The Pale Light

Astraeus woke to darkness. The gentle hum of a machine heart, whirring along, and slowly, his mind grasped hold of control of its own body. Though, this took some time, and his mind wandered as he existed in the void of his own making. There wasn’t much else to do in darkness, except mull over what Melanoche and Carnachias had said. That he was a last ditch attempt to get back at the light. He at least sympathized with that, the law never was for the people. So he thought. Why, eluded him, it was an instinct for now-

A single sense sidetracked his thoughts.

Smell.

The smell of salty air, fire and damp. Pleasant yet, disgusting. Overwhelmingly strong and filling his mind, with sensations he already wished to be rid of. Soon another sense followed, his body slowly coming online…

Sound.

He heard the cry of gulls, their familiar screech chorusing out over one another. Waves crashing and… voices? Some of them were small, gravelly, others, softer, chirpier. They spoke and he focused, listening.

“-I wouldn’t be so damn quick to think we failed there’s no reason to be so hasty-”

One said, in an angry tone, the chirpier one interrupted them harshly. With authority only garnered from years of experience.

“I did fail! If anything unusual happens, like his core erupting, the entire city and the inhabitants of that damned church above us will come crashing down on all of us! Do you really want that?”

The chirpier voice asked, the subtle movement of cloth and clattering of metal very close to him, punctuating a slam of their hands. A third sense suddenly coming online.

Sight.

There were two goblins, well far more by his count watching and moving around them, but two were close. Goblins themselves were short, long eared and green in complexion. Possessing dwarfish bodies, ox-ish tails, and long fang-like teeth. They all were, for the most part, stout possessing much fat around their thighs and hips, and some on their stomachs. With round faces full of sharp teeth, that all suggested a fatty, meaty diet.

He watched the hubbub around him, the goblins move and work, before paying attention again to the two closest to him.

One, an older male male, with black wiry hair tied back tightly in three braids, holding firm along his skull and touching the nape of his neck, arguing with another. Their faces turned away from him, teeth bared at one another. Sharp little fangs showing themselves as the threat they are. White clothes decorated in red trim, that weaves in on itself, covered his chest, groin and neck, leaving arms and legs exposed. Like a full body loincloth. His weathered, calloused hands sat on Astreaus’ legs as he leaned closer to his conversational competitor.

"I do not, but you doubt yourself too much!"

The other one, was fairer, and younger by comparison, an adult as well for sure. Her body was curvier, and wrapped tightly in the same red decorated white cloth, though hers was closer to a one-piece, with a cape and apron draped over her ass and breasts respectively. In fact, she was far more decorated. Beads held a ponytail in place, adorned her ears and held to strands of hair tame beside each of her cheeks. One more sat at the end of her tail, all of them jingling as she shook her head, and moved her hands back into his chest cavity. A fourth sensation reared its ugly head as her fingers once more joined with the complex machinery in his body.

"Shut it, before I make another mistake."

Touch.

Though the sensation of touch came with pain, his motor functions twitched and spasmed, his body begged to move, as things being moved and removed felt like burning, freezing and stabbing all at once. Again and again his body screamed as parts of him felt themselves be touched, yanked and go quiet. Their absence left painful holes in parts of his body he had barely had time to be acquainted with. All other senses were shut out as he finally willed his arm to move, to grab. To hold tightly that which hurt him.

He felt the gentle pulse of blood going through veins, of wind moving through a windpipe. The familiar shaking fear of a being fearing for its life. The pleaful cries vibrated his hands and stopped at his fingers. Salt and water joined his senses with meandering ambition. Slowly the sound of screams and cries faded back in. Finally, Astraeus opened his eyes, to the fearful confused glare of the gobliness. Many more around her had their spears pointed at him. Their metallic glinting spearheads reflecting back neon blue glow at him. Their wrath held back by her single, shaking hand, raised in his own defence. His grip loosened and everyone visibly relaxed in time with him. Slowly, he moved his jaw to speak, the final pieces of control granted to him over his half built body. His voice so smooth, deep and so smoky, his own mind nearly rejected it for parody of what a man should sound like.

“Stop tearing me apart.”

He let go.

She busily began rubbing the pain from her neck and shook her head. Her beads colliding with wooden jingles, and punctuating her interest.

“I had no interest in destroying you. I was… we were all under the impression I had failed to build you at all.”

Astraeus took this in, took it all in as spears were returned to weapon racks, and goblins returned to far more distant fires. To foraging between spires of rock that blocked the view of the distant sea. To tents set up in a small hovel between this all. His shoulders ached as he twisted and moved his head to look, and the gobliness gasped, gently grabbing his shoulder. He took in a 360 view of spires, stalagmites and stalactites of rock, a ceiling of rock, and a floor of rock, and all beyond it, was ocean. A barren uncomfortable place.

An unfamiliar one.

She begged, timidly and softly, making his vision return to the source of her gentle voice.

“Please, your body, you might break it if you move too much, let me put everything back into place.”

He supposed it was the least she could do. He knew she was right, he was in no state to move. He could, however talk. Filling the painful tedium with conversation didn't sound that bad, he asked.

“I heard you mention earlier that we’re under a church, but, where are we? Really.”

She knew he didn’t come from here, his mind didn’t anyways, so she would lay as much groundwork as possible. To best serve Melanoche’s wishes.

“Our world is Ruyanei. We are on the southernmost isle of the continent of Neadra, Costalos. Once, this place was farmed for wheat, wood and berries. It’s shores were full of boats and our people traded with the mainland. Now, we hide under Costalos’ plate. From the humans who occupy its surface.”

Her voice sounded tired. Her words were practiced, exhausted and low, wallowing in anger and acceptance. He knew the dark was losing, but this sounded worse than he imagined.

“Why did things change?”

Her body shakes, making him shudder with pain as her fingers graze his core. She retracts her hands and hides her face, her tears hidden in shame as she sits down so helplessly. The question caused her more pain than she did him. He sits up, observing her fight misery, and fail, her voice tinged with pain as she explains.

“Light, and dark, always fought… so simply, with spears and magic and killing, and then one day, we stopped. The killing was just too much, you know? We all stopped fighting but we never really stopped hating each other. The life god most of all, hated monsters. The dark ones like us, and the light ones, and their leaders, were all brought into a room by ****.”

Her knees shifted to her chest and her head sat upon them. Her fingers crushed her sleeves against her calves and her eyes stared through Astraeus.

She was angry.

“We were all sat beside each other and were **** to pick a side. It didn’t matter to them we had stopped fighting, hell, no one knew why they were suddenly taking a tally of where the leaders' allegiance lied. Even Melanoche didn't know, and she’s a damned god! One by one, friends became enemies, and soon, everyone had picked a side. Humans, Elves, Drow, Some of the Dragons and Dwarves all stood like rats under her damned wings. She gave them a gift, and us…“

Her head dropped. She shuddered, cupping her ears. Her shoulders grazed her jaw. She made a soft whimper, and slowly raised her eyes back to him, just as burning, just as angry.

“Everyone else, all the ‘monsters’ got a damn curse. Life cursed us, so that every 1000th child would be born one gender, and the other 999 the other. Simplicity she called it.”

Astraeus reeled, the mere impact of it. This was a genocide. They wouldn’t be able to survive like this. He gripped her hand gently and she slipped her hand past his, continuing. Focused again. She spoke more, and he sat, quiet, listening. Focusing.

“We’ve been at war for 12 years now. Not successfully mind you. The humans know that every female goblin, every sow, as they put it, kills a thousand goblins. Not literally of course, just…”

She makes a frustrated huff and shoves, something clicks into place, and suddenly, everything feels good again. He sighs a relieved sigh as pain melts away into comfortable numbness. His head hits the floor and his eyes close. A needful noise escaping his lips, making her body stiffen against him. A shudder works through her thighs and then she continues. Her voice greeting the darkness clouding his vision as he listens.

“Anyways, we worked to find every scrap of Ancient technology we could, all of our brothers and sisters from around the globe in Ruyanei’s Deepdark poured into you. Into… my hands. You are a marvel. I don’t know if you know that you’re capable of… solving the problem life inflicted.“

He nods with a smile, his head scraping against the stone floor, wondering what came first, the goblins having the parts, or his choice to pick that upgrade. His hands touch his face and he mumbles.

“Of course, I can impregnate anyone, with offspring from any race, of any gender I choose.”

He opened an eye, and her face, ears and nose were flushed red, her lips curled into a slight smile, her eyes distantly looking into his own as her hands held the last part of him close. He couldn’t tell if she was trying to banish thoughts from her head, or welcoming them in while feeling his abs against her chest. He leaned up and touched the top of the part in her hands, his face getting closer to hers making her body shake.

“Am I so lucky to get to breed a single goblin queen, day and night? Will I even fit?”

He asked, purposely pausing his words occasionally, just to see her reaction to each one as he spoke them. Her face grew redder, and her body shrunk more and more behind the part in her arms. She tried to hide behind logic instead as she slid his chest into place. She responded.

“H-hardly! There’s three of us here! So you wouldn’t have to worry about getting bored… or…”

Her heart sank a little. He’d get bored. He rolled his eyes and smiled. She was talking herself out of it, maybe it would be best to back off a little. He ran his hand over his now complete chest and averted his eyes. She changed the subject as he thought of ways to seduce her.

“A-anyways, I have to keep you in shape! Melanoche wants me to make repairs, adjustments, help you upgrade and uhm her sister… uhm.”

He perked an eyebrow and looked at him. His flirty plans escaped him as she continued to speak.

“She thought it would be good for goblin-kind if we were… intimate, when you wanted to be.”

He thought so as well, saying firmly and without hint of tease or jest.

“I won’t **** myself on any of you. I won’t hurt you ever again and, if I am your weapon to combat the **** of all dark’s species, I will take every step I can, to make sure no race faces extinction at the hands of Life.”

His hand touched her shoulder, the full scale of their difference put into sharp perspective as him kneeling was as tall as her standing. She folded her hands in front of herself, her head politely bowed, and her eyes avoiding his. Her fingers fidgeted with the red and gold beads on her tail as she whispered a small thank-you. His eyes scanned the unfamiliar caves as he stood to his full height, and he soon realized that despite her best efforts, he still didn't really understand where the hell he was.

AN: I will post his choices as a separate chapter down below. New chapters submitted for publishing every 15th and 30th.