Bob feels eyes on his back. He turns to face the dragoness. He forces a strained smile. Anon told everyone the role of her. She is to stay in the cave and guard it. She has no control over the kobolds unless it’s passing down an order from Anon. Anon explicitly ordered her to be nice to the kobolds. Her eyes are haughty and curious. She looks away. Bob returns to his work. He is busy crafting new weapons for even more kobolds. The feeling of eyes return to his back. He turns around again. It was a kobold’s instincts to be scared of a dragon. They were bred to be servants. When one is watching you it is natural to address them. Bob had to fight his instincts. Her station was the same as his. They both got paid two gold at the end of the month. Her position was guard and his was blacksmith. She nodded for him to return to his work. Bob shrugged her off and went back to smithing the metal limbs of Bigger Gooder Dragonkiller.

“Does Anon enslave giants?” The dragoness asked. Bob looked at her uncertaintly. “That bow is massive.”

Bob’s eyes sparkled. This was a chance to tell a new person about his great inventions. He pulls out a sheet of paper and begins to sketch the large bow of the baliste. “Large bow mounted on wood.”

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“How many kobolds does it take to pull it back?”

“One!”

“One? That must be a very strong kobold.”

Bob shakes his hand. He sketches out the crank and pulley system that grabs the string and pulls it back. “Simple machine makes force larger.”

“What an amazing invention. The arrows it fires would even be able to take down a dragon.” Bob bobs his head vigorously. “Anon must be a genius to come up with this.” Bob shook his head. He wasn’t going to let Anon take credit for his work. This was his invention. He proudly pointed to his chest. “I made it.” The dragoness laughs at the kobold’s display of dignity. “There isn’t a kobold smart enough to come up with that.” Bob shakes his head and points to himself again. Jabbing his thumb into his chest. “Me.”

“Oh, you’re serious.” She recalls her head from near Bob. “Are you sure?” Bob nods. “I didn’t think kobolds could grow that smart.” She places her head down. “Do all kobolds have this potential?” Bob shrugs. He was the only tinkerer, but he had trained another kobold to smith when he left for this cave. Verte, the dragoness, laid her head down. “Perhaps I have underestimated your species.”