Watcher's Question: A LitRPG Saga (Life in Exile Book 2)

by Sean Oswald

  Dave and Martin looked at one another while the druid sighed and then said, “As you wish Consort,” before he cast a weak regeneration spell on the ranger, eliciting a sigh of relief.

  “Consort? What’s that supposed to mean?” Raddick asked with a bit more genuine curiosity in his voice.

  “I will try to explain the situation very quickly, and then you have to decide to believe or not. My title amongst the elves is Consort because my wife is a moon elf and named by the Throne, which is what passes for their king and queen, as best I can understand, to be the ruler of the Murkwood. They call it a district, while we humans call it a barony, but either way it's the same land. My wife didn’t grow up amongst the moon elves but is a full blooded moon elf. So now I have been appointed by your king,” Dave’s tone emphasized the connection Raddick had to the kingdom, “as the ruler of this barony while the elves have appointed my wife.” She is their ambassador to the humans, and I am Albia’s ambassador to the north. Oh and if that isn’t enough, my wife is also a Chosen of Shanelle and has the full backing of their church.”

  Raddick looked at Dave for a moment before raising his free hand to his forehead. Then mindless of the grim and blood on it he began rubbing his temples as though he had a headache. “So that is a wild story, maybe too wild to be made up. I can see the signet ring of a baron on your hand. Hmmm, maybe it is true. You say you know Captain Smart. I’ve only met the man once, but he struck me as honorable and I know he is a foreigner. Are you from the same land as he is?”

  Dave chuckled at the private joke the ranger had stumbled upon without understanding.

  “What’s so funny?” more of Raddick’s exhaustion apparent in his voice.

  “I guess we are from the same homeland as Max is, but in sort of a circuitous way.”

  Before Dave was able to say anything more, he saw movement behind the ranger and moved to push him aside slightly while raising his hand and casting a quickened Lesser Repulsion spell. The result was three goblins bowled over onto their back and Dave charging forward to finish them with his sword before they could get back up. The first two never got much of a chance to move as three inches of steel into their throats ended them. The last of the trio, stumbled to one leg and was in the process of raising his dagger up in a crude defensive motion when Dave’s overwhelming strength drove an overhand blow down forcing the dagger aside and ending with a goblin skull split wide open.

  Dave scanned the brush around him looking for any other movement. The early morning light was still faint, and he didn’t want to take any chances on missing a hidden goblin. The creatures’ green mottled skin blended in very well with the forest background. Not seeing anything, he turned back to the ranger and druid behind him.

  “Thanks, I didn’t even hear them coming. I’m sorry, very off my game. It feels like I’ve been awake for a week,” Raddick said.

  “I understand and won’t ask for your full story now. Are you however willing to trust us?”

  Martin stood there thinking, his face devoid of expression. “I suppose if I trust you that it means I have to obey you given that you are a general.”

  Dave grinned and said, “A general without an army. That part of my title is, well let’s say, still in development. Even the small army I do have is all back in Eris’ Rise.”

  “Where is that?” Raddick queried.

  “It’s a community of around two thousand now but started out as a logging village. Duke Holstein was supposed to create it along with some others along the Seinna River to provide lumber for the western war and the nation as a whole. From what I gather, it was the only village to survive the attack by the goblins and the only reason they did was a combination of my family and Max, especially considering the death knight.” Dave was a bit pained thinking about those memories of how close a thing it had been.

  Raddick let out a low whistle, “A death knight, wow.” He then looked over at Fumihiro before continuing, “So is this a human community, or an elven one?”

  “It is a blended community. As I said my wife is the elven ruler and I am the human ruler. I know it’s a complex situation, but we really don’t have time to go into the politics of it. You just need to know that I don’t think like other nobles you may be used to. Most of the nobles I have seen in Albia so far are very political creatures.”

  “I guess if the nobles you met are Duke Holstein or those in the capital that you would have that opinion. My own Lord, Baron Eikhorn is a noble not just in title but in spirit. He is a man I am proud to serve under.” Raddick’s expression went from sneer to smile as he spoke about the difference between the nobles.

  “Eikhorn, as in Tabor Eikhorn?” Dave asked.

  Suddenly very defensive Raddick asked, “Tabor is my lord’s youngest son, how do you know of him?”

  “My son and I met him at the capital, and it’s my understanding that he is a student at the Royal Academy where I sent my son. He seemed to be a good boy.”

  “I hate to cut in on this again, Consort, but we need to be moving.”

  “Fumihiro is correct, the man is nothing if not practical. So what’s it going to be? I don’t expect blind obedience and the three of us will come up with plans together, at least out here in the wild, but if push comes to shove, yes, I’m in charge,” Dave’s voice took on a firm note.

  “I will follow you Baron Murkwood, and thank you for stepping in. I don’t think I could have handled six at one in the condition I was in. And Sir elf or whatever I’m supposed to call you, thanks for your healing spell. It was enough to take the edge off.”

  “Just call me Druid Fumihiro or as our Lady is always saying just drop the title except when in public.” After saying his bit, the druid cast another regeneration spell onto Raddick.

  After that, the two of them explained to Raddick the plan to get to the nearest elven town and then play it by ear from there. Dave explained about how his messenger spell was being used to keep Eris’ Rises informed of the situation, and then felt silly when the ranger asked if he had also informed the king. That was an oversight he shouldn’t have made.

  Once they were all on the same page, they began a frantic trip over the few miles to towards the elven town. Fumihiro informed them its name was Nakan’na although he didn’t know much about it beyond that it was a small town in the district of an elven noble, Lord Hia. Each man was lost in his own thoughts as they ran, hid, and fought in a cycle of desperation.

  The Tier 1 goblins offered no XP to Dave as he learned another of the roadblocks to leveling. He glanced once at a notification when one of the goblins died and then didn’t pay any attention to them after that.

  You have slain a goblin skirmisher, Level 7.

  No XP is awarded for your participation in killing a creature two or more Tiers below you.

  In Eloria, life is conflict. Where there is no threat there is no conflict.

  He knew from earlier conversations with the elven leaders that all of the druids were maxed out at level 19 except for their leader, Aoi. That only left Raddick to potentially gain XP, but since Dave had learned that most people in Eloria didn’t like to share information about their levels with anyone that they were not close with, he didn’t ask. More than a dozen fights against the various goblin scouts, skirmishers, archers, rogues, and warriors that they ran into in their snaking path to Nakan’na, what Dave remembered was the brush.

  Their trip was so desperate, and they traveled so fast that gnarled roots jutting up from the forest floor were a constant threat. He stumbled more times than he could count and envied the grace displayed by Fumihiro. Even the human ranger seemed to be able to navigate the woods better than Dave, and that was despite the fact that he still bore signs of injuries after the two regeneration spells. It wasn’t only the roots, but also branches that whipped into his face, tiny scratches he felt across uncovered hands or face. The way that twigs could break off as he roughly pushed through and then somehow could worm into the most uncomfortable spots. He would never
understand how a little broken sprig could find itself under his chainmail and rubbing up against his skin as the armor shifted with his running. Dave’s enhanced Constitution meant that he took no damage from such things, but that didn’t make it any more comfortable.

  Time and again, a goblin scout would spring out at them from a bush. Each of them had been targeted, but the goblins were so spread out and so much lower in level that the attacks never amounted to anything. It just added a bit of adrenaline to an already heart pounding run. Nothing quite like playing games with your children where you take turns trying to surprise and jump out and one another. The fun and thrill of it though takes a different twist when that ‘child’ leaping out at you is an ugly, green goblin intent on skewering you with a small rusty blade.

  Yet despite all of that, they made it to Nakan’na safely with relatively full health and mana pools. Unfortunately though, that wasn’t when the trouble ended so much as when the horror began. The first few elven residences, homes grown rather than built out of trees, were in complete disarray: doors broken down, furniture and dishes shatters and strewn along the ground in front, and lifeless bodies of children and men in front of each. No women, or at least young women were found, but that boded something even worse.

  The closer they got to the center of town, the more tightly packed together the homes were and thus the more carnage was laid out before their eyes. It was gruesome, not only in sight, but also in the smell of blood. Even more terrifying was the cries of pain and the wailing of voices which now caught their ears. Dave wasn’t scared for himself. Rather he was scared for those poor elves who were even now receiving God only knows what from the goblins. He mourned the dead, people he didn’t know, but who deserved his sorrow. That sorrow though was pushed into a back recess of his mind as rage was the only thing on the forefront. He was enraged at the evil being done by these goblins. Even more so when he considered how this could have happened to the people of Eris’ Rise had he not been there.

  Well he was here now. Maybe too late for many poor souls, but still he was here now. Not the barely stumbling through Eloria, uncertain of his path, person that he had been those weeks ago in that first goblin attack. No, he was far more certain of what his path was, and he was confident that no goblin could stand up to his righteous fury. He didn’t really care if there were twenty or two hundred of them, he simply swore inside his head that they would all die.

  As the three men came to the end of their run at the center glade of the town, rung around by the small Ironwood trees which made up the core of this community, the sights that greeted them were exactly what they had feared. Some of the Ironwoods held firm, but there were goblins hacking at doors and trying to climb in windows in pursuit of those still hiding within. Out in the center of the glade there were dazed and confused female elves bound with ropes and huddled together as goblins with spears encircled them and thrust at any who even tried to move. The wailing came up collectively from those women as they watched on at the less fortunate of their race. Some of the women had been drug off and were being held against the ground out in plain sight for all to see. Their clothing ripped off as goblins held them down and took turns doing awful acts of violence and depravity.

  Dave took in all these horrors and though that much honor belongs to those brave elven women, who even now were fighting against fate. They were fighting losing battles, but that didn’t matter, that was why he was here. Without even raising a war cry, Dave pulled his bow off his back and for the first time made use of his Archery skill, firing one shot and then another in quick succession at two of the goblins who were attempting to mount the captive elves. Immediately, Dave knew that he had the ability to do what needed and yet would need practice. The first arrow hit exactly as he had planned, striking the back of the goblin’s head and dealing critical damage as a sneak attack. (49) The enchanted arrow of piercing punched through the goblin skull even easier than it would cut through armor sending the would-be rapist flying forward to face plant dead on the ground. Even if the arrow’s initial damage hadn’t been enough to kill the little beastie, its placement inside of what passed for his brain did the rest. The second arrow didn’t hit the mark that he had aimed for but still caused (26) damage as a sneak attack striking the goblin in the shoulder and driving half its length through as his body spun off of his intended victim.

  Up until that point, the goblins had been too busy with their mayhem and debauchery to notice the three men. Now though, all eyes turned to them as the goblins let out shrieks of rage. Something about how the goblins seemed so angry and offended to have been interrupted in their evil incensed Dave even more. It was always that way. Those doing evil still felt offended to be stopped. Dave didn’t care as he dropped his bow and drew his sword.

  Stepping out from between two of the larger trees was a goblin in robes with a twisted staff of bone in his hands. Clearly, he must be a shaman and probably the leader of this attack, at least in Dave’s experience.

  “Whoo-mann have no place here. Leave elf and go. Then Durnk not have to kill you,” blustered the shaman.

  Before Dave could say a word, Fumihiro lifted his hand and a flash of blue light streaked towards the goblin as he spat out the words of a quickened spell. The flash slammed into a magical shield which the shaman must have prepared ahead of time and while ice crystals formed all around it, the creature inside was left unharmed.

  “Ballie’og get your lazy ass out here. We have toyses for youz to play with,” called out the goblin from behind the safety of his shield.

  In response, Raddick and Dave scanned around to see who the shaman was speaking too. Dave knew that he certainly welcomed any of these goblin fiends to come and attack him. Meanwhile, Fumihiro was quietly casting spells under his breath. Instead of goblins though, Dave saw walk out from where the shaman had been before, a massive figure. It had to stand nearly ten feet tall and more than four feet wide, with pale leathery skin. Dave could only imagine it was an ogre. It matched all the drawings and images he had seen in various games and his own idea of what that type of monster must look like. He cast an Assess Enemy spell just to see what he was dealing with here, but still wasn’t feeling any fear.

  Ogre Elite Lvl: 22 Health: 1040

  Even as Dave was reading the results of his spell, Raddick said, “Be careful that’s an ogre elite.”

  “We can take him easy enough, but thanks for the warning.”

  Raddick only nodded in response, sword in one hand and dagger in the other.

  The ogre’s booming voice cut through the chaos of sound in the glade and caused all of the goblins to go quiet. Trained from childhood to avoid the anger of the powerful ogres, who while perhaps even more stupid than the goblins, were veritable engines of destruction. All of the goblins wanted to see what happened now.

  “Who be disturbing Ballie’og. Ballie’og want fun.”

  In one sense it was terrifying to see the mountain of muscle speaking, even if it was with clearly limited intelligence, but on the other hand, the way it spoke about itself in the third person got under Dave’s skin.

  “It is your death calling, stupid. You’re late for the grave,” Dave shouted back.

  Clearly, the weak attempt at humor was lost upon the brute who only shouted back after a puzzled expression on his face resolved, “You be one who be dead. Ballie’og make you dead.”

  Cutting off the ogre who was starting to step forward and piercing through the sound of the surrounding goblins who were starting to chat, “Ballie’og Ballie’og”, was the voice of the shaman. “They are strong, call your kin.”

  The ogre snarled at the much smaller goblin shaman, but after locking eyes for a moment he clapped loudly. “Ballie’og family come out to play.”

  Now from all around them, they saw ogres stepping forward from where they had been deeper in the trees. Some had blood or even elven body parts hanging from their mouths. None were quite as large as Ballie’og, but there were still five more of them.


  For the first time since encountering the goblins, Dave had some concern for himself. Perhaps they had bitten off more than they could chew. Maybe he should use his Gate spell and escape. He owed it to his family to be there if they needed him, not to die fighting in some tiny elven town where they might never know what happened to him. Yet as soon as the thought crossed his mind, it was just as quickly rejected. He also owed it to his family to be true to himself. He could no more leave these innocents to die than he could if his own family had been here.

  He extended party invitations to Fumihiro and Raddick as they could use any benefit that the party buffs might offer. Looking around, Dave forced a grin on to his face while saying “Let’s do this!” even as he began quick casting.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “The wonder of life should never be lost upon us. The moment it ceases to amaze is the moment we begin to die.” — Memoir of Jayfen Tarzen, former Chapter Head of the Theriot Adventurers' Guild

  For five days, they had been back in Eris’ Rise. Five days of paperwork, settling disputes, planning construction. Five days with little time to eat and less for sleep. Yet, Emily wouldn’t trade it away. She loved the feeling of being busy with something that mattered. The people came to her and respected her opinion, and who doesn’t love that? The elves respected her as Lady Emiri and the humans as Baroness Murkwood, a Chosen of Shanelle. The effect was the same though, they all wanted her input and relied upon her to settle disputes, sometimes as simple as which supplies to use for the meals or as complicated as planning out the proper use of each parcel of land. It made her feel alive, so that when she got time to play with Sara or even when Sara would sit by her as she was in her meetings, it was valuable. She could see Sara paying attention more than ever, and it excited Emily.