Chapter 163

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Stub-toes’ line of sight flicked over to me, and then up to the knife so rusty, it couldn't hold a glint. The knife descended. Stub-toes grabbed Gloom-glower by his wrist and halted the knife’s descent.

Something came over Stub-toes. It was hard to tell exactly what happened, but he looked different. He looked fierce for once. He glared up at Gloom-glower’s snarl.

The act of defiance from a little old goblin hushed all goblins. Gloom-glower strained against Stub-toes’ bracing arm.

Stub-toes’ lips began to tremble. He muttered something and as one, all the goblins leaned in to hear. He mumbled again, and we leaned in even more.

At last, Stub-toes found his voice. “M-m-mutiny!”

During the hush of goblins, the sea breeze blew by. Monstrous fireflies droned. The sea crashed against the hull. Rigging clanged up high. Sails flapped and snapped. In the distance, a fish leapt out of the water and arced.

“Mutiny!” said Stub-toes.

That word was suddenly spread by whisper. It was whispered as a question, as a statement, as a matter of fact. The whisper rose to a mumble. It was mumbled with trepidation, with excitement, with hope. The mumble rose to a vigor. It was shouted with freedom, it was screamed with defiance, it was shrieked from throats that clanged like bells of war!

The deafening cry for mutiny spread to the goblins behind me. They were Cheese-pits’ crew.

“Mutiny!” said Lice-louser.

“Mutiny! Mutiny!” said Rip-roar.

“Mutiny! Mutiny! Mutiny!” said Neigh-nose.

Cheese-pits trembled in my boots. He trembled so hard that the key to the forecastle bounced in his hand. His crew descended upon him, shouting for mutiny.

The call to mutiny engulfed my former ship and spread throughout both fleets. It was so loud, fireflies scattered in what might have been something like fear. Birds leapt from the jungle of the raised beds. Never had goblins been so loud.

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I suddenly received a system notification.

[Attention all snots!]

[System mutiny mechanics commencing.]

[All ships are up for grabs.]

[Any goblin may capture the hoard of a ship to claim it.]

[Claimed ships are subject to mutiny flag mechanics.]

[Flags will change to represent the new ship owner.]

[Mutiny ends when all flags have been captured.]

[At the end of the mutiny, each ship owner will receive a Fable stone.]

Once more it went quiet, and I realized that every single goblin received the same system notification. Hundreds of thousands of goblins gazed at the sky as if Peg-tooth had addressed them directly.

[A second mutiny has been added to the fray.]

[Double mutiny mechanics commencing.]

[Goblins from either fleet may capture any ship regardless of whose fleet they once belonged to.]

With that, every single goblin eyeball turned to look at the Hand-O’War. It was like having all the stars in a night sky focus directly on you. With all the eyeballs, it seemed like there were less leaves in a forest, or there were less shiny scales on all the fish combined. And that’s how they gleamed, like fish scales under sunlight.

The hush lived for a heartbeat more before the world lurched into absolute pandemonium. Goblins stampeded the Hand-O’War. They raced to the hatch, and I knew they were going for the forecastle where I kept my hoard.

Like the crest of waves, goblins clashed together in skirmishes. By the dozens, goblins splashed overboard like it was raining bodies. Goblins fought for their lives. Dirty fingernails raked across green skin. Yellow teeth sank into shoulders, arm pits, knee pits, bellies, and pierced through ears.

Goblins leapt from the shrouds and grabbed onto firefly limbs. In moments, goblins were riding fireflies. Tons of goblins clambered up and onto the backs of fireflies.

A muscled goblin rode one that was as big as a warthog. It was Fighting-girl!

“Every snot for themselves!” said Fighting-girl, then she dug her heels into the firefly’s side.

So many goblins could die for a chance at a hoard. Had mutiny been the wrong choice? But that’s where everything was headed, and it was a chance to change things. The pieces of my heart broke for the goblins.

Goblins swarmed me, but a large furry hand picked me up. Thrush cradled me in his arms.

“We’re on quite the adventure, Barnacle-eyes.”

“Thrush, goblins are gonna drown! We have to save them. Will you help me?”

“What about your ship?”

“It’s not mine anymore. I lost it all. I lost everything. I have nothing left.”

Goblins smashed into Thrush, but Thrush did not budge. Like waves bashing a boulder, goblins were forced around him by the rapid rush of green bodies.

“Everything?” said Thrush.

“Everything. Wait. Slime-tooth is out there! He’s in trouble! We gotta find to him. Help me save the goblins, and help me save Slime-tooth. Oh, and help me save Gabby and Pinky-chew, and Old Wrinkle-twinkle. Soft-song too! And Boggo and Ella! Tell Hawkin and Abigail to help save goblins from drowning. I don’t want them to die! And Remember-not too! Please save her too!”

I leapt from Thrush’s arms with desperate tears flying from the rims of my eyes. My family! I couldn’t lose my little family! I squeezed through the mob. I had to find Slime-tooth first! He needed my help the most.