Their laugher was echoing loudly throughout the hallway that the creatures had to be close.

“Kid quick sit down next to this wall. Hurry up!” Slime hissed.

Alex did what he asked and made his way into the corner of the room and sat down. His knees up to his chest.

“And turn off that illumination spell!” Slime barked in a whisper.

Alex wasn’t sure how to cancel magic, but he closed his hand into a fist and when he opened it again the spell was gone. He then rested his hands softly on his knees as he followed Slime’s directions.

“Good job now sit still. Don’t move and don’t make a sound no matter what happens.” He told Alex.

Slime hopped down off Alex back to the floor. Slime began to change shape and his goo like body rose up over Alex almost like a blanket and pressed itself it the stone behind Alex. His body was replicating the environment around it but Slime kept it slightly transparent. Just enough so that Alex could see through his body. Slime had made it so he looked identical to the wall texture and all. Should anyone come into this room all they’d see was how empty it was. However, if they got right down next to him, they’d be able to slightly see through him since he had his translucency up. Thankfully the room was completely dark and there was nothing on Alex’s side of Slime so no light could shine through to reveal his hiding place. The chances of these goblins figuring out Slime was a false “wall” of sorts was slim.

A minute went by; then two. That’s when the room started to light up dimly with the light of torches. Two goblins walked into the room. They were short creatures with long chins and noses. Their ears were long and pointed as well. One of them had ears that stayed pointed and came out from the side of its head. The other had long floppy pointed ears that hung down to its shoulders. They were dressed in a mixture of clothes and rags. Wearing leather shields. On their hips you could see short swords and small pouches. Their skin colors were a dark purple. They breathed heavily through their noses and made a lot of grunting sounds as they looked around. Finally, the goblins looked at one another.

“Yours sures you saw somefin’ downs heres?” The goblin said.

Goblin speech was high pitched and loud sounding and their English was extremely whiney and came out more as a screech then a spoken word. Unlike Slime who spoke almost perfect English Alex remembered that Slime had that all monster species speak English. However, they each had their own unique way of speaking and sounding. Now Alex knew what he had meant.

“I saws it I tells yous!” The other goblin yelled as he started stomping his foot against the stone floor.

“Yous cans still smells them ins the air.” It said as it raised its heard sniffing around.

“I donts smells anyfin’.” The first goblin roared as he smacked the other one in the face. That goblin turned back and let out a loud yell at the other. That’s when a third goblin appeared in the doorway.

“Quite yous two. What he says is rights. I can smells them too.” The taller goblin said. This one’s English was much clearer and the two seemed to shrink at this goblins presense before them.

“Buts I sees no ones heres?” One said.

“Yess. I don’t sees them either. Buts if you smells you can picks up traces of magics.” The taller goblin said.

“Ohs, leaves it to the boss to knows whats fors whats!” One goblin cheered. “Was its fires magics?”

“No. Fire magics leaves an odor of burnings and I smells no such thing heres.” The taller golbin replied.

“It’s must bes a torch thens yes?” The other smaller goblin asked. His companion smacked his upside the head again.

“Ifs its was we’d smells oils or somefin’ else. Rights boss?” The goblin said in hopes of some praise.

“Yes.” He said back cooly. “Whatever humans were here could use lights magics.” He thought for a moment. “Gets back to the greats hall and command everyones to search for this humans.”

“Yessirs!” The two goblins said as the scrambled out of the room and back down the hall from which they came. The taller goblin stayed in the room for a minute, he seemed to be thinking to himself. He looked up to see the night sky high above him, the trap that was set had been triggered and he turned to walk out of the room but paused once more.

“A slimes and a humans? Whats a strange pair. Ands a humans that can use lights magics too.” He let out a snort and a laugh together. “The Dark Lord will surely gives us a nices rewards for this one.” He turned left out the door and went the opposite direct of his goblin minions. Alex and Sime remained motionless for several more minutes. After hearing loud sounds of doors shutting and movement the sounds of the goblins finally ended and so Slime decided it was safe enough to break his form. He returned to his normal green translucent color and mushed himself back into his round blog like form.

“I knew goblin noses were especially capable of smelling creatures and magic. But I didn’t realize they could pinpoint the kinds of magic being used.” Slime said quietly.

“Slime, who is the Dark Lord?” Alex asked.

At this point you can guess what kind of reaction Slime would have. However, given the current circumstances of being trapped in a Goblin lair, Slime didn’t retort as he usual would.

“I’ll tell you once we get out of here. But for now, we are going to need to work together and find a way out of this lair of theirs.” He said.

“Okay, what should we do?” Alex asked. Despite their current situation Alex didn’t have much worry or fear in his voice. To him this was like an adventure out of book. Slime on the other hand was stressing quite a bit. He knew what goblins were capable of and unlike other species they had no problem slaying fellow monsters.

“Let me think for a minute.” He said.

Goblins couldn’t see well in the dark at all. They were one of the few monster species that were unable to do so. In this regard they were very human like in terms of eyesight. However, they made up for that lack of sight with incredible smell akin to, if not greater than, a dog. Slime didn’t have any way of covering up their smell, but he could see in the dark. He could try and lead Alex through this place as they try to find a way out. Or maybe he could go on ahead and come back? But if he did that, he’d have to leave Alex alone and without his cover ability they’d easily be able to pick up on his human scent if they came back this way.

“Hey Alex.” Slime called.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Alex replied as he perked up to Slime’s voice.

“That magic thing. You said you didn’t know how to cast magic right? But then you did it anyway. I don’t suppose you could like magically turn into a bird, or conjurer up a map or something could you?” Slime asked realizing how ridiculous his request was, but he wasn’t wrong. Alex did suddenly just use magic without even knowing what it was and Light magic at that.

“I don’t think so. I’ve never been able to transform into anything and I can’t make stuff just show up in front of me either. But maybe…” He started to think.

Up until now my visions have only triggered when I really need them or if I’m in danger. Could I learn how to use them freely whenever I want? He thought to himself.

He took on a battle stance with his feet as he put his out and then bent them in the direction of his face. Hands open he began wiggling his fingers and then opened his eyes wide and quickly while whispering.

“Show me the way, eyeball vision!”

His finders still wiggling as his widely opened eyes looked hard towards the doorway.

Slime glared at Alex and then the doorway and then at Alex again.

“What in the name of the goddess are you doing Alex?” Slime asked irritated in a whisper.

“Shh, I’m trying to see.” Alex said back.

“What?” He barked.

“I said be quiet!” Alex whispered.

“You need me to be quiet so you can SEE?” He scoffed.

“Yeah, I can’t see if you keep talking to me.” Alex replied again.

Slime just looked on at the boy as he continued to wag his fingers and stare at the open doorway. He did as Alex asked and didn’t say word for about a minute. When nothing changed, he hopped up into the air to the height of Alex’s head, altered his shape into a hand, and slapped him upside the back of his head.

“Ow!” Alex cried out as he fell to the floor.

“Will you knock it off, this is serious!” Slime said coldly.

“I know that, I was trying to help!” Alex protested as he started to rise back to his feet while rubbing his head.

As he got to his feet, he and Slime could hear a loud wet breathing sound. They both looked back towards the door and there stood a wide-eyed small goblin starring back at them. The three stood there in silence as they looked at one another surprised at each other’s presence.

“Ares yous a humans?” The goblin asked.

“No I’m a Slime!” Slime called back in reflex.

The goblin looked at him and then jerk his head towards Alex.

“I knows whats you are slimes. I meants this ones.” He said with a sloppy grow to his words.

“Me?” Alex said as he pressed his hand against his chest. “No way I’m not a human! I’m a…” He started.

“Yeah that’s right he’s not a human he’s a…” Slime started.

“Sime!” Slime said.

“Goblin!” Alex said.

They both looked at each other surprised by the other’s answer.

“Why would you say you’re a goblin!?” Slime shouted at Alex.

“Why would you say I’m a slime!?” Alex said at the same time.

“I don’t know it was the first thing that came to mind!” Slime shouted.

“See these?” Alex began shaking his hands and legs. “Slimes don’t have these!”

“I know that!” Slime shouted. He jumped up on to Alex’s shoulder. “Let me do the talking next time you big oaf!” Slime said as he bonked his body against Alex’s head turning it back to the goblin. The goblin had just been standing there watching these two this entire time.

Another moment paused as they looked on at one another.

“Sos yous ares not a human?” The goblin asked again.

Alex started to talk but Slime bit his ear lobe and then spoke up.

“That’s right. This is my cousin who happens to be a Slime. He wanted to practice his Tran-slime-guration and try to be a goblin because he finds them so cool! But as you can see it was a total fail and he turned into a stupid looking human!” Slime said knowing how ridiculous what he claimed was.

“Buts he doesn’t smells likes a slimes.” The goblin replied.

“That’s because…when Slimes change shape…so...do their…smells?” Slime was not a very good liar.

“ahah ha hahs. Poor slimes. Goblins ares the best monsters. Goods trys thoughs slimeball buts don’ts gives ups on yours dreams!” The goblin said encouragingly.

Goblins had a large gap between the intelligent ones and the one who were idiots. Luckily for Alex and Slime this goblin was an idiot. But one thing both levels of goblins had in common, was that they loved to be praised an adored.

“He will do his best! Speaking of, we seem to have got lost, could you possibly show us the way outside please Mr. Goblin? You seem incredibly wise and knowledgeable.” Slime asked in a friendly tone with a smile on his face.

The goblin brushed his nose with his wrist and gave a small chuckle.

“Sures sures anythings for a fans. Head outs this doors heres and gos left. At the ends of the halls is a door. Throughs it yous goes to the other ends of the rooms and head intos the kitchens. Pasts the kitchens is a back doors that leads ups to the hilly places above. It’s a secrets entrance that we goblins uses.” He directed.

And with that Slime and Alex bid farewell to the goblin as the goblin waved goodbye to his new “admirers” and headed in the opposite direction.

“Hah! I can’t believe that worked!” Slime said in excitement.

“Let’s go kid, it sounds the exit should be right down the hall.”

Slime transformed a long arm out of the top of his head and made it into a hand and took Alex’s hand in order to lead him through the long dark tunnel. Wanting to avoid giving away their position to any more goblins Alex didn’t use his magic and relied on Slime to show him the way. After a short while the two finally made it to the door at the end of the hallway. It was juts as the goblin said. The two quietly opened the door to peer inside. After checking as much, and as quickly, as they could they decided the room was empty.

The room was being lit by candles one the tables and walls and a large fireplace in the wall to the right was lit. Tables and chairs filled the room and near the fireplace was a table with a large king like throne and on the floor was a large green rug. It was obvious that whoever was in charge sat at this table. Alex and Slime slipped into the warm room and quietly shut the door behind them. The thudding of the door was subtle to them but in the hall the thudding and clicking the door made echoed deep throughout the hall they had come from. How far it traveled, no one knows, But as quickly as the noise game six pairs of red eyes opened in the darkness and looked down the long corridor they were asleep in towards the sound of the closing door.