Lin froze. "Wait a second... so, you're saying if I don't eat, I'll die painfully?" He stared at the screen, disbelief creeping in. "That's... terrifying."
After a few seconds, Lin took a deep breath. "Focus, time is running out." He knew he had to act fast. But the mission made it clear that not all grass was safe. Some could even be dangerous. Just great. Now he had to worry about picking the wrong snack and poisoning himself.
He closed the system windows and scanned his surroundings. All he saw nearby were scraggly, dying blades of grass, nothing that looked remotely appetizing. "Slim pickings," he thought. So, he looked farther afield. Off in the distance, directly ahead, he spotted a row of houses. From his earlier observations, he'd figured that area was called the pan. But it wasn't the buildings that caught his attention; it was the patch of lush greenery around them.
Without much hesitation, he started walking. After a few minutes, Lin slowed down. He looked down and noticed that the grass beneath his hooves was a bit greener here. Steeling himself, Lin lowered his head to graze. But before he could take a bite, a sharp, unpleasant scent hit his nose. What on earth is that? He sniffed again, trying to pinpoint the source. That's when he noticed them, small, round, black pellets scattered among the grass. Not just a few, either. There were plenty.
He recognized them instantly. Goat droppings. Fantastic. I almost ate grass covered in goat droppings. The thought alone made his stomach turn. The smell was overwhelming, and he had to pull back.
He remembered reading somewhere that adult goats sometimes rubbed urine on themselves to smell more "goaty," thinking it would help attract females. Unbelievable. Even in a fantasy world, goats are still up to the same nonsense. He had to stop and start searching for better grass, but everywhere he went, it was the same, pee and droppings.
"Just how many are there?" He thought, frustrated. "My previous spot was better than this. At least under the tree's shade, there hadn't been any grass, just dead roots and nothing to eat, but at least it didn't smell like this."
"What should I do now?" Lin wondered. He glanced at the remaining time. Nearly an hour had passed by now. Most importantly, he felt his body grow heavier, exhaustion rising to a new level. Worst of all, he was getting sleepy, and his legs didn't want to budge anymore.
"I don't have enough time," he told himself. If things keep going like this, he definitely won't make it. He looked toward the pan again; it wasn't far, and he could see goats moving around, lots of them. He could even make out the vague outline of buildings outside the farm, probably belonging to the shepherds.
Shifting his gaze, he looked back toward where he'd come from. It was far away now and looked desolate. It wasn't that goats weren't eating the grass, but for him, it was just too hard to eat something that reeked of pee.
"Fuck it," Lin cursed under his breath as he tried to figure out what to do next. Should he go closer to the pan or stay where he was? For now, he decided to take a break. His small body couldn't handle this much exhaustion. Besides, a sharp pain throbbed in his abdomen. He tried to figure out if it was from yesterday's beating or just hunger. Either way, it doesn't matter now, he need to rest. Without a break, he won't be able to think straight.
With that, Lin started moving. As he walked, the pain grew sharper, every step a new complaint. "Maybe after some rest, I'll feel better. Or maybe I'll just feel like a goat with a limp. Either way, better keep my eyes and ears open."
Just as he started to settle in when a voice barked from behind, sharp as a snapped twig.
"Hey, you there, stop!"
Lin's heart leapt straight into his throat. "Shit. Just my luck. I knew someone would come looking. And here they are, right on cue." He turned slowly, not wanting to spook whoever it was, or himself. Two adult goats stood there, sizing him up like he was a suspicious patch of weeds. One tall and lean, with a perpetually annoyed look, the other shorter, stockier, and already frowning like he'd lost a bet.
"Do I run? Nah, no point. No way I'm outrunning two adults, not with this pain. Might as well see what they want." He stood his ground, trying to look harmless.
The tall one spoke first, voice clipped. "Have you seen a kid about your size come through here?" His eyes narrowed, scanning Lin like he was sizing up a suspect at a police lineup.
The stocky one, whose ears twitched with every word, nudged his companion. "Ease up, Bram. You're scaring the poor kid. He looks like he's about to bolt."
Bram snorted, not taking his eyes off Lin. "That's the point, Toro. If he bolts, we know he's hiding something."
Toro rolled his eyes. "Or maybe he's just tired and wants a nap. Not everyone is a criminal, Bram."
Lin let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "So they're not after me? Phew. That's a stroke of luck for once." He almost smiled, but caught himself. No need to tempt fate.
He stayed quiet, but the adult goat's patience snapped. "Why are you silent? Answer my question!" The goat's face twisted into a scowl, voice rising with frustration.
Lin swallowed, his mind racing. "Great. Just what I needed. Maybe if I play it cool, they'll move on. Or maybe they'll decide I look guilty and drag me off anyway. Story of my life, huh?"
"Uh, no, I haven't seen anyone," he managed, voice barely above a whisper.
Bram's nostrils flared. "You sure? You look like you've been running."