@bloonewb

Kali nodded and ran to get some water, returning with a bowl filled with water from the baths. She knelt down in front of the bowl, near Rughoi. She muttered a spell and the water began to glow. A moment later, an image formed from the water, showing Krakas with Rughoi, standing near Adykon, Smith, Ophion, and Fasuto. Her eyes widened as she beheld the scene.

"S-sire? I think I found your mother. And Adykon!" Everyone knew who he was by now, given his past exploits.

@Eviledd1984

"Hold your fire!" Rama held out his arms and tried to calm the situation down. "That's Adykon there and his mage friend Vespion!"

"Ophion!" the orange-skin dracon corrected.

"Yes, that guy. Very powerful mage. If you attack them, they will kill us all in a minute, tops. And we don't even know what the human and fox can do!"

"Save the greetings for later, Smith" Adykon remarked as he drew his sword. "If I have the facts right, one of the hired workers is responsible for this uprising, a half-breed kobold-dracon mix named Rughoi. Wait... there's his mother! Krakas!" he pointed towards Krakas, the only female kobold in the bunch.

@WingsOfBronze

"Fasuto, ready a ranged attack, if you have one" Ophion advised. "Just kobolds, but we're outnumbered. See to Ennave, they might get her if we aren't careful."

@Aristocles

"Sure." Fasuto materialized two daggers that has electricity charged in it. "Ready, Ennave?" Fasuto faced his spider. The spider nodded and Fasuto smiles.

Rughoi looked on in shock. His mother was in danger! Rama had gotten it into his head to endanger his emperor's only family, and to top it all off, stumbled on a fierce looking dracon scouting party. He ran out the front gate and stopped the first kobold soldier he saw. "Sound the alarm!" he shouted, right in his face. "Call up the arms! I want a whole legion behind me in five minutes! Wise Sister," he said, addressing Kali. "Send for Magister Kutur. Then come with me. Every magic user helps."

Merat would not budge from his position. "Dracons are enemies. Rally your troops," he said, tightening his pull on his bow. "Get the Queen Mother to safety. Now go!" he shouted. Kobold ground troops were inherently poorer than their dracon counterparts, but if there is one thing kobolds can do better, it's scout archery. Their smaller size and penchant for hiding meant that kobold archers could harry a much larger enemy force until they die of attrition, all without being seen. "You are prisoners. Come with me," he said to the dracon party below.

@WingsOfBronze

Ophion raised his hands and cast a ward over himself and Fasuto. It increased their physical resistance to harm, but did not grant them complete immunity from spears or arrows.

"Prisoners? Do you really have a death wish? All of you?" Ophion let his eyes start to glow a bright blue as some lightning began to crackle from his hands.

"Merat, are you mad?! Do you want to be blown to pieces?! Adykon, talk some sense into this lizard!"

@bloonewb

"Queen Mother? Really? Krakas, you can come with us if you like" Adykon explained. "This is a farce. You can't be-" an arrow whizzed past his head. "Oh, so that's how you want it. Smith, get them!" Adykon raised his greatsword and charged at the nearest archer, even though it was some distance away. For someone in heavy armor, he moved surprisingly fast and his sword moved even faster. The archer stood no chance as Adykon cut him clean in half in a single blow, the arrow bouncing off harmlessly against his chest piece. The desert provided little cover, and attrition tactics usually served to weather morale instead of inflicting serious casualties. It wouldn't work against those whose morale could neither waver nor break.

"I took down Dememoras himself! Got him trapped in a little tiny gem in a vault. What makes you think you stand a chance?!"

Meanwhile, at Traeton's palace...

"Five minutes?! But there's no way we can... yes, sire!" She ran off to find Kutur, and in a few minutes more, rejoined Rughoi as he was gathering whatever spare guards he could find.

After killing a third kobold, Adykon spoke again. "Smith, Ophion, and Fass... my fox ally! How are you two holding up? Our cover is blown, so I imagine they'll be sending reinforcements soon, so prepare to teleport out if it's too much to handle!"

"And if that doesn't work?" Ophion asked, effortlessly tossing an explosive fireball behind his back, where it landed behind a rock and exploded, killing a kobold who thought his tail was hidden by the stone.

"I have a backup plan. Don't worry!"

For his part, Rama stayed out of the fight, mostly trying to use himself to shield Krakas from danger.

@Aristocles

Smith quickly put down his hand feeling embarrassed when he did have his hand up, Looking down at his feet and listening to what the others were saying and when the arrows stared to fly the young man was preparing a spell. Shooting his spell at another archer to make that archer start killing the ones beside him in a mad frenzy, Smith had to make sure that he would be effective and would look good in front of Adkyon.

Preparing another Illusion spell to shoot at another attacker.

@Aristocles

Fasuto stayed silent anyway, having no reason to talk. He was genuinely confused and have shot a few glances at Fasuto, who shrugged in a spider way. He gripped his daggers and readied himself to throw it, if necessary.

Merat watched as slowly, this tiny party of less than ten began wiping out his warband of thirty. One by one, all the fools who thought hiding or standing was a good idea were cut down by sword or spellcraft, while the smarter ones either backed up and shot in traditional skirmishing pattern or simply broke and ran for Xigyll as soon as they saw death. Merat couldn't help but glower at that. Idiots and cowards, the lot of them. Still, though, it would not do to die just yet, so he turned and fled, not before emptying his quiver at the approaching enemy force.

"Seize him," was the first thing Rughoi said upon Merats entrance into Xigyll's walls. Two burly guards grabbed him, one on each side, and held a sword to his throat. "I'm not sure you're aware of what you've done," said Rughoi, looking quite mad.

"Fought Mitronians. Lost. Need assistance," came Merat's reply.

"Wise Sister Kila seems to have a different story to tell," said Rughoi, ice creeping into his voice. "Your little Mitronians are what she calls Akydon, a hero of the Fertile Valley, and for that matter associated with two major powers. Now the thing about these two powers is that they are NEUTRAL! On the edge of invading us as well, for that matter! And guess what!? You've just given them an excuse!" Rughoi slammed his claw on his new table of kobold work. It was clearly made for a council smaller than his gargantuan frame, and the surface smashed under his fist. "Now, how does that feel? Being a traitor to the kobold cause? I am going to mail you to the two powers, with an offer of non-aggression and possible alliance, and let them judge you. I will specifically ask they not show any mercy. Take him away." With that, the two guards, followed by six more, dragged Merat out of the room, and began making their way to the Fertile Valley. Then, Kutur approached from his chambers, and made his own report.

"I have corresponded with the Archmage at Bythesea, as per your orders, Your Might," said Kutur, uncharacteristically giddy. "The Bythesea Emperor is sympathetic to your cause. Soon, a force of five thousand human warriors will sail from the human continent to join our cause."

"Finally, something goes right today," sighed Rughoi. "Now I must deal with Rama. He put my mother in danger. When I get my hands on him, I'll split his head from eye to tooth."

_____

"Quick, Rama! This way!" shouted Krakas, ducking her head and running in the direction of the city. Rama was bravely protecting her, but kobolds were being killed in droves here, and to be mistaken for a soldier would be fatal to them both. Then, a bright arc streaked from the sky. A stray bolt of magic, about to land on a soldier taking cover behind a rock. It landed with a direct hit, frying him in his armor. The force resonated out from that point, strong enough to knock Krakas on her back. "Ooohhh . . ." she muttered, getting up from the ground. Her legs felt like they were being stung by a thousand needles. The gory effects of magic on the battlefield.

@Eviledd1984

Adykon finished off another archer, then noticed that none of the attackers were going for him anymore. It seems he had scared them off, or else the remainder were busy fighting Smith and the others. He saw the human using some elaborate spells, clearly trying to impress him. He gave Smith an approving nod, then turned his attention to the others.

@WingsOfBronze

Ophion cast a wall of flame around himself for a moment, taking a second to check on Fasuto and Ennave.

"Are you two alright?" An arrow flew into the wall, burning up. He fired a flare back in the direction of the arrow, but it only exploded in mid-air, stunning but not killing his assailants. "I almost feel guilty shooting at these kobolds."

@bloonewb

Rama kept his head down. Although Adykon wasn't attacking, the archmage and the others still were. He also had no idea how powerful Smith and Fasuto were, although they clearly weren't using all of the magic they had. One of Ophion's flares exploded near Krakas, forcing Rama to shield his eyes from the glare.

"Damn... Ophion! Hold your fire! Damn it! And yes, I know who you are!" He went over to support the female kobold.

The mage held his fire and smiled. "Well, of course you do. I helped defeat Dememor-"

"We can brag later, Oph!" Adykon remarked, running over to Krakas, forcing Rama to get out of the way.

Back in Traeton...

The shaman leapt back in fear as Rughoi smashed the table, but quickly regained her composure as she tried to defuse the tense situation.

"F-five thousand is enough to distract either Minbenthac or Naugoa" Kali explained. "It won't stop them, but any reinforcements we can get will help. If they can avoid both armies and link up with us, it will make our defenses here easier." She stood next to Rughoi. "But you really shouldn't worry about it, my lord. You're getting yourself too worked up." She took his hand. "Kutur can take over from Rama. It's really just a few scouts, even if Adykon is one of them. Not worth punishing Merat for it. Perhaps you'll be in a more merciful mood once you've had a chance to calm down? You can deal with Rama later."

Kali didn't want to see any of the other kobolds suffer, especially not from their own self-proclaimed emperor's wrath. Besides that, he was awfully uptight about the situation.

@Aristocles

Smith was smiling to himself like a idiot using another spell to freeze a few incoming arrows towards the group, He was glad that Adkyon was probably thinking he was useful however the young man would have to work harder to impress the dracon even more. Preparing another illusion spell shooting it at another archer that then started to shoot down a few other of his own men.

"We're fine. We'll circle them." Fasuto ran into the side of the kobolds to flabk them and slowly circles the whole Kobold group. They'll stun them, with water or thunder. They got caught fast and was summoned into a battle. His daggers changed into two small hammers.

"Ennave, charge them with thunder- but don't kill okay?"

"Okay. Go hit them where it hurts." Fasuto grinned as his hammers cracked an electrifying yellow and blue.

@Aristocles

"You forget your place, Wise Sister," growled Rughoi. "Arda put you on this ground for a reason. That is to offer spiritual guide. Leave the matters of the physical world to me." Perhaps it was wrong to ignore the advice of a medium of the spirits, but Rughoi felt he had to be firm. If he succumbed to honeyed words and vague promises, soon his advisors would be clamoring over themselves to contradict him. "Kutur, send a message to the Bythesea Archmage. The moment those humans arrive, I want the legion ready to march. We will have to strike Aredor quickly, while the peace with the Fertile Valley lasts." As much as he himself hated to admit it, the Kobold Empire must become a player on the world stage, with alliances and rivalries like any else. The slow game will have to pay off, because rabid nationalism and racist fervor is already beginning to stall and falter.

_______

Krakas nervously looked up. Rama had shouted something at the dracon warriors, and now one of them, the familiar one, began running towards them. He, with his sheer size and strength, bowled over Rama as if he were but air. In desperation, she began limping faster. If she through a miracle of Scen reached the city before a hulking dracon reached her, she would give herself to the service of Arda.

@Eviledd1984

"Smith, we can't stay here forever. We've seen all we can from this vantage point. Finish off your opponents and form up on my rank." Adykon realized that Smith probably had no idea what this meant. "Stand near me, please."

@WingsOfBronze

Ophion stood back and let the fox have his fun. He didn't like it when people hurt others for anything which came even close to enjoyment, but he knew that the kobolds had attacked first and that Fasuto still had much to learn. Finally, he called the fox back.

"Alright, that's enough for now, Fasuto. Please stay near Adykon. I'll be nearby as well. When we leave, it will be with him and his human friend."

@bloonewb

"My lord, with all due respect, if we march on another city now, we'll leave this one virtually defenseless. Aredor isn't likely to fall, even with a few thousand soldiers from Bythesea. At best, we'll have them under siege until their allies or one of their own armies returns, at which point they'll kill that army, then march here." Kali knew that she had to pick her words carefully.

"I understand that it isn't my place to advise on worldly affairs, but the stakes are too high for me to ignore. I beg you, keep our forces in the city and wait for reinforcements, please! Even when they get here, we'll need them to stay with us when the counterattack comes. You know this, sire! Whatever passions have seized your spirit, please let them rest!"

_______

Adykon ran towards Krakas and Rama, extending his hand towards the female kobold when he was within a step of her. "Come on! We've got to get going! I have a way for us to teleport out, but we have to get close together."

@Aristocles

Smith right away was moving towards Adkyon and standing right beside him trying to not get hit, Using another spell to set another Archer on fire feeling somewhat bad for killing and maiming the archers since when growing up he was taught by his mother that he should respect people since we are all children of the earth.

Fasuto swiped his leg under a kobold, making the kobold land on it's side. Fasuto glanced at Ophion and one kobold took the opportunity to strike. Before the blade nearly touched Fasuto, Ennave unleashed a thunderous strike, giving mild burns to one kobold and knocking the man unconscious. Fasuto fleed from the fight and came to assist Adykon, pulling the same daggers from thin air. Fasuto glanced at Smith and frowned when he actually killed one of them. He shook his head, casualties are to be expected.

@Eviledd1984@Aristocles

"Return to your temple," said Rughoi. "Now." He turned and strode away to his chamber, then upon arriving, slammed and locked the door behind him. The Wise Sister was admittedly right. Aredor's government may be oppressive, but there was no denying their organization. He can't attack the city like a dracon would, but what if he could do it like a kobold? He unlocked and opened his door, surprising a small kobold, scrubbing the floors. "Good maid," he said, his words coming out in a rush. "Assemble the captains of my army. I have an idea." She, scared out of her wits, nodded and rushed off. The captains were at his door in minutes. "I've reached a decision," he said. "This will require some clever thinking, but that is what our kobold minds were made to do. Captain Naaga, you will take a squad to Lake Draconis. Aredor and former Traeton shared the lake, and there was never a need to defend the water brigades that came to collect water for the city. That is our edge. You will raid up and down Aredor's side of the lake, and starve the city of water." Naaga nodded, and quickly strode away to assemble his team. "And you, Captain Reoam. You will find yourself a few willing spies and infiltrate the city posing as itinerate workers. Their secret police can't be perfect. You will meet with other secret revolutionary covens, unite them, and storm the streets in a revolt. Once the rebellion reaches its height, the Bytheseas will likely have arrived, and we will attack a very weakened Aredor from the outside." Reoam rushed out to carry out his orders.

____________________

Krakas screamed and tripped, landing in the sand. She covered her head in her arms, hoping that the sword would be quick and soon painless. Hetuis swallow her quick.

@WingsOfBronze

Smith kept doing his best to ward off the attacking archers looking over towards Fasuto and looking sadden feeling like he messed up, Now readying another illusion spell this time aiming it at another Kobold and seeing the creature shooting down a few more of his own kind before being taken down himself.

He wanted to get them under his spell and have them all attack each other and kill each other.

(The site was down for a while, wasn't it? I see some changes were made. Sorry for the delay. Would have had a post up a day ago if not for the site's downtime. I'm going to try a slightly different kind of post this time.)

@Eviledd1984@WingsOfBronze@bloonewb

Adykon blocked an incoming blow from Krakas, using only one arm to hold the sword. He grabbed her with his free arm and shoved her towards Smith, Ophion, and Fasuto. He also saw that some of the kobold soldiers had caught up with Rama, who fought back despite being outnumbered.

"Get going, all of you! I'll catch up with you later!"

"But why are you-?"

"Ophion, I'll be fine. Take Smith and go!"

Ophion approached Smith and Fasuto. "You two, with me! Stay close. Don't worry, Adykon knows what he's doing!"

It took a few minutes, but Adykon caught up with Rama and they fought off his assailants. They had some time to themselves before additional kobold soldiers showed up.

"Adykon, I-I'm not ungrateful, but you shouldn't have come without an army. Rughoi, he's- he's gone insane. As much as I supported him before, I cannot abide by his megalomania."

The dracon nodded. "Right. This usually happens. Revolutions usually come full circle, after all. Like a wheel. New leadership, same problems, and the kind of people who want power are usually the same, even with new flags and- ah, there's no time to go on about this. What do you propose we do?"

Rama thought about it for a moment. "I'll have to lead a rebellion within his rebellion. Break up the tribes, but do so in a way which saves as many of us kobolds as possible. As much as I hate to admit it, Rughoi had a good point about how we are mistreated. And no, I don't want to become the leader of some insane army like what he has, I just want to live in peace with my people. Oh, and before I forget, he has plans to attack Aredor across lake draconis. I don't know the specifics, but it probably involves the kobold population there."

"Arador across Lake Draconis. Got it! You got that?"

"Are you... talking to someone?"

Adykon simply nodded. "And now, we wait for the other soldiers to come for us."

From her vantage point back in the farmhouse, a pink-skinned dracon hovered inches above the thick mat, her legs crossed as she sat in the air. Aerta wrote down everything. Her scrying orb caught whatever her husband said, along with the words of anyone near him. She opened a line of communication with Aredor using another crystal ball, and had a third warming up.

Meanwhile...

Kali nodded silently and ran off to her shrine, as instructed. Rughoi's plan was foolish and likely to get his forces and allies massacred, followed by a crushing counterattack which would get them all killed. Still, challenging his word directly wouldn't work. She returned to her quarters, a rare thing indeed for kobolds, whose culture emphasized communal living in almost every respect. Inside one of her idols was a tiny crystal ball, barely large enough to fill the palm of a small kobold's hand.

Clutching the ball to her chest as a mother kobold would an egg, she glanced down at it. "He's planning another attack, but I didn't hear where it was. He's using spies for whatever it is."

"Aredor, from across the water. I've already sent word to them and they know to expect it. They're already recalling forces to the city limits and are keeping a watch on the waterfront. I'll contact you tomorrow, Kali. If things go south, use the gate stone. Also, Adykon should be in the palace very soon, so don't be surprised to see him."

"And if things don't go according to plan?"

"We've got backup already lined up for that. Aerta out." Kali put the crystal orb back into the cavity in her idol and closed it up.

Fasuto obliged, looking confused and all that. He went with Ophion anyway, not seeing why not unless trying to fight rebel kobolds as far as he understood. Or was it wrong? Fight kobolds, spare if might. Fasuto took a step beside Ophion.

"Mind telling me what's our situation? I look like fighting in the dark. I need a reason." Fasuto asked the dracon and waited for an answer before he spoke again. "And, uh.. can you.. no- nevermind. Just wanna ask if you can show me your magic attack yesterday." He asked sheepishly.

@Aristocles @Eviledd1984 @bloonewb

Already, harrowing reports are flooding in from the battlefront on eastern Lake Draconis. Messages speak of scouts raiding on the water brigades, when they are suddenly ambushed by armies carrying the flag of Aredor. More letters come in from within the walls of Aredor, where even worse tales are being told. The Aredors have put their city on lockdown, and closed their doors to all immigration. Any who try are killed. Captain Reoam was executed on the walls of his city, and his head was tossed down to his men below. According to the informants who snuck into the city via their efficient sewers, the Baron Elector of Aredor has called an inquisition on all kobold people in the city and any unlucky enough to be born non-dracon are taken from the streets and purged. Rughoi read these notes, his worry and paranoia growing with each word. Eventually, he set down the last one, rubbed his eyes, and gazed into the cozy fire burning merrily away in the hearth. Kutur sat a little further away, reading up on scrolls of magic. An occasional burst of fire or red light emanates from the tips of his claws, and he congratulates or curses himself depending on an outcome only he can recognize.

"There is corruption in our midst," Rughoi declared. Kutur looked up from his scrolls.

"How can you tell?" he asked, afraid that he was about to be declared a traitor and sent the way of Merat.

"Look at these reports. The enemy knows what we're doing, even before we do it. They must have informants inside the city. Perhaps I was wrong to trust in the dracon tribal leaders. Perhaps I was even more wrong to trust that all my people want change and freedom. I need to have them found and executed."

"Perhaps I can offer a better alternative," Kutur said. Rughoi said nothing, but sat up and focused all his attention on the dimunitive kobold. "As everyone knows, Your Might is a powerful, ambitious figure focused on introducing his people to freedoms and rights, forcibly if possible." Rughoi nodded at that. "Perhaps what they need to see is a new side of the coin. As every kobold knows, His Might is not complete without Her Mercy."

"Are you suggesting a match?" Rughoi asked, his eyes narrowing. "I have no time for mating."

"But please, Your Might. Keep an open mind. Another hand on the throne could be what you need. For every act of violence you make, she will perform an act of kindness, balancing out the authority of the crown in the eyes of your people. You are always saying that our morale is beginning to weaken, wouldn't a huge ceremony raise the people up again? Think of it. Another name to shout on the battlefield, another figure to raise mighty structures to. Have a huge binding, where everyone can see it. Organize a breadgiving, then call the purge. The people will stand behind every head you take, once reluctant kobolds will flock to the city to see the beautiful empress, and soon, you'll have someone to carry on your purpose if . . . something happens."

Rughoi though about it, and the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. "Send for the tribal chiefs. Select a daughter from them. We will bind on the coming of the new moon." Kutur bowed, smiled, and was about to stride out when Rughoi stopped him. "Before you go, tell me the stories again. The ones about the Son of the Dragons. I may need some help from my predecessor." Kutur stopped. He stepped back in the room and began talking.

"Yes, Your Might. It all started with Arjun, first of the short lived Arjunid Dynasty. He started life as a criminal on the streets of the Ancient City. When he was approached by guards of the dracon King, he spit in the face of the captain, and . . ."

@Aristocles@WingsOfBronze

Smith was following behind Ophion and the other male trying to keep close towards the two of them not wanting to get hurt. "So what is the plan for us?" The young man asked taking another shot towards their attackers with another illusion spell. From the corner of his eye he could see a incoming arrow which hit him in the stomach making him hunch forward kneeling.

"Help me" He yelled out the intense pain going though his body. Wells of tears forming in his eyes.