“With the construction and fortification of Alpha Centauri beginning, the rest of the Centaurus stars lay open for the fleet slowly being bolstered by the already constructed gateway in Proxima Centauri.

In response to the new reality, ships were created to combat what had only been theoretical previously: battles in the unforgiving cold vacuum of space.

Each Capital ship would travel with a contingent of Warships. These ranged from the mighty battleships and the devastating dreadnoughts to the lighter and more maneuverable frigates and cruisers.

What came as a surprise to many in central command, however, was the response to a call out for pilots to small single or duel-piloted fighter crafts that would have a berth on the newly designed carriers. These ships would carry thousands of pilots, together with the increasing advances in AI, millions of drones to conduct short-range missions. Fighter crafts couldn't be created fast enough to meet the number of budding pilots wanting to join the war effort. The training time was negligible with the assistance of AI and nanotechnology.

Had we known how efficient fighters would be, especially planet side we would have invested much more time in it than in the beginning. Not only were the crafts able to transit between vacuum and atmosphere seamlessly. Soon, the design allowed the pilot to enter the atmosphere and land the craft at a hard-pressed front, transforming the mobile craft into a static defense that could unleash devastating fire and take wast amounts of damage for a ground-based fixture. To say the legionaries and the group of pilots quickly found common ground would be an understatement. A bond as strong as any was forged in the coming wars that would cement them as a devastating duo.

There are myriad tales of wings of pilots braving hurricanes and ground-to-air defense to clear a fallback option for their more land-bound brothers.

Tales of fists of legionaries striking deep into enemy lines to pull fallen pilots out of danger were becoming just as common.

Entire strategic plans for planetary liberation were rewritten over a few short years. Rewritten to accommodate the new entry in humanity's arsenal.

-Elistar Iscariot, Grand Magister during the second Kingfisher dynasty.

It took me the better part of an hour, but eventually, I got to the right place. Unlike the first camp, this one was in the dark. Not that it bothered me, but it would have made it slightly easier to find.

It was a smaller version of the first camp, flimsier barricade too, I thought while climbing over a a wagon still on its wheels.

Standing on the flatbed, I quickly deduced there wasn't much in the way of loot here except for the wagons themselves. I could make out the place in the barricade, big and toothsome had made to get in and out. It was a shit hole to a shit hole. The fires still smelled of smoke and something tauntingly familiar.

Walking over to the nearest one, I used to bottom of my walking stick to stir the ashes a bit, and it didn't take me long to find bones. Whole femurs and gnawed splinters of what had once been a human.

Damnation, I hate goblins. The small furrows in the bones told me well enough what had been feasting on flesh here before they met their just demise a short hour away. I'll be the first one to admit I'm an egotistical ass, but getting tortured to death and eaten by a goblin was not something I wished on anyone.

Spinning around with my sword drawn and ready, I stood scanning my surroundings for a bit. Something was here. Thrusting my walking stick with its bulbous ugly head into the soil by the fires, I started making my way to some of the more shadowy parts of the camp.

There it was again, a few steps to my left. Crushing down, I tried peering under the wagon to see if something was sneaking up on me from the other side.

Sliding my sword back into my scabbard, I let out a breath both in disgust and relief.

People. The little shits had probably been holding on to some of the prisoners for a later snack. I doubt they had seen me clearly in the dark, but I could make out four people: two adults and two children. The adults were covering the mouths of the children while trying to hide them.

They looked tired, beaten, sad and exhausted, just about what one would expect from being in goblin captivity. It's not something most people survived.

I had to take a couple of quite calming breaths. It wasn't working. Anger boiled in me. I wanted to go back in time and skin every goblin alive. I really needed to calm down, a portion of my brain said. The rest of me said screw that. I'll do stupid shit when I want to. Where the hell had their lord been? They looked as if they had been there for days. The lord of the land should be leading his men at arms to seek his villagers the moment they went missing. Even I understood the necessity of that packet being honored. A mounted contingent of men at arms would have made short work of big and toothsome and around a hundred and fifty goblins.

I didn't even draw on the dark power. My anger somehow was enough to flip the entire wagon a few steps back, exposing the four caged people. Their eyes were big and scared, trying to see what was happening right in front of them. One of the children let out a sob. That brought me back quickly.

Clearing my throat, I said in a gentle voice as possible “Hi there. I am Alucard, a hunter from the guild. Let's see about getting you out of this…cage, alright? Everything will be fine.”

All four started sobbing when they understood it was a human standing in front of them. Hell, I would have been a bit high-strung, too, if our places were reversed.

Taking a look at the cage door, I didn't see any key, just a leather thong just out of reach for prisoners keeping it closed. It was almost a smart solution for a goblin,

A moment later, the gate was open, and I started cursing myself for not bringing any torches. I didn't think any would be needed. Looking around, I spotted a wagon on its side a few meters further to the left of the barricade. That should give them some shelter.

As much as I wanted to take them away from here, walking through the woods without a light source would be dumb.

Reaching out a hand, I said, “Take my hand, and I'll take you to a place we can eat.”

A dirty hand reached out, and with a quick, gentle movement, I brought out the first man, a child still clinging to him. Moments later, I had two dirty-looking men and two scared and dirty children to deal with.

They looked about ready to fall over, so I figured introductions could wait. “Come, we will set up camp on the other side of that cart. It should give you some cover from the winds.”

Making sure we made a long, long conga line, well with only one hand on each shoulder I led them the few steps it took to get out and around the wagon. It had once had sides to keep whatever was transported inside the wagon bed, and you not all over the road. By the smell of it, mostly potatoes.

Finally, having them situated on a blanket and a sleeping roll inside the wagon, I swiped the camp for firewood, and it didn't take long before a campfire was burning merrily. At least, that was what I hoped it did for the four lost souls. I didn't want to think about what they had seen over the last few days, by the state of their clothes maybe even longer.

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Making sure my face didn't show my anger and frustration, I had them wash their hands before I started piling out food. It disappeared almost as fast as I could hand it out. The conversation could wait. There would already be a lot for these poor souls to work through, and going by the yawn left my mouth, I could do with a nap.

However, some assurances and instructions. Holding up a hand from the other side of the fire, I said, “You're safe. Tomorrow morning, we will go and meet my friend by the King's courier stop and figure out how to get you home. Just relax and eat. Try to get some rest if you can.”

“Thank you…Sir. I…We thought that was it. The rest of the village. They didn't make it. There's no place home for us to get to anymore. Pardon me for being so forward.” The older of the men said he had to be at least twice if not more, my age. His words were heavy and weary, and for some reason, he kept casting glances at my staff. I had planted it just outside of where I imagined it would be easy to see for the children. While I found it amusing, they didn't need to see any more traumatizing things. Life had dealt them a crap hand.

“We will figure it out in the morning. Try and get some rest there's a few more hours until dawn.”

The adults seemed to accept my words because it didn't take long for the two little ones to sleep again. A full belly and some warmth is a great medicine.

The rest of the night, I spent listening to children and grown men weep in their sleep. Maybe there were some things that were more important than my need for fancy clothes, strong drinks and ladies of unquestionable reputation. I wasn't trying to fool myself. Those were things I would acquire, but I was beginning to come to grips with the fact that being a lord was more than just spending money, or if it wasn't. It should be.

I could see the sun just about ready to start today's show. Blushing as it was sneaking glances over the horizon.

Packing up everything but a good-sized sandwich for everyone, I started banking the fire I had kept going all night. Any time it become too low, the children would become…agitated.

“Good morning, people. How are we doing today?” I said, only to be met by groans, whimpers and two adults scrambling to put themselves in between me and the children. In my current mood it almost made me want to track down the baron or count that was responsible for their village and cut pieces of him. Allot of pieces. Sadly, it would have to wait. A need to see these souls safe and, last but not least, gather my loot was today's plan.

“It's alright. You're safe.” That seemed to do nothing as the children started screaming hysterically. That the younger of the adults was pointing at me with a pale face didn't help the situation much.

A man with a fragile ego would be insulted at this point. Good thing I know I'm the most handsome, charming and all-around great guy already.

“Tampa!” Shouted the older man while trying to block the other tree with his body and point at me… Seriously. No need for name-calling now is there. I don't know what Tampa meant, but it didn't sound like anything nice.

Wait, he's pointing above me. Turning my head slightly, I couldn't help but start laughing.

When setting up camp, I figured the little ones probably wouldn't appreciate waking up to my new walking stick, so I moved it a bit further away. From their perspective, the gaping head of the troll-monkey-ogre thing was on full display. Sadly, I was blocking the rest of it, or they would have seen that it was just the creature's head.

Standing up, I grabbed the walking stick and brought it to camp. The disbelief in the adult's eyes was priceless. The small ones still looked scared, however. So I poked the side of its head and said, “Bad…Tampa? Don't go scaring people like that. Now go and think about what you have done.” Before turning the staff upside down and putting the head beneath some leaves.

At least they didn't have to keep looking at the head. Just a blood-soaked hunter with a fancy wide-brimmed hat adorned with a single broken feather.

“So that's a Tampa? Have you seen them before? It was a rough fight, so I would prefer If we could avoid them until I have my hand fully healed,” I said, looking with a bit of concern at my now blue hand. It worked, but grasping things hurt like a mule kicking my nut sack. Still, that was an improvement over last night. It had felt like my hand had its own heart, which only existed to send me waves of prickling pain.

To my surprise, it was the younger of the adults who answered. His voice was as hoarse as the other ones, but I could see he had gotten some color back in his chin since last night. They all had. “That's Tampa, Sir. It's not them it's that one. Every few years, it came and took people and livestock as it pleased from our village. At first, a shepherd or two would disappear with their flock, then the older children forging for food or fish would start disappearing so we knew to keep close until it left. This time, it came with goblins. They took…”

I wasn't too surprised to see him break down again. I can't really blame a guy who has watched everyone he cared about being tortured, violated to death and or eaten. Some things just take time until the pain lessens, but I doubt either one of them would ever be completely free of it. The children had a chance at a normal life with how young they were. I would have a talk with Mira when i met up with her later.

Doing my best not to sound like a complete asshole towards people that have had everything torn from them, I said. “We better get moving. I'm Alucard, by the way.”

. The older one got the other adult to stand with some effort before he took a child in each arm. With a nod of his head towards the younger adult, he said, “We are ready. That is Hartwin. This little one who inhaled her body weight in cheese last night is Saskia, but most people call her Sas. Her mother is…was my sister. The strapping young man is Albert. I guess I'm his uncle too now, and I am Egmont.” When he introduced the children, he held one out during their introduction. To be fair, I'm not sure I would recognize who was who if they got a bath first. With how dirty they were now, there was no chance.

Taking that as we all knew each other, I said. “As I mentioned, I'm Alucard. If you all can keep up for a few hours, we should reach the courier station easily enough. I'll walk in the front but do keep an eye on the surroundings. Shout if you see anything. Everyone clear?”

At the two adults nod, I set off at what I thought was a reasonable phase my walking stick displaying my trophy in all its glory. Speaking of, I wonder what, if any, bounty was on this thing, and the wildlife better stay away from my goblin ears, or I was going to go on another hunting spree.

I hadn't realized traveling with children was this much of an effort. How did families do it? First, one had to use a bush, then when we had started up and made good progress again the other one had to go.

Then they became too tired to walk, so they had to be carried.

The worst thing was when I stopped scaring them, or they got used to me. I do not know which, but they sure didn't know much going by the amount of questions that came flying out of them.

The share number of whys, hows and whens was staggering. It just raised a number of whens, hows and whys I had. Mostly pertaining to if they ever stopped talking and, if I started running would they be able to find me.

My conclusion to the entire trip was. I will never willingly have children if I have to interact with them under any circumstances.

Then we finally made it. The promised land. The station for the King's couriers was within sight, and to my great surprise, six ox draw carts stood ready to be hitched.

We were perhaps a hundred steps from the station when the banshee came screaming out of the gate. “Alucard! I was starting to think you became goblin shite after all…Who the damnation are those, and the hell is that?”

“Mira, good too. That is to say. I don't want to strangle you as much today as yesterday, but it's coming back with a vengeance.”

Waving a hand at the people I had freed from starving death in a cage since I sincerely doubted any more goblins would have turned up at the camp any time soon and introduced the group to Mira, who proceeded to have room outside on one of the wagons. I was too flabbergasted even to comment, but the entire carnival had apparently cost me seventy bloody damn copper.

“What? Were you going to just send them down the road without as much as a see you later? Take care? You're a cruel man, Alucard. Think about the children. Besides, Egmont and Hartwin promised to help move things when they get there.”

I was too tired to even bother to try arguing at this point. I just wanted to get things done and stay in a warm, soft bed for a week or two.

Luckily, the drivers and the labor team were professionals and were among the teams normally hired to deliver to the forts. They better be at seventy copper.

With the squeak of wheels and people talking around me, I lay down on one of the wagon beds and promptly fell asleep.