Gorx moved through the dense forest, cautious and agile as always. Though careful, he maintained a brisk pace, for it was not the first time he had ventured through these woods. After years of daily back and forth, every twist and turn was etched in his memory, so much so that the journey had almost become a playground.

Near the dark cave, in which he had no interest in exploring, Gorx would try to pass as quietly as possible to not rouse its dwellers. After the cave, he would meet the serpent. A massive gnarled root that he would leap over and dodge. And if an unusual stone or plant caught his eye, he would collect it to be stashed in his buried bag that was hidden away from the shifty eyes of other goblins.

There was also his beloved rope.

A rope woven from various vines was dangling at the cliff’s edge. Though thin and frayed, it easily supported his meager body, offering a joyful climb and a shortcut that allowed him to shorten his commute.

Gorx gripped the rope, and pulled himself up. After climbing the small cliff, he continued his journey along the stony slope.

In almost no time, he reached the most enchanting part of his journey, where a sea of orange leaves rustled in the breeze, bathed under the crimson sun. Birds filled the forest, singing a song Gorx recognized. And towards the east there was the little green goblins that wandered around to-

Goblins?

Gorx’s eyes widened and instinctively crouched down, hoping he hadn’t been seen.

In his haste, the bag fell over his face, releasing a wave of the familiar musty scent of mushrooms that help settle his rattled senses.

A moment later, Gorx slowly raised his head and saw that the goblins were staring in his direction. Thankfully, there were no other movements. His tense shoulders relaxed slightly as he studied them.

Gorx couldn't tell their age at this distance, but since one of them was jumping and moving in a crazed manner, they couldn't be too old, as old goblins didn't jump as a rule. It also meant Gorx wouldn't be able to outrun them. Though nimble, he wasn't particularly fast.

The goblins were talking among themselves, when Gorx noticed that they looked rather familiar. As he continued to watch the goblins, he finally remembered who those three goblins were.

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Clact, Ninxa, and Pert. The three annoying thieves.

He hadn't met them since they were old enough to be assigned the duties of the tribe. After all, he only visited the tribe to deliver his mushrooms. And when he did, he would make sure to do so when most goblins were out and about. So he only remembered them from his memories, which consisted of getting beaten and having his food stolen.

Gorx looked down at his makeshift bag hanging at the side.

Mushrooms aside, he had no intention of letting them steal the blue stone he had found today. It was bigger and smoother than his other stones. As he pondered whether he should bury his gem or not, he heard the birds fluttering and noticed the goblins started running towards him.

After a brief hesitation, Gorx jumped to his feet to take off in full sprint towards the opposite direction, where the sun was setting.

He dashed, ignoring the shrieks coming from behind and concentrating on not falling. As he knew that a single mistake was enough to get him caught. He had experienced it in the past, and remembered it as another bad experience he would rather not repeat.

Twigs snapped and leaves crackled as Gorx sprinted through the forest. Feeling slightly safer in the dense forest area, he pondered whether to risk running back where he came from. He knew the path. He would move faster than these three goblins. But it meant he needed to make a sharp turn, and cause the gap to drop to a dangerous length.

Gorx noticed the three goblins were still after him, and were slightly faster than him.

He had to do something before it was too late.

First, he pondered whether he could hide his bags, but thought otherwise, as goblins were close enough to see him.

Then, he thought about where he could go. Tribe wasn’t an option, not since when he would be given a good beating before his meal. He knew that he wasn’t exactly popular back at his tribe, and would rather take a beating from the three young goblins than grownups who were too eager to find a reason to beat him.

The only logical place to go was toward the setting sun, where his friend lived. He only now noticed that he was already moving towards her as he ran away.

But could she help him?

Maybe.

And what if goblins hurt his friend?

He had never seen a goblin hurt a human. When he was younger, Gorx had been taken to raid a human village where his friend once lived. Though he couldn't remember everything, he recalled that goblins never harmed a human back at the village.

Nevertheless, he wouldn't take the goblins to his friend's. This wasn't a human village, but a forest where no other humans lived.

Gorx knew the best option was to return to the tribe. Maybe his luck would change and he would be protected for bringing the mushrooms? Even though he knew this was an unlikely scenario, he had no other choice.

As Gorx scanned the trees, searching for the quickest path back to the tribe, a rustle from the undergrowth caught his attention. Under his puzzled gaze a figure emerged from the forest.

It was his new friend, the old human lady.