Darkness and memories were all she knew at the time. Due to her oddities in life, she never had it easy. The others always gave you trouble if you were different after all. Still, she managed to pull through and prove herself time and again. She could still remember her old teacher and his look of disappointment when she left his band of merry men. The simple fact is that there were too many problems taking over a group when you know half of them would never accept you. She would go on alone and collect her little gang.
Her memories played before her. She felt alone as she finally came to what likely lead to her current state. Nothing new really. The gang were going about their usual jobs. That of collecting "tribute" from those who entered their territory and making any other gang pay for trying to step in on their action. Things were going well enough, but it would seem someone broke the unspoken rules among her and their neighbors. Even now, she still doesn't know who had done it. All she knows is that a duel was to take place to settle a transgression with one of the other gangs in the area. The problem is that someone tipped off the "Enforcers". Hers were a people constantly at war with themselves. Or at least, they used to be. Regardless, it was at the time. The fact was that vagrants like herself and the other gangs preferred to stay out of it. They were the outcasts and had no clans to call on for protection. The worst part of this is that they were forced into the army and given the worst jobs. The kind you won't be coming back from. Enforcers had raided the area that day. She and her friends quickly used the other gang as a distraction before cutting their losses. The Enforcers now knew about her and the other gangs blamed them for betrayal to their way.
They had no choice but to flee entirely. They left for Orgrum and became turned to good old banditry. The orcs had a different approach to things and would actually accept them in time one they proved themselves as worthy. It had been a couple years later when they heard that all of Godara had become something called a confederacy. She had no idea what that mess was about, but she did know it meant they might have been able to go back.
Unfortunately, the world just had to rain on her hopes again. Just when one of the tribal kingdoms were beginning to take interest in them and sent a challenge for the rite they had sought, war broke out. Orgrum was being attacked by humans. She and her sisters were there when their "sponsor" was utterly destroyed in a massive attack. Fires blazed everywhere as untold numbers of massive ships rained death with thunder and iron. Her last memory was of an explosion behind and pain as her body was stabbed and sliced by what felt like countless dull knives. As everything faded to black, she saw the stunned and horrified looks of her sisters.
~So what now? Am I dead and the world wants to screw with me more by denying me an afterlife? Well screw you! I was likely headin' for a bad place anyways. I can handle being alone ya stupid gods!~
She almost could have sworn she heard something at that time. It didn't really matter though. She'd find a way to stick it to them. One way or another, she'd get her due. It was around this time she heard another sound. The darkness seemed to be filled with fog. Her thoughts becoming muddled.
~That's how ya's want to play!? Can't get your kicks so ya go and take more away, huh~
"Well screw you!" Grizt, leader of the Violent Blade screamed out and threw a punch into the now blinding light.
"Wah!" there was a cry of pain and the sounds of a body falling. Grizt even felt her fist connect.
"That's what you get for screwin' with me ya mighty old pain in the a-" Grizt crowed victoriously as she sat up. Two things interrupted her.
"Boss!"
"Sis!"
"Chief!"
Three very familiar voices cried out before she finished. The other thing was a shock as her balance felt way off and she found herself falling back into the bed. Her eyes fluttered open and she shook the last of the fog out of her head. She was greeted by the sight of a strange room covered in glowing symbols with random scrap of metal and crystal setting in piles by large desks far too large for a goblin. She was on an equally over sized bed in a corner of the room surrounded by open curtains and more strange objects. They were obviously magical in nature, but she had no idea what they were for. There was nothing like this stuff from her lands. Heck, the closest to some of it she could think of were the talismans and trinkets that the sages were known to make and use from time to time. Stuff way out of her league.
The next thing to be noticed was that there were people around her. Her gang was currently huddled over her and looking happy. Though they seemed to have some strange tattoos on their faces now. There were some humans, which explained the size of everything, but that was of no consequence as she noted something missing.
"Where's Shritoo?" Grizt asked her gang as she tried to set up again. They all glanced to each other before pointing towards the source of a low grown. That's when their leader saw her. The red skinned goblin whose face was contained effeminate angles that were approaching harsh and yet gave her an elegant, by goblin standards, face. Her hair was in its usual braid. She was currently sporting a black eye. Speaking of which, her eyes were fluttering open to reveal their jade like color. Grizt knew fear at that moment.
Shritoo quickly recovered after that and approached with a level glare locked onto her leader. Grizt began to struggle as she tried to right herself, but her balance just wasn't right.
"It would seem we underestimated her strength. I'll have to increase the power input," A female human spoke off to the side. Something about how he spoke felt off. However, that wasn't important. What was important was her new lease on life was likely to end. No one screwed around with Shritoo. Even by goblin standards, she's nuts!
The strangely elegant goblin made her way up onto the bed with the aid of a small ladder. It was probably a stepladder for humans.~CURSE THEIR THOUGHTFULNESS!~ Once the goblin was in arms reach of her leader, her neutral expression turned into a very rare and terrifying expression. She smiled lovingly. Dread and horror filled her leader as Shritoo reached out. All the while, the others looked too frightened to step in. It was in that moment that Grizt found her head cupped in the hands of her soon to be killer or hopefully just torturer. Her head was tilted down.~Well, looks like a quick death after all~
Princess Grace stood to the side of the lab as she watched the lead mages go about their final touches on the treatment of the leader of her soon to be maids. It was no wonder the treatment had been too much. She required a complete spinal prosthesis. She didn't know of the problems involved. Just that there was a lot of delicate work that had to go into making a spinal Psychic Golem Prosthesis or psygo for short. It has to be flexible enough to copy the patient's own movement which were far more than just an arm or a leg. Worse, it had to act as some sort of bridge for thought. Normally, one moved their arm and the thoughts that directed it stop their. For the spine, it had to receive and send these to the rest of the body. The biggest problem there is cost versus results. The crystals used for this purpose could be of varying type that had a different signal speed. The faster the crystal, the more expensive as these were used for a great number of things in golemancy. Though she was not fully aware of it all as much of the fruits of such research was currently being kept a secret. The only certain things have been released to the public. The prosthesis and some heavy duty equipment.
Her mother didn't even flinch at this and simply nodded before making the offer to the Slaver and then talking to the goblins themselves. Promising to heal their leader the best she can if the agree to accept the tattoos and serve Grace as maids. They looked confused, but they jumped at the chance to have their leader back.
In a way, Grace envied the violet goblin. She had such loyal companions in spite of-
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard an unfamiliar voice scream out,"Well screw you!"
She watched as the envied goblin seemed to wake up and lash out at one of her fellow goblins. The oddly elegant one, Shritoo, took a sudden, full force punch to the face that sent her flying off of the bed. The sight was quite shocking. The other goblins ignored this and even cheered for their leaders' return. They seemed so happy until they all seemed to remember who got punched. She watched as the previously downed goblin seemed to recover. She was strangely hard to read until she got close to her assailant. It was only as she watched her reach out that Grace noticed the fear written on the others' face. Grace started forward with a command in her throat.
It all came to a crashing halt as the goblin kissed the other's forehead.
"Welcome back, partner," She crooned. Grace had no idea what was even going on anymore.
~I am so dead.~ Grizt thought as she considered the implications. Shritoo had a reputation for a reason. The odder her reaction to something, the worst things were going to get. One time, an idiot tried to ask her out. She gave him a coin and left. A few days later, the guy was found badly injured and terrified of women. When asked about it, Shritoo giggled. So, punch in the face getting a kiss. That could only mean doom.
~oh well, at least I might have a little time to figure something out.~ Grizt thought to herself as Shritoo let go and joined the others who were now whispering at the foot of the bed. She seemed to whisper something to them. They seemed to instantly relax.~Traitors...~
"Well, wasn't that heartwarming," Drawled the woman from before," In any case, if the violet one could stand up?" Grizt leveled a glare at her. Obviously she couldn't even sit up. The woman in white robes sighed," I forget you're a simple savage. I used magic. You should feel better now."
Grizt was confused at first.~Feel better? I don't feel any different. I also didn't see or hear you cast a spell liar!~ She decided to humor the annoyance and took a stand. She was shocked as she did in fact get up. So shocked in fact, that she tipped over and fell again.
"Hmm, I'm not sure whether that was still not adjusted right," The white robed woman spoke disinterestedly," These adjustments are always so boring. Tell me, are you feeling weaker or too strong?"
Grizt smiled at this before quickly banishing it. She looked to the annoying not-sage and retorted," Too strong? I'm not even strong enough by half! I'm a great warrior from where I come!"
The gang looked to each other and seemed to come to a quick agreement before chiming in," yeah, the boss is the strongest of us. She's like a goblin Yu Shii'an."
"I'm sorry, who?" asked the confused woman when another human in far more elaborate clothing who seemed to be white like rice with eyes like rubies made herself known.
"Yu Shii'an is a legendary swordsman from the Mythology of the Jo'Nech dynasty in Koan," She explained.
"I beg your pardon milady, but if this warrior was an elf, why would that thing talk about it," the rude one questioned while pointing at Oaguz.
"If I had to guess, for a similar reason I know of him," She quipped coldly. The rude one grunted in acknowledgment of the point. Grizt was a little taken by such rudeness to one of clearly higher status. At least she seemed to have the sense to not press the matter and further insult the pale boss(?). She then continued her explanation," In any case, Yu Shii'an is said to have been able to cleave through stone with an ordinary blade and other similar feats of strengths."
"well then that was pointless. I need a more accurate measure. Not some over exaggeration," the white robe noted as she continued playing with some strange stone," Not only that, but I would have to put in a higher grade power source to get any better results."
"The Empress ordered you to do your best for my new servants," Rice skin reminded rude robes with a glare. The woman didn't look happy at this statement either as she broke eye contact.
"The problem, milady, is while there is a higher grade source that can be used, we currently only have a limited number of them. Please remember that these cores are hard to make due to the materials and intricate rune work involved. The one we're currently using takes half a year to make. You'd be setting our limited supply back by three years! Do you have any idea how much of a waste that would be!?" Rudey ranted on as she gave up all pretenses of respect.
"I'll remind you that you were given your orders. I should also tell you that you are at risk of breaking my mother's word. You do remember her feelings at that," the chieftain's daughter(?) pointed out. Rude Butt finally seemed to give in as she sagged. Silk hair then turned to Grizt as the other woman left the room. She gave a sigh," Now, tell me the truth. Are you really that strong?"
Grizt wanted to say yes, but immediately felt a fiery hand on her throat. It didn't burn, but its warmth compelled her to answer," No, not entirely. I'm still a little weaker than I usually am. It takes a little effort to keep my balance."
"Well, I'd say you have your work cut out for you, " the pale one stated with a giggle.