After I’d been thoroughly lectured, Duke Reverie called a 30-minute break. Everyone broke away while those who’d been at the rear took up security positions around us. A few minutes in, the left wedge appeared 20 meters behind us. The right wedge appeared 70 minutes ahead of us. Duke Reverie called a meeting with their officers.
That didn’t include me or the adventurers.
I sat on a fallen tree on the roadside with the Snow Badgers. Grimes had lit a fire and we all ate.
“Mercy,” Renel sat next to me. “I think we need to rethink our battle formation.”
“I think so as well.” I nodded. “Any tips or suggestions?”
“That… Loud weapon you use, what can it do?” She asked.
I thought about how I should answer this, and I couldn’t really see how I should. So I gave her the choice. “Honestly, that question can go a few ways. So in which way are you asking? Break down? A boil down of it all?”
“Well, as a Mage, I do like a more scholarly approach and I’m sure our resident Dwarf - Yul - would also love to know.” Renel gestured opposite of us, across the fire where Yul sat on another log they pulled from the forest. Yul was almost a foot shorter than me, but I’d just taken him as a teen or something.
“He’s Dwarf?” I looked at Yul.
“Problem?” He gruffed but he was still focused on the rifle beside me.
“No, I just thought Dwarves were shorter,” I said.
“I’m half-dwarf.” He said.
“Well, moving forward,” I picked up the rifle, careful to point the muzzle skyward and away from any head. “It’s called a firearm, and this platform is called an Armalite 15, or AR-15. It’s a semi-auto rifle which means one round per trigger pull. Now, first things first, safety.”
I sat in a way so Renel and Yul could see how I manipulated it. I pressed the magazine release, and the magazine slid partway out. Pulling it and setting it on the log, I pulled the charging handle back halfway. The bolt pulled the round out. I then went slower so the round couldn't eject sideways but instead fell out the magazine well.
“Treat all firearms as if they’re loaded, that’s rule one.” I said and picked up the round. I placed it next to the magazine before I pointed to the muzzle of the rifle. “Rule two, never let the muzzle flag - basically point at - anything you are not willing to destroy. The rounds are fed into the chamber where the bolt seats it. Once you pull the trigger, it discharges down the barrel and out the muzzle.”
I pointed to the open chamber before I ran my finger down the length of the M-Lok slotted handguard before over the barrel when it ended. I then pointed to the trigger. “Rule three, finger off the trigger until you’re sighed on your target and you choose to fire. This is the trigger. When the safety is on, you cannot pull this. When it’s off, you can pull it. It drops a hammer inside the rifle and it slams into a pin within the carrier group that strikes the back of the cartridge - discharging it.”
I then pointed to the muzzle and then skyward. “Rule four, be sure of your target and what’s behind it. Depending on the round and target, they will most likely not stop at their intended target and over penetrate. And last rule, always secure your firearms as best as you can to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing them. You can ask questions now, that way I can give better answers.”
“I’ve never seen such fire workmanship…” Yul said with wonder. “Is it fine you show this to others? I’m sure that this kind of intricate tool would be under lock and key.”
“I mean, it’s supposed to when not in use,” I chuckled. “Rule four. But that’s to make sure no one unintended gets harmed. Weapons like this are as common as people where I’m from.”
“And, where would that be?” He asked.
I shrugged. “Somewhere terrible…”
He looked like he wanted to press that line of questioning but Renel stepped in.
She pointed to the chamber. “Now, how does the trigger discharge something in this chamber?”
I released the bolt and then I used the tip of the free round to press the rear take-down pin out. I then opened it up and pointed to the trigger group. “This is the hammer the trigger is connected to. It slides into the carrier where a pin will slam into the rear of this round. The round is made up of four pieces. Primer, casing, gunpowder, and a bullet. The primer sparks on impact and ignites the powder. The powder creates a gas that propels the round through the barrel and the force created sends it.”
Yull nodded along as I pointed to each section. His eyes were narrowed in concentration while Renel seemed less interested in the mechanicals of the firearm, but more interested in the science of the round. She pointed to the round. “Can you show me?”
“Do you want to handle it?” I raised the split-open rifle to Yul. he came over and took it, inspecting it.
I had Yang come and pull apart the round over my hand. He then laid it out nicely in my palm where I fingered the casing and bullet aside. I pointed to the powder. “This is the gunpowder. Now, don’t ask how to make it. I don’t know how to make it, and even if I did, I wouldn’t hand it over. Now, this is extremely flammable. Its not dangerous out in the open. But… The true magic happens from the gas created.”
I pointed to the cartridge. “When ignited in the casing, within the chamber correctly - the gasses will take the path of least resistance. That would be pushing the bullet down the barrel and out the muzzle. That is proportional to the amount of gunpowder used in the round. I believed they went by grain. I believe these were.. 62 grain? Anyways, that’s that.”
She nodded. “Can I see?”
“See what?” I asked.
“How the powder ignites.” She said.
“Sure,” I replied.
Using my index finger, I created a small trench in the snow where I deposited the powder after I picked the casing and bullet out of my hand. I then pointed to one side. “Light it with fire.”
Renel pulled lit a twig, then stuck it on one end of the trench. The powder ignited unceremoniously. It was calm, but rather than the usual orangy flame, this had a more yellow tint to it. A few soldiers, along with Hembree, had come over as well.
“This is smokeless powder,” I said and pointed to the trench as the flame finished off the last of the small line of powder. “It burns slower than black powder and produces more gas. This mix is for rifle-length devices. If I remembered correctly, shorter length or such use a slightly faster burning mix. Don’t quote me on that though, I’ve never been a science person. I was more… A people person.”
Renel nodded and that was when Hembree crouched down next to me - brushing me slightly. He looked at me with the same wonder Yul had. “And what’s the purpose between the different mixes?”
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I smiled, not sure why he asked that, but I took the rifle from Yul. I put it back together and released the bolt. “This bolt is gas operated. Meaning the gas from the discharged round will make the weapon cycle. Don’t ask me more from there. I know how to operate more systems than most of the soldiers do there. But I never knew specifically how they operated. Only a general sense. Just enough to give them an opening presentation.”
“If you knew how to use the weapons, wouldn’t that make you a warrior too?” Hembree asked. “That’s how it works here. Does it not work that way where you’re from?”
I shook my head. “Where I’m from, people are highly specialized. I acted more as one of the faces of the company, as well as the one who helped give presentations to important people. Like leaders of strong paramilitary groups, or Militech. Though, before I came here, I more operated as an administrator that helped with smaller deals…”
Hembree gave me a confused look.
“What?” I gave an uneasy chuckle.
He looked unsure if he should say something, but it must’ve not been important as he shook his head. “I came over here to tell you that we’re getting ready to move. But I was fascinated to see how your tools worked. Next time, how about we show you how ours work? I’d love to show you some swordsmanship - or some spearmanship.”
Renel perked up. “I can show you some magic!”
I felt flustered as more and more people chipped in. Each wanting to share their expertise… I felt warm… And a little homesick… It reminded me of why I moved away from being one of the faces of the company.
The smaller corporations, usually the ones with less than 50 people, were always so happy to show me what they could do. And always with excitement… When I did the deals with large brand name corporations like Arasaka, Militech, Zatatech, or whatever big name came over the holos; they were cold and calculated - neither interested in the science or discussion of it.
Only in how easily we could end someone.
Like I had said, I wasn’t a person of science. But I envied them. Really, I envied people who go excited over things - such passion and joy in whatever it was…
The march went on -
And for the rest of the day, we encountered little resistance. At the least, nothing I and the archers couldn’t handle. Hembree had tasked me to handle groups of 5-10 we met. The archers would handle outliers. We’d encountered several camps along the road, though they were empty. Duke Reverie and Hembree both had bad feelings about it.
I, on the other hand, only shrugged it off.
I was the first person to acknowledge I had no sense of battle. My brother, for all his flaws, had a knack for violence. My death was one of the accolades for that fact.
We continued on while periodically receiving reports of the similarities on both sides. With each report, the Badgers too became restless.
Renel was the one to complain first to me. “This is getting bad, Mercy.”
I relented after the third complaint. “And how so?”
Grimes answered in Renel’s place. Rather, he cut her off. “It means the goblins are fleeing back up the valley. Simply, we’re in for a larger battle at the end.”
“It could also mean they scattered up the mountains,” I said as I held my rifle close to my chest. I regretted not buying a sling earlier. I would wait until I had some privacy.
Grimes scoffed at me. “Not likely.”
“Okay, Mr. Know It All…” I withheld a sigh. “Tell me what is likely.”
“The goblins will retreat towards what they deem is safer, not up the mountains,” Grime said with a tone that made me want to punch him. “Since the goblins are from the dungeon - they’ll retreat back to the dungeon, or maybe the ruins of the town.”
I nodded. “I’ll defer to you then.”
“... Deffer… What the hell does that even mean?” Grimes asked.
“It means she’s leaving the decision on what’s going on to you,” Renel said. “Dear gods, I told you if you read more, you’d be able to hold a conversation with smarter people.”
Grimes gave a mischievous chuckle that piqued my interest. It was – “Well, I don’t normally get a chance to read books. It’s hard to read books when you’re sitting on top of them and moaning my — OUCH!”
Renel smacked him across the back of her head with her hand. I could tell by the sound. “How many times have I told you to learn some tact!”
I felt my face burn against the cold more so than it had before. I listened to Renel scold the ranger before sending him off to the other men in the group. He grumbled and Renel took up next to me. I peeked over. Her face beat red.
She looked over me and her eyes narrowed. “Oh don’t act like you’ve never had sex!”
I shook my head. “I’m a virgin…”
Renel only turned a deeper shade of red.
“I’m not judging you,” I said. “I just… Wasn’t expecting to hear that right now.”
“Oh…” That was the only thing she could muster.
It wouldn’t have been so awkward if we had some action. But it seemed the goblins did really scurry off somewhere.
We ran into one large abandoned camp. It seemed they’d left in a hurry. Whatever food they’d been cooking was left to burn and boil away at several fires. It seemed some semblance of homes had started to be formed in the inner circle of it too. The only thing not found were weapons and goblins.
I found myself at the center of the camp.
There was not much to look at. The camp was rudimentary - similar to the ones before. Only larger in scale. Wide shallow trenches had been dug on the edge of the camp. Another had been dug in a rough circle at the center. It didn’t take an investigator to figure out they’d attempted to make some sort of defense similar to the blockade the humans made below. The ground had frozen over, leaving them to struggle on their own.
The Camp center had to have been prioritized by the looks of it. Large roughly hacked tree trunks had been laid against the dirt already dug. It didn’t look that defensible. It also looked more religious within the center. Totems had been erected, blood markings on wood and the remains of a bonfire.
Grimes appeared again with Renel, Hembree, and the Duke.
“Yeah, this is bad.” Grimes said as he came to a stop next to me.
He tried to lean on Yang but Yang nudged him off. He cleared his throat.
“We finished clearing the camp,” Hembree said. “Looks like they fled in a hurry.”
I shrugged as I kicked a broken deer antler. “Sounds good to me.”
“Wrong,” Grimes said. “The camp is too messy. It’s all haphazardly done. Like the way a kid would draw it up. It means these goblins are new to defenses.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure they’d suck at it the first few times,” I said. Disinterested in this conversation again. “Get to the point, please.”
The Duke interjected. “I think the point the Ranger is trying to make is that the goblins are receiving orders. Orders mean a hierarchy has been established - one different from just a rag-tag group. Given everything we’ve seen so far, I’d go so far as to suggest maybe an envoy from the Demons. Maybe even one of the evil god’s envoys.”
“I wouldn’t make that suggestion,” Grimes said as he used a large antler to pick at a pile of dirty bones. “I would say a goblin General, or a King though. This is a Shaman camp. Otherwise, they would have fought to the death here. And I say that because I know the town is just up the road… About one more mile?”
Hembree nodded.
“Did the Adventurers Guild ever say what the final boss in the dungeon was?” He asked.
“Wouldn’t you know that?” I asked.
Renel shook her head. “We’re not interested in dungeons. They’re dangerous and take a long time to deal with. And the ones like the one in this Valley aren’t worth more than training new adventurers in combat.”
“Well, that answers that,” I said.
“Regardless,” The Duke stepped in. “We’re going to camp here for the night. The reason the support forces should bring up the rear in an hour or two. I’ve already sent runners to the other formations. Miss Mercy, has your deity spoken to you at all?”
“No, why?” I asked as I walked around the bonfire. It was unlit. Bits of teeth, antlers, and other bones had been prepared in a bowl.
“I would appreciate if they’d give us more information on what was going on.” he said.
“I’m pretty sure your wife pissed her off last time,” I smiled. “I doubt she’d want to offer you any help.”
He moved his jaw side to side before he turned on his heel and threw one final word out. “Secure the camp!”