by Han Yang
The clouds whipped over-head, the jostle of the wagon and tugging from the rams told me we were at a brisk pace.
Since the fight, my army had maintained a great speed. From the last report we gained on Toneba and Toa. If my strategy continued to work, in a day or two they’d enter hostile lands or turn back.
The moment they entered the hills, I’d know. Sprinkles could see for miles with his height advantage. I’d miss the open space and lovely scenery.
Of course, our time among the majestic ups and down was coming to an end. The gradual downslope of the terrain led to an Ostriva jungle of sorts. To an extent, I welcomed the coming because the Kato Hills had blistering winds.
The summer days were gone, and our army fully felt the force of a fierce gusting wind.
Motion up ahead caught my attention. I watched Lumpy prance out of the jungle, carrying a dead cat.
I clapped in joy, heading down to greet him. The rams never stopped, and I managed to dismount without falling. The other cat, the one I sent to Bell, well, it still lived. Deep-down, I hoped it’d provide comfort.
Unfortunately, I had lost another jenix cat to a human.
The duo killed each other, and I had simply consumed their Zorta, hating that once again the humans were thwarting my efforts.
I let Nick’s matogator pass, heading to the outskirts of the caravan with my guards.
“Boss, a rider approaches,” Yermica hollered from her wagon top.
This seemed to be common. Four hours of peaceful reading and then all sorts of things demanded attention.
“Thanks,” I shouted back.
The creak of the wheels and the jarring complaints of wood passing by provided a peaceful distraction while I waited.
Our caravan was heading for a road that led into the jungle and would enter the Great Herd Plains. Up to that point, the route had been clear. The interior of the jungle was home to all sorts of life that Asha was scouting.
My plan was to use the road and then Sprinkles would clog the path behind us. I knew at this point, Tao and Toneba wouldn’t catch us unless we made a large mistake.
Soon, probably after one or two wins in the great plains, I would be able to turn the tide and swing to fight those who harried us. I had enough Zorta to get to necromancer six… Which was great. The problem was that if we invested all that Z, we’d be broke and have no funds left.
Nick mentioned there might be some spending opportunities in the jungle, and we could always invest into goblins in the short term since I had no minions to raise anyway.
The bonus to the situation was the shifting terrain. Now that we entered the jungle, the goblins, trolls, cats, gators, and even Sprinkles would be hunting to increase our stockpile. I glanced over to the nearing cat and saw a flock of parrots take flight from over the colorful jungle.
Lumpy spat a raspy, breathing feline out at my feet. The bobcat, yeah, it was likely a bobcat, kicked to keep living. I removed my sword, driving the tip into the chest and the creature stilled, an orb hovering over the corpse.
“Thanks, Lumpy, now back to work hunting anything and everything you can easily kill. Thank you for bringing me the cat,” I said.
He’d been ordered to find me a replacement predator.
I closed my eyes, summoning my necromancy magic. I felt my body chill as the spell I created filled my center.
The bobcat’s orb succumbed quickly to my might, and I was grateful I didn’t have to fight the stubborn creature. I selected to claim the cat right away, waiting for the next notification.
Claiming the Zooni Cat as a minion will result in you earning Nordan points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
Yes.
You selected claim a Zooni Cat. Consume 0.912 Zorta to summon this creature as a minion of the undead.
When I selected yes, my reaper poked his head out, waved his scythe, and then retreated to his home. The clouds never roiled in anger or created a dramatic show.
Ghoulish hands groaned out of the grass, ripping the flesh of the zooni cat until the bones shone white.
“Another pet for Bell?” Tarla asked, arriving behind me with a thick cloak, neatly folded up.
The beautiful redhead beamed with an exuberant happiness. Every time I gazed at Tarla, her beauty grew in my heart. Her brown eyes sparkled in a mischievous way, and I couldn’t help myself.
I had to ask, “What are you up to?”
“I’m just proud. Remember that soft rug we used that the centaurs stole?” she asked, and I nodded. “The goblins trapped and killed a bear all the way back near Zozo Hold. For over a week I snuck away to complete this gift. Here is your bear cloak, my Lord.”
“Damien, my Lady, but I am most honored,” I said, accepting her offer.
I kneeled, offering her my back. She ceremoniously draped the thick cloak over my shoulders. The heavy weight smacked my calves, and I knew this winter would be just slightly less arduous thanks to my loving lady.
When I rose, I swept her off her feet, kissing her lovingly.
“And yours?”
She pointed to the wagon. “There is no magic to instantly create a nice cloak. At least with mine, I won’t have to hide its creation.”
When I kissed her forehead, I glanced down at the skeleton cat. “Oh, right. Go forth, kill things that can’t kill you. If something attacks you, flee to our army,” I ordered.
Shifting my gaze, I saw the caravan slow. The narrow road forced a bit of a traffic jam.
“Rider approaching,” Yermica shouted.
The tail end of the caravan came to a stop. A man atop an old mare rode forward, nothing special about either. I had to wonder what this guy had done to get assigned this task.
“Don’t let him too close,” I ordered.
The rider came a few hundred feet away, tossed a sack onto the ground, and then spun his horse to gallop away.
Based on the wet smack from when the bag landed, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see what was inside. Yermica fetched a roll of parchment that was bound by string, bringing it to me.
Another troll lifted out two heads. Kerny and Nim. I huffed. No way to revive a head without asking a god for help and paying a hefty fine. I also wasn’t overly connected to these two.
Nim maybe, but I knew her for an evening, and would only revive her if that is what Bell wanted. I knew Kerny a bit longer, and yet, after seeing death on a regular basis, it didn’t send the message I think it was supposed to.
I didn’t shout to the gods and recklessly reverse course to heedlessly die. The other part of the message was clear: three hostages were down to one.
I accepted the parchment, rolling it. This time, I wasn’t willing to read it out loud.
The Strivian Succubus has died a hundred deaths and now, no more. Arax changed my mandate. I concede that you escaped my grasp, but I want you to know something Damien the Defiler; you’ll never be safe, and I’ll always be coming for you.
Toneba - Champion of Arax
“The guy really wastes paper,” I grumbled. “I think they killed Bell.”
A silence hung in the air.
“Her head wasn’t in the bag,” Tarla said.
“We need to build a church to find out. I really hate that they have to be stationary,” I grumbled.
“What else was in the letter?” Tarla asked.
I tapped a foot, biting an inner cheek before saying, “They’re falling back to likely returning with cavalry that can crush us. Even if they caught us, I imagine we’d continued to fight and flee, fight and flee - a different force would eventually smash their infantry.
“Plus, they’d struggle to travel through the plains on foot. Plus, winter is coming. You can clearly feel it in the air. Yeah, they’re going home to fix their issues with the hasty departure, buying us time. My guess, they’ll continue the trail in spring with a grand army.”
“What they should have done the first time,” Nick said, coming to join us. He asked for the note. “Not a very chatty fellow.
”
“Wise and it could be a ruse, but I doubt it,” I said.
“Yes, well, we beat the fight out of the humans, and they were concerned that our peace treaty might have been a double cross,” Nick said. I nodded and Tarla grew confused. “If all the human cavalry sped around our army to find, Damien. Then we could have turned and sacked Litroo and then the rest of the kingdom.”
“Ah, so what’s to stop them from worrying about that next time?” Tarla asked.
I wagged a finger and said, “To start, General Karde was close at the time. Now he is in Stri. Also, if I were them, I’d bring Fraunt into the fray or completely convert all mounts into cavalry units. They can do a lot of damage if they move fast.”
“I agree. You’re to be feared and dealt with correctly,” Nick said.
“What would you do if you were them?” I asked, folding my arms.
While the conversation shifted easily, I was still extremely frustrated and trying my best to hide my anger at the situation.
“Hire mercenaries, bring siege weapons, hire geomancers to create roads, and use wagons to move troops quickly. Or they catch you inside a cave again. Honestly, if they committed to a rapid march via horse at first, this would be over,” Nick said.
I accepted the note back, reading it again.
“Asha has been gone for a while,” Yermica said.
“Scouting the cities Nick noted on his map of Quari Jungle will take time. I’ll know if anything happens. Alright, this changes nothing. My plan stays the same. If anything, we push harder,” I admitted.
“I still think you should visit Koor in person,” Nick said.
Tarla shook her head. “Nick, it is becoming common knowledge that Damien is a champion. He can write on a paper and pencil what he wants versus going in person.”
The young minotaur huffed, unfolding his arms and tossing palms up. “You’ll offend the Queen if she catches wind, but if I go, they’ll allow it, and apparently I owe Damien.”
“Damn right you do. You listened in on the whole recap of Gaming Thrones. You even heard the book versions,” I said with a friendly tease. “We really only need wagons and mounts. This Koor, they’ll have some?”
“I already said they would. So will the troll cities. This section of Ostriva lands is richer with waterways and life. Expect a denser population and it wouldn’t surprise me if one of the troll chiefs brings a fight,” Nick said.
“Well, I was kinda hoping for cyclops, hydras, and other big monsters,” I said with a grumble.
“The orcs rule to the north and they never let big prey linger. The cyclops are why the hydra even survive in the southern waterways. Occasionally they come up here, but it is rare. Further north, above the great plains, you’ll see ogres, giants, and dragons. I’d avoid that area until you gain power,” Nick said.
“Speaking of which,” I said, walking to our stalled treasury wagon. “Nee!”
“She’s giving birth,” Yermica said.
“Ah, I was wondering why she wasn’t here,” I replied, propping down the wagon's gate.
I hopped onto the end, sticking myself between all our sweet treasures. Most of the wagon’s bed held chests with a bunch of locks on them. A few were crude bags tossed in from recent acquisitions. We were… in need of spending.
While I waited, swinging my dangling feet, I didn’t hear her crying out in labor, and honestly, I had never really heard the goblins giving birth. I sorted loot, expecting Yermica to return soon.
“What are you thinking?” Tarla asked.
“We’re so close to getting to the point where I can upgrade our army. The problem will be, to what end. What use are undead trolls?” I asked and I didn’t. I was venting and she knew it. “I want the centaurs,” I muttered this last line.
“That’s always been your strategy, hasn’t it?” Tarla asked and I nodded. “So, what’s changing?”
“Nothing and everything. I figured this jungle wouldn’t have a trading opportunity. We can’t spend our Z quickly enough unless I invest heavily in me or the goblins, and I really should do one or the other. Then, Z won’t go far in Koor,” I admitted.
“Sure, but the metal armor you have piled in wagons from the defeated orcs will,” Nick said.
I snapped my fingers then pointed an index finger at him. “And the minotaur hits the issue on the head again. I’ll explain in a minute.”
“You called, my Lord?” Nee asked, arriving looking fatigued and a bit slimmer.
“Where’s the babe?” I asked.
“With her nanny,” Nee said as if I should have known this. To be fair, I rarely saw her with her children. “What can I do for you?”
“What’s your magic type?” I asked.
She raised an eyebrow at me, frowning. “Finally caught on I never told you and you never asked?”
“Something like that.”
Nee smirked and said, “I’m a vegetation mage. Almost useless on the road. I apologize for hiding that.”
“You’re far from useless. Can you upgrade to fifteen?” I asked.
“Yes, I’m 73 from achieving thirteen. Before we get into that, I need to ask. Can you conjure that revival spell again?” Nee asked.
I nodded, swinging my legs under the wagon like a child. For whatever reason, I loved the process. Likely, I was deflecting from reality. I sighed, realizing what I was doing. “My ‘Fountain of Youth Spell’ is available once a month. Why?”
“Area cultivation.” Her arm trembled slightly as Nee highlighted the lovely terrain. “The hills were sparsely populated, and the Zorta gains from the ground were rich,” Nee said.
Tarla nodded and said, “I earned a smidge more than normal while crafting. I think I understand. If the goblins are no longer needing to reduce their age because of your spell, they can start increasing their stats every day.”
“Precisely, my Lady. Will you be using that spell often?” Nee asked, and I confirmed with a thumbs up. “Thank you. Now, what can I do for you, Boss?”
“Take only what Z you need to reach fifteen. If you become an ogre, great. If not, when we settle down, fresh cherry tomatoes,” I said with a grin.
She grew confused but avoided questioning what cherry tomatoes were.
I propped open a chest with low value orbs. I gulped when the thousands of orbs vanished a few seconds later.
“Jesus, Nee, there were almost a thousand Z in there,” I blurted.
“Who’s Jesus?” Nick asked, not shocking me at all.
“It is what I needed. Stand back, please,” Nee said.
We gave her space, and I could feel Nick’s oozing desire to prod me about Jesus.
I broke and said, “The divine son, the holy trinity, and the incarnation of god. Never was a big believer in much divine, so I may have that wrong. Now, let’s see -”
A brown magic flicked loose dirt up and out of the grass. The spell condensed, growing in a billowing power, pulling additional dirt from the surrounding area. I marveled at the magic - for a few seconds.
The flying dirt whipped around Nee to the point I grew concerned. She cried out in shock at first, quickly going silent.
A tornado of power lifted the four-foot goblin off the field. The magic pelted the nearby wagons, and a few stray specks stung my face.
Nee twirled inside the cyclone, picking up pace. I cringed when I saw her skin ripping. Bits of debris pecked at her frame.
Nee’s strong silence shattered when she screamed, her agony evident until the tornado consumed so much energy and speed that we couldn’t see or hear her. I grew worried, almost risking the tornado to extract my goblin queen.
Like a light switch being flipped, the spell abruptly ended and everything in the area clattered down.
The hundreds of curious goblins gasped, becoming agitated. Nee stood, her clothing gone, her body altered, and a grin spread from ear to ear.
Nee had transformed into a troll, a very voluptuous troll. I averted my eyes to give her privacy.
&nbs
p; I heard her running coming right at me. When she tackled me in happiness, I tensed. The goblin… troll, squealed in happiness.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Nee shouted, clinging tightly to me.
Gross. She drooled on me she was so happy. I’d have to give them more space next time we had a conversion.
“You’re smothering Damien and your tits are milking on him,” Tarla said with a giggle. “Seriously Nee, get off my man.”
“Right, right. Fetch me a robe for this goblin ogre body!” Nee commanded, and a dozen goblins rushed away. A minute later, she cleaned the mess off with her robe and she was decent again. “Sorry about that. I unlocked a new spell and am officially a goblin magus.”
“I’m confused,” I admitted, regaining my feet. “You’re a troll, not an ogre. How do I tell the difference between you and Yermica? Does Yermica become an ogre at fifteen?”
Nick cleared his throat and said, “I’ve never witnessed this and only read it in texts. Before the cataclysm, a goblin leader grew, much like an orc, troll, or minotaur. My father, who’s thousands of years old, said the mightiest of goblin leaders never grew much bigger than a young minotaur.
“After the cataclysm, the gods felt pity on the goblins. They increased their birthing cycles and changed them. A lot of post cataclysm is about obtaining Zorta until you can affect your surroundings with your power. We think the gods felt a leveled goblin was still too weak, so they gave them stages.
“The first text of this happening revolves around a troll chief and his thieving goblin mistress. Female goblins are known for becoming toys of trolls because they’re too small for us larger species.
“The story says that one day the mistress vanished and a new troll entered the village. She confided in one of the troll wives about who she really was. They groomed the son, killed the chieftain, and then tested the theory about what happened on a different goblin mistress. They proved it worked and spread the word.
“General Karde decided to test this himself, but that was before I was born and is why I've been hesitant to comment. Now I’ve seen it in person. The logical conclusion is that Nee will have regular troll children now. She is a troll, a powerful one. The goblin orc is said to be unlocked at level thirty and ogre at level forty-five, but even General Karde ceased his experiment at fifteen.”