"No, no I wouldn't have. As for what more could I want? For you to disband your army, abolish your so-called 'empire', and go home. But that's not going to happen, is it?" Adykon explained, simply, losing his patience. "Killing innocents and committing evils worse than what you claim to fight against does nothing to help anyone but yourself." Angrily, he grabbed Rughoi by the throat and lifted him up with one arm. "You don't seem to understand, so let me make this crystal clear: you are very lucky to escape this with your life, and it is by my will alone that you survive this encounter. You are in no position to make demands. You can find wood and stone yourself, and if you are to get any food at all... it will be the most anyone can manage." Adykon unceremoniously dropped Rughoi to the ground.

"But seriously, I could have cut you in half with my sword right now and no one would have spoken against me for it. For someone whose forces killed thousands of civilians, you are getting off very easily. No imprisonment, no corporal punishment, no penalty apart from leaving a city you can't hope to defend anyway. I don't like the nobles either. While I cannot stand their wealth and arrogance either, at least they aren't actively making war on dracons. Now, cross me again... cross any dracons again without provocation... and I will have to put you down for the good of not just the dracons, but for your kobold followers as well. You start another war, they'll all die as long as you are still in command of them. If not for my efforts-"

"-Mine too, love."

"-and Aerta's, your people would be put to death and enslaved. I'm treating you far better than you deserve. If you can't realize that, it's on you. Now, if you wish to get back to your people, I won't stop you. If you have anything to say, go ahead and say it now. And don't get arrogant on me, it won't work. Believe me, I've been talked down to by half a dozen kings, not to mention Dememoras himself. No amount of appealing to a fine-sounding ideal or vainglorious posturing will work or get you a better deal."

With that, the kobolds packed up their things and once again, found themselves without home. Rughoi, of course, had to get one last triumph in. He ordered everything mobile to be taken, and every building burnt, for he knew the only people to come to the city would be dracon. The walls, however, he could not bring himself to ruin. They were beautiful, gray flagstone lined with marble. The kobold's hand had been forever left on those walls, in the form of their humble granite work filling in the cracks. Such a wall deserved to be preserved, to remember a time of glory. Soon, a city of people were on the road, leaving no living creature behind them. Wheelbarrows full of life possessions made their mark in the sand. Rughoi looked forward, not back, to greater things, as is the duty of the Son of the Dragons.

The new home, as Kutur had predicted, was a beautiful untouched land. The twin rivers jutting out of the Belayon crashed together in a white torrent, and flowed downstream to where it would end at Naushindcalgoa. Already, the sounds of hammering and sawing filled the air, as the kobolds set to work on the little scraps of wood they brought with them. They built kobold houses, a good size for them, as opposed to the too-large dracon homes.

"The Xigyll River Valley," Rughoi said. "Mark it down on the map. Our empire will make its home right here, where Scen has blessed with growth, where Hetuis lays its tail." The beginnings of a humble hillfort had been begun just a ways away, and he saw in his mind's eye a castle that would be the envy of the world.

"Now, Rughoi, you had promised me a day by the water," Ardasa said, smiling slyly and walking up to her betrothed. She stood next to him and gazed out at where the rivers converged. For once, he didn't look tired or mad. He looked like an emperor.

Traeton was indeed a miserable wreck. Most of the buildings had been burned down, and the few still standing had been gutted, looted, or both. The royal palace was relatively unscathed by the flames, but it hadn't been in great shape to begin with. Mazdak had delivered his armies a victory as promised, but it felt rather hollow. Still, the land the city stood on was of some strategic value, and the city needed to be rebuilt as it was. Within days, many of the refugees who had been driven from the city when the kobolds attacked began to come back in. The old ruling dynasty was declared to be defunct, although some members of the old royal family still pressed their claims in vain. Mazdak was placed in charge of the city pending the selection of a new ruling family drawn from the ranks of the remaining citizens. Preferably someone of noble descent or from the city's military.

Adykon went home after the city's recapture. For him, it was just another quest in what seemed to be a never-ending adventure. He entered his farmhouse after the seventh trip to Traeton and set his sword aside.

"Hi, honey, I'm home!"

"Really, Ady? I know you we're aiming for normalcy, but isn't that a little... trite?" Aerta sat cross-legged on a cushion next to one of the round tables they had in the living room, cutting some vegetables.

Adykon removed his shirt as he began to change into his usual clothes at home. "Well, I figured, why not? Just this once." He gave her a hug from behind, but they soon had to resume their tasks. She had to finish preparing the food, he had to get on with some correspondence. "I swear, there are too many parties involved. Every ruler of every city has been demanding my input into this matter, and every one of those kings wants my support and blessing. Think of it! Me! What did I do to deserve this?"

Aerta turned towards her husband for a moment, giving him a look. "Are you whining about fame and fortune again, my dear?"

"I just want to be left alone, Aer. Seriously, we've got a farm to look after, kids to raise, crops to grow... not to mention the herd of goats. I'm raising more than one kind of kid these days."

"Of course. So, what of our long-lost farmhand? How's he doing?"

"Oh, that ungrateful- Rughoi has set himself up in the Xigyll River Valley, along with Kali, Krakas, and the others we know."

"Yes. I've been in contact with her. So far, his little 'Empire' is just a hillfort with some huts surrounding it. Maybe they'll have a city soon enough, but it'll never be a real danger to the dracon realms. They'll kill him if he acts up a second time. Best to just let him live and put him out of your mind for now, love. He may even be an ally someday, if he gets over whatever's bothering him."

-----------------

Kali had wanted to be Rughoi's mate for some time. While she still held out some hope for this, she understood that it was unlikely. Ardasa had him in her grasp, and Kali wasn't jealous enough to try and remove her from the picture. Of course, she still needed a mate, and although she hated having to settle for the next best thing, she still had the task of bowing to the inevitable and deciding who the second-best mate was.

She lay in her brown straw hut, on the mat she used as a bed, her head propped up on a pillow taken from Traeton's palace. Her possessions were piled up in a heap next to her, and they weren't much to speak of. Some spare clothes, a few pieces of religious paraphernalia (such as holy symbols, necklaces, and even a bronze chalice), along with a couple of books and scrolls, plus a pouch containing her cash. Kali looked up at the ceiling, in thought, one leg crossed over the other as she lay on her back, pondering her options for mating. Kutur was intelligent and held significant prestige in Rughoi's court. His armies were badly weakened by the battle against Meerat's abominations, Arjun was still missing, and the promised human reinforcements were nowhere to be found. As such, the few major court figures remaining gained in power and influence, and Kutur was one of them. On top of that, he was good-looking and an intellectual like herself. Smiling, the stood up as she made up her mind. Kutur would have to be the one.

The city of... whatever they would choose to call it... was still very small. 'Xigyll' was a name that had been suggested for it. Although there was much work going on, the place was still extremely rudimentary. Fortunately, everything was close together, and this included the huts. She walked over to Kutur's place and knocked on the wall. There was no door as of yet.

Now was the optimal time to strike. The dracon merchant had made the mistake of stopping right under the talon pass. He turned his back to his cargo to admire the twin peaks, and Qorq made his move. "Freeze, trespasser," he commanded, and the merchant turned to find a row of kobolds had effectively surrounded him. He pulled out his sword, but something poked him in the back, stopping him mid-draw. He turned to find another row of spears, much closer than he was accustomed to.

"Who are you? What do you want?" the merchant croaked.

"Commander Qorq of the Rughid Empire, at your service," Qorq drawled. He drew his own sword and cut the sheets covering the back of the merchant's wagon. "You are now standing on land belonging to the Emperor Rughoi 'the Unbound'. You have brought imports into his soil, and must now pay your dues." He pulled out a box of silks and tossed it to waiting claws.

"I know no empire. I've checked the map thoroughly, brigand. You can't fool me," the merchant snapped, but quickly silenced when a spear was poked again into his back.

"Your map may be a bit out of date," Qorq drawled. "Fortunately, the tax isn't steep. After all, you will have to pay another one to cross the emperor's river. Enjoy your stay." With that, he and his soldiers faded into the mountains, quick as they came.
____________________________________________
The treasury was looking better than ever. Ardasa didn't like the methods Kutur had drawn up, but even she agreed that the alternatives meant the city would be built slower. Already, the Xigyll River Valley was one of the largest importers of wood and stone in the region, and new houses are raised from nothing in a matter of days. The peacetime, too, attracted countless reluctant kobolds to leave the dracon cities. If that meant that foreign merchants had to leave a little sore, then so be it.

"Empress Ardasa just doesn't have the same ring to it," Ardasa giggled, uncurling herself from beside the fire and joining her mated on the balcony. Rughoi had been quite proud of this balcony. He worked nonstop for months on it himself.

"What about Your Mercy?" Rughoi answered, wrapping an arm around her.

"That I like," she sighed, leaning into him. "Look at us. The young emperor and empress, here to lead the kobold people into a new age of happiness and prosperity. That I like even better."

Aerta had gotten wind of the "aggressive tolls" being collected by Rughoi's fledgling kingdom. While it amounted to little more than banditry covered in a sheen of officialdom, it wasn't worth going to war over. After having contacted the various dracon kingdoms, she advised them to issue a warning to their merchants to stay clear of the kingdom for now, and to treat his own merchants in the same manner if they should ever venture into their lands. It was enough to mollify the rulers for now.

--------------------

Kali rapped her hand against the wall again. "Kutur? You there? There's some things I think we should discuss. Important things." There was a pause. She didn't really have much to say, but she had to say something. This was a social call, but she needed it to sound official. "There's going to be a shortage of wood. I've heard that merchants are going to stay away from our realm because we keep collecting 'fines' from them. This is gonna delay our city's construction by..." she had no idea what it was going to do, and the topic was even more tedious when spoken aloud than it was when she thought about it.

"I'm coming in, Kutur." She stepped into his hut, finding it to be far more decorated and well-built than her own, and she wondered where he had acquired so many books. They weren't all stolen from Traeton, as some were specifically kobold-sized and were written in a style of draconic writing specific to kobolds. Granted, it was a far cruder style than the dracons had mastered, and several letters were missing, but it had marks to indicate certain sounds made more readily by kobold mouths, so there was always that to consider.

-----------------

Mazdak had some time to figure out how to repair the city of Traeton, as he had been given rule over the city by the major dracon states. His mandate over the city was for a year with an option to extend it another two if conditions merited. He wasn't king, but he was given the honorary title of viceroy, a ruler in place of the legitimate king while the government was reconstructed. He had no power over the laws, but he could issue edicts in their place, to last as long as he needed them to withing the length of his mandate.
As for the laws themselves, they were technically the same as they were before Rughoi's conquest, although they were all legally considered to be suspended for the length of his mandate, apart from some very basic rules against theft, murder, and violent crimes. Anything else had to be handled by an edict. This left Mazdak with a pile of paperwork as high as a dragon's eye, or so it seemed. He was in the middle of dealing with this paperwork when he received a very special guest.

"Approval for a well in the southern district... granted. Reinstate prohibition on open fires in public... denied. Requirement that all animal owners curb their-"

"Do you always talk to yourself when you write?" A brown-skinned dragon with broad gray horns emerged from the doorway, dressed in a black tunic with a purple sash running down its length from the left shoulder. His vestments wwere simple by design, not necessity, and a closer inspection of his clothes would have revealed that the tunic was made of the highest-quality silk.

"No, I- Prince Ternoc!"

"Grand Prince, thank you very much"

"M-my lord-"

"Former lord, my friend. There's no need for that kind of ceremony. I'm not even officially here, and my ride leaves in an hour, before he's missed at Hekaga's magic guild. I swear, you remind me of my father filling all that stuff out."

"R-really? Is that a good thing?"

"Considering that they needed his approval before the next murder could take place, no. He also regulated drug deals, rapes, and the destruction of the unborn in their shells. Made quite a profit from it too. Selling licenses to commit crimes helped fund his secret police, you know. The Fifty-Seven Hells take the old fiend... but I'm getting off track."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this- this non-visit?"

"In a word, I want peace. It's no surprise that Hekaga's image as a city and kingdom has been tainted over the years. We sided with Dememoras in the war, much to my shame. Hekaga hasn't been allowed to have a king since then."

"But, you rule it like a king, don't you?"

"I rule the city as if I was one in most ways, but there are many limits to my rule in the rest of the kingdom. Many of the lords have privileges which can only be overruled by a king, and many important magical and religious ceremonies specifically need a king to do them. Also, many of Hekaga's treaties are inoperable without a king on the throne, as they specify an agreement between Hekaga's king and that of another city. If you help me, I can make you a king in a sense. King of sacred things, a new priestly position. I've consulted with the temples and they are alright with it. Eager, in fact. They want a king to perform many of their high-end rites. That's my offer to you. In return, I need you to second a peace treaty I have planned with Rughoi's kingdom."

"That fetid little piece of- why, Ternoc? Why do that?!"

"To prove that Hekaga can be dealt with and is willing to make peace with anyone. And to get rid of the kobolds in my city. They're very poor. And basically dead weight, apart from those serving in the palaces of the wealthy. Anyway, I need a king to second my proposal to make peace with Rughoi, and absolutely no other realm will do it apart from some dukes and below. Your title of viceroy will do in this case. I specifically checked that out. In that way, you technically outrank me."

"And why should I do this again? I never wanted to be a priest."

"The training is minimal, the duties would keep you busy on a few days of the year at most, and to sweeten the deal, I've attached a large estate to the office, as well as a very high salary. Didn't you once have ambitions to live the life of a lazy noble?"

"Once, but once I became a general who started actually doing things, I-I left the ambition to be lazy behind. If that makes any sense." Mazdak admitted. There was a long an uncomfortable pause. "I will help you, Ternoc. But what guarantee is there that Rughoi will actually accept a treaty?"

"Common sense would dictate it in this case, but if that doesn't work, I've put together a package of things that I know he'll need. Wood, stone, some food for his construction crews, and some blueprints for a bathhouse."

"A-a bathhouse?! What's that going to do?"

"Kobolds may work hard, but they are notoriously hedonistic too, if given the chance. I suppose the two extremes balance out at some point. Anyway, I get the feeling that they will enjoy it, and that it will tip the deal over into being accepted if it's on the fence. So, if you would reach out to Rughoi with a peace offer, I shall do the same."

Mazdak sighed. "Alright, done. Just give me a bit of time to deal with this paperwork... let's see... regulation stating that all public statues must be at least a meter away from the street..."

"Oh! Erm, good morning, wise sister . . . or is it afternoon?" Kutur mumbled, peering out through the little crack in his wall that served as a window. The days all looked the same to him. He gave the air a sniff, and found it reeking of parchment and ink. Likely afternoon. "I don't entertain much, especially not the venerated," he said, shying away from Kali. " . . . Would you help me with these books?" He gestured to the stacks that huddled in every corner, all written in his own messy scribbles. Since the peace, he had been even more reclusive as of late. He built his hut away from the city center, so far as to hug the mountains, and his aching claws were a testament to his work. "Still, nice of you to come. Sorry . . . about the smell . . . and the tax plan, I guess . . . seemed a good idea at the time." How long had he been trapped in here with his books? How long had he stared at nothing but these pages, jotting down every little mote of knowledge he knew?
_________________________________________________________
Rughoi didn't like this visitor. He was no merchant, at least that's what his national guardsmen say when they tried to loot his carriage. The visitor was a dracon, because of course he was, dressed in bright robes covered in fineries. In the room, surrounded by those in animal skins or dull armor, he stuck out like a banana in a coffee jar. Rughoi got the impression that this 'diplomat', as he called himself, was looking down on the court.

"Esteemed king," the dracon said, bowing. Rughoi twitched at the incorrect title. "I hail from the land of Hekaga, a kingdom not too far from the Talon Pass. We are wealthy, and great in legitimacy, and my Grand Prince has, in his generosity, desired to extend peaceful relations to your humble domain."

"Hekaga . . . " Rughoi mused. He heard worrying reports from all of his borders. Despite the effective peace between the dracon realms surrounding Lake Draconis, such treaties were poorly honored beyond. Border skirmishes were a near-constant affair between the kobold's national guard and dracon outer scouts, and the racial tension did not help in the slightest. "I remember Hekaga. Commander Rebat's scouts were massacred outside the Talon Pass, right at the doorstep to my empire, by soldiers shouting 'greetings from the mighty Hekaga'. Now, I suppose that's settled. Guards! Cut this worm's throat open!"

"Wait!" he shouted, as imperial guardsmen tied down his arms. "The king offers wood and stone! Food and construction designs!" This made Rughoi pause. Being an emperor was difficult. On one hand, he could kill this representative, both twisting the talon of an arrogant dracon realm while at the same time demonstrating his own power, but he also knew that his people could make good use of the offered materials. Ardasa didn't speak, but she squeezed his claw in hers and shot him a glare that made her intentions clear. Rughoi growled. Binding was making him soft.

"Toss him out of my empire. If this dracon king wants to discuss treaty, he can come to me himself." The imperial guards pulled the dracon away, while Rughoi signaled a captain. "Summon Kutur. He, I think, would know what to do."

Kali bent over to help him with his tomes. Many of them had a strange odor to them, as if they hadn't been cleaned or washed. Normally, books didn't require such a thing, but these had been placed in his hut, right next to him for gods only knew how long. If nothing else, he needed a bath.

"Kutur, you've got to put down those books-" she sniffed the air, exaggerating the sound to make him see her point. "-not to mention get cleaned up." I swear, the way you spend so much time with these tomes, I'd almost say you were in love with them. Maybe you should look for someone else when it comes to that sorta thing. Someone like... me!" Kali was a pretty kobold, but not exactly drop-dead gorgeous. She took Kutur's hand. "Come on. We've got some time before your skills are needed. I know a nice place by the river where we can get you cleaned up and then we can-"

"Kutur!" One of the imperial guards marched up to Kutur, pike in hand. "His imperial majesty requests your presence." That was another thing. The title of emperor was one which no dracon dared to claim, for Dememoras himself had claimed it. As a king was a ruler over a single country, an emperor was the monarch of many countries at once. Claiming such a title also hinted at a claim over the lands of others, something no dracon realm would tolerate. Even though Rughoi's holdings were smaller than that of any dracon kingdom and even smaller than many independent dracon duchies, his title was still inflated beyond what they were comfortable with.

"Fine, let's just go to see what Rughoi wants" Kali sighed, defeated. "The sooner we deal with it, the sooner we can get on with our own fun. Maybe his toes are acting up again..."

"You sent for me, Your Might?" Kutur asked, sheepishly entering the room behind a row of guards. Kali didn't look happy in the slightest about this.

"We have a bit of a problem," Rughoi said. Immediately to the point, as always. "An emissary of Hekaga was just in here, screaming about how the Hekaga king wants peace between our nations. If you ask me, it sounds like a load of nothing, a ploy to get merchants through our pass or worse, an army. I've invited their king to come to the palace to formalize it, but we should always prepare for an honorless dracon to break their word. What are your thoughts?"

"Umm . . . " Kutur hummed. He had no answer to such. Either way sounded like a bad gamble for the empire. It seems, that for a burgeoning nation like theirs, traps and pitfalls were always waiting to snap them up. "I wouldn't worry about the Hekaga king while he's within our domain, Your Might. We can force him to leave any protection he brings outside of our domain, on pain of open war, while keeping our defenses at maximum condition."

"Well, you'd be in the minority in the court," Rughoi groaned. "You should probably stay here for the meeting. I'm already hating it."

"Wise Sister Kali, how nice it is to see you!" gushed Ardasa, bowing to the priestess. Two things the kobolds chose not to adopt from their former dracon overlords were the dress and the curtsy. "Do our gods honor us today with mercy and favor?"

"The portents are favorable" Kali remarked, politely returning the bow. Of course they were. The gods the kobolds prayed to usually gave them good omens regardless of the actual outcomes. This was due to the fact that as far as they were concerned, the loss of a kobold or a thousand was no big deal given their quick breeding rate. "Hekaga doesn't have a king, though. Not anymore. Grand Prince Ternoc won't be coming here, either. Or if he did, I'd be surprised. He'll probably send someone else in his place."

She turned to Rughoi and bowed down to him, and briefly leaned all of the way down to the floor to kiss his feet, a sign of submission. It wasn't so humiliating for them, given how kobolds were used to this sort of submission, and she briefly noted the pungent smell of the salve Krakas used on her son's feet. She'd have to be as humble as possible for what she was going to suggest next.

"My lord, please do not risk a war under any circumstances. Even if everything goes as well as possible for us in such a conflict, we will still be utterly and completely wiped out. Our forces are down to a fraction of their strength since the battle at Traeton, and the dracons won't leave anything to chance if they have to fight us. And I have it on good authority that they are all building up their armies." Aerta had told her this, but Kali dare not mention that she was still in regular contact with Adykon's wife. "For all our sakes, we'd best devote our efforts to making this a paradise for kobolds, not a military power."

Rughoi said nothing, so Ardasa stepped in with her own answer before he could. "Of course, Wise Sister! Look at us, we have made many concessions in the name of peace, haven't we Rughoi?" A grunt, hopefully meaning yes, was her response. "See? I'm sure everything will go swimmingly! Now, enough worrying about armies and battles. Such talk is counter-productive. Instead, we have an opportunity to celebrate . . . uhh . . . "

"This book?" Kutur offered, raising up one of his many records. Kali had dragged him quickly out of his little hut, but this he kept with him at all times.

"Yes, our very own Magister's book!" Ardasa said, leaping at the opportunity. "How lovely it is to see the general wisdom of our little empire furthered every passing day!" She went over and hugged Kutur, while whispering her thanks at a distance where nobody would be listening. "Isn't that right, Rughoi?"

" . . . Yes, I suppose," he muttered. "Who knows? Maybe this will turn out fine. Maybe Hekaga isn't a city full of sheep creatures plotting day and night to topple the beacon of kobold civilization. That's the spirit." His sarcastic quip was interrupted by a captain, dressed in legion plating, running in and bowing.

"Your Might, our outer scouts have sighted a detachment of Hekaga wagons flying the symbol of diplomacy!"

"Send out our own, and escort them to the palace," Rughoi ordered. The captain rushed to do so. "Now, let us see if Her Mercy's prediction, as it were, has any grounding in it."

The convoy from Hekaga was indeed filled with the materials Ternoc had spoken to Mazdak about. For once, there was no trickery involved with this deal, counter to the reputation Hekaga had so thoroughly earned over the centuries. Although it was escorted by some soldiers on horseback and on riding lizards, the guards were far too few and armed too lightly to give the impression that this was a military expedition in disguise. Indeed, not only were the wagons flying a symbol of diplomacy, they were totally uncovered so as to ward off the accusation that they were part of a Trojan Horse operation. They greeted the kobold escort formally, and proceeded to the city as fast as their heavy cargoes would allow them to.

"Thank you Ardasa. Maybe we can actually built that... whatever it is." She bowed before Rughoi once more, doing her best not to get distracted by her plans later today and how much she wanted to do them while there was still enough time. "My lord, are we dismissed for now?" Kali asked, her voice filled with the eagerness of a child asking to go out and play. "Kutur and I... well, I have some plans for today." She didn't explain what those plans were about, but they certainly didn't sound like anything scholarly. While Kali was a smart female, she wasn't a "book wyrm" as Kutur was. Most kobolds had a ratio of reading to romance which was quite the opposite of his. Diametrically opposed, even. Getting him to kiss her, let alone be her mate would quite possibly be the hardest task of her life. His willingness to actually mate seemed to be zero, as if that part of his brain, so active among kobolds, was unusually dormant. Possibly even broken, who knew? Whatever urges he had in that regards seemed to be directed towards his books, and she wondered if he got a little too much pleasure from reading them. It was not something she wanted to dwell on.

" . . . Very well. Return when the meeting with the envoy takes place," commanded Rughoi, and Kali zipped out of the room, Kutur in tow, surprisingly quickly.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Ardasa said, watching them go. "Look, how in the absence of war, our citizens could find time to enjoy themselves, to go out and play. You could learn a thing or two from that." She hoped her mate heard that comment. He was always working on one project after another, without any stop between. First it was the balcony, which simply had to be made of stone. Next it was enforcing the tax plan. On and on it went.

"We cannot match larger races in terms of size and strength," Rughoi countered. "Only in our minds are we superior. It is natural to find purpose in work, for that sets one apart from lesser creatures."

"Nonsense! Scen gave us joy so that we may seek more of it," exclaimed Ardasa, smirking in her knowledge of how to goad her bound one. He was raised religious, and he would be all his life without doubt. "If we had the wood, I would have lovely docks built lining the rivers. Imagine it, will you? Strong kobolds rowing their lovers out to the soft whistling of the current . . . "

"I have plenty of docks," Rughoi said, sniffing.

"Army ports don't count," Ardasa laughed. She went over and kissed Rughoi on the side of his snout.

"I suppose . . . " Rughoi sighed. "Still, the dracon emissaries. I wish they'd stop taking their damned time and hurry themselves up. The longer they wait, the more inclined I feel about burning their city to the dirt."

"Wagons won't teleport, silly. Give them time." Ardasa said. "We have nothing to worry about, honestly."

Kali took Kutur by the hand and ran with him, pulling him along to the river.

"If they need us, we can always come up with a reason why we can't be there, Kut. Can I can you that? I mean- call you that. Sorry. I just get so excited when I finally get what I want. I haven't had time to think about my own desires since... well, I can't remember the last time, really." She finally slowed down when they reached the river's edge, calming down when her feet felt the wet soil on the riverbank.

"You know, it isn't really like kobolds to do what we're doing. I know that it may be a sterotype that we live in caves and aren't as strong or bright as most other humanoids, but there's some truth to that. We've only survived because of our prop- popen-, our propensity to lay large nests and to be able to do so for a very long part of our lives." Kali explained, hoping that Kutur would appreciate the intellectualism. If she could throw in some romantic undertones to it, so much the better. "I'm not saying that kobolds can't be smart, but that we have to play to our strengths. It's why halflings make terrible knights, and trolls make awful mages." She sat down by the river and put her feet in the water, letting the cool stream wash the sand from her toes. She took her right foot in her hands as she picked out some sand from beneath her claws, but she kept speaking.

"You've been awfully quiet lately. Is everything alright?"

"Fine, fine," Kutur said, only half listening. Kali was especially chatty today, it seems. Maybe she felt as nervous as he did. The ridiculous nickname stung, though. In the days of his studies, when he trained, as many others did, under the guiding hand of the Bythesea Archmage, he had taken a human name. Alexius Lionus Garrakus, it was. It was a name he wore with pride, for it told the world that he was a peer to some of the greatest wielders of the arcane found in the world. Kut . . . he'd rather not, but he wasn't about to say anything to Kali. Perhaps he should stop thinking about it.

He went over to the riverside and put a toe in, but pulled his foot back with a squeak. The water was a bit cold for his taste. "If you would . . . sorry, but . . . " he muttered, waving his hand in a vague indication for her to give him a bit of space. When he felt comfortable, he rubbed his hands together. Sparks of flame leaped out of his fingers, jumping to the ground. Kutur felt, as he always did, the primordial forces coursing through his frail body, and he knew that such power would never be his. He is but a road, redirecting the power instead of generating it. The thought made him feel both small and important at the same time. With a hiss, he pushed the flames out of his hands, and they erupted into a wild inferno that licked at the water like a thirsty dragon. He then gingerly stepped back into the water. It was still cold.

"Apologies, I interrupted you. What was it you were saying again?"

Kali chuckled when Kutur had trouble putting a toe in the river. "Aw, don't be such a hatchling about it. You just need to get used to the water." She had an idea of how to get him to loosen up, but it wasn't one born of clear thought or careful consideration. No, this was one of those wild, stupid ideas which burst forth from out of nowhere and returned to the ether just as quick as they came. Either she'd act on it now or never do it.

She did it.

Kali gave Kutur a push right into the water. She leapt into the river feet-first, splashing the water everywhere. It wasn't deep or fast-moving, but it definitely felt cooler than the desert air. "There we go! Doesn't that feel better? As for what I was saying... doesn't matter. Just try to relax..."

The water enveloped Kutur, soaking straight through his robes. He gasped, sputtered, and shivered as he splashed around in the shallow water, squawking like a chicken. When he righted himself, he found Kali standing where he used to be, bent double and laughing. Kutur glared up at her. Time for payback.

Kali's laughing soon stopped when two lengths reached out from the water and grabbed her by the waist. A vague form of a head and torso followed, resembling to an extent the form of a human. The elemental then tossed Kali down the river into the deep center with a flick of its arms, sending her into the water with a splash. Kutur peeled his wet robe off of himself and set it down by the shore, chuckling a bit to himself.

Kali was surprised at first by the humanoid elemental.

"Why'd you make look like a humahhhh!" It tossed her into the water, as she expected it would. Giggling, she swam under the river for a few seconds, her snout breaking the surface with a splash as she shook her head, sending droplets around her in a small radius. Her smile grew into a wide grin as she saw Kutur take off his robes, something she hadn't actually seen before. The priestess waded to the shore, then put a hand on his shoulder. The kobolds both still had some clothes on, so they were still decent.

"Doesn't it feel good to get out of that robe on a day like this?"

Kutur shied away from Kali's touch. He was home now, with his own people, but some foreign habits he cannot shake. He remembered embracing everyone he met, the moment he reached the magical academy. That turned out to be rather unnerving to the human folk that the archmage had to explain to him the cultural differences. Now he felt those differences, but on the other end. It felt strange, being so different and yet so alike.

"I suppose," he squeaked, slowly trying to maneuver Kali's hand off of his shoulder short of brushing it off.

It took a moment for Kali to realize that Kutur was uncomfortable with her touching him. It wasn't meant to be bothersome, and it definitely wasn't intended to be provocative. She didn't know why he shied away from her, but she didn't want to make him uneasy. Kali released his shoulder and took a step back.

"Er... sorry about that." It wasn't something kobolds would normally find wrong, let alone apologize for. "I guess you've picked up a lot of human customs?" She knew that human social conventions different tremendously depending on which group of humans they were talking about, so she wasn't even sure that her question made any sense to him.

The two of them stood there, quiet and rather light on clothing, for a few awkward seconds. Kutur was not a charismatic kobold, not by any definition. He knew not how to wrangle with his words, especially not with beautiful girls. "Uhh . . . ahh . . . " he mumbled, in his head cursing how his tongue would slip up when he thought words would come.
________________________________
"The wagons have arrived outside the city walls, Your Might," came a report from a guard captain. Rughoi took a deep breath and readied himself for the meeting.

"Let them in. Take their weapons, and do not allow any soldiers or guards within the palace walls. I will have to hear what these dracons have to say, despite good evidence to the contrary. Find my magister. I would feel better if Kutur were here."