The village of Whiteblossom, named for the flowers that were so plentiful during the spring and summer months, was dyed red with blood. There was nobody combat trained who lived there, nor were there any mages save for the local priest, so when the village came under attack by a group of goblins, ordinary farmers picked up fire pokers and pitchforks to defend their homes. At they held their own through desperation and home field advantage… until the hobgoblins showed up and the battle turned into a massacre. Now, very few of the humans who inhabited the village were still alive, and those who were served only to amuse the goblinoids.

It was upon this scene of carnage that Rai, Isa, and the Sun Knight arrived one midafternoon. As soon as they arrived at the first burnt field and spotted the piled-up dead bodies, they were instantly on guard. Isa drew her cloak and halberd out from her ring, while Rai swapped his normal traveling outfit for one designed in red and purple with flame and lightning bolt motifs and brought his sword to hand, utilizing a second Equipment Ring that he had made at the Magic Tower based on the research on Isa’s. The Sun Knight dismounted, drawing their sword and equipping their shield.

“This… was done by goblinoids,” they said. “The use of fire indicates goblins. The piling of the corpses is a hobgoblin trait; they don’t like having their victims cluttering up their new homes. The bodies are still relatively fresh, which means the evildoers should still be around. If there are any survivors, we must save them; either way, we must purge the evil.”

“Let’s split up and search the houses and barns,” Rai said. “All three of us are powerful enough that goblins are no threat and a few hobgoblins should be easy to handle.”

“Agreed,” the Sun Knight responded.

“Got it.”

When Rai reached the first house, he heard laughter inside.

“Dance, human! Dance or die!”

“Yeah! Dance for us!”

The door was slightly ajar, so he just shoved it open and stepped inside, silently activating Force Armor. The occupants of the large single room turned to face him: four three-foot-tall warty, green-skinned, bald, loincloth-wearing goblins, one five-and-a-half-foot-tall, warty, orange-skinned, short-haired, leather-clothing-wearing hobgoblin, and one young human woman wearing tattered clothes and covered in bruises and cuts.

Rai’s face twisted in anger. “Be judged and perish! Raging Palm!”

In the time it took him to reach the hobgoblin, the goblinoids had all grabbed their weapons. The hobgoblin’s eyes widened in surprise as he slammed the heel of his left palm, hand trailing flames and lightning, into its forehead. It was instantly engulfed in a blast of yellow flame and violet lightning, leaving the skin charred and sparking as the hobgoblin collapsed. Rai stabbed it through the chest to make sure it was dead.

The goblins shrieked and jumped at him, stabbing with rusty goblin-sized short swords. He didn’t even bother to dodge, just angling his body so they clattered off his forcefield, then quickly sliced one’s head off and followed up by stabbing another through the brain. The final goblin tried to attack again, but he simply sidestepped and stabbed it in the heart.

Rai turned to the scared-looking woman, who burst into tears. He set down his sword, which immediately extinguished itself, and stepped over to her. Before he had the chance to say anything, she leaned into his chest, bawling.

It took several minutes before she calmed down enough to speak, whereupon she tearfully told him about the attack and how most of the village, including her family, was dead.

“My companions and I will get rid of the goblins and hobgoblins,” he said. “We’ll escort you and any other survivors to the next town. Stay here; I’ll be right back.”

Rai carefully backed away, then exited the house.

I am not emotionally equipped for this, he thought as he headed for the next building.

An hour later, the three of them had finished clearing the village and had gathered up the handful of survivors. The Silver Knight took the lead on calming the villagers and preparing them for travel while Isa and Rai discussed the situation.

“One of the hobgoblins said something,” Isa told Rai. “That this group was actually forced out of their home when they refused to submit to the new leaders of their tribe. A pair of orcs came down from the twin mountains and set themselves up in charge.”

“Orcs… from what I understand, they’re the next more powerful goblinoid race after hobgoblins. I’ve never seen one, obviously, but they’re supposedly pretty strong. I mean, I’m sure that we could take them on, but for most fighters, an orc combatant would completely outmatch them.”

“I kind of want to see how strong they are…”

Rai rolled his eyes. “You just want to fight strong opponents.”

“It’s the only way I’ll truly get stronger myself. After all, exerting oneself in combat accelerates the development of the qi core and mana circles. It also helps to… stabilize?... gains. Besides, I want to see how strong I really am now. You can’t say you don’t feel the same way after reaching a new realm.”

“…Maybe a little. But we can’t just detour for this. It’ll slow us down.”

Isa touched the top of a claw (the non-sharp side) to Rai’s forehead. “We’re not on a schedule, Rai, and this could help both of us. It might not advance your primary goal, but you need to get comfortable with your power so that if and when we face something that can actually threaten us, you know how to use it properly.”

Rai frowned. “I suppose.”

“Scholar, Warrior,” the Sun Knight said, approaching. “The villagers are ready to travel. We should leave immediately. We won’t reach the town before nightfall, but if we go now, we should be able to reach town by around this time tomorrow. We can root out the source of the evildoers after the villagers have reached safety.”

Isa grinned at Rai. “See, they agree with me! We’ll hunt down the orcs that are leading the goblins and hobgoblins.”

“…Did you say orcs?” the Sun Knight said after a short pause.

“Yeah, one of the hobgoblins said something about a pair of orcs taking over their tribe and driving these guys out.”

“We will exterminate them,” the Sun Knight declared. “But we must take care of the innocents first.”

“All right, all right,” Rai said with a sigh. “You said they came down from the twin mountains, which means the goblinoids should be in the foothills northwest of here. The town is to the northeast, so we’ll just need to head back west after taking the villagers to safety.”

“Thank you, Scholar, for your understanding.”

“It’s fine. It’s not that far out of our way, and they could pose a threat to the town or any of the surrounding villages if they’re left alone. I doubt anyone in this area could hold a candle to a pair of orcs, let alone a pair of orcs leading a group of hobgoblins and goblins. It wouldn’t sit well with me if I found out that more people died because I didn’t want to waste time.”

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They set out. When they camped for the night, the Sun Knight set up their tent and allowed the younger survivors to sleep inside it, protected from the light rain that continued throughout the night. The next morning they continued on their way after a fruit breakfast, having to stop frequently for the villagers to rest. The Sun Knight’s estimate was thus thrown off, and they did not arrive at the town of Spadeline until late evening. Rai used some of their travel funds to feed and rent rooms for the villagers.

First thing in the morning they were met at the inn by the town watch and a representative of the Lord Mayor.

“Which of you is in charge?” a watchman demanded.

“I am,” Rai replied.

“And you brought a monster into our town?! You think a badge from a noble in another city gives you the right to just do whatever you want?”

“First of all, Isa isn’t a monster; she’s a saurian.”

“It’s a bipedal lizard monster! Just look at it!”

Rai glanced at Isa with an eyebrow raised. “I just see my friend when I do that,” he said. “We made a blood oath partnership. I trust her more than I trust you.”

“Blood oath?! With a mere monster?!”

“Okay, this is getting old,” Isa growled. “I’m not a monster; I’m a person. And if you paid any attention at all, you’d know that we saved people from goblinoids. Whiteblossom was wiped out, and we rescued the survivors.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here,” the well-dressed representative said. “I serve the Lord Mayor. Normally, you would be in quite a bit of trouble for bringing a saurian into town, but the rescue of civilians makes things more complicated. If the three of you would come with us to meet with the Lord Mayor…”

“I see no harm in that,” the Sun Knight said. “It is only right to speak with the local lord to ensure that he does his duty in taking care of the villagers.”

“How dare you?!” the watchman shouted. “To speak so of the Lord Mayor!”

“Calm down,” Rai sighed. “We will come with you.”

The watchmen escorted them to the Town Hall, spears at the ready in case they tried anything. When they arrived, they were taken to a large office, where an elderly human man sat behind a desk, his spectacles on the tip of his nose. A middle-aged swordsman stood at his side.

“You may go,” he told the watchmen. “My bodyguard will suffice.”

The outspoken watchman looked as though he wanted to protest, but the town watch left without complaint, leaving just the mayor, his bodyguard, the representative, and the three travelers.

“What is your name?” he asked, fixing his gaze on Isa.

“Isa Bloodscale.”

“Isa… such an ordinary name for an extraordinary individual. A saurian. You are the first saurian I have met, and I must say, you strike an… ahem… imposing figure. You look as though you could easily tear a man to shreds with just your claws and teeth.”

“I could,” Isa agreed with a nod. “But I won’t unless I have reason to. Just because someone is dangerous does not mean they are a danger.”

“True. Otherwise, I would fear my own bodyguard. Ahem. I should introduce myself. I am the mayor of this town of Spadeline, Lord Yeldor. I thank you all for helping those of Whiteblossom. I promise that they will be well taken care of. Now, I was told you have the badge of a noble house?”

“House Amit,” Rai said, taking out the badge and holding it up. “Lord Henrik Amit is my social and financial backer in my endeavors as a scholar studying the Tower Era.”

“Isn’t that merely a myth? A supposed golden age of magic?”

“The myths are based on truth, and I study the truth, not just the myths. I have already found artifacts and ruins of the Tower Era, and am currently on a journey to the Desert of Death in search of another ruin.”

“Really? Such a dangerous journey. Then I take it that must mean you are well capable of defending yourselves?”

“Yes. All three of us are considered Masters of combat.”

“Masters?”

“Fourth tier combat artists.”

“Truly impressive, especially at your age. Now, what can you tell me about the attack on Whiteblossom?”

Isa summarized what had happened and the information she had learned.

“As I feared. The threat still lingers. Now, I don’t have much I can compensate people of your caliber with, but I can write you a letter of introduction to a particular shop in the city of Skyreach, where you may be able to find something suitable. I would like to hire you to investigate the goblins, and if you find them to be a threat, eliminate them.”

“We accept,” the Sun Knight said immediately. “All evil must be eradicated.”

“And you are… a holy knight of the Sun God?”

“Yes, Your Lordship.”

“Then I will leave this matter in your capable hands. When you have completed the task, return to me and I will give you the letter of recommendation. The shop in question is quite the exclusive club; one needs a letter of recommendation from a member to get in. Now, I have many other tasks that require my attention. You are excused.”

All three placed their right hands over their hearts in salute, then turned and left.

“Are you sure you can trust them?” the mayor’s representative said once they were out of earshot.

“Trust? Trust is a valuable thing, not so easily given. But my gut is telling me that they mean no harm to the citizens of this kingdom, and that they will keep their word. So… I shall wait in hope that they resolve this danger. And I shall write up that letter of recommendation in the meantime.”

-x-

Rai and company reached the Twin Mountains foothills by evening and set up camp. The Sun Knight kept watch first, then Rai, then Isa, but the night passed without incident. Early in the morning, they set out in search of the goblinoids. It didn’t take long before they came across a group of four hobgoblins hunting a large goat, spreading out and cutting off its escape to force it into a confrontation before cutting it down.

“The judgment of the sun be upon you!” the Sun Knight cried, riding at them with sword held high. The hobgoblins quickly split into two pairs and moved aside so that the spirit horse ran between them with enough free space that the rider couldn’t attack. Then, as the horse stopped and turned around, they charged. Metal met metal, but it also met flesh as two of the hobgoblins managed to score hits along the horse’s neck. The spirit beast reared up and kicked, bringing its hooves down on one of the orange assailants, sending the hobgoblin stumbling back with a pair of cracks.

The Sun Knight leapt off their mount and landed beside the hobgoblins on the left. “Healing Light!” they shouted, raising their sword. It began to shine a bright yellow. They brought down their sword on the closest hobgoblin, then followed up with a sideways slash. The moment their sword made contact with flesh, the light streamed off the blade and into the horse’s wounds, causing them to rapidly heal, leaving much smaller cuts behind. The hobgoblin, on the other hand, fell to the ground split wide open.

With a cry, the other hobgoblin slashed with its arming sword, only for the weapon to simply bounce off the Sun Knight’s armor. They lopped off the hobgoblin’s head in response. On the other side of the horse, swords clattered off barding before hooves caved in the injured hobgoblin’s head. Twin beams, one of acid and the other of flames and lightning, struck the final hobgoblin in the back, causing it to scream in pain before turning around to see who had attacked it. Three dozen feet away, Rai and Isa forward hands and fired off another pair of beams, this time burning its front. Then the horse shattered its spine with hooves.

“There, there,” the Sun Knight said soothingly, patting the horse’s neck gently. Golden light flowed from their hand to the remaining wounds and finished healing them.

“Please don’t go charging ahead like that,” Rai said when he got close enough for conversation. “Also, you seem… pretty intent on wiping them all out.”

“They are evil. Goblinkind lack empathy. Goblins are violent and driven by desire; hobgoblins, while more rational, are selfish and egotistical, seeing nothing wrong with dominating others, enslaving even their own lesser kin. And orcs… orcs are the worst of all. Despite generally being even more intelligent than hobgoblins, they are so lacking in empathy and have such egos that they can’t even coexist long enough to form societies of their own, literally tearing each other apart in attempts to dominate one another. That’s why they typically are either alone or in very small groups leading lesser goblinoids. And the atrocities they commit are better left unspoken.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” Isa said.

“I am. Now, let us go.”

Not long after, they reached the top of a hill and found themselves looking down into a valley filled with goblinoids. Goblins sat around fires, despite it being the middle of the day, or followed the orders of hobgoblins, who walked around freely. There were primitive structures made of wood and stretched hide, but two buildings were different from the rest. One was made of stacked stones and had a hole in the top from which smoke poured out. The other was made of logs instead of sticks and resembled a ten-foot-tall cabin, one that was significantly larger than most such log cabins.

“Death to evil!” the Sun Knight yelled, charging downhill.

“I told them not to charge ahead…” Rai sighed, swapping clothes and taking out his sword. His Force Armor flickered into existence before becoming invisible. He drew upon the mysterious star energy within his mana heart and cast, “Flameshock Flower!”

In the middle of the goblinoid settlement, a gargantuan bloom of fire and lightning some eighty feet across appeared, burning everything inside to a crisp. When the Sun Knight arrived, they charged through the charred ground, ignoring the burning structures save for one: the cabin. Moments before they arrived, two entities burst out.

Rai’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of the orcs. They were huge, standing around eight and a half feet tall and full of muscle. Their skin was bruise-purple, and they wore stitched-together animal hides to protect their torsos. Each carried a large two-handed sword.

“Let’s go!” Isa cried, racing forward. Rai followed a few seconds later.