prologue

You know that feeling of being the smartest person in the room? Well take that and apply that to an entire civilization of people and you have me. My name is Nivander scraltongue... or I should say that is the name I game myself, everyone just calls me Niv. Seeing as most of the people who surround me aren't able to say words that have more than 2 syllables. "How is that possible?" You might be asking. Well thats a very simple question to answer, I'm a goblin. So you may be able to tell from that where I am coming from, that is is you have any kind of inclination of what a goblin is. If it escapes you goblins are usually described as small, dumb, illiterate, generally green skinned, vaguely humanoid monsters with big heads and sharp teeth that fight like cowards and die in mass group against adventurers... or single fighters. While all that is true that is just ONE kind of goblin. Goblins impact come in several varieties from the large buff Bugbears to the small and weakest Demi-Goblins.

I, unfortunately, was not lucky enough to be born as a Bugbear. I am a Demi-goblin. Which of course makes life VERY difficult. Especially when the act of reading and writing are considered and i quote "BAD SQUIGGLES! " and if you don't conform to the rest of society said society will beat you down (literally) until you ether do fit in or die. Well i am a bit too stubborn for that so do what I can to blend in with the tribe.

Now when I say I am a demi goblin I i should describe them seeing as we are a very commonly overlooked species of course, seeing as we stand at a max of two and a half feet tall, which i am two and a quarter. Our skins range from lime green? Which is where I stand, to a tomato red, yes we have pointy teeth, and yes our eyes are too big for our own heads. Plus we all live in a massive cave system in the side of a pretty big hill On the edge of a dark forest.

Now that you have an image on your mind of what I am dealing with i can tell you without a doubt I am miserable.

I roll up a pice of leather parchment that I had made and was writing on. I had made myself a quill from a birds feather and some makeshift ink I made from seeping certain ground up flower petals. I stashed the illegal literature, which was just my diary entry, away in a pice of a cave wall inside a box i had found in the woods with a book full of human writings that I used to learn to speakbetter. I covered it up with some rocks, and just in time as I heard the scrappy wrestling of 2 others outside my sleeping area which was made up of a bed of leaves and a small lean-to I worked together. I sighed not wanting to deal with the others this early in the morning but if I didn't break it up who would? So I stretched my arms and legs before rolling out of my lean-to with my teeth bared growling. Upon exiting I see Doz, a dirty leaf green chubby guy, a real asshole of you ask me, pinning down the only friend I had here in the tribe. My growling caught Doz's attention his pointed ears perking up wiggling except for the ear he had bitten mostly off by a treewolf when he was a whelp. I always had to resist laughing when I saw that. His snarl turning to more disgust seeing me, he was stupid more than most, but he knew when he was out numbered. I was on all fours, my ears back, my black hair standing on end like a feral cliffcat. Doz spat to the side and let his prey go, turning tail and running. Once he was gone I stood back up and pat my hair back down before assisting Bug back to their feet. "Much thank Niv!" Bug said giving me a rough hug. They weren't bad, they were nice to me and found my 'weird ways' fascinating. But was a light rust red with striking blond hair, and the most piercing blue eyes, which were both a rarity among goblins and they were picked on for it quite often. So I took it upon myself to take them under my wing. "Alright Bug you can let me go now" I pushed them off of me.

"Bug come to tell Niv an der bout new goblin come to cave!" They tried to say my name so which always made me crack a crooked smile but the news then hit me. Why would I care about a new goblin? " I looked visibly puzzled. "Goblin seem like you! Has big stick speak big words!" Bug wS obviously excited about this and it was infectious as their news made me also excited about the newcomer.

"What are you waiting for bug!? Let's go!" I grab the goblin by the arm and hurry through the caves to see what was going on. The caves are a bit of a wild place. There were the general sleeping areas that other lived in, no one really had parents here they were born and raised by the tribe, and there were hundreds of us demigoblins inside these caves. Everyone had their own messed up ideas of what a sleeping area should be so as Bug and I made our way through we had to skirt around, step over and jump around dozens of different piles of rocks and sticks and what have you. Then we hit a snag in our plans. Doz stood at in front of us his fat frame being flanked on both sides by two of his goons. Aparently when i scared him off earlier he went to get reinforcements. "Shit"

They didn't say anything as they smiled their disgusting teeth (they don't brush ) and jumped us. I'm not going to lie. I am not a fighter, im not strong and nether is Bug. The 3 goblins took us to the cave floor hard, I hit my head on a stone which really sucked as I was dazed on impact. That coupled with the headbutt delivered by Doz himself to my face. I think he knock one of my teeth loose that dick.

Of course no one else jumped in to help us, this was a Demigoblin cave after all. It was eat or be eaten. I was more lucky than Bug who had both of Doz's company on them, Ga, and Er. I had to focus on who was on top of me first. I had to get out from under this fat ass which wasn't easy. When I was finally able to refocus my sight from my head hitting the rock I saw a mouth full of teeth the smell of which was nauseating, I hate having such a sensitive nose. In my rush the first thing I thought to do was knee him straight in his unprotected nuts. This of course had the exact effect I was looking for. His eyes widened more, I didn't think that was possible, and he lost his breath, so I pushed him to the side where he rolled over holding his prized jewls.

I had to get up. I rolled into a position it was easier to get up from and rushed to Bug's aid since Doz should be occupied for the moment. I pulled on Er's ears causing her to yelp in pain and stand against her will. "Why are you attacking us!" I say through gritted teeth. Er didn't answer as she slipped out of my grip, and heel stomped my foot. I really don't like to fight. I don't like pain. Which aparently was a thing a lot of goblins did enjoy? We are a weird species. Distracted with this new sensation in my foot I didn't notice till the last moment when I smelled the rancid breath, that Doz was right behind me. With a rock. That he then used to smash the back of my head. Everything went black.

I woke up with a warm wet sensation on my face. I immediately freak out sitting straight up thinking someone was urinating on me, but that was not the case. A sheet of what seemed like treewolf fur woven together and soaked in warm water fell off my face and onto my lap. I blinked confused and look in my surroundings. My head was throbbing but I would see fine. I wasn't where I had been knock out i was in a different part of the cave one i had never been in. Was this even our cave? It was too clean, there were no animal bones? Or piles of feces. And i lay on the nost comftable thing i have ever felt in my short life. While taking in my surroundings I also tasted copper in my mouth. Blood. "Damn it, they knocked out my tooth" I exclaimed to no one as I spit red fluid on the ground.

"I found it on the ground if you wish to keep it" a voice said, it had a gravel to it that I had not heard before, it was aged and also spoke words that no goblin in my trube had ever used other than myself. I looked for the source of the words when a goblin, and a Hobgoblin stepped out from around the corner. They were so tall. 3 maybe 3 and a half feet? Their skin was a soft yellow and they wore leather robes like I had never seen, and walked with a staff covered in carvings and asorted animal tokens. I wanted to ask who they were when Bug popped into my mind "where is Bug!?" I asked worried for my friend. "She is alright " "they" i corrected. "Ah yes THEY are alright. Simply resting. " the hobgoblin walked to my side and looked me up and down then held out their hand with my tooth knocked clean out in their palm. "Thank you" I felt some tension fall out of my shoulders.

"You speak well for a Demi-goblin" he said as i took my tooth from him. Shit should I dumb it down? Before I could say anything "I find that refreshing, only here for a few hours and the simple speech of your people was starting to wear on me. " he smiled and laughed. "Who are you?" I had to know. "My name is Talkier Rown, and whom might you be?" I was instantly fascinated by Talkier "I call myself Nivander Scraltongue !" I answered maybe a little too excitedly. He laughed at my enthusiasm "fascinating you even gave yourself a full name? I am very surprised, well it is good to meet you Nivander "

And as if on que I heard the scrappy sound of Bug's nails scuttle around the corner. One of their eyes stolen shut but a large grin on their face. "Niv!" They exclamed causing Talkier to turn as Bug jumped into the bed next to me "you are good! "

"Yes bug I am fine" I give them a grin.

"Your friend is loyal. Once you were unconscious they barly were barely conscious themselves. When your assailants left you there they came to find me.

I looked over at bug who was laying on their stomach now head resting in their arms. "Yeah bug is my only friend." I told him. "Well. I will let you two rest here" "where are we?" I asked interrupting "and what brought you to our cave? And where did you..." he interrupted me back "now now ill answer you soon i just have to speak to your leader first. " he had held up one hand. "I will come back dont worry" he turned and walked out of the cavern and placed what looked like a leather flap over the entrance.

What seemed like hours passed after that. Talkier was still gone so I took a nap. Maybe the throbing in my head would go down. I grabbed the woven wet fur sheet and place it back over my face. The warm water now cool against my skin helping release the pressure I felt. And soon fell asleep.

When i wake up Bug was still at my feet fast asleep. I take the cloth still damp and place it on their head over their eyes. That should help with the swelling. Then look around again surpried to see Talkier eas back, and sitting on a stump of some sort that was carved into a strange shape to where they could rest their back on it as well. In his hand was a book! And honest to gods book like I had. "You can read?" I asked and Talkier looked up placing a strip of leather to mark his place. "Yes I can, can you?" I nod "i learned from spying on traveling people... if I could find them before any of my people attacked..."

He nodded "i see resourceful that's good." He placed the book in a bad at his side "so you had questions. "

"Yes so many"

"Well I should be able to answer them. As for where you are? You're still in the cave just in a part thats only able to be accessed from climbing the side of a wall."

Did he carry us? Thats amazing.

"So why are you here?" I asked

"I am here on a quest. A personal quest. I am looking for a student. While I didn't expect much from the Demi-Goblins I was very surprised to find one such as yourself here."

"A student?" I didn't know this word.

"Yes a student, someone to teach and to then teach others. To gift them knowledge "

My eyes mush have been the size of boulders

"So when I did find you, I went to your chieftain, quite the dower one isn't he?" He wasn't wrong. The chief was the biggest and strongest of the tribe, he lead the raids on traveling parties and he took the wealth. I never took part. I would go with them but never actually helped in the slaughter.

"He is not a nice goblin i can tell you that" i wince

"Well I asked if I had his permission to take whomever I needed and naturally he didn't agree until I told him exactly who I wanted to bring with me. He really doesn't like you or Bug does he?"

I shook my head "no, not at all."

"Well thats fine with me since it was you two I want he agreed."

I stared in disbelief and then confusion "me and bug? Why bug? They aren't very smart. "

He nodded "true but I wouldn't separate you two, friends are rare, especially in goblin tribes. " he stood up from his seat and walked over to us and head his hand out again "so will you come with me? " he asked