An elven ranger

After a moment, Kazex's protector leapt from high up in one of the treetops, arching her body gracefully in the air to land crouched in a manner eerily reminiscent of a feline. The woman was tense, scanning quickly the area to confirm all hostiles had been eliminated before she allowed herself to relax slightly. As she stood up to face Kazex, the goblin was finally able to get a good look at her.

The elf, for that's what she was now that Kazex could see her features better, was stunning, just like most elves were... or so he'd been told. The researcher that had taught him would not spare words whenever he talked about the elven lover he'd once had, mentioning how elves were widely regarded to be the fairest race in their world. Kazex had never seen an elf before -these lands were very far from their homeland and their usual spots, according to what he knew-, but seeing the breath-taking woman in front of him, he didn't find such claim to be as outlandish as moments ago.

He certainly had no problem admitting said elf was truly a beauty. Her light brown hair, pulled into a braided ponytail over her shoulder was quite striking, as were her piercing green eyes. And indeed, her breasts looked to be quite large while contained within that top of hers. The cleavage window only added to the suggestive hints of the true prize below covered in cloth. And the toned skin of her bared midriff only served to prove her discipline and strength of her training... though it was a very welcome sight as well, of course!

All in all, the elf was a woman made entirely of temptation. First Helga and now this elf... his life was getting better with each day lately and Kazex could only wonder when the other shoe would drop.

Still, first things first - introductions were in order.

"One should not judge a man for his aspect, though I agree my brethren have sadly earned our reputation. Still, thank you for your help. I am Kazex," he said as he put down his spear. "May I know yours?"

The elf stared at him for a moment, before bursting out laughing. "By the Pantheon, this is crazy! Here I am talking to a goblin and he just asked my name as if it was the most normal thing in the world," she exclaimed, cracking up once again.

Kazex frowned, annoyed at the elf's apparent disregard for his presence. The least she could do would be acknowledging him, but it seemed she was still too caught up in the fact she was holding a conversation with a goblin. Not for the first time, Kazex lamented the abhorrent reputation his people had.

"I'm still here, you know."

"Of course, of course. Forgive me, it's not everyday you meet a... reasonable goblin such as yourself," she said after a moment.

Kazex rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "For some strange reason, I get that all the time," he deadpanned. At the very least, the ranger had the decency of wincing at that, realizing at last how rude she'd behaved in front of him.

"I'm truly sorry, really. My clan raised me better than that. It won't happen again, I swear."

"I appreciate it, all is forgiven. Now, does this skilled archer in front of me have a name or should I make one up?" His attempt at flattery wasn't exactly the best, he knew that, but everybody liked flattery from time to time and the elf ranger seemed to agree if the way her lips slightly curved upwards was anything to go by.

"Talanah; I'm Talanah of clan Galerion. Pleased to know of thee." Her greeting was quite archaic, which Kazex guessed must be a traditional one that had withstood the passage of time and countless generations. "Now, would you tell me what's doing a lone goblin in this part of the forest?"

As he considered what to tell her, Kazex took a moment to inspect her clothing and weapons. Her armor was light, allowing for plenty of quick movement and it was colored mostly in green and brown hues to help her blend better with the forest and similar terrains. She held what looked to be a simple wooden bow, but he had no doubt it would be quite sturdy. A sharp longsword hung on her hip - Kazex really didn't know much about smithing so he couldn't speak about the level of craftsmanship (much less from afar), but he'd wager it would be finely crafted.

Talanah was definitely well-equipped to fend off any beasts that dwelled in this section of the forest.

"I was gathering herbs and plants for my potions. I'm an alchemist, you see," Kazex finally offered in the way of explanations. He didn't think there was any issue with telling her the truth; lies would serve him no purpose in his situation. "The ingredients of this area are much more potent than anywhere else and sometimes I come here to get some."

"Brave of you - brave or perhaps just foolish. You realize these are the hunting grounds of Otuauranak's brood, right?" she remarks with an arched eyebrow before motioning to the dead, huge spider next to him. "See that one there? She's barely out of her hatchling phase. There's a reason few linger in this area, after all and a simple spear isn't the weapon I'd take with me around these parts."

Kazex could only shrug at her words. He already knew that from his time in the tribe, but sometimes there was no gain without taking some risks and he said as much to the elf.

"I suppose you're right."

"What are you doing here, though? You are quite a long way from elven lands, if I recall correctly."

At his question, Talanah's face darkened. She didn't answer immediately, glaring unseeingly into the trees; it was obvious the question had touched a sensitive subject for her and Kazex refrained from pressing the issue. However, he needn't worry, because Talanah eventually turned to him with a grim look.

"I chose this place as my training grounds. I must grow stronger, swifter if I'm to achieve my goal. My clan knew of the fierceness of Otuauranak's brood and I thought they would make me stronger while I did the world a favor in culling their numbers."

Despite the fact her explanation was more complete than what Kazex had actually expected, he didn't miss that Talanah purposefully avoided mentioning the actual reason for her decision. Using the forest as a training grounds was merely a means to an end.

'Whatever compelled her to come to this place must be serious.'

"I understand."

There was no need for more words than that. If Talanah didn't want to share her reasons, it was her decision alone. The grateful nod she gave him in return let him know she'd realized the underlying meaning in his simple answer.

"Thank you."

"Say, I know that as an elf you're more comfortable in a forest than most, but perhaps you'd like to have company during your stay here? I currently live with a witch, Helga, in the outskirts of the forest. I could ask her if we can make space for you in her tower."

Indeed, there was no way he was passing up a chance to bring Talanah to the tower and get her pregnant with his kids... eventually. He just hoped Helga didn't react negatively if Talanah ended up agreeing.

Said elf seemed ****, however. "I don't know... I'll consider it. But I'd like to meet this witch you speak of, at the very least. Very few humans live within the forest and I'm curious to see how you two came to live together."

Kazex gave her a smile which hid his true thoughts. It wasn't the best outcome possible but if she agreed to at least visit Helga so readily, there was the possibility of convincing her to stay with them.

And of course, his servant collar would be unable to impede whatever actions he took regarding Talanah.

'Oh, yes, things are certainly looking up.'

Notes: I know there hasn't been really a lot of sex so far, being only hinted at it at best. I'm taking these first chapters to introduce the important characters and set up a bit of the future plot to accompany the naughty bits. I hope you guys are okay with that. I don't really have a lot planned for the towns outside the forest, but I'll come up with something I guess.

I will also be adding pictures for some characters that I have an idea of how they look more or less. The characters will be those I come up with so not to step on anyone's toes. Helga will stay without picture for now. Please, let me know if the images are too large as I can put a smaller version and tell me if you like the pictures used and what not.