I left the cave, my heart pounding with a mixture of curiosity and caution. The goblin who had begged for my help, stood just outside, her eyes filled with a strange mix of hope and desperation.
"Human... will you help?" She asked, her voice trembling. I nodded, empathy causing me to start to care about the plight of the goblins, ignoring my initial hesitation. "Alright, I'll help. But first, is it okay for me to leave Mackinzie, um… the girl with me, alone here?"
Thinking for a moment, the goblin girl raised her hand and started chanting in an unknown language, mostly a mess of hard consonant sounds and guttural grunts. Suddenly, the air around us quivered, and the mouth of the cave disappeared, replaced by a seemingly uninterrupted rock face. Startled, I ran up to touch the rock wall, but my hand passed through it as if it were air.
Unable to contain my surprise at seeing real magic for the first time, I blurted out, "That's amazing, how did you do that?" The goblin seemed confused for a moment before saying, "Was born… can move mana… learned magic words, become shaman" seeming proud at that last part.
We began walking through the forest for a while before I finally spoked, "Since we are allies we should introduce ourselves. My name is Adam." After a few moments the goblin replied, "name, Zara" before becoming silent again.
Zara led the way, her bare feet treading soundlessly across the forest floor. Following close behind, trying to copy her with some success, we continued in silence. Our surroundings a vivid tapestry of lush greenery, muted by the predawn light filtering through the leaves above. Birds sang in the distance, seemingly oblivious to the crisis that had sucked me in.
Trying to make use of the silence I thought, "hey AI, what exactly is a bugbear?"
{Bugbears resembled hairy, borderline feral goblins standing 7 feet tall. The name comes from their noses and claws, which are like those of bears. Their claws are not long and sharp enough to be used as weapons, so bugbears often steal or collect piece of armor and weapons from defeated enemies. Because of the piecemeal nature of their gear and the lack of intelligence to maintain it, they tend to only be equipped with second rate gear, often in poor repair. Unless of course they are being led by a superior Monster.}
Zara and I walked I finally decided to ask some questions. "How did this bugbear come to power? Is it alone, or does it have allies? And how long until we reach your tribe?"
Zara glanced back at me, her large painted ears twitching as she listened to my questions. "Bugbear strong. Takes power from me, claims all females, males' revolt, die. Lives deep in woods, in big cave. We halfway already"
I nodded, absorbing the information. It seemed that the bugbear was a formidable adversary, and I needed to be cautious. As we traveled on, the sun slowly allowing me to finally get a better look at my new companion. Zara was only 3'6", with wavy black hair that reached her waist. Distractedly I continued to follow her, her tattered loin cloth trying, and failing to cover her mouthwatering ass, it making an appearance with every sway of her hips.
Eventually, we reached a point where Zara signaled for me to stop. We had come close to the goblin camp, hidden beneath the thick vegetation nearing the edge of a clearing. I crouched next to a large tree, my senses alert. I watched as goblins moved about, their activities hushed and tense.
From my vantage point, I observed the camp. There were a handful of mud huts with thatched roofs sat in front of a large cave opening. I counted the number of goblins, noted the crude weapons they carried, and tried to assess their state of morale. It was clear that grief and fear hung heavy in the air, and the already small goblins looked gaunt from malnutrition.
As I watched, I saw the bugbear himself—a hulking, grotesque creature with matted fur and a cruel glint in his eyes. Covered in a patchwork of loose plate and leather armor, welding a large club, the bugbear barked orders, and the goblins obeyed, though their expressions were filled with resentment.
I turned my attention back to Zara, whispering, "We need a plan. We need to get word to the rest of the tribe and attack together, butre you sure that they will be willing to fight? Because I doubt I 'll be able to face him alone, not with his strength."
Zara nodded, her eyes reflecting a newfound determination. "Yes, I know my tribe, they want bugbear dead."
"Can we get closer, I can really see into the cave from here"I asked.
With Zara's guidance, I crept closer to the goblin camp, taking care to stay hidden in the underbrush. I continued to observe, my mind working on strategies to free the goblins from the bugbear.
Hours passed, and Zara and I remained hidden, gathering valuable information about the bugbear's routines and habits. We watched as he would lazily walking around until he got hungry, or worse, horny. He would then snatch the nearest goblin and brutally rape them until he was satiated, leaving them twitching with blood and semen leaking from between their legs.
---
As the sun began to set and the forest fell into darkness, we retreated to a safe distance, hidden in the shadows. I knew we had massive hurdle ahead, but we had gathered enough info to formulate a plan to confront the bugbear and liberate Zara's tribe.
I turned to Zara and said, "We'll need more allies and a well-thought-out strategy. Tomorrow, we'll begin gathering the rest of the goblins. We won't let the bugbear terrorize your tribe any longer."
Zara's eyes shone with gratitude, and she nodded in agreement. As we settled down for the night in a hidden alcove, surrounded by the mysterious sounds of the forest, I couldn't help but wonder how this new world and its challenges would shape me and the bonds I was forming along the way.