"Sneaking, Slimy, Savage Men
who dare to come into my den!
My eggs, my kin, my only treasure
those stinking men want for their pleasure.
My children they do seek to steal
so I will have them for a meal!"
Grashti chanted to herself as she scuttled down the shore, looking for anything that could be of use among the wreckage. The human ship had crashed on the rocks the week before, and their small town needed every bit of salvage that it could get. The disappearance of the husbands two years before meant that labor had to be divided among the few remaining townsfolk. Food was scarce.
Grashti was old- too old to be dealing with the humans that had been picked up from the shores. For that at least, she was grateful for her age. Although she took no pleasure in picking through the remains of the ship, it was a far better fate than having to pretend for those beasts. The very idea sent shivers down her spine. And still, it had to be done- the men had to be stopped. Across the Great Sea, goblin eggs were seen as treasure. For years, they had been sought out, stolen, and taken back to the royal courts to be worn around the necks of noblewomen or set into the hilts of swords. The goblin race was slowly dying out while the humans paraded the corpses of her kind's young as their spoils. The ignorance, the brutality of it chilled Grashti to her core. She set her back to the wind and continued on with her work.
Just then, she heard the horn blow. The low, gurgling sound grew, signaling with it a warning. Three tolls on the gong confirmed what she had suspected: escape. A shadow fell upon the moon, and as Grashti looked up she saw what looked to be a winged horse. Upon it, she could barely make out the figures of men. Their whoops of victory echoed through the night, but Grasti could feel that none of the children flew with them. This time at least, the young were safe.
"Off you go and don't come back.
Return, and I your bones will crack.
Spread the story of goblins vile,
we may evade your attack a while.
But I shall not forget your crimes.
Not now, nor 'till the end of times."
Authors Note:
I have always been interested in understanding the motives of the "villains" of stories. I think that black and white representations of good and evil are far too simplistic- real life is complicated. So, when reading about the "wicked" goblins, I immediately wanted to know what was driving their behavior. So, I wrote my own motive.
Bibliography: "Goblin City." From "The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old India" by W.H.D. Rouse. Web Source
Hi Maya! I totally agree that most issues cannot be presented as good versus evil, and the best villains in books, movies, etc are always the ones that are complex. If the villain has a compelling reason for what he is doing, it is harder to root strongly for the heroes, and it makes you think. I like this backstory you wrote for the goblins, and I think it something humans might do if goblins were real (just like what people do with elephant tusks and rhino horns).
ReplyDeleteHello Maya! What an amazing story, and so well written too. I love how you decided to flip the Goblin City story and show how the goblins were justified in their capture of the sailors. I think Grashti's rhyming warnings were the best part of the story, they set the mood of the tale and drew me in immediately. I cannot wait to read more of your stories, you have a real way with words that is captivating.
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