The four Guardians sat in front of Gilreg’s hut. The warrior and Shaymus were nursing their numerous bruises from their last five days of training. Zaploc gave them this day to rest. Gilreg was stirring a large iron pot as Raine added the skinned meat and bones from the small game she was able to hunt earlier. Nulrok added several potent-smelling mushrooms and other various herbs he was able to collect from the mountainside. His knowledge of herbs and plants was impressive. Shaymus just smacked her lips in anticipation.

“My father is concerned that the Dungeon Envoy has not arrived yet,” Raine said.

“That is most odd. They are usually on time and come every cycle to collect their tax,” Nulrok observed, sniffing the pot.

“We lost two treasures,” Gilreg said, and with a pang, he remembered his cousins that perished.

“The Jade Amulet and the Jeweled Vase,” Shaymus added enthusiastically, happy to be a part of the conversation.

“The Golden Chalice was the most valuable. I’ve been reading some of the ancient texts, and though it is unclear to me, I believe it is connected to an important divine ritual,” Raine said.

“That would explain why we had so many adventurers come and try to claim it,” stated Nulrok.

“What about this next cycle?” Gilreg asked. The Guardians would rotate every four months, but now the tribe was down to one artifact.

“My father wants to keep the Chalice here guarded by him and his warriors,” Raine said.

“Why? How will we earn treasure?” Gilreg demanded. He didn’t realize he had raised his voice. Raine flinched slightly from his sudden outburst.

Nulrok looked with concern at his friend. Shaymus simply helped herself to a bowl of the stew. Raine, her eyes on Gilreg, deftly slapped Shaymus’s hand away. The pale-eyed goblin hissed at Raine but didn’t press.

“I am sorry. I just, being here reminds me of what I lost,” the warrior explained.

Nulrok squeezed his shoulder, and Raine nodded with understanding. Shaymus just snorted. As far as anyone could tell, she always lived alone. In fact, no one was certain where she slept or if she slept. After a moment of silence, the warrior cleared his throat.

“The stew is ready,” he said.

“About time!” Shaymus exclaimed and greedily filled her bowl.

“Would the tribe be in danger with the Chalice here?” Gilreg asked his concern that the artifact would lure adventurers to their homes.

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“Hmm, interesting question. I don’t think so. I didn’t detect any tracing magic on the Chalice,” Nulrok said.

“The adventurers were exploring the temple to find the Chalice,” Raine added.

“They are too soft to travel this high in the mountains, but I do wish that they do come. My blades are hungry,” Shaymus hissed with glee.

The others took turns filling their bowls and eating. They sat around the pot above a fire just in front of Gilreg’s hut. Around them, their tribe carried on with their day. The older children were training higher up in the mountains with Zaploc. The younger children ran through the winding dirt paths screaming as children do. The older goblins were stitching and repairing blankets, furs, and the thatch roofs of their huts. Hunters and gatherers would go out to collect what food they could find in the harsh mountains.

“I think in the next six months, the older class of warriors can become guardians,” Gilreg observed of the young goblins he trained with at Zaploc’s compound.

“Really?” Raine asked with an arched eyebrow.

“If the Dungeon Envoy can give us a lower-tiered artifact. I’m confident they can guard it,” Gilreg answered.

“That is promising news. That means we may not need to move from here,” Nulrok said.

The mage had finished his bowl and was now practicing with his wand. He held it in his right hand and pointed it at the open palm of his left hand. A small ball of fire appeared, and the mage’s face was crinkled in concentration. The flame would grow bigger and engulf his hand. At this point, Nulrok would yelp and cancel the spell.

“Must maintain focus on the fire. Control it, do not let it control me,” Nulrok mumbled quietly to himself.

The mage only made at most three attempts before taking a long break. Gilreg knew that if Nulrok did any more, he risked the taint growing stronger. The mage risks losing his sanity and must guard his mind against overdoing the magic. As a mage’s skill increases, they can cast the spell more often with a lowered risk of straining their mind. Fire magic was new to Nulrok, so he needed to take a break. He sat with his legs crossed, and his eyes closed. Shaymus threw a pebble at the mage, but Gilreg caught it mid-air. The warrior gave a stern look to the petite pale-eyed goblin. She snickered in response but then left as her attention was focused elsewhere.

“I’m worried something has gone wrong in the Dungeon,” Raine confided.

“How so?”

“It is possible that powerful adventurers made their way in and defeated the bosses,” she answered.

“We would have heard something. The Wastelands are enormous, and the adventurers would pass through the mountains first. We would see them.” Gilreg said.

“We lost several artifacts. Perhaps those adventurers moved onwards?” Raine added.

“Zaploc says that on a successful run, they return back to Adventure Port to sell their loot. If they made a camp, we would have seen it from our vantage point.”

“Unless they magically veiled it,” Raine said, and this caused Gilreg to pause with concern. The two looked to Nulrok.

“When he comes out of his meditation, we can ask him,” Gilreg offered.

“No, leave him be. I have been reading too much. My father says that the more knowledge you have, the more you become afraid. I will go and practice my bow,” Raine said, and with that, she rose to her feet to depart.

“I saw you shooting two arrows at once,” Gilreg observed.

Raine nodded with a smile and left.

The warrior waved his hand in front of Nulrok’s face, and the mage remained unmoving. Gilreg sighed and laid slowly on his back, being sure not to upset his ribs.