Chapter 42 Soggy Noodle

The adventurer recognized Slasher and said, "You rotten bastard, I thought we—" But his sentence was cut off as Slasher began to squeal even louder, calling in other guards.

The adventurer gritted his teeth and shattered the green crystal tooth he had, making it glow with a dim green light that coated his body in a warm, healing mist. His injuries healed before our eyes. Once bruised and beaten, he now looked fully recovered. As the light faded, the crystal tooth turned to dust. It was his secret special item for emergencies. 

The adventurer spat to the side and said, "Fuck this shit, screw you all. I am not dying here. I will get out of here at any cost!" 

Without hesitation, the adventurer seized Kaka by his legs and me by my neck, and with a mighty roar, he hurled me like a goblin cannonball straight at Slasher. I soared through the air with the force of a vengeful comet, squealing, "REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" then crashing into Slasher with a bone-shattering impact and sending him sprawling to the ground. The impact was so cataclysmic that it left me broken and dazed, my senses swirling in a vortex of pain and disorientation. With Slasher pinned beneath me, he struggled to regain his focus. 

The adventurer burst from the shed with Kaka in his hands, but it was too late to make a run for it, the guards stood in front with their spears pointed at him. Yet, the adventurer did not give up.

"Listen up, you motherfuckers! Out of my way or I will beat the shit out of you all!"

Using Kaka's body as a makeshift weapon, he started to swing Kaka around like a pair of nunchucks, squealing like a martial arts movie star. Kaka's limp form twisted and turned, his squeals adding to the mix. Each swing was a brutal arc of fury, and each impact sent guards hurtling in all directions. One guard flew into a wall with a sickening crunch, and another spun through the air, crashing into a pile of crates. The sheer force of Loran's attacks left a path of destruction in his wake. Each blow lifted the guards off the ground, with each impact, the guards were sent hurtling through the air like ragdolls, their weapons clattering away. 

However, the adventurer's mighty attacks quickly ceased as Kaka's body broke after only a few swings, leaving him hanging limply in the adventurer's hands like a soggy noodle.

 The strain proved too much for the goblin's frail form, his body snapping and contorting in unnatural ways until he hung limply in the adventurer's grasp, the sickening crunch of bones echoed through the field, his once-lively limbs now dangling like broken twigs.

With one final, desperate move, the adventurer hurled Kaka's broken body at the last guard and burst into a sprint, leaping and jumping onto a nearby shed and over the wall. He landed on the other side, rushing to the tree where we had left our meager belongings before approaching the goblin breeding farm. We had told him about the tree where we left our things, which was supposed to be the spot where we parted ways after escaping.

The adventurer grabbed our stuff as he ran past the tree, quickly fashioning a makeshift loincloth out of our warm pelt blanket. He took my handmade obsidian knife in hand, tossing the rest away, and disappeared into the thickness of the forest.

I lay on the ground, my body aching and my vision blurred, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Kaka's broken body lay motionless nearby, and a wave of despair washed over me. The hatchlings, frightened and confused, scurried around us, unsure of what to do. I struggled to my feet, every movement sending pain through my body.

With a heavy heart, I stumbled over to Kaka's side, kneeling beside him I gently brushed my hand over his broken form. Tears welled in my eyes as I whispered words of comfort, though I knew he couldn't hear me. The weight of our situation pressed down on me like a heavy stone, but I couldn't allow myself to succumb to despair.

With trembling hands, I checked Kaka for any signs of life, relieved to find a faint pulse still beating in his chest. He lay there, broken and beaten, his breaths shallow and ragged. Tears welled up in my eyes as I gently cradled his head in my hands.

The hatchlings gathered around us, their tiny forms huddling close as if seeking solace in our shared misery. They chirped and clicked in distress, their small voices echoing the pain that filled the air. With a heavy heart, I knew we had to act quickly to protect Kaka and ourselves from the impending danger.

With trembling hands, I waved desperately at the hatchlings, my urgent gestures clear enough for their tiny, terrified minds to understand.

 "Go! Go back inside! Hurry!" I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of panic. 

They scuttled back inside the shed, their wide, tear-filled eyes fixed on me, terrified and reluctant to leave Kaka behind.

 "Please... please," I pleaded as I turned my attention to Kaka's broken form, lying limp and thrashed on the ground.

I knelt beside him, my own body screaming with pain as I grabbed onto his twisted, shattered limbs. 

"Kaka... Kaka, I-I’ll get you inside, don’t leave me now... please..." I whimpered, tears streaming down my face as I struggled to pull him. His body was heavy, far too heavy for me to manage, but I couldn't leave him out there. Not like this.

Kaka groaned weakly, his lips barely moving.

 "Don’t… leave me… behind…" His voice was a whisper, filled with a pain that stabbed straight through my heart. His broken limbs dangled uselessly as I tugged at him, his skin cold and clammy under my fingers.

"I won’t, Kaka! I won’t!" I sobbed, gritting my teeth as I strained against the weight of his lifeless body.

 "Just hold on... please, hold on!" My entire body trembled with effort, my arms aching as I dragged him inch by inch toward the shed, the approaching sound of guards’ footsteps growing louder and louder.

The hatchlings peered out from the door, their little faces pale with terror as they watched me struggle.

 "Please, please don’t let them see us!" I begged them, my voice hoarse and desperate.

"Stay hidden, stay hidden!"

Kaka’s head lolled to the side, his breath coming in rough gasps.

 "I-I’m sorry… I’m so… so tired…" he whispered, his eyes fluttering closed. His body was a dead weight in my hands, his broken limbs dragging uselessly across the dirt.

"No, no, no! Kaka, don’t give up! Please!" I sobbed, pulling with every ounce of strength left in me. My legs wobbled under the strain, my hands slipping in the dirt, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t let him die.

 "I’m getting you inside, I swear it!"

With a final, desperate heave, I managed to pull Kaka’s broken body into the shed, collapsing beside him in exhaustion. The hatchlings crowded around us, their small hands reaching out to touch him, their lips smacking in pitiful, anxious chirps.

I knew that the guards would be enraged by our attempt to flee and would not hesitate to unleash their fury upon us slaves. But at this moment, all I could focus on was keeping Kaka safe and praying for a glimmer of hope in our bleak existence that we would escape the blame.

With Kaka nestled inside on his straw bed and the shed doors closed behind us, the hatchlings nestled around him, providing what little comfort they could offer. Their small, wrinkled faces pressed against his skin, their lips smacking in nervous, cooing chirps. Each one trembled, their eyes wide with terror. The hatchlings squealed and burrowed deeper into Kaka's sides, their claws digging into his flesh.

The smallest of the hatchlings clambered onto Kaka's side, his tiny, wrinkled face twisted in fear as he pressed his head against Kaka's chest, smacking his lips nervously in a soft, repetitive motion. His little hands pawed at Kaka's skin, fingers curling and uncurling in a desperate attempt to find some sense of comfort. His eyes, wide and dark, blinked rapidly as if trying to hold back tears, his small sniffer twitching like a scared animal’s, and his tiny body shook with quiet, broken chirps.

Another hatchling, with his ears pressed flat against his skull, crouched low beside Kaka’s leg, cooing softly. His lip trembled, and he bit down on it, trying to stop the soft whimpering sounds that escaped with every shaky breath. His hands, clenched into tight fists, occasionally reached out to touch Kaka’s arm, then retracted quickly as if afraid he might do something wrong. His wide, green eyes were fixated on the door, his gaze flicking back and forth, constantly checking for danger. The sheer terror radiated from him, his entire body rigid, every muscle coiled like a spring, ready to bolt at the slightest hint of danger.

Another little one, barely able to stand from exhaustion and fear, crouched at Kaka’s feet, his knobby knees tucked tightly to his chest. His lips smacked together in rhythmic, nervous motions, and he rocked slightly from side to side, making soft, pitiful chirps like a distressed baby monkey. His bony fingers gripped the straw beneath him, tearing at it mindlessly as his whole body shivered, his eyes squeezed shut to block out the overwhelming fear.

Next hatchling crawled up to Kaka's side, snuggling close with wide, quivering eyes. His face was scrunched in worry, lips parted as he made soft, repetitive whimpering sounds, his thin fingers stroking Kaka’s arm as if soothing himself through the action. Every time a noise crept through the walls, his ears twitched violently, and his body tensed, but he would quickly nestle closer, pressing his face into Kaka’s side as if to hide from the world.

They were like a terrified, trembling pack, clinging to their protector, their small forms quivering with every noise. Occasionally, one would make a high-pitched squeak or chirp, their fear bubbling up in short bursts of vocalization, but the moment they felt Kaka’s stillness, they would return to their lip-smacking and soft cooing, like frightened baby monkeys desperately seeking the safety of their caretaker.