Earth is where he's from

"I'm from Earth, and where I'm from, we are called humans or in rare cases, earthlings." He stifled a laugh.

"Ohh!" They said simultaneously looking at one another like they had found gold.

"This is great!" The brawny goblin yelled.

"A chance to alter the book, to put something down in our lifetime."

'Huh'

The aged goblin brought their attention back to the young man once again.

"You're welcome here so as long as you don't make trouble. If you do, then I certainly can't guarantee that you wouldn't be roasted on a stick." They said, their voice cold, and the stern face they wore unsettled Mark. He swallowed.

"Thank you for your time." Yudar let out and bowed slightly.

"Thank you." Meg joined.

Seeing that his receivers were thanking the goblins, Mark felt that he had to as well, hoping he wasn't rude or out of place.

"Thank you." He bowed closing his eyes.

He heard nothing and then he let open an eye, then the other and he turned his face forward and saw that they all were going back into the house in the tree.

All entered but the brawny loud one, he stopped and ran his eyes over Mark, there was no ill feeling in those eyes yet it made Mark feel uneasy, like he was an animal brought out to be sold.

Then he went in, and the door was slammed.

"Woohoo!" Meg yelled in excitement.

"I suppose you don't look all that threatening, your saving grace. Although we tend to accept a lot of visitors and the elders approve of them, those that don't, don't just get rejected and thrown out, they get eaten." Yudar explained with a shrug.

"What?!" Mark blurted, his eyes opened wide in shock.

"You heard me, it seems you have great luck with you."

'You wouldn't say that if you had seen those orcs behind me.'

"Come."

They walked to a large tree that had vines running over it, teeming with life, and on it were little huts fixed into it.

Yudar took the first leap and he landed on the hut closest to the ground just by the stem.

Mark was still staring up when Meg turned him over and put him on her shoulder and then she too leapt landing on the hut's terrace.

She then placed him on his foot.

'Well, that was emasculating.'

The hut was little but neat, it was a tint of brown with a beautiful wood lustre and vines adorning the roof by sticking steadfastly onto it.

The door was opened and Yudar entered, Meg went in, and Mark followed.

The interior of the hut was even more impressive, beautiful crafts hung on the walls, skulls of some animals, all of which beautified it.

Although the hut was much smaller than houses back on Earth, it still could contain Mark if he remained mostly on his feet.

"You two live here by yourselves?"

"We do. Are you surprised?" Meg asked.

"Not that, not at all. It's a beautiful place."

Meg smiled once she heard him say that.

"Have a seat."

"Ohhh." He turned around looking for something to sit on but then realized that she meant that he should sit on the ground.

He resigned to the floor leaning on the wall next to it.

Meg went in with Yudar, and after a while, a cauldron steaming and oozing delicious odour was in the hands of Yudar and he brought it forward.

He put it down and behind him came Meg with three wooden plates.

Mark's mouth watered, he hadn't eaten a proper meal for hours, and that walk under the sun exhausted him greatly, the apples had only given him little strength, and he was very much in need of replenishment.

Mark squeezed his face when Yudar without hesitation thrust his hands into the meal and scooped out a bit of it, he did so until the plate was full, and filled the two others as well.

Mark could feel his stomach turning with disgust when a plate was shifted to him, it smelled good and it looked good, it was a soup with bright vegetables and meat, but Yudar scooping with his hand was uncalled for and messy.

However he was too hungry and they had been kind to him, it was extremely hard to voice out any dissatisfaction so he shook away the thought and brought the plate to his mouth gulping it down incessantly.

GULP GULP GULP

He put down the plate, and saw that eyes were on him.

They both chuckled, "There's more from where that came from." Meg commented, certain that he wasn't satisfied.

"Yes!" he said and he got another plate.

Like the first, he gulped it down without hesitation.

The goblins as well were done with theirs and Meg retrieved the plates while Yudar carried back the large pot.

Mark watched them go and as he did, only a thought was fixed in his head, 'Now what? Where do I go? I can stay here forever.'

"Absolutely not!" The tiny feminine voice broke his train of thought once again, and he turned around looking for who had said that, but again there had been nobody.

"I need to see you grow, to survive. You won't do that by staying here. Do you want to remain the lazy bum you were back on earth?"

"Earth?! You know Earth? Can you take me back?! Please!" He cried.

"What are you talking about? What's Earth?" Meg asked.

The voice was gone and Mark could imagine how utterly stupid he looked.

He cleared his throat, and with a low voice, he uttered, "Earth is where I'm from."

"Ohh, I hope you find your way home Mark."

'Hope, I'm going to need a lot of that.'

"We got you something." She said, her hands at her back.

"What?"

She brought forward her hands and in it was a folded black fabric that looked to be made out of the outfit they wore.

"This is for me?"