We’d taken our fill of goods from the larder. I’d looked away from the more familiar shaped carcasses that hung in the cold store, lest I change my mind and follow the orcs into the bowels of the mountain and spend the next year hacking them to pieces. The likelihood was that if I attacked, they would just head topside again, and the fight I’d averted with Milton would happen, costing many lives. Enough people had already paid the price, and I thought of Cuthwin and his desire to impress Sun. This way, his honour was still intact, and they could retire to her fjord to meet the future in-laws.

“Good luck,” I said with a smile.

Kur looked back at me. “I’m sorry?”

“Just thinking out loud, mate. How much further?”

“We’re nearly at the cave mouth.”

“I’m surprised how much I’ve missed the light.”

Kur grunted in agreement, though it had been far longer for him. Years in fact. Our journey had taken two days, and in that time we’d passed several thousand more orcs. They trudged past us without making eye contact after word had spread from within of Gutrender’s death. I know I’d sworn to kill them all, but Kur had shown me something that I couldn’t ignore. Without the goblins to manipulate them, the warriors looked lost and forlorn. I hoped that one day they might emerge into the light of both the sun, and a brighter future. Right now, they needed to stew in their crushing defeat, like five hundred pound toddlers on the naughty step.

At the penultimate cavern where the faint glow of the outside world could be seen, I witnessed the first potential shoot from my planted seed. Dozens of goblin bodies littered the ground, their ghastly wounds caused by orc weapons. I was almost as taken aback by the room itself as I was the slaughter. The cranes and gantries of the engineering bay were a slapdash construction of steel and wood. They had been working on a large number of similar steam vehicles to those we’d faced at the wall. Dozers, launchers, and others that didn’t seem to have a purpose. I could feel heat pouring from a cave that adjoined the larger room, and a cursory peek found their forge, the untended fire waning. It was enormous, and far in advance of anything the humans had come up with. Smelting pots and pipe extruders. I expected Cyril to spend the next few years ferreting around in there, soaking up the technology like Sun had soaked up the ability to read. I wondered if it would be a mistake to advance the kingdom by the equivalent of five hundred to a thousand years over night, but it was largely out of my hands. I couldn’t tear the place apart, and my realm points gave no option to seal the cave.

It'll be what it’ll be.

We finally reached the gaping mouth of Whitespear Mountain, and I spent several minutes marvelling at the scene. We were thousands of feet above sea level, the breeze around us carrying the chill down from the snow-capped peaks. The morning sun blazed between two distant mountains to the east, shimmering through the clinging mists. Lush forests and sprawling green farmland stretched out for countless miles to the south. I had no idea how long it would take for people to dare set foot in this region again, but I suspected it would be years. With so many lives lost, it might even fall to the barbarians to settle and repopulate the land. They would have the best of both worlds, a new, fertile home, and the ability to solidify the new alliance we’d brought about.

“Quite a view,” remarked Kur, breathing deeply.

After the stink of the orc lair, the air was beautifully crisp and clean.

“You’ve got that right.”

I could just make out the closest citadel on its rocky perch about ten miles away. From our position, it was hard to imagine that this stunning kingdom had just gone through a devastating war. I spotted something else to the east. It was just a flicker through the forest canopy, but it had me weak kneed and laugh-sobbing. It was the glorious red of the Dawnstar army, only a few miles away.

“There’re my friends,” I choked out, pointing to the spot on the horizon.

Kur’s excitement about being outside faltered. “And my enemy.”

“Not any more. You can trust me on that.”

“Would it be better if I hid inside until you had the chance to explain the situation?”

“Not at all. You’re coming to meet the grand marshal, mate. Come on, time’s wasting.”

Kur was less than enthusiastic and fell into a brooding silence as we walked down the gently sloping face toward the valley floor. The grass within the churned tracks from the previous machines had mostly grown back. It was funny how no matter what was thrown at it, life always went on. Kherrash would be the same, I was certain of it.

I took the time to open my loot boxes while my green friend speculated on his future. Alwyn’s body had dropped something I’m sure the sorcerer’s would be interested in. I didn’t need to check the homeward stones to know what they were for. The thing that did pique my interest was the small slivers of glimmering stone.

Item – Shards of Khad (Legendary)

Type – Craftable (Combination)

Description – Shards from the body of the first golem to ever exist. These fragments can be combined with a golem heart to create a simulacrum of Khad, a companion that can be summoned by the bearer.

Requirements – Int 14 (Crafting Level 12)

Effect – Golem companion summonable.

Misc – Due to the power of the construct, it can only be summoned for 1 hour per day.

It was outside of my skill level currently, but damn, that would be a sweet addition to my war effort. It still came back to the obvious point of whether I would gimp myself by rushing towards the requirements for the summon. I needed the strength and dexterity to fight more skilfully. This war had proved the value of a straight up brawler class. I’d have died multiple times if I hadn’t had the paladin gifts and armour from Hilde.

I checked over Alwyn’s weapon, but at present it was little more than a thick stick to beat people with. The dullness of the once glowing stone was confirmed by its description.

Item – Staff of the Defiler (Legendary) (Depleted)

Type – Weapon (Spellcasting)

Description – Staff of the sorcerer Ivress Harper, first magic user to walk the kingdom of Kherrash. The healer at first used his gifts to help the people, but over time, a dark voice called to him from the mountains. Ivress followed the siren song into the darkness. What came down from that accursed place was not the same man. After years of horror, the earliest ancestors of the Dawnstars formed an army and chased the sorcerer back into the depths of Whitespear. He was never seen again.

Requirements – Int 14 Wis 12

Effect – Can cause Crippling Mind on opponent. Some creatures are resistant to this debuff.

Increased spell attack power by 33%

Misc – Can be sanctified to become Staff of the Purifier.

Requires strong magical essence to replenish power.

After my victory, Kur had explained the twisted, calcified figure who was monstrous in size and appearance. It could only have been Ivress, and lord knew how many centuries he’d sat on the throne shaped rock, undisturbed until Gutrender’s expansion had uncovered him. The gem that powered the stolen weapon had been destroyed, and I would need to boost my stats and find another before the staff could be used. It joined much of the other useless stuff in the bottom of my pack. I found no mention of her teleport ability, which was a shame. It might’ve just been her stupidly high level and the subsequent unlocking of the skill, much the same way as my paladin abilities were becoming available.

I moved on to the two boss boxes, leaving the achievements alone for the time being. Second best went first, and Alwyn’s prizes dropped into my inventory.

Item – Helm of the Kohren Templar (Legendary) (Set piece)

Type – Armour (Heavy)

Description – The blessed helm of the Kohren order of noble templar. The thirteen warriors vanquished the demon lord Volgus who invaded their world with his army of shades.

Requirements – Str 10 Dex 10 Wis 8

Effect – Increase to physical resistance

Increase to magical resistance

Increase damage to Smite

Misc – Resistance values increased when in presence of demonic enemies

Set - ???

“Nice,” I exclaimed. The hidden values were only low, but it appeared they would stack with other parts of the set. My difficulty was the fact that I had no way of grinding Alwyn’s battle to get more drops. I would just have to hope for good luck going forward. I equipped the piece, and it didn’t cause issues with its difference to Hilde’s work. The magical nature of the item melded it seamlessly to the overall set I was wearing.

Next up was something a little better than my useless bow. Hell, it was a lot better.

Item – Crossbow of Holy Bolts (Legendary)

Type – Weapon (Ranged)

Description – This magical weapon was used by the vampire hunter Terrence Van Hailsong. Though not killing Remus Dayender outright, the projectiles wore down the ancient being, allowing Terrence’s ashwood stake to be driven through his black, undead heart.

Requirements – Str 8 Dex 10

Effect – Fires divine bolts that appear once the string is drawn. No ammunition is needed.

Misc - 50% extra damage to undead enemies

The hero’s surname was far too familiar for my liking, but I put it out of my head. I had the equivalent of a medieval gun. An aim and shoot weapon that didn’t require the skill and nuance of a standard bow. I could yank and pew until all the undead were properly dead again. All in all, Alwyn’s loot had been pretty decent. Now it was time to check Gutrender’s drops and box. His body yielded a great utility ability.

Item – Goblin Die-Nah-Might? Template (Epic)

Type – Crafting Recipe

Description – Have you ever wanted to lose various parts of your body to accidental explosive damage? Now you can! With these patented volatile bombs, you can maim yourself and everyone you care about. Make sure your health insurance is up to date. Probably best to update your will too. You don’t want the government getting your coin.

Requirements – Int 8 (Crafting Level 8)

Effect – Allows crafting of goblin explosives

Misc – Practice makes perfect. Higher levels will yield more powerful, and more stable dynamite.

I had a mountain of the makings in my pack, just not the knowhow. I set twenty to begin construction, closed the tab, and moved onto the final boss box. The first item in the loot went some way to confirming my hope that the aliens were guiding the drops in some way. The evil nature of many of them had left me wondering if they planned on making me fallen, or if they just liked the names and abilities.

Item – Cuirass of the Kohren Templar (Legendary) (Set piece)

Type – Armour (Heavy)

Description – The blessed torso armour of the Kohren order of noble templar.

Requirements – Str 10 Dex 10 Wis 8

Effect – Increase to physical resistance

Increase to magical resistance

Increase damage to Smite

Misc – Resistance values increased when in presence of demonic enemies

Set - ???

The increase to my power when facing demons felt like they were guiding me toward hellscape nightmare, but that was way down on my list of worlds to pick. I knew that I would have to face beings like Sar’Ozan at some point. I would put that meeting off for as long as possible if I could.

The final drop had me conflicted as it took away two valuable perks. Magical resistance and passive healing. I had the option of equipping the Bulwark of Laeroth outside of combat to replenish my health. The skill that came with my new item was too tempting to ignore.

Item – Aegis of the Lightbringer (Legendary)

Type – Armour (shield)

Description – This shield was bequeathed to the legendary monster hunter; Nathaniel Millard. His bravery and combat prowess saw legions of undead fall before his divine fury. Only by the summoning of the Dracolich Xaddros could he be stopped. The body of the lightbringer still rots to this day in the cold belly of the undead dragon, the world trapped in perpetual night.

Requirements – Str 10 Dex 10

Effect – Provides resistance to physical attacks

Provides skill – Shield Bash (Level 1)

Misc – Holy Aura while equipped, lowering stats of nearby undead enemies.

“I’m not going there! You can pack that shit in!” I called, startling Kur.

“Thinking out loud again?” he asked.

“Something like that.”

The head of the Dawnstar army appeared, led by the grand marshal himself. A few of his knights made to charge at us, or in particular Kur, but the man raised an arm, stilling them immediately. Sun was at his side, as was Trystan, Thomas, Hæfnir, and a couple of the other barbarian generals. It filled me with pride to see them all so at ease with one another. Sun and Milton trotted towards us, leaving the others to spread out and form up into battle lines.

“There’s no need to prepare, marshal. It’s over.”

The grand marshal was in his late forties, with a sprinkling of grey in his beard and sideburns. His eyes were dark brown, warm and watchful. I noticed far more laughter lines than the crows feet of extended scowling. His armour was every bit as regal as his bearing. Gold coated steel in exquisitely crafted pieces. He climbed down from his horse, eyeing us both up.

“Over, is it? Well you can be the one to tell the men they’ve marched for a week for nothing,” he said, chuckling and offering a hand.

I looked at it.

“Your strange customs have been explained to me, Englander,” he said. “This shaking of hands is a formal greeting.”

“It is,” I replied, grasping it firmly.

To my surprise, he turned to Kur and instead of trying to skewer him with his sword, Milton held out his hand again. My orc friend didn’t quite know what to do at first, so I motioned towards the gesture and raised my eyebrows to say go for it!

“I’m Kur,” he said, replicating my movement. “I’m an orc.”

The grand marshal did his best to hide the accidental grinding of bones from the massive strength of my companion. “Thank you for telling me, I’d have never known otherwise.”

Kur shuffled awkwardly, looking at Milton and then the thousands of faces that glowered and stared from the army.

“It’s a joke, Kur. The grand marshal was making a joke.”

“Oh,” he replied, unsmiling.

I left him to it and turned back to Milton. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sire.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Mark. The last time I was here the orcs sent us fleeing with our tails between our legs. It was a rout. Your friends have been telling me quite the tale since you arrived to lend us aid. Lone missions to root out deserters and free the sorcerers. A fiendish plan to rekindle our peace with the barbarians. Two momentous battles, and now this? A man and an orc stood before the mountain that has caused us so much misery, casual as you like. Is Gutrender dead?”

“He and Alwyn both.”

“Remarkable,” he whispered. “And the orcs? Present company excepted, of course.”

“They’re heading back to the bowels of the mountain,” I answered.

“And your friend here?” asked Milton.

“Consider him a bridge. A conduit. Whatever you want to call it. You still have a sizeable number of your castles under occupation, right?”

“Eighteen by my last count,” Milton agreed.

“I’ve got a proposal,” I began. “Well, it’s more of an order. I know you marshals don’t like being told what to do, but I’ll consider this my price for saving your kingdom, ok?”

Milton grinned. “I can see why Randulf was so perplexed by you,” he said. “Please, continue.”

“Kur will be your voice with the greenskins. Let him bring an offer of surrender to the occupiers.”

“My men won’t like that,” Milton warned. “The orcs have killed many of their friends and family.”

“And we’ve killed thousands of theirs. This isn’t a request, it will be done. If they refuse, then you can do whatever you want with them. Burn them out. Starve them. I don’t care. But, if they do give up, you guarantee safe passage back to the mountain. The goblins are the real enemy now. I’m trying to convince the orcs to wipe them out, and showing mercy right now would help massively.”

“Mark, you’ve seen for yourself what they’ve done to Kherrash.”

“I know!” I snapped. “More than most. Do this one thing for me. Then when they’re safely locked away, have Hæfnir and the barbarians help to build a wall or fortress here that will withstand the next uprising. If they should throw off the shackles of the goblins, you need to be ready to move on. To set the past aside, if you can.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

I looked to Kur who had no answer either. “Fuck knows, but it costs nothing to try. Might I also suggest you offer to trade with the orcs that you free. Plant your own seeds of possibility in their heads. If you have spare grain, consider leaving some inside the mountain. Anything to try and pry off the little fingers of the goblins. Kur will tell you all about their life and what they’re put through. You might have a new outlook once he has.”

“For what you have done for my people, I’ll do it,” Milton confirmed. “Though I have less hope than you, I’m afraid to say.”

“I understand that. I really do. Oh, there’s one more thing before we go and see the others.”

“If it is in my power, it shall be done.”

“Don’t freak out, ok?” I asked, and the grand marshal pursed his lips in confusion.

That was until I emptied my pack of Edric’s horses that I’d collected from the stable, including Bolt. The army at his back gasped in shock, but the leader was inscrutable.

“Nice trick,” he said. “What am I to do with them?”

“They belonged to a friend of mine. I want them taken care of for the rest of their days. No ploughing, no hard work, just running free, and eating oats and apples.”

“My daughters will be delighted to add them to their collection. Never have I seen a stable of such coddled beasts. They live better than I do.”

“Good man.”

The horses wandered off and started to graze, except for Bolt who trotted to join Sun and Duke. Lady remained loyally at my side.

“Now that you’re here, are we going to set up camp and spend the night?” I asked. “I think a celebration is in order.”

“We don’t have much in the way of ale,” Milton apologised.

“I think most will be happy to be alive.” I climbed into Lady’s saddle and trotted up next to him. “After you, sire.”