It had been fifty four days since they had left their home on Graggoremire mountain. Many were wary of traveling. But all were bright-eyed from the prospects that their destination was just a few days away.

They were ahead of schedule by almost a month-and-a-half. They estimated previously that they were going to need more time to make more stops. But everyone soldiered on to the best of their abilities.

Crystaria was extremely proud of every last one them. It was still hard to wrap her mind around the fact that they were her citizens. She never in her thirty-eight years of life did she think she would lead anything more than a couple of junior attorneys or a few interns.

They were moving away from the great plains, sticking close to woods they came from on the outer edge it, staying near the forest leading up towards mount Graggoremire.

The idea was, that it was actually faster to do so, and also had less of a chance of encountering raksons. Which were the strange herd animals she had seen when she first arrived at the plains.

If Crystaria had to describe them, they looked like a yak, or a bison that was crossbred with some sort of pig or boar.

So it looked like a giant horned, pig headed, furry maned, animal. With its front end being larger in size than its back end, much like a yak or bison.

Lirania assured that they weren’t dangerous. But she also wanted to avoid disturbing them.

“They are known to feel threatened if there is a large group close to them. Otherwise, they will be sciddish around people if they’re  alone or if strangers approach them.” Lirania explained to everyone as they were traveling along the expanse.

They were nearing the next set of tree-lines when Crystaria asked Lirania.

“You have told us that your people live on the Graggoremire plains, but you’re saying that it isn’t this place?” Crystaria made a gesture to the sweeping landscape around them.

This caused Lirania to laugh.

“Of course not!” She corrected. “This is part of the plains, but it is also not at the same time. What we’re in is what we refer to as, “Graggoremire fultuk”, or you might say it as, “Graggoremire’s bowl” or paster.”

“All of this?!” Crystaria waved both of her hands astounded. “Is a bowl?!”

“Hahahahaha! Lirania knew you might have this reaction to this. Once we return, This one-, I will show you some of our maps of this world.”

“Really?! You have maps!” Crystaria exclaimed excitedly.

This only caused Lirania to laugh harder at the Demon Lord’s exuberance.

From a short ways away, Athena watched sullenly as Lirania and Crystaria interacted.

Stubs who was next to her saw what who she was staring at.

“…Not liking them?… getting closer?…”

“Don’t be stupid.” Athena huffed as she turned away from the sight of her heart’s dilemma.

Thankfully the caravan had very little else that caused them issue as they finished the last leg of their journey.

Some broken wheels and spokes. Some maintenance and repairs. Some people switching from riding to walking. Minor delays, but their estimated time of five more days were kept.

They were just clearing their way through the last of the trees that would let them out to the other side of the small forest that block the area that held the United Orc Tribes.

Lirania, Flannik, and the rest of the orcs in the army that they came with walked out in-front of the caravan, lining each side of the exit point through the trees they had cleared. Making a line for the goblin caravan to path through them on their way towards the village.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the goblin clans of Graggoremire mountain! Let us be the first to welcome you to your new home!” Flannik spoke as the representative of the orcs.

The soldiers unsheathed their mighty war-mauls, smashing the butt of the shaft into the ground next to their feet. Making a dull percussion of thuds as the shouted a uniformed cry of victory.

“”OOOHHH!””

“”OOOHHH!””

“”OOOHHH!””

Many were staring at the seen of the orcs cheering them forth with welcoming cries of victory in wonder. It brought tears to, not only Crystaria’s eyes, but the eyes if many of other goblins as well.

Crystaria looked with bleary eyes at the orcs’ village. Which to her, was more of a large city than anything else.

There were many of huts, with lots of stone laid buildings. From a distance, she could see the telling signs of the mortar that their used was some sort of tar mixture.

The buildings ranged from small, huts that looked like it could support one family unit each, to large structures that were as tall as three stories high. There was also a crude, but solid looking parameter wall surrounding the city with large gaps in-between where the walls connected. Wood looked like it was something scarcely used. Some of the large stone buildings had wooden supports at the corners, along with what looked like to her, wooden supports running through the entirety of floor of the buildings.

She then started walking forward to start the march towards the village. Flannik and Lirania as she was passing, flanked her on either side. Being a sort of guide for her as she walked down the path of soldiers towards the village.

Following right behind them was the rest of the counsel, which lead the way for the rest of the caravan to follow.

Once again it hit Crystaria like a ton of bricks, that she was leading a group of people, (not necessarily humans, but people in her eyes none-the-less), that was close to about eighty-thousand in total. One-thousand seven-hundred and sixty-three orcs, along with about seventy-seven-thousand goblins.

It had been a struggle. It had been hard to maintain and keep organized. But they managed to get here. Not without losses. Loath as she was to think of them as acceptable. She knew asking for more than this was probably just wishful thinking on her part.

She was pulled out of her musings as she saw from about half a alm away. A large number of orcs coming out of the city towards them.

“Look! They’re coming to get us!” Crystaria cheered enthusiastically. Pointing towards the large crowd heading their way.

““Oh no……”” Flannik and Lirania bemoaned what was happening.

Crystaria looked between them.

“What is wrong?”

Lirania sighed. She closed her eyes, while pinching the bridge of her nose.

“…Demon Lord…” Lirania called for her attention.

“Yes?”

“…I would like to ask on behalf of my kin that you don’t kill this one for his arrogance or for what he might say…”

“Huh?” Crystaria let out a sound of confusion.

“Yes… if at all possible, please forgive this ignorant one that is coming towards us: he is young, foolish, and thinks himself entitled.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Crystaria looking between them for both of their faces of some sort of answer.

Flannik chuckled with a shake of his head. He reached down to pat the Demon Lord over her hood.

“Just go easy on him. He has been poisoned by the thoughts of others with delusions of grandeur.”

“HUH?! Who has?!” Crystaria stoped to question with them shout. Worrying about what they were talking about.

Flannik and Lirania walked a few yalms head of her before turning back to look at her to say at the same time.

“My brother.”

“My nephew.”

“HUH?!”

————————————————-

The soldiers who were ceremoniously lining the pathway forward for the caravan, were now called to the front to guard against the coming group of orcs.

It was about forty minutes before the two groups met each other between where Crystaria’s caravan came out of the forest to the orc village.

“So you finally came back with your tail between your legs sister?! What is wrong?! Did you really surrender as your letter had suggested while cleaning the ass crack of the Demon Lord clean?”

“WATCH YOUR TONGUE BOY! OR YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SPEAK TO THE DEMON LORD!” Lirania shouted angrily at her brother. “…Dark God I hate you… papa should have thrown you into a lake.”

Hearing her sister’s shouts of outrage brought him up short. But he quickly shook it off before moving on.

He then scans the pathetic goblins standing near his sister.

“So? Which one of these worthless shits is the Demon Lord?” His eyes narrowed as he spoke. “Which one kill my father.”

“Umm…” A hand raised from the smallest of the goblins standing before him.

“That. Would be. Me.” It said in a broken orcish dialect.

He shook his head in disbelief at what he had just heard, on many level of disbelief actually.

“YOU?!” He pointed at the masked, hooded robed goblin child. “Do you plan to play me for a fool?! And how is it that you can speak orcish?!”

“Umm… don’t know. all the. Words? well…” It then made a gesture with its fist and a thumb out towards his uncle. “But this one. Flannik. Has been teach me words.”

“Teaching me to speak.” Flannik corrected her gently.

The hooded one looked towards his uncle.

“Thank you Flannik. I am, still trying.”

“You’re getting better.” He assured.

Lirania’s brother couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Are you seriously deferring to this tiny flea of a goblin?!” The bright red headed orc shouted.

The little goblin sighed after he spoke. It then looked back at him.

“Are you seriously. going to make. this much. trouble?” It asked him.

“YES!” He pointed his finger at his sister. “This worthless excuse of a general of this,” He made a sweeping gesture of all the orcs on their side. “of these so called “Elites”, couldn’t even over come a group of pathetic inbred excuses waste of the Dark God?!”

His words brought almost the entirety of Crystaria’s group’s heckles up those of them who could understand him anyways. There were even a few who were reaching for their weapons. Lirania included.

Crystaria looked up and down her line on her side, waving her hands downwards.

“Settle down people! Settle down… he isn’t worth it.” She told them in English.

The hooded goblin after saying words he couldn’t understand turned to look at him with what looked like a smug stare. The hairs on the back of his neck standing on end in anger at its defiant attitude.

“So you claim to be the Demon Lord then?!” Fine! It seems this group of rakson dung seems to defer to you.” He unsheathed his weapon. “I, Gragnier! First son of Gragneuok, challenge the Demon Lord to a duel for the right of succession!” Which was him basically asking for a challenge to the death with the Demon Lord.

Now it was Crystaria’s time to sigh.

“Look… Gragnier… you are really…. What is word?… not… time to much my time?”

“WHAT?!” Gragnier shouted in rage when he heard what she was implying.

“Actually Demon Lord: it’s not worth my time.” Flannik corrected again.

“Uncle Flannik?!” He shouted with a look of betrayal.

Now Flannik was sighing.

“Look… Nier… I hate to tell you this pup, but you really aren’t worth her time. You barely qualify for the right to speak with her at this point. Hell boy! if she was any other Demon Lord! you would have been dead already!” He warned his nephew.

Gragnier looked to the uncle her had admired for all his life in betrayal.

What has the Demon Lord done to turn you against me?! He thought in disbelief.

Before he could question or say anything, the tiny ant of a would be goblin spoke again.

“Look. Gragnier. If you! wish to fight me. I will accept.” It told him smugly.

Gragnier shock his head in disbelief once again. He could help the smile spreading across his face at what he was being told.

“Truly?! No lies or trickery?” He confirmed.

The goblin lifted its palms, face up to about its face level, along with raising its shoulders.

“Sure. Yes. Definitely. As long as Gragnier. Agrees. It is one-on-one fight. Something I should have. Done previously.” It told him.

“Hahahahahaha! Very well! I, Gragnier, accept this blood-duel with honor!”

Gragnier’s men that were behind him all began to cheer at what he said.

“Very well I-“

“Demon Lord? A word?!” Lirania grabbed the shoulder of the Crystariaz pulling her back a bit. She leaned down to whisper into her ear. “I have an idea if you would allow me.”

“What is up?” Crystaria whispered back. “I kinda already accepted. I can’t back out on this now: if you’re worried that I will kill him. I promise you I won’t.” She assured.

“That is not it.” Lirania refuted. “At this point. I am mad enough from his insults that if you accidentally killed this shit-for-brains, I would probably be inclined to not only forgive you; but to say that, he had it coming.”

Crystaria eyes went wide at first, but also let out a giggle. She remembered she felt like that some time with her own brothers back on Earth. She never meant it.

But there were times… She thought to herself.

“What do you have in mind? I am assuming you do if that is why you stopped me.” Crystaria questioned.

“I have… a recruit. A goblin recruit. That will help defuse this situation.”

“Care to explain?”

“It is simple. You can obviously stop my brother. There is no doubt. But that won’t stop him, or the elders who encouraged him, from continuing to pursue you in taking the Demon Lord’s moniker and powers; if I step in to challenge him. Everyone will just assume I am bullying him, or calling me out on some other reason or technicality.”

“So what you’re getting at is: if we send in a goblin recruit to fight him and he beats your brother. It will humiliate him to the point of never wanting to challenge you or I again.”

Lirania nodded.

“That and,” Lirania quickly added. “It will make him want to challenge them to regain his lost honor.”

Crystaria just tilted her head.

“Okay… but do you think this goblin can handle him? I mean… not to say I am doubting you. But isn’t your brother a trained warrior? I can’t say the same for the goblins. Some of them are skilled hunters! But the only one I would say who could take on your soldiers that I have seen in a one-on-one is Artemis; and she does that for fun and stress relief!”

Lirania shakes her head.

“There is one more at the least. They are a skilled enough warrior that they have proven to be able to keep up with most of my privates, and some times fight three battles consecutively.”

Crystaria lets out a long drawn out whistle.

“That is pretty good. You must have put a lot of work into them?”

As Crystaria says this. She couldn’t be certain, but it almost seemed as if Lirania had a faint blush raising to her face.

“I umm… honestly didn’t do much.. they’re just talented.” She said bashfully.

“Oh well! Now I definitely have to see this! But one last time? you sure?”

Lirania grew serious, but still maintained her smile. She gave a nod with conviction.

“Positive.”

“Okay then. Call them up.”

Crystaria said as she stepped back.

Lirania gave her a coy smile.

“Thank you Demon Lord.” Lirania stood up to her full height. She then looked down the line of her soldiers.

“PRIVATE ATHENA! COME AND REPORT!”

“WHAT?!” Crystaria screeched in an outraged whisper.

But before she could do or say anything. Athena had strolled over from her place in formation with her sword and shield.

She saluted towards her Master General.

“Private Athena reporting for duty!” She announced.

Crystaria looked between Lirania and Athena in a panic.

 “You have been given the honor to fight in the Demon Lord stead.”

“It would be an honor General!” Athena joyfully proclaimed.

“But you!- but she! Lirania!” Crystaria started to complain

Lirania ignoring the Demon Lord she turned towards her brother.

“It has been decided. The Demon Lord has agreed that fighting you is indeed a waste of her time. So she has asked me to find someone of your skill level Nier.” Lirania announced to her brother.

Lirania could see her brother’s veins in her brother’s skull bulging in rage. To drive it home she continued.

“This here from a batch if my latest RECRUITS of my ELITE soldiers.” She overemphasized.

With that, Athena started walking towards Gragnier.

Lirania was watching with pride as Athena walked toward her brother to kick his sorry ass.

She was pulled from her musings though when Crystaria jumped up, grabbing her by the collar of her armor. Completely deforming it from where she gripped it.

Crystaria made sure to get into Lirania’s face.

“Are. you. FUCKING INSANE?!?!” Crystaria hissed with barely contained rage. “Are you trying to get Athena killed?!”

Lirania just sighed.

“Demon Lord… listen to me. Athena has beaten many of my men in battle, she has even one against me before when we fought at mount Graggoremire.”

Crystaria’s eye went wide.

“THAT WAS YOU?!” She growled angrily.

“Yes. Me. And in that time, I have observed what a fine warrior Athena is. Though many try to suppress it.” Lirania said pointedly. “I also understand that you care for her deeply. Are infatuated with her. But if you care for anything that Athena is, you should put your trust in her more.”

Crystaria was breathing heavily through her nose. Her aura just barely contained; raging just on the surface of her skin.

She pushes herself off of Lirania gently and lands back down between her and Flannik. Looking towards Athena.

“If anything happens to her. I am killing him. Honor be damned.” She told Lirania. She then looked back at her for a moment. “And if she dies: I am killing the both of you.” She promised.

Lirania gives her a sad smile.

“If such a thing occurs, then Lirania welcomes it.” She assured Crystaria.

This made Crystaria look at her for a second longer out of curiosity at the odd expression on her face. But she dismissed it in favor of looking towards Athena worriedly.

“For her sake. I hope not.” Crystaria informed her.

Athena was now in between both sets of groups with Lirania’s younger brother looking down on her. She assume figuratively as well.

“Are you prepared to die welp?!” He asked her.

“I don’t know? Are you prepared too?” She asks him back.

He was once again surprised by the fact that another goblin could speak orcish; this one seeming to speak it very well.

“Then I hope you won’t mind if I end this quickly then. I have a new nation to rule.” He boasted.

“Save your blustering” Athena denounced as she drew her weapon and shield. “Show me of you are any more skilled than your sister.”

“Oh I will show you how much more skilled I am! I have been training my whole life for this! While my sister has apparent been off getting soft with goblins, I have only gotten stronger.” He proclaimed as he also drew his weapon.

“Well… we’ll see. I beat her once, her younger, dickless brother shouldn’t be a problem.”

“What did you just say?!” He growled with rage. His eyes taking on a red hue to them.

“Oh! I am sorry! I am just repeating what your sister told me… I guess I should at least give you the benefit-of-the-doubt, but I doubt it is longer than your sister’s fingers.”

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Gragnier yelled as he lifted his war-maul into the air with both hands, bringing it down with a ferocious intensity.

Athena sidestepped it with a spin to let herself be into a position to push his maul as it came down, out of her way, allowing her to step into his range. While she did this, she flipped her sword, holding it in a backhanded grip.

She took a couple more steps to quickly close the distance before the maul even made an impact.

“-EEEEEEPPP!-“

The whole of both congregated sides had heard the strange effeminate noise coming from the cloud of dust where Gragnier and a Athena did battle.

Once it cleared though. There was a collective gasp that ran through the entire attending audience.

Gragnier was barely holding on to the butt end of his weapon now, as he had to stand on his tips of his toes.

Athena was holding her sword in the backhanded position, with the blade pressed up against the crevice between Gragnier’s legs; the blade firmly held against his genitalia: forcing him to stand on his toes to avoid the blades edge.

“”Ooooohhhhh…..”” Was the collective groan from everyone watching. All the men unconsciously coving their crotches.

Flannik and Crystaria both looked at Lirania accusingly.

“”Did you teach her that?!”” While they also covered their crotches.

Lirania was too, was also feeling the slight sympathetic nether region from the move Athena just preformed. She was doing her best to not let it show like all the rest: and failing miserably.

“……No……” Lirania confirmed. “I would never do something so dishonorable, nor teach it…” She assured. “Athena taught herself that all on her own… and while I do not approve… I cannot deny its effectiveness.” She suggested.

The other two nodded their heads in sync before returning their gaze back to Athena.

Athena who was standing there with her blade pressed firmly against Gragnier’s manhood. Looked up into his eyes.

“If you twitch so much as a muscle, I will cut off the only thing that separates you from being the same as your sister.” She threatened.

Gragnier could only make a whimpering sound as this evil goblin held him captive.

“Do you surrender?” The goblin asked him.

He took a breath to shout at her. Be she pressed up more firmly. Startling him into a more desperate state.

“YES! GRAGNIER SURRENDERS!”

This sent a collective groan from Gragnier’s side. With cheers of jubilation from Athena’s

With that, Athena stepped forward while still keeping the blade in position, but also easing up a little. Allowing Gragnier settle to the balls of his feet.

Gragnier breathed a sigh of relief, but it was a little bit premature, as the goblin hit him into his stomach with the edge of her shield. Knocking the wind out of him. Sending him falling onto his butt from being off balance.

He looked up at her in disbelief that she would hit him after he surrended. But the he saw her walk towards his war-maul. She sheathed her own weapon and shield.

She jumped up. Grabbing the weapon by it shaft, while swinging her weight to free it from its embedded state into the dirt.

She then, with great effort. Lifted the large maul with both hands, supporting it with her whole body. Resting the shaft on her shoulders, while maintaining a balance of the head and the shaft.

Without looking back. She took the weapon back towards her group. As she approached them she presented the war-maul to her General.

“Master General.” She stood the weapon on its head, presenting the handle to Lirania. “Your trophy.” Athena told her.

“Hahahahaha!” This just caused Lirania bust a gut at Athena’s stalwart actions.

Crystaria sighed in relief that all of the conflict was over. She nearly had a heart attack at Lirania suggesting Athena.

That escalated quickly.

But now that she thought about it. Maybe Lirania was right. She was being protective of Athena, she could admit that. She realized that maybe that was also causing her to not trust Athena like it should in things.

I really need to get over this. Athena isn’t a kid. Despite my preconceived notions. On this planet, with her species, she has been an adult for ten years.

She smiled to herself as she felt the last of the things resisting her complex towards confessing to Athena vanish.

She still wasn’t okay with herself. But she also knew she never would be. But if it was for Athena. She would endure it.