Ogre Tyrant

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 50 - A cultural exchange - Part Two

It was close to midnight by the time we arrived at the former Guild foothold, and the Kobolds had burned through their entire stockpile of food and water in order to maintain their breakneck pace.

I suspected that the push had initially been made out of fear of disappointing me in some way. However, once the Settlement’s barrier had been spotted in the distance, it seemed like it was all the chief could manage to stop his tribe from attempting the final leg of the journey in one desperate sprint.

Byron had sent ahead word of our arrival, but it was obvious by the looks on the faces of the soldiers on watch duty, that there had been some sort of misunderstanding.

A second wall had been raised around the Settlement, encircling a sprawling encampment of tents that housed the soldiers that would soon be marching for the portal at daybreak.

Leading the Kobolds through to what was now the inner wall of the Settlement, I left Ushu to admire his ill-gotten earring in peace and set about summoning supplies from Sanctuary’s storehouse.

As small as they were, and having brought a significant volume of sundry supplies of their own, the Kobolds seemed more than content to erect small improvised tents against the innermost facing of the inner wall while Chief allocated food and water.

I was somewhat surprised by how well the Kobolds seemed to take the presence of the soldiers in stride. Granted, only the night patrols and those on watch were up and about, but I had expected a greater degree of mistrust given their previous relationship with the Guilds.

Of course, it wasn’t like the Kobolds had gone so far as to not set their own patrols and establish a rotating watch, but it seemed to be motivated more out of common sense and habit than suspicion.

After making sure Dhizi and Ushu were both well fed and removing their saddles, I had a rather large meal of smoked meat and dried fruit before settling down beside Ushu and falling asleep.

*Brooooot! Broot! Broot! Broot!*

Abruptly awoken as much by the horn call as Ushu’s irritated growling and Dhizi’s nervous shrieks, It took me a few moments to realise that the musician was not signalling an alarm, just waking the soldiers in preparation for breaking camp. All the same, Ushu didn’t seem at all happy about it.

Of course, the commotion woke up the Kobolds as well. So despite the temptation to try and get a few more minutes of sleep, I forced myself to get up and go looking for Chief.

Contrary to my expectations, the Kobolds didn’t seem particularly worried. After I spotted some of their scouts hiding out on the roof of the former Guild office and standing on the inner wall, I began to understand why. They already had a first-hand look at what the soldiers were doing.

The soldiers had begun packing down their tents and stowing them away in wagons while the cooks prepared the morning meal. With the officers otherwise engaged in overseeing the packing down of the camp, the inner wall was left almost entirely to the Kobolds.

“Large Majesty! Hruf!” The black-furred leader of a trio of Kobolds barked nervously and dipped his head submissively, “Chief want’ speak!”

“Take me to him,” I replied and waved for the Kobolds to lead the way.

The Kobolds were only too happy to obey, eagerly scurrying off towards the inner wall.

With officers otherwise engaged with overseeing the packing down of the tents and stowing of equipment and supplies, the now vacated buildings were being claimed by the Kobolds. Far from being greedy or inconsiderate, anything that had been left behind was being stacked neatly in front of the former inn.

In all fairness, I had told the Kobolds that the Settlement was theirs, and the soldiers were in the process of leaving. It would have been weird if they hadn’t taken it as a sign to start moving in.

Chief was standing on top of a large crate and barking directions amidst the organised chaos.Even from his raised vantage point, he still fell short of reaching my knees.

“Biggest Majesty!” Chief yipped excitedly in greeting while frantically wagging his tail, “Stonepaw happy! New den very safe! Stonepaw have much happiness!”

“I’m glad,” I replied, and meant it. “Did Byron let you know about your neighbours?”

Chief nodded vigorously, “Shalehoof, Windrunners, Goatmen. Stonepaw no attack, Stonepaw give peace.”

“Good,” it was a relief to hear the Chief confirm as much aloud. “I think both tribes will be visiting soon in preparation for moving to their new homes, so it is important that no one provokes another feud. I have bought peace for your people once already, and would like to be able to trust you all not to require my intervention for a second time.”

“Stonepaw give peace, not fight Windrunners, not fight Shalehoof,” Chief agreed solemnly. His expression shifted to mild curiosity as a Lieutenant began looking through the pile of assorted items outside of the inn, “Where humans going?”He muttered to himself so faintly that I almost missed it.

I briefly considered pretending I hadn’t heard him but decided that it might be a good opportunity to breach the subject of collaborating with the army in conquering the Labyrinth. “We are going to a place far away from here to fight monsters. There will be a lot of fighting, but once the fighting is finished, your people, and your new home, will be brought to a much safer place.”

Chief stared at me with wide eyes full of awe. “Biggest Majesty can doing?” He gasped.

“I can,” I confirmed, “What I have given to your people, I have also given to others, like the Asrusians,” I pointed to the Lieutenant for clarification, “They decided to help me, so I can help more people, more tribes like yours. The fighting also helps to make them stronger. They are the warriors of their tribe.”

Chief looked at the Lieutenant and slowly nodded in understanding.

“They could teach your warriors the Classes to be like them, scouts too,” I added, deciding that Chief didn’t seem opposed to the idea, “Your warriors would have the special powers of the humans that served the Guilds.”

Chief’s eyes widened in surprise again, “Stonepaw can have?” He asked slowly and with slight apprehension as if expecting me to suddenly sweep the rug out from under him.

I nodded, and waved the Lieutenant over, “The Asrusians would be very happy to train your people so long as they help around the camp and fight when needed. Isn’t that right-” I glanced at the Lieutenant for a moment to determine his name, “-Lieutenant Vaile?”

Lieutenant Vaile’s pale blue eyes widened in surprise, but she didn’t miss a beat, “That’s right, Majesty!” Lieutenant Vaile agreed eagerly, “We have many instructors who can teach the more basic combat Classes.”

“Like the Spearman,” I prompted, “And Scouts”

Lieutenant Vaile nodded vigorously in agreement.

“The leaders amongst your warriors can even unlock special Classes that help them lead your Warriors so they all grow stronger faster,” I added, trying not to snicker as Chief hopped up and down on the crate and madly wagged his tail.

“Stone go! Ruff!” Chief insisted excitedly, “Ruff, packs go! Ruff! Chief do!” He leapt down from the crate and went racing off toward a small gathering of slightly grey-furred Kobolds.

“Thank you! Majesty!” Lieutenant Vaile grinned broadly and saluted.

I nodded my head in a manner I hoped seemed magnanimous and not overly smug, “You’re welcome, Lieutenant. But perhaps it would be a good idea if your superiors were informed of this development?”

“Of course! Majesty!” Lieutenant Vaile saluted again and then jogged off towards the outer wall.

Within minutes, two hundred Kobold warriors had assembled in front of the inn behind Chief and ten slightly larger looking Kobolds I assumed were their commanders.

“Stonepaw packs follow, fight!” Chief declared, earning growls and barks from the gathered Kobolds, “Make strong! Protect den!”

The Kobolds stomped their feet and thumped their spears against the ground, yipping, barking, snarling and growling in agreement. Only the commanders remained relatively quiet.

It took me a few moments to realise, but the commanders were all wearing the magical armour I had offered as gifts during our first meeting at the Stonepaw’s fortress. A testament to the extreme resizing capabilities the armour was capable of.

Six of the Kobold commanders held spears, while the four others held slings and had short narrow knives hanging from their belts. The Kobolds assembled behind each of them were more or less armed the same.

When the Kobolds calmed down, I led them out the inner gates and toward the wagon train where an excited Major and his senior officers were already waiting.

The corners of Major Fitz’s mouth twitched in excitement at the sight of the host of Kobolds. With close to five hundred soldiers under his command, the two hundred or so Kobolds represented the largest auxiliary force to date, both numerically and proportionately. Moreover, the Kobolds Racial Abilities provided Synergies that played to the Humans' strengths as much as the Kobolds themselves.

“This is Major Fitz,” I explained while pointing to the Major, “He is in charge of all of the Human warriors that are here today,” These are his Captains,” I pointed to each of the three Captains in turn and lingered on the last Captain’s insignia and chevrons, “Their rank can be identified by these symbols on their helmets or shoulder.”

I repeated the process with Lieutenant Vaile and then waved over a Sergeant so the Kobold commanders had the opportunity to have a look at each rank and become more familiar with them.

“Who is the most senior pack leader,” I asked the Kobold commanders, despite already having my suspicions.

The nine other commanders all turned to a larger black and grey-furred Kobold.

Having guessed correctly, I pointed to the Black and grey-furred Kobold and his name popped into my mind almost instantly, “Grolf will hold the provisional rank of Captain and the other pack leaders will be his Lieutenants.” I turned my attention back toward Major Fitz, “I will leave you to work out the other details amongst yourselves.”

“As you command Majesty!” Major Fitz snapped a crisp salute and was joined by his officers.

Making my way over to Ushu, I found Clarice already in the process of giving Dhizi a thorough scrub down with a thick bristled broom. “Are we going to head out with the army? Catch them up on the way? Or just fly straight to the other portal?” She asked somewhat distractedly.

“I thought it might be a good idea to go with them so we could help the Kobold’s commanders capture some Beasts for their Leadership Class requirements,” I replied while retrieving a huge brush to begin scrubbing down Ushu.

Clarice paused for a few moments and nodded, “Makes sense,” she agreed and was about to begin working again but stopped, “Hey, Tim?”

“Yeah?” I replied somewhat distractedly while vigorously displacing dirt, dust and dried crusted blood from Ushu’s scales.

“Do you think those Kobolds are small enough to ride those Guzzards?” Clarice asked curiously.

I frowned and compared the dimensions of each monster in my head, “I think the Kobolds would be too heavy to fly long distances, but yeah, they probably can.”

“That kinda sucks,” Clarice grumbled in disappointment.

I shrugged, “I was planning on helping them tame this other kind of Beast that’s out there. Even after the Labyrinth grows too strong for them, they can just be sent back to pull wagons or something.”

“Assuming we find any,” Clarice interjected, “I didn’t see any on our way over here.”

“Yeah, I thought that was a little strange,” I agreed, “I can only assume they might have been scared off because of our numbers or something.”

“Maybe,” Clarice agreed with an exaggerated shrug of her own. “By the way, what’s that earring even do?” She asked, nodding her head toward the plain golden ring pierced through the leathery membrane and around the base of the frontmost spine in Ushu’s dorsal crest.

I did my best not to laugh, “It plays music when you feed mana into it, but only the person wearing it can hear it.”

“What?!” Clarice snickered, “That sounds worse than useless.”

I nodded in agreement, “It does seem to keep Ushu entertained though,” I conceded.

“More like distracted,” Clarice corrected, “What music does it even play anyway?”

“I think it changes depending on what you want,” I replied uncertainly, “I actually wouldn’t mind trading Ushu something for it, but he seems quite taken with it.” The earring was essentially an MP3player, and if I was right about how it functioned, my own memories would provide the playlist.

“Yeah, about that. Would you mind snapping up some magic armour for me? Especially some boots?” Clarice asked with earnest sincerity, “Dhizi’s scales are doing all sorts of damage to my boots,” she motioned down to her right boot.

The inner facing of the boot looked positively thrashed from where it had rubbed against Dhizi’s rigid overlapping scales. It was a problem I shared in regard to my pants, but I largely ignored it.

Concentrating, I mentally reviewed the stockpile of assorted magic items and summoned the first pair of boots I found.

Clarice gratefully kicked off her old pair and pulled on the new ones.

I had no idea if magic boots would need breaking in or not, but I figured it was now Clarice’s problem.

After brushing Ushu down, I saddled him up and then browsed the magic item stockpile while Iwaited for the army to begin moving out. More or less as I had expected, no one was exchanging any more magic items with unique effects. No matter how strange they may be.

Once the army began its march, Clarice and Dhizi took to the sky, while Ushu seemed content with ambling along the flank of the wagon train.

Without the sleds to bog them down, the Kobolds seemed to have no trouble matching the speed of the wagons. They outpaced the Asrusians while on screening manoeuvres and scouting as well. Whether they were actively burning MP or HP to maintain that speed, I was unsure, but I also figured that it didn’t really matter. The soldiers and officers would have no doubt explained the ongoing war quest objectives and redemption points system to the Kobolds. So all they needed was a good fight to earn some points for supplies to replenish their HP.

Major Fitz’s battalion was something of an oddity. First of all, because Fitz himself was the first Major of the Asrusian Military that I had met. Secondly, because the soldiers under his command had the most diverse representation of Classes I had seen thus far.

Very much aware that I would need to speak to someone in order to confirm my suspicions, I still felt like I had already determined the cause. The army was taking advantage of my little crusade to power level the ‘new’ Classes so they could catalogue the Abilities and make plans for retraining the rest of the army. Considering the fact that Changing Class required starting over from level zero, retaining soldiers was a very serious affair.

Noticing Dhizi suddenly shifting course and angling toward the ground nearby, I urged Ushu to come to a halt.

Dhizi came to a skipping halt a few dozen feet away, clawing into the earth to arrest her momentum in a similar fashion to Ushu and leaving deep furrows in the ground.

“I think I spotted one of those Beasts you were talking about!” Clarice called out after pinching down her bandana, “It’s only a short distance over that way!” She pointed to the right of the column, “It looked like it was trying to hide amongst a large cluster of boulders!”

I gave Clarice a thumbs up and urged Ushu to quickly push to the front of the column.

“Is there a problem, Majesty?” Major Fitz asked respectfully as I dismounted, leaning in his saddle so he could angle himself to make eye contact.

“We have located a Beast, and I would like to give the Stonepaw commanders a chance to unlock a Leadership Class,” I explained, looking toward Grolf who had left the column alongside the Major at my approach.

Major Fitz nodded in understanding, “Ah, of course. Do you require any assistance, Majesty?”

I shook my head, “If it becomes dangerous, I’ll just kill it.”

Major Fitz bobbed his head, no doubt having expected as much.

“If we are successful, riding lessons might be in order,” I conceded, “But we shall see how things pan out.” I turned my attention to Grolf, “As the most senior ranking of the Stonepaw commanders, would you like to go first?” I asked.

Shielding his eyes against the sun so he could look up at me, Grlof nodded respectfully, “Grolf leads, pack follows,” he replied with a weighty sense of solemn responsibility.

“Good,” I replied and turned back to Ushu, “If you follow the Major and avoid causing trouble, I will give you a nice snack when I come back. Deal?”

Drool ran dribbled over Ushu’s scaly lips, “Boooooar Fleshhh,” he rumbled in response, spraying spittle over the ground.

“Roast boar?” I Mentally reviewed the stockpile, “Deal. But I want you to be on your best behaviour.”

Ushu huffed indignantly and I decided to take that as a confirmation.

“This way,” I pointed in the direction Clarice had indicated and cut across the column, allowing Grolf to pass through alongside me. “Do you have a name for the big furry Beasts here on the hills?” I asked, having long since forgotten their name myself.

Grolf nodded soberly, “Hill-King Carnivorous,” he stated darkly, flattening his ears and slightly tucking his tail between his legs before growling and forcing himself to a state of strained normalcy.

I frowned, finding the name familiar, but also keenly aware that it wasn’t quite right. “Right, well, when we find the Hill-King, the ultimate goal is for you to buckle this-” I summoned a large leather collar into my hand, “-around its neck. If you can manage it on your own, it will unlock the Wrangler Advanced Class as well as the Beast Trainer Advanced Class. If I have to restrain it for you, you will only get the second one, understand?”

Grolf nodded.

I handed Grolf the collar and couldn’t help but notice that it was just about as long as he was tall. “You might want to practise with the buckle first,” I suggested, “I have found the buckles to be rather fiddly.”

Grolf nodded again and began fiddling with the buckle.

“When the collar goes around its neck, you need to put some of your blood on that manastone to establish the Bond and assert your dominance,” I continued, briefly glancing at the sky as Dhizi passed by overhead, “Normally, the contest is a battle of wills between the Beast and whoever is trying to tame it. But I have a Class Ability that should make it much easier. So long as you get the collar around its neck and mark the mana stone with your blood, that should be enough.”

Grolf nodded, but I could tell by the strange slant of his ears that something was up.

“You have a question?” I prompted.

Grolf nodded, “Biggest Majesty, saying buckle. Binding no working?” He asked hesitantly.

I took a moment to puzzle out his meaning and then thought it best to clarify, just in case, “You want to know if you can just tie the collar instead?” I asked.

Grolf nodded.

“You could tie it instead,” I confirmed, “And you could technically put your blood on the mana stone in advance, but if the blood gets rubbed off before you manage to tie the collar on, you would be in a lot of danger.”

Grolf remained silent, his fuzzy wolf-like tail slowly wagging from one side to another while we walked.

Realistically, I didn’t expect Grolf to be able to unlock the Wrangler Advanced Class. Not by taming a Hill-King. Easily the size of a tiger, and built like a bear, the damn things probably had close to eight times or more bodyweight on any given Kobold.

“Largest Majesty?” Grolf held up the collar, “Grolf can having more?” He asked shrewdly.

I shrugged and summoned another collar that was close to identical to the first.

Grolf eagerly accepted the second collar and buckled them together, forming a single very long collar. Picking up a stone the size of his fist, Grolf then tied the end without the buckle around the rock. Taking a firm grip on the leather with both hands, Grolf used the weight of the stone to begin spinning the collar like a sling,

“You want to try and Bola it,” I muttered in surprise, finally having realised what he was up to.

“Bow-la?” Grolf seemed confused.

“A corded thing with stones, you throw it to bind an enemy's legs or arms,” I explained.

“Oh,” Grolf tilted his head slightly, regarded the collar for a moment and then nodded.

We continued walking in silence

“I am fairly certain I can daze it a little without compromising the Class unlock conditions,” I commented, “So the plan is to have it focus its attention on me so you can try to get the collar around its neck. Agreed?”

“Grolf obey,” Grolf replied obediently.

The prospect of slugging it out against a Hill-King was surprisingly invigorating. With magical items protecting my vitals, and digits, I had an overwhelming combination of advantages against what was functionally a wild animal.

Pitched fighting during Conquests, against the Werrian Imperials, and the undead had dulled the more civilised section of my brain. Anything or anyone that was not an ally, was a potential food source or an enemy. I couldn’t afford sympathy, let alone empathy, for an enemy. Iron Gut had a unique means all its own of dictating what was deserving of empathy.

To protect my family, I needed food to survive. For all the joy Lash, Pete and Suzy brought into my life, they had revealed a depth of moral bedrock far below what I had thought myself capable of.

If push came to shove, I was willing to make things abominably simple.

The thought chilled me, but I made no attempts to deny it.

Dhizi had begun wheeling about in a slow circle, indicating that the hiding place of the Hill-King was very likely just a short distance further ahead.

“Do you track by sense of smell?” I asked curiously, unsure if Kobolds shared a canine's keen sense of smell.

“Grolf smells Hill-King,” Grolf replied with the hint of nervous whine and slight flattening of his ears.

“Just remember what I said earlier,” I reminded him reassuringly, “Let it come for me and choose your moment. If I think I am in danger, I will kill it. So don’t worry.”

Grolf’s right ear twitched as he nodded obediently.

After a few minutes, the boulders Clarice had described earlier came into view.

I spent a few moments stretching to limber up and then headed directly toward the boulders on the hillside.

“Grrrrrrr,” Grolf came to an abrupt halt, bared his teeth and flattened his ears against his head, “No alone!” He warned while slowly backing away.

“There is more than one?” I asked warily, “Do you know how many?” I spent some mana to amplify the effects of my inspiring presence.

Grolf calmed down almost immediately but was still understandably wary of the danger, “Two,” Grolf stated confidently, “Hiding under hill, hiding behind rocks,” He pointed to the boulders.

“They have a hole? I guess that makes sense...” I muttered, “And that would be why Clarice is having trouble finding them.”

“Okay, new plan,” I summoned a steel club from Sanctuary’s stockpile of magic items and gingerly bled mana into it. With a core of wood and banded by rings of steel, I was curious how much abuse the magical weapon would be able to take before being destroyed. “I am going to try and disable one outright, while pinning the other. Once there is one left, you can try and capture it with the collar,” I ordered while stomping toward the boulders.

As I came within two dozen feet of the boulders, the first Hill-King came leaping out and onto the hillside. It cleared half the distance between us in moments and was already leaping into the air before it seemed to realise its trajectory would send it crashing headfirst into my knees.

*Thwack!*

Despite being prepared for the Hill-King, I had also misjudged its expected trajectory. My fist caught the Hill-King in the side of the head and sent it tumbling down the Hill as I fumbled the club from the poorly placed blow.

I had to abandon retrieving the club when the second Hill-King came scrambling out from behind the boulders amidst a cloud of loose dirt.

Roaring savagely, the second Hill-King came to an abrupt halt as it laid eyes on me. No longer the alpha predator, and not driven to a frenzy by a Conquest, the Hill-King seemed at a loss on what to do. Baring its teeth and raising its hackles, the Hill-King seemed at a loss on how it should approach.

“Reowr!” The second Hill-King yowled down the hill toward the first Hill-King.

I glanced down the hill and was relieved to see that the first Hill-King was very still. I looked back at the second Hill-King, and he stared back at me.

I could see the anger building in his eyes as he came to terms with his new position in the food chain. Then his eyes suddenly flicked to my right. Before I could properly register what was happening, the Hill-King leapt into motion.

Skidding below my fist, the Hill-King scrambled down the hill toward Grolf.

Seemingly unafraid, with teeth bared and hackles raised, Grolf stood his ground. Still spinning the collar, Grolf leapt aside just in time to narrowly avoid being disempowered by the Kill-King’s right paw. In the process, Grolf’s grip slackened and the stone sailed under the Hill-King’s open jaws.

In the instant the Hill-King landed and began correcting its course to lunge at Grolf again, Grolf tightened his grip on the collar with his left hand, and pulled it with his right.

The Hill-King’s left claw came swiping in toward Grolf’s head, but came to a lurching halt as it depressed the fur on the side of his head and a Status Alert popped into view.

[ Grolf has Tamed Hulking Carnifex ]

Grolf looked like he was standing completely still, but as I leaned down to check on him, and make sure the collar was secure, I realised that he was actually trembling in terror. Grolf’s distress, and my apparent overestimation of his courage, reframed the events of the battle in an uncomfortable light.

“Grolf, are you okay?” I asked with concern. The Kobolds' morale would no doubt take a serious hit if we returned to the column and Grolf was still frightened half to death.

“Grolf alive?” Grolf released a keening whine and lowered his ears as he began to breathe and look around with wide eyes.

“You are alive,” I confirmed, and scratched his furry ears, “You managed to tame the Beast just in time. I don’t think I have ever seen such supreme timing and skill.”

Grolf’s keening lessened and his tail came out from his legs, Grolf’s tail began to wag, “Grolf defeating Hill-King?!”

The Hulking Carnifex huffed but remained otherwise immobile.

Grolf began hopping about and barking in celebration.

Considering how close to death, or significant disfigurement, he had been, I decided to let him have his moment while I investigated the other Carnifex.

It was still breathing but seemed to be unconscious. The side of its head was already swollen and was continuing to swell further.

Grabbing the unconscious Carnifex by the scruff of its neck, I began dragging it back the way we had come from while adjusting somewhat to account for the battalion’s progress. While initially unwilling to trust his tamed Carnifex, Grolf seemed to have come to a decision when we were halfway back and sat himself down on the Canrifex’s large back. Holding onto the collar instead of reins and just about constantly jostled about, he didn’t seem particularly comfortable.

However, upon our return, Grolf's sacrifices immediately began to pay off as his juniors and peers began lavishing him with praise. Objectively, taming a Carnifex was a herculean feat of daring and skill for a monster as small and comparatively frail as a Kobold.

So it cheapened it somewhat when Grolf’s second, Hruf, Unlocked the Beast trainer Advanced Class by putting a collar on the unconscious Carnifex I had dragged back to the battalion.

Rather than being upset, Grolf seemed to take it in stride. No doubt because Hruf’s Carnifex needed to be carried in a wagon, while his own Carnifex was being fitted with a modified saddle.

Contrary to my expectations, Grolf spent more time and energy regaling the other Kobolds of my part in the capture than his own. Misrepresenting my poorly placed blow against the side of its head as a carefully calculated and controlled strike to immobilise but not kill the first Carnifex. And how I intimidated the second Carnifex to buy enough time for Grolf to prepare his gambit.

“None of that’s true is it?” Clarice gave me a bemused grin.

I nodded and couldn’t help but grin back, “It jumped lower than I expected, so my fist hit it instead of the club, and the second one just seemed to have more time to judge the situation than the first one did”

“Figures,” Clarice snickered, “Still though, not bad.”

“Could definitely have gone worse,” I agreed, “Sticking to Guzzards might just be the way to go after all.”

Clarice shrugged and wavered her palm, “Eh? There isn’t really anything stopping you from just clobbering some more of them unconscious for the other Kobolds. Wrangler is ‘okay’ but they don’t really need it, you know?”

Clarice had a point.

“I guess you’re right,” I agreed thoughtfully, “And even if they did, there are easier Beasts to target...” I sighed as I realised I had placed the poor Kobold in danger almost completely unnecessarily “Oh well, at least no one was injured.”

Clarice shrugged, “I dunno, it’s not bad that you helped secure the guy’s reputation either. I’m just saying that there's easier ways of going about things. No need to make things harder than they need to be, you know?”

I nodded, “I know.”

Clarice gave my hip a light thump with her fist and then made her way back over to Dhizi.

Ushu had already demolished the entire smoked Hulking Boar carcass I had rewarded him with, but I decided to continue walking on foot for a while longer.

Despite the best efforts of the battalion Surgeons, the Carnifex died after a few hours. I assumed it was most likely due to its brain swelling from the blow it took to the head, but there wasn’t any need to actually check.

Ushu was more than happy to dispose of the corpse, and Hruf didn’t seem particularly put out. So I did my best to just not think about it.

The absence of monsters during the long march was strange, but it allowed the battalion to move at an unnaturally brisk pace without interruption.

However, in the early evening, Lieutenant Vaile hurriedly made her way down the column with disturbing news. Goatmen warbands had gathered around the second portal and were attempting to lay siege to the established defences.

“They don’t have any siege engines, but their numbers allowed them to overrun the outermost defences,” Lieutenant Vaile reported with concern. “However, Captain Nila insists that the interior defences will hold. The Major strongly requests your Majesty remain with the battalion so we can reinforce Captain Nila in force.”

“I will stay with the battalion,” I agreed, “But you can tell the Major that I want to send Clarice ahead with at least one of your Surgeons.”

Lieutenant Vaile nodded in understanding, snapped a salute and briskly jogged back up the column to the Major’s position.

“Can you get Clarice’s attention for me bud?” I asked Ushu, “There’s another treat in it for you if you do.”

Ushu huffed and shook his scaly neck before taking a deep breath. Lifting his head up into the sky, Ushu opened his mouth slightly and released a high-pitched clicking chirp.

The Kobolds in the column barked and yipped in confusion, staring warily at Ushu and glancing up at the sky.

Ushu ignored their stares and continued ambling forward while keeping an eye on Dhizi, who had begun slowly descending toward the column.

Dhizi managed to land with minimal skidding, showing a marked improvement from her frequent practice. Clarice was showing her own growing familiarity with the exotic saddle, unseating herself and hopping off of Dhizi’s back in a single fluid motion.

“What’s the problem?” Clarice asked as she pulled down the bandana covering her mouth.

“Goatmen are swarming around the portal, I want you to take a Surgeon over to Nila, just in case,” I explained while glancing off toward the Major, “Vaile is discussing it with the Major now.”

“No shit?” Clarice cursed lightly in surprise, “I was wondering where all the damn monsters were hiding...How many of them are there? Do we know?”

“At least a thousand,” I replied, “But that’s only Goatmen. The moment the killing starts, the place will be swarmed with Guzzards.”

The top half of Clarice’s face was hidden beneath her helmet, but her lips twisted into an expression of disgust, “Yeah...That’s not going to be fun...” Clarice kicked at the dirt and sighed, “Am I just dropping off the Surgeon? Or am I hanging around after?”

“That’s up to you,” I replied sympathetically, “You might not even have room for Dhizi to land. But I assume you will, since Cooper is presumably inside of the said defences.”

Clarice nodded in understanding but looked toward the Kobolds, “What if I took one of the puppies with me for the Synergies?” She asked thoughtfully, “Even with the Synergy, the army isn’t going to make it any time soon.”

I nodded and waved toward the nearest group of Kobolds, “So long as you can find a volunteer and Dhizi has enough room.”

Clarice shrugged and grinned, “I’ll just need to pick a smaller Surgeon.”

There were at least a couple of female Surgeons, so it wasn’t an entirely unrealistic option.

I was interrupted from my musings as Ushu nudged his snout into the small of my back and nearly bowled me over.

“Sssnaaaack,” Ushu growled hungrily as a reminder of our agreement.

“Right,” I agreed with a sigh, “Do you want the usual? Or something different?”

Ushu contemplated the issue for a few moments and was about to answer when I interrupted him.

“There isn’t any more boar, so don’t even ask,” I warned him.

Ushu huffed disappointedly, “Lurrrrkerrrr,” he rumbled with visible disappointment.

I summoned the stiff blackened corpse of a roasted Swamp Lurker and tried not to smile as Ushu snapped the Swamp Lurker up and raised his head and neck so he could gulp it down whole.

Knowing that Dhizi was going to need energy for her trip, I summoned another roasted Swamp Lurker in front of Ushu so he couldn’t get jealous and then made my way over to Dhizi. “How are you doing Dhizi?” I asked while scratching under her chin.

Dhizi angled her chin to allow me better access and gave a chittering hiss in reply that I interpreted as sounding generally positive.

“Do you want some frog?” I asked playfully, reviewing the stockpile, and summoning a giant roasted frog into my free hand and waving it side to side.

Dhizi made a rumbling whimper and nodded her snout toward the frog.

“Let me see your teeth first,” I insisted, wanting to take the opportunity to make sure Clarice was taking good care of her.

Dhizi obediently opened her wedge-shaped jaws and exposed her serrated teeth.

Ignoring the smell, I carefully looked over each of her teeth and inspected her gums for signs of potential damage. Finding no obvious problems, I angled Dhizi’s mouth toward the light so I could look into her throat. Satisfied that there was no sign of infection and no bones lodged in her throat, I released her mouth and flipped the giant frog into the air.

Dhizi caught it with an audible crunch, crushing the fragile frog bones easily. Worrying at the carcass with the clawed fingers on her wings to reposition the frog in her mouth, Dhizi grunted and growled in satisfaction. She had just about finished when Clarice returned with her Kobold volunteer.

“Did you just feed Dhizi one of those Bull-Frogs?” Clarice asked curiously.

“Yeah,” I replied while patting Dhizi’s neck.

“Probably just as well,” Clarice commented, “Anything heavier and we might have been in trouble.”

I looked down at the Kobold in confusion, “You have second doubts?”

Clarice followed my gaze and snorted derisively, “About him? Nah. It’s the Surgeon I’m worried about,” she nodded her head in the direction of the tall broad-shouldered man hastily approaching alongside Lieutenant Vaile. “I figure he’s gotta be close to twice the weight I was originally expecting.”

Looking the man over, I was inclined to agree with her and now worried that I might have to send Clarice with Ushu instead.

*****

Count Streigr frowned as he finished reading through the report provided by his trusted aide for the fifth time in as many minutes. Reclining in his seat, he stared at the parchment for a solid minute further without uttering a single word as he collected his thoughts.

“Has this been verified?” Count Streigr demanded neutrally.

“Yes, my Lord,” Manfred replied respectfully, remaining still as a statue and staring straight ahead at nothing in particular.

Count Streigr scrutinised his aide for a few moments and then scowled, “And you made sure to eliminate the possibility of mimics, changelings and the like?” He pressed, staring down his large aquiline nose at the craggy-faced servant.

“Yes, my Lord,” Manfred repeated in a carefully balanced and respectful tone, “I witnessed the tests administered myself, my Lord.”

Count Streigr’s scowl deepened and his grey eyes narrowed. “Has the feat been replicated?” He demanded, motioning to the report without breaking eye contact.

“Several times, my Lord,” Manfred answered without hesitation or guile, “All individuals are under Heavy guard by your Lordship’s personal house guard.”

“Good man,” Count Streigr gave Manfred a perfunctory nod and rose from his seat before he slowly began to pace the length of the room.

Completely bare except for the chair and desk Count Streigr himself had supplied, the otherwise barren study was much like the rest of the noble estate. Suspiciously empty.

Every other estate in the topmost district of the city was the same. There were signs of furniture being moved from the premises, but no signs of said furniture within the city itself.

There had been rumours of a secret tunnel out of the city, but Count Streigr’s men hadn’t found any signs of said tunnel either. And there was the matter of the missing citizenry to consider also.

If close to a million people had used a secret tunnel, Count Streigr was certain that there would be signs left of their passing. Yet the only such signs of heavy traffic led to the Labyrinth itself.

Count Streigr’s frown deepened.

A staunch believer in the undeniable merits afforded by rulership and governance by talented members of the established aristocracy, it galled him to consider that the Baron Karaticus might very well have marched the city's population into the Labyrinth at sword point out of spite. Yet as much as it galled him, Count Streigr could not deny that it aligned with what he had heard of the man through mutual acquaintances.

However, the contents of the report afforded another distinct possibility.

“There are still no signs of the Baron Karaticus or his family?” Count Streigr asked, already knowing the answer but wanting confirmation.

“No, my Lord,” Manfred replied dutifully, “Every Adventurer Guild foothold in the Laine Labyrinth has been searched with the exception of those mentioned in the report.”

Count Streigr spared a few moments to glare at the report.

Its contents, by all known logic, should have been impossible.

The whole city was disgorging one mystery after another, and offering no definitive answers.

“Have Captain Wiken attempt to enter the firstmost floor of the Labyrinth again,” Count Streigr ordered, “Make sure it is made absolutely clear that I expect them to be as thorough as possible. It has very nearly been twenty-four hours since their first attempt, and there is a distinct possibility that the Asrusians somehow managed to leverage a Raid to their advantage in order to conceal themselves.”

“As you command, my Lord,” Manfred bowed and saw himself out, walking quickly but not so fast as to be unseemly.

Left alone once more, Count Streigr turned to face the window and glared out over the promenade.

Seizing the city of Laine had been far easier and a great deal less costly than initially anticipated. What’s more, the Werrian’s army had been dealt catastrophic losses before Count Streigr’s arrival, retreating immediately rather than engaging in open battle. At the time, the Count had been pleased with how everything had exceeded his wildest expectations. However, that euphoria dissipated upon learning that the entire civilian population had disappeared.

Count Streigr’s mood had only worsened upon the revelation that the first five floors of the Laine Labyrinth had somehow also disappeared.

Complicating things still further, Count Streigr had now learned that the Laine Labyrinth could very literally turn all men who entered it into monsters.

Lesser men, of greater ambition and feeble morals, would no doubt rejoice at the lattermost news and ignore the former as they lowered the common man still further into the role of savage beasts. Count Streigr was no such man, and he would do his utmost to delay said men from learning of the temptation. He had volunteered to lead the army in order to minimise the suffering and depravity of war, not to encourage its escalation.

Count Streigr clenched his fists and fought back the almost overwhelming urge to curse and give voice to his frustrations.

Fists trembling, and blood pooling beneath his fingernails, Count Streigr curled his lips in contempt and glowered in the direction of the Labyrinth. “How much easier would it be to rein in man's baser nature without your presence tempting them to their base most selves?” He whispered darkly.