After living a fairly normal life, at least by what human society back on Earth thought was normal, he was really enjoying the thrill of adventuring to somewhere new.
Rick didn’t plan on being one of those Leaders that delegated everything possible to their subordinates and ran wild all over the place without taking proper responsibility for his people.
He knew, even if he didn’t want to, he wouldn’t really have the ability to do that in the future when his dreams of Goblin domination and a thriving Goblin empire come to fruition, but right now it's a joy he’s grown to love. The freedom of adventure was truly a thrilling feeling.
Rick was definitely taking advantage of the fact there aren’t any restrictions on how the Leader is supposed to behave because of the Tribe’s small size and lack of guidelines or laws.
And he didn’t plan on introducing anything like that to the Tribe either, at least not for the time being.
Rick knew that as an organization grew bigger and bigger, that certain political aspects always came into play, but he hoped in his heart that maybe things will be different in Goblin society.
That the greed and jealousy of humankind would just be foreign concepts with Goblins.
It might just be wishful thinking. He knew in the future as the Tribe got bigger, there might be a Goblin who covets the position of Leader and the power it holds, or maybe even a group of Goblins who wanted to do nothing more than kill him.
Though if that actually happens, it’ll be far in the future. For now, Rick will just worry about the things he can do, like going on an adventure to find more Goblins, or how to get Velora to stop asking him to train.
Just simple things.
Oh, he’s also wondering why Jaba woke up at the same time as him, even though he planned to leave long before anyone else woke up.
- ??
POV Rick
“So why are you up and waiting for me at the entrance of the cave, Jaba?”
“I wanted to see you off on this long journey. I don’t believe the Leader of the Tribe should set off with no one there to see.”
“Oh, that’s really classy of you, Jaba. Very noble Goblin-like.”
“Thank you, but do you have any idea which direction you're going to go in?”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Not yet. I’ll probably head to the lake and decide from there. By the way, I probably should’ve told you all yesterday, but I’m leaving all my stuff here for you all.
“It was just bones and hides from various beasts from my previous journey into the forest. I’m sure you all can figure out some uses for it.
“Also, remember everything I told you about going deep into the forest. Never go on the north side of the lake and never get too close to the lake itself. If you stick to the east and west side of the lake, you should be fine.”
“Understood. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Alright, that’s enough dilly-dallying. Take care of the Tribe while I’m gone.”
“Yes, Sir!”
And just like that, Rick left again for another adventure. Even though he’s barely been back to the Tribe a couple days, he’s now already back on the road or in this case, in the forest again.
And he’s already facing his first challenge upon his arrival at the lake.
‘So, where the hell should I actually go? I told Jaba I’d figure it out at the lake, but now that I’m here, it’s kinda hard to actually decide where exactly I want to go.
‘Any thoughts on the matter, Velora?’
[You can always go ask the fox beast on the northern side of the lake.]
‘Now why in green Goblin's name would I go do such a thing?’
[Well, one of the first things he said to you during that encounter was “Haven’t seen a Goblin of your size in a long time.” This should mean he has seen other Goblins before, and even one of your current evolution.]
‘I forgot you can remember everything. It’s because you feel like more than just a skill these days.
‘Anyway, there's a lot that can go wrong here. I’m not too comfortable talking to someone who can kill me and wipe out the entire Tribe before I can spell Goblin.’
[It’s either that or you can start walking in a random direction.]
‘Well, when you put it like that.. I still don't want to talk to him!
‘What if he questions why I want to find other Goblins? What if he wants to stop me from doing exactly that? What if he just kills me?’
[You won’t get anywhere asking these questions. Just decide and go.]
‘Ah, to hell with it! Let's go find the damn fox!’
[He’ll probably come to you once you reach the northern side of the lake. I don’t think you’ll find him if he doesn’t want to be found.]
‘Fair point. Let’s just head over there.’
Rick then slowly and alertly made his way around the lake to the spot where he met the fox, or at least as close to it as he can remember.
He only had to stand there and wander around aimlessly for a few minutes before a familiar fox greeted him.
“Interesting. It hasn’t been that long since you left and you're already back. I honestly didn’t think you’d be back so soon. I even thought you’d be too scared to come for a chat.”
‘Who the hell is he calling scared, dammit!?’
[You but calm down. This is important.]
‘I know you’re right. I just don’t like him.’
“Yes, I’m back, but I just came to ask a question, if that's alright. I’ll be on my way right after.”
“Interesting. What is this question, then?”
“Where can I find more Goblins?”
“What an interesting question. Why do you want to find more Goblins? Isn’t your Tribe south of here?”
“I want to be around more of my kind.”
“Another interesting comment, but I’m no fool, Goblin. I don’t care if you want to grow your little Tribe of Goblins, but I do care when someone tries to play me for a fool. I’d advise you to mind your manners in the future.” The fox paused before continuing.
“…Though since it was your first offense, I’ll look past it and answer your little question. I last saw other Goblins far west of the lake. They could be gone by now though, so don’t get your hopes up. Goblin Tribes don’t tend to last too long.”