Chapter 123

Goblin Kind

Abigail

The ship in which Slime-tooth labored was eerily quiet. I squeezed through haphazard corridors and climbed step ladders to navigate through the barrel-filled spaces. There was little light below deck. I was lucky when moonlight pierced the hull or the deck above through slats or between gaps where two different materials adjoined.

The Chameleon Stealth attribute wore off. I now saw my tunic and pants, my boots, and Barnacle-eyes’ most recent letter in my hand. Since Hawkin had found it on Home Camp just this morning, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to scout out Slime-tooth and see what I could do to help him. Oh, Slime-tooth…

Again there were no other goblins. The chaos of barrels would have said otherwise, but that was only because of how hard Slime-tooth labored.

“Slime-tooth?”

He was definitely around. I stumbled upon wet canvas which must have served as bedding. Some of it looked to have been propped as a pillow, the rest lay folded as though to slip in. It was in the middle of the largest hallway. I supposed that if Slime-tooth were by himself, he was able to choose anywhere to sleep. In a gap between barrels I found some of Hawkin’s ethereal bottles which had contained healing and sustenance beers.

“Slime-tooth? I know you’re here.”

The sound of goblin footsteps marched along the upper deck. Obviously not Slime-tooth, but the sudden sound of other goblins echoed through the corridors.

“It’s me, Abigail. I just want to see how you’re doing. I have more sustenance beers for you; more healing beers.”

I held my breath to listen. I swore I could hear goblins bailing water near the hatch at the other end of the cargo hold. I moved on, sweeping room after room.

“There’s something else for you—something special.”

For a brief moment there was silence. I opened a door which produced a long shaking creak. The room was quite dark compared to others.

“I have a letter from Barnacle-eyes.”

Something rustled in the room. The ship yawed and the starboard side was suddenly exposed to the moon. Moonlight came in through slats in the walls of mixed materials. Water sloshed along the floor.

Slime-tooth spoke from the shadows in a corner, and it sounded like he hadn’t used his voice in months. “What’s all this hollering! How’s an old goblin supposed to get any sleep?”

I peered to try and discern him. “Come out, let me see how you’re doing.”

“Oh no. You don’t need to see me. Every time you see me you’ve got something to say. Slime-tooth this; Slime-tooth that. What happened to your fingers? What happened to your eyes? Where did all these scars come from? Are you eating? Is this broken? Is that broken? No thank you! I’ll stay right here. A goblin worries when someone worries over him, and I’ve enough to worry over without worrying you’re worried.”

“Are the healing beers helping?”

“They’re helping to keep me here.”

“Do you have enough food?”

“Enough to keep me here.”

Oh, Slime-tooth! “We can help you. We have a safe place for you. Come with us.”

“I deal enough with humans as it is. I’m thankful that Hawkin befriended my dear, dear Barnacle-eyes, but you humans do too much. I know where the line is when I draw it.”

“Haven’t our okra spit beers helped to lighten some of your burden? That recipe comes from a human friend of mine. And the furnace attribute and spit-warm beers that we’ve brewed for the goblins—haven’t they helped?”

“…I know, I know…”

“If you come with us, we can lift away all that weight you’re carrying, Slime-tooth. Please, will you come with us?”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“…You said you had a letter?”

“Gloom-glower is still forcing an impossible workload on you, isn’t he?”

“Leave things be, Abigail. Our world might not be perfect, but it's our world; and goblin problems are for goblins to fix.”

The ship groaned, but did it groan from the heaviness between us? Did it groan from the weight on Slime-tooth’s shoulders?

“…Letter?” said Slime-tooth very, very nicely.

I held the letter in a shaft of moonlight so that the goblin could see it. I felt like I was passing a glowing scroll with enough worth to draw the curiosity of gods. I wanted to see him in that light, but he must have caught on. With a sigh I stepped deeper and held the letter in the shadow beyond the shafts of light. It was slowly pulled from my hand.

I heard the paper crinkle against cloth. Slime-tooth sniffled. I tried to block the shaft of light with an extended hand, palm out, but I still could not discern him. Was that his shape in the corner on the floor? Was he hugging the letter? Surely, he’d want to read it, first thing.

“Slime-tooth? Can you read it?”

In the moments that passed, Slime-tooth only sniffled, the letter crinkled, and the ship gently rolled.

I lowered to my knees. “Would you like me to read it?”

The end of the letter suddenly appeared in a shaft of light. I took it, and it unraveled all the way, but Slime-tooth would not let go of the bottom corner. I tugged, but he would not let go. I moved near the shaft of light so that I could read. I cleared my throat. It was difficult to read, but I persisted, slowly, so that Slime-tooth could take in each word.

At the end of it, he said, “Congratulations? King? Me? Oh, I don’t know anything about that…But how amazing that her fleet has gotten bigger!”

I noticed scribbles on the back. “There’s more…I think? Do you mind letting go so I can flip it?”

Slime-tooth went silent, and he held onto a corner.

“All right. Then turn it with me. One, two, three.”

We turned it, and charcoal dust grayed the moonlight. There was no order to the scribbles, so I took a moment to scan for anything that made sense. Aha! “I think these are names. Would you like me to read them?”

I pulled the letter more into the light, and the bottom came free. I wondered why he let go just then.

“Here goes. Ready? Pat-belly, Trumpet-snore, Jag-tongue, Elbow-elbow, Laugh-riot, Pimples-dimples, Slip-says, Wise-eye, Ptoo-launch, Hides-lots, Never-sleeps…”

The back had a long list. No wonder the letter was as tall as a goblin. It had to be to fit all those names. And after I listed them all—to the best of my ability—there was again silence between us, until Slime-tooth reached into the light.

A shiver born of horror swept under my skin when I saw his hand. Tears instantly touched my cheeks. I choked on a gasp.

“Oh, Slime-tooth!…”

What should have been a finger lifted, and he touched one of the names. “What’s this one?”

I evened my voice. “Sorry-lied.”

His finger dropped and landed upon another name.

“Bubble-maker.”

His finger dragged up the letter and stopped.

“Night-hoot.”

Slime-tooth’s hand bobbed midair, then receded into the shadow. “Are these all her friends? They’re all working for her?”

“I think they signed the letter to say hello to you.”

Slime-tooth shifted in the corner. His voice came directly at me this time, and I realized he must have been speaking at the floor until then. “…Hello, little ones…”

I threw the tears off my cheeks. “Do you know any of them?”

“Oh no, no. Are they nice to her? I hope they’re nice to her.”

“I would think so. I hear she’s doing very well.”

Slime-tooth shifted again.

“…Could you…Could you read them one more time, please? I want to picture all of them again, like they’re all around my Barnacle-eyes.”

“I’ll start from the bottom this time. Wonder-round, Flop-luck, Dont-knows, Stripe-scar, Drip-lobe, Tender-to-see, Cloud-think…”

I sometimes had to pause so that my voice wouldn’t break, but I got through the list again. I took my time, sometimes going back to repeat some of the names so that Slime-tooth could hear them all a little longer.

“Can I still have the letter?”

I handed the letter over with an “Of course.” Then, “Are you all right?”

“I can’t leave them behind. All we have is each other. Most of the time I’m the only goblin between them and Gloom-glower. I have to do my best. …I can't come with you.”

I sat with him, and we talked of the goblins. I would have stayed all night, but Slime-tooth said he needed to get back to work. I gave him everything I had: All my sustenance beers, all my healing beers, Third Hand attributes, extra apples that I had, all the water, my sleeping roll; I gave him everything.

…I returned to camp, via Brewer’s Portal and found Hawkin in a tree enwrapped by Sheltering attributes. He bolted up when I arrived, and he looked into my eyes.

“Abigail? What happened?” His thumb gently swiped the top of my cheeks. “Are you okay?”

Oh, Slime-tooth. How did such creatures come to break my heart over and over? They were goblins! Oh such tender creatures, some of them. Without force, what could we do for Slime-tooth? Mixed emotions battled within.

Hawkin became tender. “Abigail, talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Do you think you could clone some of those Home Camp beers? I want to give some to Slime-tooth. And maybe we can make it more comfortable there? It would be a great place for him to rest and recover.”

“Yes, of course. Is he all right?”

I went in for a hug. I wanted Hawkin to hug me deeply. I didn’t want to talk. I just wanted to hug, and to listen to the multitude of crackling fires, and to watch innumerable blinking fireflies, and to listen to someone strum their instrument below, and to just…to just…

“It’s all right, Abigail. I’m here. It’s okay. I love you.”