by R. A. Mejia
The man must hear the sound of our approach. As we get closer, he turns and warmly smiles. Now that I can see his face I can tell he takes good care of himself. His short cut hair is mostly grey with a touch of silver at the temples. His skin is tanned and wrinkled. Yet, he is still trim and fit looking despite his advancing years.
Seeing us, he gives Aarron a short nod and says to him, “Hello friend. I’m glad to see that you’ve made it on schedule. No trouble with the cargo I take it?”
Aarron looks a little abashed and answers, “Well, we lost one of the goblins, but the other six made it through just fine.”
The slick looking man shrugs unconcerned, “Six out of seven is pretty good. I wish that it were better, but losses are inevitable in our business.” Then turning his gaze to me, he asks, “And who is your young friend? By his attire, I’d say he was a soldier in the Imperare Army. Have you brought me a new client?”
“Mr. Gerald, this is Avocado. He’s an ambitious young soldier who’s looking to make a little extra coin to further his skill training. He’s already captured a powerful looking kobold and looks to be in a position to find artifacts that might interest some of your clients.”
Mr. Gerald claps his hands together excitedly. “Oh! A kobold? Those are in high demand. I can give you an excellent price on that. Why I had a bidding war for the last four I was able to get my hands on.”
I wave my hand in dismissal at the offer, “Sorry. The kobold isn’t for sale. My commanding officer is expecting me to bring him back.”
Mr. Gerald shrugs in a ‘you’re loss’ way and continues, “Well, if you’re not going to part with the kobold then perhaps you’re interested in being one of my collectors?”
“What’s a collector and how much does it pay?” I ask with a slightly predatory smile.
“Well, it’s better to show you. Did Aarron tell you what we do here?” He asks.
“No, but I can guess from the delivery of the goblins, and you’re interest in my kobold, that you sell slaves.”
“Tsk, tsk. We prefer to call it commodities trading. But we don’t just sell any slaves. You see we specialize in the most difficult and precious of species. Your Kobold for example, is a very rare prize. If you can find some at all, quite often they’ll fight to the death rather than be enslaved.” Mr. Gerald starts to walk away and gestures for us to follow him, “Here I’ll show you some of our collection.”
Aarron and I follow behind Mr. Gerald as he walks towards one of the bright red doors on the left. He pulls a set of keys from his pants pocket, unlocks the door, and holds it open for us to enter. Aarron goes in first, a grin on his face. He smiles as if he’s been a good boy and is being given his treat.
As I enter the room, I’m assaulted by the change in color palette. This room is almost entirely red. Only the ceiling is white. The room is rather large and has the same high ceilings as the previous one. There are three raised platforms along each wall with thick velvet curtains preventing me from seeing what is on each. Mr. Gerald stands in the center of the room and motions for us to come to him. He smiles when we reach him, claps his hands together once and says, “These are a few examples of some of the rare finds we sell to our clients.”
The moment Mr. Gerald claps his hands, the curtain to my left is drawn open by some unseen force. On the platform sits a creature twice my height. It has rough, thick, grey skin, and wears only a loin cloth. Its arms are lanky and end in hands as large as my chest, fingers as thick as my arms, each ending with broken, jagged nails. It could easily touch the high ceiling roof if it weren’t restrained by massive black iron chains and manacles that are bolted to the ground. The creature looks down submissively, not making eye contact with anyone. I can see that its head is mostly bald, but tufts of black bristly hair can be seen poking out places. Then for a moment it looks up and takes a quick glance at us before looking down again. In the brief moment our eyes met, I saw a fierce, feral intelligence in its blue eyes. The creature’s definitely not someone I’d want to meet in a dark alley. Or even a brightly lit one for that matter.
“This is Gorbash. He’s a mountain giant. Very rare to have at this altitude. Believe it or not, he’s only a juvenile of his species. He’ll grow even bigger before he becomes an adult. We acquired him from the army when they were exploring the Alterian high mountains. Seems he’d wandered down exploring. They were able to take him while he slept. Quite the find I tell you. He’s rather stupid but strong as ten men. Though it cost us a pretty copper to get him, I’m sure we’ll recover our costs.”
Mr. Gerald claps his hands again, and the curtain directly in front of me opens. Once the curtain clears I see something, I can’t quite believe. It’s a young woman in a red kimono with a white floral pattern kneeling on a woven mat. In front of her is a low black table with an elegant teapot. The woman has strawberry blond hair, fair skin, a sprinkling of freckles on her cheeks. What’s most striking about her though are her ears. They’re pointed and furry like a wolf or a cat and poke through her thick mane of hair. Additionally, I see that she has a large bushy tail with nine waiving ends.
Unlike the giant, she is not chained by thick iron shackles. Rather, she has a thin silver chain attached to a silver collar around her neck. Instead of looking down like the giant did, she looks directly at each of us, then stares out into space as if we’re not worth her time.
Mr. Gerald gestures at the woman with his hand and smiles wolfishly at her. “This is Kitsune, a particular favorite of mine. She’s one of the only surviving members of the fox clan of beast men. Even more extraordinary, she is a member of the nine-tailed fox bloodline. She has incredible inherent healing magic and has to be restrained with special magic inhibiting restraints. Unfortunately, most of her tribe were killed when the Empire expanded into their territory. Thankfully, one of our agents in the army saw her value and collected her for us before some soldier skewered her. We’ve already found an owner for her. A wealthy merchant that fancies himself a sultan and is creating his own harem.”
Turning to the last curtain that covers the platform on my right, Mr. Gerald claps once more. The red velvet curtain parts and reveals not another creature but rather an astonishing number of tables laden with all manner of odd looking items. This platform has stairs that lead up them, and Mr. Gerald moves up them and gestures for us to follow. I turn to Aarron and see his eyes light up at the sight before us. He moves quickly up the stairs to join Mr. Gerald on the platform, and I follow behind him.
“This is what I’m most proud of,” Mr. Gerald says while smiling widely and looking fondly at the items before him. “These are artifacts that we’ve collected from all over Terra from ancient ruins and the barbaric lesser races. While some are magical in nature, all of them represent a culture that is unique. These pieces are in quiet the high demand with collectors who appreciate the noble savagery of lesser races. Especially some of the monster tribes.”
Before me are tables and cabinets filled with a broad range of items. I see a stone tablet on a table next to a rolled up scroll. In the cabinet, I see jewelry laid out. Only none of it is made from gold or silver. Instead, it’s made from bone, stone, or carved from wood. Another table has odd looking weapons displayed. I see one that reminds me of a cricket bat with sharp shards of stone all around its edges. There’s also a metal ring the size of a dinner plate with a sharpened outside edge. It kind of reminds me of that weapon Xena, the warrior princess used.
One item, in particular, catches my attention. A long wooden staff with intricately carves runes in it. One of the benefits of being magically adopted into Vrax’s kobold tribe is the innate knowledge of both the written and spoken reptilian language of the kobolds. So, it’s interesting that the runes on this staff are actually symbols from that kobold language. I especially note the symbols for Cherax Quadricarinatus, the dragon the Red Claw Tribe worship. I touch the staff to examine it, and a notification window pops up.
Kobold staff of Magical Enhancement
/> An ancient staff that has been magically inscribed with runes of power that enhance the user's magical abilities. Additionally, this staff has been blessed by an ancient dragon to give the user physical and magical protection. The staff has been used by kobold shaman for generations to help protect and guide the people of the Red Claw Tribe.
Bonus: All magical spells cast by the user have 15% increased power. +5 physical damage resistance. +5 magical damage resistance.
Race restriction: Kobold
Class restriction: Shaman
This was taken from Vrax’s tribe!
This is the staff that belonged to Elder Xichion of the Red Claw Tribe. He never went anywhere without it and had to lean on it regularly as he walked. Memories of the elder flood my mind. The time we fought the troll Grumph together. The wild party after to celebrate our victory. He’s the one that officiated the ceremony to magically bind me to the tribe and adopt me as a member. He’s the one that made Vrax my brood brother and made him a part of my family. He was kind, wise, and he loved the tribe so much he died defending it from these slavers.
I’ve been pushing down my feelings ever since I found the remains of the kobold tribe and I just can’t do it anymore. A torrent of pain at the loss of not only my adopted kobold family but the killing and kidnapping of the people of Restrian burst through me. I feel a wetness hit the hand holding the staff and I realize that they’re tears. I’m crying, and I can’t stop. The deep, aching pain inside me throbs.
A voice behind me asks, “Are you ok young man?”
I turn to see Mr. Gerald speaking to me. He looks at me with a slightly worried expression on his face. When he sees that I’m holding the staff, he actually smiles. He looks down at the staff with admiration. “Oh, you found one of my recent acquisitions. Isn’t it beautiful? I nearly came to tears myself when it was brought to my attention.” He continues to smile at me and even claps his hands then says, “I’m so very glad I had agents in the company that went to Restrian. When they heard about some kobolds nearby, they knew I’d be interested in acquiring assets. That’s why I thought you might be willing to sell the kobold to me directly.” He shrugs as if talking about something of little consequence and continues, “No matter. I’ll probably just purchase him from the army later.”
I have a hard time breathing for a moment. Not only does this asshole think I’m crying because I appreciate the artistry of the staff in my hand, but he just freely admitted to paying off the soldiers who killed and kidnapped my kobold family!
My vision turns red and before I know it the axe at my belt is in my hands, and I’m swinging it at Mr. Gerald’s neck.
Damage dealt: 14 (Critical)
Damage dealt: 9
You’ve killed Clarence Gerald Lvl. 3. You receive 7 XP.
You’ve completed the personal quest Rage Against the Murderers. You receive 50 XP.
You have fulfilled a promise made before the gods, and they have taken note of your honor.
Chapter 1.8
I feel slightly dizzy as my vision clears and I dismiss the notifications. I look down and see the corpse of Mr. Gerald, or Clarence I guess. The axe in my hands is covered in blood and I drop it in shock at what I’ve done.
This is the first human I’ve ever killed. Sure, I’ve killed animals for food. I’ve even killed the monsters in the dungeon. But this is the first time I’ve killed a living, thinking person I was only moments before having a conversation with. Even if he deserved it, my mind is in shock at my actions. As I stare at the body, I feel bile rise in my throat, and I bend over and vomit.
The act of emptying my stomach restores some sense to me, and I realize that someone is speaking to me. A feminine voice yells frantically, “Hurry and unlock me!”
I stand upright and look toward the sound of the voice. It’s the fox lady on the other platform. She’s stretched her silver chain to its limit and is holding it out to me. She screams in a near panic, “For the love of all that’s holy. We don’t have much time. The other man has already run to get the guards. I don’t know why you killed Mr. Gerald but free me and we can escape together.”
Still slightly in shock, I move automatically towards the woman to do what she says.
“No, no. Get his keys,” she chastises from the platform.
I look at her in incomprehension for a moment before I realize she means Mr. Gerald’s keys. He must have the keys to her chains. I turn back to the body and find that it’s already disappeared like all dead creatures and left a bag of loot. I pick up the bag and find a set of keys and a few pieces of silver. I put the silver in my inventory. When I turn back towards the woman, my eyes catch sight of Elder Xichion’s staff. I reverently pick it up and put it in my [Inventory]. Then I go down the stairs of the platform I’m on and hop up the one the fox woman is on. She readily helps me up and tilts her head away from me exposing the collar around her neck and the delicate silver chain that leashes her to the floor. The collar has a number of magical symbols I don’t recognize, but I see a small hole where a key should fit. I riffle through the set of keys till I find a small silver one that has symbols similar to what’s on the collar. I take it off the key ring and unlock the collar around her neck and automatically stash the collar in my [Inventory].
She sighs with relief and rubs her neck with her hands. She looks at me with gratitude for a moment then her eyes harden, “We have to go. The guards will be alerted any minute now by that fat bald man.”
I look around and realize that Aarron is gone. She must mean him. I realize that she’s right, but I still need to find out who Mr. Gerald sold the kobolds he mentioned he had to, and I need to find the Restrian citizens that were taken too. I shake my head and tell her, “I can’t leave yet. Some people I know were taken from Restrian by the Imperare soldiers, and Mr. Gerald said he sold some kobolds recently. I have to find them.”
An expression of pity crosses the fox woman’s face and she tells me, “Mr. Gerald sold those kobolds at auction a week ago almost as soon as he got them. I think the humans that came with them are in one of the other rooms in the building though.”
I grab the fair skinned woman by her shoulders and ask, a pleading tone in my voice, “Do you know who he sold them to or where they went?”
The strawberry blonde’s fox ears droop a little, and she shakes her head in the negative. Then they perk up again as if she just remembered something, “I know where you can find out where they went though. Mr. Gerald is one of the top slave traders in Valse. He not only keeps detailed records of his sales but he also keeps track of any new slaves that come into the city.”
Finally, a lucky break. I ask, “Where does he keep his records?”
The lithe fox woman hops off the stage and leads me to a door at the back of the room. It’s locked. I’m ready to kick it down when the fox lady points to the keys in my hands and reminds me that I already have what I need to open the door. I smile at her, chagrined. I unlock the door with the appropriate key, and open it.
The record room is rectangle shaped and only slightly larger than a small bedroom. The room is very utilitarian. A spacious wooden desk with stacks of papers takes up most of the long wall opposite the door, and there are a few thin cushioned chairs in the corner. Above the desk are shelves with accounting books. Jackpot.
I quickly grab every accounting book and piece of paper on the desk and drop them in my [Inventory]. I can look through them later. You know, at some point when we’re not going to be swarmed by guards.
“Got everything? Good. Can we go now?” The fox lady asks.
Before I can answer, a loud ringing sounds throughout the building.
The ears of the fox woman stiffen at the sound and her eyes dart around. She mutters worriedly, “Oh, no. The alarm. The guards are on their way and have likely closed off the exits. What are we going to do now?”
“Lady, I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re getting reinforcements.”
I brush past her and move towar
ds the stage with the mountain giant. The fox woman follows. Standing so close, the mountain giant looks even larger up close. It’s hard to imagine anyone capturing something this big. The mountain giant still sits on the platform cross legged, eyes downcast. The massive creature’s hands and feet are chained with thick bands of rough dark metal.
“Hey, you…uh…” For the life of me, I can’t remember what his name is.
“Gorbash. His name is Gorbash.” The fox woman, whose name I can’t remember either, supplies.
I nod my thanks to her, then turn back to the mountain giant, “Gorbash. Do you understand me?”
The creature’s boulder sized head twitches, and it raises its sky blue eyes to consider me. After a moment, he nods once.
I smile. I knew Mr. Gerald was underestimating this guy. “Good. You saw me kill Mr. Gerald? Well, I had a good reason to do it. He had some people murder my kobold family and kidnap the rest. I plan on freeing everyone he has enslaved here before the guards arrive. If I unchain you, will you attack us?”
Gorbash tilts his head considering what I’ve proposed, then shakes his head in the negative.