Grubbub was an honest goblin. Not like most gobs, but an honest goblin, he did his best to earn his daily wages. He didn't know what else was out there in the outside world, the stronghold was all he knew, but getting to live another day was all good for him.

Mining and picking, mining and hitting. Mining and transporting shiny rocks. Getting paid for those shiny rocks, getting to eat, getting to sleep in a warm place. He didn't know what else to think about life was good.

What could a goblin ask for?

Raiding perhaps. He always heard stories from the older folk he listened to. How they would raid human towns. Eat all of their food and take their women home. He didn’t like that, he didn’t like shedding blood. He didn’t want that for himself. He wanted clean work, an honest day of work, like the dwarves he wasn’t supposed to talk about. Now there was an idea, if he had more expensive tools he would make much more money. More money meant expensive goodies and expensive foods.

Sweat trickled down his face, his neck, and his arms. He never felt exhausted, except when he was hungry. He could do this all day. Though he wanted to spend time elsewhere. He swung a pickaxe into the rugged rock that stuck out of the mine wall. Rocks and pebbles were flying everywhere around him, every hit made his lean but fragile arms vibrate.

Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. It resounded within the mine, all the other goblins in there swinging together made it sound like a song being played. 'Choir of the Tunnels' sounded like a good name if he ever made one.

He chipped away at the stubborn stone. There under in the opening, cracked open by a decisive hit to the rock. Something shiny caught the gleam of his eye. Sparkling and green, jade as the big gobs called it. Rough and unrefined Jackpot, he found the unthinkable, a valuable shiny.

No more gravel hunting.

This would get him three meals instead of one, Oh how his friends would be jealous. For once he would have the bragging rights. He separated the jade rock from the rest of the rugged rock. It fell to the ground, he picked it up and quickly put it in his rugged sack.

All eyes were on him. That wasn’t good. That wasn’t good at all. When all the other goblins stared at you that meant trouble. He tied the sack around his waste. This jade would be enough for the red ones, he couldn't care less of the pockets of iron he mined and left it on the ground. They’d let him go early instead of having to search deep for other metal pockets and fragments.

He had things he wanted to do with his friends, something huge was apparently happening tomorrow, though there was no telling how long they would take to do their parts of the job. A goblin who didn’t do his daily work was either outcasted or sent out to raid. He had known old gobs who went and never came back to the stronghold; he did not want to walk that path.

As he prepared to leave he was blocked by one of his mining mates.

“Leaving so soon Grubbub? It’s a little too early to be leaving without making do with that ‘Koo-oh-ta.’”

It was Zig-zag, the number one miner of this district as he liked to call himself. Grubbub did not like him one bit, he was sketchy to put it lightly.

Grubbub laughed nervously and moved the back bag to the back of his body.

“Hahaha, found me some shiny rocks that’s all.”

“Hmm, ya don’t say,” The goblin moved closer, his neck inching forward. Eager to see what Grubbub was hiding from him.”Well, let’s see den, wats dat you gots there.”

Grubbub sighed. There was no circumventing zig-zag. He revealed the unprocessed jade stone.

“Blimey, fucking jade. You hit the jackpot didn’t you silly gob? Say which stone did you mine this from. Just between you and me...”

Grubbub pointed at his mining spot, knowing full well he wouldn’t be able to mine on that particular spot for the remainder of a few weeks.

It didn't matter he'd find another spot.

“Uhh, over there. I doubt you’ll find any more of them. I always mine on that spot. It’s only the second time this month I found a jade there.”

Zig-zag rubbed his hands together and came in for an embrace around Grubbub's head and shoulders.

“C’mon now bub, don’t be greedy bub, you should tell ya mates when ya find something like that. What are friends for.”

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He didn’t recall them being friends, but he supposed sharing was caring.

The mine guard, a red hob-goblin, who stood tall in heavy armor took note of the exchange, likely concerned at the lack of working in the area, and approached the growing commotion.

“And what’s going on here, green rabble.”

“Well, you wouldn’t believe me if I told ya, me and my friend Grubbub here, found what I believe to be a jade deposit. Look for yourself." He took the jade stone out of the younger goblin's hand. Grubbub struggled to contain it for himself.

The red-hulking giant took it from them. Eyeing the stone suspiciously.

“hmmm, rare development,” he pocketed the stone. “You two, you get the rest of the day off, double the pay, and two extra rations or servings per your decisions.”

Zig-zag started laughing erratically. “Thats what I'm fucking talking about, learn by the example you fucking losers” he shouted at every working goblin, drawing their ire. He started shaking Grubbub like he was a fruit tree. Jumping up and down, ecstatic.

The red goblin handed them their pay and several tokens that represented their meals. The horde of working goblins looked at the two with jealousy and disgust. Nasty rumors and whispers were already being spread.

Grubbub did not care, he wanted out of here now.

“I’ll be seeing ya chap.” zig-zag told him and sped out of the mines.

Grubbub followed but kept his distance. The man had used him today, the man would use him tomorrow. Yet he knew if he fought him over it might end with him being stabbed. Just before he left the tunnels. The red goblin stopped him.

“Stop right there. You're a crafty one ain’t ya, pretending to be dumb. I wanna see double the workload from you tomorrow. And if you find a rare deposit again, I want you to tell me first,” he picked Grubbub like he was a child. “Do you get it, green skin?”

He nodded, in excessive repetition, frightened at what this red devil might do to him.

As he maneuvered his way out of the dusty mine, a passing goblin spit in his face.

"Cheater."

He sprinted out of the mines, rubbing the spit off his face. Working his way up the stairs and into the outer world.

Fresh air greeted him. The sky was darkening but still a far way away from dusk.

‘What a wonderful day.’

It was time to put the grub in his name to good use, he made his way to the Cook halls. The smells of stews cooking and soups brewing reinvigorated his well-worn body. A hard day of work could only be cured by a good meal.

There was lots of movement going in and out. Goods being transported and delivered, it was organised if he had to say something good about it. There was a human woman working in the cook halls for a while, he made an effort once a day to see her cute face. They took her away somewhere, he hoped she wasn't in trouble.

While looking for a good spot to sit, where he was least likely to be bothered by nose snobs like Zig-zag he caught a spot of interest.

Surprise, surprise he saw his two friends, sitting and bantering off duty. Not even eating just sitting on the bench.

He approached them.

“Well look who shoveled his way out of a hole,” said Wynald. One of Grubbub’s only few friends, he served as a guard around the mines. He was abnormally large for a simple green goblin, about or as tall as a human or a hob but was about thick as a wild boar.

“You reckon he snuck out again,” said Ratchet. Another good friend. His ears were wide and fluffy. Which made him stand out to Grubbub. He could see him in any crowd, no matter the clothing. He was a sapper or an ‘En-jah-nier’ as the captains called him. He didn’t know what all that meant. All he knew was that Ratchet blew shit up and that was enough for him.

“Nope… all in the right order. Found a jade stone. Got let out early, extra rations too.”

Ratchet eyed him with a wary expression.

“You kept to yourself right…”

Here we go again

He did not like where this conversation went, they were going to lecture on self-preservation and or being a conniving asshole as everyone else was.

“Well…”

“C’mon bub we’ve talked about this many times before, you gotta stop letting people take advantage of ya. Open you’re eyes be aware and all that illuminating shit.”

“Yes I know, I know,” he said. “But you don’t know what that mine is like down there, everyone is on to what you're doing and where ya mining, Zig-zag is almost everywhere I am.”

"Zig-zag that skinny fucking vermin," Wynald said with a tinge of disgust.

The pair stared at each other and laughed.

“Ratchet do you know a goblin that isn’t a rat scheming bastard?”

“No, case in point grubbub. You need to stop letting some fool take advantage of your spoils, didn’t you get lashings by the hob officer because someone else stole your stones.”

That was just about enough for him. It was hard as it is working in those mines.

“Okay, let’s talk about this later,” he splayed open the meal tokens on the table. “You guys want something to eat, it’s on me.”

“You’re way too fucking generous for you’re good, but who am I to say no.” ratchet said. His tune changed to a different kind.

“Well what are friends for,” he said with genuine intent.

The larger goblin stared at him, with a somber face. Grubbub didn’t really understand why he was looking at him that way, but he was just thankful for being among camaraderie, fellow orphans.

“I heard there’s a goblin princess in town,” Wynald said. “She's going to walk through the festival tomorrow, they're letting everyone off work for a few hours. So we can see some royal cunt. You boys down to go.”

They all nodded their heads in agreement.

“Goblin princess you say, I’ll marry one someday.” Grubbub said casually.

They laughed him off.

“Grubbub, you ain’t right in the head, what makes you think they’d be attracted to you a mine-dwelling rock puncher? No offense intended.” Ratchet said.

“And none taken, but you'll keep giggling to that tune, I’ll show you I’ll make it out of here.”

Grubbub stared at the sky, the stars were slowly unveiling under the setting sun, he loved looking at them, it made him feel greater than he was. He hoped one day to shine as brightly as the stars above do...