When Love Bloomed

Spat landed in front of Root and Mist. He raised his large wooden shield and slammed its bottom on the rushing water under them and held it upright facing the monster. Spat's legs were shivering behind his shield but not from the cold flowing water, but fear. Spat felt this fear before, a long time ago, before the trolls attacked, before the Chief and his brothers were born, and before Cala rose to power.

It was a hot summer day. The sun's rays scorched the earth, and the heat distorted the air. Mabel was walking to her home with a nervous look on her face. Once she got inside, she sat down in front of her parents and the goblin they chose for her to marry. The goblin was a strong man, known to the tribe as an excellent hunter, rivaled only by Olhos, Sum, and the Chief. Mabel's parents showered the young man gifts in order to convince him to marry their daughter.

But they didn't realize that they also had to convince Mabel as well. She rejected the goblin's invitation despite being a desirable candidate for most women in the tribe. But Mabel could see pass his arbitrary hunting skills. She learned from watching Dawn head over hills for an excellent hunter. She lost her agency because she was more concerned about receiving affection from Sum to realize he has little interest in romance.

Mabel did not want to replicate her friend's mistake. "No," She said with a low bellowing voice. Before her parents could utter a word to respond, Mabel got up and ran out the door.

Meanwhile, Spat was sitting on his parent's porch looking at the sky. While loitering, the Chief's followers would walk pass him while hollering at the girls they meet who would smile and wave back to them. Spat wished he was strong enough to be one of the Chief's followers, but he was barely stronger than the halflings born from the slaves. He had no hope of becoming a strong hunter and warrior. Spat leaned on his door, stared at the sky, murmuring to himself the things he could do if he were strong.

All of a sudden, a hand grabbed him by his shoulder and woke Spat out of his self reflecting. Mabel, his childhood friend, stood in front of him with sweat dripping down from her forehead to her chin. She sat down next to him while trying to catch her breath. She ran away from home, afraid to face the consequences of her actions. "They want Mabel marry?" Spat asked in astonishment.

"Yes. But Mabel not want goblin."

"What do now?"

"Not know."

Unbeknownst to Mabel, her parents and their chosen candidate were tailing close behind her. "Hey!" The big goblin yelled at the two. "You think me no good. Me strong!" He flexed in front of them while Mabel praised his strength. They tried to convince her that she should marry soon and to him.

Meanwhile, Spat's legs were shaking from terror. The hunter's massive physique made Spat anxious. He wanted to get up and run, but he did not want to leave his friend behind. He grabbed her arm and ran away while Mabel's parents were too busy complimenting the hunter, who was also too busy indulging in their praises.

The two managed to get far away. They ran outside of the town, eventually tumbling down a hill before landing on the soft grassy meadow. Their backs rested on the warm grass, and the fresh breeze cooled their body that was exposed to the hot sun. After a few seconds of resting on their grassy bed, Mabel pushed her self and looked at Spat. "Why Spat pull Mabel away?"

"What?" Spat blocked the sun with his hand and looked at Mabel.

"Why bring Mabel? Mabel need tell mama and papa no? Mabel can't run all time."

"Me thought help Mabel, but Spat no win. So Spat run away. But run away with Mabel." Spat pushed himself back up. "Me real scared. He look really tough. Sorry me no fight,"

"Mabel not want you fight! Me just want know why? You no need do that."

"But Spat want to." Spat and Mabel looked at each other in the eye. The grass around them blew gently from the breeze, and the clouds cast a shadow under them, shielding them from the harsh rays of the sun. That was the day the two fell in love. Maybe it was sudden? Or it was already building up from their years of friendship, but it was on this day that Spat and Mabel shared the same mutual love for one another.

But some things never changed. Spat could not see his strength nor believe in himself. He was afraid he was an awful lover, a terrible hunter, and a forgettable father. He regrets not standing up for Mabel. He continued to run away while pulling Mabel with him like a cowardly thief stealing another man's stuff. Never looking back, never confronting their parents or their enemies. He just kept running like a weak little bunny. Not once did Mabel agree to these interjections. She saw Spat as what he was, a man worth staying with.

And she was right. Spat stood against the beast blanketed by the darkness, with only its eyes and antlers visible. His shield held, erected upright, ready to stop the monster's charge. Mist and Root watched Spat braced for impact.

The beast's antlers slammed against the wooden shield penetrating it by an inch. It extended its wings and swallowed Spat and his sheild. Root and Mist helplessly sat there as their only light gets blocked the beast's feathers. Water crashed against the two combatants as they to wrestle each other to the ground. The monster, with its antlers locked on Spat's shield, began to pull and drag Spat off his feet.

Spat wanted to run away desperately. The monster continued to drag him like a toy into the darkness. Fearing his life, he dropped his grip on his sheild and turned around. He managed to shove his way out the monster's feathers and freed himself from its dark embrace, falling face-first on the water. When he stood up, he saw Root and Mist huddled together, shaking in the cold water. He jumped in to save them, and now he was about to abandon them just because he scared.

Maybe he could grab them, he thought. But Spat would not be a renowned hero, just another goblin that flees. Remembering the day he showed Mabel his pathetic side, Spat stood back up and turned around. Not wanting to have another regret haunt him, he yelled loud enough that it did not drown under the unrestrained flowing water. The beast retreated its wings and pushed the sheild of its antlers, then gave an equal ear-piercing screech.

The two charged towards each other. Spat's body felt heavier each step he took. His fear and Anxiety tried to hold him down with their long arms wrapping around the goblin's arms and legs. But Spat persevered not because he was strong or fearless, but because he wanted to help them, the siblings.

Spat caught the monster's antlers by the hand and tried to wrestle it down to the ground. The beast slammed its wings on Spat's side, but he did not give in. The monster raised its head and bit down on Spat's right leg, but he did not fall down. Blood gushed out, painting the water red. Spat bit his tongue and pushed forward, changing his lead foot from his right to his left leg and shifted his body to pull the beast off balance. The beast's hooves dug on the stones, planting itself to ground. It expected the goblin to give up once it realized he could not bring it down, instead, Spat's eyes burned like a thousand suns.

The light the monster saw within his body took a physical form, but with a cooler color, as cold as the water under them. The blue flames shot out of Spat's eyes, blinding the animal that kept staring at Spat's growing body. It saw through the blue flames the light that shined as bright as the sun. It grew excited to know the light became stronger and more delicious.

While they wrestling, Mist saw Spat's sheild floating towards them. Mist grabbed it and tossed it to Spat, "Catch!"

Spat saw the shield fly towards him. He lets go of one hand and caught it. Seeing the opening, the beast lunged forward but out from the flames was a far taller, faster, and stronger goblin. Spat tucked his shield close to his chest and blocked the incoming attack. With its hooves no longer cemented on the floor, Spat lifted the beast and thew it against the wall. The animal shielded itself with its wings, its hollow bones were fragile compared to Spat's broken shield. Spat shield bashed the monster. Bones cracked and blood gushed out from the monster's mouth.

Spat took a step back extending his arm in front of the siblings expecting the beast to retaliate. But it just fell on the ground, dead and defeated.