In a quiet bar in a busy town called Goldcrest, I sat in a somewhat dimly lit corner with my arms folded and a half drunk tankard sat in front of me as well as a simple dwarven cheese platter. My eyes scanned the bar again for danger. I didn’t let myself slack even if I didn’t sense any. Patrons somewhat quietly sat around and drank together. An adventuring party of rookies planned their next outing, an orc monster girl laughed boisterously as her arm wrapped around the shoulders of the guy next to her, a gremlin with long green hair sat with a guy in a green Other Worldly coat at the bar while the two chatted quietly about something, and a nervous goblin sat across from a man dressed in a similar hat. Both wore black, buckled capotain hats with wide brims. The man wore a dark colored trench coat and an eyepatch over one eye. The goblin was wearing a white leotard with a black, sheer bodystocking underneath that. Over both of those she also wore a black trench coat with numerous pockets and belt buckles. She was who I was there for. After a signal from my goddess Dicephone, I followed her here to this upstanding bar to keep an eye on her. Even if my holy goddess of luck had not sent me, I most likely would have gone anyway to make sure she stayed safe while speaking to such a seedy looking character. It was my duty to keep her safe. She was an initiate to one of the holy churches that was dedicated to eradicating magics most vile. A truly noble cause. On top of that, she was my protege and also my wife as of recently. It was my duty as her husband to keep an eye on her as any righteous man should.
	“Gobriella,” I heard the man speak in a nasaly voice, “While you are initiated into this order, you still have yet to prove yourself,” The Witch Hunter Captain said. I detected no malice in his speech, although he was somewhat harsh sounding.
	“I understand, captain,” Gobriella nodded, “I’m most eager to prove myself to the others. I know most are against a mamano being inducted into the Witch Hunters, but I will show them all that I am more than capable.”
	“Both mine and your reputation are on the line, Gobriella.”
	“I know, captain. You took me in when I was orphaned and I cannot thank you enough for that. I will repay you,” She replied dutifully.
	“Surely, as our God himself chose you for this role, you will not disappoint me nor the rest of your fellow Witch Hunters,” The captain replied with a tiny, proud smile on his face, “You are my protege, after all.”
	“I did learn from the best,” She smirked back, “What tribulation would you have me undertake, captain?”
	He nodded and retrieved a bound scroll from beneath his cloak. The parchment was crisp and old, sealed with a red wax seal that bore the crest of the church, “All the details are contained within. This rogue mage may be brought in dead or alive. Preferably alive for questioning, Gobriella. The Witch Hunter General himself would like to question them, if at all possible.”
	“Good,” The goblin gave a toothy grin, “I was hoping for a little challenge.”
	“Do not underestimate a magi, Gobriella, especially those who willingly defy God's Will. I have taught you better. It would be the last mistake you would ever make. I must be off. I have my own tasks to attend to before I return to the church,” The Witch Hunter stated before rising from his seat. He nodded a silent goodbye before stepping out of the bar.
	Gobriella immediately took the scroll and turned, quickly spotting me in my secluded corner of the room. I had expected her to scowl at me for following her, but she simply grinned at me and dashed over to my table, “Hey, hey, Pally Pal!” She grinned as she pushed a chair next to mine, resting her elbow on the table and a hand on her cheek as she side-eyed me, “What are you doing here?”
	“Keeping an eye on you,” I answered calmly and matter of factly. "For what reason are you here?"
	Gobriella grinned at me before taking off her hat, revealing the single white streak in her otherwise raven black hair. Next she removed her white leather gloves and picked up a piece of dwarvish cheese and bread, “I was here to meet with my Captain,” She said before hastily devouring the cheese, “Pretty damn sweet of you to come check on me like this,” She stood on her chair before lifting my helmet up slightly to kiss me on the cheek, “Did that Dicey-phone tell you to do it?”
	“I do not purposely mispronounce the name of your God so I will ask you to refrain from doing it to mine,” I grunted, “Yes. Dicephone did send me after you.”
	“You’re so sweet, Pally Pal,” She grinned impishly again, “I’ve got a job to go on, by the way. So I’ll be out for a week at most, I think,” I spent a moment of time thinking before reaching into my pocket and grabbing out the tool I used to divine commands from my goddess, “Sheesh, you need to ask your Dicey-phone about something else?”
	“Hush, you,” I grunted as I removed it from its holy see-through case. The cap came off with a small pop before I poured it out into my hand. It was a set of dice with differing numbers of sides. I had found it in a bazaar and bought it from a kobold peddling goods from the Other Side. A strange, almost mythical place that I wasn’t sure if it really existed. Seers and wizards all said they had seen the strange technologies but all the rest of us could see was the oddities and baubles that came through portals that had opened up seemingly at random. I held up each dice, deciding which to use. I quickly put aside the six sided die, it was the tool of gamblers and charlatans. It was part of the set which made it holy in its own way, but this was not a decision to be made by it. The simple four sided die, a triangle based pyramid, a meager and easy to use shape. I picked up the eight sided die, it was a good middle ground between the two lesser ones and the other, greater dice, “High is yes, low is no,” I told myself. I rolled it, letting the dark green die with golden numbers inlaid into it roll across the table. A six. I nodded, “I will accompany you. Dicephone wills it.”
	“You had to ask your goddess for THAT!?” Gobriella groaned, “You’re such a dummy, Pal. But I am glad you’re coming with me.”
	I grunted. The word echoed in my mind. ‘Pal.’ Her nickname for me. I had grown accustomed to it in my short time with her, but it still felt a little off, especially when she called me ‘Pally Pal.’ I looked at her, “What is our task?”
	The goblin smirked, “Guess we better check, huh?” She grabbed it out of her coat and broke the seal, “‘Gobriella Von Gobbo,’” She started to read before grinning at me, “That’s me! Anyways, ‘your task is to locate and end the illegal magic practiced by a rogue wizard that has been assaulting the town of Hawk’s Rest.’ I like that town! What kind of dick head would harm them?”
	“An evil caster.”
	“Oh, yeah. ‘This vile caster needs to be tracked to whatever hole in the ground they are hiding in and bring them in for questioning. If this is deemed to be impossible, a slaying of the caster will do. In this case, bring in any unholy texts and artifacts you can find.’ Sounds easy, doesn’t it Pal?”
	“Do not underestimate a caster, Gobriella,” I warned her again, “They can be dangerous, especially when cornered like rats.”
	“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Pal. We should leave right now!”
	“Gobriella,” I sighed, “I love you, I truly do, but you cannot be this foolhardy. I know you are inexperienced--”
	“I’m just a level one goblin, remember?” She grinned at her own pick up line that she liked to say in a ‘silly’ and shrill voice. I grunted, still unsure how it worked on me. I cursed at the holy dice that had gotten me into that situation in the first place, but if Dicephone had willed it, I had to do it, “You’re my mentor in this aspect, right?” She got a tad more serious but the smug, silly smile remained.
	“Correct. I will see that you make it safely to Hawk’s Rest. From there it is up in the air as to what we will do. We should return home so we may prepare. I have not adventured in some time so I am unsure how much provisions I will need to stockpile.”
	“Sure thing, Pally Pal. Wanna… y’know, tonight?” She raised her eyebrows seductively at me.
	“If you aid me in preparing, perhaps I will go along with your wiles,” I told her as she helped me eat the rest of the food I had purchased.
	“And if I don’t?”
	“You will be subjected to my physical desires to help me… deal with the stress,” I warned, “You are lucky I did not take a vow of chastity, I suppose.”
	The goblin shuddered, “I would hate to have a husband that doesn’t want to breed as much as I do,” She looked around, “We proooobably shouldn’t talk about going at it in public, hm?”
	“If we were in the human lands I would agree. Monsters are fine with it, it seems,” I left some coins on the table that was more than enough to pay before leaving with Gobriella. 

	I set my list aside as well as our half packed bags with a sigh. Even if I was preparing for two, Gobriella made the work a bit easier by helping where she could, “We require some more food, but the tent I have should suffice. Unfortunately no caravans are crossing the mountains, but they should now be free of dreadful, disgusting orcs and gob--” I turned to my precious goblin who stared at me with wide, black eyes, “A-and other greenskins.”
	“I know you don’t mean me, Pal,” Gobriella smirked. She stood next to where I sat on the floor of our tiny home and kissed me on the cheek, “But thanks anyways.”
	Late at night at home was one of the few times I let my guard down enough to remove my armor. I let the goblin run a finger or two across my face to touch my scars, “Yes, well, everything seems to be in order. We need more food, perhaps some potions for an emergency and--”
	She put a finger on my lips to silence me, “You worry too much,” She giggled, “Ready to fulfill that promise?” She asked as she cupped my cheeks in her hands.
	“I know not what you speak of,” I grumbled.
	“Remember, dummy? It's time for my breeding crusade!” She took her hat off and let her short hair fall to her shoulders, “Prepare to breed me, human!” She laughed as she lunged at me. 
I easily held her back and sighed, “We shall take this to the bedroom. I would not appreciate you trying to tear through my clothes to get at my member once more.”
	She laid limp as I tucked her under my arm and carried her to the bedroom of our small home, “You wanna lead or…?”
	“You may lead. You have been quite… docile recently. Consider it a reward.”
	“You said the headpats you give me are reward enough!” She hollered.
	I nodded, “They usually are,” I set her down gently on the bed, “I must take care of one thing first,” I grabbed one of my holy dice, the four sided one, “Four sided die, hm, plus one.”
	“What?” She had stripped in about ten seconds, “What are you rolling for?”
	“Rounds we will go tonight.”
	“OH! ROLL HIGH!” She shouted and grinned as I cast the die.
	Three. 
I nodded, “You will have me for four rounds. Your choice of positions.”
	“Oh, goody. Get those damned clothes off!” She barked as I began to remove my normal clothes. I nodded and finished getting nude for her, “Think your precious Dicey-phone likes to watch her best disciple and his loving goblin wife get their rocks off?”
	“I know not what you speak of,” I grunted as I slid onto the bed.
	“Think about it. I propositioned you for sex and you rolled so bad you had no choice but to agree. Every single dice roll you have made against me has gone in my favor. Maybe your luck goddess is really Fluke, goblin goddess of luck and fortune?” She smirked, “She’d want a precious level one goblin to bag a big, strong, and very handsome paladin~” Gobriella ran her hands across my chest as she mused, “I’m a very lucky goblin.”
	“I will not allow you to besmirch my goddess like this,” I sighed, “Please, cease your musings.”
	She groaned, “You’re no fun!” She lunged at me, this time forcing me onto my back as I was still reeling from her comment, “Tonight, you’re a level one human paladin versus your doting level ten goblin Witch Hunter wife!”
	I sighed, “Why must you use guild terminology? I came to this town to get away from them.”
	Gobriella kissed me on the cheek, “Because I know just how much it bothers you. You should have never revealed that to me,” She winked and started to grind her hips against mine. I grunted as my member started to become erect. My head lay on a pile of comfortable pillows as the goblin ran her hands over my chest. She licked her lips eagerly as she continued preparing the two of us for intercourse. The eager goblin was already wet and moaning just from her foreplay. I tried to put my hands on her hips but she pushed them away, “Not yet,” She giggled, “Gotta put a show on for Fluke.”
	I just grunted at her, submitting to her giggly wiles. She rose up, leaving strands of her leaking pussy fluids behind in thick sticky ropes that covered my cock. She grabbed it and held it up before slowly piercing herself on it. She moaned very happily before beginning to lower herself faster on me. Her fingernails raked the flesh on my chest for support as she continued her relentless pleasure crusade against my hips. I withheld my moans, not wanting to give her what she really wanted before I was ready. There was a loud string of wet, lewd slapping noises as my goblin wife used my body for her pleasure. I was more than eager to participate, despite feeling like little more than a dead fish at the moment.
	Gobriella stopped for a moment, panting while staring me in the eyes with nothing but love and lust in her usually black eyes. Like with our first time, her eyes had turned a pinkish hue as she stared down at me while I lay helpless beneath her, my member in her pussy’s vice grip, “I can feel you twitching, and throbbing,” Gobriella licked her lips as she leaned down toward me, “Come on, blast that load in me, Pally,” I nodded and instinctively reached for her hips but she bat my hands away again, “You’re mine, remember? My pace.”
	I took a deep breath as I looked toward the ceiling. I could feel her shifting as she readied herself to start again. Her hips began to move, rising up slowly before crashing back down on me. I grunted, somehow the goblin knew how my loins were feeling more than I did. Her body shuddered and shifted while she moaned loudly. Unable to hold back, a loud sigh escaped my lips, the noise only invigorated Gobriella, moaning right alongside me as I started to throb as well. The feeling burst, I was unable to hold back as I erupted into her womb, my cum blasting out with force. As a natural mamono response, she orgasmed immediately, her pussy clamping on my member and shuddering as it milked me along with her continued riding. My body shook as I emptied my balls into her. The goblin grinned between gasps and moans before we both finally stopped climaxing and she collapsed onto me, our sweat congealing on my chest as my chest heavily rose and fell. Gobriella released my member before crawling up to my face and kissing me a few times on the chin before lovingly pressing her lips to mine, “Ready for round two of four?”
	With a grunt, I nodded and kissed her again, “Yes. Let us finish this. Our trek will be long and we may not have time to do this until we return.”
	“Aw! Fine!” She pouted and took her position again.
	“Gobriella--” My words were cut off as she took my member to the hilt again.
	
	Gobriella Von Gobbo yawned as she put her hat on, her big green ears getting in the way as she pulled it down too far. I smirked at her as I finished putting on my traveling armor, “Our travel over the mountain should be quiet. The greenskins have been cleared out recently.”
	Gorbriella gave me a disappointed look as she picked up her blunderbuss, a recent piece of dwarven tech based on Other Worldly weapons. I had no idea how she got her hands on it, but she wasn’t keen to share how, “I was kinda looking forward to a scrap or two.”
	“There will be more than enough fighting around Hawk’s Rest. There are unholy creatures on the prowl there,” I explained, “Pray the peace lasts for a long time.”
	“Eh. I dunno…” Gobriella stretched and scowled, “I’ll kill all manner of beasts of the night myself if I have to!”
	For a few moments, I was annoyed, but I found myself agreeing with her, “I have not fought in many moons. Plus, you and I have never fought together. I am eager to see your abilities, Gobriella.”
	“I don’t need to see you fight to know how you throw down. I mean, look at your arms!” Gobriella licked her lips and wrapped her fingers around my bicep. Even through the armor she imagined my muscles bulging, “Such a big strong man~”
	“Contrasted with a little… what did you call yourself? A helpless level one goblin?” I smirked at her.
	“Don’t look so smug. That’s the line I seduced you with,” She gave me a big grin before picking up her backpack and satchel back.
	I sighed, “I suppose you did,” I replied and grabbed my bags as well as our saddle bags, “Come along.”
	“What about the apartment? What if someone breaks in?”
	“We can trust our neighbors,” I explained. We had a little two bedroom ‘apartment’ that we shared. Numerous others on our floor had the same. It was cheap and I did not need much space in the first place for my things. Although, I did not understand the name ‘apartment complex,’ as it did not seem very complicated but according to the landlord it was a concept from the Other Side, so perhaps it was much more ‘complex’ than I assumed. I dreaded the thought of ever having to go to this other world, “Come, we must saddle up our horses.”
	“Oh! We’re taking them!? I get to ride Blood on the Moonlight again!” Gobriella gleefully bounced up and down as she followed me out of the room. She locked the two bolts behind us and hurried to follow me down the stairs then out into the brisk morning air. She hurried ahead of me to the ‘parking garage’ where our horses were being housed. These Other Side terms addled my mind, why not just call it a stable? It was a large stable that was shared by two apartments.
The stable hand on duty approached us with a parchment in his hands, “Name?” Past him were numerous stalls with locks on the doors. Most had horses peeking out over the stall doors as they chewed on their oats. The man had a keyring on his hip to open them. 
	“Gobriella Von Gobbo. I think they’re both under my name? Blood on the Moonlight and… what’s your horse's name, Pally?” The goblin asked me as she looked around.
	“Cookie,” I grunted, the bags starting to weigh me down.
	The stable hand nodded and went to unlock two stalls. First out was Gobriella’s pony. With a dark red coat and a black mane, the pony whined as it was led out of the stall, “Oh! There’s my baby!” Gobriella pet the pony happily and she seemed just as happy to see her rider. The stable hand grabbed the barding and got the saddle strapped on. I quickly got the saddle bags placed and sighed with relief as a weight was taken off. 
Next, my horse came out. A stallion with a white coat and black spots. He was saddled up and I placed my bags atop his back, “Good to see you boy,” I smiled as I pet him on the nose. His coat was very clean, I was quite surprised that the stable hands had actually cleaned him this time, “Come, Gobriella,” I flicked the stable hand a silver piece and led my horse out into the cold.
	“Oh, I’m all excited now!” She grinned as she saddled up and took the reins.
	I nodded and did the same, easily mounting my own horse, “Yes. I, for once, have a good feeling about this adventure.”
	“Well, I’m just happy I get to do this with you, Pally. Most of my adventures have been pretty lonely,” She gave me a sweet smile and we were off, strutting toward the hills. I had to rein in Cookie due to having to keep pace with a pony, “So. Cookie?”
	“I did not name him. He is a good war horse. But the kobold that trained him is a little… too girly, I suppose,” I gave my goblin a shrug, “He cost me quite a bit. And it was worth every copper.”
“Huh,” Gobriella rode alongside me as we stepped through the quiet town. Guards patrolled the streets, adventurers prepared gear, craftsmen created weapons, armor, or anything else that the town or the adventurers needed. A few people I was acquainted with gave me waves and I merely nodded back as I stoically continued my traveling. Gobriella seemed a little uncomfortable to have so many eyes on us, but she kept her chin up and her hat out of her eyes.
	As we rode out of town to the north past the wizard towers, the well traveled dirt path turned to a slight incline as it went up the hills to the west. Gobriella cleared her throat, “So, uh… Do you wanna talk about something?”
	“Why not tell me of the Witch Hunter order? I have told you about my paladin oath, it seems only fair,” I grabbed the reins with one hand and retrieved a small flask, “Rum?”
	“I keep forgetting you aren’t like those other stuck up paladins I’ve met. A lot of them tried to kill me too!” She laughed as I tossed the flask to her. She caught it and took a little swig, “They usually didn’t walk away from those scrapes. I can’t stand paladins,” She glanced up at me and blushed, “I mean, you’re pretty great, Pally!” She quickly tried to recover as she pocketed the rum.
	I chuckled, “No need to worry. I know how you feel about me. ‘Tis quite obvious.”
	“Good. Well. You wanna know about the order? There’s not a whole lot to say in all honesty. I was taken in by them as a young girl. My village, mostly full of mamano, had been almost completely wiped out by a mad sorcerer. Some Witch Hunters arrived and took him down. The captain, my father, found me and decided to take me in. I’m still not completely sure why, I would have thought that the Witch Hunters would have hated mamano, but he didn’t. I mean sure most I’d run into were mean bastards, but they aren’t my father. All I want to do is make him proud.”
	“Seems like a high bar has been set for you,” I commented quietly.
	“Yeah. Training has always been hard. It's always been me trying to prove myself to other people. The only person who was ever happy with me no matter how good or bad I did was the captain. He taught me fighting, how to sniff out vile sorceries, and how to bring these witches to justice. I feel like I’ve been training for 18 years and helping the captain bring in magi. I’m finally out on my own and doing my own missions. I should be excited but I’m so nervous.”
	“Will they be upset that I am aiding you?”
	“No. They work with paladins often. And now I’ve got my own personal paladin!” She grinned as her horse continued to trot along. 
	I glanced down at her but continued riding, “Hmph. Perhaps I will ask the order to induct me so that we can work together constantly.”
	“No way! Being a Witch Hunter is my thing! Get your own cool quirk!”
	I sighed and focused on steering the horse.

	I stopped riding Cookie and dismounted by a stream. It was late, far past the point when we should have stopped but my rolls had led us to keep going. I led my horse and Gobriella’s pony to the stream so they could drink, “Where to set up the tent…” I asked myself as the goblin dismounted and grabbed her pony’s brush. I spotted a few areas where we could pitch the tent, a flat area in the open, a little clearing in the trees near the stream, near some rocks at the crest of the hill, and, just to round out the list, a spot that was definitely too steep that was very clear off the path. I added the last one just to spice it up. 
	With holy vigor, despite the weariness throughout my body, I grabbed the four sided die and gave it a roll on a rock shaped like a shallow bowl. Two. That meant the little clearing was where we would set up the tent, “How are the steeds?” I called as I pocketed the die. 
	“Blood on the Moonlight’s mane is looking especially pretty tonight!” She giggled as she braided her mane. I was a little surprised she could do it in the soft glowing moonlight. The soft white glow across the land wonderfully illuminated the goblin’s form.
	“You… you are looking quite beautiful tonight,” I nervously complimented her.
	Gobriella turned to me, her face was incredulous or teasing at first but it quickly turned to a soft smile when she saw the sincerity on my face, “Thanks, Pally. You look good too. I like how the moonlight dances across your scars.”
“Hmph. Well, bring the horses over to that clearing,” I pointed to the dark area, “Dicephone wills we set up camp there.”
“Got it. I’ll try to start a fire too!” She took hold of both reigns and pulled them through a parting in the underbrush before tying them both to a tree on the edge of the camp. She also grabbed a bucket and filled it with water for the horses. Cookie quickly sat down with Blood on the Moonlight huddling up against him. I removed the saddles from the horses and turned to Gobriella, quickly realising she had no idea what she was doing.
	“Oh, my little goblin,” I sighed as I stepped over to her.
	“What?” She had merely tossed a bunch of sticks in a pile and struggled to light it.
	I picked her up and put her aside near the horses. I placed the biggest pieces of wood on the bottom and carefully stacked the smaller sticks around it. Using a clump of dried hay from my fire starter kit, I quickly had a warm, brightly burning fire going, “There. Did you feed the horses?”
	“Oh, lemme do that. Don’t start cooking, I wanna help!” I nodded, sighed and found a comfortable spot to sit near the fire. Gobriella set out oats for the horses then joined me, “Here, we brought enough to make a little stew, right?” She retrieved a preserved cut of beef, still cold from when we bought it this morning. 
	“Aye. Vegetables and potatoes will be added as well,” I began to peel the potatoes and she began to work the carrots. I closed my eyes and placed my little cuts of potato onto a dish. Turning to the goblin, I saw her struggling to make straight cuts up and down it, leaving gashes and massive chunks being cut out. I sighed and took hold of her little hands, stopping her silently, “Feed that to the horses and collect some water.”
	With a dejected, broken hearted sigh, Gobriella nodded. She broke the carrot in half and fed the larger part to Blood on the Moonlight. With the sloshing of water, my goblin soon returned with a small cooking pot full of water. She put the pot of water on a little metal platform I had set up. I said a few magical words and touched the cauldron, instantly purifying the water. Soon, the soup was cooking and Gobriella and I were sitting by the fire. I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer, “No need to act to glum.”
	“I just wanna help, Pally,” The goblin said, looking up at me with her sad black eyes.
	“Then help me set up the tent. It should be easy,” I grabbed the folded up tent and began to prepare it for use. Gobriella eagerly tried to help me. She hammered in the stakes as I put the poles up and the tent over them. I nodded and placed the sleeping mat inside, “See? You can help, Gobriella.”
	“You gave me the easy job,” She huffed as she took her hat off and plopped down into my lap, “But thanks,” We sat, watching the dancing and flickering flames as they kissed the bottom of the cooking pot, “What do you think they do up there?”
	“Who do you mean?” I asked as I stared up at the stars with her.
	“The gods. I know that Arwain, the god that most of the witch hunters follow, does little other than provide his followers with safety. Like, do the others just sit up there and cast a little spell every once in a while?” Gabriella mused as she used me like a lounge chair.
	I wrapped my arms around my worrying goblin wife, “Dicephone watches all games of chance or anything that requires luck intently. At her whim she will change or adjust the outcome. She will test the faithful with less than fortunate outcomes. I believed at the time she was testing me when you and I met.”
	“I still think Fluke beat Dicey-phone in a bet and that's how I got you,” The goblin teased, “Or maybe they really are one in the same.”
	I relented on scolding her and decided I would rather humor her, “Who is to say? They are beyond our comprehension. Perhaps they do less than we think. Perhaps they do more. Who can say?”
	“If you were a cleric, do you think you’d ask?”
	I scratched my head, “If I was a cleric I would be a much more pious man, I do not think I would question them. Perhaps I would ask if you begged me to.”
	“Hmph,” Gobriella folded her arms and leaned back, “Is the food ready?”
	I smelled the air. The savory meat broth seemed ready to be eaten, “I believe so. Let us eat then rest. My eyes are starting to grow heavy.”
	“Think we can have some fun afterward?” Gobriella elbowed my ribs playfully.
	I shook my head, “No. We will attract predators with your noises and we will attract any monsters that happen to be on the prowl with the mana we generate.”
	“You mean mamano? Or actual monsters?”
	“Both,” I grunted as I dished up for both of us. Gobriella frowned at me, but nodded, “There will be time for fun later, my dear. Do not act so down.”
	She gave me a small smile before reaching up and kissing me on the cheek, “Alright, Pally. I’ll calm down,” We ate quietly, both of us scarfing down the hot soup so we could get to sleep. Both of us hadn’t realised how tired we were. As the fire was dying down, I kissed Gobriella on the head before carrying her into the tent. I put her on the mat with her head on one of the pillows. She hardly had time to stretch before I put my head on her body, pinning her down and making her giggle as she stroked my hair. I wrapped the two of us in a blanket and we were soon both asleep.

	I awoke with the chirping of birds and the rising of the morning sun. The sun spread a deep orange across the sky, staining the clouds with it’s warm glow. I yawned and rose up, Gobriella had somehow shifted to being held against my chest during the night as we both lay on our sides. I gently released her and covered her in the blanket we shared. I restarted the smoldering fire and began making a quick breakfast of eggs and the leftover beef. Blood on the Moonlight and Cookie both sat together, staring at me as if they were eager to go, “Soon, Cookie,” I smirked at him before collecting them some water. After a short time, the orange sky had turned a soft blue shade already. I returned to the fire with water for the horses and refilled water skins. I took a moment and purified all of it as my goblin wife shuffled out of the tent. I turned to greet her but she spoke first.
	“Can’t you rail me now? I know you couldn’t last night but I need a pick me up,” Gobriella grumbled, her hair was a mess and her clothes were disheveled.
	“Good morning to you too,” I scoffed, “Are you getting cravings that bad?” I asked as I gave the horses their water.
	“I’m just horny, dammit. Can’t you just roll for it? Maybe Dicey-- I mean, Dicephone wills it!” She gave me the best fuck-me-eyes she could as she pulled down her oversized night shirt to show me her perky breast.
	My member stood at attention. I did have a desire to tear open her leggings and plow her again, “Look. I will roll. I will use the six sided die. If high, we do it.”
	“Yes! Yes!” Gobriella bounced excitedly as I found a flat rock. 
I knelt next to the rock and offered a quick prayer to the goddess of luck and chance. I took the six sided die in my hand and looked at it. I had a low opinion of the six sided, but it was meant for this purpose. An easy, no strings attached die to roll for situations like this. I closed my hands around the die and shook my arms, rattling it around on my palms before casting the die. It rolled and tumbled across the rock before landing on one of its flat sides. One. Gobriella’s shoulders slouched with disappointment, “I am sorry, Gobriella. It was not meant to be this morning,” I sighed and put the dice away.
	“Yeah, whatever,” She pouted, “Can’t you go against the roll? This once?”
	“I cannot. I love you my dear, but if I was to go against Dicephone’s will, I would become an oath breaker,” I shuddered at the thought, “I would become a mere husk of what I am now. I cannot bear the thought of becoming that.”
	“Is it that bad?” She callously asked as she tilted her head at me.
	I looked down at the eggs as they finished cooking. As I salted them I looked into my goblin wife’s eyes, “I am unsure if you would love me if I became that former shell of myself.”
	“Of course I would!” She quickly assured me.
	“We cannot be sure how detestable and disgusting I would be if I was to fall from my goddess’s graces.”
	She took the smaller plate of eggs and beef from me, “I don’t think I could stop loving you.”
	“Thank you. While I want to believe you, I do not wish to take that risk,” I grunted.
	Gobriella frowned, “But--”
	I cut her off with a stern look, “Enough. I do not wish to dwell on this topic. Eat. We must reach Hawk’s Rest by nightfall.”
	My goblin wife stood at my side and kissed my cheek, “Alright. I’ll drop it,” I kissed her back before both of us started to down our eggs. Soon, after cleaning our plates and cutlery we were back on the trail.

	As soon as we crested the hill, we could see the sprawling plains of the Mamano Conglomerate before us. I could hear a little sigh escape Gobriella’s lips as she took in the sights. The green grass almost glowed in the bright sunlight as a brisk breeze shook the sparse forests that dotted the land, “The ride should be easy from here,” I commented as I looked down the hillside at the small village of Hawk’s Rest. 
	Gobriella pat Blood on the Moonlight’s neck, “Think you can make it, girl?” It whinnied back and shook its head as Gobriella started to mess with her hair. The intricate braids that the goblin had made were still tied with black bows. I chuckled and continued, “She likes it, Pally!” Gobriella insisted, “It makes her feel pretty! Don’t laugh at her!”
	“If you say so,” I snickered, “What information do we have on our target?”
	“That’s probably a good thing to figure out…” She reached into one of her bags and retrieved the rolled up parchment. She read over the page for a few moments, “Dark magics. That much is obvious, right?” She smirked.
	“Of course. But do they mean REAL dark magics, or do they mean sorcery? I am only especially equipped for real dark magics,” I grumbled.
	Gobriella shook her head, “The Witch Hunters are a little better than the inquisitors of old about this. Only casters who do evil or study forbidden tomes get hunted. This guy, this guy looks like he’s up to some forbidden shit. Necromancy,” The word sent shivers down my spine, “I think the undead have been rising and wandering into Hawk’s Rest. The guard has been dealing with them, thankfully. But where there’s a few undead…”
	“There are a lot more of them,” I hissed, “How I loathe necromancy and its practitioners.”
	“We agree on something, at least,” Gobriella smirked, “We agree on who we need to murder. I know I can’t cook or whatever but I’ll track this guy down for us. I wonder which one of us is gonna do this guy in.”
	“Is it not preferred to bring him in alive? Your father said as much.”
	My goblin pouted, “But I wanna burn the witch…”
	“We can break his limbs at least, yes?” I said in a sort of macabre way to cheer her up.
	She nodded, “I guess so. I’m gonna break all of his stupid toys and his hands so he can’t cast,” She looked up at me, “That’s just standard proceedure,” She chuckled nervously.
	I nodded, “I believe it. Dusk is nearing, it seems. I pray we make it to town soon.”
	“We will! Calm down!” She laughed and patted Blood on the Moonlight, “C’mon girl!” She tugged the reins and the pony sped up a tiny bit. I didn’t even have to do anything for Cookie to hurry up to keep pace with her.

I stretched as we made it to our destination. Hawk’s Rest was a small town with numerous farms surrounding it. The town was named after the Hawk’s Rest, an inn that was there so that weary adventurers could have a place to eat and rest their heads. It grew due to so many people coming through and needed gear and other supplies. Shops, cooks, smiths, and all other kinds of professions moved into the town and began working there. Due to it being in the Mamano controlled part of the continent, it was full of monster girls. 
I led Gobriella to the stables-- I mean the ‘parking garage.’  I dismounted Cookie and took the reins. Gobriella climbed off the pony next to me, “Thank you, Blood on the Moon,” She kissed her neck and then looked at me, “Thank your horse!”
	I sighed, “Thank you… Cookie,” He didn’t respond at all to my words. I sighed and took him into the small ‘parking garage’ and handed him over to the stable hand. The young lizard girl nervously took Cookie’s reins from me and led him to a stall.
	“What inn are we staying in?” Gobriella asked as she yawned.
	“The Hawk’s Rest, of course,” I smirked, “They have some of my favorite food.”
	“Isn’t that the super popular one? Are you sure we can get a room?” Gobriella asked as she handed her precious pony over, “Take care of her, okay?” She whimpered.
	“Of course!” The lizard laughed as she pet the pony and took it to a stall near Cookie’s. I quickly signed some paperwork and handed over some coins to pay for their lodging plus some extras to make sure they were well fed.
	We grabbed our bags and headed toward the inn, “Are we gonna even have a seat to eat at?”
	“I paid ahead,” I assured her, “I know what I am doing, Gobriella.”
	My goblin smiled, “Wish my dad had been more like you when we had been travelling around.”
	“I have been to Hawk’s Rest many a time, Gobriella,” We didn’t have to walk far to make it to the inn, which was nice. My body was feeling quite weary.
	“So, which is less creative? Hawk’s Rest the inn? Or Hawk’s Rest the town?” The goblin asked just before we got to the tavern.
	“The town. As it was named after the inn,” I quickly declared as I stepped into the bar, “Although the inn is not a very creative name either as the proprietors are all--”
	“Hello-welcome!” A squawking harpy interrupted me. I turned to the bird woman with brown feathers patterned similarly to a hawk, “Two?”
	“Yes, please. Bar seats are fine,” I nodded. The harpy quickly seated us at a little two person table.
	“Booster seat for short-small?” The harpy innocently asked. 
	I glanced at Gobriella, expecting her to get angry at her. Instead, she just nodded, “Yeah that’d be nice. Thanks. Can we get some grog over here too?”
	“Of course!” The barmaid left quickly. I looked around, the tavern was busy and my evening with Gobriella would be backdropped by the laughing, flirting and singing of the other patrons. I didn’t mind, I had eaten in many taverns.
	The goblin leaned back, looking a little too short for the table. She eyed me, hardly looking over the side of the table to stare, “What’s good here?”
	“The steak. But I consider that more of a victory meal. We can split a big one on the way back,” I told her, “Big, expensive, delicious. We will pick from today’s specials.”
	“Sheesh. You really know what’s going on,” My wife teased, “Alright, I’ll trust your call.”
	Soon, the barmaid returned, placing two full tankards on the table. A second harpy was right behind her with a booster seat in each hand. My goblin wife gladly took both so she could sit at a respectable height. She climbed up, near eye level with me now. I cleared my throat, “What are the specials tonight?”
 “Special-dinners tonight!” The harpy chirped, “Grilled chicken! Green bean soup! Potato and ham soup!”
I hastily ordered the grilled chicken after rolling a die for it and Gobriella got the potato soup. The harpy left and my wife piped up, “So, what were your plans for the future before me?”
	“Get my parents out of the Human Kingdoms, I suppose,” I said, “Prove to them that Mamano are not the evil they say they are. Keep doing as Dicephone wills.”
	Gobriella frowned, “Your parents? What’s their problem?”
	“I understand you are not super knowledgeable about such things, Gobriella. That being human relationships with their parents. But most humans in the east are taught to fear and hate mamano. I grew up in a small town and when I was a bit younger I, along with some other humans were kidnapped by a vile tribe of gnolls. We were to be food. Only one person, an old man, was eaten before we were saved by a team of adventurers. I’ll never forget them. An elven druid, a werecat rogue, a satyr woman with fiery red hair and magic that matched, and a human paladin. I was infatuated with that satyr in particular. But I was scared of her and the werecat at the time, even the elf for a bit. But the way they talked and calmed me down had made such an impression on me. Then when I told them about the stuff I had been taught the paladin put his gauntleted hand on my shoulder, and he told me about the evils and lies of the Human Kingdom. I have no idea why what he and that satyr told me made such an impact on me,” I paused, catching my breath for a few moments, “I then looked for a way out, I wanted to go to the Mamano lands to see it for myself. By sheer chance, some of Dicephone’s order were passing through and I asked to join them as their temple is in the middle of the continent. They had different games of chance and I passed each so they took me aboard, Dicephone willed it. I have not seen them since.”
	“I’m… sorry to hear that. Maybe I can help you convince them that mamano aren’t so bad?” Gobriella offered, “I know I’m just a shitty little goblin--”
	“You are not shitty,” I growled at her. She backed down instantly, “You are most wonderful. I have met many mamano and I am very happy to have you as my wife.”
	“Thank you…” She looked like she was tearing up as she hid her face behind her hat.
	I sighed and retrieved a die from my pocket. I rolled the twelve sided die without even designating anything. Dicephone knew my intentions and gifted me with a ten, “Ah, a good roll.”
	“Huh?” The goblin looked up at it, “What are you rolling for?”
	I let her see the result, “Well… you will find out,” I winked and put it away. Her eyes stopped looking so sad and she nodded, just in time for our food to arrive.

	Gobriella climbed onto the bed. A single bed room with a single all illuminating lantern. I pulled the curtains closed and turned to my goblin wife, “What are we gonna do on the bed?” She gave me a grin and leaned back. 
	I made a face and grabbed her legs, pulling her to the side of the bed, “There will be very little rest in Hawk’s Rest for us tonight,” I teased as I ran my fingers up and down Gobriella’s body making her shudder and quake with anticipation. With the grabbing and groping of her chest, my goblin wife gasped and groaned, “You seem most eager.”
	“Mph, stop teasing me!” She whined and started trying to strip. I grabbed her and flipped her onto her stomach. I carefully set her nice hat aside and started pulling her leotard off. She kept whispering as I touched and felt her small form. I rubbed her pussy through her leggings, making her whine and moan louder. Next her leggings came off, leaving her in just her gloves and panties. I removed those next, leaving her entirely nude. I leaned down and started to kiss her neck, careful not to leave a hickey but still eager and loving enough to keep her wired and horny, “C’mon! Do it!” She moaned loudly as I started to undo my belt. 
	“All things in due time,” I chuckled. My goblin had rolled back over and was now rubbing my member through my underwear. I was already hard, and her rubbing just excited me more. My underwear was pulled down and my member was revealed and throbbed as Gobriella touched and felt me. I sighed as the ecstasy started to spread throughout me. Gobriella was grinning like mad at just the thought of going at it. I found my heart lightened at the sight of her smile, and could feel something stirring up inside me.
I was ready, I grasped her hips again and flipped her onto her stomach. She whined but didn’t fight against me. I grunted as I grabbed my stiff member and rubbed it against her soaking wet pussy. Both of us groaned and grunted, Gobriella was shivering and shuddering again. With a firm open palm, I slapped her fat green ass making her yelp. I then shoved myself inside, grunting as the slick walls of her pussy brushed against the head of my penis. She cried out as my thick cock was pushed deep into her. I comfortably fit inside her easily despite our size difference. 
	I started to pump, my hips slapping against Gobriella’s rear with lewd, wet plapping noises. The goblin’s toes curled and her back arched, “Oh, GOD, Pally!” She cried as my vigorous fucking continued. I reached over and grabbed a pillow for her to stick her face into as her screams and cries continued. I slowed down, teasing her with just the tip of my penis. With a little grin, I brought my hand down on her rump again, this time on the other side, making her squeal. I leaned down over her, wrapping my arms around her little body and started to rapidly press my member into her. She gasped loudly as she took me to the hilt, both of us moaning into the pillow as we went at it. I could feel the bed shake underneath us, the wood squeaking in protest. I might have been worried about breaking it, but I found myself lacking care but for the soft goblin ass I was plowing beneath me.
	My member throbbed and her pussy quivered in unison. I knew she was getting close but I didn’t dare stop now, our shared ecstasy was too great for me to even think of ceasing our somewhat rough fucking. I gave her another smack on the rear, causing her head to rise up and her back to arch as her orgasm commenced. With the shuddering of her loins, and the moving of the walls of her pussy clamping down on my cock, making me forcefully orgasm inside of her. With a mighty roar and the throbbing of my member I shot a load into my goblin wife, making her cry out in pure joy as she was filled up. As I finished, my grunts and groans turned to panting as I slowly removed myself from the trembling goblin, “That’s the good stuff!” She sighed with a big smile, her face still buried in the pillow. I stepped back and admired her glistening form and wiped myself down. She quickly put her panties back on, making sure to keep as much of my splooge inside of herself, “Come lay down!” She ordered.
	I nodded, helping quickly wipe her down with a damp cloth before laying with her. I picked her up, holding her against my body as our warmth intermingled, “I pray you are satiated after only one round. I do not wish to keep our neighbors up.” 
	“I’m fine, Pally. Sleep,” She yawned and buried her head in my chest. Both of us quickly fell asleep.

	With the coming of dawn, my now refreshed and mostly satiated goblin wife and I left the inn, leaving our steeds behind. I had made sure to pay for another night for us and the steeds. I prayed we would be done in a day, “What is the first order of business?” I asked the Goblin, ready to have her take the lead.
	“Information gathering. I think we should start at the guard houses. This will be a whole lot easier than my time in the human lands,” She adjusted the carrying strap of her blunderbuss and wore it across her back. She had a bandolier over her chest and a satchel on her side, she looked the part of Witch Hunter despite her size, though perhaps that was my love for her swaying my opinion. I was in my combat gear; shining, heavy armor, a long sword, a dagger and a shield. I also had a backpack with dungeoneering gear in it, just in case. My gear rattled as we walked to one of the nearby guard stations. 
	I was surprised when Gobriella just stomped into the little stone building without knocking. She pushed the door open and strutted in with purpose in every step. Her face turned stoic, and she adjusted her hat as she stepped inside. I followed her in for us both to see a tall lizard girl and a man kissing one another passionately. Both were in the colors of the town guard. The little guard tower had a single, unoccupied jail cell, a weapons rack and some armors hung on the wall. Gobriella cleared her throat loudly. The two guards stopped kissing and stood at attention but immediately turned more casual as they stared at my shining paladin armor. The lizard woman gave me a strange look, “Can I help you?”
	Gobriella climbed up onto the stool at the side of the desk in front of them and ascended onto the desk, “Gobriella Von Gobbo. Ordained Witch Hunter,” She showed off a scroll designating her rank, “I understand you’ve been having undead problems.”
	The lizard and the man both straightened out their uniforms and stood at attention again, “Yes. We have,” The man confirmed quickly, “Thank the heavens you’re here. A lot of people have been on edge.”
	“Oh, the captain will wanna talk to you,” The lizard realised, “Hey, you stay here, hun,” She slapped the man on the ass and led me and Gobriella out of the guard house and through town,
	“How bad have the attacks been?” Gobriella asked in a surprisingly commanding tone.
 “A few farms on the north side of town have been attacked. It hasn’t been as bad as those orc raids a few weeks back and the people have all managed to get away with little to no injuries,” The lizard explained as she kept marching. We passed a few other guard patrols as they milled about near the market area.
	“Bites?” Gobriella demanded.
	The lizard nodded, “Yes, but it's not like the bite victims have turned into the undead themselves! A lot of the undead that have been attacking have been skeletons. White bones stripped of all flesh.”
	“Unsettling, I’m sure,” I grunted.
	“Yeah. I haven’t seen it myself, thank the Maou, but I don’t like the stories I’ve heard. There’s the main guard house,” She gestured to a big stone building a little north of the market. The guards out front stepped aside for us and we stepped in. The receiving room was like the previous guard house with a few guards on break or slacking off. Weapon racks and armor lined the walls. A door on the left led into more jail cells, to the north the door led to some barracks and the door on the right side led into some offices. We were brought into there and past some desks where a few mamano did paperwork and into a final office. 
	“Captain Louanne!” The lizard woman pushed the office door open and stepped inside, standing at attention.
	“What is it?” A lizard with red scales stood behind a desk with a few books sprawled across it.
	“The Witch Hunters have sent someone,” She gestured to the goblin who slowly marched in.
	“Gobriella Von Gobbo. You’re in charge here?” She asked formally.
	The captain nodded and dismissed the other lizard with a non verbal wave of her hand, “I am the captain of the guard. The mayor does not need to get involved. Who is this?” She glanced at you before sitting back down in her seat.
	“My paladin aid… and husband. Pay no attention to him. Do we have any idea where this necromancer may be hiding?” Gobriella climbed up onto a stool and examined the books on the lizard captain’s desk, “Old battle records?”
	“I am trying to discern if there are any mass graves nearby due to battles,” She explained, “Nothing on this side of the mountains.”
	Gobriella scratched her chin, “Ancient ruins?”
	“Not as far as we know.”
	My goblin snapped her fingers, “That woman that led us here mentioned an orc raid. Where is that?”
	“North of here,” The captain only needed a moment, “I should have known. That’s the same direction the undead are coming from. I dealt with those orcs myself along with those Thunder Crashers.”
	“Who?” I piped up.
	“It doesn’t matter. Gobriella, do you need guards to accompany you?” Louanne asked hastily as she started to pick up her gear.
	“No. We don’t know if this is a solid lead. We will retreat if it is and collect help. Please make a mark on this map where we should look,” She ordered. The lizard quickly obeyed, “Until then, keep your people safe,” Gobriella gave a little bow, “Good day.”
	“Yeah. Good luck you two,” The captain sighed and got back in her seat, her restlessness was completely obvious in her mannerisms.
	Gobriella and I strut out of the guard house back out into the street and headed North. The goblin kept acting all prim and proper until we were out of sight of the guard. I heard her exhale a mighty sigh, “I hate doing that.”
	“Hate what?” I inquired as she stopped and leaned against a wall.
	“The info gathering. I gotta act like I’m some kinda important person. Most people just roll with it, at least,” She grunted. It took her a few moments to calm herself down, “I guess we’re headed north, huh?” She shrugged and grabbed the map that the captain had marked, “You ready?”
	“I suppose so. It’s a bit of a trek. Thankfully we have some rations to help us make it there,” I offered, trying to cheer her up, “I got them with extra jerky and fruit.”
	“Oh, hell yeah!” Gobriella laughed, “Better start marching, huh?”
	I nodded, “We don’t want to be stuck out there at night, right?” We left town, chatting as we set off down the road with purpose in every step. 

	Gobriella groaned, “Can we have dinner yet?” 
	“Let us get to the orc camp at least,” I grunted and sighed. It had been a long trek through the woods and hills to the spot marked on our map. It was getting closer and closer to dusk as time wore on and on. The most eventful thing during the entire walk was our lunch where Gobriella nearly drank too much whisky and nearly spat it up. A strong wind blew south, carrying a strange scent on the wind. I grimaced and Gobriella scrunched her face but we thought nothing of it. We weren’t exactly exhausted, but the walking had tired us both out. We crested another hill and pushed aside the underbrush, the remnants of the once large and bustling orc war camp was now nothing but dusty logs surrounding an unused camp.
	Gobriella gagged, “Gods above! What is that stench!?”
	I grimaced, hardly able to smell what she could, “Smells like we might be in the right place. Still hungry?”
	“Shut it,” She grumbled as we approached the camp, looking a sickly green rather than her usual vibrant lime green.
	I drew my sword and raised my shield before stepping slowly toward the camp. The scent of decay stung my nostrils. With a scowl I went for my backpack and retrieved a censer before quickly filling it with incense and sweet smelling herbs. I offered up a prayer of protection, knowing that luck would be on our side. The sweet scent overpowered the scent of death and decay as we continued on, the censer hanging from my armor on my shield side spewed out a light cloud of smoke. Gobriella breathed a sigh as she tried to calm herself, “Arwain, Dicephone, Fluke, Maou, whoever is listening, lend me your strength.”
	I looked at her, if I had the free hand I would have gripped her little gloved hand for support. The goblin held her blunderbuss at the ready, her keen eyes darted back and forth as she scanned the area for danger, “Do you pray often?” I asked, trying to keep her calm. 
	“No. I don’t really have the tongue for it. I remember prayers to some of the goblin gods when I was younger, but I can’t really do that any more. The Witch Hunters allow prayers to other gods, there are multiple who pray to a huntress god. Assassins mostly,” She breathed in the incense and glanced at me, “You seem well versed in prayer.”
	“Aye. I spent many a night reading from my prayer book. It was something I had to memorize. A lot of prayers to Dicephone require the use of luck based tools. Well, games, really. Cards, dice, there was one man with a roulette wheel for a shield. I know there are more but this adrenaline is making it hard to remember,” I confessed as I adjusted my sword grip. Gobriella said nothing as we approached the gates, they looked like they had been pushed open and left there due to how the mud and foliage was clumping around it now. The stench of rot was much stronger now and nearly overpowered the incense. We stepped from the lush forest and into the destroyed camp. The grass beneath our feet was replaced with compacted dirt where weeds and tufts of grass broke through. The remnants of tents and rubbish were strewn about and what little valuables they might have possessed had been picked clean by other monsters, thieves or perhaps an adventurer who was a little pressed for cash.
	“Ew! Yuck!” The goblin yelped as she looked around. Where bodies had probably been at one point was now piles of carrion and dried blood as if the flesh and innards had been blown off due to the scorch marks underneath the piles. Though flesh and innards remained their forms were beyond recognition as they were torn apart in such a way that made obvious their missing bones. They had been unceremoniously burned, though whether by their slayers or by our quarry that was for us to discover. 
	My eyes turned back to the walls of the camp. The tents had been torn apart and the back walls had been pushed down inward as if to let someone in. Unlike the rest of the destruction, how the dirt and foliage lay around it, and due to the wall looking like it had been dropped on the plants under it, it seemed fresh, “Someone did not feel like using the front door. Gobriella? Do you see anything?”
	“Runes. I can smell the foul magic in the air,” She grunted while kicking at the dirt near one of the carrion piles. I watched a cloud of black smoke rise and be carried away by the wind, “Our necromancer was here. Look how the blood moves,” She pointed down. It looked like something had been dragged across the ground going north and leaving blood and bits of decayed flesh behind, “Orcs mostly. I see some human flesh but a lot of fur clumps.”
	“Beast men?” I groaned, I thoroughly hated them.
	“Yeah. Beast men. They were probably here a little more recently, maybe the necromancer killed them himself and raised them all including the old bodies. We should go north. We must be close. Skeletons and zombies aren’t gonna be able to cover their tracks or make it too far when just being raised,” Gobriella prattled on as she explained her thoughts to me.
	“Got it. Let us leave this death and decay behind us. I wish to have a nice dinner elsewhere.”
	“I can’t believe you still have food on your mind,” She chuckled in disbelief, “But I agree. We should move. It's getting dark and your vision at night isn’t very good,” I could only grunt and nod in agreement before we carefully stepped over the remnants of the northern wall and started north, “See?” She pointed to a thorny bush and put her fingers near a clump of thorns where dried blood and flesh clung to the leaves and brambles, “This must be the way. Come on!” Whatever gods she had prayed to must have heard her as the way forwarded was quickly revealed. The hunt was on.
	
	The lush grasslands and tall, proud trees had turned into a dank and muddy swamp with crooked trees. Even as I carried Gobriella through ankle deep murky water, she still kept finding the trail, “The scent is getting worse and worse,” My goblin grumbles from where she sits on my shoulder. 
	“I smell naught but the swamp,” I retorted as I adjusted her ‘seat’.
	“I’ve got a sixth sense for this. Something every Witch Hunter hones. It's what separates us from the Inquisitors of the past. They used divinations and sanctioned magic to find their targets. We use information gathering and our senses,” She explained, still trying to keep herself calm with chatter. 
	“I see. I wish followers of Dicephone’s creed spent more time on anti-undead magics. I know a few tricks and such, but I do not have the sense undead most other holy men might have,” I wondered as I turned and looked at a very suspicious looking tree that out of the corner of my eye looked like the silhouette of a person.
	Gobriella smirked and pat the top of my helmet, “Maybe we should fix that sometime, huh?”
	“Yes, but--” My words were cut short as something grabbed my trudging legs and forced me to fall forward into the swamp water. Gobriella and I both splashed into the water. We both leapt to our feet and stood back to back with me plunging my sword into the water where I had tripped. I felt nothing but the mud of the swamp bed that my sword sunk into, “Did I merely--”
	My words were silenced as a deafening bang rang out near me. Gobriella’s backup weapon, a little flintlock pistol, spewed some smoke out of the business end. To my left, a decayed and bloated corpse floated to the surface, “We’re close.”
	“I suspect those are not normal rounds in your weapon,” I guessed.
 	“Blessed, silvered bullets. A cure for the undead sickness,” She said in a voice that mimicked her father, “Should we continue?”
	I opened my mouth to speak but stopped as the water behind her rumbled and a creature with decayed flesh sprung forth. I grabbed Gobriella with my shield arm, hiding her behind the strong metal as the zombie tried to grab her, its rotted teeth breaking on my shield. I shoved it back and moved past Gobriella, putting myself between them as she started to reload the pistol. My sword glowed with holy light as contempt for the monster ran through me and down my sword arm as the monster approached once more. My hatred for the creature that would dare attack my wife sprang forth in the form of a holy blade, blessed by a natural twenty from Dicephone herself. As my sword’s smite ‘rolled’ for its damage output, I got something middling, rending the rancid flesh clean off the dusty bones of the mire dwelling zombie. The now completely lifeless corpse splashed back into the water beside the other that Gobriella had shot. 
	“Thanks,” She sighed as she picked her hat up from the murky water and shook it out.
	“Think nothing of it,” I replied as I lifted her from the mire. As she sat on my shoulder she removed her boots and poured out the water they were unfortunately full of.
	The fog seemed to move aside to reveal a small island among the muck and mud of the swamp, almost beckoning us to proceed. A wide stone pillar was erected in the center of the island with a single greenish torch illuminating the surrounding, crumbled stone structures. I stepped toward it silently, knowing in my heart that this was the place. Gobriella felt it too as she shivered, “Careful. This place reeks of magic. Unholy magic.”
	With careful steps, I went up a mossy set of stone steps and set Gobriella down gingerly, “Stay behind me. Allow me to be your bulwark,” Silently, she nodded. I approached the stone tower and peered around it, searching for more undead or hopefully the wizard. Instead we came upon a set of stairs descending down a stone, circular pit. The tower around it had long ago crumbled, leaving the stonework at the mercy of the elements. There was a door at the bottom, a strangely new looking wooden door. With a grimace, I started down the stairs with my goblin wife following close behind. I tried the door at the bottom, pulling on the handle. To my surprise it offered no resistance and simply opened.
	“Maybe nobody’s home?” Gobriella wondered.
	“You almost make it sound like you hope he is not here,” I noted before stepping into the underground chamber. 
	“I want him to be here, I want to be done with this!”
	“As do I.”
	I found myself not needing a light source as the crypt was full of more green torches. At least this slimey stone hallway we found ourselves in was lit, albeit dimly. Gobriella plugged her nose, a silent indication of the evil that was at play here. We marched on, our tired and damp feet taking us about thirty feet down a hall. The walls were lined with skulls and bones painstakingly stacked over the years. Neither I nor Gobriella dared to look into the empty eyes of the dead here, lest their gaze draw us in to join them. Another ten or so feet up was a corner taking a right and to the immediate right was a small chamber. We poked our heads into the dim room and glanced around. There were various disused tables and jars full of embalming liquids. Tools for dissection and sewing, for breaking bodies trapped in their rigid poses, cloths for wrapping and burial littered the walls and floor. Still, nothing in this room led us closer to our foe.
	We moved on, just as eager to find our prey as we were to leave. Gobriella walked a bit slowly as her nerves started to get the better of her. The confidence in my steps was waning as I slowed down to not lose her. I refilled the incense in my censer to keep the scent of death at bay as well as the unholy magics around us. The next chamber opened up into a large area with walls lined with coffins. I counted about eight of them with two more having been taken from their shelves and opened up. I glanced around and continued, the green lights around us flickered and sent strange shadows dancing across the walls. Gobriella was slow again as she peered into the wide room, “I don’t like this,” She whimpered.
	“The way forward is just across from us. Come,” I ordered.
	Gobriella took three steps in and stopped as something began to rattle. I ran back to her side as the coffins were forced from their holes in the wall. There was a slow, steady thump from each one before bony hands broke through their covers, the monsters inside moving in unison as they rose from their places of rest. Their animated, lifeless cadavers were covered by bits of flesh still clinging to the bone. Most of the sinew had been blown off like the corpses at the orc camp, which was obvious by the carrion coating the inside of their tombs. I found my body difficult to move as dread coursed through me. Gobriella was unphased. BOOM! Her blunderbuss destroyed the chest cavity of the first skeleton, sending her skidding back a few inches due to the force of the black powder. I shook myself to remove the sluggishness and the ringing in my ears, “I ABJURE THEE!” She screamed as she began to pack down another load of ammunition. 
	I finally moved into action as a surprisingly quick skeleton wielding a small dagger lurched forward. His steel met my shield, sparks flying as the blow scraped across it, ruining the paint I had freshly applied. My glowing sword slashed at the animated bones. While the sword was usually one of the worst weapons against an undead, the smite was one of the best. The glow turned bright as I was gifted with a high smite roll. The bones crumbled as the unholy magic was torn from the cadaver. It crumpled to the floor leaving us with six left, “Die, monster!” I shouted as I swung at another. Low roll, it still stood, the bones rattling as they reshaped their form. Their sword failed to find purchase in my armor and was quickly dispatched by another slash and smite. I could feel Dicephone’s will flowing through me. Gobriella let off another blast of shrapnel which plowed through two more. Another slipped close and got a silver bullet to the skull. The last two came at me, one grabbing my sword as I stabbed into its rib cage. I felt it rake a dagger across my wrist as I used my shield to bash the skull of the other one. I took my shield off and grabbed it with both hands. The skeleton that stabbed me got the flat of the shield crashing down on it’s crown, its spine coiling up as the skull and neck were sent down into the rib cage. Gobriella used a small cudgel on the last one’s knee, knocking it to the floor where I easily crushed the skull under foot. 
I panted, the fighting was done and our foe lay obliterated across the floor. Gobriella finished reloading and I went for my sword, “Your wrist!” She cried as I reached down.
	Blood trickled down my wrist and made small pools between the cracks of the floor, “It is nothing.”
	“Come here, dammit!” She scolded as she forcefully removed my gauntlet. She grabbed a small first aid kit from her bag and began applying ointment to the deep wound. I winced but did not cry as I let her work. Next a layer of bandages were applied to my arm. Rats scurried to my blood and began lapping at it. I made a disgusted face but did nothing, they were naught more than mindless beasts, “If he is home, he knows we’re here now.”
	“Aye. Let us hope he has little to no defences from here.”
	“Yeah,” Gobriella looked down the only way forward. She strut onward with me following close behind her. The next chamber was more brightly lit, it was down a short flight of stairs and in a round chamber. Opposite our entrance was another door. This one was wooden and had been painted on at one point but now the paint was peeling. I could scarcely make out the details of what it was meant to be at the time of painting. Gobriella tried to open it but found there was no door handle, “How-- Oh, some writing?” She pointed to the top of the door, ‘Answer the riddle and the path will open. What has no end and ends all things that begin?’” She started to ponder it.
	I seethed, “My patience is wearing quite thin.”
“Time?” Nothing happened.
	“My foot,” I retorted before sending my boot through the rotted wood. The door easily fell apart as I smashed through it.
	“Death, maybe?” She grinned as she heard a click. The correct answer, it seemed, “Good job anyways, Pally.”
	I blew air out of my nose in response before pressing on into the next chamber. After a short trek down a green lit corridor and rounding a corner, there was another door with a bright green light spilling out from beneath it. Gobriella and I were both on edge as we realised this might be the last chamber, “The necromancer may lay in wait for us,” I warned. 
	“Let him be. I’m ready,” Gobriella growled and drew her handgun, and checked it, “Ready?”
	“Yeah, I’m--” My body started to move on it’s own. I dropped my sword and grabbed Gobriella in a bear hug, the surprise making her drop the pistol.
	“What are you doing!?” She demanded with a hiss, not really fighting against me as my arms squeezed her, “This doesn’t really feel like a hug, Pally!” She whimpered as the air was starting to be forced from her lungs.
	“I--” I grunted and groaned as I tried to let her go, “I can’t move.”
	The door in front of us creaked open as if by magic as I started to move without my own will. My legs stomped into the room without grace and soon enough I was face to face with our quarry. It felt like we were the prey now. A man stood on the opposite side of a table in ragged and tattered robes. The ghoulish man peered at me with a yellowed grin from underneath a long hood. His eyes glowed a sickly yellow as he softly cackled at my approach. In one hand he held a thick tome and in the other was a gnarled and dead looking staff, “Ah, new guests,” He spoke in a gravely and sickly voice, “Come, paladin, lay her on the table,” Next to him on the table was a shallow dish full of blood and a few bone chunks.
	“What are you doing to him!?” Gobriella demanded as I continued shambling toward the table.
	“The man was foolish enough to let his blood be spilled in my home. I am simply using the rest of his blood as I please,” He cackled again as I started to hold the goblin down on the table. Magical chains reached up and grabbed her wrists, binding her to the table. The ghoulish necromancer grabbed her hat and tossed it aside, running a bony hand across her forehead, “Perhaps this will be a good spot for an incision?” He wondered. He grabbed a few bones next to him and cast them into a wide bowl before quickly reading it, “Ah, I see. Groin and up,” He began to take notes on a crudely colored diagram.
	My hand trembled as I desperately reached for the pouch on my hip. If there was a time I needed the help of Dicephone, it was now. I needed a high roll, her blessing to help me out of this. By her will, I would put a stop to this dastardly ritual. As I put all my desperate will power behind my arm, my fingers inching closer and closer to the bag, “Almost,” I whispered to myself.
	“The bones have told me all about you, paladin,” The necromancer grinned with his yellow teeth, “Roll your dice and beg your pitiful goddess to help you. She is not here and will not hear your cries. Grab me that scalpel when you are done praying.”
	I grit my teeth, my armored fingers scraped against one of the dice. I grunted and managed to reach down into it. I could feel the die between my fingers as I removed it from the bag. I knew it was the twenty sided die, it had to be. I needed its consecrated power. With the small shake of my hand I prayed, “High, and I get the strength to break free.”
	“Low and you serve me before you are next on my table!” The necromancer cackled. 
	I ignored him, Dicephone would not fail me. I released the die, listening to it clack across the stone floor before resting between two cracks. A three showed on its surface, “I-I--” I stammered, my lip quivering. I felt powerless suddenly as my body started to move to where the scalpel lay, “She has failed me.”
	“Pally!” Gobriella wailed as terror racked her. 
The necromancer just laughed and coughed as his vile spell forced me to move back to him, little scalpel in hand. I tried to fight back against it as I began to reach over and hand the evil monster the knife that would cut my wife open. I could not allow it, I would not, but I lacked the power to do so, “Come, holy warrior,” He said with mock empathy, “Hand over the blade.”
	With a shaking hand, I began to slowly reach over the table. He seemed to savor every second of mine and Gobriella’s suffering at his hand. This creature needed to be stopped and I knew it. I looked back down at the floor and once more offered up a silent prayer to Dicephone that I felt fell on deaf ears. I had one more chance. I called out to Fluke to aid me in my hour of desperation. My heart began to pound as something started to flutter within me. The twenty sided die on the floor glowed with a bright light before popping into the air and rolling with another few clacks. 
Twenty, the face read.
	I sighed, I wasn’t sure if it was disappointment or relief. Either way, I gripped the scalpel as the wizard checked his notes and plunged it into his shoulder. He cried out in pain as blood spurted from the new wound. He reeled back a few steps but I lurched forward over the table and grabbed his frail, weak form. I threw him with all my might into a shelf full of jars of embalming fluid. He crashed to the floor along with numerous jars shattering around him. I began to stomp towards him, my holy rage lending me even more strength.
	The necromancer rose to his feet with numerous cuts now oozing blood across his body, “You-- You-- I will show you true pain!” He flipped open his tome to a very deliberate page full of book marks and began to chant the incantation as he moved his left hand in deliberate and strange ways. The staff glowed a dastardly black before a beam of similar lightless color shot out at me. The beam struck my armor and made me stumble slightly before doing naught else against me.
	“KICK HIS ASS, PALLY!” Gobriella screamed in encouragement. 
	The wizard furiously began to thumb through the pages of his book as I  continued stomping closer and closer. I grabbed his staff and tore it from his hand before breaking it over my knee. He stared at me with pleading, wide eyes, “You- you wouldn’t hurt an old man, would you?”
	In response I grabbed his hand and crushed the bones between my gauntlet. He cried out in pain before sliding to the floor. Gobriell, now freed, jumped from the table and stomped over. With the clearing of her throat she looked at the groveling necromancer, “For crimes against nature and your fellow man, you are hereby prisoner at the mercy of the Witch Hunters, necromancer,” She said in a proper and commanding voice.
	“W-what are you going to do to me?” He whimpered with a hoarse voice.
	“Do you choose to die to me? Or will you go to court for trial?” She asked smugly, “May the courts and Arwain have mercy on you, for I shall not!”
	“T-the court,” He responded meekly, the defeat obvious in his voice.
	“Good. I can assure you that assaulting a Witch Hunter and taking control of a man are VERY heavy crimes. Not to mention your rampant defiling of corpses and necromancy. I am sure you will get your just dues. Pally, knock him out,” She ordered.
	“But--”
	He was cut short as I grabbed him by the collar and slammed my helmet into his crown. He went limp and I quickly began the process of tying his hands and legs together. I also bound his mouth for good measure, the two of us have heard enough of his damnable incantations. Gobriella grabbed his tome and shoved it in her bag. She breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank Dicephone for that.”
	“Fluke,” I corrected her.
	She gasped and started to beam at me, “R-Really?” 
	I sighed and nodded before shouldering the necromancer, “Come. We must make it out of the swamp before we may rest. It is not safe here.”
	“Got it!” She snatched my die from the floor as the last of it’s holy glow began to fade, “Looks like you saved my skin again,” She wearily sighed as she put her hat back on.
	“Think nothing of it, my love,” I told her before removing my helmet and scooping her up in my free arm and planting a kiss on her forehead. She giggled and kissed me back, “Come. I am very hungry.”
	“Hope you’re hungry for sex too!”
	“Perhaps when we return to town, you insatiable green ball of love.”
	“You’re no fun…”

	We returned to town triumphant with the wizard in tow. We strut into town with our heads held high and a sense of victory about us. We were met by a trio of guards, “Who is--?” One asked.
	“Your undead troubles are over,” Gobriella announced triumphantly, “We humbly request that he be placed into one of your cells to await trial by the Witch Hunter General.”
	“Of course! Right this way!” One of them guided us to the main guard building where we placed the necromancer behind bars.
	“Good work you two,” Captain Louanne gave us a slight nod.
	“I pray that your people can finally rest easy!” Gobriella smiled, “Any evidence you have against this man I request that you keep safe until the other Witch Hunters arrive to collect him in a day or two,” She ordered as she handed over the tome, “Please assure that they receive this!”
	“As indebted as we are to you, I cannot say no,” The captain sighed as she took the evil tome from my wife, “Next time you are in town, I would be more than happy to pay for a few rounds for the three of us, as would anyone else here.”
	“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse us…” Gobriella looked down at herself, the weariness of travel and of our rough sleep last night finally getting to her made her professional tone vanish, “I need a bath really damn bad.” 
	The captain and a few of the guards chuckled, “Go. You deserve rest. Safe travels to you both,” She gave a little nod before leaving for her office.
	After a short, silent trek across the town we arrived back at the Hawk’s rest where we hastily made for upstairs. One of the hawk harpies that ran the inn was waiting for us, “I have fresh-warm bath for heroes!” She called, “Guards said-told us to prepare it!”
	“Thank you,” I smiled before ducking into the smaller room. It had little more than just a big wooden tub for us in it with soapy, steaming water in it. Gobriella swooned at the sight of it before swiftly stripping down and hopping in, splashing water onto the wooden floor. I was next in, easily holding her on my lap as my weary body was relieved by the hot water, “So… blessed by Fluke, you think?”
	“Her and Dicephone could be one in the same, like I said,” Gobriella reminded me as I ran my fingers over her small frame, making sure to scrub off the swamp grime,
“But who really knows, Pally?”
	“Dicephone surely seems chaotic enough to truly be this goblin goddess. She did get us out of a bind, so I will offer up my prayers to her tonight,” I decided.
	“Oh, a prayer? I think I know what kind of show she’d like~!” Gobriella giggled as she scooted back, her rear now held a little higher for me as she reached down and began to stroke my member, “Perhaps a special tribute is in order, hm?”
	I sighed and relented, “Bah. Fine.”
	“Stop acting like you’re not into it!” She shook her rear slightly for me, “Let me take care of you, Pally. You deserve it. Or… maybe you wanna please yourself with my body again?”
	I grunted, “I will decide in time,” I gave her a firm spank, making her cry out in pleasure before continuing to stroke me. I sighed as the ecstasy started to wash over me, my body feeling even better as my wife’s hands worked my shaft. I let her slowly stroke and tease me as I groped and grabbed her small body. Eventually, I grabbed her and manhandled her. She grinned and gave me the ‘fuck-me-eyes,’ just showing me how eager she was. I was just as eager to oblige as I brought her down on my member. I pierced her, letting my member slide into her wet pussy. She moaned and I groaned as we began to go at it, the hot and steamy bath becoming even more steamy as we splashed the water while staring one another in the eyes. She was completely at my mercy as I gripped her hips with one hand and under her armpit with the other. She managed to wiggle free of the one holding her torso and bring it up to her face. She used it to caress herself before sticking my thumb in her mouth, licking and sucking it. I picked up my pace as I put both hands on her hips now. As she bounced on my cock, her shapely breasts bounced with her, as moans eminanted from her mouth, it only excited me more. I pulled her all the way up as her hands tightly gripped my wrists, she was close, I could easily tell that much due to her trembling and quivering. I kept her just above my member, teasing her with just the head.
	“Come on!” She whimpered. 
	WIth a grunt, I obliged, forcing her down to hilting me before moving my hips and pushing myself in and out of her. She nearly howled but bit down on her own hand to shut her up as her climax began. I relented letting my loins release, pumping hot cum right into her womb. As her orgasms subsided after a long climax, so did my now spent cock. While not the longest session, we were both still exhausted and soon my goblin had collapsed against me, her head pressed to my chest as I caressed her hair. In a few short minutes I had finished cleaning her and then myself before drying us both off and hurrying back to our room. I set the naked, exhausted goblin on the bed before climbing in with her and holding her to my chest, “I know I scarcely say it, but I love you,” I told her.
	“I love you too, Pally,” She said before planting a firm, wet kiss on my lips. I held her tight with a smile on my face before we both fell asleep.