Chapter 41: The Fury

After the tournament's first day, the elimination rounds had established the Champions winners who could move on to the next round of 32, thus halving the contenders.

Upon exiting the coliseum, Jorael, his companions, and the Goblins had to make their way through the crowd, because the Krypster-slayer was now one of the celebrities of the moment. The demons who saw him pass on the street began to comment:

"Waaa! Krypster-slayer is so cool!"

"He took out the Orc with one blow!"

"Goblin or not he's my favorite!"

"Tché... it seems that you have impressed the audience." whispered Sulth'krag.

"There are too many she-Demons fangirling..." Cyn'Thia exclaimed in annoyance.

"Tchà... you're right Elf.

Better set the record straight." Salgh'krag said as she unexpectedly grabbed Jorael's arm and started walking hugging him.

"W-wh-aaaat?!" Cyn'Thia shrieked as Bromur and Sulth'krag started laughing.

"Tchah ah ah ah!

My daughter knows how to pick a good match." Said the chief proudly.

"Ya are not rejecting her thou..." Kimora commented.

"Let me be her hero for today." Jorael replied as they headed for the inn.

"Let me be his hero for today." Jorael answered as they walked together to the inn.

Once they got there, people were already celebrating a Champion, but it wasn't the Krypster-slayer. The Cyclopes present at the inn were chanting:

"Polyanthus, the Diamond head!

Polyanthus, the Diamond head!

Polyanthus, the Diamond head! ..."

Rivers of alcohol and a nice feast of roast meat had been served on the tables of the Cyclopes. Bromur at the sight of such delicacies widened his eyes and started screaming in excitement:

"Ah! We should join them quickly!"

The Cyclopes noticed the group of Goblins entering the inn and heard the Dwarf. They wasted no time threatening:

"This is a party for Polyanthus.

Not for midgets Demons like Goblins."

Bromur stood there saddened and disappointed as the waitress walked in front of him carrying many empty mugs. The Beastwoman cried:

"Phil, make more booze!"

"Hic ... one for me ... one for them ..." whispered the innkeeper as he sat on the floor behind the counter, filling a mug for himself and then one for the customers.

"PHIL!

Not for you, for the customers!" the beast woman screamed as she walked over to the counter to pick up the mugs.

'Kiran... I wonder why I keep meeting you...' Jorael whispered to himself as he stared at the unexpected waitress.

"You again?!

Wait... are you the Goblin Champion?!" Kiran exclaimed in surprise.

His exclamation did not travel in the air in vain, as the Cyclops Champion who was drinking and feasting suddenly stopped, stared at Jorael, and shouted:

"What do you want here fake Goblin?"

The room suddenly quieted down and everyone watched the scene unfold as the two Champions stared at each other. However, the heavy atmosphere was broken by Salgh'krag who stepped in and shouted:

"Tchà... we have a room here; the inn is not exclusive to you Cyclopes!"

Polyanthus glared at the she-Goblin who dared to stand up to him and was about to get up when Kiran got in the way with the drinks and said:

"Here are your last drinks!

Phil drank everything else... there won't be anything for the Goblins that now will have to go to bed, right?!"

"Right." Jorael answered as he began walking to his room, making sure the others followed him.

"Pah pah pah!

Philantus drank everything else but made sure his brothers and sisters had enough!" Polyanthus shouted, exulting with his friends.

After Kiran served the Cyclopes, she approached the group of Goblins who were now in front of their room and whispered:

"I'm sorry customers for what had happened, but if drunk Cyclopes starts to fight, it will be a mess...

I will personally bring what is left to eat and drink to your room."

"You do not have to apologize... uhhh... tchè." Jorael replied forgetting to imitate the Goblins speech.

"You don't have to try so hard; everyone knows you're not a Goblin..." Kiran said before leaving.

The group of Goblins entered their room and Salgh'krag began to scream in rage:

"Tchà... Damned Cyclopes feasting while we should celebrate our victory!"

"It's okay... Kiran said he'll bring us food and drink." Jorael reassured.

"K-Kiran?!" whispered Cyn'Thia.

"Tché... the same girl from yesterday.

I feel like Atremis is playing with us..." Sulth'krag said.

"She is an old acquaintance of mine. Before I met you, Thia." Jorael explained.

"Where did ya meet her if dis is your first time here?" Kimora asked.

"I met her in the Human Empire.

In Rivella's sewer to be exact, the same night I ... I reduced her sister's killer to ashes..." Jorael explained.

"Ah... that story.

Such a horrible fate for the Demons in chains in the Human Empire..." commented Bromur.

"Tché... the same fate as my wife.

Hope Atremis took her with Her, instead of living as a slave for Humans." Sulth'krag said sadly.

"Tchà... Mother..." Salgh'krag whispered a little sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear this..." Cyn'Thia said as she hugged the chief's daughter.

After a while, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is?" Bromur asked as he approached the entrance to the room.

"Room service..." said a female voice from the other side of the door.

"Ah ah ah! Now let's think!" Bromur exclaimed happily as he opened the door.

Kiran entered the room with a cart full of goodies to eat and drink, but strangely she had a troubled face.

Immediately after the Beastwoman entered the room, another hooded figure entered right after her and closed the door. As everyone was alerted to the unnoticed threat, Kiran whispered:

"Can I go now that I let you in here?"

"No... stay right there." the Demon said as he abruptly pushed Kiran away, as everyone in the room finally noticed that he had a knife in his hand that he had used to threaten the Beastwoman.

"Ouch ..." Kiran whispered as she fell right at Jorael's feet.

"Who are you?" asked the Goblin Champion helping the Beastwoman to get up.

"Grunt..." the Demon snorted as he revealed his face by taking off his cloak.

"Tché... B-Borkan?!

What does this mean?! "Sulth'krag cried out in shock.

"Grunt... I should be asking!

What is the significance of today's battle?!" Borkan retorted.

"What are you saying?" Jorael asked.

"Grunt... shut up fake Goblin!

I'm asking the Goblin leader." The Orc replied angrily.

"Tché... I don't understand your question." Sulth'krag said.

"Grunt... everything that happened in the arena was a farce.

The fight, the spell, the burns on my son...

What kind of sorcery did you Goblins and that mercenary use?!" Borkan explained furiously.

"Tché ... no witchcraft apart from the Firebolt spell, I think..." Sulth'krag replied.

"Grunt... then why is my son perfectly fine with no wounds or scars ?!" the Orc complained.

"Wait… Are ya complainin' because your son is... alive?!" Kimora asked confused.

"Grunt... what a strange accent.

You should know better than anyone else Sulth'krag that anyone who enters the arena is ready to die.

But what I can't stand the most is my son being beaten up by some cheap tricks!" Borkan exclaimed.

"You should value more for your child's life." Jorael whispered.

"Grunt... I told you to shut up, Jorael the fake Goblin!" shouted the Orc enraged.

"J-Jorael!?

This is why you were so familiar!" Kiran shouted as she suddenly pulled off the helmet from Jorael's head.

"Grunt ... I KNEW IT!" Borkan yelled with satisfaction.

"Dis stupid CAT..." Kimora commented harshly.

"Grunt... w-what are you?!

Which clan are you from!?" exclaimed the Orc.

Kimora wasted no time and quickly approached Borkan, immediately aiming her daggers at his neck.

"Now shut up, pig..." she threatened.

"Kimora, calm down..." Jorael said.

"You!

Why didn't you say hello to me yesterday?!" Kiran asked a little angry.

"I couldn't reveal my identity.

Well, nice to see you again Kiran…" Jorael replied.

"Grunt... now I'll let the Queen know..." Borkan whispered.

"Who told ya are goin' to leave here with your head still attached to your body?" Kimora threatened again.

"Grunt... this accent...

You are not Demons, aren't you?!" said the Orc.

"To be clear, he is a Demon.

Only half..." Kiran pointed out.

"CAT!" Kimora cried.

"Grunt ... when the Queen hears the Goblins are in league with other races...

and if there were really Humans as I suspected…" Borkan whispered.

"Yeah, I'm a Human, so what 'bout it?!" Kimora yelled in annoyance as she uncovered herself from her cloak.

"W-what?!" both Borkan and Kiran exclaimed as everyone else was baffled by the Human's behavior.

"What a mess..." Cyn'Thia whispered.

"Ah ah ah! It will be fun!" Bromur commented.

"Grunt... Sulth'krag why?!

Have you turned your back on our kind!?" shouted the Orc.

"Tché... I'll be more inclined to think that some of you Demons are turning their backs." Sulth'krag replied.

"Grunt... what do you mean!?" Borkan asked in confusion.

"He meant that some members of your clan plotted for the annihilation of the entire Goblin clan.

They poisoned the waters of the river that flows through Osbillach.

The disease was killing every Goblin." Jorael explained.

"Grunt... my clan?!

What do you dare to say?!" Borkan exclaimed doubtfully.

"Tché... the Cursed Faction.

What do you have to say about it?" Sulth'krag asked.

"Grunt ... t-the Cursed Faction?!

What do these cultist bastards want!?" asked the Orc.

"Tché... they have cowardly poisoned our waters, indiscriminately killing children or elderly, male or female.

They waged war on us without showing honor." Sulth'krag explained.

"Grunt... why Humans then?" Borkan asked.

"The only Human here is me..." Kimora said.

"Well, consider me only half Human..." Jorael said.

"Tché... they saved us.

With their healing Magic and their courage to kill the Krypsters, they discovered that behind it all was the Cursed Faction." Sulth'krag explained.

"Ah! And two Orcs were in the ranks of that group." Bromur pointed out as he revealed his face.

"The last orc alive committed suicide instead of answering our questions.

He ripped his throat out and drowned in his own blood... disgusting." Cyn'Thia added as she revealed herself too.

"Grunt... i-if he's half Human what is the other half?" Borkan asked.

"...Succubus." Kiran responded unexpectedly.

Amidst the shock and confusion of the Orc leader, Cyn'Thia whispered to Jorael:

"He seems to know you well, and I think you should reevaluate your friendships."

"She's just angry." Jorael explained.

"Grunt... what's going on?!

I feel like I'm in the middle of an evil plot to dethrone the Queen!" Exclaimed the Orc.

"Nothing like that.

The four of us came here to find answers.

The Queen should be giving them to us." Jorael explained.

"Grunt... what do you want to know?" Borkan asked.

"My clan's past, and... some explanation for a problem with my Demon half." Jorael replied.

"Grunt... the past of your ancestors?!

Your clan fucked up!

King Drahyr had nothing to do with humans, it was your damned clan responsible!

Exile was the only acceptable punishment other than death.

But in the end, it was the Black Lion who paid for his untimely death." The Orc explained.

"Black Lion?

You are well-informed Orc chief..."Jorael said.

"Tché... it's King Drahyr, the Black Lion." Sulth'krag explained.

"Do you know that story too?!" Jorael asked.

"Grunt... everyone knows it's the Succubus clan's fault for the King's death at the hands of the Humans." Borkan pointed out.

"...that's why I shouldn't talk to the Princess, right?" Jorael asked realizing the words spoken in the past by the Goblin leader.

"Tché... I'm sorry, it's not that I wanted to keep it secret.

It's just that that's all I know, and I think the Queen should know better than anyone else." Sulth'krag said apologizing.

"Grunt... then what do you want to do?! Sell us to Humans?!" Borkan accused.

"I... I was his slave." Cyn'Thia began to say out of the blue with shining eyes. Then she continued:

"When we first met, he promised me that the moment he took me out of the Human Empire he would set me free.

...and not long ago it happened, and I'm free again, but proud to follow him."

Kiran, moved by the Elf's speech, added:

"He didn't know me and my friends, but he helped us recover my slave friend in the hands of a psychopath from the Human Empire..."

Salgh'krag also decided to add:

"Tchà… He was just passing through our village; he could have just gone straight without caring less about my dying clan.

But he decided to risk his life and help us... "

Eventually, Kimora added as she lowered her daggers:

"He gave me another chance, a new life, and I will follow him."

Silence followed and Borkan was speechless as he heard all the heroic deeds of the Traveler. Unexpectedly, tears began to fall on his face, and at first, in a faint voice he said:

"Grunt... is that why my son is still alive?

But now... I'm even angrier.

If you are so inclined to help people, where have you been where famine hit our clan and we had to eat our people to survive?!

Where were you when the Cursed Faction attacked the village and took my son's eye away?!

Where were you when the Human slavers took my wife away?!"

Those selfish but emotional phrases shocked everyone in the room, and Jorael was quick to answer:

"At first I didn't heal your son because I just wanted to save him from death. There was a suspicion that you belonged to the Cursed Faction, and I needed him alive. Your words made me think again, and I am convinced that it was a good call after all if my action brought this far. For the rest, I don't know where I was or if I had even to be born in all those vicissitudes... but know that now I'm here."

"Tché... I think Orcs and Goblins have more in common than it seems..." Sulth'krag said as he approached the Orc.

"Grunt ... are you telling me to believe in this... half-blood?!" Borkan exclaimed still doubtful.

"Tché ... if you don't believe in him, believe in me.

Watch the tournament and we will see the results.

Do it for our wives... who have been taken by Human slavers and that this Demon intends to stop." Sulth'krag confidently stated.

"Hey..." Kimora said trying to stop him.

"Leave him alone." Jorael said as the Orc leader left the inn.

"Tché... he'll have a lot to think about tonight..." Sulth'krag said.

"Let's hope he thinks well tonight, thinking he still has his son alive." Cyn'Thia said.

"Tchà... well said Elf." Salgh'krag said.

"Uh-um... would you mind explaining what's going on?!" Kiran asked.

"Ya stupid cat made a mess..." Kimora whispered.

"Shut up human! We are not in your shit country; we are in the Demon Kingdom!

If you called the Cyclopes, they'd be thrilled to tear you apart and give you to the Raptors!" Kiran yelled as he came face to face with the black-haired Human.

"Ya don't even know who I am, stupid cat." Kimora whispered.

"Enough! Stop...

I understand your animosity towards Humans, but please trust me." Jorael said placing himself in their midst.

"...

Out of respect for you, I'll let this pass..." the Beastwoman whispered.

"How are Erkann and Yolin?" Jorael asked changing the subject.

"Sigh... they are doing well.

But they can't really be together…" Kiran answered.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because she is a Beastwoman and he is a Minos?!

I thought you would understand that…" Kiran explained.

"Sorry Brother, but all this talking and we're not eating or drinking yet...

Can we sink our jaws into the meat and quench our thirst with booze?!" Bromur asked out of the blue as Jorael nodded.

"Goblin! Let's celebrate today's victory! Ah ah ah!" Bromur shouted as he, Kimora, and the Goblins began to eat and drink.

"Erkann definitely watched your game today, and by hearing your name he should have realized..." Kiran said.

"Was he on the bleachers today?" Jorael asked as Cyn'Thia followed the conversation in silence.

"Not really, he was in the seats reserved for the Minos clan.

He is the son of the Minos chief, after all.

...and his brother is the Champion." Kiran revealed.

"Oh... that could be troublesome." Jorael whispered.

"Now I have to go check on Phil." she whispered as she approached the door.

"Please don't say anything about what you saw or heard in this room." Jorael asked.

Kiran turned and looked him in the eye and said:

"It will depend on your next answers:

Is the bitch really dead?"

"Yes."

"She has suffered?"

"Yes..."

"Then everything is fine. Thanks." she said finally before going out and closing the door.

"This day... it's been a little too much." Cyn'Thia whispered with a sigh of relief.

"I suspect this won't be the last." Jorael answered as they approached the others.

"Ah ah ah! Brother, you have to drink this!" Bromur shouted, offering his companion a mug of alcohol.

"Just one sip, I'll have to stay focused." Jorael replied by taking the mug and sipping a little.

"Cough! What the hell is this?!

It's like drinking fire!" he exclaimed as soon as he drank.

"Ah ah ah! Right!?" the Dwarf laughed as some Goblins were falling to the ground due to the alcohol.

"More space for us in the beds...

I hope Bromur falls unconscious to the ground as well, so he dumps his deadly gas here…" Cyn'Thia whispered as she watched the scene.

"Wait, why do we keep sleepin' here with the Goblins?

Can't we have another room?" Kimora asked.

"Tchà...Some Demons have a fine sense of smell and will smell your Human scent.

Stay with us please." Salgh'krag begged worriedly.

"Duh... yeah, like the snake guy I killed, hee hee hee.

Hey, why do they call ya Warg's Bite?" Kimora asked a little tipsy.

"Tchà... I hate that story." she replied with contempt.

"Tchah ah ah ah!

When she was younger, she went hunting with her friends and was attacked by some Wargs.

She defended her companions to the end of her strength, slaughtering the beasts until it remained one.

That stubborn Warg managed to snatch my daughter's weapon out of her hands, but with even more stubbornness and the last of her energy, she bit the wolf around the neck with her mouth, biting the flesh and tearing it apart.

Tché, Warg's Bite, because her mouth is as strong as a War..." Sulth'krag was proudly explaining before his daughter screamed:

"STOP!

Tchà... Father, you're drunk, go to sleep somewhere..."

"It was surprisingly interesting... hee hee hee..." Kimora said unexpectedly laughing.

"Tchà... come on sister, you too are drunk, come with me to sleep." Salgh'krag ordered as she dragged Kimora to bed.

"I guess I'll go to bed with the girls too..." Cyn'Thia said following them.

Jorael first looked at the other Goblins and Bromur who were slowly passing out, sighed, and said as he sat down in the corner:

"I will meditate and try to sleep..."

...

The next day, the coliseum was filled with Demons from all corners of the Demon Kingdom.

The first match of the round of 32 was already over and the second match for which the two contenders were entering the ring was about to begin. Princess Drahnemys, like the previous day, entertained the crowd with her announcements:

"...and for the second game we have two of the most unpredictable Demons who have made a name for themselves in the preliminaries.

On the one hand we have the Goblin Champion who defeated a fearsome opponent with a single blow, or rather, with a single spell:

Jorael, the Krypster-slayer!"

The audience started cheering and pawing for the first competitor, chanting his name. Then, the Princess introduced the other Champion:

"On the other hand, a Demon who, thanks to a ruse, won her first flawless match. Will she keep the same strategy even now?!

Directly from Eerie Canyon the Harpy:

Yogurna, the Fury!"

When the crowd started cheering for her, Jorael took a look at her enemy. A humanoid Demon with the resemblance of a bird despite most of her body had Human-like features, apart from her legs and a pair of black feathered wings poking out of her back. She had pitch-black hair and eyes, and as a weapon, she carried a long, sharp spear.

"Are you the one who killed Froyn the Satyr?" Jorael asked.

"Caw ah ah ah!

He was just a fool, thinking he could hit me with his stupid arrows.

Let's see how long you hold out…" she whispered arrogantly.

Drahnemys meanwhile announced the start of the match:

"...if you die, you die!

May Atremis lend you Her strength.

3... 2... 1... FIGHT!"

Yogurna wasted no time as she assumed an attack stance, and enchanted:

"Caw ah ah ah!

I summon Thee strength, of Her who awakened us, Vanish go!"