1.1 A Servant and a Princess

PART 1

"Yo, Bongo," said the large goblin to the small one.

"Hmm?" Bongo muttered, caressing the large head of a sheep that towered over both of them, the size of an elephant.

"Do you think we went too far this time?" 

"What are you talking about Ganga?" Bongo asked, as he dismissed the big sheep and continued his stride.

"I mean, Arsec, I'm talking about the human, don't you think it was rude to let him sleep one more hour?"

"Don't worry."

"But it's the fifth time this month!"

"Exactly."

"I don't understand."

"Why do you worry about a weak slave?"

"I'm not worrying! Pfft, that bug can die in the wilderness for all I care..."

"Then?"

"It's about who sent him to us."

"Mhm?"

"I mean, he's the chieftain's slave, he's supposed to be here under our care because he received a punishment."

"I know," Bongo said without ever stopping to consider his friend's worries.

"How can you not be worried about him... ratting to the chief?"

"That's why we don't do something worse."

"Wha-?" Ganga scratched his head.

"By making him look like he overslept, his standing with the chieftain's family will grow weaker, and the chief will pay him no respect whatsoever again."

"Ah, yes, yes..." Ganga said, giving faint signs that he did not understand at all.

"It's all about the boss, he knows what he's doing," Bongo explained.

"Yeah, I get that much. Boss is really into the chieftain's daughter, and that bug is..."

"Guys!"

A faint voice from the distance, strong enough to go over the grunts of the massive sheep, made the two goblins turn back. There they saw a panting young man desperately running to catch up.

"Oh great, he's here..." Ganga said.

"Boss is not going like that," Bongo added.

"Guys!" Arsec yelled, getting closer and closer.

Ganga spanked a sheep so that it would distressingly jump next to Arsec, making the young man fall to the ground.

"Stay there, round ears," Ganga said, mockingly.

"The lack of green in your skin will unsettle the flock," Bongo remarked, his eyes darkening.

Arsec got up with all his strength, still breathing heavily because of the intense, long-distance race he had performed earlier.

"Enough!" he yelled, as he cleaned the mud from his knees, gripping his staff and closing the gap. Arsec was unsure of what he would do, but this treatment ended today.

"Enough?" Bongo said, grinning, "the hell you're talking about, rat?"

"Why didn't you wake me again back in the camp? You are clearly trying to make me look bad in front of the chief!"

"You look bad, no matter where you stand around him," Bongo said.

"Why can't we get along? I'm just here for another month before I go back to the main camp, why do we have to do this difficult?"

"You are making it difficult... for us that is," Ganga said, pushing Arsec back into the mud, "I said stay there."

"No!" Arsec answered, "Not this time, you will hear me, or else..."

"Or else what?"

A fourth, deeper voice appeared among the walking flock. A strongly built goblin walked menacingly towards Arsec. 

"Boss!" both Bongo and Ganga exclaimed, "We do not wish to disturb you any more than you already are because of this bug..."

Boss looked at Arsec, and the young man hesitated for a moment, fearful of the towering goblin. They were about the same age, all of them, learning the ropes of handling cattle, but the three goblins looked disparately different. The goblin leader bore his fangs as he approached him, looking at Arsec face to face.

"You're late, bug," Boss said, growling, "and you dare cause more trouble by arguing about your position?"

A huge hand grabbed Arsec from the back of his head, he felt the nails pressing against his skull as he was being painfully lifted.

"You're a slave. You have no voice among us. The chieftain may respect your kind's exotic round ears and shades of brown, and his daughter," he paused, containing his stirring anger, "his... daughter... may enjoy your company... but that does not mean we need to respect you."

He slammed Arsec against the mud, "Just like Ganga said, stay there, in the dirt..."

His face pressed so hard that Arsec was unable to breathe. He fought to get up. Against the large goblin's hand, the size of his own waist, it was futile.

"I will let go when you give up," declared the strong goblin with a slight cackle.

Arsec still wanted to get up. He wanted to grab his staff and hit the three goblins as hard as he could. That or hit the sheep to cause a stampede... that would teach them...

Yet he could not break free.

How? How was he supposed to do all revindicating stuff if he was unable to get off Boss' grip? Even then, how would he overpower the hulking Ganga, or the smart Bongo?

His arms gave in. He relaxed his body.

Boss grinned, "There you go, that ought to teach you something... what you doing down there, come on, get up."

Arsec stood, muddied and spitting dirt.

Boss tossed him a towel, which fell on his head.

"Go wash yourself by the creek, we're almost there anyway... we don't want the princess finding out about this." 

He leaned and towered over Arsec one last time.

"If you speak of this, you'll never—"

"I'll never see the steppe's sunrise again," Arsec cut him off, "I heard loud and clear.

"Ah you see, boss, he remembers," Bongo complimented.

The Boss growled a bit at Arsec's pesky interruption, but he smiled, "Now let's get to work, fellas, Arsec... take the rear, if you're so kind."

Arsec's hands were pressing hard on his staff, frustration overwhelming him. The goblins laughed as they moved into position.

******

Just as Arsec finished washing his face and head, the flock had begun drinking and grazing by the creek. As the water cleared his eyes, he stared at his hands for a brief moment. His head swirled with a pressure he could not contain anymore, making him grip his hands tightly.

"Is this how it's going to be?" he said, as he felt his tears overcoming the water droplets on his face. 

He cleared them up quickly, though, as he felt a new pressure on his back and the warm breath of an animal.

"There you are, Malimali," he said, as he caressed the lamb that had the same height as him, "I'm so glad to see you again, how's your mom?"

"Baah!"

"Really? That must be nice... to have a family. How's your leg?"

He quickly checked down to see a bandaged leg from the knee to the hooves. 

"This is healing quite well, congratulations!"

"Baah!"

"I know, I know, you're here, I love that," he said, "Caring for the sheep has been a nice time with you next to me, despite everything else."

"Everything else?" a feminine voice said.

Arsec jumped away and saw a goblin girl with long fiery hair standing by the creek, equipped with a bow and a quiver full of arrows, carrying a backpack.

"Ah, it's you, Princess Mesui," Arsec said, calming down.

"Yeah, obviously... are there any other goblin girls interested in you that I should know about?" Mesui with a slight frown on her face.

"I mean, goblin girls, no," Arsec said.

"Funny," Mesui said, "But I'm afraid you won't find any other type of girl so deep in the steppes other than goblins, orcs, ogres..."

"Well, and if you count how many care about a slave like me," Arsec answered, letting his frustration out, "That squares it down to you, princess."

"Great! Because I have something I'd like to do, and I need you for it."

"Not today, princess... It's not been my day."

"Come on, the sun's barely reaching the top, and I can tell the others to watch over your share of the..."

Arsec stood up, "Don't! Please don't!"

Mesui stopped and looked at him, intent on reading every thought out of every gesture Arsec could make, "Are they bothering you in any way?"

"What do you think? I'm here, under their care, because someone I know wanted to throw oil to the fire to see if the genie trader was right about combustion."

"Come on, don't tell me the sudden flames rising didn't stir anything in you."

"Only fear of what your father would do, princess, and I was right."

"No one was hurt! And Father? He was inconsiderate when punishing you like that!"

"Your mother's family carpet disagrees."

Mesui's eyes rolled, "Anyway, come, I packed enough bread and dried meat for the trip. Hopefully, we'll be back before nightfall."

"Sorry, princess, not this time, for once I would like to just... stay here with Malimali and tend to the flock."

Mesui looked at Arsec's tired eyes, and she stepped back, sighing.

"I guess I'll go alone then." She shrugged, "You're right, you have a lot on your plate... Sorry to bother you."

"You're not... bothering me," Arsec said, closing his eyes, trying to reduce the headache.

"Well, I'll see you later then!" She yelled as she ran off.

"Y-yeah, later!" Arsec said, albeit too late.

Mesui disappeared among the sheep, but Arsec caught a glimpse of the girl jumping on a steppe black boar and galloping away.

"Hey bug!"

Arsec looked at Boss rushing towards him, and the young man could only picture another beating.

"Who was that? Was it Princess Mesui?"

"Who?" Arsec said, "I'm sorry, I was washing my face, so I didn't see anything."

The goblin frowned and grunted.

"The rider! There was a rider with a black boar, that's the special war breed saved for the chieftain's family! It was Princess Mesui, right?"

"Boss, I didn't see anything, maybe there was, but I wasn't looking!"

"Don't play dumb with me, you piece of trash!" he burst in anger, grabbing him by the cloak and right in front of his face, "Perhaps if I hit your face for a while, it will grow even more deformed than it already is, that will help the princess from see anything else other than your round ears!"

"Maybe that's not a bad idea," Arsec answered honestly.

Boss did not take it that way, however, "Oh, you're testing me? You? Testing me? Well, a couple of punches should break your nose for good and end this challenge!"

The strong goblin lifted his fist, and Arsec guarded instinctively.

"YOINK!" shouted Mesui, as she suddenly passed, charging the flock, making a way, and plucking Arsec from Boss's grip.

"Huh?" Boss mumbled as the human in his hand was suddenly gone.

By now, the black boar had made a huge distance from the flock, too far for the goblin shepherds to make any form of protest.

Arsec was still flying by the side of the huge beast, "Mesui, what in all the holiest of winds are you doing?! Let me go!"

"I'm saving your sorry ass!"

"What do you mean?! Your father will..."

"He won't touch you, or us, after we're done!

"Let me go! Now! Malimali needs me!"

"She has her mother to care for her!"

"Release me!" Arsec demanded as his head hit the sides of the boar repeatedly.

"Not happening!" Mesui said, enjoying the moment.

"Let. Me. Go!!"

"No no, you stay!"

"AAAAAAH!"

He kept screaming while holding onto the saddle, which was impressive because screaming required oxygen, and so did surviving. The multitasking alone was worth applause.

"Trust me, my dear friend! The twin winds are on our side this time!!" Mesui declared.

They kept galloping across the hills, heading towards a range of small, gray mountains that clotted the sky with clouds.