The slightly transparent screens hover over Greenie’s face, twisted in a dramatic expression of betrayal. All because of my little act.

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

I ask, looking over the strange new evolutions that came with Greenie officially joining the Unkindness.

Greenie ignores me, fingers pressing fresh clay over the small injury. The screens follow in the corner of my vision as he scoops me up, checking for any other injuries.

[Hobgoblin Retainer: The Hobgoblin Retainer is a rare variant, serving as the shield and hand of their masters. Though strong dedicated guardians, their greatest strength lies in their servitude, using their dexterity to anticipate and fulfill their master’s every need.]

[Goblin Oddwright: A mysterious species of goblin craftsmen, known by few for the strange symbols they leave behind in their wandering travels. Their creations inspire anger in some and bewilderment in most.]

Greenie, you can evolve now! You can get stronger!

I tell him, fluttering my wings to show him I was alright. My wound no longer bled, and it only gave me a slight pinch when I moved.

No evolve.

Evolve more, Master hurt.

Greenie send me images of me, a baby raven lying prone on the ground with a wing broken at an odd angle. Then me, enveloped by a black mass, my own baby feathers shedding off of me leaving me naked and bare, the thin bones underneath my skin cracking.

The terror he felt then, I can sense ringing against the constraints of his self-control. Greenie hated seeing me getting hurt.

More pain. More fight.

Another vision of Greenie reaching out towards me, fighting the rats, until his vision is covered in swarms of rats running over him and biting at him.

More evolution, more pain. Master hurt.

Holding up a green middle finger towards me, Greenie points to himself, then towards the forest.

Greenie want run, hide.

Readjusting my placement so I sat in the crook of his elbow, Greenie raises his other pinky finger, pointing it at me then putting it parallel to his middle finger.

Greenie, Master.

Out.

I stop trying to show him that I was alright. Instead, I lean into his hands, letting him pat me on the head and hug me. Turning my head to lie at the crook of his neck, I set a wing atop his collarbone to comfort him.

For me, it’s the opposite. I murmur quietly.

Because we’ve evolved, we’ve survived. Remember after those rats? If we hadn’t evolved, we both would be dead right now.

Tilting my head up, I nod to him with my beak.

The more we both evolve, the more chances we have of us surviving. You need to choose.

Master…

I turn away from him,

Greenie, I don’t want to be your Master.

From the corner of my eye, I can see the goblin’s head tilt, down, crestfallen at my words. But I continue powering through the sentence. I tap his chin gently to make his eyes meet mine.

We’re officially family now, part of an Unkindness, remember? That means you need to live for yourself, not just me. Choose your next evolution carefully.

Master choose! Greenie cries, prodding his finger into my beak to make me look at him.

No, I can’t. You’re on your own for this one.

I carefully explain what the descriptions for [Hobgoblin Retainer] and [Goblin Oddwright] to him. Greenie sensing my firmness on the matter, listens carefully as he contemplates, asking me to explain the parts he didn’t understand. Difficult, because the information appraisal gave me about both evolutions was not a lot to go on.

..I don’t want you to live a life devoted to me. You’re strong, stronger than you think. Which do you choose?

Master choose!

Greenie asks me again, with more force.

A white feather dislodges itself when I shake my head again.

I don’t want to be what holds you back.

Slipping out of his hold, I fly behind him and push. Gently prodding him with my head until he starts walking into the cave, towards the bed of grass that was his own.

So what do you want? Which evolution would you want, if I was far, far away from you? If I never met you? Greenie doesn’t respond, and with his back to me, I can only see him making his bed, smoothing out uneven lumps of grass and picking out a few stray rocks.

Greenie?

Turning around, he sits on the grass bed. He grins, canines gleaming; trying to reassure me. After arranging the mounds of soft grass under him and rocking his body back and forth so his body was situated deeper in the grass, Greenie nods once towards me.

Oddwright.

He says.

[Evolution available for Kin: Greenie. Would you like to evolve him into a Goblin Oddwright?]

Yes.

Greenie clenches his teeth, falling backward while the pain of evolution runs through him.

I’m with you Greenie.

I tell him, pushing the hair that sticks to his hair away from his face. Grunting, he gives me a pained smile, until finally, he passes out, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

If you were far away from me, I would search for you.

My head snaps out, trying to figure out who’d just said that. That didn’t sound like Crixus or Andvari. Who was that??

Until I found you, my Master.

Greenie?

Did Greenie just say that??

Rubbing my eyes, I stare at Greenie again, waiting for him to say something else.

But he only laid there unconscious, groaning in pain as his bones moved slightly.

Maybe my stress was making things up…

Dirt crumbles under my wing when I brush off a small chunk off Greenie’s cheek.

And there was another strange thing. No black void appeared around Greenie for this evolution.

The next morning, a groan breaks my morning zen, messing up the knot I was tying on a spice bomb. That sound came from the fireplace, it had to be Andvari!

Hopping up, I fly straight to the edge of the firepit, excited to see his transformation.

Urgh, my head…

The dwarf sits up, rubbing at his scalp and pulling out a coal that had gotten tangled at the back of his scalp.

Andvari!! How’s your evolution-!? What-

What? Is there something wrong with me??

Andvari asks, sensing my surprise.

I cannot see so you will have to describe it. He adds, touching his face. Andvari was still blind, but he didn’t seem too upset about it, braiding the loose hairs around his face.

N-no. Nothing wrong. You look jolly- I mean- healthy…

What does that mean, Lady???

I couldn’t take my eyes off his face. Jolly Ditty Smith indeed. He sure did look a lot jollier than before. It was a good change, better than the dark hollows under his eyes, and in his cheeks. Now, Andvari’s cheeks were filled out more, the apples of his cheeks a decidedly rosy hue. My goodness, those cheeks! They had a warm red blush, accentuating Andvari’s features to appear softer, rounder. More welcoming, which was strange, knowing his personality. Andvari was, and still is, more of a surly type. It only took me aback, seeing the combination of braided beard, rosy cheeks, and a thicker, muscular body.

He looked, like a young, brown-haired Santa Claus.

A naked. Young, brown-haired Santa Claus. And I was trying very hard not to splutter at the image of one of my childhood icons in such a state of undress.

Nothing! You look fine. Great! Actually.

Shaking the ashes out of his beard, Andvari squints, testing my tone.

Then what was that pause?

Umm..Your cheeks filled out a lot.

Rolling Andvari’s spear to him, I try changing the subject.

Your arms got a lot thicker too! How do they feel?

Andvari knew full well my intention to change the subject, but he obliges, taking the spear to help himself stand and running his hands over his arms.

They do feel stronger. Best way to test them is at the forge.

A wolf pup ambles out of the clearing, yawning in the early morning light until it locks eyes on the two of us. Normally the wolf pups avoided Andvari, knowing how upset he’d get every time they got into his tools. Which happened often.

But now this wolf pup headed straight for Andvari, cocking its head and then knocking into Andvari’s waist.

Grimacing, Andvari pushes the pup’s head away, only to be badgered with more head-knocking.

I think she likes you. I smile, watching the exchange. She wants pets!

Well, I don’t do pets! Andvari grunts, smacking the pup on the nose. The pup nonplussed by the smack, woofs, bounding around Andvari in happiness.

What was going on?? I appraise Andvari, trying to figure out what his evolution did.

Try getting pets now. Ha!

Glancing up, I see the strange scene of Andvari, relaxed, sitting crosslegged in the fire, the wolf pup sniffing around the flames sadly.

Umm, I think I know why she likes you so much, Andvari. I tell him, looking at his new status.

---Status---

Name:

Andvari

Race:

Jolly Ditty Smith

Title:

Giant Killer

Allegiance:

Unkindness

Magic:

N/A

Abilities:

Skill [Stonesense]

Skill [Dwarven Combat]

Skill [Metal Smith]

Skill [Rock-Solid]

Skill [Retribution]

Skill [Flame Weld]

Skill [Gust Breathe]

Skill [Modest Charm] New!!

Special Skill [Ore Mining]

Special Skill [Witty Ditty] New!!

Resistances:

Pain Resistance, Magic Resistance, Poison Resistance, Heat Resistance

------