¡¯ve met,¡± the hobgoblin explained.


    ¡°And what about the South? If the boggarts do consume those lands, they will inevitably move north.¡±


    ¡°I plan on letting the humans fight the boggarts as much as possible. They should be grateful for all the effort I¡¯ve put into getting them silver,¡± Blacknail said before grunting sourly. ¡°Not to mention, fighting Myagnoir for them.¡±


    Ilisti frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think most nobles have such gratitude in them. The position breeds a certain selfishness.¡±


    ¡°Damned blue bloods,¡± Khita cursed.


    ¡°They¡¯ll smile and be grateful if they know what¡¯s good for them. Otherwise, they won¡¯t be getting any silver,¡± Blacknail remarked coldly. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t have lots to do here in the North. I need to deal with all the refugees and keep my hobs out of trouble, which will mean making sure they have food and shelter. I also need to watch Coroulis and guard the silver here, and that means I need to keep repairing all the roads since I¡¯m moving so many troops and supplies around. I also need to deal with all the territory Gob will have taken over and the humans who live there.¡±


    Ilisti nodded. ¡°I see. You do have a point. Perhaps it is best not to overextend. It¡¯s is good that you are taking your duties to your vassals seriously. I had been afraid you¡¯d let things devolve into chaos, when a true lord needs a firm hand. Personally, I don¡¯t plan on straying from my own city of Herscrest for some time after I return. I too have many responsibilities there.¡±


    The vympir then excused himself and went to take care of his remaining men. Blacknail watched him leave with a frown. Ugh, there was that word again, responsibility. He¡¯d had way too much of that when he¡¯d just been in charge of one hobgoblin city, now he was supposed to look after all of the North. Hmm, if he ran off into the forest and headed north toward the Iron Teeth it was unlikely that anyone would be able to catch him and drag him back. He could find some goblins living on the other side of the mountains and train them to be his perfect servants. Then, he¡¯d have no responsibilities whatsoever. It was tempting, but he¡¯d run out of cheese pretty quickly though¡­


    There was also a little voice in his head that kept reminding him that vengeance wasn¡¯t what Saeter would have really wanted from Blacknail. Herad would be quite happy about that, but not Saeter. The old ranger had wanted a united and prosperous North, and now Blacknail had united the North.


    ¡°Rat piss,¡± Blacknail swore. He couldn¡¯t just destroy his old master¡¯s dream. Without him around, the North would swiftly fall apart and become worse than ever. It needed an amazing and super intelligent leader like him. The burden of being so incredible at everything was heavy indeed.


    There was cough from Khita, reminding Blacknail that she was still standing beside him. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking. If you¡¯re not going to do anything exciting for a while, then maybe I should go south and help fight the boggarts. I have my own men, and I¡¯m sure some of your hobs would go with me. The kingdoms would probably pay us quite well. And it would be a great way to spread the legend of the Red Cat!¡±


    Blacknail eyed her. Was it possible she might finally leave him alone? ¡°You should probably do that then. I¡¯ll let you have as many hobs as you want.¡±


    No matter what happened, Khita¡¯s plan seemed like a win for him, especially if she never came back. Although¡­ maybe he should send someone competent with her, so that she didn¡¯t get into too much trouble. Ralphi had used to be soldier, so he was probably a good pick.


    ¡°Thanks. With a force of hobgoblins behind me, I¡¯ll be queen of the world in no time!¡±


    Blacknail rolled his eyes but decided against making any comment about that. There was no point. More likely she¡¯d trip over her own feet, break her neck, and end up dead in ditch somewhere.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go check on the prisoners. I¡¯m putting you in charge of them.¡±


    ¡°Good idea!¡± Khita replied before hurrying away.


    Blacknail smirked after her. He¡¯d known she couldn¡¯t resist the opportunity to brag and lord over some humans who couldn¡¯t escape.


    Soon, the remains of Sir Masnin¡¯s expedition and the secret force of hobs that Blacknail had brought had loaded up on silver and were ready to move. They headed out through the crumbling gates of Coroulis¡¯ walls and back out into the Green. The forest loomed around them, thick and full of the sounds of life.


    Blacknail led the way. He wanted to set an example, and the front was the best place for the leader. Behind him came a mob of hobgoblins. Led by Herah and Scamp, they were escorting several large bristleback boars that had been loaded with gear and silver. The pigs snorted loudly as they lumbered forward, but generally acted much better behaved than Blacknail remembered them being. The training must have worked. He hadn¡¯t seen them maul a single person yet.


    Imp and his disciples were among the hobgoblins. The mage was toying with one of the fire staffs they¡¯d looted from the human mages. He hadn¡¯t stopped messing with the weapon since he¡¯d gotten his hand on it. Apparently, he was learning a lot and couldn¡¯t wait to try to replicate the magical weapons. He¡¯d also assured Blacknail that the staff was unlikely to explode, although Blacknail wasn¡¯t quite so certain of that. That was the other reason he was all the way up at the front.


    The human prisoners came next, with Khita swaggering alongside them, a smug grin on her face. Only the most injured of the prisoners were riding. The rest of them were forced to walk as their horses had been used to carry cargo. There were also quite a few horses taken from slain knights. Holding up the back was Ilisti and his men. The vympir seemed to prefer that position.


    Glancing back, Blacknail saw that almost no one behind him seemed happy to enter the forest and began hiking. Sour looks decorated many faces. many of them were exhausted after the fighting and there was no shortage of wounded. Nonetheless, they had a long journey ahead of them before they reached civilization, and they were going to have to push their pace if they wanted their cargo to make a difference in the fight against the plague. At least, they were unlikely to run into any hostile mutants on the way back, since it seemed like they¡¯d already stumbled into all of them on the way here.


    A flicker a movement off in some trees to the side caught Blacknail¡¯s eye. Upon glancing at the source of the movement, Blacknail was reminded that there was one mutant still around, even if it was only mildly hostile. It was the goat.


    Sighing in resignation, Blacknail produced a piece of cheese and held it out. Seeing this, the goat ambled out of the bushes and walked over to the hobgoblin¡¯s side. It eyed him skeptically for a moment and then snatched the cheese from his hand. Chewing on the snack, it matched Blacknail¡¯s pace and walked beside him.


    Briefly, Blacknail considered trying to kill the beast now that it seemed to have finally dropped its guard, but quickly discarded that idea. The goat was probably trying to trick him, and it had its uses anyway. It had ¨C accidentally ¨C saved him from Werrick after all. During that escape, the hobgoblin had managed to ride the beast for a short while, which meant he could probably tame it. It would make a great mount for someone as famous and amazing as him. He was the ruler of the North now, so couldn¡¯t walk everywhere, not with all those fancy humans riding around and looking down on him. Also, there was no doubt that a mutant goat would be a much more regal and inspiring mount than a mere smelly horse. Ha, all the fancy noble humans would be insanely jealous of his goat.


    Yes, Blacknail would just keep feeding the beast cheese as they made their way back south. Before too long it would grow used to him and he could try jumping on its back again. Having a mount would definitely help him fight other mounted foes, such as Werrick¡­


    Hmm, it was hard to remember that Werrick was actually dead. The man had been Blacknail¡¯s obsession for a longtime now. He was used to hating the man with an intense burning passion and plotting his terrible vengeance. Now how was he going to spend his spare time?


    Regardless of all his victories and ambitions, Werrick had managed to get himself killed by some crazy street rat that should have died a long time ago. Blakcnail couldn¡¯t imagine anything more embarrassing than dying by Khita¡¯s hands. It served him right, although it also should have been far more painful.


    Well, taking Werrick¡¯s skull as a decoration would certainly help him remember that he was dead. Right now, the man¡¯s bloody head was wrapped up in sack, but where should he keep the skull when he got back? It would be a waste to simply stick it on a stake. He should put it in his throne room! He didn¡¯t have a throne yet, but with Werrick dead, he was basically the king of the North, so he certainly deserved a throne. How did you make one though? Did he need to kidnap a certain kind of human?


    Bleh, he was already running into problems. Being king seemed like it was going to be a lot of work and very annoying. At least he could still have fun messing with all his minions and the humans. It would be amusing to make them do silly stuff for him in exchange for silver and gold rocks, and it had been a while since he¡¯d last worked on perfecting his human trap¡­

 Epilogue: A New Age

    With a wave of one hand, Geralhd dismissed the town¡¯s mayor, while he took a sip of wine from a crystal chalice in his other hand. The wine wasn¡¯t bad considering its origins, but the mayor was annoyingly submissive and there was little point in talking to him. The town had already surrendered completely after all. Really, Geralhd could do whatever he wanted. He was already sitting in the lounge of a large house that had used to belong to the mayor, but the man hadn¡¯t even complained when he¡¯d seized it. He¡¯d simply handed over the keys.


    He supposed that was a normal reaction to a conqueror with an army of hobgoblins at his back, but the complete lack of spine in the mayor still bothered Geralhd. He was supposed to have a duty to the townsfolk he represented, which meant putting up at least a little resistance. Well, the man had probably been mayor in name only. Until Geralhd¡¯s arrival, this town had long been occupied by Werrick¡¯s forces. It had served as one of his most important bases, so the leader of Werrick¡¯s force here had probably been the one calling all the shots. He was dead now and his head decorated a spike outside the town¡¯s gates. Thus, it was currently Geralhd¡¯s turn to control this town and the fate of the several thousand people that lived within it.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t been in charge of the attack itself. Gob had done that, but it was Geralhd¡¯s job to manage the surrender of the town and to negotiate with other humans. Blacknail had left them with orders to conquer Werrick¡¯s territory while he was away, not to slaughter everyone and then burn the place to the ground, and that was Geralhd¡¯s preference anyway. Looting was fine in the short term, but eventually the spoils dried up and a good cup of wine became extremely hard to find.


    Geralhd sighed as his thoughts turned to the future. There was very little of Werrick¡¯s once vast empire left. After he¡¯d vanished into the Green with the paladin, his troops had been left without their supreme leader and rallying figure. They¡¯d been dug in and ready to fight, but ultimately unprepared for the horde of hobgoblins that immediately launched a full out war on them.


    Hobgoblins had spilled out of the Green to seize supply shipments and take out every group of bandits that had sworn fealty to the Wolf. Squads of hobgoblin hunters had stalked and slain every enemy they could get their hands on, cutting off communication and isolating all of Werrick¡¯s forces. Without their leader to inspire them and lead a counterattack, they were forced to cower behind their walls.


    That was when Gob had brought down the hammer, in the form of Blacknail¡¯s main army. One-by-one he¡¯d swarmed over every isolated town and fort, killing every bandit that served Werrick. War boars had smashed through wooden gates and trampled the terrified defenders while mobs of hobgoblins swooped in for the kill. Magic had been brought to bear against magic.


    Werrick¡¯s men had a few highly fortified bases left, including an actual castle, but they were surrounded and cut off. Starvation would eventually bring them down.


    Thus, Geralhd spent his time here in this town, which sat in center of what had once been Werrick¡¯s territory. Most of what he dealt with now was problems caused by hobgoblins. Just yesterday, some hobgoblins had somehow gotten the idea in their heads to start racing pigs through the city streets. Several homes had gotten completely gutted before Geralhd put a stop to it. Not to mention, several hobgoblins had a weird and dangerous obsession with burning things. He had to watch them like a hawk¡­


    Suddenly, there was bang from out of sight as the house¡¯s front door was thrown open. Geralhd glanced toward the hallway just as a hobgoblin messenger stepped into sight. ¡°Those hobs haven¡¯t started stealing people¡¯s hair again, have they? They can¡¯t just go around grabbing and shaving townsfolk. They almost started a riot last time. They¡¯re lucky no one was seriously hurt!¡±


    ¡°Er, no. There¡¯s word from the chief! He¡¯s back and he¡¯s delivering the silver to the southern humans.¡±


    Smiling now, Geralhd rose to his feet. ¡°Good news at last! What of Werrick and the others?¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°The plan worked. Wolf face is dead.¡±


    ¡°And the others?¡±


    ¡°Khita is still alive and bothering everyone, but it seems the fancy leader knight guy died.¡±


    ¡°A shame,¡± Geralhd replied with a sigh. Sir Masnin had seemed like an honorable man, which was an oddity in these times.


    The hobgoblin nodded in agreement. ¡°Ya, she¡¯s really annoying.¡±


    Taking another sip of wine, Geralhd felt a heavy burden vanish from off his shoulders. Underneath his calm, but somewhat drunk exterior, he¡¯d been worried about Blacknail. However, it seemed like things were actually going according to plan for once. Myagnoir must have actually left the ruins of Coroulis, leaving the silver up for grabs.


    Regardless, the North was now almost completely under Blacknail¡¯s control. Even Daggerpoint was still obeying the orders of Blacknail¡¯s representative, although Geralhd knew that was mostly an illusion. That temptress Luphera was undoubtedly leading the representative around by his nose.


    Word of Werrick¡¯s death would spread quickly, destroying the moral of his remaining troops. Yes, Geralhd would bet that they¡¯d begin deserting and surrendering soon. That was good, because everyone could little afford any distractions in this dark time. There were other, bigger threats.


    Despite his exile, Geralhd still had contacts amongst the southern merchants, and he¡¯d been paying close attention to the struggle against the plague and the boggarts in the south. It had been going quite badly, to say the least, and several cities had been completely lost. Thinking about it, Geralhd grimaced in distaste and more than a little horror. The army had been forced to burn those cities down to the ground, dooming any remining citizens within to the merciless flames.


    The silver from Coroulis would be a welcome boon to humanity''s struggle to survive on this continent, a gift from the gods, really. With the serum they could make from it, the army would be able to protect themselves from the plague. Thus, they could redeploy to seize control of the cities and purge them of boggarts and ghouls. Without protection from the plague, the army had been forced to keep their distance from ghoul infested urban warrens, which had allowed the plague to spread uncontrollably.


    Off course, the boggarts still had to be dealt with. Larger and larger hosts of the terrible creatures were being encountered, and scouts were still reporting new hives popping up above ground. With the kingdom so weakened, it would take years of hard warfare to destroy those now.


    Geralhd chuckled darkly. He hoped Blacknail was ready for several incredibly frantic years. He was in charge of a vast territory now, hobgoblins made for rowdy subjects, and the world had never been more chaotic or dangerous. In normal times, the rise of the hobgoblins and their embrace of civilization would have been an earth-shattering development ¨C one which Geralhd took some proud credit for ¨C but it was a barely a side note to most people.


    They probably didn¡¯t realize the implications that were so obvious to Geralhd. The hobgoblins¡¯ rise was still just starting, and their transformation of the North was far from complete. From now on, their growth in numbers and power would actually speed up. There was no shortage of wild goblins for them to recruit or forest land for them claim and build villages on. Having displayed a new ability to work together ¨C if only under duress - and mimic human innovation, Blacknail¡¯s hobgoblins had everything they needed to build kingdoms of their own.


    There was also the matter of all the refugees fleeing to the North. Apparently, these days hobgoblins weren¡¯t considered all that scary in comparison to plague, boggarts, and the cruel whims of kings. Geralhd chuckled. Oh, how the world had changed!


    After some pressing, Blacknail had agreed to welcome the refugees and even grant them land under his protection. Their expertise would be extremely useful, even if most of them were penniless farmers. They¡¯d still be able to teach hobgoblins a lot and they were far more reliable laborers and farmers. Soon, fortified towns such Ironbreak would be rising all over the North. Blacknail¡¯s power would match that of any southern king, and they were in no position to confront him. They''d have to negotiate with him and his representatives, like Geralhd himself.


    Yes, it was a good thing the hobgoblins had him here to guide them away from the more unsavory paths and prevent unnecessary conflict. Even hobgoblins could act civilized if trained properly. Geralhd smiled as he thought about the power and prestige that would be soon be his thanks to his position as one of Blacknail¡¯s most trusted subordinates. It turned out that being exiled for murdering human scum in a duel hadn¡¯t been such a huge mistake after all. He¡¯d soon be richer than any of the merchants in his family.


    There was a probably a moral lesson in there somewhere, but Geralhd had no idea what it was. Really, Blacknail and all his companions should have learned a lot from the incredible chain of events that had befallen them, or something at the very least, but he was quite sure that none of them had.

 The Good and Bad News

    The Good News


    I will deliver the good news first, to cushion the blow. It is as follows. I¡¯ve been working non-stop to get out some chapters of a new story that I think you¡¯ll love. Yeah! This new story is an action-packed martial arts story with elements from Xianxia, a deep cultivation system, horror elements, a unique universe, and a cast of interesting characters. It¡¯s entitled Though the Heavens Should Fall, and I hope you like it. It has a lot of unique elements - like the Iron Teeth - so it should even appeal to people who don''t like cultivation style stories.


    You can find this new story at my new personal website</a> or at royalroad</a>. I will be putting out an additional two chapters every week, and sometimes a third. I want to get out enough to establish the plot as quickly as possible, while keeping quality high.


    The Bad News


    With the latest arc ending, there¡¯s been a lot of speculation about where the Iron Teeth will go next. Unfortunately, I¡¯m sorry to say that The Iron Teeth web serial will be going on hiatus. I¡¯m very sorry to do this, but I really feel it¡¯s necessary. There are a lot of reasons for this.


    Writing The Iron Teeth has been a lot of fun, and I¡¯ve been doing it for three years now. It was my first major writing project and that¡¯s a long time to continuously work on one project. Not only have I been writing all the chapters for the web serial, but I¡¯ve also been working on the book versions. However, over that time, I¡¯ve grown a little exhausted with the story and it has suffered quality wise because of that. I need a break to get things in order and refresh my interest, and I can¡¯t do that if I need to keep churning out chapter after chapter.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I won¡¯t be halting work on the series completely. There¡¯s still the matter of the books. I will be editing the story to improve it for the book version and correct the flaws I feel have crept into the story because it has stretched on for so long without me taking a break. In particular, I feel a lot of the side characters have suffered plot-wise because I¡¯ve been forced to keep advancing the story without stop, and there are other issues as well. A lot of the characters need to have their personalities rounded out and their plots expanded before I start writing new stuff for them. If I were to keep writing without a break, it would really hurt the depth of the story, and I want to write as high quality stuff as possible.


    This isn¡¯t a sudden decision. I¡¯ve been planning on doing this for a while, but to do right by my readers, I put it off until I¡¯d wrapped up large parts of the story so that you wouldn¡¯t be left hanging. Several plots have come to natural end now, so it¡¯s the right time for a break.


    This editing break will also give me time to correct other flaws in the story and learn from reader feedback. So, please tell me what you think about the story in depth. My new discord</a></a>is probably the best place for this.


    Of course, I don¡¯t want to leave my readers with nothing, so I will be putting out another story that I think you will like while I¡¯m doing this editing, ie Though the Heavens Should Fall. I¡¯ve learned a lot of from Worldshift ¨C like how to plot a complete story - and I hope to apply it to both to this new story and to my editing of the Iron Teeth. I also need to do some serious reorganizing in regard to my website, Patreon, and my promotional strategy. So, expect large changes there soon.


    Again, I¡¯m sorry to do this, but it had to happen eventually. I wish I had unlimited time, focus, and inspiration, but I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just one guy. Please check out Though the Heavens Should Fall. I think you¡¯ll like it.


    If you want a notice when I restart the Iron Teeth, you can find my email list here</a>.

 New Book Release, Worldshift: Virtual Revolution

    My latest book, Worldshift: Virtual Revolution, is now available to purchase at Amazon</a>. It''s an action-packed tale that combines the best of litrpg and sci-fi.


    Unlike everything else I''ve written, this is a book and not available as a web serial. Writing it was a experiment and a long journey. I know it''s not The Iron Teeth, but if you''re a fan of my writing, I''m sure you''ll love it. I learned a lot along the way. Here''s the blurb:


    Ethan is young and unemployed. One of the many who fail to find a job and join the elite who run the government and the mega corporations. However, thanks to the economic support everyone gets, he can spend his idle days playing virtual reality games. Online, he can chase thrills and lash out without consequence. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Yet, despite his isolation, Ethan can¡¯t help but feel that something is deeply wrong with society. It reaps the benefit of advanced automation, but forbids further scientific development. That feeling becomes inescapable when he starts playing the latest event in the world¡¯s most popular VR game, Worldshift. Thousands of players are lured into climbing the Tower of Ascension by an incredible prize. Inside, the combat is intense, but nothing is as it seems. The tower is far more than a game. Not only are its rewards very real, but so are its dangers.


    Change is coming to a long stagnant world -a virtual revolution- and everything Ethan knows will be threatened.


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    So, if you want an epic adventure through a possible future, or if you just want to support me, please purchase </a>and review this book! Every purchase and review helps me a lot. I rely on my readers to spread the word of my creations via social media and by taking the time to do reviews.