*Tang…Tang...Tang…*

Chimes from the bell tower reverberated through the village, strong enough to lift the dust from the cobbled roads.

Gretcha’s small pointy ears perked up at the sound. Her other green-skinned friends were the same as they paused their game of tag and looked at the north side.

Jeshile was a modest-sized village. Thatched roof cottages and small gardens were connected by muddy roads. The goblins lived a primitive life and all their needs were met by farming and hunting in the woods.

However, there was an exception.

A majestic temple and a bell tower were located at the heart of Jeshile. The marble building stood out like a sore thumb in this humble village.

Gretcha clutched the knitted bracelet in her tiny hands as she looked at the temple with shining eyes. She had been waiting for this day for a long time. Today, they were going to the temple of order.

‘And I’ll give this totem to Daddy!’

She wasn’t the only one whose fists were clenched in anxiousness and curiosity. All the kids around her had the same look as they stared at the center of the village.

“C’mon guys, let’s go,” Finally, one of them couldn’t wait any longer and stepped on the cobbled road.

It was like a signal as the rest of them followed like a herd of sheep.

“Let’s go Fal,” Gretcha beckoned over a goblin boy who was standing at the edge of the garden.

“A-Aren’t you worried?”

“Huh? For what?”

“Didn’t your paren-”

“Hurry up little ones,” Faldor’s words were cut short as an old lady called them over. It wasn’t just the kids that were going to the temple, all the goblins living in the jeshile were doing the same.

“Grandma!” Gretcha jumped up in glee and hugged the old lady.

“Have some mercy on these old bones of mine,”

“Hehehe~” Gretcha climbed off her four feet tall grandma and held her hand. She was only 7 this year but even then, she was 2 feet tall! This was considered a rapid growth in the goblin community.

The trio followed behind the crowd as they made their way to the temple. Only the roads leading to the center of the town were made up of stones. It may look like a simple task, but it took generations of work to pull this off.

“Why are they walking so slowly?”

“It’s because their hearts are heavy…”

“You mean their feet right? You’re getting old grandma.”

“Yes… Maybe I am too old for this.”

“Why is that aunty so angry? She always yells at us when we’re playing.” Gretcha spoke with puffed cheeks as she pointed at a woman clad in animal skin.

“Don’t be rude, Gretcha. learn something from Faldor.”

“Hmph! It’s because of her that he’s so fidgety all day.”

“Oh! tell me what happened,”

Thanks to the energetic Gretcha, the journey to the temple was over before they knew it. Villagers of Jeshile converged on the temple with looks of determination and resignation. Unlike them though, Great was awed by the beautiful temple of order.

She wanted to ask why the adults were grumpy and sad, but her grandma had forbidden her from asking any unnecessary questions within the temple.

So, she went for the next best thing.

“Bleh~”

“Don’t stick out your tongue!”

“But they are so annoying!” Gretcha glared at Fal was given the task of making sure she didn’t make a ruckus. Elders had their own roles in the temple and so did everyone else. No one had the mood to deal with a child’s tantrum, not when the war loomed above the horizon.

‘Didn’t her parents explain anything?’ Fal thought as he helplessly dragged his friend above the stairs.

It wasn’t a rare thing. Many kids didn’t know about the war or what was planned for their future. Fal, however, was different. He was just a year older than Gretcha and he had already learned basic archery. He could catch his own game and that made his mother very proud and sad at the same time.

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He knew why.

‘Could I live like her if I was born a girl?’

That would be nice. Though he knew that it was just a false dream, a dream that would end today.

He pitied his friend who was still throwing daggers at others.

‘I wonder if she’ll be the same after today…’

It would be a pity if she changed. A small part of his heart ached just thinking about it.

He didn’t know why.

…

“Welcome kids, this is the temple of order you’ve long since heard of,” An old lady spoke as she guided the children.

There were a lot of grandmas and aunties in the village. Gretcha didn’t like most of them, but this one seemed nice unlike the grumpy ones.

She was separated from Fal as boys and girls were divided into different groups. Her friends had arrived a lot earlier because she was walking with her grandma.

Thus, Gretcha was in an unfamiliar environment with people she didn’t know. It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t afraid. Thankfully, there was another emotion that reigned above the fear in her mind, curiosity.

“These are our brave ancestors who fought with valor against the invaders.”

Gretcha’s eyes were drawn to the cravings on the walls. The hall to the center of the temple was flanked by torches on both sides.

Besides those troches were cravings and paintings of Goblin warriors fighting against bug-like monsters.

“Wow, did they really fight like that?"

"I’m scared. Will my dad be okay?"

Gretcha didn’t understand why that girl was worried about her father. But since she had promised her grandma, she won’t ask any unnecessary questions.

The old lady walked with a steady gait despite the weight of years. Her kind and wizened eyes met Gretcha’s curious ones.

*Sigh*

“So, did we win?” The children naturally ignored the old lady’s sigh. Elders were always lost in thoughts and they sighed more than they talked, it was nothing new to them.

“Win? You can say that we won,”

‘But we also lost much more in return,’

The lady didn’t speak the last sentence. They wouldn’t understand even if she told her. Did they win? They’ll have to live out their lives and realize the answer by themselves.

Tall and imposing gates of the central halls were open. At the front of the hall was a white statue of a woman in a praying posture.

It was the keeper of order. The kids have heard about her and the story of their ancestors since childhood.

“Wow, it really floats!”

Gretcha was looking at the floating structure made up of countless rings which was in front of the keeper's heart.

“Quiet now little ones, listen carefully.” The old lady spoke in a solemn tone and sat on a bench nearby. There were a lot of similar benches and children who sat on the praying mats before them.

Apart from the elderly and the kinds, adult goblins were also present at the central hall.

“Long ago, our home was invaded by monsters that descended from the stars,”

“Our ancestors fought bravely against the invaders, but alas, they were losing the war.”

The children were captivated by the tale as the old lady narrated the tale with resilient eyes. Although Gretcha liked the story, the story was too slow to hold her interest.

She looked around her to see what the others were doing. Young men and women stood at the sides with hardened expressions. Forget about praying to the keeper, they were staring at her with resentment.

Gretcha was interested in young man’s weapons rather than their expressions. She had seen Fal use a bow before, but the one she saw now was much better than Fal’s.

‘It’s like daddy’s sword, I wonder if Fal will get one,’

He would be happy if he did. At least, that’s what she believed.

Seeing that the children were getting bored, the old lady decided to wrap up the history lesson.

“However, on one fateful day, the priests of order descended from the sky,”

“They offered us salvation in exchange for an agreement.”

Gretcha saw that the adults were sneering at them and if not for her fear of being grounded, she would have thrown the offering at the altar on their faces.

“Now you know why your fathers are going to war,”

She was about to stick out her tongue again but she almost bit herself as she heard the old lady.

‘W-war? Isn’t daddy going for a hunt?’

“What?”

She wasn’t the only one who reacted that way. The children wouldn’t have cared about the difference between a hunt and a war before today.

But now they understood what it meant after hearing the old lady’s story.

“Why are they going to war? Didn’t we get salvation?” Gretcha shouted in a voice filled with rage.

She had promised to not ask any unnecessary questions, and this wasn’t unnecessary.

There was a pin-drop silence in the entire hall. Be it the other storytelling elders or the resentful married woman, no one dared to utter a word at a child's question.

For they themselves didn’t know the answer.

“Let me tell you another story Gretcha.”

“Grandma!” Gretcha could no longer hold back her tears as she jumped into her grandma’s arms. She had heard that a lot of people die in war. She could guess why there were no grandpas in the village or why some uncles went out for long hunts.

“The priests don’t have the power to do anything for free. However, in exchange for our agreement, we asked them for two more things,” Grandma spoke as she soothed her smart granddaughter.

*Sniff*

“I want to see mommy and daddy,”

Gretcha would’ve been curious to know what they were, but not now. She just wanted to see her father and gave him the bracelet.

She had realized that it might be her last chance to be with him.

…

Crimson sun met the vast plains at the horizon. Beneath the gentle winds and fading sunlight an army of 1000 goblins stood in front of Jeshile.

Today, they wore the leather armors and metal weapons bound to them. They would rather their old animal skin clothes than this. But as they looked at their wives' tearful faces; they knew that that day wouldn’t come.

From today till the end of their lives, the only family they had was the weapons in their hand and the armors on their chest.

“Looks like the children are out,” A young lady spoke as she stroked her husband’s armor.

“Indeed. I wonder how that little troublemaker is,”

The goblin swordsman didn’t have to think that long as he soon saw a crowd of children coming over. And in the lead was a little girl wearing a brown dress.

“DADDY!” Gretcha jumped in her father’s arms while barely holding back her tears. Grandma had told her on the way that it was a bad omen to cry on the farewells.

She hugged her father who was kneeling in front of her and took out the knitted bracelet from her pocket.

“I made this for you."

The mighty swordsman held out his hand that dwarfed the tiny bracelet. Even so, he felt it was heavier than the logs he used for training.

"It’s beautiful, Gretcha. Remember that I’m always proud of you,”

*Tang…Tang...Tang…*

The cursed bell rang once again, telling the warriors that it was time to depart.

Gretcha saw her father leave with others as she stood by her sobbing mother. They weren’t alone in the misery as thousands of others also cried their last tears.

“Sniff…Hey mom,”

“Don’t cry now, okay?” Gretcha's mother patted her head as she knelt before her.

“When will the war end?”

“One day…One day it will.”

…