How To Use Console Commands

Chapter 6

"Relationships amongst named are very strong."

Ravenus escorted Payton towards the newly constructed town hall of Avergreen. The bat was the easiest to approach about the topic. Axter would immediately realize what was going on, Durandal would likely pry further while fret over whether or not Ghorrend hurt him and Payton just felt awkward asking Tartarius as, no doubt, his fellow Earthling would crack jokes about him fucking someone from an isekai which he was fairly sure was never a thing in the genre. At least in all the versions he had seen.

"There's actually a system of measurement about it?" he asked.

"Of course." Ravenus gave him a bright grin. "Having strong relationships with other named helps you as well. You sometimes get bonuses and you can occasionally call on their power to help you in a tight bind."

He had to let out a soft, sarcastic laugh. "The power of friendship..."

"Huh?"

"Nothing," he said, dismissively waving as they walked up the wooden steps to the town hall. "So what are the levels?"

Ravenus explained that relationship values only really existed amongst the named. It started from 0, Neutral. Doing things that the person disapproved of would gradually lower the value to -1 which was Suspicious, -2 for Disliked, then -3 for Furious followed by -4 for Hated and lastly, -5 which was Violent.

"When you get someone to be Violent against you, it basically means they'll attack on sight."

"Noted," Payton said. "What about if you do something that they approve of?"

In the case of a positive relationship, it went up from Neutral to Trusted, Liked, Loyal, Affectionate and lastly, Loved. Given the notification he had received the previous night with Ghorrend, he guessed that he and the orc were now on a Trusted basis. As with any relationship-based system, he would need to be careful what he did with some people so as not to cause disapproval with others.

"I guess you can only ever reach 'Loved' status with one person, huh?" he asked, striding up to the large, wooden doors of the town hall. The emblem of the Black Halo was emblazoned on the door - that sun with a ring around it. The citizens of Avergreen had taken to adopting the emblem and dropped the creepy three-eyed, three-faced sigil of Gobhood.

"Why do you say that?" asked Ravenus.

The question confused Payton. "I mean, anything else would be cheating, right? It'd be polygamy."

It was Ravenus' turn to give him a confused look. "What's... 'Polygamy'?"

You’re kidding me, right?

Payton actually struggled for a few moments to put into words the definition of polygamy. Most people he knew back on Earth knew what it was and he had thankfully been spared the grueling task of having to explain it to a child or someone that was just reaching sexual maturity.

Trying to keep a modicum of professionalism, he said, "It's the practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time."

"What's wrong with that?"

Payton's paw drifted away from the door handle. "Wait... you mean it's normal to marry more than one person in this world?"

"Marry? What does that have to do with relationships?"

Okay... I'm really confused now.

"Don't you guys have any sort of ritual that contractually binds you in the eyes of whatever deity is looking over this world to be faithful towards your partner?"

Ravenus, still with a clueless look in his innocent blue eyes, just shook his head. "Sorry, no. The only deities we really have are the Readers and none of them have the time to preside over every relationship out there. And we're not bound to one partner. Especially the named. You're free to love whoever you want however many you want. I've heard that some Listeners and Speakers even have orgies with those that they have at Affectionate or Loved status multiple times in a week."

Really? That's... That's just weird!

Though the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. There was no religion in Lexcia except for the dependency on the Readers and their kind. So there was no drive to be celibate or even monogamous. When everything was provided for you and there was no real need to work to survive, what else was there to do but to sleep around?

I don't know if I should be excited or afraid.

"Is... Is there any sort of taboo against sleeping with people of the same gender?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course not," the bat sigh with a bright grin and a short laugh. "Adventuring parties sleep with one another all the time on the road and often times, it makes more sense to have fun with someone of the same gender to avoid unwanted pregnancies while still traveling."

"Is there any sort of restriction on sex?"

The bat tilted his head slightly to the side. "Consent, the dead, children and lesser races, I suppose. The Readers really frown upon rape. I mean, if you could literally fuck anyone, why would you force yourself on someone who doesn't want it? Or the dead? Or people not sexually or mentally mature? That just doesn't make sense."

Oh good. The last thing I wanted was to be in a world full of rapists, necrophiliacs, pedophiles and whatever else.

"Now when you say lesser races...?" he began.

"Feral animals or subservient races." The bag and his party's rogue strode forward and pushed open the door. "And don't worry. What you did with Ghorrend is perfectly fine."

What!? He knows!?

Payton's tail went rigid and the fluff on his cheeks stood on end. "W - W - what!? Y - Y - You know!?"

"Of course!" Ravenus said without a care in the world. "Durandal was a little worried when you were in the tub for a long time so he went in to check on you after he had dinner. He told us what happened and to give you two some privacy."

Mother of god! Does everyone know I boned Ghorrend!?

Wait... does anyone even care?

He followed Ravenus into the hall. "You... You're not offended?"

The bat shrugged. "Why would I be? I think it's nice that Ghorrend is opening up and becoming more welcoming to his new life as a Grigori even to the point of having one of us in him." He winked at Payton slyly. "If you don't mind, though, I'd like my turn next. From what Durandal said, he has a huge cock and I'd like to taste it."

Urgh... this is so weird... It's like being back in college where everyone talks about each other's dicks and sexual conquests and trades partners like we were passing around a joint...

"I guess as long as Ghorrend doesn't mind..." he mumbled. Then a stunning realization hit him. "Wait... If you know that I mounted Ghorrend does that mean...?"

"Oh yeah. Durandal saw the whole thing. He smelled a little like cum when he told us so I think he may have been aroused by the scene out while you two were at it. I guess he didn't want to join in and interrupt your session."

Payton's cheeks were burning with embarrassment not only because he was literally caught in the act and news spread about his sexual conquest but because of the casual way Ravenus spoke about it. The differences between Lexcia and Earth were highlighted even more.

It's funny. On the one side, you've effectively got redaction of information and mental conditioning but on the other it's free love and orgies.

All we'd need is some sort of drug and then it'd be kind of like Brave New World...

"You seem uncomfortable," Ravenus observed. "Is everything alright?"

Payton grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck as he had an awful prickling sensation there. "Honestly, I'm just getting used to the idea that everyone can basically have sex with whomever they want with little or no consequence. Back where I come from, there are things like sexually transmitted diseases, the fear of being called a whore or accidental pregnancies."

He got that blank stare from the bat again and a few confused blinks. "What's a whore?"

If he could have been hit with a giant metal pan, that would have been the moment. He could almost hear the loud, metallic echo ringing through his skull.

"They're... uh... people whom you pay for sex."

The bat's brow furrowed at him. "I don't understand. Why would you want to pay for sex when you can obtain it for free?"

Oh lord... His innocence is so endearing. I don't want to ruin that...

"Let's just say that where I come from, sex isn't readily accessible. I mean, don't you get sex-related diseases here?"

Ravenus shook his head, looking at him in worry. "No. We're provided the best care in the world. Any time anyone would get sick, there'd be some sort of solution from the Speaker or Listener."

The loud thunks of Durandal's footfalls came from down the hallway. "Every region also has different diseases that are restricted to said region. The borders between provinces keep such things from spreading so every Listener is at least ready for anything that they might come up against. If something does cause an outbreak, then the Readers can all pool their strength together. Worst case, the disease gets contained within the single province."

Oh god! It’s him! And he knows what we’re talking about!

“Hi Durandal!” exclaimed Ravenus with a bright grin. Without so much as recognizing Payton’s discomfort, the boar nodded at them both.

"As for accidental pregnancies," the boar continued. "People don't really care. Resources are always in abundance. Everyone is provided for. As far as the Speakers are concerned, the more people they have under their control, the better. It just so happens that because everyone can have sex with anyone, people tend to gravitate towards their own gender as they can understand the needs of someone with the same plumbing compared to someone with slightly different ones."

Wow... How's that for birth control? Encouraged homosexuality.

Now that I look at it, Earth is pretty fucked up...

Durandal hiked a thumb over his shoulder, something he seemed to like to do very often. "We're waiting for you, Your Darkness."

The conversation had completely derailed Payton's thoughts. With a grave nod and thanks thrown at Ravenus, he followed his two party members to the council chamber. The room was already starting to take shape to Ghorrend's tastes. White banners emblazoned with the black, ringed sun of the Dark Lord hung from the ceilings and pillars. Axes were displayed as trophies and there were already a few paintings of recent victories. Gaolsheer's invasion was painted on the right. Then there was the first battle of Avergreen with Payton standing before the towering Executioner. The second battle for Avergreen showing him zipping amongst Gobhood soldiers while Axter flung ice and Ghorrend led the Bloodguard was plastered to the far right. It spoke volumes that Ghorrend was willingly to post up even his most shameful moments in the chamber.

A large, circular stone table sat at the centre of the room with a large throne at the far end for Payton. As always, Axter was there standing by the chair and Ghorrend positioned himself in the seat next to the throne. The rest of the council consisted of Payton's primary party members.

He took up his position at his seat. Axter poured him some tea in a porcelain cup.

"Let's begin," Ghorrend began, unfurling a map and setting it on the table. "It's been five days since Gobhood sent an attack against us. News must have reached them by now of what's happened. They will either send more troops against us or they are going to bunker down in an attempt to appease Orphan and then send their forces against us." He jabbed a finger at the map.

It was the first time Payton had actually seen a map of the region. It was hard to tell the actual size but it was a fairly small area. They were positioned fairly close to Gobhood with the large Fallwoods separating them from the capital. Other townships were scattered around the region with roads connecting them all. Smaller forests dotted the area and even a lake or to. Gobhood itself was positioned near the coast and on the shores of a large lake which fed into the ocean. There was a part of the map that was covered in red markings that looked like goblin skulls named 'Kalastraad's Wastes'.

"We've started fortifying town as much as we can," Durandal said, again hiking his thumb over his shoulder. "With the help of some of the Gobhood soldiers, we've got the manpower to really start building strong fortifications. It still won't be of use against Level 60 or above soldiers if they send them here, though."

"Our scouts are keeping an eye on the woods and roads every day," Ravenus reported. "No activity so far. I think they're going to wait until Orphan has paid his visit and left before they do anything."

The four-armed boar grimaced slightly. "We can't make that assumption. We still need to make preparations."

"We need to attack," Payton said. All eyes immediately fell to him. "If we play defensively the whole game, we'll never win points. No matter how strong we get, if Faoster himself or the Speakers come for us, even with my abilities, we'll lose too much and gain comparatively less."

"Completely agree," grunted Ghorrend. "But the problem still remains that you can't get into Gobhood as Grigori. That's why I've reached out to an old contact of mine."

Durandal narrowed his gaze at the orc. "Who?"

Ghorrend took a deep breath as if he was seriously reconsidering whether or not to say the name. "Her name is... Lysandria Ophelia Ocularia Seraph Eveline Haven Oberon XXVII."

Wait... LOOSEHO the 27th?

Suddenly, a long, sultry, golden arm appeared out from behind Ghorrend's back, curling around his thick neck and reaching down to grope his pectoral. The orc went rigid when another arm spawned form behind him, gripping his neck and gently turning his chin towards the long, angular features of a woman with bright, green lipstick, thick glittered green eyeshadow and lashes so long that it almost curled up to touch her hairline. Little orbs of green light danced at the edges of each of her eyelashes. Large, golden hoop earrings fully equipped with bells chimed as she moved and curled her long, supple legs around Ghorrend's waist. White lace was wrapped entirely around her legs with emerald-coloured high heeled boots covering everything from her shins down. An open-front dress that appeared to be made entirely out of the big feathers of some green bird barely concealed her body with her big, perky breasts somehow defying gravity despite the obvious absence of a bra. Black hair was studded with emeralds and pearls, dressed up into two outrageous spikes that almost looked like horns.

"Ooooh my..." she said in a slow, sultry voice. "Didn't you get bigger, Gaolsheer... Or should I call you Ghorrend now?"

What the hell!? Where did she come from and how does she know about Ghorrend's identity!?

Durandal was already rising to his feet and drawing his sword while Axter was pulling Payton out of his seat. Ghorrend lifted a hand and beckoned them to calm down.

"Gentlemen," he greeted, gently pushing the woman away. "This is Lysandria. She's a Fey."

A Fey?

"That explains it," Ravenus said, beaming brightly. He sprang to his feet and waved at the woman. "Hello! I am Ravenus Shadowing!"

The woman smiled at him, batting her eyelashes and pressing a long, green finger against her lower lip. "My. What a handsome party you've gathered here, my dear." She winked at Ravenus. "And you are so adorable. A pleasure, cutie."

Seeing Payton's confusion, Ghorrend explained.

"Fey are one of the few species that don't fall under the control of the Readers. They are ruled by their king in a sort of parallel world to Lexcia. They generally change shape when they enter our world and they can't enter our world unless summoned."

"We Fey aren't actually tangible beings," Lysandria said, absently brushing a stray lock of dark hair aside. "You could call us... beings of energy. Raw forces of magic and nature that exist in a world incomprehensible to the rest of you. We find this mortal world bound in physicality fascinating. Normally, we cannot enter it save for a few times in the year unless we are summoned." She reached down and pinched Ghorrend's cheeks. "But I could never resist the call of one such as this handsome man."

"How did you meet a Fey especially if they are so rare?" asked Axter.

"I am no ordinary Fey, my dear." The woman glided over to the lion, her feet never touching the ground; she hovered. Axter's serpentine tail hissed at her but she didn't seem to care. "I offer a rather unique service to the named particularly adventurers."

She suddenly flew back a few feet, clearing her away from the rest of the council and then spread her arms wide. Lights, little fireworks and streamers exploded out from behind her. Shelves stocked with bottles, books and oddities appeared around her. Racks of weapons and armor appeared shortly afterward followed by glass cases filled with gems and even beast parts.

"I run a shop!"

Oooooh...

A counter slid in from just out of view so that she could leap upon in and pose seductively on top of it. "Now then, what can I get you boys?"

Glances were exchanged before all eyes went towards Ghorrend.

"To explain," grunted the orc. "Lysandria is one of the few Fey that actively interacts with our world. She has a pact with her king to allow her to trade with us so long as she doesn't divulge the plans and machinations of one customer to the other. If she does, she dies."

"Confidentiality is one of the many, many benefits of trading with me," she said with a coy wink, her fingers running up her smooth thighs.

"Her appearance is based on whichever region she's summoned in and no one else apart from the summoner knows about her appearing. She offers powerful magical items that the Readers don't control but they don't last forever. Like any Fey, they are fleeting."

"I can't offer my fantastic services without some catches!"

Once again ignoring her, Gorrrend said, "Her items will be soulbound to you. The moment you break the soulbond or you die, the item will become useless and return to her to be used again for different clients. There's also a time limit for how long you can use the item so the moment you activate it, you have until the item expires before it goes back to her. I've used her services from time to time when I was out adventuring and needed an extra edge against enemies."

"Such is the way of the Fey!" Lysandria exclaimed. "Our attention and interest is very fickle! So please, do something to entertain me or I shall have to take my leave. Many other people require my assistance, after all."

"That's a lie," grunted Ghorrend. "As a Fey, she can appear in many places at any one time. Doesn't mean her wares benefit from the same, though. So we best hurry."

So it's like an in-game auction house.

"What's your plan here?" Durandal asked. "Why do we need this Fey?"

Ghorrend rose from his seat and approached Lysandria. "Do you have anything that can make us appear human? I'll need at least five."

Lysandria's bright, green eyes sparkled and she leapt off the table, swinging her legs so wide that Ghorrend had to bend backwards to avoid getting skewered by those sharp, stiletto heels. "Ah! I have just the thing!"

She reached behind one of the display cabinets and pulled out a series of rings, setting them on the counter. "These are Rings of Disguise. Put them on your finger and activate them to appear as a human instantaneously. You need not worry about appearing like anyone someone will recognize. They are designed to make you appear as generic as possible." She lifted a finger and winked. "They only last for three days, however. That's in total. You can deactivate them at any time and that will suspend the timer. You can tell how much time you have left based on the three gems on the ring. Each gem will dull and turn black based on how much time you have left. When all gems turn black, their charge will have expired and the rings will return to me."

Interesting...

Payton narrowed his gaze on the offered rings and, as usual, he got their reference. He wondered what would happen if he cloned them and then had their timer expire.

Probably best not to piss off a Fey. What we need is allies.

He got up from his seat and approached her, Axter right behind him. "How much would this cost?"

"For first timers like yourself?" she batted her eyes at him. "Let's just say... The Heart of a Goblin Warrior. Each."

Tartarius visibly blanched. "Are you kidding me!? Where the fuck are we supposed to get something like that let alone five of them!?"

If what Ghorrend said was true, the chances of a Goblin Warrior spawning was extremely rare due to Gobhood's hold and control of the goblin population. The only time one would appear is some goblins escaped captivity and managed to trigger their Horde Strength ability. Chances were, the likes of Hagden Hoblood would be upon that event should it ever occur. Getting five of them would be difficult enough.

"Those are my terms," Lysandria said smugly.

"That's bullshit!" the rhino bellowed, slamming a fist into the table.

Payton put on his most charming smile. "If you'd indulge me, would you be able to show me what a Goblin Heart looks like? Preferably an actual one? I wouldn't want to mistake it for a common Goblin's heart or something like say... a Goblin Warmaster's heart."

The Fey let out a high-pitched giggle. "How adorable of you to think you can defeat a Goblin Warmaster. You have ambition. I like that." With a wave of her hand, a large heart as big as Payton's head appeared in her hand.

Holy shit! How big is a Goblin Warrior!?

"This is a Goblin Warrior's Heart," she said. With one finger, she pointed at the large, green vein running down its side. "Notice this vein? One vein indicates that it is a Warrior. No veins and it is a common goblin. Two and it's a Warmaster, three a Goblin Lord and at four, it is a Goblin King."

Payton smirked. "Thanks." He then held out his paw. "GetItem."

Five Goblin Warrior Hearts immediately appeared in his possession, all five of them stacking atop one another and tumbling onto the counter. Lysandria's eyes widened in shock while the rest of the party smirked in amusement.

"I believe that's five Hearts of a Goblin Warrior," Payton said smugly, dropping the last heart in his possession onto the pile. "I'll take those five Rings of Disguise now, thanks."

To his surprise, Lysandria's eyes glimmered with glee and her smile grew broader. "Oh. I see. Clever. You should be a Fey or must have a bit of Fey in you." She swept the five hearts into a bag and then handed Payton five of the rings. "If you should decide to replicate those rings for future use, I will not hold it against you."

That's a surprise...

"Really? Why?"

"For the simple reason that you are merely creating more stock for me," she chuckled. "Create them. Sell them. Do whatever you wish with them. Ultimately, when they expire, they will return to me meaning I can simply charge them and sell them again. I would effectively have obtained more Rings without paying for the manufacturing costs."

For some reason, he felt that she had known about his abilities even before she arrived.

I feel used...

"If you ever need some items replicated for a fraction of cost, you know who to reach out to."

She leaned forward, her stunning, golden features coming uncomfortably close to his. "I have a feeling this will be a very beautiful partnership."

Like lightning, she straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, if there is nothing else? I shall take my leave!"

The Fey was dismissed and she disappeared in a flurry of lights and streamers that vanished upon touching the ground. Ghorrend sighed heavily and shuffled back to his seat, slumping into it and rubbing his temples in aggravation.

"Dealing with here is always a pain," mumbled the orc. "She has some of the most powerful items on Lexcia and the fact that it is beyond the reach of the Readers is ideal for us. Yet what she asks for is always outrageous."

"At least we have Payton to basically conjure up whatever he wants," Tartarius sighed. "How do you summon her, anyway?"

"By saying her full name. That's all it takes."

"'All', he says," grumbled the rhino. "That bitch has so many names!"

Payton chuckled softly and handed out the five rings to each of his party members, keeping one for himself.

"With those rings, you can infiltrate Gobhood," Ghorrend concluded.

"Then there's the problem of what we'll do afterward," Ravenus added. "We can't just go march up to the Speakers and attack them."

"Sure we can!" Tartarius exclaimed. "We'll probably die but we can totally do that."

Not helping, dude...

Payton closed his eyes briefly, pondering their best course of action. The rest of the council were arguing about their paths forward and he was only mildly listening to them. Durandal was in favor of trying to find any converts within Gobhood and using propaganda of Avergreen to show that Faoster's rule was not infallible. Tartarius, on the other hand, advocated outright sabotage and assassination. Ravenus stood between the two and pushed more for information gathering while taking out targets of opportunity. Ghorrend, who knew the Speakers more than any of the others, warned about outright war and just going for Faoster. Axter, as always, remained quiet, waiting for Payton's words.

There was no doubt in the Dark Lord's mind that he wanted to free the people from Faoster's dominating rule. The people didn't even know that they were suffering from the cancer of complacency. If he could somehow show them that their leaders were just using them to keep this tenuous peace and preventing them from growing stronger to challenge them, then maybe they would rise up and fight for their right to live.

But how to do that...?

We need more information.

"We can't go in blindly and attack," he said, silencing everyone around the table. "What we need to do is gather evidence of the evil that is the Speakers and Listener. Evidence we can expose and show the people. Even if they don't fully believe it, throwing doubt into their supposed infallible reputations will be enough to provide us with openings to get to them. We need to be methodical about this."

He turned towards Ghorrend and pointed at the towns around Gobhood. "Ghorrend. I need you to go to all the towns you can and see if anyone is willing to join our cause. Be as persuasive as you can. Don't threaten them. Just tell them that we're going to build a place where any person can be whatever they want to be. They can grow into their own names without having to rely on a Speaker or Listener's whims. If they're willing to fight for Avergreen, they're welcome to join us."

He then turned to the rest of the party. "We'll go into Gobhood and see if we can find any weaknesses for the Speakers. First, we gather information. Then, when we're ready, we pounce. Our objective is to throw discord and doubt first and when the Speakers are too occupied with internal strife, we strike out at them. What we need to do is make sure that they are so occupied with internal affairs that Avergreen is the least of their concern."

Tartarius' eyes brightened in realization. "Hell yeah! We wage a sort of proxy war! Get them to fight themselves first! Maybe we can even turn Speaker on Speaker!"

There's an idea... Something tells me that the Goblin Knight won't be too please about the Greensmith's machinations. It's just a matter of finding proof.

"Then it's settled," Durandal said. "We should leave immediately. It'll take days to get there..."

Payton shook his head. "I took the coordinates of where we met the Greensmith. I can take us there in an instant, cutting out journey by four days. We'll be right on their doorstep and ready to infiltrate. What we need to do is prepare and find some way to communicate with one another if we ever get separated."

There, Tartarius raised his hand. "I actually had an idea on that. Why don't we form a guild?"

"Huh?"

"Well... This is sort of like an MMO, right? Most MMOs have some sort of guild system. Maybe we can do something like that?"

A guild. Payton had played MMOs in his time and he knew that similar groups could be formed with fellow players. They shared resources, had a private chat and could organize events with one another easily enough. The only problem was, how would he trigger such an event?

"I've never heard of such a thing before," confessed Ravenus. "What is it?"

As Tartarius explained the concept, Payton began scanning his list of commands for anything relating to 'guilds'.

To his surprise, he found something. DisbandGuild and FormGuild were the options including things such as KickGuildMember or SendGuildInvite. This suggested that these functions were available already but he just didn't access them yet. The problem with his UI was that it was embedded in his vision meaning that if something was on the corner of his gaze, he couldn't exactly focus on it because it would travel with his focus.

But now that I know it's there...

There was a small bar at the very top of his vision, hard to see given how small it was, but it was there. Only small symbols occupied but he noticed something that looked like a closed fist. Upon selecting it, a pop-up appeared in his vision.

It was the Guild Menu.

"Found it," he announced with a broad grin. "I can form a Guild for us. Looks like it's got everything from a guild stash where we can retrieve items or put items others collect as well as a private chat we can use to whisper to one another. There is even a 'teleport to member' function that'll allow us to instantly transport ourselves to one another wherever we are."

Ghorrend was in shock. "That's... amazing! That would've been very handy during my adventuring days. I wonder why no one has used this before."

Indeed. I wonder if the Readers are actually part of a secret guild and they're just not sharing this kind of knowledge with everyone to further restrict them.

"I just need a guild name," he said. "Any ideas?"

"Payton's Paladins?" Axter suggested.

"Fuck, we ain't no saints," Tartarius replied. "Rendshaw's Renders!"

"We aren't savages either," countered the chimera. "Something more tasteful but still speaks of our identity."

Durandal grunted softly. "The Black Halo Alliance."

I like it.

The nods from the rest of the party indicated that they were in agreement on the name.

"The Black Halo Alliance it is."

******

His name was Murmur. At least that was the name the mousy man had adopted when he had entered Lexcia as the newest Reader. His lanky features were heavily emaciated and his pale skin spoke of someone that hadn't seen the light of day in a long time. At the very least he had been cleaned up, gotten a shave and bathed before they set off on their tour of Lexcia. It would be several years before Murmur toured every province of Lexcia and absorbed all the spells he would need to become a fully-fledged Reader.

Thankfully, Orphan was almost done with him. Their last stop would be Faoster's Province. He didn't quite like visiting the place. It always stank of goblin; a sort of leathery, musky scent mixed with putrid limes. It was also the furthest province from his throne and his last stop before he would hand Murmur off to the next Reader on the list.

The carriage protected by his personal guard rattled lightly as he regarded the lanky man dressed in the black robes that Inferiorix had given him as his starting point. Orphan remembered when he had similarly been given such a garment the first day he had entered Lexcia. Inferiorix was there to greet him and asked him his name. Now, hundreds of years later, he forgot his answer but that no longer mattered as the Godmage had given him the new name of Orphan the Summoner.

Just like whatever Murmur's name before he came to this world no longer mattered.

He was now Murmur the Silencer.

After traveling for the past few months with the man, he was fairly certain Murmur was still coming to terms with all the power he had been granted. True to his name, the man with the grey eyes barely spoke and when he did, it was in a mumble or murmur that Orphan had to strain to hear.

"Tell me," Orphan began. "What did you pick?"

Murmur said something but it was barely audible.

"When you died or crossed a threshold or whatever before you found yourself waking in Inferiorix's presence you would have been offered a series of questions." Orphan lifted a finger, counting off the queries one at a time. "A choice of a sword, shield or book. How to open the door. The looming darkness beyond and lastly what to do about the eldritch horror blocking your way to freedom. How did you answer?"

Murmur regarded him with surprise and for the first time, he spoke clearly. "That happened to you too...?"

Fucking finally. A decent reaction from him.

"Every Reader goes through exactly the same thing," he answered. "When the questions are posed to you, your answers will determine what kind of Reader you will be. What power you will possess." He chuckled softly and rested his head on his hand. "I chose the book, found a spell of unlocking in the book, used a spell of light to illuminate the darkness and then killed the eldritch horror using a Banish spell. You?"

It's funny. After all this time, I forgot my own name but those choices are always burned into my memory.

"I..." Murmur began. "I chose the sword and then used the sword to break down the door. I looked for a torch in the darkness and used my sword to send sparks against the flame. Then against the horror, I fought it with my blade."

"Sounds like you're a brave fighter," Orphan observed. "Makes sense that you are the Silencer. Warriors rarely do well against spells so a means to silence magic is a benefit to you."

"I... I guess." Murmur lifted his gaze. "I'm sorry... This is all still a big much for me. I've been to dozens of other Readers and they've taken me to each of their Provinces. I'm... I'm still coming to terms with the... the..."

"Executions?" Orphan chuckled darkly. "Trust me. It is the only way for you to grow stronger. You need the power of the Grigori so that you can add more to your Grimoire and become more powerful."

Murmur instinctively gripped the big, slate grey book sitting next to him on the carriage seat. "If you don't mind me asking... Why don't you keep the Grigori for yourself? Why don't you just execute them and absorb their powers for your own? Is there no limit to the number of spells it can contain?"

Looks like I'm the lucky one this time around.

Orphan straightened and drew on his knowledge of the many, many times he had given this speech before hand.

"No. There is no limit to the number of spells a Grimoire can contain. However, we Readers share the knowledge and responsibility of these spells because no one man can do everything. A Reader that must divert a hurricane on one end of the country cannot also be on the other side of the country to deal with a drought. We are not gods. We are mortal and we have our limits. As Readers, we become charged with the good of Lexcia so we must all share that responsibility. Selecting and assigning which abilities we absorb from the Grigori is part of that. It comes with being part of the Reader's Guild. We share emergencies in each other's regions and where possible, we help one another."

Murmur scratched his head. "That's another question I was going to ask. If I can be transported instantaneously from Reader to Reader, why can't we do that with the Listeners? Why do we have to ride this carriage?"

He's smart. Good. That's good in a Reader.

"Because the Listeners are not part of the Guild," he answered. "We keep the knowledge of the Guild within ourselves as through it, we share important information. Listeners listen to their Readers but we only tell them what they need to hear. A need-to-know-basis, if you will."

"Oh. I see."

Orphan smiled calmly at Murmur and reached over patting his knees. "Trust me. It'll take some getting used to. But there are benefits."

Murmur gave him a wry smile. "You mean like the beautiful men and women and the orgies?"

He's learning.

"Exactly. We may not be gods but we are the custodians of this world. We deserve some payment for our services."

******

Payton didn't know why he didn't expect anyone to pass by Avergreen in the time since he took over. He had been working under the impression that since he was effectively seceding from Gobhood and had been attacked by the capital of the region, no one would dare to come to the township.

And yet, as he was sitting down for his midday meal, Ravenus swung in from the ceiling, hanging upside down in front of him and nearly making him choke on his pork. Axter reprimanded the bat after clearing Payton's airways. Apparently, they had vistors.

Curious, he went to the council chambers and found himself in the presence of a couple of new faces. These were no ordinary civilians either. Each of them were extravagantly dressed and radiated great power and importance.

"About fuckin' time!" exclaimed the shortest of them all, a stout man with a thick mustache that was curled to the point of being cartoonish. He wore a big, broad hat and carried a pack that was filled with scrolls, measuring instruments and a variety of other objects that seemed far too heavy for someone of his size. "We've been waitin' fer hours!"

"Don't exaggerate, Carlisle," chastised one of the women, a blue-eyed, blue-haired woman that looked like she had stepped right out of a preteen's 'waifu' dreams. She was scantily dressed and had a scalloped, matching blue dressed to go with her buxom chest. Her appearance reminded Payton a lot of Lysandria. She stepped forward and smiled at Payton. "Hi! My name is Amberline Saphine. This is Carlisle Sachoix." She gestured at the small man and then to the other male in the group. "This is Gustav Kraikovsky."

Gustav was a dour looking man with a rough salt-and-pepper beard amd severe-looking eyes partially hidden behind half-moon glasses. He was the tallest of the group and dressed in long, flowing black robes. He reminded Payton of a pastor.

They're all named... Are they adventurers come to kill us?

"And... uhm..." Amber turned towards the remaining woman in the group. "This is... uh..."

The remaining person was a woman dressed in a long, flowing white and pink kimono complete with wooden sandals on her feet. Her long, black hair was left to flow back in a short ponytail that only highlighted the severity in her almond eyes. "Ichika," she answered curtly, bowing low towards Payton. "Ichika Watanabe."

Payton resisted the urge to bow back.

"A pleasure to meet you all," he responded. "I must say I didn't expect this level of civility from an adventuring party come to kill us on behalf of Gobhood."

Amberline looked like she had been struck by panic and jumped back in surprise, waving her hands rapidly. "W - W - what!? N - no! We're not here to attack you!"

"Are ya daft?" growled Carlisle. "We're here ta join yer new guild!"

Huh?

"Curious," he answered, narrowing gaze. "I don't recall sending out recruitment posters."

Amberline bowed rapidly in succession. "Sorry! I should explain." She straightened, blushing lightly. "I'm actually an Elder Dragon."

Both Axter and Ravenus flinched in surprise.

Payton didn't make a comment and allowed Amberline to explain.

"I know, I know. My kind was supposed to be subjugated by the Reader of Dragons but I managed to escape a long time ago. Over five millennia, in fact. I've been in hiding since then." A strange fire entered her eyes. "I still remember the time before the Readers when humanity was so vibrant, active and filled with so much potential. But then the Readers came. They pushed mankind to the top of the food chain and made them complacent. Humanity became the most dominant species in all of Lexcia but they wallow and drown themselves in their luxury that they have become stagnant. There are only very few adventurers out there now. I long for the day when this potential is recognized once more and balance restored."

Then she abruptly bowed again to him. "When I heard that a Dark Lord had risen here in Avergreen I immediately contacted Gustav and Carlisle and brought them here on my back. Not too long ago, I felt the formation of a Guild and I just knew you had to be the one! Please! Let us join your cause."

"I dunno about all that potential fer mankind or what not," grunted Carlisle. "But I'm an architect. I dunno if ya be in the know but we architects help new Readers build their fortresses for themselves and their Listeners. Bein' that we dun get a new Reader fer years on end, we don't get that much work. So when the new Reader picked some other snot-nosed whelp to be is architect, I decided enough was enough and took Amberline up on her offer."

New Reader? When was this...?

Gustav adjusted his glasses lightly. "My motivations are less... philosophical as Miss Amberline's or selfish as Carlisle's," he said, his voice so deep that Payton could feel his organs moving. "The Readers, their Listeners and the Speakers perform countless atrocities to maintain their fragile peace. As a doctor, I took an oath to preserve life. My colleagues may be able to turn a blind eye towards certain practices but I cannot. I have come here in the hopes that you can reset the course of the world."

I wonder if the Hippocratic oath exists here...?

His eyes went to Ichika. The woman in the kimono stepped forward ahead of Amberline. Then in one smooth movement, she drew a long katana hidden within the folds of her dress. Axter and Ravenus were immediately reaching for their weapons... until Ichika fell to her knees and offered her swords to Payton.

"I am an adventurer. Level 100 Crusader. I had traveled through this land and the lands beyond. Studied many forms of arts from both physical and magical. In my travels, I have gained perspective.” She paused, her thin lips tightening until they were almost invisible against her pale, porcelain-like skin. “This world is dying. The Readers are a cancer that has dulled the heart and minds of the people to the point where few are capable of learning for themselves or even taking care of themselves without the help of a Speaker. Should anyone manage to step beyond these restrictions, they become named and an adventurer that is still under the control of the Readers. I come offering you my experience and my blade. I wish to enable others to be able to handle themselves. Under your enlightened rule, I seek to reintroduce the basics of survival back to this world."

Whoa... Okay... this is a bit much...

Payton, retaining his cool, lifted his paw. "Hold up. That was a whole lot of exposition all at once. You all came here because you want to join my Guild? How did you even hear about it?"

Amberline raised a hand. "That was me. As an Elder Dragon, I am in tune with the very essences of the world. It used to be that new Guilds would appear constantly and each one would be a magical union of hearts and souls, fundamentally united under a common cause. The magic behind it was simply indescribable." She sighed softly, closing her eyes and cupping her cheeks in her hands.

"To answer your questions," Gustav rumbled. "No new Guild has formed since the Readers took over. Only their Guild continues to exist. So when a new one was forged, we knew something special was happening here."

Wait... if an Elder Dragon felt the formation of my Guild...

"Would the other Readers know about the Black Halo Alliance too?" Axter asked, reading his mind.

"Doubtful. No one can learn the details of one's Guild unless one openly flaunts it as a public display."

Okay... Phew.

"We're just starting out, you know," Ravenus said with a helpless shrug. "I mean, I'm sure it'd be nice to get some help but what can you guys do for us?"

Carlisle pulled out a pipe and lit it. "This craphole is clearly in need o' an architect. You give me materials an' I'll design ya a bitchin' township that can withstand even the might of a Listener an' their armies! Maybe even Readers!"

Amberline popped into view, waving a finger. "He's not exaggerating! Carlisle has been designing for years and his designs were picked as a finalist many many times."

"But he didn't win," Payton said bluntly.

The squat man with the bushy eyebrows grunted at him. "It's politics. I dun make very many friends and it ain't what ya know but who ya know."

"Appalling," Payton muttered sarcastically. "Okay. Supposing I could use an architect. I'm not planning to build any sort of Guildhall or something. My intention is to conquer and secure each and every location I take to prevent it from falling back into the hands of the Readers."

There, Carlisle grinned broadly. "Then good thin' Imma offer ya my services." With a flourish, he pulled out one of the scrolls and unfurled it. Drawn upon it were blueprints. "Was workin' on this on th' way 'here." He slammed it on the council table with pride. The diagram on the table looked to be some sort of large tower with a crystal on top of it. "This 'ere is my Tower o' Dominance!"

That sounds ominous... and evil.

Carlisle explained that since every town needed a Governor and the region was thus influenced by the Governor's dominion over the area, he designed the Tower to project a physical barrier around the domain. Any creatures that were below the level requirements and the Governor decided could not pass, would never be able to pierce the barrier. Anyone with a higher level could try and might succeed but then they'd suffer from the Domain Penalties the Tower emitted. These were special conditions upon the land that those hostile to the Governor would enforce. It could be as simple as traveling slower or becoming hungrier quicker to much more brutal penalties such as the inability to equip heavy armor or even a constant drain to health.

"It depends on the Governing skill o' the Governor, though," Carlisle said. "Anyone the Governor sees as allies are unaffected but those hostile to them will suffer. This includes Readers."

"So the stronger the Governor, the stronger the penalties inflicted," Axter observed. "It would certainly make taking over territories and keeping them secure easier. We'd have to make sure the Governor is loyal to the Dark Lord and strong enough to keep the Readers from attacking but even then, it'd give them pause."

Ravenus pointed at the smaller man. "What's the catch? Something that powerful can't be easy to make or has to have one glaring flaw. You can't have just been thinking about this on the way here. This would've scored easily with the Readers. Why didn't you present this to them?"

Carlisle huffed and regarded the scroll miserably. "Yer right. I did present this ta the Readers more than once. But they gave me some arbitrary excuse o’ 'it doesn't fit with our objectives'. What does that even mean!?"

I think I know...

"The Grigori," Payton concluded, surprising the architect. "The Readers basically control every inch of Lexcia. If they activated these towers everywhere, then anyone they see as an enemy will never be able to breathe let alone live long enough to have their heads delivered to the Readers to expand their Grimoires. Grigori would probably die almost immediately upon entering this world or they'd have to purposefully lower the powers of the towers, defeating their purpose."

Ichika, who had still been kneeling on the floor, rose up and sheathed her blade. "Your wisdom is astounding. Even I hadn't considered that."

Carlisle snorted. "Me neither. Makes sense when ya think 'bout it." He slapped his hand against the table. "Well? Whatcha think? Ya interested?"

"You haven't answered Rav's question," Payton said. "What's the catch?"

The architect's smile wavered a little. "The Tower is the weakness. It can be destroyed and if it does get destroyed, its field of effect goes down. The range depends on the Governor's skill as well. It's possible a Reader could summon a fuckin' rock from the sky to level the tower an' then their army can come chargin' in 'ere unopposed."

"And the Tower is a very big eyesore," grunted Gustav. "You can bet it'll be the first thing people aim for when they see it."

Payton inclined his head to the side. "Why not put it underground then?"

Carlisle gave him a blank stare. "What? Why?"

He returned the blank stare. "If the issue is that it's vulnerable to attack, why leave it with that vulnerability. Put it underground in a vault or something that's guarded by traps and automatic defenses. Unless the area of effect is reduced by being underground?"

"Well... No... but..."

"If you're going to build me something that's just there to be for show, then you best find employment elsewhere," he said. "I'm not here to conquer the world in the most flashy way possible."

Amberline giggled and placed a hand on her hip. "Well, Carlisle? Are you still interested?"

The architect was clearly at a loss. This was a man who wanted to be seen, to be immortalized in his works. Payton doubted he'd get any more architects with such ingenuity and the Tower of Domination was a fairly good idea. The last thing he wanted was for that technology to fall into hostile hands especially if he started making progress in his conquest of Lexcia.

"How about this," he began. "Build your Tower but we're going to build two of them. One above ground where everyone can see. Another underground. I want you to build an entire self-sustaining underground city in each of my fortresses. Somewhere that if the Readers do manage to come and invade, my citizens and troops can retreat into and weather the storm until the Readers get bored. In return, I'll give you as much materials and equipment as you want and the additional challenge of matching each fortress to the Governor. You'll get full accolades, naturally."

Carlisle's eyes widened. "An underground city. Somewhere we can hide from da Readers. Oh!" He started puffing on his pipe very enthusiastically, spewing smoke into the council chamber. "Yes. Mah mind is bubblin’ with inspiration! Yes! Ya bet yer furry ass can build this! But I must know your Governor."

"I'll introduce you to him after this meeting." He then turned to Gustav. "And what do you offer?"

The doctor nodded calmly. "Medicine and my expertise in all things in the medical field. As Amberline mentioned, the world has regressed to the point where only a few people know the basics of personal hygiene. Take away the goblins of this province and everyone is next to useless. From what little I've seen of your town, the citizens are struggling to even remember how to properly bathe let alone wash their clothes. I will teach your people these basics and train more doctors to ensure that we maintain a modicum of health. My only condition is that when my doctors are fully trained, we are allowed to treat everyone, friend and foe alike."

That seemed fair and extremely noble. "I've got some prisoners from Gobhood that don't want to join up so I'm glad to have the help of a practiced physician to see to their needs and those of my people in case something comes up."

"I will need materials and a hospital."

"Done."

His eyes went towards Amberline. "And what can I do for you as thanks for bringing these experts here?"

The Elder Dragon in the guise of a cute girl beamed brightly. "I only request that you allow me to teach your people culture, promote education and spread the arts." She clasped her hands together and her eyes gained a starry, dreamy appearance. "It is through culture that people truly find their identity. The Readers dull everyone to conform to the same identity and they never get to write their own stories. It is always the same thing over and over again. I wish to start many educational facilities to inspire and allow the people to grow."

She turned to him, winking brightly. "And I'll even allow you to pick my brain on what I know about the Readers and their kin. I have been around for a while, you know. I'm a wealth of knowledge!"

That could be very helpful.

"Agreed."

Lastly, he turned towards the stoic Ichika. "And for you?"

Her steely gaze sent chills down his spine and froze his heart. "I wish to train. Your soldiers have brute strength but no finesse. Should the Readers will it, your forces would be wiped off the map with ease. I will fight for you. I will fight to change this system of sloth."

That's nice and all but something doesn't sit well with me...

"Why?" Axter suddenly said. "Why would a Level 100 named such as yourself devote yourself to our cause?"

Ichika regarded the lion coldly. "Suffice to say that I have my reasons. That is all you need to know."

Not good enough. But if she's not going to tell me outright...

Payton quickly accessed her character sheet and checked her biography. To his surprise, she was a benevolent and altruistic person. Ichika chose to live the life of a wandering mercenary, never asking for more than the minimum from those that she saved and served, often just asking for food and lodging for dangerous missions. She rarely ever carried more than her sword, a few potions and some provisions. Having traveled over all of Lexcia, she was one of the few people who could pass through the walls that barred the Provinces with ease. Apparently, she traveled to the top of the highest mountain in the hopes of seeking enlightenment in a world where she was already as good as she could ever be without being promoted to a Speaker or Listener. With no desire for material wealth, that was not something she wanted.

She was, however, appalled when she found a Reader's palace at the peak of the mountain. Populated by languishing people who were literally high out of their gourd most of the time due to the low oxygen and the elevation, she grew to resent the Readers. Returning to civilization with this renewed perspective, she realized the disease that the Readers introduced but was lost on how to fix it.

Until she saw the Blue Elder Dragon soaring through the sky on one of her travels.

"You have my trust and support," Payton said with a nod. "I will leave the training of my men to you. I warn you, however, that I expect each region to be trained differently."

She lifted a meticulously maintained eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

"Yes. I don't want a singular army or fighting force that has the same strengths and weaknesses across the board. Every Reader, Listener and Speaker is different. We need to adapt to their strengths. If we just throw the same thing at them every time, we might have a few victories but they'll eventually find a way to counter us and by then, it'll be too late to change. Variety will win the day."

Her rosy slips turned upwards very slightly. "I agree. I will adapt as necessary."

Payton grinned and regarded his new guild members. They were non-combatants predominantly and could be called upon to fight if necessary but now he had a powerful defensive force while he and the majority of the party were away.

"Welcome to The Black Halo Alliance."

******

Before becoming the Goblin Knight, Nevaught Killgreen had a storied career as an adventurer. He had risen to Level 100 specializing in a mix of magic and might before eventually being promoted to a Speaker by Faoster. During that time as an adventurer, he had gained much experience and leveled his equipment to their absolute maximum. One of the experiences had given him the uncanny ability to sense when something wrong was going to happen. It wasn't an actual skill. More like... a sixth sense.

He sat on the balcony of his home, gently polishing his breastplate known as Plate of Gobhood. Every day he donned it, he was proud to announce himself as a Speaker of Gobhood. He hated it when he got the black blood of goblins on the polished green steel especially when it got caught in the crevasses of the golden filigree. That was always the hardest to get out. But he ultimately didn't mind. He wore the armor every day not because he was afraid of being attacked but because he was proud of how he got it and his identity as a Speaker.

Normally, polishing and maintaining his equipment would soothe his nerves but as he looked out into the sunset, there was something in the air that set off his danger senses. He couldn't explain it. There was just... something... an omen. Maybe it was what the Emerald Mage had shown him about the men he had sent to Avergreen or Orphan's impending visit. He just knew this was the calm before the storm.

He held up his armor, the setting sun glinting off the green frame.

"It seems we will be seeing combat again soon, old friend."

Down in the Greenworks, the Daronllier Enphou otherwise known as the Head Chef of the Greenworks was working into a frenzy. Dinner service was just starting and his restaurant was naturally packed. His assistant chefs - the goblins he had so meticulously trained - were buzzing as they prepared his famous Gobhood Stew and sent them up to be eaten by the citizens of Gobhood.

Strange as it was, the kitchen was mostly silent. No one spoke. Everything worked like a well-oiled machine.

A loud clatter interrupted the tranquility and he turned, eyes wide at the goblin that had tripped and spilled a few metal mixing bowls onto the floor. Nothing was in the bowls thankfully but the noise was enough to interrupt his mood.

The other goblins continued working and turned away as he stormed over to the fallen chef. He grabbed the creature by the green arms and pulled him towards the back of the kitchen, away from prying eyes. The foul little creature tried to scream but the Goblin Knight had cut out his tongue for a reason, preventing it from making any decent sounds.

Even as the little thing struggled, trying to tear at his arms with its claws desperately, he was unaffected. Like the rest of the Speakers, he had been a Level 100 adventurer before settling into the life of a Speaker. So it was with great ease that he lifted the goblin into the air and slammed him down against the clean table. In a single, swift movement, he pulled out a knife and gutted the beast in a few simple strokes. It stopped struggling as he carefully stripped all the meat from the bone, saving the offal to be used for stock.

With a snap of his fingers, two other goblins came rushing in.

"I've prepared the meat. It's nice and fresh. Make sure it is served as soon as possible."

High in the in the towers of the Verdant Gardens, Aldurin Xandel the Emerald Mage regarded his latest experiments with a mild curiosity. The beast before him, half-human and half-goblin was an abomination for sure and was so atrocious that it had died from severe organ failure before it could even reach sexual maturity. He sighed with great disappointment as it lay on the floor of his office, having just collapsed from the aforementioned organ failure just as it was serving him some wine.

With a clap of his hands, two far more perfect specimens of his breeding program entered. These 'men' - if they could be called that - carried the corpse away. It would be sent to the Greenworks for the Head Chef to serve.

In the meantime, he got to his feet and wandered the short distance to his lab.

A few human males dressed in robes of gold and green were already there waiting for him. Tied down to several tables were drugged goblin females. A hybrid shuffled over to him carrying a plate. Goblets filled with his latest concoction resting on them. He carried it to each of the men, handing them a goblet each.

"Rest assured, gentlemen. My concoction is safe for human consumption. It will merely make you extra virile and sexually charged while carrying my spell into your seed so that it may take root in the wombs of these creatures." He smiled as he handed out the last goblet. "Thank you again for your service to Gobhood. Enjoy."

The men drank the concoction and they immediately became erect. A hungry look crossed their features and without further fanfare, they tore off their clothes and pounced upon the goblin females. They would be at this for hours yet.

And the Emerald Mage... he took notes.

Within the dark recesses of his workshop, Hagden Hoblood pounded his hammer onto molten metal. Once he was satisfied with its shape, he pulled it from the anvil and immediately dipped it into the trough beside him. The black blood within boiled, infusing the metal with the goblin essence that he had worked with for so long. Fresh blood poured from above where he had left the body of the goblin with its throat slit.

He lifted the metal a moment later and nodded in satisfaction.

The last rays of sunlight dipped away from his window and he gazed out into the darkness.

His malicious grin returned.

"Soon," he chuckled. "Very soon."

******

There was a sense of nostalgia as Payton once again found himself on the gates of Avergreen. This time, he was early. He had spent most of the morning trying to draw a rough approximation of Avergreen and the exact location of the coordinates he had written in his book to give him a better idea of exactly where he'd be appearing if he were to use SetLoc again. He retrieved the coordinates a short distance away from the main road itself and had asked Carlisle and Ghorrend to ensure that that space was reserved in case he would need to return. The architect boasted that he'd make a grand altar to the Dark Lord but Payton just asked him to make sure it was practical.

A shadow passed overhead and he was left gawking as the big, blue, majestic form of Amberline Saphine passed above in her full draconic form. She landed a short distance away, allowing Durandal and the others to slide off her before her features shimmered with a soft, blue light and the adorable little girl returned.

"Was that really necessary?" Payton asked, rising from where he was crouched in the grass.

"I just really wanted to see what it's like to ride a dragon!" Ravenus laughed, giving Amberline a little high-five. "Carlisle and Gustav said it was really amazing so I wanted to try it for myself."

Of course you did.

"I would take you closer to Gobhood but I'm afraid it'd attract too much attention," Amberline said apologetically. "If I caught the attention of Ichika, then other adventurers and even the Speakers might notice as well."

Tartarius staggered forward, gripping his stomach in one hand. "Yeah, I don't think I could take more than ten minutes of that ride."

"You've got motion sickness?" Payton asked.

"No. I've got 'I-rode-a-fucking-dragon-with-no-seat-belts-sickness'." The rhino let out a soft moan and rested a hand against Payton's shoulder. "I hope to fucking Christ your teleporting thing doesn't make me hurl because I swear, Rav, if I chuck, I'm going to aim my projectile vomit at you."

The bat grinned sheepishly as he took up position next to Payton.

Axter bowed towards Amberline and linked paws with Tartarius. Durandal did the same with Ravenus.

"Alright everyone," Payton breathed, flipping the book to the part where had had marked the coordinates of where they had left Hagden. "Here we go. SetLoc."

Their surroundings blurred into darkness and quickly smudged back into existence Once again, they were in the middle of the forest.

"Huh... I was honestly expecting a loading screen," Tartarius admitted. "But at least I didn't lose my breakfast." He shot a foul stare at Ravenus. "You're fucking lucky."

Ravenus skipped forward then vaulted towards a tree, quickly scrambling up its side to get a good vantage point of their surroundings. "I would've dodged it."

Ignoring the exchange, Axter strode forward. "What do you see?"

The bat shaded his eyes and then pointed off to the distance. "Gobhood is that way. I don't see anyone else nearby. So we better get going."

It took the better part of the day to get within the outskirts of Gobhood. As they approached the end of the tree line, Payton finally got to see the base of operations of their enemy.

Gobhood was an enormous city. Unlike the cities that he was used to, there were no skyscrapers. The vaguely pie-shaped city curved around the shore of an enormous lake. Enormous, white walls that had to be at least fifty feet tall all had banners displaying the emblem of Gobhood on it; black cloth with the green sigil of the three-eyed, three-faced goblin on it. From his vantage point, he could vaguely make out the city. Tightly-packed but organized streets had beautiful homes of green, white and gold. Opposite to the outer wall on the far end of the city but still close to the shore was a gently sloping district that was lush with greenery. At the very top of this hill was a glorious castle.

"Here we go," Payton announced, sliding the Ring of Disguise onto his finger. "Everyone ready?"

He got nods of agreement from the other.

"Then let's go. To Gobhood."

Then he grinned to himself.

"For real this time."