An Awakened goblin. The nightmare of the soldier, the slayer of nobles. Even Kings had admitted that if all the Awakened goblins of the goblin empire attacked them, then the Kingdom would not be able to survive past the day.
Then again, they were the reason the Awakened goblins existed in the first place. A goblin Awakened when it faced great challenges repeatedly, especially if a single power threatened its life over and over. There really was only one power that did something like that. The Seven Ducal clans of humanity that relied on their Bloodline Ability to resist the goblin advance.
The Goblin Lords had gone out and said so, taunting the dukes about how their Empire could kill them whenever they wished. Now another Awakened goblin had appeared behind the frontlines, inside the Kingdom itself where it could go around killing however it wished until someone stopped it.
In the past it would have been the Ducal clans, the main family itself heading out to hunt it before the goblin did much damage. Adrien knew that it would not happen now. Cause the main family didn’t have enough power anymore. Uncle Rowan was too busy on the frontline and Aunt Veena was too pregnant to move.
Not one of his cousins was powerful enough to put down this Awakened goblin. Not while it was protected by pretty much every goblin that had slipped past the frontlines. Adrien knew that wasn’t a small number.
The goblins had come dangerously close to overwhelming them many times, and even a few goblins making it through the lines tended to breed into many goblins very quickly. Even conservative estimates put at least ten thousand goblins on this side of the border just in this duchy.
Considering that a million goblins attacked the Kingdom every year, Adrien thought the numbers were actually pretty good. But that still left them with the Awakened goblin.
“I recommend calling on the King, my lord.” the Void said, opening the window from the outside.
“Why?” Adrien asked, though he knew the answer already.
“The Awakened goblin is a threat and should be dealt with quickly. The Conjurer of Storms should be able to kill it with a single blow.” the Void answered.
Adrien just raised an eyebrow. “And if the Awakened goblin can counter the King? A goblin Awakens when they build a device that can counter a specific power on instinct. Uncle Rowan’s power isn’t…concentrated enough to warrant such a thing in most circumstances. The King’s does it often.”
There was silence on the other end of it. “Then the King shall deal with it. I would request that you contact the King either way.”
A seeing orb was shoved in through the window, held out by black armored hand. Adrien sighed, taking it. Sending the person who likely caused the Awakening to kill the goblin was a foolish idea. But it was one they would have to take because they did not have other fighters.
Channeling his mana into the orb he let its magic form, the spell reaching out towards the sky and connecting to the thick lanes of mana that ran between the cities and fortresses of the kingdom.
Another ancient work that could be credited to the Manevorus. Adrien did not know how the Manevorus had held such large amounts of mana together, or why they had done so for something as minor as communication, but it was a great gift.
A great deal of their magical infrastructure relied on these lines of magic to function. Not even goblins were able to break into them, the lines visible only to those that belonged to the main family of the duchies.
Adrien felt his vision change, the carriage door transforming to a bearded man standing on a snowy landscape, the white snow dyed red with green with goblin blood and corpses.
“The Marching Hills?” Adrien asked, recognizing the castle behind the King. “I thought you were still in the capital.”
“There was need of me elsewhere.” the King replied, his words short. “I apologize for being short, but I do not have much time. What do you want?”
Adrien took a deep breath, looking at the light snow behind the King. Not even in the northernmost reaches of the Kingdom did it snow. The last record of natural snow in the Kingdom was over two thousand years ago, before the Elven forest blocked the cold windows from moving south.
That was why the snow was odd. And there was only one person he knew of that could pull off such a thing. The King. The Conjurer of Storms had conjured a blizzard to kill of an army of goblins. Even for the King such a spell was a large expenditure of power that he would take only if the need was great.
“There is reason to believe that an Awakened goblin has appeared inside the borders of the Kingdom.” he said, regretting the fact that he even had to say the words.
The King groaned, closing his eyes and leaning back as a pained expression appeared on his face. “Where?”
“I detected a magical goblin artifact, just a few hours from the ducal fortress. Can’t speak to the stage, but it appears to specialize in stealth. Even normal goblins were able to hide from the Voi- I mean Lord Wilding because of it. The goblins snuck up on us while we were eating.”
“A few hours away from—there is a city nearby, isn’t there? Lord Oak’s city.” the King said.
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“I—I am not sure whose city it is, but yes there is a city less than an hour away, we are heading towards it now,” he informed.
“Are you in danger?” the King asked.
“Not at the moment.”
“Then raise the alarm in the city and make haste towards it. Oak is powerful enough to keep the Awakened goblin at bay until I arrive.” The King nodded and Adrien felt him reach out to disconnect the connection.
“Raise the alar- how do I do that?” Adrien hurried to ask before the King shut it off.
“Reach out and activate the city’s shield, Oak will understand what you mean. Now I must go.” the King said as he cut the connection before Adrien could ask for more clarifications.
Activate the city’s shields from outside the city? That was…that was a power reserved for Dukes. The city’s defense was under the control of its Lord, for as long as the Duke let them have it. Adrien had not known that others could activate the shield from outside.
But he did know how to do it, theoretically. Adrien had looked into it while investigating Manevorus magic. Activating it was the same as contacting the King. The mana lines powered and controlled the defenses.
Reaching out to the lines, he followed the one that led to the city, connecting to it. This time there was no change in his vision, only a sense that it was waiting for him to do something. Adrien mentally asked it to activate the defenses, finding a pulse of magic passing through the line towards him as more information appeared in his mind.
The line was…asking him. Asking him to what degree he wanted to activate the defenses. The first would just activate the barrier. The second would declare an evacuation in the city, activating portals that had broken down long ago, leading to many a city that did not exist anymore. And then there was the third.
The state of emergency. A call for aid by the duchy to any that would listen, declaring that they were about to fall. An act that would activate every shield, defense and portal, ring every bell that should be rung. An act that had not been done by any duchy in the two thousand years of their existence. For not once had they been under such threat of extinction.
And he hoped it would not be. Not while he still lived.
Adrien focused his intent, channeling it towards activating the first option. A pulse of magic ran through the line, and he felt something happen, though it was too far away for him to realize what.
Breathing a sigh of relief he opened the window, finding himself staring at the old man’s face. A scowling face. The faint ringing of bells sounded behind him and Adrien realized what had happened.
“I thought we were an hour away from the city.”
“If we had kept our leisurely pace, yes. That has not been our pace.” the old man said, stepping back as Adrien pushed his head outside the window. The city was visible before them, a silverish blue barrier covering it as the bells continued to ring, growing louder as they approached.
“There are goblins.” Roy warned and Adrien squinted his eyes, barely able to make out tiny figures lining up against the barrier. The horses were running towards the city at a gallop, the city coming closer at a visible rate.
“I didn’t know you knew spells.” he said, noting the faint thrum of magic that surrounded the horses. A thrum that matched the old man’s mana.
“There are many skills one learns over a long life.” the old man answered, “Magic can be quite useful at times, especially when a suitable Bloodline Ability is not available.”
Adrien nodded, adding his own spell to the mix. Combining spells could be dangerous, but well, he hadn’t been experimenting for nothing. There were a few tricks he knew. Settling a spell intended to only boost the spell cast by the old man, but not influence it or change it to match Adrien’s view of what the spell should do, he watched the horses speed up.
Mana drained from him at a prodigious enough rate to drain him dry in a mere ten minutes, but it would be enough to get them into the city. And it was not as if he had anything else he could use it for.
“Are we sure we want to rush into-” Roy began to speak, but stopped as the Void rushed towards the front of the carriage carrying a rather long stick. On that stick was a curled flag.
Adrien watched as the Void unfurled the flag and hoisted it into the air, showing off the personal banner of his father, the Traitor Duke. A sword made of fire, cloaked in shadows against a dark background. The city’s reaction was nearly immediate.
Even at this distance he saw the goblins die as a volley of arrows shot from the city, the scene rapidly becoming clear as they grew closer. A hundred arrows that seemed to be made of flame shot towards the goblins, ending the gathering army before it had any chance of posing a threat to them.
By the time they reached close to the barrier, there were barely any goblins left. A little swaying from Roy had lightning strike to kill them, letting them pass through the barrier in peace.
The old man let his spell go as Adrien did the same, the horses drawing to a halt right before the humongous city gates. Adrien could see dozens of archers peering down at them from atop the wall, their bows held ready.
For a second there was only silence as they stood before the gate awaiting entry. Adrien wondered if this Lord Oak might deny him entry, or even kill him for daring to use the Traitor Duke’s banner.
Then a creaking sound screeched out of the door, its frame shifting as it opened outward. More soldiers stood inside, standing behind an old man with a head of gray hair that Adrien did recognize now.
Oak was his great great great granduncle, brother to one of the Dukes from long ago. The oldest living member of the ducal families thanks to an Elven gift given long ago. Adrien had read about him in a book about strange magics.
The Elven gift of long life was considered one of them.
The old man stepped forward, his bony frame not even slouching under the weight of his armor. The greatsword in his hand was held aloft as if ready to strike them down, wisps of flame appearing at its edges.
“I hope.” Lord Oak said as they stepped into the city. “That you have a bloody good reason to cause a panic in my city, Adrien of the Conjuring Shadows. Or even your aunt will not be able to protect you from me.”
But Adrien was only vaguely aware of what he had said. That was because of the words that had appeared before him in black and gold.
Quest complete!
First page of the book is now available.
Error!
Sensing additional danger in vicinity…
Justice protocol activated
Monarch connection unavailable
Mana has been called in to assist
Compensating…
An additional reward may be made available