Risha Chapter 61

Risha followed Mist-Prowler through the depths. They stopped in front of a room, and the coyote shifted into an Under Goblin before opening the door. 

Risha walked in. Guards stood to attention, the demons chained behind them looking up to meet Risha’s eyes. 

“Hello.” Risha looked over the captured demons, the few who’d survived the pruning of their torturers. Twelve in total, they watched her warily. “I am Grand Mother Risha.”

They did not respond, watching her with the looks of creatures prepared to die. She’d left them like this for a long time, wondering, untouched after their brothers had been killed.

Risha walked forward, standing in the center of the twelve. “I have a choice to offer you, one which will decide your fates.” Her eyes met the largest of them, and he looked away, “You were spared because you showed kindness in a world of pain,” Risha let out a sigh, “I can let you turn that kindness into a way of life. There are demon women and children under my care. They need warriors to protect them until they can protect themselves, to stand for them while they are weak. So here’s the choice I offer you.” 

Risha walked back to the front, and lifted her head, letting the aura she’d learned from Shyanne leak over them.  

“Swear yourselves to me. Fight for me, fight for your people, and I will give you freedom. Do not take this choice as weakness, for it is an oath that the power of the Grand Mother will hold you to.”

Silence answered her speech. 

She looked around the room, until her eyes found the demon who’d been watching her earlier. He slowly lifted his head, meeting her eyes, “What will you do if we refuse?” 

“This is a chance to change your blade’s course, if you don’t take it… I’ll set you free to the caverns.” 

The words shocked the demons. And Risha meant them, these demons were chosen by Mist-Prowler to receive the choice. Risha had no desire to keep them in chains, or kill them. Letting them forge their own ways through the labyrinth was what she’d do.

The demon looked at her for a long moment, then lowered his head. “I’ll swear myself to Grand Mother Risha.”

The rest followed suit.

***

Risha visited the injured demon women and children, letting [Mother’s Care] wash over them as she spoke with them. They opened up to her slowly, and she enjoyed helping with the healing before she left. 

Many of them were wary of her kindness, but the first woman she’d met, the one who’d tried to stab her, took quite a liking to Risha, always close.

***

Undergoblins had become a regular sight of the orc city. They stuck to themselves, and usually had one of Glo’s warriors, or one of Sun-Chaser’s wolves walking beside them. 

Risha watched a group of them walk by, pointing and staring in awe as they saw the sky for the first time. 

Risha herself, wore a grey cloak’s hood over her ears, with some of Mist-Prowler’s makeup applied to her face. She still had to avoid staring into someone’s eyes for too long, or they’d start to stare and wonder who she was. 

Mist-Prowler stood beside her in the form that Risha had traveled with last time, a gray lupus kobold.

The city itself was alive with the preparations for war. While most of the populace couldn’t read, word of mouth was a powerful tool, and monsters who wanted to evolve, or simply wanted to protect their homes, had signed up to leave in droves.

Risha felt bad for whatever poor creature was in charge of organizing them all. 

The hunters she’d spent time with last time were at their same stand, but this time Risha had a different destination in mind. 

Music traveled on the wind, calling to her with sounds she’d never heard before. Risha brushed past an orc, then opened the door of a building. 

Inside, a crude bar had been set up, with tables covering the space. Behind the bar, a familiar old orc poured alcohol into wooden cups, and passed it out to patrons in exchange for coin. 

Risha stared at the orc for a long moment, recognizing him as the one who’d been blinded by pain and attacked her after she’d freed him from the slavery of humans. Scars marred his body, and a light shone in his eyes that she’d worried would be gone forever.

The music drew her gaze away from the orc and over to a makeshift stage, where a Dark Elf sat in a chair, holding an instrument with strings down its length. He plucked the strings, the sound traveling through the room. 

This was one of Emilio’s people, if Risha had to guess. He’d requested to rest in town as items were prepared by the monsters to bring back for trade.

Risha found her way to a seat, watching the Dark Elf’s hands move over the instrument with years of practiced skill. 

Many monsters were enraptured just like her, watching the elf as he played a melody that many would never forget.

Slowly, the song came to an end, leaving a wistful feeling in the air. The Dark Elf looked up, and smiled.

A cheer went up, and Risha joined in. It was quite the performance after all. Risha watched as shinies were placed in the man’s case, a worthy reward for an amazing performance.

She even went up and gave him one of hers before returning to the table with a smile on her face.

A wooden mug was placed in front of her, making her look up into the eyes of the old orc who’d been behind the bar.

He bowed his head, then left without saying a word.

“He recognizes you,” Mist-Prowler said, taking a sip of her own drink.

Risha watched the old orc as he spoke to one of his customers, then poured them a drink, “He does.”

The music started up again, this time with a happier tune. His voice joined in with his music, telling a story of an elven girl and a dwarven prince, several scandalous situations ensued, drawing Risha’s attention. 

Then a sound made her turn to the table next to her, and she spotted dice being rolled and desperately wanted to join in. However, the Dark Elf’s next words made her freeze.

“Next I wish to sing something very close to all of your hearts. I want to sing of the Mother Of Monsters, the butcher of tyrants, and the breakers of chains. This is a song of Risha.”

Risha felt blood fill her cheeks as Mist-Prowler struggled to hold back laughter. The entire song was exaggerated, and definitely not how Risha remembered it. To her shock and horror, the crowd joined in with the song. 

Relief filled her as the song ended, and to her surprise, more shinies than ever were thrown at the Dark Elf.

This was ridiculous! Risha knew she was cool, and strong, and awesome, but she didn’t think songs would be made about her. 

She decided that she desperately needed Tya to hit her with the old goblin’s stick, after all, Risha was still just figuring things out as she went! She didn’t have some grand plan like the song implied.

Risha looked at Mist-Prowler, but the trickster just broke into more laughter at her expression.

Risha gulped down the rest of her drink, then left the bar, stumbling slightly. The cackling Kobold followed close behind, unable to hide her laughter whenever Risha looked at her. 

Risha needed a distraction. She’d left Crimson and Scarlet back in her room, as they were too recognizable, but she still had the sword that she’d taken from the first Overseer she’d killed.

Her pace quickened as she made her way out of the city and to the open air of the forest. 

The camps on the outskirts of the city had lessened, with many of the humans choosing to support their Drake-Riders on the warfront, and the other monsters having established their new city on the river. Only a few smaller camps remained by the city, hunters traveling in and out, or farmers looking to build themselves a home.

“It wasn’t like that,” Risha said as she walked towards the river. 

“I know. I was there for most of it.” Mist-Prowler said, a smile still on the edge of her lips.

Risha gave her a small glare, then turned her gaze to the rustling leaves of the forest. “It… still terrifies me. I am a leader to so many, when I don’t know anything.”

“You have Sun-Chaser, and Glo, and the Elders.” Mist-Prowler sat down on the hill overlooking the river and the forest. “You are not alone, and you haven’t steered us wrong yet.” 

“I know.” Risha sat next to her. “It’s just… strange.” 

Mist-Prowler looked at the young goblin as Risha pulled her knees to her chest, “I can’t imagine, Risha.” 

Risha laughed, “That’s honest of you.”

Mist-Prowler shrugged, “Few monsters even know my real name. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have everyone believe made up stories of me, or put my name in song.”

Risha smiled wide, “I’ll make a song! Mist-Prowler the secret spy.”

Mist-Prowler shivered, “Don’t threaten me like that.”

“What? You don’t like it? I’ll make you sound very amazing.”

Mist-Prowler growled, her eyes narrowing at Risha.

It felt good to Risha, having one creature who treated her normal. There were few others who did. Only Tya and Glo, but they were different. Glo was a brother, while Tya was an angry grandma whose stick needed dodging. And her spiderlings. Risha reached up, and pet Kliks, the spider who never left her cloak. The spider leaned into the soft touches.

Risha laid back in the grass, staring up at the night sky. It was beautiful, a million lights hidden in a sea of darkness. 

Risha opened her mouth to say something, then paused as Mist-Prowler raised her hand. 

She stood up, and followed the kobold’s gaze into the trees.

A group was walking out of the forest, one that Risha recognized as the group that had been sent to meet with the plant-creatures.

With them, followed an unfamiliar sapling.

Risha’s eyes focused on the creature, examining it as it walked to the small bridge the orcs had made for crossing the river. 

It was made of vines, intertwined together, and leaves covered it like a coat.

Risha stood up, and Mist-Prowler followed. They left the edge of the river, returning to the city as Risha hurried home.

It was time to see whether they had another enemy, or a possible ally.