Work Text:
The beginning of the end
Harrowing wails of pain had been repeatedly heard throughout the wooden area of the small Dankwood village for several hours.
Only replaced momentarily by heartbreaking cries of sorrow and heavy panting, the female goblin in labour, was on the brink of breaking. Not just physically, but by the sorrow she carried within, deep in her soul.
A female Sharman, Visviozzia, assisted by two volunteering midwives, was trying their utmost to help the pain stricken labouring girl. This was the most frightening and the same time, amazing delivery she had ever done before.
The pregnancy had been prolonged with an astonishing 2 months compared to a normal 5 months. That, and she was only carrying 3 younglings, as opposed to normal 4-5 for a healthy goblin female. The reason for all this? This was far from a normal pregnancy, as poor Dusai had fallen heads over heels in love with a fair haired young human soldier who had passed through their forest almost a year ago.
11 months ago:
A group of human soldiers, led by a tall, bulging and loud captain, had after long consideration, negotiations and bartering from the Dankwood village chieftain and the shaman, been granted permission to make up camp near the goblin village, in addition to the humans would help around the village, while they were waiting for further orders.
The captain had seen the offer as quite fair and somewhat contemplative, from the goblins perspective. The chieftain was wise and the shaman even more so, yet she kept it carefully stowed away, only offering advise and warnings when absolutely needed. Sensing no malevolence from the captain, the decision was made.
And so it was, that every young human men was put to work. Helping goblins, no less. Alot of the young men was extremely weary at first, seeing goblins as no more than black-hearted, thoughtless and savage little beasts who would love nothing more than attack and eat humans when their backs was turned, if their numbers were large enough that is.
These fears would soon prove to be unfounded with the Dankwood goblins. They were far from the maleficent and rabies infected rats that many had thought them to be. Even the Dankwood goblins knew the goblin reputation as a whole, and one of the reasons they themselves were very cautious around other races. Especially their "cousins", being either Ixalan or Zendikar tribes. Both of which they tried to steer clear of at all times.
A human interaction like the recent one, was welcome, as it would serve, not only the village, but the Dankwood race very well in the future as it might help segregate themselves from the more violent and savage races of goblins, but also help in commerce and better trades.
And as time went by, the village goblins and the human soldiers became more and more comfortable around eachother.
The soldiers began trading small trinkets, such as homemade flutes made from animal bone, clay or stone, jewelry equally made from bone and stone, yet delicately carved with native symbols for good fortune or just for appearance. Other items like playing dice was also traded, which gave ground for more social interactions as the soldiers were more than happy to teach their games to new players, and perhaps make an easy coin. They would soon find themselves equally matched by the goblins.
Food and drink was shared along with stories, while cultural differences was discussed and debated
All in all, it seemed that everyone was getting along perfectly.
Two especially, was getting along very well. Dusai Blueleaf and a young soldier named Amoran, had started forming a deep friendship after Amoran had helped Dusai moving some large pieces of tree to her workshop. She used mainly wood to create her art, as it was easy to carve and still hardy enough to survive the higher humidity in the woods. Amoran had helped her several times, hauling big lumps of hardwood and they had gotten along quite well. He liked helping her, as she was very accommodating, chipper and sweet. And he loved watching her work with her arts. She was very talented and passionate with her work. Often she forgot that Amoran was even present, when she was in her zone. But as the days went by, she couldn't ignore his presence any longer. Her work showed so. The motives she made, changed ever so slightly from animalistic shapes of squirrels, deer, wolves and fish, to more and more human in design. Or human looking. Mostly of a certain human male, that had caught her eye.
She became more and entranced by the young soldier, and he couldn't deny his own attraction to the beautiful young, yet much smaller, goblin female. Not race, nor size could stop their feelings from advancing.
One fateful day, Amoran was helping his secret passion, carrying a bundle of ash wood, when he misjudged a ladder step, and fell unto the hard compacted dirt, unmoving. Worried out of her mind, Dusai quickly sprang to his aid, only to realise that he wasn't making sounds of pain, but rather choking by laughter, due to his clumsyness.
When Dusai realised it, her worry turned to anger and she scolded him for his carelessness and for being stupid. She pounced on him and after a few spells of tumbling around the ground, they both caught eachothers gaze. She, with her almost serpentine slitted pupils and golden eye colour and he, with rounded pupils and clear icy blue eyes. Both without mate or betrothed, they had even gotten to the point of flirting innocently before, but now, it wouldn't do either of them or their feelings justice.
They spend an uncertain night of passion at first, getting used to their different anatomies and limitations. They had both delightful soft and warm skin. But one had sharp claws and likewise sharp teeth and the other had size, bulk and strength ending with both human and goblin girl having scratches and bruises the day after, much to the amusement of soldiers and villagers alike. The following few weeks, they became fast lovers on a regular basis. Their mutual desire and longing for eachother becoming harder and harder to endure. And obscure.
They tried hiding their mutual affection towards eachother, but joy is a very hard feeling to stow away. Not that many were in doubt of their actions or the "casual" looks they gave eachother.
Yet one saw into this almost impossible future before almost anyone else. Even the young lovers themselves.
Dusai's mother, wise as she was, saw into their young hearts, seeing their beginning infatuation for eachother, tried to warn her youngest daughter of the risks and dangers, but Dusai would have none of it.
Not even when the order came for the soldiers to disembark and break up camp due to the ever encroaching war, would she listen.
She became desperate and so did her lover, Amoran, as they both knew that they were not likely to be together again. Ever.
Their last night together was spend in joy, deep passion, lust and sorrow.
The next day was one of only sorrow. At that moment, it had become pointless for the both of them to try to hide any feelings and emotions.
Whereas many of the young soldiers had made friends among the Dankwood goblin tribe and said their goodbyes, they equally hoped for a soon and happy reunion. Just to show up alive in the goblin town would make any of them grateful.
The Captain and an unknown nobleman knew that such a reunion would be as good as impossible, seeing as what they were going against. The soldiers suspected as much, but had to keep up hope.
Despite that, the unlikely couple of human and goblin refused to believe that their love would end, no matter what.
The soldier hoped, the nobleman knew better and so did the Captain.
The nobleman, unfortunately was proven mostly right in his assessment to the outcome of the great battle as the countering force of humans, elves, dwarves, halflings and more were all but decimated.
Though victorious, it had seem like a victory to none, as few were able to return home, let alone to the goblin village.
A couple of weeks after the humans had left the village, brought Dusai to her present predicament, as the very last night of her and Amoran's immensely passionate union had ended in a very rare, if almost unheard of
A pregnancy. A human and goblin pregnancy.
When Dusai first realised that her cycle was "off", she warded it off as a fluke, as it happens from time to time. But as her cycle remained absent, she started suspecting something was not right. As did her mother. The towns sharman.
Visviozzia had initially considered ending the pregnancy with certain herbs, but to that, Dusai had said that she would rather die, than to have her and Amoran's progany removed. Though Visviozzia tried her best to weigh her young daughters options telling her of the great unlikeliness that the brood would even come to term let alone for any of them, Dusai included, would survive, she was unsuccessful and could only support the choice from then on. Foolish as it seemed.
And thus, the pregnancy continued and Dusai's belly grew for each day that passed.
Every day since the soldiers left for their campaign, Dusai had longed for some kind of message or sign that they would return unscathed. Or more, that her beloved would return.
She longed for his touch, his pleasant smile and loving gaze. She would rub her belly holding their children and smile, while singing songs of lush green forrests, love and prosperity. How she relished the thought of showing him what their love had given them. She hoped he would be happy. She had to block out her mother's doubts and fears, if she herself wouldn't start believing them. Would he be happy? Would he really want a goblin girl as a mate? Let alone have half-breed children? No! It was ridiculous. Of course he would be happy! They were more than happy before he had to leave. He would have stayed if he could. He said so himself. Or that's what she made it to be. Rather he had something in the line of "If circumstances were different...". But surely, it had been due to the war and the severity of it. Right?
As days became more months, her own doubts became background noise. Not entirely gone, but not something that made her cry herself to sleep every night. Not every night. Her longing did that the most.
She relieved a lot of her stress and longing by creating vast amounts of reliefs of her beloved soldier. She had gone to extreme lengths to perfect his face and had reached a point where even his warm smile and loving gaze had returned to her as if in a surreal dream. That had become her favourite piece. Even her mother had marveled at the intricate details.
Dusai went as far as sleeping with the precious piece at night. It alleviated much of her fear. Waking each morning to his smiling face and bidding him goodnight every night. It almost felt like when he had been there all those months ago. Though she missed his warmth. So so much.
She had been awoken one morning by shouts in the village and could hear commotion of running villagers. At first, it sounded not much different from when an wild animal had gotten to close to their settlement, but the more she became astute, the more she realised that the commotion was due to foreign arrivals.
She all but flung herself from her furs of her bedding and stumbled to her feet, obstructed by her large belly. She had to stop to breathe a couple of times while throwing a minimal of clothing on her otherwise naked body. Just to be moderately clothed at least, but still covered well up in warm furs, as spring had only come a short while ago, leaving the mornings still chilled.
As she moved outside of her small cottage in the trees, she saw flags and banners that was well known to her. They were back! Finally! They were here! HE was here! Finally they would be together again! Their love could continue!
Hear heart was pounding like a war drum as she descended to the ground with slow steps. She almost slipped a couple of times in her eagerness, making her grab the simple but sturdy steps tighter with her small clawed hands.
When she finally found solid ground, she hobbled as fast has her short legs and heavy belly would allow, towards the returned soldiers. As she got closer, a large number of the villagers had appeared and she had so crane her way through the masses. When she finally got in front of them, she was horrified by the visage. Only small group of humans were moving slowly towards the village. No more that an 8th of the original numbers had returned, and those who had, looked worse for wear than the dead would almost have. Not one was without visual signs of wound, wearing some sort of bandage. Some with a single arm in a sling, others with almost all limbs covered. Some had bandages on their heads, covering either cheeks or foreheads. Some had covered an eye, others both. A few on horses had missing limbs. A leg. An arm. Though those with an arm missing were mostly on foot.
Their clothes were torn and dirty, caked in dust, mud, blood and something she'd rather not guess as what it could be.
Dusai went over every single soldier's features, hoping to catch glimpse of her beloved. All soldiers that could, had looked towards Dusai when they recognised her, but turned their gaze either to the front of them or to the ground beneath their weary feet.
The clanging of armour and weapons could be heard as they got closer.
Among the soldiers, Dusai had yet to find her soldier. Her head whirred and she stretched her neck as far as she possible could to see as much as possible. Still no sign of Amoran. She looked to her left and saw her mother and the chieftan talking to one of the soldiers at the back, where a simple rickity horse carriage was being pulled.
She decided to approach them and called out to them. As she did so, her mother and the chieftan turned their heads and she was puzzled by their expressions. She had difficulty deciphering the looks, but something in the line of horror, concern or sadness has apparent.
The soldier in front of them had his chest covered heavily in bandages that had large splodges of dried blood upon them. He was holding some items in his hands, holding them out towards them as to give them gifts.
Dusai reached them and the soldier made eye contact with her. He averted his eyes and shut them shortly while shaking his head. When he looked up again, his eyes held a teary gaze. He turned and approached her slowly with the items in his hands. He held them towards her and trembling told her that he was sorry. Dusai tilted her head to the side in a questioning position, not quite understanding the meaning. Why would he be sorry? She asked the soldier where Amoran was and the soldier's mouth trembled slightly, caught between doubt and sadness. He closed his eyes and handed her the items. There were a leather satchel and a long heavy metal item wrapped in cloth.
Dusai looked at the items in question and saw that a handle peaked through the cloth wrapped item. It appeared to be a sword. But not any kind of sword. It was the very same sword that Amoran had carried. She'd recognise it anywhere. Amoran had showed it to her and told her of it. It had been a family heirloom. But why would the soldier present it to her. Amoran would want it back...
As the thought was brought to end, she became cold as death and she started trembling.
She asked the soldier in a trembling voice, where Amoran was. He didn't answer at first, only shutting his eyes further as if in great pain. At that, Dusai all but screamed her prior question, already fearfully knowing the answer, but refused to believe it. The soldier opened his eyes when her shrieking loud voice penetrated his emotional state. On purpose or involuntarily, he shifted his gaze towards the open horse carriage and swiftly looked down at Dusai again, repeating what he had said initially. "I'm sorry.... He..." What's all he had said as Dusai dropped the items to the ground, spilling the contents of the satchel.
She ran towards the carriage and clamoured with great difficulty to the top. The soldiers at the carriage hadn't time to react to the distraught goblin girl before she jumped in the back.
She froze at the sight of a body covered up with a seemingly clean simple white linen. The only thing that stood out, was stark contrasts of crimson that covered the middle half.
Dusai's breath hitched in her throat. She was unmoving for what seemed like an eternity. Her whole world had come to a halt in a fraction of a second as she stared at the unmoving body underneath the thin veil.
The solder that had presented the satchel and sword had moved beside the carriage, pleading her to come back down, to not lift the sheet.
But as if his words were unheard or turned upside down, she grabbed the sheet and carefully pulled it. The first thing she saw, was a head of dirtied, but identifiable fair hair she had come to love so. Another slight pull revealed the pale, lifeless face of her beloved Amoran.
Dusai fell to her knees while staring at him. Tears that had previously only wetted her golden eyes, now flowed freely down her delicate green face, further wetting the fur she wore around her shaking body and the crimson coloured sheet that now covered the love of her life and father to his and her children.
She fell upon his body, clinging to him for dear life, silently praying to whatever deity's would listen to her heartbroken prayers.
Sadly, no answer never came. Only an answer from the soldier that delivered the message.
He once more pleaded for her to come back down. She stayed silent for a long while.
The soldiers in front of the carriage, all the way to the front, had come to a halt and watched the sad event transpire.
Then the soldier spoke once more. He started telling that the last battle was the give-all or loose all. They had faught orcs and their captain had died 2 days prior, by the hand of the orc warchief.
In the final minutes of the battle, Amoran had been mortally wounded, by said warchief. That had not stopped Amoran as he had risen to stand tall, shouting words of valor for his men, and yelled Dusai's name loudly as if wanting to die with her name to be the final word leaving his lips. Despite being wounded many more times, Amoran had successfully penetrated the abnormally large warchief's defences and finally ended the month's long battle by thrusting his sword up through the orc's jaw into his brain, killing him almost instantly. But before the massive orc could hit the ground, Amoran had pulled his bloodied sword from the dying warchief's skull and with a swift 360 degree whip of his body, separated his head from his body.
The warchief's headless body fell to its knees and toppled over heavy.
A couple of moments went by, before the reality finally hit the orcs.
Amoran took the heavy head of the dead warchief in one hand while still holding his sword in the other and lifted both as high as he could with a great and massive roar matching that of the greatest of orc warriors.
When the orcs saw that, they went running.
While the horde of now demoralised orcs stumbled over eachother to retreat the battlefield, several hundreds more orcs fell at the battlefields mirthful soldiers and warriors with lound roars of success.
Seconds later, while still standing tall, Amoran faltered and then dropped to his knees, still clutching his sword, using it as leverage to stay upright. His head dropped low and drew his final breath, uttering one more word before breathing out the word. "Dusai". Only those closest to him heard his dying word.
Thus ended the orc invasion and the war was finally over.
Dusai had heard every word the soldier had uttered, and felt pride in her heart as well as unfathomable anger and hate at the orc warchief for taking the life of her love, cursing his withered soul to eternal damnation.
Then she clutched her belly and ground her teeth sharply at the point of shattering them and fell to the side. Only then, did the soldier notice her condition. His eyes widened in horrific surprise as he called for help.
Dusai awoke in a confused state of great pain and confusion, surrounded by her mother and two other goblin females. She had gone into labour due to the stressful events.
"Breathe slowly my daughter", Visviozzia said calmingly to Dusai.
Dusai looked around her, confused. Her breathing was erratic and shallow.
One of the midwives was boiling clean fabrics to sterilise them for use in the delivery.
The other midwife assisted Visviozzia with herbal medicine and applying them to Dusai's forehead, wrapped in cloth.
Dusai captured her mother's gaze and looked at her intensely before looking to her side. The mask of Amoran looked with a warm expression at her, before reality dawned upon her. She drew a deep breath and started crying heartbroken.
"He's gone! Oh my love..." She sobbed, just before another contraction wrecked her already broken body. She clenched her sharp and pointed teeth as the need to push became all but unbearable.
"Do not push yet, you are not quite ready." The attending midwife said with a hint of command.
Dusai tried to force the feeling back and soon the pain dissipated somewhat. Though the pain in her chest persisted.
"Mo... Mother.." she croaked out through her tears. "He's really gone.." she cried.
Her mother looked sadly at her daughter before pushing her lips tightly together, closed her eyes and nodded.
Dusai's head fell backwards and she wailed loudly. "Amoran.... Noooo! Please my love! Don't let it be true..." Another contraction reared it's ugly head and tensed her body up, clutching her hands at the make do railings at her side.
"Breathe my child, breathe" Visviozzia begged as only a mother could. Being a sharman, wise as she was, it was always difficult to watch ones own child in pain. But this pain was tenfold as a broken heart was at play at the same time, and she knew so.
Visviozzia had seen difficult births many times, but this. This was by far the most frightening one she had ever been witness to. She feared for her daughter's life. She could sense the fast declining health and she hoped the herbal medicine would speed the labour.
As the contraction let up once more, Dusai's breathing had slowed somewhat and she had become more incoherent.
The midwife applying the herbal medicine leaned over to Visviozzia and whispered. "We need to make preparations. She won't survive if..." Visviozzia interrupted her with a sharp hiss "I KNOW!" Before she settled herself back to relatively calm. "I know..." she said with a deep sigh. She has seen this many times. And it hurt her more deeply than she let on. She lowered herself to Dusai once more, while stroking her sweat covered black hair gently and whispered.
"My child, you must be strong now. For Amoran. For your children." At that, Dusai once again found her mother's eyes. They looked at eachother for a few moments before the pained goblin girl nodded her head solemnly.
"When the need to push comes back, I need you to NOT fight it, but push. As hard as you can. Take a deep breath and push! Do you understand me my love?" She said with a wavering voice she almost couldn't hold back. Dusai nodded again, as if her strength and resolve had returned to her. No sooner had her mother spoken before Dusai started clenching her teeth once more. Another contraction was underway.
"Alright when I say, you push! Okay" her mother said sternly.
Through her pain and bewilderment, Dusai nodded swiftly.
She breathed with quick shallow breaths before taking in a deep breath and clenched her teeth.
"Now push my dear!" Visviozzia ordered. "PUSH!" She said loudly.
Dusai did as told, before letting up and panted quickly. Another contraction wrecked through her. "PUSH!" Visviozzia once more ordered, which Dusai did, this time longer and harder. She let up again before the pushing sensation returned. Without her mother's words, she took her own initiative and pushed as hard as she was able to.
The midwife that had boiled the cloths came over at just the right time.
"Here it comes!" The herbal midwife exclaimed.
Soon a small goblin child appeared and was swiftly wrapped up and carried away in warm clean cloth.
Dusai's head fell back into the pillows behind her and panted in quick gasps.
Visviozzia looked warily towards the midwife who was busying herself with the newborn. After a few moments, she turned her head looked towards Visviozzia and shook her head in dismissively.
The shaman ground her teeth, before returning to her daughter.
She tried to shake the wavering sensation of her before she spoke to Dusai.
"You're doing great my daughter. But we're not done yet."
Dusai groaned weakly as if saying "oh come on". But the next contraction started up, making her body tense. The pushing sensation returned and so did Dusai's strength. She pushed hard, and the second delivery seemed faster than the last.
Again, another clean cloth was brought over and was wrapped around the second newborn and carried away. Visviozzia once more turned her head towards the midwife who this time more quickly than before, shook her head.
Visviozzia bowed her head shortly as if in quick prayer, before returning to her daughter. This time though, she had difficulty getting Dusai's attention, strengthening her fears.
"Dusai." She called in an soothing voice, getting no response. "Dusai, my flower!" She said more sternly. This time getting her attention, somewhat. Dusai's eyes were floating in her head in a mix of exhaustion and sadness.
"Only one more to go my lovely daughter and then you can rest" Visviozzia almost cried. "You are so brave and strong." She said with a small choked voice.
Dusai smiled a small weary smile to her mother and breathingly said "I love you" with a weak voice. Visviozzia felt tears welling up just as Dusai's features contorted in another fit of pain.
Dusai screamed loudly and fell back, before her whole body became hard and rigid. She sucked in a breath and held on to it and pushed. Visviozzia was almost surprised at the reaction, but got to work, one final time. Dusai pushed and groaned through closed teeth. Once. Twice. And then a final time, until the last of her and her loves children had been birthed. The child was quickly brought to where the first two had been laid and the midwife worked wordlessly. This time longer and harder than with the first two, with a resolve. But as with the first two, she slowly slumped her head and shook it in defeat. Before she could look to Visviozzia, the shaman had already turned towards her daughter, who had slowed her breathing even further than before. Her dark green lips had gone a pale apple colour and her eyes were translucent and devoid of life.
Visviozzia cried quietly while looking at her daughter. "You did good my love. You did good." She said softly. "You... You can rest now my love. It's okay".
Dusai look towards her mother with tired eyes and with at meek voice she said "It's so beautiful. I want to be here."
Visviozzia was confused for a second before she caught the meaning, making her cry even harder.
"It's okay," Dusai continued in her weak tone. "Amoran is there... And so are our two babies. He's holding them. He loves them all so much".
She said with a loving smile.
Visviozzia hadn't the heart to tell her daughter that there were three with their father, but that didn't matter at the moment. Nothing mattered. Only this moment mattered. These very last moments.
Dusai breathing slowed down, but she had just a few more intonements.
"Mother!" she said with vivid force, almost scaring her mother. "Watch over Ortana for me! Guide her. Teach her. Strengthen her. And most of all, love her and let her love!"
Visviozzia looked teary eyed at her youngest daughter, mouth slightly agape at the seemingly delirious ranting of the girl. But before she could question her strange orders, Dusai grabbed her mother's wrist in a vice grip and look into her eyes with deathly seriousness.
"If the giant awakens, all is lost!". With that, she slumped slowly to her side. She caught the gaze of Amoran's mask, smiled, laughed slightly and uttered "I'm coming my love", before drawing one last breath, closing her eyes and exhaled for the last time. Her hand loosened it's grip and went slack.
Visviozzia stared voiceless at her now unmoving daughter. With a shaking hand, she slowly caressed her damp hair and sang a song of lush green forrests, love and prosperity, with more sadness than the song was supposed to be.
As she reached the crescendo, one of the midwives gasped loudly and small cries of a babe could be heard.