Mana Wells

Jacob had found an elf that had taken a liking to him actually, and he started talking about using their magic to make a place. He actually seemed really happy with the subject. He also thought some of the female elves were very cute.

Talia and Fredrick had gone back to the Valentine Clan before Layla and Kurt had traveled to the next town. A small stop on the way to the border. They formally invited Kurt to their clan's home for a visit with Talia, and this was heavily implied to be an engagement, or the planning of one. Kurt was sort of worn down by Talia, because she was so seductive and attractive, but also so helpful and insightful on the actual ins and outs of ruling a Kingdom. It didn't seem very romantic, but it did seem really fast. But you can always cancel engagements.

The towns started to blur together to Kurt. He was still at work making healing paste, and some fire coins, he would have to start thinking of ice and other things the goblins were weak at now.

One day Hank, Tom, and Joe came to him after a meeting they had with everyone. They had news for him.

"Is there a problem?" said Kurt.

"Sort of, there has been an incursion of Minotaurs and a few Goatmen or Satyr," said Tom.

"What do you mean?"

"It seems like they came in and found a place downriver that they particularly enjoy, and have stayed there, and now seem to be setting up for a longer stay," said Hank.

"So it wasn't just a stop for some water and rest."

"No sir," said Joe, "and Princess Layla has requested that we make contact, and see what they are doing."

"And where is it?"

"It's between Dutchery and us."

The four of them, plus Harvey the three-headed hydra, left to see what all the trouble was about, and when they got there Lhrt recognized the spot. It was the hole in the canyon that High Shaman Simon had left in the canyon, they were using it as some kind of shelter. Since some of the canyon had crumbled it made getting up to the grasslands easier as well. The goblins explained despite how they may look Minotaurs and Satyr are herbivores.

He could see a few dozen Minotaurs, and they towered over the land. Between seven and eight feet tall, with muscular builds. Their horns seemed usable as weapons as well. Many had clubs, some had metal weapons, but they all seemed smaller, like they weren't made for Minotaurs. The boatmen were just goats that seemed to be bipedal, with changes to their back and hips to match the new form of walking, they had hands though. All of them had hooves for feet.

The goblins and the elves certainly outnumbered them. Kurt didn't know if the Minotaurs used magic or anything like that. This side always seemed to have something. The Minotaurs hadn't seen them yet, or none of them really cared about their arrival. They looked down over them from the top of the Canyon, and the river had a strong flow from this distance.

"So what do you think?"

"Well, Minotaurs move around a lot, they are nomadic by nature. But they will stay around for a while, they might be having children, or some of their more ritualistic. The females are just as dangerous as the males in most situations," said Joe.

"So they are dangerous?"

"Very, if they want to, they can stampede. Fighting a few dozen Minotiars stampeding at you is not a good fight to be in," said Hank.

"So everyone is expecting me to just drop in on these guys?"

"Well," said Tom, "They can be reasoned with. In some ways."

"Will they be able to understand me immediately?"

"That is the tricky part. But I think they will send someone eventually."

"Why?"

"The goatmen are much easier to reason with, their kinship is difficult to explain."

Kurt got to the edge of the cliff facing the encampment, and sat down with legs hanging off, "So we wait."

After a while, a boatman did approach them and allowed a translation spell to be performed.

"Is there a reason you are trying to test us?"

"Huh?"

"You watch us, like hawks, we are not your prey."

"This is my land, you are the intruders," said Kurt, "we are here to talk for now."

"This is Neptune's River, the wastelands have been abandoned…"

"Had been…, and we started the river. If you're planning on staying is one thing, if you are recuperating and resting it's another, you understand."

The goatman thought for a moment, "Then I guess you will have to talk to him."

They followed the goatman to the center of some of the Minotaurs ' housing. Apparently, tests of strength were very common among them. One particular Minotaur was bigger but perhaps not the biggest, they were led to. The goatman spoke to him. The man gave out a light roar, and they were encircled, just the bigger Minotaur, the four of them, Harvey was watching from the top of the cliff, and the goatman.

"He has given you permission to use the spell on the ones here little one," said the goatman.

Joe performed the normal translation ritual, having to hold his staff a bit higher than usual, and having to do it a few times to get all of them.

"May I present our leader, Boris," said the goatman. "This is Lord Kurt, he believes this land is his."

Upon that announcement, there was a reaction from the crowd. And Boris was working them up, grunts and sounds.

"Is that so?" said Boris.

"It is," said Kurt, "we are asking you to take your rest and leave, or to follow us."

They threw jeers at Kurt, Kurt stood tall. He didn't want to show how intimidating they seemed.

"And if we refuse."

"We will have to consider our options," said Kurt.

"Your options? That's laughable, you have no options. What are four puny creatures supposed to scare us? You land. What if I kill all four of you where you stand and walk and buddies right up to that pillar at the end of this canyon? What then?" Boris took steps closer to Kurt, towering over him, his arms bigger than Kurt's thighs.

"All four of us? Why would all four of us fight just you?"

Boris snorted at him, his fists clenching, "Is that so little thing?"

"Yes."

"I'll tell you what if the four of you can defeat, or kill me we will all leave, I can invoke that as leader."

"And if I kill you by myself you all swear to me," said Kurt.

"You hear that guys, he thinks he can beat me, on one, I think he's challenging for leadership. And when they die we will walk right up to them and trample all over it."

Kurt wasn't completely sure why he did that. Something clicked and said, No I don't like being picked on, not this time. You will bend that knee not me. This was his land.

"Are there rules to this?" said Kurt.

"Knock or death no help from anyone, you get pushed back into the ring by the rest of them, weapons, magic, anything you want," said Boris.

"How does it start?"

Boris looked down at Kurt, "You're serious aren't you?" Kurt just looked back, He had watched them, Kurt was sure it would be hard but not impossible.

"Bwahahahaha," laughed Boris, throwing up his arms to the crowd, "get it."

A Minotaur brought out two ropes, their ends had loops and there was a thin string tied between them.

"It's simple, when you're ready you pick up your string, I pick up mine, we pull once it rips we start."

Kurt saw, you could start further or closer up to the middle if you wanted, depending on where you picked up, and you couldn't surprise start a challenge, there was probably some legend about a rope breaking before some legendary battle, he didn't know from their culture he assumed.