The Dragon Bride

First Contact - Part 4

5... Like a clever fox chasing a defenseless hare, the knight quietly approached her mark, ready to strike it down as soon as she was at arm's length.

6... Lucina raised her weapon at the goblin.

7... She swung Devilsbane, aiming directly at its neck. In a fraction of a second the goblin ducked her first strike, which plunged her sword into the dirt wall. A rush of adrenaline entered her veins, she did not expect the creature to react nearly as fast as it did.

8... As she turned around at breakneck speed, she was met by a very humanoid face. The only differences she could even notice being the pointy nose and ears that accentuated it and the slightly jagged teeth of its mouth. Lucina could not get a good look as before she knew it, a mound of dirt struck her head causing her vision to be impaired.

9... Her training kicked in, she did not need her eyes to fight. Hearing the goblin's frantic breath and whimpers was enough for her to extend her hand and catch its arm.

10... A sharp pain from her hand caused her to recoil from the grab. Lucina was certain the creature had just bitten her. While it ached, she knew it had not pierced her skin.

11... She threw her body at the goblin, attempting and succeeding in tackling it to the ground.

12... She lifted Devilsbane and brought it to the creature's head, threatening to end its life but not quite piercing it yet. In response, the goblin stopped resisting.

"Oke, oke!" A shrill and shaking voice called out to her. "I-I give up!" Lucina's confusion grew.

"Who's out there?!" She yelled.

"Uhh... Me?" The voice responded, unsure what the knight meant by the question. Lucina brought up her left hand to her helmet, removing it and quickly wiping the dirt on her eyes to be able to open them again. Once the scarce light penetrated her pupils, she saw that the goblin lay motionless on the floor, its hands raised. She looked around the cave and saw no one else in there with them.

"Hello?" She asked the darkness of the tunnels, receiving nothing but her echoes as an answer.

"You feelin' good, surf'er?" The same voice spoke again. There was no doubt about it. The goblin was the one speaking. Lucina turned around to meet her target, who raised its hands even higher in response.

"How are you doing that?"

"Doin' what?"

"That!" She screamed.

"I-I jus' move my mouth! I swears I don't know what you mean!" The goblin yelled back. Lucina was dumbfounded. Goblins had never been known to speak any human languages. She considered the possibility that she had just discovered a new species of cave digging creature.

"Where did you learn to speak english, foul creature?" Lucina asked aggressively, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Where?" It repeated the question. "I mean where did you?" the knight raised her sword higher, she was not satisfied with the response. The goblin shook its hands. "I-I am not joking! You jus' kinda hear it from other folks and learn it, no?" it let out a nervous giggle at the end. Lucina raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I doubt you've spent so much time around humans that you picked up our language?" Lucina continued persecuting the topic.

"C-cause that's not what happened." The goblin stuttered. "I've lived my whole life in Veleg Rotto! W-we learn human-tongue there." Its sight was squarely placed on Devilsbane, which shimmered brightly thanks to the headlamp that adorned her mining helmet. "N-nice sword."

"Don't get any ideas, imp!" She barked at it.

"N't'Rika..."

"What?"