No! I couldn’t afford to black out now!

I managed to keep myself tethered in the waking world, desperate to stay lucid. I reached a hand out for Humey’s head, and could feel the heat radiating from him. I tried my best to comfort him with a gentle smoothing of his topside scales.

“*huff* *puff* Don’tcha worry Kay, I’ll get us home. Rrg, Even if I gotta drag Bata and Tok by their tails.”

The lack of witty response had me worried, and the absence of reassuring words was doubly bad. They must have blacked out like I almost did. Gotta stay awake, keep him company, and don’t leave him alone. Please, Kayrux, stay awake!

The lift slammed to a halt, and without any hesitation I could feel the shock of the heavy footsteps ripple through his shoulder. We weren’t far from the lift, just a half dozen doors down, and Humey seemed able to make it there. My horns just barely raked the door frame as we barreled into the room.

A wave of relief met me as we passed the threshold of our home, but swiftly evaporated as Humey’s weight sagged forward. We tumbled to the floor, and I tried to wail in pain as his body pinned my legs to the floor, bending my joints to their limits. The world was still dark, and I could only guess what was going on by the words of our parents.

“Bahruk! Fresh water and medicine, quickly! Tend to those burns first! Hold still Kayrux, I will have you free in a moment.”

True to her word, I could feel as the weight shifted before finally I was freed. My legs were unresponsive, and every attempt to move them sent ripples through my nerves. A hand pressed me down and poured some of that numbing liquid into my mouth.

“Be still, my dear, your father is present. Just… Don’t move, please. Let the medicine work.”

Grit your teeth and bear it! That’s what we were told to use every time we were wounded during training. Just endure!

“Mate, bring the medicine here! Check his head, make sure that he is still breathing, and do not let him lie on his back! Keep him on his side!”

Oh no. I’m slipping again. Please be alright. Don’t take them. I-

…

Cold, hungry, tired and worrying for my brothers, I shot upright as my consciousness returned. My sight was back, and I was now lying in our dorm. Where are they, why aren’t they in their beds like I am? I have to find them.

I tried to stand, only to tumble out of my bed and onto the floor. I looked to the source of my pain, and found my legs to be wrapped in bandages and splinted. That didn’t matter! I have to find them! Digging my claws into the floor, I began dragging myself towards the door.

Halfway across the room, and someone stepped into the doorway. They were wrapped from head to toe in bandages, and were propped up on a single wooden crutch. That shape, the size, it has to be Humey. His void-like eyes widened, and he cried out as he staggered to me before falling into an embrace.

“Kay! Oh thank the Gods, Kayrux! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I hurt you, I hurt everybody! I’m sorry!”

I pulled him as tight as I could, even though my arms could only encompass half of his bulk. His warm tears spattered across his bandages, and his deep heaving sobs shook the both of us.

Another kobold sprinted into the doorframe, their earthy brown eyes scanning us in disbelief. There was a cast on one of their arms, and bandages over one eye. Mibata was holding the both of us in his arms before his words reached us.

“You’re awake at last. I told you Humey, I told you she would wake.”

That’s two, but where is Tokols? I hoped he would dash through the door and throw himself at us, but nothing of the sort happened. I grabbed hold of oh Mibata’s shoulder and shook him, pleading with my eyes for some answer.

Instead of telling me that everything was alright, or reassuring me that our brother was alright, he instead cast his eyes downwards. Bata, where is he? Where is Tok? Please! I dug my claws into his shoulder enough that I drew a few drops of crimson blood, but still he didn’t answer. It was only after I shook him hard enough to draw Humey’s attention did I get an answer.

“Tokols is with Tuleni. He… His head was split open, and his life was in jeopardy. The only healer who could aid him was grandmother, so he is in her care. His situation is not yet stable so we have been confined to the den until he… until he…”

I took my hand from his shoulder and instead pulled his head to my own. You don’t have to be strong now. It’s not your fault, so just let go and allow yourself this moment. Please, hear these words my brother.

His sobs were low and quiet, but even so I heard them. I pulled him closer, and shifted our combined weight so as to not burden Humey any longer. Instead of allowing us to lie on the floor he opted to move us into the sleeping pit in the center of the room. With his crutch he pulled himself from the floor and moved towards the door. Before leaving he whispered that he was going to fetch some water.

For a minute it was just Mibata and I lying within the padded bowl, him crying and being vulnerable, and me just being there for him. While he wept, I cursed the dragon in the mirror for this situation silently, vowing to thwart its plans. I didn’t want its blessing, or its blood, I just wanted my family to be safe, and instead we just kept winding up in these situations. So many tears, and for what?

Was this my fault? Did the shrine hurt them because of me? None of the other kobolds seemed any different, just shaken. Why was our family so different? Maybe it was that red-eyed elder’s doing, and he somehow made the ritual go sideways on purpose. Could he even do that? It looked like it was the altar itself performing the ritual, so maybe there wasn’t any connection there. Damn it, there are just too many unknowns!

The only thing I do know is that I’m not going to back down. I can’t fall apart while they depend on me, so I’ve just got to keep soldiering on and resist whatever malevolent force is lurking in this place. I have to get stronger if that’s going to be my goal, which means that I’ve got to get serious about this. It’s time to start using some of that human knowledge to shake things up.

Humey staggers back into the room to set a pitcher of water and a few cups to the side before gingerly curling up alongside us atop the blankets. His warmth is intense, transforming the whole room into a sauna. Thank you Humey, just having you around makes this place more like home.

My plot for revenge will have to wait until my legs are recovered, and the fastest road to recovery is through sleep. Hang in there Tokols, and please come home.

…

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

It’s been five days since the ritual, and there has been no news from anyone. The front door is sealed, like Mibata said, by the same rock-molding powers that had made the door in the first place. I can only pray that news comes to us soon. My brothers have been silent for the past few days. Humey lies in his bed and does not speak, and seldom eats. Mibata has become dejected, though still does what is necessary to keep us well. He aids me in taking care of myself, such as helping me to the bathroom and preparing meals, but does not take care of himself. When not busy he will just sit by the door and weep softly.

We have plenty of food to survive in here for some time, but I fear that something bad is soon to happen. I had tried to convey to Mibata that I wished to be taken to the door with him, but he did not read my word from the slate. The room Humey is in has no warmth, and his breathing is so soft that I sometimes fear that he had stopped. They’re falling apart, and I can’t help them. I’m pathetic.

…

The morning of day six came about, and things were terribly bleak. Bata wouldn’t eat or leave the bathroom, and Hu hasn’t moved all morning. I had finally regained enough strength in my legs to hobble into the main room, and it was on the edge of our parent’s bed where I sat.

A sound came from the entryway, but I had imagined the same sound every other day, and at that point I didn’t bother to look up. I could remember just how naive I was, imagining that Tokols would walk in and say something like-

“KAYRUX!”

That was his voice, and it was real. Before I could even turn my head to look, I was already knocked to the floor with a vice-like hug squeezing the air from my lungs and pinning my arms to my sides. I didn’t even care about the stinging pain he was causing, or for the tears smearing their way down my face. I pried myself from his grasp and locked him in my arms.

No, there’s someone who needs you more! I pushed him away and propped myself up. He tried to wrap his arms around me once again, and though it hurt to do it, I pushed him away. I pointed to the other room, desperately jabbing at the doorway.

It’s a good thing that he’s such a bright one. He seemed to immediately understand what I was getting at and flew through the doorway like a bat out of hell. His voice came through the passage as a shrill cry.

“HU! HUMEY, WAKE UP!”

*SLAP*

“Tok? TOK! BATA, GET OUT HERE, TOK’S ALIVE!”

From the bathroom staggered the disheveled and puffy eyed Mibata, who wasted no time as he almost fell over his own tail running into the other room. Not long after, I could hear the muffled sound of a tearful reunion, and even from here I could feel the radiant heat of a rekindled dragon-flame.

I attempted to push myself back up, but something in my left left gave out midway. I was in freefall for a moment before someone swooped in and caught me. A purple kobold in a leather jacket eased me back onto the edge of the bed before taking a knee in front of me.

“Hah, hoo, leave to Yabtin to save the day! How going kid?”

I had forgotten just how silly a regular kobold sounded, and for the first time in what felt like forever I laughed. Although it came out as an awful wheezing rasp, this laughter was genuine, and was brought by the relief of seeing that Tok was still alive. Yabtin smiled and placed a hand on my knee.

“Good kid, let out. Bahruk and Juaki on way. Had to run fast to keep up. Tokols just too quick”

Not surprising. Little guy’s got lightning in his feet when he needs it. My laughter eventually died down, and I could only whimper as the pain finally hit me. I think that Tokols might have broken whatever was on the mend with that tackle, and the piercing pain unbearable.

“Hold on, Yabtin has good stuff for that.”

From his jacket the eccentric salesman produced a bright red liquid in a glass vial. With just a few drops he was able to ease the pain considerably, and if I didn’t know any better, I would say that my right leg was completely fine. This was a definite upgrade from the green juice.

I had only just begun flexing the muscles in my right leg experimentally when two out of breath kobolds crashed into the doorway. Before any questions could be asked I pointed to the back room. They too went into the dorm, causing another uproar of conversation and tears.

So it was that only Yabtin and I were in the main room. He had offered to help me go in there, but I didn’t accept. I wanted to be alone for a minute. He nodded in understanding before joining the others.

No more. This is the end of my rope: I’m done being yanked around on the whims of crusty old wizards and eldritch dragon gods, and I’m through with letting them drag my family into it. This whole situation has been fucked up since day one, and I’m now aware that today was a declaration of war. Fine. I’ll give them a war, one they’ll wish they never started.

My thoughts could only grow darker from there. Ideas and schemes began to flood my mind, designs and blueprints of machines from Earth came to mind. These guys already had steam power and clockworks, so it wouldn’t be too much of a reach making one of those. Gotta minimize casualties though. This wasn’t some underground fortress of evil, it was a city full of innocent people and villains alike. Gotta plan small, do some investigating first, and make sure I don’t get too carried away.

“Kayrux, are you alright?”

I looked into the sapphire eyes of my mother, and I could see a deep sense of worry. I nodded a yes, but I knew she wouldn’t buy it even before she sat next to me.

“Talk to me, my beloved daughter. You’re scowling again, which can only mean you intend to do something reckless.

I cocked an eyebrow at her. I didn’t scowl that often, did I?

“You made that same face the day you swallowed that magic stone. I am sure you thought you were being stealthy, but I knew that you were up to no good. It was only because I was busy with your brothers that I did not intervene sooner.

Well gee, that’s sure embarrassing. When else did I do something like that?

“There was also that time when you and Mibata were looking at the drawings he had made on the floor. You two were saying something to one another, and then you just started hugging. After that, the two of you became inseparable.”

Well, yeah, we all lived in the same room for a month. There was literally nowhere else he could be.

“Think about it: who has always been close to you when you struggled and battled the injustice dealt to you? Who refused to allow you to shed on your own, even though you were a hormonal disaster? Who kept sparring with you, even when they had twisted their ankle? Mibata adores you like a big sister, and it was all because of that scowl.”

But that doesn’t make sense. Why would somebody be idolized because of their face?

“I’m sure you remember well, but when my eggs hatched they were taken from me. I couldn’t do anything to save my little hatchlings, and could only pace and hiss at everyone. Then, I was told that three of my little ones were to be given back. I was so happy, even if…”

You don’t have to go on. I think I know where this is going, and you don’t have to say it.

“I was happy with just the three I had been given. I was willing to let them have you if it meant I could keep the others. I was willing to let you go, and I can’t forgive myself for that.”

I know. I always knew. But you came back for me, you tried to fight that evil mage for me. There has to be a reason for that.

“Mibata wouldn’t stop trying to get back to you. Every time I tried to sit down and rest, I would have to chase after him as he tried to crawl back to you. He wouldn’t eat or sleep, and just kept wailing non-stop. I came back to the room you were in to find that mage using an unraveling spell on you. If he hadn’t promised to return you to me once you had healed, I would have torn his head from his neck and used it for a dung rake. He made me wait a whole day before I could get you, then tried to block me with my own trainees. It was only after I had you back in our den that he stopped weeping. You were so weak when I got you back, I feared that you would not make it and that I would lose both of you.”

I… I didn’t know. But what does this have to do with how I express myself?

“You’re his hero. Even when you were locked in a cage, you stood on your own two legs and glared at your captor in defiance. When I came back for you the first time, you kept glaring at him even as he tried to kill you. When he broke into our home and attempted to force you to submit to his power, you remained defiant. No matter the danger, you don’t seem to want to back down, and he wants to be like you, and to do that he’ll follow you into the depths if he had to.”

That’s a lot to unpack. I never really thought of it that way, because to me it was just what I thought was the right thing to do. Defy tyrants, stand up for others, and be compassionate always. My way of doing things was, in his eyes, something to be idolized. Oh Bata, why’d you have to go and be so… you?

You know, I’ve been wondering about this, but are you reading my mind somehow?

“You’re my daughter. I might not be the mother you deserve, and you don’t have a voice of your own, but I can tell just by your eyes what you’re thinking about. No magic can ever recreate that kind of intuition.”

That’s a cheat skill if I’ve ever heard of one. I grabbed hold of my writing slate, and I could only find three things I wanted to tell her.

“I forgive you. I thank you. I love you.”

She sniffled and put an arm around me as she laid her head on my shoulder with her eyes closed.

“You really are a gift from the Gods.”