Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

Matty had never felt so paranoid as she did after encountering Jeb. When dealing with the Crone there was this oppressive darkness and incessant whispering. When she had come across Jeb, or whatever it was that looked like him, it was a intoxicating feeling that left her lightheaded and numb.

If anything it scared her more. Losing control like that, screaming and fighting inside your own mind as your body wanders closer and closer to its death, helpless to stop it. She was a dragon! She was birthed when her own world had, spawning from the primordial flame and magma as did her siblings.

Yet in that basement, in that moment, she felt utterly powerless. The same powerless she felt when around the Crone. But more insidious. She crushed your spirit and will with overwhelming power. He infected your mind like a parasite!

Which led to her closing down the library. Well that and the economy of the town meant that what few visitors she got stopped coming, too concerned with more pressing matters. Instead she has cloistered herself away in her room above the library, pouring over tomes and books in an effort to counter whatever it was that Jeb had done to her.

Though she knew she wouldn't find anything. Jeb was a spawn of the Crone. Nothing she had or knew could fight against her, and odds are that the same were true for Jeb.

Still, the search helped to calm her paranoid draconic mind. Her kind has always been like this. Paranoid, arrogant, greedy and even slothful. Its why they cast the spell on the kobolds. That was why they forced them to serve and to collect vast treasure for them.

The horde varied from dragon to dragon. Some of Matty's kin collected books and tomes, others coins and jewels. The twins in the frozen wastes had a thing for collecting frozen statues of various creatures. Perfectly entombed in ice seconds before they met their fate at the end of their glacial breath.

Matty didn't care for such macabre treasures, nor the maddening gleam of gold. To her it was magic! At least in her world she did. Many spells that the mortals learned came from her own generous wisdom and bountiful collection. Or stolen, depending on who is asked.

But when she arrived in this world initially she was excited! A new world and new magic to explore and collect! It was almost enough to make her forget her Faustian Bargain with the Crone. Almost. It didn't take long to learn that the magic of this world hated being used and extracted a price for even the simplest and mundane of things.

Still, what she had been able to collect and catalogue, with great difficulty and blood, gave her comfort in her moments of despair. It helped her now as reading the various runes and sigils calmed her mind.

Though reminiscing about home made her sad and bitter once more.

"Those foolish mortals!"

It was like they couldn't see, she thought as she thumbed through some pages of vampiric blood magic from some lost civilization in Mesopotamia. Mortals were such shortsighted creatures. They always have, and they always will. Even the more "altruistic" of her family found it frustrating to teach mortals. The only ones with any hope were the elves, and even they had their faults.

Matty sighed and leaned back in her chair, bitterness filling her mind as the thought that no matter what she did she would be doomed regardless. She thought that perhaps opening the rifts would save her family and their combined power would be enough to overwhelm the Crone!

But the rifts were erratic and unstable. Her attempts to stabilize them failing. Now she had to deal with not one but TWO eldritch creatures that could easily make her soul their plaything for millennia if they so desired!

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

She had failed. Her family would perish, if they haven't already. With them their world would die not long after, and the legacy of the dragons would end. Forgotten as their world crumpled and died. Yet she would be here, in another world. Waiting as her lifeforce is siphoned by the parasitic being in the mountains.

That was their bargain after all. She would be allowed sanctuary in this world, and be under the Crone's "benevolent" protection. In return her power would be stripped from her. It was a deal she made when she first got here. She figured that it wasn't worth potentially being the last dragon. So in exchange for comfort and a peaceful death she would give her soul.

If only her brethren were less prideful and selfish, she thought. They could have banded together and ruled over the mortals! But they didn't. Instead they isolated themselves away and the inevitable happened. They were picked off one by one by the mortals that saw them as little more than pests.

"Now they're all dead." She whispered to herself. She didn't know for sure, but at this point she didn't care. Her last ditch to correct a hasty mistake and even save her family was ruined.

Now she could, and would, do nothing more than sit and wait as the vulture on the mountain watched and waited to collect what was owed. She wondered what the other one was up to.

No doubt planning his own devilish deals and working his own otherworldly magic!

-----

"OW!" Jeb cursed as his hammer smacked his thumb.

"Are you alright?!" Ruby asked as she looked up at Jeb on top of his carport.

"Yeah! Just smacked myself is all!" Jeb said as he sucked the throbbing digit. He was hellbent on getting it finished before the snow came. With it entering the middle of fall, snow would start to fall and dust the area.

He hoped he had prepared the kobolds enough. Not much he can do besides whats already been done. He got them heat and clothes, equipment to build their own shelter. They were even getting familiar with the terrain and were bringing back more game.

That last one wouldn't last long however. The colder it got the more animals would either migrate to more plentiful areas. With the town close to being penniless he couldn't put much stock in ordering anything either. Sure some folks were helping out one another, but goodwill could only go so far.

From what he's heard in town they were starting to switch to a barter system as a means of surviving until something can be done. Jeb and his kin will survive, they always have, and they always will. They've been bartering for years, even before he was born. They can take care of one another just fine.

It was the kobolds he was still worried about though. He was no expert, but the cold would more than likely force them to hibernate. Or at least hunker down more in their burrows and his basement.

He just hoped he has enough food to last him and 100+ kobolds for the winter. Normally he would, but the kobolds were voracious little devils and had make a significant dent in his food supplies.

Not that he could blame them. Everyone needed to eat. If he had known they ate this much he would've prepared more! Then again, if he had known the town would be within a hairs breadth away from being a ghost town he would've done more than just get a few extra cans of corn and beans!

But that's how life worked, prepare for the worst and hope its good enough. For now though Jeb was focused on getting his carport done. If nothing else his truck will be snow free!

As Jeb hammered the last nail into the paneling he nodded contently. Now just a bit of weathering finish and some paint and it will be done! But another day, he thought as he rubbed his swollen thumb.

He climbed down and packed up his tools and made for the shed, Ruby close behind him. After the Gathering she's been shadowing him more than usual. Normally she would leave him be to go check on the eggs and do whatever else it was that she did.

When he asked her what was wrong she would just smile and nod and say that she was fine. She wasn't though. He would catch her either looking at him with sad eyes or glaring up at the mountain. But he wasn't going to press her if she didn't want to talk about it. In her own time, he thought.

At least the others were busy! The Trap Master was busy informing the Skirmishers about the change to their armaments and giving them a few pointers and demonstrations with sticks.

The Chief was busy, as always, going through his study for the umpteenth time. Jeb wasn't sure if he was still looking for a way to help the kobolds or if it was just habit now and gave him something to do other than watch over the others.

Though most of the tribe were content in settling down and waiting out the cold in their homes or his basement, some would aid in things like foraging and various basic things that needed to be done.

As Jeb locked up the tools he looked around, not quite sure what else to do. He thought about maybe visiting Morty and maybe push for an ACTUAL apology for everything he did. Maybe he could get some food from him as reparations? That would help the kobolds out.

Then again, its been some time since he's been hunting last. The extra meat wouldn't hurt. Liking the idea more Jeb committed to it and made to get ready. Ruby followed him as he made his way to his room.

"What are you doing?"

"I think I'll go huntin'! Get some meat for the winter."

"But the others already bring back plenty of game. Why would you think you need to go out too?"

"Because they've mainly been catchin' small things like rabbit and squirrel. I'll bring back a nice big buck if I can!"

Ruby looked sad to hear that he was leaving, but she couldn't argue that Jeb's stores of food were getting lower and lower. Even though the kobolds have tried to help when they can. A tribe was quite an undertaking to keep fed!

"Relax! I'v been doin' this since I was lil! I'll be back before dark!" Jeb said as he finished getting kitted in hunting gear and pecked Ruby on the head with a kiss.

As he left his home and made for the woods the Trap Master called out.

"Where are you going human?"

"Huntin'! Why? You wanna come?"

The Trap Master thought for a moment, it had been some time since he and Jeb had a chance to speak alone, and it would be interesting to see him hunt.

"I will accompany you!"

"Alright then! Lets go!" Jeb cheered as he hefted his rifle and him and the kobold made their way into the woods.