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Smoke continued to rise from the ruined camp, the fires almost gone out.
Daybreak was here. Sunlight covered the green fields and the forest. A gentle breeze washed against Hiroshi’s face.
He turned around and before him were lots of crimson goblins. Some were huddled together; some were working on building new fires. Others tended to the wounded.
Hiroshi walked slowly through the over-crowded camp, counting each of the new inhabitants.
Fifty-one… fifty-two…
After a short while of slowly trotting through the camp, he was reaching the end.
Two-Hundred and twelve… two-hundred and thirteen…
That’s so many…
What am I going to do?
Hiroshi stopped at the end and took the whole scene in. It was clear to him there wasn’t enough supplies to go around for a camp this big.
He sat down on a log and scratched his head.
Not enough food, bandages, there’s young and old goblins here… what to do?
His head hanged between his legs, closing his eyes.
I haven’t slept in a long time.
His stomach growled
That too.
His hands clenched together.
A memory of him at the Valley of Death raising goblins came to his mind suddenly. The look of Gobu’s face magnified.
Gobu…
I still haven’t apologized…
Hiroshi felt some fingers tap on his shoulder.
“Huh?” He looked up.
A goblin with white hair stood before him, his hands holding a short stick for support. A younger goblin stood beside him.
It spoke in a language completely foreign to Hiroshi.
“Rrakh gom ur-thrak. Gomu nar-gar. Vrakk thu mogrash tok ur.” It spoke fluently.
It’s speaking… Is that the Goblin language?
The young one spoke up after the elder had finished.
“I. Tribe. Leader.” He paused for a moment.
“Name. Gomu.”
Hiroshi’s eyes looked at the young one.
“Thankful. For. Rescue.”
So, the elder’s name is Gomu. He’s the leader of them.
He looked back at the elder and nodded.
“I just did what was right.” He stated.
The young one looked at the elder and spoke.
“Rrakh dul vorr-ka thrag.”
Upon hearing that, the elder croaked out a slight laugh, satisfied.
“Vrakk sent Gobu trak nar-veth. Krugh ul, grenn-goblins vrash us, drag us tok gar-camp.” The elder responded.
Hiroshi looked back at the young one.
“Send. Gobu. For. Help.”
One of his eyebrows rose.
“But. Green. Goblin. Find. Us. Then. Take. To. Camp.”
I see. So, they were in some situation before, and they sent Gobu to try find help, but were captured by the green goblins shortly after.
“Who is Gobu to you?”
“Rrakh Gobu nar tok-ur?” The young one spoke to the elder.
“Gobu nar-gor mok sonak.” He replied, stroking his beard.
“Gobu. Is. Son.”
Hiroshi’s eyes widened.
So, they’re family.
The elder stretched out his hand, a stone with a carved Goblin face laid in his palm. The goblins all around noticed and stopped what they were doing. They stared.
Hiroshi looked around.
Uhhh, what’s going on?
He picked up the carved rock and turned it around, inspecting it.
What a curious little thing.
As he took the stone, every goblin who was looking kneeled down, their heads down.
Hiroshi lowered the stone and froze.
“No…”
“No no no no. We are not doing this.”
The elder looked up from his prostrated position.
“Rrakh nar-thrak garul now.” The elder spoke.
“Leader. You. Now.” The young one immediately said after.
A nervous chuckle escaped from Hiroshi, trying to hand it back to the elder, who just pushed his hand away.
“Rrakh vrakk-earned gar.”
“You. Earn. It.”
Hiroshi sighed and smiled hesitantly.
“Thank you, elder.”
He put the stone in his pocket.
Great… now I’m the leader of a whole goblin tribe…
What am I going to do with two-hundred and thirteen goblins…
Hiroshi looked in the direction of the ruined camp.
I should go there during the night to find some more supplies that we can use.
Hiroshi bowed before the elder as a final thank you and walked off, heading through the camp to find Feodra.
Feodra had been sleeping ever since the last magical attack. She laid on the floor, curled up, a ray of light landed on her horn.
Hiroshi knelt down, patting her shaded body.
“Thank you, Feodra.” He softly whispered.
She’s helped me a lot. For such a small pup, she sure is powerful. I’m curious to see how she will grow up.
He smiled at her then stood up and stretched.
It’s time to go around the camp and see what I can do.
He left for the crowds of goblins in the camp.
Most of the day had passed, as Hiroshi walked group to group, taking note who was injured, how many supplies they had and whatnot.
The sun had begun to go back into hiding. A new night was coming. The plumes of smoke had gotten smaller, as the fires had died off.
So, we have around sixty injured and a big lack of food in the camp. If I can solve these problems, they should be good to travel again.
His head turned to the open grassy field where the edge of sunlight quickly raced towards the hill, a curtain of darkness enveloping the camp whole.
It should be safe to go out now.
Two more goblins were leaving the destroyed camp.
Must be Gobu in there directing the last of the freed goblins.
He stood up and stretched, then began to walk towards the camp.
A sudden feeling of being watched washed over him.
He stopped and looked around, scanning the hills and the forest tree line in the distance.
This feeling…
He found nothing. He continued to walk towards the camp.
After a short walk, Hiroshi stepped through the hole in the wall where Feodra’s bolt of lightning struck. Burnt pieces of wood crunched and crackled beneath his foot.
That was quite a hit from her…
If that hit me…
A vision flashed of him on the ground, fully black, some smoke rising from him.
His body shivered for a second.
That would not be fun.
He walked through the camp until he saw another goblin limp around a corner of a hut.
Gobu!?
He looked closer, it wasn’t him.
Oh, that’s one of the prisoners.
He walked over and directed the crimson goblin to the camp.
Hiroshi walked past the corner where a crimson goblin was kneeling by a collapsed hut.
His eyes locked onto a necklace on its neck.
“Gobu!”
The goblin turned its head, its eyes lit up as it stood up.
“Boss!” Gobu shouted back.
Hiroshi walked over and fell to his knees. Gobu threw himself forward, embracing Hiroshi.
“You’re back. You were gone too long. I was worried.” Hiroshi stated.
“Gobu. Glad. Boss. Okay.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re okay too.”
“Gobu. Count. Less. Than. Arrive. So. Go. Check. More.”
“Is everyone here now?”
The happiness left Gobu’s eyes.
“No. Few. Short.”
Hiroshi squeezed Gobu harder.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t fast enough.”
“It’s. Okay. Most. Alive.”
“Mhmm.” He responded, agreeing with shame.
Gobu let go of Hiroshi and took a few steps back. Both of them looked at the destruction.
“Boss. Strong. Now.”
Hiroshi cracked a half smile.
“No, I’m not. I couldn’t have done this without you and Feodra.”
“Level. High. Now?”
“I guess.” He chuckled.
Gobu looked back at Hiroshi.
“Gobu. Look. More. Survivors. Boss. Should. Tend. Camp.”
“I’ll stick around and scavenge for food and clothes for bandages.”
“Make sure to come back to camp when you’re done.”
Hiroshi karate chopped the top of Gobu’s head lightly.
“Understood?”
Gobu nodded with a smile and walked further into the village in search for more surviving crimson goblins.
That little bugger is hard working. I’ll apologize to him when he’s back, about raising his kind.
Hiroshi came back to camp a few hours later with a large bag of filled with meat that the green goblins hoarded; another bag of the fallen clothes.
He sat down the bags pointed at one of the goblins.
“You. Come here.”
It approached willingly.
“Start a line, hand out these chunks of meat to everyone. Make sure everyone gets a piece.”
The goblin nodded a few times eagerly then opened the bag and began to shout out to the goblins, which began to gather.
Wait, how did he even understand me? Maybe he didn’t? I think he just understood the assignment in general…
Hiroshi pointed out to another goblin.
“You there. Rip up these clothes and use them as bandages on the injured. Understood?”
The goblin looked around as if wondering if Hiroshi was talking to him. Another goblin nudged him with its shoulder.
I’m beginning to think they actually don’t understand me…
Hiroshi let out a sigh and made a few gestures at the bag and the goblin to which it eventually nodded in agreement.
Good. That solves these two problems. We should get moving before someone notices. A group this big would draw some attention next to the destroyed camp.
I should take a nap, and wait for Gobu to return.
Hiroshi walked over where Feodra was resting and laid down beside her.
Just a few… minutes…
Darkness closed around his vision.
Hiroshi groaned as he felt a tongue brush against his cheek.
“Just… a few more minutes…”
The licking didn’t stop.
“Euuugh… stop…”
His eyes shot open suddenly and sat up.
Oh, it’s just Feodra.
She looked up at Hiroshi, and barked excitedly.
Hiroshi leaned in and picked her up; his eyes scanned her top to bottom.
Incredible. She’s gotten even bigger.
Feodra was now almost the size of a lesser dire wolf.
Her tongue was out of her mouth, almost as if smiling at him.
Hiroshi leaned in a bit closer, his nose almost touching hers.
Zap.
A tiny bit of electricity connected to his nose from Feodra’s, making Hiroshi jolt.
“Ouch!”
Feodra barked again.
“Real funny, Feodra.”
He let her down to the ground and look around for Gobu, who wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
That’s strange, he should’ve been here by now.
He began to walk through the camp with Feodra following him, he stopped by random groups of goblins.
“Gobu?”
They looked at each other and shook their heads. A few groups did the same before he found the elder with the younger goblin beside him.
“Elder. Did Gobu return?”
The young one turned to the elder.
“Rrakh-thrak. Gobu vrash back?”
He grumbled, stroking his beard before shaking his head.
Damn it. He’s not back?
“Did any more goblins come back after I arrived?”
The young one spoke to the elder which replied back with a single word.
“No.”
“Tch.” Hiroshi put his finger to his chin.
If more goblins didn’t arrive at the camp after I came, then he was last at the camp. I should check there. This is worrying.
Hiroshi nodded to the both of them and walked left the camp.
After entering the camp once more, looked around.
He was last here. Where could he have gone?