Chapter 14: Disappointment

“of all the beasts, the corrupted we should fear, lest death soon follow.”- old saying

"strange." Scitus said aloud as he closed the book of gods. The way the book functions was strange. He couldn't access certain pages no matter how hard he tried. Simply reading it drained his mana, he had 25% percent of his mana left, though every day he was outside his territory he could feel his maximum potential significantly decrease, creating the illusion of mana regeneration.

Scitus had been able to access many pages and read them carefully and the latest page revealed to him was a list of old sayings. One had caught his interest. “the corrupted.” Scitus didn’t like the idea, as if he understood the weight of the words.

He remembered not long ago that the repugnant goblins were called the corrupted by Robin when he sent a telepathic message. In person, he called them the smelly goblins but the telepathic communication finds the best word with the closest meaning a person needs and then sends it to the receiver. If there exists no word in the other vocabulary, it creates a strong feeling of understanding. "The feeling is similar to understanding what a word means without actually remembering the definition, that is the feeling it evokes."

The corrupted were briefly mentioned in other pages and were called the Allevantius. The Allevanatius were different from monsters and far more sinister. Now that he had gotten to know the goblins, he thought that the humans equally misrepresented other monsters. "perhaps the corrupted and monsters are conflated"

Despite the difficulty in reading the contents, Scitus had found the book to be of enormous value. He had learned more of himself and his abilities as a god. One new ability was "Self-knowledge," he said aloud. His vision momentarily blurred and when it returned his divine sight ability had drastically changed. While before he was able to scan the condition and some brief information on subjects, he was now able to see far more in-depth information from their height weight, talents and far more. For a moment the vastness of the information was overwhelming but with a single thought, he reduced the information threshold allowing his mind to relax.

The book stated that "self-knowledge" was an ability all gods with divine sight possessed. It allowed for gods who had amassed great knowledge to change their divine sight to fit their knowledge. If a god knew mathematics, measurements would never be an issue, his subconscious mind would make the calculations quickly and then send it to his conscious mind. The god could even create an illusionary line of a set distance, "this is like augmented reality." Scitus thought. "it seems despite our technological differences, what the people can't achieve with science, they achieve with magic."

Scitus noted that there were some things that could never be achieved with magic for as long as the the science wasn't there because magic partially relied on understanding science. But he had also noted that understanding and imagination could replace one another. This theory came from the book of flame. He read the contents, and similarly, it required great concentration and vast amounts of mana, but that was only true for ordinary humans. For Scitus, reading the book of flames was as easy as reading a normal book.

"The books heavily emphasizes imagination, science is not mentioned but rather understanding of what fire is and its attributes, heat, warmth, destruction and other vague terms that can be applied to fire."

"we, stop," Scitus ordered. the goblins who were already weak from the endless march collapsed to their knees. They had been forced to march for days with only three short rests

Moving so many people was difficult and so the movement speed was slower, Scitus compensated for this by ordering a forced march. Many goblins weren’t pleased with him but did not disobey for they knew what they left behind.

Very few goblins were energetic, but one young goblin could be seen energetically doing the odd work of collecting flower and plants. She had been running up to Scitus the moment he ordered to stop. "Heal!!!" she said as a few beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. She extended her hands towards Scitus's face as the several leaves she had collected rubbed against his face. Scitus found it hard to stay calm as his eyes spotted a certain leaf.

With his new divine ability function through knowledge, he had obtained the ability to spot the properties of plants and the nutrients they contained and even the nutrients they required to grow, this applied to all living organisms. The leaf being gingerly rubbed against his face contained a certain chemical that caused irritation of the skin.

"poison ivy." Scitus whimpered as he calmly lowered her hand. Scitus wasn't angry, the emotion he felt was closer to pity for he knew that the goblin girl practically swam in the poison ivy. Her green skin was covered in little red spots from where she had dug her nails. Even then, as she handed the leaves to him, she was scratching herself.

Her energetic and frantic nature started on the first day of their journey, shortly after Scitus learned Self-Knowledge.

He was looking at the condition of Valentine, the name of the goblin girls' partner. She herself was named Juliet for her rash actions after her rescue.

Speices:Goblin Name: Valentine Status: Unconscious(low risk), irregular heartbeat(Low risk), concussion(moderate risk), internal bleeding(moderate risk chance of death within 24 hours: 20%

"This will come in handy when in battle." Scitus thought of all he could do in the midst of a battle with his incredible ability to see conditions. He would know more carefully when to retreat and even when to recall specific soldiers and move others to the front. "An immediate Rotational army, normally would impossible but with magic as a factor, it just may be possible."

Scitus had scanned the area for herbs. He scanned thousands of plants most of which were of the same breed but finally after several minutes of searching, he found the ingredient he was looking for. It was a specific herb with properties that healed internal bleeding. It wasn't perfect and not as efficient as medicine and a surgery table, but as Scitus had already learned, he didn't need to heal him, he simply needed to keep him alive long enough to reach his territory.

Juliet had seen this and was in complete awe ever since she wanted to learn such methods and had ever since been gathering several herbs.

Although the goblin girl had great motivation, Scitus shook his head and grabbed hold of the herbs she had gathered. "Poison, poison. "one by one he tossed them to the ground explaining they were poisonous herbs. All but three of the herbs she had brought could be used, but since they probably touched the poison ivy Scitus thought it was best to throw those out as well.

Not far from the two were a group of goblins. They looked at Juliet scornfully from their spot beneath a large tree. Then their eyes shifted to Scitus, there was a deep hatred seeded in their eyes. Although they had been saved by Scitus, they couldn't accept a human as their god, it repulsed them with every fiber of their being. Although they had never harmed by humans, they still remember that that infamous day. The day that no goblin forgot, the reason most goblins on the Ferren continent fled to the Oasis.

Then there was Juliet, a traitor to her kind. She was the corrupted goblins partner. To them, this was a great sin for there was no corrupted that was good. They had all committed a great evil to end up corrupted. They thought that Scitus protected valentine for that reason, to poison the other goblins with his evil.

Amongst their whispers were words of retribution and execution under the cover of darkness.

Scitus at that time was carefree, tending to the timid Juliet and teaching her what he could of herbology and a bit of biology. His frustration grew as the complexity of the subject grew and the availability of words shrank. He dearly missed English and hoped that the other goblins would learn it quickly after Seresa.

His only reason for continuing his long and sometimes redundant explanations was the warm feeling he got whenever Juliet's eyes sparkled as if grasping a new concept. "She has a thirst for medical knowledge that goes beyond just saving her lover, though that is certainly a large part of her enthusiasm."

After several herb treatments, both fallen patients had become semi-stable and would most certainly live until they reached his territory. They were only a few hours away, but the goblins were far too tired to even travel that distance.

The day was growing darker and as the sunlight was replaced by a radiant moonlight, Scitus eyes grew heavy for the first time since he arrived in that world. His mind felt awake, but his body compelled him to rest. He was becoming mortal again and he very much welcomed the emotion.

Few goblins remained awake, among those that refused to sleep was a group of rogue goblins with a deep hatred for Scitus and Juliet. The other was Robin and teal who were near Scitus at the time. Robin was a vigilant goblin and ever since his mind had widened he had become more precautious. He feared goblins would attack Scitus while he slept and so asked teal to remain awake with him.

Morgan, the leader of the rogue goblins had fortunately been obvious of his disdain. Teal had been spying on him and knew they would make an attack that night.

Robin quietly watched over Scitus. He couldn't allow their god to die. "father, right." He remembered how desperately his father had told him how Scitus was their beacon of hope. Although Robin was hesitant at first, he now believed those words without a doubt. Ever since his arrival there had been no injuries, no sickness, and no deaths. Robin didn't want to return to those dark days were death was expected, where hunger was a part of life and where clean meat was an annual gift.

Another observer watched that night. She was tied to a tree and was awake. she was tired and hungry. The god had ordered her to be fed the minimal amount possible. She never felt close to death, but she never ate enough to recover her energy. This, she knew, was completely intentional. If she somehow regained her strength, she would become a serious threat to the goblins there. Beside her was a goblin, she had learned that it was a female goblin. The difference was subtle but after constantly being guided by her, she finally noticed the more round face and softer features.

Just as her tired body was finally about to fall asleep, a sudden rustling of leaves forced her awake. She wanted to scream. Her mind and body were already tired, her eyes glared in the direction of the leaves. The darkness was too thick but amongst the darkness were glimmers of moonlight that revealed a moving figure. Her heart beat faster, fearing it was the goblins that had first captured her. She didn't want to be captured by them again. Although her position hadn't changed, she was no fool and knew the difference in treatment. For one she was cared for by a woman, for two she was fed, and for three although she found it difficult to sleep, she never feared a nighttime visit. The goblin girl beside her gestured as much when she was put in her custody.

"Hey!! Hey!!" She silently shouted at Arisa who had slept beside her. The moment Arisa awoke to saw those figures in the darkness. Unlike the human, Arisa was a goblin and had some ability to see through the darkness. Her eyes had yet to fully mature but it was more than enough to see the goblins. Arisa growled as she held her blade, anticipating an attack. She quickly noticed the goblin team was incredibly small, made up of only six goblins, a few feet from her rested Juliet and Valentine and a few feet from her rested Scitus. Teal silent ran towards Arisa as he telepathically explained the situation.

Deep wrath clouded Arisa's vision as she came to understand her enemies. Ungrateful and dishonorable goblins!!! she wanted to shout but at that time her vocabulary was still limited. For the first time in her life, she desired to have a word for the emotion she felt.

"I'll protect the human!!!" She messaged back to Teal. Teal stopped at the midway point, where Valentine and Juliet rested. The eight-man goblin team split into three teams, one team of four and two teams of two. One goblin ran towards the human, another towards Juliet and Valentine, and four towards Scitus.

As the human watched the goblin chase run towards her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. The goblins only three days prior were weak and malnourished but in such a short time they had not only regained their strength but appeared to have grown superior to any ordinary goblin. She looked towards Scitus had soundly slept and secretly hoped he would perish. "He is most likely the cause of there incredible power."

The enemy goblin had reached Arisa and attacked with his fists. Arisa, however, was unfazed and had taken the goblins mighty fists. From the humans perspective it was a one-sided beat down but suddenly the battle changed. Arisa gave a wicked smile chilling the enemy goblins bones. In a panic he threw another punch directed as her stomach. The goblin was foolish and closed his eyes and didn't notice Arisa pull his arm closer. She easily used his momentum to throw him several feet towards a nearby tree.

He howled in agony as he felt his back creak from the sheer force of the impact. The goblin was about to stand up but realized his legs wouldn't support him. His foot had been impaled by a sharp blade that went straight through his calf. His scream woke everyone.

The human was incredulous, she was certain that the goblins would be evenly matched but no it wasn't simply strength that had allowed them to rescue all the goblins even her and the others. It was something she had never seen a goblin display, skill.

She saw it briefly when her dear friend's men attacked but she thought that they were simply too weak after the wyvern attacks. Seven days of constant battle had worn even her down to the point of being captured by lowly goblins.

"but these guys" She shifted her attention to the goblin beside the young god. The goblin protecting his god mercilessly cut the enemies before him without so much as a scratch on himself. The difference was simply too much even if the only goblins rescued were too old or too young to fight.

"I KILL!!!!" the enemy goblin shouted as he Robins blade sink into his flesh. No matter how angry he became and no matter how much his strength increased from this wrath, Robin calmly dispatched his blade and pierced his flesh preventing him from attacking further.

By that point, Scitus was awake. He turned to his right were he saw teal fighting and further ahead was Arisa. Although he couldn't see them through the darkness, he could sense them and the sounds of fighting permeated the area.

"Stop!!!" He demanded, causing the tied up human's ears to quiver with fright. That was the voice gods. Gods are powerful creatures and long ago they would communicate through the voice which allowed them to speak in several tongues at once. The human had wished to believe that the man ruling over the goblins was a false god, but this powerful ability was proof that he was a god, nor a weak one for only those gods above the first rank could use such an ability. But the human at that moment knew that even above the second rank may have been weak compared to the new god for the voice of gods had an ability to compel others to obey the voice.

Not a single goblin moved, it was as if the world had stopped, even those that had only half risen from their sleep stood motionless and suddenly the oppressive air dissipated and they could move once more. Robin turned to Scitus who for the first time since his arrival felt anger.

"Robin, do not kill the weak, do not abuse the power you've obtained and remembered why it was that you gained this power." Robin shivered as he felt his god's oppressive voice and although he did not fear his god, his body did. Robin reflected on his god's words, as did Teal and Arisa. They remembered that Scitus never wanted them to be used to hurt others, their purpose was to protect. Arisa turned to the goblin she slammed against the tree. He was bleeding heavily, Arisa felt a sense of shame overcome her, she felt as if she had beaten a child half to death. In her moment of anger, she didn't realize that her opponent was untrained and did not have her gods blessing.

Teal to felt shame, he had used overwhelming force for a simple opponent and Robin most of all felt shame. For bringing Teal and for not showing discretion. He was the leader and yet he was the most brutal of all, cutting up his opponents without mercy. Although they turned their blade against Scitus, hadn't he himself done the same hadn't he been the first of all goblins to attempt to kill Scitus. The goblins were afraid of him like he was, they hated him, like he did but just like him, they would learn that their god was a kind and just god. Robin turned his back to the goblins who were bloodied and weak, one of the four goblins suddenly collapsed, it was Morgan. Morgan wanted to kill Scitus but now the very man he intended to kill had saved his life. "forgive" Robin said as he kneeled before Scitus. Scitus knelt down to meet Robins gaze and softly spoke, "it's not me who you should apologize to." Robin nodded and faced the victims of his onslaught. "Forgive!!!" He shouted, Teal and Arisa followed suit, apologizing to their respective victims.

Juliet who woke up shortly after the shout. She quickly understood that her life was close to ending. She didn't understand why Teal was apologizing but did not question it. She could not for it was the first time in her life that she saw a goblin feud end so quickly. All her life these feuds would end with half their people dying from the fight and reconciliation rarely came, it would fracture their tribe and eventually some wandering beast would destroy them. But that God had ended it so quickly through compassion and sheer might.

Shortly after the intense battle, Juliet was called to help attend to the wounded victims. Juliet at that time felt deep admiration for Scitus who healed even those who turned their blade against him. He had even accepted Valentine as a member of the tribe. The human woman had felt a fear unlike ever before, the young god wasn't so simple. He was one of those rare gods that protected all his subjects and guided them towards a better tomorrow. "A Guardian" of all the gods that existed on the continent, the amount of Guardians that existed was two. Scitus and the beast god Ansil.

Scitus allowed the goblins to sleep but the goblins that Arisa, teal and especially Robin injured were in a severe state. " several broken bones, severe blood loss and a high chance of infection." The chance of death was low for all of them, "their resilience is extraordinary but even so they will slow us down in this state."

As he tended to Morgan who had fainted from exhaustion, a young goblin named Mort approached. Mort was Morgans son and unlike his father, he had no ill will towards humans for he was only thirteen years old and had lived in the oasis all his life. He was told stories of the terrifying humans and those stories were deeply ingrained. He feared Scitus but wanted to see his father and so approached him. One of those bloodthirsty humans was healing his father he couldn't quite understand it but did not question it.

"we, heal." Scitus spoke as he gently lifted Morgan and placed him in Mort's arms. Scitus made movements and gestures that indicated that they would have to leave the area. Mort quickly nodded and grabbed hold of his father. Juliet lifted valentine, Teal lifted the goblin he injured and Arisa did the same. Robin helped the injured goblins that could still walk forward.

Then Scitus approached The human woman and undid her bindings.

"we.. leave, for now." he said thinking carefully of which words were the correct ones based on the few words he heard from the other humans he had met.

The human growled baring her teeth but Robin who walked behind her made sure she wouldn’t do anything rash.