Guage stood before the iron gates with unease in his heart. The heavy doors and the thicker than average walls surrounding the estate symbolized just how powerful the Almagest House had become but they were never actually meant to act as real fortification against oncoming hordes. Much less hordes of insane goblins who were as likely to throw themselves at the wall as they were over it.

The insanity that goblins could delve into during a war lust was legendary and thankfully seldom witnessed within the heart of Jousle. The greatest city state of the Olcan Empire. The Jewel of the South they’d nicknamed her. Guage could almost laugh if not choked by the disgust of it all. 

Ten years ago and the Empire was at it’s peak. The greatest self ruled collection of peoples in all of Malkuth. They had been forced from the Old World five hundred years prior during The Great Schism and sought refuge in the Primordial Mountain Range deep within the realms of Ferelis’ Gardens.

 They’d been forced to fight tooth and nail from their once allies. Best friend forced into slaying best friend and all in the name of power. Those were the days of the brilliant tactician Tonic Olcan and his wife and warrior queen Ebba Nebula. They would meet the mightiest of races in all of Malkuth and wreck them asunder on their Journey south into the unconquerable lands.

Through their impressive victories they had won the favor of the nature god Ferelis and welcomed into the Primordial Mountain Range to found an Empire the lands of Malkuth had never seen before. 

Five hundred years later and that Empire lay in ruin. Wrecked by a force so powerful even in death it’s curse continued to grow stronger and stronger. There was a reason why these lands were termed unconquerable. Demons laid claim to this region.. Monster’s of the dark masters and messengers of the void.

One such demon had found Ferelis’ gardens and the bustling civilization of the Olcan Empire and licked it’s chops. Demon’s, Guage now knew, were limitlessly powerful. The death and chaos they wrought proved only to make them even more so. How one could become even more powerful was beyond Guage but many would sell their souls to find out. Possibly him included.

That is if it weren’t for the company he now kept at his side. The love of his life and future mother to his unborn child. Lethinia Star Andromeda Black. their parents having arranged the marriage a number of years prior to “Olcan’s Fall”. The two never let the other forget their great fortune. That fate should lead their parents to bind them together so formally, so perfectly. 

They were in fact the youngest residents of the current estate that could remember a time before their confinement. Before staying behind walls and near the protective totems were necessary. The totems were goblin craft which repelled the curse from actively contaminating everything within a mile of the estate. It’s sphere of influence ended just before the edge of the gates leaving the guards on duty atop the walls to actively combat it’s influence every moment of their shift.

The effects of this curse were different between the races. For the goblins the effect was that it’d drive them mad. It inflicted upon them not only insanity but a permanent state of war lust. It had been these roaming bands of goblins that’d destroyed the nation so utterly. Think what you might about the creatures but goblins are some of the fiercest warrior spell slingers in all of Malkuth.

Their war magic is among the most potent of the races. Chaotic almost to vulgarity and adding to that their war lust, when taken full effect, could permit a goblin with it’s head chopped off to bite at the ankles of his aggressor or even spew fire  from it’s mouth in it’s last moments of life.

Guage was all too familiar with the goblin fire the FireStone Goblins utilized. He’d received a burn upon his back that left him bedridden for two weeks. Even now he still found himself unable to grow his once thick coat of fur upon his back. Damned Goblins…

Guage’s eyes had begun to wander, caught on two young noblegirls frollicing near the iron doors amongst the flowering weeds that grew there. He recognized the children as Lady Nora and her younger sister Lady Ella, of house Almagest. She had been only three when the curse occurred and everything save her noble name stripped like all the others around her.

Her mother and father were the lords of this estate. Her father being second in line to the head of house only to his elder brother Lord Marle. For all this nobility and title it did not change the fact that Nora and her younger sister Ella were now orphans. Their parents having went off on the noble crusade against a nameless demon never to return. Ironic that such a group of people so proud of their names and title should meet their fate at the hands of a being so powerful it cared not what it called itself.

Alas, there they play. Frolicing amongst the weeds as would any other couple of peasant girls their age. Stripped of titles and power all Mori were the same, but mere peasants in the face of power overwhelming.

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Nora had no friends and in fact she never cared to need them. She was her own friend and she had something even better, a blood sister. Though the stupid children amongst them always made it a point to even question that. Just because Nora was born with Ape’s disease. It was said to be common in her family line and a sign of great power.

Her sister Ella on the other hand wore a thick coat of gold which covered her entire body. Nora only had fur atop her head. They’d even question if she was really a Mori or if she was actually a demon spawn or worse a hairless Mori of the Old World.

While she refused to show her attackers there was pain felt  with every word they uttered. She was different, she’d assured herself, because she was powerful. Excess power ruins the growth of a proper coat. If you were to cover her body in the burgundy fur atop her head she would appear just the same as the rest. 

And how soon they all forget that the great summoner Ebba Nebula had less hair than her. Being born completely hairless. Nora couldn’t help but shudder at the fate. How much worse the first queen of the Olcan Empire and mightiest of sorcerers must have had it when she was also young.

“Nora, look at this flower I found!” Ella called out with enthusiasm, nearly overwhelming her ability to properly communicate.

Nora looked up to see her younger sister stumble over herself to show her the flower within her fingers. Nora had become familiar with all the vegetation within their estate. She would become head of house Algemist once she came of age and thus would be responsible for everything within the estate. Weeds included.

Ella cupped as if she were protecting it from some unforeseen danger. Raising it up to Nora the crown like shape and deep purple filled Nora’s eyes. She gasped in disbelief. She’d been confident she knew and seen every flower, every species of vegetation within her future estate. How something so wonderful could have escaped her knowledge was beyond her.

“Take it.” Ella beckoned her older sister.

“What?” Nora stammered aloud as she hesitantly reached towards her sisters outstretched hands.

“Take it, we can share it. I had my turn so now it’s yours, right?” Ella responded smiling with self approval.

Nora’s heart melted a little looking down at her unendingly adorable little sister. She was always like this. She’d give a stranger the food off her plate if she thought it’d make them happy. She seemed incapable of thinking of her own wants and in this instance Nora was endlessly grateful for such an unreasonable trait.

Taking it ever so delicately within her hands Nora cupped the flower ever closer to her face. Examining the petals which waved from the center of the flower and then suddenly at their edges spiked upwards. The deep purple staying constant even within the thinnest of points. 

“Beautiful…” is all Nora was able to say.

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Ella wore a smile of self satisfaction. Her big sister absolutely loved her gift and was caught completely up in the flowers' beauty. Ella too loved the flower and how it looked but something told her Nora would like it so much more.

Ella had these feelings a lot and knew if she found a way to make them happen that she’d feel a warm glow inside. The sort of glow she felt right now. It made her feel absolutely complete. It was far more wonderful than the flower. If Ella had to describe it she’d say it felt like the sun was shining on her insides.

Nora might have gained a beautiful flower but Ella bathed in the light of the great star.

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The echo of the bell froze every thought within Gauge’s mind. In the past year Guage had learned to despise the sound. It’s ring meant something foreboding, something no one wanted to hear, news of something sighted. Something, one or many, within sight of the wall.

“Leth, to the manor.” The Captain of the guard called out to the future mother of his child. Lethinia nodded her obedience and taking his hand permitted him to bring her back to the Algemist manor.

“Guage! What about Lady Nora and Lady Ebba?” Lethinia called out as she let her weight drag behind her. She turned in worry to the girls still playing amongst the flowers.

Guage felt the heat of fire within his belly. The stupid girls knew what that sound meant and yet they lingered and so close to the gate on top of it all. It was his sworn oath to serve as their protector but in these dire times it meant little to Guage when compared to protecting his family.

However this was an unspoken truth and one not shared by the majority of the residents within the manor. Most especially Lethinia. Knowing she’d sooner go back and retrieve the girls herself rather than leave them frolicing so close to danger he knew he had no option but to attend to them first and then lead them all back to the confines of the manor.

A low growl escaped Guage’s throat, “I’ll grab them, you continue ahead we’ll be back by your side in no time at all.” 

Leaving his wife’s side Guage made haste to the young girls whom seemed completely oblivious to the noise around them. Which was made all the more outrageous with the ever encroaching sound of active battle going on just beyond the walls.

“What are you two doing!?” Guage bellowed at them as he grabbed both their arms and pulled them roughly out of their trance.

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Nora could hear them now but truly wondered how she did not hear them before. The sounds of explosions just beyond the iron doors made the very earth shake and the blood curdling screams of goblins was the stuff that kept her up at night. 

Fear overtook her when she realized how unreasonably close her and her sister were to all of this. She’d seen before what happens to Mira when they fall victim to fire bombs of the Stonefire Tribe. Her instructor Palius was always quick to point out that the tactics of Lady Ebba Nebula may have led them to swift victory after swift victory but much of it was through the might of the firestone goblin’s fire magic that it was achieved.

An unnatural flame, soul fire, Palius had termed it. Burned more than just what you could see. Left more ash than it should, burned more than was apparent.

The rough pull from Guage however returned her from her thoughts. The brute, though in a dangerous place, the young night should know better than to handle gentle lady's with such barbarity.

“Sir Captain, release our arms. We are capable of guiding ourselves from here.” Nora commanded. She would not permit this man to treat her and her sister so rash no matter what the situation. It was unbecoming to her family's name.

Nora, in that moment, caught the flare of rage in the eyes of Guage, Captain of the guard but thankfully it was quickly stolled away. To openly rebuke her infront of everyone, even in a time of crisis was a most unwise move indeed.

“I apologize my ladies.” Guage bowed his head and replied, “but do hurry. There is danger that draws closer with every wasted moment. You should all seek shelter within the inner estate until the threat has passed.”

Nora, mid nod, had begun to grasp for her sister’s hand when an explosion just outside of the gate rattled the premises and sent everyone upon their backsides.

Wide eyed Nora and the others turned to the iron gate to see fire ablaze around it. The guards stationed atop of the gate set aflame and running this way and that. A shuddering gasp escaped Nora’s mouth as she reached over to cover the view from Ella’s eyes. 

Another gasp of horror but this time from Lady Black, “Dear gods, sir Leo is amongst them!”

Nora, being made to know everyone in the village from peasant to noble. From warrior to priest, knew all too well what horrible news this was. Leo was the estates resident healer and the only one outside of her and her teacher Palius capable of suppressing the unnatural flames of the Firestone Goblins. 

The screams of the men aflame left Nora with little choice in the matter. With Sir Leo aflame and Master Palius within the estate she was the only one close enough who might be able to save them before they burn to death.

Without further delay Nora shoved her sister into the arms of Lady Black, “I must attend to the wounded, take my sister to the safety of the estate.” Then without another word Nora began her race against time. To save the few capable soldiers left within her family's estate. 

Another explosion near the gate covered the sounds of Lady Black’s protests and the Captain of the Guards yells for her return. 

Obstacle Three. Rinse and Repeat