"A-Kea, we are going!" Voel hissed at the ghanaan girl who gred at him.

  "No. We're. Not. Lady Are commanded us to bring them home safely. If they won't go, we'll stay with them, that was our orders!" Kea snapped back, angry at Voel.

  "A-This is more important then their safety! A-We are talking about the safety of all of Occiden!" Voel impressed on her as he grabbed her arm to drag her away. A jolt of electric energy stopped that, though she knew it wasn't actually harmful to Voel.

  "Then go on your own! You're faster anyway, and you can watch us with your [Feathered Friend]s. You don't need to be here." She rebutted.

  "A-Leave you here on your own?! A-You're my responsibility!" Voel spluttered and reached for her again.

  "As I just learned, Voel, that doesn't mean you control her." Toni cut in as she and Temate approached the arguing group.

  "A-In fact I do. She is my ward, she is to obey me. A-That is also the dies order." Voel snapped his beak at Toni. Flinching slightly as he saw Temate.

  "She said follow your lead. Not your orders. I don't agree, I think we should stay, at least one of us. Besides, I'm out here to hunt too, and I've already got a new [Power] after the goblin fight!" Kea announced.

  "A-You... You do?" Voel looked taken aback at that. "A-But you didn't harvest-"

  "Sorry, that was me." Toni cut him off, putting one hand on her hip as she walked up and put an arm around Kea's shoulder. "She was on our side, so when I got power from Temate harvesting, she got power. You did to, if you haven't checked yet."

  Voel looked shocked at that. "A-You can... You can do that?" He didn't seem to believe her, Toni just grinned.

  "Oh yeah, and Temate as you saw automatically harvests. Pretty neat combo huh?" She turned to look at Temate who had his head in a hand. She blinked then grimaced. "I mean Mate, Mate automatically harvests-" Temate just raised one eyebrow and shook his head at her. That wasn't it?

  "A-That's..."

  "...Crazy." Kea finished for Voel. Toni looked at her and saw her jaw had practically dropped off her face. What?

  "What?" Toni asked and heard a sigh from Temate behind her. "WHAT?! WHAT DID I SAY?!" She asked, exasperated as her face grew red from embarrassment.

  "You jus' tol' them tha' you can essentially allow a whole army of people to gather power together instea' of splittin' i'." Pipuck said as they joined the conversation with Surrender who's ears were drooped.

  "A-and?" Toni asked, but she thought she already understood. Kea confirmed her suspicion.

  "Toni. A [Power] like that... Wars would be fought over you alone." She whispered into Toni's ear.

  "Better build myself a giant wood horse now." Temate teased her and Toni blushed even brighter.

  "I-I... really?" Toni spluttered.

  "A-That settles it. A-You at least are coming back with me, A-Even-"

  In a fsh Temate was standing in front of Toni, machete in his hand. He leveled it towards Voel. Beside Toni she heard a startled baaing sound. Soft purple light began to fill the air, and even Toni's hand had gone to her gun. Though that was in reaction to Temate moving less so then the threat she only just realized Voel was making.

  "A-You do not want to do this." Voel hissed.

  "I warned you. Threaten me and I take your life. Threaten her and I will have my vengeance on you, and everyone you know and love. In this life or the next. So let me ask you a simple question. Do you feel lucky, bird?" Temate stood, bde extended toward Voel.\In the soft purple twilight, discordant with the mid afternoon time, the freshly repaired machete gleamed with vicious readiness. Temate stared and Toni felt his [Towering Presence]. The shadows grew deep around them, and then a cw wrapped around Voel's throat. Shadow covering the small gremlin who clung to his back.

  Toni unholstered her gun. She didn't aim it yet, but she was ready to cock and fire if need be. She looked toward Kea who seemed suddenly very frightened. To the girls credit, her hands were on her small club-esque weapons.

  Tension filled the air. Choking words before they could climb out of anyone's mouth. Even the woods seemed to grow quiet.

  "This nursery is given to life, not death. Violence already was visited here, do not visit it again yourselves."

  They all turned to see Nijij. He was not alone, fnked by Oo, Thares, Laurel and a half dozen other cert and egor. Their group outnumbered the two opposed groups itself. Toni holstered her gun and put a hand on Temate's shoulder. His bde did not lower, and Surrender did not release Voel.

  As Pipuck's purple light faded and the afternoon sun took root again Voel spoke.

  "A-I will be watching but this I must report. A-Kea."

  "Y-yes." Kea yelped as if stung by Voel's words.

  "A-Do not let them come to harm, or yourself." He said, and before she could reply a heavy wind blew. Voel spread his arms and the wind lifted him up into the air. Feather's drifted into the wind and became small spherical owls. Some scattered into the winds, some flew with Voel as he headed north east.

  One flitted down to nd on Toni's head, hooting happily. Temate's hand tensed on his bdes hilt as he watched it.

  "It's okay, the owls possess his heart, but not his fears." Taure spoke, stepping out from behind Thares and waving sheepishly.

  "Fears?" Toni and Kea asked together, looking at each other afterward.

  Taure nodded as she replied. "I do not know them, but he has been frightened ever since he arrives. Deeply frightened and unsettled."

  "Ashton." Kea muttered. Temate looked toward Kea with a raised eye, his bde still unsheathed.

  "Who?" He asked.

  "Not for me to tell." She said, shaking her head softly. "But it would expin his... Behavior."

  "You mean he's not normally a kidnapping, aggressive asshole?" Toni grumbled.

  "No, no he's not." Kea smiled sadly, then cpped her hands. "Anyway! We should get your guys stuff done as quick as possible, you said you needed to see the Grand Ceil person?"

  "Yes, we go now!" Surrender shouted excitedly.

  "Well hold on, we got some goblins to grab, where'd they go?" Temate pointed out. Toni looked around and noticed that none of the goblins were even visible. Something which hadn't happened since Temate had become their chief.

  "Oh yeah, where'd they go?"

  Oh happy day! Chief had mated with Hema! He had given her children! It took only a quick ritual dance to confirm the matter, three! Three new kin to care for! Though it would be awhile still before they were ready, but now they celebrate.

  On top of that, Fraar had learned the chief likes males as well! Not a huge thing admittedly, but for Roiks and Fraar, the two male members of the triplets, it was important.

  Not that it was a problem, but only having your sibling as potential partners for fun times was boring after awhile. Still this was good news all around! Already the women of the tribe were pnning on who would go when, talking about what chief liked with Hema, so on.

  The men, however, were pnning a hunt. The chief got any woman he wanted, because obviously he did, he was chief. If they wanted to mate they would have to prove their worth. It was nice to be on this side of the mating.

  Their previous chief Toknutz had been a woman. Which meant she took any man she wanted and the women had to do the hunts or other things to prove their worth. It's honestly quite boring, though when Sioh had brought back a verdwolf on her own that had been pretty impressive.

  Chiel sat with her now as she helped the men pn. She was their most experienced hunter left now, and Chiel appreciated the help but.

  "You do not need to give help Sioh. You can just choose if you want one of us." Chiel told her in their own tongue. It was easier to talk that way, chief didn't know it so they used his tongue for that but the goblin tongue was so much better.

  "I know this Chiel. I wish to help, the tribe must grow strong again and quickly." She snapped at him. Chiel flinched back from her tone.

  "I understand but why? We will grow strong, chief is strong already I feel good changes!" Chiel replied.

  Sioh gred at Chiel as she replied. "My daughter and son are dead. The next one's cannot die. They must be from the best, clearly I chose poorly when it was my turn." She pointed to a rough sketch of the area carved into the side of a tree.

  Chiel nodded at that. It made sense, Sioh was second oldest so of course she'd had children in the tribe heart. Crak as well, but she'd only had two sons who were infants. That reminded him why they were hunting, and Hema's triplets.

  Goblin's often only had one kid, though twins wasn't too uncommon either. Triplets, however, were rare and were said to be a sign of a strong bond. When siblings of the same spawn fought together they were said to be stronger as well. Chiel looked over to Crak, Roikx and Fraar in their own huddle.

  Crak was educating them on how to set traps and the like, things they didn't need but she was trying to support her younger triplet brothers. After all, a mating hunt was done alone. You had to be careful so as not to take on too big a challenge and die. Weakening the tribe is a greater shame then failure after all.

  On the other hand if you did not bring back a great enough prize, you wouldn't be considered before the chief. The bigger, stronger, or more wily, the better. Chiel nodded and looked with determination to Sioh.

  "We will make it so you do not choose wrong again." His serious expression shifted to a grin as Sioh began to ugh.

  "I hope so. I would choose you, as you are eldest." Sioh stepped over and put a hand on his shoulder which made Chiel's legs weak. "So prove to me that I am not mistaken."

  Chiel would not fail. He would bring back the biggest, most dangerous thing he could find! He had to now! Sioh wanted to pick him?! He may have been the older of the two but he'd always admired her strength and determination.

  Now he knew she admired him as well! He couldn't let her down! He would be chosen, fuck the chief!

  Er. Maybe not fuck the chief in any way, that was bad thinking. But this was his time to shine!

  "There you guys are." Big Toni's voice perked Chiel's ears up. He'd also like her, she was so... Big. But that was chief's true mate, so no one would try to get her to pick them unless they were challenging chief.

  "Big Toni!" Sioh stood up straight and gave her a goblin salute, rolling both shoulders once as her ears stood as straight up as she could.

  "What do for big and chief?" Chiel asked, addressing chief Temate as he approached behind her.

  "We're getting ready to move out, gotta get to the Grand Ceil by sun down. Is this a bad time?" She asked, Chiel and Sioh both shook their head.

  "Just pnning hunt, just say which way we go, we hunt as go." Chiel told her and she smiled.

  "Oh, you don't have to worry about food, the Trevad gave us a whole bunch of fruit and veggies that are too ripe for a spark to take." Toni motioned toward a small sack on Temate's side. It looked no bigger than his hand. Chiel narrowed his eyes at the small pouch of knotted roots and vines.

  "Not lots." He muttered. "Need more."

  "Yes, much more. And meat!" Sioh agreed.

  "Oh no no no! I mean meat yes, that's true so sure that's a good reason to hunt." Toni said. Pointing to the bag she continued. "It's a magic bag! It holds bunches of stuff in it, suspending them to keep them ripe and yummy! A gift for stopping the marchers, isn't that cool!" Chiel and Sioh looked at each other confused.

  "Here, come look." Chief said, taking a knee as he held out the bag. Chiel and Sioh approached and looked inside as he opened it before them. Chiel gasped and Sioh 'ooooooooh'd loudly.

  Inside the bag was a veritable trove of food stuffs! There were some of Chiel's favorites, naurberries. A small red-orange berry which burned your mouth a bit when you ate them. Right next to them were their counterpart gaurberries, simir in every way except for their light blue exterior. Those one's had an incredible bitterness to them which matched well with naurberries, but they grew in completely separate pces!

  There were moonmelons, which were just melons that had a soft white exterior simir to the moon. Nightmoss, a type of edible lichen that liked the light but was incredibly dark. There were even crists, usually grown by humans in their fields. An oblong, semi-transparent blue-white root vegetable with a pointed end and soft blue leaves.

  So much more, things Chiel didn't recognize but which Toni pointed to excitedly, describing how they were simir or different to things from her world. She pulled out one of the crists and showed it off.

  "These were called... What was it? I dunno, but I'm gonna call them gss carrots! They're like carrots made from frosted gss, feel how cool it is!" She held it out to Chiel and Sioh, and the rest of the goblins who'd gathered by this point. Fraar touched it and smiled.

  "Make good stew!" Fraar said, he would know Fraar was their best cooker. Toni put the crist bag in the bag and chief Temate closed it as she reached for another thing.

  "That's enough Toni, they're weird fantasy fruits and vegetables to us but it seems like these goblins recognize most of them." He looked to the group, many of which nodded.

  Big Toni blushed slightly and coughed into her hand. "R-right, fair enough. I'm just excited I guess, everything Pipuck's been giving us were mostly simple stews from various greens. The bears I never saw what went into them, even if they looked strange sometime so..."

  "Yes, I agree it's exciting." Chief Temate said. Chiel wasn't sure he believed that, the chief didn't look excited at least.

  "You're no fun you're always so unmoved by the cool weird stuff!" She jabbed his shoulder and Chiel flinched. But the chief didn't hit her back? Chiel guessed he was okay with pyful jabs from his bigs. Good to know.

  "I'm not unmoved, it's cool!" Chief Temate responded, frowning slightly.

  "You coul' ac' more like i' to be fair. I love i', always fun to see new things!" Big Pipuck ughed loudly from beside the two. Big Surrender joining the ughter a moment ter, followed shortly by the goblins.

  "Hmm. I do think it's fascinating though, I just don't need to ooh and aah at everything." Chief Temate grunted and shrugged, standing back up and pcing the pouch back on his hip.

  "Righ' righ', of course you are big man, we believe you!" Big Pipuck said, ughing even louder at the way Temate rolled his eyes.

  "Whatever. Point is we're leaving if you all are ready Chiel." Chief Temate looked to Chiel and he stood tall.

  "Yes chief! We ready!" Chiel replied.

  And they were, they hadn't made camp, knowing they weren't staying the night. They'd simply set watches and patrolled. Then when Hema and Fraar had come back all excited they'd done their ritual and started pnning their hunts.

  As he said that the tribe of goblins, now only 11 but already growing again, all hefted their various weapons and bags. They followed their chieftain and his mates as he they bid a quick farewell to a teary eyed ralug girl. They followed their chieftain as he met with the bck ghanaan woman.

  They followed their chieftain as he made his way east and away from the pce of bounty and life. As they went the men slowly split off, each to their own hunt. They went only two at a time to prevent depleting their fighting power all at once.

  First Gief and Chaft left, each coming back with a rge boar, Chaft's slightly bigger much to Gief's sadness. Then the triplet brothers left, Roikx and Fraar were gone for a very long time. When they came back it was with a single massive creature. A gibtas, it's massive bulbous body which was half mouth pulverized by some great weight.

  They'd fought it together, and cimed that if one of them was chosen, both were chosen. A bold choice, choosing to be one meant a bigger prey, and having two partners was enticing for most goblins. Then it was Chiel's turn. He turned to Qinq, who hefted a chipped bde on his shoulder.

  The two nodded and headed out. Chiel darted through the thin underbrush. Moving alone was dangerous, but Chiel was eldest and he had a goal. There were many things in these woods that were delicious and dangerous. Yet Chiel wasn't aiming for anything in the woods.

  Chiel was aiming beneath.

  He needed a cave entrance, one which seemed empty but had very specific things he was looking for. He may not find it, but looking for caves would mean he'd find verdwolves at least and he could take out one of their elder's. That would be impressive enough, but he had a goal.

  He would not rest, and when the forest was dark with the setting sun, he found what he was looking for.

  Force2reckon