3.1 In Which the Dark Lord Steps in It

3.1 In Which the Dark Lord Steps in It

What the hell is all this?

It was left outside the fortress first thing this morning, Minifrit explained, as always striking that off-center pose that accentuated her hips and pausing to blow theatrical streamers of smoke. The sentries reported that members of the cat tribe placed all this on the road in front of the gates. Quickly, not responding to hails or challenges, and then ran back into the forest. Kasser has looked over everything.

She turned to Kasser expectantly, and he took over, straightening up from where hed briefly knelt to pick up and examine some shells.

Its all good stuff, Lord Seiji, he said, dropping the piece of akornin back into the basket it had come from. Really good quality. The shells are in the biggest pieces they can be, right off the animal, and theyre all properly cured, ready to be worked. Weve got some that are suitable for making armor; the rest Harold can carve into basically whatever we need. Tools, nails, blades And this akorshil, see? They didnt send much, but this stuff is rare. Itswell, it isnt all that useful, because of how soft it is, but shachshil like this is quite valuable. These khora only grow wild, never in plantations. Mostly used for decorative carving. Pretty expensive on the markets, which I assume the cats knew.

He was all but salivating at this haul. I watched Junko investigating the fascinating smells among the baskets and gave him a moment after he trailed off, looking back at the various shells, before clearing my throat.

Andthe rest?

Oh! Kasser ducked his shoulders awkwardly, having been caught indulging his passion for shell-carving while on the clock. Uh, yeah, the rest of it is also good quality. Weve got some nice peltslooks like elk, dhawun, and wolf. Even some pieces of nheichol leather, which is nice stuff. He bent to pick up what looked like the skin of an enormous snake, observed my nonplussed expression, and continued explaining. Very flexible, airtight, and really tough for how thin it is. Good stuff, also pricey. Nheichols are hard to hunt on Dount, they live in lizardfolk territory. I suspect the cats traded for this. That ones full of blankets. Oh, and the baskets themselves are pretty solid. Its a decent haul, all around.

I bent to pick up one of the blankets, unfolding it. For some reason Id been expecting something reminiscent of Native American blankets Id seen pictures of, which I immediately realized was pretty stupid. Obviously a completely different culture on a different planet would have different artistic sensibilities, not to mention different materials. The cat tribes weaving was almostimpressionistic, that was the word. They used a combination of quilting with curved pieces of fabric and embroidered patterns on top to create abstract, organic-looking designs with no straight lines or angles. The one I held up used patches and thread in different shades of light blue against dark gray background pieces.

Thats really beautiful, said Aster, sounding surprised.

I bet itd also be pricey on the market, I agreed.

Yes and no, said Minifrit, exhaling a spicy-sweet cloud. Some highborn collect and display tribal art. Lowborn who are caught with it risk being accused of consorting with beastfolk. The suggestion alone can suffice to have their property and possibly their freedom confiscated.

One day, I complained. Id just like to go one day without learning a fresh reason Fflyr Dlemathlys sucks. Anyway, the important question is why did they feel the need to bring us a pile of gifts? You dont suppose its all dusted with poison or something?

I would not expect to see any such aggression out of that tribe in the near future, Minifrit said dryly.

Its tribute, boss, Biribo explained. Remember? You told the cats this was now your land and they could live here at your sufferance. That girl we talked to made a point about how she didnt have any authority, but Id interpret this as the message being conveyed back to the tribe and your terms accepted. So, like they used to demand tribute from the North Watch gang, now theyre sending it to you.

I didnt ask them for I dragged a hand down my face. Crap. I specifically wanted to start mending fences, not kick them around further.

Lord Seiji, I think its worth considering what they didnt send us, Kasser said. When Rocco was in charge and dealing with them, they mostly wanted stuff that could be bought in Fflyr markets, and mostly food. Nothing they sent us is edible. After the Inferno I mean, their stores cant have been completely wiped out if they had all this stuff to give us, but they may be hard up for food. Especially with the winter coming on.

I drew in a deep, slow breath and blew it out all at once. All right. Well, we already figured the tribes were going to be in bad shape after that. The plan was to reach out to them all and let the local cats come to us, but I think I better pay them a visit first and straighten this out.

If nothing else, theyre closest, Aster agreed. Itll be a handy trial run for when you have to deal with other tribes who dont yet know they should be afraid of you.

Lord Seiji! Madyn burst out of the fortress in a panic, already yelling and waving as she skittered into the courtyard where we were gathered around the tribute baskets. We need you! The kitchen! Its the goblins!

What the fuck now, I growled, but was already in a dead run past her rather than waiting for an answer. There was nothing she could explain that I wouldnt figure out when I got there, and given how unflappable Madyn was in general, whatever was going on was clearly too urgent to stand around out here chatting about it. Aster and Junko, of course, fell into step beside and just behind me, leaving the others to follow more discreetly.

In the mess hall I could already hear distant yelling from the kitchen. People were naturally gravitating in that direction; just as naturally, they cleared out of the way when the Dark Lord came tearing through, accompanied by his dog and bodyguard. Both had to fall behind me as I entered the narrow corridor to the kitchen, but seconds later we all emerged into a scene of what I could only call barely restrained pandemonium.

Restrained only because violence was not currently occurring, though it clearly had and just as clearly was about to. Two goblins stood in front of the open door to the tunnel, both holding swords, but they were raising their hands above their heads in a peaceable gesturesomewhat spoiled by the fact that neither had put the swords down. Gannit loomed nearby, snarling and brandishing both a frying pan and cleaver in a clear display of her opinion of this intrusion into her kitchen. The only thing separating her from the goblins were three women pointing loaded crossbows at them, shouting muddled and contradictory orders to disarm, leave, and surrender.

There he is! exclaimed one of the intruders, waving eagerly at mewith the hand not holding a sword, fortunately for him. Dark Lord Seiji! This is all a misunderstanding!

I ignored him. Streaks and tracks of blood led from the tunnel entrance into the middle of the kitchen, where the bedraggled form of a goblin I recognized lay facedown on the floor amid a spreading crimson pool.

Heal! I barked, pointing.

Nothing. Invalid target. Slowly, I lowered my hand and shifted my stare from the body of Maugro the information broker to the goblins still on their feet.

Okay, it doesnt look great, said the speaker, grinning at me. He grinned at me. Listen, everythings

Junko charged past my legs barking viciously and snapping her jaws centimeters from the intruders. That made the impression even the armed women hadnt; Id observed that goblins were terrified of Junko even when she was being friendly. Both yelped and scurried away to the corner, one dropping his sword in the process.

Bad move. You never run from an aggressive dog.

I whistled sharply as she started to lunge and Junko froze, then turned and obediently trotted back to stand next to my legs, still growling a warning but no longer about to go for the kill.

Then, before anyone else could speak, the half-ajar door was kicked wider, and Donon emerged from the tunnel. His face was stricken and streaked with tears, and in his arms was another little green body, dripping fresh blood on my floor.

Heal, I tried, already suspecting

Its too late, Lord Seiji, Donon choked. He stood there as if lost, just cradling Mindzis lifeless form as it failed to react to the spell. Her head lolled over his arm, vacant red eyes staring at the ceiling. II tried to Before I even got there

By that point, everyone else in the kitchen was staring at me with varying degrees of confusion and alarm, including Junko. I let it flow, for the moment, just riding the energy. Why it expressed itself through laughter I couldnt have said, but hey, it seemed to fit the setting. I was the Dark Lord, after all, and isnt it an established thing for villains to laugh uncontrollably when something horrible and not at all funny has occurred?

The goblins continued to match me, and if their own laughter was an act I was pretty sure I saw the relief behind it. We all three brayed in mirth, partially doubling over and struggling for breath, all while I cackled through flashes of all the fucking bullshit Id endured from people like this who thought they could come to my place and push me.

Cat Alley, awash in blood. Grays thugs chasing me across the Gutters and all the way into the river. Virya twisting me like a fidget toy just to prove she could.

Kastrin falling off the wall.

I snatched the crossbow from the woman next to me and shot the second goblin through the skull.

The weapon wrenched itself out of my hand, of course, one arm nearly whanging me on the temple. It was one of the bigger military models, designed for punching through armor; the recoil was enough of a bastard when you werent stupid enough to fire it one-handed. I got off lightly, relatively speaking. The goblin hit the wall behind him with as much a splatter as a thump. As Id observed when educating the cats on my philosophy of justice, at this range these things made almost as much of a mess as an actual gun.

All laughter in the room was cut off as if by a switch, the surviving goblinthe smarmy one who liked to talkreacting with impressive speed and precision. Of course, his dash for the door wouldnt have worked; Junko wouldve grabbed him if nobody else did first. Needless to say, it did not get to that point.

Immolate.

Down he went in a shrieking fireball, causing Junko to abort her lunge at him; she had better sense than to charge headlong into a source of pure flame.

That made one of us.

My whole body still resonating with furious energy like a plucked guitar string, I stepped deliberately over to one kitchen counter, picked up one of Gannits heavy oven mitts, and slipped it on. Everyone silently got out of my way; Aster opened her mouth to say something, but apparently thought better of it. The goblin still had a good burn going, probably just about to crest the bell curve into the stage where the healing magic would begin to overtake the fire, when I reached him again.

Bending, I grabbed him by the neck with my mitt-covered hand. The heat was intense nearly to the point of painthese things were not designed for thisand hoisting someone half the size of an adult human with one hand was not easy, even after my months of exercise and training. Neither fact made a difference, the haze of adrenaline and sheer rage pushing me right through the heat on my skin and the strain in my muscles as I stood, hauling the burning goblin fully up into the air.

You come into my home, I snarled, stalking over to the tunnel door. You murder one of my allies, burst into my kitchen, and then you have the absolute fucking gall to plead innocence on a fucking technicality?

I had never been in the goblin tunnel before; it was dark and unsurprisingly cramped, though the ceiling wasnt as low as I would have expected. I only had to hunch over slightly. Stepping inside, I threw the goblin to the ground, shadows flickering across the walls as they were cast and distorted by the flames emanating from his bouncing body.

He was definitely on the descent by that point. I discarded the oven mittwhich was still on fireand cast a quick Heal against the burns Id inflicted on my own hand doing that, then folded my arms and waited.

I have a message for the Goblin King, I stated the instant the intruder was no longer actively on fire, not giving him even a second to recuperate.

Yeah, of course, he wheezed, peering up at me through panicked red eyes and nodding vigorously. Ill tell him whatever you want!

No, no. You are the message.

Summon Fire Slime, Tame Beast.

He was immediately howling again, trying to roll away and swat at the burning slime which I had just conjured right on his coat. The sole command with which I imbued it was to cling and resist attempts to dislodge it.

I stuck two more fire slimes to him for good measure, then strode back into the kitchen and slammed the tunnel door.

It wasnt silent, what with all the screaming from just behind that door barely muffled by the thin layer of akorshil planks separating us from it. But, under the combined shocked stares of those present, it felt like a silence.

Kasser, I said.

L-lord Seiji? he replied hesitantly.

I want this door barricaded as soon as you can get it done. Take whatever you need from the supplies, this is currently priority one. Someone find me Nazah, perfect timing.

The elf herself poked her head into the kitchen at that moment, no doubt drawn by all the noise. Her expression was confused and alarmed, as she had missed the action but could plainly see all the corpses and hear the ongoing screaming from just inside the tunnel.

Weve lost our convenient goblin contacts, and youre the only one Im aware of who knows another entrance to the goblin tunnels. Maugro is gone, but some of his employees may have escaped. You mentioned meeting another guy who works for him, right? I need somebody to try to make contact. If not with them, than with someone in Sneppits organization. Supposedly shes a pretty big deal down there.

Iuh, yes, but thats way over by Flynswyth, Lord Seiji. Near the eastern edge. Its an all-day ride from here at best speed, three times that on foot.

Then youd better move quickly. Its still safer and likelier than that pub in Gwyllthean. Bring along whoever and whatever you judge necessary and dont take risks. Avoid human contact and if the only goblins you can find answer to the Goblin King, report back.

Okay, this is on me, Biribo interrupted before she could answer. My bad, everybody. I definitely shouldve explained a lot more about goblin society to you, boss. I mean, its not like anybody else here wouldve known. Its just You tend to glaze over, yknow? If I just front-load you with details most of em disappear by the next time we talk. Ive learned to answer questions as they come up and try to brief you on the fly whenever anything seems like its gonna be important soon. Not that Im blaming you! This is a problem for all the Champions who get brought here. A whole worlds worth of information is way too much to dump on anybody at one time; context and significance are really important for memory retention. But, uh, after this I think we better start having regular tutoring sessions or something. You clearly need a more thorough grounding in Ephemeral politics or were gonna keep bouncing from one mess like this to another.

Biribo, I said, gathering up every last flickering ember of patience within my being, I can tell youre building up to something Im not gonna like and trying to soften the blow. Which is appreciated, but I wish youd just rip the bandage off and be done with it.

Right, he said ruefully. Well, uh, boss A barricade isnt gonna cut it. You just committed us to a war of total annihilation with the Goblin King. This wont end until one or the other of you is dead and their whole organization destroyed.

So that was how my day started.