After everything had settled down, there was almost silence, except the few Thorn spitters still doing their warning calls, from high up in the Tree out of our sight too scared to move in. The rest of the group had gathered together.

  Cromus was the first to speak. “Well all in I’d say that was good, Jagz, Ush how did that feel for you?”

  Ush whipped sweat from her forehead, catching her breath but smiling. “It felt right. though I might have overdid it before the fight, I started to run low during the fight.”

  Jagz ever the ball of energy now beamed at his sister. “You have ta track stuff, I just cast one and go! Don’t worry I carry you.”

  Ush actually looked a little uncomfortable there. She looked up to Sais and Cromus. “Did I, speak like that.”

  Cromus looked a bit uncomfortable but nodded. Sais nodded and stated “Yes” a matter of factly, while Kaazz nodded solemnly with his knowing smile.

  She turned back to her brother. “Jagz you need to increase your intelligence stat as soon as you can.”

  It took a moment but it finally hit him. “There not’in wrong with how I speak”

  Ush look at him dead pan. “There is plenty wrong with the way you speak. you sound dumb.”

  That riled him up even more. “I am not dumb! don’t say that!” his anger was clearly growing.

  Ush simply smirked. “Don’t believe me ask everyone else.” she simply said.

  Jagz looked to Cromus with a plee “Tell er there an’t not’in wrong with me.”

  Cromus’s lips went thin. “I want to suggest she is right, I am not saying you need to dump points into your stat, but I highly recommend you boost your stat to the double digits.”

  That got a confused look from both of them till it clicked with Ush. “AH! he means boost it till you see two numbers.”

  “But strength stat better!” Jagz argued.

  “I am not saying dump all your next points into it, just four points, to break that threshold, after that you can do as you please.”

  Jagz frowned. “Fine, but only four!”

  “That’s all I ask.” Cromus said then it dawned on him. “Wait, how much exp did you two get from that fight?”

  “410, just above level 2.” Ush said Jagz nodding his agreement.

  That got Sais’s attention. “How many points did you two get?”

  Both the young goblins opened their sheets real quick. “10” they said simultaneously.

  Jagz scratched his head, still frowning. “Still think Strength better…” he muttered, reluctantly spending his points.

  Ush rolled her eyes. “Think whatever you want, just don’t cry when you can’t count past ten.”

  Jagz puffed up like he was about to argue again but his eyes cleared seemed to become clearer, as if you could see the moment things came into better focus, his brain less bogged down as his stats took effect.

  Cromus, missing the look on Jagz face, spoke up before they could continue their argument. “You can talk about it later. Right now, we need to focus.” He turned to Sais. “That stat gain makes things clearer. They got 10 points per level. Same as us.”

  Sais rubbed his chin. “So no penalty for them like Kaazz has…” He cast a glance toward the shaman, who simply nodded knowingly, as if he had expected this. “Means the issue with Kaazz’s class really was because of how he got it.”

  Kaazz hummed. “I already know this. Was always broken. Not chosen.” His voice was calm, but the weight of his words lingered.

  Cromus exhaled. “At least we know now. And for you two,” he turned to Jagz and Ush, “ Ush, just really consider your stats, what works best for you, Jagz, again I really recommend...” He trailed off seeing the look on Jagz face.

  “Uh, I already did it.” He looked at everyone after listening to the talk and how much more he understood, how even his own speech sounded similar to Sais and Cromus. “Uh, I really was dumb….”

  Cromus smirked slightly, Ush and Sais busted out laughing, and Kaazz well he just knowingly smiled at the humor.

  With that, the conversation wound down.

  The air settled. The battlefield remained eerily still, save for the occasional creaking of the Cradlethorn’s massive branches. The Thornspitters that had survived the fight still chattered warily high above, but none dared to descend. Not after what had happened to the others.

  Loose Tooth let the voices of the others fade into background noise.

  His fingers twitched at his sides. His mind was still a storm of frustration, failure, and unspoken thoughts.

  The fight was over, but he hadn’t won anything.

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  He hadn’t proved anything.

  He hadn’t changed anything.

  His breath felt tight in his chest, that familiar weight of being left behind pressing down on him like a stone.

  Then—something caught his eye.

  A glint of green among the wreckage.

  The seeds.

  The same ones the Thornspitters had fired like weapons, scattering their razor-thin thorns upon impact. Some had already exploded, leaving only torn husks behind, but others… others remained intact.

  Overlooked. Unused. His heart kicked up a notch.

  Loose Tooth crouched, brushing away a bit of broken bark, his fingers wrapping around one of the seeds. It was heavy in his hand, a prickly outer shell beneath his fingertips. He turned it over carefully, remembering how they had worked.

  They burst on impact. If he threw them right—if he aimed well—he wouldn’t need a blade, wouldn’t need to fight up close.

  A weapon. His weapon.

  He clenched his jaw and quietly started gathering them, one by one, careful not to squeeze too hard.

  He was so focused that he didn’t notice Cromus watching him until the half-orc’s voice broke the silence. “What are you doing?”

  Loose Tooth froze, his grip tightening around the seed.

  He turned, suddenly aware of all the eyes on him. He hesitated, but then forced himself to stand taller.

  “They… they didn’t explode,” he said. “I can use them.”

  A pause.

  Cromus studied him for a long moment. Then—he nodded. “Smart.”

  Loose Tooth blinked.

  That… was it? No dismissal? No telling him to step back? Cromus again not doing what others do.

  Loose Tooth swallowed. regaining some of his confidence. “I told you biggin’ when we were captured, Loose Tooth smart.” His voice steadied.

  Sais let out a thoughtful hum. “Huh. Thrown weapon.” His tone shifted, something clicking in his mind. “Actually, you know what would make that easier?”

  Without another word, he unsheathed his dagger and strode toward one of the fallen Thornspitters.

  Loose Tooth watched, uncertain, as Sais knelt beside the corpse of the creature, grabbing one of its thorn-covered vine-arms.

  “What are you—” Loose tooth started.

  “Hold this,” Sais said, slicing the limb free and handing an end to Loose Tooth.

  Loose barely reacted just reflexively grabbing the end, grimacing as the thorns pricked his fingers.

  Sais ignored him, working quickly. With a few more precise cuts, he stripped the remaining thorns away, carving into the vine with sharp, clean strokes. Then—he hollowed out a section, just wide enough to cradle one of the seed pods inside.

  “Here you go, you should be able to use that like a sling.” He said proud of his work.

  Loose Tooth stared at it, realization dawning in his eyes.

  “Ain’t no way I’m watchin’ you lob those things and getting disappointed in the distance.” Sais said with a smirk. “This’ll give you range. Try it.”

  Loose Tooth’s fingers tightened around the new weapon.

  For the first time since the battle, he felt something other than frustration—which quickly turned back to frustration as he fumbled with the weapon, not able to get enough momentum.

  He tried to spin the sling, but the weight of the seed shifted unpredictably. It felt… off. Awkward.

  His first throw barely made it a few feet before plopping to the ground.

  Jagz, already eager to see things explode, groaned dramatically. “That was sad. Real sad.”

  Loose Tooth’s ears burned.

  Sais stopped him before he could try again. “Here, let me see it for a second.”

  Loose Tooth hesitated, but reluctantly handed it over, frowning, half expecting them to say he couldn’t use it at all.

  Sais, catching on quickly as ever, looked at him as he took the makeshift sling. “Thank you. Now watch carefully.”

  He slowly spun the sling, getting a feel for its balance, then picked up speed, and with a precise flick of his wrist, he released the seed.

  The pod vanished into the distance—then, from somewhere beyond the trees—

  BOOM.

  Jagz whooped loudly, practically bouncing in place. “THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ABOUT!”

  Even Ush, who was usually quiet, gave a slight approving nod.

  Sais turned back to Loose Tooth. “Now, try it like that.”

  Loose Tooth’s eyes were wide with excitement as he nodded.

  He grabbed another seed, gripping the sling carefully. He inhaled slowly, focused. This time, he mimicked the rhythm Sais had shown him.

  A slow start. Then picking up speed.

  Then—he let go.

  The seed whipped through the air, faster than he could have ever thrown it by hand.

  The moment it made impact—

  BOOM!

  A burst of razor-sharp thorns exploded outward, embedding deep into a rock dozens of feet away.

  Loose Tooth’s breath hitched.

  He stared at the impact. The distance. The force.

  Then, slowly, he grinned.

  Jagz, still hyped up, cackled. “OHHHH, WE GOTTA GET MORE OF THOSE!” he started running around picking up unexploded seeds.

  Kaazz let out a quiet chuckle. “Good eyes, good hands,” he mused. “Will be strong one day.”

  Sais crossed his arms, nodding in approval. “There. A little bit more practice and you’ll be a deadly foe.”

  Loose Tooth gripped the sling tighter.

  Cromus studied him carefully.

  The goblin had fumbled at first, but… that second throw? It wasn’t random.

  It was deliberate.

  Accurate.

  Not just luck.

  Instinct.

  Cromus didn’t say it out loud, but he could see it now—Loose Tooth had something.

  It wasn’t just the weapon.

  It wasn’t just him learning how to use it.

  It was how quickly he adapted.

  How he adjusted after just one mistake.

  His aim had been too good for a first-time thrower.

  Cromus’s gaze flicked to Sais, who had also noticed. The strategist’s brow had raised just slightly, lips pursed in thought.

  Neither of them said anything.

  Not yet.

  But it was there.

  Something worth watching.

  Loose Tooth ran his fingers over the rough, makeshift sling, the carved-out space where the seed fit perfectly.

  It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t magical.

  It wasn’t just made for him.

  It was given to him.

  Trusted to him.

  Maybe he still didn’t have a class. Maybe he still wasn’t strong like Jagz or fast like Ush.

  But for the first time in a long time—

  He wasn’t empty-handed.

  He wasn’t useless.

  He wasn’t being left behind.