Varnoth didn’t know what to say. The shadow panther was not the most socially adept individual. He decided to stand quietly until William said something else. William didn’t leave Varnoth hanging but for a moment.
“Come along, Let’s go to the banquet room. Supper should be ready. The group will be thrilled to see you,” said William as he walked downstairs. As they walked further into the castle, Varnoth was amazed at the cleanliness and welcoming nature. It didn’t feel like a place that had so much evil residing in it before. There were vases filled with beautiful flowers. The fragrances that circled the inside of the castle were much more pleasing than before when the castle reeked of blood and death. The laughter of playful children traveled down the corridors and brought a smile to Varnoth’s face.
Varnoth entered the banquet room and was met with thunderous applause. The shadow panther stopped in his tracks and looked all around the large room. There were smiles on the faces of everyone in attendance. He was thrilled to see all of his new gnome friends comfortable and joyful.
William patted Varnoth on his shoulder and said, “I told you they would be happy to see you. Why don’t you stand at the podium and share a word with them?”
Varnoth was not a speaker by any stretch of the imagination. However, he was Overseer, and it was his duty to talk with his community. The crowd silenced as the large black cat stepped to the mahogany podium.
After tapping the wood nervously with his claw, he opened his enormous mouth to speak, “My friends, it is good to be back. It appears to be going well. I left you in capable hands with Chancellor Marth. He is doing an extraordinary job. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John the Son of Ray for seeing to the safe return of your friends and family. I was unfortunately detained and was unable to return with him. However, that is a story for another day,” said Varnoth as he pointed toward the gnomes in the room, “My detour was a blessing in disguise from the gods. I was able to help our new friends here from Colkirk. They were dealing with goblin raids daily. We dealt with the goblin scum, but it was too dangerous for our friends to stay behind. The goblin village of Slorm would have no doubt raided and killed the citizens of Colkirk. So, here they are. They are one of us now. Please make them feel welcome. Their skills and abilities will be a great asset to Darthill. Enough talk from me. It appears our supper is ready, please enjoy!”
The room erupted with cheers as Varnoth stepped down from the podium. Kitchen helpers brought out steaming meat and vegetables to each table. Everyone dug into the meal like hungry animals. Mugs of ale and wine were turned up and gulped down.
“Varnie, that was quite a nice speech. I didn’t know you had it in you. Listen, with your permission, my dear Overseer, I wish to play music while we celebrate your homecoming,” said John.
“Sure, it isn’t like I would be able to stop you anyway,” Varnoth said as he raised a mug of ale.
John walked on stage, and the wood creaked and squeaked under the orc’s massive weight. He pulled his hammertar from his back and began to play.
“Our friend, the black cat, has returned,
He brought so many gnomes, it is absurd,
They are cute and cuddly, so I don’t mind,
Their leader named Hobnick is very kind,
I hope they make us some ale,
We will run out soon. They cannot fail!“
CHAPTER 21
After a good night’s rest in his luxurious and undeserved chambers, at least he felt it was undeserved, Varnoth called a meeting in the command chamber on the third floor of Darthill Castle. The shadow panther instructed William to request the presence of Henegarron, Dormatos, Hobnick, Cody, and William. There was confusion as to the meaning behind this impromptu meeting with those particular people. The command room was dusty with the scent of mildew. The castle folk had not reached this room on the third floor as of yet for cleaning.
Varnoth was the first to arrive in the command chamber. There were many rustic suits of armor around the room, and magnificent red tapestries covered the walls. There was a large stuffed timber bear in the corner. A giant wrought iron chandelier filled with smoldering candles hung from the high ceiling. There were covered paintings in the spaces the tapestries did not cover. A massive stone table was the centerpiece of the command chamber. It was shaped in a large rectangle. Ten mahogany chairs were surrounding the table.
Varnoth went to the chair at the end of the table and stood with his hands behind his back as he stared at the doorway. He heard several footsteps headed toward the chamber. William Marth was the first to enter, followed by Cody, Henegarron, Dormatos, and Hobnick.
“Thank you for meeting with me this morning. You are no doubt very busy,” said Varnoth.
“No problem, we are happy to talk to you anytime,” replied Henegarron with a nod.
“Hey, Mr. Varnoth, it is great to see you once again. Things are so awesome here, and I thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community,” said Cody.
“I will speak for myself and Dormatos. Our group is indebted to your kindness. Everyone here has been very welcoming and kind,” said Hobnick.
“Thank you for your kind words. I feel they should be directed to Chancellor Marsh. He has done an admirable job leading the community. Henegarron and Cody are a large component of this successful community as well,” replied Varnoth.
William, Cody, and Henegarron gave a thank you nod and continued to listen to what Varnoth had to say.
“You folks are going to continue to play a large role as we move forward; thus, you sit here at this table,” Varnoth said.
“William is my right hand as chancellor. Henegarron, you are our master at arms and will oversee our defenses, whether it be castle structures or soldiers. Cody will oversee hunting and soon to be fishing. You will also assist Henegarron in ranged weaponry. Hobnick will be an ambassador for our new gnome community members. Dormatos, your healing skills will put you in charge of health care for our people.”
“I would be honored to defend Darthill. I am humbled that you would bestow this responsibility on an old dwarf like me,” replied Henegarron.
“Mr. Varnoth, you believing in me means the world to me. I am happy to help this community in any capacity...defending, hunting, it doesn’t matter,” Cody said almost on the verge of tears.
“I am happy to take care of the people here. I was going to ask if I could take this type of role since there wasn’t a healer here. You beat me to the punch. Thank you,” Dormatos said with excitement.
“You know I will do anything you ask of me. You went to the goblin camp all alone and saved my life. You defended our village and almost died from doing so. You have total allegiance from the gnomes here. We are small in stature, but our hearts are giant. We work hard, and our men want to learn to fight as well,” said Hobnick as he turned to look at Henegarron, “We will become warriors for Darthill with your help!”
“I am very thankful for this meeting. It is a privilege to stand by all of you,” replied William.
“Any business you would like to discuss before we adjourn?” Varnoth asked.
“Yes, I feel we need to buckle down and train for combat and boost defenses. I feel we need to prepare for possible retaliation from the goblin village of Slorm. It’s called a village, but it is larger and should be called a town in my opinion,” Henegarron said.
“Retaliation, here? You feel they will come all this way and attack a castle?” asked Varnoth.
“Most definitely, you wouldn’t be too difficult to track. They just need to follow your wagon tracks. Goblins are surprisingly good with that skill. The goblins in Slorm are a militant bunch, and they will want revenge for you wiping out there outpost. You did what you had to, but we need to prepare for consequences,” replied Henegarron.
Hobnick and Dormatos looked at each other with a terrified look on their faces
“Ogle, John, two humans, and two additional gnomes took two wagons early this morning to retrieve the rest
of our belongings. I pray their journey is uneventful. I must say that Henegarron has worried me a bit with this retaliation talk. Maybe we should have waited a bit longer,” Hobnick said.
“It should be fine. It is doubtful that they are just waiting for gnomes to return to Colkirk. What are your thoughts, Henegarron?” Varnoth asked.
“Goblins are pretty good scouts. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone is watching. I haven’t known John Son of Ray very long, but he is a hell of a warrior. Roy and Tim were the two humans that joined them. They are decent fighters. I think these three should be able to hold their own against a small group of goblins, but I am not so sure about a large group. Goblins get a bad rap about their fighting skills, but some of them are impressive fighters,” replied Henegarron.
“I can vouch for that. I took the chieftain of the goblin outpost too lightly. I was victorious, but he brought me close to death. Should we follow them?” asked Varnoth.
William looked at Varnoth and said, “I believe that we concentrate on improving our defenses here. We just need to pray for a safe journey for our friends.”
William suddenly felt as if his statement was going to be interpreted as cold and uncaring.
“I think you are right. I am expecting a lumber shipment to arrive in two days from Finnmork. I want to get started on some new platforms and ramparts. A group of men and gnomes have been down at the river building a dock,” said Henegarron.
“Lumber shipment by the river?” asked Varnoth.
“Yes, we are in a perfect area for getting supplies by the river. Darthill was built in a prime area. The Derry Family knew what they were doing when they put this estate together. Two days ago, I went with a small party to Finnmork to buy some more farming tools, woodworking tools, flour, and rice. I went to the sawmill on the Bellvue River and got pricing on lumber. I made an executive decision to place an order for a great deal of lumber,” replied Henegarron, “I don’t mean to be rude, but if I can be excused that would be great. I need to get down to the river to make sure everything is going smoothly with the dock. We are on a strict time table.”
“Absolutely, please go. I can’t thank you enough,” Varnoth replied.
“No thank you is needed. Darthill is my home,” Henegarron said as he got up from the table and left the room.
“Any other business?” asked Varnoth.
Everyone slowly shook their heads, and the meeting was adjourned.
Varnoth
Level 17
Shadow Panther
Black Blade Legendary Class
Attributes:
Strength – 95
Dexterity – 103
Intelligence – 59
Vitality – 110
CHAPTER 22
After the meeting was adjourned, Varnoth stopped William in the hallway.
“I plan to head to Finnmork shortly. Is there anything you need before I go?”
“Finnmork? Any reason in particular?” asked William.
“Yes, I have a quest I would like to complete. I am very interested in acquiring a Dark Eagle for Darthill. We need a way to get messages to locations all over Albattara. When I sent you the message from the Drangar Post, I was given a quest to go to Finnmork to learn how to get one of the birds.”
“Aye, that would come in handy. We were never able to get one up and running in Gufaross. I also have a request. Go by a bank and set up an account for Darthill. You will have to be the one since you are Overseer. Right now, our gold is safe in the armory, but as it grows, it needs to be somewhere safer. You need to inquire about an enchanted banking vessel. You will bring that here, and we can access the community’s account without going to a branch of the bank in one of the major cities. When the mage at the bank enchants the vessel, you will need to inform the mage of whom you want to give access. This is purely my opinion, but you may want to give access to everyone in the council that you installed this morning,” replied William.
“I will set all of that up. I am glad you mentioned that.”
“Another suggestion is to take 1,000 gold with you to start the account and purchase the vessel,” William said and cleared his throat.
“What would I do without you, chancellor? I will check my pouch. I may have that on me now. If not, I will go down to the armory and get the balance of what I need.”
“Are you taking anyone with you?” asked William.
“No, there is too much to do around here. I can accomplish these tasks by myself without getting into too much trouble.”
“Certainly. Well, I wish you a safe trip to Finnmork, and may the gods be with you,” replied William.
“Thank you and take care of yourself.”
Varnoth walked out onto a third-floor balcony and looked all around the estate. Gnomes and humans labored in the crop fields. Others were banging hammers under the direction of Henegarron Raytak to construct new structures. Cody led several gnomes with bows into the forest to hunt. It was terrific seeing so many work together toward a common goal. He hated to leave once more, but there were essential tasks to be done in Finnmork. After doing a quick restock of supplies that he may need, he exited the castle and hustled toward the gate that led to Finnmork.
This would be Varnoth’s first trip to Finnmork. He knew very little about what to expect. He knew that it was large town but smaller than Drangar. He intended to complete his main tasks, but he would be open to any additional quests that may pop up. Getting to level 20 was a big priority. Being able to choose an additional Black Blade skill was imperative. If he moved quickly, Varnoth should be able to make it by nightfall. He could have made it a lot quicker had he used a horse from the stables. However, he had no desire to keep up with a horse on this trip. He wanted to come and go as he pleased without worrying about what to do with his horse.
A cat had to look rather funny riding a horse anyway.
He preferred taking in the new scenery from his own two feet and what scenery it was. The road he was own took him through a beautiful valley with tall, rugged mountains on both sides. Wildflowers adorned the road, and he was able to pick a few herbalist ingredients that he had not seen before, such as savanna fruit, ember rose, and white shade. As he continued, he could see the Bellvue River in the distance to his left running parallel to the mountains on its way to Finnmork. This is the route that Henegarron’s lumber order would be following. Eventually, Varnoth began to envision the Darthill community constructing its own boat for travel.
Just one step at a time, Varnoth.
As he came closer to Finnmork, more little houses aligned the road as he approached. Some of the homes looked vacant, and some were filled with life. There were many people along the way working in their gardens or yards that stopped what they were doing to look at the cat man passing through. There wasn’t a sense of fear. He felt that they were just curious as to who he was and where he came from. Varnoth tried to look as nice as he could, but there is only so much you can do to tone down the aggressive appearance of a shadow panther. Eventually, Varnoth decided to hell with what he looked like, and he just walked normally. He couldn’t help it if people feared him or curious about him. Soon he crested a hill and saw Finnmork. He would say it looked to be half the size of Drangar from this distance. The southern side of the town was on the shore of the Bellvue River.
The gate he approached had two guards stationed with heavy steel armor and helms that covered their entire heads. One had a mace, and the other had a halberd. Varnoth expected one of them to stop him, but they didn’t acknowledge the panther at all. They were almost like statues. Varnoth found it interesting that they were so much more impressive than the guards of Drangar. However, looks aren’t everything. All that shiny armor doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t fight.
The massive structure on the western side of Finnmork was the Mage Academy he had heard of before. That was the assumption he made. It was a huge, beautiful stone building. He would take a closer look a little later on his trip. Varnoth’s first t
ask was the completion of his Dark Eagle quest. He needed to find the Albattara Post. Luckily, as soon as he began his search, a blinking notification on his map pointed him in the direction to the quest’s destination. Varnoth was very close, and he took a left toward the river. Not long after he turned, he saw a Dark Eagle nosedive into the roof of a wooden structure with brass accents. This Post was much more impressive than the one located in Drangar. Varnoth stopped to look for a few moments, and then he entered the building.
“Good day, how may I help you?” asked a store clerk.
The clerk was a man younger than he was expecting. He had brown hair and a smile that showed the cat man enormous, white teeth. The room was filled with chirps and tweets, and other bird sounds that he couldn’t quite describe.
“Yes sir, I was sent here on a quest to learn of how to acquire a Dark Eagle for Darthill Castle east of here. We are building a community there and would like to have a Post set up there. Are you the person I need to see?”
“I suppose so, but I am not sure if I will be able to help you with a Dark Eagle. They don’t grow on trees, and if you do find one, the enchanting and training needed don’t come cheap. I don’t have any here to spare. I am not sure why the Drangar Post idiot felt I would just give you one,” the clerk said frustratedly.
“No, no, he didn’t say you would give me one. He just said you would help me learn how to acquire one.”
“Dark Eagles are a huge part of my business. There is only one way you can acquire one from me,” said the clerk.
Varnoth’s interest piqued, and his eyes widened.
“Over here is Wally,” the clerk said as he walked over to a caged bird, “He has been serving this Post for a long time. He tries his hardest, but he is just too damn slow compared to the others. If you can get me a new Dark Eagle egg, I will give you Wally.”
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