by R. A. Mejia
The goblin stops moving when I mention Lilliandra and begins to rub his pointed chin with one hand, “Lilliandra? I did receive a message from her asking if I’d be willing to help out a student of hers. But that was over a month ago.”
I grin sheepishly, “Sorry. It took me awhile to get here.”
“Well, in that case. Yes, I am Professor Miltonha.” Gesturing to the other members of my team, the professor asks, “Who are these people with you?”
I apologize for not introducing everyone and tell the professor each of my friends’ names. Professor Miltonha seems to take a special interest in Vrax and walks up to him and looks him up and down. My kobold brother glances at me briefly unsure how to react to the examination. I’m about to say something to the professor when he mutters, “They said there would be a kobold.”
Not quite sure what he meant I ask, “Pardon me, Professor, what was that?”
The question seems to disrupt the goblin’s train of thought. He turns to me quickly and says, “Oh. Nothing, just saying that Lilliandra mentioned that your problem had something to do with kobolds.”
“Well, yes it does.” I look around the hallway which is no longer empty and say, “But I’d rather talk about the details of my problem in your office if you don’t mind.”
The green goblin nods his head in understanding, and I try not to laugh at the sight of his ears flapping up and down like a bird's wings as he does so. He walks to the wooden door of his office and fishes some keys from a pocket in his robes, opens the door and walks inside. My team follows, and I close the door behind us once we’re all in the room.
The professor’s office is a narrow room, only five feet wide and maybe seven feet long. Most of the space is taken up by a large oak desk on one side of the room. There are several bookcases along the walls filled with tomes and other books. The goblin climbs into the wooden chair behind the desk with thick leather padding. He motions for us to sit and I look at the only two chairs in the room. I look at Kitsune to see if she wants to sit but she shakes her head no and instead starts to peruse the titles on the bookshelves. I take one of the hard looking seats I find, squirming slightly as I try to find a comfortable position to sit it. Vrax takes the other seat, and Mary flies over to the professor’s desk.
From his seat behind the desk, Professor Miltonha asks, “Please tell me how I can help you.”
I stop trying to find a comfortable position on the hard wooden chair and turn to answer the goblin’s question, only to find myself looking up at the professor. I smile at the power games the floppy eared Goblin is playing. Not only does he intentionally have uncomfortable chairs but he’s arranged it that anyone sitting here has to look up at him. I don’t know if this bodes well for our dealings, but I lean forward and answer the professor, “The Imperare Empire attacked our village, and soldiers took members of my friend's tribe as slaves. We tracked them to Valse and freed the slaves they had there, but the kobolds had already been sold to someone and shipped out.” I take Mr. Gerald’s ledgers out of my [Inventory] and place them on the desk in front of Professor Miltonha, “When we left, we took these accounting books hoping to find out where the kobold were sent and to whom they were sold but the books are in some type of code. Lilliandra said that you were very clever and that you knew something about codes and how to break them.” I can’t help it, but a pleading tone enters my voice as I ask, “Do you think that you could help us decode these ledgers so that we can find my friend’s stolen tribesmen?”
The goblin professor is silent after hearing my request, and he looks at the ledgers for a while, his hands steepled in front of him. Then, making some internal decision, he picks up the top ledger and begins flipping through the pages. Without looking up, he says, “I don’t like getting involved with the Imperare Empire normally. But for the sake of my old friend Lilliandra, I’ll see what I can do with these ledgers.”
I jump out of my seat in joy at the answer. Finally, someone can help us. Someone is willing to risk the Imperare Empire’s wrath and help us find Vrax’s kidnapped family. I’m about to lean over the table and shake the goblin’s hand, but Vrax beats me to it. He climbs on top of the desk and practically falls onto the goblin hugging him and thanking him. The professor tries to push the kobold away, and I have to pull Vrax off of him. I laugh and thank the professor for his help, then ask, “How long do you think it will take you to decode the ledgers and find out where the kobolds were sent?”
Professor Miltonha adjusts his robe, looks up at me and answers, “At least two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” I ask, surprised that it will take that long.
The goblin waves me away and starts to look through the ledger again, “Yes, at least two weeks. Come back then for the information you seek. Make sure you bring the money too.”
I’m turning away from the professor towards the door when the last part of that sentence hits and I turn back, “Money? What money?”
The goblin finally looks up from the ledger and tilts his head slightly and gives me a sharp toothed smile, “Yes. I said I’d help you but my time is not cheap. You’re asking me to take time away from my work at the college and spend hours researching the cipher used in these documents. Then I’ll have to comb through them all to find just the information you’re looking for. Did you think that I’d be doing all that work for free?”
I honestly had. I mean, Lilliandra recommended him as an old friend. I guess I should have known better. I put Vrax down and ask, “How much will it cost us?”
The goblin’s smile widens, “Oh, for my old friend’s student, I’ll give you the the friends and family discount. It will only cost you ten silver.”
Mary, who’d been quietly standing on the desk till now, blurts out, “That’s highway robbery!”
The goblin looks down at Mary, sneers, and then closes the ledger he was looking at and carefully places it on top of the others on his desk before saying, “My time is dear to me, and I charge accordingly. If the price is not acceptable, please feel free to take your books back. But I do not know of anyone else that will be able to help you. Not many people know how to break a code like I do.”
I internally fume at the answer. The goblin has us over a barrel, and he knows it. I think of hitting the smug looking goblin sitting in his raised chair with his arms crossed. Instead, I take a deep breath and tell him quietly, “Fine. Ten silver for your work decoding the ledgers and finding out where the kobolds were sent and to whom they were sold.”
The goblin holds out his hand to me, and I shake on the deal. Then a notification window pops up.
You have contracted with Jaxson Miltonha to decode accounting ledgers. In exchange for his work, you have agreed to pay him 10 silver coins. Return in two weeks for the decoded ledgers and the information promised. Failure to pay the 10 silvers will result in lost reputation with Jaxson Miltonha and loss of the desired information.
Interlude 2
Watching the men below me in the training pit, I see a three on three battle. Three beastmen, fully transformed for battle, face off against a three man human team. The humans are armed in only steel helmets, a leather arm guard, and tridents. The three humans fight back to back in the center of the pit, the three transformed beastmen circle the humans, waiting for a single moment of weakness to attack.
As I watch the training of the familia gladiatoria, my one hour of relaxation is interrupted by a messenger. He hands me sealed envelope, and I sigh. I only ask for one hour of peace, and yet work continues to find me.
I check to make sure the seal on the letter has not been disturbed before paying the messenger and dismissing him. I slid one of my fingernails, sharpened to a razor's edge, across the folds of the envelope, opening it with a single smooth motion. Taking the letter out, I read it, unafraid that others may see it. It’s from Jaxson, one of my best encryption specialists. To anyone else, it would appear like a random assortment of letters and numbers. But to my trained eye, it’s no different than reading a
nything else.
My humblest greetings Master Raslinton. I have come across a potential candidate that matches the description of the group you were interested in. The makeup of the group varies slightly from what you described but includes a fairy and a kobold. However, instead of a dark haired human with red hands. There is a humanoid, with red scales covering his body. He goes by the name Armon and is the apprentice of an old friend of mine. He seeks information on some kobolds that were taken when the city of Restrian was captured and has come to me to decode the books that have the information. The code used was simple, and it would only be a matter of hours to secure the information the boy seeks.
However, as I was unsure if this is the same group you sought out, I told him that I would need at least two weeks to complete the work. Please send me further instructions.
Your dedicated servant,
Professor Jaxson Miltonha
Finally, one of my agents has come through for me. The agent of change is within my grasp. Now, I need only arrange for his capture. None of my human agents will be able to work in Monstrum, and the non-human slaves I have can’t be trusted to return as instructed. I suppose I’ll have to use one of the mercenary groups for hire in that kingdom. I snap my fingers and my assistant, Nora, appears before me. I dictate my instructions to my faithful servant, and he leaves to execute them. That matter taken care of, I pen a personal coded letter to Jaxson, letting him know of my pleasure at his well thought out actions and the group I’m sending him.
Once I’ve had a messenger take the letter, I return my attention to the battle below me. It brings me the greatest pleasure to see others fight for my amusement.
Chapter 6.3
Having made arrangements with the professor to decode the ledgers, our team quickly leaves the building. Once we’re back in the courtyard, I move towards a small grassy hill and sit under one of the few trees in the courtyard. I look up at the tall broad canopy and see the leaves shake as a breeze passes through them and feel myself calm down a little. The red scales that cover my skin stiffen slightly from the chill wind. I lay back on the knoll and feel the blades of grass tickle me slightly. Closing my eyes I take deep breaths and try to calm myself.
I keep telling myself that it shouldn’t matter that the goblin asked for payment to help us. He should get paid for the work. After all, I get paid when I help someone with a job or quest. No matter how many times I tell myself that I should just be happy we found someone that can decode the ledgers, I’m still annoyed. Maybe it’s because the goblin seemed to take delight in price gouging us. Or maybe it’s because he seemed more than willing to let those innocent kobolds rot away in slavery if we refused to pay. Either way, it bothers me.
I feel a rough scaled hand touch my shoulder, and I open my eyes to see Vrax staring down at me. His eyes look sad, and I remember that no matter how much the situation bothers me, it’s worse for Vrax. It’s his family that was murdered. It’s his family that’s been kidnapped and enslaved. I sit up and feel my irritation eclipsed by a sense of determination. Our goal remains the same. Find the kobolds and free them. If we have to deal with unsavory characters like Jaxson to accomplish that goal, then so be it. We’ll do what we have to do.
I put a hand on Vrax’s shoulder and squeeze gently and tell him, “We’ll find them, buddy.” He nods once, acknowledging the gesture and reassurance.
Looking beyond my kobold brother, I see Kitsune standing a few feet away, giving Vrax and I a little privacy. Mary, however, is pacing in mid-air, muttering to herself about greedy goblins getting a fairy sized beat down. I can’t help but smile at the sight. I don’t know how she does it, but Mary always manages to raise my spirits.
Enough of the pity party. It’s time we get back to working on solutions and not just complaining about the problem. I make eye contact with each of my friends before saying, “Ok team. We finally have someone working on the ledgers. What’s next?”
Kitsune and Mary move closer and take a seat in front of me on the grassy knoll. Their eyes relax as they come under the shade of the tree that protects them from the midday sun. Kitsune raises her hand, and I smile slightly remembering how many times we’ve tried to tell her that she doesn’t need to do that. I nod at her, knowing she’ll just keep her hand up otherwise.
Putting her hand down, Kitsune leans forward. Her white kimono parts slightly, revealing the gray under armor underneath. She says, “Well, we’re going to be here at least two weeks so we should secure room and board.”
I try to focus on Kitsune’s eyes as I answer, “True, I’d love to have a real bed to sleep in again but how will we be paying for that room and board? We also have to figure out a way to get ten silver to pay the goblin.”
“We could always rob some of the snotty students around here,” Mary says while gesturing to teens and young adults walking around in their robes, “I’m sure they have more than enough money.”
While I understand Mary’s distaste for these students based on our interaction with the hairy teen, I say, “Umm. While it may be cathartic for you to rough up some rich kid, we still have to live here for the next couple weeks. Getting thrown in prison for robbery won’t help us.” Then thinking about the bratty teen again I add, “Though, it may be something we can do on our way out of town.”
Mary sticks her tongue out at me and playfully calls me a spoilsport. Then more seriously she says, “Well, now that just about everyone in the group is level five, how about you join the Adventurers’ Guild. We should be able to make plenty of money doing their guild quests.” Then after looking around to make sure no one else is listening, she adds quietly, “Plus we can turn in the coordinates for Koorb’s dungeon and claim the reward.”
“What reward?” I ask.
Still whispering Mary answers, “The one the guild offers for the location of a newly discovered dungeon.” Seeing the lack of comprehension on my face, she rolls her eyes and continues, “You’ve already seen how great a resource a dungeon can be for a town. Heck, the Imperare Empire only took over Restrian because of the dungeon nearby. The Adventurers’ Guild also likes to control as many dungeons as possible. It’s a great way to train its members and farm for resources for their crafters. So, they offer a reward to any guild members that discovers a new dungeon and turns the location over to them.”
“Are you saying we could have turned the location over of the dungeon to the guild this entire time and gotten money for it? Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
Mary scowls at me, puts her index finger to her lips, and says quietly, “First, stop talking so loudly. There are plenty of unscrupulous people that would do bad things to us to get this kind of information. Second, I didn’t say anything because you have to be a member of the guild to get the reward and you weren’t a high enough level to join the guild yet.”
Well, that actually makes sense. I lower my voice and suggest that we head over to the Adventurers’ Guild right now. The others agree, and we walk out of the college courtyard past the large multiple story classrooms. I ask a passing construction worker where the adventurers’ guild is located. He points north and continues on his way. We head north and only have to ask for directions two more times before we’re standing in front of the Adventurers’ Guild. The building is an almost identical copy of the one we walked into on the border of Monstrum. I guess having recognizable architecture helps people identify the place for people.
Walking through the thick wooden double doors, I see the same layout as the other guild hall. To my left is another wooden counter behind which are three women in collared, pressed, white shirts with black vests. There are adventurers lined up to talk to each of the women behind the counters. Some are turning in items, others are talking animatedly with one of the attendants, and others seem to be giving the attendants money. To the left, along the far wall is another jobs bulletin board covered in papers detailing a variety of jobs and quests. One of the only differences between this guild hall and the last one we w
ere in are the adventurers. In the last one, the adventurers were all adults with well-maintained gear. They carried weapons and looked like they’d be able to handle themselves in a fight. The adventurers here seem to be mostly kids my age. There’s an odd old scarred orc or goblin, but most of the people here look like they’re no older than seventeen. Their clothes and weapons still look new and unblemished. I feel like this is the junior edition of the guild.
I get in the line for the guild attendants, and the other members of the group go look over the available jobs on the board. It only takes eight minutes to get to the front of the line, and before I know it, I’m standing in front of a tall, elegant elf woman with milky white skin and silver hair that is up in a bun. She looks at me through round glasses and smiles faintly as I stare at her and asks, “How may I help you today?”
The question snaps me out of my stare, and I remember to close my mouth before I reply, “Hello. I’m interested in joining the Adventurers’ Guild. Then I’d also like to,” I lower my voice before continuing, “report the location of a new dungeon.”