"What the sh-" Fasuto's eyes widened in surprise. It was really tough in the battlefield, one second he was there, the next second he could be dying or dead. Fasuto caught Smith before he fell on the dirt.

"I-I don't know healing magic! Maybe we can just- just try to pull it and i'll try to cauterize it and- Ophion!" Fasuto tried to call the dracon's attention.

@Aristocles @Eviledd1984

@WingsOfBronze

"Not now, Fasuto! I think Smith's hurt!" Ophion wasn't a healer either, but he knew that one of Adykon's daughters was.

@Eviledd1984

"Smith! Damn. Just hang on!" Adykon helped the human over to the other two. "Ophion! Get Smith to Kara! Take Fasuto there too if you must."

"But-!"

"You know where my house is! Just take Smith and go! She can heal him! I'll deal with this, don't worry about me!"

"I..." Ophion knew that time was of the essence for Smith. "Fasuto! Keep Smith steady for a few moments and I'll teleport us out of here!"

Rama took Krakas close to the wizard and he grabbed onto the hem of Ophion's robe. "Get us out of here too, please!"

Adykon turned away from the group, facing the kobolds. "You want me? Come and get me!"

@bloonewb

Kali left her quarters to return to the city's main temple. She was surprised at how fast the city of Aredor had responded. Even more so, considering that the skirmish at the walls was not yet resolved. It hadn't been that long. Events seemed to be moving at a truly breakneck pace.

It was not long before word reached the desecrated temple that "his might" was looking for "his mercy", a female to marry. Such a thing was not too common among kobolds, but a union between their king and a single female would have political purposes as well as provide a cause for celebration right in the temple. Hopefully, they could arrange it before the city fell, and event which Kali increasingly believed would happen. She could only hope and pray that Aerta would provide extraction for her when that eventuality occurred. Two teleportation spells was no much to ask for, although it was a feat beyond the kobold's ability.

@Aristocles

"But..i could still fight" Smith protested or tried to there was a dizzy feeling coming over his body, Trying to push the people trying to carry him away wanting to look strong in front of Adkyon a foolish effort. "Sir..i can still fight..i can still be strong he said softly trying to stand but feel to his knee.

@Eviledd1984

Adykon turned his head, but did not approach Smith. With an angry look on his face, he shouted to his potential son-in-law.

"I understand that, but you are too injured to continue! Get back to Kara, let her do what she must! You've proven yourself more than enough, NOW GO!"

@Aristocles

Smith nodded his head now looking over towards his comrades, "Well you be okay?" He said quickly towards Adkyon wanting to make sure he would make it out alive. But perhaps he would not know until his father in law would come back.

Ardasa didn't know why she was here. One day, she was marveling at the grand city with ancient roots her father had brought her to, the next she and her family were suddenly accosted by imperial guards and informed they should present themselves to the emperor himself! She shivered to herself thinking of the meeting, whether from fear or excitement she did not know. The emperor was prominent, to say the least. He was almost twice the size of his advisor, and he composed himself as if he controlled everything he saw. He was cold, and never spoke to her, instead making whispered conversation to his advisor.

"Chief Qorod, of the Earthen Bear clan, if I may speak with you. Alone," he had said.

"Go to the temple to pray, child," her father commanded her, and she promptly did as he commanded. The chamber was large and almost impossibly built, with some of the most advanced dracon artistry on the continent. The statues were easily ten times her size, of various dracon gods and saints. Instead, she walked over to a small shrine of improvised make and kneeled. It was of Arda, patron of kobold women and her namesake. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a priestess try to leave the temple, looking very nervous indeed.

"Wise Sister, would you be so kind as to lead me in prayer?" she asked, hoping that both of their minds would be taken off of the present for a little while.

@Aristocles @Eviledd1984

" I'll stay where I am needed most. I'll stay here." Fasuto replied, his tone firm. "I'll fight with him. Aurescia said she once have a summoned companion, perhaps she can talk with Ennave when you're done." He added.

"She's the very first we know as a summoner, and we did not know if that would work! But! Good thinking anyway." Ennave crawled her way to the other side of Fasuto's shoulder.

"We can handle ourselves! Go!" Ennave urged.

@Eviledd1984@WingsOfBronze

"I'll be fine, but I can't say the same for you and Fasuto if you stay, Smith, NOW GO, both of you!!" Adykon punctuated the end of his sentence with a roar. The younger ones of the group had spirit, but possessed none of the skill, durability, or raw power needed to deal with the situation. A few kobolds was one thing, but an army was another. If not for his prior arrangements and plans to call in reinforcements and escape, Adykon himself would eventually be overwhelmed. As it was, he saw no need to risk two young lives for this cause.

"Fasuto, please listen to what he says!" Ophion urged him. "I think I know what he's planning, and there isn't going to be any serious fighting if its just him, but they won't spare you or Smith. You'll get your chance to fight more when the city is retaken, I guarantee it." He wasn't sure if Fasuto was going to acquiesce or not. "I have to get Smith out of here. If you stay with Adykon, I won't be there to protect you!"

@bloonewb

Kali paused and turned around. "Why, sure! It would help if we had a lizard to sacrifice, but the prayers of two of us will do just as well, I suppose." She knelt down next to the other priestess and recited a rather bland and ambiguous prayer.

"Oh Arda, patroness of female kobolds, please grant that our leader may be guided by your truth, that our nests may grow large and healthy, and that, in your name, we may survive the coming days and live in the light of your presence, may it be." She stood up and continued to walk out of the temple, but paused for a second.

"Why don't you come with me, sister? I'm... going on a tour of the city. Seeing if we can salvage anything which can be used to decorate the temple."

@Aristocles@WingsOfBronze

Smith was holding onto the arrow wound feeling the pain getting worse over time."Thank you mister..Adkyon" The young man said smiling and looking toward the other males beside him. Looking at the one named Fausto speaking his peace. "Perhaps we could go someplace safe for now and plan something for later?" He said in a soft voice.

"Certainly!" Ardasa exclaimed, standing from her kneeling position. There was always something about prayer and ritual that she loved. It always made her feel calm, the affirmation that there was always someone greater looking out for her in her greatest moments of fear. "Shall we? I'd love to see the city a bit more!"

___________________________________
"What about her?" whispered Rughoi, eyeing the new match. She nervously smiled back when she realized he was looking at her.

"I see nothing wrong with her. Then again, I saw nothing wrong with the one before her. And the one before that," Kutur whispered back, looking wistful. "Don't pass up this opportunity, Your Might. The Earthen Bear clan is one of the largest clans we've encountered since the Red Shadows." Rughoi nodded, and asked for a private audience with Chief Qorod. He quickly spoke to his daughter, who beamed back at him and quietly exited the throne room.

"Chief Qorod. I'd like to welcome you to the fold," began Rughoi, standing up from the dracon throne and descending the steps leading up to it. "It is not often we are graced with the presence of a chiefdom as grand as yours."

"The hard work of my ancestors," Qorod responded, chuckling. "I suppose you find my daughter . . . satisfactory? She is, after all, second in line to the chiefdom, behind her older sister." Kutur said nothing, but nudged his emperor's shoulder at Qorod's response.

"Well, I suppose I'd have to think abou-" said Rughoi, before he was interrupted by Kutur.

"We accept!" shouted Kutur. "Welcom to the Empire, Your Wisdom by law!" Rughoi gave a withering look to his advisor, but decided against it. This decision is as good as any. He kneeled before Qorod, waiting for the traditional response.

"I will accept you if you would accept me, Chief Qorod. Or should I say . . . father," he said. Qorod laughed and practically jogged over to put his hand on Rughoi's head.

"My son! My son! Of course! What's yours is mine!" he cried. "Quickly, guards! Find my daughter! Inform her of the good news!"

@Eviledd1984@Aristocles

" Looks like I can't argue." Fasuto said and paced beside Ophion, wishing Adykon good luck.

@Eviledd1984@WingsOfBronze

Ophion nodded and stood close to the other two. "Alright, stay close!" He cast a teleportation spell and they found themselves many kilometers away in an instant, standing on soft green grass in front of a farmhouse.

"Fasuto, this is Adykon's place. Help me get Smith indoors, please. Kara! Kara! We've got an injured man out here!" The archmage silently cursed his lack of healing spells and having to ask a mere teenager (albeit an adult teenager) for help in this matter. Then again, he was vastly more powerful than she was in every other imaginable way, so that balanced things out.

Kara came running down. "A fox? What is- SMITH!" She ran over to him and saw the arrow. "Oh, gods, are you okay?!"

Aerta came out of the house, concerned but not yet alarmed. "Ophion! What happened? And who is this? Oh, where are my manners? I am Aerta, Adykon's wife" she extended a hand towards Fasuto.

@bloonewb

Adykon was now alone. While he could escape, he decided to see where this would go. "Alright! You want me? Fine, you have me. Take me to Rughoi. I won't fight." He kept his sword clutched tightly in his hands, easily giving the impression that he wouldn't part with it, even under armed escort.

Meanwhile, Kali padded her way down the cracked city streets. The weathered stones were covered in footprints of both dracons and kobolds, easily distinguished by their size and shape, as kobold feet lacked the distinctive spur possessed by dracons. Since the conquest, the occupying army had set up tents in the middle of the road and were in the process of building huts cobbled together out of straw, wood, and bits of rubble. These new shelters contrasted greatly with the brick and stone structures which otherwise characterized the badly damaged city. There wasn't much worth salvaging, at least in this neighborhood.

"Oh... well, Ardasa, looks like we're not gonna find much around these parts. His Might has a lot to do before we've got this place up to standards. I honestly have no idea how the dracons built this place so big, and we're not even living in one of their largest cities."

@Aristocles@WingsOfBronze

Smith kept as close as he could not wanting to get hit by one of the incoming arrows. Looking behind him for a moment at Adykon feeling sadden that he could not do much to protect him.

Once the group was brought into Adkyon's house he looked at Kara and then down at his feet."I am sorry..." He said on a sort of hushed muttered feeling guilt in his somewhat human heart.

@Eviledd1984

"There's nothing to be sorry about, my love. Can someone get the arrow out?" Ophion nodded and knelt down next to Smith, using a bit of wind to create an air pocket underneath the arrow, pushing it up and out of the wound, which the mage pulled out entirely using his right hand.

"Thanks." Kara put her hands on his wound and closed her eyes, focusing her magic on the injury. There was a brief glow of soft white-gold light and the injury was reduced to a small and mostly-closed cut. "There. Should be better now."

@Eviledd1984@Aristocles

Fasuto blinked to confirm that they had indeed teleported away. Nodding from Ophion's instructions, he assisted Smith to carry him by taking his arm over Fasuto's shoulders.

Fasuto glanced at Kara, then let Ophion do his thing. His head jerked to Aerta as she seemed to be shocked to see a fox, he ignored it and shook her hand.

" I'm Fasuto." He said as he shook his paw.

@WingsOfBronze

"Pleased to meet you. I knew some foxes once. Fauxen, I think they were called. None of them were as large as you were. Still, if Adykon and Ophion trust you, I trust you too. Please, make yourself at home. You've met Aurescia, haven't you?" Aerta replied. Kara briefly turned her head to look at Fasuto, but couldn't leave Smith's side just yet. "Hi. Er... you've got a nice coat of fur, if you don't mind me saying so. Nice colors."

@Aristocles

"Thank you" Smith said curtly grunting from the pain of the arrow being removed. "So what is the plan now?" He asked Ophion but his eyes were looking at Kara.

He wanted to speak to her privately but felt that he should wait a bit.

@Eviledd1984

"Now? We wait, but not for long. Fasuto and I will rejoin the fight when the time is right. We've got to get Adykon out of there, when he wants to go. You will stay here and recover, Smith." Ophion gave him a smile. "I'm sure you'll find a way to survive with Kara here, somehow."

Disorder spread among the kobold soldiers. When they had left the city to track down the glowing light, they had been firmly under the command of Merat. Unfortunately, without the knowledge of almost a third of his troop, he had broken and fled back to the city walls along with roughly two thirds of his men. They had been fine, knowing for sure where the enemy was and how to feather them with pointy arrows, but when it came time to parley, none were qualified to do so.

"Now what do we do?" asked one soldier, peeking out from behind his cover.

"I'm not sure. Should we take him to Rughoi? Perhaps not. Take the survivors and head back to the city. I'll try to . . . speak with him, I suppose," responded another. He stepped out from behind the rock as his compatriot ran for the walls. "Hail, foe!" he shouted, diverting the attention of the dracon. "Erm . . . return to your home, I guess." When the dracon didn't leave, but instead looked at him with a weird expression, the soldier began to feel a little desperate. "Shoo! . . . Bad dracon?" he tried. It always worked with his house lizard when he was a child.
_______________________________________________
"Ardasa! Ardasa!" shouted Qorod's right guard, running up to her and what looked like her spiritual advisor. He stopped in front of her and kneeled. "Your esteemed father has finished negotiations with the emperor. It seems you are now Empress of All Kobold, Daughter of the Dragons."

Ardasa was shocked, to say the least. She could only stammer and say nothing, giving up after her tongue betrayed her for a solid ten seconds. Instead, she cracked a nervous smile at Kali, hoping that the other woman had confidence to spare for her.

@Aristocles

Smith wanted to protest this but he felt he could not do much. Although being healed perhaps he could try to convince him that he would be okay to go out and save Adkyon. He really wanted to save Kara's father and make both him and her proud of the young man. Looking over at Kara now blushing as bright as a peach.