Dirk and Turk were walking ahead of us when Vreek suddenly grabbed my wrist and motioned to me with his head.

“We need to talk a moment while they are not around,” he mumbled.

“What is it?” I asked, wondering what he did not want the boys to hear.

Vreek stopped my movement and then let go of my wrist. He pointed to Turk and Dirk.

“You need to let them grow up more and stop rushing in first.”

“I don’t do…”

Vreek held up his hand and stopped me from talking. I could see his face was more serious than any other time we had been together.

“You do that and worse!" Vreek hissed. "You decide which course is best without considering how they need to grow. You should have shared a part of that woman’s heart with them back in camp, but you did not! You felt you needed it all in order to be stronger than both of them. Strong enough for all of you! You seem to forget they are champions just like you. They have as much potential if you would let them have an equal share of everything you have had so far.”

I stood there looking at Vreek and was taken aback by what he accused me of. I am their father! It is my job to protect them. I could not protect their mother. How can I ensure they are protected here unless I am the strongest?

“I understand what you are saying but I think you are wrong,” I replied.

Vreek groaned and lifted his hands in frustration.

“You remind me of two orcs I know from stories." Vreek wagged his finger in my face. "Let me tell you the story, and you decide if I am right or wrong.”

I rolled my eyes and shrugged. Vreek ignored my action and started in.

“Spookda and Cesta were two orcs who had become strong warriors in a camp. They had killed many heroes and eaten many hearts. Cesta was the stronger of the two as he had succeeded first and then brought Spookda with him on other hunts. For some reason, Cesta felt the need to protect Spookda. In each battle they won, Cesta only gave Spookda half a heart or nothing at all. He ate all of the hearts, declaring himself to be the warrior that would do all the work.

“He rushed in without pause or planning when a hero was around. There were many times he almost died but somehow lived. He believed he was getting strong enough that he would not have to worry about others.

“One day, they both died. They died because Spookda was weak. He had been unable to handle the heroes Spookda had told him to keep off of him. Once Spookda was down, Cesta was surrounded and killed.”

“You are like Cesta,” Vreek said as he tapped my chest. “You rush in without enough planning, and you believe your two boys will be able to do enough to buy you time while you handle what is in front of you. If your boys fail because you have not given them enough hearts or the chance to practice, they will fail one day, and you will die if you are lucky.”

“Lucky?! How is that lucky?” I growled.

Vreek looked me in the eyes and went for my heart.

“Would you rather live knowing you are the reason they are dead?”

It felt like I had been stabbed through the chest. Vreek was right. I would rather die than live and know it was my fault they had died. I had felt enough regret for how things had gone with our original fight against May and his party. Had Vreek not been there to get us out in time, or had he not dispatched the two who were behind, most likely, the three of us would be dead.

I felt tears trying to fight their way out of my eyes. My heart hurt in a way it had not for so long. Vreek was right, and I had been trying to overcompensate in my desire to protect Turk and Dirk.

“What should I do?” I quietly asked as I lowered my head in shame.

Vreek put his hand on my shoulder and tapped my head.

I looked down and saw him looking up at me with a smile on his face.

“You need to treat them like goblins. Like champions. Stop treating them like your sons,” Vreek answered. “I do not know what it would be like to have a father who protected me as you protect yours, but at some point, you must let them be who they are.”

Vreek pointed at the two of them, who had stopped and were waiting on us. They saw we were talking and had given us our space, realizing it was not for them to be part of.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“They are amazing goblins! They are both stronger than me when it comes to strength and skill. Dirk could slit my throat before I knew it happened,” Vreek said with a slight laugh. “Turk would kill me with arrows or magic before I got close. Let them use those skills and let them take turns leading. If they are to grow stronger and possibly evolve like you, they will need practice and hearts for that to happen.”

I wanted to smack Vreek because he was right. I wanted to beat myself because I knew I was wrong and did not know if I could let go like he said I should. We were in a new world, and everyone seemingly wanted to kill us. Only by getting stronger and working together would we be able to hopefully build a place where we could finally live in peace.

As I thought about those things, it suddenly hit me. I had no real clue what peace for the goblins and orcs would look like.

“Vreek,” I asked with a surprised look on my face, “what would peace really look like for goblins and orcs? Like no one attacking us again?”

Vreek’s face changed to shock. I could see he was surprised by that question.

“Let me think on it, and I will answer tonight when we stop for camp.”

I nodded and motioned to Turk and Dirk, who were throwing rocks at trees while they waited for us.

“That’s fine. I want them to hear what you have to say as well.”

“Peace is a dream goblins and orcs have had for so long none of us really know what it looks like,” Vreek said as he stared at the fire we were all sitting around. “Over a thousand years ago, we had a giant city like the elves and dwarves and humans do now. There were amazing craftsmen, schools for magic and trade, and even some who farmed. We had a city where the humans now are. We had our own labyrinth.”

As Vreek paused, he poked the fire with a stick. Turk, Dirk, and I sat there trying to imagine the massive city he was describing. All the shows and stories we had ever seen or read had told of goblins only living in villages or caves. Imagining a civilization of goblins and orcs seemed difficult for our earthly minds.

“We did not fight against the humans, dwarves, and elves as we do now. There were the occasional battles over something stupid if I remember the stories I have been told, but most of our power came from the labyrinth. Hearts and treasure came from there. The legends say there was little fighting outside of what took place in the labyrinth.”

Vreek sat up and waved his stick with its glowing tip at us. His eyes seemed to glow with hate like the tip of that stick.

“The humans tricked our leaders!" Vreek growled as he gnashed his teeth. "They said they wanted to work together to go deeper into the labyrinth. For a time, they did, and then they invited the other races to join in. A few excursions with our best explorers ended with all of our goblins and orcs dead. A few of the other races died also, and they all told stories of bosses that overpowered the groups. Group after group entered the labyrinths in our city and the other two cities. Each time our best were cut down.

“It was too late when our leaders realized what had happened. When the three races attacked, they destroyed the city and killed almost all of us. Small groups scattered, and the King barely escaped. They let them go and built a new city on our old one. Anytime an orc or goblin was seen, they killed it on sight.”

“What does that have to do with peace?” asked Dirk.

Vreek snapped out of the trance he was in as he told us this story

“You want to know what peace for us would look like now? It would be restoring the goblin and orc tribes and blood to our own city and a labyrinth for us to use. It would mean that the other races do not attack us because they know doing so would mean we would end them as they did us.”

Vreek pointed the stick at us again.

“I cannot promise that the King would not demand that humans be cut down like we were. Many must die, I am sure, for peace to come to us.”

We sat there silently for a bit, uncertain if Vreek was done or just pausing momentarily. When I knew he was done talking for a bit, I turned and looked at Turk and Dirk.

“You two will be in charge for a while. I want you two to devise our plans for attacking and scouting. This also means you two get first dibs on any hearts that we come across. Do you understand?”

Both of them looked at each other and then looked at me.

“Uh… That sounds fine, Dad,” replied Dirk. “Why are you doing this, though?”

“I am not the only champion, and I seemed to forget that until I was reminded today,” I stated with a smile as I motioned toward Vreek. “You two have become fine goblins and need to grow stronger too. I need to stop taking first rewards and giving you the leftovers. From now on, we all need to get stronger equally. Do you understand?”

Turk nodded and tapped Dirk on the shoulder.

“Does this mean we get to pick who is on guard duty?”

I chuckled and nodded. “Yes. As long as it is not Vreek or myself, you can choose who is on guard duty.”

A groan escaped Dirk and Turk both.

“It is tough being the leader,” I stated with a wink. “How many nights did I take the first watch?”

“That was poor leadership, Dad,” Dirk answered. “You should have picked us instead.”

Vreek let out a slight cough and smiled.

“So you two agree you should be picked for guard duty?”

Turk started laughing, and Dirk groaned again.

“I guess I messed up there, didn’t I,” joked Dirk.

“That you did, son, that you did.”

Turk stretched and stood up.

“Since Dirk offered to take the first watch, I’ll take the second one.”

Dirk jumped up and shook his head.

“Wait a minute!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t say I wanted first watch!”

“So you want the second watch then?” asked Turk.

Dirk nodded his head.

“That’s right! I’ll take second watch.”

Turk grinned and sat back down.

“Ok, that works for me. You all can head to bed, and I’ll wake up Dirk when it's time for his shift.”

Dirk stared at Turk momentarily, wondering why he had given in so easily.

“He still hasn’t figured it out yet, has he?” Vreek whispered to me.

I shook my head no.

“Come tomorrow morning when he has to make breakfast, I’m sure he will have figured it out.”

Vreek and I both laughed as we headed to where we would turn in. Sometimes it was good not making the decisions.