LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 44: Taxation
The duchy of Malencia is an economic powerhouse within the Faerune Kingdom, it is situated in a strategically strong position even when compared to the kingdom at large. Nearly the entire kingdom is surrounded by natural barriers, with choke points that are only useable for trade in times of peace. This strategic position doesn't actually grant the kingdom peace, but instead ensures all conflict is internal. A small kobold village is far behind on taxes? They must be made an example of, lest any of the duchies peers get any bright ideas. These [Kobold]s will pay the price of the duchy not wiping the village off the face of the planet, and it will be paid in blood if such results wouldn't be met.
Today's target for making an example out of wasn't chosen by chance, the representatives of Malencia had some other business in the area that could be settled during this mission. One of those was rumors of a witch living deep in the swamp. Such matters can't go without investigating, and need to be handled in a quick manner. After all, if the duchy doesn't act, someone else will. That is the only consistency within the Faerune Kingdom, nobles stabbing each other in the back.
Rowan Campbell is the official leader of the expedition, a military man with an extensive record in inquisition work. The unofficial leader of the expedition is Kharn Loftwood, if that is even his name. Kharn looks like any hunter would, but his preferred game is man, a skilled assassin in direct employ of the duchess. Kharn is the unofficial leader since the terrain here is terrible for conventional fighting, but the troops hate his guts. Rowan is much more liked by the troops because he knows how to appease the nobles while having a slight air of nobility around himself, it helps with getting some decent equipment for operations like these.
The expedition of roughly a dozen of the duchess's finest emerge from the thick foliage to bear witness to the entire village in uproar, most [Kobold] settlements are filled with naught but lethargic lizards. Such industriousness isn't common to their kind, and with the original plan having been to sack the settlement, wholly unwanted. The expedition has arrived now, and even with the lizards working harder than ever, it doesn't look like they will pay off their debt to their landlord.
Kharn whispers into Rowan's ear, who quickly looks at some of the riders on the flank.
"James, Zulie, go check out what has those lizards so damn riled up. There's something more going on here than unpaid due's. I'll go distract the chief with idle talk while you do." The two riders nod, and disappear into the foliage after dismounting.
Rowan rides up to the center of the kobold village, with Kharn on his flank. Kobolds begin to gather in the area in number as time goes on, they know the symbol of the coach too well to dare attack. Even these lowly wretches know the duchy isn't to be trifled with. It doesn't take long for the kobold chief to make his entrance.
"Lovely day for it, we were just out on a regular tax patrol when our scouts noticed large amounts of movement coming from your village, is everything alright?" Rowan's tone of voice is diplomatic, but it doesn't go unnoticed when his hand goes to the pommel of his sword when the presence of kobolds becomes more pronounced.
James and Zulie home in on the large mudhut close to the chief's hut, it has too much security for a simple kobold storage shed. The guards left the shed when Rowan approached, and the experienced soldiers don't have a difficult time sneaking in. Inside they find an odd sight, a kobold laying down on a table with a bloodied cloth over its chest. There are various tools scattered about, and considering the large amounts of food, this is actually the granary. Next to the kobold lies a bundle of bloodied [Leech Roots], that stuff is a nasty plant parasite that inserts itself deep into the host.
*CRUNCH*
The corpse of James falls to the ground, his helmet caved through his skull by the stock of a massive metal crossbow. Zulie turns to face the unknown attacker, only to see a massive mermaid silently fall to the ground where James had been. She tries to draw her sword, but gets eviscerated by the monster's claws, they cleanly cut her from shoulder to hip as if her armor isn't even there. Zulie tries to hold on in a last fit of determination, but she falls to the ground as well not a second later.
Esstrey blasts out of the granary, and blasts her way to the nearest soldier. To the credit of the troops, they respond fast. Anyone that was carrying a bow or crossbow manages to get a shot off at the exposed mermaid, but her speed and scales don't leave much purchase for any attacks to properly land, the few that do are wholly ignored. The three mages in the expedition prepare magical attacks, but Esstrey closes the distance first. The one Esstrey closed in on swings his flail wide, but finds that his flail gets deflected by a stream of concentrated water.
Esstrey quickly disarms the man, and holds him up in front of her. Not a moment too soon either, as a blast of fire lightning and water land on the human shield. The various elements wreak havoc across the armored man, Esstrey responds by shooting one of the mounted mages with her crossbow. The oversized bolt goes clean through the horse, and as the dead horse falls to the ground, it pins the lightning mage to the muddy ground.
Rowan rushes forward to engage the mermaid up close, but a swipe of the rear end of the crossbow changes his mind on that style of fighting. The creature isn't just absurdly strong, but that crossbow is solid metal. Getting hit by that would result in more than a few broken bones even for him. He opts to stay at a distance where he could intercept an attempt for her to reload, while keeping away from her magically fueled movements.
Kharn moves to assist Rowan, the man might be strong but also too stubborn for his own good. Kharn's equipment is all poisoned, and it wouldn't be too difficult to get a hit in on the large target. His first shot gets deflected by the mermaid, but a holdout crossbow meant for surprise attacks finds its mark in the tail. It's laced with exceptionally strong poison meant to slow even the largest creatures, and completely disables smaller entities in a matter of seconds. With how much she uses her tail, she should have trouble moving within a second. Instead of the mermaid getting floored, she simply seems to ignore the poison while the wound bleeds faster. For a moment, Kharn believes it wasn't effective at all, but the furious side-eye filled with caution the mermaid gives him tells him otherwise.
At that moment the coach opens, and a noblewoman steps out scowling at the muddy ground beneath her steps. Esstrey uses the half-second that everybody is distracted in to reload. She points her crossbow at the noblewoman, identifying a target of importance.
"I am duchess Eliana Malencia, who are you to delay me?" The duchess doesn't look too bothered about having a crossbow aimed at her, while Rowan winces upon his realization that he was outplayed.
