Champion of the Goddess Pt. 07

I heard from the innkeeper, reported back, that he exacted a fine for an assassination attempt. The assassins came from House Rising Moon that resulted in the Elven King being killed and the Queen assumed the throne.

One of the items he got was black mithril chainmail. A lot of armor for his entire mercenary company. He was wearing the same when he came in as an elven cleric. He sent the Raven into the room and I knew he had arrived to save me. Eary smokey grey eyes, but I knew it was him then.

He is a killer with a bow but that even changed in appearance. It was a red cedar when he was a cleric. Black and ash-covered as a ranger. I heard from Queen Rising Moon about 6 months ago. She told me he paid her a visit as the cleric.

He returned the sword he got and returned it to the elven people as a relic he used to kill a lich. Gave them a complete write-up and history of the blade. He also returned his communication crystal to her.

Letting her know he would be switching forms and locations often for the Goddess. She was shocked by the war then I told her what happened here. She commented it was in line with what he did for her family. Ensured a good ruler was in place, not one that acted against him or the goddess, Your Majesty."

The King sighed, "Then Duke Crosson handled it right. She challenged him to be insolent to the goddess if he wanted to die and kill me as well. I am sending a missive out. To give the Raven a wide berth and do not challenge him or her, especially if they see that bird and claims to be the Raven. Not to be insolent to them once identified, male or female. Thank you for your Candor, Duchess."

The King knew she was another illegitimate child of the old King, just as he was. He found his journal in the Palace. Many between them had been killed, some still existed and some of them were unaware of their claim, living simple lives.

Some instantly and under mysterious circumstances died as the King and Queen did. The Duchess had no aspirations for his throne. Simply wishing to rule over the duchy and raise her children. She supported him during the war even.

She shored up her borders to restrict enemy troop movements through her lands that would have impeded him. In fact, Queen Rising Moon did the same on another border. He now felt like a divine hand guided him to the throne, as it did for the Duchess and the Elven Queen. He did not want to jeopardize that.

Myssara appeared in his room and looked at him, "Make your plans. Send your missive and put it under the penalty of death. Because I will strike them down if they are insolent to my Champion. That is being insolent to me.

Your Duke nearly lost his life today as he worked to challenge every barbarian who traveled the road alone. If he got into trouble in a fight his guards would cut them down. He lacks honor.

Raven respects honor and gave him a chance for a quick death. Your Duke does that again, and it will not be quick. It will likely be inventive. It took months to bring that war to an end and get you on the throne.

I selected you and guided cooperation to see that it happened. You are following the way I would want you to rule. I needed those in charge who do not look at him as a half breed. The Raven will likely take on many forms and work to eliminate intolerance when it is seen or heard about.

If your Duke acts against them, he will die and it will not be fast or painless. My Champion sits above all local rulers. Let it be known in human lands. The Raven travels hidden a lot. To train others and resolves problems for me. The Raven cares not for politics.

The Raven keeps talking about having ranger favored enemies being 'royalty' because they keep pissing him off. Your Duke and his men have me rethinking that it might be a good idea in the future on my Champion. To clean up the problem children I still have out there.

Yet, I just got things calming and your Duke was working to restart the damned war again by his actions. That is why I put my Champion on that path and the Raven figured it out without me having to say a damned thing about your worthless Duke.

When the Raven has to, the Champion will be revealed. Then the problems will be brought to a swift end. Including ripping the hearts out of the former King and Queen barehanded inside my sanctum, thus killing them from hundreds of miles away! That is not to be shared as it is a warning to you to stay on course and deal with your problem children."

She disappeared just as quickly. The King sent a missive to Duke Crossen, "Myssara visited me, personally! That was her Champion, follow directions! You restart the war in your area by your actions and I will have you executed! Let things calm and leave the Champion and her companions alone."

The Duke looked at the missive and sighed out, "Get this camp moving! I will be in my carriage awaiting the time to travel."

He knew it would take days to pack up this camp and the road they would be traveling would put them behind this Raven. He used a crystal to his wife who answered, "What do you want?"

He sighed, "Listen very carefully. I will be home inside of the week. I want my order concerning keeping undesirables out of my lands rescinded immediately. Send couriers to every border crossing. Especially the southern border crossings.

Myssara is at work. She spoke to the King directly. She has her Champion coming into our area. She does not want the Champion to be known. She is sending a barbarian with this Champion. The Champion though appeared as a WOMAN and a Paladin. I will be days behind their arrival.

If you wish to live you will need to order that change on my behalf now. Under penalty of death to those guards who fight the order. She wants the war of the past put to an end. Our lives and those of your bastard children depend on this. Now do it!"

She growled out, "You are saying she is sending her Champion here with a barbarian?! That the Champion is a female paladin? How will I know who it is?"

The Duke smiled, "When and if your hideous head is ripped from your fucking neck you will know. Send the missive to my guards, all of them. They are to stop all harassment of barbarians and other undesirables immediately. Myssara does not want her Champion to be known in the city.

The more trouble we cause, and the longer the Raven will likely stay and take on every problem found in our Duchy personally. That barbarian stated the Raven told him that favored enemy 'royalty' should be an option for rangers. The Champion will favor the people over royalty. She will back the people so take action or you will die for your inaction! Do not cross me on this witch!"

He turned off the crystal. She sat there for almost an hour thing about how she might use this to be rid of her gay and abusive husband but she had no plan to save herself or her children in any of them. She sent his missives and ordered all barbarian prisoners and the 'undesirables' left out of his comment released from the dungeons.

Many had been sitting in the dungeon awaiting his return, some he kept for entertainment in his bed as he enjoyed raping male barbarians to assert dominance over them. Some were simply children. She ordered them to be freed immediately and taken outside the city walls. All former prisoners were to be barred from reentering the city until the Duke returned. She wanted the city closed to all but Guards.

---

Myssara watched this one closely, she was manipulative. She wanted to see how Raven dealt with things in this Duchy. She was considering her options on favored enemy royalty for the next time he put a ranger in his class mix.

Then she could have him lead from the front, and known throughout his travels for once. Targeting the remaining ripples she has had to deal with. That would be a good use of her Champion. She would just have to get him to agree to it first.

---

They got the wagons rolling again and once they were far enough away Raven Thought, "Raven, scout road, front, and back. I want to know if we are being followed or spied upon."

After returning twice and not finding anything he smiled at Ginger, "So Raven, what did you think of that roleplaying exercise?"

Ginger laughed her ass off. Myssara sent it to Blossom, Viola, and Coral.

He heard Viola laughing hysterically. He knew she just saw it all. Coral rode forward, "Myssara just shared it with me. You fucking stayed in the back and have him thinking she is the Raven this life. Damned, even Mother was impressed with that deception and roleplaying performance from both of you.

When you make it to my world it will be fun watching you train others, Ginger. You will have all of these war stories to draw from. That was deceptive, devious, and fucking brilliant. You have all eyes on her."

Raven nodded, "This is her run as the Leader. All eyes should be on her."

Ginger shook her head, "You still manage to amaze me. You saw another royal trap after she promised to keep that away from you. You forced it to where you are kept out of it. Al least your character is forced to keep out of it. Just your bird instead and only enough to set the focus really."

---

That night Raven appeared as himself in the sanctum with Blossom, Ersa, Coral Ravanan, Mother, and Myssara who all stood there and watched the entire exchange again. Mother smiled, "That was pure genius. It creates holes Myssara is going to have to work to fill in the upcoming challenges. She has to rework the town encounter now for dealing with a complete gender switch. A challenge she has never faced before. You are right, you got your party and yourselves bonus XP for that one."

Raven smiled, "The other goddesses who watched that?"

Mother laughed, "Some were aghast. Some laughed their asses off. Many were impressed and not just with you. But with Ginger picking it up and playing into the hand you dealt her to work with and with no warning."

Ravanna came over and hugged them both, "Brilliantly done."

Mother sent them back but kept Coral with them. Coral shook her head and sighed, "I have all of these lives and I never did some of the shit he has pulled in this one run. It has been very educational. Big shoes for any Champion to try and fill I bet."

Mother nodded, "Many are seeing that right now. They are watching him because of what happened in his last run." Mother sent that to her up until the voice and cut it off. She looked at Myssara, "Wow. He went off up here! No wonder they are all watching him...and us."

---

The caravan traveled for 3 days. They had no outright encounters other than killing a few natural predators. They had made level 4 off of the Royal encampment and were closing in on level 5 rapidly after the two bonus XP scenarios. One that was planned and the other that was completely off the wall.

Raven thought to Myssara, "We will have some kind of border crossing issue to deal with. Likely centered around barbarians. Are you wanting me to kill a bunch of guards to get into the city?"

She thought back, "Ginger is leading and she forgot to ask for one thing from the Duke."

Raven rode back to Ginger and pulled her aside, "I am going to ask you a question. This is a learning exercise. My training of you from within the group and in the back. When I left you with the Duke. What did you do to ensure we would have no further issues with his men?"

She looked at him, "You told him of your favored enemy comment. Attributed to me now. He got on a crystal as we were riding out and spoke to the King or Duchess. I would assume he had one going to the other as well."

Raven nodded, "How many of those crystals go from the border to the Duchess directly? From your life at war."

She sighed, "None typically they would send the order to the border and those riding would have orders...Shit. I did not ask him for orders to get through his border barricades. He likely still has them because he was playing at being at war still! This means we are likely to get a hostile reception at the border. My mistake."

He nodded, "It also tells us how we will make level 5. How often have we had 3 days of no battles?"

She sighed, "We are in for one big battle unless I play the Raven card again. Which would not be what she wants. Even as me being you."

Raven smiled, "We are half a day from the border. What if I were not here?"

Ginger smiled, "Head off into the woods, circumvent the border guards and meet us at the inn. Go off the beaten path. Like you did last life."

Raven kissed her, "Smart leader, you recovered from your mistake."

Raven took off into the woods and rode Northwest. He spotted 3 scouts on a patrol who had spotted him. He smiled and kicked up his speed as he headed straight north. The scouts were yelling for him to stop.

He went for higher ground as he turned more west and then road a nearly flat ridgeline at double time to outdistance them. One broke off for the border while 2 pursued him toward the Duchy. Before their horses came to a stop as he left their patrol area.

They rode slowly back to the main camp as the horses were tired. The horses carried medium to heavily armored men and wore barding which slowed them down. Raven arrived at the 'adventures rest' and went inside after dropping his horse at the stable. The stable owner looked scared, "Stable the horse." He gave him gold as he had his share from the bounty already. "That should cover a week for the others coming in from a Caravan I was guarding. I am the point scout."

He nodded, "Understood. You know the guards here don't like barbarians at all. The Duchess sent word that countermanded the Duke's order on barbarians and other undesirables. But the guards are a mixed lot. They don't like getting orders from a woman. Some question if she has the authority."

Raven laughed, "The Goddess Myssara is a woman. All woman. They question her ruling over them?" Raven shook his head. "Consider myself warned."

He went into the inn and thought, "Level 5."

He heard Myssara laugh in his head, "You got yourself there and Ginger gave you the direction. You just reminded her of her past experiences with you. I will concede that one to you and her. She has to get the rest of them through on her own. She has it in her and you should not go back.

Half-elves and halflings were on the list of undesirables. She never got a complete list but the Barbarians were on the top and the one the Duke liked to challenge them to feed his ego. Others, it depends on how she approaches it as she is at the checkpoint now."

---

Ginger brought them to a stop at a barricade along this wall. Thye had 6 guards who rode down the line and back again, "They have 5 undesirables, 1 half-elf, and 4 halflings in this group."

Ginger nodded, "Part of my guards, Ginger Strongbow Paladin of Myssara. Monna Surefoot, halfling Paladadin to Myssara and my sister, Viola, Cleric of Myssara. You would deny us the right to provide protection to your Duchy? Zira, tell them what is in wagon 3."

Zira smiled, "3 Balistas commissioned by the King for the duchy, imported from the Elven Kingdom because of our talents with wood. Wagons 6 and 7 are salvage we picked up on the road with the considerable aid of these paladins and her guards you are challenging. The ones who took down a Great Cyclops.

They collected the bounty from the Duke on it already. Wagon 9 had that dead trophy. Now it just has the cyclops feet and other parts on it. That is why it has no sides. We had nothing to preserve it so it is getting rather rank smelling and at the rear now."

Ginger smiled, "You notice the roof of the 8 other wagons. Those are all giant skin, preserved from the cyclops. We passed your Duke's encampment and he let us proceed with your much-needed defenses. That salvage we picked up included 5 more elven made ballistas. From 2 other shipments that did not make it past the Great Cyclops.

We did and we are doing the Kings and the Goddess's work. You do know the Goddesses Champion is a half-elf. Having them as undesirable is blasphemous. Do you put Your Duke before the goddess? Do you deny this is the road that leads to his encampment and yet we are here?"

The Guard rode back and looked at the pair of 12 foot long feet on that wagon and road back up. "Two feet, 12 feet long, at least. We force them to wait and it will start to stink badly here."

The Guard Captain got the bill of lading from Zira and looked it over. He growled out, "Let them pass. At least it was not a barbarian."

A guard rode in, "Guard Captain! We spotted a barbarian. Just one on horseback. He was much faster than we were. He had no armor or barding and rode a fast horse. He headed for the city!"

Ginger looked at the Guard Captain, "That is likely Korrok, flaming red hair. The one who picked up that wagon from the side and dumped the cyclops head off of it in front of your Duke by himself. Powerful man and husband to my sister. Devout follower of Myssara. If you received guidance from your Duchess, as the Duke got guidance from the King, then I would follow that guidance or face the wrath of many."

He looked at Ginger, "You threatening me?"

Ginger smiled as the wagons rolled past and she looked at the Guard Captain, "The goddess does not threaten or take insolence well. It would be a problem she would likely send her Champion to deal with. The last time she struck down the former King and Queen in open court while her Champion killed Duke Transen in person. All for insolence. You add blasphemy to that and you might find you never wake up when you lay your head down next."

Ginger rode away and heard from Myssara, "Excellent role-playing, Ginger. You played it very well. Catch up to Raven. He is at the inn and causing a stir as expected. That guard will have nightmares for a week before he asks a cleric for guidance and seeks to atone for his actions."

Myssara smiled and sighed, "She will be a goddess one day. One of the first if not the first to be trained by Raven from the beginning."

Mother appeared beside her, "I see many great possibilities for her. Having more children will take time. He left it to her and made sure she owned the mistake, knows how to correct it, and then used her surroundings and standing as one of your paladins to address it.

Like he did with Marshal who has done better since getting Raven's guidance. Not all Champions are great trainers. I only have a few but none are as hands-on as Raven has been. Also with very creative and sometimes over the top solutions."

---

Raven walked up to the bar, "I want the merchant's room for a week. I am the point scout for a merchant caravan coming in with defenses for the Duchy. Ballistas, 8 of them. Don't think I wouldn't be here if your Duke did not let me pass."

Raven looked around at a bunch of barbarians in the room. "Meed and meals for all of the barbarians here. Also a few of your common rooms for them for the week. Long enough for your Duke to be back to cower behind his wall.

We can address the shackle marks on those here. In fact. All of them appear to have been held in bondage. Food and drink for all of them!"

As he put more coins on the counter. The Innkeeper jumped into action and gave him the key as several of them got up and patted him on the back. One spoke, "What Clan you with?"

Raven looked at him, "Names Korrok, of Clan Bitter Wolf."

He nodded, "You turn your back on your clan by helping those that would imprison us?"

Raven shook his head, "I left my clan to work on freeing those of my kind from the shackles you once wore. I encountered this Duke on the road. He nearly shit himself when I tipped a wagon on its side and dropped a Great Cyclops's head into his camp off of it. One of the ladies, the sister of my wife.