A dull, incessant throbbing drummed between her large green ears. Darkness and flecks of light swam before her eyes until she realized they weren't actually open. The sudden flood of brightness as her eyes adjusted caused her to wince while she took in the foreign view.
Snow covered rocks beneath her green cloth-bound feet and steep drop offs that looked as though she were standing on the edge of the world. Numb to the cold at this point she placed a hand on the bloated surface of her stomach, it stretched painfully. It was hard to breathe at this point and all she could taste in her mouth was bile. Was this how she was meant to die, far from home after starving for weeks?
A second goblin lay on the ground before her, he was larger than her and covered in rags from head to toe. Some clumps of snot, patches of pus, and a fair bit of blood decorated the ensemble.
"Cold?" The prostrating goblin's voice was hoarse and broken as it used their native tongue that was made up of grunts, squeaks, and whistles. She tried to shake her head but swayed instead as glowing dots filled her vision as she struggled to stay conscious. Her hunger was like a death grip on her mind.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
She tried to lower her gaze as he unwrapped the layer of rags. She didn't even remember moving and yet a hefty rock lay between her gnarled fingers. She squeezed it, as though trying to find an anchor in the haze.
He went down easily, the first blow stunned him, he twitched on the ground, more than half the rags removed. She patiently removed the rest and set them to the side. If they got covered in blood it would be near impossible to move. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she examined him, a weapon. It was only a chipped stone to make a primitive dagger, but the rules of the tribe were clear. Goblins were not permitted concealed weapons around Goblina, on account of them being so rare, she in fact had never met another Goblina in her, admittedly short, life.
Her lips twitch as they spread into a smile the effort caused her lips to crack and bleed, at least she assumed they were. It was far to cold for any liquid to move far. She took a moment to pause and rub her nose, a hit or two to knock the ice free so she could breathe before the task ahead of her.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
And finally a satisfying crunch as she as she lowered the stone on the disproportionately large head. She went to lick the blood from her tool and paused, that would have been a mistake. She tossed the rock to the side and lowered her body in a squat next to the corpse.
She ate slowly, any time she started to gag she would pause and wait until her stomach settled before she started again, most of the bones couldn't escape the endless pit known as her belly. Even the brains she carefully ate from the skull, she used her long green finger to scoop mouthful after mouthful of brain into her mouth. She was thankful for her Goblin Constitution, her stomach could turn almost any living thing into energy. When she was young she thought everything was living, that is how she learned that soil and rocks do not live. She was a much smarter Goblina now than she was before.
Once she finished her meal she left the skull to keep watch down the mountain while she added his rags to her own. Only once she was covered completely in rags, looking more like a ball of cloth than a goblin, did she continue trekking to the summit. She couldn't see more than a few meters in front or behind her, but at least she wouldn't starve for another two weeks.
The only option was to continue moving up. This time, alone.
When a splatter of water hit her face, she flinched and tried to reach up to touch her face, only to realize that she couldn't move. Again and again the water hit her face, to the point where she struggled to breathe.
Her body jerked, survival instincts acting and her eyes snapped open. It was dark, not complete darkness, but dark, based on the fact that she could still discern a couple patches of colors here and there. She was very methodical when checking the state of her body, while she didn't remove her rag cushioning, she did move each of her limbs slowly. It seemed as though she had fallen, but when she squinted to look above, all there was was darkness.
Oh, wait… A small light with an inconsistent glow appeared as it made its way towards her, it fluttered and tumbled through the air on its twisted and winded path. All sorts of noises came out of it, some high some low. She had no idea what those noises meant but it sounded surprised. It careened to a stop before her nose, she reached out and tried to touch it but it was quick and zipped back out of the range of her short arms.
She gurgled softly in its direction, a standard sound of friendliness among her kind. Instead it retreated further back, so she displayed her annoyance with a sharp whistle. The sound was sharp and cut through the air and bounced off the walls, she ceased immediately as the noise caused her head to ring. She groaned miserably and tugged on her ears while she waited for the ringing to stop, baring her pointed teeth in agitation.
The faint sound of water was much more comforting in comparison, and she watched as another handful of water splattered against the rocks. She followed the water flow down to a still pond and knelt beside the water, tongue unfurled to taste. Dirty but not poisonous. She stuck her entire head into the water and sucked the murky substance into her mouth before she sat back, she felt the water stir within her tummy. She released a contented noise that was somewhere between a burp and a bubble.
Water is good. Consuming the blood of that other gobbo had done little to hydrate her. She was very certain that the floating light creature had not realized that while she had not heard it carefully approach her from behind, she could see its light in the reflected surface of the water. More importantly, she smelled its magic. It reminded her of... her body stiffened as she realized she had no idea what it reminded her of.
She knew that this is something she knew, and yet it was as though she were blocked off from thinking about it. Her eyes narrowed as she pondered the implications. Everywhere is magic?
The light moved just a centimeter too close and she whipped her head about and used her tongue to wrap around its illuminated form. Pop. Just as she bit down a voice sounded in her head.
"Don't eat us!"
Her eyes widened in amazement and she quickly spat it out into the pool of water.
"Thank you." the voice spoke into her, it tingled between her ears and she shook her head quickly as it eased the strange sensation. "Can you speak?" it asked.
"Course. Can speak!" she grunted, what did this thing think she was? Stupid? She was very smart gobbo, must have been smartest gobbo in tribe.
"Sorry, we can't understand you..." the voice didn't seem upset, merely curious. It then started making all sorts of noises again, none of which she knew. "Seems you can only understand us when we speak to you telepathically. Do you know what telepathy is, little goblin?"
Her face scrunched up as though she had smelled something foul. Of course she knew what telhippography was. It was obviously the tingling in head that smelled like the smell of cold, different than the smell of light flying. She solemnly clicked and nodded.
"Amazing! Fascinating!" the voice was very impressed, and she puffed up with pride, causing her rags to rustle. Then she glared at it once she remembered that it called her a goblin. She wasn't JUST a Goblin, she was a Goblina!
"I am the host of the Dungeon Live Show of Magic and Mayhem! You may call me Host. Welcome to the show! Usually we have a bit more communication... But for now we can make do with just me talking. We'll have to come up with a proper name to refer to you for the audience." the voice droned on and on and she didn't understand half of what it was talking bout.
She felt a cold sweat break out over her back. What is a show? What is a dungeon? I know Magic. Mayhem I am expert in. What is a Host? This pile of poop magic thingy was clearly messing with her. By the blood she was only five! What did it want with her.
She concentrated really hard, focusing on smell of cold and transferring tingles, "What show?" She blinked, the light didn't move. She tried again. "What is show?" Silence again. She puffed out her cheeks and thought harder, "WHAT SHOW? SHOW IS WHAT? ARE YOU STUPID?! ME GOBLINA! NOT SIMPLE GOBLIN. BEST GOBBO. BEST GOBBO!!!!"
The light disappeared in a puff of essence, she blinked at it, confused. Little did she know that she had just sent the Tower of Lumena into an uproar. The host had been so shocked that a goblin could use magic that he couldn't keep his own under control and had blown up the broadcast room.