CLEANING UP

The glitter on the dull board, from dark red to azure blue sucked the gazes of the humans standing or sitting on the wagon bed like a dark hole. Crude and uncut as they might be, the gemstones managed to reflect enough light to attract the eye.

Whether found on a riverbed, or on the walls of a cave, something about these crystals seems to bind the human mind. Bon scooped up the gems, cupping them within his large hand in disbelief. The amount in his palm seemed pitiful, but enough to incite greed and cause noble families to wage war.

He gulped and swallowed his saliva, as the boy nonchalantly placed four more similar pouches at the side.

Chu cleared his throat loudly, being the first to recover. Unlike the others, he had made a sneak peek into the pouches upon receiving them. The reaction from the others now eased his doubts, but he preferred to have the opinion of an expert.

"Mr. Pick, make a quick inspection of these stones. I want to know if they are genuine."

The middle-aged man yelped and stumbled out of his daze. With trembling hands, he deposited the contents of the other pouches in small heaps. The glitter on the rough wooden boards belittling them proved too much. Pick retreated from the wagon by a few steps.

First, he nearly pissed his pants on having to confront goblins, and now this? Did these idiots really grasp the sheer wealth in front of their eyes? His eyes rolled over as his body turned limp.

"Ahh!"

"Damn, what the heck happened with Pick?"

"Don't just stand there you idiot, help me up with him. You're lucky we didn't kill him, this is like inviting a normal apprentice blacksmith to Clan Bridgeroak and promoting them to Master the same day."

Bon said while motioning to Ming for help. Having a miner who once dealt with gems exposed suddenly to such wealth might undoubtedly cause him to faint. A short time later, the man's eyes fluttered open. After the shock, Pick mind calmed as he regained his composure.

Pick now understood why the Boss requested him to come to this meeting. He had once been a speculator and miner for a small noble House near the coast. The young master of the House, however, meddled with someone he should not have pissed off.

The end result-- House destroyed, while the servants and workers sold into slavery like livestock.

The miner and his wife had spent nearly a year touring the Empire from behind the bars of a cage. The slave caravan eventually ended up in Karst where an ordinary but inquisitive teen finally freed them from their misery together.

His shaking fingers browsed across the gems, carefully selecting and examining a few.

"Boss, it's all good. Some are chipped, but I can polish them."

Pick answered. He did not know if he shook from the excitement on seeing so many gems, or from the fear of being so close to the goblins they considered enemies.

"Mr. Pick, collect the gems and hand the pouches to Miki."

Chu said.

He remained sitting on the wagon as he contemplated this business venture. The next delivery would take place during the upcoming full moon. As expected, the decision to mobilize Jim and execute the gathering task proved correct. He would continue building a steady reputation while bartering for other resources.

Chu felt he had scored the best deal.

Pug and the Elders who trudged within the forest felt likewise.

"For such a treasure, the devil asked for only iron and some worthless stones? Did he make a mistake?"

Said an Elder. He kept glancing behind them as if expecting the humans to chase after them.

"The iron is cheap, goblin smiths are second to only the long-beards in the mountains. As for those sparkle stones, only the uncouth pointy-ears value them. We can find them along the riverbeds and caves."

A goblin chipped.

"This barter saves us from risking our life during the cold and dangerous winter. If the devil Boss words prove true, then we might gain enough food to help tide over the winter. Send word to the Shaman, this is too important."

An Elder said while staring at the frail back of the goblin walking easily at the front and center.

"Send word out to gather as much sparkle stones before the snow. Tell the Shaman."

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Said another, looking on in veneration.

Their Champion possessed such an aura, that even the humans held him in awe. This grain, when added to the roots and tubers gathered in the forest, would make enough flatbread to feed the remaining vanguard for a month.

Digging for those worthless gems, and slagging iron in the safety of the caves as compared to risking their little lives in battle. Heck, if a goblin wanted to cure his bloodlust, all he needed to do was step out into the forest.

***

"Wow Chu, you never cease to amaze me. I remember seeing a smaller stone like this on John's ring. The miser boasted that it cost him a fortune. What a liar, look at how cheap these big ones cost, one small cask of pickled vegetables."

Miki said while peering through the gems of different colors.

Mr. Pick on the side nearly died from choking. He burst out in a bout of coughing as he cleared his throat.

"A cask of pick-pickles? Miss General, you must be joking, a ruby like this one, in size and color when polished would cost a few hundred gold coins when sold alone. That large aquamarine gem that you are holding, when cut and set in a gold necklace or crown might be considered priceless to a middle-class noble family."

Mr. Pick said as he held up a small ruby the size less than half a fingernail.

"There is only one gem mine in the Empire and it is now owned by the Emperor himself. The desert kingdom to the south has the only producer of the aquamarine gemstone. As for the others, only through luck can you find them."

The man lectured, as his nimble fingers trembled while inspecting a large ruby. Miki gasped at the revelation while packing the precious stones into the pouch.

Rich

Miki lived the life of a hunter, but she received etiquette classes from Mrs. Thomas and also had the genes of a budding young woman.

"I say, Elder Pick sir. Can you turn these gems into jewelry?"

She inquired sweetly while blinking those sparkling oval eyes.

Chu rolled his pupils, foreseeing the troubles he would face on returning to camp.

Over a hot bowl of soup, Chu listened to the updates for the day.

"The goblin corpses have all been burnt and disposed of as you said. The farm and the surrounding battlefield have also been sprinkled with the barrels of water mixed with wine. All weapons and retrieved arrows have been sent to the smithy to clean and heat over the hot coals."

Mr. Thomas reported. The work today had indeed been tiring.

"Why do you insist on all these measures, the rain or snow from next month would have cleaned the place anyway."

"Better to be safe than sorry. I don't like the smell of blood and decay to blow over our farm."

Chu answered. Sanitizing the place as best as he could prevent a breakout of any diseases, especially with winter around the corner. He had learned that the number one cause of death during the winter months occurred under the hands of the common cold.

The only method of cleaning he had at the moment lay in the use of heat and alcohol.

"And Jim?"

"Headed out with Chong and two others on horseback. They will begin scouring the village and farms separately so as to shorten the time. Since you plan to head down this road, don't you think we should send out some more people on horseback?"

"No, tonight we need to deal once and for all with the remaining guards from House Prickus. After that, we will send out a wagon to Karst. From the way the old goblins moved during the meeting, I suspect that we will have to stockpile much more grain."

Chu answered while drumming his fingers. Jim and the others would return before nightfall, allowing ample time to prepare. Once this threat hanging over him ceased, then he could focus on other plans.

***

The horseman slowed his ride to a trot, on approaching the small figure on the dirt road. The hand eased off the hilt of the sword, while the frown on his face eased. When he first glimpsed this silhouette, after riding for about an hour over this lonely plain, the word bandit flashed across his mind.

Luckily his fears eased since the one standing on the road turned out to only be a lowly beggar.

His horse neighed and bucked on approaching the little girl, distracting the man as he struggled to calm the animal. He had no choice but to stop the horse about ten paces from the girl since the usually obedient animal refused to trot forward.

"I hope this one doesn't run too far, yesterday Jill had to ride for hours before she caught it."

The girl mumbled to herself out loud, touching a small finger to her lips with a worried look. The redhead seemed engrossed in her thoughts, without a care as to her surroundings. To the frowning rider, it looked like hunger had taken its toll on this beggar's mind.

"Runt, step aside before I trample you over."

He shouted while holding the reins in both hands. If not for the fact that the horse refused to move, he would have already carried out his threats. The sport of beheading a beggar while riding a horse in the city belonged to noble Houses. The ideal conditions out in the desolate plains enticed the guard.

For the first time since he appeared, the girl raised her head as if distracted by a fly. She never bothered to glance at the man, raising her dainty hand and waving it like shooing a bug. Anger welled up inside the man, as his rage boiled at the blatant disrespect. He urged the horse forward to stomp over this human waste.

The horse, however, reacted totally different to the action of the little devil, retreating from the dangerous scent. The jittery and unsteady stepping of the horse riled up the rider's rage.

"Dumb beast, see how I lash you to..."

A shadow blindsided him, knocking him cleanly off the frenzied animal. The air was ruthlessly pressed out of his lungs, as he heard and felt the snapping of his bones on impact. The last thing he witnessed while sprawled on the dirt road, was the foaming horse, bolting away over the vibrant grassland.

A darkness, accompanied by a smell of bad breath covered his face, as a vice-like force squeezed his head. With a crack, his soul left the body as his flaying hands slumped to the ground.

The girl straightened her posture and walked towards the corpse while clasping her hands behind her back in a natural manner. Her proud bearing did little to hide the gleaming green eyes, roving over the man's pouch and pockets.

"Well, let's see what you have for us today..."