It took another three-quarter of an hour for the accursed goblin troupe to inexorably make their way down the hill southward toward Master’s “El-Zi”. Keya had finally identified time numerals in her vision; perhaps her most monumental achievement to date. His people were a very exacting sort, dividing hours in sixty and then sixty again. Ostensibly, only knowing dawn, noon, and dusk was unfit for their means.
After all, here they were at the twentith hour, long past sundown, lingering to fight green devils. Night was the domain of monsters; did he not know or not care? Both I venture. The goblins approached facing the bulbous white ship’s starboard side, although fore and aft was guesswork on her part. There were two seats behind elaborate curved glass that looked like coach seats; this she labelled the bow. The stern exposed a rugged boarding ramp. Keya had honestly never seen so much metal on display that was not tools, weapons, armour, or coin. What she did not see was wood, stone, leather, and bone. They had since deflated and dismantled his mighty portal. The ship and four anchors were all that remained on the sheered grass field.
This fabulous hoard of resources before her would be tempting to anyone, even goblins, though food always came first for them. The cretins approached on the flat plain insidiously stalking in the long weeds. None should ever have spotted them, nor did they make a sound. She begrudgingly respected their skill followed by pity, though only briefly. Were they hunting anyone else in the realm, save this visitor, the element of surprise would be theirs. As the group reached 200 paces from the stakes, coloured lights in Keya’s visor fleshed out more details. Their ugly physiques and cowardly tactics flared a burning hatred in her heart. She could not bear doing nothing. Master was protectively ahead of her, black artefact in hand, with the ship behind. Fleeing to the sanctuary of his subterrane keep beckoned at her every fibre, but she could not leave while her comrade, only days old, stood unyielding. Regardless of their relationship, Keya was no aristocratic wench. If he stood stalwart then so would she. Though I am absolutely terrified! She unsheathed the cumbersome shortsword. It was all she could do. Running backwards or forwards were both equally untenable feats.
Master waited for the green rodents to advance another hundred paces, still in the high grass. At which point he knelt on one knee and shouldered the artefact like a crossbow. Finally, the man announced that such stalking was all for nought. Also giving up their element of surprise.
“Goblins, please stand down. I.e. stop and fuck off. If you approach any closer, we will be forced to use lethal force. I.e. you will die, and it will not be pretty. Voetsek!”
Who is 'we'? Keya was dubious as to what "lethal force" she had at her disposal.
The goblins looked about quizzically. Keya too might have wondered how anyone had spotted them in darkness and such fortuitous cover. They were still about one hundred and fifty paces away. At least she suspected that was what the floating numbers meant. This "Sai-Ens’s" amenity was rapidly becoming apparent. What does the 'm' denote I wonder: ‘Man paces’, ‘Magic paces’?
Keya unclenched her jaw. “Goblins may not even understand Common, Master,”
“What really? What do they speak?”
“Goblin, Master.” She knew not whether to cry or to laugh. This strange world she was foisted into was farcical at times. He is a brilliant mystic one second and then bumbling buffoon the next. Yet, he never appeared off-balance, as if even his floundering was a purposeful ruse.
“Do you speak Goblin?”
Many answers once again raced through her mind. Such as ‘Are you an imbecile, no!’ or ‘Gods, no, who would be insane enough to try!?’ and ‘Fuck, no!’ She feared Master’s influence in that later response. Instead, she settled for: “No.”
The goblins were not so wracked with indecision and had started to advance despite Master’s ‘sage’ advice. They were quickly picking up speed, and Keya readied her pithy fighting stance despite herself being all but useless.
The coloured vision was useful but nowhere near as sharp as her eyes in daylight, so instead, she extended her feel of the earth. It was a small area less than one pace around, but she swept ahead anyway to sense their scrubby footfalls.
“I guess that’s a ‘No’,” he said. And without further warning, the nearest goblin’s head pulped like a stone hitting water. She felt around where the goblin collapsed but couldn’t understand what had happened. Another and then another occurred; Goblin war cries turned to screams.
Overcome by morbid curiosity, she probed further. Airy whistles blew from the black sceptre-like stakes they planted earlier. Prior to every dead goblin, there was a constricted pop, like clay blown from a reed. Then following the felled victim, she would at times sense something small tumble away, thudding above her imbued earth. They were slick with blood making it harder to feel. She found another unbloodied and poured her magic into it. They were perfectly round pebbles about the size of a copper coin. Flung like slingshots or faster, they left pounded flesh and crushed bone in their wake.
“Wh-What are these stones you are slinging at them, so smoothly polished and flung at such speeds?”
“How the hell do you see anything in this light?”
“I am using Earth magic, Master. I sense the footfalls and where your stones tumble.”
“Wow, that ability for recon would be super useful. You gotta show me more when we have a chance. To answer your question, I have potato guns back at base and a lot of balls—concrete and iron ones to be precise." He chuckled for no apparent reason. "I’m using concrete since stopping power isn’t an issue and recovery would be a hassle. Easy to make and low maintenance on the guns, add compressed air and we are ‘A’ for away. Just pipe the shot to the gimbal-mounted rings on the sensor buoys, and Evy takes care of targeting. Presto a poor man’s auto-turret.”
“Please, Master, I wish to understand this time, could you use less made-up words.”
“Oh! I am perfectly eloquent; I’ll have you know young Ms!” He glanced back. “Fine! I am slinging round stones with air through a pipe and then out a small portal from my bunker. I can show you the contraption when we get back.”
“Who is aiming them?”
“The computer is: Evy. Our resident AI. I mean…” He spoke quieter to himself between intermittent goblin screams and splats. “How the fuck do I explain computers, this one is always difficult.” There was a pause and then speaking louder. “Okay, what kind of things or beings can think in your world?”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Keya chastised herself. Do not distract him in the heat of battle, you dolt! “Forgive me; I shall leave inquiry for later.”
“Nah, it’s fine. No time like the present.” He did not turn or shift from their quarry. “Please, continue.” A goblin yelped in the grass, as if in comical assent.
“T-The Elder and Mortal Races of course and then the Sub Races to some extent. As for things, elementals are alleged to think and act to some degree.”
“Elementals, huh? I got a lot to learn.” A long pained growl ensued, followed by an abrupt end after a meaty thud.
How ignorant am I if you have much to learn?
“I guess we’ll run with the analogue for now. Evy is a thinking elemental. I won’t get into her workings much, but she handles most of the ‘artefacts’, as you say, that I use. You can give her orders, and Evy will obey. No physical body, though. More like she will retrieve knowledge you wish to know. Like a librarian. You know what those are right?”
Were they casually conversing while he rained death! Gods damn it, she would try split her attention! A glance beyond him showed close to half the attackers splayed still on the ground. The rest were obstinately crawling forward, some using their deceased brethren as literal meat shields.
“Y-Yes, I know of libraries though I have never been in one aside from yours. They are for privileged nobles and wealthy merchants. Speaking of which, might I humbly request the perusal of your tomes. I understand it is impertinent to regu-”
“Yes. You don’t need my permission. Hell, I want you to learn. Freely and whenever you choose. You have unrestricted Internet access too. You’ve yet to understand what that means, so let the books be an overture.”
Heartless as the goblin tactics were, fewer green skins fell in their prone formation; conversely, progress was much slowed.
“I… that is extremely beneficent of you, Master.” The privilege felt unearned. He was almost certainly making a blunder being so lenient with her.
Jon offhandedly shrugged in the grey visor light.
“Evy is your slave then?”
Another goblin wailed in pain, obviously not hit anywhere immediately lethal enough. Keya kept her sword up.
“Slave! No, she has no independent will or desires. A long way away from being sapient, sentient maybe. She isn’t alive. Merely a human voice over a machine or ‘artefact’ to make interaction more accessible.”
“How can you be so sure? If she speaks, then she must be alive.”
“Because I built and installed her—it. The labelling of gender is just human sentimentality. It’s not alive. But I get how you don’t see the difference.”
“You BUILT her!” Gods above, just what kind of magus had she stumbled upon!
“Again, not as hard as you think, I just assembled the parts and installed the software.”
Keya absently noted the night had become quiet once more. She refocused on the squat coloured silhouettes. Most prone bodies shone white or flickered red.
All of a sudden, one goblin broke from the high stalks. Charging and screaming at them in its squeaky tenor.
“One sec.” Master Kel’s weapon bellowed three deafening booms muting the night. The goblin backflipped face-first into the ground and moved no more. “Oops, the calibre might be a little too high.”
Keya dropped her sword in shock, ears ringing from the ruckus. By the gods, what power does this man wield!
Master continued unperturbed. “Look, Evy can assist you too. She’s in your visor and earphones. Evy, say hello to Keya. I set up your profile, by the way.”
“Good evening, Keya. My name is Evy,” said a faint and distant female voice in her ears. It was polite with an air of practised deference, albeit there was something offbeat in the voice she could not quite place. “I am an integrated AI adapted to assist Divers and their teams, both at home and in the field. Please say my name before any questions or commands.”
“Another damned voice in my head!” It’s one cursed thing after the next!
“But this one is useful.”
“Hey!” Lee cut in to give his two cents.
“Will they talk while I sleep?!” Could she ever get peace from all these things, noises, and voices!
“Only if you want them to. Wait that came out wrong.”
“I already know far more than I wish to. Are the goblins dead? I feel somewhat cheated of an arduous challenge and a little powerless.”
“Evy, sit rep to team.”
Evy replied blithe and cheery in her ears. “The 21 assailants identified as Goblins have been neutralised within a 95% probability based on sensor data. The last body stopped breathing about 17 seconds ago.”
“Master, I have no more words. I have no words, and I have too many questions. It is also far too late at night. Are we done here?” She was done with this madness for one day.
He looked about, “Yeah, ship is ready. Just a round of preflight checks, remove the buoys and anchors, and we’re off. Also, I need to collect a goblin corpse and check for loot. You guys don’t eat goblin, do you?”
She could only squat and stare at the ground; this man was incorrigible. Retrieving the useless sword, she sheathed it as she stood in an apathetic daze.
Jon read her expression. “No? Damn, I guess my quest for good biltong continues. Fine climb on board and I’ll be right back.”
Ten minutes later, he climbed the back ramp himself with a shiny black bag clearly holding a small corpse. He slumped it on the floor and lifted the ramp sealing their chamber.
Keya looked to him, dumbed by recent events. She slumped in a seat; the chairs hugged the outer hull facing inward, leaving plenty space for thoroughfare. There happened to be a circular glass window showing cut and flattened plants directly below and before her in the cabin floor. Her feet rested limply atop the window.
“Good seat, you might want to use the seat belt.”
Keya made no moves in response. Why am I here? Thoughts were muddled and murky.
Perhaps sensing her state, Jon summoned cabin illumination and crouched before her. Gently, he removed the visor and ear contraptions, tossing them on a nearby chair. Deliberate hands found straps at her sides and secured her to the seat. “We are going up,” he pointed. “If the view through the glass floor gets scary, pull this latch.” He guided her fingers to the cold clasp. “And the belt will release. Then move to the back of the ship where there are no windows, okay?”
Keya nodded; she felt exhausted in a perplexing way.
“We’ll move through to the bunker when we reach cruise altitude.” He put both hands on her shoulders. “I am sorry. I might have put you through a bit too much again today. Things should taper off from now on, I promise. Safety was simply a priority. With this, we have mitigated a lot of risks, and we can focus more on your needs.”
Safety? Her needs? Why me? What kind of man could wield all this wealth and power and still need her?
She felt the cabin shift and the white cylinders outside made noise, actually they were now black for some reason, the whole ship outside was black. She swore it had been white, but could she trust what she saw anymore, the glass window in the floor revealed the ground pulling further away. It cast off rapidly, and soon the field was just a lighter shade of dark next to the surrounding trees. Then she lost the area all together amongst mottled greys and blacks of the broader landscape. A shimmer of light from the smaller moon, Yil, cast wondrous glimmers on lakes and rivers, like black jewels across the face of the dark earth. Even as Keya gazed, she began to cry softly, feeling joy and simultaneous denial for the absolute majesty of the vision before her.
A sight few had likely ever seen. Nay, as they climbed even higher and a far off sea sparkled in the distance, it was a view not meant for any eyes. Perhaps she had died, perchance she lay dreaming in her hut in Ravis, with Ralfen still alive.
But, oh what a wondrous dream this was. This image of the world so high above, as if Keya could cradle it in bony hands. Its lakes, rivers, and shores like pieces in a toy set: pristine and peaceful. She seared it all into her mind such that she would never forget and tears rolled down her cheeks as the lids felt heavy. Keya drifted off to sleep.