My chest feels strained while my knuckles still white.
'They pulled a vote to destroy our home just because they were looking for some kind of 'Artifact' even threatening to return if they don't find it.'
Uldrei gets my attention by putting a hand on my male counterpart's shoulder.
"Don't worry your head over it too much. The keepers are the head members of Siltria Kingdom's military and Siltria is very stubborn about rules. Each Keeper have very specific powers they can enact so even if they return to ask for the artifact, they can't truly take it without losing their positions."
"It's why they brought up the Keeper of the Home, the only one among them allowed to invade the privacy of its citizens, the only exception being the Queen herself. Though it is worrying to have witnessed them enact a vote on enacting another Keeper's Field of expertise. Unless something happened while I was here..."
I moved my gaze from old man Uldrei to where the Keepers left from. With us being alone again, I ended up speaking through both "Then do you have an idea of which Keepers were among the group that arrived?"
He pondered. "I have been in this forest for quite a while so I haven't seen any of them before. Though if I had to guess; the Keeper of Night is mysterious, often keeping his distance from the others. The Keeper of the Hunt almost always wields a bow. The Keeper of the Word is always the most noble among them."
"They were the easy ones to make out. As for the last two, I doubt they're the Keeper of Enforcers or the Keeper of the Watch as those two commonly wear armor much thicker than plate, something neither of the people here were wearing. Even then, those Keepers' power is in the defense of the Kingdom. They help move the military to defend against invaders and send support for nearby towns and villages. The Keeper of Right is also off that list as he's always kept at the capital due to his job of passing judgment on accused criminals. That leaves the last two as the Keeper of Arms and Keeper of Trade."
"I can guess the Keeper of Trade keeps an eye on merchants and other businesses, but what about the Keeper of Arms, to take away the weapons of citizens?"
My interest in learning about the outside world put a smile on his face. "The Keeper of Arms works to check the Weapons in the resident's possession. However, the Keeper of the Home is the one who has access to start a search, meaning he must be by their side to be on the lookout for weapon violations. Last I checked, people can only have 8 weapons around the house, 3 allowed to be hidden but considering they just cast a vote to use another Keeper's authority just because they aren't present, that could've changed too."
The Keepers are entangled completely in the structure of the Kingdom. Even though I don't know all of them, I think I can understand when I need it. "Then is there anything that we can do if they don't find anything out there?"
His face goes solemn. "The only thing we can do is wait and see. If they don't find an Artifact, they'll come search more forcefully with the Keeper of the Home by their side. But I don't know if they'll be violent or not so we can only pray that the person is as kind-hearted as those three. However, what we can do now is keep training for when you begin your journey."
I hate it every time I hear it, but I know why he keeps saying it. He is old, nearing the end of his life. I'm his last worry that fell in his lap before the end. But with that in mind, my determination to move forward grew, even if only a little. Knowing that he's pushing me so hard through this tough training for my sake makes me want to meet his expectations.
He turns to me once more. "Now that you got a good lesson on politics for the Kingdom, let's continue with your magic lesson."
I was about to respond as both but I stopped myself and had the female, Veda, speak. "Understood, Grandpa Uldrei."
Old Man Uldrei chuckled before looked to the male, Verei. "And you keep practicing those swings."
I continue moving, faster than yesterday and more complex than this morning so it becomes a habit hard to forget while Veda continues answering the questions by activating the magic itself.
--------
Keeper in Green, Emeri was fuming. "Why did you even suggest entering their home when you know she isn't with us?! You are only allowed to check items and transactions in the market and collect the tax from businesses Lejer!"
Keeper in Yellow, Lejer shrugged without worry before repeating himself. "We were given a mission by her majesty and if it was here, we would've finished the mission now. Even if they didn't have it, we could use the famous Counter Blade to help in the completion of our mission. A better question would be why you chose no, Szilion?"
Keeper in Black, Szilion was keeping an eye out for anything. "I couldn't care less but since you gave me a choice, I chose not to act like one of Renon's men."
Lejer could only shrug his shoulders and shake his head.
Keeper in Blue, Serci gives her own piece of mind on the actions of her fellow Keeper. "It still wasn't right. It's better to continue following the law and you be right over not following the law and be wrong. And please don't use the excuse that I don't have an artifact as a factor for stealing someone else's."
Keeper in Red, Hektr walks past them all, reminding them they're in hobgoblin territory. "Alright enough. The past is the past and we've made our choice. The only thing left to check is whether or not the artifact has been picked up by a monster further in. Emeri, Lejer, and Szilion, you three spread out and look for anything out of the ordinary by half a kilometer between north and east before meeting back near the empty crater."
They all moved out following his order, leaving only Hektr and Serci the only two who can't scout as well as the other three.
Seeing as they had time before the others' return, Serci asked the team leader a question. "Do you really think that they lied about heading to the crater?"
Hektr looks to Serci, thinking to himself. 'She is still young without experience in the darker parts of human society. This could be a good lesson for her future.'
"Humans are a race full of curiosity. If something lands in their territory, curiosity dictates they check. It's human nature to explore the unknown so they can understand what is real and what's not. Especially if they are people who grew up with a legend that has stories to tell. Judging from their expressions when seeing our armor, they've likely never been to a human village since being brought to live in this valley, but they got to hear plenty of tales of adventure to get them interested in exploring the outside world, especially when something lands in your backyard."
'That is plausible,' thought Serci, 'but it still isn't right.'
Yet he continued. "Regardless, if we don't find an artifact before heading home, we'll bring it up to the Queen and have Relle..."
The conversation was cut off by a wolf's howl. First one then more joined in. It could only mean that one of the Keepers was discovered. They would have thought it was Lejer being that he has the least skill in hiding himself among the three, but the flare sent up shortly after was one of Emeri's arrows bursting to flames.
Seeing as she has both an artifact to camouflage her body and another to silence her movements, her being spotted first could only be described as a foreboding omen.
It made Serci's gut wrench as that feeling in the back of her head spiked but she could only focus else Emeri's life be put in danger.
"Seems the Hobgoblins have the artifact." Hektr spoke as they both rush to the flare.
Hektr may have been wrong about the artifact being in the possession of the Deiduras', but he still doubts he was wrong about the teens going to the crater. But now he must put his focus on the omen of stealth being impossible against this foe.
--------
'How did they know?!'
I jumped from tree to tree with the Hobgoblins following closely behind. 'If it was smell, I'd have been spotted earlier by the few patrols I passed beforehand.'
At the sound of a goblin screech, some stones are thrown in my direction. 'So one knows while the others follow... Then I just need to find that one!'
I try to look for the Goblin making that sound but each time I get closer, a stone, a Bolas or a wolf with a good leap keeps forcing me to change directions as they move to surround me.
'I can't see him but he can see me. Even when cloaked and silenced. Definitely an artifact but what kind? A tracker wouldn't be right unless it's multiple and airborne. Maybe a field viewer or a life sign detector. And what kind of goblin is it? A normal goblin wouldn't be good a leading so at least a hobgoblin. Maybe it's a pack leader, but even then, is it only smart enough or is it smarter like a...'
As I was reaching a conclusion, a fireball slammed against my back. My camouflage ends as I land in the dirt, a wolf attempting to go for my throat. But I counter with an arrow swung like a dagger to pierce its throat before kicking it away. The wolf bursts into flames shortly after by that arrow I grazed against my bow sting.
'I just had to be right. But the fireball came from a completely different direction from the goblin shouting orders. Unless there is more than one, it could've been a tracker bolt. In that case...'
Just as some Hobgoblins arrive at my location, a shadow passes through them in a flash, cutting everything once only for them to collapse, no matter the depth of the cut.
"You took your time Szilion." I comment.
I hear his grunt from the shadows before he gets down to business. "What is it?"
I wipe off the dirt and get ready to shoot the next beast that pokes its head out from beyond the trees. "Goblin High Mage with a field-based Artifact. I don't know if it's tracking only me, other artifacts or has a range of view but it can spot me through invisible. And unfortunately, it's highly intelligent with plenty of underlings."
With that knowledge, he knows to watch for spells in all directions as we move out without another word. The Packs of wolves and their tamers get shot and cut down as we close in on the sounds of the screeching goblin.
The moment we spot it, the first thing to notice was the staff in its hand decorated by a human skull like most goblin mages craft, but what caught us by surprise was that its skin color was odd for a Goblin of any kind. The usual green skin was instead a deep red, but that didn't matter right now as the goal is to kill it.
An ambush party came out from multiple directions to strike us but just as Szilion was about to get hit, he faded away like an illusion, confusing the ones that attacked him only for Lejer to jump from the tree above, ripping through the confused Hobgoblins with a blade coming out of the holes in his jacket before they slink back under.
Everything about Lejer, be it his attitude or Weapon Artifact, gives me the creeps, but when it comes down to it, he perfectly works as a versatile support.
Be it him replacing a team member at a moment's notice as a perfect imitation or as a distraction, he will get the job done.
I noticed only after I lost sight of Szilion. Though it was only for a second, when he reappeared, he came with an irritating look in his eye. Szilion was inside Lejer's illusion of himself for a moment before slipping away the moment he could. Sizilion should now be...
Striking the Goblin High Mage from behind, but the High Mage moves his body slightly, dodging a serious blow as he taps the End of the staff on the ground at almost the same time he dodged.
Szilion looked as though he was leaping but he wasn't coming down.
'The Bastarding Goblin used a Gravity Spell point blank?!'
The amount of control over the battlefield that the High Mage has was insane. But even if Szilion failed to get the kill, Lejer can do his job.
"Kesa of Knowledge – Unobstructed sight a mile radius or 2-mile cone forward. That will be quite a grand Artifact in the hands of her majesty. But what is this obstruction of information?"
Killing another two wolves that tried to move after him, I shout back, "Not the time for useless info!"
Szilion managed to get out of the Gravity Spell's radius using grappling hook to get back to use. "Unobstructed 360 sight. No wonder he wasn't killed by my weapon."
Szilion's Knife is the Knife of Assassination, meant to instakill any who don't know the owner's location, regardless of wound size or place struck. This makes the Goblin's artifact Szilion's worst matchup. Assassination won't work, but we can still kill it if we get in range once again.
Just as we're about to continue, a thunderous sound is heard from the mountain range east of us, not knowing what's going on, we're unable to decide what action we should take only for a crimson slash reminiscent of a water blade to fly at us at high speeds, cutting through every tree in its path.
That's when Hektr and Serci arrive to block it with their shields.
Standing through the clearing of about half a mile of cut-down trees, we see the figure of an Orc, as red as the Goblin High Mage, holding what could only be a second artifact.