---

Tik was hurting, but grateful. It was hard to breathe but he was still able to move. So, he did.

The horned rabbit had knocked him to the ground and his 'weapon' was somewhere out of immediate sight. However, the horned rabbit's tackle had left it practically next to him on the ground. It wouldn't stay there long. But, Tik needed to be in the safest place right now while he caught his breath. The safest place...

He grabbed at the horned rabbit and tried to grapple with it. Specifically, he tried to stay on its back with his arms around its neck, his teeth locked on its ear, and his legs wrapped around its body... and all of him out of the reach of that killer horn. He couldn't really kill it from this position but it shouldn't be able to do too much to him either. Of course, it could try to ram him into something... but his added weight would make that a difficult task.

Hopefully, his siblings would take the chance to gang up on it and kill it... before this plan gave him his first piercing, right in his immature green butt.

The challenge was that he had to maintain a death grip with limited strength and he couldn't let himself get shaken off or be made to flinch by pain. So, he would focus. He would focus on how the horned rabbit moved, every detail that he could feel and hear and smell. He would study this creature's every move and trait like he was studying the maneuvers of a new border militia... whatever that is...

Of course, if this grappling plan failed... he would have no choice but to scramble for his thick pointed stick and try to keep from being gored while he got his breath back.

Hoi’s kicks were truly something to marvel at, and unfortunately Emri couldn’t watch the horned rabbit get launched into orbit from his hunting partner’s devastating attack. Something else took precedence at the moment and that was the prey they had engaged. Hoi’s focus was spent on two of the leading rabbits that foolishly ran in his direction, and it was safe to say that they would likely be taken care of. And even if they weren’t, Hoi could take a hit.

There was an odd amount in this litter of horned rabbits, and Emri knew the likelihood of getting them all was minimal. So how would he go about taking out one, or if he was lucky maybe even two of them? The larger one would take the most effort for him. There was also the chance that the rabbits all attacked him at once with those sharp horns. But something gave him a hunch that they would sort of just, roll over and die? They were similar to the slimes before in that, maybe the goblins weren’t at such a disadvantage.

So Emri tunneled his sights on the larger horned rabbit at the rear who had now stood his ground, and the other two who were frantically looking for a route of escape. The small bodied goblin kicked mud forward at the larger rabbit, whether that was to taunt the monster into combat or momentarily distract it was yet to to be seen. Immediately after his advance began, pressing his step hard into the ground and breathing in before shouting once again.

This time his hands gripped his whipping stick with killing intent, his momentum pressed him towards the larger rabbit and one of the smaller ones who were frozen in fear. The bristlewood lashed out towards the two with all of the energy the goblin had received from eating the slimes before exhausting every calorie as muscles in his arms tightened and unwound to hopefully wound or kill the fresh meat standing before him.
@ERode

One moment Aya had paused to examine some strangely behaved bugs that were lying perfectly still on the ground, her ever-growing hunger prompting her to ponder whether she could safely eat them or not, the next moment she'd noticed the harvest sloth moving to eat some of said motionless bugs, an orange substance beginning to emanate from its back as it did so. Aya had freaked out at that point, quickly moving out of range of the expanding cloud of whatever that was and scrunching a portion of the garment she wore over her nose and mouth for good measure. Ragi, on the other hand, was not so fortunate, comically rag-dolling to the ground before Aya even had the chance to look.

Shit shit shit! Was her sister dead!? The beginnings of a catastrophic meltdown were beginning to form within Aya's mind, only to be abruptly cut short by a confirmation of okayness from the otherwise motionless Ragi, with further assurances that this was all intentional an intentional part of the plan going a long way to preventing the goblin from freaking out further. Aya cursed herself for being so stupid once again, she'd made the assumption that Ragi was operating off only the same logic and knowledge as herself, seeing the potential the harvest sloth held but being in the dark as to the specifics, but now that Aya thought about it, of course, Ragi new what the sloth did, she'd probably worked it out the moment she saw the sloth. Hell knowing her sister she may well have even noticed the paralyzed insects and worked out what the sloth did before she'd ever even seen the creature.

As Ragi had said, this was all a part of the plan. A part of her test. More importantly, the plan was pretty clearly intended to double as a message, a way for Ragi to indirectly tell Aya that she was putting a significant amount of faith and trust into her. Why else would the goblin have willingly paralysed herself, when simply lying down would have been just as effective a ploy? Filled with a newfound determination Aya gave her sister a thumbs up that she almost certainly could not see and set to work.

First thing first, Aya didn't want to risk any weak points in the randomly bunched clothing she was hoping would filter the paralyzing miasma so stepping further away from the danger zone she made an attempt at folding the cloth to hopefully cover mouth and nose a little more evenly. Aya had already dropped the sticks she'd been carrying when she'd moved to get away from the harvest sloth and now more than anything she'd need something with which to dispatch anything Ragi managed to lure in, so after a quick search, Aya palmed a rock about as large as she could comfortably swing one-handed. Sure it wasn't the most effective weapon by any means, but it wasn't like it needed to be when the enemy was going to be immobilised beforehand.

Some morbidly curious part of her goblin mind urged Aya to move in and try to work out just how the paralysation worked and already she had begun to formulate ideas for how the creature might be a great asset on a hunt. In all likelihood, its docility was the result of any would preditors getting gassed with what she assumed were spores, should they get to close. Still, Aya couldn't afford to be distracted right now while Ragi was putting so much trust into her, so she suppressed her curiosity for the time being and instead gave her best shot at hiding herself somewhere nearby.

@Celsius

---

@RC3

The moment the smell of blood hit Cull's nose, the starving young goblin was driven into a near frenzy. His split pupils narrowed in anticipation, his mouth began to water, his sharp canines glistened in the sunlight as a snarl formed on his lips.

He pressed hard onto the spear's tip, keeping pressure on the struggling Stoat, Cull's left hand; already holding the near butt of spear, slid back so that he now held the butt itself, allowing him to put more weight behind the weapon. His right hand quickly twisted to reverse its grip, that he could move closer to the stoat, while still having a firm grip on the spear. Cull loomed over his quarry, his spear angled almost directly down into the stoat now-- the goblin's core flexed as he shoved his full weight and strength down into the weapon. His hands twisted the spear like a burrowing maggot. A mighty roar bellowed from his lungs, "gggGGGGRRRAAAAA!"

---

Saito let the prey drop to the ground, and kicked it hard where he thought the ribs would be for good measure. It wasn't out of cruelty--somehow, he felt that hitting something hard enough to take its breath away would make it hard for it to fake being dead. The Scaled Shrew did not stir. He had done it.

He dropped to his knees next to the creature, breathing hard. His stomach rumbled. It wasn't so much the "fight" that had taken it out of him, but the simple fact he had been hoisting this creature's whole body weight and repeatedly bashing it to mush. Now that he stopped to examine himself, he wasn't even scratched! He felt an odd swelling of pride in his chest--he wondered if any of the other goblins had managed their hunts this well.

And now, to business. His hunger simply would not wait any more. Those odd memories threatened to surface again--there seemed to be something "wrong" about eating the creature as it was, but whatever it was Saito couldn't figure it out. And it couldn't stop him from digging in as soon as possible. Still, he did heed the odd, fuzzy sensations on one account.

He took his rock, and one of his pointed sticks, and drove the wood to split the animal's hide. It was a bit of a touchy business, as he couldn't hit it full force like he would a chisel--he only needed to puncture the skin a little bit, and then rip it a little bit more, and then get a firm hold on it with his hands. Stomach growling, he disemboweled the Shrew. Why? The reasons were threefold. First, he wanted to remove the innards because he somehow felt they wouldn't be as tasty as the rest of the animal, save for its heart, liver, and kidneys. These, and the stomach pouch, he kept. All of the other offal he threw onto the ground nearby, and dusted them with a layer of dirt before doing the same to his hands and rubbing the grit off against the grass.

The second reason: If there were any scavenger animals in the area, or other creatures that might be attracted by the smell, he hoped they would pick up the scent once the innards had time to waft in the breeze for a bit. That way, he might be able to return to this place later for a second hunt.

And the third reason: He split open the stomach, and took a look at what the creature had been eating. It was full of berries, only partially digested...and aside from the acrid smell of digestive juices, Saito didn't smell anything particularly foul. Nor did the skin of the stomach look as if it were irritated from the berries or their juices.

With this accomplished he tossed the stomach aside with the other bits, and took his own handful of berries back up. He took one berry, and smeared it to paste over his arm. Then he placed them alongside the rest of his food. He was able to quickly gather another handful of berries from the ones the Scaled Shrew had been eating, and added these to the pile.

Finally, his stomach rumbling so much as to distract him, he set to one last task. Again driving the pointy stick with the rock, he made jagged, amateurish punctures all down the sides of the Shrew's back. Grasping its shell with both hands, Saito grunted as he pulled, again and again. Eventually, the whole hide came off with a hideous rip. Tearing the tail off was easier--but now, he had some very strong armored plates. What would he use them for? He wasn't sure yet, but those foggy, buzzing thoughts in his head seemed to be formulating an idea.

And now, he could eat.

The berries on his arm had not irritated his skin in any way. He smeared some more of the juice around his mouth, and then grabbed the Scaled Shrew's corpse. Picking up one forelimb, he literally bit right into it, sinking his teeth into skin. Tearing off the smaller, thinner scales on its hide was like biting through an overcooked fry batter or hard vegetable. His exaggerated canines split its flesh easily, and he tore off a huge, bleeding chunk. Chewing, crunching, gulping, he devoured it with no thought for such things as table manners. He took another bite, and another. The berry juice around his lips hadn't caused any adverse affects, so he popped just two into his mouth and chewed them thoroughly. As their tight roundness burst he savored the juices, but chewed a while more without swallowing. Satisfied that they were not poison, he gathered up both handfuls and tossed them into the body cavity left behind by his removal of the prey's organs.

The goblin continued to eat ravenously. He popped the Shrew's eyes like candy. He tore at its sinews like strings of licorice. Handful upon handful, mouthful upon mouthful, of flesh and blood disappeared into his maw. The berries served almost like a sauce, as he mashed them up inside the creature's corpse and ate handfuls of the mixture two at a time.

Finally, Saito sat back on his haunches and sighed. He looked up at the blue sky, and suddenly...

The world seemed much clearer. Birds were chirping, leaves wildly rustled, and the growls and sounds of the various creatures that called the forest their home were never ending. Everything around him gradually became vibrant and filled with life, as it should have been. The pain, fatigue, and discomfort he previously felt had disappeared, as if it was never there. This was certainly more than simple recovery.

Now that his mind was clear again, Saito observed his surroundings. He suddenly picked up the signs of various creatures that he hadn't been aware of before...and he was sure that, somewhere out there, were much stronger creatures than this Shrew. He looked at the position of the sun and tried to gauge how long he'd been away from the cave.

Once again he picked up his stone, and the bloodied pointy stick. He had one more thing to do--try and debone what was left of the Shrew. Maybe he could its claws and fangs, or its femurs, or some such things for some other purpose. As soon as he could do that--or not, depending--he would gather up his items, put his underwear back on, and head home.

@RC3@Haeo

The moment that the rock failed to hit her target Rena knew that she overestimates her new form, forgetting how weak she currently was. But never the less she kept moving forwards into battle with only slight hesitation. But before she can move on the rabbit, a regular looking goblin with improving spear got to it first. This male tried to attack it with a spear but the rabbit manages to parry the goblin attack and landed a tackle on him that sent him flying backward. That was the moment in which Rena finally decided to attack, catching the rabbit off guard she then swung her weapon towards the rabbit's torso, next thing she knew she heard the cracking of bones as she swings stuck the rabbit causing it to fly just a bit to fly to the side, at that moment she could help but smile perhaps in pride.

But the battle was not over, the rabbit got back up almost instantly and release a rather intimidating growl in her direction, at that moment she readjusted her guard and moved into a combat stance, She honestly begins to question how to weaken the rabbit was, So she a few seconds to breathe to get some of her strength back, then she charged forward hoping the rabbit would also charge forward and try to lunge forwards with its horn. Rena stopped short of the swinging distance move the club to her back beside her left, and with both her arms, hips and all her might swung her club at it as hard as she can while it was in mid-jump, hoping she would be strong enough to change the trajectory of the rabbit's attack so it attack could at least fly to the left of her body; also cause of nature of Rena's attack her torso would have rotated counter-clockwise decreasing her chances of the rabbit's attack landing.

If this plan works it would probably increase the other goblin(Tik) chances of successfully of grappling the beast without it noticing and goring him with its horn. Assuming the bald goblin(@Shovel) was still around she may get to launch the finishing blows before Rena, if not Rena would have to be the one who helps finish it off.

Location: In the Woods

Mentioning:@demonspade64@RC3@Haeo

---

Krishna ran until the thumping sound of the rabbit could no longer be heard. And with a suspicious stop, Krishna steered himself into the denser parts of the forest, making sure to give himself some reaction if the rabbit was to lunge beneath some of these tree roots. And he stood there, all alone, listening to the sound of birds chirping, of tree rustling to the breeze. The shadow cast upon the forest floor continued to change like a kaleidoscope. Not too far from where he is currently standing, a group of fire ants marches from one place to another before being swallow by the ground.

And Krishna stood there, waiting for the rabbit to kill him.

But the rabbit never came.

With a growing curiosity and a ravenous stomach desired to be fed, Krishna started to trace his footprints. He walked seven times around the trees. He re-juked his imaginary foes. He picked up the stone that he left while escaping. And, after two to three minutes, he found the rabbit. It was being grappled by one of the newborns, while the other is striking its club against the herbivore's body. And of course, with the number advantage on his side, Krishna's courage doubled in size. There is no way that he would let a prey to escape, not with how hungry he currently is. There are no guarantees that the next prey would be just as easy as this one. And so, Krishna lunged forward, his hands cast over his head, holding the grey rocks as tight as he can. And then he just slammed down, chasing after brute force over the accuracy, chasing after blood and gore instead of a clean kill. He smashed and smashed the brown fur that learned how to move. He smashed again at its skull, hoping to hear the sickening crunch that this brown creature had delivered to one of his siblings not too long ago. He smashed its long and powerful legs, so it could never leap so gracefully against him.

He is a goblin. It is in his blood to kill.

And smash he will.

EMRI & HOI
What was there to say? Hoi's plan was carried out perfectly; the Horned Rabbits didn't stand a chance. Their anxious and timid nature overcame any form of rational thought as they immediately scurried away from where Emri had emerged; at least most of them did. Instead of running away, the fattest one stood its ground, bearing its horns at the approaching Emri. Its heartbeat continued to increase, becoming more rapid as time passed by. It knew that if it wanted to survive, it had fight for it. In a last ditch effort, it rushed towards the young goblin. Emri decided to meet the chubby beast head on, hoping to end its life with one mighty swing with his wooden crop. The Horned Rabbit's adrenaline had kicked in and its chest began to bound. However, as it drew closer to its green-skinned attacker, as soon as Emri had striked, the Horned Rabbit fell over, the goblin's attack had missed, but the horned beast was on the ground and no longer breathing.

...

The smaller ones continued to flee towards the opposite direction. Little did they now that a larger threat was waiting for them. The fastest of the group suffered the unfortunate fate of taking a foot to the face. It did not see the kick coming and instantly died upon contact; well, it took a few seconds. Its body convulsed at it came crashing to the ground before becoming motionless. Distracted and distraught by the sight of its brethren being mercilessly punted, one of the surviving rabbits failed to notice the goblin's foot that came crashing down towards its body. Cracking bones and a loud high-pitched squeal left the rabbit's mouth along with a good amount of blood before succumbing to death.

Out of the five, there were two Horned Rabbits that managed to scurry away, surviving and living to tell the tale.



Progression & Spoils


Absorption

---

AYA, RAGI, BUG, & TWIG
As Ragi remained motionless from the neck down, she tried her best to calm her sister's worries, explaining that what had just happened was merely something she had already foreseen.

Although her anxiety was slowly building up, the distress Aya was feeling had slowly disappearing; her sister’s words had given her some reassurance. Taking Ragi’s advice, palming a rock along the way, she proceeded to a nearby bush, where she kept herself hidden.

Seconds turned to minutes as nothing particularly relevant took place. The Harvest Sloth continued to feast on the motionless insects while continuing to intermittently release spores into the air. Like the insects, Ragi remained motionless as well.

As soon as the sloth had finished its meal, it turned back to Ragi, somewhat surprised at seeing her paralyzed on the ground. Slowly approaching her, it nudged her head a bit and licked her cheeks, hoping for the goblin to move. However, the moment it realized that only Ragi’s head was capable of moving, it bared its fangs and sunk it into the young goblin’s shoulder.
….
Back at the hole, Bug had rested enough and left Twig speechless as he lifted the massive rock over his head before tossing it a few feet away from where they were. Twig clapped and cheered in joy as Bug instinctively started flexing his muscles.

---

RESHY
Let's be honest, Reshy wasn't having an amazing day. While his siblings spent their mornings building bonds, learning to hunt, and feasting on their first meals, not only did he clashed words with his fellow newborn, Reshy was left in a humid and rancid cave with an elderly goblin that gave him little to no attention. From there, thing didn't get better.

What started as an attempt to gain a better vantage point, ended in what could possibly Reshy's death bed. To be devoured by a slime was something one could not be proud of. Within the forests, as inept as the goblins appeared, there were several other creatures who were much weaker. Within the top of this list, was the slime.

Fortunately, Reshy decided to give in to his primitive side, and savagely attacked the blob of ooze that was attempting to eat him. Bearing his fangs and claws, he consumed the helpless creature until nothing was left.

A few blisters developed around Reshy's mouth as he wiped off what remained of the acidic slime on his face. Reshy was nasty.



Progression & Spoils

Absorption

---

KRISHNA, RENA, & TIK
The frenzied rabbit turned its attention towards the goblin that had wounded it, lunging forward in a fury-filled assault. Leaping into the air, it directed its horn toward's Rena's face, hoping to cleanly impale her through her skull. Although she decided to face the rampaging creature head on, the female goblin knew that a test of strength wasn't what she needed. Despite her reckless approach, caution never left mind. As the rabbit plunged its horn forward, Rena had momentarily stopped. Her right foot planted behind, supporting her body and both arms which were twisted to the right, as she was about to deliver another decisive blow.

Her body's oblique rotation made the area the rabbit could target relatively smaller, resulting in gash along the goblin's cheek; this was certainly better than a hole in between her eyes. But as the rabbit missed its mark, it felt a crushing weight that came crashing into its chest. Rena smashed her club against the large rabbit, sending it backwards before landing on its side.

Making most of the situation, the winded Tik rushed in and mounted the horned rabbit, his legs wrapping around its next while both hands made their away towards it horn. Restless and clearly agitated, the rabbit snarled and struggled to throw the young goblin off, shaking him from side to side. If not for the disadvantage of position, the Horned Rabbit could have easily broke free from Tik's clutches. However, in due time, it would matter not; the stronger rabbit was eventually going to overpower the newborn. Well, this was only true if their scuffle lasted for a few more seconds.

Unfortunately for the rabbit, Krishna didn't allow this to go on any further. Springing forth from the bushes came the rock-wielding goblin. From meek and cowardly, Krishna came in full of fervor and confidence as he leaped into the air before ramming down the rock into the rabbit's face. Smash after smash, its body fidgeted and the horned creature's snarl grew quieter, until turning completely silent and motionless.


Progression & Spoils




Absorption

---

CULL
The stoat's efforts to break free from the goblin's spear were anything but fruitful. Thrashing and squirming simply resulted to exhaustion as the goblin dug deeper into the stoat's flesh. As its own blood continued to slowly coat its brown pelt, the helpless creature could feel the weight of the goblin through the spear, as more of it was plunged through its body.

The young goblin, frenzied and entranced, let out a mighty roar, before finishing off the Brown Stoat. Its wriggling had ceased as it laid in a pool of its own blood.

As for the Horned Rabbit, it remained on the ground. Shallowly breathing and simply clinging on what little life it had.

---

TEVA, KOL, GEE, & SON 💀
Armed with sticks, rocks, rags and empty bellies, Teva’s group made up one of the larger hunting party of goblins that went out on the first day. Three of her siblings chose to follow her in search for something that could fill their stomachs.

Standing beside Teva was Son, a quiet and stern-looking muscular goblin with obviously robust shoulders. Behind them were Gee, the only other female goblin in the group, and Kol, the shortest of the bunch but was filled with so much energy. Gee had long dusky brown hair, which she kept timidly tugging on. Kol on the other hand couldn’t stop talking and moving around, running to the front of their group, just to run back and report that he was seeing nothing.

They moved through the forest all looking for their next potential prey, but they ultimately found nothing. The other goblins might’ve scared off some of the creatures while devoured the others during their own hunts. However, this did not stop them from continuing. Although walking father from their cavern, it wasn't long until they found something of interest. Well, it was Kol who saw it which he immediately relayed to the rest. Squinting his eyes, in the distance, he saw an Orc walking lazily through the forest. It seemed to know the forest well.

After seeing it walk a little bit more, the group noticed it had a heavy limp on one of its legs. Its wrinkles gave away its old age. The group must have lucked out and found an older Orc messenger of some sort. It held a bag in one hand and a small box of some sort in the other. It seemed velvety and of some importance to the bigger creature.

He had no weapons and only crude cloth clothing. Whoever gave him this assignment made a clear mistake by sending him through this jungle. It'd be easy to defeat the unsuspecting monster with the position that the party was in.

R E S H Y

---

Oh god Reshy felt alive! His lips were blistered as was his leg but that didn’t matter, he was buzzing! Not sated but having enjoyed the meal he attempts to track where the creature came from. He had its scent and it would obviously leave some sort of trail or path where it traveled. Reshy didn’t let his excitement completely override his limited sense though. It had snuck up on him, and for that Reshy could have died.

As he travelled following what he could best guess was the slimes path, be it from passage, signs or smell, Reshy gathered any supplies thar looked useful.
He moved slowly and cautiously through the forest, quietly with all his stealth, often pausing to listen and smell the air. He attuned his senses to his surroundings not wanting to miss a thing.

His mind was a buzz from the adrenaline, the victory and the stimulating effect of the slime. As well as his alerted state it kickstarted his thinker.

‘Defence.’

Using his simplistic view on crafting and the few supplies available to him, Reshy tightly bound to his left forearm a bundle of the strongest straightest sticks he could find. Interwoven and reinforced with more vine. If something bit at him it would hopefully give it a mouthful of something that wasn’t his flesh, even if only once. Even by his standards he knew this was poor, but it would have to do for now.

’Offence’

He would prefer not to get that close though. So, removing most of his loincloth he fashioned the material into a simple sling. Until needing it he would use it to hold the rocks and pebbles he felt best suited to the task. Occasionally firing one off in practice when he found a new one to replace it. Yup, distance would be his thing.

Reshy kept looking to the trees, maybe it was the sky he wanted to be in but they were the closest link between. There was an occasion or two when he was sure that he was safe that he tried to climb again, he wasn’t going to let this go. But he was not there yet.

His grumbling stomach put him back to the task at hand. If he could not get above his prey maybe he could put them below him.
Either when he thought he was coming close to a target or simply found a good clearing, Reshy enacted yet again another (what he considered) masterful piece of goblin ingenuity. He was going to craft a trap.

Digging a hole in the center of the clearing maybe only two foot square, he put some upward facing pointy sticks in the base before carefully covering over the top with leaves, grass and twigs. Finally he made a ball of odd bits and chewed on it, gathering as much of his sweet scented breath and saliva as he could before placing it very gently in the middle of his trap.

As he went and hid behind a nearby tree to wait silently with a stick and his sling, he thought of how much bigger and better this trap could be with the aid of his brethren. Suddenly Reshy felt so very alone...
He decided that what ever he defeated next, if he defeated anything, he would take back something to share.

@ERode@Versa and many dead Rabbits RIP. .

---

Hoi breathed out as the flying rabbit cracked against the ground. Under his feet, warm, salty blood seeped out, and he stepped off his other prey. Two rabbits. Good. Emri slew another. Even better. He breathed in, feeling his body grow ever stronger. Easy now. Hunting these rabbits was easy. Food wasn’t a problem. Now, water wasn’t either. As for the rest…

Shelter was secured. Clothing then. Weapons too. And, most importantly, fire.

“Good hunt. Easy prey, good meat.” With bold steps, Hoi strode towards where the rabbits had been gnawing just moments before. He sat down cross-legged, and with his incisors, chewed through the back ankles of the rabbits. If they were the sort of rabbits he remembered, their fur would come off easy. For a moment, his eyes glanced over to Emri, as if to ensure that the skinnier goblin was looking. Then, he continued. Hooking his claws underneath the loose fur, the rotund goblin began to meticulously pull the fur off the flesh, almost like removing a sock.

“Fire, Emri. We prepare for that next.”

The smaller goblin felt no traces of exhaustion suddenly as the sweet scent of blood caught his senses. And he slowly made his way to Hoi as he worked on preparing the rabbits. Fire would be next, but was that entirely necessary? Sure, the sun would be going down in the coming hours and the warmth and lighting of crackling firewood would be nice. Oh, for cooking the meat, maybe?

“We need dry sticks. Or two rocks.”

The skinny goblin’s eyes wandered the perimeter, seeking either of these two materials. The wet soil would make finding deadwood of any kind difficult, but two rocks would be an easy feat. Scampering over to some of the brush he had previously hid within, two small flat stones sat buried halfway into the mud. Emri pressed his green fingers into the sticky soil pulling them free before hustling back to the skinning goblin.

“Need dry surface.”

“Don’t know firemaking from rocks.” Hoi shook his head. His kin’s gusto was admirable, but first, it was good to drink water, eat meat, and think. Every bit of flesh seemed to clear his head more. It was good. Comforting. More knowledge flowed in. “Eat, drink, now. Talk after. Then, work. Sun sets soon.”

As if to set an example, the rotund goblin took a bloody bite of rabbit, relishing in the elasticity, the texture. A part of him was repulsed, but another part just salivated, hungry for more. Careful though. Savour it. He then leaned back, picking a particularly plump tree root to chomp on. The water that seeped between his teeth was earthy, sappy. But it was watery too. Good difference. Washed away the blood between his teeth.

“Understand.”

Emri nodded and quickly put the two rocks into his makeshift cloth knapsack before dropping his rear to the mud. The horned rabbit he killed would be snatched by its head, and thoughtlessly the goblin tore a leg clean off the poor animal’s rind. Marrow and tendons slipped down to the floor, but Emri didn’t want to be wasteful. He picked the small scraps up and quickly plopped them into his mouth, swallowing them whole. Then he’d snap his teeth into the leg, peeling the raw flesh clean from the bone and swallowing it ravenously. He wasn’t even tasting his food at this point, the hunter’s high was truly getting to him.

“Fire. Maybe bring some water root to cave? We trade others for good stuff?”

Emri raised a bald green eyebrow before ripping off another limb from rabbit’s corpse. This time he absentmindedly chomped into the bone, the strong teeth making easy work of the thin rabbit bones and even managing to chew the hard calcium composite into a paste within his mouth. And then swallowed without even noticing. Maybe in the back of his mind he knew what he just did, so he made sure to grab a root and bite it open to slurp down that refreshing sappy surprise.

“Hrm.”

Hoi regarded the water-root briefly. With a violent bite, he tore into it, before pulling his teeth away and watching it seep with a pale green liquid. Then, he looked at the Rabbit Horn. Two flintstones struck each other in his mind, and he nodded slowly.

“Bottle. Find thick, dead branches. Drill with horn. Fill with water.” What they needed most was lots of wood. Wood all shapes and sizes. Wood for fire, wood for water, wood for meat. “Give them what they need. If they work, share ideas. If they trade, trade bottles.”

Hoi stood up, his makeshift loincloth bag on one hand, and two rabbit horns in another.

“Wood. Branches. Twigs. Bark. Vine. Fire and water, together.” A slap on his own broad, hunched back. “I can carry much. You can find fast.”

Emri jumped into a stiff stand of attention, eyes glistening a doe like, full of inspiration. Hoi wasn’t just strong, nor was he a good leader, he wasn’t even just a super genius he was someone who used his knowledge for the benefit of everyone. What was that called ..

“Entraneur!”

That wasn’t it. Or something like that. Either way, Emri felt more motivated to do things when Hoi gave him direction. And this water bottle idea was something that he could definitely wrap his head around. All he had to do was look for stuff, lots of wood, some vines, but he only had the one horn from the rabbits. But that wouldn’t stop him. In one hand was his long whipping stick, in the other was the armless and legless disheveled corpse of the rabbit. Emri sprung out from their new sitting spot and took the nearby bushes to search for these materials, taking a small snack of his rabbit while he did so.

The smaller goblin didn’t want to travel too far. Even if slimes and rabbits were easy picking, the daylight was diminishing, and that’s when the more dangerous prey would begin to appear. His eyes were looking at the trees, plenty of them had the branches and bark that they needed, but finding vines that weren’t pitiful lengths was a challenge. About thirty feet out from the rabbit’s nest was a massive tree, larger than the rest in the area, and a great long vine dangled from the lowest branch.

Unfortunately that branch was still mountains high for Emri, and a frown developed on his face as he looked up. Maybe the thistlebranch could snag it down? He tried to jump and latch one of the thorns onto the silky greenery, but they wouldn’t take. Maybe he should call for Hoi’s help? No, Hoi already does most of the work so that definitely wasn’t an option. No other choice.

Emri dropped his rabbit and stick, clapped his hands together, licked his lips and marched up to the base of the tree. There was a small dent in the side of the tree trunk, deep enough for his foot to grip within and get a jump start on a few feet in height.

“Hoi! If I die! You can eat me!”

Emri didn’t really mean that, but he was sweating bullets as he barely managed to get his second foot to grip a small portion of the bark before making even more height up the tree. He reached out for the vine, his arms weren’t very long but if he could get a good hold with his legs he might be able to stretch out his upper body.

He used his thigh muscles to squeeze the shit out of the tee bark, sharp ends broke skin and held his minuscule weight as his chest separated and his hands finally made contact with the vine.

“Come help grab! I don’t want to die!”

Whereas Emri looked up to the sky, Hoi preferred to sweep the ground. Wind, rot, and various other factors meant that there was plenty of deadfall in the dense forest, while with a combination of horn and claw, he was able to wrestle bark off trees as well. It was menial labor, boring work, but work was work, and the rotund goblin was a professional that got work done, even when he was his own employer. Daylight faded, but that didn’t mean he needed to sleep with the sun. If they could make fire, there was comfort. If they could make bottles, they could go on for longer. Vines made string, which made better garments. So many things to do, so little time.

They needed more skilled workers, huh.

As the bundle of branches and bark grew, Hoi was pulled out of his musings by Emri’s cry. Oh brother. That was something. Dropping his own load off to the side, the goblin let out a grunt, before craning his neck up, his spine curving backwards. There was that uncomfortable crack again, that shot of strange pain. But he slapped his belly regardless.

“You fall. I catch. Trust.”

Emri looked down, the second wind of confidence had vanished into thin air the moment he saw the five foot drop down to the floor. But as he came crashing down to the ground, the stronger goblin would easily catch the small goblin brother. And Emri sighed with relief, wiping sweat from his brow.

The vine he clasped was around seven feet in length. The fibrous plant was both stringy and elastic, some strange flowers seemed to blossom along its ends as well. As Emri found his feet back on the floor once again, he’d curiously pick one of these yellow flowers and eat them off the vine. Bitter, horribly bitter, numbed the tongue even.

“Not edible.”

But the vine was retrieved, and the small goblin wound it up into a small circle before placing it around his shoulder. Reaching down he’d grab the rabbit corpse for another bite, peeling meat from its back now, but there wasn’t much left. Honestly though, they had probably eaten more today than the generation before them in the past week.

“Bark, twigs, branches, easy. Fire difficult.”

There was indeed plenty of dead undergrowth from east to west, but much of it was damp. Kindling itself was the easiest part, it was finding some flint to spark that fire. The rocks Emri had grabbed could possibly make something happen, but finding a stone with harder minerals in it was probably the most optimal solution.

“Maybe in cave we find, rock that makes fire?”

“Maybe. But for now. More wood, more good. Can make things in cave.” Hoi grunted, settling his burden back onto his back. “More work now, more play later.”

Emri very briefly pouted at his brother’s response, but nodded in submission before taking a final bite from his rabbit meat. He would then take his crop and begin to pace around the area picking up deadwood, branches, small sticks, loading them onto Hoi like a pack mule. Once the large goblin seemed to not be able to carry more, Emri stopped.

Rabbit hides, full stomachs, a water source, tools, so much work had been accomplished just from a single day of leaving that cave. And the day wasn’t even over. Regardless of if their plan was a success, the small goblin was happy with the accomplishments they achieved, and honestly he didn’t really want to go back to the cave. But at the same time, he knew that was a naive sentiment.

Time passed by pretty slowly when there's nothing going on, you cannot move your body from neck down, and your nose and mouth literally squashed by the weight of your own head. That's what Ragi was feeling when she waited for the paralysis to wear off.. Which didn't really happen, like, at all. What was she thinking, laying there near the yellow fart substance that she knew was causing her inability to move. This, my friend, is a real life example of how pride would eventually kill someone.

Such is the case, that made Ragi really happy when the sloth was finally done snacking on the bugs and sauntered to her side. It was still pretty friendly then, and even helped flipped Ragi so that her face was no longer half-buried in the damp forest floors. A friendly lick to the cheeks was a pretty nice gesture too. A ticklish one, but it was nice. Like if a puppy licked your face kind of nice.

The next thing that happened, however, was the exact opposite of nice. Instead of, like, stopped farting paralytic substance into the air, the sloth actually bit Ragi on her shoulder. It was not bone-crushingly painful per se, but still, quite the dick move to assault a helpless lady! Really, sloth? This is how you treat your friend? Ragi promised to herself to teach the small runt some manners once she regain control of her body.

However, to her surprise, her Goblin instinct had overridden her camaraderie with the sloth. As if it was the most natural thing to do, Ragi moved her neck and positioned her head right over the sloth's neck before biting down as hard as she could. She was surprised, bewildered even. Was this how every single living being in this world act? Abandon friendship for a taste of food?

In any case, now that the bridge was unexpectedly burned, Ragi decided not to relax her bite - unless the sloth let go first.

Aya had calmed down over her time spent waiting in the bushes, to what she would consider an almost normal level of panic, still freaking out by anyone else's standards, but not to so such a degree that it was debilitating for the goblin. Hell, compared to how she sometimes got and her current situation Aya's state of mind could probably be considered tranquil at that point, all things considered. She fully trusted in her sister's plan, something she'd grown progressively more convinced of each of the many times she'd gone over it in her head over the past few minutes. Sure there were some parts of the plan Aya didn't get and some issues it didn't seem to address, but given it was Ragi's plan they were implementing this time rather than Aya's, it seemed obvious that these were all either parts of the test or otherwise variables accounted for in ways Aya simply wasn't smart enough to comprehend.

Of course, Aya's state of tranquillity didn't last long, shattering in an instant when the sloth went from making a show of affection to Ragi one moment to chomping into her shoulder the next. Aya's seemed to lock up as she witnessed this, even as her mind went into overdrive. What should she do? Should she run in and try to attack the sloth? Would that even be safe? For all she knew the spores could be contact-based rather than needing to be inhaled...

Chomp!

The realisation hit Aya as she watched her sister suddenly use what few of her muscles she still had control over to reposition herself and bite into the sloth's neck even as it was biting into her. How many times would Aya make this same mistake before she'd learn? This was Ragi she was talking about, there was no way she hadn't at least considered the harvest sloths betrayal a possibility, if not outright predicted it. When she'd said she was using herself as bait for this trap of hers, Aya had assumed that she was intending to lure in some other roaming predator, but now that Aya thought about it it was very well possible that she'd instead been referring to this. A trap within a trap.

Still, even for all of Ragi's prodigious skill and ability, the situation didn't look to be in her favour and as likely as it was that Ragi still had cards up her sleeves, Aya wasn't particularly keen on taking that risk given the stakes. Which meant Aya would need to act quickly, something easier said than done with how panicked she was in that moment. Doubts clawed at Aya's mind, leaving her almost as immobile as her sister, even more so in some ways. What if she screwed something up? Would she be able to live with herself after that? And no matter what plan she thought of there were too many ways things could go wrong, unknown variables that she had no way to predict or account for. Still, her sister needed her now and if there was one thing that could kick Aya into gear it was an imminent and unavoidable deadline.

Gripping her rock tightly in one hand and her makeshift filter in the other, Aya repositioned herself so she could come at the harvest sloth from behind, taking and holding a deep breath for good measure before charging towards the sloth. Aya brought the stone down onto the back of the monster's head with all of her goblin might, not pausing even to see what damage she'd managed to inflict before letting her goblin rock bashing instincts take over and bringing the stone down onto the sloth again and again.

@Celsius

T E V A

---

𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙵𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 — 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚍: 𝙰𝚗𝚡𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 // 𝙴𝚡𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 // 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚢 — 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎 — 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜: 𝙽𝙿𝙲𝚜

---

The group originally consisted of all sorts of goblins, big and small alike, but after setting out into the forest, more and more goblins split out into smaller hunting parties, drifting apart and looking for their own little opportunities. Not that Teva disagreed with that kind of approach, mind you, more food for her on the long run, but she appreciated the safety that numbers gave to the relatively individually weak goblins.

She’d tried to make small talk with the ones that stuck with her as they walked among the thick underbrush of the forest. The big and quiet one, Son as he’d come to introduce himself, lead the way in front, with Teva and another female goblin trailing behind him. Unfortunately, it seemed that Son had either lucked out in the brains department despite his physical prowess, or he’d decided that talking was a waste of his breath, instead focusing on the task at hand; brushing aside branches and vines and opening a path for the rest of them to walk on.

While he was doing that, Teva conversed with Gee. The female gob was unlike Teva, shy and skittish, she didn’t seem ready for something as difficult as hunting, and in her mind Teva had already relegated her to gathering and herb picking roles. She’d managed to find a relatively straight piece of wood almost twice her height in length, cradling it in her arms while nervously scanning her surroundings for any sort of enemy that might ambush them. Teva doubted she could even use the stick as a weapon, herself very much preferring rocks as her weapon of choice. While they walked, she’d pick up and store any middle-sized rock that looked relatively sharp. A makeshift bag of sorts was tied around her waist, made from a piece of cloth she’d torn off the rag she wore as clothes. Teva would test the rocks’ weight so that they weren’t too heavy for her to carry but good enough to cause some damage were she to throw them at a fleshly target.

She was squatting down to pick up another rock when she noticed Son suddenly stopping in his tracks, the ever present scowl on his face deepening. He’d heard something shuffling among the trees. Just as the big goblin raised the short, club-like piece of wood he carried around in front of him, ready to pounce at a potential enemy, a familiar green head donning a black tuft of hair popped from behind a tree, causing the three goblins to visibly relax. Son let out a heavy gruff, lowered his weapon and walked over to a fallen tree trunk to sit and rest while Kol, the fourth and last member of their group skipped over to Teva and Gee.

Kol was… let’s just say that even Teva didn’t know where Kol got all his energy from. The greenskin was supposed to be starving and yet, he dashed around the forest like he owned the place. At least he brought them information on potential enemies that might be in the vicinity every time he returned, or else Teva might’ve put an end to his little expeditions even before they’d started. It also didn’t help that he carried that toothy grin on his face wherever he went, except this time.

Kol’s face was flushed, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He took some time to regain his breath before laying out the news to them: he’d found something dangerous ahead.

“It’s big and pink!” Kol said between huffs. “And it walks on two legs,” he added, making stomping sounds with his feet as if to emphasize its weight.
“Really?” Teva questioned curiously. “How big are we talking about?”
“Twice your height, easily taller than Son!” Kol answered wide-eyed. Son visibly tensed in his seat, clutching his club tightly upon hearing the news.
“Sounds scary, let’s igno-” Gee tried to chime in but was interrupted by the big gob’s heavy voice.
“No. I’m hungry. I want meat. We fight.” With a few short sentences, Son made his wishes known to the party, and Teva somehow agreed with him.
“Yes, we could go forage fruit and berries, but we need something more substantial if we’re to survive. I just don’t know if we can get out of this unscathed…”
“It seemed hurt!” Kol interjected. “Couldn’t put much weight on one leg,” he continued, pointing at his right leg.

Although the three smaller goblins gravitated around Son due to his impressive, to them at least, physique, Teva had emerged as the undisputed leader, her force of personality that had inspired such a large group of goblins to go out and hunt having gained their respect. “Hmm, alright, let’s do it this way then…”

---

Teva watched as everyone got into position before signaling Kol to reveal himself. The short goblin suddenly jumped from behind the nearby shrubbery with a nervous smile on his face. “Hey, you big, dumb, floppy eared creature, bow down before me, Kol the Fabulous!” he shouted at the orc to get its attention. Immediately the orc swiveled around with a snarl, but was greeted with a faceful of dirt, blinding it momentarily. Kol used this chance to run around the orc and tackle it on the back of its weaker knee, hoping to cause it to stumble and fall.

Teva would then quickly climb up a nearby tree, giving her a vantage point from where she could throw rocks at the orc from above, while Son would charge in yelling a battle-cry, club tightly clutched in both hands in an overhead swing that would come down with force on top of the orc’s head. Despite his apparent strength, Teva wasn’t sure one solid swing would be enough to incapacitate the pink beast, but she hoped Son and Kol would be able to distract the orc long enough for her to get a few good hits in. She aimed at its face, more importantly its eyes. The dirt was a temporary measure used to catch the orc off-guard, but If she could permanently blind the beast their chances of killing it would immediately increase by a lot.

From where she was perched, Teva would also be able to spot Gee, hidden under a brush near where the fight was taking place. She would be tasked with keeping an eye at the orc’s legs for when it stood up again. Using the long stick she carried around, she would extend it from under the brush towards the orc’s feet in an attempt to make it trip once more and create an opening for the other goblins to pummel it to the ground again. Teva was sure that even a timid goblin like her would find this task simple enough to do, and even if Gee failed to trip the orc, Teva had told Kol and Son to lead the orc near the tree she would be on so that see would have the chance to jump from above, using her flexibility to lock her arms around the orc’s neck to choke it out.

Location: In the Woods >>> The Cave

Mentioning:@RC3

---

Krishna ate the rabbit.

It tastes like flesh. A little dirty on the side. A little hairy as well. But it was meat. It tasted metallic, the crimson red liquid unwashed from its surface ran along his palm when he swallowed it. It was a little bit sloppy as well, probably the result of him bashing it into a batter. He then tasted it again, this time, one of its organs. He did not know what it is called or its purpose, but the organ still pumped in his hand, squirting blood into a small puddle. And unlike the previous time, he drank the liquid, examining its texture. It was salty. Metallic. Somewhat sweet at the end of the tongue then transform into this unfulfilling taste. Like a when you try to burp but nothing comes out of your mouth. But you can feel it there, hanging at the top of your throat, block by something. And so, you just keep opening your mouth, waiting for something to puncture this imaginary barrier.

It is a strange taste.

The organ on the other side, was very chewy. It also tastes metallic, which makes Krishna questioned whether or not the rabbit is made of metal. Thankfully, the blood allowed him to swallow it after the few chew.

But Krishna was half-way fill. There are still some rooms in his tumtum, Krishna feels as he looked around for some easy picking prey. He saw the shadows of birds high in the canopies. Their shadows darted between the branches. Their voices echo through the woods. And then he saw Gor's body. Or corpse.

Or both.

It was lying there in the afternoon sunlight. His mouth was gaping wide. Its chest no longer rose as it used to a few minutes ago. And Krishna stood there, watching over it. He wanted to let his finger to enter the hole on its chest. He wanted to pick up the small chunks of meat, slices of skins, and some flesh attached, a result of the rabbit's horn being pulled out of his body, and tasted it. The white bubbles on his lip as well. Krishna wondered how does bubble taste like. It was there for the taking. Krishna was still hungry. Already the flies, and ants and a plethora of insects are already there. It wouldn't be so bad.

Just one taste...

"Don't eat it." Gor's said while a fly landed on his eyes.

And this scared Krishna. Enough to send him back home, half full and half hungry.

---

RESHY & SAITO
No trail existed since Yellow Slimes usually prowled atop trees or along plants to find prey. They usually subsisted off tree sap, flowers, and fruits, hence their mild fruit-like flavor and thick honey-like consistency. They would only pounce when a more substantial and weaker prey would wander past.

Stimulated from the yellow slime ooze and its core, the young goblin followed a trail that was never there. Following random branches and crumpled leaves, Reshy thought that it would lead him to some sort of creature, but instead, it just led him to a leafy clearing. Focusing on his senses, he heard birds chirping, insects buzzing, and several growls and snarls all around him. What he would do with this vague information, only Reshy knew.

With no prey in site, he turned to the thoughts and ideas that were rampant in his mind. Grabbing whatever he could to fulfill his sudden whims, he found himself naked behind a bush. His left forearm wrapped in branches, while a pile of rocks laid beside him as he eagerly waited for something to come across his aromatic trap.

….

With his head held high and a filled stomach, Saito carried the lifeless and macerated carcass of his first hunt back to their home. He was hoping to make the most of his spoils within the safety of their cavern; it would have been troubling if another creature appeared while he was preoccupied with some minor task.

Dissecting the dead shrew, Saito’s hands moved as if he was quite familiar with what he was doing. From separating its plate-like hide to dismantling and scraping bones clean, he was able to do it efficiently. Unfortunately, the Scaled Shrew only had a few parts that were viable body parts.

Rested and recuperated, Saito proceeded to wander into the forest once again, prepared for another hunt. What caught his attention this time, was the sweet alluring scent lingered in the air. He was cautious, but also curious. Keeping his guard up, he eventually found himself in the presence of one of his goblin brothers, baring his all while fixated and absorbed on something from afar.

….

Slowly hoping forward, interested in the sweet aroma that came from Reshy’s trap, was a plump Dragon Frog, around two feet in height. Around a foot from the trap, its tongue shot forward, aiming for the source of the sugary scent. Sadly, instead of a treat, it was surprised by the unpleasant tasting slime and the discomfort from the pointed bark and stick. It grimaced in dissatisfaction as its tongue quickly retracted.

---

AYA & RAGI
Ragi didn’t now what hurt more, the betrayal of what could’ve been a creature she would establish a bond with, or the fangs that were digging into her flesh. Regardless, she wasn’t about to take either just like that. Driven by the wiles of her instincts, she did what any self-respecting goblin would do; bite back. Baring her teeth, she sunk them deep and tightly around the Harvest Sloth’s neck. It whimpered in response, but its hold around Ragi’s shoulder did not loosen.

Even with the amount of trust Aya had for her sister, she couldn’t just accept the current situation they were in. Although she believed that everything had been foreseen and planned out by Ragi, Aya couldn’t stop herself from rushing forward. It may have been out of some lingering doubt, primal instincts, or some sort of developing bond. With rock in hand, she charged at the Harvest Sloth from behind, through the spore-filled air, and smashed it atop the creature’s head. The first blow released Ragi from its bite, the second forced it to tip over, and everything else that followed was led to the sloth’s brutal murder. Even as it laid in a pool of its own blood, Aya continued her assault. The only thing that had stopped her were the spores that lingered in the air.

In the end, all the two goblins remained motionless, laying on top of the slain harvest sloth.


Progression & Spoils

---

TEVA, KOL, GEE, & SON 💀
Despite his size, Kol was still a goblin who was pushed by his hunger. Putting as much weight as he could, he rammed his body into the blinded Orc’s weakened leg. He was stopped in his tracks and stumbled forward, but his charge was enough to force the orcs knee to buckle, leaving the pig-like creature kneeling on one leg. Were it not for its injury, Kol wouldn’t be able to topple the Orc.

Perched atop a nearby tree, Teva readied herself and began pelting the orc with rocks while Son came rushing with his large branch in hand. Although she aimed for its eyes, Teva was no marksman, only being to land a few shots at the orc’s face. Aside from the Kol, the orc was aware that he was facing against at least three goblins. Despite its age and injury, it did not enjoy the idea of being underestimated. Son’s battle cry continued as he got closer to the orc, but unfortunately, this gave it enough information to estimate the larger goblin’s distance from himself. Blindly swinging its arm, a backhand met Son’s face, snapping his neck, immediately killing him.

Although quivering at the sight of Son’s lifeless body, Gee did her best to carry out their plan and the task given to her. As the orc slowly stood up, the female goblin extended the long stick in her hands it from under the brush towards the orc’s feet to make it trip once. However, laying prone and her lack of strength made it difficult to push out the long stick and maintain enough force to cause the orc to stumble.

Wiping off the dirt from its eyes, the orc caught the smaller goblin trying to get up. The aching on his right leg had worsened because of Kol, and it seemed that the orc wasn’t too happy about it.

Grabbing the young goblin by the neck, the orc continued to tighten its grip while screaming its lungs out.

“Damn golbins! Show yourseves!”

R E S H Y

---

@Zeroth@RC3

A wide grin flashed across Reshy’s face as he saw his goblin brother. Raising a finger to his lips he tried to silence him before pointing to the creature in the clearing that had evaded his trap. Reshy then raised a hand up and open as if signalling for Saito to wait he quickly and carefully began edging around the clearing to his left, using all of his dexterity and stealth. Watching every footstep he took as he loaded a pebble into his sling.

Then suddenly, when he was sure Saito was ready Reshy once again raised and dropped his hand, silently signaling Saito to attack! Just before his brother could get there Reshy swung his sling around and fired off a pebble as he had practiced.

Before even seeing if it connected, sling still in one hand and a spare pebble in the other, Reshy charged in at the creature as fast as he could, a desperate hunger driving him. He tried to anticipate the direction it would move, pinning it between them.

If Saito missed his strike, depending on how close Reshy could get he would:
- try smack it down with his fist.
- If it was out of reach he would try pelt the pebble at it.
- If it could fly with those little wings he would load his sling up again and try shoot it out the air.

Maybe a combination of all, either way Reshy wanted this little frog thing and he was going to chase it if required.

He remained cautious of the creatures horns and aware of the bundle of wood strapped to his own forearm.

---

As Saito hauled his spoils back home, his newly cleared mind was awhirl with possibilities. The stronger bones he had pulled from the carcass had rounded ends, one narrow and designed to fit into the hip joint and the other much larger. They might make good blunt weapons. The creature's hide could be made into some form of clothing, and its tough plates would protect him. He wasn't sure what he would do with the tiny skull--maybe just make a trophy out of it? And the tail...it wasn't really like a piece of vine, flexible or cord-like, because of the plating. Yet it still had flex to it, and each segment of the armor seemed pretty sturdy. It was almost like...a chain? My memories again. Even now they're still cloudy. But I know more than I did before.

I was a man. I lived in another world. I passed away...and I remember that there were a lot of memories. I can't see them, but their weight rests upon my mind greatly. So I must have been old, to accumulate so many. I believe I passed away happily. Content. But...there was something else I wanted, too.

And now I have been reborn. I am...a goblin. My instinct and experiences tell me that much.

He was able to find the mark he had made in the dirt, and with the landmarks he remembered finding the cave again was easy. He noticed there were far fewer goblins here now--the others must be out hunting as well. A scent on the air caught his nose, oddly sweet and fruity. Maybe he could secure some more food for later? He went back inside the cavern, back to his dark corner of the wall, and looked around to make sure no one was watching him. Then he buried his spoils just an inch or so below the dirt, leaving himself enough signs to remember where it was. He didn't know what kind of culture or community these goblins had, but until he could trust them it was better not to let his things be taken. He might be willing to give or to help, but if any goblin tried to steal from him...Well, they'd better not steal from him.

With a now empty loincloth once again wrapped around his hips, Saito headed back out and sought that fruity smell from before. He was cautious, but also curious. Keeping his guard up, he eventually found himself in the presence of one of his goblin brothers, baring his all while fixated and absorbed on something from afar. Saito looked at the other greenskin and scratched his chin as he mulled over his observations.

This fellow was the one that had bitten another goblin's ear, and run off back into the cave. His underbite and fidgety hands gave him an odd look, with elements of both a simpleton and a trickster. Yet he moved like he knew what he was doing--even more quietly than Saito had on his earlier hunt. And he had fashioned himself a piece of protection of some sort, just a brace of sticks, as well as a weapon--using, Saito noted with some spark of humor, his own loincloth. The sling didn't look very well made and such a weapon seemed...deceptive in its use. If he planned to throw rocks with it, it would mean he had to build up a lot of momentum, wouldn't it? Reasoning would follow that swinging the weapon in order to do that would also make it difficult to aim...but maybe the goblin had already practiced with it?

The other goblin saw him, and gave him a wide grin full of sharp teeth. Saito's own expression was decidedly stoic. His brother raised one finger to his lips for silence, and Saito nodded. He had already noticed, up ahead in the clearing, that the source of that sweet smell was coming from what looked like a ball of grass and twigs covered in some yellow substance. It sat on a patch of ground that had obviously been disturbed--so this goblin was trying to draw some creature into a trap.

The other hunter went to the left, and again Saito watched him move with interest. This greenskin definitely knew something of the art of stealth, or at the very least he had a talent for it. Saito tried to mimic his brother as he went to the other direction, but watched as the other goblin loaded the sling. He would need to make sure to stay out of the weapon's aim--if a throw missed the target, and he was standing on the other side of the clearing, he didn't want the missile to kill him instead.

Slowly hoping forward, interested in the sweet aroma that came from the trap, was a plump frog, around two feet in height. Its red skin, horns, and oddly tiny wings all seemed very out of place to Saito. Around a foot from the trap, its tongue shot forward, aiming for the source of the sugary scent. Sadly, instead of a treat, it was surprised by the unpleasant tasting slime and the discomfort from the pointed bark and stick. It grimaced in dissatisfaction as its tongue quickly retracted.

The creature faced the trap. The other goblin was on one side of it. Saito was on the other side, but at an angle, diagonal, so that the slingshot wouldn't hit him by accident. It also allowed him to react more easily to the frog's movement. If it tried to run forward, it would go into the trap. If it tried to run backwards away from the trap, Saito would be able to cut it off. If it ran from his brother, then it would be coming right at him and he would again be able to intercept it. And if he moved for it first, it would have to either run into the trap or into the other goblin.

The goblin seemed to think they were in a good position. Saito felt his muscles relaxing once more. Just like when he had lunged to attack the Shrew, his rearmost foot pressed into the ground with a slowly building pressure...

The sling whirled with a whip-crack, but Saito was afraid it still wouldn't be fast enough. Would the frog hear the other goblin winding up for the throw? Would it have the senses or reflexes to dodge the attack?

No time for what-ifs. Saito almost felt the "rising and falling timing" pulling him along. He aimed to move in from such an angle that he wouldn't run into the trap if the frog dodged him, but he was fully committed to the followthrough of his attack.

He Lunged and Struck in one motion--and, in the single instant of thought he had left before his physical body was moving with intent, he realized that something felt different compared to before. And it wasn't just that he didn't have a weapon this time--in fact, that almost felt more natural.

Easily moving twice as quick, maybe faster, than when he attacked the Shrew, Saito covered the distance between himself and the Dragon Frog. In fractions of a second his body twisted all at once: his foot came down hard, sending a rebound from the earth up into his thighs and hips. This explosive power was converted into torque by his waist, spiraling up his backbone. And this torque assisted the extension of his arm, driving forward even more with the aid of his shoulder and triceps. As the same time his other arm drew back, fist curling near his hip under his ribs. This pulley motion, action-reaction, further increased the speed and power of the arm driving out like a piston towards the Dragon Frog.

Saito's fist clenched hard enough to pop his knuckles. What would have been a gut-level punch to a creature the same size as himself, was at just the right height to strike the frog's face or the back of its head. And just like before, he felt the exhiliration of breath leaving his body in time with the strike, further increasing its ferocity.

"HIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

---

@RC3

As the Stoat went into its final throes, Cull's mouth watered in anticipation-- the ravenous call of hunger waiting to be answered. Falling to his knees, Cull threw his spear aside as he buried his mouth into the open wound of his felled quarry. The sensation of blood and meat sliding down his starving gullet was nothing short of pure euphoria. As his bloodthirst abated, the light of reason found purchase once more in Cull's little green noggin. The the difference was practically night from day; as if an impenetrable blanket of thick fog had suddenly been lifted.

Cull pulled back from the mess of guts he'd been munching on and carefully examined his weapon. "Well dat isn gonna last much longah..." he muttered to himself as he tapped the half-blunted tip of his spear with a finger. A slight twitching caught his attention, drawing his eyes to the still half-dead rabbit, and more specifically; it's rather sturdy looking horn.
"I guess dat 'orn rabby might 'ave sumthin."

Taking up his spear once more, Cull intended to put the rabbit out of its misery with as clean, and precise a blow as possible. Fixing his grip on his spear, and firmly planting his feet-- Cull launched forward with a powerful thrust; his full weight and strength behind the strike, aimed at the rabbit's throat!

The deed done, Cull began on his next project: a better weapon.

As he ate his fill of his two kills, the young goblin began working on his new weapon. Using a rock, he broke the rabbit's horn from it's skull, then, using vines from the surrounding trees, he secured the new tip to his weapon (the former tip now having been turned completely flat). It wasn't perfect, but it was functional; and could still be improved upon once he was back at the cave and had more time. Tying the rabbit and stoat together with more vines, Cull began to haul his new loot home.....

@RC3

As soon as the battle was over Rena stayed on her feet to catch her breath, oh though her Current body demands that she at least sit down for a minute to catch her breath, Rena wanted to give off the impression that she was better than the other 2 goblins. So she stood up and allow her body to replace the oxygen in her lung before hunching over the body of the rabbit. "Good work." She told them sounding a bit hoarse."I'm calling the due." Rena claims proudly. She then grabbed the rabbit by the head and begin tearing a hole in the fur around the rabbit neck, and struggled to do so. Hopefully, the average looking goblin would take the rabbit horn off and help her cut the fur off-off it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After claiming her parts off killed Rena then sat down and wolf down on her meal as carefully as she could, sadly her meal wasn't much to brag about, with her food being hard to chew and break apart while also tasted like a salty metal, still she tried to eat as much of it as she can so she could get her strength back and hope she doesn't get sick from the food. After eating the two other of the goblin then decided they were going to go back to the cave however before they left she told them this.

@Haeo@Shovel

"I'm Rena, I'm going to keep hunting to become stronger. if you guys change your mind I'll be out there a bit longer." She told them with a smile. Sadly the bold female didn't seem interested(and was also a bit off) so she let her leave, she didn't seem that reliable anyway. The other one well she liked him cause he was bold to try to wrestle the rabbit without his weapon, he seems useful, so she hopes he would change his mind.

Now that they were done talking and eating Rena decide it was time to make good use of that fur, So put two holes in her fur, found a flexible tree branch, and bent it to look like a "C" before sticking one of the ends of the branch through one the holes in the fur before moving it to the other so that the fur would now be hanging off the stick. She then put the stick on her shoulder to make a makeshift cloak, Now she could wear her kill proudly.

Now she was off to find her next kill in order to "level up" again.

Location: In the Woods

Mentioning:@Vec@RC3

---

It doesn’t take too long for Krishna to realize that there was something wrong on his way past home. It was too silent. Of course, the forest had its moment of tranquility and peacefulness, where everything is encapsulated in a picture. But even then, the forest lives through other means. Of dry leaves crackling, of the leaves sway to the midday breezes. The roaring of unknown beasts.

And there was nothing happening right now.

That is until he heard the roar of something coming from another direction. It was not far from where he was standing, but certainly in the opposite direction of the goblin’s cave. With curiosity and an appetite for more, Krishna picked up one of the larger rocks on the floor, the size of his fist, before heading to Teva’s group.

It was a massacre.

He saw one goblin lying on the floor while another was held in the creature’s hand. He need not to be smart to know that the lying goblin was dead or close to dead. The other? Not far from death. Still, there were three of them, assuming the one still pelting the creature was one of the goblins. But the creature was double of his size, and only someone like Gor would approach the creature for close-quarter combat. Krishna, instead, prides on his intellect, decided to be a smart goblin as he is not too long ago. Using the bushes and their foliage as his cover, Krishna attempted to close his distance between him and the creature for a sure shot. He hoped the rain of pebbles and sometimes rocks would draw the creature attention from its back. He could hear the sound of the small goblin choking under the massive arm. His death only gave him more patience. The numbers are still on his side, he thinks as the distance between him and the creature was close enough for an aim in the head.

Krishna pushed his luck and proceeded forward. He had changed his nose breathing to breathing through his mouth, believing that would reduce the noise he made. In compensation, Krishna held a rock doubled the size of the one he previously picked up, something he found while making his way toward the creature’s back. And if it weren't because he had eaten something not too long ago, his muscles would have already given up. The green goblin approached the orc, a distance of fourteen to fifteen feet between them, and aimed at its exposing back.

If asked whether or not he would want to do that again, to approach the creature closer, Krishna would gladly say no. His arms were at its peak, and he felt that he was pushing his luck too much. So he gave all of his strength into the underhand swing, launching the rock into the air, and ran. He heard a thump. He heard the creature stop talking.

And yet, he keeps on running. But unlike the previous time where he ran like a headless bug, Krishna ran downward, the opposite direction of where the orc was previously facing.