Glimith

According to the records of Dalawan Palace, Glimith had no parents. Nobody is aware of how he fell into the hands of the common folk but what they do know is that they needed to treat him like he was a heartless monster and as if he were without heart and mind. The people of this land believed that one day he would bring misfortune upon them all, if he didn’t kill them first. From as early as childhood, Glimith felt their eyes tell him that he was a creature from the pits of hell. Even as a baby, King Fyzin ordered his execution just because he was born into the scales of a goblin. 

On the day of his execution, the freedom fighters that rebelled against the corrupt king, King Fyzin, snatched Glimith from the royal soldiers that were about to throw him into a furnace but being that they found him too unbearable to look at, they took him to a village where he was taken in by two villagers, Mr. and Mrs. Hack. These two would be the only humans to ever look at Glimith like he was their own and although they had little money with Mr. Hack being a low waged miner and Mrs. Hack a baker, they raised Glimith as their own son. However, they would be the only ones in the village to ever show Glimith this love. 

 It didn’t take long before Mrs. Hack realized she would need to keep Glimith away from the other boys. She first realized this when Glimith was a child and the other boys in the village said he looked like a lizard so they pinned him to the ground and threatened to cut off his tail, taunting Glimith that it might grow back anyway. Yet, even after that day, Glimith would still seek friendship with the other boys, starving for acceptance, only to find mud thrown in his face and being called the worst of names. 

One evening Mr. and Mrs. Hack were invited to the 7 day festival taking place in the village and although they were hesitant to attend, Mr. Hack thought it would be good for them to get out and spend time with the other village folk. 

“Can’t I go, ma?”, Glimith asked,

“We’ll be home before you know it, darling”,  Mrs. Hack assured him massaging Glimith’s rough, scaly back. As they left the shack, Glimith watched their departure, wishing nothing more but to interact with the other villagers as if he were one of them. Although loneliness was a feeling Glimith knew more than well, this night seemed like the night to change it. So, he threw on a cloak that should’ve been oversized for his young age of 15 but was so small it choked his throat and was ready to unbutton at any second. This was very normal being that the average goblin grows to be at least double the height and width of a man. 

Even opening the door of the shack was a mission for Glimith as he tried my best to gather the courage to do so. FIrst, he needed to make his hand’s venture to the doorknob, then slowly land it upon the knob before he twitched it little by little until the door’s hinges were free to circulate so he could push it open and be free. Once he finally finished twisting the doorknob, he lightly tapped the door and it swung open, showcasing the bursting fireworks raining down and the merry crowd of civilians dancing and running up and down the street. Their smiles were intoxicating for Glimith and he followed the flow of traffic, imitating how they moved their limbs loosely when they walked and took enthusiastic strides. 

“Would you like the chance to win a goose for the family, good sir”, a man told Glimith, standing next to a strength tester game. “Send the puck straight to the top and you’ve got yourself dinner for the next three nights. Only three Minuks to play”. Glimith then dug through the small pockets in his cloak, ripping them with his mighty hands that were too big and sword sharp claws that shaved them clean off of the cloak but before they did, he pulled out three small coins and dropped them in the man’s hand. “Oh forgive me, those are some long, fabulous nails you have there ma’am”. Glimith took the mallet and, without even winding up his arm, smashed it along the steel plate and sent the buck straight to the top of the game, dropping the jaws of everyone watching. “How about that. You’ve got the strength of a giant, miss”.

Without even taking his prize, Glimith tried to phase back into the crowd, crunching down so nobody grew suspicious of his height and strength. However, it was much too late for that.  As Glimith walked away, a boy drew the cloak off of Glimith’s back and  revealed his green, scaly skin, the spikes lining his jaw, and his beastly stature which everyone feared. 

“What’s the freak doing here!”, they screamed. “He’s probably going to finally do it! Let’s kill him while we still can!”.

“No”, Glimith pleaded. “I just wanted to live like you all and be alongside the village folk”.

“Hear that? The boys infiltrating us!” Before they could get him, Mr. and Mrs.Hack jumped in front of the crowd and sent everybody away. It was only then Glimith, a goblin who stood taller than a semi truck and carried more strength than the impact of a train, was able to stop trembling in fear and sorrow. Why couldn’t he just once live normally? Why did he have to be born a goblin?

Little did he know that he had bigger worries. That night the other village folk alerted King Fyzin that there was a goblin hiding out in their village and he immediately sent a fleet of soldiers to the village to “dispose of that vermin scum”. Mr Hack had already predicted that something like this was bound to happen which is why shortly after he and his wife took Glimith into their home, he dug a tunnel that lead miles away from the village. The night after the festival, he woke Glimith at the break of dawn and they made their way to the tunnel the King’s forces had already arrived.

  When the villagers alerted King Fyzin of Glimith’s whereabouts, they assumed he would deal with it with a simple search and destroy mission but their village became the first that King Fyzin ever ordered a siege upon. Hundreds of soldiers marched in, took hostages and burned down buildings. With a horn, the captain of the major fleet announced, “IF THE ONE THEY CALL GLIMITH DOES NOT SHOW THEMSELVES BUILDINGS WILL FLY, PEOPLE WILL CRY. AND YOUR VILLAGE WILL DIE”. All Glimith could think to himself was, “It turns out I was indeed destined to bring misfortune to the village”.

 As Glimith and his parents stealthily made their way to the tunnel, his eyes became more corrupt than they ever had before. Every person who’d ever caused him pain or heartache suddenly had fear in their eyes, including those already dead on the floor.  

“I can’t leave the village just yet, father”, Glimith told Mr. Hack.

“No son of mine will die, do you hear me? You will take the tunnel far from here and to safety”.

“I will never truly be safe with these men chasing me and neither will you”. Glimith then yanked the cloak off his back, ripping it with his sharp claws and leaving shreds flowing behind him in what appeared to be a menacing cape. He then stood up straight, standing double the height any of the guards which they immediately took notice of. As soon as the deathly image of Glimith caught their eyes, their faces fell and some even dropped their weapons only to be picked up by the other villagers. “The boy’s not alone”, they screamed, holding up the swords and spears of the guards against their owners and standing beside Glimith. 

I’d bet that the battle that could have played out would be glorious but something even more special took place that morning: An alliance had formed that not even the king’s army could stand so they left the village with their heads down and their weapons on the ground. Once they did, the village shouted and praised Glimith’s name and although he wanted to stay, everyone knew King Fyzin would only want to come back stronger and so, even though it pained the village to see, Glimith had to go.

“Run as far as you can, my son”, Mr. Hack told Glimith. “May we be reunited in the heavens”. With one final goodbye, Glimith hugged Mr. and Mrs. Hack, staying aware of his strength. He then ran down the tunnel never to be seen or heard by the village again.

Some say Glimith went on to find a crew of freedom fighters who he fought alongside for ages, others believe he took the throne from King Fyzin and replaced him with a worthy ruler, and what most people believe is that he went on the be the happiest and most gentle goblin the eyes of God had ever seen. I can confirm that none of these stories were incorrect and even more adventures came out of Glimith’s life. His legacy became fighting for justice and during one of his final battles, before taking Fyzin’s throne, he stormed into the Palace of Dalawan and found his own files. Glimith’s records showed that he had no parents which was painfully untrue. So, inside he wrote the truth to say his parents were Silven and Haze Hack.