Chapter 58 The End of The Tunnel

At one particularly narrow section, Kaka became stuck, the torch handle wedged firmly between the tunnel's walls. He struggled desperately, his cries of pain echoing through the confined space.

"Wreee! Ouchies! Ouchies! It hurts! I can't move, Hermit! I can't get through! Help! Help! Friends, help! I'm stuck! I am!" he wailed, his voice filled with panic.

I turned back, my heart aching for my friend.

"Hold on, Kaka! We'll get you out!" I shouted over the sounds of the battle still raging above.

Grub and Grill squeezed past me, their faces coated with filth.

"We'll push from behind, Hermit," Grill said, his voice strained.

"You pull him from the front."

I nodded, gripping Kaka's arms and pulling with all my might. Grub and Grill pushed against the torch handle, trying to maneuver it free without causing Kaka more pain. Each movement was a slow, grueling process, causing Kaka to scream in agony.

"WREEEE! REEEE! Ouchies! Ouwies! It hurts! The torch! The torch is ripping me apart! Ouchies!"

The tunnel walls seemed to close in around us, the filth pressing in from all sides, but we couldn't afford to stop. Finally, with a sickening squelch, the torch handle came free, and Kaka surged forward, collapsing into my arms. We were all covered in the foul muck of the tunnel, but we didn't stop to rest. The battle above was still raging, and we had to keep moving.

Not long after, we encountered a blockage of decomposing waste. It was a putrid mound of goblin remains mixed with excrement, a grotesque wall of death and decay. The sight and smell were beyond overwhelming, an assault on every sense that left us gasping for breath. Flies buzzed around the mound, their incessant drone adding to the horror of the scene. The air was thick with the reek of decay, a foul miasma that seemed to seep into our very souls.

We had no choice but to dig through it. Our hands sank into the nauseating mess, pulling apart the rotting flesh piece by piece. The texture was vile, a squishy, slimy horror that clung to our skin and made our stomachs churn. Each handful was a new trial, the decomposing flesh slipping through our fingers like putrid jelly, the excrement sticking to our hands with a cloying persistence. The bones of the dead crunched under our fingers, brittle and fragile, their touch sending shivers down our spines.

As we dug, the sickening stench grew stronger, a noxious cloud that filled our lungs and made our eyes water. We gagged and retched, but there was no escape from the overwhelming odor. The hatchlings, still struggling in the sewage, watched us with wide, terrified eyes, their tiny bodies trembling in the filthy water. We could feel their fear, their helplessness, and it spurred us on, even as our bodies screamed in pain.

Finally, we saw a light ahead - a faint, flickering glow that signaled the end of the tunnel. With the last remnants of our feeble strength, we pushed forward, our bodies aching, our minds numbed by the horror we had endured. As we emerged into the open air, the hatchlings still clinging to us, we took deep, grateful breaths of the fresh, clean air, the stench of the tunnel finally behind us.

We collapsed on the ground, the hatchlings tumbling off our shoulders and into the grass. They looked around, their eyes wide with wonder and relief. For the first time in their short, brutal lives, they were free from the horrors of the breeding farm. We lay there, gasping for breath, our bodies and minds exhausted but filled with a renewed sense of hope. Despite the ordeal we had just endured, we had made it out. We were free. But even if we escaped, there was no salvation for us because the forest was an even more treacherous place than the farm we escaped.

Kaka looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and disbelief. 

"We did it, Hermit. We are out, we are free. We can escape the cruel hand of the adventurers now. We need to hurry into the forest but we need to be cautious! Monsters lurk."

I nodded, tears streaming down my face.

 "Yes, yes Kaka. We free. Thank you, Grill! Thank you, Grub! For helping us! For everything!"

Grub and Grill joined us, their faces etched with a mix of fear and excitement.

 "Yes, we did, friends, we did! We escaped the adventurers, we can hide in the forest." Grub squeaked, his eyes darting around nervously.

As we lay there, gasping for breath, we began to gather our wits. The hatchlings now calmed and exhausted, nestled close to us, their tiny bodies trembling from the ordeal. Grub, who had been the most energetic of us despite everything, started to speak.

"I think we no stay here long, Humans might come. Need to find a safe place, quick, quick! No time to celebrate. We need to keep moving and fast. The humans might come this way, and they'll kill us. Yes, they will!"

Kaka nodded vigorously, his torch tail still wagging awkwardly.

 "Grill right! No stay here. Humans are bad, very bad. They smash us if they find us. But where go, Grub? No place safe for us gobs. Humans close and monsters everywhere too."

I looked around, trying to think. 

"Where we go? Forest big, but humans hunt there too."

Grill, looking more serious than usual, leaned in closer.

 "Grub, you know any place we hide? Someplace humans no find us?"

Grub scratched his head, looking thoughtful.

"Maybe we go to old caves? Caves deep and dark. Humans do not like the dark. Yes, yes! Old caves! Near dark forest. Humans do not go there. Too scary for them. We go hide in caves! Small, safe caves!"

I looked at Grub, hope mixing with fear in my heart.

 "Old caves? Where are the caves, Grub? We no get lost, right?"

Grub grinned, showing his rotting, crooked teeth. 

"I know the way! I went there before when little. Caves small, dark, good place to hide. Not too far from here."

Grill nodded, his face serious. 

"Yes, caves good idea. We hide there, wait for things to calm down."

Kaka, still wincing from pain, tried to stand.

 "We need to move now. No wait. Humans come soon, we no want to be here."

The hatchlings, hearing the commotion, started to stir and look at us with wide, curious eyes. One of them, a tiny goblin with a big nose, piped up. 

"Caves sound cozy. We no want stay here. Bad place, bad smells. Taste aful. Yeck! Yeck I say!"

Grub stood up, brushing the dirt and grime off his body.

 "Follow Grub. I lead the way. We stay close, no make noise. Humans no hear us if we quiet."

We nodded in agreement and stood up, our bodies aching but our spirits lifted. Just as we were about to take our first step, a man burst from behind the tree and swung his massive sword down toward Kaka's head. I gasped in fright, paralyzed as I watched the blade cleave through the air. The swing was so powerful that it seemed even a tree trunk would split in half.

The man's face was twisted with rage. He was the same adventurer we had helped escape a while ago. He had managed to return safely to town and now he was back to exact his revenge on the goblins who killed his party members and held him captive as a slave. His eyes blazed with fury, and his muscles bulged with the effort of his swing.

Just as the adventurer’s sword was about to cleave Kaka in half, he paused, stopping the blade a hair's breadth from Kaka’s skin. The adventurer narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing as he muttered, "Aren't you two the damn goblins who helped me escape?"

We were paralyzed with fear. Kaka crumpled to the ground, nearly fainting from fright. Without thinking, I scuttled over to him, throwing my body over his to shield him. 

"Please, please, mercy," I begged, my voice trembling. 

"We are good goblins. We are not evil. We mean no harm. Spare us, please."

The adventurer spat to the side, his expression twisted with disgust. 

"Well, well, what a small world. Kaka and Hermit, was it, right? Two stupid enough goblins to help an adventurer escape his cage. I have to say, I am surprised to see you two still alive. I thought the beating I gave Kaka was surely enough to kill him and the other goblins would tear you two limb from limb for helping me escape but I guess I was wrong."

 After a short pause, he continued, "You know what, filthy goblins? I feel generous today, I will let you go. So you better scuttle along!" he barked.

 "I will turn away and count to ten. By the time I'm done, you better be gone and out of my sight! If not! I will cut you where you stand. Consider this favor returned, you filthy monsters. We’re even now. But if we meet again, I will not hesitate to stain my blade with your blood!" he added.

With frantic gratitude, I bowed repeatedly, almost hitting my forehead on the ground each time. 

"Thank you, thank you!" I yelped, helping Kaka up as quickly as I could. The adventurer began to count, his voice a steady, ominous reminder of our fleeting time.

With a hateful shout, he kicked me in the butt and started to count.

"Now go, you filthy animals! One... two... three..."

We didn't waste a second. With Kaka still trembling, I practically dragged him as we grabbed the hatchlings, their tiny bodies squirming in our arms and ears.

"Four... five... six..."

We burst into a desperate scuttle, our legs moving faster than they ever had, pumping furiously. The hatchlings clung to us, their small, scared faces pressed against our chests.

"Seven... eight..."

We dove into the thick forest underbrush, leaves and branches scratching at our skin. The adventurer's voice faded behind us, but we didn't dare slow down. We kept running following Grub's lead, the forest a blur around us, driven by the sheer terror of what would happen if we stopped.

We reached Grub's mentioned small, hidden burrow deep in the forest. We collapsed to the ground, panting and gasping for breath. The hatchlings huddled close, their tiny bodies warm against ours. Kaka was still trembling, but he managed a weak smile, tears of relief streaming down his face.

"We made it," I whispered, my voice shaking. 

 "We’re safe... for now."

Kaka nodded, still too overwhelmed to speak. We stayed there for a while, holding each other and the hatchlings close. The forest was silent around us, the only sounds were our ragged breathing and the gentle rustling of leaves.

Despite the danger that still lurked, we had a moment of peace. A moment to gather our strength and plan our next move. For now, that was enough.