Chapter 01 The Cliffside View

We stood on the cliff, our eyes wide with awe at the stunning landscape before us. The sprawling open plains stretched far and wide, a sea of gentle grass swaying in the breeze. Unlike the sharp, painful grass of the forest, this grass was soft and pleasant, knitted with fragrant flowers that filled the air with their sweet scent. Despite the beauty that took our breaths away, we couldn't afford to linger. Our survival depended on finding a safe place to dig our hiding hole, our nook nest where we could begin our new life away from the horrors of the breeding farm, monsters, and the adventurers.

We looked at each other, fear etched on our tired, filthy faces. Our losses weighed heavily, but we knew we had to push forward. Their deaths couldn't be in vain.

Grill, our navigator since the escape, squinted at the horizon.

 "We need to find a place quickly. No safe here on open land. We need to move and hide in tall grass! At least a bit of protection until we find a good spot to start making our hiding hole."

Grub nodded, his usual tired eyes now somber. 

"Grill right. We dig big hole and hide good. No more bad goblins find us. No more monsters and adventurers."

Wiggly, the smallest and most jittery of us, clutched a handful of flowers to his chest.

 "Wiggly scared. Need a safe place. No want more pain."

I put a reassuring hand on Wiggly's shoulder.

 "We all scared, Wiggly. But we find a safe spot soon."

Nibbles pointed towards a small grove of trees in the distance.

 "There. Trees give cover. We dig there, make a new home."

Grub took a good look and yelped, "That looks promising, well spotted Nibbles. We should take a closer look. From here it is hard to tell but it seems well covered, it might work."

With our destination in sight and possible home, we began our descent from the small cliff, carefully picking our way down the rocky path. The journey was treacherous, but the promise of a new start drove us forward. We reached the bottom, the soft grass beneath our feet was pleasant unlike the harsh terrain we had left behind.

As we made our way towards the grove, the hatchlings chattered nervously amongst themselves. Squirt looked up at me with wide eyes. 

"Hermit, what if bad goblins find us again? What do we do?"

I crouched down to his level, trying to muster confidence I didn't feel.

 "We hide well, Squirt. We make sure no one finds us. We be careful, very careful. And if they do, we run, we survive. We can't give up."

Snuggle, seeking comfort, wrapped his tiny arms around my leg.

 "Hermit protects us, right? Hermit keep us safe?"

I patted his head, trying to soothe his fears.

 "Yes, Snuggle. I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. We're a family now, and we look out for each other."

As we approached the grove, we could see it was an ideal spot. The few trees offered ample cover, their branches intertwining with tall grass to create a natural cover. The ground was soft, perfect for digging. 

Grub looked around, squinting at the trees and grass.

 "Grill, Hermit, look here! This spot is good. Trees thick, grass high. Hide us well."

Grill nodded, tapping his chin thoughtfully. 

"Yes, yes. Good spot. We dig here, make a hole. But where exactly? Need the best spot, not just good."

I pointed to a cluster of bushes with the thickest cover.

 "There, under those small trees. Ground soft, easy to dig. Trees close, hide hole entrance."

Grub nodded vigorously.

 "Good idea, Hermit. Soft ground, good cover. We start there. Grill, you agree?"

Grill scratched his head. 

"Yes, yes. But make sure no water comes in. Not want a wet hole. Look for a dry spot first."

We all moved to the chosen area, carefully inspecting the ground. I dug my hand into the dirt, feeling the texture.

 "Ground dry here. Good spot. We dig here, start now."

Grub and Grill joined me, each of us using our hands to dig into the earth. Grub paused, looking up. 

"We need more tools. Sticks, sharp rocks. Make digging faster."

I nodded, looking around. 

"Grill, you find rocks. Grub, you find sticks. I keep digging here, make the hole bigger."

Grub scampered off, searching for sticks. Grill followed, looking for rocks. I continued to dig, feeling the ground give way easily beneath my hands. Soon, Grub returned with a bundle of sticks. 

"Here, Hermit. Good sticks for digging soft dirt."

I took one, testing its strength.

 "Good, Grub. Strong sticks. Grill find rocks yet?"

Grill returned shortly after, carrying several rocks.

 "Found sharp rocks. Good for digging the hard ground. We use these."

We were all set to work, using the sticks and rocks to dig deeper and faster, each of us using whatever we could find to carve out a hidden nook where we could finally rest and rebuild our lives.

Grill, Grub, and I, the strongest among us, took the lead in digging, our hands moving swiftly through the dirt. The rest of us gathered leaves and small branches to camouflage the entrance. It was hard, back-breaking work for tiny hatchlings, but they didn't complain. Every shovel of dirt, every branch placed, brought us closer to safety.

 Grub panted, wiping his brow.

"Hole getting bigger but we make cave mouth small, easy to hide. Good, good. But need more space deeper. Hatchlings need room."

I nodded, my hands moving quickly.

"Yes, more space. We dig wider, deeper. Make sure all fit."

Grill grunted, his stick striking a root.

 "Root here. Need to cut it. Grub, use sharp rock, cut root."

Grub took the rock and hacked at the root, breaking it apart. 

"Pesky root is gone. We can dig more now. We need to hurry, we need a small shelter before night comes."

Hours passed, and as the sun began to set, our nook nest started to take shape. It was small and cramped, but it was ours. A place where we could finally feel some semblance of security. The hole began to take shape, growing wider and deeper. I paused, looking at our progress.

 "Hole looks good now. Big enough for all to nestle in a big warm pile. But need hide entrance. Make sure no one finds us."

Grub and Grill looked at what hatchlings had gathered. The feeble assortment of branches and leaves left more to be desired but we had to make do with what we had. Grub constructed a makeshift frame to cover our hiding hole and placed a bunch of large branches over the entrance.

 "This hides us well. No one sees the hole."

Grill nodded, adding leaves to the cover. 

"Yes, yes. Good hide. We safe here."

We all stepped back, admiring our work. The entrance was well-hidden, blending seamlessly with the surrounding trees and grass. I turned to the others, a sense of accomplishment filling me.

 "We did it. We have a new home. A safe place to rest. It might be just a small hole in the dirt for now but with a bit of time and hard work we will have ourselves a big cave where we can live happily and free from torment. Just as Kaka wanted to."

Grub grinned, his broken teeth glinting.

 "Yes, Hermit. Good work. We are safe now. Start a new life here. Looks promising, has good cover, and good visibility of our surroundings. We can spot danger from far away, if we are careful we will survive here."

Grill patted my shoulder. 

"Hermit, you are right. We might find happiness and freedom here, make this place home."

I smiled, feeling a sense of unity with my fellow goblins.

 "Thank you, Grub, Grill. We all did this. Now, let's rest. Tomorrow, we make this place even better."

We all settled into the new nook, our bodies weary but our spirits lifted. The hatchlings nestled close, feeling the safety of our new home. We huddled together inside, our bodies pressed close for warmth and comfort. The scent of the flowers from the plains mingled with the earthy smell of our new home. It wasn't much, but it was a start. 

As we settled in for the night, I looked around at my fellow goblins and the hatchlings. We were injured, bruised, and scarred, but we were alive. And as long as we were alive, there was hope.

Kaka's loss will never be forgotten, but his memory gave us strength. We would survive, not just for ourselves, but for him. For now, in the safety of our new nook nest, we could finally rest.