by R. A. Mejia
I turn to see a smirking Dyblex batting her eyes at me, and then I hesitantly add, “Aren’t you, Dyblex?”
Her smile widens, and I think I see a glint there before she shrugs and answers, “Well, mostly. I know that you told me you wanted to only be friends, but once a goblin has her eye on something, it’s hard to give it up.” She glances in the direction that Sonya walked off in and adds, “Especially to some tall, short-eared, flat-toothed human.”
Her answer causes the guys watching to break out into another chorus of laughter, and Meno even snorts. “A goblin chasing after a human who’s best friends with a kobold . . . No one is going to believe this one.”
Keans, who’s rolling on the ground in merriment, sits up long enough to pipe in. “Didn’t know you had such a way with the ladies, Armon. To have two women chasing after you at the same time is both the dream and nightmare of many a man.”
I feel my face burning from all the attention as I look at Dyblex. I think I see a brief expression of hurt from the jokes, but it’s gone when she starts to laugh with everyone else. I realize what it must have taken for her to travel all this way to help me, and I feel ashamed of the way I’ve spoken to her. I scoot along the ground, release the magic binding her legs, give her a hug, and tell her, “Thank you for coming to help me. I may not share your romantic feelings, but I value our friendship.”
I feel her hug me back, and when I release her, there’s a red tint to the green in her cheeks. She smiles at me and says, “You can’t blame a goblin girl for trying, can you?”
“No, I can’t. But you’ve caused a bit of a problem between me and Sonya.”
Dyblex shrugs unapologetically. “Humph. If she’s not willing to fight for you, then she doesn’t deserve you.”
Her words cause me to pause, and I think they make a certain kind of sense. Still, I know that I’ll have to straighten things out with Sonya before they get out of hand.
Chapter 10
It takes several days to travel to the nearest town.
Most of the first day and night is spent between watching out for anyone following us and everyone catching up. Mary, Vrax, and Kitsune had already recounted the details of our journey since leaving Restrian up to being arrested by the Trinitarian guard, so I continued the story of what happened after the trial. Everyone looks at Token suspiciously when I tell them that he just walked into the prison camp one day and started training me. I intentionally leave out the stuff about him being sent by a dragon god. I mean, it honestly does sound kind of crazy to me, and I was there. I can only imagine what it would sound like to someone else. Instead, I pat the kobold on the shoulder and comment that it was fortunate that he was there; otherwise, I don’t think I’d have been able to make the mana bombs that let us escape.
Meno, a talkative hobgoblin by nature, is only too happy to tell everyone his life story. Honestly, he’s a little too free with the details. I mean, who really wants to know the name of his first lover when he was sixteen? Or how he discovered that his minor regeneration is negated by fire? Well, that last one was a funny story. Apparently, it involved a lonely weekend and a freshly-baked, steaming-hot fruit pie he stole.
Token doesn’t share much with the group. Instead, he and Vrax spend two days conversing in Reptilian. I try not to listen in on their conversation, but I hear a few repeated phrases, ‘chosen’, ‘great uniter,’ and ‘god blessed.’ Well, that’s what they translate to in my brain, anyway. In reality, they’re a series of hisses, growls, and clicks. Still, it’s disconcerting when Vrax bows before Token.
Lilliandra, Rex, and Keans’ story is pretty straightforward. After training Vrax, Mary, and me in Restrian, they were called away by the Adventurer’s Guild and were working along the Blade Coast when word of the Imperare invasion reached them. The three returned as quickly as they could, but Restrian was already conquered by the time they arrived. They met up with refugees in Secundum, which is where the three ran into Sonya and Dyblex, and the group had been fighting small skirmishes against the Imperare army when Mary sent Rex a message, begging for the group’s aid with our court case in Trinitarian. Unfortunately, the journey into Monstrum was not a short one, and by the time they arrived, I’d already been sentenced and transferred to prison.
Mary, Vrax, and Kitsune were beside themselves with worry but kept busy working and questing. When the trio of adventurers arrived, Lilliandra took charge and started planning how to break me out of prison. She sent messages to recruit others, but only Dyblex and Sonya were willing to make the journey into Monstrum and risk their lives for me. Dyblex owes me a life debt because I saved her from slavers, so I expected her, but Sonya didn’t owe me anything. She’s simply a beautiful woman whom I went out on a couple of dates with. Still, it warmed my heart to hear Sonya tell her side of things.
“When I got the message about your imprisonment, I used my father’s position as a military leader to get myself credentials as a diplomat, which allowed me to travel through Monstrum. Even then, I still had trouble meeting up with your friends.” She pats the long sword at her hip. “There were a few unsavory people there who didn’t appreciate a human walking through their town, and I had to kill a couple who wanted to make me pay for ‘human atrocities against monster kind.’ Thankfully, my diplomatic status stopped the guard from throwing me in jail when all I did was defend myself.”
I knew the thought was inappropriate since she was talking about almost being thrown in jail, but couldn’t help but giggle a little when she told this part of the story, and I yelled in my mind, “Diplomatic Immunity!”
Sonya shot me a look for my inappropriate laughter, but she finished her story. “There were a few bandits I had to kill too, but I eventually made it to Trinitarian and met up with everyone else.”
Dyblex apparently had the easiest time getting into Monstrum and traveling to the college. Being a goblin meant she was only subject to the normal dangers of traveling--bandits, lechers, and greedy merchants. She spent her time preparing her tools for any of the challenges she might be able to help with.
I expected Dyblex and Token would have lots to talk about, being that they are both inventors, but the two only argue. Things started off well enough, but their discussion eventually devolved into technical babble, and before long, they started shouting at each other, arguing about the merits of different magical and mechanical theories. The rest of the group had to physically separate since the two since we were trying to be stealthy.
I just wish it were as easy to fix things with Sonya. After getting the cold shoulder from her the first night, I try to explain things to her on the second. I find her sitting by the campfire and sit down next to her, resting a hand on her knee to get her attention. She turns her body away from me, causing the hand touching her knee to fall off.
“Sonya, please don’t be that way.”
She quickly turns back to me. Her brows are furrowed, and there’s a fire in her eyes as she asks, “Oh? Don’t be what way?”
From her tone, I know that I’m flubbing things but continue on anyways. “You know . . . Don’t be angry over Dyblex kissing me. She’s just a friend.”
Sonya crosses her arms beneath her chest and says with pure sarcasm, “Sure. I always greet my friends by tickling their tonsils with my tongue. It’s a well-known tradition.”
“Sonya, she kissed me. I did not kiss her back. I’ve told Dyblex before that I’m only interested in you.” I lower my voice and mumble, “It’s just taking time for her to accept that.”
Sonya rolls her eyes and turns her back to me once again. I growl in frustration as I get up and turn to see Dyblex watching us from the nearby wagon. I stomp over, grab her by the arm, and drag her back to Sonya.
“Dyblex, will you tell Sonya that things are just platonic between us? Please?”
Dyblex grins up at me, and the sight of her sharp, needle-like teeth sends shivers down my spine. “Armon, why would you want to be with someone that thinks you’re lying? Besides, if sh
e won’t fight for you, I’ll happily help you get over her.”
Sonya is on her feet before I can reply, towering over the more diminutive Dyblex. “Who says I won’t fight for him? You think you can take him from me?”
Dyblex, not intimidated in the least by the taller woman, replies, “I think the two of us should go somewhere private and ‘discuss’ the situation.”
“Fine with me,” Sonya says, cracking her knuckles.
The two storm off into the dark woods to have a ‘discussion’ over the matter. I try to follow after them, but my presence is quickly rebuffed by dark, foreboding expressions from both women.
Everything is quiet at first, but then I hear raised voices that quickly turn to into shouts. I’m ready to go into the woods to find out what’s happening, but Keans holds me back and tells me, “There’s one thing I know when it comes to women: stay out of their ‘discussions.’”
The noise finally dies down, and Dyblex limps out of the dark forest. She takes two steps, smiles at me, and then collapses. Sonya walks out a minute later, holding her side. She looks down at Dyblex as she walks past and sniffs once distastefully. She grabs me by the front of my shirt, pulls me to her, and kisses me passionately. I finally come up for air some time later, and I hear her whisper in my ear, “You’re mine.”
I feel quite dizzy from the kiss and can only mumble, “Uh . . . yeah. Sure.”
She releases me and walks back to the center of camp. I’m vaguely aware of Lilliandra tending to Dyblex, but my eyes remain focused on the savage beauty’s swaying hips as she walks away from me.
The next day, we reach the outskirts of a small town. We’re still within the borders of Monstrum, and according to Mary’s scouting, it’s populated by a mixture of goblins, trolls, and beastmen. Since seeing any human in this kingdom is a memorable sight, and we want to keep a low profile, it’s decided that only the non-humans will go into town and shop. The three humans, Keans, Sonya and I, will stay in the wagon a mile or so outside of town.
“Need me to get anything for you while I’m in town?” Mary asks, the rest of the group already walking away.
I look down at the dirty torn rags that I’m still wearing and think about what we may need in the near future. “Maybe some new clothes, a weapon, any kind of crafting kit, spell books, skill books . . .”
She holds up her hand to forestall my continued list. “So, everything. Got it.”
“Wait. Also any crystals or cheap gems you can get. I learned how to program those, remember?”
She shakes her head and flies off.
Keans looks at Sonya and me. With a smirk on his face and a shake of his head, he says, “Armon, I’m going to go off in the woods to hunt for some food. I’ll be very far away and will be gone a long time.” I ask if he needs some help, and he scowls at me as if I’m an idiot. Then he walks away muttering about ‘brainless fools not knowing when someone is doing them a favor.’
I don’t really understand what he’s talking about, but the wagon is super quiet after he leaves. Sonya sits across from me, polishing her sword. Her hands rub oil along the blade. Up and down. Up and down. I blink and realize that I’ve been staring at her for longer than is polite. I glance at my feet and feel myself getting flushed. I take another look at Sonya, who hasn’t seemed to have noticed my odd behavior. She is so darn beautiful with her stunning blue eyes and luscious lips. The way her red flowing hair ends in cute curls makes me want to run my fingers through it. And boy, that body. The woman has more curves than a triple integral. I recall the last passionate kiss we shared, and after a minute of thought, I decide to make a move. My breathing starts to become ragged, and I’m sweating a bit, but when I reach out and nervously touch her knee, nothing happens. Well, nothing bad anyway. She momentarily glances up from polishing her sword, but she doesn’t say anything.
My hand creeps upward along her leg, and Sonya gives me a smoky look but continues her work. I shift positions so that I’m sitting next to her and then lean in to kiss her. I think I see a smile before I close my eyes, and our lips touch. It feels like the whole world is exploding as we kiss. I pull away slightly to make sure I’m not moving too fast for her, but she grabs my shirt and she pulls me back in for more. The next thing I know, hands are roaming everywhere, our passions overtake us, and we make whoopee like I just got out of prison. Which I have.
Some time passes before the the fog of love clears, and by the time I think to check, the sun’s position in the sky has changed.
“Wow.” It’s all that I can think to say. “Wow.”
Sonya cuddles against me as I lay in the back of the wagon and says, “Why, thank you. You weren’t bad yourself.”
The two of us laugh, just enjoying the moment and the feeling of our bodies pressed against each other.
I hear a distinct cough and the sound of two little fairy hands coming together in a slow clap. “Well, that took long enough. I guess Vrax wins the bet.”
My head pops up from the lovely place it was resting. Mary is hovering in mid-air, unabashedly looking down on me and Sonya. I rush to pull my clothes back on and exclaim, “Hey! Do you mind?”
“Nope. Don’t mind at all.” Mary, taps her lip once and then adds, “Well, I do mind that you two took so long to . . . uh . . . what’s the phrase? ‘Seal the deal’?”
“Wait, you had a bet going?”
“Of course. Once everyone knew the two of you were dating, the betting started. Keans was sure you’d have delved her ‘chamber of secrets’ after your first date. Rex thought it would happen after a week, and Lilliandra was sure you’d wait an appropriate amount of time, something like six weeks, but who knows where she came up with that timeframe. I bet that you’d only get to third base by the third date, but Vrax was on the money. He said it would be an act of passion after the second date but before the third.”
It takes my mind a moment to process all that. “Well, that was oddly specific of him, but I guess my brood brother knows me better than I thought. As for you, Mary, really? Only third base by the third date?”
She shrugs while I work to get my pants back on. “Uh . . . Well, with the way you’ve been struggling to express yourself in letters, be happy I assumed you’d have gotten that far.”
Sonya, also getting dressed again, chimes in with, “Well, I can definitely confirm he got farther than third base. Yes, I know what that means! Armon explained it to me. He got all the way to the house base.”
“It’s home base, not the house base,” I correct while pulling on my left shoe. The hair on the back of my neck stands up suddenly, and I look up, thinking that an enemy has appeared. Instead, I see Sonya giving me an icy look.
“Well, if you want to visit the house base again, you might want to consider not correcting me so much.”
I’m confused. I mean, doesn’t everyone want to know the correct way to phrase something? I glance over at Mary for back up but see her shaking her head in pity. “I’ll explain it to you later, Don Juan. For now, just finish getting dressed. Everyone should be heading back with the supplies they purchased by now.”
Chapter 11
Keans returned shortly after everyone else. He had a successful hunting excursion and has enough meat to make several good meals. When he gets back into the wagon, he looks between me and Sonya, and then, with a small smirk, he gives me a wink and a thumbs up.
Lilliandra notices and asks, “What is that for, Keans?” He tries to distract her by saying that it was because he had such a good hunt. She doesn’t seem to believe him, but thankfully, she also doesn’t press the issue.
Mary is kind enough to inform me that she sold off all the loot we got from the orc guards. She didn’t get a whole lot for it, but the group’s finances aren’t bad. She purchased some basic clothes for me to wear, and while they’re nothing special, they’re definitely better than my ratty prison outfit. In addition, she also found some cheap crystals for me to work with and a simple repair kit. I’m glad for the new crafting
material since I used all the elemental grenades I’d made. There were no weapons for sale in town, but I still have the spear Token gave me, so I’m not completely defenseless. All the other supplies, like feed for the horses and food, were purchased by Rex and Lilliandra.
Once we’re on the road again, we discuss what’s next for each of us. I go first. “I intend to head into the Imperare Empire and rescue the kidnapped kobolds. The Professor in Trinitarian decoded the ledgers we took to him before he betrayed us, and the books told us where the kobolds were shipped to. So, that’s where I’m going.”
“I go too,” Vrax says.
Right after him, Mary quickly says, “Oh, you’re not leaving me behind either.”
I try to argue against it, since all monsters are supposed to be slaves in that land, but the two propose that they can pretend to be slaves again. Despite my protests, I’m honestly happy to have them come with me. I don’t know how I’d complete the mission without them.