by Han Yang
CHAPTER 57
Zozo Hold
I had to knock on the exterior door that was framed into the tall wall. A guard had seen us approach, but no one opened the main gate. I expected to be greeted by Ramstars, Ginli, or the Ambassador, but I had instead arrived with zero fanfare.
Gronbi had to be summoned from somewhere deep in the hold, forcing us to wait. My scouting reports put us about four days ahead of the army chasing us, so we could spare the time if we were careful.
The trip after the battle against the centaurs transitioned into a mundane event. I forced a hard pace with minimal sleep, and the enemy tried to match our pace but failed. Their supply wagons hit areas without trails, and they were reduced to a crawl.
I glanced over my shoulder, taking the picturesque view. The mountain terrain sloped down until the pines stretched into the Ikara Valley. The colorful jungle shifted into plains that ran as far as the eye could see.
In the near distance, my army camped a mile away to recover with my skeletons setting defenses. I frowned seeing more little green goblins than expected. They appeared as ants from here, but by the creator, there sure were a lot of them.
“Ah, Necro Lord Damien,” Gronbi said in greeting.
His voice reached through the closed gates. Chains rattled as the portcullis was raised and squeaky doors creaked open. The dwarves behind me stirred with excitement, clearly chomping at the bit to return to their brethren.
The walls came to life. The shuffle of soldiers hustling into position worried me at first. Then they saw their lost kin, and some even dropped weapons in shock.
The gate swung wide, and the Ambassador greeted me with open arms. We shared an odd manly back slapping hug and I saw the guards were alert, but passive.
“By the great Zozo. Lost kin! You brought lost kin!” Gronbi shouted, even jumping for joy. “By the creator this is a monumental day. Come come, enter our revered home. We must celebrate. Oh, the King will be ecstatic! Lost Kin. Sorry, really such a rare treat.”
“I’m afraid I have an army at my back and cannot afford to celebrate such a monumental occasion,” I said with a warm smile. I waved the dwarves forward, the only ones staying held white hair. “Those will need ten thousand Zorta to free if you have it?”
“Alas, this is sad news. You’ve given them a chance though. Maybe next time you visit we will be more prepared to bring back the fallen. Ginli is on campaign, cleansing the crypts of the sand people, and therefore we lacked a scryer to know of your approach. It also means the only person who can revive them and is the person with hordes of Zorta, is away.
“What trouble ailes such a friendly necromancer?” Gronbi said and held up a hand to his soldiers at the gate. “Get these lost souls inside. Yes, the gnomes too.”
I watched them transition, almost all of them thanking me in some form; be it a grateful wave, odd bow, or a shout out.
“I have a human army hunting me. Well, humans and their friends,” I said.
I planned on continuing, but he butted in during the brief pause.
“We can house you, but the minions will have to stay in the courtyard and out of the main hold. Only a small fee. You’ve shifted Selma from being a major pain to a peaceful trader, and we gained twelve tunnels in the last week alone,” Gronbi said with a smirk. “Imagine my surprise when I got thanked for having Seqa Mines reopened. You didn’t mine any ore, did you?”
“Ah… No, the dwarves said it was fallacy due to Selma,” I said with a shrug.
“And the sanctuary offer?” Gronbi asked.
I glanced at Tarla, Asha, Nee, Yermica, Delsy, my guards, and even Nick who listened intently. They all smiled, eager to share the joy of a calm home with guards that weren’t us. We could be safe, content, and have a good life while likely earning Z and coin as mercenaries.
That wouldn’t save Bell, though, and I didn’t abandon my friends.
I scuffed the grit on the rocky terrain, hesitating as I weighed my resolve. They really wanted to go back underground and then plot to free Bell or wait for an opening. I sighed, knowing I’d rather take a different route.
“Fuck me,” Tarla blurted, figuring it out.
Asha raised an eyebrow, connecting the dots too. “We’ll follow you anywhere. I literally have to follow you, but I find you an exciting adventuring partner. No reason to quit. My journal notes are not even caught up.”
“I’m confused. Are you not seeking sanctuary?” Gronbi asked.
“Delsy here is seeking a new home,” I said, waving her forward. “I’m not sure where she’ll end up, but she can use a safe place to build a church and find her direction in life. Will you allow her entry?”
“While we allow the living undead, the skeletons have to go. And finding space for too many becomes expensive,” Gronbi said.
“I can remove the minions. I’d rather have a uniform army anyway,” Delsy said.
“You’d need to if you’re to seek refuge here. The King doesn’t like letting folks out that come in. It sets bad precedent,” Gronbi warned her.
Delsy didn’t object or argue. Instead, she ordered her minions to run to the wall. I watched human skeletons, matogators, centaurs, and her revived human boyfriend arrive quickly.
She didn’t hesitate, turning everything to dust except for the white-haired man who eyed her fondly. I was going to mention I could have the other humans returned, but she dusted them without a care.
“Thank you, Damien. You’ve been a terrible instructor on an individual level. However, I learned a lot from you about what it takes to lead. If you had only killed a few matogators and worked on improving Seqa instead of tirelessly slaying, that centaur army would have defeated you. Assign guards to those closest to you is another key lesson.
“You’ve donated, gifted, trusted, and been betrayed. All the while, your power grows, and you remain calm. There have been numerous take-aways that I’ll never forget. Thanks for saving me and giving me all this Zorta. I’ll build a church or two for Caitlyn,” Delsy said.
I eyed the hybrid woman. She had just consumed her minions, ingesting a thousand Zorta that should have gone to me. I had no way of extracting her consumed Z without killing her. Sad.
Delsy was going to have a very rude awakening when it came to how hard it was to earn Z. I smiled, swallowing my pride and pain. I inclined my head in a friendly nod.
“I’ll hold you to those churches. Please and thank you. I wish you luck in whatever future you decide. If you stay here, I expect to visit, and I will try to update you with what I learn,” I said, knowing this was for the best.
Her freeloading was over. Her god owed Caitlyn a big debt, and I earned a real ally, one who owed me.
The duo waved goodbye, joining the jovial dwarves and gnomes who waited within the walls.
Gronbi cleared his throat, seeing I had drifted into reflective thoughts.
I folded my arms, rocking on my feet. “Right, sorry about that. These are some big changes. I came here for two things; trade, and to deliver those who deserved sanctuary. No offense, but my journey doesn’t end with me cowering inside the hold of another god. I’m going to get my high priestess back.”
“Where does it end, then?” Nick asked inquisitively.
“All part of the plan, for now. I promised some answers. We’re here to buy wagons, rams, bears, hounds, and hire mercenaries. After that, we go east and then south,” I said, continuing with a smirk. “We’ll go right through the heart of Ostriva lands.
“Wait, we’re not attacking the army holding Bell?” Tarla asked with dismay. The sun caused her hair to shine, and the brisk breeze made her locks dance. I smiled down at her, enjoying seeing her freckles darken from the sun's exposure.
“I figured he’d want to sack Kato, the ruined city that the Nara Kingdom raids and abandons after,” Asha said.
Gronbi scoffed, shaking his head in warning. “Heed my words. A proper orc army moved into Kato recently and pushed back a Nara skirmishing force with ease.
I’d avoid them, even with your might in the distance. These orcs are educated with magus in their ranks.
“Whenever a warchief consolidates the smaller chieftains, they’re dangerous. Honestly, all our Nara traders have stopped coming, hence the closed off reception. The last we heard from the humans, is that they’re expecting the capital to become besieged,” Gronbi informed us.
“Sounds like some epic battles that will be too much for us. I’m limited to small scale tactics for now. We will avoid this mighty orc and his warband,” I said appreciatively.
“Well, the underling tribe chiefs will be setting up new outposts to support the main city. Assuming you hit and run, you should find some fights. The big boss won’t mind the skirmishing.
“I won’t try to dissuade you from taking the fight to others however you see fit, but I will say that you need to come into the hold to trade unless I handle it. There’s no chance we bring a fair up here today. And… King Dimus may lock you in,” Gronbi said.
I huffed, not expecting this.
“Why?” I asked.
“His home, his rules. Mainly, I worry he is risk averse currently. If you ring a bell, asking for volunteers while showing your ability to rescue kin, the young will flock to your banner. We have a surplus of trained soldiers, and that is how it should be. However, if the King finds your reception to war too enticing for those he considers his reserves, he may shut it down by stalling your exit with diplomatic issues. Welcome to politics,” Gronbi said with a shrug.
“I’ll have to trust your judgement. Venturing into that hold and then getting cut off from my army I worked so hard to create … would be decimating. No, I’d rather stay out here and pay a premium for wagons, mounts, war animals, and farm animals, the small kind I can haul in carts. I need all sorts of carts and wagons. Even spare parts. I’ll buy it all,” I said with widening hands.
“Aye, okay, give me half a day. You’ll need to pay in Zorta,” Gronbi said with a grunt.
He likely realized how much work he had just taken on.
I replied, “Up to ten thousand worth. Dead serious. Fifteen maybe if you twist my arm. This is a major purchase, but I need to be gone by this time tomorrow.”
He gulped. “I take it you found a honey hole?”
“Yup,” I replied.
“King Dimus hordes those, and Ginli rarely exploits them. The excessive killing eats at her soul,” Gronbi said in a sad tone. “I’ll be out with your goods in a few hours. Do you need any steel or crossbows?”
“Yes, everything, actually. Cooking supplies, linen, and such. I expect to grow my army,” I said with a cheeky grin.
“Blue, white, gold, and black linen. Here is a full list,” Tarla said, handing the dwarf a piece of parchment from her ample bust.
“Where exactly are you going?” Gronbi asked and then quickly apologized, realizing I wasn’t going to answer. “I’ll be back soon. It’ll be a few hours at most before the vendors stream out. Need any gold?”
“Fifty Z worth, please” Tarla said.
He nodded and left, the troops on the wall coming down. We watched the procession fade into the main hold until the gate closed.
“Asha, it is time I do some upgrading. I’m 21k from reaching necromancer six, and I have seven thousand in reserves. I fully expect to do a whole bunch of fighting in the coming days, weeks, and months. Therefore, I’d rather spend than save,” I said, turning to walk for our camp.
“Uh… Boss. What are you insinuating?” Nee asked.
I held up a finger, halting her question.
Asha said, “If you suppress my memories, I could use an upgrade.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, and he nodded. I turned to Nee. “How do we defeat an army ten times our size?”
“With skeletons and courage,” the feisty goblin proclaimed.
“Ah, the Charlie tactic,” I said with a chuckle. That is exactly what that damn warhorse would demand. “Doubtful it would work. You saw Sprinkles get his head blown off by low level centaurs. What will a magus atop a griffin do?”
“Kill Sprinkles and a good portion of our army,” Tarla said. “That doesn’t answer the question you're insinuating. However, I do agree we should ready ourselves for a fight. I’m ready to upgrade as well. I won’t be a magus, but after the island, I’m almost level fifteen with fire mage. It should be a good upgrade. I’d need six hundred Z to do it, though.”
“Yes. This is why the goblins were given so much Z lately. We don’t rescue Bell, not yet anyway. She could be tortured and being mistreated, but I doubt it. Hell, we could brazenly smash into Toneba and the Prince’s troops, win the day, and find no Bell,” I admitted sadly.
“So, what’s the plan?” Asha asked.
“We become what they fear until they parley and return Bell,” I said.
“A raiding army? The centaurs already do that around Litroo,” Tarla said.
“Few things to consider. I’m purchasing everything so we can move rapidly, faster than a normal army but slower than centaurs for sure. Still faster than a human army, though. With Sprinkles, Mini, and the lidka, we can create roads. The gators can compress the loose soil too,” I noted.
“You want to do what exactly?” Asha asked.
“Long term, the same thing I’ve struggled to do since the first day. Establish a base and grow in power. I’m still on the fence about even going back to Earth. I need more information, to be honest. Having a stable home here would go a long way. Short term, I want to unlock necromancy six and increase our might until we can fight that army,” I muttered.
We transitioned down the rocky terrain for our encampment. Tarla held my hand as we walked, and I tuned out the fact I had a minion guard surrounding me.
A nice breeze snapped our banner down below, and the clear skies spoke of a lovely day. I adjusted my armor, finding the weight only slightly bothersome.
“Why do you support Caitlyn?” Asha asked out of the blue. “I - I - I believe in the gods now. Their reality is no longer in dispute for me, but she killed you and sent you to Nordan. Why do you support her? Even with her dangling her parents over your head.”
“She’s always listening, so I’ll be honest, but careful, with my words. I’m only in control of so much. The rest is in the hands of the gods. In the hands of the gods. That saying became rote in fables, history texts, and in many religions. Change gods for god in some.
“My point is, Caitlyn is in some ways a partner and in others the hand that feeds me. She can literally pass a message to Arax and tell him where I am, what I’m doing, and so forth if she hates me,” I said.
“Fear?” Nee asked.
“Hmm… I certainly do fear the gods, but no. I’m also not a person who seethes with hate. Thoughts of vengeance can cloud one's mind. Think of it this way. Caitlyn tricked me and she didn’t. She certainly is using me.
“Can I kill her? Nope, that would defeat the purpose of being a god. Can I hurt what she cares about? Maybe, and it seems ranking is important to her. And here is the most important question. Should I treat her as the enemy? No, I don’t think I should. Why? Because she could just replace me. If those are the reasons for me to interact with her in a positive manner, and while I don’t love that fact, I accept it,” I said, justifying my somewhat irrational behavior.
I just didn’t find any merit in pouting and plotting against a god. The here and now mattered the most. Caitlyn was a bit of a bitch, but she wasn’t an almighty asshole.
Tarla started counting my revived guards, ending at twenty-one. A sad fact but necessary precaution. I tried to tune them out.
“Two hundred and seventy thousand Z, and then you have no excuse but to go to a nice peaceful beach,” Tarla said in a playful way.
“Yup, and that will mean either a few epic farming spots via portal or rampaging our way across the land while investing in my army. Or both, assuming I give up most of this army,” I said.
“Seqa is just gone? Are we not going back?” Nee asked sad
ly. The normally sassy goblin became a tad mopey. “We liked our forest in the cavern.”
“The Town of Seqa is a deathtrap. I cannot defend it against two armies. I could have abandoned you and lived through the next portal, but I’d have to ditch everyone. I… I’m not sorry, Nee. I had to make a tough decision, and I hope the happiness of the goblins does not fade due to us being on the move,” I said.
“Pfft,” she scoffed. “We added three hundred more goblins over the last few days. If you keep marching through the land, that number will increase. I think there’s an exodus and flight to us for safety. We have mounts, new powers, and are well fed. Your goblins love you, and for good reason. You give us the hope of transforming into something more.”
We arrived on the outskirts of my army. The gators were placed between the wooden caltrop fencing. This was in all senses an army. We carried defenses, wagons filled to the brim with supplies, soldiers, families, farm animals, and we worked as a team to move as one.
The reality wasn’t lost to me that the days of a small group of ten trying to secure a firespot were gone. I did notice new goblins. Of all the potential betrayals, a goblin driving a dagger into my back was my most expected.
However, they had their odd society where they found a leader and then latched on for the ride if they were happy.
We walked into the circle of wagons with the command tent neatly erected. One of my guards rushed forward, peeling open the tent flap.
Three neatly rolled-up pieces of parchment rested on my desk. Yermica stood to the side, left in charge of the camp while we were away.
“The enemy sent letters, and our scouts continue to bring in starving goblins, Boss,” Yermica said.
“I wonder why three,” I said, taking a seat.
“Two came from the humans, and the last for an orc riding a large wolf. The griffin stopped following, and a flight of wyverns with tan hides neared close enough to scout us,” Yermica said.
“Yup, they’ve been following us too. We know now they belong to a local orc chieftain. Hopefully, his message is friendly,” I said dryly.