《Reforged Bonds》 Reunion. ¡°I-is this a good idea?¡± A young man sighed as he looked at a house on a hill. A stone fence surrounded it and he stood in front of its wooden gate. It was small and quaint which meant it was the right place, according to the townsfolk. ¡°Norris is that you!?¡± ¡°Norris?¡± ¡°Just a second, is that one of Colleen¡¯s boys?¡± ¡°I can''t believe you''re alive. She just stopped talking about you one day.¡± ¡°Yeah, she decided to go to that old hill. Wait a minute are you, Norris!?¡± While the majority of the town had no idea who he was, a couple of the old folk he asked seemed to recognise him. He remembered the reactions he got as he asked around town for her, and felt dread just thinking about going to see her. He stood by the gate and questioned whether he should even enter. ¡°There''s always tomorrow. Right, right, I can come tomorrow after I find some lodging. It''s been twenty years since I¡¯ve been here, so I can''t remember but, they must have an inn somewhere right?¡± He tried to turn himself around but he knew this was something that had to be done. With every day he avoided her, her wrath would likely grow exponentially (in his mind at least). He slapped his face a few times and pumped himself up. ¡°Just say hello, just say hello, just say hello. Alright! Let''s do this!¡± He opened the gate and¡­ nothing happened. ¡°Huh? No voice in my head? No immediate attack? What''s going on here?¡± He took another step and just as before nothing happened. Was he just misremembering his experiences as a child? ¡°No surveillance magic? No traps? Am I even in the right place?¡± He had already entered so he might as well check with the residents. Maybe she moved away all this time? He couldn''t imagine people paying too close attention to her. As he walked up the hill, he heard strange noises followed by shouting. ¡°Get back here you little shit!¡± ¡°Yup, it''s her.¡± Every bone in his body was telling him to back away yet he continued forward. The chaos got louder and louder as he approached until he opened the front door. He was greeted by quite the sight. The furniture on the inside had been turned upside down (figuratively, of course, some were just on their sides while others were dirtied with a brown liquid). But he had no time to wonder what happened as something ran straight into his stomach. ¡°Gah!¡± He exclaimed. ¡°Guaghee!¡± Whatever ran into him exclaimed. He looked down to see- ¡°Who the hell are you? You know what never mind, just hold that bastard still.¡± He did as she commanded and held him tight. It struggled, and its warmth combined with its smooth skin left him feeling bizarre. He wasn¡¯t exactly a fan of forcefully grabbing small children. ¡°Wait a minute, don''t tell me I have a new brothe-¡± He looked down to see¡­ You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. A goblin. His face went blank and he had to really observe what he was looking at. (¡°No. There''s no way.¡±) He stared at him closer and the goblin looked up and stared at him back. (¡°Why is there a goblin here?¡±) He had a white head of hair and he wore the clothes of a child. (¡°Wait a minute, are those mine?¡±) The time for observation was over as he felt something wrap around him and the small goblin. He and the goblin were forcefully dragged from the entrance to the living area. The wielder of whatever held them made sure he was the one that landed on the floor instead of the creature on his stomach. The wielder quickly ran over and whatever was wrapped around him disappeared. She grabbed the goblin off him and held him in the air. ¡°I don''t care how much you hate it, if you stink you''re gonna take a goddamn bath.¡± She said as she shook the poor creature around. She turned her attention to the man on the floor. ¡°So what do you want?¡± ¡°Well, uh-¡± ¡°Speak up ya bastard. You just waltz into my home like you own the place and nearly let the little guy escape. You must have some big balls on ya too, huh? Answer me you-¡± She got a better look at him. She rubbed her hand against her head as she tried to recall where she had seen him before. ¡°Not the host club¡­ not the training centre either¡­ you bastard you have a really recognisable face. But you''re not all that in the looks department. Who the hell are you?¡± The grey-haired woman asked. He recalled what her age was supposed to be and was pretty much convinced he went to the wrong address or at the very least this was a very different person than he was thinking. Maybe they were another one of his siblings? Because other than the grey hair, she didn''t look anywhere near past thirty much less 67. She also wore a sundress with flower patterns which was understandable given the time of the year but was also something he believed that woman would never be caught in. She bore a striking resemblance to his sister, so the sibling possibility didn¡¯t seem unlikely. ¡°Um, h-hello-¡± He meekly greeted. ¡°Get on with it you bastard I don''t have time to waste. Hear to challenge me? I kill your parents? Well, tough shit I got better things to do, piss off.¡± ¡°Colleen¡­¡± The woman raised an eyebrow at that name. ¡°Mind speaking a whole sentence this time, wise guy?¡± ¡°I-i''m looking for Colleen Brutalitas?¡± ¡°For fu- That''s not my name, some dipshit in the capital made it up for their stupid novel!¡± She shouted. ¡°My name is Colleen Wagner and as I''m sure you already know I''m the War Witch.¡± She looked like she''d rather be anywhere than here at this moment. ¡°So speak up little boy, why have you just entered my home like you belong in the place, eh!?¡± ¡°Mom?¡± A wave of emotions took over her, filled with both pleasant and unpleasant when he said those words. ¡°So you''ve come back, haven''t you Tobias.¡± She set the goblin down and she picked him by his collar. ¡°Wait, wait, I think you have the wrong idea!¡± He pleaded. ¡°After all I did for you.¡± She let him go and clenched her fist. ¡°Hold on, I''m not Tobias, it''s me Norris.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Norris? The little boy, Norris?¡± Norris looked ready to defend with his hands raised but he slowly put them down. ¡°Yeah, that''s me?¡± he said unsure. She cleared her throat and pulled a chair over using a string of light. She sat down and crossed her legs. ¡°Ah, Norris, what brings you here?¡± She asked in a much calmer and gentler tone. ¡°What brings me here?¡± He scratched his head before looking around. ¡°I, uh, wanted to see you.¡± A silence engulfed the room for a few moments before she responded. ¡°Oh. Oh. Are you strapped for cash or something? Listen I know we''re blood but it''s not like I''m living it u-¡± ¡°What, no. I just wanted to meet my mom.¡± He quickly responded. A small smirk formed on her face. ¡°Could you repeat that?¡± ¡°I wanted to meet you. It''s been some time-¡± She got up from the chair and began cackling to the skies. ¡°Serves you right you little bastard! I knew one of you would come back. You can try to brainwash them all you want but they know the-¡± She stopped herself and cleared her throat. ¡°I see. I''m glad to have such a good child like you.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± He looked towards the kitchen area and noticed¡­ The woman noticed him looking at something as well and turned around. ¡°Ah! Hey you little bastard, what do you think you''re doing?¡± She ran towards the kitchen. The little green gremlin had taken down a bag of flour and torn it open. He scooped it up with his hands and began eating it. She slapped the powder out of his hand and picked him up. ¡°You aren''t in the wilderness, stop eating things before I cook them. Ugh, is raw flour even edible?¡± The little green creature went as limp as a rag doll when the woman grabbed him. He seemed content chewing on the powder still left in his mouth. Norris watched with his jaw agape. (¡°That''s a goblin. And she''s treating it like a child¡­¡±) Now goblins weren''t particularly threatening nor deadly but they were still monsters no matter what way you looked at them. And to interact with one so casually, didn''t help the preconceived notions he had before coming here. (¡°Could she be breeding them? Maybe she''s planning to start small with a village then eventually take her vengeance on-¡±) He was so preoccupied with his thoughts and what her interaction with the goblin could mean he didn''t notice her walk over. Seeing the look on his face, she smacked his head. ¡°I don''t know what you''re thinking but I already don''t like it.¡± ¡°Wha- no, no, I wasn''t thinking anything. It''s just that¡­¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You weren''t thinking but you have something to comment on. Are you saying you''re a dumbass who speaks without thinking?¡± ¡°...¡± Norris looked away without so much as a word. She sighed and looked around for a few moments. She placed the goblin on the ground and held his hand. ¡°You got something to ask right?¡± Norris turned to her, almost shocked. ¡°Oh, right you are a kid of mine, aren''t you? Guh, I suppose I should be a bit more easy on you.¡± She weakly remarked as she scratched her head. ¡°Go on, ask what you want.¡± He hadn''t seen her in a while but he was sure this was out of the norm for her. But he wasn''t going to turn down the offer. ¡°Why do you have a goblin with you?¡± ¡°Oh, you mean little Midori here?¡± A goblin? ¡°M-midori? You named it?¡± ¡°Oh trust I''m not the one who named him. By the way, it''s a boy. I checked.¡± That last comment was a bit too much information for Norris but he supposed if she was going to shower it, she must have¡­ he tried to stop thinking his mom seeing a little green di- He began rubbing his chin. ¡°But why do you have him?¡± ¡°The little shit would probably be killed otherwise.¡± He thought very carefully about his next set of words. ¡°But¡­¡± Nothing he could think of wouldn''t sound insensitive. ¡°Why don''t I let him? *Sigh* I wish.¡± (¡°Are you seriously going to say that in front of him?¡±) The goblin looked more concerned with heading back to the kitchen than anything that came out of her mouth. ¡°Listen, I''m taking care of him and that''s that.¡± She tiredly commented. The goblin looked up towards her. ¡°Who would have thought¡­¡± he muttered under his breath. She raised an eyebrow at this. ¡°What''s so surprising about this, huh you littl-¡± She rubbed her forehead and closed her mouth. She didn''t have much experience concerning how she spoke to her children, so she interacted with them how she would with any other person. Which wasn''t how you interacted with your own flesh and blood (based on the way she talked to people anyway). ¡°It''s fine if you wanna speak like that, honestly.¡± He said awkwardly scratching his neck. She sighed. ¡°Dumbass, what kind of mom calls her kid a little shit?¡± She pointed to a table, took the seat nearby and dragged it over to the table. She lifted the goblin up and placed it in her lap, after sitting down. ¡°So what''d you want to do?¡± She asked. Norris walked over and pulled a seat out, nervously. Now the initial shock from seeing the goblin had died down, his nerves had set back in, knowing who he was sitting in front of him. ¡°Uh, um, eugh?¡± He began stuttering trying to get an answer out of his mouth, with his face becoming more red, with each sound that wasn''t a word coming out of his mouth. She rolled her eyes and the little goblin in her lap began laughing. ¡°Don''t laugh!¡± He shouted red-faced. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°You sure got some balls shouting in my house.¡± She responded with a sour expression. He held his hands up and started pleading. ¡°Wait, wait, I didn''t mean to-¡± She held a finger up. ¡°I knew it. You''re afraid of me, aren''t you?¡± ¡­ He didn''t respond and meekly looked away. She clicked her tongue and slammed the table, frightening the little creature in her lap and the man in front of her. Norris left the chair and got in a fighting position, readying himself for the worse. ¡°Norris, please stop overreacting. If I wanted you dead, I could have killed when you opened the door if I so cho-¡± She stopped herself. Telling your child you could have killed them in mere moments isn''t something a good mother would do now, would they? She cleared her throat and restarted. ¡°I''m your mother deari-¡± She stopped herself again. Talking to your adult son the same way you would talk to them if they were a child might work for mothers more close to their sons but this wasn''t the case between them. It''d probably be insulting to him to hear an old hag act like nothing was wrong between them, pretending to be a cheery old grandma. She ran her hands through her hair trying to think of a response. ¡°Ah screw it, what I''m saying is I''m not gonna hurt you or whatever that worthless bastard of a son told you I''d do.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± They were engulfed in silence until the little green guy tried to struggle out of her lap. She flicked his neck and he stopped. ¡°For the time being¡­ why don''t you follow me around for the day and we catch up?¡± ¡°I suppose that''s fine.¡±
In the bathroom, Norris watched in amazement as she bathed the little guy. (¡°Who could have imagined her of all people bathing a goblin? Actually, I think I might have read about something similar in an apocryphal biography I got a hold of.¡±) ¡°So I let this question slip me but, why exactly are you taking care of a goblin?¡± ¡°He has a bastard of a father for starters.¡± ¡°Hmm? (What does that answer mean?)¡± ¡°But consider it doing an ounce of good in this world. Nothing more than me trying to do a good deed to rebalance some of my karma.¡± ¡°Can taking care of a goblin be considered a good deed?¡± He hesitantly asked. ¡°If whatever God up there doesn''t think so, I''ll smack him across the face and force the lazy asshat to consider it one.¡± She nonchalantly responded. (¡°Man, if a priest heard her, he might try to charge her for heresy. And they abolished that sort of thing decades ago.¡±) He gave her an unconvinced glance. ¡°My son, you should open your mind a bit. Not everything is black and white in this world. (That sounds like something a parent would say right)?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Trust me, I know that isn''t the case but¡­ why would it be doing good to help out this goblin?¡± He couldn''t imagine anything good coming from raising a monster. Especially one as low-classed as a goblin. As far as he saw it, the goblin was just a glorified pet. ¡°(I appreciate the scepticism kid, but I''m your mom for fucks sake, show me some benefit of the doubt before you disagree with me.) For the time being, let me tell you about his life before I started taking care of him.¡±
A woman stood over a green baby in the forest. It was smaller than the average baby and had things not normally associated with one. Such as green skin and already visible teeth. The woman held her foot over the baby in contemplation. She wore a sundress and had grey hair. ¡°That bastard¡¯s really done it! How many of these fucking things are there!?¡± An annoyance. The woman''s slipper was already covered in blood. This wasn''t the first one she had stepped on. She gritted her teeth and moved her foot away. ¡°No, I''ve done enough. If I continue at this rate, I might go overboard and start eating into the goblin population in the region. These little fellas can''t be all too different compared to normal goblins anyway.¡± While goblins were mostly a pest by human standards, they did have a place in the environment, regardless of what the common folk or average adventurer may think about them. She wiped her bloody sandal in the grass in a vain attempt to remove the blood. She sighed as she approached it and picked it up. Her main priority was killing the excess of these little guys that had spawned so she didn''t pay too much attention to them appearance-wise. After all, she was able to easily tell them apart from regular goblin babies, due to the fact they couldn''t stand at birth. ¡°Pretty full head of hair for a goblin¡­¡± It was uncommon for a goblin to be anything other than bald. She looked at his hand as well. She continued inspecting the little green baby. He tried grabbing her sundress but the woman had no issue holding him at arm''s length with one hand to keep some distance. ¡°His nails are transparent instead of black.¡± The more she looked at him, the more she grew uncomfortable. She placed him back on the floor. He tried crawling towards her but even her slowest walk would outpace the little guy. She jumped onto a nearby tree and viewed his attempts to climb the tree. ¡°What, think you can take me on or try to avenge your brothers and sisters?¡± She asked, looking down on him. It slightly amused her watching him try to reach her. The little goblin continued trying to crawl the tree, paying her no mind. After enough time had passed he crawled off to elsewhere. Watching him crawl off, she wondered if her efforts in getting rid of these things were meaningless. She didn''t imagine most of them would survive long in the wild anyway.
As she walked through the forest one day, picking some herbs. Someone''s voice rang through her head. ¡°They''re green right?¡± ¡°Oh, Midoris would be nice.¡± ¡°I should kill him. The world would be a better place without that man in it, I can guarantee.¡± She said to herself as she examined a fallen nut. She gripped it too tightly and ended up cracking it open. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And a few moments later, a small creature walked over. It was no taller than her knee and seemed to have no issue approaching her. (¡°Are there still animals in this forest dumb enough to approach me? Must be a baby.¡±) She turned around and it was quite the sight. Based on the hair and the colour of his nails, he was one of the special goblins she had seen over a year ago. ¡°Ugh,¡± She unenthusiastically remarked, seeing the creature. He opened his mouth and wasted no time licking the remains of the nut out of her hand, spitting out the pieces of shell mixed in. In her direction. She slapped it across the face, sending it spinning to the floor. It was out cold. She nonchalantly scooched over, still crouched and checked his pulse. ¡°Not dead.¡± She said before spitting on him, in some sort of retribution. *This part and others that seemed cruel were omitted from her retelling. ¡°Learn who rules the forest before you do dumb shit like this, quarter-pint. Hell, maybe you can teach your kids so I don''t have to smack some sense into them as well.¡± She ranted to the unconscious goblin. As she crouched over him, she noticed marks across his body. Interested, she turned him on his front and got a closer look. ¡°Bite marks?¡± Parts of his body were covered in them. Some old and some incredibly recent. He even had puss developing in one. Scars on him were also commonplace, most of which were fresh. ¡°Looks like this guy is a serial troublemaker. Maybe I should just kill him now and put him out of his suffering?¡± She coldly commented. She wrapped a wire of light around the little creature''s neck and lifted him up. But quickly let go, causing it to fall face first. (¡°It''s too early in the morning to be killing shit. The little guy probably learned its lesson. And if he doesn''t, something else is gonna kill him anyway.¡±) She looked at the herbs in her basket and rubbed a few on the wounds that looked freshest. (¡°Hmm¡­¡±) While rubbing him down a thought came to her mind. How else did these guys differ from the regular goblins? After thinking about it, she went into some nearby bushes and began waiting. (¡°Since they are different, I wonder if they act any differently compared to regular goblins. I kinda just let these guys do whatever.¡±) So it was decided then and there, this was what she was doing for the rest of the day. It wasn''t like she had anything worthwhile today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after. Or the day after that. Or the¡­..
And after thirty minutes of waiting, she brought the little guy to a nearby stream and dunked his head in some cold water. (¡°I''m not gonna sit here all day watching a goblin sleep on his ass.¡±) It took a few minutes of really jostling him around until she noticed movement again. She quickly ran away into some bushes. (¡°Fucking finally. You better do something interesting after all this you little bastard.¡±) He slowly got back to his feet and shook the water off his face. He looked around and sniffed the air. And immediately walked in the direction Colleen hid in. (¡°Oh right.¡±) She snapped her finger and the little goblin looked around confused. (¡°I didn''t think he''d pick on my scent so quickly. Did I still have some acorn left on my hand?¡±) She thought to herself. She applied a quick magic that eliminated scent. After walking around aimlessly for a few minutes, the goblin walked off, seemingly with a destination in mind. And the woman in the sundress sneakily followed behind. Go away! After several minutes of nothing interesting taking place, she realised she didn''t even know how goblins normally went about their day in the first place. (¡°Ugh, I am gonna have to follow around a regular goblin after this?¡±) She wondered, hiding behind a tree. After lamenting how boring that would be, something finally began to happen. She heard screeching and looked around the three to see. The little goblin, whom she is going to call Midori for the time being, encountered other goblins. They all had bald heads so they appeared to be regular goblins. They seemed to be throwing a hissy fit over something, while Midori stood there in silence. ¡°What the hell are you guys mad about?¡± She said to herself. They all began surrounding Midori. By her count there were six, some smaller, some taller than him, gathered. One wasted no time biting his shoulder. He tried to push them but another started biting his head. And another. ¡°Shit, no wonder you don''t see many of these guys. I guess the difference is enough for regular goblins to tell.¡± She felt bad for the little guy. Okay, that was a lie. She felt annoyed seeing something she spared so quickly find itself in danger yet again. But this was nature at work. She wouldn''t help a bear cub if it was being attacked by wolves and that same logic applied to this goblin. The other goblins had begun picking up stones and hitting Midori with them. (¡°That explains the wounds that weren''t bite marks.¡±) After the mini-sized beating, the goblins soon grew bored and walked away. (¡°Well, it''s good that we don''t have too many children in the area. These little bastards might actually be brave enough to go out and attack them.¡±) After watching that, she was more than satisfied with her observation and went home.
Another year passed and she hadn''t seen any of the unique-looking goblins since she saw¡­ what was his name? Mid-something or another. Regardless, it was likely they all died out. So it came as a shock when she came home one day and saw a little green goblin at her door. It turned around after hearing her footsteps. She tilted her head and stared at him. He walked up to her and hugged her leg. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Huh?¡± She muttered. She looked around wondering if this was a joke of some kind but nothing stood out to her, nor was the mana in the area awry. She pushed him back and he struggled to hold on to her leg. He was now slightly taller than her knee and his hair was dirty to the point it became brown. She highly doubted this was the same one she had found in the forest. It wasn''t aggressive, so there was no point in killing him but she didn''t feel particularly glad having him so close to her own home. She shrugged her shoulders and picked him up. He didn''t fight it and went as limp as a kitten being lifted by its mother. ¡°You should be lucky I''m retired, or I might have killed you to reinforce my conditioning.¡± The little green goblin paid no attention to her and tried to climb her hand when given the opportunity. She had to keep shaking him for him to stop. 30 minutes later. After walking in a random direction in a nearby forest, she placed him on the ground. ¡°Go on, fuck off.¡± She said as she shooed him with her hands. He started imitating her hand movements and she stopped herself smacking him up the back of his head, (though her hand did come with mere centimetres of his head.) She began walking and as before the little creature began following her. She turned around and allowed it to approach. When it came within range she swept its legs and quickly ran off.
3 days later. There he was. At her door. He looked to be pushing on it. Of course with her door locked, he''d likely die before he had any chance of entering her home. (¡°Maybe this one''s defective? They do possess his genes after all.¡±) She slowly walked up behind, and using more drastic measures, she wrapped him in a glowing string, binding him completely. (¡°Maybe I should throw him in a river¡­¡±) And so that''s what she did. She went to a nearby river, found a log, carved out into a rough-looking canoe (Well, canoe is generous. All she did was carve out enough space for him in a log and made sure it didn''t tip over when she placed it in the water) and placed him in it while restricted. Why did she do something as time-consuming as carving a canoe? With her talents, it took less than five minutes to make. She watched as it floated with the restricted goblin inside. ¡°Hmm, I think my magic should last about 5 hours if I don''t cancel. Hopefully, that''s enough time for him to float the next state over.¡± She dusted off her hands and walked off.
1 month later. Before her door was a- She rubbed her forehead as she caught sight of him. (¡°It has to be a different one right? This can''t be the same one doing this shit.¡±) She walked past him and went into her house. After a few minutes, she came out with a mortar pestle that possessed a dark substance. She grabbed him by the neck and placed him on the ground. With his back exposed, she used the pestle as a paintbrush and placed the substance against his back. She made a smiley face on his back and waited several minutes for it to dry. After doing so, she cut down a tree she thought was an eyesore to make a canoe and sent him down a local river.
3 weeks later. Imprint. She calmed herself and breathed in and out a few times as she saw what lay on her doorstep. (¡°Another one?¡±) She didn''t even try to conceal her presence and walked over with the haste of a student being late for class. The little goblin sniffed the air a few times and turned around. He began walking towards her with arms held open. She grabbed him by his arm and lifted him up. ¡°This one''s dirty as well.¡± She turned him around and¡­ ¡°I can''t believe it. It''s the same bastard.¡± Although it had faded, the smiley face on his back remained. Given the little bastard''s tenacity, it was safe to assume it was the one that had found her house in the weeks prior. ¡°Alright, I''ve put it off enough. It''s time to go meet that asshole so I can see what''s up with this little shit.¡±
With the little goblin tied up in her lap, she sat opposite someone. How should I know? She rolled her eyes. ¡°Considering what you did, I''d be surprised if you weren''t an expert in goblins.¡± She coldly answered. Haha, don''t be ridiculous. She coldly stared at him, unconvinced. ¡°If you say so. Can''t you at least keep him, then? Surely you need something to keep you occupied when you come back to this place.¡± If you feel like doing some free babysitting then I''ll agree. ¡°Like hell!¡± She released the string restraining the boy, hoping to give the person before her a better look at him. And his first action left the host giggling and Colleen confused. ¡°Why''s he climbing up my shirt?¡± She said, unconcerned. ¡°And stop giggling you bastard, what''s so funny?¡± They continued giggling. The goblin stopped at her chest and opened his mouth. Before any contact could happen she placed her finger in its mouth and pushed it back into her lap. Hahaha, so that''s it. ¡°Don''t push your luck, you little bastard. I''ve hated everyone who ended up putting lips on those things, so don''t think you''re gonna be any different.¡± She removed her finger from its mouth and flicked its head. It reeled back but didn''t make any noises of distress. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I see, its heritage has created something very interesting. He''s developed enough to eat solid food yet yearns to suckle off his mother''s teat. ¡°So he just goes around trying to suck on animal nipples? No wonder he looks so rough all the time.¡± Hmm. I don''t think so. The pair left the location and made their way to a small farm nearby. ¡°Is this a common walk for you?¡± She wondered. Now let''s do some testing. They grabbed the boy and placed him on an open field. Thankfully the owner wasn''t around or they might have to explain their actions. It held various animals such as goats, cows and pigs. Within an instant, the person made their way back to Colleen¡¯s side. ¡°So what? Gonna watch him suck cow nipples or something?¡± She said, disinterested. Just look. She noticed the little goblin come closer. And closer. He walked past the horses and ignored the sheep grazing. (¡°Well, none of them are nursing but he''ll obviously go for the cows.¡±) He continued walking along and soon reached the cows. He ignored them as well. Eventually, he found his way back to the pair and made a beeline for Colleen. She looked noticeably uncomfortable as he approached. ¡°He is looking for breast milk, right?¡± She asked. Hahaha, I think you''re not telling the whole truth about how you met him, dear. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about you giddy twat? And don''t call me dear unless you want your head buried thirty feet under.¡± I think from this, it''s obvious to see he''s imprinted on you. He recognises your scent and even runs toward it dea- The person¡¯s hand fell to the ground. ¡°Feel like completing that last word?¡± She asked while staring into their face. They picked it up and attached it back. ¡­Can''t even handle a little teasing. When the goblin grabbed her leg, she tied it up and left it on the floor for the time being. ¡°Imprinting¡­ you gotta be shitting me. This little bastard thinks I''m its mom?¡± I know, right? If only he knew your track record for parenting, but alas ignorance isn''t always so bliss. ¡°Tch, I don''t know what you''re talking about. I''ve never been a mother before. I''ve just given birth.¡± Uh-Huh. Well look at the bright side, now you have a chance to right that wrong. Besides, pretend all you want but you''ve taken care of this little thing. ¡°And why do you say that?¡± she asked. How else would it have imprinted on you? Just admit it, you want to be a mother. I''m your friend here, so you don''t have to lie to me. I bet you''ll coddle it as soon as you go home. ¡°The only reason it isn''t dead right now is because I stopped unnecessarily killing. If it was fifteen years ago, he''d be dead in a forest, with buzzards eating his eyes and the foxes nibbling on his flesh.¡± But it isn''t! After talking some more, she soon found a way it could have imprinted on her without her taking care of it. ¡°First thing it saw and smelled?¡± I guess if you want to keep up the rough and tough girl persona, you can say, you just so happened to meet it at birth and that''s how it bonded with you. As she thought back to it, she did remember one baby goblin of his ilk she hadn''t killed while taking some preventative measures. ¡°What a dumbass.¡± She said as she turned her face towards him. He had rolled to her feet while restrained. And why would that be? ¡°He thought a woman with blood on her slippers was his mother.¡± Fatherless. ¡°So how do I get rid of him?¡± She asked. No clue. I''m pretty sure most people would kill the goblin before it reached this point. ¡°Some help you are.¡± She said as she turned around. She began walking away. Aren''t you forgetting something? ¡°No.¡± The little goblin was left on the floor, still tied up. Who knows what would happen to him if the owners of the farm came back to see him? ¡°Shut up, it''s far enough away that it shouldn''t matter. If you actually care why don''t you move him.¡± She heartlessly remarked as she walked off.
She sat at a table with several multicoloured whetstones laid out and a knife in hand. ¡°I swear, I should just go look for my old sword if I need a reliable knife. It''s only been a fucking month yet it''s this dull? It''s not cutting through ogre skin daily yet it gets duller faster than a sword that used to do that.¡± As she bitterly complained about the workmanship of her knife. She pulled a pan off the floor filled with water and placed it on the table. She dipped the blade of the knife in the pan and started rubbing it against the whetstone in front of her. As she began sharpening the blade, a few select words rang through her mind. (¡°Well look at the bright side, now you have a chance to right that wrong.¡±) She clicked her teeth and started sharpening the blade more intensely. ¡°Fuckers, the whole lot of them are fuckers.¡± She remarked with a pained expression.
She came back to an empty mansion and a single letter was left on the dining room table. ¡°We are not going to let ourselves be raised by a monster. Signed- Tobias¡±
She gritted her teeth with so much force that blood had started to seep from her gums. That bastard¡¯s remark had brought up an unpleasant memory. Her mood was causing her to damage the knife more than she sharpened it. She put it down and decided to read a book to calm herself in the meantime. She got up from the chair and headed to her room when she heard something unusual outside. It sounded like someone was slamming something. Perhaps a bag of flour? Did she send an order for anything like that recently? She walked to the floor and opened it to see a full-grown man attacking a small goblin. Based on the splotches of black on his back, it was the same goblin that had been following her home. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He sat down on the goblin as he delivered blow after blow to the back of its head. She sighed and walked over. Goblins were a pest and although she didn''t feel the need, she had no problem with someone else killing it. But to do so on her property was a step too far. ¡°Hey, wise guy, what are you doing on my land?¡± She asked. They quickly turned to her and held the goblin up. He had orange hair and blue eyes. And his skin was noticeably pale. He was a few inches taller than her but that didn''t stop him from shivering when he saw her. ¡°You Witch! You killed my father.¡± He shouted, his lips quivering. ¡°(Ugh, not another one of these guys.) Uh-huh. Well, I''ve killed a multitude of fathers and mothers, so sorry if your appearance isn''t ringing any bells.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± He shouted. ¡°I don''t care how much blood you''ve spilt, I refuse to believe you have forgotten my father! He had earned the position of knight and was a great warrior. And by the blade he taught me, you shall die.¡± He pulled a sword out from his scabbard. She rolled her eyes and took a step forward, causing the man to stiffen his guard. ¡°Listen, back then, I couldn''t even tell you people apart and you''re surprised I don''t recognise your dad? Besides, do you think someone who is just a knight would be noteworthy enough for me to remember?¡± She casually remarked. ¡°Y-you bitch!¡± He snarled at her. He clenched the goblin tighter in his grip when she took another step closer. ¡°Stay back, or he gets it!¡± She looked around. ¡°Who might be getting what exactly?¡± ¡°Don''t play around you monster! I''ve heard all about your love of things twisted and wicked. And the true reason you''ve decided to seclude yourself. And this goblin''s proof of that.¡± She yawned and started looking off in the distance. ¡°Is that so?¡± The man held a smile on his face. ¡°Oh it is and if you don''t want to let this creature get hurt, you''ll fol-¡± he pressed the blade of his sword against the goblin, drawing blood. She had taken a step forward. ¡°Are you deaf, stay back!¡± She took another one and he brought the blade to the little monster''s neck. ¡°I''m warn-¡± ¡°Do you believe I''d need those things if I wanted to create havoc across the nation?¡± ¡°What? Of course, you would.¡± ¡°Really? Why not monsters more useful, like ogres or trolls? If I decided to keep around a goblin, it''d be nothing more than a pet. And although it would be painful, at the end of the day a pet is simply that. A pet. Not something worth throwing away your life for.¡± She took another step and the man began deeply pressing his sword against the goblin''s neck. (¡°shit. Shit, she''s right! Why''d I think she''d care about this thing, she didn''t even care when her children died.¡±) With only a few more steps between them, he threw the goblin at her and pulled something out of his pocket. She caught the green being flung her way with one hand and noticed him reaching his hand into his pocket. She patiently waited until he took it out. (¡°It took 6 years but I finally developed an immunity to this poison.¡±) He threw a green powder at her, creating a green cloud. ¡°Hahaha, serves you right you bitch, I bet you were expecting something noble huh!?¡± The dust cloud settled and she began coughing. ¡°I''m sorry but my dad didn''t teach me all of his arts, so I''ve had to substitute with my own flai-¡± He felt the air leave his lungs and quickly went unconscious. She ended with one punch to his torso. She continued her coughing fit. ¡°Anyone would start coughing if you threw a random powder in their face, dumbass.¡± She said as she tried to regain her breath. (¡°Tch, I was hoping to practise my curing magic, but it looks like I already have a natural resistance to whatever this is.¡±) She disappointedly thought as she looked at the unconscious man. Bitter memory. She soon heard coughing followed by gagging and looked at the cause. He seemed desperate for air, with his eyes red as he began choking. (¡°Hoh, it seems I''ll get to practise it after all.¡±) The little goblin grew paler by the second and the woman nonchalantly placed her hand on the goblin. A yellow glow soon enveloped her hand and she looked to be deep in concentration. (¡°Aren''t you a lucky little guy, if I wasn''t here you''d probably be dead. I can''t imagine many people are willing to heal a goblin.¡±) The goblin weakly fell unconscious in her arms and his coughing stopped. ¡°Whew, that''s the end of-¡± Blood began slowly trickling from his nose after she stopped. ¡°... I''m sure that''s just leftover from the initial dosag-¡± Blood began trickling out of his other nostril. Although her face remained unchanged, several beads of sweat started to form on her forehead. She moved her head down into his chest. (¡°his breathing is irregular¡­¡±) She thought while listening. She quickly rushed into her house and headed straight for her bed.
On her bed, lay a sickly-looking goblin. The image reminded me of a baby in its crib but the reason he was so gently lying down in her bed negated any beauty the scene may have held. ¡°Are you saying that poison would have killed me if I wasn''t already immune?¡± She said in a high-pitched voice, clearly unable to hide her shock. She was searching her bookcase looking for her book on curing magic. ¡°I refuse to believe I''ve got this rusty in what 15, no that sounds too long, maybe 10 years without consistently using it?¡± She brushed through various books she had and threw them aside when they didn''t possess the information she needed. Her eyes sped through the pages but the information she required was nowhere in sight. ¡°Shit, don''t tell me it''s at the mansion?¡± She had reached the top shelf of her bookshelf and with little hope remaining continued combing through the books. ¡°Fucking finally!¡± She exclaimed. She reached the half-point of the top bookshelf before she found it. It was a textbook on curing magic. Specifically just curing magic. She went through the pages more casually. And casual for her meant flipping a page every five or so seconds. ¡°Is there a concept I''m forgetting about?¡± After another minute of going through the book, she found the answer to her question and breathed a sigh of relief. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The book read as thus: ¡°Do note, depending on how you use it, curing magic does vary based on the person used on. The body of an elf is different from that of a human, even if the only visible differences are their ears and eccentricity. Different races react differently to different poisons so do ensure you have experience with a fair share of races if you are going to be curing or healing on a consistent or semi-consistent basis in a diverse region. And if not, it is still good practice. Some medical magicians have even said it has helped them improve how they heal members of their own race.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing it wasn''t her magic at fault, but the body of the goblin. But it didn''t stop her from being annoyed at the situation. She looked at the goblin on the bed and approached him. And rested her hand on his now unnaturally cold body. ¡°Eugh, I can imagine what would happen if some elf bastard tried the same trick that guy did without having a resistance. I suppose it couldn''t hurt to be prepared for a such situation.¡± She opened the book in one hand and created a yellow glow with the other.
An hour had passed and the goblin''s breathing had stabilised. She wiped the sweat from her brow and began wiping him down with a wet towel. ¡°Phew, I''m surprised it took that long to get a hang of it.¡± She wrung the towel in a nearby basin and continued to wipe him off. ¡°Thanks for being a good test subject, you little bastard. But you''re gonna have to do it a lot more often if you''re gonna keep showing up at my house like you live here.¡± After finishing his wiping, she dropped the towel into the basin and felt his head. ¡°Huh? He''s burning up.¡± She slapped her head at the obvious problem and rushed downstairs for some herbs. (¡°Am I an idiot? He still has damage from the poison.¡±) Even if the poison was cured and he no longer had to worry about more damage, it didn''t remove the prior damage the poison caused. She quickly pulled a few herbs out of her kitchen cupboards and began pounding them together in a mortar and pestle. She infused them with her mana and quickly ran back upstairs. She placed the green mixture on the goblin''s tongue and watched as he shrunk his face, tasting it. ¡°It tastes like shit but it should fix most of the damage.¡± She commented. She tapped his head, satisfied with her work and began running her hand through his hair. (¡°Well look at the bright side, now you have a chance to right that wrong.¡±) She drew back her hand and sighed. This had brought back yet another memory.
A boy no older than ten rested on a bed, with cheeks flushed, breathing heavily. Next to the bed was a woman sitting on a stool, with a girl on her lap no older than four. ¡°Is Tobby okay?¡± The little girl asked. ¡°It''s Tobias, dear. And yes, at the moment he''s fine.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief and patted the little girl on her head. (¡°How was I supposed to know my curing magic couldn''t cure a disease? Why even teach me one if it can''t be used for something like that!?¡±) She panicked when her son came home deathly sick but luckily things worked out in the end. (¡°Still, it is a blessing I was here when this happened. Who knows what his fate would be if left him to the maids.¡±)
Her eyes grew cold and she picked the goblin up by the scruff of his neck.
After walking for who knows how long, she dropped it in the middle of the forest. As she walked away she heard a wolf cry out in the distance. She showed continued walking. ¡°Try not to die.¡± She told the unconscious goblin. Children. When she returned to her cabin, she didn''t even take off her clothes before getting into bed and stuffing her face into her pillow.
Several days passed and she couldn''t help but have her mind run a little. She leaned her fist against her chin looking out the window sill. (¡°Maybe I shouldn''t have dropped him in an area with wolves so close by.¡±) She shook her head. (¡°No, he probably would have encountered wolves while he was on his own. Why should I care if that happens while I''m present?¡±) She continued looking out the window. This wasn''t working. She hoped to clear her mind looking outside but it only gave her ample time to focus on what she did instead. She slipped her slippers on and headed out the front door. Maybe going to one of her usual haunts in town would make her feel better. She could use a conversation. She left her cabin and headed down the hill, closing the gate behind her. She continued walking until she reached the main road that led to town. She noticed some children gathered by the side of the road and didn''t think much of them until she saw what they were doing. ¡°Hurrah, I''m the vanquisher of monsters, the great hero Gallus. Do you two wish to be my disciplines?¡± The child asked, posing triumphantly. He looked about ten and Colleen regretfully recognised the boy. The other two children looked hesitant but soon played along. ¡°Hmph, some great hero you are, you can''t even kill a monster.¡± ¡°Um¡­ is the training free?¡± The little girl with them gently replied. The boy who proclaimed himself a hero thought about it for a few moments. ¡°Hmmm¡­ The first lesson is free but you''ll have to pay for the others.¡± ¡°Phew,¡± she exhaled in relief, taking it seriously. ¡°Gavin-¡± ¡°Great hero Gallus, that''s my name.¡± The boy he interrupted had his eyes glued to the floor. He had broken character but with good reason. ¡°I-is it okay to be so close to him? He''s still alive right?¡± The boy hesitantly asked. ¡°Hmm?¡± He looked down. Below one of his feet was a goblin with white hair. He was covered in wounds and bites, with his only movement being breathing. He kicked the goblin and other than showing discomfort on its face, nothing bad happened. ¡°See?¡± He said while smirking. ¡°He isn''t playing dead right?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. The boy started looking around. ¡°As long as I get to do it, I don''t mind finding a rock to crush his head.¡± He nonchalantly responded. ¡°I-is that okay?¡± the little girl of the group asked. ¡°Yes, it is, student. (Heheh, Dad''s gonna be stoked when I bring this back. Maybe he might even let me train seriously with him.)¡± Colleen quickly made her way over. ¡°Kiddos, what are you doing so far out from town?¡± The boy and the girl jumped back from the expected presence and ran to get behind Gavin. Gavin meanwhile, stood tall as this adversary made their presence known. ¡°It''s the bitch.¡± He confidently stated as he stared at her down. She blankly stared at him and he tried to stifle his laughter. She rubbed her temple. ¡°Witch, Gavin. People call me a witch.¡± ¡°It''s bit-¡± ¡°Would you like me to tell your parents the types of words you''ve learned and used when they''re not around?¡± He cleared his throat and straightened his face. ¡°Hohoho, I see, witch. This goblin is one of your minions. Well too bad because I''ve already defeated him. And you''re next.¡± He stepped on and over the goblin like a stairstep and ran towards the woman. She clicked her tongue as he approached and held out a single hand. The boy began throwing punches and she blocked them with little issue. He tried to move closer to sweep her legs but she pushed him back and had him balancing himself backwards to stay on his feet. He managed to get flat-footed and smirked. ¡°Powerful as always, witch. But today is the day you''re slain by a great hero.¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± She commented disinterested, her attention more so focused on the goblin on the floor. The other children had taken up sticks and began poking him, while crouched. She looked back to notice Gavin crouched down picking something up. He ran towards her and stopped just short. He flung his hand forward and opened it to reveal dirt. ¡°To fight against an evil foe and hero must do sometimes do something dirty!¡± He loudly shouted. She stepped to the side. But she was too conservative. The spread of the dirt was larger than she thought and a few specks caught her nice, bright sundress. The children could all feel the atmosphere change. ¡°M-m-miss Colleen?¡± Gavin weakly asked. His face had gone pale and he couldn''t even bring himself to look at her without feeling his heart was going to stop. He could hear her footsteps slowly coming closer. The other children were petrified by fear and couldn''t even open their mouths to beg for their lives.
¡°I''m sorry for that, you two. Did Aunty Colleen scare you?¡± The two children were reduced to tears as she gently patted their heads. They nodded as they wiped their eyes. ¡°Is grandma a monster?¡± The girl asked. ¡°(Why are kids so insistent in calling me that? I don''t even look that old!) I can be, if I get very very mad, so please don''t dirty my dress like Gavin over there.¡± She gently said, removing her hands from their heads. Gavin was lying on the floor with a few new lumps on his head, several paces away. She pulled out a handkerchief to wipe their tears off and pulled out her purse. ¡°Now, I''d say you two deserve a reward for behaving yourselves.¡± She pulled out several coins and handed them to each child. The children stopped their sniffling and looked up at her. ¡°T-thank you, Miss Colleen.¡± The boy responded before reaching to shake her hand. The girl nodded, though she said nothing. Colleen shook the little boy''s hand. ¡°(Who thought him to do that?) I heard the bakery is making some pudding so you better hurry on before they run out.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The boy let go of her hand and walked off. The girl meekly bowed and followed after him. She stood up and waved while watching them leave. (¡°I really hope that bakery made pudding today.¡±) He can stay (for now) Colleen looked at the goblin before sighing and walking over to him. ¡°W-wait.¡± Gavin said. He struggled to get back to his feet and slowly walked over to it. ¡°My dad says these things are monsters.¡± ¡°And?¡± She asked expectantly. She grabbed his shoulder when he tried to walk by. He looked up in her face. ¡°I''m supposed to kill it, right?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°And why would I let you do that?¡± He was unsure why she stopped him. ¡°Listen, kid, if you''re seriously trying to kill a monster like that, it can sense it.¡± ¡°But I want to be a hero. I can''t be one if I''m too afraid of being hurt to take out even a goblin.¡± He stubbornly argued, while pulling on her hand. ¡°It''s not about being hurt, it''s about going back home alive. If that thing senses you''re really trying to kill it then it won''t hesitate to put its life on the line and kill you.¡± She coldly answered. ¡°But, but, it''s weak so it should be fine right?¡± He asked. She shook her head and firmly held his shoulder. ¡°If you want to risk your life, be my guest, but I hope your father doesn''t mind if you don''t make it back home.¡± She held a cruel smirk on her after finishing her sentence and let go of his shoulder. She even patted him on the back and encouraged him to go forward. His face quickly became covered in doubt. ¡°Can it really still attack?¡± The witch sighed before walking over to the goblin. She crouched down and examined its limbs. ¡°Watch.¡± She asked him. She held her hand straight and brought it down on the goblin''s neck like a guillotine. The moment the goblin heard it, he made a desperate lunge at Colleen and quickly lay motionless on the ground. She backed with more than enough space to avoid but the boy who looked on, seemed as though he had his eyes glued open. She walked back to Gavin and used her hands to point to the goblin. ¡°He''s all yours.¡± She said, sounding neither concerned nor frightened. He supposed witches didn''t get scared easily. ¡°Ah, well, um¡­¡± the boy looked away while idly kicking the ground. ¡°Do you want the witch to get rid of this monster?¡± The discomfort was clear as day on his face. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I guess a witch should do some good deeds if she wants to live with other people. Right, this is to make sure you''ve truly kicked your wicked ways!¡± He boisterously said. He quickly began making his way back to town. Not even a few steps away from the goblin he turned and spoke once more. ¡°But¡­ Miss witch, are you sure you don''t need help getting rid of him?¡± He begrudgingly asked. ¡°Don''t worry I''ll take care of him in a quick manner.¡± She walked over to the goblin and picked it up. ¡°Though it''d be quite an eye-sore if a dead goblin was lying by the side of the road. The forest should be a good place to dispose of him.¡± ¡°O-okay, Miss Witch.¡± He quickly turned around and increased his pace as he headed back to town. ¡°Pft, the little shit actually believed that crap?¡± She giggled as she watched him walk off. It took all she had to keep a straight face during all of that. The only reason the goblin moved was because she wrapped a magic string around his arm and dragged him towards her. ¡°Go kick rocks with your friends or something. The last thing this place needs is some runt pretending to play hero and turning a goblin¡¯s dinner.¡± She said in a far less gentle tone than when the children were present. She looked at the goblin dangling in her hands. ¡°In a for a penny, in a for a pound I suppose.¡± She threw him over her shoulder and headed back towards her cabin.
¡°God, this is awful,¡± Colleen said. The wounds were deep and it seemed like a miracle he survived in the first place. He was covered in so much gauze you''d think he was half mummy. That wasn''t what she was commenting on. She laid several layers of sheets on her bed, learning from her past experience with him. ¡°Holy crap why can something so little smell so awful?¡± She flung back her head and covered her nose after smelling. The last time she placed him on her bed, she was shocked at how dirt and grime wiped off him. After laying him down on it, he left the bed with a stink that required some elbow grease to get out. So she wasn''t sure why she didn''t expect him to smell as bad this time around. She didn''t notice his current smell until she threw him on her shoulder. Even then, she didn''t catch a proper whiff of him until the wind eased up. So when she brought her nose inches within him for a sniff, she got a full extent of the smell. ¡°Fucking hell. I need to get some soap.¡± She had already treated his wounds and wrapped him up properly, so his health was no longer a concern. She ran out of the room and within moments came back with a bar of soap and a bucket of water.
¡°Holy shit, this is whiter than I thought.¡± She had reached his hair and was amazed by the extent of its colour. She assumed an eggshell white was natural for it, but after a good scrub, it shone like polished quartz. ¡°I guess there is a reason male goblins don''t have hair and the females have very little. Imagine how gross that''d feel dirty.¡± She was finished and sat on the stool in contemplation. ¡°What do I do now? I mean, obviously, I''m gonna release him back in the wild. But if he keeps coming back it is gonna be a pain. (Screw that whole mother crap, I just don''t want any misunderstandings surrounding a goblin showing at my house like clockwork. But I mean, if he is gonna keep coming here then I suppose it wouldn''t be too out of left field to keep him around. I mean, keeping him in the house is a lot better than having him outside for anyone to see. Plus I am curious to see how he behaves. It isn''t just goblin in him after all.)¡± After trying to convince herself otherwise, she came around to the idea of keeping the little guy around. (¡°But, it won''t be long. I''ll have to do some interaction with his own species, so he''ll learn to live with his own.¡±) Better than a child? She scratched her head and she looked at the docile goblin on her bed. ¡°What the hell do these things eat, anyway?¡± He looked pretty human so it couldn''t be that different from the average person¡¯s diet, could it? It worse comes to worst she could heal his poisoning (If she could recognise he was being poisoned in the first place). But another priority outweighed even food. Clothing. This entire time, the little fella had been walking around naked. No loincloth, no clothes, just au naturel. And yes, it was visible. This wouldn''t be surprising in most hominids but goblins naturally weren''t like this. Their extremities could retract into them and be invisible to the naked eye. Her best guess why he was always like this was due to his parentage. She quickly got up and left the unconscious goblin, soundly sleeping. She retreated downstairs and began looking around. She found a knitting kit she had been gifted by a friend of hers but scoffed at it. She was no granny (in her mind at least) and wouldn''t take up the hobby for a goblin of all things. (¡°Where the hell am I gonna find clothes for it? I can''t just have that thing walking around like that.¡±) She continued looking around her house until she turned to her kitchen. She grabbed one of her wash clothes and lifted it up. ¡°Oh right.¡± She blankly commented as she unfolded it. It wasn''t a washcloth at all. It was a shirt for a toddler. She grabbed another and it was a pair of pants this time. She sighed and placed them over her shoulder. ¡°I did want a use for them since I didn''t want to keep around garbage.¡± They were covered in a multitude of stains, some plant-related, others from meat.
She found herself in the backyard and began washing the former washcloths in a basin. As she scrubbed, she saw a name embroidered on the top. ¡°Norris¡­ that was the smallest one, wasn''t it? Pft, I''m sure that bastard probably hates me like the other two. He was barely five when they took him, I can''t imagine he isn''t as much of a bitter bastard as his older brother.¡± She chuckled after saying this but his face told a different story. It looked like she was doing her best to hold back tears. (¡°Kids¡­. What are they good for? They''re a pain to deliver, they do nothing but mooch off you most their lives, they''re ungrateful little shits who don''t appreciate the reason they could even criticise and call me a monster was because I gave them unbiased education, no matter how''d that look on me. Fuck em, fuck them al-¡±) Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. She noticed something drop on her head. ¡°Ugh, is this some bird shit? No this is too solid, did a motherfucking dragon drop a load on me?¡± It had the warmth but it felt a bit too solid. Was it dehydrated? After it started moving she quickly pulled it off and saw the culprit which left her worried. It was the goblin. She looked up and noticed the window in her room was open. He must have crawled towards her without considering the consequences. ¡°You''re a real asshole, you know that?¡± She said to the goblin. He tried to reach out to her. ¡°Sigh What am I saying, you can''t even understand me.¡± She flicked it on the forehead. ¡°I hear you''re supposed to punish dogs when they do something bad to enforce good behaviour, so I guess it wouldn''t hurt to instil some discipline in you while you''re here.¡± After ¡®punishing¡¯ him, she placed on the floor and slapped her forehead. ¡°Gah, I put him on the dirt while he''s still like that. I''ll have to clean him off again.¡± She continued cleaning the shirt. The goblin looked on and reached out to grab it. ¡°Hahaha, you''re already more hopeful than those other brats. Maybe I can have you work in a wash house for some extra dough?¡± The little goblin continued ''washing'' her clothes, undeterred by her words. ¡°Sigh I''m trying to talk to and tease a goblin.¡± She held her head down after saying. She wasn''t embarrassed but simply disappointed in herself. ¡°Mothers used to say my name to get their children to behave and now I''m doing this.¡± She rested her fingers against her temple and leaned forward. She felt something dragging her dress and looked beside her to see the goblin, clearly focused on her. ¡°Thanks for the sympathy, but I don''t need it. Just sit there while I finish these clothes up.¡± Like earlier, her words didn''t match her actions but this time she held a smile on her face. The goblin wouldn''t recognise what it meant so she had no problem letting it show. And the goblin smiled back at her. ¡°You making fun of me!?¡±
¡°I guess I''ve stalled enough,¡± Colleen said to herself. She watched as the goblin chased after a butterfly wearing the clothes of her former son. Several weeks had passed and except for the occasional bath, he behaved himself pretty well. It was like she was given a child pet pre-raised, considering how easy he was to manage. But she had no plans of giving him permanent residence. It wasn''t through any fault of his, that his kind rejected him but if there was a place a goblin belonged it was the wild. ¡°Guess I''ve got to introduce him to some goblins.¡± She clapped her hands and soon threw a basket his way when he didn''t respond to her. He quickly ran over, basket in hand. It was finally time to get rid of him. And thankfully she didn''t have to kill him. More goblins. With the little green creature, sitting on her shoulder, she walked through the amber forest, with fall in full swing. She didn''t know how long this would take but she hoped to finish getting him introduced with his own species by the end of autumn. She looked at him on her shoulder and sighed. ¡°You sure are comfortable there¡­¡± She said, with an eyebrow twitching. He was the one who decided to climb her and sit on her shoulder. She had been doing her best to shake him off to no avail. ¡°Your legs sure as hell don''t seem hurt.¡± She said as he kicked his legs up and down, his little feet hitting against her chest. His shoes weren''t dirty, which was the only reason she was entertaining his giddy act. In her time she knew the little guy, she realised he''d eat anything. Bread, jam, raw herbs, ungrounded spices, plain flour, unmilled wheat, the weevils that managed to get into one of her bags of flour, an off-cut of beef that consisted mostly of sinew and fat, hell, he even started eating some weeds that sprouted up in her backyard the other day. So he wasn''t a picky eater by any means and she assumed that applied to most of his species. And what was the best way to gather a group of animals without having to faff about for half a day? Leaving out a tasty treat. She''d be content with a half-eaten carcass, as bears and other animals in the forest would be busy fattening themselves up for winter but she came across a real gem. She caught a bear in the act of killing a dear. (¡°Welp, I have the bait. Now it''s time for the waiting.¡±) She strolled up the bear as it dealt the death blow and the creature looked in no mood to share. It didn''t bother roaring and ran straight at her. The little goblin hopped off her and jumped over to a nearby, hastily climbing up it. She dusted off the area, which he sat on her shoulder and looked onwards at the bear. ¡°Does he think I''m a caravan? I guess you can treat some creatures right but their instincts will override all that care and have them run away at the first sign of danger. But I guess they aren''t as bad as people. They''ll leave you alone even when there is no danger.¡± The little goblin looked nervous as he stared at Colleen, seemingly waiting for her to climb the tree as well. The bear aimed its mouth at her face and looked to add an extra meal to his winter preparation. She socked it right in the jaw and sent it to the floor. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. It quickly walked away moments later, eyeing her with every step. ¡°Hmm, want more you little shit? The season is still early, and there are plenty of deer to go around. So stop sulking and get out of here before I make you into a nice rug.¡± The bear turned around and sped up its pace. It may not have understood her but the look on her face combined with the disdain in her voice was enough to tell him it was a threat. The goblin soon jumped on her and attempted to get first dibs on the fresh meat. He tried to jump off her shoulder but the witch stopped by grabbing his foot. ¡°This isn''t for you.¡± She looked for the tallest tree she could find nearby and threw the young goblin up first, before making her own way up after.
The time they waited for something to appear, she taught him how to play tic tac toe. And currently, they were 48-8-0 (in her favour.) She couldn''t help but smile at her dominance. (¡°Hehe, he doesn''t know there''s a guaranteed way to always force a draw.¡±) Colleen boasted to herself as she destroyed a creature with intelligence no greater than a child, in a game he didn''t even know existed before today. She heard something step on the dry leaves of the forest and slowly turned to it. (¡°It better not be another fox or raccoon. I didn''t even know raccoons ate deer meat until today.¡±) They were all green and wore no clothes despite the current season. Some were bald, some with modest heads of hair. And they were exactly what she was looking for. They paid no attention to their surroundings and made a beeline for the deer meat. It was still quite fresh, so she didn''t imagine this was a luxury the goblins had quite often. In their hands were stones, nothing or- (¡°Hmm? Are those farming tools?¡±) Some held hand scythes and trowels. They obviously weren''t the ones that forged them, considering they were made of steel and looked quite well-kept. Did the goblins have a knack for stealing or did someone give them these tools? Either answer was somewhat concerning, but given she hadn''t heard anything about goblins recently, she decided to ignore that for the time being. They used their tools to cut and rip meat and easily take slices for themselves. (¡°I want interaction between them but I should probably make sure they don''t kill the little guy with those things.¡±) She jumped down from the tree and restrained all the goblins before they realised what had even happened. They all fell to the floor, wrapped in a white and bright string they couldn''t break out of. He casually picked up their tools and tossed them to one side. She looked up into a tree nearby. ¡°Get down here you little shit it''s time for you to interact with your own kind.¡± The goblin seemed hesitant but when the grey-haired woman picked up a sickle and aimed it at him, he suddenly wasn''t so reluctant to come down. Rehabilitation He held onto her leg, as he observed the restrained goblins. ¡°Go on, interact with them.¡± She tried pushing him off but he wouldn''t let go. Seeing as he wouldn''t approach any closer, he brought one closer to him. She forcefully dragged one over, right in front of Midori. He clenched her leg tighter but the woman knew this was a necessary step if he wanted to be reunited with his own kind. She moved the leg he held onto, closer to the grounded goblin. He realised there was no way out of this and jumped off, attempting to escape. She grabbed him and kept a tight grip on his shirt. (¡°I guess this is the limit of his comfort zone with these guys.¡±) Not in the mood to emotionally scar the goblin, she decided the current distance between them was more than enough for them to comfortably get some interaction. She felt Midori softly put his teeth on her hand, but he wasn''t dumb enough to actually bite her. ¡°Stop your bitching, you should be glad I''m trying to get you back with your own kind. I can just imagine the dumb shit that''d happen if someone showed up at my house and saw you there while I wasn''t around.¡± She lifted up the regular goblin with her other hand and drew its attention to Midori. It began sniffing the air for a few moments and began shouting. ¡°RFQAGhwya!¡± It began struggling in its restraints and tries to kick off the floor in Midori''s direction. Midori continued to look uncomfortable and started holding onto Colleen¡¯s arm. (¡°Hmm, looks like this is gonna be harder than I thought.¡±)
To help with the process, Colleen decided to focus on these two in the meantime. She found some noxious herbs and mushrooms nearby in the area, which she used to sedate the other goblins. (¡°That shouldn''t be enough to kill them right?¡±) She gave them a tenth of what would negatively affect the average person and crossed her fingers that she wouldn''t have to go looking for more goblins. She was currently standing at the bottom of a hole, six metres deep and 20 metres wide. Where did this hole come from? She found a large clearing in the first and created it. (¡°Haven''t had to use that magic on this scale in a while.¡±) She thought as she admired her work. She didn''t have much as a spot of dirt on her in this large hole. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Midori was still clinging to her leg but she had now attached a string to him. The other goblin was a few feet away, still bound. ¡°Alright, time to get some proper interaction.¡± She released her magic on the goblin, and he slowly got up. Midori tried to climb higher up on her when he realised what happened. Colleen grew tired of this and grabbed his head, keeping him in place. With no other options, he let go of her and ran in the opposite direction of the goblin. The other quickly approached, shouting as he came closer. He looked like a blood-lusted warrior. Colleen wasn''t sure she had seen a goblin so infuriated before. Which made it a bit amusing when he was jerked back and fell on the dirt. Goblin quickly got back to his feet and noticed something amiss. There was something around his waist. Another magic string Colleen had created. Before she came into the hole, she had tied an extra string to the goblin attached to a nearby tree. After all, she didn''t want him getting too close to Midori. Midori quickly realised and watched as the goblin struggled to get closer. ¡°Now, I''m not gonna say we''re gonna be down here until you too become friends, but sharing the same space while conscious should do some good.¡± The current position of the two remained unchanged for thirty minutes. It ended when Midori decided to take a step closer. The goblin tired himself out trying to run closer and sat on the floor resting. Colleen wasn''t too cruel so she threw him a piece of the deer meat for his efforts. Midori slowly approached the goblin as he ate, caution evident through his body language. The other goblin noticed him and started growling. Midori tried to back away but Colleen quickly made her way behind him and stopped his retreat.
The other goblin had stopped his verbal threat and continued chewing on the meat in peace. Midori was most certainly not comfortable with this current arrangement but he was noticeably less on edge than before. Colleen decided this was likely a good point to ease off and let him go. He didn''t run away. (¡°Damn, I think I read about this in an old animal husbandry book but didn''t think it''d be so effective. And with goblins of all things.¡±) While she did take certain liberties, she was following the general advice of allowing two animals to be in proximity to get them comfortable around each other. Midori even began walking closer to the goblin. Was he trying to befriend him? (¡°Damn, I guess I am gonna finish this in a day. Man, who knew it''d be so easy to-¡±) Her face began beaming thinking she had solved her problem with minimal effort. Midori crouched over to the laying goblin and¡­ Grabbed his meat. Referring to the venison, of course. He began pulling on it as the goblin continued chewing, with the two getting into a slapfight over it. Colleen sighed and dragged Midori back to her side. He licked the meat residue off his hands before looking up at her. She brought a closed hand down to his face and expecting a treat, he calmly stayed still. What he received when the hand opened, was a flick to the head and a scolding. ¡°Are you kidding you little bastard, I thought you were gonna rub his back or something. I can''t even blame that little bastard for being the problem this time, why the hell did you do that!? I thought you had some sense apparen-¡± She rubbed her temple and sighed as Midori turned his eyes back to the meat the goblin chewed. ¡°(He doesn''t understand what you''re saying, you idiot.) I guess we''re gonna be here for a while¡­¡± Friends? A day had passed and some progress was made. They could stay in the same place without trying to kill each other, for almost a whole hour before one of them tried to start shit. When she went home the previous day she had left all the goblins in the hole and she came back to see all of them uninjured. This might seem obvious but this was major. This confirmed to her that goblins could be peaceful on their own and that Midori was an exception. And most importantly her efforts of getting him adjusted to the others would not be in vain. If even this group of goblins alone accepted him, she''d consider this a raging success. That day, she didn''t give the goblin a piece of meat. Because if they required a piece of meat in their mouth to tolerate him, this whole thing would be pointless. The goblin sat on the floor, sitting at the maximum distance the string would allow him. The other goblins were in the pit, sedated. Colleen would slowly goad Midori into going closer to the goblin and today was already proving more fruitful than yesterday. Of his own accord, he began sniffing the other goblin and investigating him. The goblin paid him no mind and kept his focus on Colleen. ¡°Oh right.¡± She snapped her finger. She had yet again forgotten to hide her scent using magic. When there''s nothing in the forest that could possibly harm her, it''s quite an easy thing to forget. But the goblin wasn''t interested in her specific scent. (¡°Screw off you little bastard, this smoked venison is for me!¡±) The disappointed goblin got up and walked back to the part of the hole nearest to the tree it had been tied to. Midori continued walking and she decided to exercise some caution. (¡°If it moves suddenly there won''t be any avoiding a fight. But¡­ animals fight all the time, so maybe it wouldn''t be a bad idea to get him used to it.¡±) She thought. She didn''t know what slight Midori had committed, all she did know was the other goblin had started swinging. ¡°I guess I''ll step in if¡­¡± she wiped her eyes. (¡°Was this real?¡±) She thought while looking forward. ¡°FegeHgaggHkKkk!¡± A goblin was screaming for help. But it wasn''t Midori. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Midori was flinging the other goblin around like a ragdoll. Each time the unnamed goblin attacked, Midori responded in kind. It was honestly amazing watching him boss around the other goblin. (¡°Hmm. Now that I think about it, it was over a year now that I saw him get roughed up by some other goblins.¡±) His growth wasn''t anything that could be used as a before and after for growth supplements but it was noticeable when he stood next to the other goblin. He damn near towered over the other goblin while being only slightly taller than Colleen¡¯s knee. After watching Midori get some much-needed revenge, she separated him and allowed him to stay in the same space for a few more hours.
In the end, she had created herself a bench. And by a bench, I mean she had cut down a nearby tree and used the trunk. It''d probably serve as good compost when she moved the dirt back into this big ass hole. ¡°I can only imagine what she''d say if she saw me now. ¡°Wow, you''re just like those widowed grandmas in the capital that have a bunch of cats or like one of those old men that watch birds. What? Stop it, Grandma, we both know you''re only doing this since you don''t have anything better to do. Why don''t we grab some drinks at the cabaret? What? No way, there''s no way I''d have you foot our bill for a tenth time in a row.¡± Mind your own business you nosy little crone.¡± As Colleen got infuriated thinking about someone she noticed the area had been too quiet for quite some time. (¡°Shit, he didn''t kill the little guy, did he?¡±) She thought while quickly scanning around. Much to her relief, no dead goblins were in the pit. Surprisingly, they seemed quite amicable now. Both were busy chasing each other around. Each time they approached the string limit, Midori would speed up and the goblin would do the same and experience some major whiplash by being stopped by the string and sent to the floor. (¡°It''s a good thing these are the dull strings or that little guy could have been sliced clean in half.¡±) After the goblin, she noticed Midori''s face beaming. (¡°Are they friends or is he just taking advantage of the little guy?¡±) They quickly ran back to the edge of the hole and Midori seemed ready to pull that stunt again. And Colleen had a smirk on her face. The pair had run to the edge of the goblin''s range and Midori once again sped up. He looked back to watch the other goblin fall flat on his face again but he didn''t stop. They both ended up colliding, from Midori slowing down to watch him and Colleen couldn''t help but giggle at the little guy. (¡°Hehe, serves you right you little prick.¡±) Surprisingly nothing of the norm happened afterwards. They continued playing and examined the other, more tired goblins. ¡°Hmm, it should be about time.¡± The other little goblins required about three doses of whatever she could find in the forest to make them docile and weak. She had only given them one today. She snapped her fingers and all the goblins, except Midori, lost the strings that bound them. They slowly began getting up and quickly set their sights on Midori, upon catching the first whiff of him. Gone. ¡°You know, I don''t know what I expected,¡± Colleen said as she looked on. With a total of six, they wasted no time ganging up on Midori and attacking him. And just like before, it took him almost no effort to dispatch the rest. He and his buddy examined the other goblins lying on the floor with little concern. ¡°Who knew he''d be such a delinquent.¡± She said while walking over. The only reason she didn''t stop them was because she was curious how many he could handle. ¡°Well, better him than them. Hell, maybe showing off your strength is how goblin society works. If that''s the case he¡¯s gonna be royalty when I drop him back in the wild.¡± She didn''t know whether this was true or not but with such primitive creatures, she didn''t imagine an excess of strength would hurt in any way. It''s not like goblin prisons or goblin courts exist for him to be punished if he goes too far. As she approached him, he ran up to her and held onto her knee. She bent down and picked one of the goblins up. She held it in front of him and waited for his reaction. He looked ready to throw another punch and she delivered a lightning-fast flick to his forehead. ¡°But I can''t just have him being violent to the first goblins he sees out of here. He''d be no better than a rabid dog.¡± She let go of the goblin she picked up and allowed it to stand on its own feet. It was so preoccupied with Midori, that it didn''t even try to escape from her hands. It wasted no time slapping Midori and did its best to get its mouth on him. She grabbed its neck and forced it on the ground as Midori watched. Using her free hand, she flicked him on the forehead again. ¡°Ugh, are you not getting this? Don''t just let him attack you but don''t start shit for no reason either. Listen Midori you gotta know when to let shit slide and you gotta be firm when some asshole is trying to mess with you. I''m not gonna be here to arbitrate these matters, so you gotta learn from now if you want to live in peace with these guys or any others in the forest.¡± He pouted while holding his head, looking unsure of what he did wrong. She sighed and felt in her pocket. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She made sure to quickly pull it out and place it in his mouth. ¡°Why am I even talking, I just need to train him with food. If goblins could understand us, I''m sure some dipshits would be trying to use them to mine coal or do farming.¡± He had placed a small piece of her smoked meat in his mouth and patted his head as he chewed on it. ¡°Oh right.¡± She grabbed his shirt and ripped it open. He contently chewed on the meat while watching as she disrobed him. Constant baths had gotten him used to this. ¡°Guess you won''t be needing these anymore where you''re going. Shit, I hope this didn''t interfere with the process.¡± She walked back over to the tree trunk and continued intently watching the goblins.
It took two days of supervision but he seemed to be getting along swimmingly with the other goblins. They played regularly and even attempted to escape from the hole by stacking on each other''s shoulders. And a certain someone would amuse herself by tripping Midori, who stood at the bottom, causing them to come crumbling down. ¡°Damn, this is better than I thought. I was joking about putting them in a coal mine but if they''re this easy to get behaving I can''t imagine teaching them to go down a mine shaft with a pickaxe would be any harder.¡± She was spending over 15 hours a day watching these little guys and as much as she wouldn''t admit it, it was pretty entertaining watching them interact with each other. Or maybe her sense of entertainment had reached unbearable lows after living by herself for a few decades but regardless she felt it was now time. ¡°I''ve been watching these guys for far too long.¡± She got up and dragged herself out of the hole, with a string of hers set up on a nearby tree. ¡°I need to get used-¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I mean, Midori needs to get used to not having me around.¡± Midori noticed her leave but only gave a concerned glance. He had been left by himself before so it wasn''t foreign to him. She''d come back in thirty minutes at most.
Two hours had passed and while the other goblins were digging in the dirt, looking for worms, Midori had gone to the edge of the hole. Where was she? Did she get hurt by something? Did the bear come back to get her? Was she lost? He had to know and started climbing up the dirt wall. He stuck his fingers into the wall like a nail hammered in wood. He managed to get some height but it was too much. The wall wasn''t strong enough to hold his weight when he dug into it and he promptly fell. The dirt at the bottom was soft, but it wouldn''t make for a pleasant landing at his size. Thankfully enough of the goblins beneath him had gathered to cushion his landing. After landing he went back to play with others, who started climbing the wall and fell into the arms of their comrades. He was being silly. After the woman fed him, she always came back. Why would this time be any different?
The other goblins had gone to rest. The night sky had been dark for several hours now. They huddled for the warmth their bodies were inadequate at providing. Yet one remained awake, with a single concern at the bottom of the dark hole. Where is she? Shes still gone. He sat himself up and continued to keep his eyes peeled, but as morning approached, no one else entered the hole. He remembered she was quite stubborn when she fell asleep. He''d try to wake her up and when she continued sleeping, she''d always flick his head when he went to the place that stored food to eat something. Hmph, what a strange mother. But these things were stranger. He looked at the other goblins gathered in the hole and noticed one by one as they yawned and picked themselves up. What were these things anyway? He remembered seeing similar-looking things when he was younger. Other than their attitudes, they seemed pretty similar. But the difference in attitude was too big for them to be the same things. These were far more friendlier, if a bit hesitant to play with him at first. But those other creatures were the worst. He was trying to find his mother and those creatures just started attacking him. He rubbed part of his arm thinking about those creatures but he did find reassurance in the fact he was with these things. He walked over to the others and they had gathered around in a circle. He could tell they looked similar to him but they weren''t exactly identical. He wondered why he had green skin even though his mother was quite pale, but was that so strange? He saw things similar to his mother in all sorts of colours, such as a dark brown, a pale brown and an almost birch white, so why wouldn''t green be one of them? As he stood behind one contemplating why creatures had different colours, one of the goblins turned around and grabbed his hand. He gave no resistance and bent down to his friend. He wondered what it wanted to do and moved his head closer to its mouth. ¡°AAAAHH!¡± The creature made a brief but loud, that sent Midori covering his ear and tripping over himself to the floor. The group began laughing and another sneaked to the belligerent''s ear and made a brief scream. Midori was the one laughing this time and quickly got up to be a part of the antics. These creatures were strange but they were fun. Mother could be fun sometimes but she''d hurt him sometimes for doing things like eating or running around with mud over him. He didn''t know why she disliked him doing these things or doing them at certain times but it made her very unfun. These things were different, they''d let him do whatever and follow him or show him something that made him laugh, like touching that little hole in his stomach and letting him touch theirs. He managed to shout in one of their ears and the group laughed and continued the rambunctious behaviour. But¡­ they were not his mother. He turned around hoping she had come back to his tree. There was still nothing there. He tried to sniff her out but with other traces of her from walks still in the forest, it was no good. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Oh, well he could always smell his way back to her house. But how would he get out? Ah, that''s right his new friends. He turned to his friends and grabbed one. He lifted her up and placed her on his shoulder. The other goblins didn''t even need a signal to start climbing one another until they had formed a giant (relatively) stack of goblins. Midori walked into the wall and leaned forward to bring the tower closer to the wall. The one at the very top had his face meet with the wall. Thankfully it wasn''t anywhere fast enough to cause any serious damage. The goblin tried to climb down but Midori kept jumping up. Why was he climbing down? Surely he must be worried about her too. After continued jumping he finally started climbing. It took him long enough, what was his deal anyway? The others looked on as he climbed upwards and within a few seconds, he had reached the top. But something strange happened. He kept climbing. Not upwards, but over the hole. The other goblins looked on with their jaws agape and started climbing as well. Only two others were light enough for the dirt walls not to crumble beneath their weight as they climbed. How were they climbing in the air? Could he climb on air? No, that wasn''t important, why were they doing that instead of getting out and looking for her? These guys were fun, but maybe they were also a bit dense. After all, he saw them eat raw meat instead of waiting for mother to make it brown and hot. You only do that if she''s asleep! It looked like he had to take matters into his own hands. He began climbing the wall again, but the wall was too weak. He continued to fall down as the others climbed in the sky. He sulked with the rest of the heavier goblins and sat in contemplation, thinking of escape. As he looked at the dirt, an idea soon came to mind.
He had convinced the other goblins to start digging the dirt and placing it at one point in the hole. Convince is a strong word, he more so started digging and the other goblins joined due to the fact it looked fun. One of the goblins picked a worm and bit into it and Midori looked on in awe, before picking up one of those strange pink things. Its taste left a lot to desired but the texture made it fun to suck on before swallowing. Others while lying in dark crevices they had dug out for themselves. He lay next to one of them and the cool of the shade nearly swept him away. It didn''t take them long in the digging to reach dirt that felt hard and was unpleasant to dig up. It looked like that was the end until Midori showed them they could dig into the sides of the hole for more dirt. He shook his head to stay awake and looked at their hard work. It was a large, steep mound of dirt that was only a few metres under the hole''s opening. The goblins climbing above had landed on it and it seemed quite stable. One of his larger comrades had already climbed up it and unsurprisingly started climbing in the air. What was so entertaining about doing that? After making sure Mother wasn''t hiding anywhere in the dirt, he started climbing up the mound and soon made his way up the wall as quickly as possible. And he too was climbing the air. He looked around confused and went closer to the wall, trying to go up instead of sideways but something blocked his path. At the bottom of the hole, he never noticed but at this height, he could see it clearly. He wasn''t climbing on anything. It was the thing Mother would wrap around him. So she was around. Jeez, why''d she make him worry so much? He came down and joined the others.