Chapter 195 The Bear Paw Inn

He rubbed a dirty hand across his face, but instead of removing the unsightly slime, he merely smeared it further, creating a ghastly mask that highlighted his goblin grotesqueness. He muttered to himself in goblin gibberish, sounding increasingly annoyed by the stubborn slime clinging to his face.

"Clean... clean... white... ugh, why... why won't it come off? Nasty... goblin, messy... must get it off..."

He tried to wipe his chest with the same hand he had used for his face, only to end up with a streak of slime across his pale green goblin skin. With each attempt, the white slime seemed to multiply rather than diminish. Suzuka and David exchanged disgusted glances, unsure whether to laugh or offer assistance to the bumbling goblin.

"Argh, ugh, grrrr, grrr, slime! Slime everywhere! Stupid slime! Stupid filth! Won't go away. Get off me you stinking slime! Get off! Off I say!" Hermit grumbled, his goblin-sized brain struggling to comprehend the task at hand. His attempts at cleaning himself resembled a bizarre, ineffectual dance as he rubbed slime from one part of his body to another.

Hermit's goblin grumbles grew louder, and he muttered with annoyance, "Why is this stuff so sticky? Goblins are not good at this. No! Not good at all! Dirt is better. Dirt easier to wipe." His meaty ears flinched and quivered as he grew increasingly frustrated with each futile attempt.

After a few comically disastrous tries, Hermit's goblin mind appeared to come up with a brilliant solution. With a sparkle of sheer goblin genius, he extended his elongated tongue and began to lick and lap at the white slime that covered his body.

The result was a sound of gags, sputters, and retches as Hermit struggled to endure the bitter taste of the gooey slime. His efforts, while far from graceful, were surprisingly effective, slowly but surely ridding him of the filth.

Suzuka and David could hardly contain their disgust at the absurdity of the scene unfolding before them, knowing the origin of the white stuff that Hermit was licking. 

With each slimy slurp and sputter, Hermit gradually managed to remove the gunky substance from his skin. It was far from a clean job, but it was a job done in his goblin logic.

Once he deemed himself somewhat clean, if such a term could be used to describe his current state, Hermit reached for his filthy tank top and poop-stained shorts.

 Feces still clung to the shorts, dripping in unappealing streaks. When he finally squeezed into these soiled duds, he looked even more pathetic and timid, a creature entirely covered in shame. His eyes were downcast, his lower lip quivered, his hands tightly clenched his butt, and his whole demeanor screamed a pitiful lament for the unfortunate state of his existence.

Hermit whimpered in a weak, timid response, "I'm ready... Master Helen. We can go now... I will be a good boy, I will do anything you ask. I am your slave... please... no more pain. I will do anything. Please! Protect me!" His voice conveyed the utter despair of a crushed and helpless slave, desperately seeking a morsel of approval or kindness.

Looking at Hermit, his appearance still pitiful, Suzuka's expression remained stern. She crossed her arms and said, "Not so fast, goblin. We are not done here. You will tell me what happened in this wretched place, or we are not going anywhere."

Hermit's eyes darted nervously, and he swallowed hard, the lump in his throat nearly choking him. He knew he couldn't evade Suzuka's question. With a heavy sigh and burning in shame, he began to recount the painful memories of what had transpired in the alley, his voice quivering as he spoke.

"It was... the town's people. They... they cornered me here. They called me names, they hurt me. It was... torture, Master Helen. They... t-they... spit on me. Called me a freak and worse. Some beat me harder than others... there were these girls... they... they really hated me... because I was a goblin. They hurt me, Master Helen. All Hermit wanted was to be friends with people! Smile and laugh, hold hands, and walk among them as a free goblin, not a slave. I... I thought if I could take in some of their hate... people would forgive goblins. But I see that I was wrong."

Suzuka scoffed and said, "Pfff! I'm not talking about those milk drinkers! I want to know about the last guy who beat your sorry ass!"

Hermit screeched in panic at the mention of the guy, "Wreeee! No! Master! Please! Do not make me remember that! It was horrible! Terrible! He humiliated me beyond words!"

Suzuka insisted, "Talk, goblin! Or I will make you!"

Hermit's terrified screech cut through the air as he continued his story, his goblin voice trembling with fear, "Reeeeeee! I'm sorry, Master! I'm a good boy! I'll tell! I will, I will! That monster! He... he bred me! But not like anything I had been bred before! Not even in goblin breeding farms! The evil goblins bred Hermit many times for hatchlings, but this monster was the cruelest of them all! And his egg-laying straw was huge! Huge, I say, Master! Bigger than any of the toys under your bed, Master Helen. Not even close in size! Not even close!"

David, caught off guard, couldn't resist the temptation to ask, "Wait? What? Why would she have a dic-"

Before he could complete his sentence, Suzuka swiftly whacked Hermit on the back of his head. 

"Ouchies! Ouwies!" Hermit yelped,

With a bashful and somewhat coy voice, Suzuka scolded, "Stupid! Don't talk about the toys under my bed in front of everyone! People will get the wrong idea!"

Hermit, while rubbing his head, timidly whimpered, "I'm sowy Master."

She then turned to David and offered an explanation, "This goblin doesn't know what he's talking about! It's not what you think it is. He's talking about a toy! Yes, just a toy, and nothing else."

David, still a bit skeptical, turned his gaze away and chuckled, "Sure... just a toy."

Suzuka blushed and clarified, "This goblin is talking about Armstrong's 8-pounder gun RBL 9-inch cannon toy. Just a toy, okay?"

David couldn't resist a playful comment and mumbled to himself, "Oh, I have no doubt that it's at least 9 inches."

Suzuka, now genuinely irritated, retorted, "What was that? Hmm? You better drop the topic or I will get mad!"

David, deciding it was wisest to retreat, hastily replied, "Okay, okay! I got it. No need to get mad. Let's focus on the goblin, shall we?"

Suzuka redirected her attention back to the goblin. She crossed her arms and prompted Hermit with a stern gaze. 

"Well, continue," she urged.

Hermit, still reeling from the head-swatting and the bizarre discussion about toy cannons, took a deep breath and continued, his goblin voice carrying a sense of misery.

 "Yes, Master Helen. That cruel man, the one who bred me... he used me in ways I couldn't imagine. He choked me, beat me, slapped me, called me disgusting names, used my precious ears, and laughed as I suffered, and he even invited his buddies to watch. They cheered as if it was some sort of sick game. And the process... oh, it was terrible! I can't explain it, but it was painful, and I screamed and begged for it to stop, but he didn't! HE DIDN'T!"

"Master Helen," he said with a quiver, "Hermit was beaten horribly while being bred. But the monster... he didn't... he didn't lay eggs in Hermit. He only... he treated Hermit like... like a plaything. Hermit was powerless, Master, helpless. The monster laughed... and he laughed while he did... those terrible things. Hermit did not mind being bred to lay goblin eggs to hatch precious little gobbies, Hermit loves to look after little gobbies but this man used Hermit as a toy!"

When he finished, she nodded and said, "Ew! Okay, I've heard enough. Ew! Ew! I feel dirty just by listening to you. Ew!"

Hermit stammered, "B-b-but Master! Being bred was a norm for Hermit, I gave precious life to many hatchlings like myself! I was Dada and Muma for my precious hatchling! Sadly... only a few survived... my tiny heart still aches to this day." Hermit finished talking with a sob. 

"Yeah, I don't care." She said ignoring Hermit's feelings.

She then turned to David, her expression hardening, and said, "David, your turn now. Lead the way to where we could find this man. I would like a word with him."

"Of course, Helen, I know where this wretched fool can be found. Follow me."

It wasn't too far from where they were, only a few blocks away, a place known as "The Bear Paw Inn," notorious for its shadowy clients and unscrupulous dealings. It housed a dimly lit bar, the kind of place where secrets and conspiracies often found fertile ground.

The night took a turn for the worse as the dark, cloudy sky flickered with distant lightning, and small raindrops began to sprinkle from above. The trio found themselves caught in a sudden shower.

David, concerned about the impending confrontation, asked, "So, what will you do to that man when we find him? I do not want to have any trouble with anyone, okay? I will show you the man, and that's it."

Suzuka nodded, understanding David's worry. She assured him, "Don't worry, I will not kill anybody if that's what you're worried about. I just want to explain to him that this would not happen again."

A few raindrops splashed onto Hermit's head, and he looked up, his goblin eyes squinting in discomfort. He whimpered, "Ouchies, Master, the rain hurts Hermit's eyes. We should hurry to find shelter from the rain. Hermit doesn't like cold, rainy nights. They make me shiver and quiver. Bad memories come to mind."

With the rain starting to intensify, David decided to take the lead. He gestured for Suzuka and Hermit to follow him, and they hurried off toward the Bear's Paw Inn.

With David leading the way, the trio ventured through the dark, rain-soaked streets. It wasn't a long journey, just a few blocks away.

As they approached the inn, the night took a turn for the worse. The dark, cloudy sky crackled with lightning, and a light drizzle turned into a sudden shower. The trio found themselves caught in the midst of the downpour. The sign above the entrance, partially obscured by the downpour, creaked and swayed with a rusty, eerie moan.

At the entrance of the inn, Suzuka paused, her eyes focused on Hermit. She knew that his presence might attract unwanted attention. She instructed him with a stern tone, "We'll leave you for a moment in that alleyway by the corner. I'll hide you in that box. Do not run off, Hermit. Sit tight in that box, no matter what."

Hermit, submissive and timid, whimpered, "Hermit is a good boy. Hermit will do as told, as a good boy."

Suzuka took Hermit in her arms and carried him into the alleyway, placing him in the discarded box near the dumpster. Once he was hidden, she returned to David, and together they entered the dimly lit inn, ready to confront the man who had caused Hermit such torment.