Smart? Kaden wasn’t convinced. If anything, the goblin seemed even dimmer than the usual ones. Still, it was intriguing, entertaining even. He felt tempted to give it a chance. What was the worst that could happen? Death didn’t scare him; he’d just come back and kill it for betraying him.
“Fine. I’ll give you a chance.” He said, already regretting his decision.
Slib swallowed hard, its entire body trembling. “Slib no betray! Slib promise! Great skeleton see, Slib loyal!” The words tumbled out in a panicked rush, each syllable punctuated by a desperate gasp, as if it was afraid Kaden might change his mind at any moment. It wasn’t far from the truth.
Kaden chuckled, a hollow, rattling sound that echoed through the cavern. “We’ll see,” he replied, shoving Slib forward again. “Get to it, I’ll wait here.”
“No no! Skeleton go back cave. Slib bring goblins!”
“All the way back at the cave?” That sounded even riskier. Was the goblin planning to use the chance to run away?
Well, it didn’t much matter. Kaden knew he couldn’t follow closely enough to keep an eye on it anyway. He wasn’t strong enough to go striding into the goblin camp.
“Yes yes. Skeleton know way, yes?” Slib asked, somehow making it sound like the easiest thing in the world.
Kaden wasn’t entirely sure he did. The path was a labyrinth of twists and turns, and finding his way back wouldn’t be easy. There was a high chance of getting lost. The silence stretched as he thought, and the goblin began to look at him with a curious expression.
It irritated him. Was this creature looking down on him for not knowing? Being judged by such a stupid thing was infuriating.
“Yes, I know the way,” he snapped, his frustration spilling over. Sighing, he squeezed his cranium and spoke again. “Alright. Go and do whatever it is you’re planning. Don’t bring anyone stronger than the two you were with. Understood?”
“Yes! Understood, understood!” Slib nodded eagerly, already turning to leave.
“And Slib?”
Slib turned back to face him, its little ears half-raised. “Yes?”
“Don’t do anything stupid. If you betray me here, I really will make you wish you hadn’t.” Kaden warned.
He could see the goblin gulp nervously before nodding again. This time, he let it go, watching as it trudged down the corridor, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake.
Was it stupid? Definitely. But somehow he felt himself compelled to give it this chance. He wasn’t exactly sure why. Ironically, it was the most companionship he’d had in a long time. Even if it annoyed him, it was… nice.
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Was it right? Or left? Arghh, I can’t remember!
Kaden stood at a fork in the tunnel, groaning as he tried to recall which path they had come from. He searched his memory, but drew a blank. He wished he had the goblins’ natural knack for navigating the dungeon.
How did they do it so effortlessly? He had seen it several times. Even Slib, barely a month old, seemed to know its way around. If the little goblin didn’t betray him, he could definitely make use of those talents.
Fortunately, he’d managed to make it most of the way without issue; the dungeon’s terrain growing ever familiar. But that didn’t make his current predicament any less frustrating. Better to pick a direction than waste time, he thought. Even if he chose wrong, he could always backtrack as long as he hurried. Not giving himself any more time, he chose left.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
It wasn’t long before he was back in familiar surroundings. He breathed a sigh of relief; the tension easing off of him. From here, it was no trouble for him as he navigated the rest of the way, once more finding himself inside of the damp, overgrown cave. Now, all he had to do was wait.
And wait he did.
He hoped the goblin had understood his final instructions. He could easily imagine how bad things turning bad, because it brought too many of its fellow creatures. It really wasn’t too bright. Maybe he should have clarified things a little more before they parted ways. Just to make sure it properly understood.
Well, maybe it wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t even sure the goblin was coming. How long had it been? It felt like hours. He wished he could’ve spent the time more productively. Like practicing his weapon skills or something else useful. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an option. His new skill was a big drain on his stamina. He needed every bit of it ready.
Time kept passing, and there was still no sign of Slib. Doubts began to fester. It was taking too long… was Slib really coming back? It should have been here by now.
Thinking about it, he really had been stupid. Naive even. Just why had he decided to give it a chance? What was his weakness? Was it the loneliness? He was just about ready to give up and leave when he heard a loud and very recognizable goblin voice in the distance. A voice that could only belong to Slib.
The little goblin was shouting far louder than necessary, spouting some nonsensical babble. A signal, Kaden realized. A warning to get ready.
Kaden ducked into a crevice near the entrance, gripping his new bat tightly.
“Quiet, Slib…” a goblin said, its gruff voice followed up by a sharp slap and a yelp that was quite likely to be Slib’s.
Slib wasn’t deterred, immediately continuing. “Biiiiig rock break free! Hit Gul! Break leg! Many many blood! Gul no walk! Gul stuck! Gul cry wah-wah-wah, like weak baby gob!”
Another growl, another slap, and an even louder yelp.
“Slib lie!” the gruff goblin barked. “My brother never cry!”
Kaden could hardly believe what he was hearing. What in the world was Slib doing? He listened as they entered the cave, their footsteps pausing.
“Where Gul and Krok?” the gruff goblin demanded.
“Not far, not far! Come!” Slib coaxed, leading the other goblins deeper into the cave.
The footsteps neared his little crevice, and Kaden crouched down, holding his breath, hoping no one would see him. A flicker of green passed by, and the footsteps continued. He waited a moment, and slipped out behind them, all of the goblins completely unaware of what was going on behind them. So far, so good.
Slib had brought four goblins, not including itself, and none of them looked particularly threatening or memorable. Internally, he praised Slib for the good work. The little goblin had come through after all, even if it did take a little long.
He selected his first target—a heavy-set goblin with wrinkled ears—and crept closer, moving carefully, silently. When he was almost within striking distance, the group came to a stop.
The gruff goblin had noticed the vast amounts of blood left behind from the two Kaden had killed. It turned to Slib and yelled, “What this blood? Where Gul?!”
Kaden didn’t waste any time. He swung the bat with all his might. The impact echoed through the cavern as his target crumpled, skull pierced through and already dead. Kaden almost lost his balance as the bat was stuck, the goblin’s limp body pulling him with it. With a forceful yank, he freed it and braced himself for the battle.
By then, the remaining goblins had all realized he was here. They rushed toward him, weapons raised. The gruff one lead the charge, and they all swung together.
Kaden activated his skill, bones creaking as he jumped back, dodging their strikes. While the goblins were still mid strike, he dashed forward at full speed. His bat struck another goblin’s head with a sickening crack, breaking bones and teeth as the goblin’s face caved in.
One of the claws fell off with some pieces of wood, but it didn’t matter. Another goblin down. Two more to go.
He ducked under a swing and heard a high-pitched cry and the sound of something sharp piercing flesh. He glanced sideways, taking his eyes off of his attacker to see what was going on.
Slib was clinging to the gruff goblin’s back, hands covering its eyes. The shaft of a knife was sticking out from the bigger goblin’s shoulder, and its arm hung limp without a weapon. The gruff goblin kept turning, reaching back with its remaining arm and trying to grab hold of Slib. But the little goblin wasn’t so easy to catch.
Kaden turned back just in time to dodge another swing, the sword’s blade whizzing past him. He stepped in, gripping the bat with both hands, and swung with all his might. The bat cracked under the pressure, splitting into two large pieces.
Somehow still standing, the goblin was wobbling, blood trickling down the side of its head. Without missing a beat, Kaden drove the broken bat piece into its chest like a stake and kicked hard.
He didn’t stay to watch the goblin fall. He turned to help Slib, just as the gruff goblin finally got a grip on the little creature. Slib was no match for the larger goblin, and with one powerful yank, it threw Slib to the ground, sending the little goblin tumbling and rolling, limbs flailing in all directions.