"Few remained after the king's downfall. In panic, they've all crossed the great river and left the darkness behind in search of a better life. I remained next to the bones of the first and, after sometime had passed, I was reclaimed among the ruins. My power sparked a new conflict and the evil followed my shadow across"
The sunlight was particularly strong today, the heat becoming unbearable after almost an hour of riding, summer was soon approaching after all. Around the road there was nothing but grass... and more grass, not a single tree in sight nor shadow to ran and take refuge from the sun. Finally, from far away, I saw a tiny clutter of trees a few meters next to the road and immediately head there to catch some relief from the heat. It was like an oasis. I tied the horse to one of the trees and began to get some of my armor off, I sat down against the trunk and wiped away some of the sweat from my forehead as I watched the road which was completely devoid of any passerby. I thought of what might happen to Percival, what a stubborn man, I couldn't make it fit in my head how he gave up that easily, I understand that his 'knighthood' prompts him to make this kind of choices but… Agh, what would have happened if I retained that knight conduct I once used to have?
I was just a fourteen year old kid when I stumbled my way to that nameless village in the north, just after I escaped Mön; an escape I cannot remember at all. The muscles on my legs were destroyed, my feet ruined and my body exhausted, I had made all the distance from Mön, crossing a large span of Calamity's territory, by foot. My memory comes in waves sometimes, I still remember heading for the first lighted house and my body collapsing against the door. It was a family of five who took care of me for a month, "I have to return to Roda", I told them, I hoped to get back to the Empire and inform them of what had happened in Mön, the family told me that I can only hope to send a message from the city of Lindelen, that I could stay with them until help arrived… I regret remembering that I shunned off their help and head out alone, I had in my head that I could somehow make my way back to Roda on my very own. After a week of wandering alone, hungry and cold, I found myself close to dying after an encounter with a pack of wolves who roamed the White Forest, the beast had pierced my throat and my malnourished body could hardly take anymore and, by accident, I activated the dash ability for the first time and propelled myself off a cliff, painfully landing next to a narrow road. A merchant named Constance found me, he tended to my wounds and took me to Lindelen where I worked as his assistance for a while before getting better payed work. The thought of writing back to Roda remained in my head but, I was making good money, I had bought myself a cabin, made some friends and even became, somewhat, respected. But, if I did as Percival, as a holy knight and wrote to Roda, or saved up enough coin to pay an egregious amount for a carriage that would take back to the Empire, maybe then the empress might had forgiven me…? She did say that my delay to return to the Empire was considered treason. At the end, I spent three years on the north until I was snatched by two rodian soldiers in hiding, then took before the empress who sentenced me to death so she could give the Godsword to Cassandra Lettenburg, the Knight of Light, the empress new faithful knight.
What is done is done, no need to linger on what ifs. I untied the horse and went back to the road. I was heading for the Princedom of Serene; a tiny nation that encompassed all of the Bay of Lorientes. From what I been taught, the Princedom worked as a buffer state between the Confederation, Centralia and the Duchy of Sallas where my next objective was; something that Father Bardion told me the night I escaped from the capital of Roda, about meeting a Maestre in the capital of Sallas, someone who might help me understand the Godsword better.
After another half an hour of riding, I finally saw a tiny outpost next to the road; it was completely white and shined bright under the sun. Instinctively, I lowered my pace as I passed by the outpost, trying to avoid unwanted attention, specially from authorities, was the best course of action. "Wait there!", someone exclaimed from behind and I stopped as I wasn't looking for trouble so soon into a new territory. "Please come down off your horse sir", it was young guard, wearing almost no armor, just a tunic with a symbol; probably one that identified the Princedom. Complying, I jumped down and faced him, he sported an unsure look, looking at me from top to bottom and then turning, "C-captain! Please come here!", he screamed with urgency. An older guard appeared and shove the young guard aside and went to me, "Afternoon sir. Uh… are you an adventurer by any chance? Or a knight?", he asked as his gaze kept darting back and forth between my face and my hands. "No, I'm not an adventurer and I'm not with any military. Just passing through. Is there a problem?", I asked and the old guard gulped with his hand shaky reaching for his sword and stopping an inch from its handle, his companion repeated the same motion even with more fear. "Excuse us sir... but I'll need to ask you to show us your wrists…". My wrists? What a weird request but not something that would link me to the Godsword, once again, I complied and raised my sleeves to show them the skin of my wrists, they both sighed in relief and their demeanor completely changed. "Thanks! Sorry for the scare, traveler. Anyway, pass this point you're inside the Princedom of Serene, so welcome I guess. You may go through". I stood there for a second wondering what was all that about, they both went back to the outpost not even caring to check what I had on me or my information, so I just continued on my way.
It wasn't long until I reached a crossway, three different paths marked on a wooden sign; 'Lesengard' to the West, 'Dardangard' to the North and 'Prime Bay' to East; which was the port capital of the Princedom. Prime Bay was out of the question, being marked in the sign didn't mean it was close, in fact, it was the furthest of the three. I didn't care for the west so I chose north, to Dardangard it is. The terrain became more ragged with more hills and houses in the distance until I finally saw a town that spread along a valley. The atmosphere was completely different from any town of the Confederation or Roda, this town had really clean streets, freshly painted houses and stores, the people were dressed particularly well with clothes that seemed expensive, there wasn't a single guard, soldier or adventurer in sight, or nobody that I could identify with weapons nor armor. I stuck out like a sore thumb, my attire catching the attention of literally everyone who walked the street, I could heard their murmurs. It actually made me uncomfortable, so I got off my horse and decided to walk.
There were non-stop glances from the townsfolk at me, highlighted by the fact I was with a horse and there weren't any from what I could see. Also, there weren't any poles or anything where I could leave my horse tied, I had to cross the entire town, to the outskirts, where I finally found a stable with a sign, "Dardangard Horse House", a 'house'? Weird name for a simple stable, one that itself hosted no more than ten horses. A man in a dirty overall came out, the horsekeeper it seemed, from the farm house that was next to the stables, he must had heard me approaching and didn't even wait for me to reach the gates. "Afternoon sir. Need to rest your horse for a while?", he said as I stopped in front of him, he immediately followed with another question, "Pardon my question, but, are you an adventurer by chance? You know to fight and stuff, right?". I rose an eyebrow and asked, "I guess. Are you in need of something?", and he nodded at my question making a gesture as to wait for him, he ran back to his house and brought back a medium size box, "Good sir. It's been a long time since I could get something deliver to my daughter, she's to the west, an hour away, and, well, would you deliver it for me? I'll take good care of your horse afterwards, for free of course!". I actually wanted to ask him why the sudden request but I took the box off his hands without noticing, "Fine. But it I'll cost you a bit more than taking care of the horse", I replied and, even if he tried to hide it, I could sense his eagerness to get this delivered. This wasn't another 'Godsword ability'; to be able to tell the need of the other person when they offer a job, I think it was something that naturally developed after making so many of these kind of deliveries. Anyway, he gave me a thumbs up and the directions to his daughter's house, I got up my horse and promptly left as I was trying to finish this before the evening.
The delivery was uneventful, as most are, all the way to her house. The reaction of the horsekeeper's daughter caught my attention a bit, she received the box and bawled her eyes out, hugging me until her mother called her back inside, she also gave me a letter for her father which, once I got back to the stables and handed the letter to him, he also bawled his eyes out. What was going on with these people? His daughter lives practically next door to him, can't he visit her like a normal father?… I gave my horse to him and asked directly, "Tell me one thing. Is it hard for you to just go visit your daughter?", the horsekeeper seemed to shrink under my gaze and shyly looked to the ground, "Y-you're right. A real man wouldn't fear a simple visit to his family… but… I'm a just a regular horsekeeper, can't fight or nothing. And the road is too dangerous, c-can't risk it, I have to work, support my family you know?". I encountered no danger on my way there and he was speaking of the road like it was a battlefield. The horsekeeper payed me two silver coins, a large amount for delivering a box such a short distance, and gave me a firm handshake and a smile. Before leaving his presence, keeping in mind Dardangard was just a small stop but one where I could make some coin, I asked him if he knew someone else who needed something done and he laughed before replying, "Someone else? Don't worry about that, I'm sure you'll find plenty, just go back to the town".
Reaching the evening, I finally entered the town again and the horsekeeper's words became evident. Step by step I got swarmed by different people. The first ones were a couple that approached me, asked me if I was an adventurer and tried to get me to do a delivery, they were shoved aside by a tall man asking me to escort his sister to a nearby town, he himself was pushed out of the way by a group of elderly ladies telling me they needed a guard for their trip to the capital; this went for ten minutes, it became a crowd of people asking me to do from menial work to literally become their lifetime bodyguard. I made up an excuse and told them I was tired and I would meet them at the plaza in the morning, didn't say which one as I don't know the names of any in this town, that I would hear their request there… but they didn't relent so I ran away while they began to fight among themselves, it took me an hour just to feel like nobody was watching me and I found my way into a random building, I manged to read the sign before entering; "Delilah's tea house".
The tea house had a rich aroma of perfume everywhere, the tables had fancy cloths with colorful motives, the chairs were all cushioned, nothing like the run-down taverns I used to visit, and the place itself seemed peaceful, just what I needed. A high-pitched voice called for me while I was looking around, "W-welcome sir, table for one?", I turned and glance down to see a kobold dressed in a maid outfit, it was a that moment that I noticed two other kobolds behind the counter, one gazing at me from the stairs and another one moving a barrel. "Um… yeah", I muttered, it looked like the whole place was being run by kobolds. I sat alone at the table and all of them, even the one that welcomed me, seemed to vanish and after a few moments an elderly lady; wearing a long fancy dress, made her way to where I was and sat in front of me, "It's a pleasure to meet you this evening sir. I'm Delilah Frungal, the owner of this humble tea house", she greeted as the maid kobold placed two tea cups and filled them, "Excuse my forwardness, I mean no disrespect by sitting at your table but your attire caught my and my kobolds attention". I looked around and all the kobolds, ten or more, were all looking at me with curious eyes. "I guess you want something from me, like everyone else in this town", I replied and took a sip of the tea, which was surprisingly good, while she smiled a bit and dismissed the maid kobold before answering, "I'm afraid so. You arrived here a few hours ago and the word has already spread, about 'an adventurer finally arriving to town'. Also, that you already did a delivery for the man that works in the stables. Truth is that everyone is becoming afraid and you're the first 'fighter' we've seen in three months". Three months? What was she talking about? I was becoming intrigued and she probably saw that written on my face, "I suppose you aren't in the known about what is happening. That means you are not an adventurer, the union did inform everyone… And surely those lazy soldiers in the outpost must have forgot to inform you, did they ask you to show your wrists?". I felt out of place not knowing something everything seemed to know, "They did and they looked like they were about to shit their pants. Mind telling me what's going on?", I asked and Delilah drank the whole cup of tea all at once before replying.
"Well, I'll assume you are completely in the dark here. First of all, are you familiar with the Delism?", delism she said? That religion?, "Yes, it's a pagan religion, what about it?" I asked and she gazed to her side, probably gathering her thoughts, "The cult of Delia. They began as a small group in the west of the Princedom, close to the border with Centralia. They expanded exponentially these last two decades by convincing people to turn to their faith. At first they meant no harm and, like all the different cultures and religions the Princedom had, they let them be, then, ten years ago, they conducted the massacre of Saiga, they rounded up all non-believers and skin them alive in a village far away from here. Through either fear or promises of great reward, they managed to convince more and more, they carry this perverse way of life; enslaving and killing anyone they please… Five years ago, the Princedom acted and Prince Henry mobilized the royal army, but it was to no avail as they could hardly fight now almost half the Princedom belongs to the cult. They have their own parallel economy now, they charge tolls on every road, sell slaves, mine for metal and constantly expand further into towns and cities and… well, this nation is not great at fighting, we don't have that culture, everyone depended on adventurers to perform deliveries or to simply traverse the roads and now, with the union practically cutting off the Princedom, we don't have anyone".
When I was taught about the delism, along with many other small religions, back in the orphanage in Roda, they were described as blood-thirsty brutes and 'chosen by the god Delia' who would grant its faithfuls a harem of slaves and eternal life, or some stupid lies like those, but, being able to take down a whole country?, "I'm sorry for what is happening but, surely an army can take care of a bunch of fanatics, unless Prince Henry is more occupied with filling his pockets and sodomizing harlots, like most rulers are", I said and Delilah glared at me, "D-don't refer to the prince like that! Prince Henry is doing whatever he cans for his people, the problem is that he cannot commit more soldiers, our army is too small and is limited to just create a safe zone close to the capital. It's sad but is not his fault, the other kingdoms won't help us either. I guess you don't understand how this nation works... excuse me but, you are rodian, right?". Her question made me choke on the tea a bit, how did she know? Did she know who I was…? What gave it away?… It couldn't be the Godsword, that's for sure... Have I've become that recognizable? or did they put up another bounty for me that somehow reached this nation?
She saw my reaction and giggled before pointing to my neck, "Hahaha, I asked because you got a necklace, it's made of that special type of silver that shines differently under the light. I know that because my husband was rodian. He… well, he always wore the Langedar on his neck, like all the knights from Roda". I smiled from relief more than anything and showed my necklace with the Langedar to her before letting it rest under my chestplate once again, "Your husband was a knight from Roda? Then there's a chance I had seen him before, what's his name?", I asked with certain enthusiasm as I was interested, and her expression began to swing from happy to sad multiple times before speaking, "Unfortunately, he's not longer with us, disease took him some years ago. He was a really devoted man of the faith, he used to urge me to read the holy scriptures and go on pilgrimage with him. I could've followed him everywhere, everywhere he wanted to go...", her gaze went down and the maid kobold arrived with desserts, she extended her hand and started to caress the kobold's head with delicate care, "He was against them, kobolds. 'beasts of basic desire that wish to mimic humans and replace them' he used to say. A long time ago, he got into a fight in a tavern in Prime Bay, rodian soldiers that were drinking had recognized him and, because my husband was a deserter, tried to kill him there and then. He was slashed and beaten an inch from death, threw in a ditch and left for dead until one kobold, that saw the scene unfold, dragged his battered body back to my house. He lived and I still remember his face when I told him a kobold had saved him, hahahaha…ah, that kobold was the first one we adopted", the maid kobold nested its head on Delilah's lap as she continued, "After that we left Prime Bay, because many rodian ships were still docking… something about a holy war it was… and we ran the risk of finding more unpleasant encounters. Then we established ourselves here in Dardangard. We opened the tea house and got a full staff of kobolds. I know that, because you're of the faith, you have prejudice against them but please, they are as human as you and me, they feel, they think and they love".
Her whole story was interesting but I didn't know where she was leading up to, "Why are you telling me all of this? Even if I'm of the faith, I can assure you I'm not in good terms with the Empire. So you can speak freely. As for these creatures? I couldn't care less but I also don't relish on their suffering", she seemed pleased with my answer and dismissed the maid kobold before asking, "I see. Sir… what is your name? If you don't mind me asking". Like last time with Bernard, I hesitated about giving my name but I sensed no bad intentions from Delilah and, if I wouldn't stay for a long time in the Princedom, might as well give my name to her, "I'm Tak. I am- used to be a knight from Roda, now I do work here and there". She slightly bowed her head to me and said, "Nice to meet you Tak. Now… I should explain myself, as you can see I have many kobolds in my tea house, five years ago I began to run a small 'kobold breeding operation'. From the first month I make sure to teach them to speak properly and to be well behaved. They can learn much faster than any human, they will always remain kind and loyal if you show them care and attention. And it was a good business, I would have them until their reached sexual maturity at about eleven months, and then relocate them with adopting families inside the Princedom. I did the delivery of these kobolds myself until last year when I had to resort to adventurers but… well, you know that we haven't had a single one come into town… so, I decided to neutered all the kobolds I had except for one that was too young, he already had a family selected and I was hoping I could send him to them before he reached the eleven month". I see where this was going, "Okay, okay, so you want me to deliver this kobold?", I asked and she nodded, "Yes! Exactly. I plan to leave for Prime Bay as soon as I can deliver him. The cult is expanding and I'm afraid they'll reach here before this year ends. I would've had left earlier but I was still hoping for someone to come and take him, so please… follow me to the back", she stood up from her seat and I followed her to the back of the tea house.
She led me to a hallway with many doors, some open slightly where the glow of curious kobold's eye could be seen. At the end of the hallway there was one door that read 'Unneutered', she opened it and there was only one kobold giving its back to us, the little bastard was reading, it had a big pile of books to its right and had one big book opened. Delilah called for the kobold, "Stop reading. We have a visitor", and the kobold turned and glared at me for a few seconds before clumsily stepping down from its chair, tripping and hitting its head and then standing straight up. The kobold was well dressed by creature standards; it was wearing a shirt, pants, with a hole for its tail, a belt and even had somekind of bandages that worked like shoes for its reptile feet. "Uh..mmm… Nice to meet you sir. My name is Colt", it bowed in a manner more akin to a butler and tried to keep eye contact with me. "Sir Tak, this is the one I was talking about", Delilah said and kneeled to pet its head, "Colt is probably the most intelligent kobold I've ever had. He began reading books at two months old and has a deep liking for learning. I've managed to find him a suitable family that lives in the northern farmlands, they have a daughter that shares the same love for tales and books. A perfect fit if you ask me", then she placed a hand on the kobold's back and pushed him forward until it stood in front me; its big blue eyes seemed to shrink, probably from fear. "Colt. This is Tak, he's a knight, and he will deliver you to your family, okay?", Delilah said and the kobold pressed its arms and legs together, becoming even more tinier, "T-thank you, Sir", it managed to say.
Some years ago I would've feel actual disgust to be in close proximity of one of these things but, I was more surprised than disgusted, and I stepped forward, pass the kobold and to the table with the large stack of books, "Huh, you read books…", a thought that came through my mouth without noticing. Then I tried to remember when was the last time I've read anything besides jobs notices and wanted signs, the last time I've read a good poem or an intrinsic novel. I took some books from the stack and read the covers, that thing was reading advance material; 'The Great Cultures of the World', 'War of the Last Age', 'Greatest Minds of Our Generation'… and so forth, then I saw a purple cover and instantly recognized the golden letters, 'Voice of the Deep Spring', it was compilation of poems by a famous rodian author, I used to read it during the holy war campaign. "You like reading too, sir?", the kobold asked, it was a few inches from me, tail wagging and smiling slightly, "That one has poems, do you like poems?", its fear completely vanished, replaced by complete interest.
The book alone brought many memories but the kobold wouldn't stop yapping, "I don't talk to cargo", I said and took the book with me. Delilah stared at me with a look that resembled disappointment, but I guess she didn't dare to scold the only willing person to take her kobold. "I'll take the book as part of payment. Also, I'll be taking the kobold tomorrow, I prefer to travel during daylight", I said to her and she nodded slightly, "Fine. You may stay here, we'll prepare a room for you. Tomorrow morning I'll give you the directions for the delivery". She led me upstairs to a room her kobolds quickly tidied up and readied for me. I have to say, despite being a bunch of animals, they are really useful if well trained, they also left a wooden tub in the room and it tempted me so I asked for it to be filled with warm water, the maid kobold asked me if I wanted my back washed… obviously I said no. After a much needed bath, I sat and opened the book in a random page; something I did everynight during my time in the holy army, one poem per night it was, and I landed in one poem that I had read before, it was about the beauty of the creatures that roamed the world… ironic.
A knock in the door broke my concentration and Delilah entered the room, "Sir Tak, I have to talk with you about Colt", she said and I got the feeling it had something to do with what I said before, "About what?", I asked and this time she gave me a saddened look, "I beg my pardon if you dislike what I'm about to say but, if you're not going to treat Colt with respect then I'll prefer if you just leave tomorrow and don't go through with the job". Respect? What did she meant by that?, "You want me to treat a kobold with respect? Am I not doing that? Surely the creature is happy for someone to finally take it to its family, right?", I replied and she snapped at me, "He is not an 'it', it is a 'he'! He's like any living being, like you and me. And no, you're not treating him with respect and I cannot trust you with him. From what I see, you're just another rodian, you might just get rid of him as soon as you leave this town, you probably still believe all those nasty things the scriptures say about kobolds. And I will not entrust a life to someone untrustworthy, even if I'm desperate to give him a better life with a family that may love him". I bit my lips as annoyance and anger filled me, I wasn't offended about her blasphemy, I couldn't care less about that but she saying I'm untrustworthy? Or disrespectful?… I should just take my things and leave, show that I didn't care and maybe then she will understand her loss, I could take another job, any job in this town and ask for an egregious amount! But no, I'm here, in her kobold pound, listening to her and even doing a delivery job for her. 'Fine, I'll leave and you can fuck that kobold if you like it so much', was one of the many things that flashed through my mind but, they sounded just like 'her words', like Patricia's words and I felt immense disgust in myself, how could I even dare to do something she might do? So, I could… I could try, try to be more 'respectful' if that's what she thinks. Also, I wanted to make her know I meant no harm, "Okay, listen. First of all, I'm of my word. I'm not a cold blooded killer of innocents and I'm also not a fanatic, I prayed like any rodian but I don't follow the scriptures to the tee, I'm as pious as your husband was after deserting. The kobold- I mean, 'him' is okay with me. And… I guess you're right, I'll treat 'him' with more respect". Delilah smiled at my words and bowed before leaving me alone.
Sounds of furniture scratching the floors woke me up in the morning, I thought something was happening so I hastily dressed up and put my armor on before walking downstairs. The tables and chairs were gone, there were many crates stacking against the walls, one kobold that was carrying a vase saw me and immediately ran calling for Delilah who came from the back to greet me, "Good morning Sir Tak. Sorry for the noise, we are packing everything we can and leaving today. Please, follow me, Colt is ready to leave". Back in the 'unneutered' room, Colt was trying to fit ten books in a bag that could barely contain them, a bag which also he could hardly carry. "Colt! You may take just two books!", Delilah scolded Cold and turned to me, "Sir Tak… Please take care of him. Don't let anything bad happen and deliver him safe. Here", she took my hand and placed, ten gold coins?! W-what the?!, I gaze at my palm and back to her face to see if she was joking, "Uhm… a-are you sure? T-this is more than a lot for a simple delivery", I said, it was foolish on my part to even question the amount but I couldn't keep quiet in front of such obscene amount. "Please sir. Take these. This is what I think this delivery you're doing for me is worth", Delilah held my hand close as to not let a single coin fall, I just nodded and said to Colt, "C'mon. The sooner we leave the faster we'll get there", I began to leave but stopped as Colt ran towards Delilah and hugged her hips while crying and giving his goodbyes, something that happened with every kobold in the tea house it seemed, he personally said his goodbyes to everyone.
First I had to retrieve my horse from the horsekeeper, so we made our way there while Colt silently cried and stopped to wipe his tears away before running and trying to catch up to me, I wasn't going to stop for him so he held the end of my cape as to not get lost. He seemed afraid of anything, hiding behind me everytime we went passed by any person or covering his ears to any loud noise, he felt safe once we were in the outskirts and I could hear him trying to start a conversation, breathing before opening his mouth just to close it again, this concert of noises he made began to annoy me more than if he would just speak his mind, "Talk already. What do you want to say?", I blurted out and Colt yelped and tried to recompose himself, "Well… I- Uh.. I", he cleared his throat and then said, "I… was wondering, sorry if I'm bothering you but, did you read the book you took yesterday? Did you like it? Because I was trying to get into poetry and I don't fully understand it and I was hoping if you could… I mean, I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask you, you probably don't care… forget I ever said anything!", he went quiet but now that he spoke his mind might as well entertain him a bit, "I read the book before. I took it because I lost my copy a long time ago. I had read most of the poems in there and you will not understand any of them, there are obscure references to rodian culture in those poems", I said and from the corner of my eye I could see him getting excited, he quickly came next to me and made question after question, like a child, he would ask for my favorite book then switch to ask how many I have read… I just reached with my hand and closed his muzzle. If he was going to yap like this all the way to the destination, then this was about to be the longest and most annoying delivery I'll ever make, so I had to set him straight, "Listen well. The fact that I answered one question, doesn't mean you can start asking a thousand more. So, when I take my hand out of your mouth I want you to ask only 'one' question and I'll see if I want to answer or not, else I'll… uh… cut your tongue, understood?". My warning made immediate effect as he gulped and started to shake, then I pulled my hand off his muzzle when I saw he had pissed himself from fear, "What the? Y-you pissed yourself?!". Colt then sat on the ground and hid his head in between his legs while crying, I could hardly believe such a pathetic display, not even a children would react this way. Now I had to get him to move again because I will not carry him and risk his piss to stain my clothes, "I didn't mean that! C'mon, stop crying", I said but everytime I tried to grabbed him, he would scream, "No! Stop, I wanna go back!". I had no time for this, I grabbed him by the collar and began to drag him, "If you won't move then I'll have to drag you along with your pissed pants".
He wouldn't stop screaming and groaning, seemed I was hurting him just by dragging him… Shit, this was going to be the hardest delivery just because the cargo was a whiny pet, I needed to change my approach, I took him to the side of the road and placed him under the shade of a tree, "Cry all you want, I'll wait for you", I let him cry it out for about five minutes until he calmed himself, "There? Feeling better?", I asked and then I heard his voice, "Lady Delilah told me he was knight, and rodian knights hate kobolds, why did she let him take me?... He's going to kill me like in the stories… he hates kobolds like all the rodians…", he muttered, talking to himself, I couldn't let this go on any longer, I held him by the chin and forced him to look at me, he groaned and squirmed against me and scratched my arm trying to leave my grip. "Look at me. Listen to me well, I'm not going to hurt you, I made a promise to Delilah that I would deliver you safely to your new family and that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to kill you or whatever you think in that head of yours. Also, I'm not rodian, I'm from the northern settlements, I was born in the town of Sonnda", my words seemed to calm him as he stopped squirming, so I continued, "I won't take you back to her, she's leaving today and already paid me for this job. Now, are you going to behave?". I let him out of my grip and he sat there with a dumbfounded look and muttered, "Sonnda… you are from Sonnda?", he jumped back to his feet all of the sudden and grabbed my wrist, "A-Are you from Sonnda? Ho-..wh.. did you see it?! Did you see that?!", I couldn't understand what he was trying to ask me about until he let out, "Did you see the Calamity?".
How did he know? More than that, he was literally the first person- living thing, who wasn't in the holy army, to even mention the Calamity since I began this quest more than a month ago, a kobold, a fucking kobold. I was eager to know what he knew, I kneeled and asked, "Where did you heard that? Did you read that somewhere? Was there something published about the Calamity?!", the roles seemed to have reversed, now I was the one asking non-stop questions and Colt had to take a few breaths before answering me, "N...no, I didn't read about it somewhere, I've heard about it… there was this person that came to the tea house some months ago, I normally stayed in my room and just read but that day I was outside and I've heard him talking to the person that accompanied him… he described awful beings that impaled and killed people, it was horrific and I could heard the distress in his voice. He named some towns, Sonnda, Sinder and one… uh… Cosis… Cocnis… I can't recall… he said it was the Calamity that destroyed all of them and that it was coming south. Is it true? T-that it's going to kill all of us?". That explains it, I haven't seen anything written by the Calamity beside some material reserved for the holy knights back in Roda, the Calamity remains hidden from the common folk. "The other town was Cocsisborough. And yes, its goal is to end life as we know it… Don't pay much attention to that, you won't see it in your lifetime anyway. Also, sorry for what I said before, please forgive me and let's continue, okay?", I said as I stood up and stretched my hand to him, he wiped his wet eyes and nodded before taking my hand.
Colt held to my hand like a lifeline the rest of the way and, once in the stables, he hid behind me when the horsekeeper brought my horse to me. The horsekeeper asked me if I could deliver another letter to his daughter, but I explained to him that I had another delivery to make. Colt had to be delivered to a village in the north, so it was convenient for me to just leave him with his new family and then continue my journey toward the Duchy of Sallas. The horsekeeper then warned me about the cult, "The north should be safer but there's still a chance you'll encounter one of the cultist. They dress like a regular person, that's why you should check their wrist as they got a mark that identifies them as of the cult, they like to have them covered to avoid being discovered. Be safe out there". I got on my horse and helped Colt up, afraid of falling off the horse, he clung to my back as if a simple breeze would push him off. The way north took me to a different path from the one I took before when I did the job for the horsekeeper, this one seemed more abandoned… actually, all the roads were abandoned completely, not a single soul passed us by, the situation in this country was pretty grave if they couldn't do something as simple as moving through the roads.
We rode for an hour and Colt let his grip on around my hips falter, he seemed to be getting accustomed to riding on a horse and began to contemplate his surroundings, probably the first time he's ever been outside for this long and this far. From time to time he would speak to himself about what he was seeing; a bird, a tree, an insect or a flower. In the afternoon, we stopped next to a stream to take shelter from the heat and give water to the horse. Colt washed his piss stained pants and then ran back to me, handing me a neatly put together box with food inside, "This were made by Lady Delilah, this one is for you sir!", he said and began to spew out about where we were, "That stream connects to the main river that leads to the sea! I saw it in a map of the Princedom… I should've had brought it with me, it had all the villages and town pointed out. And that tree you tied the horse to, that tree is called 'Traveler's Stick' because is branches all end up pointing north, funny isn't it? I've read that in a book… I should've had brought that book too!". What a change of mood, a few hours ago he was crying and begging to leave my side and now he treated me like a childhood friend, "Books aren't everything, you know? There are many things you will never learn from words", I said and he looked offended, frowning his brow before replying, "I-I know that! But… I wasn't able to leave before and explore outside. Lady Delilah had a strict schedule of learning, she wanted a kobold that would read, write and be well spoken. And I know what you think of my kind. Like Jack, my brother, he doesn't know how to read and hated wearing clothes, he ran around the tea house butt naked until Lady Delilah had him neutered. My sister Neilah, she would hit me sometimes because 'I was the favorite of Lady Delilah', she actually hated the fact I talked without stuttering… Actually… All of my brothers and sisters hated me, they thought I didn't belong, that I was too smart and tried too hard to act different, to be more liked by Lady Delilah… and… and, they were right! I prefer not to be that… a kobold", Colt gazed at the ground, I think he really needed someone to talk to and I didn't want to, but I was stuck with him until I finished this job, his face got flustered before continuing, "You know sir, I've read what the kobolds do and what… humans do to kobolds. I've read the long story about how the humans domesticated my kind and how there's a movement of kobolds that rose in rebellion and were swiftly crushed. Even Lady Delilah doesn't know that my brothers and sisters spoke of something like that, she thinks of her kobolds like family but some of them differ in though. But Lady Delilah did see something of kobold nature… see, my father was a kobold used for breeding until the age of eight, but Lady Delilah had him ousted of the 'stud' position because he would get aggressive with the females, then he, out of anger, tried to kill Lady Delilah and, even if she raised him like her son, even if she loved him deeply and never mistreated him, he acted upon his animal instinct, thankfully he was stopped by a customer of the tea house… After that my brothers dragged my father to the back of the tea house and dismembered him out of hate, for daring to hurt their mother. Lady Delilah was terrified, she neutered all the remaining kobolds and stopped breeding us instantly. I was the last one to be born-"
Didn't need to hear another sad story, I left him speaking to himself and went to untie the horse, maybe I'll be able to drop him today and get on my way quickly. I grabbed him by the collar and sat him on the horse and we carried on, but the little bastard noticed my haste, "Uh… Sir, I know you'll want to have me delivered as soon as possible but… well, once we cross the Blue River, the terrain is going to become more… mountainous", I kept quiet at his comment but unfortunately, he was right. By the evening we had to take detours over sloped roads, having to go up and down constantly, from high altitude down to valleys, across streams and over ragged roads… we ended up having to stay the night in a cave next to a mountainous path. "We'll spent the night here, get the stuff off the horse", I said to Colt who diligently did his best to avoid getting crushed by the baggage while I made a fire. A rain formed outside that slowly became a downpour, a much needed relief from the heat of the approaching summer, and Colt sat against the stone wall to read as I began to cook a stew from some provisions Delilah put in the bags… for a few moments, the sound of the rain, the smell of the cooking food, even the presence of someone quietly reading… it felt, good? Can't remember the last time I had something like this.
I let the stew simmer with the ingredients and I sat and drew my sword, like I've always did, I took a handkerchief and began to clean it, then Colt's voice interrupted my concentration, "Woah… i-is that a real sword?!", he said and crawled to me, his lizard hands trying to reach for the blade which glowed faintly, he stopped an inch from it, "It's glowing? What kind of sword is that?". His curiosity kind of amused me more than annoy me, "Want to feel it? Extend your hands", I said and he obliged, I let the sword fall into his arms and he fell face flat into the ground thanks to its weight, I laughed so hard I cried a bit and he slowly rose to his feet with trembling arms trying to hold the sword, "To heavy for a kobold, don't you think?", I teased and he angrily let the sword hit the ground, turned and went to his corner, giving his back to me. I finished cleaning my sword and concealed it under my cape. His anger lasted until dinner time, he ate a bunch of the stew and asked for seconds. Funny how much food can they store in those tiny bodies. And after eating I killed the fire and faced the entrance of the cave, I kneeled and felt the tiny droplets of rain hitting my face as I prayed. Sometimes images come to my mind, Sometimes names or faces… other times just feelings, this time it was an ugly one, could've been the stew giving me a belly ache but, I opened my eyes for a few seconds and gazed outside the cave to the other side of the mountain where a parallel trail could be seen, there were two lights, clearly from a lantern, walking the trail. In other circumstances two individuals walking a trail wouldn't mean much of anything, but these two individuals were the first ones I've seen walking any road since arriving to the Princedom and if they came from the north, it could mean is safe to travel there, or that's what I hoped.
That uncertainty… having to 'hope', a sentiment I hated most, I prefer to always know, to always be ready. After this I'll be arriving at Sallas and the only thing I know is that I might be, either welcomed as a former holy knight or imprisoned as a deserter, or a heretic… or worst. Sallas is a deeply religious nation after all, it rivals with the other greats of the faith, Roda, the Divine Exaltation and The West Kingdom. Where other nation have become more and more liberal and secular, these always surpass themselves in fundamentalism. It's weird how I still have in regard many things of the faith in me but hardly hold any of their dogmas, I'm literally next to a kobold, helping him and treating him as a human almost, I would love to know what Father Bardion might think of this… that's right, that's why I am going to Sallas, it was him who told me to meet the maestre of the capital's church, Maestre Kendall, and ask him for help with my sword, to know what the glowing symbols on the blade meant and its origin, I hope… no, I'm certain he will know something.