I furrowed my brow. “What are you doing?”
Alicia muttered her reply. “Bear asses are alchemy components.” After she was finished stuffing the ass into her backpack, she glared at Emera and Samantha in turn. “If you revive that bear, we’re going to have a problem. I worked hard to get that ass.” Emera and Samantha looked at each other, shrugged, and continued walking. Alicia stood guard over the dead bear until everyone had passed, then she jogged to catch up with the rest of us. The sheep were especially well-behaved, and it was only early afternoon by the time we reached the edge of the forest surrounding Glerzz. As before, we let ourselves be spotted, and the goblin general exited the gates with a retinue of soldiers. They marched towards us, and the general’s exceptionally nasal voice called out to us.
“You have returned! Did you take care of the werewolves?” I tried to increase the value of our bargaining chip by engaging in a little subterfuge.
“Better! We found these sheep in the forest and have brought them to you to help replace your herd.” I whistled, and the sheep obediently approached from deeper within the forest.
The general looked very surprised, and spoke in an accusing tone. “Those are our sheep!”
Before I could continue, Alicia sauntered up from behind me, gently pushing me aside with a whisper and a wink. “I’ve got this.” Alicia made great use of her persuasion skills, and was successful in bartering entrance to Glerzz for three quarters of the herd. We would be able to take the remaining quarter back to the Village on the Lake when we left the town. In addition, we agreed to clear a road between Glerzz and our village to facilitate trade. In exchange for a portion of their herd of aurochs, we would also pave the road with crushed marble. As the leader of the village, I shook on the deal and received a notification.
Quest updated! Find Francis and secure his freedom.
Having reached an accord, the general escorted our group and the herd to the village. Once the gates had been opened, we were greeted by organized chaos. Goblin traders were everywhere, selling everything imaginable. There were many profession related shops, such as Gillip’s Leatherworks, Farrup’s Arcane Emporium, and Merb’s Herbs. I saw a goblin walk out of one shop carrying a new purchase, only to waltz over to his own outdoor stall and put it on display.
“Last loaf of bread from Jaz’s Bakery! Get it while it’s hot, only six and a half coppers!” This was apparently quite the steal, as a small horde of goblins ran up to his stall. The quickest one thrust six coppers into the trader’s hand, bit another one in half, and spit the remaining cost into the seller’s outstretched palm. “Sold!” shouted the trader, who pocketed the coppers and handed the “winner” a loaf of bread with a bite taken out of it. The buyer started to complain but was interrupted. “I test all my foodstuffs for poison! I should charge extra but here I am, earning a measly half copper in profit!” The trader’s eyes widened, and his ears drooped in an excellent impression of a puppy wearing a goblin mask. The buyer bought the charade hook, line, and sinker, devouring the bread and walking away like he’d gotten a real deal. The trader turned towards us while we were making our way through the gate, and beckoned us over.
He showed us a grin that was all teeth, and before he could start hawking his wares I asked him a question. “Did you really only make a half copper in profit off that sale?” I was hoping that there were a ton of good deals to be had while we were in Glerzz.
The goblin shattered my perceptions easily. “Of course not! That bread was poisoned, it only cost me two coppers!” He pointed to the ground next to him, where the hunk of bread he’d torn off was laying. “That guy’s toast.” Disturbed, I walked away from him and tried to spot the tavern in which Francis was slaving away. Goblin sneaks were skulking about everywhere, and as a precaution I made sure that all my money was stored safely within my inventory. There were quite a few taverns in town, so we decided to split up. I invited everyone to a party so that I could track them on my magic map, and afterwards Alicia and I approached a nearby tavern boasting a placard that depicted a tipsy female hog.
“The drunken sow.” Alicia read the name of the tavern.
I frowned at her in mock confusion. “But you haven’t even started drinking.” Alicia flashed her eyes at me menacingly.
“You’re dead.” She scowled.
“At least let me get drunk first.” I retorted. I let Alicia enter in front of me, making sure her hands stayed away from her daggers. We were hit with the stench of unwashed bodies, intermingled with spiced meats and ale. I assumed that the meat would be fine to eat so long as it was cooked. I heard a goblin shouting from the corner, trying to sell something.
“Cooking poison! Get your cooking poison! That rat-bastard will never see it coming!” I approached her.
“Is that for killing rats?” I asked.
“Husbands.” Was her one word reply. Maybe I’d leave the meat alone. I was slightly disappointed that I couldn’t safely sample the goblin cuisine, but every cloud has a silver lining. A wood elf was tending the bar, and Alicia was already speaking with him. I approached and caught part of her conversation.
“…is really naïve but genuinely a good person.” Alicia looked startled as I approached. “Oh, hey, Alex! Good news, we found Francis!” She introduced us, and I shook his hand.
“Hey, we’ve heard a lot about you! This place seems dangerous, how are you holding up?” I enquired.
Francis shrugged noncommittally. “Ok, I guess. Being a slave is kind of a drag, but I’ll have worked off my debt after a few months.”
I grinned at him. “I’ve got good news. Nareth is here, and we brought the orc that sold you in the first place. He’s tied up with the sheep. We’re going to try and trade him to get you set free.”
Francis looked distracted. “That’s great, really. Did you guys want to order some drinks?” I frowned at him.
“I’m going to find the others and bring them here, maybe Alicia wants something though.” I left him there, and contemplated the situation. Francis didn’t seem at all to mind working off his slave debt. His whole demeanor seemed passive, almost like he preferred being told what to do, rather than having control over his own actions. While I mused, I tracked down the rest of the group using the magic map, which had all our party members labeled. Everyone except Nareth had downed a couple drinks, and they all seemed to enjoy being in the goblin town. I spoke with Nareth privately.
“We found Francis, but something seems off. Do you remember him being really passive?” I asked.
Nareth nodded. “He always wanted me to decide what we should do. The only time I remember him doing something on his own is when he left the village. Now we know that he left to be Frank’s companion, so he may have been under some kind of compulsion.” That shocked me, and made my stomach turn. I was worried that Alicia may also have been under external control. I’d grown fond of her, and for some reason it was important to me that she genuinely felt the same way. I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to bring it up in conversation, but I’d think of something. In the meantime, I led the party to The Drunken Sow where Francis and Nareth would have their hopefully happy reunion.
Chapter 22: Revelations
As we walked through the tavern door, Nareth saw Francis, frowned, and turned to me. “He looks like he’s having a good time.”
I nodded at him and replied. “I got that impression as well. Maybe he’ll feel differently when you talk to him.” We didn’t all want to crowd the bar, so Nareth and I approached Francis while the rest of our group found a free table and ordered drinks. Francis’ eyes widened as we approached.
“Nareth, it’s really you? You came all this way?” Francis finally showed some emotion beyond dull contentment.
Nareth nodded, reaching out to clasp hands with his lost friend. “Yes, it was quite the trip! You go by Francis now?”
Francis shrugged. “It just feels right.” His expression darkened. “Frank tossed me away as if I were trash, but I’ve adjusted to m
y life here.”
Nareth grinned, hoping to cheer up his friend. “We ran into Frank, actually, it’s why we were able to find you.” Nareth told Francis about how he and his wood elves had ambushed our party, taken Alicia hostage, and discovered that Frank must have betrayed Francis. “In the end, we cornered him, and he gave up information we used to find you. Do you remember Krug?”
Francis nodded. “Yeah, he’s a decent guy. He was going to have me work in the mines with his human slaves, but when he discovered I was an AI he changed his mind and sold me to a goblin. He said he hoped I’d find it more interesting than mindlessly swinging a pick all day.”
I suddenly felt bad about carting Krug around, all tied up, and butted in. “We actually have him tied up with the sheep outside, we were going to trade him for your freedom.”
Francis looked shocked. “Don’t do that! You’ve got to let him go! Sure, I didn’t want to get sold, but he treated me well. Besides, he captured and spared me, that’s worth something.”
“Can you get someone to cover you for a minute? We could go talk to him.” I suggested.
Francis whistled, and a goblin who’d been washing dishes in the back came out. “What do you want, boss?”
“Can you handle the bar for a minute? I need to step outside and take care of something.” Francis replied.
“Sure thing boss.” The goblin tossed away the rag he’d been carrying, grabbed a stool, and started demanding tips to refill patrons’ drinks.
“Boss?” I asked Francis.
He nodded. “I seem to have a knack for running businesses. The tavern owner has me handle everything here while he goes out drinking and whoring.” He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered. “These goblins pay extra for food and drink that hasn’t been poisoned, I’ve been pocketing the difference and already have enough to buy my own freedom. Instead, I’m saving until I can buy this place.” He shrugged. “Besides, the goblin who bought me is probably going to end up with a knife in his ribs, which is why I got him blasted and had him make me the beneficiary of his estate.”
I looked at Francis with newfound respect. Apparently, all it takes is a couple weeks for goblins to pass on their own special brand of virtues and vices to visitors.
Quest completed! Find Francis and discover you don’t need to free him.
You have reached level 13! You have gained 1 Int and 1 Str. All words gain 3% mastery, all combat skills gain 0.5 points proficiency. To allocate free points, open their respective menus.
All level-locked PP is now available for use!
I decided to allocate my free points later, leading Francis and Nareth outside to find Krug. We found him bound near our small herd of sheep. Francis immediately went behind him and untied the ropes. Krug stood to his full height, and I felt a pang of fear remembering what a vicious combatant he was. He stretched his arms out above his head and groaned, relieving some of the aches he must have accumulated from being tied up.
“Hey Francis.” Krug stated in his gruff voice.
“Hey Krug! How have you been?” Was Francis’ reply.
Krug shrugged. “Bored.” After hearing that Krug wasn’t that bad of a guy, I sensed an opportunity.
“Hey Krug, uhh, sorry about tying you up and everything. When we get out of here, do you want to go around killing stuff with us?” I asked.
Krug scrunched his brow, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Fine. But let my brother oversee your miners. He loves that shit.”
I grinned at him. “Deal.” It almost seemed too easy to turn Krug from enemy to ally. Maybe it’s easier to make friends with people when you’re not trying to stick a sword in their backs.
Krug interrupted my musing. “Do you still have my armor and axes?”
I snapped out of my reverie, nodding. “Yeah, they’re back at the Village on the Lake.”
“Good.” Was all Krug said. Having settled things with Krug, we went back to the tavern to meet up with the rest of our group. When we entered, I saw Izzwix sitting at a table, holding up cards and explaining something to the rest of the party. He must have made it back to town and sneaked into the tavern while we were with Krug. Nareth went up to the bar with Francis, who took back his duties from the goblin, who was grumbling. Dishwashers don’t accumulate much in tips. I sat down at the table next to Alicia, Krug sat next to Izzwix, and we tried to catch Izzwix’s explanation. When he saw us sit down, he grinned at me.
“Alex! I was just explaining how to play my favorite card game, Goblin Court! Let me start over for you.” He fanned out the aces and faces of a standard 52-card deck. “Aces bandage stabs, Kings cure poison, Queens poison, and Jacks stab. All the other cards are filler. Everybody buys in for a gold and draws five cards, the maximum hand size. On your turn, you can play a Jack or a Queen on another player, discard a card, or buy a card from the deck by putting a silver into the pot. You can also discard a pair to steal a random card from another player. If someone plays a Jack or a Queen on you, you can play an Ace or a King, respectively. If you don’t, you lose.” Izzwix smiled devilishly before adding. “But here’s the fun part. You can buy the card you need from another player, so long as you both agree on the price. The game continues until there’s one player left alive, who takes the pot.”
It sounded like a perfect game for the greedy goblins. Everybody would buy in for a large amount, and if they wanted better cards they had to pay for them. Depending on how invested a player was, they might spend a lot of coin to purchase a card they need to survive. It sounded fun. “Okay, if we’re playing, I’m in.” There were eight of us in total, including Krug and Izzwix. Izzwix dealt everyone five cards, and we all eyed the eight gold in the pot greedily. I drew a lucky hand with a King, Jack, eight, and two fours. Nothing exciting happened until my turn came around. I tossed a Jack in Alicia’s direction. “Stab.” I said, grinning. She bit her lip, looking at her cards.
“I’m in the market for a King.” She offered.
“One gold!” said Izzwix greedily.
“That’s ridiculous! I paid that much buying in!” Alicia complained.
“But look at the size of that pot! What’s a measly gold when it comes to survival?” Izzwix pleaded.
“Eighty silver.” I said. Alicia turned to me and scowled.
“Lucky bastard, you planned this.” Alicia glared at me.
“Seventy silver!” Izzwix butted in.
“I’ll take it!” Alicia exclaimed, glad that I wouldn’t profit from my attack on her.
As Alicia was counting out her silver, Izzwix commented. “I seem to have lost my King, sorry!”
“You’re a cheater!” I yelled at Izzwix.
Izzwix laid his cards face down on the table, spreading his hands innocently. “I’m a liar, yes, but I don’t recall saying that lying was against the rules.” He paused for a moment, scratching his chin. “Cheating isn’t either, so long as you don’t get caught.”
I shook my head at Izzwix, turning back to Alicia. “Eighty silver.” I said.
Alicia crossed her arms. “Sixty.”
I balked. “But you were going to pay Izzwix seventy!”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “The most you’ll get out of me is sixty.”
I’d love to recoup most of my buy-in, but I was prepared to play hardball. “Ok, you lose then.”
“N-no!” Alicia stammered. “Sixty-five!”
I grinned at her. “Deal.” She paid me and I handed over the King, which she immediately discarded to counter my Jack. The game went on, and I ended up ahead by about 15 silver, minus my buy in, from selling cards, but when Alicia played a Queen against me I decided to walk away with my meager winnings. While the game continued, I chatted quietly with Izzwix.
“Where did you get your auroch?” I asked him. “I’d love to start a herd at my village.”
Izzwix grinned, sensing an opportunity. “Ten silver and I’ll tell you.”
I shook my head. “One silver. I’m sure if I asked around I’d be able to fi
nd out for less than that, even.”
Izzwix grumbled, though I had a hunch he was faking discontent as he pocketed my silver. “The leatherworker keeps a herd of auroch. Their hide is excellent for making leather armor, and when he needs extra money he culls some of his herd, tans the leather, and sells the meat to the butcher.” I thanked Izzwix for the information, intending to meet with the leatherworker before we left Glerzz. I watched the rest of the game, and unsurprisingly, Izzwix ended up winning. He was much more willing to buy cards than the other players, and was a master negotiator. A couple of the other players broke even or came out slightly ahead, but most lost slightly more than their buy in, giving up after thinking their chances of winning were too poor to take home the pot anyways.
After the game was finished, I pulled Alicia aside. Hearing about Francis’ change of name and attitude made me worried that her interactions with me were either forced, or somehow programmed. We sat at a table together and ordered drinks. Everything about her seemed normal and natural, but I felt that I needed to know the truth. Before I could find the words to ask her how she really felt about me, I was interrupted.
Jimmy: Don’t go down that road.
Alex: Why not?
Jimmy: You need to trust me here, forget about what you’re trying to do right now.
Alex: But I need to know.
I opened my mouth to speak.
Jimmy: STOP!
I ignored Jimmy, and asked my question. “Alicia, do you genuinely like me?” Alicia looked startled.
“Of course I like you, Alex. Where is this coming from?” She looked very confused.
I tried to clarify my question. “It’s just that Francis seemed compelled to travel with Frank, and it would hurt if you were only traveling with me due to some compulsion.”
The Conduit Page 16