Chuba the Freeborn

This story is an alternate ending to one of the tales in Goblin Tails. Enjoy!

"Chuba the Freeborn: The First Step into a Free World"

"How much?"

The practiced eyes of the human tradesman looked over the finely crafted mithril pick with precision and he muttered to himself incoherently as he tossed denominations of worth about in his head as quickly as a halfling finishes a free banquet meal. The hooded creature before him shuffled impatiently and pushed a greasy tendril of ebony hair from his sweaty forehead. The desert sun was beating down with the fury of the elements, causing the miserable little creature much discomfort. He was not accustom to this hot and harsh climate while the trader dismissed it as nothing more than a mild annoyance...much like the sniveling, stinking wretch who stood before him with a beautiful piece of dwarven craftsmanship that was probably stolen or otherwise ill gained. The trader lowered his appraisal manacle and squinted down at his cloaked customer.

"Three hundred gold...not a copper more." He said in heavily accented Common and crossed his arms, signaling the finality of the offer.

"Three thousand! It worth that much! More but me give you deal!" The creature yelled into the trader's face, causing the human to turn an unhealthy shade of green as the stinking creature's breathe washed over him. He expected that the Abyss smelled fresher.

"Take your ill gained goods and be gone from my sight, you sniveling little...” the tradesman never finished his sentence as the pick disappeared off the table and the creature vanished into the gathering crowds of the bazaar, but not before muttering a comment about the trader's lack of manhood and how he could better utilize it on an orc. The tradesman merely shrugged. What could one expect when doing business with a goblin?

Al'Fazh was not a very forgiving city but it served as a good stop over for anyone who sought to hide out from prying eyes. Inside a dark and quiet room, one such being finished up packing for his journey and placed a tattered blanket-turned-cloak around his stooped shoulders. Two words in Goblin had been crudely sown into the cloak by a shaking hand. They read "Chuba" and "Free." Chuba's journey to Al'Fazh had been a dangerous one, for his former Pyro Wizard master had been hot on his trail ever since he had left Daroth via the sewers. Luckily for Chuba, an opportunity had presented itself to dispose of his tormentor once and for all. It had come in the form of a half fiendish woman named Lanka. All he had done was stolen one of her prized picks while she attended market and pinned the blame on his former master. Chuba had spied the half fiendish woman during one of his visits to the bazaar and had been drawn to those beautifully crafted weapons. How he had wished to claim one for his own! He had waited until she was preoccupied with her purchases and then he had stolen it. She had learned of his theft and had tracked him down, the fury of the Hells in her cerulean eyes. That night had been one of Chuba's most horrific experiences yet in the end he had managed to stash his captured prize and shift the hellish fury of Lanka upon his nearby former master. Danian had been pursuing the goblin since he had learned of his escape and had tracked him to Al'Fazh. Chuba knew the Red Wizard’s presence and he had done his best to stay away from the vengeful mage's wrath. When Lanka came knocking on the Red Wizard's door, Chuba could only watch with glee as his former master, as arrogant as a red wyrm, snubbed the accusing half fiend and slammed the door in her face. The door relented under the woman's unholy strength as she stormed into the building and confronted Danian. Chuba wisely hide yet the sounds of magical explosions and cries of fury and pain could be heard throughout that quarter of the city. In the end, the building had become consumed with magical flames and had collapsed in on itself. Chuba watched from his hiding place as the half fiend walked from the smoking ruins with Danian's head in hand. The woman didn't even notice the small shadow that fled down the nearby alleyway and towards safety. Lanka had left town the next morning, not wishing to engage in "questioning" with the authorities or the wizard's vengeful companions. Chuba was finally free of his wizardly master and the Abyssal half-breed known as Lanka. But Chuba was never one to press his luck.

Chuba had tried to get rid of his ill gained pick but no one would give him what he called a fair deal. He now slide the weapon into the leather holster at his right side, smiling through crooked teeth at how impressive he looked in the dirty mirror that hung on the room's wooden wall. He pulled the mithril weapon free and slashed down at the dirt floor, putting the blade through an imaginary foe's head. He let out a cry of excitement and glee as he pulled the pick loose and put it back into its sheath. Chuba pushed four glittering rings onto his stubby fingers and pulled his knitted gloves over them to hide them from prying eyes. These rings had been stolen from his former master when he had escaped almost three ten days ago. One was a ring of silver that granted Chuba protection from falling. He had learned of that particular ring's power out of sheer luck when he had stumbled from a third story ledge and when floating down to the ground much to his surprise. One of the more slender golden rings granted him the ability to see through stone, wood and even flesh and Chuba had had a lot of fun with that ring. The other two had yet to show any obvious signs of magical power yet Chuba wore them nonetheless, waiting for them to reveal their powers to him as the other two had. A well-worn leather belt encircled the goblin's waist and three wands awaited his command. If only he knew how to use them...Chuba shrugged and pretended to shoot one of them at his mirrored self and cackled with delight. He glanced down at his bulging satchel and promptly threw it over his shoulders. Today was his first day as a truly free goblin and he was going to leave Al'Fazh and his past behind him. No longer would he snivel in fear whenever someone shouted at him. No longer would anybody tell him what to do. Chuba would no longer be Chuba the slave but he would forever known as Chuba the Freeborn. His first adventure as a free goblin was about to begin.

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Read the further misadventures of Chuba the Goblin, the star of Goblin Tails!

ID: 825091   (Rated: 13+) The Tales of Chuba the Goblin  Come step into the world of the goblin adventurer named Chuba! by Chris & Christina McCoy

"Goblin Tails" is finally available in .pdf format! http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=3336