A howl split through the forest like the sun did the leaves. It woke Adam with a start. He was up and on his feet in an instant. He was acutely aware of the lack of sleepiness in his eyes and body. Instead, he felt like he had just warmed up before a workout. It was probably the best he’d ever felt in his life, especially coming out of a deep, dreamless sleep.
The rest of the party were also at the ready. As Adam looked around he noticed that it was indeed morning. He had slept through the night like a baby. The raging fire from the night before had been reduced to nothing but embers now.
“What was that?” Josh asked. His sword was in his hands and his eyes were darting around trying to look everywhere at once.
“Wolves,” said Mina. Her eyes scanned around as more howls sprung up all around the party.
“Time to fry some puppies!” yelled Drox with his book in the air.
“Bro,” said Josh, “not cool.”
Drox just shrugged. “Wolf is a bit stringy, but it’s not that bad lad.”
Adam saw the eyes first. “Over there.” He pointed to his left where the shade of trees were still dark in the dusk of the morning. Two yellow, almost glowing, eyes reflected back at the group.
“There,” said Drox. He pointed to another set of eyes.
Two more sets glowed in the half-light of forest before they began to approach all at once. The wolves prowled into the light slowly. Two of them were as black as night and one was as white as fresh snow. It led the pack. From what Adam could remember they were at least twice the size of normal wolves. Each came up past his waist. They were spread out in a semicircle surrounding the four adventurers. Adam focused on the white wolf and was met with a notification.
Mountain Wolf: Level 3 - Skyeyes' companion
The forest was deathly silent. No bird or insect dared to break the standoff with its singing. Instead, the wolves and the adventures were at an impasse. Just as Mina was getting ready to attack, the wolves’ ears suddenly all perked up straight. Then they sat down in unison with tongues lulling out of their mouths. Adam even heard one of the black ones whine slightly like a dog begging for pets.
Out of the darkness of the forest strode a goblin like none of them had ever seen. It wore brown leather pants and a tunic with strips of leather fraying off at the sides in an ornamental pattern. Adam noticed the resemblance to the other goblins he had seen before. It had light green skin like summer grass, a slightly curved nose, and long pointy ears. What stuck out though were its eyes. They were clear and blue like ice had frozen them over. On his hip hung two daggers. On the goblin they looked like swords. As Adam stared, he was met with a small notification.
Name: Skyeyes Level: 5 Class: Beast Tamer
The goblin walked straight up to the sitting wolves and scratched the white one behind the ears. The goblin barely came eye to eye with the sitting wolves. He seemed small even for goblins. Mina moved to strike out at the goblin with her sword, but Josh put his hand out to stop her. He was positioned slightly in front of her so she couldn’t get by him easily.
“Wait,” said Josh, “don’t you feel that?”
“I feel nothing,” spat Mina. Her eyes burned with fury as she stared at the goblin.
“Exactly,” said Josh. “Haven’t you noticed? All the monsters we’ve fought before. It’s like they pulled at me when they attacked. Like I could feel them coming.”
“Do not speak in riddles to me child of war. Let me have my vengeance.” The wolves growled as they stared at Mina and Josh.
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“This isn’t a monster. Just look at his skin. He doesn’t have any black lines. See his eyes?”
“A goblin is a goblin. Move or be slain with the monster.”
“Please,” said Skyeyes. His voice was high and raspy like he’d smoked his whole life. He spoke with speed and fear. “I am not bad. I have no corruption. I am goblin.” He raised his hands in the air in a peaceful motion. “No fight.”
“You took everything from me!” yelled Mina. She moved toward Skyeyes. The wolves bared their teeth and rumbling came from their throats. Josh turned and grabbed her arm. Adam was there in an instant grabbing her other arm. She was strong and nearly toppled both of them in her rage. “Everything!” Tears were streaming down her face.
“I understand,” said Skyeyes. His head fell slightly as his hands dropped down to his side.
“You understand nothing monster!”
“I understand everything.” He looked up at Mina with his eyes watering. “Stolen. Destroyed. Taken. Gone. Everything you loved. Ripped away. I understand.”
Mina stopped struggling. It was like the fight had been ripped from her. She fell to her knees as Adam and Joshed backed away. Painful sobs rang out through the forest. “She was my world.”
"I am sorry. It was no real goblin. Please listen. I beg you." The wolves all whined in unison.
It took time for Mina to stop sobbing on the ground. Adam wasn’t sure what he should do so he just sat next to her and waited. Josh led Skyeyes and the wolves over to the fire where Drox started rubbing his paws all over the now docile beasts.
“I’ll call you Jerky,” Drox said. He was rubbing on one of the black wolves. He moved to the next black one. “You, I'll call Pork Chop.” He rubbed that one and it moved its head into his paws to get better scratchings.
“That’s just wrong,” said Josh with a sigh.
“And you, my princess.” Drox strode over to the massive white wolf. “I will call you–” he paused for dramatic effect and raised his hands in the air. “SNOWBALL!”
Josh buried his face into his hands at that. Skyeyes seemed to be unaffected by the names and just sat in silence, on the fallen tree, as they waited for Adam and Mina. It wasn’t much longer before Mina and Adam joined without a word. They sat down in the grass surrounding the dying fire. Drox was absently petting Snowball, the white wolf, with his fluffy paws.
“Speak your peace,” said Mina. Her voice was raw and scratchy.
Skyeyes nodded and began. His words spilled out as if he had just a small grasp on the language, "We come from mountain. Long, long time we live. No see outside. Just mountain. Then blue crystals fall. They crash down to every goblin. At start we thought death. Then we thought life. We all stronger, faster, smarter. Even door to outside mountain. Soon though we find other things come with crystals. Darkness. Something bad in king. He began call goblin to his room.
"When goblin leave room they goblin no more. They bad. Goblin did not understand. Not until too late. We fight, but we lose. I alone escape. I am last goblin. Last real goblin."
“Your story does not move me, monster.” Mina spat the words out with vitriol.
“I understand. I want to kill bad goblin. All I live for is kill bad goblin. Kill king."
Mina’s eyes narrowed at that. “You want us to help you kill your own kind?”
“They are not goblin. They are bad. Skyeyes cannot kill all. Need help. I have a pack, but not enough. I want home back.” He said the last words with such longing that Adam instantly understood. He’d had his life taken from him as well. He’d never get the chance to go back home though. It pained Adam as he thought about it, but he tried to shake off the creeping depression.
Josh shot a look towards Adam. Adam thought he understood. This was most definitely for the quest they had. A guide would be invaluable. He just wasn’t sure Mina wouldn’t slit the goblins throat the moment she got the chance. He nodded to Josh.
“It’s up to you Mina,” said Josh. “If you want Skyeyes to join us I think he would be beyond helpful.”
“Yes las, it’s your decision.” Drox was nodding as he stared at Mina.
Mina’s eyes were red where she had been crying, but they were hard as she stared at the goblin in front of her. It took everything she had to not think of the creature before her as just another one of the monsters that stole her love. She tried though. She looked into the eyes of the goblin sitting before her. She saw life there. A soul. It was so different then the empty corrupted bastards that constantly attacked her village, but there were still so many similarities. She let out a breath and said, “We will go with you, but I will keep my eye on you. If I feel that you are leading us into a trap, or turning on us, or lying I will end you. Without hesitation.”
Skyeyes stood and bowed slightly to the group. “Thank you.” Adam thought it was so weird to see the goblin bow. It just seemed so out of place for goblins, but then again this was a whole new world. It was becoming more and more obvious that the nexus didn’t just copy and paste generic fantasy creatures into the world. Some things were most definitely similar to fantasy and games he’d seen before, but a lot was clearly different. It was going to take some time to adjust to everything, but the idea made Adam smile.
Adventure was suddenly something he wanted to do. He had heard the stories of back in the day before the internet was prevalent. There used to be books people would buy to guide them through games. There were secrets only friends could share with other friends when they discovered them. By the time he was old enough to play games everything new was instantly on the internet. People made it their jobs to play games all day. They would have guides, strategies, walkthroughs, and everything out in the first week. There was no truly playing blind anymore. Not until now. Because they weren't playing. They were living.
The wolves standing snapped Adam out of his thoughts. They walked over to gather around Skyeyes. It was as if they knew it was close to time. The white one that Drox had taken to calling Snowball lifted her head into the air. A howl ripped through the early morning and it was soon joined by the other three. It was a signal. A warning. For they were about to help their master accomplish his goal. They were going to slay the goblin king.