The orcs were all gathered up on the rest alm. They were then striped of their weapons and armor.

Crystaria and the goblins then provided succor to the ones that were in critical care first, while the lighter injured were given medical kits to treat themselves.

The same went for the goblins. First aid, surgery, and treatment were given to the ones with grave injuries. While the rest either were made to treat themselves, or had help, when help could be provided.

Crystaria took a minute to watch as they carted off some of the heavily wounded towards the village proper for rest and more treatment.

She watched with weary eyes as Athena’s sleeping, prone body, was taken away by a stretcher.

A hand clasped her shoulder. She turned to look at, an almost perfectly, put together Artemis.

“She will be fine. Relax Crysta, My granddaughter is tougher than you think.” She assured her.

Crystaria just nodded her head before turning to look back at Athena’s departing figure.

“Yeah, you’re right... doesn’t stop me from worrying though.”

“It never will, not for the ones you care about.” Artemis told her honestly. “But we also have things we need to do right now: as the General and the Demon Lord.” She reminded her.

Crystaria sighed.

“It feels like it has been longer than the hour it's been. I feel like we were fighting for a whole day!”

Artemis just laughs at her friend's plight.

“Well it’s not over yet! You may as well get used to long days. We may have more like this sooner than you might think.”

“I hope not...” Crystaria mumbled in reply.

She then turned to walk towards the orc group.

“Come on General. Let’s get this over with.”

Crystaria and Artemis walk over towards the group of orcs that had not suffered any, or very little, injuries during the battle.

An orc looking there direction, nudges The orc closes to him. The other orc around the fire they were sitting at all start staring at Crystaria and Artemis.

Crystaria was used to this kind of attention by now. So she didn’t let it detour her from her objective.

She stood in front of the defeated looking orcs. Most looked at her skeptically. Some out right looked afraid. But for some reason, which she was expecting, none of then looked angry or upset at her.

Orcs are weird! She decided to herself.

After scanning the faces of the orcs sitting around the fire she asks them.

“Do any of you speak the goblin tongue?”

A few of the more ambivalent orcs amongst themselves. Turned towards each and started to murmuring in their own language.

Probably decided who should be their spokes person.

Fortunately for Crystaria, she didn’t have to wait very long.

One orc raised his hand. A brown skinned orc with a slimmer build to the rest of his companions; his skin also had that strange light hue like she had seen before.

“Yes! What is your name?” She pointed at the orc had his hand raised.

He lowered his hand and stood up.

“This one is: Yamin.”

“Yamin. So are you the next one in charge of orcs after the Warchief?” She asks him.

He shakes his head at her question.

“Oh? You volunteered so quickly, I thought that you must be someone important.”

He gives her an almost sour look.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

Again he shakes his head.

“No. Underknowing? What this one. Said.”

“Ah!” Crystaria was catching on.

“Oh boy! This isn’t going to be easy, is it?” She says mostly to herself, rather than to anyone in particular.

Artemis feels the need to answer her anyways.

“Of course not. It is always the aftermath of a battle that is the hardest part. The battles are down right easy, by comparison.” She explained to Crystaria.

This only got Crystaria to sigh.

“I suppose I should have guessed as much.”

She then focuses back on Yamin.

“Tell me. Who above you? Who in charge of all of you?”

She said in her best big sister voice as she could, while also trying to keep it as simple as possible.

Yamin thought on this for a moment before answering.

“Warchief?” He answered hesitantly.

Crystaria shook her head.

“He dead. Who else?”

Again, Yamin seemed to think on this a moment. Possibly trying to think of the word. Which was evident that he was, from what he said next.

“Yamin. Do not. No. Word.”

Crystaria rests her chin in her palm. All the while looking contemplative.

“Hmm... that is a problem. We can’t have everyone here be giving us half answers like this or we won’t know the course of action to do with them.”

Artemis nodded her agreement, but choose to stay quiet while the Demon Lord thought on this.

Crystaria looks back up to Yamin.

“Anyone else better at goblin than you?”

“Yes!” Yamin answers immediately.

“Who?”

“No, no word.” He told her again.

“...” She had a thought about what he just said. “They same person. Who is above you? In charge of you?” She asks a with a shot in the dark question.

Yamin starts nodded his head frantically.

“Will you recognize them?”

He looks confused.

“Will you know them by seeing them? You show me who they are?”

“Yes!” Yamin answers right away again.

“Then show me. Please.” Crystaria asks him.

Yamin seemed to hesitate. He looked around himself, before looking back to Crystaria.

“This one. Can move? around?”

“...” Crystaria thought on this for a moment before nodding. “Yes. You may. Take us,” She gestured between Artemis and herself. “To your leader.”

... And what the heck am I?! A space alien?!... well!... technically?

She had such a distracting thought float through her head, she almost forgot to ask Yamin something.

“Do others. Want to come?”

“...” He looks at her confused for a second before turning to look at the other orcs, then turning back to face her. “Others! May come?” He shoots back.

“Yes. If they want. You all not prisoners.”

“Demon Lord.” Artemis said in a low, cautionary tone of voice.

“Artemis,” She looked up at her. “Look how defeated they look. If they were going to be causing trouble, than they already would have. I am not here to capture or subjugate the orcs. Nor am I planning to force any of them to serve us: just because they lost and are now leaderless.” She explained to her.

“...” Artemis raised an eyebrow at Crystaria’s resolute statement. “Just please be cautious. Some of them might still try to fight to find their warrior’s death.”

Crystaria nodded at her words. Despite Crystaria’s wanting to believe in the now defeated orcs. She also knew, that it hurt nothing to be cautious, just in case.

“Well. There is no better jailor than me I guess.” She gestured towards the group of orcs farthest away from her.

As soon as she gestured their direction. They started trembling.

“See how frightened they are? I want to use this opportunity to show them I am not the monster that killed their Warchief.”

“You’re-“ Artemis went to interject.

“I know. Artemis you don’t have to say it. I know none of this, is really my fault.” Crystaria interrupts her from saying what she thought she was going to say.  She looked up at Artemis. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty that: maybe I should have done things differently, you know?”

Artemis smiles fondly at the tiny Demon Lord. She reaches over and scratches her hand.

“You’re wise beyond your years.”

“I don’t know about that?!” She argues. “I am thirty four summers old.”

Artemis gives a chuckle at her statement.

“Like a said: a youngster.”

Yamin just stays quiet through their exchange and chooses to wait on them.

Crystaria looks over at him.

“So~?” She says in a sing song. “Ready to take us to your leader?”

Yamin nodded his head.

“Yes! Glad too!” He turns back towards. His fellow soldiers, giving them a wave of his hand. Most of them get up. Some don’t.

He frowns at the ones that don’t.

But Crystaria is quick to intercept him before he tells them off.

“They can stay. If they choose.”

He looks down at her in surprise.

She just give the universal sign of unsure; shrugging her shoulders.

“No one prisoners. Just tell them. No more fighting.”

Yamin, even with his extremely limited goblin-primer understood what she was saying.

He turned back to his men-at-arms, yelled out the instructions to the other orcs. Some of which looked at each other in confusion; some looked at the Demon Lord with skepticism.

Crystaria too, turned to the goblins guarding the defeated orcs.

“Everyone! The orc’s are defeated. They are no longer our enemy: but they are also not our prisoners.” She said to them. “Watch them, keep them from causing trouble. But don’t stop them if they wish to leave or run.”

There were a few wide eyes in the goblins’ guarding the orcs. But most  nodded their heads: most used to hearing a strange order from the Demon Lord.

Crystaria looked back at Yamin.

“Lead way.” She told him.

“Yes Warchief!”

This time. It was Crystaria’s eyes that went wide.

Artemis had to hide her laugh behind her hand.

---

They walk towards the central area, where both orcs and goblins, are being treated medically.

Some of the outer perimeter guards spot the approaching group of orcs. So get start alerting others near by, others ready themselves. Crystaria see this; and for a brief moment is proud of their training taking effect.

They've come so far! She pats herself on the back. But she also realizes she needs to defuse this situation quickly. She walks in front a Yamin for a second, waving her hand up: showing that it is her, that she is with the orcs.

Most of the guards visibly relax and go back to what they were doing, or talking to each other.

NO! I was so proud of you! Don't slack off!

Only the ones directly facing the approaching orcs, stayed on their guard.

But that was to be expected.

"Hey Demon Lord! What is with the entourage of orcs following you?" Spout asks when they finally get close enough to hear each other without shouting.

"Hey Spout! This one," She juts a thumb behind her. "Yamin. Is taking me to one of the orc's higher ranks, and someone who knows goblin better than the rest here."

"Ah! Then I assume you are here to see the Shaman, then?"

"SHAMAN!" Yamin shouts and points.

It startles everyone there. Putting almost everyone on guard. Only Artemis and Crystaria were cool, under the unexpected loud exclamation.

"Umm?... Is that who we? look for?" She asks him.

Yamin nods his head vigorously.

"Shaman! Yes! This word. goblin call, Quannara." He explains.

"Quannara means Shaman in orcish?" She verifies.

He nods.

"Yes!"

"I see?..." She looks back to Spout. "Could you lead us to the Shaman, Spout?"

"Well I... I guess, I could. But will all these one's be following you? There are a lot of people injured that need rest, need I remind you."

"Of course. One moment. Yamin?"

"Hmm?" Yamin looks back to Crystaria.

"What do friends want here?" She asks him while pointing towards the orcs behind them.

He looked behind himself, got a confused look on his face before turning back to her.

"They want... word is? wordy?"

"The word is wordy?"

"No?" He says in an unsure voice.

"Hmm... This might be troubling... Artemis? what do you think?”

“Worry?”

“Worry?!” Crystaria looked at her incredulously. “Why in the world would we?-“

“Yes! Worry!” Yamin exclaimed again.

Crystaria’s eyes widen recognition.

“Not wordy! Worry!” She confirmed.

Yamin nodded again.

“Your friends. The warriors. Are worried?”

“Yes! They worried!” Yamin acknowledged.

Crystaria tapped Artemis’s arm. Artemis looked down, at her. To see Crystaria giving her a thumbs up. She just gave her a smug smile back.

“Then Yamin,” Crystaria returned her focus back to the orc soldier. “Do your friends. Want to find? People, they worry about?” She asks him.

“Can they?” He asks her.

She nods.

“Yes, but tell them. Leave goblins alone. They are helping orcs.”

Yamin took a second to process what she said, before turning to the other orcs, giving out the instructions. After which, there seemed to be a sort of back and forth between him and a few other orcs. He turned back to Crystaria.

“Some. us. want to? what word you use? helping?” Yamin told Crystaria.

She cocked her head to the side as she stared up at Yamin quizzically.

“Are you. asking. to help? You want to help goblins treat? heal other orcs?” She repeated what she thought she understood.

Yamin gave a nod of his head once more. 

“Yes! Brothers’ no. no how heal wounds.” He looked from his orcish brethren, back to Crystaria. “They want help. They worry.”

“I see... Artemis? what are your thoughts?"

"..." Artemis had a pensive look on her face while she thought it over. "There is quite a big risk with this, especially if any of them causes... trouble." She over emphasized the word trouble while looking directly at Yamin; sounding almost like a threat.

Yamin raised his hands.

"No trouble! Swear it!"

Artemis turned fully towards him.

"Who do you swear it by?!" She demanded.

This confused a few around Artemis and Yamin, as she just suddenly became very stern. Crystaria just continued to watch this, deciding to just let Artemis handle it.

She seems to know what she is doing.

"S-Swear on Yamin life?!" He told Artemis, a hitch and trepidation in his voice.

Artemis shook her head as soon as he finished.

"Not your life! Swear on your friend's life!" She ordered him.

"W-Who?" He asked, not really sure.

She walked up to him and pulled him down by the front of his shirt.

"The one I gave medicine for you." She reminded him.

His eyes widened at her.

"Y-you?!-" But he cut himself off. he didn't know how to ask her what he wanted in the goblin-primer. Instead, he just nodded his head; he knew what she wanted him to say. "Yes. Yamin swear on Oglran's life."

With that Artemis let go of his shirt, allowing him to straighten up. She gave him a nod.

"Good. Then Artemis trust now." She told him. He said nothing, but he did return her nod after she spoke. Just to acknowledge he heard her. Artemis look back to Crystaria, who was smiling at her; the other goblins around them eyes were wide at the dominance that Artemis displayed over an orc.

Crystaria just mouthed "Good job" to her. Which did nothing to get rid of the smug look on Artemis's face. She then look over to see a jaw dropped Spout, staring in shock at what just happened.

"As you can see. We have it well in hand." She unintentionally gloats. “I promise these orc won’t cause trouble; but if they do, I’ll take care of it.” She says sternly.

He give her a curt nod.

“Please do.”

Crystaria turned back to Yamin.

“Tell your friends. To go help. Tell them; teach them to say: “me want to help.” When they find who, they want to help.” She explained slowly to him.

He took everything in she was saying and then gave her a nod. He then turned towards his orc brethren and began explaining. After he was done, he turned back to Crystaria, giving her a nod that he was done.

She nodded back, then looked over to Spout.

“Can you lead us to the Shaman?” She asked again.

“Yeah, sure. Let me get someone to relieve me.”

After he came back. They left to head more towards the center of the makeshift triage area.

As they moved closer towards the center, they could hear the tell tale signs of an argument.

“And this one is telling you! That this one is fine! Let me help a bit!” A deep masculine voice assured.

“Your hands are burnt! Y-Your a p-patient! So p-p-please! Just sit down, and rest!” A high feminine voice counted with an order.

Is that Creeping Ivy? I didn’t know she could even get stern or angry?

As they drew closer, they noticed a group of the goblins and orcs circled around another smaller group.

Crystaria heard Spout sigh.

“What?” She asked him.

“Nothing!” He groused. “They’re just at it again. And I can see that more people are taking bets again.”

Nothing he said, even came close to explaining what it was that was happening in front of her.

“Umm... Care to explain that with a little more detail.” She asked politely.

“*SIGH* it’s just Creeping Ivy, arguing with the Shaman you’re looking for; plus the orcs and goblins are taking bets on who relents first.” He said as a way of explanation.

As curious as she was about everything, one thing stood out in her mind first.

“What could the goblins and orcs be betting?!”

“Exercise.”

“Excuse me?!” Crystaria was truly baffled at this point.

Spout let out a third sigh, because he knew he would have to explain.

“When the Shaman first woke back up. He started making demands like: “What is that stuff you’re using on us? What are the ingredients? I am a Shaman of my people, let me help you.” Things like that. Naturally, the others around him heard his ranting, so Creeping Ivy had to come over to tell him to just sit there and heal up. The orcs that only had busted limbs or minor injuries, started to gather around, taking bets on amounts of exercise on who would win an argument. Of course, this got the goblins involved, because they caught on to what the orcs were doing by watching them, and wanted in on the betting action.”

Crystaria’s eyes were as wide as they possibly could be. At this point, Artemis didn’t even try to hide the fact she was laughing. She was doubled over, head halfway down to the ground. Both arms supporting her shaking, laughing, mid section.

Yamin looked back and forth between the two, confused on what caused such different reactions.

By the time Crystaria got herself composed enough to speak, Creeping Ivy shouted.

“Why d-do you have to be like this?! W-why can’t you just listen to us?! let us help you! Rest!”

“If you would just listen to me! And hear when Flannik tells you, that he is fine! Maybe we wouldn’t need to argue!” Shouted the Shaman.

It got almost deathly quiet. Then a couple goblins and orcs at the perimeter cried out, falling to their knees; while others either high-fived each other, or lifted their arms in jubilation.

“Nnnnooo!” One goblin screamed. Immediately falling to the ground, while starting to do push-ups.

Another orc with a sling on his arm sat down and started doing stomach-curls.

The winners, pointing and counting in their respective language, laughing at the losers.

Crystaria was silent for a moment again. She took a breath to say something when she heard Creeping Ivy speak again.

“Why?! Why can’t y-y-you *HIC* listen to me for once! W-W-We are j-just trying to h-help *HIC*  You! So please! *HIC* Won’t you please just, *HIC* sit down, and rest?!” Creeping Ivy, said in a tear strained voice.

It went deathly quiet again before the Shaman responded.

“Fine!” He shouted in a disgruntled tone.

This just got the losers to groan louder; the winners to laugh harder.

Crystaria brought her hand up to rub her tired head at what she was seeing. She slyly brought her hand down to cover her mouth. Hiding her amused smile. She figured out why they knew the Shaman lost that argument.

“I’m guessing, that the ones doing the strengthening routines, are the ones that lost the bet?” She asked Spout unnecessarily.

He gave her another nod of his head.

“Yeah,” He said, sounding displeased. “I told them to knock that dragon crap off, but it seems the orcs started it up again; then my men followed suit. I’ll go stop them.”

“No, Wait!” Crystaria told him. “Let it go.”

“Huh?!” This time, it was Spout that had the bewildered expression on his face.

“Listen: these are soldiers that just finished a battle. They need a way to blow off some stream; to get the stress out. I think this is a pretty good way to start to build camaraderie between the two factions.”

Spout cocked his head to the side.

“Why would we want that? Even if orc and goblins learn to get along together, the orcs will leave, as soon as they are able.”

Crystaria shook her head.

“That is not necessarily true.” She told him.

“They are staying?!” He asked surprise.

“No. It’s a long story Spout. I plan to have a meeting with the elders soon, after I talk with the orc’s leaders, to find out what they are going to do.”

Spout opened his mouth to ask something more. But closed it, when he decided it would be pointless. He just shook his head at the strange thoughts of this Demon Lord.

“Then, since you know where the Shaman is now, would you like Spout to go find and let the remaining elders know you be having a meeting?”

“...” Crystaria smiled at his innovative, but shook her head.

“You can. But we probably won’t meet until tomorrow. Going to at least take a day, to let everyone rest, before we get into any sort of serious talks of sorts.” She informed him.

“Right.” He then started walking past her, back the way they came. “Take care Demon Lord... And good job, by the way.” He told her, almost as a passing thought.

Artemis had stopped laughing a little before this, but at Spouts words, Both she and Crystaria were speechless.

"Cheeky bugger." Crystaria said.

"Hmm... Indeed. Never expected to hear him give a complement out to... Well, anyone for that matter. But especially not to you."

That is for sure! Despite the overwhelming positivity and support coming from some of the other chieftains, of the different clans. Spout of the Waterfall clan, has always been a constant thorn in Crystaria's side. Always complaining. Always the first to disagree. The first to ignore her completely.

But despite everything. He had proven a valuable ally. Despite his complaints, he always made sure he and his people did their fair share. He volunteered after Athena to be part of the front line group. He always was harshest on his people, or anyone else for that matter, but especially on himself, more than any other chieftain. He never called it quits.

None of them did. I am so proud of all the goblins that fought for their lives and home. Crystaria thought to herself, making herself a bit choked up.

She cleared her throat, then looked to Artemis.

"Ready to meet the Shaman?"

Artemis nodded.

"let's."