The Goblin Nation

Flute waited atop the walls when she spotted movement among the trees. It was dark, but she could tell from the moving branches and leaves that it was no animal. She walked to the horns attached to a tall pole used to alarm the tribe of any danger, and she waited for the shadows to reveal themselves.

Then the shadows stepped out from the darkness and under the pale moonlight. And that was when Flute jumped down the wall, dragged the sleeping guards to open the gate. She rushed out and embraced the brothers. "I'm glad you've returned." Flute said.

"Yeah, got back earlier than expected," Sun mentioned.

"I prefer that. And who is he?" Flute stared at the hooded man standing behind the brothers. "I didn't know you were bringing a guess."

"This is Pagasa. He was the man or rather goblin that I wanted to meet. Pagasa, this Flute. She's the leader of the caretakers of our tribe. They're in charge of the garden, nursery, and a few other tasks."

"Nice to meet you." Pagasa extended his hand.

"I guess," Flute looked at his hand. She hesitated to reach for it as she was cautious of their guest. But when she offered her hand, Pagasa leaned and kissed her hand. "What did you do that?" Flute pulled her hand away from Pagasa and sheltered it under her blanket.

"Sorry, that was just proper etiquette. But I guess we don't need that sort of thing right now." Pagasa removed his hood, revealing his mature face to Flute. His red crown covered his bald head, but it still reflected some moonlight creating a gentle halo around him. Flute could not help but stare at the goblin in front of her.

"Flute? Are you ok?" Smoke asked, "You've been staring for a while now."

"Sorry," Flute combed her hair back behind her ears. "Anyway, you boys should rest. I lead you kids back to the barn."

"I hope you weren't referring to me as a kid. Because I'm a grown man."

"Yes, you are." Flute coughed.

Sun and Smoke leered at Pagasa. They could tell that he's no stranger to a woman's heart being of his age, he's bound to have experience. But they were unsure if this was just a simple greeting or if he was using magic to seduce the stoic and cold Flute.

Back at the barn, Tie and Violin just woke up and got the caretakers up from their bed to prepare for the day. The ruckus woke up Mari. She came out of her room, leaving Cyrus on the bed, sleeping soundly. She helped the women gather the things they needed.

Meanwhile, Smoke introduced the women to Pagasa, "This is Violin and Tie. Violin is the co-head of the caretakers and is specifically in charge of the Glass Garden."

"Nice to meet you, Violin," Pagasa grabbed her hand and kissed it. Violin froze in place, stunned by Pagasa's chivalry. "And you must Tie,"

Tie hid her hands from Pagasa, "Sorry, only affection from Flute. No one else!"

"Oh, so that's why you were so defensive."

Tie looked at Flute, furious, "Flute! You let goblin kiss!" Tie walked out of the barn sulking. Flute chased after her.

"That's Sun's mother."

"Hi, I'm Mari," Mari released Sun from her embrace and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Don't even think about it!" Sun got in front of his mom.

"Alright, no kisses. Bahahaha!" Pagasa laughed.

The rest of the women lined up for Pagasa, introducing themselves and offering their hands for his lips. The only one who did not do so was May, who waited patiently to speak with Sun. She asked him about their journey, and Sun was eager to tell her about the mountain's strange flora and fauna. The dazzling purple plantlife glittered the cliffside, and the equally memorizing animals dotted the landscape as they graze on the colorful grass. And it was such a beautiful sight to behold that Sun completely missed the ashy dark clouds rising the mines.

Eventually, Violin returned to reality and yelled at the caretakers for bothering their guests. She led the brothers and Pagasa to their rooms to rest and pushed the caretakers out of the barn. Those that have yet to get their kiss protested, but Flute returned shortly after, and they quickly organized and ran out of the barn. Mari returned to her room to let the boys rest after their long journey.

Sun and Smoke entered their room. The room had four beds, but they were all unoccupied. Rock and Stick were with the Legions doing their early exercise. "You can use one of their beds. I don't think they'll mind." Sun said before jumping on his mattress and promptly went to sleep.

Soon the room fell in silence with Smokes and Sun's snores, the only ambiance Pagasa could listen to in the dimly lit bedroom. Pagasa turned to Sun and watched him sleep. He's been curious about what the thin string of mana connected to him could be and where it leads to. And now he got his answer. When Sun defended his mom from Pagasa's lips, he noticed the string connected to Mari.

It was like an umbilical cord allowing Sun to feed off of his mother's mana. Pagasa saw these types of magic spells before, but he could have never guessed Sun would be using it and not be aware of it. That's because normally, it is a parasitic sort of spell, but Sun was not the only one taking from the other. Pagasa could see through its odd coloring that the cord goes both ways. Mari's special golden Kas mixed with Sun's blue Kas creates a tinted greenish color that occasionally flares up. At first, Pagasa assumed it came from Smoke because he also had a golden Kas, but the string far and towards this place.

Eventually, Pagasa fell asleep, and the hours went by until it was high noon. "Hey, wake up." A voice whispered to his ears. Pagasa opened his eyes and saw a giant standing next to him. "What's up! The name is Rock!"

Pagasa sat up and looked around him. Sun and Smoke just woke up and were sitting at the edge of their bed, still yawning. Another goblin stood against the wall next to Rock. His ears were cat-like, and he had a tail. "You must be Stick."

"That's me, alright." Stick waved his hand.

"So, what now?" Sun yawned. "When are we going to train?"

"Train? Rock and I just got back from our jog with the Legions. And there's more training to do!" Stick groaned.

Just when Pagasa was about to speak, a sudden growling sound jammed the room. "What was that?" Pagasa was startled by the loud bellowing roars.

"That might have been my stomach." Rock rubbed his growling belly. "Time for lunch! Let's go!"

The brothers rushed out of the room, eager to stuff their mouths with food. Pagasa watched as they follow the giant out of the room. It seemed like Rock was the leader of their family when it came to food.

Pagasa followed them to the tribe's dining hall. It was a large building with a roof painted red. At first, Pagasa thought they were from Tungstree, a special tree domesticated by the goblins centuries ago using the Sky People's techniques. But it was just a pine tree painted red, a facade.

What's more interesting was the plateau near the tribe. It's where he will train them. For now, he will stay in the tribe, examining their daily life. He started with their soldiers, the so-called Legions Sun created. After lunch, Sun showed off his warriors. Five red goblins stood in line with their lesser followers standing behind well organized like standing army, and they saluted Pagasa. He was impressed to see them act like professional men at arms and not just some peasants or savages. And they all answered to Spat, the commander the brothers respected.

"Greeting Sir Pagasa!" Spat saluted him.

"At ease," Sun said.

Pagasa was surprised to see Sun have faith in Spat. A ruler that rules with a tight grip may have greater control over their subject, but their actions are limited. They are shackled by their subject as much as subjects are to them. But Sun takes an approach much more appropriate for the long term. A king may have great power in their hands, but their retainers, key supporters, are the ones that help realize the grander visions.

Sun has done well to surround himself with those he could trust to make the right decisions and have no need to look over his shoulders like many tyrants do. After meeting the tribe's warriors, Pagasa ventured on his own. The Glass Garden, the Razin tribe's greatest treasure, was nothing more than a prototyped greenhouse designed by the goblins and dwarves. And then there were the walls fitted with both fake and real swivel cannons. The cannons were old and were used during the war against the drones. Pagasa was impressed that the Razin tribe managed to attach it to their wall and learned how to use them properly.

As the day pass, Pagasa wandered around the village. He spotted the goblins tending the fields, saw Flute reconciling with Tie with sweet words, and the warriors patrolling. Pagasa returned to the barn where the caretakers showed to his room prepared for him. And in return, they extended their hands for his kiss.

Once he gave them their kiss, the goblins ran off giggling. "You're popular among the caretakers." Mari stepped out of her room with a book in her hand."

"I guess so,"

"I heard from Sun about the goblins and their true origin. This explains why this book has an extensive detailed drawing of a goblin's anatomy." She opened the book skipped through pages, "But sadly, this is just a book about medicine. And the other books we have are just books about plants or fairytales, no books about the history of my son's people. If you don't mind, can I hear your stories too?"

"I'd love to share my stories."

"Come in," Mari opened the door and let Pagasa though. Cyrus was sitting on the corner of her bed, tracking the intruder with her eyes. "This is Cyrus. Smoke's foster mother and Stick's aunt."

"Aunt?"

"My sister died." Cyrus said, "It was an accident." Then she suddenly turned around and covered her body with her white blanket.

"I see." Pagasa saw through Cyrus' physical body. He could tell she was lying, at least partly. And what's more, her Kas is unique. It was hard to describe it, but it did remind him of his former mentor the Red Wizard.

Cyrus stayed in her corner, hiding behind under the covers. The light coming from Pagasa was dim compared to Mari, but it was poisonous. She could feet the white light piercing her skin and boiling the blood underneath. She feared many things, but this type of fear was new to her, and she couldn't move because of that fear.

Mari sat down with Pagasa. "So, what do you wish to know?"

"Well, before I can ask about your past, I want to know where you're taking my son. This is going to be the third time he leaves. And at the very least, you could tell me it's safe."

"It's safe, relatively speaking?"

"Relatively?" Mari raised a brow.

"Do you know to improve your Kas and mana usage?"

"Through hardwood, dedication, and," Mari paused.

"And to push their limits against all odds. The place we're going is safe. I know I've been there, but it's also dangerous in some sense. I'm planning to take them to the top of the plateau. All five of the goblins."

"Wait, you mean the one north from here? Why there?"

"I could use all kinds of excuses, but for me, I chose it for sentimental values. So, did that answer your question?"