“With the destruction of the self-proclaimed god of Alpha Centauri, humanity was taken aback to learn that the earth-sized planet the being had made its home was a construct. The entire planet was brought over from the being's domain, and with the passing of its master, the planet grew unstable.
With careful consideration, it was decided that the twin stars would serve as a strategic transit post. Recognizing the risk of having one in the Sol system, now that we knew the enemy of humanity could send creatures to traverse the vacuum of space.
This would become the new staging point of expeditions to the rest of the galaxy. Alpha Centauri A and B were to become the fuel source to create and maintain a space station that would eventually reach the size of Luna.
Another gate was created to ease transit to the Sol system and the enormous undertaking of prospecting the celestial bodies in the system to create the fortress that wold act as defensive measures for the gate to Sol and a logistical station for humanity's fleets.
Against the backdrop of the industrialization of Alpha Centauri, the Magi were turning the lavish palace of the tyrant end over end before the planet became too unstable and torn apart. The discoveries made from what was left behind gave a hint of how dire humanity's situation truly was in our universe and the myriad domains that intersected with our reality.
We were starting to understand vague hints of why the destruction of Earth's core was such a sacrilege. Some would even go as far as to claim our freedom was but an illusion as long as Earth lay cracked, pillaged and destroyed.”
- Elistar Iscariot, Grand Magister during the second Kingfisher dynasty.
“You're looking lovely as always,” I said when I was a few steps away from a possible temper tantrum about to strike. Should I pretend I didn't know her?
“I'm hungry, tired, and bloody stink almost as much as you do. Oh, and in case you forgot while playing house with Lana. YOU HAVE ALL THE MONEY!” I really wasn't sure If I was supposed to placate her or just get things done. Maybe pinch her cheek and tell her she was such a cute girl when she was hangry… I don't know if she is a mind reader, but by the blazing fury in her eyes, I decided against that plan for now.
“I can see how that would be somewhat annoying. You should keep a closer watch on your money. Money isn't everything, but it sure helps make everything easier. Lets go hand in your quest and pick up the next one first.”
My charms must not be working properly. She looks ready to explode, or she's constipated. The harsh realities of a hunter's life. It's not all glamour and glitz. Sometimes you just can't poop.
“Ow! Will you stop kicking my shin, you angry, angry lady?”
“Shut your yapper. Let's get my quest turned in. Then you can buy me food. Something good.” She said before walking towards the quest stall, we spotted earlier.
Luckily, the queue was short and swift, so before I knew it was standing before someone who could or could not be human, depending on the lighting and how generous you felt about designating someone to humanity.
“Mira. How have you been? Didn't you head out with Lars, Max, and what's his name…Balin? The shifty fellow.” He boomed out. The worst part was I just knew he thought that was the appropriate volume to have a private conversation. Big is the most apt description that comes to mind. Big, no neck, no forehead. Just big in every other sense.
Looking up at the guild representative, Mira replied. “Hey Trevor, It's alright, but Lars, Max and Balin didn't make it, but we did manage to get two goblin camps.”
“Hmmfff, it's a sad thing to see the young pass on. I'm sure they will be remembered fondly by their families and friends. Did you?”
Before he was done speaking, Mira held up an open hand containing three copper Guild medallions. “Yeah.”
“I'll get it registered and the families informed. Now, as to the quest?” He said, his voice sounding allot more gentle than earlier.
“Yeah, I can point them out on a map, but I don't know how many goblins were in the second camp. Balin died before he could tell me the number. We were waiting for him a few trees away, so it wasn't far from our spot. It almost straight east.”
The giant man reached down under the stall and started going through papers by the amount of rustling. Soon enough, a map was put on the counter before he handed Mira a tube with a flat crystal on one end. She inserted her Guild token in a slot at the back of the tube and held it over the map.
In seconds, the drawing of a campfire and goblin skull appeared at two points on the map. On the one furthest to the south, about 40 to 50 red dots started appearing. The camp to the north didn't show any red dots.
Trevor, the until now friendly giant, had expected something like this, however, and slotted in one of the three dead hunters medallions before doing the same with the last two.
This was…amazing. Just imagine the strategic value of something like this in a war. My list of things to research just went up.
The map now contained the same two camps, but the bottom one had closer to a hundred goblins, and the top one had around fifty. I was trying really hard not to start rubbing my hands together.
“Guess that's as good as it's gonna get. I'll throw in a couple of silver for the headcount.” Reaching down under the stall, Trevor brought up a leather pouch he swiftly started counting silvers from. 22 Silver ended up on the counter before he put the sack of coins away.
“Thanks, Trevor, it's been a rough one. I'm gonna get some food and clean up. The maniac pretending not to droll over the map is a…friend. He wanted to take up the extermination quest for the two camps.” Mira said while scooping up the coins.
Wait…did I have a claim on the quest payout, too? Technically, she wouldn't have been able to report the quest without my interference. Then, on the other side, I wouldn't even know about the quest without her. I would have to give this more thought before I slit her throat for the silver.
While Mira stepped out of the way, I noticed Trevor, the now less-than-friendly giant, by the look on his face, gave me a once over before saying, “Son…I…Have you lost your marbles? This ain't some bard song. I applaud your bravery, but this is a quest for three or four teams.”
I wasn't particularly offended. I was well aware of how I looked. Besides, he didn't know of my plan or that I was awakened, so I had a couple of good cards up my sleeve.
From behind me, I heard Mira snickering white, saying under her breath, “Lost them. The crazy boy never had any to begin with.”
“Are you still mad I stopped you from becoming the centerpiece of a little goblin get-together girl? I mean, a bit on the wild side, but to each their own, I won't judge,”
“Go jump down a well, Alucard.”
Trevor finally seemed to have had enough. Raining his hand and his voice, it went from merely making your bones rattle to blowing down your house, the foundation of your house and the dirt it was built on. “What is this Mira? What happened?”
It took her a few moments, but she finally managed to come up with an explanation, even if she tried whispering it at first. Something Trevor would have none of. The poor man suffered from partial hearing loss. Who could have guessed?
“So let me reiterate. Your team was dead, goblins were carrying you away, and this young man not only saved you, but he also killed all the goblins transporting you to their lair. Did I miss something?”
Yeah, he was definitely not pleased that little Miss got kidnapped by flabby little goblins.
“No.” She said, her voice low and embarrassed. I would be, too, if I needed to be rescued by the least impressive-looking hero ever seen. I really needed to get a hat one of these days.
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“It seems I may have judged you too hastily, Alucard, was it? Why don't you run your plan through me, and I'll see what I can do?”
“Excellent. If you have some paper and write with, I'll do one better. I'll show you. It's not so much a plan as something to tilt things in my favor, just a tiny bit. Mira, please be a dear and give us some space. I'm very shy about my calligraphy.”
“Fine! Just remember you ow me food,” She answered before stomping off to one of the free chairs along the wall.
It did take a few minutes, but soon enough, Trevor was commenting and coming up with follow-up questions about my design, When I was satisfied, he gave the sheet of paper one more look he said. “You pull this off, and I'll reimburse you the amount you spend to create it. I want a detailed report on it tomorrow before nightfall on how efficiently your gadget performed. We will discuss further development and royalties then. As to the quest, it will stand at one gold as is normal for each tier one camp, as in more than fifty goblins but less than a hundred and fifty goblins for each camp. You will need to bring the ears back to get the bounty on those either way, and yes, you are correct in that you will be the owner of any items you find in the camp.”
An hour later, we sat in a nice little coffee shop still covered in blood and mud. Mira was on her fourth piece of strawberry and cream cake. I, of course, had chocolate cake, but only one piece. The price was ridiculous.
Still, I was stocked up on what I needed, and my backpack was stuffed with enough food to feed a family of twenty.
Looking at her going at the cake like a pig in mud, I said, “Relax, I don't want to reach the camps before dark. We still have an hour or so. At least try breathing between bites.”
“Screw you, it's cake,” or that's what I thought she was trying to say between the long bite she had taken since sitting down. The girl sure loves cake. I thought while sipping my coffee.
Finally, about an hour and a half before sundown, we stood at the bottom of the fort again. This time, clean and fully clothed. I had tried not to splurge but some things had just been necessary, and I told myself an investment.
“The hat looks ridiculous. Only thing it's good for is taking eyes away from that beak of yours.”
Reaching up to check if the feather was still in place, I gave a satisfied sigh before saying. “It's called having an aquiline nose. It's a sign of nobility and grace. The latter of which I'm becoming increasingly doubtful you know the meaning of.” Before picking up the small crate containing the core components of tonight's show.
She snorted at me. Wench!
With a titter, she said, “Yeah, nobility…Keep giving yourself airs, you buffoon and see if one of them doesn't take offense one of these days.”
Despite our banter, or what I should call it, we didn't take long to reach the first goblin camp. A bit earlier than I had hoped, but better than far too late. The night only had so many hours, and I needed them all.
“You remember your part and remember that I'll hunt you down and administer spankings if you try running away,” I said, placing the crate and my backpack down on the tree I had selected as my supply camp for the upcoming campaign designated -Fox in the hen-house-
“Alright, run me through your part of the job one last time,” I said, starting to sort through the bags contained in the crate.
“I`m to walk wide around the goblin camp until I reach the road going towards Murktown. Then, either hire farmers or a labor gang with two or, if possible, three wagons to the
courier stop east of here. At dawn, I either wait for you to come and get us or for a green flair in
the direction of the first goblin camp. I got this, Alucard. You worry too much. Besides, when I have delivered you the carts, ill finally be free of your annoying ass.”
“If you do this well, I might consider giving you a bonus.” My entire stake was on the loot. The goblins had hoarded there since they built the camp. My theory is that even goblins, being goblins, kept the best stuff for themselves in the camps and only brought back enough to satisfy the big boss. That's what I would do if I were a goblin, at least. I am not going to dive deep into what that says about my psyche.
“Make it a good one, and I'll let you take me out for dinner when this is over. I'm off, you gobshite. Try not to get eaten, or if they do, make sure they start on that beak, and we might just make it in time to save ya.”
What the hell sort of prize was that supposed to be? She better be paying the harridan.
“Try not to drown in a shallow pond,” I said as goodbye and with a wave, she was gone among the threes. Blessed silence.
The shadows were deep down on the forest floor, the branches creating a myriad of deep pools of darkness to stir the mind into a more primitive form. Time to make a show.
The moon was up when I was done scouting the camp. I didn't come across a single goblin patrolling or moving outside the fire they had created inside their camp made of broken boards and pieces from wagons, furs and skins, much too expertly cut for a goblin to even dream of was spread out over the barricade too.
Now, as camps go, it wasn't bad. It would probably have worked for a short time if the attackers were also goblins or severely vertically challenged individuals.
I had to scratch my none existent beard. How in the blazes had she managed to get captured by these runts earlier today? There weren't even any sentries walking the perimeter or that I could see on their makeshift fort. Maybe they were celebrating the day's catch?
I finally convinced myself to go looking despite the darkness not being fully upon us.
With my back against a tree, I stood looking into the chaos that was the goblin camp. Some were eating, some were fighting, some were running from the fighting, and most were drunk out of their mind. There were about a hundred of them, a quick count told me.
Well… Alright then. I'm not sure what I had been waiting on any more. Any smidgen of nervousness I had felt fell away as I watched them, and a smile forced itself on my face.
Three punches were hanging from the belt holding my sword and kept the good-as-new chainmail I had bought today in place. It may not look as fetching as I wanted with my new wide-brimmed hat, but I would hopefully cut back on the bleeding if I kept them from poking the rather large hole under the left arm that had apparently led to the last owner passing.
Pulling out a tin drinking can with a ceramic seal and a treated wick from one of my pouches and with a few tries using the flint and steel, I had a nice little moss-wrapped branch to light the fuse with, which I promptly did, making the wick burn merrily.
The components to make these three sealed-off drinking tins had cost almost two gold, but with Trevor repaying me the expenses…I was fine with spending his money.
They only contained three components, mixed to an exact ratio, and I never planned on divulging the recipe to anyone. I had spent too long going through the alchemist's ingredients, finding the proper ones since the names were different in my memories. I had a blacksmith make tin drops by gently pouring melted tin over a bowl of cold water. The tin drops were mixed in with the rest of the ingredients. I would have preferred lining the outside of it, but it was too much work with the cups.
That should do It, I thought, sending the packed tin cup flying across the camp to land between two of the fires. That there were about thirty goblins close by also helped.
Ducking down, I took my almost good-as-new short bow in hand. Sixty arrows. It should be enough, I hoped, as the night exploded in fire and fury. I could hear shrapnel hitting as far away as the tree next to the one I was hunched down by.
Before the smoke started to settle, I took a running start and jumped on top of one of the wagon beds they used as a barricade, peering down on what reminded me of the camp. Hopefully, I hadn't ruined too much of my loot.
Around the camp, goblins were dead, dying or confused, all wrapped in a thick blanket of smoke.
That meant I had two full quivers and a lot of confused goblins. Now, I was not by any stretch of the imagination a good marksman, but I had started to notice during the time in the fortress. The dark held no secrets from me. I could see in the dark as easily as during the daytime. In some ways better since I picked out contrasts better.
Drawing an arrow, I worked my way left to right, from the closest goblin to the one furthest away. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. They were panicked confused, and couldn't orient themselves. When my last arrow left the bow, having missed more than half my shots.
The smoke had mostly cleared, and the fires again lighted the night, goblin shadows dancing against the barricade as they hurried to form into a group. They had certainly noticed me by now.
A bit more than forty of them left to cause mischief. I did have two more of the tin cans on my belt.
Running forward as if to charge them I noted a few drew back, but I did make it to the closest fire without having any sticks thrown at me. As I turned and ran towards the barricade, wit ha glance over my shoulder, I saw the goblins had started running after me.
Carefully keeping an eye on the wick, I waited for them to get a bit closer until I was almost out of any visible wick. Throwing the tin can at the front of the goblins, I slipped over the barricade and started running.
The explosion was as deafening as the first one. Turning back to the camp, I soon stood on another wagon. Taking in the situation I could already tell they were broken. Just to mop up the remaining live once.
Steeping down, I drew my sword. The few goblins that noticed me barely had time to raise a hand before I relieved them of a pulse.
Finally, I began to pick up the remaining arrows and ears. So much for a running battle through the forest. Sometimes things just didn't go to plan.
Stripping and dragging the goblins into a pile took much longer than expected, but I was still ahead of schedule. A hundred and two goblins was the final tally in this camp. I suspected a few had gotten away, but I couldn't find any tracks going in the same direction as the group that had captured Mira.
Tallying up the loot was surprisingly easy. Each crate was marked with a number that would correspond with what was written in the merchant's logbook. The work mostly consisted of pushing everything else into a pile.
Tired, I decided to take a short rest by a wagon wheel. I was just staring at the fire, trying to let my mind relax for a minute, when I suddenly found myself hanging in the air.
Looking straight at a face that should never have existed, I couldn't help but shudder. It looked like a mix of a gorilla, an ogre and a troll. The serrated teeth didn't help make the thing look cuddly.
It roared at me, and boy, if it didn't smell like the creature had crawled inside itself and died some time ago.
“You know. There is help for that. I'm no dentist, but I'm sure…”
The next thing I know, I'm flying through the air, catching a glimpse of goblins crawling over the barricade, followed by big and not-so-cuddly walking through it as if it were paper.