The fort far bigger than one would think when seeing it. There are multiple uderground facilities, carved into the mountain. Most of them are for training or storage, the place easily can go without extra supplies from outside for a year. I even found a smithy in the castle yard, next to the stables. The place has an approximate of one thousand soldiers, twenty canons and fifty horses. As I visited the food storage, I found a rat's nest and proceded to hunt them all. Some sort of help to the soldiers I guess.

As I kept going into every room i could find, using my high wisdom to mentally make an approximate map of the place, one of the soldier that was training in a shooting range noticed me. The short, blond haired man stared at me for a second then turned toward his instructor while pointing at me with his thumb.

"Why is there a cat here?"

"A old friend of the general came in the fort, this her pet I think."

Technically her master's but close enough.

"Why would a warrior have a pet cat?"

"Because it's cute."she glanced at me"Or because it's a wise beast."

"Aren't those extremely expensive?"

"Not if they evolved from a simple cat you already owned."

I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation as I went to the next room. It seems everyone already knows about Veria and me, though Lein isn't part of the rumor. Overall this is pretty good news, the soldiers are aware of who, or what I am. No one will bother me.

I leaped over a crate and sneaked behind another man. There was no point in avoiding detection but free experience on stealth is always welcome

Your skill has leveld up: Stealth is level 3!

Perfect timing. Aside from that, I found that the last place I had to map was the jail. The poorly lit and dusty cells with rusty metal doors were mostly empty. The exeptions were a drunk soldier and a man in rags. Both sleeping on the stone floor.

Once I had an idea of the fort's layout, I went back to the place where Veria and Reus discussed the upcoming battle's plan. When I entered the room both stoped talking and turned their heads toward me. Stealth is still far too low in level to fool them. I simply meowed at them like any lazy house cat would.

Reus's eyes went back to the map in front of him. Veria walked up to me and took me in her arms. She held me at a level where I could see the map and asked.

"What do you think little one. Where could a goblin lord's aim be?"

Reus did bat an eye at Veria's strange behavior but nothing more, it seems she has an history of weird actions.The map depicted the castle and nearby forest. Judging by the scale, the map was supposed to represent the "frontline" where the monster could attack. Most of it was either snowy hills or forest.

I didn't really understand why Veria, who is an obvious veteran of many battles, would need my help to figure it out. A goblin lord's action would be to...

Wait, it's not that simple. We don't know everything about the goblins and ice goblins can craft surprisingly elaborate plans. I can't decide with just that information. Veria might be asking me because she knows I can turn into a fast horse or a stealthy cat at will.

I didn't say anything and jumped from her arms to the ground, the last thing I heard before leaving the room being Reus asking Veria to remain serious.

Once outside, I sneaked past the guards and turned into a horse while running toward the endless ice outside.

The battle may be seen as easy by simple minded peoples but I know it's not that simple, most of the soldiers being unable to notice me meant they are mainbly rookies, low level wariors with nearly no experience of real fights. Add to that the cult's movements and you might be in it deeper than you thought.

I need to know how much of those blue pests are coming and their exact equipement and mounts number.

The fort became smaller and smaller in the distance as I galloped through the endless ice. Being a cat was fun but the horse is honestly another level, the feeling of freedom this speed gives is wonderful, the cold north wind blowing on my mane feels divine.

Hours of running later, I finally saw what I was looking for, a goblin scout. The small light blue creature stood on top of a snow-white wolf. The foul beast immediately noticed me as I hid in the snow. I got as low as I could and transformed. The cat appearance is far more appropriate to stalking. Now I need to see what the goblin thought of my little stunt.

I hid in the snow as the scout approached. He stared at the ground probably lost in thought. It must be hard for a goblin to understand how a horse can disappear. I hastyly burrowed in the snow to hide as best as I could. It should be fine, ice wolves are pretty bad hunter, they rely to much on sight since there aren't a lot of place to hide in the cold north, even the pine forest are far from cramped.

My little stunt seemed to have worked as the goblin began to check the content of his waterskin, probably wondering if one of his brethen jokingly put some hallucinogenic plant in it. The wolf growled a bit then calmed down quickly.

After he checked the content of his water supply the goblin rider shrugged, mounted and went toward what I believe is his camp.

The next two hours were pretty exhausting, my cat form is stealthier but lacks stamina. The goblin only stoped once to relieve himself in the snow. When we arrived at the camp, he dismounted and went toward some sort of pen where they kept the wolves.

I started circling the camp, the absence of sentries made it quite easy. The goblins were living in what looked like crude tents made with animal skins and dead wood. Several campfires separated the tents, most of them used to cook some meat stew. The number of goblins is exceeding what Reus planned. The camp is filled with goblins, there must be at least three thousands.

I took a break from scanning the mass of blueskinned monsters for elites and made my way toward the pen where they kept their wolves. I counted two hundred wolves, an impressive amount but nothing too scary. What scares me is that a lord shouldn't be enough to lead such a massive army.

I heard a warhorn sound in the middle of the camp, the wolves became agitated but soon calmed when one of the riders came with meat to feed them.

I used the sound of the wolves's meal to infiltrate the camp. Most of the goblins are gone, probably went toward the place where the horn was blown.

As I made my way through the near empty camp, I noticed a large red tent. I crept under the back to avoid any guards. It's the armory, there are spears, shields and swords everywhere. A lot of those are ironwork, which is surprising since goblins don't know how to smelt ore nor how to make tools with it.

Approximatively one hundred of iron spears and swords each plus three hundreds bows and two thousands arrows. No armor here though, anly weapons. The remaining clubs, pikes and wooden shields the common soldier must use should be in their tents. Still the fact that they have iron isn't good news, it means they either received some outside help or raided ruins.

The sound of drums was echoing in the distance, the goblins are probably having a feast. Now that i think about it the meat stew they prepared were all brought to the center of the camp. The number of goblins here will make it hard to remain undetected, I should look at it from afar.

I climbed on the top of the red tent and stared at the goblin gathering while using both Curse perception and magic sight. Curse perception revealed the twelve shamans, seven more than predicted. Magic sight didn't pick up anything apart for a faint mist of ice imbued mana coming from a large tent next to the feast.

The goblins were all eating, dancing or playing drums around a massive bonefire. I could see a lot of hobgoblins and a few goblins with warpaints on their faces, probably troop leaders. Still no clue about the chieftain though.

I kept watching the festivities and counted about three hundreds hobgoblins. When a sudden burst in the ice mana mist caught my eye. It was coming from the waist of a hoded goblin that just came out of the massive tent. An enchanted sword! The ice shortsword is shaped like a scimitar and covered in blood-red runes. The thing isn't cursed so the red color must be either blood magic or fire magic. It's blood magic. Even a goblin would know it's stupid to enchant ice with fire.

The worst is the one wielding the tool, a horn in the middle of a goblin's face indicate that their demonic heritage is returning. That means it is a goblin general, a way more cunning and stronger version of a goblin chieftain.

Now the best idea would be to run back to the fort and inform Veria. Won't do it though. There is far too much free experience in front of me. I took a few jumps from tent to tent until I was close enough. I just need to wait for the right moment and …

A goblin walked next to a hob with a bowl of soup, perfect. I tripped the goblin by throwing a wooden mug on his feet with telekinesis. As the goblin fell, his bowl covered the hob in burning soup. At the same time i focused my mind on anything that could make me angry: my past, the cult of Araneir, divan's death, even the sick monsters that put pineapple on pizza. Then I used forced empathy on the hob.

It worked, I can see the anger flaring in the hob's face. He rose on his feet, grabbed the wooden club newt to him and smashed the goblin in the head with it. Nearby golbins stared in disbelief at the disproportionate reaction and I extended the target of my skill to all of them. Soon enough a massive brawl started. The general had to come himself and shout to stop the fight.

Your skill has leveld up: Forced empathy is level 1!

I then used sugestion on one of the weakest goblins and made him throw a bowl of soup on another hob's face, the fight restarted, stronger than ever.

While the goblin general was dealing with this chaos, I crept in his tent. The guards in front of it didn't notice anything. My suspicions about the general became even stronger when I noticed several maps on the table in the middle of the tent. The beast has a plan!

Only one thing to do. I took the maps and documents and wrapped them with telekinesis then just grabbed them with my mouth. To destroy any evidence of my espionage, I used a basic fire spell that every novice mage adventurer learns to set the tent on fire and made my way out of the camp as stealthily as possible.

Your target is burning, inflicted 47 burn damage.

Your target is burning, inflicted 58 burn damage.

Your target is burning, inflicted 54 burn damage.

Your target is burning, inflicted 31 burn damage. Your target is dead.

What?

You have displayed mastery of the art of burning, may your path be covered in cinders. You have received the Fire mastery skill.

What?

I don't know what the worst is. The fact that a goblin died in the tent I set on fire like an idiot or the fact that it gave me a skill. Let's just go home and not think.

Going home is proving to be harder than expected. As I was galloping through the snow, I had to circle around some ice wraith that I detected with curse perception and an ice troll. But I couldn't see the ice lizal. Lizal are some sort of feral lizardmen, though smaller and dumber, that hide in water, grass or snow to surprise their preys.

One of those suddenly erupted from the ice, throwing snow all around both of us. He managed to injure my back left leg with his spear. I can't really run away now. I need to fight and I don't think he will let me transform into a cat right now. Guess I'll get experience on my horse class too.

The lizal is in for a fight too, he placed his spear between us and started harassing me with quick strikes.

You have been stabbed, received 24 sharp damage.

You have been stabbed, received 18 sharp damage.

You have been stabbed, received 32 sharp damage.

You have been stabbed, received 12 sharp damage.

You have been stabbed, received 22 sharp damage.

He wants to slowly chip at my hp without giving me a way to retaliate. Nice try but I'm no mere horse.

As the spear was closing in for another strike, I moved slightly to the side, hurting myself and losing a few hp because of the wounded leg, and used fire magic on the wooden shaft of the spear. When it started burning the lizal panicked. As he tried to drown the flames in the snow I turned around and, right when he managed to extinguish the flame, kicked him in the jaw with my uninjured back leg.

Your target has been kicked, critical hit! You inflicted 107 blunt damage, target is stuned.

As the lizal was coming back to his senses, I stomped on the spear, breaking it in two. The clear disadvantage he was in forced the lizal to flee. As he tried to run I charged as fast as I could with an injured leg and tackled him with a heavy shoulder hit.

Your target has been tackled! You inflicted 132 blunt damage, target fell.

As he was trying to get up I finished him with a hoove in the face.

Your target has been kicked! You inflicted 52 blunt damage, target died.

Congratulations, you are now a lvl 7 Black horse STR +5 END +6 VIT +7 AGI +1 PER +1 CHR +1

You have unlocked new skills: Heavy charge(Specie: Horse), Natural resistances(Specie: Horse), Nightmare ride(Specie: Black Horse).

Nice.