Private Tales Upon Ragged Peaks

[Helena]

---

It had been a day since they had left behind their horses - the terrain too treacherous to risk their mounts- two days since they had left the safety and comforts of the monastery, and the climb up the rocky and barren trail was harsh, though Helena did not seem at all harried by it. Born upon the Spine, in a mining village nestled in terrain similar to the one they trekked across now. Well packed and wearing a thick cloak and warmer kit, she knew how to carry herself in such a place, slow and steady as they gained elevation across goat trails and scree slopes, and fought against gales and wind-chill, and she instructed the squires who accompanied her as needed.

"We should arrive at Kankon by late morning tomorrow," she said back to Lorinna and Innis, sure to keep three points of contact to the boulders she moved around, "But we must approach at a steady pace, less the mountain sickness delay us further," she paused, and looked back at the pair of squires. "Am I going to fast?" she asked, a genuine concern in her voice.

A rumble sounded through the air, and it came before them, earth set to motion, its sound heavy and booming. A creature, cat like, yowled and hissed.

"Needles!" A small voice called out with panic that ran high. A crash.

Helena cut her gaze ahead, "Steady across the boulders, I shall move ahead!" she called back to the two, and she moved with haste, sure footed yet with eyes full of care and attention.

Passed the boulder field, over the crest of the slope, there a came a plateau, upon which a construct of stone and root did lumber.

Hunched as it was, with its fist cratered in the earth, it was as tall as Helena. The Knight Captain drew her sword, and rushed

forward as the thing pulled its fist out from the ground.

Root and tangle, growing fast,

The small voice from before coughed, and cried out again from within the cloud of dust. "Needles? Needles are you ok?" A goblin boy asked their downed cat creature companion, bent over the spine covered and scale plated feline. It had saddle bags strapped upon its back, and the supplies it carried lay scattered about the floor. It mewed and lifted its head weakly.

Rampant and wild,

The construct lifted its arm up and brought it down with a crush that stirred the air.

A bolt of white cloth which stirred with motion." Rise to our defense!" Came the captain's call, hot as she swung her sword in a crescent up before the construct and the child. Roots, thick and strong and unnatural, rose up in the blade's wake like a wave against the stone being, crashed against its fist and swirled about its limbs. Helena let out a long breath, as the automaton struggled, its wooden bindings began to give way to its strength. "Quick, leave this place!" she told the child, whose animal companion seemed to rouse up to its four paws, drowsy, but alive.

"I, I'll help!" The boy shouted.

"You will help by being gone!" Helena shouted, and began to gather her will once more, maintaining the wild strength and speed that had helped her quick to the child's aid.

---

Lorinna Astarel
Innis

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Innis Helena

Lori wasn't accustomed to climbing such heights. She had grown up out in the Allirian reach, a land of gentle hills. Her youth hadn't involved much hardship. She had been a pampered young girl.

The Order had taught her hardship, even if it hadn't yet taught her much about clambering through mountain terrain. She didn't complain. Even as her legs were so tired it felt more like falling up the slope than climbing.

As Helena stopped to talk to them, Lori took a few seconds to lean on a rock and try to gather some breath. She was so tired that any steep slope or climb robbed her of breath in seconds.

She might have started to reply, but the ground shook with the sound of rocks colliding ahead of them.

Lori was slow to picked a path after Helena. She rounded the corner and stopped to take in the bizarre scene. Lori drew her sword, but she didn't know what use it would be. The giant pile of rocks might just sharpen the blade if she struck it at the right angle, but otherwise it was likely to snap it.

 

[Innis]

Innis was well past tired and nearing into exhaustion. She shouldn't have stayed up so late last night reading about the transitive properties of ice. And maybe she should have left the heavy tome at the monastery in the first place, its bulk awkwardly weighing down her travel pack. Regardless, if she had wanted to get to know the other girl better, this wasn't the trip to do it. They both heaved and huffed up the mountain slope, with little breath between them for conversation.

What seemed like it was going to be a short break quickly turned into a dire situation. Innis, still a ways behind the others, watched as the scene unfolded. A mass of living stone, attacking what looked like a young goblin, and their Captain leaping into action to quell the threat.

At the Captain's urging, the goblin child scrambled out of the way of the heaving giant and towards the two squires. Innis barely noticed as the child came their way, a big spiky cat thing limping behind them. Her eyes were on the monstrous form ahead, even as the Captain choked its movement with Wild root and vine.

"That's not a natural formation," Innis called out from behind Lori as she ran to catch up, adrenaline pushing the words out of her quick. "Look, there's runework at the joints, that's how you can tell the difference between a wild aberration and an artificer's construct."

Roots creaked and snapped as the construct in question pulled harder against its bounds. Startled by the sudden movement, Innis slipped on a loose rock and stumbled through the last couple of steps. She grabbed at Lorinna's shirtsleeve to steady herself.

"We have to--" she exclaimed, still clinging to the other girl's elbow. Then she let go, slowing her breath, starting the thought over. "The core. There's a walnut-sized core somewhere inside that thing. We have to break it, otherwise it won't ever stop."

In front of them, the construct seemed to form a thought inside its witless body. It stopped struggling against the Captain's tightening roots. Pieces of stone fell off its form, chunk by chunk, crumbling away from the bindings. The stones rolled safely past the prison and reformed, stacking themselves back into a bipedal shape - legs, torso, muddy, tangled faceless head and heavy grasping claws. It took one lurching lumbering step towards the Captain, and charged again.

Helena Lorinna Astarel

 

[Helena]

The goblin child watched wide-eyed and speechless, their long knife out and in their hand, for all the good that it would do them, as the construct re-assembled itself and heaved forward. One boulder-sized arm reached out toward Helena, stone digits splayed out as they grasped, and the other arm swung back.

With her jaw set, her mouth pressed into a grim line, Helena sprung back and to the side, avoid the rake and clutch of claws, and she moved quick toward the child as the golem's follow up crush smashed behind her. Helena grabbed up the youth by their scruff, her muscles strengthened by the Wild magic, burned hot as she bound further away still with the child in tow.

The cat creature, large as a ram, yowled and limped away.

Dust billowed about the construct, and shards of rock plinked as they came back to the earth.

Helena let the child down. "Child,"

"My name is Grakti!" The boy shouted as he pulled himself out of Helena's arm.

Her brow pinched down and her lip twitched with annoyance. "Grakti," she said with as much patience as she could muster, and turned back to see the Golem rise once more, its faceless head pointed at her, measured the space between them, then turned toward the squires across the field. Helena clicked her teeth and held her sword out before her as she channeled what magic she could pull to her. "You must know a way we can flee, yes? A passage too tight for that thing to follow us?"

The construct lurched toward Lorinna and Innis. Slow as it closed the distance to them.

"Root and tangle, bramble and branch, twist and snare my foe!" Swiftly and cleanly she manipulated her sword as a wizard might a wand, and those roots that she had called up before sprouted and spread, and raced toward the stone menace. "Run!" She shouted. "We must flee for now!" She hoped her charges would heed her command.

---

Lorinna Astarel
Innis

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Lori sheathed her sword. She would managed nothing more than shattering the blade on such a large chunk of rock.

"The core. There's a walnut-sized core somewhere inside that thing. We have to break it, otherwise it won't ever stop."

"Where would be it?" Lori asked. She picked up a boulder slightly bigger than her hand. With two steps of a run up she tossed it high. The rock struck the golem across the shoulder, knocking it off balance.

"Run!" She shouted. "We must flee for now!" She hoped her charges would heed her command.

"Understood!" Lori called out. There were no arguments from the squire. She picked up and tossed another rock, this time catching the golem across the head.

She turned and ran

 

[Innis]

The construct hadn't seemed that big before, but then it started heading towards them, and even the Captain's brambles didn't seem like they could trap it forever. Innis balked as Lori chucked a rock at the thing, stumbling backwards across the rough ground. She was awe struck.

Ahead of them, the little goblin from before deftly leapt from boulder to boulder. He stopped at the mouth of a narrow crevasse and waved them forward with a green-grey hand. "This way!" he called out. Somewhat dazed still, Innis followed.

Rocks ground against each other as the construct twisted and fought against the bramblespell that continued to curl around it. The thing didn't seem to be struggling this time, just trying out new movements against the inconveniencing roots.

"Look, its getting out of the tangle faster this time!" Innis' eyes had a wicked, careless gleam in them. She slowed her pace and hazarded a look back at the rock construct. "That's so cool!" She wanted to take that thing apart pebble by pebble and study each rune. She wanted to hold its core in her hands and figure out what made it mimic thought in such a convincing way.

But the Captain had said to run. Coming back to her senses, Innis picked up her feet again. She squeezed her way into the goblin-sized split in the mountain that the child had scurried through, huffing and grunting as she weaved shoulders and legs through the narrow space. "Couldn't you have found a bigger exit?" she complained.

 

[Helena]

A rock flew through the air and smacked the construct across the shoulder, its magicked stones wobbled some, and Helena smirked, part of her glad to have a squire who was so quick to act, and she paid little mind to the construct as it shifted and reconfigured, instead, she felt the tangle of roots strain and hold as they too twisted and changed to try and keep the thing locked down. It was a race of magic will, and one she felt she would lose.

She moved around the stone sentinel, cautious of its long reach, until she saw her charges scramble up the rock way, following after the small goblin and their cat creature companion. She moved quickly after, feeling her roots and vines and thorns give way, and her own connection to them fade into nothing.

Muscles pumped efficiently as body and mind worked in unison to see her across the stony field, sword sheathed as the construct lumbered after, free from its bindings. She made it to the narrow escape the others had squeezed through, eyes taking it in quick, and she squeezed herself in. Breath controlled, she was quick to catch up to Innis.

"Less complaining, Squire, more moving!" she scolded, and as if to emphasis the point, the construct crashed against the rocky entrance. Debris was shaken loose, and scattered down in a shower of dust and trickle of rocks.

They had escaped safely. For now.

After some exchange, the small goblin boy, Grakti, lead them to his village.

The entire settlement was a super structure nestled into boulders and plateau that jut out from the wide mesa. Shrubs and spars grass clung to the arid surface, and the wind blew cold. All around small goblin folk milled about their business. Some carried baskets of food, others had picks and shovels rested against their shoulders. They looked at the knights with a guarded suspicion, but saw Grakti and his cat, and carried on.

"Oh, found you some knights, did ya Grakti?" a large bellied goblin called out. He wore a wide bladed sword at his hip, some old chainmail, and a well made shield on his arm. "Them Anatheaum lot, too," he nodded with some approval. "Well, the elders is waiting for ya," he scratched the salt and pepper bristles that grew along his green-grey chin. "Follow me if ya will," he turned some, but stopped, eyes wide before he nodded with a smile. "The name is Ertok, Captain Ertok, mind ya, of Kankon's Watch,"

Helena smiled, and bowed her head. "Captain Helena, of Dawn," she rose her head up. "Honored to be welcomed by a man of rank, these two are squires of our order," she motioned so that they may introduce themselves.

Ertok chuckled some, and there was some redness in his cheeks. "Ho, the honor is mine, Captain of Dawn," he bowed his head to her and the squires in turn. "And ye squires too," he rubbed his bulbous nose some with a knuckle. "Not many knights come our way,"

Grakti cleared his throat. "The elders, Captain Ertok,"

"Oh! Right, right, best not keep them waitin," he added before he turned back to the road and lead them into the great structure of Kankon.

---

Innis Lorinna Astarel

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Lorinna stood for a good few seconds watching the golem throw its weight against the crevice. She had a vision of the entire tunnel being brought down
Despite it being such a bulky creature compared to humans and goblins, it was still just a tiny pile of rocks compared to the side of the mountain itself.

She turned slowly, feeling that unused adrenaline coursing through her veins, and followed their young goblin guide.

Lorinna didn't know what to expect of an entire community of goblins. It was hammered into her that orcs, gnolls, trolls, ogres and goblins were the common threats in these mountains. Goblins were known to be the least threatening and most likely to speak the common trade tongue.

She was nervous, a hand on her belt kept close to the hilt of her longsword for reassurance.

"A pleasure, Captain Ertok," she said with half a bow. She hadn't expected them to be organised into ranks, let alone to have a 'captain' amonst them. The books, it seemed, did not always resemble reality.

She let her hand fall from her belt.

Innis Helena

 

[Innis]

Innis watched with respectful wonder as the young Grakti led them to his village. She knew that the Order had dealings with the mountain goblins of the Spine, but rarely did she get to go this far away from the monastery. The cavernous structure built into the rockside was a marvel of architecture, and she stumbled over her own feet trying to measure the width and breadth of the mesa-turned-town.

Lorinna greeted the goblin Captain that met them like a proper lady, which was her right as a proper lady. Unfortunately for Innis, she did not have nearly half the composure. When her own Captain motioned towards her, she gave a hurried bob of her head before straightening. "Uh, I'm Innis," she said in a rather lackluster tone. "Nice to meet you."

Luckily Captain Helena reminded the other Captain of their purpose here, and with an affirmation he led them through one of the many entrances to Kankon and into the outpost proper. Inside, the air was pleasantly warm, no sign of the chill or damp that often occupied caves. Innis found herself relaxing in the comfortable air, the windy battle with the golem already fading from her mind. There was just one thing wrong - it was all goblin-sized. Innis found herself squeezing sideways through doorways and ducking under support beams as she followed behind the Captain and the other Captain, most occupied with the immediate three feet in front of her.

The primary occupation of the folk here seemed to be miners and smiths. Innis didn't actually know much about smithy work, but she recognized the smell of a forge, and the familiar clank of hammer against metal echoing from some inner chamber. She wondered why the goblin villagers had requested the aid of the Order. They seemed self-sufficient up here, and all the folk they passed had a friendly, unhurried air about them.

Eventually, the winding passages opened up to a large chamber, with curved walls that formed a sort of dome. Thankfully, the ceiling was a grand height for a goblin, and gave plenty of standing room for the human party. At the center of the chamber was a round cook fire, the smell of fresh, dripping meat and other luxuries wafted up, and Innis saw several little cooks tending to the meal's preparation. Rugs and cushions were scattered about the room, places to gather and eat when mealtime came.

On the other side of the fire sat an elderly goblin, packing a long, thin pipe with a purple-y leaf. The other goblins seemed to steer around him with a certain respect, giving his rug a wide berth, and lowering their gaze downwards and away when their paths had to cross. If Innis had to hazard a guess, she'd say that was one of the village elders.

Lorinna Astarel Helena

 

[Helena]

Warm was the fire they gathered around, and bright were the tongues of gold and red upon which the meat roasted and dripped fat drops of oil and rendered fat. They sizzled and hissed, crackled and popped as they fell into the pit. Spiced with peppers and seasoned with what salts the goblin folk could find, it was almost enough to forget the biting cold that came so high upon the Spine. The smell of the local's cookery was hearty and just about as hot as the flame itself. Each breath pulled in by lungs left Helena's nose tingling with heat.

Helena sat across from the wirey old goblin, their limbs as thin and tough as bramble branches, and his skin, like the color of fire and stone itself, bore scales and spines.

"Ikit the Wise, gives you welcome, oh brave knights," the wrinkly old goblin croaked, his head bowed deeply, his hand outstretched and palm open. He wore a thick stone shell upon his back, that made him look something like a Tostudo. The impression wasn't lost when he straightened himself back up. It was in the eyes, every bit as wise and weary as they glimmered golden in the fire light. He held a gnarled old staff firmly with his long fingers. Baubles hang from the staff's twisted head, tied there with bright strands of yarn. In his other hand he held a pipe, which he puffed at with small quick puffs.

The younger goblins tended the cook-fire, meticulous as they turned skewered roots and tubers, and poked at the hunk of mountain goat.

Ikit let out a long stream of smoke, that swirled about the fire, blueish and purple before it rose up and out of the oculus overhead. "Our thanks are given, Knights of Anathaeum, for your coming so far,"

Helena bowed her head to the elder. "The village of Kankon has been of great assistance to us in the past, Master Ikit, we would not abandon you in your time of need."

Ikit drew from his pipe with a long and languid pull, and he nodded easily before he let the smoke out from his nostrils in curling jets of silvery grey. "Good brings good in turn, Helena of the Dawn," he said from behind the curtain of smoke. "Want we could handle our troubles alone, but they bring magic against us, turn the very stones of the mountain to monsters,"

The younger goblins that milled about the stone halls gathered up clay bowls and wooden utensils, while the lead cook took down the the split goat, and set it upon a stone slab. His assistants hefted it up and they took it away to prepare.

The Captain kept her gazed pointed toward Ikit, though her head was bowed, and her eyes looked to the floor rather than directly in his eyes. To stare too long at the eyes is a sign of challenge, she recalled from some lesson long passed. A moment, yes, to acknowledge, to show attention, but you must show the elder you wish no challenge. "What do we know of this foe?" She asked.

The fire crackled and spit out embers that rode the streams of hot air up and through the oculus. "That they have a heart that greeds," Ikit began. "That they wish to see us gone from our home, so that they may take from these lands, what has been ours for so long."

Little information then. "How do they assail you, Wise Master?"

Another long lung-full. Another stream of smoke. "We will speak more once the meal has been shared, Captain of Dawn, for ill is invited when the stomach hungers, and the meat grows cold."

At that, bowls clattered before the party, plates too. A heap of steamed grains, upon which a hunk of roasted red goat, spiced and charred red, its juices sopped down into the rice, tinged orange from all the spices. A whole roasted tuber, starchy and sweet smelling, but purple on the inside, was cracked there beside the meat. In a small bowl there was a white substance, tangy and surprisingly cool. Yogurt made from goat's milk, a tested tongue would tell. There were no utensils, only stacks of flat bread.

Helena nodded her head in acknowledgement, and took up a piece of hot flat bread, tore at its pillowy body, and scooped up some of the rice with a chunk of meat. Blew on it some, and popped it into her mouth.

Lorinna Astarel
Innis

 

[Lorinna Astarel]

Back home, their tales of orcs and goblins and ogres all merged together. Beasts that raided the homes of civilised people. Only their size truly drew any distinction between the tales.

Helena treated their leader, and their customs, with respect. In turn, they were afforded respect back. Lorinna had to wonder why they were told such stories that painted almost any species that was no a race of humanity in a bad light.

If she could be lied to by her own people, were there two sides of the story at play here as well? She thought to herself.

It would have to wait. The constant training left her hungry at the best of times. After climbing the mountain and being chased by a golem she was ravenous. Her appetite had made her 'lumpy' as her younger sister delighted in telling her when she could see her shoulders.

The speed at which she attacked the flat blead, with generous lumps of meat torn from the bone by hand was either going to please or insult their hosts. Lorinna genuinely didn't know which.