Confusion or Truth?

"Oh, good, you're back." You approach the training area behind Camilla's house, being greeted by the captain and one of the rookies (you think his name is Robert) in the ring. As Camilla turns to greet you, Robert attempts a surprise attack, but she quickly turns back and disarms him, the blade clattering to the ground. "Nice try, Rob. Anyway, Eve's still asleep, if you wanted to see her. Now, Robert, you need to keep your elbow bent square. It helps you absorb the blow, and push back. If you do it properly, you can even stagger them."

You peek inside, creaking open the back door so you don't wake Eve if she's still sleeping. After you see no one on the bed, you open the door further. Identically to with Kristhyra's room, you find no one inside. You turn back to Camilla, who's still tutoring Robert. "Cap, Eve's not here."

She stops, almost enough for the rookie to get an actual hit on her, before being disarmed again. Then she actually stops, trotting over to you. "What do you mean she's not here?" She forcefully pulls open the door, and looks around inside. "Shit... Sorry, Dusk."

"Don't worry. She can take care of herself. Keep training Robert, and I'll take a look around." You revert your polymorph, your wings springing forth from your back. "Keep at it, rookie." You give a light salute and launch yourself into the sky.

[Translated from elvish for reader's convenience]

Kristhyra had run off into the forest. She couldn't stand being alone with her thoughts, but her cousin Rinavahl had always taken her to the woods whenever the elf had needed time to herself. Even with company, if they kept quiet enough, the sounds of nature would help calm her. Kristhyra grinned as she found a solid oak to sit against. I'll never understand how she figured it out... She sat down and took a deep breath.

It wasn't a minute later in the relative silence that Kris began falling back into her manic, depressed state. Why...why couldn't I do anything?

"Are...you okay?"

Kristhyra shot up, looking around. "Wh-who's there?" Wait, they're speaking elvish? The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"A friend...I hope." The disembodied feminine voice sighs. "So, you came out here for some peace and quiet, too?"

"I...I guess. I don't think it's doing me good, though." She holds the side of her head.

"Well, why don't we talk, then? I can't say the forest is helping me as much as I remember it...but maybe...we can help each other." The voice is hesitant, and...afraid?

"Maybe...so, who are you?" The elf looks around, still not spotting her conversation partner.

"Uh, call me...V."

"So you're not going to give me your real name?" The 'ruse' was obvious enough to anyone.

"Just trust me on this. If I told you my real name...I don't think you'd trust me. I don't want to hurt you or anything, quite the opposite."

Kristhyra sighs. I guess I can't be picky right now... "Okay V, you can call me K."

"Fair enough. Why...don't you tell me what's wrong? Maybe I can help?"

"It's nothing..."

"It's clearly not nothing! You were in a panic before I spoke up!"

"I..." The elf was taken aback. "I...oh what's the point? I can't even hide from someone who can't see me, how am I supposed to...supposed to..." She once again droops, tears in her eyes. "I couldn't, I couldn't even help when, when they needed me..."

"Bullshit!" Before Kris knew it, a one-horned goblin with patches of purple, the same one she spotted beating up a civilian in town, rounded the tree she was leaning against, on all fours facing her. "You did everything you could for us! I was the one who-" The goblin stops suddenly, her eyes wide. "I...saw it happen..." She gulps as Kris crabwalks a few steps away. "I think...I'm not sure on everything, but I know you did the best you could." V's composure turns bashful, the confidence from her recent outburst receding.

"...ah..ah.....aaah..." The elf struggles not to scream out in terror. A goblin...a goblin...a goblin!!!

"Nosiel, wait! Don't scream!" V reaches out, hoping to quiet the elf down.

"No-...Nosiel?" Kris' breathing slows. That's...what she always calls me... "Ri...Rinavahl?"

"No...yes?...maybe? I don't think so..." The goblin holds her head as she squats down against the oak. "My head's all a mess, but...I know one thing right now: it's my - or Rinavahl's - fault that what happened...happened..." She looks Kris in the eye. "I'm sorry, from the bottom of my heart. Whether or not it's my fault, I don't want you, or anyone else, to feel that powerless, again. Can...can you please forgive me?"

"Rinavahl..." Kristhyra's eyes pour like waterfalls as she suddenly leaps forth, tackling the goblin in a hug. "Ri-hi-na! I-I'm so sorry!"

Why can't Mark of Submission give me some kind of tracking beacon? You scan the forest, as well as what you feel you can get away with of the town without violating the 'be a human in town' rule. Still nothing... Where are they? Kristhyra and Eve had disappeared without a trace, and while you normally don't worry where people run off to, something doesn't sit right. "Eve! Kris! Where are you!" You repeatedly scream into the forest, having no luck.

You eventually land among the trees and begin searching by foot. Maybe I'm going too fast to spot them? "Eve! Kris!" You begin running, calling out their names as you redouble your efforts. "Come on! Help me out here!" You look around for any sign of passing through, wishing Eve were here to help you out. But then I wouldn't even be looking for her. You shake the thought out of your head as you continue.

You can tell the sun has gotten lower by the time you hear something. You stop short, trying to pinpoint the sound. "Eve? Kris?"

A moment passes. "O-over here!" You hear Eve call out a bit to your right.

You rapidly close the distance, finding an odd sight. Kris is sleeping with her head against Eve's chest as the goblin sits against a tree, both their cheeks puffy. You breathe a sigh of relief. "Are you both okay?" At a quick glance, they both seem fine.

Eve raises a finger to her lips as she begins whispering. "I... She thinks I'm one of her friends."

You cock an eyebrow, walking closer and sitting on Eve's other side. "Well, I'm glad you're both okay, but what happened to you earlier? Finding you had stabbed yourself a bunch... I just want to know why."

Her gaze lowers to Kristhyra. "I...might have remembered a lot...but none of it makes sense. I remember being an elf, travelling with Kris and...getting captured." She sniffs. "But...how could I be an elf? Aren't I a goblin?" Eve turns her head, giving you a sad look. "I'm just so confused..."

An elf turning into a goblin? From what I can tell, that shouldn't be able to happen... You activate God's Eye, just to make sure. Oddly enough, instead of Cocksleeve being her 'nickname', Rina is. You go into her significant history, which had looked mostly blank before, but now holds details...that shouldn't be there. Things like departing from Tresduin, entering the human kingdom...being captured by goblins...I imagined **** would be 'significant', but to see it outright listed here... "You...are certainly a strange case. But, is it a bad thing? I hesitate to say this, but...you wouldn't be the only case of a humanoid becoming a monster."

"What do you mean?"

"Believe it or not, I used to be human, and so did the Hero Sakurai. We were brought to this world by opposing gods and given new bodies, since we died before the gods summoned us. I don't know all the details, but if you only appeared as a goblin after Kris' friend died...I don't see why you couldn't be the same person." But that would mean I'm not the first 'light soul' they did this to...I definitely need to ask Mel and Carn about this, but I'm not gonna put down Eve - or Rina - until I know for sure... "Either way, does it matter? You're who you want to be. If you want to be Eve, the goblin who moonlights as my cocksleeve," you chuckle, "then that's who you are. If you want to be Rina, the elf ranger who sacrificed everything to save her friend, then I'll support you the entire way. If you want to be somewhere in between, that's up to you." You grip her hand and squeeze it tight. "You are who you want to be, Eve. While your body may be that of a goblin, you've got a brighter soul than many humanoids. I know you'll make the best decision for yourself."

"Do you really think so?" Her hand squeezes yours as she looks down at the elf sleeping on her. "I...I don't want to disappoint anyone."

"If she's really your friend, she'll understand your decision. I know I do." You lean your head back against the tree, hoping Eve will understand your own worry about no one understanding her claims at being this Rina.