They managed to gather together enough food and set up camp. Jack, of course, was the cook again. They also gathered up all they could carry of the Queen Bean. Ai hoped that when they came across some civilisation they would be able to sell it for some money.

As they travelled they actually managed to build up a small store of food, and Ai began to feel less like she was constantly rationing herself. She was having some major cravings or meat though, they all were.

Slowly the grey was leached out of the trees around them until there were brown trunks and green leaves. Ai didn’t expect to, but she actually almost missed the forest they were leaving behind. It was the place of her nightmares, but she also knew it like the back of her hand. As the colours changed she felt more and more lost. Some of the fauna and flora disappeared, or changed colours.

It was bizarre.

They dare not stop moving though. A huge thundercloud was hot on their tails and seemed to grow closer day by day. At night, Ai imagined that she could hear the distant toll of thunder, or feel the ground tremor beneath the feet of a thousand beasts. Sometimes, she thought it wasn’t just her imagination either.

***

“A village.”

“What?” Ai looked up from her meditative trudging.

“I see a village.” Jack repeated.

“Oh.” Ai tensed.

There was indeed a village.

It was a squat thing, smaller than the one the village people had and lacking the defensive wall. There were only a dozen houses, all made of logs, and as they drew closer Ai saw there was mud sprayed up their bases as if nobody could be bothered to clean them off.

In fact, the whole village seemed to be covered in mud. Aside from a somewhat butchered field, there was no greenery. Every time the people walked anywhere they must be going through the stuff.

Ai got tenser. She told herself there was no reason to. She had killed a Queen, why was she getting worried about a small group of humans?

Logic didn’t help much though.

“Let’s go around.” The goblin folded its arms over its chest.

“Why?” Ai stared.

“We have no reason to talk to them, and they’re humans.” The goblin stated like those were perfectly legible reasons.

Ai opened her mouth to speak-

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“The goblins got a point. Humans are judgemental creatures at best. Perhaps it’s best we avoid any along the way.”

Ai stared. She thought she was nervous, she must have the most anti-social band or misfits anywhere.

“We’re going to have to see people at some point. We might as well do it now. Test the waters.”

“Easy for you to say.” Muttered the goblin.

“We can’t trust them. They’re fools for money. Imagine how much they’d get for selling us.” Jacks expression turned dark.

“Just because some humans are bad doesn’t mean they all are. I think we need to get an idea of how we’re going to be received. And I doubt any humans would be stupid enough to challenge you.” Ai directed that last part at Jack.

He had put on weight since they’d left, though Ai wasn’t sure how given she had lost weight. And all of his had gone to muscle. He now had a swimmers body, if a swimmer had green scales and slitted pupils. Occasionally Ai found herself admiring his physique. It helped pass the time and was far more interesting than staring at her feet.

“They don’t need to fight us to incapacitate us. A drug will work just fine.” Jack ran his fingers over the blade of one of his axes. It was almost a caress.

“So we don’t eat or drink anything.”

Jack still didn’t look appeased.

“We can pass straight through. We don’t even need to talk to them if you don’t want to.”

“We’re a circus.” The goblin muttered.

It seemed to spend a lot of its time muttering nowadays, about this or that. Ai hadn’t enlightened him that she could hear what he was saying, and she didn’t intend to.

“We might be able to get rid of some of this stuff if they need it.”

“If they don’t keel over from having to talk to anything other than a human.” The goblins familiar muttering continued.

“What do you say?” Ai looked pointedly at both of them.

“As long as we don’t stop here. And keep an eye out for a tail.”

The goblin looked between Ai and Jack.

“Fine.”

“Okay then.” Ai smiled.

Off we go.

As they approached there were the familiar sounds of village life. Kids playing, people working the fields. And the closer they got, the quieter the village got.

The humans looked like peasants. Colourless clothing, dull hair and a big sense of community. While nobody attempted to talk to them as they passed, it didn’t stop them from staring. One woman, cradling a big belly, looked at them then their weapons with a critical eye. She bent over to the small child on her left and whispered in his ear. The child ran off.

Ai resisted the urge to reach for her knife, her only surviving weapon. A wrong move might spur the villagers to flee, or worse, to attack them.

Ai thought it was bad before, but now she felt even more like an outsider. The air was thick with tension.

The pregnant woman started to walk towards them, one arm cupped protectively around her belly. An old woman caught her arm. Ai and the others stopped walking to watch.

“Are you crazy? No.” She hissed.

“Yes. We have to do something Mum. It can’t keep on like this.”

“Look at them. Who knows what sort of abomination created them! Think of your child.”

That must’ve been the wrong thing to say because the pregnant womans back straightened abruptly.

“I am.”

Ai watched as she waddled closer.

“You are hunters, yes?” Her dark eyes flicked between them, unsure who to address. Ai thought she looked rather like a mouse. Small featured, quick eyes and brown hair twisted into a knot at the back of her head.

“Why are you asking?” The goblin spoke first.

The woman stared for a moment. Ai didn’t think she had expected it to be able to speak. She cleared her throat.

“If you are hunters I wish to hire you.” Jack discreetly shook his head at Ai.

“Please! I have money.” She looked stricken at the thought of them leaving.

Ai grimaced. She wasn’t good with this. She already wanted to say yes and the woman had barely spoken five words.

Ai stepped back, leaving Jack in the forefront of the group. If he wanted to reject the pleas of a pregnant woman, he would have to do it himself.