Monstar Saga: Exiled Read online

  Thin shafts of weak light filtered in from small windows along the top edges of the basement. One small window was smashed and a small breeze flowing in. The darkness parted to Kavan’s sensitive eyes. Dark mounds covered the floor, giving it an uneven appearance. The rest of the basement was empty, save for a few disintegrated crates in a corner.

  Kavan sharpened his senses and he stopped on the last step of the stairs before reaching the basement floor. Slow, strong pulses touched his sensitive hearing. He counted about a dozen of them, all of them different to some tiny degree.

  “Something is down here,” Kavan said in the barest of whispers.

  Onka looked down on the basement floor, her voice stuck in her throat. Her vision cut through the shadowy darkness and saw many curled-up mounds along the floor and against corners. Slimy wetness covered the mounds and a few stirred with small clicks and hisses.

  “Kavan… crawlers,” Onka said with a small, fearful edge.

  Kavan focused on the floor, his gaze sharpening a little further. He stared at a coiled-up worm creature. Long, spider-like legs were clasped around their strange bodies. One of them was the size of a curled-up cat. Another one was larger than a dog.

  “We… have to get out of here,” Onka whispered.

  Kavan eyed the dozen creatures across the floor.

  No one can handle this problem for me. I have to do it if I’m going to make this place my home.

  “Go upstairs. I’ll be right behind you,” Kavan whispered.

  The clicks across the room began to grow. Some crawlers stirred, their bodies slowly unfurling.

  Onka nodded as she took one backwards step after another. She glanced around, seeing that some of the monsters were about her size and would have no issue eating goblin flesh. She took a few more steps before she noticed that Kavan hadn’t moved from the last step.

  “Kavan,” Onka hissed just as her boot touched a step and it creaked loudly.

  The entire floor of the basement writhed to life. Thin legs unclasped from bodies and touched the dirt floor. Worm-like bodies unfurled. Hisses grew and round mouths with sharp teeth gleamed in the tiny light. The creatures began to rise up, all of them turning their senses to the stairs and tasting the scent of meat in the dank air.

  Kavan’s eyes narrowed as his claws slid out of fingertips. He looked down at the nearest crawler. It raised its round mouth and sharp teeth toward him. Insect-like legs bent, the creature readying itself to pounce.

  In a crystal-clear instant, time stood still. When time resumed, it was Kavan who pounced first, his claws gleaming in the small light.

  The crawler leapt up, only for its body to be sliced in half before it was an inch off the ground. Hisses and shrieks filled the basement as Kavan’s arms swung and sliced two more small crawlers in half. The entire basement turned into a rampaging chaos as every creature rushed the dragonkin.

  Kavan’s slitted eyes were cool as the things leapt up and his claws sliced and stabbed. Foul ichor splashed against his leather armor as he cut through the creatures with one or two swipes.

  Onka watched as Kavan moved, his clawed hands making small arcs. Bent legs separated from bodies and scattered in several directions. The crawlers rushed to their deaths as Kavan moved with deliberate force.

  My fighting has already improved since the kobolds. The only way to get better is to meet challenges head on.

  A crawler leapt from the side as Kavan sliced another one hard across. The round mouth clamped onto his shoulder and sharp, needle-like teeth stabbed through the armor into his shoulder. Kavan grunted as he reached up and grabbed the creature. Its mouth was still clamped on the wound when the dragonkin pulled.

  A sickening wet ripping filled the basement as the crawler’s body was pulled from its head. The head of the creature continued to bite and suck, Kavan’s blood spilling out of its neck and onto the floor. Kavan threw the body and reached for the head to pull it off when another mouth clamped onto his thigh.

  The dragonkin growled as he spent a point of mana.

  Flames engulfed his scaled hand as he grabbed the crawler on his leg and burned it alive. The creature made a weak hiss before it went limp. Kavan pulled it off and threw it aside before reaching up to the worm head on his shoulder. Flames burned it and teeth pulled away. Kavan threw the charred remains away.

  Kavan Cynder

  Species: Dragonkin

  Health: Hurt

  Mana: 2/3

  Another crawler pounced and Kavan slapped it down from the air with his flaming hand. The burnt crawler landed on its back, its legs curling into itself as it died.

  Kavan heard something big move from his side. He turned just as a crawler, bigger than a dog, slammed into him. The dragonkin stumbled back as the creature continued its aggressive charge. Kavan just regained his footing before the crawler slammed into him again. Kavan tripped, fell and hit the ground. Dust flew up as the large crawler jumped on him. The dragonkin’s burning hand grabbed it by its long neck, searing putrid flesh as the round mouth tried to clamp on his face. Horrid breath and slime spilled on Kavan as he held the monster just a few inches at bay.

  A dagger spun through the dark and stabbed into the side of the creature. Kavan glanced to the side to see Onka rushing down the stairs, bent her legs and jumped. The small goblin somersaulted through the air and landed on the large crawler’s back. She grabbed at the dagger already impaled in the creature, pulled it out and started stabbing in rapid succession.

  “Die you fucking pieces of shit!” Onka shouted with demonic glee.

  The crawler writhed violently to dislodge the goblin from its back. The sudden change in attention left the monster open and Kavan took the advantage. Flaming claws stabbed into the creature’s neck. When Kavan had a firm hold, he pulled.

  Burnt innards and foul liquids spilled from the gaping hole in the crawler’s neck. Kavan reached in, his hand burning the monster’s insides and pulling again. Blackened sinew came out and the crawler bucked hard. Onka’s eyes widened as she was thrown off its back and crashed onto burnt, dead crawlers.

  Kavan kept his cold eyes on the monster as he methodically reached in and pulled out what he could grab. The crawler made a strange moan before it collapsed on the dragonkin and went limp.

  Kavan let out a sigh as he pushed the monster off of him and rolled onto his side. He saw Onka slowly rise up, her clothes and hair covered in putrid slime and crawler parts.

  “Ugh!” Onka shouted in disgust.

  Kavan sat up and smiled. “Are you okay?”

  The goblin nodded as she tried to wipe away slime. “I’m fine, but I’m going to have to burn these clothes.”

  Onka continued to wipe away slime. “I now feel grateful that the crawlers in my building are much smaller than these.”

  Kavan stood up and looked himself over. The wounds bled a little, but he could already feel his regeneration working. His leather armor and leggings were already torn from the kobolds and now his clothes looked much worse.

  “I’m going to need a new wardrobe if this continues,” Kavan chuckled.

  Onka looked around, her gaze penetrating the darkness. “I think that was all of them. You should be crawler free, for a while at least.”

  Congratulations! You gained 1 point in Combat Skill! Combat Skill is 2nd degree, Average.

  Kavan nodded and smiled to himself. “Let’s get back into town. I’m going to need a few things to make this place livable.”

  ***

  Light glowed along the front window of the store. Shelves were stacked with goods, from vegetables and fruits, to blocks of sealed cheese and dried meats. Chests lined one side of the clean store, a sign over each one detailing which chest held what.

  A small, low counter stood at the other end of the store. A kobold leaned back in her chair with a book in her scaled hands. The title read “The Flames of Dreams” as the kobold turned a page and read on. She barely blinked as the words filled her mind. When she reached an intense scene
, she placed the open book to her chest, leaned her head back and let out a long, sultry sigh.

  “Oh Ruko, if you just left Alma for me, I would take care of you for the rest of our lives,” the kobold whispered into the air.

  The front door opened and touched a small bell. The chime filled the store. The kobold placed her bookmark within the book, closed it and stuffed it under the counter. She sat up, prim and proper as two figures stepped in. The kobold blinked at a familiar and new face, before her nose wrinkled in disgust. The figures stepped along the middle of the shop until they reached the counter.

  Kavan looked down at the small counter and the kobold behind it. She wore a simple cloth shirt and black leggings. She had a small, thin figure and slitted oval eyes. Scales ran along every visible part of her body and her legs bent at an odd angle. A small snout graced her face. Her eyes widened a hair before they half-closed. The kobold turned her attention to the goblin by the dragonkin’s side and then shook her head.

  “You two smell like you went trudging through the sewer. And you left a trail of slime behind you!” the kobold complained.

  “Hi Shegga,” Onka said as she ignored what the kobold just said. “I want to introduce you to Kavan. He is the new owner of the Woodhaven farm and needs a few supplies.”

  Shegga turned her attention back to the dragonkin. “Yes, everyone has been talking about you since yesterday. Welcome to Moonvale.”

  Shegga’s small snout wrinkled. “You’re not going to make many friends smelling and looking like that.”

  “Had a pest problem at the farm. It’s cleared up now,” Kavan stated simply.

  Shegga nodded. “What can I do for you?”

  “The mayor said I can purchase a Satchel of Holding from you. I have to pick up some food supplies as well.”

  Shegga nodded. “Ah yes, Mayor buffoon stopped by to notify me of you visiting and give you a break from my usual prices. I still don’t understand why I should give you special treatment? You brought back some gold and fought off the bandits. That’s not a reason for a parade.”

  Onka crossed her arms and glared at the kobold that was about her size. “Shegga!”

  The kobold shrugged. “If I reduced my prices for every sob story, I wouldn’t make any coin and this town is filled with sob stories.”

  Shegga leaned her elbows on the counter and looked up to Kavan, “But, you are easy on the eyes, despite the slime and smell.”

  The kobold stayed leaning forward as one of her hands reached below the counter and pulled something out. She plopped a tattered looking satchel on the counter and kept her small, clawed hand on the top of it.

  Onka’s brow formed a sharp point. “Shegga, you have much better stock than that thing.”

  The kobold nodded. “I do, but I doubt Lord Cynder can afford them. They’re not cheap to import. This is the only one I have that is available for a cheap price.”

  “How much?” Kavan asked.

  “Four coins,” Shegga said plainly.

  “Four coins! That looks like it’s barely worth one coin!” Onka shouted.

  “My store, my prices,” Shegga shot back at the goblin.

  “Can you reduce the price if I buy a few things?” Kavan bargained.

  Shegga tapped the side of her cheek with a scaled finger as she looked Kavan up and down. “It depends. Are you going to grow anything on that farm? This town doesn’t need any lazy farmers.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it yet. I was going to first repair the home and supply extra lumber to the town.”

  Shegga nodded before closing her eyes and sighing. “I’ll reduce the price on the satchel if you buy a cold chest and some food. Just know this, I hate charity cases. You want to be a useful part of our community, you better work… and buy seeds from me, and only me.”

  Kavan lifted an eyebrow.

  Shegga gave him a reptilian smile. “Lorta and Hynrik are our other resident farmers. They’ve been discussing selling their seeds and goods directly to consumers and bypassing me. Loyalty is rewarded. Sell anything you grow or have to me, and I’ll give you deals, after you prove yourself.”

  Kavan opened his mouth to agree when Shegga cut him off.

  “And don’t tell anyone about this! You too, Onka.”

  The goblin grinned. “Shegga, you know me better than that.”

  The kobold gave a curt nod. “Yes, I know you. Keep everything to yourself, goblin.”

  “I accept,” Kavan said.

  Shegga looked up at him and smiled. “Take the satchel and pick up a small cold chest over there by the others. It will keep any food in it cold and allow it to last longer. Pick up a few pieces of vegetables, a cheese wheel and some dried meat. The price for everything is four coins.”

  Kavan glanced at Onka and she gave him a small nod. The dragonkin’s hands slipped into his pocket and pulled out four coins. He placed them on the low counter, before the kobold.

  Shegga’s eyes snapped to the four coins. Their reflected light glowed along her eyes for a tiny moment before she snatched them off the counter and put them underneath it.

  “The satchel has twelve inner pockets. It is enchanted, allowing you to place things within the inner pockets. It will only hold anything you can fit through the main part of it. The satchel is not bottomless, but it should hold a lot of anything you chop down or mine, including any other supplies you carry within it. It will be light as air at your hip, so it shouldn’t give you any trouble.

  “When you get tired of this one, I have others for sale with many more pockets and a little more style. Any other questions?”

  Kavan took hold of the satchel, picked it up and put the strap over his shoulder and chest. It conformed to his body and he noted that Shegga was right, it was light as air.

  “Go get your chest and food items. I’ll be watching you, so don’t take too much,” Shegga said as she sat back down on her chair behind the counter.

  Kavan and Onka stepped away to the side of the store. He noticed a small chest next to a row of big ones. He picked it up and looked down at his satchel. Opening the flap, he pushed the end of the chest to it. He watched in amazement as the chest warped and shrank slightly. It slipped into the bag and slipped in further into one of the pockets. When he pulled his hand back, he saw that the chest was gone, but he noted which pocket it was in.

  The next few moments were Kavan and Onka looking over the produce and meats. Kavan took hold of a few things and put them in his satchel. He ended his shopping by grabbing a medium-sized cheese wheel, coated in a protective wax. He put it in the satchel and closed the top. He glanced to the counter, seeing Shegga’s neck craned and her eyes directly on him. When he closed the flap, she sank back down on her seat and pulled out a book from under the counter.

  Onka took Kavan’s hand and led him out of the store.

  Once outside, she let go and a small growl filled her throat.

  “What was that about between you two?” Kavan asked.

  “I don’t earn or move enough product here in Moonvale. I’ve had to add my supplies to Shegga’s normal delivery, for a price. I barely break even most months.”

  “Maybe with my farm, you’ll earn a little more,” Kavan said.

  Onka nodded. “It depends if you take on livestock. When you have some gold, I can show you what to do and the best things to sell.”

  “Deal,” Kavan smiled.

  The goblin nodded. “Onward to the Blacksmith,” Onka grinned.

  Onka led the way as the two of them walked down South Street and reached the blacksmith’s shop. The door was slightly ajar and black smoke rose up from the chimney.

  Kavan looked at the sign, the name “Sunaxe Metal” carved into it with black letters.

  “This should be a much better experience. Durzol is much nicer than that lizard hag, Shegga.”

  Kavan smiled as the goblin opened the door and stepped inside. Kavan followed.

  The shop was a wide, open space. Tools, chests, anvils, and chains wer
e piled onto metal tables along the edges of the shop and in a few places in the middle. In the back, a large orc in a black, leather frock, lifted a hammer and brought it down on a piece of metal on an anvil. Muscles bulged along the orc’s wide, green shoulders as he hammered a piece of metal to his will and design. Black braided hair graced his head and trailed down his back.

  Onka cleared her throat.

  The orc stopped his hammer mid-swing. He turned to the dragonkin and goblin at the front of his shop. He gave them a small smile as he placed the hammer down and dusted off his large hands.

  Kavan noted the striking similarities between Durzol and the mayor. The blacksmith looked like a younger and stronger version of his father. Where Kogan’s hair was white, Durzol’s hair was jet-black and longer. He had similar features, like a strong chin and nose. The only difference Kavan could see, even from the distance across the room, a deeper kindness colored the orc’s eyes.

  “Greetings Kavan, Onka,” Durzol said warmly as he crossed the room and approached them.

  “Hi Durzol!” Onka smiled brightly.

  “Hello,” Kavan said simply.

  “My father told me you would be stopping by. Congratulations on purchasing the Woodhaven farm. We can always use another farm here. It will help us get through the long winters.”

  Durzol turned and moved to a metal table. He reached down and took hold of something underneath it. He picked up a metal case and placed it on the table. He opened the top and beckoned Kavan over with a small wave of his hand.

  Kavan approached and looked down at the metal case. It was filled with nails, a hammer and an assortment of tools and items.

  “I took the time to build and fill this simple toolbox. You’ll have everything you need to get you started. I also picked out a few copper tools to help you get on your feet,” Durzol said with a warm smile.

  “Thank you, Durzol. What’s the cost?” Kavan asked.

  The orc shook his head. “I had this stuff laying around, gathering dust. I can’t take your gold. It wouldn’t be right since you’re new here. Tools need to be used and these belong to you now. I also have an extra bedroll, so you’re not sleeping on the floor.”