Minds are mended, and connections are forged

Lily sat next to Mavy watching his chest rise and fall with his rhythmic breathing. He looked rather cute all snuggled up in the blanket, and bedroll Lily had placed him in. Then the goblin started to stir, squirming around his eyes then fluttered open as he slowly came back into consciousness. Eyes lazily swept around the tent as Mavy’s vision came back into focus. As grogginess left his mind his eye then went wide as he whipped his head around. Then he let out scream.

“Kyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!” Mavy shrieked in a girly voice, scuttling back out of bed roll to get away from Lily.

“H-Hey now calm down.” Lily said out stretching a concerned hand towards the goblin boy.

This just seemed to make Mavy freak out more, a look of absolute fear now plastered across the goblin’s face.

“Demon, demon leave Mavy alone!!” He squeaked chucking the near by pillow at Lily.

Mavy’s heart was racing now, and panic started to rise with in his chest. He hadn’t ever seen a tiefling, so mistakenly he thought Lily was demon. Mavy had heard about demons ever since he was a young goblin boy. At his tribe they used to tell stories around the camp of how terrible and cruel the denizens of hell were. The stories while good spooky fun for the other goblins left an impression on Mavy. The thought of demons, and devils terrified him. Creatures forsaken by the gods that were beings of pure sin. Their most beloved pass time creating suffering, and damning upper, and lower races to hell. Many a nightmare Mavy found himself in clutches of different horrid demons. They burned him, cut him, whipped him, preformed every unthinkable act off **** that left him waking up in a pool of his own sweat. Yet now his nightmare had become real, a demon sat in front of him ready to steal his soul. He had to get away, he needed to run before it was to late!

“Hold on wait I’m not a demon.” Lily insisted as she tried to get over to Mavy to calm him down.

This however had the opposite effect, making Mavy freak out even more as in his eyes this demon was now just full on lunging at him.

“NO NO, Mavy’s soul belongs to him!” Mavy shouted, springing to his feet as he attempted to sprint out the tent.

Unfortunately for Mavy he had chosen to run at the part of the tent that was set up next to a tree. So he ended up just running face first into the trunk of a great oak, the impact causing his nose to bleed, and him to tumble backwards off his feet.

“Don’t hurt yourself!” Lily exclaimed as she quickly grabbed onto the hysterical goblin.

She wrapped her arm around his waist hoisting him up into her lap to prevent him from running off. She knew it might make him panic more, but Lily didn’t want to risk him hurting himself even more, or running off.

“Let Mavy go let him go!!!” Mavy struggled desperately trying to slip, Lily’s grasp.

“Hey calm down, calm down just breathe, look at me and just breathe for me.” Lily said, speaking in a calming voice as she spun Mavy around to look at her as she held his wrists above his head so he couldn’t escape.

Lily’s voice seemed to almost echo around Mavy, and as his eyes meet her for just second he was sure he saw them shimmer. He shook his head still trying to fight, yet suddenly starting to feel a bit tired.

“That’s right just look into my eyes, and focus on my voice that’s it now.” Lily spoke, and with that same soothing tone.

Lily’s voice again seemed to echo for Mavy. His struggle became weaker, and weaker as Lily continued to speak.

“Come now just look into my eyes, and relax, be a good boy and focus on my words.”

Lily’s voice seemed to reverberate around Mavy, her words enveloping him like a warm soft blanket of silk. As he stared into her violet eyes he found himself transfixed. He couldn’t pull away his gaze. He didn’t want to as looking into Lily’s eyes made him feel at peace. They were beautiful, like violet oceans, that made him sink deeper, and deeper the most he got lost looking at them.

“Shhhhhh good, there we go just relax now I got you, there’s no reason to be afraid, not while I’m here just keep listening to my voice, and looking into my eyes.”

All of Mavy’s fight was completely gone now. His limbs felt limp, and heavy. The fear and panic that he had consumed him just a second ago swallowed up by a sense of calm, and a slight pleasant tingle. Lily then gently let down Mavy’s wrists releasing her hold she had on goblin, who unlike before made no attempt to run away from her.

“Now then how do you feel.” Lily asked softly, a hand gently caressing the small of the goblin’s back.

“Mavy feels.... good... calm...” Mavy said his words slow, as he had an almost tranquil look on his face.

Mavy was a bit confused. This person was a demon, but for some reason he wasn’t sacred of her any more. In fact he suddenly felt safe in her presence, safer then he had ever felt in his life. Her eyes, her voice, so pretty, so beautiful, they made him feel better.

“I’m glad you saw that I was a bit worried you were really going to hurt yourself for a second their.” Lily said giving a small genuine smile, as she wiped away some of the blood trickling out of Mavy’s nose.

As her magic still trickled into his mind Mavy the set the femmy goblin back down on to the ground. She kept up the spectacle of her illusionary magic that enhanced her eyes, and voice that made it easier for her to arcane power to enter her mind. Yet despite the seemingly trance like state that Mavy was in, Lily wasn’t hindering the function of the goblin’s mind, or controlling him in anyway. He was in full control of his mental faculties with Lily only suppressing his panic, and fear while drawing forth a sense of calm, and relaxation.

She did this because even though she was manipulating his mind in a attempt to try and help Mavy she didn’t want to fully rob him of his agency. After all if she wanted to form a real bond with a goblin, and show him that she can help him, it can’t be ****. She would have to talk to him, explain to him that she could care for him. Be the kindness that he deserved to receive.

“My name is Lily, and despite my appearance I’m not a demon I’m a tiefling.” Lily explained as she scooted over to sit side by sided with Mavy.

“Teeifffllinn?” Mavy said the word slow, cocking his head to the side with a confused look on his face.

“It means that one of my parents was a demon, but I’m not like them despite the horns.” Lily chuckled, bringing a hand up to run a finger along one of the horns that protruded from the top of her head.

Mavy’s eyes went wide as he heard that. Demons could have children? Such a concept had never even entered his mind. Why would a demon want a child they were pure evil! Then Mavy thought about growing up with a demon for a parent. Though his own goblin parents weren’t to big on show him affection, they at least cared for him, and provided him some guidance. Yet what would something like a demon do for a child? Mavy then gasped surely they wouldn’t **** it! Is that the reason demons have children so that they could **** them?

How evil! This made Mavy look at Lily in a totally different light. As his natural kindness kicked in he felt nothing but, compassion for this teeiffllliin person. He clenched his little fists just thinking about it, just how much she must have been hurting as she grew up. Subjected to the cruelty of demons, it must have been a hundred times worse then his own up brining. Mavy flinched as he thought back to his own traumatic life, but he grit his teeth holding back self pity sadness as he knew Lily must of had it much worse then him.

“Mavy’s sorry, he knows how bad demons are.” Mavy said as he touched Lily’s shoulder, and gingerly rubbed his hand up and down it, in order to seemingly try to console the girl for all she went through.

Lily blinked a few times, surprised that Mavy was the one seemingly showing her sympathy rather then it being the other way around. She almost laughed but held it in less the goblin take offense. She did have to admit though she felt some amount of comfort feeling the warmth from the small goblin’s hand as he rubbed her shoulder. He really did have a big heart for one so little. How he was able to keep it through out all the trials, and tribulations through out his life she couldn’t understand. Surely one who experienced such rampant ****, and still comes out so pure, and compassionate must be watched over by the goods.

“Thank you, that’s very nice of you to say that, here your nose is bleeding again let me heal that.” Lily spoke as she put her hand up to Mavy’s face.

A magic symbol glowed around Lily’s hand, and Mavy’s bleeding suddenly stopped. Mavy then brought a hand up to his nose, and as he saw that the blood was gone looked at Lily with an expression of amazement. The only real mystical arts he ever saw was that of his tribe’s shaman. Even then the magic of the Shaman wasn’t impressive as what he just saw. It was strong, and bright, the energy looking like a pure form of arcane power. Unlike the goblin shaman magic back from his tribe, which seemed more unstable, and weak like it was always two seconds away from fizzling out.

“Woahhhh, Mavy has never seen such magic like that are you a wizard?” Mavy asked, grabbing hold of Lily’s hand where the magic came from and brining it real close to his face, as if he could some how find out the source, and an nature of Lily’s magic if he just looked hard enough.

Lily giggled finding the goblin’s sense of curiosity absolutely adorable.

“Ah no actually I’m a witch, though I’m a good witch I’m not going to try to turn you into a newt or anything like that.” Lily said a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Mavy’s brow went up in surprise upon hearing this, then he narrowed them as he eye’d Lily with suspicion. So she wasn’t a demon but she was a witch, and witches were bad. Or were they? He heard they were bad cursing people, and doing all sorts of terrible magic. Yet This witch didn’t seem bad, and her magic didn’t seem to terrible.

“Hmmm now your confusing Mavy, are you really a witch?” He said rubbing his chin as he thought over all this conflicting information with such an intense look on his face you would think he was pondering the meaning of the universe.

“Well I guess I don’t really take the role of a witch but that title would still fit as the source of my powers, and technique.” Lily said getting into the nitty gritty of magic use, and the designations of names.

Mavy crossed his arms and nodded.

“Hmmm mmhhmm, Mavy doesn’t understand at all, but you seem nice.” Mavy said, him seemingly very proud of himself for coming to such inquisitive conclusion.

Lily giggled again, find the smug look the goblin was wearing for such a simple deduction amusing. Then Mavy’s stomach started to ache again, grabbing his gut it growled at him to find him some food immediately.

“Oh gods sorry, I forgot you were starving, here let me get you some food.”

Lily reached into her bag, and pulled out some preserved meat slices, and half a loaf of bread. As she presented them to Mavy, he quickly snatched them from her hands, and began to immediately scarf down the food. He had little worries for manners, as he tried to stuff all of the food in his mouth at once resulting in it being so full with meat, and bread his cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk.

“Her you can have some more of you like, and I got a canteen of water as well.” Lily offered more meat, and bread to Mavy eagerly, readily giving him the last of her food.

Of course this would mean she would go with out eating to day, but since she relived his memories she knew the goblin boy needed it a lot more then her. Again Mavy snatched the food from her hands, and chowed down, giving but a momentary nod of gratitude between chews. After he then glugged down the water he whipped his mouth with a arm, and gave back the now empty canteen.

“You feeling a better now.” Lily asked.

Mavy nodded.

“Good I’m glad.” Lily said as her magic receded from Mavy’s mind.

She now fully relinquished the guiding hand she had on the goblins mind, as she believed she had sufficiently shown that she wasn’t going to hurt him. With her influence gone from him emotions, Mavy blinked a few times in confusion. A sense of wariness suddenly grew with in him, as his instincts told him that this girl is dangerous. Even still, he kept calm and decided that he shouldn’t given into fearfulness. As this tiefling had been pretty nice to him so far, and even though she seemed to make him feel a lot more wary then before she did make him feel all safe and, calm just a few minutes again.

Then the sky thundered, and a loud bomb rocked the tent.

“KKKKKYYYYAA!!!” Mavy screamed the crashing thunder making him instinctively cover his knife shaped ears as he curled up into a ball on the ground.

He was shaking, terrified the booming of thunder and flashes of lighting that lit up the entrance of the tent.

“Mavy!” Lily called out to the green skinned boy who was not tembling
in the fetal position.

The sound of the thunder briefly made Mavy forget himself. So frightened was he by the noise, and the lights for a second all sense of where he was, and what was going on was lost to the fear that gripped his mind. Yet as he saw Lily move towards him, and call his name he ran to her, and threw his arms around the teifling, seeing her as the only sort of comfort from the dreadful feeling in his gut, the shaking in spine, the prickle of anxiety on the back of his neck.

“Y-you made Mavy feel okay before p-please Mavy doesn’t this feeling.” Mavy stuttered as he spoke, another clap of thunder over head making him jump.

“Mavy wants to feel like he was, of only just for a little while, please can you let Mavy feel like that!?!?” Mavy pleaded as he hugged Lily even tighter, and burried his face into her bosom.

Lily was surprised by just how much the thunder, and lighting seemed to scare Mavy. His whole body seemed to pulse as his heart panicky circulated blood, and adrenaline spiked. So on edge, and shaking was Mavy that he was particularly vibrating against Lily. Why did this storm have such a negative effect on the poor goblin. He had endured much worse in his life, Lily had seen what he had gone through first hand. Lily then poked her magic into Mavy’s head trying to understand the goblin’s **** reaction to the thunder.

There she saw a memory that was the cornerstone of his fear. It was in his early days as a young adult that on a stormy night just like this Mavy saw his parents murdered right in front of him. Even though they were pretty distance towards him like most goblin parents were he loved them as much as a son could. Yet years ago in storm just like this one, a rival goblin tribe had decided to attack his tribe. That event imbedded it’s self into Mavy’s psyche the flashes, and booming being synonymous with the horror he felt as he watched his mother pierced by a spear, and his father’s head separated with a sword.

“Okay, okay I understand if you really want that, then here.” Lily spoke in a soft tone as she slowly started to enter Mavy’s mind again.

She swirled around his head, arcane energy dancing through thoughts, and emotions. Lily caressed his soul, soothed his core, and loosened the stranglehold this panic had on Mavy’s brain.

“Listen to my voice, and look into my eyes, just relax like before, relax for me Mavy.” Lily said her eyes shimmering, and voice echoing like before.

Mavy obeyed trying his best to focus on Lily and her voice, while ignoring the thunder outside. Again he could see her pretty, pretty eyes, hear that sweet, sweet voice. He quickly found the turmoil of emotions with in him start to settle. As if Lily was the goddess of storms subduing the tempts with in him. Mavy breathed deep, his rapid inhaling, and exhaling starting to calm, as he started to relax again.

“Mavy wishes he had you back then, back at his tribe then you could have given him a strong mind, and his tribe wouldn’t have gotten rid of him!” Mavy exclaimed, him seeming to suddenly get very excited at the thought of being strong and, accepted by his fellow goblins.

Lily gritted her teeth, as she thought back to seeing Mavy’s memories. The way he suffered, the **** he endured, by the other goblins it made her furious.

“No Mavy I wouldn’t have done that for you, you know why?”

“Why?” Mavy asked, looking slightly disheartened.

Lily then squeezed the goblin tight in her arms, holding him in a embrace that overflowed with affection.

“Because there is nothing wrong with the way you are Mavy, the other goblins their the ones who have something wrong with them not you.” Lily spoke in a voice full of care, and fierce conviction.

Right now even if the gods themselves had insulted this good hearted goblin boy Lily would have unleashed herself upon the heavens no questions asked. She just wanted to protect the goodness with in this green skinned maiden hearted boy. That pure light that still shown with in his soul after facing hardship after hardship, she just wanted to keep it safe, keep him safe.

Mavy on the other hand wasn’t quite sure what was going on right now as the teifling girl had gone completely silent, and was just hugging him very tightly. Yet he could feel an intense protective aura coming from her. He didn’t understand why but she really seemed to care for him, and he thought it might be best to show that he appreciated that.

“Well...” Mavy spoke slowly trying to think what was best to say.

“Maybe then you could have been their to help take away Mavy’s bad feelings, and bad thoughts away, Mavy’s sure you would because your so nice!” Mavy said as he gave Lily a big grin, his sharp teeth beaming a vibrant smile.

Lily then broke the hug her heart skipping a beat as she heard what the little goblin said. That he thought if she was with him she would have taken his pain away, that she would have helped. An image of Greenie flashed in her head, and she thought of how she would have liked to help him, to take his pain, but how she never got the chance. Mavy too she could help him now, yet she couldn’t go back in time and fix the past. Yet what if she could?

“YES, absolute I would and... and well maybe I still can.” Lily exclaimed her eyes shining with a hopeful passion.

Mavy cocked his head to the side again confused.

“It’s uhhh how do I explain it, it’s like this, even though I can’t go back in time and stop what happened my magic can go into your mind, and remove their bad memories form your mind!” Lily said looking excited as she spoke.

Mavy however had an expression of skepticism.

“But theses things did happen to Mavy they are his, Mavy don’t think he should forget those things even though Mavy didn’t like them, after all how would Mavy know how to be Mavy if he forgot what Mavy has done.” The goblin said.

Lily was taken a back a by this response. Despite not worded the most articulately Mavy the seemingly simple goblin was making a very profound argument.

“I see, so you don’t want to forget about your parts of your past no matter how bad they were because it’s shaped who you are, and It’s still shaping your actions today?” Lily said looking to the femmy green skin boy to confirm that she was getting this right.

Mavy nodded.

“I see well then I propose this I could instead blur those bad memories so to speak so that you would know of these event yet, and what happened yet you wouldn’t remember the exact experience, and hence not have such emotional trauma.” Lily suggested, still wanting to provide some assistance to help Mavy with these bad memories.

Mavy looked down at the ground, seeming to think over the idea. Often he felt like his mind was out to get him. Memories, and emotions poised like trap that could snap shut around him at any. He sighed, it would be nice to not be so afraid of thunder any more.

“Okay Mavy agrees.” Mavy said, a certain resolve seeming to eminent from him as he made up his mind.

“Right, thank you for trusting me!” Lily spoke as she clasped her hands around the goblins own, a warm smile on her face as she looked at him with eyes full of care.

She then let go, and held her hands just above Mavy’s head. Lily then focused her magic, and light sparkles started to seep from her hand. The sparkles surrounded Mavy’s body then all at once started to be draw into towards the goblin. Once enough of her magic was then inside of Mavy Lily then began to work...