A Goblin's Plea and a Father's Fall: A Tale from the Wandering Night
The Wandering Night was supposed to be their sanctuary, a deep, sun-dappled forest where Nina and her goblin kin sought refuge after their village was ravaged. But the demigod knights of the Three Sisters followed, their mission fueled by a vision of goblin aggression seen by their leader, Jarl Kruger. For a month, the cycle of slaughter and flight continued, each fallen kinsman a fresh wound on Nina's young soul.
Cornered at last, with the forest growing too dense for escape and the knights closing in, Nina watched in horror as her cousins fell. With her remaining family huddled behind her, a desperate courage bloomed in her small heart. She stepped forward, her humble necklace – a cherished trinket of the Three Sisters – held high. In her own tongue, she cried out a prayer, begging for an angel to protect them from these relentless hunters who themselves claimed to serve the same goddesses.
Then, an impossible stillness fell over the knights. The one leading them stopped, his gaze fixed on the necklace. He knelt, removing his helmet, and Nina saw a sight that defied all she had come to believe: tears. Tears streaming down the face of the man who had killed her cousins, tears of betrayal, tears of loss, mirroring the very necklace in her hand. It was around his own neck, a symbol of faith, a connection to the Three Sisters he held dear.
This knight, Jonathan, son of Jarl Kruger, rose and turned on his brothers in arms, defending Nina and her family in a language she didn't understand. The other knights remained frozen, the shared symbol of their faith rendering them motionless. This small trinket, barely worth a coin, had revealed their shared humanity, halting the destruction.
Under Jonathan's protection, the knights tended to the goblins, offering food, clothing, and healing. They even began to teach them the common tongue. But their newfound peace was fragile.
Months later, Jarl Kruger arrived with reinforcements, furious at the report of his knights sheltering the goblins. A bitter argument erupted between father and son. Jarl clung to his vision, convinced of the goblins' threat. But Jonathan revealed a devastating truth: his father's hatred stemmed from a goblin who had killed his mother, a prejudice that blinded him to the truth.
In his rage, Jarl challenged Jonathan to a duel to the death. The fate of Nina's people hung in the balance. Father fought son in the muddy depths of the Wandering Night. Jarl's close combat skill was formidable, but Jonathan possessed greater strength. As Jonathan teetered on the brink of defeat, a miracle unfolded.
Nina, the small goblin girl, once again prayed to the Three Sisters, begging for protection. Her heartfelt plea was answered. Celestial wings sprouted from Jonathan's back, angelic armor shimmered around him, and in his hand appeared a golden spear. Komora, Tor Ray Say – the very goddesses Nina had prayed to – had answered her call, choosing Jonathan as their champion.
With a heavy heart, Jonathan knew what he had to do. He fought for the innocent, for redemption, and for a future where all who worshipped the Three Sisters, be they human or goblin, would be protected. The duel ended with the fall of a father, and the rise of a guardian angel, forever bound to protect the faithful in the name of the Three Sisters.
