Chapter 10: Any other Questions? (Part 2)

  Karen brushed past an orc as she strode through the streets of the commoner district.

  “Watch it, midget.”

  Stryg reluctantly followed. “What’s that?”

  She glanced at him, her eyes narrowed, “You’re not from around here are you?”

  “...I’m scouting for my tribe.” He lied.

  She raised an eyebrow, “So you’re a spy from one of the valley tribes?”

  “No. I’m from the Blood Fang tribe.”

  “Never heard of them. Are they new to Dusk Valley?”

  “No, we’re from Vulture Woods.”

  “Wow, isn’t that place like super dangerous? I didn’t know there were any tribes over there. You must be super far from home, huh?”

  Stryg lowered his head, “Not really.”

  He felt disheartened as he mumbled the words.

  “How did your parents let you travel so far by yourself?” Karen asked.

  Stryg looked at her as if she had bumped her head, “Goblins don’t have parents.”

  She returned the look, “Everyone has parents. ...It’s ok if you don’t want to talk about it, there are a lot of orphans here.”

  Stryg shook his head, “No, I mean… Ugh, of course I technically have parents, but goblins aren’t raised by their parents.”

  “What do you mean they aren’t raised by their parents? Who raises them then? Cats?” Karen giggled.

  “No, the Mothers do, of course.”

  “I thought you just said you weren’t raised by your parents. Just because you have two moms doesn’t mean they’re not your parents.”

  “What? No. I mean, the Mothers. Mothers of the tribe. You know, the most talented, beautiful, and skilled women chosen from among the tribe to raise the next generation. They don’t ever have children of their own, because they are too busy training the next generation to be warriors… Why are you laughing?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Karen chuckled.

  “Are you seriously telling me you’ve never heard of the Mothers?”

  “I don’t know anyone who has ever heard of what you're talking about. Okay, so let me get this straight. These Mothers of yours, clothed and fed you, raised you, and then taught you how to fight?”

  “They didn’t clothe us. The tanners handled making us clothes, while the cooks prepared the food. The builders took care of sheltering us with tents. The Mothers taught us the rules and ways of the tribe, and taught us how to fight. More like beat it into us, actually.”

  “Stryg, that’s...those, aren’t parents.”

  “Like I said, goblins don’t have parents.”

  “Well, all the goblins I know have actual parents, at least at some point in time. I have a mom and dad.”

  “Then your tribe is an oddity.”

  “I’m not a part of a tribe and your tribe is clearly the weird one.”

  Stryg frowned, “All the goblin tribes I know have Mothers. Wait, you’re tribeless. An exile?”

  She was like him? An exile?

  Karen giggled, “What? I think you’re confused. First of all, the only tribes that exist in Dusk Valley are the valley tribes, led by roaming warlords who raid outside the city and they’re not made up of only one kind of species, like a goblin tribe or whatever. Second of all, no one in the city is in any kind of tribe, although some do belong to powerful aristocratic Houses. Lastly, the only kind of exiles are the ones banished from the city of Hollow Shade and as you can see we’re both still here.”

  Stryg furrowed his brow, he had a hard time understanding. “But... I thought the Great Cities were built by tribes making alliances with each other? Isn’t that why all these species aren’t killing each other?”

  Stryg pointed his finger at people walking past. They gave him strange looks.

  Karen shook her head, “Maybe it was like that in the other three Great Cities, I don’t know. But here in Hollow Shade we are all trying to get by, every species alike. People still get into fights, of course, sometimes based on their species, but more likely because of money.”

  “Money?” Stryg cocked his head to the side.

  There was the word again. Money… As if it somehow was more important than just being a piece of metal.

  Karen laughed, “Yeah, money. Life here isn’t cheap. Just because we’re safe behind the city’s walls, doesn’t mean life isn’t rough. Well, except for aristocrats, those guys have it good.”

  Stryg crossed his arms in thought. So people lived here together without fighting each other, because they just wanted to? What about food? Wouldn’t they fight over food? There surely wasn’t enough to feed everyone, especially since there were no animals in sight.

  “We’re here, the Trade District.”

  Karen’s words broke him from his thoughts.

  They stood in front of a tall cobblestone bridge. A large river rushed beneath. Past the bridge lay a sprawl of stalls and shops.

  As he walked over, Stryg noted there were far more guards stationed here. A cacophony of shouts promising the best of one product or another echoed throughout the district.

  He felt overrun by the noise.

  Karen laughed as she saw his face pale. “Come on, I know a great stall that sells amazing chicken dumplings.”

  Stryg didn’t know what chicken or dumplings were, but he was hungry enough to eat anything at this point.

  “I’ve basically spent half my time answering your questions. You better answer my questions now, if you want me to hold up my end of the deal.”

  Stryg nodded, “Ask away.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I just turned eighteen a little over a week ago.”

  “Wow, you’re only a little younger than me. I thought you were like fourteen or something.”

  “What? Why?” He regretted asking as soon as the word left his lips.

  “You know ‘cause, there isn’t a single hair on your cheek and you’re kind of, um, short for your age?” She winced in sympathy.

  There was no need though. He knew what she’d say. He was used to such remarks.

  Stryg nodded, “My skin is also blue, my hair is grey, and I have lilac colored eyes too.”

  He laughed, bitterness creeping into his voice, “I know I look different... a freak of nature.”

  It was the whole reason why he had landed in this awful predicament in the first place. Had he been like the other goblins, perhaps he could have been in his own tent by now, sleeping next to Bril or somebody. Oh, wait, Bril was dead, the snake lady had seen to that. Definitely someone else then.

  He sighed, “Any other questions?”