Chapter 145 - 146: The Journey to the Goblin Camp

Chapter 145: Chapter 146: The Journey to the Goblin Camp

They left the village at dawn.

The sun was rising. The sky was orange. The air was cool. It was a beautiful morning.

Daniel walked in front. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was calm. His eyes were sharp.

Lyra walked beside him. Her guns were holstered. Her eyes were scanning. She was ready for anything.

Fluffy walked behind them. She was small. She was quick. She was quiet. She was a shadow.

Mittens walked beside Fluffy. She was nervous. She was scared. But she was there.

Cheeky walked behind them. Her cloak was pulled low. Her hood covered her ears. She was hiding. But she was also smiling.

Paul walked beside Cheeky. His hands were in his pockets. His expression was tired. He was exhausted. But he was there.

Brick Head walked at the back. He was picking his nose. He was humming a tune. He was completely oblivious.

---

They walked through the forest.

The trees were tall. The shadows were deep. The path was narrow. But it was clear. Someone had walked this way before.

Daniel looked around. At the trees. At the animals. At the birds.

"It’s peaceful," he said.

Lyra nodded. "It is."

"I like it."

"Me too."

They walked in silence for a moment.

Then Daniel spoke.

"So," he said. "What’s the plan?"

Lyra looked at him. "The plan?"

"Yes. For the goblin camp."

Lyra thought about it. "We need to scout first. See how many there are. See what they’re doing. Then we attack."

Daniel nodded. "Good plan."

"Thanks."

"But we need to be careful. Goblins are sneaky. They might have traps."

"I know."

"And the Hobgoblin. It’s the leader. It’s stronger than the others. We need to take it out first."

"I know."

Daniel smiled. "You’re good at this."

Lyra shrugged. "I’ve been training."

"You’ve been training well."

She smiled. A small, proud smile.

---

They walked for hours.

The sun moved across the sky. The shadows shifted. The forest grew thicker.

Daniel was bored.

He had been walking for hours. His legs were tired. His feet were sore. His mind was restless.

He needed entertainment. He needed distraction. He needed something to pass the time.

He looked at Paul. "Hey."

Paul looked at him. "What?"

"Question."

Paul sighed. "What question?"

"Would you rather fight a hundred goblins or one Hobgoblin?"

Paul stared at him. "What?"

"It’s a question. Would you rather fight a hundred goblins or one Hobgoblin?"

Paul thought about it. "A hundred goblins. They’re small. I could kick them."

Daniel nodded. "Good choice."

He looked at Lyra. "What about you?"

Lyra thought about it. "One Hobgoblin. It’s stronger. But it’s just one. I could shoot it."

Daniel nodded. "Smart."

He looked at Cheeky. "What about you?"

Cheeky hesitated. "I... I don’t know."

"Come on. It’s just a question."

Cheeky thought about it. "A hundred goblins. My iron skin could protect me."

Daniel nodded. "Good."

He looked at Fluffy. "What about you?"

Fluffy tilted her head. "Fluffy would fight both."

Daniel laughed. "That’s the spirit."

He looked at Mittens. "What about you?"

Mittens blinked. "Me?"

"Yes. You."

Mittens thought about it. Her brow furrowed. Her nose twitched.

"I... I would run away," she said.

Daniel smiled. "That’s okay. Running away is a valid strategy."

Mittens looked at him. Her eyes were wide.

"It is?"

"Yes. Sometimes running away is the smartest thing you can do."

Mittens smiled. A small, fragile smile.

"Thank you."

---

They walked for more hours.

The sun was setting. The sky was orange. The clouds were pink. The stars were appearing.

They reached a clearing. A small clearing. It was quiet. It was peaceful. It was a good place to rest.

"We’ll stop here," Daniel said.

They stopped. They sat down. They rested.

Fluffy sat beside Daniel. She was tired. She was hungry. She was bored.

"Master," she said.

Daniel looked at her. "What?"

"Fluffy is bored."

"I know."

"Fluffy wants to do something."

"Like what?"

"Fluffy doesn’t know."

Daniel thought about it. "How about a game?"

Fluffy’s ears perked up. "A game?"

"Yes. A game."

"What game?"

Daniel smiled. "I call it... the Story Game."

Fluffy tilted her head. "The Story Game?"

"Yes. One person starts a story. They say one sentence. Then the next person adds another sentence. Then the next person adds another. We keep going until the story is finished."

Fluffy nodded. "Fluffy understands."

"Good. I’ll start."

Daniel cleared his throat. He spoke.

"Once upon a time, there was a brave rabbit folk named Fluffy."

Fluffy’s eyes lit up. "Fluffy is in the story!"

"Yes. Now it’s your turn. Add a sentence."

Fluffy thought about it. "Fluffy was very hungry."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Paul, your turn."

Paul sighed. "Fluffy went to find some meat."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Lyra, your turn."

Lyra thought about it. "She found a magical forest full of meat."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Cheeky, your turn."

Cheeky hesitated. "She... she ate all the meat."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Mittens, your turn."

Mittens thought about it. "She... she got a stomach ache."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Brick Head, your turn."

Brick Head grinned. "She farted and blew up the forest!"

Everyone stared at him.

"What?" he said. "It’s funny!"

Daniel sighed. "Okay. Let’s continue."

---

The game continued.

The story got weirder and weirder. Fluffy ate a dragon. Paul flew to the moon. Lyra shot a star. Cheeky built a castle. Mittens found a treasure. Brick Head farted again.

They laughed. They joked. They had fun.

It was a good night. A happy night. A night they would remember.

---

The sun rose.

It was a slow, gentle sunrise. The sky turned from black to purple to pink to orange. The stars faded. The moon disappeared. The world woke up.

Daniel was the first to wake.

He opened his eyes slowly. His body was sore from the walking. His muscles were aching. But he was alive. He was breathing. He was here.

He sat up. He looked around.

The camp was quiet. The fire had died down to embers. The others were still asleep.

He stood up. He stretched his arms above his head. His joints popped. His muscles relaxed.

"Time to wake the others," he said.

---

They woke the others.

Paul groaned. He rubbed his eyes. He looked around. He was confused.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Morning," Daniel said.

"Already?"

"Yes."

Paul groaned again. He stood up. He stretched. He winced.

"My body hurts," he said.

"I know."

"Everything hurts."

"I know."

"I hate my life."

"I know."

Cheeky woke up quietly. She sat up. She pulled her hood lower. She looked around. She was nervous. But she was smiling.

Brick Head woke up loudly. He jumped to his feet. He stretched his arms. He yawned.

"Good morning!" he shouted.

The others winced.

"Quiet," Paul hissed. "We’re close to the goblin camp."

Brick Head blinked. "We are?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Right."

He lowered his voice. It was still loud.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Fluffy woke up slowly. She rubbed her eyes. She looked at Daniel. She smiled.

"Master," she said.

Daniel smiled. "Morning, Fluffy."

"Fluffy is hungry."

"I know."

"Fluffy wants meat."

"Later."

Fluffy’s ears drooped. "Okay."

Mittens woke up last. She was scared. She was confused. She looked around. She saw the others. She relaxed.

"Good morning," she whispered.

Daniel nodded at her. "Morning."

---

They packed their things.

They ate a quick breakfast. They checked their weapons. They prepared to leave.

Daniel looked at his team. At his family. At his friends.

"We’re close," he said. "The goblin camp is just ahead. We need to be careful. We need to be quiet. We need to be ready."

They nodded. They were ready.

"Let’s go."

---

They walked through the forest.

The trees were thick. The shadows were deep. The path was narrow. But it was clear. Someone had walked this way before.

They walked for an hour. Maybe more. Maybe less.

Then Daniel stopped.

He saw something. A clearing. A camp. A fire. Goblins.

He raised his hand. The others stopped.

He crouched down. The others crouched down.

He looked at the camp. At the goblins. At their weapons. At their numbers.

There were ten of them. Maybe more. They were small. They were green. They were ugly. They were laughing. They were eating. They were unaware.

And in the center of the camp, there was a Hobgoblin.

It was large. It was muscular. It was ugly. It was sitting on a rock. It was eating a piece of meat. It was the leader.

Daniel watched. He waited. He planned.

He looked at the others. At their faces. At their eyes. At their determination.

"Ready?" he whispered.

They nodded. They were ready.

Daniel smiled. A cold, dangerous smile.

"Then let’s go."