The Goblin Nation - 79 Seeking Power

After a few hours, Sun’s group took a much-needed break under a massive glowing mushroom. The gentle white light bathes the group while they rest their tired bodies on the floor. Their group had to climb up and down two tall slippery cliffs not so long ago. Sun could easily carry Cast on his back while climbing, but the slippery surface and the surrounding blackness made it far more difficult. Nevertheless, Sun overcame the wall and reached the other side. Cast felt embarrassed for making his Chief carry him, but Sun not only wanted to help Cast, but he also needed to distract himself.

Shuja could not help but wonder why Sun would carry Cast’s burden. She carried her friend’s mother away from danger, but it was still Shuja’s burden from the guilt that she was carrying. Maybe its because Sun was a kind goblin? Shuja could believe that because Sun lacks the selfishness of past Chiefs. Shuja had the legions prepare an area for the goblins to relieve themselves. They found a small crevice on the ground, the perfect size for the goblins to use.

While the legions got to work, Shuja took a bottle of water to offer Sun a drink. But someone already gave Sun a drink, and it was May. She watched as the two talked to one another. She didn’t want to disturb the two, but so turned around and help the legions organize a line.

“Sun, why help old goblin?” May asked. She inched closer to Sun while he drinks.

“Well,” Sun tried to think of a believable proverb to tell May, “That’s because you are only as strong as your weakest link. Or our weakest link, I think.” Sun felt like he heard of that saying before. “But yeah, something like that. Basically it means that, no matter how strong something is, there will always be an area where it is the weakest. You can ignore that weakness and focus on what is strongest, but if you don’t take care of the weakest parts, then that weakness will be exploited. Like a chain snapping apart, because it will always break where the link is the weakest.”

May sat there, dumbfounded. But she cares little for what Sun said because she only cared about Sun’s passion behind those words. She doesn’t understand the meaning, but she knew Sun through Sun’s gentle and understanding tone that he cares for everyone. Little did she know that there was more to Sun’s good intentions. A more romantic belief he holds dear in his heart, he received back before he was a goblin. Back when he was a human boy that went by the name Shuja.

He remembered that memory. In contrast to the gentle light of the glowing mushroom, a young Shuja sat on a bench under the blistering sunlight. He waited patiently for his father outside of an office building. He was going to wait inside by the air conditioner of the building was broken, and it was hotter and dryer inside. At least outside, Shuja could feel an occasional breeze cooling his body.

His father finally finished and exited the building while carrying an over the shoulder bag. “Come on, abn. Let’s go before we miss the bus.” Shuja’s father was a tall and strong man. He was like a standing bear looking down on those that talk to him. But he was a gentle giant. Not once did he ever raised a fist in front of the young boy. And his voice was calm and quiet. And his height made him stand out. In the busy, crowded street they were walking in, he looked like a man walking in shallow water that was only a shoulder high. While walking towards the bus station, a young man bumped against the father’s shoulder. Then in the blink of an eye, the man grabbed the bag and took off.

But before he could gain distance, Shuja’s father grabbed him on the arm. The thief tried to free himself, but he could not get his scrawny arms off the father’s large hands. Shuja watched as the man quiver in fear after realizing his mistake. The mistake to steal from this man.

Shuja’s father walked towards the young man slowly. He raised his hands and opened his palm. “Can you please give me back my bag. My son and I need that back before we ride the bus.” He said in a low tone. The thief continued to struggle, but then the father got so close that the thief had to look up to the sky to his face. Compared to the man, the thief looked like a child getting scolded by a stern father. “Please, I don’t want to repeat myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

The thief dropped the bag and ran away once the father released him from his grip. Shuja watched at awe of the power his father had. “Papa!” He ran and hugged his father’s back while he lowered himself to pick up the bag. “When I grow up, I want to be strong just like you. So strong that no one can mess with me!”

“Hahaha!” His father laughed.

Finally, they reached the bus station. They waited for hours for their bus to arrive to take them back to . Once their bus came, they showed their tickets to the ticket master and got on board. The bus was filled to the brim with passengers who were leaving the city to return to their family after a long day of work.

Shuja got picked up by his father, and he sat the boy on his lap to let an elderly woman sit down. Shuja protested because he felt like a grown-up when he had his own spot to sit, but his father reminded him to respect his elders. Shuja pouted, “I don’t need to respect if I become so strong no one can beat me.”

The father sighed in return but did not answer back. The bus took off and left the station. They eventually arrived on the first checkpoint military checkpoint. There the soldiers examined the vehicles and their occupants. The passengers got off the bus and walked towards the manned checkpoint entryways. Outside the entrance, a pregnant woman in labor and her husband attempted to cross the border, but the soldiers continued to deny them. “Papa, why are they not letting them through?” Shuja asked.

“Because they think they are the bad guys.”

“But are they? Isn’t she just carrying a baby inside?”

The husband kept arguing with the soldier. Eventually, the soldier lost his patience and took out his baton and hit the husband. The passengers in the queue watched as the woman collapsed on the ground. The soldiers brought medical staff out on the checkpoint while the soldiers pinned the husband to the ground. The woman screamed in agony while her husband attempts to comfort her while eating sand. Blood began to pour out between her legs. “We should help her.” One of the passengers in queue said.

“You’ll only get shot. Just let them deal with it.” Another answered back.

“What about you papa? You used to be a doctor.” Shuja said with pride.

“I’m not strong enough.” He said.

“What! Of course, you are. You beat that robber like it was nothing.”

“He wasn’t strong abn. But they are.”

Once they crossed the checkpoint, the passengers climbed back to the bus. Shuja and his father looked through their window and saw the mother crying while holding her baby. Shuja thought the lady was crying with tears of joy, but in reality, she was crying because her baby was stillborn. If they let the couple through, they may have gotten to a hospital with proper equipment instead of giving birth in the middle of an arid desert.

Shuja’s father turned to him and said, “Shuja, everyone will become a strong adult when they grow up. But I want you to become the strongest.”

“The strongest?”

“Yes. And to become the strongest, it means to be so strong that not only can you protect yourself, but you can protect others too. Be the strongest, abn. So strong you could anyone and everyone. Ok?”

“Ok!” The young boy raised his fist.

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