Chapter 283 – Re: Vealed

Day 17 (Cont)

Evening

Kichi led them back to the village at a run, taking him to the new field that Aqua was supposed to be planting with Riana this afternoon. Aya and Kia were standing guard over Aqua's fallen body, with Riana kneeling beside her. There was another fallen male goblin nearby, but there was no sign of Grak or his other crony. He cycled wind magic and ki, pulling rapidly away from Kichi and Ee.

"How is she?" He asked, coming to a sliding stop beside her. Her clothes were ripped off, and her face and arms were covered in bruises. There was a large goose egg on her head, like she had been bashed by a club. 

"She is alive but unconscious. Those three got to her before they could do anything more." Riana said, gesturing to Kichi and the two women.

"Do you know what happened? I thought they were going hunting today."

"They were helping us break new ground. I left her alone with them to go grab more seeds since we had more hands than expected. When I came back, it was already over with."

"Kia? What happened? What did you see?"

"We were coming back with another boar when I heard her screaming. When we got into the glen, she was fighting with Grak, Jih, and Rek. She had knocked Rek out, but Grak smashed her head with a club, and she fell down. He was about to rape her, but he and Jih ran to the woods when he saw us coming."

"Thank you, Ria, Aya." He said, then focused back on Aqua. He placed his hand on her chest and cast his healing magic. "Middle Heal!"

"Ah.." She gasped softly, apparently only partially unconscious. He scooped her small body up and cradled her in his arm. "I got you, Aqua. You're safe now." He whispered in her ear softly. Inside, his emotions were in turmoil.

Damn it. Here I thought I could trust these goblins not to do shit like this. 

"Rou? Is that you?"

"Yeah, Darlin. It's me."

"You came. You came for me."

"Of course. I just wish I could have sooner."

"You came..." She said, then passed out.

He stood up. Everyone was watching him with concerned expressions on their faces. He wasn't sure why; they were not the focus of his wrath. The body of that other hobgoblin, however.

"Gae Derg." He said. A purple and black spear hovered beside him, and he grasped it with a spectral hand that grew out of his stub. He had no idea how he did that, but he didn't really care right now. He kicked the hobgoblin over, causing him to groan.

"Huh... What happened? Grak? Is it my turn- ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!" 

John was going to question him, but the moment he said that last part, he saw red. Taking the spear, he shoved it right up the rapist's ass, its flames easily parting the soft flesh. He lifted the goblin into the air, then slammed the butt of the spear into the ground.

"Heal!" He said, casting magic on the impaled rapists, mending his wounds as the spear burned his insides. He screamed louder, unable to do anything but squirm harder as gravity pulled the spear deeper inside his body, unable to die as John kept healing him.

"Heal! Heal! Heal!"

He continued to do it, continued to extend the torment, wishing he still had the stone from the Godslayer sword to banish this soul into. Nothing less would sate his anger, his hatred for this being from trying to rape his friend, his family in this world. 

"Middle Heal! Middle Heal!" He growled. Black smoke was coming out of the hobgoblin's mouth, but he kept it alive for as long as he could.

"She is my woman, not yours! Never yours, you piece of shit!" He shouted, then pulled down on its leg, impaling him fully, the spear shooting out of its mouth, cutting off any remaining screams it had. 

The rapist died a few moments later, black fires consuming its body. 

He turned to the onlooking crowd that seemed to have assembled around him. Goblins, Hobgoblins and Human women. "This is the fate of a rapist in our community. I will have none of this here. Not now, not ever. Kichi! Ria! Aya!"

"Uhh, Yes, Rou?" Kichi said, his two women standing behind him.

"Thank you for helping save her from such a fate. Will you do me a favour and round up the rest of the hunters and go hunt Grak and Jih down for me? Bring them to me, I want them alive."

"Of course! Anything for you!"

"Thanks, buddy. You're a good friend. Better than I have been. I'll be in the baths with Aq- with Sui. Riana, can you help Kichi search for them? Ee, can you bring some clothing for Sui?" He belted off orders, then carried Aqua into the mansion to clean her up. 

The crowd watched him in silence, then stared at the still-smoking corpse for a moment before breaking off to do their lord's will. If there were any questions about who was the strongest in the village, they had been completely resolved now. 

Kichi just hoped that one day he would be as strong as Rou was. He wanted to be an equal to his friend, not to stand in his shadow. 

"I brought her some clothes, Rou. I couldn't find much in her size other than those suits that our mothers are wearing." Ee said as she came into the grotto. Mi was right on her heels, the pair of them carrying clothing and some snacks. 

"That is fine. Bring them up here and come join us." John replied, rubbing Aqua's back. She was still a little dizzy, but had come to recently. She was sitting on his lap, a towel between them, as he used Healing Hands to rub her back. She had buried her head into his chest and was crying softly from the close encounter. He was torn, wanting to stay here to take care of her or join Kichi in the hunt for the two perpetrators. He tore into himself for allowing this to even have a chance to happen.

I should have cut the cancer out when I had the chance. These are evil creatures by birth, and Grak had already shown me he didn't want to rise above his nature. Can I even trust Kichi? Chi? Or even the female goblins? 

He shook his head. He wanted to give them a chance, a chance to rise above their nature, but he didn't want to put Aqua and the others in danger because of that chance. 

Stop it! It isn't your fault what others choose to do. Don't lay this on the innocent just because they are from the same race as the guilty. Evil doesn't discriminate; there are enough evil humans around to prove that point. 

"How are you feeling, darlin'?" He asked her as gently as he could, trying his best to keep the rage he was feeling out of his voice. 

She looked up at him, her aquamarine eyes filled with tears. "I- They- You, I can't. I know this was a thing that happens... but I couldn't stop them... There were too many."

"Well, you got one pretty good. Not bad for a pacifist."

"Rou, that's not... jerk. This isn't funny." She said, smacking his chest.

"No. It isn't. I just wanted to get you out of your head. You did everything you could; you couldn't have expected this to happen." He said, then pulled her back in for a hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop them from even trying."

"It's okay. It's my own fault for staying away." She said, then whispered quietly, lower than he would have been able to hear without some of his new skills. "I love you, Rou. I love you so much." Then louder. "Please, forgive me for making a mess."

"None of that now. You already had your punishment, so there is nothing to forgive. Just be more mindful of your drinking, okay?"

"Okay."

The two hobgoblins joined them, both of them hugging Aqua tightly while telling her how happy they were that she was okay. John just kept rubbing her back, happy that at least these two had empathy for others, giving him faith there was hope for the remaining goblins. He kissed the top of Aqua's head, his mind now churning on what to do next. 

"My Lord. How can your faithful servant help you at this time of night?" Jean said, bowing towards him. 

"Can you get Angel for me, please? I need her help." He asked.

He had just put Aqua to bed with Mi and Ee, telling the two of them to watch over her. He made a quick stop in the kitchen to grab something before going to the Women's quarters. Lina and another woman were guarding the entry, the women on high alert until Grak could be brought in. She was a muscular woman, heavily scarred and covered in tattoos, which looked really odd with the bunny costume. He was pretty sure she was a Berserker and one of the women who had given him skills that... interesting night.

She fetched Jean for him, leaving him to update Lina on how Aqua was doing. They talked for a few minutes, then John spied Jean walking down the hallway, adjusting her breasts in her hastily put-on bunny suit. Little John was straining at the seams again, but he slammed those thoughts down hard, not wanting to think about sexual things at the moment.

"I take it you want her to scry out the two hobgoblins for you. Please, follow me. I'll bring you to her."

They walked down the hall, the stately wing once full of antiques now filled with plants and paintings from other parts of the mansion, giving it a more feminine touch.  They paused at a door three-quarters of the way down the hall, and motioning him to stay there, Jean knocked on the door and entered. He could hear murmuring on the other side, then Jean called for him to enter. 

The room was much less ostentatious than his own, but it was still quite large. There were three twin beds along one wall with dividers separating them, dressers on the opposite side of the wall with large mirrors, a seating area, a TV, and a bar fridge. 

Angel was seated on the edge of the first bed, wrapped in a sheet, apparently being woken up by his arrival. She stood up and bowed. "Milord. You. Need. Me?" She said, still stuttering while she talked.

"If you don't mind. I take it you are aware of Grak and his attack on Sui earlier?"

"Yes. How. She?"

"A bit shaken, but better. She is asleep with Mi and Ee watching over her right now."

"You. Join. Hunt?"

"I need to make sure they can't hurt anyone again. The hunting party hasn't returned, and every minute they are gone, the further from my grasp he gets."

"You. Seek. My. Powers?"

"You helped me find the Mi and Ee before. I was hoping you would be willing to do it again."

She looked at him for a moment, her Amber eyes searching his for something. She nodded, then, to his surprise, she dropped the sheet. Her breasts were scarred much like the rest of her body, her time in the hole having left both physical and mental scars on her. Her breasts were swollen, still full of milk, the nipples leaking some of the fluid.

"Please. Take. Fill. Revenge. For Sui."

"Thank you, Angel. I will make sure they pay." He replied and knelt beside her. He took a nipple into his mouth and tried not to think about what he was doing.

"That. Is. A. Good. Son." She said, rubbing the top of his head and smiling down at him like he was her own child.

[Spiritualist]

[Scry]

[Sense Area]

[Foresight]

[Mental Mapping]

[Blessing - Mother's Milk]

Day 17/18

Midnight

John was standing at the foot of the mansion, dressed in his leathers with a small pack of food on his back. Jean was nearby, awaiting his orders.

He had thanked Angel for the gift of her skills and spent a few moments with her afterwards before taking his leave. He could pay Alec the 2000 credits to be sure, but he didn't need to. He found out who his mother was in this world, and he didn't need that noisy god to confirm it for him. He wasn't sure what to do with that revelation yet, but he would do his best to make sure she lived a comfortable life, considering all the hell she went through to get here.

She had plenty of skills to share with him, but the one that most concerned him required his need. His need to find that rat bastard.

"Scry," He said, focusing on the image of Grak in his mind. White wisps of magic expanded outwards from his body, rapidly orbiting him before solidifying into an image of his target. He was running, heading North towards human lands.

"My Lord?" Jean asked when he released the magic.

"They headed North and are running as fast as they can. Keep everyone safe. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Are you sure you want to do this alone? There are dangers everywhere."

"Heh, what I want is moot. I'm not letting him get away and have a chance to grow stronger and gain allies from other goblin clans. No one here has my endurance, so I will go alone. Please, watch over the place while I'm gone and make sure Kichi doesn't chase after me when he returns. They have a hell of a head start on me, but I should be back in a couple of days, by the end of the week at most. If you are worried about me, just ask Sui. She can see where I am."

"Yes, My Lord. We will anxiously await your return. Good Luck." She replied, bowing to him again.

Without another word, John cycled his healing magic and Ki and darted off into the night.