I threw the lance at the still stunned alpha, creating a new spear to take its place. At the last moment, the alpha dove to the side, and my spear of ice impaled a surprised Kobold against the back wall. The same priest who tried to have me killed in Kiszo’s house. The surprise of seeing Ka’mun froze me in my tracks long enough for Go’gie to toss a dagger in my direction.

I pulled the lance up to block the dagger. The dagger deflected to the side, shattering my lance. I jumped back, constructing a Tier 1 Fireball and tossing it between us, buying me some time. “How are you alive?! No wonder we couldn’t break her. You still share the bond. When I kill you, I will find those shadows and kill them for allowing you to live!”

I scrambled backward, creating another ice lance and readying another fireball. Go’gie came charging through the fire within the doorway, two long sabers in his hands. He swung both downwards, my lance blocking them without shattering. The fireball in my mind vanished as he kicked me in the chest, forcing me back into the air and crashing into the wall, my breath leaving me.

“After killing you, I’ll go and end your little pet. We no longer need her now with the birth of two new Priestesses of Gna’zanth!”

I began giggling. I don’t know why I started. My boiling rage was to the point where I wanted to see this fucking furball suffer. I stood up, holding my side, pretty sure I had a broken rib, but the burning on my arm drew my attention from the pain. A white triangle with a new rune was on my arm just above my wrist.

I tore my eyes off my arm and looked over at the approaching Kobold, and my giggling turned into a peal of full hysterical laughter. I felt the pain from my side vanishing before the Stigmata on my chest burned. I tried to form another ice lance, but a large two-handed sword of crimson red formed within my palm. “That’ll work,” I laughed.

Go’gie took a step back as I launched myself forward, cackling the entire time. I felt my forearm burn briefly again as I flew with speed towards the terrified-looking Kobold. I swung the massive blade in an arc towards the alpha. He jumped to the side, but the blade still caught his right arm, severing it below the elbow. I smelled singed hair and skin as he began screaming.

“What kind of class lets you fight with both magic and rage?!” Go’gie shouted as he dove under my next swing and ran towards the door and out into his throne room.

I followed right behind, still laughing my head off. I kicked a piece of the shattered throne towards the fleeing Kobold. It struck him in the back, forcing him to smash face-first into the floor. I tried to stop and talk to him and explain why he would die, but I just kept laughing. Seeing him hurt on the floor looking towards me filled me with such blissful happiness. I couldn’t think of anything else but cutting him piece by piece till his final breath.

I jumped into the air and swung the sword down, aiming for his knee. Before I could, I was knocked to the side with a flash of light. I slammed into the wall and could feel burnt flesh on my side, my new shirt now ruined. I looked over to see a gaggle of Kobolds rushing into the room, two with fireballs floating above their palms, ready to strike. Others rushed to the aid of the Alpha.

My rage grew. These fucks interrupted my fun. I would kill them all! The two Kobolds seeing me move towards them unleashed their attacks. I swatted the first fireball away with my sword. The second hit my arm, exploding, knocking me clear across the room and into the darkness of a tunnel.

I was lost in the darkness for a moment before the tunnel began to glow an eerie red, and then something seemed to click in place, and I felt as if I was thrown again, this time up. I blinked down at my body and watched as it screamed in agony, thrashing about. I caught a yellow glow from my right forearm and could now see the single yellow triangle tattooed there. The rune glowed again before fading. I knew the rune for Rage was at the center of that triangle.

I started, no my body started laughing maniacally and jumped up. I was pulled behind as if leashed to my body as it rushed out of the tunnel with incredible speed. I thought I’d be sick, even without my body. Countless Kobolds were cut down protecting their alpha. My body was fighting with reckless abandon, taking magical and weapon strikes without blocking.

Try as I might, I couldn’t stop myself, I was now in the back seat watching as things began to look grim, and I prepared myself to wake up back at the island. Knowing Luin would be safe for the next year was my only consolation prize. Hopefully, when I returned, the town would have dealt with Go’gie by then.

“ENOUGH!!!” slammed into my nonexistent ears forcing me to recoil in pain. Those below seemed to have had it worse with being in their own bodies. I looked down at my body, now held in place by bands of dark blue. My head thrashed in every direction, even trying to bite at the band across my shoulders.

I looked towards the throne room entrance to see the blue-clad Axoli with a more prominent figure in bright-green armor next to him. The two walked forward, many of the Kobolds cowering and fleeing down random tunnels. The green armored one bent down and picked the alpha off the ground.

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He began talking in a loud voice, piercing my mind as he spoke. “Go’gie, are any of the reports I lay bare to your clan now the truth? You had your people follow and kill both of our people’s savior and took his bonded against her will to be chained up in prison, never again to see the daylight.

Forcing those who did not bend their well to their alpha into the same condition resulted in the suicide of at least one of these women. You had those who wished to challenge you as alpha killed, so the challenges were never heard. If any of this is the truth, you shall be executed at dawn by the laws of this town’s charter!”

“You have no right, Horrow! I am the alpha! I do as I please. The clan serves me!” Go’gie shouted before getting a punch from a green armored fist into his stomach. The Kobold folded and went still.

“Hear me, Kobolds! Your alpha has condemned himself by the very laws he agreed to sign. After his execution, we will allow those who follow your way to fight for alpha. Let the rest of the warren know what has happened here!”

Horrow turned to leave, and Lastaf walked up to my body, looking over my head. “I know you can hear me, Zeal. I’m glad I made it back in time before you got yourself killed or killed this entire warren then the town.”

He looked down at the crimson sword at my feet, then my chest, and then down at my right arm before pointing to the new Stigmata. “To think you unlocked Blood Magic and even formed a Physical Stigmata with Rage alone. No one in their right mind uses rage anymore. Who in the hell taught you the basics?

As soon as we calm your body down, we need to have a very long talk. Both on educating you and scolding you! Who the hell lies to the elderly? Kiszo told me about your ‘Mushroom Fireball.’”

Lastaf walked out of the now empty throne room, my body floating behind him and my mind following behind my body. As we walked out into the cool air, I could see the orange glow of the upcoming sunrise. Already along with the streets were many of the town’s residents watching as we passed. Many with concerned looks, others with surprised expressions seeing my floating form following the two armored men.

Once in the tavern, Horrow’s armor began to glow and dissolve before the ferret a quarter the size of the armor walked with the still unconscious Go’gie on his shoulders, opened a door, and began climbing down steps. Lastaf and my body followed behind, and I watched as Horrow tossed the Kobold into a cell before locking it. I couldn’t believe the small ferret was that strong.

Horrow turned and pointed at my body.” How long before he retains his faculties? I haven’t seen anyone go berserk in decades. What do you think made him snap and give everything up?”

“I don’t think he knew what was happening to him. When I said I smelt the bloodrage seeping off him, he shrugged it off. I assumed he had it well under control. Kiszo didn’t tell me he also unlocked his Physical Stigma. I assumed he controlled his rage with blood magic. Let me try a few things, get him in order.”

I watched as Lastaf touched my head before my body glowed a pale blue, then emerald green before a white glow faded. I began to feel a pull, and my mind raced back into my body. Then I was able to feel the pain my body was in. “So much pain,” I whimpered.

“Oh, my apologies,” said the Axoli before touching my head, and I drifted to sleep.

I awoke sometime later with something heavy over my right bottom half. My body still screamed at me in pain, but I pushed through and opened my eyes. Looking down, I could see a much bigger Luin laying atop my feet, her head on my stomach and arm around me. I couldn’t hold it in and began to sob uncontrollably. I had her back, and she was safe.

A worried Kiszo opened the door to ask what was wrong and If I was still in pain. I had difficulty explaining; I was just happy to have Luin back. The panther sat next to the bed and explained what had happened throughout the day.

Go’gie, much to his disappointment, was beheaded shortly after the sunrise. His clan came to witness the town’s judgment. Not a single Kobold spoke up when asked if they would like to speak on his behalf. The many clans found out what their alpha had been doing.

When it came time for a new alpha, no one stepped forward. A Kobold Elder raised the idea of the Kobolds living on the surface within the town and under the leadership of Horrow. The Kobolds seemed to agree to this as a majority. The town began planning an expansion to create new homes for the Kobolds.

After trying to speak a few times, Kiszo let out that many of the alpha’s guards had shouted that you had been killed before they met the ax and that you were some kind of vengeful specter to claim their blood debt. Those rumors are now circling the town, and It won’t be long before Hero Hunters show up seeking the source of those rumors. I had maybe two or three months before they caught wind of these rumors and came to investigate.

I tried to awaken Luin, but she wouldn’t budge. Kiszo informed me, Lastaf had put her to sleep when she wouldn’t stop trying to wake me. I laughed at the thought and slid myself out from under her and off the bed. I looked down at the blue and yellow adorable and drooling Kobold. She had grown and was now a bit over a meter tall.

I began getting into the provided clothing Kiszo had gotten me when Lastaf came into the room in a hurry. His pink ferns danced and twitched to an unknown rhythm. “The Gnit are coming here. They seek the one with blue fire, I assumed to be you,” said Lastaf.

“Yes. How do you know they are coming?”

He pointed to his pink ferns. “I can feel the queen’s magic as she commands the hive. She had them pushing out of her territory to find the one with blue fire.”

“I’ll go talk with them again,” I said as I pushed my foot into the last boot. These do not feel as comfortable as the last ones I bought.

“You’ve talked with the Gnit before? I would very much like to join you while you speak to them.”