Chapter 2 – Lord of Chaos

"Do uh… any of you know what I’m supposed to be doing here?” Henderson asked aloud as he watched hobgoblins and regular goblins shuffle in and out of the room as he sat in his new throne. None of the creatures had made any moves to harm him – in fact they didn’t even seem to want to get too close to him – but neither did they seem to really want to talk to him. They’d said a few recognisable words before whilst Henderson had been brought to his new castle, but since the God of Chaos – or Athena – had showed up, everything seemed to be giving him somewhat of a wide berth.

“Hello?” Henderson said more pointedly at a goblin walking from one side of the room to the other and although it didn’t respond, Henderson was sure that it increased its speed ever so slightly just to remove itself from the room.

“I’m talking to you and you will answer! I am your master!” Henderson raised his voice as he stood from the throne. “And if you don’t answer me right now…”

“Oh don’t get your pants all twisted, child,” a woman’s voice hit Henderson from behind and he turned to see the God of Chaos sat in his throne once again, twiddling her hair.

“They won’t listen to you because you aren’t their ruler.”

“But you said… and I was sent…”

“You aren’t their ruler… yet,” Athena clarified. “But let us just clarify one thing before we continue along our conversation. You accept that I am the God of Chaos, correct?”

Henderson thought for barely a moment before he nodded and lowered his gaze to the ground.

“I do.”

“Good, then that will make thinks easier between us, knowing who sits where.” Athena gestured to the chair she was sat on, and Henderson let his gaze flicker to it momentarily.

“A figure of speech,” Athena said, standing up. “Because this castle is yours. As much as all of the seats and thrones of chaos ultimately belong to me, I hereby pronounce you as Lord of Castle Stormfront.”

“Castle Stormfront?” Henderson asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes I know, the name may seem a little grand for a seemingly insignificant stronghold out here in the wilderness, but know that not long ago this place was a bastion of strength, teeming with my children.”

“And then the war happened,” Henderson finished for Athena, realising where she was going.

“Correct,” Athena said, nodding. “There are so many things that you don’t yet know, and some things I cannot tell you, but here are some of the more basic facts of life: this castle is one of many outside of your precious City walls. Each castle is managed by a Lord, and recently one of my commanders – I believe his name was Bok’Tak – surged across the woodlands to face off against your City in the battle that you witnessed. During his march towards the City, Bok’Tak took tributes from each castle as he passed, leaving them with minimal inhabitants and many without Lords. This is how you have come to sit in this seat.”

“So I am the Lord of this place?” Henderson clarified.

“You are,” Athena said, standing and gesturing to the throne. “Take your seat and you will see.”

Henderson didn’t need to be told twice, but his movements were still slow and unsure.

But the moment his backside touched the wood of the seat again, a notification filled his vision.

You have taken your throne as Lord of Castle Stormfront.

You have been awarded a new Profession: Castle Lord

Henderson stared at the notifications with his mouth agape.

“What… what does this mean?” He asked. Of course he knew what it meant, but he didn’t actually know what it meant in terms of an actual Profession.

Athena smiled, though it lacked warmth this time.

“Although I am your God in all things,” she said. “I do not wish to baby you into knowledge. The fact of the matter is that I do not have the time, but also not everything has been entirely decided yet. With that being said…” she walked over to a thin-looking hob that looked like he really didn’t want anyone to know he was in the room and placed an open palm on its head.

The hob’s eyes widened for a moment and then he closed them for a second. When they opened again, its eyes sparkled with something that Henderson immediately recognised as intelligence.

“Good day to you my Lord,” the hob said in what even Henderson would’ve said was an entirely over the top, posh and rehearsed speech pattern. “How can I be of service to the new Lord of Stormfront?”

Athena raised a single eyebrow at Henderson and smirked.

“Good, no?” She said.

“What… what did you do?” Henderson asked.

“I have gifted this one with a little bit of knowledge. Something of myself that will aid you without the need for my personal attention,” Athena said.

Henderson looked back at the hob and then to Athena again.

“Will it listen to me?

“He,” Athena corrected. “Will he listen to me. And the answer is yes. This one has… well why don’t you tell him?” The God nudged the hob and it began to speak again.

“My role here, my Lord, is to guide you along your path. I have been given the gift of intelligence and knowledge by our benevolent God, and I will do whatever I can to help you in your pursuit of excellence. I can answer questions, provide advice and above all, I can make sure that you are well informed with the voices that you will have to make as Lord of Stormfront.”

Henderson flashed his gaze to Athena again, and then back to the hob.

“Hi,” Henderson said. “My name is Henderson Valeri.”

“Very good my Lord,” the hob replied. “Would you prefer me to call you Henderson, Mr Valeri, my Lord, or something else of your choosing?”

Henderson hadn’t been expecting that response from the creature, and automatically discounted “Mr Valeri” as that was his father’s name. Henderson also seemed a little too familiar for his liking.

“You can call me my Lord,” he replied. “And whilst we’re renaming things around here, do I have to call this place Castle Stormfront?”

“Of course not my Lord,” the hob replied. “You may rename anything that you see fit, an di will always do my utmost to abide by your wishes.”

Henderson looked questioningly at Athena, who shrugged.

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it,” she said. “And if you don’t, you can just kill it.”

Henderson looked back at the hob, who closed its eyes and nodded once, sagely.

“But I must leave you,” Athena said. “What this creature will aid you in is kind of a grey area between me and Julius, but if I am seen to spend too much time with you personally, then there could be repercussions.”

“But what about…” Henderson started, but before he could finish his sentence, the God of Chaos had disappeared and he was left alone with the hob, who stood now with his hands clasped in front of himself and a serene look upon his face.

“Is that true?” Henderson asked. “Could I just kill you?”

“You may, my Lord and if my death is something that you should wish, you could simply ask for it and I would dutifully oblige.”

“No, thanks,” Henderson said, not sure why any creature would gladly offer up its life so. “And if you’re going to stay around here with me you’d better tell me your name.”

“Of course my Lord, my name is Fargrim Baktolla, and I am advisor to the Lord of Castle Stormfront.”

That reminded Henderson that he had plans to rename the castle, so that was where he started.

“I want to rename this place Castle Valeri,” he said simply.

“Very well my Lord, you can consider this done.”

“Good,” Henderson said, somewhat taken aback by the swiftness that his order was obeyed with. “And I’m not going to remember your name, what did you say it was again?”

“Fargrim Baktolla,” the hob replied. “Advisor to the Lord of…”

“That’s too long,” Henderson interrupted. “From now on your name is Grim, got it?”

“Very good, my Lord.”

“Hmm, what else…” Henderson muttered. “Ah. Do all the hobgoblins and goblins around here have names? Is that why they haven’t been obeying my commands or listening to me?”

“They do have names my Lord, but in many cases – much like my own – they are unable to remember exactly what those names are. I have been blessed by the God of Chaos and the memory has returned to me. If you should wish to name any of the creature who call Castle Valeri their home, then please feel free to do so and I will do my utmost to keep a track of the designations that you so choose. And these beings have not been heeding your instructions thus far because until now, you had not officially taken the title of Lord of this castle. I believe that now, these creatures will do exactly as you command, or as you command through me as your mouthpiece.”

Henderson scratched his chin. It seemed like such a strange scenario, but he needed to make sure that what he was being told was the truth.

“Get one to come in here right now,” he ordered.

“Of course my Lord,” Grim replied and let out a short, sharp whistle. Henderson didn’t know how this act could’ve been construed as an order but nevertheless a moment later, a level one goblin entered the room. Its wide, flat feet patted against the hard stone floor and it looked around nervously as it approached Grim and stopped, looking up at the hob in awe.

“They’re scared of you, aren’t they?” Henderson asked. “The goblins I mean.”

They are rather curious creatures my Lord,” Grim answered. “They are less than intelligent, scared of most thing that are bigger than then and they rarely thrive when left to their own devices. The hobgoblin race across the lands have seen it fit to enslave most of their race simply to keep them safe from themselves, really.”

“Tell it to sit on the floor,” Henderson ordered.

The goblin didn’t even wait for the hob to repeat Henderson’s words, and immediately sat down with a thud.

“Roll over,” Henderson said and the goblin dutifully obliged.

“Do a handstand.”

The goblin this time tried its best but it lacked the strength and or balance to achieve the feat, though it did try three times, falling flat on its back with each attempt.

“My Lord the creatures under your command will do whatever they can to carry out your orders to the best of their abilities, though sometimes when the mind is willing, the body is unfortunately unable to comply.”

Henderson nodded once and then stared at the goblin who had returned to its previous position of sitting on the ground.

And then Henderson saw the tiny knife that the goblin had fastened to a piece of string that it wore around its waist, and he had an idea.

“Take out your knife,” he ordered, to which the goblin quickly obeyed.

“Stand up, and hold it out in front of you.”

Again the goblin did exactly as it was told.

“Now hold the blade against your throat.” The goblin obeyed.

Henderson paused. He wanted to see if either the hob or the goblin would do anything to convey their dissatisfaction at any of the orders so far, though neither seemed fazed at all. In fact Henderson was sure he could see a tiny smirk tugging at the edge of Grim’s mouth.

“No,” Henderson finally said. “Put the blade up to Grim’s throat.”

The goblin dutifully obliged, and the larger hob even bent at the waist a little so that the smaller goblin could reach it.

“If my Lord so wishes my death,” the hob said, “you only have to command it.”

Henderson paused for a moment and then waved his hand. “That’s enough, you can go.”

The little goblin bounded out of the room as though he was riding a pogo stick, and it left Henderson alone to speak with his advisor again.

“They really do do everything I tell them to, don’t they?” He asked.

“Indeed my Lord,” Grim replied.

“Then we better start at the beginning. Please can you explain to me what it is I’m supposed to do here, and what is expected of a Lord of a Castle?”

The hob then smiled. It was a strange sight and not something that Henderson had been expecting to witness. Grim’s pointed and uneven teeth became obvious where they sat usually mostly concealed inside its mouth and his eyes shone with something that Henderson couldn’t quite decipher.

“My Lord…” Grim said. “The Lord of any castle is charged with the safety and growth of its inhabitants. Through this growth we may serve Chaos and our God.”

“Growth how?”

“Through strength and numbers of course my Lord,” Grim replied.

Henderson frowned. “Have you seen the outside of this place? Do you really think that some army of creatures is just going to come and join up with us? It’s an empty wilderness out there… and besides. No, wait, how many creatures are here in the castle with us right now? Do I have an army to call upon to do with what I should wish?”

Grim nodded. “There are indeed creatures who call this place home, and this is one of the areas that I have been bestowed with increased awareness or my Lord. The conflict with the City cost the creatures of Chaos dearly,  and especially your castle. But that does not mean all was lost.”

Henderson felt his pulse begin to quicken. At the thought he had an army behind him, a fighting force that he’d been given that he could use to force others to listen to him, to obey him… to conquer… suddenly the realisation had hit him that this was truly all he’d ever wanted.

“As of this very moment, you have loyal to your castle: eight level one hobgoblins, six level one goblins, five level one dire wolves and three level one gatekeeper ogres.”

Henderson stared at the hob, who had just told him that the entirety of his army was about as useless as a wet paper bag.

“And I am afraid that I do not have a level, my Lord. This was the trade-off for my eternal life, providing you should wish it otherwise,” Grim explained.

“But… how come everything’s at level one?” Henderson asked, knowing that he had at least seen creatures at level eight or above. The ogres too he was sure were much higher than everything else he’d seen in the place.

“Ah that is a curiosity, my Lord,” Grim said. “Unfortunately, the moment you took your new position as Lord of this castle, the levels of the included creatures were reset to their starting value. It is not something that I have any experience in happening before, though I believe that it was most likely a compromise by our God to keep things somewhat in balance with her divine counterpart. Suffice to say, you have been given a great gift. But it would not be wise for this gift to have been too great.”

‘A gift of useless and weak creatures,’ Henderson couldn’t stop himself from thinking.

But at least he had his chair. That was something.

Something to build on.