Gobo was out in the fields with his tribe. They had found another of the loud-movers the big goblins left around. The tribe was very happy with their find. This one had wings!

They had found the thing resting under a pile of leaves and dirt. Gobo's brother Gogo had found it. His brother's nose could smell the odd smell that all the loud-movers had. At first Gobo and the tribe didn't know what to make of these large boxy things. But when Gogo sniffed out the same smell from a building the tribe learned.

Now the loud-movers were theirs to command! Gobo and the rest charged along the plains, wrecking other tribes and scavenging their supplies. Along the way, Gobo's best friend Bogo picked up a strange stringed thing and found it made noises! Bogo learned to use it to announce the goblins' presence.

Today the tribe would add to their collection. Gobo protected his brother and the other fixers as they repaired the loud-mover. He wasn't skilled with his hands like Gogo, or Boga. Gobo snuck a look over at the goblin working next to Gogo and sighed. Goba was the most beautiful in all the tribe and Gobo desperately wanted to get her attention. But he was a lousy guard, important only because his brother was the great fixer Gogo.

A chugging sound brought Gobo out of his daydream. He scanned the ground around him, short spear at the ready. He saw nothing. He barked at the mechanics to get back, something was wrong. It could be an invisible enemy, or it could come from underground! Gobo gave the ground a menacing look, daring whatever it was to come and face him.

Instead, another winged loud-mover landed from the sky, startling Gobo and the others. Another of the loud-movers landed, and then another. Soon Gobo was facing a tribe of loud-movers twice as large as his own!

The goblin gulped. This was a powerful tribe. Were they angry that their loud-mover was disturbed from its rest? It had been under the dirt. Was it buried? Were they not supposed to bother it?

It didn't matter! Gobo was the tribe's guard. So he would guard. He looked back at Gogo and Boga. "Go!" He said in his scratchy voice. He turned back, refusing to see the looks on their faces. They would run, he knew that. The fixers were not fighters, and they were important. He steeled himself and readied his spear.

From the loud-movers came big goblins. Gobo gulped. His tribe had offended the wrong people. The big goblins would hunt his tribe to ends of the earth for this slight.

But he could buy time. Time for the rest of the tribe to run. Boga would live another day. Maybe she would name her child after the brave goblin who fought against a tribe of big goblins so the tribe could escape. He smiled grimly, that didn't sound so bad.

Yelling in defiance, Gobo charged forward with his spear at the ready.

----------------------------------------

"Is that a goblin?" June said as she stepped out of the car with Nathan. Caleb and Alex followed suit. It was a week after the battle with the Varnoss and their ensuing escape. The four of them were now escorting the Flying Hogs back to the broken cars from the firefight. There was no telling what could appear to attack them in these plains and Hailey wasn't about to let their benefactors get ambushed when she could send some help.

Everyone looked over in the direction June was pointing. A small green creature was charging at them from across the plains. A crude spear was in its hands and it was crying in a high pitched whine as it came forward on stubby legs. It would take some time to reach them. The goblin had started its charge from fifty yards away.

"It sounds like a small dog," Alex said.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

June agreed. The goblin's warcry reminded her of a chihuahua growling, squeaky howl and all. Its ears looked like a chihuahua's as well, if a chihuahua had green skin and no fur. She watched as the small creature rushed at them.

"Oh my god it's so cute!" Caleb said. He ran forward to meet the creature.

June stood by as Caleb charged ahead. It wasn't like she was going to be able to stop the man, she had long since learned her powers had no effect on him. Instead, she readied herself for an ambush. One goblin charging into a group of humans with only a crude spear screamed of trickery.

Caleb and the goblin met in a clash of spear and flesh. The spear lost, snapping in two as it hit Caleb. Caleb, in turn, bent down into a tackle and grabbed the small monster in a bear hug, taking it to the ground with him. "You are the cutest thing." He said.

The goblin struggled in Caleb's arms but its tiny muscle mass was too weak to break even Caleb's grasp. Caleb stood, goblin still in his arms, and walked back to June and the rest. He held the goblin out for the others to see. "Do you like my new pet?" He said.

"You are not keeping that," June argued.

"Why not? Alex has pets. Why can't I have a pet?" Caleb motioned to goblin at Sir Purrsalot, who was currently licking a paw.

"Alex has a tamer class. You'd be bringing a monster into the city." June stated.

"What? This little guy wouldn't hurt a fly. Isn't that right little guy?" Caleb nodded the goblins head in agreement. "Besides, I can't just kill him, he's too cute for that."

Caleb held the goblin in front of June's face, forcing her to look at it. It was ugly. The eyes bulged outwards like someone had squeezed a toad too hard. The ears were floppy and triangular. And green, she couldn't forget the sewage green coloring. The mouth was wide and filled with small teeth. A long, snake-like tongue protruded from the mouth every few seconds, tasting the air.

"That is nowhere close to cute," She stated.

"It's ugly cute!" Caleb protested.

"It is not," June stated.

"Yes it is, look at his face! It's so terrible it passed ugly and went back to cute!" Caleb pushed the goblin closer to June's face. She pushed it back down.

She sighed, "Fine. I don't know why I even bother sometimes."

"Yes!" Caleb cheered, he pulled the goblin close to his face. "You and I are going to be the best of friends!"

The bat on Caleb's belt loop decided to make itself known again by slapping Caleb's leg.

"Bat don't be jealous." Caleb chided.

----------------------------------------

Gobo didn't know what was going on. Last thing he knew he was charging at the big goblin with the intent to skewer him with his spear. Next thing he knew he was tackled to the ground and treated like a sack of vegetables. The big goblin kept shaking him around and shoving him into the face of another big goblin. This one was female.

Gobo realized then, he was a present for this big goblin. The one who grabbed him was trying to present Gobo to her! She didn't seem very accepting of the gift, which made sense. Gobo was a lowly guard after all, not someone strong or important. In the end, she pushed Gobo away, refusing him.

Gobo sighed in relief, better to be killed now instead of later as a meal. But the big goblin just turned Gobo around and looked him in the eyes. He babbled something and then looked down at his leg. Gobo's eyes followed and saw a metal club, painted with a yellow face.

Oh, the big goblin was going to use the club to bash his head in. Gobo closed his eyes and waited for death.

It didn't come.

Gobo waited a bit longer, eyes squeezed tight. Maybe the big goblin was preparing the club in some way.

Death still didn't come.

Gobo peeked and eye open. The big goblin was talking to a different group of big goblins. The one at the front was large enough to be two big goblins! This must be the leader. Was the big goblin trying to curry favor with the boss now that his gift to the girl didn't work?

The biggest goblin laughed as Gobo's captor shook Gobo around. It seemed the chief liked the big goblin's gift. He walked off towards the buried loud-mover, laughing all the way. Gobo resigned himself to die at the hands of the biggest goblin. He waited to be put into the chief's hands.

It didn't happen.

This was all very confusing for Gobo. The big goblin who grabbed him was sitting on the dirt with Gobo in front. Gobo squirmed again, trying to escape their grip. He still couldn't break it.

Giving up, he looked at his captor. The pale-skinned goblin made sounds. Gobo didn't understand them. The big goblin tried again. Gobo didn't react. Then the big goblin let go of one of Gobo's arms and pointed at himself.

"Caleb," The big goblin said.

That was its name, Gobo realized. "Caleb," He heard again. Gobo looked up at the big goblin and then pointed at himself.

"Gobo," he said.