Champion of the Goddess Pt. 06

She chuckled, "You want that for cutting down enemies, not trees. It will dull your blade."

Crakem refused to listen and took his ax and started trying to split it with his ax. It was too short to get the leverage he needed and he barely made a dent as he was cutting across the grain instead of splitting them.

Raven got back, grabbed the ax from the first wagon, and went and swung down once and Split the log in half after setting it to cut with the grain. Then split each half into quarters. He handed the ax to Crakem, "Leverage and cutting with the grain. The longer handle and broader strokes get more downward thrust to split the logs. All you are doing is dulling your edge.

The handle on your ax is too short for that. It is built for combat and flesh, not trees. If they are too big around, like the ones we will be bringing forward, the chisel and sledgehammer are used to split them into smaller pieces. Using the right tool for the right job. I have the handaxe for doing small things, like the poles for the smokers."

Crakem tossed it aside and tried his ax again on the other log Raven had brought back but went with the grain at least. Raven rode away shaking his head. It took Crakem 20 swings to get one log quartered and it was not even the biggest log.

By the time he finished the others were back and finished splitting 5 logs. For 2 of them, they used the sledgehammer and chisel on them to break them apart before taking an ax to them.

Raven looked at him, "You're new. Your green. You don't want to listen to those who have more knowledge than you to make your life easier. Instead, you want to be a smart ass and shoot what you are not supposed to shoot. You're as useful as a cock on a celibate priest."

He pointed at Ginger, "She leads, not you. I don't have to listen to you."

Ginger looked at Crakem, "I told you to get the other ax from the wagon. You did not listen to me either. Come morning it might be best if you walk back to the first inn and find those bandits to join."

Viola, Claire, and Monna worked on smokers. They started a fire for the 3 roasts on the ground. Fingers and Coral set up triplines for the camp and moved the wolf corpse further out. Zira was not happy about stopping early.

Yet, she understood after seeing everything they built to make the rest of the journey faster. Raven sat in the first wagon with the file and whetstone and started sharpening all of the caravan axes, saw, and his sword. Ox and Vicor saw what he was doing and decided to help out.

Ox asked, "Where did you get the one stone from?"

Raven chuckled, "My pack. Something every fighter type who has a sword, dagger, or an ax should carry one. A whetstone. I cut through a lot of bones and buried my sword into a tree today twice. Also works on arrowheads. Repairing the edge to keep it is ready for the next battle is important."

He dumped out the collection of arrowheads and the feathers he salvaged. He started sharpening the arrowheads. He looked over, "I find the right wood and I can create new shafts for them. My arrows tend to blow-up on impact."

Ox looked at the damage to them, "Easier to buy them."

Raven nodded, "Not out here with no store. I burned through a lot of arrows and it was just the first day. I picked up 2 extra quivers before pulling out because of the lack of bows in the group. On foot, the trip to the next inn is 18-24+ days depending on what you encounter. I ran with a woefully undermanned group. The 'owner' of the caravan had 12 wagons and only 9 guards.

He lost 4 wagons and about half the guards because he was a cheap bastard. He was happy to get 8 of them through. HAPPY! No extra horses, attacked during the day and night for 12 straight days. Half the group made it to the inn. I was making arrows every damned day on that trip. Having the basic skills to create your ammo can come in handy."

Ox nodded, "So much they did not teach us."

Raven nodded, "That is why new players need to be able to take advice from more experienced players. The goddess has one champion. He helps to train leaders and teaches these things. Those leaders can then teach others. Maybe not everything on every run, but enough to make sure you are constantly learning.

Even Ginger, Coral, Viola, and myself. You got 4 experienced players and 6 new ones. Often you are lucky to get 1-2 in your group who are experienced. Those that fail to adapt, often die."

He nodded, "Understood."

---

Splints walked off with Crackem, "Why did you shoot his damned horse? It was nowhere near the wolves."

Crakem looked at his lover, "He had been critical of me from the moment we met. Threatened us before we left the inn. He's not into men and will likely be fucking those ladies latter. Then I will show the fuck what a dwarf can do with an ax."

Splints shook his head, "That man is killer with a bow, cut the head off a halfling and a fucking bull moose. Cut through one wolf and halfway into a second one. Killing them both. You are not listening to any of them that have told you they have more experience.

At least 2 if not 3 of them have run with Raven. I enjoy your company and will back you. But if we end up dead back at the first inn, I want you to know I will likely look for a separate group from you. I want to keep moving forward. We are not even a day out and you are pulling this shit and wanting to continue with it."

Coral watched them from the trees. She waited for them to move back before returning with more firewood half an hour later and having finished the trip lines. She thought of warning Raven but she wanted to see what he would do.

---

Raven had seen them go off by themselves. He went and found Ginger, "Those 2 dwarves are going to be trouble."

Ginger nodded, "I watched them, and agree with you. I will put them on separate guard shifts to keep them from planning a nighttime ambush on us. I will see what they do."

Once everyone was back Ginger called out, "Guards for tonight. We have no hunting tomorrow required. Fingers and Coral will be scouting first thing as the third watch finishes spell preparations you will head out. You are out of the guard rotation tonight except for that hour they need.

Viola, you got the third shift with Claire to study, pray, and get food ready. I will take the first shift with Splints. Splints and I will patrol the camp. Vicor in the back with Wagon 5 to feed wood into the smokers and monitor from there.

Middle shift, Korrok will find a perch to watch over the camp, Monna in the back of wagon 5 to keep the smokers going and watching from there. Crakem has got the patrol around the camp which is what Splints will be doing during the first watch with me.

For the new people, sex on the road is sporadic, if it happens at all. They have already attempted to ambush us once and we had effectively 3 different combats today, 2 dealing with the ambush. Another dealing with a lot of damned wolves. Getting hit at night is not out of the question.

Raven nodded, "For the new guys, we skinned the horses and wolves to use the skins for the walls of the portable smokers. Trip lines and noisemakers were set by the rogues. The dead wolves were scattered outside of the area of the camp to feed predators. Claire you will have to check the straps on the smokers in the morning and mend any cracks or breaks and then work on the wheel.

A free meal to most animals is the desired outcome. They attack to survive and if you leave free food for them, they will tend to not attack those sleeping. That leaves it to the malevolent forces to attack us, like bandits or intelligent monsters who want your gear or the wagon's cargo."

Crakem looked up, "I want to be on the same shift as Splints."

Ginger looked at him, "If you want that then the 2 of you can do that tomorrow as you walk back to the first inn. I already know you are pissed-off. You are holding a grudge against Korrok and myself because you refused to listen to either of us.

I am not putting you and your lover on the same shift. Korrok is deadly with a bow or sword. He has already sharpened his blade and his arrows. He is ready for a nighttime strike. You dulled the hell out of your ax trying to chop wood with it. You will need to sharpen the blade before hitting the sack."

Crakem got up, "My ax is just fine. It does not need to be sharpened."

Viola looked at him, "An ax-shaped mace then is what you will be wielding soon enough. You got to take care of your gear."

Crakem looked over, "Fuck you!"

Ginger had her bow at the ready and looked at him, "So much for waiting for morning. You're fired. Walk away now. Head back to the inn. We see you again and we will kill you as being a bandit, like the others. Splints, you can either join him or stay.

You have not been causing havoc this evening. One of the things Raven teaches is there are some that you will not be able to train. He called them bricks. This is why Korrok called him one earlier; he ran with Raven. His philosophy is he cannot train every brick out there.

But he trains others, as a few in this party have been. Ones that he trains may get through your thick skull and get you playing right eventually. Your lack of skill is only being outdone by the lack of brains in listening to those who know how to survive."

Coral watched the exchange between Ginger and Crakem. She noticed Raven stayed out of the conversation, yet he moved around behind Splints. He did not have his bow loaded or a sword in hand. Crakem pulled back his ax to swing at Ginger.

Splints went to cast at Ginger. Splints had stopped watching Korrok. Korrok reached around and grabbed Splints by the throat and worked to crush his windpipe. Viola cast a command on Crakem to slam him to the ground. Just as Ginger shot him in his fat stomach. That helped to push the arrow in his stomach through as he landed upon it and screamed in pain.

The next sound heard was the cracking of Splints' neck. And his body landed in front of Crakem as Korrok threw him over.

Korrok called out, "Everyone hold." Ginger went and took the ax away from Crakem as he had dropped it in the fall. Viola moved up and tied up the Dwarf hands. Raven looked at Ginger, "Teaching moment?"

Ginger nodded, "Zira, would you take all of the drivers and move up to the first wagon while the guards talk." She nodded and got them out of the camp for now. "We noticed those 2 go off and talk in private. After failing to listen to us. Then they wanted to be on the same guard shift. Still refusing to listen.

Viola watched Crakem getting pissed during that action and did not take action until he went to swing. Korrok silenced the caster Splints as he had gone to cast. A barehanded attack is faster than his spell. Viola was likely to command Crakem to the ground.

Splints was likely trying to do the same to me. I put the arrow into his stomach knowing he would likely end up face down on the ground with Viola commanding him to the ground. That would push the arrow deeper. That pushed the arrow further into him and out his back in fact.

Fighters tend to fail that save quite often at this point in their life. They have poor wisdom. Especially this idiot dwarf. Yet he is still alive and hurting at the moment. Crakem was, very poorly, looking to plan an attack on us in our sleep. To get a perceived advantage."

Coral chuckled, "I had not run with Raven, and I did not participate in the takedown of those 2 or provide any insight into what was planned. That was exactly what they planned. I had been in the woods and overheard them as I set trip lines and collected more firewood for the main campfire and not the smoker.

I wanted to see what Ginger would do with her training. If Raven had been as good of a teacher as they stated he was. I met him once and he fucked me into submission. I knew he was great in bed. I can tell you I did not tell them what I heard because I wanted to see how well that training went.

I have more experience across more worlds than all of you combined. I can tell you now, he knows how to train people and not just to survive, but in how to train others. You would do well in listening to those who have worked with him in the past.

I don't see my job here to be a trainer. I have worked some with Fingers on setting up trip lines and showed him a few things I knew from my many years of experience. I took Ginger's direction and sniped a few from the woods before that group came up behind us.

We knew they were coming, but we divided their attention. Earlier the comment was made about taking out casters first. What Korrok did was just that. Splints cast toward Ginger.

Korrok waited to see if he would get involved in the fight. When he did, Korrok took the caster out first. Clerical, but a caster in the middle of casting. He commented to all the guards before we left. If you cross Ginger, she was the diplomat and he was the enforcer. He enforced."

Viola pulled the arrow out and gave it back to Ginger, "Save ammunition if it can be reused. Save parts like arrowheads and feathers if someone can build arrows like Korrok knows how to do. Like Ginger and I know how to do them."

Korrok sighed, "I am not going to kill him. He will likely end up back at the first inn with the cleric. He backed his lover, instead of common sense. Myssara admires love. The clerics' death was quick. I am going to take steps to separate them. Healing cantrip to keep him from bleeding out, Viola?"

She nodded and did that. He tied Crakem up and stripped him of weapons but left him in his dwarven armor. He then pulled him up into a tree and tied him 20 feet off the ground and gagged. He climbed down destroying the branches below. He used Crakem's blunted ax to blunt it even further. He leaned it against the tree.

He looked at the dwarf up in the tree, "Nothing to cut yourself down with. No branches to climb down and if you manage to get free a 20-foot fall in heavy armor. Another caravan might find you and get you down. Else you will be dead in 3-4 days from dehydration and starvation.

Likely enough time for your lover to have moved on without you. You are not likely to be in the same group as you move forward. That was a courtesy for Splints because he acted out of love. Even if, with some luck, you end up back at the same inn before then.

You need to learn when you are fired to move along, else you will be left high and dry. I am leaving your ax shaped mace down here for you. Pick up a whetstone and keep your fucking blade sharp in the future. Not that you will listen."

He thought to Myssara, "Put them at the same inn with the same classes. Give them a chance if he is willing to wait. Send them down this same road so he can get to his own body if you put them in the inn we just left. Teach them. You can tell the cleric who I was. Not this dumb fighter."

---

Coral thought out to Myssara, "Cleaver. I have never tied one up in a tree, like that, but he is giving a hard lesson without asking for your assistance in the matter to separate them. To keep the illusion in place that he is not the Raven."

Myssara thought to Coral, "He had a run where he felt a rogue should have been left in a tree to die. He used a throwing dagger on a giant while he was treed. He did not want the rogue because he had played at being a bandit. He returned to that and swapped potions on another player later. That cost her her life.

He took away her protection from poison and that made her suicidal when she died. The second time she died on that stretch from a betrayal. She lost her lovers twice. The female lover she had, went back for her. The shared life we talked about. They were together for a couple of lives before I started them at different locations.

Both were much stronger overall from the experience. Raven looked after her sanity and safety after she got a raw deal. They both toughened up knowing their lover had each other's back. They had experiences with betrayal in them and knew what to watch out for going forward."

Coral sighed, "Damned you lucked into getting a great champion. We are a day into this and I am still learning new things."

Mother responded, "You get a Gaming Grand Master they will help you with that until you find your champion. I want more than, 'one like Raven' on your sheet for the traits you are looking for. I want one geared toward your style defined.

Use some aspects of him, but keep it in line with your personality and not Mysara's personality. That is why I had you do your character profile and tenants done before running with Raven."

Coral laughed, "I think I have played a bit more devious at times than Raven. A champion has to mirror the goddess, I know. Yet he is damned good at his job and in bed. The in-bed part I can help to train someone at being that. He is giving me a lot of experience to draw upon from. Including to become more bisexual if you will."

---

Myssara laughed at Raven, "You did this because of the halfling Sticks. You should have left him to die in the tree with the Giant. To use this as a teaching moment and to ensure Ginger did most of the teaching, without revealing who you were.

Very clever. Ginger appreciates not having to expose you just yet. You will all make level 2 tonight. This is a short leg 7-8 days tops as she found all of the problems on that third wagon. You found the one with the wheel, but she found the other two. You have done well in training Ersa.

Coral is impressed by you. I talk more with her than you in this run. Being her last player's life, I want the feedback...the critique. The cleric warned him he would back him, but if he ended up dead, then he would go his own way. This just helps with that.

I took him aside before putting him back in the inn and told him who you were. He then felt like shit as he knows you were giving damned good advice. As did all of the ladies as he knows Ginger and Viola were proteges of yours. He knows that you had no real grudge against him.

Other than backing an idiot. I had him watch that talk. He did it for love which you respected. I am debating on the other one. I have free will in that matter. He has a few days to think about it. No wagon is coming to save him. I have to think about it as well because of this situation.

Ginger moving the personas off was smart. I gave her some bonus XP for doing that. You gave her a chance to train the guards. Zira spoke with the other 2 couples who are her drivers and she trusts Ginger. She told them she suspected the 2 dwarves were secretly hired by the other bandits. Ginger hinted at that idea earlier.

To try and sabotage the caravan and attack from within. They just got divided and Ginger ferreted out the betrayers. She played that well for a persona, she took it upon herself to do that based on Ginger's unanswered accusations. It was not true, but her persona drivers believe that is the case.

She knows with 4 really good players in this group that she has a solid escort who is training the others from within. She appreciated what you have done for her and what I am doing for her. All to make up for the shit of a husband she had that denied her the first time."

Ginger got them all gathered again. The drivers would have one on each shift as well. They would alternate. Zira commented, "Caravan security is everyone's responsibility. Suspect those bandits hired them to infiltrate my caravan. That is why the dwarf kept shooting horses instead of the enemy."

Raven chuckled, "I am not climbing up to try and ask him. I will just assume you are correct. Ginger is the one who set the schedule and detected the potential ambush from it. I just kept an eye on his lover in case he tried to interfere if a fight broke out. I did warn the guards she was the diplomat and I was the enforcer.