PoV: David.

Too near to be far; but far enough the woods around us to the edge of the cliff, they somehow dampen the sound. Was she down the cliff, or did she go over the edge but already climb up again, or was she hiding in among the trees-

Don't know. I don't know, for now. What to do? Aah I should tell Gukka, and then leave him to explain to her maybe; since she doesn't want to see me-

At least the environment is clean, the sky is clear; a thorough scent of the recent rain and wet trees and growing foliage everywhere.

"Kika, Gukka is here, I will tell him what I want to tell you, and he can tell you then."

"So what, go. David betrayed Kika."

My heart, it skipped a beat ― she had just said it so plainly; and even Gukka glares more from hearing this. I'm thinking ... he don't like me so much.

An echo, too, in my past memory ― of, 'David betrayed Sera-'

I sigh, falling at last to the ground, ending up sitting upon a rotted hollowed log, and feel it crunch and settle beneath me. Should I worry about the insects of this world which might inhabit this log?

The little guy ― he's standing there. Glaring. Not gonna do anything but glare and hold his mallet? ... at least it's still dragging at his side, instead of raised in attack position.

"Gukka, will tell you the things, you tell Kika for me."

"I hear, David tell Gukka."

I whisper calmly, not sure if Kika will hear now and again when Gukka tells it, the order of events which had happened. I explain most sincerely, of how Luria is meant to be a companion anyway, and I had not thought the affair (of the heart only) could come so far between I and Kika. I'd even admitted to the fact of ... saying I could send Kika away.

Yeah ... to human ears, it made me sound like a jerk. Critically so.

Oh I'm sure the goblin tribe just doesn't do emotions for romance the same way as I, or as many other humanoid (non-monster) creatures; but this is understood. He knows now, why Kika might run from me. Worse; it's seemed to have solidified some thought process in his own imagination of what his determination of this will be.

With each sentence, for some odd reason, Gukka's face grew more unbearable, maybe almost angry.

"... well then, Gukka, what you think-"

And at last, Gukka gave his own thought.

"Goblin with goblin. Human with human. Elf with elf. No mix race to make your word, family. Except goblin male and orc male use females of your race to make babies, no more than this."

"Not always this way! Even Gabi did this with other races!"

"So you no better than goddess to do sex on goblin!" he screeched suddenly.

I considered, in those words, maybe even Gukka had done things with Gabi, to know firsthand-

"... fine. I go now. You tell Kika, let Kika come back to me."

There. The glare, it intensified one last time, to the point where I'm not sure this little guy isn't ready to strike. Even with only a mallet I'd fixed for him, he would not be too much a danger for me, as a mallet still takes an amount of effort to swing-

-well that still might be a stone knife hidden in his wolf hide boot, but he'd have to be pretty dang fast and clever to pull it for attack-

"I say bye now. Will leave goblin land, hope for Kika return with me."

I stand, slowly pulling myself up out of the crumbling log and up into a kneeling then standing pose. Despite the tense situation, and my desire to yet see Kika one last time ... this is it, I just have to turn, walk off, and-

"Then David leave, be gone. But not want Kika go to you."

I sigh. Turned, and walk a few steps. All I can think, is to add a small sentiment to this, something maybe Gukka can understand. Even with my back to the little guy, I'm in retreat from the situation, so it shouldn't hurt to add one last thing right? I'm safe to turn my back on a single goblin right?

"Kika make good fit, for David."

And then I stepped forward-

But never made another step.

A blade pierced through my back; Gukka had leapt at me, screeching in rage ― I fell forward, suddenly paralyzed from acting, or reacting-

"Goblin with goblin best," the little voice hissed right near my ear. "No book. No words. Is why, king say, kill Kika-"

Another little screech, from off to one side, and Kika is launching herself in to this point.

Honestly, if they both want to kill me now, I ... I'm done. I may end up back in Gabi's realm, but at least I'll have learned to leave goblins alone for a good while-

But ... no? Kika is lunging at Gukka, her own small self-made blade extended?

I close my eyes, expecting it to be over soon.

"Leave husband alone!" she hissed, full of her own rage.

But first, the little blade in Gukka's hand is yanked out of my back, and then I hear some clang noise ― blade hitting blade, something cracking, and ― oh I'm too afraid to look.

Padded footfalls on the forest soil, and OOOF-

Stabbed, again and again. And screamed at, by Gukka.

"Gukka want Kika, since born. Gukka have Kika now! Then kill, like told!"

In fear, I open my eyes, my head turned to one side-

"... Kika-"

Her own little face, frozen in the shock of this moment ― her hands grasping her own dagger, turned against her by this Gukka ... and she's slowly falling aside, eyes heavy now-

"David love Kika! Kika is my wife!"

I see her smile, only a little, though she is still crying and in pain from dying. Oh if only I could do something-

To be honest, I'm not petrified or paralyzed in a true sense; I'm only in a shocked state but capable of moving through the pain, if I can focus. To help Kika and myself, first I have to deal with Gukka. If only I had the right leverage for this situation.

Leverage-

I'm right near a branch on the forest floor, too. Like, it's right next to my hand. Grab it, one swing as I flip back over, and-

Gukka is as shocked as I was, for me to have gained the advantage again so easy. As if he thought, I could not defend myself now? Hmm how many humans has he fought then before me-

But also somehow, the 'wound' was maybe slowly closing on its own? Like I might actually survive this?

"Gukka, time to die-"

---

PoV: Kika.

'David love Kika! Kika is my wife!'

Those words, feel good in me. Since I had been with David, as he was my god now, my husband, my ... was he a friend too?

Even if-

If he betrayed me.

Because the book said. If a man who is a husband should push away his female, his wife, to be with another female ... this was to be 'betrayed' of a trust between them.

But some betrayal is forgivable, too. The book said so, on how to deal with conflict. To ... 'forgive', and move forward in life.

All so strange words, the first few times I read them. Even if Gabi could explain these words, it would take a month of watching what the goblin tribe members did all the time, and maybe twice as long to be with a human watching him too.

Goblins like Gukka and I ― we mated ... without any thoughts to those things. I did try to explain to brother Gukka once, because sex with him was fun and felt good, these words. I did understand only from seeing how all goblins would do this if they did not have someone say it is right or wrong; they would each just do as they please ... except when the king spoke something it should be obeyed.

I did feel happy most of the time when Gukka would take me more than any other tribe sister, to be his mate for the hours into the night. Sometimes Kika and her sister, at the same time, sometimes with father and even mother.

Love ... this is a strange word, to a goblin. Only now, somehow I am coming to know what it means? It means I am less a goblin, and more like David, or not?

I felt, I might die right now. I felt my heart beat, my weak body. Still have my own blade stuck into my stomach, felt my life go from me. What could I do, to have more time with David-

Something he said. David said, as did Gabi, I could have a chance of this, 'evolution'.

Evolution? Evolve? Become something more than ... just this weak goblin acolyte, once in training by Shaman Gagor, to be ... something special. For the tribe.

Is this why Gabi find me and sister Kari? Was Gabi coming to the tribe and seeing the goblin professions in the tribe, the reason she would be told these things?

Evolve!

I wished this, felt the heavy way of the word, and then ... something sparked in me. I might also die from this chance, or I might not.

But ... I had to try. Even if I could only be 'priestess' a short while yet, and try to heal David.

If David dies ... would this world die? So sad a thought.

Gabi, she is not here. She is not coming back. David is here though. He is here, but Gukka hurt him.

I MUST do something, or else lose-

My life, means nothing ― next to all the races and peoples of the world, even those I should want to hunt if I were still in the goblin tribe.

All goblins know this, since birth, since young and thrown out into their forest for first hunt alone. If the goblin could survive and make it back to the tribe, they could join it, or else they had to find their own way in the world. But in the meantime, a goblin learns how cheap life is ― how they have to kill or be killed ― just to continue and make the tribe stronger. A scary thought; but something I had to do once too.

Yet ... tribe ... mine was now David. Even if he ... betrayed ... Kika ― he is still my tribe, or maybe even husband. We had been in our bed together, and in the morning I had done my part when I saw his part so large there, and gave him what the book said, his due service, as I was his 'wife'.

Or, was the book wrong ... ?

Doesn't matter. I did the things by the book these last few months, even as I saw Gabi only came to my tribe more for sex. Gabi gave the goblin king those husband dues? But she also did this with Gukka and Kursk and Shaman Gagor and even the 'idiot' Lummi in the tribe.

So really, Gabi was a better goblin than Kika. And Kika was maybe a better something than Gabi?

The word. Evolve. To ... what. Need more words.

Choices. I see so many choices, as if whole new lines of words and things are now more possible than ever before. Because I think it, know it must be something more?

Evolve ... to ... goblin ... QUEEN!

To go an extra distance from priestess to queen, I had to give up some part, too. From what I heard Luria say-

It is the part of me remaining, how I might not understand his needs for love or romance. Because a goblin is this word, 'feral'. 'Fecund'. Ready and willing to mate with anything that gives offspring with them.

In short, I had to give up ... this. Any child from me and a mate, would now have to be the race of the other mate. Not goblin, like me now, but other race. And I hope, the children would be free of the goblin way, too.

Makes a lot of differences in the feelings; makes David's tribe stronger, to have me be a queen more than a priestess; more strength, and ... closer in height. Not so big a difference than him now ― but what we both want.

I can openly grin and hold back a laugh for the success of things clicking, as I felt this change starting, saw David's eyes open wide too, and drew out my own blade from my own stomach wound ... and hope for success.

---

PoV: Gukka.

HUMAN MUST DIE HUMAN MUST DIE HUMAN MUST DIE DIE DIE!

Is what king always said! And more times in last days too! But Gukka feel this way even if king not say for some reason!

Eyes feel red, red mean anger, so anger give goblin strength to fight. Is what Gukka saw in king too!

Why human not die on ground yet? Why see so much blood but not dead!

Why?

Is human ... deity, like Gabi say she is, or no?

Even king say, Gabi not prove she deity, only she has body of elf but is same as goblin in mating. King have many elf female in past, king know what means.

But no. Gabi was elf. Not human; still more than elf. Human only hunt goblin. Even other elf clan hunt goblin, but Gabi say she tell elf not hunt other race.

Other race, elf not mean to hunt other race, Gabi mean to tell them not hunt goblin too, right?

But. David. He not elf! He not even like Gabi! He human!

Well he not hunt goblin tribe ... yet ... but Gukka not let matter go so far. Gukka end him!

Hold mallet tight, but have knife in other hand too. Knife from in boot, knife good for cuts and stabs, mallet good for bashing.

Rage, feel more rage with holding mallet. Rage like goblin king. Have to fight, to win. Rage make true win.

Rage make hard think, hard know fact. David ... human. Male human named ... David. Not be with Kika, not good for goblin way! Kika goblin, should sex only goblin way!

Gukka see, human hold wood, but so big of opening, other ways, Gukka dart here and there, and leap-

Gaaaaah, Gukka knocked back, hit back on tree, drop mallet, but still alive. Still see human there, staring back! Raising wood and glare!

Attack! Attack now, grab mallet run attack, is last thing to do!

Racing forward, not see Kika, but blade cut Gukka's side, and.

... ow. Gukka ... fall?

Form here is goblin female ... look like Kika, some way ... but much more ... bigger. Like, now Kika be like king, almost same size?

As if, words said by Gabi, true ― that. The 'eee vawv'. Happen?

Sense rage go away, sense this goblin form glare at Gukka, sense much more power-

Gukka gasp. Remember, first memories back in tribe, goblin king take mother to mate that day, then later mother have daughters and sons. Gabi there at birth of Kari and Kika that day too. Not know why. But tribe saw Gabi give little blessing on two goblin girls, and she say something about them be king's daughters too.

Confusing time. First goblin prince challenge king for right to rule, and fail. Gukka father support prince but when prince fall, father bow to king for long time, and so not be killed that day. Was first fight after king took axe, prince wanted axe, so did any fighter in tribe but only king handle axe in battle.

So. New Kika.

Gukka not mean to die, Gukka ... want ... Kika-

Kika stand over Gukka.

"Leave husband alone, Gukka."

Yes, this Kika. Same voice, maybe. Same face same voice but small difference, mostly the same.

Gukka sigh, one last time. But also glad, see human roll on ground, and groan, shirt wet and red. But Gukka laugh, as he lay here to have Kika stab chest, again, again, again-

Gukka eyes heavy, not close eyes just yet. Gukka tell one thing. One more gasp.

"... sister Kari ... still ... alive-"

---

PoV: Kika.

Kika felt the new strength, and the anger faded now too. Gukka was a bloody mess, rightly so for harming her mate. But she also felt saddened, for having to do this to Gukka; it should have been different.

His last words, so strange. But she didn't have a thought for them.

Husband-

He laid there, groaning but still conscious. So much blood seemed to be seeping from his back, as Gukka had really hit the back of the heart ― the blood flow may be lessening, but he might still be in danger.

"Luria! Bring us both back!"

No ... response?

Shouldn't Luria, maybe, answer Kika?

... or, did Luria have a reason not to speak?