Reis and Mathias were standing close, just a few feet away, facing one another, as the opposing forces sized each other up. Reis could hear snippets of conversation from the crowd standing behind Mathias,
“That one has a mean look in-”
“-Don’t like the look of those Goblins-”
“Looks more like a standing army than a tribe of savage-” Reis focused on Mathias when he spoke,
“You can’t do this Reis,” Reis scoffed, and Mathias continued, angrier now, “Do you think that Goblins can stand to the guild? Do you think that you can?” Reis’s eyes narrowed.
“I think you’re underestimating them,”
“Maybe, but I have your measure, you treacherous-” Reis cycled his mana as he had first learned in his battle with the young Goblin boy, but with the benefit of the weeks of practice he’d had since, sped along by the fine mana control he’d cultivated in a lifetime of harvesting magic plants, carefully controlling the flow of mana through their roots, and all of the chatter on the enemy side ceased, as the Goblins began laughing and jostling each other, weapons already in hand.
Mathias measured Reis with new eyes that showed uncertainty for the first time since the standoff had begun. They almost betrayed his fear.
“Maybe you’re stronger than you let on, but have you ever fought a war? One strong combat-” He was cut off when Trekuta began putting off waves of intent, much different than the ones that Reis had put off. Where Reis’ intent had been the desire to protect, both the Goblins and his farm, an aegis, a shield, Trekuta’s was a sword.
Every human in the field save Reis reacted to the aura. The strongest among them merely flinched, the weakest could not stand in the face of it. Several kneeled. Few feinted. If Reis’s showing had caused the crowd to quiet, then Trekuta’s display provoked utter silence, once the gasps of shock died down. Trekuta walked to stand next to Reis. Mathias was so taken aback that he seemed to give up on reasoning entirely, just staring wide-eyed at Reis, Trekuta, and Trekuta’s throushk.
Then, the Martial crowd parted around a figure that was putting out his own aura, one of precision and temperance, while working his way towards the front. Reis felt it would have been a great temperament for a farmer. Or a hunter.
Gan emerged from the crowd and spoke, looking between Mathias and Reis, while stealing glances at the Goblins who stood ready for battle.
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“What’s the situation,”
“Reis is working with Goblins,” Gan frowned.
“I see,” His gaze fell onto Reis and seemed to pierce him, “Reis, are you under duress?” He shook his head tensely. “I take it this is the party you’ve sold your heartvine to?” He nodded. “And you can’t be dissuaded from doing so,”
“No,”
“So you’ve chosen to conspire with monsters?”
“I’ve chosen to enter a trade agreement with a group of people, and when the guild made clear their intent to steal my goods, I agreed to let them maintain a presence on my farm to secure their investment,”
“Maintain a -” Gan looked around and seemed to take in just how many Goblins were milling about for the first time. “That’s practically a platoon, Reis,”
“They look more combat ready than yours, too,” Gan’s head nodded slightly as he looked around, barely perceptible.
“You can’t do this, Reis,” Mathias repeated.
“And yet you’ve left it as my only option,” As Reis spoke, more of the higher level Goblins made their way to stand by Mathias, cycling their mana and letting off their own waves of intent.
Gan stood, poised, and his hand firmly gripped his spear, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice. He looked at the frontline combatants in Reis’s force, and then back at his own. Then he gave his men the order to disperse, which Mathias immediately tried to contest.
“Guildmaster, with you here we-”
“Silence Mathias!” Mathias shrank back immediately, hearing wrath for the first time in the man’s usually calm voice, and only flinched further when Gan continued, rounding on his subordinate. “Do you not see what a mess you’ve made?”
“Was I supposed to sit back and watch an army of monsters commandeer important resources?”
“Mathias,” Gan was no longer raising his voice. He spoke coldly, quietly, in a way that demanded absolute attention and obedience. “You were expected not to lead your men into a slaughter. I was not even told about this standoff, I noticed much of the guild was absent and decided to find out why, luckily for you. If this had become a battle before I arrived, you and your men would have lost, badly. And I don’t tip the scales as much as you seem to believe,” Mathias opened his mouth to rebut Gan’s assertion, but Gan continued with the same cold fury
“If you’re too foolish to see that, then I must rethink your appointment as my second. While I think on that, you are to think on this. Why were a group of monsters displaying more discipline than you? Now go,”
The forces dispersed quickly when they saw Gan’s rage. Gan was the last to move, a hand resting warily on the haft of his spear. Once the last of his men were at a safe distance, he let his hand fall to his side, and then turned to the farmer.
“I hope you know what you’re doing, Reis. You may have shown too much of your hand,”
That night, the Goblins began to fortify their positions.