The next time I lay eyes on Lina, her long silvery hair has been cut shorter, barely reaching her shoulders, and for reasons unknown to me the huani are not pleased. They eye her with open anger, and Nojus almost refuses to teach her but relents after seeing me watching them from afar. I wonder if it is because now she has to train with them directly or if her hair had some sort of significance.

After she trains I grab the bow she had made, and it was simple yet functional, I was impressed that her hair could be tied and used as the string of the bow, but besides that, there was no difference with the others.

The rain stopped and Jorr carried my orders to tell everyone in camp about the objective. That in two days we would begin the march, so they were to train and make sure they were ready.

They nod and some cheer, eager to improve things at camp with the spoils to come. With fiery hearts they swing and thrust, they tense and shoot, the energy coming from the impending attack making them faster, stronger, and more ready than ever. The huani have learned enough words to have no problem communicating in a fight, and soon, we are ready.

I order some tents to be torn down and constructed makeshift backpacks with wooden rods and torn cloth. We had to move fast so we left most things behind, including the cured meat that we tried to hide as best as possible, carrying as much as we could in the backpacks.

With the war picks on my back, and the bow in hand. I stand in front of the group of hobgoblins and Huari, I see my men ready to follow me and it fills me with that sensation that I had gotten so long ago...something in my chest, like a fleeting thought that I can't quite grasp, something I know I should be able to understand.

Maybe one day, but now, I look at the woods and the march begins.

We follow a similar path I know very well, the same one I took when I first entered these woods, it's an almost spiritual experience, the trees are indistinguishable from one another, and yet, I know exactly where we are and where we have to go. The sky darkens and threatens with thunder but fails to follow through, watching our every move instead.

I make sure to diverge from the path occasionally, for I know that following it too closely would end up leading us to places where hunters seek game, and being spotted now could ruin it all. We march even through the night, my men unhappy that I forbid the use of torches to light our way, but nothing would make it easier to be seen.

With my enhanced eyes and keen senses, we can move for several more hours until I know that we have to rest, everyone is tired, especially those carrying the heaviest loads. I allow small campfires to be lit and my men warm themselves around them, half quickly falling asleep to try and catch as much rest as possible, while the others speak with each other, or grab something to eat.

I see Jorr and Nojus sitting close, speaking fondly as smiles are flashed and anecdotes are shared, two experienced warriors connecting easily with each other. And I glance at Andrei and Lina, they laugh quietly, as they hold hands.

And I rest on the branch of a tree, looking at the bow in my hands. I pass my fingers on its steely surface and see the symbols glow as if reacting to it.

My mind wanders to every weapon I've held, the spear, the hatchet, the war picks, and now the bow. As time passes I gather more and more weapons, growing proficient in their use and I'm sure that more will find their way to my hands. For me to master, to use...I find myself glancing at the couple once more.

The joy on their faces, before closing my eyes and getting some rest.

The march continues the following morning and for the next two days, we get closer to our target. My mind grew increasingly occupied with thoughts of what was to come, comparing them to the bloodshed of what I have done already, convincing me that it won't be much different, but it can't be the same, for I am not alone.

Will my men rape the women? Will they kill the children? Will I allow it? Would I be allowed to stop it?... Do I even want to? Does it even matter? For what is the point of sparing children that will now be homeless, sure to die of starvation or captured into slavery? And why should I care what they do with the women? Is it not what they will be from now on? Tools to achieve my goals, everything, everyone...for my ambition.

But although my mind tells me something, my heart aches. How I wished I had no memories of the life that I had before, no real memories of any kind. No thoughts about my humanity, no qualms about what has to be done...just anger, just hatred, and vengeance as I did all the time that took to go from the furious river that saved my life to the village I torched.

So I use that, I take the bronze ring into my hands, caressing its surface as I see his face clearly, memorized, burned into my thoughts as he dug the dagger into my heart, and I remember the taste of iron from my mouth, the burning fire that was my chest due to pain and the blood pouring out from my injuries.

I remember Maelds manipulations and the charred body of the women I treasured.

I am a monster, and I will do whatever it takes to find Fogosh, and kill him. To carve my own home, and forge my own kingdom. No matter how many villages have to be razed. Burn this world if I must.

We pass near the impossibly tall trees and I open my map, knowing we are soon to reach the village, just one more day. We then reach a small lake that took a moment for me to recognize, but as I kneel and touch the grass on my feet I know this is the place where I fought with the wolf. I think back on how weak I was, how a simple wolf had almost managed to end my life.

And now, I could kill a dozen guards, and face off against opponents twice my size...I have grown. But is that enough? My body is that of a goblin, no matter what I will never have the muscle of Jorr or the size of Nojus. Eventually, I will reach my limit, and I think about how can I move past that limit, glancing at the bow in my hand, perhaps obtaining artifacts could be a solution.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"Do we rest here? The men are already tired, how close are we?" Jorr asks as he steps closer, some men scop water in their hands, drinking and washing their faces.

"Yes," I reply, knowing that even if the sky is orange we could go on, but if we rest and continue tomorrow, we will reach the village in the night if we find no difficulties getting through any protection they may have put.

Jorr shouts the orders and everyone drops what they carry, some going into the woods to shit or gather firewood that isn't damp. A few hours pass and the scenery of the previous nights repeat, men sleeping, talking, or eating. Except that Lina is gone, and after a quick look around us I realize so is Andrei.

Their affairs are not of any importance, but if there is any chance that there may be something more going on, a plan, a betrayal, I decide to search for them just to be sure. Luckily, Lina's scent is easily picked up by my nose, and I follow her path like a hound, along the shores of the lake until I can see her in the distance and quickly take cover behind one of the trees.

A second, closer look makes it clear she is simply bathing again, so I search for Andrei, and the first thing I sense is the smell of sweat, I get much closer until I see with disgust that he is hidden behind dying bushes, furiously masturbating, his eyes fixed on Lina. I suppose I found who left the marks the last time I found Lina bathing.

I turn around, my curiosity satisfied I know there is nothing to gain from interfering, their affairs are their own, and for all I know maybe she is aware, a sort of play for them. So I decide to leave, but as I take a few steps I hear leaves crunch and immediately tense my bow aiming behind me, thinking something tried to sneak at me, but catch only a glimpse of Andrei running away.

Then, I heard the whizzing of an arrow.

It strikes a nearby tree and I turn around once more, seeing Lina had shoot it, I suppose she must have heard Andrei. Her eyes search around with difficulty, but I know she sees me and quickly takes aim. I relax my bow and step toward her, a second arrow is shot and I grab it midair, I had noticed by how little the prior had penetrated the tree, she put barely any strength behind her pull.

As I step out of the shadows she seems shocked for only one second before baring her teeth and putting another arrow on the string.

"You again. I will die before letting you defile me!" She tenses, but I can see is not as hard as she could. I take a good look at her now, I see things I failed to see before. I see the trembling lip, the rapid rising of her chest...she is afraid "So?! Will I have to shoot?!" She tenses more, this time the arrow will be much faster.

Our eyes lock with each other, and I know she is trying her best to not let the fear show through, and she is good at it, only by looking closer and attentively can I tell that behind that frown, and those dangerous bared fangs, she is terrified.

"I won't hurt you, I came looking for you"

"Lies. You are a goblin, a strange one, but your kind are all the same, you came for one thing and you won't get it without a fight!"

I drop my bow and take out my war picks, I see her flinch, her eyes wide. And before she can say anything I run ahead, she shoots and with a spin of my war pick I deflect it, she tries to put another arrow on the string but her shaking hand does not allow it, I see her bravado shatter as she glances at me in terror.

She throws the bow away and slashes at me with her claws, but is so weak it's pathetic, I snatch her feet and pull, dropping her to the river and then dragging her by the ankles out of the water. She kicks and coughs, having swallowed water, I let go of her and dig my weapons in the dirt.

"N-No, please don't" She whispers quickly, now fully consumed by fear to such a point she can barely move "Please, don't do it"

"Where is the fighter I saw before, who fought hard until she had to be choked into submission?" I stand at her feet, my eyes locked into her glassy green eyes, she is breathing so fast.

"Please" She repeats again and again, barely a whisper, now covering herself as best as possible.

I know she is a virgin, I know she has not been raped, what has she seen? What has she lived through? I can't allow her to be afraid, not now, if this has any chance of getting in the way of the battles to come I need to crush it before it costs me.

"Answer me" I order, as I walk away, reaching for her clothes lying on the ground and tossing them at her, she quickly uses them to cover herself up.

Why am I so mad at her? Why does my blood boil when I see how she sees me? And the answer comes fast, I see the eyes of the villagers I butchered, and the children I left behind, they had that similar look, that fear, that horror. But I can't control it.

"Answer me" I order, this time harder, as I pick up war picks and she instinctively rises her hands.

"M-My home!" she spits out, her voice ragged "My clan, the bandits that captured me, they captured many w-women, and they-" she chokes, her eyes shutting hard as she swallows "Didn't touch me, not me. But them, for days, they did everything, to them" her legs shaking, it's almost like she can't breath "Andrei saved me, he told them and they listened. But I watched, I heard"

Andrei told them? But...of course, who else would know the roads so well? Not just a courier, a bandit, and if he dealt with slaves it makes sense he would know Akani to trade them with Luath. Then his seemingly cowardly nature, a lie. A deception. No wonder he was the best fed in the slave camp, he must have known someone...I should have thought about it.

"I can't, not like that. Not ever, please-" Her breathing stops, she tries her best to keep it all together as her teeth jitter and she clenches her fist, taking big breaths.

It's something I remember. The images of the half-eaten body flash through my eyes, and I can feel the pit in my stomach grow, and my heartbeat quickens. I look at her shaking on the dirt as she tries to regain control of her body, a hand on her chest.

"Breath, sit down," I say walking up to her and trying to sit her, she panics and tries to push me away "Stop, and listen to me"

I force her to sit and lean forward, kneeling next to her as she hugs herself, now truly looking as if she was drowning, muttering I can't breathe as she shakes uncontrollably. I recall this was enough to bring me back to earth when I was going through the same thing, but she is not stopping. But what else can I do? Why should I even try?

I can just walk away, I got important information from her, but my hand rises by itself, and although I hesitate, I rest it on her back, moving it in a circular motion.

"Calm down, breathe " I keep the motion, and after some time she begins to calm down, her breathing normalizes, and her shaking stops, and when I let go of her she shoves me away.

"What is wrong with you?! What is your fucking problem?!" She raises to her feet, quickly making distance from me "LEAVE!" She shouts, more like a scream than anything else, loud and high pitched "And If I catch you spying on me or anyone else, I will kill you!"

She shouts at me once more to leave, tears falling from her eyes as she begins to shake again. I turn around, and leave her alone as the sound of her sobbing is drowned out by the sound of the woods, and the running lake. I hear the rushed footsteps and quickly I see the many men rushing towards me, weapons in hand, and Nojus with the huani leading the group.

"Chief! We heard a scream, where is Lina?!"

"Bathing. There was a misunderstanding, she will come back shortly" I reply, and even though Nojus eyes me with suspicion, after inspecting me quickly her notes I have no bruises or cuts, so he nods and everyone turns around.

As the group walks back to camp, I lay eyes on Andrei, and we look at each other silently for a moment. His fearful expression was now so obviously a lie. I still have much to learn, his constant appearance of weakness and submission was an attempt to keep me away from looking at him too carefully and he succeeded.

He turns around and walks ahead. I won't face him with this information just yet, for now, I need to keep focused on the raid.