Chapter 23 Goblin Symbol of Beauty

As we stood before the towering gates of the breeding farm, the stark reality of our new life loomed over us like a dark shadow. The gates were fortified with thick, tree logs and the walls were a formidable blend of clay and wood, clearly built to withstand both external threats and internal uprisings. It was a grim fortress designed to contain and control.

Grub, with Kaka barely conscious at my side, stepped forward and shouted up to the guards stationed above the gate. He hunched even lower, his eyes wide with desperation as he approached the imposing gate. The guards, hulking goblins with cruel eyes and sharp weapons, loomed over us, their expressions hard and unyielding.

"Please! I beg you! Please, mighty guards! Please hear me out! I bring survivors! We seek refuge! Let us in! We need the master goblin's mercy!" he shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his plea.

One of the guards sneered, looking down at us with disdain.

"What do you want, wretch? Who are you to bring survivors here?" the guard barked, his voice echoing off the stone walls.

"State your name and purpose, slave!" Another guard barked.

Grub swallowed hard, his lips trembling from fear.

"I am Grub, a slave from this farm. I was sent to scout the area! I found survivors! These two, Kaka and Hermit, need shelter and aid. I beg you, let us in. We have nowhere else to go."

Grub fell to his knees, his body trembling as he groveled before the guards.

"Great and powerful guards, I beg of you, let us in! They are survivors from a raided breeding farm, cast out into the perilous forest! I've brought new goblins - fresh and strong - to serve the masters!"

The guards, cruel-faced and indifferent, peered down at us. Their eyes glinted with the promise of malice, but Grub’s desperate plea seemed to momentarily soften their harsh demeanor.

The guard’s sneer deepened, but Grub continued, his voice rising in a pathetic, pleading whine.

 "Please, I swear on my life, we mean no trouble! Just a chance, a small mercy, to serve the masters and prove our worth! Look at us, we are loyal and obedient, ready to work hard and follow orders without question! Please! Grant us this boon and let us serve!"

 One of the guards, a particularly large goblin with a scar running down his face, stepped forward. The guard narrowed his eyes, assessing us with a cold, calculating gaze. After a tense moment, he turned and shouted an order to someone unseen.

"Fetch the boss! Tell him we have newcomers at the gate!"

As we waited, I took a quick look around, noting the differences between this breeding farm and the one we had fled. The walls were solid and well-maintained, at least for goblin standards, the gate reinforced with wooden logs. It was clear that this place was designed to keep its inhabitants in line and to fend off any threats from the outside.

The guards exchanged glances, clearly amused by Grub's groveling. One of them came down from his post and stepped forward, prodding Grub with the butt of his spear.

 "And why should we believe a miserable wretch like you? Maybe I should rough you up a bit and kick you back into the forest. Where you belong, filth!"

Grub's eyes filled with tears, his voice trembling. 

"I swear, we are loyal! We have nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to. Please, let us in! I will do anything - clean the filthiest corners, endure the harshest beatings - just let us serve! Have mercy, mighty guards!"

The guard leaned, his face inches from Grub's, he mockingly slapped Grub's cheek a few times as he sneered. 

"Look at you, you're pathetic. Groveling in the mud like a maggot you are! But maybe the masters will find use for you and your pitiful friends. Stay here. The boss will be here soon."

As the guard turned to leave, Grub collapsed to the ground, sobbing with relief. Turning my attention back to Grub, I saw him trembling on the ground, his face smeared with dirt and tears. He looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. 

"Stay close, Hermit. Keep your head down, just like I said. We're almost in."

I nodded, gripping Kaka’s limp hand tightly. Kaka, barely conscious, muttered weakly, "We have to... make it..."

The minutes felt like hours as we waited, the cold seeping into our bones. Finally, the gate creaked open, and an imposing figure stepped out accompanied by two orcs - his elite guards. It was the master goblin, his presence commanding and terrifying. His eyes raked over us with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

"These are the survivors?" he asked, his voice a low growl.

Grub immediately fell to his knees again, bowing so low his forehead touched the ground. 

"Yes, great master Shakar! These are the humble survivors, cast out into the wilderness. I bring new goblins to serve you, fresh and strong!"

The master goblin’s eyes narrowed as he studied us.

 "You call them fresh and strong?! A pathetic hatchling and a broken, disgusting-to-look-at goblin slave?! They are far from what you call them..."

 "But very well, you did bring something at least," Shakar said after a long pause.

 "Grub, you may enter. But know this: loyalty and hard work are the only things that will keep you alive here. Fail in either, and you will wish you had perished in the forest."

Grub sobbed with relief, crawling forward to kiss the master’s feet.

 "Thank you, master! Thank you! I will not disappoint you, I swear it!"

The master goblin sneered, kicking Grub aside.

 "Get inside, you stinking filth!"

As Grub scrambled to his feet and was about to move deeper into the breeding farm, he whispered to me, "Remember what I said, Hermit. Keep your head down, stay busy, and never speak out of turn. Good luck."

I nodded, clutching Kaka’s hand tightly as I held onto a sliver of hope.

The master goblin’s eyes locked on me and Kaka with a cold, calculating gaze. He took a step closer, the heavy thud of his boots sending a shiver down my spine. Grub had already scuttled inside, his form disappearing into the dimly lit interior of the breeding farm. But now, it was our turn to face the scrutiny of the master.

He circled us, his gaze lingering on Kaka’s mangled body and my trembling form.

 “What do we have here?” he mused aloud, his voice dripping with disdain.

 “A half-dead goblin and a quivering runt. What makes you think you’re worth the trouble of taking in? Speak, you shity slave!”

I swallowed hard, my mouth dry as sandpaper.

 “P-please, oh great master,” I stammered, struggling to keep my voice steady. 

“Kaka... Kaka’s been through so much. He’s strong, really strong. Kaka saved me a lot and lots of times, got hurt badly. He is the best caretaker of us hatchlings and I love him very much. He just needs time to heal, just a few days. And I can work hard, I promise. I work for both of us. We just need a chance. I beg, master, give us a chance.”

Shakar sneered, bending down to examine Kaka more closely. 

“Strong, you say? This bag of bones looks like he’s ready for the maggots!” He prodded Kaka with the tip of his boot, eliciting a weak moan.

Kaka’s eyes fluttered open, glazed with pain and delirium. He tried to speak, but his words came out in a garbled whisper.

 “Please... let us in... we can be useful...”

"Disgusting! What a repulsive sight. Those ears are nothing but scraps of skin," the master goblin spat, his voice dripping with disgust. He prodded one of Kaka's shredded ears with a sharp claw, causing Kaka to wince in pain. 

"What happened to your ears, you sorry excuse of goblin slave? And these burns-" he traced a finger along an acid-scarred patch of Kaka's skin, "-they're revolting. You look like you’ve been chewed up and spit out by the forest."

Kaka, barely able to stand, swayed and wobbled, his body barely holding itself upright. The master goblin’s eyes narrowed, taking in every scar, every burn, and every wound that marred Kaka’s once-green skin. His eyes were glazed with pain and exhaustion, but he managed to lift his head to meet the master goblin's gaze.

 "Master," he croaked. 

"I was brutally beaten every day at the breeding farm. The pig wolf attacked me and tore at my flesh. The acid burns... from a beast-eating plant... and my latest wounds... from a red-eyed grizzly..."

The master goblin's sneer deepened. 

"So, you're telling me you survived attacks from such mighty beasts? Impressive for a pathetic slave!" 

He circled Kaka, his eyes narrowing in disgust. 

"But look at you now! You're a walking carcass, barely clinging to life. And you think you can be of use here?"

Kaka's knees buckled, but he managed to stay upright, his voice trembling.

 "I... I can still work, master. I can still serve. Please, give me a chance..."

The master goblin let out a bark of laughter, cold and mocking. 

"A chance? You disgusting slave, want a chance?" He grabbed Kaka by the skin of his neck, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. Kaka's body dangled limply, his eyes rolling back in his head from the pain.

"You think you deserve a chance after showing up in this pitiful state?! You couldn't even protect your ears! Goblin symbol of beauty! And you dare to speak of joining my farm? Begging for a chance? You disgusting bag of flees!"

"Please... it hurts... mercy... I beg, I beg..."

The master goblin’s expression twisted with revulsion as Kaka spoke.

 "Disgusting!" he spat.

 "Why did you not cut off those disgusting scraps for ears? They are useless! Ugly!"

Kaka’s voice was a mere breath, almost inaudible. 

"I... couldn’t raise my hand... to hurt myself."

With a swift motion, the master goblin drew a shiny dagger from his belt. The blade glinted in the dim light, reflecting the cruel glint in his eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed Kaka’s head, holding it steady. Then, with a quick and brutal slice, he severed Kaka’s tattered ears from his head. Blood spattered across the ground as Kaka let out a shrill scream of pain, "WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" collapsing to the dirt, his body convulsing with agony.

I watched in horror, my heart pounding in my chest.

 "Please, master," I squeaked, my voice tiny and fearful. 

"He was strong once. He can be strong again. Just a little rest, a chance..."

"Pathetic," the master goblin said, tossing the shredded ears aside like discarded rags. 

I rushed to Kaka’s side, my heart pounding with fear. Gently, I tried to help him to his feet, his blood soaking into the dirt around us. Kaka’s face was twisted in pain, his eyes glazed and unfocused. He moaned and squealed, his body trembling with shock.