Daggat slept through the day. When he woke, he found Klaw curled next to him. Somehow they were in a small crook under a large tree root. A small emergency shelter. Daggat realized Klaw must had dragged him here. He remembered the look Klaw gave him, and felt shame burn at him. He shook Klaw awake.

Klaw looked at him with emotionless eyes, but refused to talk to him. They decided to move on.

The air was particularly crisp that night, and the fog dripped from the plant-life. Every movement set off Daggat’s panic. The warg had not found them. Or was it just waiting to feast on their fear once again.

Despite his weariness, the monster seemed to arrive out of nowhere.

Through the mist, two golden pinpricks of light began to glow. The two gremlins screamed and scrambled back as the wolf emerged, jaws vibrating in a deep growl. Memories of the wargs plagued his thoughts. He knew it. KNEW IT. It was waiting for them. But this wolf was not black, it had gray fur. Nor did its eyes glow red, rather a yellow or gold.

It leaned in slowly, as if to simply eat them like carrion, rather than attack. Quick as a viper, Klaw struck. He raked his claws across the wolves face, lines of blood ran from the wounds. It snarled in pain, then it bared it’s teeth to attack. But the gremlins were already running. By some miracle, they stayed together. Without a path to follow, they were forced to duck, weave, and jump over fallen branches, ferns, and other natural debris. For the first time in his life, Daggat was glad to be so small.

Daggat nearly tripped over a large root, but then hands grabbed him and pulled. Klaw had pulled Daggat into a small hole under the root. Similar to the one they had rested in. “Shhhh…” he said, finger to his lips. Klaw was smiling wildly at his blood covered claw.

Rather than hearing movement, Daggat seemed to feel the presence of the wolf. Shapes moved in the thick, dark fog. “Come out, little ones. We won’t hurt you.” A voice said. It was muffled by the fog, but sounded deep and menacing. A trap, obviously. This confirmed it, they were wargs. Wolves couldn’t speak. It’s fur was silver, not the wargs nearly pitch black. But, that meant nothing. Wargs might be able to change their fur color to match their environment or they might have some other mutation.

The gremlins desperately tried to stay quiet and not think of their fate. Just when Daggat thought they might be safe, a hand darted into the hole. It grabbed the first gremlin it made contact with, Klaw, and dragged him into the fog. His screeching yell grated at their ears as they darted out. Risking it, Daggat glanced behind him just in time to see an armored figure twice Klaw’s size drag him, kicking and struggling.

Daggat activated his gaze. This drew the attention of the figure. It was a goblin. Gobma must have tracked them down somehow. “Drop it!” He commanded. While the goblin did not do as he demanded, it loosened it’s grip. Klaw managed to slip the grasp like a wet cat.

They sprinted away together from the cursing goblin. He glanced at Klaw while they ran, ignoring the sounds of pursuit from at least three creatures. Tears streaked down a mask of terror. He was panting, just as Daggat was. The two darted through a tangle of roots and branches, leapt over a stream, and scampered across the corpse of a fallen tree. Their path was more difficult for the much larger wolves. Slowly, the sound of pursuit faded away. They huddled under another log to catch their breath.

“Klaw… we can’t… can’t let them get away with this!” Daggat said between breaths. Klaw was resting a hand on the log, also panting. A centipede crawled over it. Klaw noticed, and he quickly ate it.

“Zuss. Glut. Those… BASTARDS are a part of it. Gobma’s buddies to track us down.” He chewed the critter with rage. “Who were they? Did you see?”

“Wargs. And I didn’t get a clear view of the goblin. I think you’re right. They are hunting us.”

“I am going to tear them limb from limb when I catch them.” He swiped at the log, leaving three deep grooves cut into the surface. Then he slumped down. “Do… do you think she’s dead?”

“No,” He lied, “She’s our sister. It’s going to take more than that to take her out. I bet he left her to chase us, then she crawled away. You know how stubborn she is!”

“Yeah, you’re right!” He smiled, showing all of his teeth. “What’s the plan? I know you have one. You ALWAYS have one.”

Daggat smiled, his eyes beginning to swirl. “Yeah, I’ve got an idea.”

A short time latter, Daggat stood alone in the middle of the forest. The massive trees that dominated the land seemed to stretch into infinity. The fog somehow seemed to thicken. Thick fog settled into the forest from the west, only to crash into the mountains to the east, then thicken even more so as they climbed higher. The towering trees seemed to drink it in, dripping with condensation a few hours after sundown. Thus, Daggat was used to it. He learned to see past the fog, not looking for specific details, but large shapes within the low clouds. That’s what he watched for.

Daggat began to weep. At first, it was a amateur theatrical performance, but then the loss and fear settled in. He felt alone. Maybe his plan was a bad one after all. Before he could run and hide once more, however, he sensed the prowling movement of a predator through the fog. It growled while it approached, three cuts still visible on its face. Next to it, walked a goblin. The goblin was unfamiliar to Daggat. His skin was more blue than green, and he was covered in a strange coat of dark scales. They seemed to ripple like oil on water. In one hand, he held a spear-like harpoon. It was pointed down while his free hand was open in a sign of peace.

“Calm, down… I just want to talk. No need to drag this out, kid.” Said the goblin. It was the same voice as before. This was not part of the plan, but he had to try anyway. Daggat activated his gaze. The fog enhanced the glow effect of his eyes as he stood taller. The effect would have been more impressive if his face wasn’t covered in tears, snot, and mud.

“Look upon my eyes… relax.” Daggat said in a soothing voice. They did. Surprise was evident on his face, and the wolf cocked its head to the side. That was when Klaw attacked. He was hidden not far.

The plan was simple. Daggat would be bait. As much as he loathed to put himself in danger, he was the one with the hypnotic gaze. He thought of Glut and Zuss. They were his family. More so, to Daggat, they were his underlings. At least, to Daggat’s way of seeing things. It was his responsibility to avenge them. Gobma was not here, but these will be a fine first step.

Klaw leapt from a tree, roaring. His claws were outstretched and primed to rip out the goblins throat. The goblin, almost casually, slammed the but of his harpoon down on the flying gremlin. Daggat’s gaze had no effect at all. Klaw hit the ground, hard. He didn’t bounce, nor did he get up. The warrior had an almost sheepish expression on his face. “Sorry about that.”

Daggat backed away and stumbled into a tree. Not a tree, actually, it was too smooth. Looming over him was an armored goblin. It grabbed Daggat by the ears and lifted him up.

He cried and struggled, ears burning with pain. He was proud of his ears. Most gremlins had ripped holes in them, tore them, or had bite marks from the mud pits. His were spotless. He was surprised to realize, he was more worried about his ears being damaged than his own life. Through blurred vision, a third goblin approached. A female holding a strung bow in one hand. By her side came another wolf. This one was sleek with a white patch on its face.

Klaw made a snorting sound. He was alive! Daggat looked carefully and saw the subtle rise and fall of Klaw’s chests. Relief flooded through him, and he stopped struggling. The harpoon wielder approached him.

“Talk.”

He babbled, unable to collect his thoughts into words. The goblin was built well and was menacing. A face of scars and eyes shining with cold intelligence. This warrior was more impressive and intimidating than any of the clan leaders. He gently took Daggat from the armored goblin and placed him on the forest floor. “Calm down. We are not going to hurt you. What are you doing out here so late at night?” Daggat dragged his wits together.

“Taking a night stroll?” He offered. The goblin huffed

“Do the Head Takers let their gremlin wander at night?” Daggat realized why these goblins were unfamiliar. They were not from his tribe. There was a theoretical existence of two other goblin tribes. He had never given it much thought. These goblins didn’t look the same as the others. Their skin was more of a silvery blue than green. His whole body shook. Outsiders had found them. A beating was what he expected if they were caught. Now, Daggat saw his death looming. Why wouldn’t they kill them? They were enemy goblins, after all.

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“What are we going to do with them?” Asked the archer. The warrior sighed deeply.

“They are kids… but I don’t fancy the head takers knowing we are scouting the area. Kill them? Let them go? Take them with us?” He mused over the options.

“So many options… Letting them go would be the same as killing them. Wargs are thick tonight, and the Head Takers prowl.”

Daggat finally found the courage to speak. “Who are you?” The goblin threw his spear. It dug into the earth behind Daggat, right in front of a fleeing Klaw. He had woken and took the opportunity to run away. Klaw stopped in his tracks, then slowly turned around. The spear then disappeared with a flash. It reappeared in the goblins hand.

“Don’t go anywhere. We aren’t done with you. Scouts from the Silver Wolf. Your tribe has been attacking humans. Not good for our image. Do you know why?”

“They’re, what, six years old? Don’t bother. Let’s just leave them.”

“Wait! I know.” If what they said about the wargs was true, then he didn’t want to be left to face them. He didn’t trust these goblins, not in the slightest. But, there was an opportunity here. “A human attacked our village. Slew dozens of us. So Rika retaliated.”

“What human. From where?”

“Samuel Ackland. Guard captain of Fountwich.”

“How do you know this?” He glared at Daggat suspiciously.

“I watch. I listen.” Daggat gulped. “Same as you. I presume.”

“This kid knows too much. Speaks too well. It’s a trap.” She rested an arrow on her bow. “We should kill them.”

“No! It’s not a trap. I…” Was there a way out of this without revealing to much? Daggat couldn’t see one. Fighting them was suicide and they were surrounded. No escape. “I’m a variant. My intelligence is ten points higher than a normal gremlins. That’s why I can pick up on these things.”

“We need to move. We shouldn’t stay in one place for long. Just kill them now, it would be kinder.” This was a deeper voice. It was the armored goblin.

“If what he says is true, he could have valuable information. We need to figure out Rika’s plan. Grab them, then we go.” The gremlins scattered like mice before cats. But these cats were faster, smarter, and more experienced. In short order, both gremlins were held by these scouts. Klaw put up a fight, but even his claws did nothing against the armored goblin. They began to run expertly through the mist.

“Wait! Please you can’t kill us.” The goblin ignored him. He was being held tightly. “We are in a party. They will know if we die and can track us.” The warrior snapped his eyes at him, scowling.

“Then leave your party. Or we will kill you now.” Daggat already had a response planned.

“Well, hold on. You seem reasonable. We can come to a deal. You don’t want to be revealed. If we leave the party AFTER we leave our territory, then it will look like we simply ran from home. Let us do that, then I will tell you everything.” The wolf came to a stop. Daggat was lifted to look at the warrior in the eyes.

“You are clever, for a gremlin. But, why would you be willing to talk. Do you not have a sense of loyalty? Convince me” Daggat took a deep breath as they slowed. The others went on ahead.

“My day goes like this. I wake up and rush to find the party leader. If I am slow, he beats me. Then, I work for several hours of hard labor. If I am too slow, he beats me. Then, I am let loose to fend for myself. We get to find food ourselves. If we find some and a goblin fancies it, it takes it. Our choices are to eat rats, maggots, and mysterious meat or starve. Then, we do it all again the next day. I am five years old, but blessed with my mighty intellect. My brother here is forced to rummage in confusion with no guidance or help from anyone else. We are out here because my party leader was jealous of me, and fed my crew to a drake. My other brother… and sister… well, We have no loyalty to our tribe.” The warrior was slack jawed in disgust and astonishment. “Why would we help our chief?” Daggat felt good after laying it all out. Like a weight was taken from his shoulders.

“That… is that truly how they treat their young? What of your mother? Father?”

“Father could be anyone. My mother is bred like a pig. I have dozens of siblings and I don’t know who they are.”

“They breed… wait, your tribe must be exploding with gremlins then. How many are there?”

“Oh, gremlins outnumber the goblins. Food is a current issue.”

“Stop chatting, let’s get somewhere safer.” It was the armored warrior. Klaw was struggling in his grip, and glut was tied to the back of the wolf.

“Look, kid. We can take you somewhere safer. Just leave your party, and we can take care of you.”

“Trade, like I said. Take me somewhere safe, then I will leave the party.” Daggat’s eyes began to twirl and grow. The warrior looked thoughtful, but wasn’t bothered by his gaze.

“Fine. But, we are going to talk latter. A lot. Don’t bother with your trick, it only works on lower leveled opponents. Good try, though.”

Daggat was about to reply, when he felt eyes on him. Two red glows hung in the fog. “Behind me!” The warrior jumped off his wolf, between Daggat and the Warg. It lurked out of the fog, canine teeth pulled back into a grin.

“Daggat… good to see you again.” Saliva dripped from its jaws. “And you brought a full meal with you.”

“This was a trap!” The warrior growled. Daggat’s hopes of surviving the night disappeared. Then, he threw his spear. Dodging to one side, the warg dashed forward laughing. It slammed into the warrior jaws first. He was pushed back, both hands holding back its jaws. Daggat had to dive out of the way as the warrior dropped, rolled back, and kicked the warg. It hit the ground with a heavy thump, then was on its feet in a moment.

Cruel laughter, snapping jaws, and the sounds of heavy impacts signaled the others were fighting as well. The spear was somehow back in the warriors hand. The two clashed at each other again. With every thrust of the spear, the warg dodged. Each snap of the jaws was equally avoided. But, slowly, the warg advanced. Pushing back the goblin until he would be cornered. Then the silver wolf dove into the fight. When the warg noticed, it snarled and cried “Traitor!”. The wolf tackled the larger warg from the side, sending them both rolling. They snarled at bit at one another.

The warrior held his harpoon, ready to strike. There was no opening. Daggat saw the opportunity. If he helped with the fight, maybe the warrior would believe it wasn’t a trap. He activated his hypnotic gaze, careful not to look at the warrior. The effect was subtle. It held no sway over the stronger wolves, but it did still draw their attention. For a brief moment, both wolves looked into his swirling gaze. The lull in their fight was just long enough for a single thrust.

The warg yelped as the harpoon was buried in its chest, nearly a foot deep. Then, it was gone. Melting into the mist and shadow. The warg had fled.

The warrior turned to Daggat, furry evident on his face. His spear appeared in his hand, dripping blood. “I knew this was a trap. Prepare for the endless war, Kid. Better luck next time.” He lifted the weapon, then the wolf barked. The two shared a look. “Moss says you helped. That true?”

“I used hypnotic gaze to distract it for you! I didn’t know he was here, but I have a beef with him. I think he was hunting me, and was going to ambush use. Please, it wasn’t a trap! Well, it was. But not mine!” He looked conflicted.

“I swear, if you are lying to me…” He growled. Then ran to help with the other fight.

By the time Daggat made his way to the fight, it was over. One warg lay dead, its head crushed. Klaw was huddling behind a tree. Daggat rushed to his side, adjusting the book so it wouldn’t fall.

“Are you alright?” He asked. He didn’t seem injured, well, more injured.

“What are we going to do! These guys… they are strong. Like, REALLY strong.” Klaw was near hyperventilating.

“Calm down. Look, we just got to stay together. I am not going to lie to you, I do NOT have a plan right now.”

“Let’s run, then. They’re distracted.” Klaw was already standing up, then winced. His wrist was broken. Was that from the goblin or something else? That was not important.

“Wait. Hear me out.” Daggat took a moment to collect his thoughts. “We… don’t have much back at the camp. No other friends, no real booty. Just Gobma’s work. We are all that matters, right? The crew.” He nodded. “We have something they want. We can turn on the bastards that beat us day in and day out. Let’s use our knowledge to our advantage, then get out when its safer.”

“What are you saying, exactly?”

“Go with the flow. Let’s stick with these guys. He said he would help us, if we helped him.” The goblins were talking amongst themselves. Whatever they were saying, it was leading into an argument. “I promise, as long as we don’t do anything stupid, we can make it out of this.”

“Daggat, if you are wrong about this, I will rip you to shreds myself. I haven’t forgotten what you did back there.” That shook Daggat. How badly had he ruined Klaw’s trust, exactly?

Daggat stepped from the wagon, arms raised in a show of peace.

“… can’t risk it. No one wants full blown war between us.”

“They are already AT war with the humans, we need to help.”

Daggat cleared his throat. The three goblins looked at him.

“I have a suggestion.”

“You lured us to a trap, just shut up while we decide how to kill you.” The armored goblin pointed a massive hammer at him.

“It wasn’t a trap! Well, it was. For me, not you. I can tell you everything you want to know about the head takers. On the condition you don’t kill us, and take us somewhere safe.”

“Bragg, even if this was a trap, we can still take them and question them.” The warrior spoke gently.

“Fine. Let’s get back to camp.” Bragg, the armored goblin, pulled out rope from a pack. “But I am tying them up.”

Daggat

True Name: Daggat

Soul: Monster

Genseed: gremlin

Monster Level: 4

Attributes [0]:

Strength: 6

Dexterity: 7

Constitution: 7

Intelligence: 16

Will: 6

Charm: 7

Feats:

Encounter: True Angel

Act: Fledgling Alchemist

Knowledge: System Knowledge

Ability: Mighty Intellect

Skills[1]:

Alchemy: 1

System Aptitude: 1

Biotraits [0]:

Base size: Tiny

Regenerative Teeth

Enhanced Night Vision

Rot Resistance

Dominating Gaze*

Other:

Variant: +10 Intelligence

Klaw

True Name: Klaw

Soul: Monster

Genseed: gremlin

Monster Level: 3

Attributes [0]:

Strength: 7

Dexterity: 6

Constitution: 5

Intelligence: 4

Will: 5

Charm: 5

Feats:

Knowledge: System Knowledge

Skills[0]:

System Aptitude: 1

Biotraits [0]:

Base size: Tiny

Regenerative Teeth

Enhanced Night Vision

Rot Resistance

Forged Claws*