Duval Estate.

The Captain looked upon his ensemble of forty goblins with dissatisfaction. But what can he expect from goblins, he thought as he stared at the complement of troops. Most had at least enough discipline to remain in formation. But they still slouched and grumbled and moaned as he stood there and sized them all up.

But he had his orders. So he would march and work these scabs until their feet bled in order to make them proper soldiers for the General!

"Atten-tion!"

The group of soldiers immediately stood to attention, as lazy and worthless as they were they knew that there was only so much leeway they got when it came to the orders of the Red Caps. When the officers barked an order they followed it. As they damn well should, he thought as he marched along the front of the force. Clicking his tongue at the state of them all. Most of their uniforms were disheveled and messy. Not at all fit for anyone daring to call themselves soldiers. They'll have to do though. The other troops are on standby or in town under the eye of The Colonel. After the recent attack none of them were taking any chances of being under manned.

"Listen up you lot of pus-filled boils! We have our orders and I expect you all to follow them to the letter! We are to march upon the stone quarry and see what has happened to those flea-bitten mongrels! We don't know if they're just sitting around with their thumbs up their asses or if they came under attack! But no matter what it is, you WILL march until your feet bleed! And if I see any one of you slacking or groaning more than usual I'll throw you in a pond until one of your spawn has the brains to follow orders! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

The soldiers grumbled and saluted. Good enough, he thought with a sigh and barked out a command to move out. He led them from the front as all leaders should while the troops formed three abreast behind him with a train of dragues trailing behind with supplies. While it wasn't particularly far given how much clearer the woods now were, it would still take some time to arrive there.

But march on they did. The Captain turning an eye back towards his troops to make sure none of them sluffed off. Every time he did he would catch some of them quickly returning to their marching stance as they tried to keep his ire off of them from whatever asinine thing they were doing. Either picking their noses, eating something nearby, or trying to hamper each other in some way, he thought. Miserable pond scum.

Despite the forced march they arrived some yards away from where the quarry was. His troops were tired and grumbled, more than usual anyway. He cracked his club over the head of a couple in order to rouse the goblins from their grumbling. Things were quiet as they neared. No sounds of work and labor, no signs of combat either though. He called a halt as they got closer to the freshly started quarry as he spotted bits of purple further ahead. The enemy, The Captain thought with grim resolution. He turned to the troops and drew his sabre.

"Alright you lot! CHARGE!!!"

As tired and worthless as the goblins were, the prospect of a fight with supposedly superior numbers was enough to put some fire in their veins and drive them into attacking their foe! The Captain roared and charged after the group as musket fire rang out as the goblins got closer, some were actually aiming while others were just firing for show. He'll have to remember which were which so he could properly punish those that would dare waste ammunition!

He yelled as he came into the clearing filled with rocks where his enemy was, he slashed his sabre across the back of one foe and was immediately dazed when the blade pounced off! He rushed to reaffirm his footing and made for another strike when he paused, which was a bad thing to do in a fight, and saw that his foe wasn't moving to retaliate. Or move at all. He turned and looked around and found several others in purple robes that were busy being attacked by the goblins only for them to not react in the slightest.

Even the goblins themselves were confused after a moment when it became obvious that they weren't fighting back. The Captain stalked forwards slowly in case it was a trap and pulled the hood off of his supposed foe and stepped back when the stony visage was revealed to him!

"What the hell?!"

He turned to the other robed figures as the goblins pushed and cast them down, shattering the remains of the statues. It was when he paid more attention to the "rocks" around them that he realized that they weren't rocks but what appeared to be the calcified remains of his enemies as well as dragues, that stood with terrified expressions on their faces.

Some were solid stone while others looked to be weeping blood from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses. After pushing some of these bloodier statues over it revealed that they were only partially petrified and shattered in a mess of bloody stone and gore.

"What the hell happened here?!" The Captain asked in a harsh tone as he looked around for the culprit of such a cruel fate.

But if there was an enemy that did this they didn't show themselves to him or his troops. None of the calcified figures also made no move to inform him of their fate. Since if was both their forces and the robed figures and their bestial companions he figured it was some kind of third party. But why and how, he thought as he and his troops spread out in search of clues or survivors. There wasn't any sign of the small force meant to protect the dragues while they worked either. Just where did they all go, he thought grimly.

"Captain!" One of the goblins called out and pointed to an opening near the hill where stood the majority of the statuesque dragues.

Some of their faces were etched with fear and terror, but since they were dragues they always seemed to have such looks on their faces. But some looked like they didn't even know what happened to them as they gazed ahead towards the dark hole without such stricken terror.

He turned to a small handful of goblins.

"Return to the manor and inform the others."

The goblins saluted and hurried off while the rest of them remained. He wasn't going to make the same mistake the others made and make sure this information reaches the General. He turned around towards the dark hole and urged some of his troops forward. The rest would await above as reinforcements if need be. If whatever caused this was in there they would chase after it and end its threat to them!

He produced a flashlight and shined it down the tunnel that formed just after the opening. It was deep. Deeper than it should've been with how little time the quarry's been around, he thought as he and his troops marched deeper and deeper. As they went along he started to notice a strange scent in the air. A reptilian smell. He wasn't sure if it was because of how deep they were, but he noted that it had a strong earthy scent to it as well.

Then he heard a deep guttural hissing from somewhere. He turned the flashlight in the direction as his troops formed up into battle lines. But everywhere he turned his light all he found was more stone and dirt. The deep hissing sounded like grinding stone. But he knew not where it came from as his light failed to illuminate the threat around them.

"Show yourselves beasts!" He called out into the darkness.

Then the stones moved. His light raced to the movement as some kind of stony lizard rose from its hiding space and glared at them with four glassy eyes. He raised his arms at the enemy and ordered his men to attack and rushed to meet his foe in combat. But was hampered by the fact his troops didn't move to engage. He looked down and found that most of them were solid stone! Some leaked blood from their orifices'. But all that mattered was his troops were now gone! He turned and glared at the stony lizard and knocked his calcified troops out the way and rushed forwards with a battle cry!

But each step was like walking in mud. But the worst part was the feeling he felt on his skin as the glassy eyed beast continued to hiss at him while returning his glare. He could feel his skin calcifying! He wasn't sure if he couldn't move his legs because of the agonizing pain or because they had solidified as well.

But The Captain didn't have much time to ponder which it was as his vision quickly faded as the agonizing process continued in his face, his throat began to seize as taking a breath got more and more difficult, and his eyes felt like stone was being forced into them! He couldn't even call out for help or reinforcements. His voice was nothing more than a pitiful gasp as his body was being trapped within itself by whatever this foul beast was doing to him!

The last thing he saw was several more of the lizards rising from their hiding spots and making their way towards him and his troops. The last thing he heard was sounds of stone breaking and gore being mashed as they ate upon the calcified remains. The last thing he felt was a dulled sense of gravity as he was knocked over before he left this world.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

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Red Cap Garrison.

Watching the National Guard respond to the fighting at the trainyard was quite... sobering, The Colonel thought as he made his way up to his quarters. He knew that they were outmatched and lagging in terms of armaments', but to actually watch as their weapons tore through enemies with such ease really sold just how little numbers counted for against them.

If they had any hope of even going toe to toe with a modern enemy, they would need to modernize FAST! It was with great relief for The Colonel that he was able to start cooperation with the National Guard before they became their enemy. He looked over at his issued musket and to the pepperbox pistol that all Red Caps had and scoffed. Compared to what the National Guard were using they may as well be using rocks and sticks as weapons, he thought as he sat aside the more cumbersome aspects of his uniform.

Some five Red Cap officers, himself included, were given the privilege of assisting with the National Guards' efforts that day while the rest remained to keep a firm grip on their troops and continue their training of the trogs. He wasn't surprised that the goblin grunts or even the trogs were left behind given their poor discipline and unsightly appearances. Even with training the grunts were barely passable as above-average goblins. More disciplined? Yes. But they were still goblins and were prone to the bouts of conflict within their ranks despite the Red Caps' best efforts of making them a proper army.

But they could only improve them so much, he thought as he sighed and poured himself a drink to chase away the day's stresses and burdens. Numbers wasn't going to be a strength. It would just delay the inevitable. If they truly wanted to be respected they would need to rely less on throwing bodies at their enemy and more on weapons and tactics.

While they did journey to the battles, more skirmishes really given how brief the fighting was once the National Guard arrived, most of the fighting was over before the Red Caps could even properly engage! They managed to fire their muskets once the entire encounter and even then they were practically shooting at corpses by the time they set their sights on a target.

Still, while they didn't really participate in the fighting, it was still enlightening to watch and he was actually looking forwards to what training and gear he could get for him and the other Red Caps. He was interrupted from his musings as a knock came from the door.

"What?!" He barked, not really in the mood to entertain anyone at the moment.

"Oh, well if that's how it's goin' to be I'll just leave." He heard the voice of Molly through the door.

"Wait?!" He called out and hurried to get presentable.

He threw on all the cumbersome accessories as fast as he could and took a moment to adjust them into a fitting position that was befitting a lady being received. He wasn't happy with the end result, he still looked worn and tired. But at least he wasn't going to appear like a bum!

"Enter!"

Molly opened the door and entered the office. She had a smug smirk on her face as she took in his appearance for a long moment before turning her eyes towards his quarters.

"Nice place."

"It will do. I am sorry it is not in a better state to entertain you." He sincerely apologized. If he had known she was coming he would've made more of an effort to at least straighten things out. What she must think to see his quarters in such a state.

"Hey, it's better than my place! This is spartan compared to my ordered mess of a home." Molly quipped as she came closer to The Colonel.

"Still. It isn't fitting. You should be received in someplace other than a sparsely furnished soldiers garrison." He countered embarrassingly.

"Hey, it's better than a bar. Or your mom's basement." Molly said with a snicker.

"While I wouldn't mind taking you out for a drink, it would be someplace with good spirits. And you don't have to worry about seeing my mother."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Molly said sadly.

"Hmm? What for?"

"Oh, it's just I thought with the way you said that-"

"Oh! No, I don't have a mother." The Colonel replied.

"Are you adopted then?" Molly asked curiously.

"You could say that I suppose. But my conception wasn't exactly you would call 'normal'."

"So like a test-tube baby?" Molly asked.

"In a similar sort of sense I wager." The Colonel said hesitantly, while he wasn't a goblin anymore, that didn't mean he was eager to share that he used to be the same as those worthless grubs either.

"Sounds like an interestin' story. One that can be told over dinner." She declared.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can arrange something prepared, but I doubt it will be appropriate for a lady such as yourself."

"No, what I mean is I'M invitin' YOU to come to my place for dinner!" She said with a laugh.

"Oh? Oh! Are you sure? I wouldn't want it to seem like I'm rushing things." The Colonel said nervously.

"It's fine. At the rate we're goin' though, we won't be hitched till we're old and gray." She replied.

"Hitched?" The Colonel asked.

"Married."

"Oh." The Colonel stated simply as a blush formed on his tanned face.

Causing Molly to giggle.

"Don't worry! I'll wine and dine you before droppin' the question."

The Colonel stumbled over his words as he processed what she just said. Causing her to laugh some more.

"Come on! You're off after all that excitement over at the trainyard aren't you?"

"Well, yes. I suppose I am." He said. Though he still had much to do around the garrison. Training, drilling, planning for more cooperation between them and the National Guard. But all that could wait an evening, he thought.

"Super! Come on!" She exclaimed as she grabbed his rough hand and dragged him out of his quarters.

She laughed and giggled as he was dragged down the stairs and out the door of the garrison. His troops barely giving him more than a look before his officers barked to keep their attention. He'll have to discipline them when he returns otherwise they wont take him seriously again, he thought as Molly eventually grew tired of dragging him away and they fell into a semi hurried walk over to the pawnshop stairs that led up to her home.

She greeted the guards that were stationed around her shop and The Colonel noted approvingly their attitudes and form as they stood guard. But he couldn't approve long before Molly pulled him up the stairs and unlocked her door before dragging him inside.

It... really was a mess, he thought as he looked around the brick and mortar upper floor of the pawnshop. He wasn't sure what was clutter and what was furniture among it all. Papers were in piles next to old boxes of food and piles of clothes were thrown into a corner that he wasn't sure meant if they were clean or dirty.

She had an embarrassed look on her face when she turned towards him.

"Sorry. I might've gotten a bit excited to invite you to dinner to clean up a bit."

"It's fine. You seem just as busy as I am." He remarked as he pulled off his cap and sat it on a pile of books by the door.

"A few months ago maybe. Lately I've spent more time trying to get a hold of some buyers to sell off some of the coins that people keep coming in with!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Which wouldn't be a problem really, most of them are solid metal and seem pretty pure from what I can tell which means they'll fetch a pretty penny. Some of what they're tryin' to hawk though are clothes or knick-knacks that I MIGHT be able to sell but I won't know that until I can get a damn signal through! At this point it'd be better just to make a trip out of town!"

"Well, if you desire some company-"

"I would LOVE for you to come with me! Even if it is just to Charleston and back." Molly smiled at The Colonel.

"I would enjoy it as well." He smiled in return.

"Oh! The food!" She said and rushed over to a stove with a boiling pot on top.

"Do you need assistance?"

"No! I just might've turned it up a bit too high before I left is all!" She replied before tasting a little bit of the stew inside before sighing in relief.

"It's still good!" She remarked and gestured for him to sit down.

He pulled Molly away from the stove and pulled her chair out and gestured for her to sit down instead.

"You already cooked. I'll serve."

She smiled as she pointed to a cupboard where the bowls were and dished both himself and Molly some of the meaty tomato stew before returning to about the only clean thing in the place. They smiled at one another before digging into the soup.

"This is delicious! Did you make it yourself?"

Molly looked sheepish and stammered a bit.

"Uh, yup! A genuine home cooked meal!"

If it was home cooked why did she seemed so ashamed, he thought but shrugged and continued to eat the soup. It was quite good, though it had an off taste to it but he couldn't quite place. But he was a guest and a gentleman and it was obvious that she put alot of effort into doing this. The least he could do was enjoy the quiet evening meal with her.

So they did. Small talk was minimal as both sat and enjoyed one another's company and the meal. Eventually the stew came to an end and they both sat there in warm silence as they let their food settle. But eventually that grew into awkwardness as neither seemed sure what to do next.

"Do you wanna do somethin'?" She asked nervously.

"What do you suggest?" He asked.

"Well... I was thinkin' that since this is our what, fourth, fifth date. If you would like to MAYBE want to spend the night?" She asked with increasing nerves as she fidgeted.

The Colonel just stared at her. Was she suggesting what he thought she was? He stammered and blushed and seemed to find great interest in the tarnished antique silverware. He continued to stammer and blabber as he couldn't quite come up with the words to properly express what he was feeling right now. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure WHAT he was feeling right now! It was a mix of embarrassment, excitement, and nervousness.

Eventually he managed to force forth an answer.

"Uhm... yes?"

She perked up and smiled before getting out of her seat and coming over and kissing him on the lips. They parted far sooner than he wanted to. He gazed at her as she looked back into his eyes.

"Wait here a moment so I can get ready."

With that she left him alone as she moved to her bedroom. He could hear her saying and cheering something from the other side of the door but he couldn't quite pick up on it unless he wanted to eavesdrop on her. But a gentleman doesn't lurk. So instead he sat in his seat and looked around as he heard Molly shifting and moving stuff in her room while he waited.

He glanced around and saw that alot of the "clutter" was old antiques. Some of them looked older than the stuff Morty had in the manor if the wear and tear on some of it was anything to go by! She had a little bit of everything on the brick walls of her room. Some stuff he hadn't seen before. Some he knew vaguely from his reading of some of the books in Morty's library.

African tribal masks, native war clubs, Asian tea sets are just some of the collection he saw that he was partially familiar with along with modern amenities like a stereo and TV set. He turned towards the kitchen and was about to clean up while Molly was away when he spotted some partially covered cans and boxes nearby.

Hamburger Helper and Tomato Soup were printed on the boxes and cans respectively. Well... she did say it was home cooked, he thought just before he heard Molly calling from the other side of the door to her room.

"I'm ready!"

He hoped he was, he though nervously as he pressed his uniform of wrinkles. He took a deep breath and sighed before getting up and making his way to the door. While he wasn't entirely familiar with more modern methods of courtship, he knew enough to know that usually asking someone to spend the night was another way to ask one to sleep together in the intimate sense. But he didn't want to presume and so remained in his officer's attire just to be sure.

He knocked and held his breath. Molly called from the other side.

"Come in!"

He grasped the handle with sweaty hands and continued to hold his breath as he pushed open the door and stepped inside, where his breath was taken away by the sight before him. She sat at the end of her bed dressed in nothing more than a seductive red garter belt and matching stockings. She had done up her hair and appeared sensual as she sat there.

He did note that she appeared sweaty and out of breath, though he wasn't aware that, while it was partly because of the situation, it was mostly a result of her hurried attempt to clean up her room and get dressed. She peered at him with a flirty smile.

"So? What do you think?"

The Colonel stammered as he stared at her. He knew what to think. But saying it was alot harder. She smiled happily and giggled before sauntering over to him. She ran a hand over his chest and leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"Why don't I help you out of your uniform, then you can help me out of mine."

To hell with words, The Colonel thought as he pressed Molly into a deep and passionate kiss.