Chapter 32 Gift From Slasher

After hearing some more fantastic stories from the adventurer, my imagination ran wild. I pictured a town where goblin slaves were free from pain and suffering, walking hand in hand with humans and other friendly creatures that roamed our realm.

Turning to the adventurer, my voice trembling with the weight of memories too heavy for my little heart to bear, I said, "Brave traveler, listen to poor goblin's tale, the saddest story you ever hear. It's a tale of pain, loss, and dreams that crumbled like dust in the wind. Me and Kaka, my bestest friend, my beloved caretaker... we wanted freedom, far away from chains and beatings. We wanted to escape, to find a place where no one would ever hurt us again. We dreamed of open plains, of green fields where the sun would kiss our skin and the wind would carry away all the sadness in our hearts. A place where no pain or suffering could find us. But... no luck. Our dreams were crushed by cruel fate. We were just two weak goblins, no match for the harsh world outside."

Tears trickle down my cheeks as I recount the horrors we faced.

"We stumbled through dark forests, hurting and scared, our bodies covered in scars. Every step hurt, every breath reminded us of pain. Monsters lurked at every step. And then, in our darkest hour, we found this terrible place," I lament, my heart heavy with regret.

"But it was no haven. No, it became our prison, filled with mean creatures and cruel masters. The guards and the nasty Slasher showed us no mercy. They beat us for fun, treating us like broken toys. Kaka tried to shield me from the worst of it, taking the beatings meant for me, but it wore him down, bit by bit. Every hit took a piece of him away until almost nothing was left. We were nothing to them, just things to hurt. And now, we are stuck here, trapped in never-ending pain. Our hopes are gone, shattered like broken dreams. Oh, how I wish for the day we can escape these chains and fly free, away from all this misery."

With a slight, almost predatory gleam in his eye, the adventurer leaned closer, his voice oozing with kindness.

"You want to get to a safe place? That's wonderful! The town I come from is exactly what you're looking for. It's a paradise where pain and suffering are just stories, and you’ll never have to worry about Slasher or any other nasty guard ever again."

His smile grew wider, but something was unsettling about it.

"If you could help me escape, I would gladly take you there," he continued, his voice dripping with honeyed promises.

"We could live happily, free from all this torment. Imagine that, little freak - peace and happiness forever."

He paused for effect, letting the idea sink in.

"But don't feel pressured to decide right now," he added, his tone deceptively gentle.

"Scuttle along and think about it. When you're ready to escape this place, just let me know. I'll be right here, waiting for your decision. After all, it's not like I can go anywhere on my own."

I scuttled back and told everything to Kaka. He pondered for a while, and with a deep sigh, cautioned me, "Little Hermit, this man is an adventurer - the same kind that slaughtered and burned our kin without a second thought. We cannot trust him to keep his word. Even if, with combined help, we escaped this place, we could not go with him, not to where people live. They will skin us alive and leave us for wild animals to eat."

I sat in silence, torn between hope and fear. The thought of freedom and a life without beatings was intoxicating, but Kaka’s words weighed heavily on my heart. Trusting the adventurer could lead us to safety or doom us to a worse fate than death. As I mulled over the decision, I glanced at the hatchlings, their innocent faces reminding me of the responsibility we carried. Their future depended on our choices.

That night, as darkness enveloped the shed, I lay beside Kaka, unable to sleep. His breathing was a fragile lullaby in the dark. The hatchlings nestled close, their tiny forms trembling against the cold and fear that permeated our makeshift shelter. I stroked their heads gently, my words a whisper in the air, trying to offer comfort where there was little to be found.

But peace is a fleeting guest in the world we inhabit. The sharp crack of splintering wood pierced the silence, jolting us from our half-sleep. Kaka's body convulsed, his eyes wide with terror as the door to our shed crashed open, revealing the hulking shadow of Slasher. His laughter, cruel and mocking, echoed off the walls as he stepped inside, a bucket dangling from his grip like a macabre gift.

"Oh, Kaaaaaakaaaaa! Guess what time it is, you shitty slave!" Slasher bellowed, his voice dripping with malice.

Kaka whimpered, his legs kicking feebly in the air as he tried to shrink away from the looming threat. But there was nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape the inevitable torment. With a sneer, Slasher set the bucket down and beckoned Kaka forward with a jerk of his head.

Clutching his scrawny hands, Kaka stumbled toward his master, his steps hesitant and small. Slasher's hand shot out, seizing Kaka by the scalp, his fingers digging into the loose skin with brutal force. 

"Wreeeeeeeeee! It hurts! Reeeee! Master, mercy!"

Kaka's cry of pain was cut short by a vicious backhand that sent him reeling, blood trickling from his split lip.

"Shut up, you stinking piece of shit," Slasher growled, his gaze shifting to the bucket. 

"I come bearing gifts! I brought you some water, shitty Kaka! Be grateful!"

Kaka's eyes flicked to the bucket, his voice barely a whisper as he choked out his thanks, "Master, thank you, you are so kind, thank you."

Slasher chuckled, the sound scraping against my nerves like claws on stone.

 "See, you shitty Kaka? See how nice I am? You know how to make me feel good so I will give you this gift. Here, I even land you a hand, let me help you drink that water."

With those chilling words, Slasher plunged Kaka's head into the bucket, his hands holding it firmly beneath the surface. Kaka's struggles were violent, his limbs flailing uselessly as the water closed over his face, cutting off his air supply. Bubbles rose around him, a desperate plea for life as he fought against the suffocating embrace of the liquid.

Kaka's voice gurgled in a mixture of panic and fear, "M-Master... please... no! I-I do good... I be good...!" 

His words were cut off by the sudden rush of water filling his mouth and nose, his tiny body convulsing as he tried to lift his head, but Slasher's iron grip held him down without mercy.

"Glub! Glub... hrrk! P-please... nnngh... m-master...! N-no... more... air...! P-please... l-let me... up...!" The words were barely distinguishable, now just a series of drowned moans and gurgles as Kaka’s strength ebbed away.

 Kaka's words dissolved into choked, wet gasps, his claws scraping at Slasher's arms, leaving shallow scratches that the larger being didn’t even seem to notice. The goblin’s desperate breaths turned into frantic, sputtering noises, his body jerking as he thrashed in a futile attempt to escape.

Slasher sneered, tightening his grip as Kaka’s struggles slowed, his voice now just a garbled mess, "Glurk... glub... m-master...! M-mercy...!" His limbs twitched feebly, the last of his fight leaving him as his body began to go limp.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kaka's hands slipped from Slasher's arms, floating lifelessly in the water. His voice, once filled with terror, was now silent, only the occasional weak bubble rising to the surface as his body gave in to the inevitable.

Slasher lifted Kaka’s head from the bucket, letting the goblin’s limp form hang there for a moment, water dripping from his lifeless mouth and nose. He let out a dark chuckle, his voice filled with sadistic satisfaction.

 "See? I told you I'd help. Guess you weren’t as thirsty as you thought, huh, Kaka?"

Kaka's head lolled to the side, his eyes half-open, staring blankly into the distance, the life drained from them, leaving behind nothing but a lifeless husk. Slasher’s hand came down hard, delivering a sharp backhanded slap that echoed through the room.

“Wake up, you miserable little worm! Don’t go passing out on me now,” Slasher sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. Kaka’s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow, his ears ringing as pain jolted him back to full consciousness.

Kaka whimpered, his body shaking violently, water still dribbling from his mouth as he choked out a pitiful response. 

“M-Master... I’m... sorry... I-I didn’t mean... to... please... d-don’t... P-please, Master... I-I’ll do better... I’ll... I’ll be good... no more mistakes, I promise...”

Slasher grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, yanking him upright so that Kaka was forced to look into his cruel, gleaming eyes. 

“Oh, you’re sorry, alright. Pathetic. Can’t even handle a little drink without making a mess of it. Here! Take another dip! You shitty Kaka!" Slasher grabbed Kaka by the back of his neck again, his grip like iron, and with a swift, brutal motion, shoved Kaka’s head back into the bucket of water.

I jumped by Slasher's feet, kissing and licking them while pleading for mercy, "P-please, master! Mercy! I beg of you, Slasher, don't do this! We are loyal, we are! We serve you, we do! No more pain, please, no more! I'll do anything! Anything! I grovel at your feet. I lick them clean. I worship you, I do! You’re mighty, you’re strong, please don’t kill us! Kaka’s done nothing wrong, master, he’s just scared! We all are! Don’t let him die, please, master! We’ll work harder, we’ll never rest, just please...! I’ll take his place, master! Drown me instead, if it pleases you! Just let him live! He’s a good goblin, he is, always loyal, and always does what he’s told! We’re not worth your anger, master, we’re nothing but dirt beneath your feet! Please, spare us, master, spare us." 

But I was met with a kick to the face and tumbled away. I watched, helpless, as Kaka's movements grew slower, his body shuddering with the effort to breathe. Slasher's face twisted into a mask of twisted pleasure, his eyes gleaming in the dim light as he relished in the torture he was delivering. Time stretched, each second an eternity as Kaka's life hung in the balance, his fate sealed by the whims of a monster.

Just when it seemed Kaka would succumb, Slasher yanked his head back and delivered a backhand across the face, water cascading from his face in a grotesque mimicry of tears. Kaka gasped, his lungs burning for air, his eyes vacant with shock and pain. Slasher laughed, the sound echoing through the shed, a mockery of joy in the face of such suffering.

"Feeling refreshed, shitty Kaka? Let's do it again, you piece of shit! Drink, you scum! Drink! Don't leave even a single drop!" Slasher taunted, his grip tightening on Kaka's scalp.