“How did the all-powerful, mighty Ichnick wind up running from a few weak zombies?” The imp asked. Dale had to admit to himself, he couldn’t hear the snark in the tone or inflection of the words. It was so internal to the little monstrous flying douche bag that a part of Dale wanted to just take the compliments at face value. If only he hadn’t seen those little lip twitches in the beginning, he’d be sucking it up. Just like Ichnick seemed to.

“Alas, friend imp, I was out of mana. I am not a traditional fighter.” The kobold waved its hands over itself to qualify that remark. “My strength is my magical powers. Now that I have some mana back, I shall demonstrate.”

Ichnick stood tall and proud, its spine ramrod straight and its snout was tilted up. Its right clawed hand raised imperiously. The gravitas was foiled by the fact it was two foot tall. It began to chant in a spidery language that crawled across Dale’s spine with pinching fingers of ice. At the end of the phrase, the little lizard thing flicked its finger and an arrow of fire shot out to strike a rabbit near the side of the road.

Dale sighed as he watched what could have been a nice pelt burned to cinders. At least he could still use the meat. Dale walked over and picked up the now dead bunny and slipped it into a game bag he’d picked up at Academy.

Ichnick nodded to the imp who crooned over the shot. Dale didn’t have the heart to tell the kobold it was being screwed with. He also was trying his hardest not to tell it that it didn’t need the phrase, the stance, or even the finger point. After he’d learned fire arrow from Ichnick, he could use it with a thought.

The flexibility of the spell was shocking. He could dump a couple mana, all the way up to his full 20 mana into it. Instinctively, he could tell that a 20-mana fire arrow would probably be enough to melt the plastic of the average garbage bin.

Dale addressed the kobold. “Ichnick, next time, please use a force bolt for killing animals. The pelts may not be worth anything right now, but as supplies become scarce, the more important they will become.”

The tiny shaman’s face fell for a moment before it recovered its mask and nodded in understanding. It appeared the creature had massive insecurity issues.

“In my haste to demonstrate, it slipped my mind.” Ichnick stated, its snout once again lifted into the air.

“Of course, oh powerful master wizard. Forgive me for distracting your brilliant mind.” The imp responded, bowing to the little kobold. Dale barely stopped himself from chuckling.

They walked along the road, the kobold now pulling the cart behind itself. Dale had tried to talk the little monster out of it, but had been argued down. It wouldn’t be long before the cart would become too much weight for the pace they were walking.

“We shall free you!” Cried out a shrill voice.

Dale spun around to see three kobolds running their direction with makeshift spears. Their faces were set in grim expressions. It was obvious they didn’t all expect to make it out of the situation alive.

Dale held his own spear before himself and two fire arrows began forming in his mind’s eye.

Ichnick scrambled over, nearly tripping over his own tail. “No! Wait!” It yelled while throwing itself in front of Dale and nearly getting stabbed for its trouble. “Friends! They are friends!”

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The three kobolds stumbled to a halt. One of them did trip over the tail of another. It scrambled back to its feet. Dale heard the imp snort a laugh before regaining control of itself. There was the little shit stain that he knew and hated.

“Friend? How food friend?” The tallest of the three asked. It appeared pecking order among kobolds was directly in reference to size and strength. With the exception of Ichnick having actual magic power.

Dale wasn’t stupid. He knew the only way the kobold could gain the experience necessary to obtain magic was through killing humans. Being called food wasn’t needed for him to realize it.

“We’ve made a pact!” Ichnick stated imperiously. “We have pledged not to kill each other so we can learn the other’s ways.” It shot a worried glance at Dale before turning back to the large kobold in charge of the small group.

“Learn better how to kill?” The lead kobold asked, head tilted to the side.

Ichnick frowned then turned to Dale. It knew they couldn’t see the pleading look in its eyes and in the way its snout was dipped. “Perhaps since the rabbit’s pelt is already ruined?”

Dale wanted to chuckle but kept tight control of his expression. He reached down and grabbed the bunny from within the game bag and tossed it to the little shaman.

“Learn better how to live.” Ichnick explained and handed over the dead rabbit.

The kobold stared at it curiously, then sniffed it. Eyes widened. “Food!” It cried, then bit into the tiny rabbit’s belly. Blood spurted onto the alpha kobold.

The stench nearly knocked Dale over but didn’t seem to bother the kobolds at all as the little monster took another bite from the belly then passed it over to the next smaller one. It took a bite and then passed to the next. This kobold made a few hissing clicks and four more smaller, thinner kobolds came running from behind trees. Each was allowed a bite from the rabbit. Dale had to turn away from the gory scene now. He decided to just continue walking down the road. There were trailers coming up on the right.

“Mighty Ichnick.” Dale said to get the shaman’s attention. It could hear the obvious irony of the statement in Dale’s voice. The monster offered a chagrinned look with snout pointing even further down.

“Yes?” It asked.

“We are coming up on places where people live. You should explain to your people that it would be a very bad idea if they attack another human in case there are any.” Dale instructed.

The shaman turned to its people and began speaking in the hisses, clicks, and squeaks of the kobold language. When it was done, it turned back to Dale.

“They will follow my lead.” It explained.

The group began moving further down the road. Now, two of the smaller, thinner kobolds were pulling the cart together under the direction of the largest kobold.

“How many more in your tribe?” Dale asked.

The shaman shook its head. “This is all. We were in the giant food building when the bugbear came. I snuck us out the back.”

“Why not stay?” Dale asked.

The shaman looked at him like he was crazy. “Bugbears and orcs eat kobolds.” It said in a murmur. “Staying there was asking to wind up in a stew pot. Especially since I gained magic after I-,” The shaman swallowed whatever it was about to say. “Before the bugbear and the orcs started to force us and the gremlins to fight for them.”

“Where are the goblins?” Dale asked it.

It looked like it had swallowed something horrid. A couple of the other kobolds hissed at the word. Ichnick shook its head. “Goblins are night creatures. To see one in the daylight would be strange.”

The large kobold said a word in their language then added, “are not friends. They take food and treat bad.”

It seemed goblins and kobolds were natural enemies. Dale thought for a bit before asking another question.

“Which of you are female and which male?” Dale asked, curious.

“Green stripes are egg layers.” Ichnick explained, waving a claw at one of the smaller of the kobolds. Dale saw there was a small green stripe running along the tail of two of the smaller kobolds.

“What are the smaller ones without the green stripe?” Dale asked.

“Non-leveled.” Ichnick explained, eyes a little worried. Dale realized the monster was trying to avoid talking about how four of them had gained abilities, skills, or attribute points while the others had not.

“Unless attacked, that’s not going to happen to another human while you are in a pact with me.” Dale explained without managing to stress the kobold’s place as subservient in the current agreement.

“Of course.” Ichnick nodded.

Dale heard the imp snicker at the agreement. He could only sigh.