Chaos reigned in the nursing home as María burst into the common room, Pícaro clutched tightly to her chest. The elderly residents, terrified by the goblin attack, had barricaded themselves inside following Jaime's instructions. A hush fell over the room at the sight of María and the creature.

Elías, who had been helping to reinforce the windows, froze. His usually kind eyes filled with a mixture of horror and rage as they locked onto Pícaro.

"María... what have you done?" he whispered, his voice quivering.

Aware of the urgency, María attempted to push past him. "There's no time for explanations, Elías. We need to act now."

But Elías grabbed her arm, his face contorted with pain and anger. "How could you? How could you bring one of those... beasts here?"

"Elías, please," María pleaded, "Pícaro is different. He can help us."

"Help us?" Elías let out a bitter laugh that sent chills down María's spine. "Like they 'helped' my son? Have you forgotten, María? Have you forgotten how those creatures tore my little boy apart?"

The other residents watched in stunned silence, torn between their fear of the attacking goblins outside and the shock of seeing one so close.

María felt her heart constrict. "Elías, I'm so sorry. I know you lost your son, but Pícaro is just a baby. He's not responsible for that."

"They're all the same!" Elías shouted, tears of rage streaming down his weathered cheeks. "They grow up to become monsters! We should kill it now!"

Pícaro, sensing the hostility, shrank back and emitted a soft whimper of fear. María instinctively shielded him with her body.

"Enough!" Lucía intervened, stepping between María and Elías. Her voice cut through the tension like a knife. "We don't have time for this. The goblins are tearing the nursing home apart. If María says this little one can help, we should give it a chance."

Jaime nodded, though cautiously. "Lucía's right. We can't wait any longer. Who knows if we'll hold out until the guards arrive? They haven't been seen in days. We need to act now."

Elías looked around, searching for support, but found himself alone in his anger. With a frustrated growl, he backed away. "Do what you want, María. But if that thing betrays us, it's on you."

María wasted no more time. With Pícaro still clinging to her, she rushed towards the nursing home's main entrance. "Jaime, Lucía, I need you to keep everyone safe in here. I'm going to try something."

♢♢♢♢

Outside, chaos unfolded. Goblins, larger and fiercer than Pícaro, were destroying the garden and hurling rocks at the windows. María took a deep breath and pulled out one of her last five magic crystals.

"I hope this works," she muttered, concentrating intensely. With a flash of light, a semi-transparent barrier formed around her and Pícaro.

"Alright, little one," María said, placing Pícaro on the ground in front of her. "I need you to try and communicate with them. Make them understand we don't want to fight."

Pícaro looked up at María with his large eyes, then at the attacking goblins. He let out a series of squeaks and grunts, trying to capture their attention.

At first, the attacking goblins seemed to take no notice. But gradually, some began to pause, looking curiously towards the barrier where María and Pícaro stood.

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"It's working," María whispered, hope rising in her chest.

But her relief was short-lived. A particularly large goblin, likely the leader, approached with a menacing growl. Pícaro squealed louder, as if pleading.

The goblin leader seemed to hesitate for a moment, his gaze alternating between Pícaro and María. For an instant, María thought they had succeeded.

Then, the sound of horns echoed in the distance. The border guards were arriving.

Panic seized the attacking goblins. Some began to flee, while others, enraged by the arrival of human reinforcements, intensified their attack.

"No, no, no!" María cried, watching her plan crumble. "Pícaro, try one more time!"

But it was too late. The border guards burst onto the scene, their magic crystals glowing with power. They launched offensive spells at the goblins, who shrieked in pain and fear.

María, desperate, grabbed Pícaro and hid him under her shawl. The barrier she had created began to fade as her crystal's power waned.

"Stop!" she shouted, trying to make herself heard above the chaos. "Stop! We can resolve this without violence!"

But her voice was lost in the tumult. The guards advanced relentlessly, crushing the goblins with their superior military magic.

♢♢♢♢

After the guards' crushing victory, María's hope sank. Realizing there would be trouble if the guards saw her, she retreated, seeking a safe place to hide with Pícaro. She spotted the open door and headed towards it, hoping to slip by unnoticed in the confusion.

However, just as she thought she had made it, she heard a voice that chilled her blood.

"She's there!" Elías shouted, pointing directly at María. "She has a goblin with her!"

María turned, incredulous, to see Elías standing next to the guards, his face a mask of pain and betrayal.

"Elías, please," María begged, but it was useless.

Two guards approached quickly, their crystals glowing menacingly. "Ma'am, hand over the creature immediately," one of them ordered.

María clutched Pícaro to her chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You can't take him. He's just a baby. He hasn't done anything wrong."

"That thing is dangerous," Elías interjected, stepping closer. "María, please, come to your senses. Those monsters killed my son. You can't protect one of them."

"Elías," María said, her voice breaking with emotion, "I know you're suffering. But Pícaro isn't like the others. He saved my life. If you'd just give him a chance..."

"A chance?" Elías let out a bitter laugh. "Like the chance they gave my son? No, María. This ends here."

The guards moved closer, and María knew she was cornered. She looked at Pícaro, who was watching her with eyes full of fear and trust.

"I'm sorry, little one," she whispered. "I've failed you."

Just as the guards were about to snatch Pícaro away, a voice rang out over the chaos.

"Stop!"

Everyone turned to see Jaime, limping towards them with the help of his cane. "You have to listen. This goblin... Pícaro... is different."

"Sir, step aside," one of the guards warned. "This is not your concern."

"On the contrary," Jaime insisted. "It's all of our concern. I've seen how María has cared for this creature. I've seen her try to communicate with the other goblins to stop the attack. If there's a chance for peace, however small, shouldn't we take it?"

The guards hesitated at what they heard, looking at each other. Peace with the goblins? Elías seemed conflicted, his anger wrestling with Jaime's words.

"Ma'am," one of the guards finally said, "you'll have to come with us. And bring your... pet. Our superiors will want to question you."

María nodded slowly, knowing it was the best she could hope for at that moment. "Alright. We'll go with you. But please, don't hurt him."

As the guards escorted María and Pícaro away, Elías approached. His face was a mixture of conflicting emotions.

"María," he said quietly, "I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you for this. But... I hope you're right and you don't die because of that creature. For your sake... and for the sake of all of us who care about you."

María gave him a look of understanding and sadness. "I'm sorry, Elías. I truly am. I hope that someday you'll see that not all goblins are the same, just as not all humans are..."

As they walked away, María looked back one last time. She saw Jaime and Lucía watching her with concern, Elías visibly struggling with his emotions, and the rest of the nursing home residents with expressions ranging from fear to curiosity.

"Whatever happens," María said, gently squeezing Pícaro, "at least we've given them something to think about."

With that hope in her heart, María allowed herself to be led away by the guards, towards an uncertain future.