Chapter 308 – Re: Scue

Day 52 (Cont)

(Sato PoV)

They tracked the humans all day, staying far enough back to remain undetected. Luckily, they weren't heading toward the village; instead, they angled more eastward. Sato told the others that this trail led in the direction of the Elves' village, though it was a significant ways away. Smaller nests of kobolds, orcs, and other demi-humans dotted this part of the forest, though unlike the goblins, they resembled animals more than humans or other humanoid species like elves.

Near sunset, they stopped at a narrow spot in the trail and took positions on either side of it. Mi had their group back off, then drew a divination spell into the dirt and ignited the magic within her staff. A small circle floated over the circle, showing a bird's-eye view of the humans below.

Damn, she is good with magic. She and Sei would have been great friends... And she has a cute body too. STOP IT! She isn't Sei, you idiot, stop trying to replace her. Sei, I wish you were here now. I could really use someone to smack some sense into me right now.

Sato banished the intrusive thoughts and looked over the humans' positions. It only took half a breath before she figured it out. "They are preparing to ambush something coming from the Northwest. It's the same tactics we use when capturing slav-... sorry, Ruby." She said, belatedly remembering that she was the one who had knocked Ruby out when their old hunting party attacked her caravan to bring her back to the nest to be part of their breeding stock.

"It's fine. You know I don't hold that against you anymore. Besides, this is basic tactics no matter if you're goblins, adventurers, or regular military. Can you focus this spell closer, Mi? I want to see if they have any crest I might recognize." Ruby replied. She was focused on the spell, but she grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  

She smiled at the touch, then lost herself in thought for a bit as Mi started to shift the view closer to the humans.

Wow, things have changed. I never liked that system, but it didn't really bother me before either. Humans were the enemy. Now... I can't imagine not sleeping beside this one, pushing her into the side of Rou like a little redheaded cushion. I wonder how she will sound when Rou gives her an orgasm... I couldn't tell when he hit us all with that spell the other day.

Damn it, I want to throttle him for how he left all of us. 'Get to know me better first, then decide'. I'd love to, but you ran off into the wilds, leaving me heaving from an orgasm and wanting more. Damn chiefs always doing whatever they want. How would he like it if I made him blow a load and then disappear for a week? Bah, he probably wouldn't even notice.

No, that's not fair... he makes time for everyone...and he is so sweet to them. And it isn't like we didn't spend time together. He even made sure I had my vengeance for Sei's death, burning those adventurers alive in the flames she taught him to use. And during our day down in the treasury, he said I looked beautiful in this armour. If I wasn't so focused on myself, I could have spent more time talking to him... ahhh... this is frustrating. I just want to be held again, to feel small and protected in someone's arms, to feel... to feel loved. 

She blinked, not expecting that thought to cross her mind. Love wasn't something goblins usually thought of; their struggles for survival made feelings like that a luxury they couldn't afford. It wasn't until Sei had passed, and she had been living in the comforts of the mansion for some time, that she realized she had been in love with Sei. She wanted those feelings again; She didn't care if it was a man or a woman, as long as they were the strongest in their village. That is what got her going. With her magic, Sei had been the strongest in the nest before Rou had arrived and taken over, turning everything she knew on its head.

I just have to be patient and bide my time. I will learn more about him, grow closer to him. I will accept his way of doing things since he is the chief, but I need to sit down and talk with him alone... explain how my feelings work as well. I'm sure he will understand. And once we are mated, it isn't like I will just run off if someone stronger shows up. Strength comes in many forms, and he is strong, strong enough for me to feel small and protected. I play the role of the warrior all day; at night... at night I just want to be held, to drop my guard, to be allowed to be weak. 

She stood there for some time, lost in her thoughts, not realizing she was squeezing Ruby's hand tightly as the redhead discussed who she thought these humans were with the others. She was squeezing back just as tightly, happy she had forged close bonds with all three of these women.

"So this Steinburg Kingdom is here, ready to ambush someone coming from that direction? What do you want to do about it?" Ee asked, the question bringing Sato out of her thoughts of what she wanted to say to Rou.

"Well, we don't know who they are waiting for. I can't imagine they are here for any of our people; Jean and the returning women from the expedition will be teleported from several days' travel north of here. The only thing I could even hazard a guess at would be elves... but why elves would be this far west is a mystery to me." She said, looking at each of them in turn. Ruby was older than she was, but she had more experience in this part of the world than all of them combined.  

Heh, it's crazy to think this cute little thing is as old as Jii was. These humans are so lucky to live such long lives. Damn it... she isn't a thing. She is a person, just like you. Just cuter. Oh, those rosy cheeks are adorable; I just want to pinch them... What in the heck is wrong with me?

"Should we go check to see who they are and warn them then?" Ruby asked her, her serious tone bringing her back to the matter at hand.

"If we knew exactly where they were coming from... maybe. Rou did say he didn't want us to kill humans except in self-defence or defence of others... but if they are elves, I don't know if we would get a warm welcome, even if we were coming to warn them of the danger. We might end up riddled with arrows before we even came close."

"So what do you want to do then?" Mi asked her. 

She closed her eyes and thought about it for a moment. In the old days, they would just sit back until the two forces engaged each other, then wait to either take out the bloodied winner, or scavenge the remains once they moved on. That's if they even bothered to wait around to begin with. Now though.

What would Rou want us to do? Probably keep ourselves out of danger unless we are trying to save the innocent.

"Let's make a few plans, then move into a position to ambush these humans as they engage whoever they are about to ambush. If it's just some monsters, we will just sit back and watch. If it's elves, kobolds, or other demi-humans, we can assault the humans from behind. If we do that, I'll try to leave a few alive for questioning if I can, but you three don't take any chances. Strike to kill."

"What? Shouldn't we all try and capture some of them?" Ruby asked her.

"If this becomes a melee, it's going to be chaotic. Disabling someone is more difficult to do than just killing them, and gives your opponent and the others around them more time to kill you. Don't hesitate. Don't try to be honourable. Just kill. I don't want to lose more... more of my family because you refused to fight dirty." She said, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Oh lord. What am I doing... why am I crying?

"Sato..." Ruby said softly, then pulled her in for a hug. The human woman was shorter than her, smaller in every way, but right at that moment she melted into her arms. 

"Just promise me that you won't do anything stupid. That you will try your hardest to survive. All of you." She said, burying her face into Ruby's soft red hair. 

"I promise," Ruby replied, then giggled sweetly. "I can't let my big sis Sato down now, can I?"

Big sis? Right... not everyone is like me... and that's okay. I can be her big sister. 

"You better not. Else I'm going to pinch those adorable cheeks of yours."

"I'll hold her for you," Ee said, hugging Ruby from behind, squeezing the poor woman between them.

"Do you think she is ticklish?" Mi asked, joining their group hug.

"HEY! STOP THAT! ACK!" Ruby squealed, apparently being tickled by Mi while she was defenceless. 

Their bonds deepened further as the four women laid out their plans for the possible battle ahead, then rested while watching the scrying circle for the approach of the human's target. Sato felt a mix of happy and sad emotions as she sat back against a tree, wishing Sei could be here with them. 

Heh, she probably would have had her nose jammed in another tome, but it still would have been nice if she were here with us. Ahh, well. It's time to focus now. The chief will kill me if I let any of these women get hurt.

Day 52/53

(Ee PoV)

It was near midnight when Sato shook her awake. The sky was pitch black; the only light came from the dim viewing circle Mi had cast earlier, showing them where the humans were still lying in ambush. Several points of light were now visible in the circle, indicating something was coming towards them.

Ee had no clue how any of this magic stuff worked; her skills focused on finding minerals underground and digging holes way faster than someone her size had any right to be able to do. It might have been magic she was using to find things and fortify her body, but she didn't think about it; it just happened. 

She was okay with that. Her days felt fulfilling, and it made her useful to Rou. She was a bit sad he saw her as his daughter... but unlike Mi, she accepted that was how he felt. That didn't change the fact that she wanted to change his opinion of her; she wanted to prove she wasn't just some child he needed to protect.

She stretched, letting out a yawn, then joined the others as they discussed how they planned on attacking the human position now that they could see that the people approaching were elves. She supposed it might be a good idea to help them, since they were the most powerful people in the forest where they lived. Though that might soon change as the village grew and more of them were evolving. She let her thoughts drift back to Rou as the smarter women planned out the attack. 

He is just overwhelmed with all the work he does. I know we had a connection in the mine... I felt it. If it wasn't for Kichi interrupting us, I know he would have made love to me, turned me into his mate for real. Not that I regret him rushing to Sui's aid; she is as important to me as he is. I wish she were here right now; having healing magic on hand would make me feel a whole lot less nervous about this. 

She squeezed the handles of her two enchanted picks, the smooth, familiar steel handles giving her some reassurance. After her and Mi's adventure to search for Sui, she had been avoiding hunting and the woods. She was gaining levels just by mining, albeit much slower than by killing monsters. She only joined the others on this hunting expedition because she got caught up in Mi's enthusiasm to prove to Rou they were more than just children. She still wasn't sure how evolving would prove they weren't children, but with how beautiful and feminine Sui looked compared to them, she supposed it might help. 

I still believe expanding the mine further and helping Sui build more homes for the incoming villagers would have been a better idea. I think Rou expects his women to be competent, not just strong; to be able to see to his needs without him having to tell us to do something. This... was probably not what he expects of us... I just hope we don't get hurt in the process, else he will never think of us as anything more than children. Gods, I hope he doesn't have to rescue us again. 

"You okay with this, Ee?" Ruby asked, the sudden inclusion of her by the human making her almost jump out of her skin.  

"Oh, me? Great! I'm ready whenever you are!" She said, giving the smaller woman as big a smile as she could. 

Ready? Ready for what? Killing people? Hell no, but I guess I don't have a choice. I just want to help people, grow food, dig my stones, and have a bunch of babies. Oh, and eat some of that smoked bear Rou made. But these humans might come for the village next, so it's best to attack them when they are not expecting it. 

Ruby cocked her head to the side for a moment, then surprisingly stepped up and hugged her. "It's okay to be nervous. We are nervous too. Just be safe, watch your positioning, trust in your armour, and avoid getting surrounded. You will be fine. Rou is watching over us." 

"Right... Thank you, Ruby." She said, returning the hug. If she didn't include Rou at night, she had hugged and been hugged more today than in the rest of her life combined, and she found she was enjoying it. 

This world needs more hugs. The next time I see Rou, I'm going to give him the biggest hug ever and thank him for everything he has done. And Sui too... oh, and the cooks... Kichi, Aya, and Kia too! I'm hugging them all! Well...I'll be careful with Riana; she might pop if I squeeze too hard.

"What are we going to do now? Do we evacuate now and fade into the woods? Or do we stay and try to fight?" Mail murmured to herself, going over their options.

She was the chief's daughter and shrine maiden of her village. She and her retinue were returning home from the summer solstice ceremony she performed with elves from many of their scattered villages. Their return had been delayed for several weeks while they negotiated with other villages, trying to secure more warriors to help combat the pending invasion from the nearby human kingdom. It hadn't gone well, and she was still trying to come up with further ideas to present to her father upon her return.

This is seriously bad. Even my hand in marriage wasn't enough of an incentive to get any of the other villages to mobilize. No one wants to bring the ire of the humans down on themselves, even if they are the ones pushing for renewed violence. Still, some of the rejections stung. I'm still a young woman! Barely a century old, not some old crone in her third century.

Her father had been counting on her beauty and grace to win the support of one of the larger villages, securing their aid through a political marriage, but no one had taken her up on the offer, even with the generous dowry she came with. She was hardly a vain woman, but she knew she was the most beautiful elf in her village, and possibly in all the elven villages in the south. In years past, she had been courted by the very men who had now turned her down. No one was willing to stand up to the humans, even if it was to protect her home and the sacred elven healing magics locked into that place.

I hope that pompous ass Malfrenden has had better luck with the demi-humans. I'd marry a blasted hobgoblin right now if I could secure enough fighting strength to push back the humans. They have taken enough from us; we can't let them take more.

"Fire!" A voice shouted in the darkness, startling her from her contemplations.  

Before she could respond, she let out a sharp squeal as her palanquin fell to the ground, one of her bearers catching an arrow to the throat. 

"AMBUSH!!!" Her guard captain shouted, drawing his sword. A moment later, an arrow slammed into his eye socket, killing him instantly.

"To the woods!" She screamed as more arrows rained down on them, killing more of her people.

We have to run!  

Suddenly, an explosion rocked her, sending her tumbling to the ground as the night sky lit up as bright as the noonday sun.

*ROOAAARRR*

Blinded by the unexpected light, she began crawling forwards, knowing she needed to move before she was captured. She couldn't let them take her alive, else she would become a bargaining chip against her father. Not to mention that they would be itching at the chance to rape an elven maiden like her. Survivors from other raided villages spoke of the terror of being violated by the humans, who, when let off their chains, were no different than goblins. She didn't want to lose her maidenhead to humans; she would kill herself before they had the chance. 

She screamed as something grabbed her hair, wrenching her head back. A wet cloth covered her face, the fabric soaked in something. She held her breath, not wanting to know what it was, and tried to reach for her knife. Suddenly the grip on her head was released, and she fell back to the ground, a loud thud slamming into the ground beside her.

"This way. Get behind me." She heard a female voice say.

"I can't see."

"Light spells will do that. Just keep moving; I'll protect you."

"My people?"

"Some are dead, but we are repelling the rest of the humans. You're safe now."

*BOOOM!*

"ARGH!!!"

"AHAHAHAHAHA! DIE, YOU ASSASSIN SCUM!!!"

"MAGE! WHERE IS THE MAG-"

*THUCK* *CRACK*

"You don't need to know." 

"DARKNESS! WATERBALL!"

"Ee! Behind you!"

*CLANG*

"OUCH, damn you little-"

*CRASH*

Her sight was returning as the din of the battle assaulted her ears. She tried to turn her head, but immediately got dizzy; whatever was on that cloth had gotten into her body, and she was having difficulty remaining conscious. She managed to crawl off the trail and roll into a bush before twisting her body enough to see. What she saw didn't make a lot of sense, and she wondered if she was hallucinating. 

A hobgoblin wearing grey plate armour was in the middle of the trail. She pointed into the woods, then made an exaggerated gesture with her hand before forming a fist. A scream was heard from that direction. She yanked her hand towards her chest, and suddenly an armoured human flew toward her. With her other arm, she swung a pickaxe into the human, easily splitting his chestpiece and piercing his heart with the tool. 

Another hobgoblin was nearby, wearing a red armoured dress, wielding a massive flamberge. She was laughing loudly, battle lust having taken her as she laid into a pair of humans, slowly picking apart their defences with her massive weapon while their short swords just glanced off her armour. Her hand glowed, and she suddenly turned into three hobgoblins, quickly overwhelming her opponents, knocking them both out with heavy pommel strikes. 

A blast of ice shot over the top of her head, smashing another human who was charging the first hobgoblin's position, turning that man's head into a bloody mess as he was killed nearly instantly as the ice shards shredded his exposed skin down to the bone. A hobgoblin dressed in black robes and a wide-brimmed hat walked over the top of her prone form, her staff raised as she searched for new targets in the treeline.

"Look out!" She squealed as another man jumped up from behind her palanquin, aiming a crossbow at the mage. Suddenly another armoured person darted out from beside her, with what looked like rabbit ears on their helmet, wielding a long scythe with what looked like a blade of water. She stood between the mage and the crossbowman, surrounded by a golden glow. The arrow slammed into the person's helmet, and Mail thought she was dead. Instead, the bolt shattered on impact. She watched as this warrior then stepped forward and slashed, literally bisecting the human from one hip to the opposite shoulder, the waterblade not slowing in the slightest against the man's iron and chainmail. 

"What is happening?" She said, trying to survey the damage. Her people, who were only wearing light leather armour, had nearly all been cut down in that opening volley. In turn, the attackers had died to this party of hobgoblins nearly as quickly... somehow the primitive beast had gotten a hold of some serious magical weapons and armour.

No, not beast. They saved us... How? Why? Ahh... I can't... that cloth... it had to be some poison to make me drowsy... I can't think.

The rabbit-eared warrior walked back to her and knelt down. "Are you okay?"

"Drugged. Sleep," She murmured.

"Okay. We will save who we can and bring you all somewhere safe. Relax and sleep; you are now under the protection of Clan Wayne. No further harm will befall your people under our watch."

"Who?" She said, but fell asleep before she heard the rabbit-eared warriors reply.