It didn’t take long for the shock to wear off. The next thing John, Nelva, and Zilta noticed was Jack slowly taking off his shirt to expose his tattooed body. Zilta watched in surprise as the art came into view. She knew better than to ask what was going on though now that the leader of their group and the leader of the dragon’s horde were “talking.”

In a slow, well practiced motion Jack folded up his shirt and laid it by his left side before getting onto his knees. “While I no longer follow the path, I am honored to meet you father.” He slowly, calmly said before giving a deep bow. “I am Jack from the group known as the “Dragons of Shadow.” While I no longer follow the path I hold my old family in high regard, and they still honor me.” He recited keeping his eyes on the floor. “I thank you for this audience and this chance to speak with you in person.”

Many in the room bristled when he said “father” since the kobold was VERY clearly a female, but she simply grinned and nodded. “Must be from a group deep in tradition. Interesting. VERRrrry interesting.” She ran a claw along her lips as her eyes wandered over his tattoos that were very clearly visible in the light. “I gotta know why. You are a human from another world, part of, or well was part of another group. Doesn’t really matter. Anyway!” He took a breath. “Was a part of a powerful group like mine, wield weapons that could easily kill my best men, fly on a ship made of metal, bear considerable wealth, and here you are. Bowing down to a kobold.”

She motioned to him with an amused smile on her face. Her eyes gleaming more. “why?”

He nodded. “Wealth and power are things anyone can have and lose. Respect, authority, and position are things earned and can be held long after one’s death and should be respected. A dragon is powerless before a kobold with the respect and authority of an army.” He explained in his slow, careful tone.

There was a long pause before she hopped down and walked up to him. Slowly she traced the image of the dragon on his back with a claw as she walked around him a few times. Her eyes locked on it’s fierce face.

“I killed a dragon.” She stated calmly. “It ruled me and others with terror. I slit it’s throat in the night. Power was useless to skill. And you are right. The guards that watched it’s bed chamber, the ones tending its most powerful weapons, and any who came across me hated it yet respected me. When I sat on its cold, dead, empty head people cheered for me.”

She stopped in front of him. “Pol. I like them.” She stated with a loud laugh. “This one for sure!” She pointed down at Jack’s head. “He is a smart one! Anyone who is so open to show that kinda respect for me right off the bat is good in my book. Damn, went the full ritual too!”

She looked at the group with a laugh. “You would be surprised at just how many times I have to explain over and over and fucking over that yes, the biggest crime syndicate in this area is indeed run by a kobold. If I hear “but she is so smalllll!” one more time! GrraAAAH!” She let out a frustrated roar.

“That? That was about the coolest greeting anyone has ever given me. Felt like royalty I did.” She nodded before tapping his shoulder. “You can stand up now. I don’t do the formality stuff well. Too much of that with the dragon and all.” She explained.

Jack went to grab his shirt only to find it had mysteriously gone missing. He gave the kobold a questioning look but decided against asking about it. He stood up with his now even more fit chest on full display while looking downward at the kobold.

“Alright. So Pol already gave me the breakdown of the deal you two had, and its still very much in our favor. I mean, I get you guys need crystals more than gold, but to us it is still quite the unusual request for payment.” Most of her words were accompanied by her waving her hands through the air and pointing at things. Her tail swaying lazily side to side as her hips swayed with every step.

Jack couldn’t help but let his eyes follow that tail, even as he felt Nelva’s eyes on him. He soon brought his eyes back up to the kobold’s. He saw her calmly pick up a bit of gold and look at it as she sat back in her chair.

“Hmm. I can’t give you more since the deal was already done. I don’t want to hurt Pol’s feelings and he was keeping the family in mind when he made the deal.” She looked over to Pol. “You did juuuust fine by the way Polly.” She teased with a chuckle.

“How about this? You four, yes you too Zilta, will be given tasks by us every now and then. You will become one of our preferred adventurer groups. As long as you four keep doing good work that is.”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

She then snatched up a second gold coin before casually tossing the coins in her hand at the giant gnoll. “One gold as per the initial offer and the additional gold for kills and injury.” She explained. However when the gnoll looked three heavy gold coins gleamed in her hand. She went wide eyed seeing more than she made at once in a VERY long time glistening in her hand.

“I trust that is enough to get your group’s continued service?” The kobold asked as her eyes once more lingered on Jack’s bare chest.

That glance made Nelva pause before she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what happened to that shirt. Tezira caught the glare out of the corner of her eye and paused. She looked at Nelva for a while trying to figure out why she was getting glared at. After she glanced at Jack again a smile slowly creeped onto her face as she looked between the two. A small nod from Nelva confirmed the kobold’s suspicions who simply moved even closer to Jack.

Ignoring the ribbit from Nelva the kobold boss slowly looked over Jack again. “I was informed you and your friend are quite smart and literate. I actually have a job for you two.” She said pointing at the frog and Jack. Her finger lingering far longer on the human though.

“As for you two, just take care of the gnoll woman. The healing potion should get her able to move soon enough and t hen I will have more use for you. Until then there is an inn close to the center of the city. While Jack and Nelva are doing the task I have in mind for them at the royal library I will send You, John, to go get fake identities made for both you and Jack. Pol will send ahead for the guy to meet you two at the tavern.

The reason we are going this route is due to my connections it will be much easier and faster to just set you both up with perfect forgeries than running you both through the process of getting legitimate ones. Of course once you both are more established getting an identity card will be much simpler, but for now this will help handle things. I want you two to be able to travel freely for my jobs after all.”

With that she snapped her fingers. “Alright. Off you go now.” She ordered with a chuckle as sbe slipped behind the chair. The faint chiming of gold coins being moved could be heard as Jack’s shirt “magically” reappeared on his right side. He scooped it up and slipped it back on deciding not to question things too much.

They decided to heed the kobold’s orders with John talking Zilta towards the tavern that had been recommended to them by their new patron while Nelva and Jack decided to head to the library. The job was simple: Retrieve a few books and deliver them to one of the reading tables within the library.

They had all been told why such a simple task had been entrusted to them: They were the only ones left in her inner circle that could read and identify the correct obscure books that was not banned from the library due to one previous job or another going badly. The list of books were not that long with a few clear recent additions involving humans and, strangely enough, frog people and the swamps.

The library was easy enough to find in the inner section of the city. They simply had to follow a few signs and look for all the scholars carrying books. Sure enough they found a massive building with floor after floor of shelves. Sections labeled everything from “Magical basics” to “modern mechanics.”

The duo stayed close by each other as they wandered from section to section, taking in all the different sights and types of books on display. Marveling at the grand beauty of the building before Nelva saw a sight that made her stop cold. She tensed, checked the notes they were given to see where to take the books, then sighed.

Jack caught on fast at her displeasure before looking where she had just had her eyes. What he saw was a very familiar kobold relaxing at a desk with almost all her jewels and gold removed and a simple black dress covering her body. She was lazily flipping through a book on humans and was casually taking notes. Before Jack could stop her nelva strolled over to Tezira and looked down at her.

“What are you doing here?” Nelva asked putting her hands on her hips as she began to question what the books on humans were really for.

“Waiting for you two to help me get books.”

“And why would someone as powerful as you need our help for that when you are already here?”

Tezira looked up at the frog, got out of the chair, then kept looking up at the frog. “See the problem yet?” She asked with a small huff. “Kinda got the power, the wealth, but still not the height.” She pointed out just in case causing the frog to let out a sigh.

“Alright. Fine. You have a point.”

“Good! Now I was going to let you two have some time alone together, but since you gave me a hard time I think I will join in!”

With that the kobold practically skipped to Jack and into the “human” section of the library. “Come on now! Oh, and Nelva?” She looked up to the frog with a wide, fang filled smile. “Don’t view me as competition.” With that cryptic line she gave the frog a wink.

“Alright big guy, top shelf, left corner. The ladders were NOT made for my kind in mind. Granted most kobolds are not exactly the most literate, but its neither here nor there.”

With that Jack climbed up the ladder and started to fetch book after book for her. Lowering them down to the tall frog girl who continued to keep a close eye on their new kobold companion. After a few books on humans she then went after some of the frog books just as she said she wanted.

Once more Jack went up the ladder since he was the only one in pants, but this time Tezira opted to defer to Nelva’s choices on books. Soon enough they were all relaxing on some nice couches in a reading area swapping books back and forth with the two delvers giving commentary on each book. Nobody caring just how powerful the kobold in their midst was.