Looking around a second time to be sure, I`m very certain now that he meant me. There`s literally nobody else up here on this corner of the rafters but me. Why? Tribute? What? Is the dungeon-master sacrificing goblins to the dragon to let the trash-mobs get past his staircase? That`s pretty cold-blooded, guy. But more importantly, why has he singled me out to be today`s snack? I feel like I have better things to do than be eaten by a dragon and also more importantly, if I might be so bold, I feel like I deserve to just be treated better as well in general, you know?

　　I turn and book it away as fast as my goblin-elder body can run. I`m a decrepit three and a half years old mind you. I`m not just one foot into the grave, I`m both feet along with the rest of me into the grave. Goblins generally only live about three years and, I would say, I`ve had a good life up until this point. Very successful. I was born to a good wave. I was blessed with magic. Trained by the very best of my time. Trained the very best of my time. Now here I am, running to not be a ritual sacrifice.

　　You know? I can`t help but feel like the dungeon-master has been bullying me a little lately. I`m starting to get a little& peeved about it. I mean, I appreciated the drink last time at first but that went downhill quickly. Then there was uh& yeah, that time he gave me a coin. I remember that too. And now? Well now I`m being chased literally a minute after respawning. Give me a break, guy. Come on. Are you mad at me dungeon-master? I`ve been doing my best though. I`ve been doing my best for you. So why are you such a passive-aggressive jerk?

　　Out of the corner of my eye I can see the royal-guards rushing towards the staircase to come up and get me. Why am I an old guy again I ask the universe. Couldn`t I have been some young hotshot goblin who`s not being chased? I amble as fast as my old body can take me to get away from the group. Ugh. What a life this is turning out to be guy. This is not how I imagined my retirement was going to be, tell you what. Not that I`ll ever get to retire, but, you know.

　　As I run along the rafters towards another exit I look over my shoulder at the group of armored goblins catching up to me and for a moment I feel a heat grow at my fingers as a tiny, freshly birthed magical flame begins to blossom. For a moment I think I`ll just throw a fireball at them, that should do the trick truth be told. But then I stop myself when I realize that I know them.

　　That one there`s Gil`zil, his parents were jerks but he turned out alright. Real straight edge guy. Good kid. The one next to him is Zig`nal, she`s the funny one but I think she just does it because she`s hiding her emotions behind humor. She hasn`t learned to lower those barriers yet but she`s getting there. All of them, I know all of them. Gil`zil and Zig`nal and Nix`dim and Pil`pal and Rif`ral and Tin`fel. Oh, there`s Min`man and Hil`zal and Rip`wan and Dil`den and Jin`jim and Lil`pal and uh& oh. Phil. Phil is in the back, but we don`t talk about Phil. He`s the odd one. It all started when his parents gave him that stupid name. Poor kid never had a chance. Dungeon life can be so cruel.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

　　I sigh and let the magic dissipate, I can`t kill these kids. I practically raised these kids. Taught them everything they know. From gutting rats to reading. All of the R`s of the goblin world. Really covered everything there is to know about life. They`re all good kids. Ah hell. I`ve had a good life. I`ve had a long life. Heck, I`m already three and a half years old. What more could a goblin ask for? I slow down and stop and turn around. Raising my hands and staff I tell them I`ll go with them. I`m too old to be doing this kind of stuff anymore anyways.

　　The royal-guards catch up to me and look at each other a little uncertainly. Standard protocol would have been to punch me in the gut, so they`re being nice I guess. That`s the kind of behavior good educators can help foster, friend. They take a moment to huddle together and murmur between each other, one of them putting a hand on my shoulder so I don`t run again. Waiting for them to do their thing I look around to the arena, even in my old age, my eyes are still as sharp as ever. I can see that the goblin-king in all of his pudgy glory has left again. He was just there a moment ago. He must have sneaked out while I was being chased. Hmm.

　　The group nods in an affirmative tone with a loud collective grunt and they look back to me.

　　Gil`zil speaks "Elder, why you chosen? Is it because of stairs? What dragon? Never seen dragon. Must be very far. Dragon can eat rats instead."

　　The others murmur in agreement. I stop them and tell them the king has ordered it so, that the dungeon-master has ordered it so. It`s not their place to disobey. They murmur between themselves again. Before looking back to me.

　　"Will you run?" asks Zig`nal. I say look at me, I am too old to run twice in one day. Hil`zal laughs and Rip`wan shoves an elbow in his gut. Looking at them I can see that they are conflicted. Perhaps I have been underestimating the potential emotional maturity of goblins I think to myself. None of them take the lead. Gil`zil who is usually the leader of the wave is hesitant. He`s too kind hearted, it`ll get him killed one day.

　　I take Zig`nal`s hand off of my shoulder and turn to walk away.

　　"Where are you going?" they ask.

　　"To dragon" I say. "Are you coming?"

　　A second later I hear thirteen sets of boots shuffle on behind myself as I take the lead. Someone has to step up and do what needs to be done after all, right? I need to show these kids that you get things done, that you make things happen by just doing them. By taking that first step, by walking towards that dragon. That`s how you find purpose and meaning. They still need to learn that and they`ll learn that by watching me. A final lesson.

　　In truth though I doubt we`ll get that far. I puzzle for a moment. What floor are we on? Uh& ninety-nine. The dragon is on& ninety& uh& four? No, ninety-five. Yeah. For sure. So that`s& uh& four stair-cases? Yeah, that`s pretty far for these old bones and the adventurers are getting faster with each run so they`ll beat us to the dragon for sure. Of that I`m pretty certain.

　　But we`ll see what happens when it happens. Haha, oh man. I wonder if the thief-girl is still mad at me?

　　Bet she is.