Kyle turned a corner, and the sea of trees parted, revealing the goblin metropolis of Er’Mithren. He paused, taking a moment to look up at the towering city.
[IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT, DR. MAYHEW?] C.H.A.D.D. asked.
“I’m fine, C.H.A.D.D. It’s just interesting to me how much your perspective of a place can change in so short a time. Do you remember coming down from the tower there?”
[I DO, DR. MAYHEW.]
Kyle continued, barely registering his companion’s words as his eyes fixed on the central tower dominating the city’s skyline. “I thought it was so beautiful. This architecture tied into the trees, connected to the land. It was foreign, and familiar all at once.”
He shook his head, then started walking toward the city proper. Already small groups of goblins noticed him, whispering among themselves as they stared.
“Now,” Kyle said, “I look up, and all that beauty feels painted on, fake. It’s all built on the same bloody foundations we saw on Earth.”
[IN FAIRNESS, A PROCLIVITY TOWARD CONFLICT IS HARDLY A TRAIT SHARED EXCLUSIVELY BY HUMANS AND GOBLINS. IF YOU’VE FORGOTTEN, I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO REVIEW SOME OF THE HISTORIC CONFLICTS THAT WERE COVERED DURING YOUR PRACTICUM STUDY.]
“That won’t be necessary, C.H.A.D.D. I’m glad the Verdant Republic will be able to get it all cleared up once they get involved.”
Kyle stopped walking and looked at the manned guard tower near the city entrance. The goblin wore a metal jacket and helmet, with the rest of his uniform consisting of what appeared to be padded leather. He carried a spear in his left hand, and Kyle couldn’t help but think that the longbow strapped to the guard’s back would be more useful given the distance.
“You’re the Courier?” the goblin asked, voice cracking partway through the question.
Kyle resisted the temptation to make a quip about being a different off-world alien on their planet, instead forcing a neutral expression on his face as he nodded. “I am, and I’m looking to conclude my business here.”
“Wait here, just a moment,” the goblin replied.
Kyle’s eyes narrowed as Synaptic Barbs felt the air around the guard shifting slightly, and he focused his attention on the goblin. He’s shaking, Kyle thought. Nerves, perhaps? It’s not every day they meet an off-worlder, I suppose. Still, he focused Auric Perception, just in case the guard was preparing some sort of aggressive action. He felt a minor flow of mana, the source of which was quickly identified when the goblin pulled out a small crystal.
The guard spoke into it, which seemed to spark quite the discussion, based on his animated movements. Kyle was about out of patience, when the goblin put the crystal away, turning his attention to Kyle, as he readjusted his metal cap as he did so.
“We welcome you back to the city. Given the disruptions you’re likely to cause, Counselor Pall’Eth would ask that you wait here while he gets an escort together to guide you to the Council Chambers.”
Pall’Eth is a Counselor? Kyle thought, hiding his surprise. Instead, he sighed, shaking his head slowly. “Tell the Counselor that I appreciate his offer, but that I can find my way back on my own.”
The guard looked about to protest, and Kyle gestured to the gawking crowds of goblinoids. “Besides,” Kyle said. “I’ve already caused a disruption. I promise, the sooner I’m up in the tower, the sooner things get back to normal in the streets.”
The guard looked past Kyle at the crowd, then back at Kyle. “If you had notified us, this could have been avoided.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. “And how, exactly, was I supposed to do that? Looking back, it seems like a pretty major oversight that we wouldn’t have any communication methods set up after I made my delivery.”
The goblin shifted uncomfortably. By now, the crowd had done what crowds do, growing faster than anybody expected. Finally, the goblin stood aside. “I’ll tell the Counselor to meet you. Head straight there, and if you get lost, find a guard. No need to make your presence here a bigger deal than it has already become.”
“Thank you,” Kyle said, as he walked past the goblin and into Er’Mithren proper. The guard’s discomfort confirmed his suspicion that they didn’t expect him so soon, if at all. Kyle’s brief exposure to the Council of Er’Mithren felt in many ways consistent with the governing structure of the Verdant Republic. While it was an effective model for large-scale governance, it struggled to make major decisions nimbly. With any luck, Kyle would be able to leverage their surprise to get himself home before they really had time to talk their plans through.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
~~~
“What do you mean, you let him into the city?” Pall’Eth screamed, his voice a high-pitched screech of outrage. “I gave you specific orders to keep him at the front gates if he arrived!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the guard replied. “It just felt like it would be smoother to send him up to you directly. The other guards are watching his location, and it doesn’t appear that he’s deviating from the path back.”
“I don’t care if he’s deviating or not!” Pall’Eth shrieked, flecks of spittle landing on the communication crystal. “I gave you an order for a reason! You’re dismissed. Your new assignment will be given to you at dawn.”
“Wait, but sir –“ the guard’s voice trailed off as Pall’Eth severed the connection, his mind working furiously. Not only had the Onyx Warrior survived, he arrived at their city – his city – several full days faster than their earliest anticipation. Worse still, the man appeared to be in fine condition! He carried no visible injuries or signs of a life-or-death struggle. A true impossibility if he’d actually fought the Resistance’s queen.
Word had already been sent to the other Council members, but there simply wasn’t time. They underestimated the Courier, a mistake that had the potential to cost them everything they’d worked so hard to achieve in these years since they seized power. The other counselors didn’t see it that way; didn’t appreciate the risks. Already, initial discussions were looking to be about appeasement, finding a suitable narrative that they could send back with him upon his return.
If the Courier was allowed to leave, that would be the end of it. The longer he thought about it, the more certain he’d become that the Verdant Republic was playing multiple angles. Mayhew’s safe return would spell the doom of the Council. It would signal the takeover of a hostile force, masquerading as a savior. And Pall’Eth was the only one with enough vision to see it.
He sent a message that he was heading to the Council chambers, and wracked his brain as he sought a solution. Another note came in, and he checked the crystal immediately. The Courier was already at the heart of the city, ascending the stairways toward the Council. He’d arrive in less than 20 minutes. There just isn’t any time, Pall’Eth thought. With a resigned sigh, he knew what he had to do. There was simply no other choice. Drastic times called for drastic measures.
~~~
Kyle breathed out a sigh of relief as he climbed the seemingly endless stairs toward the Council Chambers, and the teleportation circle that would take him home. He’d been informed that the lift and shuttles were off-limits to him at the moment, but he made good time moving at a brisk jog. Kyle already drew enough attention by simply existing in the city, moving faster than other foot traffic hardly seemed to contribute to the issue.
“Once we’re back and settled, let’s get a list together of all the things we want to get done on our return,” Kyle said, his voice low. “They still owe us a data slate with information about the local flora, and we should make a point to get you any interesting samples.”
[I WOULD LIKE THAT VERY MUCH, DR. MAYHEW. I WOULD ALSO LIKE MORE STRANGLEVINE SAMPLES, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT WOULD BE BEST IF WE AVOID HUNTING ALL OF THEM AT ONCE. A FEW AT A TIME WOULD BE PLENTY FOR MY NEEDS.]
“You’ve got it, C.H.A.D.D.” Kyle said, doing his best to hide a smile. He’d worried that the drone may have lost its desire to get more stranglevine data, but it appeared that wasn’t the case. C.H.A.D.D.’s singular focus on the things it wanted couldn’t be quenched by something as simple as mortal peril, after all. And Kyle wouldn’t have it any other way.
The duo rounded a corner where another guard, a troll this time, stepped out to greet him. The woman tried to engage in pleasantries, as all the others had, and Kyle once again politely declined as he continued his ascent. Synaptic Barbs and Auric Perception painted a clear picture of the guard pulling a crystal out of a pouch and channeling mana into it, but Kyle didn’t care. Communication was to be expected, and making an issue out of it would only end badly for him. No, all he had to do was make his way to the Council and ask for safe passage home.
He walked around the perimeter of another landing, taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the city sprawling out below. The capitol grounds were like a beehive, and he felt a pang of regret that he’d only spent time on the outer perimeter. There were artisans, craftspeople, and museums located all throughout the central structure, and Kyle resolved to spend a little more time here the next time he returned, too. Despite all the political games, he’d grown a real appreciation for and interest in the history of this land.
As he rounded another corner, he looked up at the final winding set of stairs leading to the Council Chambers. Unease was slowly mixing with the relief he’d felt just moments before. Something’s wrong. Auric Perception alerted him to a surge of mana flowing through the air around him, all being drawn up.
BOOM!
Kyle reflexively activated Storm Shelter as the tower above him exploded. The floor beneath him shook as cracks formed along the alabaster marble of the walls. Massive chunks of stone crashed ineffectually against Kyle’s barrier, and he looked around, bewildered, trying to find the source of the attack. What the hell happened? Kyle thought. The Council Chambers above had been caught in the conflagration, and the entire tower was threatening to collapse.
Then, realization dawned. The trap formation he spotted on the way in was triggered. Were they trying to catch me in the explosion? They had to know I hadn’t reached the top yet.
“C.H.A.D.D., what did your scans show?” Kyle asked, his voice barely audible over the sounds of screaming citizens and cracking stone.
[A SWIFT SURGE OF MANA, DRAWN FROM THE TOWER ITSELF. I BELIEVE THAT REMOTE ACTIVATION OF THE FORMATION YOU IDENTIFIED UPON OUR ARRIVAL IS THE MOST LIKELY CULPRIT.]
“Are there any survivors?”
[MANY, DR. MAYHEW.]
Kyle gritted his teeth as he began to take steps toward the Council Chambers. If he could save them maybe –
[NOT THAT WAY, DR. MAYHEW. THE REMAINING SURVIVORS ARE ALL BELOW YOU, IN THE TOWER. IN FACT, MANY OF THEM APPEAR TO BE COMING TO YOU RIGHT NOW.]
Kyle swore, turning back toward the landing. Spiderweb cracks could be seen slowly expanding, and he knew it was only a matter of time until more of the upper layers collapsed. Just as he turned the corner, he was met with a group of goblin and troll guards, none more powerful than middle-E Grade. They took one look at him, then leveled their spears as one.
The troll at the front snarled at him. “You won’t escape! You’ll pay for your crimes, murderer!”
