Zenyx was a magical land full of every creature imaginable. Of course, those creatures included the hideous dregs known as goblins. Their sickly green skin, matted seaweed hair, and pus colored eyes were enough of a sight to disgust any human who had the misfortune of witnessing them. Because of this, goblins tended to gather together in large groups away from most society.

Being small, and weaker than most races they maintained a peaceful but reclusive lifestyle. There was one exception to this behavior. If a Great One appeared they could empower the goblins with strength or knowledge.

Each Great One was different. Some, greater monsters. Some humans seeking vengeance of some kind. Some were even peaceful, simply teaching the goblins how to better survive on their own. It was the dream of every goblin horde for a Great One to appear, but it was an incredibly rare occurrence. After all, what kind of being would share their power with the goblins of all things?

There was one such goblin horde that had taken up residence in the Dark Forest, a forest known for being just as disgusting and ugly as themselves. The trees were blackened and rotting as they grew, the soil the color of ash with murky smears of moss with the sort of brownish green one might expect from a swamp. Every aspect of wildlife was a misshapen reject of the world outside.

In this unpleasant forest, a glowing dome appeared. Everything within the dome miraculously transformed from its twisted and wretched state into something beautiful. A goblin scout by the name of Gobby happened to be caught inside the dome when it first appeared and noticed that even they changed appearance within this spectacular magic. Something like this had to be caused by something, or someone, incredibly powerful.

Gobby moved towards the center of the dome and quickly lost sight of the edge. It was as if the Dark Forest didn’t even exist. The closer he got to the center, the more beautiful and pleasant the scenery became. Gobby heard a noise and quickly looked over only to see someone else there with him. That green skin and hair, was that a goblin? Was that what he looked like.

“It’s me,” the adorable girl said, “We followed you in.”

“Gabby?” Gobby asked.

“Gubby is here too,” she confirmed.

He saw a short and stubby, but still cute, green person lagging a little behind. Behind Gubby, he saw other unfamiliarly cute and pretty green faces beginning to gather. As the number grew, Gobby realized every goblin in the Dark Forest must have gathered. It was clear what they were thinking. He was thinking it too. At the center of this dome must be a powerful being. A being powerful enough to become the Great One they had all been waiting for.

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The group of goblins slowly converged on the center and caught sight of what appeared to be a human in the clearing. It had white hair with uneven streaks of gray, and the skin was wrinkled and gently sagged. Could this elderly human be the cause of the magical dome? Gobby was a little skeptical until he locked eyes with her. The power she held in her gaze was unmistakable. Most importantly, her gaze showed no sign of distaste.

She called herself the Grand Mother. That made her the Great Mother. There was only one more test to make sure. If she truly was meant to be their Great Mother the scepter would react. Gobby made eye contact with Gabby and Gubby and they nodded. They took her to their home and led her into the space created specifically for the Great One. In that space was a mystical staff.

Gobby had to adjust to the new environment that changed as she moved into it. Their pathetic and crumbling cave system had been restored the moment it entered the range of her dome. Not only that, but the blackened staff that had been made from the cursed dark wood of the forest had become more of a polished hardwood in appearance. The twists and curves became smooth instead of warped.

Gabby handed the staff and the reaction was instant. The stone, now a polished and pleasant green, glowed with a steady light. There was no doubt this was the Great Mother. What they hadn’t expected was for her gaze to turn stern as she watched their celebration.

“You should know, it’s not very nice to test an old woman,” she scolded. That is how the lecture that told them all their new rules of living began. The first rule? Respect your elders.

There was only one problem. Whenever any of the goblins left the safety of the dome, they returned to their previous appearances. So did the haunted surroundings of the Dark Forest. Gobby couldn’t help but feel it was good that there would never be any risk of their Great Mother seeing this. After all, she was the core of the dome, and it went wherever she did.

==========

The children of the forest were so well behaved, but Gertrude had not seen the slightest sign of a fully grown dryad or other forest spirit. Was that the way of this world? Gertrude couldn’t help but feel sorry for the children. They were all so eager to please her, and had even offered her a place to stay. In that case, why turn it down? She would live here and take care of the children as much as they took care of her. First things first, improving the living arrangements.

The children were all very resourceful. One trio was especially creative. She learned their names were Gobby, Gabby, and Gubby. Gabby was good at finding things they could use for better bedding and clothes. Gobby was good at finding tools and building supplies. Gubby was a master at finding food. The other children learned quickly, as well.

With their help, Gertrude was able to make sure all of the children had a nice bed to sleep in, some kind of door to protect them from the dangers outside, and even a kitchen just outside her own dwelling. None of the children knew how to cook, but that was one job Gertrude was confident she could do.

It was amazing how easy it was to settle into this place. It had been a while since she had felt useful, needed, and wanted. Not only that, she had the energy to be able to accomplish the things she wanted to do again. She got to experiment with new foods and ingredients. She hated to admit it, but perhaps this was better than the retirement home life she had planned out.

Gubby brought over another treat as she thought. It was some kind of fruit this time that reminded her of an apple. The food she had been able to make had been tasty, but she missed baking more than anything. The apple brought back memories of her favorite apple pie. She decided it would have to be another goal of hers to find all the ingredients she needed for a nice pie.

“Have you ever heard of sugar?” she asked Gubby just in case. As expected he looked confused. “It is sweet and delicious.”

Gubby nodded. “I’ll find it,” he promised, looking very serious for such a small child.

Gertrude described sugar as best as she could remember. “Anything very sweet will do,” she assured him, “It doesn’t have to be sugar.” She had almost mentioned honey, but she didn’t want Gubby to get stung because of her. Perhaps she should have mentioned maple syrup instead?