Chapter LVII: Spotlight on Odessa

The village of Myste was a barely noticeable point on the map of San d'Oria's holdings. Situated on the extreme northern border of the Kingdom, the tiny fishing village was under a near-perpetual fog. In the warmer months, fog would roll in off the sea, blanketing the inhabitants with a thick, salty haze that never seemed to quite burn off. During the winter, snowstorms birthed in nearby Beaucedine Glacier would roar through Myste, obscuring vision to the point where nothing but white could be seen. The sight of the sun in a blue sky was a rare and treasured occasion in Myste, and one never taken for granted.

As Odessa stood in the vast courtyard at the peak of Castle Oztroja, she remembered her birthplace with disdain. She hated being in the dark. She hated being cold. Looking up into the gray sky overhead, she was reminded how much she hated the entire situation she was in. The sunlight she had gotten so used to since joining Those Guys was now taken from her. The freedom she had enjoyed as a roaming adventurer had been replaced by a castle she was essentially trapped in for her own safety. A castle filled with beastmen whom not a year before she had been in direct conflict with.

Odessa of Myste knitted her brow as she rubbed her temples. Under her breath, she muttered something halfway between a prayer and a curse for Rykoshet, wherever he had gone. His success was crucial, or at least they had been led to believe so. On the other hand, he had left her all alone to run Oztroja in his absence. Odessa was a skilled White Mage, a dedicated member of Those Guys, and as regal and graceful as a woman not of the nobility could be, but there was a firm obstacle which hindered her leadership. She did not like people, and now she had to deal with them constantly.

With a final, longing look at the ever-darkening sky, the Elvaan woman gathered up her robes and began walking down the dais. The site of the battle between for control of Oztroja had begun to change in the time since the Jeunoan refugees had been rescued. While the Yagudo strictly prohibited anyone from actually ascending to the upper portion of the room, the surrounding area below had become littered with humanity. Rough shacks built up against the walls had sprung up, taking advantage of the natural spring which ran through the bottom of the open-air temple. As such, the morning hours were filled with the chatter of Jeunoans as they went about their daily lives, adjusting to life among the beastmen.

For their part, the Yagudo were making visible effort to control themselves. None made any pretense about being happy regarding their situation. Rykoshet was their leader through rite of combat, and they would not disobey his orders to coexist. Added to that, there was the looming threat of the demons, and the plethora of other beasts which had poured out from Dynamis. They were a common enemy, and after their initial clash, the Yagudo would not refuse aid in ridding Vana'diel of their scourge.

Odessa nodded to one of the Yagudo standing before the enormous door. Wordlessly, the ferocious-looking sentry wrapped his clawed hands around a lever and pulled down. The mechanism controlling the bronze gate began to slowly lift it upwards, and the Elvaan woman passed through it back into the castle proper. The time for reverie was over. Naturally, Rykoshet had been gone less than a day before trouble had arisen, and it fell on Odessa to deal with it. With Vile gone along with their flighty leader, Baeladar and Danienne both consumed by their administrative tasks, and Decay isolated in the caverns below with the magicite, Odessa was the only member of Those Guys with senior authority left. Dealing with their new visitor rested completely on her shoulders.

She walked past Yagudo and Jeunoan alike as she traveled the halls of Oztroja. The immense fortress stretched on endlessly within the mountain from which it had been carved. The audacious structure, unlike any other held by beastmen, had thus far proven an ideal hiding place from the Kindred hordes roving outside. Escorting the refugees to the are without being spotted had been nothing short of miraculous, given the multitude which had returned from Garlaige Citadel. Remaining hidden was of the utmost importance. Should the demons learn where they were, an attack would be certain, and survival a distant and feeble hope. Odessa quickened her step, ignoring the friendly greetings and familiar smiles. Her mood was growing dark as the sky, and she strove to turn her thoughts away from the tide of death swirling around her.

Up a spiral staircase and through one of the heavy vaulted brass doors that protected the inner fortress, she saw her destination. Two Jeunoans stood guard on either side, one of them a rusty-haired Hume, the other a massive Galka. Both wore the trademark white and gold armor of the Ducal Guards. As she approached, the Galka gave her a solemn nod, pressing a meaty hand against the door so that it swung inward.

"Lady Odessa," he acknowledged, giving her a slight nod.

"Red Ghost," she replied, brushing past the sentry. She had little desire to exchange pleasantries. The door closed behind her, sealing her in with the latest arrival to Castle Oztroja.

The room she entered was a large, circular chamber, a domed ceiling rising up high above the stone floor. It was bare of all ornamentation, save for the torchstands which provided light, and a few crudely built bookshelves, half-full with musty tomes and unopened scrolls. There was a heavy wooden table in the center, made of a dark brown oak. Roughly hewn as it was, the ends had begun to splinter, and the chairs surrounding it were in no better shape. It surprised Odessa little that the gathering assembled within had opted to stand.

Danienne, wearing her trademark ebon armor, leaned against the wall furthest from the door. Flames danced off the reflection of her burnished steel shoulder plates, and her arms were folded in front of her as she stared darkly ahead. The massive black scythe strapped to her back glinted with the evidence of a recent sharpening. Near her was Wolfgang, arms akimbo as he surveyed the others. From the back of his meticulously polished armor he wore a lustrous cape decorated with the sigil of the Duchy. The Hume held himself with bearing that his stature as decidedly the shortest person in the room was nearly offset by his presence.

Also present was Quu Domi the Gallant, clawed hands not moving from the slim-bladed katana at his side. Avian eyes slid across the room, settling on Odessa before moving away again. Finally, near the head of the table, the Jeunoan doctor Monbereaux and Those Guys' own Middlesky stood near each other, exchanging a silent conversation over their guest, the one person in the room actually sitting down. Odessa felt her lips twinge in disgust, and tried to conceal it by flicking back a lock of her shimmering silver hair. If the newcomer saw it, it was ignored.

"So," Danienne said, leaning forward from the wall, "are we ready to begin?"

Odessa let her gaze meet each person in the room individually. The tension was thick enough that she felt it might snap the brittle table fully in half without warning. Every one looked back and forth, trying to avoid being caught staring at the head of the table. Odessa made no such pretense. Her eyes fell solidly on the stubby fiend which had appeared at the gates of Oztroja pleading for asylum. The Goblin stared back at her unabashadly, letting its twisted legs dangle from the chair it sat in, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The lenses of the leather mask which covered its face reflected the torchlight, and two blazing spheres looked hauntingly at the Elvaan woman as she strode towards the table.

"We are," she answered Danienne, "and considering the subject, I'd like to keep it as brief as possible."

The Goblin snorted a laugh, chuckling behind its face mask. "How diplomatic," it rasped, tapping at the table with dirty white-fingered gloves.

"Speak when spoken to," Danienne snapped. The Goblin only chortled again, drawing a cold gaze from the Hume.

"Lady Danienne, if I may," Wolfgang interjected. "The Goblins in Jeuno pose no threat to the citizenry. If what this one says is true, it may not only be harmless to hear him out, but also directly advantageous."

"Goblins," Quu Domi snorted, staring hard at the creature at the table. "Foul beasts. Taking no sides." His eyes narrowed into slits as they came down like hammers upon the Goblin. "I remember you, Antiqix," the Yagudo snarled, "and I will not believe a word you say. You abandoned Oztroja when it suited you, and now return when it suits you again."

"I ain't no Yagudo," Antiqix replied smoothly. "I have no loyalty to Oztroja."

"Your loyalty should lie with the Beastmen!" Quu Domi raged, slamming his katana into the table. The blade burst through the bottom, and the Yagudo ripped it free with a single jerk. A spray of splinters shot out from the point of entry, and Antiqix yelped as he raised an arm to shield himself. "The demons came to annihilate us! We gave you shelter here, let you peddle your pathetic wares, and then you fled at the first sight of danger! Now, you come back pleading for aid?" the Yagudo was in a rage, and Wolfgang shouted out in surprise when he leaped on to the table, charging the Goblin with his blade extended. "You may plead for aid from Promathia, Goblin, perhaps he will lend you ear!"

Antiqix yelped, scrambling down out of his chair. Doctor Monbereaux gave a start, trying to put himself in between the ninja and his target. As he reached the end of the table, Quu Domi stopped himself, his eyes now alight with caution. Middlesky had drawn his sword, and the air steamed around it as its blade went ice cold with magic. The Red Mage kept it leveled on the Yagudo, betraying not a hint of emotion.

"We were convened to hear from the Lady Odessa," Middlesky said in his solemn tone. "Please, I ask you refrain until her judgment has been rendered."

Quu Domi's flashing eyes flickered as they sped towards Odessa. The Elvaan woman gathered her robes in her hands, scrupulously checking the chair opposite Antiqix for loose splinters, and then sitting down. She tried not to let herself betray any emotion, even the sensation that they should just let Quu Domi finish what he had started. It seemed hypocritical, she told herself, to live at peace with the Yagudo and kill a Goblin asking for the same treatment on sight. Keeping her voice steady, she clasped her hands in front of her and directed a withering gaze at the ninja.

"I'd like to hear what Antiqix has to say in his own words, Gallant," the Yagudo's feathers bristled as she spoke, "please sit down until I've had a chance to do so."

Quu Domi's visage filled with venom as he looked back at the Goblin struggling to get back in its chair. With a low growl, he stepped down off the table and folded his arms, talons arched in preparation for drawing blood. Odessa could scarcely bring herself to stop him. Countless times Goblins had attacked people of the three nations. Those Guys personally had dealt with several Goblin uprisings, and despite every effort they remained bloodthirsty and viciously territorial. Despite Wolfgang's words, she knew the people of Jeuno welcomed Goblins among them as openly as they would a rabid dog.

"Liar," she heard from across the table, and her attention was brought back to the subject in question. Gnarled fingers curled into a fist, Antiqix was staring balefully at Quu Domi as he pulled himself into his chair. "Yagudo scum-sucker!" The Goblin waggled an accusatory finger at his attacker, already rasping voice growing hoarse with shouting. "You Yagudo! To accuse Goblins of not picking sides! The greenskins are already assembling! The shellbacks are practically on the move! Even the ant-things are marching under the flag of the Dark One! Yet the Yagudo are too proud to join with their brethren! Tzee Xicu started this, just as she did during the Great War!"

"Be silent!" Quu Domi roared, smashing his clawed fists upon the table.

"Tzee Xicu say "Yagudo serve not, Yagudo better than other Beastmen," and all Yagudo fall in line! Feather-faces accuse Goblins of betraying Beastmen? Goblins look out for themselves! Goblins think for themselves! Yet look at high and lofty Yagudo, now serving children of Altana while Tzee Xicu sits in a cell!" Quu Domi's snarl could have sundered stone as Antiqix chastised him. "The Goblins picked a side! Goblins pick Goblins, like we always do! Some will fight for Dark One, some against, some not at all! Least Yagudo can do is open doors to safety for fellow Beastmen - or are children of Altana now more important to you?"

Quu Domi the Gallant could stand no more, and raised his fist in anger. Three needles appeared in the spaces between his knuckles, and Antiqix gave a panicked start as the Yagudo tensed his arm to throw them through the Goblin's thin leather armor. The strike never came. There was an eruption of glittering energy which filled the room with a burst of white and gold. Holy energy flung Quu Domi and Antiqix away from each other, and both Beastmen were thrown to the floor. From her spot at the end of the table, Odessa, eyes hardly concealing her anger, clenched her open palm into a steady fist. Her holy spell dissipiated, leaving behind only an afterimage to be blinked away in the eyes of those whom had seen it.

"Quu Domi," Odessa said coolly, "I will not ask you again to curb your temper." The Yagudo stood, plainly seething, but gave no response. "Antiqix," she continued, "I will hear your story, but as you can see even your presence here is making things tense. Be brief."

The gnarled form of Antiqix rolled slowly to one side, giving a hacking cough from behind its leather mask. He picked himself up gradually, brushing off its knobby knees while looking back up towards Odessa. "My thanks . . . Lady Odessa." The sound of her name off a Goblin tongue made the White Mage cringe ever-so-slightly. Hobbling back to the seat, Antiqix pulled himself onto the rotted and ancient wood. Danienne turned her head away with a sniff, Wolfgang remained courteous. Middlesky kept his eyes trained on Quu Domi, and only Doctor Monbereaux felt confident enough to actually take a seat.

"It is as the feather-face said," Antiqix began, laying his hands out on the table. "When the sky went black with the power of the Nightmare World and blacker still with the wings of demons, I knew what was to come. I was here during Great War, I remember what happened when the demons came last. "We will not fight," Tzee Xicu told the Yagudo, then demons came with great, fearsome power. Tzee Xicu chose to fight with the Dark One rather than be destroyed. But they were angry, unwilling, and I knew that when asked again, this time Tzee Xicu would say no. And I was right."

"We're all aware of this," Odessa clasped her hands in front of her as she spoke. "Tell us something we don't know."

The Goblin snorted. It was a truly revolting sound. "I ran before demons could find me. They wanted only the Yagudo, one Goblin didn't concern them. I ran and ran for Jeuno, to find Bluffnix and other friends. But when I get there, the Goblins are all gone, the people are all gone. Only demons."

Wolfgang took a slow breath from where he stood. The look on his face spoke volumes of what he had seen during the demon attack.

"But I know, all Goblins know. We knew the Dark One would return. If there demons in Jeuno and no Goblins, that meant that Goblins either killed with everyone else, or decided to run away and not be forced to fight. I don't think Goblins killed, Goblins in Jeuno too smart. So I track them down to hiding place. Demons attack on the way, I almost not get away, but afraid I may have given away hiding place."

"He had a wound consistent with what we've seen from demon claws," Monbereaux provided. "There's no way it could have been self-inflicted."

"His aura remains steady," Middlesky reported. "This one has not deceived us, yet."

"Why did you come back here, Antiqix?" Odessa pressed.

The Goblin scratched at his mask where it covered his chin. "I went to Jeuno and there were only demons. I went to hiding place and demons find me. I worry that if I go in to find other Goblins, demons bring friends and kill us. Coming back here was only thing I could think of."

Odessa felt her stomach twist. "So you were discovered by demons and led them here instead?"

Antiqix barked out a hoarse laugh. "Please. Demons find me once by luck, not twice. No one follow me here."

"So," the Elvaan woman followed, trying not to appear as relieved as she was, "what is it you want from us?"

At that, Antiqix leaned forward. Behind the lenses of his mask, the narrow slits of his eyes peered intently at the Elvaan woman. Pressing his palms against the table, he spoke his words with magnitude which belied his stunted body.

"Some Goblins fight for Dark One, some against, some not at all. For the first, I not know or care where they are. For second and third, I know they are hidden in Crawler's Nest, waiting for chance to escape. I think maybe I come here to ask Tzee Xicu, but Tzee Xicu not in charge anymore. Instead Yagudo and Jeunoans and others living all together to fight demons. Many Goblins fight demons, too. Now, Antiqix alone have no problem escaping from the Kindred without being seen. All Goblins in Jeuno? Bigger problem."

Odessa took a steadying breath. She knew what was coming.

"So I think, what would be best, if you go to Crawler's Nest and find Goblins, and help bring back here. Then we fight Dark One together."

"Perposterous!" Quu Domi burst out, tearing a chair from the ground. It splintered into pieces as he hurled it against a far wall. Danienne looked to have a similar attitude.

"The Yagudo are a people of pride and honor," she said witheringly towards Antiqix. "You're asking us to open our doors to a race of thieves and murderers."

"He's asking us for Oztroja to become a den of sin!" Quu Domi raged. "I won't hear it!"

"I am asking you to help other living things escape from demons!" Antiqix said furiously, but there was a hint of desperation in his voice. "We asked for this situation no more than you did!"

"Enough!" a voice pierced through their shouts, and they all turned to find Wolfgang slamming his fist down for attention. "The Goblins of Jeuno are just as much a part of the city as any of the people. They lived there peacefully and did trade without incident. Far more unsavory than they have been allowed within the Duchy. I am pledged to protect the people of Jeuno, and that pledge means all the people." He turned to the head of the table. "Lady Odessa," the soldier intoned, "I suggest we put it to a vote. There are represented here the interests of the Yagudo, Jeuno, and Those Guys. Let us decide as a unit what shall become of the Goblins."

"Then I say nay," Danienne said firmly. "the Goblins have turned their snouts up at us long enough, let them fend for themselves this time."

"And I say nay again!" Quu Domi echoed. "The Yagudo will not stand for having Goblins infesting Oztroja!"

"Wait," Odessa began, but already she was being spoken over.

"Yea," Monbereaux challenged, staring at Quu Domi. "I will lend my power to the casualties of war who seek it, regardless of race. If the Goblins seek asylum from this terrible menace, I will not turn them away."

"Jeuno votes yea in unison," Wolfgang said with finality. "It was not so terribly long ago we ourselves were rescued from the demons. I will not sit by and watch other citizens of Jeuno suffer the same fate we were delivered from."

The two sides stared at one another from across the table. Antiqix looked wretched and helpless in his seat. Behind him, Middlesky's eyes sought out Odessa. They offered her no answers, only the same enigmatic gaze the Red Mage had affected the entire time he had been with them. He was along only for his powers in the arcane. The final vote was entirely up to her.

This realization began dawning on the others, and within moments all attention was focused on her. The silver-haired Elvaan woman remained straight-backed and stiff-shouldered. Inside, her heart was beating furiously with a combination of indecision and anger. She cursed Rykoshet for leaving her with this on her plate. She cursed the Goblins, the Yagudo, the demons, and anything else that was still alive. She looked across to Antiqix and cursed the pleading look in his eyes.

Abruptly, she stood, knuckles pressed against the table. She could feel the splintered wood biting into her flesh, but she ignored it.

"Antiqix will remain in the dungeon," she stated decisively, and a smile of victory split Quu Domi's beak.

"Please," the Goblin begged, wringing his hands before her.

"and," Odessa continued, firmly slicing her hand in the air to cut off any further comments, "he will be executed in one week."

"Lady Odessa!" Doctor Monbereaux protested. Wolfgang looked shocked beyond words, his face blanching at the proclamation.

The Elvaan woman looked across the table at the distraught Goblin. It had begun shaking, head hung low as she continued speaking. Danienne betrayed nothing, save a grim smirk.

"This is my final word," she concluded, making sure all eyes were on her. "One week is more than enough time to make it to Crawler's Nest and back. If I and the team I bring with me do not return before then, chop the Goblin's head off."

"Dess!" Danienne exclaimed, but the White Mage brushed her off.

"I can't make everybody happy. Listen to yourselves. We're just supposed to leave the Goblins to die after they come pleading for help?" Both the Dark Knight and the Yagudo remained silent. "Alternately, we trust a Goblin who admits that he sides with no one to be completely honest with us?"

"But if you lead this personally," Wolfgang interrupted, "who will watch things here?"

"I'll only be gone a week at most," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure you can manage not to kill yourselves in that time."

"Thank you, Lady Odessa!" Antiqix blubbered. The sound of a Goblin crying was pathetic and revolting at the same time. "I promise I am telling the truth! I am!"

"You'd better be," she said darkly, "because if you're not, I'll let Quu Domi do the job himself."

The Yagudo and the Goblin locked eyes, and a chill passed through them.

"Now all of you, get out of here," Odessa ordered, slumping back into her chair. "I've got to figure out who I'm bringing with me. Wolfgang, escort Antiqix to a cell. And for the sake of Altana, keep him away from the other prisoner."

"Tzee Xicu, or . . . ?"

"The one who would kill him with a smile on his face," Odessa scowled. "All of you, leave." A moment of doubt hunt throughout the room, until the Elvaan shouted "Now!!"

They filed out individually. Wolfgang led the Goblin, still gushing his thanks to Odessa, followed closely by Monbereaux. Danienne brushed by Odessa wordlessly. Quu Domi gave the Elvaan woman an appraising look, as if seeing her for the first time, and then made his own egress.

"Do you need anything else, Lady Odessa?" Middlesky asked, pausing at the door.

"Just that you close the door behind you," she replied, not turning around. "And that you report to the entrance hall first thing in the morning. You're part of the team I'm taking to Crawler's Nest."

"Understood, Lady Odessa," the Red Mage said stoically, and then closed the heavy door.

And so Odessa was left alone with her thoughts, rubbing her temples and cursing aloud as she tried to decide whose lives she was going to risk to save the Goblins.

Suddenly the village of Myste didn't seem so bad at all.