Champion of the Goddess Pt. 07

He drove the wagon with 6 horses and parts from the Cyclops. They rode forward but not for long before a patrol stopped the wagons.

---

Ginger looked at the Patrol Captain, "There a reason you are stopping us? Is Duke Crossan having issues on this road? I am Ginger Strongbow, Paladin of Myssara.

Beside me is Monna Sure Foot, Paladin of Myssara."

The Patrol Captain looked at her, "We are searching the roads for undesirables. You're the first to come up this road in weeks."

Ginger nodded, "That might have to do with the Great Cyclops we killed to get to this point."

The patrol leader sent 4 men riding down the side. They spotted Korrok and came back, "They have a barbarian with them."

Ginger nodded, "Korrok of Clan Bitter Wolf. He is married to my sister Viola, Cleric of Myssara. He is an ardent follower of the goddess. You have an issue with him?"

He nodded, "Barbarians are undesirables and not permitted in the Duke's lands. He will have to go back."

Ginger looked at the Captain, "Is the Duke here?"

The Guard Captain nodded, "In the Camp."

She nodded, "We request an audience to resolve this matter."

The Captain sighed, "He does not want to face any barbarian who will not fight him one-on-one. He will then put their heads on a pike."

She sighed, "I want to talk with him. I can get him to change his mind. The Caravan can wait here."

The Guard Captain waived her to follow and took her to a tent that had one wall opened. She dismounted and bowed to the Duke, "I am Ginger Strongbow, your Grace. Paladin of Myssara. I have a twin sister who is a cleric of Myssara and she is married to Korrok of Clan Bitter Wolf. Without whose aid, you would still have traffic blocked on the southern trade route.

We dook down a Great Cyclops and recovered what supplies we could from 3 or 4 destroyed caravans. He drives a 6-horse team at the moment with the bounty on that Cyclops's head on it, Your Grace."

The Duke looked at his Captain, "Did you confirm this?"

He shook his head, "The barbarian looked like trouble. No armor, sword, and bow. We did not approach him. We tried to turn him back as per your instructions, Your Grace"

The Duke nodded, "Have him bring only that one wagon into the camp. Watch to see if he goes for a weapon. I have killed many barbarians if he makes a false move, what would be one more."

The Head Guard Captain rode instead with 12 men and arrived at Korrok, "Savage! Bring that wagon forward."

Raven put the brake off and took the wagon around the others. They all had heavy crossbows pointed at him. Raven shook his head and chuckled. The Head Guard Captain looked at him, "What is so funny Savage?"

Raven looked at him, "You must think highly of my combat skills to have 12 men with heavy crossbows for one barbarian. Either my skills are immense or yours are lacking."

The Head Guard Captain said nothing to him as they pulled up in front of the Duke's tent. Korrok parked the wagon and jumped down. Which shocked them, "Ginger, give me this Duke's name and position in the court?"

She looked over, "Duke Crossan, cousin of the current King 12th in-line last I saw anything on him. We may require divine intervention given his disdain for barbarians."

Raven nodded, "I never heard of you before today. Ginger told me you hated barbarians and that is why I am likely before you now. The Champion Raven is one who thinks Rangers should have 'favored enemy royalty' as an option as a general rule. There are those who he found respect for.

Queen Rising Moon and Dutchess Reinhart to name a couple. Raven had no love for your last King. He sent 2 paladins with orders to Kill Duke Reinhart, I traveled with them. Then another message was sent to Duke Transen to kill Dutchess Reinhart's children and marry her.

She got into a side room and secured herself inside before we arrive. She saved her children as she had doubled her guard after being warned by the Champion that the King was treacherous and Duke Transen fell to the Champion's bow. What do you know of his death Duke?"

The Duke looked at Korrok, "You will call me YOUR GRACE!"

Raven thought, "You are not suckering me back into royalty again. Time to do some role-playing."

Raven smiled, "You will call me Korrok of Clan Bitterwolf. You will call her Ginger Strongbow. Though you could also call her out as the Raven, Champion of Myssara!"

He had his raven appear on Ginger's shoulder. Ginger worked to hold it together and succeded as Raven just threw a boomerang into Myssara's plans. "She has Raven traveling these lands in many forms. She could appear as your Guard Captain or your wife who cuts your throat in your sleep then feed you your severed cock.

If the Goddess demands it. Duke Transen died by her arrows. Within seconds the King and Queen died with no signs of struggle as their hearts exploded inside of their chests in the throne room."

The Raven sent a message through the bird as it started speaking, "If you don't believe it, get one of your men or yourself to call out, 'I am the Raven,' and watch them choke on their own words. I hope Myssara does not strike them down for insolence like the former King.

She sends the Raven where there are problems. One is in the back of that wagon. Have your men pull the tarp off and you will find the head of the Great Cyclops. The other might be in front of me. The war has been over for over 8 months now. Yet you act like it is still going.

Targeting and trying to continue a war that she wanted to end now that the new King has been placed on the throne. Does this new King know you are out here? Does he know you lost control of the southern trade route to this Great Cyclops?

Does he know you are holding up the delivery of 8 ballistas to the next town?

Probably where your Keep sits. To be able to defend it from this now dead creature. That you sit out her enjoying the fresh air, wine, and food. All while waiting for the chance to take on a barbarian who might stumble into your lands?

Because of your over-indulged pride and desire for conflict. Your wish to prove your weak manhood? All while surrounded by guards ready to interfere if the barbarian gets an upper hand on you in combat. All while you ignored the greater threat less than a day away from your current position.

The threat that stifled your supply lines to your duchy? What would he think of you challenging Myssara's Champion in such a manner after the last King to do so died with his wife in seconds? Might it occur again if you utter those words? Then his weak daughter died within days of her parents. Turning human lands into chaos as the fight for the crown began and alliances formed."

Korrok looked at the Head Guard Captain, "Call me Korrok and check the fucking wagon. Raven did comment, on more than one occasion, that all rangers should have the option for favored enemy 'Royalty.' I can see where the Raven got that idea from after seeing this cluster fuck."

The Head Guard Captain looked to the Duke and back at Korrok, then at the Raven who started tapping on Ginger's shoulder, "The Raven does not suffer fools. Do as Korrok asked before tempers flare. Then Myssara's Champion will be forced to lay waste to all who are unfaithful who might interfere. Korrok is a faithful follower of the Champion."

Myssara thought back, "You have them believing Ginger is the RAVEN?!"

He thought back, "You decided another royal entanglement needs to be addressed. I am twisting the plot. You are allowed to mislead, why can I not do it through the bird?"

Mother laughed, "Oh my. I just about pissed myself when he did that. He is trying to substantiate that the Champion of the Goddess could appear as a woman as well! He is the first to try this! I will admit it is an interesting plot twist as Ginger is not calling herself out as The Raven. The bird is doing it! He is staying in the background and keeping her in the front."

The Head Guard Captain nodded to guards behind the wagon and undid the ropes and pulled back the part to see the Great Cyclops with ballista bolt still stuck in its eye.

Korrok looked over at the Head Guard Captain and refused to address the Duke himself, "There is a couple of horse hides. Get one of your men to bring it forward. That shot in the head was done by Monna here, our halfling Paladin of Myssara. She manned one of the 3 ballistas we set up as we drew him out. I manned the middle one. Ginger formed an outstanding plan to bring it down, or should I say...The Raven."

Korrok pointed. "Dump the contents on the ground and you will see where my shot with the Balista went. I brought it to its knees to make her shot possible."

They unwrapped the hide and saw the 3-foot long cock and mangled sack and testicles of the giant drop on the ground.

Korrok finally looked at the Duke, "I have crushed the nuts off of fighters and shot the cock off of a greater cyclops with a fucking ballista. Yet the one you should fear is the paladin who wields the power of the Goddess to bring you down if she so chooses."

Ginger gave an evil grin and looked at the Duke, "You have one thing going for you right now, your Grace. Myssara has not given the order to end your life and that of your King for continuing to cause these issues out here. Not yet. She is waiting to see if you are going to challenge a Champion.

Call out that you are 'The Raven.' Test yourself against the Goddess with insolence. Or if you are going to pay in gold and platinum the bounties owed to her servants for taking care of this problem. Show the reverence owed to her Champion and those I lead that she sent down this rode to fix this problem."

Korrok looked at the Duke again, "Also, your fucking problem with not letting the war come to its just end. You do the second by packing up your camp, return to your keep, and get your men protecting your common people instead of guarding your ass in this open field. It's just waiting to be overrun by barbarians if you keep pushing us barbarians to challenge you. Barbarians will respond and in large numbers now."

Ginger smiled, "The choice, as always, is yours to make, Your Grace. I planned the attack and we lost no lives or even hardware. You should just settle the accounts with me, as Ginger Strongbow, Your Grace. Not under the threat of The Raven.

You forced Myssara's Champion to be known here. Myssara tends to find that to be insolent. Will you challenge the goddess's Champion? You wish to fight Korrok instead with your men not interfering as he rips your cock and balls off, Your Grace?

What say you, to those charged with seeing to this mission and providing you with your solution to your southern route? Knowing that with it gone, barbarians could swarm this area now without encountering this creature and do so within days.

If the Goddess wills the war to start again in earnest. Are your troops ready for another barbarian horde? I think not, with the paltry numbers you have here. She only sent one with me and he could kill you just as easily as I could. My way would be quicker and less painful, Your Grace."

The Duke looked over to the Head Guard Captain, "Get the quartermaster and work on striking this camp now!"

Raven went and undid the lines and unpacked the wagon. He got under the side and lifted it up over his head so the cyclops head slid off the wagon and rolled further into the camp. He lowered it back down.

Then repacked it with the lighter load. Ginger had the wolf hide on display and he nodded to her as she separated the head from the hide and left that head behind as well while keeping the hide. He mounted up to a bunch of starting and shocked men at that feat of strength being displayed. "Monna, the wagon is yours to drive. I feel like riding for a while."

Raven turned and rode out of there.

He thought to Myssara, "Not what you expected us to do I assume?"

She laughed, "You scared the shit out of him and did not unleash on him. He now believes that Ginger is the fucking Raven this life. You completely twisted it and left the diplomacy and most of the direct threats to Ginger or through the fucking bird.

He was looking forward to killing you and then found out you BOTH could read him like a book, but he thinks it is all mostly just GINGER! Fuck it if you did not just stump me in how to respond to that.

Other than to say it was fucking brilliant. Dropping the cock in front of him was a bit of a shock but went well with the threat Ginger laid down on him. Monna is wrapping it back up to get it back on the wagon."

Raven thought back, "Bonus XP for this encounter. We stumped the goddess. Including Mother even I bet."

---

Ginger looked back at the Duke, "Your Grace, I should caution you. Myssara prefers her Champion to travel unknown and help where needed. The more you and your men talk about this, the more visible the Champion will be in your lands. The more anarchy that will come your way as every problem, big and small will get addressed to seek justice for the faithful.

Your men will likely be watching us until we leave your area in the next few days. The Elven Queen will be sending an Envoy for the leader of our caravan in the coming days. I was born a male prince and rightful heir to House Rising Moon and took a higher calling working for Myssara. Renounced the title not only for the Elven throne but also for my mother.

She was Duchess Reinhart, sister of the late Duke. Sent to kill the Duke with those Paladins of Caltor. To protect that Duchess from the formers King's plotting. That succeeded and it threw the lands into chaos. You could only imagine what would happen if I was forced into the light to do it again, Your Grace."

The Duke nodded as chests with gold and platinum were loaded onto that wagon. He sighed, "Letting the war go for now. We will watch for a horde, but I will get my troops to back off individual barbarians working to make a living."

She bowed and left.

---

The Duke pulled a crystal to King Porto, He sighed, "Your Majesty, I just had a run-in with the Raven. She brought us the head of the Great Cyclops, along with the cock and balls from the creature.

She plans to sell that to an alchemist. The Raven is a female Paladin going by the name Ginger Strongbow. She is traveling with a Barbarian named Korrok of Clan Bitter Wolf. They chastised me for sitting out here on the southern front with my army and not fighting the Great Cyclops."

King Porto sighed, "We sent you 9 Balistas to help with that creature and it still plagued you? Yous saying the Champion is a woman?!"

The Duke sighed, "They never arrived. They recovered 5. The wagons, the convoy they escorted, had the last 3 and they used them. I have a Great Cyclops head in my southern camp. I have the men packing up. The barbarian picked up the side of the wagon and lifted it alone and dumped it on the ground! He bragged about shooting the cock and balls off of the creature and threatened to do the same to me if I did not respect the Champion he followed.

This Paladin made numerous statements. Telling me the former King and Queen died in the throne room within seconds of each other. Also within seconds of the Raven killing Duke Transen. They stated he was sent to marry Duchess Reinhart and kill her children.

I learned the Raven was the nephew of the Elven Queen and the former Duke Reinhart had a sister who was her mother. He or she renounced both titles but is of royal blood in elven and human lands, to become Myssra's Champion. But he was a she here and a Paladin of Myssara.

She can appear as anyone, anywhere, at any time if the Goddess demands it and will remove problems. She challenged me to call myself that name to see if Myssara struck me down with you at the same time. I refused to take that challenge.

She had the Raven with the smokey grey eyes that appeared out of thin air or her shoulder. They are taking the 8 ballista's to the duchy for delivery. The 9th was destroyed, but they recovered 5 of them, they were bringing the other 3 in the shipment she escorted.

She said the war was over and to stop stoking tensions with the barbarians or the war might be restarted. She only had one barbarian with her but said he could end me, it would be more painful if he did it than if she did it. She stated that the road is now open and barbarians could swoop in with a horde now that the creature blocking the road is now gone. I am following that direction."

King Porto sighed, "She took care of the Great Cyclops, had the Raven, and asked you to stop stoking tensions. Did she raise a weapon toward you?"

The Duke sighed, "No, Your Majesty. Not even the barbarian raised a weapon. They both had bows and swords but neither made a move for them. She has flaming red hair as did he.

She said Myssara had not ordered me destroyed. She was waiting for me to decide which course of action to take. I backed down. From all accounts from Duchess Reinhart, The Raven killed Duke Transen, rescued her, and disappeared in front of her face.

The Raven was a male and came in with 2 women and 2 paladins who returned to the inn outside her gate. They simply disappeared into the rooms to never reemerge; all gear was gone as were they. Then we were at war to get the crown into your hands.

The Champion played at least some role in removing your father from power. Myssara likely killed him and his sister for insolence. I did not want to risk your life by challenging the Champion and sending us back into chaos while our corpses littered the ground, Your Majesty."

King Porto sighed, "Tell your men to give them all a wide birth. The sooner the Raven leaves your lands the better. Follow the advice and secure your holdings."

The Duke put that crystal down and worked to gather a few personal belongings he wanted to be secured. He had servants for the rest of it.

---

King Porto contacted Duchess Reinhart, "Duchess, what can you tell me of the Raven?"

Marna sighed, "His mother had the same name as me, my father named me after her. She was married to the eldest son of House Rising Moon. Last I saw him he had just rescued me from Duke Transen and then disappeared before my eyes. The throne had to be taken out and repaired.

He put two arrows into him but they went through him and the throne, including a shot into his skull. He scared off or killed the Duke's men he was an elven cleric to Myssara. The Duke's men left their weapons behind, Your Majesty. Have you heard from him?"

The King sighed, "Not directly but Duke Crossan just had a run-in with him, or should I say her. Said she was human with flaming red hair and a Paladin. She traveled with a barbarian."

The Duchess sighed, "He was fully elven and male the last I saw him and Half-Elven the first time I met him, Your Majesty. He can switch forms if the Goddess demands it of him. If he gave advice, or she gave advice, adherence to it is recommended. Raven told me I would rule this Duchy one day.

His people killed my mother in the capital for treason to the former King and Queen. He was concerned for my safety and I doubled up my guard to protect myself and my children. He let me know he had a writ to kill my father for treason. That I was to rule the duchy."

The King sighed, "What became of his inheritance?"

She sighed, "Your Majesty, he signed it over to the 2 families. To my children in fact for social reforms. All of it for reforms on the treatment of Half-Elves. He did something similar to Queen Rising Moon. In both cases, he gave the money to unborn children, hers, and mine.