by Simon Archer
Basically, after consuming the plant, I’d be one percent less hungry. One fucking percent. And it would take about an hour to digest, which was far too long. Curiously, I noticed that my Herbalism skill had increased a tiny bit by absorbing the information of the two plants, and that made me smile. It seemed that just like in Terra Forma, skills could be increased by gaining knowledge about the subject as well as by practicing them.
“I wonder if there is a way to reduce the consumption time?” I said aloud as I pulled my hand back and turned my attention back toward the path.
“Perhaps you could just strip the Aura off?” Queenie suggested, and I nodded.
“Yeah, I can do that, but it won’t help much if we want to eat it.” I shrugged. “Unless I try cooking it.”
“Would you like me to gather some so you can try cooking it?” Queenie asked, and I nodded.
“Yeah, let’s gather some as we go, and we can try later.”
It was slow going after that because I wound up using my new Examination skill on all the new plants I found as well as picking some, which definitely helped to increase my Herbalism skill.
Which was probably why I didn’t see the trip wire. I’d been so engrossed on examining everything, that when it hit Queenie’s shin, she didn’t even notice.
The fucking wire sure noticed though.
A giant log flew out of the brush and would have slammed into her side if my quick reflexes hadn’t saved her. As I leapt for her and tackled her sideways out of the way, I was immediately aware of a problem. The log had reached the apex of its arc and was coming back.
Thankfully, I had enough time to get us both out of the way once again, and as the log whooshed behind me, a pair of green-skinned goblins leapt out of the brush and glared at me. Only one was armed with a drum, and the other seemed empty-handed.
“You guys again?” I snarled with a raised eyebrow at them as their eyes swiveled from the log to me and back again.
“Let me destroy them for their impertinence, master,” Queenie growled, and just as I was about to let her do just that because fuck their stupid traps, one of the goblins spoke.
“What do you mean, us guys?” the slender one covered from head to toe in bright bird feathers of every shape, size, and color said as he eyed me carefully. “I can assure you that you have never faced me.” He smacked his chest with one hand. “For I am Morlaon, the greatest goblin bard in the world.” He swung his hand to the left and gestured to his compatriot. “And that is Silent Jay.” He nodded to the other goblin who was dressed from head to toe in black, wore a long trenchcoat, and had a ukelele strapped to his back. “He’s a rogue.” He narrowed his eyes at Jay. “Have you seen him before? Perhaps faced him in battle?”
Jay looked at me curiously and scratched his chin. Then he shook his head emphatically.
“See!” Morlaon said as he smacked his drum. “You have never faced us before because if you had, you’d be dead.”
“Right…” I glanced between them. “I’m just saying that I just fought a bunch of hobgoblins, like, just down the path that way.” I gestured back toward the path. “Let me just say it didn’t end well for them.”
“Well, of course not. Those were hobgoblins.” Morlaon banged on his drum. “They are as dumb as they are smelly, and let me just say that, by goblin standards, they have a particularly foul odor.” He nodded once. “Whereas we are goblins, who, by goblin standards, are quite better in all ways.”
“How many types of hobgoblins and goblins are there on this path?” I asked as I stared at the goblin. I wasn’t really worried about him, but if I was going to get accosted every couple of minutes, it was going to get old fast.
“This particular path leads directly through the territory of no less than sixteen hobgoblin and goblin clans, though I say that ours is the best.” Morlaon gestured to the left. “After all, the bards in our region sing the most delightful songs, and the trees here are particularly, well…”
He started smacking his drum and shifting from foot to foot as he launched into a song in a language I couldn’t understand. It was catchy, though.
“There!” Morlaon said when he was done. “Are you not impressed?” He stamped one foot. “Admit it, you’re very impressed.”
“I mean, the tune was catchy.” I shrugged. “It’s a great beat, but I don’t know the language.”
“Neither do I, master,” Queenie frowned. “Although I can somewhat translate the intent. Would you like me to tell you what I think it means--”
“A song is great even if you cannot understand it!” Morlaon exclaimed as he came toward me and clenched a fist. “Did you not feel it in your bones?”
“Um… no?” I offered. “But maybe it’s just not my genre.”
“Genre doesn’t matter!” Morlaon shook his head sadly as he turned to Jay. “What do you think?”
Jay seemed to ponder this for a moment before his eyes widened and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Then he began to gesture frantically. I didn’t quite understand it, but Morlaon seemed to because, in the end, he nodded emphatically.
“That is a great idea!” Morlaon turned back to me and grinned widely. “Jay says that we must teach you to truly appreciate goblin music.”
“I don’t think that’s quite necessary,” I said with a frown. “I’m just trying to get to town.”
“And how will you do that if you must traverse the territory of not only goblins but orcs and trolls as well?” Morlaon gazed at me expectantly. “Or, you allow us to accompany you, for a small fee, of course, and we will guide you accordingly. Then, by the time we reach your destination, you will have a true appreciation of goblin music that you can feel with your soul.”
“Did you say small fee?” I asked as I stared at the goblin. I hated to admit it, but I could use a guide, even if he were a crazy goblin with a drum. “Because I don’t have any money.” I grabbed my shirt and sort of pulled on it. “Just this and some hobgoblin stuff I picked up.” It was a white lie, sure, but then again, these were random goblins. I didn’t exactly feel comfortable telling them I had a few kilos of gold in my inventory.
“Why didn’t you say you were poor!” Morlaon exclaimed as he threw his hands into the air with a sigh. Then, instead of being put off, he came over, hopped up beside me, and tried to throw his arm around my shoulder. Only Queenie glared at him so hard that he stopped mid-step and, after a long pause where he took in my army, gestured for me to come closer.
I did so, though I knew I’d probably regret it.
“See, here’s the thing, friend.” He nodded to the trap. “We didn’t set that. We merely saw it and knew we were in ogre territory. Can you imagine what an ogre would do to us poor goblins?” He drew his thumb across his throat. “So, we waited for an adventurer to come by who could avoid the trap, figuring that they’d be strong enough to help us get to town so we could make our gig at The Dwarven Priestess which as you likely know, is the premier drinking establishment for Dwarven royalty, charlatans, and card players.”
“So… you really have nothing to offer me?” I asked as I stared at the diminutive goblin.
“I have much to offer, friend. I think the original deal stands. We will lead you to town.” He nodded to the path.
“So, you mean to use me until you find someone better?” I asked with a sigh.
“When you say it like that, it does indeed sound horrible, so no, do not say it like that.” He held out his hand. “What do you say? We shall guide you and teach you an appreciation for music that will allow you to rival all the gods on high, and in exchange, you allow us to tag along with you, oh mighty warrior.”
“Well, who can say no to an offer like that?” I said as I shook the goblin’s hand. “You have a deal.”
28
“We should probably stop here, oh wise and noble warrior,” Morlaon said as we reached a small clearing to the left of the trail we had been following through the forest. “Unless you think it better to keep walking th
rough the night while all manner of dangerous, carnivorous beasts stalk us from the treetops.” He put a hand to his heart. “I doubt they would pose much trouble for you, given your obvious strength and cunning, but us poor, diminutive goblins would no doubt be slaughtered like sheep before the wolves.”
As he continued on like that, I shot a glance at Jay. The other goblin merely shrugged and gave me a look that very clearly said, “This is a good place to stop, even if my friend is a dumbass.”
I pondered that for a moment before I cast my gaze heavenward. It was obviously nearing dark, and while I wasn’t sure quite how far the town was, I was sure of one thing. Morlaon would, no doubt, continue on if he thought we could make it because if there was one thing I could trust the talkative goblin to do, it was watching out for his own ass.
If he wanted to stay, well, it was probably a good idea.
“Can you quiet down for a moment?” I asked, and without waiting for Morlaon to respond, I turned to Queenie. “Can you have the army secure the area?”
“As you wish, master.” Queenie gave me a quick, resolute nod, before turning to address the ants in our army. The moment her antennae twitched, the Soldiers broke off into pairs to secure our surroundings, even though the whole clearing was only about half the size of a football field. After that was done, she sent the Golems, our one Hobgoblin Warrior, and the Sentinels into the spots between the Soldier groups, while holding the Spiders and the Hobgoblin Archer behind the lines.
Then she split the remaining ants, a combination of Sentries and Scouts, into two groups and had one group walk clockwise in a slow patrol around the edge of the clearing while the other moved counterclockwise. After the group of Sentries had made three loops, she turned to me and gave me a serious look.
“The area is secure. However, there are definitely creatures out beyond the edges of the wood. I have no doubt they are hostile, but they will be unlikely to break our lines should they even attempt it.” She paused for a second. “Would you like us to venture into the forest and eliminate those closest?”
I thought about it. On the one hand, that would gain us additional resources and experience, but on the other, it was getting late, and the last thing I wanted was to be caught unawares in the middle of a battle at night.
“No.” I shook my head as I made my way to the center of the clearing and looked around. “What I’d rather is for you to have one of the Soldiers cut down those two trees and bring them over here.” I pointed to a pair of trees about ten feet in length that were about the width of my thigh. “Then strip off all the branches and pile it over there.” I pointed to a spot a few meters from the center of the clearing. “Also, can you have Scout locate some firewood and bring it here?”
“It will be done,” Queenie said with a bow before she headed off to do what I’d asked.
I watched her go for a moment before turning back to the spot where I stood. It seemed about as good as any, and as I knelt down on the soft earth and stared at it, Morlaon came over and looked at me curiously.
“What is it you plan on doing, oh most noble warrior?” he inquired, and when I glanced at him, I saw the curiosity plain on his face.
“Um… I’m going to build us a shelter for the night and hopefully start a fire.” I glanced up at the sky. “I’m not sure if it will rain or how cold it will get, but those clouds are mighty grey.” I paused for a moment. “Unless you want to do the fire and shelter thing?”
“Alas, noble warrior, while my songs are as sweet as the first dew of a summer’s morn, I can no more play a shelter from the ground as I can call fire from the sky.” He frowned a bit. “If I could, I’d be more famous than Bardek the Everbright, chief Bard of the Destroyer King.”
“The Destroyer King?” I said as I used my magic to clear a small fire break. It was way more difficult than I’d expected, even though I’d practiced using my earth magic in the godly realm, and after clearing just a small area, I found I’d drained a significant portion of my Aura.
That made sense though since I didn’t actually have the power, and I’d never practiced with it when I wasn’t a god. I knew I could have just cleared it by hand, but that wouldn’t help me build the proverbial magic muscle, so instead, I took a few moments to rest and tried again. This time, it was a hair easier.
“You have not heard of the Destroyer King, noble warrior?” Morlaon said, quite flummoxed by the idea. “His tales are the most famous in all the lands.” He glanced around the clearing as if looking for spies, and when he found none, he leaned in close and cupped his hand over his mouth almost conspiratorially. “In fact, I have been working on a song of his tales. I could sing it to you?”
Admittedly, part of me wanted to tell him no, but I was curious enough to wave him on.
“Go for it.”
And wouldn’t you know it, but it almost seemed like he had expected me to say no because he stood there gawking for a good thirty seconds. “Well…” he said, suddenly embarrassed. “It isn’t quite done, and no one here but Jay has heard it so…”
“I think it will be great.” I smiled at him. “I believe in you.” I got to my feet and gave him a serious look. “The beat you played on your drum was pretty great earlier.”
“You honor me,” the goblin said after a long moment before turning to Jay with a flourish. “Come on! Let us give our noble lord a show beyond all knowing.” He smacked a hand on his drum, eliciting a hard beat that punctuated the air like a dying gunshot. “Bring it in.”
With that, Jay nodded and then pulled the ukelele off his back and gave it a strung that ripped through the clearing like a guitar riff. Then the two began to jam to something that felt like a tribute to the greatest song in the world.
And the strange thing was, as I settled back to my work while I listened to them play, I began to see their Auras starting to flare. Golden glows began to surround them, and with each passing note, it grew brighter and brighter. That’s when I felt the thumping of their magic in the air as it swept around me in a flourish of energy and power, and before I realized what I was doing, I was humming along with them.
It was strange because I felt their magic flowing around me like a rocky meadow full of twists and turns, full of potholes and snarling roots, but as I hummed, my Aura seemed to fill in those holes, seemed to bury those roots. Before I knew it, I’d cleared the entire area beneath myself, and what’s more, it had been easy. That was when I realized what had happened.
When I’d been using my earth magic before, I’d tried to sort of force it into shape, almost like I was the glass and I was pouring water into it, but when I’d been distracted and humming along, my magic had become the water. It had seeped into everything around me, and with each thrum of the beat, I’d woven the power into the air into my spell until I was very nearly one with it.
That’s when they began to sing.
“When the moon above glowed red with blood
We took to the trail in the Destroyer King’s stead
He fought and fought
And when he swung his mighty sword
All enemies fell
Yeah, all enemies fell
They said there was a mighty prophecy
That the beasts of Karnoth would strike him down
That the wolves of hell would be his end
But that wasn’t true
For hefting his might blade
He cleaved the earth in two
And rained fire from above
When the great wolf came
He grabbed it by the jaws
And he pulled
His great muscles strained
As he tore that great wolf
Right down the middle, it split
And its left half became the mountains
And its right, the stars
Its blood filled the ocean
And its head?
Oh, that became the sun
And yet he was not done
Because the darkness of the void still filled
the land
So he marched, and he marched
Crossing deserts, mountains, and oceans
Greatsword in hand and blood in his wake
And as his enemies fell
he made the land safe for all
All who would join him
All who could join him
Well, they found destiny’s call
And as they rode in his stead
They had but one mighty cry
We will kill them all
Yeah, we will kill them all
They will taste our blades
And we will drink their blood
And the Destroyer King will rule
Yeah, the Destroyer King will rule.”
As the words of the song resounded in the air, I couldn’t help but feel the sound of the music in my veins, feel the thrum of the magic inside me and all around, and as I pressed out into the earth, I felt it rumble beneath me. With each breath, each strum of the ukelele, and each pound of the drum, my magic flowed out into the earth so that, before I knew what I was doing, I’d communed with the soil beneath my fingers. It came to my call as I hummed and poured the magic of the song into it.
And as the earth began to rise to my call, I pulled it upward, forming it around the shape in my mind. I built a simple framework of Aura, just enough to keep shape really, and then I poured in the magic of their song, and as I did, the world sought to give it form.
Dirt, rock, and everything in between surged up to fill the framework so that by the time their song reached a raging crescendo, I’d raised a structure from the earth itself. And still I wove more magic into it, and as I did, I found the walls strengthening, the roof moving to the proper angle. I found the earthen hinges solidifying into stone and greased by graphite.
The door and walls were a monolith of stone, and as they formed, the Destroyer King’s deeds were etched into its core like a mural. The great wolf as it was rent in two. The beasts of Karnoth as he slew them. The void itself as he reached in and forced it to blink.
