The trip back to the village took four days. After we arrived, I had a brief meeting with Zeb and Zaka discussing what we found. After some discussion about what to do, a general plan began to form. Currently, there doesn't appear to be any large presence left on the island, other than the individuals we have in the prison. That being the case, unescorted trips out of the village should be safe once again.

However, we don't actually know if it will remain safe forever. As such, it's been decided that a few goblins will each take weekly turns up at my cave home. Then, once a day, at least one of them needs to climb to the peak of the mountain and do a quick visual check around the island for anything out of the ordinary. It might not be perfect, but I could spot the previous landing point and camp from the peak, so I'm hoping any future landing points will also be visible. If something is spotted, then the scouts should return to the village immediately to inform us. Once winter sets in, we'll have to withdraw from the mountain peak once again, and we'll need a new plan at that point.

After the discussion with Zeb and Zaka, I talked with Zeb a little bit about the situation with the prisoners. Before I left, they were already quite depressed. Now, it's gotten worse. It's come to the point where the dwarf that we communicated with in the past stopped eating two days ago. Which is obviously very bad. I've decided to re-increase their meals to three a day as a stopgap for the other members who are still eating.

As for the starving dwarf, I've decided that we'll have to do something about the situation. I really don't want them dying by starvation. Which means I'm going to have to lighten their mood somehow. I can't just let them go though. Tomorrow, we'll start the process of attempting to improve their mood.

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The first thing we attempted to do was simply talk to the dwarf. They haven't been talkative in the last few months, ever since the eagle incident, and today was no exception. Given they weren't communicating, or for that matter even acknowledging our attempts at communication, we decided it was time for more desperate measures. We removed them from the cell, and brought them outside. Their cell mates attempted to fight back some when we went to remove them, but given their weakened state, we were able to remove them without too much trouble.

Even if they aren't acknowledging that we're talking to them, they can still hear us, so we continued talking to them despite their lack of responses. The first thing we did was give them a thorough cleaning in the stream, which they didn't react to. After which, we attempted to give them food again, and they didn't eat.

"Look, I understand that we've been keeping you in a prison for a few months now, and that can be depressing, but from our point of view, you've killed three of our people, seem to have no remorse for it, and worship creatures that kill us in droves." I say in the demon language, occasionally pausing to ask Zeb for a particular word.

I take a brief pause. I don't really want to chastise them here, but I need to make sure boundaries are set before continuing, "However, I don't think anyone benefits from you or your friends deaths. I really do just want to get along with people peacefully. So, for today at least, I'm going to take you around the village, and show you the various struggles we've gone through in these past years since we've been here, so you can understand where we're coming from, and hopefully see that we aren't so different, and that I'm not just trying to trick you."

They still didn't respond verbally, but at least when I started to try to lead them around town, they walked under their own power. I started the tour at the stream, and recounted the construction of the levee after the flood years ago. Then I walked them along the streets, explaining the sewer system I built. Then I talked about the houses, and how the goblins here lived before the village was built with stone. I showed them the pavilion where the goblins gather and eat each night, and talk about each of their days.

Then I walked them down to where the workshops are built, and explained how each of the goblins had taken an interest in some trade, and how they worked hard each day to perfect their craft. I explained why we had walls in the village, and the tribulations with the giant lizards from a few years ago. I didn't lead them out of the village, but pointed down the path where I explained how goblins went out to bring back fish for the village, gather salt, and tend to the few fields that the village has.

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After all that, I explained that ultimately, I'd like to just be able to relax and research the various interesting phenomena of this world. Alongside that, I showed them the furnace, and talked about the methods we followed to refine the metal ore. Finally, after a few hours, the tour ended at the bathhouse. Rather than explain the bathhouse immediately, I figured it'd be beneficial to just let them soak in the mana warmed water for a while.

After they entered the warm water, they showed some surprise on their face. While we soaked I said, "You know, what we have here may not be much, but for the most part, everyone is just trying to live their lives and enjoy what they can. Soaking in this water is something that all the goblins enjoy, even if that wasn't its original purpose."

The dwarf turns their face to me as I talk, which I take as a good sign so I continue, "I built this after almost two years of hard work doing research on something I call mana crystals. They're little crystals that we can find in a cave here on the island. They seem to have some kind of capacity for mana, and can recharge you if you're low on mana. This bathhouse is actually powered by one of those. A very large one."

I was getting ready to continue, but for the first time in what has been months, the dwarf spoke to me in a weak voice, "Show me."

I was glad they said something, but this poses a problem. I can't just show them the crystal immediately, mostly because I'm afraid what might happen if they have a way to break it.

I respond, "No, I'm afraid I can't show you it right away. I don't know that I can trust you. It's not exactly easy to make one that large, so I don't really want to have to do that again."

The dwarf replied for the second time, "Make? You made it?"

That was something I'm more willing to talk about so I oblige, "Yes, I made it. It's a real pain. It took me many months to make one large enough that it could go to the surface. Of course, if we touched it directly, we'd die. It was a big ordeal to get it down here, then build this bathhouse to allow the actual use of the thing."

The dwarf sat in silence for a while before saying, "Fine. I'll live for now."

That was good enough for me, so I simply relaxed in the water for a while with the dwarf. As the sun set and it became time to return the dwarf back to their comrades, I told them, "If we can come to some mutual understandings between us, it's clear this can be a beneficial relationship. We'll talk more tomorrow."

They didn't reply verbally, but when they were returned to their cell with food, they ate, which was a step in the right direction. Their comrades also seemed exceptionally worried about them when they returned, but thankfully no fights broke out between the guards and them in the night.

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The next day, I went down in the morning to bring food to the prisoners, and then to have a conversation with the dwarf while they ate. Again, I had Zeb accompany me in case my language skills weren't quite up to snuff.

"Alright, as a bit of a trust building exercise, I figure we can ask questions back and forth to each other. You can ask first," I say.

The dwarf thinks for a little while before asking, "How did you make crystal?"

I laughed briefly to myself at this. I should have seen that coming, I reply, "Alright, you can ask another question. The crystal matter is on hold until I feel like we can trust each other enough."

The dwarf sighed and then asked, "Are you leader, or him?" He says, pointing to Zeb.

I let out another chuckle. In some ways I'm the leader I suppose, but no, I don't consider myself the actual leader. Mostly because I don't want to have to manage people. I end up giving my response, "Someone else. I don't like managing problems between people."

"Who?" the dwarf asks.

"Nope, one question at a time," I say. I think for a little bit before asking my question, "Why starve yourself?"

"Things seem bleak. No hope," the dwarf says.

I almost ask another question myself, but catch myself and say, "Alright, your turn."

"Who is leader?" the dwarf asks.

"A hobgoblin named Zaka. He's the oldest here," I say, giving the dwarf a little extra info for free. I then ask, "Why did things seem bleak?"

The dwarf pauses for a moment, and then talks to the others in the cell. After a minute they respond, "Rescue very late. Maybe not coming."

Well, that would certainly explain a few things. Thinking back on how things have gone with the prisoners, they went from somewhat cocky, to arguing amongst themselves, and then eventually depressed. If they thought they were getting rescued, they probably figured it was only a matter of holding out until then. When they didn't show up, they probably got anxious, and started arguing with each other over what to do. Then as they came to terms with their situation, they figured they were as good as dead.

As I finish through the thought process, the dwarf asks their next question, "Why not kill us?"

"I've said before, there isn't a benefit. I'd rather make friends than enemies. There are all sorts of problems in the world, no reason to make even more problems for myself," I say.