“Hmmm, you’re an elf,” Colb repeated so his friends could hear it. “And… and we’re goblins. Is… is that okay? I’ve heard that humans and elves are… at odds, sometimes… but goblins and elves, we can get along, yes?”

“I don’t know,” Kashmir shrugged. “I’ve never even seen a goblin. You’re from really far south, right?”

“Hmmm, yes we do live quite south from here,” Colb answered. “I’ve never met an elf either, yes? Are you from the Elvish Kingdom?”

Kashmir nodded. Colb noticed his small, beady red eyes reflecting off the surface of Kashmir’s beautiful, sky-like blue eyes as he spoke to her.

“Hmmm, what brings you to the Human Kingdom, yes?” Colb asked.

“I’m heading to Jaiphione’s Crescent, because I’m needed there!” Kashmir cheered.

“Hmmm, Jaiphione’s Crescent? Where’s that?” Colb inquired.

Kashmir took a sip of the mixed-meat-juice, made a face, and put it back. “Ugh! What is this?”

“Hmmm, it’s a blend of cowmammoth stomach lining and hawkbear eye, yes?” Colb answered.

“Eww,” Kashmir replied.

Colb felt a little insulted, but decided to press on. This young elf reminded him of the children back in Skaal; they certainly had no filter when sharing their opinions. “Hmmm, tell me about Jaiphione’s Crescent, yes?” Colb pressed. “You sound excited about going there, yes?”

“Have you ever seen an owlvulture, or a ladybugmoth?” Kashmir questioned. Colb shook his head. “They’re beautiful creatures. Especially the ladybugmoth – it’s a fluffy bug with red, polka-dotted wings! Very cute,” Kashmir cheered.

“Hmmm, do these creatures live in Jaiphione’s Crescent?” Colb guessed.

“They do! And many more do, too,” Kashmir cheered. “And you won’t find them anywhere else. About 45,000 years ago, an elf named Jaiphione established a crescent island as a safe haven for hundreds of fragile animal species. All those creatures would’ve gone extinct if Jaiphione hadn’t stepped in. That was her last great act before she passed away. Ever since her death, we elves have been protecting that island, and worshiping Jaiphione as the goddess of nature – and now, she calls upon me to save it!”

Colb nodded. Listening to this young elf definitely reminded him of the goblin children back home. Their stories would often get twisted around to center on the child telling it – which is exactly where this tale seemed to be going. Young Skaal goblins were savvy to find some greater life purpose for themselves – as such, phrases like “my destiny” and “I was chosen” came up often.

Kashmir continued with her story. “My father told me that, just 30 years ago, humans started invading Jaiphione’s Crescent. He said they’re killing off all the rare creatures, because they’re stupid and they don’t understand Jaiphione’s mission.”

“Hmmm, I see, yes?” Colb replied with a nod. I guess the elves and humans really are at odds, yes? he thought to himself.

“My father tried to get Queen Eylbella to declare war on the humans, but she refused, and… eventually… um, punished him,” Kashmir said. She continued chewing on her steak meal as she spoke. “Soon, I realized it was my destiny to run away from home, and get the humans off Jaiphione’s Crescent myself!”

“Hmmm, interesting,” Colb muttered. “Do you know how to find this Jaiphione’s Crescent?”

“Of course,” Kashmir replied. “I visited it once when I was 132 years old, so I know what it looks like. Plus, I strategized my route on a map before I ran away. I just need to find a human town called Sesui, and then I can enact my plan to get to the island.”

“Hmmm, you just said you’re… what age did you say?” Colb asked.

“I said I was 132 years old when I last visited Jaiphione’s Crescent. Right now, I’m 482 years old,” Kashmir replied.

“Hmmm! Alright,” Colb agreed with a chuckle. Hmmm, kids will be kids! he thought to himself. “That’s quite impressive, yes? I’m only 23! People don’t tend to live past 60, yes?”

“Hurmph, I’m right here!” Stibs grumbled from the dining area. “In the Kreet Clan, we’ve got goblins pushing 70! Hurmph, that’s what happens when you build up some muscle and live a little healthier.”

“Hmmm, the elf says she’s 482 years old, yes?” Colb said with a smile. He hadn’t realized how much he missed talking to children, with their sporadic claims and fun stories.

“Elves live to around 4,000 years old,” Kashmir snapped. “What, you don’t believe me? My father was 2,210!”

“Hmmm, it’s just hard to fathom you’re so old, yes? You remind me of the children from my tribe,” Colb chuckled.

“AaAaaaaahhhh, you know, Colb – humans can live for a whole century,” 27 threw in, having listened to Colb’s side of the conversation. “I think dwarves can live for something like three or four centuries. Maybe she could be 482, yes she could be?”

“Hmmm, she just said elves can live for 4,000 years, yes?” Colb replied. “Pretty impressive!”

“AaAaaaaahhhh, 4,000 years, eh? That is long time, yes it is…” 27 muttered. “…but the math kind of works out, yes it does. If she’s only 482, that would make her… what, 12% of the way through her life? No wonder she looks like child!”

“Okay, well,” Kashmir grumbled in an annoyed tone. “When I say that I’m 482, I really mean that I’m almost 483. My age-up day is just a few months away. I’m closer to 483 than I am to 482.”

She looked at Colb expectantly, who relayed her reply to 27. “You know, I believe it,” 27 said with a shrug. “Elves are big mystery. We can’t assume how long they live, or how fast they mature, no we cannot.”

Kashmir nodded in approval, put the last bit of steak in her mouth, then took off her mittens. “Where am I?” she asked suddenly, looking around.

“Hmmm, this is our Yiklar Folding Cabin,” Colb replied. “We set it up in the forest for shelter, yes? We haven’t left the hawkbear’s nesting area.”

“Ohhhhh yea, that place with the egg,” she muttered. “I guess I should’ve realized someone would be protecting it.” Kashmir stood up, and immediately bonked her head on the ceiling, leaving behind a circle of frost.

“Hmmm! Don’t hurt your head again, yes?” Colb said, gesturing for her to sit back down. “You bashed your skull so hard earlier, it knocked you out, yes?”

“Oh yea…” Kashmir mumbled, rubbing the top of her head and sitting back down. “Why is your ceiling so low?”

“Hmmm, because it’s made for goblins, yes? You’re much taller than we could ever dream to be, yes?” Colb replied. Colb furrowed his brow, worried about the elf’s safety after taking such trauma back on the mapleoak tree.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Hmmm, you should stay right where you are, yes? At least for now. Hmmm, don’t put too much strain on your body, yes? Would you like some more food?” Colb offered.

The girl nodded. “Hmmm, was the hawkbear steak okay? Would you like more of that?” Colb asked.

Kashmir nodded again. “I’ll eat anything that isn’t endangered,” she said. “Except for insects, I hate the taste of insects. I also won’t eat things that aren’t food… like stomach lining and eyes – eugh!”

“Hmmm, your definition of food is different than mine, yes?” Colb chuckled, walking over to the dining area to plate another hawkbear steak. As he wiped his secret toadroach sauce off Kashmir’s steak, Colb glanced at Stibs. “Hmmm, Stibs? Does your map say anything about a… human town called Sesui, or an island called Jaiphione’s Crescent?” he whispered.

“Hurmph… hold this,” Stibs muttered, handing his torch to Drek. The young goblin accepted the torch with one hand, while slurping down a fresh glass of mixed-meat-juice with the other.

“Heh! That’s easy,” Stibs said, showing Colb his map. “Whereami,” he said, forcing Colb to shut his eyes as the map blinded him with light.

“Hurmph, sorry about that… but check this out!” he pointed to a white mark on the map, which indicated their current position: only a few miles southeast of the human town, Sesui.

Colb looked a little bit above Sesui, and saw a crescent-shaped island to the north. It wasn’t labeled Jaiphione’s Crescent on the Yiklar Map of Finding Location, but it certainly seemed to align with the elf’s story.

“Hmmm, I think she wants to visit that crescent island, yes?” Colb said. If we bring her to Sesui, she says she can go the rest of the way.

“Rrghegh, what about her joining our team?” Drek asked. “You said she should decide, so go ask her.”

Colb nodded, then brought the steak over to Kashmir. “Hmmm,” he said, placing the stone dinnerware on the ground before her. “You’re a bit of a fighter, yes?” Colb asked.

Kashmir shrugged, putting her mittens back on and taking the steak. “I just close my eyes, and whatever’s trying to hurt me goes away. I figure I’ll do the same thing against the humans, and they’ll leave Jaiphione’s Crescent alone!”

“Hmmm… you do know that you basically killed this hawkbear, yes?” Colb asked.

Kashmir tilted her head. “No, I made it go away, and knocked myself out in the process.”

“Hmmm, if you made it go away, then how are you eating it, yes?” Colb countered. She looked down at the meat in her hands, and furrowed her brow. “You’re quite powerful… I think you would hurt a lot of humans if you did that to them, yes?” Colb said.

“Well…” she muttered. “The hawkbear wanted to hurt me, and the humans want to hurt Jaiphione… so I guess that would be okay,” she rationalized, taking a bite of the steak.

“Hmmm… I think the humans don’t want to hurt Jaiphione, yes?” Colb retorted.

“Why?” Kashmir countered, tilting her head the other way.

“You said yourself that they’re stupid, and they don’t understand Jaiphione, yes? Maybe it would be better to talk with them, tell them the story you just told me – then, maybe they will understand, yes? Instead of hurting them for no reason?” Colb pitched.

“Well, it wouldn’t be for no reason,” Kashmir muttered.

“Hmmm, but if they don’t know they’re doing something wrong, then they would think you’re hurting them for no reason, yes?” Colb countered.

“You sound like Queen Eylbella,” Kashmir huffed, putting down her steak and crossing her arms.

“Hmmm, who is that?” Colb asked.

“She rules the Elvish Kingdom, and suppresses our freedom,” Kashmir grumbled. “She executed my father for speaking out against the humans, and made me an outlaw for running away from home.”

“Hmmm! She executed your father?!” Colb exclaimed. “…and she made you an outlaw?”

A child? Colb thought. Hmmm… or at least, a child in elf years? I’m still not sure how her age works, but making an outlaw out of such a young elf seems cruel. Let alone killing her father!

“Defying Queen Eylbella’s wishes is a crime of treason,” Kashmir clarified. “Last week, she banned my whole family from even thinking about the crescent ever again, because she was mad that my father wouldn’t stop trying to rally a war against the humans. By running off to save Jaiphione’s Crescent, I’m sacrificing myself for the greater good.”

“Hmmm, it’s sounding like this all happened very recently?!” Colb observed. “Are… are you okay?”

“I will be, once I finish my father’s work,” Kashmir replied. “I won’t be welcomed back in the Elvish Kingdom after what I’m doing, but helping Jaiphione and finishing my father’s efforts is a greater purpose than anything I could do back home.”

“Hmmm, so this is a one-way trip for you, yes?” Colb realized. Kashmir nodded, eyeing the steak she’d put back on the floor. “What do you plan to do after you save the crescent, yes?”

“Um…” she muttered.

Hmmm. She didn’t think that far ahead, did she? Colb thought to himself. Even if she really is old on the outside, I’m definitely speaking with a child.

“…I’m going to stay on the crescent, and defend it forever,” Kashmir decided. “That way, the humans will never come back.”

“Hmmm,” Colb muttered, pushing the plate of steak closer to Kashmir. The elf picked it up and began eating. “What if instead, you came with us? We’re on an adventure, and could use your help, yes? If we come across another hawkbear, it would be great to have someone that can make it go away like you can,” he said. “Hmmm – again, not to make humans go away like that, but perhaps to keep us safe from the big monsters. Think about it, yes?”

Kashmir shrugged. “Okay, I will,” she said, and continued eating.

Deciding to give her some space while she ate, Colb sauntered over to 27 to discuss the healing crystal situation. “Hmmm, you’ve made progress on the translations, yes? We can heal broken legs now, yes?”

“AaAaaaaahhhh, well I’ve made progress, yes I have,” 27 said, looking through his notes. “But… many strange things are in here, yes there are. Grounding yourself to the earth? Burying stones in peppersalt to recharge them? Aligning rocks with the moonlight? Not to mention, I think the stones all do the same thing, yes they do, and they’re just described in a roundabout way to seem different.”

He picked up three different stones, and showed them to Colb. “The quartzelian blocks negative energy, yes it does. Obsidethyst shields you from negative energy, and the tourmalpyrite grounds negative energy away from you. There is no difference? It’s nonsense!” 27 exclaimed.

“Hmmm,” Colb muttered, taking the three stones. “Maybe it’s just complicated, because it’s medicine, yes?”

“MMmMmmmm, well, why don’t you give them a try?” 27 said. “The instructions say that all injuries are caused by negative energy that floats around the universe – whatever that is – and that these energies coincidentally flowed into Stibs at the exact moment that his leg was crushed under the weight of a dwarf. By that logic, removing the negative energy will fix the leg. Why don’t you hold those three stones next to Stibs, and see if it fixes him?”

Colb nodded. He started to walk away, then stopped. “Hmmm, by the way – is it okay if Kashmir joins us? I offered her the option, yes?”

“MMmMmmmm, if she wants to, then I suppose I’ve been outvoted,” 27 replied. “So, sure! I try to be a leader of open mind, yes I do try to be.”

Colb smiled, then walked over to Stibs. He held out the three stones, and touched them to the old goblin’s leg. Stibs hissed at the sudden contact with his swollen area. “Hmmm, is it working?” Colb asked.

“Hurmph… not immediately,” Stibs grumbled.

“Hmmm, hold onto these, and sleep next to them tonight, yes? They should block the negative energies affecting your leg,” Colb declared. Stibs nodded, accepting the stones.

“Rrghegh… can I have stone? For my neck?” Drek asked.

“Hmmm… yes,” Colb agreed. Stibs handed the tourmalpyrite to Drek.

The young goblin pocketed the stone, then let out a small yawn. “Rrghegh… I’m tired,” Drek announced. “Time for sleep.” He walked off to his beanbag chair, and with Colb’s permission, Stibs put out the torch he’d been using to warm up the young goblin’s neck.

Over the next hour, waves of exhaustion from the previous day caught up with everyone. The party of five gradually ate and finished up their dinners, then turned in for the night.

Before going off to bed, Colb approached Kashmir one last time. “Hmmm, sleep well, yes?” he muttered. The goblins had decided she should rest in the living area – both to protect the rest of the cabin from her freezing skin, and because Colb didn’t want her skull bashing into the ceiling again if she tried to move somewhere else.

“Hmmm, give that head of yours some rest – and think about what I said today, yes?” Colb whispered. “Maybe, if you talk to the humans nicely, you could help them understand whatever they’re doing wrong… and after that, if you’re not welcome home, you’ll always have a place adventuring with us, yes?”

“Um… okay, I’ll think about it,” she replied, curling up and falling asleep.

Colb smiled. Hmmm, she really is just like the goblin children in Skaal, he thought again. It feels good to take care of her. She’s a little extreme – wanting to kill humans, and all – but kids can be naïve like that. It sounds like her heart’s in the right place, and ultimately, that’ll be enough to guide her in life, yes?

Colb looked over at Drek and Stibs, who seemed to be best of friends after the summer antlizard experience. Hmmm, it’s like 27 said: a good team needs time – and he was right! Perhaps, with some time, Kashmir will find the purpose she seems to be seeking… a way she can make the world just a little bit better, yes? One that doesn’t involve killing humans, hopefully. With that, Colb sauntered off to the sleeping area, and succumbed to a little well-deserved rest.