There was something to be noted about Mark's sudden change in mannerisms. His playful expression was replaced with a seriousness I had not seen from him before. His eyes trailed the wagon as if he detected something I could not, which concerned me. Upon his request, I stood close to him with my usual confidence on display. The wheels of the wagon came to a clattering halt, and Svett's grin widened upon seeing Mark's reaction.
"Apologies for taking so long. Project Anvil decided to lend us a few more hands to stay on the safe side, which is why I negotiated for us to get a larger wagon." Svett said, standing up.
He climbed from the driver's seat, and his boots thudded against the stone road with each step as he approached us.
"That is quite generous of them. We will appreciate their assistance." I responded, and the leader of the Silver Stars puffed out his chest. "I believe introductions are in order."
Svett nodded and gestured toward the man in the driver's seat. He was an older human with short, spikey brown hair. He wore dark leather armor with a sword on his waist. His eyes possessed a sternness befitting a veteran adventurer as he
"Our driver is a veteran adventurer. His name is Galvan, and you can rely on his abilities as our scout." Svett explained, and Galvan nodded in confirmation.
"You all are pretty young, so just leave the information gathering to me. I've done this for the last twenty years as a freelancer. I've served in the guard before, so I know what I am doing." Galvan declared, scratching his bushy beard. "In the wagon, you would find my partner Darshell. He does the same job as I do, but he's a reliable marksman."
"A pleasure to meet you, Galvan. I am Clarice, and this is my companion, Mark." I responded and gestured toward the man. I would do the same for Mikangleo, but he refused to speak. His silence earned him a blank stare from Galvan, but Svett had no plans to continue standing here.
Svett gestured for us to follow him, and so we did. Once we arrived at the back of the wagon, we could see seven men and two women sitting inside the vehicle. Their eyes showcased a different array of emotions as they observed us. We recognized Yami and Yomi and one of the mages who attempted to drag Mikangleo out of the training hall.
Yet, none of them seemed to be as notable as one man. Truth be told, I hardly noticed him at first, but before I climbed inside, Mark grabbed me by my belt. With a silent stubbornness, he convinced me to stay in my position. I looked around the room at that moment and spotted a large man tucked away within the shadow of the wagon. His glare was piercing, and his eyes shifted between the three of us. It was unsettling.
"You know Yami and Yomi, but we have Wakley as well. He's the final member of the Silver Stars." Svett said, drawing our attention to the elven man. He was sitting close to the entrance, and his blue eyes sparkled. He sat with his legs crossed, and his shoulder-length blonde hair fluttered with his movements. He wore similar attire to Svett's, but a silver cloak raced down his lean body instead. Without a shadow of a doubt, Wakley likely came from an affluent background.
He gestured toward us, raising his two fingers as a greeting. He seemed gentler than his companions, but he was there for a reason, so I assume he would be talented. Satisfied with the introduction of his ally, Svett would then list off the names of the remaining individuals who would assist us with this job: Dorothy, Vail, Whisper, Darshell, and Camellia, but he neglected to inform us about the last man.
"I don't know much about that man, but Galvan praised his skill at slaying goblins. He doesn't talk much, so ignore him. " Svett explained, but I wasn't buying it.
Svett appeared to be a careful planner, so I doubt he didn't know the identity of the man. I was willing to wager that he knew but chose not to disclose it, and that further built upon my concerns. With all of their eyes on his eyes, Mark was the first to make a move. Without a comment, the fox-tailed man climbed into the back of the wagon and found a seat next to Darshell.
"Ah—a man of initiative. You three hop in and let us know when you are all ready. It'll take a few hours to arrive at the site," Svett said as we each climbed inside.
There were two open spots next to Darshell on the right side of the wagon, and we occupied them both. Across from us sat Wakley and then Mikangleo, who remained quiet. After we all settled in, the wagon began moving, and our journey to the goblin settlement near the Hidden Grotto went underway.
In a matter of hours, the wagon would arrive at a location outside of Astana. The ride was relatively silent as the other members of the extermination force prepared themselves for the battle to come. There were a few times when Galvan would converse with Darshell about tactics, and even Svett and Dorthy added their respective comments. Yet, throughout the entire trip, neither Mikangleo nor Mark spoke.
Mark seemed focused on the large, nameless man, and his eyes often shifted to men named Vail and Whisper. Despite his silence, his expression remained cool and calculating, as if he was observing them. Truth be told, there were a few times that I had forgotten that he was there despite him being seated next to me.
I expected a lengthier journey, but the goblin settlement appeared much closer than originally anticipated—at least, that is what I thought. The wagon came to a halt, shaking the passengers inside when it did so.
"To arms! We have scouts ahead!" Galvan ordered, and without hesitation, Darshell exited the wagon.
He was the first to exit, and then Mark followed him next. His spear was resting on his shoulders before he looked my way and then to Mikangleo. I took this as his cue, and after The Silver Stars made their exit, I followed Mikangleo out. The wind carried through the trees, shaking the leaves free to take a ride.
I glanced around, and right before my eyes resided the beginning of the Grotto Plains and the dirt road that cut through it. Mark moved with familiarity to the surroundings, his chocolate eyes bouncing around as he paced about for a moment. There were times when I wondered just what transpired in the man's head, but without telling us anything, I could sense that he saw something more than he vocalized.
As Mark returned to my side, Mikangleo joined us with narrowed eyes. His gaze was focused on the foxel as he pushed his glasses on his face.
"We are close to our destination, and I recognize the route," Mark declared, planting his spear butt onto the ground.
His words made Mikangleo nod his head, and I could imagine that there was some disconnect in their understanding. Yet, still, Mark nodded along as he continued speaking. "My instincts tell me that we should give up the goblin purge and separate now while we have the stamina. I can see all the trademarks of a confrontation."
"You would abandon the quest? Is that not why you are here?" Mikangleo asked him.
"It is a means to an end, but I am beginning to doubt if the means are worth the effort."
Mikangleo narrowed his eyes. His face warped as he attempted to wrap his head around the foxel's meaning. The foxel attempted to continue his explanation, but he quickly shut his mouth as Svett and his party members approached. Wakley stood to Svett's side, commanding a striking gaze toward the three of us. Yami and Yomi shadowed them, and the two brothers struck a menacing aura.
"Well, it looks like the two of you somehow convinced Mikangleo to join your party. Good...Good. I was thinking of partying the three of you together anyway." Wakley declared as they came to a stop.
This earned Svett's nod of approval. The silver-haired man clapped his hands before rubbing them together with a mischievous grin.
"So this is how we'll play it. Galvan and I both agreed to stop here with the wagon, as continuing the progress further would leave us more vulnerable to an ambush. Goblin scouts are particularly tricky and effective, so we expect them to launch an ambush the first chance they get." Svett declared.
"Do you expect us to traverse the remaining distance to the settlement?" I asked, and the man nodded.
"If we travel by feet, then it limits those opportunities for the goblins to ambush us. Darshell has led Vail and Camellia to a possible position to the north of here, while Galvan has led Whisper and Dorothy to the south. We suspect that the settlement is within a half-mile radius of our current location. They will find it for us." Wakley said.
"And what do you propose that we do here? Surely, you don't expect us to wait too long?"
"There are not many options for you two to explore. We don't exactly know your skillsets, which is why I proposed having Mikangleo accompany you. However, it would seem this transpired without our encouragement." Wakley said, rubbing his golden bangs.
"Nothing official has been brokered yet, but we will welcome Mikangleo's assistance. Although, it would appear that you two seem to be calling all of the shots. We are partners, are we not?"
"With all due respect, Lady Clarice, you are ranked D. I am surprised that you managed to weasel your way onto this job, but seeing that you are here, I plan on using whatever talents you do have as I see it. Starting this moment, I will be taking command of this operation. Galvan and Svett both agree that I am best suited to lead us today, so I expect the three of you to fall in line." Wakley declared, pointing his arm in our direction.
He spoke with confidence and entitlement, but Svett's eager grin showed me that he was allowing Wakley to seize command as he saw it. This development angered me, and Wakley's dismissive attitude rubbed me the wrong way. However, I didn't allow my face to showcase that displeasure.
"Very well, as you are more experienced than we are and have the support of a B-ranked like Svett and a wise man like Galvan, we will follow your lead for today. I imagined that you have a plan."
"For now, we will set up a camp and await the arrivals of our scouting parties. Once that information arrives, then we will formulate a plan to raid the goblin settlement." Wakley said before looking towards Svett and then to Yami and Yomi.
The two wolf demi-humans glanced at each other before turning toward the wagon, which made me realize something. That nameless man never exited the wagon, which struck me as odd. Everyone else exited, and although Mark wandered the road for a while, the man who stood out as peculiar had remained hidden with the wagon.
Unlike everyone else, there was an edge to that man during the ride to our location. I could sense his gaze the moment we had entered the wagon, but even now that we were out of it, dread wrapped itself around me. I could understand why Mark wanted me to stick to his side. A man like the one in the wagon definitely deserves some caution.
"Considering your ranks, I plan on having the three of you serve as our reserves," Wakley said, gaining my attention. He pointed toward Mikangleo, whose expression stiffened on reflex. "Your job will be simple: ensure that none of the goblins that manage to slip past our initial attack do not have the opportunity to regroup and strike us from behind. I've heard you are a ranged fighter, so use that to your advantage while assisting the foxkin and his mistress."
Wakley's gaze shifted to Mark, but before he could issue orders to him, the foxel spoke," Galvan and Svett might allow you to command them and their retainers, but that's not going to fly with me. I won't cede any authority to you since I can't verify your abilities for myself, so here's what's going to happen."
The foxel turned to Mikangleo, and the two men locked eyes.
"I don't trust any of them," Mikangleo said without prompting him with the question.
"You heard the man. If he doesn't trust any of you, then how can you expect him to follow any of your instructions?" Mark questioned, gesturing toward Wakley.
The Silver Star crossed his arm across his chest, and his disdain for Mark's challenge was shown on his face. Wakley began tapping his feet on the dirt, kicking dust with each tap.
"That's nonsense. Whether or not he decides to trust us is irrelevant. If he wants to succeed and walk away from this extermination with minimum injuries to himself, then he will fall in line. I suspect that you will do the same." Wakley snapped.
A sense of authority leaked from Wakley's tone as if he believed his words. He truly expected both Mark and Mikangleo to follow his lead without question, but with the confident expression of the foxel, I could tell that wouldn't happen. At least he wouldn't be easily swayed to follow Wakley's orders.
Knowing this, I would take the opportunity to reach out and remedy that situation, "Would it not be wiser to work together rather than to challenge each other for leadership?"
Svett agreed with my sentiment and nodded. "We agree, but then again, we aren't the ones jockeying for a position that does not belong to them. That would be your ally, the foxkin."
"That knife cuts both ways. I don't give a damn who you have supporting you, whether it is a washed-up scout or even this second-rate, I have no intentions of lying down and listening to a wannabe, and you can look toward Clarice all day long; it ain't gonna change a damn thing." Mark declared, and his frown showcased his seriousness.
His words frustrated Wakley as the man blatantly disrespected both him and Svett. Svett held his hand up as Wakley prepared to step toward the foxel. Yet, despite the challenge, Mark remained straight-faced as the provocateur. There were times when I couldn't wrap my mind around his motives. Up till this point, Mark had remained silent, but now, as we discussed our next moves, he boldly challenged the Silver Stars. He disrespected them and Galvan and remained unflustered as he did so.
'Just what are you hoping to accomplish? What is your aim, Marktavious?'
As I watched the foxel insult the Silver Stars, I would notice a flicker in his ears. It was subtle, but I could sense that he could hear something that I could not. That surprised me, considering that I also possessed echo hearing, much like the foxel, but he has proven to be able to detect things before I could. The foxel pushed up his glasses, and his tail halted from its swaying.
My eyes traced the direction that he was detecting, and they widened once I could see the source. The sound of shrewd screaming and anguished cries could be heard as danger quickly rushed our way.
"What is that?" Svett questioned before snapping into a defensive stance. Wakley hesitated a moment before the man followed Svett's lead. They unsheathed their swords and held them toward the incoming sounds. "Yami! Yomi!"
Hearing the voice of their leader, I noticed Yami and Yomi jumping from the back of the wagon. The two men were armed, and their ears flickered as they located the incoming sound. I reached to unsheath my blade before I felt a firm hand wrap around my wrist. My eyes shot up to the perpetrator, and I saw Mark shaking his head and urging me to stay my hand.
"What are you doing?" I scolded, but he continued shaking his head.
"If they are as good as they claim, then they should be able to handle this situation," he responded before leaning his spear to block Mikangleo's advance.
Mikangleo narrowed his eyes and clenched the handles of the three throwing knives he had in his possession. Mark didn't budge from his stance and urged us to watch the situation unfold without our assistance. As I mulled over his suggestion, a blood-curdling shriek caught my attention. Out of the forest was a goblin tripping over itself. It tumbled across the dirt, flailing its arms out of fear. Several more goblins spilled out, bumping out of the tree line and trampling their fearful brethren.
The creatures were short, about four feet in height, and had dark green skin. Many had crazed, beady eyes, and scars littered most of their exposed bodies. There were those with muscle, and they stood in disbelief at the sudden appearance of The Silver Stars. Once the last goblin fell onto the road, Galvan and his scouting party followed suit. Blood strained the veteran adventurer's armor as he twirled his blade as a challenge.
By my count, there were at least twelve goblins of varying sizes and hairstyles. Many of the goblins appeared to be male, but a few females were in this bunch. Goblins were semi-civilized creatures who appeared to be on the cusp of learning modesty. While many adventurers believe goblins are hive-minded pests, I've heard from many scholars that goblins are actually more intelligent than many give them credit for.
They are capable of creating settlements off the land, but unfortunately for goblins, not many of their kin are gifted in magic. If one did arise, they typically caused trouble for the nearby settlements and cities, so they were often quickly dealt with.
The largest of the goblins had the most scars around his body, and a small knife pulled and pointed at the Silver Stars, snarling and speaking their native tongue. There are many scholars who were rumored to understand the language of species, but they were quickly proven as duplicitous. Goblins were not gifted the opportunity to learn the common tongue, much like the dominant species, and that is mostly due to the Chruch of Cyto and its influence.
My gaze shifted from the goblins to Mark, whose ears flickered at every snarl and growl from the goblin men. He watched with a blank expression as the Silver Stars and Galvan's party cut and slashed their way through the goblin's numbers. It was a blood bath, and while many of the larger goblins remained defiant, they soon found themselves sliced to ribbons by the Silver Stars' skillful swordsmanship.
"They are impressive. Very impressive indeed." Mark stated, which caught both Mikangleo and me off guard.
I didn't expect the foxel to suddenly praise the men that he had been clashing with.
"Yes. I can agree. Does that mean that you are willing to work with them without conflict?" I asked him. I heard the man chuckle as he gestured toward a certain goblin female.
There was nothing remarkable about the goblin. Her skin tone was lighter than her kin, and her black hair was dirty with blood and grime. However, I could see the intense fear radiating from her. Two scrawny goblins safeguarded her as if they were extremely protective of her. As the other adventurers ruthlessly cut down their peers, I could tell that those two goblins were talking to each other.
I found that as odd as they two seemed less aggressive than their fallen kin. They moved with hesitation as the largest goblin suddenly barked instructions to the remaining six. His barking invigorated the last three fighters as they howled with contempt for the other adventurers.
"Yami! Yomi! Incoming!" Wakley shouted as the man scrambled to his side. Out of the treeline, a large rock slammed into the wolf demi-human twins' previous position.
It was hurled with incredible power and was nearly as large as the wagon. It arrived from the opposite direction, and I was surprised that Wakley was able to detect it. The Silver Stars split their attention as a new enemy arrived from the south. Its presence spooked our horses, and the towering creature lumbered out of the trees. Its skin was much like that of the other goblins, but it was much taller than its kin.
It stomped onto the road, and its gaze shifted to every person present.
"A hobgoblin!" Svett shouted as the other adventurers split their attention to the new creature.
The hobgoblin turned its back to the men, which proved to be a mistake. The moment it crouched down to grab something, Galvan quickly charged the creature. He raised his blade in the air and brought it down with murderous intent, but before he could find flesh, the man leaped backward. Out of the trees were two goblins cloaked in leather armor. They had small swords, which both slashed for Galvan's throat, and they narrowly missed.
Galvan brandished his weapon, parrying the following slashes of the goblins before Yami and Yomi came to his assistance. The twin brothers rushed the goblins, and to their surprise, the goblins managed to parry their strikes. The four of them clashed blades and even traded opponents on several occasions before Yami and Yomi ultimately retreated to their allies.
"Did you see that? Goblins... mere goblins fighting them off?" Mikangleo declared while the other adventurers regrouped together.
"I did... These goblins are different from the others." I said.
"I've never seen goblins wield swords that way. It was as if they were trained, but who would train goblins? Why would they even gain from doing so?" Mikangleo asked, but I had no answer to his questions.
This was bizarre. I expected the slaughter of the goblins like what first transpired, but I would have never guessed the goblins would quickly turn the momentum to their side. I had long drawn my blade just in case stray goblins attacked us, but they appeared to be focused solely on the others.
The goblins who were pushed back suddenly let out a snarl of triumph as the hobgoblin turned to face our direction. Its beady eyes rested on Mark for a moment before a thunderous howl escaped its fanged mouth. A chatter of goblins erupted from behind him as twelve, no- twenty goblins poured out of the trees and joined their ranks.
"Now you see why I am impressed." Mark declared, twirling his spear with a grin.
His words struck me like lightning, and the new goblin reinforcements paralyzed my stance. There were too many of them. At least twenty-six now, and each more fearsome than the other.
"Impressed? You were talking about the goblins? Are you insane?!" Mikangleo snapped, and I agreed.
"There is nothing impressive about this situation. How could you even say such a thing?!" I said, glaring at the man. "We are severely outnumbered here, and those two armored ones managed to fight off the B-ranked brothers."
"Add that with the hobgoblin, then you have a recipe for disaster. This a hopeless situation."
Mikangleo wielded his throwing knives again, and his eyes scanned the area. There was now a buffer of goblins standing between us and our allies, but despite that, Mark didn't seem phased. In fact, I would say that he seemed...excited. The foxel twirled his spear with increasing speed, which honestly surprised me, which it shouldn't at this point. In just a short time, he had gone from dropping the weapon like a novice to wielding it with a practiced hand.
A sharp grin appeared on the man's face as he stepped forward, shielding us with his body. Once satisfied with the action, he made a sharp point toward the approaching goblins. I planed to stick to his side just as he requested me to do before.
"You are both right! Things are looking bad, but fear not, I'll be able to turn things around for us. Just do as I can say, and all of us may be able to walk away from this!"