I think I underestimated how much a pack of hungry kobolds could eat.

Things started pretty well: everyone got themselves a wooden plate and were pacing themselves, making small talk and complimenting the chefs. Then Tuleni upturned her plate into maw like a living garbage can, and all hell broke loose. There was arguing and snapping about table manners and who would get seconds or thirds. It was times like this that being mute was a paradox: I'm glad I didn't have to argue, but also disappointed that I couldn't contribute. By the end of the meal there wasn't anything left in the pan.

I took it upon myself to clean up, since everyone else was lethargic after stuffing themselves full. While I cleaned I sensed little flickers of magic in different spaces around the room, but every time I went to look at what their source was they would disappear. Either something’s going on, or somebody is toying with me. A voice like distant thunder drew my attention to Tuleni, who was standing just out of my peripheral view. How do people keep sneaking up on me?

"Blue one sense strong. Know where spell, even behind. Make good mage, better warrior. We see. Come, Tuleni check now."

Before I could protest I was taken to the dorm room. Although her grip was gentle I still felt a bit of discomfort as she pulled me along. Slow down lady, my legs aren't as long as yours! When we got into the room she stopped and marveled at the space.

"Such nice den, very living. Remind Tuleni old den, years past. Bah, not that time, check time. Here, sit, not move."

With a sudden shove I was now sitting at the edge of the center divot while she loomed over me. First she plucked one of the scales out of my head, an action that would have made me yelp. Then she leaned me forwards and began squeezing and pulling on my tail, an act that felt inappropriate in a number of ways. After that was an in depth examination of my face, particularly the inside of my mouth. All the while she would make comments on what she thought.

"Blue good, very strong color. Remind Tuleni ocean, maybe sky. Pretty girl have hard scale, nice tough. Ah, such strong tail. Long, firm, fat root, very good, can improve. Tuleni advice, eat more. Thunder eyes very shiny, look angry though. Heh, calm little one, Tuleni never insult. Big fang, strong bite. What this? Hmm…"

Her hands pushed my head upwards, giving access to my throat. Two clawed fingers pressed into my neck, followed by a tingling sensation that I distinctly remembered from her previous examination of the area. Whatever this was, it felt nice and soothing everywhere from my chin to my shoulders, except for the spot just under her fingers.

"Unusual. Wound healed well, Tuleni certain. Voice there, just blocked somehow. Blue one speak again, just need more time. Here, let- oh!"

My arms were around her before she could say another word. What she had just said about my voice coming back someday put me into an ecstatic blur of emotions. I was overjoyed thinking about the possibilities: talking to my brothers, telling my parents what I was thinking about, giving suggestions and ideas to people, and singing too! Oh thank you so much granny, you're the best healer in the world!

The old kobold let out a deep rumbling chuckle as she wrapped me in her arms.

"Calm, little one, calm. Heavy burden that was, Tuleni know. Blue one, Kayrux, much like Juaki. Strong, smart, worry too much. Relax, let Tuleni finish check."

A light push separated us, though I would have held onto her for hours. I was excited to such a degree that I could barely sit still. Her inspection resumed. My legs were poked and prodded, and the numb prickling sensation she conjured discerned that I was almost entirely healed. A few more scales were plucked from various spots. Eventually she took my arm and unwrapped it. I was astonished by what was underneath, and Tuleni explained what had happened.

"Arm injured also? Skilled bandage wrap, need two hands. Small boy, perhaps? Wound fresh, yet heal fast. Boy learn well, make good healer. Scar fade eventually. Look, scales already growing, very good."

The jagged tear in my arm was now a freshly scarred wound, with scales growing around the edges. I was unsure how fast kobolds could heal or regenerate, how effective potions were, or if being young played some part in my speedy recovery, but I definitely wasn't complaining. It has been less than two weeks and all of the broken bones we had were almost completely healed.

A lighter bandage was wrapped around my arm with a strange smelling paste smeared over the scar. Tuleni then laid both hands on my torso, one over my heart and the other on my navel. I wondered what she was doing for a moment, but the sensation of something flowing through me drew my attention. My brain recognized it as magic, but it was different than how I had experienced it before. This was not an invasive sensation of the alien energy moving through me against my will, instead it passed into every inch of skin, muscle and bone in soft pulses much like the beating of my heart moving my blood. The flow began in my core and reached to every place it could, then would radiate out from those veins it followed into the flesh surrounding it only to be drawn into the center of my being again. When grandma removed her hands from me the flow ceased, and all of the leftover mana was pulled back into my core. Now that I had felt where my core was I could picture it in my mind, and feel its presence as it pulsed together with my heart. Tuleni made a comment on what she had sensed.

"Such…large magic lines. Potent source, hold vast power. Lines not ready, soon, when done growing. Ready yourself Kayrux, magic like that very scary. Could kill many, used poorly. Patience when learning, practice careful. Come, back together."

She led me back into the den, where everyone had recovered from their binge induced stupor. I took my previous seat once more, with Tuleni across from me wearing a proud smile. Juaki placed a hand on her arm, and her voice shuddered slightly.

"Mother, do you have good news?"

Tuleni petted the top of mom's head, which was an unusual sight for us, and addressed the whole room.

"Fine pups, best clutch this moon-rise. All strong magic, all healthy, each unique. Humey have great strength, true dragon fire. Tokols nimble, clever also, already knows wordless spell. Mibata cunning amazing, great mind, greater heart. Kayrux huge magic source, lines still growing."

The brothers were each looking proud that they had passed her assessment, primarily due to the joyous reaction that our parents were having. The others were enjoying themselves until the older lizard brought their attention back to her with a clacking of her claws.

"Their elements come with time. Tuleni guess before next moon-rise. Once discovered, Tuleni check again. Meantime, Tuleni make important fact known."

She gestured for me to come closer, and once I had she took my hand as well as one of Juaki's in her own.

"Kayrux lose voice, not daughter fault. Kayrux strong pup, endure without. Tuleni check today, notice something strange. Kayrux voice blocked, though block growing weaker. Daughter, someday little one speak again."

Juaki moved slowly to cover her mouth as the tears began to flow freely. She looked up to me with a look of disbelief.

"Is this true?"

I nodded before throwing myself into her arms. I couldn't hear my own thoughts over the cheers around me. I felt arms wrap around mother and I, binding us together in a large family hug. I wasn't just happy for myself, I was happy for everyone. I knew that mom had some guilt holding her hostage, and I was sure that the worry had infected everyone else to a similar degree, but now we knew that there was no need for any of that. I promised myself that I would tell her how much she means to me as soon as my voice returned.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

…

As with all good things, they must end, though it was fortunate for us that they would end on a high note. Tuleni had to go back to her clinic so she could manage a few intensive care patients, and mom wasn’t keen on letting her walk alone after such an exciting day. Grandma’s exact wording was "Apprentices cannot manage forever, must depart before disaster.", which implied that the clinic she ran was perhaps larger than I thought.We were asked to remain seated before Juaki left, leaving us here with just our dad and uncle. Bahruk was the one to sit across from us teens, and his expression told that he would rather be anywhere else.

"I have some unfortunate news. The healers leave that has granted you all a reprieve will end tomorrow. After which you will each be assigned your two functions. Every citizen has two jobs they switch between every other week. I am a workshop manager and a tunnel maker, your mother a guardian and monster slayer. You may choose the first, but the second is chosen by the lesser elders."

Truth be told, that didn't sound like such a bad system. One week you would do something you were passionate about, and the other would be where you were needed. I guess that dad chose to be a repair man, but the city needed his rock shaping powers down in the mines. I know for a fact that mom was a hunter at heart, though being a guard was probably a cake walk for her.

While rubbing at his chin thoughtfully, Mibata asked a set of questions that were in all of our heads.

"Where are these functions selected, and how do we choose our own? Are there limitations to what we may choose? What jobs would you suggest for us?"

Bahruk tapped his tail on the ground as he frowned.

"I can answer all of those at once. There is a chamber adjacent to the altar of ancients that holds a device called a function reading array. You step inside and you talk with the voice inside. It uses your answers to find out what job you would be best at, and which job would make you happiest. It works, if your mother and I are proof. I love making machines, but I am the only kobold that has the magic to reshape stone, making me the best tunneler. Your mother loves the hunt, but when she is on duty nobody dares break laws."

Called it. Also, what kind of personality quiz machine can determine your lifelong career? Whatever it is, I will be meeting it soon enough.

Tokols had a different line of thinking.

"Hey dad, did your old home have rules like that?"

He looked taken aback by such a question, but eventually he smiled as he told us his story fondly.

"No, Velthii was nothing like here. There were no elders or altars, and there were more than just kobolds living there. We had dug an entire city into the ground and built another above for our surface friends. It was a place with an abundance of iron and gold, with a great trade floor just for visiting merchants. The only problem was the cold. The Second Tomb is far to the West, close to the great ice planes. Kobolds that live there are adapted for it, or they live in the deep city. I am lacking any feathers or fur, but I wanted to see the sun. I came East in search of the sand.”

Hold up, did he just say sand? My hands flew across my slate as I imagined where we must be.

“Sand? Desert sand or beach sand?”

Bahruk looked surprised at my sudden interest in the conversation.

“Um, desert sand. Terokos lies within the Crimson Desert, in view of the monster infested bogs to the North. I suppose I should request with the scribe hall for a map of the Reclaimed Kingdoms, and Old Pteronia. It will be a pricey expenditure, but a smart kobold should know their homeland.”

Dang, I was hoping we were close to the sea. Bahruk saw the disappointment on my face and waved his hands in an attempt to dispel my woes.

“W-well, we aren’t too far from an ocean-going river. Maybe someday we can hire a boat and take a ride to the coast. Once you’ve earned some coin and regained your voice we could chart a trade route there and back.”

Oh, I really hope that there are coastal towns we could visit. So many foods I knew required aquatic ingredients, and recreating them would be such a joy. The things we could do on the beach! Sandcastles, treasure hunting, fishing, and swimming too. I would have to treat everyone to a seaside cookout with an Earth world flair.

My daydreaming must have been obvious, as when my brain finally decluttered itself of the sandy daydreams I found myself the subject of everyone's curiosity. It was Tokols that brought our conversation back on track after my little imaginary adventure.

"Not sure I want to know. So, you mentioned maps, scribes, workshops and guards, but what else do we have here? A city doesn’t just make money from nothing.”

With a snap of his fingers and a look of pride, dad followed that derailment rather than stare at my awkward rumination.

“Right you are! Terokos is a place with access to deep underground chambers that not many others share. Crystals and gems are the biggest trade item, and the harvests from the fungal forests are the best tasting. We also have our own tunnel boar ranch and silk bug hollows, though we do not trade the boar meat, and the silk is sold exclusively to the dune caravans as part of an old treaty. Our mines bring up many different ores and a hefty sum of coal that fuels our workshop, smithy, and metal trades. Those are the large parts of the city production, but there are many smaller parts that are family owned, and some places like the scribe hall and laboratories that are overseen by the lesser elders.”

Sounds like there is a heavy focus on industry and agriculture in this city, with a decent variety of trade goods and usable skills to rake in the profits. The presence of independent businesses was refreshing and relaxing, since I half expected the elders to institute some kind of mandate to prevent such behavior. Maybe I only think that because of how our interactions with them have gone, and they really care for the people. No, wait, they openly rejoiced when somebody was eaten by a mirror monster during a ritual. Yeah, they’re still bad guys, even if they do promote free-trade policies that I can accept.

The trio were mulling over this new information, perhaps in an attempt to ponder how each of those potential markets would relate to their passions. Humey seemed to have another question, but was cut short by the sudden arrival of Yabtin slumping into the space beside Bahruk. He held under one arm a few umber bottles. An aroma of sweet and floral notes drifted through the air as he uncorked one of the bottles with his fangs. He raised the bottle and made a proud declaration.

“Desert bee honey mead! Yabtin get good deal, keep hide in bag. Juaki not like mead, make green scale greener. Hah! Here kids, drink, we celebrate!”

Bottles of the fragrant liquid were passed out, and to my surprise were actually being enjoyed. Bahruk didn’t seem to be protesting, and Yabtin seemed to explicitly keep it a secret for Juaki’s sake, so maybe there isn’t a cultural taboo regarding alcohol in this world. Or maybe it’s just another kobold thing, but that would just add to the growing pile of things that were opposite to my life on Earth. Not wanting to be the odd one out, I too upturned my bottle of amber liquid into my waiting jaws.

The taste of the mead was just as I expected it would be: sweet and untamed. Through the flow of tantalizing sugars brought forth by the honey I could detect the dry bitterness of what must have been cactus flowers. There was another note of fruitiness that oddly reminded me of palm trees, perhaps this world’s match for dates. Overall it was a refreshing drink, and was quite light on the alcohol content. I realized to my disappointment that the vessel was empty when I took it from my lips.

A lightness seemed to take hold in my head, and I knew that I was beginning to become tipsy. This wasn’t my first rodeo, though I was working with a lizard liver this time around and should probably stay seated until I can gauge just how pickled I was. Yabtin and Bahruk had the opposite plan, and were now drunkenly talking about how lucky our uncle was for getting such good booze. The temperature on one side began to rise, the source being the unconscious Humey now flopped over the edge of the bowl. Tokols was face-down on the floor after trying to make his way over to the pantry, only to have his foot caught in the blankets and furs of the communal pit. I couldn’t see Mibata, but his retching echoed from within the bathroom.

I can only sigh as I get up and set some things straight, even as tipsy as I am. Humey and Tokols are laid on their sides, which is challenging on both fronts on account of one having over a hundred pounds more than me and the other muttering incoherently as he tried to slither away. I had to use Humey’s arm as an anchor to keep him stationary, which just wound up making it look like a big kid with a toy asleep on the couch. Mibata was in the pantry chugging water, so I guess he’s handling it well enough.

I stumble my way to the dorm and throw myself into my bed. Ugh, I really hope kobolds have some kind of hangover resistance.

…

Kobolds do not have hangover resistance. I woke up, felt the pounding in my head, and laid right back down. We have one day before we have to join the reptile workforce, and if I have to spend it recovering from my poor life choices, so be it.

Humey seems to be in perfect health as he practiced his sword, probably has something to do with having an actual fire burning in his chest to rid his system of the alcohol. Tokols went with Juaki back to the clinic, not because of the alcohol, but rather he wanted to get some proper medical supplies. Mibata is taking a stroll with Yabtin, apparently scoping out the different job sites while keeping a low profile. Bahruk is still out cold.

I suppose there’s not much for me to do but add to the ever growing mural of scribbles I’ve put on the inside of my bed-hole. You know, now that I think about it, maybe I’ve been going about the process of overcoming barriers and wards the wrong way. Maybe I don’t need to fight around them, maybe I need to just push through them. Now that is a wicked idea.