Chapter 9

Giving Wick a playful shove, I climb to my feet. “Ok well I’m going for a bit of a walk and try to think of something. If anyone has any ideas let me know when I get back.” Wick starts to get up but I put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I just need a few, you just got back take a few and just relax by the fire. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Looking up at me Wick gives me a bit of a concerned look, “You sure? Don’t mind just tagging along.”

“It’s all good, just processing everything now. Also need to see if I can shake out an idea or two. Bit of a quiet walk may do me some good.”

Walking away I can feel some eyes burning into my back. With some of the conversations I hear tidbits of concern, not just for themselves but for me as well. Worry about what’s going to happen in the next day or so. Will the hobs come here or will be take the fight to them. How a small group of noncombatants can take on a group at least 4 times larger. To be honest I was having the same worries. Sure, I killed a group of fighters and a shaman plus a bit ass troll, but I cheated and got lucky. Trying to hope for something similar is crazy.

I started to walk through the ancient city, well what was left of it. Everyone had made lots of progress, cleaning up the streets a bit looking through the broken-down buildings for anything of value. You could almost feel the life the city once had. Worn paths on the streets, the flow and design of the streets that were nothing less than an architectural marvel. Intermittent columns that stretched to the roof, beautifully carved and designed. Reaching out and touching one I could feel a warmth in the stone. Looking around I could almost see how the buildings must have stood proudly. Children playing in the streets. People truly making this a city, a home. Now it’s my city and I have people that will be calling it a home again. How can I protect them, fix the city and try to remake it to what it once was.

I kept on wandering and found myself in front of the old relief. I backed up a bit and sat down on a stone that had once been part of the buildings wall behind me. I just sat there, elbows on my knees staring at the relief. I needed a plan.

While I sat there fully immersed in my pity party. I heard some low shuffling coming my way from the road behind me. Truly expecting it to e Wick, I readied myself for whatever he was going to do, a possible shove, smack upside the head, ass spanked, or even a wet willy, I just kept my head down and waited for the inevitable. To my surprise the shuffling stopped in front of me with not a single follow up sound. Not a word was spoken nor cough, clearing of the throat or the usual “ummmmm”.

Looking up I was equally shocked and confused. Standing in front of me were two of the saddest looking creatures I’ve ever seen. Staring at them for a minute I got the tell-tale sign ring of my notifications.

Brick

Lvl 8 Kobold

Slave

Noxi

Lvl 6 Goblin

Slave

Wait, I had a goblin and a kobold as slaves? I really had to go over my slaves list more carefully. They both stood around three and a half feet tall. Both of them wore scraps as loin cloths and were both fairly emaciated. Brick has deep red colored scales with a dinosaur/dragon like head two small horns curving up and back at the top of his head. He nervously wrung his clawed hands and his feet and tail shifted nervously. Noxi stood a few inches shorter than Brick. His skin a dark hunter green. His wide long pointed ears swooped back which reminded my of my old great dane as a kid who got caught pooping in the house.

Noticing that I acknowledged they were there, they both started to mumble and elbow each other. Noxi finally sighed and lowered his head inaudibly mumbling something to me.

Seeing these two both extremely poorly treated creatures in such extreme mental duress. Made me chuckle and shake my head. Not to the fact that they were pathetic, more to the point that I was. Theses two fought their fears and came up to me, while I’ve been off feeling sorry for myself.

Hearing me chuckle the poor little guys heads snapped up their eyes wide with fear that they may have done something wrong. Holding up my hands I tried to quickly calm their fears. “Whoa guys, hold up relax. Sorry I was thinking of something stupid in my head, I was not laughing at you. Now what’s the matter and how have I not seen you around before?”

Noxi bobbed his head a bit before starting again. “We want thank Master. Master save us, keep us as slaves. We work hard for Master. Be good slaves.”

Brick followed up with, “Work really hard, please no kill us.”

What I saw just then made my heart just drop. I had Bricks deep golden eyes and Noxis large emerald eyes staring up at me. In those eyes I saw unmitigated fear, a fear of not being wanted, of being tossed out and killed. But what really caught me was the barest hint of hope that was present. Barely able to speak I did my best to force down a swallow before I trusted myself to say anything.

Looking back and forth between the two of them I tried to reassure them as best as I could. “Guys sit down and let’s talk.”

Nervously looking at each other they slowly seated them selves down on the cold stone floor.

“Ok, let me make sure you fully understand something, I am not going to kill you, not going to get rid of you. Well unless you do something to undermine everyone or inflict hard on anyone.”

With that I got two furrowed brows and head tilts which were obviously due to confusion. Sighing a bit I tried again. “As long as you’re good boys and help people and the city and don’t hurt anyone on purpose you’ll always be welcomed.”

That got their attention. Both their eyes lit up. Noxi blurted out, “We be GOOD slaves!” Brick followed, “We help, do as told. Work hard, very good slaves!”

Holding out my hands trying to calm them down a bit, “Ok ok ok, I believe you. First off you’re slaves until I can free you. To me you’re both free”.

Noxi’s eyes had a confused look, “Master wants to frees us?”

“Yes Noxi, I want to free you both. I want to free all the slaves. You’re all my friends and we’re going to be each other’s family. We will have to rely on each other and that mean you’ll have to count on me and I’ll have to count on you.”

Bricks looked at Noxi then me. “We be free and be family?”

“Yes Brick free and family. Can I count on you two?” Seeing their heads bob up and down like jack hammers I saw tears start to form in their eyes. Crap. “Hold on you two. No crying. Now lets talk a bit more.” I reached into my bag of holding and took out my stein, which thankfully was still full. Taking a deep sip I looked down and saw the rapt attention they were giving me and the stein. “Would you two like a drink?”

Both of them were absolutely dumbstruck. Noxi sputtered out, “Master share alcholz with us?!”

“Yes and please stop calling me Master, my name is Thoren.”

Holding out his hand Noxi reverently took the stein and took a full pull of the cold beer then carefully handed it to Brick who stared at the stein in wonder and took a full pull himself before gently handing it back to me.

Smiling up at me Noxi said, “See why hobs loves alcoholz.”

Brick nodded, “Hobs drank all alcoholz in town. No share with slaves. Drank till sleep for long day.”

Noxi nodded and laughed, his big ears flapping. “Ha! All means Hobs falls down and sleeps long time.”

Handing the stein back to by two little friends, two things struck me. “What do you mean by “Means Hobs”, aren’t all hobs mean?”

Both Noxi and Brick shook their heads. Noxi took a drink and said, “Only warrior hobs and magics hobs are mean, other hobs little better than us slaves.”

Curious, I followed, “You mean the shaman right? What about the other hobs, I thought they all fought to the death?”

Brick took another sip before adding, “Magics hobs…ummm shaman hobs cast spell on poor hobs. All hobs go crazy. All hobs fight till die.”

The other part I needed to clear up as a plan started to form, “do all the hobs love to drink if they find alcohol?”

Holding the stein upside down with his tongue out trying to get the very last drop. Noxi bobbed his head, “Yup alls hobs loves alcoholz. They drink all alcoholz when they find it. Hobs no make alcoholz so fight and drink all alcoholz.” Gently Noxi handed the now empty stein back o me.

Looking down at the stein in my hands a small smile spread across my face as a plan started to form in my mind. Thinking to myself, this is the stupidest plan anyone has ever thought of. I was a bit shocked and couldn’t help but chuckle when I got another notification.

Planning lvl 8 reached