“That arrogant shit!” Yelled an elf in all black leather, pounding his glove on the black wooden table, engraved with gold and lit by candle. His silvery gray eyes blended with the whites behind the dark shadow of sleeplessness surrounding them. He brushed his long, unkempt black hair behind his pointed ear and stared at a map, pinned to the table by small decorative daggers.

“By arrogant shit, do you mean your half brother who lost a dragon to an old village, or do you mean your real brother for marching his army to respond?” said a dark female voice, fitting the brunette that looked oddly like him.

“Both.” He growled.

“Faeryn, you must remain calm. Do not be what your foolish brothers call you. Childish.”

“I am a passionate man, I will not temper my fury when my brother marches to claim the north.”

“Uldor was a fool to attack the village, thinking no ally would come to their aid. Hafth, however, MUST retaliate to save face, and if he did not, surely Ulferling would. He is an opportunistic old man, like your father was. Let Hafth's army march. This is a good thing.” she grinned devilishly.

“How is this a good thing? We stand weak and alone while my brothers wage war to see who controls 2 kingdoms? No matter the victor, we become weaker as one becomes stronger than the rest of us.”

“Husband…why do you never listen to my words of comfort? Temper your fury and open your ears. Right now The Rose remains guarding the city, and your brother’s army marches north on a very long, dangerous journey. A journey that will cost him many lives and much gold, make him many enemies, and put him far from home. If he does storm Spirecrest and King Uldor, he will lose part of his army, gaining a broken castle he damaged getting inside. Spirecrest is nothing without a dragon. It is a highly gilded castle on the shores of a city with no walls guarding its people. Uldor is not a king of might and strategy, he is a king of wealth and flair, decorations and imaginary honor. So let him fall. His own people starve while he bathes in riches, his army clads in cheap iron with a plating of false hope. He is a king of nothing, and your brother cannot exactly bring the castle home with him.”

“No, but controlling the north lands will make Dravenguard twice as powerful.” Faeryn snarled.

“Controlling a fallen people and a dragonless stronghold will make him divided. What will he do? Remain king of gilded nothing while his conquered people throw stones and rotten fruit at the walls, and his wife bares an heir alone in Dravenguard? Will he divide his already reduced army in half to guard both cities half as well, or trust his new prize to an army he just attacked and stole from their dead king?" she asked.

“That castle is a second perch for The Rose to plant its claws. That gives him 2 far points to attack from at once and makes him unpredictable.”

“Faeryn, please.” She scoffed. “Your brother is inspirational and bold, not stupid. He IS predictable, as the seasons. The rose will remain with his coveted white city and his pregnant wife. He will not leave his home without a dragon, and with the other dragon dead, he must either leave his prize unguarded in the hands of a new King, a king who can be bargained with or bought, or he must leave his now weakened army divided or at Spirecrest. Your brother has not gained a second army, he has spread his power thinner over far too much land. The stubborn Satyr, starved and neglected, will not trust and obey a King who pillaged their Elvin masters any more than they do their current masters. Your brother’s men obey him out of respect because he feeds them and tells them beautiful lies. Your men obey you out of fear and they respect your strength as well as your fury.”

“And my wife? Some days I wonder if they fear you more than they fear me.”

“And you remain mine and I protect you, so it does not matter, the obedience goes to the same throne. Uldor’s people hate him. They do it silently, but they do not fear him, they fear the quake bringer he just sent to die in Thalebrook. They may defy and overtake him before the army even arrives, with the right motivation and whispering. Let your brother have the gilded nothing of the north, let him weaken his army and leave his home less protected, spread his power thin for…trees and rocks and grasslands. Let him believe that land is power, while he struggles to even maintain it all. And when the time is right, we take what means the most in the world to him.”

“The wife and unborn son…vulnerable and guarded now by no army and a dragon that answers to him, far away and distracted. Why do I ever doubt your demented brilliance?” he smiled.

“Because you are young and passionate and yearn for the power that should be yours, and it will be. Ulferling will not live forever, he grows old and gray each day passing, while you remain young and full of fire. Your bastard half brother has challenged death and will face it soon, and with the wife and son safely here in Gravestead under warmly furnished iron bars, Hafth has no power over you. Patience is not your greatest strength my king, but you must learn it, because your glory is inevitable, it just will not happen overnight. Let the gilded shore fall. Let me cripple the Rose of the desert, and time itself will whittle down the Wave of the Woods. You know the dragons are bound to their masters' life. Their obedience ends with the Death of their master, and when Old Ulferling passes, tomorrow or next winter, The Wave of the Woods will be masterless, and perish. We will rule all there is, in time. Just wait and savor the anticipation. All we must do is appear to do nothing. They already underestimate us. Let them do that until it becomes their destruction. The prophecy is unfolding. Chaos will rise and seek a body to dwell within, and THAT, dear husband, is the day you will be what you were always meant to be. Not 1 King of 4, Not the only king, but a god.” She said darkly.

“And you will finally see me as your lord, rather than your right hand.” He smirked.

“Do not be this way, Faeryn. You know I am the reason you are strong, and you resent my power. But you cannot control it, and with your blind fury you would waste it. Your strength is in your wisdom and trusting me to do the plotting. I have never failed you, nor lied to you, do not, in your moment of glory, doubt my wisdom. Not ever. I made you King, I will make you a god, and when you are old and wise enough to understand what I have done, then you will be my equal, and we will no longer play this silent game of distrust. Do you understand…my King.” She asked aggressively.

“Of course I do, my Queen. Forgive my young fury and lust for my true place. I often see the darkness in your silvery eyes and the royal blood burning in your black heart, and I forget that you chose me over my brothers. You always stood up for me when father was angry. You are older, wiser, and it does seem unfair that the north is rules by a half-blood bastard child of a Satyr whore, rather than the 4 purebloods of this family, but as my father would say…a woman is not a king, she bows before one. I wish I could see his face in hell as his bastard is slain by his precious golden brother, only for the daughter he ignored to be queen of everything he always wanted, and the son he called his mistake to become a god. We will make father weep in the underworld for underestimating us both, and for cursing our union. We are stronger together, and you were always right about everything.” He said with a smile, leaving the room feeling calmer and more confident, exactly how she wanted him.

Gizzy followed Thaddeus single file along the creek, the sun beaming down through the high rock walls to either side.

“Why are we taking the long way around?” she asked.

“Because friends of Thievenbridge go this way. The pass is too small for an army, too narrow for a dragon, and there are lookouts in the walls that can rain arrows on intruders.”

“But…” Nicole noted. “Aren’t WE intruders?”

“Intruders like large camps and carriages of soldiers. This leads us under the city, where we can get you the proper identifying tokens. Those tokens may mean life or death in Thievenbridge.”

“Nice people, hu?” She sighed.

“Paranoid people. Poor, scared and justifiably nervous people, with many enemies.” He said as the high walls began to look more busy, carved and peppered with openings in the rock, the openings began to have glass in them, wooden balconies and rope lifts. As they turned the winding creek, the 80 foot stone ridges straightened out and there in the light, the silhouette of a city spanning over the gap, wooden supports jutting from the rocks and merging with trusses and iron plates, riveted and pegged together with all manner of bracing. “Welcome to Thievenbridge.” Smiled Thaddeus.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Oh shit, I thought it was a metaphor.” Vinn gazed in awe.

“Nah.” Silverback marveled. “Literal city bridging over a canyon. Hell of a place to start a population.”

“These canyon walls are rich in copper. Most of the world’s copper comes from here. The goblins began building towns on either side, building lifts and mining channels to the creek below. Eventually they just…began connecting the bridges, and the city grew over the gap. Owning property over the creek with a working lift is high value. This creek flows from the river above, through the caves and down here. The creek bed itself has enough copper for a man to make a living just panning it. One cannot make bronze without copper, and with tin everywhere and cheap, copper in scarcity, Thievenbridge has been a coveted location for many generations. The backbone of the Gravestead Empire is built on bronze and goblin blood, but they never let them take the city. This is our destination. Up these steps.” He said, leading them up the carved out steps, and along the copper rail to a wooden structure above. The steps lead through a pair of dark oak mossy doors he opened with a key. The rush of warm air and music playing, laughter and celebratory shouting barreled out the opening as they entered.

“Willow! I have something you want to see.” He shouted as they filed in.

“What is this place?” Silverback asked

“Whorehouse.” He sighed.

“Well, finally some good news.” He sighed with relief, wandering in and spotting a short goblin woman with a plate of steak and eggs on toast. She eyes him and lightly spun a knife with her finger.

“Nathan, don’t get yourself stabbed or robbed in here.” Gizzy warned.

“I was just taking in the scenery and looking for a snack.” He smirked discreetly.

“Just don’t get eye strain trying to focus one eye on the food and one eye on the tits.” She said playfully. “And be ready to leave or fight at any moment. No drinking or screwing just yet.”

“Well you’re no fun at all.” He scoffed, making his way to the chair across from the 4-foot green temptation factory staring him down. Gizzy shook her head as they made their way to the back. He opened the doors to a little private room with a view, red leather padding on the chairs. In the center of the far wall’s adorned leather seat, sat an oddly tall goblin woman, cleaner than the others, with more pink to her cheeks and inner ears, thinner build than the more curvy and busty one Silverback was consorting with. On her right was an old dwarf, slumped and asleep with one arm around her and an empty mug in the other hand, and on her left was a rather elfish looking blonde woman, giggling and whispering as they approached.

“Business is booming, I see, Willow.” Sighed Thaddeus.

“You know we always have good business here. I see you brought friends, did you happen to bring that son of a bitch back with my bow?” she asked with some accusation in her tone.

“Your bow… The one you sold for this place?”

“The one I loaned to Thatch, to safeguard, not to take out of the town. That was the deal. I don’t want to touch that damn thing, I just want it here in Goblin hands, now where is Thatch, I need to beat on him a little bit.”

“He’s dead sis. He died protecting Thalebrook from The Quake of the North.”

“Bullshit. Where is he? Why are you protecting his stupid ass? Spirecrest would never send the Quake to attack as long as your grandfather…” she said as her smile faded, noticing the sword Gizzy was carrying, and the faint blue glow from the guard. “Why is she carrying that thing? Did you steal it? You fool, without that sword Thalebrook is as vulnerable as we are without the bow, more so, because we have better defenses.”

“Thalebrook is gone, sis. Grandfather is dead, Borren is dead, half the town is dead or injured and most of them have left the town to seek refuge in Dravenguard. The Quake struck the town, nearly burned it to ashes. Thatch came to help, and saved the half that lived, took down the Quake with help from these friends…who brought you the bow back.” He said. Willow waved the blonde along, looking sad and troubled and trying to bottle it up as she opened a different bottle to help that.

“Wine?” she asked.

“You know I don’t.” Thaddeus huffed.

“Mother is dead, your promise to her is not bound anymore, kid. Your father was a drunk, and a good man, Borren was a drunken piece of shit, and I shed no tear for him. It is in your blood, don’t let it define who you are. I am sorry about Thalebrook and your grandfather, but you belong here now. Not under the boot of an elf king or leading a vengeance party. Don’t throw your life away. Give me my bow back, have a drink, your friends can stay for free, have what they want.”

“Nice.” Vinn nodded, heading to the buffet table.

“But you have no home or obligation to defend a fallen village, nor to run and hide in Dravenguard. This is your home now, Thaddeus.” She sighed.

“Actually…” Gizzy said. “We’re not bringing the bow back. Dee bonded with it, it’s hers now. Given by your friend, to do exactly what it does best.”

“And you are?” Willow asked snidely.

“I’m a fucking God, collecting the items from a fallen one. Your bow, this sword. Those are mine now.”

“Oh like hell you are, and like hell they do.” She said, standing up as Thaddeus stepped between them. “You come into MY house, after being welcomed in, and tell me you own my bow, and you plan to return them to their place? That devil will not rise again, and nobody pretending to be a god is taking it out of this town.”

“Oh, I don’t intend to awake the devil with them, I intend to kill the dragons with them and then destroy them all so he can't rise again. And no Shrekhoe is going to stop me.”

“Please, nobody start fighting.” Thaddeus ordered. “They are friends, and the rightful owners of the sword and bow. If you wish to protect it, then do as I have, and follow us. If the blonde dies, the bow is yours again.”

“Hey!” Dee objected. “I’m not dying. I got way too much shit to do to be dead. We went through a black hole to live, and I’ll fight my way through a green one if I have to…I assume it’s green, I don’t actually…know.” Dee pondered, wincing slightly.

“Silverback will let you know where the green ends and the pinks starts. He’s working on that mission right now.” Gizzy complained. “The point is, we’re on the same side and the bow chose Dee.”

“You do realize you’ve started a war?” Willow barked.

“See?” Nicole muttered. “I knew we were gonna do something like that.”

“What…the Elves?” Gizzy shrugged. “Fuck the Elves, and their pets. I’ll cut down the other 3, let them fight each other, then you and your small towns can pick the wreckage. I don’t care. I came here for one reason, to keep a dead chaos god dead, and I need weapons to do that. I would have thought you’d be grateful the bow ended up in the hands of someone like her, instead of lost or stolen and on the way to one of the Elf Kings for a bag of gold.”

“Fuck the Elves and fuck their pets, hu? I like that mindset, but I still don’t believe you’re a god, and that means you die with good intentions and someone takes your sword and the bow, and it ends up traded for a bag of gold anyway. So I do love your attitude, but I can’t risk my home on that." She said as 2 large men stood up and readied their bows.

“You want proof?” Gizzy asked. “Nicole…my staff.” She ordered. Nicole tossed it to her open hand.

“Put that down, or you’ll get an arrow to the back.” Willow barked.

“Thaddeus…I got this.” Gizzy said, calming him and placing the staff on the table in front of her. “Powerful weapon. Have one of your men take it…and have the other one put an arrow in my back. Aim for flesh, I don’t want to hear how I’m wearing armor under my shirt, go ahead. Take the staff.” She said, kicking her feet up on the chair. “I won’t move from this seat.” She smiled. Willow waited and tried to spot her bluff.

“This is Thievenbridge. We bury bodies in the mines all the time and nobody cares.”

“I’m not joking. If your man can hold that staff…” she said, placing the lunchbox on the floor. “or that trinket case of mine…it’s yours. And I wasn’t threatening, go ahead, put an arrow in my back, please. Indulge me. One free shot with no retaliation...just one.”

“I can’t tell if you believe your insanity or of you’re just drunk.” Willow smirked.

"It’s not insanity if what you believe is accurate, and I assure you, I am also fairly drunk. You don’t wanna see me sober. I was never the god of sobriety and serenity. But I have killed a few dragons in my day, and more than a few gods. Why are you all standing around. Shoot me, take the staff, take my box of gold for the trouble, and after I’m dead and disarmed, you can have the sword and the bow. Nut up, do something.” Gizzy yawned.

“Indulge her.” Willow said. One man grabbing the staff as it let out a wining sound.

“Bow.” She casually ordered as the security tazer dropped him to his knees, hollering and clutching the staff, sparks flying from his hands. The arrow struck her in the back and bounced wildly as another man grabbed the lunchbox and was immediately yanked downward, tearing through the floor and onward into the creek.

“Shit.” Gizzy sighed. “Now I have to go get that. I don’t know why I forgot there’s no foundation under us. That was just stupid. See, this is why we don’t let me get sober.” She said looking down the hole to the creek and the dead guy lying on the lunchbox. “Awww, man that’s like a hundred steps back down and another back up. Anyway I do need to get that, it’s kinda valuable, and nobody else can lift it, so…are you convinced? Can I go get my box?”

“How did you do that?” Willow asked. “Daemos…where did you hit her?” she asked.

“Right in the spine, bare flesh. Armor piercing bodkin point.”

“I’m guessing from a…crossbow? That felt like over a hundred pound draw hitting me.” Gizzy grinned, eyes glowing blue.

“Go get your box. We have to talk.” Willow said as Thaddeus smiled as if saying “I told you so.” Nicole casually picked up her staff and returned to Vinn and the buffet table as if Gizzy getting shot in the back was just a Monday kinda thing.

“Who are you people? Where do you come from…the sea?” Willow asked. Dee chuckled.

“You know the stars you see in the night sky?”

“Yea.” Willow nodded.

“Well, if you get to those and keep going you’re halfway there. I got shot in the back with an arrow too…it fucking stings. You’re lucky you shot her. If you shot me, there’s be dead people.” Dee said confidently. Nicole looked down the hole in the floor.

“I’m fairly sure that guy is dead.” She muttered.

“Oh right, so really not any different. MORE dead people. I think that was an accident though, he probably died kinda fast and painless. Sorry about that. It’s like that happens a lot or something. I dunno why.” She shrugged.