The situation being what it was both armies had decided to flee the contested area.

The goblins had captured the treasures of the human army, but that wouldn't win them the war.

Currently the entire force of still living knights that had come to the Eston fields was in the field and ready for battle.

The goblins, caught in the burning summer sun, wouldn't be able to wage an extended battle against the entire army.

They'd planned to ambush an unsuspecting strike force, not catch out an overextended army.

Already the camps were being rolled up and packed up into caravans, making stalling tactics untenable.

"A pity isn't it?" You There smiled lackadaisically. "Had you properly anticipated their despair, we would have had the means to eradicate the whole army by now."

Scratch scowled at him sideways. "Let's just be happy we had to sacrifice less than we expected. We'll make a cleaner getaway this way. Keep an eye on the child, I don't want the bandits to see."

The demon shrugged and left him alone to explain the situation to Lydia Harkness, the bandit leader and the pedestrian army had just caught up to them.

-

"So we stay behind to do the peace talks," Scratch summarized, "we should be able to catch up with the rest afterwards. What with the dogs and all."

"Yes. I mean no. It has to be me." Lydia Harkness was distracted. They were discussing the matter in the open air on the dewy grass. She kept glancing over to where the prisoners were held.

Scratch was not amused. "You know, I'm not by nature a jealous guy, but you're busting me up over here."

She avoided eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"If you're going to lie, lie convincingly. Jimmy Fire rod over there is exactly the incubus plus a bunch of years. Refresh my memory because I'm pretty sure that form comes from your mind."

"It's... nothing. It would be better for him if we never spoke again." She grunted.

"How goddam reassuring." Scratch trumpeted sarcastically. "Not my business I suppose."

"It has to be me because they would not even speak to you," the bandit leader quickly returned to her original topic.

"Goblins are considered monsters, they'd kill you on sight."

"And it's different for bandits?"

She was silent for a bit. "I was one of them once. They might grant me the courtesy."

"And if they don't?"

"Then we die together."

He bit on his fist. Looking at the slight bump in her stomach it looked like there was another litter of hobgoblins on the way. With her, four other lives would be snuffed out.

"Scratch... I'm sorry." She suddenly said.

"Huh, what?"

"I blamed you for engaging with the enemy to early. But in truth, it was my strategy that was flawed. Besieging a fort in enemy controlled land."

He sniffed. "Don't apologize to me. We're a team, right? Then it's my fault as well for going along with it. But assigning blame is something children do, instead, let's plan for midday."

Three attack squadrons had gone ahead to clear the way for the payload.

The encampment they found was nowhere near as anemic as they'd expected, the human cavalry clashed against an unbreakable mass of bodies.

Thinking quickly captain Maurice Harkness used his sound amplifying magic and commanded the forces to come together into a single mass, turtling up with two lines of shield bearers and keeping the enemy at bay with liberal volleys of arrows.

Typically of a goblin throng many of the light infantry jumped bullheadedly into the line of fire, sapping their own numbers but also putting pressure on the knights and preventing their advance.

"It looked like Darcy's plan failed." Bill Rocksteady shouted at him over the sound of battle.

"Don't waste your time stating the obvious!" He returned.

Rocksteady had saved his life during the encounter with Lydia, and it'd gone straight to his head. He was flouting rank and opinionating on everything.

"Me and my cousins can blast a hole!" He yelled. "With a few explosions we'll drive apart the goblin line and get to their other side."

Annoyed Maurice spurred his horse to get next to Bill's and grabbed him roughly by the vest. "Listen to me. The plans have changed. We're waiting for the Rochasts to catch up. Then we escort the baggage train as a single army. So save your mana."

The younger man had a big unconcerned smile on his face. "No problem sir, I can wait. Don't know about the shield bearers having to hold position against a goblin throng though."

"We have the advantage. The wall is strong, as long as we're not boxed in..." He let go and looked over his shoulder.

"...not boxed in..."

"Sir? What's wrong?"

"Damn it all. Why didn't I realize before?" Maurice spurred on his horse and turned around towards the back line, nearly trampling his own men. He pointed at his rear commander. "Jacob Darcy! Eyes to the east, the goblin army is approaching."

"I was about to report that." He called back. "How did you know?"

With the sun in their back an ominous mass of silhouettes darkened the horizon. A rolling wave of gleeful destruction.

"That's not our baggage." He grunted when meeting up with the other officer. "You've landed us in hot fire Jacob.

They've caught us out in the open and now they're cutting off our backfoot."

"Are you saying... Stella." He spurred his mount but Harkness pulled on his reins, keeping him close.

"They're dead Jacob. If their scouts didn't get them they stalled them enough for the army to catch up. We have to prepare for a rear attack."

He prepared his magic again.

-

In mere minutes the entire knight army was able fall back and adjust their formation.

In order to not be caught between two armies they moved to the north, pushing more against goblin positions there and allowing space for the southern flank of the goblins to move in.

This way the two sides turned around each other, like two sword fighters in a duel.

When the main force of goblins arrived they could no longer engage with the humans on two fronts, instead they had to clash into the knight army from the south with the others as a single army.

"Wait, are we surrendering?" Huckabee had returned to the back lines to have his wounds treated and saw his boss attach white linen to a pole into a makeshift flag.

"The white flags signifies peace talks." She explains. "An army can't just retreat, we need their permission to turn our backs to them safely."

"Daddy Harkness should let us go in exchange for the Brady bunch." Scratch added, his meaning slightly gleanable from context.

Huckabee had a glazed over slack-jawed expression. "... and what if he doesn't?"

Scratch exhaled through his nose. "Of course he will, what ch-"

"He might." Lydia Harkness stated. "In that case Scratch and I will die, and the two armies will eradicate each other until only a handful of survivors are left."

"What? I didn't sight up for that!" Scratch exclaimed.

"It all depends on the decision of Maurice Harkness." she sighed, "Whether he values honor over life."

"Nah, I don't believe that." Scratch puffed. "These narratives of honor, compassion, they're only tools to maintain power. Your father is a leader? Then he wields them, he isn't wielded by them."

"You really believe that?" Huckabee asked.

"It's the truth."

The bandit leader ran her hand through the goblin's hair. "I suppose we have to hope he's more cynical than we thought."

"You make it sound more chancy with every word."

-

Chancy or not, the plan was executed. Before sunset the goblin army had fallen back and an envoy waving a large white flag was left behind in the open space.

No hobgoblins or bandit guards were included in the diplomats. Only Harkness, Scratch, some wolves and the foundling, Pentajo, who took care of the canines. They were wholly unguarded, except against the rain, which they had anticipated with a simple tent roof.

"If you don't recognize it. It's a negotiation flag." Scratch's voice boomed over the rolling hills. "We have some people you might like back."

Lydia Harkness took away his spellrod and turned it to herself. "Maurice Harkness, king's knight, commander of the eastern embers, you must speak for the future of your comrades and the peace of the realm."

"Wow, is that some sort of official phrase."

"Something like that."

"I think that's the longest sentence I ever heard you speak."

The commanding voice of Maurice Harkness sounded back, commanding his army not to advance.

"It worked." She gave Scratch back his spellrod. "Get ready, let me do the talking."

-

Four horseback riders rode out to meet the envoy in-between the armies. Chief among them was captain Harkness instead, though they recognized the pyromancer William Rocksteady ass well.

"We do not recognize the right of bandits to negotiate peace." The elder Harkness spat from horseback.

"But we recognize yours." The younger one said as calmly as she could manage. "We believe you might want to make use of it."

"We could take you prisoner." He stated.

"For what? Another negotiation? Who would come to negotiate for us? If you attack negotiators."

With her use of the word 'us' his eyes scanned around and found Scratch, who gestured welcomingly. "How about we get you out of the rain?"

Bill Rocksteady was already dismounting, when Maurice looked at him sternly, he laughed, "come now sir, I do not think they are able to threaten us."

Reluctantly the captain dismounted and sought shelter inside the tent, though he unsheathed his blade and kept it in his hand.

The others followed his example.

"Fiona and James were captured alive." Lydia stated upfront. "But Darcy's wife resisted and was killed.... alongside their daughter.

Maurice grinded his teeth. "I will believe Stella's death was in battle. Lily's... not so much. Tell me, what do you expect in return for these people's lives? And if it helps you achieve victory, why would we want to save them now just so they can die later?"

"We would like to avoid unnecessary death." She stated harshly through her teeth. "The deal is for both armies to retreat. No raiding, no chasing, no skirmishing. The prisoners will be released unharmed at the forest's edge. To make their own way towards the nearest town."

"Avoid death? You marched an army here just to kill us."

"To destroy. The fortress. We know why you came here. Do not play ignorant."

Now the captain was fuming. "How noble of you Lydia! Breeding an army of subhuman monsters, slaughtering good men and women to save your own disgraced life." He pointed at Scratch and Pentajo. "The clergy warn of champions of evil defying the will of the gods in these parts. You know why we came here? Do you? To vanquish evil."

Lydia's body stiffened in returned anger. "For my own life! How dare you! For years I've lived... for years! As an outcast. But I've never. Never put my own life above- Like it was easy! But-" She stammered, unable to properly articulate herself through her anger.

He pointed his sword at her threateningly. "Where is that demon kid, huh? That I saw you with. Have you been spending you nights alone repeating the same rancid sin again and again?"

She leaned towards him, almost impaling her throat on his sword herself with how close she got. "That is none of your business."

"You-" He lifted his sword to strike out in anger, but was interrupted by Scratch speaking into the spellrod.

"Hold it right there. Let's all take a deep breath, huh?" A deafening sound blasted directly into their ears. He lowered the rod and shook his head dissapointedly. "You meat heads. This isn't the thanksgiving dinner table, we're here for a peaceful discussion."

"You are the creature declared an enemy of Benesant, aren't you?" Maurice Harkness rasped slowly.

"He looks like a regular goblin to me." Rocksteady said with his arms folded over one another.

Scratch gently pulled on Lydia's shirt to push her aside, "I think Benesant would agree that peace is preferable to war. Wouldn't she?"

Now the knight pointed his weapon at him. "The deaths of our kind must be repayed in kind."

"In kind huh? How much goblins for one human? Three to one? Or does it not come out so neatly? Maybe you can kill of some of your least favorite, to make it a whole number, and we'll parade ours out in ritual sacrifice for your appeasement.

"Rah!" Maurice stabbed the ground in front of Scratch violently, almost making Lydia jump to his defense. "You make a mockery of this negotiation."

"I make a mockery of you, Maurice, and this bean counter morality. How can you live your life like that? Balancing some invisible scale that doesn't affect anything. There's more important things in life than rules and dead people!" He paused dramatically to let the profundity sink in.

Captain Harkness frowned and spoke softly. "It's because your heart is cold for the living that it can be cold for the dead. It is easy to be merciful for a monster without love."

"Yeah, well.." Scratch was hit out of left field. "Anyway that's not why we're here."

Lydia came to his defense. "How dare you judge us? All of you? You haven't lived among us. You do not know our lives."

"You're no mystery Lydia." William Rocksteady quipped from the side.

Scratch sighed. "Listen, Maurice. It may not seem like it, but you have all the power. What happens next depends on you, either we both go our separate ways, or we destroy each other. It's your call."

The man looked down on him in pure disgust. "Ugh."

Huckabee was the first of the humans among those eating to notice his boss returning. "And?"

"And. We're still alive, so it worked." Scratch stated.

"We're leaving immediately." Harkness ordered. "Once we reach the forest I want you and Audace to stay behind with the prisoners. We'll undo their bindings when I'll arrive."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Destroying the fortress. That's what this whole war was about in the first place."

Scratch nodded. "By the time they've rebuild we'll have strengthened our borders properly."

-

The humans kept to the arrangement and moved away. Cautious at first, expecting a double-cross they stayed in formation while backing away. But seeing the goblins properly leave they relaxed their attitude and began a proper march east, towards Eston.

The goblin army split apart again, with a small force of bandits going off to sack and burn the abandoned fortress, and the main army escorting the baggage train, which included the prisoners.

A long line of bound humans were being dragged along by the beasts of burden. The two protectors in front.

The hobgoblins were marching nearby, holding their spears and keeping an eye on them.

"You won't get away with this." James Rochast spat at Scratch, who was lifting on one of the food carts and eating an apple.

"With what, sparing your life?" He said mockingly.

"We'll repay you for this humiliation." The sister, Fiona, fell in with her brother.

"If you do that, we'll repay you for your repayment!" Ada ran up to loudly declare.

"Not unpunished." Fiona immediately returned.

Scratch threw his apple core at her head, it missed. "Why are you threatening my family in front of me? Where the hell were you educated?"

"Your victory hasn't made us peers, goblin." James remarked. "We owe you no politeness."

"I'm not talking about-" Scratch sighed. "You have to have some concept of- I mean it's not for my sake is it? It's for your own."

James glared at him. "Are you threatening us?"

"No... Actually yes. If you threaten my daughter again, I'll have you fucking gutted. How's that?"

"Then fight me as a man." James demanded. "A one on one duel to the death."

Scratch looked at him up and down. "You were molested as a child, weren't you?"

The knight sputtered, clearly hit out of left field.

"I mean everybody else has the dumb martial honor shit going on, but you're really going all out. A fucking duel, really? Are you sure that's manly enough?"

"James, don't listen," his sister insisted, "he's trying to rile you up."

"Rile you up? What are you now? Riled down?" Scratch laughed.

Ada laughed too and poked them with her spear, but he gestured for her to stop.

Leaning in, he took a more serious tone. "If you're going to be soldiers, you're going to have to get used to not being in control. If that stirs your mental trauma or whatever, then you can't be one- Don't interrupt me." He raised his voice to speak over Fiona's attempt at an interruption. "You can't be one. Live with it."

The brother was stunned into silence by his words, the sister became more indignant. Accusations of "Who do you think you are?" came flying but Scratch was satisfied with his verbal put down and ended the conversation on his own terms, simply walking away.

Rather than expose the location of the most outer goblin village the army stopped when the first trees came in sight and set up a temporary camp.

There they planned on waiting until the bandits had caught up to them.

Long before the silhouettes of the humans ever came into view a pillar of black smoke darkened the horizon, rising up from where the fort had stood.

When Lydia Harkness and the others did arrive they were barely even noticed, slipping into the swirling hordes of goblins without friction.

It did not escape Aimone how easily they fit in with the monster army. "It's a dark thought, that we should be given to the wilderness." He pondered, not moving from his saddle.

Harkness, who had already dismounted, took his words seriously. "We've drawn a line in the sand today. The goblin nation has been revealed to the world. Between humanity and goblins, we're on the goblins' side."

"The force of the crown is not the force of humanity." Aimone snapped at her. "I mean managgia, the goblins are just a means on end, aren't they?"

"I don't think the boss feels about it like that." Gildo quipped. "After all, she has goblins in her family non è vero?"

She touched her stomach, which had swelled dramatically in a day. "We have been promised more than safety, we're promised a future. And we're building it together."

"Ugh." Aimone stared out discontent over the masses of half feral subhumans. Building a new future did not sound appealing to him at all, he wanted his old future back.

-

With the surviving troops reunited, they could move on and back home.

In accordance with the agreements to the knight army the prisoners would be left behind where they were camped, to find their own way towards Eston.

As Huckabee put it, this was a 'rank F' area, meaning that no serious threats to their person were around to harm them.

Spurred on by his demonic helped, Scratch breached the subject of the prisoners again with Harkness.

"So... uh... last chance to talk to them."

"What?" She was distracted with the clasps on her saddle at the time.

"The two youngsters with the fire magic, you clearly have some... I don't know what you'd call it... history, with them.

Once we leave you'll probably never see them again."

She stopped, but she did not turn to look at him. "killing the caravan wouldn't have made the difference for the enemy to agree to a truce. Least of all the combatants among them."

"Yeah, so?"

"Did you let them live for my sake?"

He laughed. "I let them live for the same reason I let the exterminators off. It's not one army, it's an entire kingdom. We don't want to give them any reason to- hey? What's wrong?"

She had turned around, her eyes were red from tears held back. "I can't face them Scratch. I can't. I'm not-"

"Come here." He gestured for her to kneel down to him, when she didn't he repeated himself more insistently. "Come here."

She brought herself to his level and he cleaned her face with his sleeve. "You know what I loathe? Guilt. It doesn't do anything, it traps you in the past, right?"

She turned her head to look away, but he grabbed her and turned her towards him.

"Remember how you promised me to value your own life? Now I catch you filling it up with self-loathing."

She looked him straight in the eye. "Scratch, I know your believes. I know you think sins of the past should just be forgotten, but as a servant of the gods-"

"Lydia. Do not punish yourself. Don't. What kind of example are setting for our kids, huh?"

She pulled herself away from him. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"We're going to talk to James right now, and you're going to put this whole thing behind you."

"How?"

-

The prisoners were tied together to a lone standing tree.

The army was already moving away and they were waiting to be untied.

Lydia Harkness approached the group with long paces and a body rendered stiff through nerves.

She stopped directly in front of James Rochast, she turned around for moral support and saw Scratch stick up his thumb.

Then, speaking loud and fast in order to not be interrupted, she emptied her heart out to the younger man.

"James. I'm sorry for what I did when we were kids. It was wrong and I was wrong. But I'm no longer willing to think of myself as a monster for it. And I won't live like one anymore either."

The knight was stunned. "...Right." He brought forth.

She turned around and left just as quickly as she could.

Her body was still tense, but her face showed a relieved smile and genuine tears.

Stripped Titles

Nobles that fall to fail to live up to the standard expected of nobility in ways that can not be ignored are stripped of their titles.

The pedigree and symbols of status of that individual are systematically destroyed, and they are deprived of the privileges of their house.

The most common coarse of action for these nobles is to take their own life, but some become beggars or adventurers.

Though uncommon, it is possible for an entire family to fall. When a noble family mismanages its resources to such a degree that they must be disbanded, or when criminal corruption has seeped into their numbers to such a degree that none can be said to be untouched.

Although a fallen noble may no longer claim the title of their house, they are often referred to as such by adventurers in order to convey their potential. A former knight will likely be able to work themselves up to D rank in the adventurer's guild, a baron rank C, and so forth. Fallen nobles are not likely to be able to marry back into nobility after attaining a high adventurer rank.

Nobles that are accused of particularly offensive crimes, those that can be said to have fallen to evil, are stripped not just of their title, but of their citizenship. These nobles are banished into the wilds to fend for themselves and be killed by monsters. The rare few that survive become bandit bosses, challenging fights for adventurers to face.

Naturally, the challenge rating of a former noble bandit depends on their former title.