Gool and Midas ventured far, and they did so at a breakneck pace.
Gool was no stranger to the lands of Demadur Island.
"In fact, many goblins know my name." Gool smirked, his eyes closed, "I’m known for traveling around this island more than any other goblin, having seen more than any of my kind!"
Midas’s eyebrows lifted, his interest piqued.
"The old goblins refuse to accept it, but the young call me the wise goblin..." Gool’s eyes had a steely gleam. "I may be able to... lead goblins to a better future."
Midas’s eyes narrowed, ’A better future?’ He mused with slight confusion.
"And possibly to a future of unity," Gool said.
"I see..." Midas said, "Well, maybe I can help you achieve that future, Gool."
Gool turned, his eyes wide with surprise, "Y-you can?" He exhaled into a laugh, "That’s exactly what I wanted to hear!" He raised his fist into the air.
"It’s settled then... with your help, I will unite all of the goblin races as one!" Gool yelled with intent and a big grin on his face. It was as though he had gripped a dream that seemed to have slipped out of his palm.
Midas chuckled.
The two crossed over long stretches of jungle and past rivers. They ventured through grasslands and trekked across mountains and valleys while heading northeast.
"Your base is at the exact south of the island of Demadur," Gool said to Midas, who was wondering exactly where they were going.
"The orcs are in the north, far up in the mountains. Past another fortress of mountains just to the southeast of them lay Sergalas’ cavern. To the very west of the island, northwest of where you set up your base location, there exist only wild beasts. The strongest of which are a flying type... freaky things, those are. Their strength is in numbers, having dominion over the largest area in the west. Despite that, there are some areas that they don’t choose to enter..."
Midas was glad to hear all of this information. Now, he had a rough understanding of where everything on the island was.
Due to Gool’s vast traveling experiences in the past, he knew each and every passage to walk.
Holes through hills, caverns that dipped below long rivers, and hidden valleys that squeezed through mountains were all within his arsenal.
Their journey continued overnight, not wanting to waste time in the wilderness.
Before they knew it, a week had passed. They decided to only sleep five out of seven days to keep their pace as fast as possible.
Despite Gool knowing the safest of paths, they still encountered wild beasts here and there.
The variety truly seemed to know no bounds, completely blowing Midas away with each animal that presented itself.
On the third day, they saw a wild boar no smaller than a hippopotamus from earth, its body spotted brown and black. Large tusks the size of elephant tusks guarded its mouth, its snout as large as a fridge.
On the fourth, they encountered a massive gorilla with bright brown and yellow fur. Its size rivaled that of a juvenile elephant, its arms the size of humans. It had a tall row of sturdy white teeth along with massive canines that stuck out from the top and the bottom like a sabertooth.
They continued their trek, and days continued to pass.
Throughout the journey, Gool was acting more of a leader than even Midas.
Sure, Midas held the title of master, but the one guiding the other was actually Gool.
He wasn’t just a guide through the forest. He was also a great teacher of hunting.
Fish were his specialty, and Midas always noticed the fierce concentration that entered the goblin’s eyes whenever he was ready to pounce.
But birds and small beasts were not out of his range either.
Even though Gool was leading Midas through the safest paths through the wilderness, food and shelter were always a concern.
Gool stepped up in these departments as well. He knew how to hunt best, and he also knew how to set up a quick shack for himself without the need to spend several hours gathering materials for the blueprint.
Days turned into weeks as Midas and Gool continued their journey across Demadur.
’I really didn’t expect this trip to take so long... in truth, a week was the limit I was planning on going before returning. Being so far in a land I am not familiar with is more than just dangerous.’ Midas thought to himself while facing Gool’s back.
’But with him guiding me, I disagree with my previous notion. It looks like he’s very trustworthy, especially after I said I would support his dream.’ He paused, thinking to himself.
’When I first told him to surrender, a spark in his eyes disappeared. I think he gave up his dream of goblin unification at that moment... but now, he has a jolt of ambition within him again.’ Midas smiled.
During this journey, the two had gone from enemies to strangers and now to friends.
When one walks a fine line of danger and death with another, their bond tends to get iron-tight.
Seeing Gool with a pep in his step and a smile on his face throughout this journey also made Midas feel good.
...
Night of the fifteenth day of Midas and Gool’s travels, slightly northeast to the center of the island...
"It’s been about two weeks..." Gool said to Midas.
They both sat around a small fire pit enclosed with stone. Thankfully, nothing intelligent enough to go near fire usually roamed these lands at night, so a hidden flame was more a monster deterrent than an attractor.
A few feet away were two lean-to shelters made of sticks and grass.
Gool made his within twenty minutes, but it took Midas close to an hour. Still, it was a lot better than the first few times he tried to make it.
Midas looked at Gool, "According to where we are on this journey, we should be nearing the foothills of the mountains of Sergalas’s Cavern soon, right?" He asked.
Gool nodded, "Yes. Currently, we are coming closer to the two massive mountain ranges that dominate the island. The one in the north is where orcs thrive. The eastern one, Sergalas. The two connect in the northeast, making an almost impossible barrier to cross." He paused, "Thankfully, however," He said with a smirk, "I know a way straight through the mountains and into the very northeast part of this island."
Midas was impressed by Gool’s knowledge. Despite traveling together for quite a while now, it never failed to surprise him just how intelligent this goblin was.
"It will take us five more days to reach Ashen Hollow," Gool said with a serious tone.
Midas narrowed his eyelids, furrowing his brows, "I see... not much longer now than..."
Gool nodded, "Yep... and much of the journey will be through caverns. Abandoned goblin tunnels that are layered throughout the mountains like a labyrinth." His face was still serious.
Midas paid close attention.
"In those small spaces, goblins still roam sometimes, and other creatures looking for shelter have established their home inside. To get through, you will need to know how to fight within closed corners." Gool said.
Midas raised an eyebrow with confusion, "I don’t even know how to fight normally..." He said.
"Yes... But that’s okay. Who’s to say you need one to know the other?" Gool smirked, standing. He grabbed a small dagger made of sharp bone. Its handle was wrapped with hide, its core slightly bent with serrated teeth at its heel.
He grabbed another one, tossing it over to Midas.
Midas was surprised, but caught the dagger mid-air.
"I will teach you a very underestimated but powerful fighting style..." Gool smirked arrogantly as if he knew something others didn’t, "You see, due to the small stature, low muscle mass, and weak bones of goblins, this fighting technique can not be used maximally. However, through a bit of research, I’ve discovered that it isn’t useless. Actually, for its design of close-quarters combat, it is incredibly effective. If used by a human, it might prove to be unbeatable..."
Midas’s eyes were wide with awe and anticipation. "What is it... called?" He said.
Gool answered instantly: "It’s called the normal goblin dagger-fighting technique."