It's a bit of a gray area. While not a typical short story, the Allegory of the Cave uses fictional scenarios and a sequential presentation to communicate its message, which shares some characteristics of a short story.
The main characters are the group of prisoners in the cave. They are in a state of ignorance, believing the shadows on the wall to be real. Then there is the special prisoner who is released. He experiences a transformation as he discovers the truth about the real objects that create the shadows and the outside world. There may also be those who are outside the cave in the true world, though they are not as much in focus as the prisoners.
I'm not sure specifically as I don't have the full story, but it could be some explorers. They are usually the ones who would venture into a cave in a short story like this.
One of the main themes could be exploration. The characters might be exploring the cave which can symbolize the unknown, whether it's the unknown within themselves or in the world around them.
The 'allegory of the cave short story' mainly focuses on enlightenment and the journey from ignorance to knowledge. The prisoners in the cave are ignorant of the real world outside. When one prisoner is freed and sees the real objects that were casting the shadows, he realizes how wrong his previous perception was. This story implies that most people are like those prisoners, and it takes a great effort to break free from false beliefs and reach true understanding.
Well, the goblin cave was known to be a place full of danger. There were rumors that a great treasure was hidden deep within. A group of thieves entered the cave. They were met with goblins who were guarding their territory. The thieves tried to negotiate with the goblins at first, but when that failed, they had to use their weapons. It was a fierce battle, and in the end, some of the thieves managed to escape with a small portion of the treasure.