Alvin just stood there.. staring at the huts until the sun rose.

  he hadn't slept.. not even close. the night felt longer than any night he'd known before. his eyes were dry.. but closing them didn't feel like an option.

  The golden light touched the huts.. leaving a warm layer beneath them.

  for a second it looked like somewhere worth living in.

  should I just wait here..? will Girk do that too? Alvin thought, arms crossed.

  he glanced at the treeline.. half expecting yellow eyes staring back.

  but seriously.. what's with that terrifying wolf.. he almost made me pee myself.

  Alvin stared at the sky as a flock of ravens passed.. their sound sharp like an alarm.

  Alvin flinched. his nerves weren't done with last night yet. his shoulders jumped.. then he let out a slow breath.

  Until someone came out of a hut.

  "these birds.. always wake us up!"

  The elder stepped out, stretching.

  I really can understand what he's saying.. Alvin swallowed.

  "Good morning Girk.. how was your night?" the elder slapped Alvin's shoulder with full force.

  But to Alvin.. it felt like a finger press.

  Alvin blinked. that should have hurt. why didn't that hurt. he pressed his own shoulder after.. nothing. solid as a rock.

  "M..Morning.." Alvin whispered, not even looking at the elder.

  he wasn't sure if he was speaking goblin or not. apparently it didn't matter. his own voice sounded different out here.. smaller and flat.

  "Morning..? yes! it's morning ! buwahaha!" the elder laughed, his hand stroking his beard.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  it echoed off the huts. somewhere inside one of them something shuffled.

  The other goblins came out of their huts..

  no greetings. no stretching. they just.. picked up where yesterday left off.

  Once they did, they started their usual routine.

  the camp had a rhythm. Alvin didn't know it yet.. but it had a rhythm.

  Some of the smaller goblins went toward the forest, holding wooden buckets.. well..

  barely looking like buckets.

  one of them dragged his across the dirt.. the bottom already cracking. one small goblin held his with both arms, tilting dangerously to one side. one had a hole in his. he didn't seem to notice or care.

  Alvin noticed one of the small goblins struggling with his..

  the bucket almost covering his entire body.

  The small goblin made a tiny sound while walking.

  "Wei wei wei wei.. I'm almost there."

  but he didn't even leave the territory yet... With a sigh, he placed a finger over his eyes

  A female goblin passed by.. then stopped and stared at Alvin.

  She winked at him.

  Alvin just stood there.. leaving a confused smile.

  he opened his mouth.. closed it. filed that away for later. his brain said several things at once and agreed on none of them.

  say something Alvin.. she's just a goblin..

  Then she kept walking.

  ahahah.. well.. morning might actually be fin—

  One full second of quiet. Then the shadow fell over him.

  "HEY! BROTHER HOW ARE YOU DOING?" a big hand landed on Alvin's shoulder.

  The giant goblin squeezed.

  his knees bent slightly. ok. so this body had limits after all.

  "ah.. could you stop? please?" Alvin begged, staring up at the giant.

  The giant stopped squeezing.. not because Alvin begged him..

  but something was odd.

  the giant squinted.. tilting his head slowly. something behind his eyes was working. the giant looked at Alvin's face for one long second. not reading it. just.. looking.

  "Huh? Girk? the one who always begs me to squeeze more? Nice joke!!"

  so the real Girk liked this. Alvin looked at his own hands. what kind of goblin were you.

  The giant left.. axe resting behind his back.

  the axe was bigger than Alvin's entire torso. the giant carried it like a handbag. Alvin watched it sway.. that thing could split a tree with a single swing.

  Alvin let out a dry laugh watching the giant leave.

  it surprised him. he hadn't expected that sound to come out.

  "huh?" the elder watched Alvin walking with ridiculous backwards steps.. then stroked his beard again with a laugh.

  somewhere behind the elder, two goblins glanced at each other.

  Alvin walked backwards.. staring at the portrait of goblin civilization before him.

  a cracked bowl on the ground still had soup in it from last night. nobody had moved it. the small goblin with the leaking bucket was still going. determined. completely unaware.

  Then he sat down on a cut tree.

  "that's my new life huh?.."

  He was smiling when he said it. That was new.