Chapter 24 Brutal Reality

As Kaka squirmed in pain on the ground, his body wracked with agony, I tried desperately to comfort him, doing my best to stem the flow of blood from his fresh wounds. But my efforts were interrupted when the master goblin turned his cold, calculating eyes on me. Without a hint of compassion, he grabbed the loose skin at the back of my neck and hoisted me into the air, my legs kicking helplessly beneath me.

"Speak, you shity whelp," he commanded, his voice dripping with menace.

"What happened? Why were you wandering the forest like lost, pitiful creatures? What happened to the goblin breeding farm you were supposed to be in? Did you run away!"

I let out a painful squeal, "Reeeeee!" as his grip tightened, the sharp nails of his fingers digging into my flesh. Through my gasps for breath, I began to speak, my words tumbling out in a frantic rush.

"Please, master, let me explain," I whimpered.

"The breeding farm... it was brutal. We were beaten every day, starved, and treated worse than dirt. The horrors we endured... they were unbearable. No food or quencher only torture and beatings."

The master goblin's eyes narrowed, but he didn't loosen his grip. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my voice, and continued.

"One night, adventurers attacked our breeding farm," I said, my voice quivering with fear and desperation.

"They came out of nowhere, slaughtering goblins left and right. Burning everything in their path, leaving no one alive. We were lucky to escape during a stormy night, the chaos giving us a chance to flee. We had no choice but to wander the perilous forest, hoping to find someplace safe."

Shakar's expression remained hard, unmoved by my tale of suffering. His grip on my neck tightened even further, and I let out a choked cry of pain, "Wreeee!"

"And then we met Grub," I added.

"He helped us find our way here. We were hoping... hoping for a chance to survive, to find some safety."

The master goblin finally released me, letting me drop to the ground in a heap. I gasped for breath, my body trembling from the ordeal.

"Pathetic," he spat, his eyes cold and merciless.

"You think you deserve mercy because you survived? Because you escaped like a coward? Your existence is nothing but to be a tool! Disposable!"

He turned his gaze back to Kaka, who lay moaning on the ground, his body a broken mess.

"And you," he snarled, kicking Kaka's side with a cruel boot.

"You are the most wretched of all. A goblin too weak to even cut off his rotting ears."

Kaka let out a weak, pained cry, his eyes fluttering with exhaustion and pain.

As Shakar continued to hurl insults at Kaka, my attention was briefly drawn to the two elite orc guards flanking him. They were towering brutes, their menacing eyes drilling into us with an intensity that made my skin crawl. Their massive frames dwarfed even the master goblin, making them appear as unstoppable forces of brutality. But the master goblin's voice snapped me back to attention when he mentioned a name.

"There was another survivor," he sneered, his eyes glinting with malice.

 "A guard from your pathetic breeding farm. I want to confirm that it’s the same wretched place you’re talking about."

He turned and barked an order to the guards at the gates.

 "Bring Slasher here, right now!"

The guards hurried to obey, their heavy footsteps echoing off the stone walls. My heart raced, my mind filled with dread. Slasher was a name that sent chills down my spine, he was the one who was obsessed with hurting Kaka the most. He was notorious for his ruthless tortures and beatings. If he was here, there was no telling what fate would befall us. He was also known for his unwavering loyalty to the goblin masters - at least when they were watching. Behind their backs, he was a heinous rat who stooped to any low to save his skin, an ass-licking two-faced scum who reveled in betrayal and deceit.

We waited in tense silence, Kaka's pained moans the only sound breaking the oppressive atmosphere. Moments later, the heavy gates creaked open, and a hulking figure stepped into view. Slasher was every bit as terrifying as I remembered. His muscular frame was covered in scars, a testament to countless battles fought and won thanks to his heinous rat acts. 

Slasher strode forward and greeted the master goblin.

"Hey, boss! You called?"

"Slasher," the master goblin began, "These two claim to be survivors from a breeding farm raided by adventurers. I need you to confirm if it's the same farm you escaped from. Do these slaves look familiar?"

Slasher's cold eyes flicked over to us, assessing us with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. He stepped closer, his gaze locking onto Kaka's mangled form. He took a good look at Kaka and finally recognized his favorite torture toy. A sadistic smile crept onto his face as he eyed Kaka's mangled form, memories of past cruelties flashing through his mind.

 With a twisted laugh, he said, "Braghgahaghaahghga! Oh! It's one of the shitty Kakas alright! He's from the same breeding farm as me. This Kaka was my favorite torture toy. Oh, how beautifully he squealed when I tortured him. The squeals were just right, music to my ears."

The master goblin, intrigued by Slasher's amusement, turned to him and asked, "I was wondering for a minute, why is this slave named Kaka? Kaka means goblin shit in our language. Why would he name himself that?"

Slasher burst into sadistic laughter.

 "Brahahahhahah! They didn't name themselves, boss. We named all the hatchling caretakers Kaka to humiliate them further. Just imagine how miserable and pathetic they feel when their beloved hatchlings hug them, tell them they love them, and then call their beloved caretaker 'goblin shit.' It's the ultimate emotional scar. Braaahahahahah!"

He pointed at me, my haunted expression revealing my inner turmoil.

 "But the best part, boss, is the look on this shitty runt's face. He just realized he's been insulting his beloved caretaker all this time. Look at him! Brahahahghgeehe!"

My face contorted in gilt and sorrow, I burst into tears, the realization crashing down on me.

 "Kaka, I'm so sorry. Oh no! No, no! I didn't mean to call you that, I'm sorry! Please, forgive me, Kaka. No! No! I'm sorry, I call you that again! I'm sorry, I didn't know. Please forgive me." I sobbed, cradling Kaka in my arms. 

"It's fine... little one. You can call me Kaka. I don't mind. Don't... don't feel bad, little Hermit. It bothers me not." Kaka managed to reassure me with a weak whisper. 

Slasher's laughter grew louder, his eyes gleaming with malicious glee and unshed tears of joy.

 "Just look at that guilt-filled face and the emotional pain. It's so good to see them suffer. Go on, shity runt, cry! Squeal! You've been calling your beloved Kaka a goblin shit all this time. Bragagaghahaha! Give him a stinking hug and a kissy-hissy then call him goblin shit in his face! BRAAAAHAHAHAAHAHAH!"

As I continued to cry and beg for Kaka's forgiveness, the goblin master squinted his eyes at Slasher, unimpressed. He glanced between us, clearly evaluating the situation. The master goblin's cruel nature was evident, but he also valued efficiency and control over mere sadistic pleasure.

"Enough of your laughter, Slasher," the master goblin said, his tone sharp and commanding.

 "I need useful slaves, not broken ones. I have no use for your pastimes if they interfere with my needs. Broken goblins are useless! If this Kaka is too damaged to work, he will be disposed of. We will butcher him for meat to feed the hounds, at least that way he will be a little of use."

Slasher, hearing that Kaka would be butchered for meat, acted without hesitation. Driven by his sadistic urges, he launched himself at Kaka without asking for the master goblin's permission. Slasher kicked me in the face, knocking me aside into a tangled heap of limbs, my face bleeding from the impact. He then stomped on Kaka's already mangled arm, eliciting a convulsion and a high-pitched squeal of pain from my beloved caretaker.

"WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Reeeeeeeeee! Eeeeeek..."

But before Slasher could deliver a brutal blow to Kaka's head with his wooden club, the master goblin grabbed his arm and backhanded him hard across the face. 

"You miserable trash! Who gave you command to beat the slave?! Know your place, you shitty goblin! Do you dare proceed without my permission?! That's insubordination! And I will not have it in my breeding farm!"

The master goblin's eyes blazed with fury as he continued, "You damn coward, you are lucky I decided to shelter you! If not for the useful information you brought about the adventurers, you'd be eating shit with these damn slaves for being a coward who deserted his breeding farm and his master! Know your place, trash!"

Slasher tumbled to the ground near me, reeling from the brutal backhand. As he struggled to rise, he mumbled just barely audibly, "You shitty goblin, just you wait, I will kill you for this." I could hear him clearly, though the others did not. My heart pounded even harder with fear and anxiety.

Slasher then stood up, bent the knee, and lowered his head. Through gritted teeth, he apologized to the master goblin for his actions.

 "Forgive me, boss. I overstepped. It won't happen again."

The master goblin sneered at him.

 "It better not, Slasher. Step out of line again and I will make an example out of you for others to see what happens if you disrespect me! Don't forget that."

While this exchange occurred, my mind raced with one thing. The thought of Kaka being chopped to pieces and fed to the hounds. My eyes darted around for any sign of hope or help, but the brutal reality of our situation pressed in on all sides. I wanted to run with Kaka, to escape this hellish place, but he was too broken to even stand up on his own.