Journey of the Half-Elf - Book 1

Chapter XXV - Maa'gor, The Most Merciful

Ten minutes had passed since Guinevere and Gastan left the house — they were heading south to the edge of the Northern Outskirts to see Maa'gor in her infamous tavern. Right now, a handful of the indolent Goblins around them had chosen to wake up, either in the alleyways that they passed out in, or their uncleaned bedrooms.

"How do they even live like this, Father?" Guinevere asked, adjusting her dark blue headscarf to better conceal the curves of her slimmed shoulders.

"Most of them don't give a shit about life." He began to tell her as they walked past more begrimed buildings. "Goblins don't live that long. They grow up fast, and die fast."

"Oh," She said, "I didn't know that. Do you know why they have short lifespans?"

"Not one bit, Gwinna. I don't think anyone does. Maybe I'm wrong though, maybe there's someone who knows.
Why do you think the walls and the streets are so dirty? When you ain't long for the world, you don't exactly feel like doing anything meaningful. You just wanna sit on your ass and please yourself as often as you can. If you can't drown in beer, drown in women. If you can't fuck every hole you see, go raid a village and rip and tear.

Why do you think that for the last sixteen years, Shikrog made this city the way it is? While Alfrind, Shu'kaar and Conhain used what they had to make their cities strong, to help their mates in the South, he just didn't give a fuck. I don't know how old he is, but I'd bet he's got a couple years left."

"Hm..." Guinevere sounded, quickly swatting a fly away from near her eye. "So, I'm curious about something, Father."

"Go on." He replied, itching his short scruffy beard for a second.

"How does succession work? I mean, when Shikrog or, Alfrind or Conhain dies, who takes their place as the ruler of the city?"

"Their kid, usually their oldest son if they have one. But if they don't, and they have daughters, then they get picked.

Out the four of them, I reckon Shikrog has the most kids.
I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard years ago that he fucked twenty women in one night. Did he knock them all up? Probably, but who knows for sure?

Your average Goblin doesn't give a shit about marriage or loyalty. The moment they can, the men and women fuck whoever they feel like fucking, when they want and where they want.

"Oh. It's very different to what Elves do." She said, adjusting her loosening blue headscarf.

"And the other races. Even Orcs stay loyal to one partner till the day they die, and they tend to live in woods. So where they are ain't an issue, it's their culture."

"I see..." She nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Hm... tell me about Maa'gor. That is, if you want to. If not, then it's fine."

As they headed further south towards the Center, the foul odours of the outskirts diminishing ever so slightly, Gastan let out a heavy sigh. "What do you wanna know?"

"Are you sure you want to tell me? I have other questions."

"It's fine, kid. Besides, it's better I tell you what you need to know before we actually get there. Maa'gor's a certain type of person, and knowing how she works'll help you to not get, well... swayed by her."

"Very well.
Alright, how did you two meet?"

"You found out yesterday that I haven't seen her for the last six years. You know me and Liam worked for her before we left.

She picked me up a few months before the end of the Great War. We were fighting in the Southwest. A Baith'gead Elf tried to bury me and three other men under rocks. But just before he could finish the job, Maa'gor came and threw a spear in his back, pinning him to the grass on the hill.
She asked all of us if we wanted to end the war, if we wanted a future working for her. She said we'd all be paid well, that we'd all find meaning in doing her dirty work for her."