"Enna duck!" Ozzie fairly screamed. I did not hesitate in the slightest, knowing the boys fear all too well. I immediately dropped to the dirt and rolled as far as I dared before shooting back to my feet, spinning on a heel so as not to leave my back exposed.
Ozzie let out a war cry and I saw him whiz past me, orange fur flashing in the unseasonably bright sunlight. He kicked off the ground with one pawed foot, taking to the air, short sword glinting. To the left of me another young monster hurried forward. This was Gabreal, a hobgoblin with green skin, blue eyes and slate grey hair gathered at the back of his head in a short tail. He also carried a short sword, and though he had more power behind it than Ozzie, he did not have the foxie's agility.
"Lorma!" I shouted, looking toward the goblane woman just behind me, her red hair so vibrant it was almost blinding at this point. "Do it now!"
I heard the woman finish her chanting and a reddish gold spell circle appeared beneath her feet, followed by a rushing strip of earthen spikes shooting toward the enemy. I watched, irritated I could not do more, as Ozzie and Gabreal jumped out of the way. the man they had been trying to hold down didn't even flinch however. Belying his age, the man leapt into the air, an evil grin on his face and a glinting blade in each hand.
"In coming!" Ozzie called as he and Gabreal hurried to catch up with the advancing man. "Enna, take the left!"
I nodded and ran to flank our foe as he rushed in on to Lorma. The goblane raised her hands and did not flee as she started to chant a simple fire spell, hoping to hit the man as the boys and I got him from behind. I lifted my own dagger, the rubies glinting brightly in the sun light, and took aim at the base of his neck.
But I was not surprised to find that our maneuvers had no effect on the old man. He ducked my strike, causing me to stumble forward. At the same time he caught Gabreal's blade on one of his own. I had just caught my balance, just in time to see Ozzie catch a pommel to the gut and go flying backwards.
"Shit!" I cursed, and dove into my magical stores. I was in no way good at using my magic yet. Usually fox fire was the best I could manage; but like Lorna and the other goblane, I had been trying to work with it all the same. The hobgoblins and the foxes may not have an affinity for its use, but I was not about to ignore any weapons in my arsenal. But, before I could even think about chanting a spell i felt a hand grip the collar of my robe. Well... shoot.
One second I was standing and the next I was flat on my back with the wind knocked out of me. Next to me, curled in a ball, was Ozzie. I looked back at the fight and saw that Gabreal was attempting to get a hit in but none of us were a match against this foe. But that did not stop the others from trying, and so it would not stop me either.
I watched as Gabreal was sent flying just as Ozzie and I had been. Then I saw Lorma's eyes turn to saucers as, she too, was interrupted mid spell and sent flying backwards into a training dummy. I cursed once more while on the ground but pulled on my magic all the same, picturing the spell circle in my mind. Instead of chanting I shouted one word "Iifree!"
I was surprised when it actually worked and a ball of red fire was sent hurtling toward the man. I was not surprised, however, when it had no effect what so ever. In fact, with the flick of his wrist, one blade came up ad deflected the spell right back at me. It landed in the dirt in front of my face and exploded, showering me with rocks and giving me a mouth full of gravel.
As I coughed and spluttered, the old man laughed. "Alright, that's enough then." He said, still chuckling.
"I think," groaned Ozzie next to me, over my spluttering. "When the say 'monster' they mean him..."
"Oww. I think you are right." Agreed Lorma, still trying to detangle her hair from the straw of the target she had been thrown into.
"Buck up!" Chided Nord, eyes sparkling as they always did every time he got the chance to bash us about. "You are all improving and that is what matters. At least you came at me with a stratagem this time!"
I had been training with the guards for weeks now, determined to not constantly need saving. I was still, physically, the weakest here. But, as some like to point out, that was only because I was not using the energies that were mine by right, as I could be. But I did not want to rely on that power solely. Besides, I was currently employing that to other matters, like healing the lands Aeros messed up, and making sure my people stayed as strong and as healthy as I could. Any extra was usually funneled into a sort of storage that I had constructed, at the ready for when next I needed it. Like, what I did when I was getting ready to evolve the goblins.
"Well done on that last spell Lady Enna." Panted Lorma, finally extricating herself and limping over to me and the boys. "To think you were able to cast it without the chant!"
"Thanks." I said, accepting her hand and letting her help me up.
Now that the heat of the fight was over they were back to calling me 'Lady' again. I rather liked when it seemed like we were all equal, and they just called me Enna. But I was not about to insist upon it. Besides, as Margund once pointed out to me, it was good to keep some formality between me and most of the others, or else they would likely go back to babying me and I did not want that. I needed to be a strong god, not a pretty thing sitting on a pillow eating grapes and directing things from afar. I'd go mad if I had to stay cooped up again; even if it was for my safety.
"Kill me..." was all Ozzie had to say on the matter.
Lorma looked down on the young foxie and rolled her eyes, but helped him and Gabreal to their feet as well. "I just wish we had more to work with when it came to spell work. I am pleased that his majesty approved that the few spell books in the royal library be copied and sent her for us to study, but still..."
Margund had been pretty generous in sending us those books. They were rare here in this nation as the use of spells was rare amongst monster. And the desire to read for that matter. Most magic cast by monsters were based in skills, which were activated by either internal intention, or even verbal activation. Where magic was usually used by humans or demi-humans and could be learned and improved upon with time and dedication. Goblanes were among the few monster races with an aptitude for it.
"We need a teacher." I agreed. "But all we can do is keep practicing with what we have now."
"At least you seem to have an affinity for magic." Said Ozzie, rubbing a lump on his head. "I can barely use fox fire."
Foxfire was a skill based magic cast by those of the fennik line of monsters. Most in the evolutionary line could at least cast a weak fox fire. Iifree was a spell, and normally it was cast with a short chant. Usually the longer the chant the more powerful the spell. But magic could be cast without the chant, but to do so was to take a big risk of the spell backfiring on the caster. Direct casting was much faster but the magician needs to have a great deal of concentration for it to work. The ultimate form of magic casting was non-verbal. Even the slightest slip up on even the simplest of spells cast this way could kill a magician: maybe even those in the vicinity of the caster.
"As glad as I am that you are fascinated with the magical arts, I think you all need to work on less flashy means of battle, yes?" Reprimanded Nord. "Spells are all well and good, but if you can not even defend yourself while casting than what is the point. You all had a good stratagem at first: you three came at me while giving Lorma time to cast her magic." Schooled the older hobgoblin, sheathing his swords in his leather belt. "But you two-" He pointed at Ozzie and Gabreal. "Got in the way of your magician, and she could not accurately cast her spell without also hitting you. And, Lady Enna, once your initial attack failed you should have fell back to protect Lorma."
I and the others exchanged shamed looks, seeing for ourselves that we had quite a ways to go.
"Not to mention, the second your plan failed you all fell apart." Growled a familiar voice. I spun on my heel and saw Lagdon saunter into the training grounds. As time went on I managed to get the high strung prince to loosen up on the full time guarding. At least while I was on the estate grounds, with countless other guards and servants (who were also stronger than me) to keep an eye on me. He had been in a meeting with who knew who for the last couple hours. I got out of being cooped up in my room by telling him that I intended to join Nord in his lessons.
"Very correct master Lagdon." Agreed Nord. Seeing the look on Lagdon's face, the older male wasted no time dismissing the younger trainees. I may be a weak human, but there was no way anyone here would dare try and dismiss me. "All right you three, that will be it for today. I suggest you work on your teamwork for next time."
The foxie and two goblins shuffled off with polite farewells and grumbles amongst themselves. I smiled, watching them leave. It made me happy to see goblins and the foxes getting along. Just a few short months ago the two races had been at war.
"What has gotten you looking so sour?" Nord asked Lagdon, the three of us standing in the empty training grounds. It was rare for no one else to be here, but the weather was nice. I assumed that most the others were enjoying what was left of it before the cold really set in. I was told that the winters here were not all that bad at least.
Lagdon sighed. "Just some unsettling rumors. Nothing to worry overly much about, but I plan on being kept abreast of the situation all the same."
"What situation?" I asked, worried.
Lagdon did not hesitate in answering me. It had never really been discussed, but we all had a bit of an unspoken understanding. I let the people run things as they saw fit- so long as they kept it peaceful- but if I ever asked to be let into the loop, they needed to tell me everything. To not do so would break the trust I held in them, making me wonder if I was being- at best- shielded from bad happenings, or -at worst- being intentionally kept in the dark about serious information.
"In the south of your lands there is a forest known only as The Dark." He said, explaining. "It is near the border of the human kingdom of Barsole. Apparently there have been some strange stirrings down there. Even stranger than usual."
"How do you mean?" I had never heard of the Dark, nor of this human kingdom. Maybe I should see if a proper map could be found in the papers and books Margund had sent me here at the estate. Brax had shown me a map once, but the foxes were not big book people and the map was very old.
"The Dark has long been a place that most peoples avoid at all costs." Explained Nord, scratching his chin. "It is said that much of Aeros' unused, soiled energies came to rest there. Beings like him, with unimaginable magical auras, tend to leak power and that power can warp the things around it- usually not for the better."
A place called The Dark that even monsters avoided. Well that did not sound good, not good at all. And it existed on my lands? great, another thing I would have to clear up I would imagine.
"It is filled with strange magics, ancient monsters, and even criminals." Lagdon told me, still looking worried.
"Criminals? What kind of criminals?"
"any kind." Said Nord. "Though, 'filled', might be stretching it. I rather doubt any monsters exiled there really manage to live all that long. There is a reason we avoid it. The only good thing about the place is that it provides a bit of a barrier between us and Barsole."
"And what is wrong with Barsole then?"
"It is a nation of humans who absolutly despise monsters. Monsters and demi-humans. All monsters are killed on sight and demi-humans are kept as slaves or worse."
I frowned, displeased. I could understand humans fearing monsters, and maybe even demi-humans, it was in the nature of the race to fear what it could not or would not understand. But out right extermination and slavery? that was a big no for me. And now I was worried. Aeros was gone, so what was keeping that nation from entering my lands where the monsters they despise so much live en mas? Apparently just a super spooky forest, that's what.
"So, what are these rumors you have been hearing?" Nord asked his prince.
"It is not uncommon to hear of strange happenings withing the borders of the forest, but I just received word from my brother's messenger that there have been strange happenings outside of those borders now." Lagdon said, pacing slightly as he thought. "Margund says that some trading partners from the south have brought him word that some think that there is a beast in the Dark, stirring up trouble."
"A beast? What the heck kind of description is that." I asked, annoyed due to worry.
Lagdon shrugged. "No one is willing to go farther in to see what it is, exactly. But they say that people have been disappearing from near-by settlements, and monsters that once called the lands close by have begun either vanishing or showing up dead. All the instances are so similar that Margund suspects that it is all due to the same person or thing. What that thing is, he has no clue. I am sure that if things progress much farther, he will likely send out a squad to check it out."
Nord nodded. "Gurten and the other goblin villages are a goodly distance from the issue, but..."
"But what?" I asked, not liking this one bit.
"But the estate is close enough to be worrisome. the lake is between us and the forest, but not all enemy's will be hindered by that." Lagdon told me. "Still, it is a weeks rohgek ride away, so we are in no immediate danger."
I wasn't so sure of that, but decided to take Lagdon's word for it. What was the point of having competent advisors if you didn't listen to them at least most of the time. Besides, I was not comfortable with the level of energies I had stored up just yet. It sounded like what ever was happening down there would likely cost me a lot to fix. Still, I doubted I would put the issue out of my mind, as I am sure the two hobgoblins before me hoped I would.