Chapter 311 Lives Filled With Endless Torment

Suzuka, observing the goblin's miserable condition, noted the claw marks and the deep gashes on his back. He was not only brutally beaten and filthy, but also severely injured.

Before Timbo could continue talking with Hermit, Suzuka interrupted.

"Look, I know it's nice to talk with your new buddy, but I think you should give him first aid. He doesn't look too good."

Hermit, realizing the severity of Timbo's injuries, jumped to his feet.

"Oh! Of course, Master Helen! Silly me!" he shouted, launching into a sprint towards Silvia's tent.

Near the tent, he dove headfirst into a pile of boxes, rummaging through them. After a moment, he emerged with a few of the last goblin healing potions in his hands. He started by gently helping Timbo sit down on a rock, a makeshift stool, making sure the goblin was as comfortable as possible. Timbo winced as he sat down, his swollen face contorting in pain. Hermit, despite his nervousness and lack of formal medical training, knew he had to act quickly.

He uncorked a small vial containing a healing potion, its ethereal green glow shimmering in the dim light. 

"Here," Hermit said softly, holding the vial out to Timbo.

 "Drink this. It will help with the pain."

Timbo eyed the potion hesitantly, unsure of its effects. However, seeing the reassuring look in Hermit's eyes, he nodded and took a small sip. Almost immediately, a soothing warmth spread through his body, easing the sharp throbbing pain from his injuries. Timbo let out a relieved sigh, his tense muscles gradually relaxing.

While the healing potion began its work internally, Hermit turned his attention to Timbo's external injuries. He carefully poured another potion onto a clean cloth and dabbed it gently on the festering wounds across Timbo's grotesque injuries. The potion fizzed slightly upon contact, its magical properties immediately setting to work. It cleansed the wounds, removing dirt and infection, while also promoting rapid healing.

As Hermit rubbed the potion into Timbo's wounds, the goblin winced again, but this time it was a bearable discomfort compared to the raw pain he had been enduring. The magic of the potion worked swiftly, visibly reducing the swelling, and sealing the wounds with a faint, shimmering layer of protective ointment.

Within minutes, Timbo’s condition improved significantly. The relentless, stabbing pain that had tormented him for days had subsided to a dull ache. He felt remarkably better, though his body was still weak and his spirit nearly broken. He looked up at Hermit, his eyes shining not just with gratitude but with a deep, almost desperate sorrow as if the relief he now felt only magnified the misery he had witnessed.

"Thank you, Hermit," Timbo whispered hoarsely, his voice trembling with the weight of unspoken grief.

 "I wish… I wish all the other goblins could be saved, just like you saved me. But… but they’re still out there, suffering. So many of them… they’re still hurting, and I… I’m here." He could barely meet Hermit’s eyes, the guilt of his own survival gnawing at him.

Hermit reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Timbo’s scarred shoulder. The gesture was meant to comfort, but it only reminded Timbo of the countless other goblins who would never feel such a comforting touch, who would die alone, in misery.

"We will free them all, Timbo," Hermit said, his voice firm, "All you need to do is tell us where they are. Do you know how many farms there are? Can you lead us to them?"

Timbo nodded, though the motion was slow, hesitant as if he were unsure whether guiding them to the others would be a blessing or a curse. His throat tightened as he thought of the countless goblins still trapped in those horrible places, their lives filled with endless torment.

"Yes," he finally said, his voice cracking with emotion. 

"I know the way. I do. There… there are at least three more farms nearby, each holding so many of our kind. But the guards… they’re everywhere. They’re strong, and they’re cruel. We… we stand no chance against them. Not us."

"We will save them, Timbo," Hermit said, "You’ll guide us, and we’ll bring our kin to safety. We have to believe that. We have to try. And with Master Helen on our side, we will save our fellow gobbies."

Timbo’s eyes filled with tears - hot, bitter tears that he had been holding back for so long. The tears of a goblin who had seen too much suffering, who had lost too much. He had forgotten what hope felt like, and now that it was within his grasp, it hurt even more, because hope was fragile, and he knew it could be torn away in an instant.

"Thank you," Timbo whispered, "Thank you so much. I… I never thought I’d see hope again. Not after what I’ve seen… what they did to us… to them. I… I’m so scared, Hermit. I’m scared that… that it’s too late for some of them. That even if we find them… they won’t be who they were."

Hermit’s heart ached at Timbo’s words, the raw pain in his voice cutting deep. He knew the truth in what Timbo was saying. He had seen and felt it before - the way suffering could break a goblin’s spirit, turn them into something hollow, something barely alive. But he couldn’t let Timbo dwell on that. Not now.

"Rest now," Hermit said gently, though his voice was thick with unshed tears.

 "You’re safe here, Timbo. We’ll find a way. We have to. For all of them… and for you."

Timbo nodded weakly, settling back against the cushions provided for him. As he closed his eyes, Hermit watched over him for a while longer, ensuring that the potions continued to work their magic. Soon, Timbo's breathing evened into a steady rhythm of sleep, his face finally relaxed from the tension of pain. 

Hermit quietly left the tent, closing the flap behind him. He glanced over at Suzuka, who was deep in conversation with Jacob about the next steps for expanding their camp and freeing more goblins.

Suzuka looked up and noticed Hermit standing there. 

"How is he?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Hermit smiled weakly.

 "He'll be okay. The potions did wonders. Thank you for having these supplies ready."

"I'm happy he is fine but we'll need to be ready for more like him. There are many more goblins out there who need our help."

Hermit told Suzuka everything he learned from Timbo.

 "Let's find those other breeding farms as soon as possible. We need more goblins if we're going to build this place up quickly. The sooner we build the wall the sooner we will be safe," she said firmly.

Hermit nodded enthusiastically. 

"Yes, Master Helen! We'll find them and bring them here. We work hard! And we will be safe and happy!"

As they were talking, Larry approached with a look of concern etched on his face. 

"Helen, may I have a moment?" he began.

She urged Hermit to scuttle away. 

"Alright, Hermit. We will talk later. Off you go, make yourself useful around. Adults need to talk in private, shoo, shoo!" 

With Hermit wobbling away she turned to Larry and asked, "Well? What is it?"

 "A little bit of bad news, I'm afraid, our supplies are running out faster than we anticipated and the food the goblins are growing isn't ready yet. We need to go back to town and get this month's supplies from Valerius for the goblins. It'll take us a little over a week to go there and return, but we need to do it. At this rate, we’ll last maybe two weeks tops."

Suzuka pondered for a moment, nodding. 

"Yeah, I noticed the shortage. You're right, we do need to go back to town. But before you leave, we need to hit a few goblin breeding farms. A goblin slave scout wandered into our camp. He said there were three farms somewhere close by."

Larry sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 

"That's gonna be tricky, with the little time we’ve got. But if your plan works out as swiftly as the last two times, I think we could manage it."

Suzuka’s eyes sparkled with eagerness.

 "Alright then, let's not waste time. Gather the team. We’ll leave Jacob and Isaac to defend the camp. Olivia, Hermit, you and your team will go with me to the breeding farms."

Larry nodded, his resolve matching hers.

"Great, that sounds like a plan. We meet in ten."

With that, he went to gather his team. Suzuka grabbed Hermit and dragged him into her tent to put on his evil goblin disguise. As they entered, they found Olivia lounging in Suzuka's bedroll. Hermit blushed furiously and turned his gaze away as he caught sight of Olivia's gorgeous body.

Suzuka rolled her eyes whacking Hermit on the head.

 "Hey, turn away! No peeking, you little creep."

Olivia chuckled, her voice playful.

 "Oh, don't be too harsh on him. It wasn't his fault. How about you come inside and let's have some fun, hmm?"

Suzuka sighed, a hint of longing in her voice. 

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I would love to, but there's little time. We need to hit three goblin farms, and we have only a few days' window."

Olivia's demeanor shifted to serious. 

"Oh, I didn't know. I understand. There's no time for fun indeed, but when we're done, we can get wild again."

"When the job is done, we can go wild all night and then some," Suzuka promised with a grin.

 "But for now, I need to turn this goblin into the menace of the forest. We’ll go with the usual plan. Hermit will act as an evil goblin guard, and I’ll be a slave he brought in as a gift for passage. The last two times our act worked like a charm. I bet it will go smoothly a third time as well."

Olivia pouted her cheeks playfully, crossing her arms.

 "Huff, I don’t like these filthy goblins touching you."

Suzuka laughed and patted Olivia's shoulder.

 "Oh, come on, Olivia. Don’t be like that. If it's to save as many goblin slaves as possible, I don't mind them touching me. It works fine this way. We won't lose even a single one of them. If we simply charged in, swinging swords and shooting magic, there would be a lot of casualties and injuries. We tried that before, and it ended miserably."

Olivia, still playfully acting like a child, sighed and said, "Fine, fine, I get it. As long as they're safe, right?"

Suzuka nodded.

 "Exactly. As long as they’re safe."

Hermit nervously interrupted the conversation between Suzuka and Olivia, his voice trembling with urgency and emotion.

 "Master Helen, I am sorry to interrupt you talking with your girlfriend, but I must ask you to allow us to build a hatchery. If we raid the goblin breeding farms, there will be many goblin eggs. We cannot abandon them! Each egg carries a new life of my kin! Please, save them too! They are not just eggs! They have life in them, already alive hatchlings. Please, I'm begging you."

Hermit's eyes were wide with desperation, his hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. He was on the verge of tears, his meek exterior crumbling in the face of this heartfelt plea. 

"Master Helen, you’ve seen the horrors we’ve endured. The pain, the suffering. Those eggs, they are our future. They are innocent, untainted by the cruelties we’ve faced. We can’t leave them behind to rot away. Please, let us build a hatchery. Let us give them a chance at life."

Suzuka looked at Hermit, his passionate plea touching her heart.

 "Sure, go ahead. Also, build a pen to keep the hatchlings in, with a sturdy fence and all. Let some of your fellow goblins start building it while we go and rescue the slaves and gather the eggs. But first, you need to dress in your disguise. Then you can go and give orders."

Hermit beamed with joy, his eyes shining with gratitude. He eagerly put on the evil goblin guard outfit, transforming into a fearsome figure. Then, he rushed outside to his fellow goblins and shared his plan with them. His voice rang out with authority, and the goblins listened intently, their eyes wide with admiration for their leader.

Suzuka and Olivia met up with Larry and his team, discussing their strategy for the upcoming raids. With everyone ready, they ventured into the forest, guided by Timbo.