Slowly I approached the door, pulling out a knife hidden underneath my alchemy table. Harold had woken up and quickly came to stand beside me, his relatively large frame casting a shadow as I slowly creaked the door open. The door lead into an unused room that we had never got to renovating due to the water-damaged floor boards.

I could barely make anything ou- a shape zoomed across my vision. Its form was small and from what little I had made out from the light, green. Pushing open the door I let the room be bathed in the candlelight of my own room. The creature was bundled on the floor dark purple blood oozing from cut wounds. I smiled. Opportunity it seemed had decided to come to me.

It was a goblin, crafty little creature's known for their knowledge of underground construction and nomadic lifestyle. In other words, if a gang or group of people wanted a safe way to peddle their goods? You had to be good friends with the goblins first, or sometimes some fools would try to enslave a tribe. From the wounds, I am guessing this little fellow had just escaped the latter group.

I approached him cautiously a wide smile on my face as I tried my best innocent look. "H-h-hello?" I said imitating a scared child. It was time to play the long game.

The goblin looked at me with its oh-so pleading eyes that probably should have made me feel bad about being ready to manipulate it. But no I did not care at all.

"You... human... help!" it said in a raspy voice, before it could see me in the light. Its eyes narrowed as it registered that I was a child.

"Grab... parents.... please." It rasped the wounds causing its already ugly face to sneer in pain. On closer inspection, I noted that the goblin was old, probably in its 20's which was very old for its species. Though my knowledge was limited, goblins had come by the city many times to trade. So I had the basics down pat at least.

I motioned to Harold to approach, the goblin visibly flinching before passing out from the blood loss and pain. Good that made things easier. I stopped looking wide eyed and innocent as I turned to Harold. "Mind picking him up?" Harold nodded before doing just that, like the good minion he was.

As Harold began putting him on the bed, I decided to test out [Chimerac potions level 1]. I grabbed some ingredients from the cupboard. See healing potions really just speed up the body's natural healing. While a potion of vitality reversed the damage the body did, the issue with vitality potions is that they consider natural aging damage, while healing potions actually accelerated aging. But now I had a solution to this issue, and even better I had a "willing" subject. Best case he heals and maybe tries his best to get mad at a creature that magically compels him to see as cute, and of course being mad at a cat is impossible. Worst-case scenario I accidentally give him cancer, in which case I kill the old goblin and bury the body.0

Really I do not see many reasons not to experiment on the helpless probably dying goblin. It was for my own good, I'm sure He'll understand.

As I finished up, I approach with a syringe I even prayed to Loki the tree monster that it wouldn't cause cancer. [mastermind] helping me to figure out the best route to take through the city to carry a body, and where to dig the grave so all was well. I plunged the syringe into his arm. watching as the mixture was injected into the goblin's body. He started to convulse which prompted me to pick up a knife and be disappointed that I would not be receiving some XP for a little midnight murder.

The goblin awoke, his cuts gone and looking better. Well, I don't know if he looked better as he still looked like an ugly green furless cat, but he seemed to breathe easier than when he was almost dying... I guess?

"Kitty, mind telling me why there is a goblin chieftain in YOUR bed?" my father looked down on me smiling, Shit I was probably in trouble.

"2 hours later"

What should have been a long boring conversation about why I shouldn't let strange goblins into my room, quickly turned into an equally boring conversation between my father and the chieftain, who had both saved my hide, and now made me question if I could overdose on healing potions.

"Ah, the youngins are becoming little thrill seekers these days I tell you." The chieftain said to which my father chuckled knowingly.

The chieftain pulled out the syringe, for the hundredth time. "Your daughter is a very bright young lass, none of our healers had ever thought of something so clever." he complimented my work once again. My father beaming with a bit of pride at those words, an odd feeling I had never felt before in the pit of my stomach washing over me, I did the healthy thing and pushed it down to the bottom-most abyss of my psyche.

Harold the traitor had taken the opportunity to sleep, getting off lucky on account of being unable to speak or communicate outside of written language. Basterd minion, a betrayal I would punish him with making him cook me and father breakfast. Which he "totally" didn't already do.

"she saved my life, I would love to repay the favor," he said looking at me, and I put on my best innocent face which seemed to fool him.

"tell me young lady, what would you want as a favor?" my father simply remained silent as if honoring the sanctity of the agreement, but was clearly not fooled by my act.

"c-c-an me and uh Harold see your village mister?" the goblin laughed with humor "Of course, I am sure the raiders have been "dealt" with by now, though I will have to ask you wait." ah, so he had been probably captured in order to draw his tribe out of hiding, the wounds likely from torture. Idiots goblins could dig anything with their claws, even iron if the floor is made of iron.

My father narrowed his eyes "she must Really like you." the old goblin ignored his sarcasm as he got up.

"Well I apologize for the scare, and I am truly in your daughter's debt. when I return the young lady will get to see my village as promised." he handed my father the syringe instead of me, and patted me on the head as I bit my cheek trying to keep myself from evading the hand. FOR THE TUNNELS FOR THE TUNNEL FOR TUNNELS. I mentally screamed in my mind as the old goblin took way too long to leave.

"so wanna tell me why you're being nicer to an old goblin than you are with your own father?"

SHIT!