"Graaa'k! Softer! Move like bear, get eaten by bear!" berated Gro'bur. He circled the group while riding on Pongo, watching for each mistake like a hawk. On our way to the Olive clan, my father had taken on the mantle of strict drill sergeant towards the four olive-skinned goblins. None of them had Names as yet, but unofficially, I had already labeled One-eye as the leader seeing his initiative. I could see him moving relatively easily in the hide armor I had provided to the group, as compared to his brothers, who due to their smaller stature still struggled under the weight.
Each new recruit had been given a set of armor, made out of hardened monster leather strung together with muscle sinew, and a bone pickaxe. The durable pickaxes were for the unlikely event that we found spell stones that we could mine out. There was a cave after all. The armor though wasn't much, and would probably tear apart with a good hit since the vines were a much more durable option, but it was far more silent and flexible. Truth be told, I was getting kind of sick of wearing the heavy vine bound leather day in and day out myself. I could kill for a comfortable cotton shirt.
Perhaps one day I would.
Judging purely by how large this mountain was, it would take us about slightly less than two days to make the trip, especially considering the uneven terrain and the dense vegetation. All this took into account the monsters that interrupted us too.
Gro'bur would take every chance to train the olives, especially when we encountered any of the smaller creatures. His combat instincts far outstripped mine, but he had no view for nuanced tactics, so I would usually step up when it came to that. My mind-links served as a wonderful tool when conveying more complicated concepts, often leaving the younglings in awe after every session.
"Thank you Knowing One! I will take these secrets to heart, and to my grave!" mind-yelled One-eye enthusiastically. Beating his scrawny hand over his chest, the goblin saluted fiercely.
"Ehhh.. if you can, I'd rather you share them though.. only our cousins can understand us properly after all." I replied scratching my head. His never ending fervor throughout the day had eventually overwhelmed me, and my responses ended up coming across as quite mild-mannered.
Evening was already in our midst by the time we made it halfway round the mountain. Our group had already come across several of the creatures One-eye mentioned in his recounting; now officially named Slime-Bats and Nightlegs in my mental bestiary. Of the two, the group had a far harder time against the latter. The Nightlegs attacked in groups of two or three, but were fairly predictable, since they only had a single point of attack; their mouths. Once flipped, the creatures were an easy kill, so we used them for practice for the younglings. The triplets did so with gusto, and more excitement than was necessary
The difficulty would have been reversed had we not had my father and his excellent archery skills. He lost an arrow or two each time to the acidic beasts, but it was far better than having my hard won sword melted to the bone, literally. Worst still, the carcasses proved almost completely useless. The acid slime corroded whatever we used to handle it fairly quickly, so we swiftly concluded it as a useless venture, at least for now. If in the future we found a way around it though, I could think of more than a few ways I could utilize acid proof hide.
We entered a small clearing before a number of large trees that intertwined their branches above us. The combination produced a twisted corridor of leaves and vegetation. One that I inwardly hesitated to enter, as there were far too many places we could be ambushed from in there; the shaded areas were simply that many,
"Hold.” called out Gro’bur. “We rest now." He unmounted and began finding rocks and dry twigs to start a fire. The triplets mimicked him like children, bending down to pick up whatever rocks and sticks they could find. During which I called One-eye over for a mind to mind talk, gesturing to the corridor.
"Is this the only way to your clan? It seems like an awfully easy way to get shanked in the back if you ask me."
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One-eye grinned a toothy smile before shaking his head lightly.
"The Green Cave holds no monsters now Knowing One. Only dreams and make believe. I had thought to escape to it earlier, but the foes were too many. It is a safe place, at least in the night. We should exit it before daylight however or we might encounter V'vaduk. Demons."
"Demons?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes Knowing One. Terrifying and vile things. They do not harm us, at least not physically. But the sight of one tends to send us goblins into shock. The Chief said it is a sacred place, and we should not overstay our welcome. The V'vaduk remind us of that." He replied, with more than a little reverence.
Giving him a firm nod, I released the mind-link, allowing One-eye to scurry back to the others. It didn't take long but the olives had managed to construct a pretty neat campsite under the instructions of Gro'Bur. Small carcasses had been laid in a corner and drained of their blood, while twigs and stone made a usable fire pit. Even a sleeping area had been set up; dugout cots that insulated us from the cold had been filled with dry leaves, cushioning us from the hard ground. In some ways, it was a little more comfortable than our actual camp.
I got a small fire going with some dry wood and tinder, intending to cook the same meal the group had eaten the night before. No one had gotten sick of it yet; on the contrary they behaved as though it was their first time trying it: exactly like animals, ravishing the food as though it had been years since last they ate.
It didn't take long before the six of us were then huddled together in our cots, taking the chance to sleep and rejuvenate our tired selves. Gro'bur fell asleep swiftly against Pongo, his arms over the triplets protectively. One'eye attempted to stay awake, but a sharp order sent him scurrying back in his cot. Snores would eventually be heard.
I wasn't ready to sleep however. Rest yes but not sleep, at least not yet. It would be foolish to take One-eye's word wholesale, especially when it concerned our safety. I planned to rotate guard duty between Gro'bur and I in a couple of hours, at least my best estimation of it.
The minutes ticked by, while I continued to stare into the sky and the vegetable tunnel alternatingly. Seeing as there wasn't much to do until I switched shifts with my father, I decided to do some training. If nothing else, the exercise would alleviate the droning boredom that threatened to put me to sleep.
Staying at the entrance of the tunnel, the steady sound of my sword cutting through the wind could be heard. Throughout this time, my thoughts returned to my previous existance. My wife. Our unborn child. Our bed. And surprisingly, even my old job. I missed all of them terribly. Especially the bed.
"Knowing One. Unable to sleep?" intruded a familiar voice. I turned around to see One-eye hefting his pickaxe over his shoulder. The company was definitely welcome and I gave him a warm smile.
"I prefer to keep watch just in case youngling. Its how we have stayed alive all this while. I will rest once my shift is over. And you?" I replied.
He gestured to the sword in my hands. "The sound of the sword winds awoke me. Please do not stop on my account. It would be good to see how a Knowing One fights."
With a chuckle I created several violet spells and rotated them in my palm. I could tell One-eye was impressed, but the claps I expected were muted; likely due to not wanting to wake the others.
"I'm afraid you might be disappointed. This Knowing One does not fail in anything, but he does not excel either. I can fight, but not too well. Cast spells, but not past a certain degree. The human I learnt these spells would have wiped the floor with me in a fair fight."
One-eye nodded understandably. He pondered for a moment before replying.
"Is that not because of what you are? Neither a warrior, nor a mage. But a leader, a king? If it is not obvious now, you should know that it wouldn't take much to have the olives follow you than return to the clan."
I gave him a slight chuckle at the idea.
"Hah! A king you say? Over all goblins? An idea to be sure, but I would require much more strength to attract the numbers needed to be called as such, and I have not yet claimed a name. Training and hunting is all I have to me now, though my sword skills have stagnated and my magic limited. Even now my mind-links req-"
Realization hit me then, and I immediately threw my blade at One-eye. The sword cut through the air like butter, only to be stopped in mid air, mere centimeters from his grinning face. An invisible force had held it in place, dispelling the force behind it easily. Seeing that, my hands blazed with violet energy as the mana I had in my body sprang to life.
"An impressive reaction. But far too slow on the uptake. How did you know?" Came a mischievious reply. It was One-eye's mind-voice but it held confidence that the goblin lacked.
"There wasn't a mind-link established. At least not from me." I replied. "Speak, your purpose Spirit."
Steeling myself against the fear inside, I conjured as many spells as I could, however minor. Violet magic buzzed and materialized like an angry cloud around me.
"Who are you?"