Regis floated around the kitchen. It was curious to have the place so empty. Wort had left to tend to the farms, and Strum was out dealing with the challenge and whatever repercussions came from it. Even the twins that worked away at his dining area weren’t present.

  Only his cook remained. Vraz around in his sleeping bag in the pantry, acting as if he were sick. Regis let him dwell for a time. Knowing full well that today was the day that Gikx would be facing off against that dreadful chieftain in their silly little games. Vraz stirred in his spot, for a while now Regis recognized the fact the goblin was not asleep. Had not been asleep in quite some time.

  Eventually, though he wasn’t worried, Regis decided to go and prod Vraz. The crystal floated through the empty tunnel connecting the kitchen to the pantry. He mused over dedicating essence to carving out a living quarter for the staff. Half of them lived here anyway, and a housing incentive might reduce possible pay in the future while providing higher living quality for them. 

  Regis entered the pantry. This close to the goblin, he could feel… Dread? Shame? It radiated off of Vraz in waves. Disgusting. Such an awful essence made the crystal worried that the food stored nearby would end up polluted in some arcane way. 

  “What exactly are you doing? Is your student not out there engaged in that competition?” 

  “Leave me alone. I’m tired.” Vraz mumbled, taking a straw pillow and shoving it over his head to block sound while simultaneously turning away from the dungeon.

  Regis sat there, studying the goblin’s posture. No. He didn’t think Vraz was sick. Even with the quickened heart rate and sweat on the goblin’s brow, there didn’t appear to be underlying symptoms of fatigue or fever. Meaning something else was driving whatever this was. “Why are you being ridiculous? If you’re well enough to sulk in my pantry, you feel good enough to work in my kitchen. After this little charade, I suspect there will be plenty of hungry mouths to feed. Given they’ll be subjected to a showcasing of inferior food in that silly game, we could see food for a massive profit.” 

  Vraz groaned and shifted from his bed, sitting upright to look at the crystal directly. “With all due respect, Chef. I do not feel well enough to work today. I’m taking a day off.”

  “Excellent. Provided that’s the case, you’ve chosen to utilize your personal time. You can march right out of this kitchen and show support to the one you’ve been teaching.”

  “You don’t get it. I don’t want to see it.” Vraz looked down, pulling out that silly scrap of a red bandanna he always wore. The goblin’s fingers skimmed over the linen. 

  “And just what do you believe I lack in my understanding? I assure you that if these roles were different, that if it were you out there competing on my behalf. I’d desire nothing more than to witness your skills first hand. Not only to satisfy my wishes to observe the pompous chieftain fail but also to support you, my apprentice.” Regis floated closer to Vraz, getting right in the goblin’s face. 

  “Yeah!? You didn’t even believe in Gikx—hell, you hate him! Why do you care what I do or don’t do?” His voice was hoarse. Eyes bloodshot. Regis began to suspect that the goblin didn’t sleep last night. Perhaps that was it? Paranoia about his failure as a teacher that ultimately spelled embarrassment?

  “I will only admit this only to you since you’ve defied all expectations I’ve had. I do not believe Gikx will fail—I was wrong. Buried deep in that thick skull of his is some astonishing capacity to learn. I have not a single modicum of understanding of how you reached it, how you managed to push your way past all the stupidity. But you did. He absorbed fundamental culinary techniques. If you’re afraid he’s going to lose—“

  Vraz began to laugh. Horrible laughter that didn’t carry any currents of joy in the air. No, it hinged with pain and sorrow. Regis recoiled, darting back to the entrance as tears began to stream from the goblin’s eyes and land on the bandanna. 

  “He’s not just a student…” Vraz admitted as the laughter died down, even though the tears still ran like a river. “No… He called me his friend. I’m probably his only friend in this whole tribe.”

  “So, you regret your relationship with him? Is that what this is?” Vraz’s eyes shot up to Regis. Snapping from sorrow to pure anger in less than a second, but the dungeon hadn’t finished his point. Regis found it unfair since he was trying to understand where the goblin was coming from.

  “I’ve been watching you two. I thought it a good way to measure your aptitude as a kitchen lead. With Strum pushing back, I’ve begun to realize that we’re reaching a point where I have no choice but to rely on others. That perhaps… Well, not everything I chose is the right decision. I initially despised that goblin, yes. How could I not? He’s been a thorn in my side for the longest time. He irritates me to no end. And that voice of his grates me—” 

  Vraz stood up from the bedding. His clothing was an absolute mess; there was an evident hunger and thirst in his eyes. But his expression was firm. As if the wrong word would cause him to detonate into an explosive rage. Very testy today. Regis decided to cut to his point before making the goblin any more upset for no good reason.

  “But there’s something about him. An innocence and keenness that you draw out. If your relationship as friends is powerful enough to do that, it makes me wonder. Am I failing by not providing that form of relationship with my employees? Could our performance as a kitchen suffer due to my personality and leadership?”

  Vraz unclenched his fists. Shaking his head as his mouth slowly opened. He tried to choke out a word, but it died in his throat. This time the dungeon waited, realizing that sometimes it was better to hear someone out than to drive your own point forward. Different perspectives brought many benefits.

  “That’s… That’s what you got out of that?”

  “Yes. I’m very impressed by you both, and it made me realize my performance lacks perfection. I may have the best culinary knowledge in the world, with divine cooking skills. But, a kitchen is a larger than one small part.” Regis hummed carefully, sensing the anger vanishing from the goblin.

  “I don’t get you.” Vraz walked towards the food on the shelf, eyes lingering on the mushrooms. “Why don’t you just take over this tribe and be done with it? Why are you playing this game—“ he gestured towards the food.

  “Game?”

  “Yes. That’s what all this is, right? I see your passion for cooking. But we’re goblins. And this tribe lacks any form of sophistication. I don’t blame you for calling them savages—because honestly, compared to what I’ve had, they are. They don’t care for one another. They struggle and screw each other over for their own benefits. So…” Vraz grabbed a handful of mushrooms, crushing and tearing the mudcaps before hurling them at the floor. “Why do you refuse to take over!? You have the power!”

  “There is not a single part of me that desires to take the freedom from another living creature. Their free will allows them to choose my food and come back and indulge in their desires. Without that, what would be the point? I provide a service. Those within my employ, I wish to thrive. What others do outside of consuming my products is of little concern.”

  “Some of them hate you. They would rip you from this kitchen and shatter you with a stone!? You know that! There’s no way Strum hasn’t told you as much!”

  “I am aware they are brutish, that they lack civilization, and they’d just as well destroy me if possible due to misguided fear. Long ago, someone told me that there is no point in measuring a person’s character in how they treat those above them. Rather, you see their true nature in how they treat those below. I’ve failed in that regard,  and it would hurt them if they knew that was the case. I vow I shall improve.” Regis let out a low hum. He pictured a woman wearing a white coat of a cook. The finest and most pristine uniform. His mentor. 

  After so long since waking in this world, who’d have thought he’d forget what she’d looked like? His own sorrow flooded outward, finding companionship in the sadness of Vraz. He missed their long discussions about culinary arts and passion while drinking wine. Hours spent learning in her kitchen. 

  Vraz leaned against the shelf. His breath grew quick, and his hands once more balled into fists. Regis could feel Vraz’s heart beat even with a brush of his senses. Whatever was bothering the goblin seemed to be coming to a crescendo.

  He needed to dig deeper. If his memories of his mentor were slipping away, he’d do his best to honor her. If he could provide comfort to his employee, then he would.

  “I’m here for you; from this moment forward, I shall see to your success.”

  “I tricked him,” Vraz said, turning around and facing the crystal.

  Regis decided not to respond. Letting his apprentice air whatever was eating him away inside.

  “I lied. I deceived. I schemed. All to force a goblin that called me his friend to poison my enemy. I wanted Rurk dead. I wanted it so badly for so long. Every night I can hear the voices of my tribe calling for his death. But where did it get me!? I bound him for death, and I don’t feel better—I know you’ll kick me out of this kitchen for what I’ve done. Everything. I gave up everything!” Vraz began to scream, the tears once more rolling down his face.

  Slowly the dungeon hovered closer to the goblin. 

  “You’re going to kick me out. And then I’ll be alone, forever. It’d be best to walk into the Ancient Forest—hell, I’ve condemned my only friend to death, so it’d be a fitting end.” Vraz rubbed at his eyes. The skin around them was a puffy purple. How long had his apprentice been crying in the pantry without Regis realizing it? Regis had been so fixated on the expansion, he felt ashamed that he hadn’t looked into this situation. The entire night. 

  “You saw fit to poison the chieftain?” 

  “He deserves it!”

  “You’ve made a foolish decision. Inflicting suffering onto others only invites suffering onto yourself. There’s still time to stop it.”

  “There isn’t. I’m sure Gikx is plating the food right now—once it goes into Rurk’s mouth, it’s all over.” Vraz sniffled his face, a mixture of horror and disgust with himself. It pained Regis to see him this way. To see the hate and evil that lingered in him. All of the hurt. Would that he could siphon it away like he did essence. 

  “There is. Go and interrupt it at this moment. Halt the challenge. When you explain why they will not consume the food and irreparable damage will not be done.”

  Vraz shook, breaking down once more into deep, shuddering crying. To the point, he could barely catch his breath to speak. Regis let him work it out. He could contact Strum and inform him of what he’d learned, but to do so would violate the trust Vraz placed in him. It would mock this moment.

  Even if every part of him screamed to pause their silly game, he’d withhold himself until the last moment. Only if Vraz refused to make things right, then he’d contact Strum.

  “They’ll end me,” Vraz said, throwing his arms wide. “If I explain what I did, they’ll tear me apart. Like they did to my tribe.”

  “You fear for your safety?”

  “I—I’m a coward. I thought I could do it myself; I lied and told myself if it was by my hand, I wouldn’t fear the repercussions, but—“

  “It’s a natural instinct. I’m not pleased with your decisions, but I shall not allow any harm to you. Later we will have a long and detailed discussion of this failing—but I can see part of this is my fault for failing to address it sooner. You’ve needed more from me, and I’ve lacked as a leader. For now, you must go. Make this right.”

  “How? How can you say it like that? How can you guarantee protection?”

  “We shall form a bond upon your return. I will show you there is no need to hang on to this hate. But there is a time limit, and that time is running short. Go!” Regis let that last word echo outward, sensing through his bond the growing appetite of Strum. Food was being plated. Any longer, and he’d have to contact Strum. It could be he made a mistake delaying this long.

  Vraz hesitated before bolting out of the pantry and then out of the kitchen. Right to the cavern. As he flew away, Regis felt his memory stir once more. In his mind, he could see her smile. He pictured it for the first time since he’d been torn away. 

ZachSkye

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