The Good Goblin

On to Tadwick and Alexi’s friends. As with losing Isaac, losing Zayan hit some of them more than others. Don’t get me wrong, it hit them all… but it hit Xion and Freddy much harder. Probably because they were there when it happened… and Xion actually saw the whole thing. But it isn’t just that, they were the ones closest to him. Kind of like how Isaac was closest to Oscar, Olmo and Charlie.

They cut the dragon open in order to retrieve Zayan’s corpse for burial… which was awful. He had a closed casket at the funeral. There was no way that they would have been able to make his body look even remotely presentable. I think it is beyond depressing that these boys have lost two of their friends at their age. Oscar has only recently turned eight. Losing your brother and your friend before you even turn seven, it’s just awful.

I mean… Tadwick lost every single person that he knew when he was four. Then he makes all these new friends… and two of them die. There is just so much death and so many terrible things in this world. I truly wish that nothing like this ever happens again. Cities are supposed to be safe. Kids are supposed to be able to play freely within their walls. I pray so much that all of these kids have long and happy lives. But given the paths that some of them wish to take, I fear my prayers will not be answered.

In case you hadn’t guessed from my previous statement, many of these kids intend to become adventurers. Xion is absolutely determined to become an adventurer now. Talked his dad into getting him swordplay lessons. Says he is going to kill every single dragon in the world. And dragons are not easy prey. He’ll need to put in the practice and have a strong party just to take even one down. Fortunately, he is only twelve. He can’t register for another three years. So, there is time for him to change his mind and be a bit more rational about things.

That being said, the kid clearly started puberty when he was ten. Kiyui says that it’s rare for boys to start that early, but it does happen. He’s already the same height as Charlie and Charlie is well into puberty at this point. Xion’s voice has started to crack and he already has facial hair. Not a full on beard or anything. But you know that awful wispy hair that teenage boys get but refuse to shave off because they think it looks manly… yeah… that.

I find the level of variation in humans bewildering sometimes. Because Olmo, Charlie and Isha don’t have any facial hair at all yet. Yet Xion has it at twelve. And Svampe skipped the wispy stage and basically went straight to full on facial hair at fifteen. It would be a lot easier to prepare them for what is to come if they all developed the same things at the same rate.

That is one good thing about Tadwick being one of the younger boys in a group that is frequently without clothing. He has been able to witness the other boys’ bodies change in a variety of different ways and at different rates. So, he has a pretty good idea of what is likely to happen to him… even if he doesn’t know exactly when.

Anyway… I’m getting sidetracked again. Freddy is one of the few who doesn’t aspire to be an adventurer… thank fuck. If anything, the dragon incident has scared him away from the idea. He doesn’t seem to have any aspirations for a wild life of any kind. He’s only nine, so it is a bit early to be expecting him to have his life planned out. But he seems happy enough to just follow in his father’s footsteps and become a blacksmith.

Oscar, being a bit older now, eight to be precise, has at least improved at football. Much to the delight of the other boys. Although, they did have to force Isha into joining in in order to even out the teams. Oscar actually seems to be quite happy these days. That being said, ever since that incident with that runaway cart hitting Grant, Oscar has been scared of horses. Not so terrified that he can’t function if they are in the vicinity. But he won’t go near them if he knows they are present. As long as there are no horses around, he is actually quite independent and doesn’t rely on Olmo to look after him all the time. Olmo still fusses over him like he’s his mum… which is sweet.

Olmo, now thirteen, very much continues to be the mum of the group. Making sure everybody is safe, sorted and well fed. Him and Isha became a thing a few weeks ago, so it would seem that Charlie’s prediction was correct. They seem very happy about their newfound romance. But it is still early days. Whether it lasts is a whole other issue. Olmo also intends to become an adventurer. Although, I think his motivations are mainly to make sure that the rest of them don’t do anything stupid and get themselves killed.

Isha is the only one of them old enough to actually register, what with having already turned fifteen. But he has no intention of doing so. Fighting isn’t his thing. Even just getting him to play football was a faff and a half. He has actually got quite into it now. He definitely isn’t their best player, but he isn’t their worst either.

He is working as an apprentice at the tailor’s shop. He keeps fixing all the gang’s clothes when they rip and tear them… which is regularly. He has been continuing to get art lessons from Olly. He uses these art skills to draw his designs. He is getting rather good. Smutisha even commissioned him to design an outfit for her.

Little Johnny, similar to Xion, is determined to become an adventurer. His dream is to join Farrow’s party. But he’s only ten. So, he has a long time to wait yet. And whether Farrow’s party will even be a thing in five years is anybody’s guess. More likely he’ll end up teaming up with the other kids to form a party when they are all of age.

Although, to be fair to Johnny, due to his deeds during the assault on the city, he already has a strong reputation among both the knights and the adventurers. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Chloe is hoping to recruit him. She says that the knights don’t have enough quality offensive mages in their ranks. I imagine he will want to be like his friends and go down the adventuring path though.

Toria is a little rogue in the making. She is running rings round most of the boys during their football games. She’s just too quick for them. Outside of football, she regularly sneaks up behind them to shock them, picks their pockets, ties their laces together… you know… childish nonsense that requires a level of stealth.

Tadwick still thinks she’s the most amazing person ever. I imagine that they will be in a party together if he gets his wish. But she is thirteen and will be able to register almost two years before him. I think he is hoping she’ll wait for him. But she doesn’t strike me as the type of person who waits for anybody.

Charlie continues to work at V’Rel manor. Since Fang moved in with Wynrun, Charlie has been working less in the workshop and more in the house. He seems to enjoy it. He has a great relationship with Rosario and the girls. He still intends to be an adventurer. He’s fourteen now, so he doesn’t have long to wait. Although, he intends to hold off until Olmo is of age so that they can both register together. They’ve been best friends for as long as I’ve known them, so I’m glad that they intend to work together when they are adults.

He has finally moved on from his attempts to woo that awful Lydia girl. I only met her on a few occasions, but even I could tell how stuck up she was. He has started courting a girl called Arabella. He met her whilst working as a server at one of Rosario’s functions.

When Charlie is around the boys, he says chicks dig the fake arm and the crocodile story. He acts like they throw themselves at him due to his battle prowess and natural confidence. Luckily for Charlie, the rest of the boys don’t really frequent the same locations as Arabella, so they don’t see how Charlie actually is around her. He is genuinely really sweet and romantic with her. Always bringing flowers, kissing her hand and the like. He even wrote her a poem. I have not seen this poem, but she keeps it folded up in a locket at all times, so it must mean a lot to her. Suffice to say, despite the image he is trying to create of himself… she is not throwing herself at him.

That being said, Arabella is really quite taken with him. And fortunately, she is from a family that only recently came into money, so she hasn’t been raised to be one of those awful stuck-up children like Lydia… who I fully anticipate will turn into another version of Gentle upon reaching adulthood. I really hope they last, because Charlie’s face lights up whenever she enters the room. He worships the ground she walks on. And the feeling appears to be reciprocated. So, long may it last.

Speaking of young love… Grant and Alexi have recently turned thirteen. Grant, bless him, has been trying to ask Alexi out for a while now. But he gets so nervous that he messes up his words, panics, and runs away… or he just backs out of asking all together and pretends he was going to ask something else. Honestly… we are getting inundated with cakes and pastries here. And Alexi is just so oblivious. It really needs to be spelled out to him.

Last time, Grant didn’t mess up his words for the first time and actually managed to ask the question “would you like to go out with me?” Alexi replied with “of course, to which location would you like to go?” Grant’s face was initially beyond happy, but it then sank when he realised that Alexi just thought he meant to literally go somewhere with him... rather than viewing it as a relationship request.

Honestly, it is getting to the point that Kiyui and I are thinking of having a talk with Alexi… because it is getting painful to watch. And the thing is… I have every confidence that Alexi would like for them to enter into a relationship. Alexi clearly enjoys spending time with Grant… and it is hard to tell when Alexi enjoys anything. So, the fact that there is even a faint smile on his face when Grant shows up is a strong sign. And to be honest… as a parent… I would much prefer he ended up with somebody who will look after and protect him, like Grant, rather than somebody who would just use him.

And just to be clear… Grant may be trying to ask Alexi out, but it still seems fairly innocent. Grant is definitely still at the sheepishly holding hands and maybe the occasional peck on the lips stage of things… thank the gods. I think the prospect of sex would give him a heart attack. He is nothing like Kiyui. And as much as I love Kiyui… I am very glad that neither Grant or Alexi are like him in this regard.

Grant continues to work in the bakery… just in case that wasn’t clear from my mention of pastries earlier. I think he’ll be perfectly content to remain in that line of work. The only thing that I can see that will prevent this will come from my boys. Tadwick fully intends to be an adventurer. Alexi has stated that if Tadwick becomes an adventurer, then he would like to join him to ensure his safety. Tadwick insists he will be fine on his own… but we all know he’ll do something stupid and get himself killed without somebody there to reign in his nonsense. And if Alexi becomes an adventurer, I can bet you that Grant would instantly register himself in order to protect Alexi. So, I guess we shall just have to see what happens in four years when Tadwick is old enough to register.

As for Alexi himself. He has actually come on a lot over the last couple of years. He will actually make his preferences known. I mean… only if you directly ask him. And he will always follow his answer with a clear and logical reason as to why that is his preference. Which is a far cry from Tadwick’s standard response of “because I like it.”

I know it may not sound like much, but him consistently expressing his opinions instead of just saying what he thinks others want to hear is genuinely great. Especially because he takes such care in the construction of his opinions. If he doesn’t have the knowledge to form a proper opinion then he points that out. Which again… is very refreshing when compared to Tadwick’s ill-informed opinions that he freely gives you on pretty much everything.

Alexi continues to work on his magic. Unfortunately, my mother was the only one here that had vaguely similar magical aptitudes to him. Kiyui has been helping him. But their spell affinities are so different that it is tricky. Tristan has also attempted to help, but again, debilitation magic isn’t Alexi’s field either. It would seem that Alexi’s affinity is for healing and wind magic. Obviously, Svampe is amazing at healing magic… but Svampe’s healing magic is completely different to Alexi’s, so he is of no help either. Unfortunately, Alexi is mainly having to work this out for himself. In a year or so, if he still intends to follow Tadwick into adventuring then we will shell out for a tutor who specialises in those fields.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Incidentally, I briefly mentioned Tristan there. Those two get on really well. Alexi isn’t fazed even slightly by Tristan’s monotonous voice. And Tristan seems to very much get Alexi’s way of thinking. If their spell types matched, then Tristan would have been an ideal teacher for him. Alas, ‘twas not to be.

Despite having just turned thirteen, Alexi is still tiny. I find it refreshing that at least one of my children is still smaller than I am. Bless him. He isn’t that much smaller than me now… but I don’t think he’ll be much taller than me when he’s fully grown. He still likes to wear his ruffled shirts and honestly, he still just looks adorable.

One nice thing is that, as he has grown, the space between his scars has become much larger. Don’t get me wrong… the sheer number of scars on his body is still horrific. But now he has more visible skin than scar tissue. And the healthy skin grows fur, which in turn hides the scars to some extent. He just looks a thousand times better and healthier than he did when I first met him. It makes me so very happy to see how much better he is doing.

Oh, remember how Alexi always refused to refer to Kiyui as anything other than Kiyui because Kiyui was not legally his parent. Well, since the wedding, he has taken to calling Kiyui Pateras. Apparently, it means father in one of the languages that he was forced to learn in the Anubis Empire. He said that referring to both of us as father may cause confusion, and he is not comfortable using informal terms like dad. So, Pateras it is. The word that he uses isn’t important to me really, what fills my heart with warmth is the fact that we are now truly a family in his mind.

Emotionally, he is starting to express himself a bit more. Not so much when it comes to the negative emotions. But he does lightly smile at things now. I have even heard him laugh on a few occasions. Granted… not a full-on fall to the floor belly laugh or anything… just a mild titter. But still, it reassures me that he is actually accessing his emotions instead of just blocking them off.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is of course Tadwick. Who continues to be loud, boisterous, and as ridiculous as possible at any given moment. He has recently discovered swearing. In all honesty, I’m surprised it took him so long, given how much time he spent around Agaroth before Agaroth died.

Of course, his boisterous nature is made all the worse by his sheer size. He only turned twelve a couple of months ago, he’s taller than me and only just shorter than Kiyui. He hasn’t even started puberty yet. I genuinely dread to think how big he’s going to be when he’s a grown man. He may even end up bigger than Svampe. And Svampe is almost as tall as the lizardmen.

That’s not to mention the sheer beefiness of Tadwick. He isn’t exactly a skinny little waif like he was when we first met him. Don’t get me wrong, he filled out pretty quickly after coming to live on the farm. But he must weigh at least twice what I do. And he is just sheer muscle. He continues to follow Nomius’ workout routine on a morning. I have difficulty getting him to do the dishes, but apparently an obscene amount of push ups is perfectly doable first thing in the morning.

I have every confidence that, if he wanted to, he could pick me up and throw me through the window. Which makes it all the more weird when he wants a cuddle. He literally engulfs me. Don’t get me wrong. Its sweet, and I love that he still wants cuddles and things. It’s just weird… it has been weird ever since he got taller than me. He used to be such a dainty little thing. Now he towers over me and wraps his arms around me.

Fortunately, he has not suffered from his night terrors in a long time. So, we don’t have to cuddle up with him in bed anymore, thank the gods. Weird looking back, to think that one of us used to have to do that with him every single night. We used to be so worried that those terrors would plague him for the rest of his life. I am so pleased that they are gone.

He continues to have boundless social confidence and flagrantly gives zero shits about what others think. Which is refreshing. As somebody who grew up terrified about what others thought of me, it is lovely seeing that my son is not plagued by such thoughts.

That being said… I do wish he cared a little more than he does. He is still perfectly happy to whip his clothes off regardless of who is present. If we ever go anywhere where there is any water that can be swam in, his kit is off straight away and he’s straight in there splashing about. He was beyond embarrassing at the duke’s boat race last summer. Nomius had to fish him out of the water. He just did not understand that it was not a swimming occasion. All the spectators in formal wear apparently did not give that away.

I consider myself lucky that Tadwick has expressed no interest in relationships whatsoever. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty sure he has a crush on Toria. But in an admiring kind of a way rather than an ‘I want to see her boobs’ kind of a way. He still says that he is going to spend his life free and single and, unlike certain other boys that I could mention, has shown no interest in breasts or bums. And to be honest, I am enjoying this while it lasts, because I am honestly dreading puberty with him.

The thought of Alexi and puberty doesn’t bother me as much. I trust Alexi to make sensible and logical decisions and to think his actions through. Tadwick on the other hand, I can just see him getting some poor girl pregnant in some back alley or something. I’m going to have to make sure he carries runes with him at all times once he shows an interest, aren’t I?

Tadwick still fully intends to become an adventurer when he is older. Says he is going to be an axe wielder like Nomius. Nomius has been giving him Axe throwing lessons… which Tadwick isn’t great at. He certainly has the raw power. When he gets the blade to connect properly it gets imbedded in the target tree and is very difficult to remove. Unfortunately, he seems to hit with the handle end much more frequently. Which would definitely hurt the target, but isn’t exactly going to be of much help in a big monster fight scenario.

He still really looks up to Nomius. They both still wear those silly hats that they bought years ago. Tadwick’s almost fits him now, so he can actually wear it on his head… well… kind of. It’s still slightly too big. But it’s still sweet to see them match.

Because Charlie spends a lot of time working at V’Rel manor, he isn’t around the group as much as he used to be. In his absence, Tadwick has managed to end up being the leader of the group. Which seems to have upped his confidence even more… which I didn’t think was possible… but here we are.

When Charlie is present, they revert right back to the usual bickering. But thankfully, the group seems to generally follow Charlie in those situations. Honestly, I worry about what nonsense Tadwick will lead them into when Charlie isn’t around. Although, to be fair, Tadwick hasn’t got them into too much trouble so far. So maybe I don’t give him enough credit.

Svampe was very busy in the initial period after the assault on Kataravonia. There were a lot of people in the city that needed healing. And his healing magic is way more effective than standard healing magic. So naturally, his healing skills were in high demand. After all of the healing was complete, he continued to be busy by going round and helping all of the farms to fix their soil, heal their land and generally improve their crops.

I am genuinely incredibly glad that he was so needed during that time period. I was terrified that what happened on the farm would have plunged him into another depression. And honestly, it was so hard for him to get out of his depression the last time that I would do anything to avoid him feeling like that again. But being among the people, healing them… helping them. It really helped him to see his value in the world and I honestly think that that is what has kept him going over the past couple of years.

I mentioned that he has formed a party with Damecus, Farrow, and Dietrich. And that they do humanitarian aid quests. Well, he loves doing that. It has given him such a strong sense of purpose. When they aren’t questing, which is most of the time, he runs a medical clinic with Damecus at the gardens. This way, the people that can’t afford the healing from the temples have somewhere to go. I say that… Svampe and Damecus are actually more popular than the clerics and the priestesses now. The temples are losing a lot of money because of it, which has forced them to lower their prices to a more affordable level. Which is good. And also shows how massively inflated their prices were to begin with. I suppose, when you have a monopoly on a market, you can charge whatever extortionate price you want and people just have to pay it. Clearly some competition in a market can be a good thing.

Svampe still technically lives here, but there is talk of him moving into the city with Becky soon. Becky is taking on the day to day running of the bakery to give her mother more free time, and the two of them plan to take their relationship to the next level, so it makes sense for them to live together.

There has even been talk of possible children. As in intentional children, not accidental pregnancy. Svampe is a bit concerned about what his children will be like. He has come to accept that he is no longer fully human, but the idea of his children feeling different worries him.

Becky reassures him that she will love them no matter what, because they are his children, and anything that comes from him is beautiful in her eyes. Which is a beautiful sentiment, but it has not alleviated his concerns. Fortunately, what with the city now having goblins, kobolds, lizardmen and skeletons wandering about the place, I’m pretty sure nobody is going to bat an eyelid at a human looking child with tendrils.

I briefly mentioned Tristan earlier. He has spent a lot of time around the farm. Initially it was in an attempt to feel closer to his brother. Losing Lucas… it was difficult for him. Lucas always looked out for him and was the person who spent by far the most time with him in his life. He took on a few of Lucas’ old farm jobs and things. Which was nice of him. As I said earlier, he gets on well with Alexi, so it has been nice having him around.

Although… obviously… we are not the only people that live on this farm. And he has been spending more and more time with Olly over the last couple of years. Apparently, Olly is teaching him how to be more appealing in dating circles so that Tristan can get himself a girlfriend. I am not entirely sure how much effort Olly is putting into this however, because the two of them are having a lot of sex… and I mean A LOT of sex. And not just them either… sometimes there is a third or fourth party. And these additional parties aren’t always the same people either.

Initially, I just thought they were having actual parties with these people. But Olly talks very openly about it with Kiyui and nope… they are just having all of this crazy wild sex. And he isn’t bothered if I am in the room when he has these conversations either. Honestly, sometimes the two of them go into such detail… I have to leave the room before the embarrassment kills me. I have come a long way when it comes to being comfortable with sex and nudity… but the level of frankness with which those two talk… urgh… it still makes me want to crawl out of my skin.

Speaking of Olly. He has quit being a prostitute. So has Dolly. Olly has done so so that he can focus on parenting Henry. And Dolly didn’t really want to work alone, since they have always been a double act, so he is focussing much more on the wool business these days.

I think Olly took Henry in because what happened to Zayan really upset him. He blames himself for Zayan’s death. And that must be an awful feeling to try and live with. So, when they were looking for somebody to look after Henry Olly volunteered straight away.

Henry is a strange child. The way that cult raised him has left him with an odd personality. If you exclude the whole torture and sacrifice side of things, that cult actually raised him in a relatively wholesome way. As a result, he is very helpful and well-meaning when it comes to day-to-day life. But on the other hand, he thinks absolutely nothing of inflicting pain and killing things. Which is concerning.

They have put a lot of effort into getting him to understand that he can’t just brutally assault anybody that disagrees with his point of view. And when I say brutally assault, I don’t mean lash out in the moment, he doesn’t do that. He remains polite and calm at the time. I mean sneaking up on them two hours later with a knife. Which I find significantly more unnerving.

He spends a lot of time with Nomius, who is trying to teach him to focus his more violent desires into more helpful activities. Such as hunting animals to protect the farm. He has been teaching him the art of butchery. Skinning and cutting animals effectively and efficiently. That kind of thing. Henry has really taken to this line of education… which is as much of a relief as it is concerning. I’m glad that the kid is directing his more unsavoury desires in a more productive and helpful way. But at the same time, a six-year-old shouldn’t be so casual about killing and butchering.

Tadwick was distraught the first time one of our pigs died. Never mind when Nomius first showed him how to gut a pheasant when we were travelling all those years ago. I mean… he’s used to it now… but it took time for him to get to that point. Henry… he isn’t fazed in the slightest… in fact… I’m pretty sure he enjoys it.

I know all of my boys have had their fair share of trauma. But none of them have really left me feeling that they were dangerous. Olly, Dolly, & Nomius are doing a great job with him and he has improved over the last two years. But I would be lying if I said that the kid didn’t scare me sometimes.

As for Nomius himself… well… he came out of that cocoon with a brand-new arm. Like… he grew a new one. That’s how insane Svampe’s healing can be if your wounds have not already healed. Nomius finds the whole thing funny. He cut open the Wastrilith and retrieved his old arm. He has had it stuffed and he keeps it on his belt. He throws it at anybody who asks him for a hand with anything and slaps annoying people with it. He thinks himself hilarious. So yeah, he is doing fine.

He spends most of his time tending to the sheep and looking after Henry. Well… and exercising and axe throwing with Tadwick. Tadwick isn’t giving up his Nomius time just because Nomius has another child to look after. Him and Dolly seem much closer lately. Although, maybe it just seems that way because Olly is spending more time with Tristan. Nomius’ love life is not something that I wish to pry into. I’m pretty sure Kiyui knows about it, but I have no intention of asking because I’ll end up being given some obscene amount of detail and end up wishing that I never asked.

Have I missed anybody? Oh yeah… Derek. Well… he’s Derek really. Not much to say about him. He emerged from the cocoon and just got back to sorting out the farm. He is the most bewildering person that I know. Nothing even remotely fazes him. He’s an ideal farmhand really. If the boys still intend to become adventurers when they reach fifteen then we may have to hire more farmhands. I hope that they are all as casual and easy going as Derek.