As soon as I move the red light intensifies. The goblins separate and move to either side of me. I move back, whatever they had tried to do I think it failed. Doesn’t mean their defeated though, that red light is still shining and altering anything within the area that something is going on here. I have to fight the urge to run. These goblins are not what they seem and I don’t want to have to fight the unknown.

Thing is, their still goblins, glowing or not and if they had the power to absolutely demolish me they would have done it by now. I charge toward the bone goblin, batting the large one with all my strength and sending him flying.

The bone goblin grins and then dodges to the side, lightning-fast, I go tumbling by and feel something stab into my hide. Not getting through but still damaging. I look to the side and see a knife buried there, glowing with the goblins annoying red light. I keep moving forward and then turn, regaining my senses. The bone goblin had created another dagger using his, her? Armour. The big goblin had caught up as well, looking as if nothing happened.

These goblins really are different. I growl and then move in again, reaching for the bone goblin. It shoots forward, moving under my grasp, and buries its dagger in my gut, opening another gash in my hide. I throw down an elbow but the slippery thing just moves out of the way.

The big goblin takes a swing at my leg, the red light surrounding its mace. I step into it, my hand going out to claw the idiot goblin. My leg shudders as the hide around it shatters, ripping from my skin with a spray of blood.

I keep moving through and grab the thing, its skin also has a sheen of red and I notice the bone goblin, brows down, tensing, a vein popping out of its forehead, and with a hand outstretched toward the big goblin.

I smile and impose my will. I can feel the tendrils of my power going out to consume the goblin, I can see memories as well, I push them aside though. They will only serve as distractions. Black lines creep up the goblin’s body and I can feel resistance, I press harder, and it screams. A horrible sound, blood flows from its eyes and the black lines turn into a horrible reddish-purple. I feel the power flowing through me, and I can feel my hide slowly growing back.

The big goblin is withering, deflating, the red sheen around its skin is gone, and the resistance I felt is gone also. I look over to where the bone goblin was and see it on the ground writhing.

Black lines start to appear over the bones it wears. I pick up the big goblin and rip it to pieces. Then proceed to feed. Both on its flesh and its beautiful soul. I feel myself start to get carried away.

Goblins, as far as the eye can see. I look down and see the other bone shamans assembling, it is almost time for the tra-migration, the great move of the goblins. The thing which the gods had foretold, where the goblins would move and find power, where they would no longer need to suffer under the large-ones above.

I move toward my brothers, forming my bone knife on the way, preparing for the ritual that would set us free. That would make the goblins free. Free…. A grin forms on my face and I turn toward my brother--

I snap out of the memory suddenly. What? What had happened. I was… somewhere else. I look toward the bone goblin and see it slowly getting to its feet glaring at me, before turning around and running toward the other goblins of its tribe.

I follow. I’m tired though, even though I ate that soul, I’m tired. Why? I already know though, the memory, it took the energy and more. I growl, shake my head, and follow the goblin. I needed to end this fast before the rest of the predators come here and run me off. I charge through the mist that always surrounds this place and toward the bone goblin. It wouldn’t escape a second time.

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The line of goblins is in front of me, the bone goblin hopping and jumping to get to them. I pick up speed and can feel the wind whipping around me, I’m almost there, I look for the holes behind them, reminding myself where they were.

Not there. I can feel my eyes widen, and I look down. I push off my back foot trying to launch myself over the hole that I’m about to find myself in.

The goblins, they had moved! I’m too slow to be able to get out completely but I manage to land most of my body of the edge, barely avoiding falling through the trap. I can feel my foot give and hear something snap. Not good, I can take the normal goblins all day but the bone one has already proven that it can attack and hurt me somehow.

I can see the shadowy shapes of the goblins coming toward me, their stone spears at the ready. The bone goblin starts shouting and they fan out around me, I slowly rise to my feet, ignoring the crunch in my foot. I’m shaking but I’m still up, the bone goblin pushes his way to the front and charges toward me. I tense and just as he’s about to make contact I jump over him, dodging his knife and slamming into the goblins behind him. I quickly grab one and suck it dry, using its energy to heal me, my leg rights itself partially but I can tell it's not completely healed yet.

I start ripping into the goblins, sucking as many of them dry as I can and killing the rest. I feel the bone goblins knife slide between my ribs before I can go that far into the goblin ranks, bringing me back to the bigger problem.

The bone goblin.

I growl and smash it off me, not having enough time to be able to suck it dry. I can’t let the horde of goblins weigh me down and trip me. I had seen a troll go down that way before and it had always stuck with me.

I break from the horde and sprint forward toward the caves that they call home, dodging the holes in the ground whenever they come up.

[Prospecting has levelled. Skill Evolution Available.]

I wave away the words, leaving them for another time. When I finally get to the cave mouth I turn around, trying to regain my bearings.

The goblins had also stopped to take a breather, but I could tell that they were nervous. The bone goblin, not so much but I know the sound of fear and that particular goblin was showing it every time it opened its mouth.

I look behind them, and see a shadowy figure coming to their rear, I squint.

That looks a lot like Eye. I growl that bastard would be mine. Mine! I roar a challenge and it goes unanswered, Eye continues forward though.

I snort, cowardly actions.

The goblins look behind as well, either looking for a way to escape or figuring out I wasn’t roaring at them. I can tell by the rippling in their line that Eye was taking the last of their courage. The bone goblin as well, he was scared I could already tell that but probably looking for a way out.

I call up my goblin language knowledge and growl at them. “You.” I point, spit, and keep on talking, “serve. I protect!” I laugh on the inside. Protection? I would protect them until I got hungry enough to eat them. Coming with me was gonna be their best chance. Eye would just kill them. Anything other than me would just kill me.

………||||||||||||||||............

Gur’nalek, the bone goblin, looks between his two enemies. The troll one in front and the creature of shadow in the back. He could also sense more creatures approaching from all sides. He thought he and Lug would be able to take on the level 5 beast but obviously, it was more powerful than he had given it credit for.

Either that or just smarter. Everyone knows that Trolls are dumb though, that’s just the truth. Dumb but freakishly strong. When it showed its soul magic he still thought that he would be able to take the Troll on.

When Lug died though, he wasn’t so sure. Lug was the strength, the only one with the power to take the Troll in one on one combat for at least a little while, the only one able to shatter its hide. Yet, Lug had died and he, the bone shaman, was losing his kinsmen left and right. The Troll had already gained a level or two, and his tribe was cut in half and missing a chief.

The Troll was powerful and might be able to protect them, or at least make sure enough of them survived to live through this night and the nights to come. The Troll spoke goblin as well another sign of intelligence.

The shadows come in closer and Gur’nalek makes his choice.

………||||||||||||||||............

“Lord Troll, we accept your offer.” I grin. This is what I wanted. I step aside and the goblins start sprinting into the safety of the cave. The figures start sprinting toward them not wanting to let good food go to waste.

The goblins are my food now though and only mine. The goblins stream into the cave and I step forward to face the creatures in the shadows.

Maybe Eye will join my tribe as well, huh?

I lick my lips. Battle-time.