It did not take long for the news of the Chief's return to the tribe to reach everyone's ears. They brought some treasures from their journey, and the Legions were excited to catch a glimpse of such treasures. The Lev troops hope their efforts during Spat's training will be rewarded with shiny jewels, while the Razin troops were merely curious to see the difference between the treasures from the western and the treasure found in their side of the forest. The treasures they saw were from those adventures raiding the ruined cities up north, but the treasures Sun acquired were from underground. The Razin tribe were like cats, eager to examine what the world beneath has to offer.
May overheard the guards patrolling the field, and her mind was filled with excitement and delusions of a wonderful between her and Sun. She rushed to the hilltop with glee after finishing her farm work.
The goblins standing on guard in front of the church watching over the tribe saw the gleeful May running towards them. One of the guards blushed and stepped forward. "Lady, sorry but me and friend on duty." He regretfully told May. "Me and friend can't company you."
"Um," The other guard coughed, "She come not for us."
May entered the church, unaware of the guard's presence as her mind was occupied by the idealized image of her crush. She arrived at the ebony door of the throne room. Her heart began to beat faster than a hummingbird's wings as it dances around a flower. May knocked on the door and waited for Sun's sweet voice but instead, a woman's voice responded. "Who is it?"
May's body was stunned and could not move. The voice did not sound like Sun's mom or Shuja, but another woman, which means another rival. "It's May. Here see Sun."
The woman opened the door and let May enter. The woman before her was a tall red goblin and beautiful braided blond hair. "Who is it, Bi?" Sun asked while reads the status reports on his desk.
"Her name is May, and she said she wishes to see you."
"May!" Sun looked up, "It's been so long May!"
"Yes, very long. Um, where Shuja?"
"Shuja stayed with the Maston tribe."
"Why?"
"Grab a sit. It's a long story." Sun pointed at the chairs.
"Ok," May grabbed a chair sat next to Sun. Bi tried to intercept, but Sun allowed it, which made May happy and gave Bi a smug look as if declaring her victory. A victory over a battle Bi was not aware she was partaking.
Sun told May the story of their adventure westward. May was visibly thrilled by his tale, which was refreshing for Sun. It reminded him of his brothers in awe of the many stories he tells them while teaching them boxing. She would gasp, hide the lower half of her face in fear, and laugh at the jokes. As time goes by, Sun began to appreciate May's company because her jubilee personality was the complete opposite of Bi's cold and well-mannered demeanor.
But the story must end, for he had work to do. Once it ended, Bi took the initiative and grabbed May's arms to escort her out of the room, but she protested. She argued that Sun needed to be in the company of more pleasant goblins, such as herself. Shuja would see this as a direct attack, but it did not concern Bi, for her loyalty came from admiration, not love.
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The Chief must concentrate, and Bi sees it as her responsibility to remove any distraction. However, Sun did not mind for May to stay, "She can stay. I see no harm from her keeping me company." Sun said, "It gets boring here, but it helps when you have someone to talk to."
Bi reluctantly released May from her grip. May skipped to Sun's side, and once she sat back on her place beside the Chief, she stuck her tongue out at Bi. She ignored May's transgression, for it was beneath her to fight with a common goblin. She was a red conqueror now and in charge of the Chief's 1st Legion. She returned to the door and stood guard.
Sun examined the reports. The goblins were divided according to his preference, but Spat also ensured that each squad's level of competence was the same, with the exception of the 1st Legion. The 1st legion was made up entirely of goblins that performed the highest scores at the physical exercises. Sadly, Root and Mist failed to pass the test, but Spat has placed them under his command. The reason cited under their report sheets was because of their unique skills in 'scouting and mapmaking,' which Spat remembered as valuable skills.
Sun began brainstorming a special unit for Root and Mist under Spat's supervision. A unit specifically designed for espionage and spying. But he is going to need more goblins to feel that unit with the appropriate skillsets. He will have to wait before drafting such a unit, but he can safely say that Spat is a fitting leader for the Legions.
But one captain will not be enough. As they grow, their need for qualified officers will increase. Sun is confident he and Smoke can lead a platoon of goblins, but not Rock or Stick. Rock can be a great inspiring leader, but he lacks the forethought, often heading headfirst into combat, while Stick's strength leans more on strategizing than actual leadership.
This was perfect for Sun. His brothers wanted to come with him to the Dwarf Kingdom but Sun thought it was best if it was just him. Now he has an excuse. He wrote down a list of challenges Rock and Stick must finish improving on their abilities as leaders. "Sun also do challenges?" May asked.
"Oh no, this is for my brothers to follow so they could be better at leading our troops."
"Sun not take challenges? Sun need learn too, no?" May asked innocently. Sun was an inspiring leader, but he too had faults. In fact, he shared many faults with Rock, such as the tendency to act on their emotions.
Sun began to blush from embarrassment after May pointed out the tidbit of hypocrisy in Sun's reasoning. But it can not be helped. It takes time to improve, and with so few military excursions, they were still wet behind the ears when it came to leading an army.
After drafting his notes, Sun got up from his chair headed out. May stayed close behind while Bi kept her distance behind the Chief, watching May with suspicion. She wanted to speak up about May disrespecting the Chief but chose not to embarrass the Chief further. Still, she could not believe May would question Sun's qualities as a leader. Bi knows full well that Sun's aura is enough to raise morale and beat the strongest of monsters. Who cares if he charges into battle without a proper plan because he will be the one standing victorious at the end of the battle.
Sun met up with his brothers at the center of the town, where the tribe prepared a celebration for the brother's return. They set up the table right in front of the Glass Garden, and inside the greenhouse, several lanterns were lit. Their lights shined through the glass and created a dazzling display of blur warm orange over the festivities.
The tribe was doing well in their absence, and Sun hopes that the tribe continues to grow. But now, it was time to plan for his next trip. He talked to his brothers, letting them know who he was meeting, and the time he expects to return. He will be taking Smoke with him while Rock and Stick stay with the soldiers and refamiliarize themselves with the new military-style drills Sun designed.
"When are we leaving?" Smoke asked.
"In a week," Sun took out his broken long sword under the table and examined the torched blade, "We'll find a skilled blacksmith that could fix my sword. Or at least forge a new one as good as this one. And then we talk with that man I saw in my dream."
"What do you think he wants to tell you?"
"Who knows," Sun looked beyond the table and at the goblins dancing under the bright orange lanterns strung above them. His mother danced in the middle with the children holding hands and forming a circle. Then he turned to his brother, "I'll only know once I actually meet him. But I could tell he knows the answers to my questions."
"Questions like what?"
"Honestly, I don't know what to ask."
"Well, I'll be honest too. This seems like a bad idea. We don't know how far we have to walk and how long it will take us to get to Pagasa. I think we should just stay here and help out with the tribe."
"And yet you're still coming with me." Sun laughed.
"I'm only coming because you're definitely going to need medical attention. I know you too well that you will get your ass kicked by someone."
Sun laughed even harder, "Not if I kick them first!"
When the party ended, the tribe resumed its life the next morning. Rock and Dawn flirted, as usual, Pin and Cyrus helped Stick get accustomed to his tail and ears, Sun, Flute, and Violin worked to improve the quality of life in the tribe, and Smoke filled in the role of the tough commander that Shuja formerly occupied. The week rolled by fast until it was finally the day of departure.