POV - Celestia

“How large can this place be. We have been walking around for hours, and all we have to show for it is three fights. This is bull shit, we are walking in circles” As Noel continues to complain about our circumstances aloud, I would have to agree with her. We have been walking without break for the longest time. The only other times we have had conflict were when another group of wolfs were attracted to us and when Noel awoke a bear in its den. In between those fights we have just been walking around the forest seeing the wildlife in its cycle. I am sure we have been walking in circles but I don’t know how to tell if we are.

As I was thinking about our circumstances some more, Arthur raised his hand signifying us to stop. Arthur then try to signify to us to come over quietly, but it seem like Noel did not get the message.

“Hey Art, what's the problem,” Noel says aloud as if broadcasting our location to everything in this forest. By the look on Arthur's face, he also seems to feel the pain of his action toward Noel. It could also be the nickname that made Arthur wince, for some unknown reason Noel has been trying to give us nicknames.

“Alright everyone since Noel broke our cover we are going to have to charge in. Though it looks like are opponents are low-level.” Arthur says in a fed-up tone, clearly fed up with how Noel has been acting during this expedition. Arthur continues, “Everyone back in formation, I am going to charge in first trying to get the attention of all the creatures. Noel will then follow, after a few seconds of just me and Noel out there Celestia and Simmons will come in. Does everyone understand the plan?” The final question is meant at Noel, we can all tell. After everyone gives the acknowledgment about knowing the plan. Arthur charges out with a shout trying to draw the attention of all the creatures. I hear a few thump sounds and a scream of a weird guttural sort. Then Noel charges in with a weirdly serious face not matching what I have seen of her in the past.

Now being able to see the creatures that Arthur was talking about. I find that they are like bipedal lizards. Each of the Lizards was about 4 and a half feet tall. In total there were 7 of these lizards around a rudimentary campfire, the campfire is cooking Venison. The battlefield we are fighting in is a clearing that has its back connected with the crater’s walls. Just as I am watching I can see that all the Lizards have already stood up and are charging Arthur. Before Arthur is overwhelmed by numbers Noels charges in. Noel has already drawn her longs sword, unlike all the other times we have fought together Noel gets in a stance before she attacks. With a fluid motion, she moves her sword to the neck of the lizard and cuts it off as if it was butter. She continues this motion to another lizard bisecting it. Realizing that I've just been staring I also charge in, Simmons right on my tail.

With Arthur fending off 3 of the lizards and Noel continuing the fluid motions to 2 other lizards. I come in right behind Arthur, and set up a barrier on the left side separating one of the lizards from him, so he has more room to navigate. Simmons right behind me raises his staff in the air and does his silent chant again, while he is chanting I can see that with the new freedom Arthur parries a strick from one of the lizard's claws and follows it up with a strike to the neck decapitating the creature. Simmons seems to be done with his silent chant and several rune circles appear around his staff and fly forward, cutting the lizard on the right into 9 pieces.

I turn my eyes to see if Noel is doing fine, just to find her standing in the middle of 2 dead lizards. I bring my eyes back to Arthur to see that he has already killed the lizard my barrier has been keeping at bay. So I cut my mana’s tie to the barrier causing it to dissolve.

“God, that was fun. I needed that stretch.” Noel says as if it was the easiest thing she has ever done. “Though, why did you not use your magic?” Noel asks stabbing her question into Arthur.

Arthur deflecting says, “We should follow the craters wall to see if we can find these kobolds.”

“What if these lizards are kobolds,” I say wanting to contribute. Seeing how they look at me as if they were asking me to follow up on what I said, I continued, “What if kobolds are like goblins, and they can get smarter the higher level they get. These are just a group that ran away from the main group.”

Goblins were disgusting creatures that are not natural to this plane. They were originally found in a dungeon. Due to actions that I don’t know about, someone broke the dungeon’s core causing goblins to spread all over the plane being a nuisance. A low-level goblin was super weak and pathetic but if you meet a high-level one they were a force to be reckoned with.

While I was thinking about goblins, I could also see Arthur and Noel thinking about what I had to say. Simmons was investigating the presumed kobold’s corpse. When I was about to take my eyes off Simmons I spotted that he had grabbed something. Before I could ask what it is, Simmons spoke up, “Arthur, Noel, I have found that they have beast cores and from what I can tell of the beast core we have been fighting a race rank D creature.” Hearing these words that have no meaning to me I turn to see that Arthur and Noel have their eyes on the beast core that is being shown by Simmons.

“Celestia’s idea may have more merit now. But that is a bit concerning because goblins at their base race rank is an F rank race. Though because they are at this higher rank they will reproduce slower than goblins.” Arthur says analyzing whatever a race rank means.

“What is a race rank?” I ask out slowly wanting to get the information without sounding stupid.

“They never taught you that? Never mind. A race rank is a value determined by the natural-born strength of a race. So for a higher race rank, one level is far more powerful than one level lower down on the race rankings. Humans and Elves' base race rank is a C, however for a Lesser Dragon their race rank is S. However there are outliers like High Elfs or Primal Humans which are both A rank races.” Arthur says trying to explain it the best he can. But I do believe I understand what Arthur is trying to say, like how a level 10 ant is nothing to a level-1 child.

“Seeing how the Pal-Paladin is done explaining to the Priestess, I do believe that we should follow the original plan and follow the cliff wall to see if we can find anything else, other than just exploring that damnable forest,” Noel says being the voice of reason for once, but I can see from the corner of my eye that the nickname for Arthur hurt him more than anything else in the forest has.

“Alright then everyone, I will go first, Noel I want you on the right side as we follow the crater’s wall going right. Then Celestia and Simmons behind me so you two are protected.” Arthur says getting back in control of everything before anything goes chaotic.

As all of us get into formation, we follow the cliffs wall around to see if we can find anything else of note so we can leave. After walking some more we find another place. This place is infested with kobolds clustered around a cave or was it a mine, it is hard to tell but from what I can see, it is the main operation going on here. I can also tell that everyone else on the team also understands the same thing. Arthur in front of us signifies for us to move back. After walking back for a few minutes to where we can talk and not get spotted by the kobolds.

“I believe we got the information we need to leave the book. From what I could tell the kobolds were setting up a mine for resources, for whatever they need.” Arthur says in a whisper.

“I would usually be all guns ho about fighting, but as my father once said, enough rats can kill an S ranker. We don’t know how many kobolds there are in there.” Noel says, and for the first time, I see that she is not confident about killing something.

“Yes, It would entirely be in our best interest just to head back. Any thoughts Celestia.” Simmons says roping me into this conversation.

“I also believe that we should leave.” I try to say it in the most formal tone I can give.

“Alright, because everyone agreed on leaving. Back in formation, we are going to sprint through the forest back to the slope then leave.” Arthur says wrapping things up.

“How do you know that running forward would lead to the slope?” Simmons asks, not wanting to run through a forest for no result.

“Yes, I would agree in other circumstances but it does seem like the kobold are somewhat intelligent. So I am hoping that the kobolds put the mine on the opposite side of the forest than the slope.” Arthur says justifying his decision. “So like I said will everyone get back information and prepare for running back through the forest again.”