Chapter 2: Midnight Raid

Kurgren had returned to Pirium by afternoon, dragging the thieves on a travois, and making a beeline towards the guard outpost.

The jailer chuckled "Color me impressed demonspawn. Ten silvers and one extra for each thief" dropping fifteen silver coins on the tabletop.

Kurgren huffed before picking up the coins and makes a destination to the alchemy store for resupply.

"Good afternoon Kurgren. What do you need?" Friga smiled in greeting and stretched out a hand.

Kurgren smiled before shaking back his hand, briefly flinching from the cold.

"I just need a refill and some medication Friga." And hand her the empty vials.

Friga nodded before going behind as her husband, Erik, makes the payment. A total of two silvers, roughly half the usual price. Before she returns and gave him what he asked, with an additional medication pack. Though he preferred two weren't it for his meagre amount of silvers.

"I think you miscounted. I don't have enough for two."

Friga smiled.

"Nonsense Kurgren. I gave you the correct items you wanted."

"But it's too much! Especially since you already halved the total." Before fishing out the silvers when she stopped him.

"Please accept these gifts to help, from a friend. Trust me I've seen the hatred the humans have for yours in my life, particularly here in the west region, and their anger towards the mayor for letting your family stay. I wish I could do more but I know the senator of this region can arrest me, with some forged crime, if they noticed me helping a 'monstrous' race."

Kurgren smile. Feeling the mask he wears in public slipped for only a moment, seeing the kindness of an old friend. Before waving goodbye. And went to the blacksmith to sell the bandits equipment.

On the way he saw familiar people backed away, some hiding in their home. Before dodging balls of mud, make by the children with predictable aim, and their parents stopping them. The damn usual.

The acrid smell of burnt wood struck his nose before he entered the smithery and saw the blacksmith hammering something, and gave him one of the bandit's chainmail shirt, finding that it was too small for him.

"I would like this to be resized."

The blacksmith, a bald man who towered everyone but him, stared back, or tried to. Then examines the armor and said.

"This will cost one gold."

"One gold!"

The blacksmith scowled.

"Be lucky that I'm resizing it for one gold, normally reenchanting armor after the resize would have cost a gold and a half, and that's for chainmail, but I'm in a good mood today."

There's no way in hell he could get a single gold arkrow; two hundred silvers, by his average of five to ten silvers bounties.

"What about ten silvers and I'll spend months working under you for nothing?"

The blacksmith frowned.

"Tell about your knowledge of blacksmithing first and I'll consider."

Kurgren smirked.

"Well it's simple isn't it? You take a hammer, heat up the metal, and then pound it flat."

The blacksmith frown deepens.

"I don't need a smartass to help, especially from a stinking half-breed like you. Take my offer or leave it!"

Kurgren clenched his fist, at least the short bastard could be polite. And sold both the enchanted and unenchanted chainmail's and gambesons before browsing the armor.

There, upon stands, are metal shields and chainmail vest, both at an average of two to four-inches-thick, many enchanted with standard runes that lightened their weight and dampen an enchanted weapon strike by negating as much of the attack with its own magic. Costing twenty silvers while the unenchanted laminar armor only cost five silvers. But even a greenhorn knows that anyone wearing unenchanted armor might as well go naked when facing against enchanted weapons for their effectiveness against it.

Then left of the armors were weapons etched with runes, the standard enchantments are slowing rust and dulling of a blade and allowing it to cut through unenchanted objects like it was butter but a sufficiently enchanted armor can dampen an amputation to a scratch or negate it entirely.

Afterwards, he pulled out the sapphire talisman and ask the blacksmith the price.

The blacksmith took a look before shaking his head.

"I don't know. I smith weapons and armor, not jewelry! But it looks like the thing is magical so ask either the jewelsmith or the magics reagent shop."

Kurgren then went to the magic reagent store and meets the shopkeep.

A tingling sensation ran through Kurgren spine as he entered, the ambient chi so thick that he could cut it, before seeing the shopkeep, a redhead with a pointy hat with a magnifying glass attached to it and an amethyst pendant, greets him, similar to Friga. And passed him the hairclip.

"How much is this worth."

The shopkeep, Kurgren never bothered learning his name despite his kindness, then examines the sapphire, before using his magnifiers, and replied.

"This is about silver, due to its substandard quality. And the fact that it's user is dead on account of it's dullness."

"Only a silver!" He yelled.

The shopkeep sighs, as if it was the thirtieth time someone said that.

"Yes. It might look like a sapphire, but it's just arcane glass turned blue from the mage elemental affinity and a common housing for an arcane familiar. Like my pendant." And with a flick of his wrist purple smoke erupted out of his pendant before forming into a pink rat, about the size of the man's forearm, which climbed onto his shoulder and nuzzles him.

And afterwards shows him a myriad of accessories, from jewelry to weapons, each socketing a hand to pearl sized glass.

"But do you think I can get it at a silver and ten coppers?"

The shopkeep hums, examining the clip again.

"Fine. But only a silver and five coppers and one question. How did you find such a thing?"

Kurgren gulped, hoping he wouldn't look into it like the blacksmith.

"I found it on a dead mage in the forest, being looted by the thieves I was hunting."

The shopkeep stares at him for a moment, before sighing.

"Every day the roads seem to get more dangerous." He muttered before going to the counter and giving his pay. Before Kurgren thought of something and rummaged through his baldric. And past the man the orb.

"Can you also see what this is?"

The man took the orb and examines it. Then cast something which caused the orb to lightly zapped him.

"Remarkable. Give me a moment at the back to analyze it." And walking to the back of his store.

A few seconds past as Kurgren looked around, and realized the rough difference of a low-quality gem to a high-quality familiar gem by how clear it was.

Then he heard frantic yelling behind, growing louder, and then a dull boom that rattled everything, fortunately nothing fell, and in a plume of arcane smoke, a myriad colours of blue, grey, green, red, and purple, the man staggered out, his top front half, saved for his eyes, was covered in similarly colored dusts.

"Well. I can safely say this thing can only be opened by a very specific spell. Or by the arcane tools in Salkoy university of arcane magic."

Kurgren groaned, seeing the broken remains behind the door as it flapped open. A part of him wanted to run now, not wanting be lose what little silvers he had left, but knew that the authority will come if he did.

"So how much must I pay?"

The man, and his rat, looked at him with confusion.

"For what?"

"The damages."

The mage gaped at him.

"No. You don't have to pay; you asked a valid question. On the contrary I would like to buy this. How about forty silvers."

Kurgren looked in shock. He should haggle with the man for more, possible one and a half gold and yet...

Something was stopping him. Like a faint whisper was discouraging him to sell it, while some strange force is clinging him to that orb.

"I'm sorry but it's not for sale."

The shopkeep frowned then handed it back before giving Kurgren the silver and coppers for the talisman and wave him goodbye.

Kurgren then went to the trading post and exchanged a silver to thirty and twenty coppers before going to the provisions store to restock on food, buying a piece of salted pork, portable soup, and an apple for seven silvers and thirty coppers. And began to return home. When his gaze wandered to the tavern on the way. And the memory of the dying mage flashed before him.

Kurgren gulps, his throat suddenly felt dry, before holding his coin pouch and weighted it.

For a commoner, and especially a noble, spending four to ten coppers is nothing. But for him it could mean whether he and his mother get evicted now or later.

His memory of last week came back to him. He had broken his staff when a chase of his bounty went south, forcing him to pay half of the reward he got to repair it, meaning he couldn't pay their rent that day, and had to pretty much begged that damned collector that he'll pay double next week to escaped eviction. Which will be tomorrow.

But then the dying mage returned, in vivid detail, and he gagged, breaking into a cold sweat.

Her stomach split open, that her organs spilled out in a pool of blood. Begging with such terror that it was as if she was chases by Nihalos himself. Before she died, her expression was frozen by the horror of being captured by bandits who desire to milk all pleasure from their victims before they kill them. Followed by a sudden dread when he grabbed that orb, as if he signed a contract with a Devil where he'll be damned if he failed. And that will likely haunt his sleep.

He then barged into the tavern. Wanting to forget what happened even if it meant losing some coppers, and sat at the counter.

"Give me the cheapest shit that will get me drunk."

The bartender nods and passed him a mug of beer.

"That'll be four coppers."

Kurgren paid then took a large gulp, which upon tasting wouldn't be surprised if it was made of piss. And see if there was anything interesting.

"ALL DEAD!"

That caught his attention.

"Mostly. From what I heard my superiors said is that the guard from Ostra reported seeing a destroyed caravan on the road from there to here yesterday. With seven out of the ten escorts and merchant dead and three missing, reportedly going into the forest as a shortcut to here by the broken trees, alongside twenty Goblin corpses, likely the attackers. But when the investigator, with the Ostran guards getting a report to return, came it was all gone! With the only trace being a few drops of blood and some broken trees."

"But if almost all of it was gone then how can you know if it's not a lie?"

"Because as they investigate the forest, they found trace amounts of chi, likely from a magic duel, followed by a large teleport signature leading to another point of the forest where they found a buried corpse of a woman, who had a carved sickle of Kindred, which we later found out was one of the three missing escorts."

Kurgren briefly gagged before finishing his drink and returns home. With only four silvers and ten coppers left.

But as he near his home he saw a familiar man.

It was the collector of the province, a fat bastard whose hatred for Orcs are known, with his four guards each a noble personally hired from Remlia and its neighboring provinces, wearing a lorica segmentata, gilded in gold, over a chainmail hauberk and armed with rolling block muskets.

"Why are you even here. We're supposed to pay tomorrow!" His mother, Ayana, yelled back.

"As it should miss. But last week you only paid half. So I think I have to right to tax early."

"But we told you we will pay double next week!" Ayana snapped back, her hand instinctively grabbing her kukri.

Kurgren quickly intercepts, just in time as the guards had nearly readied their muskets.

"I have the silvers here." And presents the pouch of coins.

The tax collector smiles, signaling his guards to stand down, as Kurgren began to get the two silvers when the collector interrupts.

"I want a double of the tax."

Kurgren grits his teeth.

"But we already agreed to pay double the amount last week!"

The collector nods.

"Yes, we did. But I heard that you assaulted a merchant, a noblewoman no less, in broad daylight, not to mention your mother nearly attacking us when we explain our reason when I asked for payment. And I'm in a good mood to not throw you in jail for tax evasion last week."

Kurgren felt his hand nearly clenched, a part of him wanting to punch him here and now with all his strength, breaking his hand be damned since that bastard's head will shatter like an egg. Before he saw his guards cocking their gun and fished out the other two silvers and slamming the total into the man's hand.

The man's grin widens.

"Thank you and have a good day." He then laughs as he left.

Kurgren then took a deep breath and looks to his mother.

"Are you alright?"

She smiles back and laughs.

"Don't worry dear. Even if they decided to kill me, I would have dragged three of them with me, especially that fat bastard."

Kurgren chuckles, even at such an age and sickly state his mother still has the fire from her youth, before both of them go in.

Kurgren then pours their dinner, a pottage of grains with cured meats, onions, garlic and cabbage, drunk with water boiled in nettle.

Afterwards, he cuts the apple, giving the bigger half to Ayana, as both of them ate by the fire and began to tell their tales. Kurgren recalling how he fought the thieves without incident, but withheld the orb, to Ayana retelling her past. Of how she was the greatest warrior of her tribe, defeating beast from wolves to bears, before meeting his father as they both smiled and laughed by the fire.

The few moments Kurgren truly felt happy. Where his hatred of the world faded.

Ayana then chose to wash the bowls afterwards, and bath by the river at the same time, with Kurgren refilling and adding more ingredients to the pottage before adding more firewood. Afterwards placing his bedroll on the floor and sat on it.

He then pulled out and looks to the orb, his refusal to sell it still echoing in his head.

It was smooth as marble, yet having multiply lines like a puzzle, and black as obsidian, the size of an apple. And recalled the mage dying plea.

"It was just rambling of a dead woman. There's no value in an orb." He kept repeating. And yet...

It was the way she pleaded, genuine and filled with fear, and the longer he looked back, and recalling what the guards at the tavern said, he realized she teleported, and either failed halfway or was cut short, not even begging him to get help but to get this thing to Leona.

And if what those two drinkers said were true then she was a simple merchant escort.

Kurgren grumbled in frustration. It's obvious he should have sold it to that shopkeep, or scamming someone who doesn't know magic by saying it grants something like immortality to earn more than it looks. Rather than go on a journey, despite his desire to leave this town, that'll take weeks or months which his mother can't join with his current earnings and possible gain nothing and risk her suffering from the tax collector. But as he looked to the orb, it surface casting a perfect reflection, he felt something faint, like the whisper of a god. And with a sigh he made up his mind.

Once he gets enough silvers and supplies, likely going to take months, for his mother they'll go to Leona, by taking a caravan escort job, and bring her to the temple and have the priest cure her.

"Tomorrow will be better." Before pocketing the orb and falls asleep.

When a blood-curdling scream echoed from the town suddenly woke him. Followed the bellowing commands of the town watch.

He quickly jumps out of his bedroll and went outside, from afar he saw a battle raging in Pirium, when a woman, armed in the standard guard gambeson and gladius, rode up to him.

"What's going on?" Kurgren ask.

"There are Goblins attacking the town and we need every able-bodied man and woman to help. Can you do that?"

Kurgren snorted.

"Only if I get paid!"

"You damned mercenaries are all the same," the woman mutters under her breath.

"You will receive five silvers if you fend off the raid, plus another silver for every pair of Goblins ear, deal?"

"Good enough," Kurgren replies before quickly buckling his gambeson and grabs his quarterstaff and quickly ran outside when he heard his mother waking up.

"What going on?" She yawns.

Kurgren looks to his mother and smiles "I have no time to explain. But I will get silvers to help us." And quickly runs to Pirium.

He then looks to Pirium and saw Goblins, four feet tall humanoids with green skin, skinny legs and spindly arms that nearly touches the ground and flexible like a snake, with large ears and bulbous eyes.

The town was in chaos as the Goblins, armed with bronze armor and glass blade fought against the town watch and mercenaries, armed with iron armor and, most of all, guns. The roars of musket fire knocking down the charging goblins, many punching through their bronze armor while some bounced off from the armor's meager enchantment, before more came in, trying to compensate with numbers.

Kurgren fought on the streets, smashing heads till they split like melons when he felt something wrong.

"Why are there so many of them? Goblin brigand only consisted about twenty, not two thirties. And not many are this aggressive or this armed."

Then he heard a loud explosion nearby and looks to that direction.

To his shock he sees fifteen more Goblins wearing double bandoliers throwing glass balls filled with a black substance, firebombs.

Kurgren quickly ducks to one of the many improvised covers as a bomb explodes and killed the ones who didn't dodge as many of the town's building goes up in flames from the bombardments.

Soon another Goblin charged towards him and raised his knife.

Kurgren raised his staff and block. Only for the goblin to coil his staff, like a snake, with his other arm and, using Kurgren staff as an anchor, pulls himself in for a stab.

Only to hear a shatter as his knife breaks upon Kurgrens vambrace. And a snap as the half-Orc slams his knee on his head and falls dead.

Seconds later Kurgren hears a second explosion a few feet away from him and saw that one of the bombs had blown up the trading post storage as gold, silver and copper flows out. And half of the mercenaries begin stealing as many golds as they could and ran out of town.

Seeing a great opportunity Kurgren ready himself to run to the destroyed trade post until he hears a scream and saw a little girl opposite of the trading post running from Goblin on a large dog wielding an iron spear charging towards her, and without a doubt will kill her.

He had to choose.

Kurgren, sighing in exasperation, immediately run to the girl and push her down as riders strike him instead, feeling the enchantments of the lance nullifying most his armour enchantments and tearing through the back of his gambeson before cutting a large gash through his side.

Kurgren roll off the girl, hiding his wound and fighting the urge to scream.

"You okay?" he asks, through gritted teeth.

The girl quickly backed away, covering her mouth, be running to a small squad of the town watchman.

Kurgren sighs, knowing that would happene, then looked up and saw the Goblin stare at him, smiling in glee and yelling something in his native tongue, Kurgren quickly reach for his vials but to his horror, all of them were shattered when he saved that child, he then tries to get up. Only for a lance of pain striking back knocking him down. As he sees the rider rearing for another charge.

Kurgren looked to the rider charging towards him and grits his teeth, trying to stay rational.

"Get up!" He mentally yelled, trying to push through the pain, only to be overwhelmed again and fall, as he saw the rider closing in and screws his eyes shut. Tears flowing as he desperately pleaded his body to move.

"I mustn't leave her! My mother won't lose her only son!"