"BRING ME A FUCKING HEALER, NOW!"!"

Grandma Mia opened her eyes, feeling dizzy as she rose from the ground. Her ears were ringing, and her body and face were smeared with blood.

A man-sized goblin limped slowly, dragging his injured left foot with his bones exposed.

The goblin glanced at Grandma Mia and discarded his weapon. As he tried to sit down, Gram suddenly grabbed his head and slammed it to the ground. Gram then picked up a rock and struck the goblin's skull, splitting it open on the ground.

Gram was drenched in blood, yet he showed no signs of injury. He breathed heavily as he scanned the area.

Gram then looked at Mia and shouted, but she couldn't hear anything. He gestured towards her ears and then shook his head. Gram nodded, grabbed her arm, and pulled her to follow him.

On the other side of the camp, Reyanna had incinerated five goblins, their screams of agony echoing as they turned to ashes. She then sat on the ground, panting, with a small arrow lodged in her left shoulder and a minor cut on her face. Her hair was drenched in blood.

Reyanna looked at the arrow and, while pulling it out of her shoulder, muttered to herself, "Come on, Reyanna, just go, just go!"

Reyanna endured the pain without screaming as she began healing her shoulder. Dizzy, she touched her head, trying to find the wound where the big goblin had hit her earlier.

She then heard a lot of movement and forced herself to get up quickly, starting to chant spells in preparation for the approaching group.

Reyanna waited until she could see her targets clearly but stopped when she saw a group of knights and soldiers running toward her.

She sighed and sat down again, holding her head. The leader, Dolny, was a young warrior with white hair and an unscarred face. He had a cut on his left ear and was missing a finger on his right hand. Tall and dressed in light armour—an unusual choice for a leader—he wore no gloves, and his hands were drenched in blood.

Dolny walked up to her and asked, "Are you alright?"

Reyanna raised an eyebrow at him and replied, "Are you fucking with me?"

Dolny looked around at the chaos and said, "The goblins attacked out of nowhere. We were in the city when we saw the smoke. Thank god they burned the tents, or we would never have known."

Reyanna laughed mockingly and said, "It was me. I burned those tents so you’d know about us."

Dolny was surprised but smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Your quick thinking saved lives today."

Reyanna then looked around and said, "There's an old woman and a doctor, Mia and Gram. They were my companions. There are also other good people and many injured soldiers. Send your soldiers and knights to help everyone."

Dolny nodded. "I already did. Not many people died since the goblins were few in number. We can assume they were a scouting group."

At that moment, Gram appeared from behind a tent with Mia beside him. He looked at the knights, then at Reyanna, who got up and walked towards him.

Gram took a few steps forward and hugged Reyanna. She kissed his forehead and said, "Ohhhhhhhh, I knew you would be safe. I just hoped, wished..."

Gram interrupted her, "Shhhhhh, just... let's rest first."

Reyanna then looked at Mia, who smiled tiredly. She helped Mia sit down on a chair and began examining her ears.

Reyanna looked at Mia and signalled, "Mia... it... gonna... hurt!"

Mia grabbed the chair tightly and nodded hesitantly. Reyanna took out a small spoon, typically used by doctors to clean soldiers' ears.

Reyanna glanced at Gram, who was watching her intently. "You're tired and shaking, and there's no doctor available, so I'll clean her ear while you watch me," she said.

Gram got up and grabbed Reyanna's arm. She nodded and slowly inserted the small spoon into Mia's right ear.

Mia started breathing heavily, trembling as the pain became evident. She let out a pained scream, so strained it seemed like she wanted to scream louder but couldn't.

Blood spilt from her ear as Reyanna pulled the spoon out, revealing it was covered in blood and tiny wooden shards.

Mia lowered her head, breathing heavily. Reyanna then asked, "Can you hear me, Mia?"

Gram, shaking his head, said, "Not with this amount of blood in her ear. Give me the spoon, please."

Reyanna handed the spoon to Gram, who gently took hold of Mia's left ear and inserted the spoon. Mia shook even more, and Gram remarked, "She feels more pain in this one. I think there are more wooden shards here."

As Gram extracted the shards from Mia's ear, blood spilt even more than from her right ear.

Mia closed her eyes, wishing for the pain to stop. Gram pulled out another large shard and asked, "Are you done cleaning her right ear?"

Reyanna's hands were red from the cleaning. "She's good. Even if she starts bleeding again, I can use my magic," she said.

Gram nodded. "That's why I became a doctor. Some things can't be fixed with magic; it needs old hands and the traditional way."

Reyanna then inserted a large piece of cotton into Mia's right ear and wrapped it with bandages. She turned to Mia's other ear, observing the amount of blood, and remarked, "Why isn't she screaming? This must be excruciating."

Gram continued to concentrate on Mia's left ear and replied, "Believe me, she really wants to scream."

Meanwhile, a guard assisted an injured soldier into a newly erected tent. Looking around, he noticed many doctors and witches busily tending to the wounded from the attack.

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Samuil's annoyance was palpable as he looked at Reyanna and Gram. "We have plenty of injured; leave that old lady! Even if she survives, she'll die from something else!"

Gram continued to focus on Mia's ear, determined to help her. Reyanna met Samuil's gaze firmly. "Samuil, Mia is a doctor and has been invaluable to us. If we lose her, we lose a capable hand. Please, give that soldier water and stay with him until we're done."

Grumbling under his breath, Samuil nodded reluctantly and turned away, heading towards the injured soldier he had brought in earlier.

Suddenly, darkness engulfed everything, swallowing sound and scent, leaving only pitch-black silence.

"Mia? Mia? Wake up!" called Reyanna desperately into the void, her voice echoing faintly into nothingness.

Mia opened her eyes, finding herself in a campsite with a small fire flickering nearby. She glanced over to see Leon sleeping peacefully in a nearby tent. As she reached out to extinguish the flames, a voice stopped her.

"Leave it, I need it."

Surprised, Mia turned around to see a nightly blue goblin with auburn hair and no teeth over his mouth. He wore a large white coat and looked at Mia intently.

"Leave the fire, I want to see," the goblin said.

Recognition dawned on Mia's face. "Bennard? Are you still working on your poem?"

Bennard nodded eagerly. "Yes, today I'm visiting Guty city for the first time with you. I hope no one shoots me down when I try to impress some people."

Mia chuckled, offering reassurance. "You've helped countless adventurers. Even the guild accepted you as the first goblin adventurer. Who's going to shoot you?"

Bennard smiled warmly as he organized his papers. "You know, I've always loved poems. Words have the power to reach people, to lighten hearts, to bring tears to the eye. Words will always have power, alongside the sword, of course."

"Why did you become a poet when you're skilled with a sword?" Mia asked, gazing into the fire.

Bennard hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. "Well, my mother loved poets. Sometimes, she would steal poems from passing merchants. They would either run or attack if we approached, so she would steal them and leave some coins behind."

"That's not stealing!" Mia laughed, and Bennard lowered his head, smiling bashfully.

Bennard raised his hands in the air defensively. "I know, I know. But back then, we didn't even know how much they were worth."

Mia nodded knowingly. "In these times, they're worth nothing. Please, continue."

Bennard smiled, his eyes lighting up with nostalgia. "So, there were few poets my mother could read, so she read them repeatedly. One day, this goblin before you was just a boy, and he declared that he would create the greatest poem for his mother, one for the ages."

"And?" Mia asked, her curiosity piqued. "What happened?"

Bennard grinned broadly. "At first, I created a terrible poem—no grammar, just a jumble of poorly chosen words. Yet she loved it and encouraged me to keep writing. That's when I began to train myself to understand words, to feel their meaning, to grasp their full potential, and use them to weave little adventures for anyone who would listen."

Mia looked at Bennard with genuine curiosity. "Why did you start saving people? Soldiers? Passing merchants? I never asked because I thought it might annoy you, and then over the years, I just forgot to even ask."

Bennard nodded thoughtfully before answering. "There are two kinds of goblins: the ones you know well, and the ones you've never encountered. We belong to a more civilized kind of goblins. However, because of the actions of our more traditional kin, we've been forced to hide and establish our communities away from both humans and our uncivilized counterparts."

Mia chuckled softly. "A fitting description of your situation."

"That's why..." Bennard paused for a moment before continuing with passion, "That's why, if I can build a more honourable reputation, I can send my sister Qira here to study and live in peace. I can help my community thrive and prosper if I can build bridges between us."

Mia was taken aback by Bennard's sudden outburst of enthusiasm. His ambition and the mixture of excitement and fear in his voice were palpable. He quickly regained his composure and apologized, "My apologies for my sudden excitement."

Mia shook her head gently. "That's okay. We've known each other for years, and you've never raised your voice, never cursed or spoken ill. I'm just glad you sometimes open up."

Bennard nodded warmly and then spoke, "My sister, Qira, is also eager to meet you. I've told her all about our adventures, and she's looking forward to meeting you, Leon, and everyone else next time we visit my parents."

Mia smiled warmly in response. "Of course, I'm excited to meet your family, friends, and especially your sister. Please forgive us if we ever do anything wrong."

"No problem," Bennard replied sincerely. "We're not perfect. Failures, mistakes, regrets, problems—these things come whether we accept them or not."

As Mia prepared to get up, she reflected, "When I think of you, Bennard, I feel like the world can be as peaceful as your heart, old friend."

Bennard smiled, a touch of nostalgia in his expression as he looked away. "Peaceful.......... huh? I think it can be. Thank you, Mia."

Mia nodded, turning to walk away, but Bennard called after her, "Mia?"

She paused and looked back. "Yes?"

Bennard hesitated briefly before speaking, "I... I'll always be beside you. Through whatever hardships you face, just close your eyes and listen. My poems will reach you. Don't forget that."

Moved by his words, Mia smiled warmly and nodded. She bowed her head towards Bennard, who also bowed in return, tears glistening in his eyes. "Old friend," he whispered, "now you have to wake up."

Mia opened her eyes. She found herself lying in a bed surrounded by injured soldiers, guards, witches, and doctors who had been wounded in the recent attack. The memory of her dream with Bennard lingered, leaving her with a sense of comfort.

Mia compelled herself to rise. At that moment, a soldier carried a young female knight, drenched in blood and unconscious. He glanced at Mia gratefully and said, "Thank you for the bed!"

Mia nodded. As the soldier gently laid the knight down, he added with fear in his eyes, "She held the goblins off until we arrived. There's blood everywhere!"

Mia began to remove her armour. Assessing her vital points—chest, neck, head—she found no fatal wounds, just a few sword cuts here and there. "She won't die," Mia assured him. "She'll bear many scars."

The soldier nodded in agreement. "Scars are just part of our life. I'm glad she's safe."

Mia observed the soldier's armour, noticing a few spots painted in yellow on his neck and arms. She inquired, "Guty city?"

The soldier affirmed with a nod, "Yes, we were dispatched here weeks ago. This place is pure hell. We've been living good while guarding the city, dealing with a few criminals, and always able to call for backup when needed."

Mia rose to her feet, gathering bandages to tend to the injured female knight. She then turned to the soldier and reassured him, "You can leave now. She needs rest."

"Can I stay?" the soldier asked anxiously. "She's my sister. I can't bear to leave her like this."

Mia nodded understandingly. "You may stay, young lad. Just stay calm and let everyone rest, please."

The soldier nodded gratefully. "My name is Dominic, by the way, and her name is Syna. Thank you so much, Doctor."

Mia nodded warmly, returning his smile. "Mia. Rest beside her. You're in no condition to be up either."

Dominic nodded in agreement. He settled himself on the ground near his sister, managing a smile as he rested his head on the bed and closed his eyes. It wasn't a comfortable position, but after everything that had happened, Mia understood the need to let Dominic rest.

At Yoka's shop, Yoka applied a healing potion to a dry cloth and began treating Dam's swollen eye. Gently touching Dam's eye, he noticed Dam's lack of reaction or flinching.

Looking at Dam, who kept staring at the ground, his right eye reflected deep pain and torment, yet his body remained solid as a brick.

Yoka continued to gaze at Dam, who broke the silence with a voice that sounded tired or defeated: "This world is cruel."

Meanwhile, Mia emerged from the tent and rubbed her ears, feeling pain that was less than before. She gazed at the sky and murmured, "Bennard, my old friend, this world is indifferent."

Dam continued, "Only power, blood, and coins can save your soul."

Mia added, "Bennard, only patience, love for others, and kindness can save us."

Dam then looked at Yoka with a pained expression in his eyes: "You end up being ruthless, a monster, a manipulator, a killer, or all of these."

Mia smiled as she looked at the soldiers resting: "No matter how cruel this world is, kind, loving, caring, and passionate people will always exist, as you did, old friend."

Dam then said, his voice full of agony, anger, and hate: "I hope the cruel die! I hope they burn alive! I hope they suffer!"

Mia then walked to another tent and began treating a soldier while thinking about Bennard. "I am holding hope that this world will show us as much kindness as we have shown its people. I hope my loved ones are safe."

"And... what about you, Bennard?"