《Frontier of Blades and Walls》 -3 Intro Sorry, content is lost, You are reading Novel on Novelhall.COM, we will fix it as soon as possible, thank you -2 The World s @@ Earth: Planet Earth. Also refers to the plane of existence as a whole. Ken''s home world. Earth exists disconnected and opposite of Egid, like two sides of the same coin. Home to one intelligent species: humans Egid: Pronounced "EY-gid." The name of the planet/plane of existence that Ken is transported to. Home to many intelligent species, of physical and non-physical composition Eastern Continent: Untouched frontier rich in resources. Inhabited by many monsters. Most notable race is the orcs. Old ruins are found far inland, suggesting that people inhabited the lands at some point in time Western Continent: Known civilization. Made up of countless countries. Inhabited by a great many intelligent races. Many islands and archipelagos dot the coasts The Land Bridge: The only known way to cross over between continents. Technically part of the frontier. Is almost as wild and bountiful as the eastern continent The North/South Dividing Seas: The seas between the two continents. Storms, harsh waters, sea monsters, and rocky waters make it impossible for even the saltiest sea crew to sail Clarenburgh: A walled city state nestled inbetween two large mountain ranges. Rich earth makes farming in the surrounding area very bountiful. The adventuring capital of Egid, it sits on the only entrance to the eastern continent. Supported by surrounding countries, it is governed entirely by the Adventurer''s Guild The Greater Continental Union: A diplomatic union of various countries in Egid. Members include, but aren''t limited to, the three countries that surround Clarenburgh and Clarenburgh itself. Is advised largely by the Adventurer''s Guild. Members use a silver based currency know as Kronnas Adventurer''s Guild: A place where mercenaries and warriors can be assigned jobs according to their skill level. Is present in every known civilization in Egid, every major city has a district HQ. Extremely powerful organization, could possibly rival the might of large countries if it wants to, but it prefers playing the diplomat *In progress*@@ -1 The Races of Egid Intro: Here I will compile information on the races of Egid. I imagine that this will remain incomplete for some time, so be sure to check back when new chapters of the main volume release! A little information on races before it gets detailed, though: some races alter themselves with the use of magic or science. For example, all races use advanced medicine, healing magic, and/or holy miracles to fight disease, and in turn, increase their lifespan. That''s why some lifespans, especially humans, seem a bit too long, considering the medieval culture of Egid. I will account for this in the listed average lifespans of the main races.Also due to magic, some mighty warriors and genius mages may live for indefinite amounts of time. That''s why the lifespans listed here should be taken for a grain of salt. I will, of course, not account for this in the listed average lifespans of the main races. Humans: Found the world over. Extremely varied and adaptable. Have the unique ability to breed with any of the other sentient lifeforms of Egid, producing half-children. Due to this, humans have incredible diplomatic advantages over other races. Average lifespan of around eight decades.. There are many subraces of humans, much like our world. Amazons: Most unique Human subrace. Only female. Most genes seem to be dominant, meaning that that the offspring have very little, if any resemblance to their fathers. Amazons are built for battle, have advanced muscle development, and around ten percent push seven feet tall. They possess dark, wheat colored skin. Tend to always have either black hair, or a deep shade of crimson not seen naturally in other races. Elves: Incredibly varied, found everywhere. Live indefinitely, typically close-minded. Elves seldom reproduce due to random stages of infertility Forest Elves: Inhabit jungles and forests all over the western continent. Favor bows and druidism Tan''Lian Elves: Originally from the large island nation Tan''Lia. Unable to use magic, but are able to channel fighting spirit incredibly well, making them the global leaders in martial arts City Elves: Highly intelligent. Tend to favor magic that has set parameters and rules, such as enchanting, runic magic and alchemy Low Elves: Mixed elves. Generally decent at both fighting and spellcasting. Sometimes called mutts, but are accepted in most communities *Inprogress* 1 The Burg in the Mouth of the Beas The bell atop the tower in town square tolled. It informed the citizens of Clarenburgh that the time for prayer was upon them. The devout temple-goers found their peace and dropped to their knees. Pagans, heathens, and people who simply didn''t care were forced to wait as their fellow citizens made amends with the Gods regarding their sinful desires of the flesh. But this was normal. In fact, this was a thrice daily occurrence. Many things about Clarenburgh were mildly offensive. The first being the smell. Horses were common, and left their dung for others creatures, of slightly higher intelligence, to take care of. Pigs and chickens of all shapes, sizes, colors, and stenches wandered the street. Sounds of all pitches and volumes drowned out the tone of one''s own voice. Deafening merchants attempted to sell their wares. Street urchins and vagrants screeched for pocket change in a devilish chorus. The biggest offense, however, were the people. Humans, of course, came in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They filled the streets like schools of fish in a small pond. But more so common than humans, were those of seemingly inhuman nature. Elves of green or gold garb strolled in and out of caf¨¦s. Red-faced Dwarves carried barrels of barley or mead on their shoulders. Drab Halflings bumped into unsuspecting tourists and darted too and from shadows. People bearing fur, scales, and feathers conversed among themselves and others. One could even spot an occasional spirit, perhaps a beautiful nymph or a tiny sprite. Clarenburgh wasn''t a large capital with bustling government houses and a large, dusty market. Nor was it a bustling port town with crowded wharves and busy streets. Despite this, it was the busiest town in the continent. It was a political meeting point for the three largest countries on the continent, yet it belonged to not a single one. It was an independent state owned and managed by the Adventurers Guild, with economical and political backing from the three aforementioned countries. The burg was built into a gash in a mountain range, a rich, green, valley. The land to the north, south, and west belonged to the three countries. Their names are unimportant for now. But, what is important, is what lied to the fourth cardinal direction. To the east was a land bridge leading to a continent vastly unexplored and untamed. Tales of beasts residing in this eastern continent shook the imaginations of children, adventurers, and kings alike. Clarenburgh was a base camp for explorers, a wall for nobles, and, if need be, a final bastion for common folk against the eastern continent. 2 On a Quest for Comfort Food @@ A youth of eighteen years of age, aloof and clueless, walked home from his part-time job. He had just dropped out of school some few weeks past. Raindrops started to fall from the sky and shattered against concrete and asphalt. He had no umbrella to hide himself from the wet wrath of nature. The youth''s canvas shoes eventually became soaked through. He thanked himself that his windbreaker was water resistant, and that it had a hood to cover his long, unkempt, and almost black, hair. He was called Kenneth. That was the name his parents gave him. The few people who knew his name called him Ken. He liked his name. It was the only thing his parents left to him. Not that he cared for them. His father died foolishly in a bar fight and his mother wasn''t sober, or hardly even conscious, for the last few years of her life. His mother''s death caused Ken to become a recluse soon after, but that chapter of his life was closed and behind him. He was incredibly hopeful for the future, for the years to come. Fantasies of freedom, careers, and even love pervaded his mind. He had no friends. He hardly had acquaintances, people he''d met on his job. Nobody in his past cared enough to reach out to him, and there was sure to be nobody in his future either. And yet, he didn''t care. All he could ever do was dream. The gathered water splashed under Ken''s patchy shoes. He walked with confidence and purpose. He was on a quest. A crusade, even. His goal was noble and challenging. He was going to go to a grocery store, purchase ingredients, and prepare his own meal for once. It was something he had dreamed of doing, and it was something finally in reach. The day before, his landlord informed him that his gas was fixed, after months of no luck. Ken was planning on making a basic meatloaf, similar to how his late grandfather had taught him to. But the Gods had other plans.@@ 3 Clueless Ken waited patiently at a crosswalk. Leaning against the pole, he picked at a loose string hanging off his windbreaker. He was less than a block away from the grocery store he had in mind. He pondered on the groceries he planned to purchase. He didn''t have to buy a loaf pan because he had swiped his grandfather''s after he had passed. His parents had planned to throw it away, but Ken wouldn''t stand for it. His parents never noticed it was gone, of course. "I might have to cheap out on ground beef-" he mumbled to himself. He noticed there were other pedestrians around waiting along with him, so he stopped himself."Everything else should be cheap enough to buy name brand," he thought. He started calculating the costs of the ingredients in his head. Ken was a master budgeter. He figured if he bought a little extra beef, although low-quality, it should make leftovers for two or three days. The red hand on the crosswalk light continued its countdown. He figured that he could get whatever onions were cheapest per pound. The countdown hit six. He wondered if he should buy pre-made bread crumbs, or if he should make them himself with the bread he had at home. Five. He had ketchup at home, he didn''t need any from the store. Four. The milk in his fridge had started to sour, so he''d pick up a half gallon. Three. He had salt and pepper at home, but he''d have to swing by the spice aisle for garlic powder and dried parsley. Two. He stopped leaning against the pole, and subconsciously readied himself to start walking. He walks past this crosswalk twice a day, after all. It was a normal event in his life. While his body readied for movement, his mind lingered on thoughts of potential side dishes. One. He stepped down from the curb and onto the asphalt. He started walking. He paid no attention to the fact that the people around him didn''t step onto the street with him, he had more important things on his mind, like if he wanted peas or corn to eat with his meatloaf. He paid no attention to the SUV coming flying into view towards him from his left side. He didn''t even pay attention to the earsplitting scream of a woman behind him. "WATCH OUT!" The SUV made contact with Ken''s left flank at something close to sixty miles per hour. Why someone would ever travel that speed on that particular street, Ken never found out. One would expect that Ken saw the SUV coming a split second before it hit him, and that maybe time slowed down to a crawl. Maybe the scene was so clear for him that he could count the individual raindrops suspended in the air. Maybe his life would flash before his eyes, and he would recall all of his mistakes and regrets. This didn''t happen for Ken. He had no idea he was slammed into, sent airborne off into the intersection, flipping head over heels. He had no idea he skidded on the pavement and slowed down to a stop, in view of everyone present. The screeches of pedestrians and drivers alike filled the air, but not Ken''s ears. He died at first contact. The whiplash from the initial hit broke his neck and killed him instantly. Kenneth''s story on earth ended then and there. His story, however, would continue elsewhere. His last thoughts were those of meatloaf. His waking thoughts were filled with the very same. 4 Why the Dirt is so Odd The first thing that Ken noticed was that he wasn''t walking anymore. From his point of view, he had just been crossing a street, but now he was sprawled out face down on the ground. "The hell-?" he sputtered. He slowly lifted his torso off the ground, and propped himself up on his elbows. He fingered the ground and rolled the mud between two fingers. He was caked in the muck from head to toe. He was taken aback because something about the mud bothered him. "It''s darker?" He asked himself. From merely the color of the earth, Ken instantly realized he was far, far away from home. He finally decided to look up and examine his surroundings. He felt like and idiot. If he had took a second to look up instead of studying the soil, he would''ve already known he probably wasn''t even in his own country anymore. He seemed to be in somebody''s backyard. The house closest to him was a story tall and no bigger than a large shed from a hardware store. It had timber framing and the walls between the wood were once whitewashed, but no longer. It occurred to Ken that he''d seen this kind of house before in movies. "Must be old as dirt," he murmured. He looked around more, and gathered that there were similar houses around him, and from the turrets on the horizon that he must''ve been in the middle of some great city. The sky was blue and clear, with no clouds in sight. He gathered himself to his feet, attempted to dust off the caked-on mud, and started walking past the house. He crossed over a woven fence and found himself on a worn dirt road. This dirt was dry and not as dark, as a result of wear from foot travel. "''Bout twelve, I''d say," he indeed said, eyes to the heavens. He noticed there were people around, and he wasn''t surprised to see that they wore old, roughly made clothes. Wives hung up laundry, Mothers nursed their children, and men walked alongside their donkeys. "I must be in some really poor part of Europe," he thought to himself, "Eastern, maybe?" He spaced out and started walking alongside a donkey being pulled by a small man. Ken didn''t want to bother anybody, so he started to just follow the flow of traffic. Eventually, the dirt turned to gravel and he realized he wasn''t anywhere on earth that he knew of. He had happened to see several unfamiliar races, and he merely accepted their existence without a second thought. "Sir!" Ken''s head swung around to the source of the voice. It was an elf seemingly in her teens. Ken pointed to himself, silently asking for confirmation. "Yeah, you! Come over here." Ken cut through the crowd and made his way to the curious elf. "What''d you need, miss?" He asked. His eyes pored over the elf. Her hair was chestnut, and naturally fell onto her shoulders. Her eyes were an incredibly clear hazel. Her skin was pure and clear of any sign of blemishes. She wore a rough brown tunic that was adorned with white frills and glossy silver. She stood behind the counter of a market stall. Various clothes and textiles were draped over displays. She bore a practiced smile typical of experienced merchants. "Say, what kind of material is that jacket?" She inquired with a calculated tilt of her head. 5 Filling in the Blanks "Uh, it''s um... its synthetic, I guess," he stammered. "Why do y-" he trailed off as the elf interrupted him. "Synthetic? Like a mix of materials?" She asked. "Yeah, s-something like that..." He said meekly. He decided to allow her to control the conversation. She brought her hand to her chin and furrowed her brow as she examined the windbreaker. She leaned in for a better look. She looked more. And some more. Ken started to get impatient. "Can I go now?" He asked. "No, I''m not done." She said. She moved her eyes away from the jacket and examined Ken''s face. After a few seconds, she suddenly stopped examining, stepped back and leaned against the side of her stall. "What''s with you, huh? You seem confused." "Are you-" he started. "Not by me, you seemed confused before I called you over," she said smugly, acting as if she was some great detective. Ken thought about what to say. "There''s no way I can tell the truth," he thought. He decided to come up with the next best thing and told her he had amnesia. He was unsure if she even knew of the condition. "Amnesia huh?" She clicked her tongue. "Yeah, so um... where am I?" He asked, with flawless innocence. The elf rang out in laughter. Ken had never heard anything like it in his life. An image of silver bells ran through his mind. He imagined all elves laughed like that, and the thought caused him to smile. As her laugh died down, she told Ken the name of the street they were on. "N-no, I mean this city... Or maybe the country, I guess." The elf''s eyes widened. She couldn''t bring herself to even chuckle at his complete lack of information. She realized the situation the boy was in and decided to invite him behind her counter. For the next ten minutes she filled him in on Clarenburgh, the affairs of the surrounding countries, current news, and even trade. After that, Ken asked her questions to fill in the blanks that he still had on this world. She talked while doing her job, of course, and was taken aback that he didn''t know anything about the intelligent races besides humans. He also was clueless regarding the Adventurer''s Guild, the existence of monsters, and even magic. After the blanks had been filled, thirty minutes had passed since she had first called him over. After Ken felt like he could gather the rest of this world''s common sense on his own, he stood up and made to leave. "Before you go, what are you called?" She asked bluntly. "I''m Ken!" He said as he walked off. "I''m Sylna. Come back next time you need clothes! Good luck with your amnesia!" she shouted as he blended into the crowd. She felt warm inside, relishing in the fact that she had helped someone out immensely, and done her good deed for the day. Ken decided to go to the Adventurer''s Guild. He had gathered from Sylna''s explanation that it was a sort of paid membership club where mercenaries were alerted of monster bounties and open jobs in the immediate area. Of course, he had no experience fighting monsters or even holding weapons, but he figured that it was the easiest way for someone unskilled like him to make money, even just as a meat shield. According to Sylna, Clarenburgh was the Guild''s capital, and even the Guild''s headquarters were in the burg. He didn''t walk in the direction of the headquarters though, which were in the exact center of the town, but instead walked to the district headquarters, which was near the eastern gate. With every step he became closer to the eastern continent, and therefore, his destiny. 6 The Marble Fortress The buildings towards the center of the burg were at a higher elevation than the ones near the walls. The town was built in such a defensive way so that archers on top of buildings would have no trouble aiming at attackers coming from the walls. As such, the whole burg was sloped on a slight decline towards the east, the most likely source of an attack. Ken walked slightly downhill towards the Guild office. He eventually figured out that he could stop relying on Sylna''s directions and just follow the hoards of warriors that strutted down the streets of Clarenburgh. Ken was clueless on the topic of weapons and armor, but he knew that the people on the street weren''t to be messed with. He also noticed that particular weapons weren''t confined to specific races, and that all races of all kinds used any combination of weapon sizes and types. He caught elves with axes and cudgels, dwarves with bows and daggers, and even halflings with flails and longswords. Of course, plenty of races used weapons specifically made for their body type and stature. Humans wielded swords and shields, amazons bore machetes, rapiers hung at the hips of felinethropes*, and reptilians rested clubs of wood and teeth on their shoulders. Ken also noticed many magic users among the warriors. All races shared skill in every form of magic usage. Ken knew nothing about magic, and he couldn''t tell the mystics apart from the enchanters. Some carried grimoires of unrealistic size, some hung wands from their belt, and even more walked alongside a staff. Ken was antsy at the thought of many hundreds of magic systems he knew nothing about, and thought that he''d rather fight against a dwarven warrior set like an anvil rather than a mage even slightly skilled in his/her craft. Ken turned a corner and caught sight of the Guild office. He saw that it was only a few blocks down the street from the customs house and the gigantic, two story eastern gate. He thought that the wall had to have been at least five stories tall. He averted his eyes from the gate and took in all that was the Guild office. It had three entrances, each bearing giant oak doors, mighty in their own right. People were pouring in and out of both sides of each set of doors. Ken walked towards the set closest to him, the leftmost, and continued to take in the building. It was three stories tall and around the width of a soccer pitch. He couldn''t tell how far back the structure went, but he knew it must''ve had massive depth. Turrets jutted out the roof of the building, and arrowslits dotted the walls. It was primarily made of brick clad in sandstone. The more decorative parts of it, like the pillars, gargoyles, and window detailing were made of pure marble. While massively decorative, Ken had the feeling that it didn''t go too far, and that the structure was built to be a fortress first, office second, and art piece third. After pushing his way through the crowd, Ken was able to finally get inside the building. The room he entered was massive, and seemed to span the whole soccer-pitch-length of the structure. There were three giant marble front desks with countless skilled receptionists, men and women, sorting through adventurers and paperwork. On the outside walls of the two outermost desks were colossal notice boards. There were notice boards of the same stature to the left and right of the middle desk. Ken saw that the leftmost notice board was caked with papers and swarming with people, while the one on the far right wall had maybe two or three papers pinned up, and was deserted. As the notice boards got farther to the right, their population dwindled. Ken would later find out why. 7 Going Into Deb After a few minutes, Ken had reached the front desk where the receptionists worked. "That was fast," he thought. He was glad that the receptionists were incredibly skilled at their job, and that he didn''t have to wait long. Ken faced a bespectacled, energetic man in a sharp black vest. The man''s eyes darted to Ken chest, then back to his face. Ken thought that the man must''ve noticed that he wasn''t wearing one of the odd necklaces that adventurers tended to own. "You''re not registered yet, I presume?" He asked. Ken responded that he indeed wasn''t. "I''m going to have to ask you to visit the elf at the far end please," he said as he pointed to the elfess in question. The man then looked straight through Ken and motioned to the amazon in line behind him that it was her turn. She practically pushed Ken to the side as she walked to the counter and proceeded to flirt with the man. Ken reached the elfess and told her that he was there to register. She wasn''t notably beautiful as far as elves go, possibly because she wore the same black uniform as every other receptionist. She told Ken the details of his registration. According to her, registration would run him 140 Kronnas, the local currency. She said he could take out a Guild loan, and pay the money back over the course of his first couple jobs. Ken noticed that the interest rate was incredibly low, so he decided he would go ahead and register at the time. The elf also explained to Ken the concept of ranks, and gave him his Guild dog tag to hang around his neck. It was made of ceramic shaped into a doughnut, with a leather string through the center hole. Apparently, the dog tag accounted for half the cost of his registration. The Guild worked like this: People who needed a job done submitted paperwork for a quest, along with an appropriate reward, to the Guild. The Guild then made flyers for the jobs and attached them to the appropriate bulletin board. Adventurers were advised to take jobs from the bulletin board that matched their rank. If they were in a registered party, with a maximum of six people, they could take a job equal to the highest leveled member of their party. When adventurers completed a quest, the guild received a cut of the pay, unless the quest was guild issued. Guild levels were structured as follows: Ceramic -> Iron -> Steel -> Adamant -> Mithril Adventurers leveled up very seldom. Adventurers who didn''t die early or drop out of the profession, which was often, almost always made it to Iron. Iron accounted for 60% of the adventurer population. Most Iron jobs were long term, like acting as bodyguards for merchants or standing in as temporary city guards. Making Steel required hard work or talent. Making Adamant required hard work and talent. Making Mithril required not only hard work and talent, but also luck, or as some would see it, favor of the Gods. The Guild took many factors into account regarding leveling up. For warriors it was their Battle Spirit. For mages it was their intelligence and knowledge. For priests it was their piety. There were also factors that were universal to all members, like their experience as an adventurer, their reputation, and their background. Leveling up also cost the adventurer a hefty amount of money, but always just enough that an adventurer could pay it off with a couple of jobs. Ken had absorbed and memorized all the information the elf gave him. He now had a goal. Being the simple minded creature he was, Ken decided to aim for Mithril. He took his first step towards his goal, and that first step just so happened to be towards the colossal notice board to his left. 8 Wookers Rope and Crayfish Ken flashed his ceramic necklace to the man guarding the eastern gate. He unceremoniously allowed Ken outside. For the first time since coming to this world, Ken stepped outside Clarenburgh. In Ken''s back pocket was a notice, or a bounty of sorts, that he had gotten from the ceramic''s notice board. It was for a certain kind of plant that had pharmaceutical properties. The plant was calledWooker''s Rope, and worked as a strong anesthetic. Ken had memorized the sketch and the description of the plant, and even before he arrived at the area the plant was supposed to grow, he kept his eyes wide open for anything that looked similar. An hour of walking later, uneasiness had started to grow in the pit of Ken''s stomach. It got worse the further east he traveled. He was still in the valley''s plains, but was soon to enter the forest where he could find Wooker''s Rope. His instincts told him that he shouldn''t be so far away from safety without some sort of protection or a weapon. ~~~ Ken had gathered enough of the plant to meet the quota. The two leather bags given to him were filled to the brim with Wooker''s Rope, and extra was stuffed in his pockets. He had made sure to not harvest too much, lest he kill the plant off in that area. He leaned on a long, straight tree branch, about the height of himself. The branch was torn off of a large tree Ken didn''t recognize, and had considerable heft. Luckily, Ken had been given no reason to use it yet. He decided it was time to head back to Clarenburgh, and once he found the sun through the thick canopy of the forest, he started walking. After a while, he heard the trickling sound of a creek. He altered his course and headed downhill towards the promise of water. He had reached the creek, and noticed the abundance of a crayfish-like animal. He took the opportunity to capture some for a quick meal while he was there. He looked under rocks until he found one, and then snatched it out of the water with his hands. He noticed that they were much bigger and more abundant than they were in his previous world. They weren''t quite the size of a small lobster, but they did have a significant amount of meat. Each time Ken caught one, he sucked the insides clean immediately. CRACK! Ken whipped his head around to the source of the sound. He saw an unfamiliar creature, and couldn''t contain this disgust. "What the fuck!?" Ken exclaimed. Behind him, frozen in horror at its failed sneaking attempt, was a green creature the size and shape of a child, with a long nose, pointed ears, and teeth jutting out of its mouth at every angle. It was totally nude except for a loincloth, and was covered head to toe in filth and blood. Ken scrambled for his branch and widened his stance. He was fully prepared to fight the goblin to the death. 9 Pure Instinc The goblin unfroze, and began a wild charge towards Ken. "RAAAAAAHHH!!!" The goblin screeched like a banshee. Adrenaline pumped through its veins, its nervous system on full blast. Out of fight or flight, the goblin had instantly reacted with "fight." It carried no weapon, but its short fingers had substantial claws. Ken''s heart skipped a beat when the goblin started its charge. Before he knew it, he made to jab at its chest with his branch, but the goblin scurried under his attack. It reared back and slashed at Ken''s wrist, but he withdrew, stepping into the creek. The goblin didn''t let up, and swung at Ken once again. Water flew everywhere, and Ken had difficulty keeping his balance, but the goblin scampered through the water naturally. Once again, Ken backpedaled when the goblin tried to swipe his at arm. Ken''s breath was already ragged, and his arteries felt like they were about to pop. The goblin panted steadily, its breath sounded like rusted metal scraping against itself. Ken tried to sidestep the goblin''s next attack, hoping to counterattack. "Shit!" Ken''s foot got caught on a rock, and he completely lost his balance. The goblin took the chance to throw a full-power slash at Ken. Ken saw this, and dropped himself into the water. The impact doused the goblin in water, but it threw itself onto Ken without missing a beat. Ken had managed to bring his branch up the guard himself, and it caught the goblin in the sternum. The impact caused Ken''s elbows to give out slightly, and the goblin took the chance to swipe at Ken''s face. The attack connected perfectly, cut into blood vessels under his brow and temple, and he started to bleed profusely. Ken screamed with pained hatred, and pushed the goblin off him. Ken rolled to his right, got to his feet, and located his balance. At the same time, the goblin got to its feet and cackled. It believed it had won, and took a breather. After all, its enemy was much more out of breath than itself. Ken was also pouring blood, so much that it covered one eye, and essentially made it impossible to see out of. The water around Ken was clouded with red, but Ken paid no attention to anything to the goblin. The fight had only started 15 seconds ago, but it felt like an eternity to Ken. He was confident, though. Ken used the time the goblin wasted catching his breath to process his situation and enemy. The goblin readied itself, and Ken tensed up, bringing his branch in front of him. The goblin threw a predictable right-handed swipe, which Ken sidestepped skillfully, and struck the goblin behind its knee with full power. The goblin fell to one knee, and tried to scramble away, but Ken had already prepared an overhand attack, and brought the branch onto the back of the goblin''s head. Ken reluctantly hit the goblin''s head a second, then a third time. When he drew blood, Ken decided that enough was enough, and that he had won. The water flowed incessantly, as if nothing happened. Clouds of red blood emanated from the goblin, and blood dripped freely from Ken''s head. His hips were bruised and his clothes were ripped and soaked through from the fall he took. His muscles were on fire and he still couldn''t stop breathing choppily. Ken had dragged the corpse to the bank. He examined it, and noticed two things. First, the goblin had an iron adventurer''s tag around its neck. Ken tied the necklace around his neck and stuffed it into his shirt. Second, the goblin had odd talons in place of big toes. Ken thought there was a good chance they could be sold for something, and he snapped, twisted, and pulled until they came off. He put them into an empty pocket on his windbreaker. Ken hesitantly undone the goblin''s loincloth, ignoring what was underneath it. He brought it over to the creek, washed it off, and fashioned it into strips. He then tied them around his head and made a makeshift bandage for his gash. Unfortunately, he didn''t have enough material, and still bled through the cloth. Ken returned to the bank, retrieved his bags and branch, slung them over his shoulder, and started walking west, to safety. 10 Completely Isolated After getting treated by a priest at a church near the eastern gate, Ken turned in the Wooker''s Rope to a guild receptionist, and had asked her about the adventurer''s tag he had found on the goblin. He took it off and showed it to her. She explained that goblins collect and wear anything shiny, and that it must''ve plundered it from an adventurer''s corpse. She took the tag, gave him a reward for finding it, thanked him, and claimed he had done a great service to the guild for finding it. Next, Ken asked some of his senior adventurers around the guild office about the talons he ripped off the goblin. "Yeah, some of the wilder goblins have those. Kinda rare, I think," chatted a blonde swordsman in scale armor. "Might wanna ask someone else," he said. "I don''t pay attention to the details too often," he snickered. After talking to someone actually helpful, Ken gathered that Forest Goblins have talons and claws unique to their subrace. After asking a handful of other people, Ken found out that there was a store that would buy the claws for a fair price. Ken left the office and started down the road. The Guild office was located in a district known as the Adventurer''s Square. Many businesses catering towards adventurers orbited around it. The businesses eventually got so numerous that they essentially formed their own district. Shops, inns, taverns, restaurants, smithies, boarding houses, and even libraries were densely packed next to each other. All shapes of stalls, shops, and peddlers sold weapons, medical supplies, and adventuring tools like torches, rope, and provisions. Ken turned down a roofed alley that was overgrown in woody vines and green ivy. It was lit by hanging metal lanterns, cats wandered between fences, and a group of female adventurers were sitting outside a shop enjoying tea. Ken thought that this alley must be in a different dimension. The chatter of the city didn''t reach his ears, and he felt incredibly at peace. "The Crys''al Pestle," Ken muttered to himself, looking up at a wooden sign. It was the shop recommended to him by several adventurers. It dealt in monster parts, magical curios, and rare herbs. Ken grabbed the ornamental door handle, and opened the door. A bell sounded, and he walked inside. His eyes began to adjust to the dark room. "Woah," Ken uttered simply. Planters hung from every inch of ceiling and draped Ken''s shoulders with vines. Shelves hung from the wall and held any kind of relic you could imagine. Racks were strewn about the floor space in rough isles. Artifacts sat on the racks, and monster parts hung from the sides. The aromas of incense, monster parts, and plants didn''t mix at all. The room didn''t smell like one single thing, and depending on what you focused on, you could either gag or feel refreshed. Ken strolled between isles, and he quickly noticed that the only things he could afford were the pharmaceutical ingredients that were typically bought in bulk. Ken eventually reached the front counter. No one was there. He waited for a minute before getting impatient. "Hello? Anyone here?" He called. Ken heard a crash and a rumbling in one of he rooms behind the counter. After a few seconds, he heard footsteps coming closer to him. A small girl of no older than ten appeared from around one of the dark corners behind the counter. She wore a dark blue, silk, mage''s robe several sizes too big for her. Her hair was brown, frizzy, and everywhere. She was rubbing her eyes vigorously and stifling a yawn. Ken waited until she was done. "Excuse me?" Ken asked politely. Then and only then, did she notice Ken. Her eyes flew to his face, widened, and then squinted with disdain. Ken waited a few more seconds while she examined him. He had an immense sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu wash over him. "Um, can I talk to the owner of the store?" Ken asked. 11 The End of the Beginning The girl puffed out her cheeks and flushed red with annoyance. "I''m tha'' owner!" She exclaimed. "You gon'' buy somethin'', or are ya'' just gon'' stand there?" She asked from below the counter. She climbed up onto a stool, and glared at Ken from eye level. "Actually, I''m looking to sell," he said, pulling the talons from his pocket. He then set them on the counter. The girl pulled a bulbous hand lens from under the counter and examined a talon. She flipped it over and looked at its base. She then did the same with the other talon. She finally set it back on the counter. She replaced the hand lens and blurted "423 Kronnas for both of ''em. No more, no less." "Make it even. 430," said Ken. "425." "Deal." ~~~ Ken left the shop and exited the silent alleyway. He reached a cobble street and walked east. The sun was starting to set, and Ken had nowhere to sleep. He eventually asked around, and was told of a cheap adventurer''s-only boarding house in the adventurer''s district of Clarenburgh. It was run by a person closely associated with the adventurer''s guild, so it was reputable. A night there cost around 180 Kronnnas. It didn''t include anything but a bed, so it was dirt cheap. Ken had also bought some street food for dinner. He ate a dish that was beans wrapped in bread, similar to a burrito, and a beverage he thought must''ve been tea. The tea had a distinctive spice that he thought must''ve come from a bit of chili pepper. They ran him around 90 Kronnas. The boarding house was old and damaged, but very clean. The owner, a half-dwarf with ginger mutton chops, was very proud of his business. Ken paid the price for a bed. The half-dwarf took Ken''s leather bag, filled with money and the other bag, for safekeeping in his office. He then led Ken to his bed, which was in a large room lined with nineteen other beds. It was one of many rooms in the boarding house. This particular section of it was male only. Some of the men were sleeping. Some were mages reading grimoires or ancient scrolls by candlelight, and some were attending to their weapons and armor. Ken noticed that most of the men who were asleep had stripped to their undergarments, so he did the same. Although he laid on a mattress of hard straw under only a thin fur, he passed out almost as soon as he closed his eyes. He had suffered through a hard day. Nobody in this world or the other had ever had a day like his. He had lived, died, and lived again all in the span of 24 hours. Even Jesus had waited three days before resurrecting. Ken had a dream of a silver sword that cut down goblins with one stroke. He dreamt of slaying all the goblins in the world, and subsequently being made king of everything. ~~~ Ken woke up disgusted with himself. He was covered in mud, grime, and sweat from the previous day''s adventure, plus the sweat he had accumulated in his sleep. He clothed himself, reluctantly, because his clothes also reeked of sweat. He didn''t notice all the filth yesterday because it slowly accumulated, but waking up and seeing, smelling, and feeling it all at once pushed him over the edge. He found the half-dwarf at the front desk and reacquired his bag. "How do most people get clean around here?" Ken asked. "Are there showers? Bathhouses, maybe?" The half-dwarf heartily chuckled and gave him directions to an adventurer exclusive bathhouse some few blocks up the road. Ken thanked him and set out for it. Ken had about 200 Kronnas left over from the talons and the adventurer''s tag''s recovery reward, and hoped using the bathhouse wasn''t going to set him back too far. It didn''t. The bathhouse wasn''t too well known, and the rates were low enough for Ken to afford an hour. He washed himself and was able to borrow a washboard to scrub his clothes. After he was somewhat satisfied with his cleanliness, he set off for the guild. Following the flow of adventurers to the guild was the most relaxing part of Ken''s day, even including the bath. Something about moving his feet without having to follow a mapped out route in his head was incredibly attractive to him. He eventually found himself at the sandstone building clad in marble. He walked in the leftmost door and went to the notice board. Jobs with quotas, like hunting and foraging, dotted the board. Ken noticed a job that recommended a party of three or more, or one person who has experience with goblins. It asked of the removal of goblins from an abandoned mine northeast of Clarenburgh. No killing required. It listed a few methods of removal, such as flooding the mine, smoking the goblins out with fire, caving in the entrance, etc. Anything to get them to move. Ken ripped the paper off the board and started to move toward the front desk. 12 On Goblins Ken took the paper up to the giant marble desk. A receptionist tended to him and looked through the job paper he was holding. "Do you have a party?" She asked. "No, but I''ve fought a Forest Goblin, so I should be fine, right?" Ken responded. The receptionist sighed. She didn''t like the fact that Ken wanted to take the job solo, but ended up giving in. She let him take on the job if he accepted some tips from her. "Follow me," the woman said, almost exasperated, but still polite. She had pointy gray ears, and Ken assumed that she was a lycanthrope, a type of therianthrope with wolf-like ears, bushy tails, large canines, and round, stunning eyes. "My name is Kamisho, by the way," she said, walking out from behind the giant marble desk. She led Ken to one of the many backrooms of the guild. Ken just followed her, silent.He was mesmerized by the rhythmic sweeping of her tail. "If you didn''t know already, you can join in on adventuring lectures that happen here nightly, for a small fee." She sighed. "Nobody really does that, though. They''d rather rush off into battle and gain knowledge from experience, but I guess that''s the spirit of adventure, isn''t it?" Ken wasn''t listening, and still stared at her tail. He had always been a dog person. Kamisho unlocked a door constructed of pitch black wood that Ken had never seen before, but he didn''t notice. All he was thinking of was touching Kamisho''s giant, fluffy, gray tail. He held himself back, but started to sweat. It was just too fluffy. Kamisho opened the door to a rectangular room. Ken followed her inside. She grabbed some materials from a bookshelf and laid them on a table in the middle of the room. She sat at the table and Ken sat directly across from her. Sprawled out on the table were diagrams, papers, and a bestiary that was open to a section on goblins. Kamisho sighed out of habit. "I''m tutoring you for free, so you''d better pay attention," she said. "Understood. I''m all ears," said Ken, glancing at Kamisho''s. He was incredibly serious and no longer spaced out, since Kamisho''s tail was hidden from view under the table. He peered over some of the papers that were in front of him. Kamisho told Ken of the basic types of goblin that were found on the frontier. As she talked about each one, she slid Ken the respective diagrams. She started with Forest Goblins, since he had already encountered one. She claimed that they were known for their sharp, claw-like fingernails, green skin, and seemingly useless talons. They were of average goblin height, about a meter tall, and were feared for being incredibly quick on their feet. Forest goblins were rarely ever seen in groups, but were incredibly dangerous when you face two or more. They liked to use weapons salvaged from adventurers, like hatchets and knives, and also weapons made by smarter goblins, like clubs and spears. Forest Goblins were introverted hunter gatherers, but were sometimes recruited by other goblins for protection. The next type of goblin that Ken was likely to encounter were Cave Goblins. Cave Goblins can''t survive out in the wilds like Forest Goblins can, so they inhabit ruins, caves, and anything else they can huddle under. A Cave Goblin''s strength can be measured by the shade and texture of their skin. The darker they are, the more effective they are in combat, gray being the weakest. But, inversely, anything lighter than gray, from light gray to pure white, are much smarter. These smart goblins can set traps, make weapons, or even practice mysticism or druidism. Cave Goblins are also unique in that they have many irregulars, or unique individuals. Pitch black goblins with white stripes or pure white goblins with black stripes can effectively use both fighting spirit and magic. Goblins with fur also show up once in a blue moon, and have troll-like strength, but insanely low intelligence. Kamisho wrapped up the lecture with hobgoblins. Hobgoblins were fully grown goblins of any kind, and were the height of a very short human, with the intelligence of a particularly stupid human. However, goblins rarely make it to adulthood and reach hobgoblin level, since they didn''t evolve to grow up, but solely to reproduce. White hobgoblins were as smart as humans, and black hobgoblins as effective in combat. Reproduction was the goblin race''s main strength and weakness. When goblins mated, which they did often, the female typically gave birth to a litter of four or more. Pregnancy only lasted a month or so, and the pups grew fast enough to be ready for combat in a few weeks. Because of all this, goblins grow at an insanely fast rate, but because of their stupidity, they often bred too fast and starved because of it. A constant state of starvation lead to goblins pillaging, stealing from, and killing anybody they can, even other goblin settlements. But much like humans, the most powerful goblins are the ones with experience, since they''ve survived attacks from people and have gained knowledge. Once they even start to slightly understand the behavior of people, they gain the ability to reason, predict, and strategize. These goblins often become leaders of settlements, and its also not rare to see an experienced goblin be black, white, an irregular, a hobgoblin, or even all four, since normal goblins die quickly. Ken prayed that his job would be quick and clean, in and out. 13 Coated in Scratches Ken gathered his dark hair in a bunch above his head and looped a piece of leather cord around it. It was starting to get frizzy, and he was annoyed. He looked into the sky until he located the source of his frustration, a large, gray mass to the east that covered the heavens. "God I hate the rain," he lied. He didn''t hate the rain, only the humid kind since it frizzed up his hair. "I hope it waits until after I''m back in town to start." He wasn''t afraid to start talking to himself since he was far away from any living creature. In fact, he couldn''t even see a plant anywhere near him. He trudged along a rocky trail some few miles to the northeast of Clarenburgh. It was ever so slightly sloped upwards, just enough to make Ken''s calves feel like they were on fire. His shoes having no support didn''t help either, and his feet hurt like they never had before. Gravel crunched under his feet and sweat dripped into his eyes. He was in hell. Ken had a different look from his usual attire. His windbreaker was tied around his waist, exposing the company-branded polo shirt he wore to work back on Earth. His leather bag was slung over his shoulder as usual, and he also had a cognac leather sheath hanging from his belt. It hung about ten centimeters down his right thigh, and sitting in it was a knife a centimeter shorter than the sheath. It was loaned to him by Kamisho. Ken walked up the trail, straining his calves more and more. He decided that it was time to take a break, and he sat on a boulder that looked appealing to his sore legs. He loosened the drawstrings on his leather bag and retrieved a cheap wineskin, which he had bought at the market, from its depths. He took a large gulp, but not too much, and paid no attention to the beads of water dripping off his chin. "Pwaaah!" He gasped in satisfaction after he swallowed. He then fastened the lid back onto the wineskin and dropped it back into his bag. He closed his eyes and tried to rest and let his calves cool down. After a few dozen seconds, he found that his hand had found its way to the sheath of his knife. He was subconsciously popping the metal snap on and off. Once he was aware of this he stopped and pulled the knife out to study it. It was weighty in his hand, but not heavy. The blade had a clip point, but much more modest than a Bowie knife''s. The finish was coated in scratches, and the edge was worn down and nicked, but it was razor sharp. It had never seen battle or blood, only rope and wood. The blade reached all the way down to the bottom of the handle, which was fashioned from a type of red wood, and it had a metal pommel at the bottom to catch his fingers if they ever slid down too far. Ken ran the pads of his fingers along the edge, testing its sharpness, and thought back to what Kamisho said when she gave it to him. "Since this job is directly related to monsters, the Guild is obligated to supply you with a weapon." She sighed. "What we''re gonna do, is lend you a weapon until you finish this job. After the job, you can pay for the weapon in full. Deal?" She looked at Ken, and her gray ears followed, waiting for a response. "Sounds good to me. What if I don''t complete the job? Can return the weapon?" Ken asked. He was always on his toes when it came to debts. Kamisho inhaled greatly. "Let''s just hope it doesn''t come to that," she said as she exhaled. "Have you noticed that you sigh a lot?" Ken had asked innocently. She got annoyed at him for pointing it out and rushed him out of the guild with the only weapon they had that his mine job could ever hope to pay for. Ken slid the knife back into the sheath at his hip, threw his bag on his shoulder, and started walking again. His hand had gotten oily from handling the blade, so he wiped off the oil on his jeans. After another hour of walking, Ken came across a sign with two words. "''Copper mine,'' huh? How simple. Guess I''m about there." After he walked another minute,the top of a cliff face came into view. He assumed the mine was at the bottom of it, and he turned ninety degrees to his left and started walking directly away from the path. He''d be much safer if he didn''t come into view exactly where the goblins expected him to, on the trail, and after he was a good distance away, he started to continue on at an angle towards the top of the hill. Ken was ten feet from the top of the hill when he put on his windbreaker, got on his hands and knees, and started crawling up the hill. He crept up under the shadow of one of the many boulders at the crest of the hill, and the base of the cliff finally came into sight. His eyes leaped to a shifting form off to his right. The sun was over the cliff, so the land around the base was drenched in shadow, and everything else around was so bright that Ken''s eyes couldn''t adjust right away. The form was moving wildly, and Ken strained his eyes trying to make it out. He started to hear it before ever fully seeing it. The screams of a boy. Ken was taken aback with surprise, but they had only just begun. The boy screamed even more. Ken had never heard anything like it, so filled with pain, yet gaining determination at the height of their volume. Ken''s eyes dilated from the stress, and consequently, he could see what was going on in the shadows. The boy was standing his ground. He held his sword out in front of him with both hands, even though chunks of his abdomen and forearms were essentially missing, and it seemed like all of his exposed skin was coated in scratches. He stared down three unharmed gray goblins with short arming swords. Two more, of slightly darker color and larger stature, stood by one of the many cave entrances that dotted the cliff face. All five of the creatures were laughing with glee. 14 Adrenaline Ken''s hands were shaking like leaf in a monsoon. He wanted to help the boy, but he couldn''t bring himself to move. Unlike his battle with the forest goblin, he wasn''t fully pumped full of adrenaline just yet, and he was facing five armed enemies instead of just one unarmed enemy. The boy screamed again as he lunged at one of his opponents. The goblin simply sidestepped the blade and slashed at him with its sword. The cut was shallow, but that was exactly what the goblins wanted, to slowly whittle the boy''s endurance down for fun. The boy was truly a plaything to them, just something to cure their boredom. Ken knew this, and it sent him over the edge. He dropped his bag, grabbed a baseball-sized rock from his feet, pulled his knife from its sheath with his left hand, and stood up into view. He was still shaking, but he put his right foot out in front of him and started walking. His breathing increased, and his eyes dilated even more. His nervous system was preparing for a fight. Ken''s walk turned into a jog, crunching the rocks under his feet. One of the spear goblins was alerted to his presence and shrieked at its friends, pointing a dark gray finger at Ken. All four of their heads turned to him, and one goblin turned its whole body. The boy took the opportunity to lunge behind it and thrust his sword into the back of its ribs, but he missed any organs by a substantial amount, and very little blood dripped from its wound. The goblin dropped its sword and started thrashing about trying to dislodge the one in its chest. As the goblin thrashed around, the boy lost his grip on his sword and stumbled backward. Its howls of pain were blood-curdling. The goblin with the sword sticking out its chest writhed around on its feet and eventually tripped over itself and dropped into the gravels face-first. When the goblin fell, the sword shot up out of its back and dislodged itself. The wound was now open and bleeding profusely. The goblin would pass out within a minute. Ken had already started sprinting, and he was only within a few meters from the two sword goblins that were left. One of them was facing the boy with its sword pointed out, the other was in a wide guard facing Ken. The boy''s sword was out of his reach, and Ken knew he had to act first or the boy would be cut down. Ken started to close the distance between him and his mark and threw his rock at the goblin''s left shoulder. He caught it off guard, and it moved its sword to try to deflect the rock, but it missed and the rock struck its shoulder. Ken was already moving in on its left side. The sword out of his way, he threw an amateur low-sweeping kick to the goblins side and sent it stumbling into the gravels. It dropped its sword, but Ken completely lost his balance and fell. He instantly found his way back onto his feet, however, and lept onto the unarmed goblin and forced his knife into its neck. It struggled and screamed, but the knife found its target, and it stopped struggling and dropped its arms. Ken pulled the knife out of the goblin''s neck, and it started to stream blood. The boy had reacquired his bloodstained sword and was in the process of fighting his goblin. It evaded all of his strikes, but it was getting slower and slower. Ken slid his knife back into his sheath, equipped an arming sword from the ground, and positioned himself behind the goblin, but it was too preoccupied with the boy to notice. The boy backpedaled a couple of times to give Ken room, and he brought the sword down onto the goblin. Like the two before it, it gushed blood and fell onto the ground motionless. "Thank y-" the boy started to say, before Ken pointed towards the two spear goblins, rushing towards them. They were still a few seconds away. "Get ready, they''re coming," Ken said as he bent down and grabbed a good looking rock. He also dropped the sword he had and picked up one with less blood. He stood back up and walked a couple of meters away from the boy, who was in a practiced stance, ready to counter-attack. The boy had regained his composure, and his training started to show itself. The goblins had split up and were upon Ken and the boy. Ken threw his rock straight at the goblin''s chest and tried to run deep into the goblins range. It saw through his attack, evaded the projectile, and slashed at Ken right as he got inside its spear''s range. Ken caught the flint spearhead with his crossguard, stepped inside the goblin''s stance, sliding the sword along the spear as he went, and shoved his opponent, sending it skidding onto the gravel. It didn''t lose its grip on its spear, however, and got back on its feet, but Ken was already attacking, rapidly sending uncoordinated attacks aimed at the goblin''s head. It blocked all of them but stumbled, and Ken kicked at its knee. The knee bent backward, overextended. The goblin howled in pain. Its guard was nonexistent, and Ken chopped at it, first opening up its shoulder, then its neck. The boy''s goblin, however, had tried to thrust its spear into his stomach, but he merely batted it away and cleaved its wrist, severing tendons. Grunting loudly in pain, it dropped its spear lowered. It mustered its strength and tried to raise his spear back up, but the boy batted it away again, this time bringing his sword down onto the goblin''s neck. All five goblins had fallen. Both humans were guzzling air. Oddly enough, Ken''s hands weren''t shaking anymore. He was very hot though, and he threw off his bloody windbreaker and dropped it far away from the five pools of blood. "Th-thank... you," the boy managed to stutter through his hard breathing. He placed his hands on top of his head and took a few seconds to catch his breath. Ken saw that the boy was preparing to say something else, and he stared at him expectantly. After his breathing had somewhat stabilized, he walked up to Ken, dropped one of his hands from his head, and went in for a handshake. "I am Thejn. I owe you a great debt, please let me serve you." 15 A Job Well Done \"Okay,\" said Ken as he reached out for Thejn''s hand. When the handshake ended, Ken''s hand was smeared with blood. Thejn was covered head to toe in blood, both his own viscous bright red and the goblins'' thin dark red. \"Did you also take this job?\" Ken asked as he made his way to a goblin''s corpse. \"Job? What job do you speak of?\" Thejn asked. \"The one that was requested of the Guild. Are you not an adve-\" Thejn''s eyebrows raised considerably. \"Somebody issued a quest? For here?\" He seemed to be in disbelief. \"But nobody in our village has the money to hire the Guild,\" Thejn said to himself. \"There''s a village here?\" Said Ken, who had stopped looting only to question Thejn. \"Of course, sir. I have lived there my whole life, and as such, I am here to eliminate the goblin threat.\" Thejn responded, full of pride. \"Some eliminating you were doing. How did you end up so badly wounded?\" \"A beast.\" \"A beast?\" \"Aye, sir. Had you been three, no, two minutes earlier, you would have caught sight of my paltry duel with it. It''s the reason I came here alone, no other man in my village has the backbone to even come near it.\" \"Just tell me what it is.\" Ken requested, impatient. \"A hobgoblin, black as night. We call him Trow.\" Ken shot up. \"Black hobgoblin? Shit, we need to hurry this up then.\" He muttered. Ken looked over the loot on the ground. Three swords the length of a woman''s arm, two makeshift spears, some leather that the goblins adorned themselves in, a handful of metal trinkets, and plenty of rocks. Of course, Ken considered the corpses a material as well, since they housed plenty of flammable fat and could be used as bait. \"You said you wanted to serve me, right?\" Ken asked. \"Of course, you have my life, sir.\" \"Okay, good. My first order is to stop calling me sir. My second is, being as quiet as possible, move these bodies close to the nest. We''ll need them.\" Thejn shot Ken a confused look. \"Pardon my rudeness, but what do these bodies have to do with killing the rest?\" \"Don''t ask questions, just do it. We may not have much time.\" \"Yes, sir.\" As Thejn begrudgingly got to work, Ken slipped the cleanest sword into his belt, gathered a spear in his hand, and left the rest of the loot on the ground. He walked towards the small, abandoned mining outpost at the base of the cliff. It was made up of only a couple dozen semi-collapsed thatch-roofed buildings that looked to be many years old. Ken searched the buildings looking for the materials he needed. First, he gathered the moldy firewood that the inhabitants had left when they moved out. Arms full of firewood, he walked to where Thejn had dragged the corpses of the goblins. \"Help me with this. Gather all the thatch and straw you can.\" Ken said to Thejn, who was watching the mine entrance. After ten minutes, they had piles of firewood, straw, thatch, some charcoal, and even some loose support pillars from one of the sunken buildings. With another ten minutes of manual labor, the material was packed a meter deep into the small entrance to the mine. Ken was planning to smoke the goblins out. \"Thejn, when did goblins settle into this mineshaft? The Guild told me it was two weeks ago.\" \"They''d be right, sir.\" \"Then they didn''t have the time to dig out an exit tunnel, right?\" Ken asked. Technically, it wasn''t in the job description to worry about any escapees, but he couldn''t help but feel that if they weren''t all dead that he had failed his mission. \"No, they should be trapped once the fire starts. If they aren''t, I''d be able to finish them off, even in my current state.\" Thejn was still low on blood and missing muscle tissue, but the poultices and elixir he carried had magically clotted his wounds within minutes. \"Alright then,\" Ken said, getting on his knees. He used his knife to cut off scraps of fat from around the goblin''s abdomen. They were naturally greasy creatures, and Ken figured that hay soaked in goblin fat would be set alight at even the smallest spark. He wrapped the fat in cloth salvaged from the buildings and squeezed it as hard as he could over the thatch and hay. After it was essentially soaked, he threw the fat onto the woodpile and used the flint of his spear and his knife to throw sparks in the general direction of the hay. It had been two minutes since he had started throwing sparks, and his arms were exceptionally tired. \"Maybe the outpost has a proper flint and steel, sir. Do you want me to-\" Thejn started to say but was cut off by the slight roaring of flames. The fat had finally caught, and it wasn''t planning on stopping. Ken blew at the hay and placed kindling on top of the pile. After two minutes, Ken and Thejn were feeding the mouth of the mine more and more firewood. Smoke billowed out of the front of the mineshaft but much more forced itself inside. The bestial flames lapped the supports of the mine, seemingly waiting to gorge itself on the large morsels of wood. The howls of goblins were very audible, but their fear of the flames kept them from getting close to the entrance. One howl, in particular, stuck out to Ken, and he imagined that Trow would no longer pose a threat. Just about when the howls seemed like they''d never seem to fade, they disappeared without a trace. No great, final howl, no last-resort attempt to put the fire out. Just silence. Ken was ecstatic, and for just a split-second, Ken found it odd that the death of dozens of living creatures gave him such satisfaction. He brushed away the idea without a second thought. After the howls subsided, Ken and Thejn stopped feeding the fire and let it die. They knew they''d be there for a while until it was just coals, so they conversed to pass the time. 16 Home All that was left of the once roaring fire was embers. Less than half of the sun was visible as it disappeared into the western horizon. Ken and Thejn sat on the ground in front of the fire. \"That about does it,\" Ken exhaled. He looked at Thejn and realized the boy was somehow fast asleep, sitting straight up. \"Must be awful tired to fall asleep in that position,\" Ken thought. Stealthily, Ken uncrossed his legs and stood up. He walked over to Thejn, bent down, and poked the boy''s ribs. He didn''t wake up, so Ken poked him more. \"Wake up,\" Ken ordered, annoyed. No response. \"Shit... Is he dead?\" Ken dropped to one knee and searched around the boy''s neck, feeling for a pulse. He found it and sighed, relieved. He also noticed that Thejn''s face was very pale, and assumed that he was just passed out due to a loss of blood. Ken felt the boy''s face and noticed that it was cool to the touch. He stood back up and walked to the west. Earlier, when the boy mentioned his village, he had looked in that direction. Sure enough, when Ken reached the edge of the hill, he could make out a couple of dozen huts half of a mile away. He turned back around and walked towards Thejn. Ken figured that Thejn was around the age of a high school freshman and no more than 150 pounds. He wore his mid-length, blond hair in a high ponytail, secured by a blue ribbon. His wool shirt was in shreds, and his trousers stained various shades of crimson. Ken dropped to his knees on pulled Thejn up off the ground. He then draped Thejn''s torso over his shoulder and stood up. He planned on fireman carrying Thejn to his village. Walking down the hill proved to be a challenge, especially in the slick mud. Ken''s canvas shoes were effectively ruined, and he could already feel his ankles screaming in agony over the lack of support. He swore to himself he''d buy proper boots when he made it back to the city. Ken luckily reached the bottom of the hill without dropping the boy. He knelt and slipped Thejn off his shoulders. He decided it would be best to take a rest for a couple of minutes. He was close to the village anyway, so he didn''t see the rush. After a minute resting, Ken felt a little better about walking the rest of the way. He lifted the boy onto his shoulders, then began walking towards the village. By the time he made it to the village, the sky was littered with stars and the air in front of him was pitch black. Light crept from the cracks of a hut door. Ken lowered the boy to the ground in front of the door, rapped on the wood, and slipped away into the darkness. Soon after Ken was in the shadows, he heard the door open. A couple of voices cut through the silence of the night, but Ken paid no attention. He kept walking in the direction he thought was towards Clarenburgh, guided by nothing but the light of the night sky. Ken made an effort to stop looking up at the stars because every time he did, his eyes had to adjust to the light and it made it impossible to see anything when he tried to look forward. When his night vision was at its best, Ken felt that he could practically see in the dark. He never realized his night vision was so good. He found it entertaining that he was discovering new skills he never knew he had. For one, he surprised himself by how effectively he handled himself in a fight. In this most recent skirmish with goblins, he escaped completely unscathed. He felt as though he found a new side of himself. A darker, more aggressive, yet calmer and more clever part of his psyche that only revealed itself when faced with a life-or-death scenario. It wasn''t that his mind was clear during a fight, instead he felt that it was more cluttered and chaotic. But he didn''t mind the chaos. Conscious thought and instinct moved together as one, and he found himself moving almost exactly like he wanted to. Of course, he slipped up here and there, but perfection would come with practice. Ken walked an hour away from the village when he realized it was too late to keep going on. He kept walking and examined his surroundings, looking for anything to use as shelter. Eventually, he came upon a thick coniferous tree, and at its base, a thick sheet of pine needles. Ken supposed pine needles would make good of a bed as anything else out in the forest. He found a suitable spot to lay and dropped his bag. He lowered his body onto the soft pine needles and lied on his back for all of a couple of seconds before he fell asleep. The smell of sap was thick and heavy in his nose as his consciousness drifted away into the night.