Across the ocean Book 1: On the run

Chapter Six : Wounds in a Family

Somewhere in the woods between Gimvault and the Melti's Mountains, under the cover of night and of trees without numbers, two goblins argued vehemently. Their size was relatively the same as a human adolescent. Eyes slightly bigger and of a glassy yellow shining subtly, but all too obviously within the darkness. Skin of a grey ash colour, arms and legs longer than those of humans, clothing alone could not hide their racial features. Unlike humans, their vision was not as hindered in the dim light. True, reading and writing as well as any task demanding precision in movement or attention to tiny details for an extended time still required a decent level of brightness; however, travelling felt barely different to them at night or midday.

Sitting on thick branches of a tree, they kept safe from most trouble. If wolves could not climb, then no more able was the coyote. Only a young bear could reach them, but cubs were only a threat because of their mother, who could only hope to shake the tree hard enough to make the goblins fall. There was, however, the cougar which had no issues whatsoever in climbing trunks, but these lived in the Demiory Mountain Chain, except for the extremely rare feline adventurous enough to explore the Melti's Mountains.

The continent of Evozen was inhabited not only by human nations and tribes, but also by orcs and goblins. In addition, there were undeniable marks and material remains from angels and maguses despite both having already left the continent several thousand years ago. But in the present time, known either as the Fourth Hour or the Age of Kingdoms, only the first three races remained.

Though none of the races ever sought to annihilate the other, the most violent wars often had been those between nations or tribes of different race. History had known crusades which sought an objective in between annihilation and waring with another nation: breaking the dominance of another race. The most well-known had occurred during the Dark War, when orcs had attempted to break the supremacy of mankind held together by the Kastosians and the Assionians and had almost succeeded. Conflicts were not unavoidable; all three races knew diplomacy and not just between kin but with others as well. In fact, humans were more likely to fight with humans than orcs, and orcs with orcs than goblins. One could join as an ally of a nation from another race, but to start a conflict directly opposing a nation from said race tended to bring more players into the fray than either side expected.

As for these two goblins, their presence within the southernmost province of the Kastosian Empire contrasted with where they had originally come from. Kastos only had three shared borders by land, of these only the Eltharyosten Tribe belonged to the goblin race and was up north. Kastosians did allow other races to enter their territory, but they were kept in urban centers or anywhere near military garrisons. Here, just north of Gimvault, only trees and mountains. True, there was an outpost where the Great Road was at its highest in altitude, but the few soldiers there were more often than not busy rescuing stray travelers than anything else. These two goblins were not travellers, but immigrants who had left their homeland in exile long ago.

-"Kermosh," said the first goblin, "too far he goes, too far! From a land thrice cursed by three armies of centuries past, bones of ancient, twisted beasts you brought to our Master. The curse of our forefathers, does your memory still know? "Center of an empire utterly despicable, no good from you could come. From your Dark Emperor to us was betrayal made. As allies we at first thought ourselves, instead treachery from the Emperor we barely avoided suffering. Never in past, ever in future again, will a goblin in the Cursed Lands find glory.""

-"Claörgh," said the other goblin, attracting an angry glare from the other, "family honour is all. If the stirring of dust from wars past be the only way, then idleness would you expect from me, or, as I see it, is an opportunity one should take?"

Claörgh was older than Kermosh by many years despite lacking in signs of aging: eighty-nine years old, barely any wrinkles on him besides those expected from one half his age. When he had lived in the Eltharyosten Lowlands, he had spared no efforts to become the next Great Patriarch of his nation, and by doing so had taken part with the other candidates of the time in the ceremony where a goblin could lengthen his life expectancy between a century and a half and two centuries. Even if many candidates achieved such a gift, not being selected by the Council of Elders as the next ruler forced them to form the new Council of Elders meant to obey and support the new Great Patriarch. Claörgh had refused to submit to the chosen one, and therefore had had little choice but to exile himself with his family before the authorities had had the chance to capture and execute him. For a candidate to refuse the new ruler, death was the only punishment.