Home Beneath #6

Author's Note: No comment really. TA-DAAA.

Character sheet, circa level 3
- Var'veha 

[story]

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You draw in a deep breath through your flat nose,‭ ‬considering the options,‭ ‬but only for a moment.‭ ‬Puppies would be cute,‭ ‬and as much as you’d love to go see them before anyone else,‭ ‬they won’t be going anywhere.‭ ‬Becoming a Road-Raider,‭ ‬getting that chance to be properly trained...‭ ‬it’s the most important thing.‭ ‬Basic wisdom of the world has taught you that to ignore the issue most sensitive to time,‭ ‬may mean to neglect it forever.‭ “‬Gotta see Elder,‭” ‬you finally nod,‭ ‬starting to scamper forward ahead of the other two.

‭“‬Var‭! ‬Wait‭!” ‬you hear Maskki cry out as her short,‭ ‬slim legs pump beneath her to catch up with you.‭ ‬Ixxa,‭ ‬of course,‭ ‬has less trouble‭ ‬--‭ ‬despite goblins being known for their ability to move and scurry with a speed equivalent to rats,‭ ‬she’s twice your height,‭ ‬and able to more easily move through the crowds of sweaty goblin bodies congregating around the Raiders.

Pushing your way excitedly past goblin after goblin,‭ ‬you make your way towards the large eastern tunnel that should take you where the Elders hold court.‭ ‬One thing does catch your attention before you pass through the big hole leading you to your destination,‭ ‬though:‭ ‬a loud cry in a language you don’t understand,‭ ‬belonging to a voice so soft as to sound almost like music.‭ ‬Like the song of a bird,‭ ‬or gentle whistle of a flute,‭ ‬though anguished and panicked.‭ ‬Your eyes flick towards it briefly to see a large cage being dragged toward the temple,‭ ‬containing the thing Ixxa had mentioned to you earlier‭ ‬--‭ ‬the elf-maid,‭ ‬the sacrifice for Big Bright.‭ ‬She’s slender and pale,‭ ‬her long blonde hair almost silver in color,‭ ‬skin almost glowing with an elegant beauty that now flares and gutters with distress.

You feel something strange in your chest,‭ ‬for just a moment,‭ ‬but the feeling fades before you can identify it.‭ ‬You have places to be.

It’s a few short minutes later before you find yourself in the Den of Wisdom,‭ ‬plumes of pungently spiced smoke immediately filling your nose and stinging your eyes.‭ ‬Many of the Elders,‭ ‬once moved to the Den,‭ ‬take to such smoke‭ ‬--‭ ‬known to you as‭ ‬och’ja‭ ‬--‭ ‬to ease the long tedium that their lives have become,‭ ‬all sitting together until they’re of use to the warren once again.

‭“‬Phew,‭ ‬no like smell,‭” ‬Maskki complains quietly,‭ ‬holding one hand lightly over her face,‭ ‬though as saturated as this place is you can’t imagine it will be of much help.‭ ‬Ixxa merely chuckles,‭ ‬ducking her head down a bit to fit in the goblin-only Den,‭ ‬though her hunched posture gives you a distractingly sumptuous peek between her cleavage.

‭“‬Elder be close,‭ ‬been here before,‭” ‬you murmur,‭ ‬scurrying ahead until you find the small room where the Road-Elder dwells,‭ ‬concealed by tattered,‭ ‬black leather curtains that the Elder himself had referred to as‭ ‘‬drow-skin.‭’ ‬Ducking inside,‭ ‬you see him in all his glory‭ ‬--‭ ‬dark yellow in color and monstrously corpulent,‭ ‬his withered body is covered in bristly,‭ ‬spider-like hair,‭ ‬while his nearly flat head lies completely bald.‭ ‬A copper tube in his mouth connects to a crude vase of och’ja,‭ ‬both of which billow with the acrid,‭ ‬spicy smoke.

‭“‬Road-Elder Acgenk‭!” ‬you squawk,‭ ‬waving both hands excitedly.‭ “‬Got big news‭!”

Watery,‭ ‬bloodshot eyes turn to you,‭ ‬and the old goblin shifts atop the creaking wicker cushion his huge body is draped across,‭ ‬sitting up very slightly.‭ “‬Silverskin,‭ ‬you return,‭” ‬he croaks,‭ ‬his voice a labored,‭ ‬rattling wheeze.‭ “‬And...‭ ‬a-and so soon...‭ ‬what it be...‭? ‬Two...‭ ‬three hour....‭”

You frown slightly,‭ ‬glancing back to the two girls who followed you,‭ ‬then back to Acgenk.‭ “‬Ehmm...‭ ‬four blacknights,‭ ‬Elder,‭” ‬you correct him,‭ ‬referencing the phase of the new moon,‭ ‬largely used by your people to chart the passing of a‭ ‬28-day month.‭ “‬But guess,‭ ‬guess‭!”

“Oh...‭ ‬yes,‭ ‬your...‭ ‬your news,‭” ‬another long wheeze,‭ ‬followed by a few labored breaths that gush smoke.‭ “‬What...‭ ‬what you bring...‭ ‬Silverskin...‭?”

“New pups‭! ‬Roadbeast haves new babies,‭ ‬means training new Raiders‭! ‬I come to you first‭ ‬--‭ ‬you see me with knives,‭ ‬you know I can hunt‭ ‬--‭ ‬remember when I catch you blindfish from the cave pools‭?” ‬You feel yourself getting more excited.‭ “‬I wanna be Road-Raider‭! ‬Take me in,‭ ‬let me train‭! ‬I can train with Tato and others‭!”

You feel almost paralyzed by the long wait for Acgenk’s answer,‭ ‬more struggled wheezing coming from his paper-thin lips.‭ ‬Finally,‭ ‬he opens his mouth,‭ ‬and just as you think he’s going to reply to you,‭ ‬he wraps them back around the length of tubing,‭ ‬inhaling deeply.‭ ‬You hear the vase burble as a massive burst of vapor rises from beneath its ill-fitting lid,‭ ‬and the Elder lets out a long breath of stinking fumes.‭ ‬Another pause‭ ‬--‭ ‬almost a minute passes,‭ ‬and you start to wonder if he’s forgotten you’re here.‭ “‬Ehmm...‭ ‬Elde--‭”

“Beasts making...‭ ‬new pups...‭ ‬so fast,‭ ‬these days...‭ ‬mmrhhmm...‭” ‬he gasps in sharply,‭ ‬then settles down again.‭ “‬Would love to...‭ ‬see you...‭ ‬fighting on the Man-Street...‭ ‬t-take this...‭” ‬pudgy fingers grope blindly for something beside the massive goblin,‭ ‬fumbling at the short table beside him that holds the och’ja vase.‭ ‬Finding a small leather satchel,‭ ‬he reaches in to withdraw a small token fashioned from bone,‭ ‬etched on both sides‭ ‬--‭ ‬the front with a fanged grin,‭ ‬the back with a hyena’s head.‭ ‬Extending his short arm,‭ ‬he hands it to you.‭ “‬Do not...‭ ‬lose it...‭ ‬some may try...‭ ‬to...‭ ‬take it...‭” ‬a massive,‭ ‬scraping suck of air,‭ ‬then‭ “‬Shows you...‭ ‬my favor.‭”

A wide,‭ ‬bright grin crosses your face,‭ ‬and you hop up and down excitedly.‭ “‬Ahhhah‭! ‬Big thank,‭ ‬Elder‭! ‬Thank, thank‭!” ‬You whirl around to face Ixxa and Maskki,‭ ‬holding the token up triumphantly.‭ “‬Look,‭ ‬look‭! ‬Var’veha be Raider‭! ‬I gonna get my own hyena‭!”