by Han Yang
“Those bastards in Tarb had to know a level five would be fine,” I said with scoff.
“Huh?” Tarla asked, joining us. “You look dashing, Damien.”
“Thanks, Tarla. You’re radiant. Back in Tarb, I tried to earn Z when I first arrived. The healer’s guild had a big list of requirements, one of them being I couldn’t revive while the spell still exploded. Anyway, they set the limit high to likely restrict who could profit,” I said.
“Surprised you raised the goblin over your lover’s brother,” Bell said, prodding Tarla.
“Tomorrow,” Tarla said with a pleasant smile. “He is fine as he is for now. We have a puppy with a broken leg and… this goblin can heal it. Speaking of which, go heal the animals.”
The goblin shifted its glance at me for approval. I nodded my head, and he ran to do as commanded.
“Are you two going to be okay around each other?” I asked.
“We both trust you,” Bell said. “I was merely hoping Tarla would avoid another death, but that failed to happen. Now she is beyond enthralled, and I don’t approve. She has hero worship.”
“I don’t worship Damien. He is kind, understanding, thoughtful, and a gentleman. And yes, he has saved me from death three times. So, you probably have a point that I will absolutely defend him with my life,” Tarla snapped back.
“Uh… Ladies, we’re going up against all sorts of threats on all sides. How about this? Bell, you’re my spiritual advisor and part of my council. Tarla, you’re my girlfriend and bodyguard. Asha is my military advisory. There, you’re all included, and we can move forward as a team. The last thing we need is infighting,” I said and meant it.
The ladies accepted this but still squinted their eyes at each other. When they tersely exchanged a nod, I could feel the tension easing.
Bell left to dig into a purse. A moment later, she held twenty orbs cusped in her palms for me. I ingested the small offerings, seeing Nee waiting for my attention.
I growled at her and pointed to the passed out goblins randomly scattered around the encampment. She gulped with a wince, her own belly swollen with food.
“Nee, if this ever happens again, I’ll thin the goblins until only the wise remain. I understand you were starved until now, but overeating will not happen again,” I said with a commanding tone.
“As Boss Damien commands,” Nee said with a bow. “Thank you for restoring Garr.”
“He serves a role in our army. See that you continue to do so as well,” I said, my warning more than clear. “Asha, since the goblins are useless, find us something to hunt.”
The elva darted off, cerberus and Lumpy hot on his heels. I walked over to the dead centaur.
I sat beside the corpse and crossed my legs. Entering a meditative state, I reached out to his colorful orb. He readily accepted me as his victor, submitting to my cultivation with ease.
Claim or Consume.
Claiming Treev Lanclin as a minion will result in you earning Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
You selected to claim Treev Lanclin. Consume 7.329 Zorta to summon this creature as a minion of the undead. Confirm (YES) - (NO)
I paid the fee and watched the ghouls reap his flesh. The bindings rested neatly on the ground, untouched by the magic that ripped him into nothing more than a skeleton.
When he stood, I accepted him into my army.
Ready for my next challenge, I turned to the tiger, projecting my aura onto her orb. I was not only rejected, I felt pain from even attempting.
I grunted, shaking my head from the sudden change. I knew this tiger would require more effort. My largest claim up to that point was the chieftain, but I had killed him personally. Apparently, a tiger surprised by my minions was an ornery bitch. I grew up with a cat and knew they could be stubborn assholes.
Over the next twenty minutes, I chanted, projected, and struggled with the tiger’s spirit. Eventually, I broke the resistance down enough that I was offered to consume the Z but not claim it.
I wanted the minion far more than I wanted the thirty Z. Time melded as I concentrated, unwilling to accept my defeat.
When I still failed hours later, I decided to take a break. The sun had reached its zenith, and I was hungry.
I pulled up my stats, seeing if I could raise my cultivation. Indeed, I could, and I shifted resources to take cultivation from nine to eleven. However, I had to get more Z to replace the upgrade costs.
After a nice lunch, the goblins stirred, eating a broth soup as they recovered and ran for the woods often. I expected Asha back by this point, and since none had died, I let them keep scouting.
I chanted fiercely, demanding the tiger’s obedience and failing to win even with more points in my cultivation. Eventually, Asha shook my shoulder, stirring me from my efforts. The sun was setting, and I gasped at the lost time.
“What is it?” I asked in concern.
“There’s nothing nearby worth trying to fight. The camp is ready to go after a full day of resting. I suggest you accept defeat and consume the tiger before it is lost to time,” Asha said.
I sighed. Raising my cultivation from eleven to thirteen, I still failed on a final attempt. Not everything always went my way, and I accepted my failure for what it was, a valiant effort.
We left our camping spot that night, moving further north in hopes of a new beginning.
CHAPTER 28
Targo Foothills
“We made it,” I said proudly, crossing the line on the hill. The rich thick forest shifted to thin small pines. The Nordan side held bland coloration with extra space between the trees, minimal bushes, and yet it was still a forest.
For seven days, we had used a road that wound its way north towards Nara, the human city that was still over a month away.
We marched at night, and each morning we stopped to rest for the day, sparing ourselves the summer heat. Each evening, we awoke and drilled as a unit. By no means were we a proficient fighting force, but our odd group certainly had bonded.
The goblins put on some much needed weight and muscle. The females all sprouted swollen bellies too with only a three week pregnancy.
The changes in our small allies were expected since our team of skeletal hunters worked night and day to provide an excess of food. Every meal had plenty to go around, and I had to wonder how the other goblins knew because the most surprising part of the trip was when we added additional goblins to the ranks.
Apparently, goblins loved to escape. Or maybe they bred in small numbers and waited in the forest for an opportunity to flock to power. When I asked, the goblins said it was their way to not discuss past masters.
We went from nearly fifty to almost a hundred goblins. In a sense, I became a goblin warlord with Lumpy and the hounds finding strays while others wandered in on their own.
I grew concerned this might degrade how the trolls viewed me. But it was the opposite. They eagerly obeyed my commands without question. Without a doubt, I realized I was a strivian warlord who would struggle to bring humans onto my side.
While my future in Nara appeared bleak, there was cause for joy. Tarla and Bell found peace in their relationship. Jark returned to being a human and was beyond grateful. He even left Bell alone and courted a female troll.
In hindsight, his magical improvements from level three were minor, and he vowed to never ask for an upgrade again.
A few times during the last seven days, I had to remind myself I was walking the equivalent of Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Caitlyn said there was fifty percent more continent on Nordan than Earth, giving cause for me to continuously ponder the vastness of the land. It also led credibility to the fact that we had avoided a major fight recently.
The morning sunrise allowed for us to keep pushing north, following the same boring road.
Birds chirped, gritty terrain crunched, and the monotonous creak of wagons filled the air. The fresh pines carried the scent of pollen while a gentle breeze cooled my skin.
I wa
lked by Bell and Tarla, noting both ladies brighten at the sight of leaving the valley.
“The snake eggs hatched,” Tarla said proudly. They had been her little side project. Every night she opened their containers and rotated their eggs.
“Oh, and what happened to them?” I asked.
“They’re in a basket, being fed little chunks of meat. There’s not enough to start a farm, but maybe the dwarves will want them,” Tarla said.
“Speaking of dwarves, Asha should be back soon,” Bell said. “I hope he hasn’t led any to us.”
“We have over a dozen scouts securing the area. I’m sure if we run into something, we’ll know. But I do share your concern. I had this notion in my head back when we fled Tarb. We would find a big city and I would jump a wall so I could hide in an estate.
“Once I was in the city, I wouldn’t get my score checked, and we would manage to thrive under the disguise of being an odd estate. However, the goblins are people, and I hope they’re loyal compared to how they ditched their old chieftain, Arcini,” I said.
“Yeah, and now that you’re letting them level up with the scrap Z we get, they’re actually molding into decent mages and -”
“Super cheap. Like it's a no brainer for how minimal we spent for their upgrades,” I said. “I still worry that won’t matter with their societal norms.”
“They’re under orders not to accept a challenge, and you’ve placed a minion in their midst to encourage them if a fight breaks out. Problem solved. Their magic is good, even if it’s not near what Jark can do,” Bell said with a shrug, “but still better than just a plain skeleton.”
Jark came jogging to me and said, “A nice clearing ahead. Asha is already helping secure the spot for the night.”
“Well, that answers that,” I said, deciding to go learn what Asha had found.
The elva wasn’t one to waste time, so him deciding to set camp meant nothing was urgent. The pines opened up to a craggy slope, revealing a larger clearing than normal. Asha carefully stacked rocks, leveling off a spot for our pre bed fire pit.
The front of our caravan entered the clearing, spreading out to establish our camp.
“What did you find?” I asked, grabbing a rock to help him.
“You and I are going trading in an hour. The dwarves are setting up a market at their gate outside their hold. I chatted with them, trading information. They have a few targets of opportunity their scouts suspect are ripe for attack. Things haven’t changed in their orders, but there certainly has been a change in perception among the guards.
“The dwarves I talked to were sour grumps about not being able to fight. They want to crush the tide of strivian wildlings that plague the lands outside their holds. Their orders are strict. Unless it can be lured to the walls, it is to be avoided,” Asha said.
“Hmm… Interesting. At least they won’t march on us while we sleep. Did they scan your orb?” I asked.
“No, but they had a full division setting up for our arrival. Apparently, a human force conducted some sorties in the local area and has Zorta to spend as well. Are you sure you want to risk this much Zorta?” Asha asked.
“It’s not just the Z, Asha, it’s my life too. I’m risking everything by going. Clearly, nowhere is safe, and I have to take risks for now. If we establish a major trading partner, this little group might just survive,” I said, watching the goblins happily enter the clearing.
Finding determination I had failed to grasp earlier, I said, “Yes, we leave now, actually. I want to mingle while we wait for the vendors to set up. Fetch my Charlie and Lady Bell.”
“Yes, Boss,” he said, leaving my side.
I continued his work, waiting for Tarla to arrive with Jark to complete our group. I finished setting a stone to address them.
“Jark and Tarla are staying behind. If I die, you’ll know right away and are to make haste without the trolls and goblins for Nara,” I said. Jark nodded and Tarla bit her lip to keep from speaking out. “You’re in charge, Tarla. The strivians respect you more than even Asha.”
“The matriarch has power in their societal structures.” Asha nodded and Tarla blushed.
“I’d rather go, but I will ensure the pack hunts, the strivians rest, and we are ready for your return,” she said.
I couldn’t help but smile proudly. My new life was different and I… I had changed. Relying on her made me better, not weaker, and I kissed her cheek in thanks.
“I’ll ensure she gets the help she needs,” Jark said with a nod.
Bell went from holding Charlie’s reins to vaulting into his saddle. Attached to the back end of the horse rested over a thousand Zorta in many sacks. Most of the Z came from the minotaurs, and a good portion simply from having over a dozen skeletons hunting prey day and night.
Yermica, the troll who had cozied up to Asha, arrived with a basket full of snakes and beside her another troll female carried the cerberus pups. Asha kissed his new lover on the lips, accepting the basket.
I grabbed the pups’ basket, staring down at the four fluffy canines. They just weren’t enough to start a breeding program with, and we didn’t know if the skeletons could breed if I resurrected them.
That was another issue for another day. Nee was pregnant, but Garr wasn’t the father. While ouch for Garr, a goblin had never come back from the dead before.
I shook the thoughts out of my mind, staring down at the pups. There was a chance the humans or the dwarves would be able to give them a half decent home.
“Are you sure, Damien? We can use the pups. They’ll mind well if you give them a chance,” Bell said, her eyes glancing to one of the skeletal cerberus who watched me with the pups.
“Ugh, you bleeding heart hippies. Twist my arm.” I pretended to be offended but set the pups down and spilled them out of their box.
Their triple heads caused them to stumble, but they shot off to chase what was likely their mother. All except the runt. He turned to me, pawing at my leg. The other pups and the skeleton they tried to chew on left, unconcerned by the runt being left behind.
I bent down and scooped him up.
“The snaky lizard things are going,” I said. “Same with this guy, but he might be a new friend that I tease in trade.”
“That will help with morale,” Yermica said. I eyed her until she continued. “You’ve continued to prove to be a worthy Chieftain. Excuse me, a worthy Boss. You’ve decided to not let the power of the tribe diminish. A wise choice.”
“And the chance of dissent? Not from this action, but in general,” I asked.
“Zero. Even zero if you sold the pups, but they’ve bonded and will protect the… the…” Yermica struggled for the right word.
“The tribe is fine for now. Maybe a city one day, but we’re certainly a nomadic people at the moment. Alright, I’ll get in the skins and meat wagon,” I said, heading to the trade wagon.
The steady stream of our tribe continued to spill into the clearing, quickly going about their tasks. I watched the heavily laden donkey and centaur hauling a lot of our gear at the back of the group.
Not far away, a mare pulled the wagon I carried the pup towards. The trade wagon held everything we could get rid of, which was limited. I glanced at the wagon bed, seeing mostly the result of hunting.
A youthful goblin cast a final ice spell over the meat piled high, applying a final coating. Asha joined me on the driver’s bench, and I snapped the reins, following his guidance.
“You continue to impress me,” Asha said when it was just us on a mountain trail. Bell rode Charlie close enough to join in on the conversation.
She said, “How so?”
“The goblins and trolls being allocated Zorta upgrades,” Asha said.
I glanced over my shoulder, noting thousands of hides and hundreds of pounds of meat.
“Our gains are plentiful and our foes are mighty,” I said. “Look, I need a thousand Zorta to reach necromancer four. A hundred Zorta would raise our armies might significantly
and do it now. They’re building traps, fishing streams, and they work. They should earn a living wage, and we could use the help.”
Asha nodded in agreement, a loose white hair falling into his vision. He tucked his hair into a man bun after pointing left at a fork in the road. The jostle of the wagon seat was nice as my feet were tired from the long night of walking.
“When I returned to life, I was concerned that you’d turn into an evil man, hell-bent on getting home. I - I - I find this hard to say, but as an elva, I’m not sure I would have the same outlook as you do,” Asha admitted.
I started to understand where he was going with this.
“You die when I leave, or so we think. If I raced to ten thousand to get home, you’d cease to exist. That is your logical thought process for my actions. I should only care about going home and not about what happens to you?” I asked.
Asha chimed in and said, “Exactly. I died because I was captured by centaurs, not because of you. They’d have killed me regardless. Instead of shunning my existence as a tool, you profess your devotion to Caitlyn, and you’re increasing your power on Nordan. The man I met, no offense intended, seemed to be the type who quickly accepted a short cut.”
“I’ll try not to sound vain or foolish here,” I said with a smirk. “Sometimes the shortest path we see is not the quickest. What I mean by that is, if the goblins being better casters helps our military might. Fantastic. Even if that may seem like a long term investment. If we defeat the great Chieftain Torbarb in an epic battle that nets me ten thousand Z, then was the investment worthy? Yes, yes it was.”
“Torbard was the name the scout said, but close. I see your point in a roundabout way, but I still think Caitlyn is going to sucker you into side quests and side deals,” Bell said, surprising me with her honesty. “Which, I have a confession...”
“Please share,” I said, having to stand to see her. The trail narrowed, and she led Charlie to trail the wagon.
“I made a deal with Tarla. I figured Caitlyn might favor the sheet warmer of her champion, and for a bit, I worried I might not become the head priestess after all,” Bell said, catching back up when the trail widened again.