Entry TwoPart 1 of the Saga of the Light EagleIf I had a Master...Year 267Source:
The field stood open to receive it's latest users. Who knows how many it had seen over the centuries and how much blood it had drank. How many bones had lain here for it's beasts and bugs to feast upon, but today it welcomed even more.
An elf stood resolute one hand behind him holding a spear at the ready and the other out palm forward ready to counter. His armor was patchwork wood with cracks and splinters throughout. A desirable target for any weapon
Facing him stood a goblin swordsman in a patchwork assembly of all metal armors and weapon likely scavenged from wielders who had scavenged
it themselves. Perhaps some who would have even fought on this very field, if it cared to express such history to it's users.
The goblin menacingly swung it's sword mocking and jeering as the elf calmly waited. The two faced off for a long time before the goblin realized the elf would not take the bait. A moment of quiet tension fell upon them instead until finally screaming the goblin charged forward swinging at the vulnerable elf. As blade came down the elf was already out of the way and stabbed out as the goblin in turn quickly jumped back.
The goblin swings again as the elf catches blade upon spear and shoves the goblin aside and stabs at an opening in the chest piece, but doesn't score deeply enough. Goblin swings again as the elf dodges around it and stabs again at the foot and then swings knocking the goblin over. The creature roared in pain and swung again as the elf continued to dodge and waited for his opening. Finally after enough thrashing by his opponent the spearman saw his chance and stabbed out impaling the goblin through the face and ending it's life.
The goblins companions looked at the elf and charged forward shouting and bearing weapons. As they neared an arrow flew from behind the spearman and struck one goblin in the stomach slowing it.
From behind the spearman a wild eyed and laughing goblin ran forward and met the first of the oncomers brutally cutting him to pieces while laughing. The other goblins saw this and began to ran in simplistic fear as the new mad goblin chased one down and began slashing and beating it with it's sword. He made bloody notches using a blade as a club as the spearman approached from behind.
The mad swordsgoblin was stretching out the kill as he beat the other screaming goblin to death and the spearman in pity ended the victim's life with a quick thrust as he walked by.
The field stoically welcomed it's new blood and bones as always.
"No better killing than killing your own!" Uvel the mad laughed walking towards Arthur dripping with the blood of his kin. His own companion Birello and Arthur's Miaralei walked up to join the two. Arthur was still new to this adventurer experience and considered what he should say that would sound appropriate. "You should not waste a weapon by misusing it" He decided on saying
The blood-covered goblin tilted it's head to the side in confusion looking more beastial than his kind normally did. "Eh? I can get a new one if this one breaks. Plenty of dead ones out here who won't be missing theirs. Been good hunting these last few days!"
Miara cut in "Next time stand to the side a little more when you go mad or my arrow might cut you down next"
Birello was calmer, but no less vicious than Uvel "They're sending out patrols after us now, but out here I wouldn't expect anything more than what we saw today."
The two goblin mercenaries barely qualified for the term. When the elves met them they were both working for bandits, but agreed they'd rather join up with the elves who were clearing this region of threats to travelers and traders. Neither elf trusted them, but they quickly proved true to their word as Uvel shortly after spotted a goblin ambush and killed the members himself. They had no loyalty to anything other than a good battle.
Arthur looked pensive, which he learned as a trader made people think you were thinking a lot more deeply than you actually were, and spoke "How long does this go on exactly though? I've been using this trade route between Razorbridge and Incenseorder for over a century. We clear a town of Nusmzolak goblins and then it later fills with bandits or blight victims. Clear them out and someone else shows up."
"That is the way of things" Birello said calmly whip now put away.
"Yes and isn't it grand?" Uvel laughed basking in his own carnage
"What are you getting at, Arthur?" Miaralei asked
At times like this being a leader he wished he had a mentor like most of the great heroes had. Jas, the warriors after him, the great king Arthur had helped dig up and more. All had that one wise man who would give those clever nuggets of wisdom that kept everyone moving towards progress. Arthur had to improvise the role "I think our answer will be revealed as we continue to press forward" he said
Miara frowned. She found such lines from him annoying, but didn't care to express it in their current company.
Over the next few days as they had done in previous they continued to scour the regions attacking each dark pit, camp, and township for Nusmzolak presence. It bothered Miara that Birello and Uvel didn't care about killing their own kin, but the goblins felt no sense of hypocrisy hindering the efforts of their own.
One day as the two elves sought a moment alone by a nearby brook they spoke at length at the situation
"I'm quite content hunting these defiling filth for another decade or two, love" she said as she sat admiring a flower near her. The beauty of nature softened her features which more often than not were contorted in disgust or malice these days.
"Then after we leave more will show up"
"And? We don't have an army to go and wipe them all out. So we must be content to hunt them like the rabid beasts they are or move on" she said incredibly calmly as she gently stroked the stem of the flower. She was careful not to break it, and therefore kill it, as humans were inclined to.
"This tradeway is used by our people too. If I came through with a human caravan I would have guards otherwise myself and the others would be hiding in the trees with our animals whenever a patrol came near. They often range north past Razorbridge to raid our own people's land as well"
"Yes, poor Razorbridge. Shame that the dwarves stopped holding that giant corpse made of nature"
"Shame indeed, but it's not totally empty. There are a few dwarves there, but they hide when people pass through for the sheer amount of raiding parties from different groups"
Miara waited patiently for her companion to reach his point.
"If I had a master he would say....Look behind you to see the opportunities to come"
Miara giggled "That sounds like nonsense"
"Miara, why can't our people just conquer these lands and protect them?"
"You serious? There's hardly any of us left. There was only three other elves living in your home forest and that's a normal number"
It was true. The elves had expanded aggressively to reclaim lost forests, but had no people to manage them. One family might oversee an entire forest that a hundred elves had protected in previous centuries
"So look behind us instead" Arthur said and Miara gave him an annoyed look again as he continued "The blight is back west towards Incenseorders. Entire towns have picked up and are fleeing in all directions to get out of the tainted lands. 'Cursed' they call it!"
"Likely is, love. What about it though? You wanna infect the goblins with the blight so they'll eat each other? That'd be funny"
"No no, they'd become a worse problem. We need the refugees fleeing the blight! These folk need a home, and it's right here!"
Miara laughed now "Right. A home filled with bandits and goblins and completed devastated by war and raiding?"
"Yes, but it would be their land! Anyone making a trade wants to feel like their in control of it and the same is true for life even if the deal isn't great. Same way for power too. Food runs low and so merchants seek to bring more sensing the opportunity. Goblins get cleared out? Bandits find a new home and so what if instead of trying to stop that we brought the refugees here and let them be lords of their own lands?"
"Sounds like a bad deal"
"Yes, but they'd be in control of their lives again. Since it's their land they'd also fight to protect it and they'd help keep the route safe! I think this is it!"
"Sounds silly, love, but I won't deny that humans have a foolish need to be in control. Where do we start?"
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Topic: Museum III, adventure succession game (DF 0.47.05) (Read 409385 times)