Black Onyx - Forgotten Magic

In the meantime, Gerald patiently waited in the Guild for his turn to talk with Luna.

When the time came, he took the vial and gently placed it on the counter.

"Hey Gerald, what's this?" Luna asked with interest in her eyes.

"Poison. I think someone is trying to kill me and this is already the second time it happened. I was hoping the Guild could help," he spoke with a frown.

Luna was shocked, she picked up the vial and observed it before placing it back down, saying, "We can figure out what this poison is and maybe make an antidote, but I don't think we can physically protect you if this continues…" She had an apologetic expression on her face.

"I understand, you don't have to worry about it…"

"Is there… anything else? Otherwise, I will have to go and report this to my father."

"Your father?" Gerald asked with a raised brow.

Luna nodded and smiled, saying, "Yes, my father is the Master of this Guild."

"Oh," Gerald nodded, "I see…" He took a big breath through the nose and sighed. "I guess I should tell you what happened yesterday, just in case…"

Luna leaned in closer with interest and said, "Oh? Do tell."

Gerald nodded with a serious face and said, "So, basically, I went to the forest to the north for a walk as well as to gather a few herbs…" He told her the entire story about how he discovered the Goblin's nest, how he has slain them all, as well as the appearance of a Hobgoblin.

He quickly glanced over the fight and then reported on his findings in the cave. He also mentioned the human bones and the carriages outside the cave. When he finished, Luna's face was dark and she had a deep frown on her face.

She murmured, "More than fifty Goblins…and a Hobgoblin. How is this possible? And so close to the city." She suddenly looked at Gerald and asked, "Gerald, have you ever wondered why you can get a reward for disposing of Goblins even if it's not your task?"

"Honestly, it never crossed my mind before. But as always, I'm more than happy to learn."

Luna nodded and said, "I figured it would be like that. Listen, when the first Guilds were established, long, long time ago, they were completely different from the way they are now."

"When magic came back, and the beasts like Goblins first appeared, people, didn't know anything about them. And you know Goblins, they are not exactly a big threat, especially to a good armored group of soldiers."

Gerald nodded, it was indeed so.

"That's why they were mostly ignored in the beginning as people were too busy fighting among themselves at that time. The cities were protected by walls and armed guard so Goblins posed no real threat."

"But then, a few decades passed, and with nobody thining them out, Goblin population grew to enormous proportions."

"It all happened so fast and almost every single village and town on the continent was attacked at the same time. With the exception of some lucky people, everyone that was not in a fortified city at the moment was devoured by the waves of those monsters."

"Estimated casualties went into hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions. Nobody really kept track."

Luna sighed, "Anyway, the soldiers were completely helpless against the attack and people could only be safe inside high city walls. There seemed like there was no hope."

"It was then, that the Guilds were established. First, they recruited every person capable of fighting, no matter if it was a man or woman, young or old. They all received training for a few months until the food supplies started running low. Then, with the help of messenger birds, all cities synchronized and attacked at the same time."

"With the army and civilians helping at fighting the horde, the victory was eventually achieved. But at what cost? It was at that time that we learned the importance of keeping Goblin populations close to zero. And the first Guilds were places where people could get rewards for helping do just that."

"It has been a few millennia since then, but the primary objective still stands. However now, over recent centuries, more and more monsters seem to be popping out from nowhere."

"Fascinating story, I never imagined it would be like that. But why didn't you try and completely wipe them out once and for all?" Gerald asked.

Luna let out a sad laugh and slowly spoke, "We tried, everybody, tried. But no matter how much we kill, in a few months, maybe a year, they all come back, it's like they are popping out of the ground. The struggle is never-ending."

"That's why I wanted to thank you. Your help and information really mean a lot. If they already established such a big nest so close to the city, I'm afraid it's going to be much worse the further away we go."

Gerald nodded in understanding and said, "I'll do my best to keep an eye out for them, don't worry. If I find something I can't handle I will definitely come and contact you."

"Thanks," Luna smiled. "Oh, one more thing before I forget. Those carriages, did you see any markings on them?"

Gerald shook his head and said, "They were old and broken down. And they went up in flames during battle."

Luna nodded and frowned even deeper and said, "I see… Well then, I need to go…"

"Wait," Gerald stopped her and said, "Before you go, is there any mission on the way to the Capital?"

Luna turned around and said, "Uh, yes, there is actually going to be one tomorrow. You will be able to get the details then. Anything else?"

Gerald shook his head and let Luna leave. Her assistant came to take her place as usual, but Gerald already left by the time the line started moving again.