Things began to pick up in the area formerly known as ‘The Slums’ by the next year. The square had been completed and other construction projects had begun - some sponsored by the government, but others by locals.

Kaliinda in particular loved to watch a puppet show at the square, put on by some older kids in the area. Whenever they would create a new show, she would be first in line to watch it - dragging her parents and friends to see it at the earliest opportunity. Usually Grace and Night would come along too, but increasingly Kalinda was spending more time with other human children than with her siblings.

Kreet encouraged that. Though children could be cruel, she knew, getting her kids to socialize with others was the best way she knew to really make them part of the community. And they’d have to learn how to handle that cruelty eventually anyway. Fortunately her friends seemed not to care about her differences and Kreet was glad to let them play in the neighborhood without her hovering over too much.

One day the puppeteers, knowing her daughter’s fascination with their little plays, gave her a puppet of her own. Instantly it was her most prized possession and she would spend hours making up her own stories and learning to work the strings. Night and Grace would be subjected to those impromptu stories, but as often as not they would grab a stuffed animal and join in the story with their own characters.

But Grace was another story. She didn’t socialize with other kids much, and that worried Kreet. Instead, she spent most of her leisure time either reading or in the kitchen helping their new cook.

For her part, Kreet began relying on Aunt Tribi more often as she was now working regularly with Dr. Stevens and making housecalls. But they still gathered daily as a family at dinner in the tavern, seated around a somewhat smaller table that Kallid had made specially for the purpose.

“So, I’ve been thinking…” began Kallid in kobold, their language of choice at the table.

The groan from all the children was audible. Their father’s suggestions almost always entailed more work for them.

“Hush kids,” Kreet scolded. “What is it Kally?”

“I think it’s time you kids started going to school. I was talking to Master Smith this morning at the new school building site, and he says he would be happy to teach you. And it would keep you out of trouble on days we’re gone too.”

Night was the first to protest. “But Da, the human kids don’t start till they’re four!”

“Ah, but you’re kobold. You know you grow up far faster than they do. I don’t see you playing with any four year olds anymore!” Kallid countered.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Grace said, and Night stuck his tongue out at her.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Kalinda sneered. “You’re a kiss ass!”

“KALINDA! You take that back. She’s your sister!” Kreet demanded immediately.

“Besides, that doesn’t make sense in kobold. You can’t just use the same words all the time,” Kallid pointed out. “It’s much too literal in our language. And pretty gross.”

“Kallid, you’re not helping.”

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“What would be better?” Kalinda asked.

“‘Suck up’ works,” Kallid noted.

“I am not a suck up!” Grace whined and Kreet stroked her head.

“Of course you’re not,” she said while giving her husband a scowl.

“I didn’t say she was a suck up! I just said the phrase works better than ‘kiss ass’ in kobold!”

Kalinda began to say something but Kreet put a finger up. “Don’t you say it, Ka! Ah! No!”

“Let’s just give it a try, okay? Just one day a week. I’m sure Miss Tribi will appreciate having some time to herself anyway. You three run her to exhaustion.”

“I don’t,” Grace protested, which produced another tongue from Night.

Later, Kreet and Kallid lay in bed listening to their children in the next room.

“Putting that door into the next room in was the best idea you ever had, Kally!” Kreet smiled as she ran her hand provocatively up and down Kallid from chest to tail. “I wonder if it will be enough though. They’re going to want their own rooms eventually. It’s what they see the human kids have.”

“SOME of the humans have that. Most of the poor ones still live in a single room. We’ll make it work. When I lived in the Underdark we all slept in one communal room.”

“Yeah, but we’re not in the Underdark now. They see how the humans live, and that’s what they expect. A good idea about the school by the way. I hope they don’t disrupt the class too much.”

Kallid laughed quietly. “Grace won’t.”

“She’s a kiss ass,” Kreet giggled.

“Oh, she just likes to please us. You know that. I can’t see that as a bad thing,” said Kallid, now tracing Kreet’s outlines in repayment

“No. You’re right. If only they were all like Grace,” Kreet agreed.

They were quiet for a while before Kreet spoke again.

“Do you miss them?”

“Miss who? The kids?”

“My boobs.”

“Oh. Those. Well, they were kinda fun to be honest. But hey, you still have more than any other kobold woman I’ve seen!”

“Except Miss Tribi.”

“Kreet... Miss Tribi has more of everything.”

Kreet laughed and straddled her husband.

“She’d crush you,” Kreet warned and began grinding.

“Undoubtedly,” Kallid said

“We could make more, you know…”

“Boobs?”

“Kids.”

“So, both!” Kallid laughed, then hushed himself.

******************************************************

It was during the very heart of the night, when even the kobolds had all gone to sleep that it began. It was not a secret revenge from Big Jake. It was not some deep plot by the Bishop of Pelor or the King. In fact, it was not intentional at all.

The gods could foresee it of course. They could have prevented it technically, however they had long ago learned not to interfere with Fate. Fate had a way of making things even worse if they tried.

Eilistraee was not looking that night, but she knew it was coming of course. Pelor did too for that matter. But they did not meddle that night. They dared not. This was Fate’s domain.

Down in the kitchen an hour earlier, a stray ember had fallen off the shovel as the cook cleaned the firebox and rolled away unnoticed. It rolled completely off the stone hearth and onto the wooden floor, coming to rest where the floor met the wall.

It might well have gone out. To any human eye, even after the light had been put out in the kitchen, it wouldn’t have been noticed. But deep within still glowed a red-hot core.

Even then, by itself it wouldn’t have caught. But the fates decreed a spatter of grease had happened to hit the wall in the very spot some days before.

The glow expanded. The wood began to glow in sympathy. Slowly the glow expanded along the wood and upwards. Then it touched the grease which acted as candle wax to the wood’s wick.

A flame came to life.