She was surprised at how fast the wagon traveled, the forest now sheltered them from the mid-day sun over head. She had taken up reading her Alchemy book while they traveled. So far it explained the scale and how it worked, and what parts meant, and the unit of measurements that the book used. It was almost like reading a science book from her highschool.

I bet Cali hates this world and is making Mark’s life a living hell.

She hadn’t looked to heavily around the city for additional quests. She had two that dealt with goblins, and honestly, the one was going to be taking up the majority of her time and effort.

Fang had jumped off the wagon and was walking near it, sniffing the ground and looking off into the forest. Janet watched him, she knew she was going to need to feed him, and herself soon.

What she was trying to get over as well was, she killed two players. While they were codding in a game, she didn’t know how much pain actually transferred to their real bodies if any. Not just pain, but trauma.

No, that was a silly thought, the console wouldn’t have been approved if it caused real damage. The government would have shut down the protect before it lifted off the ground, let alone the company offering headsets to coma and crippled patients in hospitals.

“Hell they likely wont be the last either,” she said, “Those two will likely come after me again too. If they dont actively hunt me.”

She would need to use these beta days to the best that she can, and get as many levels as she can. Once the general populace joins, it will be so much harder. Hell she wasn’t even sure there was such a thing as a respawn.

What type of person was she really that killing then became something natural? Even going out of her way to continue to kill.

Fang started to growl and the wagon came to a stop. She sat up as a couple of men in ragged leathers that didn’t quite fit came about to the back. They were brandishing short swords.

“We don’t want any trouble, just hand over half of your goods, and your money and we’ll let you go.”

She closed her book. She had been having a hard time focusing on the content for a while anyway. She got off the wagon and moved around to the front with the two bandits.

Andral was sitting on a stump off to the side of the road. The elf perked up a bit when he saw her.

“Well if it isn’t the orc. Didn’t get ran out of Llarth Nier did you?” the elf’s conversational tone was nice, relaxed.

“Is this your spot, or do you walk up and down the road?” she asked.

“I like this spot,” he answered. “But I roam a mile or so.”

“I see, what will it take for you to leave this man alone?” she asked.

The elf leaned back and his crossed leg bounced in thought. “Now that’s an interesting question. But I tell you what, you do something for me, I will let this man go on his way, wont bother him again.”

“What is it?”

“I am a man of business, I don’t take everything because that would ruin business, so with wagons like this, a quarter to a half is what I take. I have to keep my men fed and clothed too you know,” he said.

She folded her arms and watched him.

“Oh don’t look like that, without us, the goblins would be swarming the roads and taking everything. In fact that’s what I want your help with.” He explained. The wagon driver looked between them. “There is a tribe of goblins that have grown in forces with bugbears, and two of my men died from one of the monsters.”

“You want me to go take care of this tribe?” she asked.

“Indeed, I don’t like that Goblins are trying to take over what I do, and I saw the scene you left a few days ago. And you defeated one of my men, although it looks like your face met a hard object… you’re alive and don’t have any other visible wounds so I assume you won.” At her nod the elf grinned. “I am not asking you to be a bandit, or to join me, though that was a thought, you would have said no, right?”

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“I am not a bandit.”

“Wonderful.” Andral genuinely seemed happy. “Since you’re not jumping on the opportunity you’re waiting to hear the full details. Smart.

“The goblin tribe closest to my camp is about two hundred strong, not including the females inside. Goblins remember and pass down their knowledge in birth, so its in the best interest to kill them all.”

Yeah I get that, so go Goblin Slayer mode, got it.

“The bugbear population is about one in every ten goblin warriors,” Andral went on to explain. “So you can assume between five and nine bugbears for the tribe. Luckily there arent enough for any hobgoblins to manifest, at least the last I looked. They are one in every ten bugbears. They look like you, only with dog shit brown colored skin, and flat faces. The starts of an orc.”

“Dangerous?” Janet asked.

“They are the military leaders and fighters of the larger goblin tribes, and stronger than that bugbear you ran into.” She ran a hand over her gut area remembering the impact of that morningstar and its spikes. “Yeah that, but worse.”

He waved the wagon driver though. On the way, Janet grabbed her two bags and watched. “You’re assuming much.”

“Call it a hunch,” he stood up, and was standing in front of her with a rapier pointed at her nose in her blink. “So I have your attention more firmly now?”

She lifted a hand and pushed the blade away from her face. “I hope that wasn’t a threat.”

“My dear orcish friend, I wouldn’t waste my breath with such non-sense… come,” he said while sheathing the sword. Janet followed him and the other bandits into the forest.

It was about a half hour trek before the colorful fabrics and tarps came into view. Janet was confused, they looked more like gypsies than bandits at this point. They had sections blocked off with woven rugs with beautiful designs, same with patchwork blankets and dyed and painted canvas tarps.

Inside their area was a whole camp set up, with large colorful tents, and covered wagons that were painted in an array of colors and patterns. She wasn’t expecting this.

Andral was greeted, as was the other bandits and they dispersed to their families.

“I know what you’re thinking, why are we bandits, why take the life of a highwayman,” the elf spoke and watched as a human woman walked up to hug him. She had a bad limp, and half her face and body had burn scars. “We’re not welcomed in civilized cities. Called witches, or shunned for the way we look, least by our own hands. So we live how we can.”

A woman walked up to her, she had a large scar down the left side of her face down to her neck. “This is Amara, she was the wife of the one you killed, and that his Damar, his son.”

Janet looked at Andral. “Trying to play on my heart strings? or claim I am now responsible?”

“Not in the least,” the elf said. “But if you are able to get rid of this tribe, we would like for Damar to apprentice under you. to grow strong, so that one day he can defend his people, better than Emil.”

Janet was having a hard time not having her heart strings pulled by this story. She wasn’t even sure if it was true! He would be pulling her strings like a puppet.

“Let me see what I can do first, then we will talk about that,” she said.

She got a notice in the corner of her vision.

“We have prepared a place for you to stay,” said Amara.

Janet watched as Fang and Damar got along well. The boy was about 13 years old, at this point the other dogs came over and Fang being a pup was over joyed.

“This is my wife, Kalina,” Andral introduced. Janet nodded her head in greeting. “You are welcome to stay with us while you hunt the goblins.”

“Careful Andral, I may take you up on those words,” Janet replied.

She was shown around the camp, there were about 30 adults and 10 children aged, and 5 apprentice aged. And she had a feeling this was the case, but her place was within the area of Amara and Damar. Damn that elf and playing on sympathy. He couldn’t claim that he didn’t know.

She had her own bed space within the tent, and it was really comfortable, however she wanted to know more about the tribe that was causing problems.

“You can leave your things, we wont go through them,” Amara told her.

She nodded and left her bag on the bed. Even without the bag she had access to her inventory, so that was fine.

She pulled up the pop up.

:: Quest :: The Mikmik Tribe

::Andral Fadebane has asked for your help in eliminating the Goblin tribe Mikmik.::

::Objective :: Kill 267 Mikmik Goblins::

::Progress :: 0 / 267 :: :: Rewards :: Token x1 , Spell : Apprenticed ::

Well at least its more goblins, which means quest stacking! Oh yeah!

She dismissed the pop up and stepped outside the tent again. The smells that wafted around from the cooking fire made her mouth water.

“I want to see their tribe location,” she said to Andral.

“This way,” the elf said.

She followed along after the elf. It was more than an hour travel away from the camp before he slowed and then stopped. She stood behind a tree and looked out at the area. There were several huts outside a cave, with goblins, worgs, and about three seeable bugbears. She wasn’t going to be able to attack the tribe head on then, not until she gained a couple of levels first.

They made their way back to the camp, Janet was in thought as she sat on a log outside the tent that she now shared with someone. She was going to need to find their hunters, their scouts and outriders before she thought about going toe to toe with a bugbear again, let alone three of them.

She was likely to run into more.

“They have been increasing in number,” said Amara as she sat down and handed Janet a bowl of the thick pottage stew and pan bread.

“Pardon?” she asked looking at her.

“The goblins, they were not this bad a month ago.”

Janet looked at the pottage, You werent live a month ago, let alone now… but do all the npcs have a story?

She didn’t know if she was ready for that realization just yet.