Larek

“Larek?” The goblin, tall for his kind, smiled. He had the look of a king in his eyes, and he stood proudly as he shook my hand. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

“Thank you, General Major Andirltan Vudrish, son of Oozembul.” I bowed down to show my allegiance to his cause.

“Please, do not bow,” Andirltan laughed. “I am not worthy of your honor. I thank you for forging an alliance with us - your skill in battle has earned you the title of Goblinsbane - ironic, isn’t it?” He snorted. “Larek… you’re the best fighter I’ve seen in years. My father, he gave me his sword a few weeks before he died.” The goblin unsheathed his sword, the blade made of beautiful shining steel, its hilt covered in gems and rubies. “He wanted me to become the next General Major. It’s considered dishonorable to choose your own progeny to ascend to the rank of General Major, however… he was deep in thought, weighing the possibilities when he was assassinated. Well, after that…” the goblin sighed, “my brother claimed he was my father’s true heir. I defended my right, of course, but this has spiraled out of control.”

“We are winning, my lord,” I began, “and soon the war will be over. The Battle of the Red Valley has ended in our victory… the last stronghold that your brother holds is in the south. We’ll be able to march there in days, where we’ll end his reign once and for all.”

“If only things were so easy…” Andirltan grumbled. “I haven’t participated in any of the major battles recently. A leader who does not fight with his own troops has no right to lead them to their deaths. I fear doubt has begun to creep into the minds of my men… doubt that a coward like myself has no right to rule them.”

“You are no coward,” I said truthfully. After all, I looked up to the goblin as a hero. “Lead your troops in this last battle, and all doubt will be erased from their minds.”

“Very well… under one condition.” Andirltan smiled as if he were about to ask a big favor. “...I am a no better warrior than anyone else. There is a chance I shall fall in this final battle. If I do… Larek, I name you my heir, and if I die the rank of General Major will fall to you.”

I was at a loss for words. “...Me? I am but an orphan, raised by an old legend… why would you, highborn, an excellent warrior and general, make me your heir? Surely there are at least a thousand others more qualified-”

“There is something about you, something I can’t place.” Andirltan paced around, trying to form words out of his thoughts. “You’re no ordinary greenskin, Larek. You’re not a normal orphan either… as you know, you’re the bastard son of Sharog the Elfslayer. But there’s something about you… as if you’ve been chosen by the Heavens.”

I slowly looked at my hands. That was right… I had forgotten. I was going to take over the world. I had an Angel’s blessing, the mind of a man who had wasted eighteen years of his life dedicated to dreaming of fantasy worlds… “You’re right,” I said slowly, “I will become your heir. But you shall not die on the battlefield as long as I am there.” I drew my sword, held it in the palm of both hands, and kneeled to Andirltan. “I pledge my loyalty to you, not as a soldier to his general, but as a knight to his king. I will kill for you… but more than that, I shall die for you. I, Larek the Goblinsbane, give you all I have to offer - my sword, my mind, and my life.”

As I kneeled down, a messenger barged through the doors, panting. I immediately stood up, sensing something was off. “What is it?” Andirltan asked warily.

The messenger gulped and looked at the both of us. His eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. “The King of the Mountain Kingdoms… he was assassinated today morning. Dijurobul Vudrish… claims that he is the new King.”

Serim

“My dear brother, it’s been too long,” I put on a smile as I embraced my brother. He had a worn-out look as he managed to smile.

“Thanks to you, Serim, Ashait is ours,” he said. “I am the new King of Ashait. I have already sworn my loyalty to the Aubrerid Crown.” We walked to the window and he threw it open. Outside was a burning city, the clashes of battle and the screams of the dying still plentiful. “The skirmishes continue, but our forces outnumber the rebels, and we have already taken the palace.” Resse looked relieved but troubled at the same time. “Fenlar will surely respond soon. Since Ashait is now part of the Aubrerid Empire, however, they will not be able to easily take it from us. Additionally… according to your information, they planned to conquer the Mountain Kingdoms. Due to our work here, however, they have since retreated from that godforsaken place.”

“Perfect,” I laughed, “Perfect. Their plan is falling to pieces… and now it’s our turn. I believe conquering the States of Fenlar should be our next priority.”

“Conquering Fenlar?” My brother looked appalled. “Serim, even the combined forces of all the provinces in Aubrerid wouldn’t be enough for a guaranteed victory against the elves… and even if we do prove to be victorious our losses would lead to thousands of troubles in the future. And… there are rumors going around that the States of Fenlar have two ‘elites’ of sorts… a human so fast he can kill you before you even see him draw his sword and an elf that never misses.”

“You’re right, brother.” Stupid bastard. It seems there’s something else I have to take care of before I conquer Fenlar. “Well, I must be going now.”

“Good luck,” Resse smiled as he embraced me once again - a smile that transformed into shock the next moment. “W-what…”

“I do apologize sincerely, brother,” I whispered as I took the knife out of Resse’s guts. The King of Ashait fell to the ground, groaning, as he tried to crawl towards the door. “I would have to kill you eventually… it all depended on when you would decide to stand in my way.”

I left the bloody knife on the table as I walked out of the room. My brother lay in front of the door, slowly bleeding to death. Looking at him contemptuously, I kicked him in the head before leaving his room.

Using another knife, I carved the words FOR FENLAR on his door.