Aerta stepped into the room and closed the door.

"Rughoi may be hard to deal with, but he's still your son. You've told me that kobolds tend to be rather attached to their mothers, and that while he gave you a cold reception before, he still needs you more than he knows. So, we've been over this. I can teleport you into the city, and we can rendezvous with Kali. She will know exactly where Rughoi is. When we meet him, you should offer to treat that sprain he has. It's just one toe, but it must be truly aggravating him by now. All you have to do to alleviate the pain is to gently pull on it. As it is, I doubt he's touched it; too little pressure and it won't do anything, a bit too much and it only hurts. Got to release the pressure on the joint. He probably doesn't have the finesse to properly treat it, but you do."

The draconess thought about it before replying. "It seems absurd to worry about so small a thing, I know, but even these little things can set him off, based on what you told me. More like the straw which broke the camel's back."

Krakas slowly nodded, already dreading the reunion. Will her son welcome her? Will he condemn her? She knew what little Rughoi would do, but she was not sure about this Emperor of Kobold. "I will accept Arda's will," she said. She wished she could feel as confident as she sounded. Old bones and older sense of futility will not make this easy.

@bloonewb

Aerta took a deep breath and began to focus her magic in preparation for a teleportation spell. She stood next to Krakas and stretched out her clawed fingers.

"Alright then. It must be Arda's will that this reunion take place, and that you will have to convince Rughoi to listen to reason. Now, is there anything else, or should we teleport into his palace? We'll be going into a room with Kali, but otherwise it'll be just us. No support from Adykon or any other fighter or mage."

Merat's blood continued to boil, or at least that was what he felt. He was not even sure he had blood, but rage filled him all the same. He turned, instinctively knowing the way north as if guided by a hand, in the direction of Traeton. "Rughoi is weak," he declared. "He will fall. I am Son of the Dragon." His captains, all giant horrors in their own right, cheered with guttural voices impossible with natural throats. "Rally," he said. "The gift goes to all kobold. We will destroy the Empire. We will destroy the Dracons. The world is kobold." Voices not of his captains shouted their support. Voices he could not find the source of, but he knew on some base animal level were as present as his captains.

"Excellent, Merat," encouraged a voice, or voices, it's difficult to tell with them. "You are taking the first steps to power, just as Master had done once. No, you will be better, won't you? You will succeed where he has failed. You are master now."
______________________________________________________
"Let us go," Krakas sighed. "The problem won't be solved by waiting."

@bloonewb

Aerta nodded and, holding Krakas' hand, teleported into a room in Traeton's palace, right near Kali. Her teleportation had been precise, like a surgical incision in the fabric of space. In fact, it was so precise that she didn't just appear in front of Kali, she appeared on top of her. They fell on top of each other, three reptilian females fumbling to the ground in a mess of claws and tails.

"Aert-ahh!

"Oh gods, sorry about that!"

Kali pulled herself up from the tangle. "No problem. Just glad to see you." She stretched out her tail, briefly checking to see if it was been bruised. "No harm done. So, I take it you've come with his mother to deal with 'his majesty'? He's a few rooms away from us, and we're behind the guards. Not sure how long he'll be there. Krakas, you can lead the way. Probably best that you do, since you are the "queen mother" around these parts, Aerta is the wife of 'that red-skinned thug', and I'm just a minor priestess. Just head out of this door and to the left. You'll see your son right there, but we have to move now."

Krakas disagreed with Kali's statement. "Oh, surely not," she muttered. "I couldn't. I'm just an old woman now, lost in spirit. Child, perhaps you should meet with him instead. If any of my years of teaching has stuck in my son's head, it is to put his faith in the three."

@bloonewb

Kali brushed herself off before continuing. "If you can't handle him, then why did you come? It's a risk just for you to be here, you know."

Aerta knelt down next to Krakas. "My friend, I know this must be hard for you. Standing up to one's family can be one of the most difficult things a person can do, especially when there are complications involved. Even so, you're the only one of us who will likely be able to get through to him. You can do this, Krakas. He may be hard to get to, but he's still your son. Just trust in your instincts and in the three, and you'll be able to help him."

The draconess threw in a little smile. "Plus, you know how to deal with that stupid sprained toe he has. He wouldn't let Kali or I deal with that for him, would he?"

Krakas steeled her nerves and led the two others down the hall. She was none too familiar with the layout of the castle, not having seen much of it in her short stay. She could, however, spot Rughoi's chambers, clearly marked by the extended guard duty posted at the door. Opposed to the usual two, there were now four.

"Halt!" shouted one, pointing his spear at the trio. "State your business. You are at risk of treason simply by daring to come so close to His Might's chambers."

"I . . . " Krakas began, but faltered. She took a deep breath and tried again. "You . . . you will not hinder me. I must speak to my son." The guards appeared surprised, but one quickly shook off the shock and leveled his weapon in their direction.

"What sort of irregularity is this? I have never seen treason so poorly executed. Qwari, fetch His Might. Werix, call the reserve guard. If necessary, we shall string you up in the town square and execute you before the citizens." Krakas couldn't believe the depths of this cruel speak. Are these the orders of her son?

"What is the meaning of this?" came a rumbly voice from within. A soft muttering, inaudible to those outside, was the response. "Impossible. My mother was abducted by the traitor Rama. If he is with them, I want him captured and brought to me." The sound of claws clicking on stone echoed throughout the rooms, and Rughoi stepped out. The guards' shock was nothing to his. He leapt back, shouting ancient prayers. "Madness! Sorcery! This cannot be true! I am lost to my own guilt, or enraptured by an apparition. Away! Lock them up!" The guards, however, hesitated to act.

@bloonewb

Kali followed the motherly kobold while Aerta hung back a few paces in case the situation got ugly and they needed a quick escape. The guards knew who she was and clearly did not appreciate her being there, but they knew of her power and that of husband. They knew better than to attack a sorceress unprovoked.

For her part, Kali maintained silence until the guards gave Krakas a hard time. She strode over to one of the guards, puffed up her chest, and summoned her harshest tone short of shouting.

"How dare you speak to the queen mother like that?! By all rights, you ought to be strung up just for thinking such a thing! Now, the queen mother needs to have access to her child. Of all the rights and privileges entitled to one of her station, this is the very least thing she could possibly ask!"

Things proceeded from there, with the three females being hastily led into the throne room. She beheld Rughoi's breakdown and had to stifle a laugh at his overreaction.

"Sire, you are clearly not well. Here, let me help, and thanks for the prayers. I assure you that they have been heard." The priestess generated a small amount of light from her clawed hands, providing an amusing little show. While she had spells which could ease mental illness to a small degree, the incantation she had just used was nothing more than a placebo. Still, it seemed to be believed by the guards, who kept their position.

"There now. Your mother is still here. Whatever affected you is now gone. Krakas left with Rama, but now she's back, as real as the ground beneath your feet. And speaking of the latter, I believe your mother has something to help you with. And might I remind you guards that in the event that our lord is incapacitated, the next in line for the royal family is the next of blood. Since our lord has neither a wife nor children, that would leave the queen mother in charge for the duration of his incapacity. He seems fine to me, though. You are fine, aren't you, sire? No more apparitions plaguing you?"

Aerta gave Kali a warm smile. The priestess knew how to play off their laws and traditions quite well by now.

"There is a dracon within my palace," he snapped, as Werix returned with six more armored kobolds. "Let's see your registration, then." He knew that this dracon woman was not a part of his regiments, nor is she a common frequenter of the palace. He came to the conclusion that this was obviously an assassination effort, and Kali was working with the dracon kingdoms to destabilize his empire. Then, as his anger peaked, a lance of pain shot up his leg, and they gave way under him. A guard broke from the formation and ran to assist him, but he waved him away. "Follow proc- aargh," he groaned, clutching his right foot. Krakas took the opportunity to take initiative.

"Get my son onto the bed," she said, running to his side. She elbowed past a shocked guard, who thankfully didn't do anything rash. She, with the help of a few soldiers, lifted him and carried him to the mattress. "Go to a medicine hut. Any will do. Get salve of marrow," she ordered, and one quickly went. "You should best leave now," she whispered to Kali and Aerta. "Some things only a mother can help with."

@bloonewb

Aerta took a step back and addressed the guards. "I'm here at the invitation of the queen mother. Kali has informed me that in accordance with your laws, any member of the royal family has the right to invite guests of state over for a formal meeting, and that said meeting is defined by any member of the royal family. This right can only be overruled by a specific decree by the monarch or acting monarch, to be written down, signed, and sealed by said king. As such a decree has not been produced, my being here is perfectly legal as long as the queen mother permits it."

They relaxed for a moment, unsure what to make of it. They only moved when they heard their lord was in pain.

Kali nodded and walked back to Aerta. "Right. We won't be far, but you have to handle this yourself. If you need anything, just call for us." The timing was quite good, but perhaps Rughoi's upset mind had exacerbated the physical pain he already felt. Or maybe they were just lucky. Perhaps a bit of both. As it was, no one seemed to question Krakas, so Aerta and Kali felt no need to intervene as thing stood.

Krakas slowly lathered the salve on Rughoi's small joints. "Try to relax, dearie," she whispered. "This will only hurt a bit." Then, she took the offending toe and tugged it. Rughoi winced, then slumped back. He heaved a sigh, and lie there without moving a muscle. "Can you walk?" asked Krakas, after a while of this immobility. This seemed to wake Rughoi up from his rest. He sat up and embraced his mother. Eventually, her arms came up to wrap around his frame. One thing was constant, she could not wrap her arms fully around him.

"I didn't want to hurt anybody, mummy," he whispered. She could feel his tears on her shoulder.

"Hush, child," Krakas whispered back. "It'll be fine."

"My court might betray me, the dracons want to kill me, I can't find safety," he continued.

"Shh, safety is here, child," she said. "Can you walk?" Slowly, one of his feet touched the ground, and he began to apply more weight to it. He stumbled, and had Krakas not been there to hold him, he would have fallen.

"I can stand," he said. "I can walk."

@bloonewb

Kali overheard a few snippets of their conversation from a distance, and wasn't sure whether to laugh at Rughoi or cry for him. In the end, she said nothing and gave no sign of either emotion. Aerta felt some concern for the situation, but also refrained from any significant reaction. The wrong signal might send him into a rage or provoke him to give the guards a direct order to attack. While Aerta could avoid such danger with ease, the same couldn't be said for Kali or Krakas.

Eventually, the priestess took a few steps forward as Aerta moved back a bit. Kali gave a little bow before Krakas and Rughoi. He seemed far calmer than before, although she had no idea how long this would last, if he had truly calmed down to begin with. She was a priestess, not an empath. Her only complaint was the pungent smell of the salve which Krakas had used on his foot, but once again, she kept her comments private. "Sire? What are your orders now? I take it that the queen mother shall be allowed to stay in your court?"

"Burn," came Merat's growl. At his command, his arms, too many to count, lobbed stones at the little village. They were covered in oil and set alight, but in his palm it did nothing. His loyalists quickly followed suit, and every building began to burn. Kobold and dracon alike escaped their burning homes, only to stop in their tracks at the vision of these terrible beings. "Come," he whispered, and those fool enough to gaze upon him felt their feet lurch under them, right in their direction. Once they were close enough, they, without any of their own say, brought themselves to their knees. Merat grabbed the nearest one and crammed him into his gaping maw. Blood dripped down his chin, and yet the villagers didn't move. They could not. Together, the Meratids began to feast, one small innocent after another, until not one survived. "Onwards, to Traeton," he ordered. "We are close."

___________________________________

"Your Might! News from Magister Kutur!" shouted a messenger, interrupting Rughoi's response. "He's gone into a fit of hysterics, but before that, he had something to say to you!" Rughoi abandoned the intruders, running to Kutur's study. He burst open the door, to find Kutur rolling around on the floor, foaming at the mouth. Rughoi grabbed him and shook him, and this seemed to return the little kobold to his self.

"What was it?" he asked, the fear showing in his voice.

"Merat . . . Your Might," he gasped. "He's marching on the city, with dark forces at his back."

"Assemble the legion!" Rughoi shouted, and the messenger hastened to comply. "Bring us battle worgs! Kutur, I want you at my side for this." Kutur nodded, and Rughoi helped him to his feet. He ran back to his mother, and quickly embraced her. "Stay within the city walls," he said. "Don't leave them. This could be dangerous." Then he ran to address the army.

@bloonewb

Aerta and Kali were caught off-guard by the sudden change in events. "Meerat, but..." Aerta didn't really know who that was, but the 'dark forces' comment she overheard gave her the idea that this incident was somehow connected to the dark magics she and Ophion had sensed in the Lost City. It wasn't absolute confirmation, but the nearby dracon armies had to know.

"Kali, watch Krakas. I have to report this. If you need me, you know how to summon me. I'll be back as soon as I can!" In a moment, she teleported away, not to the dracon forces, but to a nearby mountain to see what the problem was about. For a minute, she didn't see anything approaching Traeton. Then, in the distance, the sorceress saw a mass of... something. A series of dark-colored abominations, barely distinct from one another this far away. From what she could make out, the beings appeared to have a bizarre mix of limbs, heads, and what seemed to be tentacles. What's more, she could see plumes of smoke rising from a village which had been burned by the bizarre horde, although there was little sound to be heard at that height.

She knew that time was of the essence. Moving quickly, Aerta teleported back home and dashed over to find her husband. "Adykon! My love, there's been a development! Contact the generals! There's something coming from the Lost City!"

"Wha-? They're still planning to attack Traeton, why should we-?"

"No time! Whatever forces are coming from that place is about to hit the city! I don't know if the armies there can handle both at once, so we really should attack the monstrosities first and the kobolds later!"

"Monstrosities? What exactly... never mind. Change of plans, then. Get the crystals and open a line of communication, then. Go find Ophion, love. We'll need his power in this fight. Get him and get to the battlefield and I'll join you with Kara and Smith as soon as possible" he replied, racing to establish contact with the dracon armies as quickly as he could.

It doesn't rain in Traeton, but fog and cloud hung low in the sky, as if the water god Scen himself knew of the evils on the far end. Rughoi shuddered at the thought. His army was great, perhaps the greatest in all kobold history. He could imagine himself now, standing in the shoes of his predecessors. Arjun the Brave, as he did battle against the coalition of all races. Sutam the Conquerer, as he laid siege to a continent. Now Rughoi the Unbound, peering into the darkness, waiting for it to peer back. He looked behind him to marvel at his legion. Holding the center were his own Imperial Arm, consisting of only those who fought and killed dracons in open combat in the assault on Traeton. At the flanks were his newest addition to the army, kobold lancers perched on the backs of frightful worgs. Whatever foe Merat was, he would not prevail today. There, at the end of the mist, shadows danced about the fog, and soon gave way to Merat's irregular form. "The battle is underway," Rughoi said, tapping Kutur's shoulder. "We must make the first strike."

"My Red Disciplines are a little shaky," said Kutur. "But I will not fail you now." He dismounted and raised the gnarled staff in his hand. He began whispering, in words incomprehensible to mortals, yet tapped into the heart of arcane powers. With a shout, he brought down the staff with a THUNK! A low rumble echoed throughout the sandy field, then the sky was rent as if torn by an angry spirit. This was one of Kutur's finest creations, a large mouth from which realms of fire and earth may enter. Lava began raining down on Merat and his forces from the sky. Stones quickly followed, smashing their rank. Fire erupted in columns, all coming from the portal above their heads. Merat's horde was disoriented, flailing with madness at each other or the dirt.

"Form up!" shouted Rughoi. "Advance!"

@bloonewb

Adykon contacted several of the generals, reaching their adjuncts. In as few word as possible, he told them of the changed situation. Many were skeptical at first, but once Ophion vouched for his story, they came around. One of them, a general named Mazdak, requested a conversation with Adykon personally.

"Hello again, old friend."

"Maz?! But weren't you working for Hekaga?"

"It was a few years back. Now, they've got me working for the highest bidder. Long story. I'll just say that many of these mid-sized cities get their field armies from mercenary groups. I'd tell you more, but if you what you say is true, we don't have a whole lot of time."

"Yes, that's right. Aerta and Ophion detected some kind of evil force coming from the lost city. Whatever it is, it's heading to Traeton. You've got to position your army to help stop it. As for the kobolds, we can deal with them later. This takes priority. If your king gives you trouble, just let him you you're acting on my say so."

"I have no king, my friend. Not anymore" Mazdak said grimly. "Now, I just have the next employer. Still, the only ones I serve are dracon kings. No one else has that kind of budget around here anyway. Musings aside, I will re-position my army to fight this dark force, whatever it is."

"Got it. I'll grabs some allies here and join the fray in a few minutes. Thanks, Mazdak." The orange dracon's face disappeared from the crystal as Adykon gathered together a few more things. He was already wearing his armor, but the warrior-turned farmer still had to put on his sword.

"Aerta! Ophion! Kara! Smith! Are you all ready yet? If not, you can catch up later! We have several gate stones charged and ready to go if you need them! We're attacking the dark forces, not the kobolds!"

"We have a problem," said a captain to Rughoi's left. "Outer scouts have come back with harrowing reports. They claim they've encountered dracon forces, closing in from our sides." Rughoi cursed.

"There goes our flank," he said. "Have skirmishers ready to pare down their numbers. I want the guard to change position, to accommodate for this difficulty. Change positions into box formation. They may try to surround us." The captain nodded. This threw a huge wrench into Rughoi's plan. Merat supporters were few, and Rughoi knew he had the numbers. By having the guard in the center, he had hoped to occupy the monsters, while the cavalry go around to envelop. Now such a task is impossible. "Can you perform the spell again?" Rughoi asked.

"I'll do one better," Kutur responded. More words, followed by another strike of the staff, and a pale red steam began emitting from his free hand. It quickly rose up and became a red cloud, hovering over the battlefield. Then, fireballs and lightning came crashing down on the Meratids. Bolts of light struck Meratid captains again and again, bringing them to their knees.

"Good. The Bythesea archmage taught you well. Have those skirmishers find cover. Those dracons will come over the hills any second now. The more I think about it, the surer I am that the dracons signed a deal with Merat to overthrow me. We have the moral ground, and Arda follows the good."

@bloonewb

Mazdak turned to his adjunct officers, seeing that the battle had already begun.

"Sir, we've got reports that this demonic force has engaged the kobolds as well. Whatever it is, it's not on their side."

Mazdak mounted his riding lizard and continued to speak, adjusting the saddle in preparation for a dash to the front lines. "Send word to all divisions to engage the enemy, but do NOT attack the kobolds unless attacked by them first. For now, we've got to deal with this unexpected foe, and any help is welcome, even if it may be coincidental." He kicked his spurs claws against the lizard's sides and he was off.

Adykon teleported in with Aerta and Ophion. Kara and Smith were still at the farmhouse and had yet to catch up. He didn't have long before a group of dracon swordsmen ran past him. They locked shields and began to slowly advance on the enemy, which ran straight into their lines. The monstrosities different greatly in size, shape, and abilities, but most were easy to harm with a sword or spear. Mages from behind the lines began peppering the enemy ranks with fireballs and lightning bolts, but these seemed to have less impact than the soldiers.

For his part, Adykon leapt into the fray directly, chopping at a grotesquely long-necked abomination which still had traces of its former life as a kobold evident in its elongated head. A strange black liquid sprayed from the severed head, forcing Adykon to leap back, lest it touch him. Aerta continued to launch bolts of pure arcana at the enemy lines, magical projectiles which resembled curved diamonds of teal-colored light accented with a pure white center. They inflicted some damage on the enemy, but not a great deal. Fortunately, this had been a test on her part to see how resistant to magic these beings were. Unfortunately, they were quite resilient against spells. Not immune, though. Indirect means would be needed for the mages to make a significant difference to the battle as it was.

"Press them back!" shouted various captains, mixed in the chaos of their own collapsing units. The lines slowly changed in favor of the kobolds, as they drove the advancing horde away from the city, step by bloodstained step. Then, the lines just stopped moving. Horrified, Rughoi saw limbs retract themselves into the folds of scales and flesh that is the core of the monstrous form, and as the limbs absorbed themselves, their scales thickened and adopted a mineral sheen. Spearheads broke on scales, and it was the Meratid force's turn to advance.

"Back to the hill!" shouted Rughoi, tugging on the hairs of his mount. The worg roared, and bounded back to a more defensible position. Slowly, the ranks followed, and the Rughids retreated to the hilly terrain behind them. Such a position would be more favorable when the Meratids charge. That is, if they did, and didn't do as they were doing now, which is themselves retreating. They too ran back to their captains on the other side of the field. This eclectic tactical movement confounded Rughoi. What was Merat planning?

Kutur saw the chance such a respite presented. He, feeling Arda's hand guide his own, began muttering a new set of incantations. From the ground rose vaguely humanoid shapes, motes of fire given form. With a high pitched shriek, they leapt at the dracon ranks, jumping on their shoulders and smashing away with their stubby little hands. They set cloth alight and steel under them glowed red hot. Rughoi saw what Kutur was looking at, and took charge.

"Loose!" he shouted, and the archer units, hidden safely behind the front spears, loosed their deadly volleys, pelting dracon and Meratid alike with arrows. A whistle and a puff of smoke answered such aggression, and Kutur could barely get his arcane shields up in time for the fireballs to splash off. Dracon mages. Kutur and the dracons exchanged blasts of fire, but he knew that the shield won't last, and they will soon break. Then, a dull groaning reverberated throughout the battlefield. Kutur threw his hand forth as he had, but only managed to throw air. He clenched his eyes shut waiting for the return volley, but none came. He looked over and the dracon mages had the same quizzical expression he knew he wore. Then, further out, he found the source of the interruption. The Meratids were stomping on the ground and roaring in a strange unison. Looking at them made his head hurt. He moved his hands to cast a spell, but found he could not. Then, in the distance, there was movement. In every Meratid's hand was now a rock. Together, they hurled it, the brunt of it being received by the imperial guard. Boulders smashed into the shield wall, breaking holes into the once-vigilant formation. Would the dracons attack them, or the Meratids?