Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

CRACK!

CRACK!

CRACK!

Ruby and the surrounding kobolds watched anxiously as one of the few remaining eggs blessed by their, now dead, draconic master began to hatch. Cracks formed like spiderwebs as the little creature struggled to pierce the shell. Then it ceased moving and went silent. They all held their breaths, worry that this one wouldn't make it, that the last of their kind would be without one more.

A worry that quickly evaporated into excitement when the shell cracked more and a red snout poked through a new hole in the egg. The kobolds murmured excitedly as more of the egg was broken and more of the red scaled creature emerged with a high-pitched whine as it called out.

Once the newly hatched kobold fell out of the egg, covered in amniotic fluid as it stumbled on newly used legs and coughing and whining as it tested its vocal cords more and more. It looked around in shock and surprise when the rest of the gathered tribe cheered at the successful hatching.

Ruby gently picked up the hatchling in a soft cloth and began to clean it before handing the shaking lizard to its mother. She watched as the mother held desperately to the newborn kobold. She barely noticed her own claw moving towards her abdomen, where her own eggs comfortably resided.

She looked to where the remaining 34 eggs sat cozy by the warm fire of the ever burning stove. 34 more kobolds to be born, she thought. Most would begin to hatch in the coming days, a week or two perhaps. But then that was it. That would be all that's left of them.

She looked down to her abdomen. Unless Jeb really is the solution to their problem, she thought. She sighed sadly as her thoughts, once more, returned to Jeb.

He still hasn't emerged from his room despite calls from her, the Trap Master, and the Chief. She wasn't even sure if he was eating. She tried to enter to check on him, but the door was locked and she could only hear faint sounds from inside to confirm that he was still in there.

Despite the joyous mood of the rest of the tribe, hers was of a darker sort. The two egg-maids that continuously aid, and tease, her looked on her with sorrowful looks.

"This can't continue."

The other nodded in agreement. With a determined look the two marched up to the Den Mother, resolute in their goal. She looked up at them as they approached, the words in her throat were swiftly changed into a surprised yelp as they dragged her away and towards the stairs. Her pleas and questions going unanswered as they pulled the kobold up the stairs of the basement, and proceeded to drag her, this time a bit more gently, up the stairs to the 2nd floor, and to Jeb's door.

They both let go of the Den Mother as one of them tried the knob, only to reaffirm that it was still locked. When that didn't work, she began to bang on the door and yelled.

"Hey?! Human! Open the door!"

But no answer came. Growling in frustration she looked to the knob with a keen and curious expression. Ruby sighed and got up from where she sat, discarded as the two focused on... whatever it was they were doing.

"It's no use. He wont answer or leave. We've tried to get him to come out, but we haven't heard anything."

"That's because you're being too passive. Again!" One of them admonished her while the other worked a claw into the keyhole.

The Den Mother blinked, shocked at that statement before fury replaced it.

"What do you mean I'm being too passive!?! I've been up here more often than anyone else and have tried the hardest to-"

CLICK!

She stopped talking. She stared in disbelief as the handle turned and the door cracked open. The egg-maid looked at her and the other egg-maid with a smug smile.

"Have you tried that?"

Ruby blinked in shock, her mouth opened and closed as she couldn't seem to find the words to describe her feelings of what just happened. The only thing that came out was.

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"How?"

The lockpicking kobold just shrugged.

"I don't know. I just stuck my claw in and felt around until it clicked."

She would have to grill her later for exactly what it was she did and how. But for now she was more focused on the door to Jeb's room being opened. She walked over to the crack in the door and peered past it, the two egg-maids close behind her as they tried to see as well. They couldn't see Jeb in the room. But it was a mess.

The covers on the bed were thrown about and several things on Jeb's dresser and nightstand were on the ground, picture frames and other knick-knacks damaged or broken. Ruby's worry increased as she slowly entered the room, her eyes scanning for Jeb even as she called him.

"Jeb?"

She heard something come from the bathroom. She, and the egg-maids, walked slowly over to it. Inside they found broken glass from the shattered bathroom mirror. They also saw Jeb sitting on the ground, leaning against the back wall with a few mason jars surrounding him. Only a couple were full, including the one he currently drank. Ruby called out and ran towards him.

"Jeb?!"

Jeb looked blearily at the three kobolds.

"Didn't I lock that?"

Ruby threw her arms around him and sobbed.

"Why haven't you said anything?! Why did you shut us all out?!"

Jeb glanced down at the sobbing kobold then at the drink he had in his hand.

"Why? Because I'm a monster."

"You're not a monster!" Ruby cried as she held onto him tighter.

"Yeah I am. Some sorta abomination from a Lovecraft novel." Jeb said bitterly as he took another swig.

"No you're not." One of the egg-maids declared. Jeb looked at the two like he just noticed them. Ruby even turned a teary eye towards them.

"Look, you might not know. But here in our world, the type of monster I can, WILL, become can distort reality! The sight, the very thought of them are enough to drive folk mad! They demand sacrifices from ordinary folk either to keep 'em contained or to awaken 'em!"

"Oh, so like dragons?" The other egg-maid asked, not at all moved by Jeb's description of eldritch beings.

"What? No, not like dragons! Dragons-"

"Have magic that can weave the very fabric of reality. The mention of them cause most mortals to flee in terror. They also demand sacrifices to appease them! Sometimes it's gold and treasure, other times they feast on poor souls that are captured during raids, or US!" The egg-maid continued.

Jeb rolled his eyes and brought his jar up to his lips.

"I ain't gonna deba-"

He was interrupted as the mason jar was yanked from his grasp. Before being promptly poured down the toilet.

"HEY!? That's my good stuff!"

The other egg-maid marched right up to Jeb.

"Listen here! WE! ARE! DYING! Once the rest of the eggs hatch, that's it! That is ALL that is left of us, our only solution, our only salvation, is to either throw ourselves at the mercy of the only dragon we are aware of and go right back to being slaves to whatever whim they have, or the "monster" that fed us, clothed us, and offered us shelter when we needed it most!"

"You don't get it! I'm-"

"Not human? So? You're stronger, more durable, and will live longer! Do you know how many of us would dream of being able to do half of what you can? We can't even continue our race without a dragon holding it over our heads! Yet here you are, getting drunk feeling sorry because of what?"

"Aren't you both being a little harsh?" Ruby said as she rubbed tears away.

"No! If we had just told him the second we found out, we would've already been past this mess!"

Ruby winced.

"That's not fair."

"No! What isn't fair, is forcing the rest of the tribe to go days, WEEKS wondering when the next big disaster is coming and if it'll be the one that ends us for good! Meanwhile, our supposed protector is up here moping! He, who has the power to strike terror into a DRAGON!"

One of them pointed towards Ruby's abdomen.

"Someone who has the power to provide us with a future again!"

"And he is up here because he's sad that he isn't an average mortal!"

Ruby stood up and faced towards the two egg-maids.

"He's had his whole life just turned upside down! Can't you-"

"NO! We don't have the time or luxury to sit around waiting for him to sort his life out! If he won't step up, that's fine. But WE won't be shackled to another arrogant dragon! We'll spend the rest of our lives taking our chances elsewhere before we willingly submit to one of them again! You can stay here and coddle him! But the rest of us will find our own way if we need to!"

With that the two egg-maids stormed off, taking the last of Jeb's shine with them. Leaving a stunned Ruby, and a silent Jeb alone. She stared at the backs of the two egg-maids. Wondering, and dreading, if they were serious. Would they, would the tribe, really be willing to chance going it on their own?

"They're right you know." Jeb's voice shook her from her thinking.

"What?"

"I offered you guys sanctuary here. I offered you my home, and while not word for word, my protection and care."

Jeb sighed.

"Guess I haven't been a very good host these few days huh?"

"Jeb." Ruby whispered as she knelt down to his side and embraced him.

"You should be able to take as much time as you need to process things."

"I should huh? But I can't. Just because you're not in the mood for it, doesn't mean you get to shirk your responsibilities. That's what my pa always says anyway."

"If you promised to do a job, you do it. At the very least you owe 'em your best try." Jeb said in an imitation of his father's voice.

Jeb sighed as he embraced Ruby.

"I owe you all my best try. I can figure the rest out along the way."

She gripped him tighter.

"And I'll be here for you."

They remained that way for a few long moments before Jeb made to stand. Grabbing the empty mason jars. Ruby frowned when she noticed he hasn't been slurring or wobbling.

"Aren't you drunk?"

He wiggled one of the jars.

"Somethin' I found out. Can't get drunk. Unfortunately."

"But at the dinner?"

"Placebo effect."

"What?"

"I'll tell you about it later." Jeb said as he gathered the rest of the jars before making his way out of his, trashed, room with Ruby following. He's gonna need to clean that up, he thought.

"So, say things go well. You have the eggs, they're healthy little scamps that walk on two legs and can talk. What then?" Jeb asked as he put the jars into the sink when they arrived downstairs.

"Well, then we work out how you'll be contributing to the continuation of the tribe." Ruby said as she blushed a little.

Jeb whistled.

"I don't think I have that much endurance."

"Well it wouldn't be all at once... Well, unless the tribe decides to put you into a mating ball." Ruby stated.

Jeb paused.

"A WHAT?!"

Ruby chuckled and skipped away before calling in a teasing voice.

"I'll tell you about it later!"

Jeb rolled his eyes and smiled as he watched her skip away. It felt good to be back doing something normal and productive. Even if he could notice a shadowy horned silhouette in his reflection on the window. Mostly normal, he thought as he tried to focus instead on the mason jars. Something he'll just have to deal with in the future, whether he wanted to or not.

While Jeb went about his distracting dishes, and Ruby skipped away with some much needed pep in her step. The two egg-maids watched from a spot behind the couch as they sipped at the jar of shine.

"Looks like they believed us."

"Good."

One of the egg-maids looked towards the other as they passed the jar between them.

"We weren't really going to leave were we? I haven't heard anything from the rest of the tribe either."

"Of course not! But they don't need to know that." She stated with a sly smile as the two watched the Den Mother smiling once again.