 
ENZI'S IRREGULARS ACT III

Thunder and Lightning

by Steve Mossman

Published by Steve Mossman at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Steve Mossman

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Table of Contents

Update #0041

Update #0042

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Enzi's Irregulars #0041

The forest in the north of Nuvroc was known as the Halcyon Wood. It was meant to be a place of hope, a frontier land full of promise. Now it was a major front in the Fifth Goblinoid War. Through this forest walked five odd mercenaries and their leader. The leader was a man from Feergrus. He was far from his native land this far north. He was Enzi Cala, once a general in the armies of his homeland and now merely the commander of his unique mercenary band, Enzi's Irregulars.

With Enzi were the gorgon archer Eurysa Thulea Medenos, the minotaur warrior Aldebaran Celeno, the vicious vodyanoi Kava Roukami, the shapeshifting lycanthrope Mayitso Hastine, and the newest member was the Halz known as Ritter Earthbreaker. His original clan name had been Platinum instead of Earthbreaker, but he had discarded that name when he came to the surface to find possible answers for the woes of his people. Now this ragtag group was headed to aid the war effort.

The Halcyon Wood was a not as dense as the Tarvo Forest but was far less populated. Most of the Nuvroci town were fishing villages on the shore at the edge of the forest. The only other town was Brixia, a mining town on the Nuvro Range. The hills near there had trees but near the town the forest quickly waned. It was the town closest to the Goblinoid Lands and had an extensive military presence there to protect it. The northern front was south of there closer to the border.

Unlike the rigid border of Ravalei, the border between Nuvroc and the goblinoids was porous. As this was a wild frontier, the only protection in the Halcyon Wood had long been the Nuvroci Rangers. Enzi was unsurprised when one of them challenged the group. He was surprised that no one had noticed them before, but the focus was certainly more for the goblinoids in the far south. This ranger, however, looked as if something had been pestering him.

"Who goes there?" the stout ranger called out in Nuvro.

"Warriors to fight the goblinoid menace," Enzi replied in the same language.

"You seem to have a unique collection with you," the ranger said, "How do I know you are telling the truth?"

Ritter barked out, "Are you trying to deny a Halz a chance to bash some nose-less skulls in?"

"Admittedly the Tarvoni have summoned some odd monsters to their bidding, but I can't imagine a Halz working with them. Especially with their alliance with the goblinoids."

"The Tarvoni have allied with the goblinoids?" Enzi asked.

"Just the Abyss Cult from what we have seen, but that is dangerous enough. They have their mages working to summon monstrosities to aid the goblinoids in their war effort. Such creatures are skilled in the forest and negate a lot of the advantage the Nuvroci Rangers have here."

"We are here to give you a new advantage then," Enzi replied, "Our skills will hopefully help turn the tide of the northern front back completely in your favor."

"We need it," the ranger replied with a sigh, "I will escort you to base camp as soon as I find my blasted apprentice. She has gone to ground to take a nap again."

Mayitso snorted the air and the ranger laughed, "Good luck with that. She masks her scent well."

Eurysa hissed, "She might at that, but the senses of our friend are quite excellent."

The lycanthrope snuffled around then began circling around. Suddenly he growled at what appeared to be nothing. It seemed to be nothing but underbrush but as they neared the group could her the distinct sound of soft snoring. The ranger jumped down and sneaked up to the underbrush thinking to surprise his apprentice. As he neared however, there was a glint of metal. An arrowhead poked up from the underbrush.

"Lunaris Justis!" the Ranger yelled, "It is time to get a move on."

A small stout Nuvroci teen snorted and seemed to appear out of nothingness as she emerged from the underbrush yawning. Like most Nuvroci she was broadly built with a yellowish skin tone. Unlike most Nuvroci she was covered with bits of foliage. Twigs and leaves had become embedded in her long tangled dark brown hair. Bits of dirt acted as natural camouflage. Her main weapon was a Nuvroci bow. They were built to fire heavy arrows and do considerable damage to unarmored or lightly armored foes. They were less likely to penetrate heavy armor.

This often led to a Nuvroci tactic of shooting into the midst of their own front line soldiers. The front line was mostly made up of what were known as the Steel Warriors. These brave soldiers not only wore heavy armor but even had steel plates fused onto their own skin. Not every Nuvroci could handle the process, so every person that could was recruited into the force. It did not matter if the person was the son of the rich and privileged. The Steel Warriors were largely considered to be nearly invulnerable. Enzi was certain it was not true, but such armor and their reputation both worked to their advantage on the battlefield.

Lunaris was certainly no Steel Warrior. Enzi imagined she was almost the same age as his sister's granddaughter. Lunaris might be slightly older, but Enzi was not entirely sure of how old his own great niece was as he had no contact with his family for a great many years. It reminded Enzi of what he had lost but he was not sad. His great niece might never know him but she was safe from his reputation and safe from the war. As she was learning of the healing arts, Enzi suspected she would never see the front line of combat. Lunaris, however, was learning to be one of the Nuvroci Rangers.

Enzi was not sure how seriously she was taking it. She had skill with her bow and with stealth. Yet she had used her stealth merely to avoid her teacher and get more sleep. It was obvious that the elder ranger had found frustration in dealing with the young woman. Enzi could not imagine how anyone could seem as calm as the young Lunaris. The southern part of the Halcyon Wood was dangerous. He could understand why her teacher was having problems. Such an attitude likely meant he would be returning without an apprentice.

"I am Enzi," the Feergrus man said to break the silence, "These are the rest of my force. We call ourselves Enzi's Irregulars."

Lunaris snorted slightly at that as her teacher nodded, "I am Kasamir Contego, ranger of the Halcyon Wood. This is my young apprentice Lunaris Justis."

Enzi nodded and introduced the Irregulars and Kasamir led the group southwards through the forest. As they moved further south Kava seemed more and more spry. The air was getting moist. The Siren Swamp dominated a lot of the area and most of the goblinoid lands were marshlands as well. Clouds that hit the Nuvro range dumped their payload on this side. It was one reason Nuvroc was so dry. The drainage eventually led to the sea at the Rava Coast, but the swamps and Lake Hargis held a lot of the moisture.

Further south were the dryer lands of Agon A lot of the land there was similar in composition to the badlands of Feergrus, but the constant moisture from the rains caused by the mountain range kept it green. It certainly has not the best farmland, those rolling plains instead housed Agon's mighty horses. The Disputed Lands had soil similar to the fertile soil of Agon's river basin but did not have the moisture to support crops except near the Tarvo Forest. That was a dangerous place however, thanks to the Hirkans and the Tarvoni.

After several hours of walking, the day turned towards dusk. The group settled down to camp. It was still at least another day to the base camp. Most of the group was leery of having Lunaris alone on watch and Kasamir still did not fully trust the Irregulars. He did show some trust to Ritter, so Kasamir and Mayitso took first watch and Ritter and Lunaris were to take second watch. It was certain to be a long night.

***

The goblin sharpened his knife. Like most goblins, he was short and wiry. Unlike most goblins, his weapon was of the very highest quality. It was an iron blade of nearly the finest human make. The finest crafters of Nuvroc could make a sturdier blade with the quality of a dwarven weapon. The experts of Tarvon could make a sharper blade with quality equal to elven make. The Caseans had learned to master both of these disciplines in order to make their superior weaponry. Yet this weapon was still far deadlier than would be expected in the hands of a goblinoid.

The greenish gray skin of the goblin was marked with lines of mud as camouflage. Grime caked the masterfully crafted knife to hide its metallic gleam. The dextrous fingers of the creature delicately traced the line of a human skull on a shelf beside him. It was one of dozens. The entire place reeked of blood and death. It was strong enough that even the goblin could experience the scent as he breathed through his mouth. Like all goblinoids he had no nose and smelled with mouth. It was his weakest sense.

His strongest sense was his sight. The eyes of a goblinoid were large. They could see in the dark with ease, even where no light seemed to reach. Their hearing was excellent as well, their large ears aided them with that. A poor sense of smell had allowed the goblins to deal with the stench of the bogs and the filth they lived in. It was said that disease had once run rampant among the goblinoids, but now they were nearly immune to such things. At least those that survived were, a lot of goblinoid children died.

This goblin had lived. He had seen the suffering of his people. Their living conditions were horrible. The humans had driven them into the lands that the humans did not want. When he had learned of the push for war, this goblin had been the first to join the cause. He had long hunted the humans when he could, always narrowly avoiding retaliation. Now that the war was on he had a great many new skulls to add to his collection. He expected to add a great many more.

He no longer had a name. He had given it up. His old name had told of ancient tribal affiliations and therefore held all the rivalry that came with that. This goblin had decided that the rivalry between tribes was petty. He had even decided that the rivalry between the four different goblinoid races was petty. Each had their place. The raw muscle of the orc, the tactics of the hobgoblin, the aquatic surprises of the bugbear, and the stealth and agility of the goblin.

Now the goblin was nothing more than a shadow. The humans had many names for him. Some called him the Hunter of Man. Some called him the Beast that Takes Trophies. They called him a monster. Perhaps he was. He did not care. He had been made into a monster by the humans. He would show them what a true monster was. It was time for another hunting trip into what the humans called the Halcyon Wood. He hoped for an actual challenge this time.

He moved silently from the small hidden home he had made at the edge of the Siren Swamp. He had honed his skills to be sharper than his blade. Even the wildlife did not seem to notice him. For many years his worst foes had been the Nuvroci Rangers. He had finally taken the first of ranger trophy in his last trip out. His skills had finally come to a point where he could match them. Finally he would have his revenge on the human race. There were none who could stop him now.

Enzi's Irregulars #0042

The base camp was swarming with activity. Humans of several countries were there, though it was mostly Nuvroci and Ravaleians. Enzi suddenly had second thoughts about bringing the Irregulars to the front. Could such a diverse group of humans work with an even more diverse group of monsters? It was too late now, the group had been spotted by the sentries. It would be up to the word of Kasamir and Enzi's own persuasive skills to make this work.

Kasamir and Ritter led the way as Enzi hung back slightly. Lunaris was at the rear, looking exhausted. The encampment itself was interesting. Simple walls had been built between trees to make a basic fortification. It was well camouflaged. The walls were covered with various underbrush. Vines from Siren Swamp helped hold much of it together. It was enough to keep the base camp relatively safe from passing eyes unless they got too close.

Kasamir called out softly to the camp guard in Nuvro, "Allies incoming."

A pathway opened through the greenery and Kasamir led the Irregulars inside. Many eyes were on the odd new arrivals. One man stepped forward. He was a Nuvroci wearing plate armor. He was perhaps twenty-five years old but his brown eyes told a tale of having seen rough times. He had shaved his head and it was obvious that somehow this young man was in charge.

"This is an interesting group you have brought us Kasamir," the large Nuvroci man said with a respectful voice.

"Yes general," the Nuvroci ranger replied, "A mercenary group of some fame here to aid us against the goblinoid threat."

"Then welcome to the northern front. I am acting general Cassius Tessium of the Nuvroci army."

"Acting general?" Enzi asked.

Cassius nodded, "I was the second in command until the last general was slain by a monster."

"And now you get thrust into command," Ritter said, "It is never a pleasant experience."

"Ah, one of the mountain folk," the general said with obvious relief, "I know you have little love for the mouth breathers."

"Yes. My hammer could stand to crush quite a few more of their skulls. With their eyesight in the dark, they often encroach on my people's lands under the mountain. Our history tells us plenty of times where the goblinoids brought havoc to the world. By my count this would be the Fifth Goblinoid War after all."

"Not sure how comfortable some of the foreigners will be with your allies, but we need all the help we can get," Cassius said, "We have been losing good people here thanks to some sort of invisible monster. It got one of the most experienced rangers last time. Now our best are Kasamir and Medeus. Which is why I am glad you are back Kasamir. We need your skills to stop this monster."

"Perhaps we can help," Ritter said, "I believe we have proven we have some useful skills in detection."

Kasamir nodded, "The nose of your friend there is sharper than my skills of perception, that is certain."

"If it can stop our best people from being taken out we will take whatever help we can get," the acting general looked around, "With that in mind, I guess I should introduce you around. Better we be up front about things and avoid confusion."

The general led the group over to a stocky Nuvroci man. He was a solid four inches under six feet tall and looked to be in his early twenties. Like Lunaris he had a Nuvroci style bow and a mace strapped to his belt. However, he wore a buckler on his arm for extra protection. Normally Enzi would imagine such a weight would be a drag on the archer's aim, but this man had serious muscle. Enzi imagined this man would be just as deadly with his mace as with his bow.

"We have over a dozen rangers here, but only two masters. You have already met Kasamir. This is Medeus Tarim."

"Greetings," the stout Nuvroci said gruffly, followed by introductions of the Irregulars.

"While most of the Kurrot are dealing with the western front, we actually have one of the Bladestorms here," Cassius said as they approached a man who was not much taller than Medeus but was at least twenty pounds lighter.

He was all lean muscle and his ice blue eyes told of some past Ravaleian ties. If he was even eighteen years old however, Enzi would have been surprised. He wore a pair of short blades. Paired weapons was a signature of the elite Bladestorms. His tabard was green with a white eight pointed star on it, the symbol of Kurrot. It was rare to see a Bladestorm that young by himself at the very least, more so that he was on the northern front. Enzi imagined there was a story there.

"This is Syrian Dow," the general said before he proceeded to introduce the Irregulars.

The Kurrot nodded, "Nice to meet you. Hopefully all of you together can keep up with the number of goblinoids I hope to stop."

"Ooh, I like this one," Kava croaked, "A killer after my own heart."

"Next up we have our small Ravaleian contingent," Cassius said, "They have a few warriors but their main muscle is in the form of a couple of mechanics and the golems they keep in working order."

The powerful Nuvroci made introductions as the Irregulars shuddered at the thought of the power of golems. The encounter with the Bone Golem had been a harrowing experience. The two golems here were both made of hardened wood and likely had been pulled from the golem wall that protected Ravalei after they had been replaced by more powerful golems.

As a small contingent of soldiers passed by and were quickly introduced the acting general spoke, "While we have several dozen Nuvroci soldiers here, I am the only Steel Warrior and the only one who had joined the order of the Myrmidon. The former general was a Steel Warrior as well, but he is gone now. There is one other person I think you should meet. Other than you, he is our newest arrival. He came to us after an adventure on the isle of Casea of all things."

They saw the man at first from behind. He was powerfully built with hair that was a surprisingly light brown for an Agonish man. He was wearing a shirt of mail armor and had a buckler on his arm. On his belt was a blade of astonishing quality. It had to be a Casean blade. As the nearly six foot man turned towards the Irregulars, they all felt a moment of fear and worry. White paint marked the man's dark face up from his nose, across his eyes, then down his cheeks. It was the Agonish letter M. The only people that wore such makeup were the Agonish Magehunters.

"This is Beren Gendar, Magehunter of Agon."

***

"Sir, all is in readiness," the Agonish soldier said.

"Good, then we wait," his commander replied.

"We aren't attacking?"

"Of course not. This is the southern front. Like the western front, if we push forward we dive directly into the marshy areas. We would be at a serious disadvantage. No, we are here to held the line. To protect the innocents. Even if we were to push, it would only drive the goblinoids into the wilds of the northern front. There may be some missions into the Goblinoid Lands from here, but our job is to but stand and wait. The goblinoids will come to us. The northern front is where all the action is."

"But they are undermanned up there, it will be a slaughter," the soldier answered.

"It may be rough at first, but more men will arrive there each day. The skills of over a dozen of their rangers are there to stymie our foes until we can secure the border. The Ravaleians are even sending golems. Once things are solid, the real push will begin. The goblinoids will be driven into our lines. They won't stand a chance.

***

The wizened goblin spat on the ground. Burn marks covered most of his body and one of his hands was missing. He walked with the aid of a staff. The young and powerful hobgoblin in front of him looked rather disappointed.

"Have the humans driven such fear in you with what they did to you Ranum?" the hobgoblin asked, "I would have thought you would be the first to call for this war and support a leader with vision."

"It is not fear," the elderly goblin replied, "It is knowledge. You follow the plans of the humans, these pale mages. You think with their power you will be able to crush the other humans."

"They have more power than just their magic," the hobgoblin stated.

"Yes, I have seen their beasts. I even know of the young dragon they prepare as their ultimate weapon. You may succeed for a while, but in the end you are missing the key components to win. Your impatience will be your downfall."

"If we follow your way, we will never see victory. Your hopes rest on your young protege. His military tactics are quite impressive, we could use him in the war."

"He is not ready to lead yet," Ranum replied coldly.

"Not the whole army, no, but he could gain some glory in control of a smaller group. We could use your shaman powers as well."

"This path is folly. I have every reason to hate the humans, as you know. This alliance with the scum will only bring pain and suffering."

"It is only a means to an end, but I see your hate runs too deep to deal with them. I can not argue this. It burns me to deal with them, but if they are willing to fight the other humans I am all for them slaughtering each other."

"They can do that without us," Ranum said wearily, "We are not yet prepared for what it will take to win this war. The dragon is young. It may be powerful but it is still vulnerable. If we press this attack now, we will lose. It will delay our revenge for a great many years. Until we have shored up our resources, this war is mere foolishness."

"I am sad that you and your followers will not join us in the glorious conquest. I am sure you will change your minds when we unleash the great beast and sweep into Agon, laying waste to the horse lands and eliminating their steeds. We will no longer cower in fear of their cavalry charges and the dreadful music of their heralds. They have nothing that can withstand such a creature. Acquiring the egg so many years ago and hatching it as part of our army was brilliant. It now serves us rather than itself."

"What of the mother of the beast?" Ranum asked.

The hobgoblin snorted, "There are no such creatures left in this world or we would have heard more tale of them. This is the last remnant of their once great power. A trinket taken from the lizardfolk who had no vision and merely kept the egg safe and unused."

"I can't imagine an egg that lasts for so long, only to hatch when it is convenient," Ranum said, "This whole situation stinks of treachery."

"We will see," the hobgoblin said firmly, "But we control the dragon now. It is too late for treachery on behalf of the monster. I shall leave you know to contemplate things. I hope to see you on the war front some day soon."

As the hobgoblin left a much younger hobgoblin appeared from a back room, "What will this mean for your plans?"

"Nothing," Ranum said, "If we can find the old artifacts we will have what we need to stand against any foe. The Three Brothers are said to be weapons beyond all reckoning. Weapons that have slain even dragons. We must find a way to minimize goblin casualties in this war. We will need our armies for the real war later. Go and use your mind. It is your greatest weapon. Find answers to this riddle. I shall seek answers of my own as well."

Enzi's Irregulars #0043

The hearts of Enzi's Irregulars all dropped. They remembered the last Magehunter they had encountered. It was possible that history could repeat itself. Beren looked to the group with eyes that said he had seen much more than a man of his age should have seen. While he was no more than twenty five years old, it was obvious he had been through several harrowing adventures already. He scanned the inhuman monsters and their Feergrus leader without a noticeable reaction.

"Good to have more people to aid us," Beren said in a soothing baritone voice, "I just arrived not too long myself and I have seen how understaffed this front currently is. I had originally planned to join the rest of the Agonish troops at the southern front when I learned of the war, but there was no way I could leave this side of the war until we get fully manned."

Enzi was surprised at the calm and relaxed manner of the Magehunter, then Beren continued, "You have run into another magehunter before."

Enzi nodded, "Yes. The last magehunter that ran into my mercenaries had issues with the inherent power of a non-human creature."

Beren nodded, "I could see that. Some Magehunters are more zealous than others. There are many that can not travel to Ravalei as they would slay the wizards there without regard to Ravaleian law. The more even tempered we are, the more likely to find us traveling far afield. In some places, like the Disputed Lands, it really turns into a case of anything goes."

"That is unusual. Most military training I have seen involves getting everyone to follow one set goal and keep them all moving towards that goal in much the same way," Enzi replied.

"Training to be a magehunter is very different," Beren stated, "They search long and hard for the candidates for the training. Only a rare few have the talent to be able to detect magic. Even then, the ability varies greatly. While I can see magic by looking, some can only smell it or hear it. Since there are not a lot of people that can be Magehunters, the training focuses on skills instead of discipline. They attempt to hone our ability to perceive magic and our combat ability. No one walks out of Hadrarius unless they are a very dangerous warrior."

"That is certainly true," Eurysa hissed, absentmindedly rubbing the snake that had its head lopped off by a Magehunter.

"Even then, fighting mages and their allies alone is a dangerous business. Most of us don't survive long. Those that do survive for at least a year in the field are called on to do greater and greater deeds. The survivors are honed into deadlier and deadlier weapons."

"Until you find a foe who's armor you can not breach," Enzi stated at the realization of the grim life of a Magehunter.

Beren nodded, "This war will be a test of the Magehunters. I have survived on my own for over five years now. I fear the dangers of this war will be my ending. The Tarvoni that have allied themselves with the goblinoids need to be stopped. Without their beasts, it is simply a war against the goblinoids. That may be tough enough on its own, but at the moment it seems more like an impossible task."

"Until we get reinforcements, the whole northern front will be rough," Enzi replied, "Especially with this monster that is killing people."

Beren nodded his head in agreement, "I've searched the area around the slayings. Whatever it is, it does not have a magical signature. The only magic in the area are the spells that power the two golems over there. I think the Ravaleians are worried that I'm going to destroy their toys."

"The last golem we dealt with left me a couple pounds lighter," Aldebaran grunted as he rubbed the empty area where his left horn used to be, "Although it was an experiment for the war effort that did not work right."

"Too bad," Beren said, "As long as the golems do what they are supposed to, I'm not worried about them. If I had a problem with Ravaleians doing magic, I would have never made it through their country to take the black ship to Casea."

"Yes, I noticed your blade," Enzi said.

Beren sighed, "If I knew what I would encounter to get it, I would have never gone to the isle."

"I've heard tales of the isle, but I've never visited it myself."

"Don't," Beren said simply, "There is little left there now, and what is left is in the most terrible places. I arrived at what they call Adventurer's Port with little to worry me. I explored the ruins of what had once been a great port, supposedly the capital of the country. The floods had done some damage, time had done more, but the greatest damage had been the visitors. The rubble had been picked clean. The people from the black ship were busy collecting their mold. I busied myself heading inland."

"Ah, the rare mold you mentioned to me," Ritter said towards Enzi.

"It funds their trips to the isle," Beren said, "Though I can not think of any legal uses for that stuff."

"Crime often pays more," Enzi stated, "They sell it to the Ravaleian assassins, which while not legal, they are socially accepted."

"Ravalei calls itself a pure democracy," Beren said, "But sometimes it feels more like anarchy. It is still more civilized than what I found on Casea. I searched further and further inland, finding everything picked over by other scavengers. Dangerous creatures walked the ruins. Mostly the enormous ants."

"I've heard tale of the Casean Ants," Kava said, "If they are as large as I have heard, then they should not exist. Insects can not grow that large, they are not designed to handle that."

"I imagine magic is to blame," Beren said, "Though the Razor Mantis found in Kurrot are of similar size."

"The trenchers we dealt with were foul enough," Kava stated, "I worry when so many creatures are of proportions that do not make sense. Next thing you know, someone will tell me that the dragons from the legends told by the troglodytes are real."

"I don't know about dragons," Beren said, "But there is something far worse lurking in Casea. I approached a city that had once been known as Lorica. It was the center of scientific achievement and magical research for Casea. Just seeing it in the distance made me think of turning back. Great clouds swirled above the city in a constant maelstrom."

"I hate to think what the damage to the isle might have done with all that magic and science," Enzi said, "From what you are saying, you found something terrible."

"Beyond terrible," Beren replied, "It was confirmation of something I was not sure I believed. I felt I had little to fear, so I entered the city. I searched around despite a sense of foreboding and pure evil. A great many treasures sat unclaimed. It seemed too easy. I saw the blade I hold now and took it in my hand. It saved my life that day. The blade was remarkable when I cleaned it off. It gleamed so well that I saw movement behind me in the mirrored metal. I spun and saw a terrible beast. I had been taught of this creature and others like it in Hadrarius. They were the monstrosities that many Tarvoni make deals with to increase their power."

"A demon?" Enzi asked with a twinge in his voice.

Beren nodded, "It was massive and shrouded in shadows. I could feel its malevolence as it came towards me. The dread I had felt in the city had been its very presence. I thought that my end had come. My feet seemed rooted in place. I broke through the fear and fled through the city, hoping to use the buildings as obstacles to escape the creature. Then I saw why the city remained filled with artifacts. I stumbled across a mighty ziggurat covered in the skulls of the dead. The maelstrom was centered above it. I had run straight to the very home of the demon."

Beren took a deep breath, "Even with all my skill and a Casean blade at my side, I saw no way I could defeat such a foe. I fled the city, though the demon was hot on my tail a few times. I lost him and made my way back towards the Adventurer's Port. The black ship had certainly left by then. I was worried that the fiend would track me down but he never came. Eventually the ship came back and I took passage back to Ravalei. If I ever return to Casea it will be with an army of allies to defeat that monstrosity. The Tarvoni supposedly make deals with the demons and even summon small fiends to their service, but the demons do not stay here long. This fiend is actually permanently in our world."

"A worthy threat to take down someday," Enzi replied, "Hopefully whatever allowed it to enter this world also prevents it from leaving that city. I can not imagine many other reasons why such a powerful creature would not simply have followed you and ended your career short."

Suddenly a great commotion interrupted the conversation. The group moved to see what all the fuss was about. A corpse was dragged into the camp. It was one of the rangers who had been on patrol. His head and spine were missing. The Beast that Takes Trophies had taken another skull for his collection. Immediately a party was put together to investigate.

"Take us to where you found him," Enzi said, "We will see what Mayitso can sniff out."

***

The goblin sat in a tree cleaning his new trophy as his listened to the humans in the camp not far from his position. He watched the party sent out to find him with great interest. The monstrous members intrigued him. He had never seen a gorgon, vodyanoi, or minotaur before. He had to resist an urge to spit at the dwarf. The Halz had long been a bane to his people. Seeing one above ground and away from his people seemed like a unique opportunity. A dwarf skull would make an exquisite trophy.

The Feergrus man worried the goblin. From his limited knowledge, they were mages. Defeating him would be a challenge. The large wolf also worried him. Such a creature had very sharp senses. He would have to be extra careful in his travels. Stealth was his ally. If the wolf could remove that advantage, the goblin would be greatly outmatched. The goblin decided to follow them and watch. Perhaps the opportunity to eliminate one would come. They seemed to be in too tight a group, but observation would allow the goblin to learn more about them.

***

Kasamir sighed as he watched Lunaris fire another wayward arrow from her bow. The only reason she was practicing at all was because the elder ranger was hovering over her. She had no urge to learn to fight. He was not even sure why she was being trained as a ranger. Being one of the Nuvroci Rangers was an honor. They were an elite force, using stealth and the wilderness to their advantage. He wondered if her entrance had been because of her family. He did not know the Justis family, he wondered if they were rich enough to get their daughter into an elite program.

When motivated, she learned things quite well. Her skills in stealth and knowledge of nature were second to none. She had learned them because it allowed her to find the best places to disappear so she could sleep. Kasamir wondered if there was anything he could do with such a lazy and unmotivated wretch. If she could apply her motivation to other things, it was possible that she could become a truly great ranger. As it was, Kasamir expected she would find herself in a bad situation someday. It would lead to her death.

He was not entirely sure how he felt about that. In a way it would be his fault as a failure of his teachings. Yet he also could not feel sorry for her. It was her own choice to act as she did. Perhaps if he was a better teacher he would know how to motivate her. Yet he had never chosen to be a teacher. He was a Nuvroci Ranger. That was what he was good at. The responsibility for Lunaris had been thrust upon him. As another arrow widely missed its mark, Kasamir merely sighed again. It was going to be a long day.

Enzi's Irregulars #0044

The patch of grass where the scout had fallen stilled showed the signs of his death. The smell of blood could still be detected by all the Irregulars. It was the more subtle scents that Mayitso was looking for. The lycanthrope sniffed the matted and blood stained grass. He detected a scent of something else hidden among the scents of blood and the natural scents of the Halcyon Wood. His nose led him directly to a tree. The immense wolf looked up into the branches.

"It seems whatever we are dealing with is a climber," Enzi said.

Kava frowned. They had been talking of this hunter as some kind of monster. She had seen the wounds on the body. As far as she was concerned, this wasn't some supernatural beast. This was someone with a knife. The theatrics were an excellent way to strike fear in an enemy. That meant one thing to her. This was most likely a goblinoid. Something that could climb easily and was stealthy. The rest of the party took to watching the trees. They searched the area and found little else. However, they had some new clues. The next scouting party to leave the base camp would be better prepared.

***

The goblin sometimes known as the Hunter of Man watched the search from a safe distance. His enemy had learned of his travel through the trees. The goblin smiled. It was time to switch up his tactics. These new foes would be worthy trophies indeed. Even if it meant an end to his game. He had known this day would be coming. It was time to unleash the nastiest of his tricks. He would make the humans suffer before he fell. He would go down fighting.

He slipped stealthily through the forest back towards his home. He had a lot of work to do. He looked down as the skull and spine he had recently taken. He could add this last trophy to his hovel while he was there. It needed cleaned up anyway. The waters of Siren Swamp worked well to wash away the blood from bone and leave the bone gleaming. He liked his trophies to shine, When he passed, they would be his legacy to show how much damage he had caused before he finally fell.

***

Informing the base camp of their findings were simple. It might not do anything but if even the slightest information would lead to the end of the slayings, it was worth it. There was no easy way to track the killer. The trail had already been too old when they arrived. Only Mayitso's sensitive nose had given them the little information they found. It was obvious that his foe was intelligent. It had done what it could to dampen its scent.

Kava stated that it was a goblinoid, though a lot of people dismissed that as ludicrous. A single goblinoid could not possibly do so much damage. Especially not with just a knife. The wounds were too ragged for that. The vodyanoi was positive, however, pointing out that a particularly cruel and jagged knife could easily make such vicious wounds and would be a beloved tool of a creature of that sort. Most of the rangers agreed that it had to be some beast instead, one that had been given intellect through magic.

The vodyanoi snorted to Enzi, "So they would rather believe a magically enhanced monstrosity is doing this rather than a simple explanation?"

"Most people see the goblinoids as less than them in every way. Having one that equals them, even surpasses them in some ways is something they can not accept. Most of these rangers have been patrolling these woods for years and dealing with goblinoids from time to time. Sometimes it is hard for humans to look past their prejudices. Those who can are rare and wise."

"Seems like a quick way to call yourself wise," Kava croaked.

"If the title fits," Enzi replied with a smirk.

Kava laughed at that. The base camp quickly settled back down for the night. Guards watched out for danger while the others slept. The morning came far too early for most though at least it had been a quiet night. New patrols were sent out to look for where trouble might be. Acting General Cassius Tessium cam to Enzi and his Irregulars. He look worried and tired beyond his years.

"I think I have need of you already," the Nuvroci Steel Warrior and member of the Order of Myrmidon stated, "The goblinoids are sending an advance force our direction. A mage is with them, a summoner we believe. Beren is getting ready to take care of that problem. We are sending whatever we can to meet this threat."

"Bad enough we are dealing with whatever it is that is slaying your people," Enzi replied, "But we will do what we can to stop this new threat."

Cassius nodded, "The dangers of this war will only grow. Hopefully it will not be more than we can handle."

Soon a small detachment of warriors left the base camp. Beren Gendar led the way. Syrian Dow had joined as well as a half dozen rangers. Enzi gave a worrisome look to Syrian. The Kurrot was young. Normally a Bladestorm would be busy on the western front, but Enzi imagined the youth was not granted access to the front lines due to his age. Kurrot was not a place that held much for rules, so the boy had slipped away to fight the war on his own terms. It was the sort of thing that often got the Kurrot killed.

Along with Enzi and his Irregulars, this group led a mere dozen and a half regular soldiers. Most of them were Nuvroci infantry in heavy armor, but a few were Ravaleians. It was not a force that would inspire fear, but it would be enough for a small scouting force of goblinoids. If the enemy troops were stronger than expected, then things might become troublesome. The humans often spoke of the goblinoids as weak, but their only weakness was a lack of resources. With the same armor and weapons as a human, they would be an equal match. They would hopefully not be expecting such an eclectic mix of warriors to stand against them however. Unless Kava was right about the Beast that Takes Trophies, it might have noticed the group and warned its goblinoid brethren.

After a few hours of walking, Enzi noticed a change in the trees. Those that required more moisture were quickly becoming common. It was not long after that when the ground began to feel softer as it was filled with moisture. The heavier members of the force were making considerable footprints in the wet ground. Mayitso led the way, his nose in the air to attempt to detect any foes before the foes detected them. The enemy could appear at any time, depending on how fast they were moving since the scout spotted them.

As the ground grew swampier and harder to travel through, the sun began to sink in the east. The Nuvro range meant that sunset came early on the west side of the mountains. That was of great benefit to the goblinoids. Their superior night-vision made a darkened swamp a perfect hunting ground. It was in this hunting ground that the human forces set camp for the night. The Halz could see in the dark as well as any goblinoid as could the minotaur. Along with the nose of the lycanthrope Enzi felt confident that any night time surprises would be detected before it was too late.

***

The base camp felt empty with so many out to deal with the invading force. Kasamir took Lunaris with him to go on a long patrol. He hoped a second pair of eyes would help protect from the monster that was slaying so many, but he had few hopes for the young girl. It seemed more likely to him that the so called Hunter of Man would take Lunaris first. She would be an easy target. Kasamir hoped that the squad sent out to deal with the enemy would be back by the time the pair returned. Dealing with a hidden beast with few resources was not a good idea to Kasamir's mind.

The patrol took them two days out from the base camp. Lunaris dragged her feet the whole way, as Kasamir expected. It was frustrating. The elder Nuvroci Ranger had a job to do however. He would not let some young whelp of a girl cause problems that would result in the death of those at the base camp. The third day of the wide circle took them along the edge of the Siren Swamp. Things were quiet and Kasamir kept his eyes on the trees as well as the ground.

Unfortunately his foe knew that the trees would be watched. He had set up several diabolical traps in the swamp and even a few in the forest. The goblin had not used them, he had no need to waste them. Now he would finally start to make some use of his long toil. The large male ranger stepped into the range of one of the goblin's traps. The hidden creature tugged a vine and a log erupted out of the trees. Kasamir saw it and reacted immediately, stepping back and trying to duck and roll.

Of course, that was when he hit the real trap. The log was too cumbersome to be more than a distraction unless the target was particularly slow or stupid. Kasamir felt his leg suddenly sink into a hidden hole then a great pain as the trap inside snapped upon the limb. The goblin leapt from his hiding place to finish the kill. For all the things Lunaris could not do, she certainly had the ability not to be seen or noticed. The goblin saw her too late as he rushed Kasamir. At this point he could not pause, run, or escape. It would give Kasamir a chance to kill him.

The goblin assumed his day had finally come. He was happy with that. He would take out one last ranger before he left. Several others might find some of his traps and meet their end as well. It would have to be enough. The goblin drove his knife at Kasamir's neck while pushing himself at full speed. Lunaris drew an arrow to her bow and took aim. The arrow flew wide of the mark, as it always did. The goblin felt his knife sink deeply into the male ranger's neck.

The enormous eyes of the goblin soaked up the last glimmers of life in the human's much smaller eyes. He stood as another arrow fell well short of its target. He looked up at Lunaris and saw the young girl trembling. He stood still a moment, shocked that he was alive and watched motionless as she fired a third arrow. He was not a moving target yet she still missed. The goblin saw the pain in her eyes. Lunaris had failed her master and could not even kill his slayer.

The goblin could not resist the urge that filled him next. He began to laugh. Another arrow shot by as the shaken girl could not even begin to come close to hitting the goblin. The goblin thought that he could easily kill this young girl now, but grinned as he thought that leaving her helpless in the wood as a failure would be more fitting. He twisted his knife deep in Kasamir's neck as he tore the head and spine from the fallen body. The goblin slipped into the wilderness as arrow after arrow flew helplessly from the young crying ranger's apprentice. The mocking and cruel laughter of the goblin filled the Nuvroci youth.

Lunaris spent her quiver without a single strike before collapsing in tears. Kasamir was dead. She was alone in the forest. Being left alone was all she had ever wanted. Now she had failed him. His death was her fault. If she had taken her archery seriously she could have stopped the goblin. She could have stopped the Beast that Takes Trophies before he caused any more harm. She merely hugged the beheaded corpse of her mentor while bawling that she was sorry. Words, of course, would never be enough.

Enzi's Irregulars #0045

Everyone expected an attack at night. When morning broke without a trace of violence, the attack force felt quite relieved. At least for the moment the goblinoids would not have a major advantage. The rangers and Mayitso spread out from the core group, scouting for the enemy. The core group continued southwards into the marsh. The scouts returned, one ranger sooner than the others. He had spotted something moving in the swamp.

Mayitso dashed that direction to try to confirm while the rest of the group headed that direction at a more normal pace. The lycanthrope soon returned to the group and growled at the direction he had come from, leading the way. Surprisingly it led closer to the mountains where the rocky ground was more firm. Enzi was not sure what this might portend. Their small military force trudged slowly out of the soft marshy ground and soon found signs of a large group that had moved past. They were not too far ahead. Beren looked around and his eyes narrowed.

"There is definitely a mage in the group. Whoever the mage is wove a spell recently. We should hurry," the magehunter said.

Beren rushed ahead with Mayitso quickly catching up. The rest moved quickly but the two leaders knew exactly where the foe was. Their senses far exceeded the others in the group, each in their own unique way. Beren and Mayitso emerged into lighter woods as they chased their foe and they could see what they were up against, but their foes also saw them. The magehunter counted nearly forty goblinoids, as well as a Tarvoni and a few wargs.

The enemy looked shocked, but none more so than the Tarvoni at the rear of the group. He quickly began to weave a spell. The goblinoids turned to engage the two foes. Mayitso thought that the Mage hunter would slow down and wait for the others, but Beren seemed to have no intention of slowing his pace. His eyes were set on the caster. The three wargs headed for Mayitso. They knew what he was more than the goblinoids did though wargs were not intelligent enough to communicate or realize how outmatched they were.

Wargs were a terrible creature. Their muscular forms and flat hairless faces made them almost look like humanoids running on all fours. Their faces resembled a goblinoid in many ways, as they did not have any nose. However the major difference was the mouth. Wargs had a massive maw full of deadly sharp teeth. The flat face meant that their mouths looked unnaturally wide. In that regard they slightly resembled Kava. The frog-like mouth of the vodyanoi was perhaps the closest relative to the warg's terrifying max. The vodyanoi did not have the same powerful jaw muscles or terrible teeth however. A warg's bite was no joke.

Beren noticed the wargs headed towards the lycanthrope and almost felt pity for the beasts as they did not realize what they were getting into. The Agonish people had a different name for the wargs. They called them barghests. Ancient myths said that they were able to take humanoid form. This had long since been disproven and Beren imagined someone had mixed up tales of the lycanthrope with the barghests. It was not the first time that two different creatures had been thought of as the same. Usually it was more likely that one creature had multiple different stories and names based on what witnesses had seen or exaggerated.

They were far larger than Mayitso and more muscular. Their torso reminded Beren of a large and powerful wolf, but all their power came to naught against the lycanthrope. Their jaws were powerful enough that if they found a good hold they might actually break the skin of the lycanthrope. None of the wargs were that lucky. Mayitso tore them limb from limb in a terrifying display. Beren had other things to worry about however. A crude javelin flew from one of the goblinoids.

The magehunter's buckler deflected the clumsy missile as Beren slashed at the first goblinoid in his path. His blade cut expertly and the creature fell as Beren spun past him. It was almost like watching an expertly choreographed dance as Beren avoided blows and enemies around him fell. Despite his skill, even he could be easily overwhelmed. He had only one goal in front of him. He had to stop the mage. The Tarvoni finished off a spell to summon something to fight for him.

It was no normal creature that rose from nothingness. A palpable sense of dread came over all the goblinoids. Mayitso felt the evil as well as the fur on his hackles raised. The monstrosity that stepped forth was a ten foot tall terror that reeked of ash with an acrid burn to it. It was a fiend from beyond the world, one of the demons that the Abyss Cult often dealt with. Beren remembered the immense creature from Casea. This foe was similar but was far weaker and smaller.

Mayitso leapt at the thing and bit at the monstrosity. His teeth did not even scratch the demon's hide. It laughed at the lycanthrope hanging on its arm and slashed with the claws on its other hand. Mayitso yelped as the claws sliced through his hide and drew blood. It was not a major wound but it was enough to make Mayitso take notice. Beren looked to the lycanthrope and sighed.

"Hold it off a moment, I'll stop the mage from summoning more," the magehunter stated as he charged towards the mage.

The demon moved to intercept Beren but Mayitso leapt at it as the goblins slowly began to realize the demon was on their side. As one moved in to aid the fight an arrow pierced his throat. The rest of the human forces had arrived and a grand battle began. Beren saw the electric blue aura of magic around his foe as the Tarvoni rushed to weave another spell. The magehunter saw to look of fear in the porcelain skinned man's eyes. Then the pale skin and blue aura were little more than red as blood flowed. The Agonish man's sword had cleaved well.

Arrows flew and blades slashed. Kava found some amusement at fighting the goblins. It was unusual to fight a foe as small as she was. Of course, she though the larger goblinoids might have made a more satisfying thump sound when they hit the ground thanks to their extra mass. Aldebaran did not think of such things. He concentrated solely on the combat at hand. His mighty two handed sword cut swaths through the goblinoid forces. Syrian and the Rangers cut through several goblins as Enzi and Eurysa provided support.

Mayitso kept the demon well engaged. The demon had trouble seriously wounding the lycanthrope but it was obvious that Mayitso was losing. Several of the human forces took pot shots at the demon when they could, but it was far too tough for such unfocused strikes. Suddenly the demon roared as Beren slashed at it from behind. Even his fine Casean blade could not harm the creature. It would require magic the group did not have to kill such a beast.

However, Beren easily kept the demon busy while the rest of the group mopped up the goblinoids. After that the demon saw it was outnumbered and fled. It no longer had a master to command it. The group began to gave chase but Beren waved them off. The group looked at him oddly. Such a terrible creature certainly could not be allowed to roam freely.

"To conjure such a powerful creature takes a lot of power. The magic that allowed it entry will not last long. It can not do any harm with the little time it has left," Beren said, "Never have I fought such a foe. Fighting it any longer would only give it a chance to harm us. We are lucky it chose to flee. I doubt it realizes how little time it has left here. It seems we have to find a way to beat demons as well if we are going to win this war."

Enzi nodded, "Unfortunately I have some knowledge of that from my people's battles with the Tarvoni over the years. That was a particularly powerful one, but even it can be hurt by normal weapons if struck hard enough or with perfect precision at its weakest points. With the power of Aldebaran's swings, fleeing may have been smarter than you give the demon credit for. It is far easier to harm them with certain kinds of magical power however. Our priests would often summon vicious cold to freeze them."

"We could use some priests here," Syrian said, "Especially for the wounded. I see a few cuts and bruises on us. I would hate for them to become infected."

Enzi nodded, "Let us move away from the marsh and wash out our wounds with some of our water. Hopefully that will keep the evil of the Siren Swamp from setting in."

The group made their way to drier land and tried to clean up. After that they began their trip back towards base camp. The mission had been a success. There were no major wounds and no one had died. Enzi imagined such a victory would be a great boost to morale.

***

To be free of the void, even for a short time, felt glorious. The demon knew he did not have long in this world. He tasted the blood on his claws and grinned. He fled through the forest searching for prey. He killed what few animals he could catch and ate them. The warmth of flesh and blood soother his belly. The stench of death filled the creature's nostrils and it loved it. The experience was beautiful to it. All it had ever experienced was the great void. Like all its kind, it drifted helplessly in the void.

The void was empty. One could see nothing, feel nothing, taste nothing. The demons felt great rage at the creatures of Doulairen while being helpless to do anything. The actions of the creatures of this world had shattered their home. The demon was not sure how he knew that, he just did. It was their fault that he must now drift in the void. The demons drifted helpless with nothing but their rage. Was it any wonder that when summoned they were cruel and violent?

The demon felt his tenuous hold on the mortal world begin to loosen. The magic that had allowed him to roam was unraveling. The vibrant colors of the world vanished and the monster drifted through the void once more. He thought perhaps that the taste of the mortal world would be enough to satisfy him. However he noticed his hunger had only grown. Madness soon overtook the demon once more. It sought out contact with the mortal realm.

If it could perhaps have just one more taste of flesh, it thought that would make it feel better. As it tried to search for the mortal realm within the infinite void it thought it noticed something. It could feel the magic of the mortals, however faintly. Some of the Tarvoni used their magic to make deals with the demons of the void. The demons would grant power to the mortal for a gift from the human caster. The demon could sense the opportunity there.

He waited patiently for the next caster that needed his power. He already knew what he wanted in return for his aid. It was a simple request. All he wanted was a pound of flesh. To be able to enjoy the taste of human flesh and blood in the void would be an exquisite treat. Perhaps he would even get lucky and the caster would fail badly enough in his spell that the demon could claim something far greater. Perhaps the caster's own first born child. The thoughts of destroying such an innocent made the fiend drool. It would be a perfect revenge against the mortals. At least one small bit of revenge anyway.

Enzi's Irregulars #0046

The arrival at the base camp brought some joy to those stationed there. However, the news of Kasamir's death weighed heavily on them as well. The Hunter of Man was still on the loose. The oddest sight for the returning heroes was the target that many had used to practice archery. Lunaris was there, awake, and hard at work practicing to fire her bow. Her aim was still terrible, but they were surprised to see her doing anything but sleeping.

Such things mattered little. There was a war that needed to be won and enemies that had to be stopped. Supplies and troops were on their way. The exact numbers and what the resources would be was unknown. Almost anything and anyone would be useful. Too many had been lost to the Beast that Takes Trophies. The small camp was understaffed as it was. Reinforcements would be more than welcome. Very little would be able to defeat the base camp itself with the two golems at its disposal, but the people were spread too thin to keep the goblinoids from incursions.

With the immediate known threat taken care of, scouts were sent out again to look for trouble. They went in pairs now to keep the Hunter of Man from easily slaying them. This also meant that much less territory could be covered. It was a terrible trade off but losing the scouts would hurt more than anything at this point. At the end of the day, however, the worst was realized. One of the patrols did not return. However, this led to a very different action.

"This monster has to be stopped now," Medeus said, "I am taking all the rangers and heading where the patrol went. We will track down whatever this creature is and end it."

"It's a goblin," Kava said.

"Impossible," one of the rangers said.

A soft but determined female voice spoke out, "No, she is right. I saw it. A goblin that camouflaged itself, set traps, and came from the shadows like a ghost."

It was the voice of Lunaris but the ranger that had spoken earlier laughed and spoke in a patronizing tone, "I question your eyes apprentice. Your aim shows to me that it can not be trusted. You told us your story before, but a ranger like Kasamir could not fall to the simple traps of a mere goblinoid, especially not a tiny little goblin. Whatever you saw shocked you I am certain. The adults will go out and deal with this menace. Perhaps you will recover in time."

Kava rolled her orange eyes. She had little taste for willful ignorance but was used to humans underestimating inhuman creatures, especially if they were small. It gave the vodyanoi a great advantage in battle Kava looked to Enzi and motioned her head towards the leaving group of rangers. He nodded and the vodyanoi smiled with her frighteningly overlarge mouth.

"Don't worry kid," Kava said to Lunaris, "I'll head out and kill the goblin. At least I'll know what to look for. Then we can both have a laugh at the rangers later."

Enzi looked to the rest of the Irregulars, "Let us head out. It is time to end this menace once and for all."

***

Two more skulls settled into their spots on the wall of trophies. The goblin had been prepared for a pair this time. He was not disappointed. He had never expected to survive this long or to make this many kills. He began to wonder how many more he could take before his time was up. He knew that the pairs had failed them. Would they do groups of three? The Hunter of Man sharpened his knife, reapplied his camouflage, then headed out the door of his home and trophy hall.

He slipped carefully past his traps. He had constructed a great many of them. It had started to protect his home and perhaps catch a meal. Now he used them to kill his human prey. He made his way towards the human camp and saw something both glorious and frightening. All of the remaining adult rangers of the camp were headed out as well as some inhuman creatures and a dark skinned man. The goblin's eyes settled on the dwarf. He wanted that one to die most of all.

He watched as the group approached the area where the last two rangers had been slain. The goblin smiled as he realized this whole group was out to hunt him. He decided it was time for his glorious end. He would lead these humans through pain and death before he would give up. No matter how many or few died now, it did not matter. He had slain a great many and had done his part. The goblin felt satisfied. Now it was merely time to see how much more he could do before it finally ended.

***

Mayitso sniffed the area as the rangers looked for evidence of the killer. They knew he often traveled by the trees but they were determined to find a trail, even if it meant searching for several days. The group had no idea they were being watched by their target. The goblin reached into his pouch and pulled out a small stone. It was time to get the adventure started. He took careful aim and flung the stone with all his might. It landed deeper in the woods.

Several of the people in the group heard the noise and slowly made their way in that direction. One of them suddenly disappeared as he fell into a hidden pit. Another ranger rushed forward to help. A yell of warning came too late. The pit trap had set off a second trap where a log swung in behind the blind spot of the man at the edge of the pit. He turned just in time to take the log to the side of his chest. If it had just hit his side it might have glanced off, but the turn had made things worse. The swinging log lifted the ranger off the ground and rammed him into a nearby tree.

The goblin grinned at the horrible crunching sound that come from that collision. Two rangers were certainly dead. The needles in the pit were coated with filth and poisons. After a careful search of the area, the two rangers were extracted from the traps. The one ranger's chest had been crushed. He was quite dead. The other was alive but bleeding. He was writing in pain from the toxins that now slid through his body. If the poison did not kill him, the infection from the filthy wounds almost certainly would.

The group used some of their clean water to clean out the wounds, but held out little hoped for the survivor. The rangers had heard the tales of a trap from Lunaris but they had not fully realized the situation until it happened before their very eyes. Kava merely shook her head at the growing realization among the overconfident Nuvroci that it might just be the goblinoids. The next several hours consisted of a sweep of the area for traps. The group quickly found over a dozen of the goblin's creations.

Finally dusk began to creep over the area and the group set up camp for the night. The fallen was buried outside the camp and the wounded man was laid by the fire to keep warm. He shivered despite the warm weather. The Hunter of Man watched the whole spectacle with glee. He had not expected his traps to hold up to someone looking for them. He was only one goblin after all. His crude creations had been born of haste. Most of his time had been spent in making sure they were concealed enough that only someone looking for them would find them.

"These traps are crude," Medea said at the gathering of men and monsters, "We have to accept that this is the work of the goblinoids."

"Perhaps it is true," one of the rangers said, "But if it is, this is certainly not the work of just one little goblin. There must be dozens of the creatures working together to cause this much trouble."

The discussions continued until it grew late. A pair of rangers kept watch as the rest of the group slept. The Beast that Takes Trophies slipped out of his hiding spot and crept forward towards the camp. He came first to the crude grave of the ranger with the crushed chest. He slowly and carefully dug into the dirt. He did not want to alert the humans. Finally he saw his prize. His dagger cut deeply into the ranger and removed the corpse's head.

He placed the severed head in a bag he had tied to himself. He then watched the two humans on watch. He waited patiently for a couple of hours to make sure the camp was asleep and the watch had become bored. Then the goblin slowly crept forward once more. The shivering ranger was still twitching near the fire and emitting a low moan. The goblin grinned toothily as he slipped past the two rangers on watch and neared the sick man. His knife plunged into the man's throat and ended his moans with a soft gurgle.

The goblin ripped the head from the body and let out a whoop as he leapt over the fire and dashed into the woods headed towards the swamp. The blood of the head left an obvious trail. The camp was soon awake and on his trail. They were hot on his heels, exactly as the goblin wanted. He kicked out at a hidden trigger, releasing a trap. He cackled loudly as he heard the scream behind him. He slid the severed head into his bag as he ran back towards his home. The pursuit had fallen behind thanks to the threat of the traps.

Enzi looked at the horrible spike that had been driven into one of the ranger's legs. The goblin had goaded them into following him. He was sharp. The raid into the camp had been daring, perhaps even too daring. This was a goblin with no fear of death. The Feergrus man could think of no foe more dangerous than one with no fear. However, it was a foe they could not afford to let survive. The group returned to camp and treated the wounded leg of the ranger.

The next morning most of the camp headed down the trail of their prey, carefully searching for traps. The wounded ranger limped back towards the base camp with another ranger as escort. The trip towards the goblin's home was treacherous. The group disarmed one trap after another. It made the progress quite slow. Soon they had to pause for the night. The watch was increased and at least one of the Irregulars was on watch for each shift.

The goblin knew he had an advantage in the dark. It was his time to take advantage of it. He could not allow his advantage to slip away. He gathered up several resources and began his new campaign. With a slingshot the goblin began lobbing objects towards the human camp. He was too far away to aim effectively. The distance was to keep the humans from targeting him as well. His goal was not to hurt any of the humans, although if that happened it would be an added bonus.

All night long the goblin pestered the humans and the Irregulars, moving from place to place and launching debris. He interrupted the sleep of the group. No one in the group dared to chase into the woods for fear of traps hidden in the darkness. As morning came the Hunter of Man slipped away back to his home to rest while the drowsy humans worked to disarm his traps. The Beast that Takes Trophies slept well. In the evening he prepared to harass his enemy once again. His goal was to keep them awake at night and force them to get their rest during the day. It did not hurt that being tired during their daily work to clear traps made them more likely to make a mistake.

Enzi's Irregulars #0047

The group struggled the next day, exhausted from a night without sleep. As lunchtime passed, the group surrendered to their need for rest. As the dusk came, the goblin returned to survey his handiwork. The exhausted humans were mostly asleep and even the watch was drowsy. Mere harassment might not be enough to wake them as they seemed to be nearly dead asleep. The goblin began to work on a few tweaks on some of his traps.

As the light waned, the goblin launched his assault. He triggered several of the logs that he had repositioned then use his knife to cut the lines holding them. The momentum of the swing was retained as the logs flew through the air and crashed into the human camp. A scream of pain told the goblin that the immense missiles hit hit something. He had cannibalized several of his traps to create the unguided missiles but it was worth it. The goblin then looked to the small pile of rocks covered in weeds at his side.

He had left them out to dry several days ago and now they were ready for his next assault. A bit of flint used against the steel of his knife provided a spark. His sling lobbed the flaming stone through the air as he moved to the next pile of rocks and did it again. He kept moving between five piles he had made until he had finished unleashed a fiery hell upon the humans. The people in the camp scurried about trying to aid the injured and avoid the flames.

The goblin knew better than to push his luck. Once the stones were gone, he fled back towards his home. It was not a moment too soon as several arrows flew through the wood towards the five locations he had been firing from. For the moment, the Beast that Takes Trophies waited and watched. The furor in the camp slowly quieted down as everything was brought under control. Three of the rangers were wounded, one with a broken leg and the other two burnt and bruised.

Enzi looked to the group, "The goblin won't let us sleep at night then. He wants his advantage. I say it is time we gave him that advantage. We have those in our group that can see as well in the dark as any goblinoid, if not better. Most of you should return. He will pick off the unprepared too easily. Tomorrow we sleep during the day and then we head out at night to finish this."

Medeus Tarim looked to the other rangers, "All of you go. I will stay and see this through. The base camp may need the rangers and we have lost too many as it is."

The bulk of the rangers headed back north as Enzi's Irregulars and Medeus Tarim began to dismantle traps. The work on the traps was interspersed with multiple rest times. Finally daylight crept over the horizon. The group slept and rested. The goblin had returned to his home. The time for the final battle had come. He sharpened his knife to the finest edge he could. The goblin wondered how many foes he could fell before he was finally toppled.

That night the goblin watched as the enemy crept closer to his home. He did all he could to set off his traps but he did not have any left that could surprise the humans. The dwarf and the minotaur pointed out the goblin's location quietly and arrows sailed. The Hunter of Man fled to his house, surprised that he had been spotted. The Irregulars soon arrived at the squat abode. There was no way the larger people would fit inside. Ritter sighed and prepared himself to lead the way. Mayitso was ready to back him up. The lycanthrope could not see as well in the dark, but his sense of smell could pick out a goblin amidst the other foul smells of the area.

Ritter kicked in the door of the hovel, his shield raised in front of him. A crude axe trap shattered against the heavy shield. No light shone in the goblin's home, but that was no impediment to the Halz. More troubling was the sheer number of places to hide and the horrific stench. He saw the hundreds of skulls lining the walls and piled on the floor. Their foe could be hiding anywhere with all the available cover. Mayitso sniffed the air, fetid with the scent of the rotted bits of the trophies that had been discarded in one corner.

The goblin leapt at the back of the dwarf. Mayitso turned and snapped at the flying goblinoid but missed in the darkness. It was enough to warn Ritter. The Halz tried to turn towards the goblin. The knife missed its mark and did not penetrate Ritter's thick armor. The real fight was on. The Halz had fought several goblinoids before. He swung his heavy warhammer through the air and the goblin ducked under it and tried to keep behind Ritter. Mayitso backed off, giving the dwarf room to fight.

The warhammer smashed through a pile of skulls as Ritter missed again. The goblin was skilled at avoiding things. He had a great deal of experience in surviving, but his luck had to end. The goblin was not trained for extended combat with multiple foes. He was skilled in guerrilla warfare. Ritter positioned the goblin with a few expert swings. Then Mayitso leapt. The goblin avoided the lycanthrope's vicious jaws as he snapped wildly in the dark. Yet that was what the Halz had been expecting.

The warhammer connected firmly with the unarmored goblin's chest. The goblinoid skidded across the floor in pain. He rolled to his feet and leapt back into combat. Ritter landed another blow against the weakened goblin. This time the sound of breaking bone could be heard. The goblin fell to the ground, wheezing. A third blow finished the combat. The Hunter of Man would take no more trophies. Time passed quickly after that as news was brought outside. The area was soon alight with the flickering flames of torches.

The inside of the goblin's home was soon investigated. Medeus Tarim took the encrusted knife as proof that the deed was done. Beyond that, the group filled the squat building with whatever vegetation they could find. Then they set it aflame. The flames roared to life and consumed the dead. When the flames had finally died down Aldebaran used his immense strength to topple the stones and cause the home to collapse upon itself. It was a great deal of work and morning had come by the time the makeshift grave had been finished.

***

Arrival at the base camp led to several surprises. There were several new people there, the first wave of reinforcements had arrived. A great pile of slain enemies also laid outside the camp, burning. Enzi reported back to General Cassius Tessium while the rest of the group mingled with the base camp. He quickly learned that the attack had come shortly before the reinforcements. The battle had looked grim, but the rangers that had gone on the hunt returned and attacked the force from behind.

The reinforcements were mostly Ravaleian. A few Nuvroci warriors had arrived as well. The young ranger Lunaris had vanished. No one knew where she had gone off to. However, it appeared that she had been replaced. It looked like some young Ravaleian girl had followed the warriors to the camp. Enzi figured she could not be more than fifteen years old. What struck him the most about her, however, was the way the Ravaleians seemed afraid of her.

"I see you noticed that the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same," the Nuvroci general said.

"Yes, Cassius. What happened to the other young one?" Enzi asked.

"Her aim greatly improved over a few days. I've never seen anyone concentrate like that. Once she figured out the trick, she was hitting the target constantly. She said she was going to go out to find tougher targets to hit by hunting small animals. I assume she will return at some point, likely with a large amount of meat once she figures out how to hit a small moving target."

"I guess the extra supplies won't hurt," Enzi stated, "Plus it keeps her out of trouble. What is with the new one?"

"She is a mage of some sort," Cassius replied, "There has been less tension with the Magehunter than expected though. I am more worried about her attitude."

"What is the problem?"

"She seems to be overconfident of her power. She intimidates the people around her. They have even taken to calling her the Storm Queen."

Enzi shuffled over to find Beren. He was hard at work maintaining his gear. Beren also seemed to be keeping his distance from the Ravaleian mage.

"You don't look too much worse for wear," the Feergrus man said.

Beren chuckled, "It has been an interesting few days. The goblinoids tore up my chain shirt pretty good. I have it patched up for now but a good blacksmith would be nice. Then there is the little Ravaleian girl. I know we need some magic against some of the foes the Tarvoni may summon, but that girl makes me wonder if perhaps magic is an evil force after all."

"That bad?"

"To her the power makes her better than everyone else. It makes everyone else subhuman."

"Hopefully having a Magehunter around will keep her in line."

***

The quiet had been nearly maddening. The goblinoids had not made any moves for a while and were gathering their forces. An assault was expected at any time. A messenger finally came from Kurrot with a tale of what had blunted the goblinoid incursions. A team of the greatest Bladestorms of Kurrot had entered the Goblinoid Lands and led a great slaughter of their forces. The attack had been led by the Master of Blades herself, the powerful Jaeris Hyn.

It was being called the Battle of Lake Hargis. It had been a brutal battle that had ended poorly. The Kurrot had been badly outnumbered in the end. They had turned the goblinoids back but no one knew what had happened to the Bladestorms and their leader. This tale seemed to affect one person more than the others for obvious reasons. It was Syrian Dow, a Bladestorm of Kurrot. He immediately began to pack up for a trip.

"What do you think you are doing?" Cassius asked.

"What I have to do," Syrian replied, "I need to find the survivors. No goblinoids would end them all. Jaeris would find a way to survive and she would save as many as she could."

The Kurrot man rushed off as Enzi looked to Cassius, "Odd to think of a female Master of Blades. The last I had dealt with the Kurrot, they were not that egalitarian in their treatment of the genders."

Cassius nodded, "They are not. A lot of the Kurrot do not believe she is worthy. She has not only had to be the best of the Bladestorms, She had to be the best by a huge margin."

"I suppose we should help Syrian in this," Enzi said.

"If those warriors did as much damage as they say, perhaps you can get in and out. Plus a chance to strike again won't hurt. If you think you can survive, go for it. Anything to give us time for more reinforcements."

Enzi quickly gathered up the Irregulars and they chased after Syrian. The Kurrot smiled as they followed him southwards towards the Goblinoid Lands.

"I appreciate the aid," Syrian said, "I have to know what happened to them."

"It is possible that they are already back in Kurrot. Your messengers are fast but that note had to take time to get here."

Syrian nodded, "Then we can follow their path of destruction and get rid of any goblinoids following them. That should keep the goblinoids bottled up for a while longer."

Enzi's Irregulars #0048

Syrian led the way southwards, usually as most of the rest of the group had trouble keeping up with the Kurrot. His people often learned to make long strides and to run across great distance with little rest. Only Mayitso seemed to have no problem with Syrian's pace. The Kurrot often had to take a moment to notice he was leaving the others behind. The lycanthrope would remind him by placing himself in front of the path, but it was obvious that Syrian's mind was elsewhere.

The further the group delved south, the more Enzi suspected there was more to this rescue than Syrian was telling them. Certainly helping the Master of Blades and a cadre of Bladestorms out of a rough situation was a worthy goal, but the Feergrus sensed an obsessive energy coming from the young Kurrot. He had trouble sleeping and he pushed the group as hard as he could to get to the destination quickly. Enzi worried that the young man would exhaust himself.

Like many Kurrot, he did not speak much. Their culture created loners. They often had little skill in dealing with others and little inclination to do so. Syrian had proven more sociable than most, the military style training of the Bladestorms had likely helped with that a little. Syrian's intense focus and growing weariness did not aid Enzi in his goal to get the Kurrot to open up and speak of the real issue. As the group trudged through the marsh filled lands in which the goblinoids dwelt, a new distraction arrived to delay any conversation.

"Goblinoids!" Eurysa hissed.

The group instantly went on the offensive. A small band of goblinoids were searching the area. Eurysa's sharp eyes counted three orcs, eight goblins, and a pair of hobgoblins. With the marsh all around it would be easy for some bugbears to be hiding, but Eurysa doubted it. This group was on the move. The gorgon nocked an arrow even as the goblinoids noticed their group. Syrian leapt through the vegetation, his two short blades out. Eurysa took a deep breath and steadied her aim.

Her arrow shot past the Kurrot and planted itself in the neck of one of the burly orcs. The muscled brute gurgled and hit the ground as Syrian swept in and cut down two of the lead goblins, one with each blade. Despite his youth, his skill was obvious. Someone had certainly trained him well. Mayitso sprung past the Bladestorm and ripped out the throat of one of the goblins. Aldebaran and Kava were rushing to join in the fight and the short legged Halz was hurrying to catch up as well. Enzi kept a slow pace, watching for other threats.

The five remaining goblins attacked Syrian and Mayitso. The Bladestorm deflected a pair of blows as the other three attacks bounced harmlessly off the hide of the lycanthrope. The two orcs that still stood moved for Aldebaran as the minotaur seemed like a threat made for them. The two hobgoblins surveyed the situation as they moved into battle. They worried Enzi the most. They had taken the time to observe their foes and that meant they might think of a good way to cause damage.

An arrow stopped the thoughts of one of the hobgoblins. Aldebaran cut down one of the orcs with his massive blade as Kava darted past him and sank her hatchets into the other orc. Three more goblins fell to Syrian and Mayitso as Ritter found himself engaged with the hobgoblin. Enzi paused while he looked around. Something was off. They were not the only ones there. He was not the only one that saw it. The hobgoblin spotted it and barked something in the language of his people. The goblinoid tongue was a foul collection of slang they had used to speak behind the back of their giant masters when they had been enslaved.

Whatever the hobgoblin said, it was obvious that Ritter understood. It distracted the Halz for the same moment as the hobgoblin was distracted. Neither gained an advantage and the hobgoblin took the chance to withdraw away from the dwarf and try to take cover. It was not enough. Eurysa's arrow ended the goblinoid as the rest of the enemy force was decimated by Syrian Dow and the rest of the Irregulars. Enzi looked to Ritter as the dwarf moved in an odd direction.

"They were chasing someone," Ritter said, "And they just saw whoever it was over this way."

The group moved on, leaving the goblinoids to rot in the swamplands. Quickly the group found someone's tracks as well as signs of blood. Whatever they were chasing, it was wounded. Mayitso picked up the trail easily enough with his sensitive nose and led the way. Soon they saw a figure on the run, stumbling through the vegetation. The gorgon tracked the creature with her sharp eyes.

"That isn't a goblinoid," she hissed.

Syrian heard that and dashed ahead with Mayitso at his side. Whoever it was was quick. The lycanthrope used his full speed to outrun Syrian and the mysterious runner. He ran out in front of the escapee to slow them down while Syrian caught up. It did not take long for the chase to end. The runner spun and attacked but the blades were stopped by the Kurrot Bladestorm and the group heard a feminine voice speak out.

"Syrian?"

"Mother!" he responded jubilantly.

***

"The gathering of the lizards is starting to look dangerous," the short dark man said.

"Yes Karrum," Devis Lane replied, "I have returned from my time among them. I have learned of their goals and reasons. I have delayed them for quite some time but we will need action to protect Feergrus."

"The army can take them, but this may set back our plans for quite some time if we take too many losses."

"I have no doubt of your ability. The seeds of doubt I have sown amongst their people while disguised as one of them will keep them from pressing their full power for many months at the least. I have created confusion in the ranks as well as a small civil war. That will keep them busy while I find a way to push them back permanently. Be prepared to fight them back in case they solve things quickly. If I am right, I believe I know a way to fight them where we will not have to use our own resources."

"I always enjoy your devious plans," Karrum Tamb replied, "If we can keep our losses to a minimum we will come out of this war well. The losses suffered by the other nations will put all of us on nearly even ground."

Devis nodded, "Even that will not be for long. We are working on a plan to make a closer alliance with Agon. When the next heir to the throne takes over, we want him loyal to us."

"We may not have much time, the current king is getting quite old. Yet isn't his only son unable to rule from mental incompetence?"

"That is the rumor. Some of my best spies are looking into the situation so we can look over our options. I will likely be away dealing with this war problem when they return. I have already let Glanar know to watch for them, now I am telling you. I plan on stopping by to check on them on my trip but I may miss them. We need to work on their information as soon as possible."

"Agreed, before the last king falls over from old age."

Devis smiled, "Yes, it has been enough trouble over the past several centuries keeping the humans divided. Too many times one army might have dominated another and become too powerful for us to easily handle."

"Yet you handled each war with equal skill. Your arrow killed Casea, son of Ago the First. Your manipulation destroyed the alliance between the elves and the dwarves. I fully expect you will hand us the leadership of Agon on a silver platter."

"You flatter me. I quite enjoy that," Devis Lane replied, "Eventually we will be the only rulers of this world."

"It almost seems to be falling together faster these days. It may only be a few centuries more!"

"These poor mortals do not know what they are dealing with."

Karrum Tamb nodded, "Those that learn do not live long."

"Yes indeed," Devis Lane said in a chilling voice, "There is one that I have let live that has been of great use. Perhaps I have let him live too long. Perhaps it is finally time to make my final use of the once great general known as Enzi Cala."

"Ah, Enzi," Karrum said, "I remember him. He had talent. He must be getting quite old as these mortals go."

"He has lived long enough then, he would perhaps only live another decade or two at best. Barely worth sticking around. I need to take care of several things along the way including the Agon situation, but when I return the problem of the lizardfolk will no longer be our concern."

***

The eight pointed white star on a green background was the symbol of Kurrot. The accoutrements of the woman showed she was a Bladestorm. This far out in the wilderness meant she had been with the group of elite Bladestorms that had fought in the Battle of Lake Hargis. With the gender inequality often shown in Kurrot, only one conclusion came to Enzi's mind. This wan not just any Bladestorm, this was the Master of Blades herself.

It struck Enzi that her family name was not Dow, like her son Syrian. Jaeris Hyn was the name of the Master of Blades, but this made sudden sense to the Feergrus. The gender discrimination against the combat skill of women was common in Kurrot so Jaeris had to prove herself. Yet a married woman with a child would not even have the opportunity. Her commitments to the family would have been held higher than her talents. It would not matter if she was the warrior and the husband was not. He would be considered her superior in all ways.

These thoughts made Enzi sigh. In Feergrus power went to those with the talent and skill. The only exception was those who were not loyal to the state or knew too much. Enzi had learned that lesson far too well. It made the aging man realize the world had a long way to go before all people were considered equal. He wondered if perhaps even the goblinoids could be reformed someday. Their enmity was deep and they had wasted many opportunities for peace in the past.

Jaeris spoke in Kurro meaning the only Irregular who could understand her was Enzi himself, "Syrian."

"I heard of the battle and came to learn what had really happened. But that had to have been weeks ago," Syrian said in a worried tone.

"Yes, I've led the goblinoids on a merry chase," his mother replied, "I was only able to save one of my men. The goblinoids were too many. They swarmed us, overwhelmed us. They showed great tactics as well. Hobgoblins swooped down on us from the sky riding griffins. We saw great industry there. They were forging weapons and armor in great amounts. Yet I also saw hope."

"What hope could you see in such terrifying news?" Syrian asked.

"Not all the goblinoids were in agreement with this new war. There seemed to be two large factions. There is some sort of new weapon that is driving this war. Only half trust in it so far. I overheard talk that one of the greatest of their leaders opposed the war and the weapon. If we could somehow inspire civil war or end the threat of this weapon, the war would be over."

Enzi spoke up, "Then Master of Blades, tell me of this and perhaps I can learn more. My team is unusual but we can do many things that would be difficult for humans alone. Perhaps even convince a goblinoid to speak in peaceful terms where they would not trust a human."

The Feergrus man had just thought of the possibility of peace. If this goblinoid leader did not want war, it was possible to move towards peace. Sometimes it almost seemed as if the universe was moving in the best direction it could. Unfortunately that was also the time when the floor would drop out from beneath you unexpectedly. Enzi would reserve judgment until the time came when he could make a difference.

Enzi's Irregulars #0049

Enzi's Irregulars trudged towards the southeast. Syrian had gone to make sure his mother would escape the swamp. Her wounds were serious but likely not life threatening as long as they did not get infected. Enzi and Ritter stayed towards the rear. The goblinoids would be more likely to attack a human or dwarf than any of the others. They had a chance of being cautious around a more monstrous creature.

The marsh had other dangers than the goblinoids. Tales told of the Siren Swamp say that explorers headed down the great rivers would disappear, tempted by songs by a feminine voice. This was the mythical siren herself, Tranumea. The Tranumea River was named after this legend, as well as the Singer River, the town of Tranum, Singer Lake, and of course the Siren Swamp itself. This tale was told by the sailor Juranem, one who escaped to tell of the siren's capture and slaughter of his fellow sailors. He had a river named after him as well.

Enzi had seen a lot of strange things in his time. He wondered if the siren of the legend had been real. It could just as easily been something else entirely. Yet Enzi knew that sometimes the myths were real. He had a gorgon, a minotaur, and a vodyanoi on his team to prove that. Even a lycanthrope like Mayitso was rarely seen outside of the Tarvo Forest. The Halz were quickly becoming more like legend as well as fewer left their homes beneath the Nuvro Range.

***

Medeus Tarim looked at the dagger he had taken from the Hunter of Man. He had a hard time imagining that a blade as encrusted in filth as it was could have killed so many men. Yet the edge was sharp. It was a far more dangerous weapon than it seemed. The ranger should have given the weapon over to the general as a sign of the defeat of the Beast that Takes Trophies. Yet he could not stand to part with it yet. He had so many questions. There was vegetation on the blade and its handle, part of the camouflage.

Yet this vegetation had turned black. It had an odd shine to it, a luster that was unexpected in a plant. The Nuvroci Ranger stared at the blade and its oddities for a while longer before he heard motion. Someone was moving through the base camp. Morning had come and it was time to begin the daily duties again. Medeus quickly hid the blade in his gear. As he made his patrol he would absentmindedly touch where he had placed it. He was distracted as he continued to ponder the blade's mysteries.

***

Syrian and Jaeris struggled through the swamp headed westwards towards Kurrot and hopefully more solid ground. Finally the found an island of firm soil in the midst of the marsh. Syrian used the water from the skin he wore to clean out his mother's wounds. He wrapped them up as best as possible. It looked like she would make it, but it was too late to continue on that night. She needed her rest.

"Was it worth it?" Syrian asked, "So many dead in that ambush."

Jaeris smiled, "It was a gambit and we found more enemies than we could have imagined. They sent their best against us. The griffin riders were their most elite. Their skills were exquisite and the largest thorn in our side in that battle. Yet we nearly won. We crushed most of their forces. In the end there were only two left and things looked bad. I got the attention of the goblinoids and led them away. The few that remained would be no match for any of the Bladestorms I brought with me."

"Yes, but that move nearly ended your own life. If you had not fled north and found us, I do not know what might have happened."

The Master of Blades chuckled, "I had led them on a merry chase through the swamp. I nearly lost them several times and was able to eliminate a few here and there. Unfortunately I got a bit too cocky and was wounded in my last spar with them. After that they were hot on my heels until I ran into you and your friends."

Jaeris settled down to rest while Syrian kept guard. He did not wake her during the night, letting her rest fully. When she awoke she gave him a dirty look, although it was obvious the rest had done her a lot of good.

"And now you will be the exhausted one, though I think it is time to part," Jaeris said.

Syrian nodded, "You look healthy enough now and the rest of the way should be easier. I should return to the northern front. They need all the help they can get."

"We will win this war," Jaeris said, "No matter what weapon the goblinoids may have. They may triumph for a day, but we will win in the end. I hope your friends can blunt this attack. Such a victory may end this war early."

"Good luck to you, I will see you when this is over."

"Farewell my son. May the training I gave you keep you safe."

"Goodbye mother, when next we meet I will call you naught but the Master of Blades once more."

Jaeris smiled, "Someday that will no longer be true. Already I think I have inspired more women to come forward and challenge the old ways. It is but a small step, but I will take what little I can get for now. A full revolution might be needed to solve the inequality, but I hope it does not come to that."

The two parted ways. As Syrian headed northeast, Jaeris continued westwards. As the days passed she finally felt the land beneath her feet change. She was nearly home.

***

Tuvaar Lat was a Kurrot. He had survived the Battle of Lake Hargis. He had seen Jaeris Hyn flee the scene of the combat chased by a dozen goblinoids. The Master of Blades had led them into the disastrous battle. The group had been the best Bladestorms in all of Kurrot, now only Tuvaar had escaped. He blamed the deaths on the leadership of a woman, a mere female who had chosen to flee and leave him behind. Yet Tuvaar had won against his foes, most had decided to chase Jaeris.

That seemed like Karma to the warrior. Yet he was sure she would find a way to survive them. She had been wounded and the chase would leave her tired, but she would find a way back to Kurrot to lead another disastrous attack on the goblinoids. Tuvaar believed it was time for such random attacks to end. He foresaw a Kurrot that was no longer chaotic. It was a land of order. He could see a mighty army under his command. He would grow the Bladestorms into a mighty force that would not be wasted on an impossible strike behind enemy lines.

There was only one obstacle left in his way. The old leader had to fall. It was tradition that the greatest warrior would lead the Bladestorms. Tuvaar set out to track down the Master of Blades. It was time to end her life and take his position as the new Master of Blades. She was wounded, tired, and a woman. Tuvaar thought all women were weak. He would make sure that women were relegated to positions he saw more fitting when he took control. The ascension of Jaeris to Master of Blades had empowered a great many women to strive for greater things. Tuvaar planned to undo all that and tell the world of the failure of a woman as leader.

He trudged through the Goblinoid Lands and into the Siren Swamp. Following the path of the Master of Blades was easy enough. The goblinoids had left quite a trail. Tuvaar tracked his prey day after day. He found the goblinoids that Jaeris had slain once in a while. He passed Enzi's Irregulars unknowingly one day, their paths missing each others by virtue that they mercenaries had decided not to follow Jaeris' path back to the goblinoids.

Tuvaar found where the female Kurrot had been seriously wounded and then entirely missed the slain goblinoid party as he followed the trail of her blood. As he followed the trail of the Master of Blades he marveled that the goblinoids did not seem to still be on her path. To his mind, Jaeris had finally lost her pursuers. Tuvaar did not notice that two people traveled together. He had little talent for tracking, but the two Kurrot had left enough of a trail between them that Tuvaar could follow them.

Soon he came to where Jaeris had her wounds cleansed and dressed. Tuvaar was worried that this meant that he would lose her trail. However he knew she had to be headed west towards Kurrot. He hurried through the Siren Swamp, worried that he had lost his advantage in speed now that she had tended to her wounds and was no longer being chased by goblinoids. That also meant that she might slow her pace if she felt safe, but Tuvaar took no chances. He could not be too far behind her, he put all of his stamina into continuing after her.

As the trees began to thin in the days ahead and the ground grew more firm, Tuvaar began to lose hope. Then finally as light shined through the trees he saw the silhouette of a human form. Whoever it was had stopped to bask in the sunlight. Its welcoming warmth would certainly be tempting to any who had traveled the marsh for too long. The vegetation grew thick and even Tuvaar had begun to despair because of it. The target had to be what he was looking for.

The Bladestorm crept forward and confirmed his target. Around him the birds sang and the day seemed brighter than any he had ever known. His future was now in his hands. He gripped his twin blades and drove them both into the back of the Master of Blades. As Jaeris stood enjoying the sunlight she felt the pain of the blades. She looked down to see the protruding metal as it erupted from her chest. She slumped to her knees and then saw the face of Tuvaar Lat, the man she had saved.

"Why?" she gurgled.

"You are unworthy," Tuvaar replied, "I am the Master of Blades now."

With a smooth motion Tuvaar wrenched the blades out of Jaeris and spun towards her. His swords cleanly severed her head. The woman collapsed into the slightly marshy ground. Tuvaar dragged her back into the swamp a short ways, dumping her corpse into a small watery depression. There he left her to rot. The scavengers of the marsh would find her body and destroy any evidence. Tuvaar was now the lone survivor of the Battle of Lake Hargis. He could make up any story he chose. He sheathed his blades, smiled, and strode out into the sunlight.

***

It was hard to tell where the Siren Swamp ended and the Goblinoid Lands begun. The goblinoids lived in such a dire place in great numbers, but Enzi knew that the more powerful would live in the hills by the mountains where the rockier ground left things drier. The problem would be getting there alive. The group slipped deeper and further into the Goblinoid Lands, finally finding fry land. They had seen many abandoned camps and homes along the way. Certainly more had been hidden in the thick vegetation.

Even with the thought that the goblinoids might be gathering their forces, it struck Enzi odd that they had seen no signs of their foe. The lack of resistance worried him greatly. As the vegetation began to grow less dense and the hills began to rise his suspicions grew. Each passing hour increased his apprehension. As another day passed by without incident, his anxiety had grown into a near frenzy. His senses on edge he nearly yelled out when he heard a voice speak out in rough Nuvro.

"Ah, finally you have arrived. I have been expecting you."

Enzi's Irregulars #0050

The voice had come from a horrifically scarred goblin. He had been burned at some point in his life and one of his hands had been replaced with a hook. The other hand held a walking stick for balance. There were a few sparse hairs here and there on the sections of skin that did not have burn scars. All of those hairs were quite white. This goblin had to be ancient. Enzi could not imagine that many goblinoids survived to old age, and especially not a goblin.

"Expecting us?" Enzi asked.

The goblin nodded, "It took a lot of work to clear your path. Now let us get somewhere private for a chat. You may be the solution to a serious problem."

"What kind of problem?" Enzi queried.

"This war," the elderly goblin answered.

"You are the leader that is looking to end this conflict then?"

"Yes," the goblin replied, "Come and I will explain more where it is safe."

Enzi and the Irregulars followed the wizened goblinoid. The goblin led them into a hidden cave as the irregulars kept their eyes out for danger. It was far too likely that this was a trap. However, the ancient goblin had a cozy set up with seats of all sizes and shapes for his odd guests. The amount of knowledge needed for such specific accommodations worried Enzi, but he was a naturally suspicious person after all he had been through in his life.

The goblin spoke, "I am called Ranum. Among my people I have long been known for my wisdom. You are Enzi's Irregulars. Tales of your actions have filtered through my spies to reach my ears. One traveled with the group chasing the human that fled. He witnessed your destruction of the goblinoids and reported on your movements to me. I had a path made for you to reach this place."

"The Kurrot woman who fled talked of overhearing many interesting things," Enzi stated.

Ranum nodded, "I did my best to allow her to escape with this knowledge. Too many knew of her actions for me to talk to her directly, but if I could start a dialogue with the right people, I knew that this foolish war could be ended."

"I had never thought a goblinoid would seek peace," Enzi replied.

"Then you know little of our culture," Ranum said, "Peace is all we ever wanted. Instead we rot here in these swamps, slaughtered by the worst rulers this world has ever known."

"Worst?" Enzi asked, "Surely that can not be true. The giants were terrible rulers that enslaved our people as well as yours. Even the time when goblinoids ruled the land was brutal."

"You see things through the view of a human," Ranum sighed, "Perhaps I can enlighten you. For even the giants were better rulers than you and more peaceful. Certainly the giants were harsh. They would indiscriminately slaughter some of our people and your people for food. Yet even that is better than the humans. Your people would have none of us survive. They would end our race if they could. You work with these creatures that are not human. They know it as well as you do. If given a chance, the humans would kill them all."

Aldebaran, Eurysa, Kava, Mayitso, and Ritter shared awkward glances to each other. All had seen the bigotry of the humans. It was only the intercession of Enzi that had kept them all alive. Even the Halz had seen the hatred of the people outside of Nuvroc. The Nuvroci had long ties with Ritter's people. It was the only reason they respected him at all there. What the goblin had said rang true, a sad truth of human nature.

"It is hard to argue that," Enzi said, "Though most humans would rather die than be slaves."

"My people do not believe in slavery either," Ranum replied.

"Tales told of a great many forced to do work by your people," Enzi replied, "And we have seen the goblins driven before the larger goblinoids."

"That is not slavery," Ranum replied, "If those goblins and humans did not wish a low position, then they must fight for the right to have a better one. Anyone can become great in our society. It just requires work. Your people believe in elevating those by their birth. Hereditary leadership is foolish. Only the best should lead. Even then, your people can not agree. You fight among yourselves tooth and claw."

"Did not your many clans war with each other?" Enzi asked.

"Indeed," Ranum replied, "Even my people are not perfect. Entire clans fought with each other to prove which was strongest and best for leadership. This was a mistake. Like humans, the clan wars sought to elevate a group, and not the individuals. This infighting cost us our leadership of this world. The humans united against us. It was the unity that won the day. We learned much since that fateful day. Now clans are remembered as things of the past. Some are quite proud of the deeds of their clans, but few now fight over a difference in what clan they are descended from."

"Yet now you are not united," Enzi said.

"You see straight to the heart of the issue," Ranum said with a sad tone, "A new group has formed. The pale humans came with an offer of great power. It swayed a great many of my people. It was a symbol to rally around. It was a weapon so devastating that my people saw the hope for a great success in the war to come. This view is short sighted. Their new weapon is powerful indeed and it could cause great harm to the humans. Yet we goblinoids have lived for generation without being seen as a great threat."

"You believe this attack will cause such great harm that the humans will be forced to exterminate your people for their own safety," Ritter stated.

Ranum nodded, "My people have little love for yours. You are hated nearly as much as we hate the humans. Yet we respect your strength and skill. Each person has their place, although who you are born to still holds great sway in your culture. Your minds hold great ingenuity. As a people of engineers, I had hoped you could see the simplicity of my problem."

Ritter nodded, "If you become a threat that has to be ended rather than to be seen as a pest, then all your people could be slain."

"Yes," Ranum said, "But many of my people are too enthralled by the words of the pale humans. They claim the weapon can not be beaten. They promise a world where the pale humans and the goblinoids would rule side by side. An obvious upgrade from our current station. Yet I know better than this. These Tarvoni as they call themselves do not plan to share any power. They seek to use us as a weapon to weaken the other humans. Our destruction means nothing to them."

"So what exactly is this weapon?" Kava asked, getting impatient with the conversation.

"An egg was brought to us a great many years ago. Now the creature has grown in power that it has been shown off to our people. It is a great winged lizard that spits a fluid that dissolves all it touches."

"A dragon!" Enzi replied.

"Yes, that is the word the pale humans used."

The greenish flesh of the vodyanoi noticeably paled, "This explains a great deal if it is true. The lizardfolk were moving to war because an egg had been stolen from them long ago. Only now did information come to them on who did it. They blame the Feergrus."

Enzi nodded, "The Tarvoni planned this out long ago. They seek to bring war on all of their enemies, then sit back and watch. The goblinoids will strike against the north while the lizardfolk strike against the south. Luckily the Feergrus already know of the threat, but this is still bad news."

Ranum looked to those gathered in the room, "This situation must be ended. My people are not yet prepared to rule this world again. More preparation is needed before we can succeed. We may disagree on many things but I know you have a vested stake in ending this conflict the same as I. I have access to a piece of information that will allow you to stop this plot before it can go too far. I know exactly when the dragon will be unleashed. I know where as well. With this information you can prepare for it and destroy it before it threatens the lives of my people."

The date that the goblin gave was far off. It was to take place nearly two years after the war had started. A great many lives had already been lost and a great many more would people would fall. Yet the young dragon would be protected by the Tarvoni of the Abyss Cult and the most loyal of goblinoids to their cause until it was ready to strike out. It would take a serious military strike beyond anything Enzi could hope to gather to even get close. They would have to wait until the drake came out into the open. Only then would the nightmare end.

"Now you know," Ranum stated, "I used what power I had to clear a path in, but I expect the way out will not be as easy. I am sorry I can not do more for your safety. I may not like humans or dwarves, but you are the last hope for my race. I know I can trust you."

"You have given me some hope that someday there will be no more war. Although I do not currently see how the values of our cultures can ever exist together peacefully, perhaps things will change one day. Already our two peoples have changed. Perhaps when my people learn to live with each other in peace, we will finally be able to live in peace with other races as well," Enzi said with a smile.

"Now that we both have hope, flee while you can," Ranum said, "The forces will be returning soon. I will have to join them in seeking your destruction if you are spotted near here."

"I understand," Enzi replied, "While it would be nice to meet again in a friendly situation, I expect that will never happen. Fare well and let us hope we can save the world."

Enzi and the Irregulars slipped out of the cave. It was well hidden. The inside had obviously been worked and dug out. Ritter wondered how many other goblinoid warrens were hidden within the hills near the Nuvro Range, high enough to be out of the wet of the marsh. There was little time for thinking, however. Eurysa's eyes spotted movement in the distance. For now the goblinoids were too far to recognize anything but movement. Enzi hoped they would not expect anyone this deep in their territory, although the attack by the Bladestorms likely heightened the awareness of the goblinoids.

It would not be long however, so the mercenaries pushed as hard as they could towards the base camp. As dusk came, they found a place to camp. They had not yet been discovered, but it was only a matter of time. They got what rest they could and pushed onwards in the morning. Mayitso was the first to notice it. A chance breeze brought a scent to his nose. The group was being followed. Oddly over the next several days of travel they were never attacked and the goblinoids were never directly seen. Only Mayitso's sharp nose and a few odd sounds gave away the pursuit.

"What are they waiting for?" Ritter asked, "The further we get from the goblinoid lands, the less their advantage will be. This does not make sense."

"While I can think of a few strategic possibilities," Enzi replied, "None of them make a lot of sense to me either. However, some of the goblinoid generals are incredibly good with tactics. We need to keep our eyes and ears open. Hopefully we can figure out what they are up to before they spring the trap."

Enzi's Irregulars #0051

Each day of travel was full of tension. The group could sometimes detect the goblinoid scouts that were following them. The scouts kept their distance from Enzi and his mercenaries. Each day the Irregulars neared the base camp where they would have the support of the troops. Enzi expected the goblinoids would have to make their move soon if they wanted to take advantage of the isolation of the group. However around noon on the next day, Enzi saw the shape of the human base camp hiding in the Halcyon Wood. The watch on the walls quickly spotted Enzi's Irregulars and waved a greeting.

Enzi heard a great noise from the trampling of a great many feet. He then realized the enemy's ruse. They were going to use the Irregulars as a shield. The rangers of Nuvroc were deadly with their bows and crossbows. If they wanted to storm the base camp, it would be much easier if their foes did not want to fire into their allies. While the Nuvroci were used to firing their regular bows into melee with Steel Warriors, their crossbows were saved for foes with heavy armor. Both weapons could potentially be deadly to Enzi and his mercenaries.

The horde of goblinoids charged past the Irregulars as the mercenaries leapt into the fray. The tactic had worked. The archers at the base were afraid to fire and hesitated. Then Enzi heard the rumble of thunder in the air and felt the crackle of lightning. It suddenly occurred to him that there was one person in the base camp who did not care if any ally was in the line of fire. It was the young Ravaleian mage they called the Storm Queen. Enzi then saw exactly how she earned that nickname.

Electricity arced across the field striking foes indiscriminately. Enzi felt one bolt of lightning come far too close for his liking. All the hairs on his body now stood at attention. The Irregulars were trying to scatter, as were the goblinoids. The assault had been broken with a single powerful spell. Dozens of goblinoids lie dead, but more and more arcs of lightning descended on the area as the young Ravaleian girl unleashed her power with reckless abandon. Enzi was almost certain he could hear her cackling with glee at the destruction.

He ducked for cover, it was all he could do. He hoped that none of his mercenaries would get hurt, but it was out of his hands now. He worried most for Ritter. His heavy metal armor had to have been something the electricity would be attracted to. The sounds of the thunder and lightning slowly died off. Then all that could be heard were the whines, whimpers, and moans of the wounded. Smoke rolled off of both them and the dead. The goblinoid assault had been halted, but Enzi wondered at what cost.

Eurysa slithered out from behind a tree, untouched by the lightning much like Enzi. Surprisingly the enormous minotaur Aldebaran had come out of the battle with little more than a few patches of singed hair. Kava had escaped completely unscathed. Then Enzi saw a glint of metal in the grass. He rushed over and found Ritter. The Halz groaned in pain but he was alive. His metal armor had channeled most of the electricity into the ground, but the hardy dwarf had still been given the shock of his life.

Enzi began to relax. Ritter would be fine. As the Irregulars gathered, Enzi saw that one was missing. He had seen no sign of Mayitso. The lycanthrope had no more protection against such powerful magic than anyone else. Suddenly the Feergrus man began to worry. Aldebaran lugged the groaning dwarf back to the base camp while Eurysa, Kava, and Enzi searched the battlefield for any sign of the lycanthrope. Enzi was the first to see a large lump of fur that was not one of the fallen wargs. He lifted the head of the lycanthrope and gasped.

"Oh Mayitso..."

***

The Cleanser stood with his stark white robes over the corpse of another monster. The color of white was a symbol. It was the color of evil. It was nearly impossible to keep clean. Both of these things were symbolic of the role of the Cleanser. Naphar Bura had his hands full trying to stop the influx of monsters pouring out of the Goblinoid Lands. The Tarvoni Summoners had made his job difficult. He had not forgotten about the abominations that hid within the mercenary group known as Enzi's Irregulars.

He hoped they were not causing too much trouble. He had too many other foes to slay at the moment to be able to chase them down. They had escaped him in Feergrus on a Ravaleian boat. They were likely halfway across the continent. For now, Naphar needed to aid the southern front of the Fifth Goblinoid War. His weapons were soaked with blood. He expected that they would unleash yet more blood that day.

"Naphar!" one of the Agonish soldiers said, "It is good to see you."

The Kurrot man merely nodded in response.

"You have saved the day once more. My unit stands ready to serve you as needed."

"To serve... Me?"

The Agonish soldier nodded, "Our commander was slain by a monster creeping in the night. You have saved us from a similar fate more than once. As the highest ranking soldier in my unit, I have decided we will do what we can to aid your noble battle and give you support."

"I appreciate it," Naphar replied, "I will have need of many allies before this war is done. There are many monsters yet to slay. There are some even I fear to face alone. I will need the strength of your men to defeat such powerful foes."

"We will do what is needed to stop these monsters from harming any more of our people."

"Good, good," Naphar said.

The Cleanser smiled as he cleaned his weapons. With such allies he might be able to finally destroy the minotaur, gorgon, lycanthrope, and vodyanoi. All he needed now was the opportunity. He would meet the monsters again. This time it would be their end.

***

The soldiers in the base camp looked with pity as the Irregulars carried two of their members inside. A few gave dirty looks towards the Storm Queen, but many also thought that perhaps she had taken an action that needed to be done. In the end, if the Irregulars were hurt or died, what did it matter? They were not human. They were monsters. Could their lives be measured as equal? Many heavy questions now weighed upon the humans of the base camp.

The camp medics immediately got to work on the two wounded monsters. They could not expect any magical healing, the Storm Queen had exhausted herself with her massive display of power. Aldebaran used his muscle to help move the dwarf around so that the medics could remove his heavy armor. Scorch marks now pocked the body of the Halz. The medics applied balms to the wounds and left Ritter to rest and heal. The medics working on Mayitso had an uglier wound to deal with.

The smell of burnt hair and flesh along with the sight of the ugly wound caused one of the medics to retch. Cleaning it out was a terrible task. The lightning bolt had sheared across the lycanthrope's head. The medics had to be careful so that they did not cause further harm. It was certainly going to leave a nasty mark. Beyond that, it had completely obliterated Mayitso's left eye. He would require serious downtime to rest and recover from such a serious wound.

Cassius approached Enzi, "I am sorry for what happened. I am not sure how needed her assault was, but the questions already float through the camp."

"She saw clearly, if poorly," Enzi replied, "The goblinoids planned to use our compassion to shield them. They had to be struck down. The force that was used might have been excessive, but force was warranted."

"I am surprised we were not warned of their coming. Medeus was scouting that direction. He is the sharpest ranger we have left."

"There is a lot of territory," Enzi replied, "Even he could have missed us. I am just sorry I did not realize the actual intentions of the goblinoids following us sooner. We knew a scout was following us, but the size of this force and their devious assault were both beyond any prediction I had. The tactician who thought of this was not only sharp, he had to be thinking on his feet to put this together so quickly."

Cassius nodded, "I suspect you have more to tell me. Syrian arrived before you but only told me a few things."

Enzi sighed, "Yes, there are a great many things to discuss. We should talk in private. This may take a while."

"For now, it appears we have plenty of time."

The two great leaders made their way to the general's quarters. Inside, they sat and discussed what Ranum had told Enzi. They discussed many possibilities, including treachery. In the end, they came to the conclusion that they could not ignore the warnings of the grizzled old goblin. They also came to the conclusion that little would be done that they did not do themselves.

"It looks like you and your team will be needed on the southern front for this beast when it comes."

Enzi nodded, "I worry. Bounties were placed on our heads by those who hate monsters. Most of the mercenaries that would claim it now fight on the southern front."

"I do not know about most, as there are still plenty of conflicts in the Disputed Lands, but you are right that a great many will still be there as a possible problem. I will send a messenger to that front with news and questions. We have enough time that we can hopefully sort out a solution."

"It will take some time for our wounded to recover anyway. When we are ready, we will begin the trek south."

"You may run into many thing to take care of along the way if you go around to the west. Although the western front in Kurrot would be full of Cleansers."

Enzi nodded, "We have time. For now. Blunting that last goblinoid attack may give us an extended peace here on the northern front. At least I hope so. It would make the sacrifice seem worth it. It would be nice not to have to deal with trouble any longer."

***

Medeus Tarim watched the base camp from a distance. The dagger he had taken from the murderous goblin known as the Hunter of Man was in his hand. It had seen the blood of a few foes during the ranger's travel through the woods. As he looked upon the base camp, all the ranger could see were what looked like demonic goblinoids. He felt that the dagger needed to be sank into each and every single one.

Yet these monsters had to be dangerous. Medeus would have to be careful. He would use stealth and try to take down each foe one by one. One of the odd demons came out to scout the area. Medeus waited until the demon was far from the camp. He would make them pay for all the human friends the creatures must have slain. Medeus leapt out to confront the demon.

The demon yelped in surprise, "Medeus! What are you doing?"

Medeus was surprised that the demons had heard of him, but assumed they must have tortured the people of the base camp to learn information about the forces in the area. Medeus sank his knife deep into his foe. It felt so right. This was exactly the kind of foe the blade wished to slay. This was what it had been made for. Joy washed over Medeus. One demon was slain. It was a start.

As the ranger walked away the last life gurgled away from his foe. To unclouded eyes the corpse was that of a ranger. The human had died, his life taken by the new Hunter of Man.

Enzi's Irregulars #0052

Rumors had begun to flit through the base camp. First Medeus had not returned and now a second scout had disappeared. Fears of a second Beast that Takes Trophies flitted through the camp. The men had suddenly grown to respect the power of the goblinoids. Fear drove many of their decisions. Severe solutions were being fielded. Someone even suggested cutting out a swath of trees and then lighting the goblinoid side of the forest on fire.

The southern forest quickly became wetlands however. It was far too likely, even with an area cut and burnt out to keep the flames under control, that any fire would instead burn northwards into human lands. That such an attempt at genocide was even seriously discussed brought the words of Ranum to Enzi's mind. If the humans learned to fear the goblinoids too much, they would slaughter them all. Defeating the young dragon was needed for the sake of innocent human lives as well as the very survival of the four goblinoid races.

For now, the mercenaries needed to find out what was happening to the scouts before their disappearance brought on a panic. With Mayitso down for the count, the team' had lost their best tracker. Eurysa, Aldebaran, Kava, and Enzi headed out to see what they could find. Hopefully the problem would present itself to them. They began to search the patrol area, although the process was slow. The first day was fruitless, as were the next two. The fourth day, however, finally provided a clue.

Kava practically tripped over a crossbow hidden in the weeds. It had to be the weapon of the ranger that had gone missing. The clue did not bode well. Enzi could not imagine the ranger leaving his weapon behind. Even if he had lost it, he would have returned to the base camp to secure another. Enough rangers had fallen that spare equipment was available. There was no other sign of the ranger. Morale at the base camp continued to slip while the group searched for more clues.

***

Medeus watched the creatures wander around outside the base camp. Only one of them was a demonic goblinoid. Medeus could not understand why the minotaur, gorgon, and vodyanoi now aided the enemy. He wondered if it had something to do with the missing Halz and lycanthrope. Medeus knew that the Halz were usually a noble race. Perhaps the monsters had finally betrayed him and joined the side of evil. It mattered little at the moment, they were too powerful for Medeus to take on alone.

He could be patient and pick off his foes one by one. He was a ranger of Nuvroc. He had been trained to survive in the forest. He was perhaps one of the best at his job. He sat and waited, keeping an eye on the base camp and waiting for an opportunity to strike. He hoped that human reinforcements came soon. He had to warn them of the danger. With their help they could stop the invasion of demonic goblinoids and their monstrous allies. He positioned himself north of the base, hoping to intercept the next group approaching the base camp. That group would be coming soon.

Soon the ranger was rewarded with the sound of travelers. However, he was shocked at what he saw. It was more of the demonic goblinoids. They traveled heavily laden with supplies. Medeus assumed that they had stolen the supplies from the reinforcements. There were not many of them and they appeared to be lightly armed. The ranger knew that he had to strike. The knife had to taste blood again. Yet Medeus knew that it could not slay all of the foes. He had to stop as many as possible with his bow before the melee began. His first shot struck true. The ranger watched as the panic began below him.

His bow found another target, but the goblinoids had spotted him. Medeus leapt into battle. He could not let any escape to warn the goblinoid camp. The knife almost seemed to sing as it tore through the flesh of the demonic goblinoids. One after another fell to the ranger. Finally one tried to run for the former human base camp. Medeus grabbed his bow and fired a shot. It did not kill the goblinoid but it did hit them in the leg. The ranger quickly caught up to the wounded monster. It was mewling and whimpering like a coward.

"Only now do you seek for life," Medeus said in Nuvro, "Perhaps you should not have slain the humans and stolen their supplies."

The knife did its dirty work. The goblinoid screamed and squealed. Medeus would leave a message with this monster. After he was done, he gathered what supplies he could. Then he burned the rest. The smoke would warn his foes. Medeus knew he had to flee. He hoped that the blow he had struck would weaken the demonic goblinoids.

***

Enzi and the Irregulars had returned to the base camp. They were resting when smoke rose on the horizon. There should not be any smoke to the north of the base camp. Several rangers immediately made their way in that direction. Enzi followed, hoping to find some clues into the loss of two rangers. The scene of slaughter that the group found, however, shocked the Feergrus man. The arrows of an archer had slain several people, and a cruel knife had killed the others.

One, however, had been dealt with in a most horrific fashion. The knife had cut deep gashes in the body. It was as if the person had been filleted. The body had been hung up in the trees. It was a gruesome sight as flaps of meat dangled from the bones and blood dripped to the ground. Enzi wondered what kind of creature would do such a thing. Then he suddenly noticed the Vodyanoi nearby. She was an expert in weapons and wounds.

"I recognize this," Kava said, "These cuts and wounds. This was not made with a normal weapon. This was made by the same dagger that goblin used to kill people earlier."

"Medeus had that dagger earlier," Enzi said, "The foe must have taken it from him. I guess that confirms he is lost as well."

"And now we have some new foe out there causing problems," Kava said, "I can't wait for him to meet my hatchets."

"I can not find a reason to disagree with that statement," Enzi replied coldly, "We need to find this new enemy and deal with them. This scene should be enough that the base camp will let us borrow a ranger or two for tracking."

After burying what was left of the dead, the group returned to the base camp. After the soldiers reported to the general, Cassius immediately ordered a pair of rangers to begin tracking the new enemy. The next morning the rangers set out with Enzi, Kava, Eurysa, and Aldebaran at their side. By the end of the day the group had returned to the camp disheartened. It was obvious that this foe was skilled in the art of hiding their trail. With Mayitso still badly wounded, the group needed a new solution to finding an enemy that could not be found.

"You need a different set of senses," a female voice said as the group discussed their possible plans.

Enzi looked up to see the young girl known as the Storm Queen. She had been the one that had wounded Mayitso with her over the top display of magic. Her skill was undeniable. It was quite possible that she had ways of finding people with her magic. It was worth a try, although Enzi worried not only about the girl's ability to control herself but also what her reason for joining the expedition was.

"I missed being able to stop the terror the first time," the Storm Queen stated, "This time I will end it. Plus I feel bad about getting rid of our best tracker. I am sure he might forgive me if he knew what it was like to channel lightning. It is a feeling like no other. You feel unstoppable. Which is pretty close to the truth."

Enzi sighed. The young mage was arrogant. She had a huge amount of power and would likely become a terror all her own as time passed. The Feergrus man hoped she would learn to tame her passions. However the glint in the girl's eyes reminded him of Kava's blood-lust. It once again reminded him that not all monsters were inhuman. The words of Ranum once again crossed Enzi's mind. A thought occurred to the man. Perhaps humans were the monsters in this world. It was a frightening thought. It was definitely a sobering thought when it came to the inhuman creatures of the world.

As another morning came, Ritter had begun moving around. He was still sore, but ready for a fight. Enzi left him at the base camp, wanting to be sure they were protected from whatever the new threat was. Mayitso was healing well, but there would be a permanent jagged scar on his face from the lightning strike. The loss of one eye would be disconcerting as well. It would take quite some time before the lycanthrope was back to full fighting form.

The small group of irregulars, along with two rangers and the Storm Queen, headed out. They searched the area of the attacked supply convoy first. The Ravaleian mage wove a spell of significant power. Enzi could see it had been a drain on her endurance. After it was complete, she looked around the area and shook her head. The rangers saw nothing either. The Storm Queen kept flitting around oddly, glancing from one side to another.

"Can we help you?" Enzi asked.

"I can see living creatures currently. Unfortunately, if someone is hidden completely behind something, like say a wall, I can not see the glow of their life energy. So if I move a little here and there, I might catch a glimpse of something. So far all I can see are squirrels and birds. Nothing larger."

"Let us move on then," Enzi said, "How long will that spell last?"

"I put a lot of power into it, it should last for several hours," the Ravaleian girl stated.

The group then moved for the area where Kava had found the dropped crossbow. As dusk began to settle on the area, the group finally decided to give up for the day. That was when the Ravaleian mage suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She narrowed her eyes and then raised both her hands. Stones tore themselves off the ground and pelted an area. A yell of pain told the group that she had hit the mark. None of them were prepared for the sight they beheld.

"Damn demonic goblinoids!" Medeus Tarim yelled as he leapt from his hiding spot with the brutal knife in his hand, "If this is my last battle, I will take as many of you with me as I can!"

The Storm Queen raised one eyebrow at that but it was Eurysa who saved the day. She hissed at the ranger and met his gaze. Medeus stopped moving as the gorgon's power crept into his very pores. The Ravaleian approached the frozen man and nodded appreciatively. She wove a quick spell and looked over him again. Her gaze lingered for quite some time on the knife in the ranger's hand.

"A great many interesting things," the young Ravaleian cooed, "I like your power creature. It is deadlier than any similar spell I have seen. This man, however, is under no other spell. He has fallen to something far worse."

"Some sort of insanity?" Enzi asked.

"No. It was this blade. Look at the slimy growths on it. I have seen this before. This blade has grown in power. It has a power that is not magical and requires a strong will to resist. We call it an item's legacy. This one was soaked in blood. It caused this ranger to seek the blood of its foes."

"That blade was used to kill humans," Kava said, "And now it wants more? That is my kind of bloodthirsty weapon!"

"It is rare for a legacy to come to a non-magical item, but not unheard of. A legacy makes an item powerful, but it also drives its user. The few items that gain such a thing are used by tremendous heroes or villains. Their deeds forever mark the items they loved and used."

"Can he be cured?" Enzi asked.

"He will forever desire this knife. It is an addiction. Only the destruction of the blade or the death of the user will end it."

Enzi's Irregulars #0053

Prying the knife from the hands of the afflicted ranger was difficult. Breaking it was far less so. The knife was of high quality, but it was still just a normal knife. Enzi looked toward the Storm Queen as she studied the ranger and the broken knife.

"Probably safer if it is melted down or something," the young girl said.

"Wish we had a forge at camp for that," Enzi said, "Do you think magic can do the job?"

"Fire is not my specialty," the fifteen year old Ravaleian replied, "But I believe with a little work, we can create a flame capable of melting steel."

Soon the group had dug out a small pit and layered it with rocks to hold the heat. They placed the broken blade parts on the rocks and covered it up. Kava soon returned from the base camp with some lamp oil. They poured that on the bed of rocks and it soon filtered into the holes. Enzi piled some sticks on the stones and lit a fire. After the stones were warmed by the flames and the burning oil, the Storm Queen summoned all her magical energy.

An immense fireball erupted within and around the bed of rocks. Then not long after that, the Ravaleian blasted the area with a spell that produced severe cold. With the stones cooled, they were pried apart. The heat had warped the blade, but not melted it. Luckily, the cold had made it brittle. The hilt had been wood covered by the black slimy corrupted plant matter. It had been completely destroyed. A few times smashing the brittle blade with a hammer left naught but dust.

They left Medeus in the hands of the medics of the base camp, telling them that he had been afflicted by a terrible curse and would need help to recover. It was close enough to the truth. No one spoke of the deeds that had been done, but Enzi did make sure that the base camp knew that the enemy that had been hunting down people had been dealt with permanently. That was slightly more true than the tale about the curse. According to the Storm Queen, Medeus would recover eventually.

***

The northern front had been surprisingly quiet for nearly a month. The Agonish Magehunter Beren Gendar and the Kurrot Bladestorm Syrian Dow often led strike teams of soldiers southwards to hit the goblinoids and deal with the Tarvoni threat. Beren had already come back with the heads of three Tarvoni magi. Supplies and reinforcements had been pouring into the base. Several people were working to hastily expand the base camp's walls. The golems were doing most of the heavy lifting.

Steady communication had finally begun. The three fronts had been secured enough that messengers usually got through. The information they had could be nearly current, but was often dated. When the message stated that the Master of Blades had not yet returned from the Battle of Hargis, but one of her team had survived, no one thought twice. Syrian gave his own words for the messenger to take back. He told the fleet footed Kurrot messenger that he had seen the Master of Blades and had escorted her safely through the worst of the swamp. The messenger looked relieved at the news. He took what other news the base camp had and headed out.

Things were going well in the war. The goblinoids had not advanced beyond the line. There had only be a few skirmishes. Most of the battle were strikes deep behind enemy lines by people like Beren Gendar. Tales of the daring adventures of the northern front had begun to bring many would-be heroes to the area. Most did not survive their first foray into the Goblinoid Lands. Ravaleians had become the most populous of the warriors in the camp, barely outnumbering the Nuvroci.

Several of the Ravaleians did not appreciate being under the command of a Nuvroci general. They accepted it for the moment, especially as they were in Nuvroci territory, but Enzi saw it as a possible problem down the road. The Agonish were the majority of soldiers at the southern front, which was in Agonish territory. The Kurrot were the majority at the western front, which was in their territory. The Nuvroci, however, had split their forces. Some were at the northern front, but a larger percentage had gone to the southern front. That meant that the more resources the Ravaleians put into the war, the more the northern front would be dominated by them.

Enzi had his hands full with the retraining of Mayitso. Learning to fight with one eye had been a chore at first. The lycanthrope was getting better, but more practice would make perfect. The lull in goblinoid attacks had allowed Enzi's Irregulars to get back into fighting shape. They had all taken a few wounds along the way, but now they were healed up and ready for a real fight. Enzi watched as Beren and Syrian headed off for another trip into enemy territory. He thought about having his team follow them, but he was not ready to commit the team to that severe of a fight yet.

Mayitso was lucky that his sense of smell and hearing were keener than his sense of sight. It made losing an eye slightly more bearable. It still left him with a nasty blind spot on his left side, but he had quickly learned to compensate. The different fighting styles of the other Irregulars helped the lycanthrope to see what worked best for different situations. It also gave the team some much needed sparring practice and new ideas for teamwork. It was soon to be greatly needed.

***

The messenger rushed up to Tuvaar Lat with a big grin. Tuvaar had taken over command of the western front with the loss of Jaeris Hyn. Tuvaar wondered what news could have the messenger so happy. He quickly took the scout into his tent to learn what all news he brought. Most of it was on a scroll, but the messenger practically exploded with news about Jaeris Hyn being seen alive and well. Tuvaar was shocked. He wondered if it was possible she had run into someone before he had slain her. He figured it had to be impossible, but it was worth checking out.

"Tell me more of the sighting of the Master of Blades," Tuvaar said, "Who saw her? Where and when?"

"It was Syrian Dow that told me," the messenger said, "He saw her not long after the battle, having escaped it. Is that not great news?"

"It is indeed," Tuvaar lied calmly, "Who else knows of this?"

"No one yet," the messenger said, "I had to bring the scroll to you from the general."

Tuvaar's blade flew from his scabbard with a swift, deadly, and silent draw. The messenger fell dead on the floor. The treacherous Kurrot cleaned his blade and sheathed it again. His tent was well away from the main encampment. Tuvaar led from behind, as a tactical and thinking general. It also gave him privacy. He took the time to clean up the body, and then began his preparations. He needed to turn Syrian Dow into an enemy of the state.

He would begin to spread rumors immediately. He had a few people that were good for that job. After the credibility of his foe was destroyed, then he could announce the official death of the old Master of Blades. He had hoped to do that soon, but now he needed to make sure that any rumors of her being alive came from an untrusted source. He wondered what angle this Syrian Dow had for claiming Jaeris was alive. Tuvaar had followed her trail. No one had seen her. They would have rescued her from that marsh if they had.

Even if Syrian was telling the truth somehow, Tuvaar knew that he had to learn who else he had told. He would send some spies to the northern front. They could help with the rumors as well. Tuvaar would become the Master of Blades. He would let no one get in his way. He was too close to his goal to let it slip through his fingers now. People already saw him as a hero of the Battle of Lake Hargis. The only thing that Tuvaar had heard of Syrian was that he was doing well in slaughtering goblinoids in the north. It had earned him some acclaim, but Tuvaar's new smear campaign would soon change that.

***

Mayitso sniffed the air and growled. Most of the base camp ignored the growl of the immense wolf, but the rest of the Irregulars immediately grabbed their gear. Eurysa slithered to the wall of the base camp and peered out one of the arrow slits. Aldebaran and Kava had their weapons ready and had climbed the walls to get a better view. Ritter was trying to don his armor as quickly as he could. As dusk had come, Enzi had worked on settling down for the night. He groaned as he saw the Irregulars preparing for war. He was feeling his age that night. He forced himself out of bed. He needed to get the rest of the base camp ready to defend themselves.

However, his instincts kicked in as he saw odd shadows in the dying light of Feras. He ducked under cover as a hail of javelins landed within the camp. The screams of the wounded awoke the camp faster than Enzi ever could. Eurysa was firing arrows almost in a panic. There was a loud crunch as several heavy things hit the wall of the camp. There was a terrible grunting noise, then a plume of gas exploded under and over the wall. The Irregulars at the wall jumped back and down away from the odd fumes. Kava rushed over to Enzi with a foul look in her giant orange eyes.

"Somehow they gathered up a huge number of catoblepas and herded them into the wall," the vodyanoi said.

"Catoblepas?" the dark skinned man asked in surprise.

"Yeah, see them in the Marsh of Vashim all the time. Big, huge, dopey things. You would think they are an easy target, but they burp out poison gas. They also taste terrible. I would rather munch on gelatinous eels."

Enzi made a face at the mention of the eels. The slimy things resided in the northern swamp as well. They were actually some kind of worm, crystal clear and slithering. They were not violent, but they could feed a person easily enough. Their taste, however, was incredibly foul. Anything that had a worse flavor than that made Enzi want to retch. Enzi knew what a catoblepas was, his surprise was that they were this far north. Obviously the Tarvoni summoners were behind their sudden appearance.

The catoblepas were a lumbering beast, with short, stubby legs. Their neck was long and they had a large head. Enzi had heard jokes that it was a blend of two extinct animals, the hippopotamus and the camel. The head did resemble a hippo, as did the short, stumpy legs. The body resembled a camel, with light, tawny fur and an extended neck. It had a tail like a camel as well, except much larger. The beasts had damaged the south wall and the gas had driven the defenders back.

It was suddenly quiet. The gas dissipated, followed by a tremendous sound as a massive horde of goblinoids poured over the walls. A few hobgoblins zipped by overhead, mounted on griffins. Enzi suddenly wished that Beren Gendar, Syrian Dow, and the few men which went south with them were back at the camp. This was a major assault and even Enzi's Irregulars could not hope to stave off the attack by themselves. Luckily they had a slew of warriors from Nuvroc and Ravalei, as well as General Cassius Tessium and a pair of wooden clockwork golems. Less luckily, they also had the Storm Queen.

Enzi's Irregulars #0054

Using summoned beasts to drive the defenders off the wall had been a brilliant move. As the spell wore off, the beasts had disappeared and cleared a nice clean path to the empty walls of the base camp. The griffin riders could easily throw their javelins down to keep the guards at bay. As a horde of goblinoids surged over the south wall, it was obvious that a lot of planning and preparation had been made for this assault. Enzi wondered if they had waited for Beren and Syrian to leave as well.

His time thinking was cut short as he dove into a fight for his very life. Enzi ducked to the side as a shining metal weapon was thrust at his gut. The Feergrus man was surprised to see how well the goblinoids were armed and armored for this battle. Most goblinoids were lucky to have armor at all and their weapons were often of inferior make. Such disadvantages had made the humans feel confidence in fighting the goblinoid horde. The people of the base camp, however, still had an advantage in arms and armor.

That was made especially clear as the two wood golems stomped into battle. The metal weapons of the goblinoids hacked and chipped at the mighty constructs. They left great scars on the golems but the magical monstrosities felt no pain and kept trying to fulfill their commands. Without fear, the wounded golems charged through the goblinoids, smashing them with hefty fists. A great many of the foes were pummeled. Javelins rained down from above, but they were of little consequence to the clockwork machines. They blend of science and magic had made them extremely hardy.

Eurysa worked to deal with the aerial threat. Several rangers might have aided her if they were not busy with the threat on the ground. The gorgon did not aim for the mounts. They were far tougher than the hobgoblins that rode them. Without riders to guide them, the griffins were just beasts. They would flee a battle like this and look for easier prey. Hitting a rider on top of a griffin while on the ground was extremely difficult. Eurysa finally landed a shot, although a hail of javelins began to fly in her direction after that. She took cover as best she could while trying to shoot down another hobgoblin.

Ritter, Aldebaran, Kava, and Mayitso were in their element. Those four inhuman mercenaries were in the thick of the melee. The vodyanoi was enjoying the fight. She always felt good in a battle where she could let loose and really draw blood. She felt better if she could do it a lot. The sheer number of goblinoids meant that Kava had gotten her fondest desire. The others were merely slogging through their foes, hoping for a victory. Ritter had little love for goblinoids. The Halz often had to deal with incursions of the monsters underground.

Enzi had not seen any display of magical power from the Storm Queen. He was not sure if that was good or bad. The teenage girl was powerful, but had several issues. She could certainly bring down the griffin riders without hurting anyone. The aerial foes had Eurysa pinned down. Enzi moved to make sure that the goblinoids moving towards her position could not engage her. Mayitso quickly jumped in to help. That was when one of the hobgoblins fell from the sky.

An arrow had felled him, but it had not come from Eurysa. As yet another hobgoblin fell, Enzi tracked the arrow's flight back to its source. He saw a very different teenage girl this time. It was the young woman who had been a ranger's apprentice. It was Lunaris Justis, and she had finally learned how to use her bow. Her archery skills had greatly improved since Enzi had last seen her. It was obvious that a lot of practice had gone into her improvement. Enzi heard the hobgoblin leadership call out.

Ritter snorted, "They are calling for a retreat. Let us hurt them as much as possible on the way out. That way they will not want to ever return!"

"Now you're speaking my language!" Kava replied with a fierce grin on her overly wide mouth.

Many of the goblinoids trying to get over the wall were cut down. Many of those who did make it over wished they had not. As the Irregulars gave chase, they saw why the retreat had been called. Standing to the south were Beren Gendar and Syrian Dow, along with their forces. At Beren's side were the severed heads of three Tarvoni. Enzi imagined that those were the sorcerers responsible for the catoblepas stampede. Not many goblinoids made it to the safety of the trees, and only two griffin riders escaped.

A great many cheers rose in the base camp. They had won. However, the cheers died as it came to worst time of combat. It was time to clean up the bodies. It was bad enough to have to haul out rotting and festering goblinoids corpses and have them burned, but you also had to deal with those who had fallen. Each person that had died that day was a friend and ally. Enzi wondered what had happened to the Storm Queen. She was not his favorite person, but she was young and still had the chance to learn and amend her path. Lunaris had proved that a person could change and become better.

After thinking that, Enzi heard a snoring noise. It was Lunaris. She was leaning against one of the walls, dead asleep. He supposed she deserved it. It showed she was still the same person, if stronger than she was. Enzi hoped she would continue to persevere, to learn from her mistakes, and keep becoming a better person. Searching for the Storm Queen, however, was less fruitful. There was no sign of her anywhere in the base camp. That fact worried Enzi greatly. He quickly called on Mayitso to try to sniff her whereabouts out.

Trying to find the Storm Queen's scent among the smells of blood and death had to be terribly difficult. The lycanthrope circled the area until he found a trail. It lead northwest, away from the base camp. The Storm Queen was extremely independent and did not follow directions well and especially hated taking orders. It did not surprise Enzi that she would wander off to do her own thing. No matter how powerful she was, going alone was still extremely dangerous. Even the most powerful person could be caught in a surprise ambush.

The group continued onwards, looking for answers. Mayitso was in the lead, sniffing out the trail. Suddenly he stopped and his fur bristled. The stealthier members of the party moved forward. Of those few, only Enzi could understand what was being said. The people were speaking in Rava. The Feergrus man recognized one of the voices as the Storm Queen. She had not come out this way with someone, she must have come to meet up with these people. Enzi's curiosity was piqued.

"If you think offers of money will sway me, then you know little of me," the Storm Queen stated coldly.

"Coin is but a means to an end. With enough, you can have access to anything," a slimy male voice replied.

"Then if your master has so much coin and power, perhaps he can arrange something more worthy of me than mere monetary bribes," the young Ravaleian girl responded sharply.

"If you are capable of providing the magical power that he needs, then I am sure he would find a way to reward you with whatever it is you actually want. All we need is your power and your silence."

"I am surprised you did not go after someone more local," the Storm Queen said with pretend innocence.

"There are several who might have the power we need," the slimy voice replied, "But only a few that are willing to do something that can never be spoken of again."

"Then we will see if your brave leader is really willing to do as he says," the Storm Queen replied, "With his power, he needs to grant me a magestone."

"I... I do not even know what that is," the slimy voice said.

"Then you had best learn and see what your ally says to that. Then we can perform whatever odd little ritual he wants and I can pump whatever it is he needs full of magic. It will be even more powerful with access to a magestone. He may see that as all the more reason to track one down and acquire it."

"I will see what he says," the slimy male voice stated, "But you had best be as good as they say you are. Not only that, your ability to keep secrets must be perfect!"

"Why would I care about your august leader's predilections?" the Storm Queen asked, "All I care about is me. You make me happy, you can have the world. Anger me, and I will show you my wrath."

"Then we will meet again soon," the slimy voice said, "Be prepared. Our leader will come. The site is almost complete."

"I will be there. You had best have all that I want."

Enzi heard the noise of several people moving away. The sound of chain armor could clearly be heard. The Storm Queen then moved to return to the base camp. There was a brief panic. Enzi wondered what would happen when she discovered she had been followed. However, the Irregulars had moved out of the path while Enzi had listened. The Ravaleian girl paid absolutely no attention to the fresh tracks and did not even look around her for danger. She passed Enzi and the Irregulars without spotting them.

It would not have taken much for her to have seen them. Just a turn of the head or the use of a spell to detect life. Her nonchalant attitude was worrisome. It was especially worrisome considering that whoever she had talked to did not sound like the most noble of folk. Such meetings usually required more caution. The Storm Queen wandered back to the base camp and looked rather shocked as she saw it. Smoke started to billow upwards as the bodies of the goblinoids were burned. She did not rush back, she was instead disappointed that she had missed the carnage.

In the confusion of soldiers rushing about, Enzi's Irregulars easily melted into the crowd as they returned. Enzi was not sure what to do about the Ravaleian sorceress or even if anything needed to be done at all. It was her business. The problem was the possibility that it could negatively affect the war or the people of the area. The Feergrus man decided that the best course of action was to inform General Cassius Tessium. Perhaps he would have a better idea, or at least be prepared for whatever may come.

The Nuvroci general had little to say about the matter. He was as clueless as Enzi, but appreciated the heads up. More reinforcements were on the way, so things were going to get crazier than they already were. The losses from the recent attack would be filled, along with more warriors. The general was worried about how much control he could wield over growing assembly of motley soldiers. This would hold especially true if the incoming reinforcements were mostly Ravaleian. It would be a true test of his leadership.

Having turned back a major assault, however, hopefully gave the base camp plenty of time for repairs and to reorganize. The golem mechanics were already busy patching up the two wood golems. Instead of repairing the south walls, the damaged portions were being torn down. The new camp expansion would be to the south. The haphazard expansion of the base left a few nooks and crannies here and there. Sometimes it left a wall with extra protection as well.

Enzi's Irregulars #0055

The flood of reinforcements was amazing in its scope. The reinforcements were gladly welcomed as they were much needed. A stone golem was the heavy muscle, along with six Ravaleians to support it and the two wood golems the camp had already. There were two dozen other Ravaleians, mostly wearing the livery of the Rava Coast Trading Company. Likely they were mercenaries that worked for the company and now came to aid the war. A dozen Nuvroci soldiers had also arrived, including two more Steel Warriors. Oddest of all were that a couple more Kurrot had joined with them.

Syrian had long been the sole Kurrot on the northern front. Now he had some competition. Neither one appeared to be a Bladestorm, but any aid was welcome against the goblinoids and their Tarvoni allies. Finding room for everyone and everything was difficult. Some felt odd putting new soldiers in the bunks of the dead so soon. The dead had been buried north of the base camp in an ever expanding graveyard. They were shallow graves covered with rocks from the nearby hills. The small cairns were slightly creepy to find in the middle of the wilderness.

The graveyard was a needed place, however. The northerners did not use dead bodies like the Feergrus. A small horde of mindless undead would have been useful in the war, but the necromancers were all in high demand down in Feergrus. Their skills kept them busy. People like Devis Lane made sure that the rewards were profitable enough that few necromancers left. Only those who grated at the rules against making intelligent undead ever left. The Ahk separatists had shown why making undead that retained any of their sapience was a terrible idea. It did not help that other cultures found the undead distasteful.

Every culture had its differences. The distaste for magic among the Agonish was well known. The Magehunters were supposed to be there to protect against the few Tarvoni mages that worked against the kingdom of Agon. In reality, many hunted down anyone with magical talent and slaughtered them as prevention. Some held that to only the Tarvoni unless another threatened the safety of their country and its people. Beren Gendar seemed to be one of the better of the batch. Enzi wondered what kind of severe training it took to make such fearsome warriors and instill such fervor in so many.

Certainly it had caused a few problems with Ravalei. The war against magic had started due to a betrayal by the Tarvoni against Agon. The pale sorcerers had once been close advisers to the kingdom. They attempted a coup and had failed. Murders and vicious attacks had made them enemies that the kingdom of Agon would not soon forget. There was no war with Ravalei, despite distant ties to Casea, but the distrust of magic had grown where Ravaleians with the talent were sometimes targeted. This raised tensions between the two countries. Usually the Agonish Magehunters avoided Ravalei, although any Ravaleian mages in the Disputed Lands were targets.

***

Laughter filled the air that night. The reinforcements had brought food and supplies in abundance. A grand bonfire had been made and fresh meat was cooked up to celebrate. Stories and tales were passed around. Rumors of Beren had been floating around the other battlefronts. It seemed that the number of mage kills he had was the highest among the Magehunters in the war. Many were impressed as the wild tales were confirmed one by one by those who had seen him return with the severed heads of Tarvoni.

Enzi also caught a darker whisper flit through the crowd. There was a rumor that Syrian had come to the north to dodge the repercussions of being a criminal. That would not be unusual for a Kurrot to exile themselves as the laws of the land were murky at best. Revenge was often the name of the game there. Fleeing was the best idea to avoid whatever the offended party might do. Syrian was a strong warrior and would likely avoid being killed except by surprise. He seemed young to have done much and Enzi passed it off as naught but a rumor due to his skill and choice to head to the northern front.

The tales of his heroics had encouraged the other two Kurrot to come north. Enzi noticed both of them thought the rumors were bunk as well. The Kurrot were often thought of as untrustworthy. Rumors of why one appeared or what one might be up to were not uncommon. Even inside their country they looked upon each other with distrust. The Feergrus did not think much more on the matter. Such rumors would wash away after seeing Syrian in combat, or at the very least by association with him.

Soon the small celebration died down. Morale was in high spirits. Having an extra golem helped, especially as it was a stone golem. It certainly did not have the power of an iron golem, but it was more than enough to crush almost any foe. It was still only one fighter. It could not be everywhere at once and was no faster than a human despite being larger. That made it seem ponderous and slow. It also only followed the programmed orders of the people controlling them. The mechanics had to be very careful with the orders as the golem had no intelligence to interpret the orders other than literally.

The handlers for a golem were very important and had to have a firm grasp of logic. The ones dealing with these golems were not warriors. During the last attack by the goblinoids, most of the handlers had hidden in a corner until the battle was done. The more courageous ones had worked to keep the wood golems in one piece. A badly damaged golem could go against its programming, as the damage might actually affect how it worked. The blend of magic and technology was amazing, but it had its limits. The terrifying golem that had wounded Aldebaran in Ravalei was proof enough of that.

The military camp slept well that night. The next few days were active as everyone tried to decide how the living arrangements would work. It did not take long for many of the Ravaleians that wore the livery of the Rava Coast Trading Company to begin their work at trying to take over leadership of the base camp. They had little respect for General Cassius Tessium. It might have been Nuvroci territory, but the Ravaleians now solidly outnumbered the Nuvroci. It was only a matter of time before the two factions would have to come to terms. Enzi hoped that it would not be violent.

***

The apparatus was finally complete. It had taken weeks to put together such a precision instrument. It was much harder as it had to be done away from civilization. All that it required now were the three participants. One of them was already there. He was a dim-witted boy, but physically in perfect shape. This Ravaleian had been chosen specifically for his physical traits. The relative lack of intelligence was a bonus. The thing they planned to do to the boy could possibly destroy his mind.

The second of the two participants was on his way. His name was Dellin Garm. He was the leader of the Rava Coast Trading Company. He had founded it over one hundred years earlier and was not about to let anyone run his company except him. His only problem was that he was dead. He had been dead for nearly fifty years. His body had long since rotted and decayed. It was no more than dust. Yet he still remained. He had haunted those who tried to take over his company. He had used his limited power as a ghost to divert control to more malleable hands.

Now he had manipulated things so that he might once more inhabit a body. The young Ravaleian man that was lacking mentally was a perfect candidate by all measures. They just needed the third person for the ritual to be complete. They needed a vast amount of electricity. They needed more than what even a simple lightning bolt might supply. The Storm Queen, however, had specialized in raw electrical power. She could focus all of her magic into the machine they had built.

Then Dellin Garm could live again. If it worked, then he would be immortal. He could just replace his body as needed. With his experience and knowledge, none would be able to stand in his way. It was sad that several lives would have to be ended, but the knowledge of his transcendence had to be kept only with those he absolutely trusted. As a businessman, he trusted no one. He already had a plan for cleansing the area of those he wished dead.

The final preparations were being made for the ritual. A message had been sent to the Storm Queen. It was too bad she would have to die after the ritual was complete, but Dellin could work on finding some loyal henchmen to deal with the ritual the next time. Being a patron to the college in Calal would be helpful in that endeavor. He planned to make a rather large endowment for the study of the magical arts. He could groom various young people to be trustworthy. He already had a few people that were happy to work with a ghost. He would evaluate which were worthy to keep and which might try to blackmail him and needed to be eliminated.

His limitations as a ghost would finally be gone. He had been able to fling objects around a little as a poltergeist, and could even possess an item. Possession of various things had been His best way to communicate. Objects could not talk, but he could find ways to make them write or otherwise leave messages. Having a human body again that could speak would be a major boon. He would be able to unleash his full business acumen upon the world once more.

***

Devis Lane smiled. If anyone had seen this smile, it was likely they would have run from the room as a stark raving lunatic. This was not a friendly smile. This was the kind of smile a predator might have upon finding that the most delicious prey had trapped itself in an easy to reach spot. Devis Lane was by all accounts a predator. As a Rakshasa, he and his kin had set up the theocracy of Feergrus in their feline form. As shapeshifters, no one knew that they were dealing with an inhuman monster until it was too late.

Devis had learned a great deal about the government of Agon and its future. He had seen an opportunity. Better yet, he knew exactly how best to exploit the opportunity. The prince of the nation had been afflicted with an unusual mind. Most considered him mentally challenged at best, and useless at worst. The way people coddled him had only made it worse. The king was disappointed in the tutors for his son. Devis knew exactly what he could do.

There was a man in Feergrus who would be perfect for the job. He could be easily manipulated and was good with the child-like mentality that he would find in dealing with the prince. Devis could not remember the man's name off the top of his head, but that did not stop him from drafting a letter to Lord Glanar Dale. Devis would make several suggestions to the locals about the wisdom of the Feergrus while the letter made its way home. Soon the new tutor could make his way northwards and Devis would find a way to have this agent take over the duties of instructing the prince.

It meant a slight delay of Devis' plan to stop the lizardfolk invasion, but he could not pass up such a juicy opportunity. He foresaw this as a way to become a major player in the royal succession of the throne of the Kingdom of Agon. If Feergrus could gain any kind of control over the next king of Agon, it was worth the loss of a few soldiers to the war. All of Devis' greatest hopes were beginning to seem possible. He sought out the fastest messenger the Feergrus had at their temple in Agonor. He hoped that the message flew on the wind. The faster this matter was settled, the faster Devis could meet up with his old friend, Enzi Cala.

Enzi's Irregulars #0056

The Kurrot gurgled as the blade sank into his lung. The hand over his mouth kept any other sounds from escaping. Within a few seconds, the man was dead. His killer slipped away quietly and efficiently. The body was left to rot in a quiet corner of the base camp. It was not discovered for several hours. The uproar was immediately noticeable. The first suspect was Medeus Tarim. However, the ranger had been kept under watch by order of the general.

While Medeus was not happy to learn that he was under constant surveillance, he could understand the reason why. He also appreciated that it meant that there was a witness that knew that he had not murdered anyone. The wound was not small, it had to have been done with at least a short sword. A few grumbles rose up that it was Syrian Dow. Talk of the accusations of murder back in Kurrot rose through the ranks. General Cassius Tessium soon took Syrian aside along with Enzi.

"Several people are really starting to wonder if it is you, Syrian," Cassius said, "Talk of your reason for being here is flying through the camp."

"Yeah," Syrian replied, "I am not sure where the talk of murder came from. I was too young to serve under the Master of Blades, so I came north where I could put my skill in combat to use."

Enzi could not help but notice that Syrian had left out the small detail that the Master of Blades was his mother. That likely had more to do with his shift to the northern front than his age. From what Enzi knew, Syrian could not allow anyone to learn of their relation or it would jeopardize the Master of Blades' position. Fighting on a different front certainly helped with that. Enzi was worried about the persistence of the rumors, however. Such things had a way of spiraling out of control.

"So the important question is how do we deal with this?" Enzi asked.

"Well, we could put someone with Syrian at all times as a witness, like Medeus," Cassius replied.

Syrian nodded, "I am not a big fan of being watched, but I'll do whatever is needed."

Enzi sighed, "I agree that it is unpleasant. However, I see several benefits to this. It shows that we are doing something to deal with the problem. It keeps Syrian safe from the killer by having back up. Plus we have a chance of getting rid of those nasty rumors once and for all."

"They will disappear if death comes again," Cassius said, "Which I wish I could prevent. Our men will be on guard against attack, but without knowing where it might come from, anything is possible. Do we even know where the rumor started?"

"No idea," Enzi said, "I will keep an eye on things as best I can with my resources. Hopefully nothing else causes trouble for a while."

***

The base camp remained quiet for nearly three weeks. A few goblinoid scouts had been spotted, but none had survived long. The tension was finally broken when a supply wagon from Ravalei made its way down the trail to the military encampment. It was from the Rava Coast Trading Company. They had come with supplies for their people. There were a few grumbles about none of it going to anywhere else it might be needed. Enzi heard the merchants try to convince the people that they might be able to bring more wares if the base was under better management.

To the Feergrus man's ears, it was an obvious ploy to try to sway hearts and minds to having General Cassius Tessium replaced. A few rumors also spread that the Nuvroci general was too friendly to the murderous Kurrot. It was hinted that Ravaleian leadership would have been better at dealing with the trouble-makers of the area. This made Enzi suspicious. He knew the two Kurrot who had come to the base camp seemed to be fans of Syrian, so the rumors had to come from somewhere else. The play by the Rava Coast Trading Company for control of the encampment made the Feergrus man wonder if they were behind the smear tactics.

Then Enzi noticed one of the merchants chatting with the Storm Queen. The young girl immediately began packing up her gear. Enzi was not sure if he should get involved in her business, especially with a murderer on the loose. The Feergrus man slipped off quietly to inform the general of all of his suspicions. They might be wrong, but the general might have information Enzi did not. Any small clue might help prevent whatever action might come.

After hearing what Enzi said, the Nuvroci general nodded, "Do you think the plot is related?"

Enzi's eyes widened as he thought of the possibility, "I suppose it could be. I would not have thought of the Storm Queen doing anything organized, but I am sure she could be manipulated. Although I would hate to be the person that does that if she realizes what is going on."

"I agree with that," Cassius replied, "She can be quite frightening."

"Perhaps we should follow then, if only to disrupt any plans the Rava Coast Trading Company has to cause problems in the area. I hate to leave while a murderer is on the loose."

"Whoever it is has not struck for quite a while. If your disappearance draws him out, then we will have him. Plus we will be able to rule out you and your team."

The logic was sound enough. Enzi just wished he could be in two places at once. He did not dare to split up his team. It was too dangerous in a human world. Such monsters would be an easy target for accusations. That did not even begin to delve into people thinking of reason to kill them so that they would feel safer. It was difficult for people to accept inhuman creatures as equals. They barely saw humans of different countries as anything other than foes.

Enzi's Irregulars readied themselves for a trip. They were prepared quickly. They were used to having to be on the move quickly. Following the Storm Queen on her trek northwards was easy. She was not skilled at hiding her tracks and did not even try such subterfuge. The Irregulars kept their distance so that they would not be spotted. The Storm Queen traveled alone. Her overconfidence would likely be the death of her some day. As they were traveling north, away form the Goblinoid Lands, she was in a much safer area. That did not make it safe.

Wild animals filled the Halcyon Wood. Goblinoids could have slipped past the perimeter. The northern front was still quite porous. There were always other possibilities as well. Desperate criminals could engage in banditry. Some other criminals might be wandering about and kill anyone who spotted them. Stranger things had happened. It paid to be careful in the wilderness. One never knew what they might run into.

The Storm Queen made her way towards the hillier region closer to the mountains. The height of the mountains forced the rain to pour on this side. It was what made the Goblinoid Lands so swampy. It also had made for rather interesting mountains. On the other side, the mountains were craggy. On this side they were much smoother, worn down by water and wind. It was said that only a giant could climb on the west side, as only they had the reach to use the rare handholds.

Enzi suspected it had a lot more to do with the strength of the giants. They could easily create their own handholds in the rock. Human ingenuity had shown how it could be done. Using spikes and ropes, one could ascend on the western side. There was little reason to do so, however, especially with the threat that a giant might approach and knock you off the mountain. The giants were dangerous enough on the ground. It was lucky that they rarely left their mountain homes.

Soon Enzi saw some sort of structure on top of one of the hills. Any trees nearby had been cleared. The Feergrus man could see activity there, although it was too far to know exactly what he was dealing with. He was certain that this had to be where the Storm Queen was headed. Enzi wondered what odd sort of contraption had been set up by the Rava Coast Trading Company. They had resources to spare, so any crazy thing might be possible.

The Irregulars slowed as they neared, keeping to the forest. Enzi planned to go ahead alone as he was the only one that could understand the Ravaleian language. However, he quickly changed his mind and took Mayitso with him. The stealthy and fast lycanthrope would act as a messenger in case of trouble. Then the wait began. Enzi crept as close as he dared while the sun still shone. He saw the Storm Queen approach several Ravaleians wearing the crest of the Rava Coast Trading Company.

"You have arrived," one of them said in a slimy voice that Enzi recognized.

"You have what I want?" the Storm Queen asked.

"Our illustrious leader spared no expense," the man replied, "He found one of your stones and acquired it. With its power, you will have all the more capability to fulfill your mission."

"One of the twelve magestones," the Storm Queen said dreamily, "I am surprised. They are highly coveted and often thought to be a myth. I need to see it and practice small spells with it so I can be prepared for your little ritual."

"Agreed," the man replied, "We want nothing to go wrong with our plans for tonight. Do not think of betraying us. We know of your reputation."

The Storm Queen chuckled, "You would expend a great deal of resources to even begin to stop me. However, someone who can give me such gifts as a magestone is worth having as an ally. Perhaps I can think of some other nice gifts later that he can give me."

Soon enough, dusk began to fall on the area. Whatever the ritual was, it obviously was being held at night. The activity in the area increased greatly. A powerfully built Ravaleian man now sat in the middle of the iron contraption that sat on the hilltop. The contraption was unlike anything Enzi had ever seen. He did not know who the man in the seat was, but no one paid him much attention so Enzi assumed the Ravaleian in the chair was unimportant. The Storm Queen took a hold of a large stone, likely weighing at least one pound. She began to fire off some small spells designed not to drain her stamina while she waited.

As the darkness of night covered the hilltop, a new figure appeared out of a wagon. His form was humanoid, if barely. He was an apparition. Enzi had heard of spirits, but they were rare. Some were horrors beyond reckoning. Some were merely souls trapped and unable to move on. This ghost was nearly transparent, but it appeared to be an elderly Ravaleian man. Most of the Ravaleians showed the undead man great respect. The Storm Queen looked up from her practice with her new toy.

The dirt swirled at the feet of the mage. The apparition had created a message. Enzi could not see what it might say. He had to guess based on the actions and responses of the Storm Queen.

"Quite pleased," the young Ravaleian girl said to the ghost, "You must be the actual power here, although your ties to this world seem thin."

The dust swirled again and the mage nodded, "A stronger tie would mean you might even be able to speak. I can see why you picked this time. The magic is strong tonight. I imagine most can barely even notice you, especially in the light of day."

The dirt moved for quite some time and finally the Storm Queen spoke one last time, "That is an interesting procedure. I can not wait to see if it works. This sounds fun. Shall we begin?"

Enzi's Irregulars #0057

Several people worked to strap the young, well-built Ravaleian man into the iron contraption on the hilltop. The man seemed genuinely ready for whatever was coming. He had been told that he would be given great power and that his mind would be enhanced. For a man of below average intelligence in a land of scientists, this was extremely appealing. He had not been told that the mind would not be his own. If he had known, he would certainly have objected.

His lack of protest made Enzi wonder who the man was and exactly what the contraption was supposed to do. The light dimmed over the hill. The Feergrus man looked up. The bright moon Cill was drifting lazily eastwards across the sky much like Feras did in the day, granting light to the evening. However, the dark moon Carn moved westwards and was about to pass exactly in front of the other moon. These lunar eclipses were uncommon, the two moon did not line up exactly every night, but they were not unheard of.

It was possible that the moon eclipse was needed for whatever ritual they were performing. Enzi was not familiar with such procedures, but he assumed such power could not hurt. The greatest scientists of Ravalei stated that no known physical law allowed for the opposite orbits of the two moons. Magic drove the orbs that circled Doulairen. There was little doubt about that. The night grew silent as the people on the hill switched their machine on.

There was a low hum from the contraption. As the moons converged, the ghost grew more distinct. The reason for waiting on the convergence seemed to become clearer. The spirit floated over to the man bound in the contraption and waited. The Storm Queen took her position and began summoning her inner power. Her green eyes began to sparkle as energy swam through her. To any viewing her eyes, they would almost look like a tempest of electricity in a green sea.

In her hands was the magestone. It began to shine with a soft luminescent glow. The color of the glow matched the color of the glow of the Storm Queen's eyes. Enzi imagined it was some sort of sympathetic resonance. She had been practicing with it all day. Now it was attuned to her power. Everything seemed to have come together. Enzi felt that he should stop the ritual, but if he leapt in and it was something innocent or helpful, he would never forgive himself. It was too late to ask now. All he could do was wait, watch, and be prepared.

As Carn came into position in front of Cill, the hilltop was cloaked in darkness. Only the glow of the Storm Queen's power gave any light to the proceedings. It was then that she lit up the hilltop more than Enzi could have ever imagined. Electricity poured from the tiny Ravaleian girl. It struck the contraption and poured through it. The man inside screamed in pain and fear. Enzi sent Mayitso back to get the team as he leapt forward.

Whatever deed the Rava Coast Trading Company was up to, it was not worth the suffering and pain of anyone. The spirit had seemingly vanished. Enzi yelled out to halt the ritual but no one listened. A few of the Ravaleian mercenaries nearby rushed to stop the Feergrus man. One vanished under a mass of fur. Mayitso had returned. His speed was incredible. The fight on the hilltop had begun.

A terrible voice spoke from inside the contraption, "You must stop them. I can feel it working."

It did not come from the man bound there, he was still whimpering, screaming, and moaning as the lightning coursed through his body. It had to have been the spirit. It finally had the ability to communicate in the real world. Enzi had several horrible thoughts about what that might mean. He wondered if they meant to trade the bound man's life for the life of the spirit. Such dark magic was unthinkable. Enzi knew what evils the Ahk Separatists delved into. To Enzi, an unnaturally extended life was an act of selfishness. Even more so if it cost the lives of others.

The Irregulars entered the scene and Enzi yelled to them, "Stop the machine and save that poor man!"

The fight began as Eurysa's arrows found their mark on one of the mercenaries. He dropped his blade and grabbed his wounded arm. Ritter clammed into one of the Ravaleians with his shield. The guy hit the ground like a ton of bricks. They did not want to kill anyone unless they had to. Kava, on the other hand, was looking for an excuse to draw blood. Aldebaran had a singular goal. His mighty strength and blade was likely the only thing that could break the contraption.

The Minotaur charged across the battlefield as Mayitso and Kava carved a path for him. His massive blade struck the thing the Ravaleians had built. Iron rang against iron. Electricity sparked down the blade and blew the massive minotaur backwards. A cascade of energy erupted across the machine. The flow of energy tried to arc back to the Storm Queen but she interrupted the stream of lightning she was pumping into the machine. It prevented a backlash to the young mage.

However, the machine failed catastrophically. Cracks appeared in several places as it shuddered, the largest where Aldebaran had struck it. The whole thing vibrated as the electricity spewed out from it wildly. Then the contraption shattered into dozens of pieces. Anyone who was still on their feet were knocked down by a powerful shockwave. Some of the machine was on fire, smoke obscured much of what was going on.

A human voice rose from the smoke, "What have you done?"

As the smoke cleared the human who had been strapped to the machine stood there and he spoke in the same voice that had just been heard, "Wait, I did not get smarter, but what is happening to me?"

The man jerked suddenly and spoke again, "You have ruined my plans. There is something wrong."

The man jerked again, "Why am I talking other stuff?"

After another of the odd twitches, "This is most interesting. I wonder."

There is a pause and then the spirit exits the body of the young man. The young man shakes his head, then the spirit suddenly dives back into the body and the man shudders and twitches. Then after a few moments it stops. The man looks up with cold eyes full of cruel intelligence. The machine had not worked as intended. However, Dellin Garm could now possess living creatures. He erupted from the body of the young man and flew into the captain of the mercenaries.

The captain stood and spoke with a cold voice, "Kill the intruders. Slay the witch as well, it is obvious she has betrayed us to her friends."

The spirit flew back to the young body and possessed it again, "Yes. This is much better than planned. I can possess any body I need. If one fails, I can move to the next. This will work out perfectly."

The young man looked around, "I guess I said that out loud. This will take some time to get used to. Eliminate the enemy!"

The mercenaries moved to slay Enzi's Irregulars and the Storm Queen. The young Ravaleian mage was exhausted from her spell. The mercenaries for the Rava Coast Trading company were well trained and well equipped. Luckily, several were already wounded from the fight and the disastrous explosion. Kava practically slavered at the opportunity to fight. The vodyanoi leapt into battle, chopping at her foes legs as she danced around near the ground.

Aldebaran used his great strength and wide swing to keep several foes at bay. Ritter pummeled his foe with hammer and shield. Eurysa's arrow sought weak spots in armor and often found yielding flesh. Enzi subdued several foes as well. The young man saw the direction of battle and growled at the incompetence of his men. It was merely five monsters, an old man, and an exhausted mage. He was disappointed in the direction of the battle.

"I will make all of you pay for this!" Dellin yelled through his puppet body.

The ghost evacuated the body, leaving it to fight and die in the battle. Most of his witnesses would be dead and gone. Only the Storm Queen's survival would be able to reveal anything. Luckily, he had thought of this as well. Expecting her potential betrayal, he had his mages place several interesting spells on the magestone she used. It would keep her from being a threat until she could be properly dealt with. The ghost fled into the darkness, headed back to Calal.

***

The battle was over. The foes had fallen. Of the participants, only the Storm Queen remained. She sat on the ground, dazed and confused. She had dropped the magestone at some point and it had rolled away into the remains of the machine. She had a blank look on her face. What once had been thunder and lightning now seemed as if the storm had passed. Enzi shook her a little ans the young Ravaleian girl shook her head. Clearing her mind some, she looked up at the Feergrus man.

"Where am I? What happened?" she asked, "How did I get here?"

"What do you last remember?" Enzi asked.

"Some people from the Rava Coast Trading Company said they wanted to meet with me to discuss some business arrangement," she replied, "Now here I am. I feel terrible. What did they do to me?"

"They had you use your power in some sort of ritual to put a ghost in someone's body," Enzi stated, "Do you know who that was?"

"I don't remember anything like that," she said, "I am not a big fan of their company. I can not imagine agreeing to help them without some serious coercion."

"Well, with the loss of memory, I imagine they did something to magically help that," Enzi said.

The Storm Queen scowled, "I will make them pay for this."

"It seems they planned to kill you as well," Enzi said, quickly coming to the conclusion, "The ghost probably got away. It can possess people now, It may find a way to strike at you."

"It would take powerful magic to overwhelm my mind," the Storm Queen said, "But they have the resources for that. They are another servant of order. Trying to control everything. That they would dare try to control me. This is something I can not allow to stand. We should get back to the base camp. There are more of their people there. I hate to think what they are trying to do there."

Enzi was not sure that he could trust the young girl. She had certainly proven flighty in the past. However, he had certainly seen fire in her eyes at the betrayal of the Rava Coast Trading Company. He had no idea how much of what she had done was of her own free will and how much was magical compulsion. The group left the hilltop and headed back towards the southern front. The magestone lay forgotten in the rubble. The spells upon it had kept the Storm Queen from remembering the potent artifact.

The group traveled despite the late hour. Adrenaline kept them awake, though that was certain to wear off soon. When it did, Enzi hoped to be somewhere safe. All of them could use some rest. In order not to alarm the guards, the group finally made camp outside of the military encampment. They could more easily enter in the morning, when no one would mistake them for evil creatures prowling in the darkness. Enzi expected a few hours of sleep would be enough. Unfortunately, they were all awakened by a rather loud commotion in the nearby base camp.

Enzi's Irregulars #0058

Yells and shouts marked the argument in the camp. Enzi rushed for the gate as the light of Feras tried to bring dawn to the world. Enzi tried to piece together what was happening from a few fragments he heard. By the time he got through the gate and made his way to the arguing men, he knew two things. One was that a Ravaleian had been murdered. The other was that the form of a Kurrot had clearly been witnessed at the scene.

There were only two Kurrot in the camp. Syrian Dow was the one the Ravaleians called out as a suspect. Enzi felt more confident. A man had been watching Syrian just for this situation. General Cassius called on that man to step forward and tell the Ravaleians exactly what the Kurrot had been up to. Cassius explained that Syrian had been under watch to prevent any misunderstandings.

"Yes, I had been watching Syrian," the soldier stated, "Unfortunately I am only one man. This murder happened while I was asleep. I can not confirm Syrian's whereabouts."

"Yes, perhaps a smarter general would have had two people watching this Kurrot," a Ravaleian man said with a growl.

This Ravaleian wore the symbol of the Rava Coast Trading Company. He was obviously the head of the mercenary force at the camp. Scars ran across the man's arms. It was obvious this was a career warrior. His brown eyes had a fiery intellect behind them. This was not a man to take lightly. Now Cassius had to match wits with the man. Enzi could not imagine that this would be easy.

"You are making assumptions when there are multiple suspects," Cassius stated.

"Where was Syrian when you awoke soldier? Was he still in his bed?" the Ravaleian asked.

"No, he had awoken before I did," the Nuvroci soldier said, then turned to Cassius, "I am sorry, my general."

"Now to the other Kurrot," the Ravaleian mercenary said, "Where is he. Let us solve this crime here and now."

The other Kurrot stumbled out, obviously drunk and the Ravaleian spoke, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

The Kurrot collapsed as another soldier spoke, "We were up most of the night celebrating. He was in no condition to do anything last night. He still has not slept it off as you can see."

"Then we know our guilty party," the Ravaleian stated, "I call for the immediate execution of Syrian Dow."

"On what evidence," Syrian said, "I certainly did not kill anyone. If this witness can be trusted, there are more than enough with a thin build here."

"Not a witness," the Ravaleian said, "Three witnesses. Two of our men and one Nuvroci soldier. All of them described a tall thin man in the greens you like to wear. Someone who moved fast and with uncanny grace. There are not many who meet that kind of description here. One of them is drunk off his ass. You are already a known murderer."

"I have never murdered anyone," Syrian said, "Here or at home. The false talk of murders in my homeland did not begin until your men arrived."

"Perhaps." the Ravaleian leader said, "It is odd that word of it has not arrived here. Your name was plastered all over the border in Ravalei. Maybe your general friend is just hiding something."

"Or maybe you are lying," Syrian growled.

A short yell for identification at the gate showed that the base camp had a visitor. The man that stepped inside was a Kurrot. It caused the whole conversation to pause. It was the possibility of a new suspect. Yet it was also the possibility of news from afar. The encampment had not seen any messenger for several weeks. The silence in the base camp spooked the Kurrot. He looked around skittishly. It certainly did not help his possible appearance of guilt. Syrian could easily have passed off the blame on the man, but he did not. The Bladestorm would not stoop so low.

"I brought a message. We had not heard back from any of our other messengers. We assumed something happened to them or to you," the new Kurrot said nervously.

The Ravaleian leader snorted, "We have been without a message for some time."

"Yes, I was instructed to bring again the messages the last two messengers were to bring, as neither has been heard from."

"Then let us see them," the Ravaleian said, "Show us you are who you say you are."

The messenger opened up the bag he had and gave out several missives. General Cassius Tessium took control of the letters with the Ravaleian trying to peer over his shoulder. Most were battle updates. However, there was one other message that caught the eyes of the scheming company man from Ravalei. It was obviously a message of a more dire nature. It was marked to be opened immediately as important but not private. Such public news was unusual. Even the general wondered what news could be so important that it needed to be read even with prying eyes watching.

Cassius read it aloud, "This message is all the more important if it did not arrive with the last two messengers. We have received news that a murderer has escaped justice in Kurrot to come to your base camp. He is responsible for the murder of Deshi Wan."

Syrian gasped at that name as Cassius continued, "This known murderer goes by the name of Syrian Dow."

***

Tuvaar Lat looked over the great walled city of Rheamoor. He knew that the message about the murder of Deshi Wan should have reached the northern front. Deshi had been a long time companion of Syrian. Tuvaar wanted anyone who might become a spokesman for Syrian to be eliminated. Finding Deshi had been difficult. He had disappeared as soon as the war started. In some ways this was advantageous. It meant that the long disappearance could be blamed on murder.

The real reason had been far more interesting. Despite showing considerable skill in combat training, the man was a pacifist. He wanted to be as far from the battles and conflict as possible. He had headed off to visit the city-state of Tempest. Like all the city-states of Kurrot, it had its own distinct flavor. While most knew it for its fishing, it was home to a monastery run by a man known as Li Neu Ven. There they taught a unique form of unarmed combat, meant to emulate the very elemental power of the world.

It was a quiet place far from war, but one where Deshi could have had an outlet for his physical prowess that would not lead to actual conflict. He had planned to relinquish his name and become an anonymous trainee of the martial arts. This wish to disappear had played easily into the hands of the Master of Blades. Now he made a perfect martyr. A man who wished for peace and would not kill, murdered by a soulless killer. It played quite well to the crowd.

He was a well known associate of Syrian Dow. The two had argued often about the role of combat. Some had even called Syrian bloodthirsty. This was not unusual for a Bladestorm. Such traits were often encouraged in the past. These facts gave Tuvaar ammunition for his call to bring more order to Kurrot. The country had been a group of independent city-states for too long. The people had nothing to rally behind. Tuvaar would give them a symbol to follow. He planned to be that symbol. He planned to be the man to lead Kurrot into a new future with him as the undisputed leader of the whole country.

The only loose end was Syrian Dow. Now that Syrian was wanted for murder, Tuvaar expected that the Bladestorm would likely be executed. Even if he survived and escaped, he would be a pariah. He was no longer a threat. While Tuvaar would prefer Syrian to be dead, his reach was still limited. The Master of Blades did not have the power he wanted yet. When he did, he expected nothing would stand in his way. Especially not some young kid. Especially when everyone would want the kid taken down for murder.

***

"Murderer!" the Ravaleian commander yelled out, "Surrender for justice now!"

Syrian took a step back and growled, "I do not have time for that now. I am no murderer."

"We all saw how you reacted to that name," the Ravaleian snarled coldly, "Your guilt is without question and now you try to weasel away. There can be no mercy for your kind."

With a mere nod from the Ravaleian leader several mercenaries drew their blades and leapt at Syrian. The amazing reflexes of the Kurrot surprised many. It was almost as if his weapons suddenly appeared in his hands. He parried the incoming attacks and narrowed his eyes.

"Someone has killed my best friend and called me his murderer. I do not have time for your petty games," Syrian snapped, "It seems it is time for me to go back home and find out what is really going on."

"You are not leaving here alive after having slain my our soldiers," the Ravaleian said with a slight smirk.

"Stop this immediately!" General Cassius Tessium commanded.

The Ravaleian commander turned towards the general with a sneer, "Your command is over. You have aided a murderer against all common sense. You failed to protect your men. I am taking command of this encampment as of right now. The Rava Coast Trading Company is now in charge."

A crack of thunder broke the brief silence as a bolt of lightning struck the Ravaleian commander down. His smoking, quivering corpse hit the ground as shocked faces looked on. A glow emanated from the small Ravaleian girl nearby. Her eyes appeared to be little more than glowing balls of green light. Her hair floated in the air as the power of static electricity charged the atmosphere.

A lilting voice came from the mage, "You seek control? No one will control me ever again. Now I shall show you the power of thunder and lightning!"

One of the mercenaries yelled out, "Kill the witch! Kill the murderer! Kill the corrupt general! Take the camp!"

With those simple words, war erupted in the military base. The Storm Queen cackled as she unleashed raw electricity into anyone her demented eyes picked out as a foe. Enzi moved to protect Cassius. The mercenaries for the Rava Coast Trading Company traded blows with the Nuvroci soldiers. The chaos was insane. They had a war with the goblinoids to deal with. Now the Ravaleians had made a power play. The strong reaction from the unpredictable Storm Queen had now set off a storm that would not stop until everything was settled.

Syrian Dow fought to defend himself but steadily made his way towards the exit of the encampment. The letter had been damning evidence, but the actions of the Ravaleians had drawn the suspicion of Enzi and Cassius to them. They had little wish to stop Syrian. He had proven to be a great warrior. His secret life as son of Jaeris Hyn would give plenty of reason to frame him for murder. Having known him for many months, Enzi was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Enzi saw what had to be done. General Cassius Tessium needed allies. While the mechanics for the golems were Ravaleian, they were not from the Rava Coast Trading Company. The Feergrus knew that he could not allow them to join the other Ravaleians in the uprising. The golems could overwhelm almost anyone. Even the power of the Storm Queen would be of little use. Even if Enzi could only convince them to stay neutral, that would be enough. Otherwise he foresaw a massacre.

"Protect the general," Enzi said towards the Irregulars, "There is something I have to do."

Enzi's Irregulars #0059

The battle at the base camp raged on as Enzi dashed towards the mechanic's station. A lot of potential allies were missing. Many of the Nuvroci Rangers were out on patrol, including Lunaris Justis. Medeus Tarim was still in the encampment and was fighting to save Cassius. He still did not have everyone's full trust after the incident with the corrupt artifact, but hopefully this battle would prove that the elimination of the dagger had cured his psychosis.

The person Enzi missed most in this battle was the Agonish Magehunter, Beren Gendar. He had gone off alone to investigate some strange magical occurrences, though the Feergrus did not know that. Enzi merely had to deal with the fact that Beren was not there to aid the general. Lightning streaked past Enzi's right ear. It was too close for comfort. The Storm Queen was lashing out in all directions, cackling with mad glee. It was a frightening sight.

The Feergrus man wove and dodged his way over to where the base camp's three golems sat. The Ravaleian mechanics were huddled in a corner where one of the mercenaries from the Rava Coast Trading Company was busy yelling at them. The mercenary was trying to cow the mechanics into serving the mercenaries as if it was for the good of Ravalei. Enzi's fist ended the conversation as it connected with the surprised soldier.

"Sorry for the violence," Enzi said, "I would hide out of the way if I were you. Death flies through the air today."

The golem mechanics scurried off out of the fray as an arrow from Eurysa helped clear their path. The gorgon was harp-eyed. Her support fire for Enzi had saved his life more than once as he had made his way to the mechanics. Only now, looking back over the path he had taken, did he see the bodies of those who had tried to stop him. The Feergrus man also saw the brilliant coordination of the Nuvroci troops led by General Cassius Tessium.

They had quickly gathered and formed battle lines against the far more chaotic lines of the Ravaleians. Syrian Dow had disappeared. Enzi hoped he had escaped, though he missed having the extra manpower for this fight. He was still an officially wanted man now, that would have caused the general a great many problems down the road. The encampment obviously had enough problems for the moment. The biggest, however, might be the Storm Queen.

Electricity crackled across the young Ravaleian girl's whole body. The teen unleashed blast after blast like an unstoppable fountain of energy. Everything Enzi knew about magic told him that this went far beyond what any mage should be doing with magic. As she tapped further and further into her reserves, the chances of a catastrophic failure increased rapidly. Enzi immediately began looking to see what was near her location. If her spells failed, she could easily obliterate everything around herself.

Assessing the situation, Enzi dove back into the fray. He saw one Ravaleian leap at the Storm Queen from behind. Before the Feergrus could yell out a warning the man stopped dead in his tracks as he hit a wall of magical force surrounding the teen girl. Electricity coursed through the man's body and he dropped like a sack of lead. The girl was smart enough to protect herself from harm. Enzi wondered if perhaps she meant to go all out until her spells backfired. The Storm Queen was certainly moving towards the largest concentration of foes. Her spells were fired off to the sides, away from what Enzi assumed was her main target.

It was a bold move, but also a desperate one. It showed Enzi the depths that the young teen was willing to go to in order to avoid being controlled. He imagined it was the start of a fierce independence. That was something that could easily be taken too far. She already had the potential to become a monster. He hoped that this was not the catalyst to cement her path. The dark road was a terrible one to tread down. Few that walked that path survived. Those that did were well known for the great evils they inflicted. Even those that died often left a wake of death and destruction behind them that would not soon be forgotten.

***

Dellin Garm floated into the vast city of Calal. The ghost returned to the manor that had once been his own in life. The custodian kept the place clean and knew about Dellin's spirit form. That caretaker would be quite surprised at what happened this night. The caretaker was an aged Ravaleian. He was not the ideal host, but he would do for the moment. The spirit passed into the old man's body. Dellin used his new-found power and seized control.

With control of the body, he began to write letters. He needed to find a youthful body to inhabit. Then he would make sure the company fell into that man's hands. Being able to write would make this much easier. While no one would listen to a mere caretaker, these notes were written with the secret knowledge that Dellin held. Very soon he would gather allies to himself He would make the Rava Coast Trading Company extremely powerful, growing it beyond anything anyone could have imagined.

Yet he had a few issues to take care of first. The mercenaries that attacked needed to be dealt with. The Storm Queen also needed to be eliminated. Now he could set his plans in motion. If something should happen to whatever body he was inhabiting, he would always have a backup. If it got old or weak, he could move on. It was far better than what he had expected. The world now sat in the palm of his hands, just waiting for him to grasp its riches.

***

Gharaf Targata's profits had suffered at first when the war began. No one came to Center Point. However, he knew the smell of opportunity. With the resources of Unity behind him, he had begun to supply the troops on the southern front. He and his allies had begun their work to convert key players to their cause. Having a general or a rising star as a proponent of Unity was a big deal. They did not want word of their organization to spread too far. Those in power would see it as a threat. Those who learned of its ties to the criminal underworld might find their presence undesirable.

It was not an easy balance to find. One of the key points was the emphasis on the benefits. A secret society that could help make sure that only the right people came to power. The kind of people that would work to unite the countries under one cause. They had made significant progress in their goals. The new agents that Gharaf cultivated would help slowly spread the influence of Unity throughout Doulairen. As they grew, secrecy would be harder to maintain.

Already there were several loose ends that needed to be dealt with. Enzi's Irregulars still survived. Gharaf had heard of their deeds in the north. He had made sure that information about them fell into the hands of the Cleanser known as Naphar Bura. He had not made any moves yet, the war had his full attention. Gharaf knew that the war could not last forever. When it finally ended, Naphar would make his move. Assuming that Enzi would even survive that long. Terrible things happened in a war.

***

The Ravaleian mercenaries had finally began to muster their forces. The loss of their commander had been a mighty blow. However just as they gathered, the Storm Queen swooped in on their position and her power flared. The explosion was tremendous. It knocked most people off their feet. A lot of the warriors closest to it were torn to shreds. That act seemed to have finally crushed the Ravaleians until Enzi saw a terrible sight. The ground rumbled as huge figures emerged from the smoke.

It was the golems. The mechanics had been swayed after all. Enzi wondered how the Rava Coast Trading Company had pulled that off. There would be time for questions later, assuming anyone survived. The Ravaleians quickly rallied with their new allies. The Nuvroci along with the Irregulars might have been able to take down the two wooden golems. They might have been able to take down the stone golem. The three golems together along with the Ravaleian mercenaries seemed an insurmountable foe.

The Ravaleians seemed to be in mood to negotiate now that they had the upper hand. Things were going to get ugly. Enzi sighed. He had not used his hybrid form in front of the soldiers, but he knew he would not have any choice but to go all out for this battle. As the smoke cleared, Enzi saw the Storm Queen laying on the ground. Miraculously she was still in one piece. Enzi wondered what kind of protections it took to survive such a blast. It did not matter, however. She was obviously unconscious and no longer of any help.

Aldebaran grunted as he saw the new foes enter the fray. His fur was already matted with blood and sweat. Usually bovine did not noticeably sweat, but obviously something in the creation of the minotaur gave him a more human reaction to severe exertion. Eurysa had run out of arrows. Any potential supplies were far out of reach. It was time for her to use her abilities, much the same as Enzi's need now that the situation was dire. Ritter was engaged in a hard battle with some of the more heavily armored Ravaleians.

His hammer was quite effective against them. The Halz deflected many blows with his shield. He did not tire as easily as the rest of the group, but even he saw that it was only a matter of time. He remembered the last battle with a golem. The minotaur remembered it in a very different way. He had missed much of that battle, but only because of how badly the golems had wounded him. Mayitso dashed through the ranks of the enemy, avoiding the golems. The lycanthrope would have trouble harming the constructs, but Mayitso's natural toughness might be one of the few things to save the group.

Kava, of course, was the only person in the area enjoying herself. The vodyanoi was prancing through the battlefield, leaping from foe to foe while hacking with her hatchets. The smell of blood filled the air as did the wailing of the wounded. It was the kind of thing that made Kava grin widely. With a maw like hers, such a grin was rather disconcerting. She reveled in the fear of her foes. She was not match for a golem, however. She was deadly against unarmored foes, using her precision to damage them in the most horrendous of ways.

All of this talent meant nothing against the forces arrayed before them. Eurysa's gaze was useless against golems. Only Ritter and Aldebaran had a chance of damaging them. The Ravaleians knew they had an advantage and they pressed it. General Cassius Tessium made them pay for each inch that the Nuvroci gave up. The golem advance pushed the front line further and further back. Soon the soldiers and the Irregulars neared the back wall.

It was time for the final battle. The skill of the general had meant that few troops had been lost as they pulled back, but no amount of tactical skill would prevent the slaughter to come. They had been backed into a corner. They would bare their teeth like a wild animal. They would fight for a chance to survive. Enzi did not see any chance to survive, but he could not stand to just let someone else win. As the Ravaleians and the golems advanced he took a deep breath. He worried about the dragon. Who would stop such a foe once those that knew of it were slain?

Enzi's Irregulars #0060

One of the Ravaleian mercenaries smiled at the cornered prey, "Charge!"

He jerked forward oddly, his head tilting at an odd angle. Enzi quickly saw why. The head of an arrow pierced out the front of the man's throat. He fell to the ground as a hail of arrows fell upon the Ravaleians. Reinforcements had arrived. The Nuvroci rangers had returned, including Lunaris Justis.

"It will take more than a few archers to stop us," a Ravaleian soldier growled.

The front gate was open. Syrian Dow had escaped through there earlier. Now coming through the gate were several Nuvroci soldiers in heavy armor. The metal was a dark green that was nearly black. Ritter recognized the metal immediately. It was Halzium. These were not just any soldiers. These were elite troops. A silver lightning bolt was emblazoned on their shields and tabards. They had weapons crafted from Halzium.

The troops charged into battle. Enzi's Irregulars and General Cassius' beleaguered troops rallied with the new aid. The stone golem turned to face the new foes. The Halzium weapons cut through the golems like a hot knife through butter. It was obvious that whatever magical toughness the constructs had was no use against the rare metal. The three golems were little more than scrap after the first minute of the battle. The rest of the Ravaleian forces folded quickly without the heavy support.

It was no victory. The northern front was severely weakened. They now had elite soldiers from Nuvroc, but they could not possibly be enough to hold against an amassed force of goblinoids. The Storm Queen was unconscious and even if she was awake she was unreliable. Things looked grim. The loss of the golems hurt as well. The Feergrus wondered once more what had happened to the mechanics that controlled them. He had thought that they would at least stay neutral. Something had to have changed their minds.

"General Cassius Tessium!" one of the Nuvroci soldiers in Halzium armor barked, "Commander Nuida of The Thirty-seventh legion reporting, sir!"

"Legion?" Enzi asked.

"Yes, six thousand soldiers ready to serve. They call us the Storm Brigade. We are the vanguard. The rest of the unit along with our support will arrive shortly. Your rangers alerted us to the trouble so we rushed to your aid. They spotted us as we approached and were aiding us on our travel."

Suddenly their fortunes looked better. Enzi relaxed slightly, then excused himself. He had things to investigate. The rest of the Irregulars set off to rest except Eurysa. The gorgon began collecting arrows to refill her quiver. Enzi soon arrived at where he had last seen the mechanics. The scene that unfolded before his eyes was horrific. One of the mercenaries had obviously found them and forced them to send out the golems. Three of the mechanics remained, the others had been brutally slain. It looked like they had been tortured before their deaths. Enzi could not blame such non-combatants from folding under such pressure. What the rest of the encampment might think was a whole different issue.

Within an hour the rest of the Storm Brigade had arrived. The wounded were being tended to by Nuvroci combat medics. The general had quickly gotten things organized. He had been thrust into leadership. He had now faced his first big hurdle. He had stumbled, but Enzi wondered if he could learn from the experience. If Cassius did, then he might become a truly great general in the future. He had a firm grasp of tactics. Now he had a taste of politics.

Enzi remembered his days as the highest ranking general in the country of Feergrus. He had never cared for the politics. Back room deals had hindered his forces more than once. Enemies of his family had maneuvered things to try to make Enzi look bad on the field. It had been hard enough to outmaneuver his enemies on the battlefield. He had also had to out-think his own allies. In many ways, Enzi's exodus from Feergrus had been the best thing that could have happened to him.

Now he could offer some advice to the young general. Enzi was in no mood to do more than that. His time of dealing with politics was done. It was not a game he wanted to delve into again. A few tips and pointers would not hurt, Enzi assumed. As long as the general relied on himself and not on Enzi, all would be fine. Now he had a whole legion of troops from Nuvroc. Only the vanguard had the halzium equipment, but all of the legion was elite.

Lunaris was hanging out with the archers, picking up tips. The support staff was incredible. Those who were not tending to the wounded had gone to work improving the defenses of the encampment. Enzi saw Ritter talking with some of the soldiers with the Halzium gear. The Nuvroci quickly took to the dwarf. Even for the Nuvroci, it was rare to meet one of the Halz. The hustle and bustle about the encampment brought an odd sense of peace and calmness to it. How long that would last was the question on everyone's mind.

***

It had been one year since the war had started. One year until the dragon would be unleashed. The trip to the southern front would take time. Enzi had already begun calculations on when the group would need to leave. He padded the time, as unexpected situations might impede their progress. They would also need to have time to get the southern front to allow them into position. A letter of recommendation from General Cassius Tessium would help. The information on the tactical threat would not hurt either.

That still left the Irregulars with at least six months to serve on the northern front, assuming they would take the long path around the mountains and through Nuvroc. Enzi did not want to chance going the shorter route through Agon and Kurrot. Especially as that meant either going through the Siren Swamp or going back through Ravalei. Neither of those prospects sounded appealing. Enzi thought the safe route was the smartest route.

The camp had changed since they arrived. It was much larger now. The Storm Queen had disappeared long ago. The golem mechanics had been sent back to Ravalei. It was difficult to trust them, despite their hardships. The betrayal of the Ravaleians had cut deep. The greed of the Rava Coast Trading Company had been the source of the problem. There were a lot of good people in Ravalei, but Enzi had seen the country's dark underbelly. The other countries of Doulairen could not claim to be any less corrupt however.

The goblinoids had been rather quiet for a while. Some thought that perhaps the threat had ended. Cooler minds knew that it was the calm before the storm. It seemed too early to consolidate their forces to follow the lead of the dragon. Enzi imagined it was instead the signs of a major offensive. The question became where the goblinoids would strike. Would it be one of the three war fronts, two of them, or all three at once? Whatever it was, it was still only a prelude to the planned final strike.

For now, the peaceful moments meant a time to rebuild. That did not just mean the damage to structures. Relationships had been damaged. General Cassius Tessium had a great deal of work to do. Even the Irregulars had seen little time to rest. The team needed time to bond once more. Constant tension was bad for morale. The new order had made everyone's life easier. Now they only needed to focus on the war.

***

The Ravaleian raised his eyebrow at the tale the mechanics had told him. He had never suspected that the Rava Coast Trading Company would stoop so low. However, he had heard that new leadership had recently taken over the company. He hoped that meant some reform of their bad practices. However, the northern front still needed Ravaleian help. It needed help that was not under the sway of a ruthless business. He knew the exact person to send. A knock interrupted his thoughts.

"Please, enter," the Ravaleian said.

The man who entered was a middle aged Ravaleian, no more than thirty-five years of age. He was of average height for a Ravaleian male, three inches short of six feet tall. He had dark hair and dark eyes, his lineage had a strong tie to Casea. His family, however, had split long ago. One ancestor had married into the Tarvoni before the family shortened its name. The Ravaleian blood in the Tarvoni Gannel family had mostly been bred away over the generations.

This man, however, was Jenner Gann. He was a gearwork master. He leaned on a staff for support. He was no warrior. Despite his relative youth, he had several scars from incidents in his past that left him in need of his staff. Jenner was considered one of the more intelligent golem creators, but his real skill was with people. He had a calming presence about him. People liked him. At least the people that worked with him.

The Ravaleian man that had called Jenner to his office was much older. He was a grizzled veteran as far as office work was concerned. Yet now he had to restore the confidence of foreigners in the trustworthiness of Ravaleians. He hoped that Jenner could do the job. He did not know if Jenner's charisma would work on the foreigners, but it was worth a try.

"Jenner," the elder Ravaleian sighed, "We have need of you in these desperate times."

Jenner smiled affably, "As you wish. However can I be of assistance?"

"We need to replace our golem assistance at the northern front. You need to repair our relationship. Let me tell you the tale of what happened there."

***

Scars streaked across the orc's face. His body was laced with such tissue. It had begun to limit his mobility, but that mattered little to him. He did not fight on the front lines any longer. He was too old for that. His uncanny knack for survival had turned him into a leader. He looked over his assembled forces. He had gathered together a force solely of orcs. He did not trust hobgoblins. They were too smart for their own good. The bugbears had better uses as ambushers. The goblins were too weak.

"Many of you know who I am,' the scarred orc yelled out, "The rest of you are useless idiots. But even idiots have their place. You can act as a living shield for the more useful members of this force. For those who are too stupid to know, I am Voltagh, survivor of a thousand battles. You sad lot are here to break the human resistance in the north. I don't expect a single one of you sluggards to survive this. You are too weak. Prove me wrong if you can. Crush these humans and return as true warriors."

The assemblage growled and grunted. They turned and began to storm northwards. There were nearly twenty thousand orcs in the horde. They would overwhelm the humans. The losses would be tremendous, but Voltagh did not care. They were his own people, but they would die in a glorious battle. He had not chosen the best orc warriors. They would remain behind for when the final strike began. It also meant that since many of the greatest orc warriors remained, they would be able to help breed for the next generation.

Voltagh smiled toothily, "The humans will finally fall. I will enjoy crushing them beneath my feet. I will see every last one of them die. Slowly if I can help it. Painfully is a must."

"You never were one for talking," an elderly voice stated.

"Ah, Ranum," Voltagh groaned, "What foul wind brings you to me?"

"A wind of change. One to save our race from extinction."

Voltagh snorted, "I am listening little old one. This had best be good."

###

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