Bonus segment:
A Piecemeal Exposition
PIN THE TAIL ON THE GOBLIN
Greetings friends!
Boy, I really caught the tiger by the tail when I spit in that spectator’s face! I’ll admit that I may have acted impulsively, but I’m not about to take insults with my tail between my legs. Whatever that spectator did to the passage of time made things happen in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, and I got stuck with two other beings in the round place in the same bout. Considering this turn of events, it’s hard not to be nervous like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, but I’ll find a way to make it work. Hopefully.
About the first creature, I’ve gotta say, I can’t make heads or tails of it. It presented aspects I’d associate with a spider, and others of a caterpillar, but I just can’t keep tail of it while its camouflaged in that intricate web.
As for the goblin, that’s a whole other story. He showed up in the round place bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, his plan clearly in mind. The fact that he turned tail and ran from a direct confrontation with me and went straight for my room shows that he’s done this before, or at least that he knew how things worked beforehand.
My hypothesis about him being an opportunistic ambusher supposes that he’ll wait for the right moment to strike, which is probably how he’s survived previous bouts. If the trend of additional opponents maintains itself as time goes by, I can imagine he’s the type to ride on other’s coattails and attack when it’s safe for him to do so.
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Unfortunately, my hunger and low energy have me dragging my tail, so if I want to get into his room I’m gonna have to buck up and bust my tail! With any luck, he’ll have some food stashed, and with even more luck it’ll be edible.
But, I’ve gotta say, the fact that I got such a good look at him and actually understood that he was a goblin has really got my tail up. If only I could get a hold of his strange system of prehensile tails…
Goblins can be found in a wide range of environments, but it seems that this one hailed from an arboreal genus. Considering his green-brown coloration, tufts of reddish hair, powerful grip strength, and three prehensile tails, I’d guess his habitat to be that of a rainforest jungle, where he could easily hide amongst vines in wait for prey.
It’s even possible that his tusks are used as sharp edges to shear off fibrous fruit husks, which would complete his diet when lacking meat. Of course, his tusks might also serve as a mating display, even though his bare body left nothing to the imagination in that regard.
In humans, the tail became the vestigial coccyx or tailbone. But for many other creatures, the tail has remained, instead adapting its function to the needs. In the goblin’s case, his legs nearly became vestigial but were instead repurposed as opposable tails. I’m sure he’s happy like a dog with three tails to have such a handy bottom!
Prehensile tails can be found in most types of vertebrates: mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Some can be used to hold and manipulate objects and are referred to as fully prehensile, while partially prehensile tails serve to anchor onto something, such as a branch or seagrass.
Some prehensile tails even have friction pads, bare patches that help to increase grip. I wouldn’t be surprised to find this on the goblin’s tails, considering the use he makes of them.
Now that I’ve understood many of this goblin’s traits, all that’s left for me to do is get my tail in gear and do what I need to get in his room. Perhaps I’ll manage to get him to chase his own tail, or chase mine for that matter. Either way, I’ve gotta make sure I don’t let him grab me with those mitts. That would really be a sting in the tail!
No matter what happens, I’ll show those spectators. If I’m gonna be stuck at the tail end of this situation, then I’ll be the tail that wags the dog.
Off the top of my head,
-me (your as-of-yet unnamed Heroine)