The night was quiet, save for the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. The mountain loomed in the distance, its jagged peaks silhouetted against the starry sky. At its base, a cluster of huts clung precariously to the rocky terrain, their flickering torchlight casting long shadows across the ground. The huts were crude, made of mismatched wood and patched with animal hides, but to the goblins who lived there, they were a symbol of wealth and status.

  To anyone else, they would have made even the poorest feel rich by comparison.

  But the tranquility of the night was shattered by a loud, shrill voice echoing from a nearby cave. The sound was unmistakable—it was the voice of Glint, the yellow albino goblin who served as the trio’s leader. His voice carried a mix of fury and exasperation, and it was directed squarely at Snaggle, Grizzle, and Nibbles.

  Inside the cave, Glint stood atop a makeshift podium made of stacked crates, his tiny frame trembling with rage. His pale yellow skin glowed faintly in the torchlight, and his monocle—a rare and prized possession—sat crookedly on his nose. His white hair stuck out in wild tufts, and his red eyes burned with indignation. He wore a patchwork robe made of stolen fabrics, each piece more garish than the last, and a belt adorned with tiny pouches filled with who-knows-what. In his hand, he clutched a gnarled wooden staff, which he used to punctuate his words with dramatic thumps against the ground.

  “YOU IDIOTS!” Glint screeched, his voice echoing off the cave walls. “You had ONE job! ONE! Catch the shiny bird thing! And what do you do? You come back empty-handed, covered in mud, and smelling like failure!”

  The trio of goblins stood before him, their heads bowed in shame. Snaggle’s crooked nose twitched nervously, Grizzle’s scowl deepened, and Nibbles chewed on his fingernails so vigorously that it was a wonder he had any left.

  “But, boss—” Snaggle began, his voice trembling.

  “DON’T ‘BUT BOSS’ ME!” Glint roared, slamming his staff against the ground. “Do you know how much gold we could have gotten for that bird thing? Do you? It’s not just shiny—it’s magic! And you three bumbling fools let it slip through your fingers!”

  Grizzle grunted, his arms crossed over his chest. “Bird thing tricky. It no fall for traps.”

  “TRAPS?!” Glint shrieked, his monocle nearly falling off his face. “What kind of traps? Let me guess—you dug a hole and covered it with leaves? Threw rocks and hoped it wouldn’t notice? Dressed up as trees and rocks like a bunch of brainless buffoons?”

  The trio exchanged nervous glances. “Uh… yes?” Snaggle said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Glint let out a strangled scream, clutching his staff like it was the only thing keeping him from collapsing. “I’m surrounded by incompetence! Absolute, utter incompetence! Do you know what this means? Do you? It means we’re back to square one! No gold, no shiny bird thing, and no respect from the other clans!”

  Nibbles, unable to contain himself, raised a trembling hand. “But, boss… we almost had it. We tried really hard.”

  Glint’s eye twitched behind his monocle. “Trying isn’t good enough, Nibbles! Results are what matter! And you three have given me NOTHING!”

  He began pacing back and forth on his makeshift podium, his robe swishing dramatically with every step. “Do you know what the other clans will say when they find out we failed? They’ll laugh at us! They’ll call us weak! They’ll—”

  His rant was interrupted by a loud thud as one of the crates beneath him gave way, sending him tumbling to the ground in a heap of fabric and flailing limbs. The trio of goblins stared in stunned silence as Glint struggled to his feet, his monocle now dangling from one ear.

  “DON’T JUST STAND THERE!” he screeched, his face turning an even brighter shade of yellow. “HELP ME UP!”

  The goblins scrambled to obey, pulling Glint to his feet and brushing him off. He straightened his robe and adjusted his monocle, his red eyes blazing with fury.

  “This is your last chance,” he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. “You find that bird thing, and you bring it to me. No more excuses. No more failures. Or else…”

  He didn’t finish the sentence, but the threat hung heavy in the air. The trio nodded vigorously, their tiny brains already buzzing with new—and equally ridiculous—plans.

  As Glint stormed off, muttering under his breath about “incompetent minions,” the trio huddled together, their spirits low but their determination unshaken.

  “What we do now?” Snaggle asked, his crooked nose twitching nervously.

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “We catch bird thing. No matter what.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, nodded. “Yes. But… maybe better plan this time?”

  The trio nodded in agreement, their tiny brains working overtime to come up with a plan that wouldn’t end in disaster. But as they trudged out of the cave and into the night, one thing was clear: their next attempt would be just as ridiculous as the last.

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  The trio disappearing into the darkness, their tiny shadows cast long by the flickering torchlight. Glint’s voice echoed behind them, a final reminder of their failure.

  “AND DON’T COME BACK WITHOUT THAT BIRD THING!”

  The trio of goblins—Snaggle, Grizzle, and Nibbles—stood outside the cave, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows across the rocky ground. The night was quiet, save for the distant chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. The trio huddled together, their tiny brains buzzing with ideas on how to catch the elusive "shiny bird thing."

  Snaggle, ever the optimist, was the first to speak. “We find bird thing! We catch it! No more failures!”

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “But how? Bird thing tricky. It no fall for traps.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, raised a trembling hand. “Wait… bird thing probably asleep now. How we find it in dark?”

  The trio fell silent, their tiny brains working overtime to come up with a solution. Snaggle’s crooked nose twitched as he pondered the problem, while Grizzle’s scowl deepened into a full-blown frown. Nibbles, as usual, was the first to suggest a plan.

  “We… use light,” Nibbles said, his twitching eye betraying his uncertainty. “Bird thing shiny. Light make it easier to see.”

  Snaggle’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Yes! Light good! We use torches! Find bird thing!”

  Grizzle grunted, his arms crossed over his chest. “But… bird thing see light. It fly away.”

  Nibbles nodded, chewing on his fingernails. “Yes… but maybe we use light to trick it. Make it think light is… something else.”

  The trio nodded in agreement, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. They quickly gathered a few torches from the nearby huts, their movements clumsy but determined. Snaggle, the self-proclaimed "leader" of the group, took charge, his crooked nose twitching with excitement.

  “We make light look like… fireflies!” Snaggle declared, his voice filled with inspiration. “Bird thing like fireflies. It come to light. We catch it!”

  Grizzle frowned, his scowl deepening. “But… fireflies no big. Torches big. Bird thing no fool.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, nodded. “Yes… but maybe we make torches small. Like fireflies.”

  The trio set to work, their tiny hands flinging dirt and sticks everywhere as they tried to fashion smaller torches. Snaggle, ever the optimist, insisted on testing the first one. He lit the tiny torch and waved it around, his lopsided grin widening as the flame flickered in the night.

  “See? Like firefly!” Snaggle declared, his voice trembling with excitement.

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “Stupid Snaggle. Firefly no wave around like crazy.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, nodded. “Yes… maybe we hold torches still. Like real fireflies.”

  The trio nodded in agreement, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. They crept through the forest, their tiny torches held aloft, their movements clumsy but determined. The night was quiet, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of crickets.

  As they approached a clearing, Snaggle’s crooked nose twitched with excitement. “Bird thing here! I feel it!”

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “You no feel nothing. You just smell bad.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, raised a trembling hand. “Wait… what that?”

  The trio froze, their tiny torches held aloft as they stared at a faint glow in the distance. It was golden, just like the bird thing’s feathers, and it seemed to pulse with a soft, inviting light.

  “Bird thing!” Snaggle whispered, his voice trembling with excitement. “We catch it!”

  The trio crept closer, their movements clumsy but determined. As they approached the source of the light, their tiny brains buzzed with anticipation. But when they finally reached it, their excitement turned to confusion.

  It wasn’t the bird thing. It was a glowing mushroom, its golden cap shimmering in the torchlight.

  “Stupid mushroom,” Grizzle growled, kicking the fungus with his boot. “Waste of time.”

  Snaggle’s crooked nose twitched as he leaned in closer. “But… mushroom shiny. Maybe we take it? Boss like shiny things.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, shook his head. “No… boss want bird thing. Not mushroom.”

  The trio sighed in unison, their spirits low but their determination unshaken. They continued their search, their tiny torches flickering in the night as they stumbled through the forest.

  After what felt like hours, they reached a rocky cliff, its jagged edges silhouetted against the starry sky. The trio peered over the edge, their tiny brains buzzing with curiosity.

  “Bird thing nest here?” Snaggle asked, his crooked nose twitching with excitement. “Maybe it sleep on rocks!”

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “Maybe. Or maybe it fly away. Like always.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, raised a trembling hand. “Wait… what that?”

  The trio froze, their tiny torches held aloft as they stared at a figure nestled in a crevice on the cliffside. It was Sora, his golden feathers glinting in the moonlight, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He was asleep, completely unaware of the goblins’ presence.

  “Bird thing!” Snaggle whispered, his voice trembling with excitement. “We catch it!”

  The trio exchanged nervous glances, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. This was their chance—their one chance to redeem themselves and bring the shiny bird thing back to Glint.

  “How we get down there?” Grizzle growled, his scowl deepening. “Cliff steep. We fall.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, raised a trembling hand. “We… climb. Use rope.”

  The trio nodded in agreement, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. They quickly gathered their rope, their movements clumsy but determined. Snaggle, ever the optimist, insisted on going first.

  “I climb down,” Snaggle declared, his crooked nose twitching with excitement. “You two hold rope.”

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “You fall, we no catch you.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, nodded. “Yes… be careful.”

  Snaggle tied the rope around his waist and began his descent, his tiny hands gripping the rocky cliffside as he lowered himself down. The other two goblins held the rope, their movements clumsy but determined.

  After what felt like an eternity, Snaggle reached the crevice where Sora was sleeping. His crooked nose twitched with excitement as he crept closer, his tiny torch held aloft.

  “Bird thing asleep,” Snaggle whispered, his voice trembling with excitement. “We catch it now!”

  The trio exchanged nervous glances, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. This was their chance—their one chance to redeem themselves and bring the shiny bird thing back to Glint.

  With a deep breath, Snaggle crept closer, his tiny hands trembling as he reached for Sora’s golden feathers. But just as he was about to grab the harpy, Sora stirred in his sleep, his wings twitching slightly.

  The trio froze, their tiny brains buzzing with panic. Snaggle’s crooked nose twitched nervously, Grizzle’s scowl deepened, and Nibbles chewed on his fingernails so vigorously that it was a wonder he had any left.

  But Sora didn’t wake up. He simply shifted in his sleep, his golden feathers glinting in the moonlight.

  The trio exchanged nervous glances, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. This was their chance—their one chance to redeem themselves and bring the shiny bird thing back to Glint.

  With a deep breath, Snaggle crept closer, his tiny hands trembling as he reached for Sora’s golden feathers. This time, he managed to grab a handful, his lopsided grin widening as he tied the rope around the harpy’s wings.

  “Got it!” Snaggle whispered, his voice trembling with excitement. “Pull it up!”

  The other two goblins nodded in agreement, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. They quickly pulled the rope, their movements clumsy but determined. Sora, still asleep, was lifted from the crevice and hoisted up the cliffside, his golden feathers glinting in the moonlight.

  The trio exchanged nervous glances, their tiny brains buzzing with the possibilities. This was their chance—their one chance to redeem themselves and bring the shiny bird thing back to Glint.

  As they reached the top of the cliff, the trio stared at their prize, their tiny brains buzzing with excitement. They had done it. They had caught the shiny bird thing.

  “We did it!” Snaggle declared, his crooked nose twitching with excitement. “Boss be so happy!”

  Grizzle grunted, his scowl deepening. “Maybe. But bird thing wake up soon. We hurry.”

  Nibbles, chewing on his fingernails, nodded. “Yes… we go now.”

  The trio quickly gathered their belongings and began their journey back to the cave, their tiny torches flickering in the night. Sora, still asleep, was slung over Grizzle’s shoulder, his golden feathers glinting in the moonlight.

  The chapter ended with the trio disappearing into the darkness, their tiny shadows cast long by the flickering torchlight. Sora, still asleep, was completely unaware of his capture, his golden feathers glinting in the moonlight as the goblins carried him back to their lair.