The Butcher of Gadobhra

Chapter 74.4 Mourning

It was party time in goblin town!

There was so much to drink that every goblin had at least one bottle in their hands. It wasn't the traditional Red Wizard that they knew and loved, but that was ok. What it lacked in quality it made up for in quantity. And variety. Some was blue, some was sticky, some of it fizzed and sparkled. The best burned all the way down your throat and made your legs wobbly.

Toast after toast was made to Courierben, great friend of the goblins. If their friend wasn't there to drink with them, that was fine, they toasted him anyway!

Everyone was happy except for the Chief. He sat and brooded on his throne; a tasty bottle of sticky red drink nearly forgotten next to him. Greatfriend Courierben had told him the sad secret. Evil Invaders had come into their town, and were about to defeat big chief ACME. When that happened Courierben would be moving far, far away and there would be no courier in town. The old ways would return.

The Chief had grown fond of the new ways. They found treasures in old places and used those to buy Red Wizard whiskey. No one raided their little town, and they didn't raid the farms and village. Now they would go back to the cycle of raid and be raided.

"Great Chief! Great Chief! A visitor approaches!" The guard had a bottle in his hand, but at least he wasn't so drunk that he hadn't seen someone coming through the front gate. What was this one doing here?

"Why do you come here and interrupt my tribes sacred religious festival? Are you friend or foe to my people?"

Fearless Leader offers a quest to the great Chief of the Manydrinks tribe of goblins.

Quest: Slay 3 Evil Invaders.

Reward: 3 bottles of Red Wizard Whiskey

Bonus Condition: The Evil Invaders leave the town of Sedgewick defeated.

Bonus Reward: 1 Barrel of the sacred Dark Brew of the Dungeon of Bludgeon

Accept: Y/N?

The chief accepted immediately. Raiding season started as soon as they ran out of bottles.

He stood on his throne: "New Toast! To the Great Fearless Leader and the downfall of the Evil Invaders".

It was a popular toast. All toasts and any reason to drink were popular.

=*=

The Bandit camp was nearly silent. Everyone was sitting around the camp fire and only one voice was heard. This was a special night. Not only had they all got to hear two of the latest chapters of the Perils of Pauline, but Benjamin the Courier had started telling them a new story about a poor lonely barmaid named Suzette. Some of the story was sad, so sad that Benjamin had tears in his eyes as he told it. He'd given them six whole chapters and was about to finish the seventh.

"And then the evil Lord Brandon told poor lonely Suzette that she'd be his slave forever and not see her friends again."

Ben paused.

The bandits became restless and finally someone prodded the story teller. "And? And what happed?"

Ben wiped his eyes. "And she was so sad that she laid down and died. The end."

"The end, that can't be the end. She just died?"

The bandit chief, Rodney, approached Ben. "That story is a bit unsatisfying. You sure there isn't some other ending?"

Ben looked up; more tears were running down his face. "Sorry Rodney. I wish there was. She died this morning, and now evil Lord Brandon controls the town and I'll be on my way soon."

"Bloody Biscuits and Gravy! We'll see about that, won't we fellas?!"