Goblins are one of the weakest of the demonized races. They are crafty and ingenius at tormenting others, but are cowards often fleeing from a fight once half their number fall. They are physically small and weak though some have learned the arts of mana and the use of stealth. - Common Monsters

Jason

I can see fires over the camp, screams of people echoing through the air. I need to find somewhere to hide. I am supposed to be safe here, that wooden wall is supposed to have kept the things away from me and the other nobles.

I run around a corner, the house I bought from the Althaen has a basement. I can hide there, it’s just a little further then I can hide until this all quiets down. How did the goblins things get past the wall?

I try to open the door of the house, someone is holding it shut.

“Open the door!”

I hear something more on the other side of the door, I try to open it again. I see one of the slaves I kept from the Althaen running back to her room. I close and lock the door behind me, good thing only I have a key.

“Samantha”

“Yes, ma master?”

She begins to walk towards me, at least she remembered to not put on more than a shirt.

“I thought that I told you to not leave the room.”

She begins cowering. I take her hand and pull her to the basement. She isn’t obedient enough, yet. At least she is too scared of me not to follow. When we reach the bottom of the stairs I push her towards an empty mattress next to a pipe with some handcuffs.

She handcuffs herself to the pipe and starts to plead for forgiveness. She is learning, last time I had to hit her before she got to this point.

“Why aren’t you a great person.”

A man in a dark cloak steps out of a corner, barely visible from the light coming down the stair. Samantha has stopped talking, no everything has stopped.

“Who are you?”

“You want power yes? I can show you how. You want your superiority back, I can give you the means to do so. Do you really care who I am?”

“And you’ll just give it to me? No, I don’t believe that?”

“You are right there is something I want in return.”

“What will you give me, and what do you want?”

“I will give you the same secrets that make the Althaen strong. I will give you skill and power in magic. I will help you take back the glory and rights others stole from you. All I want in return is for you to perform some of what I show you for myself.”

“Alright, deal.”

The cloaked figure nods. “The greatest secret to the Althaen’s power is the blood of the slaves. Even the weakest person can become great by consuming others. You may be weak but there are those weaker who you can use. . .”

I can’t help but smile as the dark figure explains to me how to take power. I am going to get back what everyone has stolen from me. Too bad I’ll be losing some slaves during this attack. . .

Talia

It’s been an entire day since the attack. Neither of the human boys have woken up. Kythia will barely leave Adrian’s side and sister is either there as well or with the other. Kythia didn’t transfer all of the wounds to Adrian, now both could live or die.

Was I wrong about him? No, I couldn’t have been. I’ve never made any major mistakes. Could he be lying about being a Ravnos? No, there is no way he could have the mana to do all that magic unless he was a Ravnos, dragon or deity. But if he was any one of them then why didn’t he just heal Bryan? Any of the three could have done so, he has to be just toying with everyone.

“Sister, we need food, herbs and water.”

“Why? Shouldn’t we just flee, we could escape before they finish searching the dead.”

Sister frowns, can’t she see that he is no better than the Althaen? He sees us as his playthings.

“We have to stay. He saved and protected us, we have to help him.”

“You don’t get it do you. He is a Ravnos. He was a noble all along, he is just playing us for fun.”

Something smacks my head from behind. I turn; it’s Kythia, carrying chunks of the wyvern she killed. She looks pale, how much of her blood has she been spending?

“You are the one who doesn’t get it Talia.”

“But he . . .”

“Stop, I know he is a Ravnos. That doesn’t mean that he has been lying to us.”

“But how he acts in front of the Althaen.”

“Is an act. Can you not see the disgust on his face when they are not looking?”

“That doesn’t mean that it is an act.”

“Remember why I hurt your cousin.”

“Because he was just acting nice.”

“Exactly, remember I am a better judge of character than you, especially under the full moon. Did I attack him then?”

“No, but . . .”

“You know my wolf side obeyed him. Do you think she would accept an evil man? Do you think she would accept being seen as a slave?”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Kythia is right, there is no way that he sees her as his slave. Her wolf would have attack yesterday otherwise. My mind stops I can’t think for a few minutes. When I look up, Kythia and sister are gone. I can hear Kythia chanting something, how much blood is she going to spend?

Why did I have to say those things? I may have ruined everything. I need to fix this, I have to apologize; but I can’t and he may die. I need to get what they need to help. I stand up and run to the small market the Althaen set up. The slop kitchen wouldn’t give me breakfast, I’ll have to trade for what we need.

I arrive at the market, out of breath but I know what I need to do. I was wrong, I have to apologize and make things right. First though they have to recover. I point out the herbs and some bread at the only stand that is still standing after the battles.

“Five pieces”

I pull out the coins I have, not much is left from when sister and me ran away. I put the last piece of silver on the table. The man doesn’t move.

“Five gold pieces.”

“All your goods aren’t worth that together.”

“Then find what you need elsewhere.”

There isn’t anywhere else. None of the Althaen families would trade directly with me. I have to buy from this man. I clench my fist.

“I don’t have that much.”

“Then barter.” The man pauses for a moment, “that necklace for the three loaves of bread.”

“What for the herbs?”

“Your armor and sword.”

I stop myself from drawing my sword to kill the man. That won’t get me anywhere, I’ll die before I get back to the others; then they would be killed or enslaved once they see Adrian’s state of health.

I have no choice, I pull off the chain shirt and place it on the table. The sword follows and the man grins. Tears come to my eyes as I set my mother’s necklace on top, mother would understand I tell myself. I take the small basket of bread and herbs, far less than what I asked to buy and run back. I’ve paid for thousands of times more than what the man gave me.

I pass the basket to sister, she gives me a hug before getting back to treating the injuries. There isn’t enough here, I’ll have to find more tomorrow. I don’t eat today, I don’t deserve to.

It’s been two more days, both Adrian and Bryan are stable. I traded the last of our equipment yesterday. There isn’t enough bread for everyone but sister makes me eat. I even turned to stealing last night, but was only able to get another loaf of bread. I won’t let sister starve.

There is a knock at the door, I get up to answer it. Sister and Kythia are asleep.

I open the door to see one of the Sunchasers being followed by a few soldiers.

“Is your Lord available?”

“I am sorry but Lord Adrian is asleep. What can I help you with?”

The man scoffs at me.

“I am here for two reasons. First to deliver this chest.”

A soldier carries over small chest. It doesn’t look like it holds much. Maybe I can trade the contents for what we need. I accept it from the soldiers.

“And to let him know charges of desertion will be brought up tomorrow night against him. On another note you have been banned from the market place.”

The man turns and leaves without waiting for my response. What am I going to do now? I walk with the chest into Adrian’s room. He frowns, even unconscious he doesn’t want me near him. I put the chest down and open it.

Unlabeled vials of red liquid, four of them. They seem to be healing potions, but I could be wrong. Should I test them? No, he would need all of them. I open one of the vials and make Adrian drink it. His complexion gets a little bit better.

They are healing potions, just not very good ones. They must be mixed with something else. I get him to swallow the other three, it didn’t help much but it is more than the herbs did. I leave the room, there must be something I can do.

Adrian

My side hurts, it is difficult to breathe. I open my eyes, I see the ceiling of the bank in infrared. It must be nighttime. I try to get up but my side hurts too much, I think something is on my left arm as well. It’s numb and aches. I let out a grunt of pain as I lie back down.

I need to heal, I shouldn’t have let myself pass out. I was about to close my eyes again when the weight on my left arm shifted.

“Adrian, did you wake up?”

I turn to the voice, K’s voice. She looks odd, cooler than she should be. I manage to answer her but my throat is drier than it has ever been.

“Yes, did Bryan make it?”

She hugs me, it hurts. My ribs are still broken from the spell. I move my arm to get her off me, but I hear her crying and whispering something. I place my arm on her back instead, “softer it hurts.”

She just holds me for a minute before letting go.

“Bryan will make it, he’s still asleep.”

I start to focus on my injuries, accelerating the healing process. It will take a while, but I should be able to move soon.

“How is everyone?”

“We will be ok, but things are not good. Lysan and me are weak, we spent too much of ourselves. We have no more food or water. Talia”, I find myself frowning, “had to trade everything we own for the herbs and food we used the last few days.”

Not good. I'll need to get us everything, I will be busy tonight after I finish healing. There is also no way that food and plants cost everything we have. I need to fix this. I need to get us out of here.

“What else?”

“Tomorrow at dusk you are being tried for desertion.”