The following day, Lance called a meeting with his elders, Zarra, Lia, Kaeli, Rynne and Mira. Tharok was also there, mostly because the meeting was non-secretive with no real sensitive information, and his knowledge would also be needed.
As everyone settled in, Lance began. "With the recent news of a possible war that will affect all races, I've been thinking about our placement in it, and most importantly, our position if this war was to happen. Right now, we are trapped in the middle of it all without any allies or reliable protection against such a force."
"What are you getting at?" Kaeli asked, voicing out everyone's thoughts.
"We need to relocate to another location, someplace closer to another bigger civilization. Not right next to them, but closer than we are now." Lance explained, his expression serious.
"You want to move into human territory? That's not exactly a good idea." Tharok said, quite surprised at Lance's decision.
"Not human, but beastkin. From what we've gathered so far, their territory is towards the west of our current location. It might not look the best at first, but compared to building any relationship with Ogres or Orcs, beastkin are the better option. Not only will that help in our own development, it will also help us create a working relationship with them in preparation of what is to come." Lance explained.
As his words settled into everyone, they pondered on it, thinking what he just said through, weighing the pros and cons of it. Ultimately, it wasn't a bad idea, and if out alongside the possibility of such doom as the demon lord war, it was a good idea.
Without much resistance, everyone agreed. Their only complaint was the fact that they'd have to move a lot of things, but it was more of grumbling over the coming days of hard labour than anything, and they jus needed to prepare themselves.
The only one who held a rather different opinion, more of a warning than a deterrent, was Tharok who warned of them moving closer to human territory if they were to move, and for them to prepare for conflict. Just as the dwarves and elves were moving around outside their territories searching for clues, the humans were the same. If they were to meet an unreasonable bunch, it wouldn't end well.
Lance had already thought about it, and it was something that had compelled him to stay back, but when weighed against all other odds, it was not worth it. They stood a better chance facing off against such smaller conflicts when compared to an entire war where they themselves would be seen as the enemy… after all, from what he had learned, the demon territory was scattered at the moment and more focused towards the south side from where they were at the moment.
"It's settled then. We should start making plans for the move as soon as possible."
"We'll take care of it, Lance." Lia said, the rest nodding in agreement.
…
As the meeting concluded and everyone left to take care of their respective duties for the day, the ladies gathered together, disappointment and what could be described as tiredness evident in their faces.
"I can' believe we have to do this now." Zarra said, her expression more tired and slightly saddened than anything.
Mira looked a little down as she spoke, "after everything we put in… does that mean we have to throw it all away?"
"Heh, honestly, I'm a bit conflicted too." Rynne said, thinking about it.
Kaeli was the only one who appeared to be the least affected as she listened to the rest without as much of a thought apparent on her face. "Why don't we just go ahead with it? I don't see how it's bad, it could even give the rest some morale to work harder later." She said, not appearing to be thinking deeply about it, more so because she sees no need to it.
Listening to Kaeli, Lia who appeared to be deep in thoughts finally spoke, her expression a little serious as though making an important decision. "Kaeli is right. Even though we will be moving soon, holding the festival as we had planned won't change anything. I believe we will still be able to create the same atmosphere just as we planned." She said.
"But… Lance won't be disappointed at us for doing something like this rather than preparing for the move, will he?" Mira asked, her expression the same as before.
"I don't think he will. He always urges us to rest from time to time, so I doubt he will be against it." Lia said.
"Ahh, whatever. We've prepared too much to go back now. If he gets angry, we'll just have to appease his anger another way." Zarra said, putting a bit before her eyes landed on Mira. Moving closer, she leaned in as she spoke in a mischievous tone, "and you know? I've heard that its quite easy to get men to stop being angry at you…" she said in a suggestive manner.
Lia and Rynne both felt a shiver run up their sides as they heard Zarra, their minds temporarily travelling elsewhere for a brief moment. Mira got flustered as Zarra was directing her words towards her, mostly because she was the most endowed of the bunch.
"Zarra…" She protested, though she couldn't help but imagine how it would play out in her mind, though she had little idea how exactly it was supposed to be.
They decided to go ahead with the celebration they had been planning to do.
…
Later that evening, the clearing in the center of the goblin camp could be seen being alive with light and laughter. Torches flickered in the evening breeze, their glow illuminating the excited faces of goblins as they gathered for the first festival their tribe had ever held. The air was thick with the smell of roasted meat, mingling with the sound of drums and cheerful chatter.
Lance stood at the heart of it all, his smile warm as he watched the tribe he had come to love. Rynne stood by the makeshift arena, organizing a sparring game with the younger warriors. Mira handed out fruit drinks, her soft laughter drawing smiles from those she served. Kaeli showcased her weapons, allowing goblins to test them in contests of skill. Zarra engrossed herself with the food, testing everything that had to be offered, while Lia oversaw a ritual of gratitude to the forest spirits, her calm presence bringing a sense of serenity to the lively celebration.
"I can't believe you all put this together," Lance said as Lia approached him, her golden eyes glinting with satisfaction.
"It's to celebrate you," she replied, her voice steady but warm. "And everything you've done for us. This tribe wouldn't be here without you."
Lance felt a flicker of pride and humility. "Come on, it's not just me. It's all of us."
"That's why we're celebrating," Lia said with a faint smile.
…
As the festival continued, Lance introduced a few games from earth. A simple game of "tug-of-war" using a thick rope quickly became a favorite as the goblins laughed and cheered as teams pulled with all their might. For the younger children, he set up a simple ring toss using carved wooden hoops and sticks, some older goblins even joined in, their competitive spirits reignited by the playful challenges.
"You've got some strange ideas, is this also from your world?" Kaeli said as she watched the games, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Strange, but fun," Rynne added, her golden eyes gleaming as she pulled Lance into a sparring match for the crowd's amusement.
"You just wanted an excuse to hit me," Lance teased, dodging her playful jabs.
"Maybe," Rynne replied, grinning as the crowd roared with laughter.
…
Later that night, as the festival wound down, Lance retreated to his hut, his body pleasantly tired from the day's activities. He leaned back in his chair, letting out a contented sigh as the distant hum of the remaining festivities faded into the night.
He had just begun to relax when the door creaked open. One by one Mira, Zarra and Kaeli entered the hut, their expressions mischievous and expectant.
"What's going on?" Lance asked, sitting up straight.
"We thought it was time for a private celebration," Zarra said, her sharp green eyes glinting with mischief.
"A celebration of you," Mira added softly, her emerald gaze warm and inviting.
Before Lance could respond, Kaeli crossed the room with her characteristic boldness, her eyes locked onto his as she leaned in, her lips brushing against his in a kiss that was both playful and passionate.
"You've been working too hard," she murmured against his lips. "Time to let us take care of you."