Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

"Why isn't it working?!" Matty hissed in the quiet Library. Since humans invented the internet its been more or less dead. It still gets a few people coming in. Either older people that liked the feel of physical pages, or young couples sneaking a romantic moment between the shelves.

Years of habit though caused her to speak quietly. Not only that it wasn't like the topic of her frustration was something to speak openly.

She focused intently. She could feel the various portals and rifts opening and closing if she put great effort into it. Since getting that miserable little kobold to give that spawn her Soul Rune she had waited for them to stabilize.

But they hadn't. Nothing has changed!

"That wretched, worthless, little worm!"

Unlike her family, she never cared for kobolds. They weren't dragons, just miserable mockeries! Some of her more scholarly family theorized that they were related to the dragons! As if such weak willed creatures could DARE consider themselves even close to being similar to the dragons!

Now it has proven even more true! Something must have happened for the rune to fail, and it must be because of that incompetent lizard! She wished she could easily summon him here to face her wrath for his failure! But as it stands she is forced to go find him!

So she locked up the Library and marched to where that spawn stayed. It wasn't hard to find, she just had to follow the scent of otherness! Unlike that creature in the hills, the spawn didn't or couldn't hide its scent.

As she neared the domicile of the spawn the scent near gagged her! She couldn't describe what it was. Only that it felt as if her head was clouding over.

She neared the door, but paused when she heard banging around the home. She inched over and peered around the corner. There on top of a carport was the spawn! Working away hammering and nailing at the vehicle covering.

She focused her draconic sight on the spawn. She only saw the deceptively normal aura of it. She couldn't see the horror that no doubt lurked inside, nor could she see the Soul Rune!

She suppressed the urge to grumble. She was too close and she didn't want to alert the creature. The feeling she had of being this close to the heart of the Crone's domain was already more than she wanted to do!

I'll have to make this quick, she thought as she walked inside the home. The fact the door was unlocked astounded her. He couldn't be that dumb that he would purposefully leave it unlocked could he?!

Shaking her head in confusion and disbelief she entered the home intent on punishing the useless kobold! Unware the hammering had stopped.

-----

"So how is sleeping in a nice warm cozy bed with a energetic human?" One of the Egg-maids asked Ruby as she tended to the eggs. Some were close to hatching and needed extra attention. At least that was the excuse she gave to the nagging. But they were ever persistent, no matter how much she scolded them they seemed more emboldened!

"Not that its any of YOUR business! But its quite nice to not sleep on the ground every now and then!" She huffed. She didn't want to seem snobbish but these two just had a way of pushing her buttons!

They just looked at her with their ever present grins.

"We'll bet! Every time we see you you're positively glowing!"

Ruby rolled her eyes as she got done checking on the eggs and moved nearby to where the Chief was sitting up. A large chunk of his scales had fallen off during the fighting in the tunnel. "The price for using magic in this world." He had said. Most kobolds couldn't use magic, those few that could were always assigned leadership roles in tribes. Or outright killed by their paranoid masters. Her tribe had a couple besides the Chief. But they had perished fighting alongside their master.

"How are you feeling?" She asked the Chief as she knelt down beside him.

He smiled weakly at her.

"Little better than the last you asked!"

They chuckled. He was trying to make them all feel better. But she could tell that whatever happened had taken a toll on him. One of the nearby tribe brought over some water and food, which he ate and drank slowly.

After ingesting enough for them to stop worrying over him he turned to Ruby.

"How is Master Jeb feeling?"

She blushed.

"His mood is much improved since the ordeal with the goblins."

He laughed weakly.

"I can tell! I am happy for you! We all deserve some happiness, especially since the fall of our master and the lair!"

So they sat there for a time and made small talk, she was glad that his mood was better. Even his bare skin had started to heal as scales began to reform. It would be a couple weeks before he was back to full strength but it was progress!

After a moment he asked her a question.

"So when should we expect your first clutch?"

She looked at him with confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Come now Den Mother! Surely you realize that you are carrying?!"

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She chuckled sadly.

"I think you're still weak. I'm no-"

"Yes you are!"

Ruby turned and found the Egg-maids looking at her.

"What do you mean?!"

They flicked their tongues out at her.

"You taste, you SMELL, pregnant!"

She reached a hand towards her abdomen.

"But, I can't be-"

"THERE YOU ARE!!!" A voice shouted.

Ruby and the rest of the tribe turned and found an elderly human glaring at them. Or rather, the Chief. He went pale, as she marched over. Fury in her eyes.

Some of the tribe made to get in her way. Even the Trap Master. But then they ALL felt a pressure on them. A familiar pressure that they hadn't felt since their master! Ruby and the rest cowered at the advancing dragon.

"You worthless wretch! How dare you fail me!"

The Chief shrunk against the stone wall.

"I'm sorry Mistress! But I don-"

"You were supposed to give that creature the paper with the Soul Rune!" She screeched.

"I did Mistress!" The Chief answered shakily. The rest of the tribe made little effort in coming to his aid. They all knew what this woman truly was and none of them had the courage to intervene. None except one.

"You leave him alone!" Ruby said as she marched, albeit unsteady, into the path of the dragon.

Matty looked down at Ruby with disgust and rage!

"How DARE YOU! You worthless li-"

She paused as she focused more on Ruby. She recoiled with pure revulsion!

"You REEK of that spawn! Not only that but you carry its abominations inside you?!"

Ruby almost buckled under the onslaught of pure rage and will of the dragon. But if she can hold her own against whatever called itself Jeb's mother, she can face the fury of a dragon!

"You will not speak ill of Jeb! He has been nothing but kind and caring to us! Which can't be said of any of you!"

Matty looked down at Ruby with nothing but unbridled hate! How dare this little worm not only fornicate with that creature but to stand against HER! She advanced once more, raising a hand that shifted into a golden scaled claw and made to strike the insubordinate Den Mother!

Then the air went heavy. Like they were all standing in the middle of a bog. The tribe looked around with fear. Even Ruby and Matty looked about, they knew this feeling. It felt like when they met the Crone! But it wasn't her, this was different. With her it was this oppressive feeling accompanied by incessant whispers that drove you mad!

This feeling was different. Like drinking too much alcohol and your mind goes fuzzy. Ruby looked around and found the walls of the basement had faded away, and now what was there was a dark gloom. Even a fog had started to somehow appear around them. It covered the floor and just added to the eeriness of the incident.

"You aren't suppose to be here." Came a hollow sounding voice.

Ruby and the rest turned towards the voice and found Jeb standing at the bottom of the steps of the stairs into and out of the basement.

"Jeb?! RUN she's a dra-"

"Hush you little brat!" Matty hissed at her, before turning towards Jeb.

"Hello Jeb! This is just a misunderstanding!" She said fearfully placating.

Jeb just smiled at the intruder, the defiler, the invader that broke into his home and dared to assault his guests! He hummed a haunting singsong tune that resounded throughout the darkness as he advanced on the tresspasser. His movments were jerky and rigid, his bones creaked with every movment as he got closer.

"Jeb?" Ruby asked, scared as Jeb got closer to the dragon, who was now starting to back away in terror!

She looked around the gloom when she heard noises. The tribe had started to panic as things moved about in the shadow of the gloom and fog. Their eyes glowed with blue fire! Whatever they were seemed to ignore the kobolds and started to advance towards Matty.

Jeb had a cruel smile on his face as he neared the unwelcomed guest!

"JEB?!" Ruby yelled as she ran towards Jeb, worried for him. His eyes were no longer the beautiful aquamarines she has grown to love and long for. Instead they glowed the eerie ethereal blue she saw in her vision!

She tugged on him, but he kept advancing on Matty. She had now stopped as the things in the shadows had surrounded her! Ruby couldn't tell what they were, but they moved similar to Jeb was now. Jerky, creaking, unnatural movements. As some came close the lights of their eyes revealed that their heads were nothing but bone! A wild assortment of animal skulls came from out of the gloom, glowing from the orbs of blue fire! They walked on what appeared to be wooden, thorny bodies.

Matty couldn't see the faces though, her mind was clouding over. All she could see were the lights, and hear the haunting, yet inviting tune. Something in her mind told her to run, or fight. But an increasing part said to go towards the lights!

"JEB?!" Ruby tugged harder as the creatures stalked closer to the terrified dragon! But he wasn't listening. She looked between Matty, the creatures and Jeb.

"I'm sorry Jeb!" She cried as she bit down on his hand. He cried out in pain and faced Ruby. Balefire eyes loomed down on her. For but a moment. Then his eyes closed and Jeb passed out.

As he fell unconscious the creatures ceased their advance. Unnatural movements ceasing, and they became eerily still. The gloom and fog began to fade. Matty decided that now was the time to flee and bolted towards the stairs, and freedom.

The tribe stood still as the creatures vanished into the gloom and shadows, which vanished not long after. The basement returned to normal once more.

The Trap Master, wanting to regain some measure of pride, moved to check on the rest of the tribe. While the Chief had passed out from the event. Ruby hadn't left Jeb's side from where he fell.

"Jeb? JEB?!"

She cried as she shook him. Fearful at losing him to whatever it was that just happened. After a agonizingly long minute of trying to wake him, he stirred.

"Ruby."

"Jeb?!"

Jeb pulled Ruby down and snuggled her against his chest.

"Come back to bed."

Ruby was shocked by the words and looked at Jeb's face, and found him sleeping peacefully.

"Jeb!"

He yawned as his eyes, now returned to their original blue, lazily opened. He looked down at Ruby.

"Mornin'."

Ruby cried as she hugged him tighter. Her sadness caused him to awake more.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything's fine!" She lied. She wasn't sure what happened to him. But she didn't want it to happen again! If she could prevent him from becoming like whatever his mother was she would!

"Nothing?! He just-" One of the Egg-maids started but was cut off with a sharp glare from the Den Mother!

"Hmm? What is she doin' in my room? What is everyone doin' in my... Am I in the basement?" Jeb asked as he looked around at the frightened kobolds who were looking at him with various looks.

"You were outside, and you had an accident!" Ruby lied.

"Did I?" Jeb asked as he looked down at himself. Nothing felt broken, though his head hurt and there was what looked like a bite mark on his hand.

"Yes! You were attacked by an animal!"

"What kind of animal was it?" Jeb asked as he looked curiously at the wound.

"We weren't sure. So we dragged you down here to check up on you!"

"Why does my head hurt?" He said as he rubbed his head where he had fallen not long ago.

"You... fell. During the attack!" She hurried her lie.

Jeb looked confused at her. Then his eyes lit up.

"Oh yeah! I was workin' on the carport!"

"YES! That was it!"

Jeb got up from off the ground, Ruby still clinging to his chest.

"Guess I better take a look at this bite then, make sure it doesn't get infected."

"Yeah, you do that! I'll be up to help you in a moment!" She said as she climbed off him.

He rolled his eyes with a smile.

"That's sweet but I can take care of a bite by myself!"

"Still, it would make me feel better to check up on you!"

He chuckled.

"Yes ma'am!"

Jeb made his way up the stairs and to the bathroom. The Egg-maids and Trap Master walked up to Ruby.

"Why didn't you want to say anything about what happened?!"

"Because he doesn't need to know!" She hissed at the question.

"Know what? That he can make a DRAGON scared out of her scales?!" A Egg-maid rebutted.

"That he could be something more than himself!"

"He has a right to know Den Mother." The Trap Master countered.

"Why?! If he didn't know before why should he find out now?!"

"Besides the fact that he's now an improvement over our former master?" One of the Egg-maids asked. Much to the confused looks of her sister and the rest.

"What? He's powerful enough to terrify a dragon, he's kind, handsome, and by the looks of the Den Mother here. Virile and loving!" She explained, to the gradual agreement of her lustful sister, the contemplating look of the Trap Master, and the horrified and embarrassed look of Ruby!

"What does any of that have to do with what we are talking about?!"

"Just that it doesn't HAVE to be a bad thing! Look around! We are safe, warm, full, and loved! Why should the fact he can do... whatever it was he did, affect that?" She countered.

"She does have A point Den Mother." The Trap Master agreed.

"What?! Not you too!"

"He deserves to know, and if he realizes that you knew, that WE knew and didn't tell him?"

He would be distraught, Ruby thought. She could see him, looking at her with hate and sadness. Isolating himself as he worked through being something more than human alone!

"Ok, he does. But... not now. Enough has happened today already."

The others looked around and saw the looks of fear, terror, and even some hope on the faces of the tribe. Most were scared by what happened. But to say that any were broken up by Jeb going after the dragon would be a lie.

"Also. If he can put eggs in you than that's even more reason to stick around!" The Egg-maid cheered. The rest of the tribe perked up at that declaration.

Ruby rolled her eyes as a claw drifted down to her abdomen.

"Even if I really do have a clutch. They'll just be salamanders. No kobold would come of it!"

The Egg-maid gestured towards the stairs that led into the rest of the house.

"With power like that? I wouldn't be so sure!"

That just made her worry more! If she did have eggs, and they were kobolds, how would Jeb being... something else affect them?!

"Regardless! It has been enough for today! I am going to go check on Jeb! I don't want to hear anymore of whatever else he could be!"

She hurried away from the growing crowd of kobolds, interested in the idea that Jeb could be what they had all been hoping for. A new master! A new master that was not only kind but could potentially fix the spell on their race!