Theo rose before dawn could. His eyelids crept open and he glanced up to watch Cynthia’s sleeping expression for just a moment before changing his place in her arms with a pillow. The little goblin gently climbed out of bed and snuck over to the bedroom door before leaping up for the doorknob. He missed the first time and he frowned determinedly. Then he leaped up again and grabbed the doorknob, dangling from it. Theo put his foot on the door and turned his hands around the knob and the door clicked open.

  Theo dropped down as the door began to swing and he grabbed the edges and carefully stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him trying not to make a single sound. Finally, he began to run through the halls. His bare little green feet ran over soft patterned rugs. Theo ran based on memory, his times of being carried around by Cynthia.

  Theo ran in the dark. This might have been difficult for many humans to do because of the low visibility. But Theo had no issue with being able to see or not. Theo was a goblin. And his crimson eyes glowed ever so slightly in the dark hallways as he ran. Goblins could see in the dark after all.

  Goblins. Little green monsters with sharp teeth and a viscous appetite. Little marauding bandits who attacked and raided humans when they thought they had the advantage over the humans. They could see in the dark. They could smell as good as any bloodhound. They had ears as good as any bloodhound as well. Goblins had fingernails and toenails that were like tiny claws that they could use to climb, fight, and kill. But what they had that was even better than nails for killing? They had sharp and pointed dagger-like teeth that ripped into flesh like scissors cutting into paper. On top of their normal animal and monstrous details, they looked like little green aliens. Most male goblins were bald like Theo so that didn’t help them with their looks either. Their faces were generally rather angular but Theo was an exception with having a more rounder-shaped head and face. His big ears were a little floppy as if they had been made for a head larger than what Theo actually had.

  When Theo finally made it outside of the mansion he was bounding across the flagstones and then the grass as he skipped and ran towards the lake. It was there in the chill of the morning when he reached the shore that the little goblin would start his training. Even in the early morning without the light of the sun to show off the lake in its entirety, the lake still managed to look intimidating to the goblin.

  Theo laid down in the grass and attempted to do a sit-up just like he had seen some of the hobs and goblins around the tribe do. He only managed to do twenty-one before he was sprawled out and breathing heavily with a burning sensation over his stomach. This was not going to be easy at all like he thought it would be.

  Laying out in the dew tapped grass, Theo wondered how anyone actually exercised without breaking themselves. He slowly got up and decided that maybe for now… he would just stick to the number twenty-one. So he rolled over and initiated his twenty-one pushups. He only managed to do eleven.

  His little arms felt sore, and he was definitely panting. Once again he was lying down on the ground. This time he was on his stomach rather than his back. The little goblin rested for a few minutes more before getting up onto his feet and looking at the lake, deciding that maybe he wouldn’t do a hundred laps. Not even twenty-one laps. Maybe not even one single complete lap.

  “Not easy. Is hard work.” Theo muttered to himself. The sun had yet to rise yet it would be rising soon enough. If he ran at least halfway around the lake or even a quarter and walked the rest of the way, the sun would be up and so would the people of the mansion. Theo sighed and got to running. Despite the burning in his stomach and upper body, his legs were feeling just fine for now.

  A quarter of the way around the lake he felt he could still keep running. Nearly halfway he felt like keeling over or letting some wild animal chew his legs off. They felt like they were on fire! By the time he rounded the entire lake having walked the rest of the way, he finally dropped onto the grass and burst out into pained laughter.

  That had been hard to do. And the bigger goblins, the hobgoblins could do so much more than what Theo just attempted... He envied that. But this… as much as it had hurt. This had been fun. Theo smiled up at the morning sky and closed his eyes for one more short rest.

  After laying there for a while covered in his own sweat Theo stood back up and made his way into the lake. He ducked his head under the water in the shallows a few times to rinse the sweat off of himself. When he felt he was clean enough for Cynthia he headed back towards the mansion feeling good. Sure, he was feeling hurt too. But he was also feeling good. Today was going to be a good day, Theo could feel it in his bones.

  Meanwhile, Cynthia thrashed around in her bed uncomfortably as she searched around for Theo's warmth. She petted around the bed and opened her eyes upon not feeling him. It took her only a moment of observing her dark bedroom around her to notice that Theo was nowhere in sight.

  Cynthia felt a panic set in immediately. “Theo?” She called out as she slid out of bed and dropped down to check under the bed. Then she quickly went over to check her balcony, her closet, her private bathroom, and then her leisurely drinking room that was attached to her bedroom.

  It was then that she really began to panic and she burst out into the hallway. “Theo? Theo!?” She called out with wide eyes. In minutes she had the whole mansion staff helping her tear through the mansion in a search for Theo.

  Cynthia began tearing up, thinking about the worst possible scenarios as to what could have happened to the cute little goblin. Assassins, kidnappers, slavers, fatal accidents… Everyone in the mansion was running about in search of the goblin while she shouted his name in worry.

  She burst out into tears of relief upon finally spotting him, he was just outside of the mansion dripping with water. He was okay… Cynthia ran over to his side and scooped him up into her arms. “Theo! Are you okay!? What happened!? Where did you go!? I was worried sick!” She hugged him tight.

  Theo felt shocked and surprised as he blinked up at her. She had noticed he was missing. And she was out and about looking for him? Worried for him? “I go outside,” Theo responded cautiously. “You say, train. So train. At lake.” Theo tried to explain to the frantic human woman.

  Maybe he should’ve told her that he just wanted to be alone for a bit. She wouldn’t have enjoyed what he was doing. Cynthia would rather stand around talking, eating, or bathing. To be fair, Theo did understand the eating and bathing part of her life. It felt good to be clean. It felt even better to have a full belly.

  “...dear, you have to tell me about things like this. What if something happened to you while I wasn't there?”

  What? Theo blinked up at her in confusion. What could she have even done if she had been there and something had happened? She was fun to be around for sure. But to the goblin’s eyes for lack of a better word, she was useless. Kind of like Theo. “Am fine.” He grunted, feeling more than just a little irritated due to her unnecessary worry. “Not child.”

  “...Theo, I didn't say you were a child. But what would happen if you had drowned in the deep side of the lake because you didn’t know how to swim? Or how would you feel if bad people found you and took you away again and you had to return to the slave market? What then?”

  Theo huffed and crossed his arms. Bad people here? At this mansion? That sounded like an irrational and stupid idea to Theo. Why would bad people be lurking around this place? It would be stupid to try and rob it… And yet he’d had that same thought once. Leaving and bringing his tribe back to raid it.

  Theo sighed. “Am fine. Sorry." And he wasn’t stupid either. Not entirely. As much as he wanted to go into the big water he hadn’t. Instead, he had obeyed her wishes...

  “Theo, I don't mind you going out to train. But you need to at least let me know first.”

  “...not want… wake Cynthia up.” He grumbled. He really hadn’t wanted to wake her. On the off chance, she would try to follow him. On top of her noble downsides, she couldn’t see in the dark, not like him. She was only human after all.

  “Dear, I’m quite alright. You’re more important than some silly sleep. Plus, I can always go back to sleep whenever you are in your classes.”

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Want… come with?” Theo tried to ask her. It’s what he was trying to avoid.

  “...do you perhaps not want me to?” Cynthia herself was honestly not really planning on joining him with his training… but she had been so worried over his well-being. And he was so small and adorable… like a lost puppy. Anything could happen to him outside the mansion.

  “What Cynthia do?” Theo frowned and decided to try and make a point to his mistress.“Cynthia fun, and swims. Cynthia noble, talks. Cynthia train?”

  “Sweetheart… I’m not trying to train with you. I’m just trying to watch out for you. You can train all you want, but if something does happen. I'd like to be there by your side to help.”

  If she really wanted to be there with him then he would let her. “Fine. sorry.” Theo almost felt guilty now.

  She patted his head. “Theo, I’m not angry. I just got really worried. That’s all.”

  And now he was feeling bad about feeling angry. This kind of thing wasn’t a goblin thing. Goblins did not make complicated emotional issues. “Cynthia, come with? Next… time?”

  “How about you use the training grounds next time? At least then I’ll know that you’re safe.”

  “Train ground?” The goblin blinked. What was that about?

  “Yes. I used to train there when I was younger. Our family likes to keep their skills intact; just in case it may be needed someday. It’ll be nice having you train there.”

  “Sword?” Theo asked with a burst of sudden enthusiasm. He’d always wanted a sword or an axe. The hobgoblin Redtear had an axe.

  “Would you like to try it?”

  “Try sword? Yes!” Theo shouted. Although he was feeling better, his arms and legs were still just a little sore. But he was just so excited.

  Cynthia smiled. “Alright, but you’ll have to start with a wooden sword.”

  “Okay.” He thought that was fine. Even though he had seen other goblins using real swords for training. More often than not, scarring and maiming one another. Theo wasn’t too keen on losing a finger or an arm while trying to train. So he was more than happy to start off with a stick of wood instead.

  “Then let me show you your way there.” She took him through the mansion halls and to the training grounds.

  Although Theo still wanted to use the lake, it wouldn’t hurt to see just what this place had to offer. “Mansion big.” He commented. It was really big. And somehow it just kept getting bigger to the little goblin.

  “Yes, it has everything we need.”

  When they arrived to the training grounds Theo looked around and felt impressed. He wanted a mansion too. “Nice. Train here?” He looked up and asked. He could see why she wanted him to train here instead of the lake.

  “Yes, this way I don’t have to worry too much about you. Even if I’m not here to watch over you. Just inform me ahead of time whenever you decide to go training and you can come here for it.”

  “Cynthia come with?” He knew what she said earlier, but when this place was in the mansion, she really didn’t have much reason to follow him. But now… he wouldn’t mind so much.

  “I can come check up on you now and then, so you can take a break whenever I do. I’ll be sure to bring you snacks.”

  So she wouldn’t join in. He didn’t expect her to. She was supposed to be… soft. A soft human that talked all the time. “Good, Cynthia. Thanks.” Theo felt like he had to say to her.

  Cynthia smiled. “Well, would you like to see a little demonstration?”

  “Watch Cynthia?” Yes. He would like to see what she could do with a sword. It could be funny to watch the noble lady try to swing around steel. That or someone else who had been properly trained.

  “Yes, I’ll be showing you a short duel with one of the knights so you can get an idea of what you’ll be learning.”

  “What’s a knight?” The word sounded familiar. Maybe he’d heard a hob mutter it before, a reason why some places couldn’t be raided.

  Cynthia pointed over to the knights cleaning their gear and chatting over by the barracks. “Those people you see there are knights. They’re the ones in charge of security and fight to protect their masters which is my father and I. And of course you as well now, Theo.”

  “You? Knights master?” Theo asked curiously. He eyed the knights and could see why the hobs would be weary. They were just like any other human except these ones were armored. Nothing sturdy axe wouldn’t fix. But to a tribe of unarmed goblins? It would be a clear slaughter. Besides armor, Theo wondered what else made them special. Cynthia said duel so they trained often. So what? Some of the goblins did that too.

  Cynthia nodded. “That's right.”

  “Want watch.” He folded his arms.

  “Alright dear, let me go change into something more proper first. Wait right here.” Cynthia then left him on the training grounds as she headed back to her room to change.

  Theo blinked. She was smaller than the knights. Small and soft Cynthia liked to eat and bathe and waste time talking with other nobles. She was going to be killed by those armored and trained fighters.

  Cynthia returned after a bit. She was no longer in her nightgown. Instead, she was wearing clothing that would typically only be seen on men. It also appeared to be a uniform of some sort… a combat uniform? It was decorative and mostly black with golden epaulets on her shoulders.

  Cynthia stretched lightly as she stepped forward. “...it has been a while since I last did this.'' She smiled and approached the middle of the training grounds with one of the knights joining her side. Cynthia reached for a sword at her belt and unsheathed it with graceful ease. “Now watch carefully dear.”

  Theo was most definitely watching. What was she wearing? It was different. He also… felt worried. Was this how she had felt for him because she knew he was little? And he knew that she was smaller than these knights. And she was clearly not wearing armor. He frowned and felt even more guilty for this morning.

  The knight bowed deeply to his lady before taking up a stance opposite of her. "I deeply thank you for the honor, your grace. Shall I remove my armor?"

  Cynthia shook her head and chuckled. "No. Begin when you're ready ser. And don't hold back."

  The knight gave another bow before drawing his own sword. Other knights began to gather around to watch. The older ones chuckling amongst themselves and the younger ones looking on with excitement. Servants inside of the mansion stopped by the windows and watched their lady and the knight below. Theo leaned forwards and played with his fingers nervously.

  Another moment passed over them all as the morning sun rose ever higher into that blue sky above them. A cloud passed over casting them all in a brief shadow. A slight tremor ran though his body, his nerves alight at the situation of having to face down with the daughter of the best swordsman in all of the kingdom. The very daughter who had loved to train to one day be even stronger than her father. Then the cloud had passed, a dark line on the ground basking the lady in the sunlight before him. Then the knight charged forward at her.

  Cynthia stood there in the sun as the knight passed out of the shadows with his sword raised into a trained strike and she easily evaded his attack. She stepped back at the right moment and the sword passed by in front of her face. There was an opening where the knight tried to follow up his first attack with a slash only to be met with Cynthia's sword as she fixed her posture. And then their swords were clashing with one another in rapid succession. Their steel singing and flashing like a staged performance for all to see.

  Cynthia smiled in glee as she fought, it’d been far too long, and she had always enjoyed the feeling of fighting like this. Her movements were all smooth and precise, attacking without mercy. Soon it was evident for all that the poor knight was barely keeping up as the others cheered for their lady.

  “What?” Theo gaped. How was she moving like that? He’d never seen anyone, human or goblin, fight like that before! His frown soon turned into a smile instead. Could he learn to fight like her?

  The knight was stepping backwards. He was no longer on the offensive. He was doing everything he could to block and parry all of her attacks. But every movement of his was slowly draining him while Cynthia seemed to only grow more strength and energy. Her red eyes burned with delight as her gleeful smile turned manic for a moment. She was beautiful. Dangerous.

  Theo's eyes widened when he noticed. The goblin came to a conclusion that rocked his world. The lazy noble lady who just went around talking wasn't who Cynthia really was. This crazy sword master who loved the thrill of combat was who she really was deep down, constrained by her position and status, until the moment she could finally be let out once more.

  The knight was sweating now. His breathing was coming in heavy and labored as his muscles strained to hold him together as he pushed himself. The sound of metal scratching armor was soon heard as she punched through his defenses... no. It was more like she was dancing around his defenses. Every time their swords managed to meet the next strike was against his armor. Soon it was every two attacks that he could manage a block. Then every three... Sparks flashed all over as the lady continued to grow only faster and faster.

  The knight mis stepped when he tried to back up again. Then he was going down. Cynthia struck purposefully at his sword one last time hard and sent it flying up into the air. The knight landed hard on his back against the ground and his body. He hadn't even lasted thirty seconds. He was drenched in sweat and his armor was covered in scratches, yet he held not a single mark of injury on his skin. In fact, the scratches on his armor... looked like a sketch of a flower. She had been drawing with steel while fighting him at the same time. His sword came down and stabbed into the ground a few feet away from them as Cynthia put her sword back in its sheath. The knight just continued to stare up into the sky. She could have easily killed him at any moment if she'd wanted to. Despite all of his hard training every single day... he was nothing compared to the sword master Cynthia Albrecht.

  And there she stood amidst the chorus of cheers. Lady Cynthia stood there with not a single scratch on her, not as single drop of sweat, her breathing completely normal, and her composure was relaxed as if she hadn't just been in a fight at all. Cynthia had won. While everyone else was completely amazed at her ability and the demonstration of her skill and power... Cynthia had other thoughts. She thought she was a little rusty, so it wasn’t too pleasing of a win for her. She wished her opponent had been stronger. It was nice to know that the knights were doing decently though. They were certainly the best knights in all of the kingdom. They still lacked training though in her eyes. ...and so did she if she ever wanted to best her father.

  Cynthia walked over with a smile and helped the knight up before walking back over to Theo. “So, what did you think, dear?”

  Theo beamed up at her. Impressed. She was the best fighter he had ever seen. “How? How Cynthia, good! Good, good! strong!”

  She chuckles. “Well, I’ve trained since I was a little girl.”

  “Show? Train? Train Theo?” Theo's eyes glimmered with wonder, and finally, respect.

  “... you want me to be the one to train you?”

  Theo felt like a child again, an actual child trying to ask an adult or even one of the hobs to let him swing a sword. She was so good, and he was just…Theo.

  “If want?” Theo looked away, ashamed for even asking. She was not useless like he had thought. She was just, superior. And he’d never seen anyone like her. No one in the tribe could even compare… Theo knew she could cut down the entire tribe by herself. Maybe even multiple tribes of goblins. He could see it now. All of those precise strikes, not spent playing around to make mere scratches... but clean decapitations and kills. Goblin heads and bodies falling to the side as she danced through a sea of green bodies and red blood. This was a master in front of him.

  Cynthia smiled and picked him up into a hug. “Then I guess I might just have to train you personally after all. I did miss the feeling of holding a sword again after so long.”

  “Really?” No way. She would train him? Personally? Where was this amazing human all of his life? He… he would try to be the best pet possible for her. She deserved it, unlike this morning when he had made her worried.

  “But of course, you would have to keep in mind it won’t be easy work.”

  “Don’t mind!” He shook his head “want… good…like Cynthia.” He knew it would be hard. This morning was hard enough. He couldn’t imagine the hell he’d go through with her training him, but… he wouldn’t mind.

  “Alright, dear. Then starting tomorrow we’ll come train after breakfast all the way up to lunch. Your days are going to be awfully busy; you’re all booked up. Are you sure you’re up for this?”

  “With Cynthia. Yes.” With Cynthia as his teacher? Yes, he was up for anything. He’d already felt beatings and bruises in the tribe. That means man had prepared him for whipping and branding. He could handle Cynthia’s training, he would.

  “...very well, but you must promise to let me know if you ever need a break alright.”

  “Promise!” Theo nodded enthusiastically.

  “Good, but before anything else. Let’s get you breakfast. Your classes start today, but we’ll leave your training with me to start tomorrow since you already trained on your own today.”

  Theo hugged her, feeling thankful and grateful. He felt wrong for doing so. He didn’t deserve this kindness. “Thanks, Cynthia.”