Another hour or so passed before Jala could finally be seen approaching the forest again, this time with five different Goblins in tow and something in his hands.

  Just like how it was previously discussed, there were two High Goblins, two Maglins, and one TinkGoblin. It took them a couple of minutes to reach where Rick and Dran were patiently waiting.

  Once both parties came face to face, Rick finally got a clearer look at what was in his hands…It looked like small brown sheets of paper.

  “That took a little longer than I initially planned, but here are the Goblins who have agreed to come with you Rick.

  “I also made sure to write down all the information you asked about. I can’t stay here for too much longer though because those Orcs should come patrolling sometime soon, and I have to be there with the Leader of the Tribe when they come. And that includes you. If they see you it will cause a problem so you should leave soon as well.”

  “Wait, what do you mean you wrote it all down on documents?! Since when you all can write?! What are you even using to write on?! What language do you even write in?”

  “With you reacting like that, is it safe to assume neither you nor any of your Tribe members back home know how to read, much less write?”

  “Well, no…I guess not.”

  “I see. Is it only normal Goblins that live in your Tribe?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Well, that explains it. Don’t worry too much about it. The two Maglins coming with you both know how to read and write and should both be able to teach you as well. Even that TinkGoblin that you showed up with should know how to as well.”

  “Is that true, Dran?”

  “Yes, it’s true that I can read and write, but it’s not something I’m confident in being able to teach properly.”

  “That’s actually bit of a shock, but I guess knowing how to read and write is almost a basic stepping stone for any growing society of Goblins! Now…You mentioned going back to the Leader of your Tribe…I thought that was you this whole time.”

  “No, of course I’m not the Leader. That is usually the oldest Goblin to have gone through one evolution in the Tribe. The Goblin that fits that bill in my Tribe is a rather old TinkGoblin and she is far too weak to be making trips into the forest, so I came in her place instead.”

  “What's her name?”

  “Her name is Gala.”

  “Tell Gala I said to stay alive. I'll come back to free her soon enough.

  “Ah I almost forgot, now you mentioned that Orcs will be coming here shortly. What usually happens when they come?”

  Jala and even the surrounding Goblins moods all soured immediately.

  Of course, Rick noticed this, but he needed to know. He needed to know exactly what he was dealing with.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “…They…they usually come in small squads of two or three, and once they arrive, they would ask for their tribute.

  “In the best case scenario, they curse us a few times and leave quickly, but…more times than not they get a bit…physical with us.”

  By now, Jala and all the surrounding Goblins could see the balled up fists of Rick. His anger seemed to only be rising.

  Jala was quick to change his tune.

  “Rick, I see that your getting angry, and I don’t blame you. None of us do, but you have to leave. You can’t stay here. Remember what we just discussed, if they caught you now it would be the end of everything you just said.

  “Leave Rick. Promise me you’ll leave.”

  Rick who calmed down a bit, especially since Velora was in his head telling him very similar things, lifted his head and started Jala in his eyes for a moment before responding.

  “…Fine. I will leave Jala, but I will come back. I promise. Make sure to relay my message to Ms. Gala.”

  “I will, since I’m sure she'll be happy to hear that. Anyway, I’ve stayed here long enough. I’ll take my leave now. Everyone, come and introduce yourself to Rick.”

  Soon after Jala said that he turned around and immediately started walking back to the Tribe. There was no need for any extensive goodbyes since he was sure that he and Rick would meet again at some point. Though, it was more like a desperate hope than he being actually sure.

  Although he didn’t show it during his time with Rick, he was begging and hoping inside that Rick could make what he said come true. Knowing the Orcs can simply kill you and everyone you love at any moment was not a good way to live.

  Shortly after Jala left, the five Goblins who were chosen to leave with Rick finally stepped up, which was a little hard to do considered how tense the atmosphere was at the moment.

  They lined up shoulder to shoulder and began introducing themselves one by one leaving little room for Rick to speak.

  “Hello Tribe Leader Rick. It is good to meet you, my name is Kida, a Maglin. Thank you for this chance to be free. I’ll serve you and the Tribe well now and in the future,” a female Maglin said in a formal, but upbeat tone as if trying to lighten the somber mood.

  She was quickly followed by another male Maglin whose voice was deeper than his tall and frail appearance would imply.

  “Likewise, Tribe Leader Rick. I am Zargi and as you can see, I am a Maglin. I will never forget the freedom you have given me today. I look forward to serving you and the Tribe forever.”

  Next, a rather loud female TinkGoblin spoke up.

  “I feel the same way as them! I know a lot about building things and I’m happy to share that with you! Oh, and my name is Wala!”

  Last was the set of High Goblins who were both females. Even though they couldn’t speak as well as the other Goblins that went before them, they still made their intentions known.

  “Thank...you...rea...dy...to...fight...and...help…name...Lagi...”

  “Sigi...name…al…so…fight...and...help…”

  Although their sudden rapid-fire introductions had Rick a little flustered a bit, it also helped to calm him down. He then quickly collected himself and responded in kind.

  POV Rick

  “Ahem…I’m glad you all feel that strongly about coming back with me. It won’t be long before every Goblin in the plains can have that same freedom. You all will play a key part in that.

  “But for now, we have a long journey ahead of us and since it's a group of this size, the journey will be longer.

  “I’ll be running in front with Sigi and Lagi behind me to my left and right. Dran and Wala will be behind them while Zargi and Kida will follow. We will take several breaks to rest, fight, and eat, so don’t be afraid to let me know if you're tired.

  “A tired Goblin is a dead Goblin in these forests if you're not careful. Any questions?”

  “Yes. Will we begin your lessons on reading and writing while on the journey?”

  [Don’t avoid this as you do with training.]

  ‘And here I was thinking you disappeared.’

  [Never.]

  “Yes, Kida, we can. If we have adequate time and light during our rest time, then we can start doing some lessons. After all, a Goblin should always aim to be better and stronger!”

  “Well said, Tribe Leader!”

  “By the way, everyone can just call me Rick if you want. The whole Tribe Leader thing isn’t necessary if you don’t want to. Line up like I planned, and we will move out now. Let’s go!”

  [Should always aim to be better and stronger, huh?]

  ‘Where are you learning how to speak like this?’

  [You.]