Chapter Seventeen: The Kobold And The Kobeautiful
Foadan Gamstone opened a cabinet near the weapons rack and retrieved a robe and a quarterstaff. Zuglah was shocked when the man opened two portals. The Dwarf was a Wizard? He looked like he could crush rocks in his bare hands.
“Okay, heroes through the portal on the left. The rest of you, on the right! Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn soon enough!” Zuglah didn’t know what to expect, but he was obviously a little more comfortable around portals than many of his classmates. He stepped through.
He found himself inside a vast cavern that was lit by an orange glow from below. It reflected off of glistening walls and vaulted, natural crystal ceilings, making for a spectacular view. He was standing on a thick, wide pathway of stone that led onwards into the distance. His awareness of the Fighter suddenly became much greater, and then the Cleric, Wizard and Enchanter. In front of them, the portal vanished.
The stone pathway they stood on seemed to hang in midair, with fires and molten rock waiting below. A narrow bridge connected them to a wide circular platform that contained a large number of enemies. Kobolds.
Some had black fur, others blonde, and although most had a mottled combination of both, the predominant color was a rusty red-brown. The faces were reminiscent of hyenas or perhaps foxes, with a vicious temperament and evil disposition. Their bodies were long and awkwardly balanced on two legs, and seemed to resent any attempt to fit clothes to their misanthropic frames.
There was a burly Shaman in a feathered cape and bone armor, and he was leaning on a Curse Totem staff that radiated a green energy. Zuglah could see that the field of influence was nearly the entire circular platform. At least a dozen Kobold Savages, Bone Darts and Whistlers were waiting to fight them. Right in the center was a tall, thick-necked Kobold with a wooden shield and a wicked scimitar. The Shaman was focused on him. There was no chance of sneaking up on the group, because they were staring right at them.
“The fight won’t start until we set foot on that platform. We all have to be on it before it starts, but the whole group will fall back behind the Shaman and the Rager when we approach. Once it starts, the Savages will try to swarm me and Warwick while the Darts and Whistlers keep you guys busy.” Everyone was nodding along.
“I might be able to help with the swarming a little.” Zuglah drew his knife and explained about the nasty thorns it produced.
“And after they break free, I can probably account for at least a couple.” Pliesson held out his tiny black hand, revealing a miniature carving of a pig. Nobody knew what it meant, but they agreed that he should use it.
Zuglah opened his potions bag and handed Denton a Heal. He gave the other Wizard, whose name was Randall, a Mana Pot, as well as Pliesson and the Cleric. That only left him with two Mana Pots, unless he wanted to go digging through his Bag of Holding.
He did, however, take out the bag and swap the quarterstaff for Redda Mo, who immediately began voicing his dire emotional wounds.
“Oh my Gods! Were you going to have this huge fight without me? I’m not going to lie, this feels very last minute. Who are all these people?”
The people in question were all wondering the same. “I didn’t want to explain why I have a talking quarterstaff.”
“Yes. Later would be the perfect time to explain. So Zuglah, you will be the opening attack with your snare, so you shall step onto the island last. Let’s make today the day we clear this dungeon.” Randall thought that he should be the last one off the island, his reasoning being that although they were both Wizards, the Troll was much bigger, and probably tougher, than he was. Zuglah didn’t mind, but Denton was a firm leader. “We go with the order I’ve assigned. Now let’s begin.”
Denton strode confidently onto the dirt platform and walked the twenty feet or so until he was standing in front of the Kobold Rager. The beast howled and beat its sword against the wooden shield attached to its shoulder. The other Kobolds all howled too, clashing weapons and hooting at Denton. He ignored it all, waiting until he was in position and looking the savage beast square in the eyes, before he drew his broadsword and raised his shield. He began to glow, as Warwick took a stance behind him. Zuglah thought it was a bold move.
The Wizard Randall came off of the platform and took two steps to his left. He stopped there, staying as far away from the enemy as he possibly could. Pliesson shuffled forward and planted his own staff behind and just to the right of the Cleric.
The Rager was standing dead center of the platform, with the Shaman some ten feet behind him. To his left and right were snarling, gnashing Kobolds wearing patchwork bone armor and blackened steel weapons. Everyone was focused on the enemy, so Zuglah drew Briarthorn and cast his Wall of Thorns just as he stepped onto the island. He could not include the Rager in the spell, because he was sure to strike Denton if he did. But he managed to snare every creature on the Rager’s left hand side.
Randall cast a level two wizard spell called Seek Metal, but for some reason he only created a single seeker, even though each subsequent little gremlin of electricity cost almost nothing compared to the spell itself. Seemed like a waste to Zuglah. Pliesson ran over to Randall’s side and cast his Illusion, creating a glistening pig that squealed in fright as it ran. Zuglah could feel the urge to devour it, even though he was immune to the magical effects. Three of the Kobold Savages and one Bone Dart gave chase.
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Denton was fighting the big Rager, both of them landing blows and taking damage. The Kobold was able to step back and hide behind his shield momentarily, and this gave his Shaman the opportunity he needed to wave his staff over the heads of his troops trapped inside the thorns. The snare vanished, and the Kobolds rushed around the side to fall upon the Cleric Warwick.
Zuglah ran forward and swept the Kobolds with Blazing Inferno, the short-range fire spell that grew hotter the more mana you put into it. He put a heaping amount.
Several of the Kobolds died right there, and the rest fled back around behind the Shaman to lick their wounds. Denton, harassed by bone arrows from the darkness, turned to shout something at Randall. The Rager took the opportunity to put the pommel of his sword right into Denton’s face.
The Savages had mostly abandoned the pig, some attacking Warwick from his left and others chasing Pliesson around, who was running and squealing worse than his illusion had done. Zuglah aimed Dancing Mana at the Kobolds chasing the Driole, and killed two. The third one he managed to catch with his staff, and simply knocked it off the edge into the fires below. “Just stay close to me from now on,” he told the brown-furred Enchanter.
Denton kept trying to overwhelm the Rager, rushing in and attacking for big damage. But he had to take hits to land them, and as soon as Warwick had him healed up, the Shaman also had the Rager back to full. It was quickly heading for a manaless fight.
“Find a place to hide, would you?” He told Pliesson. He blinked.
As soon as he arrived behind the Shaman, Redda Mo was deflecting blades, and knocking wrists and ankles for all he was worth. Zuglah lunged forward and stuck the Shaman in his side twice with The Ice Blade. The bone armor kept his blade from sinking in deeply, but both blades detonated a moment later and the entire rib cage fell apart. The Shaman cast a ray of pure fire that caught Zuglah square in the chest.
He had always been told that he was immune to normal fire, even though it still stung, and that he was resistant to the magical variety. The ring he wore was supposed to make that highly resistant. But that blast of fire burned, searing a hole in his robes and scorching his flesh. It hurt a lot. Zuglah snarled, and unleashed Blazing Inferno right back into the Shaman’s face, and he turned it on the Kobolds behind him as well. They broke and ran. He sent The Ice Blade to speed them on their way, spreading a volley of Dancing Mana among the three that none survived.
Zuglah turned back to the Shaman, but he was just being hit by Dancing Mana, which killed him. Zuglah unleashed his own Dancing Mana towards the couple Bone Darts that were still harassing them from the shadows, and the small arrows ceased. Zuglah aimed The Ice Blade into the back of the Kobold Rager, finally able to relax when it exploded and allowed Denton to lop off its head with a backhanded sweep. The fight was done.
Immediately a portal opened. Foadan Gamstone strode through, and then the rest of the class. “Now, I wouldn’t call it a flawless victory, but it was not without its moments. Zuglah, was it? That was a turning point in the fight, what you did there. Also, something we’re going to have to talk about later, you and I. About unteachables. But for now, well done. Denton, Warwick, both excellent. A short rest should have you both upright and moving forward. Randall, not bad but you should have worked with Pliesson. The two of you could have run that whole side of the room.”
“He would have had to stop fleeing, for me to work with. Or I would have to take up jogging.” Pliesson flinched when everyone laughed. Zuglah wanted to punch Randall right in his snout.
“You should have. You left him high and dry to go chasing strays. For his first fight ever, he did a sight better than you, if I recall. You didn’t cast a single spell. Pliesson, you get a passing grade.” The Driole first looked embarrassed, then pleased with his review. His back was always curved, but still, he was standing just a bit taller.
Foadan brought his staff down with a clunk, and it started to glow. Five tiny piles of silver appeared around the butt of the staff. “Your reward. Loot up lads. Who wants to go next?”
Denton was just leaning down to pick up his pile of silver, and he jumped up and stepped into Gamstone’s line of sight. “Hey, wait a minute. It’s still our run, we can continue.”
The Dwarf feigned surprise. “Oh really? Are you sure? You have two first timers in your squad, after all.”
Denton turned to address the group. “Surely you want to continue? We’re doing great. We could go for a clearance, I think.” He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet, clearly excited. Warwick was beside him, echoing his assent.
“I know I can keep going. Randall, you’re in, right?”
The Human slowly looked the Driole up and down, then with a heavy sigh said, “May as well. It might not end quite so lucky next time, but let us see how far we get. I honestly don’t expect us all to get past the next round.” He once again looked pointedly at Pliesson.
Zuglah was fed up. He looked towards the large Dwarf, who merely looked back with a raised eyebrow. He marched over to Randall. “Hey Randall, can I see that Pot I gave you earlier?”
Randall reached into his belt pouch and produced the small blue vial. “I suppose you’re going to take it back now? Afraid I’ll outshine you again, and get the big kill?” Zuglah carefully plucked the potion from the Wizard’s fingers.
“No, of course not. I just didn’t want you to drop it when I punched you in the mouth.”