Chapter 3:

  “What? I never said you’re the weakest,” Stryg took a step back, his voice rang hollow.

  Gathi began pacing around him, “Everyone knows you’re not a great fighter. Even you know it. The other girls and I guessed you’d try to pick the weakest of us to challenge.”

  Stryg frowned, what did she expect, he’d challenge Bril?!

“You’re a coward Stryg. I could expect nothing less from a freak,” Gathi advanced.

  “I’m not a coward!” Stryg shouted. He wasn’t afraid to fight, he simply had enough intelligence to know when a fight would be lost. He thought of all the backhanded comments other goblins had said to him through the years. He shook his head. He wasn’t a coward, he just needed to bide his time, for the right chance.

  She laughed, “Then why do you keep backing away from me?”

  Stryg knew she was taunting him. He was simply matching her pacing, making sure she wouldn’t get the jump on him.

  When Stryg didn’t answer, she continued, “I knew you’d try and challenge someone easy.” She snarled, “I’ll show you who’s the weakest!”

  She lunged at him, her claws raked the air as Stryg rolled out of the way. He quickly stood back up. She turned and swiped at his face. He ducked and took a step back. Gathi screamed and swung with her other fist. Stryg knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge in time. He raised his right arm to block. The fist collided with his bicep, sending a shock of pain through his arm. But, she had overextended. He gritted his teeth, and jabbed with his left hand. He felt the satisfying punch connect with her cheek. Gathi yelled in pain and jumped back. He smiled, he could do this, he just had to focus.

  Gathi put a hand to her lips and held it up. Red blood smeared her fingers. “Oh, you are so dead!” She shrieked as she lunged at him.

  Stryg rolled away, but she kept running at him with full force. He backed up as she charged him again.

“Stop running, you coward!” She shouted.

  He kept back pedalling, trying to look for an opening. His rear was close to the crowd. He couldn’t move back anymore. Gathi began rushing towards him. She was preparing for a tackle. He needed to finish this fast. He raised his leg in anticipation, he’d aim for her temple, knocking her down in one go.

  “Get in there!” Someone in the crowd shouted as they pushed him from behind.

  Stryg floundered forward as Gathi tackled him to the ground. She began pummeling him. He covered his face as she wailed down on him. He tried pushing her off, but the force of the blows were too strong.

  “Is this too weak for you!” Gathi yelled as she pelted him with her fists.

  Stryg, could barely hear her, over the punches. He tried rolling out from underneath but she simply locked him down with her legs. He didn’t know what to do.

“Am I too weak now!” Gathi screamed.

  The crowd cheered at the thrashing. The blows didn’t stop, he was beginning to lose consciousness. While killing was forbidden in a challenge, beating up your opponent to a bloody pulp was not. At this rate he’d be too wounded to recover. He could actually die. He couldn’t stop her.

  “I give up,” He shouted with the little energy he had. “I give up!”

But the crowd's cheers drowned out his voice.

  “Stop the fight!” said the chief. But, Gathi wasn’t stopping. The chief came over and whacked the butt-end of his spear across her face. She fell over out cold. The crowd suddenly grew quiet.

  “I give up,” Stryg managed to breathe out.

  The chief looked down at him and sighed, “I hoped for more, but expected as much.” He turned away, “Your weak blood is not wanted in our tribe.”

  The crowd gave Stryg looks of disgust. “Freak!” he heard someone shout. He struggled to get up, but someone kicked him back down. He heard laughter around him. Tears began welling up in his eyes. This was the end for him. He had failed.

  “What is going on here!?” First Mother shouted as she came out of the tent. The crowd parted for her. She looked at Stryg, his body covered in injuries.

  Her eyes almost glowed in the dying light, “You lost?”

Stryg didn’t have the nerve to answer. He looked away. “I was pushed,” he mumbled.

  First Mother laughed as she held her head. Her shoulders shook in fury, “You… You little shit, you shame me with this sorry excuse of a challenge. Someone give me their spear. I will take this boy to my tent and carve him up right now. He’ll at least be able to serve as a meal for the tribe.”

  Shouts of agreement resounded through the tribe. A goblin ran up and passed her his spear. Stryg looked at First Mother’s eyes and only found cold hatred. To think she was calling him her child just moments earlier. Of course he wasn’t. She was strong, capable and he wasn’t. How ridiculous, he couldn't even beat Gathi. So, much for his dreams of greatness.

  “I have returned!” Someone shouted.

  The crowd stopped and turned to look at the source. An older goblin appeared from across Stryg and First Mother.

  Cruvor, shaman of the tribe, had appeared. He smiled, “I have returned to you all with a great revelation.”

“I, First Mother, daughter of the Blood Fang Tribe, greets Curvor, the great shaman,” She bowed.

  Cruvor licked his lips, “Ah, yes. It is great to see you as well.”

  She was as beautiful as ever. Cruvor craved her, and while she had to respect him, even he couldn’t have his way with First Mother. If he had more power then that would all change and soon he would.

  First Mother raised an eyebrow. He realized he had been staring too long, he looked away. His eyes landed on the unconscious Gathi on the ground and the injured Stryg. He coughed, “Ah, yes, um, well done Stryg.”

  “What do you mean well done? He lost the challenge. I was about to kill this little shit before you arrived, Cruvor.” First Mother pointed her spear at the silent Stryg.

  Cruvor laughed awkwardly, “Of course.” He cleared his throat, “I mean, I have just come from a spiritual journey, where Lunae, mother moon, watcher over all, has shown me a vision.”

  The First Mother lowered her spear, “What?” Her voice softened, “Please, tell us what she said.”

  Like all goblin tribes, the Blood Fang goblins revered mother moon, especially the Mothers whose whole role in life was modeled after the moon.

  Cruvor’s lips curled, “Well, of course. It is why I have returned in such haste.” He turned to the crowd who were now silent, hoping to gleam any amount of wisdom from their shaman.

  “What is happening here?” The chief asked.

“Quiet! Our great shaman has just returned with a revelation from the mother moon,” First Mother hissed.

  Stryg’s eyes widened, people didn’t speak to the chief in such a manner.

“Ah, yes, of course.” The chief looked down, chastised.

  Well, I guess she does, Stryg thought.

First Mother turned towards Cruvor, “Please continue, great shaman.”

  Cruvor smiled, and raised his head a little higher, “*Ahem* As I was saying, while I was out for my daily meditation, the moon called out to me. She told me that this one’s failure,” he pointed at Stryg, “has cost the tribe enough. And so she has decided to bless us. She showed me a cave, where a fallen treasure lay. A treasure that would raise our Blood Fang tribe to be the greatest tribe in all of Vulture Woods.”

  Stryg shuddered as he wished the ground would swallow him. He always knew he had been a bad omen sent by the moon, but for it to be so bad, that the moon would intervene directly. No wonder the First Mother wanted to kill him. He felt tear streaks burn across his cheeks, he really was a failure.

  “Then we must go there immediately,” The chief spoke.

  Cruvor raised a hand, “Let me finish. The moon also showed me who should be going on this trip, for it will be filled with great danger. A single wrong choice could lead to utter disaster.”

  The First Mother looked up towards the moon shining in the sky and whispered a prayer. She looked at Cruvor, “Thank you, for sending us this message, great shaman. Who will be sent on this quest?”

  Cruvor smiled, “It was my pleasure.” He placed his hand on his heart, “And while this quest may be a great burden, the moon has deemed me to be the only one strong enough among the tribe to lead us on this journey.”

  The chief’s lips thinned to a small line, but he nodded, “As the moon commands. The Blood Fang is ready to obey.”

  Cruvor’s smile widened, “Good. We leave tomorrow morning.” He looked around and began calling out goblins from among the tribe.

  “Only a few more,” Cruvor muttered a few minutes later. He waggled his finger, “Srixa, step forward.”

  The beautiful goblin stepped forward, “Srixa, daughter of the Blood Fang tribe, greets the great shaman.” Cruvor placed his hands on her waist, “You have been chosen to accompany me on this journey.” He leaned forward, his face an inch from her own, “Do you accept this role?”

  “Y-yes, great shaman,” She stuttered. She tried to take a step back, but Cruvor’s fingers held her waist close. She swallowed, “Srixa, will do whatever she can to help in mother moon’s quest.”

  The chief began feeling uneasy about the quest, but as he turned to the First Mother’s solemn face, he was unsure if he should say anything.

  “Perfect,” Cruvor grinned and let her go. He spun around, “Bril, come forward.”

“Bril, daughter of the Blood Fang tribe, greets the great shaman” she spoke with a tone of indifference.

  Cruvor looked her up and down, his eyes resting on her breasts, “Hmm. Yes, you are one of our greatest hunters.” He placed his hands on her hips and embraced her. “You have been especially chosen to help us on this quest. It will be your duty to help me in my meditation with the moon herself.”

  Bril knew Cruvor wanted to have her. He hadn’t been able since he wasn’t very strong physically and would never win a night challenge against her. Cruvor would normally use his name as tribe shaman to get some of the weaker goblins to sleep with him. But whenever he tried that with one of the more reputable goblins, the chief had stopped him by insisting on a traditional night challenge. Cruvor had always backed off, but Bril worried that might not be the case this time. Bril wasn’t interested in sleeping with an older ugly goblin like Cruvor. If he wasn’t the shaman, she would have kicked him in the balls for hugging her, but as it was she needed to deal with the situation in a respectful manner. With slow motions she firmly pushed Cruvor away.

  He glared at her with indignation.

  “I’m sor-” But before Bril could finish her sentence she saw the First Mother raise her spear and stare daggers at her. If looks could kill, Bril would be dead and eaten already.

  “What were you saying?” Cruvor let out slowly, venom practically dripping from his tone.

Bril took a deep breath and closed her eyes, “I said I will obey the great shaman on this quest.”

  Cruvor dragged her back into his embrace. But this time his hands were on her ass, “Wonderful.” He leaned in and whispered into her ear, “If you disobey me in any way, I will make sure that the First Mother cuts you up real well, and I personally will make the fire we roast you on. Do I make myself clear?” He squeezed her ass.

  “Perfectly.” Bril shuddered.

“Excuse me, Cruvor.” The chief cleared his throat.

  “Yes? What is it?” Cruvor spoke while still kneading Bril’s ass. His voice sounded annoyed.

  “I’ve noticed that all the goblins you have chosen are young, surely it would be a good idea to take some of my older goblins to help on the quest. I’ll even nominate myself to go,” said the chief.

  Cruvor shook his head, “No need. Everyone I have chosen has been specifically selected for this quest, the mother moon has given me this knowledge.”

  “Only the younger generation? Even with Bril’s fighting skills that hardly seems practical,” argued the chief.

The First Mother eyed Cruvor, “That does seem a bit strange.”

  Cruvor stopped groping Bril and held her at his waist with one arm, “You misunderstand. This group hasn’t been chosen just for fighting strength, but in the hopes of proving ourselves to mother moon herself.” With his other hand he pointed at Stryg, “Even this failure has been chosen.”

  “Eh?” Stryg was stunned.

“Him?” The chief asked in confusion.

  “This sorry excuse of a goblin!?” The First Mother exclaimed.

  Cruvor nodded, “Yes, him. Especially him. He is the bad omen of our tribe and mother moon has chosen him to redeem himself.”

  “Really?” First Mother looked at Stryg with skepticism.

  “Yes, in fact, he will do great things in the future,” Cruvor continued. “I was shown this by the Lunae herself. Would either of you question her? Huh?” Cruvor stuck his head out like a vulture, daring them to contradict him.

  First Mother nodded in thought, “I believe you, great shaman. While I find it hard to believe, I must admit that mother moon is far wiser than I.” She gripped her spear, “And I know you would never dare lie about mother moon’s visions.”

  Cruvor felt a shiver run through him, but he kept a stoic face, “Of course not. No goblin would ever dare bring shame to mother moon.”

  First Mother stared at him for a moment, then nodded, “I’m glad that this quest is in your hands. You are quite wise, great shaman.”

  “Yes, well, Lunae has blessed me thoroughly.” Cruvor shrugged his shoulders.

  “Which is why I hope I could send Second Mother with you on your quest, so that she may learn from your great wisdom and be able to share it with us when she returns.” First Mother bowed deeply, “Please, let her accompany you.”

  Cruvor frowned in thought. Bril grimaced as his hand went back to groping her ass.

“Very well, I shall allow Second Mother to join us on this quest. But, no one else.” Cruvor stared at the chief.

  First Mother smiled, “Thank you very much.”

  Second Mother appeared from the crowd, “I, Second Mother, daughter of the Blood Fang Tribe, will gladly join you on this quest.”

  “Yes, well, I will be busy trying to meditate and focus on this journey, so try not to bother me, yes?” Cruvor didn’t dare touch Second Mother, especially in front of First Mother. The Mothers were off limits, at least for now.

  “I will do my best to not be a burden and watch closely from afar,” Second Mother said with a cold smile.

  “Second Mother, I do hope you pay close attention to the great shaman’s every move. Learn all you can from him.” First Mother commanded.

  “Of course,” Second Mother agreed.

  “Well, it seems you all have a busy day tomorrow. So, there will be no night challenges this evening,” the chief smiled at an annoyed Cruvor. “Get some sleep everyone.”

  “Very well,” said Cruvor. He slapped Bril’s ass cheek with all his strength, she yelped. Bril glared at him, opened her mouth, but hesitated.

  “Yes?” Cruvor grinned.

“N-nothing, great shaman,” Bril stuttered.

  “Off to bed then, Bril,” said Cruvor. Bril nodded and began walking away. As she turned, Cruvor slapped her other ass cheek, the sound resonating loudly throughout the area. Bril arched her back in pain. But she didn’t turn around and after a moment kept walking.

  First Mother turned towards Stryg, “Let us hope that you can redeem yourself.” She pointed the spear at him, “Or I will gut you like a rabbit. Now get some rest, you’ll need it.”

  Stryg bowed his aching head, “Yes, First Mother.”