Monstar Saga: Exiled

by Eden Redd

  Onka stared out to the forest past Kavan’s farm. Her gaze barely left the forest, looking for any sign of Kavan and the others.

  Lorta was leaning back on her hands, her gaze shifting to the goblin every few moments and seeing the longing in her features.

  “They’ll be back. The three of them are pretty tough,” Lorta said.

  “I know,” Onka said as she continued to sit and stare out.

  The troll closed her eyes and nodded. “Zellee wanted to be out here, waiting with us, but she is working on finishing a few pieces of leather armor, in case the town is attacked.”

  Onka looked down. “It’s times like these I feel completely useless. What good is a breeder when we might have to fight for our very lives?”

  “You don’t know that for sure. They could have succeeded and the threat is over.”

  Onka shrugged. “Or they could come running and we will have to fight off a xykk invasion.”

  Lorta opened her eyes and looked up. “Does it matter? We will be together. I feel it.”

  Onka said nothing.

  Lorta looked over to the goblin with understanding eyes. “You love him?”

  The goblin nodded.

  “I love him too,” Lorta said and nodded.

  A breeze washed over the goblin and troll as they looked on.

  The world grew silent for a breath. Eyes blinked in the warm sunlight. A sliver of sea scent drifted toward the town, adding to the many natural aromas swirling in the air.

  In the distance, three figures emerged. They stepped out onto the south road, leading to town.

  Onka stood up instantly. Lorta slowly curled her legs under her and stood up. The pair stared down the road, their eyes growing wider and hearts leaping in their chests.

  Drayke walked with a slight swagger. Kavan and Durzol walked, arms over each other’s shoulders.

  The goblin and troll darted off the blanket and down the road. Legs blurred as they rushed along, their eyes barely blinking.

  Drayke smiled and held out his arms to the approaching goblin and troll. “Well, I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”

  The dragonkin waited with his arms out. Onka and Lorta rushed past him without a second glance.

  “Oh,” Drayke said with an amused smile and dropped his arms to his sides.

  Kavan and Durzol looked up to the approaching Onka and Lorta. The goblin and troll nearly crashed into them and hugged them tight. Kavan looked down at Onka hugging him fiercely around his waist. Lorta’s arms nearly engulfed everyone else.

  “The dungeon raid went fine,” Drayke said over his shoulder as he walked toward the south gate.

  Lorta and Onka pulled back. The troll took Durzol’s other arm, gently pulled him away from Kavan and helped the injured orc to walk. Onka looked up at the dragonkin and hugged him again. This time, Kavan used both arms to hold her close.

  The goblin breathed in his scent before she pulled her head back and looked up. “You’re a mess,” Onka said flatly.

  “It was a messy fight, but we made it through,” Kavan said and glanced at the blanket on the grass beside the south gate entrance. “Did you wait for us?”

  The goblin nodded. “We did.”

  Kavan nodded and smiled.

  “Don’t get used to it! We were also guarding the town, so don’t think it was all about you,” Onka said with a sly grin.

  “Of course not. I’m just the town magistrate, no one important,” Kavan joked.

  Onka gave a firm nod and smacked Kavan’s ass. “That’s right and never forget it.”

  The goblin was at Kavan’s side, her arm around his waist. Kavan put his arm on her shoulders and the pair walked side by side. They followed Lorta and Durzol. Drayke had already entered the city and made his way north, to the town center.

  Many townsfolk gathered in the center of town. The murmur of conversation began to die as heads turned to see the heroes of the day walking up the cobblestone street. Kogan turned away from a table. He saw Drayke approach and looked past the dragonkin to Lorta helping Durzol along.

  The mayor took a step forward, followed by another. His eyes widened as he watched his son limp along, but a happy smile on his lips.

  “Healer Soki!” Kogan shouted before breaking into a run.

  The older orc rushed past Drayke and reached his son. Lorta let go just as Kogan’s meaty arms wrapped around his son in a strong embrace.

  “My boy!” Kogan said with a tear in his eye.

  “I’m okay, Da. Kavan made it right. The dungeon was burned out and the entrance collapsed,” Durzol explained.

  Kogan nodded and helped his son walk. “Excellent news, but I’m overjoyed that you're back, my strong son. I want to hear all about it!”

  Healer Soki slithered across the street, her upper body reared up and digging through her satchel. She pulled out potions and slithered to the approaching orcs.

  The rest of the town looked to the mayor and Durzol before turning their attention to Kavan and Onka as they walked up. A stampede of townsfolk rushed down the street to the dragonkin and goblin. They surrounded them and everyone talked at once, asking what happened.

  Kavan lifted an arm and waved the crowd down. “I’ll tell you everything in a moment,” the dragonkin smiled.

  “Give the magistrate some space!” Kogan shouted over his shoulder as he helped Durzol to a chair by a table.

  Soki handed the blacksmith two potions before she began inspecting his leg wounds.

  Nearly the whole town surrounded the dragonkin.

  Kavan smiled as he slowed his step and began telling everyone what happened. Eyes and ears listened intently as he detailed the trip to the dungeon, the fight with the xykks and their grubs and the desperate battle to escape. He spoke to Durzol and Drayke’s heroism as the three of them fought side by side against the horde of xykks.

  Drayke leaned against a nearby wall with his arms crossed. He watched Kavan tell the story and gave an unseen nod of approval to his fellow dragonkin.

  “After the dungeon entrance collapsed, I had to dig my way out a little before I was free. We made the slow journey back, but our xykk problem should be finished. I doubt anything could have survived that much fire and smoke,” Kavan finished.

  The crowd blinked before smiles appeared and a loud cheer rose up and echoed off the town walls. Several townsfolk rushed in and hugged Kavan as he stood. Many others clapped and shouted their approval and relief.

  Onka looked up to the dragonkin, his face filled with a small smile, but his eyes showed the deep pride of protecting and helping the town.

  Kavan looked around to the gathered townsfolk, a glow filling his heart. Senses drank in the crowd and his soul swelled.

  Mayor Sunaxe squeezed his son’s shoulder before standing up fully and turning to the crowd.

  “Everyone! It is a great day in our town’s history! With the xykk menace neutralized, we can carry on with our lives and make our town better.

  “For now, let’s give our heroes a little room and prepare a celebration this very evening in their honor!”

  The crowd let out another loud cheer. Fists pumped into the air and elated shouts echoed through the town.

  Onka hugged Kavan again and he hugged her back.

  The goblin looked up with mischievous oval eyes, “Let’s make tonight a night we remember forever.”

  Kavan nodded and grinned as people cheered around them.

  ***

  The sun sank low in the sky. The heavens took on fiery orange as scattered clouds drifted overhead. A faint twinkle of a few stars shone across the sky as people in a small town moved with purpose to the approaching evening.

  Dura made her last rounds around the town library. She walked along the shelves filled with tomes and books, a peace across her spirit. The orc peered around corners, looking for anyone who might still be lurking inside before the celebration.

  A thought touched the orc’s mind as she made her final round. An image of the red dragonkin
filled her mind’s eye and the librarian couldn’t hide her small smile.

  Dura sighed as she sauntered along, dreaming of the future.

  In the town center, tables were being set up and streamers hung. Zellee looked around with knowing eyes. Glem the ogre, stood with Priest Raine and Priestess Misty. Zellee lifted a hand and a glob of webbing shot out. The glob plastered above a doorway and Glem reached up with a streamer and stuck it to the small, sticky blob.

  Transparent wings fluttered from the backs of the two fae. Raine and Misty flew up with streamers in their hands, wrapping them around the statue of Samuel Truewind above the fountain. The pair then pulled away, running streamers across the town center.

  Kazko emerged from his tavern with a pair of stacked crates in his long, strong arms. The troll barely looked over the crates to across the street. Rujin emerged from his inn with a stack of large, covered plates. The two brothers stepped out onto the cobblestone street and nodded to each other before turning and making their way toward the center of town.

  When they reached the Dragon’s Table, the brothers looked over to see a stream of statues march out the front door and into the street. The statues carried large plates of covered food and drink. They formed a line and made their way to the town center.

  Drayke emerged from the front of his restaurant with several large covered plates in his scaled hands. He looked over to the staring trolls.

  For a moment, the three of them simply looked at each other.

  Kazko smirked and then let out a loud belly laugh. Rujin chuckled, his wide shoulders bouncing slightly. Drayke gave a sharp grin before all three walked side by side to the town center, ready to feed everyone during the celebration.

  Ammi walked along through the center of town. The dryad whispered in a low tone as she walked. Vines began to sprout along walls where she passed by. Small flowers bloomed to her song as she made her way around to add some natural beauty to the celebration.

  A troll with an eye patch and a naga helped to hook lanterns up. Tezzi smiled as she handed a lantern to Soki. The naga took it and lifted her body up higher. She hooked the lit lantern to a hook before lowering herself and slithering over to another hook.

  Lorta stood in the middle of a nearby street, her bolids and harpies all gathered before her.

  “I know we don’t normally do this,” the troll in long pigtails addressed her livestock. “But tonight, is a special occasion. You are allowed to be part of the celebration if you don’t act like a bunch of animals. Be polite, enjoy the food and no ramming anyone or flying off, got it?”

  The bolids and harpies nodded in unison.

  Lorta eyed them for a moment before she spoke, “Okay. Enjoy your time and when it gets late, I expect everyone back at the barn. Travel in pairs and look out for each other. Now, let’s help finish setting everything up.”

  The troll turned and began marching. Bolids and harpies followed as they looked around in wonderous excitement.

  Oaks, Nava, and Shegga helped move tables and chairs around the fountain. The last table was placed against the others by the fountain as Rujin, Kazko, Drayke, and a small army of living statues walked over and began placing food and drinks on them.

  Shegga eyed the food before turning her attention to Drayke. The dragonkin bent forward slightly and placed the stack of trays. He glanced over at the kobold eyeing him and licking her lips. Drayke gave the bold kobold a wink, stood up and turned to help the Hearth brothers and statues to unload trays of food.

  “Playing hard to get,” Shegga whispered as she eyed the blue and black dragonkin.

  From East Street, Hynrik’s spider legs moved with purpose. A wagon was hitched to his abdomen and he pulled it along. Barrels of vegetables, stacks of wheels of cheeses and several crates of wine, filled the wagon as it was pulled along.

  Heads turned to the approaching arachnix. Hynrik moved into the town center, reached behind him and unhooked the wagon harness from his abdomen. He crawled over to the wagon and began unloading it, placing barrels on the floor, a somber look in his eyes.

  Mayor Sunaxe walked around with Durzol. The two of them helped where they could with setting everything up. The mayor looked around with pride as everything started to come together. Durzol rushed to Tezzi and Soki’s sides to help hang the last of the colored lanterns.

  Kavan’s hands were around Onka’s waist. The goblin was lifted up into the air, a large ribbon in her green hands. She set the ribbon in place as Kavan held her up. Abby lounged close by, sitting in a chair and not lifting a finger to help anyone. She stared up as new stars twinkled in the darkening sky.

  Esmeralda stayed on a side street. The cat-woman peered out to the gathering. Her tail swished back and forth behind her, her gaze locked on Kavan as he lowered Onka to the street. She bit her lip and slinked back into the shadows, her heart beating fast in her chest.

  Onka put her hands on her hips and looked up at ribbons surrounding the town center. “Looks good,” the goblin smiled.

  “We make a great team,” Kavan said.

  Onka nodded. “We do.”

  Kavan looked down as Onka turned and looked up to him with bright, yellow eyes.

  “Kavan, I… I think we’re ready for the next step.”

  The dragonkin looked down with a blank expression, but his mind and heart swirled as to what that could mean.

  The goblin grinned from pointed ear to pointed ear. “I want to invite you to my place, for the night. I never have anyone over, but for you, I’ll make an exception.”

  Kavan smiled. “I’m honored.”

  “You should be!” Onka said and laughed. “I just need to fix it up a little. It’s a little bit of a mess. I’m going to head over to it and clean it up before the celebration really begins.”

  “I can come with you to help?”

  Onka shook her head. “No. Tonight is about you, Durzol, and Drayke. It’s not that messy, but messy enough that I should put some things away. Besides, I think the mayor will want to say a few words before it begins, so you should stay here. I promise, I’ll be back before the heavy drinking starts.”

  The goblin slowly blinked as she stared up at Kavan. “This is your moment, enjoy it. We can talk to Lorta and Zellee, see if they want to join us. It’ll be fun.”

  The goblin bent her legs and leapt up. Kavan smiled as she kissed his cheek and fell back to the street. Onka gave him a joyful smile before turning and marching down West Street and toward her shop.

  Kavan watched her go, the goblin’s scent still clinging to his senses. When Onka was gone from view, he was about to turn around when a large shadow approached. The dragonkin turned his head and looked up.

  Hynrik crawled closer, a bottle of wine in his hand and his gaze gentle. The arachnix approached and held out the bottle of wine to Kavan.

  “A gift, for doing the hard work,” Hynrik said in a low tone.

  Kavan looked at the bottle for a second before reaching for it and taking it from the arachnix’s hands. “Thank you,” he said politely.

  Hynrik nodded, but made no other move to leave. Instead, he stood awkwardly on spider legs before the dragonkin.

  Hynrik looked away when he began to speak. “I… must apologize for my behavior since you arrived. I should have been more understanding and less… combative. I was frustrated with the town for putting blinders on and not heeding my advice. Moonvale is a special place… and as you said… my own hubris got the better of me.”

  Hynrik turned his attention to Kavan and looked him in the eyes, “You must admit, I was right. We did have a xykk colony here and you did the hard work of burning them out.”

  Kavan nodded. “Yes, I will admit, you were right. Still, I think in the future, we should handle town problems with a little less emotion and more with a steady mind. Moonvale is a special place and it becomes more special the longer I am here. I never wanted to make anyone’s life harder, even yours.”

  The arachnix gave a hearty nod. “Understood. I’m
willing to start fresh again. But know this, I still plan on running for Mayor in the next election. I understand everyone’s fears of bringing strangers to our town to defend it, but I still have some ideas on how we can prepare for the next threat.”

  “You will have to talk to Kogan about that or save it for your campaign. I’m just the town’s magistrate,” Kavan smiled.

  Hynrik nodded. “Well, if I do become mayor in the future, I would want to keep you on, for normalcy of course.”

  Kavan chuckled and bowed slightly, “For normalcy, of course.”

  Hynrik gave a weak smile before bowing his head. He turned around and scuttled back to the center of town as everyone finished up with the decorations.

  “Oh! Wine!” Abby said as she snatched the bottle from Kavan’s hand.

  The dragonkin watched the taur in disbelief as she bit the cork and pulled it off in one smooth move. She spit it out and began pouring into her open mouth.

  “Help yourself,” Kavan mumbled and turned away.

  The dragonkin began walking toward the center when Mayor Sunaxe lifted up both arms and approached. The older orc grinned as he stepped to Kavan and gave him a hearty embrace.

  “Kavan, my boy, you have no idea how happy the town is right now,” Kogan said and let go.

  “Higher than average?” Kavan smiled.

  Orc and dragonkin let out a small laugh as Kogan backed up.

  “Yes, higher than average,” Kogan said and looked around. “Where’s Onka?”

  “She said she had to tidy up her place before the celebration really began.”

  Kogan nodded. “Just as well. I know you asked about the Heart of Moonvale. I don’t wish to keep you in too much suspense, but we should address the town before everyone starts drinking and eating.

  “After we talk to the town and have a few drinks, I’ll tell you about the Heart of Moonvale. It is a secret we must keep between ourselves, but a secret well worth knowing.”

  The older orc moved to Kavan’s side and clamped a large green hand on the dragonkin’s shoulder. “Let’s not waste too much time. My belly roars for food and spirits. I fear this celebration may last until the morning, so I hope you’re rested, not that you need it my young friend.”