“I don’t particularly care.” Bella grunted, raising her fist. “If that asshole touches me again I’m knocking his teeth out.”

Mark sighed. Not that he didn’t believe her, she stood a head taller than him and weighed just as much. She was all muscle to his fat, though they got along well enough. “Attacking a coworker is likely to get you fired.”

“What, you think I should put up with it?” The heat in her voice made him raise a placating hand, lowering his tone. “No, but better to do it after work. Castrate him, for all I care, but if you get fired I have to train your replacement. It’s a pain.”

She laughed, loud and cheerful, and for the third time today he contemplated printing out a psych form and seeing how many boxes she ticked. “Dark bastard. Come on, lunch’s almost over. You’re going to show me how to weld, right?”

“Plasma cutting, sure.” He stood, scraping his chair loudly, and put his tray away. “If you cut any fingers off I have to pay Derek twenty bucks, so try to avoid that.”

----------------------------------------

Pride had, in his opinion, mellowed out some. Sure, he was prickly at the best of times, and letting him take charge was needed to maintain his good mood, but overall he was just a normal person.

The edge his voice carried now sobered Mark from any levity Lust had conjured, turning to him. Kreek picked up on it too, hissing to the captain.

“I did not.” He stated, matching Pride as the man stalked closer. Envy was beside him, eager to follow as usual, but to Mark’s surprise Wrath was hanging back. Pride didn’t seem to notice. “All I did was agree to take a somewhat central role in their unification, after discovering I, and indeed we all, can awaken them to the system.”

“That runt seems eager to fight.” Pride nodded to Ozz, who, while staying back, didn’t seem interested in cowering. “And you don’t get to decide such things on your own, Gluttony.”

Mark frowned, walking closer still. Envy hissed, actually, non ironically, hissed. His frown deepened. “I don’t think I agreed to any such notions, Pride. Where it concerns the group, we vote. This does not.”

Envy turned, leeding Mark’s eyes to where Lust was stalking around them, and it distracted her enough Pride left her behind. He didn’t seem to notice. “You, Gluttony, are not our leader.”

“Neither are you.” He countered. “We don’t have one, that was the whole point of the voting system. It means we can do as we wish, as long as our actions do not impact the group as a whole. Does me teaching goblins how to build and organise impact you, Pride?”

The man snorted. “And what makes you so qualified to do that?”

“I worked in a scrapyard, if you need to know. I’ve taught more people to work together and not kill themselves doing it than I care to remember. Do we have a problem here?”

His hand itched closer to his pouch, a giant and boar meat ready to be consumed, and Pride laughed mockingly. “I think we do. Wrath?”

Wrath joined him, Mark cursing internally. Keeping his body language relaxed was the best he could do, knowing the both of them could take him easily enough. One, sure. Both?

“Leave me out of it.” She grunted, moving into the village proper. “And keep your dick measuring to yourselves. Got any food in this place?”

Mark watched her walk past Pride as the man glared. “I’ll ask one more time, Pride. Do we have a problem?”

Pride let go of his sword. “I guess not.”

“Kill or hurt any of the goblins, and you answer to me.” Mark said, knowing it wasn’t the wisest thing to say. Pride’s jaw tightened, not responding as he walked past him. Envy joined, freeing Lust to slide up as both Pride and Envy disappeared into the village.

“And you wonder why they want you in charge.”

He snorted. “Good by comparison, eh? Don’t get too brainy with your insults, people might begin to suspect you’re not just a pretty face.”

“Ha ha.” She said evenly. “I’m serious. If you had to be ruled, to get access to the system or for whatever reason, I’d pick you over him.”

Mark shot her a look, half suprise and half smile. “Thanks.”

Walking back into the village saw Kreek approaching, his face even. ‘Thank god he stopped with that cowering please-don’t-hurt-us look. Made me feel horrid.’

“Wrath is eating our winter supplies.”

“Then she’s not picking fights, so I’d say you won on that account. Keep a few eyes on Envy and Pride?”

Kreek snapped his fingers, hissing words as young kids scampered off. Mark spoke before they could disappear. “And send for me if they do something. Those two will cut their way through this village without breaking a sweat.”

“No offence.” He added to Kreek.

The goblin shrugged. “It is true.”

Mark cracked his back, looking over the houses. “I suppose the builder I awakened has the construction under control?”

A nod. “Good. So, and please interrupt me if I’m assuming something that isn’t true, what’s the biggest problem? You said you breed quickly, horrid as that is to say, but there can’t be more than half a thousand here.”

“Food.” Kreek said passionately. “Always food. The hunters gather the most, but it is a rare day they find enough to sustain us. Awakening more warriors would help, but that won’t fix the problem.”

“No.” Mark agreed. “So we practise what makes humanity thrive. Farming.”

“The ground is hard.” Kreek warned. “And while water is plentiful the temperature does not permit much growth.”

“Set a few hands to try. We might get lucky and awaken some farmers, and who knows what the class might let us do.”

Kreek nodded, frowning with thought, and Mark continued without pause. “Same for bakers, miners, teachers and healers. Anything you can think of, things that the system would grant to the races, we will try as well. No sense in reinventing the wheel, yes?”

“Yes.” The goblin agreed, smiling. His frown was gone. “I know of some. Those that don't fit in, that don’t wish to forage or hunt. It will take time. You will need to work with them, I suspect.”

“Perhaps. For now, have them practise as best they can. I’ll take Ozz and the others on another hunt, see what we can do to awaken more. Meat will tide us over, for now.”

Another nod, but this time accompanied with a smirk. “How quickly you take charge. Afraid of competition, perhaps?”

“No.” Mark, as much as he wanted to encourage an easy relationship, felt his face go blank. “Envy slid the throat of a princess, someone who was doing everything we told her to. Pride has that feel. The kind that won’t bother boasting when he decides to kill you, and a knife will find you when you sleep. Make no mistake, Kreek, those two are dangerous.”

“Oh. How will I find you if they do something?”

“If I’m out hunting? You won’t. But Greed wants to barter and trade, and he can’t do that if the whole village is dead. He’ll be nominally on your side, same with Sloth. Lust and I can take turns staying in the village, as a deterrent.”

Lust shot him a look, glaring. Mark grinned at her. “I warned you, didn’t I? You put me in charge, I get to give you orders.”

“Or suggestions.” He backpaddled, her hand going to her knife. She smiled. “Savage. Make dirt-covered peasants look like royalty, you do.”

Before long Ozz and his posse surrounded him, all eagerly clamouring to be the first. A grunt from Kreek settled them, some semblance of discipline shining through. “Let’s go again. None of this ‘only one person learns the hand gestures’ stuff.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

It took time, long enough he had to push the hunt to the next day, but after a night's rest Mark led them onwards. Ozz was positively buzzing with energy, chatting with his people as he found and tracked a horde of deer. This part of the mountain seemed covered in them, meaning there was most likely a realm nearby, but Mark put it out of his mind. ‘This first, realm later.’

Two gestures, a closed fist after pointing left and right, and the group split. Mark led one to the right, leaving Ozz to guide those to the left, and after a short moment of looking over the hesitantly shuffling goblins he bade them to begin.

They did so with glee, streaming forwards and catching the deer by surprise. Mark looked them over, snatching a goblin back when she was almost hit, and shook his head. “What good is danger sense if it doesn’t factor in intent?”

His hand shot out, the deer stumbling as his cestus cracked its back leg, and the three goblins chasing it swarmed over it a moment later. More where getting away, they could jump high when they got some speed going, but seven dead deer spread before him. The goblins were dragging them to a pile, Ozz coming over and motioning him to follow.

The gestures were not nearly enough to hold a full conversation, or a stilted one for that matter, but after some miming he got the point. “I'm hunt captain, so the deer belong to me?”

Ozz nodded, not knowing what he was talking about, but Mark bent down and took a bite anyway. His scalp itched again, the goblins gasping and pointing to his head. Mark felt around with his hands, shaking his head. ‘Antlers. Not even that big.’

They didn’t hurt as he tugged at them, Ozz pointing excitedly to Mark’s new head decoration and the other goblins. He shrugged when one of them asked something, gesturing to the pile.

Ozz was the first, slowly approaching the corpses and watching him closely. When Mark didn’t react he took a bite, looking at him questioningly. Mark nodded again, the dozen goblins jumping on the carcasses with barely constrained madness.

He pulled two goblins apart when they started fighting over a leg, shaking his head sternly and pushing both to different deer. They didn’t look starved, though Mark would easily admit to not knowing much, or anything at all, about their physiology, but then he supposed it wasn’t often they got to gorge themselves.

He waited until they finished, leaving most of the corpses ruined but not close to being picked clean, and Ozz screamed something. The others took it up.

Goblin Yalk can be awoken. He will be awoken as Warrior. Continue?

Goblin Besna can be awoken. She will be awoken as Hunter. Continue?

Goblin Osnir can be awoken. He will be awoken as Warrior. Continue?

Goblin Peac can be awoken. She will be awoken as Warrior. Continue?

Goblin -

Mark stopped the flood of notifications with an effort of will, accepting them with another. Surprised shouts and fearful flinches overtook the group, only four of the twelve showing no visible reaction.

He gathered them as Ozz started explaining, patting them on the shoulder as they tried very hard to not show their disappointment. Mark sat down, more than willing to give Ozz time to explain and the awakened goblins time to experiment, and did his best to cheer up the four.

Not easy, though he didn’t know how much that was them not speaking the same language as him sucking at cheering people up, but they looked marginally more happy as Ozz finished and waved at him. “Time to go, then. Another hunt, another chance.”

All but one of the goblins he had taken hunting had awakened by the time they got back, the lone warrior that hadn’t lagging behind the pack. He had been poised to offer some sympathy, some food, but Ozz had beat him to it.

As they got home, the warriors dispersing after a synchronised but unintelligible goodby, Kreek was all too eager to get back to it.

“The sooner we get this done, the better my people will be situated.” He enthused, tapping his writing board.

Mark perked up at that. “An excellent point, my dear friend. Let’s talk about the council and how they can start doing all this sort of stuff for me.”

“Ah.” Kreek visibly shifted gears, nodding. “Very well. Three positions are all but confirmed. The hunters, and warriors, led by captain Killara. Not your biggest supporter, but I talked to her. She’s agreed you’re better than the alternative. Not to worry, she’s a loyal sort by nature. Even if she doesn’t like you much, her job will get done.”

“Tell her physical abuse is off the table.” Mark replied, frowning. “It's a tough job, I get that, but beating your own people for failure will do nothing but create resentment. Ozz will be her second. He’s got talent, knows what it's like to be the little guy.”

Nodding, and making a note, Kreek continued. “The scribes, or more generally speaking record keepers and organisers, will be led by me. Hera is looking for more, just the two of us will be far too few, but training them will take time. Less, if they can get a class early.”

“Sounds fine. Make sure to delegate. Start keeping records for population, resources, wounded. Everything. Too much is better than too little, though make sure you get a good system in place.”

“Already on it. Lastly is the Unawakened, who’ll speak for everyone that doesn’t have a class. If, as I fear, you have to manually awaken every goblin that shows potential there will be a hard limit on the number of awakened. Better to get ahead of that early, make sure they have a voice.”

Mark smiled, pleased. “I like the way you think. Prepare to include one for crafting, building and guards. Captain Killara is better suited to combat, from my limited interaction with her, and internal policing should never be done by soldiers. Also one for the farmers, food is ever important, and diplomacy.”

“I don’t know if we’ll have enough people for that.” Kreek frowned. “But I’ll make the plans.”

“Thanks. Something I wanted to ask you, before you get to that.” The goblin paused, turning around. “You mentioned kingdoms and the like, down the mountain. Give me a short rundown?”

“Oh, that. Four that matter, though there are numerous tribes, city states and bandit kingdoms littered around. The Merchant State is south. A collection of cities bound by military and trade. They field one army, mostly made up from mercenaries, but anyone that has tried to take it in the past hasn’t. The Kelpeir Empire, referred to as the empire by everyone that my six times removed predecessor spoke to, is both highly religious and surprisingly tolerant. It fields the Church, although it's a shadow of its former glory.”

“That the one that collected the good seven?”

“The same. They haven’t fielded an army since their collapse, and most people forbid their clergy from entering their territories. Generosity leads the Greater Horde, a warband having claimed much of the wastes. No one has challenged her for it, and I suspect they won’t. Not until she dies. Not much there, though if my predecessor is to be believed it isn’t a bad place to live.”

“Generosity is a warlord?”

Kreek shrugged. “So she is. Her legend is fierce enough no one wants to awaken her from her retirement. To the east are the People. Not from this world. They opened a portal around a century back and marched through, slaughtered the armies that tried to kill them, and settled where they landed. Strong magic, strange culture. Rumour is they can’t go back, but I wouldn't know.”

“Thanks.” Mark said. “Hopefully they’ll all leave us alone.”

A shrug was his answer, Kreek leaving as Mark idled. ‘Now what?’

“Glutton.” Hera shouted, as if reading his mind. Mark turned, seeing her wave excitedly. “Come, important.”

He followed her as she sprinted past the houses, leaving the village and dragging him to the river. A group of goblins were arguing fiercely over a sad looking plant, seeming to have been forced into the earth. Hera stopped before them, pointing his way.

The group fell silent, their eyes averting as he looked them over. “What's the problem?”

“Problem?” Hera repeated, confused. “No problem. Her, awaken.”

One of the goblins sneaked a look at him, flinching back when he caught her. He raised an eyebrow. ‘That wasn’t fear.’

“She has awoken? On her own?”

Hera shook her head. “Got message. Is stubborn, wants to ask permission.”

“She wants to ask permission before asking me to awaken her? That’s a thing?

Hera shrugged, mumbling something to the goblin. The woman came forward, shoulders hunched. “She is asking if is alright if she become farmer. Yara is strange, messes with plants since she was child.

“Of course.” Mark said, nonplussed. A moment later his status came to life, accepting it with a shrug. “There. All done.”

Yara kneeled, bowing her head so low it was touching the ground. Mark urged her to stand, uncomfortable. “Stand, please. Christ, I need to speak to Kreek. No cult!”

The last bit was directed at Hera, who nodded with big eyes but didn’t seem to understand. “Just, get her what she needs to start farming.”

More nodding, the group crowding around the new awakened as Yara stood. She pushed them back, turning to the plant and ordering something. There was no argument, this time, and the group dispersed as Mark walked back to the village.

“I saw that.” Lust whispered, getting a grunt of surprise in return. She pouted. “This isn’t fun when you barely react.”

“Then stop doing it so much. What, exactly, did you think you saw?”

Lust perked up. “You’re starting a cult. Not what I would have chosen, they’re a bitch to manage, but I’m sure you’ll make it work.”

“I need you to listen to me.” Lust turned, nodding as if serious. “I am not, not, starting a cult.”

“That’s not what Yara is thinking.” She grinned. “She’s thinking on how to best spread her new love for all things Gluttony to her friends. Shouldn't be hard, as one of the few awakened.”

“Is this what you do? Follow me around and eavesdrop?

“Only when I’m bored.” She confirmed. “Sides, I did have something to talk to you about.”

Mark sighed, dreading what was to come. He led the fake horror slide from his face as she turned serious.

“Pride and Envy are gone.”