Survival Life as a Goblin Chapter 4 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! I’m updating my Original Writing again! This update is actually a Tier Reward! Legendary General Demonhunter6363 has requested a new chapter and I can’t tell you how happy I am! Knowing my little Isekai has a few fans is awesome! Well let’s get to it!

Our young Gob is about to wake up to a surprise!

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-Day 36-

Gobkoh shifted in his sleep his eyes slowly opening. With a yawn the young Goblin blinked before stopping suddenly.

‘I thought I was so cozy and comfortable because of my new mattress. But someone is lying next to me!’ Gobkoh thought, sleep quickly fading from his mind. Looking down at his bedmate he saw long brunette hair on top of the head of the Goblin snuggled up to him. ‘Rialin?! When did she get here?!’ Gobkoh wondered not remembering the female coming to him in the night.

“Hmm?” Rialin groaned slightly as she shifted. Lifting her head up from where it was snuggled close to Gobkoh’s chest. “Is it morning?”

“I think so…” Gobkoh answered back lightly so he wouldn’t startle her.

“Morning Gobkoh.” Rialin yawned a she propped herself up on one arm while looking him in the eye.

“Morning, Rialin, sleep well?” Gobkoh asked with a hesitant smile. So far Rialin didn’t seem to be making a fuss about their situation. Maybe she was okay with it because she’d been the one to initiate it? He certainly didn’t remember asking her into his bed.

“Best sleep ever, this bed you made is amazing.” Rialin replied resting her head on her palm as she lay on her side looking at him; her honey-colored eyes gazing at him fondly.

“I’ve been planning it for a while.” Gobkoh responded not really knowing what else to say.

“I’m glad you’re willing to share it with me.” Rialin smiled. Gobkoh couldn’t help but return the smile; something about her relaxed attitude was putting him at ease.

“So you came to me when I was asleep to ask me to try it out?” Gobkoh questioned the female only for her smile to widen.

“Partly, but mostly because I’m interested in you, I want the other girls to know that so I need to make sure we have our scents on each other.” Rialin explained and Gobkoh nodded slowly. Had he been a younger man when he’d been reborn into this world he might have freaked out or been at least a bit awkward. Rialin’s advance was straight forward and blunt. She was interested in him so she was ‘marking her claim’ so to speak. As far as the youngsters had been taught Goblin’s didn’t have any kind of Courtship Rituals or dating. It was different from what he remembered from ‘before’ but different cultures did things differently. He wasn’t going to waste time and energy trying to change Goblin Culture.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect this yet, to be honest.” Gobkoh replied and Rialin frowned slightly. She looked like she was preparing for rejection. “But I’m also interested in you, Rialin. So let’s see where this goes, together.” Rialin’s frown disappeared in an instant as she beamed a fanged smile at him and wrapped him in a sideways hug.

“I’m glad.” Rialin breathed out happily. Gobkoh freed one of his arms from the blankets and wrapped it around her shoulders. Rialin snuggled into the hug and hummed pleasantly.

“We should probably get up though, we need to get food and I want to practice with my spear.” Gobkoh stated as he released her and both of them stood up from the blankets. The two stretched a bit before separating. Rialin went to start waking up the females while Gobkoh put on his pelt tunic and armor. Shortly afterwards Gobkoh left the cave and started his exercise and practice.

“Gobkoh!” Rialin called out and Gobkoh turned to face her and the other females.

“What’s up?” Gobkoh asked looking the fourteen females over before his eyes settled back on Rialin. ‘Come to think of it what is Rialin to me now? I’ve been calling Rull’s Hobgoblin females his ‘wives’ because I didn’t have any other term for them. But Goblin’s don’t have any dating or courtship so things like girlfriends, fiancés, and wives aren’t really a thing.’ The young Goblin pondered internally before Rialin spoke up again.

“Can we join your practice?” Rialin requested and all the females nodded behind her. “We want to survive! To do that we need to get stronger!”

“Sure, just copy me at first and see what you can pick up.” Gobkoh nodded making Rialin and the other females smile. Rialin moved over and wrapped his arm in a hug with a pleased grin. ‘Well she did say she wanted to make sure the other girls knew.’ He thought as he saw the other thirteen females look at the display of affection with either curiosity or acceptance.

“Can we join in?” Gobtay asked as he and Gobyog, along with another male Goblin, walked over.

“Who’s that?” Gobkoh questioned motioning to the new male.

“This is Gobmyr; he’s one of the only other males that use a stick to hunt.” Gobyog introduced and Gobmyr waved in greeting.

“Sure feel free to join in.” Gobkoh shrugged as he looked over the rest of the males that were already heading into the forest to hunt. He noticed only a single one that carried a stick. The rest were all still bare-handed. ‘Maybe I should talk to the last stick wielder? Better to have as many, semi-intelligent, Goblins together as possible.’ He mused as he started leading the group of seventeen other Goblin youngsters through stretches and warm-ups. From there he showed them staff techniques he’d learned ‘before’ but that translated over well to the spear. After two hours of practice the group split up to start gathering food and hunting. Before he could leave the clearing Gobyog, Gobtay, and Gobmyr approached him.

“Go on, ask him.” Gobyog urged Gobmyr forward and the slightly smaller male approached Gobkoh.

“Umm, I usually only beat Brush Rats to death with my stick, is there a weapon that’s more suited for that?” Gobmyr asked.

“A basic club made from a thick tree branch would work for that.” Gobkoh replied to the other youngster. “If you want more damage to be done with a club you can stud it with hard material like stones. Or add sharp points or spikes to it with bones or sharp rocks.”

“Oh, that sounds easy enough!” Gobmyr’s face lit up at how easy a better weapon suited to him was to make. Gobtay and Gobyog chuckled as they walked with Gobmyr towards the forest to get him a branch thick enough for a club.

“Well, time to hunt.” Gobkoh grinned as he made his way into the forest. Walking for several minutes hadn’t led to any prey and the young Goblin was starting to wonder where all the animals had vanished to. ‘This is the second time in as many days that I haven’t found smaller prey. The girls find the Brush Rats on the opposite side of the cave for the most part. But that doesn’t account for the Jackalopes and Shellcoons.’ He thought to himself as he looked and listened for any sign of potential prey. Deciding to head towards the larger clearing where he’d found the Stripe Deer yesterday, Gobkoh readied his spear in case he ran across a Shade Lynx again.

Upon arriving at the clearing there was no trace of the Stripe Deer or any other prey. Continuing his search Gobkoh walked on further than he had been before. Coming to a part of the forest he hadn’t been to before the youngster stumbled upon something that made his blood run cold. There in the dirt in front of him was a huge paw print. He could stand in the large paw print without trouble or causing any damage to it. Whatever had made this print had to be absolutely massive and from what knowledge he had from ‘before’ this was the print of a cat of some kind.

“Is there really something this massive wandering around this forest?” Gobkoh questioned himself his spear out and ready. It probably wouldn’t do him any good against whatever made the print, but it was better than nothing. “Is this why all the prey has fled to the other side of the cave?” A sudden noise from above and slightly to the right startled the young Goblin and made him reflexively turn and thrust his spear out. Though his thrust didn’t even come close to what was sitting in the tree above him, the spear simply being too short. What looked down on Gobkoh was a large primate. ‘Is that a Mandrill?’ He wondered noticing the distinct blue and red face and the large fangs in its elongated jaws. His ‘Analyze’ skill soon gave him an answer.

[Rafikdrill – Level 20]

“Oh shit…” Gobkoh trailed off. This beast was four times his level and looked hostile. He barely saw it move when it descended from the tree and swiped at him. The short claws of the Rafikdrill scraped along his ‘Shell Armor Breastplate’ and sent him tumbling across the ground. ‘It’s so damn strong!’ He screamed in his head as he scrambled back onto his feet and brandished his spear.

“Raaaahaaa!” The Rafikdrill screeched at the young Goblin rushing into attack again.

“Damn it!” Gobkoh swore as he sidestepped the charge and scored a glancing blow with his spear.

“Aaaarrrhhhaaaa!” The Rafikdrill screamed as it lashed out and knocked the spear aside. The follow up rush knocked Gobkoh sprawling again and the Rafikdrill jumped on top of the downed Goblin. Gobkoh could only do his best to guard his face and head with his spear shaft while his ‘Shell Armor Breastplate’ took the brunt of the damage form the primate’s swipes and smacks.

‘Shit, at this rate I’m dead!’ Gobkoh thought as the pressure from the Rafikdrill’s attacks was making it hard to breathe. The sheer weight the primate was putting on the shell armor was pushing him down into the dirt. The Rafikdrill swiped hard at Gobkoh’s face and knocked the ‘Antler Spear’ from his hands. In a panicked rush Gobkoh grabbed his ‘Antler Shiv’ and stabbed at the Rafikdrill’s face, neck, and chest. They were the only areas of the primate’s body in reach for the young Goblin.

“Raahh! Raahaa!” The Rafikdrill screamed and screeched as it was stabbed. Only a few did more than scratch its skin under its fur; but a few had actually left stab wounds on its chest and one on its neck. With a vicious swipe the Rafikdrill knocked the ‘Antler Shiv’ out of Gobkoh’s hand and hurt his right arm in the process.

“Shit!” Gobkoh growled feeling like his arm had just been hit with a hammer. The Rafikdrill slammed both of its hands down on the ‘Shell Armor Breastplate’ and Gobkoh choked on his saliva as he felt the shell give way. The wind forced from his lungs left him stunned and the Rafikdrill picked him up by the broken armor and tossed him across the space between the trees.

“Raaahahaah!” The Rafikdrill screeched again as it approached the downed and injured Goblin. 

“Not yet, damn it; I just started this life…you bastard.” Gobkoh heaved as he clawed at the dirt. Looking up he noticed his ‘Antler Spear’ in reach and grabbed the weapon forcing himself to stand and face the primate. The Rafikdrill was still growling at him but Gobkoh noticed a small ray of hope as he looked the beast over. ‘Its’ fur is matted near its neck and chest.’ Looking below the Rafikdrill showed a splattering of blood covering the ground. ‘He’s bleeding…pretty badly at that.’ The Rafikdrill rushed the young Goblin again, aiming to end the smaller creature’s life, while it screeched loudly.

‘Move…damn you.’ Gobkoh mentally ordered his right arm as he forced it to grip his spear as best as he could. With his grip as solid as he could make it the young Goblin thrust his spear with his full weight behind the strike. The charging Rafikdrill couldn’t stop its charge and Gobkoh scored the final blow of the death match. The ‘Antler Spear’ lodged into the charging primate’s neck and the weight and speed behind the charge made the attack worse. Gobkoh held his footing as best he could but the spear shaft bent and then broke. The charging Rafikdrill bowled the young Goblin over but forced the spear completely through its own neck in the process.

“Got you…bastard.” Gobkoh huffed from under the dead primate as he tried to get his breathing steady. Getting home in his condition was going to be a pain. But unless he did he’d most likely die before the night was over. “Get…off of me.” He grunted as he pushed against the dead Rafikdrill and crawled his way out from under it. “Damn…how am I going to drag you back? I sure as hell didn’t almost die to not eat you.”

“Gobkoh, is that you?” Gobyog questioned as he, Gobtay and Gobmyr emerged from some nearby bushes.

“What’re…you guys…doing here?” Gobkoh panted looking his fellow Goblins over.

“We heard a lot of loud screeching from where we were trying to find some prey. We came closer to try and see what it was, since we’ve never heard anything like it before.” Gobtay explained as the three youngsters looked over the dead Rafikdrill.

“When the screeching stopped a minute ago we decided to peek through the bushes and that’s when we saw you.” Gobmyr finished as all three of them prodded the dead primate with their weapons.

“The screeching was this thing. Nearly killed me, if I hadn’t been wearing my armor I’d be dead twice over.” Gobkoh explained as he leaned against a tree for support. “If you guys can gut it, I’ll let you have some of the meat when we get back.”

“Really?” Gobmyr asked a hopeful look on his face.

“Sure thing! We can do that!” Gobyog nodded as the three proceeded to use their claws to open the primate’s torso and remove its organs. In just a few minutes the three youngsters had the Rafikdrill cleaned and ready to be transported.

“Gobmyr, help me walk back to the cave.” Gobkoh requested and the slightly smaller Goblin nodded letting Gobkoh throw his arm over his shoulders. “Gobyog, Gobtay, grab a leg each and drag that thing back for me.”

“Got it!” Gobtay nodded as he and Gobyog each took one of the primate’s legs and started dragging it behind them. The four youngsters slowly made their way back to the cave. Very little was said but that suited the injured Gobkoh just fine. He had plenty to think about.

‘This thing almost killed me. I thought the worst thing around here would be the Shade Lynx. Not to mention that giant paw print I found. Did these things come from somewhere else or have they always been here?’ Gobkoh wondered as he mulled over what had happened today. Just over an hour later the group had made it back to the cave clearing. To say their appearance caused a ruckus was putting it mildly.

“Gobkoh!” Rialin yelled out in shock and worry as she bolted over to him. “What happened? Where’s your armor? Are you alright?”

“I’ll live.” Gobkoh answered as he and Gobmyr made their way to the shade near one of the campfires the young females had made. “This thing was a lot stronger than me, it caught me off guard.” He stated motioning towards the dead Rafikdrill.” The rest of the youngsters all crowded around to look at Gobkoh and the dead primate in wonder.

“Neylin, get Gobkoh some water.” Rialin ordered another of the females. Neylin nodded quickly before rushing off to the river with a roughly hewn wooden bowl. A few moments later and the bowl of water was being sipped as Gobkoh drank gratefully.

“What’s going on?” En inquired as he approached the large group of youngsters. He caught site of the injured Gobkoh before noticing the dead Rafikdrill lying a little bit away from him. “Where did you find this?” He questioned Gobkoh directly his face showing caution and concern.

“I walked farther than I had before. I couldn’t find any of my usual prey, so I went past where I found the Stripe Deer.” Gobkoh began getting a nod from En. “A fair distance past that area and I stumbled upon a giant paw print.”

“How big was this paw print?” En asked seriously and Gobkoh noticed the change in tone.

“I could stand in it without disturbing the print.” Gobkoh replied and En’s eyes narrowed; a look of contemplation on his old face. “That’s when I heard this guy in the tree above me. Before I knew it he was on the ground and I was being attacked. My armor saved me. If I had taken some of its blows without it I would’ve died.”

“This is troubling, very troubling.” En muttered and both Gobkoh and Rialin looked the old Hobgoblin directly in the eyes.

“What is this thing, En? Why are you so worried?” Rialin questioned while Gobkoh refused to break eye contact.

“This is a Rafikdrill; they’re fairly strong monkey monsters that live far southwest of here. At least they normally do. That area of the forest is ruled by a large predator species called ‘Crown Tiger’. The Rafikdrills follow Crown Tigers around to scavenge meat from their kills. They only occasionally fight other scavengers for the remains of a Crown Tiger kill.” En explained the foreboding look on his face unchanging.

“So one of them left the area and came all the way up here?” Gobkoh asked as Rialin sat next to him and gently caressed his injured arm. “You think that paw print I found was from a Crown Tiger, don’t you?”

“It was from something worse than a Crown Tiger, I’m afraid.” En muttered sighing heavily. “The size of the print would mean that it is an Advanced Form of the Crown Tiger species. It’s either a large Royal Tiger or, the worst case scenario, an Emperor Tiger.”

“Royal, Emperor?” Rialin questioned and En nodded to his daughter.

“A Crown Tiger becomes a Royal Tiger upon its first Growth Phase. A Royal Tiger that gets strong enough will then grow into an Emperor Tiger.” En explained while stroking his small beard. “But there should only be one Emperor Tiger at a time. The current ruler of the entire southwest area of the Silua Forest has been there for decades. It has no reason to leave its territory.”

“What if a new Emperor Tiger emerged?” Gobkoh questioned. “Wouldn’t it seek out its own territory, if it couldn’t take over the current Emperor’s?”

“That’s what worries me, young Gobkoh.” En sighed heavily. “When Rull first established our Tribe we found this cave and all the prey in the area. With the river running close by this place was perfect to live in. The only problem was that a Crown Tiger lived here back then. It wasn’t very old, probably looking to avoid competition from its own species since it was so far from the normal range of its kind. Rull fought with it and eventually drove it out of the area. For the last four decades our Tribe has maintained control of this section of the Silua Forest. I’m afraid that young Crown Tiger may have grown and is now looking to reclaim its old territory.”

“Well, that’s not good.” Gobkoh muttered. “The freaking scavenger almost killed me. None of us has a chance if it really is an Emperor Tiger.”

“I’ll inform Rull of what has occurred.” En nodded. “With how far away you had to walk to find the print the Tiger probably won’t challenge Rull for a bit longer.”

“We can only hope.” Gobkoh grimaced. He knew that at their current strength none of the youngsters would be able to survive long enough to establish another Tribe if they lost Rull and the Hobgoblins. ‘If I could just get a bit stronger than that monkey I’d probably be able to lead some of us away whenever the Tiger comes. But that relies heavily on the others being strong enough to make it as well.’ Gobkoh mused as he looked over the bruises covering his body. ‘Rull is old now; I doubt he can fight off an Emperor Tiger even with the help of the Hobgoblins. Maybe we should pack up now and leave before it gets here?’

“What’re you thinking about, Gobkoh?” Rialin asked as she gently leaned against him.

“We need to get stronger, Rialin. If we don’t we’re going to be wiped out.” Gobkoh replied gravely. “I’ll ask Rull if the Tribe can leave before the Tiger comes, but I don’t know if Rull and the Hobgoblins will be willing to do that.”

“What if they refuse?” Rialin questioned looking him in the eye.

“Then we’ll have to pack up and leave. We’d be slaughtered by a Crown Tiger; an Emperor Tiger will be the end of the Rull Tribe.” Gobkoh explained. “None of us youngsters are strong enough to stand up to even the scavengers that follow those beasts around; much less the Tiger itself. We need to get as strong as we can before it gets here, not to fight it, but to be strong enough to run away.”

“I’m with you.” Rialin nodded as she held his hand.

“Count me in; I don’t want to end up as food.” Gobyog spoke up.

“I’m smart enough to know when to run, I’ll come with you.” Gobtay agreed.

“I’m not staying to die, let me come too!” Gobmyr requested.

“I’ll come along; I’m sure the rest of the females will too.” Neylin nodded along with the other girls crowded around them.

“We still have to be strong enough to survive without Rull and the Hobgoblins protecting us. We’ll need to up our hunting and our practices in the morning.” Gobkoh informed the group. “But before all of that…I’m eating that thing!” He stated as he pointed at the Rafikdrill.

The group of youngsters that got to taste the Rafikdrill all unanimously decided the monkeys were disgusting. Even with some seasoning the meat was stringy, gamey, and smelled bad. Even Gobtay and Gobyog, who’d both eaten some questionable meat they’d scavenged, didn’t like it and barely choked it down. In the end Gobkoh ate the majority of the meat out of sheer spite for the monkey almost killing him. That night Rialin snuggled up closer than the previous night. The young female rested her head on Gobkoh’s chest just to soothe herself with his heartbeat.

‘I’m sorry I worried her, but there wasn’t anything I could do in that situation. We have to get stronger or our lives are going to come to an abrupt end. Maybe it’s time to look into some ranged weapons.’ Gobkoh pondered before relaxing and putting an arm around Rialin’s sleeping form. He fell asleep shortly after seeing the small smile that appeared on her face. 

-Day 37-

“We lost three more yesterday.” Gobkoh thought aloud as he looked at the three empty blankets in the sleeping area. That brought the current number of youngsters down to thirty five. Thankfully it had only been more of the dim ones that wandered off into the forest empty handed. Losing any of the intelligent or semi-intelligent Goblins would be disastrous right now.

“Are you ready Gobkoh?” Rialin asked as she gathered the females together for practice and work-outs.

“One second.” Gobkoh replied as he made his way over to the last remaining male that used a stick. “I’m Gobkoh, what’s your name?” He asked the stick wielder.

“I’m Gobwren.” Gobwren responded looking at Gobkoh curiously.

“Would you like to join us for training Gobwren?” Gobkoh questioned getting a look of curiosity from Gobwren.

“You want me? But I’m not that smart, I just copied the others that carried sticks and stuff.” Gobwren commented and Gobkoh shrugged.

“You still learned to use a stick to hunt. That’s better than the majority of our group.” Gobkoh insisted as he pointed behind him at the dim-witted males that were starting to leave the cave.

“Thanks Gobkoh! I’ll try my best!” Gobwren promised with a nod.

“That’s all we can do.” Gobkoh nodded as he patted Gobwren on the shoulder and started leading him towards the rest of his group. If he was the designated leader, including himself and Gobwren, then his group now consisted of nineteen of the original forty Goblins born in the final birthing.

‘I think I should have leveled up quite a bit from taking down the Rafikdrill. So what’s my level now?’ Gobkoh questioned mentally. Just like all the times before he thought about it the information came to the forefront of his mind.

‘Gobkoh, Level 10’ Drifted through his head before disappearing again.

‘I leveled up five times!’ Gobkoh mentally exclaimed startled by his doubled level. After a few moments to calm himself he realized taking down something four times his own level would definitely give him a major boost. ‘Still, I almost died to gain these levels and I’m still only half as strong as that damn monkey.’ Putting his thoughts aside for now Gobkoh started leading the rest of his group through work outs and some weapons practice. After practice Gobkoh gathered up the females with Rialin and gave out instructions.

“Hunters, hunt as normal for now, when you get back I hope to have something new to show you.” Gobkoh nodded to the five females, two that had ‘Shell Armor Breastplates’, while all five had ‘Antler Spears’. The females nodded and headed off into the forest behind the cave. “For the rest of us I need you all to help me gather some materials.” Rialin and the rest of the females looked confused but followed along behind him regardless.

“What kind of materials are we looking for?” Rialin asked as they walked into the forest between the cave and the river.

“Short, mostly straight sticks, and some long sticks that are slightly curved. We’ll also be gathering Ranji vines to make more cordage. If you see any small sharp rocks pick those up too.” Gobkoh explained and the females set about collecting the requested items. “Now we just need one other thing.” He mentioned as he picked up a decent sized rock and started looking around the trees.

“What’s the rock for?” Rialin questioned seeing her male looking up at the tree branches.

“I’m hoping to hit a bird with it.” Gobkoh smiled while Rialin looked confused. The two walked on for a bit before Gobkoh heard birds chirping. Motioning to Rialin to be quiet the two snuck up to the area and noticed several birds chirping in a tree near the river. They were all Woodland Robins from what Gobkoh could tell, but they had exactly what he needed. Seeing Rialin had picked up a similar rock to his on their walk through the forest he motioned at the Robins and mimed throwing the rock at them. Rialin nodded back getting the message and both Goblins cocked back their arms. With all their strength the youngsters threw their rocks at the birds in the tree. Rialin’s stone had knocked a Robin out of the tree but the bird was flapping around on the ground injured. Gobkoh’s rock had smacked another Robin and the bird had dropped to the ground unmoving. Rialin was quick to run over and stomp on the Robin’s head to stop its flapping around. The rest of the flock had taken flight but Gobkoh had what he needed.

“So why did you want to kill some birds? Are we going to eat them?” Rialin asked looking over the bird in her hand.

“We can do that too, we have to remove their feathers before we cook them and I need the feathers to try and make the weapon I have in mind.” Gobkoh explained as the two carried their birds back to the cave clearing.

“A new weapon? What is it?” Rialin asked excited at the prospect.

“It’s called a bow; it uses cordage and tension to launch things called arrows at whatever you target. It’s a ranged weapon that lets you attack from far away so you don’t have to fight up close and personal like you do with a spear or a club.” Gobkoh explained and Rialin’s eyes widened at the idea of the weapon.

“You’re amazing Gobkoh! So smart! So tough! You’re the best!” Rialin exclaimed as she moved ahead and pumped her arms excitedly.

“Thanks, Rialin, but let me see if I can make the bow work before you praise me too much.” Gobkoh replied with a lopsided grin. The two made it back to the cave clearing and proceeded to remove the feathers from the dead birds. Once done they cleaned the birds, removing all of their innards, and started a fire to cook them. Gobkoh brought out some herbs and seasoned the meat once it was close to done.

“So tasty!” Rialin cried out happily munching on her cooked Robin.

“Pretty good, if I do say so myself.” Gobkoh agreed as he bit off some meat from his own Robin. The rest of the females started to return shortly after they finished eating. The hunters emerged from the forest behind the cave with a few Jackalopes and a Shellcoon as their catches. The females that had been gathering materials had collected quite a lot. Gobkoh was hopeful he could make a successful bow and some arrows from this pile of parts.

“Gobkoh, can you make me a ‘Shell Armor Breastplate’ from my Shellcoon shell?” A female Goblin asked him as she held up her kill.

“Sure thing…um…what’s your name again?” Gobkoh asked having only talked to a few of the females.

“I’m Amalin.” The now named Amalin replied with a tilt of her head. She was about the same height as Rialin, though her hair was lighter and her eyes a dark brown. Neylin, Rialin’s second-in-command of the females, was similarly sized but had black hair to her shoulders and light blue eyes. She was obviously happy with Amalin’s performance on their hunt today. The dark-haired female already had her own ‘Shell Armor Breastplate’ and ‘Antler Spear’ and seemed to want all of the female hunters to have a set.

“Alright I’ll get started on it for half the Shellcoon meat, agreed?” Gobkoh asked and Amalin nodded in agreement. Gobkoh then heard some noise coming from the other side of the clearing. Looking over he spotted Gobtay, Gobyog, and Gobmyr walking into the clearing with a Shellcoon each under their arms.

“Hey, Gobkoh, can you make us…”  Gobtay started but was cut off.

“You want ‘Shell Armor Breastplates’, right?” Gobkoh asked and all three males nodded. “Half the Shellcoon meat and it’s a deal.”

“Deal!” All three males exclaimed with sparkles in their eyes.

“Geez, at this rate I’ll be the only one without a set of armor since mine got destroyed.” Gobkoh sighed.

“Gobkoh, I gathered up the fruits you asked me to.” Gobwren called out coming back with a blanket full of fruits. Gobkoh had given the task of collecting fresh fruit to the newest male of his group since Gobwren seemed unsure of himself. Plus the unused blankets of the dead Goblins could be put to use for foraging.

“Thanks Gobwren; put them down next to the meat so everybody can have some.” Gobkoh instructed and Gobwren quickly did so.

“Are you going to make the bow and arrows now?” Rialin asked excitedly, eager to see the new weapon.

“Alright, alright, just a second.” Gobkoh held up his hands and Rialin looked on with a smile. “Gather around everybody, I’m going to show you something. I hope it’ll enable us to hunt better and keep us safer at the same time.” Seeing all eighteen of his…followers? Subordinates? Underlings? Whatever they were, looking on curiously Gobkoh began to explain the idea of crafting a bow to them, along with the process to make arrows.

“That’s amazing!” Gobyog praised the concept of the bow and arrow.

“We could take down Jackalopes without having to worry about the antlers!” Gobtay nodded along.

“We could hunt the birds too!” Neylin cheered having been eyeing the flying animals thoughtfully since she’d started hunting. So the rest of the day was spent making cordage, fire-straightening arrows, fletching said straightened arrows and putting on roughly made arrowheads. Gobkoh also had to make four new ‘Shell Armor Breastplates’ while picking out which of the longer branches had potential to be made into bows.

‘These bows are going to be primitive as all hell, but as long as they work they’ll up our hunting success substantially. With enough time, assuming the Emperor Tiger doesn’t come charging out of the forest in the next few days or weeks, I might be able to get a stone knife of my own and carve a semi-proper bow.’ Gobkoh thought to himself as he stuffed himself with all the Shellcoon meat he’d earned from his crafting. It was good that he was healing up fairly quickly; he needed to get back to top shape so he could hunt and gather his own Shellcoon shell. He needed another set of armor for himself, it was the only reason he’d survived against the Rafikdrill after all. ‘Speaking of armor, I wonder if I could make some kind of shield from the things I can find in the forest. Even a simple wooden shield would help. I could always add some Shellcoon shell pieces to it later to make it better.’ He mused to himself. Unfortunately with all of the crafting and teaching Gobkoh didn’t get a chance to talk to Rull about the Tribe simply leaving before the Tiger showed up. ‘I’ll ask him tomorrow.’ The youngster decided as he and Rialin lay down on the mattress and cuddled up together.

“This is nice.” Gobkoh sighed as he put an arm around Rialin. He very much enjoyed having her next to him. It brought back some of the warm, happy feelings he had from ‘before’. Times he’d spent with his family, whom he still couldn’t really remember, but the warmth was similar.

“Yeah, it is.” Rialin agreed her head on his chest, directly over his heart again. “Goodnight Gobkoh.”

“Goodnight Rialin.” Gobkoh replied as he felt himself doze off.

-End Chapter-

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Seems the past is going to catch up with the Rull Tribe. How long do they have before the Emperor Tiger makes its challenge and attacks? Will Gobkoh’s idea of ranged weapons work out? Will Rull agree to simply leave the area to the Tiger? If not can the nineteen youngsters survive long enough to find a new area for themselves? Keep reading to find out!

Until the next time I can update this, later!