25.1ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ.ᴄᴏᴍ/sᴛʀᴀᴛᴏᴛʜʀᴀx

Rain carefully parted the large leaves of a plant he was hiding behind and peered out at the camp. The word monstrous seemed particularly apt for what he saw sitting around the campfire.

Half-goblins. But the term didn't quite represent the abomination of it.

Nearest were a pair of Lamia-goblins, large Goblins with the lower bodies of giant snakes, their flesh transitioning into green and black scale at the hip. Their broad lower bodies knotted and curled around each other in a heap.

Next to them was a male Human-goblin, taller, bearded, and with long hair, which of course was an unusual sight for a male Goblin as normally only female Goblins had hair. His hand rested on the back of a Diredog-Goblin, a creature that was singularly disturbing to look at. A large quadrupedal furless dog with two heads, except where there would normally be dog heads there was a pair of Goblin heads and where its skin would normally be black it was instead a dirty green with black markings. One of the heads gnawed on a bone while the other talked with the Human-Goblin.

Opposite from Rain and Opal and across the fire was an absolutely massive bear-like creature, a Cavebear if Rain had to guess, nine foot tall and incredibly broad. Its fur was dark green with slashes of black and its claws yellowed. Its head, framed by a large mane of fur, was goblinoid but more feral looking and elongated than any Goblin Rain knew, with oversized triangular teeth that didn't fit in its mouth and faintly glowing red eyes. Long lank black hair hung over its eyes and head in strands giving it an unsettling appearance.

A number of regular Goblins were huddled around the fire as well. They did not look particularly happy to be there.

One of the Lamia-goblins spat in the fire causing it to sputter.

"Hey," grumbled the Human-goblin. "I'm cooking on that fire."

The Lamia-goblin hiss-laughed. "Maybe it'll add flavour, gods know it needs it with your cooking."

"Looking to start something, you slippery bitch? It won't end well for you. It's not like your mother will notice another dead Lamia with the number of eggs she shits out. There's always a spare to replace you."

The Lamia-goblin flicked her forked tongue out. "You're right, mother doesn't care. But she doesn't care about most things these days, apart from where the next dozen dicks are coming from, which, by the way, is still better than your mother who can't even string two words together."

The Human-goblin held up a rusty knife. "Watch your forked tongue snake. I won't hear a word against her."

"Tch. Delusional."

"Oh do shut up," said one of the heads of the Diredog-goblin. "At least your mother can speak and has some basic reasoning ability. When I met my father he tried to eat me."

"Yeah, that's pretty rough. Not to mention the two heads thing."

The Diredog sniffed. "Ah, well, at least Clarence understands not to bite me... most of the time."

The second Goblin head on the Diredog looked up at the first with the bone still in its mouth. The Diredog-goblin's tail wagged.

"Ohh, I can't stay mad at you," said the first head affectionately.

"I miss my mother," gravelled the Cavebear-goblin, its sad eyes peeking between its lank hair.

"Your mother was a disaster. I told those idiots we needed to make stronger chains. Did they listen? Of course not. And then the damn thing escaped and killed a dozen Gobbos before running off into the dungeon."

"Yeah, well, probably for the best. You would not believe the number of Gobbos that died trying to do the deed with her."

"It's a fuckin bear, what did they expect!"

"I don't know, to not get turned into a bear snack?"

"Ah, it's just basic Gobbos who gives a shit. Look."

The second Lamia-goblin leaned over and grabbed a regular Goblin. The Goblin screamed as it was dragged up into the air but was unable to do a thing as the Lamia-goblin's jaw unhinged and then yawned unexpectedly horrifyingly wide. The Goblin was pushed inside and then disappeared from view as the Lamia noisily swallowed it down. The goblin sank downward as a large bump in the Lamia's throat then body and then tail where it came to a stop.

The Lamia burped and then glared at the regular Goblins. "Want to make a fuss?"

The regular Goblins shook their heads in fear and huddled closer to each other.

"Good. Know your betters."

"Don't bully them," gravelled the Cavebear-goblin its sad eyes turning on the Goblin eating Lamia.

"Oh not this again," said the first Lamia who had not partook of Goblin. "Look, you guys can hammer out whether it's bad to eat them or whatever, I'm going to the toilet."

The Lamia-goblin uncoiled herself from her brother and slipped over to the jungle right where Rain and Opal were hiding. The pair shuffled backwards in alarm. Luckily the Lamia missed them and glided by. Opal raised her eyebrows at Rain and he got the message. They slunk after her.