Chapter 425: The Petition

Stryg stood alone in the center of the tribunal chamber and looked up at the Lunar Elect on their balcony. “Have I proven myself as per tradition?” he asked impatiently.

Lumi twisted her expression with a scowl but said nothing.

Sabina smiled with interest and leaned forward, “Speak, son of Blood Fang.”

“I wish to make a formal petition to the Sylvan tribunal, the Lunar Elect,” Stryg said in a firm voice.

“We are listening, young warrior,” Lykos said.

Lumi narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I think we are all very interested in learning why the Blood Fang tribe has made their first formal appearance in the Silver Keep in over two decades.”

The anger coming off the Shaman-Elect was palpable and it seemed almost infectious. Stryg looked around the chamber and saw the dissatisfaction and mistrust in the eyes of many of the chieftains, shamans, and First Mothers. He had felt a familiar calm when he had fought Ulthar on the Midnight Mirror. The fight was methodical as if part of his nature and he moved to kill his opponent without hesitation. He had forgotten he was fighting on the Mirror. He was simply fighting like so many times before and the rest of the world had melted away.

Now, standing under the eyes of every Sylvan leader that calm feeling evaporated. His breath quickened and could hear his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears.

“Young man, is everything alright?” Sabina asked.

Stryg licked his lips and tried to calm his nerves. He took a deep breath and nodded, “Y-Yes, everything is fine.”

Stryg straightened his back and cleared his throat. “Three centuries ago the Sapphire of the East, the Great City of Lunis, fell to its enemies. Our ancestors, the Lunisian armies, had been defending the border towns and villages at the time. In the end, our ancestors were defeated, and they went into hiding in Vulture Woods.”

Lumi cocked her eyebrow, “Did you come here to give us a history lesson? Do you think we are not aware of our own past, hm?”

“Then please, enlighten me, Shaman-Elect,” Stryg responded without missing a beat. “What happened to the people living in Lunis when the city came under attack? What happened to the thousands of innocents living in that city when the enemy raided the streets and burned their homes to the ground?”

“...They died,” Lumi said with grim sincerity. “The Blue Rose and her armies crushed whatever resistance they found. Our people were helpless to stop them.”

“But not all our people died. Many survived.”

“And they were taken prisoners,” Lumi snapped. “Forced to march to the city of Holo’s Shade and serve their oppressors. Few if any survived.”

Stryg shook his head, “You’re wrong, they did survive. They were forced to work as laborers and servants of the higher castes. The ones who dissented were executed and fed to the shade walls. Many died in the harsh working conditions as they toiled all day and night building the structures that form the basis of all seven of Hollow Shade’s districts.”

“How do you know all of this?” Sabina asked thoughtfully.

“For the past three years I have lived in Hollow Shade,” Stryg admitted.

“You have lived among our enemies? Traitor!” Lumi yelled angrily.

Sabina raised a hand to silence her. “Let him speak, then we may pass a verdict.”

Lumi frowned and said not a word.

Stryg bowed his head to Sabina in a silent thank you. “The history books say the Lunisians were the greatest builders of the realm and they were right. I’ve seen the seven districts and they are beautiful, all save for one. The Commoner District. It is where the descendants of our people now live, along with the other poor folk who can only afford to live in the city limits.”

Stryg went on, “There is one stark difference between the goblins living there and the other commoners; every single human, dwarf, drow, and orc, has the chance to rise above their lot in life. If they prove themselves they can enlist in one of the nobles’ armies, or become a merchant, open their shop or caravan. They can even attend one of the city’s four prestigious academies. The goblins in the city have no such luxuries. They can’t hold any official position, they can’t become a merchant, a soldier, a scribe, or a student. Even now, centuries later, goblins are considered the lowest class among the city’s people. They are stuck there.”

“Why are you telling us all of this? Do you wish us to ride out into the valley and attack Holo’s Shade like some avenging heroes?” Lumi asked sarcastically.

“No.” Stryg met her gaze. “I want you to save it.”

The chamber exploded with outrage. Countless goblins shouting and yelling in indignation. The Mother-Elect raised her hand for silence and the voices quieted, the few that refused quickly changed their tune when Arden stepped towards them.

“I’d choose your next words very carefully, son of Blood Fang,” Sabina warned.

Stryg swallowed hard. “For the first time in history, the tribes of Dusk Valley have gathered together under the leadership of a warlord by the name of Marek. To make matters worse, the queen of Undergrowth has allied with them as well. Together they may possess the largest army the Ebon Realm has ever seen, certainly the largest of our time. It is only a matter of days before they will march to Hollow Shade and burn the city to the ground.”

“It seems fate has finally caught up with Holo’s Shade. Good riddance,” Lykos said with satisfaction.

“Agreed,” Lumi nodded.

“And yet, Stryg, you want us to save the city?” Sabina asked pensively.

“If the city falls so will the goblins living within. I request that the Lunar Elect set aside a small portion of our armies to aid in Hollow Shade’s defense,” Stryg explained.

“How many of our warriors did you have in mind?” Sabina asked.

“A… thousand?” Stryg said with a wince.

“A thousand?” Sabina leaned back on her throne. “Let me get this right, you wish for us to send a fifth of our army, the men and women of a dozen tribes, to fight for Holo’s Shade?”

“...I do.”

“This is ludicrous!” Lykos roared. The dire goblin jumped to his feet and glared at Stryg. “I am Warrior-Elect and I will not allow a single drop of Sylvan blood to be spilt over the lives of those fucking traitorous bastards!”

“I stand with Lykos!” Lumi shouted. “Why should we sacrifice our lives for those of Holo’s Shade!? They betrayed and took everything from us! Our city, our wealth, our lands, our people!”

The crowd shouted in agreement while simultaneously hurling insults and threats at Stryg. He tried his best to stand his ground and to project an air of indifference, but he felt like he was at his first Night Challenge again. The crowd of tribemates surrounded him scornfully, while he cried on the ground in humiliation. He worried that Jahn and First Mother shared the same look of disappointment in their eyes, but he didn’t dare look.

“Stryg,” Plum’s quiet voice cut through the cacophony. He turned to his friend and she smiled reassuringly. “You are not what they say you are, Stryg.”

“And you are not alone,” Tauri nodded with a steady gaze.

Their voices were quiet among the crowd, but Stryg heard them nonetheless. For a moment, he had almost forgotten. He wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

Stryg smiled to himself in the storm of outrage. He relaxed his shoulders and took a deep slow breath, then looked up at the council on their balcony. “Mother-Elect, you are correct. I am asking you to send a fifth of our armies to Hollow Shade, but I am not asking you to aid those who destroyed Lunis. I am asking you to help me protect the people of Lunis.”

“Are you daft, boy!?” Lykos interrupted. “We will never sacrifice our people for Holo’s Shade! I won’t allow it!”

“You already have!” Stryg snapped at him. “The children of Lunis still live in Hollow Shade! Or have you forgotten that it was the Lunisian armies, our ancestors, who fled into Vulture Woods and abandoned our city’s people!”

“Abandoned!? You act as if we had a choice,” Lykos sneered. “Our armies were betrayed by the old Lunar Elects of Lunis. They worked with the Ebon Lords of Holo’s Shade to lead our armies into an ambush! We were forced to retreat into Vulture Woods! There was nothing we could have done—”

“We could have come back for them!” Stryg screamed.

The voices of the crowd stopped in stunned silence.

“We could have come back, we should have saved our people… But we didn’t,” Stryg whispered. “We left them in the hands of our enemies.” He turned to the crowds of Sylvan leaders and his expression grew somber, “The last of our people still live in the outermost district of Hollow Shade. When Marek’s armies break through the shade wall, who do you think they will come for first? The aristocrats?”

Stryg laughed bitterly, “The aristocrats will be hiding in the Central and Villa Districts, as far away from the walls and the battle as possible. The goblins living in the Commoner District will be the first to be attacked. Our people— Our people will be slaughtered.”

The anger in Lykos’ face drained away and he fell back in his seat shakily.

Lumi noticed the change in his eyes and frowned. She pointed an accusatory finger at Stryg, “Those people aren’t our people, not anymore. Their ancestors may have been, but now? Those goblins don’t even know who we are and we don’t know them either. They may as well be outsiders.”

“You’re wrong,” Stryg said with a quiet stilled confidence. He pointed past the chamber’s large opening, past the mountains, the scarlet forest below, and to the horizon in the distance. “I have seen it. Out there, in Dusk Valley, I have seen the will of Lunis. I witnessed a goblin boy and his friends fight off an entire ambush party to save the life of one little girl. They didn’t fight for glory or honor. There wasn’t even any hope that they’d survive. No, they fought because it was right, even if they were scared.”

“Are you saying children fought to protect the other children?” Lykos asked in confusion.

“What other choice do they have when the adults are all gone or worse—” Stryg stared at them pointedly, “When the adults still here deem the children’s lives unworthy of protection.”

Lykos grimaced in shame.

“You lie!” Lumi scowled. “Why should we believe anything you have to say? What proof do you have of any of this?”

“Nothing, save my word and honor. The same word that promised to reaffirm the treaties between the Sylvan and the frost trolls of Grimstone. The same honor that made me stand under the moonlight on the Midnight Mirror. Have I ever once given you reason to doubt me? Any reason at all, Shaman-Elect?”

“Even still…” she muttered. “Even if what you say is true, we are not responsible for the goblins outside of Vulture Woods. They probably do not even remember they were ever a part of Lunis. Why should the burden of their fate fall onto us?”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Stryg shook his head. “You are the Eyes of the Watcher, yet you are still blind to the truth! Our people living in Dusk Valley have been taught by Hollow Shade to be ashamed of who they are. They file their claws down for fear of how they will be treated for being different, for being a goblin.”

Stryg turned to countless faces in the crowd, “They grow up believing that they are worth less than all those around them. The goblins of Hollow Shade may have forgotten where they come from, it’s true, but we have not. We are Lunisian, we are Sylvan, are we not the strongest? Are we not the warriors who once marched into that valley to protect our people from the scourge of our enemies? Have we lost the courage that we so proudly boast of?”

“NO!” replied dozens of indignant voices from the crowd.

“Are we so defeated that we hide away in these mountains and trees, and refuse to protect our own?” Stryg pushed on.

The voices of the discontent grew louder and soon half of the crowd was shouting in indignation.

The Iron Spine chieftain stepped forward and pounded his fist onto his chest, “How dare you question our honor, shaman!? The sons and daughters of Iron Spine are not afraid of any beast or man!”

“But our people in Hollow Shade are afraid. They have been taught to be afraid. Because for the last 300 YEARS...!” Stryg roared at the crowd. “No one has stood up for them. And right now they are terrified; terrified that the enemy will break down the walls of their city and no one will protect them… again.”

The Iron Spine chieftain’s anger dissipated, “That’s…”

“Help me prove their fears wrong.” Stryg pounded his fist onto his chest and his eyes swept across the crowd and the council. “Help me show our people that when death came knocking at their gates, the armies of Lunis marched to their defense. Let us show them that they do matter, that they are worth fighting for. Because if we do not fight for them, no one else will.”

Stryg turned to the Lunar Elect, “We cannot hide in the shadows of these trees and mountains forever. It is time the armies of Lunis stand proud under the moonlight once more. Let the Sylvan drums of war resound anew. Help me show the world that Lunis is not forgotten, that we are still here.”

“...Your words cut deep for one so young, son of Blood Fang,” Sabina admitted quietly. “Your petition has been heard by this council and found worthy of our consideration. …All in favor of sending a thousand of our warriors to the defense of Holo’s Shade and the goblins living within?”

“They are no longer our people,” Lumi answered. “We must prepare for the imminent dangers that the Mother Moon warned us about. We cannot afford to lose a fifth of our military strength. As Shaman-Elect, I vote nay.”

Lykos sighed tiredly, “Lumi is right, imminent danger is coming to the Sylvan folk. We cannot afford to give up a thousand warriors… But we also cannot afford to turn a blind eye to our people faraway. A warrior’s strength has always been meant to protect his people. For too long we have failed in our duty and I will not be the one to continue that cycle. As Warrior-Elect, I vote aye.” He looked at Stryg and nodded in solidarity.

Lumi turned on him, rage burning in her eyes, “Lykos, what are you—!?”

“Stryg, son of Blood Fang,” Sabina interjected loudly. “I have listened and pondered carefully on your words and the thoughts of both of my fellow Elects. And the truth is, I do not know what dangers are coming to the Sylvan folk, but I know you are right. The goblins living in Holo’s Shade are a part of us and they deserve to be protected. However, I was chosen as Mother-Elect to protect the 63 tribes of the Sylvan folk of Vulture Woods and the city of Evenfall. Forgive me, but I cannot betray the trust of those tribes and put all their lives at risk for the goblins of Holo’s Shade.”

“Wait, please,” Stryg’s expression paled. “If you do this, our people in Hollow Shade will die. If you abandon them, then Lunis truly will be gone.”

“...Lunis is already gone. As Mother-Elect, I vote nay.”