I Can See Evolution Paths

The bonfire burned brighter than ever.

Laughter echoed through Dawn as children ran between the tables, Hunters competed over impossible stories, and Builders loudly argued over who deserved credit for cooking the best meat.

"...I’m telling you, it was the Prophet." One Yan Goblin took another drink before pointing toward Arthur. "He said we’d survive."

A Mu Hunter nodded immediately. "And we did."

Another Goblin shook his head in disbelief. "Three Beast Chiefs."

"No... it was at least six!"

"Wait, are counting that thing at the end?"

The entire table became quiet.

One Su Gatherer slowly looked toward the stars. "I really thought we were going to die."

"So did I," another admitted.

Then one elderly Yan Goblin smiled. "Our Prophet was there."

Immediately several Goblins nodded. "He had Vedas united the three tribes."

"He awakened a Goblin King."

"He woke up the city."

"He even brought our ancestors back to defend us."

Another Hunter scratched his head. "When you list everything, it sounds impossible."

One Builder folded his arms proudly. "That’s because he’s our Prophet!"

Another Goblin immediately nodded. "If the Prophet says we’ll survive, then we’ll survive."

...

Arthur looked toward the source of Sun’s voice, then blinked. "...How are you losing again?"

Sun slammed another empty plate onto the growing stack. "I DON’T UNDERSTAND!"

Kong calmly picked up another skewer. "This one’s good." He finished it in three bites, and another skewer immediately appeared in his hands.

Sun stared. "...Where are you putting it?"

Kong proudly patted his stomach. "I’ve still got room."

Arthur nodded seriously. "It’s probably another Mana Realm."

Athena adjusted her glasses. "...Biologically impossible. And no, you don’t count."

His lips twitched but he gave up.

Sun sighed. "I’ve accepted that normal rules don’t apply to him anymore."

One Goblin happily walked over carrying another tray. "...More?"

"Yes."

The Goblin immediately handed the tray to Kong.

Sun pointed. "STOP ENCOURAGING HIM!"

The Goblin looked confused. "But..." He watched Kong happily eating. "...he looks so happy."

Kong nodded. "I am."

Sun buried his face in his hands. "I’ve lost to a monkey."

Kong looked up. "I’m an evolved monkey."

"...That’s worse."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "He has a point."

Sun looked at both of them. "I hate both of you."

Everyone nearby burst into laughter.

He then glanced to see Athy was still being challenged to another drum battle. And then he saw Mephistopheles had accepted his fate as the Kingdom’s playground.

Arthur laughed. "This place is getting louder," he said.

Athena smiled. "It finally sounds alive," she said.

...

Mara walked over carrying two skewers. Raku sat quietly near the bonfire, and she handed him one. "Here," she said.

Raku smiled. "Thank you," he said.

For a while neither spoke. They simply watched everyone laughing.

Eventually Raku quietly said, "You grew up."

Mara blinked. "What?"

Raku chuckled. "When you left, I still thought of you as a child." He looked toward the Goblin children running around. "Now you’re teaching kingdoms how to survive."

Mara rubbed the back of her neck. "I mostly translated," she said.

Raku laughed. "You always undersell yourself," he said. He gently patted her head. "I’m proud of you."

Mara froze and then smiled. "Thanks. Dad."

Silence.

Both quietly continued watching the celebration.

Athena walked over carrying fruit juice. "Mind if I steal your daughter?" she asked.

Raku laughed. "Go ahead," he said.

Mara immediately followed, and the two sat near one of the palace stairs.

Athena smiled. "We finally have time," she said.

Mara immediately knew. "The journal."

Athena nodded excitedly. "We can actually read everything now. No monsters. No collapsing palace. No bleeding."

Mara laughed. "That already sounds nice," she said.

Athena adjusted her glasses. "And I still haven’t told you everything," she said.

Mara tilted her head. "Everything?"

Athena nodded. "The Veridian Realm. The memories. Halburn’s castle. The royal library. The people. The festivals. The city before it fell."

Mara’s eyes slowly widened. "You saw all of that?"

Athena nodded. "I remember far more than I told everyone."

Mara immediately sat closer. "Tell me everything," she said.

Athena laughed. "I thought you’d say that," she said.

The two immediately began talking excitedly, like two historians who had just discovered the greatest library in existence.

...

Nearby, Raku, Luka, and Raja, all three Elders, somehow ended up sitting together, each holding a skewer.

Silence.

Then Raja suddenly laughed. "Life is strange," he said.

Luka nodded. "Who would’ve imagined this?"

Raku smiled. "The Mu. The Su. The Yan. Three tribes that barely even spoke."

Raja chuckled. "Now we’re sharing dinner."

Luka raised his skewer. "Together," he said. The other two copied him. A quiet toast. No speeches. Just three old friends.

Raja laughed. "You know, I used to think both of your tribes were annoying."

Luka immediately snorted. "Used to?"

Raku laughed. "I thought the same."

The three burst into laughter.

The laughter slowly faded. Raja quietly looked around Dawn. "We kept out promises to our guardians... We are finally on the road to surpassing them."

Raku slowly nodded. "It does feel a bit unbelievable."

Luka raised his skewer one more time. "But this did open up a lot of opportunities for our people now."

"It does and I hope we don’t stop."

"With our Prophet and King, nothing can stop us."

now our children can finally build something better."

The other two quietly clinked their skewers together.

Nearby, several younger Goblins looked over in complete confusion. "Why are the Elders laughing so much?"

One Goblin shrugged. "Old people," he said.

Not far away, several Goblin children had gathered together. One little Goblin picked up a wooden stick and proudly held it above his head. "I’m King Vedas!"

Another immediately shook his head. "No! I’m the Prophet!"

A third puffed out his chest. "Then I’m Guardian Yasha!"

Another child stood between them. "I’ll be King Mu!"

"No!" "You have to protect everyone!"

"I’m trying!"

The little Goblins immediately burst into laughter as they began pretending to defend the city all over again.

Raja quietly watched them and she couldn’t help smiling. "...They’re already making stories."

Raku looked over. "They’ll tell those stories to their children one day."

Luka’s smile grew. "...I hope they exaggerate a little."

Raja laughed. "They definitely will."

...

Vedas, Suri, Gruk, and several Cronwall Hunters had gathered slightly away from everyone.

Vedas smiled. "So," he said. "What did I miss?"

Immediately everyone started talking.

"The Orcs attacked!"

"The Direwolves joined!"

"We built watchtowers!"

"They stole my food!"

Eventually Gruk raised one hand. "I’ll explain," he said. He proudly began. "So. I dropped a rock slide on the Orcs."

Silence.

Vedas blinked. "You what?"

Gruk proudly pointed. "Rock slides," he said.

Suri nodded. "It worked."

Another Hunter proudly joined in. "Then we rolled more rocks."

Another laughed. "We also burned several buildings."

Another raised a hand. "And attacked before sunrise."

Another smiled proudly. "The beasts started running away whenever they saw us."

Silence.

Vedas slowly looked at all of them. "You all became terrifying," he said.

The entire Cronwall Tribe burst into laughter. Even Vedas couldn’t stop himself. "Arthur would’ve loved this," he said.

Everyone laughed even harder.

He then quietly looked around the plaza and his smile slowly softened. "...This really is another home."

Gruk noticed. "My King?"

Vedas quietly nodded. "...It’s even better than I imagined."

...

One young Yan Goblin quietly looked toward Arthur. "...Prophet."

Arthur looked over. "Yeah?"

"...If another Beast Siege happens..."

Arthur blinked. "...Hopefully it doesn’t."

The Goblin nodded seriously. "But if it does, you’ll figure something out, right?"

Arthur scratched his cheek. "I’ll certainly try."

The Goblin immediately smiled. "See?" He looked proudly at his friends. "I told you." "The Prophet already has a plan."

One Mu Goblin nodded confidently. "Of course he does."

Another Builder pointed toward Arthur. "He probably planned this celebration too."

Arthur blinked. "...I didn’t."

The Builder smiled knowingly. "See?" "He’s keeping the real plan secret."

Arthur sighed. "...Why did I even answer?"

Sun laughed. "Because the Prophet has a reputation to maintain."

Arthur looked genuinely troubled. "...I don’t think I like my reputation anymore."

Arthur sighed as he got up to get more food.

...

The celebration continued behind them as Arthur and Mithra quietly sat together near the wall overlooking Dawn. Neither spoke for a while. They simply watched. Children laughing. Stone Guardians. Goblin Statues. The bonfire. Music.

Arthur quietly smiled. "It’s beautiful," he said.

Mithra nodded. "Yeah," she said.

Another silence. Then she quietly laughed. "You know, our first expedition together didn’t exactly go according to plan."

Arthur laughed. "I don’t think any expedition with me ever does," he said.

She smiled. "Probably not."

Arthur leaned back. "You remember when we first entered the Ruins?"

Mithra immediately nodded. "You nearly got yourself killed."

Arthur pointed. "Technically, everyone nearly got killed."

She laughed. "Fair."

Arthur quietly looked toward the bonfire. "...Thanks."

Mithra blinked. "For what?"

"For staying."

She followed his gaze toward Dawn. "There wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to be."

Arthur smiled. "...I’m glad."

She smiled back. "...Me too."

The mood became quieter. Arthur looked toward Eden sleeping nearby. "There was something I didn’t tell everyone," he said.

Mithra looked over.

Arthur slowly explained. After Dawn Sanctuary he woke up alone in a world of white. Everyone was inside golden cocoons, and he wandered through the white city. Then he met Halburn.

Arthur told her everything. The conversation with Halburn. The Sanctuary. The warnings. Finally, he reached the most important part. "He said," he said, "that thing will come after Eden."

Silence. The bonfire continued crackling. Mithra quietly watched Eden sleeping peacefully.

Eden suddenly rolled over. "I want to try out the rising waterfall... Let’s hurry..."

Arthur blinked. "She’s dreaming about adventures."

Mithra laughed. "She’s definitely one of us now."

Arthur nodded. "...Without question." Then he looked toward the stars. "...Halburn said it wasn’t just powerful."

"It’s ancient?"

He blinked in surprise. "How did you—"

"Just a guess, but it doesn’t matter." Mithra clenched her fist with a smile. "We will become even greater than it. Even more ancient."

The wind carried sparks from the bonfire high into the night sky, and Arthur’s lips twitched at those teasing words at the end.

He laughed. "...I don’t think that’s how ranks work."

"I know."

She smiled. "...We’ll still do it."

Arthur couldn’t help laughing. "...Deal."

The two quietly watched the sparks disappear among the stars.

Far above, one distant star briefly flickered. Neither of them noticed.