Chapter 61 Miracle of Survival

The attack was nothing short of a nightmare. It came out of nowhere, a blur of savage muscle and fury. The beast’s jaws, massive and lined with jagged, razor-sharp fangs, crashed down with an earth-shattering force on Kaka. The sound of bone splintering under the immense pressure echoed like a brutal snap, cutting through the air. Kaka didn’t even have time to scream before the beast had him, its maw sealing around his frail body like a vice of death. 

His limbs flailed wildly, desperate and pitiful, but it was useless. Kaka’s scrawny legs, all that remained visible, dangled helplessly between the gaps of the monster’s blood-soaked teeth, twitching and kicking in a grotesque parody of life. The beast shook him violently, its fangs piercing deep into his flesh, ripping through muscle like paper, sending streams of dark blood spurting from his mangled body.

The sound that followed was sickening - flesh tearing, bones snapping like dry twigs, and Kaka’s strangled, gurgling cries of pain, muffled by the beast’s enormous maw. His tiny frame, already weak and emaciated, stood no chance against the brute force of the predator. The once-frail goblin was reduced to little more than a ragdoll, his body jerked and tossed violently in the beast’s mouth as if it were savoring the agony it inflicted.

I screamed in horror, my heart breaking as I watched my beloved caretaker being devoured by the monstrous creature. The other goblins and hatchlings, sensing the danger, scattered in all directions, their cries of fear filling the air.

Kaka's screams grew louder, more desperate. Blood began to seep from the corners of the beast's mouth, staining Kaka's legs and the forest floor below.

Everyone spooked by the sudden appearance of the monster tried to find cover, their instincts for survival kicking in. The beast, a massive, nightmarish creature covered in dark red, matted scared skin with eyes that gleamed with a predatory hunger, paid them no mind and disappeared into the forest as fast as he appeared with Kaka in his jaws.

I stood there, paralyzed by shock and helplessness, every muscle in my body paralyzed by the sheer weight of emotional shock. As my mind went blank, I heard the faint sounds of my fellow goblins screaming. The beast was gone, but the image of Kaka's legs dangling helplessly from its jaws was seared into my mind. Blood, thick and dark, trailed away into the depths of the forest. I couldn't move, couldn't think - my body was frozen in place, staring at the bloody path that seemed to stretch endlessly before me.

As if in a trance, my legs began to move on their own. I stumbled forward, my movements slow and unsteady, driven by an unconscious hope that Kaka might still be alive. Each step was a struggle, the terrain treacherous underfoot, but I couldn't stop. The blood trail was my only guide, a glimmer of hope that pulled me to chase after the beast.

Grub and Grill called out to me, their voices distant and muffled, but I couldn't hear them. All that existed was the trail of blood and the faint hope that Kaka might be waiting for me at the end of it. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a painful reminder of the reality I was desperately trying to deny.

The forest around me was eerily silent, the usual sounds of birds and insects replaced by an oppressive, suffocating quiet. The trees seemed to close in on me, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, but I pressed on, my eyes locked on the blood-smeared ground.

Not long after, I stumbled through the bushes, my legs trembling and stained with Kaka's blood. I fell to my knees, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and despair. Before me, at the base of a small cliff, there was a cave. By its entrance stood the beast that had taken Kaka away from me. The ground around the cave was a gruesome scene, smeared with blood, feces, and gore. The stench was overwhelming, making me gag.

In a massive puddle of the beast's vomit lay the torch that had been lodged in Kaka's butt for so long. The sight of it twisted my stomach. The beast must have coughed him up and eaten him again, as the torch had tickled its throat and caused it to throw up.

I looked at the beast and saw it slowly munching on a pair of goblin legs. My heart sank as I recognized them instantly - there was no mistake. Those emaciated, scarred, scrawny thighs, those knobby knees, and those crooked calves - they were undeniably Kaka's legs. I had hoped, prayed even, that it was some other unfortunate goblin, but I could not fool myself any longer. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

A silent cry burst from my throat, my mouth wide open, but no sound escaped. Tears streamed down my wretched face as I watched, helpless, while the monster slowly crunched on Kaka's miserable thighs. Each bite was a new wave of agony for me. It then crunched on his knees, and with a wet, sickening gulp, it swallowed the rest.

The emotional pain was unbearable. My mind was a void, a hollow echo of the goblin I once was. I was broken, alone, and suffering. The beast had taken from me the one thing that kept me going - the one beacon of hope in my bleak existence. 

The agony of loss was too great to bear. The beast munched on Kaka's body, each crunch and rip tearing my soul apart. I couldn't even see his face for one last time, denied even that small comfort in my darkest moment. I longed to see Kaka's face one last time, to say goodbye, but that privilege was denied to me. The beast's cruel jaws obscured his features, leaving me with nothing but a distant memory of his smiling face. His face, which had been my source of comfort and strength, was lost to me forever.

As the beast finished its gruesome meal, it licked its lips, savoring the last traces of Kaka. I bit my lip in sorrow, my body shaking with silent sobs. The world around me blurred, and all I could see was the haunting image of Kaka’s legs being devoured. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, piece by piece, with every bite the beast took.

Kaka had been more than a caretaker. He had been my everything. In a world of brutality and torment, he had been the one constant, the one figure who offered me solace and love. His comforting presence, his nurturing touch - everything was gone in an instant. The brutal reality of our existence had never been more clear than in that moment, watching helplessly as the creature devoured the one being who meant the world to me.

Suddenly, I felt a force yank me back into the bushes. I didn't react; I accepted my fate. If it was another monster, so be it. Let it eat me and end my never-ending suffering. Without Kaka, there was no meaning in living in this cruel world.

 But I was denied even that mercy, instead of the beast's jaws, I felt familiar hands shaking me. It was Grub, his face contorted with urgency. 

"Hermit, snap out of it! Out of it, I say! We have to move!" he whispered, his voice trembling with fear.

I blinked, trying to focus on his face, but all I could see was Kaka's last moments replaying in my mind. 

"Kaka's... gone," I murmured, my voice barely a whisper.

Grill appeared beside Grub, his eyes wide with terror.

 "We can't stay here. We can't let it get us too. That thing will find us," he urged, glancing nervously at the beast still gnawing on bones.

Ears and Nibbles were huddled close, their faces pale and eyes wide with fear. Wiggly and Squirt were clutching each other, their tiny bodies trembling.

Pebble and Grit, the youngest of our group, looked up at me with tear-streaked faces. 

"Please, Hermit, we need you," Grit said, his voice breaking.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to gather my thoughts. I nodded weakly, my body moving on autopilot as they helped me to my feet. We scurried back through the forest, the horrifying scene still fresh in my mind. The rest of our ragtag group was huddled together, their eyes wide with fear and anxiety. Kaka’s screams, the beast’s growls, and the blood - so much blood - haunted my every step.

The forest, once just a perilous landscape, now felt like an open grave waiting to claim us all. As we retraced our steps to where the hatchlings were hiding, a new wave of horror washed over us.

The hatchlings were strewn about, littered on the ground like refuse. They were wounded and hurt, some lying lifeless with their eyes staring blankly, their tiny long tongues fallen to the ground. The sight tore at my heart. These small, innocent creatures had been defenseless against the brutality of the forest.

A heart-wrenching squeal came from a nearby grass clump. From it tumbled a few hatchlings, wrestling with forest rats. To the hatchlings, who were no bigger than our fists, the rats were mighty beasts. They had slaughtered several of our hatchlings and injured most of the others.

Grill jumped into action, his face contorted with a mix of fear and desperation. With a stick, he whacked at the rats, his blows landing hard and fast. Several times he accidentally hit the hatchlings as well, making them convulse and blink irregularly. The rats eventually scurried off, leaving the hatchlings alone, but the damage had been done.

I knelt beside one of the lifeless bodies, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch its tiny, cold form. The hatchling’s eyes were glazed over, its small body broken and still. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at the devastation around us.

"Why... why is this happening?" I whispered, my voice cracking with grief.

Grub placed a hand on my shoulder, his own eyes wet with tears.

 "We must keep moving, Hermit. For them... for Kaka. We have no time to mourn the lost ones or we will perish as well."

I nodded, though every part of me ached with sorrow. We gathered the surviving hatchlings, their small, injured bodies trembling in our arms. The few who died we left behind, knowing we could not afford to carry them. It was a harsh reality, a cruelty of our existence, but we had to survive.

As we made our way deeper into the forest, the night grew darker, the trees closing in around us. Every shadow seemed to hold a threat, every rustle a potential danger. But we moved forward, driven by the memory of Kaka and the desperate need to protect the remaining hatchlings.

We moved quickly and silently through the forest, every rustle of leaves making us flinch. The journey was brutal, the terrain unforgiving. Sharp branches scratched at our skin, and the uneven ground threatened to trip us with every step. But we pressed on, driven by the desperate need to survive. 

After a few hours, we finally found some narrow caves hollowed out by rain in a rocky terrain. The cave was small and musty, but it offered a sense of safety we hadn't felt in a long time. We huddled together, our bodies pressed close for warmth and comfort.